A Christmas Banket, Part 4 – Colophon
¶ The fourth dysshe.
Ephe. ii.WE are the workemanshyp of God, created in christ Iesus vntounto good workes, whiche God hath prepared that we should walke in them. This is y• say…nge of S. Paule, whiche a lytle before this sentence in his Epistle to ye Ephe, declareth, as I hauehave hitherto taughte you, that by nature we are the chyldrē of wrath, & are saued only by grace thorow fayth, & that not of our selues, for it is ye gyfte of god, & commethe not of workes, bycause no man shoulde boste hym selfe. And whan he hath this done, immediately he exorteth vsus to good workes, saienge that we are the workemanship of God, created in Christ Iesu vntounto good workes, which God hath prepared ye we should walke in them. Here maye ye learne, what is your duety to do vntounto God agayn, seing that he frely thorowe sayth hath saued you withoute any merites, deseruynges or good dedes on your behalfe.What the duty of y• fayth …ul…a. Your duty is to lyue wel, to practyse good workes, to exercyse al godlye actes, to lede a vertuous conuersaciō, and in all your lyfe thorowe the study of innocency to seke the glory of God. Now shall your cōuersacion declare and shewe by externall workes whether your repentaunce be vnfayned or not, whether your fayth & louelove towarde God be syncere, true, & procedyng from a godly herte or not.In. …. …in…. …om. ii. For yf your repentaunce, faith & louelove be christian & vnfayned, than shal good workes ensue & followe agreable to the same. For faythe, sayeth Chrisostome, sheweth that, whiche is true. And out of syncer fayth cōmeth charite, in so much that he, whiche beleueth truly in God, cā neuer be with out it.Be …o…at… Gen. …a. v…. ….ib.i. S. Ambrose also sayth: fayth is the mother & brynger for the both of good wyll & righteous workyng. Agayne he sayeth:Ibidem. A new creature hath this property by grace, ye they which are the workemanshyp of god which are made in Christ by an heauenly natiuite, be no more sluggysh nother gyuē to lyue dissolutely,D… vo. …e. cap. vi…i. …ib. ii. but they go forth & profyte from vertue to vertue, in walkynge by the waye of good workes. Also ī another place he sayeth, God gyueth to thē whom he choseth without merites, whereof they maye be garnysshed with merites also.Marke this well. And it is not truely sayde, that the entent and determinacion of wel workyng is not in the electe. For the gyftes of vertues cā not beydle. Thus se you that lynysh fayth whereby ye are ingrassed in Christe, brynge the forth good workes. Neyther is true repentāce, syncer faith, vnfayned louelove in you, yf good & christen workes do not followe your conuersion. Yea they that bost of fayth and brynge not forth the workes of fayth, derogate muche the glorye of fayth, & cause the true and christian fayth to be slaundered & yll reported amonge thē which neuer tasted, nor yet at ony tyme in theyr hertes felte what a precious thyng, and of howe great strength effycacy & power, the syncere faythe is. Therfore yf youre fayth be not accōpanied wyth good workes, youre fayth is dead, as S. Ia. fayeth,…ap. ii. y• is to saye, it is a true & christen fayth no more, than a deade corse is a man.Gala. v. For that faith, which is approued before God, worketh by charite, & charite cā not be ydle, but brasteth out into good workes, wh… so euer it seeth an occasiō gyuē, who can louelove his neighbour, & suffer him to perysshe for want of his helpe?
Therfore is a faythfull man compared in y• first Psalme to a tree, which is planted by the waters syde, & bringeth forth her fruytes in due tyme. I am the true vyne,Ioan. xv. sayeth Christ, & ye are the braunches. He that abydeth in me, & I in hī, …yngeth forth much fruyte. Agayne he sayeth: He that beleueth ī me, floudes of lyuish water should flowe out of his belly. Here se you that he which dwelleth ī Christ by fayth,Ioan. vii. & beleueth in hī brī geth for the plenty of good workes. He therfore that is an vn…ruytfull tree, & brīgeth forth no good fruite, surelye he beleuethe not arighte in Christ, neyther hath he the Christen faythe, boste and crake he neuer so much of it.
EVSE.
Methinke than by your wordes, y• good workes necessarely follow the christen fayth.
PHIL.
Yea euen as necessarelye as the shadow followeth the body, & death the lyfe.Ma…e.
THEO.
They than whiche lyue dissolute, & withoute doyng of good workes hauehave not the christen fayth.
PHIL.
No verely, no more than a deade cole hath in it the vertue and strength of burnynge.…et. ….
CHRI.
Therfore ought all men not to quenche ye spirite, but with all mayne & frācke courage to apply themselues to y• diligēt practyse of good workes.
PHIL.
Ye saye trueth,Ephe. ii. for as ye herd before we are the workemāshyp of God created hath prepared that we shoulde walke in thē. But I praye you note a fewe thynges, which I wyl nowe declare vntounto you concernynge this our dyshe & laste seruyce, Fyrste S. Paule sayeth: We are the workemā shyp of God,. This sheweth that god made vsus,Psal. xcliii and not we our selues. He wrought vsus by his deuyne power. But by this workemanshyp not we only are made th… beleue ī god,A double-…reatiō one ī …dā, an… … but also the vnfaythfull, yea the verye brute beastes, & wormes, with al thiges contayned in heauen and earth. Therfore of this makynge hauehave the faythfull no more cau…e to reioyce, thā the vnfaythfull hauehave. Therfore it doth followe: Created in christ Ies…s. Beholde here is a newe creaciō. Here is another byrth. Here is regeneracion, whiche far differeth frō the olde natiuite. Here are we made newe creatures. In whom, in Moses by the lawe? Nay verely, but in christ by fayth. By fayth are we regenerate, page missing page missing borne a new, created agen in Christe Iesus.Good workes declare … mā to be created anewe… christ Iesus. Wherunto? Unto wicked maners? Nay certes, but vntounto good workes. Note that he saith, vntounto good workes. They that are borne anewe in Christ thorow fayth are created in hym to good workes. If ony mā therfore be not studious of good workes: he is not created in christ, but remayneth styll in ye creacion of Adam.Good workes are not the fantasie… of mā … but … cōmaūdemē tes of God. But vntounto what good workes is the faythefull created in Christ? vntounto Rome runnynge? gad…ynge of pylgrimage? settyng vp of candels? gyidynge of your ymages? payntyng of tabernacles? building of monasteries? purchasynge of pardons? & such other trifelyng fantasies inuented of the ydle braynes of the Papistes for lucres sake? na berely. For these are no good workes ī dede before god, but only so called to blynde the eyes of carnall men with such goodly and godly tytles, VntoUnto what good workes thā are they created? In good faythe, to those good workes which God hath prepared y• we should walke in thē. Marke that he sayth, which God hath prepared, & not that man inuented. In them should we walke, yt is to saye, labour dayely more and more to fu…fyll thē, & neuer to cease vntyll we were auncient & perfecte in the accomplysshement of Gods wyll.
THEO.
Me thāke you right hertely for the declaraciō of this terte. For we perceyue now oure duety better than euer we dyd before.
EVSE.
But what are those good workes, whiche God hath prepared that we should walke in thē?
PHIL.
His commaundementes. We read that the Iewes sayd to Christ, what shal we do, that we may worke the workes of God? Christe aunswered & sayde to thē:Ioan. vi. This is y• worke of God that ye beleue in him, whom he hath sent. This is the greatest & most principal worke of God, yt ye beleue in his only begottē sōne Iesus Christ. He that truly fulfylleth this worke,True faythe in christ is the mother of all goo… workes. doth very easely accōplyshe ye residue. For oute of this worke, as out of y• head foūtayne, do all other workes of God spryng & procede. Yf yu cāst beleue, sayth Christ, all thīges are possible to hym yt beleueth.Mat. i…. He yt beleueth truly in Christ, abuseth not the name of God, prophaneth not ye Sabboth daye, dishonoreth not the magistrates of the publygue weale, contēneth not the ministers of gods worde, despyseth not his parentes & superiours, kyllethe not, cōmytteth not adultrye,Lerne her… the christ… and true good workes. iteleth not, beareth no false witnes, couereth not his neighbours goodes, but rather doth ye cō trary, hatyng y• vyce, & en…alsyng ye vertue. He mortyfyeth olde Adā. He maketh the bodye subiecte to the spirite wt the moderate vse of eatyng & drynkyng. He exercyseth himselfe in godly meditacions, in readynge the holy scriptures, in offryng vp prayers & thankes continually to God. He socoureth the poore members of christ. He leueth no man confortles. He goeth about to hurte no mā, but studieth to profytte all men. He wissheth & procureth no lesse goodnes to other, than he dothe to him selfe. To be shorte all his whole lyfe tyme, he doth nothyng els thā dye to synne, & liue vntounto righteousnes. These are the workes of God, wherin so many as are created ī Christ, ought vnfaynedly to walke. Theise are ye workes of God, which ledeth to heuē, which thorow christ we deserue ye reward of euerlastīg life. In these workes therfore (most dere brethrē) exercise your selues both daye & nyght. Beleue in god, louelove God, feare God. Cōfesse hī frō ye very herte to be y• alone & true God. Knowledge him to be your only & oīsufficiēt sauiour. In al aduersite flye vntounto his moost blessed name as vntounto a stronge Bulwarke. HaueHave youre hertes at peace with God. Study daye and nyght in the LORDES lawe.Psal. i. Exercyse faythfull & continuall prayer. Procure in all thynges the glory of God. Honour youre moost victorious Prynce,Admoniciō … for true obedience toward y• kinges grace. & redoubted kynge. Be faythfull to hym both in herte, worde & dede. Do nothyng that may in any poynt derogate his graces honour.Rom. xiii. Knowe that he that resisteth him, resisteth ye ordinaunce of God,i. Pet. ii. & getteth to hīselfe dānaciō. Honour also at the magistrates that are sent & appoynted of him. Youre parentes & superious hauehave ye in reuerence. Manslaughter, adultrye, thefte, false wytnes, carnall concupiscence, & all the workes of ye flesshe hate ye,col. iii. & vtterly cast thē from you. To conclude, loke for those thynges that are aboue, & not for those that are vponupon the earth. Lyue no more to your selfe,Rom. iiii. but to hym that dyed for your synnes, & rose agayne for your iustification.
CHRI.
We wyll to the vttermoost of our power laboure to accomplysshe youre moost godly admonicions.This time hath great nede of good workes.
PHIL.
Laboure and God wyl helpe. And to saye the trueth to you, it was neuer more nedefull for christen men to brynge forth good & christen workes, than it is at thys tyme. You se (thankes be to God) yt the deuyne scrypture is come nowe amonge vsus more plenteouslye than euer it was before, insomuch yt nowe it is lawefull for all men to reade it, heare it, talke of it, so that it be done reuerently. This hath God vnfaynedly brought to passe by his welbeloued seruaunt & our kynge Henrye the eyght a Prynce of mooste noble fame & immortal glory. Ye se againe that this worde of God hath manye enemyes, whiche both labour to suppresse that▪ & also so many syncerly professe it.The enemi … of gods words. Ye se that theyse aduersaries of Gods worde hauehave no other pleasure than to hauehave an occasion both to blaspheme the worde, and also the earneste fauourers of it. Behold, say they, are these Gospellers? Are these professours of gods word? Are theyse they yt mayntayne Gods trueth? Perysshe mought they with theyr Gospell. For they wyl not fast nor praye, nor gyue almes, nor vse any kynde of vertue. Theyse, whome they cal Pharises, do much excel thē in eueryevery degree of godly lyuynge. They wyll shewe themselues conformable to no poletyke ordinaunce. They hunte carnall libertie. They seke to synne freely and without punysshemente. Theyr whole religion consisteth in breakynge mens lawes and auncient customes. Farewell they therfore with theyr gospel. We wyll followe our forefathers. This and such lyke talke is hearde dayely amonge the enemies of Gods word. Therfore oughte they yt louelove Gods trueth to walke circūspectly, seyng the dayes are euell,Ephe. v. as S. Paule saieth, & to hauehave an honest conuersaciō amonge Goddess enemies, that they which backbyte them as euell doers, maye se theyr good workes, & prayse God in the day of visitacion. For so is the wyll of God,i. Petre. ii. sayeth S. Peter that with wel doynge ye should stop the mouthes of ygnoraunt men, as free, & not as though ye toke lyberty for a cloke of maliciousnes, but euen as the seruaūtes of God. Which thyng (moost dere brothers) woulde God ye would do, that by your vertuous conuersacion ye myghte not plucke men from, but vntounto the Gospell, not dishonour but honour god, not hynder but prouoke the Euangelical trueth, that with one mynd, herte, wyl, tonge & dede we al might togyther professe one God and one trueth. Than should God be glorified among vsus. Thā should his moost blessed worde be enhalsed of all men. Than shoulde we vnderunder one kynge liue ī an vnite, peace & cōcord of christen religion, without ony scisme, he resy or dissencion.Roma. v. Gala. ii. Than myghte we well saye, that the true repentaūce and syncer fayth, wherby a christen man is iustified in the syght of God were in vsus. For so longe as we continue ī our old wickednes, & amēd not our maners, certes neyther true repentaunce, nor christen faythe is in vsus, and to saye the trueth, neyther hauehave we ony parte of Christ or Christes merytes, but pertayne styll to Satan & his synfull synagoge. For as S. Iohn sayeth:i. Ioan. …. If we saye, that we hauehave fellowshyp with God, & yet walke in darknes, we lye & performe not the trueth. But & if we walke in lyghte, euen as he is in lyghte, than hauehave we fellowship wt him, & ye bloud of Iesus Christ his sōne, maketh vsus cleane frō all synne.Roma. xiii. …itum. ii. Therfore (dearely beloued) let vsus cast away the workes of darkenes, walke in the lyghte of Gods trueth, lyue accordynge to our vocacion, garnysh the doctryne of christ our sauiour with godly maners, & so in al pointes institute and order our lyfe accordyng to Goddes wyll, that we maye be that same in lyfe & dede, that we desyre to be reported, that is to say, perfecte & true christen men both in herte, worde, & dede. So maye we be certayne in this lyfe to hauehave God a mercyfull father vntounto vsus thorowe Iesus Christ his sonne, & after the departing out of this world to enioye the glorious syght of the moost blessed Godhead, & there to remayne in ioye & glorye, worldes without ende. Amē. Thus endeth your bancket.
EVSE.
Praysed be the LORDE for it.
THEO.
Both now & euermore.
CHRI.
For he alone is worthy all honoure & glory.
PHIL.
If it shall please you, I wyll nowe gather togither in few wordes that which hytherto I hauehave dispersed in many, that they may the more easly remaine in your brest.A brefe rehe… sal of al thi… ges spoken of before.
THEO.
I pray you let it be so.
PHIL.
In youre fyrste disshe I ministred vntounto you y• knowledge of your selues, & declared what ye are by Adā, that is to say, chyldrē of wrath, all carnall, & wtout the spirite of God,In Ioan …rat. … Cap. xi. as S. Austen sayeth, let no man stond in his owne conceyte. For of his owne, he is very Satan, but of Gods, he is blessed. What is this to saye, of his owne, but of hys synne? Take away the synne, which is thyne, & the righteouses, sayethe god,i. Cor. …ii…. is of myne. Fore what hast thou, that thou hast not taken? In youre seconde dysshe ye receyued the knowlege of Goddes fauour toward you frely thorow Iesus Christ. In your thyrde dysshe, ye perceyued by what meanes ye may obtayn this fauour of God, verely by true repentaunce & syncer fayth. In your fourth dish I proued vntounto you that of this your repentaunce & fayth, workes muste nedes followe, yea & that those workes,Ephe. ii. whiche God hath prepared that we should walke in them. Here is in few wordes concluded y• whole sūme of your banckette. I praye you loke that ye both remēber these thynges well, & also exercyse them in your lyuynge.
EVSE.
We wyll labour to the vttermooste of oure power.Ioan. xv. And because we can do nothyng withoute the helpe of God, we shall at all houres with fyrme and sure faith moost instantly desyre God to worke that thynges in vsus his holye spirite, yt he commanndethe vsus to do, that we maye neyther thyncke, breath, speke or do ony thing, but that may turne to his glorye.
PHIL.
It is godly spoken. This one thynge than remayneth that we gyue God thankes for this our bancket.
CHRI.
I pray you, let it be so.
¶ The thankes gyuynge. PHILEMON.
PRayse,Ioan. v… honour and glory be vntounto the (O heuēly father) which at this tyme hast fed vsus wt meate not ye perisheth but yt abydeth into euerlastying lyfe. Graunte (O good God) that we hauynge the knowledge of thy worde, maye also practyse the same in oure conuersacion, that we both intierly louyng and vnfaynedly lyuyng thy holy word, maye after this lyfe lyue wt the in that lyfe, whiche is immortall.
THEO.
Amen.
EVSE.
So be it.
CHRI.
LORD let it so come to passe.
PHIL.
Seynge that accordynge to the commaundemēte of Christe,Mat. vi. we hauehave nowe fyrste soughte the kyngedom of god, & the righteousnes therof, & hauehave fedde our soules with this celestiall bancket of Gods worde, I praye you nowe vouchesafe to come with me, and take such poore repast for the sustenaunce of your body, as it hathe pleased God to prepare for vsus.
THEO.
We gyue you right herty thākes.
EVSE.
I pray God yt we may once recōpense your kyndnes.
PHIL.
My power is smale, but my wyll is muche, folowe me I besech you.
CHRI.
Praysed be the LORD for this our most cōfortable bancket.
THEO. PHIL.
AMEN.
¶ Gyue the glory to God alone.
¶Imprynted at London in Botulphe lane at the sygne of the whyte Beare, by me Iohn̄ Mayler for Iohn̄ Gough. Anno Dn̄i. 1542.
Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.
End of the text · Thomas Becon, A Christmas Banket (1542)