he was caried vp into heauen ascendynge as the Psalmist in his lxvii Psalm doth saye Super 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad orientem That is to say Aboue heauens vnto the Easte And the sayd Difciples adorynge hym dyd retourne vnto Ierusalem These thynges beforesaid are speciallye testified by S. Marke in the xvi Chapyter Luke in the. xxiiii Iohn in the. xx by S. Luke also in the fyrst Chapyter of the Actes and by sondry other partes of the scrypture By the way it may be noted that this eleuation of Chryste into Heauen dyd muche differ from hys eleuatyon vnto the Crosse for there as Esay in the. lxiii Chapyter doth saye Chryst alone dyd treade the Presse where here as Dauyd in his lxvii Psalme and S. Paule in the. iiii Chapiter to the Ephesians doth saye Christe ascending into Heauen dyd leade captiuitie captiue with him and gaue gyftes to men Furthermore the eleuation vpon the Crosse was with mooste bytter sorowe and payne where the ascension into heauen was wyth most vnspeakeable ioye and wonderfull gladnes And it is not to be forgotten here that amongest other causes why Chryst would no lenger tarye here vpon earthe but ascende into Heauen there are fiue speciallye noted The fyrst that Chrystes body beynge gloryfyed Heauen and not the Earth was a place conuenyent mete for it to be cōuersaunt in The 〈◊〉 that by the sayde ascension he myght glorifye the humaine na ture whyche before that tyme was neuer admytted vnto heauen The thyrde that ascendyng into Heuen he myght be an aduocate and an intercessoure contynuallye for vs. Hebre. ix i. Iohannis ii The fourthe that so ascendyng he myghte shewe vs the waye and prepare vs a place Michee ii 〈◊〉 iiii The fyste and last that he myght sende the Holy Ghost vn to vs which he sayd he woulde not excepte he departed Ioannis 19. And thus much for the fyrste part of thys Article For the second parte of this article which is that Chryst Sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almyghtye ye shall vnderstand that to sit on the ryghte hande of God the father is not after a carnall and worldely fashion to be vnderstanded as who saith that God the father had like men a right hand and a lefte hand but by the sitting of Christ on the ryght hand of God the father is vnderstand and ment that Chryste hath and euer shal haue communicated vnto hym of God the father glory honoure power felicitie and euerlastynge monarchye gouernaunce rule and dominion ouer all pryncypates potestates powers dominions and ouer all creatures that can be named eyther in thys worlde or in the worlde to come ordeyned to be kynge of all kynges and Lorde of all Lordes and all thynges both in hea uen and also in Earth to ve cast vnder his fete and made subiecte to hym and he appoynted to be the cheife and principall heade of the vniuersall and hole Catholyke Churche which is his misticall Body hauyng vnder hym in his Churche here in Earth suche ministers and after such order and fashion as lyked him to appoynt and ordayne in the same And albeit that Chryste is ascended into Heauen and syttethe on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye yet we maye not as the 〈◊〉 doo gether 〈◊〉 vpō contrarye to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 of Chryst in substaunce is not reallye and truelye in the Sacrament of the Aultare but contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst is bothe God and man and soo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or almyghty and hath by his godhed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto his manhode taken vp his Body and his 〈◊〉 nitie into heauen which to do is aboue the 〈◊〉 and reach of onely nature to accomplyshe and bryng to passe we ought with the catholyke Churche firme lye and stedfastlye beleue that 〈◊〉 as oure Sauiour Chryste bothe promysed to giue his bodye in a Sacrament and also perfourming his promise did it soo in dede as the 〈◊〉 and S. Paule also dothe testifye and declare the bodye therefore of Chryst doth both sit on the ryght hand of God the father almyghtye in heauen in the visible forme of a man accordyng to this article and is also verely real ly and truely in substannce in the Sacramente of the Aultare vnder the formes of breade and wyne And where in the. vii chapyter of the actes it is wrytten of S. Stephan that he dyd see Iesum stantem a dexteris virtu t is 〈◊〉 That is to say Iesu standing on the ryght hand of the power or vertue of God Whereby some haue gathered a contrarye ie in Scripture 〈◊〉 shall vnderstande that these wordes Christ to sytte or Christ to stand at the ryghte hande of God the father are not to be vnderstanded after the carnal and worldly maner and gesture of man but spiritually to signifye hys equalitie wyth God the father the partycipatyng of all glory with the same 〈◊〉 equalytie and partycipatyon in 〈◊〉 and the catholyke doctours is as well vnderstande by 〈◊〉 as by standyng Thus haue you hard the hole exposi tion of this vi Article conteynynge in effecte howe our Sauiour Iesus Chryst after that he hadde perfectely accomplished and performed the hole mistery of the redemptyon of mankynde by hys incarnation his byrth his passyon his death his buriall his discēdyng into Hell and rysyng agayne from death to life and after he hadde bene here in Earth conuersaunte with his Apostles and Disciples by the space of fortye dayes after his resurrection beyng amongest his Apostles and he in theyr sight assended into heauen in the verye fame his naturall bodye whyche was borne of the blessed vyrgyn hys mother and was cru cified vpon the crosse and so dydde wythdrawe hys accustomed visible conuersation from the presence of his Apostles and from the bodely sight of al other creatures By remembraunce whereof bothe they we should here in earth eleuate and lyfte vp our hole hartes myndes desyres all affections from earthly thynges and from all carnall and worldlye cares towardes heauene and heauenlye thynges and soo shoulde by hys grace prepare our hartes and make oure selues 〈◊〉 and apte to receaue hys spyrytuall gyftes which he sendeth into the worlde Wherfore the thing thus beinge let vs in dede lifte vppe oure hartes and myndes vnto Chryst thus syttynge at the right hand of God the father and there praying cōtynually for vs. And let vs soo in mynde nowe from henceforth dwel in contemplatiō of heuenly things during al the space of this mortal life that we may hereafter for euer dwell with the holy trinitie in glory euerlastyng Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the. vii article of the crede whych is From thence he shall come to ' iudge the quicke and the deade IN this Article two thynges specyally maye be con sidered the fyrst is that Chryste beinge ascended into Heauen Shall come from thense And thesecond is that commyng from thense He shall iudge both the Quycke and the
it maye paraduenture seme in some mans iudgement that seyng the thing that Adam and Eue did was but the eatyuge of an appell therefore their faut was not great nor deserued so greuous punish ment 〈◊〉 vs consyder the cyrcumstaunces and we shall sone perceyue the offence not lyght but verye sore and heynous Fyrst the thyng whych god commaunded man to forbeare was a thyng moste easye for hym to forbeare and so much was hys faute the greater Besides this whan a man is tolde before of great peryll and daunger that shall lyght vpon hym if he doo thys or that in case after suche warnyng he offende therein hys fault is thereby made the 〈◊〉 Thyrdly the lesse inclynatyou a man hath to any synne the more he synneth yfhe doo the same Nowe Adam and Eue had in them no inclynation at al nother to one vice nor to other Fourthly whē a man hath late receyued great benefites at hys soueraygns handes if he incontmently breake his expresse wyll the contempt and dysobedience is made therby the greater The thyng that Adam and Eue dyd eate was in dede but an appell yet the eatyng thereof in that case was an high disobediēce against god and the corrupting of al mankynd for as much as they two were the verye route whereof all men muste ryse and the route being once naughte howe can the tree or braunches cummynge of that route be good Therefore S. 〈◊〉 in his Epystle to the Ro maines in the. v. chapyter therof sayeth By the of fence of one man synne came vpon all men to condempnation and in the same chapiter 〈◊〉 after he sayeth to iyke 〈◊〉 through the disobedience of one man manye became synners And within a lytle after he saieth Sinne came into this world by one mā through synne came death so death passed to al mē Thus haue you hard fyrste the 〈◊〉 kyndnes of God to man in that he created hym in so worthye a maner nexte ye haue harde the myschefe that commeth to mankynd by synne and thirdly what an extreme enemy 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 is vnto vs. In an other homily hereafter ye 〈◊〉 heare of the exceding great mercy of god in 〈◊〉 mākind by a meruelous maner out of the estat of this dampnatiō Wherfore to conclude for thys presente tyme this shal be to exhorte you that you fayle not daylye and howtelye to geue most harty thankes to almyghty God for that he of his mere goodnes created you created you not without sense as the stones not without reason as the brute beastes but hathe gyuen you all notable qualities and powers that other corporal creatures haue and besides hathe perticularlye planted in you reason and vnderstāding and 〈◊〉 goodly qualities of body and soule seuerall to the nature of man only and not common to mā and other erthly creatures Thys is furthermore also to exhorte you that remembryng what miserye came to mankinde by synne and by such a synne as in some mēs iudgement might 〈◊〉 to be but very smale it is to wytte by eatynge of an appel you wyl be circumspecte in a uoiding of al kynde of sume and disobedience be the thynge in his owne nature neuer so smale a 〈◊〉 whyche is by God hym selfe or by suche as we owe obedience vnto commaunded Fynallye and laste of al thys is to exhorte you to consyder dilygently that we haue a deadly cnnemy which is that deuil who de fyreth oure destruction and doth moost craftely and busely trauayle by all meanes with vs to worke the same of whose mooste subtyl and wilye traynes we muste principally take hede of whiche graunt vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde withoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae Professor Arch. London ¶ An homely of the miserie of all mankinde and of hys condempnation to euerlastynge deathe by hys owne synne THe holye ghoste in wrytyng the holy scripture is in nothyng more diligēt then to pull downe mannes vayne glori and pryde which of all vices is moost vniuersally graffed in mankynde euen from the fyrste infec tion of our fyrste father Adam And therefore we reade in may places of scripture manye notable lessons agaynst thys old rooted vyce to teache vs the moost cōmēdable vertue of humilitie howe to know our selues to remēber what we be of our selues In the booke of Genesis almyghty God geueth vs all a tytle name in oure great graunde father Adam which ought to admonishe vs al to consyder what we be where of we be from whence we came whyther we shall sayenge thus In sudore 〈◊〉 tui vesceris pane tuo donee reuertaris in terram de qua sūptuses quia puluis es 〈◊〉 in puluerem reuertcris That is to saye In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade vntyll thou retournest into the earth oute of whych thou waste taken for dust thou art into dust thou shalt retourne Here as it were in a glasse we may learne to know our selues that we be but grounde earthe and dust and that to ground earthe and duste we shall returne agayne whiche name and title of earthe and duste appoynted and assigned by God to all mankynde the holye Patriarche Abraham dyd well remember and therefore he calleth hym selfe by that name when he maketh his earnest prayer for Sodome and Gomorre saying in the. xviii of 〈◊〉 Cum sim puluis et cuius that is to saye seyng I am dust and ashes And we reade that Iudith Hester Iob Hieremie with other holy men and women in the olde testament did vse sacke clothe and dyd cast duste and asshes vpon theyr heades when they bewayled theyr synnefull lyuynge They called and cryed to 〈◊〉 for helpe and mercy with suche a ceremony of sacke clothe duste and asshes that thereby they myght declare to the hole world what an hum ble and lowlye estimation they had of theim selues and howe well they remember theyr name tytle aforesayde theyr vyle corrupte fraile nature duste earth and asshes The booke of wysedome also willynge to pull downe oure proude stomakes moueth vs diligently to remember our mortall and earthly generation which we haue al of him that was first made and that all men aswel kynges as subiectes doo come into this worlde and doo goo oute of the same in lyke sorte that is as of oure selues ful myserable as we maye dayly see And almyghtye God commaūded his Prophet Esay to make a proclama tion and to crye to the 〈◊〉 worlde that all 〈◊〉 is grasse and that al the glorye of man is as the flower of that feilde the grasse is withered and the flower doth fal away for the winde of our Lorde bloweth vpon it The people sure ly is grasse whiche dryeth vp and the flower fadeth away but the woorde of our Lord abideth for euer Accordynge wherevnto the holye prophet Iob
stande in Who is there almoost emongest vs but that vncharitably calleth hys neighbour fole or som like euyl name yea who is ther in maner that doth not far passe thys degree of vncharitablenes And yet our sauiour nameth no mo degrees partely bicause the payne of thys thyrde degree beinge hell fyre no greater payne coulde be named for suche as should passe the same degre partly because the Chrystyan man should at the least be soo wary circumspecte in kepyng brotherlye loue and charitie that thoughe he dyd perchaunce so farre forgette hymselfe as to call hys brother foole vucharitably yet fardar than so he should not so much as thinke thoroughout his whole lyfe It is written of one Solon an infidell but yet a very polityke man howe when he made lawes for the gouernmēt of that famous citie of Athēs he in all hys lawes appoynted no punyshment for a parricide that is for suche a one as shoulde kyll hys father or mother and when he was demaunded why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he verely thought and beleued that no one beynge brought vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at any tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speketh but of those fore saide three degrees of 〈◊〉 for that it is not lykely chrysten men beinge traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at any tyme proced in the violatyng of 〈◊〉 charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauioure hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise anye man may soo doo but therby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For answere to thys questiō it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs al kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els For asmuch then as in that third of Mathewe S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scribes and pharisies adders brode and S Paule calleth the Galathians fooles and men without vnderstā ding in the second chapyter of his epistle writtē to them yea Chryst hymselfe in the. xxiiii of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and 〈◊〉 of belefe and the thing which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must say that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassoures offenders therby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that this kind uf rebuking is lawfull and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst. But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth ne good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wyshed hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharita ble mynde doth thou hym or tush at him or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him fole ideot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs let al accustomed tancour and malice from henceforth be vtterly banyshed from emongest vs that we dwelling in cha ritie may dwell in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen wyth hym for euer which graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghoste to whome be all honor and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London 〈◊〉 An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce that inestimable good nes of almyghtye God and his inesti mable mercye towards vs nothing deseruing the same yf there be any spot of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankfulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fall downe in body soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his trāsgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of god you haue a sufficiente and moste euident declarati on in these godly and deuout homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation redemption of man Neuerthelesse for your further instruction gostlye comfort in this behalfe I haue thought good to lett you vnderstand an other hye benefytte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauyng perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenly benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whi che our deare and dreadefull Sauiour both before and after his paynefull deathe dyd ordeyne and ap poynt to be for euer to vs a moost louinge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyller of truth in all our doutefull daungers Which churche forsomuch as he hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that manye more is the pitie had separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue rune astray beynge ledde and caried with euerye waue and wynde of newe lerning I purpose by Godes grace to open shortly to you what this churche is what maner of church it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professyng one faith of God and one vse of all the holy sacraments whi che churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauioure Iesus Christe it is most derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent na mes as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum celorum c. that is to say The body misticall of Chryste the spouse of Chryst the kyngdome of heauen For S. Paule speakyng of Chryste sayeth That he hath appointed sundry officers to maintaine the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the bodi of Christ. And kyng Salomon taught by the holy ghost dyd forsee the dignitie and beutye of his holye Churche and sayde in the name of GOD thereby 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 mea perfectamea That is to saye One is my doue and my perfyte one Wyth many other such louing words as my sister my spouse c. And Saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue theyr wyues euen as Chryst loued the church Lykewyse in the holy Ghospell our sauiour Chryst doth compare the 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 thinges vnder the name of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as vnto a kyng whych made o mariage for his sonne somtimes to tenne Uyrgynes and many such other by al which names callings we may learne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and derely beloued to almyghty God who for his churche sake did gyue hys onely sonne to most vyle death for that whiche also he hath prepared the kingdome of heauen Nowe
and ryghteousnes all the dayes of this our lyfe so that finally we may attayn to the life that neuer shal fayle but continue for euer which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye gooste preseruing our good kyng and queene in all ioye and felicitie longe to continue to theyr glory and oure comfortes Amen ¶ Concernynge fayth what it is and howe it is to be considered and taken here in this boke ACCOMPLISHINGE the promys made in my preface for as much as fayth is the fundation ground of all oure Christian religion I shal now intreate and speake thereof And knowe you that althoughe this worde fayth be diuersly taken both in prophane Aucthors and also in Scrypture sometymes signifying trust sometymes truth sometimes conscience sometymes 〈◊〉 sometimes credulitie sometymes credence sometimes promys sometymes profe sometymes helpe sometymes the gyfte or grace of God and such lyke yet here in this boke or processe there shall not be cheifely and principallye intreated or spoken of euery kynd of fayth as in eue ry way it maye be considered but onely of two kyndes or acceptions thereof And Fyrst do you vnderstand that fayth maye be considered by it selfe as it is a seuerall gift of god separate and distincte from hope and charitie and beinge so considered and taken it signifieth and importeth a perswasion and beleif wrought by god in mans harte whereby man assenteth graunteth and taketh for true not onely that God is which knowledge is taughte and declared by the maruaylous worke of the creation of the world as S. Paul saith in his epystle to the Romaynes but also that all the wordes and sayinges of God whych be releued and opened in the scrypture are of most certayne trueth and infallible veritie And not that these thyngs one ly are to be credyted and assented vnto but also that all thynges els which were taught by the Apostles and whych haue bene by a whole vnyuersall consent of the Churche of Chryste euer sythe that tyme contynually taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued accepted taken and kepte as a true and perfecte doctryne apostolique This then is the fyrst acception of fayth whyche man hath of God and wherein man doth not leaue to hys owne naturall knowledge whych is by reason but he leauethe to the knowledge attayned by fayth wythout whych faith man is ignoraunte and blynde and cannot vnderstande accordynge as the prophete Esay affirmeth in hys vii Chapiter saying Nisi credideritis non intelligetis That is to saye onlesse ye beleue ye shal not vnderstand This faith is the beginnyng the entry and the introduction vnto all Christian relygion Godlynes For as S. Paule sayeth in his xi Chapiter of his Epystle to the 〈◊〉 He that cometh to God must beleue that he is and that he is a rewarde vnto them whyche do seke to please hym And thys fayth although it be such a begynnynge such an entrye and such an introduction verye necessarye for the begynnyng of all ryghtousnes yet yf it do procede no farther adioynyng with it hope and charitie it is called in Scrypture a deade faythe be cause it is voyde and destitute of lyfe aud wantethe the helpe and efficacie of charitie And this much for fayth as it is considered in the fyrst acception Faythe as it is considered in the seconde acception maye not be alone but muste nedes haue hope and charitie annexed and ioyned vnto it And faythe so taken doth signify not onely the beleif and perswa sion whych was before mencioned in the fyrst acception and taking of fayth but also it signifyeth a sure confydence and hope to attayne all whatsoeuer god hath promised for Christes sake and it signifieth and comprehendeth also a hartye loue to GOD and an obedience to his commaundementes And faythe thus considered is a lyuely faythe and worketh in man a ready submission of hys wyll to Goddes wyll And this is the effectual fayth whiche worketh by charitie and whyche as S. Paule testifiet vnto the Galathians is of value strēgthe in Chryst Iesu. By this fayth Abraham not knowyng whyther he shoulde go went out of his countrye and dwelte in the lande of beheste or promyse as in a straunge lande lokyng and trustyng for a cytye founded and buylded by almyghty God By this fayth also Abraham when he was tempted was ready to offer vp his onelye begotten sonne 〈◊〉 in whome he loked for the promyse nothynge doubting but that God who made the promise was able to rayse hym vp agayne from deathe And in thys sorte and wyse faythe is taken in the moost parte of the examples which be recyted of S Paule in the. xi chap of hys Epistle to the Hebrwes And thys faythe so consydered and taken euerye Chrysten man doth promyse professe and couenaunt to kepe when he dothe receaue the Sacramente of Baptysme And here is to be noted and considered that all the promyses of god made at any tyme to man after the fall of Adam for Christes sake are not absolutely and puerly made but vnder thys condytyon that is to saye that man should beleue in God and with the grace of God geuen for Chryste endeuer hym selfe to accomplyshe and kepe the commaundementes of God so that yf man do beleue in God and wythe the sayde grace do endeuer hym selfe to the best of his po wer to kepe and accomplyshe the sayd commaundementes man maye iustlie then chalenge the sayd pro mises so graciously made vnto hym on goddes part and if on the other side a man wil not beleue in God and with the sayde grace endeuer hym self to the best of his power to kepe and accomplysh the sayde commaundementes then man can not iustly chalenge in any wyse the sayde promyses or the benefyte thereof in asmuche as he hath not fulfylled and kepte on hys parte the sayde commaundementes whyche were parte of the promyse and conuenante made no other wyse by God vnto man but vnder condytion as the Prophete Dauyd playnely declareth in the. lxxx and lxxxviii Psalmes aud Chryst in the. xix of Mathe w. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mandata That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes The Churche the refore according vnto the same intendynge that manne shoulde alwayes haue thys in good mynde that is to saye that the promises of god to man be made but vpon condycion and that with out kepyng of the condytyon no man is partaker of Goddes promyses hath taughte and ordeyned that men before they do receaue baptysme shall promyse and conuenaunt to fulfyll the sayd condytion and to forsake the Deuyll and the worlde and to serue only GOD. Of which promyse and specyall conuenaunte whereby man thus byndeth himselfe to God man is called in Latyn infidelis that is to saye Faythful And on the other syde yf he neuer made the promise or con uenaunt or after that he hath made it he doth renoūce and refuse it then that man in
to be ouercome therewith accordyng where vnto Saynt Paule sayth i. Corin. x. God is true and faythfull and will not suffer vs to be teneed aboue that we maye beare but he wyll so moderate the tentation that we maye susteine and ouercome it And S. Iames sayeth Iacob i. Thynke that you haue a greate cause to ioye when you be troubled with diuers tentations For the triynge of your faythe bringeth pacience and pacyence maketh perfect workes so that you maye be perfecte and sounde lackynge in nothynge And almyghtye God also exhorteth vs and callethe vpon vs to fyghte agaynst tentatiōs saying Apo. ii He that getteth the victorye agaynst them I shall geue hym to eate of the tree of lyfe And agayne he sayeth He that ouercommeth them shall not be hurte with the seconde deathe And Saint Paule sayeth ii Timothy ii No 〈◊〉 shal be crowned excepte he fyght lawefullye That is to saye Excepte he defende hym selfe and resyste hys enemyes at al poyntes to hys power oure sauiour geueth vs a good courage to fyghte in thys battayle where he sayeth Ioan. xix Be of good comforte for I haue ouercome the worlde that is to saye I haue hadde the victorye of all synnes aud tentations and soo shall you haue yf the faulte be not in youre selues For ye fyghte wyth an aduersarye whyche is alredye vanquyshed and ouercome ✚ The exposition or declaration of the seuenth and last petition of the Pater noster whyche is But delyuer vs from euyll Amen WOncerning thys vii petition ye shall note that lyke as in the. vi petytyon Chryste taught vs to desyre and praye our heauenlye father that he woulde preserue vs from the daungerous tentations of the fleshe the worlde the deuyll and not to be ouercome wyth them euen so nowe in thys seuenth and laste petityon he dothe teache vs to praye that yf by oure fraylenes and corrupte nature we through tentation doo fall into the thraldome of the Deuyll by synne yet that he wyll sone delyner vs from it not to lette vs contynue in it not to lette it take roote in vs not to suffer synne to reigne vpon vs but to delyuer vs and make vs free from it Synne is the excedyng euyll from the whyche in this petition we desyre to be deliuered and though in thys petition be also comprehended ail euylles in the worlde as syckenes pouertye deathe wyth other lyke aduersitie yet cheifely it is to be vnderstanded of synne whych onelye of it selfe is euyll oughte euer withoute condition to be eschued And as for other aduersities neyther we canne ne oughte to refuse when god shall sende them neyther we oughte to praye for the eschuinge of thē otherwyse then with this condition if gods pleasure so be Many thynges we suffer in this worlde take them for euyl but they be not euyll of them selfe All afflictions diseases punyshementes and tormentes of the bodye all the troubles of thys worlde and all aduersytyes be good and necessarye instrumentes of God for oure saluation For God hymselfe who canne not saye other then trueth sayeth Apocalip iii. Those that I loue I chastyse And agayne the apostle Hebre. xii sayeth He receyueth none but whom he scorgeth Thys is a tyme of scourgynge and the tyme to come is the tyme of rest ease and blysse And surelye it is a greate token that we be in the fauoure of God when he doeth scourge vs and tryeth fyneth vs lyke golde in the fyre whiles we be in thys world As contrarye it is a greate tooken of hys indignatyon towardes vs to suffer vs lyuynge euyll to contynue in prosperitye and to haue all thynges after our wyl and pleasure and neuer to trouble or punyshe vs wyth aduersitye Therefore oure sauyoure Chryste Iesus who knoweth what is beste for vs teacheth vs to praye and to desyre to be delyuered not cheyfely from worldely afflyctions trouble and aduersytye whyche GOD sendeth habundantlye euen to them whome he beste loueth and wyth whome he is beste pleased But the euyll whych we most chieflye should pray to be delyuered from is 〈◊〉 whyche of it selfe is so euil that in no wise god can be pleased ther with And because oure auncient enemy the deuyll who is the well and sprynge of iniquitye and is not onlye hymselfe an homicide a lyer and hater of the trueth from the begynnyng but also is the verye roote and occasion of all synne the cōmon prouoker styrrer of man to the same yea and the letter or 〈◊〉 of all vertue and goodnes because thys enemye neuer cesseth but continuallye serchethe by all craftes and wyles to enduce vs to sinne and soo to 〈◊〉 vs and to bring vs thereby to euerlastynge damnation Therefore lyke as we desyre here to be delyuered from synne soo also we desyre that oure heauenly father wyl saue vs and defende vs from this euyll the causer of synne that is to saye the Deuyll and from hys powre tyrannye so that he shall not by his malyce and gyles entyce and drawe vs into synne whereby we maye finallye be broughte vnto euerlastynge dampnation from the whyche also we praye here to be delyuered And fynallye touchynge thys woorde Amen ye shall note that it is here added vnto the ende of thys most excellent prayer to teache vs thereby that yf we doo come soo as we oughte to be prepared for to make this prayer whych due preparation we before haue declared in the preface of this Pater noster that then vndoutedlye we shall receiue of our Lorde those thinges nedefull for vs whiche in thys prayer of the pater noster we doo aske whyche that we maye doe graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen ¶ Here folowethe the Salutation of the archaungell Gabryell made to the blessed Uyrgyn Mary taken out of the fyrst chapter of Saint Luke commonlye called the Aue Maria with the exposition or declaration thereof Hayle Marye full of grace oure Lorde is with the blessed art thou amongeste all women And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe IT is not without greate and weyghtye considerations that oure forefathers throughoute the vniuersall or catholyke Churche haue nexte after the Pater noster set fourthe and commended the Salutation of the Archaungell Gabryell where wyth he saluted the blessed vyrgyn Marye mother of our sauiour Iesus Chryst called the Aue maria the same to be frequented deuoutely vsed and sayde of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For seynge that the hygh messenger of almyghtye God and heauenly spirite Gabriel did moste ioyfullye wyth thys salutation greete the Uyrgyn Marye beynge then a mortall woman liuinge on the earthe and not hauynge then conceyued in her 〈◊〉 and chaste wombe our sauiour Chryst howe much more oughte we mortall earthlye and synnesull creatures with all promptnesse and 〈◊〉 to salute with the self same woordes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nowe when as not onely
is not to be ouercomed or stayed or letted by anye worldelye pleasures or vanities The offyce of Fortitude or strength is not to omytte or leaue vndone any good thynge whyche ought to be done for 〈◊〉 worldely grieues or troubles And by the way we do here note that these foure Prudence temporance iustice and fortitude are commonly called Cardinall vertues for asmuch as they are the pryncipall and doo conteyne vnder them many other vertues Now concerning the eyght beatitudes forasmuch as they are moste playnelye and orderly sette furth in the. v. chapter of S. Mathew we wyl here rehearse the same vnto you as they of hym are rehearsed desi 〈◊〉 you seriouslye and ofte to mediate the same as whereby you maye bothe knowe wherin felicitie dothe consist and howe also to attayne and comme vnto the same And concernynge thys matter of the beatitudes S. Mathewe in the sayd v. chapyter doth thus 〈◊〉 forth the processe thereof Videns autem 〈◊〉 turbas ascendit in montem cum sedisset 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 discipull cius apericns os 〈◊〉 docebat 〈◊〉 dicens Beati 〈◊〉 spiritu quoniam ipsorum est 〈◊〉 celorū 〈◊〉 mites 〈◊〉 ipsi 〈◊〉 terram Beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur 〈◊〉 quiesuriunt 〈◊〉 iustitiam 〈◊〉 ipsi saturabuntur Beati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsi 〈◊〉 consequentur 〈◊〉 mundi corde quoniam ipsi deum uidebunt Beati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filij dei uocabuntur Beati qui 〈◊〉 patiuntur propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsorum est regnum celorum That is to saye And Iesus 〈◊〉 the multitude did go vppe vnto a hyll and whan he was set hys dysciples came vnto him and he openynge hys mouthe did teache them sayinge Blessed are the poore in spirite for theires is the kyng dome of heauen Blessed are the meke for they 〈◊〉 possesse the earthe Blessed are they that doo mourne for they 〈◊〉 receaue comforte Blessed are they who doo hunger and thryste the iustyce for they 〈◊〉 fylled Blessed are the mercyfull for they 〈◊〉 obtayne or gette mercye Blessed are the pure or cleane in harte for they shall see God Blessed are the peace makers for they shal be called the sonnes or children of GOD. Blessed are they whoo doo suffer persecution for iustice sake for theirs is the 〈◊〉 of heauen And thus nowe hauinge for the tyme donne so muche as one man with this chapleynes and frendes coulde doo and wisshynge that it were muche more better and more exactlye doone then it is fynallye submyttynge the whole vnto the iu gemente of the catholyke churche and the see Apostolyke in all poyntes I wyll nowe adde herevnto certayne Collectes to be sayde and rehearsed dayelye by the preistes in their Masse concernynge both oure holye father the Pope with his mooste reuerende Legate the Lorde Cardinall poole and also concernynge the kynges and Quenes most excellent maiesties whose health and wealth are our great sauegarde and assuraunce And yet ouer and besydes thys a speciall collecte or prayer seuerallye for the kynges prosperouse iorneye bothe in goynge in tarienge and in well retournyng to be had whyche the holye Tryny ye the father the sonne and the holye Ghost mercifullye doo graunt and brynge to passe Unto whom be all honoure prayse and glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the most holy father the Pope DEus omnium fidelium pastor rector famulum tuum Paulum papam eius nominis quartum quem pastorem ecclesie tue precesse uoluisti propitius respice da ei que sumus uerbo exemplo quibus pre est proficere ut ad uitam una cūgrege sub credito per ueniat sempiternam Per. Secreta Oblatis quesumus domini placare muneribus famulum tuum Paulum papam eius nominis quartum quem pastorem populo tuo esse uoluisti assidua protectione guberna per. Poctcommunio Hec nos quesumus domini diuine sacramenti perceptio protegat famulum tuum Paulum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominis quartum quem pastorem populo tuo esse uoluisti una cum commissio sibi grege saluat semper muniat per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the mooste reuerend Lorde Cardynall Poole REge quesumus domini famulum tuum Reginaldum Polum Cardinalem sacro sancte sedis apostolice a latere legatum intercedente beata dei genitrici Maria cum 〈◊〉 sanctis tuis gratiae tue in eo dona multiplica ut ab omnibus liberetur offensis temporalibus non destituatur auxiliis 〈◊〉 ternis gadeat at institutis per. Secreta Suscipe quesumus domini tibi munus oblatum intercedente beata dei genetrice Maria cum omnibus sanctis tuis famulum tuum Reginaldum 〈◊〉 Cardinalē sacro sancta sedis apostolicae a latere legatum tua propitius ubique miseratione 〈◊〉 at que ab omnibus quas 〈◊〉 aduersitatibus redde securum ut tranquillitate precepta ab omnium uisibilium inuisibilium inimicorum 〈◊〉 liberatus deuota tibi menta de seruiat Per. Post communio Subiectum 〈◊〉 famulum tuum Reginaldum Polū Cardinalem sacro sanctae sedis Apostolicae a latere legatum quesumus domine inter cessione beatae deî genetricis Mariae cum omnibus sanctis tui propitiatio celestis amplificet ut presentis uitae periculis 〈◊〉 perpetuis donis firmetur Per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the kynge and Quenes maiesties and theyr counsaylers Oratio DEus in cuius manu sunt corda regnum qui eis humilium consolator at fidelium fortitudo et protector omniū in te sperantium da regi uostro Philippo reginae nostrae Mariae eorumque consilitatis populo Christiano triumphū uirtutis tue scienter excolere ut perte semper reparentur ad uenian Per. 〈◊〉 Suscipe quesumus domine precis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tuae quas pro salute samili tui regis nostri Philippi Regine nostrae Mariae eorum que 〈◊〉 rum ac protectione fidelium populorum tuae maiestati offerimus sut plicantes ut antiqua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ope rante miracula super at is inimicis secura t. bi 〈◊〉 Christianorum libertas Per. Postcommunio Presta quesumus omnipotens deus ut per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steria sancta quae sumpsimus rex noster Philippus regina nostra Maria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac populus Christianus 〈◊〉 rationabilia meditantis que tibi placita sūt dictis 〈◊〉 ātur factis Per. ¶ The three collects or orations for the prosperous voyage and safe retourne of our moste noble kyng Phylyppe Oratio primo APesto domine supplicationibus nostris uiam 〈◊〉 ac pij famuli tui Philippi regis nostri et omnium 〈◊〉 qui in eius sunt comitatu in salutis tuae prosperitate dispone ut inter omnes 〈◊〉 uitae 〈◊〉 marietatis tuo semper protegantur auxilio Per Secreta Propitiare domini supplicationibus nostris has oblationes quas tibi offerimus pro deuoto 〈◊〉
sonne-Chryst Iesu our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye for euer Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologie professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelye of the redemption of man IT was declared vnto you good christen people in the last homelye howe oure fyrste parentes Adā and Eue were by the synguler goodnes and especiall fauoure of almyghtye God created ryghte worthye creatures and in the estate of parfytte innocencye It was also shewed howe thorought disobedience to theyr creator they broughte them selues and al mankind into the estate of euerlastynge damnation Now shall you consequentlye heare of the delyueraunce of man out of that dampnable estate that is of oure redemption For the vnderstandynge whereof you must perfytlye beare in mynde that the whole nature of man both in bodye and soule was thorough orygynall sinne greatelye defiled For the soule whych is the cheyf part of mā loste thereby the especiall gyftes of grace wyth whyche it was indued in the creation and besydes that it was also 〈◊〉 in the gyftes of nature as in memorye intelligence wyll and other lyke And the body whych is the inferior parte it also was by the meanes of orygynall synne brought to the necessarye estate of mortalitie so that it muste nedes die and was throughe that synne of our sayde fyrste parentes made weke and brought to be subiecte to 〈◊〉 drye kindes of infirmities and syckenes and nother coulde God of his iustice receaue man againe to fauor and state of eternall lyfe beynge thus in body and soule by his owne defaulte desyled vules he were first made pure and cleane againe nether man was able to helpe hym selfe herein no nor yet anye angell at al. Wherefore almyghty God whose mercy excedeth all hys workes pytienge the wretched case that mankinde was in dyd appoynt euen from the begynnynge his onely sonne the seconde person in trinitie to be the sauiour of the worlde and to restore mā agayne to perfit clennes both in body and soule and that by the way of very iustice in making a sull amendes and payinge a sufficiente raunsome for synne And thys sonne of God accordinge to the wyll of his father dyd take vpon hym the nature of man ioynynge to hys euerlastynge Godheade the whole and 〈◊〉 nature of manhode not making that nature of man which he toke a new of nothing as he dyd heauen and earth nor yet makynge it of a clod of earth as he dyd that body of Adam but he 〈◊〉 the nature of man of the very substaunce of the vyrgyn Mary his mother that like as Adam and Eue brought them selues all theyr posteritie through synne into the estate of eternal dampnatiō so Christ takinge vpon him the very selfe same nature beyng descended from Adam and Eue vnto the 〈◊〉 Mary and of her beynge taken and ioyned in hym to the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 of person should by his in nocency through death wyllingly suffered in that his most innocent bodye not only hym self become immort 〈◊〉 haue glory euerlasting but make so many also partakers of lyke blessednes as shulde en ioye the merites of his passion Wherefore it is a very pernicious errour to thynke that chryst toke not his fleshe of the verye fleshe of the blessed Uyrgyne Mary his mother How coulde his death haue done me good yf it were not of the same nature that I am of therefore S. Paule in hys seconde chapyter of his Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth Qui sanctificat et qui sanctificantur ex vno omnes that is He that santyfyeth and they whych are sanctifyed are all of one and within a lytle after he sayeth farther Debuit per omnia fratribus assimulari vt misericors fieret fidelis 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repropitiaret delicta populi that is Christe muste in al poyntes become like to his brethern that he myght be a mercifull fruithfull Bysshop to God ward to procure merci for the sinnes of the people If Chryst toke not the flesh of that Uirgin Marye howe is that promyse fulfylled which God made immediately after the falle of our first parētes when he thrust them out of paradise at which tyme he said vnto the serpente as it is written in the thyrde chapiter Genesis I wyll set 〈◊〉 betwixt the and the womans sede and it shall treade downe thy hedde Lo how mercifully God dealeth wyth mankynde He promysed that one shoulde be borne of the sede and stocke of Eue which should banquyshe our ghostly enemy the diuell Nowe in that he calleth hym the sede of the woman he moste playnely declareth that he must nedes haue in hym the selfe same nature that the woman had Agayne God makyng the second promyse of the same sede to come of the stocke of Abraham the patriarke said vnto Abraham as is wytnessed in the. xxii of Genesys In thy sede shall all the nations of the world be blessed many hūdred yeres after that he promyssed lyke wyse to 〈◊〉 Dauyd that the sede should come of hym to Which promyses of al myghty God were not to be verified in Chryst if he toke not that substaūce of his fleshe of the Uirgin Mary his mother But here it may seme straūge to some that almighty god seing he intēded from the beginninge to sēd hys sonne into that world to be incarnate for mans redēption did defer the sendinge of hym soo longe that is the space of foure thousande yeares or theraboute To whome it is to be aunswered that the long taryinge of Chryste before he was incarnate came not of lacke of good wyl in god towardes vs but of vnredines and lacke of good disposytion to 〈◊〉 hym on oure partes For if Chryste shoulde haue commen in the begynnyng of the worlde men would haue thought that if God had suffered them to vse theyr owne natural powers thei would haue attayned 〈◊〉 wel inough wythout any other helpe on Godes parte Agayne thoughe after longe experience and trauayle of man folowing the onelye lyghte of nature it was euydente that he ne ded a specyall ayde from God to the attaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe yet the worlde myghte haue demed that in case God of hys goodnes had geuen vnto manne some speciall lyghte and knowledge of hys wyll and pleasure that then vndoughtedlye wythout farther helpe he folowynge suche specyall lyght and knowledge myght be able well inoughe to attayne to euerlastynge lyfe Therefore to take all suche excuses a waye and that we should plainelye vnderstande that after we once fell into synne neyther the light of nature in vs neyther the knowledge of the wyll of God by speciall reuelation opened vnto vs was able to helpe vs god suffred mankynde to trauel fyrst by the light of nature secondly by the lawe of Moyses and yet man ranne styll farther and farther into damnation Whereby it appereth that thoughe knowledge of the truth be necessa ry to the attayning of 〈◊〉 lyfe yet suche knowledge be it
neuer so great beyng in a man cor rupted with sinne is to feble and to weake to purge hym of sinne For purgation clensing of sinne commeth by some other meanes besides that knowledge of the truth aud therfore S. Paule in the fyrste chapiter of his epystle to the Romaines most plainly 〈◊〉 meth that in the time of that law of nature men knew inough of God but yet not withstanding theyr kno ledge they fell into abhominable idolatry The wordes of S. Paule in that place are these So much as may be knowen of god is manifest in thē that is to saye in those whyche liued vnder the law of nature from Adam vnto Moyses For his inui sible thynges euen his eternal power godhed were sene of thē being vnderstanded by the works of the 〈◊〉 of the world so that they are without excuse bicause that when they knew God they gloryfyed hym not as god nether were thankeful but becam ful of vanitie in their imaginacions And as that lyght whiche men had by the lawes of nature was not of force to kepe them from synne so nether the lawe of Moyses beyng opened from god hym selfe by special reuelatiō could suffice to ryde mā from sinne as S. Paule in the second chapiter of hys foresayde epistle testifieth saying Behold thou art a Jew and thou doest rest in the law and doest glory in god and doest know hys wyl and plea sure being instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which art in darkenes an instructour of the foly she a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourine of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou the prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest 〈◊〉 thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshonor God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is 〈◊〉 by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such kōwledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for hys sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god againe and to haue aboundaunce of grace 〈◊〉 vnto hym by whych grace he should both in hys know ledge be that better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For thys amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal mā was made in all partes lyke vnto one of vs sinne only ex cepted 〈◊〉 he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a merue lous sort that as in vs the body being of 〈◊〉 nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this 〈◊〉 vnion of that godhed manhed in Christ S. Iohn speaketh in the fyrst cha piter of his gospell saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factum est ethabitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue xxxiii yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holye prophetes whyche were to be fulfylled of hym before hys passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefully procured of the deuil agayne him to raunsome man kynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that thys ran̄some shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefui wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcynge of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of hys syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precyous bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs there in to beholde the excedyng great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not hys onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge al men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so playnefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seyng he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet hys passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaulte in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites therof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wiland consent without the which we can not ve saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne default were fallen into the estate of endles miseri and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onelye sonne our sauiour Christ. Remēber that synne and nought els brought vs first out of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incellātly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyl who being vāquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right faith of Christ valiantly with stand hym which to do graunte vnto vs the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honoure and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaring how the redempti on in Chryste is apliable to vs ALthough the death passion of our sauiour christ be in va lu a sufficient raunsome for the sinnes 〈◊〉 the whole world yet i effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neither Turke Jew nor infidel wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passion of christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the. xvi chapiter of s. Marke that Whosoeuer dothnot beleue shal be dāpned Agayne
Apostles were conuersaunt and ther learne the truth in that controuersy ye what yf the Apostles had lefte behynde thē no writyng at al must we then not haue folowed the order of tradition delyuered by them to such as they committid the churches vnto to which tradition manye barbarous nations beleuing in christ do giue credite with out any other wrytyng then that which is in their hartes wrytten Al this wryteth Irene us and within a lytle after he sayeth Yf to these barbarous nations any man 〈◊〉 preach in their owne language these inuentiōs of heretikes by and by they would stope their eares and 〈◊〉 as farre as they could frō him and not once here hys blasphemous talke thus sayth S. 〈◊〉 Now yf christen people at this 〈◊〉 would folow this trad which this blessed 〈◊〉 here speaketh of thē should no mārunne into heresy but al men shold cleue fast vnto that wholsome doctryne of the catholike churche abhor and detest whatsoeuer any precher would vtter to thē contrary to the same For whosoeuer precheth any doctrine not agreable to that general 〈◊〉 doctrie in the open knowen church he it is such as be like to him of whō our 〈◊〉 biddeth vs to 〈◊〉 sa yng in yt. vii of Mathewe Beware of false prophets which com to you in shepes clothing but inwardly they are rauenyng wolues Our sauior calleth them wolues for that they deuoure that soules of so many as giue credite vnto thē he sayeth farder of them that they come in lambes skins because they pretend the woord of God and therewith bleare the eyes of pore simple men and make them beleue that it is as they saye where in 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer is taught contraty to that that al 〈◊〉 openly teacheth and from tyme to tyme hath taught is false and cannot possible be true 〈◊〉 les we wold 〈◊〉 that christ hun selfe wer not true For he promyseth that hym selfe wil be for euer with the church and that the holy ghost shal for euer gouerne the same Forasmuch than as there is no other schole on the earth for men to learne theyr duety towards god and the worlde but the catholyke church nor no other doctrine auay leable to eternall lyfe but that which the catholyke church teacheth therefore all christē people are required to make a solēpne vow at theyr baptisme to beleue the catholyke churche And he that so doeth is in an assured trade 〈◊〉 saluation if in his conuersation he folowe the same but contrary wyse he that 〈◊〉 it not is in a moste certayne estate of euerlastyng dampnation 〈◊〉 that youe maye knowe what the 〈◊〉 churche dothe in all poyntes beleue there shal be hereafter particulerly set forth vnto you the seuerall matters requisite to be beleued practised of all Chrysten people that no man may haue iuste cause hereafter to pretende ignoraunce but al men beyng sufficiently instructed maye by folowynge such doctryne attayne to euerlasting lyfe whyche send vnto vs all the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the Sonne and the holy 〈◊〉 to whom be all honoure and glory 〈◊〉 without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London ¶ An homely of Christian loue or Charitie FOrasmuch as that pith and summe of al things which be contemed either in the lawe or in the prophets doth stād and cōsist in the loue of God and in the loue of 〈◊〉 neyghbour as our 〈◊〉 Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stifye in the. xxii Chapiter of saint Mathewe sayinge 〈◊〉 of the Pharises beyng a doctour of the lawe tēping did aske him and say maister what is the great cōman̄demēt in the law Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto him Thou 〈◊〉 loue thy 〈◊〉 God with al thy harte wyth all thy soule and with althy hole minde this is sayeth he the greateste and firste 〈◊〉 And the seconde is like vnto it Thou 〈◊〉 loue thy neig hboure as thy selfe and of these two commaundements al the lawe doth 〈◊〉 and the Prophetes And forasmuch also as we can not loue God well excepte we doo loue our neyghboure in a due order ne yet loue our neyghboure well excepte we doo 〈◊〉 God in that due order that we oughte to doo Sainct Jhon the euangelist so testifyeng and declaryng in the thyrde and fourthe Chapiters of his fyrst canonical Epistle And finally forasmuche as he that loueth not after this sorte is by the testimonye of the sayde sainct John in the sayd thyrd Chapiter iudged to be in death therfore it is ryght expediente and necessarye to haue alwyes thys loue whiche nowe in oure vulgare tonge and common talke is ofte named by the name of Charitie but ve ry megerly and coldely practised and set fourthe in dede as it shoulde be And of truthe yf we woulde iudge vpryghtly and well we ought to saye that of all thinges that be good to be taught vnto Christen people there is no thing more necessarye to be spoken of and daylye called vpon then charitie as wel for that al maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decaye thereof is the 〈◊〉 of the world the banysh ement of vertue and the cause of all vice And forasmuch as almost euery mā maketh frāeth to hym selfe a charity after hys owne appetyte and how 〈◊〉 so euer his lyfe be bothe vnto God and man yet he perswadeth with hymselfe styll that he hathe chatitye Therefore you shall here nowe a true and playne descryption of charity not of mens ymagination but of the very woordes and example of our sauioure Jesus Christe In whyche description euerye man as it were in a glasse may consider him selfe and see plai nely without error whether he be in the true Charitye or not charitie is to loue God with al oure harte withall our life with al our powers with al our strength Wyth all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynde studie be set to 〈◊〉 his woorde to trust in hym and to loue him aboue all other thynges whyche we doo loue best in heauen or in earthe Wyth all oure lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye and delite be sette vpon him and his honoure and our hole lyfe gyuen vnto the seruyce of hym aboue al thynges wyth hym to lyue and wyth 〈◊〉 to dye yea and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or doughter house or lād more 〈◊〉 me saith Christ is not worthy to haue me 〈◊〉 all oure powers that is to say that with our handes and feet wyth our eyes and eares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tongues and wyth all other parts powers both of body and of soule we shoulde be gyuen to the 〈◊〉 pynge and fulfyllyng of hys commaundementes This is is the fyrst and the principal part of chariti but it is not the whole For charitie is also to 〈◊〉 euery man good and 〈◊〉 frende and fooe And 〈◊〉 cause be gyuen to the contrary yet
and thynketh it a burdenintollerabel to be bounde to loue them that hate hym But the burden shoulde be easye yuoughe yf on the other syde euery man woulde consyder what dyspleasure he hath done to hys enemy agayne what pleasure he hath receyued of hys enemye And yf we fynde no egall recompence neyther in receyuing pleasures of our enemy nor in rendryng dyspleasure vnto hym agayne then let vs ponder the dyspleasu res whyche we haue done agaynste almighty God Howe often and howe greuously we haue offended hym Whereof yf we wyll haue of God forgyuenes there is none other remedye but to forgyue the offēces done vnto vs whyche be very small in comparison of oure offences done a 〈◊〉 God And yf wee consyder that he which hath off 〈◊〉 vs deserueth not to be forgyuen of vs let vs consider againe that we muche lesse deserue to be forgyuen of God And althoughe our enemy deserue not to be forgyuen for hys 〈◊〉 sake yet we oughte to forgyue hym for gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 howe great and manyfest benefytes we haue receyued of hym withoute oure desertes and that Chryste hathe deserued of vs that for his sake we should forgyue them their trespasses commytted agaynst vs. But here may ryse a necessary question to be dyssolued If charity requyre to thinke speake and doo well vnto euery man bothe good and euyl how can magystrates execute iustyce vpon malefactoures with charytye Howe can they caste euyll men into prison take away theyr goodes and sometyme theyr lyues accordynge to lawes yf Charytye 〈◊〉 not suffer them so to doo Herevnto is a plaine and brief answer that plages and punishementns be not euel of them selues yf they be well taken of innocentes and to an euyll man they are bothe good and necessarye and may be executed accordynge to charitye and with charity should be executed For declaracion whereof you shal vnderstande that charity hath two offices the one contrarye to the other and yet 〈◊〉 necessarye to the vsed vpon men of contrarye sorte and dysposion The one office of Charitye is to cherishe good and innocent men Not to oppresse them with false accusations but to incourage them wyth rewardes to doo well 〈◊〉 in well dooynge defendynge them wyth the sworde frō theyr 〈◊〉 And the offyce of Byshops and pastours is to laude good men for wel doyng that they maye perseuer therein and to rebuke and correct by 〈◊〉 woorde of God the offēces and 〈◊〉 of all euyll disposed persons The other office is to rebuke correcte punysh vyce without acceptation of parsons and thys is to be vsed against theim onely that be 〈◊〉 men and malefactours And it is aswell the offyce of charitie to rebuke punyshe and corrocte them that be euyll as it is to cheryshe and rewarde them that be good and innocent Sainte Paule soo declareth writing to the Romaynes and sayenge the 〈◊〉 poweres are ordeyned of GOD not to be dreadefull to them that doo well but vnto Malefactoures to drawe the swoorde to take vengeaunce of hym that commytteth the synne And sayncte Paule byddethe Tymothye constantlye and vehementlye to rebuke synne by the woorde of GOD. So that bothe offyces shoulde be dylygently executed to impuge the kyngdome of the deuyll the preacher wyth the woorde and the Gouernoure wyth 〈◊〉 swoorde Els they loue neyther God nor them whome they gouerne yf for lacke of correction they wylfully suffer God to be offended and them whom they gouerne to perishe For as euery louyng father correcteth his natural sonne when he dothe amysse or els he loueth hym not So all gouernoures of Realmes Countreys Townes and houses should louynglye correcte them who be offendours vnder theyr gouernaunce And cheryshe them who doo lyue innocently yf they haue any respecte eyther vnto God and theyr office or loue vnto them of whome they haue gouernauce And suche rebukes and punyshementes of them that doo offende must be done in due tymes least by delaye the offender fall headlinges into al maner of myschiefe and not onelye bee euyll theim selues but also doo hurte vnto many men drawynge other by theyr euyll example to synne outrage after them As one theef maye bothe robbe manye men and also make many theues and one sediciouse persō may allure many and noye a hole towne or countre And suche euyl persons that be so great offenders of god and the common wealth charity requireth to be cut of from the body of the common weale lest they corrupte other good and honest persons like as a good surgeon cutteth awaye a putrified and festred mem ber for the loue he hath to that hole body least it infecte other members adioynynge to it Thus it is declared vuto you what true charitie or christan loue is so playnely that no man nede to be deceyued Whyche loue whosoeuer kepeth bothe towardes God whom he is bounde to loue aboue al thinges and also towardes hys neyghbours aswell frende as fooe it shal surely kepe hym frō al offence of God and iuste offence of man Therefore beare welaway thys one shorte lesson that by true christian charitye God ought to be loued aboue all thynges and all men oughte to be loued good and euyll frende and foo and to al suche we ought as we may doo good those that be good of loue we ought to encorag and cherysh because they be good And those that be euil of loue we ought to procure vnto them theyr correction and dewe punyshement that they may therby either be broght to goodnes or at the lest that god and the common welthe maye be the lesse hurte and offended hating alwaies the vyce or offence but louynge the person alwayes as the creature of God and as one who by nature is ioyned in kynred vnto vs. And yf we thus directe oure lyfe by christian loue and Charytye then Chryste doothe promyse and assure vs that he loueth vs and that we be the Chyldren of our heauenlye father and reconsiled to his fauor being very members of Christ and that after the shorte tyme of thys presente and mortall lyfe we shall haue with hym eternall lyfe in his euerlastyng kingdome of heauen Ther fore to hym wyth the father and the holy Ghost be al honor and glorye nowe euer Amen E. B. ¶ An Homely declaryng howe daungerous a thynge the breache of Charitye is Ur Saiyour Christ in ye. v. of Mathew setteth forth an vniuersal doctrine that is a doctrine apper teyning indifferently to all Chrysten mē and there he declareth how great per fection of lyfe ought to be in one of vs sayinge in thys maner Nisi abundauerit iustitia uestra plus quam Scribarum pharisaeo rum nonimrabit is in regnum 〈◊〉 That is to saye Except your ryghtuousnes excede the ryghtuousnes of the Scribes the Pharyseis ye cannot entre into the kyngedome of heauē For the ryght vnderstandynge of which wordes it is to be noted that rightuousnes in thys texte doth
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze
lyfe and quietnes of conscience and yf at any tyme throughe our frail nes we hapen to fall we haue readye to rayse vs vpagayne the holye Sacramentes throughe the comfortable helpe whereof we be made sironge and so daye by daye more able to procede in al kynde of vertue and thus hauynge vpon earthe oure mother the holye churche which is the spouse of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God we maye be bolde to call vpon GOD our father and be assured that he wyl heare vs as hys dearebeloued chyldren and gyue vs the inheritaunce of heauen whyche is prepared for vs through our sauiour Iesus Christe To whōe wyth the father and the holy ghost be honour prayse and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homelye of the Primacy or supreame power of the 〈◊〉 gouernor of the militant Church AS in euery natu rall and polytyke 〈◊〉 so in the churche militāt whych is a misticall body superioritie and inferioriti must neds be amōgest that m mbers thereof or ells it cannot endure And for thys cause speciallye our Sauiour Chryste when he was here conuersaunte on the Earth dyd hymselfe appoynte hys Apostles Disciples and there successours to haue the ouersyght cure and hygh gouernement of hys church to the worldes edde And to the intente that no man should contempne theyr aucthoritie he dothe saye in the thyrtenth of Saynt Ihon Amen Amen Dico vobis quis accipit si quem misero me accipit Qui autemme accipit accipit eum qui me misit That is to say Uerely Uerely I saye vnto you who that receyueth hym whome I sende receyueth me And he that receiueth me receyueth hym that sent me And in the tenth of Luke he sath Quiuos audit me audit qui uos 〈◊〉 me spernit Qui autem me spernit spernit eum qui misit me That is to saye He that heareth you hearethe me and he that dispiseth yon dispiseth mee and he that dispiseth me dyspiseth hym that sent me Of the Apostles also and theyr successours and of theyr charge ouer Christes flocke doth Saynt Paule speake in the fourthe chapiter to the Ephesyans saying Ipse dedit quosdam quidem A postolos quosdam autem Prophetas aliouero Euangelistas alios autem pastores et doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerū in edifieationem Corporis Christi donec 〈◊〉 omnes in unitatem fidei agnitionis filii dei in uirum perfectum in mensuram etatis plenitudinis Christi ut 〈◊〉 non simus paruuli flue tuantes neque clicuferamur omniuento doctrine in nequitia hominum in asturia ad circumuentionem erroris That is to saye He meanyng Chryste hath gyuen or appointed some to be Ipostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some pastores and teachers to the perfytynge or consummating of the holyons to doo the worke of the mynistery to edyfye the body of Chryst vntyll we all come together in one vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto the estate of a perfecte man after the measure of the age of the fulnes of Chryst that from henceforth we should not be as babes waueryng neyther should we be caryed aboute with euery blaste of doctryne in the wicked nes of men in the wylynes of them who go aboute to deceyue vs. Thys place of Saynt Paule most playnelye setteth before our eyes the aucthority and gouernemēt whyche our sauiour hath apoynted to contynue to the ende of the worlde in his churche and howe the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Preachers and teachers are giuen of Chryst to hys pleple to gouerne them And therewyth al Saynt Paule in the sayde place she weth to what ende suche gouernement and authoritie is instituted it is to wytte for the spiritual edifieng of the hole body in the fayth for the defense of the hole bodye from the poyson of heresye And in dede no one thing can so muche suppresse heresye as yf the Anthoritie and gouernment 〈◊〉 be accordyngly therevnto estemed obeyed as 〈◊〉 Saynte Ciprian the blessed Martyr in hys fyrst boke and thyrd Epystle saieng Neque 〈◊〉 bereses obortae sunt aut 〈◊〉 sunt scismata 〈◊〉 lnde quod sacer 〈◊〉 dei non obtemperatur 〈◊〉 unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos 〈◊〉 tempus iudex uice Christi cogitatur cuisi sneundum magisteria diui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uniuersa nemo 〈◊〉 sacerdotem collegia 〈◊〉 moueret That is to saye Neyther other where or hy othere meanes are heresies 〈◊〉 vp and scisines rysen than hereof that obedience is not gyuen to the preiste of God Nor one is consydered or thought to be in that churche for the tyme the preist and for the time the iudge in Christes stede vnto which one yf the hole fraternitie dyd according to the heauenly commaundements 〈◊〉 no man woulde stirre or moue anye thynge against the Colleges or cōpanies of preistes Hereby you may perceyue that saynt Cypryans cōclusion or iudgemēt is that the gouernment Ecclesiasticall and especially of one to be caken and reputed as Christes vicar is the best meane to let and suppresse heresies and that such one gouernor is 〈◊〉 be o beyed of all chrysten people which thynge may be proued very playnely and euidently by the holye scriptures them selues For the scryptures doo witnesse that our 〈◊〉 appoynted S. Peter to thys hygh rowme and charge ouer his hole flocke and no one of the Apostles 〈◊〉 In the. xxi of S. John it is wrytten howe oure sauiour after his resurrection appearing at the sea 〈◊〉 Tiberias to certen of hys Apostles amongest whome was Peter dyd fyrste take breade and fyshe and gaue vnto them And when they had 〈◊〉 them selues he fayde vnto Peter Simon Iohannes diligis me plus hijs 〈◊〉 ei 〈◊〉 domine tu scis quia amore Dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as eagnos meos Dicit ei iterum Simon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligis me Ait illi Etiam domine tu scis quia amo te Dicit ci Pasce 〈◊〉 meos Dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amas me Contristatus est Petrus qui a dixit 〈◊〉 tertio amas me 〈◊〉 ci Domine tu omnia nosti tu scis 〈◊〉 amote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oues meas That is to saye Symon the sonne of Ioannes 〈◊〉 thou loue me more then these do He aunswered vnto him Yea Lorde thou 〈◊〉 that I loue thee He sayde vnto him Fede my lambes 〈◊〉 he spake to hym agayne and sayde Simon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me He aunswered yea Lorde thou knoweste that I loue thee Hesayde vnto hym againe Feede my lambes Then spake he vnto him the third tyme and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doest thou loue me Peter was sorie because Christ sayd vnto him now the thyrde tyme doest thou loue me and he aun swered and sayde Lorde thou knoweste all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee He sayde vnto him feede my shepe Thys processe of Scripture hath in it many
resistance And by this reason alone the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many Epystles doth most boldely glory or reioyse agaynst all the aduersaries of anye of the Bysshoppes accordyng as we do reade in the third boke of the kynges Where allthough the. x. tribes of Israell dyd departe from Roboam the sonne of Salomon yet bycause it was done by the wyll of God it was without other authoritie firme stable For also emongest all the deuines the will of the signe whiche they doo call the workyng of God is to be feared no lesse thē other signes of the will of God as precepts and thinges forbydden c. And therefore I doo not se howe they be excused from the offence or synne of scy sine who doing or cōminge agaynst this will doo withdrawe or pull them selues from the Authoritie of the Romaine Bysshoppe Thus much saythe Luther himselfe and soo shall you fynd it if ye reade his sayde worke in the place aforesayd and the thyng so being you may se what a holy father that marchant was to deceiue the people as he dyd and to bryng them to that wonderfull calamitie that the thyrde or fourth generation if that worlde so longe do continue shall feele and smarte for it as other also shall that be in the same case And now to returne to our owne country of Englande thys may be truly spoken that of all 〈◊〉 christen there is none that hath besydes the general dutie so speciall cause to fauour the see of Rome as England hath For from that see cam the faythe into this Iland in the daies of king Lucius about an hundreth and fyftye yeares after Chryste And vi Cyere after Christ when the Saxons wer spred ouer the hole realme and were infidells ther were sent most notable and godly preachers hither into England who conuerted and tourned many thousandes to the fayth And what benefites we haue in our daies receaued of that see of Rome al menne doo 〈◊〉 and feale in them selues do thancke god therefore or ells the deuyll hathe wonderfullye blynded and seduced them Now on the other syde what miseries haue be falen emongest vs synce our disobedience agaynst the see of Rome and synce the tyme that temperall prynces dyd take vpon them that offyce which is spirituall and not belongynge to the regali power but greatly distant and dyfferent from the same I nede not in words to declare 〈◊〉 as you haue felt the smart therof in dede and to this day are not quyte of Gods plage for the same Wherfore to conclude in this matter this shal be to exhort you and in Gods name to requyre you to esteme the primacy and supremitie of the sea of Rome as an authoritie instituted by Chryst for the quyetnes of the christen people and for the preserua tion of chrystendome in one catholyke true fayth for the defence of it agaynst all heresie and wherby quyeting your selues to serue God in the catholike truth you shall sonest appease his wrath and purchase his fauour and grace in this lyfe and hereafter obteyne the euerlastyng lyfe which sende vnto you all the father the 〈◊〉 and the holy Ghost to whome be al honor and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London An homilye declaringe that in the blessed Sacrament of the aultare is the very bodye and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst. AFter that men are once graft in Christ and be made partakers of his death passion amonge other theyr duetyes one of the cheife is diligētly to prepare them selues to the worthy receauyng of that blessed Sacrament of the aultare where vnto are two thynges on our partes requisit as sayeth saynt Basell good reason confyrmeth the one feare the other faythe The feare whyche men must haue when they prepare them selues to come to this sacrament ought to be grounded vpō that terrible saying of saynt Paule in the. xi chapter of hys fyrst Epystle to the Corinthians wher he sayth that whosoeuer doth participate therof vnworthely doth eate and drinke his owne dampnation The faith which we must haue in our hartes when we come to Gods borde is to be buylded lyke wyse vpon the vndonted aucthorities of scripture whych declare moost playnlye vnto vs what meate it is that we there eate For the parfit vnderstandyng wherof let vs consider that our sauyour Chryst beynge here on earth did fyrste make a solempne promyse of a meate whyche hym selfe woulde geue vnto vs and afterwarde in dede he dyd geue the same accordynge to hys promyse In the promyse makynge he sayde as it is wrytten in the. vii chapter of S Jhons gospell The breade or foode that I wyll geue vnto you is my fleshe which fleshe I wyll gyue for the lyfe of the world and in the same chapter he also saith My fleshe is 〈◊〉 meat and my bloud is ve rely drincke And as he then promised so he after ward perfourmed euen the very laste nyghte that euer he companied with his Apostles before hys death at which tyme he toke breade into his handes and gaue thankes and breake it and gaue it to his disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body whiche shal be geuen for you Yf we cō pare the wordes spoken by Chryst when he made the promyse of a meat to be by hym geuen vnto vs with those other wordes which he vttered in giuing of that same we nede not doubt of the thinges whiche he gaue In the promyse makynge he sayd that he woulde geue vs his fleshe in the perfourminge of the promyse he geueth the same saying take eate this is my body Agayne in the promise making he affirmeth that the fleshe whith he woulde geue vs to fede on should be the selfe same fleshe that shold be geuen for the lyfe of the world and in the perfor maunce of his promise he said that the thing which gaue was his bodye whyche shoulde be geuen to death for vs. Nowe the circumstaunces beyng wel considered which our sauiour vsed in the institution of this most blessed Sacrament shal greatly cōfyrme al godly hartes in the true be lefe of the same The tyme was the night before he suffered deathe to signifye vnto vs that thys meate being differred to the last day that euer our Sauiour was conuersaunt with his Apostles must nedes be his very body and bloude in dede and such ameate as no other can be in any wyse comparable vnto it Agayne in that our sauyour dyd eate of the pascall lambe with his Apostles immediatli before he did institute this sacrament it most playnely declareth vnto vs that this sacrament is a marueylous worthey mysterye and that veri thing which the eating of the paschal lambe in the olde lawe did prefygurate for whyche cause whē this was instituted that was abrogated Nether is it withoute a meruelouse consideration that Chryst at that heauenly banket would of purpose nother haue the blessed
Uyrgin Mary his mother present with hym nor anye other of his dyseyples saue onely the. xii Apostles whome he appoin ted to be the head ministers of al his misteryes here on the earth and specially to be the ministers of this most blessed sacrament and the iustructours of al other touching the same Now what meneth it that our Sauiour was not content to offer them this sa crament onely but with the offeryng therof he said also vnto them Take eate take and drinke Do mē vse to offer to other meate and drynke for anye 〈◊〉 purpose but onelye that they shoulde eate and drynke thereof but bycause it was hys bodye and hys bloude therefore he fyrste byddeth them take and not feare to eate and drynke the same Besydes this it is to be well noted that that thre Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke did al three agree in the maner of the institution of thys sacramēt they wryting all three their gospels at sō dry tymes as Mathe we eyght yere after the ascencion of our sauiour Chryst. Marke x. yeares Luke xv yeares And where in doubteful speaches of our sauiour Chryst some one or other of that Euangelists euermore openeth playnly the very meaning of the speches yet touchyng these words this is my body no one of them maketh anye declaration vpon the same but they all leue them to be takē of vs as they sound and as of most plaine words they make no exposition or interpretation of them at all Whyche poynt must be well consydered And therefore note th at where Chryst sayde It is impossible for a rich man to entre into the kingdō of heuen bicause that meaning of these wordes may be dyuersly taken thereof S. Marke in his tenth chapyter declareth the very meaning of them saying It is harde for them that trust in there substaūce to be saued Agayne Chryst at another time said to the Iewes loose you this timple in thre daies shal I build it againe Andfor that the sense of these wordes is doughtfull S. Ihon there expoundeth them and sayeth that Chryst by the tēyle ment his body which should be by the Iewes put to death and by him the thirde daye shoulde be raysed from death to lyfe In the viii of Ihon oure sauiour sayeth He that beleueth in me as the scriptnre sayeth there shall ryuers of quyck water flow out of him And because this saing is obscure S. Iohn to make it open sayeth that he spake those wordes of the spirit which they that be leued in him should receyue In the. xii chapiter of S Ihon our sauiour sayth in this maner If I be lyfte vp from the earth I wyl draw al thin ges vnto my selfe And S Iohn by and by geueth vs the exposition saying that hereby he signyfyed what kynde of death he should suffer Manye other lyke places are there in the newe testamente the matter of which places is not so hyghe nor soo nedefull to be ryghtly vnderstanded as that meaning of these wordes this is my body and yet of these wordes no one Euangelist maketh any exposition bycause the wordes are playnely and symply to be taken as they were spokē Besides al this we haue in S. Paule in the xi Chapiter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians a goodly and a large processe touching thys Sacrament and yet in that whole processe no matter to instructe vs otherwyse to be leue of it than that there is in it the very body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst. For fyrste he vttereth the wordes of oursauiour euen as the Euangelists do as that he sayd this is my bodye and he maketh no declaration vpon the same Secondly where none of the Euangelists make mentiō of any paine due to the vnworthy receauer S Paule affirmeth that the vnworthy receyuyng of thys Sacramente bryngeth iudgement and dampnation Thirdly he telleth that for the vnworthy receauing hereof God plageth cities and cuntryes wyth sondrye greuous plages as with infirmitye with syckenes and with death also Forthely he geueth vs counsell dylygentlye to examine and trye our selfes before we come to gods borde If the very body and bloude of oure sauiour Chryst be not in dede in the sacramēt of the aultare why shold our sauiour so speake as he spake in the promisse made thereof why dyd he as he dyd in the instituting therof why dyd none of the Euāgelists so declare christes wordes why dyd sayncte Paule so terribly pronounce of the vnworthy receauynge of it and so ernestly warne vs of due preparation to be made therefore It is then most vndoutedlye to be of all chrysten people beleued that in the Sacrameut of the aultare there is the verye body and boulde of our sauiour Chryst worthy of all honour and glory the selfe same in substannce that is in heauen which thyng for Chryst to bryng to passe is a thyng most casye he being God almighty maker of heauen and earth and for hym to do is moost semely that as he gaue that bodye 'to deathe to redeme vs so he should giue the same in thys heauenly bankitte to fede vs that he myght be all in all The body of our sauiour Christ to be in very dede in heauen in the visible fourme of a mā and in the Sacrament of the Aultare inuisible vnder the visible 〈◊〉 of bread and wyne nether is impossible to hys power that made all thinges of noughte nether vnsemely for his exceadynge great loue towardes vs who so loued vs that for vs he dyd not refuse to suffer death and that the deathe of the crosse neyther yet is it agaynst hys wyll who of hys onely mercye so promysed and wyth hys omnipotent word so instituted it nother is it fynally vnfytte for hys wyse dome seynge he hath so ordeyned that euery naturall mothere nouryshe her chyldren wyth the substaunce of her owne body And why then shold christen men refuse to beleue it why do we not rather embrace it and gyue God moste hartye thankes for it being the greatest iewell that euer was amonge mortal men why do we not prepare our selues worthely to receaue it and as in all other poyntes of the christen religion so in the belefe of it geue credite to fayth and bryng reason and our senses in subiectiō vnder fayth but suffer our ghostly enemy by carnall reasons to bryng vs away into heresie quite and cleane to pull the ryghte faythe out of oure hartes Let vs all good people from hence forth be constaūt in the trueth and as all the catholyke churche beleueth and hath alwayes beleued let vs vndoutedlye perswade our selues that in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare there is vnder the fourmes of breade wine the seife same body of our sauiour Christ in sub staūce whych was borne of the Uyrgin Mary and suffered death on the crosse for vs to whō with the father the holy gost be all honor glory world wythout ende Amen
aske howe Chryst was able to giue thē his fleshe to eate The wordes of saincte Cyryll be these They aske not without great impietie how canne thys man geue vs hys fleshe and they remember not that nothing is impossible to God but let vs sayeth 〈◊〉 haue firme faith in the misteries and let vs neuer in so high mat ters eyther thincke or aske this how When God is the worker let vs not aske how but let vs leaue the knowledge of his worke to hym selfe S. Chrisostome lykewyse vppon the sayde v. Chapiter sayeth that when this questyon howe anyethyng is done commeth into oure myndes then wyth all there commeth vnbelyfe also But bycause in scrypture the thyng that we receaue when we come to the sacramente is called bread therefore men haue fansied wyth thē selues that there must be the substaunce of materyal breade deceauing them selues by mystakyng the signification of thys worde breade For thoughe in oure common speach we vse to signify by thys word bread that one kinde of materiall substaunce which is made of corne or grayne yet in scrpture it signifieth all kynde of fode whether it be the fode of the body or the foode of the soule and so dothe also the latyne worde Panis elles when we desyre god in oure Pater noster to geue vs our dayly bread we shold make an vnperfytte petition whiche yet is a mooste perfyt petition wherby we aske of our heauenly father all necessary fode In the. vi of Ihon Manna is called breade and yet was it made of no kynde of corne or grayne and in the same chapyter Chryste is called breade because he is the foode of the soule and ther lykewyse the fleshe of Chryst in the sacrament is called breade and not there onely but in S. Pau les Epystle also to the Corinthians for that it is the fode whereon we fede when we receaue the sacra ment Agayne it is a commen trade in scrypture to cal thinges by the name of that thinge whyche they once were as Adam is called earth because he was made of Earth and Chryst sayeth the blinde see the lame walke that deafe heare the dumme speake meanyng by the blynde lame deafe and dumme suche as before had bene soo but then were otherwyse Thyrdelye for that the fourme of breade doeth remayne it is in that respecte too called breade For these causes good faythfull hartes are nothing gre ued wyth the callyng of it breade in the scrypture but groundynge them selfes vpon the woordes of our sauioure Chryste when he sayde thys is my bodye and knowynge that it to be bothe breade and hys bodye also at once is impossible they vndoutedlye beleue that by the power of GOD the substaunce of bred is turned into the substaunce of Chrystes bodye and soo mnste al men beleue that wyll be lyuely members of the catholyke churche and in that there belefe they muste honoure the bodye and bloude of oure sauioure Chryst in the sacramente of the Aultare as alwayes chrysten people haue vsed to doo Saint Austen in his exposition made vpon the. 99. Psalmesayth that it is synne not to ho noure the bodye of Chryste meanynge in the Sacramente of the Aultare And as it is before in thys Homily 〈◊〉 he also sayeth in the name of all men We doo honoure vnder the fourmes of breade and wyne whych we se the bodye and bloude of Chryst whych we doo not see Wherfore good chrysten people knowing nowe what is the ryght belefe touchynge the Sacramente of the aultare embrace and folowe the same and cleaue faste to the catholyke churche the spouse of Chryste that you maye be true 〈◊〉 of Chryst to whome wyth the father and the holye Ghoste be al honoure and glory world wythoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London ¶ An Homely wherin is aunswere made to certayne common obiections agaynst the presence of Chrystes bodye and bloude in the sacrament of the Aultare MEte it were dearly beloued in our sauiour Christ that we all should so fully wholy cleaue to the faith of Christes catholike church that no appearaūce of reasō to the cōtrari therof shoulde cause vs once to doute or stagger in anye part of the same For such a kynd of faith doth god requyre of vs and for suche kynde of faythe good christen people are in scripture called Abrahās children which Abraham as it is writtē in the fourth to the Romaynes cōtrary to hope beleued in hope that he should be the father of many nations accordyng to that which was spokē So shal thy sede be And he fainted not in the faith nor yet cō sidered his own bodi which was now dead euen when he was almost an hundred yere olde nether yet that Sara was past childe bearyng he staggered not at the promyse of god through vnbelefe but was strōg in the faith gaue honor to god fully certified that what he had promysed the same he was able to make good Yf we then wil be the childrē of Abraham we muste not faynt in faith nor consyder gods wordes after the course of nature Saint Paule in the. x. chapiter of his second epistle to the Corinthians geueth vs an example in hym selfe howe we should alwayes brynge reason in subiection to fayth saying The wepons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to ouerthrowe stronge holdes to destroy counseles and euery hyghe thynge that exalteth it selfe agaynste the knowledge of God to brynge in captiuitie vnto the seruyce of Chryste all vnderstanding What think you is the cause why the Iewes beleue not in Chryste Uerelye fyrste because he was borue of a Uyrgyn which is contrary to the course of nature Secondly lykewyse he was in vnitie of person God man whych howe it maye be no mans wit is able by natural power to conceaue thyrdly because he being God and man suffered the deth of the crosse which for God to be content to do semeth to natural reason a thyng moost absurde but good chrysten folke geuyng place to faith do most vndoutedly beleue in Chryst God mā crucified according to that s. Paule writeth in his first Chapter of his fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians saying We preach Christe crucified to the Iewes a stumblyng blhcke to the gentels a folishnes but to so many of that ie wes gētels as ar called Christ the power wysedome of God And agreably here vnto he sayeth also in the nexte Chapiter folowynge My talke my preachyng was not in that per suasible wordes of mans wysedome but in shewynge of power and of the spyryte that your faythe should not rest in the wisedome of man but in the power of God This general aduise and counsel of S. Paule may and ought so to staye vs in the faythe of the catholyke churche that nether carnall reasons grounded vpon the feble intelligence of mans natural wyt nether the de ceatfull
as the excel lent prelate and notable great clerke the Lord byshop of winchester nowe most worthy Lord chauÌ„celet of England in hys learned boke of confutacioÌ„ of heresies against the sacrament of the aulter doth prudeÌ„tly aduertise vs clerly affirme in the doctrine preceptes of the now militaÌ„t church al thinges of our religion fayth ought to be taken simply plainely And in very dede if in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter were not the true bodi of Christ but a figure a significatioÌ„ onely of it thaÌ„ the sacrameÌ„ts of the new testameÌ„t shold haue nothing more but rather lesse theÌ„ the sacra meÌ„ts of the old testameÌ„t had which is against the catholyke doctrine of the churche against al good reasoÌ„ ¶ An other obiection is this Christ at hys last supper takyng the chalice or cup into hys handes dyd after that he had blessed it saye Thys cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud And seing these woordes must nedes as they say be taken fyguratiuely inasmuch as the very material cup it selfe was neyther the newe testamente ne yet the bloude of Christ therefore lykewyse these wordes also whych Christ takiÌ„g bread into his haÌ„des blessiÌ„g it saying This is my body must nedes be takeÌ„ figuratiue ly ¶ For answer whervnto we may say as we did say before to the same obiection that this argument is noughte very euyl framed for though we dyd admit a figure to be herein the cuppe yet it foloweth not therby that we must nedes take the other speche touchiÌ„g the body to be fyguratyue also especially for that in the one spache it is to wit touchyng the body al the circuÌ„st aÌ„ces of the texte course of scripture do enforce vs to take the speache properlye wherein the other speache touching the cup al the circumstances of the texte and course of scripture doth importe the contrarye ¶ An other obiection is that Chryste hath but one true natural body nowe say they one true natural body can not truely be but in one place therefore say they seyng Christes body is truely in heauen it can not be truely also in the sacrament of the aulter ¶ For aunswere whereunto maye be sayde that in dede it is true that Christ hathe but one true naturall body and where they saye that one true naturall body can not be but in one place it is also true after one the selfe same maner of beyng but after diuerse maners of being one body maye be sondrye wher yea and at one tyme to it is to wyt in heaueÌ„ in the visible fourme and maner of man and in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the forme and maner of breade and wyne and in eueryche of them really and truely to in those respectes God beyng therein the doer who is omnipotent ¶ Ther is also another obiection and that is thys GOD can make man but man cannot make God now say they if the true bodye of Christe were really and in dede in the sacrament of the aulter then the priest which is a man should therby make God but maÌ„ cannot make God therefore in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter ther is not the very true body of Christ ¶ For aunswere whervnto is to be sayd that this obiectioÌ„ procedeth of a great ignoraunce for he that maketh this obiection taketh that the priest saying masse and pronouncing the woordes of coÌ„secracion doeth make God where in very dede the priest goeth aboute no suche thinges and yf he dyd nether be ne yet god himselfe câ—n make God but the truth is that the preist being the minister of God and god beyng ther the worker with hys worde by the preist pronounced there is caused the very body of Chryst to be ther present wher it was not ther before yet no new body ther made but that bodye ther presente which loÌ„g ago was borne of the Uyrgyn Mary the same I say in substaunce is there present onely vnder the formes of breade and wyne ¶ An other obiection there is and that is thys S. Luke in the. xvii chapiter of the actes doeth testifye that S. Paule beyng at athens and in mars strete before the councell there dyd saye amongest other wordes that God doeth not dwell in temples made with handes where vpon the 〈◊〉 vnlernedly doth gather that seyng the material temple is made with handes and the sacrament of the aultar is in the sayd materiall temple it foloweth say they that the body and bloude of Chryste can not be in it because God doth not dwell in temples made with handes And thys obiection hath bene soo muche iiked and commended amongest the procedyng prechers abusing the ignoraunt that they thought it ineuitable therfore abusyng the sayd people they caused it to be sette vp and paynted for a gaye shew in the temples ¶ For aunswere whervnto this is to be tolde you that ther is a great dyfference betwene beyng dwellyng in a place for a greate manye of you I 〈◊〉 not haue bene both in the 〈◊〉 syde in Paules churche yarde yea and Paules churche to wher ye haue not with moost due reuerence vsed and behaued your selues and yet I am sure that ye dwell not there In dede God is properlye sayde to dwell in heauen because he ther doth shew and manifest his great glorye and in the hartcs of iust and good peo ple he is also sayd to dwell by grace but as for other places he is in them beyng but not dwelling And as concernyng the beyng of God in the sacrament of the aultare forasinuch as there is the very substaunce of chrystes naturall and true body and bloude taken of the Uyrgyn Mary and that the di uinitie is in vnitie of persoÌ„ inseperably vnited and ioyned to the sayd bodye and bloude therefore we must saye and beleue that the godhed of Christ is in the sacrameÌ„t of the aultar with his humanitie in a very specyall sorte and dothe not thereby dwell in the sayde sacramente and soo this obiection is not worth a 〈◊〉 butten for all the bragges that hath bene made of it Other fond and folishe obiections ther are which are not worthy to be answered vnto and therfore are not nedefull to be touched exhortyng you therfore in Chryst 〈◊〉 and stedfastly to beleue the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 church herein and so shal you auoyde daunger please God profyt your selfe and lyuyng wel come at the last to ioy euerlastyng which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be honoure and glory for euer AMEN Tetrastichon in immodicam praesentis temporis plâ—uiam Obsecro quid sibi â—â—lt ingensque ab aethere nymbus Noctes atque dies sic sine fine ruit Mortales quoniam â—olunt sua criminia flerâ— Coelum pro nobis soluitur in lacrimas A Dialoge betwene man and the Ayre of like effecte Man These 〈◊〉 showres and ragyng 〈◊〉 that
euen so it cannot holde vs whiche are by a chrysten fayth the very members body of Chryst but that we shall ryse from deathe and lyue agayne in glorye with hym euerlastynglye yf we order and conforme our wyll in thys worlde to hys preceptes And the onely hope here of shoulde make vs not to feare the aduersities in this world bicause we 〈◊〉 as afore be assured to haue a better and more gloryouse lyfe after this as S. Paule writeth to the Corynthyans the. xv sayenge If we chrysten men had no hope of other lyfe than thys that is present than were we the most miserable of all men But nowe Chryste is rysen agayne from deathe Whereby is declared that there is a lyfe after thys lyfe which all Chrysten men hope to come vnto Accordyng where unto saynt Augustyne sayth All the hope of our fayth stādeth in thys poynt that we shall ryse agayne This made the faythfull and good men of whome S. Paule the. xi to the He brues speaketh to refuse to be preserued from bodyly deathe bycause they looked assuredly for a better resurrection Whych Resurrectyon as it was by many and sondrye apparytions and other infallyble argumentes declared and prouede vnto the Appostles so they being besydes other names perteynyng to their offyce specially called the witnesses of Christes resur rection dyd in all places and at all tymes open and inculcate the same as a special and a cheife artycle of Chrystes doctryne wherin shoulde depend and rest the greate comfort and solace of all trewe and fayth full beleuers in Chryste Fynallye by this article is not onely confirmed vnto vs howe the naturall bodye of man shall after the corporall death and departyng 〈◊〉 of thys presente lyfe rise againe as is before expressed but also by this resurrectiō of our sauyoure 〈◊〉 we be admonyshed that as Christ after his death rose againe so we dyeng from synne should ryse 〈◊〉 and walke in a newe lyfe of spyryt and grace ¶ Thexposition or declaration concernynge the syxt article of the Crede whych is He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God the father almighty IN thys vi article ii thinges are to be considered the fyrst is that Christ ascended into heauen the second that he sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty Concernyng the fyrst ye shal note that as we by dayly experience do see when an embassadoure is sente from some greate prynce to ac cheue any greate affayre or busynes as for example to conclude and make a peace or any other such lyke thing thys embassadoure hauyng fynyshed hys busynes according to his commission comenli with glad nes and ioye do the returne agayne vnto hym from whome he was sent lyke wyse passyngers by water or by land yea and souldiers to being sent fourthe in warrefare so sone as there busynes is spedde they do returne commonly into there countrye or vnto those that dyd send them fourth Soo lykewyse oure blessed Sauyour Iesus Chryste beynge sente ambassadoure from God his father into thys world vpon an hygh aud notable worthy message that is to saye to take fleshe of the glory ouse vyrgyn S. Marye and by hys passion and death to ouercome the Prynce of thys world and Hell and to remoue and take away all other impedymentes and lettes and fynally to re deme also mankynde who by disobedience and sinne had lost the ioyous possession of Paradyse dyd dylygently and faythfullye trauayle to accomplyshe hys embassade and message and when he had done it he with great tryumphe and ioye dydde ascend 〈◊〉 retourne agayne to God hys father hauyng ouercome the olde enemy by humilitie pacience and obedience Of whom and hys sayd embassade the greate kyng and Prophet Dauyd in hys xviii Psalme thus doth saye Exultauit ad Gigas ad currendam viam That is to saye He meanyng Chryst hath reioysed or benne glade as a gyaunt to runne his course or way And immediately in the same Psalme the sayd Prophet doth farther saye A summo coeloegressio cius occursus cius usque ad sum mum cius That is to saye The goynge furth of hym is from the hyghest heauen and the recourse of hym is to the hyghest of it Accordyng wherevnto verye laudably and iustlye it is vttered in the diuine seruice of the Churche Egressus 〈◊〉 a patre regressus 〈◊〉 adi patrem 〈◊〉 usque ad inferos recure susad sedem Dei That is to saye The goynge furthe of him is from the father the retourne of him is to the father the excourse of hym is euen to the helles and the recourse of him is vnto the seate of God Beyng then conuenient as is aforesayd that Chryst should ascend into heauen as also by this artycle it appeareth he did wel it shal be to declare how and in what forte that ascension was For knowlege whereof you shal vnderstand that our sauiour christ after his resurrection and before he dyd ascende into heauen dyd eate with his Disciples aswell to shewe therein a very sygne and token of harty loue whiche frendes departyng from frendes are accustomed to do as also for to declare vnto them the veritie of hys fleshe after his resurrection which was a thing then very necessarye to be done aswell for that he woulde not afterwarde gyue vnto them any further sygne or token of his resurrection as also for that some of the Disciples not withstandyng that they had sene and felte hym woulde not yet beleue that he was so rysen And therefore s. Gregory in an Homelye made herevpon sayth Christus comedit ascendit ut per effectum commestio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnis That is to say Chryste dydde eate and ascende that by the effecte of eating the veritie of his fleshe myght be manyfested And moreouer after the sayde resurrectiō and before thys sayd ascension our sauiour Chryste dyd rebuke and blame his disciples of theyr incredulitie and 〈◊〉 nes or hardenes of beleuyng the sayde resurrectyon whiche thinge he dydde as 〈◊〉 Gregorye sayeth Vt 〈◊〉 que recidens diceret in corde audientium arctius impressa remanerent That is to saye To thintent that the wor des which he departinge would say myghte remayne in the hart of the hearers more depely imprynted Besides this our sauiour Christ hauing opened theyr wytte or sense to vnderstand the scryptures and hauinge inioyned vnto them the offyce of preachynge the Gospell throughoute the hole worlde to all creatures he went fourth wyth them into Bethany vnto mount Olyuete and lyfting vp his handes he dyd blesse them whiche blessing was well fygured by the Patriarche Iacob who when he shold dye and leaue this worlde did blesse hys chyldre as appeareth Genelis xlix And likewise was it fygured by Moyses who before his death dyd blesse the chyldren of Israell as appeareth Deute xxxiii And thys beynge dooue Chryste in the 〈◊〉 syghte was lyfted vp and a cloude takyng or receyuing him from their eyes
is manyfest and sheweth hys godheade hys dyuyne maiestye power glorye ioye and blysse eternall whyche he hath promysed to geue as a rewarde to al suche as doo perseuer in hys fayth and obedience accordynge as he sayeth Math. v. Merces uestra multa est in coelis That is to saye Youre rewarde is greate in heauen And here doo you marke that these wordes whych arte in heauen are so placed and set furth to styrre vp our heartes to God and to cause in vs an inward desyre and a greate care and studye to come to the place where our heauenly father is yea and muche to couete hys syghte and presence For lyke as a louyng chylde is euer desyrous to be where hys father is euen so oughte we euer to desyre to be wyth oure heauenlye father and to endeuoure our selues that our conuersation be al wythdrawen frō the worlde the fleshe and the deuyll and be set vpon heauen and heauenlye thynges as S. Paule teacheth Phil. iii. And therefore we shoulde contynuallye wayle and lament because we be not wyth oure heauenlye father saying with the prophet Psal. cxix wofull am I that my dwellynge vpon the earth is soo muche prolonged And by these wordes shoulde there be engendred in vs a stronge hope of eternall glorye And howe can we fayle thereof yf we wyll seynge oure heauenlye father hathe bothe the wyll and also the power to perfourme it Hys wyll we clearelye vnderstande in asmuche as he made hym selfe to be oure father hys power is well knowen for that he is a God of power and glorye and maker and preseruer of Heauen Earthe and of all that in them is And here shall you further note that these wordes Our father whych art in heauen are put lyke a prologue before all the seuen petitions yea and euery one of them may haue prefixed before them the same prologue declaryng playnely that no man can saye thys prayer truely and duelye that no pleasure of god and hys owne meryte excepte he haue fayth hope and Charytye for wythout faythe nor can say truelye O father and wy thoute charytye to hys neyghbour no man cane say truelye and meritoriouslye Oure father and wythout hope no man can saye truelye Whyche arte in hauen doo thou remyt vs our synnes And in these wordes Halowed be thy name it is to be noted that by the name of God is vnderstande God hym selfe the power of God the myght the maiestye the glory the wysedome the prouidence the mercye and goodnes of God and all such other good thynges as in scrypture be attribute vnto God And thys name is halowed when it is praysed gloryfyed sette furthe honoured and magnyfied of vs bothe in woorde and dede And where in thys petytyon we praye that hys name maye be hallowed it is not to be taken or thoughte that thys name of God whyche in it selfe is euermore moste holy most glorious most merueylouse and full of maiestye can be eyther aduaunced or dymynished by vs or any thyng that we can doo but we desyre here that thys moste holye name maye accordynge as it is in it selfe moste holy be so taken vsed honoured and halowed of vs and of all others as well heathen as chrystened lyke as on the contrary parte thys name is sayde to be polluted and defyled when we doo eyther in worde or in deede contumelyouslye and contemptuouslye or otherwyse dyshonor the same We desyre therefore in thys petytion that all false faythe by the whyche men eyther mystrust god or put theyr confidence in anye othere thyng more then in hym may be destroyed And that all wytche craftes and false charmes coniurations by the whyche Sathan and other creatures be inchaunted maye cease and geue place to goddes holy name and so lykewyse that all heresyes and false doctrynes maye vanyshe awaye so that goddes holy worde may be truely interpreted and purely taught and sette furth vnto al the worlde and that all infydels maye receyue the same and be conuerted to the ryght catholyke faythe whereby al disceyte hipocrisye and counterfaytynge of trueth of ryghteousnesse or of holynes may clearely be extincted Furthermore we do beseche and praye god here that his name may be halowed so that no mā should swere in vayne by it or otherwyse abuse the same to lye or deceyue hys neyghboure And generallye that none shoulde fall into pryde or ambition into desyre of worldlye glorye and fame into enuy malyce couetousuesse adulterye gluttonye slouth backbytynge sclaunderynge of hys neyghbours ne into any other euyll or wicked thoughtes and dedes whereby the name of god maye be dyshonored and blasphemed In thys prayer also we doo requyre god to graunte vs that in all perylls and daungers we ruime vnto hym as vnto our onely refuge and call vpon hys holye name and that in oure good woorde and woorkes we maye please and magnifye hym and be by hym preserued from the mooste damnable synne of vnkyndnes towardes hym And also that we whoo doo all readye professe the ryghte fayth may styl continue therein and maye doo and expresse the same aswell in oure outwarde conuersation as in confessynge it with our mouthe so that by oure good lyfe and oure good workes all other maye be moued to good and that by oure euyll woorkes and synnes no man maye take occasion to sclauuder the name or dimynyshe the laude and prayse of God but that all our woorkes and doynges may redoūd to the honor prayse and glorye of Goddes name ¶ The exposition or declaratiō of the seconde petition which is Thy kyngdome come THys seconde petition verye orderlye doth folowe vppon the fyrst for as in the fyrst we do aske of God our eternall father that hys gloryous name maye be knowen through out all the worlde and be of all people whether they be turkes Jues or heathen loued magnifyed and gloryfyed alwayes aswell as it is of vs Chrysten men which is a thynge aperteynyng to the dewe honor and glory of God and whych we ought of dutye fyrste and pryncipallye to desyre So in thys second petition we aske of God our heauenly father that he wyll vouchsafe to brynge vs to hys eternall kyngdome euermore to be wyth hym and partycypante of hys enerlastyng glorye and heauenly enherytaunce wyth Chryst Jesu our Sauiour whych is a thyng of al other that a mā may wysh to hys owne selfe the chief most greatest And for the declaratiō of thys second peticion you shall vnderstand that there are two kyngdomes the one contrarye to the other it is to wytte the kyngedome of god and the kyngedome of the Deuyll For as concernynge worldelye kyngdomes and dominions they 〈◊〉 they be well gouerned and guyded by order of Jystyce doo perteyne to the kyngoome of god as Saynte Paule testifyeth in the. xiii chapter to the Romaynes And 〈◊〉 they be misordered through want of 〈◊〉 vsyng Tyranye they doo pertayne to the kyngdome of the deuyll Nowe concernynge the kyngdome of
the liberal handes of almyghty God who doth fede both man and beaste for of our selfe we can not 〈◊〉 nor assure or promysse oure selues anye thynge but whatsoeuer we haue we haue it in dede at the hande of almyghtye God as the prophet Dauid doth saye in his cxxx psalme All thynges doe wayte or looke for at thy hande that thou shouldeste geue them meate in tyme. And when thou doest geue vnto them they shall gather And when thou doest open thy hand all thynges shal be fylled with goodnes and when thou doest tourne awaye thy face they shal be in trouble or distresse And the same Prophette in the. cxliiii 〈◊〉 doeth saye The eyes of all thynges trust in thee o lorde and thou geuest them foode in dewe seasonne Thou doest open thy hande and dost fyll euery ly uynge thynge wyth thy blessynge Nowe the fourth thynge here in too be considered is the worde Us which noteth vnto vs that no man ought to say in prayer Geue me my dayly breade but Geue vs our dayly breade Beinge therby taughte that what thynges soeuer God dothe gyue or sende vnto vs he gyueth them not to vs for oure owne pryuate commoditye and vse onely but that we also shoulde gyue to other some parte or portion and some fruite therof especially to such as 〈◊〉 wayes by no menes possible can yerne or get theyr lyuynge And therfore 〈◊〉 suche wycked people doo praye in vayne who knowinge thys to be the petytyon Gyue vs thys day our daylye breade do not onely refuse of that thing whiche God hath sent to them to impart some what vnto the the pore But also wyll and doo rather robbe and spoyle them by fraude deceyte extortyon or otherwyse that they them selues maye encrease theyr pryuate wealthe not caryng howe vniustlye or vngodlye they come to goodes nor howe they kepe them or spende them and thys sorte of people almygh ty God abhorreth greatlye The fyft thing herein to be considered is this worde Hodie That is to saye Thys daye Wherby is ment partelye the hole contynuaunce time of mans lyfe 〈◊〉 inuste be referred to the disposition of almyghtye God concerninge his bodily sustenaunce and partelye yea and that most speciallye that we hauinge thinges sufficyente for our 〈◊〉 necessytie should not be ouer carefull for the tyme to come Of which thing our Sauioure Chryst in the. vi of Mathewe doth speake sayinge I say 〈◊〉 you beye not carefull for youre lyuing what ye shall eate ne for your bodye what clothes ye shall weare is not lyte better then meate and your body better thē your clothing 〈◊〉 vpon the byrdes of the ayre they 〈◊〉 not they reapenot they bring nothing in the barne yet your heauenly father fedeth thē are not you of more price thē thei vpon the lylies of the fielde howe they grow they laboure not they spinne not and yet I tell you Salomon in all his glorye was not so clothed as one of them Nowe yf god so clothe that which to day is grasse of the feild and to morowe is cast into the fornace howe much more will he considre you O ye of little faithe Wherefore be you not carefull or pensiue sayinge what shall we eate or what shall we drinke or where with all shall we be clothed for all these thinges the heathen doo seke after But your father dothe knowe that ye haue nede of all 〈◊〉 thinges wherfore seke ye firste for the kingedome of god the rightuousnes thereof and all these thinges shal be giuen or caste vnto youe Be ye not then careful for to morowe For the morowe shall care for it selfe And secondelye as concernyninge the sustenaunce of the soule whyche also is ment and conteyned in thys petition ye shall vnderstande that this kynd of fode is of two sortes The one is that incomperable and most excellente foode wherof Christ maketh promise in the. vi of Ihon saying The breade or foode whiche I will geue is my fleshe whiche I will geue for the life of the worde Whyche breade or fode is conteined truely and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the blessed Sacramente of the aulter wherin vnder the formes of breade and wyne as we haue heretofore sufficientlye declared is the very body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ the other foode is the worde of God accordyng as oure Sauiour doth testifye in the fourth of Mathewe saying Not onelye wyth cor porall foode is the lyfe of man susteyned but with euerye worde that procedeth from the mouth of God And agreable to thys exposytyon Sayncte Augustyne in hys 135 sermon dc tempore expoundyng this fourth petition of the Pater noster dothe saye in thys maner Siquetur in oratione panem nostrum 〈◊〉 anum da nobis hodie Siue exhibitionem corpori necessariam petamus 〈◊〉 patre in pane significantes quicquid nobis est necessarium siue quotidianum panum illum intelligamus quem accepturiestis de altare petimus bene ut det nobis eum Quid est enim quod oramus nisi ne male aliquid admittamus unde a tali pane separemur ucrbum dci quod quotidie praedicatur panisest non enim quia 〈◊〉 panis est uentris ideonō est panis mentis Cum autem ista uita transierit nec panem illum querimus quem queric fames necsacramentum altaris habemus accipere quiaibi erimus eum Christo cuius corpus accepimus nec uerba ista nobis dici habent quae dicimus nobis nec 〈◊〉 legendus est quando ipsum uidebimus quod est uerbum dei per quod facta sunt bmnia quo pascuntur angeli quo 〈◊〉 angeli quo sapientes fiunt 〈◊〉 c. That is to saye It doth followe in our Lordes praier Gyue vs this daye our daylye breade whether we do aske of our father necessarye sustenaunce of the bodye in or by breade meaninge whatsoeuer is necessarye for vs or whether that by our dayely breade we do understand that which you haue to 〈◊〉 from the aultar we doo aske well of GOD that he wyll geue it vnto vs. For what doo we pray but that we commit not any offēce wherby we muste be separated from suche foode or bread And the woord of God whiche is dayly preached is breade or foode For it followeth not that because it is not the breade or foode of the belly therefore it is not the bread or foode of the mynd or soule And whan this life shal be once passed we neither doo seke that breade whiche hunger seeketh for nor we haue nede to receiue the sacramēt of the aultar for there we shall be with Christ whose body we haue receaued neyther these wordes are to be spoken vnto vs whiche we doo speake or vtter vnto you nor the booke is there to be redde bycause we shall see hym who is the worde of God by whome all thinges ar made on whom the angels doo feede by whom the angels are illuminated by whome angels doo receaue
neuertheles to beare good wil and hart vnto euerye man to vse our selues wel vnto thē as well in woordes and countenaūce as in all our outward actes and dedes For so Chryst hym selfe 〈◊〉 so also he perfourmed in dede And of this loue that we ought to haue amōgest oure selues eche to other he instructeth vs thus Mathewe v. You haue harde it taught in tymes past Thou shalte loue thy frende and hate thy fooe but I tell you loue your enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you doe speake euil of you doo well to thē that hate you praye for thē that vexe persecute you that you may be 〈◊〉 childrē of your father that is in heauen For he maketh the sunne to ryse bothe vpō the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to the iuste to the vniust For if you loue them that loue you what rewarde shal you haue Doo not the publicans lykewyse And yf you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derely beloued frendes What greate matter is that doo not the heathē that same also These be the very woordes of oure saui our Chryst him selfe touching the loue of our neigh bour And forasmuch as the Pharisies wyth 〈◊〉 moste pestilent traditiōs false interpretations and gloses had corrupted and almoost clerely stopped vp this pure well of Gods iyuely word 〈◊〉 that this loue and charytie pertayned onelye to a mans frendes and that it was sufficient for a man to loue them whyche doo loue hym and to hate his fooes therefore Christe did open this well agayne purged it and scourged it by giuinge vnto his god lye lawe of Charitie a true and clere interpretatiō which is this that we ought to loue euery mā both frende and fooe addyng thereto what commodity we shal haue therby and what in cōmodity by doynge the contrarye What thynge can we wyshe so good for vs as the heauenlye father to repute and take vs for hys chyldren And this shall we be sure of sayeth Christ yf we loue euery man without ex ception And yf we doo otherwyse sayeth he we be no better thā Phariseis Publicans and heathen persons and shall haue oure rewarde wyth them that is to be excluded from the nūber of gods electe chyldren and from hys euerlastyng inheritaunce in heauen Thus of true Charitye Christ taught that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue al thinges and to loue euery man frende and fooe And thus lykewyse he dyd vse hym selfe exhortyng hys aduersaryes rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes and whan he coulde not amende them yet he prayed for theym Fyrste he loued God his father aboue al thinges so much that he sought not hys owne glorye and wyll but the glorye and wyll of hys father Iseke not sayde he Iohn v. myne owne wyll but the wyll of hym that sent me Nor he refused not to dye to satysfye hys fathers wyll saying Math. xxvi 〈◊〉 it may be let this cuppe of death goo from me yf not thy wyll be done and not myne He loued also not onely hys frendes but also hys enemyes whych in ther hartes did beare exceding great hatred agaist hym and in theyr tonges spake all euyll of 〈◊〉 and in theyr actes and dedes pursued him wyth al their myght and power euē vnto death Yet al this notwythstanding he with drewe not hys fauour from theim but styll loued them preached vnto them of loue rebuked theyr false dortrine theyr wycked lynynge and dyd good vnto them 〈◊〉 acceptynge whatsoeuer they spake or dyd agaynste him When they gaue hym euell wordes he gaue noue euyll agayne when they did stryke hym he did not 〈◊〉 agayne And when he suffred deathe he dyd not 〈◊〉 them nor threaten them but prayed for thē and referred all thynges to his fathers wyll And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slaine and as a lambe that is shorne of hys flese did make no noyse nor resistence euen so wente he vnto hys deathe wythoute anye repugnance or openynge ofhys mouthe to saye anye euyll Thus haue I des cribed vnto you what charitie is aswell by the doc tryne as by the example of Chryst him selfe whereby also euery man may without errour know hym selfe what state and condition he standeth in whe ther he be in charitie and so the chylde of the father in heauen or not For although almoste euery 〈◊〉 perswade him selfe to be in Charitie yea let him ex amyne none other man but his owne hart his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and he shall not be deceyued but truely decerne and iudge whether he be 〈◊〉 perfyte charitie or not For he that foloweth not hys owne appetite and wyl but gyueth him selfe earnestly to God to 〈◊〉 all hys wyll and commaundementes he 〈◊〉 be sure that he loueth God aboue at thinges and els surely he loueth hym not whatsoeuer he pretend As Chryste sayd If ye loue me kepe you my cōmaundements For he that knoweth my commaundementes doth kepe them he it is sayeth Chryst that loueth me And agayne he sayeth He that loueth me will kepe my woorde and my father wyll loue hym and we wyll bothe come to him and dwel with him And he that loueth me not wyll not kepe my wordes And lykewyse he that 〈◊〉 good hart and mynde and vseth well hys tongue aud dedes vnto euery man frend and fooe he maye knowe therby that he 〈◊〉 charitie And then he is sure also that almygnty god taketh hym for his dere beloued sonne as Sayute 〈◊〉 sayeth in the thyrde Chapyter of his fyrste canonycall Epystle Hereby manifestly are knowen the chyldren of God frō the chiloren of the dcuyll For who soeuer dothe not loue hys brother belongeth not vnto God But that peruerse nature of man corrupte wyth sinne and desti tute of Gods word and grace thinketh it against all reason that a man should loue hys enemye and hath many perswasions whyche induceth hym to the contrarye Agaynste all whyche reasones we ought aswell to set the teachyng as the lyuynge of oure sauioure Chryst who louynge vs when wee were hys enemyes dothe teache vs to loue our ene myes He did paciently take for vs many reproches suffred beatynge and moost cruell deathe Therfore we be no memberes of hym yf we wyll not folowe hym For as S. Peter sayeth Chryst suffered for vs leauynge vs an example that we should folowe hym Furthermore we must consider that to loue oure frendes is no more but that which theues adulterers homicides and all wycked persons doo in so muche that Iewes Turkes Iufidels and all brute beastes doo loue them that bee theyr frendes of whome they haue theyr lyuynge or any other benefites But to loue our enemyes is the proper cō dition onely of them that be the children of God the disciples and folowers of Christ. Notwithstanding mans frowarde and corrupte nature wayeth ouer depely many times the offence and displeasure done vnto hym by enemyes
the surest pyller that men maye lene vnto be they learned or vulearned and such a pyller as who that most strongly cleueth to is in most assured state of euerlastyng lyfe ¶ There are othere obiectyons vpon iii. partyculer artycles of our crede whyche are that Christ is ascended and sytteth at the ryght hand of God the father from thense shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade ¶ Whych articles yet being ryghtly vnderstanded shoulde rather confyrme vs in the true catholyke belefe of the presence of christes body in the sacrament of the aultare For as it is aboue nature for a manes bodye to ascende and aboue the worthynes of manes nature to syt at the ryghte hande of God the father that is to be of equall power and glorie with God the father and fynallye as it is aboue the aucthoritie of mans nature to gyue sentence of eternall deathe and lyfe vpon all mankynde and yet euerye good manne stedfastlye beleueth al these supernatural powers in Christ touching hys manhed bycause he is both God and man and to god nothyng is impossible euen so shuld we with like belefe knowinge that Christ is omnipotent credite all othere thinges done or spoken by Chryst and be moost certen that how so euer they seme in apearaunce to our reason yet in very dede they agree and stand ryghte well with those foresayd iii. articles of our crede that though we cannot by oure wittes conceaue howe Chryst is ascended and is neuertheles in the Sacra ment also yet they must nedes be bothe beleued bycause gods worde doth affyrme them bothe and the catholyke churche dothe beleue them bothe whyche churche hath alwayes taught that Chryst is in heauen in the visyble fourme of a man and in the sacrament vnder the 〈◊〉 fourmes of bread and wine hys wysdome so ordeyning that wyth oure hartes we woulde beholde hys golry as he syttethe in heauen at the ryghte hande of the father and wythall should fede on hys very body in the sacrament to re ceaue the more grace and there vpon so to be gouerned wyth hys spirite that hereafter we also myghte be partakers of the lyke glory in heauen And albeit these solutyons myghte suffise and instructe sufficientlye the vnlearned people to aunswere bothe to these and all othere common 〈◊〉 made agaynste the Sacramente of the Aultare troublynge moche the heades of the symple people by there folye in crediting euyll and per nicious schole maysters to theyr destructyon wher giuing credite to the catholyke churche they myght auoyde all 〈◊〉 and meryte a great deale yet to open further the 〈◊〉 and noughtines of the heretique teachers in our tyme and howe glad willinge they are to 〈◊〉 the symplicitie of the vnlerned people ye shall haue here added some moo obiections and solutions geuē to them to thys ende that if the sayde symple people haue bene infected with the sayd obiections or such lyke they maye be wel satisfied in their conscience therevpon adhere vnto the catholyke faythe maynteyned and obserued in the catholique churche out of whych there is no saluation And to prorede herein this is one othere common obiection that much troubleth the ig noraunt people it is to wite ¶ How can that bodi and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst be in the blessed sacrament of the aultar seing that not only euyll men do many tymes receue the same but fyre also maye consume it and other like chaunces may happen vn to it ¶ For 〈◊〉 to whyche obiectiō it is fyrst principally to be sayd that this obiection procedethe of a vayne curiositie of them whyche rather delyte fondly to talke of thys high mystery theu to prepare themselues to receaue the same accordyngly Sure we are that our Sauiour Chryste is nowe man incorruptible and impassible nether by fyre nor by ought els can suffer violence and therefore where it pleaseth hym of hys tender mercy and goodnes for our great comforte and soule helth by hys omnipotent word to tourne the substaunce of breade and wyne into hys most prerious body and bloud in the sacramente of the aultare and yet so to make thys turne that neuerthelesse he sufferethe the fourmes sensible qualities of the breade and wine to remaine in there nature as they were before the consecratyon it is to be vnderstauded that the vyolence or force that is or in ye be 〈◊〉 to thys sacramente is done onely to the fourmes and qualities sensible which in dede are subiecte to passibilite corruption but in no wise to the vncorruptible bodi bloud of oure sauiour Chryst vnder them conteyned Doo we not read I pray you in the fourthe of Mathew how that our sauyour suffered the deuyll to take hym and carye hym vp into the pynacle of the temple afterward to the toppe of an high mountayne and yet who doth not know that he suffered no vilany therby at al The sonne beames also many tymes do shyne on thynges impure vncleane yet are they no whit thereby defyled The bodye of mā is with a greter vnion ioyned to the soule then are the fourmes of bread and wine to the body and bloude of our sauionr Chryst in the Sacrament of the aultar and yet we know that 〈◊〉 putrifaction and other such lyke thynges chauncynge to our body the soule hath in it no suche passion for that it is immortall The very Godhed of oure sauiour Chryst was in vnitie of personne vnited to hys manhod yet none of the passiōs paines or griefes which he sustayned in hys manhod broughte vyolence alteration or chaunge to hys godhed For the godhed is in alterable vnpossible The simplicity of Chrysten people in the primatyue churche was suche that they beleuynge mooste certenly the body and bloud of our sauiour Chryste to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the fourmes of bread and wine dyd without al curious talke of the fourmes accidentes bende thē selues to be 〈◊〉 at masse where in the myghtye woorke of consecratyon is wrought bi god and wherin our sauiour Christ also is in fourmes of bread and wyne offered vp to the heuenly father by the preist for the soner obteinyng of mercy and fauoure towardes vs and the sayde people beyng at masse they wyth moost feruent deuotion dyd praye and did honour the blessed sacrament of the aulter the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe and besydes this they dyd oftentimes wyth feare and tremblynge prepare them selues to the worthy teceyte therof and by suche theyr godly behauiour they dyd purchase to them selues greate aboundaunce of grace wher we by the cōtrary and moost vnchristian behauiour prouoke gods wrath dayly more and more vpon our selues and that whole realme For nothyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to auengeaunce then the presumption of such as 〈◊〉 curiously enter into hys hidden secretes and thervpon doo contempne all that whyche by theyr feble wyttes they are not