and right vp behauiour For it oftentymes chaunceth that when a manne perceiueth that he is not trusted he sheweth hymself the more negligent in doyng his duetie As loue with loue so faithe also is bought with faithe and trust with trust Notwithstandyng this matter is to bee handled with measure and discrecion so that we shall not rashly and without good aduisement commit all thinges to all men neyther at all tymes nor in all places And men are so to be trusted that not withstandyng they shall thynke that the Father of the houshold hath also hymselfe an eye to his thynges and that he wyll easily perceaue it if any thynge be doone amysse of suche as he trusteth or hath in his house For the negligence of maisters is many tymes the occasion that seruantes are negligente and geue them selues to a more licencious and retchelesse lyfe when notwithstandyng the householde seruantes ought not to be carelesse but studiously to obey the wyll and commaundement of theyr maisters and not to suffer theym selues by any meanes thorough the counsayle of the wycked to bee broughte vnto lewdnesse For what good successe of thynges canne be there where the maysters commaunde one thynge and the seruauntes neglectyng theyr maysters commaundement thoroughe the wicked aduyse of certayne naughty persones do the contrarye yea geue theyr myndes to idlenesse to plays to pastymes to dycyng to cardynge to drynkyng to whooryng c. And yet many in these theyr lewde doynges wyll beare a faire face outwardly as thoughe nothynge were amysse but all thynges welle yea as though they dydde theyr office accordynge to theyr bounden duetie But yet for all that seynge disobedience is shewed to theyr maisters it must nedes come of the deuyll whatsoeuer they doo in this behalf And many tymes seruauntes dwell with suche maysters as by no meanes can abyde suche neglygente lewde and lyghte behauioure But here commeth in the deuyll with hys subtilties and craftye deuices whyche by somme naughtye packe goeth about to persuade them that suche seruice is myserable bondage and therefore they oughte to caste awaye that captiuitie and seeke more libertie whyche they shall easylye and with greater profyt fynd in some other more conuenient place Awaye therfore with the olde maisters and seeke after newe The vnwise seruantes thynke thys to be good councell and to come from a louyng and frendly hearte towarde theym and therefore they bothe obeye and disobeye The dyuell they obeye God they disobeye whyche hathe commaunded to obeye theyr bodyly maysters in all thynges yea and that with simplenesse of hearte But the symple are soone deceaued specially when frendeshyp is pretended and those thynges vttered which delite the foolyshe fancie of men But why make I many woordes The wolfe is redy at all tymes both in weightie and in slender matters For all thynges that with trewe diligence and good mynde oughte to bee doone in the Churche in commune wealthes or in householdes the deuyll by no meanes canne abyde but all offices that are ordeined of GOD hee goeth aboute to hynder and lette yea vtterly to subuert and to destroy them that that whyche is ordeyned vnto the conseruation bothe of thynges presente and of thynges to comme maye be euyll spoken of that no goodnesse maye ensewe thereof· We muste therefore dilygentlye take heede and marke what the deuyll at all tymes goeth aboute leaste wyth hys fayre face and pleasant countenance he deceaueth vs and bryngeth vs into erroure For all suche as wyth whome wee haue to doo are not syncere in Relygion but manye are hypocrites They doo pretende Relygion and godlynesse but they haue not one poynte of trewe Relygion in them Wherfore it is harde for to knowe the wolfe thoroughly except we be very diligent circumspecte and discrete But thys thynge is moste daungerous and grienous in the Churche For scismatykes sectaries and heretykes comme in wyth suche pretence as though that earnestly and euen frome the verye hearte they dydde regarde the saluation of mennes soules and that they hadde a feruente zeale and greedy desyre to sette foorthe the woorde of GOD and the truthe thereof Whenne the symple sely shepe behold theyr shepishe garmentes they suspect no euyll no deceit no crafte no subtiltie They streyght waies embrace them as trewe and godly teachers For who woulde not greatly regarde suche and so noble professoures of Gods woorde and of the truthe But the Christians must knowe thys that the deuyll also is wont to bragge and boaste of the truthe and woorde of God no lesse then the very godly Therfore they ought to be so enstructed that they myght say on this maner The truthe and woorde of GOD I loue fulle derely Notwithstandyng I wyll regarde no mans authoritie so muche but that I wyll conferre thys woorde that he speakethe with my Catechisme and wyth the doctrine whyche I haue hytherto hearde He that is so circumspecte and is not moued wyth euery newfangled fancie but hath respecte vnto the worde he is without all danger neither can he be deceiued He that dothe otherwise it is not possible but that he must fall into bothe errours and heresies and be seduced from the truthe of the worde Eue in Paradyse is an example for thys matter The deuyls oration vnto her was moste pleasaunte and full of sugred eloquence He paynteth foorth god to be so gentyll and meke that he knoweth not what anger meaneth Why saieth he hathe not God geuen all this gardeyn into your power that ye shoulde doo wythall what ye wylle and enioye the commodities therof after your owne luste and pleasure Howe vnsyttynge then were it that hee shoulde denye you this one only tree whych can so greatly not hurt you that by the benefyte thereof ye shall gette wysedome comparable with the wysedome of God Honylyke and mete to deceaue are these wordes whiche were able in dede easyly to seduce Eue that she myghte fall away and forgette the commandement whych God had geuen to her and to her husbande And although she hadde not forgotten it yet she beganne to doubte of it And there came in her myserie Fyrste of all whenne the deuyll assaulted her she behaued her selfe wysely and gaue the deuyll a repulse by the vertue of che commaundement whyche GOD had geuen vnto them But when Sathan went an other way to woorke because he hadde no good successe in the former enterprise and broughte the matter to thys poynte that if the commaundemente concernynge the tree were true GOD muste nedes be malicious and full of enuy whyche woulde not also grant them the lyke wysedome with hym thenne she out of hand casteth awaye the woorde plucketh the apple and eateth By the eatynge of the whyche apple she and all we were most myserably yea for our disobedience moste iustly caste into all kynde of euyls Nowe for the lyke peryll because that we also shold not be deceaued on suche sorte Christe warneth vs and saythe
Wherfore if the eie be single all the body shal be full of lyght But and if thyne eye be wicked all thy body shal be full of darknes Wherfore if the lyght that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknesse It becommeth not them that professe them selues to be guides of the blynde lyghtes of them which are in darknesse informers of them whiche lacke discretion teachers of the vnlearned c. to be ignorant and vnlearned voyde of the knowledge of Gods mysteries and vtterly estraunged frome the true and perfect vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures All suche the worde of God calleth blynde guydes dumbe dogges not able to barke horses and moyles that haue no vnderstandynge euyll woorkemenne whyte daubed walles greuous and rauenynge wolues hyrelynges theues robbers murtherers foolyshe shepeheardes Idolls c. Sainct Hierome saieth It is the office of Priestes whenne they be demanded of the lawe to answere If he be a priest let hym knowe the lawe of the Lorde If he know not the lawe of the Lorde he declareth euidently that he is no priest For it pertaineth vnto the Lordes priest to know the lawe and when he is asked to make answere of the lawe Agayne he saythe If after the mynde of the Apostle Paule Christ be the power of God and the wysedome of God it foloweth well that he that knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the power of God and the wysedom of hym For the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christe Leo the byshoppe saythe If ignorance seemeth intollerable euen in laye men howe muche more is it worthye neyther of excuse nor of forgeuenes in them that beare rule In Concilio Toletano wee reade on this manner Ignoraunce the mother of all errours is moste of all to be eschewed in the Priestes of GOD whyche haue taken vppon theym the office of teachyng amonge the people of god Priestes are warned to reade the holye Scriptures as Paule the Apostle sayeth vnto Timothe Geue attendance vnto redynge and exhortation and to learnynge and continue alwayes in these Lette priestes therfore knowe the holy scriptures and Canons and lette all theyr worke busynesse and trauayle consyste in preachyng and doctrine And let theym edifye all men so well with the knowledge of Faith as with the good information of workes Thus see you dere brethren that it is required of you not onely that ye shold be faithfull but also wyse seruantes which wysedome ye can by no meanes obtayne excepte ye gett vnto you the knowledge of the holy Scriptures which alone make the man of God wyse as the Psalmograph saith The vndefiled lawe of the Lord turneth soules the faithfull wytnes of the Lorde geueth wysedom vnto Babes Litle can fidelitie profite where this wysedome wanteth Thyrdly it is required of you that ye geue meate to the Lordes household in due tyme or in season Thys houshold of the Lord is the congregation of God whom the Lord Christe hathe purchased and reedemed by his precious bloudde Thys householde thys Congregation thys fellowshyppe thys companye of the Lordes seruauntes muste ye feede To them muste ye geue meate This meate is the woorde of God that is to say the lawe and the Gospell With this â—ode is the Christen mans soule fedde as Christ saieth Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery woorde that commeth out of the mouthe of God This meate is ministred vnto them by preachynge the lawe and the Gospell the lawe to this ende that they may learne to know them selues and the heauy wrathe of God agaynste synne the Gospell that they maye by the preachyng thereof receaue consolation and confort ioye and peace agaynst the accusation curse and condemnation of the lawe against the terroures of Gods iudgement agaynst the assaultes of Sathan c. and so through faith in Christ be at peace with God And this is it that the Lorde Christe speaketh in the Gospel Euery Scribe which is taught vnto the kyngdome of heauen is lyke vnto a man that is an housholder whiche bryngeth foorth out of his treasure thynges newe and olde After his resurrection he also sayde to hys disciples Thus is it written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer and to ryse agayne from death the thyrde day and that repentance and remission of synnes should be preached in his name amonge all nations And this trade of teachynge vsed CHRIST and his Apostles and all other godly preachers as wee maye euidently see bothe in the diuine and ecclesiasticall wryters and so frome tyme to tyme they fedde the Lordes householde not wyth the leauen of the Pharyseys but with the sweete breade of purenesse and truthe And here see ye that ye are appoynted offycers in the Lordes house vnto thys ende not that ye shoulde be loyterynge lubbers marchantlyke Mammonistes gredye gathergoodes Ethnyke Epicures voluptuous worldlynges dumbe dogges vnpreachyng prelates ydell Idols c. but that ye should geue them meate in due tyme that is preache the lawe and the Gospell and so fede them not with the fleshe pottes of Egypte but wyth Manna that celestiall foode that came downe frome heauen The office of preachyng therfore is committed vnto you Looke well vnto it and take heede that ye defraude not the Lordes familie of theyr foode and sustenance euer settynge before your eyes this saying of the wyse man when the word of God is not preached the people peryshe It is not the quarter sermon preachyng that ought to suffise the Lordes householde The worde of God oughte continually to be ministred and sette before the Lordes familie as God hym selfe saieth by the Prophet Cry cease not lyft vp thy voyce as a trompe and shew vnto the people their wickednesses and to the house of Iacob theyr synnes Agayn I haue sette watchemen vppon thy walles O Hierusalem whyche shall neyther ceasse daye nor nyght to preache The godly inspired Apostle sainct Paule saithe wrytyng vnto Byshop Timothe Preach thou the worde be feruent in season and out of season Improue rebuke exhort with all long sufferyng and doctrine For the tyme wyl come when they shall not suffer wholsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall they whose eares itche gette them an heape of teachers and shall withdrawe theyr eares from the trueth and shall be turned vnto fables But watche thou in all thynges suffer afflictions do the worke throughly of an Euangeliste fulfyll thyne office to the vttermoste Blessed Luke in his Chronicle of the Apostles actes wytnesseth that Sainct Paule sendyng for the Elders of Gods congregation at Ephesus to come to Mileton vnto hym among other spake these woordes vnto them I take you to recorde this daye that I am pure from the bloode of all menne For I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you all the counsayle of God Take hede therefore vnto your selues and
therfore they blaspheme it and persecute it euen vnto the vttermost Our aduersaries thē selfes graunt this to be the worde of god that the Sacrament of the body bloud of Christ shoulde be ministred in both kyndes Again that Christ did forbid neither mariage nor meats Yet they condēne these thinges as heresie It is wonder that the Sonne waxe not darcke that the earth doth not open swalow vp the teachers of such blasphemies Yet they go stoutly on are wtout al feare so that where the true Christiās feare the deuill they feare him nothing at all For the Christiās haue learned by experiēce that the deuil is able to corrupt euē the righteous and to destroye the worke of God if he be permitted Therfore they call him not Beelzebub but with Paule they cal him the prince God of this worlde For we haue experience of his power in this wyse When he hath made any man his captiue bonde slaue hath caste him into errour or heresie he holdeth him so faste in his clawes that he very hardly can with infinite sermons be called frō his errours vnto the true persuasiō of Christen religiō Again those whom he hold captiue hath them lincked with the bōdes of fornicatiō or adultrye of wrath of couetousnes of enuye of hatred of such like vices he holdeth thē so fast that there is almost no hope at any time to escape And if he perceaue that fewe bondes suffise not he putteth moe vnto thē Therfore the Christiās do not set the deuil at naught nether do they make light of hī nether cal they hī a fly but a mighty lord a prīce god of this world whiche filleth the whole world with murders warres errors heresies scismes dissēciōs desperatiō troubles miseries c. But the pope his secte beleue not this althoughe they both see it haue daily experiēce of the same Wherefore this is meruelous a thing not to be forgotten that the Phariseyes blaspheme Christe and his worke For hereof doth it appere that although their bodies were not possessed with the deuill as this poore mans was yet in their spirit the deuil had much more power ouer them seing after the maner of our papistes they do not only not vnderstand the worde but they also moste slaunderously blaspheme it and most cruelly persecute it And notwithstandyng it troubleth them nothyng at all but they persuade thē selues that they haue done well as Christe sayeth the time shall come that whosoeuer kylleth you shall thincke that he doth noble seruice vnto God And this thinge is seth forth vnto vs to teache vs that if we do determine to caste out deuilles and to teache the worde of God we should loke for no better thinges then chaūced vnto Christ in this place Some shall maruell some shall iudge our doctrine as vngodly deceauing the people by leadinge them into diuers errours some again shal condemne it as heresie and doctrine of deuils Nowe ought we to be well fortressed and fensed againste these sclaunders offendicles or stomblyng blockes It is a greate greiffe vnto our heartes that the Papistes do so blaspheme our doctrine and yet they are so careles that they care no more for the deuill then they do for a flye For suche was the fortune of Christ also in the highest miracle that he dyd when thorow the fynger power of God he dyd caste out deuilles Then fell they vnto suche blasphemies that they sayd it was the battel of flyes and that the deuill wrought it for Christ. After these come the thirde sorte not moche better then the laste but that their wyckednes is not so opē fayning that they would beleue if Christe wold worke suche a miracle as pleased them but they lacke no miracle to beholde for they see one plainely before their eyes but they iudge that an earthly or base no true signe They would if he looked to haue any authoritie with them that he shoulde shewe some heauenlye signe that is that he shoulde make a newe Moone newe starres or suche like these are meruelous wise that will take vpon them to prescribe appointe god what signes wonders and miracles he ought to do They woulde haue him like a Iuglar to satisfye their fansye and to do suche miracles as please them As though God had nothinge to do but to serue theyr lustes folishe desires Such shal a mā find also ī these oure dayes specially among the kynges princes and other rulers of this world For what other talke haue the wise of this worlde amonge them then this what shal I receaue this doctrine whiche a sorte of poore beggarly felowes professe They that first taught the Gospell were in dede vnlearned fyshers but nowe what are they but a sorte of fugitiue and runnagate monckes and a swarme of periured priestes I coulde right well allowe this doctrine if the Pope the Emperour the kinges the princes and other noble men did teache it and embrace it These men also appointe God howe he should behaue himselfe set forth suche doctrine as may please them yea that both by suche and after suche sorte as they thyncke good So that God must do what it pleaseth them to appoint yea such are to be founde euen among them that professe the Gospell For in these oure dayes many which will seme to be Gospellers maye be founde both in the courtes of Princes and also in Cities whiche shame not to appoint the preachers what they must preache and teache yea and that to this ende that as the Prophet sayeth they may speake pleasaunt thinges such as maye delight and not offende For when the preacher accordinge to his office reproueth sinnes and vices whereof certaine persones are gyltie then they streight waies crye out These things as matters tending vnto sedition are by no meanes to be suffered of the maiestrat The Gospell maye be preached without such spitfull raylinges vpon menne so that when a preacher speaketh the truth and rebuketh synne he muste be counted straightwayes to rayle vpon the maiestrat to moue sedition These men are puffed vp wyth as muche pride as they were whiche sawe this miracle and yet regarded it nothynge at all excepte Christ would worke suche miracle as they them selues appointe They are growne vp vnto suche madnes and so swell with pride that they thincke it not sufficient to haue their Realmes in subiection except they also haue iurisdiction rule and power ouer the worde of God other his holy misteries But this is not the meaning whē the scripture saieth the the higher powers ought to be had in honour not to be spoken euil of nor rayled vpō As though because of that the tēporal maiestrate were aboue god his worde But the rulers are no lesse bounde to be obedient to God to his worde thā their subiectes are If they do it
commaundement vntill Samuel comme and annoint hym kyng yea and the hystorie maketh speciall mention that he had seuen proude and stately brothers whiche despised hym as the yongest But God saieth to Samuell Let passe these stately persones annoint hym kyng whom I shewe vnto thee for I wyll none of the other Dauid when he was nowe exalted of God is not stately For if he had ben so he should haue ben reiected of God after the example of Saul But for as muche as he sheweth modestie and lowlynes although he be put besyde his kyngedome yet dothe he recouer it agayne and is also aduaunced to great renoume of God for that that hee promiseth that Christ shall procede of his stocke and kynred All these thynges are written and declared in sermons to the intente that wee shoulde vse humilitie and beware of pride and not saye after the maner of the stately Who canne abyde thys drudgerie Lette vs couete to lyue more gentylmanlyke But whenne thou thynkest thus thou arte more certayne of nothynge then that GOD is made thy aduersarie therby For thys is trewe that God can not abyde pride and loftynesse as we haue exaumples to proue thys euery where For what other thyng thynkest thou to be the cause of so great trouble in the world and that there is suche a multitude of rustikes barbarous rude and wretched men then because they were delited in theyr youth with pride licētious liuyng wherfore after that God counteth them not worthy to be regarded of hym neither can they euer waxe thriftie in any kynd of lyfe For this is surely decreed that what so euer exalteth it selfe shall be brought lowe Contrarily what soeuer humbleth it self that God can not chose but exalte Moste hearty thankes bee vnto our God whiche hathe shewed forthe to vs this day this doctrine and graunt vs his grace that we may shew our selues obedient to this doctrine through Iesu Christe Amen The xviii Sonday after trinitie Sonday The Gospell Math xxii WHen the Phariseis had heard that Iesus dyd put the Saduceis to scilence they came together and one of them whiche was a doctour of lawe asked hym a question temptyng hym and sayinge Master whiche is the greatest commaundement in the lawe Iesus sayde vnto hym Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mynde This is the fyrst and greatest commaundement And the seconde is like vnto it Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe In these two commaundementes hange all the lawe and the Prophetes Whyle the Phariseis were gathered together Iesus asked them saying what thynke ye of Christe Whose sonne is he They sayde vnto hym the sonne of Dauid He sayde vnto them Howe then doth Dauid in spirite call hym Lorde saying The Lorde sayd vnto my Lorde sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foote stoole If Dauid then call hym Lorde howe is he then his sonne And no man was hable to aunswere him any thing neyther durst◠any man from that day forth aske him any mo questions THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospel are two thynges to be marked aboue all other The one is of that scribe which demandeth what is the greatest commandement in the lawe The other howe Christ demaundeth again the phariseis as touching Christ whose son he shold be For Dauid in spirit calleth him his lord The first question declareth that the ignorance blindnes of the Iewes was so great that they had forgottē the ten commaundementes which children are wont to learne by heart Wherfore it were an easy thyng for a chylde to geue them answer The first and greatest commandement is Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me But the phariseys and scribes take it not for the greatest and they be fallen to suche foly that they call in question what that commandement should be One saieth that it is sacrifice an other to geue almes an other to fast and to vse a peculiar kynd of apparell c. As we see it to come to passe when men fall from Gods commaundement and worde and ordeyn and sette vp other workes for them selfe of their owne inuentyng For this came to passe with oure religious men also when they became cloysterers they made their profession they had no propre goodes and therwith they forgat also what is faithe and what is charitie And their Religion they called afterwarde the state of perfection But is not a chyld now more able to declare what is the state of perfection then all the monkes The reason is that they haue only in their syght their rules of their profession But a christen man saieth To be perfect signifieth to feare and loue God to profite thy neighbour with al kynd of benefit For god gaue no other cōmaundement But at last the matter came to that poynte that ceremonies be inuented whiche appeare pleasant and full of pompe as when dayes vestures meats be chosen wherin they diffre from the other multitude This moueth the eyes of the rude and turneth them on them selues But in the mean tyme the principall workes and commandementes where as God is commaunded to be loued and thy neighbour to bee holpen is cleane left a side as the example of the phariseys and Scribes is euident in this place Wherfore thys is a notable exaumple where as suche notable learned menne were in so great blyndnesse that they knewe not whiche was the greatest or smallest precepte And yet if a man may say the truthe they were doctours whiche oughte to make declaration to the people howe God was to be worshypped truely As oure religious menne bee also If a man shoulde demaunde of them as touchynge good woorkes and what is to be doone they woulde not putte foorthe the tenne commaundementes but aunswere that he must become a religious man and bye Masses go on pilgrimage faste c. But this is nothyng els then to withdraw men frō the true cōmandements vnto trifles And such reward haue they at length for theyr errors that folow mans doctrine and sett foorth suche workes as touchyng the whych God gaue no commaundement By suche are menne deceaued so that they haue no more respecte to the tenne commaundementes but doo let them wholly passe For yf it were not for that it would not haue ben harde for them to answere that that is the greatest precepte that God commanded But the phariseys Scribes priests and monkes knewe not that Wherefore this erroure is to bee auoyded and your owne foolyshe deuotion is alwaies to be eschued ▪ But contrarily the Catechisme and Christian discipline is not lightly to be regarded yf that menne woulde be instructed to know what is theyr duetie to doo For here we doo learne that GOD is to bee loued and that we muste haue no other Gods that is we oughte to preferre nothyng before the loue of God but rather to lette all thyngs passe and to suffer all thynges for his