a shadowe As for vertue we dyd neuer shewe any signe thereof And thus we are consumed in our wickednesse If thou sayest that the custome is to be folowed the vse of the worlde doth compell thee to suche curiositie then I aske of thee whose custome shoulde be folowed wyse folkes maners or fooles If thou sayest the wyse then I say folowe them For fooles customes who shoulde folow but fooles Consider that the consent of wyse men ought to be alleaged for a custome Nowe if any lewde custome be vsed be thou the firste to breake it labour to diminishe it and lay it downe and more laude afore God and more commendation shalt thou win by it then by all the glory of such superfluitie Thus ye haue hearde declared vnto you what God requireth by his worde concernyng the moderate vse of his creatures Let vs learne to vse them moderatly as he hath appoynted Almyghtie God hath taught vs to what end and purpose we shoulde vse our apparell Let vs therfore learne so to behaue our selues in the vse thereof as becommeth Christians alwaies she wing our selues thankfull to our heauenly father for his great and mercyfull benefites who geueth vnto vs our daily bread that is to say al thyngs necessarie for this our needie life vnto whom we shall render accomptes for all his benefites at the glorious appearing of our sauiour Christe to whom with the father the holy ghost be all honour prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ An Homilee or Sermon concerning prayer THere is nothing in al mans lyfe welbeloued in our sauiour Christe so needeful to be spoken of daily to be called vpon as heartie zeious deuout prayer the necessitie whereof is so great that without it nothing may be wel obteyned at gods hande For as the Apostle James saith Euery good perfect gift commeth from aboue and proceedeth from the father of lyghtes who is also said to be rich and liberal towardes all them that cal vpon hym not because he eyther wyll not or can not geue without askyng but because he hath appoynted prayer as an ordinarie meanes betweene hym vs There is no doubt but he alwayes knoweth what we haue neede of and is alwayes most redy to geue aboundaunce of those thynges that we lacke Yet to the intent we myght acknowledge hym to be the geuer of all good thynges and behaue our selues thankfully towardes hym in that behalfe louyng fearyng and worshippyng hym sincerely and truely as we ought to do he hath profitably and wysely ordeyned that in tyme of necessitie we shoulde humble our selues in his sight powre out the secretes of our heart before hym and craue helpe at his handes with continuall earnest and deuout prayer By the mouth of his holy prophete Dauid he sayth on this wyse Call vppon me in the dayes of thy trouble and I wyll deliuer thee Lykewyse in the Gospel by the mouth of his welbeloued sonne Christe he sayth Aske and it shal be geuen you knocke and it shal be opened for whosoeuer asketh receaueth whosoeuer seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shal be opened Saint Paul also moste agreeably consenting hereunto wylleth men to pray euery where and to continue therin with thankes geuyng Neyther doth the blessed Apostle saint James in this poynt any thing discent but earnestly exhorting all men to diligent prayer sayth If any man lacke wysedome let him aske it of God which geueth liberally to all men and reprocheth no man Also in an other place Pray one for another saith he that ye may be healed For the ryghteous mans prayer auayleth muche if it be feruent What other thyng are we taught by these and such other places but only this that almyghtie God notwithstandyng his heauenly wisedome and foreknowledge wylbe prayed vnto that he wil be called vppon that he wyll haue vs no lesse wylling on our part to aske then he on his parte is wyllyng to geue Therefore most fond and foolishe is the opinion and reason of those men which therfore thynke all prayer to be superfluous and vayne because God searcheth the heart and the raynes and knoweth the meanyng of the spirite before we aske For if this fleshly and carnall reason were sufficient to disanull prayer then why dyd our sauiour Christe so often crye to his disciples watche and pray Why did he prescribe them a fourme of prayer saying when ye pray pray after this sorte Our father whiche art in heauen c. Why dyd he pray so often and so earnestly hym selfe before his passion Finally why did the Apostles immediatly after his ascention gather them selues together into one seuerall place and there continue a long tyme in prayer Eyther they muste condemne Christe and his Apostles of extreame follie or els they must needes graunt that prayer is a thyng most necessarie for all men at all tymes and in all places Sure it is that there is nothyng more expedient or needfull for mankynde in all the worlde then prayer Pray alwayes sayth saint Paul with all maner prayer and supplication and watche thereto with all diligence Also in another place he willeth vs to pray continually without any intermission or ceassyng meanyng thereby that we ought neuer to slacke or faynt in prayer but to continue therein to our lyues ende A number of other suche places myght here be alleaged of lyke effect I meane to declare the great necessitie vse of prayer But what neede many proofes in a playne matter seyng there is no man so ignoraunt but he knoweth no man so blynde but he seeth that prayer is a thyng most needefull in all estates and degrees of men For onlye by the helpe hereof we attayne to those heauenly and euerlastyng treasures whiche God our heauenly father hath reserued and layde vp for his chyldren in his deare and welbeloued sonne Jesus Christe with this couenaunt and promise moste assuredly confirmed and sealed vnto vs that if we aske we shall receaue Nowe the great necessitie of prayer being sufficiently knowne that our myndes and heartes may be the more prouoked and stirred therunto let vs breefely consider what wonderful strength and power it hath to bryng straunge and myghtie thynges to passe We reade in the booke of Exodus that Iousa fighting agaynst the Amalekites dyd conquere and ouercome them not so muche by vertue of his owne strength as by the earnest and continuall prayer of Moyses who as long as he held vp his handes to God so long dyd Israel preuayle But when he faynted and let his handes downe then did Amaleck and his people preuayle Insomuch that Aaron and Hur beyng in the mount with hym were fayne to stay vp his handes vntyl the goyng downe of the sunne otherwyse had the people of God that day ben vtterly discomfited and put to flight Also we reade in an other place of Iosua hym selfe how he at the beseging
moste worthyly repelled and rebuked at the Lordes hande In lyke maner we reade in the Actes of one Simon Magus a Sorcerer howe that he perceauyng that through laying on of the Apostles handes the holy ghost was geuen offered them money saying Geue me also this power that on whom soeuer I lay my handes he may receaue the holy ghost In makyng this request he sought not the honour and glorye of GOD but his owne priuate gayne and lucre thinking to get great store of money by this feate and therefore it was iustly sayde vnto him Thy money perishe with thee because thou thinkest that the gifte of God maye be obtayned with money By these and suche other examples we are taught whensoeuer we make our prayers vnto God chiefely to respect the honour and glorye of his name Whereof we haue this generall precept in the Apostle Paul Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you do looke that you do it to the glory of god Which thing we shal best of all do if we folowe the example of our sauiour Christe who praying that the bitter cuppe of death myght passe from him woulde not therein haue his owne wyll fulfilled but referred the whole matter to the good wyll and pleasure of his father And hytherto concernyng those thinges that we may lawfully and boldly aske of God. Nowe it foloweth that we declare what kinde of persons we are bounde in conscience to praye for Saint Paul wryting to Timothie exhorteth him to make prayers and supplications for all men exempting none of what degree or state soeuer they be In which place he maketh mention by name of Kynges and Rulers whiche are in aucthoritie putting vs thereby to knowledge howe greatlye it concerneth the profite of the common wealth to praye diligentlye for the higher powers Neyther is it without good cause that he doth so often in all his Epistles craue the prayers of Gods people for hym selfe For in so doyng he declareth to the worlde howe expedient and needefull it is dayly to call vppon GOD for the ministers of his holy worde and sacramentes that they may haue the doore of vtteraunce opened vnto them that they may truely vnderstand the scriptures that they may effectually preache the same vnto the people and bring foorth the true fruites thereof to the example of all other After this sorte dyd the congregation continually pray for Peter at Hierusalem and for Paul among the Gentiles to the great encrease and furtherance of Christes Gospell And if we folowyng theyr good example herein wyll studie to do the lyke doubtlesse it can not be expressed howe greatly we shall both helpe our selues and also please God. To discourse and runne through all degrees of persons it were to long Therefore ye shall briefely take this one conclusion for all Whomsoeuer we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue for those also are we bound in conscience to pray But we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue all men as our selues therefore we are also bound to pray for all men euen as well as if it were for our selues notwithstandyng we knowe them to be our extreme and deadly enemies For so doth our sauiour Christe plainely teache vs in his Gospell saying Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you praye for them that persecute you that ye may be the children of your father whiche is in heauen And as he taught his disciples so dyd he practise him selfe in his life time praying for his enemies vpon the crosse and desyring his father to forgeue them because they knewe not what they dyd As did also that holy and blessed martyr Stephen when he was cruelly stoned to death of the stubberne and stifnecked Jewes to the example of all them that wyll truely and vnfaignedly folowe their Lorde maister Christe in this miserable mortal life Nowe to entreate of that question whether we ought to pray for them that are departed out of this world or no. Wherein yf we wyll cleaue only vnto the word of God then must we nedes graunt that we haue no commaundement so to do For the scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the elect and blessed of god the other to the reprobate and dampned soules as may be well gathered by the parable of Lazarus and the riche man whiche place saint Augustine expoundyng sayth in this wyse That which Abraham speaketh vnto the riche man in Lukes Gospel namely that the iust can not go into those places where the wicked are tormented What other thinges doth it signifie but only this that the iust by reason of gods iudgement which may not be reuoked can shewe no deede of mercie in helping them which after this lyfe are cast into prison vntill they pay the vttermost farthyng These wordes as they confounde the opinion of helping the dead by prayer so they do cleane confute and take away the vaine errour of purgatorie which is grounded vpon this saying of the gospell Thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast payde the vttermoste farthing Nowe doth saint Augustine say that those men which are cast into prison after this life on that condition may in no wyse be holpen though we woulde helpe them neuer so much And why Because the sentence of God is vnchaungeable can not be reuoked agayne Therfore let vs not deceaue our selues thinking that eyther we maye helpe other or other maye helpe vs by their good and charitable prayers in time to come For as the preacher saith When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South or towarde the North in what place soeuer the tree falleth there it lyeth meanyng thereby that euery mortall man dyeth eyther in the state of saluation or dampnation accordyng as the words of the Euangelist John do also plainely impart saying He that beleueth on the sonne of God hath eternall lyfe But he that beleueth not on the sonne shall neuer see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Where is then the thirde place whiche they call purgatorie or where shall our prayers helpe and profite the dead Saint Augustine doth onlye acknowledge two places after this life heauen and hell As for the thirde place he doth plainely denie that there is anye suche to be founde in all scripture Chrisostome likewyse is of this minde that vnlesse we washe away our sinnes in this present worlde we shall finde no comfort afterwarde And saint Ciprian sayth that after death repentaunce and sorowe of paine shal be without fruite weping also shal be in vayne and prayer shal be to no purpose Therefore he counselleth all men to make prouision for them selues whyle they maye because when they are once departed out of this lyfe there is no place for repentaunce nor yet for satisfaction Let these and such other places be sufficient to take away the grosse
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
But yet I woulde not haue you carelesse without watching For the deuill will assaye to attempt all thinges to interrupte and hynder your heartes and godly purpose if ye will geue him anye entrye For he will eyther labour to breake this godly knot once begun betwixt you or els at the leaste he will labour to encumber it with diuers greefes and displeasures And this is his principall craft to worke dissention of heartes of the one from the other That whereas nowe there is pleasaunte and sweete loue betwixt you he wyll in the steede thereof bryng in moste bitter and vnpleasaunt dyscorde And surelye that same aduersarye of ours doth as it were from aboue assault mans nature and condition For this folly is euer from our tender age growen vp with vs to haue a desyre to rule to thynke hyghlye by our selfe so that none thynketh it meete to geue place to another That wicked vyce of stubburne will selfe loue is more meete to breake and to disseuer the loue of heart then to preserue concorde Wherefore maryed persons must apply their myndes in moste earnest wyse to concorde and must craue continually of God the helpe of his holy spirite so to rule their heartes and to knit their myndes together that they be not disseuered by any diuision of discorde This necessitie of prayer must be oft in the occupying and vsing of maryed persons that oft tymes the one shoulde pray for the other lest hate and debate do arise betwixt them And because fewe do consyder this thing but more fewe do perfourme it I saye to praye diligently we see howe wonderfull the deuill deludeth and scorneth this state howe fewe matrimonies there be without chydinges brawlings tauntinges repentinges bitter cursinges and fyghtinges Which thinges whosoeuer do commit they do not consyder that it is the instigation of the ghostly enemie who taketh great delyght therein For els they woulde with all earnest endeuour stryue agaynst these mischeefes not onely with prayer but also with all possible diligence Yea they woulde not geue place to the prouocation of wrath which stirreth them either to such rowgh sharpe words or stripes which is surely compassed by the deuill whose temptation if it be folowed must needes begin weaue the web of all miseries and sorrowes For this is moste certaynly true that of suche beginninges must needes ensue the breache of true concorde in heart whereby all loue must needes shortly be banished Then can it not be but a miserable thing to beholde that yet they are of necessitie compelled to lyue together which yet cannot be in quyet together And this is most customably euery where to be seene But what is the cause thereof Forsoth because they will not consyder the craftie traynes of the deuill and therefore geueth not them selues to praye to God that he woulde vouchsafe to represse his power Moreouer they do not consyder how they promote the purpose of the deuill in that they followe the wrath of their heartes whyle they threate one another whyle they in their follye turne all vpsyde downe whyle they will neuer geue ouer their ryght as they esteeme it yea whyle manye tymes they will not geue ouer the wrong parte in deede Learne thou therefore if thou desyrest to be voyde of all these miseries if thou desyrest to lyue peaceably and comfortablye in wedlocke howe to make thy earnest prayer to God that he would gouerne both your heartes by his holy spirite to restrayne the deuils power whereby your concorde may remayne perpetuallye But to this prayer muste be ioyned a singuler diligence whereof saint Peter geueth this precept saying You husbandes deale with your wyues accordyng to knowledge geuing honour to the wyfe as vnto the weaker vessell as vnto them that are heyres also of the grace of lyfe that your prayers be not hyndered This precept doth particulerly parteyne to the husband For he ought to be the leader aucthour of loue in cherishing and increasing concorde whiche then shall take place if he will vse measurablenesse and not tirannie if he yelde some thinges to the woman For the woman is a weake creature not endued with like strength and constancie of mynd therefore they be the sooner disquieted and they be the more prone to all weake affections dispositions of mynde more then men be and lighter they be and more vaine in their fantasies and opinions These thinges muste be consydered of the man that he be not to stiffe so that he ought to winke at some thinges and must gentlye expounde all thynges and to forbeare Howbeit the common sorte of men doth iudge that suche moderation should not become a man For they say that it is a token of womanishe cowardnesse and therfore they thynke that it is a mans parte to fume in anger to fyght with fiste and staffe Howbeit howsoeuer they imagine vndoubtedlye Saint Peter doth better iudge what should be seeming to a man and what he should most reasonablye perfourme For he sayth reasoning should be vsed and not fyghting Yea he sayth more that the woman ought to haue a certayne honour attributed to her that is to say she muste be spared and borne with the rather for that she is the weaker vessel of a frayle heart inconstant and with a worde soone stirred to wrath And therefore consydering these her frayleties she is to be the rather spared By this meanes thou shalt not onlye norishe concorde but shalt haue her heart in thy power and wyll For honest natures wyl sooner be retayned to do their duetie rather by gentle wordes then by stripes But he which wyl do al thynges with extremitie and seueritie and doth vse alwaies rigour in wordes stripes what wyll that auayle in the conclusion Ueryly nothyng but that he therby setteth forwarde the deuilles worke he banisheth away concorde charitie and sweete amitie and bryngeth in discention hatred and yrkesomnes the greatest greefes that can be in the mutuall loue and felowship of mans lyfe Beyonde al this it bryngeth another euil therewith For it is the destruction and interruption of prayer For in the tyme that the mynde is occupyed with discention and discord there can be no true prayer vsed For the Lordes prayer hath not only a respect to particuler persons but to the whole vniuersall In the whiche we openly pronounce that we wyll forgeue them which hath offended against vs euen as we aske forgeuenes of our synnes of god Which thyng how can it be done ryghtly when their heartes be at discention Howe can they pray each for other when they be at hate betwixt them selues Now if the ayde of prayer be taken away by what meanes can they sustayne them selues in any comfort For they can not otherwyse eyther resist the deuill or yet haue their heartes stayed in stable comfort in al perilles and necessities but by prayer Thus all discommodities aswell worldly as ghostly folowe this frowarde testinesse and cumbrous fiercenes in maners
rebels shoulde heare the aduise of wyse men and geue place vnto theyr iudgement and folowe the example of obedient subiectes as reason is that they whose vnderstandyng is blinded with so euyll an affection shoulde geue place to them that be of sound iudgement and that the worse shoulde geue place to the better and so myght Realmes continue in long obedience peace and quietnesse But what yf the prince be vndiscrete and euil in deede and it also euident to all mens eyes that he so is I aske agayne what yf it be long of the wickednesse of the subiectes that the prince is vndiscrete and euyll Shal the subiectes both by their wickednesse prouoke God for their deserued punishment to geue them an vndiscrete or euyll prince and also rebell agaynst hym and withall agaynst God who for the punishment of their sinnes dyd geue them suche a prince Wyll you heare the scriptures concernyng this poynt God say the holy scriptures maketh a wicked man to raigne for the sinnes of the people Agayne God geueth a prince in his anger meanyng an euyll one and taketh away a prince in his displeasure meanyng speciallye when he taketh away a good prince for the sinnes of the people as in our memorie he toke away our good Josias kyng Edwarde in his young and good yeres for our wickednesse And contrarilye the scriptures do teache that God geueth wysdome vnto princes and maketh a wyse and good kyng to raigne ouer that people whom he loueth and who loueth hym Agayne yf the people obey God both they and theyr kyng shall prosper and be safe els both shal perishe sayth God by the mouth of Samuel Here you see that GOD placeth aswell euyll princes as good and for what cause he doth both If we therefore wyll haue a good prince eyther to be geuen vs or to continue nowe we haue suche a one let vs by our obedience to God and to our prince moue God thereunto If we wyll haue an euyll prince when God shall sende such a one taken away and a good in his place let vs take away our wickednesse whiche prouoketh God to place such a one ouer vs God wyll eyther displace hym or of an euyll prince make hym a good prince so that we first wyll chaunge our euyll into good For wyll you heare the scriptures The heart of the prince is in Gods hande which way soeuer it shall please hym he turneth it Thus say the scriptures wherfore let vs turne from our synnes vnto the Lorde with all our heartes and he wyl turne the heart of the prince vnto our quiet and wealth Els for subiectes to deserue through theyr synnes to haue an euyll prince then to rebel against hym were double and treble euyll by prouokyng GOD more to plague them Nay let vs eyther deserue to haue a good prince or let vs patiently suffer and obey suche as we deserue And whether the prince be good or euill let vs accordyng to the counsel of the holy scriptures pray for the prince for his continuaunce and increase in goodnesse yf he be good and for his amendement yf he be euyll Wyll you heare the scriptures concerning this most necessarie poynt I exhort therefore sayth saint Paul that aboue all thinges prayers supplications intercessions and geuing of thankes be had for all men for kynges and all that are in aucthoritie that we maye liue a quiet and peaceable lyfe with all godlinesse for that is good and acceptable in the syght of GOD our sauiour c. This is Saint Paules councel And who I pray you was prince ouer the moste part of Christians when Gods holye spirite by saint Paules pen gaue them this lesson Forsoothe Caligula Clodius or Nero who were not onlye no Christians but Pagans and also eyther foolishe rulers or most cruel tyrauntes Wyl you yet heare the worde of God to the Jewes when they were prisoners vnder Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon after he had slaine their king nobles parentes chyldren and kynsfolkes burned theyr countrey cities yea Hierusalem it selfe and the holy temple and had caryed the residue remayning aliue captiues with hym vnto Babylon Wyll you heare yet what the prophete Baruch sayth vnto Gods people being in this captiuitie Pray you sayth the prophete for the lyfe of Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon and for the lyfe of Balthaser his sonne that theyr dayes may be as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth that God also may geue vs strength and lighten our eyes that we may liue vnder the defence of Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon and vnder the protection of Balthaser his sonne that we may long do them seruice and finde fauour in their syght Praye for vs also vnto the Lorde our God for we haue sinned agaynst the Lorde our god Thus farre the prophete Baruch his wordes whiche are spoken by hym vnto the people of God of that kyng who was an heathen a tyraunt and cruell oppressour of them and had ben a murtherer of many thousandes of theyr nation and a destroyer of their countrey with a confession that theyr sinnes had deserued suche a prince to raigne ouer them And shall the olde Christians by saint Paules exhortation pray for Caligula Clodius or Nero Shall the Jewes pray for Nabuchodonozor these Emperours and kynges beyng straungers vnto them beyng Pagans and Infidels beyng murtherers tyrauntes and cruell oppressours of them and the destroyers of their countrey countreymen and kinsmen the burners of theyr villages townes cities and temples And shall not we pray for the long prosperous and godly raigne of our naturall prince No straunger whiche is obserued as a great blessing in the scriptures of our Christian our most gratious Soueraigne no heathen nor Pagan prince Shall we not praye for the health of our moste mercifull moste louyng Soueraigne the preseruer of vs and our countrey in so long peace quietnesse and securitie no cruell person no tyraunt no spoyler of our goodes no shedder of our blooddes no burner and destroyer of our Townes Cities and Countrey as were those for whom yet as ye haue hearde Christians beyng theyr subiectes ought to praye Let vs not commit so great ingratitude agaynst GOD and our Soueraigne as not continually to thanke GOD for this gouernment and for his great and continuall benefites and blessinges powred vpon vs by suche gouernment Let vs not commit so great a sinne agaynst God agaynst our selues and our countrey as not to praye continuallye vnto GOD for the long continuaunce of so gratious a ruler vnto vs and our countrey Els shall we be vnworthie any longer to enioy those benefites and blessinges of God whiche hytherto we haue had by her and shal be most worthy to fall into all those mischeefes and miseries which we and our countrey haue by Gods grace through her gouernment hytherto escaped What shall we say of those subiectes may we call them by the name of subiectes Who neyther be thankful nor make any
all the same so resortyng thyther ought with all quietnesse and reuerence there to behaue them selues in doing their bounden duetie seruice to almightie God in the congregation of his Saintes All which thinges are euident to be prooued by Gods holye worde as hereafter shall playnelye appeare And firste of all I wyll declare by the scriptures that it is called as it is indeede the house of God and temple of the Lorde He that sweareth by the temple sayth our sauiour Christe sweareth by it and hym that dwelleth therein meanyng God the father whiche he also expresseth playnely in the Gospell of Saint John saying Do not make the house of my father the house of marchaundize And in the booke of the Psalmes the Prophete Dauid sayth I wyll enter into thyne house I wyll worshyp in thy holy temple in thy feare And it is in almost infinite places of the scripture specially in the prophetes and booke of psalmes called the house of God or the house of the Lorde Sometyme it is named the tabernacle of the Lord and sometime the sanctuarye that is to say the holy house or place of the Lorde And it is in lykewyse called the house of prayer as Salomon who buylded the temple of the Lorde at Hierusalem doth ofte call it the house of the Lorde in the whiche the Lordes name should be called vpon And Esaias in the. 50. Chapter My house shal be called the house of prayer amongst all nations Which text our sauiour Christ alleageth in the newe Testament as doth appeare in three of the Euangelistes and in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publicane whiche went to pray in which parable our sauiour Christ sayth They went vp into the temple to pray And Anna the holy wydo we and prophetisse serued the Lorde in fastyng and prayer in the temple nyght and day And in the storie of the Actes it is mentioned how that Peter John went vp into the temple at the houre of prayer And saint Paul praying in the temple at Hierusalem was rapte in the spirite and did see Jesus speaking vnto him And as in all conuenient places prayer may be vsed of the godly priuately So it is most certaine that the Churche or temple is the due and appoynted place for common and publique prayer Nowe that it is lykewise the place of thankes geuyng vnto the Lorde for his innumerable and vnspeakeable benefites bestowed vppon vs appeareth notably in the latter ende of the Gospell of saint Luke and the begynnyng of the storie of the Actes where it is written that the Apostles and disciples after the assention of the lord continued with one accorde dayly in the temple alwayes praysyng and blessyng God. And it is lykewyse declared in the first Epistle to the Corinthians that the Churche is the due place appoynted for the reuerent vse of the Sacramentes It remayneth nowe to be declared that the Churche or temple is the place where the lyuely worde of God and not mans inuentions ought to be read taught and that the people are bounde thyther with all diligence to resort and this proofe likewise to be made by the scriptures as hereafter shall appeare In the storie of the actes of the apostles we reade that Paul and Barnabas preached the worde of God in the temples of the Jewes at Salamine And when they came to Antiochia they entred on the Sabbath day into the Synagogue or Churche and sate downe and after the lesson or readyng of the lawe and the prophetes the ruler of the temple sent vnto them saying Ye men and brethren yf anye of you haue any exhortation to make vnto the people saye it And so Paul standyng vp and makyng scilence with his hande sayde Ye men that be Israelites and ye that feare God geue eare and so foorth preachyng to them a sermon out of the scriptures as there at large appeareth And in the same storie of the actes the seuenteenth Chapter is testified howe Paul preached Christ out of the Scriptures at Thessalonica And in the fifteenth Chapter James the apostle in that holy councell and assemblie of his felowe Apostles sayth Moyses of olde tyme hath in euery Citie certayne that preache hym in the Synagogues or temples where he is read euerye Sabbath day By these places ye maye see the vsage of readyng of the Scriptures of the olde Testament among the Jewes in theyr Synagogues euery Sabbath daye and sermons vsually made vpon the same Howe muche more then is it conuenient that the Scriptures of God and specially the Gospell of our sauiour Christ should be read and expounded to vs that be Christians in our Churches speciallye our sauiour Christe and his apostles allowyng this most godly and necessarie vsage and by theyr examples confirming the same It is written in the stories of the Gospels in diuers places that Jesus went rounde about all Galilee teachyng in theyr Synagogues preaching the Gospell of the kyngdome In which places is his great diligence in continuall preachyng and teachyng of the people most euidently set foorth In Luke ye reade howe Jesus accordyng to his accustomed vse came into the temple and howe the booke of Esaias the prophete was deliuered him howe he read a text therein made a sermon vpon the same And in the. xix is expressed howe he taught dayly in the temple And it is thus written in the. viii of John Jesus came agayne earlye in the mornyng into the temple and all the people came vnto hym and he sate downe and taught them And in the. xviii of John our sauiour testifieth before Pilate that he spake openly vnto the world and that he alwayes taught in the Synagogue and in the temple whyther all the Jewes resorted and that secretely he spake nothing And in saint Luke Jesus taught in the temple and all the people came early in the morning vnto hym that they myght heare hym in the temple Here ye see aswell the diligence of our sauiour in teaching the worde of God in the temple dayly and specially on the Sabbath dayes as also the redynesse of the people resortyng altogether and that early in the morning into the Temple to heare hym The same example of diligence in preachyng the worde of God in the Temple shall ye fynde in the Apostles and the people resortyng vnto them Act. the. v. Howe the Apostles although they had ben whypped and scourged the day before and by the hygh priest commaunded that they shoulde preache no more in the name of Jesus yet the day folowyng they entred earlye in the mornyng into the Temple and dyd not ceasse to teache and declare Jesus Christe And in sundrye other places of the storye of the Actes ye shall fynde lyke diligence both in the Apostles in teachyng and in the people in commyng to the temple to heare Gods worde And it is testified in the
the temple he should seeme to al men moste worthy of death And in the. xxi of the Actes when the Jewes found Paul in the temple they layde handes vppon hym crying Ye men Israelies helpe this is that man who teacheth all men euery where agaynst the people and the lawe and agaynst this place besydes that he hath brought the Gentiles into the temple and hath prophaned this holy place Behold howe they tooke it for a lyke offence to speake agaynst the temple of God as to speake agaynst the lawe of God and howe they iudged it conuement that none but godly persons and the true worshippers of God should enter into the temple of god And the same fault is layde to Paules charge by Tertullus an eloquent man and by the Jewes in the. xxiiii of the Actes before a temporall Judge as a matter worthy death that he went about to pollute the temple of god And in the. xxvii of Matthewe when the cheefe priestes had receaued agayne the peeces of siluer at Judas hande they sayde It is not lawfull to put them into Corban whiche was the treasure house of the temple because it is the price of blood So that they coulde not abyde that not onely any vncleane person but also any other dead thyng that was iudged vncleane shoulde once come into the temple or any place thereto belonging And to this ende is saint Paules sayyng in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the vi Chapter to be applyed What felowshippe is there betwixt righteousnes vnrighteousnes or what communion betwene light darknesse or what concorde betweene Christe and Beliall or what part can the faythfull haue with thunfaythful or what agremēt can there be betwene the temple of God and images Which sentence although it be cheefly referred to the temple of the mynde of the godlye yet seeyng that the similitude and pith of the argument is taken from the material temple it enforceth that no vngodlines specially of images or idols may be suffred in the temple of God whiche is the place of worshyppyng God and therefore can no more be suffered to stande there then light can agree with darkenes or Christ with Belial for that the true worshipping of god and the worshipping of images are moste contrarye And the settyng of them vp in the place of worshyppyng may geue great occasion to the worshyppyng of them But to turne to the reuerence that the Jewes had to their temple You will say they honoured it superstitiously a great deale to much crying out the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde being notwithstanding most wicked in life be therfore most iustly reproued of Jeremie the prophete of the Lorde Trueth it is that they were superstitiously geuen to the honouryng of theyr temple But I woulde we were not as farre to short from the due reuerence of the Lords house as they ouershot them selues therein And if the prophete iustlye reprehended them hearken also what the Lord requireth at our handes that we may know whether we be blame worthy or no. It is written in Ecclesiastes the fourth Chapter When thou doest enter into the house of God saith he take heede to thy feete draw neare that thou mayest heare for obedience is muche more worth then the sacrifice of fooles whiche know not what euill they do Speake nothyng rashly there neyther let thyne heart be swyft to vtter wordes before god For God is in heauen and thou art vpon the earth therfore let thy wordes be fewe Note welbeloued what quietnesse in gesture and behauiour what scilence in talke wordes is required in the house of God for so he calleth it See whether they take heede to theyr feete as they be here warned which neuer ceasse from vncomely walking and ietting vp downe and ouerthwarte the Churche shewyng an euident signification of notable contempt both of God and all good men there present and what heede they take to their tounges speach which do not only speake wordes swiftly and rashly before the Lorde whiche they be here forbydden but also often tymes speake fylthyly couetously and vngodly talkyng of matters scarce honest or fytte for the alehouse or tauerne in the house of the Lorde lytle consyderyng that they speake before God who dwelleth in heauen as is here declared when they be but vermins here creeping vpon the earth in camparison to his eternall maiestie and lesse regarding that they must geue an accompt at the great day of euery ydle worde whersoeuer it be spoken muche more of fylthye vncleane or wicked words spoken in the Lordes house to the great dishonour of his maiestie and offence of all that heare them And in deede concernyng the people and multitude the temple is prepared for thē to be hearers rather then speakers consyderyng that aswell the word of god is there read or taught whereunto they are bound to geue diligent eare with all reuerence and scilence as also that common prayer and thankes geuyng are rehearsed and sayde by the publique minister in the name of the people the whole multitude present wherunto they geuyng their redye audience shoulde assent and say Amen as S. Paul teacheth in the firste Epistle to the Corinthians And in another place glorifiyng God with one spirite and mouth which can not be when euery man and woman in seuerat pretence of deuotion prayeth priuately one askyng another geuyng thankes another readyng doctrine forceth not to heare the common prayer of the minister And peculierly what due reuerence is to be vsed in the ministring of the Sacramentes in the temple the same saint Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Corinthians rebukyng suche as dyd vnreuerently vse them selues in that behalfe Haue ye not houses to eate and drynke in sayth he Do ye despise the Churche or congregation of God What shall I saye to you Shall I prayse you In this I prayse you not And God requireth not onely this outward reuerence of behauiour and scilence in his house but al inward reuerence in clensing of the thoughtes of our heartes threatning by his prophete Ose in the. ix Chapter that for the malice of the inuentions and deuises of the people he will cast them out of his house whereby is also signified the eternall castyng of them out of his heauenlye house and kyngdome whiche is most horrible And therefore in the. 19. of Leuit. God sayth Feare you with reuerence my sanctuarye for I am the Lorde And accordyng to the same the prophete Dauid sayth I wyll enter into thine house I wyll worshyp in thy holy temple in thy feare shewyng what inward reuerence and humblenes of mynde the godly men ought to haue in the house of the Lorde And to alleage some what concerning this matter out of the newe Testament in what honour God woulde haue his house or temple kepte and that by the example of our sauiour Christe whose aucthoritie ought
maynteyners and worshyppers haue vsed and vse the same outwarde rites maner of honouryng and worshipping theyr images as the Gentiles dyd vse before their idols and that therefore they commit idolatrie aswell inwardly and outwardlye as dyd the wycked Gentiles idolaters And concerning the first part of the idolatrious opinions of our image maynteyners What I pray you be suche saintes with vs to whom we attribute the defence of certayne countreyes spoylyng God of his due honour herein but Dij tutelares of the Gentiles idolaters Suche as were Belus to the Babylonians and Assyrians O siris and Isis to the Egyptians Vulcane to the Lemnians and such other What be such saintes to whom the sauegarde of certayne cities are appointed but Dij praesides with the Gentiles idolaters Suche as were at Delphos Apollo at Athens Minerua at Carthage Iuno at Rome Quirinus c. What be such saints to whom contrary to the vse of the primitiue Churche Temples and Churches be buylded and aulters erected but Dij patroni of the Gentiles idolaters Such as were in the Capitol Iupiter in Paphus temple Venus in Ephesus temple Diana such lyke Alas we seeme in thus thynkyng and doyng to haue learned our religion not out of Gods worde but out of the Pagan poets who say Excessere omnes aditis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is to say All the gods by whose desence this Empire stoode are gone out of the temples and haue forsaken their aulters And where one saint hath images in diuers places the same saint hath diuers names thereof moste lyke to the Gentiles When you heare of our Lady of Walsingham our Lady of Ipswich our Lady of Wilsdon suche other what is it but an imitation of the Gentiles idolaters Diana Agrotera Diana Coriphea Diana Ephesia c. Venus Cipria Venus Paphia Venus Gnidia Whereby is euidently meant that the saint for the image sake shoulde in those places yea in the images them selues haue a dwellyng whiche is the grounde of theyr idolatrie For where no images be they haue no such meanes Terentius varro sheweth that there were three hundred Iupiters in his tyme there were no fewer Veneres and Dianae we had no fewer Christophers Ladies and Marie Magdalens and other saintes Oenomaus and Hesiodus shewe that in theyr time there were thirtie thousande Gods. I thinke we had no fewer saintes to whom we gaue the honour due to god And they haue not only spoyled the true liuing God of his due honour in temples cities countreyes and landes by suche deuises and inuentions as the Gentiles idolaters haue done before them but the Sea and waters haue aswell speciall saintes with them as they had Gods with the Gentiles Neptune Tritron Nereus Castor Pollux Venus and suche other In whose places be come saint Christopher saint Clement and diuers other and specially our Lady to whom shypmen syng Aue maris stella Neyther hath the fyre scaped theyr idolatrious inuentions For in steade of Vulcane and Vesta the Gentiles gods of the fyre our men haue placed saint Agatha and make letters on her day for to quenche fyre with Euerye artificer and profession hath his speciall saint as a peculier god As for example scollers haue saint Nicholas and saint Gregorie paynters saint Luke neyther lacke souldiers theyr Mars nor louers theyr Venus amongest Christians All diseases haue theyr speciall saintes as gods the curers of them The pockes saint Roche the fallyng euyll saint Cornelis the toothe ache saint Appoline c. neyther do beastes and cattell lacke theyr Gods with vs for saint Loy is the horseleache and saint Anthonie the swinehearde c. Where is Gods prouidence and due honour in the meane season who sayth The heauens be myne and the earth is myne the whole worlde and al that in it is I do geue victorie and I put to flight of me be al councels and helpe c. Except I kepe the citie in vayne doth he watch that kepeth it thou Lorde shalt saue both men and beastes But we haue left hym neyther heauen nor earth nor water nor countrey nor citie peace no warre to rule and gouerne neyther men nor beastes nor theyr diseases to cure that a godlye man myght iustlye for zelous indignation crye out O heauen O earth and seas what madnesse and wickednesse agaynst God are men fallen into What dishonour do the creatures to theyr creator and maker And yf we remember God sometime yet because we doubt of his habilitie or will to helpe we ioyne to hym another helper as he were a nowne adiectiue vsyng these sayinges suche as learne God and saint Nicholas be my speede such as neese God helpe and saint John to the horse God and saint Loy saue thee Thus are we become like horses and moyles whiche haue no vnderstandyng For is there not one God only who by his power and wysdome made all thynges and by his prouidence gouerneth the same and by his goodnes maynteyneth and saueth them Be not all thynges of hym by hym and through hym Why doest thou turne from the creatour to the creatures This is the maner of the Gentiles idolaters but thou art a Christian and therefore by Christe alone hast accesse to God the father and helpe of him only These thynges are not wrytten to any reproche of the saintes them selues who were the true seruauntes of God and dyd geue all honour to him taking none vnto themselues and are blessed soules with God but against our foolishnes and wickednes makyng of the true seruauntes of God false gods by attributyng to them the power and honour whiche is Gods and due to hym only And for that we haue suche opinions of the power and redy helpe of saintes al our Legendes Hymnes Sequences and Masses dyd conteyne stories laudes and prayses of them and prayers to them yea and sermons also altogether of them and to theyr prayses Gods worde beyng cleane layde asyde And this we do altogether agreeable to the saintes as dyd the Gentiles idolaters to theyr false gods For these opinions whiche men haue had of mortall persons were they neuer so holye the olde moste godlye and learned Christians haue written agaynst the faygned gods of the Gentiles and Christian princes haue destroyed theyr images who yf they were nowe lyuyng woulde doubtlesse lykewyse both wryte agaynst our false opinions of saintes and also destroye theyr images For it is euident that our image maynteyners haue the same opinion of saintes whiche the Gentiles had of theyr false gods and thereby are moued to make them images as the Gentiles dyd If aunswere be made that they make saintes but intercessours to God and meanes for suche thynges as they woulde obteyne of God that is euen after the Gentiles idolatrious vsage to make them of saintes gods called Dij Medioximi to be meane intercessours and helpers to God as though he dyd not heare or shoulde be weerye yf he
knowen of all for daunger of heresie as they saye be shut vp and idolles and images not withstanding they be forbidden by God and not withstanding the daunger of idolatrie by them shall they yet be set vp suffered mainteyned in churches and temples O worldly and fleshely wysedome euer bent to maynteyne the inuentions and traditions of men by carnal reason and by the same to disanull or deface the holy ordinaunces lawes and honour of the eternall God who is to be honoured and praysed for euer Amen Nowe it remayneth for the conclusion of this treatie to declare aswell the abuse of churches temples by to costely and sumptuous deckyng and adourning of them as also the leude paintyng gylding and clothing of idols and images and so to conclude the whole treatie In Tertulians tyme an hundred and threescore yeares after Christe Christians had none other temples but commō houses whyther they for the most part secretely resorted And so farre of was it that they had before his tyme any goodly or gorgious declied temples that lawes were made in Antonius Verus and Commodus the Emperours times that no christians should dwell in houses come in publique bathes or be seene in streetes or any where abroade and that if they were once accused to be Christians they should by no meanes be suffred to escape As was practised in Apolonius a noble Senatour of Rome who being accused of his owne bondeman and slaue that he was a Christian coulde neyther by his defence and appologie learnedly and eloquentlie written and read publiquely in the Senate nor in respect that he was a ci 〈…〉 zen nor for the dignitie of his order nor for the vylenesse and vnlawfulnesse of his accuser being his owne slaue by lykelihoode of malice moued to forge lyes against his lorde nor for no other respect or helpe could be deliuered from death So that christians wer then driuen to dwel in caues and dennes so farre of was it that they had any publique temples adourned and decked as they now be Which is here rehearsed to the confutation of those impudent shamlesse lyers whiche reporte suche glorious glosed fables of the goodly and gorgious Temple that Saynt Peter Linus Cletus and those thirtie Bishoppes their successours had at Rome vntill the time of the Emperour Constantine and whiche saint Policarpe should haue in Asia or Ireneus in Fraunce by suche lyes contrarie to all true Histories to maynteyne the superfluous gylding and decking of Temples now a dayes wherein they put almost the whole summe and pith of our religion But in those tymes the worlde was wonne to Christendome not by gorgious gylted and paynted temples of christians which had scarsely houses to dwell in but by the godly and as it were golden mynds and fyrine fayth of suche as in al aduersitie persecution professed the trueth of our religion And after these tymes in Maximian and Constantius the Emperors proclamation the places wher Christians resorted to publique prayer were called conuenticles And in Galerius Maximinus the Emperors Epistle they are called Oratories and Dominica to saye places dedicate to the seruice of the Lorde And here by the waye it is to be noted that at that tyme there were no Churches or temples erected vnto any saint but to God onely as Saint Augustine also recordeth saying we buyld no temples vnto our martirs And Eusebius him selfe calleth Churches houses of prayer and sheweth that in Constantine the emperours tyme al men reioyced seeing in steade of lowe conuenticles whiche tyraunts had destroyed hygh temples to be buylded Loe vnto the tyme of Constantine by the space of aboue three hundred yeares after our sauiour Christ when christian religion was most pure and in deede golden Christians had but lowe and poore conuenticles and simple oratories yea caues vnder the groūd called Cryptae where they for feare of persecution assembled secretely together A sigure whereof remayneth in the vaultes whiche yet are buylded vnder great Churches to put vs in remembraunce of the old state of the primitiue church before Constantine where as in Constantines tyme and after him were buylded great and goodly temples for christians called Basilicae either for that the Grekes vsed to call all great and goodly places Basilicas or for that the hyghe and euerlasting kyng God and our Sauiour Christe was serued in them But although Constantine and other princes of good zeale to our religion did sumptuouslye decke and adourne Christians temples yet did they dedicate at that time all Churches and temples to God or our Sauiour Christe and to no saint for that abuse began long after in Iustinians tyme And that gorgeousnes then vsed as it was borne with as rysing of a good zeale so was it signified of the godly learned euen at that tyme that such coste might otherwyse haue ben better bestowed Let saint Jerome although otherwyse to great a lyker and a lower of externall and outwarde thinges be a proofe hereof who hath these wordes in his Epistle to Demetriades Let other sayeth saint Jerome buylde Churches couer walles with tables of marble carrye together huge pyllers and gylde their toppes or heades whiche do not feele or vnderstande their precious decking and adourning let them decke the doores with iuorie and siluer and set the golden Aulters with precious stones I blame it not let euerye man abounde in his owne sense and better is it so to do then carefullye to keepe their ryches layde vp in store But thou hast another waye appoynted thee to cloth Christ in the poore to visit him in the sicke feede him in the hungrie lodge him in those who do lacke harbour and specially suche as be of the householde of fayth And the same Saint Jerome toucheth the same matter some what more freelye in his treatie of the lyfe of Clarkes to Nepotian saying thus Many buylde walles and erect pyllers of Churches the smoothe marbles do glister the roofe shyneth with Golde the aulter is set with precious stone But of the ministers of Christe there is no election or choyce Neither let any man obiecte and aleage agaynst me the ryche temple that was in Jurie the table candlestickes incense shippes platters cuppes morters and other thinges all of golde Then were these thinges allowed of the Lorde when the Priestes offered sacrifices and the blood of beastes was accompted the redemption of sinnes Howbeit all these thinges went before in figure and they were written for vs vppon whom the ende of the worlde is come And nowe when that our Lorde beyng poore hath dedicate the pouertie of his house let vs remember his crosse and we shall esteeme ryches as myre ordongue What do wee maruell at that whiche Christe calleth wicked Mammon Whereto do we so hyghlye esteeme and loue that whiche saint Peter doth for a glorie testifie that he had not Nytherto saint Jerome Thus you see how saint Jerome teacheth the sumptuousnes amongst the Jewes to be
made without faith in hym on whom they call but that we must first beleeue in hym before we can make our prayers vnto hym whereuppon we must only and solely pray vnto god For to say that we shoulde beleeue eyther in angell or saint or in any other liuing creature were more horrible blasphemie against God and his holy worde neither ought this fancie to enter into the heart of any Christian man because we are expressly taught in the worde of the Lorde only to repose our fayth in the blessed trinitie in whose only name we are also baptized according to the expresse commaundement of our sauiour Jesus Christe in the last of Matthewe But that the trueth hereof may the better appeare euen to them that be moste simple and vnlearned let vs consider what prayer is Saint Augustine calleth it a liftyng vp of the mynde to God that is to say an humble and lowly powring out of the heart to god Isidorus sayth that it is an affection of the heart and not alabour of the lippes So that by these places true prayer doth consist not so muche in the outward sounde and voyce of wordes as in the inwarde gronyng and crying of the heart to God. Nowe then is there any angell any virgin any patriarche or prophete among the dead that can vnderstand or knowe the meanyng of the heart The scriptures sayth it is God that searcheth the heart and raynes and that he only knoweth the heartes of the chyldren of men As for the saintes they haue so litle knowledge of the secretes of the heart that many of the auncient fathers greatly doubt whether they knowe any thing at al that is commonly done on earth And albeit some thynke they do yet saint Augustine a Doctour of great aucthoritie and also antiquitie hath this opinion of them that they knowe no more what we do on earth then we know what they do in heauen For proofe wherof he alleageth the wordes of Esai the prophete where it is sayde Abraham is ignoraunt of vs and Israel knoweth vs not His mynde therefore is this not that we shoulde put any religion in worshyppyng them or praying vnto them but that we shoulde honour them by folowyng their vertuous and godly lyfe For as he witnesseth in an other place the martyrs and holy men in tymes past were wont after their death to be remembred and named of the prieste at diuine seruice but neuer to be inuocated or called vpon And why so because the prieste sayth he is Gods priest and not theirs Whereby he is bounde to call vpon God and not vpon them Thus you see that the aucthoritie both of scripture and also of Augustine doth not permit that we should pray vnto them O that al men would studiously reade and searche the scriptures then shoulde they not be drowned in ignoraunce but shoulde easily perceaue the trueth aswell of this poynt of doctrine as of all the rest For there doth the holy ghost playnely teache vs that Christe is our only mediatour and intercessour with God and that we muste seeke and runne to no other If any man sinneth saith saint John we haue an aduocate with the father Jesus Christe the ryghteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Saint Paul also sayth There is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe Whereunto agreeth the testimonie of our sauiour hym selfe witnessing that no man commeth to the father but onely by hym who is the way the trueth the life yea and the only dore whereby we muste enter into the kingdome of heauen because GOD is pleased in no other but in hym For whiche cause also he cryeth and calleth vnto vs that we shoulde come vnto hym saying Come vnto me all ye that labour and be heauie laden and I shall refreshe you Woulde Christe haue vs so necessarily come vnto hym and shall we moste vnthankfully leaue hym and runne vnto other This is euen that whiche God so greatly complayneth of by his prophet Ieremie saying My people haue committed two great offences they haue forsaken me the fountaine of the waters of lyfe and haue digged to them selues broken pits that can holde no water Is not that man thinke you vnwyse that wyll runne for water to a litle brooke when he may aswell go to the head spryng Euen so may his wisedome be iustly susspected that wyll flee vnto saintes in tyme of necessitie when he may boldly and without feare declare his greefe and direct his prayer vnto the Lorde himselfe If God were straunge or daungerous to be talked withall then myght we iustly drawe backe and seeke to some other But the Lorde is nygh vnto them that call vppon hym in fayth and trueth and the prayer of the humble and meeke hath alwayes pleased hym What if we be sinners shall we not therefore pray vnto God or shall we dispayre to obteyne any thyng at his handes Why dyd Christe then teache vs to aske forgeuenesse of our sinnes saying And forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse agaynst vs Shall we thynke that the saintes are more mercifull in hearing sinners then God Dauid sayth that the Lorde is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kyndnesse Saint Paul sayth that he is riche in mercy towardes all them that call vppon hym And he hymselfe by the mouth of his prophet Esai sayth For a litle while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion wyll I gather thee For a moment in myne anger I haue hid my face from thee but with euerlastyng mercy haue I had compassion vpon thee Therefore the sinnes of any man ought not to withholde hym from praying vnto the Lorde his god But if he be truely penitent and stedfast in fayth let him assure him selfe that the Lorde wylbe mercifull vnto hym and heare his prayers O but I dare not wyll some man say trouble God at all times with my prayers We see that in kinges houses courtes of princes men can not be admitted vnlesse they fyrst vse the helpe and meane of some speciall noble man to come vnto the speache of the kyng and to obtayne the thing that they woulde haue To this reason doth saint Ambrose aunswere verye well writing vppon the first Chapter to the Romanes Therefore sayth he we vse to go vnto the king by officers and noble men because the kyng is a mortall man and knoweth not to whom he maye commit the gouernment of the common wealth But to haue God our frende from whom nothing is hid we nede not any helper that should further vs with his good worde but only a deuoute and godlye minde And yf it be so that we neede one to entreate for vs why maye we not content our selues with that one mediatour whiche is at the ryght hande of God the father and there
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
errour of Purgatorie out of our heades neyther let vs dreame anye more that the soules of the dead are any thing at all holpen by our prayers But as the scripture teacheth vs let vs thinke that the soule of man passing out of the body goeth straightwayes eyther to heauen or els to hell whereof the one nedeth no prayer and the other is without redemption The onlye Purgatorie wherein we must trust to be saued is the death and blood of Christe which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast fayth it purgeth and clenseth vs from all our sinnes euen as well as if he were now hanging vpon the crosse The blood of Christe sayth saint John hath clensed vs from all sinne The blood of Christe sayth saint Paul hath purged our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing god Also in another place he sayth We be sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Jesus Christe done once for all Yea he addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body pretious blood he hath made perfect for euer and euer all them that are sanctified This then is that Purgatorie wherein all Christian men must put their whole truste and confidence nothing doubting but yf they truely repent them of their sinnes and dye in perfecte fayth that then they shall foorth with passe from death to life If this kinde of purgation wyll not serue them let them neuer hope to be releassed by other mens prayers though they shoulde continue therein vnto the worldes ende He that can not be saued by fayth in Christes blood howe shall he loke to be deliuered by mans intercessions Hath God more respect to man on earth then he hath to Christe in heauen If any man sinne sayth saint John we haue an aduocate with the father euen Jesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes But we must take heede that we call vpon this aduocate whyle we haue space geuen vs in this life lest when we are once dead there be no hope of saluation left vnto vs For as euery man sleepeth with his owne cause so euerye man shall ryse agayne with his owne cause And looke in what state he dyeth in the same state he shal be also iudged whether it be to saluation or dampnation Let vs not therfore dreame either of purgatorie or of prayer for the soules of them that be dead but let vs earnestly diligently praye for them whiche are expresly commaunded in holye scripture namely for kinges and rulers for ministers of Gods holy worde and sacramentes for the saintes of this worlde otherwyse called the faithfull to be short for all men liuing be they neuer so great enemies to god and his people as Jewes Turkes Pagans Infidels Heretikes c. Then shall we truely fulfill the commaundement of God in that behalfe plainely declare our selues to be the true children of our heauenly father which suffreth the sunne to shine vpon the good and the bad and the rayne to fall vpon the iust and the vniust For whiche and al other benefites moste aboundauntlye bestowed vppon mankynde from the beginning let vs geue him hearty thankes as we are most bound prayse his name for euer and euer Amen ⧠An Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer GOD through his almighty power wisedome and goodnes created in the beginning heauen earth the Sunne the Moone the starres the fowles of the ayre the beastes of the earth the fishes in the sea and all other creatures for the vse commoditie of man whom also he had created to his owne image and likenesse and geuen him the vse gouernement ouer them al to the end he shoulde vse them in suche sort as he had geuen him in charge commaundement also that he should declare him selfe thankful and kynde for al those benefites so liberally so graciously bestowed vpon him vtterly without anye deseruing on his behalf And although we ought at al times in al places to haue in remēbrance to be thankful to our gracious Lord according as it is written I wil magnifie the lord at al times And agayne Wheresoeuer the lord beareth rule O my soule prayse the Lord Yet it appeareth to be Gods good wil and pleasure that we shoulde at special times and in special places gather our selues together to the intent his name might be renowmed and his glory set forth in the congregation and assembly of his saintes As concerning the tyme whiche almightie God hath appoynted his people to assemble together solemly it doth appeare by the fourth commaundement of God Remember saith God that thou kepe holye the Sabbath day Upon the which day as is playne in the actes of the Apostles the people accustomablye resorted together hearde diligently the lawe and the prophetes read among them And albeit this commaundement of God doeth not bynde christian people so straytlye to obserue and keepe the vtter ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it was geuen vnto the Jewes as touching the forbearing of worke and labour in tyme of great necessitie and as touching the precise keeping of the seuenth day after the manner of the Jewes For we keepe now the first day which is our sunday and make that our sabbath that is our day of rest in the honor of our sauiour christ who as vpon that daye rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer is found in the commaundement apparteyning to the lawe of nature as a thyng most godlye moste iuste and needeful for the setting forth of Gods glorie it ought to be retayned and kept of all good Christian people And therfore by this commaundemēt we ought to haue a tyme as one day in a weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and nedefull workes For like as it appeareth by this commaundement that no man in the syxe dayes ought to be slouthfull or ydle but diligentlye to labour in that state wherein God hath set him Euen so God hath geuen expresse charge to all men that vpon the sabbath day which is now our sunday they should ceasse from all weaklye and workeday labour to the entent that lyke as God him selfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quyetnes and rest from labour euen so Gods obedient people shoulde vse the sundaye holyly and rest from their comon and daily businesse and also geue them selues whollye to heauenly exercises of Gods true religion and seruice So that God doth not onely commaunde the obseruation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and prouoke vs to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural children wil not onelye become obedient to the commaundemēt of their parents but also haue a diligent eye to their doings and gladly folow the same So if we wil be the children of our heauenly father we
named Simeon a iust man fearing God he came by the spirit of God into the temple and was tolde by the same spirite that he shoulde not dye before he sawe the annoynted of the Lorde In the temple his promise was fulfilled in the temple he sawe Christ toke him in his armes in the Temple he braste out into the myghtye prayse of God his Lorde Anna a Prophetisse an olde widowe departed not out of the temple geuing her selfe to prayer fasting day nyght And she comming about the same tyme was likewise inspyred and confessed and spake of the Lorde to all them that looked for the redemption of Israel This blessed man and this blessed woman were not disapoynted of wonderfull fruit commoditie and comfort whiche God sent them by their diligent resorting to Gods holy temple Nowe ye shall heare howe greuouslye God hath ben offended with his people for that they passed so litle vpon his holy Temple and foully eyther despysed or abused the same Whiche thyng maye playnely appeare by the notable plagues and punishmentes which God hath layde vpon his people especially in this that he stirred vp their aduersaries horribly to beate downe and vtterly to destroye his holy temple with a perpetuall desolation Alas how many Churches countreyes kingdomes of christian people haue of late yeres ben plucked downe ouerrunne left wast with greeuous intollerable tyrannye and crueltie of the enemy of our Lord Christe the great Turke who hath so vniuersally scourged the Christiās that neuer the lyke was heard read of Aboue thirtie yeres past the great Turke had ouerrun conquered and brought into his dominion and subiection twentie Christian kingdomes turnyng away the people from the fayth of Christe poysonyng them with the dyuelishe religion of wicked Mahomet and eyther destroying their Churches vtterly or filthily abusing them with their wicked and detestable errours And nowe this great Turke this bitter and sharpe scourge of Gods vengeaunce is euen at hande in this part of christendome in Europe at the borders of Italy at the borders of Germany greedylye gaping to deuour vs to ouerrunne our country to destroye our Churches also vnlesse we repent our sinfull lyfe and resort more diligently to the Church to honour God to learne his blessed wil and to fulfill the same The Jewes in their time prouoked iustly the vengeaunce of God for that partly they abused his holy temple with the detestable idolatrie of the heathen supersticious vanities of their owne inuentions contrary to Gods commaundement partly they resorted vnto it as hypocrites spotted imbrewed and fouly defyled with all kinde of wickednesse and sinfull lyfe partly many of them passed little vpon the holy temple forced not whether they came thither or no. And haue not the Christians of late dayes and euen in our dayes also in lyke maner prouoked the displeasure and indignation of almighty God partly because they haue prophaned and defyled their churches with heathenishe and Jewish abuses with images and idols with numbers of aulters too too superstitiously intollerablye abused with grosse abusing and fylthye corrupting of the Lordes holye supper the blessed sacrament of his body and blood with an infinite number of toyes and tryfles of theyr owne deuyces to make a godly outwarde shewe and to deface the homely simple and sincere religion of Christ Jesus partlye they resort to the Churche lyke hypocrites full of all iniquitie and sinfull lyfe hauing a vayne daungerous fansie and perswasion that if they come to the church besprinkle them with holy water heare a masse and be blessed with the challice though they vnderstand not one worde of the whole seruice nor feele one motion of repentaunce in their hearts all is well all is sure Fye vpon suche mocking blaspheming of gods holy ordinaunce Churches were made for an other purpose that is to resort thyther and to serue God truelye there to learne his blessed will there to call vpon his myghtye name there to vse the holy sacraments there to trauayle howe to be in charitie with thy neyghbour there to haue thy poore and needy neyghbour in remembraunce from thence to departe better and more godly then thou camest thyther Finallye Gods vengeaunce hath ben is dayly prouoked because much wicked people passe nothing to resort to the Church either for that they are so sore blinded that they vnderstand nothing of God and godlines and care not with deuilishe example to offende their neighbours or els for that they see the Churche altogether scoured of such gay gasing sightes as their grosse phantasie was greatly delyghted with because they see the false religiō abandoned the true restored whiche seemeth an vnsauery thing to their vnsauery taste as may appeare by this that a woman said to her neighbour Alas gossip what shal we now do at Church since al the saints are taken away since al the goodly sightes we were wont to haue are gone since we cannot heare the like pyping singing chaunting playing vppon the organs that we could before But dearelye beloued we ought greatly to reioyce and geue God thankes that our Churches are deliuered of all those thinges which displeased God so sore filthily defiled his holy house and his place of prayer for the which he hath iustly destroyed many nations according to the saying of saint Paule If any man defyle the temple of God God will him destroye And this ought we greatly to praise god for that such superstitious idolatrious maners as were vtterly naught defaced gods glory are vtterly abolished as they most iustly deserued and yet those things that either god was honored with or his people edified are decently reteyned and in our Churches comely practised But nowe forasmuch as ye perceaue it is gods determinate pleasure ye should resort vnto your churches vppon the day of holy rest seyng ye heare what displeasure God conceaueth what plagues he poureth vpon his disobedient people seyng ye vnderstand what blessinges of God are geuen what heauenly cōmodities come to such people as desirously zelously vse to resort vnto their Churches seyng also ye are now freendly bidden and ioyntly called beware that ye slacke not your dutie take heede that you suffer nothing to let you hereafter to come to the Church at such times as you are ordinarily apoynted cōmaunded Our sauiour Christe telleth in a parable that a great supper was prepared gestes were bidden many excused themselues would not come I tel you sayth Christ none of them that were called shal taste of my supper This great supper is the true religion of almightie God wherewith he wyll be worshipped in the due receauyng of his sacramentes and sincere preaching and hearyng his holy word and practising the same by godly conuersation This feast is nowe prepared in Gods banquetting house the Churche you are thervnto called and ioyntly bidden yf you refuse to come and make your excuses the same wyll be
aunswered to you that was vnto them Nowe come therefore dearely beloued without delay and chearefully enter into Gods feastyng house and become partakers of the benefites prouided prepared for you But see that ye come thyther with your holiday garment not like hypocrites not of a custome and for maner sake not with lothsomnesse as though ye had rather not come then come yf ye were at your libertie For God hateth punisheth such counterfaite hypocrites as appeareth by Christes former parable My freend sayth God how camest thou in without a wedding garment And therfore commaunded his seruauntes to binde him hand foote and to cast him into vtter darknesse where shal be weeping and wayling and gnashyng of teethe To the intent ye maye auoyde the lyke daunger at Gods hand come to the Church on the holyday come in your holyday garment that is to say come with a cheareful and a godly mind come to seeke Gods glory and to be thankfull vnto hym come to be at one with thy neighbour and to enter in frendship and charitie with him Consyder that all thy doings stinke before the face of God yf thou be not in charitie with thy neighbour Come with an hearte syfted and clensed from worldly and carnall affections and desires shake of all vaine thoughtes whiche may hynder thee from Gods true seruice The birde when she wil flee shaketh her winges Shake and prepare thy selfe to flee hyer then all birdes in the ayre that after thy duetie duely done in this earthlye Temple and Church thou mayest flee vp and be receaued into the glorious Temple of GOD in heauen through Christe Jesus our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory and honour Amen ¶ An Homilee wherein is declared that Common prayer and Sacramentes ought to be ministred in a tongue that is vnderstanded of the hearers AMong the manifolde exercises of Gods people deare Christians there is none more necessary for al estates and at all times thē is publique prayer the due vse of sacramentes For in the first we beg at Gods hande all suche thinges as otherwyse we can not obtayne And in the other he imbraseth vs and offreth him selfe to be imbrased of vs Knowyng therfore that these two exercises are so necessarie for vs let vs not thinke it vnmeete to consyder fyrst what prayer is and what a sacrament is and then howe many sortes of prayers there be howe many sacramentes so shal we the better vnderstand howe to vse them aright To knowe what they be saint Augustine teacheth vs in his booke entituled Of the spirite and the soule He sayth this of prayer Prayer is saith he the deuotion of the minde that is to say the returning to God through a godlye and humble affection which affection is a certaine willing and sweete enclining of the minde it selfe towardes GOD. And in the seconde booke agaynst the aduersarie of the lawe the prophetes he calleth sacramentes holy signes And writing to Bonifacius of the baptisme of infantes he sayth If sacramentes had not a certayne similitude of those thinges whereof they be sacramentes they shoulde be no sacramentes at all And of this similitude they do for the moste part receaue the names of the selfe thinges they signifie By these wordes of saint Augustine it appeareth that he aloweth the common description of a sacrament whiche is that it is a visible signe of an inuisible grace that is to saye that setteth out to the eyes and other outwarde senses the inwarde workyng of Gods free mercie and doth as it were seale in our heartes the promises of god And so was circumcision a sacrament whiche preached vnto the outwarde senses the inwarde cutting away of the foreskin of the hearte and sealed and made sure in the heartes of the circumcised the promise of god touching the promised seede that they loked for Nowe let vs see howe many sortes of prayer and howe many sacramentes there be In the scriptures we reade of three sortes of praier whereof two are priuate and the thirde is common The first is that whiche Saint Paul speaketh of in his Epistle to Timothie saying I wyll that men pray in euery place lyfting vp pure handes without wrath and sttriuing And it is the deuout lifting vp of the minde to God without the vttering of the heartes griefe or desyre by open voyce Of this prayer we haue example in the first booke of the kynges in Anna the mother of Samuel when in the heauinesse of her heart she prayed in the temple desyring to be made fruitefull She prayed in her heart sayth the tert but there was no voyce hearde After this sorte must all Christians pray not once in a weeke or once in a day onlye but as saint Paul writeth to the Thessalonians without ceassyng And as Saint James wryteth The continuall prayer of a iust man is of much force The second sort of prayer is spoken of in the Gospel of Matthew where it is sayd When thou prayest enter into thy secrete closet and when thou hast shut the doore to thee pray vnto thy father in secrete and thy father which seeth in secrete shal reward thee Of this sorte of prayer there be sundry examples in the scriptures but it shall suffise to rehearse one which is writtē in the Actes of the Apostles Cornelius a deuoute man a captayne of the Italian army sayth to Peter that beyng in his house in prayer at the ninth houre there appeared vnto hym one in a white garment c. This man prayed vnto God in secrete and was rewarded openly These be the two priuate sortes of prayer The one mentall that is to say the deuoute lifting vp of the minde to God And the other vocall that is to saye the secrete vtteryng of the griefes desires of the heart with wordes but yet in a secrete closet or some solitarie place The third sort of prayer is publique or common Of this prayer speaketh our Sauiour Christe when he sayth If two of you shall agree vppon earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer ye shall aske my father which is in heauē shal do it for you for wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them Although God hath promised to heare vs when we pray priuately so it be done faythfully and deuoutly For he sayth Call vppon me in the day of thy trouble and I wyll heare thee And Elias being but a mortall man sayth Saint James prayed and heauen was shut three yeres and sixe monethes and againe he praied and the heauen gaue rayne Yet by the histories of the Bible it appeareth that publique and common praier is most auaileable before god and therfore is much to be lamented that it is no better esteemed among vs whiche professe to be but one bodye in Christe When the citie of Niniue was threatned to be destroyed within xl dayes
be not vnderstanded of them that be present they can not thereby be edified For as when the trumpet that is blowen in the feelde geueth an vncertaine sounde no man is therby stirred vp to prepare him selfe to the fight And as when an instrument of musicke maketh no distinct sound no man can tel what is piped Euen so when prayers or administration of sacramentes shal be in a tongue vnknowen to the hearers which of them shal be thereby stirred vp to lyft vp his minde to God and to begge with the Minister at Gods hand those things which in the wordes of his prayers the minister asketh Or who shall in the ministration of the Sacramentes vnderstande what inuisible grace is to be craued of the hearer to be wrought in the inwarde man Cruely no man at al. For sayth S. Paul he that speaketh in a tongue vnknowen shal be vnto the hearer an alient whiche in a Christian congregation is a great absurditie For we are not straungers one to another but we are the citizens of the saintes of the householde of GOD yea and members of one bodye And therfore whiles our minister is in rehersing the prayer that is made in the name of vs all we must geue diligent eare to the wordes spoken by him and in hearte begge at Gods hande those thinges that he beggeth in wordes And to signifie that we so do we say Amen at the ende of the prayer that he maketh in the name of vs al. And this thing can we not do for edification vnlesse we vnderstand what is spoken Therfore it is required of necessitie that the common praier be had in a tongue that the hearers do vnderstande If euer it had ben tollerable to vse strange tongues in the congregations the same myght haue ben in the time of Paul the other apostles when they were miraculously endued with the gift of tongues For it might then haue perswaded some to imbrace the Gospell when they had hearde men that were Hebrues borne vnlearned speake the Greke the Latin other languages But Paul thought it not tollerable then And shall we vse it now when no man commeth by the knowledge of tongues other wyse then by diligent earnest study God forbid For we should by that meanes bring all our Church exercises to friuolus superstition and make them altogether vnfruitefull Luke writeth that when Peter and John were discharged by the Princes and high Priestes of Hierusalem they came to their felowes tolde them al that the princes of the priestes and elders had spoken vnto them Which when they heard they lyfted vp their voyce together to God with one assent and sayde Lord thou arthe that hast made heauen and earth the sea and all thinges that are in them c. Thus coulde they not haue done yf they had prayed in a straunge tongue that they had not vnderstande And no doubt of it they dyd not all speake with seuerall voyces but some one of them spake in the name of them all the rest geuing diligent eare to his wordes consented therunto and therefore it is sayd that they lifted vp their voyce together Saint Luke saith not Their voices as many but their voice as one That one voyce therefore was in suche language as they al vnderstood other wyse they coulde not haue lifted it vp with the consent of their heartes For no man can geue consent of the thing he knoweth not As touching the times before the comming of Christe there was neuer man yet that would affirme that eyther the people of God or other had their prayers or administrations of sacraments or sacrifices in a tongue that they them selues vnderstood not As for the time since Christe tyll that vsurped power of Rome began to spreade it selfe and to enforce al the nations of Europe to haue the Romishe language in admiration it appeareth by the consent of the most auncient learned writers that there was no straunge or vnknowen tongue vsed in the congregations of Christians Instinus martyr who liued about 160. yeres after Christ sayth thus of the administration of the Lordes supper in his time Upon the Sunday assembles are made both of them that dwel in cities and of thē that dwell in the countrey also Amongst whō as much as may be the writinges of the apostles prophets are read Afterwards when the reader doth ceasse the chiefe minister maketh an exhortatiō exhorting them to folow so honest things After this we ryse altogether and offer prayers which being ended as we haue saide bread and wine and water are brought foorth Then the head minister offereth prayers thankesgeuing with al his power the people aunswere Amē These wordes with their circumstaunces beyng duely consydered do declare plainly that not only the scriptures were read in a knowen tongue but also that praier was made in the same in the congregations of Iustines tyme Basilius magnus and Iohannes Chrisostomus dyd in theyr tyme prescribe publique orders of publique administration which they call Liturgies and in them they appoynted the people to aunswere to the prayers of the Minister sometime Amen sometyme Lorde haue mercie vppon vs sometyme and with thy spirite and we haue our heartes lyfted vp vnto the Lorde c. Which aunsweres the people coulde not haue made in due time yf the praiers had not ben in a tongue that they vnderstoode The same Basil writing to the Cleargie of Neocaesaria sayth thus of his vsage in common prayer appoynting one to beginne the song the rest folow And so with diuers songes prayers passing ouer the night at the dawnyng of the day altogether euen as it were with one mouth and one heart they sing vnto the Lorde a song of confession euery man framing vnto him selfe meete wordes of repentaunce In another place he sayth If the Sea be faire howe is not the assemble of the congregation muche more fayre in which a ioyned sounde of men women and children as it were of the waues beating on the shore is sent forth in our prayers vnto our God Marke his wordes A ioyned sounde sayth he of men women and children Which can not be vnlesse they all vnderstande the tongue wherein the prayer is sayde And Chrisostome vppon the wordes of Paul sayth So soone as the people heare these words worlde without ende they all do forthwith aunswere Amen This coulde they not do vnlesse they vnderstood the worde spoken by the priest Dionisius sayth that hymnes were sayde of the whole multitude of people in the administration of the Communion Ciprian sayth the Priest doth prepare the mindes of the brethren with a preface before the prayer saying Lyft vp your heartes That whyles the people doth aunswere VVe haue our heartes lyfted vp to the Lord they be admonished that they ought to thinke on none other thing then the Lorde Saint Ambrose wryting vppon the wordes of saint Paul sayth This is it that
he sayth because he which speaketh in an vnknowētongue speaketh to God for he knoweth all thinges but men know not and therefore there is no profite of this thing And agayne vppon these wordes If thou blesse or geue thankes with the spirite howe shall he that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy geuing of thankes seeyng he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest That is sayth Ambrose yf thou speake the prayse of God in a tongne vnknowen to the hearers For the vnlearned hearing that whiche he vnderstandeth not knoweth not the end of the prayer and aunswereth not Amen whiche worde is as much to saye as trueth that the blessing or thankesgeuing may be confirmed For the confirmation of the prayer is fulfilled by them that do aunswere Amen that all thinges spoken might be cōfirmed in the mindes of the hearers through the testimonie of the trueth And after many weightie words to the same end he saith The conclusion is this that nothing shoulde be done in the Churche in vaine and that this thing ought chiefely to be laboured for that the vnlearned also myght take profite least any part of the body should be darke through ignoraunce And least anye man shoulde thinke all this to be meant of preaching and not of prayer he taketh occasion of these wordes of saint Paul If there be not an interpreter let hym keepe silence in the Churche to say as foloweth Let hym praye secretly or speake to GOD who heareth all thinges that be dumbe For in the Churche must he speake that maye profite all personnes Saint Hierome wryting vpon these wordes of saint Paul Howe shall he that supplieth the place of the vnlearned c. sayth It is the laye man whom Paul vnderstandeth here to be in the place of the ignoraunt man which hath no ecclesiasticall office How shal he aunswere Amen to the prayer that he vnderstandeth not And a litle after vppon the wordes of saint Paul For yf I shoulde pray in a tongue c. he sayth thus This is Paules meanyng If any may speake in straunge vnknowen tongues his minde is made vnfruitefull not to hym selfe but to the hearer For whatsoeuer is spoken he knoweth it not Saint Augustine wryting vpon the. xviii Psalme saith What this shoulde be we ought to vnderstande that we maye sing with reason of man and not with chattering of birdes For Owles Popingayes Rauens Pies and other such like birdes are taught by men to prate they know not what But to sing with vnderstāding is geuen by Gods holy wil to the nature of man Againe the same Augustine sayth There nedeth no speache when we pray sauing perhappes as the priestes do for to declare their meanyng not that God but that men maye heare them And so beyng put in remembraunce by consentyng with the priest they may hang vpon God Thus are we taught both by the scriptures and auncient doctours that in the administration of Common prayer and Sacramentes no tongue vnknowen to the hearers ought to be vsed So that for the satisfying of a Christian mans conscience we nede to spend no more tyme in this matter But yet to stoppe the mouthes of the aduersaries whiche stay them selues muche vpon generall decrees it shal be good to adde to these testimonies of scriptures and doctors one constitution made by Iustinian the Emperour who liued fiue hundred and twentie and seuen yeres after Christe and was Emperor of Rome The constitution is this We commaunde that all Byshops and Priestes do celebrate the holye oblation and the prayers vsed in holye Baptisme not speakyng lowe but with a cleare or loude voyce whiche may be heard of the people that therby the mind of the hearers may be stirred vp with great deuotion in vttering the prayers of the Lorde God for so the holy Apostle teacheth in his first Epistle to the Corinthians saying Truely if thou only blesse or geue thankes in spirite howe doth he whiche occupyeth the place of the vnlearned say Amen at thy geuyng of thankes vnto God for he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest Thou verily geuest thankes well but the other is not edified And agayne in the Epistle to the Romanes he sayth With the heart a man beleueth vnto ryghteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluation Therefore for these causes it is conuenient that among other prayers those thinges also whiche are spoken in the holy oblation be vttered and spoken of the moste religious byshoppes and priestes vnto our Lorde Jesus Christe our God with the father and the holy ghost with a loude voyce And let the most religious priestes knowe this that if they neglecte any of these thinges that they shal geue an accompt for them in the dreadfull iudgement of the great God and our sauiour Jesus Christe Neyther wyll we when we knowe it rest and leaue it vnreuenged This Emperour as Sabellicus wryteth fauoured the byshoppe of Rome and yet we see ho we playne a decree he maketh for the praying and administring of sacramēts in a knowne tongue that the deuotion of the hearers might be stirred vp by knowledge contrary to the iudgement of them that woulde haue ignoraunce to make deuotion He maketh it also a matter of dampnation to do these thynges in a tongue that the hearers vnderstand not Let vs therefore conclude with God and al good mens assent that no common prayer or Sacramentes ought to be ministred in a tongue that is not vnderstanded of the hearers Nowe a worde or two of priuate prayer in an vnknowne tongue We tooke in hande where we began to speake of this matter not onely to proue that no common prayer or administration of Sacramentes ought to be in a tongue vnknowne to the hearers but also that no person ought to pray priuately in that tongue that he hym selfe vnderstandeth not Whiche thyng shall not be harde to proue if we forget not what prayer is For if prayer be that deuotion of the mynde whiche enforceth the heart to lift vp it selfe to God howe shoulde it be sayde that that person prayeth that vnderstandeth not the wordes that his tongue speaketh in prayer Yea how can it be sayde that he speaketh For to speake is by voyce to vtter the thought of the mynde And the voyce that a man vttereth in speakyng is nothyng els but the messenger of the mynde to bryng abroade the knowledge of that whiche otherwyse lyeth secret in the heart and can not be knowne according to that which Saint Paul wryteth What man sayth he knoweth the thynges that apparteyne to man sauyng only the spirite of man which is in man He therfore that doth not vnderstand the voyces that his tongue doth vtter can not properly be sayde to speake but rather to counterfayte as parattes and suche other byrdes vse to counterfaite mens voyces No man therefore that feareth to prouoke the wrath of God agaynst hym selfe wylbe so bolde to speake of God vnaduisedly without
because it is necessarie profitable shall God wylling be dissolued in the next part of this Homilee In the meane season let vs as we are most bounde geue heartie thankes to God the father and his sonne Jesus Christ for sendyng downe this comforter into the world humbly beseeching him so to worke in our heartes by the power of this holy spirite that we beyng regenerate and newely borne agayne in all goodnesse righteousnesse sobrietie and trueth may in the end be made partakers of euerlastyng lyfe in his heauenly kyngdome through Jesus Christe our Lorde and sauiour Amen The seconde part of the Homilee concernyng the holy ghoste dissoluing this doubt whether al men rightly chalenge to them selues the holy ghost or no. OUR sauiour Christe departyng out of the worlde vnto his father promised his disciples to sende downe another comforter that shoulde continue with thē for euer direct them into al trueth Which thyng to be faythfully truely perfourmed the scriptures do sufficiently beare witnes Neither must we thinke that this comforter was either promised or els geuen onlye to the Apostles but also to the vniuersall Church of Christe dispearsed through the whole world For vnles the holy ghost had ben alwaies present gouernyng and preseruing the Churche from the begynnyng it coulde neuer haue sustayned so many and great bruntes of affliction and persecution with so litle dammage and harme as it hath And the wordes of Christe are moste playne in this behalfe saying that the spirite of trueth shoulde abyde with them for euer that he woulde be with them alwayes he meaneth by grace vertue and power euen to the worldes ende Also in the prayer that he made to his father a litle before his death he maketh intercession not only for him selfe and his apostles but indifferently for all them that shoulde beleue in hym through their wordes that is to wit for his whole Churche Agayne saint Paule sayth If anye man haue not the spirite of Christe the same is not his Also in the wordes folowyng We haue receaued the spirit of adoption wherby we crye abba father Hereby then it is euident and playne to all men that the holy ghost was geuen not onlye to the apostles but also to the whole body of christes congregation although not in lyke fourme maiestie as he came downe at the feaste of Pentecost But nowe herein standeth the controuersie Whether al men do iustly arrogate to thē selues the holy ghost or no The Byshops of Rome haue for a long tyme made a sore chalenge therunto reasoning for them seues after this sort The holy ghost say they was promised to the Churche and neuer forsaketh the Church But we are the cheefe heades the principall part of the Churche therefore we haue the holy ghost for euer whatsoeuer thynges we decree are vndoubted verities and oracles of the holy ghost That ye may perceaue the weakenes of this argument it is needfull to teach you first what the true Churche of Christe is and then to conferre the Churche of Rome therewith to discerne howe well they agree together The true Churche is an vniuersal congregation or felowship of Gods faythfull and elect people buylt vppon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christe hym selfe beyng the head corner stone And it hath alwayes three notes or marks wherby it is knowne Pure and sound doctrine the sacramentes ministred accordyng to Christes holy institution and the right vse of ecclesiastical discipline This description of the Churche is agreeable both to the scriptures of God and also to the doctrine of the auncient fathers so that none may iustly fynd fault therewith Now if ye wyll compare this with the Churche of Rome not as it was in the begynnnyg but as it is presently and hath ben for the space of nine hundred yeres and odde you shall well perceaue the state thereof to be so farre wide from the nature of the true Churche that nothing can be more For neyther are they buylt vppon the foundation of the apostles and prophetes retaynyng the sound and pure doctrine of Christe Jesu neyther yet do they order eyther the sacraments or els the ecclesiasticall keyes in such sort as he dyd first institute and ordeyne them But haue so intermyngled their owne traditions and inuentions by choppyng chaungyng by addyng and pluckyng away that now they may seeme to be conuerted into a new guyse Christe commended to his Church a sacrament of his body and blood They haue changed it into a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade Christ dyd minister to his apostles the apostles to other men indifferently vnder both kindes They haue robbed the lay people of the cup saying that for them one kind is sufficient Christ ordeyned no other element to be vsed in baptisme but only water wherunto when the word is ioyned it is made as S. Augustine saith a ful perfect sacrament They beyng wyser in their owne conceipte then Christ thinke it is not wel nor orderly done vnles they vse cōiuration vnles they halow the water vnles there be oyle salt spittle tapers and suche other dumbe ceremonies seruing to no vse contrary to the playne rule of S. Paul who wylleth all thynges to be done in the Churche vnto edification Christe ordeyned the aucthoritie of the keyes to excommunicate notorious sinners and to absolue them whiche are truely penitent They abuse this power at their owne pleasure aswell in cursyng the godly with bell booke and candles as also in absoluing the reprobate whiche are knowne to be vnworthy of any Christian societie Whereof he that lust to see examples let them searche their lyues To be shorte looke what our sauiour Christe pronounced of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell the same may we boldly and with safe conscience pronounce of the bishops of Rome namely that they haue forsaken dayly do forsake the commaundementes of God to erect set vp their owne constitutions Which thyng beyng true as al they which haue any light of Gods word must needes confesse we may wel conclude according to the rule of Augustine That the byshoppes of Rome their adherents are not the true church of Christe muche lesse then to be taken as cheefe heades and rulers of the same Whosoeuer sayth he do discent from the scriptures concernyng the head although they be found in al places where the Church is appoynted yet are they not in the Churche A playne place concluding directly agaynst the Churche of Rome Where is now the holy ghost whiche they so stoutly do clayme to them selues Where is now the spirite of trueth that wil not suffer them in any wise to erre If it be possible to be there where the true Churche is not then is it at Rome otherwyse it is but a vayne bragge and nothyng els Saint Paule as ye haue hearde before sayth If anye man haue not the spirite of
of Gibeon makyng his humble petition to almyghtie God caused the sunne and the moone to stay their course and to stand still in the middest of heauen for the space of a whole day vntyll suche tyme the people were sufficiently auenged vpon their enemies And was not Iehosaphates prayer of great force and strength when God at his request caused his enemies to fall out among them selues and wylfully to destroy one another Who can maruayle enough at the effecte and vertue of Elias prayer He being a man subiect to affections as we are prayed to the Lorde that it myght not rayne and there fell no rayne vpon the earth for the space of three yeres and. vi moneths Againe he prayed that it myght rayne and there fell great plentie so that the earth brought forth her encrease most aboundauntly It were to long to tell of Iudith Hester Susanna and of diuers other godly men and women how greatly they preuayled in all their doinges by geuing their myndes earnestly and deuoutly to prayer Let it be sufficient at this tyme to conclude with the sayinges of Augustine and Chrisostome wherof the one calleth prayer the key of heauen the other playnely affyrmeth that there is nothyng in all the worlde more strong then a man that geueth hym selfe to feruent prayer Nowe then dearely beloued seeing prayer is so needeful a thyng and of so great strength before God let vs accordyng as we are taught by the example of Christe and his apostles be earnest and diligent in calling on the name of the lord Let vs neuer faynt neuer slacke neuer geue ouer but let vs daily and hourely early and late in season and out of season be occupyed in godly meditations and prayers What if we obtayne not our petitions at the firste yet let vs not be discoraged but let vs continually crye and call vpon God He wyll surely heare vs at length if for no other cause yet for very importunities sake Remember the parable of the vnryghteous iudge and the poore wydowe how she by her importunate meanes caused hym to do her iustice agaynst her aduersarie although otherwyse he feared neyther God nor man Shall not God muche more auenge his elect sayth our sauiour Christe whiche crye vnto hym day and nyght Thus he taught his disciples in them all other true Christian men to pray alwayes and neuer to faint or shrinke Remember also the example of the woman of Canaan how she was reiected of Christe and called dogge as one moste vnworthie of any benefite at his handes yet she gaue not ouer but folowed hym still crying and callyng vppon hym to be good and mercifull vnto her daughter And at length by very importunitie she obtayned her request O let vs learne by these examples to be earnest and feruent in prayer assuryng our selues that whatsoeuer we aske of God the father in the name of his sonne Christe and accordyng to his wyll he wyll vndoubtedly graunt it He is trueth it selfe and as truely as he hath promised it so truely wyll he perfourme it God for his great mercies sake so worke in our heartes by his holy spirite that we may alwayes make our humble prayers vnto hym as we ought to do and alwayes obtayne the thyng which we aske through Jesus Christe our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghost be al honour and glory worlde without ende Amen The second part of the Homilee concernyng prayer IN the firste parte of this sermon ye hearde the great necessitie also the great force of deuout and earnest praier declared proued vnto you both by diuers waightie testimonies and also by sundry good examples of holy scripture Now shal you learne whom you ought to call vppon and to whom ye ought alwayes to direct your prayers We are euidently taught in Gods holy Testament that almightie God is the only fountayne and welspring of al goodnes and that whatsoeuer we haue in this world we receaue it only at his handes To this effecte serueth the place of S. James Euery good and perfect gift sayth he commeth from aboue and proceedeth from the father of lyghtes To this effect also serueth the testimonie of Paul in diuers places of his Epistles witnessing that the spirite of wisedome the spirite of knowledge and reuelation yea euery good and heauenly gyfte as fayth hope charitie grace and peace commeth onely and solely of god In consideration whereof he bursteth out into a sodayne passion and sayeth O man what thyng hast thou whiche thou hast not receaued Therefore whensoeuer we neede or lacke any thyng parteyning eyther to the body or to the soule it behoueth vs to runne onely vnto GOD who is the onely geuer of all good thynges Our sauiour Christe in the Gospell teachyng his disciples how they shoulde pray sendeth them to the father in his name saying Uerily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he wyll geue it vnto you And in an other place when ye pray pray after this sorte Our father whiche art in heauen c. And doth not God hym selfe by the mouth of his Prophete Dauid wyll and commaunde vs to call vpon hym The Apostle wysheth grace and peace to all them that call on the name of our Lord and of his sonne Jesus Christ as doth also the Prophet Joel saying And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shal be saued Thus then it is playne by the infallible worde of trueth and lyfe that in all our necessities we must flee vnto God direct our prayers vnto hym call vppon his holy name desyre helpe at his handes and at no others Whereof if ye wyll yet haue a further reason marke that whiche foloweth There are certayne conditions most requisit to be founde in euery suche a one that muste be called vppon whiche if they be not founde in hym vnto whom we pray then doth our prayer auayle vs nothyng but is altogether in vayne The first is this that he to whom we make our prayers be able to helpe vs The second is that he wyll helpe vs The thirde is that he be suche a one as may heare our prayers The fourth is that he vnderstand better then we our selues what we lacke and howe farre we haue neede of helpe If these thynges be to be founde in any other sauing onely God then may we lawfully call vpon some other besides god But what man is so grosse but he wel vnderstandeth that these thynges are only proper to him which is omnipotent and knoweth al thyngs euen the very secretes of the heart that is to say only and to God alone whereof it foloweth that we must call neyther vpon angell nor yet vpon saint but only and soly vpon God as S. Paul doth write Now shall men call vppon hym in whom they haue not beleued So that inuocation or prayer may not be
which be more meete for brute beastes then for reasonable creatures Saint Peter doth not alowe these thynges but the deuil desyreth them gladly Wherefore take the more heede And yet a man may be a man although he doth not vse such extremitie yea though he should dissemble some thynges in his wyues maners And this is the part of a Christian man which both pleaseth God and serueth also in good vse to the comfort of their mariage state Nowe as concernyng the wyues duetie What shall become her shall she abuse the gentlenes and humanitie of her husbande and at her pleasure turne all thynges vpsyde downe No surely For that is farre repugnaunt agaynst gods commaundement For thus doth Saint Peter preache to them Ye wyues be ye in subiection to obey your owne husband To obey is another thyng then to comptrole or commaund Which yet they may do to their chyldren and to their familie But as for their husbandes them must they obey and ceasse from commaundyng and perfourme subiection For this surelye doth norish concorde very muche when the wyfe is redy at hand at her husbandes commaundement when she wyll apply her selfe to his wyll when she endeuoureth her selfe to seeke his contentation and to do him pleasure when she wyll esche we all thynges that myght offend hym For thus wyll moste truely be verified the saying of the Poet A good wyfe by obeying her husbande shall beare the rule so that he shal haue a delyght and a gladnesse the sooner at al tymes to returne home to her But on the contrary part when the wyues be stubborne froward and malapert their husbandes are compelled therby to abhorre and flee from their owne houses euen as they shoulde haue battayle with their enemies Howbeit it can scantly be but that some offences shal sometyme chaunce betwixt them For no man doth liue without fault specially for that the woman is the more frayle partie Therfore let them beware that they stande not in their faultes and wylfulnesse but rather let them acknowledge their follies and say My husband so it is that by my anger I was compelled to do this or that forgeue it me and hereafter I wyll take better heed Thus ought the women the more redily to do the more they be redy to offende And they shall not do this only to auoyde strife and debate but rather in the respect of the commaundement of God as Saint Paule expresseth it in this fourme of wordes Let women be subiecte to their husbandes as to the Lorde For the husbande is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the Churche Here you vnderstand that God hath commaunded that ye shoulde acknowledge the aucthoritie of the husbande and referre to hym the honour of obedience And Saint Peter sayth in that place before rehearsed that holy matrones dyd sometyme decke themselues not with gold and syluer but in putting their whole hope in God and in obeying their husbandes as Sara obeyed Abraham calling hym lord whose daughters ye be saith he if ye folowe her example This sentence is very meete for woman to print in their remembraunce Trueth it is that they must specially feele the greefe and paynes of their matrimonie in that they relinquish the libertie of their owne rule in the payne of their traueling in the bryngyng vp of their chyldren In whiche offices they be in great perils and be greued with great afflictions which they might be without if they lyued out of matrimonie But saint Peter sayth that this is the cheefe ornament of holy matrones in that they set their hope and trust in God that is to say in that they refused not from mariage for the busynes therof for the greefes and perils thereof but committed al suche aduentures to God in most sure trust of helpe after that they haue called vppon his ayde O woman do thou the lyke and so shalt thou be most excellently beautified before God and al his angels and saintes and thou needest not to seeke further for doyng any better workes For obey thy husbande take regarde of his requestes and geue heede vnto hym to perceaue what he requireth of thee and so shalt thou honour God and lyue peaceably in thy house And beyond all this God shall folowe thee with his benediction that all thynges shal well prosper both to thee and to thy husband as the Psalme sayth Blessed is the man whiche feareth God and walketh in his wayes thou shalt haue the fruite of thyne owne handes happie shalt thou be and well it shall go with thee Thy wyfe shal be as a vine plentifully spreadyng about thy house Thy chyldren shal be as the young sprynges of the Oliues about thy table â—othus shall that man be blessed sayth Dauid that feareth the Lorde This let the wyfe haue euer in minde the rather admonyshed therto by the apparell of her head whereby is signified that she is vnder couert and obedience of her husbande And as that apparell is of nature so appoynted to declare her subiection So biddeth saint Paul that all other of her rayment shoulde expresse both shame fastnes and sobrietie For if it be not lawful for the woman to haue her head bare but to beare thereon the signe of her power wheresoeuer she goeth more is it required that she declare the thyng that is meant thereby And therefore these auncient women of the old world called their husbandes lordes and shewed them reuerence in obeying them But peraduenture she wyl say that those men loued their wyues in deede I know that wel enough and beare it wel in minde But when I do admonishe you of your dueties then cal not to consideration what their dueties be For when we our selues do teache our chyldren to obey vs as their parentes or when we refourme our seruauntes and tell them that they shoulde obey their maisters not only at the eye but as to the Lorde If they shoulde tell vs agayne our dueties we would not thynke it wel done For when we be admonished al our dueties and faultes we ought not then to seeke what other mens dueties be For though a man had a companion in his fault yet should not he therby he without his fault But this must be onlye loked on by what meanes thou mayst make thy selfe without blame For Adam did lay the blame vpon the woman she turned it vnto the serpeÌ„t but yet neyther of them was thus excused And therefore bryng not suche excuses to me at this tyme but applye al thy diligence to heare thyne obedience to thy husbande For when I take in hande to admonyshe thy husbande to loue thee and to cherishe thee yet wyll I not ceasse to set out the lawe that is appoynted for the woman as well as I woulde requyre of the man what is wrytten for his lawe Go thou therefore about such thynges as becommeth thee only and shew thy selfe tractable to thy husbande Or rather if thou wylt obey