sayd to thē Ecce ego vobiseū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad cōsummationē seculi That is Behold I am with you at al tymes euen to the ende of the worlde Wherefore we maye playnly see that the holy ghoste beyng promised to the Apostles to abide for euer and to the very ende of the world was promised and giuen to them and to their successours in the churche where he doth and shal abide for euer Now forasmuche as the holye ghoste is the gouernour and ruler of the catholyke churche we ought there onely and in no other corner to searche the true vnderstandynge and discernynge of the scryptures And for thys cause the aūcient fathers were they neuer so godly so well learned yet woulde they neuer presume vpon theyr owne iudgements but euer referred them selues to the vnderstandyng and interpretation of the catho lykechurche before them Therfore the godly lerned and ancient father 〈◊〉 wrytyng agaynst schismaticall here syes sayeth thus Quid enim si qui de aliqua modica questione disceptatio esset nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias c. that is to saye but what and yf there were contention concerning some smal que stion were it not necessarye to returne to the mooste auncient churches and immediatly after he sayeth Quid autem sineque apostoli quidem scripturas relis quissent nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinem sequitraditionis quam tradiderunt hijs quibus committebant Ecclesias what sayeth thys holye father yf the Apostles had lefte to vs no scripture at all had it not bene necessarye to folowe the order of that tradytion whyche they delyuered to those to whome they dyd bequethe the churche Alas good people how farre are many in these dayes gone from thys olde and aunciēt rule this blessed martir here exhorteth or rather commaundeth that yf any smal dyscorde thoughe it be in a matter of lytle importaunce doo chaunce that we woulde not accordyng to our 〈◊〉 iudge therein but though we haue no scripture for the same yet saieth he we ought to folowe kepe and obserue the tradition of the auncient churches Where as in these late dayes the impudent 〈◊〉 baue taught the zely people that euery man should and maye be a iudge of controuersyes and that we oughte to obserue no tradition nor ceremo nye other than we fynde in the holye scripture Of such the same holy Ireneus dooeth speake thus after many other notable lessons to the same purpose Omnes autem hij decidunt a veritate et 〈◊〉 quidem alienum 〈◊〉 afferentes ad altare dei idest altenas doctrinas a celesti igne conburentur c. All these sayeth he doo fal from the trueth and the heretykes truelye bryngynge straung fyre to the aulter of God that is to saye straung doctrine 〈◊〉 brent with the heuenly fyre With such lyke thrratnynges in the same place to those that disobey the 〈◊〉 of the churche Lykewyse saynct Augustyne speakyng of the baptysine of chyldren and now that sacrament can profyt them seyng many die before they know the effecte of the same affyrmeth that the faythe of those that brynge the chylde to christenynge shall profyte the chylde that is brought but for his proba cion he bryngeth thus Hoc commendat ecclesie saluberrima 〈◊〉 thoritas This thing the mooste holsome aucthoritie of the churche doethe commende And euen wyth lyke reuerence the same saint Augustyne dooth many tymes submytte all hys iudgments and workes to the catholyke churche And fynally to declare hys iudgemene concernynge the aucthoritie of the catholyke church He sayeth hus Ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 nisi me catholicae Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye Truly I would not beleue the Gospel onles that the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche did moue me thereto And we ought here to consider that after the ascension of our sauiour Christe for the space of certayne yeares there was no gospell at all wrytten but all thynges concernyng the faythfull christians were 〈◊〉 and gouerned by the disciples of Christ being than the heades of the church Afterward we rede that dyuers of the dysciples of Chryste dyd wryght Gospelles as sainct Bartylmew Nicodemus and an other Gospel was called Euangelium Nazarcorum̄ But the aucthoritie of the church did onely admite those 〈◊〉 euangelistes which now the whole churche dooth retayne Whyche thing myght wel seme mar uelouse seynge that bothe sayncte Bartylmew and Nicodemus were present and dyd see the woorkes of Chryst and also dyd here hys doctryne where as sainct Luke dyd learne hys gospel of saincte Paule and other and so kewyse dyd S. Marke but hereby it doeth moost playnly appere that the catholike 〈◊〉 onely hath thys hye aucthorite to 〈◊〉 scriptures and that scriptures allowed by that church should not be refused of any particulare persons Nowe therfore seynge that the catholyke churche bothe hath delyuered to vs the scrypture and in all ages and times hath bene taken of al Godly lerned men for the true iudge therof I exhort and beseche all you good christen people that in all doutes 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ye would resort to that 〈◊〉 churche and there learne what the 〈◊〉 church hath beleued aud taught 〈◊〉 time 〈◊〉 time concerninge doutes or controuersies and 〈◊〉 wyth lowly and meke hartes ye wyll so doo surely the ho ly ghoste wyll instructe you he wyll comforte you and he wyll leade you into al trueth But yf in such case ye will fly from the catholyke church ask coū sell of your selues or of any that doth swarue from the sayde churche than for so much as the holy gost is not your gyde you shall fall from ignoraunce to errour and from doutyng and dysputing to plaine herely and so from one to another to the vtter con fusion of both body and soule Yet besides this gret authoritie of the churche whereof you haue hearde there is an other gyuen by God of moost hye excellencye that is power to forgiue and pardon the pe nitent synner and to punyshe and correct the obsti nate or fro warde synner which power and auctho ritie as it was fygured in the preesthode of the olde lawe as in Iudgyng of leprose persones and in punyshyng to death those that did not obey the preeste euē so is it giuen by our sauiour Christ in very dede in the 〈◊〉 to his Apostles and to all theyr succes soures For after that oure sauiour had rysen from death he came amonges hys Apostles and brethed vpon them and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum dimi seritis 〈◊〉 dimittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis 〈◊〉 sunt That is take you the holy ghost whose sinnes you shall forgyue they are forgyuen to them and whose synnes you doo retayne they are retayned Whyche authorite by 〈◊〉 woordes gyuen by Christ though some hath or doo contemne and set at noughte yet sainct Cyrill byddeth them cease to
euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyll lyuer eternal death beleue he neuer so wel As S. Paule wituesseth in the. v. chapyter of his Epi stle to the Galathians where he sayth Walk af ter the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of that fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the flesh These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye would But and yf ye beled of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The de des of the fleshe ar manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry witchcrafte hatred variaūce 〈◊〉 wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkēnes glotteny and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in time past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heuē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Chryst these two poyntes are requisit of our behalfe the one to beleue rightlye that other to lyue vpryghtly whych two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to know except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche which catholike church oure sauioure Chryste hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for al men to come and repayre vnto to learne such truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerla styng life This catholike church and no other company hath that true vnderstanding of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluatiō To this churche Christ maketh promis in that xvi of Thō saying Whē that spirit of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this church also he maketh that other promis written in the xxviii of Mathewe where he sayth Behold I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholike church thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assured alwayes of Chryst him selfe neuer yet fayled frō that time of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fail to the worl des ende nether can it be deceued in any necessary truth 〈◊〉 as Chryst promyseth in the. xvi of Mathe we saying That hel gates shal not pre uayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catho lyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapter of his first epistle to Timothe calleth the catholike church the piller and ground of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a companye as among which the trueth is openly preached ells Chryste woulde not haue sayde as it is wrytten in the. v of Mathew A citie that is seton a hyl can not be hid ne ther do men light a candle and putit vnder a bushel but on all cādelsticke and it geueth lyght vnto al that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke church is an vnknowen church seinge it is that citie which our sauiour there mente that candell of which he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryst and refuse the doctrine thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in reading ofscripture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into errour and ignoraunce cuē as a mā that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour Saynt Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapter of his secōd epystle geueth vs a most certayne an sure rule which if we folow we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstand scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure word of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take 〈◊〉 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntil the day dawne and the daye starre arise in your harts So that you first knowe this that no prophecy in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For that scrip ture came neuer by the wil of man butholy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Here you se howe S. Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meaning of Chrystes church and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or company And in the thyrde chapyter of the same Epystle he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to he vnderstanded whyche they that are vnlearned vnstable do peruerte as they do also the other scriptures to theyr own destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be 〈◊〉 afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the erroure of the wicked fal from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S Peter telleth the 〈◊〉 cause why men my svnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knowledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignotaunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe priuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scryptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytynge to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Limothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge which S. Paule sayeth was committed to 〈◊〉 custodye was the truth of the catholyk fayth which he sayth some fell from by reasonne of new fangeled termes and by reson aiso that they tooke vpon them knowledg beynge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde epistle to Timothie he farther sayeth Contynue thou in that thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. I reneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapter of the same boke sayeth touchyng the catholyke churche in this maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rich tresury all truth the who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of life for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what yf a controuersy shoulde happen to ryse vpon neuer so 〈◊〉 a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze
pointed therein to pronounce the sentence of remyssi on of synnes in this behalfe Accordyng aswell to the counsayl of Saynt James Jacobi 5 as also to thex ample of them that were conuerted at Ephesus who beleuynge dyd come confessyng and shewynge ther actes and dedes Actorum xix And because here we doo touche and speake of confession which is the seconde thynge towardes parfytte Penaunce ye shall therefore knowe that albeit thys worde Confessyon both in scrypture and in prophane authors doth sygnifye many thynges and in dyuerse sortes yet Confession as it is heare to be accepted and taken is a voluntarye lawfull and sufficient declaratyon or vt teryng of synne to be made vnto the pryeste hauynge sufficyent aucthoritye to geue absolution therin And when I do saye Adeclaration or vtteryng I do vse the same to exclude mentall confessyon whyche though it may and ought at all tymes to be made vn to God yet that is not that sacramentall confessyon of which we heare speake And when I do saye Uo Uoluntarye I do put in that to declare that lyke as wyllyngly the synne is committed so also willingly and without compulsion the confession ought to be made And when I do say Lawefull and sufficient I do put in that to declare that it is not I noughe to make a bare or naked confession not carynge how or after what sorte it be made but to make it in suche wise that it may be lawefull and sufficiente That is to say after dewe deliberation and consultation for sene and had to so order the same that it may be done as is comprehended in these verses folowyng Sit simplex humilis confessio 〈◊〉 fidelis Atque frequens nuda discreta libens uerecunda Integra secretalacrimabilis 〈◊〉 Fortis et accusans et fit parere parata That is to say Let confessyon be playne humble pure faythefull and often not cloked discrete voluntarye hauinge shamefastnes hole secreate lamentable spedy stronge accu satorye of hym selfe and ready to obey AND when I doo put in this worde Synne I doo that to declare that he who commeth to confession must not do as the proude Pharisie did who prai sed himselfe and condempned the publican Luce. 8. But humbly and lowely as is beforesayde he muste declare and shewe his owne synne verefying in hym selfe the saying of Salomon in the. xvii chapiter of his prouerbes Iustus prior est accusator sui That is to saye A iuste man is firste an accuser of himselfe AND fynallye when I doo saye those wordes Unto the priest hauing sufficiente auctoritie to giue absolution therein I do purposelye put in them to declare that he who shall gyue absolution must be both a priest and also haue sufficient aucthoritie to gyue absolution NOVV conçernyng satisfaction which is the thirde thinge that apperteineth to perfect penaunce ye shal knowe that albeit this worde Satisfaction is diuersely taken aswell in scripture as other where yet as is shal be here consydered and as it is taken in the publyke and common vse of the catholyke Churche in thys matter it is a chastemente or punyshmente which is inflycted or put by the preist vpon the penytent synner so confessynge hymselfe accordyng to the nature and qualitie of the offence by him commytted And hereby apeareth that when we here do speake of satysfactyon we do not meane that the penytente synner by any payne or punyshmente by them to be suffred can worthely eyther merite remission of hys synnes or make vnto God any iuste or full recōpense equyualent to the synne whiche he hath commytted agaynst God and so satysfye God therby whiche in dede after that forte he neuer can do for that sorte of satysfaction onely apperteyneth to our Sauyoure CHRIST who alone by hys gloryous passyon hathe worked and purchased the same But to satisfye as here is ment by satysiactyon is the synner after 〈◊〉 and confession to submitte humblye hymselfe to suche discipline and wayes of reformation as the priest hearyng hys synnes and offences shall by hys 〈◊〉 and wysedome agreable to the worde of God thinke mete and conueniente whyche humble submission with consent and agremente to receaue dysciplyne made by the penytente vnto the priest beynge the gostlye fathere eyther to the gyuynge of almes makyng of prayor vsyng of fastynge or of doynge any such lyke workes of penaunce shall make the sayd penitent an apt vessell to be partaker of that onely satysfactyon procured meryted and gotten by the preciouse death of our Sauiour CHRISTIESVS and it shall gyue great occasyon and good mater to the penytent synner alwayes after to leade a newe lyfe declinynge from vyce and embracing vertue yet it shall enduce hym not onely to restore to all men a-that euer he hathe vniustlye taken or reteyned from them and to recompense al hurtes and iniuryes in any wyse done vnto them accordyng to hys habylitie and power But also to forgyue vnto all mene for CHRISTES sake all suche iniuryes and trespases as they in any wyse haue commytted or done agaynste hym And the penytente synner being contente thus to do wherein he shall vndoutedly muche please almyghtye God who by vertue of Chrystes satysfaction wyl accept allowe of his infinit goodnes this satisfaction contentment so don by man the sayd penitent synner may desire to heare the comfortable wordes of remyssyon of synnes and to haue absolution therof gyuen and mynystred vnto hym by the pryeste Accordyng to whose desire the preyste beynge Goddes 〈◊〉 therein muste ensuinge the Gospell pronounce and gyue vnto and vpon the sayde penytent 〈◊〉 the fentēte of absolution vnto the which sentēce the sayd penitent muste geue credence wyth perfecte fayth and beleife that hys synnes are nowe frely forgeuen by the merytes of Chrystes blessed passion in thys sacrament of Penaunce hauyng this contrition Confession satysfactyon and absolution whych we haue spoken of And albeit in the late pesti ferouse 〈◊〉 that ouerwhelmed thys realme thys Contrition Confession satisfaction and Penaunce were condempned and 〈◊〉 or at the least wise in maner neglected of all folkes yet in very dede they so ought not haue bene 〈◊〉 they are allowed approued by scrypture as anone shal be declared and shewed 〈◊〉 you and haue bene euer continuallye receyued vsed and muche set by as thynges most ne cessarye and profitable in the catholyke Churche for the amendement of mennes lyues and for they re attonement wyth almyghtye God 〈◊〉 to bee kepte in good estate and order to theyr great comfort and spe ciall releife And amongest a greate numbre of commodities that doe come by confession thys is not the lest that wher by custome or otherwise men be drouned in 〈◊〉 and do not se the abhomination and filthynes 〈◊〉 and therefore many tymes do wante Contrition and consequentlye remedye and helpe agaynst theyr synne they hauyng a discert honest gost ly father and 〈◊〉 commyng to hym may by his good instructiō exhortatiō groūded vpon the
sayde neygheboure And lyke as by thys commaundemente al euill vse of the tungue to the hurte of our neyghboures is forbydden so o in and by the same commaundemente by the ofte mentioned rule of contraryes there is commaunded the good and charytable vse of the tungue all maner of wayes to the benefytte of oure neighbonrs as to be true and playne in oure wordes wyth hym and towardes hym to be faythful to hym in all couenauntes bargaynes and promysses To testifye the truthe in all courtes iudgementes and other places to reporte well of them that be absente to geue true and faythefull counsayle and exhortatyon to all goodnes yea and to dysswade frome all euyll And here concernynge thys commaundement we haue mooste iuste cause to lamente and to be sory for the malyce and euyll disposition that in these oure dayes raygnethe bothe in men and women whose tounges are so venemous and wyeked in 〈◊〉 lyinge backbytynge and mysreportynge as the lyke thereof hathe not bene harde sence the begynnynge of the world in whome truelye that sayiug of S. James in the thyrd chapyter of hys epystle maye and doth take place Omnes natura bestiarum volucrum Serpentium et cetorum domantur et 〈◊〉 sunt 〈◊〉 humana linguam autem nullus hominum 〈◊〉 mare potest inquietum malum plenum 〈◊〉 mortifero That is to saye All kynde of beastes byrdes serpentes and fysh of the sea are tamed and haue binne made tame by man but the tonge noo man canne tame it is an inquyet or vnrulye euyll full of deadlye poyson And to thintente that suche personnes maye hereafter yf theye wyll not for Loue of Uertue and Charytyes sake yet at the leaste for the feare of punyshemente at GODDES hande refrayne and forbeare suche theyr dampnable and wycked spe kynge we wyll recyte here both in generall and also in speciall sundrye the offenders of thys commaundemente and also the punyshmente hangynge therefore ouer theyr heades And fyrste in generaltye we wyll brynge in the. xiii of the prouerbes where it is thus wrytten Qui custodit os suum cuctodit animam suam qui autem inconsideratus est adloquendum sentiet mala That is to saye He that kepeth his mouth kepeth hys soule and he that is vnaduised or rashe to speake shall feele hurtes or euylles And in the thyrde chapter of the fyrste epystle of S. Peter it is wrytten thus He that dothe loue lyfe and to see good dayes let him refrayne his tongue from euil and his lyppes that they doo not speake de ceyte Also in the. xii chapyter of the Prouerbes the wyse Salomon wryteth in this maner For the faultes of the lyppes destruction or ruyne draweth nere vnto the euyll man Moreouer in the. xviii chapiter of the same boke is this saying Lyfe and death lyeth in the tongue and they that loue it shall eate the fruytes of it And in the. xxvi chapyter of the sayde prouerbes Salomon sayeth thus A slipper toungue worketh ruines or destructyons And to speake somewhat more in particuler of trans gressoures of thys commaundemente you shall fyrste note that somme of them doo beare fal se wytnes in open iudgemente and of them the wise Salomon in the. xix chapyter of the prouerbes doth speake thus Testis falsus non erit inpunitus That is to saye A false wytnesse shall not be vnpunyshed And yet more terribly he sayeth in the. xxi chapter folowinge Testis mendax peribit That is to saye A lyinge wytnesse shall peryshe And further in the. xxv chapyter of the same booke it is wrytten in thys wyse 〈◊〉 et gladius sagitta acuta homo quiloquitur contra proximum suum falsum testimonium That is to saye A darte and swoorde and a sharpe arowe is that man that speaketh agaynst his neygheboure false wytnesse Howe heynous an offence thys is appearethe in the. xiii Chapyter of Danyell where the two false witnesses who wickedlye deposed agaynste the Godlye Susanna were bothe myraculouslye detected and also of the people presentlye stoned to death And no meruayle though bothe they and all other bearers of false wytnes be by aucthoritie of scripture punyshed in such greuous sorte seyng that euery one soo offendynge in bearynge false wytnesse dothe trespasse agaynste three sundry persones Fyrste agaynste almyghtye God whose presence the false wytnesse bearer dothe contemne Secondelye agaynste the iudge whome by lyinge he dothe deceaue Thyrdelye agaynste the innocente party whō by his false wytnes bearynge he dothe hynder and hurte Another sorte and special kynde of transgressoures against this 〈◊〉 commaundememēt is whē a man doth maliciouslye backbyte or sclaunder hys his neigheboure though it be not in iudge mente of whych sorte and kinde of transgressours the prophet in hys 100 Psalme dothe saye thus Who that doth secretely backebite his neigheboure him doo I persecute And in the. 24. of the Prouerbes it is sayde thus Abhominatio hominum detractor That is to saye A detractor or backebiter is abhomination ainongeste men And in the fyrst Chapter of the boke of wysedome it is written A detractione parcite linguae That is to say Kepe youre tounge from backebytynge And Sayncte Paule in the fyfte chapyter of hys epystle to the Galathyans dothe saye thus If ye bite and deuoure one an other take hede leaste ye be consumed one of an other Besydes the foresayd specyall sortes of transgressours agaynste thys commaundement there are other also and emongest them secrete tale bearers and sowers of dissention betwene man and man by theyr pryuye malitious whyspearinges of whom the wyse Salomon dothe notablye speake in the. xxvi chapyter of the Prouerbes sayinge Cumdefeccrint lingua extinguetur ignit Subtracto susurrone 〈◊〉 conquiescunt That is to saye Whan woode wantethe the fyre wyll goo oute and the talebearer or whysperer beynge taken awaye stryfes or dissentions shal cease and by and by after the say e Salomon dothe saye The wordes of the talebearer or whysperer seme simple but they pearce euen to the harte 〈◊〉 And in the. xxi chapyter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrytten thus The talebearer shal defyle hys soule and shall be odiouse in all hys doynges Moreouer in the. xxviii chapy of the same boke there is this saying Susurro bilinguis maledictus multos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacem habentes That is to saye A talebearer or whisperer and a double tunged personne is accursed for he hath troubled or sette at stryfe manye that before were in peace or frendeshippe And to conclude touchynge this commaundemente you shall note three or foure places more of scrypture for your further edifyenge in thys behalfe First in the xxi of the prouerbes Salomon dothe saye He that keapeth hys mouthe and hys tounge kepeth hys soule from trouble Secondly our Sauiour Chryste in the twelueth of Mathewe doth say I say vnto you that men shall geue accounte in the day of Judgment for euery idle word which they doospeake Thyrdely in the said xii chap. it
resistance And by this reason alone the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many Epystles doth most boldely glory or reioyse agaynst all the aduersaries of anye of the Bysshoppes accordyng as we do reade in the third boke of the kynges Where allthough the. x. tribes of Israell dyd departe from Roboam the sonne of Salomon yet bycause it was done by the wyll of God it was without other authoritie firme stable For also emongest all the deuines the will of the signe whiche they doo call the workyng of God is to be feared no lesse thē other signes of the will of God as precepts and thinges forbydden c. And therefore I doo not se howe they be excused from the offence or synne of scy sine who doing or cōminge agaynst this will doo withdrawe or pull them selues from the Authoritie of the Romaine Bysshoppe Thus much saythe Luther himselfe and soo shall you fynd it if ye reade his sayde worke in the place aforesayd and the thyng so being you may se what a holy father that marchant was to deceiue the people as he dyd and to bryng them to that wonderfull calamitie that the thyrde or fourth generation if that worlde so longe do continue shall feele and smarte for it as other also shall that be in the same case And now to returne to our owne country of Englande thys may be truly spoken that of all 〈◊〉 christen there is none that hath besydes the general dutie so speciall cause to fauour the see of Rome as England hath For from that see cam the faythe into this Iland in the daies of king Lucius about an hundreth and fyftye yeares after Chryste And vi Cyere after Christ when the Saxons wer spred ouer the hole realme and were infidells ther were sent most notable and godly preachers hither into England who conuerted and tourned many thousandes to the fayth And what benefites we haue in our daies receaued of that see of Rome al menne doo 〈◊〉 and feale in them selues do thancke god therefore or ells the deuyll hathe wonderfullye blynded and seduced them Now on the other syde what miseries haue be falen emongest vs synce our disobedience agaynst the see of Rome and synce the tyme that temperall prynces dyd take vpon them that offyce which is spirituall and not belongynge to the regali power but greatly distant and dyfferent from the same I nede not in words to declare 〈◊〉 as you haue felt the smart therof in dede and to this day are not quyte of Gods plage for the same Wherfore to conclude in this matter this shal be to exhort you and in Gods name to requyre you to esteme the primacy and supremitie of the sea of Rome as an authoritie instituted by Chryst for the quyetnes of the christen people and for the preserua tion of chrystendome in one catholyke true fayth for the defence of it agaynst all heresie and wherby quyeting your selues to serue God in the catholike truth you shall sonest appease his wrath and purchase his fauour and grace in this lyfe and hereafter obteyne the euerlastyng lyfe which sende vnto you all the father the 〈◊〉 and the holy Ghost to whome be al honor and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London An homilye declaringe that in the blessed Sacrament of the aultare is the very bodye and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst. AFter that men are once graft in Christ and be made partakers of his death passion amonge other theyr duetyes one of the cheife is diligētly to prepare them selues to the worthy receauyng of that blessed Sacrament of the aultare where vnto are two thynges on our partes requisit as sayeth saynt Basell good reason confyrmeth the one feare the other faythe The feare whyche men must haue when they prepare them selues to come to this sacrament ought to be grounded vpō that terrible saying of saynt Paule in the. xi chapter of hys fyrst Epystle to the Corinthians wher he sayth that whosoeuer doth participate therof vnworthely doth eate and drinke his owne dampnation The faith which we must haue in our hartes when we come to Gods borde is to be buylded lyke wyse vpon the vndonted aucthorities of scripture whych declare moost playnlye vnto vs what meate it is that we there eate For the parfit vnderstandyng wherof let vs consider that our sauyour Chryst beynge here on earth did fyrste make a solempne promyse of a meate whyche hym selfe woulde geue vnto vs and afterwarde in dede he dyd geue the same accordynge to hys promyse In the promyse makynge he sayde as it is wrytten in the. vii chapter of S Jhons gospell The breade or foode that I wyll geue vnto you is my fleshe which fleshe I wyll gyue for the lyfe of the world and in the same chapter he also saith My fleshe is 〈◊〉 meat and my bloud is ve rely drincke And as he then promised so he after ward perfourmed euen the very laste nyghte that euer he companied with his Apostles before hys death at which tyme he toke breade into his handes and gaue thankes and breake it and gaue it to his disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body whiche shal be geuen for you Yf we cō pare the wordes spoken by Chryst when he made the promyse of a meat to be by hym geuen vnto vs with those other wordes which he vttered in giuing of that same we nede not doubt of the thinges whiche he gaue In the promyse makynge he sayd that he woulde geue vs his fleshe in the perfourminge of the promyse he geueth the same saying take eate this is my body Agayne in the promise making he affirmeth that the fleshe whith he woulde geue vs to fede on should be the selfe same fleshe that shold be geuen for the lyfe of the world and in the perfor maunce of his promise he said that the thing which gaue was his bodye whyche shoulde be geuen to death for vs. Nowe the circumstaunces beyng wel considered which our sauiour vsed in the institution of this most blessed Sacrament shal greatly cōfyrme al godly hartes in the true be lefe of the same The tyme was the night before he suffered deathe to signifye vnto vs that thys meate being differred to the last day that euer our Sauiour was conuersaunt with his Apostles must nedes be his very body and bloude in dede and such ameate as no other can be in any wyse comparable vnto it Agayne in that our sauyour dyd eate of the pascall lambe with his Apostles immediatli before he did institute this sacrament it most playnely declareth vnto vs that this sacrament is a marueylous worthey mysterye and that veri thing which the eating of the paschal lambe in the olde lawe did prefygurate for whyche cause whē this was instituted that was abrogated Nether is it withoute a meruelouse consideration that Chryst at that heauenly banket would of purpose nother haue the blessed