Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 2 · Sermon 2
The seconde Sermon of Maister Latymers. Math. 5.
VIdens autem Iesus turbas ascendit in montem & cum …. &c. When Jesus saw the people he went vp into a mountaine, and whan he was sette downe, his disciples came vntounto him, and he opened his mouthe, and taughte them saying: Blessed are the poore in spirite.
Derely beloued in our sauiour Christ, I hauehave to tel you at this present tyme of a certaine pylgrimage, which maye bee called the christen mans pylgrimage: but ye shall not thinke that I wyl speke of the popish pilgrimage, whiche we were wont to vse in times past: in running hither & thither to M. John Shorne, or to our lady of …. No no, I wil not speak of such …, but I wil speake of such a pylgri mage, which our sauiour Christ himself taughte vsus, beyng here present wt vsus, with his owne mouth. Therfore whosoeuer wil come to the eternal … must go that pilgrimage, els he shal neuer attaine thervnto. Cum vidisset autem ….… When he saw the people. It apeared by thend of the 4. of Math. that our sauiour had walked thoroughout all Galilee: & had don many miracles: so that the same of him wēt tho roughout al the …: And there gathered a great nūber of people together to here him: he seyng the people how hungry they were, conueied himselfe into a … place: & his disciples came vntounto him, and he taught …, but not only yt disciples but also the whole people. For Luke saith: docebat audiēte populo, he preached yt people hering it. … & turba admirabitur … doctrina illi, and yt people meruailed because of his doctrine: how could they maruel if they had not heard it. So it appeareth that Christe made his sermon not onelye to his disciples, but also to the whole people, yet speciallye he taught his disciples, to that end that they might teach afterwardes to others, for he taught them such doctrin whiche he would hauehave taught al the whole worlde, therfore he so diligently taughte them for though he made many sermons, yet these. ii. sermons, the one in Mathew, and the other in John ought to be regarded moste aboue all others: for they conteyne… ser. mōs vvher in is contei ned the summe of a christians life. the summe of a christian mans lyfe. Nowe our sauiour seyng them so hungry, what dothe he? The Euangelist saith: A peruit os suum, he opened his mouth and taught them: Oure sauiour dyd not onelyonly sende out his apostles … preache and teache the people, but also he opened his owne mouth, and taught the people his owne selfe. Which acte of our sautor, is to the reproch of our lordly prelates: which in a maner disdaine to preache theym selues, in their owne persons, but they thynke it to be ynough to hauehave one or two pertainyng vntounto them, whiche preache in … drioces, they them selues beyng occupied in worldly busynesse: our Sauiour dyd not so, he opened his owne mouthe, and taughte the people. Certainly this ensample of our Sauiour ought… prela tes be not … than …. better to be considered of our prelates than it is: for they be not better than Christ was. Christ hath sent them, and giuē vntounto them a Commission to preache: wherfore disdain they than to open their mouth, and teache the people? seing that our sauiour hym self taught: how will they be excused … they shall make accompt for their doynges? What shall be their reward for their slouthfulnesse? No doubt euerlasting damnation hangeth ouer their heades.
Nowe our sauiour openyng his mouthe, what taught he them? Mary he taught them a pilgremage, the christen mās pilgremage: And this is a good and true pilgremage that heChrist teacheth men to … on …. mage. taught, for this pilgremage standeth not in runnyng hither and thither: No no, this is a right pilgremage, but there is strange geare in it … such geare, that yf I should say it of my owne head, you would not beleue me, you wold saye I lye: for it agreeth not with oure mother witte, we can not compasse this geare with our naturall wit: therfore we must consider who speaketh it, and so captiuate oure reason and witte, to the wisedom of God. Now Christ the eternall son of God, he teacheth vsus this pilgremage: Of which god the father him selfe saythe: Hic est … meus dilectus, in quo mihi bene complacitum est, ipsum audite: This is my well beloued sonne, in whome I am pleased, heare hym. Seyng than that the almightye god commaunded vsus to heare hym,VVe must not lightly regarde … doctrine. we ought not to regarde his doctrine litle, to esteeme and value it for nothyng: but most highly esteme it as the vnfallible worde of god. Now what saith he? Beati … spititu quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum, Blessed be the poore in the spirite, for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen. &c. I entend to be very short, els I could not hauehave time to go thorow all thynges that partayne to thys pilgremage. This is a pilgremageA pilgremage of …, dayes …, or. …. miles. of viii. myles or of. viii. dayes iournies, al thinges that partayne vntounto it are comprehended in viii. pointes. Our sauiour sayth, Beati pauperis, Blessed be the poore, this is contrarye to oure reason: for who would thynke pouertye to be a blessednes: who is that wold not rather be ryche than poore? to be riche is a blessednes in our eies, to be poore is an vnhappines in our myndes: but we must subdue our iudgementes. We esteme it to be a cursednes to be poore: wel, our sautour sayeth Blessed are the poore: Luke hath no more but these wordes, Mathew addeth Spiritu in yt spirit. These viii.To saye that po. … is a blessednes, is a paradox. miles, or dais …, may be called Paradoxa that is to say, …, incredible, & vnbeleuable sayinges: for if Christ had not spoken it hymself, who should hauehave beleued it? for we see dayly before our eyes, what a miserable thyng is pouerty therfore oure nature is euer giuen to auoide pouerty, and to come to ryches. But Christ saith, Beati pauperes, Blessed bee the poore in spirit, for the kingdom of heauen is theirs.
The kyngdome of heauen is taken sometymes for the … The king dome of heauen ta ken for the office of preaching.… of preaching, as when he compared the kingdom of heauen to a net that catched good & bad fyshes, there he meaneth the office of preachyng: somtimes it is taken for eternal …, which Christ our sauiour merited for vsus. When John Baptist sendeth his disciples vntounto Christe to aske him whether he be Christe or not, he tolde them what miracles he hadThe pore be … to heare the worde of God. done, and amongest other thinges he said, Pauperes … the poore heare the gospel, meanyng that the poore be more wylling to heare the gospel: they take more pain in hea ring gods worde then the ryche doe, for the riche commonlye leste regarde the gospel. Looke thoroughout al England, and pou shall fynde it so. Lykewise he sayeth by the Prophete, …, Euangelizandum pauperibus misit me, He hathe sente me is preache the Gospell vntounto the poore, because the poore hath more pleasure in it: the riche men cōmonly regard it for nothing: therfore it is a wonderful thing that such terrible thinges are written of rich men, and yet we seke al to be riche, & cal them blessed & happy that be so. But ye herd vponupon sondayIt is met … that men be so desirous to be rich last was, howe that these riche fermers made their excuses: they would not come to the banquet which God had prepared for them, because their richesse dyd lette them: therefor rychesse are called … in scripture. As for an ensample: There be two wais to a town, the one is playn and straight, thother is full of thornes. Nowe he that … the plain way shall sooner come to his … ende, than be that goeth theA good similitude and mere to be mar ked. thorny way: So it is more easyer without ryches to come to hauen than with riches: but our nature is so corrupt that we euer desire that thing that may do vsus harme. I wyll not say but men may hauehave riches, & many good men hauehave had greatMarke this you riche men richesse, yet riches must be had cum tremore, with feare: for it is a dangerous thing to hauehave them: they be but burthens, they that hauehave them be but … and … ouer the, they must make accompte for them. And therefore aboue all thynges ryche men must hauehave in … memorie this scripture: … si affluant nolite cor apponere, Whan riches come vponupon you, set not your hartes vponupon them: vse them to such ende as God hath appointed: with your copie helpe theThe ende vvhy … is ge uen to me … of the poore miserable people: and this is our … to do. For he that hath riches and helpeth not the pore withall, but layeth them vp for him self: he is a thefe before god,There be theues that get their good des … though he do come rightly and … by his goodes: for he doth not his …: he withdraweth that from the poore that … vntounto them, for god requireth of the riche to releue and helpe the poore with his richesse: when he nowe dooth it not, the writers call him a thefe. Here ye se what a burthen it is to hauehave riches, therfore let vsus not be so gredy ouer them: and when we hauehave them, … vsus remembre that we bee butwhat sort of poore be blessed gods stuardes and … of his treasures.
You must mark here, that our … whan he saith, Blessed …: he … not the friers pouertie, that same wilfull pouertie: but if you be come to pouertie for confessing of Christ, than thou art blessed. Againe, I am a ryche man, the fire cometh & taketh away my riches. As Job was a rich man, but what hapned? his enemy came & toke away altogither: so we may this day be rich, and to morow we may be beggers: for the riches be chāccable vntounto vsus, but not vntounto god: for God knoweth whā & to whō he wil geue thē or take them away again. Now whan I come to … by chāce, so that god sendeth pouertie vntounto me: thā I am blessed whā I take pouertie wel without grndging. And therfore he added Spirita, in spirite, yt is, to take it in good part with a faithful …, knowing that god sendeth yt same vntounto …: so that whā we come to … by suche chaunces, or by persecutions, so that I … not awaye my goodes wilfully as the …) which was a leauing of riches deuised by their own min des: but els he that dothe his busines accordyng vntounto his …, and than god … him with pouertie, let him take it with ioy and gladnes: for these blessings which Christ promisedHow pouerty is a blelsing and how not. vntounto vsus here in this gospel, shall light vponupon him, therfore take it so, that pouertie is a blessyng whan she is taken with a faithfull hert, … in dede it is to no purpose, except it procede out of faith. Be not egre therfore to hauehave riches, and when ye hauehave them, that god sendeth them, set not to muche by them. For Christ saith: it is hard for a rich man to come to heauen, speaking of those which set their herts vponupon riches:Hovv rich men are … which men in dede be very idolaters: for they put their hope trust and … in them, so that what so euer shal happē, they thynke they wil escape hauyng money, & so they make money their god, which is a most wicked and abhominable thing in the sight of yt Lord. For god wold hauehave vsus to hang vponupon hym, to trust in hym, be we poore or riche: If we be riche, we shuld not set our hearts vponupon riches: if we be poore we should comfort our selues with this Scripture, Non est inopia timentibus cum They that feare hym shal not lacke.
Now the seconde myle or days iorney in this pilgremageThe … dais … or mile. is this: Beati qui logent, quoniam ipsi consolabuntur, Blessed are thei that mourne, for they shal hauehave comfort. we after our reason esteme thē happy yt can make mery in this world; but our sauiour contrarywise pronounceth them blessed that mourne and wepe in this worlde. We seeke all to be in that case that we might laughe and be mery, for we thinke that to be a great blessednes: but our sauiour pronounceth them blessed that …. And therfore scripture saith, Melius est ire ad domum …, quam ad …, It is better to goe to the mournyng house, than to the house of banquetting: for be that goeth to sicke folkes, it shalbee a good …, it shall make hym to consider the fragilitie and weakenes of mankynde, and so styrre hym vppe to make redye, and not to set much by this world. S. Paule speaketh of two manner of sorowfulnes, the one is worldly, yt other is ghostly, the world lye sorowfulnes is withoute faithe: as the wicked … they weepe they are sorowfull: yet this comfort of which ChristeVVhit mourning it is that maketh blessed. here speaketh is not promised vntounto them. … wepte whau Iacob begiled him, but his weping was without faith. Trulye happye are those that hauehave muche occasion to weepe and …: for Vexatio dat intellectum, vexation and trouble maketh vsus to know ourselfes, and techeth vsus to leaue sinne and wickednes. There be many which be in great …, shut out of their houses, or in syckenes, or other trouble: they shall comfort themselues with this blessyng, which Christ our sauiour promised vntounto them, namely they shalbe sure that they shall hauehave comfort, and … of their miseries, for he will not suffer them to be further tempted then they shalbee able to beare: and then in the ende they shall hauehave euerlasting cō fort. It is a notable answer that Abraham maketh to the richman, when he lay in hellish fyre, My sonne (saith he) … bona in vita, … hast receiued thy good dayes in thy lyfes tyme, now thou shalt be punished: But Lazarus hathe had miseries, and calamities: and therefore he shall bee comfortedVVe must go frome sorovve to ioy, and not from one … to an other. now. So we must learne to be contente to goe from weping to laughyng, from sorowe … felicity: but we … first suffer here, we may not go from the one felicity to the other: therfore s. Hierome saieth, that he is a delicate … that wyll not suffer sometymes miseries and calamities. Therfore let vsus be content with it, let vsus beare them with a saithfull heart, elswe shall not attaine to this comforte, for the miseries that the godlesse hauehave, operantur …, they worke their owne destruction, and cuerlastyng perdition: sor they can not beare them as they ought to doe: they murmureThe … of …. and crye out agaynste god: but the godly whan he is in miseries he taketh greate profite by it, for miseries dryue hym to leaue synne and wickednes: and to repent for that which he hathe … agaynste god. Here you maye perceiue nowe that they that wyll hauehave comforte muste goe to that pylgrimage, they must taste miseries, and so at the ende they shall hauehave euerlastyng comforte.
The thirde mile or dayes iourney is this. Beati mites … The third mile or dais iourney.niam inheritabunt terram, Blessed be the … for they shal inherite the land. This meekenes is such a thing yt whosoeuer hath her, can be quiet in al thinges: … that hath her wyl not auenge hymselfe. But ye must know there bee two maner… maner of …, the one lauful and the other …. of …. There is a priuate vengeance, & there is a publique vengeance, the publique vengeaunce is allowed of God: the priuate is forbidden, for god sayeth to eueryevery … man, Mihi vindictam ego …, Let me hauehave the vengeaunce, and I wyll rewarde it. Whan anye man dothe me wronge, I shall or may not auenge me, nor yet desyre in my hearte to be auenged vponupon hym, I beyng a priuate man and not a …. But there is a publike vengeaunce, that is the magistrates, they must see that wrong doers be punished, and rewarded accordyng to their misbehaueouis. But I maye not auenge my selfe. For I am blessed when my good is taken from me wrongfully, and I take it well. For Christ sayeth in …, they shall inherite the lande, he that for goddes sake leaueth hys lande, or his gooddes: he shall inherite the lande: so he shall with leuyng the lande inherite the lande: but what shall I doe when my good is taken from me? Aunswere, goe to goddes promises, whyche are … accipiet, he shall receiue it agayn hundrethVVe must goo to god …. folde. The publike vengeauuce is committed vntounto the magistrates, God … vntounto … to punishe the transgressoures: and again the … or … ought so obey, and to suffer the punishment which the magistrates shal lay vponupon him: for so it is written, … malum … pull. Thou shalt take awaye the yll from amongest the people. So ye heare how that we maye not auenge oure selues when anye man doeth vsus wrong: yet for al that, this taketh not away the liberty of the vse of the law. for a christian man maye go to the law, and seke remedy, yet we must take hede that we go not to auenge oure selues vppon our neighbour, with a vengeable hearte: nor yet should we not go with a … hearte, to gette ought … our neighbour: elles it is lauful to vse the law whā it is done with a charitable heart.A … man may go to the law but how? As it is laufull for me beyng sick to go to the phisicion without breach of my fayth to godward: but yf I should go to the phisition in … of God, then this goyng were a wicked goyng. So I say, when we wil go to the law, we muste beware that it be done charitably, not with a vengeable mynd: for whosoeuer … to be auenged he shall not be blessed of god. Agayne whosoeuer suffreth wronge at hys neighbours hande, and taketh it willyngly, he shalbe blessed of god.
An ensample we hauehave in Ioseph: his brethren solde hymThe … ple of … seph to be folowed of vsus. and handled him most cruelly and tyrannously, what did he? he toke it wyllyngly without any reuengement: what dyd god? Mary he fulfilled his promise, inheritabunt terram, they shall inherite the lande. Therfore he made him lorde ouer al Egipt, this did god, and so he wyll do vntounto vsus: but our heart is so poysoned with the poison of malice, that we thynke we shoulde be vndone, when we should not auenge our selues, but they that hauehave the spirite of god, and to whom these blessynges pertayne, they … charitable, and yet vse the law when necessitie shall … so, but they wyll doe it wyth a godlye mynde.
…, they shall inherite the lande: some … the lande for eternall lyfe, but it maye bee vnderstanded of thys … to: for they that be pacient and beare and suffer, God wyll rewarde them here in this world and yonder to. Now ye hauehave hearde what we shall hauehave when we be meeke spirited: let vsus therfore set aside all stubburnes, al vengeance hatred and malice, one against another: so that we may obtainThe …. mile or …. that land which Christ promised vsus. Beati qui … & … unt … quoniam …, Blessed bee they that hungre & thurst after rightuousnes, for they shalbe …. These wordes be … diuersty: it may be … so,Blessed be they that hunger and thurst that is to say, that hauehave so great desyre to rightuousnes, as a hungry man hath to his meate and drynke. Some … it of the iustice of the soule: for the faithfull be euer hungry, they euer thynke they be not well, they be … behind the hande: and so do not yt hypocrites, for they hauehave opera supererogationis … hauehave… hauehave … sell. so much that they are able to sell vntounto other men to: & brynge them to heauen: But I will … these wordes so. They that hunger, … they that … wrong: for when a man suffereth wrong and …, he hungreth and thirsteth to hauehave iustice, to come to his right: for it is a common saying, amongestThis sense … to …, and i ther fore …. the people The law is ended as the … is frended. Now he that is so iniured and wronged and hath a godlye hunger and thurst to rightuousnes, he shalbe satisfied in this world, and in the worlde to come he shal hauehave … life. Ensamples we hauehave in scripture. Ioseph whan he was solde to … that great man, he was a fayre young …: now his … Potiphars wife, seyng his beauty, … her louelove vponupon hym, in so much that he could be no where but she came after him: but Iosephe … God … her, and would not committe with her the filthye acte of …. What foloweth, she wente by and by and made an oute crye & accused hym, as thoughe he would hauehave … her. So at the length Ioseph was cast into prison, where he hungerd & thurst after rightuousnes, after …,yt is he was desiroꝰ… gred … righteous …. to hauehave his right: yet for al yt he toke ye mater wel & godly, he sought not for vengeance: we in our own folishnes & mother wittes esteeme them blessed, that can … the matter so, that the law may go with them, that they may hauehave theouer …: they are called blessed which … the swinge, which are not exercised with trouble. I remember I red once a … of a… bisshop. bishop which came to a rich mans house, where he had good …, and the goodman in the house she wed hym all his ryches and prosperities, his goodly wife & his faire children: in …: they lacked nothing at all, he himselfe hadde … bene sicke: the … hearyng that, thought in hys mynde no doute god is not here: and so commaunded his seruaunte to make redy the horses, and by and by wente … way. when he came a little far of from the house, he sendeth his mā back again to fetch a booke, which was forgotten behynde. when the seruant came the house was sunke. So we see that worldly prosperity maketh vsus to forget god, and in the ende to bee …. … that holy man when he serued Laban his vn cle and father in lawe, what wronges had he? how vniustelye delte Laban with him? No dout he had great hunger and thurste after rightuousnes: therfore God satisfied hys appetite, for he blessed hym, and enriched hym wonderfullye, againste… thir … after …. … mynde. There be few of suche seruauntes now a dayes as … was: and though he had a wicked maister, yet he serued hym …: I woulde wishe all seruauntes would follow the ensample of …. This I speake to make you patient in tribulation, and to … vp in you a hunger and thurst after rightuousnes: you heare howe … was blessed in bearyng godly the … which that foolish woman did vntounto him.
Dauid also … what good … dydde he vntounto kyngeDauid hū. … nes. Saule? yet Saule wente aboute to destroye hym, thynke ye not Dauid … and thirsted after rightuousenes? … he dydde, yet he might hauehave … himselfe, but he wold not: for he had this … of which Christ our … speaketh here, And so consequently … the land accordyng vntounto his promise.
Beati … quoniam ipsi …,The … mile or dais iour ney. Blessed be the mercifull for they shall obtayne mercye. I wyll not tarye longe herein, you knowe whyche bee the workes of mercye. I was hungry sayeth Christe, I was naked. Mathew 25. There is a ghostely mercy: whiche is, to admonish them that bee in erroures: to brynge theym to the righte waye. Item to forgeue them that doe me wronge, this is a mercye, and a needefull mercye: and therefore they that wylbee cruell here, so that they wyll not forgeue vntounto theyr neyghboures theyr faultes, lette theym not looke… must be merciful for … at Goddes …. For we muste bee mercyfull, louynge, and comfortable towardes our neighbour whan we will obtain mercy at gods hands. But this semeth now as though malefactors ought not to be put to death, because god requireth mercye. Syr you muste vnderstand that god requireth priuate mercye, so that priuate men one shall forgeue vntounto the other: but it is an other matter with the magistrates, the kyng and all other magistrates are goddes officers, they must do accordyng as god requireth them to do. he saith: Auferes … medio populi, nec mise reberis ei, thou shalt take away, thou shalte roote out the yll, (them that bee malefactours) from amongest the people: and shewe not mercyMagistrats may not … mercy in iudge ment. vntounto them. Here were a place to intreat of ministring of iustice, if the audience were thereafter: how iustices of peace and other magistrates ought not to be bolsterers and … with wickednes, but punish the malefactours accordyng to their deserts: Vae qui iustificatis impium, wo be vntounto you that iustifye the wicked: to iustifye the wicked, is not to punishe the …: Et qui iustificat impium & que … iustum amAlesson for iustices. … abominabiles coram domino, he that iustifieth the wycked, and he that condemneth the iuste, they are bothe wicked and abhominable before the lord. So that magistrates ought to punish sinne and wyckednes, but priuate men, one ought to shew mercy vntounto another: that is, he ought to forgeue … any man hathe done him harme: and so he shall hauehave mercy at gods hande.
… mundi corde quoniam ipse videbunt deum, Blessed be the cleane of heart: for they shall see god. By these words we may perceiue that we shall not looke to see god, to see ourThe sixt mile ordais iourney. felicity, whan we be impure of hearte. We can not come to that inspeakable ioy and felicity which god hath prepared for his, except we be cleane in our hearts: therfore Dauid know yng that lesson, saith vntounto god: Cor mundum crea in me deus. O god make cleane my hearte within me. But ye wyll aske howe shall our heartes be purified and cleansed. Aunswer, Fide purificantur corda, thorough faithe the heartes ofFaithe puri … the heart. menne muste be cleansed. They that heare God des woorde and beleue that same to be true, and lyue after it, theyr heartes shalbee purified, and so they shall see GOD.
There be two manner of seeyng of GOD: as longe as we bee here, we muste see hym by saythe, in beleuynge inGod is sene here by … this … face to face hym: … we shall see hym face to face howe … is, therfore … here, and see there. And so it appeareth, that he that wyll not heare goddes word, and beleue the same, that hys hearte … be …, he shal not see god.
Beati … quoniam ipse … Dei vocabuntur, Blessed be the peacemakers, for they shalbe called the chyldren ofThe …. God. Here is an other iourney. There is a law in …. where god sayeth: Non erit susurro nec … in popu …. There shall not bee a slaunderer or whisperer amongest you whiche are my people. But I tell you thys lawe is not kepte: for there bee a greate number of those whyche … wyth theyr tongues, as thoughe they woulde … into a mans bosome, but behynde hys backe or before other… be …. men they betraye hym, they lye vppon hym and doc all they canne to bryng hym out of estimation: these whisperess bee peacebreakers, and not peacemakers: for the … his … to passe thorough suche fellowes, there be many suche in Englande whiche tell false tales of others, to promote … withall: these be the … of the diuell, and no doute the … many children in the worlde. I wyll shewe you an …: There was one … The history of … the ….…, a seruaunte of Saule the kynge, he was … pastorum, the maister ouer his …. Whan Dauid flyeng from Saule, came to the … very hungrye…. Reg. 22 and werye, and therfore desyred some …, the … hauyng none other …: but … propositionis the holye bread: of that he gaue Dauid, and after that he gaue him the sworde of Gohath, whome Dauid hadde kylled before. Now thys Doeg beynge there at that tyme, what doeth he? lyke a … or … goeth to Saule the kynge and tolde hym, … the … had refreshed Dauid in hys iourney, and … geuen vntounto hym the … of …: Saule hearyng that, beynge in a greate fury, sente for all the priestes and theyr wyfes and theyr chyldren and … them all. Thys Doeg nowe that … was not a peace maker,Doeg was a peacebreaker. but a peace breaker: and therefore not a … of GOD, but of the diuell. I coulde … you of … other …, of other whisperers, for I hauehave knowen some in my tyme: but all suche are the chyldren of the …, they are not Goddes …: for Christe our … called those Goddes chyldren, that are peacemakers, not them that cutte … throate. Seeyng nowe that it is so good a thynge to be a peacemaker: … all them that be … themselues to be peacemakers: let the … shewA … … to be peacemakers, when they … of contentions and … betwene their tenants: send for them & here theyr …, and make hym that is faultye to bee …, and so let them be peacemakers: but there be some gentlemen in England, which thinke themselues borne to nothyng … but to hauehave good cheere in thys worlde: … go a haukynge and huntyng: I would wishe they woulde … them selues rather to bee peacemakers, to counsayle and healpeA … for al …. poore men, and when they heare of any discord to be betwene neighbours and neighbours to set them together at …: this shoulde bee rather theyr exercise than banquettyng and spending the tyme in vayne: But they wyll …, it is a great payne and labour to meddle in matters, to be a peacemaker. Syr you muste consider that it is a greate matter to bee a chylde of God: And therfore we ought to be contente to take paynes to be peacemakers, that we may be the chyldren of god. But in matters of religion we must take heede that we hauehave such a peace which may stande with god and his word: for it is better to hauehave no peace at all, then to hauehave it wyth the losse of gods worde. In the tyme of the sixe articles therePeace in po … not the right peace. was a Bishop whiche euer cryed vnity, vnity: but he would hauehave a … vnitie. Saint Paule to the … sayeth: … vnanimes, … of one mynde: but he addeth Secundum … Christum, accordyng to … Christe, that is, accordyng to gods holy word, els it were better warre than peace: we oughte neuer regard vnity so much that we wold or should forsake gods worde for her sake: when we were in … we agreed wel, because we were in the kingdom of the diuell, we were in blyndnes. In Turky we heare not of any discention amongest …, for religions sake. The … now … hauehave no …, because they be in blyndenesse. Whan the rebelles were vp in Norffolke and Deuonshire, they agreed all, there was no dissencion: but their peace was not Secundum … Christum, accordynge to Iesus Christ. Therfore S. … hath a … saying:Be not de … by the faire … of peace, Speciosum quidem nomen est pacis & pulchra opinio vnitatis. sed … eam solam … Ecclesiae pacem esse quae Christi est, It is a goodly word peace, and a faire thing Unitie: but who doutes but this to be the onelyonly ryght peace of the churche, which peace is after Christ, accordyng to his wordes? Therfore let vsus set by vnitie, lette vsus be geuen to louelove and charitie: but so that it maye stande with godlines. For peace oughte not to be redeemed iactura veritatis, withVVe may not lose truth for peace. losse of the truthe: that we wold seke peace so much, that we should lose the truthe of Gods worde. Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter …, Blessed be they that sufferThe eight … iourney. persecution for rightuousnes sake: for theirs is the kyngdom of heauen. This is the last iourney, whan we be demanded of our faith, and examined, and afterwarde be forced to beleue as they wyl, whan we come to that poynte: Blessed are we whan we suffre rather all extremities than forsake the truth, yea we shall esteme it to be a great blessednes whā we … in suche trouble. And not onelyonly this, but who … suffreth any thing for any maner of rightuousnes sake: blessedA questmō ger may be happy. is he, the questmonger doyng vprightly his duetie in dischargyng of his conscience: now he shal hauehave displeasure, happy is he: and he shall hauehave his rewarde of God.
Beati cum maledixerint vobis homines & dice. Blessed are ye whan men speake yll of you. … merces vestra multa est. &c. Be merie, because your reward is great in heauen. Nowe ye hauehave heard whiche is the way to heauen, what maner a pylgremage we must goe: Namely first by spirituall pouertie, by hunger and thirst after rightuousnes,An itineral vvherin the way to hea uen is set forth plain …. by mekenes and lenitie, by wepyng and waylyng, by pitie and mercyfulnes. Item we muste hauehave a cleane hert: Item we must be peace makers: Item we muste suffre tribulation and affliction. Than shall the ende bee, Merces vestra … multa in coelis, your rewarde shal be great in heauen. Merces, this woorde soundeth as though we shoulde merite somwhat by our owne woorkes: for reward and merite are correspondent, one foloweth the other: whan I hauehave merited, than I ought to hauehave my reward. But we shall not thynke so: for ye must vnderstande, that all our workes are imperfect: we can not doo them so perfectely as the lawe requireth, because of our fleshe which euer letteth vsus. Wherfore is the kyngdome of god called than a rewarde? because it is merited by Christ: for as touchyng our saluation and eternallChrist hath merited for vsus. lyfe, it must be merited, but not by our owne workes, but onelyonly by the merites of our … Christ. Therfore beleue in hym, trust in him: it is he that merited heauen for vsus: yet for all that eueryevery man shall be rewarded for his good workes in euerlastyng lyfe: but not with euerlastyng lyfe. For it is written, Vita aeterna donum Dei, The euerlasting lyfe is a gift of god. Therfore we shuld not esteme our workes so perfect as though we should or coulde merite heauen by them: yet god hath such pleasures in suche workes which we doo with a faithfull heart: that he promiseth to rewarde thē in euerlasting lyfe. Now to make an end, I desire you in gods behalfe, remēbre this pilgremage which I hauehave taught you, set not lyght by it: for it is our sauiors owne doctrine, he with his owne mouth taught vsus this pilgremage: whan we will now folowe hym, and doo accordyng as he teacheth vsus, than all these blessyngs, of which mencion is made, shal lyght vponupon vsus: and in the ende we shall obteyne euerlasting life. which graunt both you and me, God the father through his onelyonly sonne our sauior Iesus Christe.
Amen.