w t loue cxciiii d The Wiues by their faith and good conuersation may conuert the husbande folio cccvii d Wyfe must be first taken and afterward proued otherwise then any other marchaundise fol cc b Wicliffes heresies when they troubled this realme xix a Vix saluabitur iustus is expounded fol. cclxxviii a Women when they woulde be sene to care leaste for their heare or lockes then they care moost fol. ccxviii d Womens heare is many times disgised fol. cxcix a Women whose honesty is light chepe be moste curiouse in disgisinge them selues Eodem c Woman is the weaker vessel is declared fol. ccvi b. Women of Rome in olde time knew not the vse of wine folio ccxxxiiii b. Worme of riches is pryde fo cccv b Women be no meet hearers of moral philosophy xxxiii a Women how they shuld lerne for their soul helth xxxiiii a Woman was last made and first in faute Eodem b. Women haue taught men witte fo xxxv b Worme and not a man why Christ was so called lxxviii b Worldly inheritaunce hath .iii. noughtye properties cxx c Wronges when we ought to remitte them and when we may redresse them fol. xcvi a Wronge there is none when the thinge commeth of mere grace fol. lxxv d Wyues deseruinge to be beaten reneige their wiues state and tourne to the seruauntes state againe fo cciiii b X. XAntippa Socrates wyfe cast a chamber vessell on his heade and what he sayd then fol. cciiii c. d Y. YOnge men be no mete hearers of morall philosophye folio xxxiii a. b. Yonge in age and yonge in maners Eodem clviii b Yonge men must gentilly do after their elders fo ▪ clvii d Finis ¶ The first sermon containing an introduction to the whole matter of the vii giftes of the holy goste And treatyng of the two first giftes called the spirite of sapience and the spirite of intelligence THe blessed euangelist sanct Iohn in the first chapiter of hys gospel after he had somewhat touched the ineffable coeternitie of the second person in trinitie the sonne of God with God the father cōsequently he descendeth to his temporall generacion in fewe woordes comprising the same verbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis That worde of God the second person in trinitie was cōtent to come alowe and to take our mortal nature vpon him and to dwel among vs not with any diminutiō or decay of the godhead for the infinite glorye of God suffereth neither augmentacion or increase neither decreasyng or decay It is euer one after one maner though it pleased him to hyde the glory of his godhead for a season as condescending to the infirmitie of them that he should be conuersaunt withall and to teache vs the waye of humilitie and that is it that saint Paule sayth semetipsum exinaniuit formam seruiaccipiens He withdrewe his mightie power frō his operacion for if he had shewed it in his owne lykenes all the worlde had not been able to haue receiued him He kept a lower port euer vsing humilitie and lowlynes sufferyng the paynes of our mortalitie with all the despites that the Iewes did to him tyll in conclusion he came to his paynes on the crosse in his painefull passion And that he withdrewe his power from his operacion in the tyme of his bodily presence heare on yerth appeareth euidently by this that if it had pleased him he might aswel haue indued his disciples with the cōforte of the holy ghost whyle he bodily taried among them as to haue differred it tyll the commyng of the holy ghost by sensible signes at this holy tyme of whytsontide In a long sermon that he made to his disciples afore his passion among other holesome lessons he sayd thus vnto thē Expedit vobis vt ego vadā c. It is for your profite that I go from you for if I go not from you the holy ghost wyll not come to cōfort you I haue yet many thynges to teache you but as yet ye can not bear them away but when the spirit of truth the holy ghost cōmeth he shall teache you all truthes necessarye for you to knowe But good lorde what sayst thou Nowe we can not vnderstande suche thinges as we be to be taught than we shal vnderstand How may this be Is he greater of power then thou art Can he do more in teching vs then thou canst do thy selfe good maister Christ to auoyde this scruple doubt āswereth saying No syrs I do not say this for any impotencie in me or for any inequalitie betwixt the holy ghost and me for the thinges that he shall teache you shewe you he shall not speake them of him selfe but of me The cause why I say so is this Omnia quae habet pater mea sunt propterea dixi de meo accipiet annunciabit vobis All thinges that my father hath be myne all power all knowledge all connyng be equally and aswel in the sonne as in the father and in the sonne frō the father like as he hath his generacion production beyng of the father therfore sayth Christ the holy gost shall take of myne and shall shewe it you teach it you for when he shal sensibly come among you he shall shewe you my fathers pleasure which is all one with my pleasure All that he shal teache you he shall take and learne of my father and of me Like as he hath his beyng of my father and of me and as he is the infinite and ineffable loue of my father and of me Thus sayd Christ vnto his disciples for in very deede all the workes of the whole trinitie be al one vndiuidid outfurth among creatures Loke what one person doth the same thyng doth all thre persones likewise Therfore there was nothing that the holy gost taught y e Apostles but Christ could haue taught it them if it had pleased him But he reserued left this power of instructing and cōfortyng the Apostles and others by them vnto the holy gost the third person in trinitie lest if Christ had done all himselfe they would peraduenture haue thought there had be no holy ghost at all or els that the holy spirit had not been of equal power with Christ and with the father of heauen In very dede afterward there risse a pernicious sect of heretikes as Arrius and his faction whiche merueilously troubled al the world in their time saiyng that the seconde person in trinitie was but a creature and lesse of nature power then the father And that the holy ghost was also a creature and a minister and messager of the father and of the sonne and lesse of power then either of them both Because Christ would not haue his disciples to erre in this point he reserued the best porcion of learnyng of godly comfort from them that the holy spirit might teache it them for their comforte that so they might knowe the dignitie of the
swadeth that we oughte to be of cleane life and in all oure conuersation to liue in feare while we be dwelling as tenauntes at wil here in this worlde This he perswadeth by consideration of the price that was paid for oure redemption or raunsom out of the deuils dauÌ„ger out of our former conuersation noughtye liuing which price was neither gold nor siluer nor any such corruptible substauÌ„ce as is vsed amoÌ„ge men to redeme mens offeÌ„ces or to make ameÌ„ds for faultes or harmes done amoÌ„ge men but you were bought deliuered froÌ„ your noughty liuiÌ„g from your vaine and folish conuersation by the precious blud of Christ offred for vs on y e crosse like a moste pure and cleane lambe without spot or blemishe and neither groned nor grudged so sufferinge no more then the lambe doth when he is ledde to the slaughter house We must no more nowe thinke oure selues vile or little worth for once we pleased oure Lorde God so well that he chose rather to die for vs then he would lose vs it can be no smal thinge of valure that God was content to pay his owne bloude for By his precious bloud you were deliuered from your vaine and folysh conuersatioÌ„ that you learned by your fathers traditions by your fathers teachinge They that S. Peter writte to some were of the Iewes and some were of the Gentiles as I declared in the beginninge of this Epistle They that were of the Iewes had learned of their fathers to leaue the true vnderstandinge of the lawes of God and to folowe certaine precepts and rules of theyr traditions and teachinge as to let theyr owne parentes die for hunger to bestow theyr goodes in offeringe at the Church â–ª Mat xv not that Christe forbiddeth to helpe the ministers of the Churche but that when thou mayste helpe both thou shouldest so do but yf thou be not able to do both se that thou fayle not to do thy dutye to thy parentes cherysshinge and helpinge them for this is thy bounden duetie And also the curious and prescise obseruaunce of the Iewes ceremonies may be vnderstand by these fathers traditions whiche were but vayne and lytle good did to the soule for they gaue no grace to the soule but specially after the publyshing of Christes Gospell they seassed and did no good but muche hurte to the soule They that were of the Gentilles were brought vp as their fathers were in Idolatrye and taught to worshippe Idolles false Goddes whiche in dede be thinges of naught and verye nothinge as sainte Paule saieth .i. Cor. viij .x. Nowe to our purpose they were taught by their fathers and bringers vp to worshippe that for a god and to geue it diuine honour that was no God were brought vp in a folishe trade and in vayne conuersation by their fathers lore tradicions and teachynge froÌ„ such vayne conuersation wee were redemed not by money but by the precious blud of the lambe our Sauiour Christe most immaculate and vndefowled froÌ„ all sinne original actuall He was knowen sayeth saint Peter and appointed of God afore the worlde was made that he shold redeme vs And he was declared and knowen plainly now in the latter dayes And towarde the ende of the worlde for our sakes and to saue vs that by hys instruction published and spredde abrode among vs by the preachers of hys Gospell be made faithfull beleuers on almightye God whiche raised oure saide sauiour Christe from death to life againe and gaue him glorie at his resurrection and also at his glorious ascention because you shoulde truste to to haue like glorye by him And al this was not for anye indigence or neade that he hadde to be so exalted but for oure sake that so sayeth Sainte Peter your fayeth myght be on God and your whole hope and truste in GOD that you maye receiue like glorye of GOD. Because saint Peter sayeth that the misterye of Christes incarnation of his passion by whiche we shold be redemed was knowen afore and appointed afore the worlde was made You must vnderstaÌ„d that this that saint Peter saieth of the eternall predestinacion and foreknowledge of the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God to be incarnate was not onely for the redemption of man from the preuarication and offence of Adam but althoughe Adam hadde neuer offended yet notwithstandinge the sonne of GOD woulde haue be incarnate takynge the nature of man vppon him to beautifye in hym selfe the whole man aswell the outwarde man as the inwarde man that so mankinde Siue ingrederetur siue egre deretur pascua inueneret Whether he should come in by his wit or did go furth by exteriour senses he shoulde euerye waye finde pasture feadynge and refresshynge pasture within by knowledge and contemplation of the Godheade to the comforte of the reason pasture outwarde in the flesshe and bodye of our Sauioure to the comforte of the exteriour senses For if Adam hadde not sinned but hadde stande stedfast in the state of innocencye he shoulde at the laste haue bene translated from Paradyse into the glorye of Heauen and so shoulde all his posteritie wythout anye deathe by the onely wyll or desyre of mynde where his glorye shoulde haue bene verye leane and bare yf no exterioure sense shoulde haue hys owne delectation in the thing that he is exercised in as the syghte in seinge or the touchyng in felyng the eare is in hearing Therefore to satisâ—ye bothe the reason and the sensible powers it was necessarye that GOD shoulde haue a bodye and shoulde be made man that he myghte be perceyued by the senses as wel as by the wyt And to such beatitude ioye wee were appoynted and chosen in Christe afore the makinge of the worlde as the Apostle sayth Ephe. i. Benedixit nos in Christo Iesu sicut elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem God the father hath blessed vs in Christe as his lymmes or membres like as he hath choseÌ„ vs in him afore the makyng of the worlde so that the chosynge of Christe GOD and man in one persone was presupposed and went afore the chosing of vs hys membres to be incorporate vnite and ioyned to him by faith grace as one body with hym Like as the builder first intendeth a house of thys fashion or that fashion then intendeth to prouide tymber lyme and stone and workemenne to make his house Therefore sayeth the Apostle that GOD chose vs in Christe Firste chosynge Christe to glorye inestimable and then consequentlye and secundarily hee chose vs in him as hys membres to be glorified in hym and with him and by hym And therfore saieth our Sauiour vnto hys Father speakynge of his disciples Dilexisti eos sicur me dilexisti Ioh. xvii Thou haste loued them as thou haste loued me Aug. Because that he loued vs in hym lyke as he chose vs in him afore the making of the world for he y t loued his onely begotten sonne surelye
places of the gospels calleth God hys father and hym him selfe the sonne of God he is true and verye truthe and cannot lye he is the onelye begotten sonne in the fathers bosome euerlasting as the father is He was afore Abraham was made afore all other creatures not made but begottē of the substaunce of the father very God of God the father Not two Gods but one God and one light and of one substaunce with the father By whom as by his wysedome and craft the father made all creatures as saint Iohn saith al things were made by him he is our Lorde which ye must here vnderstand bi his humanitie manhod for by reason of the Godhed we may sai so of the father and of the holy gost although it be not so expressed in the Apostles Creede For God is oure Lord so we should cal him by reason of his vniuersal dominiō ouer al mankind ouer al other creatures The Lorde importeth a vage dominiō and vncertain power but there is no power dominiō or authoritie so certain as the power that God hath ouer vs wherefore it semeth we may not conueniently call him the Lorde And moreouer we vse to saye the Lorde speaking of suche Lordes as haue nothing to doe with vs as the lorde of Dale the lord of Kilmayn and such like whereas if we were theyr tenauntes or otherwise held of thē we woulde say my lord of Dale or our Lord of Dale and so of others Wherfore professing our due subiection to almightye God we shoulde in common speeche cal him our Lord not dimissing our selues from our allegeaunce to his highnes And I haue knowen verye honest mē that in cōmunicatiō long afore the new translations of the bible came abrode vsed sometimes to sweare by the Lord no more intending or meaning to sweare by God then by any Lorde in the isles of Orchadie so thynking to sweare by they could not tell what or by nothing albeit lest thei should offend them that be addict to the new gise I haue aduertised them to leaue suche sayinges tyll men may be better informed But to my purpose now because all power in heauen and earth was giuen to Christ and all thyng was subiecte vnder his fete and he in his manhood taught his Apostles and all vs by them and in his manhode redemed vs and in the same shall iudge vs therfore we maye iustlye by that reason call hym our lord and maister as it is expressed in this article THe third article was added by S. Iames brother to saint Iohn the Euangelist son of zebedi called Iames the more That was conceiued by the holy gost and borne of the virgine Marie the authoure and doer of this conception was the whole trinitie the father the sonne the holy gost for the workes of the trinitie outwarde amonge creatures be vndyuided so that what so euer one persō doth the same thing doth all three persons But in asmuch as thys blessed incarnation of Christ came of the mere goodnes grace mercy and loue of God whiche is appropriate to the holy gost as power to the father wisedome to the sonne Though all these agreeth to all three persons therefore the scripture sayth as very true it is that the holy gost was the deer thereof but how it was performed done we can better beleue thē declare it faith may do very muche in this article and in all other articles of our faith speche can do very litle Saint Austine faith that lyke as by the heate and influence of the sunne a worme is gēdred of the moyst earth so by the inspiration of the holy goste santifyinge the hart of the virgin the flesh of Christ was cōceiued formed facioned of the flesh of y e virgin without the worke of any sede of man workyng to the same and therefore Christ sayd of himself by the mouth of his prophet that he was a worme and not a man because he was not conceyued as other men be In this marueilous conception the profite and whole nature of man soule and bodi together was vnite and ioyned in one person vnto the sonne of God and neither to the father nor to the holy gost because there should be no confusion but that he that was the sonne of god shuld also be the sonne of man Borne of Mary the virgin he that came to renew the nature of man cankered with sinne chose a new maner to be borne of a mayde and not of a corrupt woman And whē the God of maiestie tooke hys bodye and was borne of a vyrgine hee was no more polluted nor defowled then when he made manne of the earthe as when the Sunne or fyre woorketh on the claye he amendeth and hardeneth that he toucheth and fyleth not it selfe And it is as possyble credyble and lykelye that hee was borne of a virgine as that he made Adam of earth and Eue the first woman of the rybbe of Adams side all is the woorke of God to whom nothing is impossible Great was the prerogatiue of that virgine Mary and the loue that god had to her in that that his onely begottē son by whom he made all the worlde he gaue vnto her to be the fruite of her wombe and her naturall sonne God that made all thyng was made man of her purest bloud to renewe mankinde that by synne was brought to nought While the sonne of God was in his fathers glory not descending to our infirmitie he was vnknowen but when that worde of God was made man and dwelled amongest vs he was seene and knowen on earthe and was conuersaunt with menne for whose sakes he that is Lorde of all the world is made our brother comming forth being borne of the blessed virgine euer close and cleane with out any aperture or diuision of her blessed body euen like as after his resurrection he came into the chambre among the disciples the doores beyng shut and like as the sunne beames commeth through the glasse and breaketh it not SAint Andrewe layde his portion to thys shotte or gathering by these woordes of the fourthe article That suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried Thys Ponce Pilate was president and ruler of the countrey and highest iudge there set in his authority by Tiberius the Emperoure of Rome to whom the most part of the world was then subiecte he is here named not for any honestie to his parson but for to declare the time when Christ suffred The death on the crosse he those and neyther to haue his necke broken nor his bones burst as being cast downe from a hyll as his neighbours were aboute to serue him in Nazereth Luke .iiii. where he was brought vp in youthe neyther to be stoned to death as the Iewes would haue killed him when he hid him self and went out of the temple Iohn .viii. And al was for our health and for to saue vs for as saint Austine saith we can not
and wee haue receiued by the preaching of the woorde of God in vertuous liuing agreinge to the same He beginneth his processe with laudes and thankes to God the father of heauen for his aboundant and great mercy in this that he hath regenerate and begotten vs againe to lyfe by our sauiour Christ. Where we afore by our carnall parentes were generate and gotten to dye Therefore he saythe blessed be God and father of oure Lorde Iesu Christ that is to saye God that is the father of our Lord Iesu Christ the first person in trinitie fountain wel and original beginning of the whole trinitie to which saynt Peter geueth his laudes and thankes not excluding any person in trinitie for the father and the sonne and the holy Gost haue all one Godhead equall glory and coeternall maiestie For this you must vnderstande that thys word blessed hath diuers significations according to the thinge that it is ioyned withall When we say blesse God or saye blessed be GOD it is a woorde of thankes and is as muche to saye as laude prayse and thankes be to GOD. For by oure blessynge GOD wee cannot increase hys glorye neyther make hym anye thinge the better by oure thankes although so doyng we accomplish do our boundē dutie to him but when God blesseth vs hys willing well to vs or saying wel by vs is his dede Therefore when hee blesseth vs hee gyueth vs some gyfte of grace or temporall subsidye and healpe by his mere liberalitye and gentlenesse and not of dutie nor of our deseruinge Thyrde when the father or a frende blesseth the chyld he giueth him temporall goodes or wysheth hym well and prayeth for him well to doe as Isaac blessed hys sonnes Iacob and Esau and lykewyse Iacob and other holye Fathers blessed theyr children as I sayde of Sainte Peters blessynge in the later ende of the salutacion of this Epistle Saynte Peter as I sayde begynneth wyth thankes offeringe to GOD at the beginninge a sacrifice of laude remembryng the sayinge of the Prophet Sacrificium laudis honorificabit me The sacrifice of laude and praysinge shall doe me honour saithe almighty God And like as hee that will doe bodely sacrifice to God muste doe it by the handes of a Priest or of a Byshoppe So this sacrifice of laude Saint Peter offereth to GOD the father by the handes of the great Priest and Byshoppe oure Sauiour Iesus Christe makynge mention of hym sayinge pater domini nostri Iesu Christi The Father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe And by thys Sainte Peter gyueth vs good example to begynne all our woorkes wyth thankes and praise to hym for hys owne glorye and with desyringe and praying for his grace to preuent vs to set vs forwarde at the beginning of our workes and to be concurrent and workynge wyth vs in all our affayres and proceadynges in oure businesse Qui secundum misericordiam suam magnam regenerauit nos in spem viuā per resurrectionē Iesu christi ex mortuis Whiche accordynge to hys great mercye by the resurrection of Iesu Christ from amonge the deade hathe begotten vs againe into a liuelye hope Accordynge to the rate of mannes offence almighty GOD multiplieth his mercye And thoughe all synnes compared to almightye God againste whom they be committed be infinite yet considerynge the frowardenes of the hart and wyll of the sinner some sinnes be more greuous then other be and require proporcionablye greater abundance of mercy in the forgeuynge of them then other dothe Therefore saynt Paule thoughe he were a blasphemer and a persecutour of christen people yet because he did it ignorantlye for lacke of fayth he found mercye and was forgeuen his sinnes i. Timo. i. But kinge Dauid coulde not pretend ignorance in his takynge of an other mannes wife neither in causyng Urye the same womannes husbande that neuer offended hym to be slayne vniustly These synnes were greate and horrible therefore he cryed and called for great mercye Miserere mei deus secundū magnam miam tuam And for manifolde mercye accordynge to his manifolde sinnes Then let vs accordyng to this consider the miserable case that mankinde was in afore we were regenerate by Christe and we shal perceyue that our regeneration by baptisme takyng his strength at Christes passion came of mercy yea of great mercy and of manifold mercy Our firste father Adam at his firste creation had the supernatural gifte of originall iustice geuen him for him selfe and for all his posteritie and issue This gift of originall iustice in him made a perfect tranquillitie and quietnes in al the powers of his soule so that his will by this originall iustice shuld obediētly do after the pleasure of god and all the inferiour sensible powers should likewise obeye the wyll so directed and ruled by originall iustice the will should haue preuented the sensible powers so that vnlawefull appetites should neuer haue bene in them As for to synne in adulterye with an other mans wyfe or for to steale or take away an other mans goodes Men shoulde haue hadde none such vnlawfull lustes And by the same gyft the wyll should haue commaunded the sensible powers at tyme and place conuenient to exercise their appetites accordyng to iustice As to vse naturall generatiō at tymes conuenient with a mans owne wife to eate and drinke as reason and iustice would There shuld haue bene no discention stryfe or debate betwixte man and man but continual rest peace And in thys case all mankinde should haue bene if Adam hadde kepte his obedience to almighty GOD but as a punishemente for his disobedience to God all hys inferiour powers disobeyed their superiours And this gyfte of originall Iustyce was geuen hym for hym selfe and for all hys posteritie And therefore lyke as God woulde hym to haue kepte it so he woulde all hys posteritye to haue dooen and requireth it of all menne and women that euer came of Adam by carnall propagacion for wee all ought to haue it And therefore almightye GOD iustelye requireth of euerye persone hauynge in hym the nature of manne that gyfte of originall Iustyce whyche hee gaue to the whole nature of manne And nowe the lacke of that originall Iustyce wyth the debte or duetye to haue it is called originall synne whyche maketh all the Issue and children of Adam the chyldrene of Goddes indignation and anger And so wee by that bee lefte free from Iustice and bonde to synne and to dampnation A myserable case that wee be in synne and be made the chyldrene of anger and of dampnation afore wee haue the vse of Reason and afore wee can dooe anye synne And beside that wee be made subiecte to all miserie vexation syckenesse and trouble whyle wee be here For if Adam hadde kepte hys obedience to GOD there shoulde nothynge haue disobeyed vs nother wynde nor rayne heate nor colde to distemper vs. And then to consider howe for thee lacke of the sayde gyfte of originall Iustyce wee
muste neades with all loue hys membres whiche he hathe adopte and chosen to be hys chyldren wyth him And thus our Gostlye enemie the Deuyll knewe full well for afore his fall he sawe in the Godheade that mankinde shoulde be exalted so hyghe as to be knitte in one persone to almyghtye GOD and y t all hys faithfull people should in hym by him be exalted aboue the nature of aungels when he sawe it he disdayned and enuied thereat And furthwyth at the beginnyng of mankynde pursued and tempted our firste parentes to brynge them to synne by that trustyng to disappoint hym and to stoppe the glorye that GOD intended toward mankynde and to brynge mankynde so farre out of fauour wyth GOD that it shoulde neuer be ioyned in one persone wyth God and consequently to stoppe let vs al from the ioyes of heauen for whiche almightye God hadde chosen vs in Christe afore the world was made so that our Sauiour Christe myght saye with the prophete Ionas which by the peryll of shipwracke that he was in signified and figured the passion of Christe lyke as by his beynge in the whales bealy three dayes and three nightes was figured the sepulture of Christe three daies and three nightes in the bealye of the earth Whē the storme rysse so perillously that the seas were euer styll readye to swallowe vp the shippe that be was in he saide vnto the shipmenne Tollite me mittite in mare cessabit mare a vobis Scio enim ego quoniam propter me tempestas hec grandis est super vos Ionae i. Take me sayth this blessed prophet and cast me into the sea and the sea will ceasse his rage for I knowe that thys great tempest and storme lieth so sore on you for my sake As though our sauiour Christe sayde Take me and caste me into the stormes of temptation and trouble and the stormes shal ceasse shall not so sore trouble you In eo enim in quo passus est ipse tentatus potens est eis qui tentātur auxiliari Heb. ii In that that he suffred and was tempted he is able to helpe them that be tempted or troubled For he wyl not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power but will get vs aduauntage to resist temptation and a way to scape frō it that we shall be able to abide it and not to be ouerthrowen by it i. Cor x. Nowe further to the saiyng of Ionas For I know that this storme is raysed for me So might our sauiour Christ say that the storme of temptation that the deuill by Gods permissiō raysed against our first parents and ceasseth not with the same stormes to assault all his posteritye was raysed for Christes sake because y e deuil knew that the godhed māhode of Christ shold be ioyned in one person so shold be exalted farre aboue hym the enuy that he had at this made him to bende his ordinance to set furth all his engins of tēptation against mākind to stop him frō that exaltation honor So that the deuil first saw the exaltation of mankinde in Christe to be one person with the sonne of God enuiyng therat procured the impedimēt asmuch as in him laie by the sinne of Adam And this is a signe that euen so it was in Gods foreknowledge and election that firste he determined the sonne to be incarnate and mankinde to come to that glorye to be one person wyth God and secundarilye knowyng that Adam would fall would bringe all hys posteritie into daunger of damnation the high counsaile of the Godhead appoynted our saide Sauiour Christe to be the meane to saue mākinde again by his blessed passion that he should suffer in his passible and mortall body which he toke vppon him for that purpose For in very dede if Adam had not offended Christ shold not haue bene incarnate in a mortal or passible body nor should haue come as a redemer when there was nothing to be redemed but he should haue come as a glorifier to make mankynde partiners partakers of hys glory after the highest maner that myght be in one persone with almighty God in Christ we his membres of his bodie to haue our parte of the same glory with him But in asmuch as man had by disobedience offended almightye God had nede of a redemer he shewed him self for our sakes as s. Peter saith here now at the last cast of the world in a mortal bodye made of a woman made vnder the law that he might deliuer thē that were subiect to the law that so by Christ our faith and our hope should be in god that by him we may be bolde to trust for like grace of hym as I saied before It foloweth in the text Animas vestras castificantes in obediētia charitatis in fraternitatis amore c. Chastifiyng your soules in the obedience of charitie Pull downe your soules kepe thē vnder obedience yea in charitable obedience For obedience coact by cōpulsion as theues in the gaole obey their keper lest he wil punish thē or cast thē in sorer prison is not the thing that god wil reward except it be charitable that is principally for the plesure of god that wold the inferiours shold obey their rulers or betters cōsequently for the loue to y e party that thou oughtest to be obediēt vnto And you must kepe brotherly loue louynge one an other like as brothers so that if one at any time hurt another yet remēber that we be all brothers in Christ redemed with one bloud by y e remembraunce we must let the displeasure passe forgetting it returning to fraternal loue again And this must come of a simple and plaine harte without dissimulation fayninge or flatterynge euen after that s. Iohn in his epistle biddeth vs ▪ i. Io. iii. My childrē let vs not loue in word and tong alone but in dede and in truth specially cōsidering that as he saith afore whosoeuer hath the substāce of this world and seeth his brother haue nede and closeth his hart frō him how doth the loue of god abide in him In asmuch as he cōtemneth y e infirmitie and pouertie of hys euen christene For this is the beginnynge of fraternall charitie to haue pitye on our neighbours infirmitye And to dye for our brethren is the perfection of charitie the hyghest poynte of Charitye and of fraternall loue that is there spoken of In that wee knowe the charitye of GOD that hee layed awaye hys lyfe for vs and we must ley aside our soules for our brothers And our sauiour Christ in the gospel sayth Maiorem charitatem c. Greater charitie no man hath then to lose his lyfe for his frendes And so we here the perfection of charitye but yet let vs more inwardlye consider the begynnynge of the same Fraternall loue If thou be not meete and readye to dye for thy brother yet geue thou of
whom is no partialitie And knowynge the price that was paide for vs whyche was no corruptible metall as gold or siluer but the precious bloud of a pure Lambe our sauiour Iesus Christ and considering that the seede by whyche we wer regenerate is not corruptible as the sede of our parentes is by which men be goten to die but it is immortall as he is immortall that it commeth of almighty God The sede is the immutable gospell by which we come to baptisme that washeth vs from all our sinnes where I shewed you howe necessary that sacrament is to all sexes and to all ages as wel infants as other that lyke as they be kylled or hurte by an other mans sinne so they may be reuiued by other meÌ„s faith Now consequently in this second chapiter the blessed Apostle sainte Peter intreateth of the nursing or bringing vp of them that were by the saide holy sede goten and borne to Christ and so to life euerlasting This is a naturall order that saint Peter kepeth here for naturally the byrthe goeth afore the nourishinge And because he that hath a shrewd stomake filled with nociue and yll humors must first haue his stomake purged afore any meate shall do him good therefore saint Peter like a good Phisicion for the soule counseleth vs first to rid the stomaks of our soules our hartes or consciences from all malice or wyll to hurt our neighbours That is malice and he that hathe suche an appetite to hurt an other man or woman is called a malicious person otherwyse willing to do to others then he woulde an other should do to him which is contrarie to the law of nature to the iudgement of right reason for the iudgemeÌ„t of reasoÌ„ giueth that we should none otherwise wil intend or do to ani other theÌ„ we reasonably wold they shuld wil intend or do to vs. FroÌ„ this generalitie he descendeth to the particulers special vices saying that we must also rid oure soules from all gile and imaginacion to deceiue our neighbours vnder the pretence and colour of some honestie or goodnes as I rede Gen xxxiii When Dina doughter to Iacob and sister to the .xii. Patriarchs sonnes of Israell would walke abrode to see the women of the countrey and to be sene as the maner of maidens is specâ—tatuÌ„ veniunt veniunt spectentur vt ipse she came to the towne where Emor was Lorde and a great prince there whiche had a sonne called Sichem as soone as he hadde cast his eye vpon this faire damsell Dina he was enamored woulde nedes haue her and so had his pleasure of her whyther she woulde or not And yet his loue swaged not but euer still he loued her more and more In so muche that he prayed and required his father to be suter to Iacob father to the damsell and to be woer for him that he myghte haue her to wyfe mary with her and so did Emor this yong mans father but Iacob would make no graunt til hys sons came to the coÌ„municacion When they herd that Dina theyr sister was deflowred and rauished by force they chafed and tooke the matter very angerlye Notwithstanding after large offers and fayre promisses made to theim by thys good gentleman Emor and by the younge man Sichem hys sonne Responderunt filij Iacob Sichem patri eius in dolo seuientes ob stuprum sororis The sonnes of Iacob made answere to Sichem and to his father in gyle for they were in a rage for the raueshing of theyr sister Mark their answer and theyr intent and you shall perceyue the gile and what gile is This was theyr aunswer It is vnlawfull and a great offence for vs to mary our sister to a man that is vncircumcised but if ye will come to our religion and be circumcised as we be then it shall be lawfull for vs to mary together your men with our women our men with your women and so we may dwel together and liue like frendes and if you wil not then let vs haue our sister away and we wyll be gone This offer pleased Emor and hys sonne Sichem verye well Sichem made no tarying but did as they desired and forthwith was circumcised for the feruent loue that hee had to Dina and then the father and the sonne came into the towne perswaded all the people to agre and so thei did agre circuÌ„cised al the men of the town what age so euer thei were of But then folowed the subtile false intent of Dinays brothers soÌ„s of Iacob For on y e third day after the circuÌ„cising of the people wheÌ„ their wouÌ„des wer sorest y t thei might not wel stir in cam to the town with their swerdes in theyr hands Symeon Leui brothers to Dina bi father mother for Lya was their mother Gen. xxx they slew all theÌ„ that were circuÌ„cised and Emor lorde of the town and Sichem his sonne with al toke away theyr sister with theÌ„ And then came in the rest of Iacobs soÌ„nes with their bushmentes and made hauoke of all that was lefte Here you see that their pretence was good and godly but theyr intent was noughte this is dolus gile If there haue been anye suche gyle vsed by faire promisses and large offers to traine ani man or woman to be of sinister or false opinion or heresie to kill his soule vnder the pretence or colour of euangelicall truthe or libertye this muste be left and layde downe as saint Peter saith here The sutteltie and gile that is vsed in vttering of your wares by suche wiles as you vse for the colourable setting furth of theÌ„ must be left and layde downe and no more vsed Ther is an other gile whiche in comparison of thys is called bonus dolus good gile such as men of war feighting in a iust cause vseth to circumuent and deceiue their enemies Such gile Iosue â–ª viii vsed against the towne of Hay where his host were afore put to rebuke dryuen backe and loste xxxvi men Iosue vii At the second saute he set a strong bende of men to the nomber of fyue thousand in a stale at the West side of the towne of Hay And then the captaine with his armie shewed freshlye against the towne as thoughe they woulde haue fought with them The kinge there encouraged by the victorie at the former skirmige aduanced furth boldly against Iosue the captaine And Iosue reculed backe and ranne awaye as the other company had done afore and when by his reculing he had slocked the kinge of Hay a great wai out of the town he gaue a signe to them that lay in the stale which rose vp and got into the town then being without people for euerye manne and woman was runne oute to pursue Iosue and to get somewhat in the chase and they sette it on fyre and burned it and furthwith came forth on the backe of the kinge of Hay and his hoste and
within the territory of Sidon he found a woman gatheringe a few stickes to make her a fire he desiered her to geue him a little water to drinke and a morsel of bread She answered and said she had no bread I haue no more said she but a handfull of meale in a steen and a litle oyle in a gearre I gather nowe saide she duo ligna two stickes as a man woulde saie a fewe stickes to bake it and make breade for my sonne and me and when we haue eaten that we haue no more we will dye No saide Helye be not afraied Thus saith the God of Israel Thy steen of meal shal not faile or lack nor thy gearre of oyle shall be any thing lesse tyll the time when GOD shall sende rayne vpon the earth For in dede this fortuned in the time of the lōg famine that was in y t coūtrey for lack of rayne by the space of three yeres an halfe accordynge to the prayer and peticion of the same Prophete Helye for the correction and punishement of Achab the kyng and Iesabel his quene and of their false prophetes and of their people And as the Prophete promised so it proued in dede By this example you se howe the pore hospitalitie of the saide good woman exhibited and bestowed on Helye was recompensed with plentie sufficiente where all the countrey els was in greate penurye and neade And here you shall note that this meale in the Steen that was so longe reserued and continued by the word of the Lorde God of Israell was a figure and signified the most reuerende and blessed Sacrament of the Aultare The wydowe that was so longe susteined with this meal signified Christes holy church the whole congregation of faythful men and womenne whiche by that that Christe her spouse and husband was slayne and buried and then rose again and departed from her into heauen and hath left her viduate and without hys visible presence althoughe he hath left her hys blessed bodye and bloude in this blessed Sacrament whiche this wydowe all faiethfull folkes muste bake and digest with the sayde two trees signifiynge the remembraunce of his paynefull passion that he suffered on the crosse for a crosse is made commonlye of two trees acccordynge to Sainte Paules saiynge As oft as you shall eate this breade or drinke of this cuppe you shal shewe the death of our Lorde vntill he come and shall shewe him selfe in his glorious maiestie at the generall iudgemente which tyme thoughe it shall be a terible and an horrible time to sinners and to all damnable persons yet it shal be a time of grace of solace and comfort to al his true louyng seruauntes This was signified by y e raine that came from Heauen vppon the earth when Helye sayde that the Steen of meale should not fayle nor the gearre of oyle shoulde not be diminished tyll GOD sende rayne from heauen for the comforte of the countrey as his grace shall come for the comfort of vs all at that daye This meale and Oyle were continued so longe to sustaine .iii. persons not by any natural power but by the supernatural power of God And so is his bodye made of breade and wine by the worde of Christe and by his Godlye and infinite power aboue nature Therefore let not naturall reason cumber it selfe in the examination or triyng how it maye be but stedfastlye beleue that thus it is for so God saith And although it be called bread and the cuppe of wine as well in the Gospell as of S. Paule yet there is nother bread nor wine after the consecration but very fleshe and bloud Tell me how a handful of meale and a little oyle coulde continue so longe ▪ and to feade so manye persons and I shall tell thee howe of a little breade and wyne shall be made a perfect body of a manne and hys bloude Thou canst saye no more to the firste question but Hec dicit dominus Deus Israell As Helye sayde Thus sayth the GOD of Israell and thus it was in dede And euen so I saye vnto thee Thus sayeth the God of Israell our Sauiour Christe Thys is my bodye This is my bloude And therefore so it is and muste neades be so in dede And so shall continue Donec veniat vntyll he come to the generall Iudgemente in his visible maiesty amonge vs. And then shall cease this blessed Sacramente in whyche for the tyme wee see Christes bodye enigmatically and in a straūge similitude by our fayeth whiche maner of seinge hym shall then cease when we shall see him face to face in hys owne likenesse when he shall cast downe and treade vnder his feete all theim that nowe so despitefullye rayle and geste and mock his blessed bodye that he hath left vs in this blessed Sacramente for our comfort And nowe to returne to the storie In processe of tyme it chaūced that the sayde good wydowes childe dyed to her great discomforte And she desired the Prophet Helye to praye for hym that he mighte reuyue and lyue agayne And so the Prophete did the chylde reuiued the Prophete gaue him to his mother aliue agayne Loe here was another notable recompence for hospitalitie exhibited to this good man Firste the sauegarde of all their liues seconde the raysynge of the chylde from death to life agayne Likewise it is writ iiii Reg. iiii of the blessed Prophete Helise that he vsed to resorte to an honest house in the towne of Suna where a worshipfull woman maistresse of the house perceyuynge hym to be a holy man exhorted her husbande to make for the sayde Helise a Parloure wyth a bedde in it and a table and a cheare and a place to set hys candle on And so thei did The said prophet resorted thither diuers tymes and lodged in the same parlour and hadde good cheare on a time when he was minded to pay for his cheare he bade Giezi his seruaunt to aske of her whether she had anye matters to do with the kinge or with any of the counsaile or with anye great man in the courte or with the Capitayne in the Warres that hee might be suter for her and speake for her She aunswered that shee dwelled amonge her owne frendes and kinred and neaded none of his helpe in any such matters Then saide Giezi to his master you must vnderstande that she hath neuer a childe and her husbande is an aged man as who should saie it shuld be most comfort for thē both if they might haue issue by your praier wherupō the Prophete promised her that she shoulde conceiue a sonne by a certayne daie that he appoynted and so she did to the great comfort of the husbande and of the wife This was a notable reward for their hospitalitie bestowed vpon their gest that holye Prophet In processe of tyme the same childe fell sicke on a certayne disease that begōne with a feruent ache in his heade and died vpon the same Then