IN the gospell this daye we heare Christe make mencion of Angelles, for whom this present feaste of saynct Michaell was istituted, and not so muche for thys angell only saynct Michaell, nor the o­ther Angelles, but chefely for the honor of oure lord god the maker of all the angelles. And that not w^tout a great cōsideration. bycause it is very necessary in Christes churche a ryght knowllege & doc­trine [Page]of the Angelles to be a mōgst christen mē. Whych thyng is also very profitable and bryngyth no smalle consolation to know what is theyr office and dutye, no lesse then it is to know what is the office of a father, of a mother, of a ser­uant, of a mayde or any other such lyke. For yf so be it the office of e­uery person be not knowen preci­sly wherto he is called, & to what he is ordenid, one shal medle with ones office & an other shall medle with an others, none knowyng his propre fūctione what he hathe to do, thus must nedes be that all runne in hepes, in tumultes, & in confusion to gether. Wherfore it is necessary that we knowe what the propre office and fūctione is of Angelles, to do. The ignorance wherof, bryngith in many absurd cogitationes and fonde fables a­mongste christen peple, as we see[Page]planly ī this feast, which hath ben a feast nowe many yeares full of Idolatrie bysydes y^e vaine fables and feyned myracles which haue bene brought in of the hyll Sar­garus, that is called saynct michaels mount. And of saynet michals letteres, with such lyke manifest foolyshe and tryflynge lyes spred through all the worlde, by reson wherof we haue fallen frō the worshyp of god the maker of all, to y^e worshyppyng of Angelles, which he hathe created. Therfore we do not kepe thys feaste but only for thys cause, to lerne & know what the Angelles doo, wherabout thei goo, and what is the charge wher unto they be assigned of god, to the entent that after we shal be certefyed & instructed in the matter, we shall begynne to render than­kes to god for his Angelles, so as we do thanke his maieste for ma­kyng[Page]of the sunne & mone, for sen­dyng vs peace, for gyuyng vs cō ­cord, for settyng vs lawes, offi­cers, and for all oure other benefi­tes which he sendyth to vs & pre­seruyth, not that we do worship y^e sunne or the moone, with such o­ther, but that we do marke and cō sidre the wonderfull worke and or dinaūce of almyghtie god therin, & so in the sunne prayse him that made the sunne, glorifie him and worshyp hym. And so I say lyke­wyse of y^e Angelles, that we must lerne and knowe theyr office, their dewtie, & function wherunto they serue, that in consyderyng & mar­kyng of this, we shall gyue than­kes to god, ascribyng all thys be­nefite whole to god, so that all y^e honor & glory hereof may redoūde vnto him, to whō it is only dewe.

Therfore fyrst of all we muste know and be suered that there bee Angelles, not only good angelles[Page]but also badde. There haue bene christen mē that haue thought as the saduceys dyd, nother Angel­les nor spirites to be. And I my selfe haue herde some to play the saduces, which haue not bene a­shamed to blaspheme and to denie and thynke neither Angelles nor sprits to be. But a true christē mā ought not to doubt but that Sa­thā the deuyll is naturally an An­gell made, euen as saynct Mychaell is created an Angel. But their office & doyngs be much dyuers, for lyke as a noughty tirant hath autorrite and power as well as a good prynce, but the one abusith hys power to oppresse his subiec­tes, y^e other vseth it as he shulddo to the preseruation and cōmodite of his realme. So is it betwixt y^e deuyll and the good Angelle. Besydes these men that thynke there be no deuylles. There be al­so[Page]other wich not w^tstandyng they beleue there be deuylles, yet do not thynke they be so neyghe, nor so sore agaynst vs, but whan they here any spekynge of the de­uylle, they imagine him an hun­dreth or a thousand miles of from vs. And so by reason we do not know nor cōsider how nyghe and redy the deuyll is agaynste vs at all tymes, ne can not perceiue so well y^e great benefites which god shewyth to vs by hys Angelles. Lyke as he which neuer felt death nor tasted the bytternes therof, cā not tell how pretious and swete is lyfe. And as he whiche neuer felt hūger, cā not iuge how good and pretious a thyng is bredde, nor cā not esteme the valow therof, so y^e man which euer thynkyth the de­uyll so ferre absent from him, doth not greatly regarde the dayly pre­seruation of the holy Angelles of[Page]god, nor can not esteme it accor­dyngly. But euery good christen man must thus thynke with hym selfe that he sytteth in the myddest of the deuylles, which w^t a great multitude inclose him and besege hī round about. And that Sathā is more nere hym than hys coote, than his shirte, yea than his skyn and hys owne fleshe, euermore he is aboute vs, for vs to feyght w^t and to stryue agaynste. That the deuyll is so nygh and redy aboute vs, that oure germayne prouerbe doth shewe and testifey, whose me nyng is thys. Yt nedyth not to paynt the deuyll vpō the dore, menyng therby y^t the deuyll is neygh ynough oure house, though he be not paynted at the dore. Therfo­re fyrst of all we must knowe thys and so persuade our selues, that there be deuylles, and that they be more neghe vnto vs thā our shyrt[Page]is to oure body. And thys saynct Peter doth well testefye which is no lyer sayng, in the v. ca.Pet. 5. Be you sober and be ware, for your aduer sarie the deuyll goeth aboute lyke a roryng lyon whom he may de­uoure. These wordes were not spoken of no dronkerd, nor is no fooles bolte, as we be wonte to say, but they were spoken of Pe­ters owne mouth by y^e holy goost, nether in geest nor in sport, but in ernest as ernestly as he culde spe­ake thē. Be sober & beware sayth he, as thoughe he wold say, do not so imagine with youre selues, as thoughe youre enemye were farre from you. Your enemye is a strōg and a perpetuall aduersary euer­more agaynste you, w^t all hatred and malice he can, whose porpose is nothyng els but to dystroy you both body and soule. Where is he than wylt thou say. Peter tellyth[Page]the. He runnyth about the, sayth he / what doyth he, what entēdyth he runnynge about vs? Peter shewyth the, he sekyth / sayth Pe­ter, whome he may deuoure. Here you haue the deuyl paynted in his colours. Ye hard before that there is a deuyll, here you see what a thyng he is, how malitious, how pestilent, and vexed agaynste vs, which euery day doth no thīg els but studieth how to deuoure vs & to dystroy vs, this is all hys entēt & purpose, to worke oure dystruc­tion, euermore rūnyng about vs, with such hatred and malice that no man can expresse yt, euen lyke a roryng lyon he ragyth about, y^t is to say / what soeuer thou doest, whether thou thīkyst or speakyst, or what so euer thou settyst vpon to do, other to begyn a thynge or to fynysh any worke, the deuyll is euer presēt sekyng all meanes and [Page]occasion to stoppe to troble the, & to lett the. But fewe mē beleue it, for yf they dyd, they wold not lyue so securely & so carles as they do. And thys is the cause that we see all the world so full of stryffe, debate, hatred, enuey, pryde, couetous­nes lustes, and suche other vices. And yet how securely & how negligently men lyue, as though they had clene deuoured and cōsumed the deuyll. And here is to be vn­derstand that there be two sortes of men possessed with the deuyll. Sum be possessed bodely in whō we may planly perceiue the good wyll of the deuyll toward vs, as in Matthe. viii.Mat. 8. What pleasure it was to him in punyshyng the poore miser not only with one de­uyll, but withe an whole hoste of deuylles. This is the good wyll he beryth toward vs. Is not this a poysoned and excedynge malice [Page]that the wyked fynd beryth to mā kynde, in that we see hym so vexe thys one sylly soule with so many thousand of deuylles. Forthermo­re we may se also sufficiētly, what mynde he beryth towarde vs, by suche possessed persons that ley in theyr monumētes. These w^t such other exsāples do well declare the myscheuous fury and the byrning hatered of the wycked spirite a­gaynst vs, whiche hathe no other desyre nor pleasure y^t he delyteth in, but only in our destruction, so that he may dystroy our bodies, & bryng oure soules to euerlastyng peryll. Secondarly there is also an other sort, of mē which bee pry­uely and spiritually possessed of y^e deuyll, as these which be entāgled with couitousnes with hatred, w^t enuey, with lustes, and fylthy de­syers, with other lyke vices, and yet for al that lyue in such securite[Page]and so recheles as though the de­uyll were a thousande leges of, & had nothyng adoo with them. Yf any external grefe or seknes shuld chaunce to oure bodyes, we rūne streyght to the phisition for his cū sell and succore. But to seke any remedy agaynst oure inward de­seases, agaynste oure couitusnes, our malice, our enuye and such o­ther mo, to seke remedy I say a­gaynst these that we may lerne to refrayne oure synfull lyuyng, he­reof we passe not a buttē, nor ons do mynde any suche thyng. And why so? bycause no man wyll be­leue that the deuyll is so nye and euer aboute vs. Therfore let vs lerne as I sayde, and consider dy­ligently what maner a thyng the deuyll is, how fears, howe mali­tious, how myghty, howe suttell and crafty he is, what power he hath to hurt both body and soule.[Page]He bringeth in to our soules false and erroneus doctrine, desperatiō fylthy desyres w^t other lyke, and all to plucke awaye our fayth frō vs, and to caste vs in to infidelite and waueryng, or els to put in to our myndes cold fylthy, & vayne cogitations, that by that meanes he may caste vs in to securite and necligens. I knowe yt and dare speke it by experiēce, for oftymes I do sensibly feale the deuyll stoppyng and lettyng my cogitations my purpose, and my labors. I cā not doo and fynish all thynges so as I wold, by the reason he stop­pyth me and hyndreth me. Many tymes yt is my mynd to do thīges with more feruent study with mo­re hede and diligence than I doo, but by the reason of his impedimē tes and stoppes of the deuyll I cā not imploy my matters so always with such perfection as I wolde: [Page]So than after that he hathe thus possessed the spirituall inynde of a man, than after he doth also in­fest and dothe noy the body other with pestilence, with famyn, with warre, with slawghter, or with sū calamite or other, which he hathe an infinite sort. All these myschy­ues dothe the deull styre vp, he is only the worker of all these euyls. One brekyth hys legge, an other is drowned, an other doth murder an other cōmitteth aduoutre, and so forth. Who is the doer of all these, who is the motioner and y^e leder to all these? Who but only the deuyll? And thys all we per­cetue, we see yt with oure eys, we feele yt with our handes, and yet neeligently, howe secuerly w^t out hede or drede we lyue? And what is y^e cause of this? Truly nothing els but as I sayd, bycause we imagine the deuyll to be farre frō vs.[Page]But we farre deceiue oure selues. Forsothe he is harde by the, and is ouer thy head, & is aboute the, and about all men. And thys god wyllyth and doeth suffer it to be, by this meanes to kepe vs in fe­are, that we beware & take heede to our selues, and that through necescite of suche greart perylles we shuld be dryuen to flee to our lord god for succoure. yf there were no deuylles, truly we shuld be colde, necligent, slacke, secure omisse w^t ­out all care and feare. And yet for all thys, for all thyse wyckyd spi­rittes aboute vs, for all these ca­lamites & vexationes, for the wret chednes and miseries, for all these euyls & displeasures that we haue God can skarsly dryue vs to call vpon hym, to flee vnto hym, and to crye for succoure. O father of heauen, Come helpe vs, and deli­uer vs, than what wold we doo yf[Page]there were no deuylle at all? Therfore principally and fyrste of all we must vnderstād and knowe that we syt not here in the myddle of roses, or in a gardē that is saffe and suer from all perilles and de­ceytes of our ennemies. If the de­uyll dyd seduce Adam and Eue in paradise, also yf he trobled so ma­ny other good men and childrē of god. Moreouer yf he dyd not spa­re to tempte Christe himselfe both god and the sonne of god, thynke not thy selfe so suer nor so well de­fensed, that he wyll be affrayd of the. Therefore lett vs pray vnto god diligently and feruently that he wyll gyue vs grace to be ware and to take hede of oure selues a­gaynst the craftie assaltes & suggestion of the deuill, y^t he cast vs not in disperation or incredulite. At the generall counsell kepte in the cetie Angusta how he went about[Page]all that he myght possiblely, to w^t drawe vs agayne from oure true fayth, & to bryng vs agayn in to our olde errors. So & yf hys pur­pose had prospered and gone for­ward, he wold also haue wrought more myscheyf in styrring vp bat­taylles, and bloodshed, & tumul­tes among y^e people. But we must knowe thys moreouer y^t thoughe there be neuer so many euyll spi­rittes agaynste vs that worke vs sorow, yet be there many moo good Angels agayne which stop­pe and lett the pourpose of these wycked fyndes, kepynge and de­fendynge vs agaynst them. The wycked spirites do nother slepe nyght nor daye, euer watchynge and studyenge howe to brynge in Idolatrie, & so to cast oure soules into perpetuall distruccion, and then after to do sum vylany to our bodyes, to oure goodes, or good [Page]name: So vnles that God agayn had other rulers, & an other kyngdome, in the whiche were other more valiant spirites than these, truely the deuyll wolde neyther leue vs wyfe, chyldren nor house standynge, not the momente of an hower, but wolde dystroye, wolde ouerturne, confoūde, and abolishe all together: suche malyce and hatred he hath agaynst mankynde, that by his good wyll thou shul­dest not haue one foote of ground to stande vpon. And it greueth hī euyll that thou haste thyne eyes, thyne armes, thy legges, and o­ther of thy lymmes / y^t yf he myght haue his wyll and God wolde so permytte hym, he wold denumme the of al, yea and not leaue the one cowe, or an oxe, or a horse to helpe the with, fynally yf that he were suffered to worke his pleasure he wolde not suffer not so moche as [Page]a stafe to stande in his place, ney­ther any man to continue his lyfe the space of halfe an howre. Therfore where as these thinges do not so com to passe, and where as thou seest kyngdomes, and common wealthes to remayne and stande whole in theyr ryghte forme and state with out any suche perturbacion, where as thou seest any cat­tell, shepe, or oxen to lyue, or any suche thynge whiche doth seruyce to man (whiche thynge greueth the deuyll sore for he cā not abyde any thynge to be safe that pertey­neth to man) be that mayst thou well perceyue that there is a more strong and more valiant a power ordeyned of God, for to preserue & defēde vs agaynst so wycked and furious maladies of our enmies. Also where thou seest any good man to lyue in fayth and feare of God whiche fauer and loue the[Page]gospell, by that thou mayst well perceyue and knowe that there is an other power ordayned and set vp of God agaynst the deuyll to withstand and resiste & to brynge to nought his workes and his subtylties. For marke well the wordes of saynt Peter / he calleth hym our aduersarie so infuse and vexed agaynst vs sekynge about lyke a roryng lyon whom he may deuoure. Then howe can he with his good wyll suffre any thynge to remayne whole or safe? Wher­fore seynge the deuyll is so promt and so redy to hurte vs by all the meanes and occasions he can, and yet is put so ofte besyde his pur­pose (by reason that God doth so stoppe hym through his holy An­gels) thou oughtest therfore euer to gyne thankes to God, that thy wyfe and chyldren do lyue & that thyne house is not plucked ouer[Page]thyne heade. For our defēce, oure strength were nothyng to the de­uyll. If there were nothīg in him but only hys malice and hys wyll to hurt vs, yet were not we able to resiste the same. But now bysyds this malicious & set wyll agaynst vs, in this also he preualyth and passyth vs, in wyt, craft policie, and subtilte, wherei all y^e saynctes be nothyng to be compared with him. He hath the scriptures at his fyngars ende. He knowyth all the bible better than all Paris or Co­lonie. Whosoeuer dothe enter in disputation with him is quycly o­uercome, there is none in y^e world able to holde argumētation with hym. Besydes thys suche is hys myght and power, that all myght of men and power of all the world is nothyng in cōparyson. Set all the turkes, all the emperours, all the rulers, kynges, and princes, [Page]in all the whole worlde to gether, he is able to distroy them & blow them downe with turnynge of an hande. The cause nowe why he doth not so, y^t he doth not dystroy all thinges after his mynd & wyll, yt is through the benefyte and the preseruation of good Angelles which do resist and withstād hym that he can not so exercise hys ty­ranny as he wold. And so for this purpose be the Angelles ordened to withstande the deuyll & to kepe hym short. Euen lyke as a good prince hathe hys officers vnder him, such whom as he apoyntyth and settyth ouer his countres and cities, agaynste theues and mur­derers. And yet though the same officers take neuer so muche hede ouer the kynges subiectes, yet can they not chose, do best they cā, but sūme thefe or other wyll come in, and do some robry / whereby we[Page]may wel perceiue, that the theues mynd and good wyll is to do mo­re, yf he myght be suffered. And so is it here in lyke maner. God some tymes doth gyue some permission to euyll spirittes, but yet he hathe hys good Angelles agayn, for to kepe vs and defende vs agaynste fury and violence. Thus euery prynce, euery citesyn, euery hous­holder, brefuely euery christen mā hathe hys good Angelles assined vnto hym, for to saue hym and to preserue him, as Christ testyfyeth in the gospell saynge. Theire An­gelles in heauen do see the face of my father which is in heauen. These wordes verely do well de­clare the great and meruelous re­gard, loue, & tendernes that god hath vpon vs. And these wordes shulde diligently be shewed & bet­ten in to childrē, that they myght learne and know the office of An­gelles,[Page]and accept theyr benefite, and gyue god thankes therfore. The deuyll is a greate enimy to all children, and yt greuyth hym much whā he seyth them be borne in to the world, to grow vp and to prosper. And for this cause dothe he many tymes frey women great with child and doth caste them in to feare. How be yt good Angel­les be present and redy to succore and kepe them that they take no harme. These thynges be preuie and preuely done that we can not see them w^t our eys. In lyke ma­ner as he possessyth men preuely and after asecret fashyon, as whā he bryngyth a mans mynd to co­uytusnes, he putteth in to his hart this persuasion y^t he makyth hym beleue he doth it for an honest purpose, for the necessyte of hys lyfe, to prouyde for hym selfe & for hys housholde, & so thynkyth he doth[Page]very well, and y^e deuyll to be ferre from hym. Thus doth the deuyll possesse these couytus persons so preuely, that they can scarsly per­ceiue him in theyr mynd, much les can they see him with theyr bodely eys. And so doth he also blynd and wyche oure prynces hartes, put­tyng in to them this persuasion & thought, that they wage battayle agaynst other prynces, nother for hatred, nor enuye nor for any reuē gans or hastynes of theyr mynde, but only for a ryght quarell, for Iustice and peace. This is theyr pretence where w^t they cloke theyr tyranny & grefe or grouge of theyr mynde. And these suggestions of the deuyll, yet seme to them to be honest and very Iust quarelles. They thynke nothig les thē these cogitations to come of the deuyll. And lyke as the euyll spirit dothe preuely & inwardly possesse a mā.[Page]so do the good Angelles also pre­uely & secretly minister their helpe and succore. And lyke as the euyll spirit castyth in hys furye dartes preuely in to the hart of man, so lykewyse haue the good Angelles agayn theyr good & holsum dar­tes to cūfort vs with. And whan so euer the euyl angell doth tempt vs, they be euer redy to stope him, & defende vs speakyng thus vnto vs in our hartes. Not so. Not so. Muche lyke as yf a mā shuld falle in to a depe water, and be in the ioperdy of drounīg, a other shuld runne to take by the hande and to drawe him out of the water. Euē so do good Angelles to vs, pluc­kyng vs bake, and callyng vs a­gay [...], sayng thus inwardly in our hartes. Thou must take heede of that. In no casse thou must do so. It is not meet nor laufull so to do. And thus do the good Angelles[Page]helpe vs, & stope the deuyll, that he take not our fayth from vs, nor haue his purpose of vs. Therfore we vse to say, and it is well sayd. Thou haddyst a good & a trusty Angell to kepe y^e this day / where by is sygnified, that no wytt nor powre of man could turne awaye that euyll and myschefe, vnlesse the good Angelles had ben redy with theyr ayde and custodie / vn­lesse that they had espyed out and throwne downe the ingyns, deceytes, and craftes of the deuyll, thou shuldest other peryshe myserable, or elles shuldest be brought in to sum great calamite. And this is that we meane whā we say: Thou was blessed this day and kepte of a good Angell: and so it is trewe: for vnlesse y^e good Angelles shuld preserue vs, all kīdes of wretchednes in the world shuld lyght vpō vs, throught the procurement of[Page]the deuyl: wherfore let vs lerne to know, and thankfully to accepte, this hye office and benefytt of the holly Angelles. Also lett vs lerne this, that the wycked angelles do worke and go about nothyng els, but only howe to hurt vs to vexe vs, & to bryng vs in to all trobles he can. But lyke as these euyll an­gelles be allways redy to harme vs, so be y^e good Angelles agayn euer redy to helpe vs, that we for­sake not the truyth, but cōstantly stycke to yt, and that we haue and kepe our lyues, oure bodys, oure wyffes, and children, breuely, all that we haue, sayffe & whole, from the hurtyng of the deuyll. Thus the cause then why all the worlde is not sett on fyere, all is not caste in heepes, that any cities, any cō ­men weithes, any realmes, any vyllages, be not destroyed, caste downe and ouer thrown, all thys[Page]comyth through the helpe and ke­pyng of y^e holly Angelles. These good Angelles be much more prudent, polityke, and wittie thā the, wycked spirittes bee: by reasō that thei haue a glasse to loke in, which y^e wycked spirites haue not. This glasse is the face and the fruition of the father almyghtie. Forther­more the good Angelles be much more of power thā other angelles be. For they be euer in presence & in seruice w^t hī that is almyghtie. Wherfore let vs gyue euerlasting thankes vnto God for these tu­tors, suche ministers, and potesta­tes which he hath ordened for vs, to kepe vs, and to preserue vs in all places, which thinge they doo bothe diligently and gladly.

Furthermore we muste vnder­stande also, that these angelles be not to be worshypped, nor muste we put oure truste in them as we[Page]haue done in tymes paste, for we fynde in scryptures that they ne­uer wolde suffre them selues to be worshypped, but euermore haue gyuen that honour onely to God, They prayse and laude God and thancke him that they were made for vs. For as I sayde they be spi­rites made and created of God on ly for this to serue vs and to helpe vs: Lyke the same maner we prayse and thanke God, that he made this comfortable sunne for vs, the moone, wyne, bread, and all other maner of thinges. Euen lykewyse ought we to offer vp to hym im­mortall thankes for his good Angelles, and sumtymes amonge to brust out with some suche prayer / thankes and prayse to the, heauenly father, for that thou doest de­fend vs, kepe vs, and gouerne vs so diligētly throughe thy holly angelles, & that thou hayst ordened[Page]such pouers and so myghtie prin­ces ouer vs. &.c. So whan thou gyuyst god thankys after this maner I thynke thou doyst prayse & worshipe the Angelles sufficiētly. Nowe to proue that the Angelles be suche maner of spirittes as we haue shewed, it is euedēt in many places of the scripture as in Luc. the xii. where y^e Angelles apering to the shepperds & shewyng them the byrth of Christe, dyd syng the goodly songe Gloria in excelsis deo et in terra pax hominibus bona voluntas. That is glory be to God aboue, peace in earth, good wyll amonge men. It is a prouerbe amongst vs. As the hart thynkyth, so the tonge spea­kyth. And so here, the Angelles speake and desyre the honour and prayse of god: then that we may see theyr hart and good wyl to vs ward, they pray next that peace be in earth: for yt greuyth them no­thyng more whan they see suche[Page]warres, & battayles among men, whē thei se any calamite or distruction among vs, when they see any house brenne, or a mans oxe dye: For theyr nature and harte is no­thynge elles but peace, and ther­fore all their wysshe and prayer is to haue peace, quyetnes, health, & goodnes to all men: the deuylles nature is this, and this is all hys endeuer to plucke men from god. Contrarywise the good Angelles do euer seeke and couitte that we shuld honoure god and loue hym. The deuyll is our aduersary, and therfore nothyng doth greue hym more, then whan he seyth vs be in peace. Agayn y^e āgelles doo wishe and reioyse in nothyng more, then whan they see the worlde bent to peace & concord: other els yf there be no concord, yt is our owne faut we cā blame none but our selues. For god can no otherwise debate[Page]and restrayne oure wantonnesse, hedynes, & our malicious nature.

The thyrde thynge that the Angelles wyshe for amonge men, is good wyll, that is to say, that they wyll take well in worth what so­euer God sendeth other good or badde: And that they wyll humb­ly submit them selues to the wyll of God, and euery man be content with his state and fortune, taking his crosse paciently what soeuer God sendeth. Here in these scriptures you se the Angelles descrybed vnto you of an other forte, thā the sophisters and scoole men haue taught you in tymes past. As where I haue shewed you howe. S. Peter hath descrybed the deuyll, where as he fyrst calleth hym our aduersarie, and afterward payn­teth him in his colours, notefieng hym to walke about lyke a roring Lyon, sekynge whom he maye deuoure.[Page]By these wordes of S. Pe­ter, you maye se hym moche more playnly and lyuely paynted vnto you, than yf I shulde dyspute and muse with my selfe neuer so long, what an head or nose he hathe, or whether he hathe suche clawes or not as we paynt him to haue. And yf thou wylt se the trewe & playne fygure of the deuyll, Imagyne w^t thy selfe suche a maner of a man that is all wycked, all gyuen to noughtines, malicious and full of rākore, of a mischeuous mynde and stomacke, craftie, sottyll, de­ceytefull, all set to hurte and noye men. And so shalt thou se the true proporcion and fisnamie of the deuyll. On the cōtrary syde the good angels is nothīge els, but a mynd or an hart which is perfytly good and louyng. As yf thou couldyst fynd or woldyst imagine with thy selfe such a person, which were all[Page]nothyng els but swetenes, good­nes, cumlynes, and fryndlynes, whose mynde and stomake were most meeke most gentyll, most hertie, and kynd, symple with out all fraude or gyle, of moste supreme wisdom & knowlege. And so shalt thou haue the very shape and image of a good Angell. Wherfore haue they their name gyuen to them: for this worde angell in greke is that whiche we call in englyshe a messenger or an embassadore, by­cause they be sent of God. The scripture dothe not gyue them theyr name, of their nature or sub­stance wherof they be made (saue only that it callyth them spirites) but it gyuyth them theyr names of theire office and ministery. And therfore we cal them angelles, not as concernyng theyr substance or nature wherof they be created, but as concernyng theyr office which[Page]they be appoynted to. Wherfore we ought to loue thys name An­gell, and to make much of it. Tru­ly I am greatly delyted with it, I can not tell what other mē be, and do embrace it with all my hart. Nowe yf they be the messyngers and embassadours of oure lorde god, then what thyng do they, or wherfore doth god send them: an­swer thou agayn. They do gouerne vs, they kepe vs and preserue vs: for that cause be they sent, and that is theyr office to do, to accō ­plesse the commaundement of god that is gyuen them to do: that is: to stoppe the workes of the deuyll, to turne away euyll chanses, that houses or streetes be sett on fyre, that our catell be not deuoured of wyld bestes, that mē eschape drownynge with such lyke thynges. Also the euyll spiritt hath his name, and is called the deuyll, that is,[Page]acousar or a damner: for that is y^e nature and all the study of him, to accuse, to blame to damne or per­uert, to make the worste of euery thyng that we doo. He is called also an Angell that is a messynger: but an yll messynger & a wycked. And well the grecyans haue gyuē hym this name Calumniator, that is to say in oure engleshe tonge a deprauer of euery thynge, for a deprauer properly is he which dothe slaunderusly accuse, drepraue, and fautye that thyng that is faucles: wherin this wycked spirit passeth and excellyth all, such thynges as god dothe teach & commaund vs thoo thynges he corruptyth, de­prauyth & expoundyth them other wise thē they bee. And this feyt he fyrst practised in paradise, in the fyrst creation when god cōmaun­ded we shuld not touche nor taste of the tree that grewe in the myd­dest [Page]of paradise. How craftly & peruersly he expounded the worde of god. Do you thynke, sayd he, that god dyd forbyd you to eat thys. No you shall not dye: thus he turned the trueth in to a lye, & made god a deuyll: the same thyng also he practiseth dayly in oure consci­ences when he crepeth in and har­denyth oure hartes, he maketh them so secure with out all remor­se and feare as though they had neuer synned in all theyr lyfe: the same he practised also at the gene­rall counsell in the cytie Angusta, in hys bysshoppes and prynces. But then most chefly he playeth y^e part of a deuyll, and a deprauer, when he recyteth vp to good men all theyr sinnes, and makyth them much more greuous than they be. In thys poynt he can so depraue and fauty all thy doctrine and all thy lyuyng that he wyll make the[Page]aborre thy selfe, and bewayle that euer thou couldyst letter in the boke. This is the very poynt and practise of the deuyll: thys is the worke and the only studdy of that wycked spirit: to peruerte and corrupt thynges though they be ne­uer so good. Cōtrary wise agayne the good Angelles, do take all thynges to the best, expoundyng euery thynge in the honest parte, do comfort vs, do prouyde for vs, do ayde vs, do defende vs, & teach vs. These thynges ought we to consider and to gyue god thankes therfore with all diligence, and e­uery daye that we ryse, to make some suche prayer vnto god, as thys. O father of heauē, I beseche the, that thy good angell may be with me thys day to kepe me, to gyde me, to gouerne me, to preser­ue me and teach me et c.

Of the great diligence and mynd[Page]of the angelles toward vs & oure helth, we haue a goodly example in the boke of kynges, where as Elezeus the prophet dyd shewe to hys minister great fyery hylles whiche were set full of charettes and horsemē, by the which syght he perceiued that his enemis were not to be fered whan there were many moo Angelles and muche stronger than hys enemies were. Truth it is y^t the good Angels be moch more redy and glad to helpe and further vs thē the wicked spyrites be to hurt and hyndre vs. Besyds that there be many moo good Angelles than there be yll: the good Angelles be euer suer & diligent to do that which is com­maunded them, that is, they kepe & defende vs both truly & carefully: wherfore though the deuyll be neuer so sert to hurt or to destroy vs, & though he rore neuer so sore[Page]agaynst vs, yet be the good angelles muche more diligent to assiste and defende vs, breuely, be euer more tender and carefull ouer vs, with theyr redy seruice to do vs good. Thys we ought to lerne and know / for that shall cause vs that we shall not be so secure and so slogyshe in oure selues, but be more circumspect and better loke about vs and that we shall lerne the better to beleue and trust in god, whan we knowe that we haue many moo good Angelles of our syde thē deuylles agaynst vs, and be always of good chere and comfort in all our affayers, in all oure afflictions, trobles, and ad­uersytes, sayng with the prophet Elezeus: we haue many mo war­ryers on our part, than enemyes agaynst vs. And so shall we ouer­come the deuyll, as Elezeus dyd ouercome his enemies, beyng bli­ded[Page]in the darknes of theyr mynd, and we hauyng oure eys seyght shall bryng in oure sowdiers in to the citie of theyr aduersaris / as we rede that Elezeus dyd in the same chapiter. These examples be writ­ten for vs, y^t we shuld prayse god and gyue hym thankes, for that, that he hath so appoynted for vs suche an host and an armie of hys holly angelles for oure defēce and saffete, so that yf one angell be not ynoughe, there shulde thowsands be redy by and by, so as we se here in Elizeus, for whose only cause so many thousands of holy angelles dyd shew themselfes & dyd mustre before hym, redy at all tymes to succour him whan nede shuld be. The very same thīg wese in Luke where fyrste one angell came and shewed the byrthe of Christe, but sone after there was a multitude of the armye of angelles, syngyng[Page]with that one angell. et. c. Suche a multitude and a whole armie of good Angells there be that God hathe apoynted for oure soccoure and sauegarde.

Wherfore yf we vse to thanke god for temporall peace, for good ma­gistrates, & officers, and for suche other worldly comodites. Than how muche more ought we to gy­ue god prayse and thankes for his good angelles whyche he sendyth to helpe vs, not only in bodely & external thiges, but also in al our spirituall affayres. For why they do both cōfirme our fayth in god, and also kepe vs in y^e feare of god: so theyr kepyng and goodnesse it is, that where we see one man dys­stroyed by the craft and tēptation of the deuyll, we see a thousand and a thousande sayued agayne. Truly moo men there be always that lyue, then that dye. Therfore [Page]where thou seest any Cytie, any towne, any house sayffe or stādig, there mayst thou perceiue, y^e good angelles be there to stoppe the e­uyl spirites that they distroy them not. Thus allways we see and proue by experience, more good­nes, thā euylls to be sent vnto vs: As we see in a bryghte daye / the sonne to shynne much more cleare and lyghtsome, thā the blackenes of the nyght tyme is darke. Thus doth god make vs to see his bene­fytes and good turnes, which he bestowyth vpon vs through hys holly angelles, for to comforte vs and confyrme vs with all, that we may vnderstand by that meanes the wonderous deceyts, subteltes, and damages of the deuyll, to the entent that we all ways shuld stād in feare, and awe, and neuer to be secure and negligēt in our selues. Therfore lett vs lerne thys well,[Page]and bett in also to oure children, that they may lerne thus to cōfort and strenghthen them selues with the ayde of theyr good āgelles, & so that they may lerne to feare the deuyll. And in thys maner they owght to be brought vp with lyke information as this, or such other lyke. My child thou must not take the name af thy lord in vayn: thou must not backbytte thy neyg boure: thou must not name the deuyll, nor muche haue hym in thy mouthe, for he is att hand in eue­ry place, and is hard by, & about the wher soeuer thou goest, vn­les thou take hede, and feare god, and employ thy selfe to goodnesse and vertue, he wyll other cast the in the water to drowne the, or els he wyl be suer to do the sum great myscheffe or other. And agayn lest they shulde be brought in to to much feare of him or to weakhar­ted[Page]in them selues thereby. These wycked spirites, My sonne, as I tolde the, be allways about the, & greattly desyrous to noy the some way or other, but oure lorde god hath ordened good angels agayn an infinite nūbre, and they be euer redy at hande, yf thou be a good and an obidient child, to kepe the and preserue the. what so euer the deuyll goyth about, other to caste the in the water to drounde the, or to fray the in thy slepe, or to breke thy necke, et c.

Moreouer in so much as we must feyght and warre with the deuyll, it is requisyt that we shuld know fyrst what he is and how myghty he is. No man can campe well w^t the emnye whom he knowyth not. Now what maner and sorte he is of I haue shewed you, before. Al­so I haue shewed you, howe he is a spiritt whiche neuer restyth nor[Page]ceasyth, whose labore and study is nothīg els but to disturbe y^e peace of the world, to brīg in bataylles, to styre vp insurrections, stryf and seditions, to make tumultes, and confusion amongste men: he can not rest nether can he wyll well to no man. It greuyth hym I dare say that I make this sermō nowe, and sore it goeth to hys hart, no­thyng more, yea it greuyth hym y^t my lyfe induryth a quarter of an ower: he hath conspired and leyed wayte for my death, and at lēghth wyll dyspatche me. But what shuld I doo? Truly nothyng els but stycke only to the word of god and pray. O father of heauē, thou seyst and perceiuyste what the de­uyll goeth about, send downe thy good Angell, to stoppe hys wyc­ked purpose y^t he haue no power in any thīg to hurt any body, but to the health and euerlastyng sal­uation[Page]to my soule. Amen. Thas ought we in lyke maner to cōmēd our selues to god euery day: thus we ought also to informe our childrē, y^t they may lykwise lerne to cō mend them selues to god after the same maner. And so whan we do instruct our children thus styll ac­customyng them to the same, they may turne to good men, and lerne to feare god. Lykwise as children do hange of theyr parentes, sub­tectes of their magistrates, hauīg all theyr succoure and prouydyng by them: so do we hange of the an­gelles, to whom god hath apoyn­ted all the promision and costody ouer vs. And so by that reason y^t god hathe so apoynted his angel­les, to see to vs and succoure vs, we may well vnderstand that we haue a perilous enemie about vs, euer redy and laboryng to distroy vs. For els what nede we y^e ayde[Page]and costodie of so many Angelles, vnlesse we were in great daunger of strong & myghtie aduersaries? wherfore it is our ꝑtes euermore to gyue thākes to god, and to say. O heauēly father the father of all gentylnes, thankes, prayse, and glory be to the, for that, y^t through the strēght and succour of thy An­gelles I am able to withstand all the wicked spirites, whiche not­withstanding of myne owne power, am not able to withstande the weykest one of them, no though I had an hūdreth thousād mē mo to helpe me. Also that notwyth­standynge myne enemy is so pas­syng crafty & subtile, that I haue not one drope of craft where y^t he hathe a whole seefull: yet through the protection and custody of thy holy angelles, he hathe no power to do me any wrong or vilany. My poore wisedome, thoughe it [Page]yet but very smalle, and symple, dothe confound the hye and great wisedome of his, and all through thy mere grace & the help of thy holy Angelles, my Lord God Amen. And so thys is the glory of oure Lord God, that he declaryth and settyth forth his glory, his wisdo­me, his power, in our vnablenes, in oure foolyshnes, and infirmite. This honor is only dewe to him, that he is a god of might, power, of heygh wisedome, and infinite goodnesse. And that thing he well declaryth, in that, that he sendyth vs hys helpe and defence by hys holy Angelles, so that we be able to stand agynst al the mayne host & armye, all the proude garde of the wycked Angelles aboue, to ouercome them, to ouerthrowe them and gloriously to triumphe vpon them. Christe Iesus voutch saue euermore to be w^t vs al with[Page]his helpe and powre. Amen.