vs ruminate and as it wer chewe the cudde that we maie haue the swete ieuse spirituall effecte mary hony kirnell tast comfort and consolacion of theim Let vs staie quiet and certifie our consciences with the moste infallible certaintie truthe and perpetual assuraunce of them Let vs praie to God the onely aucthor of these heauenly meditacions that we maie speake thynke beleue liue and depart hence accordyng to the wholesome doctrine and verities of theim And by that meanes in this worlde wee shall haue Gods proteccion fauor and grace with the vnspeakeable solace of peace and quietnes of conscience and after this miserable life we shall enioy the endlesse blisse and glorie of heauen whiche he graunt vs all that died for vs all Iesus Christ to whom with the father holy ghost bee all honor and glorie both now euerlastyngly AMEN ¶ An Homelie of the miserie of al mankynd and of hys condempnacion to death euerlastyng by hys awne synne THe holy Ghost in writing the holy scripture is in nothinge more diligent then to pulle doune mannes vainglory and pride whiche of all vices is most vniuersally grafted in al mankynd euen from the first infection of our first father Adam And therfore we reade in many places of scripture many notable lessons against this old rooted vice to teache vs the moste commendable vertue of humilitie how to knowe our selfes and to remembre what we be of our selfes In the boke of Genesis almighty God geueth vs al a title name in our great graūd father Adā which ought to admonish vs al to considre what we be wherof we be frō whence we came whether we shal saiyng thus in y e sweat of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread til thou be turned again into the groūd for out of it wast thou taken in asmuch as y u art dust into dust shalte thou be turned again Here as it wer in a glasse we may learne to know our selfes to be but groūde earth asshes that to earth and asshes we shall returne Also the holy patriarche Abraham did well remembre this name and title dust earth and asshes appoynted and assigned by God to all mankynde and therfore he calleth hymself by that name when he maketh his earnest praier for Sodome and Gomore And we read that Iudith Hester Iob ▪ Hieremie with other holy men and womē in the old Testament did vse sacke cloth and to cast dust and asshes vpon their heddes when they bewailed their synfull liuyng They called cried to God for help and mercye with suche a ceremonie of sacke clothe duste and asshes that thereby thei might declare to the whole worlde what an hūble and lowly estimacion thei had of themselfes how well thei remembred their name title aforesayd their vile corrupt fraile nature dust earth and asshes The boke of wisedom also willing to pul doune our proude stomackes moueth vs diligently to remēbre our mortall and earthly generacion whiche we haue all of hym that was firste made and that all men aswell kynges as subiectes come into this worlde and go out of thesame in lyke sorte that is as of our selfes full miserable as we may dayly see And almightye God cōmaunded hys prophet Esaie to make a proclamacion and crie to the whole worlde and Esaie askinge what shall I crie The Lorde aunswered crie that all fleshe is grasse and that al the glory of man therof is but as the floure of the felde whē the grasse is withered the floure falleth away when the wynd of the Lord bloweth vpon it The people surely is grasse the which drieth vp and the floure fadeth awaye And the holy prophete Iob hauyng in himself great experience of the miserable and sinful estate of man doth open thesame to y e world in these wordes Man saith he that is borne of a woman liuyng but a short tyme is ful of manifold miseries he spryngeth vp like a floure fadeth again vanishyng awaye as it wer a shadowe ▪ and neuer continueth in one state And doest thou iudge it mete o Lorde to open thyne eyes vpon suche a one and to bring hym to iudgement with the Who can make hym cleane that is conceiued of an vncleane seede And all men of their euilnesse and natural pronesse wer so vniuersally geuen to synne that as the scripture saith God repēted that euer he made mā And by synne hys indignacion was so muche prouoked against the worlde that he drouned all the worlde with Noes floud except Noe hymself and hys litle housholde It is not without greate cause that the scripture of God doeth so many tymes call all men here in this worlde by this woorde yearth O thou yearth yearth yearth sayth Ieremie heare y e worde of the Lord. This our right name vocacion title yearth yearth yearth pronoūced by the Prophete sheweth what wee bee in deede by whatsoeuer other stile title or dignitie men do call vs. Thus he plainly named vs who knoweth best both what we be and what we ought of right to be called And thus he describeth vs speakyng by hys faithfull Apostle S. Paule all men Iewes and Gentiles are vnder syn ther is none righteous no not one ther is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seketh after God thei are al gone out of the way thei are all vnprofitable ther is none that doth good no not one their throte is an open sepulchre with their tōgues they haue vsed craft deceipt the poyson of serpentes is vnder their lippes their mouth is full of cursing and bitternes their fete are swift to shed bloud destrucciō and wretchednes are in their waies and the way of peace haue thei not knowen there is no feare of God before their eyes And in another place S. Paule writeth thus God hath wrapped all nacions in vnbelefe that he might haue mercy on all The scripture concludeth all vnder synne that the promyse by y e faith of Iesus Christ should be geuē vnto theim that beleue S. Paule in many places painteth vs out in our colours callyng vs the children of the wrath of God when we be borne saiyng also that we cānot thinke a good thought of our selfes muche lesse we can saye wel or do wel of our selfes And the wiseman saieth in the boke of Prouerbes the iust man falleth seuē times a day The most tried approued man Iob feared all hys workes S. Ihon the Baptist beynge sanctified in his mothers wōbe and praised before he was borne called an Aungell great before the lord replenished euē from his birthe with the holy Ghost the preparer of the way for our sauior Christ and commēded of our sauior Christ to be more then a prophet the greatest that euer was borne of a woman yet he plainly graūteth that he had nede to be wasshed of Christ he worthely extolleth and glorifieth his Lorde and
be the lesse to be passed vpon so that the rest maye profite which wil be more desirous to know the truth then when it is playn enough to contende aboute it and with cōtencious and capcious cauillacions to obscure and darkē it Truthe it is that out awne woorkes doo not iustifye vs to speake properly of our iustificacion that is to saie our workes do not merite or deserue remissiō of our synnes and make vs of vniust iuste before God But God of his mere mercie through the onely merites and deseruynges of his sonne Iesus Christ doth iustifie vs. Neuerthelesse because fayth doth directely sende vs to Christe for remission of our synnes that by faithe geuen vs of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercie and of the remission of oure synnes whiche thyng none other of oure vertues or woorkes properly doth therfore scripture vseth to say that faith without workes doth iustifie And for asmuch that it is al one sentēce in effecte to saye Faithe without woorkes onely fayth doth iustifie vs therfore the olde auncient fathers of the Churche from tyme to tyme haue vttered our iustificacion with this speache Onelye faythe iustifieth vs meanyng none other thing then sainct Paule meant whē he sayd faith without workes iustifieth vs. And because al this is brought to passe through the onely merites and deseruinges of our sauior christ not through our merites or through the merite of any vertue y t we haue within vs or of any worke that cōmeth frō vs therfore in that respecte of merite deseruyng we renoūce as it wer altogether agayn faith workes and all other vertues For our awne imperfeccion is so greate through the corrupciō of original synne that al is imperfect that is within vs faithe charitie hope dreade thoughtes wordes workes and therefore not apte to meryte and deserue any parte of our iustificacion for vs And this forme of speakyng we vse in the humblyng of oure selfes to God and to geue all the glory to our sauior Christ whiche is best worthy to haue it Here you haue heard the office of God in oure iustificacion and how we receyue it of him frely by his mercie without our desertes through true and lyuely faythe Now you shall heare the offyce and duetie of a christian man vnto God what we ought on oure parte to rendre vnto God agayne for his greate mercye and goodnes Oure offyce is not to passe the tyme of his present lyfe vnfruictfully and idlely after that we are baptised or iustified not caryng howe fewe good workes we do to the glory of God and proffite of our neighbors much lesse it is oure office after that we be once made Christes mēbres to lyue cōtrary to thesame makyng our selfes membres of the deuil walking after his inticementes and after the suggestions of the world and the fleshe wherby we know that we do serue the world and the deuill and not God For that faythe which bryngeth furth without repentaunce either euyll workes or no good workes is not a right pure and liuely faithe but a ded Deuilishe counterfeit and feyned fayth as sainct Paul sainct Iames cal it For euen the deuilles know and beleue that Christ was borne of a virgyn that he fasted forty dayes fortye nightes without meate and drynke that he wrought all kynde of myracles declaryng hymself very God They beleue also that Christe for oure sakes suffered moste paynfull death to redeme vs from eternal death that he rose agayn from death the thyrde daye They beleue that he ascended into heauen and that he sitteth on the right hand of the father and at the laste ende of this world shal come agayne and iudge bothe the quicke and the deade These articles of our faith the deuilles beleue and so they beleue all thinges that be writtē in the new and old Testamēt to be true yet for all this faith they be but deuilles remainyng styll in their dampnable estate lackyng the very true christian fayth For the right and true christiā faith is not onely to beleue that holy scripture all the forsaied articles of our fayth are true but also to haue a sure trust confidence in Gods mercifull promises to be saued from euerlastynge dampnacion by Christe wherof doeth folowe a louyng harte to obey his cōmaundementes And this true Christian faythe neyther any deuyll hath nor yet any man which in the outwarde profession of his mouth and in his outward receiuyng of the Sacramentes in commyng to the churche and in all other outward apparaunces semeth to be a Christian man yet in his liuyng and deedes sheweth the cōtrary For how can a man haue this true faith this sure truste and confidence in God That by the merites of Christe his synnes be remitted and he reconciled to the fauor of God and to be partaker of the kyngdom of heauen by Christ when he liueth vngodly and denieth Christe in his dedes Surely no suche vngodly man can haue this faith trust in God For as they know Christe to bee the onely sauior of the worlde so they knowe also that wicked men shall not possesse the kyngdō of God Thei know y t God hateth vnrighteousnes that he will destroye all those that speake vntruly that those that haue doen good workes whiche can not be doen without a liuely faythe in Christe shall come forth into the resurrection of lyfe those that haue doen euill shall come vnto resurrectiō of iudgement and very well they know also that to them that be contencious to them that will not be obedient vnto the truth but wil obey vnrighteousnes shall come indignacion wrathe and affliccion c. Therfore to conclude considerynge the infinite benefites of God shewed and exhibited vnto vs mercifully withoute oure desertes who hath not onely created vs of nothyng from a pece of vile clay of his infinite goodnes hath exalted vs as touchyng our soule vnto hys awne similitude and lykenesse but also wheras we were cōdempned to hel death eternall hath geuen his awne natural sonne beyng God eternall immortall and equal vnto himselfe in power glory to bee incarnated and to take our mortall nature vpō oim with the infirmities of the same and in the same nature ▪ to suffre moste shamefull and paynful death for our offences to thintent to iustifye vs to restore vs to lyfe euerlastyng so makyng vs also his dere beloued chyldrē brethren vnto his only sonne our sauior Christ inheritors for euer with him of his eternall kyngdō of heauē These greate and mercifull benefites of God if they be well considered do neither minister vnto vs occasiō to be idle to liue without doyng any good workes neither yet stirreth vs ▪ by any meanes to do euill thinges ▪ but contrarywise if we be not desperate persones and oure hartes harder then stones they moue vs to rendre our selfes vnto God wholy with all
threatenynges which should certifye them that as thei do ouer boldely presume of gods mercy and liue dissolutely so doeth God still more and more withdrawe his mercie from theim and he is so prouoked thereby to wrathe at lenght that he destroyeth suche presumers many tymes sodainly For of suche saincte Paule sayed thus when they shall saye it is peace there is no daunger then shall sodayn destruction come vpon theim Let vs beware therfore of suche naughtie boldenesse to synne for God whiche hath promised his mercie to them that bee truely repentaunte although it bee at the latter ende hath not promised to the presumpteous synner either that he shall haue long life or that he shal haue true repentaunce at the laste ende But for that purpose hath he made euery mannes deathe vncertayne that he should not put his hope in thend and in the meane season to Gods highe displeasure lyue vngodly Wherfore let vs folowe the counsaill of the WisemaÌ„ let vs make no tariyng to turne vnto the lord let vs not put of from daie to day for sodainly shal his wrath come and in tyme of vengeaunce he shal destroye the wycked Let vs therefore turne betymes and when we turne let vs praye to GOD as Ozee teacheth saiyng Forgeue vs all oure synnes receyue vs graciously And if we turne to him with an humble and a very penitent harte he wil receiue vs to his fauor and grace for his holy names sake for his promise sake for his truthe and mercies sake promysed to all faithefull beleuers in Iesus Christ his onely naturall sonne To whoÌ„ the onely sauiour of the world with the father and the holy ghost bee all honor glory and power world without end Amen ¶ An exhortation agaynst the feare of Death IT is not to be marueyled that worldly men do feare to dye For death depriueth them of all worldly honors riches and possessions in the fruition whereof the worldely man compteth hymself happie so long as he maye enioye theim at hys awne pleasure and other wyse if he be dispossessed of thesame without hope of recouery then he can none other thinke of himself but that he is vnhappie because he hath loste hys worldely ioye and pleasure Alas thinketh this carnall man shall I now depart for euer froÌ„ all my honors all my treasures from my countrey frendes riches possessioÌ„s and worldly pleasures whiche are my ioy and hartes delight Alas that euer that daie shal come wheÌ„ all these I muste bid farewell at once and neuer to enioye any of theÌ„ after Wherfore it is not without greate cause spoken of the wiseman O death how bitter and sower is the remembraunce of thee to a man that liueth in peace and prosperitie in his substaunce to a man liuyng at ease leading his life after his awne mind without trouble is therwithal well pampered and fed There be other men whom this world doth not so greatly laugh vpon but rather vexe and oppresse with pouertye sickenesse or some other aduersitie Yet thei do fear death partly because the fleashe abhorreth naturally his awne sorowful dissolucion whiche death doth threaten vnto theim and partely by reason of sickenesses and paynfull diseases whiche be moste strong pangues and agonies in the fleshe and vse commoÌ„ly to come to sicke men before death or at the leaste accompany death whensoeuer it commeth Although these twoo causes sâ—me great weightie to a worldly man wherupoÌ„ he is moued to feare death yet there is another cause much greater then any of these afore rehersed for whiche in dede he hath iuste cause to feare death and that is the state and coÌ„dicion wherunto at the last ende death bryngeth all them that haue their hartes fixed vpoÌ„ this world without repentaunce and amendemeÌ„t This state condicion is called the second death whiche vnto all suche shall insue after this bodily deathe And this is that death whiche in deede ought to be dread feared for it is an euerlasting losse without remedy of the grace fauor of God and of euerlastyng ioy pleasure and felicitie And it is not onely the losse for euer of all these eternall pleasures but also it is the condempnacion both of body soule without either appellacioÌ„ or hope of redempcion vnto euerlastynge paynes in hell Unto this state death sent the vnmercyfull and vngodly richeman that Luke speaketh of in his Gospell who liuyng in all wealthe and pleasure in this worlde and cherishyng himself daily with daintie fare and gorgeous apparel despiced poore Lazarus that lay pitifully at his gate miserably plagued and full of sores and also greuously pined with hunger Bothe these twoo were arrested of deathe whiche sent Lazarus the poore miserable man by aungels anone vnto Abrahams bosome a place of rest pleasure and consolacion But the vnmerciful rich-man descended doune into hel and beyng in tormeÌ„tes he cried for comforte complainyng of the intollerable payn that he suffered in that flamme of fire but it was to late So vnto this place bodily death sendeth all them that in this world haue their ioye and felicite all them that in this world be vnfaithfull vnto God and vncharitable vnto their neighbors so diyng without repentauÌ„ce hope of Gods mercie Wherfore it is no maruaile that the worldly man feareth death for he hath muche more cause so to do then he himself doeth considre Thus we se thre causes why worldly men feare death One because thei shal lose therby their worldely honors riches possessions and all their hartes desires Another because of the painfull diseases bitter pangues which commonly men suffre either before or at the tyme of death but the chiefe cause aboue al other is the dread of the miserable state of eternall dampnacion bothe of body and soule whiche they feare shal folow after their departyng out of the worldly pleasures of this present life For these causes be all mortall men whiche be geueÌ„ to the loue of this world both in feare state of death through syn as y e holy apostle saith so loÌ„g as thei liue here in this world But euerlasting thaÌ„kes be to almighty God for euer there is neuer one of al these causes no nor yet thei altogether that caÌ„ make a true Christian man afraied to dye whiche is the very membre of Christe the temple of the holy Ghoste the sonne of God â–ª and the very inheritor of the euerlastyng kyngdom of heauen but plainly contrary he conceiueth great and many causes vndoubtedly grounded vpon the infallyble and euerlastynge truth of the woorde of God whiche moue hym not onely to put away the feare of bodiely death but also for the manifolde benefites and singuler commodities whiche ensue vnto euery faithfull person by reason of thesame to wish desire longe hartely for it For death shall be to hym no death at all but a very deliueraunce from death froÌ„ all paynes cares and sorowes miseries
only to beleue al thinges of God whiche are conteyned in holy scripture but also is an earnest trust and cōfidence in God that he doth regarde vs and hath cure of vs as the father of the child whom he doth loue and that he will be mercifull vnto vs for his onely sonnes sake and that we haue our sauior Christ oure perpetuall aduocate priest in whose onely merites oblacion sufferyng we do trust that oure offences be continually wasshed and purged whensoeuer we repentyng truly do returne to hym with our whole harte stedfastly determinyng with our selfes through his grace to obey and serue him in kepyng his commaundemētes and neuer to turne backe again to synne Such is the true faythe that the scripture doeth somuche cōmende the whiche when it seeth and considereth what God hath doen for vs is also moued through continual assistence of the spirite of God to serue please hym to kepe hys fauor to feare hys displeasure to continue his obedient childrē shewing thākefulnes agayn by obseruyng his cōmaundementes and that frely for true loue chiefly and not for dread of punishement or loue of temporall reward cōsideryng how clerely without our deseruynges we haue receyued his mercy and pardon frely Thys true faythe will shewe furthe it selfe and cannot longe be idle For as it is written The iuste man doth liue by his fayth He neither sleapeth nor is idle when he should wake and be well occupyed And God by his prophete Hieremie sayeth that he is a happy and blessed man whiche hath fayth and confidence in God For he is lyke a tree sette by the water syde that spreedeth hys rootes abroode towarde the moysture and feareth not heate when it commeth his leafe will be grene and will not cease to brynge furth his fruite Euen so faithefull men puttyng awaye all feare of aduersitie wyll shewe furthe the fruite of their good workes as occasion is offered to do them The Wisemā saieth he that beleueth in God wil harken vnto his commaundementes For if we doo not shewe our selfes faithfull in oure conuersacion the faith which we pretend to haue is but a fayned faith because the true Christian faith is manifestly shewed by good liuyng and not by woordes onely as sainct Augustine saith good liuyng cānot be separated frō true faith which worketh by loue And S. Chrisostome saith faith of it self is full of good workes as sone as a mā doth beleue he shalbe garnished with thē How plētifull this faith is of good workes and how it maketh the woorke of one man more acceptable to God then of another S. Paule teacheth at large in the .xj. chap. to the Hebr. saiyng that faith made the oblacion of Abell better then y e oblaciō of Cain This made Noe to buyld y e arcke This made Abraham to forsake his countrey and all his frendes and to go vnto a far countrey there to dwel emong straungers So did also Isaac and Iacob dependyng onely of the helpe and trust that they had in God And when they came to the countrey which God promysed them they would buylde no cities townes nor houses but liued like straungers in tentes that might euery daye be remoued Their trust was so muche in God that they set but litle by any worldly thyng for that god had prepared for them better dwelling places in heauē of hys awne foundacion and buylding This faithe made Abraham ready at Gods commaundement to offre hys awne sonne and heire Isaac whom he loued so well by whom he was promysed to haue innumerable issue emong the whiche one shoulde be borne in whom all nacions should be blessed trustynge so muche in God that though he were slain yet y e God was able by his omnipotent power to raise him frō death perfourme his promyse He mistrusted not the promise of god although vnto hys reason euery thyng semed contrary He beleued verely that God woulde not forsake hym in dearthe and famyne y t was in the countrey And in al other daungers that he was brought vnto he trusted euer y t God would be hys God and his protector whatsoeuer he sawe to the contrary Thys faithe wrought so in the hart of Moses that he refused to be takē for Kyng Pharao hys daughters sonne and to haue great inheritaunce in Egypt thinkyng it better with the people of God to haue affliction and sorowe then with naughtie men in synne to lyue pleasauntly for a tyme By faith he cared not for the threatenynge of kyng Pharao for his trust was so in God that he passed not of the felicitie of this worlde but loked for the rewarde to come in heauen settyng hys hart vpon the inuisible God as if he had seen hym euer present before hys eyes By faith the children of Israel passed through the redde sea By fayth the walles of Hiericho fell doune without stroke and many other wonderfull miracles haue been wrought In al good men that heretofore haue been faithe hath brought furth their good woorkes and obteyned the promises of God Faith hath stopped the Lions mouthes faithe hath quenched the force of fire faith hath escaped the swordes edges faithe hath geuen weake men strength victorie in battaill ouerthrowen the armies of infidels raised y e dedde to lyfe faith hath made good men to take aduersitie in good parte some haue been mocked and whipped bounde and caste in prison some haue loste all their goodes and liued in great pouertye some haue wādered in moūtaines hilles and wildernesse some haue been racked some slayn some stoned some sawē some rent in peces some hedded some brent without mercy and would not be deliuered because they loked to rise agayne to a better state All these fathers martyrs and other holy men whom sainct Paul spake of had theyr fayth surely fired in God when all the worlde was agaynst thē They did not onely knowe God to be the Lord maker and gouernor of all men in the worlde but also they had a special confidence and trust that he was and would be their God their comfortor aider helper mainteyner and defendor This is the Christiā faythe whiche these holy men had and we also ought to haue And although thei were not named christian mē yet was it a christian faithe that they had for they looked for all benefites of God the father throughe the merites of hys sonne Iesu Christe as we now do This difference is betwene thē and vs for they looked when Christ should come and we be in the tyme when he is come Therfore saieth sainct Augustyne the tyme is altered but not the faythe For we haue both one fayth in one Christ. Thesame holy Ghost also that we haue had they saieth sainct Paule For as the holy Ghoste doeth teache vs to trust in God and to call vpon hym as our father so did he teache them to saye as it is wrytten Thou Lord arte our father and
saluacion and gracious redempcion and beleue hys worde serue hym frō our hartes loue obeye hym and whatsoeuer we haue done heretofore contrarye to hys moste holy wyll now let vs repent in tyme and hereafter study to correct our lyfe doubt not but we shall finde hym as mercifull vnto vs as he was either to Lazarus or to y e thefe whose exāples are written in holy scripture for the comfort of thē that be sinners and subiecte to sorowes miseries calamities in this worlde that thei shoulde not despayre in Gods mercy but euer truste therby to haue forgiuenesse of their synnes lyfe euerlastinge as Lazarus and the thefe had Thus I trust euery christen man perceyueth by the infallible woorde of God that bodiely death cannot harme nor hinder theim that truly beleue in Christ but contrary shal profit promote the christen soules whiche beynge truly penitēt for their offences departe hēce in perfect charitie and in sure truste that God is mercifull to thē forgiuinge theyr synnes for the merites of Iesus Christe hys onely naturall sonne The seconde cause why some do feare death is sore sickenesse and greuous paynes whiche partly come before death and partely accompayneth deathe whensoeuer it cometh This feare is the feare of the frayle fleashe and a naturall passion belonginge vnto the nature of a mortall man But true fayth in Gods promyses and regarde of the paynes and pangues whiche Christe vpon the crosse suffered for vs miserable synners with consideracion of the ioye and euerlastyng lyfe to come in heauen wil mitigate those paynes and moderate thys feare y t it shall neuer be able to ouerthrowe the hartie desire and gladnesse that the christian soule hath to be seperated from thys corrupt body that it maye come to the gracious presence of our sauiour Iesus Christ. If we beleue stedfastly the woorde of god we shal perceyue that suche bodiely sickenesse pangues of death or whatsoeuer dolorous paynes we suffre either before or with death be nothynge els in Christē mē but the rodde of our heauenly and louynge father wherwith he mercifully correcteth vs either to trie and declare the faythe of hys pacient chyldren that they maye be founde laudable glorious and honorable in hys sight when Iesus Christ shalbe openly shewed to be the Iudge of al the worlde or els to chastise and amende in them whatsoeuer offendeth hys fatherly and gracious goodnesse lest they shoulde peryshe euerlastingly And this hys correctynge rodde is common to all them that be truly hys Therfore let vs caste away the burden of synne that lyeth so heuye in our neckes and returne vnto God by true penaunce and amendemente of our lyfes Let vs with paciēce runne thys course that is appoynted sufferyng for hys sake that dyed for our saluacion al sorowes and pangues of death and death it selfe ioyfully when God sendeth it to vs hauynge our eyes fixed euer vpon the heade and capitayn of our fayth Iesus Christe Who considerynge the ioye that he shoulde come vnto cared neyther for the shame nor payne of deathe but willingly conformyng hys wyll to hys fathers wyll moste paciently suffered the moste shamefull and paynefull deathe of the crosse beyng innocent And now therfore he is exalted in heauen and euerlastingly sitteth on the rigtht hande of the throne of God the father Let vs call to our remembraunce therfore the lyfe and ioyes of heauen that are kepte for al them that paciently doo suffre here with Christe and cōsider that Christe suffered all hys paynfull passion by synners and for synners and then we shall with pacience and the more easyly suffre suche sorowes and paynes when they come Let vs not set at light the chastisinge of the Lorde nor grudge at hym nor fall from hym when of hym we be corrected for the Lorde loueth them whom he doth correcte and beateth euery one whom he taketh to be hys chylde What chylde is that saieth saincte Paule whome the father loueth and doth not chastice If ye be without Gods correctiō which al hys welbeloued and true children haue then be you but bastardes finally regarded of God not hys true chyldren Therfore seynge that whē we haue in earth our carnall fathers to be our correctors we do feare them and reuerently take their correction shall we not much more be in subieccion to God our spirituall father by whome we shall haue eternal lyfe And our carnall fathers some tyme correct vs euen as pleaseth thē without cause but this father iustely correcteth vs either for our synne to the intēt we should amende or for our commoditie wealthe to make vs therby partakers of his holynesse Furthermore all correction whiche God sendeth vs in thys present tyme semeth to haue no ioye and comforte but sorowe and payne Yet it bringeth with it a taste of Gods mercye and goodnes towardes thē that be so corrected a sure hope of Godes euerlastyng consolacion in heauē If then these sorowes diseases and sickenesses and also death it selfe be nothyng els but our heauenly fathers rod wherby he certifieth vs of hys loue gracious fauor wherby he trieth and purifieth vs wherby he geueth vnto vs holynesse certifieth vs that we be hys children and he our mercifull father shall not we then with all humilitie as obedyent louyng chyldren ioyfully kysse our heauenly fathers rod and euer saye in oure harte with oure sauior Iesus Christe Father if this āguishe and sorowe wich I fele and death which I se approche maye not passe but that thy wyll is that I muste suffre them thy wyll be done Now the thirde and speciall cause why death in deede is too be feared is the miserable state of the worldly and vngodly people after their death But this is no cause at all why the godly and faytheful people should feare death but rather contrariwise their godly conuersacion in thys lyfe and beliefe in Christ cleauing continually to hys merites should make them to longe sore after that lyfe that remayneth for them vndoubtedly after this bodely death Of this immortall state after thys transitory lyfe where we shal liue euermore in the presence of god in ioye and reste after victory ouer all sickenes sorowes sinne and death there be many bothe playn places of holy scripture which confirme the weake conscience agaynst the feare of al suche dolours sickenesses synne and death corporal to asswage such trembling and vngodly feare and to encourage vs with comforte and hope of a blessed state after thys life Sainct Paule wissheth vnto the Ephesians y t God the father of glory woulde geue vnto theim y e spirite of wisedome and reuelacion that the eyes of their hartes might haue light to knowe him and to perceyue how great thinges he had called thē vnto and how riche inheritaunce he hath prepared after this life for thē that perteyne vnto hym And sainct Paul himself declareth the desire of his hart which was
vs for oure goodnes shewed to them as if he him selfe had receyued lyke benefite at oure handes as he witnesseth in the Gospell saiynge Whatsoeuer ye haue done to any of these symple persones whiche do beleue in me that haue ye doen to my selfe Therfore let vs diligently forese that our fayth and hope whiche we haue conceyued in almightie God and in oure sauioure Christe waxe not faynte nor that the loue whiche we pretende to beare to hym waxe not coulde but let vs studye dayly and diligently to shewe oure selfes to be the true honorers and louers of God by kepynge of his commaundemētes by doyng of good dedes vnto our nedy neighbors releuynge by all meanes that we can their pouertye with our abundaunce their ignoraunce with oure wisedome and learnynge and comforte their weakenesse with oure strength and aucthoritie calling all men backe from euill doynge by Godly counsayll and good example perseuerynge styll in well doynge so longe as we lyue So shall we not nede to feare death for any of those three causes afore mencioned nor yet for any other cause that can be imagined But contrary consideryng the manifold sickenesses troubles sorowes of this present lyfe the daungers of this perilous pilgrimage and the greate encombraunce whiche oure spirite hath by thys synful fleshe and frayle body subiect to death considerynge also the manifolde sorowes and daūgerous deceiptes of this world on euery side the intollerable pride coueteousnes and lechery in tyme of prosperitie the impacient murmurynge of them that be worldly in tyme of aduersitie whiche cease not to withdrawe and plucke vs from God oure sauioure Christe from oure life wealth or eternal ioy and saluacion considerynge also the innumerable assaultes of oure Ghostly enemy the deuill with al his fiery dartes of ambicion pryde lechery vain-glory enuie malice detractiō with other hys innumerable deceiptes engines and snares whereby he goeth busely aboute to catche al men vnder his dominion euer lyke a roreynge Lyon by all meanes searchynge whome he maye deuoure the faythfull Christian man which considereth al these miseries perilles and incommodities whereunto he is subiecte so longe as he here liueth vpon earthe and on the other part considereth that blessed and comfortable state of the heauēly lyfe to come and the swete condicion of them that departe in the Lorde howe they are deliuered from the continuall encombraūces of their mortall and synfull bodye from all the malice craftes and deceiptes of this world from al the assaultes of their ghostly enemy the deuil to liue in peace reste and perpetuall quietnes to liue in the felowship of innumerable Aungelles and with the congregacion of perfecte iuste mē as Patriarches Prophetes Martyrs and Confessors and finally vnto the presence of almighty God and oure sauior Iesus Christe He that doeth consider all these thinges and beleueth theim assuredly as they are to be beleued euen from the botome of his harte beynge established in God in thys true faythe hauynge a quiete conscience in Christe a firme hope and assured trust in Gods mercy through the merites of Iesu Christe to obteyne thys quietnes reste and eternall ioye shal not onely be without feare of bodiely deathe when it commeth but certainlye as saincte Paule did so shall he gladly accordynge to Gods will and when it pleaseth God to call hym oute of thys lyfe greately desyre in hys harte that he maye be rid from al these occasions of euil and liue euer to Gods pleasure in perfecte obedience of hys will with our sauior Iesus Christe to whose gracious presence the Lorde of hys infinitie mercye and grace brynge vs to reigne with hym in lyfe euerlastynge To whome with oure heauenly father and the holy Ghoste be glorye in worldes without ende AMEN ¶ An exhortacion concernyng good ordre and obedience to rulers and magistrates ALmightie God hath created appointed all thinges in heauē yearth and waters in a moste excellent and perfect ordre In heauē he hath appoynted distinct orders and states of Archangelles and Angels In yearth he hath assigned kynges princes with other gouernors vnder them all in good necessary ordre The water aboue is kept and raineth doune in due time and ceason The sunne mone sterres rainbow thūder lightning cloudes and al birdes of the aire do kepe their ordre The yearth trees seedes plantes herbes corne grasse and all maner of beastes kepe thē in their ordre All the partes of y e whole yeare as winter somer monethes nightes dayes continue in their ordre All kyndes of fishes in the sea riuers and waters with all fountaynes sprynges yea the seas themselfes kepe their comely course and ordre And mā hymself also hath al his partes both within without as soule harte mynd memory vnderstandyng reason speache withall and singuler corporall mēbres of his body in a profitable necessary and pleasaunt ordre Euery degre of people in their vocacion callyng office hath appoynted to them their duetie ordre Some are in high degre some in lowe some kynges princes some inferiors and subiectes priestes and laimen masters seruauntes fathers chyldren husbandes and wifes riche and poore and euery one haue nede of other so that in all thinged is to be laudes praysed the goodly ordre of God without the whiche no house no citie no cōmon wealth can continue endure For where there is no right ordre there reigneth all abuse carnall libertie enormitie syn babilonicall cōfusion Take awaye kynges princes rulers magistrates iudges and such states of Gods ordre no man shal ride or go by the high waie vnrobbed no man shall slepe in his awne house or bed vnkilled no mā shall kepe his wife children possessions in quietne sall thynges shal be cōmon and there must nedes folow all mischief and vtter destructiō both of soules bodies goodes and common wealthes But blessed be God that we in this realme of England fele not the horrible calamities miseries wretchednes which al thei vndoubtedly fele suffre y t lacke this godly ordre And praised be God that we knowe the great excellēt benefite of god shewed towards vs in this behalfe God hath sente vs his high gifte our most dere souereigne lord king Edward y e sixt with godly wise and honorable coūsail with other superiors and inferiors in a beautifull ordre Wherefore let vs subiectes do our bounden duties geuing hartie thankes to God and praiyng for the preseruaciō of this Godly ordre Let vs al obey euen from the botome of our hartes al their Godly procedynges lawes statutes proclamacions and iniunctiōs with al other Godly orders Let vs considre the scriptures of the holy ghost whiche perswade cōmaunde vs all obediently to be subiect First chiefly to the kynges maiestie supreme had ouer all next to his honorable counsail and to all other noble men magistrates and officers which by Gods goodnes be placed and ordered for almightie God is the