through out the world in the communion wherof as members of the same church to whoÌ„ onelye saluation is promised and prepared see that ye requyre the sayd Priests or Priest if there be but one to praye ouer you and to aueyle you in the name of the blessed Trinitie And doo not differre this till the vehemencie of your sickenes decaye your speache and memorie as it is done amonges many which peruersely vse the Priestes of the church as they vse theyr corporal phisicians neuer sendinge for theym but in the extremes when they can doo them leste good But seyng Sainte Iames willeth the sicke persone to call or send for the priest let him doo that before his will his senses his memorie and vnderstanding doo faile him when he is able to ioyne with the priest in prayer and to protest the faith and trust he hath in atteining the grace â—ffecte of this sacrament to thintent he being inwardly armed and strengthened with the same in token whereof hee is than anoynted outwardlye with the sacramentall Oyle myghte the better withstande the force of the deuill and all hys deceitefull tentations who is than more busye as it were in the extreme conflict to ouerthrow the souldiour of Christ. And then no doubt of it almightye God who is true and faythfull of hys promise will worke the effectes of grace wherof S. Iames here speaketh in that sicke person as his godly wisdome shall see moste expedient for the soule health of that person specially if he than with humilitie meekenes and gladnes of harte with a full hope and confidence in Gods mercy do geue and yeld vp his bodye and soule with all the powers of the same vnto his Lorde god his creatour redemer to be healed and ordered according to his good wil by the meane of his holy sacramentes which he hath ordeined to be to vs as spirituall medicines wherby the merites of his most blessed death and passion be ordinarylye applyed to our commoditie And he that shal doo thus maye cherefullye and wyth gladnesse of mynde departe thys wretched world with assurance and ful trust to atteyne firste the promises of grace annexed to the worthye and frutefull receyuing of hys holy Sacramentes and in the ende to atteyne the crowne of glorye and lyfe euerlastyng whyche Christ our Lord hath promised to all them that shall loue and long for hys commyng whych he graunt to vs all to whom wyth the father and the holye ghost three persons and one God beall glorye honour world wythout end Amen ¶ Imprynted at London by Robert Caly within the precinct of Christes Hospitall The .x. of February M.D.LVIII Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum CoÌ„cilium generale FloreÌ„tinuÌ„ Iob. vii i. Tim. i. ii Cor â–ª x â–ª Chrisost. hom v. in Mat. op imperf Hugo vic de sacra li. i. part ix cap. ii Tertull. de resur carnis Hugo viâ— li. i. part iâ— cap. iii. August in Psal lxxiii i. Cor. iii August in IoaÌ„ trac v. Aug. contra faustuÌ„ lib. xix cap. xi Mat. xxviii Math. xix Ambros. ad Ro. vi i. Pet. iii. i. Cor. x. Ephe. v. Aug. trac lxxx Ambros. de spuÌ„s lib i. cap. vi De Sacrament lib. i cap. v. Aug. lib. iii coÌ„tra pela ii epist. cap. iii. Zacha. xiii i. Cor. vi Rom. viii Rom. vii Titus iii. Chrysost. ho. ad baptiâ—â—ndos Coloss. i. Iacob â— Rom. viii Gala iii. Basilius de baptismo Coloss. iii. Ephe â–ª iiii i. Peter ii Rom. viii Tiâ—us iii. Rom. viii August lib. i â–ª cont Iuliaâ—um Marke â—vi Actes ii Iohn iii. Actes viii Actes x. Chryso in loaÌ„ hom â–ª xâ—iiii Aug. tract xiii super IoaÌ„nem Ioâ—n iii. Rom. v. Aug lib. iiii de baptismo cap. xxii â–ª Aug. lib. xii de ciui cap. vii Bernard Serm. de Innocentibus Hug. vict De Sacra Lib ii par vi cap. vii Thom. Aquin part iii. q. lvii IdeÌ„ part iii. que lx â–ª lxvi Dionisius Ateop Hier. eccl cap. ii Cypri li. i. epist. xii Marke i. Marke x. Aug. de temp sâ—r cxvi Aug. epist. cv De simbolo lâ— â–ª i. ca. i. Contra â—â—lianuÌ„ lib. i. cap. ii Aug. de eccles dog ca. xxxi Ioan. xii Luc. xi Ephes. iiii Exod. xx i. Cor. x. Exod. xii Mark viii Ezech. ix Aug. in Psal. xxx i. Cor. i. ii Corin. ii Rom. â— Mat. xi Origen hom vi iâ—a EzechieleÌ„ â–ª Marc. vii Ambros. lib. i. de Sacra cap. i. Rom. xii ii Cor. ii Col. iiii Tertul. corona milit Chrys. ho. vi ad coll Aug. simbolo li. iii. cap. i. Marc. â—vi Ambros. lib. i. de Sacra cap. i. Aug. ad BonifaciuÌ„ de baptismo Tertul. de resur carnis Eusebius Emis orat de corp sang Rom. vi Gregorius li. i. epis xli Gregorius vbi supra Aug. in Ioan. tract â–ª xxxiii Ambros. de Sacra Lib. i. cap. vii Ambros. de iis quâ— mist. initiâ— antur cap. vii Math. â—â— Maâ— xxv Aug. de simbolo lib. iiii ca. i. Iohn xv Act. ii Luc. xxiiii â–ª Act. viii Act. xix Basilius de spiritu S. cap. xxvii â–ª Dionisius Arâ—opag câ—p iiii 〈◊〉 iii. Aug. de 〈…〉 xv cap. â—xâ—i Mâ—th iiii i. 〈◊〉 ii Galaâ— v. Melchiâ—des papâ— epist. decretali Iohn xiii 〈◊〉 â–ª xvii Luke ix Mat â–ª â—iiii Luke xxii Mat. xxvi 〈◊〉 xxvi Bernard Ser. de diligendo deâ— ii Tim iiiâ— â–ª Philip. i. Act. v. Aug. de eccle dogmat â–ª ca. lii Esay xi Greg. super Ezechiel hom â—â—x i. Cor. x â–ª Eccles. x. Esay xiiii Gene. iiii Aug. ser. domini in moÌ„â—â— li. i. Proâ— ix i. Iohn iiii Eccles. ii Bernardus Ser. de sep tem donis Eccl. xxvii Rom. â—i Mâ—t. v. Aug. Ser. domâ—ni in moÌ„te li. ii â–ª Aug. de Ser. domini in moÌ„te lib. ii Mat. xxv Psal. xxxiii Eccle. vii Coloss. i. i. Cor. xv Pro. xxviii i. Tim. vi Eâ—ech xvi Iacob iii. Grego in canti cap. i Cypria de duplicâ— martirio Chryso in Mat. hom lxxâ—iii â–ª Eusebius Emesenus orat de corpo saÌ„g Mat. xxvi Mark â—iiii Luke xxii i. Cor. xi Ambâ— de Sacraâ—â—â— â–ª iiii cap. 〈◊〉 Emes ora de corpo sangu Ireneus lib iiii cap. xxxiiii Chrysost. in Mâ—t ho. lxxxiii Bernardus serm in cena domini Chrysost. de prodit Iudae In .ii. tim i. hom ii In Math. ho. lxxxiii Aug. de trinit lib. iii. cap. iiii Hesichius in leuit lib vi ca â–ª xxii Chrysost. hom xvii in Math. IoaÌ„ vi Theophi in Marke cap. xiiii Epipha in Ancoraâ—u Aug. in li. senten prospe Hylarius pontif Cyrillus in IoaÌ„ lib. x. cap. xiii Cypri li. i. epist. vi i. Cor. xi Aug. in lib. senten prospe Chrysost. in Mat. ho. lxxxiii Origenes in psalme xxxviii Theophi in capi x. ad Hebre. Ambros. offic lib. i. cap. xlviii Heb. ix Nazianzenus orat de pascha Bernardus serm de cena domini Cypri ser. de cena â–ª Chryso de sacerdotio lib. iii. Chrysost. in Mat. ho lxxxiii
the mightie princes of the world but contemned al there threatninges and gloryed in their tribulations and reioyced that they were thought worthy to suffer either shame or deathe for the name of Iesus takinge this for a rule of their liuing rather to obey God than man For this same inteÌ„t and spiritual effect good people receiue we the holy ghost in our Confirmation that wee shoulde be established in the giftes and graces before receiued in baptisme y t we lightly fall not froÌ„ them againe that we should be made hardyer and more bold to confesse our fayth not regardinge any daunger or peryll that mighte come to vs therby and that we should constantly withstand all the assaultes and tentations of the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe and neyther shrinke for feare or geue ouer for paine nor cease for shame bu with pacience and continuaunce keping our promise bearinge our crosse not yelding to our enemy should with sure hope looke for the crowne of righteousnes which god wyll geue to all them that loue hys comminge These Godlye effectes be taught and sygnyfyed vnto vs by the matter of this sacrament and by the other ceremonies which be vsed in the ministracion of it The matter of it is y e holy Chrisme which is mingled and made of two thinges oyle Oliue and balme By the oyle oliue is signifyed the infusion of grace and the feruent zeale charitie towardes the maintenaunce of Chrystes faith wherwith he is indued that is confirmed By the balme is signified the swetenes of gods holy spirit wherwith Christ doth allure vs and draweth vs to his seruice also wherby we are made a good and swete sauour to God replenyshed with the fruite of righteousnes to the glory and praise of god and to the good example edifying of our neighbour With this holy Chrisme the man or chyld is anointed in his foreheade by the impositioÌ„ of the bishops haÌ„des with the signe of the crosse By the imposition of handes is signified the strength of the holy ghost wherewyth we be indued in our Confirmation to thintent we might be able to stand in our faith to abouÌ„d in hope and to grow in charity in good workes And the crosse is signed in our forehead that we shoulde neuer be ashamed of oure Lorde Iesus Christ nor of our religion but should stedfastlye resist the tentations of the deuill and ouercome with pacieÌ„ce the troubles of this world alwaies glorying in the crosse of Christ and laboringe to come to the felowship of his passions that so we might be partakers of his glorious resurrectioÌ„ After confirmation the party confirmed hath a blow of the cheke geuen him by the bishop to the intent he shoulde know and remember that hys religion and profession is mekely and gladlye to suffer the shame rebuke and tribulation of the world for the name of Christ and for righteousnes sake without grudging against God or reuenging of his owne quarel and so in peace and patience to possesse his soule Therfore I beseche you brethren doe not neglect this holsome profitable sacrament but diligently consyder what ayde and what grace is geuen vnto you in it if by your necgligence fal ye haue lost that grace for a great part yet it may be recouered agayne not by a newe Confirmation which may not be iterate but by your inward conuersion faythfull penaunce and after ye bee risen and haue recouered your strength agayne than take better hede and do not make heauye nor dryue not away the holy ghost from you who flieth alwaies from fained ypocrisy wil not dwel in that body that is subiect and seruaunt to synne And lyke wise be you carefull and diligente to haue youre children confirmed in this grace to be indued with these excellent giftes of the holye ghoste by receiuing this holy sacrament in the catholik churche and specially they whose chyldren were baptysed of heretykes in the tyme of any scisme and out of the catholike Churche For although they did than receiue the sacrament of baptisme whiche may not be ministred to them again lest we should shew our selues to crucifye Christe aâ—gaine yet they did not than and there receiue the grace of baptysme beinge oute of the Churche but may nowe receiue the grace whiche they lacked before and be reconciled to god and be made members of his holy catholike Churche and so in tyme be admitted to receiue the blessed bodye and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christe Whiche thinges yf you procure for them and bothe they and you stand stedfastly in that same grace to your lyues end ye may perfytly trust to atteyne that glory which shal be reueled and geuen to all Gods electe people in the last day by the merites of our sauiour Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be al honour and prayse for euermore Amen ¶ Of the seuen gyftes of the holy ghost geuen in the Sacrament of Confirmation Ser. vi WHeras it is declared vnto you good people that in the SacrameÌ„t of Confirmation the holy ghost is geueÌ„ to him that is confirmed not for the making of him a new man or the childe of God and the inherytour of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ for which purpose he was geuen before in baptisme but to coÌ„firme him in that grace he hath receyued and to ayde him in hys spirituall battayle wyth his ghostlye enemyes and to defende hym in his conflictes and to comforte hym in hys trauayle and to bee his tutour in kepinge him from fallinge and to make him stronge able to resyst and ouercome his enemies all whiche thynges the holye ghoste worketh in the hart of the partye confirmed by induing him with his vii principal giftes therfore I intende God wyllinge at thys time to declare vnto you which be those seuen giftes and how they be vsed to auoyd the suggestions and assaultes of the deuyll These seuen giftes be set forth by the prophet Esai where he saith of our sauiour Christ that there shall a rodde or branche spring forth of the roote of Iesse and a floure shall ascende from that roote and the spirite of god shall rest vppon him the spirit of wysedome and vnderstanding the spirite of counsell and strengthe the spirit of knowledge and pitie and the spirit of the feare of god shal replenish him Which seuen giftes do not onely rest vpoÌ„ Christ as maÌ„ being the hed of his mistical body the churche but also vpon euery one of vs that be made meÌ„bers of the same body the holy ghost dwelleth in his soule that hath these giftes alwayes defendeth hym froÌ„ his enemies wheÌ„ he loseth or quencheth them by yeldinge to his enemye than the holye ghoste withdraweth his gracious preseÌ„ce from him tyl he by penaunce and prayer recouer them againe And these giftes after the maner of holye scripture be termed called by the name of spirytes not that
lyfe For when our sauioure Christe was dead vpon the crosse and his syde was perced with a speare there came foorth of it water and bloude where vpon he fourmed and buylded his spouse the churche For by the water he geueth to vs oure beynge because by it wee are brought to be christen menne and by the bloude he geueth to vs oure lyfe because by it wee are nouryshed and fedde and preserued to contynue christen men For by eating of him whiche is eternall lyfe we are suâ—e that he geueth to vs the same thynge that he is him selfe whyche is lyfe whiche of our selues we hadde not before It is not geuen to repayre the ruyne and decayes of this temporall lyfe whiche lyke a vapour continueth but a whyle but to repayre the decay of our spirituall lyfe in Chryste and to geue vnto our soules eternall lyfe and to bringe vs thither agayne from whence wee toke oure beginninge Thys decaye of our spirituall lyfe is susteyned by consentinge to sinne and like as he that hath a wounde wyl seke for a medicyne euen so when we are in sinne we may haue thys heauenly and honorable Sacrament for a medicyne I meane not of him that lyeth dead in his soule by deadly sinne for as no man geueth corporall meate to hym that is deade in bodye so this spirituall meate of Christes body and bloude may not bee geuen to hym that is spirituallye deade in hys soule by deadly sinne for than he receiueth it vnworthely to his further iudgemeÌ„t and condemnation being gilty as Iudas was of the bodye and bloode of Christ. Therefore if the wounde of synne be so great that this sacrament can not then be worthely receiued let him then go to penaunce and by that medicine procure himself to be restored to lyfe againe For no doubt of it he receiueth thys blessed sacrament vnwoorthely that receiueth it at that time when he shoulde doo penaunce But if his sinnes be but venial and suche as this mortall and frayle lyfe can not be passed ouer wythout them then let him not forbeare the holsome medicine of this sacrament whiche is profitable to the life and health of the holl man beyng both a medicine to heale infirmities and a sacrifice to purge iniquities And because a man doth dayly offende and so decayeth in his spirituall lyfe therfore ought he often to receiue thys spiritual medicine which is called our daylye breade and therby to recouer that healthe and strengthe he had lost before For as Adam Eue contrary to Gods coÌ„maundement by eating of the fruite of the tree which was forbidden them were made mortall and subiect to death both of bodye and soule euen so euerye Christen man and woman accordyng to Christes commaundement by the worthye eating of the body and blood of Christ who is the true 〈◊〉 and the tree of life is made immortall and hathe a pledge of eternall lyfe both of body and soule And if god preserued the temporall lyfe of the people of Israel forty yeres in wildernes without any bread of sowen corn but with Manna that came from aboue howe much more will God preserue our spirituall lyfe in this worlde with the heauenlye breade of hys own flesh which was made of the blessed virgins pure substance without the sede of maÌ„ For this meate is the streÌ„gth of our soule the synewes of our minde the knot of our trust the foundation of our hope our health our light our lyfe if we depart out of this life armed with the strengthe of this meate we shall ascende to the heauenlye palace of God with great trust and boldnes and as it were apparelled with a cote of golde The figure of this meate which was the blood of the paschall lambe by the vertue of this blood which it figured did purge the synne of the people and saued them from the sword of the angel and if the figure hath such strength and was so soueraigne medicine against deathe what shall we think of the truth which is the health of our soules whereby our soules be washed they be adourned they be kindled they are made clearer then the fyre and brighter than golde For as a man bieth his seruant with gold and also anourneth him with golde lykewise so Christe hathe bought vs with his precious blood and doth anourne vs and apparelleth vs wyth the same blood which is not now sprinkled vpon vs outwardly and washed away againe as the bloode of the sacrifices of the old testament was but it entreth into our soules and maketh them spiritually clene and strong and worketh in them an vnspeakable beutie so that this heauenly foode is a protection and safegarde for vs in al the pilgrimage of this life and a safe conduite for our free passage out of thys wycked worlde and a strong vitale making vs able to endure the painful iorney to the kingdome of heauen And more ouer the worthy receiuer is inwardlye lyghtned and sanctified for as they did crucifie hym and put him to death were darkned and blynded by him so we that worthely receiue him be lightned and oure eyes be opened to knowe hym For the fleshe of Christe to that effect hath marueylous and vnspeakeable vertue as appeared in hys two disciples that knewe hym in the breakyng of the heaueÌ„ly bread And this vertue hath Christes body not in that it is a creature of God and the bodye of man but in that it is the bodye of God vnited to the Godhead of Christ in vnitye of persone and beynge sanctified it selfe by the vertue of Christes diuinitie ioyned to it it is able thereby to worke sanctification in them that worthely receyue it beyng made by the mistical prayer a body not onely holy and sanctified in it selfe but also sanctifyeng them that receyue it with a pure minde And as by drinking of common wyne a mans mynde is refreshed and hys heauynes dryuen awaye so by the eatyng and drynkyng of Christes bodye and bloode in the Sacrament the remembraunce of the olde man and the heauynes that for hys worldlye conuersation synfull life greued a mans hart is put away his godly affection is made dronken with spiritual wisdome and the knowledge of God is indued with gladnes for the remission of his sinnes and is no more combered wyth the cares of the world nor the feare of death Thus haue I declared vnto you certein godly effectes which this heauenlye meate of Christes bodie and blood woorketh inwardlye in the soule of the worthy receiuer which effectes and a great manye mo bee set foorthe at large in the bokes of the holy fathers of the catholik church and as I haue shortlye touched those that perteine to the soule so shall I God wyllyng wyth like shortnes touche those that God worketh by the worthy receiuing of this Sacrament in the bodye of man For as the spirituall disease and
Holsome and Catholyke doctryne concerninge the seuen Sacramentes of Chrystes Church expedient to be knowen of all men set forth in maner of shorte Sermons to bee made to the people by the reuerend father in God Thomas byshop of Lincolne Anno. 1558. Mense Februarij Excusum Londini in aedibus Roberti Caly Typographi Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ¶ The contentes of the Booke OF the numbre of the Sacramentes of Christes Church and the effectes of the same Ser. i. Fol. i. ¶ Of the Sacrament of Baptisme Ser. ii Fol. viii ¶ Of the necessitie of Baptisme and the ministers of the same Ser iii. Fol. xiii ¶ Of the auncient and godly ceremonies perteyninge to Baptisme and what is ment and taught by them Ser. iiii Fol. xviii ¶ Of the Sacrament of Confirmation Ser. v. Fol. xxiiii ¶ Of the seuē giftes of the holy ghost geuen in the sacrament of Confirmation Ser. vi Fol. xxix ¶ Of the real presence of Christes body in the sacrament of the Aultar Ser. vii Fol. xxxvi ¶ Of the chaunge of bread and wyne that is to saye of Transubstantiacion Ser. viii Fol. xlii ¶ Of the effectes of Christes bodye and bloud in the worthye receiuer Ser. ix Fol. xlviii ¶ An exhortation for the worthye receyuinge of the holye Sacrament Ser. x. Fol. liiii ¶ How a man maye come worthely to receiue the blessed Sacrament Ser. xi Fol. lx ¶ Of the sacrifice of the newe Testament whiche is called the Masse Ser. xii Fol. lxviii ¶ Of the godly prayers ceremonies vsed in the sacrifice of the Masse Ser. xiii Fol. lxxv ¶ Of the necessitie and commoditie of Penaunce in generall Ser. xiiii Fol. lxxx ¶ A Sermon againste desperation Ser. xv Fol. lxxxvi ¶ Against presumption of mercye ▪ Ser xvi Fol. xciiii ¶ Of Contrition Ser. xvii fol. ci ¶ Of inward Confession to almightie God Ser. xviii Fol. cviii ¶ Of Confession to a Priest Ser. xix Fol. cxiiii ¶ what a sinner ought to doe in makinge his confession Ser. xx Fol. cxviii ¶ Certayne Instructions whereby a man may consider hys lyfe make his confession the better Ser. xxi Fol. cxxv ¶ Of confession to a mans neighbour whom he hath offended Ser. xxii Fol. cxxxii ¶ Of Satisfaction Ser. xxiii Fol. cxxxix ¶ How a man shoulde after penaunce auoyde sinne and lyue well Ser. xxiiii Fol ▪ clxvi ¶ Of the Sacrament of Order Ser. xxv Fol. cliii ¶ In what estimation the Prelates and other Ministers in Chrystes Churche oughte to be hadde of the people Ser. xxvi Fol. clix ¶ Of the Sacramente of Matrymonye and what grace is geuen in it Ser. xxvii Fol. clxvi ¶ Of the maner how to minister and contracte matrimonye Ser. xxviii Fol. clxxii ¶ For what intent and wyth what affection men and women ought to marrye Ser xxix Fol. clxxix ¶ Of the Sacrament of extreme Unction Ser. xxx Fol. clxxxv FINIS ¶ Of the number of the Sacramentes of Christes Church and theffect of the same Sermo primus THe Catholike Church of god good people dothe extende her doctryne concernyng the matter of oure beliefe not onely to the Articles of our Crede and such poyntes as by reuelation from God it teacheth vs to beleue of God and the woorkes of our Sauiour Christ which he did or suffered for the redemption and saluation of man but also to the holye Sacramentes of God by the woorthie vsing whereof he powreth abundantlye his many folde graces into our soules and by them maketh vs people mete to receyue the fruites and benefites of his passion And as ye haue bene instructed partly concerning the Articles of our faythe so it is expedient ye be likewise instructed concerning the holye Sacramentes of his churche to thintent ye might not onelye knowe the maner of Gods working in curinge of your soules but also prepare and dispose your selues to the fruitful receiuinge of his medicynes whiche be ministred to euery man by his holy Sacramentes And therfore at this tyme by Gods helpe I intend to declare vnto you the number of the sacramentes of Christes church also theffect of them all in general at other times euery one of thē in special It is to be beleued vpon paine of damnation that there be seuen Sacramentes of Chrystes holy churche institute and ordeined of our sauiour Christ in his new testament or law whiche be Baptisme Confirmation the Sacrament of the Aultar Penaunce extreme Unction Order and Matrimonie The first fyue be ordeined for the making good and the perfection of euery man and woman as by Baptisme we are iustified and made members of Christes misticall body by Confirmation we are increased and strengthned in grace by the sacrament of Christes body and bloud we are nourished to euerlasting lyfe and made fat with God by Penaunce we are restored to our former rightwisnesse and goodnes if in case we fall after Baptisme by extreme Unction we are made hole spiritually and also corporallye if it be thought to God expedient to our soules Al these fyue Sacramentes be ordeyned to beginne or restore our ryghtwysnes and to bringe it to perfytnesse for oure saluation The other two laste be ordeyned for the common state of the hole Churche as Matrymonye to encrease and multiplye the Church corporally by generation and Order to multiplye the hole Churche spiritually by regeneration and also by the ministerie of Gods woorde Sacramentes and discipline to rule and gouerne it after the will of almightye God And where as the holye Scriptures in manye places compare a mans lyfe to a warre we maye verye well by that same similitude vnderstande the numbre and diuision of Gods Sacramentes and the true effecte of the same For Christe our Lorde and kinge who hath for vs ouercommed the deuyll the fleshe the worlde hell death and all his enemies and ours laboreth to make all vs for whom he hathe prepared triumphe and the inheritaunce in the kingdome of heauen to be his souldiours and by his power and helpe to fight againste the sayde enemies and to ouercome theym in our owne persones and so to atteine the promised rewarde The first thinge that a worldly Prince doth intendinge to make warre againste his enemye is to muster and choose out his souldiours and to take their names and to apparel thē with his liuerye and badge that they may be knowen frō the souldiours of his aduersary Euen so Christ our chefe captaine by Baptisme hath called and chosen out of all the people of this world whiche he hath holly redemed certeine to be his souldiours to fight against his enemy the deuil which soldiours thus called haue geuē their names to Christ their kinge haue renounced the seruice of their old maister the deuil who was a tyrant deliting onely in theyr death and haue promysed to serue onely Christ like true souldiours against the deuill and by this sacrament of Baptisme are pardoned and washed from theyr olde spots of originall
we are sanctified by grace wee are made iust menne by ryghtwisnes we are made Gods children by adoption we are made heyres of the kingdome of heauen we are made fellow heyres with Christ gods sonne we are made members of Christes mistical body we are made the house and temple of God we are made the instrumentes of the holy ghost we are grafted in Christ to grow and to bring forth the fruite of sanctification and to receyue the reward of oure fruite euerlasting life All these graces almightye God worketh by baptisme as by a peculiar instrumeÌ„t for that purpose in the hartes of al infants that by the Church and in the faith of the churche be offered to God and baptised where nothinge of the infantes party dothe stop the grace of the sacrament But if he that is baptised be of age and discretion hauinge the vse of his reason it is required necessarilye of him before baptisme to haue faith repentaunce of his former noughtie liuing â–ª as Christ saith He that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued but he that beleueth not shall be condemned and as S. Peter saith Do penaunce and be euery one of you baptised in the name of Iesus Christe in remission of your sinnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy ghost Wherby wee learne that the lacke of true fayth and repentaunce do stop the grace of the Sacrament that it can take no place in the hart of him that hath the vse of his reason when he is baptised and yet the baptisme is good maye not be â—â—erate geuen againe although it be vnfruitfull to the receyuer at that time tyll afterwarde he receyue by true faythe and penaunce and imposition of handes the gifte of the holy ghost Thus good people when we haue considered what we ought to thinke of baptisme and what fruite we receiue by it now our duetie is to put the same in practise all our life tyme and to lyue so that this good worke be not in vayne begoÌ„ne in vs and to shewe our selues thankefull for so great a treasure and so preciouse a Iewel geuen vnto vs and to labour and praye diligently that Gods spirite geuen vnto vs in baptisme be not driuen away by our noughty liuing but that his grace in our hartes be dayly continued and more encreased that by the vertue thereof the rightwysnes of the lawe mighte be fulfylled in vs that walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite tyl this mortal nature of ours put on immortalitie in the day of our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holye ghoste be all honour and glorye Amen ¶ Of the necessitie of Baptisme and the ministers of the same Ser. iii. THe necessitie of baptisme good people is knowen by the plaine woordes of our sauiour Chriâ—â— who sayde to Nicodemus that came to him in the night Except a man be borne agayne of the water and the holy ghost he can not enter into the â—â—ngdome of God Whereby wee learne that no man is incorporate to Christ and made one bodye with hym but he that is baptised if he may be baptised And S. Philippe also declaring that baptisme is a Sacrament of necessitie for saluation when he had fully taughte the Eunuch the faith of Christ whose hart was replenished and fulfilled with the holy ghost dyd not cease there but to shewe the necessity of baptisme when they came to water Philippâ— wente downe from the charyote with the Eunuch and did baptise him and let hym go And S. Peter likewise preaching the fayth of Christ to Cornelius and his family and frendes when he perceiued that the holy ghoste did inspire theyr hartes with his grace before baptisme was not content onelye with that but to declare the necessitie of water sayd Can anye man forbydde water that these men should not be baptised that haue receiued the holy ghost as we haue Therefore be a man neuer so well instructed in the knowledge of Christes relygyon yet hee beareth the burden of hys iniquitie whiche shal not be forgeuen him but when he shall come to baptisme if it maye be hadde And chyldren whiche be borne in origynall synne and therefore be the chyldren of Gods angre and dyspleasure can not be saued and deliuered from theyr synne but by the water of regeneratyon and this is true whether they be borne of faythfull parentes or vnfaythfull for what so euer is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and lyke as by one man Adam sinne came into the worlde and by synne deathe and so death came vppon all men that synned in Adam euen so by the ryghtwysnesse of one man Iesus Christe grace came into the worlde and by grace lyfe in whom many be made ryghtwyse whyche ryghtwyâ—nesse onelye they haue that haue putte on Chryste by Baptisme And yet good people it is to be vnderstande that thys generall rule hathe but twoo exceptions whyche be Martyrdome and conuersyon of the harte by fayth when Baptisme can not be hadde For Martirdome whiche is to suffer deathe for Christes cause or in the quarell of Chryste dothe supplye the steede of Baptisme both in those that be chyldren and also in those that be of age when onelye necessitie and not contempte excludeth the Sacramente as oure Sauiour Christe saythe He that confesseth me before menne I shall also confesse hym before my father whiche is in heauen and he that looseth hys lyfe for me shall fynde it so that whosoeuer can not receyue the Sacramente of regeneratyon but dyeth before for the confession of Chryste it is as muche auaylable to the remission of hys sinnes as if they were washed away by the holye fountayne of baptisme For who doubteth but that the holye Innocentes whom the wycked kynge Herode slewe for Christe are numbred among the Martyrs of God who made a good confession of Christ not by their mouthes but by sheddinge of their bloude for him Likewyse he that hathe his harte fullye conuerted to GOD by true and lyuelye faythe and can not bee baptysed in water but is preuented by deathe before is in that case excused for not hauinge Baptisme For Christe saythe He that beleueth in me shall not see deathe for euermore And where faythe is where hope is where charitye is where the full and perfytte vertue of Baptisme is there saluation canne not lacke if the Sacramente be hadde in purpose and wyll and can not be had in dede So that we see that Chyldren haue but one remedye to supply the lacke of baptisme whiche is Martyrdome and they that haue the vse of reason haue twoo remedyes bothe Martyrdome and also the full conuersion of the hart by lyuelye faythe and that onelye in tyme of neede when the Sacrament not of contempt but of necessitie can not be had And because this Sacrament is of such necessitie therefore the ministration of it is not extended to
at this time is verelye and reallye present the true bodye and bloude of oure Sauiour Christ which suffered vpon the crosse for vs and is receyued there corporallye by the seruices of our mouthes not in the same forme of his body as it was vpon the crosse but in the formes of our dayly and special nutrimentes of breade and wyne the substaunce of which bread and wyne is conuerted and chaunged into the substaunce of Chrystes bodye and bloude by the omnipotent and secret power of his woorde assistinge the due administratyon of hys mynister This merueylous and heauenly doctrine is not inuented by mans wytte but reueled by Gods spirit in his holy scripture and taught vs by the mouth of our Sauiour Christe who instituted thys holy Sacrament in his last supper sayinge to his disciples take eate this is my bodye whiche is geuen for you this is my bloude of the new testament which is shed for many and for you in remission of sinnes Of these words the like which be written in the gospels of S. Marke S. Luke and in the epistle of S. Paul to the CorinthiaÌ„s the holy catholike church hath euer from the beginning vnderstaÌ„ded and beleued that after the speaking of those words by Christ or by his minister in his person sufficientlye authorised so to do by his commaundement is made present the naturall body and bloud of our sauiour Christe there to be receiued of his faithfull people to the increase of all grace and immortalitie bothe of bodye and soule For the Churche estemeth these to be the working wordes of God makinge the thinge to be as it was not before and not as the wordes of onely man whiche can onelye declare the thinge to be as it is before For yf Christes word be of such streÌ„gth that it can make thinges to be that were nothing before how much more hath it strength to make a thinge that was before to be chaunged into an other thynge that it was not Like as the heauen was not the earth was not yet he said the worde and they were made euen so the sacrament before the consecration was not the bodye of Christe but after the consecration it is now the body of Christ for he hath said the word the thinge is made And he that is the author of the gift is also the wytnes of the truth of the same gift so that our fayth in this thinge is grounded not in mans reason or sense but in the almighty power of gods worde For if Christ the speaker of this word were not Gods sonne and the woorde of God by whom all trees and herbes doo bringe foorth fruite it could not be certeine to vs that this blessed and sanctified breade of the Sacrament were Christes bodye and the cuppe of his bloude Therefore seing that he hath sayde this is my body this is my bloude who can neyther deceyue nor be deceyued let vs without all doubte stedfastlye beleue it to be so and looke vpon it wyth the eyes of our vnderstandinge For our faith in this matter is induced by hys onelye authorytie and not by our wytte whose wordes require necessarily our fayth and in no wise do admitte our reason they require a simple beleuer and reproue a wicked reasoner so that we must beleue simply that we can not serche profitablye wherefore lyke as wee maye not curiouslye serche howe it is done so we maye not Iewishlye doubte whether it be done but reuerently prepare vs to receyue that by faith we are sure is done And furthermore the holy Churche estemeth those wordes of Christ this is my body this is my bloude to be the formall wordes of a sacrament of the new Testament workinge inwardly the same grace that is signified outwardly whiche is the propertâ—e of euery sacrament of the newe Testamente whereby they differ frome the other shadowes of the olde Testament And because the grace that is signified by these formall wordes is the very bodye and bloude of Christe him selfe the author and fountayne of all grace therfore we must certeinly knowe by fayth that God assistyng the due ministration of thys Sacrament according to his promise doth inwardly woorke in the holy Sacrament the reall presence of his saied bodye and bloude It is not the power of the priest being a man that in the creatures which be set vpon the aultare to be consecrate causeth the body and bloud of oure Lorde to be made present but it is Christ himselfe that was crucified for vs. The wordes be pronounced by the mouth of the prieste as hys mynyster but the oblations be consecrate by Gods power and grace who is now there present and sanctifieth the creatures and chaungeth them by the inuisible working of the holy ghost which miraculous chaunge must be imputed to Christ who by hys woorde worketh this his presence aboue the reache of mans carnall vnderstandynge And we ought to thinke of this consecration farre aboue the consecration of other thinges For other thinges in the Church vsed about the holy Sacramentes be by prayer sanctifyed and called holy for that they be dedicate to some holy vse and the soule of man is by grace coÌ„secrate and sanctified because it is a substaunce wherin holines and vertue remaineth and a good mans bodye is also sanctified being made a membre of Christ and the temple of the holy ghost and the other Sacramentes be sanctified and holye for that they bee the instrumentes wherby GOD worketh holynes in the soule of man but aboue all other thinges this blessed Sacrament of the Aultar is most holy beyng as S. Chrysostome sayth not onely a thinge sanctifyed but also verye sanctification and holynesse it selfe For in that it is the bodye of Christe by sanctification wherunto is annexed the godheade by vnitye of person it muste nedes by holynes it selfe not in qualitie but in substaunce out of which procedeth all holynes vertue and goodnes And the holy Churche also estemeth those formall woordes of oure Sauioure Christe to be the performaunce of his promise whych he made at Capernaum to his disciples when he sayde the breade that I shall 〈◊〉 vnto you is my fleshe which I shall gâ—ue for the life of the worlde whiche promise he that is the verye truthe and can not lye dydde neuer at any tyme before perfourme but in hys laste supper when hee gaue hys bodye and hys bloude to hys dysciples to eate and sayde that whiche he gaue theym was hys bodye and hys bloude And as he promysed to geue vnto theym hys fleshe that shoulde be geuen for the lyfe of the worlde and not a figure of that flesh or a sygne so he gaue in verye deede the same fleshe and not a fygure or sygne of it and sayde precyselye that it was the same bodye that shoulde bee geuen to deathe for theyr redemption to whyche woorde euerye true Christen manne
receiued by it life Iudas death to Peter it was an increase of goodnes to Iudas it was a testimonye of hys noughtynesse Peter beyng good and clene toke it for his saluation Iudas beyng a traytour and vncleane tooke it to hys dampnation The thyng that was geuen was not euil but a good thing was noughtely receiued of an euil man to his dampnation For after the receipt of our Lordes body the deuil entered into Iudas not that the deuil did despise or contemne our Lordes body but the impudent wyckednes of Iudas made entrye for the deuil to dwel there wherby we be taught that the deuil lyeth in wayte and preuayleth ouer theym that vse these secret misteries with a corrupt mynde So that Iudas as soone as he with his trayterous mynde touched the heauenly foode and the sanctified bread entred into hys cursed mouthe hys myscheuous mynde not able to beare the strength of so great a Sacrament was blowen forth like chaffe out of a barne and so headlings hee ranne to hys treason and money and so to desperation and hangynge Marke the greate mercye of oure Sauioure Christe and the madnesse of Iudas for Iudas bargained for thyrty pence to sell his mayster and Christ did minister to hym the same bloode whych he solde to thintent he shoulde haue had remission of synnes if he woulde haue forsaken his wickednes O cruell hart of thys traytour wyth what eyes could he looke vpon hym whom he had in hys mouthe to eate beyng bothe at once to Christ a murderer and a gest sellyng his maister for a litle money and loosyng God and hym selfe for euermore Euen so at this day there be in the church of God good men as Saynte Peter was and noughtye men as Iudas was The good receyue the blessed Sacrament to theyr saluation the euyll men beyng lyke dogges and swine to theyr dampnation They be dogges that vnreuerentlye come vnto it and therefore they departe in Gods hye dyspleasure For they that lyue after the fleshe and be fettered in the cheynes of synne and vyce they receyue with Iudas the traytour poyson and runne to the halter of spiritual hanging in hel beyng condemned both for theyr other manyfolde synnes and also for the contempt of Christes most precious bodye whyche in verye deede they receyue but in substaunce onelye and not in any profitable or holsome effect Osa the priest in the old testament put to his hand to the Arke of God to stay it when it was like to fall of the cart and God being displeased for his rash eÌ„terprise did smite him by by with sodayn death Where we may euidently se vnderstand how much he offeÌ„deth that rashly with a gilty coÌ„science coÌ„meth to the body of our Lord when the deuout priest was punished by death that wyth lesse reuerence then he ought to haue done did touch the Arke which was but the fygure of our Lordes body In the olde lawe it is said that if a man do eate of the sanctified meat of the sacrifice by ignoraunce his synne and iniquitie shalbe imputed vnto him for which cause S. Paul doth warne vs to come vnto this most holy sacrifice of the new testament wyth muche caution and warenes least we take it to our daÌ„nation For if ignoraunce in the old law be condemned how muche is a giltye conscience in the gospel condempned Looke howe much Christe himself passeth and excelleth the materiall temple of God whyche Salomon buylded euen so much more greuous and terrible is it to receiue Christes body in deadly synne theÌ„ to eate rashly of the sacrifices of the old lawe Therefore let no false and couetous man as Iudas let no maÌ„ that vseth simonie or vsury as SymoÌ„ Magus let no maÌ„ bearing a malitious hart to his neighbour as king Herode come to this boord of our sauiour Christ this sacrifice is spirituall meate For lyke as common meate when it fyndeth a mannes stomake full of euyll humours it doth hym no good but great hurt euen so thys heauenly and spirituall meate if it fynde a mannes hart full of iniquitie it maketh him worsse not for any faulte of the meate but by the faulte of the receyuer If he be woorthy punishment that kysseth the kynges hande wyth a foule mouthe what paine is he worthy that kisseth the mouth of the kynge of heauen with a stynkynge soule And leste men shoulde thinke that these were but vayne threatninges of Saynt Paule and other holye men and that God woulde not enter in to iudgement with theim that so villanouslye and contemptuouslye abuse Chrystes bodye Sainte Paule dothe further shewe as it were an image of Gods iudgement to come agaynste suche vnworthy receyuers declaringe how that for that same heynous fault many nowe in thys worlde are punished with sicknesse with infirmytyes with mischaunces wyth great aduersitye and also with sodaine death of the body to thyntent that the multitude should be affrayd and learne by the example of a few knowyng that god wyll not leaue the contempt of his body vnpunished and although manye escape free here yet they may be sure to be more extremely handled there bothe for abusynge Chrystes bodye and also for contempninge the example of other And these plagues of sicknesse and deathe chaunce to many because they wyll not iudge them selues nor wyll not vnderstande what it is to communycate wyth the Churche and to come to so hye and so heauenlye Sacramentes and so they suffer that whyche men that bee in a feuer bee wonte to suffer when they kyll them selues by presuâ—â—â—g to eate of holle mens meate And also these plagues chaunce because they wyll not iudge Christes body that is to saye they wyll not discerne and consider the greatnes and maiestye of this present misterye but negligentlye and contemptuously take Christes body as other common meate For if they did coÌ„sider and esteme of what excellency maiesty he were that is preseÌ„t there before them and geuen them to eate they should nede no other perswasion to make cleane their hartes and to receiue him with his most honoure and reuerence but he alone woulde cause them to take hede and to purge them selues For they would consyder that they receyue and taste vpon his body and bloud that sitteth in heauen that is honoured of Aungels that is of infynite power that made both heauen and earthe that redemed gouerneth the holle worlde that shall iudge both quicke and deade And on the othersyde they woulde consider that if God dyd geue vnto vs the heauen the sea the earth and al the riches and treasures that bee in these and yf he did send vnto vs his patriarches his prophetes his Aungels he should neither geue nor sende to vs anye thinge equall wyth thys whiche is the head of all goodnesse who spared not his onelye begotten sonne to saue vs that were hys fugytiue slaues And
lyfe perfection and saluation And after the same sorte the holye angels of God in the time of this oure sacrifice do assist the Priest and stand about the hoste thynking than the meetest tyme to shewe their charitie towards vs and therfore holding forth the body of Christ pray for mankynde as saying thus Lord we pray for thē whom thou hast so loued that for theyr saluation thou haste suffred death and spent thy lyfe vpon the crosse we make supplication for them for whom thou hast shed this thy bloode we praye for them for whom thou hast offred this same thy very body O Lord what earnest desyre shoulde we haue to be present and to associate our selues in the oblation of thys our Sacrifice whyche we knowe Christe him selfe alwayes to doo and also hys holy Angels and Archangels and is so acceptable a thing to God the father for all our synnes and ignoraunces ▪ For in that houre when Christes death is renewed in misterye and hys moste fearefull and acceptable Sacrifice is represented to the syght of God than sitteth the king vpon hys mercye seat inclined to geue and forgeue what so euer is demaunded and asked of him in humble maner In the presence of this body and bloode of our Sauioure Christe the teares of a meeke and humble man neuer begge pardon in vayne nor the Sacrifice of a contrite harte is neuer put backe but hathe his lawfull petition graunted and geuen By resorting to thys Sacrifice of the Masse we euidentlye declare and protest before GOD and the holle worlde that we put oure singular and onely trust of grace and saluation in Christ oure Lorde for the merytes of his deathe and passion and not for the woorthynes of any good woorke that we haue done or can doo And that wee make hys passion oure onelye refuge For when wysedome fayleth whyche onelye commeth by the doctrine of Christe when ryghtewysnesse lacketh whyche onelye is gotten by the mercy of Christ whē vertue ceaseth which onely is receyued of him that is the Lord of all vertue than for supplieng of these our lackes needes our refuge is to Christes passion than we rūne as the prophet saith to the cup of our sauiour a call vpon the name of our lorde that is to say we take his passion offer to God the father in misterie the woorke of our redemption that by this memorie commemoration of it it woulde please hys mercifull goodnesse to innouate hys grace in vs and to replenish vs with the fruyt of his sonnes passion and death For that commemoration of which our Lord said do this in remēbraunce of me is thonelye commemoration that maketh God mercifull vnto vs. We are become debters to almighty god two waies for our manifold sinnes iniquities done against him and for his manifold benefites graces giuen vnto vs. As for the debtes of our sinnes manye paye verye euill that driue of their penaunce to theyr last age many pay nothing at al that die with out penaunce and charitie and they that labour to pay all they can all theyr life can neuer fullye pay theyr holle debte no scant one farding of a thousand pound What remedye then haue we but to rūn to the riche man our neighbour that hath inough to pay for vs all I meane Christe our Lord that hath payed his hart blood for no debte of his own but for our debte ther whiles we celebrate the memorie of his passion we acknowledge and confesse our sinnes whyche be without numbre and graunt that we be not able fully to satisfie for the lest of them and therfore beseche our mercifull father to accept in ful payment and satisfaction of our debtes his passion which after this sort as he hath ordeyned to be done in the sacrifice of the Masse wee renewe and represent before him and where oure sinful life hath altogether displeased him we offer vnto him his welbeloued sonne Iesus in sacrifice with whom wee are sure he is well pleased most humbly making supplication to accept him for vs in whom onely we put all our trust accompting him all our rightwisnes and the author of our saluation ▪ And as for his manyfolde benefites and giftes of nature of grace and of fortune what haue we to render to God againe Synners that haue taken their soule in vayne and geue bothe their soules and bodies to serue the world and the flesh and abuse the goodes of the worlde as stickes and matter to kyndle the fyre of their vayne and carnall lustes they bee most vnthankful and deserue most punishment But other men that consider all they haue to be Gods giftes and geuen to them not to do theyr willes withall but to geue an accompt again of the wel vsing of them and therfore bestow their externall goodes in the workes of mercy and pitie and bryng their bodyes in bondage to their spirit and their soules to be ruled by the spirite of God and so dedicate thē selues holy to Gods seruice These men be good and make of theyr goodes their wylles theyr bodyes and soules swete sacrifices of praise and thankes geuing to almighty God but yet al these sacrifices in comparison of the greate heape of benefites whyche God hath geuen doth geue and shall geue vnto vs be but as it were one droppe to the hole sea a litle warte to a great mountaine and because they be vnperfite and in manye thinges spotted with synne and vncleane therefore they be not worthy to be represēted before God as thankes seing all we haue done is but our dutie skarse that For which cause we resorte to the bodye of Christe whom God hath geuen to vs and him as being ours we offer to God againe and so in him we supplye that we lacke in our selues For it is he that by his propiciatorie sacrifice which we celebrate in the holye Masse doth reconcile vs to God and with the plenty of his gfites maketh vs thankes geuers and in all thinges taketh vpon him our person and supplieth that we ought to do and by the very nature of his sacrifice which is his body styrreth vs to continuall geuing of thankes so that our Sacrifice beyng Christes bodye as it is the greatest gyfte that God gaue man So it is a woorthy and a reall geuing of thankes for all his other gyftes And therfore it is also called Sacrificium Eucharisticū ▪ a sacrifice of thankes geuing not onelye for that we by it geue thankes to God in woordes and prayers but also for that it is it selfe a sacrifice of thankes for oure redemption for the hope of our health and saluation And wher as sacrifice is the greatest and chiefest kynde of adoration that can be perteyning to Godlye honour called Latria therfore we do make sacrifice to no creature neyther to Saynt nor Angell but onelye to the holye Trinitie whyche is the onelye and true God and
made cleane from all vncleannes of bodye and soule that in cleane lyfe he myghte performe the holye worke of God which is also a lesson to the people and to put away noughty thoughtes out of theyr hartes leaste God offended wyth theyr synfull thoughtes doo turne hys face awaye from theyr oblations and prayers And as the Prieste before exhorted the people secretlye to prayer so doth he praye secretlye hym self with muche deuotion that theyr common Sacrifices maye be acceptable to God for them and that it woulde please almyghtye God to graunt that the influence of hys grace myghte discende and sanctifie the oblations that when they be sanctifyed and receyued the heauenlye vertue and effectes of the blessed Sacrifices maye take place in the hartes of them for whom they be offered To whiche prayer when the people hathe consented saying Amen the Priest saluteth the people and wisheth well to theym and they to him agayn and he exhorteth them to lift vp their hartes to God and so to prepare theyr hartes to the Sacrifice of thankes whiche they by theyr holle consent promise to do Therefore I beseche all you good people to take heede to your promise and be ashamed to be founde lyers in the presence of God specially in the tyme of the terrible sacrifices Put away all carnall and worldlye thoughtes and thynke vpon nothynge but vpon that ye praye For the Priest in this preface of the Masse before the canonicall prayer dothe exhorte the people to lyfte vp theyr hartes to God whyche they aunswer they doo to admonish them that they ought to thynke vpon nothing but vpon God Shut the doore of your hartes agaynst the deuyll and let it be open onelye to God and let not Gods enemye enter in the tyme of prayer For thys is the subtyle crafte of the deuyll to call oure myndes from God and so to make voyde oure prayers that we shoulde haue one thyng in oure mouthe and an other thyng in our harte where as God oughte to bee prayed vnto not wyth the onely sounde of the voyce but wyth a pure intent and a vigilant mynde earnestlye thynking vppon that he prayeth For no man can woorthelye geue thankes to God that hathe not hys harte lyfted vp to God And because the true honour and woorshyppynge of God standeth in thys moste of all that oure soule be not vnthankfull to hym therefore in the moste true and syngulare Sacrifice we are admonished to geue thankes to our Lorde God whych is moste seeminge and right we shoulde doo seyng he canne not be called thankefull that ascrybeth to hym selfe that is geuen to him of God And then the priest begynneth the Eucharisticall Sacrifice of geuing thankes as a publike persone in the name of all the Churche before the consecration folowinge the example of Christe who in hys laste Supper gaue thankes to God the father and than blessed and distributed hys body and blood to hys disciples In thys geuyng of thankes by Christe oure Lorde for whose merites they be onelye acceptable he prayeth to be ioyned and associate with the Angels and Archangels and all the whole army of the blessed spirites in heauen who than doo assist the Priest and be present there in the honour of hym that is offered praysinge honoring and adouringe the Maiestye of almyghtye God and with them singeth the Hymne of the Angels and Euangelistes geuyng honour glory and benediction to the Lorde God of hostes vsing also the same woordes of prayse that the chyldren and the people of the Iewes vsed in praysing Christ when he came ryding to Hierusalem as a kyng and yet humblye vpon an Asse not to take vpon him the kyngdome and pompe of the worlde but with hys passion and deathe to redeme the worlde The rest of the Masse that foloweth is that parte whyche is called the Canon whyche is spoken in silence to declare vnto vs the heauynes of Christes passion and that the priest may the better conuert and set hys holle mynde and attention vpon the woorke of GOD and the woordes of his prayer and consecration And he vseth verye fewe ceremonies sauing onely certayne crosses vpon the hoste partelye to moue the people that stande by to consider the passion and partlye to declare that our redemption was wrought by the voluntary wyl of God the father that gaue hys Sonne for vs and also by the wyll of the Sonne that hauynge suche power of his owne soule that no man coulde take it from hym yet offered hym selfe by the holye Ghoste a cleane Sacrifice to God to purify our hartes from synne In thys Canon all inuocations all prayers and petitions be made and directed to God the father for his Soune Iesus Christes sake oure Lorde and be made to no creature neyther in heauen nor in earth but to hym and in it be expresselye declared what wee offer to hym for whom wee offer wyth whom wee offer and to what ende we offer The thing that we offer to God is Christ him selfe nothyng haue we that is perfite and pure to offer to God but Christe that is geuen vnto vs for that purpose whom we doo not nowe offer in figure as the Iewes dyd in the olde law but in verye truthe and yet in a Sacrament For what is more meete to be offered for man then the fleshe of man and what fleshe is so acceptable as the fleshe of oure Sacrifice beynge the bodye of oure priest For Christ remayneth one God wyth him to whom we offer and hath made him selfe one with theym for whom wee offer and he is one wyth vs that doo offer and he is the one and the selfe same thing that is offered So that our externall Sacrifice that perteyne nowe to the newe Testament is the innocent Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde which Sacrifice lyeth vpon the Aultare and is offered nowe of the priestes wythout shedding of hys bloode and is the holye breade of eternall life and the cup of euerlasting saluation Secondlye because Christe sufferynge hys passion offered hys bodye and bloude for the holle Churche bothe those that were alyue and those that were deade therefore the Church renewynge in misterie Christes passion offereth lykewyse the same body and bloode for the holle churche bothe for the quycke and the deade and that in speciall woordes Fyrste generallye for the holle Catholyke Churche of Christe secludinge all those that be oute of the Churche for no manne offereth the bodye of Christe but for them whiche be the members of Christe and then particularly for the Gouerners of the Churche and of common wealthes as for the Popes holynesse the Successour of Saynt Peter to whom Christe dydde commytte the cure and charge of hys vniuersall Churche throughoute the worlde for Byshoppes for Kinges and Princes and in especiall for suche as the Minister anye waye is bounde to praye and
into greuous synnes and thynking them not able or woorthye to be forgiuen sayth to him selfe I shall bee dampned therefore I wyll doo that pleaseth mee the one is in daunger by presumyng of Gods mercy promysyng to himselfe longe lyfe the other is in daunger by vndiscrete feare of Gods iustice and horrour of hys great and manyfolde synnes But euerye Christen man and woman oughte to go circumspectlye in the myddest and beware for fallyng on eyther syde remembrynge that the Scripture saythe to hym that is in daunger by to muche hope Be not slacke to turne and conuert to God nor doo not differre from daye to daye for Gods anger wyll come sodaynelye and in the day of vengeaunce he wyll destroye thee And to hym that is in daunger by dispayre God saythe In what so euer daye a synner shal be conuerted I shal forget al his iniquities For hym that dispayreth God hath set open the hauen of forgyuenes to hym that vaynely hopeth and delayeth hys conuersion he hathe made the daye of deathe vncertayne Thus takinge heede to oure selues not abusing Gods mercy by delaying our amendement nor mistrustyng hys goodnesse for feare of hys iudgement but speedelye whyles tyme is nowe offered vnto vs imbracinge this necessarye and present remedye of fruitfull and true penaunce we shall be reconciled to almightye God and be pertakers of hys heauenlye kyngdome through Christ our Lord to whoÌ„ wyth the father and the holy ghost be al glory for euer more Amen ⸫ ¶ Agaynst Desperation Serm. xv EUery synner good people that intendeth to obtayne of God by the merites of Christes passion remission of hys synnes must expell and put out of hys mynde all maner of dispaire and al feare and dout that shoulde or myght moue him to thinke that he shall haue no mercie and forgeuenes at Gods hand what synnes so euer he hath done be they neuer so many Two thinges there be that bring a synner in dispayre One is if he thinke that his sinnes be so great that god can not forgeue him And thys is very false and agaynst Gods omnipotencye who hath power and is able to do what he wyll An other is if he thinke that almighty God wyl not forgeue hys synnes and thys is also false and againste the ryghtwysnes and goodnes of almighty God who hathe promysed to forgeue the penitent synner alwayes hys offences and if we confesse our sinnes God is faythfull and iuste to remit vnto vs oure synnes and to make vs cleane from all kinde of iniquitie And in witnesse of this our Sauiour Christe hathe ordeyned the holy Sacrament of Penaunce that is to saye the Sacramentall absolution whyche the Priest geueth vnto the penitent person truelye confessing hys synnes whyche absolution is allowed and confirmed in heauen and the penitent restored to the state of saluation so that to mistrust or feare that God can not or wyll not forgeue the penitent synner his synnes is deadlye synne in it selfe blasphemye to almyghtye God and dampnation to the partie wyth Cain and other that did dispayre There is an other kynde of dispayre of mercye and saluation which they haue that intende or do kill them selues which they take not in remembraunce of the multitude or greatnesse of theyr synnes but for the heauynes and thought of the worlde as the wyseman saith Multos occidit tristitia et non est vtilitas in ea Sadnes and thought hath killed manye and there is no profyt in it And Saynt Paule saith The sorow of the worlde woorketh death These men come to this dispayre thus First they take sorowe and thought for such thinges as haue chaunced agaynste theyr myndes and than they doo not put that thought away but rather set it wonderous deepe and fast in theyr hartes and lette it continue there styll and so it groweth till it be so great and so paynfull vnto them that they be wery of theyr liues and would faine be deade And because they can not dye by sicknesse so shortly as they wolde nor by course of nature therefore they determine to kill them selues and so they dispayre to haue euerlasting life in heauen or els thinke not of it and also do not beleue that they shal haue daÌ„nation in hel but think that if they wer once dead that then they shoulde haue no more sorowe nor payne in their mynde And so vpon that vngratious and false beliefe they kyll them selues one waye or other and than be their soules damned in hell and be there with Achitophel and Iudas and other of that sort in more vexation and pain in their mindes then al the wyttes in the world can deuise The remedy against both these kindes of dispaire is to be well and throughly perswaded of hel of the infinite greatnes of the paynes that be there and how they neuer haue ende but endure for euermore And in the beginning to auoyde and put out of minde al thought and heauines for losse of worldly goodes or for any mischaunce or for any rebuke or shame deserued by them or otherwise which they may doo by opening the cause of their sorow to some one discret person or mo For the longer the cause is kept secret the more greefe and paine it woorketh and shall be the harder to put away Therfore let euery man woman vnderstaÌ„d this that the deuil doth moue a man to dispaire of obteyning for this end that he might cutte of all hope of goodnes whyche is the ancre of oure health the fouÌ„dation of our life the guide of our iourney wherby we returne againe to almighty God For the Apostle sayth by hope we are made safe and that hope which is seene is no hope It is hope therefore wherein our saluation consisteth which hope as a cheine cast down from heauen draweth oure soules that holde faste by it vp to heauen and deliuering them from earthly greeues maketh them to forget and contemne thys present life But if a man hauing his minde hollye set and fyxâ—d vpon sinne and worldlye cares let slip out of his hand the ancre of hope he must nedes fall into the pit and in the botome of all euils be drowned and slayne which when our enemy perceiueth and seeth vs abhorre the multitude of our sinnes and to be afraide wyth the biting of our gilty conscience streightway he coÌ„meth nere and doth suggest the thoughts of dispayre making vs heauier then any sand or lead which thoughtes if we receiue and agre vnto by and by letting go the holde of our saluation we must nedes by the very weight of them be drowned in the botome of al mischief contemning the coÌ„maundementes of a meeke and good Lord obeying the wil of a cruel and fierse tyrant and enemy to our saluation For to coÌ„uersion and penaunce desperation is vtter enemye which if it once rest and dwel in a mans minde haue he neuer so earnest an
inherite the kyngedome of heauen if we conuerte from synne and continue in grace whiche conuersion God most pacientlye abydeth and most fatherly prouoketh by manye and sondrye wayes whose conception maketh cleane ours whose life instructeth ours whose deathe destroyeth ours whose resurrection is cause and example of ours whose ascension prepareth ours whose spirite helpeth our infirmytie What obdurate vnkindenesse is thys `not to recognise these so great benefites but the more he heapeth precious giftes vppon vs the more to displease him to disobeye him and to encrease our own damnation The better he is to vs the worse to be to our selues so spitefully to abuse his mercye by making it whiche of it selfe is the cause of al our welth saluatioÌ„ to be by our prolonging the cause of our sinne the continuance in the same knowing that the time of this frayle and mortal life is but short and as it were a vapour or smoke appearing for a time and shortly vanishinge awaye and that deathe tarieth not nor manne knoweth not hys ende but as fishes bee taken with the hooke and as birdes be takeÌ„ with the nette euen so men be taken in the euyll tyme when it commeth sodeinly vpon them So that the consideringe of the certeintie of deathe whiche no man can escape and the vncerteintye of the tyme of deathe whiche god hath made vncertaine to man lest he shoulde lyue worse vnder hope of forgeuenesse shoulde bee a greate cause to moue euery man to make hast to amende hys synnefull lyfe For lyke as in the fyrmamente a starre dothe soone ryse and sodeynlye setteth againe and as a sparkle of fyre is soone quencheâ— and putâ—e out euen so endeth a mans life whâ—â— he liueth in this worlde most pleasauntlye and thynketh he shall liue many yeares and dysposeth thinges to be done by long tymes sodeynly is he caughte by deathe and at vnwares the soule taken from the bodye Therefore I praye you coÌ„sider euery man with himself where those men be nowe that not longe agoe were so holly sette vpon the worlde and geuen to satisfye the pleasures of their flesh and priuate willes Nothinge remayneth of them here but ashes and wormes Marke diligentlye what they be and what they haue bene They were men as thou arte they dyd eate drinke laughe and led their lyues in pleasures and went to hell in a moment of tyme here theyr fleshe is commytted to the wormes and theyr soules to the fyre vntill they bothe be knit together agayne and as they were felowes in sinne so to be ioyned in eternal paine What profyted them their vayne glorye their shorte mirth their authoritie of the worlde their pleasure of the fleshe theyr false ryches their greate famylye and their noughtye desires of so great gladnesse what heauynesse doth ensue out of that great wealth and pleasures they fell into great misery and tormentes What so euer happened to theym the same may happen to the beinge a man as they were For thou arte made of earth and doest liue of earth and shall returne into earth when thy last day shall come whiche commeth sodeinly perchaunce shall be to morowe It is certeine that thou shalt dye but vncertein whan howe or where Wherefore seinge deathe dothe alwayes looke for thee if thou be a wise man see that thou looke alwaies for it The iustice of god can not iudge otherwise but as our woorkes deserue For he that loueth the worlde more than God glotonye more than abstinencye lechery more than chastitie shal folow the deuill and go with him into eternall fyre and paine Whiche paines euery wise man wyll feare and so auoyde them lest by contemning of them he fall sodeinly into them Therefore remember the horrible throne of Gods iudgement whiche is compassed about with a burning floude of fyrye flambe where is wepinge and gnashinge of teeth where is outward darkenes the worme of conscience that neuer dyeth and the fyre that neuer is quenched For the fyre here consumeth and wasteth all thynges it receyueth the fyre there what so euer it receyueth once it alwaies tormenteth and reserueth it in continual payne and is therefore called a fyre vnquencheable not onelye for that it is neuer quenched it selfe but also for that it neuer destroyeth and bringeth to nought those it once receyueth The scripture saieth that sinners put on and are clad with incorruption that is to saye not to the honour of lyfe but to the eternitie of paine The violence of thys payne and the power of thys fyre no tonge can expresse For in corruptible thinges there is nothinge like that can be compared to thynges incorruptible whether it bee good or euyll Yet let vs imagyne at least some image of that fyre and paine Remember when a man is inflamed with the vehemente heate of a burnynge ague what anguyshe what torment is bothe in the bodye and soule Nowe of thys temporall payne measure howe greate the paines be whyche that eternall fyre dothe cause which the fyerye floude that runneth before the horryble iudgement seate of Christe dothe ouerflowe with his flambye waues What shall we do there What maye we aunswere There shall nothing be there but gnashing of teeth but houling and weping and late repentaunce wheÌ„ help shall cease and paines increase on euery syde nor there is no coÌ„forte any where no man shal come to our sight but onelye the ministers of paynes and the vggelye faces of the tormentours and that is mooste greuous of all there shall bee no comforte of the ayre and lyghte For rounde aboute the places of paynes shall bee outewarde darknesse and that flambynge fyre which as it hathe the nature not to consume and destroye so it hath not to geue light but it is a dark fyre and a blacke flambe to theym that remayne therein What horrible trembling what resolution and as it were a meltinge of his bodye and bowelles what rentinge of hys fleshe and members what and howe greate affliction is in all sences no speache can expresse There be dyuers and sondry facions of paynes and in euerye man and woman according to the number and greatnes of synnes are multiplied the paines And yf thou woulde saye howe can a body suffice to endure so great paynes whyche knoweth no ende of tyme Consider what chaunceth some tymes in this life and of a lytle coniecture the greate Howe sometymes we see some wasted wyth a longe disease and yet can fynde no ende of their wretched and hatefull lyfe But althoughe the body is sometyme dissolued by death yet the soul is not consumed Wherupon it foloweth that when the bodye likewise shall receiue immortalitie neyther than the soule nor the bodye canne with any paine be vtterly destroyed For in thys present lyfe it can not chaunce that the payne of the body shoulde be bothe vehement and perpetuall but the one geueth place to the other because the frailtye
prayse so are we debters to hym also for oure manifolde sinnes done against him and so are wee bounden to satisfye the iustice of God by suffering paine for the same both whiche debtes when we could not and were not able to paye our selues Christ our Lorde being the mediatoure betwene God and man by hys paynful death hath paied it for vs and hath cācelled the obligation of our debt and fully satisfied God for the synne of the worlde and hathe taken away eternal death due for the same and so hath made vs nowe able by him and in hym both to offer that sacrifice of prayse which for al his benefites we were bounden to make and also to satisfie the iustice of God for that tēporall payne whiche remayneth for vs to suffer after that the giltines of oure synnes and the paynes of hell be remitted through the satisfactiō made vpon the crosse the benefite whereof is applyed to vs by true faythe contrition not that we be able of our selues by oure woorkes or suffering to make woorthye satisfaction for the same as Christ hath done but that we are made able by Christ and in hym to dooe or suffer that wherewith God is contented and satisfied and accepteth as a satisfaction By this ye shall vnderstande good people that the satisfaction of penaunce which I haue to declare vnto you at this tyme is punyshement or affliction which a synner taketh vpon him to suffer by the assignement of his ghostlye father after the remission of his synnes to the intent he might thereby cut away the cause and sequele of his sinnes whiche remayne and also eyther clerely redeme or at lest mitigate the tēporall paynes due for the same synnes by doing of suche penall woorkes as bee contrarye to the synnes committed This doctrine of Satisfaction standeth vpō these two groundes First that when the sinne is remitted and the sinner receyued into grace and fauour with GOD againe yet oftentymes there remayneth temporall payne to be suffered for the same sinne eyther in this worlde or in the nexte And secondlye that this temporall payne may be mitigated or redemed and taken awaye by penitential satisfaction the worthy fruites of penaunce To this doctrine beareth wytnesse the trade and processe of the holle Scriptures When the people of Israell in the wyldernesse grudged against Moyses and Aaron and wold haue gone backe into Egipt againe and so prouoked God to vengeaunce Moyses prayed for the people very feruently at whose prayer God did forgeue the people their sinne yet not with standing that forgeuenes he said that he would punishe thē after this sort that neuer one of thē that came out of Egipt had not obeyed him in the wildernes should see or enter into the lande which he promised thē Wherby we learne that after the synne remitted many times there remaineth a punishmēt temporall to be suffred for the same Also king Dauid when he had taken contrition and confessed the sinne that he didde with Barsabee and for the kyllynge of her husband Urias the Prophete Nathan shewed him that God had forgeuen him his synne and that he should not dye and be dampned for it but yet he shoulde haue great and longe temporall punishment for those offences and so he had bothe in the death of his children and also in the persecution of his sonne Absalon in diuers other thinges which the Prophete tolde him And yet when the Prophet had said that his yong sonne begotten by Barsabee should dye trustyng that his humble penaunce should chaunge Gods sentence in punishinge of him by the deathe of his sonne he fell to fasting weeping praying watching and lying vpon the grounde by the space of seuen dayes and although he dydde not than obtayne the release of that punishement whiche was appointed by Goddes immutable decree yet in an other lyke offence he obteyned the mitigation of his temporall payne For when Dauid for the synne of nombryng the people had taken contrition and humbled himselfe before God confessinge his faulte the Prophete by the message of God for punyshmēt of his synne after remission gaue hym choyce whether he would haue seuen yeares hunger or three monethes warre without victory or three daies pestilēce and when he did chose pestilence whiche might as soone fall vpon him the offendour as vpon the people he did so punyshe and afflicte him selfe that God in respecte of his penaūce was satisfied and content with the plage of one day and did remit the rest Euen so Dauid in his psalmes speaking of Moyses and Aaron sayeth that God dyd heare them and was mercyfull vnto them and yet punyshed and reuenged all their inuentions and synne And the Apostle Saynte Paule teacheth vs that for the synne of abusinge the blessed body and bloud of our Lord in the sacrament of the Aultare many were punished with weakenes sicknes and corporall death and telleth vs also there the remedie howe to auoyde these paynes which is if we would iudge condempne and punishe our selues wee shoulde escape the punyshement of God for when we be iudged and punyshed of God we be but corrected whose chastisement is rather to be called an admonition than a condemnation rather a fatherly medicine than a finall punishment and destruction And therefore euery synner ought to exercise more seueritie against him selfe that iudging himselfe he be not iudged of God the contemning whereof is a meane to bee eternally condempned with the wicked worlde It suffiseth not for a man to chaunge his maners to the better to beginne a new life forsake the olde except also he make satisfaction to God for those sinnes he hath done by the sorowe of Penaunce by the mournynge and Sacrifice of an humble and contrite harte and by almes Wherby appeareth that the penaunce of a christen man sinning deadly after baptisme conteyneth satisfaction by fastinge almes prayer and other godly exercises of spiritual life not for the eternal paine of hel which with the synne is remitted in the vsing of the sacrament of penaūce or els if the sacrament can not be had in the desire of ful purpose to vse it when it may be had but for temporal payne which as the scriptures teache is not holly alwayes remitted to theim that take the grace of God in vayne True contrition and sorowe for synne taken for the loue of God whom he hath offended causeth a synner likewise to take this satisfaction punishmēt vpon him assigned by the minister of God by the vertue of the keyes committed to the Churche or sometymes voluntarelye taken vpon hym of his owne good wyll as Sainte Paule saith to the Corinthians that the sorowe which is taken for Gods sake worketh stedfast penaūce for saluation on the other side the sorow of the world worketh death For euen thys sorow which you haue takē for Gods sake saith Saint Paule to the Corinthians how muche
the strawe the straw will burne euen so our weake and synfull nature is soone set on fyre wyth the burninge dartes of the deuyls tentation if they be suffred to come nere and theyr waies and entries be not stopped Also besyde the diligent keping of his fyue senses a man must flee and forsake the companye of euil and lewde persones and of those that shew euyl example or geue occasion to vice For he that toucheth pitch shal file his handes with the same he that kepeth company with a proud man shal begyn to be proud As Saint Paul saith Do you not knowe that a litle sower leuen doth make sower the holle batche of dowe euen so the vice or euil example of one dothe infecte a great manye and draweth other that be weake to folow him in the like vice Departe thou saithe the wiseman from a wycked man and kepe no company with him and so shal vice and wickednes depart from thee The fourth thyng for a man to auoyde sinne is to remember his last ende in all his woorkes and deedes and so he shall not synne for euermore It is good for a man to thynke vpon the beginning of his life to consider the middes and to remember the last ende The beginning bringeth shame the middes bringeth sorow the ende bringeth feare If a man thinke from whence he came he shall be ashamed if he consider in what case he is he shall lament if he remember whyther he shall goo he shall be afrayde Man fyrst of all when hee was in honoure made to the Image of God and to be pertaker with Aungels of the kyngdome of heauen not regardinge hys dignitie contempning the commaundement of God his maker and folowing his owne sensual appetite was coÌ„pared to vnreasonable beastes and chaunged the similitude of God wyth the similitude of beastes and the honour of hys first image beyng taken away by carnal desyres and beastly lyuing was made like a beast If a man therâ—fore remember hys olde nobilitie howe he was made Lord ouer the woorkes of God a felowe of Aungels a Citizen of Paradyse and one of Gods housholde and being by hys owne fault cast into inwarde darkenesse of errour and ignoraunce banished from pleasaunt Paradise made felow with brute beastes and a straunger or rather enemye to God maye not he considering thys his beginning and hys great fall into suche vyle beastlynes be worthely ashamed After this if man consider where and in what state he is he shall perceyue that beyng in thys transitorie worlde he is in the vale of miserye where nothyng is vnder the sunne but vanitie labour and affliction of spirite where nothing is verely and constantly pleasaunt but onely by chaunge by passing from one thing to an other where the remedye of one labour is the beginning of an other where the lesse euill seemeth a great good where the encrease of knowledge is the increase of griefe where man in banishment dwelleth in wildernes walketh in darkenes in daunger of falling downe the hyll and eating his bread in the sweate of his face Maye not a man considering whyther he is now brought be right sory and lament that the time of his trauayle and dwellyng here is prolonged but the best remedye to auoyde sinne is alwayes to haue in remembraunce his last end In the last end there be three thinges the death of the bodye the iudgement of God and the tormentes of hell What is more horryble than death what is more terrible then the iudgement of God and what is more intollerable than the paines of hel What shal a man feare if he tremble not at the remembraunce of these three yet if he haue lost shame for hys vyle beginning and if he feele no sorowe for hys present miserye at least let him take feare for the dreadful thinges to come For if he now spend his life in the workes of the fleshe in deathe he shall be dyuorced and separated from hys bodye and all the pleasures thereof in the iudgement he shall bee presented before him into whose handes to fall is most horrible and be examined of hym to whom nothing is vnknowen in hell if he be found giltie he shal suffer torment without hope of relese without measure of quantitie and without end of time Hath not this man good cause to liue alwaies in feare â–ª and with feare and trembling to laboure aboute his owne saluation thys feare which is the begynning of wysedome hath more strength to withstande sinne then eyther shame or sorowe For shame is taken away by the multitude of sinners where the felowship of so many euyll lyuers pulleth shame oute of hys harte And sorowe taketh comforte of the vayne pleasures of this present worlde and so is weakned and made vnable to withstand synne But feare that proceedeth from a sure and certaine faythe of thynges to come taketh no comforte of the worlde seynge that in deathe he shall carye no worldly good wyth hym and in iudgement he shall neither be able to deceyue nor to withstand Christ his iudge and in hel he shal haue no comforte nor redemption but perpetuall woo The fruite of this feare is that it bringeth before the eyes of oure soules sometymes the synnes that we haue done to the intent we shoulde bee wyllyng and ready to suffer the scourge as the prophet sayd of hymselfe confessing oure iniquitye and thinking for our synne sometimes the euerlasting paynes whyche we haue deserued to the intent we shoulde thynke al that we suffer here to be delites and pleasures in comparison of the tormentes whych we haue escaped sometymes the heauenly rewardes for which we labour and hope to the intent we should esteme the afflictions of this present life not to be equal and worthy the glorye that shall be shewed to vs sometimes the passions which Christ hath suffred for vs that coÌ„sidering what his maiesti hath vouchsafed to suffer for vs vnprofitable seruauntes we should be ashamed to drawe backe and suffer so litle for our selues and our own saluatioÌ„ And to make an end he that as I haue declared vnto you considereth the noughtynesse and vylenesse of hys synne and endeuoreth hymselfe to putte oute of mynde the fyrste motions of sinne whych the deuyll suggesteth and watcheth diligently the wyndowes of his fyue senses and as muche as he may flye the company of euyll persons and the occasions of synne and hathe the laste ende of hys lyfe alwayes in hys remembraunce wyth feare being also careful to walke warelye and woorthelye in the syght of GOD considering as occasion shall serue the synnes whyche hee hathe done the eternall paynes which he hath deserued the heauenly rewardes whyche he hopeth for and the passions whyche Christe hath suffered for him with suche entent as I haue before rehearsed no doute of it but that man which thus dothe shal auoyde synne shall lyue well shall increase in grace
her in God for God And therefore maried persones be bounden if any displeasant thyng chaunce amonges them with patience to beare one an others burden and so to fulfyl the law of Christ which is charitie seking to amende that is done amysse betwene them rather by discrete and louing admonition than by furious and vnkynde correction which shalbe a cause that either partie shall take heede and beware to do any thyng that might displease the other for very loue and for feare of loosing the others fauour Thus haue ye hearde good people for what cause men and women ought to enter maryage and partlye how to lyue in the same to the pleasure of almyghty God according to the example of al holy men and the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ to whom wyth the father and the holye ghost be all glory and honour world without end Amen ⸬ ¶ Of the sacrament of extreme Unction Serm. xxx COnsideryng good people that the lyfe of man is but short and passeth awaye lyke a shadowe and that death as it is most certeyn to come to euery man so it is vncerteyne what tyme or what houre it shall come and also considering that the deuyll our ghostly enemy as he ceaseth not all our lyfe tyme with his craftie tentations to lay in wayte for vs to supplant vs and to bring vs to deadly synne and so to loose the fauoure of God our moste mercyfull father so in the time of our infirmitie whē death approcheth then I saye is hee most busye and fearce to subuert vs and wee also at that tyme leste able to withstand him our minde being thē much alienated with the payne of oure dissease and the heauines of our body which than draweth towardes corruption Therefore oure Sauiour Christe our most speciall helper and comforter in all dystresses hathe prouyded for vs a singulare and speciall good medicine whiche is the Sacrament of extreme Unction the vertue wherof is at that tyme of our infirmitie to comfort our soules whiche be wont to waxe heauye for the dyssolution of oure bodyes and also to strengthen vs wyth the grace of the holy ghost agaynst the violent assaultes and tentations of the deuyll and also to replenyshe our hart wyth gladnes agaynste the terrour of deathe and fynally to forgeue vs our dayly trespasses wherewith we haue displeased hys Maiestye such I meane as this our transitorye lyfe considering our frayltie and weakenes can not be passed oouer without and all this also is done with the assistaunce of suche godly and faythfull prayers as the Priestes of Christes Catholyke Churche doo make to almyghtye God for the sycke man at the ministration of thys Sacrament of extreme Unction Of which Sacrament Saynt Marke speaketh in hys syxte chapiter where it is wrytten that our Sauiour Christ dyd sende foorthe hys disciples to preache prescribynge vnto theym what maner and fourme they shoulde obserue in theyr progresse and then it foloweth that the disciples goyng abroade preached to the people to doo penaunce and they dyd caste foorthe manye deuylls and they anoynted wyth oyle manye sycke persones and they were made holle which thing they dydde not in theyr owne name and power by presumptiō but in the power and name of Christ as he had prescribed cōmaunded thē before to do And because in the wordes of the Euangelist is set forth playnly the visible sygne of oyle also the inuisible effect of grace annexed folowing therupō therfore the holy vniuersall church of Christ as the practise of the same the consent of the auncient wryters doo witnes vnderstand and beleue thys sacrament to be then instituted of oure Sauioure Christe Which thing the holye Apostle Saynte Iames also deliuering that to the people which he before had receyued of Christ setteth foorth more at large writing thus Yf any person be sycke amonges you let him call the Priestes of the church to be brought in and let thē pray ouer him anoynting him with oyle in the name of our Lorde and the prayer of fayth shall saue the sycke person and our Lord shall relieue him and lyft hym vp and yf he be in synnes they shall be forgeuen hym By whiche woordes we be assured that God dothe assyst the ministration of thys Sacrament and also we learne howe it oughte to bee vsed in all poyntes Fyrst he telleth to whom it ought to be ministred that is to say to Christen men or women such as haue receyued the Sacrament of Baptisme before and not to euery one of them but to such as be than visited by the hand of God with some great sycknes of the bodye and be in some perill of death by reason of the sayde syckenes and not by any other outward violence of warre or execution and not to yong infantes that haue no neede of it nor to suche as eyther for younge age or for phrenesie lack the vse of theyr reason but to such as haue knowledge and haue dominion ouer theyr own willes and being in venial synne do requyre the same either than or before as it may be presumed by theyr former will So that it is euery Christen mans dutie to requyre this Sacrament with humble request and with perfite hope to atteyn the grace and effect which is geuen by the same Secondly saint Iames expresseth to whom it apperteyneth by offyce and dutye to be minister of this Sacrament in that he wylleth the sycke man to call for the Priestes of the church For onely Priestes be appointed to be ministers thereof not as in theyr owne name and authoritie but in the name and authoritie of our Lorde Iesus Christ so that the Priest in that doynge dothe beare and represent the person of Christe and hys holy Church who besyde hys prayers doth minister the outward Sacrament of aueiling and Christ inwardly worketh the inuisible grace of the same in the soule of the party aueyled like as he vseth to do in al other sacramēts Thyrdly Saynt Iames expresseth both the matter or outward element of this sacrament and also the maner howe to vse it The matter wherein it is ministred is oyle which is a thing most conuenient to declare the effectes and graces geuen by the same The maner howe to vse it is by prayer ouer the sycke persone and by anoynting him in such places of his body as wer occasions or as it wer windowes wherby sinne is chiefely committed as the places of our fyue wittes or senses For by the eyes concupiscence couetousnes and manye other vyces enter into the soule by the eares detraction false reportes and thereupon folowing anger and enuye and suche like infect the soule by the nose delitious lyfe and muche other occasion of synne is ministred by the mouthe both in tastyng and also in speakinge that is agaynste God and hys neyghbour a man often tymes doth offend by the reynes and other partes therunto adioyninge carnall desyres and concupiscence of the