chosen folowed vp wyth hym but so yet that the coÌ„mon sort of people were not forbyden to folowe yf any amonges them had so great affection and grace When he was come to the toppe of the hylle he satte him down not as wery but as goyng about to teache high seriouse thynges which wolde requyre diligent hearers Hys disciples therfore perceyuyng that beganne to drawe nerer vnto hym that nothynge of hys heuenly doctrine myght fall to grownde Begynnyng then to teache hys diuine and most holsom lernyng not out of the proud pulpit of the philosophers neyther out of the arrogaÌ„t chaire of y â— pharâ—sees but out of a seate of grasse he did cast his eyen vpon his disciples and opening hys moost holy mouth vttred the Euangelical doctrine coÌ„cerning the felicitie of maÌ„ as yet vnknowne to the worlde and altogither disagreing from the opinion of all them which thought themselfes moost wyse in the worlde Thys doctrine his disciples yea and al holy men and women imbrased and so obteined the eternall blysse and beatitude here promysed vnto them Let vs therfore heare also thys doctrine foâ— to vs also he spake that we also maye be made blessed All the synnes of the lyfe do sprynge of false opinions and persuasions Aboue all thinges therfore we must studye to plucke these out by the harde â—ootes if we woll be his true people Bicause the most poysoned noysom sicknes of the mynd is pride and arrogance which is a let to man that he can not receyue the true doctrine or rather it is the fountaigne of all hed vices our Sauiour first healeth this disease sayeng Blessed be the pore in spirite for the realme of heauens is theirs Assuredly the slender liuing the lownes of byrth the obscuritye of estate the aduersitye of fortune maketh many men abiecte lowly to set no stoore by themselues And veryly these be y â— nerer to the blesse that the gospel speaketh of if they folow in mynd thither as fortune hath called them But this lownes humilitie of spirite that is here commended staÌ„deth in the affection and not in outwarde thinges Ye woll say how can these men raigne which take nothinge vpon them which giue place to al which set nought by themselues which suffre themselues to be troden vnder fote finally whom noman setteth by but al men despice I answere that it is yet true that the selfe trouthe hath spoken the kyngdom perteyneth only to them the kingdoÌ„ I say of heuen For thinke ye y â— these wilde fyerse cruel personnes do raigne Nay they serue a seruitude they be very villaines bondmen they suffre many lordes tyrantes ouer them They be tormented crucifyed with couetise with ire with enuye wyth lust of vengeaunce wyth feare with hope They skant liue they raigne not But the holy person the saynt the godly deuoute man or woman steyng himself vpon his innocencie vpon god vpon the rewardâ— of the world to com is free voyd of all these cares troubles for wyth a quyet hart he despiseth the thinges of this world and foloweth the heueÌ„ly goodes Doth not I praye you this man obteyne a reigne or a kyngdom farre more goodly and more excellente then is the reygne of tyrantes He is not vnder the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and rule of the lust nor of couetise neither of none of the other moost noysom pestilencies of the mynde But this holy person being armed with feith as ofteÌ„ as the case requireth doth lay his coÌ„maundement vpoÌ„ diseases and they flee awey he coÌ„mauÌ„deth the sees and they be styll he coÌ„maundeth deuilles and they departe Of thys force and power is the kyngdome of that harte whiche is godly and setteth nought by it selfe distrusting al humane helpes and socours depending holly of God The wordly kyngdom is gotteÌ„ by violence defended by hygh courage But this kingdom is gotten by modestie stablished by humilitie The world iugeth none mete to a lorship or raigne but such as be of hault and high courage But god calleth those chiefly to his kingdom which do moost of al huÌ„ble and deiecte themselfes Iesus goeth forth and addeth a nother lessoÌ„ lyke to thys sayng Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the earth Who be meke whiche inforce noman which beyng wronged do easely pardon the wrong whiche had rather loose a thynge then stryue for it which set more by coÌ„corde quietnes of mynd then great large possessioÌ„s whiche chouse rather a quiet pouertie then troublesom riches But this sort of meÌ„ be coÌ„monly for their pacience by one or other disturbed and wyped of that they haue Uerily it is trouth but this is a new maner of enlarging possessions The vnpitiful cruell lorde possesseth no not that which he hath wheras the mylde gentle person whiche had rather departe wyth hys right then coÌ„tende for it hath land in so many places as he findeth louers of the Gospell of Christe if he findeth none in thys world yet is he sure of the possession of the heueÌ„ly land out of which he caÌ„not be excluded The worlde bewaileth them as vnhappy whiche be briueÌ„ out of their couÌ„trey coÌ„pelled to liue in straÌ„ge places but Christ calleth them happy which be banished for the Gospels sake beyng made citizens of heuen They be driuen froÌ„ the frauÌ„chise of one citie expulsed out of one countrey but to true disciples of Christ the hole worlde is their countrey to such as be godly ê‘sons heueÌ„ is their home The death of frendes is miserable to the coÌ„mon sorte of people in so moch that some when they haue been depriued of their wifes fathers mothers husbandes chyldren haue kylled theÌ„selfes And for thys cause men come vnto them to aswage the bytternes of their sorowe wyth wordes of comfort But blessed be they which mourne for the loue of the Gospell whiche be also plucked awey from their affections whiche se their moost dearly beloued troubled for the iustice of the gospel which despising the pleasures of this world passe their life in weping watching fasting giuing almoise prayng visiting the poore in such like occupations For with such woll that heauenly spirite ve present secretly coÌ„fortyng rewardyng the short mournyng with in estimable ioye of mynde translatinge theÌ„ to euerlasting blesse Mans couÌ„fortyng ofteÌ„tymes increaseth the grefe while it laboureth to swage it But the holy ghost the true coÌ„forter so chereth the godly mynd that in moost bytter afflictioÌ„s of the bodie it reioyseth By the common opinion of al men hungre is a peynful thing and nedy pouertie is the thyng that euery man eschueth neyther is there any man but couÌ„teth them happy which haue augmented their liuyng so established their thynges as they may now liue in hygh welth and abundaunce But assuredly it is not the heapynge vp of goodes which satisfyeth the mynde nor the welth of
saynt Austine Christe here meaneth that they woll hate hym in hys disciples and true folowers they woll persecute him in them and wol not folowe nor kepe their worde bicause it is his worde Wherfore sayth thys holy doctoure so moche the more wretched be they whiche do these thinges forbicause of this name as they be the more blessed whyche suffre these thinges for this names sake Howbeit the euil do these thinges to the euyl but both be wretched aswell the doers as the suffrers And why wol they do these thinges in spite of Christes name Ueryly saith Christ bicause they haue not knowne god the father of heuen whyche sente me For if they had knowne God thâ— father which sent Christ they shuld haue known Christ to haue preached by the coÌ„maundement and authoritie of hys father a farre other iustice then was preached or practysed of the world If Chryste had not comme and spoken to the worlde it shulde haue had no synne It is the preachinge of the gospell veryly that discloseth all vngodlynes and the vnrightuousnes of the worlde and whiche also setteth open the iustice of god Lette vs not then my freendes be ashamed of the gospell of Chryste For as the Apostle sayeth it is the power of God to the helth and saluatioÌ„ of al that beleueth For the rightuousnes of God is by it opened out of feyth into feyth Now therfore sith the gospel is preached vnto vs whyche discloseth synne we haue no excuse no clooke to hyde our synne wyth We know god and yet we do not glorifie ne worship him as god we be not thankfull vnto hym for the great inestimable benefites which from time to time we haue receiued at his handes We be called by the ministres of his holy word but we wol giue no eare We be tawght and we wil not attende Wherfore it is moche to be feared that like as we haue not regarded to knowe god so god wil giue vs vp into a disalowed minde If a maÌ„ wold hate him that he knew not he might peraduenture seme worthy of pardon and forgiuenes bycause he can not finde in his harte to fauour him whom he neuer sawe But we haue sene Christ and haue harde him thoughe not personally as the Iues sawe him and hard him yet by the preachyng of the gospell we knowe his power and ryghtuousnes and we espye our infirmitie and vnrightuousnes I say in his worde we se him and heare him as wel and as perfectly as the Iues did We haue seen his great benefites we haue hard of his wonderful dedes yet I feare lest there be many worldly persons amonges vs which do hate Christ hys word in very dede thoughe they pretende neuer so muche to loue hym and they hate hym and his worde euen for the same thinges for whiche they ought to loue him and the preachers of his word For in that they hate the preachers of his worde they hate his word and in that they hate his worde they hate hym And verily who so euer hateth Christ and hys preachers or his word doth hate also in very dede god the father by whose authoritie and speciall coÌ„maundemeÌ„t al is doon Wherfore thys very thynge doth heape damnation vpoÌ„ such worldly persons bycause they abuse so lewdly and so stubbernly the offred open goodnes of God If Christ by the preachyng of his mooste holy worde had not vttered amonges them suche miracles and wonders as none of all the prophetes euer vttered whether we woll consider the greatnes or the multitude of them they shulde not haue been in daunger of so heynouse a synne But nowe haue they both herde and seen the trouth and the more they haue herde seen the more they haue hated both it and the preachers therof So that the saynge of God by his prophete is in them fulfylled where it is written they haue hated me wythout cause It might be borne yf one did hate one beinge sturred and prouoked by displeasure and vnkyndnes shewed vnto him to hate him It myght be perdoned yf a maÌ„ wold hate one he knewe not but how can it be borne that one shulde hate hym whom he knoweth and which studyeth to do him all the good he can for hys sauegarde and soule health In thys sort did our sauiour Christ eoÌ„forte his Apostles and by them vs all to suffre tribulation and hatred for hys sake Let vs then folowe them and namely the blessed Apostles Simon and Iude whose memorye we do thys daye celebrate whiche had experience of these counfortes in their crosse whiche they bare for Christes sake neyther wolde they suffre themselfes to be plucked awey from the trouth of Gods worde for al the hatred malice and trouble that the worlde could practise against them If by their exemple we do the same we shal vndoubtedly with theÌ„ be crowned eternally by Iesus Christ our Lorde whiche togither with the father and holy ghost is world with out ende to be praysed Amen ¶ On all halowe daye The Gospell Mat. v. WHen Iesus saw the people he went vp into a montaigne and when he was sette hys disciples cam to him after he had opened his mouthe he taught them sayeng Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdom of heauen Blessed be they that mourne for they shal be couÌ„forted Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the erthe Blessed be they that hungre and thyrst after ryghtuousnes for they shal be satisfyed Blessed be the pytifull for they shal be pytied Blessed be the pure in harte for they shall se God Blessed be the peace makers for they shal be called the chyldren of God Blessed be they that be persecuted for ryghtuousnes for theirs is the kyngdom of heauen Blessed be ye when they shal â—euile and persecute you and speake euery euil worde agaynst you makyng lyes bycause of me Be glad reioyse for much is your reward in heuen The sermon vpon this Gospell THis daye good people is called all halowe daye is instituted of the Church of Christ that there myght be some certayne tyme to celebrate the memorye of all holy persones or sayntes whiche in this life liued a godly and perfecte life and therfore do nowe enioye eternall blysse in heauen accordyng as in this Gospell is promised vnto them and vnto vs al which wol do the same by our sauiour Christ. Let vs then se what thys Gospel speaketh Ye shall therfore vnderstande that our Sauiour Christ Iesus when he was walkyng here in earthe amonges vs and espyed the people more and more to gather about him of al sortes of meÌ„ he withdrew hym selfe as it were froÌ„ a low place and goyng vp to an high hylle beganne there to sette abroche hys heauenly doctrine declarynge by the very heigth of the place that he wolde teache no low ne coÌ„mon thyng but al highe and heuenly thynges His disciples whom he had specially
shal be blessed of gods holy hande they shal increase and multiplye they shal replenish the erth and haue it subiecte vnto them accordinge to the saynge of scripture If they feare the Lorde and walke togither in his wayes god shalle surely blesse them prosper and further them in al their doinges Wherfor thou maÌ„ which art hed of thy wife so loue maynteyne cherishe tender thy wyfe euen as Christe hath loued and moste tendrely imbrased his spouse the church If thou so do thou shalt eate the labours of thy haÌ„d as the prophet writeth thou shalt be happy and it shal be wel with the. Thy wife shal be as a plentifull vine tree vpon the walles of thy house Thy chyldren as oliue braunches rownd about thy table Loo sayth he thus shal the man be blessed whiche feareth the lorde This is gods institution of mariage these be the officies of maryed persons In these if ye walke like feithful and right christian persons though through the malice of the worlde ye suffre affliction here ye shal be sure after thys frayle lyfe perpetually to raygne wyth Christe oure lorde whyche wyth the father and holy goost thre per sons and one god is to be glorifyed and praised worlde without ende Amen ¶ At burienges The Gospel Ihon. xi MArtha sayd vnto Iesus Lorde if thou haddest bene here my brother had not dyed But nowe also I know y â— whatsoeuer thou askest of god god wol giue it the. Iesus sayde vnto her Thy brother shal rise againe Martha sayde vnto him I knowe y â— he shal rise at the resurrectioÌ„ in the last day Iesus sayd vnto her I am the resurrectioÌ„ and the life He that beleueth on me though he were dead yet shall he liue And euery one which liueth and beleueth in me shal neuer dye Beleuest thou this She sayeth vnto him Yea lorde I beleue that thou art Christe the sonne of god which cammest into the worlde The sermon vpon this Gospell WElbeloued people in our sauiour Christ this gospel is right comfortable to al feithful and true christian folke For in it is conteyned the glad and swere tydinges to al vnfeyned Christians that is to wit how Christ is our resurrectioÌ„ and our life if we beleue vnfeynedly vpon him and verely this is one of the chiefest articles of our religioÌ„ to beleue that though we dye here bodily for a tyme or rather slepe for so the scripture calleth it yet we shal rise againe and lyue euerlastingly wyth God in heauen through Christ in case we haue had stedfast feith in him and be founde cladde and adourned wyth the wedding garment at the day of the great Solempnitie that is to say at the generall resurrectioÌ„ of the chosen people of god when Christ the sonne of God shal be in full most perfite wise knitte conioyned in mariage to his louing espouse the church or congregation of the feithful persons But ye wol aske what thys weddynge garment is Ueryly after the minde of saint Gregorie it is charitie And that per sone entreth to the maryage but wythout the wedding garment whych being in the church hath feith but lacketh charitie Truly thys mans feith is not the true and liuely feith but it is a feyned feith and a deade feith as saint Iames calleth it bicause it is wythout workes For what auaileth it o my brethreÌ„ sayth thys holy Apostle Saynte Iames if a man wold say he had feith and hath no workes Trowe you that this feith shal saue him if your christeÌ„ brother or suster be naked and lacking dayly sustenaÌ„ce and one of you wolde say vnto them Go your way in peace warme your selues and fylle your belyes and yet neuertheles ye gyue them not the thynges necessarye for the body what wol this helpe So also feith if it hath not deades it is of it self dead By these wordes of saynt Iames we may lerne my freendes that it is not inough for a christeÌ„ man or womaÌ„ to say he beleue in Christ but he must also shew vs his feyth as saynt Iames sayeth by his dedes and workes Wherfore the weddinge wede that we must be cladde with is not bare fayth but it is charitie whyche is the frute of feyth or if ye wol nedes haue it feyth let it be that liuely fâ—yth which is garnished wyth this charitie that is to wit wyth suche zeale loue and affection whiche ye beare to god that for his sake ye freely aide releue your euen christeÌ„ accordinge to youre power And verely these be the workes that almyghty God requyreth of vs if we wol be counted his children and the inheritours of euerlasting blesse He commaundeth that our lyght shuld shyne afore men that they maye se our good workes and glorifye the father of heauen Finally the doers of these as hymselfe doth wytnes shal be called the blessed children of his father at the general resurrection and shal be â—ydden to come and entre into the vnspeakable ioyes of heuen which were prepared for theÌ„ sithens the beginning of the world Neither doth the most excellent clerke saint Hierom disagree from this interpretation saynge that the wedding garment may very wel be called the commaundementes of the lorde and the workes whiche be accomplyshed and fulfilled at the bidding of the law and gospell and he sayth that these workes do in a christen persone make the garment of the newe man whych garment verily who soeuer in the drad full day of iugement shal be found vnder a christen name not to haue shal be forthwith taken and caste into vtter â—arknes where according to the sentence of Christ shal be weping gnashing of teethe This by occasioÌ„ deare freeÌ„des haue I spoken of the weddyng garment wher w t must that sowle be cladde adourned which at y e general resurrectioÌ„ vprising again of al mankinde in flesh according to y â— article of our beleue shal by Christ liue euerlastingly But yet for the better more cleare vnderstaÌ„ding of this gospel I thinke it very expedieÌ„t to repete declare vnto you the very begynning of the historie whiche is red in this gospel accordyng as saynte Ihon the Euangelist doth report it in the begynninge of the xi chapter namely sith in it is conteined the most coÌ„fortable chefest article of the christen mans beleue The historie is this As our Sauiour Christ abode at Iordan it chaunced that in a towne named Bethania a certayne man called Lazarus laye sycke This towne was the natyue place countrey both of the sycke man and of his two susters Mary and Martha Uerely this Mary was she which wyth a notable record of loue towardes our sauiour Christ had annoynted hys hed as he sate at meate wyth a right preciouse oyntment with her heare had wyped hys feete whyche she had washed with the very teares that ranne downe from her eyen By reason wherof
pleÌ„tifully vpoÌ„ the in that thou hast the more offended according to the sentence of saint Paule Furthermore we may lerne also here a moderatioÌ„ of mynd and demurenes that we hitte noman in the teeth of his auncestours or kynsfolke For yf our Sauiour Christ had amonges his auncestours very tyrantes harlottes wicked ê‘sonnes who is he that hath not amonges hys auncestours and kinsfolke both good and badde Fourthly ye shall marke that saynt Mattheu here doth calle Ioseph the husband of Marie so that it is certaine that betwene Ioseph and Marye was a iust lawfull matrimonie vnder which not without a singuler cause Christ wold be borne to shewe that matrimonie is the state whiche pleaseth God and on the other side to liue in aduowtrye and fornication is a kynoe of life abominable afore God and man Of a virgine verily Christ wolde be borne but yet vnder lawfull wedlocke A virgine to hys mother becam hym that was God but in that she was maryed is setforth vnto vs the coÌ„mendation of wedlocke Uirginitie I say becam her which by secrete inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost being herselfe pure and vndefiled conceiued and brought forth him which was moost pure cleane but yet Ioseph was oure blessed Ladies husbande Doth not thys thynge then setforth vnto vs the honour of matrimonie and condemne these wicked heretiques which say that matrimonie is a thynge fylthy vnpure of whom saynt Paule speaketh callynge them spirites of errours and deuelish teachers For if Christ had wolde he myght haue been borne before Marye his mother was betrowthed to Ioseph If matrimonie also were a fowle thing and discoÌ„mended of god as some heretikes haue said why went our Sauiour Christ to a wedding wrought there the first miracle that euer he did by turnyng water into wyne So y e thoughe virginitie be a highe thyng mete for such as be of high ê‘fection yet matrimonie is an honest state Last of all thys Gospell doth condemne those heretikes which denye y t Christ toke fleshe of the blessed virgine say either that he brought a spiritual flesh with him from heuen or that the word so was made fleshe that Christ is only of one nature not of two natures For thys heresie hathe been longe sithens condemned of Christes churche And euen with one text in this gospel it is ouerthrowne where it is said that Iacob begatte Ioseph the husband of Marie of whom was borne Iesus whiche is called Christ. If of Marye Christe was borne then it must nedes folow that he toke flesh of her The Gospel of Luke also proueth the same where the angel sayth to Ma rye Thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and beare a childe And Elizabeth saith to our Lady Blessed is the frute of thy wombe But howe can she conceyue Christ or howe can Christe be called the frute of her wombe yf he toke no parte of her Finally Paule is playne in this mater which sayeth that Christe was borne of the sede of Dauid concernynge the fleshe What caÌ„ be spokeÌ„ more plainly So ye se according also to the flesh the great nobilitie of Christes bloud For he wold be not only according to the spirite but also according to the flesh the noblest of al meÌ„ Accor ding to the spirite he desceÌ„ded froÌ„ god hys father w t out begynning so that he is the eternal sonne of the eternal god What is higher thaÌ„ this nobilitie And as to the fleshe he is descended of most holy patriarches moost myghty Kinges and Dukes In al the worlde was neuer founde lignage kynred ne house of more nobilitie then this lignage was wherof our Sauiour Christ descended accordinge to the fleshe But his spirituall lignage is without coÌ„parison This haue I therfor set out that ChristeÌ„ men shuld knowe their owne nobilitie For they that beleue in Christe be made by feith the brethren ioyntheires with Christe accordinge to the text before rehersed where Christ sayth I wil shew thy name to my brethren And in an other place he sayth These be my brethren which heare the word of god do it Saint Paul also sayth The spirite witnesseth togither w e our spirite that we be the sonnes of god if sonnes ergo heires heires of God and felawe heires wyth Christ. Nowe also with Christ we be made by feyth one bodye that we maye be his membres What is lefte then but that also we be made parttakers of Christes nobilitie And therfor we be called Christians which by interpretation signifie kingly that is to say of a kinges house and nobilitie by Christ our king But wherfore is this so greate nobilitie to be taken of vs for vayn glorye to despice our neighbour No truely For as Christe the nobler he was both in spirite and also in flesh the huÌ„bler and â—owlyer he made himselfe So let vs also folow Christê exemple and the more noble we be made by Christ so moch let vs beare our selfes y â— more lowly Nowbeit otherwhiles it is not only lawfull but also necessarie to loke alofte and beare our selfes hyghe of our nobilitie not against men but agaynst Satan For it is a great villany and shame for a noble personage to subiect himself to vile seruices For what be more vile or fylthy occupations then the workes of the deuyl which be synnes Here then let vs loke on high in Christ and be ashamed for our nobilitie sake to huÌ„ble our selfes to the fylth of synnes Now ye haue the lignage of Christ according to the fleshe and the nobilitie of him and of al Christians It remayneth therfore y t we also shulde knowlege Christ by feith and garnishe our nobilitie wyth good workes by Iesus Christ our lorde which togither wyth the father holy ghost be praised foreuer Amen ¶ On saynt Thomas day the Apostle The Gospell Ihon. xx THomas one of the twelue called Didymê° was not with them wheÌ„ Iesus cam The other disciples therfore sayde vnto hym We haue seen the lord But he said vnto them Except I se in his handes the printe of the nayles and put my fynger into the prynte of the nayles and thurst my handes into hys syde I wyl not beleue And after viij dayes againe his disciples were within and Thomas with them Iesus commeth the doores beyng shutte and stode in the middes said Peace be with you After that said he to Thomas Bringe thy fynger hither and beholde my handes and reach hither thy hand and thurst it into my side and be not vnfeithful but feithful Thomas answered and said vnto him My lorde and my god Iesus saith vnto him Thomas bycause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they which haue not seen and yet haue beleued The sermon vpon this Gospell THis Gospell deare frendes declareth vnto vs the historie of saynt Thomas howe he wolde not beleue Christes resurrection til he had seen him and felt him
The princes of this worlde do practice Lordlines ouer such as be vnder theÌ„ they persuade not their subiectes to loue honestie but by feare of punyshemeÌ„t they fraye them froÌ„ wronges and they compell men to honour them though they haue neuer so euill deserued it Yea the nerer they approche to tyranny the more wol they be honored of the people with hygh tytles Uerily such is for moost parte the kyngdome of seculare and worldly rulers But amonges the clergie the disciples of Christ preachers of his gospell to whom he bequethed hys spirituall kyngdom ought to be an other fashion of liuyuge The greater one be among them the les violent power or glorye he oughte to chalenge to hym selfe Wherfore sayeth Basilius that auncient doctour of the churche lette not the dignitie extolle the prelate of the church lest he falle froÌ„ the blesse of humilitie But let him â–ª rather know thys that true humilitie is seruaunte of very many For lyke as he whiche ministreth to many wounded persons and wypeth awey the fylth of euery wounde taketh not this office vpoÌ„ him to extolle and vawnte hym selfe therupon so moch rather he to whom is committed the cure and charge of maladies and diseases of his goostly brethren and susters ought to caste and be carefull wyth himselfe as the minister of all whiche muste render accomptes for all Neyther is it to be feared saith he that the purpose of humilitie shulde be broken of the subiecte whyle hys better serueth hym Let prestes therfore the prelates of Christes churche not be ashamed to shewe that sobrenes and modestie to the worlde which Christ tawght hys Apostles to vse And the more Apostolicall that men wol be counted and vicares of Christes churche so much the more ought they to folow Christe and his Apostles in lowlynes sobrietie It is not ynoughe truely to be called by a vayne tytle of name the seruant of God or the seruant of seruauntes in dede to practise all Lordilnes skant vouchsauyng y â— men shulde kysse there feete If there be any of this sorte surely they be no vicares of Châ—ist but of Antichrist they be not apostolical but diabolical no good herdmen but false hyrelynges no feaders of Christes flocke but deuourers no buylders but destroyers no pyllers of his church but pollers If they wol nedes be couÌ„ted for meÌ„ apostolical let theÌ„ folow the exemple steppes of Peter Paule resemble theÌ„ in dede of whom they woll be counted the vicares Let theÌ„ be irreprehenlible sobre chast modest louers of hospitalitie ful of holsom doctrine no drunkerdes no warryours no louers of fylthy marchandise no bruers of gods word but pure prechers Let theÌ„ attende to y â— hole flocke as Peter coÌ„mauÌ„deth fede it as much as in theÌ„â—s takinge charge of it w eout desire of fylthy lucre vsinge theÌ„selfes as they may be estemed ministers of Christ and feithful stuardes of y â— heueÌ„ly mysteries of god as Peter Paule were You sayeth Christe to hys disciples be they whiche haue abode with me in my teÌ„tations as who shuld say He that begynneth to be pacient and anone leaueth of is not rewarded wyth the crowne of glorye but he that holdeth on to the ende For as Bede sayeth perseueraunce whiche is called a constancie or strongnes of mynde is full well cleped the pyller of all vertues The son of God therfore leadeth wyth him to his euerlastinge kyngdom such as stycke by him and be no starters awey froÌ„ hym at euery puffe of winde For if we by planted in him and be partakers wyth hym of hys death doubtles we shal also be pertakers and companions of his resurrection Christ saith here that he hath disposed or bequethed to his disciples the kingdoÌ„ which his heueÌ„ly father ordeined disposed to him The kingdom of Christ surely is not of this worlde Neyther is there any equalitie to the lorde but only an emulation of likenes For only Christ is the ful image of God wheras the iust maÌ„ is accordinge to the likenes or image of God yf accordynge to the same he despiceth thys world and for this cause also we do eate the blessed bodye of Christ that we may be pertakers of the heueÌ„ly life Such a sticker by Christ in al his temptations was thys holy Apostle saynte Bartilmew he was a true prelate of Christes Church neither was he a minister or seruaunt of other in name and tytle only but in dede he preached truely and syncerely not his owne coÌ„stitutions and decrees but Christes gospel hym let vs folow that we also may be made pertakers of that heuenly ioye by Christ our lorde â–ª To whom be rendred al thaÌ„kes and prayses Amen â–ª ¶ On Michelmas daye The Gospell Mathew xviij IN that time the disciples cam to Iesus sayng Who is the greater person in the kingdom of heuen And Iesus calling vnto hym a chylde dyd sette hym in the middes of them and sayd Uerily I say vnto you onles ye turne and become as children ye shal not entre into the kingdom of heauen Who soeuer therfore shal humble hymselfe as thys chylde he is the greater person in the kyngdom of heauen And he that receiueth suche a childe in my name receyueth me But he that greueth one of these lytle ones which beleue in me it were bettre for him that a mylstone were hanged about hys necke and that he were drowned in the depth of the see Wo be to the worlde bycause of offenses For it is necessarye offenses to come Yet neuertheles wo be to that maÌ„ by whom the offense commeth Uerily if thy hand or thy fote offende the cutte it of and cast it from the. Bettre it is for the to entre into life halt or maimed then thou shuldest hauyng two handes or two fete be cast into euerlasting fyer And if thyne eye offend the plucke it out and cast it from the. Bettre it were for the wyth one eye to entre into lyfe than hauing two eyen to be cast into hell fyre Se ye despice not one of these lytle ones For I saye vnto you that their angels in heuen do alweyes see the face of my father whyche is in heauen The sermon vpon this Gospell NOt without great cause and consideration good people the churche hath appoynted a certaine daye in the yeare for the solemnization of saint Michael the Archangel and by him of al the angels of heuen sith in them is put no small coÌ„fort in earth to al good and deuout persons First therfore by the help of god we intende sum what to intreate of their nature and office which done we wil brefely declare the gospel of this day Wherfore ye shal vnderstaÌ„d that there be two sortes of angels some be good and some badde The good angells do continually ministre vnto god and serue for our behouf and their delite is to do men good bicause they
themselfes be good of nature and theire office is to execute gods busynes and to take charge and cure of vs mortall men They defende and protect I say al good folke from the assaultes and violence of the deuyll they nourish concord peace vertues good studies artes sciencies polecie coÌ„mon welthes discipline shortly to speake mans helth and salfgard That these be the properties and offices of good angells appeareth very playnly by innumerable places of hooly writte wheare the good fathers were holpen and be nefited of them as in the olde testament were Abraham Iacob Loth Tobie the children of Israel being in the wildernes the three children whiche were cast into a hote furnaâ—e Eleas Elizeus and many others In the newe testament saynte Peter whiche was led out of prison by an angel also saint Paule whyche was certifyed of the shypwrake and of saluation and diuerse other But lette vs marke how great their power and vertue is One angell in one night strake all the firstbegotten of the countrie of Egipt One angel in one night strake down the hole armie of Sennacherib as appeareth in the fourthe boke of the kinges One angell in a plage of pestilence destroyed thousandes of men as appeareth in the seconde boke of kinges I let pas the visions of the prophetes Esaye Elie Elizeus Ezechiel Daniel and the rest where the Lorde by hys angells dyd speake and teach thinges whiche were to be done taught Also the reuelacions of saynt Ihon setforth in the boke of the Apocalipse Furthermore when so euer almighty god wold set out any singulare thing to mankind he shewed it afore by his angels as for exemple of Sampson of Iohn Baptist yea and of Christ himself to be borne The angels were present at Christes byrth at his death at hys resurrection and at sundry other tymes Ye shal morouer vnderstand that there be angels and also archaÌ„gels that is to saye chiefe or principall angels and they haue distincte officies and seueral functions wherby god almyghty exerciseth hys wonders The Apostell Paul therfore teacheth that there be powers dominatioÌ„s vertues And according to their officies and properties they haue names as saynte Michaell whose memorie the church doth this day celebrate as Gabriel as Raphael whiche for their high kind of ministration be called Archangels For lyke as a king hath vnder him princes dukes capitans lieutenantes coÌ„stables and other officers to defend men from iniuries to kepe the peace to brydell and punishe â–ª â—auenours and euil disposed persons euen so hath god who is king of kinges his angels vnder him of diuerse officies for mans sauegarde and defense against noysom spirites The angels I say of god whether they be sene or not â–ª sene be alweyes ready and assistent to good personnes and be theyr kepers which thing the ladder that Iacob saw reaching vp to heauen by whiche ladder the angels of god ascended descended doth manifestly declare But here peraduenture ye woll aske thys question why angels do not so often nowe appeare as they did in old tyme To this questioÌ„ the apostle maketh answere in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues where he sayeth that the lorde in times paste spake to y â— fathers by his angels but to vs he haue spoken by his only begotten sonne whom the father coÌ„maundeth vs to heare whose coÌ„maundementes and teachinges be set forth vnto vs by the foure Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke Ihon. Howbeit an other cause also why the angels appeare not as often to vs as they did in olde time to the auncient fathers may be very wel forbicause the world is now set all in naughtines men be commonly nothinge so pure so bertuouse nor so deuout as they were in times passed Yet it is manifest playne by Christes own wordes in the gospel of this day that euery good person hath his angel whych beholdeth the face of god the father in heuen Such an angell no doubt had Paule whom he called his angell as appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles Such peculiare angels had the good auncient fathers and finally such angels haue al good men and women at this day appoynted vnto them of almyghty god Wherfore the more fuller and replenished a man be wyth feyth and godly awe the more often also the nerer be the angels to him for accordinge to the coÌ„mon prouerbe lyke delyteth in the lyke And on the contrary side know we for certaine they be offended with fylthynes wyth vnclennes wyth malice wickednes and for thys cause forthwyth they departe from the persons who soeuer they be which be spotted with the same If we be then pure good doubt we not but god hath giuen commaundement to his angels ouer vs that they shuld kepe vs in all oure wayes Herunto also do the auÌ„cient doctours of the church ful wel agree Saynt Hierom writing vpon the gospel of Matheu sayth The worthines surely of soules is great forasmoch as euery one hath his angel appointed vnto him for his keper euen from his byrth The noble clerke Drigen also sayth there is at hand to euery one of vs yea euen to the least of vs al which be in the church of god a good angell the lordes messanger to direct vs to rule vs to monish vs to gouerne vs which seeth daily the face of the heuenly father for the correcting of our doinges and obteyning of mercie for vs. Neither doth saint Gregorie disagre from this which writeth that euery one of vs haue a propre and peculiar angell appoynted to the keping of him and one euil angel to his exercise Also saynt Bernard exhorteth vs to be deuout â–ª louing and kynde to so worthy kepers Hithersito my frendes we haue spoken of the good angels Now wol we intreate sumwhat of the euyll angels to the intent we maye the bettre espye what great coÌ„modities and benefites our lord doth giue vnto vs by his good angels whan on the contrary side we shal behold the incommoditie and mischiefe that commeth of the badde angells For how can a man so well knowe what a good thinge peace is as when it is compared with batel which is the contra ry They be therfore called badde angells bycause they bring to pas nothing that is good they haue sundry names otherwhile in scripture they be called euill spirites Satan Deuiâ—les cacodemones and feendes Satan in the Hebrue betokeneth an aduer sarie bicause he is agaynst god against his worde and against our helth and â—aluatioÌ„ Diabolus that is to say deuil betokeneth a sklaunderer and an accusour forasmoch as he accuseth vs and doth euyil interprete al thinges be they done neuer so wel and godly Cacodemon signifieth a crafty knower and full of suttelcie and deceipt al set on mischief They be also called by a resemblanÌ„ce of properties roring lyons dragons
princes and kinges for my sake for a witnes to them and to the Gentils And in an other place he sayeth The tyme is coÌ„minge that who soeuer kylleth you woll thynke he hath done hygh seruice to God Truly this that Christ speaketh to his Apostels he speaketh to al right christen men women For they also muste entre into the kyngdom of god by many afflictions Let vs goe then eueryone in his calling armed with the only protection of Christ. The euyll disposed personnes wol fume and chafe against the pure doctrine of Christ but with these doth Chryste couple vs vnarmed and naked He sendeth vs not to hurt any man but like simple and harmeles personnes to helpe al men He commaundeth his preachers and disciples not to seke succours of men to defende them against the violence of wicked persoÌ„s nor yet to be carefull for their lyuynge He byddeth them goe light and vncombred to the office of preaching bearing with them neither wallet nor scrippe that is nothynge that perteyneth to the necessitie of nature for al thinges shal be caste vnto them Neyther to care for theire harbroughe for there shall be euer some to receyue them into their howses only let them do their duties and shewe themselfes true preachers of his worde And into what citie or place so euer they entre he byddeth them first desire peace to the hole familie And if the child of peace be there that is to say a meke man and desirouse of the heauenly doctrine then shal their prayer do him good if not it shall returne to them agayne But here ye wil aske why Christ coÌ„maunded his disciples to salute noman in the way Ye shall vnderstand that in the fourthe boke of kynges the prophete Elizeus gaue lyke commaundement to his seruaunte Giezi sending hym on an hasty message Christe therfore meaneth by thys that he wolde not that hys preachers shuld vnder pretence of greting and interteining of their carnal freendes be by any meanes hindered from the executing of their office But what were these seuentie disciples coÌ„maunded to preache that the kingdoÌ„ of god drew nigh Why ye wil say is it inough for to know this No verily for the deuyl also knew this yet is damned What then This is necessary to be preched that we might be warned to repent so atteyne to the kingdom of Christ. Wherfore go we to let vs imbrase this gospel by feith let vs repent that when Christ shal com in Maiestie we may reigne w t him whiche with the father holy gost is to be glorifyed for euer Amen ¶ On saynt Simon and Iudes day The Gospel Ihon. xv IEsus sayd to his disciples This coÌ„mauÌ„d I you that ye loue togyther If the worlde hateth you knowe ye y t it hated me afore you If ye were of the worlde the worlde wolde loue hys owne Howbeit bycause ye be not of the worlde but I haue chosen you out of the world therfore the worlde hateth you Remembre the word that I told you The seruant is not greater then hys maister If they haue persecuted me they will also persecute you If they haue kept my sayng they wol also kepe yours But al these thinges woll they do to you for my names sake for they know not him that sent me If I had not com and spake to them they shuld haue had no synne But now haue they no clooke for their sinne He that hateth me hateth also my father If I had not done the workes among them which none other man did they shuld haue had no syn But now haue they seen also hated both me and my father But this coÌ„meth that the word might be fulfylled which is writen in theire law They hated me w tout cause The sermon vpon this Gospel OUr Sauiour Christ deare frendes giueth vs here a speciall coÌ„maundement that we shulde loue one an other First bicause he by so many ways hath declared his loue towardes vs. SecoÌ„d bicause in the worlde if we be true folowers and louers of him we shal haue none that wil hartely loue vs but rather the world woll surely hate vs. And why woll the world hate vs bicause the veritie of the gospell is brought vnto vs out of an other world into thys world by Christe and Christ as a straunger cam into this world Wherfore it is no meruayle thoughe he hath many haters and despicers For a strauÌ„ger amonges straungers can not easely fynd freendes Besydes thys whatsoeuer is in thys worlde it is nawght elles but luste of the fleshe luste of the eyen and pryde of lyfe as saynte Ihon wryteth Yea the chief renownes of this world as carnal iustice carnall wisdom carnall power be starke nawght For the Iues were rightuouse in flesh but seking to stablish their own ryghtuousnes they were not subiect to the rightuousnes of god The Grekes were estemed the wisest men of the worlde but the wisdom of this worlde was foly before god Christ by his gospel repreueth the worlde of synne vtterly reiecteth the wisdom iustice power of this worlde teaching them to be falshode and no trouthes and he setteth vp an other kynde of iustice that muste be obteyned by feythe an other kynde of wysdom to be lerned of gods worde and an other kinde of power to be gotten by trouble crosse affliction and suffraunce The worldly men therfore not abydyng their thinges to be eyther repreued or reiected do hate Christe they persecutel his gospel and stampe against his word And loke how moch the worlde hateth Christ hys gospel euen so moch they hate so many as purely and syncerely do eyther preache or set forth by any meanes the same They persecute them they kyll them And for this cause Christe armeth al his true preachers and disciples by hys owne exemple that they shrynke not when they be persecuted troubled or vexed sayng If the world hateth you knowe ye that it hated me first ere it hated you as who shulde say Let it not seme straunge that ye be hated of the world for the seruant is not in better ease than hys maister they hated me first wherfor how shuld they not but hate you also Uerely al that be the true folowers of Christe be not of the worlde first bycause Christe hath plucked them aweye by feyth from the maâ—ers of this worlde and hath clothed them wyth the newe heauenly man and secondly bycause they allowe not the thynges of the worlde but counte all worldly thinges mere folies and vanities and as Paule saith the world is crucified to them and they to the worlde The worlde therfore can not but hate them but persecute them but exclude them out of theire companyes yea and if they can put them to death And al these thynges sayth Christe shal they do vnto you for my names sake But what is thys to say for my names sake Surely sayth
we may very wel vnderstaÌ„de that there was a singular and a right special amitie and frendship betwene this familie and our sauiour Christ. Wher fore when Lazarus was in great paryll of deathe his susters for the familiaritie which they had with Iesus sent worde vnto him how his freend Lazarus was sore sycke they nothing doubting but that he of his wonderful humanitie whyche he bare towardes al men wold helpe his freend being in such dauÌ„ger Lo say they he whom thou louest is sycke They thought it ynough only to gyue hym knowlege of his freendes sickenes and therfor they adde no praiers to desyre his helpe To whom Iesus ma keth answere in this wise Ueryly this syckenes is not deadly but it is therfore chauÌ„ced vnto him that by occasioÌ„ therof gods glory might be set out to the inteÌ„t that whaÌ„ by his vertue the disease shal be driue awey the soÌ„ne of god might also be glorified A like answere did Chryste make to hys disciples of him y â— was borne blynde sayng y e it was not his offeÌ„se y â— he was so but y e godê workes shuld be shewed in hym Certes our sauiour Christ loued very entierly Mar tha and Mary and their brother Lazarus yet not withstaÌ„ding his great loue he suffred him to fal into sicknes yea and into death to thintent we shulde not counte it an vnworthy and heuye case iâ—â—â— any time the vertuouse and good persons sâ—â—â—â—â—â—s be imbracers of true godlines the freendess 〈◊〉 be otherwhyle assaulted wyth the troubles 〈◊〉 s of this worlde god wynking at the mater eâ—â—â—â—er bicause it is so expedient for them that suffre the same or bycause it is so auaylable to the settinge forth of gods glorie not that god with mans euilles procureth his owne glorie but that for mans cause he is wonte to turne the euylles whiche do chaunce vnto vs either to our soule helth or vnto his glorie He knew full wel that his freend was sycke yea before it was tolde him but for a playne declaration of the greatnes of the miracle which he went about to vtter it was requysite to haue hys disciples myndes prepared After then that tidinges was brought vn to Iesu of his freendes death he went not forth w t but in the self same place he taryed styl for the space of two dayes not that he regarded not the daunger of his frende but bicause he awayted a more conuenient and plentifull occasion of vtteringe the miracle and also that he himself whose time was almost comme to dye for mankynde myght herby rayse vp the myndes of his disciples whiche as yet were but weake to the hope of the rysyng againe herafter But his disciples for feare holding their peace bycause their maister Christ had but a litle before esca ped out of the Iues handes and therfore thinkinge hym to be in more sauetye in wyldernes where he now was Iesus sayd vnto them Let vs goe again into the countrey of Iewry The disciples hearinge mention made of Iurye and calling to their remeÌ„braunce the deadly hatred which the pharisies bare against Christ and also how ofte they had taken vp stones to cast at him and went about to lay handes â—n him feared not only their maister but also themselfes For they had not as yet receiued y â— holy ghost and they folowed Iesus yet but with a certaine humane affection themselfes also abhorring death bicause of their frayltie and weaknes Wherfore they labouring all that they could to dissuade him from returning again to Iurye said vnto him Lord hast thou forgotteÌ„ how that a few dayes passed the Iues thy mortal enemyes wold haue stoned y â— to death if thou haddest not the soner wythdrawen thy selfe from their fury And again wolt thou now goe thither and cast thy selfe in an open daunger But Iesus counforted them putting away their feare with a certaine diffuse parable signifieng that such persons ought nothinge to feare whyche cleaue fast to Christe who is the lyght of the worlde For it is the night which bringeth with it the vayne feares The day knoweth them not Hath not the day sayth he twelue howers The night shal not come before the time appoynted In the meane season who soeuer walketh in the day stombleth not forasmoch as the Sunne which he beholdeth maketh him to se and by seing to beware the occasion of stomblynge But who soeuer whan the Sunne is wythdrawen from him walketh in the nyght he stuÌ„bleth and why verily bicause he lacketh light This dyd our sauiour Christe speak meaninge that he is the lyght of the world as saynt Ihon in the begynning of his gospel doth testifie therfore it behoued hys disciples to folow his guiding and not to go before the light neither yet to feare before the tyme come for so long as they haue Chryst to shew them lyght there is no danger But when he must be taken from them theÌ„ coÌ„meth nyght vpon them then let them feare So that according to the exposition of some Doctours the twelue houres of the day do betokeÌ„ the appointed tyme of his life as like wise he answered to theÌ„ which cam from Herode and counsailed hym to sle bicause king Herod sought to slee him It behoueth me sayth he this day and to morowe and the nexte day to walke about for it is not possible that a prophete shuld perysh in any other place but in Hierusalem And the time of his passioÌ„ he calleth the power of darknes and the houre of the wicked persons As though Christ shuld heresay to his disciples Ye nede not to feare my going into Iurye now at this present tyme for I certifie you that the tyme of my death and passion for mankynde is not yet comme The day verily hath her due houres appoynted her of almyghty god whych we at our owne choise and pleasure can neyther make shorter nor yet longer so I also haue my time prescribed appointed vnto me of my heueÌ„ly father wherin I must accoÌ„plish the busynes y â— I com for which is to redeme the world This time caÌ„ not be shortned ne yet preuâ—ted by the malice of y â— Iues. Wherforye haue no cause to feare my goynge at this tyme into the partes of Iewry Wyth these wordes after that our Sauiour Christ had mitigated the feare of hys Apostles he openeth the cause of his goyng Lazarus saith he our frend slepeth But I go to awake him out of his slepe Ue rily my freÌ„des thys is a new preaching neuer ere opeÌ„ly herd of in the world y t death is no death but rather a slepe For without doubt by the goodnes and benefite of Christ death is nowe made but a slepe to al feithful Christen men and women â–ª for Christ our redemer by his death hath vaâ—nquyshed death and made it but a slepe vnto vs. And if it be but a slepe why do
for the purifieng of the childwife and also of the childe suÌ„what shuld be offered the most pure virgine Mary wold fulfylle the lawe also in this poynt though in her child byrth she knew was nothing after the maner of other womens byrthes contaminate or spotted but al was ful of heuenly puritie and holynes For what spotte of vnclennes could she haue which by the worke of the holy ghoste conceyued wythout mans knowlege only by imbracement of the heuenly power She goeth therfore with Ioseph who as yet was thought to haue bene father to Iesus vnto Hierusalem bearing the childe with them that they might present him in y â— temple in the sight of the lord to whom he was consecrate not but that al be the lordes but that we shuld be taught by this mystical figure that those mindes be most acceptable to God whiche with a manly strength of spirite haue conquered the lustes of y e fleshe so do auauÌ„ce to thinges heuenly and euerlasting Moses law intending this had commaunded the Iues that euery male so sone as by the openinge of the mothers wombe it was brought to lyght shulde be taken as holy to the lord whether it were of mankynde or of brute beastes that herby also the first frutes might go to the prestes so yet that the first begotten of the mankinde shuld be redemed out of the prestes handes onles the childe were of y â— Leuitical tribe Now surely the selfe law openly deliuereth our Lady froÌ„ the bonde of it where it sayth in the leuiticall boke The wife whiche receiuing sede shal bringe forth a maÌ„child For the blessed virgine our Lady was neither mulier that is to say such woman as haue lyen with man neither receiued she mans sede And as towching the opening of y e matrice surely this heauenly child did in no maner violate the chastitie of of y e virgins wombe but rather preserued halowed it from al spot of vnclennes during her life He then was presented in y â— temple as subiect to y â— law which was lord of al thingê both heuenly erthly He was redemed with a smal price which cam to redeme the hole world w t the price of his bloude For y e law had appointed y e Iues to redeme their first begotteÌ„ son with a lambe of one yeare olde which was giuen in sacrifice And thaÌ„ shuld be added a doue or a turtyll for y â— purifienge of al spot or vncleÌ„nes which might happeÌ„ to be coÌ„mitted in y â— begetting of y â— child or after to thintent y â— that whiche shuld be offered to the lord might be throughly pure Howbeit if they were not of abilitie to giue a lambe the law suffred them to giue in stede therof a turtil doue or a pigeoÌ„ for y â— redemptioÌ„ of y e child The other bird was offered for the purging of the sinne Our Lady therfore and Ioseph offered the pore mens oblatioÌ„ and it is not to be doubted but they wold haue made a richer gift if theire pouertie hadde not letted them Allbeit they re minde was rich in godlynes and to giue vs an exeÌ„ple y e professioÌ„ of pouertie was more profitable But lo there was at this self time in HierusaleÌ„ one SimeoÌ„ a iuste maÌ„ such one as stode in awe of god surelye he might wel be called a iust maÌ„ for he sought not his own but y e peoples weale he awaited for him y t shuld redeme out of boÌ„dage not him only but al maÌ„kind And bicause he was endowed w t this iustice godlines the holy ghost was in him had inspired him that he shulde not dye till he had sene with his fleshely eyen him that he longe before had espyed wyth the eyen of feyth As Mary therfore and Ioseph were bringinge the child into the temple this Simeon also cam by the guiding of the holy gost into the temple toke Iesus in his armes And here sayth Origene an auncient doctour of the church if thou Christen person wi lt in like wise hold Iesus and imbrace him in thy handê thou must with al labour attempt that thou maist haue the holy ghost to thy guide and so come to y â— temple of god as this holy SimeoÌ„ did Thou must be a iust person a fearer of god religiouse deuout godly as he was But what did Simeon ha uing this most blessed child in his armes He blessed and praysed god sayeng Now o lorde thou dost licence thy seruaÌ„t to depart in peace out of this world according to thy worde For myne eyen haue nowe seen him by whoÌ„ it hath plesed the to saue maÌ„kind whom I say thou hast prepared and ordeined in the face of al peoples to be vnto y â— hetheÌ„ persons Panyms which hitherunto for defalt of true knowlege haue worshiped false godê a light for to lighteÌ„ them to disclose thy trouth vnto them againe to thyn own people y â— Israelites a cause of most high glorie This in effect spake Symeon in his maner Let vs therfore good people for our ê‘te also blesse praise god that wheras we y â— inhabitantes of this Realme were before y â— coÌ„ming of Christ wicked Panims ydolaters we now by y â— disclosing of his gospel â—ee his people Let vs labour to be iust and holy persons pore in spirite rich in godlines Let vs desire to be led w t the holy spirite of God So shall we at last depart this world in true peace by Christ our lorde To whom be prayse for euer Amen ¶ Saynt Mathias day the Apostle The Gospell Math. xi IN that tyme Iesus sayd I confesse vnto the O father lorde of heauen and of earth bicause thou haste hyd these thinges from wise and prudent persons and hast disclosed them to yonglinges Uerily father for so semed it good before the. Al thinges be deliuered vp vnto me of my father noman knoweth the sonne but the father neyther knoweth any man the father but the sonne he to whom the son wyll disclose Come to me all ye that laboure and be burthened and I shall quiet you Take my yoke vpon you and lerne of me for I am meke and lowly in harte and ye shall fynde quiet to youre soules For my yoke is pleasant and my burthen is lyght The sermon vpon this Gospel Bycause our sauiour Christ good people what tyme he was conuersant here in earth amonge the Iues hadde vpbrayded them for theire misbeleue declaring vnto them that the Hethen persones were redyer to receyue hym then they at which wordes some were offended therfore he aunswereth to theire thoughtes in thys wyse I confesse that is I do thanke prayse the O father bycause thou hast kept close this heauenly doctrine from the wise and prudent men in their owne opinions such as be the scribes and pharisees and haste opened the same to fooles and
babes after the iugement of the worlde euen to rude vnformed and rusticall persones And here sayth Chrysostomus we be taught vtterly to pluck down our high stomakê to folow humilitie And truly sayth he these wordes whiche our Lorde spake to his disciples occasioned them to be moche more diligent and lowly in hert For bycause it was likely that they stode moch in their owne conceytes for that they did cast out deuiles therfore with these wordes he abateth their courage represseth them For the thing that was done vnto them was a reue lation that is to say a disclosing and opening from god and not their owne propre studie and laboure And therefore the scribes and pharisees estemynge themselfes to be wise prudent fell from the knowlege of godes mysteries bycause of theire pryde and swelling myndes Wherfore if the secrete mysteries of god were hyd from them bycause of thys se then that we be vnder feare and awe let vs continewe as babes for this surely made the apostles of christ to enioy this secrete knowledge For lyke as whaâ— Paule saith tradidit illos deus in reprobuÌ„ sensuÌ„ that is god gaue them vp into a disalowed mynde he speaketh not this inducing god as doyng thys but them whiche gaue the cause so we must vnderstande in like wise this text where Christ sayth that hys father hath hyd this knowlegde from the wyse scribes and pharisees And why were they hid from them Herken what Paule sayth bycause goyng about to stably she theire owne iustice they were not subiecte to the iustice of god Al be deliuered vnto me sayth Christe from my father This he spake les any thing shuld be thought to be les in hym than that whiche is in god For as saynt Austin sayth if our sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of god hath any thing les in poure then hath god the father then surely all be not his that the father hath for by begettinge did the father gyue the power to hys sonne lyke as all that he hath in hys substance did he by begettynge â–ª gyue to him whom he begatte of his substance Furthermore in the interchaungeable or mutuall knowledge of the father and sonne it is done vs to wyte that none other thinge was in god the sonne then was in God the father For it foloweth in the text and no man knoweth the sonne but the father nor noman knoweth the father but the sonne For surely by this that he onely knoweth the father he doth vs to vnderstande that he is of the selfe same substance that the father is of As if he shulde saye vnto vs. What meruayle â–ª I praye you is it if I be very Lord of all sith there is yet a greater thing in me euen the knowlege of the father of heuen that I am of y â— same substance y â— he is of Thus by these wordê Christ our sauiour declareth himself to be not man only but also god egal in powre w t his father And where he sayeth that none knoweth the father but the son he meaneth not y â— al men be vtterly ignorant of him but this he meaneth that by that knowledge that he knoweth his heauenly father noman ells knoweth him In so moche that that knowlege that men haue either of the father or of the son they haue it by y â— sons disclosing So y e the son discloseth not only his father but also himself vnto vs. For as the holy doctour saint Austin saith The word doth not only open y â— thing that is declared by the word but also it declareth it self But how doth y â— son disclose his fathers wil pleasure vnto vs Surely by his most coÌ„fortable word which is called his gospel Come therfore sayth Christ vnto me al ye that trauayle and I shall set you at rest He sayth not come he and he but come to me all ye that be in cares in heuynes and in synnes not that I myght take punishement of you but that I myght losen your sinnes Come not that I nede to be glorified of you but that I desyre your helth and saluation Come he sayth not wyth fete but wyth maners not wyth body but wyth feyth For this is the spirituall comming wherby one approcheth to god And if ye thus come I shal set you at rest he sayth not I shal saue you but that more is I shal set you in al quyet and reste Take my yoke vpon you What is Christes yoke Surely his Gospel which as Theophilactus saith sheweth vs glad newes forgiuenes of sinnes iustification commynge to heauen and that we be made the children of god O how swete how pleasaÌ„t and easy is this yoke Only let vs put froÌ„ vs pryde of hert and the care of worldely vanities learne of Christe to be meke lowly lyke as the holy Apostle Mathias folowynge hys maisters steppes whose memory we celebrate this day left vs exemple So shall we inioye that heauenly rest voyde of all greuance and replenyshed wyth all solace whyche here is promysed vnto vs. By Christ our lorde To whoÌ„ be all glorie Amen ¶ The Annunciacion of oure Lady commonly called our Ladies daye in Lente The gospell Luc. i. IN the sixt moneth was sent the angel Gabriel of God into a citie of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgine spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of Dauids house and the virgines name was Mary And the angel being entred vnto her said Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with the blessed arte thou amoÌ„ges women WheÌ„ she sawe hym she was troubled vpon hys worde and deuised what maner greting this shulde be And the angel said to her Feare not Mary â–ª For thou haste founde grace with God Lo thou shalte conceyue in thy wombe and brynge forth a son and thou shalt call his name Iesus He shal be greate shal be called the son of the hyghest and the Lorde God shall gyue hym the seate of hys father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne shal be no ende Mary said vnto the aungell Howe shal this be for I knowe not man And the aungell answered and said vnto her The holy goost shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadow the and therfore the thing that shal be born holy shal be called the sonne of God And lo Elizabeth thy cousin she also hath conceiued a sonne in her olde age and this is the sixt moneth to her which was called baren â–ª for no word shal be impossible with God Ma ry said Beholde the handmayde of the Lorde be it doon to me accordynge to thy worde The sermon vpon this gospell IF a Gospell deare people signifieth a gladde tydynges what Gospel can be compared with this gospell which sheweth to the blessed virgine Mary yea vnto vs all the gladdest tydinges that coulde come
them for none other cause but for the iustice sake of the Gospell whiche hurteth none and helpeth all For euen thys selfe thynge sturreth vp their hatred for which they oughte to haue shewed their loue neyther for any other cause do they rendre wronge then for the whiche they ought to haue giuen thankes Christe sayeth not blessed be they that suffre persecution of the Hethen people For thoughe a man suffre persecution as the holy Doctour ChrysostoÌ„ sayth of he retikes or of meÌ„ of power whiche seme and be called christians he is blessed w t saint ThoÌ„ Baptist with innumerable other holy martyres For yf it be true that the prophetes be martyrs which were stayne of their owne natioÌ„ w tout doubt he y t for gods cause suffreth any thing though he suffre of his owne nation hath the reward of martyrdoÌ„ And therfore the scripture hath not put the ê‘sons of y â— ê‘secuters but the cause only of the persecution that we shulde not loke who it is that psecuteth but for what cause But ye wol say who can loue such as for pleasures reÌ„ore agayne displeasures hatred and euel turnes It is an harde thinge I graunt but the rewarde is greate And what is the reward not a garlande of flowres or bay leaues not an oxe or a goote but the kyngdom of heuen Unto thys turnament we must prepare our selfes so many as woll be Christes disciples if we desire to wynne the crowne of the EuaÌ„gelicall felicitie Mans crueltie is nothyng y t ought to fraye vs from it Noman can hurte vs yf we cleaue to iustice The persecution of the euill shall not plucke awey oure innocencie but it shall rather increase our blesse Yea in the mydde stormes of the persecution we shal be blessed Let vs call to mynde my frendes the valiant martyrs and holy both meÌ„ women children which haue been before our time the memorie of all whom the church doth this daye solemnize how coÌ„stantly how paciently they suffred al vilanouse wordes al mockes skornes vnworthy punishementes yea and many of them death for the trouthes sake When men cursed them wyth bytter curses when men assawted them wyth all kynde of mischief when men falsely accused them and layd to their charge all the crymes they coulde bycause they were true folowers disciples of Christe they bewayled not theÌ„selfes as vnhappy and miserable but rather they reioysed and triumphed therin forasmuche as the more their enemies and ê‘secutours did rage agaynst them the more dyd their rewarde increase in heuen Their hurte God turned to their good The damage that they suffred of men he turned to their lucre The reproche he turned into euer lastynge and true glorie The crimes and vpbraydynges whych men brought falsly against them he turned into the titles and triumphes of true godlines mens cursinges he turned into prayses and reioysinges not only afore God whom to please they thought it ynough â–ª though they displeased the hole worlde besides forth but also afore men For of wicked and vngodly men to be dispraised for godlines is to be praysed and to be tormented of the haters of god is to be crowned Prayse and glory amoÌ„ges men they sought not for and yet neuertheles it folowed the true vertue of the owne accord Thus the holy prophetes whyche haue bene afore vs thus the blessed martyres the confessours the virgines the deuoute wydowes and brefely to speake all the halowes and godly personagies before oure tyme be rewarded crowned nowe with the crowne of immortalitie Let vs therfore dearly beloued frcendes folow them in liuing that we may also folow them thither where they now be in perpetual ioy with the father sonne and holy gost three persons and one god who be praysed foreuer Amen ¶ On the day of weddyng The Gospell Mat. xix THe pharisees cam to Iesus temptynge him and sayng Is it lawful for man to put awey his wife for all maner of causes He answered and sayde vnto them Haue ye not red that he that made man at the beginning made them man and woman and said for this cause shal man leaue father mother and cleaue to his wyfe they two shal be one fleshe Wherfore they be nomore two but one fleshe Lette not man then put a suÌ„dre that which god hath coupled togither The sermon vpon this Gospel Forasmoch as welbiloued audieÌ„ce in our Sauiour Iesu Christ we be assembled at this present tune for the solemnizatioÌ„ of matrimonie betwen these two persoÌ„s in the face of the churche accordinge to the laudable custome and rites of the same I inteÌ„d with your fauours first ere I expownd this gospel brefely to declare y â— first institutioÌ„ ordinauÌ„ce of matrimonie to thinteÌ„t not only these two ê‘soÌ„s here cou pled togither but also al other which be here gathered togither aswel maried as to be maried maye be admonished instructed of their office dutie herin First therfor ye shal vnderstand that almighty god what time he first made created man in paradice consydering of his botomles wisdom how necessary mete and conuenient it was to couple man and womaÌ„ togither in wedlok both for the comfort aide and helpe of one an other and for the multiplicatioÌ„ and meyntenaunce of mankinde in lawful successioÌ„ and also to thintent that therby generation of issue might after mans fall be continually from tyme to time maynteined vntyll the ende of the world without synne or offêse towardes god did not only euen than at the beginning and in paradice knytte Adam and Eue togyther in matrimonye and dyd ordeyne and blesse the same by his holy worde but also dyd declare and set forth the vertue and strength therof by the mouth of AdaÌ„ for he being inspired as saint Austine and other holy doctours say wyth the holy ghost when he was by almighty god whiche made him knytte and coupled in lawfull mariage wyth Eue his wife spake as a prophet these wordê folow yng Loo now these bones of Eue my wyfe be fourmed of my bones and this her flesh of my flesh She shal be called a woman bycause she is taken forth of the man And for this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and cleaue fast vnto his wyfe and they tweyne shal be one flesh By which wordes it is ment that by the strength and vertue of maryage ryghtly made the man and wyfe whiche before were two bodies be now made one bodye durynge their liues so that herafter the husbande as saynte Paule sayth hath not power ouer his owne bodye to vse it as him lusteth but it is hys wiues neyther hath the wyfe power of her owne bodye but her body is her husbandes body and wyth hym only may she vse the acte of matrimony And therfor they two so knytte conioyned by gods ordenaunce may in no wise â—e deuided for any affection either to father or mother or
for any earthly thynge in the worlde Secondly deare frendes ye shall vnderstande that god renewed his sayd ordinauÌ„ce of matrimony and sanctifyed it wyth hys holy worde immediatly after Noes floude At which tyme being al y â— people of the world destroyed with the said floude except Noe his childreÌ„ and their wifes god callyng them out of the arke said vnto them Crescite multiplicamini et replete terram that is th say Encrease be ye multiplied and fulfyll you the earth agayne And albeit this law and coÌ„maundement of matrimonie giuen agayne to Noe and to his chyldren was a sufficient instruction vnto them and to all their ofspring how to vse it in all clennes and puritie yet god ê‘ceiuing mans naturall inclination to synne and malice dyd afterwarde further stablish and declare the same by hys other lawes written more at large shewyng the degrees of coÌ„sanguinitie and of affinitie which nature abhorred to marie in as appeareth in the boke of Leuiticus the. xviij xx chapters Which lawes of prohibition al we christen men and womeÌ„ be vonden to obserue and kepe For who so euer marieth wythin the degrees there expressed and prohibited of God in the said boke be cursed by Gods mouth and their mariage is of no force ne strength neither afore God ne man but detestable abhominable deuelishe and damnable And on the contrary syde all mariages made betwene kynsfolke or alyes that be not wythin the degrees whiche be in that boke forbydden of God though the bishoppe of Rome hath neuer so moch forbiddeÌ„ them be without any dispeÌ„sation of man good holy godly and approued not only of God but also authorized by acte of parlimeÌ„t made in the .xxxij. yeare of the reigne of oure mooste drad Soueraigne lorde the kyng that now is Henry the eight Thyrdly ye shall vnderstand that this coniunction betwene maÌ„ and wife in matrimonie was ordeined that therby also myghte be represented vnto vs not only the perfecte indissoluble vnion of the nature of God with the nature of man whiche was fulfylled when the second person in trinâ—tie toke vpoÌ„ him the fourme and substaÌ„ce of oure nature but also the lyke coÌ„iunction in perfecte loue betwene Christ and his churche as the holy apostle Paule witnesseth in his epistle to the Ephesians where goyng about to proue that al womeÌ„ which be maried ought to loue and to be subiecte vnto their husbandes in all thynges euen as the churche is subiecte to Christ likewise that al husbaÌ„des be bound to loue their wiues euen as Christ loueth the church hys spouse he brin geth in the first ordinance of matrimonie as it was ordeyned by god in paradice and the wordes before rehersed wheruppon he inferreth sayth that thys coÌ„â—unction of man and woman in mariage wherby they are knitte and made one flesh and one bodye is the sacrament that is to saye the figure the significatioÌ„ the mysterye or the prophecieng before of that great and meruelouse coÌ„iunction which is betwene Christ and his churche For like as by the vertue of thys first ordinaunce of matrimonye the man and wife be made as one body wherof the maÌ„ is the hed euen so the excedinge loue of Christe towardes hys spouse the church knytteth and maketh Christe and hys church to be but one bodie wherof Christ is the hedde And lyke as the woman was fourmed of the rybbe of man so of Christe sprang forth the churche whiche is purified by water and bloude The rybbe is the harder part of the body the husbande is the strength of the wife euen so is Christ the strength of the churche Out of the rybbe and myddes of the bodye was the wife brought forth and eueÌ„ so Christ toke fleshe of our substaunce borne of the vndefiled virgine made like vnto vs in al thynges synne only excepted Wherfore we be called the membres of one bodie of hys flesh of hys bones meÌ„bres I say not accordyng to the nature of the euerlasting diuinitie but accordinge to that he vouchsaued to take mans nature vpon hym Howbeit thys coniuncton may not be takeÌ„ carnally but spiritually For albeit Christe toke our real fleshe yet we be hys spirituall membres For we be one bodie bicause we be partakers of one spirite And forasmuche as there is so great a coÌ„iunction betwene Christ and his churche we ought for his sake to leaue the dearest thingê we haue if they wold plucke vs awey froÌ„ Christ whose spouse we be For we muste cleaue to hym without seueraunce syth we be one bodye one fleshe wyth him And verely this is a greate sacrament mysterie and secrecie which if it be rightly poÌ„dered plucketh vp our mindes into moost highe and heauenly ioyes Hitherunto we haue brefely spokeÌ„ of the first ordinauÌ„ce of mariage now let vs come to the declaration of this present Gospell The pharisees which amoÌ„ngê y â— Iues were takeÌ„ for meÌ„ of great holynes and therfore ought best to haue magnified Christ and his doctrine were euer moost busye agaynst him inueÌ„ting al they could to trippe hym in his wordes that they myght haue some pretence to accuse hym put him downe For they had no litle enuie at him ê‘tly bicause he shadowed their estimation ê‘tly bicause he disclosed their hypocrisie They cam therfore on a time and craftely did set vpon him taking occasioÌ„ of the wordes he had spoken coÌ„cerning that a maÌ„ ought not to put awey his wife They propounde a suttil sophisme whether it were lawfull for euery cause for a man to put awey his wife For if he shulde answere it were lawful he shuld seme to be agaynst himselfe where he tawght dyuorses not be lawfull If he shulde denye it he shuld seme to be against Moses law which suffreth a man for any maner cause to gyue her a libel of diuorcement and to let her goe But Iesus so tempereth hys answere that neyther he diminisheth the authoritie of Moses neither recaÌ„teth his owne teachinge wyth the authoritie of the law he stoppeth the pharisees mouthes whyche were lawyers Haue ye not redde sayth Chryste that when God created the worlde he formed the man and women that by there coÌ„ioynyng mankynd shuld be coÌ„tynued And forthwith expressing the vnpartable couple of them added For thys loues sake shal man leaue father mother and stycke to hys wyfe And thys knotte is so straight y e of two be but one person So y e it is as moch agaynst nature that the one shuld be plucked froÌ„ the other as it is for one part of y e body to be seuered froÌ„ an othher Wherfor y e God hath thus coupled let not maÌ„ seuer Meaning herby y e it is both a gainst nature also y e law a maÌ„ to cast vp hys wife Here the pharisees thinking that they had now gotten a good quarell against oure sauiour Christ Iesus to snach him vp said