the Lorde Which one benefite among all other is so great wonderfull that neyther tongue can well expresse it neither heart thinke it much lesse geue sufficient thankes to god for it But here is a great controuersie betwene vs and the Jewes whether the same Jesus which was borne of the virgin Marie be the true Messias and true sauiour of the worlde so long promised prophesied of before They as they are and haue ben alwayes proude stiffe necked woulde neuer acknowledge hym vntil this day but haue loked and gaped for another to come They haue this fond imagination in their heades that Messias shall come not as Christ did like a poore pilgrime and simple soule rydyng vppon an Asse But lyke a baliaunt and mightie king in great royaltie honour Not as Christ did with a fewe fishermen and men of small estimation in the world but with a great armie of strong men with a great traine of wyse noble mē as knightes Lords Earles Dukes Princes so foorth Neither do they thinke that their Messias shal slaunderously suffer death as Christ dyd but that he shall stoutly conquer and manfully subdue al his enemies and finallie obtayne such a kingdome on earth as neuer was seene from the beginning While they faigne vnto them selues after this sort a Messias of theyr owne brayne they deceaue them selues and accompt Christe as an abiect foole of the worlde Therefore Christ crucified as saint Paul sayth is vnto the Jewes a stumbling blocke and to the Gentiles foolishnes because they thinke it an absurde thing and contrary to all reason that a redemer and sauiour of the whole world should be handled after suche a sort as he was namelye scorned reuiled scourged condempned and last of al cruelly hanged This I say seemed in their eyes straunge and most absurde and therefore neyther they would at that tyme neyther wyll they as yet acknowledge Christe to be theyr Messias and sauiour But we dearely beloued that hope loke to be saued must both stedfastly beleue and also boldly confesse that the same Jesus which was borne of the virgin Marie was the true Messias and mediatour betweene God and man promised and prophecied of so long before For as the Apostle writeth With the heart man beleueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluatiō Againe in the same place Whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall neuer be ashamed nor confounded Wherto agreeth also the testimonie of saint John written in the fourth Chapter of his first generall Epistle on this wyse Whosoeuer confesseth that Jesus is the sonne of God he dwelleth in God and God in hym There is no doubt but in this poynt all Christian men are fully and perfectly perswaded Yet shal it not be a lost labour to instruct and furnish you with a fewe places concerning this matter that ye maye be able to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all them that moste Jewishely or rather diuelishly shall at any time go about to teache or maintaine the contrary First ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of the angel Gabriel declared aswel to Zacharie the high priest as also to the blessed virgin Secondly ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of John the Baptist poynting vnto Christe and saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Thirdly ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of God the father who thundred from heauen and sayde This is my dearelye beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Fourthly ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of the holye ghost whiche came downe frō heauen in maner of a white doue and lighted vpon him in time of his baptisme To these myght be added a great number more namely the witnesse testimonie of the wise men that came to Herode the witnes and testimonie of Simeon and Anna the witnesse and testimonie of Andrew and Philip Nathanael and Peter Nicodemus and Martha with diuers other But it were to long to repeate all and a fewe places are sufficient in so plaine a matter specially among them that are alredye perswaded Therfore if the priuie impes of amechriste and craftie instrumentes of the deuil shal attempt or go about to withdrawe you frō this true Messias and perswade you to loke for another that is not yet come let thē not in any case seduce you but cōfirme your selues with these such other testimonies of holy scripture whiche are so sure certaine that all the deuils in hell shal neuer be able to withstand them For as truelye as God liueth so truelye was Jesus Christe the true messias and sauiour of the worlde euen the same Jesus which as this day was borne of the virgin Marie without all helpe of man only by the power and operation of the holy ghost Concerning whose nature and substaunce because diuers sundry heresies are rysen in these our dayes through the motion and suggestion of Satan therefore it shal be needefull profitable for your instruction to speake a worde or two also of this parte We are euidently taught in the scripture that our Lord and sauiour Christ consisteth of two seuerall natures of his manhood being thereby perfect man and of his Godhead being thereby perfect god It is written The worde that is to say the seconde person in Trinitie became fleshe GOD sendyng his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe fulfilled those thinges which the lawe coulde not Christ being in fourme of God toke on him the fourme of a seruaunt was made like vnto man beyng founde in shape as a man GOD was shewed in fleshe iustified in spirite seene of angels preached to the Gentiles beleued on in the world and receaued vp in glorye Also in another place There is one God and one mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe These be plaine places for the profe and declaration of both natures vnited and knitte together in one Christe Let vs diligently consyder and waygh the workes that he dyd whiles he lyued on earth and we shall thereby also perceaue the selfe same thing to be most true In that he did hunger and thirst eate and drinke sleepe and wake in that he preached his Gospell to the people in that he wept and sorowed for Hierusalem in that he payde tribute for him selfe and Peter in that he dyed and suffered death what other thing dyd he els declare but onlye this that he was perfect man as we are For whiche cause he is called in holye scripture sometyme the sonne of Dauid sometime the sonne of man sometime the sonne of Marie sometime the sonne of Joseph and so foorthe Nowe in that he forgaue sinnes in that he wrought myracles in that he dyd cast out deuils in that he healed men with his only worde in that he knewe the thoughtes of mens heartes in that he had the seas at his cōmaundement in that he walked on the water in that
The second Tome of Homilees of such matters as were promised and intituled in the former part of Homilees Set out by the aucthoritie of the Queenes Maiestie And to be read in euery parishe Church agreeably 1571. The Table of homilees ensuyng 1 OF the ryght vse of the Churche 2 Against peril of Idolatrie iii. partes 3 For repayryng and kepyng cleane the Churche 4 Of good workes And first of fastyng ii partes 5 Agaynst gluttonie and dronkennesse 6 Agaynst excesse of apparrell 7 An Homilee of prayer iii. partes 8 Of the place and time of prayer ii partes 9 Of common prayer and sacramentes 10 An information for them which take offence at certayne places of holye scripture ii partes 11 Of almes deedes iii. partes 12 Of the Natiuitie 13 Of the passion for good Friday ii Homilees 14 Of the Resurrection for Easter day 15 Of the worthy receauing of the sacrament ii partes 16 An Homilee concerning the cōming downe of the holye Ghost for Whitsunday ii partes 17 An Homilee for rogation weeke iiii partes 18 Of the state of matrimonie 19 Agaynst idlenesse 20 Of repentaunce and true reconciliation vnto god iii. partes 21 An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion vi partes ¶ An admonition to all Ministers ecclesiasticall FOR that the Lorde doth require of his seruaunt whom he hath set ouer his householde to shewe both faythfulnesse and prudence in his office it shal be necessarye that ye aboue al other do behaue your selfe moste faythfully and diligently in your so hygh a function that is aptly playnely and distinctly to reade the sacred scriptures diligently to instruct the youth in their Catechisme grauely and reuerently to minister his most holy Sacramentes prudently also to choose out such Homilees as be most meete for the time for the more agreeable instruction of the people committed to your charge with such discretion that where the Homilee may appeare to long for one readyng to diuide the same to be read part in the fore noone and part in the after noone And where it may so chaunce some one or other chapter of the olde Testament to fal in order to be read vppon the Sundayes or holye dayes whiche were better to be chaunged with some other of the newe Testament of more edification it shal be wel done to spende your tyme to consyder wel of such chapters before hand wherby your prudence and diligence in your office may appeare so that your people may haue cause to glorifie God for you and be the redyer to imbrace your labours to your better commendatiō to the discharge of your cōsciences their owne An Homilee of the ryght vse of the Churche or temple of God and of the reuerence due vnto the same ¶ The first part WHERE there appeareth at these dayes great slacknesse negligence of a great sorte of people in resorting to the Church there to serue God their heauenly father accordyng to their most bounden duetie as also muche vncomely and vnreuerent behauiour of many persons in the same when they be there assembled and thereby maye iust feare aryse of the wrath of GOD and his dreadfull plagues hanging ouer our heades for our greeuous offences in this behalfe amongst other many great sinnes which we dayly and hourely commit before the Lorde Therefore for the discharge of al our consciences and the auoydyng of the common peryl plague hangyng ouer vs let vs consyder what may be sayde out of Gods holy booke concernyng this matter whereunto I pray you geue good audience for that it is of great wayght and concerneth you all Although the eternall and incomprehensible maiestie of God the Lorde of heauen and earth whose seate is heauen the earth his footestole can not be inclosed in temples or houses made with mans hande as in dwelling places able to receaue or conteyne his maiestie accordyng as is euidently declared by the prophete Esaias and by the doctrine of saint Steuen and saint Paul in the Actes of the Apostles And where kyng Salomon who builded vnto the Lorde the most glorious temple that euer was made sayth Who shal be able to buylde a meete or worthye house for hym if heauen and the heauen aboue all heauens can not contayne hym howe muche lesse can that whiche I haue builded And further confesseth What am I that I shoulde be able to buylde thee an house O Lord But yet for this purpose only it is made that thou mayest regarde the prayer of thy seruaunt and his humble supplication Muche lesse then be our Churches meete dwellyng places to receaue the incomprehensible maiestie of god And in deede the cheefe and speciall temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and moste delyghteth to dwell and continue in are the bodyes and myndes of true Christians and the chosen people of GOD accordyng to the doctrine of the holye scripture declared in the firste Epistle to the Corinthians Knowe ye not sayth Saint Paul that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you If any man defyle the temple of God hym wyll God destroye For the temple of God is holy which ye are And agayne in the same Epistle Knowe ye not that your body is the temple of the holye ghost dwellyng in you whom ye haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne for ye are dearely bought Glorifie ye nowe therefore God in your body and in your spirite whiche are Gods. And therefore as our sauiour Christe teacheth in the Gospell of saint John they that worshyp God the father in spirite and trueth in what place so euer they do it worshyp hym a ryght for suche worshyppers doth God the father looke for For God is a spirite those that worshyp hym must worship him in spirit and trueth sayth our sauiour Christe Yet all this notwithstandyng the material Church or temple is a place appoynted aswell by the vsage and continuall examples expressed in the olde Testament as in the newe for the people of God to resort together vnto there to heare Gods holy worde to call vpon his holy name to geue hym thankes for his innumerable and vnspeakeable benefites bestowed vppon vs and duely and truely to celebrate his holy sacramentes In the vnfayned doyng and accomplyshyng of the whiche standeth that true and right worshipping of God afore mentioned and the same Churche or temple is by the scriptures both of the olde Testament and the newe called the house and temple of the Lorde for the peculier seruice there done to his maiestie by his people for the effectuous presence of his heauenlye grace where with he by his sayde holye word endueth his people so there assembled And to the sayde house or temple of God at all tymes by common order appoynted are all people that be godly in deede bounde with all diligence to resorte vnlesse by sicknesse or other moste vrgente causes they be letted therefro And
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
first of Luke that when Zacharie the holy priest and father to John baptist dyd sacrifice within the temple al the people stoode without a long tyme praying suche was theyr zeale and feruencie at that tyme And in the seconde of Luke appeareth what great iourneyes men women yea and chyldren tooke to come to the temple on the feast day there to serue the Lorde and specially the example of Joseph the blessed virgin Marie mother to our Sauiour Jesus Christe and of our sauiour Christe hym selfe beyng yet but a child whose examples are worthy for vs to folowe So that yf we woulde compare our negligence in resortyng to the house of the Lorde there to serue hym to the diligence of the Jewes in commyng dayly verye early sometyme great iourneyes to theyr temple and when the multitude coulde not be receaued within the temple the feruent zeale that they had declared in standyng long without and praying We may iustly in this comparison condemne our slouthfulnesse and negligence yea playne contempt in comming to the Lordes house standyng so nere vnto vs so seldome and scarcely at none time So farre is it from a great many of vs to come early in the morning or geue attendaunce without who disdayne to come into the temple and yet we abhorre the verye name of the Jewes when we heare it as of a moste wycked and vngodly people But it is to be feared that in this poynt we be farre worse then the Jewes and that they shall ryse at the day of iudgement to our condemnation who in comparison to them shewe suche slackenesse and contempt in resortyng to the house of the Lorde there to serue him according as we are of duetie most bounde And besides this moste horrible dread of Gods iust iudgement in the great day we shall not in this lyfe escape his heauie hande and vengeaunce for this contempt of the house of the Lord and his due seruice in the same accordyng as the Lorde him selfe threatneth in the firste Chapter of his prophete Aggeus after this sort Because you haue left my house desert and without compayne sayth the Lorde and ye haue made haste euery man to his owne house for this cause are the heauens stayed ouer you that they shoulde geue no deaw and the earth is forbidden that it shall bryng foorth his fruite and I haue called drought vpon the earth and vppon the mountaynes and vpon corne and vpon wyne and vppon oyle and vpon al things that the earth bringeth foorth and vpon men and vppon beastes and vpon all thynges that mens handes labour for Beholde yf we be such worldlinges that we care not for the eternall iudgementes of GOD whiche yet of all other are moste dreadfull and horrible we shall not escape the punishment of God in this worlde by drought and famine and the takyng away of all worldlye commodities whiche we as worldlinges seeme only to regard and care for Whereas on the contrary part yf we woulde amende this faulte or negligence slouthfulnesse and contempt of the house of the Lorde and his due seruice there and with diligence resort thither together to serue the Lorde with one accorde and consent in all holines and ryghteousnesse before hym we haue promises of benefites both heauenly and worldly Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered in my name saieth our sauiour Christ there am I in the middest of them And what can be more blessed thē to haue our sauiour Christe amongst vs Or what againe can be more vnhappy or mischeuous then to driue our sauiour Christe from amongst vs and to leaue a place for his and our most auncient and mortall enemie the olde dragon and serpent Satan the deuyll in the middest of vs In the second of Luke it is written how that the mother of Christ and Joseph when they had long sought Christ whom they had lost coulde finde hym no where that at the last they founde hym in the temple sittyng in the middest of the doctours So if we lacke Jesus Christe that is to say the sauiour of our soules and bodyes we shall not finde hym in the market place or in the guylde hal much lesse in the alehouse or tauerne amongst good felowes as they call them so soone as we shall fynde hym in the temple the Lordes house amongst the teachers and preachers of his worde where in deede he is to be founde And as concerning worldly cōmodities we haue a sure promise of our sauiour Christe Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof and al these thinges shal withall be geuen vnto you And thus we haue in the first part of this Homilee declared by gods word that the Temple or Churche is the house of the Lorde for that the seruice of the Lorde as teaching and hearing of his holy worde calling vppon his holye name geuyng thankes to hym for his great and innumerable benefites and due ministring of his sacraments is there vsed And it is lyke wyse declared alredy by the scriptures howe all godly and Christian men and women ought at tymes appoynted with diligence to resort vnto the house of the Lord there to serue hym and to glorifie hym as he is most worthy and we most bounde to whom be all glory and honor world without ende Amen ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee of the ryght vse of the Churche IT was declared in the firste part of this Homilee by gods word that the temple or Churche is the house of the lord for that the seruice of the Lorde as teaching hearyng of his holy worde calling vpō his holy name geuyng thankes to hym for his great and innumerable benefites and due ministring of the sacramentes is there vsed And it is lyke wyse alredy declared by the scriptures how all godly and christian men women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort vnto the house of the Lorde there to serue him and to glorifie hym as he is most worthy and we most bounden Nowe it remayneth in this second parte of the Homilee concernyng the ryght vse of the temple of God to be likewyse declared by Gods worde with what quietnesse scilence and reuerence those that resort to the house of the Lord ought there to vse and behaue them selues It may teache vs sufficiently how well it doth become vs christian men reuerently to vse the Churche and holy house of our prayers by considering in how greate reuerence and veneration the Jewes in the olde lawe had their Temple whiche appeareth by sundrye places whereof I wyll note vnto you certayne In the xxvi of Matthewe it was laide to our sauiour Christes charge before a temporall iudge as a matter worthy death by the two false witnesses that he had sayde he could destroy the temple of GOD and in three dayes buylde it agayne not doubting but yf they might make men to beleue that he had sayde any thyng agaynst the honour and maiestie of
house of God is a place appoynted by the holy scriptures where the lyuely word of God ought to be read taught hearde the Lordes holy name called vpon by publique prayer heartie thankes geuen to his maiestie for his infinite and vnspeakeable benefits bestowed vpon vs his holy Sacramentes duely and reuerently ministred that therfore all that be godly in deede ought both with diligence at times appoynted to repayre together to the said Church and there with all reuerence to vse and behaue them selues before the Lorde And that the sayde Church thus godly vsed by the seruauntes of the Lorde in the Lordes true seruice for the effectuous presence of Gods grace wherewith he doth by his holy word and promises endue his people there present and assembled to the attaynement aswell of commodities worldly necessary for vs as also of all heauenly gyftes lyfe euerlastyng is called by the worde of GOD as it is in deede the temple of the Lorde and the house of God and that therefore the due reuerence thereof is stirred vp in the heartes of the godly by the consyderation of these true ornamentes of the sayde house of God and not by any outwarde ceremonies or costly and glorious deckyng of the sayde house or temple of the Lorde contrarie to the which most manyfest doctrine of the scriptures contrary to the vsage of the primitiue Church whiche was most pure and vncorrupt and contrary to the sentences and iudgementes of the most auncient learned and godly doctours of the Churche as hereafter shall appeare the corruption of these latter dayes hath brought into the Churche infinite multitudes of images and the same with other partes of the temple also haue decked with golde and siluer paynted with colours set them with stone pearle clothed them with silkes and pretious vestures phantasyng vntruely that to be the cheefe deckyng adournyng of the temple or house of God and that all people should be the more moued to the due reuerence of the same if all corners thereof were glorious and glisteryng with golde and pretious stones Whereas in deede they by the sayde images and suche glorious deckyng of the temple haue nothing at all profited suche as were wyse and of vnderstandyng but haue thereby greatly hurt the simple and vnwyse occasionyng them thereby to commit most horrible idolatrie And the couetous persons by the same occasion seemyng to worshyp peraduenture worshippyng in deede not onely the images but also the matter of them golde and siluer as that vice is of all others in the scriptures peculierly called idolatry or worshipping of images Against the which foule abuses and great enormities shal be alleaged vnto you First the aucthoritie of Gods holy worde aswell out of the olde Testament as of the newe And secondly the testimonies of the holy and ancient learned fathers and doctours out of their owne workes and auncient histories ecclesiasticall both that you may at once knowe their iudgementes and withall vnderstande what maner of ornamentes were in the temples in the primatiue church in those times whiche were moste pure and sincere Thirdly the reasons and argumentes made for the defence of images or idols and the outragious decking of temples and Churches with golde syluer pearle and pretious stone shal be confuted and so this whole matter concluded But least any shoulde take occasion by the way of doubtyng by wordes or names it is thought good heere to note first of all that although in common speache we vse to call the lykenesse or similitudes of men or other thynges images and not idols yet the scriptures vse the saide two wordes idols and images indifferently for one thyng alway They be wordes of diuers tongues and soundes but one in sense and signification in the scriptures The one is taken of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an idoll and the other of the Latin worde Imago an image and so both vsed as Englishe termes in the translatyng of scriptures indifferently accordyng as the Septuaginta haue in their translation in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saint Hierome in his translation of the same places in Latin hath Simulachra in Englishe images And in the newe Testament that whiche saint John calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Hierome lyke wyse translateth Simulacrum as in all other lyke places of scripture vsually he doth so translate And Tertullian a most ancient doctour and wel learned in both the tongues Greeke Latin interpretyng this place of Saint John Beware of idols that is to say sayeth Tertullian of the images them selues The Latin wordes whiche he vseth be Effigies and Imago to say an image And therfore it forceth not whether in this processe we vse the one terme or the other or both together seyng they both though not in common Englishe speache yet in scripture signifie one thyng And though some to blynde mens eyes haue heretofore craftily gon about to make them to be taken for wordes of diuers signification in matters of religion and haue therefore vsually named the lykenesse or similitude of a thyng set vp amongst the heathen in their temples or other places to be worshipped an idoll But the lyke similitude with vs set vp in the Churche the place of worshippyng they call an image as though these two wordes idoll and image inscripture dyd differ in proprietie and sense whiche as is aforesayde differ onely in sound and language and in meaning be in dede all one specially in the scriptures and matters of religion And our images also haue ben and be and yf they be publiquely suffred in Churches and temples euer wil be also worshipped and so idolatrie committed to them as in the last part of this Homilie shall at large be declared and proued Wherefore our images in temples and Churches be in deede none other but Idols as vnto the whiche idolatrie hath ben is and euer wyll be committed And first of all the scriptures of the olde Testament condemnyng and abhorring aswell all idolatrie or worshyppyng of images as also the very idols or images them selues speciallye in temples are so many and plentiful that it were almoste an infinite worke and to be conteyned in no small volume to recorde all the places concerning the same For when God had chosen to him selfe a peculier and speciall people from amongst all other nations that knewe not God but worshypped idols and false gods he gaue vnto them certayne ordinaunces and lawes to be kept and obserued of his sayde people But concerning none other matter did he geue either mo or more earnest and expresse lawes to his sayde people then those that concerned the true worshyppyng of hym and the auoyding and fleeyng of idols and images and idolatrie for that that both the sayde idolatrie is moste repugnaunt to the ryght worshipping of him and his true glorye aboue all other vices and that he knewe the pronenesse and inclination of mans corrupt kynde and nature to
shoulde not worshippe images and that we should not haue images in the Temple for feare and occasion of worshyppyng them though they be of them selues thynges indifferent For the Christian is the holye Temple and lyuely image of God as the place well declareth to suche as wyll reade and weight it And where as all godly men dyd euer abhorre that any kneelyng and worshipping or offeryng should be vsed to them selues when they were alyue for that it was the honour due to God onlye as appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles by Saint Peter forbidding it to Cornelius and by Saint Paul and Barnabas forbiddyng the same to the Citezins in Lyftra Yet we lyke mad men fall downe before the dead idols orimages of Peter and Paul and geue that honour to stockes and stones whiche they thought abhominable to be geuen to them selues beyng alyue And the good angell of God as appeareth in the booke of S. Johns reuelation refused to be kneeled vnto when that honour was offered hym of John Beware sayth the angell that thou do it not for I am thy felowe seruaunt But the euyll angell satan desyreth nothyng so muche as to be kneeled vnto and thereby at once both to robbe God of his due honour and to worke the damnation of suche as make hym so lowe curtesie as in the storic of the Gospell appeareth in sundry places Yea and he offered our Sauiour Christe all earthly goodes on the condition that he woulde kneele downe and worshyp hym But our Sauiour repelleth Satan by the Scriptures saying it is wrytten Thou shalt worshyppe thy Lorde God and hym alone shalt thou serue But we by not worshyppyng and seruyng God alone as the Scriptures teacheth vs and by worshypping of images contrary to the Scriptures plucke satan to vs and are readye without rewarde to folowe his desyre yea rather then fayle we wyll offer hym gyftes and oblations to receaue our seruice But let vs brethren rather folowe the counsell of the good angell of GOD then the suggestion of subtyll satan that wycked angell and olde serpent Who accordyng to the pryde whereby he firste fell attempteth alwaye by suche sacriledge to depryue God whom he enuyeth of his due honour and because his owne face is horrible and vglye to conuey it to hymselfe by the mediation of gylte stockes and stones and withall to make vs the enemies of God and his owne suppliantes and slaues and in the ende to procure vs for a rewarde euerlastyng destruction and damnation Therfore aboue all thinges if we take our selues to be Christians in deede as we be named let vs credite the worde obey the lawe and folowe the doctrine and example of our Sauiour maister Christe repelling satans suggestion to idolatrie and worshyppyng of images accordyng to the trueth alleaged and taught out of the Testament and Gospell of our sayde heauenly doctour and scholemaister Jesus Christe who is God to be bicssed for euer Amen ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee agaynst perill of Idolatrie YOu haue hearde welbeloued in the fyrst parte of this Homilee the doctrine of the word of God against idols images agaynste idolatrie and worshipping of images taken out of the scriptures of the olde Testament the newe and confirmed by the examples as well of the Apostles as of our Sauiour Christ him selfe Nowe although our Sauiour Christe taketh not or needeth not anye testimonie of men and that whiche is once confirmed by the certaintie of his eternall trueth hath no more neede of the confirmation of mans doctrine and wrytinges then the bryght sunne at noone tyde hath neede of the light of a litle candle to put away darknes and to encrease his lyght yet for your further contentation it shall in this second part be declared as in the begynnyng of the firste parte was promised that this trueth and doctrine concernyng the forbidding of images and worshipping of them taken out of the holy Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe was beleued and taught of the olde holy fathers and most ancient learned Doctours and receaued in the olde primatiue Churche which was most vncorrupt and pure And this declaration shal be made out of the sayd holy Doctours owne wrytynges and out of the auncient histories ecclesiasticall to the same belongyng Tertullian a most auncient wryter and Doctor of the Churche who lyued about one hundreth and threescore yeres after the death of our Sauiour Christe both in sundrye other places of his workes and speciallye in his booke wrytten agaynst the maner of crownyng and in another litle treatise entituled of the souldyers crowne or garlande doth moste sharplye and vehementlye wryte and inuey agaynste images or idols And vpon S. Johns wordes the firste Eyistle and. v. Chapter saith thus Saint John saith he depelye consydering the matter sayth My litle chyldren keepe your selues from images or idols He sayth not nowe keepe your selues from idolatrie as it were from the seruice and worshyppyng of them but from the images or idols them selues that is from the verye shape and lyknes of them For it were an vn worthye thyng that the image of the lyuyng God should become the image of a dead idoll Do not you thynke those persons whiche place images and idols in Churches and Temples yea shryne them euen ouer the Lordes Table euen as it were of purpose to the worshipping and honouring of them take good heede to either S. Johns counsels or Tertullians For so to place images and idols is it to keepe them selues from them or els to receaue and imbrace them Clemens in his booke to James brother of the Lorde sayth What can be so wycked or so vnthankfull as to receaue a benefite of God and to geue thankes therefore vnto stockes and stones Wherefore awake ye vnderstande your health for God hath neede of no man nor requireth any thyng nor can be hurt in any thyng But we be they whiche are eyther holpen or hurte in that we be thankfull to God or vnthankfull Origenes in his booke agaynste Celsus sayth thus Christian men and Jewes when they heare these wordes of the lawe Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God shalt not make any image do not onlye abhorre the Temples aulters and images of the gods but if neede be wyll rather dye then they shoulde defyle them selues with anye impietie And shortlye after he sayth In the common wealth of the Jewes the caruer of idols and image maker was cast farre of and forbidden least they shoulde haue any occasion to make images whiche myght plucke certayne foolishe persons from God and turne the eyes of their soules to the contemplation of earthly thynges And in an other place of the same booke It is not only sayth he a mad and â—rantike parte to worshyp images but also once to dissemble or wynk at it And a man may know God and his onely sonne and those whiche haue had suche honour geuen them by God
that they be called Gods But it is not possible that anye should by worshypping of images get any knowledge of God. Athanasius in his booke agaynst the Gentiles hath these wordes Let them tell I pray you how God maye be knowen by an image If it be by the matter of an image then there needeth no shape or fourme seeyng that God hath appeared in all materiall creatures whiche do testifie his glorye Nowe if they say he is knowen by the fourme or fashion is he not better to be knowen by the lyuyng thynges themselues whose fashions the images expresse For of suretie the glorye of God shoulde be more euidentlye knowen if it were declared by reasonable and lyuyng creatures rather then by dead and vnmoueable images Therefore when ye do graue or paynte images to the ende to knowe God thereby surelye ye do an vnworthye and vnfitte thyng And in an other place of the same booke he sayth The inuention of images came of no good but of euil and whatsoeuer hath an euyll begynnyng can neuer in any thyng be iudged good seeyng it is altogether naught Thus far Athanasius a very auncient holy and learned Byshop and Doctor who iudgeth both the first beginnyng the end and altogether of images or idols to be naught Lactantius likewise an old and learned wryter in his booke of the Origine of errour hath these words God is aboue man and is not placed beneath but is to be sought in the hyghest region Wherfore there is no doubt but that no religion is in that place wheresoeuer any image is For if religion stande in godly thinges and there is no godlynesse but in heauenly thynges then be images without religion These be Lactantius wordes who was aboue xiii hundreth yeres ago and within three hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe Cirillus an olde holy doctour vpon the Gospell of Saint Iohn hath these wordes Many haue left the creatour and haue worshypped the creature neyther haue they ben abashed to say vnto a stocke thou art my father vnto a stone thou begottest me For many yea almost all alas for sorowe are fallen vnto suche folly that they haue geuen the glorie of deitie or God head to thinges without sense or feelyng Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cipres a verye holye and learned man who lyued in Theodosius the Emperours tyme about three hundreth and ninetie yeres after our Sauiour Christes ascention writeth this to Iohn Patriarke of Hierusalem I entred sayth Epiphanius into a certayne Churche to pray I founde there a lynnen cloth hangyng in the Churche doore paynted and hauyng in it the image of Christe as it were or of some other Saint for I remember not well whose image it was therefore when I did see the image of a man hanging in the Churche of Christ contrary to thauethoritie of the scriptures I did teare it and gaue councell to the kepers of the Churche that they shoulde winde a poore man that was dead in the sayde cloth and so bury hym And afterwardes the same Epiphanius sendyng another vnpaynted cloth for that paynted one whiche he had torne to the sayde Patriarche wryteth thus I pray you wyll the elders of that place to receaue this clothe whiche I haue sent by this bearer and commaunde them that from hencefoorth no suche paynted clothes contrary to our religion be hanged in the Churche of Christe For it becommeth your goodnes rather to haue this care that you take away such scrupulositie which is vnsitting for the Churche of Christe and offensiue to the people committed to your charge And this Epistle as worthy to be read of many dyd saint Ierome hym selfe translate into the Latine tongue And that ye may knowe that saint Ierome had this holy and learned Bishop Epiphanius in most high estimation and therfore dyd translate this Epistle as a wrytyng of aucthoritie heare what a testimonie the sayde saint Ierome geueth him in another place in this treatie agaynst the errours of Iohn Byshop of Hierusalem where he hath these wordes Thou hast sayth saint Jerome Pope Epiphanius whiche doth openlye in his letters call thee an Ieritike Surely thou art not to be preferred before hym neyther for age nor learnyng nor godlynesse of lyfe nor by the testimonie of the whole worlde And shortlye after in the same treatie sayth Saint Jerome Bishop Epiphanius was euer of so great veneration and estimation that Valens the Emperour who was a great persecutour dyd not once touche hym For heritikes beyng princes thought it theyr shame yf they shoulde persecute suche a notable man And in the trypartite ecclesiasticall hystorie the. ix booke and xlviii Chapter is testified that Epiphanius beyng yet alyue dyd worke miracles and that after his death deuils being expelled at his graue or tombe dyd rore Thus you see what aucthoritie saint Ierome and that moste auncient hystorie geue vnto the holy and learned Byshop Epiphanius whose iudgement of images in Churches and temples then begynnyng by stealth to creepe in is worthy to be noted First he iudged it contrary to Christian religion and the aucthoritie of the scriptures to haue any images in Christes Churche Secondly he reiected not only carued grauen and moulten images but also painted images out of Christes Churche Thirdly that he regarded not whether it were the image of Christe or of any other saint but beyng an image woulde not suffer it in the Churche Fourthlye that he dyd not onlye remoue it out of the Churche but with a vehement zeale tare it a sunder and exhorted that a corse shoulde be wrapped and buryed in it iudgyng it meete for nothyng but to rotte in the earth folowyng herein the example of the good kyng Ezechias who brake the brasen serpent to peeces and burned it to ashes for that idolatrie was committed to it Last of al that Epiphanius thinketh it the duetie of vigilant Byshoppes to be carefull that no images be permitted in the Churche for that they be occasion of scruple and offence to the people committed to theyr charge Nowe wheras neyther saint Hierome who did translate the sayde Epistle nor the aucthours of that most auncient historie ecclesiasticall trypartite who do most highly commende Epiphanius as is aforesaid nor no other godly or learned Bishop at that time or shortly after haue wrytten any thing against Epiphanius iudgement concerning images it is an euident profe that in those dayes whiche were about foure hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe there were no images publiquely vsed and receaued in the Churche of Christe whiche was then muche lesse corrupt more pure then nowe it is And where as images began at that tyme secretelye and by stealth to creepe out of priuate mens houses into the Churches and that firste in paynted clothes and walles such Byshops as were godlye and vigilante when they espied them remoued them away as vnlawfull contrary to Christian religion as dyd here Epiphanius to whose iudgement you haue not onlye Saint
punyshment as for the lyke offence fel vpon the Jewes wyll also lighte vppon vs That is least the cruel tyrant and enemie of our common wealth and religion the Turke by Gods iuste vengeaunce in lykewise partly murder partly leade awaye into captiuitie vs christians as dyd the Assyrian and Babylonian kynges murder and leade away the Israelites and least the empire of Rome christian religion be so vtterly brought vnder foote as was then the kyngdome of Israel and true religion of God whereunto the matter already as I haue declared shrewdlye inclyneth on our part the greater part of christendom within lesse then three hundreth yeares space beyng brought into captiuitie and moste miserable thraldome vnder the Turke and the noble empire of Grece cleane euerted Whereas yf the christians diuided by these image matters had holden together no Infidels and miscreauntes could thus haue preuayled against christendome And all this mischiefe and miserie whiche we haue hitherto fallen into do we owe to our mightie gods of gold and siluer stocke and stone in whose helpe and defence where they can not helpe them selues we haue trusted so long vntyl our enemies the Infidels haue ouercome and ouer runne vs almost altogether A iust rewarde for those that haue left the myghtie lyuyng God the Lorde of hostes and haue stopped and geuen the honour due to hym to dead blockes stockes who haue eyes and see not cares and heare not feete and can not go and so foorth and are cursed of God and all they that make them and that put their trust in them Thus you vnderstande welbeloued in ou◠Sauiour Christe by the iudgemente of the olde learned and godly Doctours of the Church and by auncient histories Ecclesiasticall agreeyng to the veritie of Gods worde aleaged out of the olde Testament and the newe that images and image worshyppyng were in the primatiue Churche whiche was most pure and vncorrupt abhorred and detested as abhominable and contrary to true Christian religion And that when images began to creepe into the Churche they were not onlye spoken and wrytten agaynste by godly and learned Byshoppes Doctours and Clarkes but also condemned by whole counselles of Byshoppes and learned men assembled together yea the sayde images by many Christian Emperours and Byshopyes were defaced broken and destroyed and that aboue vii C. and viii C. yeres ago and that therefore it is not of late bayes as some woulde beare you in hande that images and image worshyppyng haue ben spoken and written agaynst Finally you haue heard what mischeefe and miserie hath by the occasion of the saide images fallen vppon whole Christendome besides the losse of infinite soules which is most horrible of all Wherefore let vs beseche God that we beyng warned by his holye worde forbidding all idolatrie and by the wrytynges of olde godly Doctours and ecclesiasticall histories wrytten and preserued by Gods ordinaunce for our admonition and warnyng may flee from all idolatrie and so escape the horrible punishment plagues as well worldly as euerlastyng threatned for the same whiche God our heauenly father graunt vs for our onlye Sauiour and Mediatour Jesus Christes sake Amen ¶ The thirde parte of the Homilee against images and the worshipping of them conteyning the confutation of the principall argumentes whiche are vsed to be made for the mayntenaunce of images VVhich part may serue to instruct the Curates them selues or men of good vnderstandyng NOwe ye haue heard howe plainelye how vehementlye and that in manye places the worde of God speaketh agaynste not onlye idolatry and worshipping of images but also agaynste idols and images them selues I meane alwayes thus herein in that we be stirred and prouoked by them to worshyp them and not as though they were simplie forbidden by the newe Testament without suth occasion and daunger And ye haue hearde lykewyse out of histories Ecclesiasticall the begynnyng proceedyng and successe of idolatrie by images and the greate contention in the Churche of Christ about them to the great trouble and decay of Christendome and withall ye haue hearde the sentences of olde auncient fathers and godly learned Doctours and Byshoppes agaynste images and idolatrie taken out of their owne wrytynges It remayneth that suche reasons as be made for the maintenaunce of images and excessyue payntyng gyldyng and deckyng aswell of them as of the Temples or Churches also be aunswered and confuted partly by application of some places before alleaged to their reasons and partly by otherwyse aunswering the same Which part hath the last place in this treatise for that it can not be well vnderstanded of the meaner sorte nor the argumentes of image maynteyners can without prolixitie to muche tedious be aunswered without the knowledge of the treatise going before And although diuers thyngs before mentioned be here rehearsed agayne yet this repetition is not superfluous but in a maner necessarye for that the simple sorte can notels vnderstand how the foresayde places are to be applied to the argumentes of suche as do maynteyne images wherewith otherwyse they myght be abused Firste it is alleaged by them that maynteyne images that all lawes prohibitions and curses noted by vs out of the holy Scripture sentences of the Doctours also by vs alleaged agaynst images and the worshyppyng of them apparteyne to the idolles of the Gentiles or Pagans as the idoll of Iupiter Mars Mercurie c. and not to our images of God of Christe and his Saintes But it shal be declared both by Gods worde and the sentences of the auncient Doctours and iudgement of the primatiue Church that all images aswell ours as the idolles of the Gentiles be forbidden and vnlawfull namely in Churches and temples And fyrste this is to be replyed out of Gods worde that the images of God the father the sonne and the holy ghost eyther seuerally or the images of the Trinitie which we had in euery Church be by the Scriptures expresly and directly forbidden and condemned as appeareth by these places The Lorde spake vnto you out of the middle of fyre you hearde the voyce or sound of his wordes but you dyd see no fourme or shape at all least peraduenture you beyng deceaued shoulde make to your selfe anye grauen image or lykenesse and so foorth as is at large rehearsed in the first part of this treatie agaynst images And therefore in the olde lawe the middle of the propitiatorie whiche presented Gods seate was emptie least any should take occasion to make any similitude or lykenesse of hym Esaias after he hath set foorth the incomprehensible maiestie of God he asketh to whom then wyll ye make God lyke or what similitude wyl ye set vp vnto hym Shall the Caruer make hym a caruen image and shall the Goldsmyth couer hym with golde or cast him into a fourme of syluer plates And for the poore man shall the image maker frame an image of tymber that he maye haue somwhat to set vp also And after this he cryeth out O
incense before an image suffered moste cruell and terrible deathes as the histories of them at large do declare And here agayne theyr allegatian out of Gregorie the first and Damassen that images be the laye mens bookes and that pycture is the scripture of idiottes and simple persons is worthy to be consydered For as it hath ben touched in diuers places before howe they be bookes teachyng nothyng but lyes as by saint Paul in the first Chapter to the Romanes euidently appeareth of the images of GOD So what maner of bookes and scripture these paynted and gylte images of saintes be vnto the common people note well I praye you For after that our preachers shall haue instructed and exhorted the people to the folowyng of the vertues of the saintes as contempte of this worlde pouertie sobernesse chastitie and suche lyke vertues whiche vndoubtedlye were in the saintes Thynke you assoone as they turne their faces from the preacher and looke vppon the grauen bookes and paynted scripture of the glorious gylte images and idolles all shynyng and glytteryng with mettall and stone and couered with precious vestures or els with Choerea in Terence beholde a paynted table wherein is set foorth by the art of the paynter an image with a nice and wanton apparell and countenaunce more lyke to Venus or Flora then Marie Magdalene or yf lyke to Marie Magdalene it is when she played the harlot rather then when she wept for her sinnes When I say they turne about from the preacher to these bookes and scoolemaisters and paynted scriptures shall they not fynde them lying bookes teachyng other maner of lessons of esteeming of riches of pride and vanitie in apparell of nycenesse and wantonnesse and peraduenture of whoredome as Choerea of lyke pyctures was taught And in Lucian one learned of Venus Gnidia a lesson to abominable here to be remembred Be not these thynke you pretye bookes and scriptures for simple people and specially for wyues and young maydens to looke in reade on and learne suche lessons of What wyll they thinke eyther of the preacher who taught them contrarye lessons of the saintes and therefore by these caruen doctours are charged with a lye or of the saintes them selues yf they beleue these grauen bookes and paynted scriptures of them who make the saintes nowe raignyng in heauen with God to theyr great dishonour scoolemaisters of suche vanitie which they in theyr lyfe tyme moste abhorred For what lessons of contempte of rychesse and vanitie of this worlde can such bookes so besmeared with golde set with stone couered with silkes teache What lessons of sobernesse and chastitie can our women learne of these pyctured scriptures with theyr nice apparell and wanton lookes But away for shame with these coloured clokes of idolatrie of the bookes and scriptures of images and pictures to teache idiottes nay to make idiotes and starke fooles beastes of Christians Do men I pray you when they haue the same bookes at home with them runne on pylgrymage to seeke like bookes at Rome Compostella or Hierusalem to be taught by them when they haue the lyke to learne of at home Do men reuerence some bookes and despyse and set lyght by other of the same sorte Do men kneele before theyr bookes light candels at noone time burne incense offer vp gold and siluer and other giftes to theyr bookes Do men eyther fayne or beleue miracles to be wrought by theyr bookes I am sure that the newe Testament of our sauiour Jesus Christe conteynyng the worde of lyfe is a more lyuely expresse and true image of our sauiour then all carued grauen moulten and paynted images in the worlde be and yet none of all these thynges be done to that booke or scripture of the Gospell of our sauiour which be done to images pictures the bookes and scriptures of lay men and idiotes as they call them Wherfore call them what they list it is most euident by theyr deedes that they make of them no other bookes nor scriptures then suche as teache most fylthye and horrible idolatrie as the vsers of such bookes dayly proue by continuall practisyng the same O bookes and scriptures in the whiche the deuilyshe scoolemaister satan hath penned the lewde lessons of wicked idolatrie for his dastardelye disciples and scollers to beholde reade and learne to Gods most hygh dishonour and theyr moste horrible damnation Haue not we ben muche bounde thinke you to those whiche shoulde haue taught vs the trueth out of Gods booke and his holye scripture that they haue shut vp that booke and scripture from vs and none of vs so bolde as once to open it or reade on it and in steade thereof to spreade vs abroade these goodly caruen and gylted bookes and paynted scriptures to teache vs suche good and godly lessons Haue not they done wel after they ceassed to stande in pulpittes them selues and to teache the people committed to theyr instruction kepyng scilence of Gods worde and become dumbe dogges as the prophete calleth them to set vp in theyr steade on euery pyller and corner of the Church such goodly doctours as dumbe but more wicked then them selues be We neede not to complayne of the lacke of one dumbe Parson hauing so many dumbe deuelish Uicars I meane these idols painted puppets to teache in theyr steade Nowe in the meane season whilest the dumbe and dead idols stand thus decked clothed contrary to gods law and commaundement the poore christian people the liuely images of God commended to vs so tenderly by our sauiour Christe as moste deare to him stand naked shyneryng for colde and theyr teeth chatteryng in theyr heades and no man couereth them are pyned with hunger and thirste and no man geueth them a peny to refresh them where as poundes be redye at all tymes contrarye to Gods worde and will to decke and trymme dead stockes and stones whiche neyther feele colde hunger ne thirst Clemens hath a notable sentence concernyng this matter saying thus That serpent the deuyll doth by the mouth of certayne men vtter these wordes â—e for the honour of the inuisible god do worship visible images which doubtlesse is most false For yf you wyll truely honour the image of God you should by doyng well to man honour the true image of God in hym For the image of God is in euery man But the likenesse of God is not in euery one but in those onlye which haue a godly heart and pure mynde If you wyll therefore truely honour the image of God we do declare to you the trueth that ye do well to man who is made after the image of God that you geue honour and reuerence to hym and refreshe the hungry with meate the thirstie with drynke the naked with clothes the sicke with attendaunce the straunger harbourlesse with lodgyng the prysoners with necessaries this shal be accompted as truely bestowed vpon god And these thynges are so directlye apparteynyng to Gods honour that
whosoeuer doth not this shall seeme to haue reproched and done villanye to the image of god For what honour of God is this to runne to images of stocke and stone and to honour vayne and dead figures of God and to despise man in whom is the true image of God And by and by after he sayth Understande ye therefore that this is the suggestion of the serpent satan lurkyng within you whiche perswadeth you that you are godlye when you honour insensible dead images and that you be not vngodly when you hurt or leaue vnsuccoured the lyuely and reasonable creatures All these be the wordes of Clemens Note I pray you howe this most auncient and learned doctour within one hundred yeres of our sauiour Christes tyme moste playnely teacheth that no seruice of God or religion acceptable to him can be in honouryng of dead images but in succouring of the poore the liuely images of God according to saint James who sayth This is the pure and true religion before God the father to succour fatherlesse and motherlesse chyldren and wyddowes in theyr affliction and to hepe hym selfe vndefyled from this worlde True religion then and pleasing of god standeth not in makyng settyng vp payntyng gylding clothing decking of dumbe and dead images which be but great puppettes and mawmettes for old fooles in dotage and wicked idolatrie to dally and play with nor in kyssyng of them cappyng kneelyng offeryng to them in sensyng of thē setting vp of candels hanging vp of legges armes or whole bodies of waxe before them or praying askyng of them or of saintes thynges belongyng onlye to God to geue But al these thynges be vayne and abominable and moste damnable before god Wherefore all suche do not only bestowe theyr money and labour in vayne but with theyr paynes and coste purchase to them selues gods wrath vtter indignation and euerlasting damnation both of bodye and soule For ye haue hearde it euidently proued in these Homilees against idolatrie by Gods word the doctours of the Churche ecclesiasticall histories reason and experience that images haue ben and be worshypped and so idolatrie committed to them by infinite multitudes to the great offence of Gods maiestie and daunger of infinite soules and that idolatrie can not possiblye be separated from images set vp in Churches and Temples gylded and decked gorgeouslye and that therfore our images be in deede verye idols and so all the prohibitions lawes curses threatnynges of horrible plagues as well temporall as eternall conteyned in the holy scripture concerning idols and the makers mainteyners and worshyppers of them apparteyne also to our images set vp in Churches and Temples to the makers maynteyners and worshyppers of them And all those names of abomination which Gods word in the holy scriptures geueth to the idols of the Gentiles apparteyne to our images beyng idolles like to them and hauyng lyke idolatrie committed vnto them And Gods owne mouth in the holye scriptures calleth them vanities lyes deceyptes vncleanlynesse fylthynesse dounge mischeefe and abomination before the Lorde Wherefore Gods horrible wrath and our moste dreadfull daunger can not be auoyded without the destruction and vtter abolishing of all suche images and idols out of the Churche and Temple of God whiche to accomplyshe GOD put in the myndes of all Christian princes And in the meane tyme let vs take heede and be wyse O ye beloued of the Lord and let vs haue no straunge gods but one only god who made vs when we were nothing the father of our Lord Jesus Christe who redeemed vs when we were lost and with his holye spirite who doth sanctifie vs For this is lyfe euerlastyng to knowe hym to be the onlye true God and Jesus Christe whom he hath sent Let vs honour and worship for religions sake none but him and hym let vs worshyp and honour as he will him selfe and hath declared by his word that he wil be honoured and worshipped not in nor by images or idolles whiche he hath moste strayghtly forbidden neyther in kneelyng lyghtyng of candels burnyng of incense offeryng vp of gyftes vnto images idols to beleue that we shall please hym for all these be abomination before God but let vs honour and worshyp god in spirite and trueth fearyng and louing hym aboue all thynges trustyng in hym onlye callyng vppon hym and praying to hym only praysyng and laudyng of hym onlye and all other in hym and for hym For suche worshyppers doth our heauenly father loue who is the most purest spirite and therefore wyll be worshypped in spirite and trueth And suche worshyppers were Abraham Moyses Dauid Helias Peter Paul John and all other the holye patriarkes prophetes apostles martyrs and all true saintes of God who all as the true friendes of God were enemies and destroyers of images and idols as the enemies of God and his true religion Wherefore take heede and be wyse O ye beloued of the Lorde and that whiche others contrarie to gods worde bestowe wickedly and to their damnation vpon dead stockes stones no images but enemies of god and his saintes that bestowe ye as the faithfull seruauntes of God according to Gods worde mercifully vpon poore men and women fatherlesse children wydowes sicke persons straungers prisoners and such others that be in any necessitie that ye may at that great daye of the Lorde heare that most blessed and comfortable saying of our Sauiour Christ Come ye blessed into the kingdome of my father prepared for you before the beginning of the worlde For I was hungrye and ye gaue me meate thirstie and ye gaue me drinke naked ye clothed me harbourlesse and ye lodged me in prison and ye visited me sicke ye comforted me For whatsoeuer ye haue done for the poore and needie in my name for my sake that haue ye done for me To the which his heauenly kingdome God the father of mercies bring vs for Jesus Christes sake our onelye sauiour mediatour and aduocate to whom with the holy ghost one immortall inuisible and most glorious God be all honour and thankesgeuing and glorie world without end Amen ⧠An Homilee for repairing and keping cleane and comelye adourning of Churches IT is a cōmon custome vsed of all mē when they intend to haue their freendes or neighbours to com to their houses to eate or drink with them or to haue anye solempne assembly to treate talke of anye matter they will haue their houses which they kepe in continuall reparations to be cleane and fine lest they should be counted sluttish or litle to regard their frendes and neighbours How much more then ought the house of God whiche we commonlye call the Church to be sufficiently repaired in all places and to be honorably adourned and garnished and to be kept cleane and sweete to the comfort of the people that shall resort thereto It appeareth in the holy scripture how Gods house which was called his holy temple and was the mother Churche of all
Sauiour Christe sayth of them they haue theyr rewarde that is they haue prayse and commendation of men but of God they haue none at all For whatsoeuer tendeth to an euill ende is it selfe by that euyll ende made euill also Agayne so long as we kepe vngodlinesse in our heartes suffer wicked thoughtes to tary there though we fast as oft as dyd eyther saint Paul or John Baptist and kepe it as strayghtly as dâ—d the Niniuites yet shall it be not onlye vnprofitable to vs but also a thing that greatlye displeaseth almightie god For he sayth that his soule abhorreth hateth such fastings yea they are a burthen vnto him he is weary of bearyng them And therefore he inuayeth moste sharply against them saying by the mouth of the prophete Esai Beholde when you fast your lust remaineth stil for ye do no lesse violence to your debters Lo ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fiste of wickednes Nowe ye shall not fast thus that you maye make your voyce to be hearde aboue Thinke ye this fast pleaseth me that a man should chasten him selfe for a day should that be called a fasting or a day that pleaseth the Lorde Nowe dearely beloued seeyng that almightie God aloweth not our fast for the workes sake but chiefely respecteth our heart howe it is affected and then esteemeth our fast eyther good or euill by th end that it serueth for it is our part to rente our heartes and not our garmentes as we are aduertised by the prophete Joel that is our sorowe and mournyng must be inwarde in heart and not in outward shewe onlye yea it is requisite that first before all thinges we cleanse our hearts from sinne and then to direct our fast to such an ende as God wyll alowe to be good There be three endes whereunto if your fast be directed it is then a worke profitable to vs and accepted of God. The first is to chastise the fleshe that it be not to wanton but tamed and brought in subiection to the spirite This respecte had Saint Paul in his fast when he said I chastice my body and bring it into subiection least by anye meanes it commeth to passe that when I haue preached to other I my selfe be founde a castaway The seconde that the spirite may be more feruent and earnest to prayer To this ende fasted the prophetes and teachers that were at Antioche before they sent foorth Paul and Barnabas to preache the Gospell The same two Apostles fasted for the like purpose when they commended to God by their earnest prayers the congregations that were at Antioch Pisidia Iconium and Listris as we reade in the Actes of the Apostles The thirde that our fast be a testimonie and witnesse with vs before God of our humble submission to his high maiestie when we confesse and acknowledge our sinnes vnto him are inwardly touched with sorowfulnesse of heart bewayling the same in the affliction of our bodies These are the three endes or ryght vses of fasting The first belongeth most properlie to priuate fast The other two are common aswell to p 〈…〉 que fast as to priuate And thus muche for the vse of fasting Lorde haue mercie vppon vs and geue vs grace that whyle we liue in this miserable worlde we maye through thy helpe bring foorth this suche other fruites of the spirite commended coÌ„maunded in thy holy word to the glory of thy name and to our comfortes that after the race of this wretched lyfe we may liue euerlastingly with thee in thy heauenlye kyngdome not for the merites and worthynesse of our workes but for thy mercie sake and the merites of thy deare sonne Jesus Christe to whom with thee and the holy ghost be all laude honour and glory for euer and euer Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of fasting IN the former Homilee beloued was shewed that among the people of the Jewes fasting as it was coÌ„maunded them from god by Moyses was to abstaine the whole day froÌ„ morrowe til night from meate drinke al maner of foode that nourisheth the body that who so tasted ought before the Euening on the day appointed to fasting was accompted among them a breaker of his fast Whiche order though it seemeth strange to some in these our dayes because it hath not ben so vsed generally in this Realme of many yeres past yet that it was so amoÌ„g gods people I meane the Jewes whom before the comming of our sauiour Christ god did vouchsafe to chose vnto him selfe a peculier people aboue all other nations of the earth and that our sauiour Christ so vnderstood it the apostles after Christes ascention did so vse it was there sufficiently proued by the testimonies examples of the holy scriptures aswel of the new Testament as of the olde The true vse of fasting was there also shewed In this seconde part of this Homilee shall be shewed that no constitution or lawe made by man for thinges whiche of their owne proper nature be meere indifferent can bynde the conscience of Christen men to a perpetuall obseruation and keping therof but that the higher powers hath full libertie to alter and chaunge euery such lawe and ordinaunce eyther ecclesiasticall or politicall when time and place shall require But first an aunswere shal be made to a question that some may make demaunding what iudgement we ought to haue of suche abstinences as are appoynted by publique order lawes made by princes and by the aucthoritie of the Magistrates vpon policie not respecting any religion at all in the same As when any Realme in consyderation of the mainteyning of fissher townes borderyng vpon the seas and for the encrease of fisshermen of whom do spring Mariners to go vpon the sea to the furnishing of the nauie of the Realme whereby not onlye the commodities of other countreys maye be transported but also may be a necessarie defence to resist the inuasion of the aduersarie For the better vnderstanding of this question it is necessarie that we make a differeÌ„ce betwene the pollicies of princes made for the orderyng of their common weales in prouision of thinges seruing to the more sure defence of their subiects and countreyes and betweene ecclesiasticall pollicies in prescribing such workes by whiche as by secondary meanes Gods wrath may be pacified and his mercie purchased Positiue lawes made by princes for conseruation of theyr pollicie not repugnaunt vnto Gods lawe ought of all Christian subiectes with reuerence of the magistrate to be obaied not only for feare of punishment but also as the apostle sayth for conscyence sake Conscience I say not of the thing which of the owne nature is indifferent but of our obedience which by the law of God we owe vnto the Magistrate as vnto Gods minister By whiche positiue lawes though we subiectes for certaine times dayes appoynted be restrained from some kindes of meates and drinke whiche God by
saying Take heede to your selues least at any time your heartes be ouercome with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this worlde and so that day come on you vnwares Whosoeuer then wyl take warning at Christe let him take heede to him self least his heart being ouerwhelmed by surfetting and drowned in drunkennesse he be taken vnwares with that vnthriftie seruaunt which thinking not on his maisters comming began to smite his felow seruauntes and to eate and drinke and to be drunken and being sodenly taken hath his iust rewarde with vnbeleeuing hypocrites They that vse to drinke depely and to feede at full wallowing them selues in all kinde of wickednesse are brought a sleepe in that slumbring forgetfulnesse of Gods holy wyll and commaundementes Therefore almightie God crieth by the prophet Ioel Awake ye drunkardes weepe and howle all ye drinkers of wine because the newe wine shal be pulled from your mouth Here the Lord terribly threatneth to withdrawe his benefites from suche as abuse them and to pull the cup from the mouth of drunkardes Here we may learne not to sleepe in drunkennes and surfetting least God depriue vs of the vse of his creatures when we vnkindly abuse them For certainely the Lorde our God wyl not only take away his benefites when they are vnthankfully abused but also in his wrath and heauye displeasure take vengeaunce on such as immoderatly abuse them If our firste parentes Adam and Eue had not obeyed their greedy appetite in eating the forbidden fruite neyther had they lost the fruition of Gods benefites which they then enioyed in paradice neither had they brought so many mischeefes both to themselues and to all their posteritie But when they passed the bondes that God had appointed them as vnworthy of Gods benefites they are expelled and dryuen out of paradice they may no longer eate the fruites of that garden whiche by excesse they had so much abused As transgressours of Gods commaundement they and their posteritie are brought to a perpetuall shame and confusion and as accursed of God they must nowe sweate for their liuing which before had aboundaunce at their pleasure Euen so if we in eating and drinking exceede when God of his large liberalitie sendeth plentie he wyl soone chaunge plentie into scarsenesse And where as we gloryed in fulnesse he wyll make vs emptie and confounde vs with penurie yea we shal be compelled to labour and trauaile with paynes in seekyng for that whiche we sometime enioyed at ease Thus the Lorde wyll not leaue them vnpunished whiche not regardyng his workes folowe the lustes and appetites of their owne heartes The patriarch Noah whom the Apostle calleth the preacher of ryghteousnesse a man exceedingly in Gods fauour is in holy scripture made an example whereby we may learne to auoyde drunkennesse For when he had powred in wine more then was conuenient in filthie maner he lay naked in his tent his priuities discouered And whereas sometyme he was so muche esteemed he is now become a laughing stocke to his wicked sonne Cham no small greefe to Sem and Japheth his other two sonnes whiche were ashamed of their fathers beastly behauiour Here we may note that drunkennesse bryngeth with it shame and derision so that it neuer escapeth vnpunished Lot in lyke maner beyng ouercome with wine committeth abominable incest with his owne daughters So wyll almyghtie God geue ouer drunkardes to the shamefull lustes of their owne heartes Here is Lot by drinkyng fallen so farre beside hym selfe that he knoweth not his owne daughters Who woulde haue thought that an olde man in that heauie case hauing lost his wyfe and all that he had whiche had seene euen nowe Gods vengeaunce in fearefull maner declared on the fiue Cities for their vicious lyuyng shoulde be so farre past the remembraunce of his duetie But men ouercome with drynke are altogether madde as Seneca sayth He was deceaued by his daughters but nowe many deceaue themselues neuer thinking that GOD by his terrible punishmentes wylbe auenged on them that offend by excesse It is no small plague that Lot purchased by his drunkennesse For he had copulation moste filthily with his owne daughters whiche conceaued thereby so that the matter is brought to lyght it can no lenger be hid Two incestuous chyldren are borne Ammon and Moab of whom came two nations the Ammonites and Moabites abhorred of God and cruel aduersaries to his people the Israelites Lo Lot hath gotten to hym selfe by drynking sorow and care with perpetuall infamie and reproche vnto the worldes ende If God spared not his seruaunt Lot being otherwyse a godly man nephewe vnto Abraham one that entertained the angelles of God What wyll he do to these beastly belly slaues whiche voyde of all godlynes or vertuous behauiour not once but continually day and nyght geue them selues wholly to bibbyng and banquetting Butlet vs yet further beholde the terrible examples of Gods indignation agaynst suche as greedyly folowe their vnsatiable lustes Ammon the sonne of Dauid feastyng hym selfe with his brother Absolon is cruelly murthered of his owne brother Holophernes a valeant and mightie captaine being ouer whelmed with wine had his head stricken from his shoulders by that seely woman Iudith Simon the hie priest and his two sonnes Mattathias and Iudas being entertained of Ptolomie the son of Abobus who had before maryed Simons daughter after muche eatyng and drynkyng were trayterously murthered of their owne kynsman If the Israelites had not geuen them selues to belly cheare they had neuer so often fallen to idolatrie Neyther woulde we at this day be so addict to superstition were it not that we so much esteemed the fillyng of our bellies The Israelites when they serued idolles sate downe to eate and drynke and rose agayne to play as the scripture reporteth Therefore seeking to serue their bellyes they forsooke the seruice of the Lorde their god So are we drawne to consent vnto wickednesse when our heartes are ouerwhelmed by drunkennesse and feasting So Herode setting his minde on banquetting was content to graunt that the holy man of God John Baptist shoulde be beheaded at the request of his whores daughter Had not the riche glutton ben so greedely geuen to the pamperyng of his belly he woulde neuer haue ben so vnmercifull to the poore Lazarus neyther had he felt the tormentes of the vnquenchable fire What was the cause that god so horribly punished Sodoma and Gomorrha was it not their proud banquetting and continual idlenes whiche caused them to be so lewde of lyfe and so vnmercifull towardes the poore What shall we nowe thinke of the horrible excesse whereby so many haue perished and ben brought to destruction The great Alexander after that he had conquered the whole worlde was himselfe ouercome by drunkennesse insomuche that being drunken he slewe his faythfull freende Clitus whereof when he was sober he was so muche ashamed that for anguishe of heart
necessities sake but also for an honest comelinesse Euen as in hearbes trees and sundrye fruites we haue not only diuers necessary vses but also the pleasaunt syght and sweete smell to delyght vs withall wherein we may behold the singuler loue of God towardes mankynde in that he hath prouided both to relieue our necessities also to refreshe our senses with an honest moderate recreation Therefore Dauid in the Ciiii. Psalme confessing Gods carefull prouidence sheweth that God not onelye prouideth thinges necessary for men as hearbes and other meates but also suche thinges as maye reioyce and comfort as wyne to make glad the heart oyles and oyntmentes to make the face to shine So that they are altogether past the limittes of humanitie which yelding onely to necessitie forbid the lawfull fruition of Gods benefites With whose traditions we may not be led if we geue eare to saint Paule who writing to the Collossians willeth them not to harken vnto such men as shall saye touche not taste not handle not superstitiouslye bereeuing them of the fruition of Gods creatures And no lesse truelye ought we to beware least vnder pretence of Christian libertie we take lycence to do what we liste aduauncing our selues in sumptuous apparell and despysing other preparing our selues in fyne brauerie to wanton lewde and vnchaste behauiour To the auoyding whereof it behoueth vs to be myndefull of foure lessons taught in holye scripture whereby we shall learne to temper our selues and to restraine our immoderate affections to that measure which God hath appoynted The first is that we make not prouision for the flesh to accomplish the lustes therof with costlye apparell as that harlot did of whom Salomon speaketh Prouerbes the ▪ vii which perfumed her bed and deckt it with costly ornamentes of Egipt to the fulfilling of her lewde lust but rather ought we by moderate temperaunce to cut of al occasions whereby the fleshe might get the victorie The second is written by saint Paul in the ▪ vii Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthes where he teacheth vs to vse this worlde as though we vsed it not Whereby he cutteth away not only al ambition pryde and vayne pompe in apparel but also all inordinate care affection which withdraweth vs from the contemplation of heauenly thinges and consideration of our duetie towardes god They that are muche occupyed in caryng for thynges parteyning to the bodye are moste commonlye negligent and carelesse in matters concerning the soule Therefore our Sauiour Christe willeth vs not to take thought what we shall eate or what we shall drynke or wherewith we shall be clothed but rather to seeke the kingdome of God ▪ and the ryghteousnesse thereof Whereby we maye learne to beware least we vse those thynges to our hinderaunce whiche God hath ordayned for our comfort and furtheraunce toward his Kingdome The third is that we take in good part our estate and condition and content our selues with that whiche God sendeth whether it be muche or little He that is ashamed of base and simple attyre wil be proude of gorgeous apparell if he maye get it We must learne therefore of the Apostle S. Paul both to vse plentye and also to suffer penurye remembring that we must yeelde accomptes of those thinges whiche we haue receaued vnto him who abhorreth al excesse pride ostentation and vanitie who also vtterly condempneth and disaloweth whatsoeuer draweth vs from our dutie towardes God or diminishe our charitie towardes our neighbours and brethren whom we ought to loue as our selues The fourth and last rule is that euery man beholde and consider his owne vocation in as much as God hath appoynted euery man his degree and office within the limittes whereof it behoueth him to keepe him selfe Therefore all may not looke to weare lyke apparel but euery one according to his degree as God hath placed him Which if it were obserued manye one doutlesse shoulde be compelled to weare a russet coate which nowe ruffeleth in silkes and veluettes spending more by the yere in sumptuous apparel thē their fathers receaued for the whole reuenue of their landes But alas nowe a dayes how many maye we beholde occupyed wholly in pampering the fleshe taking no care at all but onely howe to decke them selues setting their affection altogether on worldly brauerye abusing Gods goodnesse when he sendeth plentie to satisfie their wanton lustes hauing no regarde to the degree wherin God hath placed them The Israelites were contented with such apparel as God gaue them although it were base and simple And God so blessed them that their shoes and clothes lasted them fourtie yeres yea and those clothes which their fathers had worne their children were cōtent to vse afterwarde But we are neuer contented and therfore we prosper not so that most commonly he that ruffleth in his Sables in his fine furred gowne corked slippers trimme buskins and warme mittons is more redy to chill for colde then the poore labouring man which can abyde in the fielde all the day long when the north wynde blowes with a fewe beggerlye cloutes about him We are loth to weare suche as our fathers haue left vs we thinke not that sufficient or good enough for vs We must haue one gowne for the day another for the night one long another short one for wynter another for sommer one through furred another but faced one for the workyng daye another for the holye day one of this colour another of that colour one of cloth another of sylke or Damaske We must haue chaunge of apparel one afore dinner another after one of the Spanishe fassion another Turkie and to be briefe neuer content with sufficient Our sauiour Christ bad his Disciples they should not haue two coates but the moste men farre vnlyke to his scollers haue their presses so full of apparell that manye knoweth not how many sortes they haue Whiche thyng caused Saint James to pronounce this terrible curse agaynst such welthy worldlynges Go to ye riche men weepe and houle in your wretchednesse that shall come vppon you your ryches are corrupt and your garmentes are moth eaten ye haue lyued in pleasure on the earth and in wantonnesse ye haue nourished your heartes as in the day of slaughter Marke I besech you saint James calleth them miserable notwithstanding their riches and plentie of apparell forasmuche as they pamper their bodies to their owne destruction What was the ryche glutton the better for his syne fare and costly apparell Did not he nourishe him selfe to be tormented in hell fyre Let vs learne therefore to content our selues hauing foode and raiment as saint Paul teacheth least desyring to be enryched with aboundaunce we fall into temptations snares and many noysome lustes whiche drowne men in perdition and destruction Certaynlye suche as delyght in gorgeous apparel are commonlye puffed vp with pryde and filled with dyuers vanities So were the daughters of Sion
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
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
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
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
towardes God to keepe holy their sabbath daye the daye of rest And to these temples haue the Christians customably vsed to resort from tyme to tyme as vnto meete places where they might with common consent prayse and magnifie Gods name yeelding him thankes for the benefites that he dayly powreth vpon them both mercifully and aboundantlye where they might also heare his holy word read expounded preached sincerely and receaue his holy sacramentes ministred vnto them duely and purely True it is that the chiefe and special temples of God wherin he hath greatest pleasure most delighteth to dwel are the bodies mindes of true christians and the chosen people of God according to the doctrine of holye scriptures declared by Saint Paul. Knowe ye not sayth he that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God doth dwell in you The temple of God is holy whiche ye are And againe in the same Epistle Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holye Ghost dwelling in you whom you haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne Yet this notwithstanding God doeth alowe the materiall temple made with lyme and stone so oft as his people come together into it to praise his holy name to be his house and the place where he hath promised to be present and where he wil heare the prayers of them that call vpon him The which thing both Christ and his apostles with all the rest of the holy fathers do sufficiently declare by this That albeit they certaynlye knewe that their prayers were heard in what place soeuer they made them though it were in caues in woodes in desartes yet so oft as they could conueniently they resorted to the material temples there with the rest of the congregation to ioyne in prayer and true worship Wherefore dearely beloued you that professe your selues to be Christians and glory in that name disdaine not to folow the example of your maister Christe whose schollers you saye ye be shew you to be lyke them whose scholemates you take vpon you to be that is the Apostles and disciples of Christe Lift vp pure handes with cleane heartes in all places at all tymes But do the same in the temples and Churches vpon the sabbath daies also Our godly predecessours and the auncient fathers of the primitiue Church spared not their goodes to buylde Churches no they spared not their lyues in tyme of persecution and to hazarde their blood that they myght assemble them selues together in Churches And shal we spare a little labour to come to churches Shall neither their example nor our duety nor the commodities that thereby shoulde come vnto vs moue vs If we will declare our selues to haue the feare of God if we will shewe our selues true christians if we will be the folowers of Christ our maister and of those godly fathers that haue liued before vs now haue receaued the rewarde of true and faythfull christians we must both willingly earnestly and reuerently come vnto the material churches and temples to praye as vnto fit places appoynted for that vse And that vppon the sabbath day as at most conuenient tyme for Gods people to cease from bodyly and worldlye businesse to geue them selues to holy rest and godly contemplation parteining to the seruice of almightie God Wherby we may reconcile our selues to God be partakers of his reuerent sacramentes and be deuout hearers of his holye worde so to be established in fayth to godwarde in hope agaynst all aduersitie and in charitie towardes our neighbours And thus running our course as good christian people we may at the last attaine the reward of euerlasting glorie through the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe to whom with the father and the holye Ghost be all honour and glorye Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer IT hath ben declared vnto you good Christian people in the former Sermon read vnto you at what tyme and into what place ye shal come togyther to prayse God. Now I entende to set before your eies first how zelous desirous ye ought to be to come to your Church Secondly how sore God is greeued with them that do despyse or little regarde to come to the Churche vpon the holy restfull day It may wel appeare by the scriptures that many of the godly Israelites beyng no we in captiuitie for their sinnes among the Babilonians full often wysshed and desyred to be agayne at Hierusalem And at their returne through Gods goodnesse though many of the people were negligent yet the fathers were maruelous deuout to buyld vp the temple that Gods people might repayre thyther to honour him And Kyng Dauid when he was a banished man out of his countrey out of Hierusalem the holye Citie from the sanctuarie from the holye place and from the tabernacle of God What desyre what feruentnesse was in him towardes the holye place What wysshinges and prayers made he to God to be a dweller in the house of the Lorde One thing sayth he haue I asked of the Lorde and this will I still craue that I maye resorte and haue my dwelling in the house of the Lorde so long as I lyue Agayne Oh howe I ioyed when I heard these wordes VVe shall go into the Lordes house And in other places of the Psalmes he declareth for what intent and purpose he hath such a feruente desyre to enter into the Temple and Churche of the Lorde I will fall downe sayth he and worship in the holy temple of the lord Agayne I haue appeared in thy holy place that I myght beholde thy myght and power that I myght beholde thy glory and magnificence Finally he sayth I will shewe foorth thy name to my brethren I will prayse thee in the middes of the congregation Why then had Dauid suche an earnest desyre to the house of God First because there he would worship and honour god Secondly there he would haue a contemplation and a syght of the power and glorye of god Thirdly there he would prayse the name of god with all the congregation and companye of the people These considerations of this blessed prophet of God ought to stirre vp and kindle in vs the lyke earnest desyre to resort to the church especially vppon the holy restfull dayes there to do our duties to serue God there to call to remembraunce how God euen of his mere mercie for the glory of his name sake worketh myghtely to conserue vs in health wealth and godlynesse myghtyly preserueth vs from the assaults and rages of our fierce and cruell enemies and there ioyfully in the number of his faithfull people to prayse and magnitie the Lords holy name Set before your eyes also that auncient father Simeon of whom the scripture speaketh thus to his great commendation and an incouragemēt for vs to do the lyke There was a man at Hierusalem
regarde of reuerent vnderstanding in his presence but he wyll prepare his heart before he presume to speake vnto god And therefore in our common prayer the minister doth oftentymes say Let vs pray meanyng thereby to admonishe the people that they shoulde prepare their eares to heare what he shoulde craue at Gods hand and their heartes to consent to the same and their tongues to say Amen at the ende thereof On this sort dyd the prophet Dauid prepare his heart when he sayde My heart is redy O God my heart is redy I wyll syng and declare a Psalme The Jewes also when in the tyme of Iudith they dyd with all their heart pray God to visite his people of Israel had so prepared their heartes before they began to pray After this sorte had Manasses prepared his heart before he prayed and sayde And nowe O Lorde do I bow the knees of myne heart asking of thee part of thy mercyful kindnes When the heart is thus prepared the voyce vttred from the heart is harmonious in the eares of god otherwyse he regardeth it not to accept it But forasmuch as the person that so â—ableth his wordes without sense in the presence of God sheweth hymselfe not to regarde the maiestie of hym that he speaketh to He taketh hym as a contemner of his almyghtie maiestie and geueth hym his rewarde among hypocrites whiche make an outwarde she we of holynesse but their heartes are full of abhominable thoughtes euen in the tyme of their prayers For it is the heart that the Lorde looketh vppon as it is wrytten in the historie of kynges If we therefore wyll that our prayers be not abhominable before God let vs so prepare our heartes before we pray and so vnderstande the thynges that we aske when we pray that both our heartes and voyces may together sound in the eares of Gods maiestie and then we shall not fayle to receaue at his hand the thinges that we aske as good men whiche haue ben before vs dyd and so haue from tyme to tyme receaued that whiche for their soules health they dyd at any tyme desyre Saint Augustine seemeth to beare in this matter For he sayth thus of them whiche beyng brought vp in grammer and rhethoricke are conuerted to Christe and so must be instructed in Christian religion Let them know also sayth he that it is not the voyce but the affection of the minde that commeth to the eares of god And so shall it come to passe that if haply they shall marke that some byshoppes or ministers in the Churche do call vppon God eyther with barbarous wordes or with wordes disordered or that they vnderstande not or do disorderly diuide the wordes that they pronounce they shal not laugh them to scorne Hitherto he seemeth to beare with praying in an vnknowne tongue But in the next sentence he openeth his mynde thus Nor for that these thynges ought not to be amended that the people may say Amen to that whiche they do playnely vnderstande But yet these thyngs must be godly borne withal of these catechistes or instructours of the faith that they may learne that as in the common place where matters are pleaded the goodnesse of an oration consisteth in sounde so in the Churche it consisteth in deuotion So that he alloweth not the praying in a tongue not vnderstand of hym that prayeth But he instructeth the skilfull Oratour to beare with the rude tongue of the deuout simple minister To conclude if the lacke of vnderstandyng the wordes that are spoken in the congregation do make them vnfruitfull to the hearers How should not the same make the wordes read vnfruitfull to the reader The mercyfull goodnesse of God graunt vs his grace to call vppon hym as we ought to do to his glory and our endlesse felicitie whiche we shall do if we humble our selues in his sight and in all our prayers both common and priuate haue our myndes fully fixed vpon hym For the prayer of them that humble them selues shall pearse through the doudes and tyll it drawe nygh vnto God it wyl not be aunswered and tyll the moste high do regarde it it wyll not departe And the Lorde wyll not be slacke but he wyll deliuer the iust and execute iudgement To hym therfore be all honour and glory for euer euer Amen An information for them whiche take offence at certayne places of the holy Scripture The first part THe great vtilitie and profite that Christian men and women may take if they wil by hearing and reading the holye scriptures dearely beloued no heart can sufficiently conceaue muche lesse is my tongue able with wordes to expresse Wherefore satan our enemy seing the scriptures to be the very meane and right way to bring the people to the true knowledge of God that Christian religion is greatly furthered by diligent hearing reading of them he also perceauing what an hinderance let they be to him and his kingdome doth what he can to driue the reading of them out of Gods Churche And for that end he hath alwayes stirred vp in one place or other cruel tyrauntes sharpe persecutors and extreame enemies vnto God and his infallible trueth to pull with violence the holy Bibles out of the peoples handes and haue moste spitefully destroyed and consumed the same to ashes in the fyre pretendyng moste vntruely that the muche hearyng and readyng of Gods worde is an occasion of heresie and carnall libertie and the ouerthrowe of all good order in all well ordered common weales If to knowe God aryght be an occasion of euyll then must we needes graunt that the hearyng and readyng of the holy scriptures is the cause of heresie carnall libertie and the subuertion of all good orders But the knowledge of God and of our selues is so farre from beyng an occasion of euill that it is the redyest yea the only meane to brydle carnall libertie and to kyll all our fleshly affections And the ordinarie waye to attayne this knowledge is with diligence to heare and reade the holy scriptures For the whole scriptures sayeth Saint Paule were geuen by the inspiration of god And shall we Christian men thynke to learne the knowledge of God and of our selues in anye earthly mans worke or wrytyng sooner or better then in the holy scriptures wrytten by the inspiration of the holy ghost The scriptures were not brought vnto vs by the wyll of man but holy men of God as witnesseth Saint Peter spake as they were moued by the holye spirite of god The holy ghost is the scholemaister of trueth whiche leadeth his schollers as our Sauiour Christe sayeth of hym into all trueth And who so is not led and taught by this scholemaister can not but fall into deepe errour howe godly soeuer his pretence is what knowledge and learnyng soeuer he hath of all other workes and wrytynges or howe fayre soeuer a shewe or face of trueth he hath in the estimation
and iudgement of the worlde If some man wyll say I woulde haue a true paterne and a perfect discription of an vpryght lyfe approued in the sight of God can we fynde thinke ye any better or any suche agayne as Christe Jesus is and his doctrine whose vertuous conuersation and godly lyfe the scripture so liuely painteth and setteth foorth before our eyes that we beholding that paterne myght shape and frame our lyues as nigh as may be agreeable to the perfection of the same Folow you me sayth S. Paul as I folowe Christe And saint John in his Epistle sayth Who so abydeth in Christe must walke euen so as he walked before hym And where shall we learne the order of Christes lyfe but in the scripture Another woulde haue a medicine to heale all diseases and maladies of the minde Can this be found or gotten other where then out of Gods owne booke his sacred scriptures Christe taught so muche when he sayde to the obstinate Jewes Search the scriptures for in them ye thynke to haue eternall lyfe If the scriptures conteyne in them euerlastyng lyfe it must nedes folow that they haue also present remedie agaynst all that is an hinderaunce and let vnto eternall lyfe If we desire the knowledge of heauenly wysedome why had we rather learne the same of man then of God hym selfe who as saint James sayth is the geuer of wysedome Yea why wyl we not learne it at Christes owne mouth who promising to be present with his Churche tyll the worldes ende doth perfourme his promise in that he is not only with vs by his grace and tender pitie but also in this that he speaketh presently vnto vs in the holy scriptures to the great and endlesse comfort of all them that haue any feelyng of God at all in them Yea he speaketh nowe in the scriptures more profitably to vs then he dyd by worde of mouth to the carnall Jewes when he liued with them here vpon earth For they I meane the Jewes coulde neyther heare nor see those thynges whiche we may nowe both heare and see if we wyll bryng with vs those eares and eyes that Christe is hearde and seene with that is diligence to heare and reade his holy scriptures and true fayth to beleue his most comfortable promises If one could shewe but the printe of Christes foote a great number I thynke would fal downe and worship it But to the holy scriptures where we may see daily yf we wyll I wyll not say the print of his feete onlye but the whole shape and liuely image of hym alas we geue litle reuerence or none at all If any coulde let vs see Christes coate a sorte of vs woulde make hard shift except we mought come nygh to gase vppon it yea and kysse it to And yet all the clothes that euer he dyd weare can nothyng so truely nor so liuely expresse hym vnto vs as do the scriptures Christes images made in wood stone or mettall some men for the loue they beare to Christe do garnishe and beautifie the same with pearle golde and pretious stone And shoulde we not good brethren muche rather imbrace and reuerence Gods holy bookes the sacred bible whiche do represent Christ vnto vs more truely then can any image The image can but expresse the fourme or shape of his body if it can do so muche But the scripture doth in such sort set foorth Christe that we may see both God and man we may see hym I say speakyng vnto vs healyng our infirmities diyng for our sinnes rysing from death for our iustification And to be short we may in the scriptures so perfectly see whole Christ with the eye of fayth as we lacking fayth coulde not with these bodily eyes see hym though he stoode now present here before vs Let euery man woman and chylde therefore with all their hearte thirst and desyre gods holy scriptures loue them embrace them haue their delight and pleasure in hearing and readyng them so as at length we may be transfourmed and chaunged into them For the holy scriptures are Gods treasure house wherein are found al thynges needefull for vs to see to heare to learne and to beleue necessarie for the attaynyng of eternall lyfe Thus muche is spoken onely to geue you a taste of some of the commodities whiche ye maye take by hearing reading the holy scriptures For as I said in the beginning no tongue is able to declare and vtter all And although it is more cleare then the noone day that to be ignorant of the scriptures is the cause of errour as Christe sayth to the Saducees Ye erre not knowing the scriptures and that errour doth holde backe plucke men away from the knowledge of god And as saint Hierome sayth Not to know the scriptures is to be ignoraunt of christ Yet this notwithstandyng some there be that thynke it not meete for all sortes of men to reade the scriptures because they are as they thynke in sundry places stumblyng blockes to the vnlearned Fyrst for that the phrase of the scriptures is somtyme so homlye grosse and playne that it offendeth the fine and delicate wittes of some courtiers Furthermore for that the scripture also reporteth euen of them that haue their commendation to be the children of God that they did diuers actes wherof some are contrary to the lawe of nature some repugnaunt to the law wrytten and other some seeme to fight manifestly agaynst publique honestie All whiche thynges say they are vnto the simple an occasion of great offence and cause many to thynke euyl of the Scriptures and to discredite their aucthoritie Some are offended at the hearyng and readyng of the diuersitie of the rites and ceremonies of the sacrifices and oblations of the lawe And some worldly witted men thynke it a great decay to the quiet and prudent gouerning of their common weales to geue eare to the simple and plaine rules and preceptes of our sauiour Christe in his Gospell as beyng offended that a man shoulde be redy to turne his right eare to hym that strake hym on the lefte and to hym whiche woulde take away his coate to offer hym also his cloke with suche other sayinges of perfection in Christes meanyng For carnal reason beyng alway an enemie to God and not perceauing the thynges of Gods spirite doth abhorre suche preceptes whiche yet rightly vnderstanded infringeth no iudiciall policies nor Christian mens gouernementes And some there be whiche hearyng the scriptures to bid vs to lyue without 〈◊〉 without studie or forecasting do deride tâ—e 〈…〉 ities of them Therefore to remoue and put away occasions of offence so muche as may be I wyll aunswere orderly to these obiections Firste I shall rehearse some of those places that men are offended at for the homelynes and grossenesse of speach and wil shewe the meanyng of them In the booke of Deuteronomie it is wrytten that almyghtie God made a lawe yf a man dyed without
issue his brother or next kynsman shoulde marrye his wydowe and the childe that were firste borne betweene them shoulde be called his chylde that was dead that the dead mans name myght not be put out in Israel And if the brother or nexte kynsman would not marry the widow then she before the magistrates of the Citie shoulde pull of his shoe and spitte in his face saying So be it done to that man that wyll not buylde his brothers house Here dearely beloued the pullyng of his shoe and spitting in his face were ceremonies to signifie vnto all the people of that Citie that the woman was not nowe in faulte that Gods lawe in that poynt was broken but the whole shame and blame therof did now redound to that man whiche openly before the magistrates refused to marry her And it was not a reproch to hym alone but to all his posteritie also For they were called euer after the house of hym whose shoe is pulled of Another place out of the Psalmes I wyl breake saith Dauid the hornes of the vngodly and the hornes of the ryghteous shal be exalted By anhorne in the scripture is vnderstand power myght strength sometime rule gouernment The prophet then saying I wyll breake the hornes of the vngodly meaneth that all the power strength and myght of Gods enemie shall not onlye be weakened and made feeble but shall at length also be cleane broken and destroyed though for a tyme for the better triall of his people God suffereth the enemies to preuayle and haue the vpper hande In the â–ª 132. Psalme it is sayde I wyll make Dauids horne to florishe Here Dauids horne signifieth his kyngdome Almightie God therefore by this maner of speakyng promiseth to geue Dauid victorie ouer all his enemies and to stablishe hym in his kyngdome spyte of all his enemies And in the threescore psalme it is wrytten Moab is my washpot and euer Edom wyl I cast out my shoe c. In that place the prophete sheweth how gratiâ—usly God hath dealt with his people the children of Israel geuing them great victories vpon their enemies on euery side For the Moabites and Idumeans being two great nations proude people stout and mighty God brought them vnder and made them seruauntes to the Israelites seruantes I say to stowpe downe to pul of their shoes and washe their feete Then Moab is my washpot and ouer Edom wyl I cast out my shoe is as if he had sayde The Moabites and the Idumeans for all their stoutnesse agaynst vs in the wyldernesse are now made our subiects our seruauntes yea vnderlynges to pull of our shoes and washe our feete Nowe I pray you what vncomly maner of speach is this so vsed in common phrase among the Hebrues It is a shame that Christian men shoulde be so light headed to toy as ruffians do of suche maner speaches vttered in good graue signification by â—he holy ghost More reasonable it were for vaine men to learne to reuerence the fourme of Gods wordes then to gaude at them to his damnation Some againe are oâ—â—ended to heare that the godly fathers had many wiues and concubines â–ª although after the phrase of the scripture a concubine is an honest name for euery concubine is a lawfull wyfe but euery wyfe is not a concubine And that ye may the better vnderstande this to be true ye shall note that it was permitted to the fathers of the olde Testament to haue at one time mo wiues then one for what purpose ye shall afterwarde heare Of whiche wyues some were free women borne some were bond women and seruauntes She that was free borne had a prerogatiue aboue those that were seruauntes bond women The free borne woman was by mariage made the ruler of the house vnder her husband is called the mother of the housholde the maistres or the dame of the house after our maner of speaking and had by her mariage an interest a right and an ownership of his goodes vnto whom she was marryed Other seruauntes and bond women wer geuen by the owners of them as the maner was then I wyll not say alwaies but for the moste parte vnto their daughters at that day of their mariage to be handmaydens vnto them A 〈…〉 ter such a sort did Pharao kyng of Egypt geue vnto Sara Abrahams wyfe Agar the Egyptian to be her mayde So dyd Laban geue vnto his daughter Lia at the day of her mariage Zilpha to be her handmayde And to his other daughter Rachell he gaue another bondmayde named Bilham And the wyues that were the owners of their handmaydes gaue them in mariage to their husbandes vppon diuers occasions Sara gaue her maide Agar in mariage to Abraham Lia gaue in lyke maner her mayde Zilpha to her husbande Jacob. So dyd Rachell his other wyfe geue hym Bilâ—am her mayde saying vnto hym Go in vnto her and she shall beare vppon my knees whiche is as if she had sayde take her to wyfe and the chyldren that she shall beare wyll I take vpon my lappe and make of them as if they were myne owne These handmaydens or bond women although by mariage they were made wyues yet they had not this prerogatiue to rule in the house but were styll vnderlinges and in subiection to their maisters and were neuer called mothers of the houshold maistresses or dames of the house but are called sometymes wyues sometyme concubines The pluralitie of wyues was by a speciall prerogatiue suffered to the fathers of the olde Testament not for satisfiyng their carnall and fleshly lustes but to haue many children because euery one of them hoped and begged oft tymes of God in their prayers that that blessed seede whiche God promised shoulde come into the worlde to breake the serpentes head myght come and be borne of his stocke and kinred Now of those whiche take occasion of carnalitie and euil life by hearing and reading in Gods boke what God hath suffered euen in those men whose commendation is praysed in the scripture As that Noe whom S. Peter calleth the eight preacher of ryghteousnesse was so drunke with wyne that in his sleepe he vncouered his owne priuities The iust man Lot was in lyke maner drunken and in his drunkennesse lay with his owne daughters contrary to the law of nature Abraham whose fayth was so great that for the same he deserued to be called of Gods owne mouth a father of many nations the father of all beleuers besydes with Sara his wife had also carnall company with Agar Saraes handemayde The patriarche Jacob had to his wyues two sisters at one tyme The Prophete Dauid and king Salomon his sonne had many wyues and concubines c. Which thinges we see plainly to be forbidden vs by the lawe of God and are now repugnaunt to all publique honestie These and suche lyke in Gods booke good people are not wrytten that we shoulde or may do the lyke folowyng
their examples or that we ought to thynke that God dyd alow euery of these thyngs in those men But we ought rather to beleue and to iudge that Noe in his drunkennesse offended God highly Lot lying with his daughters committed horrible incest We ought then to learne by them this profitable lesson that if so godlye men as they were which otherwise felt inwardly Gods holy spitite inflamyng in their heartes with she feare and loue of God coulde not by their owne strength kepe them selues from committyng horrible sinne but dyd so greeuousâ—y fal that without Gods great mercie they had perished euerlastinglye Howe much more ought we then miserable wretches which haue no feeling of God within vs at al continually to feare not onely that we may fall as they did but also be ouercome and drowned in sinne which they were not And so by consydering their fal take the better occasion to acknowledge our owne infirmitie and weaknesse and therefore more earnestlye to call vnto almightie God with heartye prayer incessauntlye for his grace to strengthen vs and to defende vs from all euill And though through infirmitie we chaunce at any tyme to fall yet we may by harty repentaunce and true fayth speedily rise againe and not slepe and continue in sinne as the wicked doth Thus good people shoulde we vnderstande such matters expressed in the diuine scriptures that this holye table of Gods worde be not turned to vs to be a snare a trappe and a stumbling stone to take hurt by the abuse of our vnderstanding But let vs esteeme them in suche a reuerent humilitie that we may fynde our necessary foode therein to strengthen vs to comfort vs to instruct vs as God of his great mercye hath appoynted them in all necessarye workes so that we may be perfect before him in the whole course of our lyfe Whiche he graunt vs who hath redeemed vs our Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory for euermore Amen ¶ The seconde part of the information for them which take offence at certayne places of the holy scripture YE haue heard good people in the Homilee last read vnto you the great commoditie of holye Scriptures ye haue heard how ignoraunt men voyde of godlye vnderstanding seeke quarrelles to discredite them Some of their reasons haue ye heard aunswered Nowe we will proceede and speake of suche politique wyse men whiche be offended for that Christes preceptes should seeme to destroy all order in gouernaunce as they do alleage for example such as these be If any man strike thee on the right cheeke turne the other vnto him also If anye man will contende to take thy coate from thee let him haue cloke and all Let not thy left hand knowe what thy ryght hand doth If thine eye thine hande or thy foote offende thee pull out thine eye cut of thine hand thy foote and cast it from thee If thine enemie sayeth saint Paul be an hungred geue him meate if he be thirstie geue him drinke so doing thou shalt heape hotte burning coales vpon his head These sentences good people vnto a naturall man seeme mere absurdities contrary to all reason For a naturall man as saint Paule sayeth vnderstandeth not the thinges that belong to God neyther can he so long as olde Adam dwelleth in him Christ therfore meaneth that he would haue his faithfull seruaunts so farre from vengeaunce and resisting wrong that he woulde rather haue him redy to suffer an other wrong then by resisting to breake charitie and to be out of pacience He would haue our good deedes so farre from al carnall respectes that he would not haue our nyest freendes know of our wel doing to win a vaine glorye And though our freendes and kynsfolkes be as deare as our right eyes and our right handes yet if they woulde plucke vs from God we ought to renounce them and forsake them Thus if ye wil be profitable hearers and readers of the holye scriptures ye must firste denye your selues and keepe vnder your carnall senses taken by the outward wordes and searche the inward meaning reason must geue place to Gods holye spirite you must submit your worldly wisedome and iudgement vnto his diuine wysdome and iudgement Consyder that the scripture in what straunge fourme soeuer it be pronounced is the word of the lyuing god Let that alwayes come to your remembraunce which is so oft repeated of the prophete Esaias The mouth of the Lorde sayth he hath spoken it the almighty and euerlasting God who with his onely worde created heauen and earth hath decreed it the Lorde of hoastes whose wayes are in the Seas whose pathes are in the deepe waters that Lorde and God by whose worde all thynges in heauen and in earth are created gouerned and preserued hath so prouided it The God of Goddes and Lorde of all Lordes yea God that is God alone incomprehensible almyghty and euerlasting he hath spoken it it is his worde It can not therefore be but trueth whiche proceedeth from the God of all trueth it can not be but wisely and prudently commaunded what almightie God hath deuysed how vaynely soeuer through want of grace we miserable wretches do imagine and iudge of his most holy worde The prophete Dauid describing an happye man sayeth Blessed is the man that hath not walked after the counsayle of the vngodlye nor stande in the waye of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull There are three sortes of people whose companye the prophete would haue him to flee and auoyde which shall be an happy man and partakers of Gods blessing First he may not walke after the counsayle of the vngodlye Secondlye he may not stand in the waye of sinners Thirdlye he muste not sit in the seat of the scornefull By these three sortes of people vngodly men sinners and scorners all impietie is signified and fully expressed By the vngodly he vnderstaÌ„deth those which haue no regarde of almightye God being voyde of all faith whose heartes mindes are so set vpon the worlde that they studie onely howe to accomplishe their worldlye practises their carnall imaginations their filthy lust and desyre without anye feare of god The seconde sort he calleth sinners not such as do fal through ignoraunce or of frailenesse for then who should be found free What man euer liued vpon earth Christe onely excepted but he hath sinned The iust man falleth seuen times and ryseth agayne Though the godly do fall yet they walke not on purposely in sinne they stande not still to contynue and tarye in sinne they syt not downe like carelesse men without all feare of Gods iust punishment for sinne but defying sinne through Gods great grace and infinite mercye they ryse agayne and fight agaynste sinne The Prophete then calleth them sinners whose heartes are cleane turned from God and whose whole conuersation of lyfe is nothing but sinne they delight so much in
the same that they choose continually to abyde and dwell in sinne The thyrde sorte he calleth scorners that is a sorte of men whose heartes are so stuffed with mallyce that they are not contented to dwell in sinne and to leade their lyues in all kynde of wickednesse but also they do contempne and scorne in other all godlinesse true religion all honestie and vertue Of the two first sortes of men I will not say but they may take repentaunce and be conuerted vnto god Of the third sort I thinke I may without daunger of gods iudgement pronounce that neuer anye yet conuerted vnto God by repentaunce but continued on still in their abhominable wyckednesse heaping vp to them selues damnation agaynst the day of Gods ineuitable iudgement Examples of such scorners we reade in the seconde booke of Chronicles When the good kyng Ezechias in the beginnyng of his raygne had destroyed idolatrie purged the temple and refourmed religion in his Realme he sent messengers into euerye Citie to gather the people vnto Hierusalem to solemnize the feast of Easter in such sort as God had appoynted The postes went from citie to citie through the land of Ephraim and Manasses euen vnto Zabulon And what did the people thinke ye Did they laude and prayse the name of the Lorde whiche had geuen them so good a kinge so zelous a Prince to abolish idolatrie and to restore againe Gods true religion No no. The scripture sayeth The people laughed them to scorne and mocked the kynges messengers And in the laste Chapter of the same booke it is written that almyghtie God hauing compassion vppon his people sent his messengers the Prophetes vnto them to call them from their abhominable idolatrie and wicked kinde of liuing But they mocked his messengers they dispised his wordes misused his Prophetes vntill the wrathe of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedie For he gaue them vp into the hands of their enemies euen vnto Nabucodonozar kyng of Babilon who spoiled thē of their goods brent their citie and led them their wyues and their children captiues vnto Babylon The wicked people that were in the dayes of Noe made but a mocke at the worde of God when Noe tolde them that God woulde take vengeaunce vppon them for their sinnes The fludde therefore came sodainely vpon them and drowned them with the whole worlde Lot preached to the Sodomites that except they repented both they and their Citie shoulde be destroyed They thought his sayings impossible to be true they scorned and mocked his admonition and reputed him as an olde doting foole But when God by his holy angels had taken Lot his wyfe and two daughters from among them he raigned downe fyre and brymstone from heauen and brent vp those scorners and mockers of his holye worde And what estimation had Christes doctrine among the Scribes and Pharisees What rewarde had he among them The Gospell reporteth thus The Pharisees whiche were couetous did scorne him in his doctrine O then ye see that worldly riche men scorne the doctrine of their saluation The worldly wyse men scorne the doctrine of Christe as foolishenesse to their vnderstanding These scorners haue euer ben and euer shal be to the worldes ende For Saint Peter prophesied that suche scorners shoulde be in the worlde before the latter daye Take heede therefore my brethren take heede be ye not scorners of Gods most holy worde prouoke him not to powre out his wrath now vpon you as he did then vppon those gybers and mockers Be not wilfull murderers of your owne soules Turne vnto God whyle there is yet tyme of mercye ye shall els repent it in the worlde to come when it shal be to late for there shall be iudgement without mercy This might suffise to admonishe vs and cause vs henceforth to reuerence Gods holy scriptures but all men haue not faith This therfore shal not satisfy and content al mens mindes but as some are carnal so they will stil continue abuse the scriptures carnally to their greater dampnation The vnlearned and vnstable saith saint Peter paruerte the holy scriptures to their owne destruction Jesus Christ as saint Paul sayth is to the Jewes an offence to the Gentiles foolishnesse But to Gods children as wel of the Jewes as of the Gentiles he is the power and wisdome of god The holy man Simeon sayeth that he is set foorth for the fall and rysing againe of many in Israel As Christe Jesus is a fall to the reprobate which yet perishe through their owne default So is his worde yea the whole booke of God a cause of dampnation vnto them through their incredulitie And as he is a rysing vp to none other then those whiche are Gods children by adoption So is his worde yea the whole scripture the power of God to saluation to them onelye that do beleue it Christe him selfe the Prophetes before him the apostles after him all the true ministers of Gods holye worde yea euery worde in Gods booke is vnto the reprobate the sauour of death vnto death Christ Jesus the prophetes the apostles and all the true ministers of his worde yea euery iot and title in the holy scripture haue ben is and shal be for euermore the sauour of lyfe vnto eternall lyfe vnto all those whose heartes God hath purified by true fayth Let vs earnestlye take heede that we make no iesting stocke of the bookes of holy scriptures The more obscure and darke the sayinges be to our vnderstanding the further let vs thinke our selues to be from God and his holye spirite who was the aucthour of them Let vs with more reuerence endeuour our selues to searche out the wisdome hidden in the outwarde barke of the scripture If we can not vnderstand the sense and the reason of the saying yet let vs not be scorners iesters and deryders for that is the vttermost token and shewe of a reprobate of a playne enemie to God and his wysdome They be not ydle fables to iest at whiche God doth seriouslye pronounce and for serious matters let vs esteeme them And though in sundrye places of the scriptures be set out diuers rites and ceremonies oblations sacrifices let vs not thynke straunge of them but referre them to the tymes and people for whom they serued although yet to learned men they be not vnprofitable to be cōsydered but to be expounded as figures and shadowes of thinges and persons afterwarde openlye reuealed in the new Testament Though the rehearsall of the genealogies petegrees of the fathers be not to much edification of the playne ignoraunt people yet is there nothyng so impartinently vttered in all the whole booke of the Byble but may serue to spirituall purpose in some respecte to all suche as will bestowe theyr labours to searche out the meanynges These may not be condemned because they serue not to our vnderstandyng nor make not to our edification But let vs turne our labour to
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
assure them selues of his loue and fauour towardes them and nothing doubte but that as his lawe and ordinaunces wherein he commaunded them that they shoulde open their hande vnto their brethren that were poore and needye in the lande were accepted of them and willingly perfourmed So he woulde on his part louyngly accept them and truely perfourme his promises that he had made vnto them The holy Apostles and disciples of Christ who by reason of his dayly conuersation saw by his deedes and heard in his doctrine how much he tendered the poore the godly fathers also that were both before and since Christ indued without doubt with the holy ghost and most certaynly certified of Gods holy wil they both do most earnestly exhort vs and in all their wrytinges almost continually admonishe vs that we woulde remember the poore and bestowe our charitable aimes vppon them Saint Paul cryeth vnto vs after this sort Comfort the feeble mynded lift vp the weake and be charitable toward all men And agayne To do good to the poore and to distribute aimes gladly see that thou do not forget for with such sacrifices God is pleased Esai the Prophete teacheth on this wyse Deale thy bread to the hungrye and bring the poore wandering home to thy house When thou seest the naked see thou cloth him and hyde not thy face from thy poore neighbour neyther despise thou thyne owne fleshe And the holy father Tobi geueth this councell Geue almes sayeth he of thine owne goodes and turne neuer thy face from the poore eate thy bread with the hungry and couer the naked with thy clothes And the learned and godly doctour Chrisostome geueth this admonition Let mercifull almes be alwayes with vs as a garment that is as mindefull as we will be to put our garmentes vpon vs to couer our nakednes to defende vs from the colde and to shewe our selues comely So mindfull let vs be at al times and seasons that we geue almes to the poore shewe our selues mercifull towardes them But what meane these often admonitions ernest exhortations of the prophetes apostles fathers holy doctours Surely as they were faythful to Godwarde and therefore discharged their dutie truely in telling vs what was Gods wyl so of a singuler loue to vs ward they laboured not only to infourme vs but also to perswade with vs that to geue almes and to succour the poore and needie was a very acceptable thing and an high sacrifice to god wherin he greatly delighted and had a singuler pleasure For so doeth the wyse man the sonne of Syrach teach vs saying Who so is mercifull and geueth almes he offereth the right thanke offring And he addeth thereunto The ryght thanke offering maketh the aulter fat and a sweete smell it is before the hyghest it is acceptable before God and shall neuer be forgotten And the trueth of this doctrine is veryfied by the examples of those holy and charitable fathers of whom we reade in the scriptures that they were geuen to mercifull compassion towardes the poore charitable releeuing of their necessities Such a one was Abraham in whom God had so great pleasure that he vouchsafed to come vnto him in fourme of an Angell and to be intertayned of him at his house Such was his kinseman Lot whom God so fauoured for receauing his messengers into his house whiche otherwyse should haue layne in the streete that he saued him with his whole familie from the destruction of Sodome and Gomorra Suche were the holy fathers Job and Toby with many others who felte most sensible profes of Gods especiall loue towardes them And as all these by their mercifulnes and tender compassion which they shewed to the miserable afflicted membres of Christe in the releeuing helpyng and succouring them with their temporall goodes in this life obteyned gods fauour were deare acceptable and pleasaunt in his sight so now they them selues take pleasure in the fruition of God in the pleasaunt ioyes of heauen and are also in Gods eternall worde set before vs as perfect examples euer before our eyes both howe we shall please God in this mortall lyfe and also howe we may come to lyue in ioy with them in euerlastyng pleasure felicitie For moste true is that saying whiche S. Augustine hath that the geuing of almes and releuing of the poore is the right way to heauen Via coeli pauper est The poore man sayth he is the way to heauen They vsed in tymes past to set in hye wayes sides the picture of Mercury poyntyng with his fynger whiche was the ryght way to the towne And we vse in crosse wayes to set vp a wodden or stone crosse to admonishe the trauailing man whiche way he muste turne when he commeth thither to direct his iourney aright But Gods worde as S. Augustine sayth hath set in the way to heauen the poore man his house so that who so wyl go aryght thyther and not turne out of the way muste go by the poore The poore man is that Mercury that shall set vs the redy way and if we loke well to this marke we shal not wāder much out of the ryght path The maner of wise worldly men amongst vs is that if they knowe a man of meaner estate then thē selues to be in fauour with the prince or any other noble man whom they eyther feare or loue suche a one they wyl be glad to benefite pleasure that when they haue neede they may become their spokes man either to obteyne a commoditie or to escape a displeasure Nowe surely it ought to be a shame to vs that worldly men for temporall thinges that last but for a season should be more wise prouident in procuring them then we in heauenly Our sauiour Christ testifieth of poore men that they are deare vnto him that he loueth them especially For he calleth them his litle ones by a name of tender loue he sayth they be his brethren And saint James sayth that god hath chosen them to be the heires of his kyngdome Hath not God sayth he chosen the poore of this worlde to hym selfe to make thē hereafter the rich heires of that kyngdome which he hath promised to them that loue hym And we knowe that the prayer which they make for vs shal be acceptable and regarded of God their complaynt shal be hearde also Thereof doth Jesus the sonne of Sirach certaynely assure vs saying If the poore complayne of thee in the bitternesse of his soule his prayer shal be heard euen he that made hym shall heare hym Be curteous therfore vnto the poore We knowe also that he who acknowledgeth him selfe to be their maister and patrone and refuseth not to take them for his seruantes is both able to pleasure and displeasure vs and that we stande euery houre in neede of his helpe Why shoulde we then be eyther negligent or vnwylling to procure their frendship and fauour by the whiche
also we may be assured to get his fauour that is both able wyllyng to do vs all pleasures that are for our commoditie and wealth Christe doth declare by this how much he accepteth our charitable affection toward the poore in that he promiseth a rewarde vnto them that geue but a cup of cold water in his name to them that haue neede thereof and that rewarde is the kingdome of heauen No doubt is it therfore that god regardeth highly that which he rewardeth so liberallye For he that promiseth a princely recompence for a beggerly beneuolence declareth that he is more delighted with the geuyng then with the gyfte and that he as muche esteemeth the doyng of the thyng as the fruite and commoditie that commeth of it Who so therefore hath hytherto neglected to geue almes let hym know that God now requireth it of him he that hath ben liberal to the poore let him knowe that his godly doings are accepted thankfully takē at gods handes which he wyll requite with double treble For so sayth the wyse man He whiche sheweth mercie to the poore doth lay his money in banke to the Lorde for a large interest and gayne The gayne beyng cheefely the possession of the lyfe euerlastyng through the merites of our sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father the holy ghost be al honour and glory for euer Amen The seonde part of the sermon of almes deedes YE haue hearde before dearely beloued that to geue almes vnto the poore and to helpe them in tyme of necessitie is so acceptable vnto our sauiour Christe that he counteth that to be done to him selfe that we do for his sake vnto them Ye haue heard also howe earnestly both the apostles prophetes holy fathers doctours do exhort vs vnto the same And ye see how welbeloued and deare vnto God they were whom the scriptures reporte vnto vs to haue ben good almes men Wherefore if either their good examples or the holesome counsell of godly fathers or the loue of Christ whose especial fauour we may be assured by this meanes to obteyne may moue vs or do any thyng at all with vs let vs prouide that from hencefoorth we she we vnto Godward this thankful seruice to be myndfull and redy to helpe them that be poore and in miserie Nowe wyll I this second tyme that I entreate of aimes deedes shewe vnto you how profitable it is for vs to exercise them and what fruite therby shall aryse vnto vs if we do them faythfully Our sauiour Christe in the Gospell teacheth vs that it profiteth a man nothyng to haue in possession al the ryches of the whole worlde and the wealth or glory thereof if in the meane season he lose his soule or do that thing whereby it should become captiue vnto death sinne hell fire By the which saying he not only instructeth vs how muche the soule health is to be preferred before worldly commodities but also serueth to stirre vp our myndes and to pricke vs forwardes to seeke diligently and learne by what meanes we may preserue and kepe our soules euer in safety that is howe we may recouer our health if it be lost or impayred and how it may be defended and maynteyned if we once haue it Yea he teacheth vs also thereby to esteeme that as a precious medicine and an inestimable iewel that hath suche strength and vertue in it that can either procure or preserue so incomparable a treasure For if we greatly regard that medicine or salue that is able to heale sundrye and greeuous diseases of the body muche more wyll we esteeme that whiche hath lyke power ouer the soule And because we might be better assured both to knowe and haue in redynesse that so profitable a remedye he as a most faythfull and louyng teacher sheweth hym selfe both what it is and where we may fynde it and how we may vse and applye it For when both he and his disciples were greuously accused of the Pharisees to haue defyled their soules in breakyng the constitutions of the elders because they went to meate and washed not their handes before accordyng to the custome of the Jewes Christe aunswering their superstitious complaynte teacheth them an especiall remedye howe to keepe cleane their soules notwithstandyng the breache of suche superstitious orders Geue almes sayth he and beholde all thynges are cleane vnto you He teacheth them that to be mercyful and charitable in helping the poore is the meanes to keepe the soule pure and cleane in the syght of god We are taught therefore by this that mercyfull almes dealyng is profitable to purge the soule from the infection and filthie spottes of sinne The same lesson doth the holy ghost also teache in sundrye places of the scripture saying Mercyfulnesse and almes geuing purgeth from all synnes and delyuereth from death and suffereth not the soule to come into darknes A great confidence may they haue before the hygh God that shewe mercie and compassion to them that are afflicted The wyse preacher the sonne of Sirach confirmeth the same when he sayth That as water quencheth burning fyre euen so mercie and almes resisteth and reconcileth synnes And sure it is that mercifulnesse quayleth the heate of synne so muche that they shall not take holde vpon man to hurt him or if ye haue by any infirmitie and weaknes ben touched and annoyed with them straightwayes shall mercyfulnesse wipe and washe them away as salues and remedies to heale their sores and greeuous diseases And therupon that holy father Ciprian taketh good occasion to exhort earnestly to the mercyfull worke of geuyng almes and helpyng the poore and there he admonisheth to consider how holesome and profitable it is to releeue the needy and help the afflicted by the which we may purge our synnes and heale our wounded soules But here some wyll say vnto me If almes geuyng and our charitable workes towardes the poore be able to washe away synnes to reconcile vs to God to delyuer vs from the peryll of damnation and make vs the sonnes heires of Gods kingdome then is Christes merites defaced and his blood shed in vayne then are we iustified by workes and by our deedes may we merite heauen then do we in vayne beleue that Christ dyed for to put away our synnes and that he rose for our iustification as saint Paule teacheth But ye shall vnderstande dearely beloued that neither those places of scripture before alleaged neither the doctrine of the blessed martyr Ciprian neither any other godly and learned man when they in extolling the dignitie profite fruit and effect of vertuous and liberall almes do say that it washeth away synnes and bryngeth vs to the fauour of God do meane that our worke and charitable deede is the originall cause of our acception before God or that for the dignitie or worthynesse thereof our sinnes may be washed away and we purged cleansed of al the spottes of our iniquitie for
with pouertie in the middest of plenty Then when other haue aboūdaunce and be fed at full you shall vtterly waste and consume away your selues your store shal be destroyed your goodes pluckt from you all your glory and wealth shall perishe and that whiche when you had you myght haue enioyed your selfe in peace and might haue bestowed vpon other most godly ye shal seke with sorow sighes and no where shall find it For your vnmercifulnesse towardes other ye shall finde no man that will shew mercy towardes you You that had stony heartes towardes other shal finde all the creatures of god to youward as hard as bras iron Alas what furie and madnesse doth possesse our myndes that in a matter of trueth certayntie we wyll not geue credite to the trueth testifying vnto that which is most certayne Christe sayth that if we wyl first seeke the kyngdome of God do the workes of righteousnes therof we shal not be left destitute al other thinges shal be geuen to vs plenteously Nay say we I wil first looke that I be able to lyue my selfe and be sure that I haue enough for me and mine and if I haue anything ouer I wil bestowe it to get Gods fauour the poore shal then haue part with me See I pray you the peruerse iudgement of men we haue more care to norishe the carcasse then we haue feare to see our soule perishe And as Ciprian sayth whylest we stande in doubt least our goodes fayle in being ouer liberall we put it out of doubt that our life health faileth in not being liberall at al. Whilest we are carefull for diminishing of our stocke we are altogether carelesse to diminishe our selues We loue Mammon lose our soules We feare least our patrimonie shoulde perishe from vs but we feare not lest we shoulde perishe for it Thus do we peruersly loue that we should hate and hate that we shoulde loue we be negligent where we should be careful careful wher we nede not This vaine feare to lacke our selues if we geue to the poore is muche like the feare of children fooles which when they see the bright glimmering of a glasse they do imagine straight way that it is the lightning yet the brightnes of a glasse neuer was the lightning Euen so when we imagine that by spending vppon the poore a man maye come to pouertie we are cast into a vaine fare for we neuer heard or knewe that by that meanes any man came to miserie and was left destitute and not consydered of god Nay we reade to the contrary in the scripture as I haue before shewed as by infinite testimonies and examples maye be proued that whosoeuer serueth God faithfully and vnfaignedly in any vocation god wil not suffer him to decay much lesse to perish The holy ghost teacheth vs by Salomō that the Lorde wyll not suffer the soule of the ryghteous to perishe for hunger And therefore Dauid sayth vnto all them that are merciful O feare the Lorde ye that be his saintes for they that feare hym lacke nothyng The Lions do lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shal want no maner of thing that is good When Elias was in the desart god fed him by the ministerie of a Rauen that euenyng morning brought him sufficient victuals When Daniel was shut vp in the Lions denne God prepared meate for him sent it thither to him And there was the saying of Dauid fulfilled The Lions do lacke suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lorde shall want no good thing For whyle the Lions which should haue ben fed with his flesh roared for hunger desire of their pray whereof they had no power although it were present before them he in the meane tyme was freshe fed from God that should with his fleshe haue filled the Lions So mightily doth God worke to preserue mainteine those whom he loueth so carefull is he also to feede them who in anye state or vocation do vnfaignedly serue him And shal we nowe thinke that he wylbe vnmyndfull of vs yf we be obedient to his worde accordyng to his wyl haue pitie vpon the poore He geueth vs all wealth before we do any seruice for it and wyll be see vs lacke necessaries when we do hym true seruice Can a man thinke that he that feedeth Christe can be forsaken of Christe and left without foode Or wyl Christe denie earthly thinges vnto them whō he promiseth heauenly thinges for his true seruice It can not be therfore deare brethren that by geuing of almes we shoulde at any time want our selues or that we whiche relieue other mens neede shoulde ourselues be oppressed with penurie It is contrarye to Gods worde it repugneth with his promise it is agaynst Christes propertie and nature to suffer it it is the craftie surmise of the deuill to perswade vs it Wherefore sticke not to geue almes freely and trust not withstandyng that Gods goodnes wyll minister vnto vs sufficiencie and plentie so long as we shall liue in this transitorie lyfe and after our dayes here wel spent in his seruice and the loue of our brethrē we shal be crowned with euerlasting glory to raigne with Christe our sauiour in heauen to whom with the father the holy ghost be al honour glorie for euer Amen ¶ An Homilee or Sermon concernyng the Natiuitie and byrth of our Sauiour Iesus Christe AMong al the creatures that god made in the beginnyng of the worlde most excellent and wonderfull in their kynde there was none as the Scripture beareth witnesse to be compared almost in any poynt vnto manne who aswell in bodye and in soule exceeded all other no lesse then the Sunne in brightnesse and lyght exceedeth euery small litle starre in the firmament He was made accordyng to the image and similitude of GOD he was indued with all kinde of heauenly giftes he had no spot of vncleannesse in him he was sounde and perfect in al partes both outwardly and inwardly his reason was vncorrupt his vnderstandyng was pure and good his wyll was obedient and godly he was made altogether lyke vnto God in ryghteousnesse in holinesse in wysdome in trueth to be short in all kinde of perfection When he was thus created and made almightie GOD in token of his great loue towardes him chose out a speciall place of the earth for him namely Paradice where he liued in all tranquilitie and pleasure hauyng great aboundaunce of worldly goodes and lackt nothing that he myght iustly require or desyre to haue For as it is sayde God made him Lord and ruler ouer all the workes of his handes that he should haue vnder his feete all sheepe oxen all beastes of the feelde all foules of the ayre all fishes of the sea and vse them alway at his owne pleasure according as he shoulde haue nede Was not this a mirrour of perfection Was not
vnreuerentlye not discerning the Lordes bodye Ought not we then by the monition of the wise man by the wisdome of God by the fearefull example of the Corinthians to take aduised heede that we thrust not our selues to this table with rude and vnreuerent ignoraunce the smart whereof Christes Churche hath rued and lamented these many dayes and yeres For what hath ben the cause of the ruyne of Gods religion but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this grosse idolatrie but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this mummishe massyng but the ignoraunce hereof Yea what hath ben and what is at this day the cause of this want of loue and charitie but the ignoraunce hereof Let vs therfore so trauaile to vnderstand the Lordes Supper that we be no cause of the decaye of Gods worship of no idolatrie of no dumme massing of no hate and malice so maye we the boldlyer haue accesse thyther to our comfort Neyther neede we to thinke that suche exact knowledge is required of euery man that he be able to discusse al high pointes in the doctrine thereof But this muche he must be sure to hold that in the supper of the Lorde there is no vaine ceremonie no bare signe no vntrue figure of a thing absent But as the Scripture sayth the table of the Lorde the bread and cuppe of the Lorde the memorie of Christe the annuntiation of his death yea the Communion of the bodye and blood of the Lorde in a marueylous incorporation whiche by the operation of the holye ghost the verye bonde of our conâ—unction with Christe is through fayth wrought in the soules of the faythfull whereby not onlye theyr soules lyue to eternall lyfe but they surely trust to winne to their bodyes a resurrection to immortalitie The true vnderstandyng of this fruition and vnion whiche is the bodye and the head betwixt the true beleuers and Christe the auncient Catholique Fathers both perceauing them selues and commendyng to theyr people were not afrayde to call this Supper some of them the salue of immortalitie and soueraigne preseruatiue agaynst death other a deificall Communion other the sweete dainties of our Sauiour the pledge of eternall health the defence of fayth the hope of the resurrection other the foode of immortalitie the healthfull grace and the conseruatorie to euerlastyng lyfe All which sayinges both of the holy Scripture and godly men truely attributed to this celestial banquet and feaste yf we woulde often call to minde O how woulde they inflame our heartes to de 〈…〉 e the participation of these mysteries and oftentimes to couet after this breade continuallye to thirste for this foode Not as speciallye regarding the terrene earthly creatures which remayne but alwayes holdyng faste and cleauyng by faith to the rocke whence we may sucke the sweetenesse of euerlasting saluation And to be briefe thus much more the faithful see heare and knowe the fauourable mercies of God sealed the satisfaction by Christe towardes vs confirmed and the remission of sinne established Here they may feele wrought the tranquilitie of conscience the encrease of fayth the strengthning of hope the large spreadyng abrode of brotherly kindnes with many other sundry graces of god The taste whereof they can not attayne vnto who be drowned in the deepe durtie lake of blyndnesse and ignoraunce From the whiche O beloued washe your selues with the liuyng waters of Gods worde whence you maye perceaue and know both the spirituall foode of this costly supper and the happy trustinges effectes that the same doth bring with it Now it foloweth to haue with this knowledge a sure and constant faith not only that the death of Christe is auayleable for the redemption of all the world for the remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God the father but also that he hath made vppon his crosse a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee a perfect clensyng of thy sinnes so that thou acknowledgest no other Sauiour redeemer mediatour aduocate intercessour but Christe only and that thou mayst say with the Apostle that he loued thee and gaue him selfe for thee For this is to sticke fast to Christes promise made in his institution to make Christe thyne owne and to applicate his merites vnto thy selfe Herein thou nedest no other mans helpe no other sacrifice or oblation no sacrifisyng Priest no masse no meanes established by mans inuention That faith is a necessarie instrument in al these holy ceremonies we may thus assure our selues for that as Saint Paul sayth without fayth it is vnpossible to please god When a great number of the Israelites were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse Moyses Aaron and Phinees dyd eate Manna and pleased God for that they vnderstoode sayth Saint Augustine the visible meate spiritually Spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it that they myght be spiritually satisfied And truely as the bodily meate can not feede the outward man vnlesse it be let into a stomake to be digested whiche is healthsome and sound No more can thy inwarde man be fed except his meate bereceaued into hisâ—oule and hart sound whole in fayth Therfore saith Ciprian when we do these thinges we nede not to whet our teethe but with sincere fayth we breake and diuide that holy bread It is wel knowen that the meate wee seeke for in this supper is spiritual foode the norishmeÌ„t of our soule a heauenly refection and not earthly an inuisible meate and not bodylye a ghostly substaunce and not carnall so that to thinke that without fayth we maye enioye the eatyng and drynkyng therof or that that is the fruition of it is â—ut to dreame a grosse carnall feeding basely obiecting and byndyng our selues to the elementes and creatures Whereas by the aduice of the counsel of Nicene we ought to lyft vp our mindes by faith leauing these inferiour and earthly thinges there seke it where the sâ—nne of ryghteousnesse euer shineth Take then this lesson O thou that art desyrous of this table of Emissenus a godly father that when thou goest vp to the reuerent Communion to be satisfied with spirituall meates thou loke vp with faith vpon the holy body and blood of thy god thou maruel with reuerence thou touche it with thy minde thou receaue it with the hand of thy heart and thou take it fully with thy inwarde man. Thus we see beloued that resortyng to this table we must plucke vp all the rootes of infidelitie al distrust in Gods promises we must make our selues lyuing members of Christes bodye For the vnbeleuers and faithlesse can not feede vpon that pretious body whereas the faythfull haue theyr life their abiding in hym their vnioÌ„ and as it were their incorporation with hym Wherefore let vs proue and trye our selues vufaignedly without flattering our selues whether we be plantes of that fruitful Oliue liuyng braunches of the true vine members in deede of Christes mystical body whether God
to the Apostles in the mount Sion the fiftie day after Easter And hereof this feast hath his name to be called Pentecoste euen of the number of the dayes For as Saint Luke writeth in the actes of the Apostles When fiftie dayes were come to an ende the Disciples beyng altogether with one accorde in one place the holy ghost came sodenly among them and sate vpon eche of them lyke as it had ben clouen tongues of fyre Whiche thing was vndoubtedly done to teache the Apostles and all other men that it is he whiche geueth eloquence vtteraunce in preaching the Gospel that it is he which openeth the mouth to declare the mightie workes of God that it is he whiche engendreth a burnyng zeale towardes Goddes worde and geueth all men a tongue yea a fierie tongue so that they may boldly and chearefullye professe the trueth in the face of the whole world as Esai was indued with this spirite The Lord saith Esai gaue me a learned a skilful tongue so that I might knowe to rayse vp them that are fallen with the worde The prophete Dauid cryeth to haue this gyft saying Open thou my lippes O Lorde and my mouth shall shew forth thy prayse For our sauiour Christe also in the Gospel sayth to his disciples It is not you that speake but the spirite of your father whiche is within you Al whiche testimonies of holy scripture do sufficiently declare that the mysterie in the tongues betokeneth the preachyng of the Gospell and the open confession of the Christian faith in all them that are possessed with the holy ghost So that if any man be a dumbe Christiā not prosessing his fayth openly but clokyng and colouring hym selfe for feare of daunger in tyme to come he geueth men occasion iustly and with good conscience to doubt least he haue not the grace of the holy ghost within hym because he is tongue tied and doth not speake Thus then haue ye hearde the first institution of this feaste of Pentecoste or Whitsuntide aswell in the olde law among the Jewes as also in the tyme of the Gospell among the Christians Nowe let vs consyder what the holy ghost is and howe consequently he worketh his miraculous workes towardes mankind The holy ghost is a spirituall and diuine substaunce the thyrde person in the deitie distincte from the father and the sonne and yet proceedyng from them both which thyng to be true both the Creede of Athanasius beareth witnesse and may be also easilye proued by most playne testimonies of Gods holy worde When Christe was baptized of John in the ryuer Jordan we reade that the holye ghost came downe infourme of a Doue and that the father thundred from heauen saying This is my deare and welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Where note three diuers and distinct persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost which all notwithstandyng are not three Gods but one god Likewyse when Christe dyd fyrste institute and ordeyne the sacrament of baptisme he sent his disciples into the whole world willyng them to baptize al nations in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost And in an other place he sayth I wyll pray vnto my father and he shall geue you another comforter Agayne when the comforter shall come whom I wyll sende from my father c. These and suche other places of the newe Testament do so playnly and euidently confirme the distinction of the holy ghost from the other persons in the trinitie that no man possibly can doubt thereof vnles he will blaspheme the euerlastyng trueth of Gods worde As for his proper nature and substaunce it is altogether one with God the father and God the sonne that is to say spirituall eternall vncreated incomprehensible almyghtie to be short he is euen God Lord euerlastyng Therefore he is called the spirite of the father therefore he is sayde to proceede from the father and the sonne and therefore he was equally ioyned with them in the commission that the Apostles had to baptize al nations But that this may appeare more sensibly to the eyes of all men it shal be requisite to come to the other parte namely to the wonderfull and heauenly workes of the holye ghost whiche playnely declare vnto the worlde his myghtie and diuine power Fyrste it is euident that he did wonderfully gouerne and direct the heartes of the patriarkes and prophetes in olde tyme illuminating their myndes with the knowledge of the true Messias geuing them vtteraunce to prophesie of thynges that shoulde come to passe long tyme after For as saint Peter witnesseth the prophesie came not in olde tyme by the wyll of man But the holye men of God spake as they were moued iuwardly by the holy ghost And of Zacharie the hygh priest it is sayde in the Gospell that he beyng full of the holy ghost prophesied and praysed god So dyd also Simeon Anna Marie and diuers other to the great wonder and admiration of all men Moreouer was not the holy ghost a mightie worker in the conception and the natiuitie of Christe our sauiour Saint Matthewe sayth that the blessed virgin was founde with chylde of the holy ghost before Joseph and she came together And the Angell Gabriell dyd expreslye tell her that it shoulde so come to passe saying The holy ghost shall come vppon thee and the power of the most hygh shall ouershadowe thee A marueylous matter that a woman shoulde conceaue and beare a chylde without the knowledge of man But where the holy ghoste worketh there nothyng is vnpossible as maye further also appeare by the inwarde regeneration and sanctification of mankynde When Christe sayde to Nicodemus vnlesse a man be borne a newe of water and the spirite he can not enter into the kyngdome of God he was greatly amazed in his mynde and began to reason with Christe demaundyng howe a man myght be borne whiche was olde Can he enter sayth he into his mothers wombe agayn and so be borne a newe Beholde a liuely paterne of a fleshely and carnall man He had litle or no intelligence of the holy ghost and therefore he goeth bluntly to worke and asketh howe this thyng were possible to be true Whereas otherwyse yf he had knowne the great power of the holye ghost in this behalfe that it is he whiche in wardlye worketh the regeneration and newe byrth of mankynde he woulde neuer haue marueyled at Christes wordes but woulde haue rather taken occasion thereby to prayse and glorifie god For as there are three seuerall and sundrye persons in the deitie So haue they three seuerall and sundrye offices proper vnto eache of them The father to create the sonne to redeeme the holy ghost to sanctifie and regenerate Wherof the last the more it is hidde from our vnderstandyng the more it ought to moue all men to wonder at the secrete and mightie workyng of Gods holy spirite whiche
is within vs For it is the holy ghost and no other thyng that doth quicken the mindes of men stirring vp good and godly motions in their heartes which are agreeable to the wil commaundement of God suche as otherwyse of their owne crooked and peruerse nature they shoulde neuer haue That whiche is borne of the fleshe sayth Christe is fleshe and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite As who shoulde saye Man of his owne nature is fleshly and carnal corrupt and nought synnefull and disobedient to God without any sparke of goodnes in hym without any vertuous or godly motion onely geuen to euyl thoughtes and wicked deedes As for the workes of the spirite the fruites of fayth charitable and godly motions if he haue anye at all in hym they proceede only of the holy ghost who is the onlye worker of our sanctification maketh vs newe men in Christ Jesu Dyd not Gods holy spirite miraculously worke in the childe Dauid when of a poore shephearde he became a princelike prophet Dyd not Gods holy spirite miraculously worke in Matthewe sitting at the receipte of custome when of a proude Publicane he became an humble and lowly Euangelist And who can choose but maruayle to consyder that Peter shoulde become of a simple fisher a cheefe and mightie Apostle Paul of a cruell and bloody persecutour a faythful disciple of Christe to teache the Gentiles Suche is the power of the holy ghost to regenerate men and as it were to bryng them foorth a newe so that they shal be nothyng lyke the men that they were before Neyther doth he thynke it sufficient inwardlye to worke the spirituall and newe byrth of man vnlesse he do also dwell and abide in hym Knowe ye not sayth saint Paule that ye are the temple of God and that his spirite dwelleth in you Knowe ye not that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost which is within you Agayne he sayth You are not in the fleshe but in the spirite For why The spirite of God dwelleth in you To this agreeth the doctrine of saint John wrytyng on this wyse The annoyntyng whiche ye haue receaued he meaneth the holy ghost dwelleth in you And the doctrine of Peter sayth the same who hath these wordes The spirite of glory and of God resteth vppon you O what comfort is this to the hearte of a true Christian to thynke that the holy ghost dwelleth within hym If God be with vs as the Apostle sayth who can be agaynst vs O but howe shall I knowe that the holy ghost is within me some man perchaunce wyll say Forsoth as the tree is knowne by his fruite so is also the holy ghost The fruites of the holy ghost accordyng to the mynde of saint Paule are these Loue ioy peace long sufferyng gentlenes goodnesse faythfulnesse meekenes temperaunce c. Contrarywyse the deedes of the fleshe are these Adultrie fornication vncleannesse wantonnes idolatrie witchcrafte hatred debate emulation wrath contention sedition heresie enuie murther drunkennesse gluttonie and such lyke Here is nowe that glasse wherein thou muste behold thy selfe and discerne whether thou haue the holy ghost within thee or the spirite of the fleshe If thou see that thy workes be vertuous and good consonant to the prescript rule of gods worde sauouring and tastyng not of the fleshe but of the spirite then assure thy selfe that thou art endued with the holy ghoste Otherwyse in thynkyng wel of thy selfe thou doest nothyng els but deceaue thy selfe The holy ghost doth alwayes declare hym selfe by his fruitefull and gratious gyftes namely by the worde of wysedome by the worde of knowledge whiche is the vnderstandyng of the scriptures by fayth in doyng of miracles by healyng them that are diseased by prophesie whiche is the declaration of Gods mysteries by discerning of spirites diuersities of tonges interpretation of tonges and so foorth All whiche gyftes as they proceede from one spirite and are seuerally geuen to man accordyng to the measurable distribution of the holy ghost Euen so do they bryng men and not without good cause into a wonderfull admiration of Gods diuine power Who wyll not marueyle at that whiche is wrytten in the Actes of the Apostles to heare their bolde confession before the counsell at Jerusalem And to consyder that they went away with ioy and gladnesse reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebukes and checkes for the name and fayth of Christe Jesus This was the myghtie worke of the holy ghost who because he geueth patience and ioyfulnesse of heart in temptation and affliction hath therefore worthyly obtayned this name in holye scripture to be called a comforter Who wyl not also marueyle to reade the learned and heauenly sermons of Peter and the disciples consyderyng that they were neuer brought vp in schole of learnyng but called euen from their nettes to supply roomes of Apostles This was lykewyse the mightie worke of the holy ghost who because he doth instruct the hearts of the simple in the true knowledge of God and his holy worde is moste iustly tearmed by this name and title to be the spirite of trueth Eusebius in his ecclesiasticall historie telleth a straunge storie of a certayne learned and subtill Philosopher who beyng an extreame aduersarie to Christ and his doctrine could by no kynd of learnyng be conuerted to the fayth but was able to withstande all the argumentes that coulde be brought agaynst hym with litle or no labour At length there started vp a poore simple man of small wit and lesse knowledge one that was reputed among the learned as an ideote And he on Gods name woulde needes take in hande to dispute with this proude Philosopher The Byshoppes and other learned men standyng by were marueylously abashed at the matter thinking that by his doynges they shoulde be all confounded and put to open shame He notwithstandyng goeth on and begynnyng in the name of the Lorde Jesus brought the Philosopher to suche poynte in the ende contrary to all mens expectation that he coulde not choose but acknowledge the power of God in his wordes and to geue place to the trueth Was not this a miraculous worke that one seely soule of no learnyng shoulde do that whiche many byshops of great knowledge and vnderstanding were neuer able to bryng to passe So true is the saying of Bede Where the holy ghost doth instruct and teache there is no delay at al in learnyng Much more myght here be spoken of the manyfolde gyftes and graces of the holy ghost moste excellent and wonderfull in our eyes But to make a long discourse through all the shortnes of tyme wil not serue And seing ye haue heard the cheefest ye may easily conceaue and iudge of the rest Nowe were it expedient to discusse this question Whether all they whiche boaste and bragge that they haue the holy ghost do truely chalenge this vnto them selues or no Which doubt
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
Christe the same is not his And by turnyng the wordes it maye be as truely sayd If any man be not of Christe the same hath not his spirite Nowe to discerne who are truely his and who not we haue this rule geuen vs that his sheepe do alwayes heare his voyce And saint John sayth He that is of God heareth Gods worde Whereof it foloweth that the popes in not hearing Christes voyce as they ought to do but preferring their owne decrees before the expresse worde of God do playnely argue to the worlde that they are not of Christe nor yet possessed with his spirite But here they wyll alleage for them selues that there are diuers necessarie poyntes not expressed in holy scripture whiche were left to the reuelation of the holy ghost Who beyng geuen to the Churche accordyng to Christes promise hath taught many thynges from tyme to tyme which the apostles coulde not then beare To this we may easily aunswere by the playne wordes of Christe teachyng vs that the proper office of the holy ghoste is not to institute and bring in newe ordinaunces contrary to his doctrine before taught but to expound declare those thynges whiche he had before taught so that they might be wel truely vnderstode When the holy ghost sayth he shall come he shall leade you into all trueth What trueth doth he meane Any other then he him self had before expressed in his word No. For he sayth He shal take of myne and shew it vnto you Agayne he shall bryng you in remembraunce of all thynges that I haue tolde you it is not then the duetie and part of any christian vnder pretence of the holy ghost to bryng in his owne dreames and phantasies into the Churche but he must diligently prouide that his doctrine decrees be agreeable to Christes holye testament Otherwise in making the holy ghost the aucthour thereof he doth blaspheme and belye the holy ghost to his owne condempnation Now to leaue their doctrine and come to other poyntes What shall we thynke or iudge of the popes intollerable pryde The scripture sayth that God resisteth the proude and sheweth grace to the humble Also it pronounceth them blessed which are poore in spirite promising that they which humble them selues shal be exalted And Christe our sauiour wylieth all his to learne of hym because he is humble and meeke As for pryde saint Gregorie sayth it is the roote of all mischeefe And saint Augustines iudgement is this that it maketh men deuilles Can any man then whiche eyther hath or shall reade the popes lyues iustly say that they had the holy ghoste within them First as touching that they wil be tearmed vniuersall byshoppes and heades of all Christian Churches through the world we haue the iudgement of Gregory expresly against them who wrytyng to Maritius the Emperour condemneth John bishop of Constantinople in that behalfe calling him the prince of pryde Lucifers successour and the forerunner of Antechriste Saint Barnarde also agreeing thereunto sayth What greater pride can there be then that one man should preferre his owne iudgement before the whole congregation as though he onlye had the spirite of God And Chrisostome pronounceth a terrible sentence agaynst them affyrming playnly that whosoeuer seeketh to be cheefe in earth shall finde confusion in heauen and that he whiche striueth for the supremacie shall not be reputed among the seruauntes of Christe Agayne he sayth To desire a good worke it is good but to couet the cheefe degree of honour it is mere vanitie Do not these places sufficiently conuince their outragious pride in vsurping to them selues a superioritie aboue all other aswell ministers and byshops as kynges also and Emperours But as the Lion is knowne by his clawes so let vs learne to knowe these men by their deedes What shall we say of hym that made the noble kyng Dandalus to be tyed by the necke with a chayne and to lye flat downe before his table there to gnaw bones lyke a dogge Shal we thynke that he had Gods holy spirite within hym and not rather the spirite of the deuil Such a tyraunt was pope Clement the sixt What shall we say of hym that proudly and contemptuously trode Fredericke the Emperour vnder his feete applying the vearse of the Psalme vnto him selfe Thou shalt go vpon the Lion and the Adder the young Lion the Dragon thou shalt tread vnder thy foote Shal we say that he had Gods holy spirite within hym not rather the spirite of the deuyll Suche a tyraunt was pope Alexander the thirde What shall we say of him that armed and animated the sonne against the father causing him to be taken to be cruelly famished to death contrary to the law both God and also of nature Shall we say that he had Gods holy spirite within hym and not rather the spirite of the deuyll Suche a tyraunt was pope Pascall the seconde What shall we saye of hym that came into his popedome lyke a foxe that raigned lyke a Lion and dyed lyke a dogge Shal we say that he had Gods holy spirite within hym and not rather the spirite of the deuyll Suche a tyraunt was pope Boniface the eyght What shall we say of hym that made Henrye the Emperour with his wyfe and his young childe to stande at the gates of the Citie in the rough winter bare footed and bare legged only clothed in lincie wolâ—ie eatyng nothyng from mornyng to nyght and that for the space of three dayes Shal we say that he had Gods holy spirite within hym and not rather the spirite of the deuyll Suche a tyraunt was pope Hildebrande moste worthy to be called a fyrebrand if we shal tearme him as he hath best deserued Many other examples might here be alleaged As of pope Jone the harlot that was delyuered of a chylde in the hygh streate goyng solempnly in procession Of pope Iulius the seconde that wilfully cast Saint Peters keyes into the ryuer Tiberis Ofpope Vrban the sixte that caused fiue Cardinals to be put in sackes and cruelly drowned Of pope Sergius the thirde that persecuted the dead bodye of Formosius his predecessour when it had ben buried eight yeres Of Pope John the. xiiii of that name who hauing his enemy deliuered into his handes caused him first to be stripped starke naked his beard to be shauen and to be hanged vp a whole day by the heere then to be set vpon an Asse with his face backward towardes the taile to be caryed round about the Citie in dispite to be miserablye beaten with roddes laste of all to be thrust out of his countrye and to be banished for euer But to conclude and make an ende ye shall breefly take this shorte lesson Wheresoeuer ye fynde the spirite of arrogancye and pryde the spirite of enuye hatred contention crueltie murder extortion witchcraft necromancie c. Assure your selues that there is the spirite of the
resteth al wysdome al habilitie to know God and to please hym For he writeth thus Be know that it is not in mans power to guide his goinges No man can know thy pleasure except thou geuest wysdome sendest thy holy spirite frō aboue Send him downe therefore prayeth he to God from thy holy heauens from the trone of thy maiestie that he may be with me and labour with me that so I may knowe what is acceptable before thee Let vs with so good heart pray as he dyd we shall not faile but to haue his assistance For he is sone seene of them that loue him he wyll be founde of them that seeke him For very liberall and gentle is the spirite of wisdome In his power shall we haue sufficient abilitie to knowe our duetie to God in him shall we be comforted and couraged to walke in our duetie in hym shall we be meete vessels to receaue the grace of almightie God for it is he that purgeth and purifieth the minde by his secrete working And he onlye is present euery where by his inuisible power and conteineth all thinges in his dominion He lyghtneth the heart to conceaue worthy thoughtes to almyghtie God he sitteth in the tongue of man to stirre him to speake his honour no language is hyd from him for he hath the knowledge of al speache he only ministreth spiritual strength to the powers of our soule body To hold the way whiche God had prepared for vs to walke ryghtly in our iourney we must acknowledge that it is in the power of his spirite which helpeth our infirmitie That we may boldly come in prayer and call vpon almyghtie God as our father it is by this holy spirite whiche maketh intercession for vs with continuall sighes If any gyft we haue wherewith we may worke to the glory of God profite of our neyghbour all is wrought by his owne selfe same spirite whiche maketh his distributions peculierly to euerye man as he wyl If any wysdome we haue it is not of our selues we can not glory therein as begun of our selues but we ought to glory in God from whō it came to vs as the prophete Jeremie wryteth Let him that reioyceth reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth knoweth me for I am the lord which sheweth mercie iudgement and righteousnes in the earth for in these thinges I delight saith the Lorde This wysdome can not be attayned but by the direction of the spirite of God therefore it is called spiritual wysdome And no where can we more certainely searche for the knowledge of this wyll of God by the which we must direct al our workes deedes but in the holy scriptures for they be they that testifie of hym sayth our sauiour Christe It maye be called knowledge and learnyng that is other where gotten out of the worde but the wyse man plainely testifieth that they al be but vaine which haue not in them the wisdome of god We see to what vanitie the olde Philosophers came which were destitute of this science gotten searched for in his worde We see what vanitie the schole doctrine is mixed with for that in this world they sought not the wyll of God but rather the wyll of reason the trade of custome the path of the fathers the practise of the Churche Let vs therfore reade reuolue the holy scripture both day nyght for blessed is he that hath his whole meditatiō therin It is that that geueth light to our feete to walke by It is that whiche geueth wysdome to the simple and ignoraunt In it may we finde eternall lyfe In the holy scriptures find we Christ in Christ find we God for he it is that is the expresse image of the father He that seeth Christ seeth the father And contrary wyse as Saint Hierome sayth the ignorance of scripture is the ignorance of christ Not to knowe Christ is to be in darknesse in the middes of our worldly and carnal light of reason and philosophie To be without Christe is to be in foolishnes For he is the only wysdome of the father in whom it pleased hym that all fulnesse perfection shoulde dwel With whō whosoeuer is indued in heart by faith rooted fast in charitie hath layde a sure foundation to buylde on whereby he may be able to comprehende with al saintes what is the breadth length deapth to know the loue of Christe This vniuersal and absolute knowledge is that wysdome which S. Paul wisheth these Ephesians to haue as vnder heauen the greatest treasure that can be obteyned For of this wysdome the wyse man wryteth thus of his experience All good thinges came to me together with her and innumerable ryches through her handes And addeth moreouer in that same place She is the mother of all these things For she is an infinite treasure vnto men which who so vse become partakers of the loue of god I might with many wordes moue some of this audience to searche for this wysdome to sequester their reason to folowe gods commaundemēt to cast frō them the wittes of their braines to fauour this wysdome to renounce the wysedome pollicie of this fonde worlde to taste and sauour that whereunto the fauour wyll of god hath called them and willeth vs finally to enioy by his fauour if we would geue eare But I wil haste to the thirde part of my text wherein is expressed further in sapience how God geueth his electe an vnderstandyng of the motions of the heauens of the alterations and circumstaunces of time Whiche as it foloweth in wordes more plentifull in the text which I haue last cited vnto you So it must needes folow in them that be indued with this spiritual wysdome For as they can searche where to finde this wysdome and know of whom to aske it So know they againe that in time it is found and can therefore attemper them selues to the occasion of the time to suffer no time to passe away wherein they maye labour for this wysdome And to encrease therein they knowe how God of his infinite mercie and lenitie geueth all men here tyme and place of repentance And they see howe the wicked as Job wryteth abuse the same to their pride therfore do the godly take the better holde of the time to redeeme it out of suche vse as it is spoyled in by the wicked They which haue this wisdome of God can gather by the diligent and earnest studye of the worldlinges of this present lyfe howe they wayte theyr times and apply them selues to euery occasion of time to get riches to encrease their landes patrimonie They see the tyme passe away and therefore take holde on it in such wise that otherwhyles they wyll with losse of theyr sleepe ease with suffering many paynes catche the offer of their time knowyng that that which is once past
to towne from place to place without punishment which neyther serue God nor their prince but deuoure the sweete fruites of other mens labour being common liers drunkardes swearers theeues whoremaisters and murtherers refusing all honest labour and geue them selues to nothyng els but to inuent and do mischeefe whereof they are more desyrous and greedy then is any Lion of his pray To remedy this inconueniencie let al parentes others whiche haue the care and gouernance of youth so bring them vp eyther in good learnyng labour or some honest occupation or trade whereby they may be able in time to come not only to sustaine them selues competently but also to relieue and supplie the necessitie and want of others And saint Paul sayth Let hym that hath stolen steale no more and he that hath deceaued others or vsed vnlawful wayes to get his liuing leaue of the same labour rather workyng with his handes that thing whiche is good that he may haue that which is necessarie for hym selfe and also be able to geue vnto others that stande in neede of his helpe The prophet Dauid thinketh him happy that liueth vpon his labour saying When thou eatest the labours of thyne handes happy art thou and wel is thee This happines or blessing consisteth in these such like pointes First it is the gyft of God as Salomon sayth when one eateth and drinketh and receaueth good of his labour Secondaryly when one liueth of his owne labour so it be honest good he liueth of it with a good conscience And an vpryght conscience is a treasure inestimable Thirdly he eateth his bread not with brawling and chiding but with peace and quietnes when he quietly laboureth for the same accordyng to saint Paules admonition Fourthly he is no mans bondman for his meate sake nor needeth not for that to hang vpon the good wyll of other men but so liueth of his owne that he is able to geue part to others And to conclude the labouryng man and his familie whyles they are busilie occupied in their labour be free from many temptations and occasions of sinne which they that liue in idlenesse are subiect vnto And here ought Artificers and Labouring men who be at wages for their worke and labour to consyder theyr conscience to God and theyr duetie to their neighbour least they abuse their tyme in idlenesse so defraudyng them whiche be at charge both with great wages and deare commons They be worse then idle men in deede for that they seeke to haue wages for their loytring It is lesse daunger to God to be idle for no gayne then by idlenes to win out of theyr neyghbours purses wages for that which is not deserued It is true that almyghtie God is angry with suche as do defraude the hyred man of his wages The crie of that iniurie ascendeth vp to Gods eare for vengeaunce And as true it is that the hyred man who vseth deceipt in his labour is a theefe before god Let no man sayth saint Paul to the Thessalonians subtilly beguile his brother let him not defraud him in his busines For the lord is reuenger of suche deceiptes Wherevppon he that wyll haue a good conscience to God that labouring man I say which dependeth wholye vpon Gods benediction ministring all thynges sufficient for his liuing let hym vse his tyme in faythful labour and when his labour by sicknes or other misfortune doth ceasse yet let him think for that in his health he serued GOD and his neyghbour truely he shall not want in tyme of necessitie God vppon respect of his fidelitie in health wyll recompence his indigence to moue the heartes of good men to relieue suche decayed men in sicknesse Where otherwyse whatsoeuer is gotten by idlenesse shall haue no foyson to helpe in tyme of neede Let the labouryng man therfore eschew for his part this vice of idlenesse and deceipt remembring that saint Paul exhorteth euery man to lay away al deceipt dissimulation and lying and to vse trueth plainenesse to his neyghbour because sayth he we be members together in one body vnder one head Christ our sauiour And here myght be charged the seruing men of this Realme who spend their tyme in much idlenesse of life nothyng regardyng the oportunitie of their time forgetting how seruice is no heritage howe age will creepe vpon them where wysdome were they should expende theyr idle time in some good businesse whereby they myght increase in knowledge so the more worthy to be readye for euery mans seruice It is a great rebuke to them that they studie not eyther to write fayre to kepe a booke of accompt to studie the tongues and so to get wysdome knowledge in suche bookes and workes as be nowe plentifully set out in print of all maner languages Let young men consyder the pretious value of their time and wast it not in idlenesse in iolitie in gaming in banqueting in ruffians company Youth is but vanitie and must be accompted for before god Howe mery and glad soeuer thou be in thy youth O young man sayth the preacher how glad soeuer thy heartbe in thy young dayes how fast and freely soeuer thou folowe the waies of thine owne heart and the lust of thyne owne eyes yet be thou sure that God shal bring thee into iudgement for al these thinges God of his mercie put it into the heartes mindes of all them that haue the sworde of punishment in their hands or haue families vnder their gouernance to labour to redres this great enormitie of al such as liue idelly and vnprofitably in the cōmon weale to the great dishonour of God the greeuous plague of his seely people To leaue sinne vnpunished and to neglect the good bryngyng vp of youth is nothyng els but to kindle the Lordes wrath agaynst vs and to heape plagues vpon our owne heades As long as the adulterous people were suffered to liue licenciously without reformation so long dyd the plague continue and increase in Israel as ye may see in the booke of Numbers But when due correction was done vpon them the Lordes anger was straightway pacified and the plague ceassed Let al officers therefore loke straightly to their charge Let all maisters of housholdes refourme this abuse in their families Let them vse the aucthoritie that God hath geuen them Let them not mainteyne vagaboundes and idle persons but deliuer the Realme and their householdes from suche noysome loyterers that idlenesse the mother of al mischeefe being cleane taken away almyghtie God may turne his dreadful anger away from vs cōfirme the couenant of peace vpon vs for euer through the merites of Jesus Christ our only Lord sauiour to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory worlde without ende Amen An Homilee of repentaunce and of true reconciliation vnto God. THere is nothing that the holy ghost doth so much labour in all the scriptures to beate into
vayne Euen so most specially in this matter muste we take heede and beware that we suffer not our selues to be perswaded that all that we do is but labour lost For thereof eyther sodayne desperation doth aryse or a licentious boldnesse to sinne which at length bringeth vnto desperation Least any suche thing then shoulde happen vnto them he doth certifie them of the grace and goodnes of God who is alwayes moste redye to receaue them into fauour agayne that turne speedylye vnto him Which thing he doth proue with the same titles whorwith god doth discribe and set foorth himselfe vnto Moyses speaking on this maner For he is gracious and merciful slowe to anger of great kyndnesse and repenteth hym of the euiâ—â— thatis suche a one as is sorye for your afflictious Fyrst he calleth hym gentle gracious as he who of his own nature is more prompt and redye to do good then to punyshe Whereunto this saying of Esaias the Prophete seemeth to parteyne where he sayeth Let the wycked forsake his waye and the vnryghteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lorde and he will haue pitie on him and to our God for he is verye redye to forgeue Secondly he doth attribute vnto him mercy or rather accordyng to the Hebrewe word the bowels of mercies whereby he signifyed the naturall affections of parentes towardes their children Which thing Dauid doth set foorth goodlye saying As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lorde compassion on them that feare hym for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but duste Thyrdlye he sayth that he is slowe to anger that is to saye long sufferyng and whiche is not lightly prouoked to wrath Fourthly that he is of muche kindnesse for he is that bottomlesse well of all goodnesse who reioyceth to do good vnto vs Therefore did he create and make men that he myght haue whom he shoulde do good vnto and make partakers of his heauenly ryches Fifthlye he repenteth of the euyll that is to saye he doeth call backe agayne reuoke the punyshment whiche he had threatned when he seeth men repent turne and amende Whereupon we do not without a iust cause detest and abhorre the dampnable oppinion of them which do most wickedlye go about to perswade the simple and ignorasâ—t people that if we chaunce after we be once come to God and graffed in his sonne Jesu Christe to fall into some hoâ—rible sinne repentaunce shall be vnprofitable vnto vs there is no more hope of reconciliation or to be receaued agayne into the fauour and mercy of god And that they may geue the better colour vnto their pestilent and pernicious errour they do commonlye bryng in the sixth tenth Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrues and the second Chapter of the seconde Epistle of Peter not consyderyng that in those places the holy Apostles do not speake of the daily falles that we as long as we cary about this body of sinne are subiect vnto but of the finall fallyng away from Christ and his Gospel which is a sinne agaynst the holy ghost that shall neuer he forgeuen because that they that do vtterlye forsake the knowen trueth do hate Christe and his worde they do crucifie and mocke him but to their vtter destruction and therefore fall into desperation and cannot repent And that this is the true meanyng of the holy spirite of God it appeareth by manye other places of the Scriptures which promiseth vnto all true repentaunt sinners and to them that with their whole hart do returne vnto the Lorde their God free pardon and remission of their sinnes For the probation hereof we reade this O Israel sayeth the holy prophete Hieremie if thou returne returne vnto me sayeth the Lorde and if thou put away thyne abominations out of any syght then shalte thou not be moued Agayne these are Esaias words Let the wicked forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne agayne vnto the Lorde and he will haue mercye vpon hym and to our God for he is redye to forgeue And in the prophet Ozee the godlye do exhort one another after this manner Come and let vs turne againe vnto the lord for he hath smitten vs and he will heale vs he hath wounded vs and he will bynde vs vp agayne It is most euident and playne that these thinges ought to be vnderstanded of them that were with the Lorde afore and by their sinnes and wickednesse were gone awaye from hym For we do not turne agayne vnto hym with whom we were neuer before but we come vnto him Nowe vnto all them that will returne vnfaynedlye vnto the Lorde their God the fauour and mercye of God vnto forgeuenesse of sinnes is liberally offered Whereby it followeth necessarilye that although we do after we be once come to God and graffed in his sonne Jesus Christe fall into great sinnes for there is no ryghteous man vpon the earth that sinneth not and if we saye we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the trueth is not in vs yet if we ryse agayne by repentaunce and with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe do flee vnto the mercye of God taking sure holde thereupon through fayth in his sonne Jesu Christe there is an assured and infallible hope of pardon and remission of the same that we shall be receaued agayne into the fauour of our heauenly father It is written of Dauid I haue founde a man accordyng to myne owne heart or I haue found Dauid the sonne of Jesse a man accordyng to myne owne heart who will do all thinges that I wyll This is a godly commendation of Dauid It is also moste certayne that he did stedfastly beleue the promise that was made hym touching the Messias who shoulde come of him touching the fleshe and that by the same fayth he was iustifyed and graffed in our sauiour Jesu Christ to come and yet afterwards he fell horribly committing moste detestable adultrye and damnable murther and yet assone as he cryed peccaui I haue sinned vnto the Lord his sinne beyng forgeuen he was receaued into fauour agayne Now will we come vnto Peter of whom no man can doubte but that he was graffed in our sauiour Jesus Christe long afore his deniall Whiche thing may easylye be proued by the aunswere whiche he did in his name and in the name of his fellowe Apostles make vnto our sauiour Jesu Christ when he saide vnto theÌ„ Will ye also go away Maister sayth he to whoÌ„ shall we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe and we beleue and knowe that thou art the Christe the sonne of the lyuing god Whereunto may be added the lyke confession of Peter where Christ doth geue this most infallible testimonie Thou art blessed Simon the sonne of Jonas for neither fleshe nor blood hath reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen
These words are sufficient to proue that Peter was alredye iustifyed through this his lyuelye fayth in the onely begotten sonne of god wherof he made so notable and so solemyne a confession But did not he afterwardes moste cowardlye denye his maister although he had heard of hym Whosoeuer denyeth me before men I wyll denye hym before my father Neuerthelesse assone as with weeping eyes with a sobbyng heart he did acknowledge his offence and with earnest repentance did flee vnto the mercy of God taking sure holde thereupon through faith in him whom he had so shamefullye denyed his sinne was forgeuen him for a certificate and assurance therof the roome of his Apostleship was not denyed vnto him But now marke what doth followe After the same holy Apostle had on Whitsondaye with the reste of the Disciples receaued the gyft of the holy ghost most aboundauntly he committed no smal offence in Antiochia by brynging the consciences of the faythfull into doubt by his example so that Paule was faine to rebuke him to his face because that he walked not vprightlye or went not the ryght way in the Gospell Shall we now say that after this greeuous offence he was vtterly excluded and shut out from the grace and mercy of God that this his trespasse wherby he was a stumbling blocke vnto manye was vnpardonable God defende we shoulde saye so But as these examples are not brought in to the ende that we shoulde thereby take a boldnesse to sinne presuming on the mercye and goodnesse of God but to the ende that if through the fraylenesse of our owne fleshe and the temptation of the Deuill we fall into the lyke sinnes we shoulde in no wyse dispayre of the mercy and goodnes of God Euen so muste we beware and take heede that we do in no wise thinke in our heartes imagine or beleue that we are able to repent aright or to tourne effectuallye vnto the Lorde by our owne myght and strength For this must be verifyed in all men Without me ye can do nothing Agayne Of our selues we are not able as much as to thynke a good thought And in another place It is God that worketh in vs both the wyl and the deede For this cause although Hieremie had sayde before If thou returne O Israel returne vnto me sayeth the Lorde Yet afterwardes he sayeth Turne thou me O Lorde and I shall be turned for thou art the Lorde my god And therefore that holye wryter and auncient father Ambrose doth playnely affirme that the turnyng of the heart vnto God is of God as the Lorde hym selfe doth testifie by his prophete saying And I will geue thee an heart to knowe me that I am the Lorde and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shal returne vnto me with their whole heart These thinges beyng consydered let vs earnestlye pray vnto the liuyng God our heauenlye father that he wyll vouchsafe by his holye spirite to worke a true and vnfained repentance in vs that after the paynefull labours and trauayles of this lyfe we may liue eternally with his sonne Jesus Christe to whom be all prayse and glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ The seconde parte of the Homilee of Repentaunce HJtherto haue ye heard wel beloued how needeful necessary the doctrine of repentaunce is how earnestly it is throughout all the scriptures of God vrged and set foorth both by the auncient prophetes by our Sauiour Jesu Christ his Apostles and that forasmuche as it is the conuertion or turning agayne of the whole man vnto God from whom we go away by sinne these four pointes ought to be obserued That is from whence or from what thinges we muste returne vnto whom this our returnyng muste be made by whose meanes it ought to be done that it may be effectual and last of all after what sort we ought to behaue our selues in the same that it may be profitable vnto vs and attayne vnto the thing that we do seeke by it Ye haue also learned that as the opinion of them that denie the benefite of repentaunce vnto those that after they be come to God and graffed in our sauiour Jesu Christe do through the fraylenesse of theyr fleshe and the temptation of the deuill fall into some greeuous and detestable sinne is most pestilent and pernitious So we muste beware that we do in no wyse thynke that we are able of our owne selues and of our own strength to retourne vnto the Lorde our God from whom we are gone awaye by our wyckednesse and sinne Nowe it shall be declared vnto you what be the true partes of repentaunce what thinges ought to moue vs to repent and to returne vnto the Lorde our God with all speede Repentaunce as it is sayde before is a true returning vnto God whereby men forsakyng vtterlye their idolatrie and wickednes do with a lyuelye fayth embrace loue and worship the true lyuyng God onelye and geue them selues to all maner of good workes whiche by Gods worde they knowe to be acceptable vnto him Nowe there be foure partes of repentaunce which beyng set together maye be lykened to an easie and short ladder whereby we may clymbe from the bottomles pit of perdition that we caste our selues into by our daylye offences and greeuous sinnes vp into the castle or to wre of eternal and endelesse saluation The fyrst is the contrition of the heart For we must be earnestly sorye for our sinnes and vnfaynedlye lament be wayle that we haue by them so greuously offended our most bounteous and mercifull God who so tenderlye loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to dye a most bitter death to shed his deare hart blood for our redemption and deliueraunce And veryly this inward sorowe and greefe being conceaued in the heart for the haynousnesse of sinne if it be earnest and vnfayned is as a sacrifice to God as the holy prophete Dauid doth testifye saying A sacrifyce to God is a troubled spyrite a contrite and broken heart O Lord thou wylt not dispyse But that this may take place in vs we must be diligent to reade and heare the scriptures and worde of God whiche most lyuely do paynt out before your eyes our naturall vncleanlynesse and the enormitie of our sinfull lyfe For vnlesse we haue a through feeling of our sinnes how can it be that we shoulde earnestlie be sorye for them Afore Dauid did heare the worde of the Lorde by the mouth of the prophet Nathan what heauinesse I praye you was in hym for the adultrie and murther that he had committed So that it myght be sayd right wel that he slept in his owne sinne We reade in the Actes of the Apostles that when the people had hearde the Sermon of Peter they were compunct and pricked in theyr heartes Whiche thing woulde neuer haue ben if they had not heard that holsome Sermon of
to our sauiour Jesu Christe dyd powre downe suche aboundaunce of teares out of those wanton eyes of hers wherwith she had allured many vnto follie that she dyd with them washe his feete wypyng them with the heres of her head whiche she was wont moste gloriously to set out makyng of them a nette of the deuyll Hereby we do learne what is the satisfaction that God doth require of vs which is that we ceasse from euyll and do good and if we haue done anye man wrong to endeuour our selues to make hym true amendes to the vttermoste of our power folowyng in this the example of Zacheus and of this sinâ—ull woman and also that goodly lesson that John Baytist Zacharies sonne dyd geue vnto them that came to aske counsayle of hym This was commonly the penaunce that Christe enioyned synners Go thy way and synne no more Whiche penaunce we shall neuer be able to fulfyll without the speciall grace of hym that doth say Without me ye can do nothyng It is therefore our partes yf at least we be desyrous of the health and saluation of our owne selues most earnestly to praye vnto our heauenly father to assist vs with his holye spirite that we may be able to hearken vnto the voyce of the true shephearde and with due obedience to folowe the same Let vs hearken to the voyce of almightie God when he calleth vs to repentaunce let vs not harden our heartes as suche Infidels do who abuse the tyme geuen them of God to repent and turne it to continue their pride and contempt against God and man whiche knowe not howe much they heape Gods wrath vppon them selues for the hardnesse of their heartes whiche can not repent at the day of vengeaunce Where we haue offended the law of God let vs repent vs of our straying from so good a Lorde Let vs confesse our vnworthynesse before hym but yet let vs trust in Gods free mercye for Christes sake for the pardon of the same And from henceforth let vs endeuour our selues to walke in a newe lyfe as newe borne babes whereby we may glorifie our father which is in heauen and thereby to beare in our consciences a good testimonie of our fayth So at the last to obteyne the fruition of euerlasting lyfe through the merites of our sauiour to whom be al prayse and honour for euer Amen The thirde parte of the Homilee of repentaunce IN the Nomilee last spoken vnto you right welbeloued people in our sauiour Christ ye heard of the true partes tokens of repentaunce that is heartie contrition and sorowfulnes of our heartes vnfaigned confession in worde of mouth for our vnworthy lyuyng before God a stedfast fayth to the merites of our sauiour Christe for pardon and a purpose of our selues by Gods grace to renounce our former wycked lyfe and a full conuersion to God in a newe lyfe to glorifie his name and to liue orderly and charitably to the comfort of our neighbour in al righteousnes and to lyue soberly and modestly to our selues by vsing abstinence and temperance in word in deed in mortifying our earthly members here vpoÌ„ earth Nowe for a further perswasion to moue you to those partes of repentance I wil declare vnto you some causes which should the rather moue you to repentaunce Fyrst the commaundement of God who in so many places of the holy and sacred Scriptures doth byd vs returne vnto hym O ye chyldren of Israel sayth he turne agayne from your infidelitie wherein ye drowned your selues Againe Turne you turne you from your euil wayes For why wyll ye dye O ye house of Israel And in an other place thus doth he speake by his holy prophete Ozee O Israel returne vnto the Lorde thy God For thou hast taken a great fall by thyne iniquitie Take vnto you these wordes with you when you turne vnto the Lorde and say vnto hym Take away all iniquitie and receaue vs gratiously so will we offer the calues of our lippes vnto thee In all these places we haue an expresse commaundement geuen vnto vs of God for to returne vnto hym Therefore we must take good heede vnto our selues least wheras we haue alredy by our manyfolde synnes and transgressions prouoked and kindeled the wrath of God agaynst vs we do by breakyng this his commaundemente double our offences and so heape styll dampnation vppon our owne heades by our dayly offences and trespasses whereby we prouoke the eyes of his maiestie we do well deserue if he should deale with vs accordyng to his iustice to be put away for euer from the fruition of his glorye Nowe muche more then are we worthy of the endlesse tormentes of hell yf when we be so gently called againe after our rebellion and commaunded to returne we will in no wyse hearken vnto the voyce of our heauenlye father but walke stil after the stubbornnes of our owne heartes Secondely the moste comfortable and sweete promise that the Lorde our God dyd of his mere mercy and goodnesse ioyne vnto his comaundement For he doth not only say Returne vnto me O Israel but also If thou wylt returne and put away all thyne abhominations out of my syght thou shalt neuer be moued These wordes also haue we in the Prophet Ezechiel At what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent hym of his synne from the bottome of his heart I wyll put all his wyckednesse out of my remembraunce sayth the Lorde so that they shal be no more thought vpon Thus are we sufficiently instructed that God wyll accordyng to his promise freely pardon forgeue and forget al our synnes so that we shal neuer be cast in the teeth with them if obeying his commaundement and allured by his sweete promises we wyll vnfaignedly returne vnto hym Thirdly the filthinesse of synne which is such that as long as we do abyde in it God can not but detest and abhorre vs neyther can there be any hope that we shall enter into the heauenlye Hierusalem except we be first made cleane purged from it But this wyll neuer be vnlesse forsakyng our former lyfe we do with our whole heart returne vnto the Lorde our God with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe flee vnto his mercy taking sure hold therupon through fayth in the blood of his son Jesu Christe If we should suspect any vncleannes to be in vs wherfore the earthly prince should lothe and abhorre the sight of vs what paynes woulde we take to remoue put it away Howe muche more ought we with all diligence and speede that may be to put away that vncleane filthynesse that doth separate and make a diuision betwixt vs and our God that hideth his face from vs that he wil not heare vs And verily herein doth appeare howe filthie a thyng sin is syth that it can by no other meanes be washed away but by the blood of the onely begotten sonne of god And shall we not from
token of his due and bounden obedience with denuntiation of death if he dyd transgresse breake the said lawe commaundement And as God would haue man to be his obedient subiect so did he make al earthly creatures subiect vnto man who kept their due obedience vnto man so long as man remayned in his obedience vnto god in the which obedience if man had continued stil there had ben no pouertie no diseases no sicknesse no death nor other miseries wherewith mankynde is nowe infinitely and most miserably afflicted and oppressed So here appeareth the originall kyngdome of God ouer angels and man and vniuersally ouer all thinges and of man ouer earthly creatures whiche God had made subiect vnto him and withall the felicitie and blessed state whiche angels man and all creatures had remayned in had they continued in due obedience vnto GOD theyr kyng For as long as in this fyrst kyngdome the subiectes continued in due obedience to God theyr kyng so long dyd God embrace all his subiectes with his loue fauour and grace whiche to enioy is perfect felicitie whereby it is euident that obedience is the principall vertue of all vertues and in deede the verye roote of all vertues and the cause of all felicitie But as all felicitie and blessednesse shoulde haue continued with the continuaunce of obedience so with the breache of obedience and breaking in of rebellion all vices and miseries dyd withall breake in and ouerwhelme the worlde The first aucthour of which rebellion the roote of all vices and mother of all mischeefes was Lucifer fyrst Gods most excellent creature and moste bounden subiect who by rebelling agaynst the maiestie of God of the bryghtest and most glorious angell is become the blackest and moste foulest feende deuill and from the heyght of heauen is fallen into the pit and bottome of hell Here you may see the first aucthour and founder of rebellion and the rewarde thereof here you maye see the graunde captayne and father of all rebels who perswadyng the folowyng of his rebellion agaynst GOD their creator and Lorde vnto our fyrst parentes Adam and Eue brought them in high displeasure with GOD wrought their exile and vanishment out of paradise a place of all pleasure and goodnesse into this wretched earth and vale of all miserie procured vnto them sorowes of their mindes mischeefes sicknesse diseases death of theyr bodies and whiche is farre more horrible then all worldly and bodyly mischeefes he had wrought thereby theyr eternall and euerlastyng death and dampnation had not GOD by the obedience of his sonne Jesus Christe repayred that whiche man by disobedience and rebellion had destroyed and so of his mercie had pardoned and forgeuen hym of whiche all and singuler the premises the holye scriptures do beare recorde in sundrye places Thus you do see that neither heauen nor paradise coulde suffer anye rebellion in them neyther be places for any rebels to remayne in Thus became rebellion as you see both the first and greatest and the verye roote of all other sinnes and the first and principall cause both of all worldlye and bodyly miseries sorowes diseases sicknesses and deathes and whiche is infinitely worse then all these as is sayde the very cause of death and dampnation eternall also After this breache of obedience to God and rebellion agaynst his maiestie all mischeefes and miseries breaking in therewith and ouerflowyng the worlde lest all thinges shoulde come vnto confusion and vtter ruine GOD foorthwith by lawes geuen vnto mankynde repayred agayne the rule and order of obedience thus by rebellion ouerthrowen and besides the obedience due vnto his maiestie he not onlye ordayned that in families and housholdes the wyfe shoulde be obedient vnto her husbande the chyldren vnto their parentes the seruauntes vnto their maisters but also when mankynde increased and spread it selfe more largely ouer the worlde he by his holye worde dyd constitute and ordayne in Cities and Countreys seuerall and speciall gouernours and rulers vnto whom the residue of his people shoulde be obedient As in readyng of the holye scriptures we shall finde in very many and almoste infinite places aswell of the olde Testament as of the newe that kynges and princes aswell the euill as the good do raigne by Gods ordinaunce and that subiectes are bounden to obey them that God doth geue princes wysdome great power and aucthoritie that God defendeth them agaynst their enemies and destroyeth their enemies horribly that the anger and displeasure of the prince is as the roaring of a Lion and the very messenger of death and that the subiect that prouoketh hym to displeasure sinneth agaynst his owne soule With many other thinges concernyng both the aucihoritie of princes and the duetie of subiectes But here let vs rehearse two speciall places out of the new Testament which may stand in steade of all other The first out of saint Paules Epistle to the Romanes and the. 1◠Chapter where he wryteth thus vnto all subiectes Let euery soule be subiect vnto the hygher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeyned of god Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God and they that resist shall receaue to them selues dampnation For princes are not to be feared for good workes but for euil Wylt thou then be without feare of the power Do well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same For he is the minister of GOD for thy wealth but yf thou do euill feare for he beareth not the sworde for naught for he is the minister of God to take vengeaunce vppon hym that doth euyll Wherefore ye muste be subiect not because of wrath only but also for conscience sake for for this cause ye pay also tribute for they are Gods ministers seruyng for the same purpose Geue to euery man therefore his duetie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whom ye owe honour Thus farre are saint Paules wordes The seconde place is in saint Peters first Epistle and the second chapter whose wordes are these Submit yoūr selues vnto all maner ordinaunce of man for the lordes sake whether it be vnto the kyng as vnto the cheefe head eyther vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punishment of euyll doers but for the cheryshing of them that do well For so is the wyll of GOD that with well doyng ye may stoppe the mouthes of ignoraunt and foolishe men as free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloke of malitiousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of god Honour all men loue brotherly felowship feare GOD honour the kyng Seruauntes obey your maisters with feare not onlye yf they be good and curteous but also though they be frowarde Thus farre out of Saint Peter By these two places of the holy scriptures it is moste euident that Kinges Queenes and other Princes for he speaketh of
aucthoritie power be it in men or women are ordeyned of God are to be obeyed and honoured of their subiectes that suche subiectes as are disobedient or rebellious agaynst theyr princes disobey GOD and procure theyr owne damnation that the gouernment of princes is a great blessing of God geuen for the common wealth specially of the good and godly for the comfort and cherishing of whom God geueth and setteth vp princes and on the contrary part to the feare and for the punishment of the euyll and wicked Finally that yf seruauntes ought to obey theyr maisters not only beyng gentle but suche as be frowarde aswell and muche more ought subiectes to be obedient not only to their good and curteous but also to theyr sharpe and rigorous princes It commeth therfore neyther of chaunce and fortune as they tearme it nor of thambition of mortal men and women climing vp of theyr owne accorde to dominion that there be Kynges Queenes Princes and other gouernours ouer men beyng theyr subiectes but al Kinges Queenes and other gouernours are specially appoynted by the ordinaunce of god And as GOD him selfe beyng of an infinite maiestie power and wysdome ruleth and gouerneth all thynges in heauen and in earth as the vniuersal Monarche onlye Kyng and Emperour ouer all as beyng onlye able to take and beare the charge of all so hath he constituted ordayned and set earthly princes ouer particuler kyngdomes and dominions in earth both for the auoydyng of all confusion whiche els woulde be in the worlde if it should be without such gouernours and for the great quiet and benefite of earthly men theyr subiectes and also that the princes them selues in aucthoritie power wysdome prouidence and ryghteousnes in gouernment of people and countreys committed to their charge shoulde resemble his heauenly gouernaunce as the maiestie of heauenly thinges may by the bacenes of earthly thinges be shadowed and resembled And for that similitude that is betweene the heauenly Monarchie and earthly kyngdomes wel gouerned our sauiour Christe in sundry parables sayth that the kyngdome of heauen is resembled vnto a man a kyng and as the name of the kyng is very often attributed and geuen vnto GOD in the holy scriptures so doth GOD hym selfe in the same scriptures sometyme vouchsafe to communicate his name with earthly princes tearming them gods Doubtles for that similitude of gouernment which they haue or should haue not vnlike vnto GOD their kyng Unto the which similitude of heaueuly gouernment the nearer and nearer that an earthly prince doth come in his regiment the greater blessing of Gods mercie is he vnto that countrey and people ouer whom he raigneth and the further and further that an earthlye prince doth swarue from the example of the heauenly gouernment the greater plague he is of Gods wrath and punishment by Gods iustice vnto that countrey people ouer whom God for their sinnes hath placed suche a prince and gouernour For it is in deede euident both by the scriptures and by daylye experience that the maintenaunce of all vertue godlinesse and consequently of the wealth and prosperitie of a kyngdome and people both stand and rest more in a wyse and good prince on the one part then in great multitudes of other men being subiectes and on the contrary part the ouerthrowe of all vertue and godlinesse and consequently the decay and vtter ruine of a Realme and people doth growe and come more by an vndiscrete and euill gouernour then by many thousandes of other men being subiectes thus say the holye scriptures Well is thee O thou lande sayth the preacher whose kyng is come of nobles and whose princes eate in due season for necessitie and not for lust Agayne a wyse and ryghteous kyng maketh his Realme and people wealthye and a good mercifull and gratious prince is as a shadowe in heate as a defence in stormes as deawe as sweete showres as freshe water springes in great drougthes Agayne the scriptures of vndiscrete and euill princes speake thus â—o be to thee O thou lande whose kyng is but a childe and whose princes are early at their bankettes Agayne When the wicked do raigne then men go to ruine And agayne A foolishe prince destroyeâ—â— the people and a couetous kyng vndoeth his subiectes Thus speake the scriptures thus experience testifieth of good and euill princes What shall subiectes do then shall they obeye valiaunt stout wyse and good Princes and contempne disobey and rebel agaynst chyldren beyng theyr Princes or agaynst vndiscrete and euill gouernours GOD forbid For fyrst what a perilous thing were it to commit vnto the subiectes the iudgement whiche Prince is wyse and godly and his gouernmeÌ„t good and which is otherwyfe as though the foote must iudge of the head an enterprise very haynous and must needes breede rebellion For who els be they that are moste enclined to rebellion but suche hautie spirites From whom springeth suche foule ruine of Realmes Is not rebellion the greatest of all mischeefes And who are most redye to the greatest mischeefes but the worste men Rebelles therefore the worst of all subiectes are most redye to rebellion as beyng the worst of all vices and furthest from the duetie of a good subiect as on the contrary part the best subiectes are moste firme and constant in obedience as in the speciall and peculier vertue of good subiects What an vnworthy matter were it then to make the naughtiest subiectes and moste enclined to rebellion and all euill iudges ouer their princes ouer their gouernment and ouer their counsellers to determine whiche of them be good or tollerable and whiche be euyll and so intollerable that they must needes be remoued by rebels beyng euer redy as the naughtiest subiectes soonest to rebell agaynst the best Princes specially yf they be young in age women in sexe or gentle and curteous in gouernment as trusting by their wicked boldnesse easilye to ouerthrowe theyr weakenesse and gentlenesse or at the least so to feare the mindes of such princes that they maye haue impunitie of theyr mischeuous doynges But whereas in deede a rebell is worse then the worst Prince and rebellion worse then the worste gouernment of the worst prince that hitherto hath ben both are rebels vnmeete ministers and rebellion an vnfit and vnwholsome medicine to refourme any small lackes in a prince or to cure anye litle greefes in gouernment suche leude remedies beyng farre worse then anye other maladyes and disorders that can be in the bodye of a common wealth But whatsoeuer the prince be or his gouernment it is euident that for the moste part those princes whom some subiectes do thynke to be very godlye and vnder whose gouernment they reioyce to liue some other subiectes do take the same to be euill and vngodly and do wishe for a chaunge If therefore all subiectes that mislike of their prince should rebell no Realme shoulde euer be without rebellion It were more meete that
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
prayer to GOD for so gratious a Soueraigne but also them selues take armour wickedly assemble companies and bandes of rebels to breake the publique peace so long continued and to make not warre but rebellion to endaunger the person of suche a gratious Soueraigne to hazarde the estate of theyr countrey for whose defence they should be redye to spend their liues and beyng Englishemen to robbe spoyle destroy and burne in Englande Englishemen to kyll and murther theyr owne neyghbours and kinsfolke theyr owne countreymen to do all euill and mischeefe yea and more to then forraigne enemies woulde or coulde do What shall we say of these men who vse them selues thus rebelliously agaynst theyr gratious Soueraigne Who yf GOD for their wickednesse had geuen them an heathen tyrant to raigne ouer them were by Gods word bound to obey him and to pray for him What maye be spoken of them so farre doth their vnkindnes vnnaturalnesse wickednesse mischeuousnesse in their doynges passe and excel any thing and all thinges that can be expressed or vttered by wordes Onlye let vs wishe vnto all suche moste speedie repentaunce and with so greeuous sorowe of heart as such so horrible sinnes against the maiestie of God do require who in most extreme vnthankfulnesse do ryse not only agaynst theyr gratious prince agaynst theyr naturall countrey but agaynst all theyr countreymen women and chyldren against them selues theyr wiues children and kinsfolkes and by so wicked an example agaynst all Christendome and agaynst whole mankynde of all maner of people throughout the wide worlde suche repentaunce I say suche sorowe of heart GOD graunt vnto all suche whosoeuer ryse of priuate and malitious purpose as is meete for suche mischeeues attempted and wrought by them And vnto vs and all other subiectes God of his mercie graunt that we may be moste vnlyke to all such and most like to good naturall louyng and obedient subiectes nay that we maye be suche in deede not onlye shewyng all obedience ourselues but as manye of vs as be able to the vttermost of our power habilitie and vnderstandyng to staye and represse all rebels and rebellions agaynst God our gratious prince and naturall countrey at euery occasion that is offered vnto vs And that which we all are able to do vnlesse we do it we shal be most wicked and most worthie to feele in the ende suche extreme plagues as GOD hath euer powred vppon rebels Let vs all make continuall prayers vnto almyghtie God euen from the bottome of our heartes that he wyll geue his grace power and strength vnto our gratious Queene Elizabeth to vanquishe and subdue all aswell rebelles at home as forraigne enemies that all domesticall rebellions beyng suppressed and pacified and all outwarde inuasions repulled and abandoned we may not onlye be sure and long continue in all obedience vnto our gratious Soueraigne and in that peaceable and quiet lyfe which hytherto we haue led vnder her Maiestie with all securitie but also that both our gratious Queene Elizabeth and we her subiectes may altogether in al obedience vnto God the kyng of all kynges and vnto his holy lawes leade our liues so in this worlde in all vertue and godlinesse that in the worlde to come we maye enioy his euerlastyng kyngdome whiche I beseche God to graunt aswel to our gratious Soueraigne as vnto vs all for his sonne our sauiour Jesus Christes sake to whom with the father and the holye ghost one God and kyng immortall be all glory prayse and thankes geuing worlde without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the first part of this Homilee nowe good people let vs pray ¶ The prayer O Most mightie God the Lorde of hoastes the gouernour of all creatures the onlye geuer of all victories who alone art able to strengthen the weake agaynst the myghtie and to vanquishe infinite multitudes of thyne enemies with the countenaunce of a fewe of thy seruauntes calling vppon thy name and trusting in thee Defend O Lorde thy seruaunt and our gouernour vnder thee our Queene Elizabeth and all thy people committed to her charge O Lorde withstande the crueltie of all those whiche be common enemies aswell to the trueth of thy eternall worde as to their owne naturall Prince and countrye and manifestlye to this crowne and Realme of Englande whiche thou haste of thy diuine prouidence assigned in these our dayes to the gouernment of thy seruaunt our Soueraigne and gratious Queene O moste mercifull father if it be thy holye will make soft and tender the stony heartes of al those that exalte themselues agaynst thy trueth and seeke eyther to trouble the quyet of this realme of England or to oppresse the crowne of the same and conuert them to the knowledge of thy sonne the onely sauiour of the world Jesus Christ that we and they maye ioyntlye glorifie thy mercies Lyghten we besech thee their ignoraunt hearts to imbrace the trueth of thy worde or els so abate their crueltie O most mightie Lorde that this our Christian region with others that confesse thy holy Gospell maye obteine by thine aide and strength suretie from all enemies without shedding of christian blood wherby al they which be oppressed with their tyranny may be releeued and they which be in feare of their crueltie maye be comforted finally that all christian realmes and specially this realme of England may by thy defence and protection continue in the trueth of the Gospel and enioy perfect peace quietnes and securitie and that we for these thy mercies ioyntly altogether with one consonant hart and voice may thankfully render to thee al laud and praise that we knit in one godlye concorde and vnitie amongst our selues may continuallye magnifie thy glorious name who with thy sonne our sauiour Jesus Christ and the holy ghost art one eternall almyghtye and moste mercifull God To whom be all laude and prayse worlde without ende Amen ¶ The second parte of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wilfull Rebellion AS in the fyrste parte of this treatie of obedience of subiectes to their Princes against disobedience and rebellion I haue alleaged diuers sentences out of the holye scriptures for proofe so shal it be good for the better declaration and confirmation of the sayd holsome doctrine to alleage one example or two out of the same holy scriptures of the obedience of subiects not onelye vnto their good and gratious gouernours but also vnto their euill and vnkynd princes As king Saul was not of the beste but rather of the worst sort of Princes as beyng out of Gods fauour for his disobedience agaynst God in sparyng in a wrong pitie the kyng Agag whom almyghtye God commaunded to be stayne accordyng to the iustice of God against his sworne enemie and although Saule of a deuotion ment to sacrifice such thinges as he spared of the Amalechites to the honor and seruice of God yet Saul was reproued for his wrong mercy and deuotiō and was tolde that obedience woulde haue more pleased him
that we should do no hurte to our fellow subiectes though they hate vs and be our enemies much lesse vnto our prince though he were our enemie Shall we not assemble an army of such good felowes as we are and by hazarding of our liues and the lyues of such as shal withstand vs and withall hazarding the whole estate of our coūtry remoue so naughty a Prince No sayeth godlye Dauid for I when I myght without assembling force or nūber of men without tumult or hazarde of anye mans lyfe or shedding of any drop of blood haue deliuered my selfe and my country of an euill Prince yet woulde I not do it Are not they say some lustie and couragious captaynes valiant men of stomacke and good mens bodies that do venture by force to kill and depose their king beyng a naughtye Prince and their mortall enemy They may be as lusty as couragious as they list yet sayth godlye Dauid they can be no good nor godlye men that so do for I not onely haue rebuked but also commaūded him to be slaine as a wicked man which slue kyng Saul mine enemie though he beyng weery of his life for the losse of the victory against his enemies desyred that man to slay him What shall we then do to an euil to an vnkynde prince an enemye to vs hated of God hurtfull to the common wealth c. Lay no violent hand vpon him sayth good Dauid but let hym lyue vntyll God appoynt and worke his ende eyther by naturall death or in warre by lawfull enemies not by trayterous subiectes Thus would godly Dauid make aunswere And Saint Paule as ye hearde before wylleth vs to pray also for such a prince If kyng Dauid would make these aunsweres as by his deedes and wordes recorded in the holy scriptures in deede he doth make vnto al such demaundes concerning rebelling against euill Princes vnkynde princes cruell princes princes that be to their good subiectes mortall enemies princes that are out of Gods fauour and so hurtfull or lyke to be hurtfull to the common wealth what aunswere thynke you woulde he make to those that demaunde whether they beyng naughtie and vnkynd subiectes may not to the great hazard of the lyfe of many thousandes and the vtter daunger of the state of the common wealth and whole realme assemble a sort of Rebels or to depose to put in feare or to destroy their natural and louyng princes enemie to none good to al euen to them the worst of al other the mainteiner of perpetual peace quietnes and securitie most beneficiall to the common wealth most necessarie for the safegarde of the whole Realme What aunswere would Dauid make to their demaunde whether they may not attempt cruelly and vnnaturally to destroy so peaceable and mercyfull a Princes what I saye woulde Dauid so reuerently speaking of Saule and so pacientlye suffering so euyll a king what would he answer and say to such demaundes What would he say nay what would he do to suche hye attempters who so sayde and dyd as you before haue hearde vnto him that slue the king his maister though a most wicked prince If he punished with death as a wicked doer such a man With what reproches of wordes would he reuile suche yea with what tormentes of most shameful deathes would he destroye suche hell houndes rather then euyll men suche rebels I meane as I last spake of For if they who do disobey an euyll and vnkynde prince be most vnlike vnto Dauid that good subiect what be they who do rebell agaynst a most naturall and louyng Prince And if Dauid being so good a subiect that hee obeyed so euyll a king was worthy of a subiect to be made a kyng hym selfe What be they who are so euyl subiects that they wil rebel against their gracious prince worthy of Surely no mortall man can expresse worth wordes nor conceaue in mynde the horrible and most dreadfull dampnation that suche be worthy of who disdaining to be the quiet and happy subiectes of their good prince are moste worthy to be the miserable captiues vile slaues of that infernall tyraunt Satan with hym to suffer eternall slauerie and tormentes This one example of the good subiect Dauid out of the old Testamen may suffice and for the notablenesse of it serue for all In the newe Testament the excellent example of the blessed birgin Marie the mother of our sauiour Christe doth at the fyrst offer it selfe When proclamation or commaundement was sent into Jurie from Augustus the Emperour of Rome that the people there should repayre vnto their owne cities and dwellyng places there to be taxed neyther dyd the blessed virgin though both highly in Gods fauour and also beyng of the royal blood of the auncient natural kinges of Jurie disdayne to obey the commaundement of an heathen forraigne prince when GOD had placed suche a one o 〈…〉 r them Neyther dyd she alleage for an excuse that she was great with childe and moste neare her time of deliueraunce Neyther grudged she at the length and tediousnes of the iourney from Nazareth to Bethlehem from whence and whyther she must go to be taxed Neyther repined she at the sharpnesse of the dead tyme of winter beyng the latter ende of December an vnhandsome tyme to trauaile in speciallye a long iourney for a woman being in her case but all excuses set apart she obeyed and came to the appoynted place where at her cōming she found such great resort and thronge of people that fyndyng no place in any Inne she was fayne after her long paynefull and tedious iourney to take vp her lodging in a stable where also she was deliuered of her blessed chylde and this also declareth how neare her tyme she tooke that iourney This obedience of this most noble and most vertuous Ladye to a forraigne and Pagan Prince doth well teach vs who in comparison to her are moste base and vyle what redye obedience we do owe to our naturall and gratious Soueraigne Howbeit in this case the obedience of the whole Jewyshe nation beyng otherwyse a stubburne people vnto the commaundement of the same forraigne heathen prince doth proue that suche Christians as do not most redyly obey their natural gratious soueraigne are farre worfe then the stuburne Jewes whom yet we accompt as the worst of all people But no example ought to be of more force with vs christians then the example of Christ our maister and sauiour who though he were the sonne of GOD yet did alwaies behaue him selfe most reuerently to such men as were in aucthoritie in the world in his time he not rebelliously behaued him selfe but openly did teach the Jewes to pay tribute vnto the Romane Emperour though a forraigne a Pagan Prince yea him selfe with his apostles payd tribute vnto him finally being brought before Pontius Pilate a stranger borne and an heathen man being Lord president of Jury he atknowledged
his aucthoritie and power to be geuen him from GOD and obeyed paciently the sentence of most painful and shamefull death which the sayd Judge pronounced and gaue most vniustlye agaynst hym without any grudge murmuring or euyll word once geuyng There be manye other examples of the obedience to Princes euen suche as bee euyll in the newe Testament to the vtter confusion of disobedient and rebellious people but this one may be an eternall example which the sonne of GOD and so the Lorde of all Jesus Christ hath geuen to vs his Christians and seruauntes and suche as may serue for all to teach vs to obey Princes though straungers wycked and wrongfull when God for our synnes shall place suche ouer vs Whereby it followeth vnauoydably that suche as doe disobey or rebell against their own natural gratious soueraignes howsoeuer they call them selues or be named of others yet are they in deede no true Christians but worse then Jewes worse then Heathens and suche as shall neuer enioy the kyngdome of heauen whiche Christ by his obedience purchased for true Christians being obedient to him the king of all kinges and to theyr Prince whom he hath placed ouer them the which kingdome the peculier place of all such obedient subiectes I beseche God our heauenly father for the same our sauiour Jesus Christes sake to graunt vnto vs to whom with the holy ghost be all laude honour and glory now and foreuer Amen Thus haue you heard the second part of thys Homilee now good people let vs pray The prayer as before ¶ The thirde parte of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wilfull Rebellion AS I haue in the first parte of this treatise shewed vnto you the doctrine of the holy scriptures as concernyng the obience of true subiectes to their princes euen as well to suche as be euill as vnto the good and in the seconde parte of the same treatie confyrmed the same doctrine by notable examples lykewyse taken out of the holy scriptures so remayneth it now that I partlye do declare vnto you in this thirde parte what an abominable sinne against god and man rebellion is and howe dreadfullye the wrath of God is kindled and inflamed agaynst all Rebels and what horrible plagues punyshmentes and deathes and finally eternall dampnation doeth hang ouer their heades as how on the contrary part good and obedient subiectes are in Gods fauour and be partakers of peace quietnesse and securitie with other Gods manifolde blessinges in this world and by his mercies through our sauiour Christ of lyfe euerlasting also in the world to come How horrible a sinne agaynst God and man rebellion is cannot possible be expressed accordyng vnto the greatnesse thereof For he that nameth rebellion nameth not a singuler or one onely sinne as is theft robbery murther such lyke but he nameth the whole puddle and sinke of all sinnes agaynst God and man agaynst his prince his countrey his countreymen his parentes his children his kinsfolkes his frendes and agaynst all men vniuersally all sinnes I say agaynst God and al men heaped together nameth he that nameth rebellion For concernyng the offence of Gods maiestie who seeth not that rebellion ryseth first by contempt of God and of his holy ordinaunces and lawes wherin he so straitly commaundeth obedience forbiddeth disobedience and rebellion And besydes the dishonour done by rebels vnto Gods holye name by theyr breakyng of theyr othe made to their prince with the attestation of Gods name and callyng of his maiestie to witnesse who heareth not the horrible othes and blasphemies of Gods holy name that are vsed dayly amongst rebels that is either amongst them or heareth the trueth of their behauiour Who knoweth not that rebels do not onelye them selues leaue all workes necessarye to be done vpon workedayes vndone whyles they accomplish their abominable worke of rebellion and to compell others that would gladly be well occupyed to do the same but also how rebels do not onely leaue the Sabbath day of the Lord vnsanctified the Temple and Churche of the Lorde vnresorted vnto but also do by their workes of wickednes moste horriblye prophane and pollute the sabbath day seruing satan and by doyng of his worke making it the deuils daye in steede of the Lordes day Besydes that they compell good men that would gladly serue the lorde assembling in his Temple and Churche vpon his day as becommeth the Lordes seruantes to assemble and meete armed in the feelde to resiste the furye of suche rebels Yea and manye rebels leaste they should leaue any part of Gods commaūdementes in the firste table of his lawe vnbroken or anye sinne agaynst God vndone do make rebellion for the maynteynaunce of theyr Images and Idols and of their idolatrye committed or to be committed by them and in dispite of God cut and teare in sunder his holy worde and tread it vnder their feete as of late ye knowe was done As concernyng the second table of Gods law and all sinnes that may be committed agaynst man who seeth not that they be not conteyned in rebellion For fyrst the rebels do not only dishonour their prince the parent of their country but also do dishonour and shame their naturall parents if they haue any do shame their kinred and freendes do disherite and vndo for euer their children and heyres Theftes robberies and murthers whiche of all sinnes are most lothed of most men are in no men so much nor so pernitiously and mischeuously as in rebels For the most errant theeues and cruellest murtherers that euer were so long as they refrayne form rebellion as they are not many in number so spreadeth their wickednes and damnation vnto a fewe they spoyle but a fewe they shed the blood but of few in comparison But rebels are the cause of infinite robberies and murthers of great multitudes of those also whom they should defende from the spoyle and violence of other and as rebels are manye in number so doth their wickednesse and damnation spreade it selfe vnto many And if whoredome and adultry amongst suche persons as are agreeable to suche wickednesse are as they in deede be moste damnable what are the forceable oppressions of matrones and mens wyues and the violating and deflowring of virgins and maydes whiche are moste ryfe with rebels how horrible and damnable thinke you are they Nowe besydes that rebels by breach of their fayth geuen and oth made to their Prince be guiltie of moste damnable periurie it is wonderous to see what false colors and fayned causes by slaunderous lyes made vppon their prince and the councellers rebels will deuise to cloke theyr rebellion withall which is the worst and moste damnable of all false witnes bearyng that may be possible For what shoulde I speake of couetyng or desyryng of other mens wiues houses landes goodes and seruauntes in rebels who by theyr wylles would leaue vnto no man any thyng of his owne Thus you see that al gods
lawes are by rebels violated and broken that all sinnes possible to be committed against God or man be contayned in rebellion which sinnes yf a man list to name by the accustomed names of the seuen capitall or deadly sinnes as pride enuie wrath couetousnes slouth gluttonie and letcherie he shall finde them all in rebellion and amongst rebels For first as ambition and desyre to be aloft whiche is the propertie of pryde styrreth vp many mens myndes to rebellion so commeth it of a luciferian pryde and presumption that a fewe rebellious subiects should set themselues vp against the maiestie of theyr prince agaynst the wysedome of the counsellers agaynst the power and force of all nobilitie and the faythfull subiectes and people of the whole realme As for enuie wrath murther and desyre of blood and couetousnes of other mens goodes landes and lyuynges they are the inseparable accidentes of all rebelles and peculier properties that do vsually stirre vp wycked men vnto rebellion Nowe suche as by riotousnesse gluttonye drunkennesse excesse of apparell and vnthriftie games haue wasted their owne goodes vnthriftily the same are moste apte vnto and most desyrous of rebellion whereby they trust to come by other mens goodes vnlawfully and vyolentlye And where other gluttons and drunkardes take to muche of suche meates and drynkes as are serued to tables rebelles waste and consume in short space al corne in barnes feeldes orels wher whole garners whole storehouses whole cellers deuour whole flockes of sheepe whole droues of oxen and kyne And as rebels that are maryed leauyng their owne wyues at home do moste vngratiously so much more do vnmaryed men worse then any stallandes or horsses beyng now by rebellion set at libertie from correction of lawes whiche brydeled them before whiche abuse by force other mens wyues and daughters and rauishe virgins and maydens moste shamefully abhominably and damnably Thus all synnes by all names that synnes may be named and by all meanes that all synnes maye be committted and wrought do all wholly vppon heapes folowe rebellion and are to be founde altogether amongst rebelles Nowe whereas pestilence famine warre are by the holy scriptures declared to be the greatest worldly plagues and miseries that lightly can be it is euident that all the miseries that all these plagues haue in them do wholly altogether folowe rebellion wherin as all their miseries be so is there much more mischeefe then in them al. For it is knowne that in the resortyng of great companyes of men together whiche in rebellion happeneth both vppon the parte of true subiectes and of the rebelles by their close lying together and corruption of the ayre and place where they do lye with ordure and muche fylth in the hoatte weather and by vnholesome lodging and lying often vppon the grounde specially in cold and wette wethers in Wynter by their vnholesome diet and feedyng at all tymes and often by famine and lacke of meate and drinke in due tyme and again by takyng to muche at other tymes It is well knowne I say that aswell plagues and pestilences as all other kyndes of sicknesse and maladies by these meanes growe vpon and amongst men whereby mo men are consumed at the length then are by dint of sworde sodenly slayne in the feelde So that not onlye pestilences but also all other sicknesse diseases and maladies do folow rebellion which are muche more horrible then plagues pestilences and diseases sent directlye from god as hereafter shall appeare more plainelye And as for hunger and famine they are the peculier companions of rebellion for whiles rebels do in short tyme spoyle and consume al corne and necessarie prouision whiche men with their labours had gotten and appoynted vpon for their fyndyng the whole yere after and also do let all other men husbandmen and others from their husbandrie and other necessarie workes wherby prouision should be made for times to come who seeth not that extreame famine and hunger must needes shortly ensue and folowe rebellion Now whereas the wyse kyng and godly prophete Dauid iudged warre to be worse then either famine or pestilence for that these two are often suffered by God for mans amendment and be not sinnes of them selues but warres haue alwayes the synnes and mischeefes of men vpon the one syde or other ioyned with them and therfore is warre the greatest of these worldly mischeefes but of all warres ciuil warre is the worst and farre more abhominable yet is rebellion then anye ciuill warre beyng vn worthy the name of any warre so farre it exceedeth all warres in all naughtynesse in all mischeefe and in all abhomination And therfore our sauiour Christe denounceth desolation and destruction to that Realme that by sedition and rebellion is diuided in it selfe Nowe as I haue shewed before that pestilence and famine so is it yet more euident that all the calamities miseries and mischeefes of warre be more greeuous and do more folowe rebellion then anye other warre as beyng farre worse then all other warres For not onlye those ordinarye and vsuall mischeefe and miseseries of other warres do folowe rebellion as corne and other thynges necessarie to mans vse to be spoyled houses villages townes cities to be taken sacked burned destroyed not onlye many very wealthy men but whole countreyes to be impouerished and vtterly beggered manye thousandes of men to be slayne and murthered women and maydes to be vyolated and deflowred whiche thynges when they are done by forraigne enemies we do muche mourne as we haue great causes yet are al these miseries without any wyckednesse wrought by any our countreymen But when these mischeefes are wrought in rebellion by them that shoulde be freendes by countreymen by kynsmen by those that should defende their countrey and countreymen from suche miseries the miserie is nothyng so great as is the mischeefe and wyckednesse when the subiectes vnnaturally do rebel against their prince whose honour and lyfe they shoulde defende though it were with the losse of their owne lyues countreymen to disturbe the publique peace and quietnesse of their countrey for defence of whose quietnesse they shoulde spende their lyues the brother to seeke and often to worke the death of his brother the sonne of the father the father to seeke or procure the death of his sonnes beyng at mans age and by their faultes to disherite their innocent chyldren and kynsmen their heires for euer for whom they myght purchase lyuynges and landes as naturall parentes do take care and paynes and be at great costes and charges and vniuersally in stead of all quietnesse ioy and felicitie which do folow blessed peace and due obedience to bryng in all trouble sorowe disquietnesse of myndes and bodyes and al mischeefe and calamities to turne al good order vpsyde down to bryng all good lawes in contempt and to treade them vnder feete to oppresse all vertue and honestie and all vertuous and honest persons and to set al vice and wickednesse and all
vicious and wycked men at libertie to worke their wycked wylles whiche were before brydeled by holesome lawes to weaken to ouerthrowe and to consume the strength of the Realme their naturall countrey as well by the spendyng and wastyng of the money and treasure of the prince and Realme as by murthering of the people of the same their owne countreymen who shoulde defende the honour of their prince and libertie of their countrey agaynst the inuasion of forraigne enemies and so finallye to make their countrey thus by their mischeefe weakened redy to be a pray and spoyle to al outwarde enemies that wyll inuade it to the vtter and perpetuall captiuitie slauerie and destruction of all their countreymen their chyldren their freendes their kynsfolkes left alyue whom by their wycked rebellion they procure to be deliuered into the handes of forraigne enemies as muche as in them doth lye In forraigne warres our countreymen in obteynyng the victorye win the prayse of valiauntnesse yea and though they were ouercommed and slayne yet wine they an honest commendation in this worlde and dye in a good conscience for seruing God their prince and their countrey and be chyldren of eternall saluation But in rebellion howe desperate and strong so euer they be yet wynne they shame here in fyghtyng agaynst God their prince and countrey and therfore iustly do fall headlong into hell if they dye and lyue in shame and fearefull conscience though they escape But commonly they be rewarded with shamful deathes their heades carkases set vpon poles or hanged in chaines eaten with kytes and crowes iudged vnworthie the honour of buryall and so their soules if they repent not as commonly they do not the deuyll harryeth them into hell in the myddest of their mischeefe For whiche dreadfull execution Saint Paule sheweth the cause of obedience not onely for feare of death but also in conscience to Godwarde for feare of eternall dampnation in the worlde to come Wherfore good people let vs as the chyldren of obedience feare the dreadfull execution of God and lyue in quyet obedience to be the chyldren of euerlastyng saluation For as heauen is the place of good obedient subiectes and hel the prison and dungeon of rebels agaynst God and their prince so is that Realme happie where moste obedience of subiectes doth appeare beyng the verye figure of heauen and contrarywyse where most rebellions and rebels be there is the expresse similitude of hell and the rebels them selues are the very figures of feendes and deuyls and their captayne the vngartious paterne of Luciser and Satan the prince of darkenes of whose rebellion as they be folowers so shal they of his damnation in hel vndoubtedly be partakers and as vndoubtedlye children of peace the inheritours of heauen with God the father God the sonne and God the holy ghost To whom be al honour and glorye for euer and euer Amen Thus haue you hearde the thirde part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray ¶ The prayer as before ¶ The fourth parte of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wilfull Rebellion FOR your further instruction good people to shewe vnto you howe muche almyghtie God doth abhorre disobedience and wylfull rebellion speciallye when rebelles aduaunce them selues so hie that they arme them selues with weapon and stande in feelde to fyght agaynst God their prince and their countrey it shall not be out of the way to shewe some examples set out in Scriptures wrytten for our eternall erudition We may soone knowe good people how heynous offence the trecherie of rebellion is if we call to remembraunce the heauie wrath and dreadfull indignation of almyghtie God agaynst such subiectes as do onlye but inwardely grudge mutter and murmure agaynst their gouernours though their inwarde treason so priuilie hatched in their breastes come not to open declaration of their doynges as harde it is whom the deuill hath so farre entised against Gods word to kepe them selues there no he meaneth still to blowe the cole to kindle their rebellious heartes to flame into open deedes if he be not with grace speedily withstanded Some of the chyldren of Israel beyng murmurers agaynste their magistrates appoynted ouer them by God were stricken with foule leprosie many wer burnt vp with fyre sodaynly sent from the Lorde sometyme a great sort of thousandes were consumed with the pestilence sometyme they were stinged to death with a straunge kind of fiery serpentes and whiche is moste horrible some of the captaynes with their bande of murmurers not dying by any vsual or natural death of men but the earth openyng they with their wyues chyldren and families were swalowed quicke downe into hell Whiche horrible destructions of suche Israelites as were murmurers agaynst Moyses appoynted by God to be their head and cheefe magistrate are recorded in the booke of Numbers and other places of the scriptures for perpetual memorie and warnyng to al subiects how hyghly God is displeased with the murmuring and euyll speakyng of subiectes agaynste their princes for that as the scripture recordeth their murmure was not agaynst their prince only beyng a mortal creature but against God hym selfe also Nowe if suche straunge and horrible plagues dyd fall vppon suche subiectes as dyd only murmure and speake euyll agaynste their heades what shal become of those most wicked impes of the deuyl that do conspire arme thē selues assemble great numbers of armed rebels lead them with them agaynst their prince and countrey spoylyng and robbyng kyllyng and murtheryng al good subiectes that do withstand them as manye as they may preuayle agaynst But those examples are wrytten to stay vs not onlye from suche mischeefes but also from murmuring or speaking once an euill worde agaynst our prince which though any should do neuer so secretly yet do the holy scriptures shewe that the very byrdes of the ayre wyll bewray them and these so manye examples before noted out of the same holy scriptures do declare that they shal not escape horrible punyshment therefore Now concernyng actual rebellion amongst many examples thereof set foorth in the holy scriptures the example of Absolon is notable who entryng into conspiracie agaynst kyng Dauid his father both vsed the aduice of very wittie men and assembled a verye great and huge companie of rebels the whiche Absolon though he were moste goodly of person of great nobilitie beyng the kynges sonne in great fauour of the people and so dearely beloued of the kyng hym selfe so much that he gaue commaundement that notwithstandyng his rebellion his lyfe shoulde be saued when for these consyderations moste men were afrayde to lay their handes vppon hym a great tree stretchyng out his arme as it were for that purpose caught hym by the great and long bush of his goodly heere lappyng about it as he fledde hastily bareheaded vnder the sayde tree and so hanged hym vp by the heere of his head in the ayre to geue an eternall document that neyther comelynes
of personage neither nobilitie nor fauour of the people no nor the fauour of the king him selfe can saue a rebel from due punishment God the king of al kinges being so offended with him that rather then he should lacke due execution for his treason euery tree by the way wyl be a gallous or gybbet vnto hym and the heere of his owne head wyl be vnto him insteade of an haulter to hang hym vp with rather then he shoulde lacke one A fearefull example of Gods punishment good people to consider Now Achitophel though otherwyse an exceedyng wyse man yet the mischeeuous counseller of Absolon in this wycked rebellion for lacke of an hangman a conuenient seruitour for suche a traytour went and hanged vp hym selfe a worthy end of al false rebelles who rather then they shoulde lacke due execution wyll by Gods iust iudgement become hangmen vnto them selues Thus happened it to the captaynes of that rebellion besyde fourtie thousande of rascall rebelles slayne in the feelde and in the chase Lykewyse is it to be seene in the holy scriptures how that great rebellion which the traytor Seba moued in Israel was sodenly appeased the head of the captayne traytor by the meanes of a seely woman beyng cut of And as the holy scriptures do shewe so doth daily experience proue that the counsels conspiracies and attemptes of rebelles neuer tooke effect neyther came to good but to most horrible ende For though God doth often tymes prosper iust and lawefull enemies which be no subiectes against their forraigne enemies yet dyd he neuer long prosper rebellious subiectes against their prince were they neuer so great in aucthority or so many in number Fiue princes or kynges for so the scripture tearmeth them with all their multitudes coulde not preuayle agaynst Chodorlaomor vnto whom they had promised loyaltie and obedience and had continued in the same certain yeres but they were all ouerthrowen and taken prisoners by him but Abraham with his familie and kynsfolkes an handefull of men in respect owyng no subiection vnto Chodorlaomor ouerthrēwe hym and all his hoast in battell and recouered the prisoners and delyuered them So that though warre be so dreadfull and cruell a thyng as it is yet doth God often prosper a fewe in lawefull warres with forraigne enemies agaynste manye thousandes but neuer yet prospered he subiectes beyng rebelles agaynst their naturall soueraigne were they neuer so great or noble so manye so stout so wittie and politike but alwayes they came by the ouerthrowe and to a shamefull ende so muche doth God abhorre rebellion more then other warres though otherwyse beyng so dreadfull and so great a destruction to mankynde Though not onlye great multitudes of the rude and rascall commons but sometyme also men of great wit nobilitie and aucthoritie haue moued rebellions agaynst their lawefull princes whereas true nobilitie shoulde moste abhorre suche vilanous and true wysedome shoulde moste detest suche frantike rebellion though they would pretende sundry causes as the redresse of the common wealth which rebelliō of all other mischeefes doth most destroy or reformation of religion whereas rebellion is most agaynst all true religion though they haue made a great shewe of holy meanyng by begynnyng their rebellions with a counterfet seruice of God as dyd wycked Absolon begyn his rebellion with sacrificing vnto God though they display and beare about ensignes and banners whiche are acceptable vnto the rude ignoraunt common people great multitudes of whom by such false pretences and shewes they do deceaue and draw vnto them yet were the multitudes of the rebels neuer so huge and great the captaines neuer so noble politike and wittie the pretences faigned to be neuer so good and holye yet the speedie ouerthrowe of all rebelles of what number state or condition so euer they were or what colour or cause soeuer they pretended is and euer hath ben suche that God thereby doth shewe that he alloweth neyther the dignitie of anye person nor the multitude of anye people nor the waight of any cause as sufficient for the whiche the subiectes may moue rebellion agaynste their princes Turne ouer and reade the histories of all nations looke ouer the Chronicles of our owne countrey call to mynde so manye rebellions of olde tyme and some yet freshe in memorie ye shall not fynde that God euer prospered anye rebellion agaynst their naturall and lawefull prince but contrarywyse that the rebelles were ouerthrowen and slayne and such as were taken prisoners dreadfullye executed Consyder the great noble families of Dukes Marquesses Earles and other Lordes whose names ye shall reade in our Chronicles now cleane extinguished and gone seeke out the causes of the decay you shall fynd that not lacke of issue heires male hath so muche wrought that decay and waste of noble blooddes and houses as hath rebellion And for so muche as the redresse of the common wealth hath of olde ben the vsual faigned pretence of rebels and religion nowe of late begynneth to be a colour of rebellion let all godlye and discreete subiectes consyder well of both and fyrste concerning religion If peaceable king Salomon was iudged of God to be more meete to buylde his Temple whereby the orderyng of religion is meant then his father kyng Dauid though otherwyse a moste godlye kyng for that Dauid was a great warryer and had shead muche blood though it were in his warres agaynste the enemies of God of this may all godly and reasonable subiects consyder that a peaceable prince specially our most peaceable and mercyfull Queene who hath hitherto shed no blood at all no not of her most deadly enemies is more lyke and farre meeter eyther to set vp or to mainteyne true religion then are bloody rebels who haue not shead the blood of Gods enemies as kyng Dauid had done but do seeke to shead the blood of Gods freendes of their owne countreymen and of their owne most deare freendes and kynsfolke yea the destruction of their moste gratious prince and naturall countrey for defence of whom they ought to be redy to shedde their blood if need should so requyre What a religion it is that such men and by suche meanes would restore may easily be iudged euen as good a religion surely as rebels be good men and obedient subiectes and as rebellion is a good meane of redresse and reformation beyng it selfe the greatest deformation of all that may possible be But as the trueth of the Gospel of our sauiour Christe beyng quietly and soberly taught though it do coste them their lyues that do teache it is able to maynteyne the true religion so hath a frantike religion neede of such furious maintenances as is rebellion and of suche patrones as are rebels beyng redy not to dye for the true religion but to kyll all that shall or dare speake agaynste their false superstition and wicked idolatrie Now concernyng pretences of any redresse of the common wealth made by rebels
the principall and most vsual causes as specially ambition and ignoraunce By ambition I meane the vnlawful and restles desire in men to be of higher estate then God hath geuen or appoynted vnto them By ignoraunce I meane no vnskilfulnesse in artes or sciences but the lacke of knowledge of Gods blessed wyll declared in his holye worde whiche teacheth both extremely to abhorre all rebellion as the roote of all mischeefe and specially to delyght in obedience as the begynnyng and foundation of all goodnesse as hath ben also before specified And as these are the two cheese causes of rebellion so are there specially two sortes of men in whom these vices do raigne by whom the deuill the aucthour of al euill doth cheefely stirre vp all disobedience and rebellion The restlesse ambitious hauing once determined by one meanes or other to atcheeue to theyr intended purpose when they can not by lawfull and peaceable meanes clime so hygh as they do desyre they attempt the same by force and violence wherein when they can not preuaile agaynst the ordinarie aucthoritie and power of lawfull princes and gouernours them selues alone they do seeke the ayde and helpe of the ignoraunt multitude abusing them to theyr wicked purpose Wherfore seeing a fewe ambitious and malitious are the aucthours heades and multitudes of ignoraunt men are the ministers and furtherers of rebellion the cheefe poynt of this part shal be aswell to notifie to the simple and ignorant men who they be that haue ben and be the vsuall aucthours of rebellion that they may knowe them and also to admonishe them to beware of the subtill suggestions of suche restles ambitious persons and so to flee them that rebellions though attempted by a fewe ambitious through the lack of mayntenaunce by any multitudes maye speedyly and easyly without any great labour daunger or domage be repressed and clearely extinguished It is well knowen as well by all histories as by dayly experience that none haue eyther more ambitiously aspired aboue Emperours Kinges and Princes nor haue more pernitiously moued the ignoraunt people to rebellion agaynst theyr Princes then certayne persons whiche falsely chalenge to them selues to be onlye counted and called spirituall I must therefore heare yet once agayne breefely put you good people in remembraunce out of Gods holye worde howe our Sauiour Jesus Christe and his holy Apostles the heades and cheefe of all true spirituall and ecclesiastical men behaued them selues towards the princes and rulers of their tyme though not the best gouernours that euer were that you be not ignoraunt whether they be the true disciples and folowers of Christe and his Apostles and so true spirituall men that eyther by ambition do so highly aspyre or do most malitiously teach or most pernitiously do execute rebellion agaynst theyr lawfull princes beyng the worst of all carnall workes and mischeuous deedes The holye scriptures do teache most expresly that our sauiour Christe him selfe and his apostle saint Paul saint Peter with others were vnto the magistrates and higher powers which ruled at their beyng vppon the earth both obedâ—â—nt them selues and dyd also diligently and earnestly exhort all other Christians to the lyke obedience vnto their princes and gouernours whereby it is euident that men of the Cleargie and ecclesiasticall ministers as theyr successours ought both them selues specially and before others to be obedient vnto their princes and also to exhort all others vnto the same Our sauiour Christe like wyse teachyng by his doctrine that his kingdome was not of this worlde dyd by his example in fleeing from those that would haue made him kyng confirme the same expresly also forbidding his Apostles and by them the whole Cleargie all princely dominion ouer people and nations and he and his holy Apostles like wyse namely Peter Paul dyd forbid vnto all ecclesiasticall ministers dominion ouer the Churche of Christe And in deede whiles that ecclesiasticall ministers continued in Christes Church in that order that is in Christes worde prescribed vnto them and in Christian kyngdomes kept them selues obedient to their owne princes as the holy scripture do teache them both was Christes Churche more cleare from ambitious emulations and contentions and the state of Christian kyngdomes lesse subiect vnto tumultes and rebellions But after that ambition and desyre of dominion entred once into ecclesiasticall ministers whose greatnes after the doctrine and example of our sauiour shoulde cheefely stande in humbling of them selues and that the Byshop of Rome being by the order of Gods worde none other then the bishop of that one see and diocesse and neuer yet well able to gouerne the same did by intollerable ambition chalenge not only to be the head of all the Churche dispersed throughout the worlde but also to be Lorde of all the kyngdomes of the worlde as is expresly set foorth in the booke of his owne Cannon lawes most contrary to the doctrine and example of our sauiour Christe whose Uicar and of his holy apostles namely Peter whose successour he pretendeth to be after his ambition entred and this chalenge once made by the Byshop of Rome he became at once the spoyler destroyer both of the Church which is the kyngdome of our sauiour Christe and of the Christian Empyre and all Christian kyngdomes as an vniuersall tyraunt ouer all And whereas before that chalenge made there was great amitie and loue amongst the Christians of al countreis herevpon began emulation and much hatred betweene the Bishop of Rome and his Cleargie and freendes on the one part and the Grecian Cleargie and Christians of the East on the other part for that they refused to acknowledge any such supreme aucthoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer them the Bishop of Rome for this cause amongst other not onlye namyng them and taking them for schismatikes but also neuer ceassing to persecute them and the Emperours who had their see and continuaunce in Grece by stirring of the subiectes to rebellion agaynst their soueraigne lordes and by raysyng deadly hatred and most cruell warres betweene them and other Christian princes And when the Byshops of Rome had translated the title of the Emperour and as much as in them dyd lye the Empyre it selfe from their lorde the Emperour of Grece and of Rome also by ryght vnto the Christian princes of the West they became in short space no better vnto the West Emperours then they were before vnto the Emperours of Grece For the vsuall discharging of subiectes from their othe of fidelitie made vnto the Emperours of the West their soueraigne lordes by the Byshops of Rome the vnnaturall stirring vp of the subiectes vnto rebellion agaynst their princes yea of the sonne agaynst the father by the Byshoppe of Rome the most cruell and blooddy warres raysed amongst Christian princes of all kyngdomes the horrible murder of infinite thousandes of Christian men beyng slayne by Christians and whiche ensued therevpon the pitifull losses of so manye goodlye Cities countreys
dominions and kyngdomes sometime possessed by Christians in Asia Africa and Europa the miserable fall of the Empyre and Church of Grece sometime the moste florishyng part of Christendome into the handes of Turkes the lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian religion the dreadfull encrease of Paganitie and power of the Infidelles and miscreantes and al by the practise and procurement of the Byshop of Rome cheefely is in the histories and chronicles written by the Byshop of Romes owne fauourers and frendes to be seene and is well knowen vnto all suche as are acquainted with the saide histories The ambitious intent and most subtill driftes of the Byshops of Rome in these their practises appeared euidently by their bolde attempt in spoyling and robbing the Emperours of their Townes Cities Dominions kingdomes in Italie Lumbardie Cicilie of auncient right belonging vnto the Empyre by the ioyning of them vnto their Byshoprike of Rome or els geuing them vnto straungers to holde them of the Churche Byshops of Rome as in capite and as of the cheefe lordes thereof in whiche tenure they holde the most part therof euen at this day By these ambitious in deede trayterous meanes and spoylyng of their soueraigne lordes the Byshops of Rome of Priestes and none other by right then the Bishops of one citie and diocesse are by false vsurpation become great lordes of many dominions myghtie Princes yea or Emperours rather as claymyng to haue diuers princes and kinges to their vassals liege men and subiectes as in the same histories written by their owne familiers and courtiers is to be seene And in deede since the tyme that the Byshops of Rome by ambition treason vsurpation atcheued and atteined to this height and greatnesse they behaued them selues more lyke princes kinges Emperours in al things then remained like priestes bishops and ecclesiastical or as they would be called spirituall persons in any one thing at al. For after this rate they haue handled other kings princes of other Realmes throughout Christendome as well as theyr Soueraigne lordes the Emperours vsually dischargyng their subiectes of their othe of fidelitie and so stirring them vp to rebellion against their naturall princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified vnto you Wherefore let al good subiectes knowing these the speciall instrumentes and ministers of the deuil to the stirring vp of al rebellions auoyde and flee them the pestilent suggestions of such forraigne vsurpers and their adherentes and embrace al obedience to God and their naturall princes and Soueraignes that they may enioy gods blessinges and their princes fauour in all peace quietnes securitie in this worlde and finally attaine through Christ our sauiour lyfe euerlasting in the world to come which God the father for the same our sauiour Jesus Christ his sake graunt vnto vs al to whō with the holy ghost be al honour glory world without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the sixt part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray The prayer as before The sixt and last part of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion NOw whereas the iniuries oppressions rauenie and tyrannie of the bishop of Rome vsurping aswell agaynst their natural lords the Emperours as against al other Christian kinges and kingdomes and their continual stirring of subiectes vnto rebellions agaynst theyr soueraigne lordes whereof I haue partlye admonished you before were intollerable and it may seeme more then maruell that any subiectes woulde after suche sorte holde with vnnaturall forraigne vsurpers agaynst theyr owne soueraigne lordes and naturall countrey It remayneth that I do declare the meane whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole treatie of due obedience and agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion You shall vnderstande that by ignoraunce of Gods worde wherein they kept all men speciallye the common people they wrought brought to passe all these thinges makyng them beleue that all they sayde was true all that they dyd was good and godlye and that to holde with them in all thinges agaynst father mother prince countrey and all men was most meritorious And in deede what mischeefe wyll not blinde ignoraunce leade simple men vnto By ignoraunce the Juishe Cleargie induced the common people to aske the deliuerie of Barabbas the seditious murtherer to sue for the cruell crucifiyng of our sauiour Christe for that he rebuked the ambition suberstion and other vices of the hie priestes and cleargie For as our sauiour Christe testifieth that those who crucified hym wyst not what they dyd so doth the holy apostle saint Paul say If they had knowen yf they had not ben ignoraunt they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glory but they knew not what they dyd Our sauiour Christ him selfe also foreshewed that it shoulde come to passe by ignoraunce that those who should persecute and murther his true apostles and disciples shoulde thinke they dyd God acceptable sacrifice good seruice as it also is verified euen at this day And in this ignoraunce haue the Byshoppes of Rome kept the people of God specially the common sorte by no meanes so muche as by withdrawyng of the word of God from them and by keping it vnder the vale of an vnknowen straunge tongue For as it serued the ambitious humour of the Byshops of Rome to compell all nations to vse the natural language of the citie of Rome where they were Byshops whiche shewed a certayne acknowledging of subiection vnto them so yet serued it muche more their craftie purpose thereby to keepe all people so blinde that they not knowyng what they prayed what they beleued what they were commaunded by God myght take all their commaundementes for Gods. For as they woulde not suffer the holy scriptures or Churche seruice to be vsed or had in any other language then the latine so were verye fewe euen of the moste simple people taught the Lordes prayer the articles of the fayth and the ten commaundementes otherwyse then in latine whiche they vnsterstoode not by whiche vniuersal ignorance al men were redy to beleue whatsoeuer they sayd to do whatsoeuer they commaunded For to imitate the apostles phrase If the Emperours subiectes had knowen out of Gods worde their duetie to their prince they would not haue suffered the Byshop of Rome to perswade them to forsake their Soueraigne lord the Emperour against their othe of fidelitie and to rebel against him only for that he cast images vnto the which idolatrie was committed out of the Churches which the Byshop of Rome bare them in hande to be heresie If they had knowen of Gods word but asmuch as the ten commaundementes they should haue founde that the Byshop of Rome was not onlye a traytour to the Emperour his liege Lorde but to God also and an horrible blasphemer of his maiestie in calling his holy worde and commaundement heresye and that which the Byshop of
Babilonicall beast of Rome and to feare all his threatnings and causelesse curses he abused them thus by their rebellion brought this noble realme and kings of England vnder his most cruell tyrannie and to be a spoyle of his most vyle and vnsaciable couetousnes and rauenye for a long and a great deale to long a tyme And to ioyne vnto the reportes of Histories matters of latter memorie coulde the Byshop of Rome haue raysed the late rebellions in the North and Weste countries in the tymes of Kyng Henry and Kyng Edwarde our gratious Soueraignes father and brother but by abusing of the ignoraunt people Or is it not most euident that the Byshop of Rome hath of late attempted by his Irish Patriarkes and Bishops sent from Rome with his bulles whereof some were apprehended to breake downe the barres and hedges of the publibue peace in Ireland onely vpon confidence easyly to abuse the ignoraunce of the wilde Irish men Or who seeth not that vppon lyke confidence yet more latelye he hath lykewyse procured the breache of the publique peace in Englande with the long and blessed continuaunce wherof he is sore greeued by the ministery of his disguised Chaplaines creeping in lay mens apparell into the houses and whispering in the eares of certaine Northen borderers being men most ignorant of their duetie to God and their prince of all people of the Realme whom therefore as most meet and redy to execute his intended purpose he hath by the said ignorant masse priestes as blynd guides leading the blynd brought those seely blynde subiectes into the deepe ditche of horrible rebellion damnable to them selues and very daungerous to the state of the Realme had not GOD of his mercye miraculouslye calmed that ragyng tempest not onely without any ship wracke of the common wealth but almost without any shedding of christian and Englishe blood at al. And it is yet muche more to be lamented that not onely cōmon people by some other youthful or vnskilful Princes also suffer them selues to be abused by the byshop of Rome his Cardinalles bishops to oppressing of christian men their faithfull subiectes either them selues or els by procuring the force and strength of christian men to be conueyed out of one country to oppresse true Christians in another countrye and by these meanes open an entrie vnto Moores and Infidels into the possession of christian Realmes and countries other Christian Princes in the meane tyme by the Byshop of Romes procuring also beyng so occupyed in cinill warres or troubled with rebellions that they haue neyther leasure nor habilitie to conferre their common forces to the defence of their felow christians agaynste suche inuasions of the common enemies of Christendome the infidels and miscreantes Woulde to God we myght only reade and heare out of histories of the olde and not also see and feele these newe and present oppressions of Christians rebellions of subiectes effusion of christian blood destruction of christian men decay ruine of Christendom increase of paganitie most lamentable pitifull to beholde being procured in these our dayes aswell as in tymes past by the bishop of Rome and his ministers abusing the ignoraunce of Gods word yet remayning in some Chirstian Princes and people By which so wre and bitter fruites of ignorance all men ought to be moued to geue eare and credite to Gods worde she wing as most truly so most playnly how great a mischiefe ignoraunce is and agayne how great and how good a gyft of God knowledge in Gods worde is And to begin with the romish Cleargie who though they do brag nowe as did sometyme the Jewishe Clergie that they can not lacke knowledge yet doth God by his holy prophets both charge them with ignorance and threaten them also for that they haue repelled the knowledge of Gods word law from them selues from his people that he wil repel them that they shal be no more his priests God like wise chargeth princes aswel as priestes that they should indeuour them selues to get vnderstanding knowledge in his worde threatning his heauy wrath destruction vnto them yf they fayle thereof And the wyse man sayeth to all men vniuersally Princes Priestes and people where is no knowledge there is no good nor health to the soule and that almen be vaine in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy worde That they who walke in darkenes wot not whyther they go and that the people that will not learne shall fall into great mischeefes as did the people of Israel who for their ignoraunce in Gods worde were firste led into captiuitie and when by ignoraunce afterward they would not know the tyme of their visitation but crucified Christ our sauiour persecuted his holye Apostles and were so ignoraunt and blynde that when they did most wickedlye and cruellye they thought they did God good and acceptable seruice as do manye by ignoraunce thynke euen at this daye finally through theyr ignorance and blyndnes their country townes cities Hierusalem it selfe and the holye temple of God were all moste horiblye destroyed the moste cheefest parte of theyr people slayne and the reste led into moste miserable captiuitie For he that made them had no pitie vppon them neyther would spare them and al for their ignoraunce And the holye scriptures do teache that the people that wyll not see with theyr eyes nor heare with theyr eares to learne and to vnderstande with their heartes can not be conuerted and saued And the wicked them selues beyng damned in hell shal confesse ignorance in Gods word to haue brought them therunto saiyng We haue erred from the way of the trueth and the lyght of ryghteousnesse hath not shyned vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstandyng hath not risen vnto vs we haue weeried our selues in the way of wickednesse and perdition haue walked cumberous and crooked wayes but the way of the Lord haue we not knowen And aswel our sauiour him selfe as his apostle s. Paul do teach that the ignorance of Gods word commeth of the deuill is the cause of all errour and misiudging as falleth out with ignoraunt subiectes who can rather espye a little mote in the eye of the Prince or a coūceller then a great beame in their own vniuersally it is the cause of all euil finally of eternal damnation Gods iudgement beyng seuere towardes those who when the light of Christes Gospell is come into the world do delyght more in darkenes of ignorance then in the lyght of knowledge in Gods worde For al are cōmaunded to reade or heare to fearche and studie the holy scriptures and are promised vnderstanding to be geuen them from God if they so do all are charged not to beleue eyther any dead man nor if an Angell shoulde speake from heauen muche lesse if the Pope do speake from Rome agaynst or contrarye to the worde of GOD from the whiche we may not declyne neyther