for any earthly thynge in the worlde Secondly deare frendes ye shall vnderstande that god renewed his sayd ordinauÌ„ce of matrimony and sanctifyed it wyth hys holy worde immediatly after Noes floude At which tyme being al y â— people of the world destroyed with the said floude except Noe his childreÌ„ and their wifes god callyng them out of the arke said vnto them Crescite multiplicamini et replete terram that is th say Encrease be ye multiplied and fulfyll you the earth agayne And albeit this law and coÌ„maundement of matrimonie giuen agayne to Noe and to his chyldren was a sufficient instruction vnto them and to all their ofspring how to vse it in all clennes and puritie yet god ê‘ceiuing mans naturall inclination to synne and malice dyd afterwarde further stablish and declare the same by hys other lawes written more at large shewyng the degrees of coÌ„sanguinitie and of affinitie which nature abhorred to marie in as appeareth in the boke of Leuiticus the. xviij xx chapters Which lawes of prohibition al we christen men and womeÌ„ be vonden to obserue and kepe For who so euer marieth wythin the degrees there expressed and prohibited of God in the said boke be cursed by Gods mouth and their mariage is of no force ne strength neither afore God ne man but detestable abhominable deuelishe and damnable And on the contrary syde all mariages made betwene kynsfolke or alyes that be not wythin the degrees whiche be in that boke forbydden of God though the bishoppe of Rome hath neuer so moch forbiddeÌ„ them be without any dispeÌ„sation of man good holy godly and approued not only of God but also authorized by acte of parlimeÌ„t made in the .xxxij. yeare of the reigne of oure mooste drad Soueraigne lorde the kyng that now is Henry the eight Thyrdly ye shall vnderstand that this coniunction betwene maÌ„ and wife in matrimonie was ordeined that therby also myghte be represented vnto vs not only the perfecte indissoluble vnion of the nature of God with the nature of man whiche was fulfylled when the second person in trinâ—tie toke vpoÌ„ him the fourme and substaÌ„ce of oure nature but also the lyke coÌ„iunction in perfecte loue betwene Christ and his churche as the holy apostle Paule witnesseth in his epistle to the Ephesians where goyng about to proue that al womeÌ„ which be maried ought to loue and to be subiecte vnto their husbandes in all thynges euen as the churche is subiecte to Christ likewise that al husbaÌ„des be bound to loue their wiues euen as Christ loueth the church hys spouse he brin geth in the first ordinance of matrimonie as it was ordeyned by god in paradice and the wordes before rehersed wheruppon he inferreth sayth that thys coÌ„â—unction of man and woman in mariage wherby they are knitte and made one flesh and one bodye is the sacrament that is to saye the figure the significatioÌ„ the mysterye or the prophecieng before of that great and meruelouse coÌ„iunction which is betwene Christ and his churche For like as by the vertue of thys first ordinaunce of matrimonye the man and wife be made as one body wherof the maÌ„ is the hed euen so the excedinge loue of Christe towardes hys spouse the church knytteth and maketh Christe and hys church to be but one bodie wherof Christ is the hedde And lyke as the woman was fourmed of the rybbe of man so of Christe sprang forth the churche whiche is purified by water and bloude The rybbe is the harder part of the body the husbande is the strength of the wife euen so is Christ the strength of the churche Out of the rybbe and myddes of the bodye was the wife brought forth and eueÌ„ so Christ toke fleshe of our substaunce borne of the vndefiled virgine made like vnto vs in al thynges synne only excepted Wherfore we be called the membres of one bodie of hys flesh of hys bones meÌ„bres I say not accordyng to the nature of the euerlasting diuinitie but accordinge to that he vouchsaued to take mans nature vpon hym Howbeit thys coniuncton may not be takeÌ„ carnally but spiritually For albeit Christe toke our real fleshe yet we be hys spirituall membres For we be one bodie bicause we be partakers of one spirite And forasmuche as there is so great a coÌ„iunction betwene Christ and his churche we ought for his sake to leaue the dearest thingê we haue if they wold plucke vs awey froÌ„ Christ whose spouse we be For we muste cleaue to hym without seueraunce syth we be one bodye one fleshe wyth him And verely this is a greate sacrament mysterie and secrecie which if it be rightly poÌ„dered plucketh vp our mindes into moost highe and heauenly ioyes Hitherunto we haue brefely spokeÌ„ of the first ordinauÌ„ce of mariage now let vs come to the declaration of this present Gospell The pharisees which amoÌ„ngê y â— Iues were takeÌ„ for meÌ„ of great holynes and therfore ought best to haue magnified Christ and his doctrine were euer moost busye agaynst him inueÌ„ting al they could to trippe hym in his wordes that they myght haue some pretence to accuse hym put him downe For they had no litle enuie at him ê‘tly bicause he shadowed their estimation ê‘tly bicause he disclosed their hypocrisie They cam therfore on a time and craftely did set vpon him taking occasioÌ„ of the wordes he had spoken coÌ„cerning that a maÌ„ ought not to put awey his wife They propounde a suttil sophisme whether it were lawfull for euery cause for a man to put awey his wife For if he shulde answere it were lawful he shuld seme to be agaynst himselfe where he tawght dyuorses not be lawfull If he shulde denye it he shuld seme to be against Moses law which suffreth a man for any maner cause to gyue her a libel of diuorcement and to let her goe But Iesus so tempereth hys answere that neyther he diminisheth the authoritie of Moses neither recaÌ„teth his owne teachinge wyth the authoritie of the law he stoppeth the pharisees mouthes whyche were lawyers Haue ye not redde sayth Chryste that when God created the worlde he formed the man and women that by there coÌ„ioynyng mankynd shuld be coÌ„tynued And forthwith expressing the vnpartable couple of them added For thys loues sake shal man leaue father mother and stycke to hys wyfe And thys knotte is so straight y e of two be but one person So y e it is as moch agaynst nature that the one shuld be plucked froÌ„ the other as it is for one part of y e body to be seuered froÌ„ an othher Wherfor y e God hath thus coupled let not maÌ„ seuer Meaning herby y e it is both a gainst nature also y e law a maÌ„ to cast vp hys wife Here the pharisees thinking that they had now gotten a good quarell against oure sauiour Christ Iesus to snach him vp said
vnto him If it be thus as thou sayst that god wold haue wedlocke so inuiolabely kept why then dyd Moises make it lawfull to the husbande for any maner cause to put from him his wife so that he giue her a libel of diuorcement as who shuld say how durst Moses be so bold to licence that thing which god wold not haue done To this obiection our sauiour aunswered Moses dyd not permitte ne licence this thing vnto you bicause the thing of the owne nature was honest and rightfulle but forasmoch as he knew the stubbornenes hardnes of your hartes therfore he graunted vnto you the lesser lyghter inconuenience that ye shuld not committe the greuouser offence For assuredly Moses did not allow al kindê of diuorces in that he had leuer y â— the same were suffred or rather winked at then murder shuld ensue be coÌ„mitted Neither did the libel of diuorcement amoÌ„ges the croked Iues whyche Moses theire lawmaker inacted that it shuld be giuen to the womaÌ„ make the diuorce good and lawful but rather that same libel was a witnes and testimonie of the hard harte of the Iues which for euery light cause and triâ—le wold put away their wiues for this cause the law of moses gaue commaundement that such stubburne hard husbandê whyche wolde nedes for such light occasions put awey their wyues or els do worse committe further inconuenience to gyue them the sayde libelle of diuorcement for a certayne recorde witnesse that she is nowe free from his yoke and at her libertie But at the begynnyng sayth Christ to these pharisees when as yet the malice of mâ— was not growen into such an excesse nor as yet maÌ„s nature was not infected with so many vices for the hatred was not so feruent that either poysoning or murdering was feared there was no such licence of diuorces Wherfore neither now is the same licence to be suffred amonges christen men after that the doctrine of the gospell hath brought agayn the christen man to his former state and perfection of nature by regeneration or new byrth And no doubt my freendes Moses amonges the Iues wished in his hart the same perfecte loue and fast knot in wedlocke to be obserued and kept that our sauiour Christ hath tawght vs but as I haue declared the corrupt nawghty maners of the Iues whyche for euery lyght grefe were ready to coÌ„mitte murder and all mischief feared him that he durst not requyre that of them So that our sauiour Christ did not abrogate the auncient lawe of Moses but he made it more clere perfect declaring vnto the froward Iues that it was vnlawful both for them for al other and againste the minde of god and the wille of Moses their lawmaker that they shuld for euery lyght occasion put away their wiues whom they ought to loue to imbrace as their own bodies and their owne flesh For a thing that a man doth is not forthwith lawful for him to do bicause he is not punished in this worlde for the same For there be many thynges abominable and stinkyng afore the face of god which be not punished by mans lawes Hitherto haue we intreated the gospell of this day Now we woll sum what towche the officies aswell of the wife towardes her husband as of the husband towardes his wife and so make an end Ye wifes sayth saint Paule be ye subiect to your owne propre husbandes as vnto the Lorde For the man is hed of the wyfe euen as Christ is the hed of the churche and it is he whiche giueth helth to the body Wherfor like as the church is subiecte to Christe so let the wifes be subiecte to their husbandes in al thinges Likewise saint Peter in his first epistle coÌ„maundeth christen wiues to be in subiectioÌ„ to their husbandê to thintent that euen they which obey not gods worde maye without the worde be wonne by the conuersation of the wyues when they behold their chaste conuersation ioyned with reuerence Whose outward apparell he wolde not shuld be gorgeouse nor moch glysteringe to the eye but rather he wold haue them inwardly garnished in the hart being there ful of al cleÌ„nes w tout corruption in such sort as they may haue a gentle quyet spirite which spirite he sayth in gods eye is a thing most gorgeouse sumptuouse For after this maner in olde tyme sayeth this holy Apostle saynte Peter did the holy women which trusted in god attyre themselues and were obedient to their husbaÌ„dê euen as Sara obeyed Abraham her husbaÌ„d calling him lorde whose daughters al ye be as longe as ye do wel Saint Paule also sayth that the woman is the glory of the man For the â—naÌ„ cam not of the woman but the woman of the man Neyther was the man created for the womans sake but the woman for the mans sake WomeÌ„ therfore ought to imploy their diligence vpon the vertuouse bringinge vp of their children to loke wel to their housholde Yea they shal be sayth saynt Paule saued by bearing of children bringing them vp in feith loue of god in holines For this is their office thys is their fuÌ„ction calling wherin they ought to pleaee god to atteine euerlasting blesse They ought to be no taÌ„glers no disputers no teachers in coÌ„mon assembles but herers but lerners kepers of silence w t al subiection These be the officies duties of christen wiues The office of the husband as Paul saith is to loue his wife euen as Christ loued the church He is bounden to loue her as his owne body He that loueth sayth he his wife loueth himselfe For noman euer yet hated hys owne fleshe but nowrisheth and cherisâ—â—eth it euen as the lorde doth the churche He must dwel saith saint Peter w t his wife according to knowlege giuing honoure vnto her as vnto the weker vessel as vnto her which is heire also of the grace of lyfe He may not be bytter to hys wyfe but gentle courteouse and louing Yea finally he must so inâ—iâ—rly loue her y t god coÌ„maundeth him to leaue al other his affectioÌ„s yea euen his owne father and mother and cleaue to hys wyfe But let man and wife take hede that god couple them togither not the deuil Let them be coupled for procreatioÌ„ of children for auoyding of fornicatioÌ„ in al teÌ„perancie holines godly shamefastnes Let theÌ„ not ioyne either for ryches for bewtye for great aliauÌ„ce or which is more fylthy only for the lust of the body lest they be greuousâ—ly punyshed for their intemperauncie as it chauÌ„â—ed to y â— seuen husbaÌ„dê of Sara before she maried w t Thobie the yonger to innumerable other Wherfore my deare frendes let euery man and woman take hede they ioyne in holy wedlocke by gods coupling with al humble reuereÌ„ce and godly feare So doinge they
sayeth Câ—rysostom For not only her sonnes had left theyr father but she also dyd leaue her husband to folow Christ. For he w tout her might liue but she without Christ could not be saued oules perchauÌ„ce a man wil say that betwene the time of the calling of these two Apostles the passion of Christ Zebedee her husband dyed so she beinge a lone woman aged folowed the steppê of Christ which is also moch to her praise and coÌ„mendation For feith neuer waxeth olde and deuotion feleth no werines She coÌ„meth therfore to Christ w t her two soÌ„nes They had herd Christe say a litle before that they which wold folow him in the new byrth whaÌ„ he shuld sit in y e seate of his maiestie shuld also sitte vpon xij seates iuging the xij tribes of Israel And that al they which had left house or brethren susters father or mother wife or children or their landes for his name sake shulde receyue an hundred times as moch shulde enioy euerlasting life They therfore being as yet imê‘fect hauinge litle vnderstandinge of the spirituall kingdom but thinking rather that Christes kingdom shulde be a worldly temporal reigne cam w t their mother beseching him that the one of them might sitte on the right hand of him in his kingdom and the other on the left meaning that they might be in some highe authoritie w t him For sith in a worldely kingdome they do seme to be in honour which sit w t the king it was no meruayle though a woman being led w t a womans simplicitie or ignoraunce thought that such thinges ought to be demauÌ„ded and her soÌ„nes also thinkinge yet nothinge highly vpon Christes kingdom ymagined such thinges of theÌ„ that shuld sitte with Christ. Then oure lord the knower of hyd thinges answered not to the wordes of the woman which was made peticioner but to the counsailes of her soÌ„ues which had set her to do this Surely our lord Iesus Christ oftentimes suffred hys disciples both to do speake thinke many thinges vnrightly to thintent that by their ouersight and blame he might finde occasion to expowne the rule of godlines knowing ful wel that theire errour hurted not so long as he was present with theÌ„ but the doctrine and instruction of the same was profitable both for that time present also for time comming He saith therfore vnto them ye wot not what ye aske as who shuld say I haue called you from the left side vnto the right ye by your counsayle wil ruÌ„ne to the left side againe And happily y â— thing was therfore done by a woman For the deuil gatt him to his wont armours of women that as Adam was spoyled by a woman so he might also separate destroy these by their mother But now destruction coulde not entre by a woman into saintes sithens froÌ„ a woman proceded the saluation of al men The auauncement of honour delited them but first it behoued them to exercise the way of labour And therfore he sayth vnto them Can ye drinke of y â— cuppe that I must drinke of As who shulde say if ye wil deserue the swete ye must also tast of y â— sowre If ye wil haue pleasure w t me in my kingdom ye must take ê‘te of my payne passion The crowne of rightuousnes is giuen not to al but to them that ruÌ„ne in the course and whiche do vse themselfes in such sort that they may obteine the maistrye If then he that proueth maistryes in worldly games kepeth himselfe sobre absteyneth froÌ„ al thinges â–ª to thinteÌ„t to get a crown y e perisheth what ought they be y â— seke for an euerlasting crowne Truly as sayth Chrysostom our Lorde knew â–ª that they coulde folowe his passion but he asketh them this to thintent all we might heare and know that none can reygne wyth Christe onles he folowe hys passioÌ„ For a preciouse thing is not gotten but with a preciouse price We call the passion of the Lorde not only the persecuting of the Hethen but also all violence whyche we suffre stryuyng agaynst synne This passion and crosse we be all bounde to abyde if we wyll be counted to be of Christes flocke Yea and when the glorie of Christ requireth we must also not refuse to suffre corporall deathe for hys sake Thus dyd the hooly Apostle saynte Iames whose memorie we do thys daye celebrate folowe hym for he was beheded of Herode for preaching and executynge of hys maisters commission And therfore it is no doubt of him but according to Christes owne promisse he hath receyued an hundered tymes as moch and doth now enioye the euerlasting life and that he is one of them that the kyngdom of heauen is prepared for Wherfore good people lette vs folowe thys blessed Apostle and as he dyd so let vs leue the loue of all worldly vanities and folow our Sauiour Christe to thintent we maye be heyres of god and ioynt heyres wyth Christe For if we suffre with him saith Paule we shal also be glorified with hym and reygne togither with hym If we dye with him we shal also liue with him and enioy the crown of euerlastinge blysse by him to whom wyth the father and holy ghoste be glorie and prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ On the Natiuitie of our Lady The Gospell Mat. i. THe boke of the generation of Iesu Christe c. Ye shal finde this Gospell and the sermon vpon it before on the conception day of our Lady fol. v. ¶ On saynt Mathews daye The Gospell Math. ix AS Iesus passed by he sawe a man sittynge at the receite of custome Matheu by name and sayeth to him Folowe me And he rose and folowed him And it chauÌ„ced as he satte at meate in the house â—o many publicanes and synners cam satte downe with Iesus and hys disciples The pharisees seyng this sayd to his disciples Why eateth your maister with publicanes and synners When Iesus herde that he said to them The strong haue no nede of a phisician but they that be sicke Go and lerne what this meaneth Mercye wyll I and not sacrifice For I am not come to cal rightuous ê‘sons but sinners The sermon vpon this Gospel THe Gospell red thys daye in the churche good people sheweth vnto vs how the blessed Apostle saynte Matheu was called of oure Sauioure Christe from a customer to be his disciple Apostle and how ready he was at his callyng to folow him whiche readynes of mynde as it is hyghlye for hys prayse and coÌ„mendation so it is also set forth as an exemple for vs to folow Let vs then brefely coÌ„sider the maner of this thynge As our Sauiour Christe passed by the custome house he sawe thys Matheu whiche was otherwise called Leui the sonne of Alpheus sitte there for he was at that tyme one of the custome house whiche
themselfes be good of nature and theire office is to execute gods busynes and to take charge and cure of vs mortall men They defende and protect I say al good folke from the assaultes and violence of the deuyll they nourish concord peace vertues good studies artes sciencies polecie coÌ„mon welthes discipline shortly to speake mans helth and salfgard That these be the properties and offices of good angells appeareth very playnly by innumerable places of hooly writte wheare the good fathers were holpen and be nefited of them as in the olde testament were Abraham Iacob Loth Tobie the children of Israel being in the wildernes the three children whiche were cast into a hote furnaâ—e Eleas Elizeus and many others In the newe testament saynte Peter whiche was led out of prison by an angel also saint Paule whyche was certifyed of the shypwrake and of saluation and diuerse other But lette vs marke how great their power and vertue is One angell in one night strake all the firstbegotten of the countrie of Egipt One angel in one night strake down the hole armie of Sennacherib as appeareth in the fourthe boke of the kinges One angell in a plage of pestilence destroyed thousandes of men as appeareth in the seconde boke of kinges I let pas the visions of the prophetes Esaye Elie Elizeus Ezechiel Daniel and the rest where the Lorde by hys angells dyd speake and teach thinges whiche were to be done taught Also the reuelacions of saynt Ihon setforth in the boke of the Apocalipse Furthermore when so euer almighty god wold set out any singulare thing to mankind he shewed it afore by his angels as for exemple of Sampson of Iohn Baptist yea and of Christ himself to be borne The angels were present at Christes byrth at his death at hys resurrection and at sundry other tymes Ye shal morouer vnderstand that there be angels and also archaÌ„gels that is to saye chiefe or principall angels and they haue distincte officies and seueral functions wherby god almyghty exerciseth hys wonders The Apostell Paul therfore teacheth that there be powers dominatioÌ„s vertues And according to their officies and properties they haue names as saynte Michaell whose memorie the church doth this day celebrate as Gabriel as Raphael whiche for their high kind of ministration be called Archangels For lyke as a king hath vnder him princes dukes capitans lieutenantes coÌ„stables and other officers to defend men from iniuries to kepe the peace to brydell and punishe â–ª â—auenours and euil disposed persons euen so hath god who is king of kinges his angels vnder him of diuerse officies for mans sauegarde and defense against noysom spirites The angels I say of god whether they be sene or not â–ª sene be alweyes ready and assistent to good personnes and be theyr kepers which thing the ladder that Iacob saw reaching vp to heauen by whiche ladder the angels of god ascended descended doth manifestly declare But here peraduenture ye woll aske thys question why angels do not so often nowe appeare as they did in old tyme To this questioÌ„ the apostle maketh answere in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues where he sayeth that the lorde in times paste spake to y â— fathers by his angels but to vs he haue spoken by his only begotten sonne whom the father coÌ„maundeth vs to heare whose coÌ„maundementes and teachinges be set forth vnto vs by the foure Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke Ihon. Howbeit an other cause also why the angels appeare not as often to vs as they did in olde time to the auncient fathers may be very wel forbicause the world is now set all in naughtines men be commonly nothinge so pure so bertuouse nor so deuout as they were in times passed Yet it is manifest playne by Christes own wordes in the gospel of this day that euery good person hath his angel whych beholdeth the face of god the father in heuen Such an angell no doubt had Paule whom he called his angell as appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles Such peculiare angels had the good auncient fathers and finally such angels haue al good men and women at this day appoynted vnto them of almyghty god Wherfore the more fuller and replenished a man be wyth feyth and godly awe the more often also the nerer be the angels to him for accordinge to the coÌ„mon prouerbe lyke delyteth in the lyke And on the contrary side know we for certaine they be offended with fylthynes wyth vnclennes wyth malice wickednes and for thys cause forthwyth they departe from the persons who soeuer they be which be spotted with the same If we be then pure good doubt we not but god hath giuen commaundement to his angels ouer vs that they shuld kepe vs in all oure wayes Herunto also do the auÌ„cient doctours of the church ful wel agree Saynt Hierom writing vpon the gospel of Matheu sayth The worthines surely of soules is great forasmoch as euery one hath his angel appointed vnto him for his keper euen from his byrth The noble clerke Drigen also sayth there is at hand to euery one of vs yea euen to the least of vs al which be in the church of god a good angell the lordes messanger to direct vs to rule vs to monish vs to gouerne vs which seeth daily the face of the heuenly father for the correcting of our doinges and obteyning of mercie for vs. Neither doth saint Gregorie disagre from this which writeth that euery one of vs haue a propre and peculiar angell appoynted to the keping of him and one euil angel to his exercise Also saynt Bernard exhorteth vs to be deuout â–ª louing and kynde to so worthy kepers Hithersito my frendes we haue spoken of the good angels Now wol we intreate sumwhat of the euyll angels to the intent we maye the bettre espye what great coÌ„modities and benefites our lord doth giue vnto vs by his good angels whan on the contrary side we shal behold the incommoditie and mischiefe that commeth of the badde angells For how can a man so well knowe what a good thinge peace is as when it is compared with batel which is the contra ry They be therfore called badde angells bycause they bring to pas nothing that is good they haue sundry names otherwhile in scripture they be called euill spirites Satan Deuiâ—les cacodemones and feendes Satan in the Hebrue betokeneth an aduer sarie bicause he is agaynst god against his worde and against our helth and â—aluatioÌ„ Diabolus that is to say deuil betokeneth a sklaunderer and an accusour forasmoch as he accuseth vs and doth euyil interprete al thinges be they done neuer so wel and godly Cacodemon signifieth a crafty knower and full of suttelcie and deceipt al set on mischief They be also called by a resemblanÌ„ce of properties roring lyons dragons
them for none other cause but for the iustice sake of the Gospell whiche hurteth none and helpeth all For euen thys selfe thynge sturreth vp their hatred for which they oughte to haue shewed their loue neyther for any other cause do they rendre wronge then for the whiche they ought to haue giuen thankes Christe sayeth not blessed be they that suffre persecution of the Hethen people For thoughe a man suffre persecution as the holy Doctour ChrysostoÌ„ sayth of he retikes or of meÌ„ of power whiche seme and be called christians he is blessed w t saint ThoÌ„ Baptist with innumerable other holy martyres For yf it be true that the prophetes be martyrs which were stayne of their owne natioÌ„ w tout doubt he y t for gods cause suffreth any thing though he suffre of his owne nation hath the reward of martyrdoÌ„ And therfore the scripture hath not put the ê‘sons of y â— ê‘secuters but the cause only of the persecution that we shulde not loke who it is that psecuteth but for what cause But ye wol say who can loue such as for pleasures reÌ„ore agayne displeasures hatred and euel turnes It is an harde thinge I graunt but the rewarde is greate And what is the reward not a garlande of flowres or bay leaues not an oxe or a goote but the kyngdom of heuen Unto thys turnament we must prepare our selfes so many as woll be Christes disciples if we desire to wynne the crowne of the EuaÌ„gelicall felicitie Mans crueltie is nothyng y t ought to fraye vs from it Noman can hurte vs yf we cleaue to iustice The persecution of the euill shall not plucke awey oure innocencie but it shall rather increase our blesse Yea in the mydde stormes of the persecution we shal be blessed Let vs call to mynde my frendes the valiant martyrs and holy both meÌ„ women children which haue been before our time the memorie of all whom the church doth this daye solemnize how coÌ„stantly how paciently they suffred al vilanouse wordes al mockes skornes vnworthy punishementes yea and many of them death for the trouthes sake When men cursed them wyth bytter curses when men assawted them wyth all kynde of mischief when men falsely accused them and layd to their charge all the crymes they coulde bycause they were true folowers disciples of Christe they bewayled not theÌ„selfes as vnhappy and miserable but rather they reioysed and triumphed therin forasmuche as the more their enemies and ê‘secutours did rage agaynst them the more dyd their rewarde increase in heuen Their hurte God turned to their good The damage that they suffred of men he turned to their lucre The reproche he turned into euer lastynge and true glorie The crimes and vpbraydynges whych men brought falsly against them he turned into the titles and triumphes of true godlines mens cursinges he turned into prayses and reioysinges not only afore God whom to please they thought it ynough â–ª though they displeased the hole worlde besides forth but also afore men For of wicked and vngodly men to be dispraised for godlines is to be praysed and to be tormented of the haters of god is to be crowned Prayse and glory amoÌ„ges men they sought not for and yet neuertheles it folowed the true vertue of the owne accord Thus the holy prophetes whyche haue bene afore vs thus the blessed martyres the confessours the virgines the deuoute wydowes and brefely to speake all the halowes and godly personagies before oure tyme be rewarded crowned nowe with the crowne of immortalitie Let vs therfore dearly beloued frcendes folow them in liuing that we may also folow them thither where they now be in perpetual ioy with the father sonne and holy gost three persons and one god who be praysed foreuer Amen ¶ On the day of weddyng The Gospell Mat. xix THe pharisees cam to Iesus temptynge him and sayng Is it lawful for man to put awey his wife for all maner of causes He answered and sayde vnto them Haue ye not red that he that made man at the beginning made them man and woman and said for this cause shal man leaue father mother and cleaue to his wyfe they two shal be one fleshe Wherfore they be nomore two but one fleshe Lette not man then put a suÌ„dre that which god hath coupled togither The sermon vpon this Gospel Forasmoch as welbiloued audieÌ„ce in our Sauiour Iesu Christ we be assembled at this present tune for the solemnizatioÌ„ of matrimonie betwen these two persoÌ„s in the face of the churche accordinge to the laudable custome and rites of the same I inteÌ„d with your fauours first ere I expownd this gospel brefely to declare y â— first institutioÌ„ ordinauÌ„ce of matrimonie to thinteÌ„t not only these two ê‘soÌ„s here cou pled togither but also al other which be here gathered togither aswel maried as to be maried maye be admonished instructed of their office dutie herin First therfor ye shal vnderstand that almighty god what time he first made created man in paradice consydering of his botomles wisdom how necessary mete and conuenient it was to couple man and womaÌ„ togither in wedlok both for the comfort aide and helpe of one an other and for the multiplicatioÌ„ and meyntenaunce of mankinde in lawful successioÌ„ and also to thintent that therby generation of issue might after mans fall be continually from tyme to time maynteined vntyll the ende of the world without synne or offêse towardes god did not only euen than at the beginning and in paradice knytte Adam and Eue togyther in matrimonye and dyd ordeyne and blesse the same by his holy worde but also dyd declare and set forth the vertue and strength therof by the mouth of AdaÌ„ for he being inspired as saint Austine and other holy doctours say wyth the holy ghost when he was by almighty god whiche made him knytte and coupled in lawfull mariage wyth Eue his wife spake as a prophet these wordê folow yng Loo now these bones of Eue my wyfe be fourmed of my bones and this her flesh of my flesh She shal be called a woman bycause she is taken forth of the man And for this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and cleaue fast vnto his wyfe and they tweyne shal be one flesh By which wordes it is ment that by the strength and vertue of maryage ryghtly made the man and wyfe whiche before were two bodies be now made one bodye durynge their liues so that herafter the husbande as saynte Paule sayth hath not power ouer his owne bodye to vse it as him lusteth but it is hys wiues neyther hath the wyfe power of her owne bodye but her body is her husbandes body and wyth hym only may she vse the acte of matrimony And therfor they two so knytte conioyned by gods ordenaunce may in no wise â—e deuided for any affection either to father or mother or