Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 2 · Sermon 6

Twenty-Seven Sermons · Sermons 2 · Sermon 6

p. 107The vi. Sermon preached by Maister Doctor Latymer. Rom. 13.

… nothing to any man but this, that ye louelove one another: for he that loueth another fulfilleth the lawe. For this commaunde … thou shalt not commit …, thou shalt not kyll, thou shalt not steale, thou shalte not … false witnes, thou shalt not luste, and so forthe: yf there bee any other cōmaundement it is al … in this saying. ….A … can … be al …

As for the first parte of this …, we hauehave spoken of it before. for S. … entreateth of louelove, and I tolde you how that louelove is a thing whiche we owe one to another, and we are neuer quttte of this dette, we canne neuer discharge our selues of it: for as long as we liue we are in that dette. I will not … no we to intreate of it: for I tolde you sence I came into this countrey certayne speciall properties of thys louelove. Therfore I will onelyonly desire you to consider, that thys … is the lyuerye of Christ, they that hauehave this liuery be hisLoueLove is …. seruantes. Againe, they that hauehave it not, be the seruants of y^t diuel: for Christ saith, by that they shal know y^t ye be my disciples,…. 13. yf ye louelove one another: they that beare yll will … and malice to theyr neighbours bee the dyuelles seruantes. And what … euer such men …, that hate theyre …: pleaseth not god, god … it, they and all theyr doyngs … before him. For yf we would go about to sacrifice and…. COI. 13 offer vntounto god a great part of our substance, … we lack louelove it is all to no purpose, he … al our doyngs: therefore oure sauiour geueth vsus warnyng that we shall knowe that our … please not god when we are out of charity with our neyghbour, hauehave greued or iniured him: these be his wor des: Therfore if thou … thy gifte at the altare, and thereMath. 5.Matt 5 remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thes, leaue there thy offering, before the altare, and go thy way first and … reconciled to thy brother, and … come and offer thy gift. for certaine it is, that when we be withoute louelove and charitie, we please not god at …, … in … or any …, of thinges: therfore I desyre you call to remembraunce what I sayed at the same tyme when I … of louelove: for I tell you god will not be mocked: it is not ynough to pretend a louelove and charity, with our mouth, and to … faire,VVe must … vvith … whole heart. and in our hearts to hate our neighbor: this is nought, we should not only speake well by oure neighbour, but also we should louelove him in dede, we should help him in his nede, we should … him with all our heartes, when he hath done any thing against …: for yf he nedeth helpe, and I help … p. 108not, being able, thē my louelove is not perfect: for the right … sheweth herselfe, by the outward workes. lyke as S. IamesLoueLove … be … ed by …. saith: Shew … thy faith by thy workes. So I say vntounto you, shew your louelove by your workes. Now to the other …. This also we know the seasō how y^t it is … that we shold now awake out of slepe: for now is our saluation nerer, thā lacob. ….when we beleued. The night is passed the day is come nye, let vsus therfore cast away the dedes of darkenes: and … vsus put on the armour of light, let vsus walke honestly as it were in the day light, not in eatyng and drinking, neither in … bering and wantonnes, neither in … and enuyeng, but put ye on the lord Iesus Christ, and make not prouision for the flesh, to fulfill the … of it.

Here S. Paule requireth a greate thing of vsus, namely y^t we should awake from slepe: he argueth of the … of the time. but that slepe of which he speaketh is speciallyTvvo … of … den. a spirituall …, the slepe of the soule: yet we may learne by this text y^t to much sluggishnes of the body is naught and wic ked, to sped y^t good time which god hath geuen vsus to do good in, to spend it I say in sleping: for we oughte to kepe a measure as wel in slepying as in eating & drinkyng: and we plese God as well in slepyng our naturall sleepe as in eating and drinking: but we must see that we kepe a measure, that … … must be kept in all thynges.giuegive our selues not … much sluggishnes. For like as we mai not abuse meat & drink, so we may not abuse sleping, to turn our natural slepe into …. But S. Paule speaketh here specially of the slepe of the soule, that is of … & wickednes, which are called in scripture slepe or darkenes: from which slepe S. Paule would hauehave vsus to rise. For our saluati on is come nerer, how … it y^t S. Paul saith y^t our saluatiō is come nerer? do we not beleue now as the … and … did? and how is then our saluation come nerer?Tvvo … from … begin … to the ende. you must vnderstād y^t there be two times … y^t beginnīg y^t first time was from the beginning of the world, til Christ, till to hys commyng. The other tyme is sence he came: for whenne he came he wroughte the worke of oure …, & taught vsus the way to heauē, suffred that paine for vsus whiche we shold hauehave … in hel world without …, & rose again from the death, … his … vntounto his …, and so ascended into heauen, where he sitteth at the righte hand of god his Father: where he with his intercession appli eth vntounto vsus, which beleue in him, his passion, and al his merites: so that all that beleue in hym shall be quite from theyr sinnes. For his passion is profitable onelyonly vntounto theym that …: notwithstandyng that his deathe might be sufficient for all the whole world: yet for al that no man shal enjoy that … benefit, but only they that beleue in him, that put their hope, trust, and … in hym. Now therfore S. PaulChristes death … that be … not. saith, Our saluation is come nerer: because Christ is com alredy, & maketh intercession for vsus. All they that were before his commyng, as the patriarches and …. and al other faithfull, they beleued that he should come, but so do not …: we beleue that he is come alredy, and … fulfilled all thinges. The Iewes which are at our time beleue that he shall come, but they tarie in vaine: their … is a deceitfull faith, because it is against gods worde: for Christ is not to be looked for to come againe and suffre. … not so, but he wil come … to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead. Our sauiourChriste vvas reueled … before he came. Christ was reueled long before he came to suffre. Firste in paradise, when God spake of the womans sede, saith: Conteret caput serpentis, The sede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head. And this was a gospell, a glad tidyngs: for the serpent had deceued Adam and Eue, brought them from their felicitie, to which they were …: so that Adam and Eue could not healpe them selues, nor amende the matter.The gospel vvas preached inparadise

Now than cometh God with his gospell, and promiseth that there shall one be born of a woman, which shall quashe the … head: and this was a gospell. And no dout as many as dyd beleue these wordes, and did put theyr hope in the sede of the woman, and beleued to bee deliuered from theyr synnes thorow that sede: As many I say, as beleued so, were saued, as Seth, Enoch, and other good and godly mē, which wer at that time: but there was not a great numbre of those: For the most part euer was the worst. Further, this gospelThe most part are e uer the …. was reueled vntounto Abraham, when God dyd promise hym, saying: In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes, In thy … all nations shall be blessed: so that it appered, that without p. 110Christe, we are vnderunder the curse of God. And agayne by Christ we hauehave the benediction of God. Lykewise this gospell was opened vntounto Dauid, and al the holy prophetes: They spake of this gospell, and taught the people to looke for their sauiour: but their sayings and … was som what darke and obscure. Now when he came and dwelte amongstThe … say ing vvere dark and obscure. vsus, aud shewed vsus the way to heauen: with his own mouth he taught vsus this gospel, and suffred his painful passion for vsus: this was a more cleerer reuelation, than the prophets had. Therfore Christ our sauior saith to his disciples:Luc. 10.Luke 10 Happie are the eies which see these thinges that ye see: for IMath 13.Matt 13 tell you, that many prophets and kynges hauehave desired to se those thinges which ye see, and hauehave not seene them: And to heare those thynges which ye …, … hauehave not heard them. But wherfore were they called blessed? that they sawe hym?To see Christ m keth bles sed. than if the blessednes standeth in the outwarde seeyng. than Adam and Eue, and all the prophets were not blessed, but cursed: if the blessednes standeth in the bodily sight, than the brute … were blessed which saw him: the asse whervpon he rode was blessed, yea his very ennemie Annas and Cayphas, and Pylate, and other that consented vntounto his deathe were blessed. But it is not so, ye must vnderstande that oure sauiour in that maner of speaking putteth only a difference betwene the …. For at that tyme whan he was here in earth, he was more clerer reueled thā afore, whā he was only promised to come. When he dyd myracles, cast out deuyls, healed the sicke, it was a more … reuelation: than when God said, Semen mulieris conteret caput serpentis, The sede of the woman shall breake the head of the serpent. When Iohn Baptist pointed and shewed hym with his fynger, it could better be vnderstande then the prophecies which were spoken of him: Therfore this blessednes whereof Christe speaketh, and saint Paule (whan he saith) That our saluationThe diffe rence of the tym e vvherein Christe was diue? sly reueled is come nerer, must be vnderstand of the diuersity of the tyme: for Christ was clerer reueled in the end of the worlde than before. But as touching the blessednes which we hauehave by Christe: it was alike at al times, for it stood Adam in as good stead to beleue the fyrst promyse which god made vntounto him, and he was as well saued by it, in beleuing … Christe shold come, as we be, which beleue that he is come, and hath suffred for vsus. So likewise the prophetes are saued in beeleuyng that he should come, and suffer, and deliuer mankinde by his most painful death. But now sence he is come in dede and hath ouercome the deuill & redemed our sinnes, suffered the paynes, not for his owne sake, but for oure sakes: for he him selfe had no sinne at all, he suffred to deliuer vsus fromeChrist had no syn, but toke out syn and gaue vsus his … ousnes. cuerlasting damnation, he toke our synnes and gaue vsus his rightuousnes. Now sence that al these thinges are done and fulfilled, therfore saith Paule: Propius est salus …, quam tunc cum credebatur, Our saluation is come nerer now, thē when we beleued: taking occasion of the time, to moue vsus to rise from our sleepe, as who say, Christ is come now, he hath fulfilled al things, of which thinges y^t prophetes hauehave spokē now therfore arise frō your sins. The same slepe of which S. Paul speaketh here, is the slepe of syn, a spiritual slepe, not aIt is a spiri … that … Paul spea keth of. naturall slepe of the bodie: as for the naturall slepe it is lawfull for vsus to slepe and to take our reste, when we do it measurably, not to much setting aside our busines: wherunto … hath called vsus, and do nothing but play the sluggardes: whē we do so, then we do naught and sinne against god. Therfore we must awake from the … slepe, we must set aside slouthfulnes with all other vyces and sinnes. But I praye you what is syn? I thinke there be many which can commit sinne, and do wickedly: but I think there be but few of those… sin is. which know what is sin. Therfore I wil tel you what is sin: al that y^t is done against the lawes of god, cōtrary to his wil and plesure, that is sinne and wickednes. Now there be twoTvvo maner of … es, general and speciall. maner of lawes. There be general lawes pertaining to eueryevery man and woman, and there bee speciall lawes: the generall lawes are comprehended in the ten commandementes, which ten commaundementes are comprehended in the lawes of louelove. Thou shalt louelove god with al thy heart. &c. And thy neighbour as thy selfe, these be generall lawes.

Now then there be special lawes which teach vsus how eueryevery man and woman shall liue in their callyng, whereunto god hath called them. These … teach how magistrates shall p. 110do their duety, execute iustice, punish the wicked, defend the good, to see that the common welth bee well ordred, and gouerned, that the people lyue godly eueryevery mā in his calling. So lykewise maried folke hauehave their speciall callyng and lawes. There is appointed in scripture how the man shall nourish his wife, rule her with al lenity, and …: the woman likewise shall obey her husband, be louing & kynde towardes him. So masters ought to do according vntounto their callyng, that is to rule their house well and godly, to see that their … be well occupied, and to let them hauehave their meate and drynke and wages. So seruauntes hauehave theyr lawes: … is to obey their maisters, to do … all businesNo obedi ence against god whatsoeuer their masters commaund vntounto them, so far as it is not against god. For when a maister will commaund vntounto his seruaunts to do such thinges whiche are agaynste god, then the seruaunt ought not to obey to do those things.

Now whosoeuer transgresseth these lawes, eyther the generall lawes, or the speciall lawes, he sinneth: and that whiche is done contrary to these lawes, is synne. When ye will know now whether ye hauehave sinned or not, see and considerLearne to fynde … inough. these lawes, and then go into thy heart, and consider thy lyuyng, how thou hast spent al thy dayes: when thou doest so, no doute thou shalt finde innumerable sinnes done against these lawes: for the law of god is a glasse wherin a man may see his spottes and filthines: therfore when we see them, letThe lavv is aloking glasse. vsus abhorre them and leaue them: let vsus be sory for that which is passed, and let vsus take a good purpose to leaue all sinnes, from hence forward. And this is it y^t S. Paule saith, let vsus arise from the slepe of sinne and wickednes, for our saluation is come …: our sauiour he is clerely opened vntounto vsus, he hath suffred for vsus alredy, and fulfylled the lawe to the vtter …: and so by hys fulfylling taken awaye the curse of the lawe.

But there be two … of sinnes, there is a dradlye sin,Tvvo maner of … and a veniall …: that is sinnes that bee pardonable and sinnes that be not pardonable. Nowe howe shall we knowe whyche bee veniall synnes, or whyche bee not: for it is good to knowe theym: and so to keepe vsus from theym. when ye wyl know which be deadly sinnes or not: you must … vnderstand that there be two maner of men, when I say men, I vnderstand women too, that is all mankynde, and so dothe scripture too, vnderstanding the women too, by thys worde men: for els we should not fynde in scripture, that we should baptise women, for the scripture saith: Baptizate eos, baptise them, he speaketh in the masculine gender …. Item … quis renatus fuerit ex … & aqua, Except a man be borne againe thorough spirite and water: here is made no mention of women, yet they be vnderstanded in it to: for the saluation and euerlasting life, pertaineth as well vntounto faithfull women as it doth vntounto faithfull men: for he suffered as well for the women, as he did for the men. God woulde hauehave them both to be saued, the men and the women. So ye seeThe vvord man signi fieth both man and vvoman. that this worde men signifieth or conteyneth both the …, (the men and the women) at sometimes, not alwaies: But I say there be two maner of men, some there be y^e be not iustified, not regenerate, nor yet in the state of saluation, that is to say, not gods seruants: they lacke the renouation or regeneration, they be not come yet to Christ. Now these persons that bee not come yet to Christe, or yf they were come to Christe, be fallen agayne from …: and so loste theyr iustifiVVhoe they be that sinne deadly. cation (as there be many of vsus, which when we fall willingly in to sin against conscience, we lose the fauour of god, our saluation, and finally the holy ghost) al they now that be outNotvvithstanding this … on, al sinis of it ovvn nature is deadlye: and vvhen it is …, there is no sinne vnperdona ble, to thē that be … the gospell. of the fauour of god and are not sorye for it, sinne … them not, they purpose to go forwarde in it, all those that intend not to leaue their sinnes are out of the fauor of god: and so all their workes whatsoeuer they do, be deadly stunes: for as long as they be in purpose to sinne, they sinne deadly in all their doynges. Therfore when we wyll speake of the … of synnes, we must speake of those that be faytheful, that be regenerated and made newe, and cleane from their sinnes thorough Christ, Now this I say: I hauehave veniall sinnes and deadlye sinnes, which be veniall synnes? Euerye syn y^t is cōmitted against god not wittingly, not willyngly, not consenting vntounto it, those be veniall sinnes: As for an ensample, I see a faire woman I am moued in my heart to sin p. 111with her, to commit the acte of lechery with her, such though … rise out of my heart: but I consent not vntounto them, I with stand these yll motions, I folow the ensample of that godlye yong man Ioseph: I consider in what estate I am, namely a temple of god, and that I should lose the holy ghost: on suche wise I withstand my yll lustes and appetites: yet this … in my heart is sinne, this yll lust whiche riseth vp: but it is a veniall sinne, it is not a mortall sinne, because I consent not vntounto it, I withstand it: and such veniall sinnes the iust man…. 24 committeth daily. For scripture saith, septies cadit iustus, the rightuouse man falleth 7. tymes, that, is often times: for his workes are not … perfect as they ought to be. … I praye you, who is he that loueth his neighbour so perfectly and vehemently as he ought to do? Now this imperfection is sinne but it is a veniall sinne, not a mortall: therefore he that feeleth his imperfections seeleth the yll motions in his hearte,No more shall any sinthat vve do if vve repent it, and beleue the promise of god … in Christ. but foloweth them not, consenteth not vntounto wyckednesse to doo them: these be venial sinnes, which shall not be impuied vntounto vsus to our damnation. So all the yll thoughtes that ryse vp in our heartes are veniall as long as we consent not vntounto them, to fulfyll them with the deede: I put the case, Iosephe had not resisted the temptations of his maisters wyfe, but had folowed her, and fulfilled the acte of … wyth her, had wayed the matter after a worldlye …: thinking, I hauehave my mistresse fauour alreadye, and so by that meane I shall hauehave my maisters fauour to, no body knowyng of it.

Now when he had done so, this acte had ben a deadly sinne. for any acte that is done agaynste the law of god willynglyeAnd so is a thought to though … fol … not. and wittingly is a dedly sinne. And that man or womā that committeth … an acte loseth the holye ghost and the remission of sinnes, and so becommeth the childe of the diuell, being before the childe of god. For a regenerate man, a woman that beleueth, ought to hauehave dominion ouer sinne, butHe is the seruant of … that … to dvvellin sin. as soone as … hath rule ouer him he is gone: for she leadeth hym to delectation of it, and from delectacion to consen ting, and so from consenting to the acte it selfe. Now he that is led so with sinne, he is in the state of damnation, and synneth damnably: And so ye may perceiue which … they that sinne deadly, and what is the deadly sin, namely that he sinueth deadly that wittingly falleth in sinne: therfore it is a pe … thing to be in such an …, to be in the state of damnation and euerlastyng perdition: let vsus folow therfore this good warnyng which S. Paule geueth vsus here, let vsus ryse from the slepe of sinne, let vsus take a hearty purpose to leaue all wickednes. But may we do … May we ryse from sinne? yes y^t we may: for god hath prouided a remedy for vsus, what is that? Mary penaunce, we must hauehave the staffe of penance,Measure … that … before, by this …. and rise vp withall: and this penance is suche a salue that it healeth all sores: yf a man hauehave done all the worldes synne, yet when be taketh this staffe of penance in his hand, that is to say when he is sory for it, and intendeth to leaue them, noGod … but one salue for all sores. doute he may recouer: and god is that same phisition which vseth but one maner of salue to all maner of sores.

We reade in the gospel of Luke; that when Pilate had doneLuc. xiii.Luke 13 a notable murther, and had mingled the bloude of certaine … with their owne sacrifices, Now some came and told Christe what Pilate had done. Oure samour maketh them answere, sayeng: I tell you excepte ye repent, ye shal al likewiseAll muste …. so perish. As who say, whatsoeuer Pilate hath done, see you that ye do penaunce, and amend your naughty lyuynges or els ye shall all be destroyed. This was a good quippy that he geueth vntounto the Iewes, whiche were redy to speake of other mens faultes, but of theire own faultes they made no mention: as it is our nature, to bee more redier to reproue otherOure na ture is to see other mens …, but not oure owne. mens faultes then our own: but our sauior he cōmaundeth them to looke home, to see to thēselues. and this … is y^e chiefest thing in al y^e scripture, John Baptist whe he began to preach his sermō was … agite, do penance, so likewise Christ saith, … agite & credite Euangelio, doe penaunce and … the gospell. But wherin standethVvhat repentance is. the right penance, and what is penaunce? Answer, penance is a turning from synne vntounto god, a waking vppe from this slepe of which S. Paul speaketh here. But … consisteth this penance; The right penance consisteth in three points, The first is …, that is, I must acknowledge my selfe that I hauehave transgressed gods most holy … & commaund p. 112…, I must confesse my selfe to be faultye and gyltye, I… consisteth of. iii. partes. muste be sorye for it, … my selfe and my wickednesse. When I am nowe in that case, then I shall see nothing but helle and euerlastyng damnation before me, as long as I looke vponupon my selfe and vponupon the law of god. For the lawe of God when it is preached bryngeth vsus to the knowledgeThe lavve of God is a … glasse. of oure synnes: For it is lyke as a glasse whiche sheweth vsus the spottes in our faces, that is the sinnes in our heartes. But we may not tary here onelyonly in the law and oure selues: For if we do, we shall come to desperation. Therfore y^t first pointe is to acknowledge our sinnes, and to bee sory for the same: but as I said before, we must not tary here: for IudasFaith must be ioyned with oure repentāte was come so farre, he had this poynte: he was no doute a sorowfull man as any can be in the world. But it was to no purpose, he was lost for al his sorowfulnes: therfore we must hauehave an other pointe. what is that: Mary saithe, beliefe: we must beleue Christ, we must know that our sauiour is come into this worlde to saue synners: therefore he is called Jesus, because he shall saue his people frome theyr synnes: As…. i. the angell of God hymselfe wytnesseth. And this faith mustThe deuill dothe beleue that Christ … into this vvorlde. not be onelyonly a generall faith, but it must be a speciall faith: for the deuyll hymself hath a generall faythe, he beleueth that Christ is come into this world, and hath made a reconciliation betwene God and manthe knoweth that there shal be remission of oure synnes, but … beleeueth not that he shall hauehave parte of it, that his wickednesse shall bee forgeuen vntounto hym, this he beleueth not: he hath but a generall …: but I say, that eueryevery of one of vsus must hauehave a speciall faith: I must beleue for my selfe, that his blood was shed forEueryEvery … that vvilbe be saued, must hauehave a speciall faith. me. I must beleue that when Christ saith: Come to me all ys that labour and are laden, and I will ease you. Here I must beleue that Christ calleth me vntounto hym, that I should come and receyue euerlastyng lyfe at his handes: With such a special faith I do apply his passion vntounto me. In that prayer that our Sauiour made when he was goyng to his deathe, … sayth: I pray not for them alone, saith …, but for them … which shal beleue in me through their preching, that they … may be one, as thou father art in me, & I in thee: and that they also may be one in vsus. So that Christ praieth for vsus as well as for his apostles, if we … in hym: and so Christes praier and our beliefe bringeth the salue vntounto our soules.Christpra: ed for vsus. Therfore I oughte to beleue, and so thorough faithe apply Christes merites vntounto me: for God requireth a speciall faith of euerie one of vsus, as well as he didde of …, when the prophet Nathan came vntounto him, and …: Abstulit … tuum, The Lorde hath taken awaye thy wickednes, which words of the prophet Dauid he beleued: & so according vntounto his belief it hapned vntounto him. For Dauyd had not such a contrition or penaunce as Iudas had: for Iudas in dede had a contricion, he was sorye for his sinnes, but without faith. Dauid was sorye for his sinnes, but he ioyned… and Iudas did both repēt … vntounto it: he beleued stedfastly without all douting that god would be merciful vntounto him: … dominus, the lord hath taken awaye thy sinnes, and god required of him that he shold beleue these words. Now like as he required of Da … to beleue his words: so also he requireth of vsus to, that we shoulde beeleue him. for like as Dauid was remedied thorough his faithe in GOD: so shall we be remedied to, if we beleue as he did: and god will bee as glad of vsus when we repente and leaue oure sinnes, as … was of Dauid, and will also … should be partakers of the merites of Christ. So yeThe f … point of penance. hauehave heard nowe these two poyntes whiche pertayne to the right penance: the first is contrition, when we acknowledgeThe secōd … of penance. our synnes, be … for them, they … vsus very sore. The second pointe is faith, when we beleue that god wilbe mercifull vntounto vsus, and thorough his sonne forgeue vsus our wicked nes, & not … the same to oure eternal destruction. But yet there is an other point left behind, which is this: y^t I must hauehave an earnest … to leaue sinne, & to auoide al wicked nes as far forth as I am able to do: I must wrastle w^t sin: I mustnot suffer y^t diuel to hauehave the victory ouer me though he be very suttle and crafty, yet I must withstand him: I muste … his …, and suggestions, I muste not suffer synne to beare rule ouer me: for no doute yf we wyll syght and striue, … may hauehave the victorye ouer this serpent: for Christ our sauiour he hath promised vntounto vsus his help & cō fort: p. 113therfore s. Iames saith, Resistite diabolo & fugiet a vobis, withstand the diuel, and he shal flye fro you. For at hysVVe may ouercome the diuell. first cōming he is very weake, so y^t we … able if we wil take hede & …, to ouercome hym: but if we suffer him to enter ones to possesse our hearts, then he is very …: so that he w^t great labour can … he brought out agayne. For he entreth first by yll thoughtes: then when he hath cast vsus in yll thoughtes, yf we withstand not by and by, then foloweth de lectation: yf we suffer that, then commeth consentyng, and so from consentyng to the verye acte: and afterwarde from one mischiefe vntounto another: therfore it is a common saying,Resist … deuill at the firste. principiis obsta, resist the beginninges: for when we suffer hym once to enter, no dout it is a perylous thing, we are thē in ieoperdye of euerlasting death.

So ye hauehave hearde now wherin standeth right penaunce: fyrst we must knowe and acknowledge our sinnes, be sorie for them, and lament them in our heartes. Then the second point is faith: we must beleue that Christ wilbe merciful vntounto vsus, and forgeue vsus our sinues, not impute them vntounto vsus. Thirdelye we must hauehave an earnest purpose to leaue all sinnes and wickednes, and no more commit the same. And thē euer be … in thy heart, y^t they that hauehave a good will and an earnest minde to leaue synne, that god will strengthē them, he wil helpe them. But and if we by and by at the first clappe giuegive place vntounto the diuel, and folow his mischeuous suggestions: then we maie be sure, that we highlye displease god our heauenly father, when we forsake him so soone. Therfore S. Paule saieth: Ne regnet igitur peccatum in vestroRom. 6.Rom 6 mortali corpore, let not synne beare rule in your … bodies: be not led with synne: but fight agaynste it. whē we do so, it is impossible but we shall hauehave helpe at goddes hande.

As touchinge confession, I tell you that they that can bee content with the generall absolution which euerye minister of gods worde geueth in his sermons, when he pronoūceth, that all that be sorye for their sinnes, and beleue in Christe, seeke helpe and remedy by him, and afterwarde intend to amende theyr liues, and … sinne and …; al these that be so mynded shall hauehave remission of their sinnes. Now (I say) they that can be content with this general absolutiō, it is well: but they that are not … w^t it, they may go to some godly learned minister whiche is able to instructs andThe vse of … confessiō. comforte them with the worde of god, to minister that same vntounto them to their contentation and quieting of their consciences. As for satisfaction or absolution for our …, there is none but in Christ, we can not make amends for our sinnes, but onelyonly by beleuyng in him which suffered for vsus. For heThe … satisfactiō for …. hathe made the mendes for all oure sinnes, by his paynefull passion and bloudshedyng: And berein standeth our absoluti on or remission of our sins, namely when we beleue in him, and looke to be saued thorough his death: none other … tion are we able to make. But I tell you that yf any manne hath stolen or parloyned away somwhat from his neighbor, that man or woman ought to make restitution and amends. And this restitution is so necessary that we shall not loke for forgeuenes of our sinnes at Christes hand: … this restitution be made fyrst, elles the satisfaction of Christ wyll not serue vsus: for god wil hauehave vsus to restore or make amends vntounto our neighbour, whom we hauehave hurte, deceiued, or hauehave in any manner of wayes taken from him wrongfully, his goods whatsoeuer it be.

By this now that I hauehave said ye may perceiue what … This must be vnderunder stand conditionally that is, if we …of slepyng is this of which S. Paul speaketh …, name lye the slepe of sinne. … we … and spend our time in wickednes than we slepe that deadly slepe, which bringeth eternall damnation with him: and agayne, ye hauehave heard how you shall ryse vp from that slepe, how ye shall fight and … stle with synne, not suffer her to be the … ouer you: … therfore begyn euen now while god geueth vsus so good and conuenient a time, let vsus tary no longer, let vsus awake from this deadly sleepe of sin: it may wel be called a deadly sleepe: for this slepe of sin bringeth eternal deth and euerlasting … nes and sorowes: Let vsus therfore rise to a godly life and continue in the same til to thend. These thinges S. Paul … generally to al men, and against al maner of …: but … he cōmeth to …. And first he sheweth what … p. 114shall not do, then afterwarde he telleth vsus what we shall do. Not in eatyng and drinking, neither in chambering and wā tonnes:Rom. 13.Rom 13 neither in … and cnuying. I maruel that the EnglishA fault in th english …. is so translated in eatyng and drinking: the latine Exampler hath, Non in commessationibus, that is to say, not in to much eatyng and drinkyng: for no dout god alloweth eatyng and drinking, so that it be dene measurably and thankfully. In the beginning of the worlde, before god punished the worlde wyth the …, when he destroyed al … and beastes, saue onelye Noah that good father. In the beginning (I saye) mankinde eate nothyng, but herbes, and …, and salettes, and suche geare as they could …: butMans diet before the …. after the floude god gaue vntounto mankynde libertye to eate all manner of cleane beastes, all thinges that hadde lyfe, bee it fyshe or …. And this was done for thys cause, that the earthe was not so frambde nor broughte not forthe so holsome herbes after the …, as she did before the floud: ther fore God allowed vntounto man all maner of meate bee it fysheThe … vvhy man had libertie to fede on fleshe. or fleshe: yet it muste bee done measurablye: But seeyng I hauehave occasion to speake of eatyng, I wyl entreate somewhat of it, and tell you what liberties we hauehave by gods worde. Truely we be allowed by goddes worde to eate all manner of meate be it fyshe or …, that be eatable. But ye must vn derstand that there be certaine hedges, ouer which we ought not to leape, but rather kepe our selues wythin those same hedges. Now the fyrst hedge is this, … cum sanguineHedges that we may not leap …. ne comederitis, ye shall not eate the fleshe with the bloud, that is to say, we shall not eate rawe flesh: for yf we shoulde be allowed to eate rawe flesh, it should engender in vsus a certayn cruelnes: so that at the length one should eate another, and so all the writers expounde this place: so that God forbiddeth here, that mankynde or mannes fleshe may not bee eaten. We reade in the bookes of the kynges, and so likewyse in Iosephus, that certayne women had eaten theyr owne chyldren, at the tyme when Ierusalem was besieged: whyche thynge no doute dyspleased GOD, and they dyd naughtelye in so doyng. For mankynde … not … eaten: therefore the fyrste hedge is, that we muste abstayne from …: and so like wise from mans …, one may not eate another. Neither yet we may shed bloude of priuate authority, a man may not kill another: but the magistrate heThe … hath the sword committed vntounto hym from god, he may shed bloud when he seeth cause why, he may take away the wicked from amongest the people and punish him accordyng vn to his doyng or …. Now will ye say, I perceiue whē I …, not … flesh or …, thē I may eate al maner of flesh, …, howsoeuer I can get it. But I tel thee my … Another …not so, you may not eate your neighbors …, or steale his fishes … of his … & … the, ye may not doe …: for there is a hedge made for …. god saith, Non facies furtū, thou shaltErod. 20 do … theft. Here I am hedged in, so that I may not eate my neighbors meate, but it must be my own …, I must hauehave gotten it vprightly, or els by bying, or cls by inheritance, or … that it be geuen vntounto me: I may not … it frō my neigh bour: when I lepe ouer this hedge then I synne damnably.

Now then ye wil say, so it be my owne, then I may eate of it as muche as I will. No not so, there is an other …: I may not commit gluttony with my owne meate, for so it so written, … à crapula & ebrietare, take heede of gluttony & …. Here is a hedge, we may not eate toA thirdhedge for eatyng. much: for … we do, we displease god highly. So ye se y^t we may not eate of our owne meate as much as we would, but rather we must kepe a measure, for it is a great syn to abuse or waste the giftes of god, and to play the glutton with it.

Whē one man cōsumeth as much wold serue 3. or 4. y^t is an … thing before god: for God geueth vsus his creatures not to abuse them, but to vse them to our necessity and nede: let eueryevery one therfore hauehave a measure, and let no man abuse the giftes of god. One man somtimes eateth more thā All mens … is … alikeanother, we are not all alyke: but for all that we ought all to kepe vsus within this hedge, that is to take no more then sufficeth our nature: for … that abuse the giftes of god, no dout they greatly … god by so doyng. For it is an yll fauou red thyng when a man eateth or drinketh to much at a time. Somtimes in dede it hapneth that a man drynketh to much, but eueryevery good and godly man wyll take heede to himselfe, p. 115when he once hathe taken to muche he wyll beware afterward.A good man vvyll refrayne from …. We reade in scripture of Noah that good man, which was the fyrst that plāted vyneyardes after the sloud: he was ones dronken, before he knew the strength and the nature of wyne: and so lay in his tente vncouered: now one of his sonnes whose name was Cham, sceyng his father lying naked wente and tolde his … of it, and so made a mockingGenes. …. stocke of his father. Therefore Noah when he arose and had disgested his wyne, and knowyng what his sonne had done vntounto hym, cursed him: but we rede not that Noah was dronken afterward any tyme more. Therfore if ye hauehave ben dron ken at any tyme, take hecde hence forwarde, and … of, abuse not the good creatures of God. Now then ye wyll say, … I take them measurably then I maye eate all manner ofA fourthe hedge for eatyng. meate at all tymes and eueryevery where: No not so, there is an other hedge behynde, ye muste hauehave a respecte to your owne …, and to your neighbours. For I may eate no maner of meate against my conscience, neither maye I eatemy meate in presence of my neighbour, whereby he mighte bee offended: for I ought to hauehave respecte vntounto him, as S. PaulRom. … playnly sheweth, saying: I know and am assured by the lord Iesus, that there is nothyng vncleane of it selfe, but vntounto hym that iudgeth it to bee common, to hym it is common: yf thy brother bee greued with thy meate, nowe … thou not charitablye, destroye not him with thy meate for whom Christ dyed: As for an ensample. When I should come into the North countrey, where they bee not taughte, and there I should cal for my egges on a fryday or for flesh, then I shoulde do naughtely: for I should destroye hym for whom Christ did suffer. Therfore I must beware that I offend no mans conscience, but rather trauayle with him first… blynde are no to be passed vppon. and shewe him the truth: when my neighbour is taught and knoweth the truthe, and wyll not beleue it, but wyll abyde by his olde mumpsimus, then I maye eatc, not regardyng him: for he is an obstinate felowe, he wyll not beleue goddes worde. And thoughe he be offended with me, yet it is but pharisaicall offence, lyke as the … were offended wyth Christe our …: the faulte was not in Christe but in themselues. So (I saye) I must hauehave a respecte to my … conscience, and then to my owne conscience. But yet there is an other hedge behynde, that is … lawes, theThe … hedge for …. kyngs statutes and …, which are gods lawes: for as muche as we ought to obey them as well as gods lawes and commaundementes.

S. Paule saith, let eueryevery … himself vntounto the autority…. xiii. of the higher power: for there is no power but it is of god: the powers that be, are ordeyned of god: whosoeuer ther fore resisteth the power, … the ordinaunce of God: but they that resist shall receiue to themselues vamnation. Now therfore we dwell in a …. where it hath pleased the kin ges maiesty to make an …, that all his subiectes shall abstayne from fleshe vponupon fridayes and saturdayes, and other dayes which are expressed in the acte: vntounto whiche lawe we ought to obey, and that for conscience sake, except we hauea priuiledge or be excepted by the same lawe. And althougheNécessitie hath no lawe in these … tes. scripture commaundeth me not to abstayne from flesh vponupon frydayes and saturdayes: yet for all that, … there is a … uyll law and … made by the kynges maiestye, and his most honorable counsell, we ought to … all their ordenances, except they beagainst god.

These be the hedges wherein we must keepe … selues. Therfore I desyre you in gods behalfe, consider what I hauehave said vntounto you, how ye shall order your selfe, how ye shal not eate raw flesh, y^t is, ye shal not be cruel towards your neighbour. Item, you shall not steale your meate from your neigh bor, but let it be your own meate, and then ye shall take of it measurably. Item, ye shal not offende your neighbours conscience. Item, ye shal kepe you within the lawes of y^t realnr. Now to the matter agayn. S. Paule saith we shall take hede of to muche eatyng and drinking. And I hauehave shewed you how ye shall kepe you within the hedges which are appointed in gods lawes: let vsus therfore take heede now, and let vsus rise vppe from the sleepe of synne: whatsoeuer we hauehave doneHe that will not ryse frome …, shall … it …. before, let vsus … vp now, whyle we hauehave tyme: … man goe in to hys owne hearte, and there when he … anye thyng amysse, lette hym ryse vppe from that sleepe, and … p. 116not in it: yf thou remayne lying, thou shalte repente it euerlastyngly: Neither in chamberyng and wantonnes.

Beware of S. Paules nettes and Nons. For when he saieth Non, we cannot make it yea: yf we do contrarye vntounto his sayinges, we shall repente it. Beware therefore of chambering. what is this: Marye he vnderstandeth by thisVvhat chā beryng is. woorde chamberyng, all manner of wantonnesse. I wyll not tarye longe in rehearsyng them, let … man and woman goe into his owne conscience, and lette them consider that God requireth honestye in all thynges. Sainete Panle vseth this worde chamberyng: for when folkes wylbe wanton, they gette themselues in corners: but for all that God he seeth them: he wyll … them oute one day, they canne not hyde themselues from his face. I wyll speake no further of it, for with honesty no man can speake of such vile vices, and S. Paule commaundeth vsus that we shal not speake any vile wordes: therfore by this woorde chamberynge, vnderstand the circumstances of whoredome and lecherye, and filthy liuyng, whiche S. Paule forbiddeth here, and would hauehave that no bodye shoulde giuegive occasion vntounto the otherEnuy hurteth the enuious most. to suche filthines. Neither in strife nor enuying. Enuys is a foule and abhominable vyce, whiche vyce dothe more harme vntounto hym that enuyeth another, then vntounto him whiche is enuyed.

Kynge Saule he hadde this spirite of enuye: therefore he1. Re. … hadde neuer reste daye nor nyghte, he could not abyde when anye man spake well of Dauid: and this spirite of enuying is more directely against charitye then anye other synne is.No enuious mā is the childe of god. For sainete Paule sayeth, Charitas non murder, charity enuieth not: therfore take it so, that he that enuyeth another, is no chylde of GOD: All hys workes whatsoeuer he doeth are the deuylles seruyce: he pleaseth GOD wyth nothynge as longe as he is an enuious person. Who woulde bee so madde nowe, as to bee in suche an estate? that he woulde suffer the deuyll to beare so muche rule ouer him? No … nor godly man wilbe in this …. For it is an yll estate to be out of the fauour of god, to bee without … sion of synne. Therfore whosoeuer is a enuious man, lette … ryse … from that slepe, leste he be taken sodenly … so be damned euerlastingly.

Now ye hauehave heard what we shall not do: we shall not toVvhat we … not doo. much eate and drynke, and so abuse the gyftes of God, we shall not hauehave pleasure in chamberyng, that … in wantonnes: Neither shall we be enuious persons, for when we bee, we be out of charitye, and so be out of the fauour of god.

Nowe foloweth what we shoulde doe. But put ye on theVvhat all men shold doo. lord Jesus Christe: EueryEvery man and woman ought to put on Christe, and all they that hauehave that apparel on theyr backes, they are well, nothyng canne hurte them, neither heate, nor colde: nor wynde, nor rayne.

Here I might hauehave occasion to speake against this … of apparell, which is vsed now eueryevery where, which thyng is disallowed in scripture. There be som that wylbe … ble vntounto others, they wyll do as other doe, but they consider not with themselues whether other do well or not, there beeVve shold conforme our selues to theym that doo well. lawes made and certayne statutes, now eueryevery one in hys estate shal be apparayled, but God knoweth the statutes are not put in execution. S. Paule he commaundeth vsus to put on Christe, to leaue these gorgeous apparels: he that is decked with Christ he is wel: & first we be declite with Christ in our Baptisme, where we promise to forsake the deuyl with all his workes. Now when we kepe … promise and leaue wyckednes: and do that which Christ our sauiour requireth of vsus, then we bee decked with him, then we hauehave the weddyng garment: and though we be very poore, and hauehave but a … coate, yet we are wel … we are decked with hym. There be a great many whiche goe very gaye in veluet and sattin, but for all that I feare they hauehave not Christ vponupon thē, for all theyr gorgeous apparell. I say not this to condemne ryche men or their riches: for no dout poore and ryche mayeBoth pore and riche maye bee clad vvith Christ. hauehave Christe vponupon them, if they wyll folow him and lyue as he … them to liue For if we hauehave Christe vponupon vsus, we wyll not make prouision for the fleshe, we wil not set our hearts vponupon these worldly trifles, to get riches to cherish this bade withall. As we reade of the rich man in the gospell, p. 117which thought he had inough for many yeres, he had pulled doune his … barnes, and had set vp new ones which wereLuc. xii.Luke 12 bygger then the other, and when all thynges were redy after hys mynde and pleasure, then he sayd to hymselfe: soule thou hast much good layed vppe for many yeres, take thyne ease, eate, drynke, and be mery. But what saieth god vntounto hym? Thou foole, (sayeth god) this nighte they will fetch away thy soule againe from thee. then … shall these thinges be whiche thou hast proupded? So it is with him that ga thereth riches to himselfe, and is not riche towarde god. I wyll not saye otherwise but a man may make prouision for his house, & ought to make the same, but to make such prouision to sette asyde goddes worde and seruyng of him, this is naught: to set the hearte so vponupon the riches, as though there were no heauen nor hell: how can we be so foolish to sette so much by this world? knowyng that it shall endure but a litle whyle. For we knowe by scripture, and all learned men affyrme the same, that the worlde was made to endure syxe thousand yere, Now of these syxe thousande, be past alreadyA coniecture of the end of the … at hande. fiue M. D. LII. & yet this tyme which is left shalbe shortned for the … sake: as Christ himselfe witnesseth: Therfore let be remember that the time is verye shorte, let vsus studie to amende our liues, lette vsus not be so carefull for thys worlde. for the ende of it no dout is at hande: and though the generall daye come not by and by, yet our … will not beeMath. 24. … death is not farre of.Matt 24 … of, death will come one daye and strype vsus oute of oure coate, he will take his pleasure of vsus. It is a maruelouse thing to see, ther be some which hauehave liued in this world 40 or 50. …, … yet they lacke tyme, when deathe commeth they be not …. But I wyll requyre you for goddes sake, ryse … from your … of synne and wyckednesse, … your selfe … all thynges in an order, so that ye maye be … deathe shall come and fetche you: for dye we …, there is no remedye we muste leaue one daye this world: for we are not created of god, to that end that we should abide here alwayes.

Therefore lette vsus repente befyme of our wycked life, … will not the deathe of a synner, but rather that be shall tourne from his wickednesse, and lyue. Viuo ego, … mortem peccatoris, sed vt conuertatur, & viuat, As truly as I liue (saith GOD) I will not the deathof a synner, but ratherEzechiel xviii.Ezek 18 that he shal turne from his wickednes, and lyue. These are most comfortable wordes: for now we may be sure, that whan we will leaue our sinnes and wyckednesse, and turne vntounto hym with all our heartes earnestly: then he will turne hym selfe vntounto vsus: and will shewe hym selfe a louynge father. And to the intent that we should beleue this, he sweareth an othe: we ought to beleue God without an othe: yet he sweareth to make vsus more surer. What wil he hauehave vsus to do? Mary to rise vp from this slepe of sinne, to leaue wickednes, to forsake al hatred & malice, that we hauehave had towardes our neighbors, to turn from enuieng, from stealing, & make restitution: from stouthfulnes to diligēce & painfulnes, from gluttonie and dronkennesse to sobernesse & abstinence, from chamberyng & … liuing to an honest and pure life. And so finally frō all kyndes of vices, to vertue & gedlynes. And what soeuer bath ben in tymes past, be sory for it, crye god mercy, and beleue in Christ, and ryse vp from slepe: … more wickedlye, but lyue as god would hauehave thee to liue.

Now I wyll bryng in here a notable sentence, and a comfortable sayeng: and then I will make an ende. Iustitia iusti non liberabit ipsum: in quacun que die peccauerit, & impietas impii non nocebit ei, in quacun que die conuersus fuerit ab impietateExec. xviii sua, The rightuousnes of the rightuous shall not saue hym, whansoeuer he turneth away vnfaithfully. Agayn, the wickednes of the wicked shall not hurt hym, whansoeuer heSynne not in hope of mercy. turneth from his vngodlines: And the rightuousnes of the rightuous shall not saue him when soeuer he sinneth. If I say vntounto the rightuous that he shal surely liue, and so he trusteth to his own rightuousnes, and doth sinne, than shall his rightuousnes be no more thought vponupon: but in the wickednesDispaire not of mer cy, if thou …. that he hath done, he shall die. Again, if I say vntounto the wicked, thou shalt surely die: and so he turne from his synnes, and dothe the thyng that is laufull and ryght: than he shal surely liue: that is to say, al his … which he hath done before, shal not hurt him, Here ye heare what promises god p. 118hath made vsus whā we wil rise frō the slepe of our sins, & leus the affectiōs of the flesh, & do such things as he hath apointed vntounto vsus in his laws: if we do so, thā we shal surely liue & not die: y^t is to say, we shall attain after this corporal life to … lasting life: which grant vsus god the father, sen, & holy ghost.

Amen.