Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 2 · Sermon 7
The vii. Sermon made by Maisten D. Latymer. Math. 4.
AS Iesus walked by the sea of Galiley, he saw two bretherne Simon whiche was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a nette into the sea, for they were fyshers: and he sayed vntounto them, folow me, and I wyll makeyou fishers of men: & they straight way left their nettes, and folowed hym. &c.
This is the gospell whiche is red in the churche this day. And it sheweth vntounto vsus how our sauiour called foure … to his company, namelye Peter, and Andrew, Iames, and Iohn, whiche were all fishers by their occupation, this was their general vocation: but now Christe oure sauiour calledThe `Apostles fysshed after men. them to a more speciall vocation. They were fishers styll, but they fished no more for fishe in the water, but they muste fishe for men, with the net which was prepared to this purpose namely with the gospell: for the gospel is the net wherwith the Apostles fished after they came to Christ: but specially after his departyng out of this world, then they went & fished throughout the whole world: and of these fishers was spoken a great while ago by the prophet, for so it is written:Hiere. … Ecce ego mittam piscatores multos, dicit dominus, & piscabuntur eos, & post haec mittam eis venatores multos, & vena buntur eos de omni monte, & de omni colle, & de cauernis petrarum Behold saith the lord I wil send out many fishers to take them: and after that wil I send hunters to hūt them out from al mountaines and hils, & oute of yt caues of stoue. By these words god signified by his prophets, how those fishers, that is, the apostles should preach yt gospel and take the people therewt, yt is, al they yt shold beleue: and so bring them to God. It is commonly seene that fyshers and hunters be very yainfull people bothe, they spare no labour to catche their game, because they bee so desirous and so gredye ouer their game, that they care not for paynes. Therfore our … VVhy Christ … to be ….chose fishers, because of these propreties, that thei shold be painfull and spare no labour, and than that they shoulde be gredy to catch men, and to take them with the net of gods worde, to tourne the people from … vntounto God. Ye see by daily experience, what … aud hunters take, howe the fisher … day and night at his net, and is euer redy to take all such fyshes that he can get, that come in his way. So likewise yt hunter runneth hither & thither … his game, leapeth ouer hedges, and crepeth thorough rough bushes: and all this labor he estemeth for nothyng, because he is so desirous to obtayne his pray, and catch his veneson.
So all oure prelates, byshops, and curates, persons, andThe office of prelats. vicars should be so paynfull, so gredy in castyng their netts, that is to say, in preachyng Gods worde, in shewyng vntounto the people the way to euerlastyng lyse, in exhortyng theim to leaue their synnes and wickednes. This ought to be done of them: for therevnto they bee called of God, such a charge they hauehave. But the moste parte of them set now a days aside this fyshyng: they put away this net, they take other busynes in hand: thei wil rather be surueyors or receiuers or … The doinges of pre lates.kes in the kitchyn, than to cast out this net: they hauehave the liuing of fyshers, but they fyshe not, they are other waies occupied: but it shold not be so. God wil plage, & most heinously punish them for so doyng. They shalbe called to make accompt one day, where they shall not be able to make answer for their misbehauiors, for not castyng out this net of gods woorde, for sufferynge the people to goe to the dyuell, and they call them not agayne: they admonyshe them not: their perishyng greueth them not: but the daye will come whenThe … that suche … shall hauehave. they shall … from the bottome of theyr hertes: but than it will bee to late: then they shall receyue theyr well … for theyr negligencye and slouthfulnesse: for takynge theyr lyuynge of the people, and not teachyng them. The Euangelistes speake … of the calling of these iiii. men, Peter, Andrew, Iames, and Iohn. Mathew saith that Iesus called them, and they immediatlyMath 4. left their netts, and folowed him. Luke saith, that our sauior stood by yt lake of Genezareth, & there he saw two ships standing by the lake syde, and he entred in one of these shyppes, which was Peters. And desyred him that he would thrust it a litle from the land, and so he taught the people, & after that when he had … an end of speaking, he said to Simon Pe ter, cast out thy net in the deepe, and Simon answered, we hauehave laboured all night and hauehave taken nothing. Neuerthelesse at thy commaundement I will lose forth the nette: and when they … out, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: Now Peter … such a multitude of fishes, was beyonds-himself, and … doune at Jesus …, saying: Lorde go from me, for I am a synful man: for he was …, and all that were with him, at the … of the fishes, whiche they had taken. And ther was also James and John the sonnes of …. And Jesus saide vntounto Peter: feare not, from henceforth thou shalte catche men: and they brought the ship … to lande and forsoke al, …. So ye heare how Luke describeth this …, in what maner of wayes Christe called them: and though he make no mention of Andrew, yet it was lyke that he was amongest theym too, with Peter John and James. The … John in the first chapiter … matter of an other maner of ways, but it perIohn. 1. temeth all to an ende, and to one effect: for it was most like, yt they (uere called first to come in acquaintance with Christ and afterwardes to be his disciples: and so in the ende to bee his apostles, whiche shoulde teache and instructe the whole worlde.
John the Euangelist saieth, that Andrewe was a disciple of John Baptiste: and when he had seene his master pointe Christ with his finger, saying: Ecce … dei qui tolht … mundi Lo the lamb of god that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde. (They vsed in the lawe to offer lambes for the pacifying of god. Now John called Christ the righte lambe which should take away in … all the … of the world.) Now when Andrew hearde wherunto Christ was come, he forsoke his maister John, and came to Christe, and … in acquaintance with hym, asked him where he dwelled: and findyng his brother Simon Peter, he tolde hym of Christ, and brought hym to him: he broughte hym not to John; but to Christ: And so should we do too, we should bryng to Christ as many as we coulde, with good exhortations and admonitions. Now Christ seing Peter, said vntounto him, Thou art Si mon the senne of Jonas, thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone, signifyeng that Peter shoulde be a … felowe not waueryng hither and thither. So ye see how diuerslye the Euangelistes speake of the callyng of these foure Apostles, Peter, Andrewe, James and John:The … dyuers … called therefore it is lyke they were called more then one tyme, they were called fyrste to come in acquaintance with hym, than afterwarde to bee … disciples, and so at the laste to bee hys Apostles and teachers of the whole world. For we reade in the gospell of S. Luke: that oure sauioure when he woulde chuse apostles whiche shoulde teache others, he continued a whole nighte in prayer, desyryng god to geue him worthyMark this ye … chase officers. men which be might sende. Where we hauehave a good monition, how carefull they should be that ought to chuse men and set them in offices: how they should call vponupon god, that they might hauehave worthy men. For it appeared by oure Sauiour, that he was verye lothe to hauehave vnworthy men, in so muche that he ceassed not all night to crye vntounto God, that he might hauehave woorthy men, whiche he might sende, and suche men as mighte be able to tell the truth: & when they hauehave done, to stand vntounto it. For when a preacher preacheth the truthe, but afterwarde is fearefull, and dare not stande vntounto it, is afrayd of men: this preacher shall do but littel good: or when he preacheth the truthe, and is a wycked lyuer, after that he hath done, this man shall do but little good, be shall not edifye, but rather destroye, when his wordes are good, and hysA good … and profitable lyuyng contrary vntounto the same: Therfore I would wishe of GOD that all they that shoulde chuse officers, woulde geue theymselues moste … to prayer: desyryng god that they maye chuse suche men as maye doe good in the com mon wealthe, amongest the … of God: And I woulde wyshe, that there shoulde be none other officers but suche as … called therevnto lawfullye: for no man oughte to seeke for promotions, to beare rule, to be an officer: but we should farye oure vocation tyll God dyd call vsus: we should hauehave a callyng of god. but it is to be lamented how inordinately all thynges bee done. For I feare me that there hathe bene butA lamētable thyng verye fewe offices in Englance, but they hauehave bene … boughte or solde: for I hauehave hearde saye manye tymes, that some payed greate summes of money for theyr offices: No man can persuade me, that these men entende to doe good in the commō wealth, which bye theyr offices. For they intend to gette that money agayne which they hauehave layed out, and afterwarde to … for purchasyng. But suche ambitious men that offer themselues, they should be refused, they shold not be suffered to lyue in a common wealthe: for they be ambitieusAmbitious men shold not lyue iu a common vvealth. and couetous. We reade that Ietro Moyses father in lawe gaue vntounto Mayses counsell to chuse men to offices: and that same counsell that … gaue was Goddes counsell: God spake by the mouth of …. Nowe what sateth …, or God by …: what manner of men shoulde he chuse to offices to … the common welth: Thou shalt sekeExod. xviii out, saith …, amongest all the people men of actiuify, and such as feare God, true men, hating couetousnes, and make them heades ouer the people. &c. … would not hauehave him to take those whiche offer theym selues, or whiche bye … offices with money and faire speakynge: No no, he woulde none of that gears, he would not hauehave suche felowes. But I pray you, howe many officers are fought out now adays?Officers should be fought. I thynke but very fewe, the moste parte offer theym selues before they be called, but it should not bee so: Justices of peace, …, and other officers they shoulde bee … out, they should be called thervnto, they should not come before they be sent for. Nowe when they be sought out, what maner of men should they bee? Mary men of …, that is to say, men of knowlege & vnderstanding: which be able to execute yt office, & such as fearegod: for no dout he must hauehave the feare of god in his heart yt shalbe an officer, or els he shall neuer well execute his office: he shall soone be corrupte with giftes or rewardes. Further he must be a true man, suche a one whom a man maye trust by his wordes: he must bee his wordes maister, he may not be a dissembler, a lyar or a false dealer. And laft of all, he must be a hater of couetousnes, he must first be a man of actiuttye and knowledge, a man that feareth god, a true man, and a man whiche hateth couetousnes: he must onelyonly not bee couetous, but he must bee a haterAn officer …. of couetousnes. Now when he must hate couetousnes, than he must ncdes be far of from that foulc vice of couetousnes, and immoderate despre to hauehave goods. This is the duetye of eueryevery …: so he shalbe disposed before he be admitted there vntounto: but whether they be so or not, let other indge: it is … by batly erperience what they be a great part of them: I fear me that yf Ietro should see them, the ye doynges would mislykeIetro wold … of …. hym: he would say, these are not such men as I hauehave ap pointed, but it is no matter though Ietro see them not: god he seeth them, which wyil rewarde them accordyng to their ….
And so like wise they that be of the spiritualty, the cleargy men, they must not runne themselues, they must tary til they… men … flatter for benefices. be called, thei must not slatter for benefices: & therfore yt king & his most honorable coūsel must take hede, & not set vp those which cal themselues: for no doute they that call themselues intende not to doe good, nor to profite the people, but onelye they seke to feede themselues, and to fyll their coffers: And so likewise al patrons that hauehave to giuegive benefices, they should take hede and beware of suche felowes, which scke for benefices, which come themselues before they be called. For such … intende not to fede the people, with the holsome doc tryne of the worde of god: but rather they seke to be fedde of the people, to hauehave their ease, for that they looke for: yf they were mynded to do good vntounto the people of god, they would … tyil god should cai them, and then when they be called, do their …: but to runne without the callyng of god, is a manifest token that they hauehave an other respecte, that they are worldly mynded, and therfore god cōplayned by the prophet,…. 3 saying: Multi currebant quos ego non mittebam, there were many of those that ran before I sent them, which wer… ye that be prtrones. Ieis a gter charge to be a patio … this … that bie patronages. not sent by me. Therfore I wyll desyre patrons to take hede vponupon what maner of men they bestowe theyr benefyces: for it is a great charge, a great burthen before God to bee a patron. For eueryevery patron, whan he dothe not diligently endeuor him selfe to place a good and godly man in his benefice, which is in his hands: but is …, and careth not what maner of man he taketh, or els is …, and wili hauehave it himselfe: and hire a … Lack latin, which shall say scruice: so that the people shaibs nothing edified: no doubt that patron shall make answere before God, for not doyng of his dutie. And loke how … soeuer perish in that same parish because of lacke of teachyng, the patrone is giltie of theym: and he must make answere for them before god. Therfore it appereth most manifestly, that patrōs may not folow frendships, or other affectiōs: but they must see that gods honor be promoted, that they place such men as may be able to teache and … the people.
Now to the matter: These men, Peter, Andrew, James… came not before they were called. and John, they were called from catchynge of fishes, to the catching of men: they had a callyng, they ran not before they wer called. But we do not so, we order the mater as though God sawe vsus not: and no dout there be some that thynke in their hearts: what? shall I tarye till god call me: then peraduenture I shall neuer be called: and so I shall neuer get any thyng. But these be vnfaythfull men, they consyder not that God seeth vsus euerye where: In what corner soeuer we be, god seeth vsus, and can fetch vsus when it pleaseth him: that we should be offycers, or be curates, or such lyke thynges. Therfore thou runner, tary, til thou art called, runne not before… Baptist … for no benesice. the time. John Baptist that holy man, he wold not take vponupon him, to come before he was bidden: Where was he? Marye in the wildernes: he made no sute, I warrant you, for anie offyce, he taryed till god called him. For Luke saith: the word of the Lord came vntounto John, beyng in the wyldcrnes. It is no maruell that god fetched him out of the wildernese: for there is no cornar in the whole worlde where anye man can hyde hymselfe from hys presence: therfore when he wyll hauehave a man, he can call hym, thoughe he be hyd in cornars:Psa. …. for the prophet saieth, Dcus in altis habitat, sed … …, God dwelleth aloft; but yet he seeth those thynges which be here in the lowest partes of the carthe: he dwelleth in heauen, but for all that, he ouerseeth all the whole carthe, and what therein is. For thoughe we were caste doune in a deepe pyt, or dongeon, as Hieremy the prophet was: yet forGod … vponupon … all that he can see vsus, he wyll not forgette vsus: for he looketh doune vponupon those thinges that be belowe. Therfore lette no manne thynke in his heart, I muste put my selfe forwarde, I muste seeke to brynge my selfe alofte. No no, consider rather, that God … thee, that he can bryng thee alofte when it pleaseth him, when it is to the furtherāce of his glorye, and to the saluation of thy soule. John Baptist made no sute for that office namely to be a preacher, and to baptyse ye people: yet for all that god sought hym oute, god called hym there unto, god would hauehave him in this office of preachyng: So lyke wise Iosephe when he was in Egypte, solde of hys owne brethren, where he serued with a great man, a greate officer he was, Potiphar was his name: Nowe when he had bene a whyle with him, his … percetuyng his beauty,Gene 39. cast her louelove vponupon him, and so would hauehave hym to be naught with her: but Joseph beyng a man that seared god, wold not folow her, but rather … her beastly lustes, ranne his wayes, and lefte his cloke behynde hym. And so … thorough false accusations, he was cast into prison. ThynksCod sawe Ioseph in the prison ye now that god saw hym not? yes yes, he sawe him, though he was in the darke pryson, yet he saw him. For when it seemed him good, he brought him out agayne of the prison, and made him lorde and ruler ouer all Egipt: though he lay in a dongeon, though he could make no sute for his …, yet god when it pleased him could call him therunto. Therfore let vsus learne here, by the ensaumple of this good Josephe: lette vsus learne I saye, that when we bee meete, and that God wyll hauehave vsus to beare offices, he wyll call vsus thereunto by law full meanes, by hys magistrates: he wyll not forgette vsus: for he seeth vsus in eueryevery corner, he can pycke vsus oute when it is hys wyll and pleasure.
Moyses that greate friende of God, what was his occupation Mary he was a shepharde, he kepte his fathers in laweGene. 3. sheepe: and though he was in a greate wyldernesse, where… a shepherde. there was no body aboute hym, yet it pleased GOD to call hym, and to make hym a captayne ouer his people Israell. And thys Moses was very lothe to go, to take such a greate charge vponupon hym: yet at the length he went, because it was the callyng of god. Therfore let vsus folow this ensaumple of Moyses, let vsus not take in hande any office, except we be called thereunto of GOD, excepte we hauehave a lawfull callyng. Oure Sauiour commaundeth his disciples, and also vsus, thatLuke. 10. we shall praye vntounto God, that he wyll sende labourers into his haruest: that is to saye, that he wyll sende preachers. Whereby it appeareth, that our Sauiour woulde that no person shoulde take vponupon hym that office, excepte he be sent of god, except god call hym thereunto.
Kynge Saule thoughe he was a wycked man in hys ende, yet he was made a greate hinge of god: for what was hys father: No verye great man I tell you, and Saule his sonne wente to seke hys fathers affes, and so by chaunce because he could not fynde the asses he came to the Prophete Samuell, whiche by and by, before he departed from hym, annoynted hym to bee kynge ouer Israell, GOD commaundyng hym so to doe. Nowe thys Saule he sceketh not for it, it came neuer in hys hearte to thynke that heSaule sought not to be made king. should bee kyng: in so muche that he … hymselfe when Samuell woulde prclaime him king, before the whole congregation: yet for all that, he coulde not hyde himselfe so, but GOD spyeth hym oute, and so finally brought him to the kyngdome.
Here ye see moste manifestlye that whanne GOD wyll hauehave a thynge to bee doone, he canne synde suche meanes, whereby it muste needes bee doone. Wherefore shoulde nowe anye of vsus goe aboute to thruste theymselues into offices wyithoute the callyng of GOD? And no doute they that … so, they shewe theymselues to hauehave no saythe in GOD at all, they truste not GOD, they thynke they shall brynge all matters to passe by … owne power and wyttes: but it is seene that suche… the ende. … a …. felowes spede euer yll, that wyll take in hande to … them selues without any laufull callyng. Dauid that … man & holy … of god, what was he? Mary a keper of shepe: he thought not that he should be king, till he was called ther … of god. But I pray … what was Ionas the Prophet? was he not in the bottome of the great sea, in the bellye of a great and horrible whale? what hapned vntounto hym? sawe not god …, …, he saw hym, he had not forgotten hym: he called hym out again: and so sedeth … to … to preach… vvas …. vntounto them, and teache them penaunce, to leaue theyr synful life. Now god would hauehave hym to that …, therfore he cal … hym, and was able to do it, … he lay euen in the hor rible fishes …. Now therfore lette vsus well … this, that when god wil hauehave a man to beare an … he can and is able to fetch him, wheresoeuer he bee: and that man that is so called of god to any office, no doute god wil work with hym: he wyl prosper all his doings, he will … from all his enemies, he wyll not let him perishe. … and yf any man take in … an office whereunto he is not called: noGod vvyll … he …. dout that … hauehave no good lucke, god will not prosper hym. And not onelyonly that, but he will … punishe that … that wil take in hande an … whereunto he is not called of god: which …, or … aboute to promote himselfe. As we hauehave an example in the boke of yt Num. xvi.Numbers, that when …, Dathan, and Abyram, would not be contente with their vocation wherunto thei were called of GOD, but woulde … higher, and promote themselues: what hapned? The grounde claue asonder, and swalowedAn …. them vp, with wife and children and al that they had: this was their ende, this rewarde they had for their ambition. Whereby it appeareth, that GOD wyll that euerye manne shall keepe hymselfe in his vocation, til he be further2. Reg 6. called of god. We reade further in the bookes of the kinges, that when Dauyd would bryng in the arke of GOD into his citye, as they were going with it, there was one … name: he fearyng leaste the arke shoulde fall, because the … stumbled, went and helde it vp with his handes: which was against his …: for he was not appointed …: for it … the office of the Leuites to … the Arke, no body … should come … vntounto it: Now what hapned? God stroke hym by and by to death: because he toke vponupon him an …, vntounto which he was not called: yet after mans reason, … Oza had done a good worke, in keepyng the arke frome …: but what then? God will that his order shalbe kept, which he hath appointed in his worde. Further we reade in the Bible of a kyng which was called …, which woulde2. Par. … take vponupon him the office of a prieste, to offer incenses vntounto the Lorde, whervnto he was not called of god: but would do it of his owne … will, would promote himselfe to the office of the high priest, beyng not called of god thervnto. But what …? Nowe … he? what … had hefor so …? … he was yet aboute it, the Lorde smote hym by and by with leprosie: and so this greate kynge endured a lepre all the days of his life. These be ensamples nowe which should make vsus afrayde, if we had any feare of God in our heartes, to promote our selues. And we shoulde learne here to beware of that pestilent poyson of ambition:The … that commeth of ambition. which poyson, (which ambition I say) hathe be the cause of the perishyng of many a man: for this ambition is the most … thyng that can bee in the world: … an … man is able to … & disturbe a whole cōmon wealth: As it most plainly appered by the Rhodians, which Rhodians at our tyme wer very myghtie, and of great estimation thorough all the worlde. Now what was their destruction? Mary ambition: through ambition, this myghtie … of the Rhodes was …, & came into the hands of the Lurks. ForAmbition … the Rhodes. the Chronicle she …, that before their destruction, whan all thynges were wel yet, the … of Rhodes died. Now there was … called Andrew …, a Portingale he desyred to be …: he was an ambitious man, he went about to promote …, before he was … of god: But for all that, he … his purpose, so that he was not chosen: For there was one chosen whom … Philip de Uyllers. but what doothe this Andrewe, because … coulde not bryng his purpose to passe, he sendeth letters to the great Lurke, signifying that when he woulde come, he woulde help him to get the yland, which afterwarde he … but yet it cost … his lyfe, for his treason was …, and so he receiued a reward according vntounto his ….
So ye maye perceue by this ensample which was done in our time, how … a thinge this ambition is: for no dout where there is ambition, there is …, where there is diuision, there foloweth desolation, and so finally destruction:Math. …. euen accordinge vntounto oure Sauiours, saying: Euerye kingdome deuided … it selfe, shall bee brought to nought, and eueryevery city or house druided agaynst it selfe, shal not stande. &c.
Well Andrew, Peter, James, and Iohn, were not ambitiouse, they … their callinge: so I woulde wish that eueryevery man would folow their ensamples: and tary for their vocati on: and not thrust themselues in, till they bee called of God. For no dout vocation hathe no fellowe, for he that … by the calling of god to an office, he may be sure that his aduersariesGod defen … them that he … to office. shall not … agaynst him, as longe as he doth the … of his calling. An ensample we hauehave in our …, he was sent from god into this world, to teach vsus the way to heauen. Now in what peryl & danger was he: as long as he was here? when he began to preach at Nazareth amongest hys kynsfolkes, he displeased them so that they went & tokeIuc. 4. hym, and were mynded to cast him headlong from the rock, wherupon their cities … builded: but when it came to the pointe, he went a way from amongest thē, because his houre was not come yet: he had not yet fulfilled or executed that office whereunto god hath sent hym.
So likewise we reade … the … Iohn, that theIoh. 10 8. Iewes many a … toke vppe stones to stone hym, but they coulde not. And howe many … they their menne to take …, yet for all that they coulde not preuayle … hym: And these thynges are not written for Christes sake, but for our …, that we should learne therby, that when we do diligently our … wherunto god hath called vsus, then no … enemyes shall as little preuayle agaynst vsus as, they … agaynste Christe: for God wylbe as … for vsus as he was for Chryst. And thys appeareth most mani festly in the Apostle Paule: I pray you in what … and perill was he? how mighty and strong enemies had he, whiche toke in hand to ryd … out of the waye? yet for all that god deliuered him: wherfore? Mary because Paule was called,The cause vvhy Paul vvas so often …. and ordeyned of god to that office: and … god … deliuered him out of al troubles, because Paul did according vntounto his callyng.
Peter, when Herod that tirant had killed Iames with the sword, and caste him into prison, so that he thought he shold dye by and by, yet god deliuered him wounderfullie: and no dout this is not wrytten for Peters sake, but also to our cō fort: so that we shalbe sure, that when we followe our vocation, beinge lawfullye come by it, God wyll ayde and … vsus in all our troubles: whatsoeuer shall happen vntounto vsus, he wilbe present and helpe vsus. Therfore take this for a certain rule: that no man with folowyng of his vocation, and doyng his duety shall shorten his lyfe: for it is not the folowyng ofNo … hys life by doing his dutye our vocation that shal shorten our life.
We reade in the gospell that when Christ … vntounto his disciples, let vsus go vp into Iury agayne: his disciples made aunswer vntounto hym, saying: … the Iewes sought latelyIohn. xi. to stone thee, and wilt thou go thither agayne? Iesus answered, are there not 12. houres of the …? yf a man walketh in the day, he … not: but if a man walketh in the night he stumbleth, because there is no light in hym.
With these woordes our Sauiour signifieth, that he that walketh in the daye, that is to saye, he that walketh truelye and vprightlye in hys vocation whereunto God hathe called hym, that manne shall not stumble, he shall not shorten hys lyfe, tyll the xii. houre commeth: that is to saye, tyll it pleaseth GOD to take hym oute of thys worlde: he shalbe sure that he shall not shorten hys lyfe in doing that thynge which god hath apoynted hym to do. I pray god giuegive vntounto vsus such hearts that we may be content to liue in our callyng, & not to gape further: And first we must walk in the general …, and after yt when God calleth vsus, lcaue the generall callyngThe com modities … vve shall hauehave by vvalkingin … calling. and folow the speciall: if we would walke so, we should be sure yt our enemie … not preuayl against vsus: And though we dye, yet our death shalbe nothyng els, but an entraunce into euerlastyng life. Again, we shalbe sure, that if we will folow our vocatiōs, we shal lacke nothyng, we shal hauehave … thyngs necessary to our bodily sustenāce. And this appereth by many ensamples: when our sauionr … out those 70. men before him to preache the gospell, hauyng no … in their purses, nor any thyng wherupon to liue: whan they came home again, he asked them, whether they had lacked any thing: they sayd No. For they dyd as Christe had commanded vntounto them: therefore they lacked nothing: And so it foloweth, that they that will folowe their vocations shall lacke nothyng.
Jacob yt holy patriarke had a vocatiō to go into Mesopotamia:Iacob folovved his vo cation in flying frō …. for his father and mother commanded him to do so: because thei feared least Esaü his brother shold hauehave kild him. Nowe when he wente thyther, he confessed that he had nothing but a staffe vponupon his backe: but folowyng his calling God brought him againe with greate droues of all maner of cattell. These thynges are written for our sake, to make vsus lustie to folowe oure vocation, and to doo as we are appointed of God to doo. Further, when the people of Israel were in the wildernes, they had a vacation: for God commaunded Moses to bryng theym out of Egypte: Nowe he brought them in the wildernes, where there was no corne nor any thing to … vponupon: what doth God the sendeth them bread from heuen rather then that they shold lacke, and water out of the rocke. And this is written to our instruction. Therefore God sayth: Non solo pane, Man shall not lyueMath. 4. by breade onelyonly, but by eueryevery woorde that procedeth outeDeute. 8 of the mouthe of GOD. For whan so euer a man applyeth that vocation, whyche GOD hath appoynted for hym: No doubte he shall not bee disappointed of lyuing, he shall hauehave inoughe. Therfore oure Sauiour Christe saithe: Querite primo regnum …, & iustitiam eius, & caeteraMath. 6. … adiicientur vobis, Seeke fyrste the kyngedome of god and his rightuousnes, and all the other thynges shal be ministred vntounto you: That is to say, let vsus liue godly as he hath appointed vntounto vsus: as for other thynges, iacta super do ….Peter. …. minum curam & …. Caste thy care vppon the lorde, and he wyl make it, he will fynish all thynges, for he is able to make a good ende of all matters: therfore sayeth the Prophete: Timete dominum omnes sanctieius feare the lord allPsalm. … ye his sayntes, Non est inopia timentibus eum, they that fearTo distrust the promis of god is to make him a … the lorde, they shall not come to any pouerty. Alacke what a pytifull thyng is it, that we will not beeleue these fatherly promises which god hath made vntounto vsus in his worde? what a great synne is it to mistrust gods promises? for to mistrust his promises is as muche as to make hym a lyar, when we wyll not beleue him: eueryevery man hath his vocation, as these men here were fyshers, so eueryevery man hath his faculty wherin he was brought vp: but and yf there come a speciall vocation, then we must leaue that vocation whiche we hauehave … before, and applye that whereunto we be called specially, … these apostles did: they were fishers, but as sone as thei … called to another vocation, they lefte theyr fishings. but euer remember that when we hauehave a vocation we regard most aboue all the speciall poyntes in the same, and see that … do them rather than the accidentes.
As for an ensample, vntounto greate men god alloweth huntyngHuntyng and … is … the … of great mens calling. and haukyng at sometymes: but it is not their chiefest duety wherunto God … called them: for he woulde not that they shoulde geue themselues onelye to haukyng and huntyng, and to do nothyng elles: Do not so, but rather … oughte to consider the chiefest poynte then the accidentes: haukyng and huntyng is but an accessarye thynge, but the chiefest thyng to whiche God hath ordayued them, is to execute Justice, to see that the honour and glorye of god, bee set abroade, thys is the chiefest poynte in theyr callyng, and not haukyng and huntyng, whiche is but an accidente. So lykewyse a scruyng man maye vse shootyng or other pastymes: but yf a seruyng manne woulde doe nothyng elles but to shoote, settyng asyde hys maysters busynes, thys manne no … shoulde not doe well: for a seruyng mans duetye is to wayte vponupon his mayster: and though he may shoote sometymes,The chief point of a seruing mās office yet his speciall and chiefest duetye is to serue hys maister in hys busines.
Our sauiour wente ones abroade, and by the waye as heMath. 8. went, be sayde to one, Folow me: the felow made answere, saying, let me fyrste bury my father: our sauiour saide vntounto hym agayn, let the dead bury their dead, and come thou & fo low me. where our sauior teacheth vsus, that when we hauehave a speciall vocation, we shall forsake the generall: for to burye fatherand mother is a godly deede, for god commaunded to honour father and mother: yet when we hauehave such a speciallOne speciall vocatiō must bee folovved. callyng as this man had, we must leaue al other vocations: for our sauiour wold rather hauehave ye dead to bury the dead, thē that this man shoulde forsake or set asyde his vocation. But our spiritualtie what doe they? Mary some be occupied with worldly businesses, som be clearkes of the kitchine, surueigbers, or receiuers: which no doute is wicked, and they musteA note for the spiritu alty. make a heauy accompte for it. For their special callyng is to fishe, to preache the worde of God, and to bryng the people from ignorance vntounto the knowledge of gods word, this they ought to do. Abraham the Patriarke hadde a vocation when god called hym oute of hys countree, this was a vocation.Abraham did folovv his calling So likewise when god commaundeth him to offer his sonne he was redy and wyllyng to doe it: for because god had commaunded hym, he made no excuses, but wente and folowed his vocation most diligently and earnestly. But this I wold hauehave you to note wel, that they that hauebut general vocati ons, may not folow those which hauehave special vocations. AsThe … in that … but a gene ral callyng may not fo lovv his ex ample that had a speci al vocatiō. whē we wold folow the ensample of Abrahā, we may not. Abrahā had a special vocation of god to offer his son: therfore they that afterward folowed the ensample of Abraham and burned their children, they did naughtly: for they had no cō maundement of god to do so. Phinees that godly mā, seeyng one of the great men of Israel do wickedly with a naughtye womā, went thither and killed them both, whilest they wer yet doyng the act of lecherye. Nowe in so doyng, he pleased god, and is highly commended of god for it: shal we now folow the ensample of Phinces? shal we kil a man by and by when he doth wickedly? No not so, we hauehave no such commaū dement of god as Phinees had: for he had a special callyng, aNume. 25 secrete inspiration of god to do such a thing: we which hauehave no such calling may not folowe hym, for we ought to kyl no body, the magistrates shall redresse all matters.
So to preache gods worde it is a good thyng, and god wil hauehave yt there shalbe some which shall doe it: but for all that a man may not take vponupon him to preache gods worde excepte he be called vntounto it: when he doth it, he doth not well, though he hauehave learnyng and wisedome to be a preacher, yet for all that he ought not to come hymselfe without any laufull callyng: for it was no doute a good thyng to kepe the arke from fallyng, yet for all that Oza was striken to deathe, because he toke in hand to medle with it without any commission.
We hauehave a generall vocation which is this, in sudore vultusGene, … tui vesceris pane tuo. In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread, tyl thou be turned again into the ground, out of which thou wast taken. This text doth charge al vsus to labour, riche and poore, no man excepted, but he must laboure that labour which god hath appointed for hym to do: for god loueth not slouthfulnes he wyll hauehave vsus to labour, to do our busines: and vponupon the holy day he wil hauehave vsus to cease from bodely labour, but for al yt he wyl not hauehave vsus to be ydle, but to heare his word, to visite syeke folkes and prisoners, theseHoly dais …. are holy days worke, which god requireth of vsus: therfore we may not be let of those workes with bodely labour: we must set aside bodely labor, & fede our soules vpō sodais, in heryng of gods most holy word, & in receiuing his holy sacraments. So I say, labor is cōmasided vntounto vsus, vntounto eueryevery one, no mā …. Al Adames childrē ar boūd to labor. For yt whicheAll Adams children must labor was said vntounto Adā, is said like wise vntounto vsus to, & our sauiour himself teacheth vsus to labor whē he saith to Peter, duc in altū, lead thy boate into ye depe, & relaxarete ad capturā, & spredLuca. 5. out thy net to catch. Here Christ cōmaunded Peter to do his duty, to folow his occupatiō. Now he yt cōmaūded Peter say ing cast out thy net: he cōmaūdeth also vsus, eueryevery one in his estate to do yt busines of his calling, he wil hauehave yt farmer to fo … his trade, to till the ground, to sowe, &c. & yet it is god yt geueth the increase of the labour. For we may not thinke as though we by our labour may get somewhat: No not …, weLabour is the … vvhereby vve liue. must labor in dede, but we must pray him to send the increse: for except he blesse our labour, no doute we shal labour al in vain. The ordinary way wherby god sendeth vsus our foode is labour, yet for al that we must not set our … our labor, nor trust therin, but only hang vponupon … is writen, Egestatē operatur manus remissa, a hand that will not labourProue 10 (saith scripture) shall come to …. That is to say, that man or yt woman that wil not labor, wil not do the worke of his vocatiō, shal not prosper in this world: but a diligēt hād,God will encrease our labour a man that wil labor, almighty god wil send him …, he shall hauehave inough. So that certain it is, that we must labor: for S. Paule …, qui non laborat, non …, he that2. … 3 laboureth not, let him not eate. I wold wishe that this commaundement of s. Paule were kept in England, that these idle lubbars that wil not labor, that they should not eate … ther: For no doute if they were serued so, it woulde make them to apply their bodies to a better vse then thei do. Saint Paul in the 2. Thes. Vltimo saith: we hauehave herd say, yt there ar some which walke amongest you inordinatelye: working not at al, but beyng busy bodies. Thē that are such we commaund & exhort, by our lord Jesu Christ, that they worke wt quietnes & eat their own bread. In these words we mai noteTwo thin ges noted in S Paules vvords A precher may speak by heresay two things, first that eueryevery one of vsus ought to labor, & do the office of his calling. Secundarily we maye note here, that a precher may speke by heresay: as S. Paul doth here. I spake vntounto you synce I came into thys countrey by here say. For I heard say, that there were some homelye theeues, some pyckers in this worshipfull house, whiche no doute is a miserable thynge, that in such a house thynges shoulde be so … awaye: therefore I exhorted you at the same tyme to beware of it, and to make restitution. Now sence there were some of you which were offended with me, because I spake by heare say, thei said I slaūdred yt house in speaking so. But I tell you, that I slaundered no bodye at that tyme. I spake but onelyonly to the amendment of the giltie: and therfore the gyltlesse must geue leaue vntounto the preacher, to reproue syn and wickednes. For the preacher … he reproueth syn, he sclandereth not the gyltlesse: but he seketh onelyonly the amendementEsay. 25. of the gyltie. Therfore God sayth by the prophete: Annuncia populo scelera illorum, Shewe vntounto the people their synnes: therfore when suche a thynge is spoken, they that be giltlesse should be content, whan sinne and wickednesRab a gald horse and he will kicke. is reproued. There is a common …, that whan a horse is rubde on the galle, he wil kicke: whan a man casteth a stone amongest dogges, he that is hitte will crie: So it is with suche felowes too: belyke they be giltie, because they canne not suffre to bee agayne sayd. I remembre the Prophete Esaie, in what manner of wise he reproued the syunesEsay. 1. of the people, sayenge: Argentum tuum versum est in …. Thy siluer is turned into drosse. So no doubt the falle of the money hath been here in Englande the vndoing of many men. … vinum tuum mixtū est aqua, And thy wine is myngled with water. Here the Prophete speaketh generally. And he goeth foorth, sayeng: Principes tui. &c. Thy princes are wicked, and companions of theeues, they louelove rewardes all together: as for the fatherles they helpe them not to right: neither will they lette the widowes cause come before thē. … be fore words, spoken generally against al ye princes: where I doubt not but there were som good amon gest them: yet for all that the prophet slaundereth them not: for he speaketh not against the good, but against the wicked,A great number is ment vvhē we speake by the vniuersall. he meaneth not the giltlesse. For suche a maner of speakyng is vsed in the scripture, to speake by the vniuersall: meaning a great numbre, but yet not all: only those that be giltie: ther fore suche maner of speakyng is no slander. Therfore I sayd at the same tyme, as S. Paule saith to the Thessalonians, I heare say, that there be some amongest you that will not labour: So I saied, I heare say, that there be some amongest you, which are geuen to pickyng and stealyng: and so I shewed you the danger of it, and tolde you how you shold make restitutiō secretly without anyopen shame: for it is no shame to forsake sinne, and to come to godlynes. For no dout restitutionRestitutiō of tv vo … tes. must be made eyther in effect, or affect: That is to say when thou art able then thou must make it in effecte, when thou art not able, then thou must be forse for it in thy hearte, and aske god forgiuenes. This I tolde you at the same time where I slaundered no bodye: therfore I woulde wishe that ye woulde expounde my wordes now forwardes, better then ye hauehave hitherto.
Nowe to the matter agayne: when a man shoulde aske this question, saying: we are all bounde to worke, for our lyuynges: but I praye you by whome commeth the gayne of oure workes: who geueth the increase of it: There bee some people whiche thynke, that they bryng all thynges to passe by theyr labour: they thynke they gette theyr liuinges wyth theyr owne hand worke. Some agayne there be, which think that the encrease of theyr labour commeth by the diuell, thatSome think that their encrease com meth of the deuill. he increaseth and blesseth theyr labours. But thynke ye that any body wyll saye so, that his increase commeth by the dyuell: No I warraunt you, they wyll not saye so, wyth theyr mouth: yet for all that, their conuersation and lyuing sheweth it to be so in dede with them. For all they that liue of vsurye, they hauehave theyr gaynes by the diuell. So lykewise all they that sell false wares, or sell by false wayght, or vse anye maner of falshode, they be in the deuylles seruice, they hauehave his liuery: therfore they seke all theyr gaynes at his handes, thorough false and deceytfull dealyng. And so it appeareth that the diuell is the increase of theyr gaynes. And no doute the diuell taketh vponupon hym to be the lorde ouer all thynges in earth: as it playnely appeareth by the gospell of Mathew,Math. 4. where he toke in hande to tempte Christe oure sauiour, and broughte hym vponupon a high hyll, where he shewed vntounto hym all the kyngdomes of the world, saying: Haec omnia dabo tibi, si prostratus adoraueris me, Al these things I wil geue vn to thee, yf thou wilt fal doun & worship me. By these words it appeareth, that the diuell beareth himselfe in hande to beThe diuell is not vvorthe a goose …. lorde and ruler ouer the whole worlde: but in very deede he hath not so muche as a goose fether by righte. Andyet for all that, he hath many children here vponupon earth, which hange vponupon hym, and seeke theyr increaso by hym thorough falshode and deceite. Therefore suche worldlynges hauehave a common saying amongest them, they say when a man wylbe ryche, he muste sette his soule behinde the doore: that is to say, he must vse falshode and deceit. And therfore I feare me there be manyMany set their soules behind the dore. thousandes in the worlde which set theyr soules behynde the dores. The merchaunte commonly in eueryevery citye dothe teache his prentise to sell false wares. So that a man maye say to all cities as Esay sayth to Hierusalem: Argentum tuumEsay. 1. versum est in scoriam, thy siluer is turned in drosse, thy ware is false, thou hast a delite in falshode and deceite, thou gettest thy good per fas & nefas, by lauful and vnlauful mea nes: But the increase that the godlye man hath, commeth of god, as the scripture saith: Benedictio dei facit diuitem, The blessyng of god maketh ryche. Now there be some that wyllProuer. x. say, if the blessyng or the increase rome not of my labor, then I wyll not labour at all. I wyll tary tyll god sendeth me my foode, for he is able to fede me without my labor or trauel. No, we must labour, for so are we commaunded to doe, but we must looke for the increase at gods handes: lyke as Peter dyd, he laboured the whole nyght, yet he toke nothyng at all tyll Christ came. And yet this is not a certaine rule, he that much laboreth shall hauehave much. For though a man labour muche, yet for all that he shall hauehave no more then god hathe appoynted hym to hauehave: for euen as it pleaseth GOD, so he shall hauehave, Nam domini est terra & plenitudo eius, For thePsalm. xiiii earthe is the Lordes, and all that is therein: and when weHe that hath much must accompt for much. hauehave muche, then we are accountable. For muche, for no doute we must make a reckenyng for that which we receius at gods handes.
Nowe to make an ende, I desire you lette vsus consider oure generall vocation, that is to say lette vsus labour, euerye one in that estate wherein GOD hathe sette hym, and as for the increase, lette vsus looke for it at goddes handes: and lette vsus bee contente with that whiche GOD shall sende vsus: For he knoweth what is beste for vsus, yf we hauehave VictumTim. 6. & vestitum, meate and drynke, and clothyng, lette vsus bee contente wythall. For we canne not tell whenne good manne deathe wyll comme and make an ende of all together.
And yf we hauehave speciall vocations, let vsus set asyde the generall, and apply the speciall poyntes of our vocation, rather then the accidentes: and let vsus labour in our callyng, and yet not thynke to get any thynge by it, but rather trust in God, and seke the increase at his handes: let vsus looke for his benediction, then it shall go well with vsus: but aboue all thinges beware of falshode, for with falshod we serue the deuyl. But as I tolde you before, I feare me the deuill hath a great num ber of seruauntes in England.
The almighty god graunt vsus grace to liue so here in thys worlde, and to apply our busines in such wise, that he maye be glorifyed amongest vsus: so that we maye finallye come to that felicity which he hath prepared for vsus.
Amen.