babes after the iugement of the worlde euen to rude vnformed and rusticall persones And here sayth Chrysostomus we be taught vtterly to pluck down our high stomakê to folow humilitie And truly sayth he these wordes whiche our Lorde spake to his disciples occasioned them to be moche more diligent and lowly in hert For bycause it was likely that they stode moch in their owne conceytes for that they did cast out deuiles therfore with these wordes he abateth their courage represseth them For the thing that was done vnto them was a reue lation that is to say a disclosing and opening from god and not their owne propre studie and laboure And therefore the scribes and pharisees estemynge themselfes to be wise prudent fell from the knowlege of godes mysteries bycause of theire pryde and swelling myndes Wherfore if the secrete mysteries of god were hyd from them bycause of thys se then that we be vnder feare and awe let vs continewe as babes for this surely made the apostles of christ to enioy this secrete knowledge For lyke as whaâ— Paule saith tradidit illos deus in reprobuÌ„ sensuÌ„ that is god gaue them vp into a disalowed mynde he speaketh not this inducing god as doyng thys but them whiche gaue the cause so we must vnderstande in like wise this text where Christ sayth that hys father hath hyd this knowlegde from the wyse scribes and pharisees And why were they hid from them Herken what Paule sayth bycause goyng about to stably she theire owne iustice they were not subiecte to the iustice of god Al be deliuered vnto me sayth Christe from my father This he spake les any thing shuld be thought to be les in hym than that whiche is in god For as saynt Austin sayth if our sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of god hath any thing les in poure then hath god the father then surely all be not his that the father hath for by begettinge did the father gyue the power to hys sonne lyke as all that he hath in hys substance did he by begettynge â–ª gyue to him whom he begatte of his substance Furthermore in the interchaungeable or mutuall knowledge of the father and sonne it is done vs to wyte that none other thinge was in god the sonne then was in God the father For it foloweth in the text and no man knoweth the sonne but the father nor noman knoweth the father but the sonne For surely by this that he onely knoweth the father he doth vs to vnderstande that he is of the selfe same substance that the father is of As if he shulde saye vnto vs. What meruayle â–ª I praye you is it if I be very Lord of all sith there is yet a greater thing in me euen the knowlege of the father of heuen that I am of y â— same substance y â— he is of Thus by these wordê Christ our sauiour declareth himself to be not man only but also god egal in powre w t his father And where he sayeth that none knoweth the father but the son he meaneth not y â— al men be vtterly ignorant of him but this he meaneth that by that knowledge that he knoweth his heauenly father noman ells knoweth him In so moche that that knowlege that men haue either of the father or of the son they haue it by y â— sons disclosing So y e the son discloseth not only his father but also himself vnto vs. For as the holy doctour saint Austin saith The word doth not only open y â— thing that is declared by the word but also it declareth it self But how doth y â— son disclose his fathers wil pleasure vnto vs Surely by his most coÌ„fortable word which is called his gospel Come therfore sayth Christ vnto me al ye that trauayle and I shall set you at rest He sayth not come he and he but come to me all ye that be in cares in heuynes and in synnes not that I myght take punishement of you but that I myght losen your sinnes Come not that I nede to be glorified of you but that I desyre your helth and saluation Come he sayth not wyth fete but wyth maners not wyth body but wyth feyth For this is the spirituall comming wherby one approcheth to god And if ye thus come I shal set you at rest he sayth not I shal saue you but that more is I shal set you in al quyet and reste Take my yoke vpon you What is Christes yoke Surely his Gospel which as Theophilactus saith sheweth vs glad newes forgiuenes of sinnes iustification commynge to heauen and that we be made the children of god O how swete how pleasaÌ„t and easy is this yoke Only let vs put froÌ„ vs pryde of hert and the care of worldely vanities learne of Christe to be meke lowly lyke as the holy Apostle Mathias folowynge hys maisters steppes whose memory we celebrate this day left vs exemple So shall we inioye that heauenly rest voyde of all greuance and replenyshed wyth all solace whyche here is promysed vnto vs. By Christ our lorde To whoÌ„ be all glorie Amen ¶ The Annunciacion of oure Lady commonly called our Ladies daye in Lente The gospell Luc. i. IN the sixt moneth was sent the angel Gabriel of God into a citie of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgine spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of Dauids house and the virgines name was Mary And the angel being entred vnto her said Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with the blessed arte thou amoÌ„ges women WheÌ„ she sawe hym she was troubled vpon hys worde and deuised what maner greting this shulde be And the angel said to her Feare not Mary â–ª For thou haste founde grace with God Lo thou shalte conceyue in thy wombe and brynge forth a son and thou shalt call his name Iesus He shal be greate shal be called the son of the hyghest and the Lorde God shall gyue hym the seate of hys father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne shal be no ende Mary said vnto the aungell Howe shal this be for I knowe not man And the aungell answered and said vnto her The holy goost shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadow the and therfore the thing that shal be born holy shal be called the sonne of God And lo Elizabeth thy cousin she also hath conceiued a sonne in her olde age and this is the sixt moneth to her which was called baren â–ª for no word shal be impossible with God Ma ry said Beholde the handmayde of the Lorde be it doon to me accordynge to thy worde The sermon vpon this gospell IF a Gospell deare people signifieth a gladde tydynges what Gospel can be compared with this gospell which sheweth to the blessed virgine Mary yea vnto vs all the gladdest tydinges that coulde come
saynt Austine Christe here meaneth that they woll hate hym in hys disciples and true folowers they woll persecute him in them and wol not folowe nor kepe their worde bicause it is his worde Wherfore sayth thys holy doctoure so moche the more wretched be they whiche do these thinges forbicause of this name as they be the more blessed whyche suffre these thinges for this names sake Howbeit the euil do these thinges to the euyl but both be wretched aswell the doers as the suffrers And why wol they do these thinges in spite of Christes name Ueryly saith Christ bicause they haue not knowne god the father of heuen whyche sente me For if they had knowne God thâ— father which sent Christ they shuld haue known Christ to haue preached by the coÌ„maundement and authoritie of hys father a farre other iustice then was preached or practysed of the world If Chryste had not comme and spoken to the worlde it shulde haue had no synne It is the preachinge of the gospell veryly that discloseth all vngodlynes and the vnrightuousnes of the worlde and whiche also setteth open the iustice of god Lette vs not then my freendes be ashamed of the gospell of Chryste For as the Apostle sayeth it is the power of God to the helth and saluatioÌ„ of al that beleueth For the rightuousnes of God is by it opened out of feyth into feyth Now therfore sith the gospel is preached vnto vs whyche discloseth synne we haue no excuse no clooke to hyde our synne wyth We know god and yet we do not glorifie ne worship him as god we be not thankfull vnto hym for the great inestimable benefites which from time to time we haue receiued at his handes We be called by the ministres of his holy word but we wol giue no eare We be tawght and we wil not attende Wherfore it is moche to be feared that like as we haue not regarded to knowe god so god wil giue vs vp into a disalowed minde If a maÌ„ wold hate him that he knew not he might peraduenture seme worthy of pardon and forgiuenes bycause he can not finde in his harte to fauour him whom he neuer sawe But we haue sene Christ and haue harde him thoughe not personally as the Iues sawe him and hard him yet by the preachyng of the gospell we knowe his power and ryghtuousnes and we espye our infirmitie and vnrightuousnes I say in his worde we se him and heare him as wel and as perfectly as the Iues did We haue seen his great benefites we haue hard of his wonderful dedes yet I feare lest there be many worldly persons amonges vs which do hate Christ hys word in very dede thoughe they pretende neuer so muche to loue hym and they hate hym and his worde euen for the same thinges for whiche they ought to loue him and the preachers of his word For in that they hate the preachers of his worde they hate his word and in that they hate his worde they hate hym And verily who so euer hateth Christ and hys preachers or his word doth hate also in very dede god the father by whose authoritie and speciall coÌ„maundemeÌ„t al is doon Wherfore thys very thynge doth heape damnation vpoÌ„ such worldly persons bycause they abuse so lewdly and so stubbernly the offred open goodnes of God If Christ by the preachyng of his mooste holy worde had not vttered amonges them suche miracles and wonders as none of all the prophetes euer vttered whether we woll consider the greatnes or the multitude of them they shulde not haue been in daunger of so heynouse a synne But nowe haue they both herde and seen the trouth and the more they haue herde seen the more they haue hated both it and the preachers therof So that the saynge of God by his prophete is in them fulfylled where it is written they haue hated me wythout cause It might be borne yf one did hate one beinge sturred and prouoked by displeasure and vnkyndnes shewed vnto him to hate him It myght be perdoned yf a maÌ„ wold hate one he knewe not but how can it be borne that one shulde hate hym whom he knoweth and which studyeth to do him all the good he can for hys sauegarde and soule health In thys sort did our sauiour Christ eoÌ„forte his Apostles and by them vs all to suffre tribulation and hatred for hys sake Let vs then folowe them and namely the blessed Apostles Simon and Iude whose memorye we do thys daye celebrate whiche had experience of these counfortes in their crosse whiche they bare for Christes sake neyther wolde they suffre themselfes to be plucked awey from the trouth of Gods worde for al the hatred malice and trouble that the worlde could practise against them If by their exemple we do the same we shal vndoubtedly with theÌ„ be crowned eternally by Iesus Christ our Lorde whiche togither with the father and holy ghost is world with out ende to be praysed Amen ¶ On all halowe daye The Gospell Mat. v. WHen Iesus saw the people he went vp into a montaigne and when he was sette hys disciples cam to him after he had opened his mouthe he taught them sayeng Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdom of heauen Blessed be they that mourne for they shal be couÌ„forted Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the erthe Blessed be they that hungre and thyrst after ryghtuousnes for they shal be satisfyed Blessed be the pytifull for they shal be pytied Blessed be the pure in harte for they shall se God Blessed be the peace makers for they shal be called the chyldren of God Blessed be they that be persecuted for ryghtuousnes for theirs is the kyngdom of heauen Blessed be ye when they shal â—euile and persecute you and speake euery euil worde agaynst you makyng lyes bycause of me Be glad reioyse for much is your reward in heuen The sermon vpon this Gospell THis daye good people is called all halowe daye is instituted of the Church of Christ that there myght be some certayne tyme to celebrate the memorye of all holy persones or sayntes whiche in this life liued a godly and perfecte life and therfore do nowe enioye eternall blysse in heauen accordyng as in this Gospell is promised vnto them and vnto vs al which wol do the same by our sauiour Christ. Let vs then se what thys Gospel speaketh Ye shall therfore vnderstande that our Sauiour Christ Iesus when he was walkyng here in earthe amonges vs and espyed the people more and more to gather about him of al sortes of meÌ„ he withdrew hym selfe as it were froÌ„ a low place and goyng vp to an high hylle beganne there to sette abroche hys heauenly doctrine declarynge by the very heigth of the place that he wolde teache no low ne coÌ„mon thyng but al highe and heuenly thynges His disciples whom he had specially
with his haÌ„des For as the historie telleth Christe had appeared to the rest of hys felawes when he was awey and when they shewed him of it with one hole voice and consent yet he said he wold not beleue it tyl he had sene the prynte of the nayles in Christes handes and felte his woundes Uerely as saint Gregory saith this was not done by casualtie y e saynt Thomas the chosen disciple of Christ was not then present For the high clemencie of god wrought this thinge y e the doubtyng disciple whyle in his maister he gropeth the woundes of the fleshe might heale in vs the wouÌ„des of infidelitie For the infidelitie of saynte Thomas profyted more to the Christen feith then did the feith of the beleuing disciples For while he by gropyng is brought againe to the feith our mynde is all doubt set apart stablished in the feith Thre thynges then are here to be considered in thys historie First the hardnes of belefe in saynt Thomas whiche albeit he was one of the electe disciples of Christe and longe conuersant wyth hym and continually instructed of his risyng againe yet he doubteth Seconde the goodnes and tendre mercie of Christ which wolde not thus leaue him Thyrdly the constancie of thys blessed Apostle in the feith ouer after euen til his lifes ende It was doubtles a very grosse infidelitie and hardnes of be leue in saint Thomas that after so longe coÌ„paning with our Sauiour Christ and hearynge him oftentimes afore his passion say he shuld rise agayne yet he wolde not beleue his resurrection nâ— not wheÌ„ his felawes so coÌ„stantly had shewed hym how they saw him wyth their eyen what he said vnto them Hys felawes verily were grosse til they had receyued the holy ghost for they wold skant beleue his resurrection til they had seen him But saynt Thomas was grosser thaÌ„ they all For he said he wold not beleue y â— resurrectioÌ„ tyl he had seen the prynt of the nayles in Christes haÌ„des yet this was not ynough to make him beleue but he wolde also fele hys wouÌ„des with his owne handes And here we haue a lyuely image of the nature disposition of the fleshe For the flesh can not be brought to beleue but by sensible signes tokens Neither was thys carnalitie in Thomas only but it is in al meÌ„ for we be made of one mowld and god hath coÌ„cluded all meÌ„ vnder infidelitie that he might haue mercie of all Consider therfore the tender mercie of our lorde howe for one of his disciples sake he shewed himselfe hauing woundes he dyd it not forthwyth but after viii daies to the intent he being amoÌ„ges his felawes certified of theÌ„ might be kyndled vnto a greater desire and that he might be made the more feithfull in tyme coÌ„myng Our Sauiour Christe therfore eight daies after he had appeared to his felawes caÌ„ where as they were gathered togither Thomas with them He entred in vnto them the dores being shutte wyth hys accustomed salutation greteth them sayng Peace be amonges you And forthwyth turnyng hymselfe to Thomas whose infidelitie could not be hidde from him whiche bicause he ê‘ceiued proceded not of malice but of weaknes he vouch saued to heale He had him behold his haÌ„des and grope his side Thomas according as Christ had bidde him beheld the print of the nailes and thurst his hand into his side And forthwyth wyth an exclamation cryed my lorde my God Thus from a grosse and stubburne infidelitie was he brought to a fast and constant feith So Paule at the beginning was a very fierce persecutour of y â— church but afterward he becaÌ„ a right feithful Apostle and teacher of the people For these wonderful iugementes of god be for this cause described forth vnto vs that we shuld lerne to knowe the exceding goodnes of god which turneth euil into good My lord and my god sayth saint Thomas Uerily he y t confesseth god to be his god hath renouÌ„ ced al y e be his possessed those y e be gods The erth is the lordê al that is therin We be the lordes the lord is ours Wherfor al the goodes of god be ours through feyth in oure sauioure Iesu Christe This high confession of saint Thomas truly our sauiour commended but yet he suÌ„what towched him for his hardnes of beleue saing Thomas bicause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they y â— haue not seen and yet haue beleued Saint Thomas saw one thing beleued an other he saw maÌ„ confessed god He saw Christ in flesh he felt him after his resurrection which was a great furtheraÌ„ce to his feith But blessed be they y t neuer saw Christ in flesh yet haue beleued on him Certainly this kynd of people be we Gentils as many of vs as reteyne Christ in mynde whoÌ„ we haue not seen in flesh as writeth saint Gregorie if so be yet that we folow prosecute our feith with good workes For that ê‘sone doth truly vnfeynedly beleue which practizeth in working y e thing that he beleueth Such a true ernest beleuer was this blessed man saynt Thomas Let vs then take exemple of him that we may haue the rewarde that he hath euerlastinge ioy by Christe oure lorde who be praysed for euer Amen ¶ On candelmas day otherwise called the purification of our Lady Gospell Luc. ii WHen the dayes of purification were come according the lawe of moyses they brought Iesus to Hierusalem to present him to the lord accordinge as it is wrytten in the lordes lawe that euery male opening matrice shal be called holy to the lord to giue in sacrifice according to that is said in the lordes law a payre of turtyl doues or two yong pygions And behold there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this maÌ„ was iust deuout awayting for the comfort of Israell the holy goste was vpon him And he had receyued an answere of the holy ghoste that he shuld not se death before he saw the lordes Christ. And he cam by the holy gost into the temple And while the father mother were bringing in the childe Iesus that they shuld do accordinge to the vse of the lawe for him he also toke him in his armes blessed god and said Lord now lettest thou thy seruaÌ„t depart according to thy word in peace For myne eyen haue seen the sauiour sente from the whom thou haste prepared before the face of al peoples a light for the reuelation of y e Gentils and a glory of thy people Israel A sermon vpon this Gospell WHen the purification daye was comme good people that is to wite the. xlij daye from the birth of our sauiour Christ at which day y e old law of Moses coÌ„maunded y â— if it were a man chyld that was born it shuld be presented to the lorde
this gospell Bicause our lord had sayde before to Peter that whether he went he could not folowe now but he shuld folow afterward lest y â— other disciples shuld thinke that this promisse was giuen only to Peter our sauiour now to coÌ„fort them sayth Be not troubled but beleue stedfastly In my fathers house be many mansions that is the selfe same Region shal receiue you that shal receiue Peter For there is greate plentie there of mansions and ye shall not nede to say that it is necessary that they were made redy for you albeit if I go prepare you a place yet wil I com againe take you with me Here my frendes ye wol aske how can Christ go prepare vs a place sith there be alredy many maÌ„sions in heuen Saint Austin answereth to this doubt in this wise Trouth it is that there be many maÌ„sions but they be not yet as they are to be prepared For the self same mansions which Christ prepared before in predestinating he prepareth now in working In predestinatioÌ„ therfore they be alredy Els he wold haue said I wil go and prepare that is I wil predestinate but bicause they be not yet in operation he said If I go prepare you a place And surely he now prepareth maÌ„sions by preparing tenantes for the mansions For where he saith in my fathers house be many mansions what thinke we is the house of God but the teÌ„ple of god of which the apostle saith The temple of god is holy which temple be you This house of god therfore is yet in building is yet in preparinge But what is that whiche to prepare he goeth away if he prepare our selfes whiche how can he do if he leaue vs Surely sayeth this holy Doctour he meaneth this that to the preparinge of these mansions the rightuouse man ought to lyue by feythe But if he shuld see it were no feith Christ therfore goeth awey that he may not be seen he withdraweth himself froÌ„ vs that he may be beleued For then is a place prepared for vs if we liue by feith This is the wey that our sauiour Christe here speaketh of Yea Christ himselfe if we beleue in him is the very wey for vs to heuen he is y â— trouth he is the life Let vs not then be troubled good people in our hartes For he that is the way wil not surely leade vs a wilsom wey if we stik vnto him neither will he deceiue vs and put vs in foles paradise sith he is the selfe trouth neither yet wol he leaue vs in the erroure of death sith he is the self life And therfore Christ sayeth further that no man can come to the father but by him he sayth that he that knoweth him knoweth also the father forasmoche as the father and he be one Yea sayth Christ ye that be my disciples do also know my father and ye haue seen him Undoutedly my freendes the disciples of Christe sawe god the father after a certayne maner in Christe commaundynge the wyndes and the sees commauÌ„ding deuilles driuinge out diseases wyth a worde were they neuer so incurable raisinge wyth a worde the deade to life agayn Howbeit y â— noueltie of Christes wordes dyd sumwhat trouble the Apostle Philip whose memory togyther wyth hys felowe saynte Iacob the churche doth thys daye solemnize as it troubled also the reste of the Apostles Wherfore saynt Philip more gready than the other to learne desyreth Christ to shew to them the father and they shuld be satisfied But what saith Christ to them agayn Haue I been so long with you do ye not yet know me Philip he y â— seeth me seeth also the father Surely if the father of heauen shulde haue spoken vnto his Apostles he shuld haue spoken none other thing thaÌ„ that Christ spake if the father shuld haue wrought he shuld haue wrought the same y â— Christe did worke The same mind is in them both the same wyll â–ª the same power and nature If we beleue this though the corporall presence of Christe as he was here coÌ„uersant amongê his disciples be taken from vs yet we shal se him absent moch better w t the eyen of feith then y â— misbeleuing Iues saw him presently with their fleshly eyen Thus dyd these two holy Apostles Philip Iacob see him after he was ascended vp to his father therfore the thingê that they saw y â— father worke by him the same by him did they bicause they cleaued fast vnto hym by feith charitie Yea Christ vttred also more clearely the power of his godhed after he w tdrew his corporal presence from them Insomoch whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe to Christ by y â— EuaÌ„gelical feith shal by Christ worke also as great thinges yea or greater thaÌ„ Christe him self did worke whaÌ„ so euer the glorie of god shal require a miracle The Apostles therfore healed disea ses euen with their shadowes they conuerted to the feith not a fewe persons as Christ did when he was here in earth but hole nations but yet they did this by Chryste or rather Chryste dyd these thinges in them Lette vs then haue in vs this stronge feith and this brenning charitie and than wythout fayle what so euer we shal desyre in Christes name he woll perfourme it To whom with the father and holy ghoste be rendred thankes and praysynges for euer and euer Amen ¶ On saint Ihon Baptistes day Gospell Luc. j. ELizabethes time was fulfilled that she shuld be deliuered and she brought forth a son And her neighbours cousins herd how the lord had shewed his great mercie vpon her they reioysed with her And it fortuned the eight daye they cam to circuÌ„cise the childe called him Zacharie by the name of his father And his mother answered sayd not so but he shal be called IhoÌ„ And they said vnto her There is none in thy kinred that is named by this name And they made signes to his father how he wolde haue him called And he asked for writing tables wrote sayng Ihon is his name And they al merueled and forth w t his mouth was opened his tong and he spake blessing god And feare can vpon all theire neighbours And in all the hylly countrey of Iewry were al these wordes spred abrode al they that herd them did put them in theyr harte sayeng What maner child shal this be And the lordes haÌ„d was with him And Zachary his father was fylled with the holy ghost prophecied sayeng Blessed be the lord god of Israel for he hath visited and made redemption to his people A sermon vpon this Gospell GOod people the church this day doth soleÌ„nize the birth of saint Ihon Baptist whoÌ„ god had ordeyned to be a messanger to make ready the waye against the coÌ„ming of our sauiour Christ. This holy prophetes mother named Elizabeth was thought to haue bene baren But it
sayeth Câ—rysostom For not only her sonnes had left theyr father but she also dyd leaue her husband to folow Christ. For he w tout her might liue but she without Christ could not be saued oules perchauÌ„ce a man wil say that betwene the time of the calling of these two Apostles the passion of Christ Zebedee her husband dyed so she beinge a lone woman aged folowed the steppê of Christ which is also moch to her praise and coÌ„mendation For feith neuer waxeth olde and deuotion feleth no werines She coÌ„meth therfore to Christ w t her two soÌ„nes They had herd Christe say a litle before that they which wold folow him in the new byrth whaÌ„ he shuld sit in y e seate of his maiestie shuld also sitte vpon xij seates iuging the xij tribes of Israel And that al they which had left house or brethren susters father or mother wife or children or their landes for his name sake shulde receyue an hundred times as moch shulde enioy euerlasting life They therfore being as yet imê‘fect hauinge litle vnderstandinge of the spirituall kingdom but thinking rather that Christes kingdom shulde be a worldly temporal reigne cam w t their mother beseching him that the one of them might sitte on the right hand of him in his kingdom and the other on the left meaning that they might be in some highe authoritie w t him For sith in a worldely kingdome they do seme to be in honour which sit w t the king it was no meruayle though a woman being led w t a womans simplicitie or ignoraunce thought that such thinges ought to be demauÌ„ded and her soÌ„nes also thinkinge yet nothinge highly vpon Christes kingdom ymagined such thinges of theÌ„ that shuld sitte with Christ. Then oure lord the knower of hyd thinges answered not to the wordes of the woman which was made peticioner but to the counsailes of her soÌ„ues which had set her to do this Surely our lord Iesus Christ oftentimes suffred hys disciples both to do speake thinke many thinges vnrightly to thintent that by their ouersight and blame he might finde occasion to expowne the rule of godlines knowing ful wel that theire errour hurted not so long as he was present with theÌ„ but the doctrine and instruction of the same was profitable both for that time present also for time comming He saith therfore vnto them ye wot not what ye aske as who shuld say I haue called you from the left side vnto the right ye by your counsayle wil ruÌ„ne to the left side againe And happily y â— thing was therfore done by a woman For the deuil gatt him to his wont armours of women that as Adam was spoyled by a woman so he might also separate destroy these by their mother But now destruction coulde not entre by a woman into saintes sithens froÌ„ a woman proceded the saluation of al men The auauncement of honour delited them but first it behoued them to exercise the way of labour And therfore he sayth vnto them Can ye drinke of y â— cuppe that I must drinke of As who shulde say if ye wil deserue the swete ye must also tast of y â— sowre If ye wil haue pleasure w t me in my kingdom ye must take ê‘te of my payne passion The crowne of rightuousnes is giuen not to al but to them that ruÌ„ne in the course and whiche do vse themselfes in such sort that they may obteine the maistrye If then he that proueth maistryes in worldly games kepeth himselfe sobre absteyneth froÌ„ al thinges â–ª to thinteÌ„t to get a crown y e perisheth what ought they be y â— seke for an euerlasting crowne Truly as sayth Chrysostom our Lorde knew â–ª that they coulde folowe his passion but he asketh them this to thintent all we might heare and know that none can reygne wyth Christe onles he folowe hys passioÌ„ For a preciouse thing is not gotten but with a preciouse price We call the passion of the Lorde not only the persecuting of the Hethen but also all violence whyche we suffre stryuyng agaynst synne This passion and crosse we be all bounde to abyde if we wyll be counted to be of Christes flocke Yea and when the glorie of Christ requireth we must also not refuse to suffre corporall deathe for hys sake Thus dyd the hooly Apostle saynte Iames whose memorie we do thys daye celebrate folowe hym for he was beheded of Herode for preaching and executynge of hys maisters commission And therfore it is no doubt of him but according to Christes owne promisse he hath receyued an hundered tymes as moch and doth now enioye the euerlasting life and that he is one of them that the kyngdom of heauen is prepared for Wherfore good people lette vs folowe thys blessed Apostle and as he dyd so let vs leue the loue of all worldly vanities and folow our Sauiour Christe to thintent we maye be heyres of god and ioynt heyres wyth Christe For if we suffre with him saith Paule we shal also be glorified with hym and reygne togither with hym If we dye with him we shal also liue with him and enioy the crown of euerlastinge blysse by him to whom wyth the father and holy ghoste be glorie and prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ On the Natiuitie of our Lady The Gospell Mat. i. THe boke of the generation of Iesu Christe c. Ye shal finde this Gospell and the sermon vpon it before on the conception day of our Lady fol. v. ¶ On saynt Mathews daye The Gospell Math. ix AS Iesus passed by he sawe a man sittynge at the receite of custome Matheu by name and sayeth to him Folowe me And he rose and folowed him And it chauÌ„ced as he satte at meate in the house â—o many publicanes and synners cam satte downe with Iesus and hys disciples The pharisees seyng this sayd to his disciples Why eateth your maister with publicanes and synners When Iesus herde that he said to them The strong haue no nede of a phisician but they that be sicke Go and lerne what this meaneth Mercye wyll I and not sacrifice For I am not come to cal rightuous ê‘sons but sinners The sermon vpon this Gospel THe Gospell red thys daye in the churche good people sheweth vnto vs how the blessed Apostle saynte Matheu was called of oure Sauioure Christe from a customer to be his disciple Apostle and how ready he was at his callyng to folow him whiche readynes of mynde as it is hyghlye for hys prayse and coÌ„mendation so it is also set forth as an exemple for vs to folow Let vs then brefely coÌ„sider the maner of this thynge As our Sauiour Christe passed by the custome house he sawe thys Matheu whiche was otherwise called Leui the sonne of Alpheus sitte there for he was at that tyme one of the custome house whiche
persones be called in latine publicani And surely this kind of meÌ„ bycause they did exercise an occupation or office of fylthy gaines and of violent rapacitie were many ways infamed noted and euyl spokeÌ„ of and specially amonges the Iewes But our Sauiour Iesus Christ which had called a lytle before vnto him SimoÌ„ and Andrewe IhoÌ„ Iames froÌ„ a base though yet not vnlawful kynde of lyuyng to thintent he wold openly declare vnto the worlde that he abhorred no sorte of men at al so they wold conuert themselfes to better he calleth this Mattheu vnto hym and coÌ„maunded hym to folowe hym Mattheu castynge no perilles or at lest wey despising al perilles whiche myght happen of Rulers forthwyth without delay leauing his accomptes vnperfite and leauing his gaynfull office beganne to folowe Iesus beinge sodenly made of a publicane a disciple And bycause he forsoke earthly gaynes he was ryghtly made a stuard of the Lordê talentes Truly the very brightnes and maiestie of the hidde godhed of our Sauiour Christ which also glystered in his humane face had power to pluck vnto him with the first syght those that beheld him For yf the Magnes stone hathe as they saye suche vertue efficacie in it that it caÌ„ draw vp yron vnto it howe much more could he that is the Lorde of al creatures drawe vnto hym whom he wolde And it happened afterward that this Matheu being now called to be Christê disciple desired him that he wold vouchesaue to take a repast wyth him at his house Our Lorde neyther disdayned to do thys thynge at hys new disciples request to thintent he wold gyue vs instruction that the company and felawshyp of wicked ê‘sons ought not to be eschued of preachers and holy men yf there be any hope that by their coÌ„pany they woll amende there nawghty lyfe Mattheu therfore beyng honored by Christes commyng into hys house made vnto hys maister a great and sumptuouse feast wherunto he also had byddeÌ„ many men of his ordre and facultie that is to wit euen a bourde full of customers publicans and synners whom by hys exemple and wordes he had allured and drawen into admiration loue of Iesus The pharisees therfore whiche were euer huntynge and seking occasions how to sklaunder trappe Christ espyeng hym nowe wyth hys disciples syttyng and eatyng wyth these synful sorte of men durst not yet rebuke Christe to hys face lest he shulde peraduenture taunt them againe as he had oftentymes doon before but went about to drawe and trayne his disciples from him Wherfore they come to them say Why doth your maister eate wyth these publicans and synful persons Trouth it is good people that the euil talkes of euyl men do corrupt the good maners of good meÌ„ But Christes coÌ„munication wyth these euil men was not to catche the euil maÌ„ners of them but by his heueÌ„ly medicine to plucke the euyl maÌ„ners froÌ„ theÌ„ He cam to cal the shepe y t were lost strayed out of the right pathe of godlines being seduced led out therof by suche hypocrites pharisees as these were which were here offeÌ„ded w t Christ These be they that Paule speaketh of which glorieng in the lawe do disworship god by the traÌ„gressioÌ„ of the lawe vaynly reputynge themselfes to be the guydes of y â— blind the light of theÌ„ y e be in darknes Our Sauiour therfore hearing the pharisees thus disputing wyth his disciples which as yet were but weake he defeÌ„deth them in this wise The hole nede no phisician but the sicke Christe calleth him selfe a phisician whiche by a wonderfull kynde of surgery was wouÌ„ded for our iniquities that he myght heale the woundes of oure synnes He calleth them hole which wyllyng to stablyshe there owne iustice were not subiect to the true iustice of God And he calleth them sicke and diseased whiche beynge ouercome in their coÌ„science do acknowlege their frailtie and espi yng howe by the lawe they be not iustifyed do submitte themselfes by penaunce to the grace of God But go your weys sayeth Christe and learne what thys sentence of the prophete Osee meaneth where God sayeth I require mercye and not sacrifice as who shulde saye Why accuse ye me when I releue and correcte synners Why do ye not rather accuse God the father of heauen which speaketh thys sentence by his prophet He admonisheth vs than that by workes of mercie we shulde gette vs the reward of the heuenly mercy and not that despising the necessities of the pore nedye we shuld trust to please God by the oblation of sacrifices Wherfore good people lette vs folowe thys blessed Apostle saynte Matheu let vs leaue al fylthy gaynes and come to Christ when he calleth vs by the preachynge of hys word Let vs be charitable do the workes of mercie as Christe teacheth vs that we maye be of the nombre of those which shall inheritie the kingdome of heuen prepared froÌ„ the beginnyng of the worlde by the father of heuen to whom be al prayse Amen ¶ On the Assumption of our Lady Gospell Luc. x. IEsus entred into a certaine towne And a certain woman named Martha receyued hym into her house And this woman had a sustre named Mary which also sitting at Iesus fete herd his word But Martha was combred about moch seruing stode and sayd Lord hast thou no regarde that my sustre hath left me alone to serue Byd her therfor that she helpe me Iesus answered said vnto her Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many thinges but one is necessarie Mary hath chosen the best parte which shal not be taken from her The sermon vpon this Gospell What time our sauiour Christ walked here vpon erth w t his disciples which leauing the cares of earthly thinges gaue themselues only and holly to the gospel it chauÌ„ced so that he entred into a certain village In this village there dwelled two women the name of the one was Martha the others name was Mary whiche women ioyfully receyued Christ and his disciples into their house The loue and zeale of either of them towardes the lorde was egal but their fourme maner of lyfe was diuerse like as in one body be sundry vses of the partes and membres of the same as also in the bodie of Iesus which is the church be diuerse sundry giftes of the spirite For Mary making as it were holyday from al busynes of the house now at Christes comming sat her downe at his fete hearing his wordes wherwith she was so rauished that forgettinge all other thinges she coulde not be plucked thens Contrary wise Martha being carefull for the purueaunce of the feast ranne about hither thether al busye that nothing at al shuld lacke that perteined to the welcoÌ„ming feasting of such a gest Wherfor not being sufficient of her selfe alone to do al y e she wold haue done
serpentes Leuiathan wolues euill beastes theues and such like of their euil properties Also spirites of the ayer flyeng about bounde wyth the chaynes of darknes vntyl the day of iugement condemned to euerlastinge damnation They caste suche men as be wythout the feare and thought of god into al kindes of vices some into couetise some into pride lechery intemperance crafte deceipt infidelitie conteÌ„pt of god rechlesnes dispayre dissolute and loose liuing dronkennes glotony surfettinges aduowtries blasphemies they raise dissentions seditions warres debates and all vnhappynes Yea and vnder the visour of angels of lyght and vnder the clooke of religion and of godlines they induce idolatry mens dreames sectes heresies and al false doctrines they deuise and driue into mens heddes inchauntmentes euil affections nawghty opinions and wicked counsailes as they did to Dauid in his aduowtry in the slaughter of Urias in nombring of the people and as they dyd to Czechiell whan he disclosed the treasure to the Babylonians To be short they do labour al they can to bring vs to vttre shame and destruction And this we se by open testimonies signes and deades how myghtyly they reygne as Paule saith vpon the children of disobedience and vpon such as wol not beleue gods word nor feare the lorde They confirme therfore the vngodly in theire vngodlynes wyth signes and wonders whiche they shew by their lymmes and ympes the false prophetes as appeareth in the. xxiiij chapter of Mathew or by inchaunters and â—uglers for it is not impossible but the deuil may by art Magik and sorcery worke many wonders and maystres For surely if witchcraftes sorceries and inchauntementes were not made ne coulde not be done God wolde neuer haue forbydden them Thus these euil spirites lye contynually in awayt of mankind they re propertye is to speake deceypte and lyes for that is as Christe sayth theyr owne and they be fathers therof they falsifye and corrupte gods worde wyth wycked doctrine as appeareth by the parable of the sower of good sede and of the deuyll whyche soweth among it darnel they wreste and allege holy scripture wronge they transfigure themselfes into angells of lyght fynally they seke to syfte vs as men wolde fyfte wheate And veryly good people y â— the wycked spirites haue these effectes powers and operations it is playne manifest also by the witnes of holy doctours of the church First the excellent clerke saynt Augustine in hys sermons writeth in thys wise All the euilles of the worlde be wrought by the falshode of the deuill whiche hath sette warre in heauen and in paradise deceipt hatred amonges the first brethern and in al our workes hath sowne darnelles Lactantius also that noble writer is not behind with his recorde sayng There is a certayne wicked and deceiptful spirite which is enemye to man and foe of iustice thys spirite lyeth in awayte of al mankinde And such as knowe not God them doth he entangle and wrappe in errous he drowneth them in foly and shadoweth them in darknes Also saynt Gregorie writeth â–ª that the wille of Satan is alway wicked but his power is neuer vnrightuouse or vnleful for of himselfe he hath his wille but his power he hath of God Wher fore good christen people sith we stand in this state and condition that yf we be euill and voyde of vertue and of the true feare of God we be in dauÌ„ger of these so noysom and wicked spirites and agayne yf we loue and serue God we be protected and fensed w t the good angelles whose benefites I haue heretofore brefely remembred it shal be our partes euermore to serue God and to stande in awe of hym lest by any meanes we might offend and displease him and so through our fault it shulde come to pas that we myght be depriued of these good angelles the euill shulde haue power vpon vs. But now let vs procede to the declaration of our gospell First therfore ye shall vnderstande that an exemple of the naturall ignoraunce blindnes and infirmitie of mankind is here set forth in the disciples of Christ which as yet measured the kingdom of heuen after the fashon of the kyngdome of the worlde The disciples come therfore to Christ aske him who is the greater man in the kyngdoÌ„ of heuen Surely according to the mynde of auncient doctours thys was a certayne humane affection whiche crept into the Apostles mindes and as it were a pricke of enuie and of ambition They had herd of the kyngdom of heuen they had seen iij. Apostles led aparte with Christ in to the mountayne that is to wit Peter Iames and Ihon they had herde how the keys of the kingdom of heuen were giuen to Peter and howe it was said to him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona and I say to the thou art Peter and vpoÌ„ this rocke wol I buylde my churche they espyed Peter also to talke more familiarly more boldly wyth the lorde lately also they sawe hym preferred before the rest of the Apostles in paynge of the tribute and in maner matched with Christ. For these and suche other thynges whiche as yet they dyd no perfectly vnderstande they had a lytle preuye grudge and enuie at Peter syth to hym as they thought the principalitie of the kingdoÌ„ of heuen was appointed wher neuertheles they perceiued he was yonger in yeares then they They came therfore as I sayde to Iesus and asketh hym who shall haue the chief authoritie in the kyngdome of heauen For it coulde not be yet dreuen out of their heddes but that there shulde be such like dignities and powers in the heauenly and spiritual kyngdom as they sawe in princes courtes of this world Our sauiour Christ therfore to thintent he wold cleane banish this carnal affection and vtterly expel the same out of their myndes calleth a certayne chyld vnto him whoÌ„ he setteth in the myddes of his disciples the chyld being yet very tendre of age and â—ut a babe voyde of all affections ether of ambition or of enuie simple pure innocent and liuynge by the only guyde and conducte of nature Thys chylde beynge thus sette amonges them our Sauiour sayeth in this wise vnto them Uerily onles ye be coÌ„uerted and be made as childern it is not possible for you to come into the kingdom of heuen For declaration of thys texte ye shall vnderstande that Christ did not here coÌ„mauÌ„de the Apostles that they shulde haue the age of chyldreÌ„ but the innocencie and the thing that the childreÌ„ do possesse bicause of their chyldhod they shulde possesse by their industrie so that in malice they might be chyldreÌ„ but not in wisdom as who shulde saye lyke as this child of whom I giue you an exemple doth not continew in angre neyther thynketh he one thyng and speaketh an other so you also onles ye haue such innocencie and purenes of mynd ye caÌ„ not
propre power and vertue as appeareth by that she putteth to but now also I know that whatsoeuer thou askest of god he woll gyue it the. So that she toke Christ but for a prophete and a very vertuouse and holy man Christ therfore answereth her Thy brother shal rise agayne I wote ê™ Martha that he shall rise againe in the resurrection at the last day Here we se that Martha was a good woman and beleued the general resurrection Wherfore our sauiour Christ to thintent he myght yet augment the womans feith opinion in him that he might declare that he coulde not only as an holy man prophet obteyne of god life to the dead but also that he himself is the fountaigne and giuer of life to al men and that no death is to be feared of them which put their trust and hope in him bicause that although death coÌ„meth yet it can not hurt him that beleueth on him which is fountaigne of al life he answered Martha in thys wyse I am the resurrection and the lyfe Ueryly my freendes this is the gospel â–ª this is the Euangel this is the glad ioyful tydinges most pleasaunt coÌ„fortable to al Christen men and women In this word Christ openeth himselfe vnto vs giueth vs resurrection life which be the greatest best gyftes that caÌ„ be giuen to maÌ„kynd But wherby is Christe made vnto vs our resurrectioÌ„ and our lyfe Uerily by feith And therfore he goeth further and sayth He that beleueth in me althoughe he be deade yet shall he lyue By feith doubtles the deade man liueth by feith the quicke maÌ„ neuer dyeth For ye may not thinke that Christ spake this only of Lazarus But who so euer he be that beleueth and hath the lyuely vnfeyned feith in Christ which in the begynnyng of this sermon â–ª I spake of he shall neuer dye albeit that the bodye for a tyme shall slepe This I say is the Gospell wherwith in the straightes of deth ours coÌ„sciencies must be fensed and made stronge agaynst al the gates of hell and of death For agaynst this sure feith thys rocke wherupon Christes church is buylt not al the gates of hell as Christ himselfe promiseth can preuaile And to thintent we shulde beleue this the better that Christe is oure resurrection he confirmed it with the raisyng of Lazarus froÌ„ death to life he coÌ„firmed it also with hys owne resurrection Why do we then mourne the deth of oure freendes Harken what Christ sayth I am the resurrection What do we fear thingê we wote not what in an other world Let vs beleue in Christ which saith I am the lyfe Truly he giueth himselfe hole vnto vs by this gospell only let vs take hede lest by our vnfeithfulnes we put froÌ„ vs so highe excellent a gyfte If Christ had neuer been made man we could haue hoped of no risyng agayne By our first father AdaÌ„ we were al made thral vnto death accordyng to gods worde in Genesis vnto AdaÌ„ What day so euer thou shalt eate of the tree of knowlege of good and euill thou shalt surely dye a death By Adam verily as witnesseth saynt Paule death entred first and agayne by Christe cam resurrection and lyfe Wherfore truly these wordes of our Sauiour Christe haue a ryght great comforte in them vnto all christen men forasmuch as they declare moost high vertue and power to be in Christe â–ª that is to witte that by hym chaunceth to maÌ„kind the vertue and power to rise againe into euerlastyng lyfe Both the good and bad shall ryse againe but not a like for the good shal rise vnto life â–ª and the badde shal rise vnto iugement and euerlasting death and therfore Christe to them is no resurrection For whiche they be that shal be made pertakers of euerlastynge lyfe he sheweth when he goeth on and sayeth in thys wyse He that beleueth in me shal lyue that is to say he shall not dye the second death We haue therfore good people two maners of risynge agayne for first we rise agayne here by grace out of the doungeon of synne when we â—e renewed into a new life and be regenerate by Christ as it is declared in the thyrde chapter of Ihon. And who soeuer after thys sorte doth ryse agayne out of synne here in thys lyfe â–ª shall neuer tast of the second death which is euerlastyng damnation but shal be pertaker of the seconde resurrection through Christ at the day of iugemeÌ„t which shal be lyfe euerlasting and endles ioye Thys in effecte were Christes wordes to Martha and after he had thus opened hymself vnto her he asked her whether she beleued this Wherunto she answered and said Yea Lorde I beleue that thou art Christe the sonne of God whiche hast come into the worlde Uerily thys confession of feith that this blessed woman Martha maketh here of Christe semeth to be lyke vnto that whiche saynt Peter and the rest of thapostles made when Christ asked them whom they said that he was and saynt Peter in al their names answered Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuyng god that is to say thou arte the Messias or Sauiour of the worlde whiche was so long before promised by the prophetes and loked for of the fathers And lyke as fleshe and bloud disclosed not thys feith to saynt Peter but the heuenly father so thys lyke confession that Martha made ê“ceded not of any carnal loue but of the holy ghost But what do these wordes betokeÌ„ thou art Christ Uerily to be Christ is to be the lorde and coÌ„querour ouer synne afflictions death and helle And for this cause was he promised euen to vanquish al the aduerse powers in heueÌ„ly thyngê I say he is that sede of the woman which shulde breake the serpeÌ„tes hed that is to wit the power of the deuill For the deuill ruleth in the worlde through Gods permission and sufferaunce by synne afflictions death and helle But all these thynges in the feithfull persons be ouercome and vanquished through Christ. Christ is our mediatour our peace He is the hed foundatioÌ„ of the church he is our prest our byshop to make sute to his father for vâ— and to saue vs hys people from our synnes Yea there is none other lucy to heuen but by him for he is the doore He is our lucy he is the trouth he is the lyfe for lyke as all were dead by Adam so by Christ must they he reuiuâ—â— This haue I spoken concerning the declaration of thys present Gospell Now deare freÌ„des accordyng to the instruction whiche we haue rehersed here out of holy scripture let vs not feare nor lameÌ„t this bodily death but rather the spiritual deth of the soule both in this worlde and in the next And on the contrary as often as we fall into synne let vs by due repentaunce rise againe here in thys lyfe let vs beleue stedfastly