be nat his wordes they be the wordes of Christe And if our sauiour Christ speke nat within the preacher the sede shal be but caste in vayne Therfore saint Paule sayth vnto the Corrinthies of hym selfe In me loquitur Christus Christe sayth 2. Cor. 13 he speketh within me Christe that spake in saint Paule was the veray sower and as he spake in saynt Paule so spake he iÌ„ the other blessed fathers whiche for their tyme dyd instructe and teache the people and minister this sede vnto them And nat only Christ dyd sowe this sede by their mouthes but also the spirite of god gaue his gratious influence vnto this sede by theyr mouthes in lyke maner wherfore of this spirite our sauiour saythe NoÌ„ vos estis qui loquimini sed spiritus partis vestri qui Mar. 10. loquitur in vobis Ye be nat the speakers he sayth but the spirite of your father speaketh within you Farther more bothe this sower this influeÌ„te coÌ„tinueth in the churche vnto the worldes ende For the sower sayth of hym selfe Ecce ego vobiscuÌ„ sum omnibê° Matt. 18. diebus vsque ad coÌ„suminationeÌ„ seculi Trust assuredly that I am shal be with you vnto the ende of the worlde And for the spirite our sauiour also promest that he shuld abyde with the churche euerlastyÌ„gly Vt maneat vobiscuÌ„ in eternuÌ„ This most holy spirite whiche Jo. 14. is the bountious fontayne of influence of all graces after the corporall ascention of our sauiour vnto the heuens was seÌ„te downe vpon the churche accordyng to the promyse of our sauiour before made to th entent that the sowyng of this sede shulde neuer want the heuenly influence of al graces Nowe than to my purpose thus farre we be ye nowe conceyue I suppose that this spirituall sower all be it so 〈…〉 be corporally asceÌ„ded vnto his father yet neuâ—â—thelesse he by his godhed by the assistence of his grace hath ben euer sens veryly presente with his churche to sowe therein the sede of his worde And also the heuenly influence that is to saye the influence of the holy gost is fauorably spred vpoÌ„ the toward well wyllyng hartes to th entent that this sede may brynge forthe a plentuous encrease of good frute and in this gratious purpose they both I say bothe the sower and this holy spirite haue coÌ„tinued and wyll so coÌ„tinue vnto the worldis ende Who thaÌ„ may dout but in this loÌ„ge time whiche is aboue fyftene huÌ„dred yeres the true sede of the worde of god that is to say the scriptures of god haue bene truely taught vnto the people and the people hath truely beleued and gyuen true faithe vnto the same doctryne of the scriptures Who is so deuyllysshe that maye thynke that our sauiour Christe the whiche so derely beloued his churche that for the weale of hit wolde suffre so bytter so villaynous so horrible a dethâ— â–ª and shede his mooste precious blode in the crossâ— â–ª to prepare the hartes of his people for the receyuyng of this sede I saye who may thynke that euer he that dyd so moche for vs wolde breake his promyse vnto vs And if he haue nat broke his promyse than hath he ben with his churche all this longe tyme of fyftene huÌ„dred yeres and hath sowen the treâ—â—e sede of his worde and his moste holy spirite also hath bene al this tyme present in the churche and hath gyuen vnto the towarde hartes his gratious influence both to receyue this sede and also to brynge forthe plentuous frute ¶ Nowe than if this sede were thus truely sowen than wolde I lerne who were the mynysters of this trewe sede Who but the preachers of this worde I say the holy doctours whiche taughte the people and to whome by the holy spirite was commysedde the gouernaunce of the flocke of Christe as saynt Paule sayth in the Actes of the Apostles Attendite vobis et vniuerso gregi in Act. 10. quo vos spiritus sanctus posuit episcopos ad regeÌ„dam ecclesiam dei quam acquesiuit sanguine suo Take hede vnto your selfe to the holle flocke of Christe where the spirite of god hath ordeyned you bisshoppes to gouerne his churche the whiche he so derely purchased by his owne moste precious bloode Ye herde in the tellyng of the miracle howe the fyrste meane for the blynde man to come vnto his sight was heryng For as saynt Paule saythe Fides eâ— Rom. 10. auditu Faith cometh by heryng by the preaching of the holy doctours the people herde the worde of god beleued it For as saint Paule sayth Quomodo credent ei de quo non audierunt Howe shall the people beleue if they here nat Et quomodo audient sine predicante And howe shall they here without it be preached vnto them This is than the ordre and the holle cheane the blyndenes of our hertes can nat be put away but by true faith true faith can nat be gotten but by herynge of this worde The heryng of this worde shal nat be had but by the meanes of preachynge prechynge can nat be ministred without the preacher the preacher can nat profitte onles Christe Jesu whiche is the veray sower speke within hym and also the spirite of Christe gyue his influence vnto the same It is manifest than that these preachers were the true ministers of this sede It is also nat to be douted but the true christen people alwayes hitherto hath gyuen faithe to the doctrine of the catholicke preachers and so dyd beleue the scriptures as they dyd expounde them that were in tymes paste And it is farther more certeyne that these catholicke doctours ministred this sede in lyke maner as they haue lefte writen vnto vs in theyr bokes Wherfore if the preachers dyd erre in teachynge the scriptures of god the people dyd erre in beleuyng their doctryne And if bothe the preachers and the people dyd erre where was the true sowynge of this sede Where was the doctryne of the faithe where was bicome the promyse of our sauiour Christ O cursed Luther O mischeuous Apostata O moste execrable hereticke that denyest and dispisest all the fathers that euer were before vs For in so denyeng thou must nedes affirme that neither the doctrine of true faith nor any trewe sowyng of this sede was in the churche of Christe by so many yeres and that our sauiour Christe Jesu nothyng regarded his promyse all this long tyme either as concernyng his owne presence to be continually with his churche or as concernyÌ„g the presence of his holy spirite for to gyue his influence with the sowynge of this sede It is therfore clere and euident as I suppose by this collection that the fathers whiche vnder our sauiour Christe and this holy spirite haue hitherto gouerned the churche catholicke haue also truely ministred this sede vnto the people truely haue interpretate the scriptures of god vnto them and that our sauiour Christe Jesu by
all these bokes be so fully agreed by the expositioÌ„s and interpretations of the holy doctours that they make but one boke and one body of scripture and haue in them all but one spirite of lyfe that is to saye the spirite of Christe Jesu Euen as in the body of man there be many partes and many membres yet for as moche as in euery of them is but one lyfe and one soule therfore the body is but one This thynge was figured in a vision shewed vnto the prophet Ezechiell he sawe one roundell and many roundels and eche of them in the myddis of other but in all these roundels was but one spirite of lyfe So euery parte of scripture is lyke a roundel For it hath no corners Trouth is rouÌ„de and hath none angles The psalter of Dauid is a roundell of trouthe and eche of the gospels is a roundell of trouthe The gospelles be in the psalter and the psalter is in the gospelles and the spirite of Christe maketh one roundell of them all The newe testament is a roundell and the olde testament is a roundell and either of them is in the other but there is but one spirite of lyfe in them bothe and so in euery roundell of scripture and this spirite maketh one roundell of all And with these also the expositioÌ„s of the fathers whiche were inspired by the same spirite make one roundell with the same The doctrine of Luther can nat be thus nor yet partiner of this spirite of lyfe bicause it is repugnant and deuyded frome the holle corps of the doctryne of the churche Wherfore we maye necessarily The doctrine of Luther is nat one with the doctrine of Christe conclude that the doctryne of Luther is nat one with the doctryne of Christe nor hath in it the spirite of lyfe For as moche as it is repugnant and contradyctorily dyuerse from the doctryne of the churche Whiche thynge we maye proue by iij. reasons The fyrst is this The doctrine of the churche wherin all the fathers agree is spoken by Christe and inspired by the holy spirite of Christe as it doth appere of the fyrste collection But Christe and his holy spirite can nat teache and inspire two doctrynes the whiche be clene contrary Wherfore the doctryne of Luther is nat the doctrine of Christe and of his most holy spirite Seconde Christe Jesu sayth of hym selfe that he is the veray trouth Ego sum veritas But one trouth can nat be deuided at ones to two contradictories And why If that one of them haue the trouth that other muste nedes want it For one trouth can nat be commune vnto them bothe Thyrde the holy goste is the spirite of lyfe vnto the doctryne of the churche But the sprite of lyfe can nat be deuided but it must go holle As we se that whaÌ„ a mannes arme is cutte from his body the lyfe is nat deuided parte vnto the arme and parte vnto the body but the holle lyfe gothe with the body and the arme hath no parte therof So for bicause that Luther by his intricate expositions maketh one parte of scripture to be repugnaÌ„t agaynst an other as he confesseth hym selfe that he can nat frame his other expositions with the Epistole of saynt James and with the gospell of Luke Therfore it is manifest â–ª that his doctryne is deuided from the holle corps of scripture and is nat one with the doctryne of the churche nor hath nat in it the spirite of lyfe ¶ But nowe by your sufferance I wyll speke a fewe wordes vnto these ê‘sons which be abiured My bretherne ye may perceyue by this that I haue sayd that the sede of the worde of god that is to say the doctrine of Christis churche for these iij. considerations afore rehersed is one And that the doctryne of Luther is by the same iij. considerations nat one Wherfore ye may sufficiently coÌ„clude that the doctryne of Luther is nat the gratious sede of the worde of god nor hath in it the spirite of lyfe but is an euyll sede a sede of corruption a sede of pestilent infection a sede that blyâ—â—deth meÌ„nes hertes a sede that enueougleth their sight a sede that extincteth in them the true faith â–ª a sede that distroyeth their soules finally the veray sede of the deuyll whiche is inspired by the wicked spirites Therfore good bretherne I wold aduise both you euery other true christen maÌ„ to eschew this sede And if it be sowen iÌ„ your hartes to plucke it out by the routis to receyue the gratious sede of the worde of god and fully to assent to the doctrine of Christis churche that the wordes aboue rehersed may be sayde to eche of you Respice fides tua te safuâ—i fecit Open thynâ—ies this is the faithe that may make the safe The thyrde collection THe thyrde thynge to be marked is The good erthe the good erthe by the whiche our sauiour vnderstandeth in this parable one certayne maner of people For he so declareth it hym selfe sayeng Quod autem in terram bonam hi sunt qui corde honesto et bono That is to say this good erthe betokeneth them whiche be of one hart honest good I meane the people of whom we spake in the gospell of the miracle before the multitude I saye whiche had Christe amonge them Soone after that our sauiour had begonne together this people to giders whiche we calle the christen people he sayd vn them that than were present Amen diâ—o â—obis non preteribit generatio â—ec donec â—ec omnia fucta Mat. 24. fuerint I tell you for a certayne this generation shall nat passe vnto than all these thynges that I nowe haue spoken of shal be perfourmed He ment nat here any carnall generation No. for that carnall generation to whom he than spake were deed many huÌ„dred yeres ago And also tho thynges that he than spake of be nat yet perfurmed but shal be perfourmed about th ende of the worlde Wherfore doubtles he ment a spiritual generation that is to say the generation of christeÌ„ people whiche hitherto in dispite of all theyr ennemies haue contynued and shall continue vnto the worldis ende Great malice and persecution hath ben vsed agaynst this generation bothe by the Jewes and by the gentiles by the tyrantes by the philosophers and the heretickes but all they myght nat preuaile agaynst this generatioÌ„ accordyng as our sauiour Christe hath promised Et porte inferi non preuasebunt aduersue â—am And al the Mat. 16. malice of helle shal nat preuayle agaynst this generation nor interrupt it ¶ The wonderfull continuance of this generation was one thyng specially that kepte saynt Augustyne as he reportethe hym selfe and helde hym in the catholicke faith In the boke contra ij thinges did establishe saynt Augustyne iÌ„ the catholyke faith Manichesi he remembreth ij thynges concernyng this matter That one is this Tenet me ab ipsa
their mouthes dyd truly sowe this sede and the holy spirite of god gaue his most gratious influence so plentiously both vnto the fathers and vnto the people that this moost gratious sede toke effecte in bothe theyr hartes By this collection all the heresies of Luther at here the heresyed of Euther fasse ones falle vnto the grounde For if the doctryne of the fathers be true as it must be if our sauiour spake by their mouthes Luthers doctryne whiche is contrary muste nedis be false Now therfore my bretherne ye that be abiured here take hede Sith it is euideÌ„t that our sauiour by the mouthes of the fathers hath sowen this sede of his worde and declared the scriptures of god by the same the spirite of god hath also gyueu his influence vnto this same sede By whom suppose ye that the doctryne of Luther whiche is playne contrary vnto this doctryne and vtterly coÌ„demned by the holy fathers by whom I say suppose ye that this mischeuous sede was sowen By whom els but by the deuyl and inspired by the wicked spirites Therfore if ye loue your owne soules nowe flee this doctryne hens forwarde and ioyne you vnto the doctryne of the churche and beleue as the churche beleueth that I may saye vnto eche of you Rispice fides tua te saluum fecit Open thyne eies for this faithe that nowe thou haste beleleuynge as the churche of Christe beleueth hath sauedthe The seconde collection THe seconde thyng that I The sede sayde was to be marked is the sede of the worde of god whiche here is nat called Semina but SemeÌ„ nat many but one This sede for iii. considerations is but one sede Fyrst for it is fortable and agreable and lyke vnto The sede of the word of god is but one sede for 3 consyderations it selfe in euery parte As whan we se an heape of wheate that is clene and pure wheare without any diuerse medlyng of cockel or of any other noughty and euyll sede though there be many diuerse cornis yet for as moche as they be all of one kynde we say it is al one sede and in lyke maner it is of the worde of god though there be many wordes and many trouthes in it many specialties many parables many similitudes many coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes many consailes many thretes many promises many persuasions yet for as moche as it hath no falsehod nor vntrouth none errour no wicked doctryne medled therwith but is all as ye wolde say of one grayne of one groweth of one countre for all cometh from aboue Est saptentia desursunt descendens a patre luminum as Jacobi â— saint James saith Therfore it is but one worde one sede one doctryne Contrary wyse it is of the doctryne of Luther For it is a medley made of many dyuerse colours of dyuerse patches hath a partye coote Hit is nat one but many doctrines adulterate as saynt Paule saith Adulterantes verbum dei These heretickes adulterate â— Col. â— the worde of god and make a shewe and a face of their heresie outward as though it were the worde of god and hit is nat It is diuerse from the doctrine sede of this worde I say nat but Luther vseth full often the wordes and scriptures of god I shulde say rather abuseth them But he intermedleth with them many great errours many falsehodes many peruerse expositions contrary vnto the true teachyng lefte vnto vs by the holy fathers in tymes paste and contrary to the holle determinatioÌ„ of Christis churche And for bycause that he thus hath intermedled moche euyll sede with the sede of god and interlaced many great heresies Therfore his doctryne is nat one but diuerse and of many kyndes The secoÌ„de coÌ„sideration why the sede of the worde The secoÌ„d consydecation of god is one is for bicause ther is in it no discord no repugnancy no contradiction of one parte of it with another It is lyke of it of a songe where be many syngers that diuersely descant vpon the playne songe but for as moche as they all agre withouten any gerryng withouten any mystunynge they make al but one soÌ„ge one armony In lyke maner it is of the scriptures of god and of the doctryne of the churche There be many singers some synge the playne songe and some synge the descant saynt Mathewe saint Marke saynt Luke saynt Johane saynt Peter saint Paule saint James saint Jude syng the playne songe Than be there a great nombre of the doctours whiche descante vpon this playne songe but for bicause ther is no discorde no repugnancy no contradiction amonge them at the leest in any poynt concernyng the substance of our faithe all their boyces make but one songe one armony The doctryne of Luther can nat be so For he nat onely disagreeth with the fathers but also with hym selfe in places innumerable as they whiche haue writeÌ„ ageynst hym haue euidently proued who that redeth the kynges boke the boke of maister More the bokes of Catharinus the bokes of Empser of Corleus of Eckius and many other he shal clerely se that this is a trouth whiche I nowe saye And nat only this but also god therof highly be thanked they nowe gerre and difagre The heretihes â—isegre amoÌ„ge them selfe amonge them selfe Thre principall capitaynes of them defende iij. playne contrary sentêces and that in that most high worde of Christ concernyng the sacrameÌ„t of the auter I dare nat reherse theyr contrary expositions For as saynt Paule saith Sermo eorum sicut cancer serpit Theyr â— Tim. 2 hersies be perillous For they spredde lyke a canker and as a pestilence they do infecte the herers Neuerthelesse this is a veray trouth that I say vnto you twayne of them that is to say Luther and OecolaÌ„padius fully disagre make playne contradictorie expositions of these same wordes And the thyrde whiche is called Carlstadius holdeth clene contrary to them both Here be worthy maisters for a good christen man to put his soule in their haÌ„des that so repugnantly vary in expouÌ„dyng the scriptures And yet all these iij. be meÌ„ of great name and of high reputacion in lernyng amonge the Lutherians This is the syngular goodnes of god to stricke them with this contradiction repugnancy amoÌ„ge them selfe so that one of them shall nat here another Euen as whaÌ„ the towre of Babylon was enforsed to be buylded all mighty god thus stroke the builders of that towre that one of them dyd nat vnderstaÌ„d another So nowe hath he striken these heretikes whiche enforsed them to buylde a towre agaynst the churche that amonge them selfe they haue clene contrary doctrynes and one of them wyll nat here another The thyrde consideration why the sede of the The thyrd consyderation worde of god is but one is this Though there be many bokes of scripture bothe in the olde testament and in the newe also yet
viro That is to say she that is nat maried is myndful studious for tho thynges whiche perteyne to Christe But contrary wyse she that is maried is carefull of the thynges whiche belong vnto the worlde studieth howe she may please her husbande But the carnall doctryne of Luther no more regardeth this couÌ„saile nor this maner of eÌ„creace thaÌ„ he doth that other of virginite The thyrde and the lowest degree of encreace of The fruit of mariage frute is in the state of mariage The holy sacrameÌ„t of matrimony preserueth by his vertue the workes and dedes of them that be maried so that the workes whiche without this sacrameÌ„t shulde be dedly be made by vertue of this sacrament either to be no synne or at the least but veniall synne so loÌ„ge I say as they truly kepe this sacrameÌ„t vse it accordyngly In token wherof our sauiour at a mariage changed water in to wyne therby signifienge that moche of the waterynes of carnalitie betwene the maried persons by vertue of this sacrameÌ„t is changed into the wyne of merite But this encreace also is lost by the wicked doctryne of Luther For he hath nowe maried hym selfe vnto a nouÌ„ne A frere and a nounne together can this be any good mariage No doubtles whiche thyÌ„ges shall appere by â–ª iij. reasons Fyrst for bycause that he maketh the sacrament of matrimony to be no sacrameÌ„t A very mad maÌ„ he to mary yet to affirme that this sacrament hath no vertue in it that directly agaynst the scriptures of god so maketh as moche as lyeth in hym that the vertue of this sacrameÌ„t nothyng profiteth neither tyll hym selfe neither to other that be maried if they so beleue as he techeth But their mariages as they vse them nat beleuyng that the sacrament hath any vertue hath nothyÌ„g in them that is spirituall but be full of carnalite without any spiritualnes ful of wateryng without any verdours of meryte full of styÌ„kyng weedes without any good frute at all For as saint Paule sayth Qui seminat ê‘ carneÌ„ suaÌ„ de carne metet corruptioneÌ„ Et qui seminat per spirituÌ„ de spiritu Gal. 6 metet vitaÌ„ eternaÌ„ Who that soweth by his flesshe carnally shal reape of his flesshe corruptioÌ„ And he that soweth by the spirite shal reape of his spirite the reward of euerlastyng lyfe But take away this holy sacrament doubtles al the vse of the bodies of them that be maried is onely carnall whiche by this sacrament is made in some maner spirituall and taketh by the vertue therof a spiritualnes For as moche thaÌ„ as Luther hath destroyed this holy sacrameÌ„t he can reape no good frute of his mariage but only carnall corruption and his mariage is no mariage The seconde reasoÌ„ is this Howe can it be a good The secoÌ„d reason mariage where one maÌ„ abuseth an other maÌ„nes wyfe specially whaÌ„ he medleth with her whiche was consecrate the spouse of Christe Amonge the Jentils it was reputed abhominable for to abuse the virgins whiche had coÌ„secrate their virginite vnto the Idols Moche rather it shuld so be thought amonge the christen people to abuse the spouse of Christe consecrate vnto hym Saynt Mattheu whan he was desired by a certeyne prince called Hirtacus that he shulde moue a virgine named Ephegenia whiche had before consecrate her virginite to Christe he made hym this answere Siregis spoÌ„sam regis seruus vsurpare voluerit vinus trâ—dâ—t incendiis That is to say if the seruaunte of a kyng wolde abuse the kynges spouse he were worthy to be throwen quicke in to the fyre He ment that if Hirtacus whiche than was christened and shuld haue bene the seruaunt of Christe wolde couet to mary that virgin which was coÌ„secrate to Christ as his spouse he were worthy to be brent What suppose ye that this blessed apostel wold say if he nowe were present here agayne herde this abhominable dede this carnally disposed maÌ„ thus to abuse a religious virgin whiche was coÌ„secrate the spouse of Christ O Jesus Howe moche wold he aborre this matter And what dredfull senteÌ„ce wolde he pronounce of suche sodayne â—uisement agaynst this hereticke The thyrd reason is this The thyrd reason If we coÌ„sidre what promise this maÌ„ had made be fore the great strength of that ê“mise we shall well ê‘ceyue that this secoÌ„d ê“mise can haue no place And why For that promise whiche he made before was to kepe his chastitie this is clene contrary That was a former promyse this promyse is a later promyse that by many yeres latter Thyrde that promyse was for the weale of his soule this promyse is made for the carnall pleasure of his body Fourthe that promise was made solemly with a great deliberation this promyse was made in a corner and of some shorte aduisemeÌ„t For with in vi wekes after the mariage his woman had a childe This was spedy worke a woman to haue a chylde within vi wekes of her mariage This must either be a great miracle orels they had met to gether before That promyse was made accordyng to the rules of holy religion whiche was deuised by the holy fathers and inspired by the spirite of god this promise is made agaynst all good rulis by the carnall misordre of the wretchednes of the flesshe That promyse was made accordyÌ„g to the couÌ„sailes of our sauiour Christ saint Paule and of the other apostles this promise was made by the counsaile of Satanas of all the deuylles of hell Finally that promise was made vnto god he wyll nat be mocked as saith saint Paule Deus non irridetur God is nat to be mocked But it is a Sal. 6. playne mockery so solemly to promyse vnto god and neuer the lasse to breake the promyse made An honest maÌ„ wyll loke to kepe his promise made vnto his neighbour but moche rather if his promise be made vnto almighty god he so shuld kepe the same Whan than that former promyse was made to god and for the weale of his soule and solemly by great deliberation accordynge to the holy rulis of religion and accordyng to the counsayles of the holy scripture who seeth nat cuideÌ„tly that this later promyse made vnto a woman with all contrary coÌ„ditioÌ„s to these aboue rehersed can haue no place For the former promyse is so stronge that it disanulleth debarreth quite this other promyse whiche was later made But here one wyll say Sir Luther sawe that it was impossible for hym to conteyne hym selfe But I sâ—y agayne that Luther shulde haue loked at that poynt before that he made this promyse to god before he entred holy religion And here I wolde be answered of all my maisters the Lutherans in this one poynt what lyfe this hereticke hath lyued all these yeres before that he was maried If Luther myght nat coÌ„teyne hym selfe nowe in his later dayes whan he is of more age
¶ A sermon had at Paulis by the coÌ„mandment of the most reuerend father in god my lorde legate and sayd by JohnÌ„ the bysshop of Rochester vpoÌ„ quiÌ„quagesom sonday concernynge certayne heretickes whiche thaÌ„ were abiured for holdynge the heresies of Martyn Luther that famous hereticke and for the kepyng and reteynyng of his bokes agaynst the ordinance of the bulle of pope Leo the tenthe CuÌ„ priuilegio a rege indulto Fyrst here foloweth an Epistole vnto the reder by the same byshop My dere brother or syster in our sauiour Christe Jesu who so euer ye be that shall fortune to rede this queare our lorde for his great mercy graunt you his grace that the redyng therof some what may proffit your soule Fyrst I shall beseche you nat to misconstrue myn enteÌ„t in puttyng forthe this queare to be printed but that ye take it to the best For verily my wyll and mynde is that some frute myght ryse by the same vnto the christeÌ„ people whiche be the spouse of Christe Unto whom though vnworthy I am ordeyned a minister for my lytell porcion My duty is to endeuer me after my poure power to resist these heretickes the whiche seasse nat to subuett the churche of Christe If we shall syt styll and let them in euery place sowe theyr vngratious heresies and euery where distroye the soulis whiche were so derely bought with that moste precious blode of our sauiour Christe Jesu howe terribly shall he lay this vntyll our charge whan we shal be called vntyll a rekenynge for this matter It shal be moche rebukefull and moche worthy punishement if we for our party shall nat gyue diligeÌ„ce for the defence of the true christen people fro these heresies as these heretickes gyue for the corruption of the same specially whan we be certayne that our labour shall nat be vnrewarded as saint Paule dothe promyse sayeng Vnusquisque propriam mercedem accipiet secuÌ„duÌ„ suum laborem Euery 1. CorÌ„ 3. man shall take his owne rewarde accordynge to his labour And so moche the more diligence we muste gyue bicause that the wretched nature of man is more prone to euery thynge that nought is than it is to that whiche is of greatter frute The dry teÌ„der is nat more redy to be kendled with the leaste sparkell of fyre than we be redy to be incensed to all euyll Our hartes by the olde corruption of synne be of that molde that they withouteÌ„ any great diligence of them selfe brynge for the all maner of vices but nothynge that vertuous is withouten a great labour And assuredly these herelies be lyke the stynkynge weedes the whiche iÌ„ euery erthe sprynge by them selfe for as these euyll weedes nede no settynge no sowynge no waterynge no wedynge nor suche other deligence as the good herbes require but sprynge anone withouten all that busines and where they haue enteres ones in any grounde it is veray herde to delyuer that grounde from them euen so it is of these heresies they nede no plantynge they nede no wateryng they nede no lowkyng nor wedyng but rankly sprynge by them selfe of a full lyght occasion Contrary wyse it is of true doctryne of god this is lyke vnto the good herbes whiche wil nat euery where lightly growe but they must be set or sowen in a chosen erthe they must be watred they muste be weded and haue moche attendaunce orels they wyll anone myscary Ye may se this euidently by the begynnyng of Christis churche Our sauiour whan he hym selfe dyd sowe his doctryne he complayned of the vntowardnes of mennes hartes and sayd Sermo meus Jo. â— non capit in vobis This sede of my worde taketh no rote in the erthe of your hartes And vpon a tyme a great nombre of his disciples forsoke hym and cast hym vp For theyr hartes coude nat sauour his doctrine If this doctrine sowen by this most myghty and counnynge sower toke none effecte in these persons hartes ye may se that the erthâ— of our hartes by it selfe can nat receyue this sedâ— â–ª Saint Paule the whiche in lyke maner gaue his diligence to plante and to water this sede yet as moche as he proffitted by his preachynge in one place he lost by his abseÌ„ce in an other place Doth he nat crye out therfore vpon the Galathes bicause that this doctrine whiche he had sowen amonge them sone after his deperture from them dyd wyther in theyr hartes O insensati Galathe quis â—aâ— â— vos fascinauit noÌ„ obedire veritati O ye folishe people who hath thus witched you that ye do nat obey vnto the trouth And euery where the same saint Paule fighteth agaynst the heretickes and is veray solicite and carefull lest the flocke of Christe shal be corrupted by theyr heresies In so moche that he sayth vnto the Corinthies Timeo ne sicut serpeÌ„s â— CorÌ„â—1 Euam seduxit astucia sua ita sensus vestri corrumpantur a simplicitate que est in Christo I drede me lest as the serpent desceyued the fyrste woman Eue by his wylynes so your sences shal be corrupted by these heretickes and so fall froÌ„ the symplicite of faithe whiche ye haue in Christe And therfore a litel after he calleth them Pseudo apostolos oê‘arios subdolos â— CorÌ„ 11. traÌ„sfiguraÌ„tes se iÌ„ apostolos Christi that is to say fals apostles disceytful workers preteÌ„dyng to be the messangers of Christe and be nat in veray dede If ther were suche perill of heretickes in the tyme of saint Paule as it dothe appere in all his epistoles and if the heresies thaÌ„ so lightly toke roote in the hartes of men And if the sede of the doctryne of Christe with suche difficultie did sprynge growe in the hartes of the people whiche were in that maruelous plentuous tyme of all grace What wonder is it that lykewyse nowe in this miserable tyme these heretickes multiply and theyr heresies do sprede Whan hit was prophesied before nat onely by our sauiour Christe but also by saynt Peter in his epistoles and by saynt Paule in his bothe and by saynt Jude that suche heresyes shulde ryse and specially towarde th ende of the worlde Nowe therfore whan so litell diligence is done about the ministryng of this true doctryne it is necessary that all tho that haue charge of the flocke of Christe endeuour them selfe to gaynestande these pernitious heresies Wherin doutles the moost Reuerend father in god my lorde legate hath nowe meritoriously traueiled and so entendeth to perseuer and to continue to the full extirpatioÌ„ of the same For heresy is a perillous wede it is the sede of the deuyll the inspiration of the wicked spirites the corruption of oux hartes the blyndyng of our sight the quenching of our faith the distruction of all good frute and fynally the mourder of our soules And therfore some what to resist this wicked sede by the mocion of dyuerse persoÌ„s I haue put forth this sermon to