from euyll reportes but we must also take heede that we gyue no occasion to other so to do that is to say we must nether mainteyne reioyce nor comforte theim that speake euyl of their neyghbours but bothe with oure countenance wordes and dedes we must shew vnto theym that we do not lyke suche communicacion and so to stoppe the mouthes of suche bacbyâ—ers Now to make a briefe rehersal of suche thinges as haue ben spoken heretofore you shall vnderstande good chyldren that by this eyght commaundemente are forbyd all lyes fraudes and all coÌ„munication wherby our neyghbours name maye be hurted or by the whiche strife and contention may be prouoked or continued whether it be in courtes of law or out of courtes Hereby also we be commaunded not to be suspicious nor to expound our neyghbours woordes or deedes to the wourst nor maliciousely to blow abrode theyr fautes or in tellyng of them to make them wourse theÌ„ they be in dede but we oughte alwayes to set our myndes of suche thinges as pertayne to the glorye of God and profit of our neyghboure and in all places to speake well and charitably of euery maÌ„ We must also maynteyne vnitie peace and concorde take all thing to the best beare with oure neyghbours frailtie and hyde hys fautes when we can not amende theÌ„ This is the true meanyng of this precept Wherefore good children wheÌ„ you shalbe demaunded howe vnderstande you the eyghte commaundement you shall aunswer We ought to feare and loue oure Lorde God aboue all thynge and for his sake to absteyne from all liynge backebytyng slaunderyng and yll reportynge by the whiche oure neyghbours good name fame and credit may be impeched or decayed and rather to excuse hydde or gentely to enterprete another mannes faute then malycyously to make the wourste of the same and wyth the loude trumpe of our tongue to blast it abrode to the knowlege of all the towne or place wherein we dwel The nynth sermon ¶ And exposition of the nynthe and tenth commaundement Thou shalte not desire thy neyghbours house wyfe man seruauÌ„t woman seruaunte oxe asse nor anye thynge that is his THe nynthe and tenth commaundementes good children be as it were briefe commentaries and expositions of the other commaundementes that were spoken of before For they declare vnto vs that it is not ynoughe to kepe the former commauÌ„dementes in outwarde woorkes and not to hurte our neighbour neyther in his bodye wyfe goodes fame name or estimation but they declare also that we ought not to couet or desier any thinge that is our neyghbours And they teache vs also y e euell lustes carnal desiers whiche lurke in the secret corners of our hertes are sinnes for y e which we shoulde be for euer damned yf God should rendre vnto vs after iustice and not after his mercye Wherfore good childreÌ„ you shal here learne that euyll lustes and appetites whiche come vnto vs euen frome oure fyrste father Adam be synnes and that no man or woman no not infauntes in theyr mothers wombe do lyue withoute suche lustes and appetites For the whiche cause all men are synners and there is not one man innocent before God according to y e saying of S. Paul All men haue synned haue nede of the glory of god To the which agreeth the Prophet Dauid saying Al men and women haue erred out of the right waye there is none that dothe good no not one For this we feale in oure selues and proue by experience that naturally we be full of yll desiers and lustes For we delyte in thinges that be pleasant to the fleshe and abhorre all thinges that be displeasant to y e same And these appetites desires we maye perceaue to be euen in infantes which lye in their cradel For wheÌ„ suche yong babes do not lye softly or be greued with thirst huÌ„ger or colde they crie vnpatientlye Lykewise when we shewe theÌ„ any pleasant thing to their eyes and sodenly againe take it from them we see them wepe And these be playne and euident tokens that infantes newly borne be giuen to their owne willes and appetites and are synners for asmuche as thei transgresse this commaundement Thou shalt not desire And it is much necessary for you good children to marke dilygently and to beare away this lesson to thentent you maye therby acknowlege your awne synne And let not the sayinges of certen vnlerned persons moue you whiche affirme that infantes and suche as be vndre y e yeres of discretion are pure innoceÌ„t and cleane without sinne For this opinion is not true nor agreable to holye scripture And they that say so deceaue both theÌ„selues and other For infantes are baptised for this purpose y t they by the same maye enioy remission of their synnes And in case they neded not forgyuenes of their offences theÌ„ they had no nede to be Christened But ther be fewe that vnderstandeth this doctrine For mans reason can not attayne to it neither can it compreheÌ„de how infantes should be synners by the reason of lustes desiers called concupiscence in the whiche they be conceiued and borne but they that leane to their naturall witte iudgeth yong babes to be innoceÌ„t and voyde of synne because they committe no outwarde offence or actual synne But we in this case must not iudge after our reason but according to y e worde of God whiche euidently declareth vnto vs that concupiscence is synne For yf we were in dede cleane fawtles and innocente then oure nature woulde not so vehemently seke for those thinges whiche are pleasaunt to oure appetites but woulde be contente with y t which God shoulde sende vnto vs and whatsoeuer thing did please God that also should please vs. Moreouer we shulde not so much desire to auoide suche thinges as be displeasant to the flesh as we should desire to auoyde those thiÌ„ges that be forbydde by gods law Also we shoulde be more willyng to suffre all kynde of afflyctions paynes and miseries yf it were gods will that we should so do then contrary to his wil to hauke and hunte for pleasures to seke to liue idely to hurde vp riches purchase landes or other commodities But now we feale in oure selues that euen from our tendre age and in our cradels also we be cleane coÌ„trary mynded For we begynne to couet and lust for pleasant thynges loÌ„g before we know whether God wyll gyue them vnto vs or no. Also we abhorre and be werye of displeasant thinges longe before we know whether it be gods will that we shoulde be relyued of the same or no. Yea although we knowe gods wil neuer so wel yet we longe and lust for the contrarie And this is surely a great offence For gods will ought to be fulfylled and not ours as we desier in the Lordes prayer And to knowe this thing good chyldren is a point of high wisedom to the which euery man doth not attain For thapostle Paule doeth confesse that he
not make to the any grauen ymage or lykenes of any creature thou shalt not kneele nor bow thy selfe downe to it For what can be more contrarie to the dignitie of man then he whom God hathe made Lorde ouer all creatures to kneele or to doe reuerence to the image of a creature God hath so fashioned man that he hath gyuen him a bodye standynge streighte vp and a countenaunce to loke vpwarde into heauen And why then shoulde he bow himself downward to the earth or to creatures made of earthe whych be rather to be troden vnder his fete then to be worshipped of him There is nothynge more againste reason then that he whiche hathe lyfe sense and reason should worshyppe that thinge which can neyther see feele moue heare nor vnderstande Wherefore God saieth plainly thou shalt not worshyppe ymages that is to saye thou shalte not gylte them and set them in costlye tabernacles and decke theim with coates or shertes thou shalte not sense them make vowes or pilgremages to them sette candelles before them and offer vnto them thou shalt not kysse their feete and bowe downe vnto them For God sayeth I am a ielouse God and will not gyue my honour to any creature but wyll greuouslye punyshe them that breake this my commaundemente Yea I wyll punyshe their children and posteritie vnto the thirde and fourthe generation And this indignation of god agaynst ydolaters hath at sundrye tymes be shewed by greuouse punishementes for our examples For Salomons idolatrie y e kingdomes of Israell and Iuda were deuyded and thereof dyd ensue a continuall dyscorde betwene these two kyngdomes And for ydolatrye God commaunded Moses to hange the capitaines of the people and of the people were slayne xxiiii thousande And the bokes of the Iudges Kynges and the Prophetes be ful of like histories howe almyghtye God for ydolatrie was offended with the Israelites and gaue theim into the handes of their enemies and into the subiection and bondage of all nations about them which did persecute kyl them And when they in their afflictions cried vnto y e lorde he refused them saying Go and crie to the gods whiche you haue chosen they wyll saue you in the time of youre necessitie What greater punyshemente can there be then this to be cast awaye from God when we haue mooste neede of his helpe and comforte And in Deuteronomie almyghtye God commaunded by his prophet Moses saying Cursed be he that shall make a grauen or molten ymage abhominable before y e Lorde the worke of an artificers hande and shall set it in a secrete place And all the people shall answere and say Amen Here you see how he is accursed of god that setteth but one ymage in a secret corner of his owne house to wourshippe it But muche more daunger it is to set vp ymages in the tēple of God which is y e open cōmen place to honore the only lyuing god But peraduenture some will saye that we are forbydden to worship ymages but not to haue ymages To this I answer First as touchynge the ymage of God that whan God spake vnto the children of Israell in the mount of Oreb they heard a voice but they saw no maner of ymage or lykenes of any creature And the cause was this Lest if he had appeared in the similitude of a mā or womā or of any beast vpon earthe or of any birde in the ayer or fishe in the water or of any other creature the ignoraunt people would paraduenture haue made an ymage like therto and haue worshipped it Therfore they did se no maner of ymage because they shoulde make no ymage of God Least that yf they had made any ymage of god they would also haue worshipped it And forasmuche as God is a goste not onely inuisible but also incōprehensible therfore he cā neither be made w t handes nor cōpassed by wit nether is it possible y t any thing made by mannes hande shoulde represent God vnto vs as his ymage so far those two be vnlyke God and an ymage made by man For God is a goste without ende without measure withoute mixture without corruption and most perfecte But an ymage is a body hathe an ende maye be compassed and measured it is myxed corruptible and vnparfit God is lyfe in him selfe of whom al thinges haue lyfe but ymages can nether heare see nor moue nor haue neither reason vnderstanding nor lyfe Therefore sayeth God hym selfe by his prophet Esaie that no similitude nor ymage can be made of him God shewed himselfe vnto the people in the mount of Oreb but in a clowde smoke and fyer declaring thereby that no man can come to the parfite knowledge of God as he is in him selfe The Propiciatorie also whereby God was signified was hidde and not sene aswel for that it stode in sancta sanctorum where the people neuer came as also for because the Cherubynes couered it with their wynges But in case any paynter or caruer were so connyng that he cold make an ymage which shuld perfytly represent vnto vs God which is impossible yet he ought to make no suche ymage And if it wer made it ought to be destroied because god hathe forbyd anye ymage to be made of hym For as it is forbydde to haue any straunge goddes so it is also forbide to haue any ymage of y e true lyuing God And yf any wil say that it is forbyde to make an ymage of God to thintent to wourshippe it but I doo not worshippe it nor haue it for that intent but onely that it may stere me to the remembraunce knowlege of God To this I aunswer that God did forbide the making of his ymage least this parrell shoulde followe that thou shouldest worshippe it Therefore thou doest offende although thou doest not worshippe it and that not only because thou doest againste goddes worde and commaundement but also because thou putteste thy selfe wilfully in very great peril and daūger specially seyng that of our corrupte nature wee be moost highly enclyned to Idolatry superstition as experience from tyme to tyme hathe taught vs euen from the begynnyng of the worlde And here appeareth y e abuse of our tyme which folowing rather the phantasye of caruers or paynters than y e worde of God haue set vp in churches the ymage as thei cal it of y e Trinitie where they portured God y e father lyke an olde man with a long hore berd And what can symple people learne herby but errore and ignorāce Haue not mani thought that God the father is a bodyly substaunce that he hath a face and berd hādes and fete because they see him so painted And for this consideracion saith sainte Austen it is a detestable thing for Christen men to haue any suche ymage of God in the church whereby it appeareth that in sainct Austens tymes ther wer no suche ymages in christen churches but that it is an inuention of y e papistes
in heauen All these are the wordes of Christ. And yf perchaunce we haue donne any manne wronge or prouoked oure neyghboure to angre then with great diligence we ought to laboure that in al hast and spede we maye be reconciled For Christ saieth Yf thou offrest thy gyft at the aulter there remembrest that thy brother hath any thīg against the leaue there thyne offering before the aulter go thy waye first be reconciled to thy brother then come offre thy gyft Oblations and sacrifices wer in tholde testament a very commendable and an highe kynde of worshipping god For asmuche as he hymselfe dyd appointe and commaunde them And yet Christ here teacheth that God is better honoured with kepyng his commaūdementes than with our offeringes And to be reconsiled to our neighbour is a sacrifice more acceptable vnto him then to offer oblacions Furthermore the keping of these commaūdementes helpeth muche to mayntayne the tranquillite peace and quietnes of the commē wealth For Christe sayeth Agree wyth thyne aduersarie quickely whiles thou arte in the waye with him y t is to saye we must refrayne our selfe from discorde variance hatred contencion and asmuche as lyeth in vs seke peace concord and quietnes ▪ lest we be caste into prisō from whence we shall not be deliuered except we pay y e vtmost farthynge And in these ciuile and worldlye courtes althoughe oure cause be good and rightfull yet is it possible that iudgemente be gyuē against vs. And in case that at the length we haue sentence on our side yet the sute therof shal be so chargeable vnto vs y t we shal for the moste parte spende more mony in waginge of the law than we shall gayne by the sentence Wherfore ther is nothyng better or more profitable then to seke for concorde and peace as muche as is possible And as it is our parte to lyue in peace with all men so it is our dutie also to make them at one which be at variaunce For Christ saieth Blessed be the peace makers for they shal be called the children of God Wherfore good children printe wel in your remēbraunce that God hath commaūded Thou shalt not kyll and that we can not offer a more acceptable sacrifice to God then to kepe his cōmaundemētes Make your selfes strong therfore patiently to suffre all thynges reuenge not your selues but leaue al punyshement to God and he wyll reuenge your quarrelles Be not inflamed wyth angre hatred or enuye against your neighbor do no wrōg to hym beare with his weakenesse and forbeare hym hurte hym not but rather defēde him from hurt sow and norishe vnitie peace and frendshyp betwene all men make agrementes loue daies betwene them that be fallen at discorde auoyde all occasyons of angre or displeasure as braggynge boastyng reuilynge tawntynge scornynge dicynge bankettyng riote and suche lyke offences And contrariwise loue your neighbour do good to all men as farre as youre abilitie wil serue you speake well of euery bodye and laboure with all youre power to saue the lyfe of youre neyghbour For this is the dutie of all godlye menne to preserue and defende their neyghbour frendely to admonyshe him of his faultes to instruct him and to comforte him For we be bound to healpe oure neyghboure in hys necessitie to lende hym money to gyue to him when he asketh to refreshe his hunger with meate and drynke to clothe his nakednes to receaue into oure house the harbourles to comforte hym when he is sicke For all these offices and effectes of trew humanitie loue and charitie God commaunded when he said Thou shalt not kil And this is the trew meanyng of the fifth precepte Wherfore good children marke it well and when you be asked howe vnderstande you the fifthe commaundemente you shall aunswere we oughte to loue and dreade oure Lorde God aboue all thinges so that for hys sake we hurt not our neighboure nether in his name goodes cattel life or body but that we aide comforte and succoure hym in all hys necessities troubles and afflyctions ¶ The syxte sermon ¶ An exposition of the syxte commaundement ¶ Thou shalte not committe adultery IN y e last sermon ye were taught how we should behaue ourselfes towarde oure neyghboure that we kyll hym not neyther in wil word nor dede neyther hurte hym in hys goodes or bodye Now a man yf he be a man in dede and no monster next after his owne bodye doeth moost dearely loue hys wyfe wherefore nexte foloweth the syxte commaūdement Thou shalt not committe adulterye the whiche teacheth vs howe we shoulde order our selues towardes oure wyfes that we shoulde loue theym not forsake theym or breake the promyse of wedlocke with theim but louingly kepe theym companye Also that we should not luste after an other mans wyfe neyther wyth faire wordes or gyftes intyse her away from her husbande but laboure with all diligence that wemen both maried and vnmaryed maye kepe their chastitie vndefyled For God himself did institute and ordeine mariage did halow it with his awne blessyng Wherfore we maye be sure that this state of lyfe pleaseth god and that it is his wyll to haue it kept with out pollucion or dishonestie For god after that he had made Adā he sayde thus It is not good that Adam shoulde be alone lette vs make for him an helpe And when Adam was a sleape y e lorde toke one of his ribbes and made a woman of the Rybbe whiche he had taken from Adam And he brought her to Adam and Adam sayd This is now bone of my bones fleshe of my fleshe For thys cause a mā shall leaue hys father and mother shall be ioyned with his wife they shall be twayne in one fleshe And the Lorde God blessed theym sayeng Growe and increace and replenishe the earth tyll it By this you maye learne good children that God hymselfe dyd institute mariage wyth hys owne worde Wherefore there is no doubte but that thys kinde of lyfe is holy and doeth hyghlye please God As thapostell Paule writeth to y e Hebrues Wedlocke is honourable the bed therin is vnspotted but adulterers and fornicatours god doth cōdemne Furthermore god saith Grow increase Here he declareth y t the fruyt of wedlocke that is to say children are y e gifte of God For yf he had not commaunded thys thing by his worde then maried folkes could haue had no childrē Wherefore ye shall by these wordes chefely learne that there is a great difference betwene wedlocke and the vnlawfull cōpanye betwixt man and woman For in mariage the acte of generatyon betwene the husbande and y e wife is no synne for God hath ordayned it it pleaseth him but fornication adulterye be sin which God hath forbid and thei highly displease him To maried folkes he hathe sayed Growe increase and fill the earth but to horemōgers harlots he hath not sayed so but hath cōdēned thē Childrē begotten in
that it wer for my welthe to haue it he woulde haue sente it to me aswell as to my neyghboure For surely good chyldren these rauenynge woulfes that be euer thryftynge after other mennes goodes lacke the benediction of God and therefore they can not long prosper no not in this world For other they bryng nothyng to passe wyth all theyr gapyng glenyng and carefulnesse or yf they obteyne theyr purpose yet verely all thynges accompte theyr losse is greater then theyr gaynes For in this worlde they lese y e fauoure both of God and man they lese their good name fame ar called of euery man extorcioners brybers pollers piellers deuourers of widowes houses oppressers of fatherles and motherles children And what a gaynyng is it I praye you by purchasynge of a lytle lande herein this lyfe to purchase therwithal euerlastynge damnacion in hel What profyteth it a man sayeth Christ yf he wynne all the worlde and lese hys awne soulle what dyd Dauid wynne when he lusted after the wyfe of Urie had his pleasure of her did not God therfore so punyshe him that he hymselfe lost all his awne wifes For his sonne Absolon in the sight of al the people entred vnto his fathers wyfe and defloured them all in his fathers owne house and after dyd purswe his father Dauid euē vnto death What did it profit Achab that he slewe Naboth toke possession of his vyneyarde Ueryly God did punyshe him therfore in such sorte that he caused him to be slayne in the next battayle that he went vnto and toke the kyngdom from al his succession destroyed all hys lynage and lefte not one man alyue and beside all this the dogges licked Achabes bloude in the same place wher he caused Naboth to be slayne What gayned Iudas when he solde oure Lorde Iesus Christ for thirtie peaces of syluer verilye he was punyshed of God therefore and was so tormented with the horrible feare of cōscience that he ran to the halter for succour and hanged himselfe Wherwith as he ended y e miseries of this life so he began the paines of the other lyfe Lykewyse God euen nowe a dayes doth punyshe these glyerynge keytes that seke their pray in euery place for commonly either they be deceaued of theyr expectacion for all their gapyng and pryenge or yf they obteyne their praye they purchase to themselfes therwith great mysfortune and euel endes Wherefore good children let this commaundement deapely synke into youre hartes and considre wel that it is no mā nor creature but God himselfe y t saith vnto you Thou shalt not desier thy neyghbours wyfe his man seruant woman seruant oxe asse or any other thing that is hys For to desier these thinges is a very heynous synne God will not suffre it to escape vnpunished And althoughe men now a dayes take it but for a trifle whan a man hath a true and diligent seruant to entice him awaye by all craftes and meanes yet surely God wyl punishe the same sharpely For as they entice their neyghbours seruaūts from theim so god suffreth other men to alure their seruantes awaye lykewise And moreouer this inconuenience cōmeth herby that whē seruantes perceaue men to sue for thē they waxe so hawte and stubburne that they wyll be contēt with no meane wages and be so proude that they regarde not their maysters nor stande in awe of theim but whan so euer theyr olde maysters do displease theim by and by they wil seke for a newe And when they be not contēt with their olde wages they desiermore And this cōplaint of seruantes is now a dayes al most in euery mās mouthe and yet it is not redressed because it is the iust punyshment of God wherewith he scourgeth theim that allure their neyghbors seruantes from thē And God doth not punyshe onely suche as entice other mennes seruātes from them but also all those that go about to gette anye other parte of their neyghbours goodes or cattel For yf thou take thy neyghbors house ouer his hed or put him out of his house by any crafty conueyance then manye tymes God taketh vēgeance with syckenes or losse of thy goodes Yf thou conuey awaye his cattell commonly they prosper not but dye of some kynd of moirrein And whatsoeuer thinge we thus purchase and possesse cōtrarie to godds commaundement it lacketh the blessynge of God wherfore it can not long endure or prosper Therfore I pray you good childē frame your affections and lyues accordyng to this rule Be content that euery man may enioy and kepe to hymselfe that thing which God hath giuen him When gods pleasure shall so be he wyll also sende to you that whiche you desier And he is able so to gyue it you that your neighboure therby shal suffre no losse or damage Couet not youre neyghbours wife house seruaunt or any thynge that is his except it be by his wil and consent And yf it shal chaunce any of you to be couenant seruaunts with any man then let no craftye or malicious felowes persuade you to forsake youre maysters but do them faythfull seruice as youre dutie is And trust not suche flateryng or slaunderous tongues as go aboute to entice you frō your maysters For suche men are the dyuels messengers which entende nothing elles but to allure you to synne and to brynge you into miserie And beleue this good children as a moost sure article of your faith that our God is the true lorde of all thing he is the gouerner and maister of all the worlde and all is but his owne householde He first made vs and from tyme to tyme doth daylye nouryshe vs. He doth set all thinges in ordre in his familie he it is that doth cal euery man to that office state ordre degre and kynde of lyuyng in the whiche it pleaseth hym to set theim He wyll gyue to euery man y e thing which he hath nede of so that we with all our hartes obey him Wherefore ther is no cause whythou shuldest couet thy neighbors goods or by any subtyl conueyance get them into thy handes For this thinge wanteth the blessyng of God yea it deserueth his curse maledycciō For scripture saith Cursed is he that doth not abide in all thinges that be written in the lawe And nowe ye haue hearde good chylderne a plaine brief and true exposition of the tenth commaundement the whiche although it be last in number yet I pray you let it not haue the last place in youre memorye but one of the first and chefest seates of thesame That as sone as you be demaunded thys questiō how vnderstande you the tenth commaundement you may be prompte and redie to answere we ought to feare loue our Lord God aboue al thinges and for his sake willyngly to absteyne frō our neighbours wife familie goodes cattel to helpe hym as muche as lyeth in vs that he may kepe and possesse the same ¶ The ende of the