We can none otherwyse liue to God but by dying to sinne If Christ be in vs then is sinne dead in vs and if the spirit of God be in vs which raysed Christ from death to lyfe so shall the same spirite rayse vs to the resurrection of euerlasting lyfe But if sinne rule and raigne vs then is God whiche is the fountaine of all grace and vertue departed from vs then hath the deuill his vngratious spirit rule and dominion in vs And surelye if in suche miserable â—iate we dye we shall not ryse to lyfe but fall downe to death dampnation that without ende For Christe hath not so redeemed vs from synne that we may safely returne therto agayne but he hath redeemed vs that we should forsake the motions thereof liue to righteousnes Yea we be therfore washed in our baptisme from the filthynes of sinne that we should liue afterwarde in the purenesse of lyfe In baptisme we promised to renounce the deuill and his suggestions we promised to be as obedient chyldren alwayes following Gods will pleasure Then if he be our father in deede let vs geue him his due honour If we be his children let vs shew him our obedience like as Christ openly declared his obedience to his father which as saint Paul wryteth was obedient euen to the verye death the death of the crosse And this he did for vs all that beleue in him For him selfe he was not punished for he was pure and vndefiled of al maner of sinne He was wounded saith Esai for our wickednes and striped for our sinnes he suffred the penaltie of them him selfe to deliuer vs from daunger he bare sayth Esai al our sores and infirmities vpon his owne backe No payne did he refuse to suffer in his owne body that he myght deliuer vs from payne euerlasting His pleasure it was thus to do for vs we deserued it not Wherfore the more we see our selues bound vnto him the more he ought to be thanked of vs yea and the more hope may we take that we shall receaue all other good thinges of his hand in that we haue receaued the gifte of his onelye sonne through his liberalitie For if God sayth Saint Paul hath not spared his owne soÌ„ne from paine and punishment but deliuered him for vs all vnto the death how should he not geue vs all other thinges with him If we wante any thing eyther for body or soule we may lawfully and boldlye approche to God as to our mercifull father to aske that we desyre and we shall obtaine it For such power is geuen to vs to be the children of God so many as beleue in Christes name In his name whatsoeuer we aske we shall haue it graunted vs For so well pleased is the father almighty God with Christ his sonne that for his sake he fauoureth vs and will denye vs nothyng So pleasant was this sacrifice and oblation of his sonnes death which he so obediently and innocently suffred that he would take it for the onelye and full amendes for all the sinnes of the worlde And such fauour did he purchase by his death of his heauenly father for vs that for the merite thereof if we be true Christians in deede and not in worde onely we be now fullye in Gods grace agayne and clearelye discharged from our sinne No tongue surelye is able to expresse the worthines of this so precious a death For in this standeth the continual pardon of our daylye offences in this resteth our iustification in this we be allowed in this is purchased the euerlasting health of al our soules Yea there is none other thing that can be named vnder heauen to saue our soules but this onelye worke of Christes precious offering of his body vppon the aulter of the crosse Certes there can be no worke of any mortall man be he neuer so holy that shal be coupled in merites with Christes moste holye act For no doubt all our thoughtes and deedes were of no value if they were not allowed in the merites of Christes death All our ryghteousnes is far vnperfect if it be compared with Christes ryghteousnes For in his actes and deedes there was no spot of sinne or of any vnperfectnes And for this cause they were the more able to be the true amendes of our vnryghteousnes where our actes and deedes be ful of imperfection and infirmities therfore nothing worthy of them selues to stirre God to anye fauour muche lesse to chalenge the glory that is due to Christes acte merite For not to vs sayeth Dauid not to vs but to thy name geue the glory O lord Let vs therfore good freends with al reuerence glorifie his name let vs magnifye and prayse him for euer For he hath dealt with vs according to his great mercy by himselfe hath he purchased our redemtion He thought it not enough to spare him selfe and to sende his Angel to do this deede but he would do it him selfe that he might do it the better and make it the more perfect redemption He was nothing moued with the intollerable paynes that he suffered in the whole course of his long passion to repent him thus to do good to his enemies but he opened his heart for vs and bestowed him selfe wholly for the raunsomming of vs Let vs therefore nowe open our heartes againe to him and studie in our lyues to be thankfull to such a Lorde and euermore to be myndefull of so great a benefite yea let vs take vp our crosse with Christe and folowe him His passion is not onely the raunsome whole amendes for our sinne but it is also a most perfect example of all patience and sufferaunce For if it behoued Christ thus to suffer to enter into the glorye of his father how should it not become vs to beare paciently our small crosses of aduersitie and the troubles of this world For surely as saith saynâ— Peter Christ therefore suffred to leaue vs an example to folow his steps And if we suffer with him we shall be sure also to raigne with him in heauen Not that the sufferaunce of this transitory lyfe should be worthy of that glory to come but gladly should we be contented to suffer to be lyke Christ in our lyfe that so by our workes we may glorifie our father which is in heauen And as it is paynefull and greuous to beare the crosse of Christe in the greefes and displeasures of this life so it bringeth forth the ioyfull fruit of hope in all theÌ„ that be exercised therewith Let vs not so much beholde the payne as the rewarde that shall follow that labour Nay let vs rather endeuour our selues in our sufferaunce to endure innocentlye and gyltlesse as our sauiour Christ did For if we suffer for our deseruinges then hath not patience his perfect worke in vs but if vndeseruinglye we suffer losse of goodes and lyfe
thinges distinctly aduisedly consydered in our myndes must needes compell vs in most low reuerence after our bounden duety alwayes to render him thankes againe in some testification of our good hearts for his deserts vnto vs And that the entreating of this matter in hand may be to the glory of almighty God let vs in one faith and charitie call vpon the father of mercy from whom commeth euery good gyfte and euery perfect gift by the mediation of his welbeloued sonne our sauiour that we maye be assisted with the presence of his holye spirite and holsomelye on both our partes to demeane our selues in speaking and hearing to the saluation of our soules In the beginning of my speaking vnto you good Christian people suppose not that I do take vpon me to declare vnto you the excellent power or the incomparable wisdom of almightie God as though I would haue you beleeue that it myght be expressed vnto you by wordes Nay it maye not be thought that that thing maye be comprehended by mans wordes that is incomprehensible And too muche arrogancie it were for dust and ashes to thynke that he could worthyly declare his maker It passeth farre the darke vnderstanding of wysedome of a mortall man to speake sufficiently of that diuine maiestie whiche the Angels cannot vnderstand We shall therefore lay apart to speake of that profounde and vnsearcheable nature of almightie God rather acknowledging our weaknes then rashely to attempt that is aboue all mans capacitie to compasse It shall better suffise vs in low humilitie to reuerence and dreade his maiestie whiche we can not comprise then by ouermuch curious searchyng to be ouercharged with the glorie We shal rather turne our whole contemplation to aunswer a whyle his goodnes to wardes vs wherein we shall be muche more profitably occupied and more may we be bold to search To consyder this great power he is of can but make vs dreade and feare To consyder his hygh wisedome myght vtterly discomfort our frailtie to haue any thyng adoo with him But in consyderation of his inestimable goodnes we take good heart agayne to trust wel vnto hym By his goodnes we be assured to take him for our refuge our hope and comfort our mercyfull father in all the course of our lyues His power and wisedome compelleth vs to take hym for God omnipotent inuisible hauyng rule in heauen and earth hauyng all thynges in his subiection and wyll haue none in counsell with hym nor any to aske the reason of his doyng For he maye do what lyketh hym and none can resist hym For he worketh all thynges in his secrete iudgement to his owne pleasure yea euē the wicked to damnation saith Salomon By the reason of this nature he is called in Scripture consumyng fyre he is called a terrible and fearefull GOD ▪ Of this behalfe therefore we maye haue no familiaritie no accesse vnto hym but his goodnesse agayne tempereth the rigour of his hygh power and maketh vs bolde and putteth vs in hope that he wyll be conuersaunt with vs and easye vnto vs It is his goodnesse that moueth him to say in scripture It is my delyght to be with the children of men It is his goodnesse that moueth him to call vs vnto him to offer vs his frendship presence It is his goodnes that paciently suffereth our straying from him and suffreth vs long to winne vs to repentaunce It is of his goodnes that we be created reasonable creatures where els he myght haue made vs bruite beastes It was his mercye to haue vs borne among the number of christian people thereby in a muche more nyghnes to saluation where we might haue ben borne if his goodnes had not ben among the Panims cleane voyde from God and the hope of euerlasting lyfe And what other thing doth his louyng and gentle voyce spoken in his worde where he calleth vs to his presence frendship but declare his goodnes onelye without regarde of our worthynes And what other thing doth stirre him to call vs to him when we be straied from him to suffer vs paciently to win vs to repentaunce but onelye his singuler goodnes no whit of our deseruyng Let them all come together that be nowe glorified in heauen and let vs heare what aunswere they will make in these poyntes afore rehearsed whether their fyrst creation was in Gods goodnes or of them selues Forsooth Dauid woulde make aunswere for them all and say Knowe ye for suretie euen the Lorde is God he hath made vs and not we our selues If they were asked againe who should be thanked for their regeneration for theyr iustification and for their saluation whether their desertes or Gods goodnes only Although in this poynt euery one confesse sufficiently the truth of this matter in his owne person yet let Dauid aunswere by the mouth of them all at this tyme who cannot choose but saye Not to vs O Lord not to vs but to thy name geue all the thanke for thy louyng mercy and for thy truethes sake If we shoulde aske agayne from whence came their glorious workes and deedes which they wrought in their lyues wherewith God was so hyghly pleased and worshipped by them Let some other witnesse be brought in to testifie this matter that in the mouth of two or three may the truth be knowen Ueryly that holy prophete Esai beareth recorde and sayeth O Lord it is thou of thy goodnesse that hast wrought all our workes in vs not we our selues And to vpholde the truth of this matter agaynst all iusticiaries and hipocrites which rob almyghty God of his honour and ascribe it to them selues saynt Paule bringeth in his beleefe We be not sayeth he sufficient of our selues as of our selues once to thinke any thing but all our ablenes is of Gods goodnes For he it is in whom we haue all our beyng our lyuing and mouing If ye wil know furthermore where they had their gyftes and sacrifices which they offred continually in their liues to almighty god they cannot but agree with Dauid where he sayth Of thy liberal hand O Lord we haue receaued that we gaue vnto thee If this holy company therfore confesseth so constantly that al the goodes and graces wherewith they were indued in soule came of the goodnes of God only what more can be sayde to proue that all that is good commeth from almightie God Is it meete to thynke that all spiritual goodnes commeth from God aboue onely and that other good thinges eyther of nature or of fortune as we call them commeth of any other cause Doeth God of his goodnes adourne the soule with all the powers thereof as it is and commeth the giftes of the body wherwith it is indued from any other If he doth the more can not he do the lesse To iustifie a synner to newe create hym from a wicked person to a ryghteous man is a greater act sayeth S. Augustine then to make such a new heauen
resteth al wysdome al habilitie to know God and to please hym For he writeth thus Be know that it is not in mans power to guide his goinges No man can know thy pleasure except thou geuest wysdome sendest thy holy spirite frō aboue Send him downe therefore prayeth he to God from thy holy heauens from the trone of thy maiestie that he may be with me and labour with me that so I may knowe what is acceptable before thee Let vs with so good heart pray as he dyd we shall not faile but to haue his assistance For he is sone seene of them that loue him he wyll be founde of them that seeke him For very liberall and gentle is the spirite of wisdome In his power shall we haue sufficient abilitie to knowe our duetie to God in him shall we be comforted and couraged to walke in our duetie in hym shall we be meete vessels to receaue the grace of almightie God for it is he that purgeth and purifieth the minde by his secrete working And he onlye is present euery where by his inuisible power and conteineth all thinges in his dominion He lyghtneth the heart to conceaue worthy thoughtes to almyghtie God he sitteth in the tongue of man to stirre him to speake his honour no language is hyd from him for he hath the knowledge of al speache he only ministreth spiritual strength to the powers of our soule body To hold the way whiche God had prepared for vs to walke ryghtly in our iourney we must acknowledge that it is in the power of his spirite which helpeth our infirmitie That we may boldly come in prayer and call vpon almyghtie God as our father it is by this holy spirite whiche maketh intercession for vs with continuall sighes If any gyft we haue wherewith we may worke to the glory of God profite of our neyghbour all is wrought by his owne selfe same spirite whiche maketh his distributions peculierly to euerye man as he wyl If any wysdome we haue it is not of our selues we can not glory therein as begun of our selues but we ought to glory in God from whō it came to vs as the prophete Jeremie wryteth Let him that reioyceth reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth knoweth me for I am the lord which sheweth mercie iudgement and righteousnes in the earth for in these thinges I delight saith the Lorde This wysdome can not be attayned but by the direction of the spirite of God therefore it is called spiritual wysdome And no where can we more certainely searche for the knowledge of this wyll of God by the which we must direct al our workes deedes but in the holy scriptures for they be they that testifie of hym sayth our sauiour Christe It maye be called knowledge and learnyng that is other where gotten out of the worde but the wyse man plainely testifieth that they al be but vaine which haue not in them the wisdome of god We see to what vanitie the olde Philosophers came which were destitute of this science gotten searched for in his worde We see what vanitie the schole doctrine is mixed with for that in this world they sought not the wyll of God but rather the wyll of reason the trade of custome the path of the fathers the practise of the Churche Let vs therfore reade reuolue the holy scripture both day nyght for blessed is he that hath his whole meditatiō therin It is that that geueth light to our feete to walke by It is that whiche geueth wysdome to the simple and ignoraunt In it may we finde eternall lyfe In the holy scriptures find we Christ in Christ find we God for he it is that is the expresse image of the father He that seeth Christ seeth the father And contrary wyse as Saint Hierome sayth the ignorance of scripture is the ignorance of christ Not to knowe Christ is to be in darknesse in the middes of our worldly and carnal light of reason and philosophie To be without Christe is to be in foolishnes For he is the only wysdome of the father in whom it pleased hym that all fulnesse perfection shoulde dwel With whō whosoeuer is indued in heart by faith rooted fast in charitie hath layde a sure foundation to buylde on whereby he may be able to comprehende with al saintes what is the breadth length deapth to know the loue of Christe This vniuersal and absolute knowledge is that wysdome which S. Paul wisheth these Ephesians to haue as vnder heauen the greatest treasure that can be obteyned For of this wysdome the wyse man wryteth thus of his experience All good thinges came to me together with her and innumerable ryches through her handes And addeth moreouer in that same place She is the mother of all these things For she is an infinite treasure vnto men which who so vse become partakers of the loue of god I might with many wordes moue some of this audience to searche for this wysdome to sequester their reason to folowe gods commaundemēt to cast frō them the wittes of their braines to fauour this wysdome to renounce the wysedome pollicie of this fonde worlde to taste and sauour that whereunto the fauour wyll of god hath called them and willeth vs finally to enioy by his fauour if we would geue eare But I wil haste to the thirde part of my text wherein is expressed further in sapience how God geueth his electe an vnderstandyng of the motions of the heauens of the alterations and circumstaunces of time Whiche as it foloweth in wordes more plentifull in the text which I haue last cited vnto you So it must needes folow in them that be indued with this spiritual wysdome For as they can searche where to finde this wysdome and know of whom to aske it So know they againe that in time it is found and can therefore attemper them selues to the occasion of the time to suffer no time to passe away wherein they maye labour for this wysdome And to encrease therein they knowe how God of his infinite mercie and lenitie geueth all men here tyme and place of repentance And they see howe the wicked as Job wryteth abuse the same to their pride therfore do the godly take the better holde of the time to redeeme it out of suche vse as it is spoyled in by the wicked They which haue this wisdome of God can gather by the diligent and earnest studye of the worldlinges of this present lyfe howe they wayte theyr times and apply them selues to euery occasion of time to get riches to encrease their landes patrimonie They see the tyme passe away and therefore take holde on it in such wise that otherwhyles they wyll with losse of theyr sleepe ease with suffering many paynes catche the offer of their time knowyng that that which is once past
vayne Euen so most specially in this matter muste we take heede and beware that we suffer not our selues to be perswaded that all that we do is but labour lost For thereof eyther sodayne desperation doth aryse or a licentious boldnesse to sinne which at length bringeth vnto desperation Least any suche thing then shoulde happen vnto them he doth certifie them of the grace and goodnes of God who is alwayes moste redye to receaue them into fauour agayne that turne speedylye vnto him Which thing he doth proue with the same titles whorwith god doth discribe and set foorth himselfe vnto Moyses speaking on this maner For he is gracious and merciful slowe to anger of great kyndnesse and repenteth hym of the euiâ—â— thatis suche a one as is sorye for your afflictious Fyrst he calleth hym gentle gracious as he who of his own nature is more prompt and redye to do good then to punyshe Whereunto this saying of Esaias the Prophete seemeth to parteyne where he sayeth Let the wycked forsake his waye and the vnryghteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lorde and he will haue pitie on him and to our God for he is verye redye to forgeue Secondly he doth attribute vnto him mercy or rather accordyng to the Hebrewe word the bowels of mercies whereby he signifyed the naturall affections of parentes towardes their children Which thing Dauid doth set foorth goodlye saying As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare hym for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but duste Thyrdlye he sayth that he is slowe to anger that is to saye long sufferyng and whiche is not lightly prouoked to wrath Fourthly that he is of muche kindnesse for he is that bottomlesse well of all goodnesse who reioyceth to do good vnto vs Therefore did he create and make men that he myght haue whom he shoulde do good vnto and make partakers of his heauenly ryches Fifthlye he repenteth of the euyll that is to saye he doeth call backe agayne reuoke the punyshment whiche he had threatned when he seeth men repent turne and amende Whereupon we do not without a iust cause detest and abhorre the dampnable oppinion of them which do most wickedlye go about to perswade the simple and ignorasâ—t people that if we chaunce after we be once come to God and graffed in his sonne Jesu Christe to fall into some hoâ—rible sinne repentaunce shall be vnprofitable vnto vs there is no more hope of reconciliation or to be receaued agayne into the fauour and mercy of god And that they may geue the better colour vnto their pestilent and pernicious errour they do commonlye bryng in the sixth tenth Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrues and the second Chapter of the seconde Epistle of Peter not consyderyng that in those places the holy Apostles do not speake of the daily falles that we as long as we cary about this body of sinne are subiect vnto but of the finall fallyng away from Christ and his Gospel which is a sinne agaynst the holy ghost that shall neuer he forgeuen because that they that do vtterlye forsake the knowen trueth do hate Christe and his worde they do crucifie and mocke him but to their vtter destruction and therefore fall into desperation and cannot repent And that this is the true meanyng of the holy spirite of God it appeareth by manye other places of the Scriptures which promiseth vnto all true repentaunt sinners and to them that with their whole hart do returne vnto the Lorde their God free pardon and remission of their sinnes For the probation hereof we reade this O Israel sayeth the holy prophete Hieremie if thou returne returne vnto me sayeth the Lorde and if thou put away thyne abominations out of any syght then shalte thou not be moued Agayne these are Esaias words Let the wicked forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne agayne vnto the Lorde and he will haue mercye vpon hym and to our God for he is redye to forgeue And in the prophet Ozee the godlye do exhort one another after this manner Come and let vs turne againe vnto the lord for he hath smitten vs and he will heale vs he hath wounded vs and he will bynde vs vp agayne It is most euident and playne that these thinges ought to be vnderstanded of them that were with the Lorde afore and by their sinnes and wickednesse were gone awaye from hym For we do not turne agayne vnto hym with whom we were neuer before but we come vnto him Nowe vnto all them that will returne vnfaynedlye vnto the Lorde their God the fauour and mercye of God vnto forgeuenesse of sinnes is liberally offered Whereby it followeth necessarilye that although we do after we be once come to God and graffed in his sonne Jesus Christe fall into great sinnes for there is no ryghteous man vpon the earth that sinneth not and if we saye we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the trueth is not in vs yet if we ryse agayne by repentaunce and with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe do flee vnto the mercye of God taking sure holde thereupon through fayth in his sonne Jesu Christe there is an assured and infallible hope of pardon and remission of the same that we shall be receaued agayne into the fauour of our heauenly father It is written of Dauid I haue founde a man accordyng to myne owne heart or I haue found Dauid the sonne of Jesse a man accordyng to myne owne heart who will do all thinges that I wyll This is a godly commendation of Dauid It is also moste certayne that he did stedfastly beleue the promise that was made hym touching the Messias who shoulde come of him touching the fleshe and that by the same fayth he was iustifyed and graffed in our sauiour Jesu Christ to come and yet afterwards he fell horribly committing moste detestable adultrye and damnable murther and yet assone as he cryed peccaui I haue sinned vnto the Lord his sinne beyng forgeuen he was receaued into fauour agayne Now will we come vnto Peter of whom no man can doubte but that he was graffed in our sauiour Jesus Christe long afore his deniall Whiche thing may easylye be proued by the aunswere whiche he did in his name and in the name of his fellowe Apostles make vnto our sauiour Jesu Christ when he saide vnto theÌ„ Will ye also go away Maister sayth he to whoÌ„ shall we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe and we beleue and knowe that thou art the Christe the sonne of the lyuing god Whereunto may be added the lyke confession of Peter where Christ doth geue this most infallible testimonie Thou art blessed Simon the sonne of Jonas for neither fleshe nor blood hath reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen
to our sauiour Jesu Christe dyd powre downe suche aboundaunce of teares out of those wanton eyes of hers wherwith she had allured many vnto follie that she dyd with them washe his feete wypyng them with the heres of her head whiche she was wont moste gloriously to set out makyng of them a nette of the deuyll Hereby we do learne what is the satisfaction that God doth require of vs which is that we ceasse from euyll and do good and if we haue done anye man wrong to endeuour our selues to make hym true amendes to the vttermoste of our power folowyng in this the example of Zacheus and of this sinâ—ull woman and also that goodly lesson that John Baytist Zacharies sonne dyd geue vnto them that came to aske counsayle of hym This was commonly the penaunce that Christe enioyned synners Go thy way and synne no more Whiche penaunce we shall neuer be able to fulfyll without the speciall grace of hym that doth say Without me ye can do nothyng It is therefore our partes yf at least we be desyrous of the health and saluation of our owne selues most earnestly to praye vnto our heauenly father to assist vs with his holye spirite that we may be able to hearken vnto the voyce of the true shephearde and with due obedience to folowe the same Let vs hearken to the voyce of almightie God when he calleth vs to repentaunce let vs not harden our heartes as suche Infidels do who abuse the tyme geuen them of God to repent and turne it to continue their pride and contempt against God and man whiche knowe not howe much they heape Gods wrath vppon them selues for the hardnesse of their heartes whiche can not repent at the day of vengeaunce Where we haue offended the law of God let vs repent vs of our straying from so good a Lorde Let vs confesse our vnworthynesse before hym but yet let vs trust in Gods free mercye for Christes sake for the pardon of the same And from henceforth let vs endeuour our selues to walke in a newe lyfe as newe borne babes whereby we may glorifie our father which is in heauen and thereby to beare in our consciences a good testimonie of our fayth So at the last to obteyne the fruition of euerlasting lyfe through the merites of our sauiour to whom be al prayse and honour for euer Amen The thirde parte of the Homilee of repentaunce IN the Nomilee last spoken vnto you right welbeloued people in our sauiour Christ ye heard of the true partes tokens of repentaunce that is heartie contrition and sorowfulnes of our heartes vnfaigned confession in worde of mouth for our vnworthy lyuyng before God a stedfast fayth to the merites of our sauiour Christe for pardon and a purpose of our selues by Gods grace to renounce our former wycked lyfe and a full conuersion to God in a newe lyfe to glorifie his name and to liue orderly and charitably to the comfort of our neighbour in al righteousnes and to lyue soberly and modestly to our selues by vsing abstinence and temperance in word in deed in mortifying our earthly members here vpoÌ„ earth Nowe for a further perswasion to moue you to those partes of repentance I wil declare vnto you some causes which should the rather moue you to repentaunce Fyrst the commaundement of God who in so many places of the holy and sacred Scriptures doth byd vs returne vnto hym O ye chyldren of Israel sayth he turne agayne from your infidelitie wherein ye drowned your selues Againe Turne you turne you from your euil wayes For why wyll ye dye O ye house of Israel And in an other place thus doth he speake by his holy prophete Ozee O Israel returne vnto the Lorde thy God For thou hast taken a great fall by thyne iniquitie Take vnto you these wordes with you when you turne vnto the Lorde and say vnto hym Take away all iniquitie and receaue vs gratiously so will we offer the calues of our lippes vnto thee In all these places we haue an expresse commaundement geuen vnto vs of God for to returne vnto hym Therefore we must take good heede vnto our selues least wheras we haue alredy by our manyfolde synnes and transgressions prouoked and kindeled the wrath of God agaynst vs we do by breakyng this his commaundemente double our offences and so heape styll dampnation vppon our owne heades by our dayly offences and trespasses whereby we prouoke the eyes of his maiestie we do well deserue if he should deale with vs accordyng to his iustice to be put away for euer from the fruition of his glorye Nowe muche more then are we worthy of the endlesse tormentes of hell yf when we be so gently called againe after our rebellion and commaunded to returne we will in no wyse hearken vnto the voyce of our heauenlye father but walke stil after the stubbornnes of our owne heartes Secondely the moste comfortable and sweete promise that the Lorde our God dyd of his mere mercy and goodnesse ioyne vnto his comaundement For he doth not only say Returne vnto me O Israel but also If thou wylt returne and put away all thyne abhominations out of my syght thou shalt neuer be moued These wordes also haue we in the Prophet Ezechiel At what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent hym of his synne from the bottome of his heart I wyll put all his wyckednesse out of my remembraunce sayth the Lorde so that they shal be no more thought vpon Thus are we sufficiently instructed that God wyll accordyng to his promise freely pardon forgeue and forget al our synnes so that we shal neuer be cast in the teeth with them if obeying his commaundement and allured by his sweete promises we wyll vnfaignedly returne vnto hym Thirdly the filthinesse of synne which is such that as long as we do abyde in it God can not but detest and abhorre vs neyther can there be any hope that we shall enter into the heauenlye Hierusalem except we be first made cleane purged from it But this wyll neuer be vnlesse forsakyng our former lyfe we do with our whole heart returne vnto the Lorde our God with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe flee vnto his mercy taking sure hold therupon through fayth in the blood of his son Jesu Christe If we should suspect any vncleannes to be in vs wherfore the earthly prince should lothe and abhorre the sight of vs what paynes woulde we take to remoue put it away Howe muche more ought we with all diligence and speede that may be to put away that vncleane filthynesse that doth separate and make a diuision betwixt vs and our God that hideth his face from vs that he wil not heare vs And verily herein doth appeare howe filthie a thyng sin is syth that it can by no other meanes be washed away but by the blood of the onely begotten sonne of god And shall we not from
liueth for euer to make intercession for vs As the blood of Christe dyd redeeme vs on the crosse and cleanse vs from our sinnes euen so it is nowe able to saue all them that come vnto God by it For Christe sitting in heauen hath an euerlasting priesthoode and alwayes prayeth to his father for them that be penitent obtayning by vertue of his woundes whiche are euermore in the sight of God not only perfect remission of our sinnes but also all other necessaries that we lacke in this worlde so that his only mediatour is sufficient in heauen and nedeth no others to helpe him Why then do we pray one for another in this lyfe some man perchaunce wyll here demaunde Forsoothe we are wylled so to do by the expresse commaundement both of Christe and his disciples to declare therein aswell the fayth that we haue in Christe towardes God as also the mutuall charitie that we beare one towardes another in that we pitie our brothers case and make our humble petition to God for him But that we shoulde pray vnto Saintes neyther haue we any commaundement in all the Scripture nor yet example whiche we maye safely folowe So that beyng done without aucthoritie of Gods worde it lacketh the grounde of fayth and therefore can not be acceptable before god For whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne And the Apostle sayth that fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of god Yet thou wylt obiect further that the saintes in heauen do praye for vs and that their prayer proceedeth of an earnest charitie that they haue towardes their brethren on earth Where to it may be well aunswered First that no man knoweth whether they do pray for vs or no. And yf any wyll go about to prooue it by the nature of charitie concludyng that because they dyd praye for men on earth therefore they do muche more the same nowe in heauen Then may it be sayde by the same reason that as oft as we do weepe on earth they do also weepe in heauen because whyle they liued in this worlde it is moste certayne and sure they dyd so And for that place whiche is written in the Apocalips namely that the angell dyd offer vp the prayers of the saintes vpon the golden aulter it is properly meant and ought properly to be vnderstoode of those saintes that are yet liuing on earth and not of them that are dead otherwyse what neede were it that the angell shoulde offer vp their prayers beyng nowe in heauen before the face of aimightie god But admit the saintes do pray for vs yet do we not knowe howe whether specially for them whiche call vppon them or els generally for all men wishing well to euerye man a like If they pray speciallye for them whiche call vpon them then it is like they heare our prayers and also knowe our heartes desyre Which thing to be false it is alredy proued both by the scriptures and also by the aucthoritie of Augustine Let vs not therefore put our trust or confidence in the saintes or martyrs that be dead Let vs not call vppon them nor desyre helpe at their handes but let vs alwayes lift vp our heartes to GOD in the name of his deare sonne Christ for whose sake as God hath promised to heare our prayer so he wyll truelye perfourme it Inuocation is a thing proper vnto God whiche yf we attribute vnto the saintes it soundeth to their reproche neyther can they well beare it at our handes When Paul had healed a certayne lame man whiche was impotent in his feete at Listra the people woulde haue done sacrifice to him and Barnabas who renting their clothes refused it and exhorted them to worship the true GOD. Likewyse in the reuelation when saint John fell before the angelles feete to worship him the angell woulde not permit him to do it but commaunded him that he shoulde worship god Whiche examples declare vnto vs that the saintes and angels in heauen wyll not haue vs to do any honour vnto them that is due and proper vnto god He only is our father he only is omnipotent he onlye knoweth and vnderstandeth all thing he onlye can helpe vs at all times and in all places he suffereth the sunne to shine vppon the good and the bad he feedeth the young Rauens that crie vnto him he saueth both man beast he wyl not that any one heere of our head shall perishe but is alwayes redye to helpe and preserue all them that put their truste in him accordyng as he hath promised saying Before they call I wyll aunswere and whyles they speake I wyll heare Let vs not therefore any thing mistrust his goodnesse let vs not feare to come before the throne of his mercie let vs not seeke the ayde and helpe of saintes but let vs come boldlye our selues nothing doubting but God for Christes sake in whom he is well pleased will heare vs without a spokes man and accomplishe our desyre in all suche thinges as shal be agreeable to his most holye wyll So sayth Chrisostome an auncient Doctour of the Churche and so must we stedfastly beleue not because he sayth it but much more because it is the doctrine of our Sauiour Christe him selfe who hath promised that if we pray to the father in his name we shall certainely be hearde both to the reliefe of our necessities and also to the saluation of our soules whiche he hath purchased vnto vs not with golde or siluer but with his pretious blood shed once for all vppon the crosse To him therefore with the father and the holye ghost three persons and one God be all honour prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen The thirde parte of the Homilee concerning prayer YE were taught in the other part of this Sermon vnto whom ye ought to directe your prayers in time of neede and necessitie that is to witte not vnto angels or saintes but vnto the eternall and euerlyuing God who because he is mercifull is alwayes redye to heare vs when we call vppon him in true perfect faith And because he is omnipotent he can easily perfourme and bring to passe the thing that we request to haue at his handes To doubt of his power it were a plaine poynt of infidelitie and cleane agaynst the doctrine of the holye ghost which teacheth that he is al in all And as touching his good wyl in this behalfe we haue expresse testimonies in scripture howe that he wyll helpe vs and also deliuer vs if we call vpon him in time of trouble So that in both these respectes we ought rather to cal vpon him then vpon any other Neither ought anye man therefore to doubt to come boldlye vnto God because he is a sinner For the Lorde as the prophete Dauid sayth is gratious and mercifull yea his mercie and goodnesse endureth foreuer He that sent his owne sonne into the worlde to saue sinners wyll he
their examples or that we ought to thynke that God dyd alow euery of these thyngs in those men But we ought rather to beleue and to iudge that Noe in his drunkennesse offended God highly Lot lying with his daughters committed horrible incest We ought then to learne by them this profitable lesson that if so godlye men as they were which otherwise felt inwardly Gods holy spitite inflamyng in their heartes with she feare and loue of God coulde not by their owne strength kepe them selues from committyng horrible sinne but dyd so greeuousâ—y fal that without Gods great mercie they had perished euerlastinglye Howe much more ought we then miserable wretches which haue no feeling of God within vs at al continually to feare not onely that we may fall as they did but also be ouercome and drowned in sinne which they were not And so by consydering their fal take the better occasion to acknowledge our owne infirmitie and weaknesse and therefore more earnestlye to call vnto almightie God with heartye prayer incessauntlye for his grace to strengthen vs and to defende vs from all euill And though through infirmitie we chaunce at any tyme to fall yet we may by harty repentaunce and true fayth speedily rise againe and not slepe and continue in sinne as the wicked doth Thus good people shoulde we vnderstande such matters expressed in the diuine scriptures that this holye table of Gods worde be not turned to vs to be a snare a trappe and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our vnderstanding But let vs esteeme them in suche a reuerent humilitie that we may fynde our necessary foode therein to strengthen vs to comfort vs to instruct vs as God of his great mercye hath appoynted them in all necessarye workes so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our lyfe Whiche he graunt vs who hath redeemed vs our Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory for euermore Amen ¶ The seconde part of the information for them which take offence at certayne places of the holy scripture YE haue heard good people in the Homilee last read vnto you the great commoditie of holye Scriptures ye haue heard how ignoraunt men voyde of godlye vnderstanding seeke quarrelles to discredite them Some of their reasons haue ye heard aunswered Nowe we will proceede and speake of suche politique wyse men whiche be offended for that Christes preceptes should seeme to destroy all order in gouernaunce as they do alleage for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheeke turne the other vnto him also If anye man will contende to take thy coate from thee let him haue cloke and all Let not thy left hand knowe what thy ryght hand doth If thine eye thine hande or thy foote offende thee pull out thine eye cut of thine hand thy foote and cast it from thee If thine enemie sayeth saint Paul be an hungred geue him meate if he be thirstie geue him drinke so doing thou shalt heape hotte burning coales vpon his head These sentences good people vnto a naturall man seeme mere absurdities contrary to all reason For a naturall man as saint Paule sayeth vnderstandeth not the thinges that belong to God neyther can he so long as olde Adam dwelleth in him Christ therfore meaneth that he would haue his faithfull seruaunts so farre from vengeaunce and resisting wrong that he woulde rather haue him redy to suffer an other wrong then by resisting to breake charitie and to be out of pacience He would haue our good deedes so farre from al carnall respectes that he would not haue our nyest freendes know of our wel doing to win a vaine glorye And though our freendes and kynsfolkes be as deare as our right eyes and our right handes yet if they woulde plucke vs from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye wil be profitable hearers and readers of the holye scriptures ye must firste denye your selues and keepe vnder your carnall senses taken by the outward wordes and searche the inward meaning reason must geue place to Gods holye spirite you must submit your worldly wisedome and iudgement vnto his diuine wysdome and iudgement Consyder that the scripture in what straunge fourme soeuer it be pronounced is the word of the lyuing god Let that alwayes come to your remembraunce which is so oft repeated of the prophete Esaias The mouth of the Lorde sayth he hath spoken it the almighty and euerlasting God who with his onely worde created heauen and earth hath decreed it the Lorde of hoastes whose wayes are in the Seas whose pathes are in the deepe waters that Lorde and God by whose worde all thynges in heauen and in earth are created gouerned and preserued hath so prouided it The God of Goddes and Lorde of all Lordes yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almyghty and euerlasting he hath spoken it it is his worde It can not therefore be but trueth whiche proceedeth from the God of all trueth it can not be but wisely and prudently commaunded what almightie God hath deuysed how vaynely soeuer through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and iudge of his most holy worde The prophete Dauid describing an happye man sayeth Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsayle of the vngodlye nor stande in the waye of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull There are three sortes of people whose companye the prophete would haue him to flee and auoyde which shall be an happy man and partakers of Gods blessing First he may not walke after the counsayle of the vngodlye Secondlye he may not stand in the waye of sinners Thirdlye he muste not sit in the seat of the scornefull By these three sortes of people vngodly men sinners and scorners all impietie is signified and fully expressed By the vngodly he vnderstaÌ„deth those which haue no regarde of almightye God being voyde of all faith whose heartes mindes are so set vpon the worlde that they studie onely howe to accomplishe their worldlye practises their carnall imaginations their filthy lust and desyre without anye feare of god The seconde sort he calleth sinners not such as do fal through ignoraunce or of frailenesse for then who should be found free What man euer liued vpon earth Christe onely excepted but he hath sinned The iust man falleth seuen times and ryseth agayne Though the godly do fall yet they walke not on purposely in sinne they stande not still to contynue and tarye in sinne they syt not downe like carelesse men without all feare of Gods iust punishment for sinne but defying sinne through Gods great grace and infinite mercye they ryse agayne and fight agaynste sinne The Prophete then calleth them sinners whose heartes are cleane turned from God and whose whole conuersation of lyfe is nothing but sinne they delight so much in
vnderstande and to cary away suche sentences and stories as be more fyt for our capacitie and instruction And wheras we reade in diuers Psalmes how Dauid did wyshe to the aduersaries of god sometymes shame rebuke and confusion sometyme the decay of theyr ofspryng and issue sometime that they might peryshe and come sodaynly to destruction as he did wishe to the Captaynes of the Philistians Cast forth sayth he thy lyghtening and teare them shoote out thyne arrowes and consume them with such other maner of imprecations Yet ought we not to be offended at suche prayers of Dauid being a prophete as he was singulerly beloued of God and rapte in spirite with an ardent zeale to gods glorie He spake them not of a priuate hatred and in a stomake against their persons But wyshed spirituallye the destruction of suche corrupt errours and vyces whiche raygned in all diuilishe persons set agaynst god He was of lyke mynd as saint Paule was when he did deliuer Himeneus and Alexander with the notorious fornicatour to Satan to their temporal confusion that their spirite might be saued against the daye of the lord And when Dauid did professe in some places that he hated the wicked yet in other places of his Psalmes he professeth that he hated them with a perfect hate not with a malitious hate to the hurt of the soule Whiche perfection of spirite because it can not be perfourmed in vs so corrupted in affections as we be we ought not to vse in our priuate causes the lyke wordes in fourme for that we cannot fulfil the like wordes in sense Let vs not therefore be offended but searche out the reason of such wordes before we be offended that we may the more reuerentlye iudge of such sayinges though straunge to our carnall vnderstandinges yet to them that be spiritually minded iudged to be zelously and godlye pronounced God therefore for his mercies sake vouchsafe to purifie our myndes through fayth in his sonne Jesus Christ and to instill the heauenly droppes of his grace into our harde stonye heartes to supple the same that we be not contemners deriders of his infallible worde but that with all humblenes of minde and Christian reuerence we may endeuour our selues to heare and to reade his sacred scriptures and inwardly so to digest them as shall be to the comfort of our soules and sanctification of his holye name to whom with the sonne and the holy ghost three persons and one lyuing God be al laude honor and prayse for euer and euer Amen ⧠An Homilee of Almes deedes and mercifulnes towarde the poore and needie AMongst the manifolde dueties that almighti god requireth of his faithful seruants the true Christians by the which he woulde that both his name should be glorified the certaintie of their vocation declared there is none that is either more acceptable vnto him or more profitable for theÌ„ then are the workes of mercye pity shewed vpon the poore which be afflicted with any kinde of misery And yet this not with standing suche is the slouthfull sluggishnesse of our dull nature to that whiche is good and godlye that we are almoste in nothing more negligent and lesse carefull then we are therein It is therfore a very necessary thing that Gods people should awake their sleepie myndes and consyder their duetie on this behalfe And meete it is that all true Christians should desyrously seke and learne what God by his holy word doth herein requyre of them that fyrst knowing their duetie whereof many by their slacknes seeme to be very ignoraunt they maye afterwardes diligentlye endeuour to perfourme the same By the which both the godly charitable persons may be incouraged to go forwardes and continue in their mercifull deedes of almes geuing to the poore and also suche as hytherto haue eyther neglected or contemned it may yet now at the length when they shall heare howe much it apparteyneth to them aduisedly consyder it and vertuously apply them selues therevnto And to the intent that euerye one of you maye the better vnderstande that whiche is taught and also easylier beare awaye and so take more fruite of that shall be sayde when seuerall matters are seuerally handeled I mind particulerly and in this order to speake and intreat of these poyntes Fyrst I will shewe how earnestly almyghtie God in his holye worde doth exact the doyng of almes deedes of vs and how acceptable they be vnto him Secondlye how profitable it is for vs to vse them and what commoditie and fruit they will bring vnto vs. Thyrdly and laste I will shewe out of Gods worde that who so is liberall to the poore releeueth them plenteously shal notwithstanding haue sufficient for himselfe euermore be without daunger of penurie and scarcitie Concerning the first which is the acceptation and dignitie or pryce of almes deedes before God Knowe this that to helpe and succour the poore in their neede and miserie pleaseth God so much that as the holy scripture in sundry places recordeth nothyng can be more thankfullye taken or accepted of god For firste we reade that almightie God doeth accounte that to be geuen and to be bestowed vpon himselfe that is bestowed vppon the poore For so doth the holy ghost testifie vnto vs by the wyse man saying He that hath pitie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the lord him selfe And Christe in the Gospell aduoucheâ—â— and as a moste certayne trueth byndeth it with an othe that the almes bestowed vppon the poore was bestowed vpon him so shall be reckoned at the last daye For thus he saith to the charitable almes geuers when he sitteth as iudge in the doome to geue sentence of euery maÌ„ accordyng to his desartes Uerylye I saye vnto you whatsoeuer good mercifull deede you did vpon any of the least of these my brethren ye did the same vnto me In releeuing their hunger ye releeued mine in quenching their thirst ye quenched mine in clothing them ye clothed me and when ye harboured them ye lodged me also wheÌ„ ye visited them being sicke or in prison ye visited me For as he that receaueth a Princes imbassadours and entertayneth them wel doth honour the Prince from whom those imbassadours do come So he that receaueth the poore and needy and helpeth them in their affliction and distresse doth thereby receaue and honour Christe their maister who as he was poore and needye him selfe whylest he lyued here amongst vs to worke the mysterie of our saluation so at his departure hence he promised in his steede to sende vnto vs those that were poore by whose meanes his absence should be supplied and therfore that we would do vnto him we muste do vnto them And for this cause doth almyghtye God say vnto Moyses The land wherin you dwell shall neuer be without poore men because he woulde haue continual trial of his people whether they loued him or no that in shewing them selues obedient vnto his will they might certaynlye
also we may be assured to get his fauour that is both able wyllyng to do vs all pleasures that are for our commoditie and wealth Christe doth declare by this how much he accepteth our charitable affection toward the poore in that he promiseth a rewarde vnto them that geue but a cup of cold water in his name to them that haue neede thereof and that rewarde is the kingdome of heauen No doubt is it therfore that god regardeth highly that which he rewardeth so liberallye For he that promiseth a princely recompence for a beggerly beneuolence declareth that he is more delighted with the geuyng then with the gyfte and that he as muche esteemeth the doyng of the thyng as the fruite and commoditie that commeth of it Who so therefore hath hytherto neglected to geue almes let hym know that God now requireth it of him he that hath ben liberal to the poore let him knowe that his godly doings are accepted thankfully takē at gods handes which he wyll requite with double treble For so sayth the wyse man He whiche sheweth mercie to the poore doth lay his money in banke to the Lorde for a large interest and gayne The gayne beyng cheefely the possession of the lyfe euerlastyng through the merites of our sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father the holy ghost be al honour and glory for euer Amen The seonde part of the sermon of almes deedes YE haue hearde before dearely beloued that to geue almes vnto the poore and to helpe them in tyme of necessitie is so acceptable vnto our sauiour Christe that he counteth that to be done to him selfe that we do for his sake vnto them Ye haue heard also howe earnestly both the apostles prophetes holy fathers doctours do exhort vs vnto the same And ye see how welbeloued and deare vnto God they were whom the scriptures reporte vnto vs to haue ben good almes men Wherefore if either their good examples or the holesome counsell of godly fathers or the loue of Christ whose especial fauour we may be assured by this meanes to obteyne may moue vs or do any thyng at all with vs let vs prouide that from hencefoorth we she we vnto Godward this thankful seruice to be myndfull and redy to helpe them that be poore and in miserie Nowe wyll I this second tyme that I entreate of aimes deedes shewe vnto you how profitable it is for vs to exercise them and what fruite therby shall aryse vnto vs if we do them faythfully Our sauiour Christe in the Gospell teacheth vs that it profiteth a man nothyng to haue in possession al the ryches of the whole worlde and the wealth or glory thereof if in the meane season he lose his soule or do that thing whereby it should become captiue vnto death sinne hell fire By the which saying he not only instructeth vs how muche the soule health is to be preferred before worldly commodities but also serueth to stirre vp our myndes and to pricke vs forwardes to seeke diligently and learne by what meanes we may preserue and kepe our soules euer in safety that is howe we may recouer our health if it be lost or impayred and how it may be defended and maynteyned if we once haue it Yea he teacheth vs also thereby to esteeme that as a precious medicine and an inestimable iewel that hath suche strength and vertue in it that can either procure or preserue so incomparable a treasure For if we greatly regard that medicine or salue that is able to heale sundrye and greeuous diseases of the body muche more wyll we esteeme that whiche hath lyke power ouer the soule And because we might be better assured both to knowe and haue in redynesse that so profitable a remedye he as a most faythfull and louyng teacher sheweth hym selfe both what it is and where we may fynde it and how we may vse and applye it For when both he and his disciples were greuously accused of the Pharisees to haue defyled their soules in breakyng the constitutions of the elders because they went to meate and washed not their handes before accordyng to the custome of the Jewes Christe aunswering their superstitious complaynte teacheth them an especiall remedye howe to keepe cleane their soules notwithstandyng the breache of suche superstitious orders Geue almes sayth he and beholde all thynges are cleane vnto you He teacheth them that to be mercyful and charitable in helping the poore is the meanes to keepe the soule pure and cleane in the syght of god We are taught therefore by this that mercyfull almes dealyng is profitable to purge the soule from the infection and filthie spottes of sinne The same lesson doth the holy ghost also teache in sundrye places of the scripture saying Mercyfulnesse and almes geuing purgeth from all synnes and delyuereth from death and suffereth not the soule to come into darknes A great confidence may they haue before the hygh God that shewe mercie and compassion to them that are afflicted The wyse preacher the sonne of Sirach confirmeth the same when he sayth That as water quencheth burning fyre euen so mercie and almes resisteth and reconcileth synnes And sure it is that mercifulnesse quayleth the heate of synne so muche that they shall not take holde vpon man to hurt him or if ye haue by any infirmitie and weaknes ben touched and annoyed with them straightwayes shall mercyfulnesse wipe and washe them away as salues and remedies to heale their sores and greeuous diseases And therupon that holy father Ciprian taketh good occasion to exhort earnestly to the mercyfull worke of geuyng almes and helpyng the poore and there he admonisheth to consider how holesome and profitable it is to releeue the needy and help the afflicted by the which we may purge our synnes and heale our wounded soules But here some wyll say vnto me If almes geuyng and our charitable workes towardes the poore be able to washe away synnes to reconcile vs to God to delyuer vs from the peryll of damnation and make vs the sonnes heires of Gods kingdome then is Christes merites defaced and his blood shed in vayne then are we iustified by workes and by our deedes may we merite heauen then do we in vayne beleue that Christ dyed for to put away our synnes and that he rose for our iustification as saint Paule teacheth But ye shall vnderstande dearely beloued that neither those places of scripture before alleaged neither the doctrine of the blessed martyr Ciprian neither any other godly and learned man when they in extolling the dignitie profite fruit and effect of vertuous and liberall almes do say that it washeth away synnes and bryngeth vs to the fauour of God do meane that our worke and charitable deede is the originall cause of our acception before God or that for the dignitie or worthynesse thereof our sinnes may be washed away and we purged cleansed of al the spottes of our iniquitie for
that were in deede to deface Christ and to defraud him of his glorie But they meane this and this is the vnderstandyng of those and suche lyke sayinges That God of his mercie and especial fauour towards them whom he hath appoynted to euerlastyng saluation hath so offred his grace especially and they haue so receaued it fruitfully that although by reason of their sinfull lyuyng outwardly they seemed before to haue ben the children of wrath and perdition yet nowe the spirite of God mightily workyng in them vnto obedience to Gods wyll and commaundementes they declare by their outward deedes and lyfe in the shewyng of mercie and charitie which can not come but of the spirite of God and his especiall grace that they are the vndoubted chyldren of God appoynted to euerlastyng lyfe And so as by their wyckednesse and vngodly lyuyng they shewed them selues accordyng to the iudgement of men which folowe the outward appearaunce to be reprobates and castawayes So nowe by their obedience vnto Gods holy wyll and by their mercyfulnesse and tender pitie wherin they shew them selues to be lyke vnto God who is the fou 〈…〉 yne and spryng of all mercye they declare openly and manyfestly vnto the sight of men that they are the sonnes of God and elect of hym vnto saluation For as the good fruite is not the cause that the tree is good but the tree must firste be good before it can bryng foorth good fruite so the good deedes of man are not the cause that maketh man good but he is firste made good by the spirite and grace of God that effectually worketh in hym and afterwarde he bryngeth foorth good fruites And then as the good fruite doth argue the goodnesse of the tree so doth the good and mercyfull deede of the man argue and certainely proue the goodnesse of hym that doth it accordyng to Christes sayinges Ye shall knowe them by their fruites And if any man wyl obiect that euil and naughty men do sometymes by their deedes appeare to be very godly and vertuous I wyll aunswere so doth the crab and choke peare seeme outwardly to haue sometyme as fayre a redde and as melow a colour as the fruite whiche is good in deede But he that wyl byte and take a taste shall easily iudge betwixt the sower bytternesse of the one and the sweete sauorines of the other And as the true christian man in thankfulnesse of his heart for the redemption of his soule purchased by Christes death sheweth kyndly by the fruite of his fayth his obedience to God so the other as a marchaunt with God doth all for his owne gayne thynking to win heauen by the merite of his workes and so defaceth and obscureth the pryce of Christes blood who only wrought our purgation The meanyng then of these sayinges in the scriptures and other holy wrytinges Almes deedes do washe away our sinnes and mercie to the poore doth blot out our offences is that we doing these thynges accordyng to Gods wyl our duetie haue our sinnes in deede washed away and our offences blotted out not for the worthinesse of them but by the grace of God which worketh al in al and that for the promise that God hath made to them that are obedient vnto his commaundement that he which is the trueth might be iustified in perfourming the trueth due to his true promise Almes deedes do wash away our sinnes because god doth vouchsafe then to repute vs as cleane and pure when we do them for his sake and not because they deserue or merite our purgyng or for that they haue anye suche strength and vertue in them selues I know that some men to much addict to the aduauncing of their good workes will not be contented with this aunswere no maruaile for suche men can no aunswere content nor suffice Wherfore leauing them to their owne wylful sense we wyll rather haue regarde to the reasonable and godly who as they most certaynly know and perswade them selues that al goodnes al bountie al mercy al benefites al forgeuenes of sinnes whatsoeuer can be named good and profitable either for the body or for the soule do come only of Gods mercie and mere fauour not of them selues So though they do neuer so many so excellent good deedes yet are they neuer pufte vp with the vayne confidence of them And though they heare and reade in gods word and other where in godly mens workes that almes deedes mercy and charitablenes doth wash away sinne and blot out iniquitie yet do they not arrogantly and proudly sticke and trust vnto them or bragge them selues of them as the proud Pharisee did lest with the Pharisee they shoulde be condemned but rather with the humble and poore Publicane confesse them selues sinfull wretches vnworthye to looke vp to heauen callyng and crauyng for mercie that with the Publicane they may be pronounced of Christ to be iustified The godly do learne that when the scriptures saye that by good and mercifull workes we are reconciled to Gods fauour we are taught then to knowe what Christe by his intercession and mediation obteyneth for vs of his father when we be obedient to his wyl yea they learne in such maners of speakyng a comfortable argument of Gods singuler fauour and loue that attributeth that vnto vs and to our doynges that he by his spirite worketh in vs and through his grace procureth for vs And yet this notwithstandyng they crye out with saint Paule Oh wretches that we are acknowledge as Christe teacheth that when they haue all done they are but vnprofitable seruauntes with the blessed kyng Dauid in respect of the iust iudgementes of God they do tremble and say Who shal be able to abide it Lorde if thou wylt geue sentence accordyng to our desertes Thus they humble them selues and are exalted of God they count them selues vyle and of God are counted pure and cleane they condemne them selues and are iustified of God they thinke them selues vnworthy of the earth and of God are thought worthy of heauen Thus of Gods worde are they truely taught how to thynke ryghtly of mercyfull dealyng of almes and of Gods especial mercie and goodnesse are made partakers of those fruites that his word hath promised Let vs then folowe their examples and both shew obediently in our lyfe those workes of mercie that we are commaunded and haue that ryght opinion iudgement of them that we are taught and we shal in lyke maner as they be made partakers and feele the fruites and rewardes that folowe such godly lyuyng so shall we knowe by proofe what profite and commoditie doth come of geuyng of almes and succouring of the poore The thirde parte of the Homilee of almes deedes YE haue alredye hearde two partes of this treatise of almes deedes The fyrste howe pleasaunt and acceptable before God the doyng of them is the second how muche it behoueth vs and how profitable it is to apply our selues vnto them Nowe in the
thirde parte wyll I take away that let that hindereth manye from doyng them There be many that when they heare how acceptable a thyng in the syght of God the geuing of almes is and howe muche God extendeth his fauour towardes them that are mercyfull and what fruites and commodities doth come to them by it they wishe very gladly with them selues that they also myght obteyne these benefites and be counted suche of God as whom he woulde loue or do for But yet these men are with greedy couetousnesse so pulde backe that they wyl not bestowe one halfe peny or one shiue of bread that they might be thought worthie of Gods benefites and so to come into his fauour For they are euermore fearefull and doubting least by often geuing although it wer but a litle at a tyme they shoulde consume their goodes and so impouerishe them selues that euen them selues at the length shoulde not be able to lyue but shoulde be dryuen to begge and lyue of other mens almes And thus they seeke excuses to withhold them selues from the fauour of God and choose with pinchyng couetousnes rather to leane vnto the deuill then by charitable mercyfulnesse eyther to come vnto Christe or to suffer Christe to come vnto them Oh that we had some cunning and skilful phisition that wer able to purge them of this so pestilent an humor that so sore infecteth not their bodies but their myndes and so by corrupting their soules bryngeth their bodyes and soules into daunger of hell fire Nowe least there be anye suche among vs dearely beloued let vs diligently search for that phisition whiche is Jesus Christe and earnestly labour that of his mercie he wyll truely instruct vs and geue vs a present remedie agaynst so perilous a disease Hearken then whosoeuer thou art that fearest least by geuyng to the poore thou shouldest bryng thy selfe to beggery That which thou takest from thy selfe to bestowe vpon Christ can neuer be consumed wasted away Wherein thou shalt not beleue me but if thou haue fayth and be a true Christian beleue the holy ghost geue credite to the aucthoritie of Gods worde that thus teacheth For thus sayth the holy ghost by Salomon He that geueth vnto the poore shal neuer want Men suppose that by hoording and laying vp styll they shall at length be riche and that by distributing and laying out although it be for moste necessarie and godly vses they shal be brought to pouertie But the holy ghost which knoweth all trueth teacheth vs another lesson contrary to this He teacheth vs that there is a kynde of dispendyng that shall neuer diminishe the stocke and a kynde of sauing that shall bryng a man to extreame pouertie For where he sayth that the good almes man shall neuer haue scarscitie he addeth But he that turneth away his eies from such as be in necessitie shal suffer great pouertie him selfe Howe farre different then is the iudgement of man from the iudgement of the holy ghost The holy Apostle Paul a man ful of the holy ghost and made priuie euen of the secrete wyll of God teacheth that the liberall almes geuer shall not thereby be impouerished He that ministreth saith he seed vnto the sower wil minister also bread vnto you for foode yea he wyl multiplie your seede and encrease the fruites of your ryghteousnesse He is not content here to aduertise them that they shall not lacke but he sheweth them also after what sorte God wyl prouide for them Euen as he prouideth seede for the sower in multipliyng it geuing great encrease so he wyl multiplie their goodes encrease them that there shal be great aboundaunce And least we should thynke his sayinges to be but wordes and not trueth we haue an example thereof in the thirde booke of kynges which doth confirme and seale it vp as a moste certayne trueth The poore widow that receaued the banished prophet of God Elias when as she had but an handful of meale in a vessell and a litle oyle in a cruse wherof she would make a cake for her selfe and her son that after that they had eaten that they myght dye because in that great famine there was no more foode to be gotten yet when she gaue parte therof vnto Elias defrauded her owne hungry belly mercifully to releeue hym she was so blessed of God that neyther the meale nor the oyle was consumed all the tyme whyle that famine dyd laste but therof both the prophet Elias she her son were sufficiently norished had enough Oh consider this example ye vnbeleuing faithles couetous persons who discredit Gods word and think his power diminished This poore woman in the time of an extreame long dearth had but one handfull of meale and a litle cruse of oyle her onlye sonne was redy to perishe before her face for hunger and she her selfe lyke to pyne away and yet when the poore prophet came and asked part she was so myndfull of mercyfulnesse that she forgat her owne misery and rather then she woulde omit the occasion geuen to geue almes worke a worke of ryghteousnes she was content presentlye to hazarde her owne and her sonnes life And you who haue great plenty of meates and drynkes great store of motheaten apparell yea many of you great heapes of gold syluer and he that hath least hath more then sufficient nowe in this time when thankes be to God no great famine doth oppresse you your chyldren being wel clothed and wel fed no danger of death for famine to be feared will rather cast doubtes perils of vnlikely penury then you wyl part with any peece of your superfluities to helpe to feed and succour the poore hungry naked Christe that commeth to your doores a begging This poore and seely wydowe neuer cast doubtes in al her miserie what want she her selfe should haue she neuer distrusted the promise that god made to her by the prophet but straightway went about to releeue the hungry prophete of god yea preferring his necessitie before her own But we lyke vnbeleeuing wretches before we wil geue one mite we wyl cast a thousand doubtes of daunger whether that wyll stand vs in any stead that we geue to the poore whether we should not haue need of it at any other time and whether here it would not haue bē more profitably bestowed So that it is more hard to wrench a strong nayle as the prouerbe sayth out of a poste then to wryng a farthyng out of our fyngers There is neyther the feare nor the loue of God before our eyes we wyl more esteme a mite then we either desire gods kingdome or feare the deuils dungeon Hearken therfore ye mercylesse misers what wyl be the end of this your vnmercyful dealyng As certaynly as God norished this poore wydowe in the tyme of famine and encreased her litle store so that she had enough and felt no penurie when other pyned away so certainly shall God plague you
the daunger of your soules So nowe lyke obedient chyldren thus purified by fayth geue your selues to walk that way which God moueth you to that ye may receaue the end of your fayth the saluation of your soules And as ye haue geuen your bodyes to vnryghteousnes to synne after sin so now geue your selfe to ryghteousnes to be sanctified therein If ye delyght in this article of your fayth that Christ is rysen again from death to lyfe then folowe you the example of his resurrection as Saint Paul exhorteth vs saying As we be buried with Christ by our baptisme into death so let vs dayly dye to synne mortifiyng and kylling the euill desires and motions therof And as Christe was raysed vp from death by the glorye of the father so let vs ryse to a newe lyfe and walke continually therin that we may likewyse as naturall chyldren liue a conuersation to moue men to glorifie our father which is in heauen If we then be risen with Christ by our faith to the hope of euerlastyng lyfe let vs ryse also with Christe after his example to a newe lyfe and leaue our olde We shal then be truely rysen if we seeke for thynges that be heauenly if we haue our affection on things that be aboue and not on thynges that be on the earth If ye desyre to knowe what these earthly thynges be which ye shoulde put of and what be the heauenly thynges aboue that ye should seeke and ensue saint Paul in the Epistle to the Collossians declareth when he exhorteth vs thus Mortifie your earthly members and olde affections of synne as fornication vncleannesse vnnaturall luste euyll concupiscence and couetousnesse whiche is worshipping of idols for the whiche thinges the wrath of god is wont to fal on the children of vnbeleefe in which thinges once ye walked when ye liued in them But now put ye also away from you wrath fiercenes malitiousnes cursed speakyng filthie speaking out of your mouthes Lie not one to another that the olde man with his workes be put of and the newe be put on These be the earthly thinges whiche S. Paul moueth you to caste from you and to plucke your heartes from them For in folowing these ye declare your selues earthly and worldly These be the fruites of the earthly Adam These shoulde you daily kil by good diligence in withstandyng the desyres of them that ye might rise to righteousnesse Let your affection from henceforth be set on heauenly thinges sue and searche for mercie kyndnesse meekenes patience forbearing one another and forgeuyng one another If any man haue anye quarrell to another as Christe forgaue you euen so do ye If these and suche other heauenly vertues ye ensue in the residue of your lyfe ye shall shew playnely that ye be rysen with Christ that ye be the heauenly chyldren of your father in heauen from whom as from the geuer commeth these graces gyftes Ye shall proue by this maner that your conuersation is in heauen where your hope is and not on earth ▪ folowyng the beastly appetites of the fleshe Ye must consyder that ye be therefore cleansed renued that ye shoulde from hencefoorth serue God in holines righteousnesse al the dayes of your lyues that ye may raigne with them in euerlastyng lyfe If ye refuse so great grace whereto ye be called what other thing do ye then heape to you damnation more more and so prouoke God to caste his displeasure vnto you and to reuenge this mockage of his holy sacramentes in so great abusyng of them Apply your selues good freends to lyue in Christ that Christ may still liue in you whose fauour assistence if ye haue then haue ye euerlastyng life alredye within you then can nothyng hurt you Whatsoeuer is hitherto done cōmitted Christ ye se hath offered you pardon clearly receaued you to his fauour agayne in ful suretie wherof ye haue him now inhabiting and dwelling within you Only shew yourselues thankefull in your liues determine with your selues to refuse auoyde al such thinges in your conuersations as shoulde offend his eyes of mercy Endeuour your selues that way to rise vp agayne which way ye fell into the wel or pit of sin If by your tongue ye haue offended now therby rise agayne and glorifie God therewith accustome it to laude and prayse the name of God as ye haue there with dishonored it And as ye haue hurt the name of your neighbour or otherwise hindered hym so nowe intend to restore it to him agayne For without restitution God accepteth not your confession nor yet your repentaunce It is not enough to forsake euil except you set your courage to do good By what occasion soeuer you haue offended turne now the occasion to the honouring of God and profite of your neyghbour Trueth it is that synne is strong and affections vnrulye Hard it is to subdue and resist our nature so corrupt leauened with the sowre bitternes of the poyson whiche we receaued by the inheritaunce of our olde father Adam But yet take good courage sayth our sauiour Christe for I haue ouercome the worlde and all other enemies for you Synne shall not haue power ouer you for ye be now vnder grace saith saint Paul. Though your power be weake yet Christe is rysen agayne to strength you in your battayle his holy spirite shall helpe your infirmities In trust of his mercie take you in hande to purge this olde leauen of sinne that corrupteth and sowreth the sweetenes of your lyfe before God that ye may be as newe and freshe dowe voyde of all sowre leauen of wyckednesse so shall ye shewe your selues to be sweete bread to God that he may haue his delyght in you I saye kyll and offer you vp the worldly and earthly affections of your bodyes For Christe our Easter lambe is offered vp for vs to slea the power of synne to deliuer vs from the daunger therof and to geue vs example to dye to synne in our lyfe As the Jewes dyd eate their Easter lambe kept their feast in remembrance of their deliueraunce out of Egypt Euen so let vs kepe our Easter feast in the thankfull remembraunce of Christes benefites whiche he hath plentifully wrought for vs by his resurrection passing to his father whereby we be delyuered from the captiuitie and thraldome of all our enemies Let vs in lyke maner passe ouer the affections of our old conuersation that we may be delyuered frō the bondage therof rise with Christe The Jewes kept their feast in abstayning from leauened bread by the space of seuen dayes Let vs Christian folke kepe our holy day in spirituall maner that is in abstainyng not from material leauened bread but from the old leauen of synne the leauen of malitiousnes and wyckednesse Let vs cast from vs the leauen of corrupt doctrine that wyl infect our soules Let vs
much more of all spiritual graces behoueable for our soule without whose goodnesse no man is called to fayth or stayed therein as I shall hereafter in the next part of this Homilee declare to you In the meane season forget not what hath alredy ben spoken to you forget not to be conformable in your iudgementes to the trueth of this doctrine and forget not to practise the same in the whole state of your lyfe whereby ye shall obtayne the blessing promised by our sauiour Christ Blessed be they which heare the word of God fulfilleth it in lyfe Whiche blessing he graunt to vs all who raigneth ouer all one God in Trinitie the father the sonne and the holye ghost to whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen ¶ The thirde part of the Homilee for Rogation weeke I Promised to you to declare that all spirituall giftes graces commeth specially from god Let vs consyder the trueth of this matter and heare what is testified fyrst of the gyfte of faith the first entrie into the Christian life without the which no man can please god For S. Paul confesseth it plainely to be Gods gyft saying Fayth is the gyft of god And agayne saint Peter sayth It is of Gods power that ye be kept through fayth to saluation It is of the goodnes of god that we faulter not in our hope vnto him It is verily gods worke in vs the charitie wherwith we loue our brethren If after our fall we repent it is by him that we repent whiche reacheth foorth his mercifull hande to rayse vs vp If any wyll we haue to ryse it is he that preuenteth our wyll disposeth vs therto If after contrition we feele our conscience at peace with god through remission of our sinne and so be reconciled againe to his fauour and hope to be his children inheritours of euerlasting lyfe who worketh these great myracles in vs our worthynesse our deseruinges endeuours our wittes and vertue Nay veryly Saint Paul wyll not suffer fleshe and clay to presume to such arrogancie therfore sayth All is of God which hath reconciled vs to hym selfe by Jesus Christe For God was in Christe when he reconciled the world vnto him selfe GOD the father of all mercie wrought this high benefite vnto vs not by his owne person but by a meane by no lesse meane then his only beloued sonne whom he spared not from any payne trauayle that myght do vs good For vpon him he put our sinnes vpon him he made our raunsome hym he made the meane betwixt vs him selfe whose mediation was so acceptable to GOD the father through his profound and perfect obedience that he toke his acte for a full satisfaction of all our disobedience rebellion whose ryghteousnesse he toke to waye agaynst our sinnes whose redemption he would haue stande agaynst our dampnation In this poynt what haue we to muse within our selues good freendes I thinke no lesse then that which saint Paul sayde in the remembraunce of this wonderfull goodnesse of God Thankes be to almightie God through Christe Jesus our Lorde for it is he for whose sake we receaued this hygh gyft of grace For as by him beyng the euerlastyng wysdome he wrought all the worlde and that is contayned therein So by him only and wholy woulde he haue all thynges restored agayne in heauen and in earth By this our heauenly mediatour therefore do we knowe the fauour and mercie of God the father by him know we his wyll and pleasure towardes vs for he is the brightnesse of his fathers glorye and a verye cleare image and paterne of his substaunce It is he whom the father in heauen delyghteth to haue for his welbeloued sonne whom he aucthorised to be our teacher whom he charged vs to heare saying Heare him It is he by whom the father of heauen doth blesse vs with all spiritual and heauenly giftes for whose sake and fauour writeth saint John we haue receaued grace fauour To this our sauiour mediatour hath God the father geuen the power of heauen and earth and the whole iurisdiction aucthoritie to distribute his goodes and gyftes committed to hym For so wryteth the apostle To euery one of vs is grace geuen accordyng to the measure of Christes geuing And thereupon to execute his aucthoritie committed after that he had brought sinne and the deuill to captiuitie to be no more hurtfull to his members he ascended vp to his father agayne from thence sent liberall gyftes to his welbeloued seruauntes and hath styll the power to the worldes ende to distribute his fathers giftes continually in his Churche to the establishment and comfort thereof And by hym hath almyghtie God decreed to dissolue the world to call al before him to iudge both the quicke and the dead and finally by hym shall he condempne the wicked to eternall fyre in hell and geue the good eternall lyfe and set them assuredly in presence with hym in heauen for euermore Thus ye see how all is of God by his sonne Christe our Lord and sauiour Remember I say once againe your duetie of thankes let thē be neuer to want still ioyne your selfe to continue in thankes geuyng ye can offer to God ne better sacrifice For he sayth hym selfe It is the sacrifice of prayse and thankes that shall honour me Which thyng was well perceaued of that holy prophete Dauid when he so earnestly spake to him selfe thus O my soule blesse thou the Lorde and all that is within me blesse his holy name I say once again O my soule blesse thou the Lorde neuer forget his manifolde rewardes God geue vs grace good people to know these things to feele thē in our heartes This knowledge and feeling is not in our selfe by our selfe it is not possible to come by it a great pitie it were that we shoulde lose so profitable knowledge Let vs therefore meekely cal vpon that bountiful spirite the holy ghost which proceedeth from our father of mercie from our mediatour Christ that he woulde assist vs and inspire vs with his presence that in him we may be able to heare the goodnes of god declared vnto vs to our saluation For without his liuely secrete inspiration can we not once so muche as speake the name of our mediatour as saint Paul plainely testifieth No man can once name our Lorde Jesus Christe but in the holye ghost Much lesse shoulde we be able to beleue knowe these great mysteries that be opened to vs by Christe Saint Paul sayth that no man can knowe what is of god but the spirite of god As for vs sayth he we haue receaued not the spirite of the world but the spirite which is of god for this purpose that in that holye spirite we myght knowe the thynges that be geuen vs by Christe The wyse man sayth that in the power vertue of the holy ghost
them to whom soeuer he will. Furthermore what is the cause of penurie and scarcenesse of dearth and famine any other thing but a token of Gods yre reuengyng our wronges and iniuries one done to another Ye haue sowen muche obraydeth God by his prophete Aggei and yet bryng in little ye eate but ye be not satisfyed ye drynke but ye be not filled ye cloth your selues but ye be not warme and he that earneth his wages putteth it in a bottomlesse purse ye looke for muche encrease but loe it came to little and when ye brought it home into your barnes I did blow it away sayth the Lorde O consyder therefore the yre of God agaynst gleaners gatherers and incrochers vppon other mennes landes and possessions It is lamentable to see in some places howe greedy men vse to plowe and grate vppon their neighbours lande that lyeth next them howe couetous men nowe a dayes plowe vp so nyghe the common balkes and walkes whiche good men before tyme made the greater and broder partlye for the commodious walke of his neyghbour partlye for the better shacke in haruest tyme to the more comfort of his poore neighbours cattell It is a shame to behold the insaciablenes of some couetous personnes in their doynges that where their auncetours left of their lande a broade and sufficient beere balke to cary the corps to the Christian sepulture how men pinche at suche beere balkes which by long vse and custome ought to be inuiolablye kept for that purpose And nowe they eyther quite ere them vp and turne the dead bodye to be borne farther about in the hye streates or els if they leaue anye such meere it is to strayte for two to walke on These straunge encrochementes good neighbours should be loked vpon These should be consydered in these dayes of our perambulations And afterwarde the parties admonished charitablye refourmed who be the doers of such priuate gainyng to the staunder of the towneship and to the hinderaunce of the poore Your hye wayes should be consydered in your walkes to vnderstād where to bestow your daies works accordyng to the good Statutes prouided for the same It is a good deede of mercy to amend the daungerous and noysome wayes whereby thy poore neyghbour sitting on his seely weake beast foundereth not in the deepe thereof and so the market the worse serued for discouraging of poore vittailers to resorte thyther for the same cause If now therfore ye wyl haue your prayers hearde before almyghtie God for the increase of your corne and cattel and for the defence therof from vnseasonable mistes and blastes from haile and other such tempestes loue equity and ryghteousnes ensue mercy and charitie whiche God most requyreth at our handes Which almighty God respected cheefly in making his ciuile lawes for his people the Israelites in chargyng the owners not to gather vp their corne to nye at haruest season nor the Grapes and Oliues in gatheryng tyme but to leaue behynd some eares of corne for the poore gleaners By this he ment to induce them to pitie the poore to releeue the needye to shew mercye and kyndnes It can not be lost whiche for his sake is distributed to the poore For he which ministreth seed to the sower and bread to the hungrye which sendeth down the earely and latter rayne vpon your feeldes so to fill vppe the barnes with corne and the wyne presses with wyne and oyle he I say who recompenseth all kynde of benefites in the resurrection of the iust he will assuredly recompence all mercifull deedes shewed to the needy howsoeuer vnable the poore is vpon whom it is bestowed O sayth Salomon let not mercye and trueth forsake thee Bynde them about thy necke sayth he and write them on the table of thy hart so shalt thou fynde fauour at Gods hand Thus honour thou the Lorde with thy rytches and with the firste fruites of thyne encrease So shall thy barnes be filled with aboundaunce and thy presses shall brust with newe wyne Nay God hath promysed to open the windowes of heauen vppon the liberall ryghteous man that he shall want nothyng He wyll represse the deuouryng Caterpiller which should deuour your fruites He wyll geue you peace and quyete to gather in your prouision that ye may sit euery man vnder his owne vyne quyetly without feare of the forrayne enemyes to inuade you He wyll geue you not onelye foode to feede on but stomackes and good appetites to take comforte of your fruites whereby in all thinges ye may haue sufficiencie Finally he will blesse you with all maner aboundaunce in this transitorye lyfe and endue you with all maner benediction in the nexte worlde in the kyngdome of heauen through the merites of our Lorde and Sauiour to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour euerlastyngly Amen ⧠An Homilee of the state of Matrimonie THe worde of almyghtie god doth testify declare whēce the originall beginning of matrimonie commeth and why it is ordeyned It is instituted of God to the intent that man woman should liue lawfully in a perpetuall frendly felowship to bring forth fruit and to auoyde fornication By whiche meanes a good conscience might be preserued on both parties in brideling the corrupt inclinations of the fleshe within the limits of honestie For God hath straitly forbidden all whoredome and vncleannesse hath from tyme to tyme taken greuous punishments of this inordinate lust as al stories ages hath declared Furthermore it is also ordeyned that the church of God his kingdom might by this kinde of lyfe be conserued and enlarged not only in that God geueth children by his blessing but also in that they be brought vp by the parents godly in the knowledge of Gods word that thus the knowledge of God and true religion myght be deliuered by succession from one to another that finally many might enioye that euerlasting immortalitie Wherefore forasmuch as Matrimonie serueth as well to auoyde sinne offence as to encrease the kingdom of God you as al other which enter that state must acknowledge this benefite of God with pure thankeful mindes for that he hath so ruled our heartes that ye folowe not the example of the wicked worlde who set their delyght in filthynesse of sinne where both of you stande in the feare of God and abhorre all filthynesse For that is surelye the singuler gyft of God where the common example of the worlde declareth how the deuill hath their heartes bound and entangled in dyuers snares so that they in their wyuelesse state runne into open abhominations without anye grudge of their conscience Whiche sorte of men that liueth so desperately and filthylye what dampnation taryeth for them saynt Paule descrybeth it to them saying Neither whoremongers neyther adulterers shall inherite the kingdome of God. This horrible iudgement of God ye be escaped through his mercy if so be that ye lyue inseparately accordyng to Gods ordinaunce
prayer to GOD for so gratious a Soueraigne but also them selues take armour wickedly assemble companies and bandes of rebels to breake the publique peace so long continued and to make not warre but rebellion to endaunger the person of suche a gratious Soueraigne to hazarde the estate of theyr countrey for whose defence they should be redye to spend their liues and beyng Englishemen to robbe spoyle destroy and burne in Englande Englishemen to kyll and murther theyr owne neyghbours and kinsfolke theyr owne countreymen to do all euill and mischeefe yea and more to then forraigne enemies woulde or coulde do What shall we say of these men who vse them selues thus rebelliously agaynst theyr gratious Soueraigne Who yf GOD for their wickednesse had geuen them an heathen tyrant to raigne ouer them were by Gods word bound to obey him and to pray for him What maye be spoken of them so farre doth their vnkindnes vnnaturalnesse wickednesse mischeuousnesse in their doynges passe and excel any thing and all thinges that can be expressed or vttered by wordes Onlye let vs wishe vnto all suche moste speedie repentaunce and with so greeuous sorowe of heart as such so horrible sinnes against the maiestie of God do require who in most extreme vnthankfulnesse do ryse not only agaynst theyr gratious prince agaynst theyr naturall countrey but agaynst all theyr countreymen women and chyldren against them selues theyr wiues children and kinsfolkes and by so wicked an example agaynst all Christendome and agaynst whole mankynde of all maner of people throughout the wide worlde suche repentaunce I say suche sorowe of heart GOD graunt vnto all suche whosoeuer ryse of priuate and malitious purpose as is meete for suche mischeeues attempted and wrought by them And vnto vs and all other subiectes God of his mercie graunt that we may be moste vnlyke to all such and most like to good naturall louyng and obedient subiectes nay that we maye be suche in deede not onlye shewyng all obedience ourselues but as manye of vs as be able to the vttermost of our power habilitie and vnderstandyng to staye and represse all rebels and rebellions agaynst God our gratious prince and naturall countrey at euery occasion that is offered vnto vs And that which we all are able to do vnlesse we do it we shal be most wicked and most worthie to feele in the ende suche extreme plagues as GOD hath euer powred vppon rebels Let vs all make continuall prayers vnto almyghtie God euen from the bottome of our heartes that he wyll geue his grace power and strength vnto our gratious Queene Elizabeth to vanquishe and subdue all aswell rebelles at home as forraigne enemies that all domesticall rebellions beyng suppressed and pacified and all outwarde inuasions repulled and abandoned we may not onlye be sure and long continue in all obedience vnto our gratious Soueraigne and in that peaceable and quiet lyfe which hytherto we haue led vnder her Maiestie with all securitie but also that both our gratious Queene Elizabeth and we her subiectes may altogether in al obedience vnto God the kyng of all kynges and vnto his holy lawes leade our liues so in this worlde in all vertue and godlinesse that in the worlde to come we maye enioy his euerlastyng kyngdome whiche I beseche God to graunt aswel to our gratious Soueraigne as vnto vs all for his sonne our sauiour Jesus Christes sake to whom with the father and the holye ghost one God and kyng immortall be all glory prayse and thankes geuing worlde without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the first part of this Homilee nowe good people let vs pray ¶ The prayer O Most mightie God the Lorde of hoastes the gouernour of all creatures the onlye geuer of all victories who alone art able to strengthen the weake agaynst the myghtie and to vanquishe infinite multitudes of thyne enemies with the countenaunce of a fewe of thy seruauntes calling vppon thy name and trusting in thee Defend O Lorde thy seruaunt and our gouernour vnder thee our Queene Elizabeth and all thy people committed to her charge O Lorde withstande the crueltie of all those whiche be common enemies aswell to the trueth of thy eternall worde as to their owne naturall Prince and countrye and manifestlye to this crowne and Realme of Englande whiche thou haste of thy diuine prouidence assigned in these our dayes to the gouernment of thy seruaunt our Soueraigne and gratious Queene O moste mercifull father if it be thy holye will make soft and tender the stony heartes of al those that exalte themselues agaynst thy trueth and seeke eyther to trouble the quyet of this realme of England or to oppresse the crowne of the same and conuert them to the knowledge of thy sonne the onely sauiour of the world Jesus Christ that we and they maye ioyntlye glorifie thy mercies Lyghten we besech thee their ignoraunt hearts to imbrace the trueth of thy worde or els so abate their crueltie O most mightie Lorde that this our Christian region with others that confesse thy holy Gospell maye obteine by thine aide and strength suretie from all enemies without shedding of christian blood wherby al they which be oppressed with their tyranny may be releeued and they which be in feare of their crueltie maye be comforted finally that all christian realmes and specially this realme of England may by thy defence and protection continue in the trueth of the Gospel and enioy perfect peace quietnes and securitie and that we for these thy mercies ioyntly altogether with one consonant hart and voice may thankfully render to thee al laud and praise that we knit in one godlye concorde and vnitie amongst our selues may continuallye magnifie thy glorious name who with thy sonne our sauiour Jesus Christ and the holy ghost art one eternall almyghtye and moste mercifull God To whom be all laude and prayse worlde without ende Amen ¶ The second parte of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wilfull Rebellion AS in the fyrste parte of this treatie of obedience of subiectes to their Princes against disobedience and rebellion I haue alleaged diuers sentences out of the holye scriptures for proofe so shal it be good for the better declaration and confirmation of the sayd holsome doctrine to alleage one example or two out of the same holy scriptures of the obedience of subiects not onelye vnto their good and gratious gouernours but also vnto their euill and vnkynd princes As king Saul was not of the beste but rather of the worst sort of Princes as beyng out of Gods fauour for his disobedience agaynst God in sparyng in a wrong pitie the kyng Agag whom almyghtye God commaunded to be stayne accordyng to the iustice of God against his sworne enemie and although Saule of a deuotion ment to sacrifice such thinges as he spared of the Amalechites to the honor and seruice of God yet Saul was reproued for his wrong mercy and deuotiō and was tolde that obedience woulde haue more pleased him
if we suffer to be euill spoken of for the loue of Christe this is thankfull afore God for so did Christ suffer He neuer did sinne neyther was there any guyle found in his mouth Yea when he was reuyled with tauntes he reuyled not agayne When he was wrongfullye dealt with he threatned not againe nor reuenged his quarrel but deliuered his cause to him that iudgeth rightlye Perfect pacience careth not what nor howe much it suffereth nor of whom it suffereth whether offrende or foe but studyeth to suffer innocently and without deseruing Yea he in whom perfect charitie is careth so litle to reuenge that he rather studieth to do good for euill to blesse say well of them that curse him to pray for them that pursue him according to the example of our sauiour Christe who is the most perfect example paterne of all meekenes sufferaunce whiche hanging vpoÌ„ his crosse in most seruent anguish bleeding in euery part of his blessed body being set in the middes of his enemies crucifiers hee notwithstanding the intollerable paynes which they saw in him being of them mocked scorned despitefully without all fauour and compassion had yet towardes them such compassion in heart that he prayed to his father of heauen for them said O father forgeue them for they wote not what they doe What pacience was it also which he shewed when one of his own apostles seruaunts which was put in trust of him came to betray him vnto his enemies to the death He said nothing worse to him but Frend wherfore art thou come Thus good people shoulde we call to minde the great examples of charitie which Christe shewed in his passion if we will fruitfully remember his passion Suche charitie and loue shoulde we beare one to another if we will be the true seruauntes of Christe For if we loue but them which loue say wel by vs what great thing is it that we do saith Christ Do not the Panims open sinners so We must be more perfect in our charitie then thus euen as our father in heauen is perfect whiche maketh the light of his sunne to rise vpon the good the bad and sendeth his rayne vpon the kind vnkind After this maner should we shewe our charitie indiffereÌ„tly as wel to one as to another as wel to frende as foe lyke obedient children after the example of our good father in heauen For if Christe was obedient to his father euen to the death and that the most shameful death as the Jewes esteemed it the death of the crosse Why should we not be obedient to God in lower pointes of charitie and patience Let vs forgeue then our neighbours their small faultes as God for Christes sake hath forgeuen vs our great It is not meete that we should craue forgeuenes of our great offences at Gods handes and yet will not forgeue the small trespasses of our neighbours agaynst vs We do call for mercy in vayne if we will not shew mercy to our neighbours For if we will not put wrath and displeasure forth of our hearts to our christian brother no more wil God forgeue the displeasure and wrath that our sinnes haue deserued afore him For vnder this condition doth God forgeue vs if we forgeue other It becommeth not Christian men to be harde one to another nor yet to thinke their neighbour vnworthye to be forgeuen For howsoeuer vnworthy he is yet is Christ worthy to haue thee do thus much for his sake he hath deserued it of thee that thou shouldest forgeue thy neighbour And God is also to be obeyed which commaundeth vs to forgeue if we will haue any part of the pardon which our sauiour Christ purchased once of God the father by shedding of his precious blood Nothing becommeth Christes seruantes so much as mercy and compassion Let vs then be fauourable one to another and praye we one for another that we maye be healed from all frailties of our lyfe the lesse to offende one the other and that we maye be of one mynde and one spirite agreeing together in brotherly loue and concord euen like the deare children of god By these meanes shal we moue God to be mercifull to our sinnes yea and we shall be hereby the more redy to receaue our sauiour and maker in his blessed sacrament to our euerlasting comfort and health of soule Christ delighteth to enter and dwell in that soule where loue and charitie ruleth and where peace concord is seene For thus wryteth saint John God is charitie he that abydeth in charitie abydeth in God and God in him And by this sayth he we shall know that we be of God if we loue our brethren Yea and by this shall we knowe that we be shifted from death to lyfe if we loue one another But he whiche hateth his brother sayth the same Apostle abydeth in death euen in the daunger of euerlasting death is moreouer the childe of damnation of the deuil cursed of God and hated so long as he so remayneth of God and all his heauenly company For as peace and charitie make vs the blessed children of almightie God so doth hatred and enuie make vs the cursed children of the deuill God geue vs all grace to folow Christes example in peace and in charitie in pacience sufferaunce that we now may haue him our ghest to enter and dwel within vs so as we may be in ful suretie hauing such a pledge of our saluation If we haue him and his fauour we may be sure that we haue the fauour of God by his meanes For he sitteth on the right hand of his father as our proctour atturney pleading and suing for vs in all our needes and necessities Wherfore if we want anye gyft of godlye wisdome we maye aske it of God for Christes sake we shall haue it Let vs consyder and examine our selfe in what want we be concerning this vertue of charitie and patience If we see that our hearts be nothing inclined thervnto in forgeuing them that haue offended against vs then let vs knowledge our want and wishe to God to haue it But if we want it and see in our selfe no desyre thereunto veryly we be in a daungerous case before God and haue nede to make muche earnest prayer to God that we may haue such an heart changed to the graâ—â—ing in of a newe For vnlesse we forgeue other we shall neuer be forgeuen of god No not all the praiers and merites of other can pacifie God vnto vs vnlesse we be at peace and at one with our neighbour Nor all our deedes and good workes can moue God to forgeue vs our dettes to him except we forgeue to other He setteth more by mercy then by sacrifice Mercye moued our sauiour Christ to suffer for his enemies it becommeth vs then to follow his example For it shall litle
auayle vs to haue in meditation the fruites and pryce of his passion to magnifie them and to delyght or trust to them except we haue in mynd his examples in passion to folowe them If we thus therefore consyder Christes death and will sticke thereto with fast fayth for the merite and deseruing thereof and will also frame our selfe in such wyse to bestowe our selues and all that we haue by charitie to the behoofe of our neyghbour as Christe spent him selfe whollye for our profite then do we truelye remember Christes death and being thus folowers of Christes steps we shal be sure to followe him thyther where he sitteth now with the father and the holye ghost to whom be all honour and glory Amen ¶ The seconde homilee concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Christ. THat we may the better conceaue the great mercy and goodnesse of our Sauiour Christ in suffering death vniuersally for all men it behoueth vs to descende into the bottome of our conscience deeply to consider the first and principall cause wherefore he was compelled so to do When our great graundfather Adam had broken Gods commaundement in eating the apple forbidden him in paradice at the motion and suggestion of his wyfe he purchased therby not onelye to him selfe but also to his posteritie for euer the iust wrath indignation of God who according to his former sentence pronoūced at the geuing of the cōmaundement condemned both him all his to euerlasting death both of body and soule For it was said vnto him Thou shalt eat frely of euery tree in the garden but as touching the tree of knowledge of good ill thou shalt in no wyse eat of it For in what houre soeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Now as the Lorde had spoken so it came to passe Adam toke vppon him to eate thereof and in so doing he dyed the death that is to saye he became mortall he lost the fauour of God he was cast out of paradice he was no longer a citizen of heauen but a fyrebrand of hell and a bond slaue to the deuil To this doth our sauiour beare witnesse in the Gospell callyng vs loste sheepe which haue goue astray wandred from the true shephearde of our soules To this also doth saint Paule beare witnesse saying That by the offence of onely Adam death came vppon all men to condempnation So that no we neyther he nor any of his had any ryght or interest at all in the kyngdome of heauen but were become plaine reprobates and castawayes being perpetually dampned to the euerlasting paynes of hell tyre In this so great miserie and wretchednes if mankind could haue recouered him selfe againe and obtayned forgeuenes at Gods handes then had his case ben somwhat tollerable because he might haue attempted some way how to deliuer him selfe from eternall death But there was no way left vnto him he coulde do nothyng that might pacifie gods wrath he was altogether vnprofitable in that behalfe There was none that did good no not one And howe then coulde he worke his owne saluation Should he go about to pacifie gods heauie displeasure by offering vp brent sacrifices according as it was ordayned in the olde lawe by offering vp the blood of Oxen the blood of calues the blood of goates the blood of lambes and so foorth O these thinges were of no force nor strēgth to take away sinnes they could not put away the anger of God they could not coole the heate of his wrath nor yet bryng mankynd into fauour againe they were but only sigures and shadowes of things to come and nothing els Reade the Epistle to the Hebrues there shall you find this matter largely discussed there shal you learne in most plaine wordes that the blooddy sacrifice of the olde lawe was vnperfect and not able to deliuer man from the state of dampnation by any meanes so that mankind in trusting thereunto shoulde trust to a broken staffe and in the ende deceaue him selfe What should he then do Shoulde he go about to obserue and kepe the lawe of God diuided into two tables so purchase to him selfe eternall life In deede if Adam and his posteritie had ben able to satisfie and fulfill the lawe perfectly in louyng God aboue all thinges and their neyghbour as them selues then shoulde they haue easily quenched the Lordes wrath and escaped the terrible sentence of eternall death pronounced agaynst them by the mouth of almightie god For it is written Do this thou shalt liue that is to say fulfill my commaundementes kepe thy selfe vpright and perfect in them accordyng to my wyll then shalt thou liue and not dye Here is eternal lyse promised with this condition so that they kepe and obserue the lawe But suche was the frailtie of mankinde after his fall suche was his weakenes imbecilitie that he could not walke vpryghtly in Gods commaundementes though he woulde neuer so faine but dayly and hourely fell from his bounden duetie offending the Lord his God diuers wayes to the great encrease of his condempnation insomuch that the prophete Dauid cryeth out on this wyse All haue gone astray all are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one In this case what profite coulde he haue by the lawe None at all For as saint James sayth He that shall obserue the whole lawe and yet faileth in one poynt is become giltie of all And in the booke of Deuteronomie it is written Cursed be he sayth God which abydeth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the lawe to do them Behold the lawe bringeth a curse with it and maketh vs giltie not because it is of it self naught or vnholy God forbid we shoulde so thinke but because the frailtie of our sinfull fleshe is such that we can neuer fulfill it accordyng to the perfection that the Lorde requireth Coulde Adam then thinke you hope or trust to be saued by the law No he could not But the more he looked on the law the more he sawe his owne dampnation set before his eyes as it were in a most cleare glasse So that now of him selfe he was most wretched and miserable destitute of all hope neuer able to pacifie Gods heauie displeasure nor yet to escape the terrible iudgement of God wherinto he and all his posteritie were fallen by disobeying the straight commaundement of the Lorde theyr god But O the aboundaunt ryches of Gods great mercie O the vnspeakable goodnes of his heauenly wysoome When all hope of righteousnes was past on our part when we had nothing in our selues whereby we myght quenche his burning wrath worke the saluation of our owne soules and rise out of the miserable estate wherin we lay Then euen then dyd Christ the sonne of God by the appoyntment of his father come downe frō heauen to be wounded for our sakes to be reputed with the wicked
vnreuerentlye not discerning the Lordes bodye Ought not we then by the monition of the wise man by the wisdome of God by the fearefull example of the Corinthians to take aduised heede that we thrust not our selues to this table with rude and vnreuerent ignoraunce the smart whereof Christes Churche hath rued and lamented these many dayes and yeres For what hath ben the cause of the ruyne of Gods religion but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this grosse idolatrie but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this mummishe massyng but the ignoraunce hereof Yea what hath ben and what is at this day the cause of this want of loue and charitie but the ignoraunce hereof Let vs therfore so trauaile to vnderstand the Lordes Supper that we be no cause of the decaye of Gods worship of no idolatrie of no dumme massing of no hate and malice so maye we the boldlyer haue accesse thyther to our comfort Neyther neede we to thinke that suche exact knowledge is required of euery man that he be able to discusse al high pointes in the doctrine thereof But this muche he must be sure to hold that in the supper of the Lorde there is no vaine ceremonie no bare signe no vntrue figure of a thing absent But as the Scripture sayth the table of the Lorde the bread and cuppe of the Lorde the memorie of Christe the annuntiation of his death yea the Communion of the bodye and blood of the Lorde in a marueylous incorporation whiche by the operation of the holye ghost the verye bonde of our conâ—unction with Christe is through fayth wrought in the soules of the faythfull whereby not onlye theyr soules lyue to eternall lyfe but they surely trust to winne to their bodyes a resurrection to immortalitie The true vnderstandyng of this fruition and vnion whiche is the bodye and the head betwixt the true beleuers and Christe the auncient Catholique Fathers both perceauing them selues and commendyng to theyr people were not afrayde to call this Supper some of them the salue of immortalitie and soueraigne preseruatiue agaynst death other a deificall Communion other the sweete dainties of our Sauiour the pledge of eternall health the defence of fayth the hope of the resurrection other the foode of immortalitie the healthfull grace and the conseruatorie to euerlastyng lyfe All which sayinges both of the holy Scripture and godly men truely attributed to this celestial banquet and feaste yf we woulde often call to minde O how woulde they inflame our heartes to de 〈…〉 e the participation of these mysteries and oftentimes to couet after this breade continuallye to thirste for this foode Not as speciallye regarding the terrene earthly creatures which remayne but alwayes holdyng faste and cleauyng by faith to the rocke whence we may sucke the sweetenesse of euerlasting saluation And to be briefe thus much more the faithful see heare and knowe the fauourable mercies of God sealed the satisfaction by Christe towardes vs confirmed and the remission of sinne established Here they may feele wrought the tranquilitie of conscience the encrease of fayth the strengthning of hope the large spreadyng abrode of brotherly kindnes with many other sundry graces of god The taste whereof they can not attayne vnto who be drowned in the deepe durtie lake of blyndnesse and ignoraunce From the whiche O beloued washe your selues with the liuyng waters of Gods worde whence you maye perceaue and know both the spirituall foode of this costly supper and the happy trustinges effectes that the same doth bring with it Now it foloweth to haue with this knowledge a sure and constant faith not only that the death of Christe is auayleable for the redemption of all the world for the remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God the father but also that he hath made vppon his crosse a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee a perfect clensyng of thy sinnes so that thou acknowledgest no other Sauiour redeemer mediatour aduocate intercessour but Christe only and that thou mayst say with the Apostle that he loued thee and gaue him selfe for thee For this is to sticke fast to Christes promise made in his institution to make Christe thyne owne and to applicate his merites vnto thy selfe Herein thou nedest no other mans helpe no other sacrifice or oblation no sacrifisyng Priest no masse no meanes established by mans inuention That faith is a necessarie instrument in al these holy ceremonies we may thus assure our selues for that as Saint Paul sayth without fayth it is vnpossible to please god When a great number of the Israelites were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse Moyses Aaron and Phinees dyd eate Manna and pleased God for that they vnderstoode sayth Saint Augustine the visible meate spiritually Spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it that they myght be spiritually satisfied And truely as the bodily meate can not feede the outward man vnlesse it be let into a stomake to be digested whiche is healthsome and sound No more can thy inwarde man be fed except his meate bereceaued into hisâ—oule and hart sound whole in fayth Therfore saith Ciprian when we do these thinges we nede not to whet our teethe but with sincere fayth we breake and diuide that holy bread It is wel knowen that the meate wee seeke for in this supper is spiritual foode the norishmeÌ„t of our soule a heauenly refection and not earthly an inuisible meate and not bodylye a ghostly substaunce and not carnall so that to thinke that without fayth we maye enioye the eatyng and drynkyng therof or that that is the fruition of it is â—ut to dreame a grosse carnall feeding basely obiecting and byndyng our selues to the elementes and creatures Whereas by the aduice of the counsel of Nicene we ought to lyft vp our mindes by faith leauing these inferiour and earthly thinges there seke it where the sâ—nne of ryghteousnesse euer shineth Take then this lesson O thou that art desyrous of this table of Emissenus a godly father that when thou goest vp to the reuerent Communion to be satisfied with spirituall meates thou loke vp with faith vpon the holy body and blood of thy god thou maruel with reuerence thou touche it with thy minde thou receaue it with the hand of thy heart and thou take it fully with thy inwarde man. Thus we see beloued that resortyng to this table we must plucke vp all the rootes of infidelitie al distrust in Gods promises we must make our selues lyuing members of Christes bodye For the vnbeleuers and faithlesse can not feede vpon that pretious body whereas the faythfull haue theyr life their abiding in hym their vnioÌ„ and as it were their incorporation with hym Wherefore let vs proue and trye our selues vufaignedly without flattering our selues whether we be plantes of that fruitful Oliue liuyng braunches of the true vine members in deede of Christes mystical body whether God
hath purified our heartes by fayth to the sincere acknowledging of his Gospel and imbracing of his mercies in Christe Jesu that so at this his table we receaue not only the outwarde Sacrament but the spirituall thing also not the figure but the trueth not the shadowe only but the bodye not to death but to lyfe not to destruction but to saluation which God graunt vs to do through the merites of our Lord and Sauiour to whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the worthy receauing and reuerent esteeming of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christe IN the Homilee of late rehearsed vnto you ye haue hearde good people why it pleased our sauiour Christe to institute that heauenly memorie of his death and passion and that euery one of vs ought to celebrate the same at his table in our owne personnes and not by other You haue hearde also with what estimation knowledge of so hygh mysteries we ought to resort thyther You haue hearde with what constant fayth we shoulde clothe and decke our selues that we myght be fit and decent partakers of that celestiall foode Nowe foloweth the thirde thing necessarie in him that woulde not eate of this breade nor drinke of this cuppe vnworthyly which is newnesse of lyfe and godlinesse of conuersation For newenesse of lyfe as fruites of fayth are required in the partaker of this table â—e maye learne by the eating of the tipicall lambe whervnto no man was admitted but he that was a Jewe that was circumcized that was before sanctiâ—â—ed Yea Saint Paul testifieth that although the people were partakers of the Sacramentes vnder Moyses yet for that some of them were still worshippers of images whoremongers tempters of Christe murmurers and coueting after euill thinges God ouerthrewe those in the wyldernesse and that for our example that is that we Christians shoulde take heede we resorte vnto our Sacramentes with holinesse of lyfe not trustyng in the outwarde receauing of them and infected with corrupte and vncharitable maners For this sentence of GOD must alwayes be iustified I wyll haue mercie and not sacrifice Wherefore â—ayth Basâ—l it behoueth him that commeth to the bodye and blood of Christe in commemoration of hym that dyed and rose agayne not only to be pure from all filthynesse of the fleshe and spirite least he eate and drinke to his condempnation but also to shewe out euidently a memorie of hym that dyed rose agayne for vs in this point that he be mortified to sinne and the world to liue now to God in Christe Jesu our Lorde So then we must shewe outwarde testimonie in folowyng the signification of Christes death amongst the which this is not esteemed least to render thankes to almightie God for all his benefites briefely comprised in the death passion resurrection of his dearely beloued sonne The which thing because we ought chiefly at this table to solempnise the godly fathers named it Eucharistia that is thankesgeuing As yf they should haue sayde Nowe aboue all other tymes ye ought to laude and prayse god Now may you beholde the matter the cause the begynning and the ende of all thankesgeuing Nowe yf you stacke ye shewe your selues most vnthankfull and that no other benefite can euer stirre you to thanke God who so litle regarde here so many so wonderfull and so profitable benefites Seeyng then that the name thing it selfe doth monishe vs of thanks let vs as saint Paul sayth offer alwayes to god the hoste or sacrifice of prayse by Christe that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name For as Dauid singeth He that offereth to God thankes and prayse honoureth hym But howe fewe be there of thankfull personnes in comparison to the vnthankfull Loe ten Lepers in the Gospell were healed and but one only returned to geue thankes for his health Yea happye it were yf among fourtie Communicantes we coulde see two vnfaignedly geue thankes So vnkinde we be so obliuious we be so proude beggers we be that partly we care not for our owne commoditie partlye we knowe not our duetie to God and chiefely we wyll not confesse all that we receaue Yea and yf we be forced by Gods power to do it yet we handle it so coldely so drylye that our lippes prayse him but our heartes disprayse hym our tongues blesse hym but our lyfe curseth hym our wordes worshippe hym but our workes dishonour him O let vs therfore learne to geue God here thankes aright and so to agnise his exceeding graces powred vppon vs that they beyng shutte vp in the treasure house of our heart maye in due tyme and season in our lyfe and conuersation appeare to the glorifying of his holye name Furthermore for newenesse of lyfe it is to be noted that Saint Paul wryteth that we beyng many are one bread and one body For all be partakers of one bread Declaring thereby not onlye our Communion with Christ but that vnitie also wherin they that eate at this table shoulde be knitte together For by discention vaineglory ambition strise enuying contempt hatred or malyce they shoulde not be disseuered but so ioyned by the bonde of loue in one mysticall bodye as the cornes of that bread in one lofe In respecte of which strait knot of charitie the true Christians in the tender tyme of Christes Churche called this supper loue As yf they shoulde saye none ought to sit downe there that were out of loue and charitie who bore grudge vengeaunce in his heart who also dyd not professe his kynd affection by some charitable reliefe for some parte of the congregation And this was their practise O heaueÌ„ly â—anket then so vsed O godly ghestes who so estemed this feast But O wretched creatures that we be at these daies who be without reconciliation of our brethren whoÌ„ we haue offended without satisfying them whom we haue caused to fall without any kynde of thought or compassion toward them whoÌ„ we myght easyly relieue without any conscience of slaunder disdayne misrâ—poet diuision rancour or inwarde bitternes Yea being accombred with the cloked hatred of Caine with the long couered malice of Esau with the dissembled falshood of Ioab dare ye presume to come vp to these sacred and fearefull mysteries O man whyther rushest thou vnaduisedly It is a table of peace and thou art redy to fight It is a table of singlenes and thou art imagining mischeefe It is a table of quietnesse and thou art geuen to debate It is a table of pitie and thou art vnmercifull Doest thou neyther feare GOD the maker of this feast nor reuerence his Christe the refection and meate nor regardest his spouse his beloued ghest nor weighest thyne owne conscience which is sometime thyne inwarde accuser Wherfore O man tender thyne owne saluation examine and trye thygood wyl and loue towardes the chyldren of God the members of Christe the heyres of the heauenly heritage