made coÌ„tinually as well in the lawe of Moyses as in the tyme of grace and the lawe of the Gospell by the imposition and laiyng on of the prelates handes and other ceremonies longyng to the same by which they that be so ordered receiueth a special gift of grace that maketh their ministerie seruice approued alowed of God and acceptable to hym and maketh the administration of the Sacraments effectuous and able to performe that they signifie that is to coÌ„ferre and geue grace as they were ordeined for to do And this blessed ceremonie was not done without great and Godly solicitude premeditation and preparation afore by deuout prayers and fastynge afore the promocion of men vnto the holye ministery and appoynted seruice of God accordyng to the example taken as well of our Sauiour Christe as of his apostles Saint Luke writeth Luke vi Factum est autem in diebus illis Exiit Iesus in montem orare erat pernoctans in oratione dei cum dies factus esset vocauit discipulos suos elegit duodecim ex ipsis quos apostolos nominauit Simonem quem cognominauit Petrum Andream fratrem eius c Christ went vp vnto an hyl to pray and he taried all night in his prayers to God â–ª And when daye came he called to hym his scolers or disciples and of them he chose twelue whiche also he named apostles Simon to whom he gaue surname Peter and Andrewe hys brother and so foorthe of others tyll he came to Iudas that was the traytoure whom as Sainte Ambrose noteth Christe chose not vnwares or ignoraunte what he would be how he would proue but by especiall prouidence foresight of purpose For our sauiour Christ toke vpoÌ„ him mans infirmitie frailnes therfore he refused not such pains of our infirmitie as men coÌ„monly do sustayne He was content to be lefte and forsaken as manye men be of their frends sometyme that thei loued best He was content to be vttered wheÌ„ he might haue bene secrete and quiet He was content to be betrayed of hys owne scholer seruaÌ„t to be coÌ„mitted by him into his enmies hands And all this he suffered for vs and for this purpose To geue vs example that if thou or I be forsaken of our owne felowe or frende or if wee be vttered and our secretes reueyled and opened or if we be betraied and put into the daunger of our aduersaries by our owne felowe or one that we haue done for we should moderately take it and well a worthe that our iudgemente hathe erred and gone amysse that we haue taken him of greater honestye then he is and that we haue taken him for one of better fidelitie and credence then hée sheweth him self to be We must be content y t our benefite that we haue done for him hath perished is clarely lost we ought to be contente as well as Christ was wyth Iudas and with all the displeasures dispites and paynes that he suffered by occasion of his falsshode And here also s Ambrose noteth that in this praier watch of Christ all night longe afore he chose his .xii. Apostles to be his ministers in his Churche we maye learne what we ought to do for our owne soule health seing that Christ toke so much paine not for hym self but for our wealth only to watch and praye that we might haue such ministers chosen by him that myght faythfully instruct vs for the saluation of our soules We may also by thys example of Christe consider what wee ought to do when we wyll enterpryse or set vpon any good or godly work or busines consideryng that Christ wheÌ„ he should chose his apostles to accompany him to learn of him and theÌ„ to be sent forth to preach his doctrine praied praied alone praied all night long without slepe and without meate or drinke Thapostles according to the example of their maister Christ vsed like maner As we haue Act. xiii where it is written that the holye Goste spoke vnto them that wer in Antiochia prophets and doctours with other company there seruing God fastyng Segregate mihi Saulum BarnabaÌ„ in opus in quod assuÌ„psi eos Seperate set out for me Saul which was afterward called Paule Barnabas into the work for which I haue takeÌ„ theÌ„ And it foloweth â–ª Tunc ieiunaÌ„tes oraÌ„tes imponentesque eis manus dimiseruÌ„t illos They altogether fasted prayed put on theÌ„ their holy haÌ„ds sent theÌ„ forth likewise Act. xiiii I read y t Paul Barnabas returning backe by the cities of Listra IconiuÌ„ and Antiochia coÌ„firming and staiynge the minds of their disciples exhorting theÌ„ that they should perseuer stedfastlye coÌ„tinue in their faith which thei had receued And declaryng and persuading theÌ„ that bi many tribulatioÌ„s much trouble we must enter into the kingdom of god And wheÌ„ they had made for theÌ„ priestes in euery church praied deuoutly for them with fastyng thei coÌ„mitted betoke theÌ„ to our Lorde God on whoÌ„ they beleued And here good worshipfull audience it is to be noted that in the Primitiue church euen in thapostles time wheÌ„ soeuer there were priestes ordered to be Gods ministers the people vsed fastiÌ„g praiyng fasting y t their wits mindes might be more clere and eleuate apt to pray And praiyng to almighty God for grace y t thei which wer chosen admitted to so excelleÌ„t a fuÌ„ction ministery seruice might be worthy to do their duty in their seruice calling And euen according to the apostles exaÌ„ples such fastyng praiyng hath ben vsed hereafore eueÌ„ to our time For at such times as holi orders be geueÌ„ we haue certein daies .iiii. times in the yere called imbring daies in whiche all christen people vsed fastinge praiyng to god that it may please him to inspire such grace into the harts of the preâ—ats pastors y t they may circuÌ„spectly loke vpon the qualities coÌ„dicions learning of them that shalbe ordred so y t they be not accused hereafter for putting on their haÌ„ds to sone or vnaduisedly or to rashly on theÌ„ that taketh orders so coÌ„municating or takiÌ„g part of other mens fautes as s Paul speaketh i. Timo. v. Manus cito nemini imposueris neque communicaueris peccatis alienis Put not thy handes to sone vppon no man neither take thou part of other mennes sinnes for the Prelate or Bishop that geueth orders to one that is vnworthye because of hys vice or ignoraunce lacke of learnyng and by that occasion liueth not like a priest or can not do his seruice and duetye like a priest then he that gaue hym orders is partaker of his faulte and shall beare hys parte of the iudgement condemnation and punyshemente for the same This is no small perill for Prelates that geue orders therfore verie christian charitie moued christen men and women to praye to GOD specially at such
profound matters Reuela oculos meos cōsiderabo mirabilia de lege tua sayth the Prophet Reuele or vncouer mine eyes drawe the curtayne from afore the eyes of my soule by this gift of intelligence and I shal consider marueylous thinges of thy law The spirite of Sapience sayth Chrisostome is geuen to the teachers and the spirite of Intelligence and vnderstandyng is geuen to the hearers I preache thou vnderstandest and takest the minde of my saiynges hauynge the gifte of Intelligence although thou canst not teach As the Preacher by the spirite of Sapience iudged what was best to be vttred and expressed for thy erudicion so thou by the grace of Intelligence takest his words as they be meant and learnest that is for thy soule health Almighty God willynge to shewe that as he sendeth the spirite of Sapience to the teacher so he sendeth to the learner the gifte of Intelligence that he maye perceiue suche thynges as be Godlye Geueth to the mouth of the Preacher the grace of Sapience and to the hearte of the Learner the grace of Intelligence Sapience is the armour of the mouth and Intelligence is the harneys of the hert Therfore sayeth the Prophete Os meum loquetur sapientiam meditatio cordis mei prudentiā Psal. xlviii My mouth shall speake Sapience or wisdome and the recordyng of my hert shall shew prudence intelligence or vnderstandyng perceiuyng the thyng y t I am taught Yet here you must diligentlye note that perfite Sapience is not so much to knowe Goddes eloquence as for to liue accordynglye to Gods eloquence and to his holy worde And Intelligence is little worth where a man worketh not accordyng to that he hath learned But what shall I say of them that hearyng Gods eloquence dayly declared vnto them yet hauyng their mindes occupied aboute other businesse regardeth not to beare away that they heare and will not learne and vnderstande to do well accordynge to that they learne And what shall I saye of them that may get vnderstandyng and wil not come wher as they maye haue it but when they heare of a sermon toward will get them selues out of the church fainyng some busines to excuse their absence or els will get them to the Alehouses or tauernes or els wil sit talkynge on the crosse in the churchyard or on the churchyard walls makynge other as lewde as they be them selues by their yll examples so that for all the preachinge that is in their townes where they dwel they be neuer the better but much the worse whose iust dānation by gods iuste iudgment must nedes folow as I could declare abūdantly if y e time wold permit Yet one thing I wold faine discusse by y e way without any great digressiō frō my principal matter it is this in this case now touched that is to say when the person vicare curate or preacher perceiueth that few men or none be the better for his preachynge whether then and in that case the preacher ought or may ceasse from preachyng as thinkyng his sapience his iudgement and his learnynge in Gods scriptures yll bestowed amonge them because they regarde it not and be neuer the better for it hauyng none intelligence or godly wittinesse gendred or conceiued in their mindes neither any reformation or amendement in their liuings nor in their maners by al the labours of the curate or the preacher For this ye shall vnderstande that though the negligence of the audience discōforteth and discourageth the preacher greatly yet he cā not so geue ouer and ceasse bicause of Gods commination and threatening by his prophet Ezech. iii. saiyng that if the watch of Israel the curate or preacher se his flocke do noughtielye and will not tell them of their fault nor rebuke them that they may amend he will require and aske their bloud of him He shall aunswere for them at the day of dome Naturall examples we haue to encourage and comfort the preachers in this behalfe that he be not dismayed but take pacience For we se by experience that the veynes of waters floweth and runneth although no manne come to water his cattell at them and welles although no manne draw vp water at them yet they sprinkleth boileth and welleth vp And brookes although neither man nor beast drinke of them yet neuer the lesse they kepe their course and floweth So he that preacheth must lette hys veyne of sapience flow and runne among his audience althoughe no man drinck of it take hede vnto it or receiue it In this case was Hieremy the prophet when he saw no profitte or encrease of vertue come by hys prophecienge and preachynge but rather persecution and trouble mockinge laughinge and scornynge by whyche he was once mynded to surceasse and leaue of preaching Yet he saith that sermo domini factus est in corde meo quasi ignis exestuās claususque in ossibus meis et defeciferre non sustinens cap. xx The woorde of God was like flaming fyre in my hart saith this prophet and it was closed wythin my bones so that I left my former purpose and coulde not forbeare to speake in Gods name Then if he were thus vexed in kepyng silence what shall become of vs if we ceasse specially where none such persecution is as he suffered but rather where manye taketh good heede and would fayn learne Many profites cōmeth by declaryng the woorde of God which shoulde comfort and encourage the preacher to be doing not wythstanding that the audience be negligent One is that noughty persones remembring a sermon wil be abashed and ashamed of them selfe and will not be so shamelesse to do as they were wont to doe As when the preacher speaketh against riatours and tauerne hunters the vnthrifte remembringe the holy word will be more ashamed when he goeth into the tauern thē he was wont to be This is a certeine kinde of feare called verecundia bashfulnes or shamefastnes it is timor ex expectatione connicij a feare of reproche or rebuke least anye man would chide or checke him or say yl by him This is a very good affection therfore if by our preaching yet at the least wise such an affection may be strikē into the hart of any one of our audience we may be glad of it An other vtilitie profit is although by my preaching I make not all men better yet some men be the better therefore and they that be good be more modest and vertuous by my sayings And although I haue not set vp them that be sycke yet them that be whole I haue made stronger to stande in theyr goodnes and more stedfast The third profit although I haue not perswaded men to daye yet to morowe I maye peraduenture and if not to morow I may the next day after or the fourth day or in tyme to come Example we maye take of a Fisher and the fish that longe nibleth at his bayte yet at the last he is taken and cast on lond ▪ Likewise
true by reason of the bodie The seconde is true by reason of the soule The soule is departed from the body the body lacketh his life therfore we saye the manne is deade The soule is immortall and cannot dye therefore by that reason Christe sayde Abraham is aliue So now because the bodies be out of pain we say the men rest or slepe in the slepe of peace And because the soules be departed in the state of grace and in the way of saluation which they haue not yet perfitly obtained we pray that thei may come to the place of refreshing to the place of light and to the place of peace euerlasting in heauen And thus we must take the woordes of the masse aboue rehersed as they were meaned and we shall gyue no handfast to the contrarye errour And I would they should not so rashely precipitate their sentence in such weighty matters except they had some better ground Thys precipitatio headlong shofyng out mens sentence without iudgement is contrarie to thys gift of the holy gost that we now entreate of the gyft of counsaile as I touched afore This was the faut of Iepthe Iud. xi which when he should procede to battell against the Ammonites he made his vow to God precipitāter headlong and rashly without counsel or aduisemēt y t what so euer came first against him to meete him at his dore after his cōming home he would kill it offer it vp to be burned in sacrifice to almyghtye God So it chaunced that when he came home after his victory his own doughter which he had and no mo children met him with timbers and such instrumentes of melodie as she had to welcome him home When he saw her he tore his clothes and cryed alas my doughter thou hast deceiued me and art deceiued thy selfe This precipitation hurt king Dauid notwithstanding his great wisedome and manyfolde vertues when he fled from the persecution and commotion that hys own sonne Absolon raysed against him one Seba that was seruant to Miphiboseth Ionathas sonne neuew to Saul the kyng came to kynge Dauid and brought him presents of such dainties as myght do hym pleasure and to hys seruantes in that distres and trouble As Asses for them to ride on breade and wine and fruites to refresh them in their iourny fleyng from the host of Absolon King Dauid asked him where is thy master Miphiboseth He made a lye on hys maister saying he tarieth behinde in Ierusalem trusting now to be restored to y e kingdome of Saul his graundfather King Dauid by and by rashly without iudgement or further aduisement the partie neither called nor heard precipitate thys sentence Tua sint omnia que fuerunt Miphiboseth ii Reg. xvi Take thee al that Miphiboseth had And so he gaue awaye to a lying knaue all that good gentlemans goodes whiche he was sorye for afterward when he knew the truth He shuld not a neded to haue be sory if he had auoided this precipitacion by the gift of counsell whiche the holy gost for then withdrew from him he had it not For such causes saith Ecclesiasticus Sine consilio nihil facias et post factum non penitebis xxxii Without counsell and aduisement do nothing after thy deede thou shalt not repent or be sorye ▪ These giftes of the holy ghost be not so coherent or linked together that who so euer hath one of them must neades haue all the other The Prophete Esay sayth that our sauiour Christe had them all and so he had superabundantly Et de plenitudine eius uos omnes accepimus Iohn i. and of his plentye all we take our giftes Of others we reade not that had them all continually but we finde that some that were excellent in sapience or iudgement in Godly causes and heauenly matters and coulde instruct and teach noblely well lacked the gyft of counsayle to direct and order hym selfe and others accordyngly and had nede of other mennes counsayle And contrarye he that is excellent in geuyng counsayle maye be weake in the speculation or iudgement of heauenly or Godly matters Exo. xviii It is writ of Moyses which had receiued of God the spirite of sapience by which he was able to geue vnto the people the lawes of God and to teache them the same yet he vsed to sit from mornynge to night hearynge causes and geuyng sentences and iudgementes betwixte parties amonge the people and so fatigated and weried him self and the people also Iethro his father in law consideryng how that labour was to great for any one manne to sustaine and also how the people were combred tariynge so longe for decision of their causes while they might haue bene soner sped that so they myght haue departed euery man to his owne and haue bene better occupied at home sayde playnelye to hym Stulto labore consumeris c. Both thou and thys people spende and waste your selues in a foolyshe laboure for thys busynesse is aboue thy power and myghte thou art not able alone to sustaine all this busie labour but heare my wordes and my counsayl and our Lord shalbe with thee Let this people haue the in suche thynges as pertayne to God that thou mayst shew vnto him what they saye and mayst shewe vnto the people againe the ceremonies and the rites and maner of worshipping God and the waye that they shall go and the workes that they shall doe And prouide among al this people men of power and that feareth God and that haue truth in them and that hate auarice or couetousnes and make of them officers some ouer a thousande of thys people some ouer a hundred some ouer fiftie some ouer ten which may iudge the people at al times and what so euer great matter ryseth among them let them referre it to thee and let them iudge the smaller matters and none other so thou shalt be more lightned and eased when thy burden is deuyded amonge other If thou doe thys thou shalt be able to fulfill Gods empery and authoritie and shalt be able to sustaine that God byddeth thee doe and all thys people shall returne with peace to their houses or lodgynge at tyme conuenient When Moyses had heard Iethroes counsail he did all thinges as he counseld hym Nowe to my purpose because no man shall be proude of the giftes that God hath gyuen hym we maye see here that Moyses hauyng so excellently the gift of sapience to iudge and discerne and also to teache and instruct in Godly causes yet as then he lacked the gift of counsail which this straūger Iethro an alien and not of the people of Israell tho as then he was conuerted to the faythe of one God had as appeareth by the holesome counsaile that he gaue vnto Moyses by which as well Moyses selfe as all his whole host were noblye releued of almightye God by the mouthe of Iethro his father in lawe geuyng hym that good counsail Therefore I shall most intierly desire you to
to saue them selues that they should not lose their place and the people Ioh. xi Lest if the Romaines should heare of such a man to be in their couÌ„trey that had so great a retinew of disciples as Christ had they might peraduenture surmise a conspiracie consequently some coÌ„mocion rebellion against the Emperours power which might be occasioÌ„ that he should send an army into the couÌ„trey destroy the countrey and take them all 〈…〉 captiuitie This was a far cast 〈…〉 was not the gift of counseâ—â— coÌ„ming of the holy gost therefore it proued not with theÌ„ but went all against theym for the feare that they feared fortuned to theÌ„ cleane coÌ„trary to their miscoÌ„triued counsell For in deede the Romaiâ—s came at length and destroyed the couÌ„trey toke the â—ople into miserable captiuitie because none that had to do in thys matter should scape vnpunished the vengeaunce began at the great men that were taken for chief Iudges in the condempnation of Christ. For Herodâ— was depriued of his kyngdome by Caius the emperour and was banished perpetually to Lions in Fraunce and with him Herodias his incestious concubine by whose meanes blessed S. Iohn baptist was beheaded As Iosephus antiquitatum lib. xviii ca. xiiii writeth And Pilate after he had ruled in Iewrye ten yeares was dryuen home to Rome by Vittellius general gouernour of Siria to answer to such iniuries and tirannye as he had done in the countrey As Iosephus writeth Antiquitatum lib. eodem cap. vii And at Rome because he was an vniust Iudge against Christ he was vexed and put to so much trouble sorowe and mischiefe that desperatlye he beat hym selfe to death with his owne handes as Eusebius wryteth in the ecclesiasticall storye the second boke and .vii. chapter And the citie of Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes for their iniquitie against Christ were by the Emperour Vespasian and Titus hys sonne subdued and destroyed euen in the time of theyr Pâ—schâ—l feast at which time they had done their malice â—gainst Christe because the tyme of vengeaunce might answer agree to the time of the muse of the same At the paschal time they sâ—ed the most innocent blood of Christ euen then the vengeance for his bloud fel vpoÌ„ them vpoÌ„ their childreÌ„ and issue according to their own desire saying Sanguis eius super nos super filios nostros Let the vengeaunce for his bloud sayd they lye vpon vs and vpon our children And so it did for euen at the same time of the yere .xlii. yeres after the Emperoure Vespasian and his sonne Titus after they had destroyed the chiefe Townes and strongest fortalicies and holdes of the Realme came to besiege that citie and in the whole tyme of that battaile toke prisoners lxxxxvii thousaÌ„d And at the same siege were slaine and that dyed by famine and moreyne commyng chiefely of the stinche of the dead corpses liyng vnburied to the number of a .xi. C. thousand as Iosephus writeth in the seuenth boke of the Iewes battayle and .xvii. Chapter Therfore it foloweth in the psalme rehersed Qui habitat in coelis irridebit eos Almightye God that dwelleth in heauen wyll laugh theÌ„ to scorne as he did in dede wheÌ„ he rose froÌ„ death to life againe notwithstandyng y â— they thought him sure inough being once dead notwithstandyng al the kepers that were set to kepe his body froÌ„ stealyng Et duÌ„s subsannabit eos Our Lorde will wring the nose at theÌ„ which wordes importeth a greater indignation anger then derision dothe and was put in execution at thys moste horrible strage and destruction of that citie and at the takyng away of the saide prisoners whiche they feared when they said that if they let Christ scape their handes the Romayns would come and take their citie and carye away the people Here you may see what it is to take couÌ„saile against god The wise maÌ„ saith Pro. xxi Non est sapientia non est prudentia non est consiliuÌ„ contra dominum There is no sapieÌ„ce there is no wittines there is no counsayle against our lord God Sapience is the cognition and iudgement of diuine and high causes which is not amonge heretiks that soweth cocle yl sedes among the corne settyng forth sectes and diuisions Suche wisdome how well learned so euer it semeth to be is not the true sapience because it is againste our lord God which is the god of peace and not of dissention Also be thy capacite neuer so quicke to perceiue and vnderstande the lessons of holye scripture Yet if thou haue amaruÌ„ zelum a bitter affectioÌ„ trustyng by thy learning to checke rebuke other men or to allure other to thy sect factioÌ„ or opinion as some meÌ„ haue done reasoning agaynst Purgatory because they would by that destroye prayers for the dead and so coÌ„sequently put downe abbeys chauntries whiche were founded for such praiers or if thou glory to much in thy learnyng al this maketh contra dominum against God and is not the true vnderstandyng or wittines that is the gifte of the holye goste And likewise of the thirde gyfte of whiche wee nowe entreate Donum cosilii As longe as thy caste leaneth ouer muche to mannes imagination and setteth not God afore but rather worketh agaynste God as ye hearde of these that compassed and counsayled for the deathe of Christe so to saue theim selues it is not the counsaile that is the gyfte of the holye Gooste for it is agaynste our Lorde GOD. It leaueth to muche to worldlinesse and to mannes caste grounded on malyce and euyll will therefore it coulde not holde Accordynge the faiynge of Gamaliell that honourable learned manne among the Iewes wheÌ„ the chiefe rulers among theÌ„ laied their heads together toke theyr counsayle how to put y e apostles to death for preching the fayth of Christ Up stode this Gamaliell and gaue theÌ„ better counsayle aduertisyng theÌ„ to beware how they ordred these men meanyng the apostles of Christe not sodainly to precipitate their iudgmeÌ„t against theÌ„ for this precipitacion of sentence sodaynelye wythout mature deliberation or aduisement is the contrary to the gyft of counsayle that we now speake of that is the thirde gyfte of the holye gost Thys he persuaded by two examples firste of one Theudas whyche after Iosephus vsynge superstitious craftes toke vpon hym to be a great Prophet and so deluded the people that he made manye of theim to sell their goodes and care for nothynge but to folowe hym And so brought a greate multitude after hym to the water side of Iordane to the noumber of foure hundred disciples where he promised them wythin thre dayes nexte folowynge to deuide the water and to go ouer with them drye shodde as Iosue did wyth hys companye But whyle they were tariynge for thys myracle came on them the Capitayne of the countrey wyth hys Armye and strooke of Theudas heade and destroyed and
victorie that ouercommeth the worlde oure faith for our fayth on God and on his holy worde telleth vs that no manne shall desyre to haue an other mans wyfe neither any woman to haue an other womans husband nether anye man beside her own husbaÌ„d Likewise if thou se another mans good lye by the negligentlye so that thou maist conuey it awaye and no man to se the yf thou take it awaye or consent thereto here thy fayth is tryed and proued noughte for thy fayth telleth the that thou shalt take awaye none other mans goodes Lykewise in thy occupyinge if for couetousnes to get the penye thou sell false or noughty ware or by false weightes or measures deceiue thy neighbours so doynge thou shewest thy self to forget thy faith to God and to his holy worde Statera iusta equa sint poÌ„dera Leuit. xvii Let thy balance be iuste and thy weightes equall And. Ezech. xlv Statera iusta ephi iustum and also byddinge the do none otherwyse to an other man then thou wouldest an other man should do to the. And coÌ„trary wise wheÌ„ thou art tempted to suche vnlawfull Lecherye as I spoke of or to false pyckinge stealynge or robbinge or to deceiue any man or woman by false occupiynge if thou sticke stedfastlye to thy fayth doing accordinglye to Gods holye worde then thy faith by this teÌ„ptation is proued good and muche better in the sighte of God then if it had neuer bene so tried And by this it is lyke to golde tryed by the fyre and shall be founde worthy to receiue praise glory and honour wheÌ„ Christ shall shewe him selfe in his glory at the generall iudgemente then he wil geue to the blessed children of his father whiche then shall be set vpon his right hand disseuered from the refuse deputed to dampnation on the lift hande to all them I saye that hath theyr fayth tried by temptation and proued sounde and pure as golde â–ª Christ wyll geue laude and praise sayinge to you I was an hungred and you gaue me meate I was a thirste and ye gaue me drinke I lacked clothes and ye gaue me clothes and so he wyl saye I had nede of such ware as you occupied and you serued me faythfully and trustely and my wife was in thy sight and in thy companye where thou mighte haue had occasion to tempte her to yll and yet thou dyddeste not And to the honest wyfe wydowe or mayde he wyll geue like laude and praise sayinge that where they were sore tempted to incontinencie yet they didde strongely and stedfastly resist and withstande for Goddes sake and for his holye wordes sake for suche workes of iustice and honestye the iudge wyll praise vs as well as for the workes of mercye whiche be namelye expressed in the Gospell because we shall by them thinke lykewise to be praysed for all lyke good and godlye workes And when he or she that haue this prayse shall saye I neuer serued the of anye ware and I neuer sawe thy wyfe for whom thou geueste me these thankes he wyll saye That you didde for the least of my seruauntes that you didde to me occupyinge with my seruauntes iustelye withoute gyle or deceite thou occupied iustelye with me and abstayninge from my seruauntes wife doughter mayde or seruaunte thou didde shewe thy selfe honest towarde my wife doughter or seruaunt Nowe what ioye and pleasure and comforte it shall be for a Christen man to haue suche laude and praise of the highe iudge at that terrible day when folke shall haue nede of comforte iudge who can It passeth my braine Oure fayth so tryed by trouble or temptation shall be founde worthye to haue glorye when the iudge shall say to vs Venite benedicti patris mei possidete paratum vobis regnum Math. xxv Come you blessed chyldren of my father and take possession of that glorious kyngedome that was prepared for you frome the beginninge of the worlde in whiche we shal be no more seruauntes but coparteners and coinheritours with our sauiour Christe and with all the gloryous Aungelles and glorious companye of heauen where we shall haue the graâ—e that GOD gaue vs here consummate perfourmed and in his hygheste perfectyon whiche wee call glorye whyche honoure we shall haue as Saynte Peter sayeth when we shalbe set a lofte and in highe estate whiche shall appeare more euidentlye by the deiection and ouerthrowinge of others of which Esa. xxvi saith Tollatur impius ne videat gloriam Dei Take awaye the wycked synner that he se not the glorye of GOD And also Christ sayth Go frome me you wicked persons into fier euerlasting when the dampned men and women wepinge and waylinge and cryinge oute when they se the exaltation of good men shall say Nos autem insensati c. Sap. v. we dastardes estemed and counted their liues but folishnes or madnes lo nowe howe they be counted amonge the children of God All this shall redounde to the honoure of them that shalbe saued This sayde prayse glorie and honoure we shall be indued wyth all by Chryste when he shall shew hym selfe in his glory Therfore though you do not nowe se him yet ye loue him For as Saint Augustyne sayth we maye loue thinges that wee se not so that we haue knoweledge of them for no man can loue that that he hath no knowledge of We know Christe by heare saye by readinge and hearinge his holy gospelles declaringe his gratious goodnes for whiche we muste nedes loue hym And although you se him not yet you do beleue vppon him for whiche beleife you shall be merye and haue suche ioye as no tounge can tell for it shall be the ioye of the glorye of heauen when you shall receaue for youre rewarde the ende and perfection of youre faith whiche is the health of your soules Nowe here you knowe by Saint Peters wordes what is the ende of youre faith it is the helth of your soules whiche health shall exclude al sicknes payne and miserie for none suche can come into that glorye of heauen where you shall haue the sayde health and saluation and neuer afore for here is no ioye but it is contaminate defouled and interrupted by discomforte payne and trouble And here you muste vnderstand perfect faith garnished and adourned with charitie and good workes accordinge for none other wyll serue vs to come to that glorious rewarde of health euerlastinge De qua salute exquisierunt atque scrutati sunt Prophetae Here Saynte Peter styrreth vp oure deuotion and loue that we shoulde haue to oure soule health that we shall obteyne and gette by the triall and profe of our fayth as he sayde afore He taketh an argumente of the olde fathers holye prophetes that in olde tyme prophecied of the grace that should fall vpon vs by the comminge of our Sauiour Christ which they vehemently desired to see in their time but they coulde not As Christe saith Math. xiii Multi prophete et iusti
trouble and paine to good men with the bad indifferently for all haue sinned and haue nede of gods glorious helpe Some by the sayde payne trouble that God sendeth be exercised for their purgation and to be made better by the same suche as be good as Iob Tobie and such lyke others be warned for their conuersion and amendment of their liues and other that contemneth the callinge it blyndeth toward their condempnation as I sayd ▪ Now is the time that Goddes iudgement should begin at Gods house the Church of Christ the congregatiō of good faithfull people whiche must be exercised with paine and trouble to learne the way to glory and ioy euerlastinge where reproued damnable persōs lead a mery life in welth and prosperitie feleth no paine nor displeasure but laugheth at other mens harmes and glorieth in nothinge more then to make thē selues riche of other mennes goodes landes and possessiōs to their euerlastīg impouerishing And if we shal yet more specially speak of the house of God it is to be feared lest euen like as Ezechiell the prophet saw in his visiō vi aungels like mē with weapons in their handes to execute Gods vengeaunce on the reuersion leauinges of Ierusalē they had going afore thē one clothed in linnen hauing a pēner inckhorne hāging at his back which was cōmaunded to make y e signe of Tau vppon all them that lamented and wayled for their owne sinnes and for the sinnes of the people the other .vi. men were commaunded to go forth kyl al them that had not the said signe of Tau marked in theyr foreheades and to spare neither olde nor younge man woman nor child Et a sanctuario meo incipite Ezeck ix And beginne at my holye church sayth almighty God because that the iniquitie of the people rose that tyme by some occasion of them of the churche eyther because of ill example geuing vnto the people or els because they would not by holesome lessons instructe them to liue vertuouselye or els for feare of displeasure of great men woulde not sharpely reproue theyr vices and noughtie liuinge The day of iudgemente is at hande as appeareth by manye signes continuall warre or suspition of battayle countreys against countreys realmes agaynst realmes princes agaynst princes continuall plague of moreine and pestilence trouble vexation continuallye and feare lest GOD hath byd the ministers the executours of his iustice vengeaunce to beginne at his churche for wel is he that can do any hurt or displeasure to a preist to take their landes liuinges is thoughte gotten good no good so easely gotten to ieste raile and mocke at them and to do them despites is thought best pastime not regarding the prohibition of God Nolite tangere Christos meos et in prophetis meis nolite malignari Touche not mine annointed saith God and maligne not ymagin no mischeif nor do any such harme to my prophetes such as preach teache and tel you of the wyl of God So euery way Gods stroke iudgemēt beginneth at y e church albeit s. Peter in this place taketh not the church so precisely for y e ministers of the church but more generally for the congregation of good faithful people which almightye God permitteth and suffreth to be flagelled and scourged here because he wyll not dampne them eternally but wyl shortly set them at rest in heauen aboue where they shall be no more scourged nor vexed pilled nor polled Si autem primum a nobis quis finis eorum qui non credunt euangelio dei ▪ If Gods iudgement beginne and be so sore vpō vs that beleue vpon him what shal be their ende that beleue not Goddes gospell or that haue beleued it in times past and now beleueth it neuer a deale If he punishe them that he loueth howe shall they spede that he loueth not ▪ And if he whip beat his children what shal the wicked noughty seruauntes loke for but to be boūd hād and fote and cast into exterior darkenes to dampnatiō euerlasting Et si iustus vix saluabitur impius et peccator vbi parebunt ▪ And if a good mā shal scarsely and with much a do be saued where shal the wicked common sinner appeare Aristotle saith Quod fere fit nō fit sed quod vix fit fit That is almost done or wel nere done is not done but that is scarsely done yet it is done thoughe it be w t much a do So if a man do manye times well and liue wel lōge and many a day yet at the last falleth to sinne and liueth nought and so dyeth this man was almost saued but yet he was not saued all oute in dede because he died in deadlye sinne and out of the state of grace as offendinge and breaking one commaundemente or another and he that breaketh one commaundement Factus est omnium reus is made giltie in them al as muche as concerneth euerlastinge saluation for if a man breake one then the obseruinge and kepyng of al the rest shal not saue his soul from dānation But the iust man the good liuer taketh payne and labours to auoyde from sinne and to please God by vertuouse liuinge and by doynge good workes and it is not one days worke onely but he muste continue in well doynge and in continuall battayle agaynst the deuil the world and the fleshe It is no smale busines but continuall payne and sorowe as S. Paule said Actu ▪ xiiii Per multas tribulationes oportet nos intrare in regnum Dei Through many troubles and much busines which can not be auoyded ouercome or passed through withoute a speciall assistence of almighty God we must come to heauē And that is it that S. Peter sayth here vix saluabitur iustus the good man the good liuer shalbe saued scarcelye or with much a do I heard one preache in an excellent and learned audience whiche expounding this text of S. Peter Iustus vix saluabitur ▪ resolued this word vix folishly into y e .iii. letters v.i.x. vnderstandinge by v. virtute by i. Iesu. by x. Christi as though S. Peter had meaned y t a iuste man or a good liuer shalbe saued bi the vertue or power of Iesus Christ. And this is true for with out his power no man shalbe saued but this is not taken of the said word vix so resolued by an Ethimologie for it is a folish Ethimologie in euery point and specially because that why this letter .x. should signifie Christi there is no reasō although the grekes ch which is the fyrst letter of Christus in y e greke be made like our latin x. But this cōmon text of S. Peter which is almost in euery mans mouth is taken of the Prou. xi Si iustus in terra recipit quanto magis impius et peccator If a good liuer receiueth paine punishmēt here on erth how much more may the noughty liuers loke to receiue take If