to al mē Thus haue you hard fyrste the louynge kyndnes of God to man in that he created hym in so worthye a maner nexte ye haue harde the myschyfe that commeth to mankynd by synne and thirdly what an extreme enemy also the deuyll is vnto vs. In an other homily hereafter ye shal heare of the exceding great mercy of god in deliuering mākind by a meruelous maner out of the estate of this dampnatiō Wherfore to conclude for thys presente tyme this shal be to exhort you that you fayle not daylye and howrelye to geue most harty thankes to almyghty God for that he of his mere goodnes created you created you not without sense as the stones not without reason as the brute beastes but hathe gyuen you all notable qualities and powers that other corporall creatures haue and besydes hathe perticularlye planted in you reason and vnderstāding and sondry goodly qualities of body and soule seuerall to the nature of man only and not commō to man and other erthly creatures This is furthermore also to exhorte you that remembryng what miserye came to mankynde by synne and by such a synne as in some mēs iudgement might seme to be but very smale it is to wytte by eatynge of an appel you wyl be circumspecte in auoiding of al kinde of synne and disobedience be the thinge in hys owne nature neuer so smale a thynge whyche is by God hym selfe or by suche as we owe obedience vnto commaunded Fynallye and laste of al this is to exhorte you to consyder dilygently that we haue a deadly ennemy which is the deuil who desyreth oure destruction and doth moost craftely and busely trauayle by all meanes wyth vs to worke the same of whose mooste subtyll and wilye traynes we muste principally take hede of whiche graunt vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde withoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An homely of the misery of all mankinde and of hys condempnation to euerlastynge deathe by hys owne synne THe holye ghoste in wryting the holy scripture is in nothyng more diligēt then to pull downe mannes vayne glory and pryde which of all vices is moost vniuersallye graffed in mankynde euen from the fyrste infection of our fyrste father Adam And therefore we reade in many places of scripture many notable lessons agaynst this olde rooted vyce to teache vs the moost cōmēdable vertue of humilitie howe to know our selues to remēber what we be of our selues In the booke of Genesis almyghty God geueth vs all a tytle name in oure great graunde father Adam which ought to admonishe vs al to consyder what we be whereof we be from whence we came whyther we shall sayenge thus In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane tuo Gene 3. donec reuertaris in terram de qua sūptus es quia puluis es et in puluerem reuerteris That is to saye In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade vntyll thou retournest into the earth oute of whyche thou waste taken for dust thou art into dust thou shalt retourne Here as it were in a glasse we may learne to know ourselues that we be but grounde earthe and dust and that to grounde earthe and duste we shall returne agayne whyche name and title of earthe and duste appoynted and assigned by God to all mankynde the holye Patriarche Abraham dyd well remember and therefore he calleth hym selfe by that name when he maketh his earnest prayer for Sodome and Gomorre saying in the .xviii. of Genesis Cum sim puluis et cuius Gene. 18 that is to saye seyng I am dust and ashes Iudith 3. and. 9. Iob. 13. Hiere 6. and .25 And we reade that Iudith Hester Iob Hieremye with other holy men and women in the olde testament did vse sacke clothe and did caste duste and asshes vpon theyr heades when they bewayled theyr synnefull lyuynge They called and cryed to God for helpe and mercy with suche a ceremony of sacke clothe duste and asshes that thereby they might declare to the hole world what an humble and lowlye estimation they had of theim selues and howe well they remembred theyr name tytle aforesayde theyr vyle corrupte frayle nature duste earth and asshes The booke of wysedome also willynge to pull downe oure proude stomakes Sapience 7. moueth vs diligently to remember our mortall and earthely generation which we haue al of him that was first made and that all men aswell kynges as subiectes doo come into this worlde and doo goo oute of the same in lyke sorte that is as of oure selues full myserable as we maye daylye see And almyghtye God commaūded his Prophet Esay to make a proclamation Esai 11. and to crye to the hole worlde that all flesshe is grasse and that all the glorye of man is as the flower of the feilde the grasse is wythered and the flower doth fall away for the winde of our Lord bloweth vpon it The people surely is grasse whiche dryeth vp and the flower fadeth away but the woorde of our Lord abydeth for euer Accordynge wherevnto the holye prophet Iob hauynge in hym selfe great experience of miserable and synnefull estate of man dothe open the same to the worlde in these wordes Homo natus de muliere Iob. 14. breui viuens tempore repletur multis miserijs qui quasi flos egreditur et conteritur et fugit velut vmbra et nūque in eodem statu permanet et dignum ducis super huiuscemodi aperire oculos tuos et adducere eum tecum in iudicium quis potest facere mundum de immundo conceptum semine That is to say Man beynge borne of a woman lyuynge a shorte tyme is full of manyfolde miseries he spryngeth vp lyke a flower fadeth againe vanyshynge away as it were a shadow and neuer contineweth in one state And doest thou iudge it mete O Lorde to open thyne eyes vpon suche a one and to brynge hym to iudgement with thee who can make hym cleane that is cōceyued of an vncleane seede In dede all men of theyr euylnes and naturall prones were so vniuersallye gyuen to synne that God as the scripture testifyeth repented that euer he made man And by synne Gene. 5. and. 7. his indignation was so muche prouoked agaynste the worlde that he drowned all the worlde wyth Noes fludde except Noe him selfe and hys lytle householde It is not withoute greate cause that the scripture of God dothe so many times call all menne here in this worlde earthe sayenge O thou earth thou earth thou earthe heare the woorde of oure Lorde Hiere 22. Hiere xxij This oure ryght name vocation and tytle earthe earthe earth pronounced by the prophet sheweth what we be in dede by what soeuer other style tytle or dignitye mē doo call vs. Thus he plainly nameth vs who knoweth best bothe what
instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which are in darkenes an instructour of the folyshe a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourme of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou that prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest sacriledge thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshoner God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is euydente by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such knowledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for his sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god agayne and to haue aboundaunce of grace geuen vnto hym by which grace he should both in his knowledg be the better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For this amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal man was made in all partes like vnto one of vs sinne only excepted and he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a meruelous sort that as in vs the body being of one nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this incomprehensible vnion of the godhed manhed in Christ Iohn 1. S. Ihon speaketh in the fyrst chapiter of his gospell saying Verbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God Was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue .xxxiij. yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holy prophetes whiche were to be fulfylled of hym before his passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefullye procured of the deuil against him to raunsome mankynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that this raunsome shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefull wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcing of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of his syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precious bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs therein to beholde the excedynge great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not his onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge all men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so paynefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seynge he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet his passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaute in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites thereof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wil and consent without the whiche we can not be saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne defaute were fallen into the estate of endles misery and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onely sonne our sauiour Christ Remember that synne and nought els brought vs fyrst oute of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incessantly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyll who being vanquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right fayth of Christ valiantly withstande hym whiche to doo graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honour and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaryng how the redemption in Christ is appliable to vs. ALthough the death and passion of our sauiour christ be in value a sufficient raunsome for the synnes of the whole world yet in effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neyther Turke Iew nor infidell wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passiō of Christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the .xvi. Mar. 16. chapter of S. Marke that Whosoeuer doth not beleue shall be dāpned Agayne euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyl lyuer eternall death beleue he neuer soo wel As S. Paule witnesseth in the .v. chapiter of his Epistle to the Galathians Gala. 3. where he sayth Walke after the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of the fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the fleshe These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye woulde But and yf ye be led of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The dedes of the fleshe are manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry wytchcrafte hatred variaūce contencion wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkennes glotony and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in tyme past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heauē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Christe these two poyntes are requisit of our behalf the one to beleue rightly the other to lyue vpryghtlye whiche two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to knowe except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche whiche catholyke churche our sauioure Christe hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for all men to come and repayre vnto to learne suche truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerlastyng life This catholike church and no other company
Beware of false prophets Math. 7 which come to you in shepes clothing but inwardly they are rauenynge wolues Our sauior calleth them wolues for that they deuoure the soules of so many as giue credite vnto thē he sayeth fardar of them that they come in lambes skins because they pretend the woord of God and therewith bleare the eyes of poore simple men and make them beleue that it is as they saye where in dede whatsoeuer is taught contrary to that that al christendome openly teacheth and from tyme to tyme hath taught is false and cannot possible be true vnlesse we wold say that christ him selfe were not true For he promyseth that hym selfe wil be for euer with the churche and that the holy ghost shal for euer gouerne the same Forasmuch than as there is no other schole on the earth for men to learne theyr duety towardes God and the world but the catholyke churche nor no other doctryne auayleable to eternall lyfe but that whiche the catholyke churche teacheth therefore all christē people are requyred to make a solempne vow at theyr baptisme to beleue the catholyke churche And he that so doeth is in an assured trade of saluation if in his conuersation he folowe the same but contrarywyse he that beleueth it not is in a mooste certayne estate of euerlastynge dampnation Wherefore that you maye knowe what the catholyke churche dothe in all poyntes beleue there shal be hereafter particularly set forth vnto you the seuerall matters requisit to be beleued and practised of all Christen people that no man maye haue iuste cause hereafter to pretende ignoraunce but all men beynge sufficiently instructed maye by folowynge suche doctryne attayne to euerlastynge lyfe whiche sende vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste to whom be all honoure and glorye worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely of Christian loue or Charitye FOrasmuch as the pithe and summe of all thinges which be conteyned eyther in the lawe or in the prophetes doth stād and cōsist in the loue of God and in the loue of oure neyghboure as our sauiour Christ dothe plainely testifye in the .xxii. Chapiter of sainct Mathewe Math. 22. sayenge One of the Pharises beynge a doctoure of the lawe tēpting did aske him and say mayster what is the great cōmaūdemēt in the law Iesus answerynge sayd vnto hym Thou shalte loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy harte wyth al thy soule and wyth all thy hole mynde this is sayeth he the greatest and fyrste commaundement And the seconde is lyke vnto it Thou shalte loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe and of these two commaundementes al the lawe dothe hange and the Prophetes And forasmuche also as we can not loue God well except we doo loue oure neyghboure in a due order ne yet loue oure neyghboure well excepte we doo loue God in that due order that we oughte to doo Sainct Ihon the Euangelist so testifyeng and declarynge Iohn 3. and 4. in the thyrde and fourthe Chapiters of his fyrst canonicall Epistle And finally forasmuche as he that loueth not after this sorte is by the testimonye of the sayde sainct Iohn in the sayde thyrd Chapiter iudged to be in death therefore it is ryghte expediente and necessarye to haue alwayes this loue whiche nowe in oure vulgare tongue and common talke is ofte named by the name of Charitie but very megerly and coldely practised and set fourthe in dede as it shoulde be And of trouthe yf we woulde iudge vpryghtly and well we ought to saye that of all thinges that be good to be taught vnto Christen people there is nothynge more necessarye to be spoken of and daylye called vpon then charitie aswell for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decaye thereof is the ruyne of the worlde the banyshement of vertue and the cause of all vice And forasmuche as almost euery mā maketh frameth to him selfe a charity after his owne appetyte and howe detestable so euer his lyfe be bothe vnto God and man yet he perswadeth with hym selfe styll that he hathe charitye Therefore you shall heare nowe a true and playne descripcion of charitie not of mens ymagination but of the very woordes and example of oure sauioure Iesus Christe In whyche description euerye man as it were in a glasse may consyder hym selfe and see plainely without errour whether he be in the true Charitye or not charitie is to loue God with all oure harte withall our life with al our powers with all our strength With all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynde studie be set to beleue his woorde to truste in hym and to loue hym aboue all other thynges whyche we doo loue best in heauen or in earthe Wyth all oure lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye and delyte be sette vpon hym and his honoure and oure hole lyfe gyuen vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges wyth hym to lyue and wyth hym to dye yea and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or doughter house or lād more then me saieth Christ is not worthy to haue me Wyth all oure powers that is to saye that with our handes and feete wyth our eyes and eares oure mouthes and tongues and wyth all other partes powers bothe of body and of soule we shoulde be gyuen to the kepynge and fulfyllynge of hys commaundementes This is the fyrste and the principal parte of charity but it is not the whole For charitie is also to loue euery man good and euyll frende and fooe And what soeuer cause be gyuen to the contrarye yet neuertheles to beare good will and harte vnto euerye man to vse oure selues wel vnto thē aswel in woordes and countenaūce as in all our outeward actes and dedes For so Christ hym selfe taught and so also he perfourmed in dede And of this loue that we ought to haue amongest oure selues eche to other he instructeth vs thus Mathew v. You haue harde it taught in tymes paste Thou shalte loue thy frende and hate thy fooe but I tell you loue your enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you and doe speake euil of you doo well to them that hate you praye for thē that vexe and persecute you that you may be the children of your father that is in heauen For he maketh the sunne to ryse bothe vpon the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to the iuste and to the vniust For if you loue them that loue you what rewarde shal you haue Doo not the publicans lykewyse And yf you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derely beloued frendes what greate matter is that doo not the heathē the same also These be the very woordes of oure sauioure Christ him selfe touching the loue of our neighbour And forasmuche as the Phariseis wyth theyr moost
why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he veryly thought and beleued that no one beynge broughte vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at anye tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speaketh but of those foresayd three degrees of vncharitablenes for that it is not lykely christen men being traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at anye tyme procede in the violatyng of charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauiour hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise any man may so doo but thereby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For aunswer to thys question it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs all kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els Forasmuch then as in the third of Mathewe Math. 3 S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scrybes and pharisies adders brode and S. Paule calleth the Galathians fooles Gala. 2. and men without vnderstāding in the second chapiter of his epistle wrytten to them Luc 24 yea Chryst himselfe in the .xxiiii. of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and sloo of belefe and the thyng which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must saye that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassours and offenders thereby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that thys kynd of rebuking is laweful and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth no good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wysheth hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharitable mynde doth thou hym or tushe at hym or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him foole idiot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs lette all accustomed rancor and malyce from henceforthe be vtterlye banyshed from emongest vs that we dwellyng in charitie may dwel in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen with hym for euer which graunte vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghost to whome be all honor and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce the inestimable goodnes of almightye God and his inestimable mercye towardes vs nothing deseruing the same yf ther be any spotte of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankefulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fal downe in body and soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his transgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of God you haue a sufficiente and moost euident declaration in these godly and deuoute homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation and redemption of mā Neuerthelesse for your further instruction ghostlye comforte in this behalfe I haue thought good to lette you vnderstande an other hye benefyte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauynge perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenlye benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whiche our deare and dreadfull Sauyour both before and after his paynefull death dyd ordeyne and appoynt to be for euer to vs a moost louynge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyllar of truth in al oure doubtfull daungers Whiche churche forsomuche as it hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that many more is the pytie hath separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue runne a straye beynge ledde and caried with euery waue and wynde of newe lernynge I purpose by Gods grace to open shortely to you what this churche is ☜ what maner of churche it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professynge one fayth of God and one vse of all the holy sacramentes whiche churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauyoure Iesus Christe it is moost derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent names as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum coelorum c. that is to saye The bodye misticall of Christe the spouse of Christe the kyngedome of heauen For S. Paule speakynge of Chryste fayth Ephes 4. That he hath appoynted sundry officers to maintayne the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the body of Christ And kynge Salomon taught by the holy ghost did forsee the dignitie and beutye of this holye churche and sayde in the name of GOD therebye Vna est columba mea perfecta mea That is to saye One is my dooue Cantic 4. and my perfyt one With many other such louyng wordes as my syster my spouse c. And saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue there wyues Ephes 5 euen as Chryst loued the churche Lykewyse in the holy Gospell our sauiour Chryste doth compare the churche to sondry thynges vnder the name of the kyngdome of heauē Math. 20 as vnto a king which made a maryage for his sonne sometymes to tenne Vyrgynes Math. 25 and many such other by al which names and callyngs we may lerne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and dearely beloued to almyghty God who for hys churche sake dyd giue hys onely sonne to most vyle death and for the which also he hath prepared the kyngdome of heauen Nowe forasmuche as we rede of an other churche in the holy scrypture which is called Ecclesia malignantium Psalm 25 The churche of the malingnant noughtye people And yet of late a great number of scismaticall persones being in verye dede members of thys malygnant churche haue vsurped to thē selues the name of the true churche I intende to gyue you sufficient instruction to dyscerne and know the true churche of Chryst from all hereticall and scysmaticall congregations Fyrst this holye and true churche of Chryst is called in our Crede as it is in dede the catholyke churche That is to saye the vniuersal church bycause it is not lurkyng in anye corner or any one country but is in all countryes dyspersed neyther is thys catholyke churche hid from vs or inuisible or vnknowen but we may easely dyscerne and know the same For christ doth call it Ciuitatem supra montem A citie vpon an hyll Math. 5.
Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe also saye Math 23. that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he woulde the people should obey theyr lessons Euen so thoughe some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet oughte no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are sufficiente to declare the holye Churche what it is and howe it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and carye awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the catholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryghte godlye father in Christes Churche He sayth There are thre meanes to trye a churche Vincentius Lirenensis or doctryne the fyrst is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the thyrde is vnitie By the fyrst we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Christ and his apostles and hath contynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true fayth or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vnyuersallye in all countreys hath ben taught beleued By the thirde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or fayth of the church doth alwayes agre and is alwayes one Nowe those three thinges well noted may instruct and teache any Christen man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euer synce the Apostles tyme and in all countreys with one consent in al thinges concernyng our fayth hath shewed her self the worthy spouse of Chryst Contrary wyse false doctryne and heresye euer hath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende lately arise lurke in priuat corners neuer agre with itselfe Which thyngs I myght easelye at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstration But because in the nexte homelie I intende to speake of the aucthoritie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wyll make an ende Roma 12 besechyng all you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble and holy sacryfyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we may be altogether lyuelye membres of oure sauyoure Iesus Chryst and of his catholyke churche here vpon earth and after this lyfe partakers of the ioyfull kyngedome of heauen through the same our Lorde Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye worlde without ende Amen H. Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homely of the aucthoritie of the churche declarynge what commoditie and profit we haue thereby LYkewyse as in the laste homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the churche is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholyke church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beynge members of the same churche Fyrste whan oure sauioure Iesus Christ dyd send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheife and pryncipall pyllers of this catholyke churche he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathewe beareth wytnes Math. 10 sayinge Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they shoulde cast them out and shoulde heale all maner of diseases and infirmities And sondrye tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryste doth speake to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit That is to saye He that heareth you Mathe. 10. heareth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanynge Iohn 13. and wyllynge thereby that all the worlde shoulde know and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholyke church whiche Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holye Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to them Iam non dicam uos seruos sed amicos c That is to say Nowe I wyll no more call you seruauntes Iohn 15 but frendes for al thinges that I haue herde of my father I haue declared to you Iohn 20 And agayne he sayth As my father sente me euen so I sende you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louynge sauiour dyd giue greate aucthoritie to his Apostles But nowe it is expediente and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthorytie doth consyste and that the same aucthorytie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Christe but also to theyr successours in the catholyke churche euer to endure Whiche aucthoritie thoughe it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that hereafter doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power The churche hath the true sence of the scripture and is iudge therof and aucthoritie to the catholike churche to haue the true sense and vnderstandynge of the holye Scripture yea and to approue also or reproue al wryting as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye cal to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the churche that is to wit the holy Ghost as Christe dyd promyse sayinge Ego rogabo patrem et alium paracletum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum ineternum Iohn 14. that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye abyde wyth you for euer And after that our Lord and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also Iohn 20. after hys ascension into heauen accordynge to his merciful promise he did sende downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles Act. ii as saincte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not gyuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manyfest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat vobiscum inaeternum That he should abyde sayeth he wyth you for euer Nowe we are mooste certayne Iohn 14 that the Apostles of Christe dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze sayd to thē Math. 28. Ecce ego vobiscū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consūmationê seculi That is Behold I am with you at al tymes euen to the ende of the worlde Wherefore we maye playnly see that the holy ghoste beynge promised to the Apostles to abyde for euer and to the very ende of the world was promised and giuen to them and to their successours in the churche where he doth and shall abide for euer Now
lyuely faythe oute of whyche wyll sprynge in vs muche holynesse of lyfe and quietnes of conscience and yf at any tyme throughe our frailnes we happen to fall we haue readye to rayse vs vp agayne the holye Sacramentes throughe the comfortable helpe whereof we be made stronge and so daye by daye more able to procede in al kynde of vertue and thus hauynge vpon earthe oure mother the holye churche whiche is the spouse of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God we maye be bolde to call vpon GOD our father and be assured that he wyll heare vs as hys dearebeloued chyldren and gyue vs the inheritaunce of heauen whyche is prepared for vs through our sauiour Iesus Christe To whoÌ„e wyth the father and the holy ghost be honour prayse and glory world without ende Amen H. Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homelye of the Primacy or supreame power of the highest gouernor of the militant Churche AS in euery naturall and polytyke body so in the churche militaÌ„t which is a misticall body superioritie and inferiority must nedes be amoÌ„gest the members thereof or ells it cannot endure And for thys cause speciallye our Sauiour Chryste when he was here conuersaunte on the Earth dyd hymselfe appoynte his Apostles Disciples and there successours to haue the ouersyght cure and high gouernement of his church to the worldes ende And to the intente that no man should contempne theyr aucthoritie he doth saye in the thyrtenth of Saynt Ihon Amen Amen Dico vobis qui accipit si quem misero Iohn 13 me accipit Qui autem me accipit accipit eum qui me misit That is to say Veryly Veryly I saye vnto you who that receyueth him whome I sende receyueth me And he that receiueth me receyueth hym that sent me And in the tenth of Luke he sayth Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit Qui autem me spernit spernit eum qui misit me Luce. 10. That is to saye He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that dispiseth me dispiseth hym that sent me Of the Apostles also and theyr successours and of theyr charge ouer Christes flocke doth Saynt Paule speake in the fourthe chapiter to the Ephesyans saying Ephes 4. Ipse dedit quosdam quidem Apostolos quosdam autem Prophetas alios uero Euangelistas alios autem pastores et doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii in edificationem Corporis Christi donec occurramus omnes in unitatem fidei agnitionis filii dei in uirum perfectum in mensuram etatis plenitudinis Christi ut iam non simus paruuli fluctuantes neque circuferamur omniuento doctrine in nequitia hominum in astutia ad circumuentionem erroris That is to saye He meanyng Chryste hath giuen or appointed some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some pastores and teachers to the perfytynge or consummating of the holyons to doo the worke of the mynistery to edyfye the body of Chryst vntyll we all come together in one vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto the estate of a perfecte man after the measure of the age of the fulnes of Chryst that from henceforth we should not be as babes waueryng neyther should we be caryed aboute with euery blaste of doctryne in the wickednes of men in the wylynes of them who go aboute to deceyue vs This place of Saynt Paule most playnelye setteth before our eyes the authoritie and gouernemeÌ„t which our sauiour hath appoynted to contynue to the ende of the worlde in his churche and howe the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Preachers and teachers are giuen of Chryst to his people to gouerne them And therewith al Saynt Paule in the sayde place sheweth to what ende suche gouernement and authoritie is instituted it is to wytte for the spiritual edifieng of the hole body in the fayth for the defense of the hole bodye from the poyson of heresye And in dede no one thing can so muche suppresse heresye as yf the Authoritie and gouernment Ecclesiasticall be accordingly therevnto estemed obeyed as witnesseth Saynte Ciprian the blessed Martyr in hys fyrst boke and third Epystle saieng Neque aliunde hereses obortae sunt Ciprian Lib. i. epistle â—3 aut nata sunt scismata quam inde quod sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur Nec unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus iudex uice Christi cogitatur cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemperaret fraternitas uniuersa nemo aduersus sacerdotum collegia quicquam moueret That is to saye Neyther other where or by other meanes are heresyes sprong vp and scismes rysen than hereof that obedience is not gyuen to the preist of God Nor one is considered or thought to be in the churche for the tyme the preist and for the time the iudge in Christes stede vntowhich one yf the hole fraternitie dyd according to the heauenly commaundements obeye no man woulde stirre or moue anye thinge against the Colleges or coÌ„panies of preistes Hereby you may perceyue that saynt Cypryans coÌ„clusion or iudgemeÌ„t is that the gouernment Ecclesiasticall and especially of one to be taken and reputed as Christes vicar is the best meane to let and suppresse heresies and that such one gouernor is to be obeyed of all chrysten people which thinge maye be proued very playnely and euidently by the holy scryptures themselues For the scryptures doo witnesse that our sauiour appoynted S. Peter to thys high rowme and charge ouer his hole flocke and no one of the Apostles els In the .xxi. Ioan. 21 of S. Iohn it is wrytten howe our sauiour after his resurrection appearing at the sea of Tiberias to certen of his Apostles amongest whome was Peter dyd fyrste take breade and fyshe and gaue vnto them And when they had refresshed them selues he sayde vnto Peter Simon Ioannis diligis me plus hiis Dicit ei Etiam domine tis scis quia amo te Dicit ei Pasce agnos meos Dicit ei iterum Simon Ioannis diligis me Ait illi Etiam domine tu scis quia amo te Dicit ei Pasce agnos meos Dicit ei tertio Simon Ioannis amas me Contristatus est Petrus quia dixit ei tertio amas me dixit ei Domine tu omnia nosti tu scis quia amo te Dicitei Pasce oues meas That is to saye Symon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me more then these doo He answered vnto him Yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue thee He sayde vnto him Fede my lambes Then he spake to him agayne and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me He aunswered yea Lorde thou knoweste that I loue thee He sayd vnto hym againe Feede my lambes Then spake he vnto him the third tyme and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doest thou loue me Peter was sorie because Christ sayde vnto him now
obteyne the euerlastyng lyfe whyche sende vnto you all the father the sonne and the holy Ghost to whome be al honor and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London ¶ An homely declarynge that in the blessed Sacrament of the aultare is the very body and bloude of oure Sauioure Christe AFter that men are once graft in Christ and be made partakers of his death passion amonge other theyr dueties one of the cheife is diligētly to prepare them selues to the worthy receauynge of the blessed Sacrament of the aultare wherevnto are two thynges on our partes requisit as sayeth saynt Basell Basill in his rules good reason confirmeth the one feare the other fayth The feare whiche men must haue when they prepare them selues to come to this sacrament ought to be grounded vpon that terrible sayinge of saynt Paule in the .xi. chapter of his fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians where he sayth 1. Cor. 11. that whosoeuer doth participate therof vnworthely doth eate and drinke his owne dampnation The fayth whiche we must haue in oure hartes when we come to Gods borde is to be buylded lykewise vpon the vndoubted aucthorities of scripture whiche declare moost playnly vnto vs what meate it is that we there eate For the parfyt vnderstandyng wherof let vs consider that our sauiour Christe beynge here on earth dyd fyrst make a solempne promyse of a meate whiche hym selfe woulde geue vnto vs and afterwarde in dede he dyd geue the same accordynge to his promyse In the promyse makynge he sayde as it is wrytten in the .vi. chapter of S. Iohns Gospel The breade Iohn 6. or foode that I wyll geue vnto you is my fleshe whiche fleshe I wyll geue for the lyfe of the world and in the same chapter he also saith My flesh is verily meat and my bloud is verely drincke And as he then promised so he afterwarde perfourmed euen the very laste nyghte that euer he companyed with his Apostles before his death at whiche tyme he toke breade into his handes and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it to his disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body whiche shal be geuen for you Yf we cōpare the wordes spoken by Chryste when he made the promyse of a meat to be by him geuen vnto vs with those other wordes whiche he vttered in geuyng of the same we nede not doubt of the thynges which he gaue In the promysse makynge he sayde that he woulde geue vs his flesshe in the perfourmynge of the promise he geueth the same sayinge take eate this is my bodie Agayne in the promise making he affyrmeth that the fleshe whiche he would geue vs to fede on should be the selfsame flesh that sholde be geuen for the lyfe of the world and in the performaunce of his promyse he said that the thing which he gaue was his bodye whiche shoulde be geuen to death for vs. Nowe the circumstaunces beyng wel consydered which our sauiour vsed in the institution of this most blessed Sacrament shal greatly cōfyrme al godly hartes in the true belefe of the same The tyme was the night before he suffered deathe to signifie vnto vs that this meate being differred to the last day that euer our Sauiour was conuersaunt with his Apostles must nedes be his very body and bloude in dede and such a meate as no other can be in any wyse comparable vnto it Agayne in that our sauiour dyd eate of the paschal lambe with his Apostles immediatly before he did institute this sacrament it most playnely declareth vnto vs that this sacrament is a marueylous worthye mysterye and that very thing which the eatyng of the paschal lambe in the olde lawe did prefigurate for whiche cause whē this was instituted that was abrogated Nether is it with out a meruelouse consideration that Chryst at that heauenly banket would of purpose nother haue the blessed Vyrgyn Mary his mother presente with him nor anye other of his dyscyples saue onely the .xii. Apostles whome he appointed to be the heade ministers of al his misteries here on the earth and specially to be the ministers of this most blessed sacrament and the instructours of al other touching the same Now what meneth it that our Sauiour was not content to offer them this sacrament onely but with the offeryng therof he said also vnto them Take eate take and drinke Do mē vse to offer to other meate and drinke for anye other purpose but onelye that they shoulde eate and drynke thereof but bycause it was his bodye and hys bloude therefore he fyrste byddeth them take and not feare to eate and drynke the same Besydes this it is to be well noted that the three Euangelistes Mathew Marke and Luke doo all three agree in the maner of the institution of thys sacramēt they wrytyng all thre their gospeles at sōdry tymes Chrisosto and Theophilact as Mathew eyght yere after the ascencion of our sauiour Christ Marke .x. yeares Luke xv yeares And where in doubtefull speaches of our sauiour Christ some one or other of the Euangelistes euermore openeth plainely the very meaning of the speches yet touching these words this is my body no one of them maketh any declaration vpon the same but they all leue them to be takē of vs as they sound and as of most plaine wordes they make no exposition or interpretation of them at al. Whyche poynte must be well consydered And therfore note that where Chryst sayde It is impossible for a rych man to entre into the kingdō of heauē bicause the meaning of these wordes may be diuersly taken Marke 10. thereof S. Marke in his tenth chapyter declareth the very meanyng of them saying It is harde for them that trust in there substaunce to be saued Agayne Christ at another tyme sayde to the Iewes loose you this temple in three dayes shal I buyld it agayne And for that the sense of these wordes is doughtfull S. Iohn there expoundeth them and sayeth that Chryst by the tēplement his body whiche should be by the Iewes put to death and by him the thirde daye shoulde be raysed from death to lyfe In the .vii. of Ihon Iohn 7. oure sauiour sayeth He that beleueth in me as the scripture sayeth there shall ryuers of quicke water flowe out of him And bicause this saing is obscure S. Iohn to make it open sayeth that he spake those wordes of the spirit which they that beleued in him should receyue In the .xii. chapyter of S. Ihon our sauiour saieth in this maner If I belyfte vp from the earth Iohn 12. I wyl drawe al thinges vnto my selfe And S. Iohn by and by geueth vs the exposition saying that hereby he signyfyed what kynde of death he should suffer Manye other lyke places are there in the newe testamente the matter of which places is not so highe nor soo nedefull to be ryghtly vnderstanded as the meaning of
these wordes this is my body and yet of these wordes no one Euangelist maketh any exposition bycause the wordes are playnely and symply to be taken as they were spoken Besids al this we haue in S. Paule in the .xi Chapiter of his first Epystle to the Corinthians a goodly and a large processe touchyng this Sacrament and yet in that whole processe no matter to instructe vs otherwyse to beleue of it than that there is in it the very bodye and bloude of our sauiour Chryst For fyrste he vttereth the wordes of our sauiour euen as the Euangelistes do as that he sayd this is my body and he maketh no declaration vpon the same Secondly where none of the Euangelists make mentiō of any paine due to the vnworthy receauer S Paule affirmeth that the vnworthy receyuing of this Sacrament bryngeth iudgement and dampnation Thirdly he telleth that for the vnworthy receauing herof God plageth cities and countryes with sondry greuous plages as with infirmity with syckenes and with death also Forthely he geueth vs counsell diligentlye to examine and trye our selfes before we come to gods borde If the very body and bloude of oure sauiour Christ be nat in dede in the sacramēt of the aultare why shold our sauiour so speake as he spake in the promysse made thereof why dyd he as he did in the instituting therof why dyd none of the Euāgelists so declare christes wordes why dyd sayncte Paule so terribly pronounce of the vnworthy receauynge of it and so ernestly warne vs of due preparation to be made therefore It is then most vndoutedly to be of all christen people beleued that in the Sacrament of the aultare there is the verye body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst worthy of all honour and glory the selfe same in substaunce that is in heauen which thing for Chryst to bryng to passe is a thing most easye he being God almighty maker of heauen and earth and for him to do is moost semely that as he gaue that bodye to deathe to redeme vs so he should giue the same in this heauenly bankitte to fede vs that he mighte be all in all The body of our sauiour Christ to be in very dede in heauen in the visible fourme of a mā and in the Sacrament of the Aultare inuisibly vnder the visible fourmes of breade and wyne nether is impossible to hys power that made all thinges of noughte nether vnsemely for his exceadyng great loue towardes vs who so loued vs that for vs he did not refuse to suffer death and that the death of the crosse neyther yet is it agaynst his wyll who of his onely mercye so promysed and wyth hys omnipotent word so instituted it nother is it fynally vnfytte for his wysedome seyng he hath so ordeyned that euery naturall mother nourysheth her children wyth the substaunce of her owne body And why then shold christen men refuse to beleue it why do we not rather embrace it and gyue God most hartye thankes for it being the greatest iewel that euer was amonge mortal men why do we not prepare our selues worthely to receaue it and as in all other poyntes of the christen religiō so in the belefe of it geue credite to fayth and bryng reason and our senses in subiectiō vnder fayth but suffer our ghostly enemy by carnall reasons to bryng vs away into heresie quyte and cleane to pull the ryghte faythe out of oure hartes Let vs all good people from hence forth be constaūt in the trueth and as all the catholyke churche beleueth and hath alwayes beleued let vs vndoutedlye perswade our selues that in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare there is vnder the fourmes of breade wine the selfe same body of our sauiour Christ in substaūce which was borne of the Vyrgin Mary and suffered death on the crosse for vs to whō with the father the holy gost be all honor glory world wythout ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London ¶ And Homelye of Transubstantiation THere are in the sacrament of the aultare ii thinges speciallye to be considered the one is the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ ther really cōteined the other is the fourmes of breade wine vnder whych the said body blud are cōteined Of the first parte ye hard in the last homely Touching the second the general belefe of the catholyke Churche if there were nothing els ought and may be a sufficient grounde for euery godly man to build hys conscience vpon which churche doth beleue that there is no substaunce of material bread and wyne remaining but onely the fourmes of breade and wyne the substaunce of Christes body and bloude there so contayned And yet because some haue vainely and curiously of late yeares talked of this second part and haue put many fonde doutes and scruples into peoples heades concerning the same ye shall nowe at large and fully I trust be instructed therin And fyrst this is to be noted that God hath from the begynnyng of the worlde manye tymes appeared to man some tymes in one sorte Gene. xviii and somtymes in an other In the .xviii. Chapiter of Genesis it is wrytten howe God and two Aungelles with him dyd appeare vnto Abraham in the lykenesse of men and howe Abraham feasted them Howe vaine a matter were it I pray you for vs here buselye to reason howe God or Aungell coulde appeare lyke man and whether they had true bodyes or no and whether they dyd eate in dede or no and yf they hadde not true bodyes in dede howe the appearaunce of bodyes coulde be where the substaunce of bodyes was not In the thirde chapter of the booke called Exodus we rede that God appeared to Moyses in the lykenes of flamynge fyre Exod. 3. and that oute of a bushe In the .v. of Iosue it is recorded how one sodenly appeared vnto Iosue lyke a man Iosue 5. hauynge a sworde drawen in his hand What can anye manne saye howe God shoulde appeare in a flame of fyre or what substaunce of a sworde was in that which appeared to Iosue Hereby it is easy to vnderstande how daungerous a thing it is to go about by mans wyt or reason to discusse the maner of the workes of almighty God Who seyth not that by the meane of such presumptuous curiositie men haue of late fallē into moost detestable errours touching the mooste blessed Sacramente of the aultare and haue moost spytefully rayled agaynst the same and with moost vyle termes haue gested thereof and finallye moost vily haue vsed the moost precious bodye and bloude of our sauiour Chryst in the same In which doing how can they loke for anye fauour at the handes of their heauenly father seyng in such dispituous maner they entreate the Bodye and bloud of our sauiour Christ his sonne But now to procede forth touching the declaration of the secōd thing to be considered in the blessed Sacramēt of
substaunce of bread is turned into the substaunce of Christes bodye and so muste all men beleue that wyll be lyuely members of the catholyke churche and in that there belefe they muste honoure the bodye and bloude of oure sauioure Christe in the sacramente of the Aultare as alwayes christen people haue vsed to doo Saincte Austin in hys exposition made vpon the .99 Psalme S. Augustine vpon the .99 Psalme sayeth that it is synne not to honoure the bodye of Christe meanynge in the Sacramente of the Aultare And as it is before in thys Homily alledged he also sayeth in the name of all men We doo honoure vnder the fourmes of breade and wyne whyche we se the bodye and bloude of Christe whyche we do not see Wherefore good christen people knowing nowe what is the ryght belefe touchynge the Sacramente of the aultare embrace and folowe the same and cleaue faste to the catholyke churche the spouse of Chryste that you maye be true members of Christe to whome wyth the father and the holye Ghoste be all honoure and glorye worlde wythoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London ¶ An Homily wherein is aunswere made to certayne common obiections agaynst the presence of Christes bodye and bloude in the sacramente of the Aultare MEte it were dearely beloued in our sauioure Christ that we all should so fully wholy cleaue to the faith of Christes catholike church that no appearaūce of reasō to the cōtrari therof shoulde cause vs once to doute or stagger in any part part of the same For such a kinde of faith doth God requyre of vs and for suche kynde of faythe good christen people are in scripture called Abrahās children Roma 4 which Abraham as it is wrytten in the fourth to the Romaynes cōtrary to hope beleued in hope that he should be the father of many nations accordynge to that which was spokē So shal thy sede be And he fainted not in the faith nor yet cōsidered his owne bodi which was now dead euen when he was almost an hundred yeare olde nether yet that Sara was paste chylde bearynge he staggered not at the promyse of god through vnbelefe but was strōg in the faith and gaue honor to god fully certified that what he had promysed the same he was able to make good Yf we then wil be the childrē of Abraham we muste not faynt in faith nor consyder gods woordes after the course of nature Saint Paule in the .x. 2. Corin. x. chapiter of his seconde epistle to the Corinthians geueth vs an example in hym selfe howe we shoulde alwayes brynge reason in subiection to faithe sayng The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to ouerthrowe stronge holdes to destroy counselles and euery hyghe thynge that exalteth it selfe agaynste the knowledge of God and to brynge in captiuitye vnto the seruyce of Christe all vnderstandinge What thinke you is the cause why the Iewes beleue not on Christe Verely fyrste because he was borne of a Vyrgyn which is contrary to the course of nature Secondly lykewyse he was in vnitie of person God man whyche how it may be no mans wyt is able by natural power to conceaue thyrdly because he beyng God and man suffered the death of the crosse which for God to be content to do semeth to naturall reason a thynge moost absurde but good christen folke geuyng place to faith do most vndoutedly beleue on Christ God mā crucified according to that S. Paule writeth in his fyrste Chapter of his fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians i. Corin. 1. saying We preache Christ crucifyed to the Iewes a stumblyng blocke to the gentels a folishnes but to so many of the iewes gētels as ar called Christ the power wysedome of God And agreably here vnto he sayeth also in the nexte Chapiter folowynge My talke my preaching was not in the persuasible woordes of mans wysedome but in shewynge of power and of the spyryte that youre faythe should not rest in the wisedome of man but in the power of God This generall aduyse and counsel of S. Paule may and ought so to staye vs in the faythe of the catholyke churche that nether carnall reasons grounded vpon the feble intelligence of mans natural wyt nether the deceatfull iudgement of oure senses shoulde make vs once to doute of any one trueth in Christes religiō were it neuer so contrarye to the course of nature neuer so farre aboue our capacities and neuer so absurde to the appearaunce of our outwarde senses But forasmuch as throughe the iniquitie of these later euyll yeares dyuers haue hadde sondrye fonde dowtes and scruples put into theyr heades especyally agaynst the presence of Christes body bloude in the Sacrament of the aultare and throughe such dowtes haue swarued from the true belefe therein therefore here shall folowe aunsweres and solutyons to such dowtes as haue ben most commen that from henceforthe no man shall nede to be seduced by them or other lyke Obiection ¶ Fyrst it hath bene obiected that our sauiour Christ immediatlye after that he had instituted and delyuered to his Apostles the sacramente dyd say vnto them Do this in remembraunce of me Vppon which wordes some haue concluded that the bodye of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacramente ¶ But let vs duely waye the wordes Aunsvvere and meaning of the same and we shall moost plainly perceaue theyr erroure and mysvnderstandyng Saincte Paule in hys fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Corin. xi and in the .xi. chapter of the same Epistle intreating of the institution of the Sacrament of the aultare and ther openynge the true sense of that commaundemente of Christ saythe in this maner As oft as you eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe you shal shew forthe the Lordes death vntil he come So then the remembraunce whyche oure sauioure there requyreth of vs is the remembraunce of hys death which is past and not presente and therefore after most proper maner of speache may well be remembred Now this remembraunce can in no wyse possibly be so lyuely and so effectually worke in oure hartes as when we most certenly beleue that in the sacrament of the aultare is veryly the selfe same body in substaunce which died for vs and therfore the Prophet Dauid foreseyng in spirit this so excellēt a memorye sayeth in hys .cx. Psalme Psal 110. Oure mercyfull gratious Lord hath made a memory of all his merueylous workes and by by declaring in what maner he maketh that memory he addeth those woordes he hathe geuen a foode to suche as feare him This fode which the Prophet sayeth that Christ should leaue in remembraunce of al his maruelous workes that is of his incarnatiō his passion his ascension and glorye in heauen and other lyke workes moost chiefely is to be verifyed of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christe in the sacramente of
their trespasses commytted agaynst vs. But here may ryse a necessary question to be dyssolued If charity requyre to thinke speake and doo well vnto euery man bothe good and euyl how can magystrates execute iustyce vpon malefactours with charitye Howe can they caste euyll men into prison take away theyr goodes and sometime their lyues accordynge to lawes yf Charitye wyll not suffer them so to doo Herevnto is a playne and brief answere that plages and punishementes be not euel of themselues yf they be well taken of innocentes and to an euyll man they are bothe good and necessarye and may be executed accordynge to charitie and with charitye should be executed For declaracion whereof you shall vnderstande that charity hath two offices the one contrarye to the other and yet bothe necessarye to be vsed vpon men of contrarye sorte and dysposition The one office of Charitye is to cheryshe good and innocent men Not to oppresse them with false accusations but to incourage them wyth rewardes to doo well perseuer in well dooynge defendynge them wyth the sworde frō theyr aduersaryes And the offyce of Byshops and pastours is to laude good men for wel doynge that they maye perseuer therein and to rebuke and correct by the woorde of God the offences and crymes of all euyll disposed persons The other office is to rebuke correcte punysh vyce without acceptation of parsons and this is to be vsed against theim onely that be euyll men and malefactours And it is aswell the offyce of charitye to rebuke punyshe and correcte them that be euyll as it is to cheryshe and rewarde them that be good and innocent Sainct Paule soo declareth writing to the Romaynes and sayenge the hyghe powers are ordeyned of GOD Roma 13. not to be dreadefull to them that doo well but vnto malefactours to drawe the swoorde to take vengeaunce of hym that commytteth the synne And saincte Paule byddeth Tymothye constantlye i. Timo. 5 and vehementlye to rebuke synne by the woorde of GOD So that bothe offyces shoulde be dylygently executed to impugne the kyngdom of the deuyl the preacher wyth the woorde and the Gouernoure wyth the swoorde Els they loue neyther God nor them whome they gouerne yf for lacke of correction they wylfully suffer God to be offended and them whom they gouerne to perishe For as euery louynge father correcteth his natural sonne when he dothe amysse or els he loueth hym not So all gouernours of Realmes Countreys Townes and houses shoulde louynglye correcte them who be offendours vnder theyr gouernaunce And cheryshe them who doo liue innocently yf they haue any respecte eyther vnto God and theyr office or loue vnto them of whome they haue gouernaūce And suche rebukes and punyshementes of them that doo offende muste be done in due tyme least by delaye the offender fall headlinges into all maner of myschiefe and not onely bee euyll theimselues but also doo hurte vnto many men drawynge other by theyr euyll example to synne outrage after them As one theef maye bothe robbe manye men and also make many theues and one sediciouse person may allure many and noye a hole towne or countre And suche euil persons that be so great offenders of god and the common wealth charitie requireth to be cut of from the body of the common weale lest they corrupte other good and honest persons like as a good surgeon cutteth away a putrifyed and festred member for the loue he hath to the hole body least it infecte other members adioynynge to it Thus it is declared vnto you what true charitie or christian loue is so plainely that no man nede to be deceyued Whyche loue whosoeuer kepeth bothe towardes God whom he is bounde to loue aboue al thinges and also towardes hys neyghboure aswell frende as fooe it shal surely kepe hym frō all offence of God and iuste offence of man Therefore beare wel away this one shorte lesson that by true christian charitye God oughte to be loued aboue all thynges and all men oughte to be loued good and euyll frende and foo and to al suche we ought as we may doo good those that be good of loue we ought to encorage and cherysh bicause they be good And those that be euil of loue we ought to procure vnto them theyr correction and dewe punyshement that they may therby either be brought to goodnes or at the lest that god and the common welthe maye be the lesse hurte and offended hating alwaies the vyce or offence but louynge the person alwayes as the creature of God and as one who by nature is ioyned in kynred vnto vs. And yf we thus directe oure lyfe by christian loue and Charitye then Chryste doothe promyse and assure vs that he loueth vs and that we be the Chyldren of our heauenlye father and reconciled to his fauor being very members of Christ and that after the shorte tyme of this presente and mortall lyfe we shall haue with him eternall lyfe in his euerlastyng kingdome of heauen Therfore to hym with the father and the holy Ghost be al honor and glorye nowe euer Amen E. B. ¶ An Homely declaryng howe daungerous a thynge the breache of Charitye is OVr Sauiour Christ in the .v. of Mathew setteth forth an vniuersal doctrine Math. 5. that is a doctrine apperteyning indifferently to al Christen mē and there he declareth how great perfection of lyfe ought to be in one of vs sayinge in this maner Nisi abundauerit iustitia uestra plus quam Scribarum Pharisaeorum non intrabitis in regnum coelorum That is to saye Except your rightuousnes excede the rightuousnes of the Scribes the Phariseis ye cannot entre into the kyngedome of heauē For the ryght vnderstandynge of whiche wordes it is to be noted that rightuousnes in this texte doth signifye all kynde of vertue and goodnes and that by the Scribes and Phariseis Christe doth here meane certayne companies whiche were amonge the Iewes and dyd lyue accordynge to the letter of Moyses lawe so vpryghtly in the face of the world that they were commenly taken for parfyt men Oecumenius Oecumenius vpon the fifte of Mathevve an auncient father of the greke churche doth so declare the foresayde wordes Wherefore when our sauioure requireth of vs that we in rightuousnes shoulde passe the Scribes and Phariseis he meaneth that we Christen folke shoulde not onely outwardely seme good in the sight of the worlde as did the Scribes the Phariseis but inwardlye also in our hartes shoulde be lykewyse good in the syght of almyghtye God whiche they were not And because no faute is more greuouse then the breache of Christen Loue and Charitie therefore immediately after the foresayde generall sentence he instructeth vs afore all other thinges in our dutye touchinge Charitie sayinge Dictum est antiquis non occides qui autem occiderit reas erit iudicii Ego autem dico nobis quia omnis qui irascitur fratrisuo reus erit
folowe in all poyntes hath no suche custome Other lyke autorities of the auncient fathers for the primacye and supremacy of the Sea of Rome there are and that infinite But what nede many autorities eyther of scripture or of the fathers in this behalfe seyng very experience hath this thousande yeres proued that suche as dysobeyed the sea of Rome did fal sone after into abhomynable heresy and therevpon into deuision amongest them selues and consequently to destructiō or els in processe of time were gladde and faine to returne to their dewe obedience againe Yf you be desyrouse to haue exāple in this matter looke but on those countryes and those parsons that now be in captiuitie vnder the great Turke who in tyme paste agreeing with the sea of Rome did floryshe in christen religion all welthe looke also vpon Germany and take example therby how they prospered amonges theym selues synce they declyned frō the obedyence of the sea of Rome And it is a worlde to see howe those whome they tooke for theyr greatest doctours haue abused seduced and mocked theym euen in this matter of the primacye for where as Luther especiallye and aboue all other Lutherus was theyr ryngleader in this matter yet when he was emongest lerned men and shoulde talke of this matter wyth theim he was so driuen to the wal that openlye in wrytynge to be shewed at this daye he dyd in a booke of hys intituled Resolutio Lutheriana super propositione sua 13. de potestate Papae confesse and saye playnlye as hereafter doeth folowe Primum quod me mouet Ro. pontificem esse alijs omnibus quos saltem nouerimus se pontifices gerere superiorem est ipsa voluntas dei quam in ipso facto uidemus Neque enim sine voluntate dei in hanc monarchiam unquā venire potuisset Ro. pontifex At voluntas dei quo quo modo rota fuerit cū reuerentia suscipienda est Ideoque non licet temere Ro. pontifici in suo pris matu resistere Hec autem ratio tanta est vt si etiam nulla scriptura nulla alla causa esset haec tamen satis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium et hac sola ratione gloriosissimus martir Ciprianus per multas epistolas cōfidentissime gloriatur contra omnes episcoporū quorū cumque aduersarios sicut 3. Re legimus quod decē tribus Israel discesserūt a Roboā filio Salomonis et tamen quia voluntate dei sine autoritate factum est ratum apud deum fuit Nam et apud theologos omnes voluntas signi quam vocant operationem dei non minus quam alia figna voluntatis dei vt praecepta prohibit c. metuenda est Ideo non uideo quomodo sint excusati ascismatis reatu qui huic voluntati contrauenientes sese a Ro. pontificis autoritate subtrahunt Ecce hec est una prima mihi insuperabilis ratio quae me subijcit Ro. pontifici et primatū eius cōfiteri cogit That is to say The first thing which moueth me to think or beleue the Romayne Bysshoppe to be superior to all other whom at the leaste wyse we doo know to accompte them selues for Bysshoppes is the very wyll of God which we doo see euen in the very facte or matter For in dede without the wyll of God the Romayne Bysshoppe coulde not at any tyme haue commen to this monarchy or supreme rule and the wyll of God by what meane so euer it be knowen is to be receyued or taken with reuerence and therefore it is not lawefull folyshly or hedely to make resistence vnto the sayd Romayne Bysshope in his Bysshoppryke And this reason is soo great or of suche force that althoughe noo scrypture nor no other cause were yet thys were sufficient ynoughe to brydle or kepe vnder the temeritie or madnes of them that make resistance And by this reason alone the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many Epystles doth most boldely glory or reioyse agaynst all the aduersaries of anye of the Bysshoppes accordyng as we do reade in the third boke of the kynges Where allthough the x. tribes of Israell dyd departe from Roboam the sonne of Salomon yet bycause it was done by the wyll of God it was without other authoritie firme stable For also emongest all the deuynes the wyll of the signe whiche they doo call the workyng of God is to be feared no lesse thē other signes of the will of God as precepts and thinges forbydden c. And therefore I doo not se howe they be excused from the offence or synne of scysme who doing or cōminge agaynst this will doo withdrawe or pull them selues from the Authoritie of the Romaine Bysshoppe Thus much sayth Luther himselfe and soo shall you fynd it if ye reade his sayde worke in the place aforesayd and the thing so being you may se what a holy father that marchant was to deceyue the people as he dyd and to bryng them to that wonderfull calamitie that the thirde or fourth generation if the world so longe doo contynue shall feele and smarte for it as other also shall that be in the same case And now to retourne to our owne country of Englande this may be truly spoken that of all realmes christen there is none that hath besides the general dutie so special cause to fauour that see of Rome as England hath For from that see came the fayth into this Iland Beda Eccles hist. Angl li. i in the daies of kyng Lucius about an hundreth and fyftye yeares after Chryste And vi C. yere after Christ whan the Saxons wer spred ouer the hole realme and were infidells there were sent most notable and godly preachers hither into England who conuerted and tourned many thousandes to the fayth And what benefites we haue in our dayes receyued of that see of Rome all men doo perceyue and feale in them selues do thanke god therefore or ells the deuyll hath wonderfullye blynded and seduced them Nowe on the other side what miseries haue be faine emongest vs synce our disobedience agaynst the see of Rome and synce the tyme that temporall princes dyd take vpon them that offyce which is spirituall and not belongyng to the regall power but greatly distant and different from the same I nede not in words to declare forasmuch as you haue felt the smart therof in dede and to this day are not quyte of Gods plage for the same Wherfore to conclude in this matter this shal be to exhort you and in Gods name to requyre you to esteme the primacy and supremitie of the sea of Rome as an authoritie instituted by Chryst for the quyetnes of the christen people and for the preseruation of chrystendome in one catholyke true fayth for the defence of it agaynst all heresie and wherby quyeting your selues to serue God in the catholike truth you shall sonest appease his wrath and purchase his fauour and grace in this lyfe and hereafter