THE GOSpels with brief sermons upon them for all the holy days in the year. ¶ On saint Andrew's day. The Gospel. Mat. iiij. Jesus walking by the See side of Galilee, saw two brethren Simon named Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the See (for they were fishers) & saith unto them. follow me, and I shall make you fishers of men. And they forthwith left their nets, and followed him. And when he was gone forth from thence, he saw other two brethren, james the sonue of Zebedee and John his brother in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, & he called them. And they forthwith left the ship and their father, and followed him. The sermon upon this Gospel. THe Gospel of this day (dear friends) declareth that our saviour Christ when he was here conversant amongs us for our redemption sake, before he would do or speak any notable thing (as the holy Chrysostom. doctor Chrysostom saith) called & chase unto him, his Apostles, to th'intent nothing might be hid from them of Christ'S words and deeds, but that they might afterward boldly affirm & say. We can not but speak the things which we have seen & hard. As Christ therefore walked by the see side, he saw two brethren germans, the name of the one was Simon which also was called Peter, the name of the other was Andrew, whose memory we do this day solemnize. But what were these two, whom our Saviour Christ chase to be his apostles? Were they great worldly Clerks, were they philosophers, were they pharisees or scribes, were they great rich persons, or men of high power and authority? no verily, they were none of all these, they were but poor & unlearned fishermen. And why did he chose these? verily (saith saint Austin) if Christ had chosen great learned men S. Austin. or men of estimation, they might peradventure have said that they had deserved to be chosen because of their learning or wisdom. But our lord jesus Christ going about to break the neckꝭ of the proud, ●hase men of no learning ne reputation, which he did also Erasmus in paraphrasi. for this purpose, that the glory of the gospel might not be diminished nor shadowed with worldly succours and helps. So here Christ doth manifestly declare unto us in what kind of people he most delighteth, even in the humble and contempt persons of the world and in such as be simple and as it were babes in worldly wisdom, as in an other place he all so testifieth, saying. I confess and give thanks unto the o father, lord of heaven & of earth, because thou Mat. xi. hast hid these things from the wise & prudent persons, and haste diselo●ed them unto babes. A●d ye shall mark, that Christ calleth babes here them which laying a side all worldly wisdom, receive gods word without all deliberation, and which prefer not their own judgement afore gods word but submit themselves unto it in all things. He called therefore two simple fishers, and when did he call them? verily even when they were in the mids of their work, Chrysostom. meaning hereby (as Chrysostom saith) that we ought to prefer the following of Christ afore all other occupations in the world. For they were casting their nets into the See, and this fishing was a shadow of the new fishing, whereby they should not take with material nets fishes for the food of the belly, but whereby they should with the net of godis word catch men (which be browned with earthly cares) unto the desire of the heavenly life. Wherefore where as they were busied and toiling about their bodily living (which nevertheless was then their vocation or calling according to gods commandment Gen. ii● which biddeth us that in the sweat of our face we should eat our bread) from this general calling I say he plucked them to a special calling which was to preach his holy gospel. And verily his word of calling had in it a wonderful virtue, for it so wrought in their hearts, that they forthwith left altogether, & followed him. A●d here we have a notable example of obedience in these apostles for us to foe low. christ had not so soon called them, but enough they followed. For he that loveth father, or mother, wife or children more than he loveth the saviour Mat. ●● jesus Christ, is no meet man for Christ, that is to say, he may well call himself a Christian man, but Christ will surely refuse him for one of his men and disciples when the terrible day of Dome shall come, what time he shall descend in Majesty to judge both the living and the dead. Christ than called these two brethren Peter and Andrew and also the other two John & james, to what purpose? to follow him only by the heel's whether so ever he should go idly? No truly. But to teach & instruct them in such wise as they might in time coming be made his apostles, his legates, his Orators, his preachers. He chase them being young, rude, simple, unlearned, & nothing but plain fishermen, and therefore they were the more apt and meet to receive his heavenly, sweet, and pure doctrine, because they were not as yet infected with the sour leaven of the pharisees. But ere they departed from him, he replenished them with such wonderful wisdom and with such divine doctrine, that they were able to confound the great and witty clerks of the world. Of fish catchers and bodily fishers he made them men fishers and catchers of souls. So God long jere. 16. before promised by his prophet Hieremye, saying I will send you fishers and they shall fish you. Such a worthy fisher of men souls was this noble Apostle saint Andrew. He spared for no persecution of tyrants to execute and fulfil his masters commission which was to preach the Gospel and glad tidings of man's redemption by Christ. He preached it purely and sincerely even according to his commission. Yea for the faithful executing and witnessing hereof he shrank not to suffer a very cruel death. Let us therefore follow him in faith that we may also follow him to everlasting bless by Christ our Lord, who be praised world without end. Amen. ¶ On the conception day of our Lady. The Gospel. Mat. i. THe book of the generation of jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac. Isaac begat jacob. jacob begat judas and his brethren. judas begat Phares and Zaram of Thamar. Phares begat Esrom. Esrom begat Aram. Aram begat Aminadab. Aminadab begat Naasson. Naasson begat Salmon. Salmon begat Boos of Rahab. Boos begat Obed of Ruth. Obed begat jesse. jesse begat David the king. David the king begat Solomon of her that was the wife of Urie. Solomon begat Roboam. Roboam begat Abia. Abia begat Asa. Asa begat josaphat. josaphat begat joram. joram begat Osias. Osias begat joatham. joatham begat Achas. Achas begat Ezechias. Ezechias begat Manasses. Manasses begat Amon. Amon begat josias. josias begat jeconias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon. And after the transmigration of Babylon jeconias begat Salathiel. Salathiel begat Zorobabel. Zorobabel begat Abiud. Abiud begat Eliachun. Eliachim begat Azor. Azor begat Sadoc. Sadoc begat Achin. Achin begat Eliud. Eliud begat Eleazar. Eleazar begat Matthan. Matthan begat jacob. jacob begat joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was borne jesus which is called Christ. The sermon upon this Gospel. IN this gospel (good people) many things are to be considered. First, how that our saviour Christ the son of god would for the great love he bore to mankind be borne the son of David, that is, would take man's nature upon him to secure and help us The cause of Christ's incarnation. which were in flesh condemned & to purge our spotted and sinful birth. And verily this is the final intent of Christis incarnation, as it is well declared in the epistle to the hebrews, where it is written, that forasmuch Hebr. 2. as the son of god vouchsafed to call godly persons his brethren, saying by the prophet David I will declare thy name to my brethren, and otherwhiles psal. 2●. also he calleth them the children, as in Esay. Lo here am I & the children, whom god hath given Esai. 8. me: and because these children and these his brethren be men made of flesh and blood: it pleased him to be partaker of the same with them, that by his death he might wipe out him which had lordship over death that is to say the devil, and deliver them which through fear of death were all their life time subdued unto bondage. For he took not upon him angels but the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it became him to be made like to his brethren, that he might be merciful & a faithful high priest in things touching God to th'intent to purge the sins of the people. Now whereas Christ is called here the son of David: ye must understand it that he descendeth lineally from David according to the flesh, as saint Paul declareth in the beginning of his epistle Rom. i. to the Romans, lest we run into the errors of certain heretikis which say that Christ was nothing else but a man & not the son of God, but merely the son of David. Which error Christ himself discussed, Mat. 22. where he propowned this question to the pharisees. What think ye of Christ, whose son is he▪ And when they answered, the son of David, he asked them, why than did David in spirit call him lord psal. no. saying, the lord said to my lord, sit on my right hand Meaning hereby, that Christ was above David & not only a man but also god. So that ye must understand him to be the son or issue of David according to the flesh, and not according to his godhead. And ye shall also mark, that he is called the son of David after the manner of speaking of the hebrews, because he came of the right line of david. For the Two lineages in scripture. hebrews do call all lineal nephews & nieces (be they never so long of) sons and daughters. verily the hole pedigree of Christ, is here so drawn and conveyed from his ancestors, that they only be put which were ꝑttakers of the promise which was made of Christ. Ye must therefore mark two manner lines of men, which being well marked doth discern of whom Christ would be borne and was borne. For albeit the promise of christ was made to Adam: yet from Cain his son the pedigree of Christ is not conveyed. So that one line there is which deriveth Christis pedigree from the membres of the true church, that is to wit, from the holy fathers which were partakers of the promise. And an other line there is which containeth the children that grew out of kind not following their father's steps & therefore no ꝑttakers of the promise, which two lines if ye diligently mark through out the old testament ye shall see that Christ proceeded of the faithful stock, & not of that which grew out of kind, as Cain Esau and their offspring were. And verily it became Christ the head of the church to come of the members of the true church. second, ye shall understand that our Saviour Christ would be borne according to the flesh of the royal blood of kings, to declare that he should be a king, no worldly king, but a spiritual king for the ruling and guiding of men's consciencies. And forasmuch as kings were also anointed after the manner of priests: therefore Christ also would be borne of kings to show himself an anointed king, that is to say, both a king and a priest, a king to rule and defend, a priest to make intercession and prayer for us according as saint Paul saith of him. Which Rom 8. also maketh intercession for us. And the prophet ●ieremie saith. He shall do the office of a king and captain. Heir. 11 But for the eschewing of errors, ye must know, that David whose son Christ is according to the flesh, administered here his kingdom in the earth: and therefore it is not to be thought that after that Christ is now ascended up to heaven, he exerciseth no more his kingly offices but that he sitteth idly in heaven leaving behind him, his deputy or vicar in earth the bishop of Rome. verily Christ's kingdom is perpetual, and so is his priesthood, according to the saying of the prophet. Tu es sacerdoes Psal. 109 inaeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedec. Thou art an everlasting priest, according to the order of Melchisedec. Thirdly, ye shall understand that albeit Christ and also our Lady his mother (whose memory we solemnize this day) & joseph her husband, came of the right & blessed line or stock, and not of the crooked & cursed line, as I have aforedeclared: yet many of the persons aswell men as wom● of this blessed stock were sinners and therefore here in their genealogy is mention made also of sinful persons. For who were so wicked as king Manasses and his son Amon, which be here reckoned in Christ's pedigree. judas also committed fornication with Thamar. Salmon married Raab an harlot. What shall I speak of Bethsabea, with whom king David committed grievous adultery. And yet of this Bethsabea which was the wife of Urie did king David beget Solomon. So that if a man will thoroughly consider the thing, he shall find almost more evil men then good amongs the ancestors of Christ, and all the women which be here named be none of the holy women, as saint Hierom saith, S. Hierom. but such as the scripture disproveth. What other thing meaneth this, but that the holy ghost would signify, that like as Christ came of sinners: so he also came into this world for sinners. He would be borne Hierom (sayeth this noble clerc saint Hierom) of sinners, that he might wipe away the sins of all. Yea Christ Mat. ●. himself sayeth, that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. If then he came for sinners, why shouldest thou o man despair for cause of thy sins? Nay rather take heart unto the and repent. For than shall the grace and favour of Christ be powered more plentifully upon thee, in that thou hast the more offended according to the sentence of saint Paul. Furthermore we may learn also here example of modestic. a moderation of mind and demureness, that we hit noman in the teeth of his ancestors or kinsfolk. For if our Saviour Christ had amongs his ancestors very tyrants, harlots & wicked personnes, who is he that hath not amongs his ancestors and kinsfolk both good and bad? Fourthly, ye shall mark that saint Mattheu here doth call joseph the husband of Marie, so that it is certain, that between joseph and mary was a just & lawful matrimony, under which, not without a singular cause, Christ would be borne, to show that matrimony is the state which pleaseth God, and on the other side, to live in adultery and fornication is a kynoe of life abominable afore God and man. Of a virgin verily Christ would be borne, but yet under lawful wedlock. A virgin to his mother became him that was God, but in that she was married, is setforth unto us the commendation of wedlock. virginity I say became her which by secret inspiration of the holy ghost being herself pure and undefiled, conceived and brought forth him which was most pure & clean, but yet joseph was our blessed Lady's husband. Doth not this thing then setforth unto us the honour of matrimony, and condemn these wicked heretics which say that matrimony ●. Tim. 4 is a thing filthy & unpure, of whom saint Paul speaketh, calling them spirits of errors, and devilish teachers. For if Christ had would, he might have been borne before mary his mother was betrowthed to joseph. If matrimony also were a fowl thing and discommended of god, as some heretics have said, why went our Saviour Christ to a wedding & wrought there the first miracle that ever he did, by turning water into wine? So the though ●●●. ●. virginity be a high thing & meet for such as be of high perfection: yet matrimony is an honest state. Last of all this Gospel doth condemn those heretics which deny that Christ took flesh of the blessed virgin & say either that he brought a spiritual flesh with him from heaven, or that the word so was made flesh, that Christ is only of one nature & not of two natures. For this heresy hath been long sithence condemned of Christ's church. And even with one text in this gospel it is overthrown where it is said, that jacob begat joseph the husband of Marie, of whom was borne jesus, which is called Christ. If of mary Christ was borne: than it must needs follow that he took flesh of her. The Gospel of Luke Luc. ●. also proveth the same, where the angel saith to Majesty's rye. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bear a child.. And Elizabeth saith to our Lady. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb. But how can she conceive Luc. ●. Christ or how can Christ be called the fruit of her womb, if he took no part of her? Finally Paul is Rom. ●. plain in this matter which sayeth that Christ was borne of the seed of David concerning the flesh. What can be spoken more plainly? So ye see according also to the flesh the great nobility of Christ's blood For he would be not only according to the spirit but also according to the flesh the noblest of all men. According The nobility of Christ both spiritually and carnally to the spirit he descended from god his father which out beginning, so that he is the eternal son of the eternal god. What is higher than this nobility? And as to the flesh he is descended of most holy patriarchs, most mighty Kings, and Dukes. In all the world was never found lineage, kindred, ne house of more nobility than this lineage was whereof our Saviour Christ descended according to the flesh. But his spiritual lineage is without comparison. This have I therefore set out, that Christian men should The nobility of christian men. know their own nobility. For they that believe in Christ, be made by faith the brethren & jointheires with Christ, according to the text before rehearsed, where Christ saith. I will show thy name to my brethren. psal. 23. And in an other place he saith. These be my brethren which hear the word of god & do it. Saint Paul also saith. The spirit witnesseth together with our spirit that we be the sons of god, if sons, ergo heirs, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ. Now also with Christ we be made by faith one body, that we may be his members. What is left then, but that also we be made partakers of Christ's nobility? And therefore we be called Christians why we be called christians. which by interpretation signify kingly, that is to say, of a kings house and nobility by Christ our king. But wherefore is this so great nobility to be taken of us? for vain glory & to despice our neighbour? No truly. For as Christ the nobler he was both in spirit and also in flesh, the humbler and ●owlyer he made himself: So let us also follow Christis example, and the more noble we be made by Christ, so much let us bear ourselves the more lowly. Nowbeit otherwhiles it is not only lawful but also necessary, to look aloft and bear ourselves high of our nobility, not against men, but against Satan. For it is a great villainy and shame for a noble parsonage, to subject himself to vile services. For what be more vile or filthy occupations, than the works of the devil, which be sins. Here then let us look on high in Christ, and be ashamed for our nobility sake, to humble ourselves to the filth of sins. Now ye have the lineage of Christ according to the flesh and the nobility of him and of all Christians. It remaineth therefore, that we also should knowledge Christ by faith and garnish our nobility with good works by jesus Christ our lord, which together with the father & holy ghost be praised forever. Amen. ¶ On saint Thomas day the Apostle. The Gospel Ihon. xx. THomas one of the twelve called Didymus was Didimus in greek betokeneth in English a twynling. not with them when jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him. We have seen the lord. But he said unto them. Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thirst my hands into his side, I will not believe. And after. viii. days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them, jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the mids, & said. Peace be with you. After that said he to Thomas. Bring thy finger hither, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thirst it into my side, and be not unfeithful, but faithful. Thomas answered and said unto him. My lord and my god. jesus saith unto him. Thomas, because thou hast seen me: thou hast believed, blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed. The sermon upon this Gospel. THis Gospel (dear friends) declareth unto us the history of saint Thomas, how he would not believe Christ's resurrection till he had seen him, and felt him with his hands. For as the history telleth, Christ had appeared to the rest of his fellows Luc. 24. john. 20 when he was away, and when they showed him of it with one hole voice and consent: yet he said he would not believe it, till he had seen the print of the nails in Christ's hands, and felt his wounds. verily S. Gregory. (as saint Gregory saith) this was not done by casualty, the saint Thomas the chosen disciple of Christ, was not then present. For the high clemency of god wrought this thing, the the doubting disciple while in his master he gropeth the wounds of the flesh, ☞ might heal in us the wounds of infidelity. For the infidelity of saint Thomas profited more to the Christian faith, than did the faith of the believing disciples. For while he by groping, is brought again to the faith: our mind is (all doubt set apart) established in the faith. Three things then are here to be considered in this history. First the hardness of belief in saint Thomas, which albeit he was one of the elect disciples of Christ and long conversant with him, and continually instructed of his rising again, yet he doubteth. second, the goodness and tender mercy of Christ, which would not thus leave him. Thirdly, the constancy of this blessed Apostle in the faith over after even till his life's end. It was doubtless a very gross infidelity and hardness of be leave in saint Thomas, that after so long companing with our Saviour Christ and hearing him oftentimes afore his passion say he should rise again yet he would not believe his resurrection, n● not when his fellows so constantly had showed him how they saw him with their eyen & what he said unto them. His fellows verily were gross till they had received the holy ghost, for they would scant believe his resurrection Chryso stom. till they had seen him. But saint Thomas was grosser than they all. For he said he would not believe the resurrection, till he had seen the print of the nails in Christ's hands, & yet this was not enough to make ☜ him believe, but he would also feel his wounds with his own hands. And here we have a lively image of the nature & disposition of the flesh. For the flesh can not be brought to believe but by sensible signs & tokens. Neither was this carnality in Thomas only, but it is in all men, for we be made of one mould Rom. 3. and god hath concluded all men under infidelity that he might have mercy of all. Consider therefore the Chryso stom. tender mercy of our lord, how for one of his disciples sake he showed himself having wounds, & he did it not forthwith, but after. viii. days, to the intent he being amongs his fellows & certified of them, might be kindled unto a greater desire, and that he might be made the more faithful in time coming. Our Saviour Christ therefore eight days after he had appeared to his fellows, can where as they were gathered together, & Thomas with them. He entered in unto them, the doors being shut, & with his accustomed salutation greeteth them, saying. Peace be amongs you. And forthwith turning himself to Thomas, whose infidelity could not be hid from him, which because he perceived proceeded not of malice but of weakness: he vouch saved to heal. He had him behold his hands, and grope his side. Thomas according as Christ had bid him, beheld the print of the nails, and thirst his hand into his side. And forthwith with an exclamation cried, my lord my God. Thus from a gross and stubborn infidelity was he brought to a fast and constant faith. So Paul at the beginning was a very fierce persecutor Act. 9 of the church, but afterward he became a right faithful Apostle and teacher of the people. For these wonderful judgements of god be for this cause described forth unto us, that we should learn to know the exceeding goodness of god which turneth evil into good. My lord and my god saith saint Thomas verily he that confesseth god to be his god, hath renounced all the be his, & possessed those the be gods. The earth psal. 23. is the lord, & all that is therein. We be the lords & the lord is ours. Wherefore all the goods of god be ours through faith in our saviour jesus Christ. This high confession of saint Thomas truly our saviour commended, but yet he somewhat touched him for his hardness of believe saying. Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. Saint Thomas saw one thing & believed an other, he saw man & confessed god He saw Christ in flesh, he felt him after his resurrection, which was a great furtherance to his faith. But blessed be they that never saw Christ in flesh, & yet have believed on him. Certainly this kind of people be we Gentiles as many of us as retain Christ in mind whom we have not seen in flesh, as writeth saint Gregory, if so be yet that we follow & prosecute our faith Gregory. with good works. For that person doth truly & unfeignedly believe which practiseth in working the thing that he believeth. Such a true & earnest believer was this blessed man saint Thomas. Let us then take example of him, that we may have the reward that he hath, everlasting joy, by Christ our lord, who be praised for ever. Amen. ¶ On candelmas day otherwise called the purification of our Lady. Gospel. Luc. two. WHen the days of purification were come according the law of moyses they brought jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the lord (according as it is written in the lords law, that every male opening matrice shallbe called holy to the lord) Exod. xiii. and xxii. Num. viii. & to give in sacrifice according to that is said in the lords law a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just & devout, awaiting for the comfort of Israel, & the holy ghost was upon him. And he had received an answer of the holy ghost, that he should not see death before he Christ, that is to say, anointed saw the lords Christ. And he came by the holy ghost into the temple. And while the father & mother were bringing in the child jesus, that they should do according to the use of the law for him: he also took him in his arms, & blessed god and said. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart according to thy word Nunc d● mittis. in peace. For mine eyen have seen the saviour sent from thee, whom thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for the revelation of the Gentiles and a glory of thy people Israel. A sermon upon this Gospel. WHen the purification day was come (good people) that is to wit the. xlij. day from the birth of our saviour Christ, at which day the old law of Moses commanded, that if it were a man child that was born, it should be presented to the lord, & for the purifying of the childwife and also of the child somewhat should be offered: the most pure virgin Mary would fulfil the law also in this point though in her child birth she knew was nothing after the manner of other women's births contaminate or spotted, but all was full of heavenly purity and holiness. For what spot of uncleanness could she have which by the work of the holy ghost conceived without man's knowledge only by embracement of the heavenly power? She goeth therefore with joseph, who as yet was thought to have been father to jesus, unto Jerusalem, bearing the child with them that they might present him in the temple in the sight A figure of the old law. of the lord to whom he was consecrate, not but that all be the lords, but that we should be taught by this mystical figure, that those minds be most acceptable to God, which with a manly strength of spirit have conquered the lusts of the flesh & so do advance to things heavenly and everlasting. Moses law intending Omne masculi num. this, had commanded the jews that every male so soon as by the opening of the mother's womb it was brought to light, should be taken as holy to the lord, whether it were of mankind or of brute beasts, that hereby also the first fruits might go to the priests, so yet that the first begotten of the mankind should be redeemed out of the priests hands, unless the child were of the Levitical tribe. Now surely the self law openly delivereth our Lady from the bond of it, where it saith in the levitical book: Mulier si suscep to semine pepe ●erit ma sculum. The wife which receiving seed shall bring forth a man-child. For the blessed virgin our Lady was neither mulier, that is to say such woman as have lain with man, neither received she man's seed. And as touching the opening of the matrice, surely this heavenly child did in no manner violate the chastity of of the virgins womb but rather preserved & hallowed it from all spot of uncleanness during her life. He then was presented in the temple as subject to the law, which was lord of all things both heavenly & earthly. He was redeemed with a small price, which came to redeem the hole world with the price of his blood. For the law had appointed the jews to redeem their first begotten son with a lamb of one year old, which was given in sacrifice. And than should be added a dove or a turtle for the purifienge of all spot or uncleanness which might hap to be committed in the begetting of the child, or after, to th'intent y● that which should be offered to the lord might be thoroughly pure. Howbeit if they were not of ability to give a lamb, the law suffered them to give in stead thereof a turtle dove or a pigeon for the redemption of the child. The other bird was offered for the purging of the sin. Our Lady therefore and joseph offered the poor men's oblation, and it is not to be doubted, but they would have made a richer gift if their poverty had not letted them. albeit their mind was rich in godliness, and to give us an example, the profession of poverty was more profitable. But lo, there was at this self time in Jerusalem one Simeon a just man & such one as stood in awe of god, & surely he might well be called a just man, for he Ambrose. sought not his own but the people's weal, he awaited for him that should redeem out of bondage not him only, but all mankind And because he was endowed with this justice & godliness, the holy ghost was in him & had inspired him that he should not die, till he had seen with his fleshly eyen him that he long before had espied with the eyen of faith. As Mary therefore and joseph were bringing the child into the temple, this Simeon also came by the guiding of the holy ghost into the temple & took jesus Origen. in his arms. And here saith Origene an ancient doctor of the church, if thou Christian person in like wise hold jesus and embrace him in thy handis, thou must with all labour attempt that thou mayst have the holy ghost to thy guide and so come to the temple of god, as this holy Simeon did. Thou must be a just person, a fearer of god, religious, devout & godly, as he was. But what did Simeon having this most blessed child in his arms? He blessed and praised god, saying. Now, o lord, thou dost licence thy servant to departed in peace out of this world according to thy word. For mine eyen have now salutare tuum. seen him, by whom it hath pleased thee, to save mankind, whom I say thou hast prepared and ordained in the face of all peoples to be, unto the heathen persons & paynims (which hitherunto for default of true knowledge have worshipped false godis) a light for to lighten them & to disclose thy troth unto them, & again to thine own people the Israelites a cause of most high glory This in effect spoke simeon in his manner. Let us therefore (good people) for our part also bless & praise god, that whereas we the inhabitants of this Realm were before the coming of Christ wicked paynim & idolaters we now by the disclosing of his gospel ●ee his people. Let us labour to be just and holy persons poor in spirit & rich in godliness. Let us desire to be led with the holy spirit of God. So shall we at last departed this world in true peace, by Christ our lord. To whom be praise for ever. Amen. ¶ Saint Mathias day the Apostle The Gospel. Math. xi. IN that time jesus said. I confess unto the O father lord of heaven and of earth, because thou haste hid these things from wise and prudent persons, and hast disclosed them to younglings. verily father, for so seemed it good before the. All things be delivered up unto me of my father, & noman knoweth the son but the father, neither knoweth any man the father but the son & he to whom the son will disclose. Come to me all ye that labour and be burdened and I shall quiet you. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find quiet to your souls. For my yoke is pleasant and my burden is light. The sermon upon this Gospel. The occasion of Christ's words after Chrysostom. Because our saviour Christ (good people) what time he was conversant here in earth among the jews, had upbraided them for their misbelieve, declaring unto them that the heathen persons were readier to receive him than they, at which words some were offended: therefore he answereth to their thoughts in this wise. I confess (that is) I do thank & praise the O father, because thou hast Confessio inqt. August. non est solius peccatoris sed aliquando etiam laudatorio, kept close this heavenly doctrine from the wise and prudent men in their own opinions, such as be the scribes and pharisees, and haste opened the same to fools and babes after the judgement of the world, even to rude unformed and rustical persons. And here (saith Chrysostomus) we be taught utterly to pluck down our high stomakꝭ, & to follow humility. And truly (saith he) these words which our Lord spoke to his disciples, occasioned them to be moche more diligent and lowly in heart. For because it was likely that they stood much in their own conceits for that they did cast out devils, therefore with these words he abateth their courage & represseth them. For the thing that was done unto them was a reave lation, that is to say a disclosing and opening from god, and not their own proper study and labour. And therefore the scribes and pharisees esteeming themselves to be wise & prudent fell from the knowledge of gods mysteries because of their pride and swelling minds. Wherefore if the secret mysteries of god were hid from them because of this: see then that we be under fear and awe, & let us continue as babes, for this surely made the apostles of christ to enjoy this secret knowledge. For like as wha● Paul saith, tradidit illos deus in reprobum sensum, Rom. i. that is, god gave them up into a disallowed mind, he speaketh not this, inducing god as doing this, ☞ but them which gave the cause: so we must understand in like wise this text where Christ saith, that his father hath hid this knowledged from the wise scribes and pharisees. And why were they hid from them? hearken what Paul saith, because going about to stably she their own justice, they were not subject to the justice of god. All be delivered unto me (saith Christ) from my father. This he spoke, les any thing should be thought to be les in him than that which is in god. For as S. Aug. contra Maximum. saint Austin saith, if our saviour jesus Christ the son of god hath any thing les in pour then hath god the father, then surely all be not his that the father hath, for by begetting did the father give the power to his son, like as all that he hath in his substance did he by begetting▪ give to him whom he begat of his substance. Furthermore in the interchangeable or mutual Hilarius. knowledge of the father and son, it is done us to wite, that none other thing was in god the son, than was in God the father. For it followeth in the text, and no man knoweth the son but the father, nor noman knoweth the father but the son. For Chrysostom. surely by this that he only knoweth the father, he doth us to understand that he is of the self same substance that the father is of. As if he should say unto us. What marvel▪ I pray you is it, if I be very Lord of all, sith there is yet a greater thing in me, even the knowledge of the father of heaven, & that I am of the same substance that he is of? Thus by these words Christ our saviour declareth himself to be not man only but also god & equal in power with his father. And where he sayeth that none knoweth the father but the son: he meaneth not that all men be utterly ignorant of him, but this he meaneth, that by that knowledge that he knoweth his heavenly father, noman else knoweth him. In so much that that knowledge that men have either of the father or of the son they have it by the sons disclosing. So the the son discloseth not only his father but also himself unto us. For as the holy doctor saint Austin saith. The word doth not only open the thing that is declared by the word, Austin● but also it declareth itself. But how doth the son disclose his father's will & pleasure unto us? Surely by his most comfortable word which is called his gospel. Come therefore, saith Christ, unto me all ye that travail and I shall set you at rest. He saith not come he and he, but come to me all ye that be in cares, in Chrysostom. heaviness and in sins, not that I might take punishment of you but that I might loosen your sins. Come, not that I need to be glorified of you, but that I desire your health and salvation. Come, he saith, not with feet, but with manners, not with body, but with faith. For this is the spiritual coming whereby one approacheth to god. And if ye thus come, I shall set you at rest, he saith not I shall save you, but that more is I shall set you in all quiet and rest. Take my yoke upon you. What is Christ's Theophilactus yoke? Surely his Gospel which as Theophilactus saith, showeth us glad news, forgiveness of sins, justification, coming to heaven, and that we be made the children of god. O how sweet, how pleasant and easy is this yoke? Only let us put from us pride of heart and the care of worldly vanities & learn of Christ to be meek & lowly, like as the holy Apostle Mathias following his masters steps (whose memory we celebrate this day) left us example. So shall we enjoy that heavenly rest void of all grievance and replenished with all solace which here is promised unto us. By Christ our lord. To whom be all glory. Amen. ¶ The Annunciation of our Lady, commonly called our Lady's day in Lente. The gospel Luc. i. IN the sixth month was sent the angel Gabriel of God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin spoused to a man whose name was joseph of David's house and the virgins name was Mary. And the angel being entered unto her said. Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongs women. When she saw him, she was troubled upon his word and devised what manner greeting this should be. And the angel said to her. Fear not Mary▪ For thou hast found grace with God. Lo thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name jesus. He shallbe great & shallbe called the son of the highest, and the Lord God shall give him the seat of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of jacob for ever, and of his reign shallbe no end. Marry said unto the angel. How shall this be, for I know not man. And the angel answered and said unto her. The holy ghost shall come upon thee, and the virtue of the highest shall overshadow thee, and therefore the thing that shallbe born holy, shallbe called the son of God. And lo Elizabeth thy cousin, she also hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her which was called barren▪ for no word shallbe impossible with God. Mary said. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. The sermon upon this gospel. IF a Gospel (dear people) signifieth a glad tidings, what Gospel can be compared with this gospel which showeth to the blessed virgin Marry yea & unto us all, the gladdest tidings that could come to mankind, that is that she should bear the most blessed king of kings and Saviour of mankind. Let us then proceed to the declaration of this so joyful gospel. In the sixth month was sent to the blessed virgin Mary no common angel but Gabriel the Archangel. For to this so high and solemn a message it was meet that an high angel should be sent which should bring tidings of him that was highest of all. Which angel (as Origen saith) is Origen. therefore expressed by his proper name to th'intent it might be signified by the same what he is in operation. For Gabriel he saith betokeneth the strength of God. Wherefore by him that was the strength of God it was convenient that he should be uttered and proclaimed which being the Lord of powers and mighty in battle came to conquer & vanquish the wicked powers of the air. And what saith this Archangel Gabriel unto her? Hail full of grace. Truly, Hieron. in sermo. de assump. saith saint Hierom, she is well called full of grace. For to other grace is given by parts, but upon the virgin Mary did the fullness of grace altogether infunde itself. She might well be cleped full of grace by whom every creature is with a large shower of the holy ghost oversprede. Yea already was he which the virgin which sent the angel to the virgin, I say our Lord went before his messenger. And therefore it followeth. The Lord is with the. He is in thy heart, he is now also in thy womb, he replenisheth thy mind, he replenisheth also thy body. And here Ambro se. (saith Ambrose) learn a virgin of her shamefastness for she was abashed. It is the property of true virgins to tremble, & at all approchinges of man unto them to blush, & with a reverent fear to eschew familiar talking with man. Learn thou virgin than to eschew all wantonness of words. The virgin Mary feared even the greeting of the angel. Yea she wondered at this strange manner of greeting, whereof the like was never heard before in any place, this was reserved only for the virgin For (as Origen noteth) if she had wist that the like salutation Origen had ever been made to any other in all the bible (for she had the knowledge of the law) this greeting should never have troubled ne dismayed her. But albeit she was troubled & abashed at the sodennes of this so strange a thing: yet seeing she had Chryso stom. deserved such grace with God, she had no cause to fear. And therefore the angel saith unto her. Fear not O Mary, for thou hast found favour & grace with god. But how found she this grace? Surely (saith the holy doctor Chrysostomus) through her humility. And so must all we find it. For as holy writ sayeth, God giveth grace to the humble people, And lo▪ saith the angel, thou shalt conceive in thy womb & be delivered of a son whom thou shalt name jesus. jesus by interpretation betokeneth a Saviour. And in deed our lord is a right Saviour to so many as cleave unto him by faith. Yea there is none other Saviour but he. He is that only great one & is cleped the son of the highest. For albeit it was spoken by John Baptist the he should be Ambro se. great, yet, as S. Ambrose saith, he was called great as a great man whereas Christ is as great God. This Christ therefore shall reign in the house of jacob for evermore. He called the house of jacob not on lie the outward Israelitis but the hole church of Christ be they jews or Gentiles which believe upon him. For as saint Paul saith. Not all they which be of Israel be Israelites, but such as be the children of Rom. ix. the promise, be counted the seed. For, sayeth he, they that be the children of the flesh, be not the children of God. Now Mary to th'intent she would be yet fur there instructed of this mystery, asketh how this should come to pass, she doubted not of the angels words. Only she desireth to know by what mean it should be brought about that she should be a mother that never lay with man. The angel answereth The holy ghost shall come upon thee, as who should say. Seek not a natural order where the thing passeth Chrxsostom. nature. Thou askest how this shallbe, thou not knowing man. Nay this thing happeth unto the even because thou hast not assayed wedlock. For if thou hadst, thou shouldest not have been thought worthy to this mystery, not the wedlok is a profane ☞ thing, but because virginity is better. For it became the common Lord of all, both to be partaker with us in birth and also to vary from us in it. In that he should be borne of the womb, he taketh part with us, but in that he should be borne without carnal knowledge of man, he is declared to be no man but god. Marry fully satisfied with his answer saith in most humble wise, behold the handmaid of our Lord, be it to me as thou hast said. Let us then my friends follow the humility of this blessed virgin. Let us embrace Christ like faithful Christians that we may be of the number of his chosen people, and inherit his kingdom. To whom be all honour Amen. ¶ On saint George's day. And also on saint Marks day the Evangelist. The Gospel. Ihon. xv. Jesus said to his disciples. I am the true vine & my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me not bearing fruit, he taketh it away, and all that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bear more fruit. Now you be clean for the word that I have spoken unto you. Dwell in me and I in you. As the branch can not bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine: no more can you, unless ye abide in me. I am the vine, and you the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, this person beareth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. If one abide not in me, he is cast away as is the branch & is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, & they burn. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you: whatsoever ye will, ye shall ask, and it shall be done unto you. The sermon upon this gospel. TO th'intent (well-beloved christian people) we should thoroughly understand, how little danger should hang over our heads, in case we would faithfully abide in the holy fellowship and church of Christ, & on the contrary side in how great peril and danger we be, if like false christian people & hypocrites we shrink and serve from that most holy league and testament, which our Saviour Christ made with us what time he was here conversant amongs us: our said Saviour in this Gospel bringeth forth a tight goodly & meet parable or similitude to paint as it were before our eyen aswell the commodity of the one, as the incommodity & danger of the other, saying in this wise. I am the true vine & my father Ego sum vi●is vera. is the husbandmam. As who should say. I am as it were the root or stock of the vine, you are my membres, and as who should say the boughs growing out of the stock. My father of heaven hath planted me, for he it is only that begat me. From him therefore as it were from the husbandman is the stock come, but you be come of the stock, that is to wit of me. To the father as to the fountaigne and head springe redoundeth the thank of the hole benefit, which what soever he giveth and bestoweth upon you, he giveth through me and his holy spirit. The sap and juice of the stock which giveth also to the branches life and power of bearing of fruit is the spirit which is common to the father and to me. This spirit both knitteth me to the father: and also co●pleth you to me. Every branch therefore which cleaving to me and living by my spirit, shall bring forth fruit accordingly: him will my father purge, cutting of from him the superfluous & void lusts, to th'intent he may bring forth more plenteous & also more gentle fruit. But on the other side, he that unto me by the outward name of a christian person or by an outward profession of faith, whereas in deed he bringeth forth no fruit of the christian charity: this person will my father cut of from the vine, as an unprofitable & void member of the same. For in vain is he in the vine which hath no fruit but leaves only, that is to say, he is a vain & no true christian person which boasteth himself of the christian faith, & expresseth not the same with good works meet for a christian man. Now, saith Christ, ye be clean for the word that I Vos mü di estis. have spoken unto you. surely (dear friends) we are purged and made clean by God's word whereunto we have given faith but we are still to be purged, to th'intent we may yet bring forth more plentiful fruit. For who is he (as saith saint Augustine) so clean S. Augustine. in this life, which is not yet more & more to be made clean? Christ therefore cleanseth those that be clean that they may be yet more fruitful. But why saith he not, ye be clean by baptism? verily, saith this holy doctor, because in the water also it is the word that cleanseth. For pluck away the word, and what is the water but water? But let the word come to the water and so is made a sacrament. Let us than take heed, that we abide in Christ, that he also may work in us hanging upon him. For like as the branch, if it be plucked from the vine, can bring forth no fruit, no more can we bring forth the fruit of any good work, unless we cleave to Christ by faith and charity, from whence cometh whatsoever maketh to the true and everlasting health. I say, let us look that we be continually knit and joined to Christ, as we have example of this holy man whose memorial we hallow this day, which was an undoubted lively branch of this vine, and brought forth in the sight of the world most pleasant and acceptable fruit to god. He remained knit to Christ, and therefore Christ was joined to him, whereby he both wan everlasting salvation to himself, and procured unto god (for whose sake he did all things) glory amongs men. For without Christ (as Christ himself here saith) undoubtedly we can do nothing. Surely if any branch, by his own fault pluck himself away from the true vine: not only he bringeth forth no fruit, but as an unprofitable bowghe being cut of with the knife withereth away, and anon after is gathered with the other barren boughs & thrown into the fire to be burned, and thus being destitute and void of the lively moisture & spirit of Christ, he dieth in the mind, though he yet live in body, and after this life being separated & pared away from the vine without recovery, he is cast in to everlasting fire, always there to brenne for his punishment because he would not still remain in the vine as a good branch hereafter to have brought Et verb a mea in vobis manserit. forth and enjoyed the fruit of everlasting joy. And verily we shall abide in Christ, if so be that his words be believed of us, if the things that we have believed we keep still in mind, & fulfil the same in our deeds. If we do this, there be no worldly storms that we need to fear, for Christ shallbe with us, the father of heaven shallbe with us, the holy ghost shallbe with us, & what thing so ever we shall ask, we shall without doubt obtain it. For as Austin saith, if Chri Augustine. stes words remain fresh in our mouths or in our memories & be not found in our life (that is if we live not according to the gospel) we be not counted as branches in the vine, because we draw not life out of the ro●e. Let us than (good people) be right branches of this vine and bring forth worthy fruit, to th'intent we may remain in Christ in this world, and in the next inherit the everlasting joy, by Christ our Lord. To whom with the father and holy ghost be praise and glory everlastingly. Amen. ¶ On Philip and jacobs' day. The Gospel. Ihon. xiv. Jesus said to his disciples. Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in god and believe in me. In the house of my father be many dwellingꝭ. If it were not so, I would say unto you, I go to make ready a place for you & if I go to make ready for you, I will come again & take you to myself, that where I am, ye also may be. And whether I go ye know, & the way ye know. Thomas saith to him. Lord we know not whither thou goest, & how can we know the way? Ie sus saith to him, I am the way and the troth & the ☜ life. None cometh to the father, but by me. If ye knew me ye should know my father also. And now ye know him, & ye have seen him. Philip saith to him. Lord, show us the father & we have enough. jesus saith to him. So long time am I with you & have ye not known me? Philip, he that hath seen me, hath seen the father, & how sayest thou, show us the father? Be leavest not, that I am in the father & the father in me? The words that I speak to you, I speak not of myself. But the father which dwelleth in me, he doth the deeds. Believe me that I am in the father & the father is in me. Else for the self deeds believe me. verily verily I say unto you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do he shall also do, & greater also than these shall he do, because I go to my father, and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. The sermon upon this gospel. Because our lord had said before to Peter. that Chysostome. whether he went he could not follow now, but he should follow afterward, lest that other disciples should think that this promiss was given only to Peter, our saviour now to comfort them saith. Be not troubled, but believe steadfastly. In my father's house be many mansions, that is, the self same Region shall receive you that shall receive Peter. For there is great plenty there of mansions, and ye shall not need to say that it is necessary, that they were made ready for you, albeit if I go & prepare you a place, yet will I come again & take you with me. Here my friends ye will ask, how can Christ go & prepare us a place, sith there be already many mansions in heaven? Saint Austin answereth to this doubt in this wise. Troth S. Augustine. it is, that there be many mansions, but they be not yet as they are to be prepared. For the self same mansions which Christ prepared before in predestinating, he prepareth now in working. In predestination therefore they be already. Else he would have said, I will go and prepare, that is, I will predestinate, but because they be not yet in operation, he said. If I go & prepare you a place. And surely he now prepareth mansions by preparing tenants for the mansions. For where he saith, in my father's house be many mansions, what think we is the house of God, but the temple i Cor. iij templum dei sanctum est quod estis vos of god, of which the apostle saith. The temple of god is holy, which temple be you. This house of god therefore is yet in building, is yet in preparing. But what is that which to prepare he goeth away, if he prepare ourselves, which how can he do if he leave us? Surely (sayeth this holy Doctor) he meaneth this, that to the preparing of these mansions, the Rom. i. Abac. 2 righteous man ought to live by faith. But if he should see, it were no faith, Christ therefore goeth away that he may not be seen, he withdraweth himself from us, that he may be believed. For than is a place prepared for us, if we live by faith. This is the weigh that our saviour Christ here speaketh of. Yea Christ himself (if we believe in him) is the very weigh for us to heaven, he is the troth, he is the life. Let us not then be troubled (good people) in our hearts For he that is the way, will not surely lead us a wilsom Hilarius. weigh if we stik unto him, neither will he deceive us and put us in fool's paradise, sith he is the self troth, neither yet will he leave us in the error of death sith he is the self life. And therefore Christ sayeth further, that no man can come to the father but by him, & he saith, that he that knoweth him, knoweth also the father, forasmuch as the father and he be one. Yea, saith Christ, ye that be my disciples do also know my father and ye have seen him. Undoutedly my friends, the disciples of Christ saw god the father after a certain manner in Christ, commanding the winds and the sees, commanding devils, driving out diseases with a word were they never so incurable, raising with a word the dead to life again. Howbeit the novelty of Christ's words did somewhat trouble the Apostle Philip (whose memory together with his fellow saint jacob the church doth this day solemnize) as it troubled also the rest of the Apostles. Wherefore saint Philip more greedy than the other to learn, desireth Christ to show to them the father and they should be satisfied. But what saith Christ to them again? Have I been so long with you & do ye not yet know me? Philip, he that seeth me, seeth also the father. Surely if the father of heaven should have spoken unto his Apostles, he should have spoken none other thing than that Christ spoke, if the father should have wrought, he should have wrought the same that christ did work. The same mind is in them both, the same will▪ the same power and nature. If we believe this, though the corporal presence of Christ as he was here conversant amongst his disciples be taken from us, yet we shall see him absent much better with the eyen of faith then the misbelieving jues saw him presently with their fleshly eyen. Thus did these two holy Apostles Philip & jacob see him after he was ascended up to his father, & therefore the things that they saw the father work by him, the same by him did they because they cleaved fast unto him by faith & charity. Yea Christ uttered also more clearly the power of his godhead after he withdrew his corporal presence from them. Insomoch whosoever joineth himself to Christ by the evangelical faith shall by Christ work also as great things yea or greater than Christ himself did work when so ever the glory of god shall require Saint Austin. a miracle. The Apostles therefore healed diseases even with their shadows, they converted to the faith not a few persons as Christ did when he was here in earth, but hole nations, but yet they did this by christ, or rather christ did these things in them. Let us then have in us this strong faith, and this brenning charity, and than without fail what so ever we shall desire in Christ's name, he will perform it. To whom with the father and holy ghost be rendered thanks and praisings for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ On saint John Baptistes' day Gospel. Luc. j Elizabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered, and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours & cousin's herd, how the lord had showed his great mercy upon her & they rejoiced with her. And it fortuned the eight day they came to circumcise the child & called him Zacharie by the name of his father. And his mother answered & said, not so, but he shallbe called John. And they said unto her. There is none in thy kindred that is named by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for writing tables, & wrote saying. John is his name. And they all marveled, and forth with his mouth was opened & his tongue, and he spoke blessing god. And fear can upon all their neighbours. And in all the hilly country of jewry were all these words spread abroad, & all they that herd them did put them in their heart saying. What manner child shall this be? And the lords hand was with him. And Zachary his father was filled Benedictus dominus deus Israel. with the holy ghost & prophesied saying. Blessed be the lord god of Israel, for he hath visited and made redemption to his people. A sermon upon this Gospel. GOod people the church this day doth solennize the birth of saint John Baptist, whom god had ordained to be a messenger to make ready the way against the coming of our saviour Christ. This holy prophets mother named Elizabeth was thought to have been barren. But it pleased god so to work with her to set forth his own glory and power. He sent to her therefore now in her old age this blessed child to take the reproach of barrenness from her. He prolonged for this intent her child bearing, that the Chry sostom. joy hereof might be the greater, and she be made the more renowned and notorious. For all her neighbours & kinsfolk which before had known her ba rennes, were now made witnesses of the heavenly grace wherewith God had endowed her. For none that saw the child, departed with silence, but blessed & praised god which unlooked for had sent this blessed child unto her being of this age. The eight day therefore they went to circumcise the child according to Moses law. And because Zacharie his father was by god's provision made dumb and speechless, they supposing Luc. i. that the father would so have been best cten▪ ted named him Zacharie by his father's name. But Elizabeth his mother said he should not be so called, but John should be his name, which name she had learned not of her husband which at this time was Bede. S. Ambrose. Origen. become speechless, but by inspiration of the holy ghost, signifying that he that was born should be the beadle or messenger of the new law, which should abrogate the old traditions & turn the carnal worship into a spiritual grace. For Zacharias betokeneth in Hebrew a remembrer of god, & John is named the grace of God. The justice of the law stood in appointed ☞ works: the justice of the gospel standeth by faith through grace & favour. Howbeit, the kinsfolk would not be ruled by the mother to give him this strange name, because there was none in all their kindred so called, but they would in any wife have him called Zacharie by his father's name. And yet at this day there be some better pleased with the name of Zacharie, Erasmus in paraphra. than which the name of John, these be they that can not yet suffer that the ceremonies of the old law should be abolished, so that in effect they cry we will none of this new name of John, but we will have still the old Zacharie. wherefore for as much as the childwife & the cousins could not agree in the name, it was necessary that the authority of the father should come between to break the strife. But he had not as yet the use of his tongue, where now needed speech. With signs therefore they signified unto him what name would please him that his child should have. He understanding the matter required writing tables to declare that thing by dumb letters which by lively voice he could not bring forth. The tables brought he wrote in this wise, John is his name. Now came the time, that Moses law should speak, which before had after a fashion described with figures the grace of the gospel. The time now was come, that the mouth S. Ambrose. Luc. i. which unfaithfulness had locked, should now through faith be opened. He had not therefore so soon written, but the bond of his tongue was loused. Neither did he begin his speech with any other thing, than with the praising of God, by whose goodness so great joys were heaped upon him. Let us in like manner S. Ambrose. (good people) believe, as saint Ambrose exhorteth us, to th'intent our tongue which is bound with the bands of unfaithfulness may be loused. And surely Exasmus. unless the juish tongue be put to silence, which preacheth carnal observations, the tongue of the gospel can not speak which preacheth grace, faith, and charity. All these things of the old childwife, of the novelty of the name, of the son born by the promise of the angel, of the father made first of a speaker dumb & again of dumb a speaker: were blown abroad not only in the neighbours & cousin's mouthis but also through out all the hilly country of jewry, so that they did not only wonder, but also were astonied & aghast at the strangeness of the thing, saying within themselves. What manner of person shall this child be? None of all the prophets was so wonderfully born, which things declare, that this is done by god's power which is which the child being ordained for high purposes. And they thought not thus without cause. For in deed gods hand had uttered his heavenly virtue in the child. And to th'intent all things might be full of miracles & replenished with joy, Zacharie also Ihons' father being inspired with the holy ghost brasted forth into this song Blessed be the lord god of Israel, for he hath visitted & redeemed his people of Israel. Doubtless, god visited Chrysostom. his people of Israel both ways, whether we understand the material Israelites, for he came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, or the spiritual Mat. xv Ro. ix. Bede. Israelites, that is, the faithful persons, which were worthy of this visitation. He visited them which were now by long sickness consumed, he redeemed them being sold under sin, with the blood of his only begotten son. He called them his people not because at his coming he found them his, but because by visitting he made them his. Let us then praise almighty god that he vouchsafed to make of us which were not Osec. ij his people, his people. Let us embrace the justice not of the juish law, but of the gospel of Christ. Who be etc. ¶ On saint Peter'S and saint Paul's day. The Gospel. Mat. xxi. Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi & asked his disciples saying. Whom say men that I the son of man am? They said, Some say thou art Thom the baptist, some Helias some Hieremye or one of the prophets. He saith unto them. But whom say you that I am? Simon Peter answered and said. Thou art Christ the son of the living God. And jesus answered & said unto him. Happy art thou Simon the son of jona, for flesh and blood have not disclosed this unto thee, but my father which is Tu es Petrus et super hanc pe tran aedificabo ecclesiam meam. in heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter & upon this rock I will build my church, & the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and what soever thou bindest in earth shallbe bound in heaven, and what soever thou losest in earth, shallbe loosed in heaven. The sermon upon this Gospel. THis Gospel (my friends) declareth how our Saviour Christ after he was come into the parties of Caesarea Philippi, would prove, how moche his disciples had profeted by so many his sermons and miracles which they had now herd and seen, and whether they thought any higher thing of him then the common people did. He demandeth therefore of them saying. Whom say men that I am? They answered. Some say thou art john the baptist (for so thought the Herodians) other say thou art the prophet Helias, (because he was ravished up & therefore they thought now that he appeared according Origen. to the prophecy of Malachi) other some say, Malach iiij. thou art Hierimie (because he bore the figure of Christ and because upon him it was said. Lo I have constituted Heir. i. the this day over peoples & kings, that thou shouldest pluck up, dissever, build, and plant, which things in very deed were to be accomplished in Christ. jesus hearing this, to th'intent he would wring out yet a more certain and higher confession of his disci bless who ought best to have known him, asked them saying, But who say you that I am? Then saint Vo● autem quem me esse dicitis? Peter made answer for him & his fellows (for of all them was the question asked) and said. Thou art Christ the son of the living god. jesus answered. Blessed art thou Simon the son of jona, for flesh & blood hath not opened this unto thee, but my heavenly Bar jona. father. And I say again to thee, thou art Peter (or Cephas in the Hebrew that is to say a rock) & upon this rock shall I build my church, that is to say, upon this rock of thy confession I shall build my church. For this confession containeth the sum of the christian faith, according to the Apostle Paul, saying. Rom. x. If thou confess with thy mouth our lord jesus & with thy heart believe, that god raised h●● from death to life, thou shalt be saved. So the christian church is built, not upon the person of Peter, but upon the faith, Chryso stom. as chrysostom saith. And this is the confession of faith? Thou art Christ the son of the living god. Wherefore Peter (as saint Augustine affirmeth) doth Aug. libro. i retract. cap. xi. here represent the hole church to whom the keys were delivered. For if we would say the church were built upon the person of Peter, we should put an other foundation of the church than Christ, which is against Paul. For he saith none may put any other foundation but that which is put already Christ jesu. For Austin men willing to be built upon men said. I hold of Paul, I hold of Apollo, another said I hold of Cephas which is Peter. But other which would not be built upon Peter but upon the rock said, I hold of Christ. Wherefore saith Erasmus I do much marvel Erasmus in anno ta. of some which do wrest this text to the bishop of Rome, sith it is meant not upon him but upon all Christian persons, which thing, Origen the ancient Origines homilia prima. Doctor doth excellently declare saying. If therefore we in like wise (by the revelling of the father which is in heaven for in heaven is our conversation) will confess that jesus Christ is the son of the living god: it shallbe also said unto us. Thou art Peter etc. For every one that is a follower of Christ is a Peter that is to say a rock. But there be some men which can be contented with nothing, unless it be unmeasurable. Christ therefore did call him Peter, that is to say a sure stone or rock, which wavereth not hither & thither, with ●ondry opinions, & upon this rock of thy confession, saith Christ, will I build my church, that is to wit, my house & palace, which I will so establish upon a sure & immovable foundation, the no force nor power of the hely kingdom shallbe able to conquer it. The devil layeth siege to us which many engines, he laboureth to bring against us the hole rout of wicked spirits, but by Christ's help his church shall stand, let us only take heed this confession remain with us. The heavenly kingdom is the church, the kingdom of the devil is the world, which noman needeth to be afeard of, so he be a Peter. And for this thy confession, saith Christ, I will give the the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Behold (saith Origen) how great power the rock hath upon which Origen. Christ's church is built, that also her judgements shall remain sure even as God himself judging by the same. Let him therefore be faultless which shall bind or lose an other, that he may be found worthy to bind and to louse in heaven. And that Christ gave this authority aswell to other as to the person of Peter: it is very plain by other places of scripture, john xx. and namely in the. xx. chapter of John, where the evening after his resurrection he said to all his disciples. As my father hath sent me: so I send you. And after he had so said, he breathed upon them saying. Whose sins so ever ye shall forgive, be forgiven, and whose sins ye shall retain be retained. And in like manner before his death, he said to them all. What so ever ye shall bind upon earth, shallbe bound Math. xviij. in heaven, and what so ever ye shall louse upon earth shallbe loosed in heaven. Let us not than attribute that to one which was spoken to many. Let us not build Christ's church upon the person of any mortal man Mat. seven (which is to build it upon the sand) but let us build it upon the sure rock, that is to wit upon the confession of faith, that these holy Apostles saint Peter and Paul made & preached, whose memory we solemnize this day. Let us confess with our mouth & believe with our heart that God raised Christ from Rom. x. death to life, & that he is the true Messiah & Saviour. And no doubt we shall enjoy the heavenly inheritance prepared for us before the making of the world, by Christ our lord, to whom be praise everlastingly. Amen. ¶ On Marry magdalen's day. The Gospel. Luc. seven. ONe of the pharisees desired jesus that he would eat with him. And being entered into the pharisees house, he sat down. And behold a woman in the city which was a sinner, knowing that jesus sat in the pharisees house, brought an Alabaster box of ointment & standing at his feet behind weeping, began to water his feet which the tears, & with the hear of her head, she wiped & kissed his feet, & with the ointment anointed them. The pharisee seeing this which had called him, spoke within himself saying. If this were a prophet, he should have known, who & what manner person is this woman which toucheth him, for she is a sinner. jesus answered & said unto him Simon I have somewhat to tell the. He said, master say on. A certain lender had two debtors, the one ought five hundredth pens, the other thirty. They not having wherewith to make payment, he forgave them both. Which of them now tell me will love him more? Simon answered & said, I suppose that he whom he forgave the more sum. He said unto him. Thou haste rightly judged, and turning himself to the woman, he said to Simon. Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house, water to my feet thou gavest me none, but this woman hath watered my feet with tears, & with the hears of her head she hath wiped them. Kiss thou gavest me none, but this woman from the time I entered, hath not left kissing of my feet. Thou anoyntedst not my head with oil, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. For which thing I tell thee, many sins be forgiven her, because she loved moche. But he to whonles is forgiven, loveth les. And he said to her. Thy sins be forgiven the. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves. who is this which also forgiveth sins? But he said to the woman. Thy faith hath saved y●, go in peace. The sermon upon this Gospel. THe gospel red in the church this day (good people Gregorius Nicenus. ) is right comfortable to all christian men & women & containeth a very wholesome doctrine. For the most part of them which justify themselves be puffed up with a vain opinion of godliness before they have attained to the true judgement, separating themselves as lambs from goats, not vouchesaving ones to be conversant in the same house nor yet to eat the same meats with other, but abhorring all which be not of like perfection as they think themselves to be of. saint Luke therefore a physician more of the soul than of the body, showeth us here, how Christ our Saviour most tenderly did visit other. He entered therefore in to a pharisees house, not so much to take bodily sustenance of the pharisee, as to give ghostly food and instruction to the pharisee, & to heal him of his vain opinion whereby he justified himself. For lo, as he sat at meat with the pharisee, Marry Magdalen (for that Augusti nus de concordan. Euangel. was her name after the mind of ancient doctors) being at the time a notable sinful woman hearing that Christ (which of his most tender mercy was ready to receive all sinners) was there, came most penitently thither into the house, to bewail her sinful life & to hear some comfort of her salvation. She had already herd of the great miracles that he did, & specially how merciful he was to all repentant sinners. She therefore moved with this fame, came & with great humility standing behind him at his feet wept so plentifully that even with the tears which fell from her eyen she washed Christ's feet, which she wiped again, not which any cloth, but with the very hear of her head, & she thought not this enough, but she also kissed them & anointed them with a very precious ointment, which she brought with her. The pharisee seeing this, despiseth this deed, & in his heart reproveth not only the sinful woman, but also our lord which suffered her thus to do. saying within himself, if this man were a prophet, doubtless he should have known, what manner woman this is, for she is a notable sinner. By like if Gregorius in homilia she had come thus to the pharisees feet, he would violently have spurned her away with his feet. And in like manner, it is to be feared (saith saint Gregory) that some people which be endowed with the office of priesthood, if they have done any thing in outward appearance justly, anon they despice their underlings, & have great scorn & indignation at all the common sinners in the world. Howbeit not only the religious people & such as have divided themselves from the common sort of people have been infected with this vice, but also Mat. seven generally every man is readier to espy a mote in his brothers eye, than a beam in his own. Thus he despised the miserable sinner which was infected himself Erasmus in paraphrasi. with envy, with presumption, which the sickness of backbiting & sklandering of other & was so much the more incurable that he acknowledged not his disease. For it cometh commonly so to pass, that men be sooner converted from notable & open vices as adultery idolatry & such like than from such as cloak themselves under the colour of holiness. Our Lord therefore not hearing the pharisees words, but espying his inward thoughts, answereth him & showeth himself to be lord of the prophets. He asketh the pharisee, when a creditor forgiveth two debtors the one a greater sum that other a les, whether of them wellove him best? He answered, he that hath more forgiven him. Than said Christ, seest thou this woman? Thou badst me home to thy house, water to my feet thou gavest me none, this woman hath washed them with tears & dried them again which her hear. She never ceased kissing of them sins I came into thy house. Yea & moreover she hath anointed them with ointment. Wherefore I tell thee, many sins be forgiven her, because she hath loved much, & speaking this, he turned him to the woman & said, thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace. Oh how comfortable is this example to all sinners? Christ came to call sinners to Mat. ix. repentance, & not those that thought themselves holy & just. So here in the person of the pharisee may very S. Ambrose. Erasmus in paraphrasi. well be figured the people of the jews, which looked for Christ & when he came, of presumption they would not know him. But in Mary Magdalen, may be figured the sinful Gentiles▪ which unlooked for of them lovingly received him. Let us then good people follow this holy woman and not despair though we be never so great sinners. Only let us come to Christ & with strong faith desire forgiveness lamenting and wailing our offences, brasting out into works of love and charity as she did, and no doubt we shallbe forgiven as she was and at last enjoy everlasting bless by Christ our Lord, who be praised. Amen. ¶ On saint james day the Apostle. The Gospel Matthew. xx. THere came to jesus the mother of Zebedees' The sons of Zebedee be John and james Christ's Apostles. sons with her sons worshipping and demanding somewhat of him. But he said unto her. What wilt thou have? She saith unto him. say that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, & one on thy left in thy kingdom. jesus answered & said. Ye wots not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup that I shall drink? They say to him. We can. He sayeth to them. verily, my cup ye shall drink. But to sit on my right hand and on my left, it is not mine to give but to them for whom it is prepared of my father. A sermon upon this Gospel. Friends, the gospel of this day declareth unto us how the mother of saint james and saint John (which were called the sons of Zebedee) came to Christ to ask a certain petition of him. Saint Mark the evangelist telleth the tale, as though the sons themselves asked the petition. And in deed it was their petition and suit to Christ, but to August. de concordantia Euangel. th'intent they might the sooner obtain it, they took their mother with them and had set her to speak for them, as appeareth well by Christ's answer. This woman's name was Salome which by interpretation betokeneth peaceful, and truly she begat the children of peace. And a great praise of this woman is gathered out of this text as sayeth C●rysostom. Chryso stomus. sup Ma● thaeum. For not only her sons had left their father but she also did leave her husband to follow Christ. For he without her might live, but she without Christ could not be saved, oules perchance a man will say, that between the time of the calling of these two Apostles & the passion of Christ, Zebedee her husband died, & so she being a lone woman, & aged, followed the steppis of Christ, which is also much to her praise and commendation. For faith never waxeth old, and devotion feeleth no weariness. She cometh therefore to Christ with her two sons. They had herd Christ say Mat. 19 a little before, that they which would follow him in the new birth, when he should sit in the seat of his majesty should also sit upon xii. seats iuging the xii. tribes of Israel. And that all they which had left house, or brethren & sisters, father or mother, wife or children or their lands for his name sake, should receive an hundred times as much, & should enjoy everlasting life. They therefore being as yet imꝑfect, & having little understanding of the spiritual kingdom, but thinking rather that Christ's kingdom should be a worldly & temporal reign, came with their mother, beseeching him, that the one of them might sit on the right hand of him in his kingdom, and the other on the left, meaning, that they might be in some high authority which him. For sith in a worldly kingdom Origen. they do seem to be in honour, which sit with the king, it was no marvel, though a woman being led with a woman's simplicity or ignorance, thought, that such things ought to be demanded, and her sons also thinking yet nothing highly upon Christ's kingdom, imagined such things of them that should sit with Christ. Then our lord the knower of hid Chryso stom. things, answered not to the words of the woman which was made petitioner, but to the counsels of her sonves which had set her to do this. Surely our lord jesus Christ oftentimes suffered his disciples both to do, speak & think many things unrightly, to th'intent that by their oversight and blame, he might find occasion, to expone the rule of godliness, knowing full well that their error hurted not, so long as he was present with them, but the doctrine and instruction of the same was profitable both for that time present & also for time coming. He saith ☜ therefore unto them, ye wots not what ye ask, as who should say. I have called you from the left side unto the right, & ye by your counsel will run to the left side again. And happily the thing was therefore done by a woman. For the devil gatt him to his wont armours Gen iis. of women, that as Adam was spoiled by a woman: so he might also separate & destroy these by their mother. But now destruction could not enter by a woman into saints, sithence from a woman proceeded the salvation of all men. The advancement of honour delighted them, but first it behoved them to exercise the way of labour. And therefore he saith unto them. Can ye drink of the cup that I must drink of? As who should say, if ye will deserve the sweet, ye must also taste of the sour. If ye will have pleasure which me in my kingdom, ye must take part of my pain, & passion. The crown of righteousness is given not 1. Cor. 9 to all but to them that run in the course, and which do use themselves in such sort, that they may obtain the mastery. If then he that proveth maistryes in worldly games, keepeth himself sober & abstaineth from all things▪ to th'intent to get a crown the perisheth, what ought they be, that seek for an everlasting crown Truly (as saith Chrysostom) our Lord knew▪ that Chryso stom. they could follow his passion, but he asketh them this, to th'intent all we might hear and know, that none can reign with Christ, unless he follow his passion. For a precious thing is not gotten but with a precious price. We call the passion of the Lord, ☞ not only the persecuting of the heathen, but also all violence which we suffer striving against sin. This passion and cross we be all bound to abide, if we will be counted to be of Christ's flock. Yea and when the glory of Christ requireth, we must also not refuse to suffer corporal death for his sake. Thus did the holy Apostle saint james (whose memory we do this day celebrate) follow him, for he was beheaded of Herode for preaching and executing of his masters commission. And therefore it is no doubt of him, but according to Christ's own Mat. 19 promiss, he hath received an hundred times as much, and doth now enjoy the everlasting life, and that he is one of them, that the kingdom of heaven is prepared for. Wherefore (good people) let us follow this blessed Apostle, and as he did, so let us, leave the love of all worldly vanities, and follow our Saviour Christ, to th'intent we may be heirs of god and joint heirs with Christ. For if we suffer with him (saith Paul) we shall also be glorified with Rom. 8. i. Timon ij. him and reign together with him. If we die with him, we shall also live with him and enjoy the crown of everlasting bliss by him, to whom with the father and holy ghost be glory and praise for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ On the Nativity of our Lady The Gospel. Mat. i. THe book of the generation of jesus Christ. etc. Ye shall find this Gospel and the sermon upon it before, on the conception day of our Lady. fol. v. ¶ On saint Mathews day. The Gospel Math. ix. AS jesus passed by, he saw a man sitting at Of the calling of saint Matheu the receipt of custom, Matheu by name, and sayeth to him. Follow me. And he rose and followed him. And it chanced as he sat at meat in the house ●o many publicans and sinners came & sat down with jesus and his disciples. The pharisees seeing this, said to his disciples. Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? When jesus heard that, he said to them. The strong have no need of a physician, but they that be sick. Go and learn what this meaneth. Mercy will I, and not sacrifice. For Osee. vi I am not come to call righteous persons, but sinners. The sermon upon this Gospel. THe Gospel red this day in the church (good people) showeth unto us, how the blessed Apostle saint Matheu was called of our saviour Christ from a customer to be his disciple & Apostle, and how ready he was at his calling to follow him, which readiness of mind as it is highly for his praise and commendation, so it is also set forth, as an example for us to follow. Let us then briefly consider the manner of this thing. As our Saviour Christ passed by the custom house, he saw this Matheu which was otherwise called Levi the son of Alpheus sit there, for he was at that time one of the custom house, which persons be called in latin publicani. And surely this kind of men, because they what be publicans. did exercise an occupation or office of filthy gains and of violent rapacity, were many ways infamed noted and evil spoken of, and specially amongs the jews. But our Saviour jesus Christ, which had called a little before unto him Simon and Andrew, John & james from a base (though yet not unlawful) kind of living, to th'intent he would openly declare unto the world, that he abhorred no sort of men at all, so they would convert themselves to better: he calleth this Mattheu unto him, and commanded him to follow him. Mattheu casting no perils or at Remigius. lest weigh despising all perils which might happen of Rulers forthwith without delay, leaving his accounts unperfit, and leaving his gainful office, began to follow jesus, being suddenly made of a publican a disciple. And because he forsook earthly gains, he was rightly made a steward of the lord talents. Truly the very brightness and majesty of Hieronimus. the hid godhead of our Saviour Christ, which also glystered in his human face, had power to pluck unto him with the first sight those that beheld him. For if the Magnes stone hath (as they say) such Christ is likened to a Magnes stone. virtue & efficacy in it, that it can draw up iron unto it: how much more could he that is the Lord of all creatures, draw unto him whom he would? And it happened afterward, that this Matheu, being now called to be Christis disciple, desired him that he would vouchsafe to take a repast with him at his house. Our Lord neither disdained to do this thing at his new disciples request, to th'intent he would give us instruction, that the company and fellowship of wicked persons ought not to be eschewed of preachers and holy men, if there be any hope that by their company Chryso stom. they will amend there naughy life. Mattheu therefore being honoured by Christ's coming into his house, made unto his master a great and sumptuous feast, whereunto he also had bidden many men of his order and faculty, that is to wit, even a board full of customers, publicans, and sinners, whom by his example and words he had alured and drawn into admiration & love of jesus. The pharisees therefore which were ever huntynge and seeking occasions how to slander & trap Christ, espying him now with his disciples, sitting and eating with these sinful sort of men, durst not yet rebuke Christ to his face, lest he should peradventure taunt them again as he had oftentimes done before, but went about to draw and train his disciples from him. Wherefore they come to them & say. Why doth your master eat with these publicans and sinful persons? Troth it is (good people) that the evil talks of evil men do corrupt the good manners i Cor. ●5 Corrum punt more res bonos collo quia mala. of good men. But Christ's communication with these evil men, was not to catch the evil manners of them, but by his heavenly medicine to pluck the evil manners from them. He came to call the sheep that were lost & strayed out of the right path of godliness being seduced & led out thereof by such hypocrites & pharisees as these were which were here offended with Christ These be they that Paul speaketh of, which glorying in the law, do disworship god by the trangression Rom. ij. of the law, vainly reputing themselves to be the guides of the blind, & the light of them the be in darkness. Our Saviour therefore hearing the pharisees thus disputing with his disciples which as yet were but weak, he defendeth them in this wise. The hole need Esay. 4. i. Pet. ij. no physician, but the sick. Christ calleth himself a physician, which by a wonderful kind of surgery was wounded for our iniquities that he might heal the wounds of our sins. He calleth them hole, which willing to stablish there own justice were Rom. 4. not subject to the true justice of God. And he calleth them sick and diseased which being overcome in their conscience do acknowledge their frailty, and espying how by the law they be not justified, do submit themselves by penance to the grace of God. But go your ways (sayeth Christ) and learn what this sentence of the prophet Osee meaneth, where Osee. vi God sayeth. I require mercy and not sacrifice, as who should say, Why accuse ye me, when I relieve Chryso stom. and correct sinners? Why do ye not rather accuse God the father of heaven which speaketh this sentence by his prophet? He admonisheth us than, that by works of mercy, we should get us the reward of the heavenly mercy, and not that despising the necessities of the poor & needy we should trust to please God by the oblation of sacrifices. Wherefore (good people) let us follow this blessed Apostle saint Matheu, let us leave all filthy gains and come to Christ, when he calleth us by the preaching of his word. Let us be charitable & do the works of mercy, as Christ teacheth us, that we may be of the Ma●. 24. number of those which shall inheritie the kingdom of heaven prepared from the beginning of the world by the father of heaven, to whom be all praise. Amen. ¶ On the Assumption of our Lady. Gospel. Luc. x. Jesus entered into a certain town. And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house, And this woman had a sister named Mary, which also sitting at jesus feet herd his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, & stood and said. Lord hast thou no regard that my sister hath left me alone to serve? Bid her therefore that she help me. jesus answered & said unto her. Martha Martha, thou carest and art troubled about many things, but one is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken from her. The sermon upon this Gospel. What time our saviour Christ walked here upon earth with his disciples, which leaving the cares of earthly things gave themselves only and wholly to the gospel, it chanced so, that he entered into a certain village. In this village there dwelled two women the name of the one was Martha, the others name was Mary, which women joyfully received Christ and his disciples into their house. The love and zeal of either of them towards the lord was equal, but their form & manner of life was diverse, i. Co●. ●● like as in one body be sundry uses of the parts and members of the same, & as also in the body of jesus which is the church be diverse & sundry gifts of the spirit. For Mary making as it were holiday from all business of the house now at Christ's coming, sat her down at his feet, hearing his words, wherewith she was so ravished, that forgetting all other things, she could not be plucked thence. Contrary wise, Martha being careful for the purveyance of the feast, ran about hither & thither all busy, that nothing at all should lack, that pertained to the welcoming & feasting of such a gest. Wherefore not being sufficient of herself alone, to do all the she would have done & made ready, & seeing her sister unoccupied sitting at jesus feet, she thought it lost labour to chide her sister, whom she knew could not be plucked away but she somewhat blamed our saviour which held her with his words from the necessary business as she thought. Lord, saith she, hast no regard the my sister suffereth me to do all alone? Command her therefore the she rise & help me. Our lord being much delighted in the zeal & affection of either of these women, discommendeth not the diligent stirring about the house of Martha, neither doth he chide her for murmuring at her sister, but he gently excuseth Mary, saying Martha Martha, verily thou art troubled & vexed about many things. But there is one thing most needful, which is always to be done if it may be, as who should say. Do thou thy function & office what soever the purveyance be. But Mary hath chosen a far better part which forgetting the things of the body, is wholly busied in the things of the mind. It is not meet that she should be called away from the better things which she hath chosen & be thirst to lower & viler services. Thy love & zeal is thankful unto me in that thou preparest a repast for the time for me & mine, but I am more sweetly repasted of them which convey my words into the bowels of their souls that they may be saved. For this is the meat which doth singularly feed me this is the drink John. iiij. which doth singularly refresh me. He that regardeth the things of the body is distracted into sundry cares, and of these offices there shallbe then an end, when immortality appearing the necessities of mortal persons shall cease where with the weakness of human nature is now accumbered. But he goeth the nearest weigh i Cor. 1● to work which casting away all such cares is altogether ravished unto heavenly things, settling himself to one only thing, but which one is better than all the other things, the felicity whereof shall not be taken away but augmented, when that thing shallbe abolished which is imperfect & that opened which is perfect. Neither ought we to murmur against them as though they were idle persons, which have sequestered themselves from corporal ministries & do for the same purpose attend and give themselves to heavenly doctrine following and ensuing the steps of Christ, learning the thing that they may teach others, & thoroughly transposing into the entrails of the mind the things that they may instruct their even christian, to th'intent they may profit the more to the winning of everlasting salvation. And yet in the mean season they shall not lack their reward which with a godly zeal do relieve (according to the example of this Martha) the bodily necessities of the preachers of gods word, which feed the hungry, clooth the naked, viset the sick and prisoners, harbour & receive the needy, for in that they do this to Mat. ●●. their euenchrist●, they do it to Christ himself. And he that giveth but a drawght of cold water to a prophet, that is to say to a preacher in the name of a prophet, shall have the same reward that the prophet hath. Wherefore (as ●aint Austin saith) our lord rebuketh S. Augustine. not the work & corporal service of Martha, but ●e distinct●th the office, saying, Mary hath choose the best part which shall not be taken from her, as if he should say. Thou Martha hast not chosen an evil part, but she hath choose a better, & why a better? because it shall not be taken from her, but from the shallbe ones taken the burden of necessity. For when thou comest to the heavenly country thou shalt find there no gest ne stranger to receive by hospitality, but for thy ●pfette it shallbe taken from thee, to th'intent the thing that is better might be given unto thee, labour shallbe taken from thee, that rest might be given unto the in the stead. Thou sailest in the mid sees, she resteth in the haven or port. For the sweetness of the troth is everlasting, yet in this life it is augmented, but in that life to come it shallbe accomplished & shall never be taken away. Now surely there was neverwoman, no noryet man that ever attained here in this world to the high perfection & heavenly kind of living, as did the most blessed virgin Mary the mother of Christ, who was Luc. i. replenished with all graces most plenteously as also testified Gabriel gods angel. Marry which was this Martha's sister in deed was much to be commended, but nothing to be compared with the perpetual virgin Mary Christ's mother. Wherefore as she was here in earth replenished with all virtues, so is she now in heaven replenished with all joys. Let us then follow the divine contemplation & godly meditation of these Maries, that we may also enjoy that bless that shall never be taken from us through Christ our lord. To whom be all praise and honour. Amen. ¶ On saint Bartilmews day. The Gospel. Luc. xxij. THere was a contention amongs the disciples ●acta est contemtio of jesus, which of them was thought to be greater. But jesus said unto them. The kings of the gentiles do reign over them, & they that have power upon them be called gracious. Be not ye so, but let the greater amongꝭ you, be made as the younger, & the chief as the servitor. For which is greater, he that sitteth down at the board, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth down? verily I am in mids of you, as he that serveth, & ye are they which Et ●●● dis●●● have abode with me in my temptations. And I dispose unto you, as my father hath disposed unto me, a kingdom, that ye may eat and drink at my board in my kyngdon, and sit on seats judging the. xii. tribes of Israel. The sermon upon this Gospel. FOrasmuch as our Saviour Christ at his maundy or supper before his passion had made mention of the kingdom of God, his disciples which were at that time somewhat weak & not thoroughly spiritual, but smelling yet a little of the flesh, fell at contention and variance amongs themselves, which of them should after his departure have the primacy or head rule in the kingdom of god. For in the hole business of the blessed sacrament & mystery of his maundy, he seemed to take them all as equal not preferring one above an other, saying unto them. Take & divide Luc. 22. amongs you. But jesus albeit at diverse other times he had challenged them for this affection, yet at his departure upon this occasion he specially, r to pluck it clean from them, commanding them that they should not imagine any such thing in the kingdom of heaven as they saw in worldly kingdoms. For this is a far other manner thing, it standeth in benefits and not in force, it is obtained and also maintained with ghostly garrisons and not with violence, and is enlarged by persuasion and not by compulsion. The princes of this world do practice lordliness over such as be under them, they persuade not their subjects to love honesty, but by fear of punishment they fray them from wrongs, and they compel men to honour them, though they have never so evil deserved it. Yea the nearer they approach to tyranny, the more will they be honoured of the people with high titles. verily such is for most part the kingdom of seculare and worldly rulers. But amongs the clergy, the disciples of Christ, & preachers of his gospel, to whom he bequeathed his spiritual kingdom, aught to be an other fashion of livyuge. The greater one be among them, the les violent power or glory he ought to challenge to himself. Wherefore (sayeth Basilius that ancient doctor Basilius magnus of the church) let not the dignity extol the prelate of the church, lest he fall from the bless of humility. But let him▪ rather know this, that true humility is servant of very many. For like as he which ministereth to many wounded persons and wipeth away the filth of every wound, taketh not this office upon him to extol and vawnte himself thereupon: so much rather he to whom is committed the cure and charge of maladies and diseases of his ghostly brethren and sisters ought to cast, and be careful with himself as the minister of all which must render accounts for all. Neither is it to be feared (saith he) that the purpose of humility should be broken of the subject, while his better serveth him. Let priests therefore & the prelate's of Christ's church not be ashamed to show that soberness and modesty to the world which Christ taught his Apostles to use. And the more Apostolical that men will be counted and vicars of Christ's church: so much the more ought they to follow Christ and his Apostles in lowliness & sobriety. It is not enough truly to be called by a vain title of name the servant of God, or the servant of servants, & in deed to practise all Lordilnes, scant vouchsaving that men should kiss there feet. If there be any of this sort, surely they be no vicars of Ch●ist, but of Antichrist, they be not apostolical, but diabolical, no good herdsmen, joh. x. but false hirelings, no feaders of Christ's flock, but devourers, no builders but destroyers, no pillars of his church but pollers. If they will needs be counted for men apostolical, let them follow the example & steps of Peter & Paul & resemble them in deed of whom they will be counted the vicars. Let Tit. 2. 1. Tim. 3 them be irreprehenlible, sober, chaste, modest, lovers of hospitality, full of wholesome doctrine, no drunkards, no warriors, no lovers of filthy merchandise, no brewers of god's word, but pure preachers. Let them attend Act. 20 2. Pet 5. to the hole flock, & (as Peter commandeth) feed it as much as in thē●s, taking charge of it, without desire of filthy lucre, using themselves, as they may be esteemed ministers of Christ and faithful stewards of the heavenly mysteries of god, as Peter & Paul were. ●. Cor. ● You (sayeth Christ to his disciples) be they which have abode with me in my temptations, as who should say. He that beginneth to be patient and anon leaveth of, is not rewarded with the crown of glory, but he that holdeth on to the end. For (as Bede sayeth) Bede. perseverance which is called a constancy or strongnes of mind, is full well cleped the pillar of all virtues. The son of God therefore leadeth with him to his everlasting kingdom such as stick by him and be no starters away from him at every puff of wind. For if we by planted in him and be partakers with him of his death, doubtless we shall also be partakers and companions of his resurrection. Christ saith here that he hath disposed or bequeathed to his disciples the kingdom, which his heavenly father ordained & disposed to him. The kingdom of Christ Ioh 18. surely, is not of this world. Neither is there any equality to the lord, but only an emulation of likeness, Ambrose. For only Christ is the full image of God, whereas the just man is according to the likeness or image of God, if according to the same, he despiseth this world, and for this cause also we do eat the blessed body of Christ, that we may be partakers of the heavenly life. Such a sticker by Christ in all his temptations was this holy Apostle saint Bartilmew, he was a true prelate of Christ's Church, neither was he a minister or servant of other in name and title only, but in deed, he preached truly and sincerely not his own constitutions and decrees, but Christ's gospel, him let us follow, that we also may be made partakers of that heavenly joy by Christ our lord▪ To whom be rendered all thanks and praises. Amen▪ ¶ On Michaelmas day. The Gospel Matthew. xviij. IN that time the disciples came to jesus, saying. Who is the greater person in the kingdom of heaven? And jesus calling unto him a child, did set him in the mids of them, and said. verily I say unto you, unless ye turn, and become as children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Who soever therefore shall humble himself, as this child, he is the greater person in the kingdom of heaven. And he that receiveth such a child in my name receiveth me. But he that grieveth one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the see. Woe be to the world because of offences. For it is necessary, offences to come. Yet nevertheless woe be to that man, by whom the offence cometh. verily if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it of, and cast it from the. Better it is for thee, to enter into life, halt, or maimed than thou shouldest, having two hands or two feet, be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from the. Better it were for thee, with one eye to enter into life, than having two eyen, to be cast into hell fire. See ye despice not one of these little ones. For I say unto you, that their angels in heaven do always see the face of my ☜ father which is in heaven. The sermon upon this Gospel. NOt without great cause and consideration (good people) the church hath appointed a certain day in the year for the solemnisation of saint Michael the Archangel and by him of all the angels of heaven, sith in them is put no small comfort in earth to all good and devout persons. First therefore by the help of god we intend sum what to entreat of their nature and office, which done, we will briefly declare the gospel of this day. Wherefore ye shall understand A division of angels. that there be two sorts of angels, some be good, and some bad. The good angels do continually ministre unto god and serve for our behoof, and their delight is to do men good, because they themselves be good of nature, and their office is to execute gods business and to take charge and cure of us mortal men. They defend and protect I say all good folk from the assaults and violence of the devil, they nourish concord, peace, virtues, good studies, arts, sciencies, policy, common wealths, discipline, & shortly to speak, man's health and salfgard. That these be the properties and offices of good angels, appeareth very plainly by innumerable places of holy writ, where the good fathers were helped and be nefited of them, as in the old testament were Abraham, Gen. 3●. Exo. 14. Tob. v. Daniel. iij. jacob, Loth, Toby, the children of Israel being in the wilderness, the three children which were cast into a hot furnace, Eleas, Elizeus, and many others. In the new testament saint Peter which was led out of prison by an angel, also saint Paul Act. 12. which was certified of the shipwreck and of salvation, and diverse other. But let us mark how great their power and virtue is. One angel in one Exod. ●● night struck all the firstbegotten of the country of Egypt. One angel in one night struck down the hole 4. Regum nineteen. army of Sennacherib as appeareth in the fourth book of the kings. One angel in a plague of pestilence destroyed thousands of men, as appeareth in 2. Regum, xxiv. the second book of kings. I let pas the visions of the prophets Isaiah, Elie, Elizeus, Ezechiel, Daniel and the rest, where the Lord by his angels did speak and teach things which were to be done & taught. Also the revelations of saint John setforth in the book of the Apocalypse. Furthermore when so ever almighty god would set out any singular thing to mankind, he showed it afore by his angels, as for example, of Samson, of john Baptist, yea and of Christ himself to be borne. The angels were present at Christ's birth, at his death, at his resurrection, and at sundry other times. Ye shall moreover understand, that there be angels and also archangel's that is to say, chief or principal angels, and they have distinct offices and several functions whereby god almighty exerciseth his wonders. The apostle Paul therefore teacheth, that there be powers, dominations, virtues. And according to their offices and properties they have names, as saint Michael (whose memory the church doth this day celebrate) as Gabriel, as Raphael, which for their high kind of ministration be called Archangels. For like as a king hath under him princes, dukes, capitans lieutenants, constables and other officers to defend men from injuries, to keep the peace, to bridle and punish▪ ●auenours and evil disposed persons, even so hath god (who is king of kings) his angels under him of diverse offices for man's safeguard and defence against noisome spirits. The angels I say of god, whether they be seen or not▪ seen be always ready and assistant to good persons and be their keepers, which thing the ladder that jacob saw reaching up to heaven, by which ladder the angels of Gen. 28. god ascended & descended, doth manifestly declare. But here peradventure ye will ask this question, A puestion. why angels do not so often now appear, as they did in old time? To this question the apostle maketh answer in the first chapter of the Epistle to the hebrews, The solution. where he sayeth, that the lord in times paste spoke to the father's by his angels, but to us he have spoken by his only begotten son, whom the father commandeth us to hear, whose commandments and teachings be set forth unto us by the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke & Ihon. Howbeit an other cause also why the angels appear not as often to us, as they did in old time to the ancient fathers, may be very well forbicause the world is now set all in naughtiness & men be commonly nothing so pure, so bertuouse, nor so devout, as they were in times passed. Yet it is manifest & plain by Christ's own words in the gospel of this day, that every good person hath his angel which beholdeth the face of god the father in heaven. Such an angel no doubt had Paul whom he called his angel, as Act. 1●. appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles. Such peculiar angels had the good ancient fathers, and finally such angels have all good men and women at this day appointed unto them of almighty god. Wherefore the more fuller and replenished a man be with faith and godly awe, the more often & also the nearer be the angels to him, for according to the common proverb, like delighteth in the like. And on the Simile simili gaudet. contrary side, know we for certain they be offended with filthiness, with uncleanness with malice & wickedness, and for this cause forthwith they depart from the persons who soever they be which be spotted with the same. If we be then pure & good, doubt we not, but god hath given commandment to his angels over us, that they should keep us in all our Psal. 90. ways. hereunto also do the ancient doctors of the church full well agree. Saint Hierom, writing upon Hierom the gospel of Matheu, saith. The worthiness surely of souls is great, forasmuch as every one hath his angel appointed unto him for his keeper even from Origenes homil. 71. his birth. The noble clerk Drigen also saith, there is at hand to every one of us yea even to the least of us all which be in the church of god, a good angel the lords messenger, to direct us, to rule us, to monish us, to govern us, which seeth daily the face of the heavenly father for the correcting of our doings and obtaining of mercy for us. Neither doth saint Gregory disagree from this, which writeth, that every Grego rye. one of us have a proper and peculiar angel appointed to the keeping of him, and one evil angel to his exercise. Also saint Bernard exhorteth us to be barnard. devout▪ loving and kind to so worthy keepers. Hithersito, my friends, we have spoken of the good angels. Now will we entreat somewhat of the evil of evil angels. angels, to the intent we may the better espy, what great commodities and benefits our lord doth give unto us by his good angels, when on the contrary side we shall behold the incommodity and mischief that cometh of the bad angels. For how can a man so well know what a good thing peace is, as when it is compared with battle which is the contrary? They be therefore called bad angels, because they bring to pass nothing that is good, & they have sundry names, otherwhile in scripture they be called evil spirits, Satan, Deui●les, cacodemones, and Satan. fiends. Satan in the Hebrew betokeneth an adversary, because he is against god, against his word, Diabolus. and against our health and salvation. Diabolus, that is to say, devil betokeneth a sklaunderer and an accuser, forasmuch as he accuseth us and doth evyil interpret all things be they done never so well and godly. Cacodaemon signifieth a crafty knower and Cacodaemon. full of suttelcie and deceit all set on mischief. They be also called by a resemblance of properties, roaring lions, dragons, serpents, Leviathan, wolves evil beasts, thieves and such like, of their evil properties Also spirits of the air flying about, bound with the chains of darkness until the day of judgement condemned to everlasting damnation. They cast such men as be without the fear and thought of god into all kinds of vices, some into covetise, some into pride, lechery, intemperance, craft, deceit, infidelity, contempt of god, recklessness, despair, dissolute and lose living, drunkenness, gluttony, surfeitings advowtries, blasphemies, they raise dissensions, seditions, wars, debates, and all unhappiness. Yea and under the viso of angels of light and under the clock of religion and of godliness they induce ●. Cor. 2. idolatry, men's dreams, sects, heresies and all false doctrines, they devise and drive into men's heads enchantments, evil affections, naughy opinions and wicked counsels, as they did to David in his adultery, in the slaughter of Urias & in numbering of the people, and as they did to Czechiell, when he disclosed the treasure to the Babylonians. To be 4. Reg. xx. short, they do labour all they can, to bring us to utter shame and destruction. And this we see by open testimonies signs and deeds, how mightily they Ephe. 2. reign (as Paul saith) upon the children of disobedience and upon such as will not believe gods word nor fear the lord. They confirm therefore the ungodly in their ungodliness with signs and wonders which they show by their limbs and imps Exod. iiij. v. the false prophets, as appeareth in the. xxiv. chapter of Matthew, or by enchanters and ●uglers, for it is not impossible but the devil may by art Magik and sorcery work many wonders and master. For surely if witchcrafts sorceries and enchantments were not made ne could not be done, God would never have forbidden them. Thus these evil spirits lie continually in await of mankind, their property is to speak deceit and lies, for Ihon. ●. that is (as Christ saith) their own and they be fathers thereof, they falsify and corrupt gods word with wicked doctrine, as appeareth by the parable of the sour of good seed and of the devil which Mat 13. Mat. 4. 1. Cor. 1● soweth among it darnel, they wrest and allege holy scripture wrong, they transfigure themselves into angels of light, finally they seek to sift us as men would fift wheat. And verily good people that the wicked spirits have these effects powers and operations, it is plain & manifest also by the witness of holy doctors of the church. First the excellent clerk saint Augustine in The words of saint Austin his sermons writeth in this wise. All the evils of the world be wrought by the falsehood of the devil, which hath set war in heaven, and in paradise deceit, hatred amongs the first brethren, and in all Lactantius lib. 3. diui. instit. our works hath sown darnelles. Lactantius also that noble writer is not behind with his record, saying. There is a certain wicked and deceitful spirit, which is enemy to man, and foe of justice, this spirit lieth in await of all mankind. And such as know not God them doth he entangle and wrap in errors, he drowneth them in folly, and shadoweth them in darkness. Also saint Gregory writeth▪ that S. Gregory. the will of Satan is always wicked, but his power is never unrighteous or unleeful, for of himself he hath his will, but his power he hath of God. wherefore (good christian people) sith we stand in this state and condition, that if we be evil and void of virtue and of the true fear of God, we be in danger of these so noisome and wicked spirits, and again if we love and serve God, we be protected and fenced with the good angels, whose benefits I have heretofore briefly remembered: it shallbe our parts evermore to serve God and to stand in awe of him, lest by any means we might offend and displease him, and so through our fault it should come to pass that we might be deprived of these good angels & the evil should have power upon us. But now let us proceed to the declaration of our gospel. First therefore ye shall understand that an example of the natural An example of man's in firmity ignorance blindness and infirmity of mankind is here set forth in the disciples of Christ, which as yet measured the kingdom of heaven after the fashion of the kingdom of the world. The disciples come therefore to Christ & ask him, who is the greater man in the kingdom of heaven? Surely according Chryso stom. Hierom to the mind of ancient doctors, this was a certain human affection, which crept into the Apostles minds and as it were a prick of envy and of ambition. They had herd of the kingdom of heaven, they had seen. iij. Apostles led apart with Christ in Mat. 17. Luc ix. to the mountain that is to wit, Peter, james and John, they had herd, how the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given to Peter, and how it was said Mat 16. Mar. 8. Luc. ix. to him. Blessed art thou Simon the son of jona, and I say to thee, thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my church, they espied Peter also to talk more familiarly & more boldly with the lord, Mat. 17. & lately also they saw him preferred before the rest of the Apostles in paying of the tribute and in manner matched with Christ. For these and such other things which as yet they did no perfectly understand, they had a little privy grudge and envy at Peter sith to him as they thought the principality of the kingdom of heaven was appointed where nevertheless they perceived he was younger in years than they. They came therefore as I said to jesus and asketh him, who shall have the chief authority in the kingdom of heaven. For it could not be yet driven out of their heads, but that there should be such like dignities and powers in the heavenly and spiritual kingdom, as they saw in princes courts of this world. Our saviour Christ therefore, to th'intent he would clean banish this carnal affection and utterly expel the same out of their minds, calleth a certain child unto him, whom he setteth in the mids of his disciples, the child being yet very tender of age and ●ut a babe, void of all affections either of ambition or of envy, simple, pure, innocent, and living by the only guide and conduct of nature. This child being thus set amongs them, our Saviour sayeth in this wise unto them. verily, unless ye be converted and be made as children: it is not possible for you to come into the kingdom of heaven. For declaration of this text, ye shall understand, Hierom that Christ did not here command the Apostles, that they should have the age of children but the innocency, and the thing that the children do possess because of their childhood, they should possess by their industry, so that in malice they might be children, but not in wisdom, as who should say, like as this child, of whom I give you an example, doth not continue in anger, neither thinketh he one thing and speaketh an other: so you also, unless ye have such innocency and pureness of mind, ye can not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Wherefore my friends by Christ's own words here we may be right well assured, that unless we cease from all malice and rancour towards our Christian brothern and sisters and become Christian men not in name only, but also in deed & work, being made as it were new men and newly regenerate Ihon. 3. not fleshly but spiritually, utterly casting away as much as may be all carnal and worldly affections, and be transformed into the haviour and simplicity of young children, we shall never be received in to the kingdom of heaven. Let us humble and abase ourselves & make us like to these little babes whom we see clean void of malice and of ambition. For he that thus will humble and lowly himself, shallbe Mat. 23. Luc. 14. doubtless advanced, & shallbe called great in the kingdom of heaven. Who so ever verily is by modesty and buksomnes the lest: the same person is through virtue the greatest. Troth it is, that worldly emperors kings and princes do for most parts love such as be like to themselves, and amongs them such be in most price and reputation, which can shift out other and set forth themselves. Christ in semblable wise delighteth in such persons as resemble him, who what time he was here conversant amongs us in Phili. 2. earth humbled himself and became obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross. When he was reviled, he reviled not again, he suffered to be bound to be bobbed, to be spitted at, to be stricken, to be scourged, & finally to be crucified being himself without spot of sin to th'intent to purge us of our sins. Wherefore for his humility he hath received avaunment and most high exaltation, for his obedience he hath received most high honour to have a name above all names, for his patience & suffering he hath received power over all, for his infinite charity he hath received praise glory and thanks of al. Let us Mat. ●. learn therefore of Christ to be meek & humble in heart Let us remember what the prophet David saith. The lord is near to them that be of contrite heart, & he will save such as be humble in spirit & which fear his words. Psal. 32●. Truly (good people) those that be lowly & meek in spirit be most highly advanced, protected & tendered of almighty god. He throweth down the mighty from Luc i their proud seats & exalteth the humble, he filleth the hungry with good things, & letteth the rich depart i. Pe three empty. He resisteth the proud, & giveth his graces to the lowly persons. Let us then be humbled under jac two the mighty hand of the lord. For (as saint james saith) hath not god chosen the poor? Certainly the poor in spirit & lowly persons be they, whom God hath in his special favour & grace. For like as in the great men's courts of this world, the prince or great man taketh the villainty or displeasure as done to himself, when one doth a displeasure to one of his great lords or special servants, & again taketh a good turn & benefit as done to himself, when it is bestowed upon them, even so the great king of kings & lord of lords god almighty doth so tender & love his humble and meek servants though in the face of the world they seem as persons despised and not regarded, that who so ever receiveth one of them in Christ's name he counteth the thing done to himself, & as though the party had received Christ himself. And on the other side, he that offendeth any one of these simple and base persons which trust upon the lord & which depend hole upon him, shallbe more grievously punished, then if a millstone were hanged about his neck & he cast into the deep see. For what a more shameful & wicked part can be showed, than to grieve and hurt them which will noman no hurt, which envy noman, which prefer themselves before noman, which love all persons indifferently? Woe be to the world therefore for grieving of such once. Howbeit the malice of men is so great, that these griefs must needs be. Wherefore who soever coveteth to come to heaven, let him beware how he hurt them, yea let him take heed he hurt not himself. Let no affection be so dear to us but let it be forthwith carved and cut away, if it should hindre us in our journey to heavenward. Our hand, our foot, our eye be necessary members, yet rather than they should hindre us, Christ biddeth us cast them away. For were it not better saith he to go to heaven maimed or lame, or with one eye, than with hole membres to be cast into hell fire? But saying this he meant Hierom Chryso stom. not, that any member of the body should be cut away but he would have the affections cut of, which call us away from the study of eternal salvation. For a friend which a man can scant want is as it were his one hand. Thy father whom thou dost trust on, is thy foot. Thy wife or son whom thou tenderly lovest is thine eye. And as there is nothing so precious that aught to pluck us from heaven: so noman be he never so low & poor aught to be despised but rather helped. Let us then offend none of those little ones, namely sith there angels which have charge over them do continually behold the face of almighty god in heaven, so that by this we may know in what reputation they be with god, seeing he hath given them such keepers & conductors. Let us than endeavour ourselves to be such lowly & humble persons as our Saviour Christ here speaketh of, that we may have such angels to conduct, lead, defend, & keep us in all our ways, by Christ our lord, who be praised & glorified. Amen▪ ¶ On saint Luke's day the evangelist. The Gospel Luke ten THe Lord appointed also other seventy, and he Of the verity of this numbered of lxx read the amnotations of Erasmus. sent them two & two before his face in to every city and place whether he himself would come, and he said unto them. verily the harvest is much, but the labourers are few. Pray therefore the lord of the harvest, that he will thirst out labourers into his harvest. Go your ways. Lo I send you as lambs amongs wolves. Bear ye no wallet nor scrip nor shoes, and salute noman by the weigh. In what house ye enter, first say, peace be to this house. And verily if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him▪ if not, it shall return to you. But see ye abide in the same house, eating and drinking such as they have. For worthy is the labourer of his reward. The sermon upon this Gospel. SAint Luke (god people) whose memory the church doth this day solemnize, though he was none of the xii apostles of Christ nor of the country of the jews but a Grecian, borne at Antioch, and at the beginning of Christ's preaching in jury not being Luc. 1. with Christ, as he himself witnesseth in the preface of his Gospel: yet after he had ones tasted of Lege Theophylactum in argumento suo super E vangelium Lucae. Christ's heavenly doctrine, he forsook all worldly vanities, and gave himself wholly to the preaching & setting forth of Christ's Gospel, in so much that diverse of the ancient fathers be in opinion that he was one of the seventy Apostes which our Saviour Christ sent forth into the countries to preach. By reason whereof he hath inerited to be called an Evangelist of Christ in more excellent wise than the most part of his fellows be, considering that he hath so much holpen the Christian faith not only with his preachings, but also with his large writings. The gospel therefore of this day is of the sending forth of these seventy preachers & of the commission and charge that Christ gave them. In the chapter before this gospel it is written, that our Lord sent forth twelve Apostles into Galilee to preach the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and to confirm it with miracles. But now when he came out of Galilee into jewry and perceived the great desire of the people to hear the gospel, beside the xii apostles he chase out of all the numbered of his disciples threescore and ten more whom he sendeth forth to preach. Let us hear therefore with what commissions, and with what prerogatives these threescore & ten were sent to the executing The numbered of 70. among the jues. of this business. After this (saith saint Luke) did the Lord appoint also other seventy. Truly in the election of the numbered both of the Apostles, and also of the seventy preachers Christ observed the solemn usage of his country people. For amongs the jews not only the numbered of xii but also the numbered of seventy was as who should say hallowed appropered & consecrate to a public authority, which thing had his commencement and original beginning either of that, that jacob with seventy souls (as the scripture speaketh) went into Egypte, or of that that seventy elders of all the tribes were choose which with Num. ●● Moses should govern the people of Israel. Christ sendeth therefore seventy, not severally but two and two together, for one man alone, were as noman, and of no strength nor authority in the law which commandeth that in the mouth of two or three, all witness should stand. And he addeth a reason why he sent forth so many, saying. The harvest is great, but the labourers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest. Certainly these be few words, but many things in them come here to be marked. first the multitude of them which desire the Gospel is here expressed with a very handsome resemblance by the name of harvest. For in husbandry be certain due seasons & goings forward till at last the corn wax ripe, and the harvest is at hand. First of all the ground is broken up with the plough, than it is sowed, after that the seed springeth up into grass, and shooteth up into blades & stalks, and at last the fruit ripeth, is cut down, & brought into the barn. In semblable wise the tillage of the lords ground hath his certain times, his procedings and growings. At the beginning Moses broke up the lords ground with the plough of the law. Then came the prophets and did sow the seed. After that in the time of John Baptist appeared the blades. And at last when Christ came and sent forth his Apostles came also the harvest, & the wet began to be conveyed into the barn of God. Of this harvest Christ in an other place preacheth to his Apostles saying. life up your eyen and be hold the joh. iiij countries, for they be white already unto harvest. And he that reapeth, receiveth a reward and gathereth fruit into everlasting life, so that both he that soweth may be glad & also he that reapeth. For herein is the word true, that there is one that soweth and an other that reapeth. I have sent you to reap that which ye have not laboured. Other have laboured, and ye have entered into their labours. For this purpose also maketh that which John the baptist preacheth saying that a fan is in Christ's hand and he shall make clean his floor, & gather his corn into the Mat. 3. barn, but the chaff he shall burn which fire unquenchable. Wherefore sith the time that the gospel of jesus christ is preached is the time of harvest, it must be seen, what the corn is that is brought into the barn of god. The corn therefore is partly the ☜ men themselves which by the preaching of the gospel be gathered into the barn of Christis church, partly it is the riches which men by faith do gather of the gospel. This riches is no worldly goods, but spiritual goods. It is first of all, righteousness before god and man, whereof the one is wrought by faith in Christ (for the righteous man liveth through faith) Abac. ●. Rom. 1. the other is gotten by obedience and the fruits of faith. Finally it is everlasting life and heavenly joy. These be the goods, riches, and corn which be gathered of the spiritual harvest. But like as in the corporal harvest, the corn is not gathered into the barns which out great sweat & labour, so who soever will gather the ghostly corn must abide many adversities. And the more we labour & suffer adversity, the more corn shall we gather into our barns. Wherefore (dear friends) while it is now the time of our harvest, let us not play, let us not trifle, but with glad minds let us take the labours of the harvest. He that gathereth (saith Solomon) in the harvest is the Solomon child of wisdom, but he that sleepeth in summer, is the child of confusion. Go (saith Christ) lo I send you as lambs amongs wolves. verily wolves be naturally disposed to hurt & vex sheep, & sheep against the cruelty of wolves be altogether unarmed. Wherefore when Christ saith. I send you as lambs amongst wolves, it is asmuch to say, as I send you utterly unarmed amongs most cruel & hurtful enemies. What peace, what rest, what health, can one look for Objection. amongst such enemies? But ye will say, this is not to comfort his disciples, but rather to discourage them from embracing the gospel. Troth it is that this is a very hard word, I send you as lambs in mids of wolves, but yet it was a word necessary to be spo ken unto the apostles & disciples to monish them of the troubles & persecutions that they should suffer, lest they should dream; that the kingdom of Christ in earth should be a corporal thing. For if the kingdom of Christ had been of this world, he would not have sent forth his disciples as sheep amongꝭ wolves, but rather he would have brought to pass, that they should have been received of all men with high reverence & honour, whereas now he layeth them out to exceeding dangers and perils. They shall (saith he) deliver Mat. ●0. you up unto councils, and in their assembles they shall scourge you, yea and ye shallbe led unto princes and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles. And in an other place he sayeth. The Ihon. 16 time is coming, that who soever killeth you, will think he hath done high service to God. Truly this that Christ speaketh to his apostles, he speaketh to all right christian men & women. For they also must entre into the kingdom of god by many afflictions. Let us go then everyone in his calling armed with the only protection of Christ. The evil disposed persons will fume and chafe against the pure doctrine of Christ, but with these doth christ couple us unarmed and naked. He sendeth us not to hurt any man, but like simple and harmless persons to help all men. He commandeth his preachers and disciples not to seek succours of men to defend them against the violence of wicked people nor yet to be careful for their living. He biddeth them go light and uncumbered to the office of preaching, ☜ bearing with them neither wallet nor scrip that is, nothing that pertaineth to the necessity of nature, for all things shallbe cast unto them. Neither to care for their harbroughe, for there shall be ever some to receive them into their houses, only let them do their duties, and show themselves true preachers of his word. And into what city or place so ever they entre, he biddeth them first desire peace who is the son of pea● to the hole family. And if the child of peace be there that is to say, a meek man and desirous of the heavenly doctrine, then shall their prayer do him good, Question if not it shall return to them again. But here ye will ask, why Christ commanded his disciples to salute noman in the way? Ye shall understand, that in the fourth book of kings, the prophet Elizeus 4. Reg. iiij. gave like commandment to his servant Giezi sending him on an hasty message. Christ therefore meaneth by this, that he would not that his preachers Cyrillus. Ambrose should under pretence of greeting and entertaining of their carnal friends, be by any means hindered from the executing of their office. But what were these seventy disciples commanded to preach? that the kingdom of god drew nigh. Why (ye will say) is it enough for to know this? No verily for the devil also knew this, & yet is damned. What then? This is necessary to be preached, that we might be warned to repent, & so attain to the kingdom of Christ. Wherefore, go we to, let us embrace this gospel by faith, let us repent, that when Christ shall come in Majesty: we may reign with him which with the father & holy ghost is to be glorified for ever Amen. ¶ On saint Simon and judes day. The Gospel. Ihon. xv. Jesus said to his disciples. This command I you, that ye love together. If the world hateth you, know ye, that it hated me afore you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. Howbeit, because ye be not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world: therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I told you. The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me: they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will also keep yours. But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, for they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoke to them: they should have had no sin. But now have they no clock for their sin. He that hateth me: hateth also my father. If I had not done the works among them which none other man did: they should have had no sin. But now have they seen & also hated both me and my father. But psal. 35. and, 69. this cometh, that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law. They hated me without cause. The sermon upon this Gospel. OUr Saviour Christ (dear friends) giveth us here a special commandment, that we should love one an other. First, because he by so many ways hath declared his love towards us. Second because in the world, if we be true followers and lovers of him, we shall have none that will heartily love us, but rather the world will surely hate us. And why will the world hate us? because the verity of the gospel is brought unto us out of an other world into this world by Christ, and Christ as a stranger came into this world. Wherefore it is no marvel, though he hath many haters and despicers. For a stranger amongs strangers can not easily find friends. Besides this, whatsoever is in this world, it is nawght elles but lust of the flesh, lust of the eyen and pride of life, as saint John writeth. Yea the 1. John. 2. chief renowns of this world (as carnal justice, carnal wisdom, carnal power) be stark nawght. For the jews were righteous in flesh, but seeking to establish their own righteousness they were not subject to the righteousness of god. The Greeks were esteemed Rom. 2. the wisest men of the world, but the wisdom of this world was folly before god. Christ by his gospel reproveth the world of sin, & utterly rejecteth the wisdom, justice, & power of this world teaching them to be falsehood and no truths, and he setteth up an other kind of justice that must be obtained by faith, an other kind of wisdom to be learned of god's word, and an other kind of power to be gotten by trouble, cross, affliction and sufferance. The worldly men therefore not abiding their things to be either reproved or rejected do hate Christ, they persecutel his gospel and stamp against his word. And look how much the world hateth Christ & his gospel: & even so much they hate so many as purely and sincerely do either preach or set forth by any means the same. They persecute them they kill them. And for this cause Christ armeth all his true preachers and disciples by his own example that they shrink not, when they be persecuted troubled or vexed, saying. If the world hateth you, know ye that it hated me first ere it hated you, as who should say. Let it not seem strange that ye be hated of the world, for the servant is not in better ease than his Mat. 20. master, they hated me first, wherefore how should they not but hate you also? verily all that be the true followers of Christ be not of the world first because Christ hath plucked them away by faith from the ma●ers of this world and hath clothed them with the new heavenly man, and secondly because they allow not the things of the world but count all worldly things mere follies and vanities, and (as Paul saith) the world is crucified to them and they to the world. The world therefore can not but hate them, but persecute them, but exclude them out of their companies, yea, and if they can, put them to death. And all these things (saith Christ) shall they do unto you for my name's sake. But what is this to say, for my name's sake? Surely saith saint Austin, saint Austin. Christ here meaneth, that they will hate him in his disciples and true followers, they will persecute him in them, and will not follow nor keep their word because it is his word. Wherefore saith this holy doctor, so much the more wretched be they which do these things forbicause of this name, as they be the more blessed which suffer these things for this names sake. Howbeit the evil do these things to the evil but both be wretched, aswell the doers as the suffrers. And why will they do these things in spite of Christ's name? verily (saith Christ) because they have not known god the father of heaven which sent me. For if they had known God th● father which sent Christ, they should have known Christ to have preached by the commandment and authority of his father a far other justice than was preached or practised of the world. If christ had not come and spoken to the world, it should have had no sin. It is the preaching of the gospel verily that discloseth all ungodliness and the unrighteousness of the world, and which also setteth open the justice of god. Let us not then my friends be ashamed of the gospel of christ. For as (the Apostle sayeth) it is the power of God to the Rom. ●. health and salvation of all that believeth. For the righteousness of God is by it opened out of faith into faith. Now therefore sith the gospel is preached unto us which discloseth sin, we have no excuse no clock to hide our sin with. We know god, and yet we do not glorify ne worship him as god, we be not thankful unto him for the great & inestimable benefits which from time to time we have received at his hands. We be called by the ministers of his holy word, but we will give no ear. We be taught, and we will not attend. Wherefore it is moche to be feared that like as we have not regarded to know god: so god will give us up into a disallowed mind. If a man would hate him that he knew not, he might peradventure seem worthy of pardon and forgiveness, because he can not find in his heart to favour him whom he never saw. But we have seen Christ and have hard him though not personally as the jews saw him and hard him, yet by the preaching of the gospel we know his power and righteousness, and we espy our infirmity and unrighteousness. I say in his word we see him and hear him as well and as perfectly as the jews did. We have seen his great benefits, we have hard of his wonderful deeds, & yet I fear lest there be many worldly persons amongs us which do hate Christ & his word in very deed though they pretend never so much to love him, and they hate him and his word even for the same things, for which they ought to love him and the preachers of his word. For in that they hate the preachers of his word, they hate his word, and in that they hate his word, they hate him. And verily who so ever hateth Christ and his preachers or his word, doth hate also in very deed god the father by whose authority and special commandment all is done. Wherefore this very thing doth heap damnation upon such worldly persons because they abuse so lewdly and so stubbornly the offered & open goodness of God. If Christ by the preaching of his most holy word had not uttered amongs them such miracles and wonders as none of all the prophets ever uttered, whether we will consider the greatness or the multitude of them, they should not have been in danger of so heinous a sin. But now have they both herd and seen the troth, and the more they have herd & seen, the more they have hated both it and the preachers thereof. So that the Psal. 35. and. 69. saying of God by his prophet is in them fulfilled, where it is written, they have hated me without cause. It might be borne if one did hate one being stirred and provoked by displeasure and unkindness showed unto him to hate him. It might be pardoned if a man would hate one he knew not: but how can it be borne, that one should hate him whom he knoweth and which studieth to do him all the good he can for his safeguard and soul health? In this sort did our saviour Christ eonforte his Apostles and by them us all, to suffer tribulation and hatred for his sake. Let us then follow them and namely the blessed Apostles Simon and Jude whose memory we do this day celebrate, which had experience of these counfortes in their cross which they bore for Christ's sake, neither would they suffer themselves to be plucked away from the troth of God's word for all the hatred malice and trouble that the world could practise against them. If by their example we do the same, we shall undoubtedly with them be crowned eternally by jesus Christ our Lord which together with the father and holy ghost is world with out end to be praised. Amen. ¶ On all hallow day The Gospel. Mat. v. WHen jesus saw the people, he went up into a montaigne, and when he was set, his disciples came to him, & after he had opened his mouth. he taught them saying. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed be they that mourn, for they shallbe comforted. Blessed be the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed be they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shallbe satisfied. Blessed be the pitiful, for they shallbe pitied. Blessed be the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed be the peace makers, for they shallbe called the children of God. Blessed be they that be persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed be ye when they shall revile and persecute you, and speak every evil word against you making lies because of me. Be glad & rejoice, for much is your reward in heaven. The sermon upon this Gospel. THis day (good people) is called all hallow day & is instituted of the Church of Christ, that there might be some certain time to celebrate the memory of all holy persons or saints, which in this life lived a godly and perfect life, and therefore do now enjoy eternal bliss in heaven, according as in this Gospel is promised unto them and unto us all which will do the same by our saviour Christ. Let us then see what this Gospel speaketh. Ye shall therefore understand, that our Saviour Christ jesus, when he was walking here in earth amongs us, and espied the people more and more to gather about him of all sorts of men, he withdrew himself as it were from a low place, and going up to an high hill, began there to set abroach his heavenly Chryso stom. Hierom doctrine, declaring by the very height of the place that he would teach no low ne common thing but all high and heavenly things. His disciples whom he had specially chosen, followed up with him, but so yet that the common sort of people were not forbidden to follow, if any amongs them had so great affection and grace. When he was come to the top of the hill, he sat him down not as weary but as going about to teach high & serious things, which would require diligent hearers. His disciples therefore perceiving that, began to draw nearer unto him, that nothing of his heavenly doctrine might fall to ground. Beginning then to teach his divine and most wholesome learning, not out of the proud pulpit of the philosophers neither out of the arrogant chair of the pharisees, but out of a seat of grass he did cast his eyen upon his disciples, and opening his most holy mouth, uttered the evangelical doctrine concerning the felicity of man, as yet unknown to the world and altogether disagreeing from the opinion of all them which thought themselves most wise in the world. This doctrine his disciples yea and all holy men and women embraced and so obtained the eternal bliss and beatitude here promised unto them. Let us therefore hear also this doctrine (fo● to us also he spoke) that we also may be made blessed. All the sins of the life do spring of false opinions and persuasions. Above all things therefore we must study to pluck these out by the hard boots, if we will be his true people. Because the most poisoned & noisome sickness of the mind is pride and arrogance which is a let to man that he can not receive the true doctrine, or rather it is the fountaigne of all head vices: our Saviour first healeth this disease, saying. Blessed be the poor Beati pauperes spiritu. in spirit, for the realm of heavens is theirs. Assuredly the slender living, the lownes of birth, the obscurity of estate, the adversity of fortune maketh many men abject, lowly, & to set no store by themselves. And verily these be the nearer to the bless that the gospel speaketh of, if they follow in mind thither as fortune hath called them. But this lownes & humility of spirit that is here commended, standeth in Objection. the affection, and not in outward things. Ye will say, how can these men reign which take nothing upon them, which give place to all, which set nought by themselves, which suffer themselves to be trodden under foot, & finally whom noman setteth by, but all men despice? I answer, that it is yet true that the Answer. self truth hath spoken, the kingdom pertaineth only to them, the kingdom I say of heaven. For think ye that these wild fierce & cruel persons do reign? Nay they serve a servitude, they be very villains & bondmen, they suffer many lords & tyrants over them. They be tormented & crucified with covetise, with ire, with envy, with lust of vengeance, with fear, with hope. They scant live, they reign not. But the holy person, the saint, the godly & devout man or woman steing himself upon his innocency, upon god, & upon the rewards of the world to come, is free & void of all these cares & troubles, for with a quiet heart he despiseth the things of this world, and followeth the heavenly goods. Doth not I pray you this man obtain a reign or a kingdom far more goodly and more excellent, then is the reign of tyrants? He is not under the commandment and rule of the lust nor of covetise neither of none of the other most noisome pestilencies of the mind. But this holy person being armed with faith, as often as the case requireth, doth lay his commandment upon diseases and they flee away, he commandeth the sees, and they be still, he commandeth devils and they depart. Of this force and power is the kingdom of that heart which is godly and setteth nought by itself, distrusting all human helps and succour, & depending holly of God. The worldly kingdom is gotten by violence & defended by high courage. But this kingdom is gotten by modesty, & established by humility. The world judgeth none meet to a lordship or reign but such as be of haut and high courage. But god calleth those chief to his kingdom, which do most of all humble and deject themselves. jesus goeth forth and addeth another lesson like to this, saying. Blessed be the meek, for they shall inherit Beati mites. the earth. Who be meek? which enforce noman, which being wronged do easily pardon the wrong, which had rather lose a thing then strive for it, which set more by concord & quietness of mind, then great & large possessions, which choose rather a quiet poverty then troublesome riches. But this sort of men be commonly for their patience by one or other disturbed and wiped of that they have. verily it is troth, but this is a new manner of enlarging possessions. The unpitiful & cruel lord possesseth no not that which he hath, whereas the mild & gentle person, which had rather depart with his right, then contend for it hath land in so many places as he findeth lovers of the Gospel of Christ, & if he findeth none in this world: yet is he sure of the possession of the heavenly land, out of which he cannot be excluded. The world bewaileth them as unhappy which be briven out of their country & compelled to live in strange places, but Christ calleth them happy, which be banished for the Gospel's sake, being made citizens of heaven. They be driven from the franchise of one city, & expulsed out of one country, but to true disciples Phil. iij. Hebr. ●3 of Christ the hole world is their country, & to such as be godly persons heaven is their home. The death of friends is miserable to the common sort of people in so much that some when they have been deprived of their wives, fathers, mothers, husbands, children have killed themselves. And for this cause men come unto them to assuage the bitterness of their sorrow Beati qui lugent. with words of comfort. But blessed be they which mourn for the love of the Gospel, which be also plucked away from their affections, which see their most dearly beloved troubled for the justice of the gospel, which despising the pleasures of this world pass their life in weeping, watching, fasting, giving almoise, praying, visiting the poor, & in such like occupations. For with such will that heavenly spirit ve present, secretly comforting & rewarding the short mourning with in estimable joy of mind, & translating them to everlasting bless. Man's counforting oftentimes increaseth the grief while it laboureth to suage it. But the holy ghost the true comforter so cheereth the godly mind, that in most bitter afflictions Beati qui●e suriunt. of the body it rejoiceth. By the common opinion of all men, hunger is a painful thing, and needy poverty is the thing that every man escheweth, neither is there any man but counteth them happy which have augmented their living & so established their things as they may now live in high wealth and abundance. But assuredly it is not the heaping up of goods which satisfieth the mind, nor the wealth of man is not to be measured by the filling of the belly. Whom doth Christ then in this kind call blessed? Blessed (saith he) be they which be hungry & thirsty after righteousness. The things wherewith the body is fed, ought but lightly to be desired, and yet in caring for them, the people be most vexed, & many times when they have gotten them with much travail, they be most disquieted. But the godly persons which be contented with little & seek not carefully for things, lack nothing, God so provideth for them which feedeth also the sparrows & the lilies. Happy be they then which translate this bodily hunger and thirst to the hungering and thirsting after the justice of the Gospel, where they shall ever find somewhat to be hungry, and thirsty of, where is a blessed filling and satisfying, yea and it is a great part of ●●on. 6. the Christian man's bliss and felicity is to hunger after that bread of the mind whereof the eater shall live everlastingly, and to thirst after that lively ●●on. 4. drink, of which the drinker shall have in him a fountaigne of water springing up to everlasting life. Wherefore my dear friends this bread let us specially hunger for, and this drink let us thirst for. The people also esteemeth them happy which be promoted and holpen by other men's liberality and they rejoice rather at them that be helped, then at them Beati misericordes. that help. But I (saith Christ) do pronounce them happy which be merciful, and which of a Christian charity do think an other man's misery to be their misery, which be sorrowful for the hurts of their neighbour, which weep for other men's mishaps, which of their own cost do feed the hungry, cloth the naked, monish the straper, teach the ignorant, pardon the offender, and shortly to speak, which do bestow all the talents and gifts that God hath lent them upon the soucouring and relieving of others. For they that thus do, be no losers but gainers, for as much as who so ever is merciful and beneficial to his neighbour, shall feel god much more merciful & much more beneficial to him again. Thou hast forgiven thy neighbour a certain light offence, god shall forgive the all thy sins. Thou hast released to thy brother a temporal punishment, god shall release unto thee, everlasting pain. Thou hast relieved with thy money thy brother's need, god shall tender unto thee, his heavenly riches. amongs men the pitiful persons perchance do wax poor, while by giving to the needy they waste their riches, but with God they wax rich, while by empting their coffers they fill and garnish their soul with the fruits of godliness. The common sort of people do call them unhappy which be deprived of their eye sight, and they that Beati mundo cord. lack this most dear sense do count themselves half dead and to walk in darkness. So sweet a thing it seemeth with the eyen to see light, and to contemplate this most goodly sights of the world. Wherefore if it seemeth a thing so pleasant to behold the Sun with bodily eyen, how much more blessed is it, with the eyen of the mind to behold God the maker of the Sun and of all things? We see how joyful they be which have been in danger of losing their sight and have recovered it again, we see how highly they rejoice even as though they were returned out of hell. But much more happy be they, from whom the blindness of the mind is taken away and have now the grace inwardly to see God well of all joy, whom to see is most high wealth and felicity. That thing that the sun is unto pure eyen, the same is god unto pure minds. That matter or gum is to the eyen, that is sin to the soul. Blessed be they than whose heart is pure & without wemme and spot of all filthiness. For to these shallbe granted the thing which surmounteth all worldly pleasures. And what is that? verily to see God. But how be men's hartis made clean? verily by faith in Christ August. in primo de trinitate. as holy scripture witnesseth. This sight therefore (saith saint Austin) is the reward of faith, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, purifying the hearts by faith. For it is not to be thought, that god which is most clean, will be seen but of clean hratꝭ as writeth saint Hierom, for the temple of god may Hierom Beati pacifici not be polluted. The world judgeth them happy, which setting all their things in a stay according to their mind, do live in ●uyet and rest having noman to put them to trouble and business. But them both Christ call happy & blessed, which after they themselves have once compressed in their mind the Hierom rebellion of all their lusts: do apply themselves to set unity, concord and peace between their evenchristen, not only having no purpose to revenge, when any man doth them displeasures, but also of their Chry so stomus. own swinging and mere motion stirring and exhorting other men to peace, of whom they have sustained displeasures. If this shall seem an hard thing to any man, let him hear the reward, such shallbe called (saith our Saviour Christ) the sons of god. What is more honourable than this commendation? Nay what is more blessed? For it is no vain title. He that is the son of god: must needs be also heir. But the unlikeness of manners and conditions doth Augustinus. utter and bewray a bastard child, and on the contrary side, resemblance of manners and of conditions doth declare the true natural son. God freely pardoning all our sins doth allure us all, of whom he hath been offended, to peace and amity. Of his own bounty & mere goodness he showeth himself merciful to all which do repent them. Wherefore he will knowledge none for his children, but those that show themselves such to their brethren, as he hath showed himself towards all universally. Carnal fathers do disherit such children as will not agree with the rest of their brethren, so in likewise the heavenly father will refuse for his children such as be haters of peace & makers of debate. And because the more part of men and women be naughtyly disposed: peace can not frame with all personnes unless it be by sufferance of wrongs. It is the part of them that be good, to apply themselves by all the means they can possible, that they have variance with no manner persons whether they be good or bad, yea they must provoke all as near as they can to love and concord by gentleness, by softness, by doing good turns and benefits. But there be some so froward and so ungracious, that with good turns they be the more kindled to mischief, and which for pleasures do men displeasures again, they rage upon their well willers, and count them for extreme enemies which labour to save them. If peace can not here take hold on both sides, yet nevertheless they shallbe blessed even for their desire and study of peace, when the wicked do persecute and trouble them for none other cause, but for the justice sake of the Gospel, which hurteth none, and helpeth all. For even this self thing stirreth up their hatred for which they ought to have showed their love, neither for any other cause do they render wrong, then for the which they ought to have given thanks. Christ sayeth not, blessed be they that suffer persecution of the heathen people. For though a man suffer persecution Chrysostom. (as the holy Doctor Chrysostom saith) of heretics or of men of power which seem and be called christians, he is blessed with saint Thom Baptist & with innumerable other holy martyrs. For if it be true ☜ that the prophets be martyrs, which were stain of their own nation, without doubt, he that for god's cause, suffereth any thing, though he suffer of his own nation, hath the reward of martyrdom. And therefore the scripture hath not put the persons of the ꝑsecuters, but the cause only of the persecution, that we should not look, who it is that psecuteth, but for what cause. But ye will say: who can love such as for pleasures renore again displeasures, hatred, and evil turns? It is an hard thing I grant, but the reward is great. And what is the reward? not a garland of flowers or bay leaves, not an ox or a goat, but the kingdom of heaven. Unto this tournament we must prepare ourselves so many as will be Christ's disciples, if we desire to win the crown of the evangelical felicity. Man's cruelty is nothing that ought to fray us from it. Noman can hurt us, if we cleave to justice. The persecution of the evil shall not pluck away our innocency, but it shall rather increase our bliss. Yea in the mid storms of the persecution we shallbe blessed. Let us call to mind (my friends) the valiant martyrs and holy both men women & children which have been before our time, the memory of all whom, the church doth this day solemnize, how constantly how patiently they suffered B●ati es 'tis▪ quum. all villainous words, all mocks, scorns, unworthy punishments yea and many of them death for the truths sake. When men cursed them with bitter curses, when men assawted them with all kind of mischief, when men falsely accused them and laid to their charge all the crimes they could, because they were true followers & disciples of Christ: they bewailed not themselves as unhappy and miserable, but rather they rejoiced and triumphed therein, forasmuch as the more their enemies and persecutors did rage against them, the more did their reward increase in heaven. Their hurt God turned to their good. The damage that they suffered of men, he turned to their lucre. The reproach, he turned into ever lasting and true glory. The crimes and upbraidings which men brought falsely against them, he turned into the titles and triumphs of true godliness, men's cursings he turned into praises and rejoicings, not only afore God (whom to please they thought it enough▪ though they displeased the hole world besides forth) but also afore men. For of wicked and ungodly men to be dispraised for godliness is to be praised: and to be tormented of the haters of god, is to be crowned. Praise and glory amongs men they sought not for, and yet nevertheless it followed the true virtue of the own accord. Thus the holy prophets which have been afore us, thus the blessed martyrs, the confessors, the virgins, the devout widows, and (briefly to speak) all the hallows and godly personages before our time, be rewarded & crowned now with the crown of immortality. Let us therefore (dearly beloved frcendes) follow them in living that we may also follow them thither, where they now be in perpetual joy, with the father son and holy ghost three persons and one god, who be praised forever Amen. ¶ On the day of wedding. The Gospel. Mat. nineteen. THe pharisees came to jesus tempting him and saying. Is it lawful for man to put away his wife for all manner of causes? He answered and said unto them. Gen. i. and two. Have ye not red that he that made man at the beginning made them man and woman? and said, for this cause shall man leave father & mother and cleave to his wife & they two shallbe one flesh? Wherefore they be no more two, but one flesh. Let not man then put a sundre that which god hath coupled together. The sermon upon this Gospel. forasmuch as (welbiloved audience in our Saviour jesus Christ) we be assembled at this present tune for the solemnisation of matrimony between these two people in the face of the church, according to the laudable custom and rites of the same: I intent with your favours first ere I expound this gospel briefly to declare the first institution & ordinance of matrimony, to th'intent not only these two persons here cou The first institution of marriage pled together, but also all other which be here gathered together, aswell married as to be married, may be admonished & instructed of their office & duty herein. First therefore ye shall understand, that almighty god what time he first made & created man in paradise, considering of his bottomless wisdom, how necessary, meet and convenient it was, to couple man and woman together in wedlock, both for the comfort, aid and help of one an other, and for the multiplication and meyntenaunce of mankind in lawful succession and also to th'intent that thereby generation of issue might after man's fall be continually from time to time maintained until the end of the world without sin or offêse towards god: did not only even than at the beginning and in paradise knit Adam and Eve together in matrimony, and did ordain and bless the same by his holy word, but also did declare and set forth the virtue and strength thereof S. Austin. by the mouth of Adam, for he being inspired (as saint Austin and other holy doctors say) with the holy Gen. ●. ghost, when he was by almighty god which made him, knit and coupled in lawful marriage with Eve his wife, spoke as a prophet these words following. Loo now these bones of Eve my wife be formed of my bones and this her flesh of my flesh. She shallbe called a woman because she is taken forth of the man. And for this cause shall man leave his father and his mother, and cleave fast unto his wife, and they twain shallbe one flesh. By which words it is meant, that by the strength and virtue of marriage rightly made, the man and wife which before were two bodies, be now made one body, during their lives, so that hereafter the husband (as saint i Cor. v Paul saith) hath not power over his own body, to use it as him lusteth, but it is his wives, neither hath the wife power of her own body, but her body is her husbands body and with him only may she use the act of matrimony. And therefore they two so knit & conjoined by god's ordinance, may in no wise ●e divided for any affection either to father or mother, or for any earthly thing in the world. Secondly dear friends, ye shall understand that god renewed his said ordinance of matrimony and sanctified it with his holy word immediately after noah's flood. At which time being all the people of the world destroyed with the said flood (except No his children and their wives) god calling them out of the ark said unto them. Crescite & multiplicamini, et Gen. ix. replete terram. that is th' say. Increase & be ye multiplied and fulfil you the earth again. And albeit this law and commandment of matrimony given again to Noah and to his children was a sufficient instruction unto them and to all their offspring how to use it in all cleanness and purity: yet god perceiving man's natural inclination to sin and malice, did afterward further establish and declare the same by his other laws written more at large showing the degrees of consanguinity and of affinity which nature abhorred to marry in, as appeareth in the book of Leviticus the. xviij. &. xx. chapters. Which laws of prohibition all we christian men and women be vonden to observe and keep. For who so ever marrieth within the degrees there expressed and prohibited of God in the said book, be cursed by God's mouth, and their marriage is of no force ne strength neither afore God ne man, but detestable, abominable, devilish, and damnable. And on the contrary side all marriages made between kinsfolk or allies that be not within the degrees which be in that book forbidden of God (though the bishop of Rome hath never so much forbidden them) be without any dispensation of man good, holy, godly, and approved not only of God, but also authorized by act of parliament made in the xxxij year of the reign of our most dread Sovereign lord the king that now is Henry the eight. Thirdly ye shall understand, that this conjunction between man and wife in matrimony was ordained, that thereby also might be represented unto us not only the perfect & indissoluble union of the nature of God with the nature of man (which was fulfilled, when the second person in trinity took upon him the form and substance of our nature) but also the like conjunction in perfect love between Christ and his church, as the holy apostle Paul witnesseth in Ephe. 5. his epistle to the Ephesians, where going about to prove, that all women which be married, aught to love and to be subject unto their husbands in all things, even as the church is subject to Christ, & likewise that all husbands be bound to love their wives, even as Christ loveth the church his spouse: he bringeth in the first ordinance of matrimony: as it was ordained by god in paradise, and the words before rehearsed, whereupon he inferreth & saith, that this conjunction of man and woman in marriage whereby they are knit and made one flesh and one body is the sacrament, that is to say, the figure, the signification, the mystery, or the prophesying before of that great and marvelous conjunction which is between Christ and his church. For like as by the virtue of this first ordinance of matrimony, the man and wife be made as one body whereof the man is the head: even so the exceeding love of Christ towards his spouse the church knitteth and maketh Christ and his church to be but one body, whereof Christ is the head. And like as the woman was formed of the rib of man: so of Christ sprang forth the church ☞ which is purified by water and blood. The rib is the harder part of the body, & the husband is the strength of the wife, & even so is Christ the strength of the church. Out of the rib and mids of the body was the wife brought forth: and even so Christ took flesh of our substance, borne of the undefiled virgin, made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted. Wherefore we be called the members of one body of his flesh & of his bones, membres I say, not according to the nature of the everlasting divinity, S. Hierom. but according to that he vouchsafed to take, man's nature upon him. Howbeit this conjunction may not be taken carnally but spiritually. For albeit Christ took our real flesh: yet we be his spiritual S. Ambrose. members. For we be one body, because we be partakers of one spirit. And forasmuch as there is so great a conjunction between Christ and his church: we ought for his sake to leave the dearest things we have, if they would pluck us away from Christ whose spouse we be. For we must cleave to him without severance, sith we be one body, & one flesh with him. And verily this is a great sacrament, mystery, and secrecy, which if it be rightly pondered, plucketh up our minds into most high and heavenly joys. Hitherunto we have briefly spoken of the first ordinance of marriage, now let us come to the declaration of this present Gospel. The pharisees which amonngꝭ the jues were taken for men of great holiness, and therefore ought best to have magnified Christ and his doctrine, were ever most busy against him, inventing all they could, to trip him in his words, that they might have some pretence to accuse him, & put him down. For they had no little envy at him, ꝑtly because he shadowed their estimation, & ꝑtly because he disclosed their hypocrisy. They came therefore on a time and craftily did set upon him, taking occasion of the words he had spoken concerning that a man ought not to put away his wife. They propound a suttil sophism, whether it were lawful for every cause for a man, to put away his wife. For if he should answer, it were lawful, he S. Hieronimus. should seem to be against himself, where he taught divorces not be lawful. If he should deny it, he should seem to be against Moses law, which suffereth Deut. 24. a man for any manner cause to give her a libel of divorcement and to let her go. But jesus so tempereth his answer, that neither he diminisheth the authority of Moses, neither recanteth his own teaching, & with the authority of the law he stoppeth the pharisees mouths which were lawyers. Have Gen. ij. ye not red (saith christ) that when God created the world he formed the man and women, that by there conjoining, mankind should be continued? And forthwith expressing the unpartable couple of them added. For this loves sake, shall man leave father & mother and stick to his wife. And this knot is so strait the of two be but one person. So the it is as much against nature, that the one should be plucked from the other, as it is for one part of the body to be severed from an othher. Wherefore the God hath thus coupled, let not man sever. Meaning hereby, the it is both a Chrysostom. 'gainst nature & also the law a man to cast up his wife. Here the pharisees thinking that they had now gotten a good quarrel against our saviour Christ jesus to snach him up said unto him. If it be thus as objection. thou sayest that god would have wedlock so inviolabely kept: why then did Moses make it lawful to the husband, for any manner cause to put from him Deut. 24 his wife, so that he give her a libel of divorcement? as who should say, how durst Moses be so bold to licence that thing which god would not have done. To this objection our saviour answered. Moses did The solution of Christ. not permit ne licence this thing unto you, because the thing of the own nature was honest and rightfulle but forasmuch as he knew the stubbornness & hardness of your hearts: therefore he granted unto you the lesser & lighter inconvenience that ye should not commit the grievouser offence. For assuredly Moses did not allow all kindis of divorces, in that he had liefer that the same were suffered or rather winked at, than murder should ensue & be committed. Neither did the libel of divorcement amongs the crooked jews which Moses their lawmaker enacted that it should be given to the woman, make the divorce good and lawful, but rather that same libel was a witness and testimony of the hard heart of the jews, which for every light cause and tri●le, would put away their wives, & for this cause the law of moses gave commandment, that such stubborn & hard husbandis which would needs for such light occasions put away their wives or else do worse & commit further inconvenience, to give them the said libelle of divorcement for a certain record & witness that she is now free from his yoke and at her liberty. But at the beginning (saith Christ to these pharisees) Ab instio autem non fuit sic. when as yet the malice of m● was not grown into such an excess, nor as yet man's nature was not infected with so many vices (for the hatred was not so fervent, that either poisoning or murdering was feared) there was no such licence of divorces. Wherefore neither now is the same licence to be suffered amongs christian men, after that the doctrine of the gospel hath brought again the christian man to his former state and perfection of nature by regeneration or new birth. And no doubt (my friends) Moses amongs the jews wished in his heart the same perfect love and fast knot in wedlock to be observed and kept, that our saviour Christ hath taught us, but (as I have declared) the corrupt & naughy manners of the jews, which for every light grief were ready to commit murder and all mischief, feared him that he durst not require that of them. So that our saviour Christ did not abrogate the ancient law of Moses, but he made it more clear & perfect, declaring unto the froward jews, that it was unlawful both for them & for all other and against the mind of god and the will of Moses their lawmaker, that they should for every light occasion put away their wives whom they ought to love & to embrace as their own bodies and their own flesh. For ☜ a thing that a man doth, is not forthwith lawful for him to do because he is not punished in this world for the same. For there be many things abominable and stinking afore the face of god, which be not punished by man's laws. Hitherto have we entreated the gospel of this day. Now we will sum what touch the offices aswell of the wife towards her The office of the wife husband as of the husband towards his wife, and so make an end. Ye wives (saith saint Paul) be ye subject to your own proper husbands as unto the Lord. For the man is head of the wife, even as Ephe. 5. Christ is the head of the church, and it is he which giveth health to the body, Wherefore like as the church is subject to Christ: so let the wife's be subject to their husbands in all things. Likewise saint Peter i Pe. iij. in his first epistle commandeth christian wives to be in subjection to their husbandis, to th'intent that even they which obey not gods word, may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives, when they behold their chaste conversation joined with reverence. Whose outward apparel he would not should be gorgeous nor much glysteringe to the eye, but rather he would have them inwardly garnished in the heart, being there full of all cleanness & without corruption, in such sort as they may have a gentle & quiet spirit, which spirit he saith in god's eye is a thing most gorgeous & sumptuous. For after this manner in old time (sayeth this holy Apostle saint Peter) did the holy women, which trusted in god, attire themselves, and were obedient to their husbandꝭ even as Sara obeyed Abraham her husband, calling Gen. 16. him lord, whose daughters all ye be, as long as ye do well. Saint Paul also saith, that the woman is 1. Cor. 11 the glory of the man. For the ●nā came not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman's sake: but the woman for the man's sake. Women therefore ought to employ their diligence upon the virtuous bringing up of their children & to look well to their household. Yea they shallbe (saith saint Paul) saved by bearing of i. timo. ● children & bringing them up in faith, love of god, & in holiness. For this is their office, this is their function & calling wherein they ought to pleaee god, & to attain everlasting bless. They ought to be no tanglers, no disputers, no teachers in common assembles but hearers, but learners & keepers of silence with all subjection. These be the offices & duties of christian wives. Ephe. 5. The office of the husband (as Paul saith) is to love his wife even as Christ loved the church. He is bounden to love her, as his own body. He that loveth (saith he) his wife loveth himself. For noman ever yet hated his own flesh, but nowrisheth and cheris●●eth it, even as the lord doth the church. He must dwell (saith saint Peter) with his wife, according 1. Pet. 3. to knowledge giving honour unto her, as unto the weaker vessel, & as unto her which is heir also of the grace of life. He may not be bitter to his wife, but Coloss. 3 gentle, courteous, and loving. Yea finally he must so entirely love her that god commandeth him to leave Gen. 2. Mat. 19 all other his affections, yea even his own father and mother, and cleave to his wife. But let man and wife take heed, that god couple them together & not the devil. Let them be coupled for procreation of children, 1. Cor. 7 for avoiding of fornication, in all temperancy holiness & godly shamefastness. Let them not join either for riches, for beauty, for great alliance or (which is more filthy) only for the lust of the body, lest they be greuous●ly punished for their intemperancy, as it chaū●ed to the seven husbandꝭ of Sara before she married Tob. 6. and. 7. with Thobie the younger & to innumerable other. Wherefore my dear friends let every man and woman take heed they join in holy wedlock by gods coupling with all humble reverence and godly fear. So doing, they shallbe blessed of gods holy hand, they shall increase and multiply, they shall replenish the earth and have it subject unto them, according to the saying of scripture. If they fear the Lord Gen. 1. and walk together in his ways, god shall surely bless them, prosper, and further them in all their doings. psal. 127 Wherefore thou man which art head of thy wife, so love, maintain, cherish & tender thy wife, even as Christ hath loved and most tenderly embraced his spouse, the church. If thou so do, thou shalt eat the labours of thy hand (as the prophet writeth) thou shalt be happy and it shallbe well with the. Thy wife ☞ shallbe as a plentiful vine tree upon the walls of thy house. Thy children as olive branches round about thy table. Loo (saith he) thus shall the man be blessed which feareth the lord. This is god's institution of marriage, these be the offices of married persons. In these if ye walk like faithful and right christian persons, though through the malice of the world ye suffer affliction here: ye shallbe sure after this frail life perpetually to reign with Christ our lord, which with the father and holy ghost three per sons and one god is to be glorified and praised world without end Amen. ¶ At burienges. The Gospel. Ihon. xi. MArtha said unto jesus. Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But now also I know, that whatsoever thou askest of god, god will give it the. jesus said unto her. Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him. I know that he shall rise at the resurrection in the last day. jesus said unto her. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And every one which liveth and believeth in me shall never die. believest thou this? She sayeth unto him. Yea lord, I believe that thou art Christ the son of god, which camest into the world. The sermon upon this Gospel. Well-beloved people in our saviour Christ, this gospel is right comfortable to all faithful and true christian folk. For in it is contained the glad and swear tidings to all unfeigned Christians, that is to wit, how Christ is our resurrection and our life, if we believe unfeignedly upon him. and verily this is one of the chiefest articles of our religion, to believe that though we die here bodily for a time or rather sleep, for so the scripture calleth it: yet we shall rise again and live everlastingly with God in heaven, through Christ, in case we have had steadfast faith in him, and be found clad and adorned with the Mat. ●●. wedding garment at the day of the great Solemnity, that is to say, at the general resurrection of the chosen people of god when Christ the son of God shallbe in full & most perfit wise knit & conjoined Chryso stom. in marriage to his loving espouse the church or congregation of the faithful persons. But ye will ask, what this wedding garment is? verily after the mind of saint Gregory, it is charity. And that Gregory. person entereth to the marriage but without the wedding garment which being in the church, hath faith but lacketh charity. Truly this man's faith is not the true and lively faith, but it is a feigned faith, and a dead faith, as saint james calleth it, because it is ja. 1●. without works. For what availeth it o my brethren (saith this holy Apostle saint james) if a man would say he had faith, and hath no works. Trow you that this faith shall save him? if your christian brother or sister be naked and lacking daily sustenance, and one of you would say unto them. Go your way in peace, warm yourselves and fill your belies: and yet nevertheless ye give them not the things necessary for the body, what will this help? So also faith if it hath not deeds it is of itself dead. By these words of saint james we may learn (my friends) that it is not enough for a christian man or woman to say he believe in Christ, but he must also show us his faith (as saint james sayeth) by his deeds and works. Wherefore the wedding weed that we must be clad with, is not bare faith, but it is charity which is the fruit of faith, or if ye will needs have it faith, let it be that lively f●yth which is garnished with this charity, that is to wit, with such zeal love and affection which ye bear to god that for his sake ye freely aid & relieve your even christian according to your power. And verily these be the works that almighty God requireth of us, if we will be counted his children and the inheritors of everlasting bless. He commandeth that our light Mat. 5. should shine afore men, that they may see our good works, and glorify the father of heaven. Finally the doers (of these as himself doth witness) shallbe Mat. 25. called the blessed children of his father at the general resurrection, and shallbe ●ydden to come and enter into the unspeakable joys of heaven which were prepared for them sithence the beginning of the world. The interpretation of saint Hierom Neither doth the most excellent clerk saint Hierom disagree from this interpretation, saying, that the wedding garment may very well be called the commandments of the lord and the works which be accomplished and fulfilled at the bidding of the law and gospel, and he saith that these works do in a christian person make the garment of the new man, which garment verily who soever in the dread full day of judgement, shallbe found under a christian name not to have, shallbe forthwith taken and cast into utter darkness, where according to the sentence of Christ shallbe weeping & gnashing of teeth. This by occasion (dear friends) have I spoken of the wedding garment, where with must that soul be clad & adorned, which at the general resurrection & uprising again of all mankind in flesh according to the article of our believe shall by Christ live everlastingly. But yet for the better & more clear understanding of this gospel, I think it very expedient to repeat & declare unto you the very beginning of the history which is red in this gospel, according as saint John the Evangelist doth report it in the beginning of the xi. chapter namely sith in it is contained the most comfortable & chiefest article of the christian man's believe. The history is this. As our Saviour Christ abode at jordan, it chanced that in a town named Bethania, a certain man called Lazarus lay sick. This town was the native place & country both of the sick man, and of his two sisters Mary and Martha. verily this Mary was she, which with a notable record of love towards our saviour Christ had anointed his head as he sat at meat with a right precious ointment & with her hear had wiped his feet which she had washed with the very tears that ran down from her eyen. By reason whereof we may very well understand, that there was a singular and a right special amity and friendship between this family and our saviour Christ. Where Chryso stom. fore when Lazarus was in great peril of death, his sisters, for the familiarity which they had with jesus, sent word unto him, how his friend Lazarus was sore sick, they nothing doubting, but that he of his wonderful humanity which he bore towards all men, would help his friend being in such danger. Lo, say they, he whom thou lovest is sick. They thought it enough only to give him knowledge of his friends sickness, and therefore they add no prayers to desire his help. To whom jesus maketh answer in this wise. verily this sickness is not deadly, but it is therefore chanced unto him, that by occasion thereof gods glory might be set out, to the intent that when by his virtue the disease shall be drive away, the son of god might also be glorified. A like answer did christ make to his disciples of him that Ihon. 9 was borne blind, saying the it was not his offence that he was so, but the godis works should be showed in him. Certes our saviour Christ loved very entirely Mar than and Mary, and their brother Lazarus & yet not withstanding his great love, he suffered him to fall into sickness yea and into death, to th'intent we should Chryso stom. not count it an unworthy and heavy case i●●● any time the virtuous and good persons & s●●●●●●s be embracers of true godliness & the freendess 〈◊〉 be otherwhile assaulted with the troubles & 〈◊〉 s of this world, god winking at the matter, e●●●●er because it is so expedient for them that suffer the same or because it is so available to the setting forth of god's glory, not that god with man's evils procureth his own glory, but that for man's cause he is wont to turn the evils which do chance unto us, either to our soul health, or unto his glory. He knew full well that his friend was sick, yea before it was told him, but for a plain declaration of the greatness of the miracle which he went about to utter, it was requisite to have his disciples minds prepared. After then that tidings was brought unto jesus of his friends death, he went not forth which, but in the self same place he tarried still for the space of two days, not that he regarded not the danger of his friend, but because he awaited a more convenient and plentiful occasion of uttering the miracle, and also that he himself whose time was almost come to die for mankind, might hereby raise up the minds of his disciples which as yet were but weak to the hope of the rising again hereafter. But his disciples for fear, holding their peace, because their master Christ had but a little before escaped out of the Jews hands and therefore thinking him to be in more safety in wilderness, where he now was, jesus said unto them. Let us go again into the country of jewry. The disciples hearing mention made of jury, and calling to their remembrance the deadly hatred which the pharisees bore against Christ, and also how oft they had taken up stones to cast at him and went about to lay hands ●n him, feared not only their master, but also themselves. For they had not as yet received the holy ghost and they followed jesus yet but with a certain human affection, themselves also abhorring death because of their frailty and weakness. Wherefore they labouring all that they could to dissuade him from returning again to jury, said unto him. Lord hast thou forgotten how that a few days passed, the jews thy mortal enemies would have stoned y● to death if thou hadst not the sooner withdrawn thyself from their fury? And again wilt thou now go thither, and cast thyself in an open danger? But jesus comforted them, putting away their fear with ☞ a certain diffuse parable signifying, that such persons ought nothing to fear, which cleave fast to Christ, who is the light of the world. For it is the Ihon. i. night which bringeth with it the vain fears. The day knoweth them not. Hath not the day (saith he) twelve hours? The night shall not come before the time appointed. In the mean season, who soever walketh in the day, stumbleth not, forasmuch as the Sun, which he beholdeth, maketh him to see, and by seeing to beware the occasion of stumbling. But who soever, when the Sun is withdrawn from him, walketh in the night, he stumbleth, and why? verily because he lacketh light. This did our saviour Christ speak meaning, that he is the light of the Ihon. ●. world (as saint John in the beginning of his gospel doth testify) & therefore it behoved his disciples to follow his guiding, and not to go before the light S. Austin. neither yet to fear before the time come, for so long as they have Chryst to show them light, there is no danger. But when he must be taken from them, then cometh night upon them, then let them fear. So Erasmus in annota. that according to the exposition of some Doctors, the twelve hours of the day do betoken the appointed time of his life, as like wise he answered to them which came from Herode, and counseled him to slay, Theophilactus because king Herod sought to slay him. It behoveth me (saith he) this day and to morrow, and the next Luc. 12. day to walk about, for it is not possible that a prophet should perish in any other place but in Jerusalem. And the time of his passion he calleth the power of darkness and the hour of the wicked persons. As though Christ should hearsay to his disciples. Ye need not to fear my going into jury now at this present time, for I certify you, that the time of my death and passion for mankind is not yet come. The day verily hath her due hours appointed her of almighty god, which we at our own choice and pleasure, can neither make shorter, nor yet longer: so I also have my time prescribed & appointed unto me of my heavenly father, wherein I must accomplish the business, that I come for, which is to redeem the world. This time can not be shortened, ne yet preu●ted by the malice of y● jues. Wherforye have no cause to fear my going at this time into the parts of jewry. With these words after that our Saviour Christ had mitigated the fear of his Apostles, he openeth the cause of his going. Lazarus (saith he) our friend The death of godly persons is but a sleep. sleepeth. But I go to awake him out of his sleep. Ue rily my friends this is a new preaching never ere openly herd of in the world, that death is no death, but rather a sleep. For without doubt by the goodness and benefit of Christ death is now made but a sleep to all faithful Christian men and women▪ for Christ our redeemer by his death hath va●nquyshed death and made it but a sleep unto us. And if it be but a sleep, why do we thus bewail the sleep of our dear friends? why do we fear it ourselves? Nay why do we not rather desire it for the quietness therein? Why do we not count them happy & well at ease which have gotten it? And with this Gospel, do also the words of saint Paul which be red in the epistle of this i. Tessa. iii●. day agree which he wrote to his Christian brethren the Thessalonians, saying. I would not (brethren) have you ignorant as concerning them which be fallen a sleep, that ye mourn not as the rest of men do, which have no hope. For if we believe, that jesus died and rose again: even so will god bring again with him them also which sleep by jesus. But Christ's disciples being troubled with fear & suspecting that jesus spoke not of the bodily death in deed which after a new manner of speaking he called a sleep, but rather of the common manner of sleeping, answered and said. Lord if he sleep, he shall do well enough. verily the disciples were yet still afraid to resort again to jury & therefore asmuch as they could, they cut of the causes of going thither. But jesus by little & little prepared their minds to the beholding of the miracle which he would show. For first of all he had rather call him a sleep than dead, that according to the manner of holy scripture he might show the hope of resurrection. For they sleep, rather than be dead, which lie in rest, and shall live again. For it is not so easy for any of us to S. Austin. raise him that sleepeth, as it is for Christ to call the dead again to life. The disciples therefore not understanding that he spoke of sleep and of waking again, to th'intent they might perceive that he knew all things, said openly unto them after the common manner of speaking▪ Lazarus is dead, & I am glad Lazarus mortuus est. for your sakes that I was not there, because ye may believe. Nevertheless let us go unto him. Christ doth not here tell his disciples that he would raise him again, for he had rather have it signified than expressed, and he had rather perform it, then promise it, in this behalf also giving us an example of Exemplum modesty. demureness and to flee vain glory. And he sayeth that he is glad for their sakes that he was not ther. Why so? For if he had been present at his friends Chrysostomus. departure and had forthwith returned him to life, the pharisees and other which were ever ready to slander all that Christ did, would have said that he was not dead in deed, but in a trance for a time, as by diverse sicknesses it hath chanced to many one. But now, he being so long dead yea and buried in his grave, they could not make that cavillation. Christ therefore was glad for his disciples sake, that they might believe. But what should they believe? Vt ●redatis. First, that Christ was the true Saviour of the world, which raiseth the dead out of their graves, yea and out of everlasting damnation and hell, if he had not died for us. Second, that he is ready even in the mids of our troubles to help us, and careth for our safety, as we have example in Lazarus, which was sick, yea and died, he felt not Christ's help & yet Christ cared for him, & his care was not vain. For he raised him again from death. Thomas therefore which in the Greek is called didymus & in English a twin, one of Christ● Apostles ꝑceyving that Christ would needs go into jury again amongs his enemies, said to his fellows. Let us go to, that we may die with him, as who should say, sith our master will needs ●eopard himself amongs the pharisees which seek his death, let it not be said, that we will leave our master, let us die with Chryso▪ ●tomus. him. verily this exhortation of Thomas hath in it more rashness, than faith. For albeit he is now ready to die with Christ, yet he would not believe his resurrection, if he had not seen in his hands the print of the nails. So also Peter boldly promised that he John▪ xx. would die with Christ, but it was not faithfully and truly, & therefore forthwith he denied his master. But afterward both saint Thomas and also saint Luc. 22. Mat. ix. Mat. 29. Peter were two of the strongest and surest of all their fellows in their faith, as appeareth by their acts. And here we have example, that saints and the chosen people of God do otherwhiles fall by gods suffrance into failty, wherefore let not us despair, though we have been wretched sinners, yea though we have denied Christ with Peter. Only let us play Peter's part, and by repentance rise again, & no doubt, god will take us again unto his grace. But to our Gospel. Christ with his disciples goeth forth & findeth, that Lazarus had lain in his grave four days already. And bethany, where Lazarus & his sisters dwelled, was nigh unto Jerusalem, about. xv. furlongs of, and many of the jews came to Martha & mary, to comfort them over their brother. Truly, it is the work of charity, to comfort the heavy and troubled people, yea it is the work of the holy ghost, and for this cause is the holy ghost called in scripture a counforter, because in adversity he comforteth the believers & faithful christian persons. And therefore Gala. v. the Apostle Paul doth numbered gentleness, goodness & kindness towards the neighbour amongs the works of the spirit. And albeit it may be, that the work of comforting other▪ in wyelted & ungodly persons, doth not proceed of the holy spirit of the lord, but rather of a courtesy, neighberhode, or neren●s of blood, as appeareth in these jews, which came to comfort the two susters Martha & mary, & as also the love & charity of heathen persons, whereby they embrace Mat. vi. their well-willers, cometh of a carnal affection: yet in the godly persons it cometh of faith & true charity & is the work of the holy ghost, & not of the flesh. Fr● theremore we do see here, that many jews came to comfort these two sisters not without the great providence of god, that many might be witnesses of the great miracle of raising Lazarus from death. For this is the cast of of god's work●, that they show ● far otherface in the beginning, ☜ than in the end. Many of the jues were gathered to comfort these sisters, & loo beside their looking for, they be made witnesses of Lazarus resurrection, Martha assoon as she heard that jesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary sat still in the house. Martha therefore so soon as she came into jesus sight, said unto him. Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But now I know, that what soever thou askest of god: god will surely give it the. verily this Martha believed in Christ Chryso stom. but not as it behoved her to believe. For she knew not yet that he was god▪ & that he wrought his miracles by his own proper power and virtue as appeareth by that she putteth to, but now also I know that whatsoever thou askest of god, he will give it the. So that she took Christ but for a prophet and a very virtuous and holy man. Christ therefore answereth her. Thy brother shall rise again. I wot, ꝙ Martha, that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Here we see that Martha was a good woman and believed the general resurrection. Wherefore our saviour Christ to th'intent he might yet augment the woman's faith & opinion in him, & that he might declare that he could not only as an holy man & prophet obtain of god life to the dead, but also that he himself is the fountaigne and giver of life to all men, and that no death is to be feared of them which put their trust and hope in him, because that although death cometh yet it can not hurt him that believeth on him which is fountaigne of all life, he answered Martha in this wise. I am the resurrection Fgo sum resurrectio et vita. and the life. verily my friends this is the gospel▪ this is the evangel, this is the glad & joyful tidings most pleasant & comfortable to all Christian men and women. In this word Christ openeth himself unto us, & giveth us resurrection & life which be the greatest & best gifts that can be given to mankind. But whereby is Christ made unto us our resurrection and our life? verily by faith. And therefore he goeth further and saith. He that believeth in me, although he be dead, yet shall he live. By faith doubtless the dead man liveth, & by faith the quick man never dieth. For ye may not think, that Christ spoke this only of Lazarus. But who so ever he be that believeth, and hath the lively & unfeigned faith in Christ which in the beginning of this sermon▪ I spoke of, he shall never die, albeit that the body for a time shall sleep. This I say is the Gospel, wherewith in the straights of death ours consciences must be fenced and made strong against all the gates of hell and of death. For against this sure faith, this Mat. 16. rock, whereupon Christ's church is built, not all the gates of hell (as Christ himself promiseth) can prevail. And to th'intent we should believe this the better that Christ is our resurrection, he confirmed it with the raising of Lazarus from death to life, he confirmed it also with his own resurrection. Why do we then mourn the death of our friends? hearken what Christ saith. I am the resurrection. What do we fear things we wot not what in an other world? Let us believe in Christ which saith. I am the life. Truly he giveth himself hole unto us by this gospel, only let us take heed lest by our unfaithfulness we put from us so high & excellent a gift. If Christ had never been made man: we could have hoped of no rising again. By our first father Adam we were all made thrall unto death, according to god's word in Genesis unto Adam. What day so ever thou shalt Gen. ij. eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt surely die a death. By Adam verily as witnesseth saint Paul death entered first, and again by Christ came resurrection and life. Wherefore truly these words of our Saviour Christ have a right great comfort in them unto all christian men, forasmuch as they declare most high virtue and power to be in Christ▪ that is to wit, that by him chanceth to mankind the virtue and power to rise again into everlasting life. Both the good and bad shall rise again, but not a like, for the good shall rise unto To whom Christ is a resurrection. life▪ and the bad shall rise unto judgement and everlasting death, and therefore Christ to them is no resurrection. For which they be that shallbe made partakers of everlasting life, he showeth when he goeth on and sayeth in this wise. He that believeth in me, shall live, that is to say, he shall not die the second death. We have therefore (good people) two manners two sorts of resurrection. of rising again, for first we rise again here by grace, out of the dungeon of sin, when we ●e renewed into a new life, and be regenerate by Christ as it is declared in the third chapter of Ihon. And Ihon. 3. who soever after this sort doth rise again out of sin here in this life▪ shall never taste of the second death, which is everlasting damnation, but shallbe partaker of the second resurrection through Christ at the day of judgement, which shallbe life everlasting and endless joy. This in effect were Christ's words to Martha, and after he had thus opened himself unto her, he asked her whether she believed this? Whereunto she answered and said. Yea Lord I believe that thou art Christ the son of God, which hast come into the world. verily this confession of faith that this blessed woman Martha maketh here of Christ, seemeth to be like unto that, which saint Peter and the rest of th'apostles made, when Christ asked them, whom they said that he was, and saint Peter in all their names answered. Thou art Christ Mat. 16 Mat. 8. Luc. ix. the son of the living god, that is to say, thou art the Messiah or Saviour of the world which was so long before promised by the prophets and looked for of the fathers. And like as flesh and blood disclosed not this faith to saint Peter, but the heavenly father: so this like confession that Martha made, proceeded not of any carnal love, but of the holy ghost But what do these words betoken, thou art Christ? verily to be Christ, is to be the lord and conqueror ☜ over sin, afflictions, death and hell. And for this cause was he promised, even to vanquish all the adverse powers in heavenly things. I say he is that seed of the woman which should break the serpent's head, that is to wit, the power of the devil. For the devil Gen. 3. ruleth in the world through God's permission and sufferance by sin, afflictions, death, and hell. But all these things in the faithful persons be overcome and vanquished through Christ. Christ is Gal. iij. psal. 1ST Hier. ij. i Pe. ij. Coll. ij. Ihon. x. John. ●4. i, Cor. ●5 our mediator & our peace. He is the head, & foundation of the church, he is our priest, our bishop to make suit to his father for v●, and to save us his people from our sins. Yea there is none other lucy to heaven but by him for he is the door. He is our lucy, he is the troth, he is the life, for like as all were dead by Adam, so by Christ must they he reuiu●●. This have I spoken concerning the declaration of this present Gospel. Now dear friends, according to the instruction which we have rehearsed here out of holy scripture, let us not fear nor lament this bodily death, but rather the spiritual death of the soul, both in this world and in the next. And on the contrary, as often as we fall into sin, let us by due repentance, rise again here in this life, let us believe steadfastly, that Christ is our resurrection and life, and no doubt, after this sleep of the body, we shall rise again at the general rising into life everlasting, by Christ our lord. Which with the father and holy ghost three persons and one god be glorified and lauded for ever and ever. Amen. finis. ¶ Imprinted in Fleetstreet next to the white ❧ heart by richard Banks. ☞ cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.