mē that they maye se your good workes But why is thys see of glasse lykened to Crystall Surely bycause Crystall is a water whych by continuaunce of tyme is tourned into the hardenes of a stone suche ones ought they that be baptised to be brought vnto that is to saye stronge and harde in faythe By the .iiii. beastes full of eyes before and behynde some do vnderstande the .iiii. Euangelistes other whose iugemente better agreeth to the scripture as it semeth do vnderstande those heauenly and ministratoriouse spirites or angels whych be appoynted to stande at the foure quarters of heauen by whych the kyngdome of Christ that is Heb. ij the church is spred to execute the thynges that be determined by the vnserchable and eternall counsayle of God to be done in mens thynges These be full of eyes before and behynde that is to say they be replenyshed wyth the science and knowlege of thinges passed and thinges to come And the fyrst beast was lyke a Lyon the seconde lyke a Calfe the thyrd had a face like a Man and the fourth was lyke a flyenge Egle. Brethren ye shall vnderstande that in a lyon is courage and strength in a calfe laboure and diligence in the face of a man prudence and ryght iudgement in an egle swyftnes and also facilitie in doynge theyr ministeries al whych vertues they haue nede of ☜ whych wol administre well and prosperously any kyngdome And for thys cause in the psalmes the Lorde is said to syt and ryde vpon Cherubim bycause that by them he executeth hys iudgementes couragiously diligētly prudently and wyth great swyftnes To thys interpretaciō doth the scripture agre For the prophete Ezechiel in the .x. chapter doth vnderstande by the .iiii. beastes the Cherubim and he maketh also the foure beastes one hauynge yet foure faces or formes for the forsayde vertues wherwyth those ministrynge spirites whose seruice Christ vseth in the administracion of hys kyngdome were indowed In that they haue syxe wynges a pece is betokened theyr swyftnes of obedience to execute the thynges that they be appoynted vnto Esa vi In lyke maner doth Esay describe Seraphim These āgels or yf ye lyst these foure Euangelistes whych also be angels that is to say messangers by whome Christ the greate conquerour of the aduerse powers is caryed throughe out the hole worlde as it were in a triumphall charette haue no rest neyther day nor nyght but crye without ceasing Holy ☞ holy holy that is to saye holy father holy sonne and holy spirite comforter one Lorde God almyghty Math. xxviij in whose name all we that beleue be baptised And whan those beastes gaue glorye honoure and thankes to hym that sate on the seate whych lyueth for euer and euer the .xxiiii. elders of whom mēcion is made before fel also downe before him which sate on the trone and worshypped hym that lyueth for euer Now therfore good christen people syth those holy spirites or angels and the hole quere and church triumphant in heauen do wythout ceasynge laude prayse and magnifye the hygh maiestye of the Godheade let not vs whych be the churche or congregacion militant here in erth be behynde wyth our prayses cōmendacions and thankesgyuynge The holy angels do crye before let vs answere in the same note saye Holy father holy sonne holy goost cōforter Let vs I saye accordynge to the exemple of the .xxiiii. elders cast oure crownes before the trone that is to saye confesse the crownes and rewardes whyche we that be iustifyed persōs haue come of Christes mere goodnes and no parte of our owne deseruynge and saye Thou arte worthy o Lorde our God to receiue glorye and honoure and power For thou hast created all thynges and for thy wyll they be c. The gospell on Trinitie sondaye The .iij. chapter of Ihon. Th argument ☞ A conflicte betwene the iustice of the flesh and the iustice of the spirite THere was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes The same came to Iesus by nyght and sayd vnto hym Rabbi we knowe that thou arte a teacher come from God for no man coulde do such myracles as thou doest excepte God were wyth hym Iesus answered and sayd vnto hym Verely verely I saye vnto the excepte a mā be borne from aboue he can not se the kyngdome of God Nicodemus sayeth vnto hym how can a man be borne whan he is olde can he enter into hys mothers wombe and be borne againe Iesus answered verely verely I saye vnto the excepte a man be borne of water and of the spirite he can not enter into the kyngdome of God That whych is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite Maruayle not thou that I sayd to the ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it lysteth and thou hearest the sounde therof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Nicodemus answered and sayd vnto him how can these thynges be Iesus answered and sayd vnto hym arte thou a mayster in Israel and knowest not these thynges Verelye verelye I saye vnto the we speake that we do knowe and testifye that we haue sene and ye receyue not our wytnes Yf I haue tolde you earthly thinges and ye beleue not how shall ye beleue yf I tell you of heauenly thynges And no man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe from heuen euen the sonne of man whych is in heauen And as Moses lyfte vp the serpent in the wyldernes euen so muste the sonne of man be lyfte vp that who so euer beleueth in hym perysh not but haue eternall lyfe IN thys Gospell good people is conteyned a sore disputacion vpon the iustyce of the spirtye and the iustice of the fleshe Christ teacheth and defēdeth the spirituall iustice Nicodemus thother but so yet that he suffreth himselfe to be taught and instructed of Christ Fyrst therfore we shall consyder the person of Nicodemus as the Gospell describeth hym and howe folyshly he speaketh of the new byrth The description of Nicodemus For hereby we shall espye what we also can do of oure owne power in godly and spirituall maters Now the Euangelyst certifyeth vs that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Iues meanynge herby that for the outwarde conuersacion he was fautles in lyuynge and floryshed in such apparaunce of honesty and holynes that he was nombred of the Iues euen amongest the chefest fyrst Lo here thou hast the descripcion of Nicodemus person which before the worlde is both prudent and ryghtuouse And yet neuertheles this worldly wyse and holy man is not so hardy nor so stronge that he dare openlye come to Christe or speake vnto hym albeit he iudgeth Christ a teacher sente from God and can not denye hys sygnes and myracles I praye you why doth not reason here come forth openly to
thre therfore the fathers haue founde out the worde person for the auoydynge of many errours Why the feaste of Trinitie was institute And hereof for discernynge the sayd persons is the name of Trinitie come into the church wherby we sygnifye not .iij. vnegall persons but thre persons coequal of one in diuisible substaunce and essencie And as touchinge the vse of thys feast oure predecessours thought it good to haue some certayne tyme appoynted in the church wherin they myght intreate of the offices of those thre persons egall in godheade And bycause the fourth chapter of the Apocalyps semeth to sette forth wonderfully well the maiestie of God and not obscurely to touche the mysterye of the Trinitie the church of Englande condescended to haue the same red in the church thys daye whych brefely God wyllynge we shal declare vnto you Thus it beginneth After thys I loked and beholde a dore open in heauen and the fyrst voyce I herde was as of a trōpe speakynge wyth me sayenge Come vp hither and I shall shewe the what shal be done herafter Thys dore whych saynt Ihon sawe open no doubte is the intraunce and commynge to the new and heauenly lyfe whych Christe oure Sauioure hath made vs as the Epistle to the Hebrues the .x. phil iij. chapter wytnesseth For our cōuersacion ought now to be in heauē And saynt Ihon doth here describe the Iudicial power of Christe gyuen hym of the heauenlye father wherewyth he defendeth hys churche from the power of the aduersaries And he sayeth There was a seate set and vpon it a sytter wherby he sygnifyeth the stabilitie of Christes raygne For hys seate or trone is as Dauid sayeth worlde wythout ende And he that satte vpon thys glorious and princelye trone or seate was to loke vpon lyke a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone Psalm lxxxiiij By thys is vnderstanded nothynge els but a certayne heauenly royall bewty shewynge aswell the maiestye as the power most excellent of the iudge Christ For the cloth of estate royall seates of kynges be wont to be moost rychely decked and furnyshed for the settynge out of theyr Maiestye and authoritie Nowe the Iaspar stone they saye beareth the semblaunce of water and the Sardyn stone of fyer wherby is vnderstanded that the Lorde is wont to make hys iudgementes in water and in fyer as appeareth Gen. vij and .xix. Exo. xiiij and in the seconde Epistle of Peter the last chapiter and in many other places of scripture The raynebow And a raynebowe was about the seat in syght lyke to an Emerald The raynebowe is a token that god the father is made at one wyth vs by Christ and reconciled to mankynde emerald as appeareth Gen. ix Nowe the Emeralde they say is of such grenenes vertue that it maketh all thynges aboute it to floryshe and growe Lactantius Euen so by Christ the world is renewed and it reflorysheth as Lactantius doth very elegauntly and well declare in a certayne Hymne And aboute the seate were .xxiiij. seates And vpon the seates .xxiiij. elders syttynge clothed in whyte raiment and had on their heades crownes of gold Saint Ihon doth here allude to the maner of a realme well ordered where kynges and princes whyche are to gyue sentence in maters of weyghte woll not do it wythout the assistence of certayne auncient personages that haue good experience of thynges and knowlege of the best lawes lest they myght seme to condempne any man of theyr owne priuate lust and pleasure Wherfore by this allusiō he declareth that God is a moost iust iudge whose sentence all iuste persons shal approue and prayse as moost ryghtful and true By the .xxiiij. elders ye shall vnderstande aswell the patriarches and prophetes of the olde synagoge as the Apostles Euangelistes doctours of the new Testament Exod. xxiiii Nu. xi Act. xx and also the godly kynges iuges of both peoples For they in scripture be called Elders Now by the syttynge of these Elders is vnderstande the felowship of the iudiciall power with Christ accordynge to Christes owne sayenge Mat. xix Ye shall also syt vpon the .xij. seates iudgynge the xij trybes i. cor vi Also saynt Paule wytnesseth that saintes shall iudge of thys worlde By theyr whyte garmentes or robes wherewyth they were clothed is sygnifyed purenes of mynde innocencye and indifferent iudgement wythout affection Exod. xviiij By theyr crownes of golde vpon theyr heades I vnderstande the mooste pure sense of faith wherby they shal iuge of al accordynge to the arbitrement of God so that what so euer they shall iuge vpon earth shal be ratifyed also in heauen accordynge to that sayng of Christ Mathew xviii What soeuer ye bynde on earth shal be bounde in heuen and what soeuer ye louse on erth the same shal be loused in heauen Furthermore they sygnifye the felowshyp of the victories and raygne of Christ Cap. xi accordynge to that in the Epistle to the Hebrues The sayntes haue vaynquyshed realmes by fayth It foloweth in the texte And out of the seate proceded lyghtenynges and thonderynges and voyces And there were seuen lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whyche are the seuen spirites of God The preachynge of the Apostles and of men apostolical is compared to lyghtenynge and thondrynge bycause by it is proclamed the fearfulnes of gods iudgementes the whych hange ouer the heades of infideles and such as beleue not By the .vii. lampes of fyre brennyng before the trone I vnderstande the septiforme spirite of God that is to wyt the fulnes and perfection of the heauenly graces wherwyth the kyngdome of Christ is furnyshed Esa xi i. cor xij It foloweth And before the seate there was a see of glasse lyke vnto Crystall and in the myddes of the seate and rounde about the seate were foure beastes full of eyes before and behynde c. My frendes the calamities of thys worlde wherwyth the stynch of the fleshe is repourged and the naughtye affectes of the same vtterly mortifyed muste nedes be passed ouer of vs euen as it behoued the people of God to passe the red see before they coulde entre into the lande of promission Wherfore those heauenly and spiritual waters be here sygnifyed wherwythal the pourgynge of the soules and the spiritual regeneratiō is made Ioh. iij. i. Pe. iiij For onles a man be borne agayne of water and spirite he can not se God And he calleth it a see after the Hebrues fashion whych be wont to call al gatherynges of waters sees as in the thyrd boke of kynges it is called the brasen see wherin the prestes in theyr ministracion washed and in certaine other places Now glasse is a bryght thyng wherby is meant that the water of baptisme purifyeth and maketh bryght not so much the bodye as the hartes yea euē in the outwarde conuersation of maners according to that of Christe Let your lyght so shyne before
what is wrytten in the lawe How redest thou And he answered and sayde Loue the Lorde thy God wyth all thy hart and wyth all thy soule and wyth all thy strength and wyth all thy mynde and thy neyghbour as thy selfe And he sayde vnto hym Thou hast answered ryght This do and thou shalt lyue But he wyllynge to iustifye hymselfe sayd vnto Iesus And who is my neyghboure Iesus answered and sayd A certayne man descended from Ierusalem to Hierico and fell amonge theues which robbed hym of hys rayment and wounded hym and departed leauynge hym halfe deade And it chaunced that there came downe a certayne prest that same waye and whan he sawe hym he passed by And lykewyse a Leuite whan he wente nye to the place came and loked on hym and passed by But a certayne Samaritane as he iorneyed came vnto hym and whā he sawe hym he had compassion on hym and went to and bounde vp hys woundes poured in oyle and wyne set him on his owne beast and brought hym to a cōmon ynne made prouision for hym And on the morowe whan he departed he toke out two pence and gaue them to the hoost and sayd vnto hym Take cure of hym and what so euer thou spendest more whā I come agayne I wyll recōpence the. Whych now of these thre thynkest thou was neyghbour vnto hym that fel amonge the theues And he said he that shewed mercy on hym Than sayde Iesus vnto hym Go and do thou lykewyse BLessed be the eyen whych se that you haue sene c. Welbeloued audience these be the wordes of our Sauiour Christ spoken to hys disciples in the x. chapter of Luke whych be red in the churche thys daye For the better vnderstandynge wherof ye shal marke that Christe a lytle before the speakynge of these wordes reioysyng in spirite gaue prayses and thankes to hys father of heuen bycause he had hyd the mysterye of the gospell from the proude Pharisees whych were counted the wyse and wyttye persones of the worlde and had disclosed and opened it to symple and vnlerned persons as to fyshermē publicanes and so forth such as were hys disciples And speakynge these wordes he turned hymselfe to hys disciples apart and sayde the wordes before rehersed Blessed be the eyen that se whych you do se For I tell you that many prophetes kynges wold haue sene that you se and sawe not and wolde haue herde that you heare herde not I praye you what herde what sawe these disciples that the prophetes and kynges whych were before them herde not nor sawe not Truly they sawe not they herd not Christ as dyd thappostles They busely wayted and loked for hym they knewe such one shulde come to redeme and saue them from euerlastynge dānation death wherof they were gyltie by the synne of Adam theyr fyrst father But they coulde not se hym personally For the tyme was not yet come that the father of heuen had set and determined to sende hym And amōges other holy fathers whych loked for thys redēption Luce. ij we reade in holy scripture of one Symeon a ryghtuouse and deuoute man whyche had receyued an answere of the holy goost that he shulde not se death tyll he had sene wyth hys eyen the Christe of the Lorde that is to saye the Messias that shulde saue and redeme the worlde whyche thynge came to passe For whan Christ our sauiour was brought to the temple on the eyght daye to be circumcised accordynge to the custome of the Iues thys Symeon in spyred with the holy goost came into the temple and takynge the chylde in hys armes praysed God and sayd Now thou lycencest me thy seruaunt to depart o Lorde accordyng to thy word in peace For myne eyen haue sene thy sauynge stocke whych thou hast prepared before the face of all people c. We reade also of a certayne wydowe prophetisse named Anne doughter of Phanuell Luce. ij which was also in the temple the same tyme and praysed the Lorde in lyke wyse spake of thys Christ vnto all those that wayted for the redemption of Israell These I saye and suche other whyche were in Christes tyme reioysed to se that they sawe and to heare that they herde But thys coulde not the holy prophetes and kynges whyche were before Christes commynge into thys world se bycause the tyme was not yet come So Christ myght very well call the disciples blessed bycause they saw thynges and also herde doctrine taught them which were not sene nor herde before Now whan Christe had spoken these wordes and was come agayne to the people to teache and instructe them hys doctrine beholde a certayne scribe which was a lawyer sterte vp to take Christ in a trippe and to tempte hym sayenge Mayster what shall I do to inherite euerlastynge lyfe Christ perceyuynge wherabout he went answered and sayd to the lawyer What is wrytten in the lawe Deut. vi How doest thou rede there He sayd In the lawe thus is it wrytten Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with thy hole harte and thy hole soule and wyth thy hole myght and wyth all thy mynde and thy neyghboure as thy selfe Than sayd Christ vnto hym Thou hast well answered Thys do and thou shalt lyue As who shulde saye Thou art a doctour a teacher and mayster in Israel Do the thynge that thou teachest other to do be a worker of the thynge that thou readest For not the hearers of the lawe be iust before God Rom. ij but the doers of the lawe shal be iustifyed Thynke not for al my new and straūge doctrine to your eares Math. v. that I am come to destroye the law and the prophetes as many do thinke of me No no I am not come to destroye but to fulfyll Ye scribes and pharisees cōmonly set lytle by gods hestes and commaundementes all your busye studye labour is to auaunce set vp your owne lawes your owne rytes and traditions But I tel you and take it for a warnynge that who so euer breaketh one of these lytle prety cōmaundementes of God for so ye coūte them in comparison of yours and teacheth men to do as he doth as cōmonly ye scribes and pharisees do Math. v beleue me he shall haue lest to do in heauen But that person whych fyrst doth hymselfe afterwarde teacheth other men these cōmaundementes of God of whych thou hast rekened vp the chefest of all and that whych conteyneth all the rest doubtles thys felowe shal be called a great man in heuen Now good people ye shall vnderstande that the scribes pharisees amonges the Iues in dede taught whā they sate in Moses chaire the lawe of God and hys commaundementes but they added many gloses interpretacions and additions of theyr owne heades They corrupted gods worde wyth theyr owne traditions as tauerners be wont to brewe and corrupt the pure wyne wyth other vnholsome thynges for theyr owne gaynes and auauntage
meakenes and mercye The whyche it shall please thys greate kynge to graunte vs vnto whom we be all so greate detters the father of mercy by our Lorde Iesus Christe by whom he hathe done and doth mercy vnto all To whom be gyuen al honour glory and prayse for euer and euer Amen The Pystle on the .xxiij. Sonday after Trinyte sonday The thyrde chapiter to the Philippians Th argument ☞ Paule exhorteth vs to folowe him and such other holy men in lyuinge BRethrē be folowers together of me and loke on them whiche walke euen so as ye haue vs for an ensample For many walke of whom I haue tolde you often and now tell you wepynge that they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is dānacion whose bely is their god and glory to theyr shame whych are worldly mynded But our cōuersacion is in heauen from whence we loke for the sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ which shall chaunge our vyle bodye that he may make it lyke vnto his glorious body according to the workyng wherby he is hable also to subdue all thinges vnto him selfe SAynt Paul my welbeloued frendes doth exhort vs in this epistle that we shuld be his folowers that is to saye that we shulde lyue lyke vnto him folowynge the worde of fayth and of grace whyche is the truthe of the gospell and that we shulde so folowe the fourme and rule which is giuen vnto vs and that we shuld take exemple of them which lyue according to the same For there be some other whyche be enemyes vnto the gospel and vnto the crosse that is to say of the tribulatiōs suffred by Iesu Christ louyng the glory of the worlde which is confusion makyng god of theyr bely and they be not to be followed but occcasion to vepe For our glory our lyfe and conuersacion is not in earthly thynges but in heauēly thynges from whence also we do abyde our Lorde Iesu Christe at his seconde commyng which shal forme our body of newe beyng now vyle abiect corruptible mortall into a body noble profytable incorruptible immortall And he shall fygure and chaunge it vnto the similytude of the clearnesse and glorye of hys body by the power that he hath for to make all thynges to obey at hys wyll ☜ Wherfore the apostle prayeth vs and it is good reason that we shuld so do that we do kepe ourselues stedfaste in the rule and cōuersation of the Gospell Paules glorye And thys he reputeth and taketh to be hys crowne and hys glorye yf that by hys exhortation and motion we do thus Yt is charitie that thus constreyneth the hartes of faythfull men for to desyre the saluation of euery bodye And thys charytie dyd not alonly extende vnto men but also vnto women of the which here he prayeth sōme of them that is to wit Euodia and Synticha that they shulde vnderstande none other thinge but only this forme and rule of the gospell And yet furthermore he prayeth an other whyche he calleth his dere beloued felowe that she wolde helpe all them whych had laboured wyth him and wyth Clement vnto the furtheraunce promotion of the gospell of whome sayth he the names be wrytten in the boke of liefe And what helpe doth he desyre that she shuld do vnto them but only to comforte and strengthe them in this purpose for to drawe alweyes the other aswell the virgins as the olde women vnto the fayth and vnto the doctrine of the gospel the whych is the only rule of lief that of eternal life Then my frēdes as wel men as womē let vs hold this only rule Let vs teache them that be not so perfite as we oure selues be Let vs take exemple of them whych be iuste stedfaste in fayth and ernest louers of the Gospell Let vs haue in abhomination the lyfe of the enemyes of the Gospell and of them that do not set by the paynes trauayles afflictions death passyon that our Lord hath suffred for to redeme vs and them and for to gyue vs the celestiall treasures And let vs wepe in our hartes for theyr myscheuous and abhominable lyfe prayeng vnto God that he wyll gyue them light and that they maye not trouble any by theyr euyll lyfe and wicked exemple Let our hartes be where oure treasure is whych is in heauen and not in the earth Let vs be stedfast and vnchaungeable in this fayth and purpose of the Gospel Let vs laboure as well men as women that all maye come vnto thys light vnto the only worde of God lyuynge Let vs cōforte them in thys that we all haue but one doctrine one God and one helper Let all our hope be there as was the hope of saynt Paule and of Clement of Euodia of Syntycha and of all the other faythfull and true christen people of the fyrste and primatyue churche And be we then well assured that oure names shal be wrytten with them in heuen euen in the boke of liefe vnto the glory of the father of heuē and our lorde Iesu Christe Amen The Gospel on the .xxiij. sonday after Trinitie The .xxij. Chapter of Matthewe Th argument ☞ Christe is demaunded whether it be lawfull to paye tribute to Cesar or not THe pharisees went and toke councel how they myght tangle hym in his wordes And they sente oute vnto hym their disciples with Herodes seruaūtes saiēg Master we know that thou art true and teachest the waye of god truly neyther careste thou for eny man for thou regardest not the outwarde apparaunce of men Tell vs therfore howe thinkest thou Is it lawful that tribute be gyuen vnto Cesar or not But Iesus perceyuing their wickednes sayde Why tempte ye me ye ypocrites shewe me the tribute money And they toke him a peny And he sayde vnto them whose is this ymage and superscription They sayde vnto him Cesars Then sayed he vnto them Geue therfore vnto Cesar the thinges which are Cesars and vnto god those thinges that are godes THe Gospell of this present sondaye good people putteth before vs the malice of the pharasies which did send their disciples wyth the Herodians S. Hierome which herodians after the mynd of saynte Hierom were the souldiours of Herod for the pharasies durst not go themselues for feare of the people wherfore they sent theyr disciples wyth these souldiours for to attrappe our Lorde and to fynde out some occasion for to delyuer hym to death And they came subtylly accordyng to the malyce of the worlde and of the fleshe flattering and sayeng maister This is the first simulation of hypocrites saythe Chrysostomus to praise them whome we go aboute to destroy and vndo Chrysostomus super Mat. And therfore they breake out into prayse sayeng Maister we knowe that thou arte rightfull a teller of trouth They call him maister to thintēt that beynge nowe honoured and praysed of them he myght open simplely the secretes of hys harte vnto them as desyrouse to