A Christmas Banket, Part 2
¶ The seconde dysshe.
YOur second dysshe is cōtayned in that same chap. wher in the fyrst is recited. Therfore deuoure this wt no lesse gredy appetyte than ye hauehave done y• other. For this dysshe is much delicious & very wholsome forthe vertuous preseruaciō of the soule. I now brynge it for the vntounto you. Beholde here it is.Gene. iii. I wyll sette ennemyt… betwene the & an womā, betwene thy seed & her seed, & that selfe seed shall tread downe thy heade. Nowe dothe this fauour in your mouth?
THEO.
Very pleasaūtly forsoth: but we do not perceyue what it meneth.
PHIL.
Heare therfore: These were the wordes of God the father to the serpent whan by his craft & sut…elty he had made Adā to offende, & in thē is comprehended an whole See of treasures. For they declare both oure free delyueraunce from captiuite, & also the victory ouer Satan and all his army. When Satan had thought yt he had gottē the ouerhand of man, and brought him into the same case wherinto he was throwen for his to much arrogancy & pryde, thynking by this menes to deceiue God of his purpose, which had made man for to supply ye nōber of Aungelles, which perysshed when Lucifer fel from heuen: God wyllyng to shewe himselfe of no lesse puissaunce to saue mā thorowe his mercy, than Satā was to condēne hym thorowe his crafte, pytied streyght way the miserable fall of mā, & afterwarde spake these confortable wordes to the great cōfusion of Satan, & the excedyng consolacion of man. I wyl set enimite betwene the & an womā, betwene thy seed and her seed, that selfe seed shall treade downe thy head.The womā: Thys woman is the mooste blessed and pure virgyn Mary, which was here promysed to brynge forth yt seed, whiche should tread downe Satans heade.The see… This seed is Iesus christ which toke s…e…sh vnfaynedly of that moost pure virgyn, & became man for our sake. And he it is, which was promised of God the father to treade downe the heade of the Serpent.
THEO.
I per…eyue that by the serpente ye meane Satan.The tredī … downe of y• Serpentes head, But what is mente by the treadyng downe of his head.
PHIL.
The destruccion of his power. For ye these strēgth & power of a serpent cō systeth ī his head. Though his tayle or body be stryken or woūded, he forceth not much. For he wyl put them both in perrel for the safegard of his head, but yf his head be once striken or wosided, thā loseth he his power, than dyeth he shortelye. Therfore is Christe promysed here, not to tread downe the tayle or bodye of the serpent, but his head, wherby is sygnified the destruccion of his whole power. So that nowe Satan shall neuer more triūph agaynst Gods electe Do ye nowe perceyue this matter?
EVSE.
Yea forsoth.
CHRI.
I neuer hearde so muche before.
PHIL.
Well, nowe beholde the great & excedynge mercye of God toward you, that ye maye learne that to be true, whiche God speaketh by his Prophet Ose:…e. xiii. Thy destruccion, oh Israell, cōmeth of it selfe, but thy saluacion cōmeth only of me. Ye hauehave heard that Adā synned, & that thorowe his synne all we were dā …ed.
THEO.
I remēber it well.Gen…. iii.
PHIL.
The scripture testifieth y• so sone as Adam had offēded, he hyd hymselfe, & fled from the face of god, he was so gretly ashamed of y• synne that he had cōmytted.The misery of Adā. For after his offence he came not to GOD as he ought to hauehave done, neyther sought he grace & remission of his synne at the goodnes of God, by cōfessing his synne with a faythfull repentaunto herte, but streyghtway after y• trā … gressiō of ye precept he fled from God & hyd himselfe frō y• face of god, & as they vse to saye, putte his head in a busshe lyke a cowarde for feare? Oh where are the powers of free wyl, y… man be once withoute the spirite of God? Man hath nowe no power to seke for saluacion, but rather continueth styll in his olde wickednes, & seketh to be far from the face of god, couetynge rather to be damned thā he would once approch vntounto y• sighte of God, synne hath so slayne his courage. Satā in him hath so great dominion, yea whan he cōsidereth his wickednesse, he is angrye wt GOD, hateth God, and wyssheth that ther were no God, that he myghte escape vnpunysshed, euen as an enemy of y• publigue weale wyssheth that there were no kynge, no Emperour, no ruler, no gouernor, no magistrate, but all lyke himselfe, that freely & wtout punysshement he myght deforme, ren…e teare, despoyle y• publigue we…e at his owne pleasure.The goodnes o… god Nowe beholde the vnspeakable benygnite of God. When Adam had fled from him, and hyd himselfe, so that he had no hoope of helth, but vtterly despayred of all consolaciō, lokyng for extreme tyrā ny, to be exercysed vponupon him at eueryevery houre accordyng to his desertes. God lyke a mercyfull father sought hī vp, & spake before hī ye swete wordes heretofore rehersed to Satan, yt by this meanes he might receyue cō solaciō, & so be saued by geuyng earnest fayth to that moost confortable promyse. O the vnmesurable goodnes of this celestial father: he is that shepe herde,Luke. xv▪ whiche neuer leaueth sekyng vntyll he hath found the shepe that was loste. He is yt father, which ioyefully receiueth agayne into his house that sonne, whiche prodigally had spente all his substance. He is y• Samaritane,Luke. x. Mat. xxvi. Act. ix. which healeth y• woū ded man. He is that LORDE, whiche maketh of a blasphemer an Apostle, of a ꝓsecutor a preacher. And whēce commeth this his goodnes? of vsus: of our good dedes? of our merites? Naverely, but of his bounteous mercy and great goodness. Frely and with out deserte worketh he this thynge. We are saued by grace thorow faith & that not of our selues,Ephe. ii▪ for it is the gyfte of God, & commeth not of workes, bycause no mā should bost himselfe.Tit. iii. We beīg iustified by his grace are made heyres, accordyng to hope of euerlastyng lyfe. Not for the workes of ryghteousnes which we hauehave done, but accordynge to his mercye hathe he saued vsus.Rom. iii. We are iustyfyed frely by his grace. By grace are we saued, & not by workes. Yf by grace thē not of workes,Rom. xi. or els grace were not grace.Ioan. xv. He dyd chose vsus by hys grace, & not we hym by our workes, as christ wytnesseth, ye hauehave not chosē me,…phe. …. but I hauehave chosē you. Paule also sayth, God did chose vsus in Christ before the foundacions of the world were layd. Hereto pertayneth yt sayeng of the Psalmograph:Psa. lxiiii. Blessed is he o Lord, whome thou haste chosen and taken vntounto the, for he shal dwel in thy inner courtes. That God of his free mercy did chose vsus without our desertes, whan we were synfull & poore wtoute onye goodnes or godlynes, he hymselfe testifyeth by hys Prophet,Esa. x…viii sayeng: I hauehave chosen the in the fyre of pouertie.
EVSE.
So far as I can perceyue nowe, God alone is y• author of our saluacion, & he of his free mercy and aboūdant grace dyd chose vsus to be his heyres,…phe. …. before the foundacions of the worlde were layde.
CHRI.
Yea and that before we wrought ony goodnes, or shewed ony poynte of kyndnes toward hym,
PHIL.
Ye saye trueth. And that ye maye knowe that I wraste not the scriptures, I wil read vntounto you the layeng of S Austen:De ver. … Sc…. xv. He was gyuē sayth he, for our sines, & rose againe for our iustificacion. Thy iustificacion, thy circumsicion is not of thy selfe. By grace are ye saued thorowe sayth, & that not of your selues, but it is the gyfte of God, not of workes vnlesse ꝑaduēture yu wouldest say, I hauehave deserued it, & therfore hauehave I receiued it. Thinke not yt yu dydest receyue it by deseruīg, which couldest not hauehave deserued except yu haddest receiued it. Grace wēt before thi meryte, grace is not of meryte, but me rite of grace For if grace were of merite so haddest yu boght it, & not receiued it frely. Thou shalt saue thē sayeth he, for nothynge: What is this, thou shalt hauehave them for nothinge? Thou fyndest in thē nothyng wherby thou mayst saue them, & yet doste thou saue them. Freely thou gyuest frely thou sauest. Thou goest before all merytes, that thy giftes may o… tayne thy merytes. Vtter…ye doeste thou geue frely, saue frely, which findest nothynge, wherof thou mayeste saue, & fyndest muche wherby thou mayest cōdemne.In p…o. Psa. xxxi. Agayne he sayeth, thou haste done no good, & yet is remission of synnes gyuen vntounto the. Let thy workes be looked vponupon, and they be all foūd euell, Yf god shoulde gyue the ye which is due to thy workes, he shoulde surely condemne the. But God doth not gyue vntounto the yt payne which is due, but giueth the grace, which is not due. Also vponupon this texte,…a …p. a… Roma. to al that are at Rome beloued of God, saynctes by cyllynge: Here also, sayeth he, he sheweth that it is the excedyng mercy of God rather then thy meryte. For he sayeth not, to them that louelove God, but to thē that are loued of God. For he loued vsus fyrst, that we beyng loued shoulde also louelove hym.In …ant. …er. lxvi… ▪ S. Bernarde also sayth: Grace maketh me iustified freely, & lykewyse delyuered from the bondage of synne. Hereto agreeth Fulgētius,Lib. i. a… men…mū. sayenge: God giueth grace to the vnworthy frely wherewt the wicked beynge iustified maye be lyghtened wt the gyfte of good wyl, & with the power of good workyng, that mercy preuentyng and goyng before he maye begyn to wyl good, & mercy subsequent and folowyng, he maye be able to do the good that he wylleth. Thus perceyue you, yt whē ther was nothynge in vsus, wherfore God should louelove vsus, yet he freely loued vsus ▪ chosed vsus by his grace to be his chyldrē,l. Ioan. i… as S. Iohn sayeth: Behold, what a louelove the father hath giuen to vsus, that we should be called ye sonnes of God. Agayne he sayth: In this is louelove, not that we loued God, but that he loued vsus,l. Ioan. … & sent his sōne to make agrement for oure synnes. And a lytle after: We louelove hym, because he fyrst loued vsus.
THEO.
What moued God to be so beneficiall vntounto vsus, seyng we had offēded so greuously, & were than by no meanes able to pacify his wrath wt ony good work?
EVSE.
This woulde I also gladdely knowe.
PHIL.
His owne mere goodnes was the occasion of his louelove toward vsus for his sōne Iesus Christes sake. In hym, by hym, & for hym, is God the father mercyful vntounto vsus, & freely saueth vsus wtout ony respecte of our good workes.Gala. iii. For as s. Paule sayeth: Yf righteousnes came by the lawe, thā dyed Christ in vayne. And God hymselfe sayth by the Prophet I am,Esa…e. xliii I am he, which putteth away thyne ī …iquittes, yea & that for myne owne sake, & wyll remember thy synnes no more. Put me in remēbraūce & let vsus iudged togither: Declare yf thou haste any thynge, that thou mayest he iustified.…ene. iii. And this is it, yt we speke of before, that selfe seed shal tread down thy head. Furthermore God sayde to Abraham:Gene. xxi…. In thy seed shall all naciōs of y• earth be blessed. This seed,Gala. ii…. sayth S. Paule is Christ by whom al are we blessed, that is to saye, receyued into fauour, forgiuen of oure synnes, freelye iustified and made heyres of eternal glory?
CHRI.
Now cōmeth this to passe by Christ I praye you.
PHIL.
Uerely on this wyse, when all we were dampned in Adā, God of his mere mercy and exceadyng grace promised to Adam & his posterite, that ther should be one borne, which should delyuer thē out of theyr seruitude and restore them agayne to grace.G…ne. lii. and. xxii. Deut. xvii…. Exod. xii. and. xvi. Num xx…. This dyd God the father in the olde lawe not only many times promise, but also obsibrate & shadow by dyuers misteries, figures, cloudes and ceremonies that by them ye saythfull might receyue consolaciō. And at the tyme appoynted of GOD the father this mā Iesus Christ came into the world.Esa…e. vii. Roma. i. He was conceyued by the holy ghost, & …orne of the virgyn Mary, accordynge to the holy scriptures: He was begottē of the seed of Dauyd as pertainyng to the flesshe.
THEO.
Yea & that withoute the seed of man.
PHIL.
Ye saye trueth.Luke. …. He receyued very flesshe by y• wonderfull operaciō of g…ds spirite of Mary, the styl remaynyng a pure and cleane virgyne. It was necessarye that he shoulde be borne of a virgyn, in asmuch as the nature of mā is full of carnall concupiscence, & de…yled by Adam, or els coulde not he hauehave ben a pure & sufficient sacrifice before God for vsus. For by nature all we are borne the chyldren of wrath,Ephe. ii. sayth S. Paule. Therfore without the seed of ony man,…e…. ii. iiii. which is corrupted in Adā, was he borne of ye moost pure and vndefyled virgyn Marye, beyng conformable to vsus in all thynges, synne alone except. For our syn was so great, that it could be put a waye neyther by any chylde of Adā nor yet by aungel, but only by such one, as beynge of our fleshe, shoulde be borne without the seed of man, & without ony carnal concupiscence. And for asmuche as this coulde not be brought to passe by anye carnall man, therfore was it necessary that the sonne of god should come downe from the right hande of God the father,…olo. …. and be made very man for our sake, that he beyng both God & man myght by his moost precious bloud pacify god the fathers wrath, & recō cycle vsus agayne to him. God so loued the world,Ioan. …. sayth Christ, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, that eueryevery one that beleueth in hym, maye not perysshe, but hauehave euerlastyng lyfe. For God sent not his sonne into the worlde for to condemne the worlde, but that the worlde should be saued by hym. He that beleueth in him, is not condēned. But he that beleueth not, is alredy condemned, because he hath not beleued on the name of the only begotten sonne of god.Rom. viii. GOD spared not his owne sōne, s…yth S. Paule, but gaue hym for vsus all.
Rom ….Agayne, God setteth out his louelove y• he hath to vsus, seynge that whyle we were yet synners, Christ dyed for vsus much more than now, seyng we are iustified this bloud, shal we be preserue… from wrathe thorowe him. For yf when we were enemies, we were reconcyled …o God by the deathe of his sonne, much more s…ynge we are reconcyled, we shall be preserued by his lyfe. Not only so, but we also ioy in god by the meanes of our LORD… Iesus Christ, by whome we hauehave receyued this attonemente.…. Ioan. i…i. …. Ioan. iiii Also S. Iohn sayeth: For this purpose appered the sonne of God, for to loose the workes of the euel. Agayne, t… this appeared y• louelove of God to vswar… ▪ bycause that God sent his onlye begottē sonne into the world, that we myghte lyue thorowe hym. Thus se you yt whan ther was no hope of saluaciō …or vsus in ony creature God of his owne free goodness sēt d…wne h…s only begotten sonne to be a Sauyour vntounto vsus.
EVSE.
This do we perceyue right wel.
PHIL.
Nowe mark… agayne,Math. …. howe that by him alone we are saued. His name is IESVS, that is to saye, a sauyour, for he it is that saueth his people frō theyr synnes, neyther … there any other name gyuen vntounto men vnderunder heauē, wherin they must be saued, but only by this name IESVS. Act. ii…. …c… … ▪To hym geueth all the Prophetes wit…eg▪, that thorow his name, …ll shall receyue remission of synnes, that beleue in hī. Be it knowen vntounto you,Act. xiii. ye men & brothers, ye by this Iesus Christ remissiō of synnes is preached vntounto you, & from al thynges, from the whiche ye coulde not be iustified by the law of Moses by him is eueri one that beleueth …ustified. He is y• Lābe of God,Ioa…. l. whiche taketh awaye the synne of y• worlde.Ioan. xi. He is our resurreccion & lyfe. He is the waye,Ioan. xiiii. trueth & lyfe. No man commeth to the father but by him. He is the good shepeheard, by whom we be saued from the wolfe. He is the dore, by whom we must enter into grace. He is the vyne,Ioan. xv: in whome we beyng ingrassed muste nedes brynge forth muche fruyte.…. Lor. i… He is oure wisdome, righteousnes, sanctificacion & redē ciō. He is our peace.Ephe. ii. …. Timo. ii. …. Ioan. ii. … oca. xxi. Roma. v. He is our mediatour & aduocate. He is alpha & omega, that is, both the begynnyng and endyng of our saluacion. Moreouer by him are we at peace with God. By him hauehave we a waye in thorowe sayth vntounto this fauoure, wherin we stond, & reioyce in hope of the prayse that shall be gyuen of God. By hym is the fauoure of God plenteous towarde vsus.Rom. vi…. By hym & his righteousnes are we made righteous By him hath the lawe of the Spirite of lyfe made vsus free from the lawe of …ynne & deth. By hym hath god the father blessed vsus with all spiritual blessyng in heauenlye thynges.Ephe. …. By him dyd God chose vsus, before the foundaciōs of the worlde were layd, yt we should be sayntes & fautles before hym. By hym are we made dere to god the father.Ephe. …. By hym hauehave we redempcion, by his bloud remission of sinnes. By him are all thynges both in heauen & earth gathered togyther. By him we, which in tymes paste were farre of, are made nigh thorow his bloud. By hym we hauehave and open waye vntounto the father. By him are all our sinnes forgyuen vsus.Lol. …. l. Th…. …. By hym are we delyuered from the wrath to come. By hym and by his bloude are we made cleane from all synne.…. Ioan. …. By hym & by the oblacion of his moost blessed body done once for all,Heb. x. are we sanctified. Yea by that one oblacion hath he made perfecte for eu…rmore thē that are sanctifyed. To conclude, by hym is euerlastyng lyfe gyuen vntounto vsus.Rom. v… ▪ Thus se you that by Christ all good thynges chaūse vntounto vsus, & that god the father is wel pleased & set at one wt vsus for his sake, as he himselfe witnesseth. This is my welbeloued sōne in whome I am well pleased,Mat iii. or for whose sake I am fully contented wt man. Hereto agreeth the sayenge of S. Austen:In vital. …p. cv…. All y• euer receyue euerlastynge lyfe, receyue it not but by Christ.In manu. …l cap. …. Therfore sayth he in another place: All my hope is in the death of my LORDE. His death is my meryte my refuge, succour, health, …ife, & my resurreccion. My merite is the compasssiō of the LORDE I am not wtout meryte, so long as yt LORDE of mercies shal not wāt. And yf yt mercies of y• LORD be many, I am plenteous in merites. The stronger is to saue, the more without iopardy am I,Lib. l. …om. xiiil. let vsus therfore gyue thākes, sayeth he, to the LORDE & our sauiour, whiche no merites goynge before, hathe heled vsus that were wounded, reconcyled vsus his enemyes, redemed vsus frō captiuite, brought vsus againe out of darkenes into light, called vsus again from death to lyfe, & let vsus humblye confessyng our fragilite & wekenes desyre hys mercy, & in asmuch as he hath preuented vsus, as the Psalmographe sayth, wt his mercye he maye vouch…a…e not only to preserue and kepe in vsus, but also to augment and encrese his giftes or benefytes, w…iche he hath vouchedsafe to gyue vsus.
CHRI.
Amen.
THEO.
So be it.
EVSE.
LORDE let it so come to passe.
PHIL.
Home dothe this seconde seruyce of your Bācket please you?
THEO.
We neuer ī our lyues tasted a dysh more pleasaunt & confortable to our soules health.
EVSE.
We hauehave now learned what we are of oureselues, and wher remedy is to be gotten, but by what meanes shall we come by it? What thynge maye be the occasion wherby we maye receyue so many & …o great benefytes at ye hande of god the father for Iesus Christes sake? I praye you a good fellowshyppe dec…are this vntounto vsus.
PHIL.
I neuer heard a questiōared in better tyme for the answere to it is your thyrde dysshe, whiche before you proponed this question, I was fullye determined to set before you. And now here it is.