A Christmas Banket, Part 3
¶ The thyrde dysshe. PHILEMON.
REpent, & beleue the gospell. These were ye wordes that our sauiour christ as marke testifieth,Marke. i. vsed whē be begā to preach. In the which he declareth by what meanes we may obtaine remission of our synnes, & the cel…ial heritage of gods glorye.Hom. lrr…. …e penitentia Repent, sateth he, & beleue the gospell. Fryrste he exorteth vsus to repentaunce, whiche is, as Chrisostome sayth, not only to cease from the oldewithour euelles, but also to folowe better offices, & such thynges as ought of dutie to be done, as Dauid sayeth:Psal. xxxiii Declyne frō … euel, & do good. S. Iohn̄ the Baptys…e in lyke maner in the begynnyng of his preachyng sayd:Math. iii. Luke. xxiiii. Repēt, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand. Christ also after his resurreccion commaunded his Apostles to preach repētāce and remission of sinnes in his name vntounto al nacions. Lykewyse we read in the Actes of ye Apostles then whē Peter preached to the Iewes much of christ,Act. …. & shewed that he was the same LORDE Iesus, whom they had crucyfied, they were prycked in theyr hertes & sayd: Ye mē & bre…rē what shall we do? Peter sayde vntounto thē: Repent, & be baptised eueryevery one of you in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of synnes, & ye shall receyue the gyfte of the holy Ghost. Here se you that Christ and his Apostles declared Repentaunce to be a meane wherby we maye obtaine remission of our synnes & euerlastying lyfe. And that you maye perceyue ye matter yt more playnly. I wyll lyuely paynt in moost euydent coloures and set it out before your eies wt certayne other histories of both Testamentes yt ye maye learne to be true, whiche Chrisostome sayeth.I… Ma…h. … xiii.
THEO.
I pray you what sayth he?
PHIL.
Ther is not, sayeth he, there is not, beleue me, ony synne in y• worlde, that doth not gyue place to the vertue of repē tance, yea rather to ye grace of God, which when we turne to better thiges, dothe streyght wayes worke wt vsus.
EVSE.
This is a confortable sayeng for synners.
PHIL.
Yea and in al pointes agreable to the holy scriptures.Math. …. For Christ came not to call the ryghteous, but synners vntounto repentaunce. Nowe marke for your helth and consolacion.…. …eg. xi…. Dauid committed both māslaughter & adultrye, & therfore was he threatened many euels of God by his Prophet Nathā. Not withstandynge he had not so sone repented hym of his acte, & cōfessed his faute, sayenge: I hauehave offended the LORDE, but the Prophet sayde: The LORDE hath turned awaye thy syn, thou shalt not dye.iii. Reg. …. Kynge Achab also dyd slaye his subiecte Nabotch, yt he myght enioy his vyneyeard. And God therfore sent his Prophet Heli as vntounto hym for to tell him that the dogges shoulde lycke his bloude olso euen there, where they lycked the blonde of Na…othe, and that eueryevery one of the house of Achabbe that maketh water agaynst y• w…ull, should be slayne. &c. Achab streyghte waye was ashamed of his faulte, repēted, cutte his clothes, couered his flesshe with garmētes of heere, fasted slept in sacke cloth, & walked with a heuy countenaunce, & therfore god seyng his repentaunte herte, sayd that he would not bryng in that euel in his dayes, but ī his sōnes tyme. Agayne kinge Manasses,i…. Reg. xxi. …. Pa…. x…xiii in asmuch as he repented, for all the abhominaciō that he committed agaynst god & his glory, was forgiuē, & afterward nōbred among ye fredes of god.Ionas. ii…. The Niniuites were threatened withī forty daies to be subuerted for theyr dissolute & wicked lyuynge. But they beynge striken with repentaūce in ye meane season, & mendynge theyr lyfe, receyued fauour & were saued. As I may come nerer home,Luke. vi…. as they saye, who was more famous in sinne thā Mary Magdalene, yet in asmuch as she faythfully repented, & bewailed her synfull lyuyng, her synnes were forgynen her. Peter denyed Christ,Mat. x… yet seynge he repented & wepte bytterly for his offēce,Luk. xv: he was fauourably receyued to grace: The prodigal sonne althoughe he had consumed all hys goodes, was ioyfully receyued in as muche as he repented & knowledged his offēce.Luk. xxiii. The thefe called neuer for grace tyl ye hour of deth, yet seyng, yt he bewayled than his misery, & axed merci, he was herd, & wēt wt Christ ī to Paradyse. Do not these histories besydes other, shewe of what greate strength repentaunce is.
CHRI.
Certes they be very cōfortable for poore afflicte synners.
PHIL.
Thus se you that repentaunce is a great cause of the mitigacion of gods wrath,Psal. …. yea & an acceptable Sacrifice to God as Dauid saith, a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirite,Behold… what true repetaū …e wor…eth in ma…. a contryte & hūble herte god wyl not despyse. Thus repentaunce maketh a man to dye vntounto lynne, & to syne to righteousnes. It maketh vsus so lōg as we ī this worlde valeantly to enarme our selues, and to enter battayle with Satā & his army, & cōtinually to fyght against our enemies. It maketh vsus to hate all wyckednes, & enbrace all vertue, so y• dayely we procede more & more from faith to faith & frō vertu to vertue.Rom. …. … Mat. v. Ph…l. …. It maketh vsus to hunger & thyrst after ryghteousnes. It makethe vsus to desyre to be dissolued from this mortal body, & to be with Christ. No mā is able to expresse sufficiently ye excellency & vertu of this true and faythfull repentaūce. And this is it, which maketh Chrisostom to crye out on this maner:…e…. xxix. De penitetia. O repentaunce, which thorowe gods mercy forgyuest sinne, & openest Paradise, which healest a man contryte & brokē, & makest merye hym that is sad, callest agayne lyfe frō deathe, restorest the state, renuest the honour, gyuest boldenes, reformest strēgthes, & powrest ī agayne grace more aboundāt. O repetaūce, what new thyng shall I tell of the? Thou doste losē althynges that are bounde. All thynges losened doste thou set at liberty. All troublous thynges doste yu mit… gate. All thynges broken doste thou make whole. All confused thynges doste thou make cleare. Al desperate thynges doste yu encourage O repentaunce more rutulante than golde, more bryght than the sonne, whome synne doth not ouercome, nor, defeccion suppresse, nor desperaciō put awaye. Repentaunce refuseth couetousnes, abhorrethe lecherye, excheweth furour & madnes, maketh louelove stronge, treadethe downe pryde, refrayneth the tonge, fasshyoneth maners, hateth malyce, excludeth enuy Perfecte repentaunce compelleth a synner to suffer all thynges gladly. If a violente persō seke that that he hathe, he forbyddeth hym not. Yf he taketh awaye his garment, he stryueth not agaynst hym. To him that striketh the one cheke, he profereth ye other. If ony man wyl compell him to go a myle with him, he wyll of his owne free wyll go two. If he be chastised he geueth him than…kes. If he be prouoked, he holdeth his peace. If he be sharpe…ye spoken vntounto, he speaketh gentely agayne. To his superiour he geueth reuerence. To his inferiour, he is lowlye, In his herte is contricion, in his mouth confession, in his worke all humilite. This is y• perfecte and fruytful repentaunce. To him that repenteth so, God is at hand, a noryssher to hym that is hū gry, a gyuer of drinke to him that is thyrstye. O repentaunce the mother of mercye, the maystres of vertues, thy workes are great, wher wt thou dost loosen the gylty, refressheth thē that offend, reuelest them that slyde, …ecreatest ye desperate. By ye Christe, appoynteth vsus that y• kīgdom of heuen is at hande, sayenge, repent, for the kyngdome of heauen is at han…. Nither to hauehave I rehersed vntounto you the mynd of Chrisostome cōcerning repentaunce, whereby ye maye perceyue, as I sayde before, that repentaunce is one of the principal meanes, wherby we obtayne remissiō of synnes & the kyngedome of heauen.
EVSE.
God gyueth vsus all grace truly to repent.
THEO.
But howe shall we know, whā we truly repent on such maner, that it prouoketh God to be mercyfull to vsus.
CHRI.
In dede this is a thynge necessary to be knowen.
PHIL.
To this youre question shall S. Austen aunswere,Ser. ter. …e Na…, do. which sayeth: Whan thou dost so repent, yt yt thing sauoereth to the bytter ī thy mynd, which before was swete in thy life: & that, whiche dyd delyght the before in thy body, doth trouble the in thy herte, than doste thou repent well, & saye to God, to the alone hauehave I synned, & euell hauehave I done before the. So that the whole summe of repentaunce is this,Mark… wel. to dye vntounto synne, & to lyue vntounto righteousnes, which is signified by our plonginge in y• font when we are baptised, & by …ure …a…yng out agayne, as S. Paule sayeth, we are buryed togyther wt hym by baptisme īto death, yt as Christ is raised vp from the dead by the glory of his Father,Roma. vi. so we in lyke maner shoulde walke in a newe lyfe.
THEO.
If we repent, be sory for our sinnes, cōfesse our wickedness, amende oure lyfe, is this ynough?
PHIL.
This is much certes, but not all. For repent is not only contayned in your dysh, but also,Repenta…ce a… Faythe muste be iorned togither. Beleue the Gospell. Thys pour repentance must be ioyned wt sayth, & lyncked with a sure perswasion, that God the father according to his promyse wyll vndoutedly for gyue you your synnes for his sonne Iesus Christes sake. For Caym, Esau, Pharao, Saul, Antiochus, Iudas & many other repented & graū ted theyr offēces, yet were they not forgyuen. Many also among the very Neithen & gentiles glystered out wardely with a meruaylous godly conuersacion, & sorowed very greatly yf at any tyme t…ey dydde defyle theyr innocencye with ony spotte … vncleanes, yet were they not made hey…es of eternall glorye. And why? Uerely they tasted after a certayne maner of ye fyrst parte of your dysh, b… not of the laste. They repented, but they beleued not ye gospell, that is, they sought for no helpe of theyr wickednes at gods exceadyng mercy thorowe Iesus Christ. They had not the christen fayth in thē, wh…che commynge from a repentaunt & sorowfull herte, maketh haste to God, and approcheth boldly to the throne of his grace,…bre. … that it maye obtayne … uour and remission of synnes.Marke this well. Repē taunce without fayth bryngeth desperacion, but repentaunce accompanieth fayth, bryngeth remissiō of sinnes, tranquilite of conscience, & euer lastinge lyfe, as we maye easely perceyue by two of Christes Disciples. Iudas sold Christ,Math. xxvi. & Peter denied & forswore Christ. Here bothe synned, both repented, both confessed theyr offence. One by manifest it wordes, & the other by teares. Yet was Peter saued, and Iudas damned. Now so? Because that the repentance of Peter was ioyned with faith & hope of forgyuenes, & the repentance of Iudas was not so.Luke. vii. Mary Magdalene dyd not only repent of her synfullyuynge, but also beleued to hauehave remission of her synnes. And therfore dyd not Christ only saye of her vntounto Simon the Pharise, many synnes are forgyuen her, because she loued muche, but he also sayd vntounto her wt a lyuely voyce, thy fayth hath saue… the, go… thy waye in peace. Heare what Chrisostowe sayth: If thou be wythered & worne away of synne, renewe thy selfe by repētaunce.…om. l…. Dep…nit…i… Why, may he that repenteth be saued? yea vndoutedly? Wherof of commeth it to passe? of y• LORDES fauourable mercye. Truste not to thy repentaunce. For thy repentaunce can neuer put away so great sinnes. If it were thy repentaunce alone, thou myghteste well feare, but seyng that the mercy of God is accompanied with repentaunce, be on a good conforte, for it ouercommeth thy wickednes, & god is exceadynge mercyfull, & so full of gentlenes,Roma. v… that he dyd not spare his owne sōne for to redeme the vnkind seruauntes. Saye not vntounto me, I hauehave synned to much, howe can I be saued? Thou canste not in dede saue thy selfe, but thy LORDE can. And he so putteth awaye thy synnes, yt therneth no prynte, syghe or to…ē of thē. Here ye se also by Chrisostome that repentaunce wtout an earnest fayth had & reposed in the mercye of God, can by no meanes put away synne. This your dyshe therfore teacheth you both to repent & also to beleue. For what so euer is not of faythe, is synne sayeth S. Paule:Rom. xiiii The worde of the LORDE is right,Psal. xxxii sayth Dauid and all his workes are in fayth.
In Math. Rom. xix.A worke without fayth, sayeth Chrisostome, is nothyng. Agayne he sayeth: we must hauehave fayth eueryevery wher I meane that fayth, which is the mother of all good thynges,In Ioar. …om. xxxii ye medicine of helth, without the which a man cā not perceyue the doctrine of great & excellent thynges, but is lyke vntounto them, which takynge in hande for to swymme ouer ye see wythout a shyp, whan they are a lytle forward,In. i. …. …om. i. they… hādes & theyr fete beying once …ery, are vtterlye ouerwhelmed wyth the waues of ye see. Also in another place All oure elders are reported yt they pleased God by fayth, therfore with out that, all thīges come to nought. Hereto agreeth S. Austen, sayenge: The medicyne of the soule and of all woundes,De ve…. do. Sermo. xl. & the alone sacrifyce to appea…e Gods wrath for the synnes of all men, is to beleue in Christe. Neyther canne anye man at all be made cleane, eyther from originall synne, whiche he hath drawne of Adam, in whom all hauehave synned, & be made naturally the chyldren of wrath, or frō the synnes, which they, by not resistynge the carnall concupi…cēce, but by followynge it & seruyng it by vngraciousnes & wycked lyuyng hauehave added & put therto, excepte by fayth they be enunied & ioyned togyther ī the body of him, which without ony carnall entysemente & mortiferous delectacion was conceyued. Thus se you that repentaunce wythoute fayth anayleth nothyng, but enun… ed & ioyned with fayth is a singuler and hyghe treasure,…. …ata. vi. Psal. ii. Sap. i. Sap. iii. Eccl. xxxiii. …s…e. ii. Ioan. iii. Gal. iii. Act. xv. Ioan. i. Gala. iii. Roma. v. Gala. iii. iiii. …ebre. xi. …. …oan, v. For by fayth doth God heare vsus. By fayth are we blessed. By faythe dothe God appere vntounto vsus. By fayth do we vnderstond the trueth. By fayth do we kepe the commaundemētes of God. By fayth are we maryed to God. By fayth hauehave we eternall lyfe. By fayth are we purifyed. By fayth are our hertes made cleane. By faythe are we made the sonnes of God. By fayth are we iustifyed. By fayth we please God. By fayth we be borne of God. By fayth we subdue Satan. By fayth do we ouercome the world To conclude, by fayth all goodnesse chaūse vntounto vsus, and without fayth all euell thynges fall vponupon vsus. No meruiale, for as Chrisostome sayth: Fayth is the foundaciō of the moost holy religiō, the bonde of charite, the subsidie of louelove. This fayth confyrmeth holynes,Ephe. v…. 1. Pet. …. 1. …oan. …. corrob…ratethe & maketh strōg pure lyuyng, garnissheth dig…ities. In chyldrē it shyneth, in yonge men it storyssheth, in olde mē it is a godly spectacle, it confirmeth al kyndnes,De …ile Ab… …. …. xxxiii. it exalteth degrees, it kepeth all offices, in the poore man it is pleasaunt, in the meane man mery, in the rytch honest. Fayth preserueth frendeshyypes, gathereth togyther assemblies, reporteth euer wel, it despyseth no man, it contenmeth no man, it fayle the no man, excepte perchaūse he fyrst fayleth her. Faith vnderstandeth the commaundementes, kepeth the preceptes, fulfylleth promises.Repentaūce and Faythe are the only… mene…, to obtayne to remission of sines. Faith maketh vsus acquainted with God, & constituteth vsus frē des with Christ. Thus hauehave I declared vntounto you in this your thyrd seruyce, that the onelye meanes to obtayne remission of oure synnes, & to be made heyres of eternall glorye, is vnfaynedly to repent, & faythfullye to beleue, that is to saye, to forsake oure olde lyuynge & to become newe men, garnisshyng our lyues with al the fruites of the spiryte, and to beleue earnestly, that thorowe this repentaunce and fayth, God wyll vndoubtedly for Iesus Christes sake for gyue vsus all oure synnes, receyue vsus agayne into fauour, & make vsus heyres of his eternall glory.
EVSE.
This is the moost pleasaunt dysshe that euer I tasted.
THEO.
These thi…ges that you hauehave spoken vntounto vsus are so confortable ye me thynke I am now enflamed & more set on fyre thā euer I was before.The pre…hynge of …od… …n… nes make the mē … … to louelove God. and … for to ful…yl his wil
CHRI.
As I maye vn…ain…dly reporte vntounto you the affect of my herte, verely synce that ye declared to vsus the goodnes of God ye father toward v… thorow Iesus christ I hauehave felte in my herte such an earnest fayth & burnyng louelove towarde God and his worde, that me thynke a thousande fyres coulde not plucke me away from the louelove of hym. I be gynne nowe vtterlye to contemne, despyse, reiecte, cast awaye, & sette at nought al ye pleasures of this world, …herein I hauehave …o greatlye reioyced in tymes past. All the thretes of god, all the displeasures of God, al ye fyres & paynes of hell coulde neuer before this daye so allure me to the louelove of God, as you hauehave nowe done by expressynge vntounto me the excedyng mercye & vnspeakable kyndeses of God towarde vsus wretched synners, insomuch that now from the very herte I desyre to knowe what I maye do, that by some meanes I maye shewe agayne my herte to be full fyred on the sekynge of his glory. For I nowe desyre nothyng more thē the auaūce mēt of his name.
PHIL.
It reioyceth me to heare these thynges of you.
Therfore nowe wyll I, as due order requireth brynge forth your fourth yea & last dyshe, that ye may knowe what ye ought to do agayn toward God for his vnmesurable bountie, & infinite benefites toward you, that yelyuynge in this worlde worthy of his kyndnes, maye after this lyfe receyue the crowne of glorye.
THEO.
I praye you brynge it forth streyghte wayes, for we much desyre to tast of it.
EVSE.
There is nothynge that I wysshe more than continually to be fedde with the meate of such an heauēly bancket. Therfore I praye you go forth to minister vntounto vsus the residue of oure mooste delicious feaste.
PHIL.
Agreed, but marke well, for here it is.