errour of Purgatorie out of our heades neyther let vs dreame anye more that the soules of the dead are any thing at all holpen by our prayers But as the scripture teacheth vs let vs thinke that the soule of man passing out of the body goeth straightwayes eyther to heauen or els to hell whereof the one nedeth no prayer and the other is without redemption The onlye Purgatorie wherein we must trust to be saued is the death and blood of Christe which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast fayth it purgeth and clenseth vs from all our sinnes euen as well as if he were now hanging vpon the crosse The blood of Christe sayth saint John hath clensed vs from all sinne The blood of Christe sayth saint Paul hath purged our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing god Also in another place he sayth We be sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Jesus Christe done once for all Yea he addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body pretious blood he hath made perfect for euer and euer all them that are sanctified This then is that Purgatorie wherein all Christian men must put their whole truste and confidence nothing doubting but yf they truely repent them of their sinnes and dye in perfecte fayth that then they shall foorth with passe from death to life If this kinde of purgation wyll not serue them let them neuer hope to be releassed by other mens prayers though they shoulde continue therein vnto the worldes ende He that can not be saued by fayth in Christes blood howe shall he loke to be deliuered by mans intercessions Hath God more respect to man on earth then he hath to Christe in heauen If any man sinne sayth saint John we haue an aduocate with the father euen Jesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes But we must take heede that we call vpon this aduocate whyle we haue space geuen vs in this life lest when we are once dead there be no hope of saluation left vnto vs For as euery man sleepeth with his owne cause so euerye man shall ryse agayne with his owne cause And looke in what state he dyeth in the same state he shal be also iudged whether it be to saluation or dampnation Let vs not therfore dreame either of purgatorie or of prayer for the soules of them that be dead but let vs earnestly diligently praye for them whiche are expresly commaunded in holye scripture namely for kinges and rulers for ministers of Gods holy worde and sacramentes for the saintes of this worlde otherwyse called the faithfull to be short for all men liuing be they neuer so great enemies to god and his people as Jewes Turkes Pagans Infidels Heretikes c. Then shall we truely fulfill the commaundement of God in that behalfe plainely declare our selues to be the true children of our heauenly father which suffreth the sunne to shine vpon the good and the bad and the rayne to fall vpon the iust and the vniust For whiche and al other benefites moste aboundauntlye bestowed vppon mankynde from the beginning let vs geue him hearty thankes as we are most bound prayse his name for euer and euer Amen ⧠An Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer GOD through his almighty power wisedome and goodnes created in the beginning heauen earth the Sunne the Moone the starres the fowles of the ayre the beastes of the earth the fishes in the sea and all other creatures for the vse commoditie of man whom also he had created to his owne image and likenesse and geuen him the vse gouernement ouer them al to the end he shoulde vse them in suche sort as he had geuen him in charge commaundement also that he should declare him selfe thankful and kynde for al those benefites so liberally so graciously bestowed vpon him vtterly without anye deseruing on his behalf And although we ought at al times in al places to haue in remēbrance to be thankful to our gracious Lord according as it is written I wil magnifie the lord at al times And agayne Wheresoeuer the lord beareth rule O my soule prayse the Lord Yet it appeareth to be Gods good wil and pleasure that we shoulde at special times and in special places gather our selues together to the intent his name might be renowmed and his glory set forth in the congregation and assembly of his saintes As concerning the tyme whiche almightie God hath appoynted his people to assemble together solemly it doth appeare by the fourth commaundement of God Remember saith God that thou kepe holye the Sabbath day Upon the which day as is playne in the actes of the Apostles the people accustomablye resorted together hearde diligently the lawe and the prophetes read among them And albeit this commaundement of God doeth not bynde christian people so straytlye to obserue and keepe the vtter ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it was geuen vnto the Jewes as touching the forbearing of worke and labour in tyme of great necessitie and as touching the precise keeping of the seuenth day after the manner of the Jewes For we keepe now the first day which is our sunday and make that our sabbath that is our day of rest in the honor of our sauiour christ who as vpon that daye rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer is found in the commaundement apparteyning to the lawe of nature as a thyng most godlye moste iuste and needeful for the setting forth of Gods glorie it ought to be retayned and kept of all good Christian people And therfore by this commaundemēt we ought to haue a tyme as one day in a weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and nedefull workes For like as it appeareth by this commaundement that no man in the syxe dayes ought to be slouthfull or ydle but diligentlye to labour in that state wherein God hath set him Euen so God hath geuen expresse charge to all men that vpon the sabbath day which is now our sunday they should ceasse from all weaklye and workeday labour to the entent that lyke as God him selfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quyetnes and rest from labour euen so Gods obedient people shoulde vse the sundaye holyly and rest from their comon and daily businesse and also geue them selues whollye to heauenly exercises of Gods true religion and seruice So that God doth not onely commaunde the obseruation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and prouoke vs to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural children wil not onelye become obedient to the commaundemēt of their parents but also haue a diligent eye to their doings and gladly folow the same So if we wil be the children of our heauenly father we
towardes God to keepe holy their sabbath daye the daye of rest And to these temples haue the Christians customably vsed to resort from tyme to tyme as vnto meete places where they might with common consent prayse and magnifie Gods name yeelding him thankes for the benefites that he dayly powreth vpon them both mercifully and aboundantlye where they might also heare his holy word read expounded preached sincerely and receaue his holy sacramentes ministred vnto them duely and purely True it is that the chiefe and special temples of God wherin he hath greatest pleasure most delighteth to dwel are the bodies mindes of true christians and the chosen people of God according to the doctrine of holye scriptures declared by Saint Paul. Knowe ye not sayth he that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God doth dwell in you The temple of God is holy whiche ye are And againe in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holye Ghost dwelling in you whom you haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne Yet this notwithstanding God doeth alowe the materiall temple made with lyme and stone so oft as his people come together into it to praise his holy name to be his house and the place where he hath promised to be present and where he wil heare the prayers of them that call vpon him The which thing both Christ and his apostles with all the rest of the holy fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certaynlye knewe that their prayers were heard in what place soeuer they made them though it were in caues in woodes in desartes yet so oft as they could conueniently they resorted to the material temples there with the rest of the congregation to ioyne in prayer and true worship Wherefore dearely beloued you that professe your selues to be Christians and glory in that name disdaine not to folow the example of your maister Christe whose schollers you saye ye be shew you to be lyke them whose scholemates you take vpon you to be that is the Apostles and disciples of Christe Lift vp pure handes with cleane heartes in all places at all tymes But do the same in the temples and Churches vpon the sabbath daies also Our godly predecessours and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church spared not their goodes to buylde Churches no they spared not their lyues in tyme of persecution and to hazarde their blood that they myght assemble them selues together in Churches And shal we spare a little labour to come to churches Shall neither their example nor our duety nor the commodities that thereby shoulde come vnto vs moue vs If we will declare our selues to haue the feare of God if we will shewe our selues true christians if we will be the folowers of Christ our maister and of those godly fathers that haue liued before vs now haue receaued the rewarde of true and faythfull christians we must both willingly earnestly and reuerently come vnto the material churches and temples to praye as vnto fit places appoynted for that vse And that vppon the sabbath day as at most conuenient tyme for Gods people to cease from bodyly and worldlye businesse to geue them selues to holy rest and godly contemplation parteining to the seruice of almightie God Wherby we may reconcile our selues to God be partakers of his reuerent sacramentes and be deuout hearers of his holye worde so to be established in fayth to godwarde in hope agaynst all aduersitie and in charitie towardes our neighbours And thus running our course as good christian people we may at the last attaine the reward of euerlasting glorie through the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour and glorye Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer IT hath ben declared vnto you good Christian people in the former Sermon read vnto you at what tyme and into what place ye shal come togyther to prayse God. Now I entende to set before your eies first how zelous desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is greeued with them that do despyse or little regarde to come to the Churche vpon the holy restfull day It may wel appeare by the scriptures that many of the godly Israelites beyng no we in captiuitie for their sinnes among the Babilonians full often wysshed and desyred to be agayne at Hierusalem And at their returne through Gods goodnesse though many of the people were negligent yet the fathers were maruelous deuout to buyld vp the temple that Gods people might repayre thyther to honour him And Kyng Dauid when he was a banished man out of his countrey out of Hierusalem the holye Citie from the sanctuarie from the holye place and from the tabernacle of God What desyre what feruentnesse was in him towardes the holye place What wysshinges and prayers made he to God to be a dweller in the house of the Lorde One thing sayth he haue I asked of the Lorde and this will I still craue that I maye resorte and haue my dwelling in the house of the Lorde so long as I lyue Agayne Oh howe I ioyed when I heard these wordes VVe shall go into the Lordes house And in other places of the Psalmes he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a feruente desyre to enter into the Temple and Churche of the Lorde I will fall downe sayth he and worship in the holy temple of the lord Agayne I haue appeared in thy holy place that I myght beholde thy myght and power that I myght beholde thy glory and magnificence Finally he sayth I will shewe foorth thy name to my brethren I will prayse thee in the middes of the congregation Why then had Dauid suche an earnest desyre to the house of God First because there he would worship and honour god Secondly there he would haue a contemplation and a syght of the power and glorye of god Thirdly there he would prayse the name of god with all the congregation and companye of the people These considerations of this blessed prophet of God ought to stirre vp and kindle in vs the lyke earnest desyre to resort to the church especially vppon the holy restfull dayes there to do our duties to serue God there to call to remembraunce how God euen of his mere mercie for the glory of his name sake worketh myghtely to conserue vs in health wealth and godlynesse myghtyly preserueth vs from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruell enemies and there ioyfully in the number of his faithfull people to prayse and magnitie the Lords holy name Set before your eyes also that auncient father Simeon of whom the scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an incouragemēt for vs to do the lyke There was a man at Hierusalem
We can none otherwyse liue to God but by dying to sinne If Christ be in vs then is sinne dead in vs and if the spirit of God be in vs which raysed Christ from death to lyfe so shall the same spirite rayse vs to the resurrection of euerlasting lyfe But if sinne rule and raigne vs then is God whiche is the fountaine of all grace and vertue departed from vs then hath the deuill his vngratious spirit rule and dominion in vs And surelye if in suche miserable â—iate we dye we shall not ryse to lyfe but fall downe to death dampnation that without ende For Christe hath not so redeemed vs from synne that we may safely returne therto agayne but he hath redeemed vs that we should forsake the motions thereof liue to righteousnes Yea we be therfore washed in our baptisme from the filthynes of sinne that we should liue afterwarde in the purenesse of lyfe In baptisme we promised to renounce the deuill and his suggestions we promised to be as obedient chyldren alwayes following Gods will pleasure Then if he be our father in deede let vs geue him his due honour If we be his children let vs shew him our obedience like as Christ openly declared his obedience to his father which as saint Paul wryteth was obedient euen to the verye death the death of the crosse And this he did for vs all that beleue in him For him selfe he was not punished for he was pure and vndefiled of al maner of sinne He was wounded saith Esai for our wickednes and striped for our sinnes he suffred the penaltie of them him selfe to deliuer vs from daunger he bare sayth Esai al our sores and infirmities vpon his owne backe No payne did he refuse to suffer in his owne body that he myght deliuer vs from payne euerlasting His pleasure it was thus to do for vs we deserued it not Wherfore the more we see our selues bound vnto him the more he ought to be thanked of vs yea and the more hope may we take that we shall receaue all other good thinges of his hand in that we haue receaued the gifte of his onelye sonne through his liberalitie For if God sayth Saint Paul hath not spared his owne soÌ„ne from paine and punishment but deliuered him for vs all vnto the death how should he not geue vs all other thinges with him If we wante any thing eyther for body or soule we may lawfully and boldlye approche to God as to our mercifull father to aske that we desyre and we shall obtaine it For such power is geuen to vs to be the children of God so many as beleue in Christes name In his name whatsoeuer we aske we shall haue it graunted vs For so well pleased is the father almighty God with Christ his sonne that for his sake he fauoureth vs and will denye vs nothyng So pleasant was this sacrifice and oblation of his sonnes death which he so obediently and innocently suffred that he would take it for the onelye and full amendes for all the sinnes of the worlde And such fauour did he purchase by his death of his heauenly father for vs that for the merite thereof if we be true Christians in deede and not in worde onely we be now fullye in Gods grace agayne and clearelye discharged from our sinne No tongue surelye is able to expresse the worthines of this so precious a death For in this standeth the continual pardon of our daylye offences in this resteth our iustification in this we be allowed in this is purchased the euerlasting health of al our soules Yea there is none other thing that can be named vnder heauen to saue our soules but this onelye worke of Christes precious offering of his body vppon the aulter of the crosse Certes there can be no worke of any mortall man be he neuer so holy that shal be coupled in merites with Christes moste holye act For no doubt all our thoughtes and deedes were of no value if they were not allowed in the merites of Christes death All our ryghteousnes is far vnperfect if it be compared with Christes ryghteousnes For in his actes and deedes there was no spot of sinne or of any vnperfectnes And for this cause they were the more able to be the true amendes of our vnryghteousnes where our actes and deedes be ful of imperfection and infirmities therfore nothing worthy of them selues to stirre God to anye fauour muche lesse to chalenge the glory that is due to Christes acte merite For not to vs sayeth Dauid not to vs but to thy name geue the glory O lord Let vs therfore good freends with al reuerence glorifie his name let vs magnifye and prayse him for euer For he hath dealt with vs according to his great mercy by himselfe hath he purchased our redemtion He thought it not enough to spare him selfe and to sende his Angel to do this deede but he would do it him selfe that he might do it the better and make it the more perfect redemption He was nothing moued with the intollerable paynes that he suffered in the whole course of his long passion to repent him thus to do good to his enemies but he opened his heart for vs and bestowed him selfe wholly for the raunsomming of vs Let vs therefore nowe open our heartes againe to him and studie in our lyues to be thankfull to such a Lorde and euermore to be myndefull of so great a benefite yea let vs take vp our crosse with Christe and folowe him His passion is not onely the raunsome whole amendes for our sinne but it is also a most perfect example of all patience and sufferaunce For if it behoued Christ thus to suffer to enter into the glorye of his father how should it not become vs to beare paciently our small crosses of aduersitie and the troubles of this world For surely as saith saynâ— Peter Christ therefore suffred to leaue vs an example to folow his steps And if we suffer with him we shall be sure also to raigne with him in heauen Not that the sufferaunce of this transitory lyfe should be worthy of that glory to come but gladly should we be contented to suffer to be lyke Christ in our lyfe that so by our workes we may glorifie our father which is in heauen And as it is paynefull and greuous to beare the crosse of Christe in the greefes and displeasures of this life so it bringeth forth the ioyfull fruit of hope in all theÌ„ that be exercised therewith Let vs not so much beholde the payne as the rewarde that shall follow that labour Nay let vs rather endeuour our selues in our sufferaunce to endure innocentlye and gyltlesse as our sauiour Christ did For if we suffer for our deseruinges then hath not patience his perfect worke in vs but if vndeseruinglye we suffer losse of goodes and lyfe
honoureth and loueth the picture of a dead image that hath no soule Neuerthelesse they that loue such euyll thynges they that trust in them they that make them they that fauour them and they that honour them are all worthy of death and so foorth In the booke of Psalmes the Prophet curseth the image honourers in diuers places Confounded be all they that worshyp carued images and that delight or glorye in them Like be they vnto the images that make them and al they that put their trust in them And in the Prophete Esai sayth the Lorde Euen I am the Lorde and this is my name and my glorye wyll I geue to none other neyther my honour to grauen images And by and by Let them be confounded with shame that trust in idols or images or saye to them you are our Gods. And in the. xl Chapter after he hath set foorth the incomprehensible maiestie of God he asketh to whom then wyll ye make God lyke Or what similitude wyll ye set vp vnto hym Shall the Caruer make hym a carued image and shall the Goldsmyth couer hym with Golde and cast hym into a fourme of syluer plates And for the poore man shal the image maker frame an image of tymber that he maye haue somewhat to set vp also And after this he cryeth out O wretches hearde ye neuer of this Hath it not ben preached vnto you since the begynnyng and so foorth how by the creation of the worlde and the greatnesse of the worke they myght vnderstande the maiestie of God the Creator and Maker of all to be greater then that it shoulde be expressed or set foorth in anye image or bodilye similitude And besides this preachyng euen in the lawe of God wrytten with his owne fynger as the scripture speaketh and that in the fyrste table and the begynnyng thereof is this doctrine aforesayde agaynst images not breefely touched but at large set foorth and preached and that with denuntiation of destruction to the contemners and breakers of this lawe and their posteritie after them And least it shoulde yet not be marked or not remembred the same is wrytten and reported not in one but in sundrye places of the worde of God that by ofte readyng and hearyng of it we myght once learne and remember it as you also heare daylie read in the Churche God spake these wordes and sayde I am the Lorde thy god Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the lykenesse of anye thyng that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For I the Lorde thy God am a ielous God and visite the synne of the fathers vpon the chyldren vnto the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercie vnto thousandes in them that loue me and keepe my commaundementes All this notwithstandyng neyther coulde the notablenesse of the place beyng the verye begynnyng of the lyuyng Lordes Lawe make vs to marke it nor the playne declaration by recountyng of all kynde of similitudes cause vs to vnderstand it nor the oft repeating and reportyng of it in diuers and sundrye places the oft readyng and hearyng of it coulde cause vs to remember it nor the dread of the horrible penaltie to our selues our children and posteritie after vs feare vs from transgressing of it nor the greatnesse of the rewarde to vs and our chyldren after vs moue vs any thing to obedience and the obseruyng of this the Lordes great lawe But as though it had ben wrytten in some corner not at large expressed but breefely obscurely touched as though no penaltie to the transgressours nor rewarde to the obedient had ben adioyned vnto it like blinde men without all knowledge vnderstandyng like vnreasonable beastes without dread of punishment or respecte or rewarde haue diminished dishonoured the high maiestie of the liuing God by the basenesse and vilenes of sundrye diuers images of dead stockes stones and mettals And as the maiestie of God whom we haue lefte forsaken and dishonoured and therefore the greatnesse of our synne and offence agaynst his maiestie can not be expressed So is the weakenesse vylenesse and foolishnesse in deuice of the images whereby we haue dishonoured hym expressed at large in the scriptures namely the Psalmes the booke of wysedome the Prophete Esaias Ezechiel and Baruch speciallye in these places and Chapters of them Psalm Cxv. and. Cxxxiiii Esai xl and. xliiii Ezechiel the. vi Wysedome xiii xiiii xv Baruch vi The whiche places as Jexhort you often and diligentlye to reade so are they to long at this present to be rehearsed in an Homilee Notwithstandyng I wyll make you certayne breefe or short notes out of them what they say of these idols or images Fyrste that they be made but of small peeces of wood stone or mettall and therfore they can not be anye similitudes of the greate maiestie of God whose seate is heauen and the earth his footestoole Secundarilye that they be dead haue eyes and see not handes and feele not feete and can not go c. and therefore they can not be fitte similitudes of the lyuyng god Thirdely that they haue no power to do good nor harme to others though some of them haue an axe some a sworde some a speare in their handes yet do theeues come into their Temples and robbe them and they can not once stur to defend them selues from the theeues nay if the Temple or Churche be set a fyre that their priestes can runne away and saue themselues but they can not once moue but tary still lyke blockes as they are and be burned and therefore they can be no meete figures of the puissaunt and myghtie GOD who alone is able both to saue his seruauntes and to destroy his enemies euerlastinglye They be trimlye deckt in Golde Siluer and Stone aswell the images of men as of women lyke wanton wenches sayth the Prophete Baruch that loue paramours and therefore can they not teache vs nor our wyues and daughters anye sobernesse modestie and chastitie And therefore although it is nowe commonly saide that they be the lay mens bookes yet we see they teache no good lesson neyther of GOD nor godlynesse but all errour and wyckednesse Therefore GOD by his word as he forbiddeth anye idols or images to be made or set vp so doth he commaund suche as we fynde made and set vp to be pulled downe broken and destroyed And it is wrytten in the booke of Numbers the. xxiii Chapter that there was no idoll in Jacob nor there was no image seene in Israel and that the Lorde God was with that people Where note that the true Israelites that is the people of GOD haue no images among them but that God was with them and that therefore their enemies can not hurt them as appeareth in the
first of Luke that when Zacharie the holy priest and father to John baptist dyd sacrifice within the temple al the people stoode without a long tyme praying suche was theyr zeale and feruencie at that tyme And in the seconde of Luke appeareth what great iourneyes men women yea and chyldren tooke to come to the temple on the feast day there to serue the Lorde and specially the example of Joseph the blessed virgin Marie mother to our Sauiour Jesus Christe and of our sauiour Christe hym selfe beyng yet but a child whose examples are worthy for vs to folowe So that yf we woulde compare our negligence in resortyng to the house of the Lorde there to serue hym to the diligence of the Jewes in commyng dayly verye early sometyme great iourneyes to theyr temple and when the multitude coulde not be receaued within the temple the feruent zeale that they had declared in standyng long without and praying We may iustly in this comparison condemne our slouthfulnesse and negligence yea playne contempt in comming to the Lordes house standyng so nere vnto vs so seldome and scarcely at none time So farre is it from a great many of vs to come early in the morning or geue attendaunce without who disdayne to come into the temple and yet we abhorre the verye name of the Jewes when we heare it as of a moste wycked and vngodly people But it is to be feared that in this poynt we be farre worse then the Jewes and that they shall ryse at the day of iudgement to our condemnation who in comparison to them shewe suche slackenesse and contempt in resortyng to the house of the Lorde there to serue him according as we are of duetie most bounde And besides this moste horrible dread of Gods iust iudgement in the great day we shall not in this lyfe escape his heauie hande and vengeaunce for this contempt of the house of the Lord and his due seruice in the same accordyng as the Lorde him selfe threatneth in the firste Chapter of his prophete Aggeus after this sort Because you haue left my house desert and without compayne sayth the Lorde and ye haue made haste euery man to his owne house for this cause are the heauens stayed ouer you that they shoulde geue no deaw and the earth is forbidden that it shall bryng foorth his fruite and I haue called drought vpon the earth and vppon the mountaynes and vpon corne and vpon wyne and vppon oyle and vpon al things that the earth bringeth foorth and vpon men and vppon beastes and vpon all thynges that mens handes labour for Beholde yf we be such worldlinges that we care not for the eternall iudgementes of GOD whiche yet of all other are moste dreadfull and horrible we shall not escape the punishment of God in this worlde by drought and famine and the takyng away of all worldlye commodities whiche we as worldlinges seeme only to regard and care for Whereas on the contrary part yf we woulde amende this faulte or negligence slouthfulnesse and contempt of the house of the Lorde and his due seruice there and with diligence resort thither together to serue the Lorde with one accorde and consent in all holines and ryghteousnesse before hym we haue promises of benefites both heauenly and worldly Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered in my name saieth our sauiour Christ there am I in the middest of them And what can be more blessed thē to haue our sauiour Christe amongst vs Or what againe can be more vnhappy or mischeuous then to driue our sauiour Christe from amongst vs and to leaue a place for his and our most auncient and mortall enemie the olde dragon and serpent Satan the deuyll in the middest of vs In the second of Luke it is written how that the mother of Christ and Joseph when they had long sought Christ whom they had lost coulde finde hym no where that at the last they founde hym in the temple sittyng in the middest of the doctours So if we lacke Jesus Christe that is to say the sauiour of our soules and bodyes we shall not finde hym in the market place or in the guylde hal much lesse in the alehouse or tauerne amongst good felowes as they call them so soone as we shall fynde hym in the temple the Lordes house amongst the teachers and preachers of his worde where in deede he is to be founde And as concerning worldly cōmodities we haue a sure promise of our sauiour Christe Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof and al these thinges shal withall be geuen vnto you And thus we haue in the first part of this Homilee declared by gods word that the Temple or Churche is the house of the Lorde for that the seruice of the Lorde as teaching and hearing of his holy worde calling vppon his holye name geuyng thankes to hym for his great and innumerable benefites and due ministring of his sacraments is there vsed And it is lyke wyse declared alredy by the scriptures howe all godly and Christian men and women ought at tymes appoynted with diligence to resort vnto the house of the Lord there to serue hym and to glorifie hym as he is most worthy and we most bounde to whom be all glory and honor world without ende Amen ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee of the ryght vse of the Churche IT was declared in the firste part of this Homilee by gods word that the temple or Churche is the house of the lord for that the seruice of the Lorde as teaching hearyng of his holy worde calling vpō his holy name geuyng thankes to hym for his great and innumerable benefites and due ministring of the sacramentes is there vsed And it is lyke wyse alredy declared by the scriptures how all godly and christian men women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort vnto the house of the Lorde there to serue him and to glorifie hym as he is most worthy and we most bounden Nowe it remayneth in this second parte of the Homilee concernyng the ryght vse of the temple of God to be likewyse declared by Gods worde with what quietnesse scilence and reuerence those that resort to the house of the Lord ought there to vse and behaue them selues It may teache vs sufficiently how well it doth become vs christian men reuerently to vse the Churche and holy house of our prayers by considering in how greate reuerence and veneration the Jewes in the olde lawe had their Temple whiche appeareth by sundrye places whereof I wyll note vnto you certayne In the xxvi of Matthewe it was laide to our sauiour Christes charge before a temporall iudge as a matter worthy death by the two false witnesses that he had sayde he could destroy the temple of GOD and in three dayes buylde it agayne not doubting but yf they might make men to beleue that he had sayde any thyng agaynst the honour and maiestie of
knowen of all for daunger of heresie as they saye be shut vp and idolles and images not withstanding they be forbidden by God and not withstanding the daunger of idolatrie by them shall they yet be set vp suffered mainteyned in churches and temples O worldly and fleshely wysedome euer bent to maynteyne the inuentions and traditions of men by carnal reason and by the same to disanull or deface the holy ordinaunces lawes and honour of the eternall God who is to be honoured and praysed for euer Amen Nowe it remayneth for the conclusion of this treatie to declare aswell the abuse of churches temples by to costely and sumptuous deckyng and adourning of them as also the leude paintyng gylding and clothing of idols and images and so to conclude the whole treatie In Tertulians tyme an hundred and threescore yeares after Christe Christians had none other temples but commō houses whyther they for the most part secretely resorted And so farre of was it that they had before his tyme any goodly or gorgious declied temples that lawes were made in Antonius Verus and Commodus the Emperours times that no christians should dwell in houses come in publique bathes or be seene in streetes or any where abroade and that if they were once accused to be Christians they should by no meanes be suffred to escape As was practised in Apolonius a noble Senatour of Rome who being accused of his owne bondeman and slaue that he was a Christian coulde neyther by his defence and appologie learnedly and eloquentlie written and read publiquely in the Senate nor in respect that he was a ci 〈…〉 zen nor for the dignitie of his order nor for the vylenesse and vnlawfulnesse of his accuser being his owne slaue by lykelihoode of malice moued to forge lyes against his lorde nor for no other respect or helpe could be deliuered from death So that christians wer then driuen to dwel in caues and dennes so farre of was it that they had any publique temples adourned and decked as they now be Which is here rehearsed to the confutation of those impudent shamlesse lyers whiche reporte suche glorious glosed fables of the goodly and gorgious Temple that Saynt Peter Linus Cletus and those thirtie Bishoppes their successours had at Rome vntill the time of the Emperour Constantine and whiche saint Policarpe should haue in Asia or Ireneus in Fraunce by suche lyes contrarie to all true Histories to maynteyne the superfluous gylding and decking of Temples now a dayes wherein they put almost the whole summe and pith of our religion But in those tymes the worlde was wonne to Christendome not by gorgious gylted and paynted temples of christians which had scarsely houses to dwell in but by the godly and as it were golden mynds and fyrine fayth of suche as in al aduersitie persecution professed the trueth of our religion And after these tymes in Maximian and Constantius the Emperors proclamation the places wher Christians resorted to publique prayer were called conuenticles And in Galerius Maximinus the Emperors Epistle they are called Oratories and Dominica to saye places dedicate to the seruice of the Lorde And here by the waye it is to be noted that at that tyme there were no Churches or temples erected vnto any saint but to God onely as Saint Augustine also recordeth saying we buyld no temples vnto our martirs And Eusebius him selfe calleth Churches houses of prayer and sheweth that in Constantine the emperours tyme al men reioyced seeing in steade of lowe conuenticles whiche tyraunts had destroyed hygh temples to be buylded Loe vnto the tyme of Constantine by the space of aboue three hundred yeares after our sauiour Christ when christian religion was most pure and in deede golden Christians had but lowe and poore conuenticles and simple oratories yea caues vnder the groūd called Cryptae where they for feare of persecution assembled secretely together A sigure whereof remayneth in the vaultes whiche yet are buylded vnder great Churches to put vs in remembraunce of the old state of the primitiue church before Constantine where as in Constantines tyme and after him were buylded great and goodly temples for christians called Basilicae either for that the Grekes vsed to call all great and goodly places Basilicas or for that the hyghe and euerlasting kyng God and our Sauiour Christe was serued in them But although Constantine and other princes of good zeale to our religion did sumptuouslye decke and adourne Christians temples yet did they dedicate at that time all Churches and temples to God or our Sauiour Christe and to no saint for that abuse began long after in Iustinians tyme And that gorgeousnes then vsed as it was borne with as rysing of a good zeale so was it signified of the godly learned euen at that tyme that such coste might otherwyse haue ben better bestowed Let saint Jerome although otherwyse to great a lyker and a lower of externall and outwarde thinges be a proofe hereof who hath these wordes in his Epistle to Demetriades Let other sayeth saint Jerome buylde Churches couer walles with tables of marble carrye together huge pyllers and gylde their toppes or heades whiche do not feele or vnderstande their precious decking and adourning let them decke the doores with iuorie and siluer and set the golden Aulters with precious stones I blame it not let euerye man abounde in his owne sense and better is it so to do then carefullye to keepe their ryches layde vp in store But thou hast another waye appoynted thee to cloth Christ in the poore to visit him in the sicke feede him in the hungrie lodge him in those who do lacke harbour and specially suche as be of the householde of fayth And the same Saint Jerome toucheth the same matter some what more freelye in his treatie of the lyfe of Clarkes to Nepotian saying thus Many buylde walles and erect pyllers of Churches the smoothe marbles do glister the roofe shyneth with Golde the aulter is set with precious stone But of the ministers of Christe there is no election or choyce Neither let any man obiecte and aleage agaynst me the ryche temple that was in Jurie the table candlestickes incense shippes platters cuppes morters and other thinges all of golde Then were these thinges allowed of the Lorde when the Priestes offered sacrifices and the blood of beastes was accompted the redemption of sinnes Howbeit all these thinges went before in figure and they were written for vs vppon whom the ende of the worlde is come And nowe when that our Lorde beyng poore hath dedicate the pouertie of his house let vs remember his crosse and we shall esteeme ryches as myre ordongue What do wee maruell at that whiche Christe calleth wicked Mammon Whereto do we so hyghlye esteeme and loue that whiche saint Peter doth for a glorie testifie that he had not Nytherto saint Jerome Thus you see how saint Jerome teacheth the sumptuousnes amongst the Jewes to be
Sauiour Christe sayth of them they haue theyr rewarde that is they haue prayse and commendation of men but of God they haue none at all For whatsoeuer tendeth to an euill ende is it selfe by that euyll ende made euill also Agayne so long as we kepe vngodlinesse in our heartes suffer wicked thoughtes to tary there though we fast as oft as dyd eyther saint Paul or John Baptist and kepe it as strayghtly as dâ—d the Niniuites yet shall it be not onlye vnprofitable to vs but also a thing that greatlye displeaseth almightie god For he sayth that his soule abhorreth hateth such fastings yea they are a burthen vnto him he is weary of bearyng them And therefore he inuayeth moste sharply against them saying by the mouth of the prophete Esai Beholde when you fast your lust remaineth stil for ye do no lesse violence to your debters Lo ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fiste of wickednes Nowe ye shall not fast thus that you maye make your voyce to be hearde aboue Thinke ye this fast pleaseth me that a man should chasten him selfe for a day should that be called a fasting or a day that pleaseth the Lorde Nowe dearely beloued seeyng that almightie God aloweth not our fast for the workes sake but chiefely respecteth our heart howe it is affected and then esteemeth our fast eyther good or euill by th end that it serueth for it is our part to rente our heartes and not our garmentes as we are aduertised by the prophete Joel that is our sorowe and mournyng must be inwarde in heart and not in outward shewe onlye yea it is requisite that first before all thinges we cleanse our hearts from sinne and then to direct our fast to such an ende as God wyll alowe to be good There be three endes whereunto if your fast be directed it is then a worke profitable to vs and accepted of God. The first is to chastise the fleshe that it be not to wanton but tamed and brought in subiection to the spirite This respecte had Saint Paul in his fast when he said I chastice my body and bring it into subiection least by anye meanes it commeth to passe that when I haue preached to other I my selfe be founde a castaway The seconde that the spirite may be more feruent and earnest to prayer To this ende fasted the prophetes and teachers that were at Antioche before they sent foorth Paul and Barnabas to preache the Gospell The same two Apostles fasted for the like purpose when they commended to God by their earnest prayers the congregations that were at Antioch Pisidia Iconium and Listris as we reade in the Actes of the Apostles The thirde that our fast be a testimonie and witnesse with vs before God of our humble submission to his high maiestie when we confesse and acknowledge our sinnes vnto him are inwardly touched with sorowfulnesse of heart bewayling the same in the affliction of our bodies These are the three endes or ryght vses of fasting The first belongeth most properlie to priuate fast The other two are common aswell to p 〈…〉 que fast as to priuate And thus muche for the vse of fasting Lorde haue mercie vppon vs and geue vs grace that whyle we liue in this miserable worlde we maye through thy helpe bring foorth this suche other fruites of the spirite commended coÌ„maunded in thy holy word to the glory of thy name and to our comfortes that after the race of this wretched lyfe we may liue euerlastingly with thee in thy heauenlye kyngdome not for the merites and worthynesse of our workes but for thy mercie sake and the merites of thy deare sonne Jesus Christe to whom with thee and the holy ghost be all laude honour and glory for euer and euer Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of fasting IN the former Homilee beloued was shewed that among the people of the Jewes fasting as it was coÌ„maunded them from god by Moyses was to abstaine the whole day froÌ„ morrowe til night from meate drinke al maner of foode that nourisheth the body that who so tasted ought before the Euening on the day appointed to fasting was accompted among them a breaker of his fast Whiche order though it seemeth strange to some in these our dayes because it hath not ben so vsed generally in this Realme of many yeres past yet that it was so amoÌ„g gods people I meane the Jewes whom before the comming of our sauiour Christ god did vouchsafe to chose vnto him selfe a peculier people aboue all other nations of the earth and that our sauiour Christ so vnderstood it the apostles after Christes ascention did so vse it was there sufficiently proued by the testimonies examples of the holy scriptures aswel of the new Testament as of the olde The true vse of fasting was there also shewed In this seconde part of this Homilee shall be shewed that no constitution or lawe made by man for thinges whiche of their owne proper nature be meere indifferent can bynde the conscience of Christen men to a perpetuall obseruation and keping therof but that the higher powers hath full libertie to alter and chaunge euery such lawe and ordinaunce eyther ecclesiasticall or politicall when time and place shall require But first an aunswere shal be made to a question that some may make demaunding what iudgement we ought to haue of suche abstinences as are appoynted by publique order lawes made by princes and by the aucthoritie of the Magistrates vpon policie not respecting any religion at all in the same As when any Realme in consyderation of the mainteyning of fissher townes borderyng vpon the seas and for the encrease of fisshermen of whom do spring Mariners to go vpon the sea to the furnishing of the nauie of the Realme whereby not onlye the commodities of other countreys maye be transported but also may be a necessarie defence to resist the inuasion of the aduersarie For the better vnderstanding of this question it is necessarie that we make a differeÌ„ce betwene the pollicies of princes made for the orderyng of their common weales in prouision of thinges seruing to the more sure defence of their subiects and countreyes and betweene ecclesiasticall pollicies in prescribing such workes by whiche as by secondary meanes Gods wrath may be pacified and his mercie purchased Positiue lawes made by princes for conseruation of theyr pollicie not repugnaunt vnto Gods lawe ought of all Christian subiectes with reuerence of the magistrate to be obaied not only for feare of punishment but also as the apostle sayth for conscyence sake Conscience I say not of the thing which of the owne nature is indifferent but of our obedience which by the law of God we owe vnto the Magistrate as vnto Gods minister By whiche positiue lawes though we subiectes for certaine times dayes appoynted be restrained from some kindes of meates and drinke whiche God by
she is the worse huswyfe the seldomer at home to see to her charge and so to neglect his thrift by geuing great prouocation to her housholde to waste and wantonnes whyle she must wander abroade to shew her owne vanitie and her husbandes foolishnesse By whiche her pryde she styrreth vp muche enuye of others whiche be so vaynly delighted as she is She doth but deserue mockes scornes to set out all her coÌ„mendation in Jewish Ethnick apparel and yet bragge of her Christianitie She doth but waste superfluouslye her husbandes stocke by suche sumptuousnesse and sometymes is the cause of muche bryberie extortion and deceipt in her husbands occupying that she may be the more gorgeouslye set out to the sight of the vaine worlde to please the deuils eyes not gods who geueth to euery creature sufficient moderate comlynes wherwith we should be contented if we were of god What other thing doest thou by those meanes but prouokest other to tempt thee to deceaue thy soule by the bayte of thy pompe and pryde What els doest thou but settest out thy pryde and makest of thy vndecente apparell of thy body the deuils net to catche the soules of them whiche beholde thee O thou woman not a Christian but worse then a Painim thou minister of the deuill Why pamperest thou that carren fleshe so hye whiche sometime doth stinke and rot on the earth as thou goest Howsoeuer thou perfumest thy selfe yet cannot thy beastlynesse be hidden or ouercome with thy smelles sauours whiche do rather defourme mishape thee then beawtifie thee What meant SalomoÌ„ to say of such trimming of vaine women when he sayd A fayre woman without good manners and conditions is lyke a Sowe whiche hath a ryng of golde vpon her snout but that the more thou garnishe thy selfe with these outwarde blasinges the lesse thou carest for the in warde garnishing of thy mynde and so doest but defoule thy selfe by such aray and not beawtify thy selfe Heare heare what Christes holye Apostles do write Let not the outward apparell of women sayth saint Peter be decked with the broiding of heere with wrapping on of golde or goodlye clothing but let the mynde and the conscience whiche is not seene with the eyes be pure and cleane that is sayth he an acceptable and an excellent thing before god For so the old auncient holy women attyred themselues and were obedient to their husbandes And saint Paule sayth that women shoulde apparell them selues with shameâ—astnesse sobernes and not with braydes of their heere or golde or pearle or precious clothes but as women shoulde do whiche will expresse godlinesse by their good outward workes Jf ye wyll not kepe the Apostles preceptes at the least let vs heare what pagans whiche were ignoraunt of Christe haue sayde in this matter Democrates sayth The ornament of a woman standeth in scarsitie of speache apparel Sophocles sayth of such apparel thus It is not an ornament O thou foole but a shame and a manyfest shewe of thy folly Socrates sayth that that is a garnishyng to a woman whiche declareth out her honestie The Grecians vse it in a prouerbe It is not golde or pearle whiche is a beautie to a woman but good conditions And Aristotle byddeth that a woman shoulde vse lesse apparell then the lawe doth suffer For it is not the goodlynesse of apparel nor the excellencie of beautie nor the aboundaunce of golde that maketh a woman to be esteemed but modestie and diligence to liue honestly in althynges This outragious vanitie is nowe growne so farre that there is no shame taken of it We reade in histories that when king Dionisius sent to the women of Lacedemon riche robes they aunswered saide that they shall do vs more shame then honour and therefore refused them The women in Rome in olde tyme abhorred that gaye apparell whiche kyng Pirrus sent to them and none were so greedy and vaine to accept them And a law was openly made of the senate and along time obserued that no womaÌ„ should weare ouer halfe anounce of golde nor should weare clothes of diuers colours But perchaunce some daintie dame wyll say and aunswere me that they muste do somthyng to shewe their byrth and blood to shewe their husbandes riches As though nobilitie were cheefely seene by these thynges whiche be common to those whiche be most vile as though thy husbandes riches were not better bestowed then in such superfluities as though when thou were christened thou diddest not renounce the pryde of this worlde and the pompe of the flesh I speake not agaynst conuenient apparel for euery state agreeable but against the superfluitie agaynst the vayne delyght to couet such vanities to deuise new fashions to feede thy pryde with to spende so muche vpon thy carkasse that thou and thy husbande are compelled to robbe the poore to mainteyne thy costlynesse Heare how that noble holy woman Queene Hester setteth out these goodly ornamentes as they be called when in respecte of sauing Gods people she was compelled to put on suche glorious apparell knowing that it was a fit stale to blind the eyes of carnal fooles Thus she prayed Thou knowest O Lorde the necessitie which I am driuen to to put on this apparell and that I abhorre this signe of pride and of this glory which I beare on my head that I defie it as a filthie cloth and that I weare it not when I am alone Agayne by what meanes was Holophernes deceaued but by the glitteryng shewe of apparell whiche that holy woman Iudith did put on her not as delighting in them nor seekyng vaine voluptuous pleasure by them but she ware it of pure necessitie by Gods dispensation vsyng this vanitie to ouercome the vayne eyes of Gods enemie Suche desyre was in those noble women beyng very loth and vnwylling otherwyse to weare suche sumptuous apparell by the whiche others shoulde be caused to forgette them selues These be commended in Scripture for abhorring suche vanities whiche by constraynt and great necessitie agaynst their heartes desyred were compelled to weare them for a tyme And shall suche women be worthy commendations whiche neyther be comparable with these women aforesayde in nobilitie nor comparable to them in their good zeales to God and his people whose daily delight and seeking is to florishe in suche gaye shiftes and chaunges neuer satisfied nor regardyng who smarteth for their apparel so they may come by it O vayne men whiche be subiectes to their wyues in these inordinate affections O vayne women to procure so muche hurt to them selues by the whiche they come the sooner to miserie in this worlde and in the meane tyme be abhorred of God hated and scorned of wyse men and in the ende lyke to be ioyned with suche who in hell to late repenting them selues shall openly complayne with these wordes What hath our pryde profited vs or what profite hath the pompe of ryches brought vs All those thynges are passed away lyke
of Gibeon makyng his humble petition to almyghtie God caused the sunne and the moone to stay their course and to stand still in the middest of heauen for the space of a whole day vntyll suche tyme the people were sufficiently auenged vpon their enemies And was not Iehosaphates prayer of great force and strength when God at his request caused his enemies to fall out among them selues and wylfully to destroy one another Who can maruayle enough at the effecte and vertue of Elias prayer He being a man subiect to affections as we are prayed to the Lorde that it myght not rayne and there fell no rayne vpon the earth for the space of three yeres and. vi moneths Againe he prayed that it myght rayne and there fell great plentie so that the earth brought forth her encrease most aboundauntly It were to long to tell of Iudith Hester Susanna and of diuers other godly men and women how greatly they preuayled in all their doinges by geuing their myndes earnestly and deuoutly to prayer Let it be sufficient at this tyme to conclude with the sayinges of Augustine and Chrisostome wherof the one calleth prayer the key of heauen the other playnely affyrmeth that there is nothyng in all the worlde more strong then a man that geueth hym selfe to feruent prayer Nowe then dearely beloued seeing prayer is so needeful a thyng and of so great strength before God let vs accordyng as we are taught by the example of Christe and his apostles be earnest and diligent in calling on the name of the lord Let vs neuer faynt neuer slacke neuer geue ouer but let vs daily and hourely early and late in season and out of season be occupyed in godly meditations and prayers What if we obtayne not our petitions at the firste yet let vs not be discoraged but let vs continually crye and call vpon God He wyll surely heare vs at length if for no other cause yet for very importunities sake Remember the parable of the vnryghteous iudge and the poore wydowe how she by her importunate meanes caused hym to do her iustice agaynst her aduersarie although otherwyse he feared neyther God nor man Shall not God muche more auenge his elect sayth our sauiour Christe whiche crye vnto hym day and nyght Thus he taught his disciples in them all other true Christian men to pray alwayes and neuer to faint or shrinke Remember also the example of the woman of Canaan how she was reiected of Christe and called dogge as one moste vnworthie of any benefite at his handes yet she gaue not ouer but folowed hym still crying and callyng vppon hym to be good and mercifull vnto her daughter And at length by very importunitie she obtayned her request O let vs learne by these examples to be earnest and feruent in prayer assuryng our selues that whatsoeuer we aske of God the father in the name of his sonne Christe and accordyng to his wyll he wyll vndoubtedly graunt it He is trueth it selfe and as truely as he hath promised it so truely wyll he perfourme it God for his great mercies sake so worke in our heartes by his holy spirite that we may alwayes make our humble prayers vnto hym as we ought to do and alwayes obtayne the thyng which we aske through Jesus Christe our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghost be al honour and glory worlde without ende Amen The second part of the Homilee concernyng prayer IN the firste parte of this sermon ye hearde the great necessitie also the great force of deuout and earnest praier declared proued vnto you both by diuers waightie testimonies and also by sundry good examples of holy scripture Now shal you learne whom you ought to call vppon and to whom ye ought alwayes to direct your prayers We are euidently taught in Gods holy Testament that almightie God is the only fountayne and welspring of al goodnes and that whatsoeuer we haue in this world we receaue it only at his handes To this effecte serueth the place of S. James Euery good and perfect gift sayth he commeth from aboue and proceedeth from the father of lyghtes To this effect also serueth the testimonie of Paul in diuers places of his Epistles witnessing that the spirite of wisedome the spirite of knowledge and reuelation yea euery good and heauenly gyfte as fayth hope charitie grace and peace commeth onely and solely of god In consideration whereof he bursteth out into a sodayne passion and sayeth O man what thyng hast thou whiche thou hast not receaued Therefore whensoeuer we neede or lacke any thyng parteyning eyther to the body or to the soule it behoueth vs to runne onely vnto GOD who is the onely geuer of all good thynges Our sauiour Christe in the Gospell teachyng his disciples how they shoulde pray sendeth them to the father in his name saying Uerily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he wyll geue it vnto you And in an other place when ye pray pray after this sorte Our father whiche art in heauen c. And doth not God hym selfe by the mouth of his Prophete Dauid wyll and commaunde vs to call vpon hym The Apostle wysheth grace and peace to all them that call on the name of our Lord and of his sonne Jesus Christ as doth also the Prophet Joel saying And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shal be saued Thus then it is playne by the infallible worde of trueth and lyfe that in all our necessities we must flee vnto God direct our prayers vnto hym call vppon his holy name desyre helpe at his handes and at no others Whereof if ye wyll yet haue a further reason marke that whiche foloweth There are certayne conditions most requisit to be founde in euery suche a one that muste be called vppon whiche if they be not founde in hym vnto whom we pray then doth our prayer auayle vs nothyng but is altogether in vayne The first is this that he to whom we make our prayers be able to helpe vs The second is that he wyll helpe vs The thirde is that he be suche a one as may heare our prayers The fourth is that he vnderstand better then we our selues what we lacke and howe farre we haue neede of helpe If these thynges be to be founde in any other sauing onely God then may we lawfully call vpon some other besides god But what man is so grosse but he wel vnderstandeth that these thynges are only proper to him which is omnipotent and knoweth al thyngs euen the very secretes of the heart that is to say only and to God alone whereof it foloweth that we must call neyther vpon angell nor yet vpon saint but only and soly vpon God as S. Paul doth write Now shall men call vppon hym in whom they haue not beleued So that inuocation or prayer may not be
aunswered to you that was vnto them Nowe come therefore dearely beloued without delay and chearefully enter into Gods feastyng house and become partakers of the benefites prouided prepared for you But see that ye come thyther with your holiday garment not like hypocrites not of a custome and for maner sake not with lothsomnesse as though ye had rather not come then come yf ye were at your libertie For God hateth punisheth such counterfaite hypocrites as appeareth by Christes former parable My freend sayth God how camest thou in without a wedding garment And therfore commaunded his seruauntes to binde him hand foote and to cast him into vtter darknesse where shal be weeping and wayling and gnashyng of teethe To the intent ye maye auoyde the lyke daunger at Gods hand come to the Church on the holyday come in your holyday garment that is to say come with a cheareful and a godly mind come to seeke Gods glory and to be thankfull vnto hym come to be at one with thy neighbour and to enter in frendship and charitie with him Consyder that all thy doings stinke before the face of God yf thou be not in charitie with thy neighbour Come with an hearte syfted and clensed from worldly and carnall affections and desires shake of all vaine thoughtes whiche may hynder thee from Gods true seruice The birde when she wil flee shaketh her winges Shake and prepare thy selfe to flee hyer then all birdes in the ayre that after thy duetie duely done in this earthlye Temple and Church thou mayest flee vp and be receaued into the glorious Temple of GOD in heauen through Christe Jesus our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory and honour Amen ¶ An Homilee wherein is declared that Common prayer and Sacramentes ought to be ministred in a tongue that is vnderstanded of the hearers AMong the manifolde exercises of Gods people deare Christians there is none more necessary for al estates and at all times thē is publique prayer the due vse of sacramentes For in the first we beg at Gods hande all suche thinges as otherwyse we can not obtayne And in the other he imbraseth vs and offreth him selfe to be imbrased of vs Knowyng therfore that these two exercises are so necessarie for vs let vs not thinke it vnmeete to consyder fyrst what prayer is and what a sacrament is and then howe many sortes of prayers there be howe many sacramentes so shal we the better vnderstand howe to vse them aright To knowe what they be saint Augustine teacheth vs in his booke entituled Of the spirite and the soule He sayth this of prayer Prayer is saith he the deuotion of the minde that is to say the returning to God through a godlye and humble affection which affection is a certaine willing and sweete enclining of the minde it selfe towardes GOD. And in the seconde booke agaynst the aduersarie of the lawe the prophetes he calleth sacramentes holy signes And writing to Bonifacius of the baptisme of infantes he sayth If sacramentes had not a certayne similitude of those thinges whereof they be sacramentes they shoulde be no sacramentes at all And of this similitude they do for the moste part receaue the names of the selfe thinges they signifie By these wordes of saint Augustine it appeareth that he aloweth the common description of a sacrament whiche is that it is a visible signe of an inuisible grace that is to saye that setteth out to the eyes and other outwarde senses the inwarde workyng of Gods free mercie and doth as it were seale in our heartes the promises of god And so was circumcision a sacrament whiche preached vnto the outwarde senses the inwarde cutting away of the foreskin of the hearte and sealed and made sure in the heartes of the circumcised the promise of god touching the promised seede that they loked for Nowe let vs see howe many sortes of prayer and howe many sacramentes there be In the scriptures we reade of three sortes of praier whereof two are priuate and the thirde is common The first is that whiche Saint Paul speaketh of in his Epistle to Timothie saying I wyll that men pray in euery place lyfting vp pure handes without wrath and sttriuing And it is the deuout lifting vp of the minde to God without the vttering of the heartes griefe or desyre by open voyce Of this prayer we haue example in the first booke of the kynges in Anna the mother of Samuel when in the heauinesse of her heart she prayed in the temple desyring to be made fruitefull She prayed in her heart sayth the tert but there was no voyce hearde After this sorte must all Christians pray not once in a weeke or once in a day onlye but as saint Paul writeth to the Thessalonians without ceassyng And as Saint James wryteth The continuall prayer of a iust man is of much force The second sort of prayer is spoken of in the Gospel of Matthew where it is sayd When thou prayest enter into thy secrete closet and when thou hast shut the doore to thee pray vnto thy father in secrete and thy father which seeth in secrete shal reward thee Of this sorte of prayer there be sundry examples in the scriptures but it shall suffise to rehearse one which is writtē in the Actes of the Apostles Cornelius a deuoute man a captayne of the Italian army sayth to Peter that beyng in his house in prayer at the ninth houre there appeared vnto hym one in a white garment c. This man prayed vnto God in secrete and was rewarded openly These be the two priuate sortes of prayer The one mentall that is to say the deuoute lifting vp of the minde to God And the other vocall that is to saye the secrete vtteryng of the griefes desires of the heart with wordes but yet in a secrete closet or some solitarie place The third sort of prayer is publique or common Of this prayer speaketh our Sauiour Christe when he sayth If two of you shall agree vppon earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer ye shall aske my father which is in heauē shal do it for you for wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Although God hath promised to heare vs when we pray priuately so it be done faythfully and deuoutly For he sayth Call vppon me in the day of thy trouble and I wyll heare thee And Elias being but a mortall man sayth Saint James prayed and heauen was shut three yeres and sixe monethes and againe he praied and the heauen gaue rayne Yet by the histories of the Bible it appeareth that publique and common praier is most auaileable before god and therfore is much to be lamented that it is no better esteemed among vs whiche professe to be but one bodye in Christe When the citie of Niniue was threatned to be destroyed within xl dayes
regarde of reuerent vnderstanding in his presence but he wyll prepare his heart before he presume to speake vnto god And therefore in our common prayer the minister doth oftentymes say Let vs pray meanyng thereby to admonishe the people that they shoulde prepare their eares to heare what he shoulde craue at Gods hand and their heartes to consent to the same and their tongues to say Amen at the ende thereof On this sort dyd the prophet Dauid prepare his heart when he sayde My heart is redy O God my heart is redy I wyll syng and declare a Psalme The Jewes also when in the tyme of Iudith they dyd with all their heart pray God to visite his people of Israel had so prepared their heartes before they began to pray After this sorte had Manasses prepared his heart before he prayed and sayde And nowe O Lorde do I bow the knees of myne heart asking of thee part of thy mercyful kindnes When the heart is thus prepared the voyce vttred from the heart is harmonious in the eares of god otherwyse he regardeth it not to accept it But forasmuch as the person that so â—ableth his wordes without sense in the presence of God sheweth hymselfe not to regarde the maiestie of hym that he speaketh to He taketh hym as a contemner of his almyghtie maiestie and geueth hym his rewarde among hypocrites whiche make an outwarde she we of holynesse but their heartes are full of abhominable thoughtes euen in the tyme of their prayers For it is the heart that the Lorde looketh vppon as it is wrytten in the historie of kynges If we therefore wyll that our prayers be not abhominable before God let vs so prepare our heartes before we pray and so vnderstande the thynges that we aske when we pray that both our heartes and voyces may together sound in the eares of Gods maiestie and then we shall not fayle to receaue at his hand the thinges that we aske as good men whiche haue ben before vs dyd and so haue from tyme to tyme receaued that whiche for their soules health they dyd at any tyme desyre Saint Augustine seemeth to beare in this matter For he sayth thus of them whiche beyng brought vp in grammer and rhethoricke are conuerted to Christe and so must be instructed in Christian religion Let them know also sayth he that it is not the voyce but the affection of the minde that commeth to the eares of god And so shall it come to passe that if haply they shall marke that some byshoppes or ministers in the Churche do call vppon God eyther with barbarous wordes or with wordes disordered or that they vnderstande not or do disorderly diuide the wordes that they pronounce they shal not laugh them to scorne Hitherto he seemeth to beare with praying in an vnknowne tongue But in the next sentence he openeth his mynde thus Nor for that these thynges ought not to be amended that the people may say Amen to that whiche they do playnely vnderstande But yet these thyngs must be godly borne withal of these catechistes or instructours of the faith that they may learne that as in the common place where matters are pleaded the goodnesse of an oration consisteth in sounde so in the Churche it consisteth in deuotion So that he alloweth not the praying in a tongue not vnderstand of hym that prayeth But he instructeth the skilfull Oratour to beare with the rude tongue of the deuout simple minister To conclude if the lacke of vnderstandyng the wordes that are spoken in the congregation do make them vnfruitfull to the hearers How should not the same make the wordes read vnfruitfull to the reader The mercyfull goodnesse of God graunt vs his grace to call vppon hym as we ought to do to his glory and our endlesse felicitie whiche we shall do if we humble our selues in his sight and in all our prayers both common and priuate haue our myndes fully fixed vpon hym For the prayer of them that humble them selues shall pearse through the doudes and tyll it drawe nygh vnto God it wyl not be aunswered and tyll the moste high do regarde it it wyll not departe And the Lorde wyll not be slacke but he wyll deliuer the iust and execute iudgement To hym therfore be all honour and glory for euer euer Amen An information for them whiche take offence at certayne places of the holy Scripture The first part THe great vtilitie and profite that Christian men and women may take if they wil by hearing and reading the holye scriptures dearely beloued no heart can sufficiently conceaue muche lesse is my tongue able with wordes to expresse Wherefore satan our enemy seing the scriptures to be the very meane and right way to bring the people to the true knowledge of God that Christian religion is greatly furthered by diligent hearing reading of them he also perceauing what an hinderance let they be to him and his kingdome doth what he can to driue the reading of them out of Gods Churche And for that end he hath alwayes stirred vp in one place or other cruel tyrauntes sharpe persecutors and extreame enemies vnto God and his infallible trueth to pull with violence the holy Bibles out of the peoples handes and haue moste spitefully destroyed and consumed the same to ashes in the fyre pretendyng moste vntruely that the muche hearyng and readyng of Gods worde is an occasion of heresie and carnall libertie and the ouerthrowe of all good order in all well ordered common weales If to knowe God aryght be an occasion of euyll then must we needes graunt that the hearyng and readyng of the holy scriptures is the cause of heresie carnall libertie and the subuertion of all good orders But the knowledge of God and of our selues is so farre from beyng an occasion of euill that it is the redyest yea the only meane to brydle carnall libertie and to kyll all our fleshly affections And the ordinarie waye to attayne this knowledge is with diligence to heare and reade the holy scriptures For the whole scriptures sayeth Saint Paule were geuen by the inspiration of god And shall we Christian men thynke to learne the knowledge of God and of our selues in anye earthly mans worke or wrytyng sooner or better then in the holy scriptures wrytten by the inspiration of the holy ghost The scriptures were not brought vnto vs by the wyll of man but holy men of God as witnesseth Saint Peter spake as they were moued by the holye spirite of god The holy ghost is the scholemaister of trueth whiche leadeth his schollers as our Sauiour Christe sayeth of hym into all trueth And who so is not led and taught by this scholemaister can not but fall into deepe errour howe godly soeuer his pretence is what knowledge and learnyng soeuer he hath of all other workes and wrytynges or howe fayre soeuer a shewe or face of trueth he hath in the estimation
their examples or that we ought to thynke that God dyd alow euery of these thyngs in those men But we ought rather to beleue and to iudge that Noe in his drunkennesse offended God highly Lot lying with his daughters committed horrible incest We ought then to learne by them this profitable lesson that if so godlye men as they were which otherwise felt inwardly Gods holy spitite inflamyng in their heartes with she feare and loue of God coulde not by their owne strength kepe them selues from committyng horrible sinne but dyd so greeuousâ—y fal that without Gods great mercie they had perished euerlastinglye Howe much more ought we then miserable wretches which haue no feeling of God within vs at al continually to feare not onely that we may fall as they did but also be ouercome and drowned in sinne which they were not And so by consydering their fal take the better occasion to acknowledge our owne infirmitie and weaknesse and therefore more earnestlye to call vnto almightie God with heartye prayer incessauntlye for his grace to strengthen vs and to defende vs from all euill And though through infirmitie we chaunce at any tyme to fall yet we may by harty repentaunce and true fayth speedily rise againe and not slepe and continue in sinne as the wicked doth Thus good people shoulde we vnderstande such matters expressed in the diuine scriptures that this holye table of Gods worde be not turned to vs to be a snare a trappe and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our vnderstanding But let vs esteeme them in suche a reuerent humilitie that we may fynde our necessary foode therein to strengthen vs to comfort vs to instruct vs as God of his great mercye hath appoynted them in all necessarye workes so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our lyfe Whiche he graunt vs who hath redeemed vs our Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory for euermore Amen ¶ The seconde part of the information for them which take offence at certayne places of the holy scripture YE haue heard good people in the Homilee last read vnto you the great commoditie of holye Scriptures ye haue heard how ignoraunt men voyde of godlye vnderstanding seeke quarrelles to discredite them Some of their reasons haue ye heard aunswered Nowe we will proceede and speake of suche politique wyse men whiche be offended for that Christes preceptes should seeme to destroy all order in gouernaunce as they do alleage for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheeke turne the other vnto him also If anye man will contende to take thy coate from thee let him haue cloke and all Let not thy left hand knowe what thy ryght hand doth If thine eye thine hande or thy foote offende thee pull out thine eye cut of thine hand thy foote and cast it from thee If thine enemie sayeth saint Paul be an hungred geue him meate if he be thirstie geue him drinke so doing thou shalt heape hotte burning coales vpon his head These sentences good people vnto a naturall man seeme mere absurdities contrary to all reason For a naturall man as saint Paule sayeth vnderstandeth not the thinges that belong to God neyther can he so long as olde Adam dwelleth in him Christ therfore meaneth that he would haue his faithfull seruaunts so farre from vengeaunce and resisting wrong that he woulde rather haue him redy to suffer an other wrong then by resisting to breake charitie and to be out of pacience He would haue our good deedes so farre from al carnall respectes that he would not haue our nyest freendes know of our wel doing to win a vaine glorye And though our freendes and kynsfolkes be as deare as our right eyes and our right handes yet if they woulde plucke vs from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye wil be profitable hearers and readers of the holye scriptures ye must firste denye your selues and keepe vnder your carnall senses taken by the outward wordes and searche the inward meaning reason must geue place to Gods holye spirite you must submit your worldly wisedome and iudgement vnto his diuine wysdome and iudgement Consyder that the scripture in what straunge fourme soeuer it be pronounced is the word of the lyuing god Let that alwayes come to your remembraunce which is so oft repeated of the prophete Esaias The mouth of the Lorde sayth he hath spoken it the almighty and euerlasting God who with his onely worde created heauen and earth hath decreed it the Lorde of hoastes whose wayes are in the Seas whose pathes are in the deepe waters that Lorde and God by whose worde all thynges in heauen and in earth are created gouerned and preserued hath so prouided it The God of Goddes and Lorde of all Lordes yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almyghty and euerlasting he hath spoken it it is his worde It can not therefore be but trueth whiche proceedeth from the God of all trueth it can not be but wisely and prudently commaunded what almightie God hath deuysed how vaynely soeuer through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and iudge of his most holy worde The prophete Dauid describing an happye man sayeth Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsayle of the vngodlye nor stande in the waye of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull There are three sortes of people whose companye the prophete would haue him to flee and auoyde which shall be an happy man and partakers of Gods blessing First he may not walke after the counsayle of the vngodlye Secondlye he may not stand in the waye of sinners Thirdlye he muste not sit in the seat of the scornefull By these three sortes of people vngodly men sinners and scorners all impietie is signified and fully expressed By the vngodly he vnderstaÌ„deth those which haue no regarde of almightye God being voyde of all faith whose heartes mindes are so set vpon the worlde that they studie onely howe to accomplishe their worldlye practises their carnall imaginations their filthy lust and desyre without anye feare of god The seconde sort he calleth sinners not such as do fal through ignoraunce or of frailenesse for then who should be found free What man euer liued vpon earth Christe onely excepted but he hath sinned The iust man falleth seuen times and ryseth agayne Though the godly do fall yet they walke not on purposely in sinne they stande not still to contynue and tarye in sinne they syt not downe like carelesse men without all feare of Gods iust punishment for sinne but defying sinne through Gods great grace and infinite mercye they ryse agayne and fight agaynste sinne The Prophete then calleth them sinners whose heartes are cleane turned from God and whose whole conuersation of lyfe is nothing but sinne they delight so much in
also we may be assured to get his fauour that is both able wyllyng to do vs all pleasures that are for our commoditie and wealth Christe doth declare by this how much he accepteth our charitable affection toward the poore in that he promiseth a rewarde vnto them that geue but a cup of cold water in his name to them that haue neede thereof and that rewarde is the kingdome of heauen No doubt is it therfore that god regardeth highly that which he rewardeth so liberallye For he that promiseth a princely recompence for a beggerly beneuolence declareth that he is more delighted with the geuyng then with the gyfte and that he as muche esteemeth the doyng of the thyng as the fruite and commoditie that commeth of it Who so therefore hath hytherto neglected to geue almes let hym know that God now requireth it of him he that hath ben liberal to the poore let him knowe that his godly doings are accepted thankfully takē at gods handes which he wyll requite with double treble For so sayth the wyse man He whiche sheweth mercie to the poore doth lay his money in banke to the Lorde for a large interest and gayne The gayne beyng cheefely the possession of the lyfe euerlastyng through the merites of our sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father the holy ghost be al honour and glory for euer Amen The seonde part of the sermon of almes deedes YE haue hearde before dearely beloued that to geue almes vnto the poore and to helpe them in tyme of necessitie is so acceptable vnto our sauiour Christe that he counteth that to be done to him selfe that we do for his sake vnto them Ye haue heard also howe earnestly both the apostles prophetes holy fathers doctours do exhort vs vnto the same And ye see how welbeloued and deare vnto God they were whom the scriptures reporte vnto vs to haue ben good almes men Wherefore if either their good examples or the holesome counsell of godly fathers or the loue of Christ whose especial fauour we may be assured by this meanes to obteyne may moue vs or do any thyng at all with vs let vs prouide that from hencefoorth we she we vnto Godward this thankful seruice to be myndfull and redy to helpe them that be poore and in miserie Nowe wyll I this second tyme that I entreate of aimes deedes shewe vnto you how profitable it is for vs to exercise them and what fruite therby shall aryse vnto vs if we do them faythfully Our sauiour Christe in the Gospell teacheth vs that it profiteth a man nothyng to haue in possession al the ryches of the whole worlde and the wealth or glory thereof if in the meane season he lose his soule or do that thing whereby it should become captiue vnto death sinne hell fire By the which saying he not only instructeth vs how muche the soule health is to be preferred before worldly commodities but also serueth to stirre vp our myndes and to pricke vs forwardes to seeke diligently and learne by what meanes we may preserue and kepe our soules euer in safety that is howe we may recouer our health if it be lost or impayred and how it may be defended and maynteyned if we once haue it Yea he teacheth vs also thereby to esteeme that as a precious medicine and an inestimable iewel that hath suche strength and vertue in it that can either procure or preserue so incomparable a treasure For if we greatly regard that medicine or salue that is able to heale sundrye and greeuous diseases of the body muche more wyll we esteeme that whiche hath lyke power ouer the soule And because we might be better assured both to knowe and haue in redynesse that so profitable a remedye he as a most faythfull and louyng teacher sheweth hym selfe both what it is and where we may fynde it and how we may vse and applye it For when both he and his disciples were greuously accused of the Pharisees to haue defyled their soules in breakyng the constitutions of the elders because they went to meate and washed not their handes before accordyng to the custome of the Jewes Christe aunswering their superstitious complaynte teacheth them an especiall remedye howe to keepe cleane their soules notwithstandyng the breache of suche superstitious orders Geue almes sayth he and beholde all thynges are cleane vnto you He teacheth them that to be mercyful and charitable in helping the poore is the meanes to keepe the soule pure and cleane in the syght of god We are taught therefore by this that mercyfull almes dealyng is profitable to purge the soule from the infection and filthie spottes of sinne The same lesson doth the holy ghost also teache in sundrye places of the scripture saying Mercyfulnesse and almes geuing purgeth from all synnes and delyuereth from death and suffereth not the soule to come into darknes A great confidence may they haue before the hygh God that shewe mercie and compassion to them that are afflicted The wyse preacher the sonne of Sirach confirmeth the same when he sayth That as water quencheth burning fyre euen so mercie and almes resisteth and reconcileth synnes And sure it is that mercifulnesse quayleth the heate of synne so muche that they shall not take holde vpon man to hurt him or if ye haue by any infirmitie and weaknes ben touched and annoyed with them straightwayes shall mercyfulnesse wipe and washe them away as salues and remedies to heale their sores and greeuous diseases And therupon that holy father Ciprian taketh good occasion to exhort earnestly to the mercyfull worke of geuyng almes and helpyng the poore and there he admonisheth to consider how holesome and profitable it is to releeue the needy and help the afflicted by the which we may purge our synnes and heale our wounded soules But here some wyll say vnto me If almes geuyng and our charitable workes towardes the poore be able to washe away synnes to reconcile vs to God to delyuer vs from the peryll of damnation and make vs the sonnes heires of Gods kingdome then is Christes merites defaced and his blood shed in vayne then are we iustified by workes and by our deedes may we merite heauen then do we in vayne beleue that Christ dyed for to put away our synnes and that he rose for our iustification as saint Paule teacheth But ye shall vnderstande dearely beloued that neither those places of scripture before alleaged neither the doctrine of the blessed martyr Ciprian neither any other godly and learned man when they in extolling the dignitie profite fruit and effect of vertuous and liberall almes do say that it washeth away synnes and bryngeth vs to the fauour of God do meane that our worke and charitable deede is the originall cause of our acception before God or that for the dignitie or worthynesse thereof our sinnes may be washed away and we purged cleansed of al the spottes of our iniquitie for
vs and he rose agayne to sende downe his holy spirite to rule in our heartes to endowe vs with perfect righteousnes Thus it is true that Dauid song Veritas de terra orta est et iustitia de coelo prospexit The trueth of gods promise is in the earth to man declared or from the earth is the euerlasting veritie Gods sonne rysen to life the true righteousnesse of the holy ghost lookyng out of heauen and is in most liberal larges dealt vppon all the worlde Thus is glory and prayse rebounded vpwarde to God aboue for his mercie and trueth And thus is peace come downe from heauen to men of good and faythfull heartes Thus is mercie and trueth as Dauid wryteth together met thus is peace and ryghteousnesse imbrasing and kissing eache other If thou doubtest of so great wealth felicitie that is wrought for thee O man call to thy mynde that therefore haste thou receaued into thyne owne possession the euerlasting veritie our sauiour Jesus Christ to confyrme to thy conscience the trueth of all this matter Thou hast receaued hym yfin true fayth and repentaunce of heart thou haste receaued hym yf in purpose of amendement thou haste receaued hym for an euerlastyng gage or pledge of thy saluation Thou hast receaued his body which was once broken his blood which was shedde for the remission of thy synne Thou hast receaued his body to haue within thee the father the sonne and the holy ghost for to dwell with thee to endow thee with grace to strength thee agaynst thyne enemies and to comfort thee with their presence Thou hast receaued his body to endow thee with euerlasting righteousnes to assue thee of euerlastyng blisse and lyfe of thy soule 〈…〉 r with Christe by true fayth art thou quickened agayne sayth saint Paul from death of synne to lyfe of grace and in hope translated from corporal and euerlastyng death to the euerlastyng lyfe of glorye in heauen where nowe thy conuersation should be and thy heart and desyre set Doubt not of the trueth of this matter how great and hygh soeuer these thynges be It becommeth God to do no litle deedes how impossible so euer they seeme to thee Pray to God that thou mayest haue fayth to perceaue this greate mysterie of Christes resurrection that by faytâ— thou mayst certaynely beleue nothyng to be impossible with god Onlye bryng thou fayth to Christes holy worde and sacrament Let thy repentaunce shewe thy fayth let thy purpose of amendement and obedience of thy heart to Gods lawe hereafter declare thy true beleefe Endeuour thy selfe to saye with Saint Paul From hencefoorth our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a sauiour euen the Lorde Jesus Christe whiche shall change our vile bodyes that they may be fashioned like his glorious body which he shal do by the same power wherby he rose from death and wherby he shal be able to subdue all thynges vnto hym selfe Thus good Christian people forasmuche as ye haue hearde these so great and excellent benefites of Christes myghtie and glorious resurrection as howe that he hath raunsomed synne ouercome the deuill death and hell and hath victoriouslye gotten the better hande of them all to make vs free and safe from them and knowyng that we be by this benefite of his resurrection rysen with hym by our fayth vnto lyfe euerlastyng beyng in full suretie of our hope that we shall haue our bodyes lykewyse raysed agayne from death to haue them glorified in immortalitie and ioyned to his glorious bodye hauyng in the meane while his holy spirite within our heartes as a seale and pledge of our euerlastyng inheritaunce By whose assistence we be replenished with all ryghteousnes by whose power we shal be able to subdue all our euyll affections rysyng agaynst the pleasure of god These thynges I say well consydered let vs nowe in the rest of our lyfe declare our fayth that we haue to this moste fruitful article by framyng our selues therunto in rysyng dayly from sinne to righteousnes holines of lyfe For what shall it auayle vs sayth saint Peter to be escaped deliuered from the filthynesse of the worlde through the knowledge of the Lorde and sauiour Jesus Christe if we be entangled agayne therewith and be ouercome agayne Certaynely it had ben better sayth he neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after it is knowne and receaued to turne backwarde agayne from the holy commaundement of God geuen vnto vs For so shall the prouerbe haue place in vs where it is sayde The dogge is returned to his vomite agayne and the sowe that was washed to her wallowyng in the myre agayne What a shame were it for vs beyng thus so clearely and freely washed from our synne to returne to the filthynesse thereof agayne What a follie were it thus endowed with ryghteousnesse to lose it agayne What madnesse were it to lose the inheritaunce that we be nowe set in for the vyle and transitorie pleasure of synne And what an vnkyndenesse shoulde it be where our sauiour Christe of his mercie is come to vs to dwell within vs as our gâ—este to dryue hym from vs and to banishe hym violently out of our soules and in steade of hym in whom is all grace and vertue to receaue the vngratious spirite of the deuyil the founder of all naughtines and mischeefe How can we fynde in our heartes to shewe suche extreame vnkyndnesse to Christe which hath now so gently called vs to mercie and offered him selfe vnto vs and he nowe entred within vs yea howe dare we be so bolde to renounce the presence of the father the sonne and the holy ghost For where one is there is God all whole in maiestie together with all his power wysedome and goodnesse and feare not I say the daunger and peryll of so traiterous a defiaunce and departure Good Christian brethren and sisters aduise your selues consyder the dignite that ye be nowe set in let not follie lose the thyng that grace hath so preciously offered and purchased let not wylfulnesse and blindnesse put out so great lyght that is now shewed vnto you Onlye take good heartes vnto you and put vppon you all the armour of God that ye may stand agaynst your enemies which woulde agayne subdue you and bryng you into their thraldome Remember ye be bought from your vain conuersation and that your freedome is purchased neyther with golde nor syluer but with the price of the precious blood of that most innocent lambe Jesus Christe which was ordeined to the same purpose before the worlde was made But he was so declared in the latter tyme of grace for your sakes which by hym haue your fayth in God who hath raysed hym from death and hath geuen hym glory that you shoulde haue your fayth and hope towarde god Therefore as you haue hytherto folowed the vayne lustes of your myndes and so displeased God to
kepe our feaste the whole tearme of our lyfe with eatyng the bread of purenes of godly life and trueth of Christes doctrine Thus shal we declare that Christes giftes and graces haue their effect in vs and that we haue the ryght beleefe and knowledge of his holy resurrection where truely if we apply our fayth to the vertue thereof and in our lyfe confourme vs to the example signification meant thereby we shal be sure to ryse hereafter to euerlastyng glory by the goodnesse and mercie of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory thankes geuyng and prayse in infinita seculorum secula Amen ¶ An homilee of the worthy receauyng and reuerent esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe THE great loue of our Sauiour Christ towardes mankynd good Christian people doth not onlye appeare in that deare bought benefite of our redemption saluation by his death passiō but also in that he so kindlye prouided that the same most mercyful worke myght be had in continual remembraunce to take some place in vs and not be frustrate of his ende and purpose For as tender parentes are not content to procure for their chyldren costly possessions and liuelode but take order that the same may be conserued and come to their vse So our Lorde and sauiour thought it not sufficient to purchase for vs his fathers fauour agayne whiche is that deepe fountayne of all goodnesse and eternall lyfe but also inuented the wayes most wysely whereby they myght redound to our commoditie profite Amongst the which meanes is the publique celebration of the memorie of his pretious death at the Lordes table Whiche although it seeme of small vertue to some yet beyng ryghtly done by the faythfull it doth not onlye helpe their weaknesse who be by their poysoned nature redyer to remember iniuries then benefites but strengthneth comforteth their in ward man with peace gladnesse and maketh them thankfull to their redeemer with diligent care and godly conuersation And as of olde tyme God decreed his wonderous benefites of the delyueraunce of his people to be kepte in memorie by the eatyng of the passeouer with his rites and ceremonies So our louyng Sauiour hath ordeyned and establyshed the remembraunce of his great mercie expressed in his passion in the institution of his heauenly supper where euery one of vs must be ghestes and not gasers eaters and not lookers seedyng our selues and not hiryng other to feede for vs that we may lyue by our owne meate and not perishe for hunger whiles other deuour all To this his commaundement forceth vs saying Do ye thus drinke ye all of this To this his promise enticeth This is my body whiche is geuen for you this is my blood whiche is shed for you So then as of necessitie we muste be our selues partakers of this table and not beholders of other So we must addresse our selues to frequent the same in reuerent and due maner least as phisike prouided for the body beyng misused more hurteth then profiteth so this comfortable medicine of the soule vndecently receaued tendeth to our greater harme and sorow And saint Paul sayth He that eateth and drynketh vnworthyly eateth and drynketh his owne dampnation Wherefore that it be not saide to vs as it was to the ghest of that great supper Freende howe camest thou in not hauing the mariage garment And that we maye fruitfully vse Saint Paules counsell Let a man proue hym selfe and so eate of that bread and drynke of that cuppe We muste certaynelye knowe that three thynges be requisite in hym which woulde seemely as becommeth suche hygh mysteries resorte to the Lordes table That is Fyrste a ryght and a worthye estimation and vnderstandyng of this mysterie Secondely to come in a sure fayth And thirdely to haue newenesse or purenesse of lyfe to succeede the receauing the same But before all other thynges this we must be sure of especially that this Supper be in suche wyse done and ministred as our Lorde and sauiour did and commaunded to be done as his holy Apostles vsed it and the good fathers in the primatiue Churche frequented it For as that worthy man saint Ambrose sayth he is vnworthy of the Lord that otherwise doth celebrate that mysterie then it was delyuered by him Neither can he be deuout that other waies doth presume thē it was geuen by the aucthor We must then take heede leaste of the memorie it be made a sacrifice least of a cōmunion it be made a priuate eatyng least of two partes we haue but one least applying it for the dead we lose the fruit that be aliue Let vs rather in these matters folowe the aduice of Ciprian in the lyke cases that is cleaue fast to the firste beginnyng holde fast the Lordes tradition do that in the Lordes cōmemoration which he him selfe did he him selfe commaunded his apostles confirmed This caution or foresight yf we vse then may we see to those thynges that be requisit in the worthy receauer wherof this was the fyrste that we haue a ryght vnderstandyng of the thyng it selfe As concerning which thing this we maye assuredlye perswade our selues that the ignoraunt man can neyther worthyly esteeme nor effectually vse those marueilous graces and benefites offered and exhibited in that Supper but eyther wyll lightly regarde them to no small offence or vtterly condempne them to his vtter destruction So that by his negligence he deserueth the plagues of God to fall vppon hym and by contempt he deserueth euerlastyng perdition To auoyde then these harmes vse the aduice of the wyse man who wylleth thee when thou sittest at an earthlye kynges table to take diligent heede what thinges are set before thee So nowe much more at the kyng of kynges table thou must carefully searche and knowe what dainties are prouided for thy soule whyther thou art come not to feede thy senses and belly to corruption but thy in warde man to immortalitie and lyfe nor to consyder the earthlye creatures whiche thou seest but the heauenlye graces which thy fayth beholdeth For this table is not sayth Chrisostome for chattering Jayes but for Egles who flee thither where the dead bodye lyeth And yf this aduertisement of man can not perswade vs to resorte to the lordes table with vnderstandyng see the counsell of GOD in the lyke matter who charged his people to teache their posteritie not onlye the rites and ceremonies of the Passouer but the cause and ende thereof Whence we may learne that both more perfect knowledge is required at this tyme at our handes and that the ignoraunt can not with fruite and profite exercise hym selfe in the Lordes Sacramentes But to come nygher to the matter Saint Paul blaming the Corinthians for the prophaning of the Lordes supper concludeth that ignoraunce both of the thing it selfe and the signification thereof was the cause of their abuse for they came thither
hath purified our heartes by fayth to the sincere acknowledging of his Gospel and imbracing of his mercies in Christe Jesu that so at this his table we receaue not only the outwarde Sacrament but the spirituall thing also not the figure but the trueth not the shadowe only but the bodye not to death but to lyfe not to destruction but to saluation which God graunt vs to do through the merites of our Lord and Sauiour to whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the worthy receauing and reuerent esteeming of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christe IN the Homilee of late rehearsed vnto you ye haue hearde good people why it pleased our sauiour Christe to institute that heauenly memorie of his death and passion and that euery one of vs ought to celebrate the same at his table in our owne personnes and not by other You haue hearde also with what estimation knowledge of so hygh mysteries we ought to resort thyther You haue hearde with what constant fayth we shoulde clothe and decke our selues that we myght be fit and decent partakers of that celestiall foode Nowe foloweth the thirde thing necessarie in him that woulde not eate of this breade nor drinke of this cuppe vnworthyly which is newnesse of lyfe and godlinesse of conuersation For newenesse of lyfe as fruites of fayth are required in the partaker of this table â—e maye learne by the eating of the tipicall lambe whervnto no man was admitted but he that was a Jewe that was circumcized that was before sanctiâ—â—ed Yea Saint Paul testifieth that although the people were partakers of the Sacramentes vnder Moyses yet for that some of them were still worshippers of images whoremongers tempters of Christe murmurers and coueting after euill thinges God ouerthrewe those in the wyldernesse and that for our example that is that we Christians shoulde take heede we resorte vnto our Sacramentes with holinesse of lyfe not trustyng in the outwarde receauing of them and infected with corrupte and vncharitable maners For this sentence of GOD must alwayes be iustified I wyll haue mercie and not sacrifice Wherefore â—ayth Basâ—l it behoueth him that commeth to the bodye and blood of Christe in commemoration of hym that dyed and rose agayne not only to be pure from all filthynesse of the fleshe and spirite least he eate and drinke to his condempnation but also to shewe out euidently a memorie of hym that dyed rose agayne for vs in this point that he be mortified to sinne and the world to liue now to God in Christe Jesu our Lorde So then we must shewe outwarde testimonie in folowyng the signification of Christes death amongst the which this is not esteemed least to render thankes to almightie God for all his benefites briefely comprised in the death passion resurrection of his dearely beloued sonne The which thing because we ought chiefly at this table to solempnise the godly fathers named it Eucharistia that is thankesgeuing As yf they should haue sayde Nowe aboue all other tymes ye ought to laude and prayse god Now may you beholde the matter the cause the begynning and the ende of all thankesgeuing Nowe yf you stacke ye shewe your selues most vnthankfull and that no other benefite can euer stirre you to thanke God who so litle regarde here so many so wonderfull and so profitable benefites Seeyng then that the name thing it selfe doth monishe vs of thanks let vs as saint Paul sayth offer alwayes to god the hoste or sacrifice of prayse by Christe that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name For as Dauid singeth He that offereth to God thankes and prayse honoureth hym But howe fewe be there of thankfull personnes in comparison to the vnthankfull Loe ten Lepers in the Gospell were healed and but one only returned to geue thankes for his health Yea happye it were yf among fourtie Communicantes we coulde see two vnfaignedly geue thankes So vnkinde we be so obliuious we be so proude beggers we be that partly we care not for our owne commoditie partlye we knowe not our duetie to God and chiefely we wyll not confesse all that we receaue Yea and yf we be forced by Gods power to do it yet we handle it so coldely so drylye that our lippes prayse him but our heartes disprayse hym our tongues blesse hym but our lyfe curseth hym our wordes worshippe hym but our workes dishonour him O let vs therfore learne to geue God here thankes aright and so to agnise his exceeding graces powred vppon vs that they beyng shutte vp in the treasure house of our heart maye in due tyme and season in our lyfe and conuersation appeare to the glorifying of his holye name Furthermore for newenesse of lyfe it is to be noted that Saint Paul wryteth that we beyng many are one bread and one body For all be partakers of one bread Declaring thereby not onlye our Communion with Christ but that vnitie also wherin they that eate at this table shoulde be knitte together For by discention vaineglory ambition strise enuying contempt hatred or malyce they shoulde not be disseuered but so ioyned by the bonde of loue in one mysticall bodye as the cornes of that bread in one lofe In respecte of which strait knot of charitie the true Christians in the tender tyme of Christes Churche called this supper loue As yf they shoulde saye none ought to sit downe there that were out of loue and charitie who bore grudge vengeaunce in his heart who also dyd not professe his kynd affection by some charitable reliefe for some parte of the congregation And this was their practise O heaueÌ„ly â—anket then so vsed O godly ghestes who so estemed this feast But O wretched creatures that we be at these daies who be without reconciliation of our brethren whoÌ„ we haue offended without satisfying them whom we haue caused to fall without any kynde of thought or compassion toward them whoÌ„ we myght easyly relieue without any conscience of slaunder disdayne misrâ—poet diuision rancour or inwarde bitternes Yea being accombred with the cloked hatred of Caine with the long couered malice of Esau with the dissembled falshood of Ioab dare ye presume to come vp to these sacred and fearefull mysteries O man whyther rushest thou vnaduisedly It is a table of peace and thou art redy to fight It is a table of singlenes and thou art imagining mischeefe It is a table of quietnesse and thou art geuen to debate It is a table of pitie and thou art vnmercifull Doest thou neyther feare GOD the maker of this feast nor reuerence his Christe the refection and meate nor regardest his spouse his beloued ghest nor weighest thyne owne conscience which is sometime thyne inwarde accuser Wherfore O man tender thyne owne saluation examine and trye thygood wyl and loue towardes the chyldren of God the members of Christe the heyres of the heauenly heritage
deuill and not of God albeit they pretende outwardly to the worlde neuer so muche holinesse For as the Gospell teacheth vs the spirit of Jesus is a good spirit an holy spirit a sweete spirite a lowely spirite a mercifull spirite full of charitie and loue ful of forgeuenes and pitie not rendring euil for euill extremitie for extremitie but ouercomming euill with good and remitting all offence euen from the heart Accordyng to which rule if any man liue vprightly of him it may be safely pronounced that he hath the holy ghost within him If not then it is a plaine token that he doth vsurpe the name of the holye ghost in vaine Therfore dearely beloued according to the good councel of S. John beleue not euery spirite but firste trie them whether they be of God or no. Manye shall come in my name sayeth Christe and shall transfourme them selues into Angels of light deceauing if it be possible the very elect They shall come vnto you in sheepes clothing being inwardlye cruell and rauening Wolues They shall haue an outwarde shewe of great holines and innocencie of lyfe so that ye shall hardly or not at all discerne them But the rule that ye must folowe is this to iudge them by their fruites Which if they be wicked and naught then is it vnpossible that the tree of whoÌ„ they proceede should be good Such were all the popes and prelates of Rome for the most parte as doth well appeare in the storye of their lyues and therefore they are worthylye accounted among the number of false prophetes and false Christes whiche deceaued the worlde a long whyle The Lorde of heauen and earth deâ—fende vs from their tirannie and pryde that they neuer enter into his vineyarde agayne to the disturbaunce of his feely poore flocke but that they may be vtterly confounded and put to flight in all partes of the worlde And he of his great mercy so worke in al mens heartes by the mighty power of the holy ghost that the comfortable Gospell of his sonne Christe may be truely preached truely receaued and truelye followed in all places to the beating downe of sinne death the pope the deuil all the kingdome of Antichrist that lyke scattered and dispearsed sheepe beyng at length gathered into one folde we maye in the ende rest altogether in the bosome of â—braham Isaac and Jacob there to be partakers of eternal and euerlasting life through the merites and death of Jesus Christ out sauiour Amen ⧠An Homilee for the dayes of rogation weeke That all good thynges commeth from God. I Am purposed this day good deuout Christian people to declare vnto you the most deserued praise commendation of almighty God not only in the consyderation of the marueylous creation of this worlde or for conseruation and gouernaunce thereof wherein his great power and wysedome might excellentlye appeare to moue vs to honour and dread him but moste specially in consyderation of his liberall large goodnes whiche he daylye bestoweth on vs his reasonable creatures for whose sake he made the whole vniuersall worlde with all the commodities and goods therein Which his singuler goodnes well and diligently remembred on our part shoulde moue vs as dutie is agayne with hartye affection to loue him and with word and deede to praise him and serue him all the dayes of our lyfe And to this matter being so worthye to entreate of and so profitable for you to heare I trust I shal not neede with much circumstaunce of words to stirre you to geue your attendance to heare what shal be said Only I would wish your affection inflamed in secrete wyse within your selfe to rayse vp some motion of thankes geuing to the goodnes of almightie God in euery 〈…〉 che poynt as shal be opened by my declaration particulerly vnto you For els what shall it auayle vs to heare and knowe the great goodnesse of God towarde vs to knowe that what soeuer is good proceedeth from him as from the principal fountayne and the onelye aucthour or to knowe that what soeuer is sent from him must needs be good and holsome if the hearing of suche matter moueth vs no further but to knowe it onely What auayled it the wyse men of the worlde to haue a knowledge of the power and diuinitie of God by the secrete inspiration of him where they did not honor and glorifie him in their knowledges as God What prayse was it to them by the consyderation of the creation of the world to behold his goodnesse and yet were not thankful to him againe for his creatures What other thing deserued this blindnes and forgetfulnes of them at Gods handes but vtter forsaking of him and so forsaken of God they could not but fall into extreme ignorance and errour And although they muche esteemed them selues in their wittes and knowledge and gloried in their wisdome yet vanished they away blyndly in their thoughtes became fooles perished in their folly There can be none other ende of suche as draweth nygh to God by knowledge and yet depart from him in vnthankfulnes but vtter destruction This experience sawe Dauid in his dayes For in his Psalme he saith Behold they which withdrawe them selues from thee shall perishe for thou hast destroyed them all that are strayed from thee This experieÌ„ce was perceaued to be true of that holy prophete Jeremie O Lord sayth he what soeuer they be that forsake thee shal be confounded they that depart from thee shal be written in the earth and soone forgotten It profiteth not good people to heare the goodnes of God declared vnto vs if our heartes be not inflamed therby to honour thanke hym It profited not the Jewes whiche were Gods elect people to here much of God seyng that he was not receaued in their heartes by fayth nor thanked for his benefites bestowed vpon them their vnthankfulnes was the cause of their destructioÌ„ Let vs esche we the maner of these before rehearsed and folowe rather the example of that holye Apostle Saint Paul whiche when in a deepe meditation he dyd beholde the marueylous proceedinges of almyghtie God and consydered his infinite goodnes in the ordering of his creatures he brast out into this conclusion Surely sayth he of hym by hym and in him be al thinges And this once pronounced he stacke not still at this poynt but forthwith therupon ioyned to these wordes To him be glory prayse for euer Amen Uppon the grounde of which wordes of Saint Paul good audience I purpose to builde my exhortation of this day vnto you Wherein I shall do my endeuour first to proue vnto you that al good things commeth downe vnto vs from aboue from the father of lyght Secondly that Jesus Christ his sonne and our sauiour is the meane by whom we receaue his liberall goodnesse Thirdly that in the power and vertue of the holy ghost we be made meete and able to receaue his giftes graces Which
euery where to whom be all honour and glory for euermore ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee for rogation weeke IN the former part of this Homilee good Christian people I haue declared to your contemplation the great goodnes of almightie God in the creation of this world with all the furniture thereof for the vse and comfort of man whereby we might the rather be moued to acknowledge our duetie againe to his maiestie And I trust it hath wrought not onelye credit in you but also it hath moued you to render your thankes secretly in your heartes to almightie God for his louing kyndnes But yet peraduenture some will say that they can agree to this that all that is good parteyning to the soule or what soeuer is created with vs in body should come from God as from the aucthour of all goodnesse and from none other But of suche thinges as be without them both I meane such good things which we call goodes of fortune as riches aucthoritie promotion and honour some men may thynke that they should come of our industrie diligeÌ„ce of our labour and trauayle rather then supernaturally Now then consyder good people if any aucthour there be of suche thinges concurraunt with mans labour and indeuour were it meete to ascribe them to any other then to God as the Panim Philosophers and Poets did erre which toke Fortune and made her a Goddesse to be honoured for such thynges God forbid good Christian people that this imagination shoulde earnestlye be receaued of vs that be worshippers of the true God whose workes and proceedings be expressed manifestly in his worde These be the opinions sayinges of Infidels not of true christians For they indeede as Iob maketh mention beleue and say that God hath his residence resting place in the cloudes consyder nothyng of our matters Epicures they be that imagine that he walketh about the coastes of the heauens and haue no respect to these inferiour thinges but that all these thinges shoulde proceede either by chaunce or at aduenture or els by disposition of fortune and God to haue no stroke in them What other thing is this to say then as the foole supposeth in his heart there is no God Whom we shall none otherwise reproue then with Gods owne words by the mouth of Dauid Heare my people sayeth he for I am thy God thy verye god All the beastes of the wood are myne Sheepe and Oxen that wandreth in the mountaynes I haue the knowledge of all the 〈…〉 les of the ayre the beawty of the feelde is my handy worke myne is the whole circuite of the worlde all the plentie that is in it And againe by the Prophete Hieremie Thinkest thou that I am a God of the place nye me sayeth the Lorde and not a God farre of Can a man hide him selfe in so secrete a corner that I shall not see him Do not I fulfill and replenishe both heauen earth sayth the Lorde whiche of these two shoulde be most beleued Fortune whom they paynte to be blynde of both eyes euer vnstable vnconstant in her wheele in whose handes they saye these thyngs be Or God in whose hand and power these thynges be in deede who for his truth and constance was yet neuer reproued For his sight loketh thorowe heauen and earth and seeth all thinges presently with his eyes Nothing is to darke or hidden from his knowledge not the priuie thoughtes of mennes myndes Trueth it is that of God is all ryches all power all aucthoritie all health wealth prosperitie of the which we shoulde haue no part without his liberal distribution and except it came from hym aboue Dauid first testifieth of rychesse and possesiions If thou geuest good lucke they shall gather and if thou openest thy hand they shal be full of goodnesse but yf thou turnest thy face they shal be troubled And Salomon sayth It is the blessyng of the Lord that maketh riche men To this agreeth that holy woman Anne where she saith in her song It is the Lord that maketh the poore and maketh the riche it is he that promoteth pulleth downe he can rayse a needye man from his miserie from the dounghill he can lyfte vp a poore personage to sit with princes and haue the seate of glory for all the coastes of the earth be his Nowe yf any man wyll aske What shal it auayle vs to knowe that euery good gyft as of nature and fortune so called and euery perfecte gyft as of grace concernyng the soule to be of God and that it is his gyft onlye Forsoothe for many causes is it conuenient for vs to knowe it For so shall we knowe if we confesse the trueth who ought iustly to be thanked for them Our pride shal be thereby abated perceauing naught to come of our selues but sinne and vice yf anye goodnes be in vs to referre all laude prayse for the same to almyghtie god It shal make vs not to aduaunce our selues before our neyghbour to despise him for that he hath fewer giftes seeyng God geueth his giftes where he wyll It shall make vs by the consyderation of our giftes not to extoll our selues before our neyghbours â—t shal make the wyse man not to glory in his wysdome nor the strong man in his strength nor the riche to glory in his riches but in the liuing god which is aucthour of all these lest yf we should do so we myght be rebuked with the wordes of saint Paul What hast thou that thou hast not receaued and if thou hast receaued it why gloriest in thy selfe as though thou haddest not receaued it To confesse that all good thinges commeth from almightie God is a great poynt of wysdome my freendes For so coÌ„fessing we know whyther to resort for to haue them yf we want as saint James bid vs saying If any man wanteth the gyft of wysdome let hym aske it of God that geues it it shal be geuen hym As the wyse man in the want of such a lyke gyft made his recourse to God for it as he testifieth in his booke After I knew sayth he that otherwyse I coulde not be chast except God graunted it and this was as he there wryteth hye wysdome to know whose gyft it was I made haste to the Lorde earnestly besought hym euen from the rootes of my heart to haue it I woulde to God my frendes that in our wantes and necessities we would go to God as saint James biddeth as the wyse man teacheth vs that he dyd I woulde we beleued stedfastly that God only geues them If we did we would not seeke our want and necessitie of the deuil and his ministers so oft as we do as dayly experience declareth it For yf we stand in necessitie of corporal health whyther go the coÌ„mon people but to charmes witchcraftes and other delusions of the deuill If we knewe that god
were thaucthour of this gift we would only vse his meanes appoynted and bide his leasure till he thought it good for vs to haue it geuen If the marchaunt and worldlye occupyer knewe that God is the geuer of riches he would content himself with so much as by iust meanes appproued of God he could get to his liuing and woulde be no rycher then trueth woulde suffer hym he woulde neuer procure his gayne aske his goodes at the deuils hande God forbyd ye wyll say that any man should take his ryches of the deuill Ueryly so manye as increase them selues by vsurie by extortion by periurie by stealth by deceytes and crafte they haue theyr goodes of the deuils gyfte And all they that geue them selues to suche meanes and haue renounced the true meanes that god hath appointed haue forsaken him and are become worshippers of the deuill to haue their lukers and aduauntages They be suche as kneele downe to the deuill at his bidding and worship hym For he promiseth them for so doyng that he wyll geue them the worlde and the goodes therein They can not otherwyse better serue the deuyll then to do his pleasure and commaundement And his motion and wyll it is to haue vs forsake the trueth and betake vs to falshood to lyes and periuries They therefore whiche beleueth perfectly in theyr hearte that God is to be honoured and requested for the gyft of all thynges necessarie woulde vse no other meanes to relieue their necessities but trueth and veritie and woulde serue GOD to haue competencie of all thinges necessarie The man in his neede would not relieue his want by stealth The woman would not relieue her necessitie and pouertie by geuing her bodye to other in adulterie for gayne If God be the aucthour in deede of lyfe health richesse and welfare let vs make our recourse to him as the aucthour and we shal haue it sayth Saint James Yea it is hie wysdome by the wyse man therfore to knowe whose gyft it is For manye other skilles it is wysdome to knowe and beleue that al goodnes and graces be of god as the aucthour Whiche thing well consydered must needes make vs thinke that we shall make accompt for that whiche God geueth vs to occupie and therefore shall make vs to be more diligent well to spende them to gods glorye and to the profite of our neyghbour that we may make a good accompt at the last be praysed for good stewardes that we maye heare these wordes of our iudge Well done good seruaunt faythfull thou hast ben faythfull in litle I wyl make thee ruler ouer much go in into thy maisters ioy Besides to beleue certaynely god to be the aucthour of all the giftes that we haue shal make vs to be in scilence pacience when they be taken againe from vs For as God of his mercie doth graunt vs them to vse So other whyles he doth iustlye take them againe from vs to proue our pacience to exercise our fayth and by the meanes of the taking away of a few to bestow the more warely those that remayne to teache vs to vse them the more to his glory after he geueth them to vs agayne Many there be that with mouth can say that they beleue that God is the aucthour of euery good gifte that they haue but in the tyme of temptation they go backe from this beliefe They say it in worde but deny it in deede Consyder me the vsage of the worlde see whether it be not true Beholde the riche man that is indued with substaunce yf by anye aduersitie his goodes be taken from hym howe fumeth and fretteth he how murmureth he and dispaireth He that hath the gyft of good reputation yf his name be anye thing touched by the detractour howe vnquiet is he howe busie to reuenge his despite If a man hath the gyft of wysdome and fortune to be taken of some euyll wyller for a foole is so reported howe much doth it greeue hym to be so esteemed Thinke ye that these beleue constantly that God is the aucthour of these giftes If they beleue it veryly why shoulde they not patiently suffer God to take away his giftes agayne whiche he gaue them freely and lent for a time But ye wyl say I could be content to resigne to God such giftes yf he toke them agayne from me But nowe are they taken from me by euyll chaunces and false shrewes by naughtye wretches how should I take this thing patientlye To this may be aunswered that almightye God is of his nature inuisible commeth to no man visiblye after the maner of man to take away his giftes that he lent But in this poynt whatsoeuer God doth he bryngeth it about by his instrumentes ordeyned therto He hath good angels he hath euill angels he hath good men and he hath euyll men he hath hayle and rayne he hath winde and thunder he hath heate and colde Innumerable instrumentes hath he and messengers by whom agayne he asketh suche giftes as he committeth to our trust as the wyse man confesseth The creature must needes waite to serue his maker to be fierce agaynst vniust men to their punishment For as the same aucthour sayth He armeth the creature to reuenge his enemies And otherwhiles to the probation of our fayth styrreth he vp suche stormes And therfore by what meane and instrument soeuer God takes from vs his giftes we must patiently take gods iudgement in worth and acknowledge him to be the taker geuer as Job sayth The Lorde gaue and the Lorde toke when yet his enemies draue his cattell away when the deuill slue his chyldren and afflicted his bodye with a greeuous sicknes Such meekenesse was in that holy king and prophete Dauid when he was reuyled of Semei in the presence of all his hoast he toke it patiently reuyled not agayne But as confessing God to be the aucthour of his innocencie good name and offering it to be at his pleasure Let hym alone sayth he to one of his knightes that woulde haue reuenged suche despite for God hath commaunded hym to curse Dauid and peraduenture God intendeth thereby to render me some good turne for this curse of him to day And though the minister otherwhyses doth euill in his acte proceedyng of malice yet forasmuch as God turneth his euil act to a profe of our pacience we shoulde rather submit our selfe in patience then to haue indignation at gods rod which peraduenture whē he hath corrected vs to our nurture he wyll cast it into the fire as it deserueth Let vs in lyke maner truely acknowledge all our gyftes and prerogatiues to be so gods giftes that we shal be ready to resigne them vp at his wyll and pleasure againe Let vs throughout our whole lyues confesse all good thinges to come of God of what name and nature soeuer they be not of these corruptible thynges only whereof I haue nowe last spoken but
to towne from place to place without punishment which neyther serue God nor their prince but deuoure the sweete fruites of other mens labour being common liers drunkardes swearers theeues whoremaisters and murtherers refusing all honest labour and geue them selues to nothyng els but to inuent and do mischeefe whereof they are more desyrous and greedy then is any Lion of his pray To remedy this inconueniencie let al parentes others whiche haue the care and gouernance of youth so bring them vp eyther in good learnyng labour or some honest occupation or trade whereby they may be able in time to come not only to sustaine them selues competently but also to relieue and supplie the necessitie and want of others And saint Paul sayth Let hym that hath stolen steale no more and he that hath deceaued others or vsed vnlawful wayes to get his liuing leaue of the same labour rather workyng with his handes that thing whiche is good that he may haue that which is necessarie for hym selfe and also be able to geue vnto others that stande in neede of his helpe The prophet Dauid thinketh him happy that liueth vpon his labour saying When thou eatest the labours of thyne handes happy art thou and wel is thee This happines or blessing consisteth in these such like pointes First it is the gyft of God as Salomon sayth when one eateth and drinketh and receaueth good of his labour Secondaryly when one liueth of his owne labour so it be honest good he liueth of it with a good conscience And an vpryght conscience is a treasure inestimable Thirdly he eateth his bread not with brawling and chiding but with peace and quietnes when he quietly laboureth for the same accordyng to saint Paules admonition Fourthly he is no mans bondman for his meate sake nor needeth not for that to hang vpon the good wyll of other men but so liueth of his owne that he is able to geue part to others And to conclude the labouryng man and his familie whyles they are busilie occupied in their labour be free from many temptations and occasions of sinne which they that liue in idlenesse are subiect vnto And here ought Artificers and Labouring men who be at wages for their worke and labour to consyder theyr conscience to God and theyr duetie to their neighbour least they abuse their tyme in idlenesse so defraudyng them whiche be at charge both with great wages and deare commons They be worse then idle men in deede for that they seeke to haue wages for their loytring It is lesse daunger to God to be idle for no gayne then by idlenes to win out of theyr neyghbours purses wages for that which is not deserued It is true that almyghtie God is angry with suche as do defraude the hyred man of his wages The crie of that iniurie ascendeth vp to Gods eare for vengeaunce And as true it is that the hyred man who vseth deceipt in his labour is a theefe before god Let no man sayth saint Paul to the Thessalonians subtilly beguile his brother let him not defraud him in his busines For the lord is reuenger of suche deceiptes Wherevppon he that wyll haue a good conscience to God that labouring man I say which dependeth wholye vpon Gods benediction ministring all thynges sufficient for his liuing let hym vse his tyme in faythful labour and when his labour by sicknes or other misfortune doth ceasse yet let him think for that in his health he serued GOD and his neyghbour truely he shall not want in tyme of necessitie God vppon respect of his fidelitie in health wyll recompence his indigence to moue the heartes of good men to relieue suche decayed men in sicknesse Where otherwyse whatsoeuer is gotten by idlenesse shall haue no foyson to helpe in tyme of neede Let the labouryng man therfore eschew for his part this vice of idlenesse and deceipt remembring that saint Paul exhorteth euery man to lay away al deceipt dissimulation and lying and to vse trueth plainenesse to his neyghbour because sayth he we be members together in one body vnder one head Christ our sauiour And here myght be charged the seruing men of this Realme who spend their tyme in much idlenesse of life nothyng regardyng the oportunitie of their time forgetting how seruice is no heritage howe age will creepe vpon them where wysdome were they should expende theyr idle time in some good businesse whereby they myght increase in knowledge so the more worthy to be readye for euery mans seruice It is a great rebuke to them that they studie not eyther to write fayre to kepe a booke of accompt to studie the tongues and so to get wysdome knowledge in suche bookes and workes as be nowe plentifully set out in print of all maner languages Let young men consyder the pretious value of their time and wast it not in idlenesse in iolitie in gaming in banqueting in ruffians company Youth is but vanitie and must be accompted for before god Howe mery and glad soeuer thou be in thy youth O young man sayth the preacher how glad soeuer thy heartbe in thy young dayes how fast and freely soeuer thou folowe the waies of thine owne heart and the lust of thyne owne eyes yet be thou sure that God shal bring thee into iudgement for al these thinges God of his mercie put it into the heartes mindes of all them that haue the sworde of punishment in their hands or haue families vnder their gouernance to labour to redres this great enormitie of al such as liue idelly and vnprofitably in the cōmon weale to the great dishonour of God the greeuous plague of his seely people To leaue sinne vnpunished and to neglect the good bryngyng vp of youth is nothyng els but to kindle the Lordes wrath agaynst vs and to heape plagues vpon our owne heades As long as the adulterous people were suffered to liue licenciously without reformation so long dyd the plague continue and increase in Israel as ye may see in the booke of Numbers But when due correction was done vpon them the Lordes anger was straightway pacified and the plague ceassed Let al officers therefore loke straightly to their charge Let all maisters of housholdes refourme this abuse in their families Let them vse the aucthoritie that God hath geuen them Let them not mainteyne vagaboundes and idle persons but deliuer the Realme and their householdes from suche noysome loyterers that idlenesse the mother of al mischeefe being cleane taken away almyghtie God may turne his dreadful anger away from vs cōfirme the couenant of peace vpon vs for euer through the merites of Jesus Christ our only Lord sauiour to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory worlde without ende Amen An Homilee of repentaunce and of true reconciliation vnto God. THere is nothing that the holy ghost doth so much labour in all the scriptures to beate into
the bottome of our heartes detest and abhorre with all earnestnesse flee from it syth that it dyd cost the deare heart blood of the onlye begotten sonne of God our sauiour redeemer to purge vs from it Plato doth in a certayne place wryte that if vertue coulde be seene with bodily eyes all men woulde wonderfully be enflamed and kyndeled with the loue of it Euen so on the contrary if we myght with our bodily eyes beholde the filthynesse of synne and the vncleannes therof we coulde in no wyse abyde it but as most present and deadly poyson hate and eschewe it We haue a common experience of the same in them which when they haue committed any heynous offence or some filthy and abhominable synne if it once come to lyght or if they chaunce to haue a through feelyng of it they be so ashamed their owne conscience puttyng before their eyes the filthynes of their acte that they dare looke no man in the face muche lesse that they shoulde be able to stande in the syght of God. Fourthly the vncertayntie and brittlenesse of our owne lyues whiche is such that we can not assure our selues that we shall lyue one houre or one halfe quarter of it Whiche by experience we do fynde daily to be true in them that beyng nowe mery and lustye and sometymes feastyng and banquettyng with their freendes do fall sodenly dead in the streetes and otherwhyles vnder the boarde when they are yet at meate These daily examples as they are moste terrible and dreadfull so ought they to moue vs to seeke for to be at one with our heauenlye iudge that we may with a good conscience appeare before hym whensoeuer it shal please him for to cal vs whether it be sodaynly or otherwyse for we haue no more charter of our lyfe then they haue But as we are moste certayne that we shall dye so are we most vncertayne when we shal dye For our lyfe doth lye in the hande of God who wyll take it away when it pleaseth hym And veryly when the hyghest somner of all which is death shall come he wyll not be sayde nay but we must foorth with be packyng to be present before the iudgement seate of God as he doth fynde vs accordyng as it is wrytten Wheras the tree falleth whether it be towarde the South or towarde the North there it shall lye Whereunto agreeth the saying of the holy martyr of God S. Ciprian saying As God doth fynde thee when he doth call so doth he iudge thee Let vs therefore folowe the counsayle of the wyse man where he sayth Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and put not of from day to day For sodenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake foorth and in thy securitie shalt thou be destroyed and shalt perishe in tyme of vengeaunce Whiche wordes I desyre you to marke diligently because they do most lyuely put before our eyes the fondnesse of manye men whiche abusyng the long sufferyng and goodnes of God do neuer thynke on repentaunce or amendement of lyfe Folowe not sayth he thyne owne mynde and thy strength to walke in the wayes of thy heart neyther say thou who wyll bryng me vnder for my workes For God the reuenger wyll reuenge the wrong done by thee And saye not I haue synned and what euyll hath come vnto me For the almyghtie is a patient rewarder but he wyll not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy synnes are forgeuen thee be not without feare to heape sin vpon synne Say not neyther The mercie of god is great he wil forgeue my manifold sinnes For mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth vpon vnrepentant synners As if he should say Art thou strong and myghtie Art thou lustye and young Haste thou the wealth and ryches of the worlde Or when thou hast synned hast thou receaued no punishment for it Let none of all these thynges make thee to be the slower to repent and to returne with speede vnto the Lorde For in the day of punishment and of his sodayne vengeaunce they shall not be able to helpe thee And speciallye when thou art eyther by the preaching of Gods worde or by some inwarde motion of his holy spirite or els by some other meanes called vnto repentaunce neglect not the good occasion that is ministred vnto thee least when thou wouldest repent thou hast not the grace for to do it For to repent is a good gyft of God which he wyll neuer graunt vnto them whiche lyuyng in carnal securitie do make a mocke of his threatnynges or seeke to rule his spirites as they list as though his workyng gyftes were tyed vnto their wyll Fifthly the auoydyng of the plagues of God and the vtter destructiō that by his ryghteous iudgement doth hang ouer the heades of them all that will in no wyse returne vnto the Lorde I wyll saith the Lorde geue them for a terrible plague to all the kyngdomes of the earth and for a reproche and for aprouerbe and for a curse in all places where I shall cast them and wyll send the sworde of famine the pestilence among them tyll they be consumed out of the land And wherfore is this Because they hardned their heartes and woulde in no wyse returne from their euyll wayes nor yet forsake the wyckednesse that was in their owne handes that the fiercenesse of the Lordes furie myght departe from them But yet this is nothing in comparison of the intollerable and endlesse tormentes of hell fyre whiche they shal be fayne to suffer who after their hardnesse of heart that can not repent do heape vnto them selues wrath against the day of anger and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Wheras if we wyll repent and be earnestly sory for our synnes and with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe flee vnto the mercie of our god and taking sure holde thereuppon through fayth in our sauiour Jesus Christe do bring foorth fruites worthy of repentaunce he wyll not onlye powre his manifold blessynges vpon vs here in this world but also at the last after the paynefull trauayles of this lyfe rewarde vs with the inheritaunce of his chyldren whiche is the kyngdome of heauen purchased vnto vs with the death of his sonne Jesu Christe our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all prayse glory and honour worlde without ende Amen ⧠An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylful rebellion The fyrst parte AS GOD the creatour and Lord of al thynges appoynted his angels and heauenly creatures in all obedience to serue and to honour his maiestie so was it his wyl that man his cheefe creature vpon the earth shoulde lyue vnder the obedience of his creator and Lord and for that cause God assoone as he had created man gaue vnto him a certayne precept and law whiche he beyng yet in the state of innocencie remaynyng in paradise shoulde obserue as a pledge and
dominions and kyngdomes sometime possessed by Christians in Asia Africa and Europa the miserable fall of the Empyre and Church of Grece sometime the moste florishyng part of Christendome into the handes of Turkes the lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian religion the dreadfull encrease of Paganitie and power of the Infidelles and miscreantes and al by the practise and procurement of the Byshop of Rome cheefely is in the histories and chronicles written by the Byshop of Romes owne fauourers and frendes to be seene and is well knowen vnto all suche as are acquainted with the saide histories The ambitious intent and most subtill driftes of the Byshops of Rome in these their practises appeared euidently by their bolde attempt in spoyling and robbing the Emperours of their Townes Cities Dominions kingdomes in Italie Lumbardie Cicilie of auncient right belonging vnto the Empyre by the ioyning of them vnto their Byshoprike of Rome or els geuing them vnto straungers to holde them of the Churche Byshops of Rome as in capite and as of the cheefe lordes thereof in whiche tenure they holde the most part therof euen at this day By these ambitious in deede trayterous meanes and spoylyng of their soueraigne lordes the Byshops of Rome of Priestes and none other by right then the Bishops of one citie and diocesse are by false vsurpation become great lordes of many dominions myghtie Princes yea or Emperours rather as claymyng to haue diuers princes and kinges to their vassals liege men and subiectes as in the same histories written by their owne familiers and courtiers is to be seene And in deede since the tyme that the Byshops of Rome by ambition treason vsurpation atcheued and atteined to this height and greatnesse they behaued them selues more lyke princes kinges Emperours in al things then remained like priestes bishops and ecclesiastical or as they would be called spirituall persons in any one thing at al. For after this rate they haue handled other kings princes of other Realmes throughout Christendome as well as theyr Soueraigne lordes the Emperours vsually dischargyng their subiectes of their othe of fidelitie and so stirring them vp to rebellion against their naturall princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified vnto you Wherefore let al good subiectes knowing these the speciall instrumentes and ministers of the deuil to the stirring vp of al rebellions auoyde and flee them the pestilent suggestions of such forraigne vsurpers and their adherentes and embrace al obedience to God and their naturall princes and Soueraignes that they may enioy gods blessinges and their princes fauour in all peace quietnes securitie in this worlde and finally attaine through Christ our sauiour lyfe euerlasting in the world to come which God the father for the same our sauiour Jesus Christ his sake graunt vnto vs al to whō with the holy ghost be al honour glory world without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the sixt part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray The prayer as before The sixt and last part of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion NOw whereas the iniuries oppressions rauenie and tyrannie of the bishop of Rome vsurping aswell agaynst their natural lords the Emperours as against al other Christian kinges and kingdomes and their continual stirring of subiectes vnto rebellions agaynst theyr soueraigne lordes whereof I haue partlye admonished you before were intollerable and it may seeme more then maruell that any subiectes woulde after suche sorte holde with vnnaturall forraigne vsurpers agaynst theyr owne soueraigne lordes and naturall countrey It remayneth that I do declare the meane whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole treatie of due obedience and agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion You shall vnderstande that by ignoraunce of Gods worde wherein they kept all men speciallye the common people they wrought brought to passe all these thinges makyng them beleue that all they sayde was true all that they dyd was good and godlye and that to holde with them in all thinges agaynst father mother prince countrey and all men was most meritorious And in deede what mischeefe wyll not blinde ignoraunce leade simple men vnto By ignoraunce the Juishe Cleargie induced the common people to aske the deliuerie of Barabbas the seditious murtherer to sue for the cruell crucifiyng of our sauiour Christe for that he rebuked the ambition suberstion and other vices of the hie priestes and cleargie For as our sauiour Christe testifieth that those who crucified hym wyst not what they dyd so doth the holy apostle saint Paul say If they had knowen yf they had not ben ignoraunt they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glory but they knew not what they dyd Our sauiour Christ him selfe also foreshewed that it shoulde come to passe by ignoraunce that those who should persecute and murther his true apostles and disciples shoulde thinke they dyd God acceptable sacrifice good seruice as it also is verified euen at this day And in this ignoraunce haue the Byshoppes of Rome kept the people of God specially the common sorte by no meanes so muche as by withdrawyng of the word of God from them and by keping it vnder the vale of an vnknowen straunge tongue For as it serued the ambitious humour of the Byshops of Rome to compell all nations to vse the natural language of the citie of Rome where they were Byshops whiche shewed a certayne acknowledging of subiection vnto them so yet serued it muche more their craftie purpose thereby to keepe all people so blinde that they not knowyng what they prayed what they beleued what they were commaunded by God myght take all their commaundementes for Gods. For as they woulde not suffer the holy scriptures or Churche seruice to be vsed or had in any other language then the latine so were verye fewe euen of the moste simple people taught the Lordes prayer the articles of the fayth and the ten commaundementes otherwyse then in latine whiche they vnsterstoode not by whiche vniuersal ignorance al men were redy to beleue whatsoeuer they sayd to do whatsoeuer they commaunded For to imitate the apostles phrase If the Emperours subiectes had knowen out of Gods worde their duetie to their prince they would not haue suffered the Byshop of Rome to perswade them to forsake their Soueraigne lord the Emperour against their othe of fidelitie and to rebel against him only for that he cast images vnto the which idolatrie was committed out of the Churches which the Byshop of Rome bare them in hande to be heresie If they had knowen of Gods word but asmuch as the ten commaundementes they should haue founde that the Byshop of Rome was not onlye a traytour to the Emperour his liege Lorde but to God also and an horrible blasphemer of his maiestie in calling his holy worde and commaundement heresye and that which the Byshop of