Neither we maye reioyse in any woorkes that we do which al be so vnperfect vnpure that thei are not able to stāde before the righteous throne of God as the holy Prophete Dauid saieth entre not into iudgemēt with thy seruaūt O Lorde for no man that liueth shalbe found righteous in thy sight To God therfore muste we flee or els shall we neuer finde peace rest and quietnesse of conscience in our hartes For he is the father of mercies and God of all consolacion He is the Lorde with whō is plenteous redempcion He is that God which of his awne mercie saueth vs and setteth out his charitie and exceding loue towardes vs in that of his awne voluntary goodnesse when we wer perished he saued vs and prouided an euerlastyng kyngdom for vs. And all these heauenly treasures are geuen vs not for our awne desertes merites or good deedes whiche of our selfes wee haue none but of his meere mercie frely And for whose sake Truely for Iesus Christes sake that pure and vndefiled lambe of GOD. He is that dearely beloued sonne for whose sake god is fully pacified satisfied and sette at one with man He is the lambe of God whiche taketh awaie the synnes of the worlde of whom onely it maie be truely spoken that he did al thynges well in his mouthe was founde no craft nor subtilitie None but he alone maie saie the Prince of the worlde came and in me he hath nothyng And he alone maie saie also whiche of you shall reproue me of any faulte He is that high and euerlastyng priest whiche hath offered hymself once for all vpon the aulter of the Crosse and with that one oblacion hath made perfect for euermore them that are sāctified He is the alone mediator betwene God and man whiche paied our raunsome to God with his awne bloud and with that hath he clensed vs all from synne He is the Phisicion whiche healeth al our diseases He is that sauior whiche saueth his people from all their synnes To be shorte he is that flowyng moste plenteous fountain of whose fulnesse ▪ all we haue receiued For in hym alone are all the treasures of the wisedom and knowledge of God hidden And in hym and by hym haue wee frō God the father all good thynges perteinyng either to the body or to the soule O howe muche are wee bounde to this our heauenly father for his greate mercies whiche he hath so plenteously declared vnto vs in Christe Iesu our Lorde and sauior What thankes worthy and sufficient can we geue to him Let vs all with one accorde burste out with ioyfull voyces euer praisyng and magnifiyng this Lorde of mercy for his tendre kyndnesse shewed to vs in his derely beloued sonne Iesus Christ our lord Hetherto haue we heard what wee are of our selfes verely synfull wretched and dampnable again we haue heard how that of oure selfes and by oure selfes wee are not hable either to thynke a good thought ▪ or worke a good deede so that we can fynd in our selfes no hope of saluacion but rather whatsoeuer maketh vnto our destrucciō Again we haue heard the tendre kyndenesse and greate mercie of God the father towardes vs and how beneficial he is to vs for Christes sake without our merites or desertes euen o◠his awne meere mercie and tendre goodnesse Now how these excedyng greate mercies of God set abrode in Christe Iesu for vs bee obteined and how we be deliuered from the captiuitie of synne deathe and helle it shall more at large with Gods helpe be declared in the next Homelie In the meane season yea and at all tymes let vs learne to knowe our selfes our frailtie and weakenesse without any ostentacion or boostyng of our awne good dedes and merites let vs also knowledge The excedyng mercie of God towardes vs and confesse that as of our selfes commeth all euill and dampnaciō so likewise of hym commeth all goodnesse and saluacion as God hymself saieth by the prophet Oze O Israell thy destruccion commeth of thy self but in me onely is thy helpe and comforte If wee thus humbly submit our selfes in the sight of God wee maie bee sure that in the tyme of his visitacion he will lifte vs vp vnto the Kyngdome of his derely beloued sonne Christe Iesu our Lorde to whō with the father and the holy Ghoste bee all honour and glory for euer AMEN ¶ An Homelie of the saluacion of mankynd by onely Christ our sauior from synne and death euerlastyng BEcause all men be synners and offendors against GOD and breakers of his law and commaundementes therfore can no manne by his awne actes woorkes and deedes seme thei neuer so good be iustified and made righteous before God but euery man of necessitie is constrayned to seke for another righteousnesse or iustificacion to be receiued at Gods awne handes that is to saie the remission pardon and forgeuenesse of his synnes and trespasses in suche thynges as he hath offended And this iustificacion or righteousnesse whiche we so receiue by Gods mercie Christes merites embraced by faithe is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full iustificacion For the more ful vnderstandyng hereof it is our partes and duetie euer to remembre the greate mercie of God how that al the worlde beyng wrapped in synne by breakyng of the lawe God sent his onely sonne our sauior Chrste into this worlde to fulfill the lawe for vs and by shedyng of his moste precious bloud to make a sacrifice and satisfaccion or as it maie bee called amendes to his father for our synnes to asswage his wrathe and indignacion conceiued against vs for thesame In so much that infantes beyng baptised and diyng in their infancie ▪ are by this sacrifice wasshed from their synnes brought to Gods fauor and made his children and inheritors of his kyngdome of heauen And thei whiche actually do synne after their baptisme whē thei conuerte and turne again to God vnfainedly thei are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their synnes in suche sorte that there remaineth not any spotte of synne that shalbe imputed to their dampnacion This is that iustificacion or righteousnes whiche sainct Paule speaketh of when he saieth no man is iustified by the workes of the law but frely by faith in Iesus Christ. And again he saieth we beleue in Christ Iesu that we be iustified frely by the faith of Christe not by the workes of the lawe because that no man shalbe iustified by the workes of the law And although this iustificaciō be fre vnto vs yet it commeth not so frely vnto vs that there is no raunsome paied therfore at all But here maie mannes reason be astonied reasonyng after this fashion if a raunsome bee paied for our redempcion then is it not geuen vs freely For a prisoner that paieth his raunsome is not let go frely for if he go frely then he goeth without
raunsome for what is it els to go freely then to bee set at libertie without paiment of raunsome This reason is satisfied by the greate wisedome of God in this mistery of our redempcioÌ„ who hath so tempered his iustice and mercie together that he would neither by his iustice condempne vs vnto the perpetuall captiuitie of the deuill and his prison of hel remediles for euer without mercie nor by his mercy deliuer vs clerely without iustice or paiment of a iust raunsome but with his endlesse mercie he ioyned his moste vpright and equall iustice His greate mercy he shewed vnto vs in deliueryng vs from our former captiuitie without requiryng of any raunsom to be paied or ameÌ„des to be made vpon our partes whiche thyng by vs had been impossible to bee doen. And where as it laie not in vs that to do he prouided a raunsome for vs that was the moste precious body bloud of his awne moste dere and best beloued sonne Iesu Christe who besides his raunsom fulfilled the lawe for vs perfectly And so the iustice of God his mercie did embrace together and fulfilled the mistery of our redempcion And of this iustice and mercie of God knit together speaketh saincte Paule in the .iii. Chapiter to the Romans al haue offended and haue nede of the glory of God iustified frely by his grace by redempcion whiche is in Iesu Christ whom God hath set furth to vs for a reconciler peace maker through faith in his bloud to shewe his righteousnesse And in the .x. Chapiter Christ is the ende of the law vnto righteousnes to euery man that beleueth And in the .viii. Chapi that whiche was impossible by the lawe in asmuche as it was weake by the flesh God sendyng his awne sonne in the similitude of synfull fleshe by synne dampned synne in the fleshe that the righteousnesse of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite In these foresaied places the Apostle toucheth specially three thynges whiche muste concurre and go together in our iustificacion Upon Gods part his greate mercie and grace vpon Christes parte iustice that is the satisfaccion of gods iustice or the price of our redempcion by the offryng of his body and shedyng of his bloud with fulfillyng of y e law perfectly throughly and vpon our part true and liuely faithe in the merites of Iesu Christe whiche yet is not oures but by Gods workyng in vs. So that in our iustificacion is not onely Gods mercie and grace but also his iustice whiche the Apostle calleth the iustice of God and it coÌ„sisteth in paiyng our raunsome and fulfillyng of the lawe and so the grace of God doth not exclude y e iustice of God in oure iustificacion but onely excludeth the iustice of man that is to saie the iustice of our woorkes as to be merites of deseruyng our iustificacioÌ„ And therefore sainct Paule declareth here nothyng vpon the behalf of man concernyng his iustificacioÌ„ but onely a true and liuely faith whiche neuertheles is the gift of God and not mannes onely worke without God And yet that faithe dooth not exclude repentaunce hope loue dread and the feare of God to be ioyned with faithe in euery maÌ„ that is iustified but it excludeth theÌ„ froÌ„ the office of iustifiyng So that although thei be all present together in hym that is iustified yet thei iustifie not all together Nor that faithe also doth not exclude the iustice of oure good workes necessarily to bee doen afterward of duetie towardes God for wee are moste bounden to serue God in doyng good deedes commaunded by hym in his holy scripture all the daies of oure life But it excludeth theim so that we maie not doo theim to this intent to be made good by doyng of them For all the good workes that we can do bee vnperfecte and therfore not able to deserue our iustificacioÌ„ but our iustificacion dooth come frely by the mere merâ—ie of GOD and of so greate and free mercie that whereas all the worlde was not able of their selfes to paye any parte towardes their raunsome it pleased our heauenly father of his infinite mercie without any our deserte or deseruyng to prepare for vs the mooste precious iewelles of Christes body and bloud wherby our raunsome might be fully paied the lawe fulfilled and his iustice fully satisfied So that Christe is nowe the righteousnesse of all them that truely doo beleue in hym He for theim paied their raunsome by his death He for theim fulfilled the lawe in his life So that nowe in hym and by hym euery true Christian man maie be called a fulfiller of the lawe forasmuche as that whiche their infirmitie lacketh Christes iustice hath supplied Before was declared at large that no manne can be iustified by his awne good workes because that no manne fulfilleth the lawe accordyng to the full request of the lawe And saincte Paule in his Epistle to the GalathiaÌ„s proueth thesame saiyng thus If there had been any lawe geuen whiche coulde haue iustified verely righteousnesse should haue been by the lawe And again he saieth if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then Christe died in vain And again he saieth you that are iustified by the lawe are fallen awaie from grace And furthermore he writeth to the Ephesians on this wise by grace are ye saued through faithe and that not of your selfes for it is the gift of God and not of workes lest any man should glorie And to bee shorte the summe of all Paules disputacion is this that if iustice come of woorkes then it commeth not of grace And if it come of grace then it commeth not of woorkes And to this ende teÌ„deth al the Prophetes as saincte Peter saieth in the tenthe of the Actes Of Christe all the Prophetes saieth saincte Peter do witnes that through his name al they that beleue in him shal receiue the remission of synnes And after this wyse to be iustifyed onely by this true and liuely faithe in Christ speaketh all the olde and auncient aucthors bothe Grekes Latyns Of whom I will specially reherse thre Hillary Basill Ambrose Sainct Hillary sayeth these wordes plainly in the ninth Canon vpon Matthewe Faithe onely iustifyeth And saincte Basill a Greke aucthor writeth thus This is a perfect and a whole reioysyng in God when a man auaunteth not hymselfe for hys awne righteousnes but knowledgeth hymself to lacke true iustice and righteousnes and to be iustifyed by the onely faithe in Christ And Paul saieth he doeth glory in the contempte of hys awne righteousnes and that he loketh for his righteousnes of God by faythe These be the verye woordes of sainct Basill And sainct Ambrose a Latyn aucthor sayeth these wordes This is the ordinaunce of God that he whiche beleueth in Christ should be saued without workes by faithe onely freely receiuyng remission of his synnes Consyder diligently these woordes without
woorkes by faythe onely freely we receyue remissyon of oure synnes What can be spoken more plainlye then to saye that freely withoute woorkes by fayth onely we obteyne remission of oure synnes These and other lyke sentences that we be iustifyed by fayth onelye frelye and without workes we do reade oftymes in the moste best and aūcient writers As beside Hillarye Basill sainct Ambrose before rehersed we read thesame in Origene saincte Chrisostome saincte Cypriane saincte Augustine Prosper Oecomenius Phocius Bernardus Anselme and many other aucthors Greke and Latine Neuertheles this sentence that we be iustified by fayth onely is not so meāt of them that the sayed iustifiyng fayth is alone in man without true repentaunce hope charitie dread and feare of God at any tyme or ceason Nor when they say that we be iustified frely they meane not that we should or might afterwarde be idle that nothyng should be required on oure partes afterward Neither thei meane not so to be iustified without our good workes that we shoulde do no good workes at all lyke as shalbe more expressed at large hereafter But this proposicion that we be iustifyed by faith onely frely and without workes is spoken for to take away clerely all merite of oure workes as beyng insufficient to deserue our iustificacion at Gods handes and thereby moste plainly to expresse the weakenes of man and the goodnes of God the great infirmitie of oure selfes and the myght and power of God the imperfectnes of oure awne workes and the moste aboundaunt grace of our sauior Christe And thereby whoey to ascribe the meryte and deseruing of our iustificaciō vnto Christe onely and his moste precious bludshedyng This faythe the holy scripture teacheth this is the strong rocke foundacion of Christian religion this doctryne all olde and auncient aucthors of Christes churche do approue this doctrine aduaūceth setteth furthe the true glory of Christ and suppresseth the vayne glory of man This whosoeuer denieth is not to be reputed for a true christian man not for a setter furth of Christes glory but for an aduersarye of Christe and his Gospell for a setter furth of mēnes vain-glory And although this doctrine be neuer so true as it is most true in dede that we be iustified freely without al merite of our awne good workes as S. Paule doth expresse it and freely by this liuely and perfect fayth in Christe onely as the auncient aucthors vse to speke it yet this true doctrine must be also truely vnderstande and moste plainly declared lest carnall men should take vniustly occasyon thereby to lyue carnally after the appetite and will of the world the flesh and the deuil And because no man should erre by mistakyng of this doctrine I shall plainely shortely so declare the right vnderstandyng of the same that no man shall iustly thinke that he maye therby take any occasion of carnall libertie to folowe y e desires of the flesh or that therby any kind of synne shalbe committed or any vngodly liuyng the more vsed First you shall vnderstande that in our iustificacion by Christ it is not all one thinge the office of God vnto man and the office of man vnto God Iustificacion is not the offyce of man but of God For man cannot iustifye himselfe by his awne workes neither in parte nor in the whole for that were the greatest arrogancie presumpciō of man that Antechrist could erect agaynst God to affirme that a man might by his awne workes take awaye and purge his awne synnes and so iustifie himself But iustificacion is the office of God onely and is not a thyng whiche we rendre vnto hym but whiche we receiue of him not whiche we geue to him but whiche we take of him by his free mercie by the onely merites of his moste derely beloued sonne our onely redemer sauiour and iustifier Iesus Christ. So that the true vnderstandyng of this doctrine We be iustified freely by faith without workes or that we be iustified by faithe in Christ onely is not that this our awne acte to beleue in Christe or this oure faithe in Christe which is within vs dooth iustifie vs and merite oure iustificacion vnto vs for that were to cōpte our selfes to be iustified by some acte or vertue that is within oure selfes But the true vnderstandynge and meanynge thereof is that although we heare Gods woorde and beleue it although we haue faith hope charitie repentaunce dread and feare of God within vs and do neuer so many good woorkes thereunto yet we must renounce the mertte of all our saied vertues of faith hope charitie and all our other vertues and good dedes which we either haue doen shal do or can do as thynges that be farre to weake and insufficient and vnperfecte to deserue remission of our synnes and oure iustification and therefore we must trust onely in Gods mercie and in that sacrifyce whiche our high prieste and sauior Christ Iesus the sonne of God once offered for vs vpon the crosse to obtein therby Gods grace and remission aswel of our originall synne in baptisme as of all actuall synne cōmitted by vs after oure baptisme if we truely repente and conuerte vnfainedly to hym agayn So that as sainct Ihon Baptiste although he were neuer so vertuous and Godly a man yet in this matter of forgeuyng of synne he did put the people frō hym and appoynted them vnto Christ saiyng thus vnto them Behold yonder is the lambe of GOD whiche taketh awaye the synnes of the world Euen so as greate and as Godly a vertue as the liuely fayth is yet it putteth vs from it self remitteth or appointeth vs vnto Christ for to haue only by him remission of oure synnes or iustification So that our fayth in Christ as it were saieth vnto vs thus It is not I that take awaye your synnes but it is Christ onely and to him onely I send your for that purpose renoūcyng therein all your good vertues woordes thoughtes and woorkes and onely puttyng your trust in Christe Thus you do se that the very true sense of thys proposicion We be iustifyed by faythe in Christe onely accordyng to the meanyng of the old auncient aucthors is this we put oure faithe in Christe that we be iustifyed by hym onely that we be iustified by Gods free mercie and the merites of our sauior Christe onely and by no vertue or good worke of our awne that is in vs or that we can be able to haue or to do for to deserue thesame Christ hymself onely beyng the cause meritorious thereof Here you perceiue many woordes to be vsed to auoyd cōtencion in wordes with them that delighte to braule aboute woordes and also to shewe the true meaning to auoyde euill talking misunderstandyng And yet peraduenture all wyll not serue with theim that be contencious but cōtenders will euer forge matter of contencion euen when thei haue none occasiō thereto Notwithstandyng such
our wil â–ª hartes â–ª might and power to serue him in all good dedes obeyng his commaundementes during our lifes to seke in al thinges his glory and honor not our sensuall pleasures vaynglory euermore dreadynge willingly to offende suche a merciful God louyng redemer in worde thought or dede And the sayde benefites of God depely considered do moue vs for his sake also to be euer redy to geue our selfes to our neighbors and asmuch as lyeth in vs â–ª to study with all oure indeuour to doo good to euery man These be the fruites of the true faythe to do good asmuche as lieth in vs to euery man And aboue all thynges and in all thinges to auaunce the glory of God of whom only we haue our sanctificacion iustificacion saluacion and redempcion â–ª To whome be euer glory prayse and honor â–ª worlde without ende AMEN ¶ A short declaration of the true liuely and Christian Faithe THE firste entrie vnto God good christian people is through faith whereby as it is declared in the laste Sermon we be iustifyed before God And least any maÌ„ should be deceyued for lacke of right vnderstanding thereof it is diligently to be noted that faythe is taken in the scripture two manes of wayes There is one fayth whiche in scripture is called a dead faythe whiche bryngeth furth no good workes but is idle barrain and vnfruitefull And this faith by the holy Apostle sainct Iames is compared to the fayth of deuilles which beleue God to be true and iuste and tremble for feare yet they do nothynge well but al euill And suche a maner of fayth haue the wicked and naughtie thristian people whiche confesse God as saincte Paule sayeth in their mouthe but denye hym in their deedes beynge abhominable and withoute the righte fayth and to all good workes reproueable And this faith is a persuasioÌ„ and belief in maÌ„nes harte wherby he knoweth that there is a God and assenteth vnto all trueth of Gods moste holye worde conteyned in holy scripture So that it consisteth onely in beleuing of the woorde of God that it is true And thys is not properlye called faythe But as he that readeth Cesars Commentaries beleuyng thesame to be true hath thereby a knowledge of Cesars lyfe and noble actes because he beleueth the history of Cesar yet it is not properly saied that he beleueth in Cesar of whome he loketh for no helpe nor benefite Euen so he that beleueth that all that is spoken of God in the Bible is true and yet liueth so vngodly that he caÌ„not loke to enioy the promises and benefites of God although it maye be saide that such a man hath a faith belief to y e wordes of God yet it is not properly saied that he beleueth in God or hath suche a fayth truste in God wherby he may surely loke for grace mercy eternall lyfe at Gods hand but rather for indignacion punishment according to the merites of hys wicked life For as it is written in a boke entituled to be of Didimus AlexaÌ„drinus forasmuch as faith without workes is ded it is not now faith as a ded man is not a man This ded faith therfore is not y t sure and substancial faith which saueth synners Another fayth there is in scripture whiche is not as the foresayde faith idle vnfruitfull and dead but worketh by charitie as S. Paule declareth Gal. v. Whiche as the other vayn faith is called a ded faithe so maye thys be called a quicke or liuely faith And this is not onely the coÌ„mon belefe of the Articles of our faith but it is also a sure truste and confidence of the mercy of God through our lorde Iesus Christ and a stedfast hope of all good thynges to be receiued at Gods hande that although we through infirmitie or temptacioÌ„ of our ghostly enemie do fall from him by synne yet if we returne agayn vnto hym by true repentaunce that he wyll forgeue forget oure offences for hys sonnes sake our sauior Iesus Christ will make vs inheritors with him of his euerlastyng kyngdom and that in the meane tyme vntyll that kyngdom come he will â—e our protector and defendor in all perils daungers whatsoeuer do chaunce and that though somtyme he doth sende vs sharpe aduersitie yet y t euermore he wilbe a louyng father vnto vs correctyng vs for our synne but not withdrawyng hys mercy finally from vs if we trust in hym and commit our selfes wholy vnto hym hang onely vpon hym and call vpon hym ready to obey and serue hym Thys is the true liuely and vnfayned christian faith and is not in the mouthe and outward profession onely but it liueth and stirreth inwardly in the hart And this faythe is not without hope and truste in God nor without the loue of God and of our neyghbors nor without the feare of God nor without y e desyre to heare Gods worde and to folowe thesame in eschewyng euill and doyng gladly all good workes Thys faith as sainct Paule describeth it is the sure ground and foundacioÌ„ of the benefites whiche we ought to loke for and trust to receyue of God a certificat sure expectacion of them although they yet sensiblie appere not vnto vs. And after he saith he that coÌ„meth to God must beleue both that he is that he is a mercifull rewarder of wel doers And nothyng coÌ„mendeth good men vnto God so muche as this assured faith trust in him Of this faithe iij. thinges are specially to be noted First that this faithe doth not lye ded in the hart but is liuely and fruitful in bringing furth good workes Second y â— without it caÌ„ no good workes be doen y t shalbe acceptable pleasauÌ„t to God Thirde what maner of good workes thei be y t this faith doth bryng furth For the first as the light cannot be hid but will shewe furthe it self at one place or other So a true faith cannot be kept secret but when occasion is offered it will breake out shew it self by good workes And as the liuyng body of a maÌ„ euer exerciseth suche thinges as belongeth to a naturall liuyng body for nourishement preseruacion of thesame as it hath nede opportunitie and occasion euen so the soule that hath a liuely faith in it wyl be doyng alwaye some good worke whiche shall declare that it is liuyng and will not be vnoccupied Therfore when men heare in the scriptures so high coÌ„mendacions of faythe that it maketh vs to please God to liue with God and to be the children of God if then they phantasie â–ª that thei be set at libertie froÌ„ doyng all good workes and may liue as thei liste thei trifle with God deceyue themselfes And it is a manifest token that thei be farre from hauing the true and liuely faith also farre from knowledge what true faith meaneth For the very sure liuelye christian faith is not
and wretchednes of this world and the very entry into rest and a beginnyng of euerlastyng ioye a tastyng of heauenly pleasures so great that neither toungue is able to expresse neither eye to se nor eare to heare them no nor for anye earthly mans hart to conceyue them So excedinge greate benefites thei be whiche God our heauenly father by his mere mercye and for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christe hathe layed vp in store and prepared for theim that humbly submitte themselfes to Gods wil and euermore vnfainedly loue him from the botome of their hartes And we oughte to beleue that death beyng slayne by Christe cannot kepe any man that stedfastly trusteth in Christ vnder his perpetuall tirāny and subiection but that he shall ryse from death agayne vnto glory at the last daye appoynted by almighty God lyke as Christ oure head did ryse agayne accordinge to Gods appoyntement the thyrde daye For sainct Augustine saieth The head goynge before the mēbres trust to folowe come after And sainct Paule saieth if Christe be rysen from the dead we shall ryse also from thesame And to comforte all Christen persons herein holye scripture calleth this bodiely death a slepe wherin mās senses be as it were takē from hym for a ceason and yet when he awaketh he is more freash then he was when he went to bed So althoughe we haue our soules seperated from our bodyes for a ceason yet at the general resurreccion we shalbe more freash beautifull and perfite then we be now For now we be mortall then we shal be immortall now infect with diuers infirmities then clerely voyde of all mortall infirmities now we be subiect to all carnall desyres then we shalbe al spirituall desiryng nothynge but Gods glory thinges eternal Thus is this bodiely death a doore or entrynge vnto lyfe and therfore not so muche dreadfull if it be rightly considered as it is comfortable not a mischief but a remedy of all mischief no enemy but a frende not a cruel tyraūt but a gētle guide leadyng vs not to mortalitie but to immortalitie not to sorow and payne but to ioye and pleasure and that to endure for euer if it be thankefully taken and accepted as Gods messenger and paciently borne of vs for Christes loue that suffered most paynfull death for oure loue to redeme vs from death eternall Accordynge hereunto saincte Paule saieth our lyfe is hidde with Christ in God but when our lyfe shall appere then shall we also appere with hym in glorye Why then shall we feare to dye consideryng the manifolde and comfortable promises of the Gospell and of holy scriptures God the father hath geuen vs euerlastynge lyfe saieth S. Ihon thys lyfe in is hys sonne he that hath the sonne hath lyfe he that hath not y e sonne hath not lyfe And this I wrote saieth S. Ihon to you that beleue in y e name of the sonne of God that you maye knowe that you haue euerlastynge lyfe and that you do beleue vpō the name of the sonne of God And our sauior Christ sayeth he that beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastynge and I wyll rayse him frō death to lyfe at the last day Sainct Paule also sayeth that Christe is ordeyned and made of God oure righteousnes our holynes and redemption to the entent that he which wyll glory should glory in the Lorde Sainct Paule did contemne and set litle by all other thynges estemynge them as dunge whiche before he had in very greate pryce that he might be found in Christ to haue euerlasting lyfe true holynes righteousnes and redēpcion Finally S. Paule maketh a playne argument in this wise If our heauenly father woulde not spare his awne naturall sonne but dyd geue hym to death for vs how can it be that with him he shoulde not geue vs all thynges Therfore if we haue Christ then haue we with him and by him all good thinges whatsoeuer we can in our hartes wish or desire as victorie ouer death sinne and hel we haue the fauor of God peace wyth hym holynes wysedome iustice power lyfe and redempcion we haue by hym perpetuall health wealth ioye and blysse euerlastynge All those therefore haue great cause to be full of ioye that be ioyned to Christ with true faythe stedfast hope and perfyt charitie and not to feare death nor euerlastynge dampnacion For deathe cānot depriue them of Iesu Christ nor any sinne can cōdempne them y t are graffed surely in him which is their onely ioy treasure and lyfe Let vs repent our synnes amend our lyfes trust in hys mercy and satisfaction and death can neyther take hym from vs nor vs from hym For then as s. Paul saieth whether we lyue or dye we be the Lordes awne And agayne he sayeth Christ did dye and rose agayne because he should be Lord both of the dead quicke Then if we be the Lordes awne when we be dead it must nedes folowe that suche temporall deathe not onely cānot harme vs but also that it shall muche be to our profit and ioyne vs vnto God more perfectly And thereof the christian hart may surely be certified by the infallible truth of holye scripture It is God sayeth sainct Paule which hath prepared vs vnto immortalitie and thesame is he which hath geuen vs an earnest of the spirite Therfore let vs be alwaies of good comforte for we knowe that so longe as we be in the body we be as it were farre from God in a straunge countrey subiect to many perils walkyng without perfite sighte and knowledge of almighty God onely seynge hym by faythe in holy scriptures But we haue a courage desire rather to be at home with God and oure sauior Christe farre from the body where we maye behold hys Godhead as he is face to face to oure euerlastyng comfort These be saincte Paules wordes in effecte wherby we may perceyue that the lyfe in this world is resembled to a pilgrimage in a straunge countrie far frome God and that death deliuerynge vs from our bodyes doth sende vs straight home into our awne countrey and maketh vs to dwell presently with God for euer in perpetuall rest and quietnesse So that to dye is no losse but profite and winnynge to all true christē people What lost the thefe that hanged on the crosse with Christ by hys bodiely death Yea how much dyd he gayne by it Did not our sauiour say vnto hym thys daye thou shalt be with me in Paradyse And Lazarus that pitifull person that lay before y e richemans gate payned with sores and pined with hungre did not death highlye profite and promote hym Which by the ministery of Aungels sent hym vnto Abrahās bosome a place of rest ioye and heauenly consolacion Let vs thinke none other good christen people but Christ hath prepared thesame ioye and felicitie for vs that he prepared for Lazarus the thefe Wherfore let vs sticke vnto his
vices the one is picking of querelles with sharpe and cōtencious wordes the other standeth in froward answering and multipliyng euil wordes againe The first is so abhominable that saincte Paule saieth if any y t is called a brother be a worshipper of ydols a brauler or piker of querels a thefe or an extorcioner with hym that is suche a mā se that ye eate not Now here considre that saincte Paule numbreth a scolder a brauler or a picker of querels emōg thiefes and ydolaters and many tymes commeth lesse hurt of a thief then of a raylyng tongue for the one taketh away a mannes good name the other taketh but hys richesse which is of muh lesse value estimacion then is hys good name And a thief hurteth but him from whom he stealeth but he that hath an euill tongue troubleth al the towne where he dwelleth sometyme the whole coūtrey And a raylynge tongue is a pestilence so full of contagiō that sainct Paule willeth christian men to forbeare the cōpany of suche and neyther to eate nor drynke with theim And where as he will not that a Christian woman shoulde forsake her husband although he be an infidele nor that a christian seruaunt should departe from hys master whiche is an infidele and Heathē and so suffre a christian man to kepe company with an infidel yet he forbiddeth vs to eat or drink with a scolder or a querel picker And also in y e .vi. chapi to the Cor. he saieth thus Be not deceyued for neither fornicators neither worshippers of ydols neyther thiefes nor dronkards neither cursed speakers shall dwell in the kyngdom of heauē It must nedes be a great fault that doeeh moue cause the father to disherite hys natural sonne And how cā it otherwise be but that this cursed speakynge must nedes be a most dampnable synne the whiche doeth cause God our moste merciful louing father to depriue vs of hys moste blessed kyngdō of heauē Agaynst the other synne that standeth in requiting taunt for taunte speaketh Christe himselfe I saye vnto you saieth oure sauior Christe resiste not euill but loue your enemies and saye well by them that saye euill by you do well vnto theim that do euill to you and praye for them that do hurte and pursue you that you maye be the chyldren of youre father whiche is in heauen whoo suffereth hys sunne to ryse bothe vpon good and euill and sendeth hys rayn both to the iuste and vniuste To thys doctryne of Christe agreeth very well the teaching of sainct Paul that electe vessell of God who ceaseth not to exhorte and call vpon vs saiynge blesse them that curse you blesse I saye and curse not recompense to no man euill for euill if it be possible asmuche as lieth in you lyue peaceablye with all men Dearely beloued auenge not youre selfes but rather geue place vnto wrath for it is written vengeaunce is myne I will reuenge saieth the Lorde Therfore if thyne enemye honger fede hym if he thirst geue hym drinke be not ouercome with euill but ouercome euil with goodnes All these be the woordes of s. Paule But they that be so full of stomacke and sette so muche by them selfes that they may not abyde so muche as one euill woorde to bee spoken of them peraduenture wyll saye if I be euil reuiled shal I stād stil like a goose or a foole with my finger in my mouth Shall I be such an ydiot diserde to suffre euery mā to speake vpō me what thei list to rayle what they liste to spewe out al their venyme agaynst me at their pleasures Is it not cōuenient that he that speaketh euill shoulde be aunswered accordingly If I shall vse this lenitie and softnes I shal both encrease mine enemies frowardnesse and prouoke other to do lyke Suche reasons make they that can suffre nothynge for the defence of their impacience And yet if by froward aunsweryng to a froward persone there were hope to remedy his frowardnesse he should lesse offende y t should so aunswer doyng thesame not of yre or malice but onely of that intent that he that is soo frowarde or malicious may be refourmed But he that can not amende another mans faulte or cannot amende it without hys awn faulte better it were y e one should perishe then two Then if he cānot quiete hym with gentle woordes at the least let hym not folowe him in wicked vncharitable wordes If he can pacifie him with suffering let him suffre if not it is better to suffre euil then to do euil to saye wel then to say euill For to speake well agaynst euill commeth of the spirite of God but to rendre euill for euill commeth of the contrary spirite And he that cannot tēper ne rule hys awn yre is but weake and feble and rather more lyke a woman or a child then a stronge man For the true strength and mālines is to ouercome wrath and to despice iniury and other mēnes folishnes And besides this he that shall despice the wronge dooen vnto hym by his enemye euery man shall perceyue that it was spoken or doen withoute cause where as contrary he that doeth fume chafe at it shall help the cause of hys aduersary geuynge suspicion that the thing is true And so in goynge about to reuenge euil we shew our selfes to be euil and while we will punysh and reuenge another mānes foly we double and augment our awne foly But many pretenses fynd they that be wilful to colour theyr impaciēce Myne enemy saye they is not worthy to haue gentle wordes or deedes beynge so ful of malice or frowardnes The lesse he is worthy the more arte thou allowed of God the more arte thou commended of Christe for whose sake thou shoulde render good for euyll because he hath commaunded the also deserued that thou shouldest so do Thyne neighbor hath peraduēture with a worde offended the call thou to thy remēbraūce with howe many wordes dedes how greuously thou hast offended thy lord God What was man when Christe dyed for hym Was he not hys enemye and vnworthy to haue hys fauor and mercye Euen so with what gentlenes pacience doeth he forbeare tollerate the although he is dayly offended by the Forgeue therfore a lighte tresspace to thy neighbor that Christ maye forgeue the many thousandes of trespasses which arte euery daye an offendor For if thou forgeue thy brother beynge to the a trespasser then hast thou a sure signe and token that God wyll forgeue the to whom all men be debtors or trespassers How wouldest thou haue God merciful to the if thou wilt be cruell vnto thy brother Canste thou not find in thyne hart to do that towardes an other that is thy felowe which God hath done to the that arte but hys seruaunt Ought not one sinner to forgeue another seyng that Christ which was no synner did praye to hys father for
theim that withoute mercy and dispitfully put hym to death Who wheÌ„ he was reuiled did not vse reuilyng wordes again and when he suffred wrongfully he did not threateÌ„ but gaue all vengeaunce to the iudgemente of hys father whiche iudgeth rightefully And what crakest thou of thy hed If thou labor not to be in the body thou canste be no membre of Christ if thou folow not the steppes of Christ who as the Prophete saieth was led to death like a lambe not openynge hys mouth to reuilyng but openyng hys mouth to praiynge for them that crucified hym saiynge Father forgeue them for they cannot tel what they do The whiche exaÌ„ple anone after Christ sainct Stephin did folow and after sainct Paule We be euill spoken of saieth he and speake well we suffre persecucion take it pacieÌ„tly Men curse vs we gently entreate Thus s. Paul taught that he did he dyd that he taughte Blesse you sayeth he them y t persecute you blesse you curse not Is it a great thyng to speake wel to of thyne aduersary to whoÌ„ Christ doth coÌ„mauÌ„d the to do wel Dauid wheÌ„ Semei dyd call him al to naught did not chide agayn but saide paciently suffre hym to speake euil it perchauÌ„ce the Lorde will haue mercy on me Hystories be full of examples of Heathen men that toke very mekely bothe opprobrious wordes iniurious dedes And shall those Heathen men excel in pacience vs y t professe Christ the teacher example of all pacieÌ„ce Lisander when one did rage agaynst him in reuilinge of him he was nothing moued but said go to go to speke agaynst me asmuch as oft as thou wilt and leaue out nothynge if perchaunce by thys meanes thou maiest discharge the of those naughtie thynges with the which it semeth that thou arte full laden Many men speake euill of all men because thei can speake wel of no man After this sorte thys wyse man auoyded from hym the iniurious wordes spoken vnto hym imputyng and laiyng them to the naturall sickenes of hys aduersary Perycles when a certain scolder or a raylyng felowe dyd reuile him he auÌ„swered not a word again but went into a galery and after toward night wheÌ„ he wente home thys scolder folowed hym ragyng still more and more because he sawe the other to set nothyng by hym And after that he came to hys gate beyng darke night Perycles commaunded one of hys seruauÌ„â—es to light a torche to bryng y e scolder home to his awn house He did not only w t quietnes suffre thys brawler pacieÌ„tly but also recoÌ„peÌ„sed an euil turne with a good turne y t to hys enemye Is it not a shame for vs that professe Christe to be worse then Heathen people in a thynge chiefly perteyning to Christes religion Shall Philosophie perswade them more then Gods woorde shall perswade vs Shal natural reason preuaile more with them then religion shall do with vs Shall mans wisedome leade them to that thyng whereunto the heauenly doctryne cannot leade vs What blyndenesse wilfulnesse or rather madnesse is this Perycles beyng prouoked to angre with many contumelious wordes aunswered not a worde But we stirred but with one litle woorde what tragedies do we moue How do we fume rage stampe and stare like madde men Many men of euery trifle will make a great matter and of the sparke of a litle worde wyll kindle a great fyre takyng all thinges in the worste parte But how muche better is it and more lyke to the example and doctryne of Christe to make rather of a great faulte in our neighbour a smal fault reasoning with our selfes after this sort He spake these wordes but it was in a sodaine heate or the drinke spake them not he or he spake theÌ„ at the mocion of some other or he spake them beyng ignorauÌ„t of the truth he spake them not agaynste me but agaynste hym whome he thoughte me to be But as touching euill speakyng he y t is ready to speake euyl against other men fyrste lette hym examyne himself whether he be faultlesse and cleare of the faulte whiche he fyndeth in an other For it is a shame when he y t blameth an other for any faulte is giltye hymselfe either in thesame faulte eyther in a greater It is a shame for hym that is blynde to call an other maÌ„ man blynde and it is more shame for hym that is whole blynde to call hym blinkerd that is but pore blynd For this is to se a strawe in another mannes iye wheÌ„ a man hath a blocke in his awne iye Then let hym considre that he that vseth to speake euill shal commonly be euil spoken of again And he that speaketh what he will for his pleasure shalbe compelled to hear that he would not to his displeasure Moreouer lette hym remembre that saiyng that we shall geue an accompte for euery idle woorde How muche more then shall we make a reconyng for our sharpe bitter braulyng chidyng woordes whiche prouoke our brother to be angery so to the breach of his charitie And as touchyng euill aunsweryng although we be neuer so muche prouoked by other mennes euill speakyng yet we shall not folow their frowardnes by euill aunsweryng if we coÌ„sidre that anger is a kynde of madnesse and that he whiche is angery is as it wer for y e tyme in a phenesy Wherfore let hym beware least in his fury he speake any thyng â–ª whereof afterward he maie haue iuste cause to be sory And he that will defende that anger is no fury but that he hath reason euen when he is moste angery then let hym reason thus with himself when he is angery Now I am so moued and chafed that within a litle while after I shalbe otherwaies minded wherfore then should I now speake any thyng in mine anger whiche hereafter when I would fainest cannot be chaunged Wherfore shall I do any thyng now beyng as it wer out of my witte for the whiche wheÌ„ I shall come to my self again I shalbe very sadde Why doth not reason Why dooth not godlinesse Yea why doth not Christ obtein y e thyng now of me which hereafter tyme shall obtein of me If a man be called an adulterer vsurer drunkarde or by any other contumelious name let hym consider earnestly whether he be so called truly or falsly if truly let hym amende his fault that his aduersarie maie not after worthely charge hym with suche offences if these thynges be laid against him falsly yet let hym consider whether he hath geuen any occasion to be suspected of suche thynges so he maie bothe cut of that suspicion wherof this slaunder did arise and in other thynges shall liue more warely And thus vsyng our selfes wee maie take no hurte but rather muche good by the rebukes slaunders of our enemie For the reproche of an enemy may be to many men a quicker spurr to the amendement of their life