for the purifieng of the childwife and also of the childe suÌ„what shuld be offered the most pure virgine Mary wold fulfylle the lawe also in this poynt though in her child byrth she knew was nothing after the maner of other womens byrthes contaminate or spotted but al was ful of heuenly puritie and holynes For what spotte of vnclennes could she haue which by the worke of the holy ghoste conceyued wythout mans knowlege only by imbracement of the heuenly power She goeth therfore with Ioseph who as yet was thought to haue bene father to Iesus vnto Hierusalem bearing the childe with them that they might present him in y â— temple in the sight of the lord to whom he was consecrate not but that al be the lordes but that we shuld be taught by this mystical figure that those mindes be most acceptable to God whiche with a manly strength of spirite haue conquered the lustes of y e fleshe so do auauÌ„ce to thinges heuenly and euerlasting Moses law intending this had commaunded the Iues that euery male so sone as by the openinge of the mothers wombe it was brought to lyght shulde be taken as holy to the lord whether it were of mankynde or of brute beastes that herby also the first frutes might go to the prestes so yet that the first begotten of the mankinde shuld be redemed out of the prestes handes onles the childe were of y â— Leuitical tribe Now surely the selfe law openly deliuereth our Lady froÌ„ the bonde of it where it sayth in the leuiticall boke The wife whiche receiuing sede shal bringe forth a maÌ„child For the blessed virgine our Lady was neither mulier that is to say such woman as haue lyen with man neither receiued she mans sede And as towching the opening of y e matrice surely this heauenly child did in no maner violate the chastitie of of y e virgins wombe but rather preserued halowed it from al spot of vnclennes during her life He then was presented in y â— temple as subiect to y â— law which was lord of al thingê both heuenly erthly He was redemed with a smal price which cam to redeme the hole world w t the price of his bloude For y e law had appointed y e Iues to redeme their first begotteÌ„ son with a lambe of one yeare olde which was giuen in sacrifice And thaÌ„ shuld be added a doue or a turtyll for y â— purifienge of al spot or vncleÌ„nes which might happeÌ„ to be coÌ„mitted in y â— begetting of y â— child or after to thintent y â— that whiche shuld be offered to the lord might be throughly pure Howbeit if they were not of abilitie to giue a lambe the law suffred them to giue in stede therof a turtil doue or a pigeoÌ„ for y â— redemptioÌ„ of y e child The other bird was offered for the purging of the sinne Our Lady therfore and Ioseph offered the pore mens oblatioÌ„ and it is not to be doubted but they wold haue made a richer gift if theire pouertie hadde not letted them Allbeit they re minde was rich in godlynes and to giue vs an exeÌ„ple y e professioÌ„ of pouertie was more profitable But lo there was at this self time in HierusaleÌ„ one SimeoÌ„ a iuste maÌ„ such one as stode in awe of god surelye he might wel be called a iust maÌ„ for he sought not his own but y e peoples weale he awaited for him y t shuld redeme out of boÌ„dage not him only but al maÌ„kind And bicause he was endowed w t this iustice godlines the holy ghost was in him had inspired him that he shulde not dye till he had sene with his fleshely eyen him that he longe before had espyed wyth the eyen of feyth As Mary therfore and Ioseph were bringinge the child into the temple this Simeon also cam by the guiding of the holy gost into the temple toke Iesus in his armes And here sayth Origene an auncient doctour of the church if thou Christen person wi lt in like wise hold Iesus and imbrace him in thy handê thou must with al labour attempt that thou maist haue the holy ghost to thy guide and so come to y â— temple of god as this holy SimeoÌ„ did Thou must be a iust person a fearer of god religiouse deuout godly as he was But what did Simeon ha uing this most blessed child in his armes He blessed and praysed god sayeng Now o lorde thou dost licence thy seruaÌ„t to depart in peace out of this world according to thy worde For myne eyen haue nowe seen him by whoÌ„ it hath plesed the to saue maÌ„kind whom I say thou hast prepared and ordeined in the face of al peoples to be vnto y â— hetheÌ„ persons Panyms which hitherunto for defalt of true knowlege haue worshiped false godê a light for to lighteÌ„ them to disclose thy trouth vnto them againe to thyn own people y â— Israelites a cause of most high glorie This in effect spake Symeon in his maner Let vs therfore good people for our ê‘te also blesse praise god that wheras we y â— inhabitantes of this Realme were before y â— coÌ„ming of Christ wicked Panims ydolaters we now by y â— disclosing of his gospel â—ee his people Let vs labour to be iust and holy persons pore in spirite rich in godlines Let vs desire to be led w t the holy spirite of God So shall we at last depart this world in true peace by Christ our lorde To whom be prayse for euer Amen ¶ Saynt Mathias day the Apostle The Gospell Math. xi IN that tyme Iesus sayd I confesse vnto the O father lorde of heauen and of earth bicause thou haste hyd these thinges from wise and prudent persons and hast disclosed them to yonglinges Uerily father for so semed it good before the. Al thinges be deliuered vp vnto me of my father noman knoweth the sonne but the father neyther knoweth any man the father but the sonne he to whom the son wyll disclose Come to me all ye that laboure and be burthened and I shall quiet you Take my yoke vpon you and lerne of me for I am meke and lowly in harte and ye shall fynde quiet to youre soules For my yoke is pleasant and my burthen is lyght The sermon vpon this Gospel Bycause our sauiour Christ good people what tyme he was conuersant here in earth amonge the Iues hadde vpbrayded them for theire misbeleue declaring vnto them that the Hethen persones were redyer to receyue hym then they at which wordes some were offended therfore he aunswereth to theire thoughtes in thys wyse I confesse that is I do thanke prayse the O father bycause thou hast kept close this heauenly doctrine from the wise and prudent men in their owne opinions such as be the scribes and pharisees and haste opened the same to fooles and
we thus bewayle the slepe of oure deare freÌ„des why do we feare it our selues Nay why do we not rather desire it for the quyetnes therin Why do we not count them happy wel at ease whiche haue gotten it And with this Gospel do also the wordes of saynt Paule whiche be redde in the epistle of this day agree whiche he wrote to hys Christen brethern the Thessalonians sayng I wold not brethreÌ„ haue you ignorant as concerning them which be fallen a slepe that ye mourne not as the rest of meÌ„ do which haue no hope For if we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose againe euen so wil god bring againe with him them also which slepe by Iesus But Christes disciples beyng troubled with feare suspecting that Iesus spake not of the bodily death in dede which after a new maner of speaking he called a slepe but rather of the common maner of sleping answered and said Lord if he slepe he shall do well ynoughe Uerily the disciples were yet styll afrayd to resort agayne to Iurye therfore asmuche as they coulde they cut of the causes of goyng thither But Iesus by litle litle prepared their myndes to the beholdyng of the miracle which he wolde shewe For first of all he had rather calle him a slepe than dead that according to the maner of holy scrip ture he myghte shewe the hope of resurrection For they slepe rather then be dead which lye in rest and shal liue agayn For it is not so easy for any of vs to raise him that slepeth as it is for Christ to calle the dead agayne to lyfe The disciples therfore not vnderstandyng that he spake of slepe and of wakynge agayne to thintent they myght perceiue y t he knewe al thinges said openly vnto them after the coÌ„mon maner of speakyng â–ª Lazarus is dead I am glad for your sakes that I was not there bicause ye may beleue Neuertheles lette vs goe vnto hym Christe doth not here tell hys disciples that he wolde rayse him againe for he had rather haue it signified than expressed and he had rather perfourme it then promise it in this behalfe also giuing vs an exemple of demurenes and to flee vayne glorie And he sayeth that he is glad for their sakes that he was not ther. Why so For if he had been present at hys freendes departure and had forthwyth retorned hym to lyfe the pharisees and other whiche were euer ready to sklaunder al that Christe did wolde haue sayd that he was not dead in dede but in a trauÌ„ce for a tyme as by diuerse sickenesses it hathe chaunced to many one But now he being so long dead yea and buryed in hys graue they could not make that cauillation Christ therfore was glad for hys disciples sake that they myghte beleue But what shulde they beleue First that Christ was the true Sauiour of the worlde whiche raiseth the dead out of their graues yea and out of euerlasting daÌ„nation and helle if he had not dyed for vs. Second that he is ready euen in the middes of our troubles to helpe vs and careth for our sauetie as we haue exemple in Lazarus which was sicke yea and dyed he felt not Christes helpe yet Christ cared for hym his care was not vayne For he raised him agayne froÌ„ deth Thomas therfore which in the Greke is called didymus in Englishe a twyn one of Christâ— Apostles ê‘ceyuing that Christ wold nedes goe into Iurye agayn amonges his enemyes sayd to hys felawes Let vs goe to that we may dye with him as who shuld say sith our maister woll nedes â—eopard himselfe amonges the pharisees which seke his death let it not be said that we wol leaue our maister let vs dye wyth him Uerily thys exhortation of Thomas hath in it more rashenes than feith For albeit he is now ready to dye with Christ yet he wold not beleue hys resurrection if he had not seen in his haÌ„des the printe of the nayles So also Peter boldly ê“mised that he wolde dye with Christ but it was not feithfully and truely therfore forthwyth he denyed hys maister But afterwarde both saynt Thomas and also saint Peter were two of the stroÌ„gest and surest af all their felawes in their feith as appeareth by their actes And here we haue exemple that saintes and the cho sen people of God do otherwhiles fall by gods suffraunce into frayeltie wherfore let not vs despaire though we haue been wretched sinners yea though we haue denyed Christ with Peter Only lette vs playe Peters parte and by repentauÌ„ce rise agayne no doubt god wol take vs agayn vnto his grace But to our Gospell Christ with his disciples goeth forth fyndeth that Lazarus had lyen in his graue foure dayes alredy And Bethanye where Lazarus his susters dwelt was nighe vnto Hierusalem about xv furloÌ„ges of and many of the Iues cam to Martha Marye to coÌ„fort theÌ„ ouer their brother Truly it is the worke of charitie to coÌ„fort the heuy and troubled persoÌ„s yea it is the worke of the holy ghost and for thys cause is the holy ghost called in scripture a couÌ„forter bycause in aduersitie he coÌ„forteth the beleuers feithful christen ê‘sons And therfore the Apostle Paule doth nuÌ„bre gentlenes goodnes kyndnes towardes the neyghbour amonges the workes of y â— spirite And albeit it may be that the worke of coÌ„forting other â–ª in wyelted vngodly persons doth not ê“cede of the holy spirite of the lorde but rather of a curtesy neighberhode or nerenâ—s of bloud as appeareth in these Iues which cam to coÌ„fort the two suâ—ters Martha Marye as also the loue charitie of HetheÌ„ ê‘sons wherby they imbrace their welwillers coÌ„meth of a carnal affection yet in the godly ê‘sons it coÌ„meth of feyth true charitie is the worke of the holy ghost not of the flesh Frâ— thermore we do se here that many Iues cam to coÌ„fort these two susters not without the great ê“uideÌ„ce of god y t many might be witnesses of the great mira cle of raising Lazarus froÌ„ deth For this is y â— cast of of gods workâ— y t they shew â— farre otherface in y â— begynning thaÌ„ in y â— ende Many of y â— Iues were gathered to coÌ„forte these susters loo beside their loking for they be made witnesses of Lazarus resurrectioÌ„ Martha assone as she herde that Iesus was commyng went and met him but Mary sate styl in the howse Martha therfore so sone as she cam into Iesus sight sayd vnto him Lord if thou haddest bene here my brother had not dyed But now I knowe that what soeuer thou askest of god god wol surely giue it the. Uerily this Martha beleued in Christe but not as it behoued her to beleue For she knewe not yet that he was god â–ª that he wrought hys miracles by his owne
Babylon Ieconias begat Salathiel Salathiel begat Zorobabel Zorobabel begat Abiud Abiud begat Eliachun Eliachim begat Azor. Azor begatte Sadoc Sadoc begat Achin Achin begatte Eliud Eliud begatte Eleazar Eleazar begatte Matthan Matthan begat Iacob Iacob begatte Ioseph the husbande of Mary of whoÌ„ was borne Iesus which is called Christe The sermon vpon this Gospel IN this gospel good people many thinges are to be considered First how that our sauiour Christ the sonne of god wold for the greate loue he bare to mankinde be borne the soÌ„ne of Dauid that is wold take maÌ„s nature vpon hym to succour and help vs which were in flesh condeÌ„ned to pourge our spotted and synful byrth And verily this is the final intent of Christê incarnatioÌ„ as it is wel declared in the epistle to the Hebrues where it is writen that forasmoch as the sonne of god vouchsaued to call godly persones his brethren sayng by the prophet Dauid I will declare thy name to my brethren and otherwhiles also he calleth them the children as in Esay Lo here am I the children whom god hath giuen me and bicause these children and these his brethreÌ„ be men made of fleshe and bloude it pleased hym to be parttaker of the same wyth theÌ„ that by his death he might wipe out him whiche had lordshippe ouer death that is to say the deuyl and deliuer theÌ„ which through feare of death were al their life time subdued vnto bondage For he toke not vpon him angels but the sede of Abraham Wherfore in al thinges it becam hym to be made like to hys brethren that he might be merciful a feithful high prest in thinges towchinge God to thintent to pourge the synnes of the people Now wheras Christ is called here the soÌ„ne of Dauid ye must vnderstand it that he desceÌ„deth lineally from Dauid according to the flesh as saint Paul declareth in the beginning of his epistle to the Romaines lest we ruÌ„ne into y â— errours of certaine heretikê which say that Christe was nothynge elles but a maÌ„ not the son of God but merely the soÌ„ne of Dauid Which errour Christ himself discussed where he propowned this question to the pharisees What thynke ye of Christe whose sonne is he â–ª And when they answered the soÌ„ne of Dauid he asked them why thaÌ„ did Dauid in spirite cal him lord sayng the lord said to my lord syt on my right haÌ„de Meaning hereby that Christe was aboue Dauid not only a man but also god So that ye muste vnderstand him to be the soÌ„ne or issue of Dauid according to the flesh and not accordinge to his godhed And ye shal also marke that he is called the soÌ„ne of Dauid after the maner of speaking of the Hebrues bycause he cam of the ryght line of Dauyd For the Hebrues do calle al lineal nephues nieces be they neuer so long of sonnes and daughters Uerely the hole petigrue of Christe is here so drawen and conueyed from his auncestours that they only be put which were ê‘ttakers of y â— promise which was made of Christ. Ye must therfore marke two maner lines of men whiche beinge well marked doth discerne of whom Christ wold be borne and was borne For albeit the promise of Chryste was made to Adam yet from Cain his soÌ„ne the petigrue of Christ is not coÌ„ueyed So that one line there is whyche deriueth Christê petigree from the meÌ„bres of the true church that is to wite froÌ„ the holy fathers which were parttakers of y e ê“mise And an other line there is which coÌ„teyneth the childreÌ„ that grew out of kinde not folowing their fathers steppes therfor no ê‘ttakers of the ê“mise which two lines if ye diligently marke through out the old testament ye shal se that Christ proceded of the feithful stocke not of that whiche grew out of kinde as Cain Esau and their ofspring were And verily it becam Christ the hed of y e church to come of the membres of the true churche Seconde ye shall vnderstande that oure Sauiour Christ wolde be borne accordinge to the fleshe of the royal bloude of kinges to declare that he shuld be a kynge no worldly kynge but a spirituall kynge for the rulyng and guyding of mens consciencies And forasmuch as kinges were also annointed after the maner of prestes therfore Christ also wold be borne of kinges to shew himselfe an annoynted king that is to say both a king and a prest a king to rule and defende a prest to make intercession and prayer for vs accordyng as saynt Paule sayth of him Which also maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs. And the prophet â—ieremie sayth He shall do the office of a kinge and capitayne But for the eschuing of errours ye muste know that Dauid whose sonne Christ is according to the fleshe administred here hys kyngdome in the erth and therfore it is not to be thought that after that Christ is nowe ascended vp to heuen he exerciseth nomore hys kyngly officies but that he sytteth ydelly in heuen leauyng behind him hys deputie or vicare in erth the bishop of Rome Uerily Christes kingdom is perpetuall and so is his presthode according to the sayng of the prophet Tu es sacerdoâ— inaeternum secuÌ„dum ordinem Melchisedec Thou art an euerlastinge prest accordynge to the order of Melchisedec Thirdly ye shall vnderstande that albeit Christe and also our Ladye hys mother whose memory we solemnize this day Ioseph her husband cam of the right blessed line or stocke and not of the croked cursed lyne as I haue aforedeclared yet many of the persons aswel men as womâ— of this blessed stocke were synners and therfore here in their genealogie is mencion made also of synfull personnes For who were so wicked as kynge Manasses and his sonne Amon whiche be here rekened in Christes petigree Iudas also coÌ„mitted fornication with Thamar Salmon maryed Raab an harlot What shall I speake of Bethsabea wyth whom king Dauid coÌ„mitted greuouse aduowtrie And yet of this Bethsabea whiche was the wyfe of Urie dyd king Dauid begette SalomoÌ„ So that if a maÌ„ wol throughly consider the thinge he shall fynde almost more euell men then good amoÌ„ges the auncestours of Christ and all the women whiche be here named be none of the holy women as saynt Hierom sayth but suche as the scripture disproueth What other thinge meaneth thys but that the holy ghost wolde signifie that like as Christ cam of synners so he also cam into this world for sinners He wold be borne sayeth thys noble clerc saynt Hierom of synners y t he myght wipe awey the synnes of all Yea Christ hymselfe sayeth that he cam not to calle the rightuouse but synners to repentauÌ„ce If then he cam for synners why shuldest thou o maÌ„ despaire for cause of thy synnes Nay rather take harte vnto the and repent For then shal the grace and fauour of Christ be powred more
pleÌ„tifully vpoÌ„ the in that thou hast the more offended according to the sentence of saint Paule Furthermore we may lerne also here a moderatioÌ„ of mynd and demurenes that we hitte noman in the teeth of his auncestours or kynsfolke For yf our Sauiour Christ had amonges his auncestours very tyrantes harlottes wicked ê‘sonnes who is he that hath not amonges hys auncestours and kinsfolke both good and badde Fourthly ye shall marke that saynt Mattheu here doth calle Ioseph the husband of Marie so that it is certaine that betwene Ioseph and Marye was a iust lawfull matrimonie vnder which not without a singuler cause Christ wold be borne to shewe that matrimonie is the state whiche pleaseth God and on the other side to liue in aduowtrye and fornication is a kynoe of life abominable afore God and man Of a virgine verily Christ wolde be borne but yet vnder lawfull wedlocke A virgine to hys mother becam hym that was God but in that she was maryed is setforth vnto vs the coÌ„mendation of wedlocke Uirginitie I say becam her which by secrete inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost being herselfe pure and vndefiled conceiued and brought forth him which was moost pure cleane but yet Ioseph was oure blessed Ladies husbande Doth not thys thynge then setforth vnto vs the honour of matrimonie and condemne these wicked heretiques which say that matrimonie is a thynge fylthy vnpure of whom saynt Paule speaketh callynge them spirites of errours and deuelish teachers For if Christ had wolde he myght haue been borne before Marye his mother was betrowthed to Ioseph If matrimonie also were a fowle thing and discoÌ„mended of god as some heretikes haue said why went our Sauiour Christ to a wedding wrought there the first miracle that euer he did by turnyng water into wyne So y e thoughe virginitie be a highe thyng mete for such as be of high ê‘fection yet matrimonie is an honest state Last of all thys Gospell doth condemne those heretikes which denye y t Christ toke fleshe of the blessed virgine say either that he brought a spiritual flesh with him from heuen or that the word so was made fleshe that Christ is only of one nature not of two natures For thys heresie hathe been longe sithens condemned of Christes churche And euen with one text in this gospel it is ouerthrowne where it is said that Iacob begatte Ioseph the husband of Marie of whom was borne Iesus whiche is called Christ. If of Marye Christe was borne then it must nedes folow that he toke flesh of her The Gospel of Luke also proueth the same where the angel sayth to Ma rye Thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and beare a childe And Elizabeth saith to our Lady Blessed is the frute of thy wombe But howe can she conceyue Christ or howe can Christe be called the frute of her wombe yf he toke no parte of her Finally Paule is playne in this mater which sayeth that Christe was borne of the sede of Dauid concernynge the fleshe What caÌ„ be spokeÌ„ more plainly So ye se according also to the flesh the great nobilitie of Christes bloud For he wold be not only according to the spirite but also according to the flesh the noblest of al meÌ„ Accor ding to the spirite he desceÌ„ded froÌ„ god hys father w t out begynning so that he is the eternal sonne of the eternal god What is higher thaÌ„ this nobilitie And as to the fleshe he is descended of most holy patriarches moost myghty Kinges and Dukes In al the worlde was neuer founde lignage kynred ne house of more nobilitie then this lignage was wherof our Sauiour Christ descended accordinge to the fleshe But his spirituall lignage is without coÌ„parison This haue I therfor set out that ChristeÌ„ men shuld knowe their owne nobilitie For they that beleue in Christe be made by feith the brethren ioyntheires with Christe accordinge to the text before rehersed where Christ sayth I wil shew thy name to my brethren And in an other place he sayth These be my brethren which heare the word of god do it Saint Paul also sayth The spirite witnesseth togither w e our spirite that we be the sonnes of god if sonnes ergo heires heires of God and felawe heires wyth Christ. Nowe also with Christ we be made by feyth one bodye that we maye be his membres What is lefte then but that also we be made parttakers of Christes nobilitie And therfor we be called Christians which by interpretation signifie kingly that is to say of a kinges house and nobilitie by Christ our king But wherfore is this so greate nobilitie to be taken of vs for vayn glorye to despice our neighbour No truely For as Christe the nobler he was both in spirite and also in flesh the huÌ„bler and â—owlyer he made himselfe So let vs also folow Christê exemple and the more noble we be made by Christ so moch let vs beare our selfes y â— more lowly Nowbeit otherwhiles it is not only lawfull but also necessarie to loke alofte and beare our selfes hyghe of our nobilitie not against men but agaynst Satan For it is a great villany and shame for a noble personage to subiect himself to vile seruices For what be more vile or fylthy occupations then the workes of the deuyl which be synnes Here then let vs loke on high in Christ and be ashamed for our nobilitie sake to huÌ„ble our selfes to the fylth of synnes Now ye haue the lignage of Christ according to the fleshe and the nobilitie of him and of al Christians It remayneth therfore y t we also shulde knowlege Christ by feith and garnishe our nobilitie wyth good workes by Iesus Christ our lorde which togither wyth the father holy ghost be praised foreuer Amen ¶ On saynt Thomas day the Apostle The Gospell Ihon. xx THomas one of the twelue called Didymê° was not with them wheÌ„ Iesus cam The other disciples therfore sayde vnto hym We haue seen the lord But he said vnto them Except I se in his handes the printe of the nayles and put my fynger into the prynte of the nayles and thurst my handes into hys syde I wyl not beleue And after viij dayes againe his disciples were within and Thomas with them Iesus commeth the doores beyng shutte and stode in the middes said Peace be with you After that said he to Thomas Bringe thy fynger hither and beholde my handes and reach hither thy hand and thurst it into my side and be not vnfeithful but feithful Thomas answered and said vnto him My lorde and my god Iesus saith vnto him Thomas bycause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they which haue not seen and yet haue beleued The sermon vpon this Gospell THis Gospell deare frendes declareth vnto vs the historie of saynt Thomas howe he wolde not beleue Christes resurrection til he had seen him and felt him
wyse I am the true vine my father is the husbandmam As who shulde say I am as it were the roote or stocke of the vine you are my meÌ„bres and as who shulde say the bowghes growyng out of the stocke My father of heueÌ„ hath plaÌ„ted me for he it is only that begatte me From him therfore as it were from the husbandmaÌ„ is the stocke come but you be come of the stocke that is to witte of me To the father as to the fountaigne and hed springe redoundeth the thanke of the hole benefite whiche what soeuer he giueth and bestoweth vpon you he giueth through me and his holy spirite The sappe and iuise of the stocke which giueth also to the brauÌ„ ches lyfe and power of bearynge of frute is the spirite whiche is coÌ„mon to the father and to me Thys spirite both knytteth me to the father and also coâ—pleth you to me Euery brauÌ„ch therfore which cleauyng to me and liuynge by my spirite shall brynge forth frute accordyngly hym woll my father purge cuttyng of froÌ„ him the superfluouse voyde lustes to thintent he may bryng forth more pleÌ„teouse also more gentle frute But on the other side he y â— clea ueth vnto me by the outward name of a christeÌ„ persoÌ„ or by an outward profession of feith wheras in dede he bringeth forth no frute of the christeÌ„ charitie this person wol my father cutte of froÌ„ the vine as an vn profitable voyde meÌ„bre of the same For in vayne is he in the vine which hath no frute but leaues only y â— is to say he is a vayne no true christen person which bosteth himselfe of y â— christeÌ„ feith expresseth not the same w t good workê mete for a christen man Now saith Christ ye be cleane for the worde that I haue spokeÌ„ vnto you Suerly deare freÌ„des we are purged and made cleane by Gods worde wherunto we haue giuen feith but we are styll to be purged to thintent we may yet bring forth more pleÌ„tiful frute For who is he as sayth saynte Augustine so cleane in this life which is not yet more more to be made cleane Christe therfore cleaÌ„seth those that be cleane that they maye be yet more frutefull But why saith he not ye be cleane by baptisme Uerely sayth thys holy doctour bicause in the water also it is the word that cleanseth For plucke awey the word and what is the water but water But let the worde come to the water and so is made a sacrament Let vs than take hede that we abide in Christ that he also maye worke in vs hangynge vpon hym For lyke as the braunche yf it be plucked from the vine can bringe forth no frute no more can we bryng forth the frute of any good worke onles we cleaue to Christe by feith and charitie from whens coÌ„meth whatsoeuer maketh to the true and euerlastyng helth I say let vs loke that we be continually knitte and ioyned to Christ as we haue exemple of thys holy man whose memoriall we halowe this daye whiche was an vndoubted liuely braunche of thys vine and brought forth in the sighte of the worlde moost pleasant and acceptable frute to god He remained â—nyt to Christ and therfore Christe was ioyned to hym wherby he both wanne euerlastinge saluation to himselfe and procured vnto god for whose sake he did al thinges glorie amoÌ„ges men For without Christ as Christe him selfe here saith vndoubtedly we caÌ„ do nothing Surely yf any braunche by hys owne fault plucke hymselfe awey from the true vine not only he bringeth forth no frute but as an vnprofitable bowghe being cutte of wyth the knyfe wythereth awey and anon after is gathered w t the other baren bowghes thrown into the fyer to be burned and thus being destitute and voide of the liuely moysture spirite of Christ he dyeth in the mynde thoughe he yet liue in bodye and after this life being seperated pared awey from the vine without recouerie he is cast in to euerlastynge fyer alweys there to brenne for hys punishement bycause he wolde not styll remayne in the vine as a good brauÌ„ch hereafter to haue brought forth and inioyed the frute of euerlastyng ioye And verely we shal abide in Christ if so be that his wordes be beleued of vs if the thinges that we haue be leued we kepe styl in mynd fulfyl the same in our dedes If we do thys there be no worldly stormes that we nede to feare for Christe shal be with vs the father of heauen shal be w t vs the holy goost shal be with vs what thinge so euer we shal aske we shal w tout doubt obteine it For as Austine saith if Chri stes wordes remayne fresh in our mouthes or in our memories be not founde in our life y â— is yf we liue not according to the gospel we be not couÌ„ted as braÌ„ ches in the vine bicause we drawe not life out of the roâ—e Let vs thaÌ„ good people be right braunches of this vine and bringe forth worthy frute to thintent we may remayne in Christ in this world and in the nexte inherite the euerlastynge ioye by Christe oure Lorde To whom with the father and holy ghost be prayse and glorie euerlastyngly Amen ¶ On Philip and Iacobs day The Gospell Ihon. xiiij IEsus sayd to his disciples Let not your hart be troubled Beleue in god and beleue in me In the house of my father be many dwellingê If it were not so I wold say vnto you I go to make ready a place for you if I go to make ready for you I wil com again take you to my self that where I am ye also may be And whether I go ye know the way ye knowe Thomas sayth to hym Lord we knowe not whither thou goest how can we know the way Ie sus saith to him I am the way and the trouth the life None coÌ„meth to y â— father but by me If ye knew me ye shuld know my father also And now ye know him ye haue sene him Philip saith to him Lorde shew vs the father we haue inoughe Iesus sayth to him So long time am I with you haue ye not knowne me Philip he that hath sene me hath sene the father how sayst thou shew vs the father Be leuest not that I am in y â— father the father in me The wordes that I speake to you I speake not of my self But y â— father which dwelleth in me he doth the dedes Beleue me that I am in the father the father is in me Els for y â— selfe dedes beleue me Ueryly verily I saye vnto you he that beleueth in me the workes that I do he shal also do greater also then these shal he do bicause I go to my father and whatsoeuer ye shal aske in my name that wil I do The sermon vpon
serpentes Leuiathan wolues euill beastes theues and such like of their euil properties Also spirites of the ayer flyeng about bounde wyth the chaynes of darknes vntyl the day of iugement condemned to euerlastinge damnation They caste suche men as be wythout the feare and thought of god into al kindes of vices some into couetise some into pride lechery intemperance crafte deceipt infidelitie conteÌ„pt of god rechlesnes dispayre dissolute and loose liuing dronkennes glotony surfettinges aduowtries blasphemies they raise dissentions seditions warres debates and all vnhappynes Yea and vnder the visour of angels of lyght and vnder the clooke of religion and of godlines they induce idolatry mens dreames sectes heresies and al false doctrines they deuise and driue into mens heddes inchauntmentes euil affections nawghty opinions and wicked counsailes as they did to Dauid in his aduowtry in the slaughter of Urias in nombring of the people and as they dyd to Czechiell whan he disclosed the treasure to the Babylonians To be short they do labour al they can to bring vs to vttre shame and destruction And this we se by open testimonies signes and deades how myghtyly they reygne as Paule saith vpon the children of disobedience and vpon such as wol not beleue gods word nor feare the lorde They confirme therfore the vngodly in theire vngodlynes wyth signes and wonders whiche they shew by their lymmes and ympes the false prophetes as appeareth in the. xxiiij chapter of Mathew or by inchaunters and â—uglers for it is not impossible but the deuil may by art Magik and sorcery worke many wonders and maystres For surely if witchcraftes sorceries and inchauntementes were not made ne coulde not be done God wolde neuer haue forbydden them Thus these euil spirites lye contynually in awayt of mankind they re propertye is to speake deceypte and lyes for that is as Christe sayth theyr owne and they be fathers therof they falsifye and corrupte gods worde wyth wycked doctrine as appeareth by the parable of the sower of good sede and of the deuyll whyche soweth among it darnel they wreste and allege holy scripture wronge they transfigure themselfes into angells of lyght fynally they seke to syfte vs as men wolde fyfte wheate And veryly good people y â— the wycked spirites haue these effectes powers and operations it is playne manifest also by the witnes of holy doctours of the church First the excellent clerke saynt Augustine in hys sermons writeth in thys wise All the euilles of the worlde be wrought by the falshode of the deuill whiche hath sette warre in heauen and in paradise deceipt hatred amonges the first brethern and in al our workes hath sowne darnelles Lactantius also that noble writer is not behind with his recorde sayng There is a certayne wicked and deceiptful spirite which is enemye to man and foe of iustice thys spirite lyeth in awayte of al mankinde And such as knowe not God them doth he entangle and wrappe in errous he drowneth them in foly and shadoweth them in darknes Also saynt Gregorie writeth â–ª that the wille of Satan is alway wicked but his power is neuer vnrightuouse or vnleful for of himselfe he hath his wille but his power he hath of God Wher fore good christen people sith we stand in this state and condition that yf we be euill and voyde of vertue and of the true feare of God we be in dauÌ„ger of these so noysom and wicked spirites and agayne yf we loue and serue God we be protected and fensed w t the good angelles whose benefites I haue heretofore brefely remembred it shal be our partes euermore to serue God and to stande in awe of hym lest by any meanes we might offend and displease him and so through our fault it shulde come to pas that we myght be depriued of these good angelles the euill shulde haue power vpon vs. But now let vs procede to the declaration of our gospell First therfore ye shall vnderstande that an exemple of the naturall ignoraunce blindnes and infirmitie of mankind is here set forth in the disciples of Christ which as yet measured the kingdom of heuen after the fashon of the kyngdome of the worlde The disciples come therfore to Christ aske him who is the greater man in the kyngdoÌ„ of heuen Surely according to the mynde of auncient doctours thys was a certayne humane affection whiche crept into the Apostles mindes and as it were a pricke of enuie and of ambition They had herd of the kyngdom of heuen they had seen iij. Apostles led aparte with Christ in to the mountayne that is to wit Peter Iames and Ihon they had herde how the keys of the kingdom of heuen were giuen to Peter and howe it was said to him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona and I say to the thou art Peter and vpoÌ„ this rocke wol I buylde my churche they espyed Peter also to talke more familiarly more boldly wyth the lorde lately also they sawe hym preferred before the rest of the Apostles in paynge of the tribute and in maner matched with Christ. For these and suche other thynges whiche as yet they dyd no perfectly vnderstande they had a lytle preuye grudge and enuie at Peter syth to hym as they thought the principalitie of the kingdoÌ„ of heuen was appointed wher neuertheles they perceiued he was yonger in yeares then they They came therfore as I sayde to Iesus and asketh hym who shall haue the chief authoritie in the kyngdome of heauen For it coulde not be yet dreuen out of their heddes but that there shulde be such like dignities and powers in the heauenly and spiritual kyngdom as they sawe in princes courtes of this world Our sauiour Christ therfore to thintent he wold cleane banish this carnal affection and vtterly expel the same out of their myndes calleth a certayne chyld vnto him whoÌ„ he setteth in the myddes of his disciples the chyld being yet very tendre of age and â—ut a babe voyde of all affections ether of ambition or of enuie simple pure innocent and liuynge by the only guyde and conducte of nature Thys chylde beynge thus sette amonges them our Sauiour sayeth in this wise vnto them Uerily onles ye be coÌ„uerted and be made as childern it is not possible for you to come into the kingdom of heuen For declaration of thys texte ye shall vnderstande that Christ did not here coÌ„mauÌ„de the Apostles that they shulde haue the age of chyldreÌ„ but the innocencie and the thing that the childreÌ„ do possesse bicause of their chyldhod they shulde possesse by their industrie so that in malice they might be chyldreÌ„ but not in wisdom as who shulde saye lyke as this child of whom I giue you an exemple doth not continew in angre neyther thynketh he one thyng and speaketh an other so you also onles ye haue such innocencie and purenes of mynd ye caÌ„ not