Twenty-Seven Sermons, Sermons 2 · Sermon 3
¶ The third Sermon of master Latymers. Ephes. 6. cap.
DE caetero Fratres, confortamini in Domino, & in potentia virtutis eius, induite vos armaturam Dei, My bretherne be strong in the Lorde, and thorough the power of his myghte, put on all the armour of GOD, that ye maye stande agaynst all the assaultes of the deuyll. For wee wrastle not against blood and fleshe, but against rule, against power, againstPaule …. keth … of goddes people. worldly rulers. Saint Paule that elect instrumente of God, taketh muster of gods warriors: and … christen people to warre, telleth them plainely that they must beIob. 7. warriors, as it is written in the boke of Iob: Militia est vita hominis super terram, The life of a man or womā is nothing ells but a warfare, it is nothing but a continuall battailyng & warring. Not very long agoe I entreated of a pilgremage I told you at yt tyme of yt very godly & gostly pilgremage, & such a pilgremage, which all saints whilst they were in this world walked: they went al to yt pilgremage: but it is a …, an vneasy way to walke: but we must nedes go it, there is no remedie, either we must go that peinful pilgremage, or els neuer go to heauen: for we may not go frō … to … and pleasure, but from sorow and miserie to …: weVVe may not looke for ioye here and hense to. may not looke to hauehave here good cheere, and yonder euerlalasting life: for we may not looke for ioy and ioly cheere at bothe sydes. We hauehave no such promise of Christ our sauior: he promised vntounto vsus that we should be sufferers here in this world, and than in the world to come we shal hauehave life euerlasting: therfore lett vsus be content, for though it be a harde …, yet there shal be a good end of it. Like as whan a mā goeth a great iourney, and laboreth very sore, but in the endA similitude. he cometh to good chere, than all his labour is forgotten. So we shall come at the end to that … whiche no … hath sene, no eares hathe heard, nor hart perceiued, whiche God hath prepared for his elect.
Now here in this epistle S. Paule telleth vsus of a certayne …: he taketh mustre, not only of the Ephesiās, to whō this epistle is written, but also of vsus which be christians: for all that is required of them is required of vsus. The first pointThe … of a …. that pertaineth to this warfare is to be strong and bardye: & this is a cōmandement, as who say, you that be christiās that be baptised in his name, that loke to be saued thorow Christ, I cōmand you be strong, ye may not be weaklynges: for ye must fight hard, there is neither man nor woman but they must fyght, they must come to that battaile, and we may not be weaklings, because we hauehave a strong …: nowe he that hath a strong and mighty enemie, ought not to be weak and fearfull. For if he be, he shalbe soone ouercome and vā quished. Therfore saint Paule woulde hauehave vsus strong, that we may be able to fight against that fearefull enemie the deuill. But for all that saint Paule wold not hauehave vsus to stand to our owne strength, to think to vanquish this mighty enemie by our owne power or might: No not so, for when weVVe must not trust in our … strength. put oure hope in our owne strength, we shal soone …, he shall hauehave the victorie by and by: we shall put oure hope truste and confidence in god, and truste thorow Christ our sauior to ouercome this ennemie. We maye not doo as one Aiax did, whom his father sendeth foorth with a company of men to warfare, geuyng him good and holsom lessens and instructions that he should put his hope and trust in god at all times, then he should hauehave lucke: Aiax … and sayd vntounto his father, It is not a great matter to get the victorie with the helpe of god, yea the fearefullest and weakest man can get the victorie whan god helpeth hym: But I wil gett the victorie with my owne strength: without the helpeThe … of Aiax. of god, I am able to fight: such … spake this …. But we shall not doo so, as he dydde, … in our owne strength: for whan we doo, we shall come to short, we shal lose the victorie, to our eternall destruction. …. … saith: … in domino, Be strong in the Lord: we … be strong by a borowed strength: for we of our owne … are to weake and feble: Therfore lette vsus learne … … strēgth ….shall … our strength, namely from aboue: for we … it not of our owne selues. Nowe he sayeth: Put on all the … of God: you know that whā a man goth to warre, and is harnessed all …, except at … place: If his enemy … this bare place, he woundeth hym as soone as though he had no harnesse at all: therfore S. Paule cōmanded vsus, that… must … no … of … our we shall hauehave the whole …, nothyng …: for we may not go with pieces, hauing one thyng, and lackyng the other. For whan we be wounded we shal do but … good after. Wherfore doth S. Paule require such strength & suchThe cause vvhy … Paul … vsus to be … and …. weapons, & teacheth vsus to fight? Answer: to yt end that we may … & pull downe yt deuill, yt we may striue against hym, lest peraduenture he ouercome vsus and bring vsus in danger of our soules: for ye know, in battail as long as a mā stā deth he is well, he hath hope to escape: but as soone as he is down, then he is in ieopardy of his lyfe. So likewise as long as we stand and fight against the diuell, we are wel, but whā we fall then we are in danger, lest he get the victory ouer vsus therfore he would hauehave vsus to stand agaynste the assaultes of the diuell. Now you must consider what maner an enemy he is that fighteth against vsus: and first consider his power: scripture saith Non est potestas, there is no power in earth, whicheIob. 41. may be compared vntounto hys power. Nowe that stronge felow is gods enemy and oures, therfore …. Paule biddeth vsus to be strong & armed round about: but to do on our own harneis, that we may not: but we must do on the armour of god:It must be gods armour that we muste put on. which he hath apointed for vsus: therfore we must not learn of the deuill to fight, he shall not teache vsus to battail: for it were like as whan we would fight against the Scottes, and hadde none other harneis, but as they apointed vntounto vsus. No doute yf we were in that case, they woulde appoint suche weaponsVVe may not take such weapons as the deuill vvill appoint vsus. for vsus, that they might get the victory, and geue vsus an ouerthrowe. So whan we shoulde fyghte against the diuel, and had none other weapons, but as he appointed vntounto vsus. No doute he would soone geue vsus an ouerthrow: for he woulde appoint weapons wherwith we could not ouercome him and withstand his power.
Further the diligence of the deuyll is expressed and declavnto1. Peter. 5. vsus by the mouth of S. Peter whiche saieth: he goeth about lyke a roryng lyon, seeking whom he may deuoure: he vseth al craftes and deceytes, he compasseth the matter hitherThe deuill … matters. and thither: tyl at the length he bringeth his matters to passefor he is no sluggard, no sleeper nor negligēt: but he applieth his matte rs and businesses to the vttermost. Now that he is suttle, it appeareth in holy scripture. for so it is written: SerpensGene. 3. erat calidior caeteris animahbus, the serpent was wiser then the other beastes were. Here apeared his wyttes, suttelThe … hath had … ties and craftes, ouer that he hath had a great and long tyme to exercyse hymself withall, he hath had fyue thousande fyue hundred and. …. yeres, such a long tyme he hath had to exercyse hym selfe withall. Theriore it is not in vaine that saint Paule would hauehave vsus to be hartie and strong, and fight with a good courage. This diuell was ones an angell in heauen, & for pride he was cast down: for he went about to exalt hymDiuelles vvere Angels. selfe aboue GOD, therfore he was pulled downe, and all his companie with hym, al the angels that toke his part, and so he fell with a great numbre: they fell down from heauen, and here they be in the ayre: yet they be inuisible vntounto vsus, because they be spirites: but for all that they bee amongest vsus, and aboute vsus, to let vsus of good thynges, and to moue vsus to naughtynesse: I am not able to tell howe many thousand be here amongest vsus now in this chambre: and no doubte some were busy to keepe some men away from the hearyng of the woord of God: for their nature is eyther to kepe men away from hearyng of Gods word, so that they shall not heare atNote what the deuils nature is. all: or els at the least waye, they occupie mens heades with other busynes: so that they shall here it without profit. Now whan he bringeth the matter to passe according to his mind: then he reioyseth wonderfully with his cōpanie. So that the writers say, that if … could see them, we shold … thē to hoppe and dance vponupon our heads for gladnes, because theyDiuels re … whē they do … hauehave done vntounto vsus a mischief. We see them not, they be … as I tolde you before, but no dout here they be for our exercise: for it were a smalle thyng to beleue well, if there were nothyng mouyng to the contrary. Therfore it is so ordeined of God that we should hauehave warre, yea and nothyng but warre, a standyng warre, and not only for men, but also… men and … must fight. for women: for the women must battell and fyght with this horrible enemie as well as men. And he is stronger than we be, whan we be alone, so that we shall not bee able to gyue him an ouerthrowe. But whan Christ is with vsus, than hee can doo nothyng at all, because Christ hathe vanquished his power and myght: therfore his impotencie appered in the. …. of Mathew, whan our sauior came in the region of the Gergesites,Math. …. The deuils pow … is … ed. there came two men vntounto hym possessed of the deuil, and they cried and said, Iesu thou sonne of Dauid, wherfore art thou come before the tyme to afflict vsus: wher it appereth that they tremble and are fearfull when Christe is present. therfore they saye: Cur venisti ante tempus? Wherfore … thou come before thy tyme? the deuilles knowe that they bee … and that they muste goe to hel: yet they that be here hauehave not yet appointed vntothem their places, & though … hauehave the paynes with them, yet they hauehave it not so fully and perfectly as they shal hauehave at the last day. And their greatestThe diuil les hauehave not their full … tes before the last day. ioy and comforte is to do vsus harme: for they know that they be fallen for …, so that they shal neuer attayne to that … which they hauehave had. And agayne they knowe that we shall come thither, and therfore they enuye god and vsus: but their … appeareth, for they take it for a … to be …: It is a greate griefe vntounto them, yet they are not able to striue agaynst the commaundement of Christ. Therfore we nede not to feare them sith Christ is with vsus, they are weakeVVe nede not to feare the diuels. enemies, whan we put on our armes which S. Paule describeth here: for all the deuilles in hell or in earth are not able to fight against one of those that hath these armours: for ye see he dare not disobey Christ, commaundyng hym to goe out of the man. Now whan he perceiued that he could do no more harme vntounto the man, than he desyred Christ to let hym go into the swyne: where appeareth partely his … that he could not goe without Christes permission: partelye his mischeuous mynd apeareth, for whā he seeth that he can do vsus no harme in our bodies, then he goeth aboute to hurte vsus in our goods.
But whan we hauehave Christ with vsus, he is not able to hurtVVhat it is to hauehave Christ vvith vsus. vsus neither of our soules, bodies, or goods: that is whē we becue in Christ. For to hauehave Christ wt vsus, is nothyng els but to beleue and trust in hym, to seke ayde and help by hym, againstMath 28 our enemy the deuyll. Therfore Christ sayth to al his saithfull, to all those that beleue in hym, Ego sum vobiscum …; ad consūmationem …, I am with you tyll to the end of the world, to … you, to helpe you, to … you, and to here your prayers whan ye cal vponupon me: therfore thoughe we cannot withstād this enemy by our own power, yet with Christes helpe we shall chase him and put hym backe, make hym ashamed of his enterprise and purpose.
Non est … lucta cum carne & sangnine, we hauehave not to fight with bloud and flesh. Here the Anabaptistes make veryAnabapti stes mis. take this place. much … intendyng to proue by these wordes of Saint Paule, that no Christian man maye fighte or goe to warrefare. Neither maye there bee anye magestrates (saye they) whiche shoulde shedde bloude, and punishe the wycked for his wyckednes. But these fond felowes are muche deceiued in theyr owne wyttes. for saint Paules mynde is cleane contrary vntounto their saings, S. Paule teacheth here, how al christian people must fight, but not so that one shold fight with another: but he speaketh here of a singular fight, we may not fighte one with another: thoughe my neighboure doeth me wrong, yet I may not fight with hym, and auenge my selfe vppon hym: for god saith, … vindictam & ego retribuam, let me hauehave the vengeance and I will reward it, and no dout God wyll rewarde the wicked for his wickednes, either by hym self, or els by the …. Some there be that be punished by the magistrates for their …: and again ther be some which escape hanging in this worlde: yet for all that God punisheth them, either with sicknes, or elles other wayes. But ye muste knowe that there is a priuate vengeance, and a publique: the priuate vengeance is, when a man goeth about to auenge hymselfe vponupon his neighbour, whichThe priuate … is …. thynge is inhibited here by these words of S. Paule, Non est nobis lucta cum … & sanguine, we hauehave not to fight with flesh and bloud, but there is a publike vengeance that is the magistrates: the magistrates ought to fight and to punishe when he … cause, he may and ought to stryke malefactors with the sword, for S. Paule sayth: est ministri dei ad vindictam, the magistrate is a minister of god to punish.The lord …. Itē, in an other place scripture saith iustus … & …, the lord is … & he loueth iustice: therfore yt foolish … ar much deceiued: for this place taketh not away al … of fightings, but only yt priuate fighting, but yt magi strate may draw his sword and strike: & certeuly eueryevery … Cases …and ruler, eueryevery king may defend his realme, chase & put by the inuadours. Again yt … ar bound in … to fight whāsoeuer thei be required of their king & lord, and … yt mā yt so fighteth being laufully called …, he … god, he is gods seruāt: but aboue al things yt magistrates, the Kyng must see that his quarell be good and laufull, before he procede to shedde christian blood. For they beare gods sworde, not to do harme, but good, to punishe and strike the wicked, and defend the good. Therfore as I sayde before, the Anabaptists can not proue by that scripture, that there shall be no magistrates nor bettelynges: or that magistrates may not drawe their swordes against those that trespasse. But subiects may not of their owne priuate … take yt sword, or rebel against their king: for whan they rebelThe sub … may not rebel they serue the diuell: for they hauehave no commission of God so to do, but of theyrowne heade they rise againste God, that is, against the kyng, to whome they … obedience, and so worthily be punished. Therfore good christen people beware of rebellyng against your soueraigne lorde the Kynge: but whan there be rebels or inuaders, & ye be called of the kyng to withstand them, go with a good will and conscience: and be well assured, that it is gods seruice in withstanding the rebelles or the kynges enemies: and no doubt he that resuseth at such a tyme to serue the kyng, or cls is slowe in seruyng, that curse shal lyghten vpō hym, ȳ god theatnethby his holy prophet Ieremy, saying: Male dictus qui facit opus Iere, 48…, & maledictus qui gladium suum abstinet VVho so refuseth to … some case is a … of god.à sanguine, Cursed bee he that doothe the woorke of the Lorde negligently, and cursed be he that kept his sworde frō bloodshedyng. And no doubt that man that dieth so in sightyng against the kyngs enemie, he dyeth in gods seruice, in gods quarell. But yet I wolde not hauehave men to call theym selues, or come withoute callyng: I would hauehave theim to … tyll they be …: for when they be called, they be authoused, they hauehave a vocation of God to goe. But against rule, against power, against worldly rulers: with these names S. Paule describeth the deuyll, signifyeng vntounto vsus his myght and power when god … and … him. And than he is subtile, therfore he saith that we must fyght agaynst the spirituall craftinesse, which craftines … all the craftynesse: he is … and redy to all mischiese, his … is wonderfull, his … is vnspeakable.The diuel …
In …, in the element, we rede in scripture that the soules are called Volucres caeli, the soules of the heauen, thatPsalm. …. is in the partes of the ayre, here amongest vsus. So the diuell is here amongest vsus in the middest parte of the aire, redy … to moue vsus against god: whensoeuer he can espye his time, heThe deuill loseth no time. spareth not, he loseth no tyme. As for an …, when the … perceiue … to be giuen to swearing and cursing: … euer minister matiers vntounto hym, to … hym in his cursing, & to pricke him forward: … they perceiue one to be ge uen to proudenes, they euer moue his heart to go forward in yt same: whē they see or … any man gruē to carding or vicing, or to lcchery, or to other maner of wickednes: he sleepeth not, he is euer redy at hād: for he hath a thousād wais to hurt vsus, and so bring vsus to mischief: in so much yt we are not able to stande against him, when we hauehave not gods … where with we may strike him. Therfore s. Paule saith, that we must fight against rulers, he describeth vntounto vsus the great power that the diuel hath: for what is mightier then rulersTo vvhat end saint Paule geueth such names to the diuell. and potentates be? therfore to the entent that we might perceiue his mighty power he named him by that name, to that ende to make vsus carnest to put on the armours, and take the weapons which god hath appointed for vsus: els we shal soone hauehave an ouerthrow: if we will take such weapons as the deuill shall apoint vsus, as he hath done in times past. For whatThe weapons that the deuill vsus vse. hauehave vsus vse. a trust and confidence hauehave we had in holy water, and holye bread: Item in ringing of holy belles, and such foolertes: but it was good sporte for the diuell: he could laughe and be metye at our foolishnes: yea, and order the matter so, to kepe vsus in the same errour. For we read in stories, that at somtimes the diuel went away from some men, because of the holy wa ter, as though that holy water had such strength and powerThe sutteltie of the deuill. that he could not abide it. O crafty deuil: he went away, not for seare of the holy water, but because he would mayntaine men in errour and foolishnes. And no doute it was the deuils teaching, the vsing of this holye water. It was not long ago, sence I being with one of my neighbours that was sick, there came in an old woman: And when she saw the mā soreA good me … for a sicke man. sick, she asked whether there were no holy water to be gotten? see here the foolishnes of the people, whiche amiddes in the light of gods most holy word, will folow such phantasies & delusions of the deuill: ye know whan there was a storm or a feareful wether, thā we ring yt holy belsthey were they that must make all thynges well: they must dryueThe rin ging of ho … belles. away the deuill. But I tell you, if the holy belles wold serue against the deuyll (or that he myghte be put away thoroughe theyr sound: no doute we would soone banish him oute of all England. For I thynke yf all the belles in England should bee rongen together at a certayne houre, I thynke there would be almoste no place, but some belles might be hearde there. And so the diuel should hauehave no abyding place in Eng land, yf ringing of belles would serue: but it is not that that wyll serue against the diuell: yet we hauehave beleued such fooleries in tymes past, but it was but mockyng: it was the teachyngThe deuill taught vsus … ho ly belles. of the deuill. And no dout we were in a miserable case whan we learned of the deuyll to fight against the deuyll. And how much are we bound to God, that he hath deliueres vsus from these grosse ignorances, and hath taught vsus how we should fight and preuaile agaynst this enemie. Yet it is a … thing to se that there be som amongest vsus, which woldVVe desire … more then the vvorde of god An history. faine hauehave the old foolries again: they are awery of the word of God, they can not away with it: they woulde rather hauehave hauehave their crossynges, and settyng vp of candles, and suche foolries then the woord of God. I was ones called to one of my …: it was at that tyme whan I had taken degree at Cambridge, and was made master of art, I was called (I say) to one of my kynsfolke, which was very sicke, and died immediatly after my comming. Now there was an old cousyn of myne, which after the man was dead gaue me a waxe candle in my hand, and cōmaunded me to make certain crosses ouer him that was dead: for she thought the deuill should runne away by and by. Now I toke the candell, but I could not crosse him as she would hauehave me to doo, for I had neuer seene it afore. Now she perceiuyng that I coulde not doo it,It vvas pi … La … had gone so lōg to sehole. with a greate anger tooke the candell out of my hande, sayeng: It is pitie that thy father spendeth so much money vppon thee, and so the tooke the candle, and crossed and blessed him, so that he was sure inough. No doubt she thought that the deuill could hauehave no power against him. This & such like things wer nothing but illusions of yt deuil: yet for al that we put our trust so in them, yt we thought we could not be saued without such thyngs. But now let vsus geue god most heartie thankes, that he hath deliuered vsus from such snares and illusions of the deuyl: & let vsus endruor our sclues most earnestly to heare gods most holy word & to liue after it. Nowe to the armors, here is the armor of gods … for man & womā.
When a man shall goe to battaile, commonly he hathe a great girdle with an aporne of maile goyng vponupon his knees, than he hath a brest plate: than for the nether parte be hathe high shoen: and than he must hauehave a bucklar to keepe of his enemies strokes: than he muste hauehave a salette wherewith his head may be saued: And finally he must hauehave a swoorde to fight withall, and to hurt his ennemy. These are the weaponsThe partes of armour and …. that cōmonly men vse whan they go to warre: of suche … S. Paul wold hauehave vsus to be prepared. Therfore whoso euer wil go to this spiritual war, & fight against yt deuyll, he must hauehave such wepōs, truth, iustice, redy to here gods word faith, saluation in gods word. They yt be armed in such wiseIob vvas … armed yt deuill can nothyng do against them. As it appered in the holy man Hiob, whome the deuyll coulde not tempt further than he had leaue of God. Wherby we gather, that whā we stande to gods armour, we shall be able to quenche the assaultes of this old serpent the deuil. Now the first point of this armor is truth & veritie: from which truth the deuill is fallen, he and all his com-pany. For it is writē, in veritate non stetit, he abode not in the truth. He was in the truth, but he fel from it, he remained not in it: for with lieng & … Vvith lying … deuil deceiued man.he deceiued our grādmother Eue whā he desired hec to eate of yt forbidden fruit: affirmyng & most surely promising vntounto her (… hec husband Adam) that they shold be gods after they had eaten of the apple, … was a fals lie. Therfore it is writtē of him, Mendax est, & … rei pater, He is a liar, and a father of yt same. O that all liars wold cōsider what an horrible thing it is in yt face of god to tell false tales, they hauehaveThe deuil is father … lyers. cause to be wery of theyr estate: for the beuil is their father, and they be his children. Truly it is an yil fauored thing to be the chylde of the deuil: for the deuil … an yll rewarde to his children, euerlastyng perdition is their inheritāce, whi ehe they shal hauehave of their father, Cum mendacium … ex … loquitur, when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of hisMany sore sentences …. own, for he himself is nothing els but falshod. Othere be ma ny sore sentences in scripture against lyers, and fals tale tellers. … saith, perdes omnes quiloquūtur mendatiū, thou … destroy al them that speake lyes. Therfore S. Paule exhorteth vsus to this truth, to leaue lyes and falshode. he saith Deposito … veritatem loquimini …; cum proximo…. 4. suo, Set asyde all lyes, and speake the truthe euerye one with his neighbour. I pray god we may learne this lesson of S. Paule, and fold we it, and practise it: for no doute we vse full of lyes. Consider and examine all estates, and ye shall fynde all their doinges furnished with lyes: Go fyrst to men of occupations, consider their liues and conuersations, there is in a maner nothyng with thē but lying. Go to men of authority, go to lawiers, you shall synde stuffe inough: For it is sene now a dayes that children learne pretelye of their parentes to lye: for the parentes are not ashamed to lye in presenceAll estates are full of lyeng. of their children. The … man or merchaunte man teachech his prentise to lye, & to vtter his wares with lying & forswearing. In summa, there is almost nothing … vsus but lies, & therfore parents & masters are in great danger of eternal …, for they care not howe they bring vp they & youth in godlines or other wayes: they care not for it. TherforeNote this … ye … thers. I erhort you in gods behalf, consider the matter, ye parents: … not your children … lye or teil …: when ye here one of your … to … a lye, … him vp & geue him …. …. good …, & tel him yt it is nought: & when he maketh an other lye. geue him …. …. stripes, and I am sure when you serue him so, he wil leaue … it is a commō sayeng: Vex …, … geueth vnderstanding.… make children leaue lying But we see now a dais yt parents … whā their … cā make a prety lie: they say, he will be a prety witty felow he cā make a prety lie: so much is ye word of god regarded amōgest vsus. So likewise prentises can doe nothing but lye: and the… master … man. better he canne lye, the more is ve regarded of his …, and the more acceptable, and therfore there was neuer suche false bode as there is nowe: for the youth is so brought vp in lyes and falsehod: For we se daily what falshod is abroade, how eueryevery man deceiueth his neighbor: There wyl no writing serue now adays, eueryevery man worketh craftily with his neighbor. In the olde tyme there were some folkes not ashamed to preache in the open pulpit vntounto the people, how long a man should lye in purgatorie. Now to defende their lyes, they sayd it was doon to a good purpose, to make the people afraide to beware of synne and wyckednes. But what saieth God by the prophcte, Nunquid eget dominus mendatio, vtGod … not our lyes. pro illo loquamini mendacium? Hathe the Lorde neede of lyes, that ye will go and make lyes in his name: You maye perceiue now how necessaris a thing it is to be in the truthe, to be vpright in our dealyngs. For S. Paul requireth truth not only in iudgements, that iudges shal iudge accordyng to cquitie and conscicuce, but also he requireth that we be trueGod requireth all to be … in the …. con. uersations. in all our conuersations and doyngs, wordes and dedes. And so Christ him selfe required the same of vsus in the. v. of Math. Sit sermo vester est est, non non, let your sayings be yea yea, no no: he saith two times yea yea, to signifie vntounto vsus, thatMath. 5. it shalbe with vsus so, that whan we say yea with our tongue,vvhy Christ saide yea yea, nay nay. than it shalbe in the heart yea too. Agayne whan we say No with our tongue, that the heart be so to: therfore he saith two tymes yea yea, no no: to signifie that the hearte and mouthe shall go together. And therfore it appeareth that we be in a pitifull case, farre from that that god wold hauehave vsus to be. For there be som that be so vsed to lyes, that they can do nothing els. And as the common sayeng is, A lie is the better whanA prouerb to true. it cometh in their mouth. Well, I will shew you an ensample, which shalbe inough to feare vsus from lyeng. In the primitiue… al liers … this storie. church, whan there was but few which beleued: and amongst them there was a great meny of poore people: therfore they that were rich vsed to sell their goods, and brought the money to the apostles, to that ende that the poore might bee relieued. There was some that did such thynges sunply and vprightly with a good heart. Now there was a certaine… as a car. nal … man called Anamas, and his wife called Saphira, they were christians, but they sought nothyng but worldly thinges, as some of vsus do now adayes: they thought it should be a worldVVould to god this … not prouedtrue in a great number of vsus. ly kingdome: as there be many gospellers now adayes, whiche seeke nothyng by the gospel, but their owne gaynes and preferments. Now this man with his wife, seeyng other sell their goods, thought they would get a good name too: they went and solde their landes, yet they were asrayd to brynge all the money to the Apostles, mistrustyng left this religion should not indure long: therfore they thought it wisdome to kepe som what in store, when necessity shold require. Wel,Kepe some vvhat for a fonle day they go and bryng a parte of the money to Peter: and the other parte they kept for themselues, … to Peter that it was the whole money. Now Peter hauing knowledge by the holy ghost of this falsehode, said vntounto him when he cāme with the money: Cur Satan impleuit cor tuum vt mentireris spiritui sancto, How chaūced it that the diuel hath filled thy heart, that thou shouldest lye vntounto the holy ghost? was it not thy owne good? And thou commest and sayest it is all, whan it was but a parte. Non hominibus, thou hast not lyed vntounto men, but vntounto god. What foloweth? … hearyng thatA … example for lyers to … hede …. by and by fell doune and died out of hande: so that S. Peter killed him with his wordes. After that his wife came & tolde the same tale, and receiued lyke reward for her lys. Now I pray you who hath such a flynty and stony hearte that wyll not be afrayde to make lyes? But what meaneth it that god punisheth not lyes so openly now as he did than? Aunswere, That god punisheth not lyes now, he dothe not because he hath a delite in lyes, more at this tyme thē he had at the same tyme, for he is an immutable vnchangeable god. He taryethThe cause why … nis … not lyars … as he did in Anadias. and punisheth not by and by, because he woulde hauehave vsus to repent and leaue oure wickednes, lyes and falsehode: yf we wyll not repente, then he will come one daye and make an ende with vsus, and reward vsus according vntounto our deseruing. And this is commōly our nature, that when we hauehave made one lye, we must make twenty other to defende that one.
This is nowe the … armour that we shoulde hauehave, namelye trueth. S. Augustyne wryteth verye terriblye of lyinges, and agaynste those that vse lying. There be some that make a dcfēce betwene a gesting lye and an earnest lye:A gesting lye maked. v; to for. sake god. But I tell you, it is good to abstayne from theim bothe, for god is the truthe, whenne we forsake the truthe we for sake God. Now the seconde weapon is to be Juste, to giuegive euerye man that which we owe vntounto hym: to the kyng that whithe pertameth vntounto hym, to oure landelordes what we oweA great … keth that nothing is so euill pēt as that the person or curate … vntounto theym, to oure curate or person, what pertaineth vntounto him: and though the curate be vnlearned and not able to doe his duetye, yet we may not withdrawe front hym of priuate authoritye that thynge which is apointed vntounto hym by common authoritye. No not so, we oughte to lette hym hauehave his duetye, but when he is naught or vnapt to be in the place of a curate, than we may complayne to the ordinary and desireVVe may not requit … vvrong. a better for hym. So likewise beetwene maried folkes, there shalbe iustice, that is to saye, they shall do their dueties, the man shall louelove his wife, shall honour her, shall not bee rigorous, but admonishe her louingly: Agayne the wyse shalbee obedient louyng and kynde towardes her husband, not prouokyng him to anger, with yll and naughtye wordes. FurtherIustice bi. deth …. … es to d. their dutie: one to an other. the parents ought to do iustice towardes theyr children, to bring them vppe in godlines and vcrtue, to correcte them when they do naught: likewise the children ought to be obedient vntounto their parents, and he willing to do according vntounto their commaundement. Item the maisters oughte to doo Justice vntounto theyr seruauntes, to let them hauehave their meate and drinke, and theyr wages: agayne the seruaunt ought to be … in their maisters busines, to do them truely, not to be eye seruantes. Likewise the subiectes ought to be obedient to their king and magistrate: agayne the kynge ought to do iustice, to see that iustice hauehave place: Finally one neigh boure oughte to hauehave Justice with another: that is, to geue hym, what pertayneth vntounto hym: not to deceiue hym in anye thynge, but to louelove him, and to make muche of hym: when we do so, thenare we sure we hauehave the seconde part of this armour of GOD: …, we muste bee shoed, we must hauehave shoen, that is to saye, we … bee redy to heare gods holy word, we must hauehave good affectiōs to heareThe thirde arm ouris … shoes that is a … dines to heare the vvorde of god. gods worde, and we must be redye to make prouision for the furtheraunce of the preachynge of gods holy worde, as farre forthe as we be able to do. Now all these that hauehave suche lustes and desyres to gods worde. Item all those that are content to maynetayne the office of preachyng, to fynde scholers to schole, all these hauehave their battailyng shoen, which Saint Paule required of them.
Now whan we be shoed, we must hauehave a bucklar, that is fayth, and this must be a right faith, a faith accordyng vntountoThe buck ler of … goddes worde: for the Turkes hauehave theyr fayth, so lyke wise the Iewes hauehave theyr faythe. Item the false Christians hauehave theyr fayth, but they hauehave not the right fayth, not that faythe of which Saincte Paule speaketh here, but they hauehave … men dacé, a false faith, a deceiuable faith, for it is not grounded in gods word: therfore the right saith cā not be gottē except by goddes worde. And the worde worketh not, hath noVVho they bee that hauehave this buckler. commodities, excepte it be taken with faythe. Now we may trye our selues whether we hauehave this faythe or not, yf we lye in synne and wickednes, care not for gods worde and his holye commaundements, but lyue onelyonly accordyng to our lustes & appetites, thā we hauē ot this faith: whā we be slouthful, whā we be whoremōgers, swearers or vumerciful vntounto the poore, thē we hauehave not this faith, as lōg as we be in such … sinnes, but if we heare gods word, beleue & be … to liue after it, leaue our sinnes & …, thā we hauehave that fayth of which S. Paule speaketh here, then we shalbee able to quenche the fyery arrowes of the deuyll. So yehaue hearde what the armour of god is, namelye truthe, Iustice, readines to heare gods worde, and faith: but this fayth must not be onelyonly in our mouth, in our tongue, but it must bee in oure handes: that is to say, we muste not onelye talke of the gospell, but also we must folowe it in our conuersations and ….
Now than we must hauehave a helmet, a salet, that is saluatiō,The hel met of …. whatsoeuer we do we must consider, whether it may further or let vsus of our saluation, when it may let thee of thy saluation leaue it, whē it may further thee, thē do it, so throughout … our lyues we must hauehave a respect whether oure doynges may stande with our saluation or not.
Whan we are now redy and armed rounde about, so that our enemy can not hurte vsus, than we must hauehave a sworde in our handes to … withall, and to ouercome our ghostly ene my. what maner of sworde is this? Mary it is gods worde, it is a spirituall sword, which all people oughte to hauehave. Here ye here that all men and women ought to hauehave that sworde, that is the worde of god, wherwith they may fight agaynste the deuill. Now I pray you, how could the lay people hauehaveVVe may not lack this sword that sworde, how could they fyghte with the deuyll, when al thynges were in Latine, so that they coulde not vnderstand it? Therfore how needefull it is for eueryevery man to hauehave gods words, it appeareth here: for only with the worde of God we must fight against the deuyll, which deuyll entendeth dayly to do vsus mischief: how could now the vnlerned fight against him, whan all thyngs were in latine, so that they might not come to the vnderstandyng of gods worde. Therfore let vsusOnly gods worde is our weapō against the deuil. geue god most harty thankes that we hauehave gods worde, and let vsus thankfully vse the same: for only with gods word, we shall auoyde and chase the diuel and with nothyng els. Our Sauioure when he was tempted, what were his weapons wherewith he foughte, nothyng els but goddes word.
Whan the deuill tempted him, he euer sayeth: Scriptum est it is written: whan the deuyll would hauehave hym to caste hym selfe doune from the temple, he saide vntounto hym: Scriptum estChrist ouer came the with this …. non … dominum Deum tuum, It is written: Thou shalte not tempt thy lorde god, that is to say, we may not put god to do that thing miraculously when it may be done other wayes. Agayn, vponupon the mountaine whan the deuyll wold hauehave hym to worship him, he said Scriptum est, It is writen, thou shalt honor thy god onelyonly. So lykewise we muste hauehave gods worde to fyghte with the deuill: and to withstande his temptations and assaultes: as when the deuyll moueth me to commit adultery I must fight against him with the word of god: Scriptum est, it is written, thou shalt not … adultery: Thou deuill thou shalt not be able to bring me vntounto it, to do against my lorde God. So likewise when the deuil moueth me to make lyes, I must confoūd him with godsSay the truth and shame the … word. S. Paule saith: Veritaté loquimini …; cum proximo suo, speake the truth eueryevery one with his neighbour: as there is a common saying amongest vsus, Say the … and shame the diuel, so eueryevery one, man & woman must fighte agaynst the dyuel. But we …, we hauehave a greater and higher degree, we are magistrates, we hauehave the spirituall sworde of god, in a higher degree then the common people: we must rebuke other men, and spare no man: our office is to teach eueryevery man the way to heauen. And whosoeuer wyll not folow, but liueth stil in sinne and …: him ought we to stryke & not to spare: like as Iohn Baptist did whē he said, to the great and proude king …, non licet tibi, Sir it becōmeth not thee to do so. So we preachers must vse gods… preacher hath … to strike … sworde of gods vvord word to yt correctiō of other … sins: we may not be flatterers or clawbackes; other people yt hauehave not this vocatiō may exhort eueryevery one his neighbour, to leaue sinnes: but we hauehave the sword, we are auctorised to stryke them with gods word.
Now the last part of this armour is prayer, and I warrant you, it is not left out: for it is the christen mans special weapon, wherwith to stryke the deuil, & vanquishe his assautes: and if we be weake and feele our selues not able to withstād our enemy, we must fall to prayer, which is a sure remedye, to … god to help for his own sake, and for Christes sake, for his promise sake: for he were not god yf he shold not kepe his promises therfore Christ cōmaundeth vsus to pray alwais when we hauehave nede, and no dout there is neuera tyme but we hauehave …, eyther for oure selues, or els for oure neighbours: therfore to pray we hauehave nede and we shal ouercome the deuill with faithful prayer. For prayer is the principall weapon, wherwith we must fight against the diuel. I spakePrayer is the … of faithful praier: for in times paste we toke bibling babling for …, whā it was nothing lesse: and therfore …. Paul addoth … in spirit. We must pray in spirit with a penitēt …: for there is no mā that hath an yl conscience that doth pray in spirit: he yt is a whoremōger or a swearer, a carder or …. a dronkard or suche like, that …, his praier hathe no … as long as he is in purpose of sinne, he can not pray … can not pray thē he is vnarmed, he hath not these wea pons of which s. Paul speaketh here: but he yt hath a penitent heart, is cōtent to leaue his sinnes & wickednes, that same is he whose praiers shal be heard. And whan we praye we mayThe mynd must pray if vve shalbe heard. not do it waueringly or rashly wout consideratiō, our mouth speaking, & the heart being occupied with other matters, we may not do so: we must pray with great earnest & feruētnes. At the last … he hath set out the properties of praiers, thē he saith for al saints. Here ye may cōsider that whē we know not scripture how blynd we be, & hauehave ben in times past. For we thought only those to be saints & holy, that be gone out … this world, but it is not so: al they that beleue in our sauiour Christ, that cal vponupon his name, and looke to be saued by him,Al … are saints. those same be gods saints. Al faithful Christs people that beleue in him, are saints and holy.
Now when he hath done and set oute all his mynde, at the last he commeth and desireth them to praye for him: but forSaint Paul did not hūt for benefices. what? Not to get a fat benefice or a bishoprike. No no, saint Paule was not a hunter of benefices: He saith, praye that I may hauehave vtterance and boldnes to speake. And this was requisite to his office: for though a preacher be wel learned, but yet lacketh that boldenes, is faint hearted, truely he shall doe but litle good for all his learning: when he feareth men more then god, he is nothyng to be regarded. Therfore this is the thyng that S. Paule so muche desireth, to hauehave boldenes to speake: for when a prechers mouth is stopped so that he dareA faint … ted souldiour is not mete … be a preachers not rebuke synne and wickednes, no doute he is not meete for this office. Now like as saint Paule required the Ephesi ans to pray for him that he may hauehave vtterance, for this was most necessary for his office: So let eueryevery one pray vntounto god & desyre other to pray for hym, that he may doe the workes of hys vocation. As for an ensaumple when he is a maryed man, lette hym praye vntounto God that he maye louelove his wife, cherishe her, honour her, and beare with her insirmities.All estates hauehave … to …. So lykewise let all faithful seruantes call vponupon God, that maye doe the duetye of theyr vocation. So lykewyse lette magistrates bee … in prayer: For no doute they hauehave neede, for they hauehave a greate charge committed vntounto theym of God, therfore they hauehave the more nede of the help of god: yea let eueryevery good subiect praye vntounto God for the magistrates, that they may doo their dueties accordyng vntounto goddes will and cōmandement. And no doute thys is a good prayer, whan one faithfull man prayeth for thother: such prayer shal not be in vaine, God will heare it, and graunte suche faithfullPrayer is no …. prayers. There bee many menne in the worlde whiche thynke that prayer is a will worke, so that they may doo it, or omitte it: but it is not so, they be much deceyued. For it is as necessarie for me whan I am in tribulation to call vppon God, and I ought to doo it as well vnderunder the payne of damnation, as well as I am bound to kepe any of his commandementes. By the vertue of this commaundemente, Thou shalt not steale, I may not take awai other mens goods. So by this commandement, Thou shalt not cōmyt adulterie, I may not defile an other mans wife. So by the vertu of this commandement, lnuoca me in die tribulationis, Call vponupon me in the tyme of trouble, I oughte and am bounde vnderunderIt is damnable not to pray vato God in trouble. the paine of damnation to resort vntounto god, to call vponupon him, to seke aide and helpe by him, at his hands. For this as well gods commaundement as thother is: Therfore I desyre you moste earnestly, set not lyght by prayer: remembre that it is the commandement of god. And again it is the onelyonly staye, Vltimam refugium, the onelyonly helpe to come to god, and desire his helpe in Christes name. for by praier Peter beyng in pri son was deliuered. Lyke wise Moyses by the … of his prayer went through the redde sea, he and all his people. So was Ezechias the kyng delyuered from his sicknesse, by hisAl this god granted for his … sake. prayer. Item Elias the prophete stopped the raine a longe …, and than by praiers hee broughte raine againe: It I should go thorow all the stories, which shew vsus the efficacie of prayers, I should neuer hauehave done: for no dout faithfull prayer faileth neuer: it hath euer remedied all matters. For it brought to passe that whan god would destroye the Israelites, he coulde not because of Moses prayers: Moses letted god of his purpose. And no dout god loueth to be letted: for god loueth not to punishe or destroy the people, and therfore by a prophete God complained that there was founde not a good man, qui … se tanquam murus, which might sette hymself lyke as a stronge walle before the people: yt is to say, which wer so ernest in praier, that God could not punish the people. Now ye hauehave heard how that prayer is a …. We shall in eueryevery distresse praye vntounto God, saieng: Lord God thou art merciful, thou knowest my weakenes, which hast promised to help: therfore for thy sonnes sake, for thy mercies sake, for thy goodnes sake, for thy … sake, helpe me and delyuer me out of my distresse, forgiue me my synnes. Surely whosoeuer prayeth so instantly, he shall beeVVe must pray at all times. heard: but oporret semper orare, we must praye at al tymes, without intermission, when we goe to bed, when we ryse in the morning, when we go about our busynes, or when we are one horse back, euer praye: for a shorte praier is able toLuke. 18. bryng a greate thing to passe, as it appered in the publican,A shorte … is of great … which sayd only, Propitius esto mihi peccatori, Lord be … vntounto me a synner. Therfore Christ saieth: Vigilate & orate ne intretis in …, watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation, that is, lest you be ouercome … it.
Now remember what I hauehave sayd vntounto you, cōsyder what … ennemye we hauehave, what power he hathe, what experience and practise. Agayne howe weake he is when Christe is with vsus: Remember the armour, trueth, iustice, louelove to the heryng of gods word, faith, saluation: euer consider whether your doinges be to the let of your saluation or not. Remember the sworde, though ye hauehave it not in so highe a degree asPre … may strike Emperours and …. we hauehave it, which may strike kinges and Emperours: whan they … the word of god, as it appered in Elia … stroke the kyng Achab. I rem, Iohn Baptist stroke that stardye king Herode: If they hadde bene fainte hearted they should not hauehave done so. But specially I would hauehave you to remember praier, whan ye be in any anguishe and trouble, and can not tell how to relieue your selues, runne to God. Nowe they that shall and wytll regarde that armour of god taught vsus by the apostle S. Paule, the deuill no doute shall not preuayle agaynste theym. Therefore yf we woulde … on this armour we shoulde come to suche a practise of it, that … be … at vsus, ye and … he commeth he shall soone be cast of and auoyded. The almighty god which ruleth heauen and earth with his infinite power geue vsus suche strength to vanquish the deuil, and all hys might.
Amen.