SE THE SAME mind be in you, that was in Iesu Christe, who be­inge alredye in the forme of god, thought it no ra­uyne to be equalle with god, but he dyd abase hym selfe, takynge vpon hym the fourme of a seruant, borne in similitude of men, and in shape founde as a man. He dyd humble hym selfe, and became obedient vnto deth, ye vnto deth of the crosse. Therfore god hath exalted him, and hath gyuen hym a name aboue all names. soo that in the name of Iesu, euery knee shall bowe downe, of thinges that be in heauen, of thynges that be in earthe, of thynges that be in helle, and that euery tonge maye confesse, that Ie­su Christe is our lorde, to the glory of god the father.

¶ THIS IS IN Englyshe the sentence of the epystle of this daye. And fyrst I do entende by your pacience to declare par­ticularly [Page] the lytteral sence therof, contey­nyng the infinite and inestimable humi­lytie and obedience of our sauyour Iesu Christ. Secondly I do entende to speake of disobedience of men by pryde done to man ageinst goddis lawe. And how that may be eschewed. Thirdely I entende to speake of disobedience of al men by pride done to almighty god, ageynste goddis lawe. And howe that may be amended. And so to make an ende. And to returne to the fyrste.

¶Saynte Paule in the seconde chapy­ter to the Phylyppiens nexte before the wordes, of the pistle of this daye, com­maundyng humylitie with charitie to be vsed, sayth. Ye muste thynke by humily­tie euery man to be your superyour, not consyderynge euery one of you his owne furtherance, but the furtherāce of other. And therfore he exhorteth all men by the example of Christe, not to regarde nor to take heede to their owne aduancemente, but the aduancement of other, sayenge. See the same mynde be in you, that is in Iesu Christ, that is to say, Shewe humilitie [Page] & pacience for the welth of other, as Christe dyd. Whose hye degre the apostle Paule here first speaketh of. From why­che he was contente to comme downe for our sake. For he beinge in the fourme of god thought it noo rauyn to be equalle with god. what is this to say, in the form of god? The sense therof is this. He was in ful substance, in full essence, in ful glo­rie, in eternitie, equal with his father. As for to put for our better erudition of thinges incomprehensyble farre aboue oure capacitie, an example of thinges that we maye vnderstande, to dyrecte vs in some parte to the attaynynge of hygher thyn­ges. As the bryghtnes is in the fyre, and as the image or print is in a seale, and as a worde is in the mynde, so the sonne of god is in the father. For the brightnes is as soone as the fyre is, and the prynte is within the seale, as soone as the seale is. And the worde that man wyll expresse is in the mynde, as soone as the minde hath conceyued it. Saynt Paule in the begin­nyng of his epistle to the Hebrues sayth, that the sonne of god is the shynynge of [Page] the glory of the father. As in the foresayd example, the brightnes is of the fyre, and fygure of his substance, as the prynte is of the feale, supportynge all thynges by the wrde of his strength and vertue, as the mynde bryngeth forthe the worde. And where saynt Paule saith, that Christ thoughte it no rauyn to be equalle with god, He meaneth, that he made not hym selfe equal to god by vsurpation, but god the father begatte hym in the begynning equall to hym selfe. For if he shulde haue made hym selfe equall to god, nat beinge so by nature, he shulde haue fallen by ra­uyn, as Lucyfer dyd. For he bycause he wolde make hym selfe equall to god be­inge but a creature, dyd falle, and of an aungell was made the deuyll. And this his pryde he perswaded to man, by whi­che he was ouerthrowē hym selfe, saying to Eue before the fall of Adam. Taste of the fruite that is forbidden you, and ye shall be as goddis. That is to saye in ef­fect. Take vpon you by vsurpation that thing, that ye haue not by creation, for so was I ouerthrowen. But Chryste was [Page] borne in the begynnynge equal to his fa­ther, not made after equall, and borne of the substance of the father. Wherfore he dyd not vsurpe equalitie vnto god, but was in that equalitie, in whyche he was borne in the begynnyng.

¶It foloweth in the text. But he dydde abase hym selfe, takynge vppon hym the forme of a seruaunt, whyche he dyd, not lesyng the forme of god, in which he was before, but takynge the fourme of man, whiche he was not before. And therby he was made inferior to his father. And yet he abode stylle equall with hym bothe in one persone, that is to say, by reason that he was the worde of god, equalle to his father, and by reason, he was man infe­riour to hym, one sonne of god, and the same sonne of man. One the sonne of mā, and the same the sonne of god. Not two sonnes of god, god & man, but one sonne of god and manne, god without begyn­nynge, man from a certayne begynninge our lorde Iesu Christe. For as god dothe graunte to his creatures, beinge tempo­rall and subiecte to sufferynge, that they [Page] maye begette the same thynge that they are, howe moche more god the father be­inge eternall and impassible dyd begette his sonne, not of an other substance than he hym selfe is, but of the same. Whyche is yet to our great admiration, bycause he begattte hym without any alteration, and in suche equalitie with hym self that neither in power nor in aege, the father gothe before the sonne.

¶But the sonne dothe attrybute vnto the father, and not to hym selfe all that he hath, and maye, bycause he is not of hym selfe, but of the father. He is equall to the father, but he had that same of his father. Nor he toke not of hym selfe to be equall, but he is equall by nature. As he was euer borne, he was euer equalle. Wherfore the father bygatte hym not in­equalle to hym selfe. And after he was borne, gaue to hym equalitie, but in by­gettynge hym, gaue it vnto him, bycause he begat hym equal, not inferiour to him selfe. But yet he saythe. his father is su­periour to hym, bicause he toke the forme of a seruant, not lesyng the forme of god. [Page] by whyche fourme of a seruaunt he was made inferiour, not onely to his father, but alsoo to hym selfe, as to the sonne of god, and to the holy gooste. Nor only he was inferyoure to the Trynytie, in his forme of manhod, but also he was made inferiour vnder angels. And he was al­so inferyour vnto somme men, that is to say, to his mother, and to Ioseph, whom men tooke to be his father, to whome he was subiecte, as it is wrytten in the se­conde chapter of Luke. And for the form of a seruant, he sayd. My father is supe­riour vnto me. And for the forme of god. whyche he neuer lefte, he said in the tenth chapiter of Iohn̄. I and my father are one thynge, that is to say, one substance.

¶In forme of god, he was superiour to hym selfe, and in forme of man, he was inferiour to hym selfe. And therfore not without a cause, the scripture sayth both the sonne equall to the father, and the fa­ther superiour to the sonne, the one for the forme of god, the other for the forme of man, without confoundynge the oone nature into the other, bothe natures of [Page] god and man, beinge in one persone. In the forme of man, whiche he toke for vs, he was borne, and he suffered, and he a­rose from dethe to lyfe, and ascended in­to heauen. By the fyrste two, that is to say, by his byrthe and his passyon he she­wed to vs oure estate, By the two laste, that is to say, his resurrection and his as­cention, he shewed to vs an exaumple of our rewarde. The two fyrste, all that be borne doo fele, and the two laste we shall attayne, if we do beleue in hym.

¶And as the apostelle saythe, Chryste thought it no rauyn to be equal with god so saynt Iohn in the begynnynge of his gospell sayth, That the worde, whyche is the sonne was god. And as Paule saithe here. That he dyd abase him selfe to take vpon hym the forme of a seruant, so saint Iohn saythe. The worde of god is made Fleshe, that is to saye, Man: and hathe dwelte amongest vs, god and man in one person. For as the nomber of persons is not increased, whan the sowle is knyt to the body, to make therby one man, soo is not in Christe the nomber of persons in­creased, [Page] whan man is knytte to the word of god, to make one Christe.

¶It foloweth in the text. He was made in simylytude of men, that is to saye, he toke all our nature vpon hym, al be it, he was without synne, and he left no carnal procreation, by generation carnall. Nor that onely was in hym, that appiered in outwarde vysage, his manhode but god­heed also was in him. For he was not on­ly man, but in his person, godheed was knytte with manhoode. And therfore he saith here, that he was lyke to men. but more was in hym, than is in men. For we be made of soule and body. He had bothe soule and bodye and godheed. And ther­fore he saythe here, in similytude of men. As saynt Paule saithe in the .viii. chapi­ter to the Romayns. God sente his sonne into the worlde, in symylytude of synfull fleshe, not bycause he lacked flesshe, but bycause the flesshe that he tooke, lacked synne, and yet was it lyke to our flesshe, whiche is subiecte to synne, lyke by na­ture, but not lyke by wyckednes.

¶It folowethe in the text. That in shap [Page] he was founde as a man. That is to say, where he was without bodyly shappe, he toke vppon hym the fourme and shappe of a man, abydynge stylle god as he was before, but in fygure, that is to saye, in flesshe, he was made a man, and cledde with manhode, as with a clothynge, not that his godheed was chaunged thereby into manhode, as the members of a man be not chaungyd by puttyng on of a new garment. And he saith, that he was foūd in shappe as a man, bycause he seemed outwardly but one of the common sort of men, and yet he was more than soo. For he was god therwith. And yet was he a very man in nature, not in phantasy and ymagination. Saynt Paule also in the seconde chapyter of the fyrste Epistle to Timothe, callyth hym a manne sayenge. There is one mediator of god and man, A man Christe Iesu. And as he is in the forme of god, perfyte god, so is he in the forme of man, a perfyte man.

¶It foloweth in the texte. Christe hath humbled hym selfe, and became obedient vnto dethe. Here we may lerne humilitie [Page] as Christe dothe teache vs in the .xi. of Mathewe, sayenge, Lerne of me, for I am meke and humble in harte. He was made for the a man without synne. And thou synfull manne, why wylte thou not come to hym, that callyth the, and sayth? Come to me all ye that do trauayle, and be ouercharged, and I shal refreshe you. Thou prowde synful man, why art thou so prowde? Christe became obedient for thy sake to be incarnate, and to take part of the mortalitie of man. He was obedi­ent so farre, that he suffered.

¶Fyrst to be tempted of the dyuell. He was obediente to suffre the mockynge of the people of Iewes. He was obedyente to suffer to be bound, bobbed, and spitted at, to be stryken, and to be scourged. And yet he was further obedient to die for the thou synfull man.

¶It was a great humilitie at his byrth to lye in the maunger with beastes, for lacke of a cradell. It was a more humy­litie to lyue .xxxiii. yeres amongest syn­ners, he beinge without spotte of synne. The most abundant humilytie was that [Page] he suffered vpon the crosse betwyxte two murderers.

¶It was a harde suffering, that he suf­fred for wicked men. It was more harde that he suffered of wycked men. And the most hardest of all was, y^t he suffred with wicked men. and the same deth, that wic­ked men and murtherers do suffer.

¶It foloweth in the texte. That he suf­fered the deth of the crosse: whiche deathe was worste of all other kyndes of dethe. For those that were putte to that deathe, were fyrst nayled vpon the crosse, handes and fete drawen on length, and stretched abroode, hanged vp in the ayre, quycke, naked, and bledynge, not bycause longer lyfe shoulde folowe thereby, but bycause the dethe it selfe was prolonged to make the peyne the more, leste the shortenesse therof shoulde lesse haue bene felte. Han­gynge, or drownyng, or stryking of, of the heed, be peynes soone ouerpassyng. But the deathe of the crosse longe tyme dothe endure: In whiche they were wonte to breake theyr legges, to make theym dye more peynfully, as we rede in the .xix. cha­piter [Page] of Iohn̄.

¶This deth of the crosse was the worste deathe, that the Iewes coulde ymagyne for hym to dye. but yet Christe dyd chose this deathe. and intended to make it to be his sygne, And to make of it his badge, that all men beleuynge in hym, shulde in theyr forheaddes make his sygne of the crosse, as it was prophecied and fygured before in the .ix. chapiter of Ezechiel: and glorie in the crosse of Christe. As sayncte Paule in y^e last chapiter to the Galathies sayth. God forbyd, that I shuld glory in any thynge, but in the crosse of our lorde Iesu Christe, by which the worlde is cru­cified to me, and I to the worlde.

¶There was nothynge before more in­tollerable to the fleshe of man, than deth of the crosse. And there is nowe nothyng more glorious sette forth in the forheade of a christen man, than the sygne of the crosse. Here we maye note, what hye re­warde in heauen is reserued to a chrysten man, whan Christe hath gyuen suche an honour to the forme of the crosse, repre­sentynge to vs his passion. for nowe the [Page] forme of the crosse is so honoured amon­gest christen men, that if a man worthye to dye shoulde be crucified, it shoulde be thought amongest christen men, that he shulde thereby rather be honoured than punished. The crosse is now euery where amongest Christen men erected and sette vp as an arche triumphal ageinst the deuyll, declaryng vnto vs the vyctorie and triumphe, that Christ vpon the crosse ob­teyned agaynst the deuyll in cancellyng the bonde of our synne, wherin we were bounde to the dyuell, and fastenynge it cancellyd to his crosse, as sayncte Paule saythe in the seconde chapiter to the Co­lossians.

¶It foloweth in the text. Therfore god hath exalted him, and hath gyuen to him a name, that is aboue all names. Here it is to be noted, that God gaue to Christe his exaltation, as to man, and not as to god. For there was neuer no tyme before he was made man, that he in the fourme of god was not exalted, nor no tyme that all thinges dyd not bowe downe to hym, that be in heuen, erthe, and hell. And for [Page] that cause he saythe, Therfore. that is to say, for his manhode & forme of a seruant taken vpon hym, and vnited to his god­heed, and for his obedience vnto deathe of the crosse. For in the same fourme of man, in whiche he was crucified, in the same he was exalted. And a name was gyuen to hym aboue all names. That he beinge in the forme of a seruant, rysynge from deathe of the flesshe to lyfe, and as­cendynge vp into heuen, shulde be called the onely begotten sonne of god, whiche name he as the worde and sonne of god eternally begotten of god, and equall to god, hadde before. Wherof the aungell sent to the blessed vyrgine Marye before his byrthe prophecied, sayeng, in the first chapiter of Luke. That holy byrthe that shall be borne of the, shall be called the sonne of god. This hyghe exaltation of Christe gyuen to hym for his manhoode and sufferaunce of deathe for mankynde, is lyke to that, that Chryste hym selfe spake in the laste chapiter of Mathewe, sayinge. All power is gyuen to me in he­uen and in erthe. whiche he spake of his [Page] manhode, and not of his godheed. for by his godheed, he had it, before he was mā.

¶It foloweth in the texte. That in the name of Iesu euery knee shal bow down of all thynges that be in heauen, or that be in erthe, or that be in helle. That is to say, of aungels, of men, and of dyuelles. For the aungelles of heuen at his ascen­tion gloryfied in hym the nature of man, and bowed downe to hym exalted aboue all angels. And men in erth do glorifie in hym, and do knéle down to hym, and ad­ore hym, as their redemer, and god and man. The deuylles do stowpe downe to hym for feare, and one of them whom he expelled from a bodye possessed by hym, sayde to hym. I do knowe that thou arte the holy man of god. And all the deuyls shall knowe his power, whan he shall sit in iugement, rewardyng good men, and punyshynge the euyll. And the bowynge down of euery knee, is ment the submys­syon of all creatures to theyr maker, not that eyther aungels or deuylles haue bo­dily knees, but bicause we men, that haue bodies in our submyssion doo bowe oure [Page] knees. And therefore submyssyon of all creatures to theyr maker is ment therby. The deuyls alsoo feared his power, and bowed downe to hym, whanne his sowle with his godheade descended into helle, there to delyuer the sowles of all ryghtu­ous men, which were deed before Christ, and descended thyther, bycause heauen gates were not yet by hym opened. His godheed ones knytte by his incarnation to his body and his sowle, neuer depar­ted after from either of theym bothe, but styl abode with them, that is to saye, with his bodye in the sepulchre, and with his soule descendyng into hell, neuer depar­tyng from neither of theym, after his in­carnation.

¶It foloweth in the texte. And euerye tonge shall confesse and knowledge, that Iesu Christe is our lorde, to the glorie of god his father. That is to say, to the hye preferrement therof. for the glorye of the father is to haue such a sonne, lord of all, maker of all, and god of all. To whome all be subiectes and do obey. To whome all creatures do bowe downe, and whom [Page] all tonges do exalte and glorifie.

¶The glorye of god the father is, that the sonne euery where be gloryfyed. lyke as where god the sonne is despised, there god the father is despised. and blasphe­my spoken ageinst god the sonne, is spo­ken also ageynste god the father. Lyke as amongest men, dishonour done to the sonne soundeth to the dyshonour of the father. For betwyxte god the father, and god the sonne, there is no difference, but that that ryseth and commeth by dyuer­sitie of theyr persones. And therfore the honour or dyshonoure of god the sonne, stretcheth to the honour or dyshonour of god the father. Where the sonne is perfit in all thynges, it is the honour of the fa­ther, that so begat hym, of whome he had it. And where he needeth nothynge, it is the honor of his father, of whom he hath all plentie. And where he by his godheed is not inferiour to his father, it is the ho­noure of his father, of whome he hathe the same substance, and the same essence. and where he is wyse, it is the honour of the father, whose wysedome he is. and [Page] where he is good, it is the honour of the father, of whom he hath it. And where he is almyghty, It is the honour of the fa­ther, whose arme he is. In all these thyn­ges it is the hyghe honour of god the fa­ther, that he eternally begatte a sonne of so moche glorye.

¶And it is a great demonstration▪ that Chris [...] the sonne of god is god by nature, bycause he humbled hym selfe, takynge mans na [...]e vppon hym. For he knewe, that by his humilytie he coulde suffer no damage in the highnes of his godly na­ture. For his godly nature coulde not be hydde, nor [...]pte vnder, nor oppressed by any humilitie. His humilitie therfore is an euident argument of his natural god heed. And therfore if any man do desyre to be greate in vertue, lette hym humble hym self. for humilitie sheweth the great­nes of vertue. Let hym folowe Christe in humilitie, and he shall gayne great thyn­ges therby. He that is pore in vertue fea­reth to humble hym selfe, leste he shoulde fall from hs feyned & dissembled height. And he that is ryche in vertue, doth hum­ble [Page] hym selfe, knowynge that he hathe in hym vertue, whereby he shall be exalted, whyche vertue can not be hyd. As a can­dell bournynge can not be hyd in a darke house, nor a swete smell hydde in any cor­ner, but it wyll by the good flauour ther­of disclose where it is, and allure men to take vp the thynge that so smelleth.

¶So we do se in the epistle of this day, That Christe for his humylite hath receyued exaltation, as he hym self saith in the gospel in the .xxiii. chap. of Mat. And for his obedience he hath receiued highe ho­nor, to haue a name aboue al names. And for his pacience and passion, he hathe re­ceiuid power ouer al, that al creatures do bowe downe to hym. And for his infinite charitie agaynst mankynde, he dothe re­ceyue of al faithful people, laude, praise, and glorie. And thus haue we hytherto declared the lytterall sense of the epistle of this day. by whiche ye may se, that the humilytie and obedience of Christ, dothe surmount all examples of humilitie and obedience of the olde testamente, as farre as the bryghte shynynge of the sonne is [Page] aboue the dymme lyghte of an olde lan­terne. For if we shulde compare the hu­militie and obedience of Abraham, who lefte his countrey of Chaldee by goddis commaundement, and went forwardes, not knowynge whither he shulde goo, to the humilitie and obedyence of Christe, who discended from heauen to be incar­nate and suffer deathe for vs in forme of man: there is almooste noo comparison. for where all the worlde is full of myse­rie, Abraham went but frome one wret­ched place therof, to an other moche lyke. But Christ, beinge the sonne of god, from the begynnynge euer in glory, and in he­uen with his father, where no miserie ne­uer was, nor none can be, came downe from heuen to be incarnate, and to lyue in this wretched worlde, knowynge it be­fore to be the valle of mysery.

¶Lykewise if we shulde compare Isaac. who whan his father wente to sacrifyce hym, bare the fagote, that shulde make the fyre of his sacrifyce, to Chryste bea­rynge his crosse, whanne he wente to his death (wherof Isaac was a fygure) The [Page] obedience of Isaac is farre beneth Chry­stis obedience. For Isaac going with his father, knewe nothynge what his father dyd meane, whan he badde him beare the fagotte. whiche appereth by that whan he asked his father, where the sacryfyce was, that shulde be brente. But Christe the sonne of god, before he was incar­nate, knewe all the counsell and secretes of the father of heauen, and yet he was contente wyllyngl [...] for our s [...]ke to be in­carnate, and to [...]uffer deat [...]e vppon the crosse, and shewed before to his [...]sciples, that he wolde and shulde so do. so that in comparynge the greate and infinite hu­militie and obedience of Christe, with the humilytie and obedyence of other, that were in the olde testament, we shall fynd them to be as sayncte Paule saythe, but fygures and shadowes, as fygures of men paynted, be farre vnder the liuynge bodies of men. And as the lyuynge body of a man farre passeth in substaunce the shadowe of the same, soo the vertues of Christe, so farre do excede the vertues of good men, that were in the old testament [Page] fygures of hym, that his vertues be fer­ther aboue theirs, than heauen is aboue the erthe.

HYTHERTO we haue de­clared the trewe sense of the epistle of this daye, redde in the churche, conteynynge soo great humilite and obedience of our sauiour Christe, that nether by the tonge of mā it can be worthyly expressed, nor yet in any wyse by mans thought cō ­prised. But nowe let vs somewhat speke of the vyce and synne of Disobedyence, whiche shall more sette forthe the incom­parable vertue of Christis humilitie and obedience, and also open vnto vs, howe farre they be from Christe and howe con­trary to his doct [...]ine, that do gyue theym selfes to disobedience. Whiche disobedy­ence was the fyrste [...]nne, that man after his creation dyd commyt, and is alwaye ioyned with all other synnes, as a com­panyon neuer departynge frome theym. For euerye synne that men doo fall in, is done agaynst goddes lawe, soo that the [Page] transgression and dysobeysaunce of god­dis law is coupled with euery synne. For if we obeyde goddis lawe, as we oughte to do, than we shuld not synne.

¶And that dysobedience was the fyrste synne done by man after his creation, it playnely dothe appere in the thyrde cha­piter of Genesis. where after Adam was put in Paradyse by almyghtye god, and commaunded to eate of all the fruites in the same, excepte the tree of knowledge of good and euyll. Whiche he was com­maunded to forbeare, and not to towche nor eate of the fruite of it, the dyuelle in the serpent, sayd to Eue. God that forbad you to eate of that tree, knoweth, that what daye so euer ye do eate of that tree, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shal be as goddes, knowynge good and euylle. By whyche fals perswasion, the woman induced dydde eate of the tree forboden, and gaue vnto her housbande, who eate also of the same, disobeyenge goddis cō ­maundement. who commaunded that in no wyse they shulde touche it, vpon peyn of dethe to folowe for theyr disobedience. [Page] for whyche disobedyence not onelye they were forthwith expelled out of Paradise, but also they and all mankynde was by the sentence of almyghty god made sub­iecte to deathe, and to mortalitie.

¶Disobediēce hath also pride euermore annexed vnto it, whyche makethe hym, that disobeyeth to contemne to obey, and to care nothyng at all to disobey, as doth appere by the falle of the dyuell, described vnto vs by the holy goste in the person of Nabugodonosor the verye chylde of the deuyl, in the .xiiii. chapter of Esai. where Lucifer an high and bright aungell, full of beautie and all clerenesse, as soone as he was create, not gyuynge thankes to almyghtye god for his naturall gyftes, giuen to him in his creation, but by pride reputynge to haue them of hym selfe, and not of god, sayde in his harte. I shall as­cende into heuen. I shall exalte my seate aboue the sterres of god. I shall ascende aboue the height of the clowdes. I shall be lyke to almyghtye god. But his falle and ruyne is forthewith there described, where the prophete addeth, sayenge. But [Page] yet for all this, thou shalte be plucked downe to helle in to the bottome of the lake. And Chryste also in the gospelle of Luke, in the .x. chapiter testifieth his fall, sayenge. I sawe Satan fall from heuen as a lyghtnyng. So we se, that disobedi­ence of the deuyll, not kepynge the order of his creation, but surmountynge farre aboue it, and contempnynge the degree that his maker had put hym in, was the cause of his falle.

¶Nowe what shall we saye of those. whome god hathe create to be subiectes, commandyng them by his [...]orde to obey their princis and gouernours? Who not onely do refuse to obey goddis comman­dement, but contrary to his worde, wylle be aboue theyr gouernours, in refusynge to obey them. and farthermore also woll haue their pryncis prostrate vppon the grounde, to whome they owe subiection, to adore them by godly honour vpon the erthe, & to kysse their fete, as yf they were god, where they be but wretched menne. And yet they looke, that their pryncis shulde do it vnto them, and also all other [Page] chrysten men, owynge theym no subiec­tion shulde of duetie do the same. do not these, as ye thynke, folowe the pryde of Lucyfer their father? Who make theym selfes felowes to God, contrarye to his word. But who I pray you be these, that men may knowe them? Surely the bys­shoppes of Rome be those, whome I doo meane. Who doo exalte their seate aboue the sterres of god. and do ascende aboue the clowdes, and wyll be lyke to almygh­ty god. The sterres of god be mente the aungels of heuen, for as sterres do shewe vnto vs in parte the lyght of heauen, soo do aungelles sente vnto men, shewe the heauenly lyghte of the grace of god, to those to whome they be sente. And the clowdes sygnifyed in the olde testament. the prophetes, and in the newe do sygny­fie the apostels and prechers of the word of god. For as the cloudes doo conceyue and gather in the skye moysture, whyche they after powre down vpon the ground to make it therby more fruitefull: soo the prophetes in the olde testament, and the Apostelles and preachers in the newe, [Page] do powre into our eares the moysture of theyr heauenly doctrine of the worde of god, to make therwith by grace our sow­les beinge seere and drye, brynge forthe fruite of the spirite. Thus do al auncient exposytours, and amonge theym sayncte Augustine, interprete to be ment in scrip­ture, sterres and clowdes, in thexposyti­on of the .xlv. psalme.

¶But saynt Iohn euangelist writeth in the .xix. chapiter of the apocalips, and in the .xxii. also, that whan he wolde haue fallen downe at the aungelles foote, that dyd shewe hym those vysions there writ­ten, to haue adored hym with godly wor­shyp, the aungelle sayde vnto hym. See thou doo not soo. for I am the seruaunte of God as thou arte. Gyue adoration and godly worshyppe to god, and not to me. Here it appereth, that the bysshops of Rome sufferynge all men prostate be­fore them, to kysse their feete, ye the same princis, to whom they owe subiection, do cl [...]mme vp aboue the aungelles, whyche refused suche godly worshyp and adora­tion. We do rede in the gospelle of Luce. [Page] in the .vii. chapiter, that as Chryste satte at dyner in the house of the pharysee, a synfull woman of that citie came into the howse, hauynge a boxe of precious oynt­ment. Who kneled downe, and vnder the bourde with wepinge teares wasshed his fete, and dried them with the heare of her heed, and kyssed his fete, and annoynted them with her precious oyntmente. whi­che adoration Chryste beinge bothe god and man there dyd accepte, forgyuynge the synful womā her synnes for her fayth and her repentaunce. Wherby he dydde shewe his godheed to the pharisee, why­che toke hym but as a holy man. for only god dothe remytte synne. We rede also in the .xii. of the gospell of Iohn̄, that Ma­ry the syster of Martha lykewise dyd an­noynt his feete, and drie theym with her heare of her heed. Whiche godly honour, Christe as god receyued. But neyther we can fynde in scripture, that suche godlye honour of that sort hath ben done to man only, nor we rede not in any historis, that christen princis haue admytted suche ad­oration due only vnto god▪ Christen princis [Page] be content to see their subiectes knele vnto them. And if they suffer theyr sub­iectes to kysse theyr handes, whan they put forth their handes to theym, it is the mooste worldely honour, that they suffer to be done vnto them. But yet Christe of­fered his fete beinge bare to be wasshed with teares and kyssed, as appereth by the gospel of Luke. for he said to the pha­risee, that bad hym to dyner, and wonde­red why he suffred the synfull woman to approche so nere vnto hym, that all be it, he had made hym a good dyner, yet the synful woman hadde done more than he. For he hadde not gyuen hym water to weshe his fete, but she sens he entred in­to his house had not cessed to wesshe his fete with her teares. And fete be wasshed to no man, but whan they be naked, soo that it appereth, that Chrystis feete than washed with teres and kyssed were bare. But the byshop of Rome offereth his fete to be kissed, shod with his shoes on. for I se my selfe being than present .xxxiiii. yere ago, whan Iulius than bishop of Rome stode on his fete, and one of his chamber­laynes [Page] helde vp his skyrt, bycause it stode not as he thought with his dignitie, that he shulde doo it hym selfe, that his showe myght appere, whyles a noble manne of great age dyd prostrate hym selfe vppon the grounde, and kyssed his shoo. Why­che he stately suffered to be doone, as of duetie. Where me thynke I sawe Corne­lius the Centuryon capytayne of the I­talyons bende spoken of in the tenth cha­piter of the actes, submyttynge hym selfe to Peter, and moche honourynge hym. but I sawe not Peter there to take hym vp, and to byd hym ryse, sayenge. I am a man as thou arte. as saynte Peter dyd saye to Cornelius. so that the byshoppes of Rome, admyttynge suche adoration dewe vnto god, do clymme aboue the he­uenly clowdes, that is to saye, aboue the apostels sent into the worlde by Chryste, to water the earthlye and carnall hartes of men, by their heauenly doctrine of the worde of god.

¶And that by the worde of god all men ought to obey the potestates and gouer­nours of the worlde, as emperours, kyn­ges [Page] and princis of all sortes, what name so euer the saide supreme powers doo vse for the countreys, in which they be, saynte Peter playnly dothe teache vs, in the se­cond chapiter of his fyrst epistle, sayeng. Be ye subiecte to euery humayn creature for goddis sake, whether it be kynge as chiefe heed, or dukes, or gouernours, as sente frome god to the vengeaunce and punyshemente of euyll doers, and to the laude of good doers. for so is the wyll of god, so that saynt Peter hym selfe in his Epistle commaundeth all worldly pryn­ces in theyr offyce to be obeyd, as the mi­nysters of god by all christen men.

¶And accordynge vnto the same, saynte Paule in the .xiii. chapiter to the Romai­nes saythe. Euery lyuynge man be sub­iecte to the high powers. for the high po­wers be of god. And who so euer resisteth the highe powes, resysteth the ordynance of god, and purchaseth therby to him self damnation. for the hyghe powers be the mynysters of god, to succour and lawde well doers, the mynysters of god, to pu­nysshe euyll doers. and the mynysters of [Page] god, to doo iustice to all men. for whiche cause they receyued tribute. and lest men shulde forgette theyr duetie of obedyence to theyr princis, it is there thryse repeted, that they be the mynisters of god, whose place in theyr gouernance they do repre­sent. so that vnto them al men must obey, apostels, patriarches, primates, arche­byshoppes, byshoppes, priestes, and all of the clergie. And all noble men of what degree so euer they be, being within their gouernaunce, with all the people also. And therfore the byshop of Rome oweth lykewyse to his souerain and superiour, like subiection by the word of god taught vnto vs by Peter and Paule, as other bishoppes do owe to theyr princes, vnder whom they be. And therfore Agatho the byshop of Rome, in whose tyme was the vi. synode & counsell general, after his e­lection sent to themperour then beinge at Constantinople to haue his election alo­wed before he wolde be consecrate, after the olde custome at that tyme vsed. And an other byshoppe of Rome called Uita­lianus dyd the same, as it is wrytten in [Page] the decrees, in the .lxiii. distinction, in the chapitre begynnynge, Agatho. and as saynte Gregory and saydte Ambrose had done before theym, as it is written in the chapiter. Cum longe. in the same distincti­on. the byshops of Rome at that tyme fo­lowed the doctrine of sayncte Peter and saynte Paule lefte vnto them, to be sub­iectes, and to obey theyr princes.

¶The gospelle also teacheth vs in the xxii. chapiter of Luce, howe the apostels fell at contention amonge them selfes the nyghte before the passyon, who amonge them shulde be superiour, and aboue the other. Whyche theyr contention Chryste discussed. sayeng on this wyse. The kyn­ges of people and nations haue domini­on ouer them, and those that haue power ouer them, be called benefactors of them. But so it shall not be amongest you, but who so euer amongest you is the greater, shall be as the yonger: and who soo euer amongest you shall be chiefe, shall be as a seruant and a minister. For who is su­periour? he that sytteth at the table, or he that serueth at the table? is not he supe­riour [Page] that sytteth? But I am amongeste you as he that mynystreth and serueth. And ye be those that haue bydden with me in my temptations. and I ordeyn for you, as my father hath ordeyned for me a kyngdome, that ye shall eate and drynk at my bourde in my kyngdome, and shal sytte vpon seates, iudgyng the .xii. tribes of Israel. Here we doo see, that Chryste wolde haue the mekeste and moste hum­ble to be chiefe in his flocke, by humilitie and by seruyce done to other. As Chryste by example had washed the fete of his a­postelles the same nyghte a lyttell before. And it appereth also, that he wolde not leaue amongest his apostelles a worldly kyngdome, wherby they shulde worldely reygne ouer other, but that he ordeyned for them a heuenly kyngedome to reigne with hym in heauen, and to sytte with hym in iudgement, to iudge the .xii. tri­bes of Israell, that is to say. by thexam­ple of their fayth, who beleued in Christe, to condemne the infidelite of the Iewes, that wolde not beleue in hym, but shame­fully put him to deth. So that herby it is [Page] proued playnly, that Chryste lefte to his disciples no worldely kyngedome here in erthe to haue princis vnder them. A lyke dyscussynge of this contention of supe­rioritie, whiche an other tyme rose also, e­monge the apostelles, is conteyned in the tenth chapter of Mark, and the .xx. chap­tre of Mathewe, and by lyke wordes ab­solued, that mekenes and not superiorite shulde be regarded amonge them. for the apostels before the commynge of the ho­ly gost, after the tyme of the resurrection, euen at the tyme of Christis ascention, as­ked hym, whether he wolde restore again the worldely kyngedome of Israell. for whiche kyngedome at that tyme they dyd loke, as Cleophas sayd in the last chapi­tre of Luce vnto Christ apperyng to hym and his felowe goinge in to Emaus. we trusted that he was the man, that shulde haue redemed Israell. And yet vnto this daye the iewes do loke for theyr Messias to come and to reigne amonge them by a worldely kyngedome in Hierusalem as Dauid dyd. but Christe lefte to his disci­ples no suche worldelye kyngedome, but [Page] sayde. it shulde not be so emong them, as it was emongest the princis of the world.

¶And where Christe in the laste chapy­ter of Mathewe sayde after his resurrec­tion. All power is gyuen to me in heuen and in erthe. so that both in his godheed and in his manhode also inseparably v­nite in one persone, that is to saye, in one Christe, and two natures, god and man. he had all power gyuen to hym as man, whiche from the begynnynge he euer had as the sonne of god, with god his father. Yet neuer the lesse he neuer chaunged the auctoritie of worldly kinges and princis. but by his owne word commanded them stylle to be obeyed by theyr subiectes, as they had ben before his incarnation, say­inge in the .xxii. chapyter of Matthewe, whan the Iewes axed hym whether they shulde paye tribute to Ceasar or noo. he bad theym gyue to Cesar those thynges that be his, and to god those thinges that be his. sygnifyenge vnto theym, that tri­bute was dewe to Cesar, and that theyr sowles were due to god. And in the .xvii. chapiter of Mathewe it appeareth. that [Page] Christe bad Peter paye tribute for hym, and his disciples, whan it was demaun­ded of hym. And Christe as man, wolde not chaunge the order of obeysaunce to worldly princis by their subiectes. Whi­che he as god with his father had ordey­ned before his Incarnation, as sayncte Paule testifieth, sayenge. Worldely po­wers be ordeyned of god, & therfore who so euer resysteth them, dothe resyste god.

¶And that Christe hym selfe wolde not reigne here in erth, by a worldly and tem­porall kyngedome, it appereth in the .vi. chapiter of Iohn. Where after he hadde fedde fyue thousande Iewes, besydes women and chylder, with fyue barley lo­ues and two fyshes, and the Iewes wold haue taken hym, and made hym theyr kynge, he fledde from theym, and wolde not consent vnto them, For the kyngdom that he came to serche here in erthe, was not a worldly and temporal kyngedome, but a heuenly and spyrituall kyngedom, that is to saye, to reygne spirituallye by grace and faythe in the hartes of all chri­sten and faithfull people, of what degree [Page] or of what nation so euer they be, and to tourne al people & nations, whiche at his cōming were carnall, & lyued after the lu­stes of the fleshe, to be spiritual, & to lyue after the lustes of the spirite. that Christe myght spiritually with his father of he­uen reigne in the hartes of all men. whi­che heauenly kyngedome sayncte Iohn Baptist in the deserte preached ofte to the Iewes, sayenge. Repent you, and amend your lyues, for the kyngedome of heauen is at hande. After whose death Christ in­tendynge to manyfeste hym selfe to the worlde, beganne his prechyng lykewyse, sayenge. Do penaunce, for the kyngdom of heuen is at hand. And it is plainly ex­pressed in the .xiii. chapter of Matth. in the parable lykening the kingdom of he­uen to a man, which dyd sowe good sede in his field, and after whyles he slepped, his enmy dyd sowe euyl sede in the same. for Christ expoūdyng that parable, saith. The good sede be the chyldern and inhe­ritours of the kyngedome, so the kynge­dome, that Christe seeketh here in erthe, is a spirituall and heauenly kyngedome. [Page] And Christe sayde to Pylate in the .xviii. chapiter of Iohn̄. My kyngdome is not of this worlde. And therfore those that go about to make of Christis spyrytuall kyngdome, a worldly kyngdome, do falle into errour of some heretykes, that loke that Christe after the daye of iudgement shall reygne with all his sayntes here in erthe carnally in Hierusalem. as the Ie­wes doo beleue, that Messias is yet to come: and whan he shall come, he shall reigne worldly in Ierusalem.

¶So we doo see, that Chryste lefte the worldely kyngedomes to prynces of the world, as is before expressed. But he commytted the preachynge of this heauenlye kyngedome to his apostels, gyuynge to them lyke commission and equall aucto­ritie to preache & teche the same, through all the worlde, sayeng in the last chapyter of Mathewe, after the wordes before de­clared, that all power was gyuen to hym in heuen, and in erthe. Go ye forthe and teache all nations, baptysynge theym in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy goste, teachynge them to [Page] kepe all those thynges whyche I haue commaunded you. Christe also in the .xx. chapter of Iohn sayde the euenynge af­ter his resurrection, whan he appered to his disciples, the dores beinge shutte. As my father hath sente me, I do sende you. and after he had so sayde, he brethed vp­pon them, sayinge. Whose synnes so euer ye shall forgyue, be forgyuen. and whose synnes ye shall reteyne be reteyned. And lykewyse had saide to them all before his death. in the .xviii. chapter of Mathewe. what thynges so euer ye shall bynde vp­pon erthe shal be bounde in heauen, and what thynges so euer ye shall lose vppon erthe shal be leused in heauen. whiche po­wer he gaue to them all equally and like, as well to all the resydewe, as to Peter. whiche auctoritie Christe declareth in the x. chapter of Luke to be hyghe, and to be regarded of all men, and not to be con­temned in any wyse, sayinge. He that he­rith you, herith me, and he that herith me hereth my father of heuen, that hath sent me. And he that despiseth you, despyseth me, and he that despyseth me, despyseth [Page] my father of heuen, that hath sent me. At the day of iugemente Sodoma and Go­morra, whiche harde not of Christ, shal be in better case, than such despysers shalbe.

¶But here the byshoppe of Rome step­peth in, and saith. Peter hadde auctorite gyuen to him aboue all the resydue of the apostels, for Christe sayde to hym in the xvi. chapiter of Matthewe. Thou arte Peter, and vpon this rocke I shall bylde my churche, and I shall giue the, the keis of the kyngedome of heuen. and what so euer thou shalt bynde vpon erthe, shalbe bound in the heuens. This sayde Christ. And sayncte Peter is buryed at Rome, whose successor I am▪ and oughte to rule the churche as Peter dyd, and to be por­ter at heauen gates, as Peter was. And Christe sayde also to Peter, after his re­surrection. Fede my shepe. whiche wor­des, he spake to hym onely. so that therby he had auctoritie ouer all that be of Chri­stis flocke. and I as his successour haue the same. and therfore who soo wyl not o­bey me, kynge or prince, I wyl curse him and depriue hym his kyngedome or seig­norie. [Page] for all power is gyuen to me, that Christe had: and I am his vicar general, as Peter was here in erthe ouer all, and none but I, as Christe is in heuen.

This ambitious and pompouse obiec­tion is made by him and his adherentes: and hath of late yeres moch troubled the worlde, and made discention, debate, and open warre in all partes of Chrysten­dome, and nourysshed the same. But yf the bysshoppe of Rome wolde take those places after the right sense of thē ▪ as both the apostels them selfes taughte vs, and all the auncient beste lerned, and mooste holy interpretours do expound them, the worlde shulde be more at quietnesse than it is. where nowe by wronge interpreta­tion the scripture is peruerted. and an o­ther gospell in that poynt preached vnto vs, than euer the apostels preached. soo that thoughe an aungell came fro heuen, and wolde tell vs suche newe expositions of those places, as is now made, to turne the wordes, which were spoken for spiri­tuall auctoritie, of preachynge the worde of god, and ministringe of the sacramen­tes, [Page] to a worldly auctoritie, we oughte to reiecte hym. as saynt Paule saythe in the fyrst chapiter to the Galathiens.

¶But to open the true sense of the scrip­ture in the places aforesayd, it is to be obserued that Christe in the sayd .xvi. cha­piter of Mathewe, asked his dyscyples, whom men dyd say y^t he was. whervnto after answere giuen by thē diuersly, some sayinge, that he was Iohn̄ Baptist, some saying y^t he was Ely, some saying that he was Ieremie, or oone of the prophetes. Christe asked them, whom do ye say that I am? whervnto Peter answered for thē al, for of al them the question was asked, as he was always redy to make answer, Thou arte Chryste the sonne of god that lyueth. Iesus answered. Blessed be thou Symon the sonne of Iona. for flesh and bloud hath not reueled this vnto the, but my father, whiche is in heuen. And I say to the, Thou arte Peter, and vpon this rocke I shall bylde my churche, and the gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynste it. that is to saye, vpon this rocke of thy confessyon of me to be the sonne of god. [Page] I shall bylde my churche. For this con­fession conteyneth the hole summarye of our faythe and saluation. Which confes­syon fyrste was spoken by the mouthe of Peter. Who of all the .xii. apostelles that Christe chose to sende into the worlde to preache his word, was the fyrst that with his mouthe vttered that confessyon and knowlegynge, by which all Christen men must be saued. and without whyche noo man can be saued. as it is written in the x. chapter to the Romains by Paul. The worde of faythe that we do preache, is at hande in thy mouthe and in thyne harte. for if thou confesse with thy mouthe oure lorde Iesus. and with thy hart do beleue that god raysed hym frome death to lyfe. thou shalt be saued. Upon this fyrst con­fession of Peter, and not vpon the person of Peter, the church is bylded. As Chry­sostom expoūdeth that place, in the .xxvi. sermon of the feast of Pentecost, saying. Not vpon the person of Peter, but vpon the fayth Chryst hath bylded his churche. And what is the faithe? This. Thou art Christ the sonne of god that liueth. what [Page] is to say, Upon this rocke? that is, vpon this confession of Peter. And with this sayenge of Chrisostome, all auncient ex­posytours treatynge that place, do agree. For if we shulde expound that place, that the Churche is bylded vppon the persone of Peter, we shuld put an other founda­tion of the churche than Christe, whyche is dyrectedly agaynst saint Paule, saying in the .iii. chapiter of the fyrste epistle to the Corinthians. no man may putte any other foundation, but that whiche is put alredy, whiche is Christe Iesu. and ther­fore that exposition, that the personne of Peter shoulde be the foundation of the church, shuld make of the trinitie a qua­ternitie, and put a fourth person besydes the trinitie, to be the foundation of the churche.

¶And this fyrste confession of Peter by faith, that Christe is the sonne of god, is the preeminēce and primacye, that Peter had before the other spokē of in the tenth of Mathewe, where in recitynge the na­mes of the .xii. apostels chosen by Christ, it is written. The fyrst is Symon Peter. [Page] For he fyrste confessed that fayth, that all men must be saved by. For who so dothe agree with Peter in his sayde fyrste con­fession, as all the apostels dyd, and as al we that pourpose to be saued muste doo, shall be saued. and who so doth not agree with that confession, shall be damned.

¶And where he is called by many aun­cient and holy interpretours of the scrip­ture for his faythe, sometyme the chyefe of thapostels, sometyme the mouthe of the apostels, sometyme the prynce of the apostels, sometyme the presydente of the hole churche, all these honorable names be attribute by theym vnto hym for his forsayde fyrste confession, wherin all our faith is conteyned. And bycause he was of all the apostels moste ardent in fayth. and feared not beinge in great tempeste on the see, vpon Christis worde, to come oute of the shyppe, and go to hym vppon the water, beinge in great rage. Whiche his dede declared his fayth to be meruai­lously vehement in Christe.

¶The greatnes and vehemency also of his fayth was declared in the .ii.iii. and [Page] iiii. chapiters of the actes, whan the Ie­wes in the begynnynge, withstode the a­postels preachynge the faythe of Chryst. For thā Peter as most ardent in faithe of all the apostels was euer moste redye to defende the faith ageynst the impugners of it, speaking for them all vnto the peo­ple in defense of it, for the feruente loue that he bare to Christe.

¶And as Peter was mooste ardente in faythe, in whiche he had of god a mooste syngular gyfte, so was Paule moste fer­uen in zele bothe to wynne the Iewes to Christe. desyrynge the saluation of his countrey to wynne them to Christe, and wysshynge hym selfe in a maner to haue ben separate from Christe, soo that they myghte haue bene saued therby: as it is written in the .ix. chapter to the Romay­nes, and also in zele to wynne all the gen­tyles and other nations to Chryst, as he wryteth in the seconde epystle to the Co­rinthians in the .xi. chaptre, saying. who is weake, and I am not weke with hym? who is offended, and I am not offended with hym? where he speaketh also of the [Page] care that he toke for all churches. whiche his feruent zele doth appere in many places of all his epistles.

¶And as Paule was feruent in zeale, so was Iohn the Euangelist most excellent in innocency & in charytie. Whervnto he chiefly exhorteth al mē in his first epistle. And al other thapostels had their speciall gyftes dyuersly gyuen vnto them. as the giftes of almighty god be giuē diuersely, and not all to one man, as it is writen in the .xii. chapiter of the fyrste epistle to the Corinthians. And as Christe is called by sayncte Paule in the .xv. chapiter of the fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians the first fruite of those that rose from deth to lyfe. so is Peter called the firste in faythe, for he was the fyrste that with his mouthe confessed it. And Epenetus is lykewyse callyd by saynt Paule the fyrste, that be­leued in the churche of Asia, in the .xvi. chapter to the Romaynes. And the hous­holde of Stephan is the fyrste that bele­ued in Achaia, in the laste chapiter of the first epistle to the Corinthians.

¶And that Peter shulde not haue a rule [Page] aboue all other the apostels in all places, saynt Paule playnely sheweth in the .ii. chapter to the Galathiās. where he saith. that as the apostelshyp of the Circumci­sion, that is to saye of the Iewes, was gyuen by Christe to Peter, so was the a­postelshyp of the gentyls gyuen to me a­mong the gentils. so that there they deui­ded them self is asonder y^t Peter, Iames, and Iohn, shulde go preache the faith to the Iewes, and Paule and Barnabas, shulde go preache to the gentyls, as they dyd. Here it appereth, that Paule knewe no primacie of Peter, concernynge peo­ple or places, but among the Iewes. For whiche cause Peter dissembled in Anti­oche to eate of the gentyls meates, whan the Iewes came thither, leste he shoulde offende his flocke of the Iewes commit­ted to hym. in whiche matter Paule de­fendynge the lybertie of meates that he hadde preached to the gentyles, withstode hym. And saynte Ambrose expoundynge that place saythe. The prymacye of the Iewes was gyuen chyefly to Peter, all be it Iames and Iohn̄ were ioyned with [Page] hym, as the prymacye of Gentyles was gyuen to Paule, Albeit Barnabas was ioyned with hym, soo that Peter had not a rule ouer all.

¶And also that sayncte Peter hym selfe knewe no suche primacye ouer all people and places gyuen vnto hym, it appereth playnly in the .x. of the actes. Where saint Peter after the commynge of the holye gooste, beinge at Ioppa, and sent for by Cornelius to come to hym than being in Cesarea, durste not go to hym without a vysion of a shete latten downe from hea­uen, conteynynge all maner of beastes, byrdes, and serpentes, whereof he was bydden eate, and repute not those meates vncleane, that god had purged. Whiche vysion opened vnto hym, that he shulde not refuse the gentyls, whom the Iewes dyd abhorre as vncleane. Nowe if he had knowen his commission to be ouer all, he shulde not haue neded any suche visyon. but he hym self vnderstode it, not so large or aboue the other. But he remembred well, that Christe in the laste chapyter of Luke, badde them begynne fyrste at Hie­rusalem [Page] to preache to the Iewes, as he dyd. And after his returne to Hierusalem ageyn from Cesarea, he made a great ex­cuse to the Iewes of his flocke offended with his goinge thither, writen in the .xi. chapiter of thactes. soo it apperethe, that Peter hym selfe dothe agree with saynte Paule, that his commission and auctori­tie was amonge the Iewes, as Paules was amonge the gentyls.

¶And that all the apostels had like dig­nitie and auctoritie, it appereth by saynte Paul in the .ii. chapter to the Ephesians, where he saithe. Nowe ye be not guestes and strangers, but ye be citisens and do­mestikes of almyghty god bylded vppon the foundation of the apostelles. and the prophetes, Christ beinge the corner stone vpō whom euery edifyce bylded groweth to be a holy temple in oure lorde. Here he sayth, that they be bylded not vppon the foundation of Peter onely. but vpon the foundation of the apostelles. so that all they be in the foundation set vpon Christ the very rocke. whervpon the hole church standeth. So lykewise in the .xxi. chapter [Page] of the Apocalypse it is wrytten. that the wall of heuenly Hierusalem, the citie of almyghtye god, whyche is the churche, Christis espouse, hath .xii. foundations, and in theym the names of the .xii. apo­stels wrytten. soo that the name of Peter is not there wrytten onely. for the .xii. a­postels throughe all the worlde, as well as Peter preached Christ to be the sonne of god, who is the very rocke whervpon all our fayth is founded.

¶Sayncte Cyprian also saythe in his boke of the simplicitie of prelates, that all the apostels had equall power and digni­tie gyuen to them by Christ. And bycause all shulde preache done thynge, therfore the begynnynge therof fyrste beganne by one. whiche was Peter. Who confessed for them all, that Christ was the sonne of god that lyueth. sayinge further, that in the churche there is one offyce of all bys­shops, wherof euerye man hath a parte allotted holly vnto hym. Nowe if the by­shop of Rome may medle ouer all, where he wyll, then euerye man hath not holly his parte. for the bysshop of Rome maye [Page] medle in his parte with hym, soo that he hath it not holly, which is agein Ciprian.

¶And where Christe sayd, that he wold gyue to Peter, the keyes of heauen, that was sayd to hym not for hym selfe onely, but for the hole churche. Whiche confes­synge the faithe that he dyd, shulde haue the keys of heauen as well as he. as saint Augustin sayth, expoundynge the gospel of Iohn in the fyfty treaty.

¶And as to the auctoritie of the laste chapter of Iohn̄, where Christ said thrise to Peter. Fede my shepe. after he hadde confessed to loue Christ, thrise asked. that place is, as Cyrillus sayth, expoundynge the same, thus to be vnderstande. that bi­cause Peter hadde thrise denyed Christe, wherby he thought hym selfe he had loste his apostelshyp, Christe to comforte hym ageyne, and to restore hym to his offyce, that he had loste, asked hym thrise, whe­ther he loued hym, and so restored him a­geyne to his offyce. Whiche els he durste not haue presumed vnto. sayeng to hym. Fede my shepe. With whiche exposition the ancient holy expositours of that place [Page] do agree.

¶And where it is sayde, that those wor­des were spoken onely to Peter, wherby he ought to haue a preeminēce aboue the other. Saynt Paule in the .xx. chapiter of thactes proueth the contrarye. Where saynt Paule sayde to all the bysshops as­sembled at Milete. Take heede to youre selues, and to all your flocke, in whiche the holy gooste hath put you to gouerne his churche. whiche worde, To gouerne, is in the origynall texte of Greke Pimenin, the same worde that Christe spake to Pe­ter, and doth signify to fede and gouerne the shepe, as the shepeherde ought to do. so that saynte Paule sayth, that the holye gooste hath ordeyned all byshops to fede their flocke, as saynte Peter was bydden do. Saynt Peter also in the laste chapi­ter of his fyrste epystle sayth. Ye that be priestes, fede the flocke of god emongeste you. whiche worde there spoken to all pri­stis is the same worde that Christe spake to Peter.

¶So it appereth playnely by the scrip­tures afore sayde, conferred to gether, [Page] that nother the .xvi. chapter of Mathew, nor the .xxi. of Iohn do proue, that Peter had power auctoritie or dygnitie gyuen by Chryste ouer all the other, that they shulde be vnder hym. and yet his prima­cie that he firste of al the apostels confes­sed our fayth, that Christe is the sonne of god, with whiche his confession all the apostels dydde consente, and preched the same, standeth still. And all that wyll be saued must folow that lesson that he first taughte vs to confesse. And soo the bys­shoppes of Romes power ouer all, whi­che he wolde proue by those places wrong alleged for his pourpose, vtterly qualeth, and is not proued.

¶Besides this whan Faustinus legate to the byshop of Rome alleged, in the .vi. counsel Carthaginense that the bysshop of Rome ought to haue the orderynge of all great matters in all places by his su­preme auctoritie, he alleged no scripture for him, for at that time no scripture was thought to make for it. but he alleged vn­truely the fyrste generall counsayle Ni­cene, in whiche Arrius the heretyke was [Page] condemned, to make for that pourpose. Which after the boke was brought forth and no suche article founde in it, but the contrarye. yet the counselle at that tyme sent to Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioche, where the patryarchall sees were, to haue the true copye of the coun­sel Nicene. Whiche was sent vnto theym, and also from Rome, whether they sente alsoo for that pourpose. And after they founde noo suche article in it, but in the fyfth chapyter therof, the contrarye, that all causes ecclesiasticall, shulde eyther be deterymned within the diocese, or elles yf any were greued, than to appeale to the counsel prouinciall, and there the matter to take ful ende, so that for no suche cau­ses, men shulde go out of their prouince. the hole counsell Carthaginence wrote to Celestine at that tyme beinge bysshop of Rome, that sens the councel Nicene had no suche article in it, as was vntrewely alleged by Faustinus but the contrarye, they desired hym to absteyn after to make any more suche demaunde, denouncynge vnto hym, that they wold not suffre any [Page] cause great or small to be brought by ap­pele out of their countrey. And thervpon made a lawe, that no man shuld appeale out of the countreye of Aphrike, vppon peyne to be denounced accursed. Wher­with the byshop of Rome euer after held hym content, and made no more busynes with them, seinge he had nought to saye for hym selfe to the contrary. And at this counsel amongest other saynt Augustine was presente, and subscrybed the same. whyche he wold not haue done, if he had knowen or taken any parte of the gospel, or of the scripture to be contrary.

¶It is also determyned in the .vi. arti­cle of the sayd counsel Nicene, that in the orient the byshop of Antioche shoulde be chiefe. in Egypte the byshop of Alexan­dria. About Rome the byshop of Rome. and lykewise in other countreyes metro­politans shulde haue their preemynence, so that the bysshop of Rome neuer hadde medlynge in those countreys.

¶And in the next article folowynge, the byshop of Hierusalem, which citie before had bene distroyed and almoste desolate, [Page] is restored to his olde prerogatiue to be the chiefe in Palestyne and the countrey of Iure. whiche churche of Hierusalem, if places shulde be regarded, shoulde be the chiefe, for there was accomplysshed the mistery of our redemption, and Christ hym selfe the eternall worde and sonne of god there preached in personne, and after his ascencion, all the apostels & disciples, and sayncte Paule also preached there in person. the hole .xii. apostels began fyrst there, as Christ had commanded, to haue the saying of Esai the prophete in the .ii. chapter fulfilled, where he saith. The law shall go forth out of Sion, and the word of god out of Hierusalem. Whyche place saynt Hierome there expoundyng sayth, that the churche fyrste founded at Hieru­salem dyd sowe abrode al other churches of the worlde. And at that tyme, and a good season after, Rome had not hard tel of Christe. so that the Churche of Rome muste nedes confesse, that they came out of Hierusalem, which was their mother as she was to all other churches. as Esai had prophecied.

[Page]¶And nowe sens the pourpose and am­bycious obiection of the bishop of Rome is clerely auoyded, let vs retourne to our purpose to declare, what cōmyssyon was gyuen by Christ to his apostels. We she­wed byfore that he bad them preache and teache to all men all thynges that he had commanded theym. and in the .x. chapy­ter of Matthew and of Luce, he sheweth them howe they shall enter theyr charge, sayeng. Into what howse or place so euer ye shall arriue, fyrste ye shall saye. Peace be to this howse. and if the child of peace be there, he shall receyue you, and yf they wyll not receyue you. than go forthe oute of the howse or citie, and wype the duste of your shoes agaynst them, in wytnesse of youre laboure. for Sodoma and Go­morra shall be in better case at the day of Iudgement than they, that wol not here you. And as Christe commaunded theym to make theyr entre with mēcion of peace so did he him selfe after his resurrection, apperynge to his disciples the euenynge next after, whan the doores were shutte, sayenge to theym. Peace be with you. [Page] And the apostels in theyr epistles do be­gynne with desyrynge grace and peace to be with theym, to whome they wryte. Christe saythe also in the .xiii. chapiter of Iohn. By this shall all men knowe, that ye be my discyples, yf ye loue eche other. For where charitie is, there can be no de­bate, but all peace. and where it lacketh, discorde dothe ensue. Chryst sayde also to his apostels in the .ix. chapiter of Marc. Haue peace amongest you. Saint Paul sayth also to the Hebrues in the .xii. cha­piter. Folowe peace with al men, and ho­lynes, withoute whiche no man shall see god. And in the .xii. chapiter to the Ro­maynes he sayth. As moche as is in you, haue peace with all men. and in the .xiiii. he sayth. That the kyngdome of god is iustice and peace and ioy in the holy gost. And Christ whan he shuld go out of this worlde, left to his disciples peace. so that peace and charitie hught to be emongeste al christen men, and who so preacheth not peace, but debate, commeth not frome Christe, but from Satan.

¶But the byshop of Rome bycause he [Page] can not longer in this realme wrongful­ly vse his vsurped power in all thynges as he was wonte to doo, and sucke oute of this realme by auaryce insaciable, in­numerable sommes of money yerelye, to the great exhausting of the same, he ther­fore moued and replete with furiouse ire and pestilente malice goth about to stirre all Christen nations, that wyl gyue eares to his diuellishe inchantmentes, to moue warre againste this realme of England, gyuynge it in pray to al those that by his dyuellysshe instigation wyll inuade it. whiche fewe wordes, to gyue it in praye, howe great myschefe they doo conteyne, I shall open to the thou trewe englysshe man. Fyrste to make this realme a praye to al venturers, al spoylers, all snaphan­ses, all forlornehopes, all cormerauntes, all rauenours of the worlde, that wyll in­uade this realme, is to saye. thou posses­syoner of any landes of this realme, of what degree so euer thou be fro the high­est to the lowest, shalte be slayne and dy­stroyed, and thy landes taken frome the by those, that wyl haue al for them selfes, [Page] And thou mayste be sure to be slayne, for they wylle not suffer the nor none of thy progeny to lyue to make any clayme af­terward, or to be reuenged, for that were theyr vnsuertie. Thy wyfe shall be abu­sed before thy face, thy doughter likewise defloured before the. thy chyldern slayne before thyne eyes. thyne howse spoyled, thy cattell dryuen away and solde before thy vysage. thy plate, thy money by force taken from the. All thy goodes wherein thou hast any delyte, or had gathered for thy chyldren, rauened broken and distry­bute in thy presence, that euery rauenor may haue his share.

¶Thou marchant art sure to be slayne, for thou haste eyther money or ware, or both, which they serch for. Thou bysshop or priest, what so euer thou be, shalt neuer escape, bycause thou woldeste not take the byshop of Romes parte, and rebell a­gaynst god and thy prince, as he doth. If thou shalte flee, and scaape for a seasone, what so euer thou be, thou shalt se & here of soo myche myserye and abhomynati­on. that thou shalte iudge them happye, [Page] that be deade before. For sure it is, thou shalte not fynally escape. for to take the hole realme in praye, is to kylle the hole people, and to take the place for them sel­fes. As they wyll do if they can.

¶And the byshop of Rome nowe of late to set forth his pestylent malyce the more, hath allured to his purpose a subiecte of this realme Raynolde Pole, commen of a noble bloudde, and thereby the more er­rant traytour, to go aboute fro prince to prince, and from countrey to countreye, to stirre theym to warre agaynst this re­alme, and to distroy the same, beinge his natiue contrey. Whose pestilent purpose albeit the princis that he breaketh it vnto haue in myche abhomination, bothe for that the byshop of Rome (who beinge a byshop shulde procure peace) is a styrrer of warre, and bycause this moste errant and vnkynde traytour is his mynister to so diuelyshe a purpose to distroy the countreye, that he was borne in. Whiche any heathen man wolde abhorre to doo. But for all that without shame he stylle gothe on, exhortynge therevnto all princis that [Page] wyll here hym. Who do abhorre to se su­che vnnaturalnesse in any manne, as he shamles dothe set forwardes. whose per­niciouse treasons late secretely wroughte againste this realme, haue benne, by the worke of almyghty god so meruaylously detected, and by his owne brother, with­out lokynge therfore so disclosed, and condygne punyshement ensued, that hereaf­ter god wyllynge, they shall not take any more suche rote to the noysaunce of this realme. And where all nations of gen­tils by reason and by lawe of nature doo preferre their countrey before their parentes, soo that for theyr countreye they wyll dye agaynste their parentes beinge tray­tours, this pestilent man worse than a pagan, is not ashamed to destroy if he coud his natyue countrey. And where as Cur­tius a hethen man was contente for sa­uyng of the citie of Rome, where he was borne, to leape into a gapyng of the erth, Whiche by the illusions of the dyuell it was aunswered shulde not be shutte, but that it muste fyrste haue one. This per­niciouse man is contente to runne heed­lynge [Page] in to hell, so that he maye destroye therby his natyue countrey of England, being in that behalf incomparably worse than any pagan. And besydes his pesty­lent treason, his vnkyndnesse against the kynges maiestie, who broughte hym vp of a chylde, and promoted both hym, and restored his bloude beinge attaynted, to be of the peres of this realme, and gaue hym money yerely oute of his coffers to fynde hym honourably at study, maketh his treason myche more detestable to all the worlde, and hym to be reputed more wylde and cruell than any tygre.

¶But for all this thou englyshe manne take courage vnto the, and be nothynge affrayd. Thou hast god on thy syde. who hath gyuen this realme to the generation of englyshemen, to euery man in his de­gre, after the lawes of the same. thou hast a noble victorious and vertuous kynge, hardy as a lyon, who wyll not suffre the to be soo deuoured by suche wylde bea­stes. only take an englyshe hart vnto the, and mystruste not god, but trust firmely in hym. And surely the ruine intended a­geynst [Page] the, shall fall in their owne neckes that intende it. And feare not, though the dyuell and his disciples be agaynste the. for god thy protectoure, is stronger than he and they, and shall by his grace gyue hym and them a fall.

¶And to shewe vnto the, that god is on thy syde, consyder, that it is written in the vi. chapter of the prouerbes, that amon­gest many crimes there rehersed, that god hateth. chiefly he dothe deteste those per­sones that sowe dyscorde amonge theyr bretherne. As all we christen men be bre­thern vnder our heauenly father. Also it is written in the .viii. chapter of Iohn, y^t those that do stire men to murder, be chil­dern of the dyuell, whiche was frome the begynnynge of mankynde a murderer, and brought Adam to synne, and therby to deathe. As the Iewes his childer stir­red the people to put Christ to deth. saynt Paule also in the last chapiter to the Ro­maynes warneth thē to be ware of those, that do make dissention & debate among them ageynste the doctrine, that he hadde taught them, and byddeth them eschewe [Page] their company. Wherin the holy gooste wrought in Paule. for these many yeres paste, lyttell warre hath ben in these par­tes of Christendome, but the bysshop of Rome eyther hath ben a styrrer of it, or a nouryssher of it. and seldome any com­pounder of it. onlesse it were for his am­bition or profite.

¶Wherfore sens as saynte Paule saithe in the .xiiii. chapter of the fyrste epystel to the Corinthians, that god is not god of dissension, but of peace, who commaun­deth by his worde peace alwayes to be kepte, we are sure that all those that goo about to breake peace betwene realmes, and to brynge them to warre, ar the chyl­der of the deuyll. What holy names soo euer they pretende to cloke their pestilent malyce withall. whiche clokynge vnder hypocrisy is double dyuellisshenes, and of Christe moste detested. bycause vnder his blessed name they do plaie the deuyls parte. And therfore sens Christ is on our syde agaynst them, let vs not feare them at all. But putting our confidence in al­myghtye god, and cleauinge faste to the [Page] kinges maiestie, our supreme hed in erth next vnder Christ of this church of En­glande, as faithfull subiectes by goddis lawe ought to do. Though they go about to stire Gog and Magog & all the raue­nors of the worlde ageynst vs. we trust in god verily, and doubte not, but they shal haue such a ruine & ouerthrow, as is pro­phecied by Ezechiel in the .xxxix. chapiter▪ agaynst Gog and Magog going about to distroye the people of god, whome the people of god shall so vanquish and ouer throw on the mountaynes of Israel, that none of them shal escape, but their carka­ses there to lye to be deuoured by kytes & crowes & byrdes of the ayre. And if they shal ꝑsyst in their pestilēt malice to make inuasyon into this realme, than lette vs wyshe, that their great capteyne Gog, I meane the bysshop of Rome, maye come with theym, to drynke with theym of the same cuppe, that he maliciously gothe a­bout to prepare for vs. that the people of god myght after surely lyue in peace.

¶And nowe that we haue spoken of dis­obedience done to man agaynste goddis [Page] lawe, let vs somewhat speake of disobe­dience dayly done to god by vs al against goddis law. which our disobedience is so greate, that the tonge of man can not ex­presse it. for Christe saith in the .xix. cha­piter of Matthewe to hym, that asked what he shulde do to come to euerlastyng lyfe. If thou wylt enter into euerlasting lyfe, kepe the commandementes. whiche he there rehersed vnto hym, whan he as­ked whyche they were. they be written in the .xx. chapiter of Exodi, tenne in nom­ber. And bycause I doubte not, but ye knowe them, for brefenes of tyme I shal omytte to reherse them

¶In the olde lawe, whiche expresseth re­wardes temporall for the capacitie of the grosse carnall people of Israell, manye worldly pleasures and rewardes be pro­mysed to the kepers of those commande­mentes, and meruaylous great troubles and peynes be threttened to the breakers and transgressours of them. All whiche be conteyned in the .xxviii. chapiter of the Deuteronomye. in soo myche that in the viii. chapyter of that boke, the people of [Page] Israell is thretned by almyghtye god, to be expellyd out of the lande promysed vnto them, if they shuld not kepe those commandementes and lawes by hym gyuen vnto them. The prophete Dauid saythe also in the .lxxxviii. psalme. If the chyl­der of Dauid leaue my lawes, and kepe not my commandementes, I shall with a rodde vysite their iniquities and theyr synnes with beatynges. But our sauior Christe regardynge the forgetfulnes of mannes memorye, leste he shulde not re­member the hole nomber of tenne, hathe brought them all into two cōmandemen­tes, comprysynge in effect the hole tenne. of the which two expressed in the .xxii. chapiter of Matthewe, the fyrste is. Thou shalt loue thy lorde god with al thy hart, with all thy sowle, with all thy mynde. This is the fyrst and greattest comman­dement, conteynyng in it .iiii. commaun­dementes of the fyrste table, whyche be these. Thou shalte haue no other goddes in my syght. Thou shalte graue noo y­mage of thinges that be in heuen aboue or in erthe benethe, or in the water vnder [Page] the erthe, nor with adoration worshyppe them. Thou shalte not take the name of god in vayne. Thou shalte sanctifie thy sabbotte daye. No man wylle breake any of these .iiii. commaundementes that lo­ueth god aboue all thynge.

¶The seconde commaundement gyuen there by Christe is lyke vnto the fyrste, that thou shalte loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe. Whyche comprehendeth all the vi. commandementes of the seconde ta­ble. whiche be these. Thou shalt honoure thy father and thy mother. Thou shalte not commytte auoutrie. Thou shalte not steale. Thou shalt not beare fals witnes. Thou shalte not luste to haue thy neygh­bours hous, nor his wyfe, nor his seruāt, nor his mayde, nor any of his goodes. No man that loueth his neyghboure as him selfe, wyl offend hym in any of these, for sens he loueth hym selfe so welle, that he canne not be content, that his neygh­bour shall offende hym in any of these, he in louyng his neyghbour as hym selfe wyll not offende his neyghboure in any of these.

[Page]¶In these two commandementes sayth Chryste, all the lawe and the prophetes be conteyned.

¶But for al this we thus plainly beinge taught by Christe do fall heedlynge into all kyndes of vices▪ for where we oughte to loue god aboue all thynge, we loue the worlde and worldly thynges aboue god ayenste the counsell of sayncte Iohn, in the .ii. chapiter of his fyrst epistle. For we be so giuen to concupiscence of the fleshe, that what soo euer it lusteth to haue, we minyster it vnto it, to the concupiscence of our eyes, that what so euer we doo see, that liketh vs, we wyl haue it by one mea­nes or other. We be so highe also of mynd and prowde in hart, that we wyll mounte aboue our degree, sufferynge none to be aboue vs. whiche thre fautes do compre­hende all vyces of the worlde. so that we maye saye with the prophete Osee in his iiii. chapter. There is no truthe, there is no mercy or pitie, there is no knoweledge of god lefte vpon the erth. Backbytynge, lyinge, murder, thefte, aduoutrie hathe ouerflowen the worlde. Periury reigneth [Page] euery where. and great pytie it is to see, howe the preciouse name of almyghtye god is taken in vaine in all places. Noo othe shulde be gyuen, but three thynges concurrent, as Hieremy the prophete in his .iiii. chapiter teacheth vs. that is to say, In iudgement. Whan a man is cal­led thither to shewe the trouthe. And for iustice there to be mynistred, to put away wronge doynge. And for trouthe, that falsehode may take no place there. Elles no othe shulde be gyuen by goddis lawe. but we shuld affirme our saying by ye ye, and deny by nay nay, as Christe taughte vs in the .v. of Mathewe. But now eue­ry thynge that we affirme or deny, muste haue an othe coupled with it, whan men do bye or selle any thynge, moo othes be oftetymes enterchanged betwyxte them, than pens that the thyng is solde for. In communication and all pastimes as ma­nye othes, as wordes be vsed. In play­enge at any games there the tearynge of goddis name and particular mention of all the woundes and peynes, that Christe suffered for vs, be contumeliouselye in [Page] vayne brought forthe. If a muster shuld be taken of swearers, I thynke that some croked peces shoulde be founde, not able to take the kynges wages, that wolde sweare as greatte othes, and as manye of them, as the beste and moste able man on the fielde. They thynke that greatte othes do make theym to be of more esty­mation. and therfore they sweare at eue­rye worde. but surely they be fowelye de­ceyued. for othes be ordeyned where nede is, that trewthe shall not perysshe, and that they may fynysshe debates amonge menne. as Paule saythe in the syxth cha­piter to the Hebrewes. But he that at e­uerye worde sweareth, declareth playne­ly, that noo credence is to be gyuen to a­ny his wordes, and therfore he ioynethe to euery worde an othe, as a suertie of the trewthe therof, knowledgyng the lacke of trewthe to be in his wordes. As yf a manne wolde offre a greatte substanti­all suretie, whan he wolde borowe a pe­nye of his neyghbour, he playnly shulde make his neyghbour, thereby to thynke, that he were of noo credence, that wolde [Page] for so small a matter offer so great a suer­tie, where no nede is so to do.

¶I feare me, the great role of .xx. cubi­tes in lengthe and .x. cubytes in bredthe, whiche the prophete Zacharie sawe fle­inge in the aire in the .v. chaptre. whiche as the aungell shewed to hym, dyd con­tein the great malediction of god ageinst theues and ageynst swearers, that shulde be iuged by it, do flye nowe ouer our hee­des. I pray god we maye auoyd the dan­ger of it, and absteyn hereafter so to take the name of god in vayne as is nowe commonly vsed.

¶We doo professe the fayth of Chryste, and doo speake of the gospell with oure mouthe, and haue the booke ofte in oure handes. but we lerne it not, as we shulde do, for the gospel is giuen to vs to know god thereby, and to be a rule to lyue by. but we moche do talke of it, whiche is ve­ry well done. and yet we nothyng regard to amende our lyues therby, and to lyue as it byddeth vs. but we doo vse the gos­pel, as if it were a boke of problemes to dyspute vppon▪ and care not to amende [Page] oure lyuynge, as it teacheth vs, whyche shall be to our great punyshement. For a seruant that knoweth his lordes plesure, and not fulfyllynge it, is more greuouse­ly to be punished than he that knoweth it not, as Christe saythe in the .xii. chapiter of Luce. We myche extolle fayth, as it is myche worthy. But workes and deedes many men care not for, sayenge, god re­gardeth them nothynge: for faithe alone iustifieth vs, and not our workes.

¶Here fyrste of all it is to be obserued, that no dede nor worke that is doone by man without faithe, can euer helpe hym to heuen, for lyke as a man, that renneth out of the race, where the course is sette, though he runne neuer so faste, wynneth no game, so a man that doth good dedes morall, without faythe, deserueth of god no rewarde. for withoute faythe it is im­possible to please god. as sayncte Paule sayth the .xi. chapiter to the Hebrues. But if he do good dedes with faith, than they be acceptable to god, and he wyll reward hym for them. And saynt Paule teacheth vs always to be occupyed in doynge of [Page] good workes. for albe it no man may be iustified by his workes, alone. Yet after he hath faith he must ioyne good workes with it, yf he haue any tyme therto, orels his faith is vnprofytable vnto hym, for the faythe that by grace dothe iustyfie, is the faithe that worketh by Charytie, as saynt Paule sayth to the Galathians in the fyfte chapiter, and not an ydell faith, whych saynt Iames in his epistle calleth a deed faythe.

¶Saynt Paule sayth also in the second chapiter to the Romains, that the herers of the lawe be not iustified before God, but the doers of the lawe. And saynt Ia­mes in his epystle in the fyrste Chapyter doth lyken hym, that heareth the worde of god, and dothe not thereafter, vnto a manne, that loketh in a glasse, and after he hath soo doone, layeth it downe, and forgetteth that he looked in it, and thyn­keth of other matters.

¶And where they say, that fayth alone iustifieth. that is vntrewe. and agaynste sayncte Iames in the .ii. chapiter of his epistell, sayenge, that a man is not iusti­fied [Page] by his faithe alone. Also to iustifica­tion of a synner repentance of his euylle lyfe paste is necessarilye fyrste requyred, and muste nedes be ioyned with faith be­fore he be iustified. for elles yf he repent not, he remayneth styl in synne, and so he is not yet iustified, and all the preachyng of Christe and his apostelles, begynneth at repentance and penance. so that faithe without that can not helpe. Wherfore it is neuer true, that faith alone iustifyeth, for grace of god muste goo before faithe, and on our behalfe repentance and cha­ritie muste be ioyned with faythe. And as faith is the gyfte of god, so is penaunce, and so is charitie, so is hope. but the grace of god who granteth all, goth before all.

¶Truth it is that out good dedes done before faithe, doo not iustifie for lacke of faith. but ioyned vnto faythe, they doo helpe: or cōmyng after faith, they helpe to make vs more iustified, as it is writen in the .xxi. of the apocalipse. Let hym that is ryghtwyse, be yet more iustified.

¶And that almyghtye god requireth of vs good workes, it appeareth in the .xxi. [Page] chapiter of Mathewe, & the .xi. of Marc. where Christe commynge to a figge tree, full of leaues, hauyng no fruite, whyche he sought in it, by his curse dyd make it sere. so if we being the tre, bring not forth fruite of good workes, hauynge tyme therto, neyther the roote of faythe, nor the leaues of wordes can alone helpe vs. An other parable in the .xiii. of Luc pro­ueth the same. Where a man hauynge a vyneyarde, and in the same a fygge tree, that bare no fruite, badde cutte it downe. And at the request of his gardyner, suf­fred it yet longer, to se if donge layde to the roote wolde helpe it. As oft almygh­ty god being the lorde of the vyneyarde, suffreth vs beinge bareyne to haue space to repent, and bringe forth fruite of good workes. For it is written in the thirde of Matthewe, that euery tree, that bringeth not forth good fruite, shalbe cut downe, and caste into the fyre.

¶After as our deedes be, so shall oure iudgement be, as Christe sayth in the .xvi. of Mathew, the sonne of man shal come in the glorye of his father with his aun­gels, [Page] and shall rewarde euery man after his workes. Saynt Paul in the .ii. chap­tre to the Romaynes sayth also lykewise, that god wyll rewarde euerye man after his dedes good or euyll. And in the .iiii. chaptre of the fyrste epystle to the Corin­thians he sayth. that euery man shall receyue his hyre, after as his labour is, soo that for good dedes done with faythe he shall receyue rewarde, and for euel dedes done after fayth, or out of fayth, he shall receyue punishement.

¶Therfore those that say, that god regardeth not our workes done with faythe, do say agaynst Chryst, and his doctrine gy­uen to vs by hym, and by his apostelles. For sens our workes done with fayth be the measure of our rewarde to be greater or smaller, as they shall be founde to be greatter or smaller, who soo saythe, that god regargeth not them, saythe he regar­deth not the measure of our rewarde. and yet he sayth it shall be measured after our dedes done with faythe. and soo he saythe agaynst Christe. Saint Paule saythe al­so in the .ii. chapytre to the Ephesians. [Page] that by fayth whiche is the gyfte of god, we be of newe create in Chryste, and in good workes that we may walke forwar­des in theym. and sens he hath create vs in good workes to walk in them, he must nedes regarde theym. or els he cared not what he create, which is blasphemie and denyall of his highe prouidence.

¶Nowe this holye weke we be bydden and called to come to the great supper of our blessed lorde Chryste Iesus, and to eate of the heuenly meate and of the bred of lyfe, that came from heauen, the bles­sed body of our sauyour Iesu Christe in the sacrament of the aulter. Unto whiche we may not go in our fylthy and spotted cote, leste we commynge thyther, not ha­uynge the cleane garmente of our soule, that we receyued at our baptisme, be ex­pelled out of the feaste. And therfore we muste make cleane our garmente, before we be bolde to goo thyther. But I feare me sore, lest many shall make such world­ly excuses, as be written in a parable, in the .xiiii. chapiter of Luke. some sayeng, they be newe maryed, and therfore they [Page] may not come. Whyche do sygnifie men gyuen so to carnall pleasure of the body, that they care not to come to heuen. some sayinge, they haue boughte fyue yoke of oxen. whiche doo sygnyfye those, that fo­lowe the sensualitie of theyr fyue senses and worldly busynes. some sayenge, that they haue bought a vyllage. Whiche sy­gnifie those that purchase landes here in erthe, and care not by faithe and good li­uynge to purchase heuen. All whiche sort of men shall not taste of that supper, as it is there written. But god forbyd, that any of vs shuld be of that sorte. And ther­fore lette vs euery man prepare our selfe, and make cleane our spotted and fylthye garment. Lette vs purge and purifie the tabernacle of our sowle, and make it a lodgynge worthy to receyue Christe into our house, and not to dysdayn vs, for the fylthynesse of our vncleane lyuynge.

¶But howe maye this be done, and by what meanes? surely surely by no meane but by penaunce, and repentaunce, and callynge for mercye to all myghtye god with a sorowfull harte, that we hauynge [Page] receyued soo innumerable benefytes of god, so lytel haue regarded our obedience to his cōmandementes, proudly and vn­kyndly despysyng hym, and more regar­ding our own wretched cōcupiscence and pleasure in all worldly delytes, then god. Let vs folowe the exhortation of almigh­tye god, spoken to vs by the mouthe of Iohell in the .ii. chaptre, sayinge. Turne ye synners againe to me by fastynge, by wepynge, by myche lamentynge your myserable estate, and teare sunder your hartes, and not your clothes. Almyghty god wyll rather regarde a sorowfull and contryte harte to dwell in it, than all the temples that we can bylde for hym. As it is written in the laste chapiter of Esai. Let vs knowlege and confesse our owne fautes fyrst, before we be accused of them at iudgement. Lette vs wepe for our vn­gracious lyfe: and sure it is, god wyll re­garde our teares. Dauid sayth in the .lv. psalme. Almyghtye god, I haue shewed my lyfe to the, and thou haste putte my teares in thy syghte. We that haue vsed our eyes all the yere in regardyng world­ly [Page] pleasures, so that through vehemente ioye somtymes the teares haue braste out with myche lawghynge. nowe latte vs wepe. as Dauid techeth vs in the Cxviii. psalme, sayenge to almyghtye god. The teares haue braste oute of my eyes, by­cause they haue not regarded and kepte thy lawe. Let vs folowe the counselle of saynt Paule in the .vi. chapiter to the Ro­maynes sayenge to vs. As ye haue gy­uen your members to serue to iniustyce, to do wronge: soo lykewyse gyue youre members to serue iustice to your sanctifi­enge. Dauid sayth also in the .vi. psalme, I haue trauayled in my waylyng. I shal washe euerye nyghte my bedde with we­pynge teares. And after that he saythe. God hathe herde the voyce of my we­pynge. for god dothe regarde teares cō ­mynge forthe out of a sorowfull and con­trite harte. If thou saye, thou canste not wepe: thou doeste confesse thy folye. For yf thou lese by example any substance of worldely goodes, as yf thy house be rob­bed, thy shyppe laden with marchandyse perysshed in the see, thy wyfe that thou [Page] dyd loue, departed. thy sonne deade. than thou canste weepe myche more thanne y­nough. and where thy sowle is by synne departed from almyghty god, whiche de­partynge from hym is the very deathe of the sowle, and lyeth stynkynge in synne, not foure dayes as the body of Lazarus dyd in his graue, but myche more than foure monthes, ye thrise foure monethes, canst thou not wepe? Surely thou haste great cause to lament thy selfe. For what exchaunge canst thou deuyse to make, so dere to the, as thy sowle is?

¶Wherfore lette vs with the sworde of the spirite, whiche as saynt Paule sayth, is the worde of god, make a quycke sa­crifice of our selfes, with a sorowful hart, bycause we haue broken goddis comman [...]mentes, applienge the sharpe worde of go [...] [...]o our synfull lyfe, that we may ther­with kyll our concupiscēces and al flesh­ly and worldly lustes, and so makyng of our sorowfull hart a sacrifice to almygh­ty god, obteyne his mercy thereby, as he hath promised to vs by Dauid in the fyf­ty psalme sayeng. The sacrifyce to god is [Page] a spirite troubled with sorowe, and thou God wylte not despyse a harte contryte and mekened.

¶We must brynge forthe fruites of our penance and repentance by the amende­mente of oure synfulle lyues, as sayncte Iohn̄ Baptyste sayde to the Iewes in the thyrde of Mathewe. For God canne not be deluded with the fayre wordes on­ly of a synner, sayinge. I am a synner, and yet wyll not amend. For God loketh whether those wordes come fro the harte being contrite. Whyche if they dydde, a­mendement of the euyll lyfe shuld ensue, & good workes shuld springe out, where the euyll dyd growe before. whiche newe sprynge of good workes is the fruyte of penaunce.

¶We must also go forwarde in the way of our lorde, and not stande styll. for elles we can not come to our iourneys ende. Dauid saythe in the .Cxviii. psalme. The immaculate and vnspotted men be blessed, that do go forwarde in the way of our lorde. He that saithe, that he dwelleth in Chryste, muste walke after Christe in [Page] his way, whiche is his commandemen­tes, as he hym selfe dyd. As saynte Iohn̄ saythe in the .ii. chapiter of his fyrste epi­stle. and therfore we maye not stand styll, but go on in doinge good, to our iorneys ende, as he dydde. Saynte Paule saythe to the Galathians in the .vi. chapiter. Se that ye erre not, god can not be mocked, suche as a man dothe sowe, suche shall he reape. he that soweth in the flesshe, shall reape therof corruption. and he that so­weth in the spirite, shal of the spirite repe lyfe euerlastynge. Lette vs not ceasse in good doing, for we shall reape it, not fai­lynge, whan the tyme commeth. Ther­fore whiles we haue tyme, let vs do good to all men, and chiefly to the domestykes of our fayth. And as we shulde study to be ryche in faythe: for Christe dyd chose suche to be of his flocke, thoughe they were poore in worldly goodes. As saynt Iames saythe in the .ii. chapyter of his epistle. so muste we studye to be ryche in good workes. As saynt Paule saythe in the .vi. chapiter of the fyrst epistle to Ti­mothe, where he byddeth hym teache the [Page] ryche men of the worlde, to be redye with their abundaunce of goodes, to helpe the poore. and to make therby a treasure in heuen: and to studye to be ryche in good workes. so for these .ii. rychesses, the one the rychesse of faythe, the other the ry­chesse of good workes, we shoulde chief­ly studye.

¶Also Chryste in the .vi. of Mathewe doth teache vs thre chiefe exercises, whi­che wyll conferre greatly, to the amende­ment of our lyfe, that is to saye, fastynge to tame therby the inordynate lustes of the fleshe. Almesse dede, to refrayne coue­tousnesse, and to helpe to redeme our syn­nes therwith, as Daniel saithe in the .iiii. chapiter. And prayer to almyghtye god, therby to abate our pryde and outrequy­daunce and arrogance, that we not tru­stynge of our selfes, but of his helpe, may aske of hym thynges necessarye for vs from tyme to tyme. And that we shoulde ofte praye, Christe teacheth vs by the pa­rable of the wydowe, whiche by her im­portunitie and ofte cryenge to the wicked Iudge, that feared neither god nor man, [Page] obteyned at the laste Iustyce of hym. As it is written in the .xviii. chapiter of Luc.

¶We rede, also of Christe, that he some tyme prayed all night to god. as it is wri­ten in the .vi. chapter of Luke. And saint Paule sayth to the Colossians in the .ii [...]i. chapiter. Gyue you to prayer beinge vi­gilant in it. And to Timothe he wryteth in the .v. chapiter. She that trewely is a wydowe, lette her giue her selfe to prayer nyght and daye. And to the Thessaloni­cense he writeth in the .v. chapyter of the fyrste epistell, sayenge. Pray without any day leauynge of, not that we shoulde doo nothynge elles, but that we shoulde ofte amongest other thynges that we do, pray to almighty god, lauyng him & callynge hym to remembraunce, that he may helpe vs, puttynge in all our dedes, our confi­dence in hym. Whiche we myghte easely do, briefely sayinge diuerse tymes on the daye, thoughe it were but one Pater no­ster at one tyme. soo that Christe thereby shuld be not far from our remembrance. nor we shulde not by worldely pleasures or busines straye abrode farre from hym. [Page] nor the deuyll shoulde not so boldely ap­proche vs, seinge vs alwayes vnder the wynge and protection of our heauenlye father. And surely if we coulde thus dys­pose our selfe, our affaires shuld prosper th [...] more in this worlde, and we shulde al­so thereby please almyghty god, and come to the glorye euer lastynge. Whervnto our sauyour Iesu Christ, who hath redemed vs, bryng vs all. Qui vi­uit & regnat cum deo patre in vnitate sancti spiri­tus per omnia se­cula seculorum. Amen.