thre therfore the fathers haue founde out the worde person for the auoydynge of many errours Why the feaste of Trinitie was institute And hereof for discernynge the sayd persons is the name of Trinitie come into the church wherby we sygnifye not .iij. vnegall persons but thre persons coequal of one in diuisible substaunce and essencie And as touchinge the vse of thys feast oure predecessours thought it good to haue some certayne tyme appoynted in the church wherin they myght intreate of the offices of those thre persons egall in godheade And bycause the fourth chapter of the Apocalyps semeth to sette forth wonderfully well the maiestie of God and not obscurely to touche the mysterye of the Trinitie the church of Englande condescended to haue the same red in the church thys daye whych brefely God wyllynge we shal declare vnto you Thus it beginneth After thys I loked and beholde a dore open in heauen and the fyrst voyce I herde was as of a trōpe speakynge wyth me sayenge Come vp hither and I shall shewe the what shal be done herafter Thys dore whych saynt Ihon sawe open no doubte is the intraunce and commynge to the new and heauenly lyfe whych Christe oure Sauioure hath made vs as the Epistle to the Hebrues the .x. phil iij. chapter wytnesseth For our cōuersacion ought now to be in heauē And saynt Ihon doth here describe the Iudicial power of Christe gyuen hym of the heauenlye father wherewyth he defendeth hys churche from the power of the aduersaries And he sayeth There was a seate set and vpon it a sytter wherby he sygnifyeth the stabilitie of Christes raygne For hys seate or trone is as Dauid sayeth worlde wythout ende And he that satte vpon thys glorious and princelye trone or seate was to loke vpon lyke a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone Psalm lxxxiiij By thys is vnderstanded nothynge els but a certayne heauenly royall bewty shewynge aswell the maiestye as the power most excellent of the iudge Christ For the cloth of estate royall seates of kynges be wont to be moost rychely decked and furnyshed for the settynge out of theyr Maiestye and authoritie Nowe the Iaspar stone they saye beareth the semblaunce of water and the Sardyn stone of fyer wherby is vnderstanded that the Lorde is wont to make hys iudgementes in water and in fyer as appeareth Gen. vij and .xix. Exo. xiiij and in the seconde Epistle of Peter the last chapiter and in many other places of scripture The raynebow And a raynebowe was about the seat in syght lyke to an Emerald The raynebowe is a token that god the father is made at one wyth vs by Christ and reconciled to mankynde emerald as appeareth Gen. ix Nowe the Emeralde they say is of such grenenes vertue that it maketh all thynges aboute it to floryshe and growe Lactantius Euen so by Christ the world is renewed and it reflorysheth as Lactantius doth very elegauntly and well declare in a certayne Hymne And aboute the seate were .xxiiij. seates And vpon the seates .xxiiij. elders syttynge clothed in whyte raiment and had on their heades crownes of gold Saint Ihon doth here allude to the maner of a realme well ordered where kynges and princes whyche are to gyue sentence in maters of weyghte woll not do it wythout the assistence of certayne auncient personages that haue good experience of thynges and knowlege of the best lawes lest they myght seme to condempne any man of theyr owne priuate lust and pleasure Wherfore by this allusiō he declareth that God is a moost iust iudge whose sentence all iuste persons shal approue and prayse as moost ryghtful and true By the .xxiiij. elders ye shall vnderstande aswell the patriarches and prophetes of the olde synagoge as the Apostles Euangelistes doctours of the new Testament Exod. xxiiii Nu. xi Act. xx and also the godly kynges iuges of both peoples For they in scripture be called Elders Now by the syttynge of these Elders is vnderstande the felowship of the iudiciall power with Christ accordynge to Christes owne sayenge Mat. xix Ye shall also syt vpon the .xij. seates iudgynge the xij trybes i. cor vi Also saynt Paule wytnesseth that saintes shall iudge of thys worlde By theyr whyte garmentes or robes wherewyth they were clothed is sygnifyed purenes of mynde innocencye and indifferent iudgement wythout affection Exod. xviiij By theyr crownes of golde vpon theyr heades I vnderstande the mooste pure sense of faith wherby they shal iuge of al accordynge to the arbitrement of God so that what so euer they shall iuge vpon earth shal be ratifyed also in heauen accordynge to that sayng of Christ Mathew xviii What soeuer ye bynde on earth shal be bounde in heuen and what soeuer ye louse on erth the same shal be loused in heauen Furthermore they sygnifye the felowshyp of the victories and raygne of Christ Cap. xi accordynge to that in the Epistle to the Hebrues The sayntes haue vaynquyshed realmes by fayth It foloweth in the texte And out of the seate proceded lyghtenynges and thonderynges and voyces And there were seuen lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whyche are the seuen spirites of God The preachynge of the Apostles and of men apostolical is compared to lyghtenynge and thondrynge bycause by it is proclamed the fearfulnes of gods iudgementes the whych hange ouer the heades of infideles and such as beleue not By the .vii. lampes of fyre brennyng before the trone I vnderstande the septiforme spirite of God that is to wyt the fulnes and perfection of the heauenly graces wherwyth the kyngdome of Christ is furnyshed Esa xi i. cor xij It foloweth And before the seate there was a see of glasse lyke vnto Crystall and in the myddes of the seate and rounde about the seate were foure beastes full of eyes before and behynde c. My frendes the calamities of thys worlde wherwyth the stynch of the fleshe is repourged and the naughtye affectes of the same vtterly mortifyed muste nedes be passed ouer of vs euen as it behoued the people of God to passe the red see before they coulde entre into the lande of promission Wherfore those heauenly and spiritual waters be here sygnifyed wherwythal the pourgynge of the soules and the spiritual regeneratiō is made Ioh. iij. i. Pe. iiij For onles a man be borne agayne of water and spirite he can not se God And he calleth it a see after the Hebrues fashion whych be wont to call al gatherynges of waters sees as in the thyrd boke of kynges it is called the brasen see wherin the prestes in theyr ministracion washed and in certaine other places Now glasse is a bryght thyng wherby is meant that the water of baptisme purifyeth and maketh bryght not so much the bodye as the hartes yea euē in the outwarde conuersation of maners according to that of Christe Let your lyght so shyne before
whan we spiritually eate hym drynke hym that is to saye when we know wherfore Christ serueth vs and so suffre hym by true fayth and charitie to entre into oure soules and to dwell wythin vs whych thynge he promyseth vs here in this gospell that he woll do in case we declare the frute of our fayth and kepe hys worde ☞ Furthermore ye shall obserue good people in thys gospell that Christe here shewed hys disciples that he must go awaye from them but yet he sayeth he woll come agayne But I praye you when commeth Christ agayne vnto vs Surely he cōmeth agayne when he sendeth hys worde and hys spirite vnto vs. For loke where the worde is and there is Christ moost presently So in an other place he sayeth Math. xxviij Lo I am wyth you euen to the ende of the world Fynally where Christ sayeth that the father is greter then he ye shall vnderstande that Christe otherwhyles speaketh as a man otherwhyles as God whyche thynge oughte diligently to be obserued of such as woll studye holy scripture For that he here sayeth My father is greater than I ye must referre it to hys humanitie But of hys diuinitie in an other place he speaketh in thys wyse Ioh. x. I and my father be one And now sayeth Christ callynge backe hys disciples to hys worde whereby they myght comforte themselues after hys departure I haue tolde you of it before hande to thintent that whan it is come to passe ye myght beleue that I wolle surely come vnto you agayne Herafter woll I not speake much vnto you Prīceps mundi that is to wyt presently in person wyth mans voyce For the prince of this worlde commeth that is to saye my mortall enemy and yours Satā the deuel whych treadeth vpon my hele is at hande Gen. iij. And he calleth hym the prince of the worlde of hys effecte bycause he cōmaundeth and ruleth the worlde after hys wyll and pleasure and draweth it whether he woll as he lust hymselfe But thys prince of the worlde thys Satan sayeth Christe hath nought in me As who shulde saye albeit the prince of the world is commyng agaynst me to vtter and worke al that euer he can deuise to put me downe yet sure I am that I shall ouercome hym So he maketh hys disciples afrayed in that he telleth them that the prince of thys worlde is marchyng forwarde agaynst him but agayne he comforteth them when he sayeth he hath nought in hym And in these few wordes is expressed the pyth of the hole gospell Wherfore to cōclude of thys victory of Christ all we good christen people shal be partakers in case we beleue accordynge as in thys Gospell we be taught And consequently the holy goost who is the true and only comforter in al troubles and affliccion shal make hys mansion and abode wythin vs and put vs in mynde of all Christes wyll and pleasure to the glorye of God the father of heauen and hys only begotten sonne Christ Iesus our Lorde Qui viuit regnat in infinita secula Amen The Epistle on the seconde daye of Pentecost The .x. chapter of the Actes Th argument ☞ How the Heythen receyued the holy goost were baptised PEter opened hys mouth and sayd Iesus commaunded vs to preach vnto the people and to testifye that it is he whych was ordeyned of God to be the iudge of quycke and deade To him gyue all the prophetes wytnes that thorowe hys name who so euer beleueth in hym shall receaue remission of synnes Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy goost fell on all them whyche herde the preachynge And they of the circumcision whyche beleued were astonnyed as many as came with Peter bycause that on the Gentyls also was shed out the gyfte of the holy goost For they herde them speake wyth tonges and magnifye God Then answered Peter can any mā forbyd water that these shulde not be baptised whyche haue receyued the holy goost as well as we And he commaunded them to be baptised in the name of the Lorde The sūme of S. Peters prechīg GOod people the summe of saynt Peters sermō here is that Iesus Christ whych for hys benefytes and wonderfull vertues that he shewed amonges the Iues was crucifyed that is to wyt nayled moost vilanously to the crosse whych was the moost paynfull and cruell death that the Iues coulde ymagyne dyd notwythstandynge ryse agayne from death to lyfe and that who soeuer wol beleue in him shal be saued And he sayeth furthermore that God annoynted thys Iesus of Nazareth wyth the holy goost and wyth power Wherby he declareth hym to be the true Messias whych was promysed to the fathers and of whome the prophete Dauid spake I haue anoynted my kinge ouer Zion my holy hyl He declareth also that Christes office is to do good to all Now thys resurrection of Christ he cōfirmeth both wyth hys owne wytnesse and wyth the wytnes of all that sawe the thynge wyth theyr eyes And lest a man shulde reiecte them as parciall wytnesses bycause they were hys seruauntes and disciples he fetcheth out a moost sure recorde of scripture sayenge that all the prophetes do testifye of thys Christ Fynally lest a man woll fynde cauillacion and say they cam forth of their owne mynd vncalled to beare wytnes of thys thynge he addeth that they were commaunded and sent by God to preache to the people to testifye that it is thys same Iesus Christ which was ordeyned of God to be the iuge of the quycke deade Whych thynge is also an vndoubted artycle of our fayth To thys Christ sayeth Peter gyue all the prophetes wytnes that through hys name who so euer beleue in hym shal be saued And amonges other the prophete Esaye who wryteth of Christe in thys wyse Esa liij He only hath taken on hym our infirmitie and borne our paynes The payne of our punishment was layde vpon hym and wyth hys strypes are we healed Surely we haue gone all astray lyke shepe euery one hath turned hys owne waye But through hym the Lorde hath pardoned all our synnes Lo here ye maye se playnly aswell by the wordes of saynt Peter in thys place as by thys prophet Esay how we get remission of synnes by beleuynge in Christ Thys doth also saynt Paule in many places declare namely through out hys hole epistle to the Romaynes Origene in epist ad Ro. li. iij. ca. iij. Whereupon the auncient doctoure Origene wrytynge sayth Man therfore is iustified by fayth whome the workes of the lawe do nothyng helpe to ryghtuousnes For where fayth is not which iustifyeth the beleuer althoughe a man haue workes of the lawe yet bycause they be not buylded vpon the foundacion of fayth albeit they seme to be good they can not iustifye the worker yf fayth be awaye whyche is the seale of all that be iustifyed of God Ambrose of the callynge of the gentyls
what is wrytten in the lawe How redest thou And he answered and sayde Loue the Lorde thy God wyth all thy hart and wyth all thy soule and wyth all thy strength and wyth all thy mynde and thy neyghbour as thy selfe And he sayde vnto hym Thou hast answered ryght This do and thou shalt lyue But he wyllynge to iustifye hymselfe sayd vnto Iesus And who is my neyghboure Iesus answered and sayd A certayne man descended from Ierusalem to Hierico and fell amonge theues which robbed hym of hys rayment and wounded hym and departed leauynge hym halfe deade And it chaunced that there came downe a certayne prest that same waye and whan he sawe hym he passed by And lykewyse a Leuite whan he wente nye to the place came and loked on hym and passed by But a certayne Samaritane as he iorneyed came vnto hym and whā he sawe hym he had compassion on hym and went to and bounde vp hys woundes poured in oyle and wyne set him on his owne beast and brought hym to a cōmon ynne made prouision for hym And on the morowe whan he departed he toke out two pence and gaue them to the hoost and sayd vnto hym Take cure of hym and what so euer thou spendest more whā I come agayne I wyll recōpence the. Whych now of these thre thynkest thou was neyghbour vnto hym that fel amonge the theues And he said he that shewed mercy on hym Than sayde Iesus vnto hym Go and do thou lykewyse BLessed be the eyen whych se that you haue sene c. Welbeloued audience these be the wordes of our Sauiour Christ spoken to hys disciples in the x. chapter of Luke whych be red in the churche thys daye For the better vnderstandynge wherof ye shal marke that Christe a lytle before the speakynge of these wordes reioysyng in spirite gaue prayses and thankes to hys father of heuen bycause he had hyd the mysterye of the gospell from the proude Pharisees whych were counted the wyse and wyttye persones of the worlde and had disclosed and opened it to symple and vnlerned persons as to fyshermē publicanes and so forth such as were hys disciples And speakynge these wordes he turned hymselfe to hys disciples apart and sayde the wordes before rehersed Blessed be the eyen that se whych you do se For I tell you that many prophetes kynges wold haue sene that you se and sawe not and wolde haue herde that you heare herde not I praye you what herde what sawe these disciples that the prophetes and kynges whych were before them herde not nor sawe not Truly they sawe not they herd not Christ as dyd thappostles They busely wayted and loked for hym they knewe such one shulde come to redeme and saue them from euerlastynge dānation death wherof they were gyltie by the synne of Adam theyr fyrst father But they coulde not se hym personally For the tyme was not yet come that the father of heuen had set and determined to sende hym And amōges other holy fathers whych loked for thys redēption Luce. ij we reade in holy scripture of one Symeon a ryghtuouse and deuoute man whyche had receyued an answere of the holy goost that he shulde not se death tyll he had sene wyth hys eyen the Christe of the Lorde that is to saye the Messias that shulde saue and redeme the worlde whyche thynge came to passe For whan Christ our sauiour was brought to the temple on the eyght daye to be circumcised accordynge to the custome of the Iues thys Symeon in spyred with the holy goost came into the temple and takynge the chylde in hys armes praysed God and sayd Now thou lycencest me thy seruaunt to depart o Lorde accordyng to thy word in peace For myne eyen haue sene thy sauynge stocke whych thou hast prepared before the face of all people c. We reade also of a certayne wydowe prophetisse named Anne doughter of Phanuell Luce. ij which was also in the temple the same tyme and praysed the Lorde in lyke wyse spake of thys Christ vnto all those that wayted for the redemption of Israell These I saye and suche other whyche were in Christes tyme reioysed to se that they sawe and to heare that they herde But thys coulde not the holy prophetes and kynges whyche were before Christes commynge into thys world se bycause the tyme was not yet come So Christ myght very well call the disciples blessed bycause they saw thynges and also herde doctrine taught them which were not sene nor herde before Now whan Christe had spoken these wordes and was come agayne to the people to teache and instructe them hys doctrine beholde a certayne scribe which was a lawyer sterte vp to take Christ in a trippe and to tempte hym sayenge Mayster what shall I do to inherite euerlastynge lyfe Christ perceyuynge wherabout he went answered and sayd to the lawyer What is wrytten in the lawe Deut. vi How doest thou rede there He sayd In the lawe thus is it wrytten Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with thy hole harte and thy hole soule and wyth thy hole myght and wyth all thy mynde and thy neyghboure as thy selfe Than sayd Christ vnto hym Thou hast well answered Thys do and thou shalt lyue As who shulde saye Thou art a doctour a teacher and mayster in Israel Do the thynge that thou teachest other to do be a worker of the thynge that thou readest For not the hearers of the lawe be iust before God Rom. ij but the doers of the lawe shal be iustifyed Thynke not for al my new and straūge doctrine to your eares Math. v. that I am come to destroye the law and the prophetes as many do thinke of me No no I am not come to destroye but to fulfyll Ye scribes and pharisees cōmonly set lytle by gods hestes and commaundementes all your busye studye labour is to auaunce set vp your owne lawes your owne rytes and traditions But I tel you and take it for a warnynge that who so euer breaketh one of these lytle prety cōmaundementes of God for so ye coūte them in comparison of yours and teacheth men to do as he doth as cōmonly ye scribes and pharisees do Math. v beleue me he shall haue lest to do in heauen But that person whych fyrst doth hymselfe afterwarde teacheth other men these cōmaundementes of God of whych thou hast rekened vp the chefest of all and that whych conteyneth all the rest doubtles thys felowe shal be called a great man in heuen Now good people ye shall vnderstande that the scribes pharisees amonges the Iues in dede taught whā they sate in Moses chaire the lawe of God and hys commaundementes but they added many gloses interpretacions and additions of theyr owne heades They corrupted gods worde wyth theyr owne traditions as tauerners be wont to brewe and corrupt the pure wyne wyth other vnholsome thynges for theyr owne gaynes and auauntage
breade whiche is descended downe from heuen euen the moste preciouse body of our sauiour Christ whiche was betrayed and put to death to redeme the lyfe of the hole worlde Let vs beleue it let vs take it we shall lyue The mystery of this thing is right straunge and wonderfull to the world But suerly onles thou beest by faith ingrafted and incorporated into this mysticall body stycke faste in the same euen as a braunche doth in the vine tree thou shalt haue no lyfe in the. Let vs not my frendes murmoure wythin our selues as the Iues did and say how can he gyue vs his fleshe to eate The Iues saythe saynte Augustine bycause they vnderstode not the breade of concorde Austin therfore they discorded and fel at variaunce wythin themselues But suerly they that eate this bread do not stryue nor contende wythin themselues for by thys most blessed and heuenly breade god maketh them to dwel in hys house in full vnitie and concorde togyther Christ assureth vs that onles we eate hys fleshe and drynke hys blode we shall not haue lyfe in vs. Ioh. vj. But how shal we eate his fleshe and drynke his bloude Truly as all holy doctours expounde thys texte we eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloude August lib. iij. de doct Christ S. Ambrose when we communicate and take parte of his passion and swetly and profitably lay vp in our memory that hys fleshe was crucifyed and wounded that his most precyouse blode was shed for vs. He that beleueth not thus in hym sayth saynt Augustine eateth not Christ and therefore he hath not the Christen fayth without whyche he can haue no pardon of hys synnes Wherfore my freÌ„des let vs dayly eate this heaueÌ„ly breade this Christ our louyng sauiour in spirite and by fayth Let vs I saye take holde of him let vs apprehende him by fayth let vs take the benefite and vse of his passion and resurrection ☜ let vs make him all ours Let vs suffre hym to entre into vs. Spiritually we ought dayly to receyue him But both spiritually and also sacramentally and corporally we must receiue him with most hyghe reuereÌ„ce in forme of breade at suche tyme as the churche appoynteth and namely at the feaste of Easter I saye when we come to the aultare of god and to his holy borde let vs take hede that we worthely receyue in forme of breade his moste preciouse body i. cor xj lest we take hym to our daÌ„nacion not discerning the lordes body Which thyng we can not do without penauÌ„ce stedfast fayth and ful purpose of ameÌ„ding our former lyfe Let vs fyrst or euer we approch to this blessid sacrameÌ„t examine our selues by knowledging our sinnes against god Contricion of herte wherunto we shal be brought by heryng considering gods wyl declared in his lawes perceiuing in our coÌ„science the god is displeased with vs for the same and therupon coÌ„ceiuing not only greate sorowe but also great feare of gods wrath towardes vs coÌ„sidering we haue no worthy meritê to lay before god as sufficient satisfaction for our synnes which done we must coÌ„ceiue sure hope fayth that god yet wyl forgiue vs our synnes not for our owne worthines but for the only merites of his bloude passion which fayth we shal coÌ„firme by the applieng of Christes promise coÌ„teined in his gospell namely in the institucyon of thys most blessed sacrameÌ„t where it is sayde giuen for the remissioÌ„ of our synnes Faythe hope of forgiuenes Math. xxvj But to the atteining of this fayth the seconde parte of penaunce that is to say confession to the prest is necessary Confession to a preste inasmuch as the absolucion giueÌ„ by him is ordeined of Christ to applie the promises of gods grace to vs according to these textes Ioh. xx Luce. x. Whose synnes soeuer you forgiue shal be forgiuen whose synnes ye reteine shal be reteined Also He that heareth you heareth me Finally being thus truly penitent coÌ„trite coÌ„fessed we must also bryng forth the frutes of penauÌ„ce The frutes of penaunce as prayer fasting almes dede We must also make restitucion or satisfaccion in wyl dede to our neyghbours in that we haue done them wrong We must also do al other good workes of mercy charitie expresse our obedient wyl in fulfylling of gods coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t outwardly when tyme and occasion shal be gyuen vs. Thus we shall examine our selues so receyue this moste holy sacrament worthely Otherwyse we shal receiue our owne damnacion Wherfore my freÌ„des do as I haue here declared vnto you and ye shal receiue forgiuenes of your sinnes at laste the croune of euerlasting lyfe Vnto whiche c. THE EPISTLE ON TRINITIE SONDAYE THE IIII. Chapter of the Apocalyps Th argument ☞ God 's Maiestie is here described I Loked vp and sawe a dore open in heauen and the fyrst voyce whych I herde was as it were of a trompet talkynge wyth me whych sayd come vp hyther and I wyll shewe the thynges whych must be fulfylled herafter And immediatly I was in the spirite and beholde a seate was set in heauen and one sat on the seate And he that sat was to loke vpoÌ„ lyke a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone And there was a rayne bowe aboute the seate in syght lyke to an Emeralde And aboute the seate were .xxiiij. seates And vpon the seates .xxiiij. Elders sytting clothed in whyt rayment and had on their heades crownes of golde And out of the seate proceded lyghtenynges and thundrynges and voyces and there were seuen lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whych are the seuen spirites of God And before the seate there was a see of glasse like vnto Crystal and in the myddes of the seate and rounde aboute the seate were foure beastes ful of eyes before and behynde And the fyrst beast was lyke a Lyon and the seconde beast lyke a Calfe and the thyrde beast had a face as a Man and the fourth beast was lyke a flyenge Egle. And the foure beastes had eche one of them .vi. wynges about hym and they were full of eyes wythin And they had no rest daye neyther nyght sayenge Holy holy holy Lorde God almyghty whych was and is and is to come And whan those beastes gaue glorye and honoure and thankes to hym that sat on the seate whych lyueth for euer and euer the .xxiiij. Elders fell downe before hym that satte on the trone and worshypped hym that lyueth for euer and cast their crownes before the trone sayenge thou arte worthy o Lorde oure God to receyue glorye and honoure and power for thou hast created all thynges and for thy wylles sake they are and were created GOod people we be sure by scripture that there is but one God For it sayth Herken o Israel thy god is one Deu. v. But forasmuch as the scripture doth attribute godheade and diuine essencie to