An ouersight, and deliberacion vpon the holy Prophete Ionas: made, and vttered before the kynges maiestie, and his moost honorable councell, by Ihon Hoper in lent last past. Comprehended in seuē Sermons. Anno. M D.L.
Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.
¶To the mooste puisaunt Prince, and our most redoubted Soueraign Lord, Edward the syxt, by y• grace of God, Kyng of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, defender of the fayth, & in earth next, and immediately vnder God, of the Churches of England, and Ireland the supreme head. And also vnto the moste wyse, godly, and most honorable Lordes of his highnes priuie coū cel, his most humble, louing, and obedient subiecte Ihon Hoper, electe and sworne Byshoppe of Glocester, wysheth al grace and peace from God, wyth long, and the same most godlye & prosperous raigne ouer vs, in all honoure, healthe, and perpetual felicitie.
AMong al other moste noble and famous dedes of kinges, and Princes, none is more godlye, commendable, nor profytable to [Page] the cōmon wealth, then to promote, and set forthe vnto their subiectes the pure, and sincere religion of the eternal God, kyng of al kynges, and Lord of al Lordes. Then shal iustice, peace, and concord raygne, the doore of Idololatrie be shut vp, vi the whyche hath entred all euyl, and kynges and kyngdomes fallen into ieopardye, as the writinges of y• Prophets do testifie. But the more thys noble fact is glorious, godly, and princely, the more difficile & hard it is. For the enemy of God & of al mankynd, the Deuyll, customablye is wont to deceiue the princes of ye world, so that eyther they vtterly neglect the religion of the true God as a thynge folyshe, and of no estimacion, eyther prouoke thē cruelly to persecute it. If he cā bryng neither ye one, neither the other of these to pas: he wyll do the beste de can to preserue a myxte, and myngled religion, that shall nether playnly be agaynst, nor wholye wyth hym: And so vse the matter, that partly goddes truth shall take place, partly the supersticious inuē cion of man. The whych myngled [Page] and myxed religion is so muche the more daungerous, as it is accompted for pure and good. Therfore it is earnestlye forbidden by God, as the examples of the scripture declareth. Iehu the kynge of the Israelites when he had remoued all grosse and sensible Idololatrye: and with the swerde had taken away all the Idololatricall priestes. iii. Reg. x, is reproued of God, neuertheles because he walked not in the lawe of God wyth all his herte, and lefte not the wayes of Ieroboam. And againste these minglers and patchers of Religion speaketh Elias the Prophet, iii. Reg. xviii. Howe longe sayth he wyl ye halt on both sides. If y• Lord be God, folow hym, if Baal, go ye after hym. Euen so we may iustly say: If y• priesthod & ministery of Christe with his notes and markes be true, holy, & absolutely perfect, receiue it: in case it be not, folow y• pope. Christ can not abide to haue the leuē of the pharises myngled wyth hys swete flowre. He wold haue vs ether hote, or cold, the luke warme he vometeth vp: and not wythout a cause.
[Page] For he accuseth God of ignorancie and folishenes, that entendeth to adorne and beutifye his doctrine and decrees with humaine cogitacions. What kynge or prince of the world wold suffer hys statutes, lawes, and testament to be cut of, and set on at euery mans libertie and pleasure? Shulde not the same glory, maiesty, and honour be geuē vnto the lawes and testament of Christ, that is sealed wyth hys precious bloude? The worde of God wherwyth he gouerneth and ruleth his church, is a septer of yron. Psal. ii. and not a rod of wylowe to be bowed wyth euerye mans finger, either a rede to be broken at mans wyll: no, neither a pece of lether to be stretched and reached out wyth any mans teth.
These thynges be spoken of me most gracious and vertuous kyng, to commende youre maiestyes and your moste honorable councels doinges that seke the glorye of God and the restituciō of hys holye and Apostolycall churche. The whyche thing, as your highnes & your most honourable and wyse councel, haue [Page] gracyouslye be gon: goddes mercye in the bowels of Chryst Iesu graūt you moost gratiously to perfourme. The people of Englande were oppressed wyth the vyolente and cruel tyrannye of Antychryste: darckenes and ignorauncie occupied y• mindes all moost of all menne, so that fewe knew the true way to eternal saluatyon. And yet manye Prynces and wysemen delyte and tarye in thys darckenesse, and can not or wyll not bare nor suffer the radiant and shynynge beames of the Gospell, more then the night crow can the beames of the sonne: but the merciful father of heauen shall better their syghte when hys good and mercyfull pleasure is. But the Lorde be praysed your magestye: youre moste honourable and wyse counsel, haue not cared what y• greatest parte, but what the better dothe, that the lawe of the hyghe and myghtye God, maye be knowne to your hyghnes people, as did Dauid, Iosaphat, Ezechias and Iosyas. And in your maiesties so doing, ye bynde not only the true and lyuynge members of Chryste to [Page] geue God thanckes in thys behalfe but also declare your selfe to be the verye fauroure, nource, and helper of the word of God according to the sayinge of Esaye .xlix. Perseuer gracyous kynge in thys quarel & daungerous enterpryce. Youre hyghnes shall not neade to feare eyther the strength or cautelles of your ennemyes for there is no witte, wsdome, nor coūcel against ye Lord as Salomō saith pro. xxi. No although they had syluer as the grauell of the sea, and golde as commune as the claye of the stretes. zach. ix. for albeit the horse is prepared for the day of battell, yet the vyctorye commeth from the Lorde Prouerb .xxi. I am he sayth the Lord that do comfort you, what art thou that fearest mortall manne, eyther the sonne of manne, that shalbe made as haye, canst thou for got the Lorde thy maker, yt streachith forthe the heauens, and laieth the foundacion of the earthe? Esa. li. Let these diabolycall soundes, & speakynges of euel menne, nothyng trouble your highnes, nor your wise [Page] and godly councellour [...]. As long as the kynge is in hys tender age hys councell shulde do nothinge in matters of religyon. For those mens folishenes (rather I shuld sai malice) is condemned by the worde of God that teacheth howe a kynge in hys younge age wyth hys wyse and godlye counsell shoulde abolyshe Idolatrye, and sette forthe the true, & godly religyon of the liuing God. Thus declareth the notable & godlie facte of Iosias that folowed the relygyon of hys father not Ammon the Idolater, but of Dauid, nor declynynge to the rightt hande, neyther to the left hand. And destroyed not onlie the Images of his father, but also of Ieroboā, & of Solomon. iiii. Reg. xxii .xxiii. This scuit of Iosias holp his godly coūcellers, & vertuous priestes. Euē so Ioas beynge but a child was holp by his coūcellers in the lyke procedinges & reformaciō of religion. In case yt princes, Bishops, & priests had not knowen it to be the cōmaundemēt of God to haue obeyed these .ii. yonge & godlye kynges, they wold not haue consented vnto his procedinges.
[Page] But we see howe gladde they were to do it. The Princes and councellours moued no sedicion, the Bishop and the priestes soughte not for the defence of their proper doctrine, eyther to myngle theirs with goddes, but were content wyth the sole and onely lawe of God. Ye noble Princes and councellours, praise be vnto the liuinge God for your great wisdome, and godlye assistaunce in this behalfe. And the Lorde be magnifyed in all the godlye and learned Bishoppes, and others of this Realme that haue, and do put to their helpes and studies to brynge the churche of Chryste to her olde, and reuerende perfeccion agayn. And al other that hynder your maiesties godlye purpose, openly, or secretelye, God wyll douteles reuenge at length.
The godly and vertuouse begynnynges, moste noble Prince, of your father the kynges maiestie, Henry the eyght of a blessed memorie, shall by your hyghnes godlye be ended, in hym that can and wyl do al thinges for Christ his deare sōnes sake. And a thousande tymes the rather [Page] shal your maiestie restore agayn the true ministerie of ye church, incase ye remoue & take away all y• monumē tes, tokens, & leauinges of papistry. For as longe as anye of them remayne, there remayneth also occasion of relapse vnto the abolyshed supersticion of Antichriste. Seynge I see in the writynges of the Prophets, God to require the obseruacion of his lawe onely, concerninge religion: and threatneth all Prynces, priestes, and prophets wt his displeasure that neglecte or contaminate it with their own cogitacions: I can do no lesse, howe soeuer the worlde shall take my doynges: but exhorte and pray the magistrates to brynge the churche to her fyrst perfeccion. For if I shulde studye to please man herein, I were not the seruaunt of God. And I am afrayd leste the dissease that infected the Pharises, infecteth also many now a dayes, that minister in the church, vnto whom Chryst spake. Ihon .v. Howe can ye beleue, that seeke glorye one of other, and the glory of God ye contemne. God geue grace [Page] I maye not saye. Hinc ille lacrime.
Helpe ye therefore O ye Byshoppes and pryestes, the kynges maiestyes and hys noble couurelles procedinges, that all thynges maye be broughte to a perfecte and Apostolicall reformacion, it is not inoughe to laye the foundacion of the temple, but there muste bee buylded vpon it golde, syluer, and precyous stone. But in anye case wee muste take heede we laye no strawe, nor stubble upon the foundacion, if we do, it wyll be burned. i. Corrinth. iii. If wee do not buylde vp vpon the foundacion, then shal we be shente as the Israelites were. Agge .i. Lette no manue excuse hym selfe vpon the kynges maiesties age, for the age canne not excuse the kynges maiestie it selfe, If hys relygyon in hys youthe be accordynge to goddes woorde, he hathe the fauoure and promyses of God to blesse, preserue and keepe hys maiestye, and hys Realme, thoughe the Deuyll, and hys members wolde saye nay. If in youthe hys maiestye take a [Page] wronge relygyon, he shall bee assisted of goddes displeasure, as it is to be seene .iiii. Regum. xxi.
Manasses beynge of twelue yeres olde was crouned kynge, and in his youth reuoked the Idololatry that his father Ezechias had abolished, and in hys so doing displeased haynously y• maiestie of God, & at lēgth was sore afflicted, and punyshed for his so doyng. Behold y• displeasure of God in a yonge kynge for a false religion. Ieoachim crouned the eyght yere of hys age, for the euyll he dyd in the syghte of the Lorde, he was taken prisoner by the kynge of Babilon .ii. Paral. xxxvi, wyth all the goodly vessels of the Lorde
Thys kinge raygned but thre monethes & ten dayes before the Lorde reuenged the false doctrine he mainteined. These examples I dout not, moste godlye kynge, and vertuouse councellers, moneth you to be carefull of the true religion. The Lorde hathe strengthe and power inough, seeke ye hym, and geue no place to the infirme perswasions of the flesh, for the Lorde shall be wyth you.
[Page] Souche as thynke peace and quyetnes, shal come to the realme a better waye, then to haue the true relygyon of God restored, they shal knowe the contrarye in the Prophete. Ie. Chapter .vi. the whyche Chapter if the kynges maiestye bare in mynde and folowe it is wourthe a kynges reuenue: If a Lord, the value of hys lande: if the Byshoppe, the estimacion of hys Byshopprycke: if the marchaunte the gaynes of hys laboure: if the husbande hys Oxen & plough. And the same commaunded God, Leuit .xxv. Obserue my statutes, and my iudgementes then shal ye dwell safelye in the earth: and the earthe shal brynge forthe her frute, ye shall eate and be satyfied, and dwel in the earthe wyth out feare. It is a fonde opynyon most gracyous kynge, and vnmete for a chrystyan man to bare the Magystrates of God in hande that incase the doctryne of Chryste, and hys holy sacramentes shuld not be decked and set forthe wyth these plausible, and well lykynge ceremonyes (that is to speake playnelye wt papysticall superstisticion) it were [Page] to be feared of sediciō and tumults. Doutelesse if the Popes members woulde not deceyue the people, but teach thē gods word, y• people wold sone see the truthe, and willingelye leaue asmuch as God and their king shulde commaunde them, as y• gests and factes of Iosyas, and Ioas declareth. Moste gracyous kynge and noble councellers as ye haue taken away the Masse from the people, so take from them her fethers also: the aulter, vestmentes, and suche like as apparelled her. And lette the holye communion be decked wyth the holye ceremonyes that the hyghe and wyse preyste Chryste deckyed and apparelled her fyrste of all. And frō whence (myghtye Prynce and soueraygne Lord) spryngeth warre, and sedicion? Come they not frome the onlye God beynge angrye, for the neclectynge of hys lawe: so we be taughte by Esa. l. And Ieremye .ix. sayeth, who is wise & vnderstandeth thys, and he vnto whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken & declareth wherefore the earth perisheth, and is like vnto the burned wildernes yt no [Page] man maye passe by it. And the Lord sayed, because they haue forsakē my lawe, whyche I put vnto them, and hearde not my wayes, and walketh not therein, but folowed the desyre of theyr owne hertes, and after Baalimas they were taughte by there fathers: And because wee myngle mennes inuencyons wyth his lawe. For he sayeth menne worshyp hym in vayne wyth the preceptes of men Math. xv. And in the .ix. of Ieremy the Lord declareth other manner of causes of warre and sedicion. The forsakynge of hys lawe, not to harken vnto his voyce, nor to walke in hys wayes, to go after the prauitye and euylnes of euer owne hartes. The viciatynge and iuste vse of the Lordes supper. i. Cor. xi. Also y• neglecrynge of wydowes and orphalynges causes, not to iudge ryghte iudgemente to the power Ierem. v. These causes muste be auoyded or else truelye thy sayinge of Ieremye wyll take place. Chap. vii. You trust in youre selfes and in lyes that nothynge profytteth. The nexte waye to returne the hande of gods angre, [Page] & great displeasure against vs is to folowe Iosophat the kinge, that appoynted good iudges and godlye pryestes in euerye cyty. The iudges to iudge after the true lawes of the realme, and the preystes to do all thynges in the churche accordynge to the worde of God which teacheth suche knowledge and feare of God and of the magystrates, that all the wysedome, lawes, and bokes that euer were made be but counterfeete and folyshe in respecte of it. Nor euer had God in heauen, or kynge vpon the earthe suche a frende as is the holy Bible. For it reacheth y• people and subiectes of the realme, the feare of God, obedyence to the kynges maiestye and hys Magestrates and all mutuall and fraternal loue. Thys example and counsel of Iosaphat if it beneglected ther cā no godlynes be amonge the people as the texte sayeth when Prophecye wanteth, the people shall be dysipated & scattered abrode Prouerves. xxix. To the doinges of these godlye offyces shoulde all menne be exhorted specyallye suche as bare the name of [Page] Bishoppes and preistes. If they will not be desyrous and glad to haue, & helpe the mynistery of the church to the primatyue and perfecte estate agayne, the Lorde dothe crye vengeaunce towardes them, and wyl not onlye requyre the lose of them selfes but also of all the people at theire handes Ezech. iii. xxxiii. Let them remember the complaynte of God hym selfe Ierem. i. My people hath haue a loste flocke, my shepperdes haue deceiued them, and haue made them go astraye vpon the hylles. If these threatnynges wyll not amend theym Gracyous Kynge, and you my honourable Lordes of his highe counsel, muste do wyth them as the mariners did with Ionas. What y• is, seing it pleased the kinges maiestie and you my Lordes of his moste honourable councell in the lente to heare by me, I haue nowe at the request of manye godlye persons caused it to come abrode, and dedicated the same to youre Pryncelye maiestye, and mooste prudente Counsell that youre hyghenes maye be bothe iudge and recorde of my doctrine vnto [Page] youre Maiestyes true and louing subiectes. The whyche doctryne is Catholyke, and godly in al thynges nothynge dyssentinge, but agreable wyth the Prophetes and the Aposteles, as I am, (accordynge to my bonnden dutye) redye at all tymes to make answere, if anye thyng shal be attempted to the contrarye. Incase ther be now & thē added a word more or lesse, or peraduenture some sentence, yet I know well ye matter is not chaunged nor aultered other wyse then I spake it before youre maiestye, for I haue memoryaies, wherin I wrot before y• inuenciō, order, & disposition of al the matters I wolde entreate vpon: As I vse, & euer wyl doo of all thinges I speake in goddes behalfe to the people, wryt my selfe, or cause an other to wryte, the pethe, and disposycion of al thinges I speake vpon, that I maye as well learne a farther knoweledge my selfe thereby, as make answere to myne enemyes, if any shuld accuse me of false doctryne. The God of all strengthe and consolation gouerne poure maiestye an youre [Page] mooste honourable counsell wyth hys holye spyryte, and gyue you the vyctorye of all your ennemies Ami. Anno. M. D. L. Septembris .vi. Sence y• angel of god slew in the armye of Senacherive gods ennemie a hundreth thousand and syue thousande menne. Anno. M.M.C.C. lxxx. viii
¶The fyrste Sermon made the .xix. day of March, in the yere of our lord a. M.CCCCC.L. before the kinges maiestie & his most honourable Counsel, by Ihon Hoper Preacher, vpon the holy Prophet Ionas.
¶Preface vnto the Prophet.
IT is the offyce and dewty of euerye good chyld, that studiousli laboreth to obey and folow hys fathers commaundemente, before all thynges, to know perfectly the nature and condiciō of hys fathers wyl. Wherof if he be ignoraunte: manye tymes in the same thynges he iudgeth best of, he moste offendeth, and the [Page] thynges moste pleasaunte and acceptable, as thynges moste dyspleasaūt and vnacceptable vnto hys father: he flyeth, and refuseth. Euen so wee that be subiectes and the chyldren of God the father almyghty, can do nothyng gratefully and acceptable vnto his Maiesty, excepte we first knowe hys good wyl and pleasure towards vs: or else we shal ther most offēde hym, wher as we mynde moste to please him. And agayn happyly to improue as pernicious and heretycal, that his wisdom approueth to be most Godlye and profytable. Wherefore as the fyrste poynte of a louynge Childe, is to know, what pleasyth, and what dyspleasyth, what contentyth and what discontentyth [Page ii] hys father, least he should by ignoraūce displease, where as hys sonnelyke affeccion by naturall zeale woulde please: so is it the second poynt of a good Chylde (hys fathers wyll once trulye knowen) dyligently to obserue and kepe the same, least he should by neglygence or contempt be seene wilfullye to contemne the thynge he hathe wyth dylygence and studye obedyentlye submyttyd hym selfe vnto. And incase (as suche cases be moste common and daylye) that infyrmities or other occasyon ledde the sonne from the obedyence of hys father: The thyrde poynte of hys dewtie is, speedely to acknowledge his offēce, and desyre pardon & merci for his trāsgressiō, [Page] As the prodigal and disobedient sonne dyd. Luke. xv. And Dauid. ii. Samuel. and so after the remyssyon and pardon obtayned, to be more circumspect and wyse how he fall and transgresse agayne. Psal. li.
These proposicions and sentences be so true, that no resonable man doubteth of them. But as the deuyll hath lefte in the world no truth nor veritie, whych by argument and question he hathe not called into dout: so trobleth he in this case the myndes of men wyth twoo questiōs. The first is how and from whence the wyll of God maye be knowen. The seconde what ye wil of god is: So hath he preuayled amonge men for synne, that the truthe of these [Page iii] questions is vnknowen to the greatest part of the world, as it was in Moses tyme, Christes tyme, & now in oure tyme more ignoraunte and far from God, thē thei. He perswaded in those daies that the wil of God was knowen, not from heauen nor out of the scripture Canonical, as the Patriarches, Prophets and the Apostles tawghte, but that it was knowē by the writings, decrees, and statutes of mē that were in the earth, and that the wyl of God was to do that man commaunded, and not that God commaunded.
But as almighty God left not hys Church thē, wythout some that shoulde kepe the truthe of bothe these questions amonge the people, to preserue thē from [Page] the daunger that muste needes folowe, where as truthe is not knowē. So hath he done now at thys presente tyme. And by the same authoritie (as the deuyll authore and father of all questions and lyes) was confounded thē, so is he now. Moses instructynge the people in the truith of the fyrst questyon whence the wyl of God should be knowē, commaundeth them neither to loke it in Aegipt nor else where, but in the worde of God. Deut. xxx. and Sayncte Paule doth the same. Roma. x. and S. Ihon .i. sayth: Noman hath sene the father, but ye sōne, and he vnto whome the sonne hathe openyd the father vnto. God therefore and hys blessed wyll is knowen vnto vs, because [Page iiii] he hathe spoken vnto vs by hys deare beloued sonne.
Heb. i. As he spake before time vnto ye world by his prophets. From Christ therfore and hys worde, commeth the knowlege of Gods wil, for the father bid vs hire him. Mat .iii.vii. Io. x. Nowe what hys wil is, ye truth also appereth out of the booke of God and oute of none other mans writinges. Mark. i. hys wyll to the worlde is thys: Do penaunce, and beleue the Gospel. That is to saye: let euerye man bewayle, and repēt him of hys synnes, and desyre the remyssyon and pardon thereof for Christes sake. For whom, the Gospel sheweth, our sinnes shalbe forgeuē. Ihon. i.iii.iiii. v. vi. Math. xi. Rom. v. Eph. i. [Page] Thys doctrine from the fal of mā hath bene alwayes taught in the Catholicke Churche of Christ vnto al nacions, as the wrytynges of the Prophetes, and Apostles dothe testifye: in whom is fully, and aboūdaūtly conteined al truth, and veritie, and lefte here for oure doctrine and consolaciō. Rom. xv. Among the whych is also conteyned as a most faythful wytnesse of all truthe, and verytie, thys holye Prophet Ionas, who was sende by God to the Citie of Niniue, to preach vnto them Gods pleasure, and amendemēt of lyfe, or else wythin fourtye daies, both they and the Citie, shoulde be destroied.
Thys Prophet haue I takē to interpretate for two causes. [Page v] The one, to declare vnto ye kynges maiestye and his most honorable coūsel, that the doctryne we preach vnto hys maiesties subiectes, is one and the same, with the Prophetes, and Apostles. And as olde as the doctrine of them both, and not as new as these Papystes, and new learned men of Papystry, wold beare the people in hand. The secōde cause is: to declare whych way the synfull worlde may be reconcyled vnto God. And for the better vnderstandynge of the Prophet, I wyll deuide him into fowre partes. The fyrst cōteineth, into what daunger Ionas fel by dysobeing of Gods commaundemēt. The seconde parte conteyneth, howe Ionas vsed hym selfe in [Page] the fyshes bellye. The thyrde part conteineth the amēdemēt, and cōuersyon of the Niniuites at ye preachyng of Ionas. The fourth part cōteyneth an obiurgacion, & rebuke of god, because Ionas lamented the saluacion of ye people and citie.
The fyrst Parte.
The first part is deuided in to thre members. The one conteineth the Embassage, and legacye of Ionas vnto Niniue. The other conteyneth Ionas dysobedience. The thyrde conteyneth the payne and punishment of Ionas disobedience.
¶The Embassage is described wyth these wordes.
THe worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas ye sōne [Page vi] of Amithai, saying: Arise, and get the to Niniue that great Citie, & crye out againste it, for theyr wyckednesse is come vp before me.
It is not ye lest help that the reder or teacher of ani prophet or other part of ye scriptur shal haue, to knowe of what place, vnder what king, in what state of cōmon wealth, ye prophet liued, yt he purposith to interpretate: al these things as touchīg our Ionas, is declared in the iiii. booke of ye kings, the. xiiii. cap. He liued in Samaria vnder an Idololatrical king Ieroboam, ye sonne of Ioas, a detestable Idololater: & in Iuda at yt time reigned kīg Amasias
[Page] And thys Ionas labored in the ministery of Gods word at one tyme, wyth Amos, Oseas, and Ioell the true Prophetes of God. The state and condicion of the commone wealthe, was troublous and verye vnquiet, forbecause ye Israelits bi their Idololatri in folowing yt learning inuented by man, and leuing ye word of god, God punyshed them wt many greate & cruel warres, Yet after hys accustomed pytye and compassiō vpon those that he punysheth, to remoue ye occasion that worketh gods yre and displeasure, he sent them dyuers tymes his holy Prophetes, that shoulde cal thē from theyr Idololatry and corrupt lyuyng as Elias, Elizeus, and this our Prophet [Page vii] Ionas, but all in vayne: they wold be noughty Idololatres and vicious lyuers continually, mawgree gods heade, and would (as we now adayes, for the most parte do) rather geue faythe vnto the Prophetes of men, and lyars, then vnto the Prophetes of god, that be true men: But ther reward was (as ours shalbe, except we amende) vtter destrucciō, and losse both of them selues, and theyr commune wealthe. The commone wealth and state of Israel and Iuda, thus troublouslye being afflicted, the commaundement of god came vnto thys oure Ionas, that he sholde go to the great Citie of Niniue, as the text saith. In the which words note fyrste that no man can, or [Page] may teach truly ye word of god, but he be called ordynarylye, or extraordinarily. Ordinarily wher as is no corruptiō of the ministery in the church, neither in doctrine, neither in the right ministracion of the sacramēts, whyche be as seales and conclusions of Gods holy worde. Wher as this integritie I say remayneth in the Churche, noman ought wtout the appointment of the hygher powers to intrude or appoynt hym self to preache, or minister, as it was in Moses tyme and the Apostelles.
Extraordinaryly is, when immediatelye any mā is called by God, wher as the ministery of the church is corrupted, as it was in the tyme of yt prophets [Page viii] and of Christ, that called to minister such as the common face and greatest multitude of the worlde, woulde not admitte, no not the hygh byshop, and those that then were called the holye churche, as is to be seene by Amos, Ionas, Hieremie, Moses and Paule, wyth other. They are to be rebuked therfore that intrudeth and put them selues wythout lawful callynge into ye ministerye of ye Church, other wyth money, or praier, and bye them selues into the Churche, which thing through al papistry is acōmon practyse & dayly vsed thinge. For in case they sought not of their bishopprik more ryches and honoure, then the necessari trauels & labours that be annexed vnto the vocacacion, [Page] they woulde not stryue so sore who might lepe vp first to the bishoppes and persones vocacion. Ther woulde not so many princes contend, and labour, for the seate of Rome, the nest of abhominacion. If ther were not in it rather the patrimonye of Iudas and Simon Magus, then the laboure of Christ & Peter, more ease then payne, more ryches then bourden. The Text saith: that thys prophet beyng called by God, was sente to Niniue. Of thys cityes originall, reade the .x. of of Gen. It was the chiefe citie of the Assiriās, vnto the whych Ionas was sent and the consideracion therof, that in case the heade Citye be well instructed of a realme, there is the better [Page ix] hope of all the reast. Therfore god hath vsed from the beginnynge of common wealthes to be mercyfull vnto the greatest cities therof, and hath sent the most preachers of y• truithe, as it is to be seene in these dayes, what God hathe shewed vpon London. And as he offereth them fyrste the tokens of hys merci, so first he reuēgeth their vnkyndnes wyth hys punishment (if they neglect and contemne the grace offered.) It is to be noted that thys Cytye of Niniue was Idololatrycall, and Gentelyshe, neuer vnder the dysciplyne and doctryne of Moses.
Yet vnto it sendeth the lord his Prophet to declare vnto ye [Page] Iewes that the Ceremonies & workes of the law, wherof they most gloried and extolled them selues, were not necessari to saluacion, but geuen for a time to excercise theyr obedience in the commaundement of God. And to trust in Christe of whō their rites & sacrifices were fygures and shadowes of: further the Lorde declareth by thys embassage vnto Niniue, that the ignoraunte and supersticious Gētils be more redy to receaue the lyuing worde of God, then the harde harted Iewes: As it is to be sene at thys presēt day. More easie it is to conuert vnto God ten symple and ignoraunt soules, thē one that hath bene broughte vp, & is wedded to the vngodlye doctryne and [Page x] tradycions of men. Moreouer the Lord in sekyng the wealth of these Assitiās, declareth that he is not onelye the God of the Iewes, but also of the Gētils. Rom. iii. Act. x. The text declareth to what ende Ionas was sent to the Citye. What to doto bryng in the Ceremonyes of of Moses law? Nay, but to cry out agaynst it. That is to say, playnlye and openlye to shewe Gods pleasure vnto them: and not agaynst one or twoo of the citie, but generally against the whole Citie, without respect of persons: Against the kyng, the Prynces, the lawers, the Priestes, and the common people. And thys was the dewtye and offyce of all the Prophetes.
Esay. lviii. Crye out and ceasse [Page] not. Also Hier. ii.vii. The same commaundemente was geuen to all the Apostles, Mark. xvi. Math. xxviii. The same commaundeth S. Paule. ii. Tim. iiii. preache in tyme and out of tyme. Th [...]s is the note and marke to know the byshoppes and ministers of god, from the mynisters of the deuyll: by the preachyng tounge of the Gospel, and not by shauyng, clyppyng, vestyments and vtward apparel. The text maketh answer to an obiecciō that myght be demaunded wherefore God woulde sende Ionas, a man of base sorte, to rebuke so greate a kyng wyth hys councell and common wealth.
Because theyr syns [Page xi] are come vp before the face of the Lord.
Of thys aunswer we learn three thynges. The fyrste that the Lorde seyth, marketh, and is displeased wyth our sinnes, althoughe we lyue in al securitie and careles, as though oure synnes offended God nothyng at all. The seconde, as manye tymes as God sendeth suche Preachers, as wythoute feare sheweth vnto the world Gods woorde, and punyshmente for synne, that theyr synne is full rype, and that they must either amende at the preachynge, or vtterlye to peryshe vnder the plage, and scourge of God.
Thus Noah was preacher before the flood, Ionas before [Page] the destrucciō of Niniue, Loth of Sodome, Christ and his Apostles of Hierusalem. Seyng nowe that God hathe sent hys worde, hys king, his magistrates, and hys Preachers into England, it is (take hede of it) a very token, that the sinnes of Englande is ascended vp into hys sight, and that out of hand we amend, or sodenlye to looke for the most seuere & cruel punyshment of God. Al men confesse, that synne neuer so aboū ded, but none of vs say it is I that prouoke the Ire of God. and I wil amēd. The nobilitie putteth al the fault in the people, the people in the nobilitye, in the Bishops, marchauntes, priestes, and other. But wil ye he iudged, at one worde by the [Page xii] testimony of a noble wise man. Noble Esay the prophet saith: The Oxe knoweth hys Lord, and y• Asse hys owners stable, wo is me, ye sinful people, people laden with iniquitie, a sede malicious, lost childrē: ye haue forsaken the Lord, and the holy one of Israel ye haue prouoked, as Esay. i. Let euery man looke vpon hym selfe, knowledge hys synne, and studye to amend it from the hyghest to the lowest, for the Lord is redy to smyte.
The thyrd doctryne oute of thys place is a descripcion of Gods nature, and longe sufferaunce towards kyngdomes, realmes, publicke and priuate persons, for wher as he myght most iustlye punyshe and take [Page] vengeaunce vpō vs for synne, he is yet so mercyfull that he premonysheth, & forewarneth of hys scourge to come, by hys prophets, Apostles, and preachers, and wylleth the worlde to amende: in case they so do, he wyl turne hys Ire from them, if they wyl not, no remedye but vtter destruccion, as ye maye read. Gene. vii. of the flud. Ge. xix. of Sodomme. Exo. xiiii. of Pharo. But let vs rather folow the exāple of the Niniuits and amende, then the example of the Aegiptians, and perish. Thus much is to be takē hede of, in the legacye of Ionas in the fyrste parte of the chapter.
Now foloweth the seconde part conteyning Ionas dysobediēce after this sort in ye text.
[Page xiii] Wher vpon Ionas rose to fly from the face of the lord into Tharsis, & came to Iapho, & founde a shyp pressed towards Tharsis, paiing his passage, he wēt into her, to come wyth them vnto Tharsis.
Ionas was cōmaūded to cry & preach against ye Niniuites, but being afeard, & suspecting yt difficulty of yt vocaciō, flyith an other way. Here first ar two things to be noted: whether he flyeth, & frō whēce he flieth, the text saith he fledde to Tharsis, which some mē thīk is yt sea called Mare mediterraneū, but y• more true opiniō is, yt Tharsis is the citi caled Tunes, or Carthage. [Page] Iapho is the citie called Ioppe, a hauē towne in Palestina. He flieth from the face of God, that is to wyte from the beneuolente and mercyful god that appoynted hym to the vocacion of preachyng. Of thys text we learne manye Godlye doctrines. First, how hard & difficult a vocaciō it is, to be a preacher, that incase he be not wyth a synguler mercy of God comforted and strengthned, he can not, nor is it possyble he shuld preach truly Gods word, as it is to be sene by Moses. Ex. v. vi. Esay. vi. Hier. i.ii. Math. x. and in thys ye may see the dyuersitie betwene the ministerye of God, & of y• deuil, of Christ, and of Antechrist. Christs mynistery is ful of labors, paines [Page xiiii] sclounders, and calamytyes. Antichrist is ful of care, pleasures, cōmodities, & honoures: as ye maye see through all the kingdom of the Pope, for ther is not a byshoppricke nor benefice cā fal, but ten ar reddy to take it or it come to the groūd. Yea, and healpe awaye the incumbēt wyth an Italion figge before tyme, as ye may rede of Uictor the thyrd. The seconde doctryne is, that who so euer leaueth vndone the office commaunded vnto him by god, flieth from the fauour and good wyl of God, as it is to be sene. i. Regu. xv. Here be al bishops and priestes admonished to beware how they leaue their deuties and cures. They flie from y• face of god as many as beare [Page] that name and preache not the word of God, and instruct not the people after the mouthe of god. Myserable and cursed is our tyme of gods owne mouth that ther be such dom bishops, vnpreaching prelats, and such asseheadded Mynysters in the church of God. Christ institutid nether singers, nor massers, but preachers, and testimonies of his true doctrine. Mar. xvi. Mat. xxviii. Luk. xxiiii. Act. i. He that leaueth thys doctryne vntaught in the church, or teacheth a contrary doctrin flieth from the face of god, and do incurre the daunger and dampnacion that is wrytten. Ezechi. xxxiii. iii.
I wyll requyre theyr losse (sayeth God to the preacher) at [Page xv] thy hand. Let nomā therfore be offended if the cryer speake agaynst the faultes of al degres wythout excepcion: seing he is commaunded so to do vpō the paine eternal of his soule, and Paule sayth: wo be vnto me, if I preache not. i. Cor. ix. Let all men take heede to do the thing that apparteyneth to theyr offyce, least they depart from the face of the Lord, as kyngs do, if they make any laws contrary to the lawe of God and the lawe of nature, or suffer theyr subiectes to be tawght in anye doctryne for the saluacion of theyr soules, beside and contrary to the expresse word of god.
The iustyce departeth from the face of God, when yt he for fauor, preposterous peti, or for [Page] bribes iudgeth not iustly. The gentle men when bysyde charity seke themselues wyth the hurt of their neighbours. The commons of euery realme departeth frō the fauour of god when sediciously, & inobedientlye they make tumults, and sedicion, lyftynge vp weapon agaynst theyr kyng and rulers, whych leadeth to eternal dāpnacion. Rom. xiii. Num. xvi.
But a man might say: toush, it is not so great a matter, if a man walke not in hys vocacion, neyther yet is god so much offended with dysobediēce, but thys fleshly and peruerse opinion, may soone be corrected, if mē wold cōsider the daungers that thys poore man Ionas fell into, for hys dysobedyence. [Page xvii] They be in number syxe. The fyrste is the perylous wyndes that troubleth the shippe. The seconde, hys synne and dysobedience is detected and made open by lottes. The thyrd, he is examyned what he is. The fourthe, he is constrayned to geue sentence of death agaynst hym selfe. The fyfth, the shipmen cannot saue him. The sixt, he is cast into the sea.
The fyrst daunger hath two partes: The one sheweth the daunger of the shyppe. The other shewith how the mariners behaueth thē selues in the time of theyr daunger. Of the fyrst, thus sayth the Prophet.
The Lorde hurled a greate wynde into the [Page] sea, and there arose a myghtie tempest in the sea, so that the shyppe was in Ieoperdie of goynge in pieces.
Well we maye thyncke to escape the daunger of GOD though we neglect oure dewty and vocacion, but truely it can not be so. Whither sayeth Dauyd shoulde I go from thy spirite, and whither shoulde I fle frō thy face? Psal. cxxxix. Ther is no corner of the world wher in man maye hyde hym selfe from the knowlege and punishment of God, if we neglect the worckes of oure vocacion. He hath all thynges in hys hand, heauen, earth, the wyndes, and the waters, with the whiche he [Page xviii] vseth to punyshe the wyckednes of transgressours wythall at his pleasure, when he wil, as it is to be seen. Samu. i.
Of thys place of the text, we learne that whosoeuer contrarye to Goddes commaundemente, studieth to auoyde one yuell, falleth into manye. The byshop or the preacher that for the loue or feare of the world letteth to speke the trueth, falleth into the burnyng and damnacion of hys owne conscience. The people that agaynst goddes lawe woulde defende the pouertye of theyr bodies, loste body, soule, wyfe, chyldren and all together. The corrupte Iudge in serchynge to serue hyz owne tourne or hys frenfrends [Page] in corrupting of iustice, bryngeth bothe hym selfe and hys frende into the daunger of eternal dampnacion. The text procedeth yt sheweth howe the mariners behaued them selues in this daūger, yt whych thyng is dylygently to be noted. For in them is expressed averi liuelye ymage of all men that lackyth fayth, howe they feare aboue measure in the tyme of trouble. Theyr doinges is expressed foure waies: First their fayth. Second, eche of thē calleth vpō his own god. Third, thei exonerate the ship. Fourth they wake Ionas oute of hys sleepe.
The fear, declareth ye greatnes of the daunger they were in, & theyr ignoraunce of God, [Page xix] who onelye comforteth in the dayes and houre of trouble.
That euery man calleth vpon his own god, it appeareth ther were people of sondry and dyuers nacions, and also what is common to all men vnder the sunne that haue not lost the vse of reason when we be left destitute of humane healpe, we call vpon god, not for loue, but for feare, as it is sayd: metus primus in orbe Deos fecit. That is to say: feare was the fyrste that made Gods in the world. These mariners are of some part to be folowed, of some part not, that in the daye of trouble they praye, we ought to folowe them: that they praye not to the one and sole God, but euerye man to a sondrye God, they maye not be [Page] folowed. For there is but one patron and helper for all men, and he is neuer nor no where knowen but by his word. Mā nes reason knoweth ryght wel in the tyme of trouble that ther is a god, but who he is reason cannot tell. Therefore worshippeth reasō an idole of hys own heade, vnder the name of God, and then foloweth man, eyther hys owne opinion, eyther the tradicion of hys elders. And thys is the fountayne of Idolatrye, when that euery manne thyncketh hym to be hys God, that he hym selfe, hys elders, or custome hath taken to be god. From hence came suche diuersitye of gods among the Gētiles, & so many patrons among ye supersticious sort of Christians. These goddes all together [Page xx] be forbyd. Exodi. xx. Deutrono. vi.
They lyghten the shyp when they felt that prayers auayled nothynge, they tourne to laboure whyche also eased them nothynge. Whereby we learne that al gods and goddesses be but vanitye, sauynge oure god the father of Iesus Christe.
And no laboure nor trauayl avayleth wyth out the fauoure of God. Luke. ix. The woman had spente all she had on Physicions, yet nothyng the better: so doeth the Papistes in Masses and yet theyr conscience nothynge more deliuered from synne, and those that praye to Saynctes attayneth nothyng. If theyr requeste be sometyme graunted theym, it is none [Page] other then a punishmēt of their Idololatry .ii. Thessa. ii. The fourth thing thei do, they wake Ionas.
But Ionas gate him vnder y• hatches wher he laied him down and slombred.
The text noteth two things: one that Ionas slept: the other how the mariners awoke hym to call vpon hys God. Ionas slepe sygnifyeth two thynges. Fyrst, that when we thynk our selues most at reast: then be we moste in daunger, as it is to be sene by Baltheser in y• prophet Daniell, and Math. xxiiii.ii. Thess. ii. Luke. xii. The second is, to declare the nature of syn, whyles it is a committyng the [Page xxi] prycke and daunger thereof is not felte, but it delyteth rather man: So without feare, eat Adam and Eue the apple, Peter denyed Christe. And because God, out of hande punyshethe not out synne, the deuyl bewitcheth our myndes, and wyttes, and beareth vs in hande, that he wyl neuer punysh, and that God seythe not oure synne, nor is not so greuouselye offended wt oure sinnes. So yet slepeth the synne at thys daye of them that persecute God and his holy word. The synnes of false or negligent Byshops and priestes, the synne of the corrupte iudges, and sedycious people: but it wyll awake one daye as ye may read Gen. iiii. and here by our Ionas. At the houre of [Page] oure death synne wyll awake, and wyth oure owne synne the deuyl wyl kyl vs eternally excepte we awake betime. That they desier Ionas to praye vnto hys God, it declareth that al Idololatrye and supersticious persons thyncke one god to be stronger then the other. As it is to be seen in papistrie at this presente day, where as it is disputed which ladye is best, oure Ladye of Bullayne, or our Ladye of Rome. Sayncte Iames in Italye, or Sayent Iames at Compostella? Father this text declareth that Idololaters alwayes seeke newe goddes where as theyr olde god dedeiueth theym, so is it amonge Christians when the matter is playne desperat, they lot y• matter, [Page xxii] betwene three, or foure Idololatrycal Pilgrimages which one of them shalbe the Patron of his health. Wher as ye word of God is knowen, there is no sute but vnto one god by ye mediacion of Christe: Beside whō there is no health. Thys God I cōmend vnto you: vnto thys god make youre prayers, for sake that heretical doctrin that deuideth your hartes in prayer part to god, and part to saynts departed. For god is sufficient to helpe and wyl healpe alone. Esa. lxiii. to hym be all honour and glorye, now and for euer. The end of the fyrst Sermon.
¶The second Sermō vpon Ionas, made by Ihon Hoper .xxvi. of Februarye.
¶The Preface.
VNto euerye man is apoynted hys vocatiō: to one this, to an other that: One to a priuate, an other to a publyke vocacion, and eche of thē, eyther is lawful, or vnlawfull. That is vnlawfull that fyghteth and repugneth wyth the word of God, as the vocacion of baudes, Idololatres, masse mongers, common receauers, and mainteiners of disers, and dysse houses wyth suche lyke. In these, or any lyke, who soeuer continually styll wythoute [Page xxiii] repentaunce is subiect to eternal dampnaciō. The other vocacion is lawfull, and standeth wyth the word of God. Of the whiche S. Paule speaketh. In what vocacion any man is called, in the same let hym abyde. But thys lawfull vocacion we transgresse, two maner of wayes. Ether when we bear the title or name of the vocacion, and do nothyng appertayning thereunto (whyche is condempned by God in that he commaunded in Adam al men to auoyde ydlenes. Gene. iii. in the sweate of thy browes thou shalt eat thy bread: and Paule i. Thess. ii. Thess.) Either whē we do, in the vocacion that we should not do. As for example a bishop to teach false doctrine [Page] for a true. A iudge that should iudge truely corrupteth iudgemente for fauoure or monye. A Merchaunte to waxe richer by false contractes, or corrupte wares. Into what daunger ech manne falleth that anye waye transgresseth hys vocacion, it is to be sene by thys oure Ionas, who in voidyng of one dā ger falleth into sixe, as ye haue hearde before: of the whych six, we haue spokē but of one. And in the one noted manye, & profitable doctrines, as well declaringe mannes infirmitie, that cannot healpe it selfe, not from the daungers of the body as of the power and good wil of god that can & wil saue, boeth from the daungers of bodye & soule. [Page xxiiii] Al mē confesse hym to be ye true God, that can and wil helpe al dyseases, the Iewes, the Turkes, the Gentiles, the good, the bad. But therein standeth the daunger, lest for the true God we cal and inuocat a false god: and vnder the name of god we honoure, and worshyp the dyuel, as these mariners dyd, whē eche of them called to a sondry god. And as the Gentiles doth that Dauid speketh of. Psal. cvi. that they sacrificed their children to the deuyl, and not to God. Dauyd sayeth they offered to the deuyll that they thoughte was offered to God. And Paule. i. Corinthians. x. calleth the religion of the heathen the table of the deuyll:
[Page] So dyd the Iewes before vs, & so do they in these dayes now, that for eueri disease, they haue a sōdry god and patrone. For the pestilence S, Roch, for the war S. Barbara, In thys daunger of Idololatrye be all they that call vpon God, and pray vnto hym otherwyse then he hath appointid by his word And here we be admonished of two things. The fyrst, that we offer none other obsequie and relygion vnto god, thē he hymselfe by hys word requireth. If we do, we offer an ydol of oure own heade, and honore the dyuel, vnder the parsō, and name of god. As those doth that erect and buylde vp Images, and aulters to saye masse vpon, in the honor of god, whyche God [Page xxv] neuer commaunded. Exod. xxii Deutrono. v. The nexte we be here admonished of, is that we call vpon God onelye in the name of Christe, for he is the dore, the waye, and the trueth. Iohn. x. And he alone sheweth vs the father. Iohn .i.vi. Heare be condemned not onely the Iewes and Gentiles but also as manye as woulde knowe, and come to the father by inuocacion of the saynctes departed, by Bulles, Pardons Peregrinacions, Masse and other. Let thys erroure, be corrected, And let vs leue calling euerye man to hys owne God, and call onely vpon the onelye God that can and wil in Christ heare vs, as he hearde the Patriarches, Prophetes, and the [Page] Apostles. And y• thys be doone it is the office of the kyngs magestye, hys councell, and al his Magistrates to se ye true boke of God the holye Byble to be tawghte and receyued of hys magesties subiects, after the example of Moses, Iosua, Dauid, Iosaphat, Ezechias, and Iosias, the Noble Princes of goddes people. Ther was, and is one doctryne more, in that y• Mariners dyd not onely praye but also lightened the shyppe. That thei praied and were not heard, ye learne what a vanitie it is, to praye after the opinion of man. Nothynge at all it auayleth. It neuer commeth before God, nor caseth the conscience of hym that prayeth. Further, y• they do not onelye praye [Page xxvi] but also laboure: we se our duetye, that as GOD freelye geueth healpe, so we muste trayuell, and do the beste we canne wyth prayer, not onelye to receyue, and obtayne the free helpe of God, but also to kepe it. Thus I thought it good, to speke before the seconde daunger which is thys. Ionas synne is detected by lotts, so sayth the texte.
They sayde one to the other: come let vs caste lottes, that we maye knowe, for whose cause we are thus troubled, and so thei cast lottes, and the lot fell vppon Ionas.
[Page] When they perceiued the tempest ceassed not with prayer and deuocion euerye manne vnto hys God, they vnderstod that suche desperate daunger could not come, but onely from the Ire and displeasure of god for some notable and wonderfull cryme. And the more was the feare because the crime was not knowen, nor no mā woulde be seene coulpable of it. They thoughte it good therefore, to serche the gyltye and offender by lottes. And missed not of theyr purpose adele, but found Ionas the rebellion of God to be the occacion of theyr troble.
Of thys text we be learned that the cause of all trouble in publick and priuate persones is syn, as we rede Deu. xxviii. [Page xxvii] Leuiti. xxvi. That vnderstode the Marinars. And in case we be wyse, we wyll vnderstande the same, and amend it, and not to attribute our aduersities to sunne, or mone, sterre, or planet as fooles do.
Of thys texte we learne agayne howe so euer synne be hyd for the tyme, yet at lengthe it wyll be knowen, some by one meanes, some by the other. By lotts as our Ionas, and Ahab Iudicum. i. Samuell .xiiii. by theyr owne confession, as Dauyd .ii. Samuell. Let no man therefore thyncke to kepe alwayes his synne hyd.
Farther here we learne how euerye kyngedome and commune wealthe maye be apesed, when it is troubled. If ye chiefe [Page] captaynes and principall occasions of the trouble be knowen and remoued, then shall peace, ioye, and quietnes folow in the commune wealth else neuer, excepte the Scripture of God be false. Men of the best iudgemente in Ciuile matters many tymes vnder the name and similitude of a shyppe, vnderstande the commune wealth, in case the shyppe whyche is the commune wealthe be troubled, the mayster of the shyppe that is the Kynge wt his counsell inquire deligentelye of the authours of the trouble, or else the tempeste of trouble shal neuer cease. At thys daye gracious Kynge, the shyppe of the [Page xxviii] commune wealthe is sore moued wythe wyndes and tempestes. Here youre Magestye and youre mooste honourable Counsell maye not ceasse if ye woulde the shyppe to come to rest, but take the payne to fynd out the authours of these troubles.
In case ye wyll, (as in dede ye muste) by some meanes fynd out the occasions of these troubles and vnquyetnes wythin youre Magisties Realme: ye shall not fynde (as manye reporte) the Gospell to be the cause therof. For it is the word of peace, and the Dysciples thereof be assured of all grace and goddes fauoure. Deutronomye the eyght and tewentye [Page] and Christe apesed wyth hys presence the troublous waues of the sea. Iohn. vi. Upon whō then wyll the lot of vnquietnes and trouble fal? Upon Ionas, that is to saye vpon euery man that neglecteth his vocacion, and doeth not as he is byd, as when he that shoulde stirre the rother in a shyp, leaueth her to waues, he yt shoulde stricke the sayles, stretcheth thē to more wynde, and so to conclude none taketh hede of that he should. My gracious Lord and Kynge, and ye my Lordes of hys moost honorable councel, how many Ionasses shuld there be founde in Englande? doubtles to many in euery condicion and sorte of people with in thys realme amonge the nobles, [Page xxix] lawers, Byshoppes, priestes, and the commune people. Examyne al a part and proue: the nobilitye make vnprofitable expenses, more then theyr habilitye can or is able to sustayne. They fede a sorte of Idle, and neuer cōmended sort of people, neither by gods lawes neither by mannes lawes: they them selues lyue Idle, and wyl not laboure neyther with hand neyther wyth wyt. What must folowe but trouble of the ship, that is to say oppression of the pore. Esai. v.
The lawers in al causes hath more respecte to luere and vantage then to iustice, in somuche they reioyce, and of other foles be reioysed at when they can ouercome in a false cause, and so [Page] there theuerye catcheth vp the labours and swet of the poore.
The Byshoppes and priestes vnquyet the shippe of this realme two maner wayes. One by the neglecting of theyr true dewtye, the other by a defence of a false and damnable supersticion. In the primatiue and Apostolicall churche the offyce of a Byshoppe and priest was to teache in the congregacion of the faythfulles the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles accordynge to the commaundemente of Christe Mathewe .xxviii. Marke .xvi. Ephesians .ii. Now is this integritye turned into false Idololatrye, and deuyllyshe supersticion, to synge, and saye Masse in the congregacion of God. Thus [Page xxx] lyke theues & murderers they do the abominacion commaundid by man with massyng, coniurynge the holy water, bucket and suche lyke, and leaue the preachynge of goddes worde as God comaundeth, and as the Prophetes and Apostelles hath left vs example. And saye when godly kynges and magistrats requyre and commaund a refourmacion of their iuells, the ministery of the churche is contemned wt such false sclaunders as the Ignoraunt people wyll do more for the Byshoppes and priestes of Ball, then for God, goddes worde, or hys anoynted magistrate as it appered this last somer.
The people and commonnaltye of thys realme trouble [Page] the shyp of this cōmune welth. For do the Kynge and Magistrate what he can, the people wyll neuer be content. Manye of theym lyue in yldenes, and wyl not labour: and in case thei cannot haue that they woulde they conuert them selues to sedicion and treson, and care nomore to kyll and oppresse theyr lawefull kynge and magistrates, then the deuyll cared to kyl Adam in Paradise. Gene. iii. They should cal vnto the lord for redresse of theyr thynges, & not to redresse it them selues.
Psal. l. How is it possible wher euery sort offendeth in the commune wealth, but that the Ire and vengaunce of God should sende vnto our ship wyndes of aduersitye. I knowe that Ionas [Page xxxi] was neuer better knowen to be the occasion of thys tempeste in the sea, then I knowe these foure sortes of people to be the trouble, and wyll be the dystruccion of thys commune wealth if they be not found out by lotte and wysdome be tyme. But a man myghte aske what should the kynges magestie do in suche a case wyth all these foure sortes of Ionasses? Let hys maiestie learne of these mariners, then shall he do wel: and as they dyd with Ionas, so the kynges magestie must do with these four sorts of people. What they dyd, the Prophet shall tell hys owne tale, and declare the third daunger he fell into whiche is the examinaciō of Ionas in thys forme.
[Page] Thei said vnto him: shewe vs I praye the, how thys trouble happeneth vnto vs? What is thyne occupacion? whence commest thou? what countrie man art thou? Of what nacion art thou?
In these Ethnicall Mariners we se a singuler discrecion wit, & humanitie. What if our Mariners Christiās had suffered the lyke daunger and detriment for any mānes sake with in their shyppe, Doubtles they would haue sworne, and out of hande wythoute examinacion haue cast him into the sea. But these men be wyse that they do [Page xxxii] not onelye serch to knowe his faulte by lottes, but diligently seketh to knowe all the circumstances howe he fell into thys daunger, lest Ionas should accompt him selfe vniustlye condemned. Ot thys doyng of the Mariners we learne two thinges, one humanitie towardes the aflicted persons. The other that all kynges and magistrates oughte to condemne thys lawe as a thynge pestiferous and damned by gods lawes, to execute sentence agaynste anye man before his cause and matter be heard, for it is contrarye to the lawe of god, the lawe of nature, and the law of mā. Yea God commaundeth that nomā shoulde be condemned with the testimony of one mā. deu. xvii.
[Page] Here is for the kynges magestye and hys coūsel one more doctrine to be learned of these Mariners. I sayde that foure sortes of people were the occasion of the trouble of hys Magisties shyppe thys Realme of Englande, but I sayd not that euerye man of these foure sorts was giltye of the tempest, therfore there muste be lottes, and examinacion of euerye deorce and of eche person in hys degree that the innocente be not punyshed, neither the transgressoure fauored. And these muste be examined by the mayster & hys shyppemen: that is, to oure purpose, of the Kynges magestye and hys Counsel. So that in case the godlye wythout respect of persons, seeke to know [Page xxxiii] and vpon truthe, and knoweledge, punyshe as they knowe, the shyppe of thys commune wealthe shall rest in peace and quyetnes: if it be not serched for, and amended, the shyppe of the commune wealthe shall at laste be burste in pieces, whyche the Lorde defend. Amen.
¶The thyrd Sermon vpon Ionas, made by Iohn Hoper the .v. of Marche.
☞The Preface.
WE neuer rede in anye wryters whether they be holy or prophāe of anye kyngedome or comune wealth that continually endured without tumultes, sedicion or warre, eyther by foreyn and outwarde enemies, eyther amonge it selfe by conspiracye, treason, & disobedience of subiectes of the same realme, and the same euyll not beynge in tyme taken hede of, and redressed, brought alwayes the kingdom or commune wealth from trouble and sedicion vnto vtter [Page xxxiiii] ruyne, and confusion. We wyll omitte and passe ouer to speake of the kyngdome of the Assirians, the Persians, Grekes, & Romaynes (althoughe of theyr originall, continuaūce and distruccion, the holye Byble maketh in Daniell the prophet, and other places of the Scripture, muche mencion of) we wil speake but of two kingdomes, of Iuda, and Israell. What troublers, contencion, warres, sedicion, and rebellion they suffred, and at laste came cleane to noughte, the bookes of the Kyngs, and Chronicles doth recorde, and the Prophet Ieremye. What the causes of these troubles and dystruccion were, the godlye readers of the scriptures he not ignoraunte: [Page] But the men of that tyme, the Princes, the kynges, neyther the priestes would vnderstād, but assigned false causes, the preachynge of goddes worde .iii. Regum. xviii. For thus sayeth Ahab vnto Elias the prophet: arte not thou he that trobleth Israel? and so sayeth the people. Hiere. xiiii. The worde of god yt thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the lorde, we wyll not receyue it, but we will do whatsoeuer seme vnto vs good, yt we may do sacrifice vnto the Quene of heauē, and offer oure offerynges vnto her, as we haue done and oure fathers, our kinges, & our princes, in the cities of Iuda, and in the stretes of Ierusalē. Thē had we aboūdaunce of al thinges, [Page xxxv] and wel was it wyth vs, & we felte no yuell. Assone as we lefte offerynge to the Quene of heauen, and sacrificed no more sacrifyce vnto her, we lacked al thynges, and be consumed wyth warre, and hungre. But the true Prophetes of GOD shewed the true causes of these euils, to be the contempt of goddes word, as Elias saide vnto Ahab: I trouble not Israell, but thou and thy fathers house, troubleth it. For ye haue forsaken the commaū demente of the Lorde, and thou goest after Baalim. But the princes and the people cō tinually defēded ye falle causes & accōpted ye prophetes of god yt wold haue corrected theyr error, to be sedicious, & trayterus [Page] persons, and euen so persecuted and kylled them for there true preachynge: Till at the last they perished and theyr realme wyth theym, as ye maye rede .iiii. Regu. xvii. and in the last booke of the Cronicles in the last Chapiter. Unto the lessō of those two Chapters I exhorte the wyse, and godly hearer. For ye shal gather of those places that the contempte of goddes worde was the occasion of the losse of these realmes.
The same euyll vexeth vs at thys presente daye. The ship of thys commune wealthe of Englande is tossed vpsyde downe, and the occacion thereof is imputed and layed vnto Christe and hys holye worde, though falsly, for Christes nature [Page xxxvi] is to apeace and quiet all troubles and tempestes wyth hys presence. Iohn .vi. Therefore thys false and preposterous cause of trouble muste be taken hede of, if we wyshe the shyp of this kyngdom to come to rest. We shal neuer bryng it to passe vntyll suche tyme as we agree and confesse that Ionas is the occasion whye the realme is thus vnquieted, that is to saye, as manye as be in this realme, that neglect, or peruerte theyr appoynted vocacyon.
I sayde O Kynge that Ionas myght be founde amonge foure sortes of people wyth in youre maiestyes Realme, amonge the priestes, noble men, lawers, and the commune people. [Page] But lest anye man shulde thynke I condempned euerye man within the shippe of your commune wealthe, we wyll folowe the wisdome and comendable doinges of these shippemen which were not only content to haue found out Ionas (the cause of theyr trouble) by Lottes, but also diligētly they examin him. So ye same thing most gracious kyng we muste do. But before we take vpon vs theyr examination, we wyll praye vnto almightye god for his holye spirite of wysdome, lest in this necessarye and profitable examination we erre and be deceiued. And also that they vpon whome the Lottes do fall, and can not iustelye excuse theyr faultes, maye learne [Page xxxvii] to amende theym, and tourne vnto the Lorde, and from hensforth maye lyue in puritie and in nocencye of trueth and vertue all the dayes of theyr lyues. So be it.
YE haue hearde howe Ionas for the contempte and disobeyinge of hys vocacyon, to haue fallen into syxe greate dawngers. Of two we haue spoken, [Page] & nowe we be come to the thirde, where as he and his factes be deligentlye examined, whyche doutles was agreate crosse and trouble vnto hym. For there is nothyng that dyspleaseth man more thē to haue his faults hiddē, to be brought vnto lyghte and knowledge. God notwythstandynge suffereth that manye tymes for oure good, and profit, that we beyng brought vnto acknowledge of oure synnes, myghte hate the same and praie for the remission thereof, and so is it better (howe so euer the blynde fleshe iudgeth) to haue oure synnes (if God wyl) opened for oure saluacion, then hyd to our losse and damnacion. In thys examinacion we se not only the [Page xxxviii] daūger of Ionas, but also the office of euery good maiestrate that meaneth to quiet and rest hys commune wealth, beynge in trouble.
Those shoulde be examined, that by any signe, or probable suspicion seme to be the authors of tumultes. And thys vsynge moderacion in examininge the innocente and good, shalbe fre from payne, and punyshmente: and the Culpable and gyltye, founde worthye of correcciō. First therfore let vs examyne the Byshoppes and priestes, whether those yt know the wyll of God by hys holye worde, diligentlye teache and preache the same vnto other. Then whether any mā of that vocacion, teache false doctryne [Page] in the churche of Christ. If the one do to litle in the fyrste, and the other to much in the secōd, or the one neglect the fyrst, and the other to diligente in the second, both these be Ionas, and occasion ye the shyp is moued. Agaynste the negligente sorte speaketh Ezechiell .iii.xxxiii. & Agge. i. with vehemēt wordes. and threteneth eternall dampnacion to suche as preacheth not, nor buildeth vp the temple of goddes congregacion: lykewyse Saynt Paul .i. Cor. ix. Agaynste those that teache false doctrine speketh Christe Io. x. and Paull .i. Timo. iiii. Hier. xiiii. Amonge the noble men, Ionas that troubleth the commune wealth may be foūd amōg two sortes of them. The [Page xxxix] one of them hathe inoughe gyuen him from God, yet is not content there withal, but for auarice, and loue of him self and his insaciable couetousnes scrapethe, and gathereth to gether whither with ye law, or against the lawe it maketh no forse so he haue it. So this Ionas and trobler of the ship with all iniuries and wronges, rather woulde ad somewhat where in deade is to much, thē to depart a litle where as is nothynge at al. And in vaine glorye & pride of the manmon of ye world, they wyll condemne and disdayne ye verye Image of God in the poore, agaynste whome speaketh Salomon. Prouerv. xiiii. he yt calumniateth the pore, abraydeth hys creatoure. Take [Page] exāple hereof. Out of the. ix. of Iohn howe the general coūcel of the Phariseis layde to the pore blynde man his blindnes. Theyr reproch of gods worke was reprehended: and the insaciable and couetous hartes of theym be condemned by Esaye the Prophet: Chapter .v. cursed be ye that Ioyne house to house, and feld to feld. The experyence of thys curse had Ahab, that vngodlye toke from Naboth his vineyard. If these men that hath Inoughe wyll not moue the shyppe of youre highnes commune wealth, let theym leaue their rauenynge, and giue god thankes for that they haue, and to theyr abilitye healpe, & not rob the pore. The other sort of noble or gentlemen [Page xl] that make more expēce then their reuenues and condicion is able to beare and liueth by dysse, Cardes, whordome, fraude, gile, deceite, thefte and suche like: Indifferent examinaciō not only by gods lawes, but also by mānes lawes wyll proue thē not only to be disobedient Ionas, but also starke theues. The lawiers if they be examined diligently, there wil be so many found amonge thē to vnquiet the shyppe of thys commune wealthe, that few or none wilbe found clere. And among the lawyers I put Iudges, and Iustices the one for gaine, careth not to defend the faulsest cause and most vniust matter yt can be brought vnto him, & promiseth (like a theyfe) [Page] ye cause to be good, till he haue emptied hys poore Clientes pourse. Then washeth he hys hādes, with as much foule honestie, as he can, and referreth the doutfull cause aboue his lerning, to the ignoraunt men of yt shire, to be iudged at home lyke a fole, wher as his pourse can no lenger cause his pratler and ignoraunt lawer to kepe his cause aloofe and out of the shire. And in dede suche a subiecte as can not fynde in his herte after gods lawes to ende his contencion without stryfe by the arbitremēt of those that be his neighboures, is worthy to fynde such a Ionas as wyll neuer leaue blowinge at hys pourse, till he haue vnladed it euen to the bottome, and haue [Page xli] caused him to spend asmuch in recouerye of twētie shillinges by lease, as he might haue purchased twenty shilinges in fele simple. I dāpne not the lawe yt is good, but these theues yt abuse ye law: for their doinges is nothyng but gile & deceate, & a noble kynd of theuery. Against ye which speketh zachari in his v. Chapi. And God. Exod. xx. Deut. v. Thou shalt commit no thefte. Thou shall geue no false testimonye agaynste thy neyghboure. These Ionasses dothe not only geue false testimony, but also for lutre defendeth y• same. And not for a day but for a yere, and yeres. The more shame it is to be suffred. The iustices be also Ionas, for they receiue rewardes and Bribes, [Page] whiche blindeth the eyes, De. xvi. & maketh them to corrupte iustice to theyr eternall damnacion if they amend not. Agaynste whom speaketh Salomon, Prouerbes .vii. He that quiteth the euyll doer, and cō demneth the innocent, be bothe execreable and damned before God.
Among the cōmune people ye shal also find many Ionasses, but yt we maye the better espye thē out, we wyl deuide them into the rustikes or people of the contrye: & into the Citizens. Al & euery contry or housbād mā that liueth not of his laboure, and geueth hym selfe to Idlenes, and so moueth seditiō and treason agaynste theyr lawfull kyng and Magestrate, or priuely [Page xlii] in theyr conuenticles, and assemblyes speke euell, cursse, or prouoke any thing agaiust their magestrates, thei can nor wyll learne, nether to knowe god, nether to obey ther prince: these be those among this sort of people ye be Ionasses, & trobleth the state of this realme. Amonge the Citizens be a great number that trouble the shippe also, as adulterous vnpunished, the fraude and gyle of the marchaundise, ydlenes the Mother of all myscheyfe, thefte, murder, blasphemous othes, conspiracye and treason with open slaūder and rebuke of goddes moste holye worde. These thynges and suche lyke tosseth the poore shyp ye hardly she cā saile aboue the water. [Page] And so dyspleaseth the Maiestye of God, that he wyll neuer ceasse from sending of tempestes, tyll those Ionasses be amended, or caste into the sea.
But before I come to Ionas aunswere vpon hys examinacion, because I knowe thys sayinge to be trewe: obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit. That is, flatterye obtayneth frēdship & the truth displesure, lest any mā shuld for my truth and liberty be offēded, I wyll briefly purge my self. Doutles it were pleasure to me to speke nothynge at al, in case the necessitie of my vocatiō, the daunger of these Ionasses, and the saluacion of this ship of oure commune wealthe forced me not therunto. As touching myself [Page xliii] I am called vnto this place to cry, in case I do not I know all the bloud of these Ionasses shalbe required at my hande: which god forbyd. It were better I shuld cal so hard as heauen and earthe might sounde agayne of my voyce.
The saluacion of these wicked Ionasses moueth also to speke in this matter & with the trompe of gods word to wake thē out of their slepe, leste they slūber & rest so lōg in theyr wickednes, yt they go slepyng to eternal dānaciō. These therfore I call vpon for the amendemente of theyr knowledge and liefe.
Farther the loue I beare vnto the Kynges Maiestye and to this comune wealth of England [Page] compelleth me to speake, seynge I se the angry hand of God all redye streached forthe to punysh vs, if we awake not oute of synne. Laste of all be it knowen to all menne that I speake in the condemnacion of the euyll, and commendacion of the good. And that all men may easlye find out and know amonge these foure sortes of people, the Ionasses, and troublers of thys shyppe and commune wealth of Englande, I gyue you one mooste true and generall rule, whyche is thys. Whoso euer, or of what so euer degre he be, that is or sheweth hym selfe to be offended wyth thys my free and indifferente speakynge of Goddes worde, he or they be they what [Page xliiii] they be maye, arre the verye Ionasses and troublers of thys commune wealthe. And these menne loue more darckenes thē lyght, moreto trouble the shippe then to rest her. But nowe to the texte wherein is cō tayned Aonas aunswere vpon hys examinacion.
When as Ionas perseaued he coulde no longer clooke [Page] and hyde hys offence, he dothe not onelye confesse hys faulte, but also maketh them priuye, and vttereth hys fayeth and religiō he hath in GOD, vnto theym. In that he confesseth hys faulte, we learne that the fyrste gree and procedynge to mercye and remyssion, is the knowledge of the synne, whyche is a thynge moste difficile and harde to the fleshe to saye: I haue offended the Lord, and wil amend. For either we denie oure syn with Cain, or extenuate and excuse it wyth Saule. Would to God our Ionasses would acknowledge theyr faures, & not excuse it nor extenuate it. It is but a mockeri once in a yere to acknowledge, and murmoure oure faultes in the [Page xlv] priestes eare. But we shoulde from the harte repent the neglectyng of our bounden duties, and vnfaynedlye amende it, whyche is not onely paynefull to the fleshe, but also gratefull vnto God. I exhorte all men therefore that knoweth theym selues gyltye, as in deade there is none of vs of all partes innocente, we saye wythe Dauyd: we haue offended the Lorde.
Yet is not thys inoughe to confesse our faultes, but therewythall we muste make a confession of oure fayeth, but not suche a confession as mooste menne vse, but suche as maye most be lyke vnto Ionasses. And let theym imbrace onelye Christe and hys doctrine, and [Page] worship god in sprite & veritye as his word teacheth. This I meane, let the preistes teache accordinge to the worde of God, the noble mē gouerne and rule thereby, the lawers conforme theyr lawe to gods law, & suche lawes as be contrarie to gods lawes abrogate and abolishe. The people shoulde heare the word of God, geue faithe vnto it, and folow it. And so saye euery man of vs with Ionas, I am an Ebrew, that is to say, I am a christian man, and wyll frome henceforthe forsake my synne, that disquieteth not only myne owne conscience, but also the hole cōmune wealth. It foloweth how the mariners toke Ionas answere.
In these mariners we see three thinges: feare, rebuke of [Page] disobedience, and takynge of councell howe to saue the ship. This feare it is mooste like sprange of this that the mariners had hearde Ionas saye howe he was commaunded by God to preache vnto the Niniuites theyr destruction, and the cities also for theyr synne. The mariners knowing them selfes giltye of the same, them selfes being both Idolaters, infidels, and of corrupt conditiō and lyuyng, fered the lyke punishment. Who is it that will not tremble at the angrie countenaunce of gods dyspleasure? But nowe a dayes oure stonye and indurate hartes be paste al feare, and turneth the threatenings of God to a laughter, sayinge in theyr hartes: ther is no God.
[Page xlvii] That these gentilyshe Mariners rebuke Ionas of dysobedience, it declareth the faute to be so greate when anye man leueth his vocacion and specially the vocacion of preching, that it meriteth and is worthy to be rebuked of all men. But suche is nowe the proude mindes of Byshops and pastours that it wyl suffer no rebuke, or Christian admonicion, but wil be lauded and praised yea in euel doyng and omissiō of their vocacion, as it is to be seene in that horrible and wycked decre: Si papa. And not onelye, the Pope but also euerye man that slepeth, and delitethin his sinne, refuseth all maner of admonicions. If Ionas toke wel at worthe the reprehension of [Page] the heathen, it is more then ashame one Christian to forsake the admonicion of an other.
In that they aske counsell of Ionas, howe to saue the shyppe, they declare a syngulare humanitye towardes a straunger: that althoughe by the meanes of hym they stode in daunger bothe of lyfe and goodes, yet woulde they leaue no meanes they coulde, to saue hym, thoughe it were wythe theyr greate losse, and daunger.
Thus we be bounde to do as occacion shal serue: not cruelly wythout discression to reuēge, but cheritabli with pacience to beare with the weke, vntyll suche tyme as the lawe requyreth execucion of the euyll. [Page xlviii] Nowe foloweth the aunswere of Ionas, wherwyth al he condēneth him selfe as it is plaine in the texte, and is the fourth daunger he fel into.
In thys answere we learne and knowe what is the nature and condicyon of euerye penitente manne, to Iudge hym selfe worthy payne and punyshemente. And that is so trewe in case wee Iudge not so of oure selues (and saye: [Page] heretofore I was accompted and toke my selfe for a christian man, but in deade I was the contrarye, wherefore I am worthy of punyshmente) we be but Hipocrites and desēblers. Thus shoulde the Nobleman saye, the Lawer, the priest, and the commune sorte of men as Dauid techeth .ii. Sam. xxiiii. When he sawe the commune wealth punyshed and in daunger of dystruccion for his offence, he sayde vnto the Lorde as Ionas dyd.
I haue synned, I haue done yuel, what hath these shepe offended? let thyne ire & dyspleasure be agaynste me and my fathers house.
But O my gracious Lorde and Kynge, suche penitent and [Page xlix] sorowful Ionasses be farre out of youre realme, for none wyll confesse theyr faultes. They wyl rather saye: let the Bible in Englishe, and the preacher of gods word be cast into the sea, and so shall folowe quietnes, for it was neuer wel sithe preaching begā. But these be, most gracious kyng and honorable coūselloures, Caiphas felowes that sayde: ye vnderstande not Io. xiii. Chap. But what folowed? It happened vnto the wicked as he feared. They lost theyr communewealth as their fathers did before, and came in to bondage bothe of body and soule.
Now foloweth the fift daūger that Ionas fel into. The mariners can not saue hym, as the [Page] texte sayeth.
In these Mariners y• holye gost teacheth vs two thynges, the one howe they would haue saued the troubler of the shyp, the other that they coulde not saue him. In the first is noted the nature & condicion of euery godly Magistrate yt would if god wold & the lawe, al men to be saued: as Moses did prai for the people yt rebelled, for Aron & Marye, hys brother & sister. Iosua called disobediente [Page l] Ahab sonne. Here is the percial and corrupte iudgement of Kynges, Magistrates, iudges and such as beare offyce in the commune wealth horriblie cō demned: that serue not the law but mayster the lawe, and for lucre or affecciō damneth hym the lawe quytteth, and saueth him the lawe condemneth, contrary to the doctrine of Salomon. Prouerb .xvii. Deut. xix. Luke. xxii. Rom. xiii. Iac. iiii. That they could not saue Ionas, we learne that no cōmune wealth cā be quieted except the trāsgressors be punished. Ios. vii. God giueth no victory to y• children of Israel till Ahab be punished. The plage cessed not frō y• Israelits, til Phinees had slaine the adulterous, Nu. xxv [Page] And the Lord sayth in Ezechiell. xxxiii: ye lifte vp youre eyes to your Idoles, & shede bloud: and thyncke ye, ye shall posses thys land? Ye pollute eche anothers wyfe, and should ye inhabit thys lande? Nether vnto alludeth sayncte Paule. Ephesians. v. Let no mā seduce you wyth prophane woordes, for these thyngs cōmeth the yre of God vpon the chyldren of distruste.
Generallye we learne that there is no more pestiferous hurt cā come vnto a commune wealth, then ouer muche lenity and preposterous petye to suffer the lawes of a realme to be broken and neglected, wythout punyshement of the transgressoure: as it shall be more [Page li] declared here after. Nowe to the text, whyche containeth the prayer of the shypmen in thys wyse.
Wherfore thei cried vnto the lord and sayd O Lorde let vs not perishe for thys mannes death, neither lay thou innocent bloud to our charge: for thou oh lord hast done, euen as thy pleasure was.
Of thys oracion fyrste wee learne that the Mariners were conuerted vnto God by y• preachynge of one Ionas. Before eche man called vpon a sūdrye god, now al cal vp on one god. They excuse not theyr olde Idololatrie [Page] for their olde customes sake, nor yet for the aucthoritie of their forefathers, but symplie they imbrace the trueth. The same shoulde we followe, and for oure doctryne it is written, as sayth Saynte Paule in the fyftenth chapter of hys Epystle to the Romay. Whatsoeuer thyngs are wrytten, are wrytten for oure learnyng: that we through paciēce and comforte of the scriptures shoulde haue hope. Casting away al Idololatrye & false honorynges of God, we shoulde in Chryst imbrase and receyue the euerlastynge God and hys infalliable worde, seynge wee be not moued there vnto by one Ionas but by manye: by Kynge, by counsell, and manye [Page lii] other menne of God.
The seconde thynge we learne oute of thys prayer is howe they desyre GOD, not to Impute vnto theym the deathe of, Ionas whyche had not hurte theym but hymselfe, in dysobeyinge the Lordes commaundemente: wherein we maye see howe the Gentiles and Ethnyckes abhorred murder, land Manslaughter, and accompted it horrible and a thynge damned by the lawe of nature▪
They were in the sea, and no manne coulde haue accused them of murther, yet perceyued they well that the eyes of God coulde marcke theym where so euer they were, and woulde punyshe the facte. And wisely [Page] they iudged: for so teacheth vs all the Scripture of God as it shall nowe apere: for I wyll somewhat touch thys horrible crime of murder more at large. Murder is cōmitte two maner of wayes, by chaunce and ignorauntelye, or of malice and wetingelye. Ignoraunt when agaynste hys wyll doynge and meanynge nothynge lesse then murder, agaynst hys wyll killeth. Suche a murderer by the lawe shuld not die, for God absolueth and quitteth hym, and prepared in the commune wealthe of the Israelites, sanctuaries, and refuges for them, whyther as they might flee for their sauegarde. Exod. xxi. Nu. xxxv. Ios. xx. lest theyr bloude shulde be shed againe.
[Page liii] He that of malice, and willingly killeth a mā shuld no waies be saued, for vnto such the lord commaundeth deathe agayne. Exo. xxi. Leui. xxiiii. And also in the tyme of the lawe of nature this was the commaundement of God for murder. Gen. ix. he that sheddeth a mannes bloude, shall haue his bloude shed againe: and so saith Christ Math. xxvi. he that striketh wt the swearde, shall peryshe with the sweard. This sin is so horrible, that no indulgēce or pardō shulde pitie the offence, nor pardon the fault: but the murderer incase he fled to the highe aulter, he shoulde be fet fourthe: as ye maye see the experyence in Ioab at the cōmaundement of Salomon. iii. Regum. ii. [Page] and reade. Nume. xxxv. If the gistrate dyspense either for fere of hym that shoulde suffer exequution, or for anye profit or gayne, and punysh it not, what both he other thē prouoke theire of God agaynst hym selfe & the hole realme? For the Lorde sayeth, he wyl not dwell in the earth tyll it be pourged wyth the bloude of hym that shed the bloud. Nume. xxxv. Let all men therefore in the commune wealthe knowe and feare thys doctrine of Paul. Ro. xiii. The magistrat beareth not a sweed in vayne. Let the Maiestrate take hede of two things: first yt vnder the pretexte and cloke of the lawe to serue hys affeccion or gayne, he punyshe not y• innocent. In thys offended the kyngs and magistrates of the [Page liiii] Israelites that for the maintenaunce of theyr supersticion, false religion and corrupt maners, kylled and put to deathe the Prophetes, and the Apostles. So Iesabell caused Naboth to be slayne. iii. Reg. xxi.
The second let ye magestrate take heade he absolue not him that God condemneth, and cō maundeth to be punyshed, for gayne, affection, good intencior els for any folyshe & preposterus pety: for so doing Saul loste his kyngdome .i. Samu. xv. reade the place. And Ahab the kynge of Israel for dimissyng of Bennaud as god said: they soule shalbe for his soule .iii. Regum. fourtene. Euen as here is occacion to admonishe of iustice towardes euil doers, [Page] so is it to speake of warre, and how it may be vsed lawfulli by magestrates. The magestrate offendeth when he beginneth or continueth any iniuste battel, or of affeccion punisheth any innocent person: So Iosyas offended althoughe he was a good man in makinge warre with the Egypcians, where as honest conditions of peace was offred, and was slayne for his laboure. The magestrate of the other part maye offende if he in case he see his subiectes oppressed and wyll not defend thē as Abraham did his neuie Loth and other. Agayne, thys battell he is daylye bounde vnto, to warre agaynste vice and to punyshe, synne and incase he see anye rebellion to resiste the [Page lv] iust execusion of iustice, not to feare: for God wyll helpe his procedinges. Deut. xiii. And it maye be seen that God wyl fauoure the magestrate that fighteth against his owne brother, if it be to amende vyce and to kyll synne. For in manner the hole tribe of Beniamin was destroyed for the defence of adulterie. Farther a maiestrate fighteth iustly, when he resisteth vniust forse, whether it be of foren ennemyes, or of his owne rebellious subiectes. Of such lawes as shulde be kepte in the tyme of warre it is written Deut. xx. xxiii. Luke. iii. Oure warryers haue made of war a menes and waye to all robberye and spoil. The captayne by hys fayth is bound to haue as many as his [Page] allowaūce chargeth him with all, but lyke a thiefe he deceyueth the Kynge bothe of hys noumber of menne, and robbeth hym of hys goodes: and for lacke of true paymente to the halfe number that he is appoyneted vnto, he weryeth the good wyll of the poore Souldiours, that extreme pouertye wyth syckenes for lacke of paymente of theyr wages, causeth theym to passe neyther of the Kyng, neyther of the commune wealth.
And as these vniuste and alreadye dampned Capytaynes (excepte they repente) wyth receyuers, paye Masters, vitaylers, and other, destroye not onelye the lawe and Magesty of Armes, but also deceiue [Page lvi] the Kynge by pyllyng and pollynge the poore & needye souldyours: so decaye & vndo they the hole commune weale. For they come to serue the cōmune wealth of lytle or no valewe at all: in seruyng of the commune wealthe they enryche them selues vniustly to the vtter impouerysshynge, and beggerynge both of the cōmune wealth and the heades thereof.
And well both Magistrate and Souldiour meriteth the same. For the one trusteth he knoweth not whom, other then vpon reporte: the other prepareth hym selfe to the warre for defence of his contrey, with horedome, thefte, and all abhominacyon.
[Page] And by false & theuish meanes bryngeth more to the war then is hys owne: no maruell then though God set such a thiefe ouer hym as wyl geue hym lesse thē is his dew. True men were wount to go to batel, and such as prepared theim selues with the feare of god to liue and die for theyr Magistrate and coū try: nowe the veryer thiefe, and blasphemoure of the God of batel, the better soldiour. Wel God maye gyue the vyctorye to suche blasphemours for a tyme, but doutles it wyll not nor cannot continue. Loke vpon all the warres that Moses wrytteth of in hys fyue bokes, and then shall ye knowe the same. Wherefore I humbly requyre all Magistrates bothe [Page lvii] in peace and warre to punyshe chiefely these two vices adulterye & blasphemye, incase they would haue either vyctorie in war, or quietnes in peace.
As touchyng swearyng and blasphemye, it is knowen vnto al men of God, how the law condemneth it in the fyrste table. Exodi. xx. Deutronomi. v. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vayne: for God wyll not leaue vnpunyshed, suche as abuse hys name. Of an othe I thyncke it therefore conueniēt to speake sumwhat. There is two maner of othes, the one of custome or of sport, the other serious and graue, requyred and taken before the Maiestrate or Iudge. The Fyrst is deuyllyshe, damnable [Page] and nought of euery part, and forbidden by god to all christian mē. The other that is taken for the glorye of God, the defence of the trueth, or helpe of a mans neyghboure, as necessitye shal require is laweful and godly. But in this lawful oth a man may offend two maner of wayes. Fyrst if hys hert and mynde be not accordynge to hys woordes, but that hys mouth speaketh one thing and the herte thyncketh an other thynge: the seconde if he that sweareth, sweare by anye creatures. Both these be blasphemous before God.
And in case it be damnable in a noughty matter to sweare by creatures, is it not the same trow ye, daylye and folyshly of [Page lviii] custome to sweare by a mans hande, hys heade, by the masse, and suche lyke? The more vile the thynge is we sweare by, the more is the othe detestable before God. Wherefore in thinges not necessarye, and requyred lawfully, to sweare by anye thyng, is synne. In wayghtye matters to sweare by ani thing except by god, is no lesse offēce. That may we see .iiii. maner of wayes. By reason, y• holy scripture, exāples, & the Canon law. By reasō thus: to sweare is to protest & promise the thing we sweare to be true before hym y• knoweth the thoughtes and cogitacions of the harte, that knoweth onlye and solye God: therefore is it blasphemye to sweare or attribute ye same to a [Page] creature as they do that sweareth by creatures.
Agayne euery oth hath annexed wyth it, an inuocacion, and execracion. An execracion, that he by whom we sweare maye punyshe and curse vs if we swere false. An inuocacion, that he by whom we swere, woulde helpe vs if we sweare true. But onely God can saue and lose, reason woulde then hym onely to be sworn by.
The authoritye of the scripture. Thys also is double: the one techeth by whom we shuld swere, the other by whome wee shoulde not sweare: that is by God, & by no creatures. Deut. vi. x. Thou shalt feare the lord thy God, and worshyp hym, and also sweare by hys name. [Page lix] Esai. xlv. vnto me shall euerie kne bowe, and euery toung sweare. In the .lxv. speakynge of the callynge of the Gentiles he sayeth: He that wyll sweare shall sweare by the true God. And Iere. xii. they shal sweare the Lorde liueth.
That no man should sweare by creatures, ye haue. Exodi. xxiii. Ye shall not thyncke vpon the name of straunge goddes: neyther shall it be hearde out of youre mouthes. Iosue. xxiii. The people be admonished not to sweare by the names of the goddes that the people vsed, whither thei were going. Hierem. v. It is sayde that the people offended because they sweared by the gods that were not God. And ye people thynke [Page] it is no synne to annex a creature with god, heare what Sophonie the prophet saith. Cap. i. I wyll sayeth the Lorde, destroye them that worshyp and sweare by Malchon, that is to saye by there patron. Where as the Prophet meaneth, they that sware by god & creatures, matcheth & setteth God and the deuyl in one chayre, & sete. Exā ples out of ye scriptures: Abraham sware by the moste highe god. God swereth by hym self.
Policarpus woulde rather suffer the flames of fyer, then to sweare by Ceasars fortune. Euseb, libro .iiii. Chap. xv.
The Canon lawe Causa .xxii. Q. i. clericum per creaturas. & Et si quis per creaturas, and si aliqua causa, also Mouet te iterum.
[Page lx] Thus the lawes begynne, and the glosse vpon the same places requyreth vs to sweare onelye by god. I haue taried the longer in thys matter, because I happened to se of late a certaine boke for the making of Deacons, priestes, and Byshoppes, wherein is requyred an othe by Sainctes: where at I did not a litle wonder. And howe it is suffered, or who is the authoure of that booke, I well knowe not. I am led to thynke it to be the faute of the correctoure in the printynge, for two causes. One is because in the othe for the Byshoppe is no mencion made of anye sainctes.
The other cause is, that in y• same boke the minister muste [Page] confesse at the receiuyng of his vocacion, yt the boke of God, ye holy scriptur to be perfet, & sufficiente for the saluaciō of mā.
Yet do I muche meruayle that in the same booke it is apointed that he yt wyl be admitted to the ministery of goddes word or hys sacramentes must come in white vestimētes, whiche semeth to repugne playnelye wyth the former doctryne that cōsessed the onely word of God to be sufficiēt. And sure I am they haue not in ye word of god, yt thus a minister should be apperelled, nor yet in the primatiue and best church.
It is rather the habit and vesture of Aton and the gentiles, then of the ministers of Christe. Farther where and of [Page lxi] whome, and when haue they learned, that he that is called to the ministery of gods word, shoulde houlde the bread and chalice in one hande, and the boke in the other hande? Why do they not as well gyue hym in hys hande the founte and the water? For the one is a sacramente as well as the other. If the founte be to great, take hym a basynne wyth water or such lyke vessell. But in thys mater and in other, as tollerable thynges be to be borne wt for the weakes sake awhyle, so I thyncke it not mete before the Kynges Maiestye and his mooste honorable Councell to halte in anye parte, but to saye the truth: that they knowing ye same, may redresse it assone as [Page] maye be, as my parte is & al other priuate persons to praye thē to do the same, & besech god to restore vs to the primatiue church, which neuer yet had nor shal haue ani match or like. Before all thynges beware of an oth by any creatures, except ye will be glad to haue gods displeasure, Now foloweth ye sixt daūger of Ionas, howe he is caste into the sea.
So they toke Ionas & cast him into the sea, & y• sea left raging. And ye mē fered ye lord exceadinglye, doinge sacrifices, & making vowes vnto the lord.
Here se we two thynges: Ionas cast into the sea, and howe the sea left there vpon hys ragynge. Out of the fyrste learneth euery Magistrate & king [Page lxii] their office to caste out of theyr cōmune wealth, as manye Ionasses as they fynde stoborne, & wyl not amende theyr lyues. If Ionas in the sea could not be saued, that offended but in neglectyng of hys dewtie, and yet confessed his faute, & conuerted ye mariners, what maye wee thyncke: is it possible to sayle or lyue quyetlye wyth so mani obstinate Ionasses: Nay doutles: what remedy thē? Let thē be cast all into the sea. But lest mē shuld be to much offēdid wt this seuere punyshment as though I wold al to be cast in to ye sea, I wil bring ye examinaciō of ye mater to the .iiii. sorts of people yt I spake of before, and so appoint of euery sorte whō the kinges magestie must [Page] cast into the sea, or sende to the Gallies.
Fyrste Let vs speake of the Byshops and priestes. Theyr offyce was in the primatiue & fyrste churche, to be preachers of goddes worde, and ministers of Christes Sacramentes. Not to sacrifyce for ded nor lyue, not to synge, or masse or anye souche lyke. Unto the fyrst original must al these mē as they be called, of the holye churche, be called: els by they no shepherdes, but rauenynge woulfes, to deuoure the shepe of God. And that thys maye the better be done youre maiestie muste begyn wyth youre Chapell and Chapellanes: make theym to serue the same soules that laboreth for theyr [Page lxiii] liuynges. If your Grace do it not, ye shal put your own selfe in daunger of God. And from henceforth make your Chapel laynes men of the churche, and let the Chapell go. And when your magesty hath done thys, your selfe cause all noble men of your realme to do the same. Thē reforme your Coleges in the Uniuersities, and se honest men to haue the leadynge and ouersyghte of the youth: suche as wyll amende, let them tarye styll in theyr offyces, suche as wyl no [...] your magestie must remoue, if euer ye bryng the ship to quyetnes. Unto the clarcke from henceforth as ye wil aūswere vnto it, gyue no benifice, or spirituall promocions to none, but to suche a one as can [Page] & wyll preach true doctryne, or els teache vnto the youth the Cathechisme, and healpe the people wyth some good councell, Or else cast thē all into the seaithat is, put thē out of theyr offyce, and put better in theyr places. And beware of this vn godly pitye wherewith al men for the most part be veri much nowe adayes combred wythal, which wyll for pitye rather let a fole or an euyl man to enioye hys benefice, then a thousande soules to be broughte to know ledge? thys in no pitye but rather a crueltye and kylling of the soule. Therfore if it should please the Magistrates to make a law that no man shuld haue Byshoprycke, benefyce, prebend, or other ecclesiastical [Page lxiiii] vocacion lenger then he vsed hym selfe accordyng to his vocacion, it were wonderful well
The noble men that byeth theyr offyces, and selleth agayne the iustice and the lawe, yt is a pointed to the office, must be admonyshed: in case they wyl not amende, into the sea wt theym. Put theym out of their offyces and putte better in. These Gentlemen that lyueth vpon dycynge, cardynge, ydlenes, or with other mēnes gooddes muste be also admonyshed: yf they wyll not repente, altogether caste them in to the sea. Folysh and preposterous pitye hath brought both king and the Lawes not onelye of thys realme, but also of God [Page] into contempte, and dayly wyl more and more if it be not fore seen. Nowe ye lawes that iustly shoulde be executed vpon theues, and murderers, is of folyshe pitye dyspensed wyth al, and manye iudge it were better to saue after hys opinion, then to damne after the commaundement of God. For thei saye: O he is a tall felowe, and can do the kynge good seruice, it were pitye he should be hanged. But in case they knewe or goddes lawes or mannes lawes, and knewe what maintaineth best a commune wealthe they would saye: suche a thiefe or murderer can neuer do the Kynges Magestye better seruyce then when he is hanged for hys faute, that other men [Page lxv] may feare to offende the lawe, by hys example. Marke wher vnto thys preposterous and sinistre pitie hath brought the realme, to be pestered wt more theues then halfe Europe beside. In so much that a manne can not trauell suerlye by the way with twentye pounde in hys pourse, thoughe twentye men be together in a companie: as it was sene by experiēce of late dayes to y• great shame of al the iustices of the coūtry and to the slaunder of the hole lawe and the realme.
The fraude, gyle, and Couetousnes of the lawers must either be amended, other thei thē selues to be cast into the sea: For vnto thys hathe theyr crafte and filthy lucre broughte the [Page] enter your graces Court, may se ye magestye of a godly house and perceiue by the order of y• familye that God dwelleth in the courte and realme. But (the more to be pitied) it is so nowe that who so euer enter & marcke the condicions of manye men in the courte, he shall fynde in the moste parte of the house hangyngs of gods woū des, hys fleshe and his bloud, wt such blasphemous othes as the deuyll hym selfe if he were incarnate woulde tremble to speake. And greate wounder it is there falleth not fyre frō heauen to burne them and the house they tarye in. Like wyse where as goddes lawes forbyddeth dise, and Cardes, and also the commune statutes of [Page lxvii] thys realme (the more shame it is) it is vsed daily and hourly in the Kynges Magestyes house, where as onelye the magestye of GOD is offended but many an honest man vndone in the yere. That dise house must be cast into the sea if it be not, God wyll caste the maynteyners thereof at length into hell. What and if all men folowe thys godlye counsel of Ionas what wyll folow? this that is in the texte.
As longe as Ionas was in the shyp there was no quyetnes: nowe beinge in the sea all is at peace: so shall it be wyth vs if we amend and cease from [Page] euyll doynges, as it is writen. Hieremy .ii.vi.vii. And thys is easye to be proued by example, that no cōmune wealth can be pacified excepte euyll doers be punished .ii. Par. xvii. Iosaphat before he could brynge hys commune wealth to anye good poynte, restored good iudges to ye ciuile state of hys Realme, and true doctours to the ecclesiastical state of hys realme. Chap. xix. The same maye we see in Dauyd ii. Samuel .viii.ii. Para. xxii.xxiii. So dyd Artaxerses that sente Esdras to the Iewes; Esdras. vii.
The same order toke Cambises Cyrus sonne, though he was and idell manne, he caused the skynne of a corrupte [Page lxviii] Iudge to be pulled ouer hys heade, and to be nayled in the place of Iudgement, to putte other menne in feare how they corrupted iustyce. For the kepynge of all men in an order it were well if men woulde thyncke vpon the lawe of the Corinthes: whyche men maye reade in the Adagyes of Erasmus. The Adage is: ‘Proteruiam fecit.’
Where as euerye manne was bounde to gyue accompt howe he lyued, and maynetayned hym self. And the same lawe had Solon at Athenes.
When the Magystrate by neglygence or Proposterous pytye, wyll not punyshe for syn, then God strikethe, as ye may se by the vniuersal flowd, [Page] by the fyre in Sodome, and Gomor. Gyue hede therefore most gracious Lordes, to punyshe these Ionasses, and to put better into theyr place, or els God wyll punysh either wt an euil beast, either with swerd either wyth famyne, either with pestilēce, as it is writen Ezechiell .xiiii. But in case ye wyl do it the sea wyll cease. As I praye God it maye. Amen.
The fourth Sermon vpon Ionas, made by Iohn Hoper the .v. of Marche.
☞The Preface.
SAinte Paul sayeth: it is a moost true saying, and worthy to be receyued of euerye parte, that Christ Iesus came into thys worlde to saue synners .i. Timo. i. Unto the whiche sayinge agreeth the wordes of oure Sauioure Christ. Luke .xix. The sonne of man came to seke, and saue that whiche was lost, Who is it amōg vs all that woulde not ioyfully at the hearyng of so amiable & swete a saying, reioyce? seyng [Page] we be all miserable and cursed synners by nature, and yet woulde (as full of miserye and blyndenes as we be) be saued, wyshe euer to be out of payne. But in thys is all the hede to be taken, leste we sinisterlye vnderstande these confortable promises, which the deuil auē turth to swad vs vnto. Wher as he cā not al together beriue and rob vs of the promises he wolde vs to construe & vnderstand the promises amis. And where as these promises apertayneth to none but unto repē taunte synners, he dazeth, and deceyueth oure affeccion and loue we beare to oure selues, that he wyl beare vs in hande Gods promyse appertayneth as well to the impenitent and [Page lxx] neuer myndynge synner to amende, as vnto the sorowfull afflycted beleuyng sinner, and he that wyl study the amendemēt of lyfe. Against the which illusion and craft of the deuil, Christ speaketh. Mat. ix. Luc. v. I came not to call the iuste, but sinners to repentaūce. Of the whyche repentaunce if we be destitute, nothyng auaileth vs the promises of God. Luc. xiii. Excepte ye repente, all shall peryshe. And the former promyses were not so sweete, but these threatnynges be as bytter: Not vnto all men, but vnto suche as be obstynatelye yuel or desperat. Against whō cryeth Ihon Baptyste: Euen nowe is the axe putte vnto the roote of the tree:
[Page] Euery tre that bryngeth furth no good fruite, is cut downe & put into the fyre. Luke .iii.
But a mā myght aske to what purpose thys thyng is spoken of by me? doutles to thys end to prosequute and folowe my matter begon. I sayd that the authours of thys vnquietnes in the realme in the churche, & in euerye housholde, were verye Ionasses, and those that troubled the shyppe: whyche oughte eyther to be amended or remoued out of their office, or els the shyppe maye neuer come to rest. But because these that be cast into the sea should not dispaire, ther must be some remedye founde to solace and conforte suche as be fallen into daunger of drownyng.
[Page lxxi] Thys is the way: if they take the admonicions and the admonitours gētly and raile not agaynste them, neither wynke at their own faultes: but with a true repentaunce of the hart folowe thys our Prophet Ionas, who confessed hys faulte, and humblye asked remyssion & pardō for the same. So shal euery sīner be saued as he was accordinge to the othe of God Eze. xviii. As truly as I lyue sayth the Lord, I wyl not the deathe of a synner, but that he be conuerted and lyue. Thys counsell of the Lorde excepte our troblous Ionasses folow thei shalbe drowned in the water of eternal damnacion, with Pharao. But as heretofore ye haue hearde howe Ionas [Page] for hys disobedience was punyshed: so now out of the texte ye shal hear how he repenting hys mysbehauiour and offences, is preserued in hys daungers: howe he prayeth, and at last how he is delyuered. And that I maye the better & more playnely teache and open the same, I wyll deuyde the texte that foloweth into foure partes. The fyrst part conteineth the behauiour and doyngs of the shyppemen, after they had caste Ionas into the sea. The second part conteyneth howe Ionas beyng cast into the sea was receaued into the bely of the whale. The thyrde conteyneth the behauioure and doynges of Ionas in the whales bely.
[Page lxxii] The fourth conteyneth the deliueraunce, and castynge out of Ionas from the bellye of the whale. The fyrste. The texte sayeth those men feared wounderfullye the Lorde, and sacrificed vnto hym and made theyr vowes.
The shyppe men dyd these thre thynges: they fered, they sacrificed, and vowed.
After they perceyued vpon the execucion of Ionas the sea to leaue hys trouble, they neglected not the true religiō whiche they learned in theyr trouble, but are better and more strengthened in the same, for they feared the Lord, and hohoured hym onelye. Of these shyppe men let vs learne constancye, and perseueraunce [Page] in the true knowledge of god: and when we be deliuered out of daunger, lette vs [...] geue oure selues to [...] and folye of lyfe, as naturally we be inclined and propen [...] to do.
Thus admonyshed Moses diligently the children. Deutro. vi. & .viii. yt whē they had receiued the aboundante benefites of the Lorde, they shoulde not in theire saturitie and aboundaunce be vnmindfull of the Lorde that brought them out of the land of Egypt, and the penurie and scarcitie of the deserte.
The thankefulnes of these Mariners shalbe laied agaīst vs at the daye of oure examinacion for oure vnthankefulnes: for God hathe not onelye [Page lxxiii] quyeted the sea for vs but also aboundantlye geuen vs the vse and commoditye booeth of sea and lande: and not onelye that for the rest and quyetnes of the bodye, but also he hath apeaced the sea of greate displeasure and damnacion eternall by castynge of hys onely beloued sonne Christe Iesus vpō the crosse, to cesse and apeace theire and displeasure betwene vs and hym: & yet we neyther fere nor loue him, but with continuall hatred, & despyte, contemne both him, & his holy word.
¶They do sacrifice.
THey thoughte it not inoughe inwardlye to honoure the Lord, but dyd outwarde sacrifice, to proprotest [Page] and declare vnto the worlde the good iudgement, fayeth, & knowledge they had in the Lord. So shuld we do: not only knowe god and feare hym inwardly, but also outewardly, with praier thākes geuyng and other good workes cōmaunded by God to declare the same, as they dyd by their sacrifices before y• cūminge of Christe into oure fleshe. The whyche were tipes, and significacions of Christe to come, that coulde not take awaye the synne of the worlde as Saynte Paule sayeth: Hebru .x. It is impossible that the bloude of Calues shoulde take awaye synne. Christes sacrifice once offered for all, by that once satisfied for al sinnes. Hebrues .ix. And where [Page lxxiiii] as is remission of synne, there nedeth no more sacrifice. It is therefore an vngodly doctrine that in thys tyme of the newe Testamente, teachethe anye other sacrifyce for synne, then the onelye death of Chryste.
If question nowe be asked, is there then no Sacrifices now lefte to be done of Christian people? Yes truely, but none other then suche as oughte to be donne wythoute aulters. And they be of three sortes. The fyrste is the Sacrifyces of thanckes gyuynge. Psalme .li. Amos the fourth, and fifte. Hebrues the thirtene. Oseas .xiiii. The second is beneuolence, and liberalitye to the pore. Mich. vi.i. Corin. xvi.li. Corinthia. viii. and ix.
[Page] The thyrde kynde of sacrifice is the mortifiyng of our owne bodyes, and to dye from sinne Rome. xii. Mat. xi. Luke. xiiii. If we studye not daylye to offer these sacrifices to God, we be no christian men.
Seyng Christian men haue none other sacrifices thē these whych maye and oughte to be done wythoute Aulters, there shoulde among Christians be no Aulters. And therefore it was not wythoute the greate wysedome and knowledge of God, that Christe, hys Apostels, & the primatyue church, lacked Aulters: for they knew that the vse of aulters was taken awaye. It were well then that it myght please the magistrates to tourne the aulters [Page lxxv] into tables, accordynge to the fyrste instituciō of Christe, to take awaye the false perswasion of the people they haue of sacrifices to be done vpon the aulters. For as longe as the aulters remayne boeth the ignoraunte people, and the ignoraunte, and euyll perswaded priest, wyl dreame alwayes of sacrifice. Therfore were it best that the Magistrates remoued al the monumētes and tokens of Idololatrye and supersticion. Then shoulde the true relegion of god the soner take place.
¶They Uowe.
TOst lyke they vowed to goo to Hierusalem, there to manifeste the myghtye power of God to the [Page] people, and to giue thākes vnto the Lorde accordinge to the lawe and maner of Moses decrees. Lest we shuld erre in the nature & condition of a vowe, there be thre thynges to be noted. To whome the vowe is made, what is vowed, and who it is that maketh the vowe.
The vowe shuld be made vnto the Lorde, as Esaye the Prophete sayth, Chapter .xix. they shall make their vowes to the Lord. The thynge vowed may not be contrarye to anye of the two tables wythin. Exod. xx. Deut. v. He that voweth must be suche a one as is able to pay and satysfye hys vowe. So Saint Paule aduised the yonger wydowes to marye, perceiuing how vntuly and vehemēt [Page lxxvi] the passions of yong age was, that they were not apt to lyue sole, nor to keepe their vowe, if they shulde vowe so to do.
Now foloweth the second mē bre of the oracion, how Ionas beynge caste into the sea, was receiued of the whale: and it be ginneth the seconde chapter of the Prophet in thys wyse.
But the Lorde prepared a greate fyshe that shulde deueur Ionas. And Ionas was in the fyshes bealy thre dayes, and thre nyghtes.
The texte conteyneth two thynges. Fyrste that the fyshe prepared by the Lorde, swalowed vp Ionas.
[Page] The seconde, how long time Ionas was in the fyshes belye. The thynges to be noted in the fyrste mēbre, be also two in numbre. Fyrste is declared the wonderful pitye, and mercye of God, that can and wyll healpe the afflicte in the dayes of theyr affliccions. Ionas thought none other but to dy, and so dyd the Mariners: for they besought God not to requyre the innocentes bloud at theyr handes. But the Lorde that is redye to helpe as many as cal vpon hym. Psalm. viii. and .ix. lefte not hys penitente and afflicted seruaunt Ionas but preserued hys lyfe though it were wyth trouble. Thus wyll he do wyth all those that be the Ionasses of thys realm [Page lxxvii] in case thei repent, though thei shoulde be cast from al the honoure, and offyces they haue: better it were to lose them with the fauoure of GOD, then to kepe theym wyth goddes dyspleasure, as zacheus dyd. Lu. ix. Iacob. Gen. xxviii.
The meanes howe God saueth the afflicted be vnknowē vnto man, and manne shoulde not be curiouse to searche to muche for the knoweledge of theym, but commende theym to God. For manye tymes God vseth those for lyfe, that mā iudgeth shulde leade vnto death. So was Ionas saued by the deuoutynge mouthe of the whale, whyche semed vnto Ionas reason rather a present meanes vnto death. So vsed [Page] he the cribbe of Moyses, And the wounderfull passage of the children of Israel through the reade sea. If we pourge and clense oure knoweledge, religion, and maners, the lord wyll fynde meanes sufficyente to saue vs: whyche we maye not appoynte to oure selues but commende them to the prouydence of God. For by the same wayes yt we seake manye tymes the fauoure of God, and oure commoditye, we find hys dyspleasure, and our own dystruccion. As Saule dyd .i. Regum .xv. that sacriificed wythoute the commaundemente of God, purchased the seuere, and iuste ire of God. The Israelites that of good meanynge and intencion fasted, [Page lxxviii] zacha .vii. and sought by that meanes gods good wyll, they founde hys dyspleasure. Cayp has soughte by councell Iho. xi. to haue oppressed the procedinges of Christ, and oppressed hym selfe, & the whole state of the common wealth also. C [...]cero Rome, Demostenes Athens, eche put their cōmune wealthe in daunger, by theyr beste aduised counsell, for the preseruacion thereof. And so shall all the Ionasses, extorcioners, oppressours, deceiuers, flatterers, and other of thys Realme, come into extreme pouertie by the same meanes thei seeke ryches: for the curse of God can not suffer euyll gotten goodes, & possessions long to prosper.
[Page] Nowe Ionas sayeth that he was in the belye of y• whale thre dayes and three nyghtes. Of thys we learne that God healpeth not by and by the afflicted but exerciseth theym in theyr troubles. Fyrste because he maye the better humble thē and bryng thē to a true knowledge of theyr faultes, whose greatnes is so bygge that it cā not be perceyued where as the payne for it is easy and lyght. But the Lorde woulde vs the better to iudge of the fault by the greatnes of the payne, and therefore the Lord is sayed to explorate and trye hys in affliccion as the golde is tryed by the fyer. Farther his mightye power is the better declared, where as he helpeth suche [Page lxxix] as be playne desperate of al other remedies and helpes.
Laste of all thys tyme of Ionas beynge in the whales bodye, was a type and fygute of Christes beynge in the hearte of the earth thre dayes & three mightes. Mat. xxii.
Nowe foloweth it how thys man behaued hym selfe in the tyme of hys trouble. When he perceyued in the fyshes belye some hope and sparcle of lyfe, he fell vnto prayer. But because prayer conteyneth in it selfe two thynges, the knoweledge of the fault, and hope of forgyuenes, I admonyshe all the Ionasses of thys realme that they acknowledge and leaue of from their faults, and beg pardone for them, excepte [Page] they wyll dye eternallye. The Byshoppes and the priestes that hath either wyth false doctryne destroyed the churche, either by negligence not builded it wyth the true worde of God, lette them acknoweledge their faultes, amende it, and aske remission betyme if they wil not dye in their synne. The noble men and the Lawers that are secretelye touched wyth the worde of God, and their conscience condempneth them of wronges, fraudes, Iniuries, and deceites lette them not indurate and hardē their hartes, but praye to the Lorde to take from them pryde, arrogancye blindnesse, and couetousenesse, lest they dye in theire synne, as Saul did. The people let them [Page lxxx] pray vnto God for knowledge and patience, that they maye knowe and suffer all thynges as true subiectes ought to do. And that from hense forth they hate discorde, dissencion, treason, conspiracie, whoredom, adultery, idlenes, hatred, enuye, disdaine, and suche like as prouoketh goddes Ite, and leadeth to the destruccion of a cō mune wealthe. But thys prayer of Ionas is so acceptable, it myghte be thoughte of some menne, that the place where Ionas prayed in should haue bettered it, as the folyshe opinion of the worlde is at thys tyme: that iudgeth the prayer sayed at the hyghe aulter to be better then that whyche is sayed in the Quier, that in the [Page] quere better then it that is saied in the bodye of the churche: that in the body of the churche better then the prayer sayd in the fyelde, or in a mans chamber. But oure Prophet sayth: the lord hath no respect to the place, but vnto ye heart & faith of hym that prayeth: and that apereth: for penitente Ionas praieth out of the whales velly, and miserable Iob vpon y• doung heape, Daniell in the Caue of the Lions, Hieremye in the clay pyt, the thiefe vpon the crosse, Saynte Stephin vnder the stones. Wherfore the grace of God is to be prayed for in euery place and euery where as oure necessitye shall haue neede and wanteth solace. Althoughe I commend [Page lxxxi] the prayer made to God in the name of Chryste, to be lyke in euerye place, because that oure necessitie requyreth helpe in euerye place: yet I do not condempne the publike place of prayer where as goddes word is preached, hys holye sacramentes vsed, and commune prayer made vnto God, but alowe the same, and sorye, it is no more frequented and haunted: but thys I woulde wyshe that the magistrates shoulde put bothe the preacher, minister, & the people in one place and shut vp the particion called the chauncell, that separateth the congregatiō of Christ one from the other, as thoughe the vele and particion of the tē ple in the olde lawe, yet shulde [Page] remayne in the churche: where in deade al fygures, and tipes, ended in Chryste. And incase thys were done, it shoulde not onlye expresse the dignitie and grace of the newe testamente, but also cause y• people the better to vnderstande the thinges red there by the mynyster, and also prouoke the minyster to a more study of the thinges that he readeth, leste he shoulde be found bi the iudgemēt of the cō gregatiō not worthye neyther to reade, nor to minister in the churche: farther that suche as wold receiue the holie cōmuniō of the precious body & bloud of Christ, myght bothe heare and se playnely what is done, as it was vsed in the prymatyue churche, when as the abhomynation [Page lxxxii] done vpō aulters was not knowen, nor y• sacryfyce of Christes precious bloud so cō culcated and trodē vnder fote.
The thyrde thynge in thys praier is to be noted (lest in the porte it selfe we make shyppewracke, & offende God in praying) to whome we pray. Unto hym that onlye seeth the cogitacions of out herte, and can and wyl do al thynges for vs accordyngly, helpe at neede, & punish in due seasō, which onli god cā do: & vnto him shuld we direct, and make our praier, after the examples of the Patryarckes, Prophetes, & the Apostels, who called alwaies vpon their God: for such as direct otherwise theyr praiers, thei fail and erre al the heauens wyde. [Page] Agaynste whome speaketh Esay. lxiii. Iere. ii.xv. Eche. xiiii. And the Lorde is angry wyth hys people as Esaye sayeth, Chap. ix. because they turned not vnto hym that strake thē, nor vnto the God of armoure. And in the Prophet Ose. Chap vii. They called not to me (sayeth the Lorde) in theire hartes. And in the same place a litle after sayeth the Prophet: they be retourned, but not vnto ye highest. So lykewyse are they no lesse to be blamed that deuyde their hartes parte vnto God, and parte vnto creatures: of whome speaketh Osee, in the x. Chapter. If these thre thynges yt Ionas vsed in ye whales bellye, were vsed of the people that professe Chrystes name in [Page lxxxiii] oure temples, blessed were we. But it is al to the contrary: we knowe not what prayer is, nor yet wyl take the paynes to lern it, The more is the petye, and the more is God stirred to vengeaunce and punishement, and the more cruell shal the payne be when it is executed by God. As we knowe by the texte, he prayed, so may we know by the same how he prayed, and what was the forme and manner of hys prayer. That is verye requisite to be knowen, marked and borne awaye. The effecte and sūme thereof consysteth in thre poyntes. In two of y• first verses he putteth forthe bryefly the abridgement & Epitome of hys prayer. Then declareth he the greatenes of his daūger [Page] and ieopardy. Thyrdly he setteth forthe the pitye, and mercie of God. The firste parte.
From my troubles I haue called vpon the Lord, and he herd me: from the depnes of the depest I cryed, & thou herdest my voyce.
☞Out of thys fyrst parte we learne two doctrines: the one that we shuld not dispaire, nor cleane caste of God in aduersitie. The other, that in aduersitie we shulde not flye, nor seeke any forbydden, or vnlawefull meanes of help. And these two thynges obserued Ionas in this his trouble: and we shuld do the same, accordynge to the commaundemente of God.
[Page lxxxiiii] Psalme. rcix. Call vpon me in the day of thy troubles, and I shall heare the, as he dyd at all tymes. Psal. xcix. And thys cry of Ionas to the Lord was rather the crye of hys herte, then the noyse or sounde of his mouth, as Moses was. Exod. xiiii. and the good womans. i. Samuel. i.
The circumstances of true prayer obserued, the Lord heareth thys faythfull prayer accordynge to hys promises. Whereof all Idololatricall Byshoppes and priestes may learne, if they wil forsake their Idololatrye, and call vnto the Lord, mercy is ready for them. And if the lasciuious, auaricious, or couetouse gentleman, or lawyer wyll acknowledge [Page] hys faulte, and aske remission for it, it wyll be forgeuen him. And so shall it be to the commen sorte of people if they acknowledge their disobedience, rebelliō, treasō, pride, contēpte of the superiour powers, and aske mercy for it.
The second part of his prayer conteyneth a descripcion of his daungers that he was in, after thys sorte.
Thou hast caste me downe depe in the middest of the sea, and the fludde compassed me about: yea al the waues & rolles of water went ouer me, I thought I had ben cast away out [Page lxxxv] of thi sight: but I wyll yet again loke toward thi holy tēple. The waters cōpassed me euen to my verye lyfe: the depe lay about me, and the wedes wer wrapt about my head. I wēt doune to the botom of the hils, & was barred in wyth earth for euer.
It is the cōmen sort of al holy men, for the moste parte in the holy scripture, to make mē cion in their prayers of theyr daūgers, & to amplify thē, that their greatnes may be the vetter marked & knowē: and thys is done for thre causes.
[Page] The one, because wyth the numbrynge, and rehearsall of their great daūgers, they may the more inflame them selues to ardente and earnest prayer. For the more a man feleth hys owne griefe, the more diligente he wyll be to seeke a remedye. The other is to brynge a man the more to a contempte & hatred of him selfe: for the greatnes of the payne, declareth the enormitie, and filthines of the transgression, and synne.
The thyrde is to sette forth the power and good wyll of God, that can, and wyll helpe in extreme and desperate euylles, and saue wyth sup [...]rabundaunt mercye where as he findeth iniquitye and synne to abounde. Romaines .v. and so [Page lxxxvi] manye tymes the slauery, and miserable state of the afflicted, setteth forthe the maiestie and rychenesse of Goddes mercye. Math. viii.ix. Ihon. iiii.ix.
Thys manne of God noted and knewe the dyspleasure of God agaynste synne: but oure Ionasses slepe quietly in both eares, and feleth not the paine of synne. And thys securitie & insensiblenes vnder the wrath of God, commeth by the ignorauncie that the whole worlde is lapte in almooste, as touchynge the daunger of their vocations.
If the cleargye, the Byshoppes and pryestes, woulde thynke vpon thys payne annexed vnto theire vocacyon, [Page] if they do it not truelye, faythfully, and as they be commaū ded of God: Sanguinem illorum de manu tua requirā. That is to say: I wyll requiere their bloud at thy hande. Ezechiel. iii.xxxiii, they wolde serue the Lorde, and vse more diligence in their vocatyon then they do. If the Noble men wolde thynke vpon thys texte: the Lorde resysteth the proude, and thys texte Esay. v: woo be vnto you that ioine house to house, and felde to feld. &c. and the lawers and iudges that is wrytten Prouerb. xvii. and Math. xxiii, they wolde not slepe in greate rest, nor vse the place they be in with such parcialitie and false head as they do: incase the commune people wold thynke vpon [Page lxxxvii] the .iii. of Gene. where as laboure is commaunded, and also .i. Thess. iiii.ii. Tess. iii. they wolde not forsake laboure, and seke weapon and strengthe to tourne and aulter the state and ordre that God hathe appointed vpon the earthe. But thys I saye to euerye man of eache of those degrees mencionated of, the lesse they fele the daūger of eternall damnatiō, the nerer they be vnto eternal pain, and haue alreadye one fote in hell, whych shal neuer come agayn, but the hole bodi and soul shal folowe excepte they repente: for no man is farther from heauen, then he that feareth not hell: Nor no man farther from grace, thē he that feleth not ye daunger of synne, as wee se no [Page] man in more daungerous disease, then he that knoweth not hym selfe to be lycke, as those men be that are fallen into frē sie, and madnes. Let vs lerne with Ionas to knowe in what daunger we be.
Yet is there an other thyng to be noted in Ionas wordes, where as he sayeth: thou haste caste me downe. Of these wordes shulde those that be damned by the Magistrates, acknoweledge that it is not the Magistrat that putteth them to execucion, but God whose ministers they be, and ought to saue suche as goddes worde saueth, and dampne those that gods wordes dampneth. It is God that sendeth to hell, that hangeth for transgressyon vpon [Page lxxxviii] the Gallowes. As Ionas knewe in thys hys prayer. He accused not the mariners that caste hym into the sea, but confessed the execution of the euell to be from God.
Let therefore from henceforth the Bishop and person that is depryued of theire vocatyons for theyr misbehaueour, & false or neglygente preachynge in them, saye: the Lord hath cast me doune. So lette the Noble menne and the lawers say whēn theire Rauyne, couetuousnes, fraude and deceyte cryeth vengeaunce before God tyll they be dysplaced: the Lorde hath caste me downe. And the same lette the trayterousse subiecte, the thyeffe, the murderer, and [Page] idle mā say: the Lord brought me to the galowes: The Lord wolde I shulde trouble the cō mon wealth no longer.
And I do here appele & burden euery subiectes conscience of thys realme of Englande. Firste those that haue the doynges, receiuinges, occupyinges, and custody, ouersyght, rule, and offyce of the kynges maiesties goods or lādes. Thē their conscience to whome the kynge and hys counsell hathe commended the teaching and instructiō of hys people in the knowledge and feare bothe of God and man: fynally I apele all the conscyences of the subiectes of this realme whiche me riteth some for deceite, falshed, and deceyuynge of the kynge, [Page lxxxix] losse both of body and goodes some for preaching erronious, seditious, and false doctrine, or for neclectinge the preachyng of the true doctryne, deserue most cruel punishmēt. Some for false iudgemente merite the losse of theyr lyues. The rest for rebellion, sedicion, and treason, deserue the swerde and the galowes, whether in sufferynge the payne appoynted for suche transgression they cā from their hartes say: thys suffer I worthely, & wyll the vengeaūce of God, because I haue synned agaynst hym, & the law of my cōmunwealth. No no y• Lorde knoweth: euery man extenuateth, yea excuseth al thinges donne agaynst God & hys order. But I wyll sayne the (y• [Page] thiefe and robber of the kynge and of the commune wealthe) to be kynge, and the kynge thy offycer & receiuer: woldest thou thy offycer shulde deceiue the? Or yu traiterous & false subiect if thou were kynge & the king thy subiect, woldest yu be cōtented that thy subiecte shoulde conspyre and imagine howe to plucke the out of thy realme? What if mi Lord Bishop and master persone were kynges, trowye their Maiesties wold be contented that theire Byshoppes and priestes shoulde whyster a tale of treason and sedycyon in aurycul [...]r confession or other pryueye conuentycles to theire subiectes?
Speake all ye that be fayned kynges, and speake of youre [Page lxc] conscyences, I dare saye ye wold not be thus hādled. Wht then do ye handell an other so [...] remember ye not in thys lawe of nature. Quod tibi non vis fieri alieni ne facias. That is to saye: do not to an other, that thou woldest not an other shulde do vnto the. Amende therfore euerye man, and be true and faythful vnto the realm, to the king and lawes of him & his realm. And for ye loue of God ye noble men, Gentelmen, iustices, and lawers, the holsome lawes of the realme, that statut [...]s, and cō missiōs that hath bene made by the king and the counsel for the preseruacion of the commune wealth, and the helpe of the poore, whyche be boothe afflicted wyth your insaciable [Page] and neuer contented couetousnes. Let them be faythfully executed, and vpryghtly interpretated, according to y• minde and meanynge of those that made them. For the euyll construing, and sinister takynge of good lawes, and godly, meanynge of godlye maiestrates, doth not only afflicte the pore of this realme, but wyl sure at length caste the whole realme vnder the water. It commeth nowe into my mynd a practise of euyl takyng the gouerners worde & cōmaundement, how perilous, & daungerous thing it is. I was once in the rase of Britaine wyth a fore wynde, and contrarye fludde, the seas in that place goynge both holowe, and that by reason of a [Page xci] multitude of Rockes in the same place. The master of the shyppe to conduite her the better, sate vpon the mayne yerde to see the seas aforehande, and cryed to hym that styrred the sterne alwayes, vpon whyche syde he shuld styrre the shippe, to breake best the daunger of the sea. The wynde blowynge hygh, where as the master cryed a larde borde, he that styrred mystoke it, and styrred a stare borde, and the once mistakyng of the masters lawe, had almoste cast vs vnder the water. Then thought I, it is not wythoute cause that wysemen compare a common wealthe to a shyppe, for one thynge loseth and saueth them bothe.
For incase the masters officer [Page] in the shyp obey not hys lawe, the shyp wyll of force drowne. So shal thys cōmen wealth, & euery other that whē the kyng and hys councell shall make lawes to help, & saue the pore, such as styrre the hynder part of the shyp behind the kynges backe, folow not that he is bid to do, but that, that he lysteth himselfe, and his owne priuat cōmoditie to do, And thus putteth both the shyp, the master, and all the mariners in daunger of drowning. Amend therfore euery man betyme: If ye do not, the Lorde at lengthe wyll caste ye oure from all ye haue, to the destruccion of you and youres.
But of one thynge I praye you all that be true, and faythfull [Page xcii] subiectes and friendes vnto the kyngdome, and the kynges maiestye, that ye wyll not im [...]pute, nor burden the kynges maiestye, nor hys councell wyth the oppression, extorcion, thefte, iniuryes, deceites, falseheades, defraudes, cautelles, violences, and other wronges that those thieues and destroiers vse towardes you and the commen wealth: if their vsyng myghte come to their knoweledge, I doubte not but that your wronges shuld be redressed by thē. And this I knowe my selfe vi experience in weighty matters, the kynges maiestyes councell hathe not onlye hearde, but geuen accordynglye sentence wyth the trueth, [Page] and vsed me rather lyke fathers, then lyke iudges in such matters: if they hadde taken thynges spoken by me honestlye, euyll construed by myne accusers, there coulde haue folowed no lesse then my greate vndoynge, and hynderaunce to all my labours and paines in the vineyarde of the Lorde. Therefore praye to hym that all good lawes maye be iustly executed, and all other amended, whych God graunte.
There is one worde more in the texte whyche muste not be neglected, where Ionas sayeth he shall se againe the holy temple of the Lorde. In the whiche wordes, note two thinges. The one, howe that in the mooste obscure and darke [Page xcii] troubles of aduersity, God suffereth some sparke of consolacion to shyne.
The other, to what ende a manne beyng in trouble, shuld desyre to bee deliuered: to extolle, and prayse for euer the name of the Lorde, Esay thirtye and eyght. But how thys ende of deliueraunce is practised in oure dayes, the Lorde knoweth. We vse not to desire the Lord to be deliuered to gloryfye and laude his holye name as thys Ionas dyd, and Dauyd Psal. fyftye and one, an hundred & .xviii. But from sickenesse and aduersytye we tourne oure selfe to al vngodlynes, and lyberty of lyfe. And wher we wer euel before trouble and sicknes, we be worse after. [Page] Therfore when God hath wasted one rod vpon vs in punyshemente, he begynneth to make another more sharper then the fyrste. And euen as the fall agayne into a disease, before the fyrste be quite paste and ouercome, bryngeth the more daunger vnto the paciente: euen so the relapse, and fall agayne into the displeasure and iudgemente of God, not onlye doubleth the griefe and payne of the punishment, but also endaungereth the afflicted person wyth the horror and damnacion of hel fyre: for euerye relapse agrauateth the paine for sin. After this foloweth the thyrde parte of Ionas praier, in the which is cōteined a cōmendaciō of gods mercy.
[Page xciii] But thou, O Lord my God, hast brought my lyfe agayne out or corrupcion. when my soul faynted wythin me, I thought vpō the Lord & mi praier came in vnto the, euen into thy holye temple.
In these verses is declared bothe the power of God, and the truthe of God. Hys power that saued hys lyfe, where was no likelihode but of death, yea death it self. For he it is alone that bringeth to hell, & saueth frō thēce. i. Sam. i. His trueth is declared yt wher as he saith: call vpon me in the dayes of thy trouble, and I wyll heare the. Psalme nienty and nyne. [Page] here he performeth it in this afflycted Ionas: of whome we shoulde learne bothe to feare hys threatnynge iustice, and to truste vnto hys promysed mercye, for he can do boothe. Punyshe the euell that wyl not repente: and saue the afflycted that fleeth vnto hys mercye.
They that hold of vain vanities, wyll forsake hys mercye.
The people of God haue a custome in theire prayers, as they beholde the true and sauinge healthe of the lyuynge God, so of the contrarye parte to consyder the false and deceit full helpe of the false gods, as Dauid dothe many times, and here also our Ionas. So doe the true Christiās at this day [Page cxv] in beholdynge the mercye of God in Christ: thei behold and wounder at the fond and false hope, helpe, and truste that mē put in vanitie, erroure, and for bodden helpe of the Masse, water, breade, salte, bowe, candell, pardones and suche lyke. And thys note chrystian Reader, that the Prophete calleth false and vayne relygyon, vanitie: so iudge thou of euery relygyon that is not conteyned within the worde of God, to be nothynge else then vanitie, from whēce soeuer it cōmeth: though the world wold bear the in hād it were as true as the Gospell. But aske y• true iudge ye word of God, and it wyl shewethe it is supersticion, beggerye, and treacherie vnto the soule. And [Page] those do lose y• beneuolēce and mercye that God hath promised in Chryste to as manye as seke him in truthe, and in veritie. Oute of thys text ye se the doctrine of Chryste true, that is written Mat. vi. no man cā seru [...] two masters, the true relygion of God, & the supersticion of mā. Nor he cā be saued that trusteth in Chryste hanged vpō the Crosse and Christ offered in the Masse: for the one is contrarye playne vnto the other. Therfore Ionas confesseth what he wyl do: folowe the one & forsake the other, as the text of hys oration sayeth. But I wil do the sacrifice with the voyce of thankes geuing, & wyll [Page xcvi] pai that I haue voued.
Here Ionas ef [...]ones telleth what he wyl do beinge delyuered frome hys trouble. He wyl extolle, magnifie, and sette forthe the goodnes of God.
Then he wyll performe hys vowe made, that is to saie: liue obedyentlye vnto the commaū dement of god. The same must we do, and not vse healthe and quyetnes as an occasyon to syn, libertie, & filthines of lyfe. Ionas also amendeth the folish opinion of the Iewes that trusted to haue obtayned remissiō of their sīnes by the offring vp of the calues & other brute beastes. But Ionas declareth that ye Lord deliteth in no sacrifice y• man cā do, fauinge in ye sacrifice of thākesgeuing. [Page] For onlye Chryste is the sacrifyce propycyatorye, and he that alone meriteth before god the remission of synne. If then in the tyme of the shadowe, Ionas knewe the Lord to accept the sacrifyce of the harte and mouth, that was indewed with faythe, aboue the sacryfyce of the blouddy calues, how much more nowe of vs wyll he doo the same aboue the Idololatricall sacrifice of the Masse? Ionas well trustynge of goddes mercye and promyses, sheweth a reason wherefore he wyl laud and prayse the Lorde when he commeth oute of trouble: and sayeth.
For saluacyon commeth of the Lord.
As thoughe he hadde sayd: [Page xcvii] man can geue health of bodye or soule except God, as Dauid sayth almost in euery Psalme, & Esa. xliii.xliiii. If thys doctrine wer wel prynted into our heades, we woulde not god astraye to euerye straunge God and supersticion of man, as the world doth nowe adayes more like Heathens, then Christiās. Farther, we woulde the better sustayne and endure aduersitie seynge it canne neyther gode nor come, wythoute the prouision of God. Gracious kynge and my lordes of the councell, remember this doctrine of Ionas, and thē ye nede not to fear to refourme thys Churche of Englande vnto the primatiue state, and apostolical doctrine. Let the deuyl wyth al hys ministers [Page] do what they wil: yf the iudges remēbred this doctrin, they would not feare to punish euyl doers. If ye people knewe thys doctryne, they would not take Armoure and weapon agaynste the Magistrates, but seke helpe frō God. Before all men, let the preacher comforte himselfe with this word, for he is in daunger of most displeasure, if he preach not truly. Also let ye persecutours of Gods worde, take heede of this doctryne: for in the Lorde shalbe their health, let them persecute what & how they wyl: thoughe they burne, ye Lord wil quēch: If they kil, the lord wyl make aliue: if they curse, the Lorde wil blesse: if they damne to hel, the Lorde wyl saue in heauen. [Page xcviii] Blessed is thē the man yt trusteth in ye Lord. Now foloweth the conclusyon of the chapter. And ye lord spake vnto the fish, & it cast out Ionas againe vpō the dry lande.
Here ye may se the effect of a godly & ernest prayer, that it obtayneth deliueraunce from the daunger.
Of thys in the hole wee learne that ther is none so great daunger, but that we may escape, if wt penytēce we returne vnto the Lorde, and aske hym mercy. As mani Ionasses therfore as be in thys realme, that hath, & doth, or falsli vse, or negligētly contēne theyr vocaciō, let thē acknowlege their offēce [Page] and beg pardon, or els doutles where penitēt Ionas was cast a drye land, they shal remayne for euer in the paines of hel, as Saule doth. Let them se therfore that be bishops and priestes, in what daunger they be that neglect or abuse their vocation: if they amende, healthe commeth, as vnto this miserable and penitent man. This I speake to the noble mē and to the lawers, & also to the cōmen people: I pray God al Ionasses of this realme, thus repēt. Incase al do not, yet yt some folow thys godly man, that they may be saued as he is. So be it.
¶The fifte Sermon vpon Ionas, made by Iohn Hoper.
¶The Preface.
THere is no man that hath anye respecte or care at al of his heal the, that would not gladly hys faythe, knowledge, and faults should be aproued and wel taken of God. For he knoweth all labours & paines to be in vaine, and lost, that are not cōmēded by hym. Yet in thys behalf mē greuosly offende and goo oute of the way, when the thyng that god most estemeth, is of our parts most neglected, and the thyng [Page] that god hateth and is displeased wythal, we most diligently do and exercise oure selues in. Men be broughte to thys ignorauncie and contēpt of god, and hys word, that they iudge euery thing done of a good in tenciō, and wel meaning, shuld please the Lord. From whence spronge this infinite, daungerous, and supersticious nombre of sacrifices, and other seruings of god. But what thing after the tyght iudgemente of the scripture chieflye pleaseth God? Obediēce: that is to say, when euerye man in hys state & hys vocacion doth the thing he is cōmaūded to do. As it is writtē .i. Sa. xiii. I desire obediēce & not sacrifice. Let nomā therfore thynke he can do anye [Page c] thing acceptable vnto the lord if he neglect the workes necessary appoynted vnto hys vocacion. Here may prynces take hede they go not aboute wyth liberalitie to make other men good for them, learned for thē, vertuous for thē, wyse for thē, and they them selues neglecte study, praier, paines, & labour, but to know and do al things thē selues that is requyred to a princely office, by the expres word of God. Study, wysedō, knowledge, and exercise is requyred in the prince hym selfe. Let the bishoppes and prestes beware they goo not about to please God wyth Masse, Dirige, Pardons, Rytes, and ceremonyes inuented by men. [Page] But let them do the workes of their vocacion, grauely study, dilygently and trulye preache the worde of God, Christianely minister the sacramentes, & seuerely vse discipline and correccion of indurate mens fautes. So let the counceloure see what equitie byndeth hym to do, the honour of god, the obedyence vnto hys prynce, and the loue of hys country, and so iudge and councel for the glorye of God, and wealth of the realme, and not for hys owne affeccion or profit: and thynke that the persō, byshop or priest is able to sing or sai the remission or pardon for the neglectyng of his duety, but he must do the works therof him selfe. The common sorte of people, [Page ci] let them learne to know and obey both god and mā, and not trust to the pardon and remission of theyr ignorauncie and disobedient treason and sedicion, at the Persons or Uycars hand, but thei must know and feare both God and gods magistrat them selues.
How feyre and relygyous, good, and Godlye, so euer the good intencion of mā appeare and shewe it selfe to men, it is playne iniquitie before God, as ye maye see by Saule: that though God would be pleased wyth the wel ment fat sacrifice of kynge Agag. i. Samu. xiii. And also that he fought wyth the heathen before Samuels commyng .i. Sam. xv. he was not onely rebuked greuouslye [Page] for his fault, but disherited also of hys kyngdom for euer. I dare pronounce yt al these mischeues & troubles that happē in thys shyp & cōmon wealthe of Englande, sprynge oute of thys fountayne.
No man laboureth to do the workes that God hathe apointed to his vocaciō. And an exāple hereof we haue sene in Ionas, whose disobedience and want of doyng hys vocacion, moued the wyndes in the ayre, the waters of the sea, so that it had lyke to haue drowned hym selfe, the shyppe, and as many as were within bord. And seynge there is none of vs but is culpable from the hyghest to the lowest in neglecting the workes of out vocacion, [Page cii] and therby inobedyent to the good wyl and commaū dement of God, let vs repent, and returne to a better mynde. He that erreth shal not perish, if being admonished he return home agayn. Eze. xviii. Mat. xi. Io. x. Let thys glas & myrroure of Ionas suffyce vs to behold an other mans yuel in, before we fele the lyke our selues: we haue sene the disobedience of Ionas, and the payne therof, we haue sene his amendement and pensyuenes, & the frute therof, hys delyueraunce and saluacion.
Let vs also nowe see howe much he hath profited, & learned in Gods schole vnder the rodde of aduersitye, and lette vs learne to dooe the same. [Page] But before we come to the obedyence that thys man learned in aduersytie, we wyl pray vnto God.
WE be come so far, as ye text hath made menciō of ye restitucion of Ionas in lyfe vpō the dry groūd. And now foloweth his second legacion & embassage to Niniue. But for the better vnderstandyng of al things that folow, I wil deuyde the chapter into hys partes, which ar. iiii.
The firste conteyneth the cōmaundement of god to Ionas. The second, Ionas obedience. The third, the repentaūce of the Niniuites. The fourth, the mercye and compassyon of God towardes the penitent & sorowfull Niniuites.
The fyrst parte.
The worde of God came the seconde tyme to Ionas after thys sorte: Ryse, go to Niniue that great citye and preache in it the preaching that I haue spoken vnto the of.
That Ionas goeth not to the citie to preache of his own heade, but tarieth to be called vnto it by God, we learne no man shuld wysh, or desyre for any office or vocacion to a priuate commoditie, and his own lucre, but to tarye tyl God cal hym to it, chiefely the offyce of a byshop or preacher.
For that office hath so many [Page] difficulties, labours, & daū gers, that incase the man that is in it, be not wel perswaded ye he cam to it by ye calling of god, he shal neuer be able to endure the troubles anexed to the vocaciō: as the perfit mans tidyousnes and werines therin declareth. Iere. xx. who decreed wt hym selfe to haue preached no more, because of the malice of the people, and for the contempt that folowed him in doyng of hys vocacion. Euen so is the office of a good counceler & good magistrate that incase he loke not to come to hys dignitie and honour for ambicion, pride, and priuate lucre, but commeth whē he is called of God, he shal fynd so manye labours & vnquietnes in hys vocacion, that doubtles wer it [Page ciiii] not for God, he could be glad to leaue it to an other mā. For incase the magistrate doo any thyng cōtrary vnto God, doutles he shal fal into two yuels, fyrst into Gods displeasure, & then the thing he doth shal neuer prosper, as it is to be scene by the Israelites that warred before they were commaūded by God. Num. xiiii. Let nomā therfore run into an offyce before the tyme god cal him, neither bye hym selfe into y• office as is now adaies cōmonly vsed: for I know surelye he that byeth wil sel, & neuer do God, the king, neither the subiectes good seruice, but dyshonoure the first, and rob the other.
That Ionas is byd to rise and go to Niniue, in that is declared, [Page] that of al thinges in euery vocacion, idlenes & sloth must be chieflye auoyded, and labours exercysed: the whyche if we leaue vndone (being workes annexed wyth our vocacion) we declare oure selues vnmete for the roume and vocaciō we be appointed vnto. Incase any man had a seruaunte apoynted to dreasse his meate in the kytchen, or to kepe hys horse in the stable, & yet wold neglect the labours & paynes that the offices ordinarily and of deuty requyred, who gladly would be contented wyth such a seruaunt, or desyre he shulde be preferred to anye offyce in his house? Therfore commaū deth S. Paul yt he yt wyl not labour, shuld not eat. i. tes. iiii.
[Page cv] The thyrd doctryne of this fyrst part declared for asmuche as it behoueth euery man, to auoyde idlenes in his vocation, It myght be demaunded what shuld a man do to satysfye hys vocation. It is tolde Ionas in thys place. Preache sayeth the text. He saieth not: take ye regimente and gouernaunce of the cōmune wealth, but preach. Of these wordes we learn that euerye man is bounde to do the workes of the vocation he beareth the name of: and not to medle with other mens laboures. It is not the offyce of the Byshoppe to playe the kinge and Lorde, nor the kinges parte to playe the Byshoppe. For the kynges offyce is inoughe for a kynge, and the Bishoppes office [Page] inoughe for a Byshop, let them do the best they can, and studye eche of them in their office. But let the kynge take hede he be able to iudge whether the Byshop do true seruice to God in his vocacion bi the worde of God, and let the Byshop do the same, take hede whether the kynge or councell wolde commaunde hym to do anye thynge contrarye to the workes of his vocacion, which is to preache gods worde: incase he do, wyth knowledge and sobernes to admonyshe hym, and to brynge hym to a better mynde. If yu be a iudge, remember thi name, and do the workes of ryght iudgemente. If a iustice, do accordinge to thy name: if a marchaunt, bye [Page cvi] and sell truelye: if anye other subiecte, doo accordinge to the name thou bearest, as oure subiectes of Englande of late dyd neuer awhyt. For master person, & an olde wyfe taughte them to forget the dueties of true and godly subiectes, and wolde haue made them all kinges, but the Lorde cast them in to the sea. Thys duety of eche man is handsomly set forth by terteyne pictures in the towne house at Basyll in thys verse. ‘In supplex ora, tu regna, tuque labora’ There be thre images, the one of the Pope, the other of the Emperoure, the thyrde of a plough manne, and the verse teacheth all thre their dueties. [Page] He biddeth the Pope pray, the Emperoure to raygne, and the plougheman to laboure. Let therfore al Byshops & priestes knowe their office is to preach & pray. This I saye, God to recorde, of no hatred but of loue, for I am afraied of gods threteninges & vēgeaunce toward them, if they amende not. For God sayeth he wyl requyre the bloude of the people at the Byshoppes hande. Eze. iii.xxxiii. And Paule sayeth: wo be vnto me if I preach not .i. Cor. ix.
Here myghte the Bishoppe or the person paraduenture partlye excuse them selfes and saye: I knowe my faulte, and wolde gladlye amende it if I coulde, but I am so olde I can not preache, nor neuer vsed miselfe [Page cvii] there vnto. I wold aduise hym then to folow the doinges of Ualerius the Byshoppe of Hipponensis, that in hys olde and latter dayes perceiuinge hys age coulde not satysfye the laboures dewe vnto hys vocation, associated to hymself a coumpanion and coadiutor Saint Augustine, as he testifieth Epist. cxlviii. In the begynninge of that Epistle thus he wryteth. Before al thynges I wold your godlye prudence shulde thinke in this our tyme nothing to be more acceptable, facile, or more desired of mē thē the office of a Bishop, priest, or decō, if their office be slightly & slēderly vsed, but with God no thynge is more dampnable, miserable, or sorowful. The same [Page] knewe Samuel: for in his age he instituted his sōnes to help and ease the intollerancye and importaunce of hys offyce [...] so I woulde euerye Byshop and personne that for age or lacke of learnyng cannot do hys offyce, should institute and take vnto hym some wyse and learned preacher to helpe him, and not a synger as nowe is vsed. If this counsel and doinges of the godlye men rehersed before lyke thē not, let thē deuise some other lyke, and all is one to me, so they exchue the Ire of God. For doutles it is horrible to fall in this parte, into the handes of God. For what shal it auayle them to wynne al the world, and lose their own soules? I wold lykewyse praye [Page cviii] & admonysh the Magistrates to se the scholes better maintayned: for the lacke of them shall bring blindnes into this church of Englande againe. And such as be the patrōes and geuers of benefyces, lette them take hede they gyue and bestowe them vpon worthie menne, and sel them not to Asses and blind blocke headed felowes: For if they bestowe theire benefices for lucre or affeccyon, to suche as can not or wil not fede with the worde of God, the people of hys cure, the patrone shall dye eternallye for it as well as hys blynde and naughtye curate, person, or vicar. The forth doctrine of this first part is very necessary: for when the [Page] Bishoppes and priestes heare theyr offyce is to preache, then thinke thei: but what we prech it is no matter: it lyeth in oure arbitrement & pleasure. Naye sayeth the texte. Preache that I byd the: and so sayth Saint Peter .i Pet. iiii. Math. xxviii.
In thys vocation of preachynge, the preacher should so vse hym selfe as he myght saye all wayes: my doctrine is not my doctryne, but hys that hathe sende me. For it is goddes woorde and his lawe that turneth the hartes of people to repentaunce. Psal. xix. cxix. For the word of God written is as perfect as God hym selfe: and is in deade hable to make a man perfecte in al thinges .ii. Timo. iii. Wherefore it [Page cix] needeth not that blasphemous and stinkinge helpe of the Bishoppe of Rome, that durst say the law of God is not of it self, but by his interpretacion, holsome and sufficiēt. But by this meanes he gote authoritie ouer the scripture to bury it, and to stablyshe what he woulde were it neuer so deuilishe, and heretical. Therfore let suche as be of God do as they haue in commission from hym, and not as they please them selfes: for if they do, they be of the deuell and not of Chryste.
The obedience of Ionas.
Then Ionas arose and wente to Niniue at the commaundemēt of the Lorde.
[Page] Ionas now being an obediente seruaunt, loketh no more for a shyppe to flie, but goeth the nexte waye whether he is commaunded, though the iournye was paynefull and daungerous to the fleshe. But the Crosse of trouble is not vnprofitable to the Chrystyans, it mortyfyeth the fleshe, so that in the afflicted dwelleth the spirit of God, it excersiseth the faythe and proueth obedience. As Dauid saith: wel it is with me that thou haste chastened me Lord, that I maye learne thy commaūdemēts. Both good & bad are afflicted in this world: but y• good therby is amended, and the euel is appeyred, & so they peryshe in theire trouble. Dauid was amended herewith. [Page cx] ii. Regum. xii. xxiiii. So was Ezechias, esa. xxxviii. So was Daniel. Dani. ix. These & like vnto them be chastened in the world, because they shulde not be dampned wyth the worlde. The euyll wyth affliction be not amended, but indurated & hardened throughe their owne malyce & obstynacie as Saul. and Pharao. And the paines & tormēts here, be the beginning of the paines eternal. This diuersitie and contrarye effect of persecution godly, setteth forth the holy prophet Dauid, Psa. lxxv. wonderful godlye. The whiche Psalme I woulde all Byshopppes shuld reade, that knoweth the truthe, & yet wyl take no paynes to set it forthe, but liue idle: & such as haue no [Page] liuyng to set it forth, or of malice whister, and secretlye hyndreth the settynge forthe of it, for doutles at length, they shal not only drinke of the wyne of aduersitie, but be compelled to drinke dragges and all. So shal al these rauenyng, and couetouse noble men that wyth iniuries and wronges now afflicte the poore, at length they shalbe most afflicted them selues: so shall the auaricyous iudge, the Couetous marchāt, and the traiterous and sedicious subiect. But I red you be wyse in time, and as ye haue folowed this rebell Ionas in euyll, so folow hym in the good and amende: if not, the kinges maiestie muste caste you in to the sea.
[Page cxi] The obedience of Ionas is set forth and cōmended with manye circumstaunces, and shulde therefore the better be noted. Fyrste, because he went the next waye to Niniue, and hyred none other, nor substituted hys suffragane, nor wente not into Samaria to aske coū cell at hys fryndes what was beste to do, but went streighte way hym selfe. The second circūstance is worthy annotaciō, that he dyd all thynges as the Lorde bad hym. Wherein we are taughte to be diligente, we see all our doinges, actes, and obedience to be according, and as the worde of God biddeth. There is putte in, as thoughe it were by a parentesis, the descripcion of Niniue.
[Page] And Niniue was a great citie to the Lord of three dayes iourney.
Thys dyscryption settethe forth the obedyence of Ionas, that diligentelye preached the roughe the hole cytye the pleasure of God, that it shoulde be destroyed wythin .xl. dayes.
The cytye is called greate vnto God, that is to saye euerye greate cytye, as the Cedre of God, the mounte of God. &c. Or else it is called the cytye of God, for the wonderfull respecte and pitye that the Lorde had in the sauinge of it. Whether the cytye were thre dayes Iournye aboute, or else thre dayes space to vysytte all the [Page cxii] streates thereof, it is not agreed yet vpon amōg al wryters: but this we knowe it was a notable cytye, and amonge al cytyes in the Easte of mooste famous reporte.
Nowe it foloweth what Ionas dyd after he entrede into the cytie.
When Ionas hadde entred the cytye one dayes iournye, he cried and saued: within this xl. dayes Niniue shall be destroyed.
Of this text we learne that Ionas lyued not idle after he came to the place whether he was sente by God, but that he walked abrode and cryed.
[Page] So shulde euerye man that is called to the office of a Bishop or pastor: it is not inoughe he go to his dioces or personage, but that he must walke abrode there and crye oute the comaū demente of the Lorde. Or else they be wyth al theire titel, glorye, pompe and name, dome dogges, subiect vnto the vengeaūce and plage of God. And this is the marke thoushuldest knowe a Byshoppe, and priest by: by hys tounge that soundeth the worde of the Lorde, and not by hys cap or vtward vesture. So shulde the iudge go abrode in his countrey, and speake and declare euery wher iustice. So shuld the prouost, heades of Colledges, masters of scholes, go and teache the [Page cxiii] thynge apertayneth to theyr place and vocacion.
The texte maketh mencion of the summe and pryncypall state of hys sermō, that is, that the citie shuld be destroied wt in .xl. daies, and yt spake he simple and playnely wythout cō dicion or glose. Yet maye wee easily gather of y• long time of x [...]. dayes, that was geuen vnto it, that it was reuersed vnto penance and amendemente of lyfe. And god would rather at thys tyme fraye them to make them amende, then to punyshe them, and lose thē for euer: and wold perce thus theyr mindes and brynge them to a knowledge of theyr synnes. And as subuercion & destruccion was threatned vnto thys Niniue, [Page] so is it to thys hole realme: for ther is among vs as greate, and as manye syns (God geue grace there be no greater, nor nomore) as wer among them. We muste then amende or els we shall peryshe euerychone. Luke .xiii. but what tyme the Lord knoweth, & not I. Now it foloweth how the preaching of Ionas was accepted.
And the people of Niniue beleued God, & preclaymed fastynge, and arayed them selues in sacke clothe, as well the greate as the small of them.
Out of this text is fyrst to be noted how that ye Niniuits [Page cxiiii] resisted not the preachynge of Ionas, when they had yet yf they would haue excused their euil, mani refuges & pretexts. Ther obedience to the word of god cōdēneth both the Iewes & vs of obstynacie, & malyce. i. They might haue pretended thys Ionas is but one man, therfore not to be credited. ii. He is a stranger & speketh it of hatred vnto vs, & of affecciō towardes hys owne countrye .iii. He is of a cōtrary relygion to ours, & wuld deceaue as frō our fathers faith. iiii. He is no king but a man that semeth to haue lytle wir and lesse experience. v. He is one cōtemned of hys owne countrye men and can not be hearde of them, and shuld we credit hys woordes? [Page] vi. He is a noughty lyuer an [...] one that God hateth and hath punyshed, and shuld we passe of hys sayinges? But they remembred theyr own faults, at the preachyng of one day they amended, they neuer loked for myracle: They pretended not the antiquitie and aunciētnes of theyr citie, that had stode almost from the tyme of the flud Gen. x. They that heard hym, neuer desyred theyr amendement, vntyl suche tyme as the kyng, the preists and the other elders of the Citie, had agreed whether Ionas doctrine were true or not. Of thys facilitie & quycknes of belyfe in the Niniuites, we maye se yt soner beleueth the verye infydels the word of god, then such as beareth [Page cxv] the name of God, and be broughte vp in supersticion. And that I thynke were easye to be sene, yf experiēce shuld be taken to preach at Babilon or Constantinople, he should rather conuert those cities, then Rome. Farther theyr promptnes cōdemneth our obstinacie and hardnes of harte, that daily heare the word of god preached, and yet nothyng the better, nor nerer to saluacion. It foloweth what the Niniuites do when they be conuerted.
Fyrst they beleue in the Lord, second they fast. A man ignoraunt of God, offendeth twoo maner of waies, in bodi and in soule, and both these offences must be amended, if we wyl be reconciled vnto god. By fayth [Page] the mynde is reconcyled vnto god, and by abstinēce the body is kepte in subieccion, and the wantones of cōcupiscence kept in obedience. But in thys our myserable and cursed tyme of God (for synne) is great question, and controuersy moued, not onely cōcerning fayth, but also fasting: of which two thinges I iudge it mete somwhat to be spoken of. As touchynge fayth it is not an opinion and knowledge onlye, but a vehement, ernest, and certayne persuasion of Gods promises in Christ: and out of thys faythe spryngeth all Godlynes and vertuous woorkes: and what soeuer spryngeth not hereof, is synne.
And thys faythe the almighty [Page cxvi] god confirmeth in his true and vertuous people two maner of wayes: Inwardly & outwardly. Inwardlye by the holy gost, who testifieth by his spirite with our spirit, that we be the chyldren of God. Outwardly by preaching of gods word, and ministracion of the sacramentes. The preachynge conteyne the innumerable benefites and promyses of God made in the new testamēt and ye old, vnto vs in Christe, who is ye seede that shuld and doth treade and breake the heade of the serpent. Gene. iii. Io. iii.
The Sacramentes be as visyble woordes, offered vnto the Eyes and other Senses, as the sweete sounde of the [Page] word to the eare, and the holye gost to the hart. The numbre of these sacramentes in y• publycke ministerie of the church, be twoo. One of baptisme and the other of the lords supper, and both these teach and confyrme none other thynge then that the mercye of God saueth the faithfull and beleuers.
Therfore is the bread in ye holy supper called the bodye of Christ, and the wyne the blud of Christ, because thei be sacraments and seales of gods promises in Christ. This plaine & symple doctryne of the sacramentes were sufficiēt, if fraud, gile, treason, heresie, supersticion, papistrie, ignorancie, arrogancie, miserie, and the malyce of men woulde suffer it. But [Page cxvii] these iuels afore rehersed, haue called into question and controuersie, whether carnally, corporally, and reallye, the precious body of Christ be present, and how the communion and sacrament of hys body shulde be ministred and vsed. For the resolucion, & answerynge vnto the whyche questions, I wyll sincerlye and playnelye shewe my mynde, accordynge to the worde of God.
¶Of the presence of Christes body in the sacrament.
I Wyl not in this question saye asmuche as I would or could, because of late dayes in thys place it was godlye and learnedly touched. But yet somewhat [Page] [...] [Page cxvii] [...] [Page] muste I saye because the ignoraunce of it, bringeth idololatrye: Idololatry bryngeth eternal damnaciō, eternall dā nacion commeth not onlye to the ygnoraunte, but also vnto hym that shuld in hys vocacion, remoue (or do his good wil to remoue) the ygnorauncie. I am appoynted to remoue ygnorauncye: thus therefore I pray you hear how ye may remoue it. I wil kepe this order. Fyrst I wil shew by many argumēts that ther is no corporal presēce of Christs body in the sacramēt. Thē wyll I answer to the argumēts of y• aduersaryes yt wold haue it here.
The fyrst argument.
THis I take of ye name of christs body, which is lyke vnto ours in [Page cxviii] al thynges except syn. Heb. ii. Esa. liii. And incase it wer not in al thynges like vnto oures (excepte synne, and immortalitie) Sayncte Paules Argument would proue nothynge. i. Cor. xv. But our bodyes be one to each one, measured certaynelye wyth quantitie and qualitie, and occupye at one tyme, one place: therfore so doeth, and euer hath done Christes bodye. And thus woulde Paule proue our resurreccion because our bodies be as Christes is yt is rysen, excepte synne and immortalitie. After that thei sat Christ hath now a glorified body, & so we haue not, it maketh nothing for their purpose: for whē Christ made hys supper, & instituted ye sacramēt [Page] of hys death, he was a mortal and passible man, subiect vnto the tyrany and violence of his aduersaries. Yea after his immortalitie, he shewed manifest tokens and arguments of his pure, true and sensible humanitie. Io. xxi. i. Io. i. For y• apostles fyngers touched hym. Farther saynt Paule sayth, he shal. Phil. iii. that Christ shall make oure bodyes lyke vnto hys glorious body. Therfore they do destroy ye true and very humanitie of Christs body, that say hys body is in manye places at one time, which robbeth hys body of al the qualyties, quātities, and properties of a true body. For y• scripture of god confesseth that Christs body is but in one place. And [Page cxix] many of the Popes Canones confyrme the same. Thus it is written.
De cōsecrat. Distinct .ij. prima quidem. Donec seculum finiatur, sursum dominus est: Sed tame hic nobiscum est viritas domini. Corpus enim in quo resurrexit in vno loco esse oportet, veritas autē eius vbique diffusa est.
That is to say: Tyl y• world be ended, the lord is aboue: but notwythstandynge hys truth is here wyth vs. The body, in whych he rysse, muste be in one place, & hys veritie is dyspersed euery where.
The second reason.
THis is taken out of ye nature & condicion of a sacrament, whyche is thys, that the thyng that is remembred by the sacramente be it selfe absent, and yet the [Page] signes or sacramētes take the name & nominacion of y• thing represented & signifyed by the sygnes, for a declaraciō of the thynge that is done wyth the sygnes.
So is it in al the sacraments of the old testament & the new: therfore also in this sacramēt. The thyng it selfe in thys sacramēt, y• is to wyt, ye precious body of Christe broken, & hys innocent bloud shedde, be absēt: yet be the bread & the wine called the body brokē, and the blud shedding, according to y• nature of a sacramente, to setforth the better the thing done and signified by the sacramēt. Ther is done in the sacrament the memorie and remēbraunce of Christes death, whych was [Page cxx] done on the Crosse, when hys precious body and bloud was rēt and torne, shed and poured out for our synnes.
Wyth this agreeth y• minde of S. Augustine. Ad Bonifacium. Epist. xxiii. Sienum sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sacramenta sunt, non haberent, ommno sacramenta nō essēt▪ That is to say: if Sacramentes had not some proporcion and lykenes of the thynges whereof they be sacramentes, they were no sacramentes at al. And thus rather of the symilitude and sygnification of the thyng they represent & signifye, they take the name, and not that in deede they be as they be named.
So after thys maner is the sacrament of Christes body called [Page] Christes bodye: and the sacramentes of Christes bloud, called Christes bloud: and the sacramente of fayeth is called fayeth. As Saynt Augustine learnedly, and godly sayeth in the same argumente. Accedat verbum ad elementum, vt fit sacramentū, non ait tollat elementum, vt fit sacramentum. That is to saye: let the worde come vnto the Element and then is made the Sacramente. He sayeth not lette the word channge, or transubstanciate the Elemente (that is to say the substaunce and matter of the sacramente) and then is made the sacrament.
The thyrde reason.
IF he were here in ye sacramente bodelye, and corporally he shoulde [Page cxxi] euery day suffer and shed hys precious bloud. For the scripture sayth: thys is my bodye y• is brokē for you, and my blud that is shedde for you. Luke. xxii. i. Cor. xi. but thys is not true, that he daylye suffreth payne and passiō. Rom. vi. no more is it true that he is in the sacrament bodelye: for heauen kepeth hym tyll the laste daye. Act. iii. Neither yet is ye bread after consecration hys verye bodye, i. Cor. xi. nor the wyne his blud. Math. xxvi. But the bread remayneth styl breade, & the wyne styll wyne after the word spoken, as they were before cōcerning their substaūce, but the vse of thē be chaūged.
The fourth reason.
[Page] THe scripture maketh no mēcion but of one ascension, and of two commynges, one paste, and the other we looke for in the ende of the world at the latter iudgemente.
Yf theyr doctrine were true, ther shuld be infinite ascēsiōs and infinite descencions. Farther they cannot tel thē selues what is become of the bodye thei faine to haue in the sacrament, when the accidentes and qualities corrupt and be consumed.
Theyr glose vpon the Canone. Tribus gradibus, ait auolare in Celum. that is to say: it flyeth into heauen, but we saye he was there before. They darre [Page cxxii] not say it corrupteth, nor yt it is turned into the substaunce of our bodyes and sowles: what is there then become of thys bodie?
The fyfth reason.
GOd hadde made by this mean his churche in daunger and subiecte vnto Idololatrie. For there be manye chaunces and cases happen that maye let the Prieste to consecrate, and then shoulde the people worshyppe an Idole for lacke of the presence of Christes bodye.
These daungers maye chaunce three maner of waies: in the prieste, in the woordes, and in the matter.
[Page] The priest if he be not lawfully consecrated, if he be an herityke, one excommunicated, or a simoniache, he consecrateth not. Magister sententiarum. Lib. iiii. dist. xiii. Se the glose De consecra. dist. ii. cap. Quid sit sanguis. In the woordes of consecracion, there is no lesse daunger and dout. Fyrst many of theyr writers be ignoraunte wyth what wordes Christ cō secrated. Iohānes Duns, and Pope Innocēt the third libro de officio Misse. part .iii. cap. vi. xiiii. Doo say the consecracion to be cōprehended in thys worde, Benedixt.
Comesta douteth the glose vpon thys Canon: Vtrum sub figura, where as the glossator interpreteth these wordes in y• [Page cxxiii] Canone of the Masse (Iube hec perferri) that is to sai: Cōmaūde these thynges to be caried. As though they were the wordes of consecracion. The which opinion, the Master of the sentence semeth to fauoure in the place afore named. If an heritike, saith he, would take vpon hym to vsurpe thys misterye, would God send an angell frō heauen to consecrate his oblacion? But how so euer they agre vpon the wordes of consecraciō, ther is yet an other rule in theyr masse bokes, that the wordes must be perfectly pronoūced, or els thei do nothing. How shoulde thys be knowen when they speake them in sylēce? Wel, graunt they would crye or synge them oute, yet so [Page] myghte they els be vayne, for ther is also required the intencion of him that wil cōsecrate. The mater must be such bread & such wyne as the glose speaketh of. de conse. dist. ii. Sicut dē sanctificando. the whych properties, if they be absent, nothyng is consecrated.
The syxt reason.
IF Christ be present corporallye, then shall theyr sacrifyces cease, as saynte Paule sayeth .i. Corin. xi. Ye shall shewe the Lordes deathe tyll he come. He commeth after theyr belyue and learning: then shoulde they cease from sacrifisynge.
The seuenth reason.
IN case they could dyssolue and aunswere to euery one of these reasons, yet could not Christs bodye be in the Masse, for it lacketh the worde of God, that is to saye the shewyng of Christs death. Farther the Masse destroieth, and dyshonoreth ye institucion of Christe.
¶Solucions of their argumentes
THese I wyll comprehend all in thre poyntes. First thei contend by the authoriti of the fathers. The seconde by these woordes of Christe: thys is my bodye. The thyrde by the omnipotencye of God.
Of the fathers authoritie.
When they be beten by the autoritie of Gods worde, they [...]e for helpe at the fathers authoritie. Let them make answer: Is thys theyr opinion? when the prieste hath spoken these wordes: Thys is my bodye, by and by the substaunce of the bread to be chaūged, or the substaūce therof to vanish away (I aske the question, because yet thei be not fully agreed ther vpon) & for it commeth the corporal bodye of Christe, wyth the same qualitie and quantitie he was borne, lyued and died in: so that ther hangs in the ayre in the priestes handes y• accidētes and qualities of bread, wythoute anye substaunce, and so thus to be honored [Page cxxv] there of the people. In what apostles writinges fynd they this doctrine? Or in what mans writinges that folowed the Apostles wythin .c.cc.ccc. cccc.ccccc.cccccc. yea. ccccccc. yeares. If they can shew thys in anye autenticall wryter in any worke that hath not bene doubted of, I wyll beleue as they doo. But that it maye be knowen vnto you that the fathers wer not of theyr opiniō, I wyll propounde vnto you certayne coniectures.
Fyrst we read not wher ther was euer any contenciō about the words of consecraciō, wher they began, and wher they ended, neyther any thynge of the ministers intencion, to be of suche vertue they speake of. [Page] The second: the Elders neue [...] answered the Arrian that denyed the equalitie betwen go [...] the father, and God the sonne wyth thys: Christ is God and equall wyth the father, for we so honor hym in the sacramēt. If the Catholicke church had so iudged of Christes bodelye presence in the sacramente, as the newe vpstart church doth, and hath done of late yeares, there coulde not haue bene a stronger argumente agaynst Arrius and hys heresye.
The thyrd. Niether dyd the Marcionistes euer make such a reason: though Christ semed to haue the qualities and condicions of a naturall man, yet he had not them in deede: For in the Sacrament of hys bo [...]e [Page cxxvi] there semeth to be the very [...]ualities and condicions of [...]eade and wyne, yet is there [...]eyther breade nor wyne in [...]eede.
If thys opinion of the ac [...]idents, qualities and sensual iudgement of the breade, had bene aproued and takē in those hates for Christianitie & Christiane religyon, howe woulde thys illusion and wytchcrafte haue defended I pray you, the Marcionist opynion? doutles nothynge more.
But Tertullian agaynste the Marcionistes doth reason another wise, and saith: Christ of y• bread, that he toke, made hys body, sayinge: thys is my body, that is to say a, fygure of my bodye.
They fourth.
They vsed chalices of wood and glasse. De cōsecrat. dist. i. vasa in quibus, the wooden chalices could soke in the wine consecrated, the glassen chalices might sone haue bene broken: if anye of them both had conteyned the precious bloude of Christ, they wold not so temerously haue vsed it.
The fyfte.
The sacrament was geuen to the chyldren in theyr hands to beare it home wyth them. Eccle. hist. Lib. vii. cap. xxxiiii,
The syxte.
No scripture of god, neither doctour of y• Catholicke faith, taught euer Christ to be honored here in earth wyth candels and bowynges of knees.
The seuenth.
In celebratynge the supper they sayd: lyft vp your hartes, meanyng not to haue ye minde affyxed in the sygnes and elementes of the sacraments, but in heauen. Wherof it maye be easly gathered that they neuer thought of a corporal presence here in the earth.
The eyght.
Origene vpon the booke of Leuit. declateth that y• remanentes and reliques of the sacramentes were not kepte to be honored, but they were burned: who wold handle his god so cruellye I praye you, as to burne hym lyke an heretycke?
Also ther is a decre in y• Canone lawe, Tribus gradibus, the whyche commaundeth the [Page] ministers t [...] receaue al the reliques of the sacrament: and it is the rule of Clement .iii. that lyued. Anno. M.C.lxxxx.
In ye meane tyme I speake no worde of that foloweth (I should saye wicked question) mete for Iuggelours, inchaū tours, and wytches, and not for Christiane men, much lesse for Deuines and teachers of gods people: in what moment of time the bread is turned in to the body, and the wyne into the blud? when the priest speaketh these words (Thys is my body) if they graūt at lest these to be the woordes of consecracion.
Gabriel Biel. lect. xlviii▪ sayth that the body is not presente, [Page cxxviii] whyles thys oracion is a speakynge (Thys is my body) Sed tota oracio est referenda, ad vltimum iustās ipsius orationis, that is to say: the hole oracion must be referred vnto ye last instāce of it. And wt this opiniō agreeth ye glose vpō ye canone law. De consecracione. distinct .ii. Sum omne, sayth that the consecracion is made onelye in the laste letter.
And in an other Canone. Ante benedictionē, thus he sayth: licet verba successiue proferantur, no [...] tamen successiue consecratio fit, sed in vno instāti corrūpitur panis, scilicet in vltimo fustanti prelationis verborum.
That is to saye: althoughe the woordes be spoken one after an other, yet is not the [Page] consecracion made by a lytle & lytle, but in one instante (or punet of tyme) the bread is altered, to sai, in the last moment of the woordes spoken. After thys their wicked and Idololatrical doctryne, thys lillable ( [...]m) in thys oracion: Hoc est corpus meum▪ to say, thys is my body, hath al the strengthe & vertue to chaunge and deifye the bread. But I praye you, what syllable is it that chaungeth, and deifieth the wine? for euen wyth them these woordes seme to haue more dyffycultie then the other. But let these illustons and eraftes go, and let vs cleaue to the truthe of Gods woorde, and we shalbe oute of al daunger.
A Question.
[Page cxxix] THus they saye now: yf this opiniō be neither of the Apostles, neyther frō the aunciēt doctours, how chaunceth it to be so vniuersally takē, and for so infallyble and indoubted truth, yea such a truth as incase men forsake al truth, and yet not contrary thys truth, is accompted a man moste christiane & true?
Answer.
NOthing is more expedient to answer directlye vnto the question, then to cōsyder the time of our fathers. They thought it best to name the sacramentes by y• name of the thyng was represented by the sacramentes. Yet in manye places of theyr wryryngs, they so interpretate thē [Page] selues, that no man excepte he wyl be wylfully blynd, can say but they vnderstode the sacrament to sygnifie, and not to be the thing signified: to cōfirme, & not to exhibit grace, to helpe, and not to giue faythe: to seale, and not to wynne the promyse of God. Ro. iiii: to shewe what we be before the vse of thē, and not to make vs the thynge we declare to be after thē: to shew we are Christes, to shew we be in grace, and not by thē to be receaued into grace: to shewe we be saued, and not yet to be saued by them: to shewe we be regenerated, and not to be regenerated by them, thus the old doctours ment.
But when all good learninge, and the lesson of the holye [Page cxxx] scripture were drowned by the Gotthes, and Uandales, in Europe, Asia, and Affrica, and yet somewhat rescued and caughte agayne by Charles the greate. Anno. viii C. men not acquaynted wyth the frases and veine of the scripture, accustomed them selues to the readyng of doctours, and leaft the woord of God.
Wherof folowed amonge other euyls, that in Fraunce by certayne Italiōs this question to be very much and manye tymes reasoned vpon, as touchyng the corporal presēce of Christes body in the sacrament. Agaynst the whyche ertour one Ihon Scot and one Bertram wrote a boke of the sam mater to Charles y• great [Page] But the monkes and the priestes declyned most vnto ye opinion of the carnall & corporall presence: wher vpon in y• tyme of Leo the nynth, a byshoppe of Rome. Anno. M.L. beynge a monke, called a councell named Uercellence: y• whych tuled as chiefe president & great master, one Lācfranck a monk & afterwarde bishop of Cant. He damned Berengarius: but after that the same Berengatius had recāted, one Nicolaus Pope, assembled a councell of the monkes of Italie, and priestes, and so compelled Berengarius to a recantacion, whych ye may reade. De consecrat. dist. ii. Ego Berengarius.
But here we wyll pause and deliberat a while vpon this recātacion, [Page cxxxi] and scanne it a lytle. In this recātacion (marke it) is no mencion made of trāsubstanciacion, but the bread and the wyne are called the bodye and blud of Christe, and that the same are touched wyth the handes of the prieste, broken, & torne with ye teth of ye faithful. This sentence is not admitted now a dayes among our scholastical diuines. Yea the glose vpon the same Canone, sayth: (read the place) Ther is more daūger of heresy in Berengatius words, thē was in Berengarius hym selfe.
That recantacion of Berengarius sent the Pope into all the cities of Italy, Germanie, & Fraunce. But thys relygyon could not be wel accepted, [Page] nor iudged to be good of al m [...] though Hildebrand the mōke and sorceroure confyrmed it. Anno. m.lxxix. Wherfore they excogitated, & dremed out trāssubstāciaciō, the which opiniō holpe forth the monks of Benedictes order, in theyr Sermons. And because thys newe and wycked doctryne of transubstanciaciō could not be receaued and admitted of al mē, After two hundred yeares almost, Innocentius the thyrde confyrmed it in the councell of Laterane. Anno. M.CC.xv. some tyme beyng a doctour of Parise. And that thys wycked doctryne myght take the soner place, he bound mē to auriculer confessiō, wherin they persuaded men to what they pleased. [Page cxxxii] Immediately afterwarde began the beggyng friers the selfe souldiours of Antichrist, and mete pe [...]sonnes to setforth such abhominacion. At the begynnynge of these monsters, Honorius .iii. bishop of Rome, commaunded thys newe bready god to be honoured. Anno. M.CC.xxvi. libr. ii. Decretal. Tit. de celebra. Missarū. And then beganne the pyndfooles and cloisters to be made in the churches to reserue their newe god in. And when the monkes had farther entred into the cō sciences of the people, and whē thei had more inculcated & betē to mens heads more this new article of fayth, for transubstanciacion, then all the other of oure belyfe in Christe,
[Page] The Pope began to excogitate more yet for the honour of thys new god. For when they had brought Christ from heauen to earth agayne, & so concluded he shuld be honored in the sacramente, he thoughte it iniurie to let hym be wythout some solemne fest & dai, wherin people myght honour hym according to their decrees: whervpon Urbanus the .iiii. instituted the feaste that is called Corpus Christi. M.CC.lxii. Then increased the rable and Idololatrical nombre of pryuate Masses: and ye honoryng of thys bread then was defended wyth swerd and fyre.
In the meane tyme manye godly men were sore afflycted in theyr conscience, yet durste [Page cxxxiii] not declare their griefe, partly for feare, partli because that sophistrie had blynded part of theyr iudgementes. At length the Lord reised vp godly men, yea here in Englād Ihō Wi [...] lefe that resisted thys new heretical doctryne. M.CCC.lx.viii. And now ye Lord be praised, chyldren know the vngodlynes therof, & may se it plainly to be naught, if they wil not be wylfully blynde. How childyshly they bragge of the doctours, now ye may see. And euen the same do they wyth the wordes: thys is my body, and with the omnipotencie of God, as ye shal hear in the next sermon.
¶The sixte Sermon vpon Ionas, made by Iohn Hoper.
THey obiecte against the truth as cōcernīg the absence of christes body in the sacramēt, the words of Christ: Thys is my bodye. Unto the whyche we aunswere briefely. The wordes should be vnderstanded accordyng to the matter & purpose they be spoken for: But euery man knoweth, ye matter and purpose yt Christ entreateth of, is to make, and institute a sacrament: therfore ought euery word to be taken sacramentallye: which is to attribute vnto the sacramente, ye name of ye thing signified & represented [Page cxxxiiii] by the sacramente.
Therfore thei should not force nor cōstraine y• soūd of the wordes vsed in the sacramente to make of y• sacrament on ydole by false interpretaciō, wher as the true sēce of ye word maketh but a necessary ceremonie, and helpe to our infirme faith. In the Canon lawe, Decretalib .li. de verbor. significat. Tit. xl. cap. vi. Nō sermom res, sed reiest sermo subiectus, that is to saye: the matter shuld not be cōstraiued to y• word, but ye word to serue the matter. Et cap. viii. dum proprietas verborū attenditur, sensus veritatis amittitur, yt is to saie: when the nature of y• word is forced, the meanīg of ye veritie is lost. Farther what shuld moue thē to deny vs one trope in these [Page] wordes, when they them selues vse a greate many of tropes & fygures: where as we vse but one, and the same one to be in the open word of God: and all theyrs to be without, and contrary to y• word of God. Note the wordes of Christ, Hoc est corpus meum. That is to say: This is my body. what they shoulde make of thys woorde (Thys,) thei cannot tel: and hither vnto they haue dysputed of it: and yet not agreed. Reade I praye the Gabriel Biel. Ser. xliiii. et Glossam super Canonē. Timorem docet. Is, they interpretate, Is made. The bread they say is the accidentes of bread. But in the Cup they be constrayned to vse wt vs a signe. Thys Cup is the new Testament [Page cxxxv] in my blud: for they saye y• wyne in the Cup and not the Cuppe. They know them selues howe fōdly they interpretate these wordes, rather maliciously, obstinately, and falsly, then truely: we therefore thus take them (Thys is my body) that is to say: the Sacrament of my body broken and geuen for you: Either thys is y• newe testamente, that is to saye: the sygne of the new testament, or the remission of syn obtayned in the bodye of Christe broken and torne for vs. S. August. lib. xx. contra Faustū. cap. xxi. hath these wordes. Huius sacrifi [...] caro et sarguis ante aduentū Christi, per victimas similitudinum promittebatur. In passione Christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur. Post ascē sum Christi per sacramētum memorie [Page] celebratur. That is to saye: the flesh and blud of thys sacrifice before the cōmynge of Christ, was promised bi the sacrifices of similitude. In the passion of Christ thei wer geuen in dede: after the ascencion of Christe, thei be celebrated bi a sacramēt of memorie. And the glose dist. ii. Tribus gradibus, sayth: Certum est, quod species quam cito dentibus teruntur, tam cito in celum rapitur corpus Christi, that is to saye: It is certayne that as sone as the accidens and qualities of bread be broken with y• teeth, straightway ye body of Christ is taken into heauē: so y• theyr own doctours do not belyue yt ye very bodi of Christ is receaued in the sacramēt. If a man shuld thē aske: what fayth and [Page cxxxvi] opiniō shuld y• christiane haue cōcernyng ye presence or abs [...]ce of Christs bodi in y• sacramēt [...]
Answer.
The body of Christ shulde be cōsidred .ii. maner of waies, fyrst as it was borne of yt blessed virgin, beyng in dede oure very natural brother: Th [...] as it was offered vpon the crosse for the redēpcion of the world. And thus offered & put to hys passiō vpō y• crosse, we cōsyder hym in the sacrament: for the bread there vsed is called the body of Christ brokē: & y• wine the bloud sheding. But the presence of christes natural body, or y• opiniō of his presēce, they so litle profit, yt in very dede it doeth rather hurt, and harme, as Christ sayed.
[Page] The flesh profiteth nothynge. Io. vi. and agayne: it is expediēt that I go awai. We must therfore lyfte vp oure myndes into heauen when we fele oure selues oppressed with the burden of sinne, and ther by fayth apprehend and receaue the bodye of Christe slayne and kylled, & hys precious blud shed for our offēces: and so by faith apply the vertue, efficacie, and strēgth of ye merites of Christ to our soules, and by that meanes quit oure selues from the daunger, damnaciō, and curse of God. And thus to be partaker of the worthynes and deseruyngs of Christes passion, is to eate the body & to drynke ye blud. Therfore doth Christ in the .v. of Iohn, take eat, for [Page cxxxvii] beleue, & beleue for eate, so many tymes. And S. Augustine sayth, vt quid paras dētem et ventrē, crede et manducasti, why preparest thou the teeth and bely, beleue and thou hast eatē. And whoso euer eateth after thys sorte the body of Christ, and drynke his blud, hath euerlasting life. Then obiecte they: if we maye thus eat the body and blud of Christ without the sacramēt, what auayleth it to haue anye Sacrament?
Answer.
AGaynst these temptacions of the deuil the vse of the sacramentes were instituted in the churche.
The fyrst temptacion of the deuil is, he would bear the [Page] Christian in hand the promises of Gods mercy to be false: Therfore doth God confyrme thē vnto vs by his sacramēts.
The second tēptacion when ye deuil perceaueth we belyue the promises [...]f god to be true vniuersally, yet wold he make vs doubt of them perticularli, as thoughe they appertayned not vnto the priuate or singuler conscience afflycted. That dout wold God remoue in vs by hys sacramentes, and saith, they appertaine to the priuate and perticuler conscience afflycted, euen as euerye priuate man receaueth the sacraments of the promyses.
The thyrde temptacion. The deuyl laboureth to take from vs the knowledge of the [Page cxxxviii] meanes of oure saluacion, and howe the promyses of God be made oures, by ye free grace of God or by our merytes.
The Sacramentes therfore whyche beholde and represent onely Christe, do teach vs that the meanes of our saluacion, is only in Christ. And to put vs out of doubt wherewythall Christe hath meryted for vs the promyses of God, and thys grace of our saluacion, the sacramente sheweth vs it was wyth and by his death and blud sheddyng: and therfore hath he geuen the name of hys bodye and bloude to the sygnes and elementes of the sacramente. So the breade is called the bodye broken, and the wyne the bloude shedden: [Page] Admonyshyng the that in the receauing of ye sacramēt, thou shuldest not tarye▪ nor occupye thy meditacions and contemplacions in the bread & wyne, but in the merits of the bodye broken, and the blud shedde. Who so euer marke and vnderstand these thynges, eateth Christ: if he be ignoraunt here of he is in daunger of eternall damnacion.
An other obiection.
THey saye: God can do all thynges, therefore it is not impossyble for hym to make his body present in the Sacrament.
We be not so addicte and geuen vnto humane ration, that we wyll beleue nothinge more then reason is able to accompte [Page cxxxix] and geue answer for. But we beleue many thynges that directly reason saythe we shuld not beliue: As the incarnacion of Christ, our resurreccion, the making of the world, thre persons in one godheade and one essence: and these thinges we belyue because the expresse word of God commaū deth to beleue it. But the trāselementacion and alteraciō of the breade, no place of y• scripture commaundeth vs to beleue, but many places forbyd we shuld beleue it. Nether doo the Papists agree among thē selues what shuld be the wordes of consecracion: and yf we had but that auantage of thē only, it were inough to declare theyr transubstanciacion to be [Page] no parte of Gods worde.
It is a folye to obiecte the omnipotencye of God wythout Gods woorde. God nor doeth, nor can not do more thē he wyl do: and as foolyshly do they, makynge mencion of a miraculous presence of Christes body, and do declare them selues to be of Antichriste by the same meanes. For he shall deceaue the worlde (ye the verye electes, if it were possyble) wyth newe myracles. Math. xxii. i. ii. thes. ii. The myracle of Christes visible ascencion and other expressed in the scryptures of God, are sufficient for the Catholycke churche. And the myracle of ye inuisyble and miraculous presence, we leaue to them that be deceaued wyth [Page cxl] the spirite of erroure. For they woulde haue now Christe presente, but in anye case dumme and wythout speche: & whyles he lyued and could speake, the members of the deuil hanged hym vpon the crosse.
Thus was the malyce of the deuyll alwayes greate agaynst oure Sauiour. Before he came into the flesh, he [...]ave manye beleue he was come, before the time appointed by the Prophetes was exspired: whē he was come in deede, then wente he aboute to perswade he was n [...]t come, nor was not the Sauioure of the worlde, and neuer left tyl he had kylled hym, because he would not denye but that the verye true sauioure of the worlde was [Page] come. And nowe that in deade he is ascended and departed from vs accordynge to the scriptures, he goeth about all he can to proue hym nowe to be here: so that neyther before hys cummyng into the world, nor at hys beynge corporally in the worlde, nor yet beynge out of the world, he can not be in peace, sure, and safe from the assaultes and temptacions of hys and oure mortall ennemye Satan. But I knowe howe the aduersaryes of the truth, perswade the people maliouslye to gyue no credite to such as preach, and teache the truth. They saye we condemne the holy sacramente, and make it of no estimacion. But beliue not their slaunders and lyes, [Page cxli] but heare or read our opinion, knowledge, and godly estimacion we haue of the sacramēt, and then Iudge, and gyue sentence afterwarde. And here receyue myne opinion as touchynge the forme and maner to celebrate and vse the Sacramentes.
¶The fourme and maner howe to celebrate the sacramentes.
IT were expediente to intreate this mater at length yf tyme would serue. But yet in fewe wordes I wyl say somwhat of the sacramente of the Lordes Supper and also of Baptisme.
Baptisme consisteth in two partes. In the worde and the elemente. The worde is the preaching of the good & mercifull [Page] promyses of Gods goodnes, acceptyng vs into his fauour and grace for the merits of Christ.
The whyche promyses be brefely comprehended in these wordes. Math. xxviii. I baptyse the in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost. These woordes sheweth ye forme of Baptisme, and also that only men, reasonable creatures, shuld be baptised. Mat. xvi. So is condē ned the gentilitie, and supersticion that hath bene vsed in the Christenyng of bels. The matter and Elemente of thys sacrament, is pure water: what so euer is added, Oyle, salte, Crosse, lyghtes, and suche other be the inuencions of men, [Page cxlii] and better it were they were aboly [...]ed, then kepte in the Churche. For they obscure the simplicitie, and perfectnes of Christ our sauioures institucion. I pray the kyngs maiestie and hys most honorable counsell to prepare a shyp as sone as maye be, to sende them home agayne to theyr mother church, the bosome, and breast of man.
¶The form how to celebrate the Lordes supper.
HEre must be marked two persons: ye minister, and he that communicateth with the minister. These muste come and assemble together as saynte Paule sayth .i. Corin. xi.
The dutye, and offyce of the minister.
HE doeth best hys offyce, and is best instructed to minister y• sacramente, if he in the ministracion thereof go as nere as is possible to the fyrste institucion of Christe, and the Apostles. For Christ was and is the wysdome of the father, and the Apostles had receiued the holy gost that broughte them into all truth: therefore it must nedes folowe, their doyngs, & ministracion to be moste perfit, holy, and religious.
¶Howe the minister shoulde prepare hym selfe.
INwardly & outwardly. The inward preparacion is if his minde [Page cxliii] and soule be instructed & furnished wyth godlye doctryne, and a feruent spirit and zeale to teach hys audience, to stablysh them in the truth, and to exhorte them to perpende and marke wel the merites and deseruynges of Christ.
The outward preparacion, the more simple it is the better it is, and the nerer vnto the institucion of Christ and his Apostles. If he haue bred, wine, a table, and a fayre table cloth, let hym not be solicitous nor careful for the rest, seyng they be no thynges broughte in by Christe, but by Popes: vnto whom if the kynges maiestye and hys honourable Counsaile (haue good cōscience) thei muste be restored agayne: and [Page] greate shame it is for a noble kynge, Emperour or Magistrate, contrarye vnto Goddes word, to detayne and kepe frō the deuyl or hys minister, anye of theyr goodes or treasure, As the Candels, Uestiments, [...]: for if they be kept in the church as thynges indifferēt, at lēgth they wyl be mayntayned as thynges necessary. When the minister is [...] wel prepared with sound [...] Godlye doctryne, let hym [...] hym self to the distru [...] of the bread and wyne: [...] as he g [...]ueth the breade, [...] hym breake it after the [...]ample of Christ the shoulde [...]eue the bread, and not thrust [...] into the receauers mouthe. For the breaking of the bread [Page cxliiii] hath a great misterie in it of y• passion of Christ, in the whych hys bodye was broken for vs, and that is sygnyfyed in the breakyng of y• breade, which in no case shuld be admitted: therfore let the minister breake the round bread, for broken it serueth as a sacramente and not hole. Christ did breake [...]. mat. x [...] vi. Mar. xiiii. Luc. x [...]ii. And saynt Paule [...]ayth: the breade that we break, is it not y• communion of Christes [...]odye? i. Cor. x. Thus shuld the perfecciō of Christes institucion be had in honour, and the memorie of the dead left out, and nothing done in this sacramēt, y• had not gods word to bear it. But alas God is accompted a foole, for men can vse the sacrament more religiously, deuoutly, [Page] godly, and christianly, then Christ Gods sonne, as it appeareth: for his fourme and maner is put oute, and mans deuyse, and wysdome is accepted for it.
The dewty and office of the people.
THe dewti of the receauer resteth in thre partes. To saye: what he shuld do before the receauyng of the Sacramente, what he shuld do in y• receauing of it, & what after the receauyng of it. Before the receauing he shuld prepare and make ready hys mynde, as the commaundemēt of S. Paul is, i. Cor. xi. let the man proue and searche hymselfe, and so forthe. And thys maye be doone twoo maner of [Page cxlv] wayes. Fyrst towardes God, then towardes man.
Towardes God he shulde from the botome of hys heart, confesse his faults and sinnes, and acknowledge hys iust cō demnacion: then shuld he perswade him selfe by true and liuely fayth, that God would be mercyful vnto him for y• death of hys dere beloued sōn Iesus Christ, done in his body torne, and in hys blud shedde.
He shuld prepare hym selfe towardes his neighbour also. Fyrst incase he hath hurt hys neyghbour in fame or goods, he shuld reconcile hym selfe agayne, wyth restitucion of thē both againe. He that thus prepareth hym self, doth eat worthelye the bodye of Christe, [Page] and he that doth not thus prepare him selfe, eateth nothing but the sacrament to his euerlastyng damnaciō. I make no mencion here of auriculer cō fession, as though that were a thyng necessary to be done before or after the receauynge of the Sacrament.
For thys confession is not of God, as theyr lawe doeth record. The glose vpō the decre of penaunce. Distinct .v. in penitencia.
In the receauynge of thys sacrament, ther be thynges requyred both in the inward mā and also in the outward man. The inwarde preparacion is when the man receauynge the bread and the wine, being subiectes [Page cxlvi] and maters vnder the iudgement and censure of the senses, the mynde is eleuated and lyfte vp into heauen: perswadyng hym selfe by faythe, that as truly appertaineth vnto hym y• promyses and grace of God throughe the merites and death of Christ, as he sensibly, and outwardly receiueth the sacramente and wytnes of gods promyses. And doubt no more of an inward frendshyp, familiaritie, cōcord, peace, loue atonement, and fatherly petye and compassyon, throughe Christ by the meanes of faith, then he douteth yt hys mouthe outwardly doth receaue y• signes & sacramēts of gods mercies. To excitat in vs this faith [Page] and beleue in the merytes of Christ: the bread is called the body, and the wyne hys blud, after ye maner and frase of the scripture.
The vtward behauour and gesture of the receauer, should want al kind of suspiciō, shew, or inclinacion of Idololatrye. Wherfore seyng knelyng is a shew and external signe of honoryng, and worshipping, and heretofore hath greuous and damnable Idololatry ben cō mitted by the honoryng of the sacrament, I woulde wyshe it wer commaunded by the Magistrates, that y• communicatours, and receauers shuld do it, standyng or syttynge. But syttyng in myne opinion were best, for many consideracions. [Page cxlvii] The Paschal lambe was eatē standynge, whyche sygnifyed Christ yet not to be come, that shuld geue rest, peace, & quietnes. Christ wyth his Apostles vsed thys Sacramente at the fyrst, syttyng: Declaring that he was come that should quiet and put at rest both body and soule, and that the fygure of the Passeouer frō thenceforth shuld be nomore necessary, nor that men shuld trauel nomore to Ierusalem once in the year, to seke and vse a sacramente of the Lambe to come, that shuld take awaye the synnes of the worlde.
After the receauinge of it, there shoulde be thankes geuynge of all the churche, for y• benefites of Christes death. [Page] Ther shoulde be prayer made vnto god, that thei might perseuer, and cōtinue in the grace of God receaued. They shuld helpe the poore wyth theyr almes. This forme me thinketh is most lyke vnto the fourme of Christe, and the Apostles. Howe farre the masse differeth from thys, al men know.
I praye God the best may be taken, and the wurste lefte, throughe oute all the worlde. And al such as be yet infyrme by reason of longe custome, and lacke of knowledge, lette them praye God, and searche the scriptures, wythoute affeccion. Suche as be peruerse and obstinate, and wyll admyt no reason, for them the ire and dyspleasure of God is readye [Page cxlviii] and prest to punish them whē he seeth tyme. As it is to be sene by the Corinthes .i. Cor. xi. that for the abuse of ye supper, manye of them fell sycke, and into dyseases. So wyl he do wyth vs, if we neglecte hys moste perfecte, and Godlye institucion.
Let vs repente therefore wyth the Niniuites from our foremer synnes, and beleue the remyssyon of theym for Goddes mercye in the deseruynges of Christe. Farther lette vs submytte oure selues, all oure wysedome, and learnynge vnto hys woorde: and thynke that Christe and hys Apostles haue instituted and vsed, it canne in no wayes be bettered by vs.
[Page] And you my gracious Lord & king restore the right vse of the supper of the Lord, as Iosias dyd the ryghte vse of the Paschal Lambe .iiii. Reg. xxiii. ii. Para. xxxv. after the worde of God. The text now foloweth of the fast of the Niniuites.
Of fastynge.
There was a fastyng proclaymed, and weryng of sackecloth, from the greatest to the smallest.
Here be twoo thynges to be noted in the frutes, and signes of penitence. Fyrst concerning the fast, and vilenes of the apparell, The seconde howe they fasted from the greatest to the smallest.
¶Of fastynge and sacke cloth.
THe hypocrites of the world when they hear of this fasting & puttyng on of sackecloth, damne strayghtwayes the doctryne of faythe, and teache that God saueth not onelye for Christes sake whych only fayth apprehēdeth: as though faith could not only apprehend the mercy of god, and yet haue fastynge anexed with her. But this present text confoundeth thys errour: for it sayeth the Niniuites fyrst beleued the Lord, and then fasted. But lest we shuld here erre, I wyl speake a lytle of fastinge, that we maye loue rather to faste well, then obstinately to defend a false fast.
¶What is fasting.
FAstynge is a moderat vse and takynge of meate and drynke, lest the fleshe shoulde by aboundaunce and to muche of it, rebel and ouercome the spirite. And thys fast eyther it is continually, or at certayne tymes vsed.
Continuallye, when as a Christiane man moderatelye fedeth hys bodye wyth thankes geuyng, for necessary nutriment, and not for to aboūde or surfet. Thys fastynge, and abstinēce, the scripture calleth sobrietie .i. Petri. v.
The faste done at certayne tymes, is also eyther pryuate, or publycke. Priuate when any man consideryng and waiynge [Page cl] hys owne infyrmyties, bindeth hym selfe frō meates, and drynkes, to tame and ouercome the vehemente, and lasciuious inclinacions thereof, to the obedyence and rule of the spirite .i. Corin. vii.
A publycke fast is, when for a publycke and commune calamitie, trouble, or aduersytie, the Magistrates commaunde a solemne and publycke abstynence and fast.
But in bothe these fastes there muste be vsed a circumspecte and godlye dylygence, least in the abuse of fastynge we offende and prouoke the Ire and dyspleasure of God the more agaynste vs: we may offende, fyrste yf wee faste [Page] for anye other purpose then to kepe the bodye in subiection to the spirite. Therefore it is to be taken hede of, we faste not for merite or for custome.
The seconde is, we offende if we faste in the honour of any creature. The thyrde, if for one fastynge daye we make thre gloto [...] festes, as the fashion is for the moost parte. I woulde wyshe therefore that the true fast & abstinence wet brought in agayne, and then the lorde would be pleased I dout not.
That they amende from the greatest to ye smallest we learne two thynges. Fyrste of what greate effycacye the sermon of Ionas was, that pleased all people both greate and smalle. The lyke hath not bene seene. [Page cli] For it is easier for a Cooke to please an hundreth mouthes, wyth one mete, then a preacher to order one sermon or oracion to please ten heades. It were well in our tyme if at euery sermon were one of the magistrates and of the people conuerted: and at ten Sermones one Byshop and one prieste. The second, the faciliti and promptnes of these Niniuites to beleue and amend their religion, and cōuersaciō, doth condemne the vngodlye obstinacye and frowardnes of such, as detract and prolong their amendemēt, and saye they wyl belyue when the kynge commeth to age. Thus the deuil geueth thē one occasion or other to defer their belefe. If the kings magesty, [Page] and hys Nobles shoulde hate the trueth, they woulde saye: howe can we beleue the doctryne, yt our learned, and wyse Magystrates detesteth? If the kynges maiestye and hys nobles loue and fauoure the best part, thei excuse thēselues vpō the tender & younge age of the kynge: as thoughe hys Magesties yonge age or olde age coulde make any religion of God true or false: when in deede all ages and powers be or oughte to be subiecte vnto the religion, and law made allredye, and geuen to be obserued of and by all menne, of what sort condiciō, or state so euer they be of.
Thys thynge came [Page clii] to the Kynge of Niniue, who arose frome his seate, doyng of his apparell, clothed hym selfe in sacke cloth.
It is not wythoute a synguler councell of the holye goste that thys kynge is mencionated of so copiously.
Nether that hys behauoure and doynges after hys conuercion, is so diligentlye manyfested.
Fyrste the Texte setteth forth the manner of hys conuersion, and sayeth: he returned vnto God vpon the fame and rumoure of Ionas preachynge.
Wherefore we learne how [Page] much the truth is wurthye to be estemed, seyng that a kynge vpon the brute thereof made by hys people, embrased, and resisted not (as now we se many tymes done by the greatest part of the world.) Euē so did Iosias: as soone as he beynge yet but a chylde, hearde of the true boke of God, embraced it .iiii. Reg. xxii. So dyd Dauid and Iosaphat heare & graunt to the admonicions of ye Prophetes. All kynges therefore and magistrates shuld harken vnto the truthe, and learne it them selues oute of the lawe Deut. xvii. But thys studye and knowledge of gods lawe in Princes and kynges, the Byshops, Priestes, and other do let: bearyng them in hande [Page cliii] that it appertayneth nothinge to theyr office to study and labour in the worde of God, but the iudgement and study therof to be committed vnto them: and so by y• same meanes they perswade & cause prynces many times to persecute the truth and veritie by ignoraunce, as the kynges of Israel dyd that burned the wrytynges of the Prophetes.
But most gracious kyng, and ye my lordes of hys most honorable coūcel, Ye haue not only heard the rumour & fame of Gods word, but wyth your owne eares haue heard youre selfe the truth, and ye do credit, and beleue the same: therefore in al thynges expresse and declare it in facte.
[Page] And most gracious kynge take ye hede that the vertues ye learn and be brought vp in in youth, ye practyse & exercise them in age. And incase your Magesty wil so do, beware of one thing: y• poison of flaterie. The whyche youre Magestye may vse as a good medycine, and not a poisō if ye take hede of it. Yt wyl be poison, yf your grace thynk your selfe to be at al times, as flaterers wyl bear youre hyghnes in hand to be. It shall be a medicine, yf your Magestye studye to be the same in dede, that flaterie commendeth.
Youre Magestye may see an Example hereof in kynge Iehoas, that in hys youthe fauoured, and sette forthe the [Page cliiii] truthe, but in hys elder dayes he fell from it, by the meanes of flatteroures that deceaued hym.
But youre Magestye shall do best to folowe thys Godly Kynge of the Niniuites, and embrace contynually the word of the lyuynge God. And thus shal youre grace be the better able to doo, incase youre highnes woulde haue before you euerye Sundaye one sermon, whych shoulde brynge muche knowledge & grace into youre hyghnes courte.
Nowe foloweth the fruite of thys Godly kynges penitence. Fyrste he ryseth from his seate, and putteth on sackclothe.
[Page] Of thys we learne that infayth and true repentaunce, is no diuersitie betwene the king and a meane subiect. And thus shall it be at ye later iudgemēt. The rych, the poore, the kyng, the subiect, y• bishop, ye prieste, al shal apere naked before the trone of Christe: and be holpe nothyng there by anye tytle or name of glory. Here the honor and ryches haue theyr estimacion and glorye. Let all men therfore looke to amend theyr fayth and lyuyng, here in thys worlde.
As for this external doing on of sackeclothe, it was the maner at that tyme so to doo, and declared theyr repentaūce and amendemente: And so I woulde it were nowe. He that [Page clv] offendeth in apparel, he wolde remoue the pryde thereof and goo soberlye: he that in meate, would vse more sobryetie, Yet noman shuld thyncke any holines to be in the external vestiment, nor yet any hurt or dā nacion in the meate: but the abuse of both, displeaseth God. As for the vestimentes of the priest in ye ministerie, I wolde wyshe the Magistrate to remoue thē, for they either shew, or not shewe vertue. If they shewe not, they vse theym in vayne: If they do declare and shew vertue, eyther the vertue is wyth them in deede; or absent. If he that weareth them haue the vertue, why sheweth it he to the world? If he haue not the vertue, then is he an [Page] hypocrite, whom God hateth.
¶The other frute of penaūce of the kynge wyth hys counsell, beyng conuerted to God.
THere was as the texte sayeth, a proclamacion made throughe al the Citye of Niniue, by the cō maundement of the kyng and hys councell.
In thys proclamacyon fyrste muste be marked who be the authours of thys proclamacion. Then, what is cō tayned in the proclamacion. The persons be the kyng, and the Nobles of hys realme. In these persons fyrst, note that it is the Kynges offyces, and the Peeres of the realme, to pourge theyr cōmune wealth from false relygyon, by Publycke, [Page clvi] and open proclamacions.
So dyd Nabuchadnezer, Darius, and Cirus, kynges of moste notable fame: therefore Christe calleth the Princes, the Nurces of the church.
And so I doubte not most Gracious kynge, but youre hyghnes wyll accordynge to your tytle & style, pourge thys Churche of Englande to the puritie and synceritie of gods woorde.
Farther we learne howe that the Prynces and councellours of a realme, shoulde helpe foorth the Godlye purposes and statutes made for the glorye of God wythin a Realme.
[Page] So was this kinges Godlye purpose holpe by hys councel, so Dauid, so Iosias. In that the kynge and hys nobles do confyrme the doynges of hys people, we learne that Godlye magistrates shuld not let, but further and confyrme al godly purposes and vertuous study of theyr people, when they study amendement of false relygion: so did Iosaphat, Ezechias, and Iosias.
¶The sūme of the proclamacion.
IT containeth the true and ryghte forme of repentaūce that pleaseth God, whyche is contayned in foure partes.
Fyrst in outwarde sygnes of heuynes. Then in callynge [Page clvii] vpon the Lorde. Thirdlye in leauing the wicked and accustomed yuel life. Forthly in the trust and confydence of Gods mercy. Of these partes we wil speake somwhat by order.
¶Of the external sygnes of a penitent harte.
TWo notes of penaūce are here described: the one abstynence from meate, the other sorditie and vylenes of apparell: for after such sort, as naturall men say, contraries are cured by cōtraries. He that is geuen to hys bodye, cannot please God by penitence, excepte he come to a sobernes: Neyther the proude and arrogant appareled, except he remoue the excesse and abuse thereof.
[Page] I would, and exhort therfore as manye as dooe excede and offend in these two, to returne to penytence wyth the kynge and people of Niniue: if they woulde so dooe, they shoulde not onely fynde grace at Gods hande, but also more healthe and sobernes of body, more ryches in the cofer, more plentye in the Realme, more grace, wytte, and sobernes in theyr housholde.
That the beastes be tyed vp also from their meate, it declareth that the king and people had to much a delite in wā ton and ouer much gainesse of theyr beastes, whyche beynge kept oute of theyr accustomed pryde, shoulde not alure them [Page clviii] from theyr penitence, nor geue them occasyon to returne agayne to the former euyll.
Farther it pleaseth so the Lorde to punysh y• thing that allureth mannes frayle nature to synne, because the syn of manne shoulde the better be knowen: as wee see, by the kyllynge of the leuiticall beastes that neuer offended, God woulde preache vnto manne that hys synne deserued none other thē presēt & sodain death: so dyd the Lorde punyshe and curse the earthe that Adam & hys posteritie myght know it was not a lyghte thynge the transgression of Goddes commaundemente, Genes. iii. [Page] so do all creatures weepe and mourne vntyll the tyme of the reuelacion of the chyldren of of God. Roma. viii. And thus peryshed he the beastes wyth man in the fludde. Gene. viii.
¶The seconde sygne.
LEst men shuld thynke that the abstinence frō meates, or the castinge of of gay apparel for certaine dayes, should deserue and meryt thys fauoure and mercye of God, it standeth in the proclamacion, that they called cō tinually vpon the Lord. That is to say: they asked feruentlye and contynuallye healpe and fauoure of God.
Note in the conuersion of thys Kynge, how that he comcommaundeth [Page clix] not now to call vpon straunge goddes, but vpon on true and liuing god, Euen so shoulde we do in the dayes of oure trouble, accordynge to the commaundemēt of God and the example of al the Patriarckes, Prophetes, and the Apostles. But this is to be noted that the texte sayeth, they shoulde call strongly vpon the Lorde: that is to say wyth a penitente hart, that is sorye for the euil, and wylling to studye for euer after to do good. We call [...]arnestly vpon the Lord two wayes: the one, whē we aske of God to tourne and kepe from vs hys ire and dyspleasure. The other when we desyre hym to take from vs, and gyue vs grace to prepreserue [Page] awaye from vs, the sinnes that prouoked and merited his dyspleasure & wrath.
But we offende in this behalfe, two maner of wayes. Fyrst mē call vpon creatures. The secōd they cal coldly, and vnfaythfully, without an earnest mynd to amend, and faith vpon the promises of God, for Christes sake. So dyd Saule rather call to God to auaide payne, thē for any loue he had to vertue. For some assone as the payne is remoued, they retourne agayne to theyr olde iniquitye, as Pharao. Exod.
The third note of penaunce.
Euery man turned from hys wycked wayes, and from fraude and [Page clx] gyle whych they vsed before.
Thys is the thyrde propertye of penaunce, wythout the whyche we be rather hypocrites, then penitente Christians. And the propertye is thys, to forsake al euyll, and fleshelye studyes, and applye hym selfe to vertue and godlynes.
Note fyrste that the texte sayeth: Euerye man tourned. If the Kynge offended, the Counsel, the Bishop, the persō the paryshe prieste, euerye one amended: so let vs excepte we wyll peryshe.
And what shall we do to tourne frome vs the Ire of God, kyndeled, and inflamede Shal we by any mans merits [Page] and deseruynges? No sayeth the text, but euery man amend for hym selfe. And so concludeth. Esa. lviii. chap. Ier. vii. And because Auarice as S. Paul sayth, is the mother and rote of euyl, the Proclamacion of the Kynge of Niniuites is, that thei should leaue theyr force, vyolence, & oppression: & so make restitucion of the false gotten goods. Here let al men learne howe to be saued, that haue gathered together they care not whether wt or against the lawe, wyth or agaynst charitye. Let them leaue doynge of thys vyolence, and oppresion, and restore agayne all false gotton goods, or else sure they wyll peryshe. So dyd zacheus. Luke .xix. And other [Page clxi] Godly men, and rich men that repented. Let men looke vpon that wyse saying of Salomō. Pro. xxii. Spoile not ye poore, because he is poore, neyther oppresse not the afflycted in the port. For the Lorde wyll take vpon hym the defence of hys cause.
¶The fourth fruite of penitence.
Who can tell whether God wyll be conuerted, & moued wyth petye, tourne from the fury of hys wrath that we peryshe not.
In thys text we se to turne and bowe the angre and dyspleasure of God is a greate [Page] matter, and that to afflicte the bodye wyth fastynge, to praye, and to chaunge the olde wycked lyfe is verye expediente to wynne hys fauoure: but all these thynges be in vayne excepte there be lykewyse a confidence, and true fayeth in the mercye of God. And thys is the thynge that God mooste deliteth in when the sinner confesseth that he is mercyful for hys promises sake in Christe, and not for the worthynes of hys penaunce. So doeth thys Kynge in the ende of hys proclamacion sette forth the mercye of GOD to hys people, whereby boeth he and they by saued.
That it semeth his oracion to haue a doute in it, truly notwythstandynge [Page clxii] that he was verye well perswaded of goddes mercye. For as Ionas proponed nothynge but Goddes Ice, he maketh mencion of hys mercye.
The doute he putteth: eyther to put awaye the slugerdnes of hys people, eyther to declare in hym selfe the fyghte & battayle that is alwayes betwene the spyrite, and the flesh aboute Goddes promises. We maye saye also that in desirynge worldelye thynges of GOD, we shoulde aske theim wyth a condicyon. Mat. viii.
We maye learne heare to put awaye despayre, and trust to the Lords mercy, although he threaten neuer so much our distruccion.
[Page] Also here Princes maye learne what proclamaciōs they shoulde make in settynge forth of religiō: such as only extēd to ye glory and mercy of God in Christ. Howe the people accepted thys proclamacion, I wyll shewe in the next sermon.
¶The Seuenth Sermon vpon Ionas, made by Ihon Hoper.
¶The text.
ANd when God saw theyr workes, howe they turned from their wicked wayes, he repēted of the yuel whyche he sayed he would do vnto thē: and dyd it not.
Ye haue hearde howe thys myghtye kynge at the preachynge of Ionas, corrected both hys faythe, and maners. And how by publycke proclamacion, he wylled al hys subiectes to do the same. Of thys fact of the Niniuites, we maye [Page] learne how that it is our office to obei vnto al godly and vertuous commaundemēts, proclamaciōs, and decrees of princes, as many times as they cō maunde amendement of relygyon and maners. But oure people, and especially the multitude of Priests be otherwyse affected: for they do dysobeye both God and theyr kyng. It were a charytable way yf they haue anye thynge to obiect agaynst thys reformacion, that the kynges Magestie and the coūsel godly intēdeth, to bring forth argumentes, & not force, and violence of armoure.
God therfore seeth, that is to say: approueth their works, not because thei wer clothed in sackcloth, but because thei turned [Page clxiiii] from theyr wycked waies, that they had chaunged theyr fals religiō, & restored ye goods agayne, they had by vyolence and extorcion takē from theyr neyghbours, and euerye man walked in hys vocacion. And euen as the Lord pityed them, so wyll he doo vs yf we amend our faythe, and conuersacion, and lyue in oure vocacion, accordyngly. Esay. lviii. Ezech. xviii. But and if we hate not from the bottom of oure hartes, ye yuel we haue committed, we tary styl in deathe.
That God repenteth on the yuel he purposed to do vnto ye Niniuites: we learne that al y• threatnīgs of god be cōdicionally, yt is to say: to fal vpō vs if we repēt not of our iuel deds [Page] That is Godly shewed. Iere. xviii. in these wordes. Repente lo quar aduersum gentē ▪ et aduersus regnum, ut eradicem et destruam, et disper dam illud: Si penitenciā ege [...]it geus illa a malo suo, quod locutus sum aduersus eam, ago et ego penitenciam super malo, quod cogitaui ut facerē ei. That is to say: I wyll speake quickly agaynst the people or kingdome, to wast and destroy them. If that people (agaynst whom I haue deuysed) cōuert from theyr wyckednes, immediately I repent of the plage, that I deuysed to bring vpon them. The same may ye se. Esech. xviii. zach. i. Turne vnto me sayth the Lorde, and I wil turne vnto you: yet shulde not God be accoumpted inconstāt though he punyshe not as he threatned, for thys is hys nature [Page clxv] that can not be chaunged, to receaue penitent sinners into grace. Esech. xviii. Mat. xi. Io. iii.v. The heresy and false doctryne of the Catharones, that denye mercy and remission of sinne to sinners, is damnable and naught.
¶The fourthe Chapter of Ionas.
The Argument.
THe sūme of this chapter is: that God wyll shewe mercy vnto penitent and sorowfull synners, yea though al the world wold say naye. Thys mercy god declareth in this chapter, not only with words, but also with a metaphor & similitude of a tre.
¶The diuision of y• chapter.
IT is diuided into two partes. The one conteineth [Page] how Ionas was angri for y• merci & cōpassiō god toke vpō y• penitēt Niniuits, wherfore he is reprehended of god.
The second part cōtayneth how Ionas beyng in the fieldes, is taught of the Lords by a tree that sodenly growed vp, and sodenly peryshed agayne, that he dyd noughte to be angrye wyth gods doynges towards the Niniuites, and declareth farther that he coulde do none other then saue them.
Therefore Ionas was sore dyscontente and angry, & he praied vnto the Lorde, and sayde: O Lorde was not thys my saying (I [Page clxvi] pray the) when I was yet in my Countrey? Therefore I hasted to fly rather to Tharsis. For I knowe well inough that thou art a mercyfull God, full of cōpassion, longe suffering, and of great kindnes, and repentest whē thou shuldest take punyshmente.
Of thys text we learne, first how horrible and wycked the peruersenes of oure nature is, seyng Ionas (I can not tel vpon what loue towards him selfe,) is angrye: and not wyth man, but with God, that wold [Page] fauoure of mercy, the sorowful Niniuites. Seyng ther was suche imperfeccion and infyrmities in the holye Sayntes, how much nede haue we to see what lyeth in vs myserable and wr [...]tched synners?
Oute of thys texte also wee learne what difficultie & hardnes is in ye office of preaching, if it be truely and wel done: cō tinually whether it happē and come to passe yt he speaketh, or it come not to passe, the preacher stādeth in daūger of obloquie and contempt: We maye se an example hereof in Ionas that preached by the worde of God, the destruccion of Niniue: whych if it had come so to passe, they woulde haue called Ionas a cruell tyraunte, and [Page clxvii] seker of blud. And now that he seeth the citi spared, he feareth least he shoulde be accomted a false prophet: not only among hys owne countrimen the Israelites, but also amonge the Gentils, and then al his preachynge shoulde be taken for a mockery. Thys contempte so sore feareth Ionas, and is therwythal so troubled, that he offēdeth God greuously. I may accommodate y• same fortune vnto my self and others right wel. When we speake for a reformacion of the church, scholes, and polycyes, In to the churche we wyshe to be putte such ministers as can & would teach the doctryne of the apostles, and that they should not be knowen by theyr vestimentes, [Page] and shauings, but by their doctryne: Thē, such as would minister the sacramentes grauely, relygyouslie, and simply, as Christe and hys Apostles dyd. In Baptisme, nothynge to be vsed but the woorde and the symple and bare water. In the supper of the Lorde, to vse the Ceremonies and Rites of Christ and hys Apostles, and al occacions of supersticion to be auoidid. But although this doctryn be as true as Christ & his Apostles be, yet I perceiue displeasure, & greate ennimitie ryse here vpō to me & to other: yea, not onely vnto vs that be subiectes, but also to ye kyngs magesty & his most honorable councel. But the lord kepe vs out of tēptacion, & gyue grace and strength to do all thinges [Page clxviii] to y• glorye of God, & to praye for our enemyes. And as touchyng scholes, specially y• vniuersities, they muste be amended, and good heades & rulers apoynted in the Colleges, or els ye word of god shuld be hindred alwaies bi such as ought most to set it forth. Such godly mē as haue wherwtal shuld helpe & prouide to haue schols to bringe vp youthe in euerye where, through thys realme: & thē shuld godli & learned childrē occupy ye place of supersticious & ignoraunt men, wherwithal this realme of Englād is sore, & to much (god amende it) pestered & hurt withal: this might bishops in theyr dioceses help wel if they intēded as muche good as they beare the worlde in hande they dooe: [Page] and bestow some part o [...] theyr exces vpō the towardly youth of theyr dyoceses. So might y• Nobilitie, and our worshipful men of the shyre dooe: yea so might euery person and curat do, either with his goods help forth the truth and old catholycke faythe of Christe, eyther wyth their goodwyls animate them to learne the doctryne of y• Patriarkes, Prophets, and the apostles: and such as haue the talent of teachyng, myght rather teache, then play: helpe, then hyndre: buylde, then pull downe: helpe forth, then drawbacke: promote God, rather then the deuyl, fauour Christ, then Antichrist: agre wyth the kynge, then conspire wyth the Pope. As concernyng the polic [...]e, [Page clxix] and reformacion therof, I haue sayd my mind before: the whych God geue grace it may be accepted & folowed. If it be not, yet I haue delyuered my soule, & God shal requyre your bluddes at your owne hande. And incase any man be offended wyth me for my true sayinge, I had rather haue dyspleasure of al the worlde, then of God, that is able to damne [...]ath my bodye and my sowle. In y• thyrd place Ionas putteth an excellent discripcion of God, the whych we should wel kepe in mynde: that he is a pitiful and mercyful God, longe suffering and of much clemencie. Thys descripcion of God agreeth with Gods own wordes spokē to Moses .cx.xxxiiii [Page] the whych encoraged Iustes & shulde do the same to vs if we were of god. Great (doubtles) was the synne of Ionas, that toke an occasiō to be angry by gods fauour and goodnes towardes thys sorowful Citye. Euen thus dyd the Pharises, that were angry at Christ, because he kept companye wyth synners. Ionas was then, as many mē be now adayes, that thyncke wretched Synners shoulde neuer fynde pardon for theyr synnes before God. Now foloweth a farther discripcion of Ionas faute and impaciencye.
And nowe O Lord take my lyfe from me, [Page clxx] (I beseeche thee) for I had rather dy thē liue.
Of thys text we learne two thynges, fyrste howe sore and haynously thys Ionas offended, that rather desyred to dy, thē god should haue pitye vpon th [...]se penytente people, by whose preseruaciō, he thought some shame and rebuke shuld happen vnto hym: because he did afore speake, and threaten theyr perdicion and losse.
Muche better and more Godly dyd Moses and Paul, that wyshed rather their owne harme, thē ye losse of yt people. Also thys texte declareth the werynes and impaciencye of the fleshe, that wyll not suffer [Page] the troubles annexed vnto the vocaciō, but rather wisheth to dye, then to lyue. So did Elias desyre death .iii. Reg. xix. so that the text & experience▪ dayly sheweth the best day that euer a true preacher shal see, is the day of hys deathe. But as the deuyll hath vsed the vocacion of Bishops and Priestes in this present tyme, ther is no day so terrible nor fearefull to them, as the dai of death. The cause therof, me thynketh S. Augustine. Episto. cxlviii. ad Ualerium sheweth right well. Ante omnia inquam, peto ut cogitet religiose prudentia tua, nihil esse in hac vita, et maxime hoc tempore fac [...]i [...]s et letius, et hominibus acceptabilius, Episcopi, aut Presbiteri, aut Diaconi officio, si perfunctorie atque ad [...]atorie res agatur: sed nihil apud deum miserius et tristius, et damnabilius. That [Page clxxi] is to say: Before al thynges, I desyre that your Godlye prudence would thynke nothynge to be more lyght, facile, or ioyfull in thys lyfe, chiefely nowe thys tyme, then the offyce of a Byshop, Priest, or Deacon, yf the thynge be done lyghtlye, or hypocriticallye: but before God there is nothynge more miserable, sorowful, and damnable. Nowe foloweth the answer of god to this angry mā.
¶God maketh answer to angry Ionas.
Then sayd the lord: art thou so angry?
Of thys demaund & question of the Lord, we learne how he in a fume or hastye passion (if a mā may speake so of god) [Page] wil not cast away this infirme and weake Ionas: but wyth sufferaunce trayned hym to a better and more aduised iudgemente.
So doeth Esaye reporte of Gods nature. chap. xlii. He wil not put out the towe kindled. He dyd not onely consyder the weakenes of the man, but also the daungers and trouble of hys pastoral vocacion. Pyty [...]ully therfore doth god bear wyth hym, and scholeth him to a farther & better knowledge. Of this mā we mai learn how to be ware of hasty & rash passions of Ire▪ for if there be not in all oure actes a moderacion thereof. we shal neuer doo, nor iudge thinges vp ryghtly accordyng to knowledge. If mē [Page clxxii] would remember this demaūd of God towardes Ionas, they woulde not be so angrye when they be rebuked for their faultes, but rather thanke y• admonitoure for hys good admonicion and warning of gods displeasure. Now foloweth the secōd part of the chapter.
And Ionas gat him oute of the Citye, and sat downe on the East syde thereof, and there made hym a Boothe, and satte vnder it in the shadowe, tyll he myght see what shuld Chaunce vnto the cytye.
[Page] Whē Ionas had no excuse to make, why he was angrye, nor woulde not confesse hys faulte (for he answereth nowe nothyng to the questyon God demaundeth of hym) he goeth hym selfe out of the Cit [...]e to se the ende: whether ye Niniui [...]es wold perseuer in their penaūce begone or not. Of thys we learne yf we be wrongfully angrye, and admonyshed, if we wyl not confesse the faulte, yet shuld we consyder, and way it the more deepelye. In that he made hym selfe a boothe, we see wyth what symplycitie the good man was contented wyth al, and likewyse howe he hym selfe was contente to labour to make hys own couch. Our Byshops, and Priestes [Page clxxiii] haue all thynges prepared to theyr handes, God geue them grace better to deserue it. The texte sayeth.
The Lorde God prepared a wilde vine, whych sprang vp ouer Ionas, that he myght haue shadowe aboue hys heade, to delyuer hym out of hys paine.
The Lorde here purposeth to helpe the infirmities of Ionas, and remoue the sinistre & and false iudgement he had of Gods mercye, by the ymage of a yong tree. He bringeth forth a yong tree that may geue shadow to Ionas, wherof Ionas reioyceth very much. But the [Page] Lorde queeleth it a agayne strayght way, and that maketh Ionas eftsones angri. In the myddest of hys fumes commeth the Lord, and by a collacion and similitude betwene & symple tree, and the woorthye Cytye of Niniue: he sheweth Ionas his fault that was angry for the mercy shewed wnto the Citie. But in these thinges be thynges to be marked. Fyrst in Ionas, then in God, thyrdly in the [...].
In Ionas maye be sene the ymage of a [...]an that laboreth and is oppressed with many affeccions, and neuer contented with y• doings of god. We shoulde not folowe thys fault, but submyt oure iudgementes to his wyl. Saing alwaies [Page clxxiiii] & in al gods works, thy wylbe done, whether thou send vs myrth or sorow, ioy or pain for euery thing shalbe to ye best vnto those that loue the lorde. Ionas also in thys hys peruerse & froward opinion to wt draw the mercy of god frō the Niniuits, expresseth ye noughty opinion that saieth, that sinners can neuer be receaued into grace after they fal once frō the Lorde. They would abrogate ye greatest work of god to say hys mercye that it shoulde not woorke where it pleaseth hym: but where as it pleaseth mans fancies to appoynte it. The Lord doth not onelye fauour and bear with Ionas infirmityes, but also couereth him from the burnyng & heate [Page] of the sunne, and also teacheth him by the tree, that he is offē ded wtout cause. what tree this was it is not agreed vpon yet among writers, but it maketh no matter therof, it is ynough we knowe it was a tree wyth brode leaues, wherby the lord would succour both the bodye and knowledge of the infirme Ionas. That it grewe vp sodenly, and wythered away sodenly, it beareth therein the ymage and propertie of suche honours, riches, and treasures as be in thys world: whych sodenly ryse, and sodenly fall agayne. Noman therfore shuld hasard or daunger hys sowle for so britle and fraile things.
And by the withering away of this lytle tree, God woulde [Page clxxv] shew Ionas howe vncharitable he was: angry that y• great Citie of Niniue was saued: as though he had sayd, if it greue the somuch for the losse of this lytle tre, shuld it not be a greater grefe vnto the, to se the destruccion of so greate a Citye? For the tree sprang vp in one nyght, and the Citie had stand many hundred yeares. Againe for the tree, Ionas laboured neuer a dele, but God buylded Niniue. The tree is but one thynge, the Citie had greate nombre both of men and catel. And least Ionas myght haue sayd: yea, but al men of the citie be euyl, therfore worthy to perysh: but God addeth to the mater and sayth: there were in the citie aboue a hundred and [Page] twentye thousande persones that knewe not betwene the ryghte hande and the lefte: that is to saye, chyldren, and foules.
Of thys dialoge betwene God and Ionas, we maye gather thys generall, and vniuersal doctrine, that god wyl saue al penitente synners .i. Timo. ii. for seyng he gaue hys onely sōne for vs, whiles we wer yet his enemies, how shuld it be, he wold not in him giue vs al thī ges. Romaynes .viii. Mathe. xi. But here of commeth oure losse and perdicion, that we repente not from oure euyll, as the Proclamacion of the king of Niniue commaunded the people, and subiectes thereof, [Page clxxvi] that woulde not onelye men to amend theyr yuel liues: but also they shuld restore agayne all false goten goodes, and make restituciō therof, as well to god as to man.
Restitucion towardes God is, when al honoure and glory is geuen vnto hym, as saynte Paule sayeth .i. Timotheus .i. But thys glorye is, and hathe bene taken frō God by men of euery sorte, as well by those of the Ecclesiasticall polycye, as those of the Ciuile policie.
Those of the Ecclesiastical Policye take awaye thys honoure and prayse from God two waies. One by neglecting the true doctrine, the other by defe [...]dynge of false doctryne. [Page] By negligence offend such as know God and hys ministerie bi the holi word of god, yet for priuate respectes, ether for lucre, or for feare of them selues, suffer many tokens, monumē tes and ceremonyes of supersticion: as is the dyuersitie of meates for religions sake, (yet I aproue the commaundemēt of the Magistrates, that for a Ciuile Policie, cause certayne dayes apoynted to eat fish in) ymages, forbyddyng of mariage in the lent, the vse of suche vestimentes or apparel as obscure the mynysterie of Christes churche, and representeth the forme and fasshyon of the Aaronicall ministerie of the old law, abrogated, and ended in Christ: eyther els seldom, or [Page clxxvii] neuer teach the people, neither procure them to be taught. Al those I exhort to restituciō, or els doubtles theyr thefte wyll bryng them to damnaciō. Let them preach truly the woorde of God, and minister his Sacramentes, after the instituciō of Christ, and thē theyr harme done in time past, shall not be thought vpon.
Ther be an other sorte, that refuse not only to mocke thys satisfaccion, but also obstinatly maintaine and defend false doctrine, and study to oppresse the true doctryne. Of thys sort is no smalle numbre. But those I exhorte also to leaue theyr yuel sayinges, and to make restitucion.
As many as be of the laytie, [Page] as thei be called, that is to sai: not of the publicke ministerie of the church robbeth also god of hys glory & honoure. They seke remedy for synne by another meanes then through the death of Christ, as by the marchaundies of Masses, Indulgences. Inuocaciō of saintes, the peines of Purgatorie, but I aduyse them to geue God that for it appertayneth onlye vnto hym. Harken vnto the woord of God, and call vpon hys name as he teacheth thorowe Christ in spirit and veritie. And thancke hym for all hys gyftes he geueth bothe to your body and soule.
At your death commende your soules to hym, for Christ that dyed vnder Pontius Pilate [Page clxxviii] as Saynte Steauen did Act .vii. And do not dout of y• dead, for they be at rest al redy eyther in heauen eyther in hell Io. iii.v.i. Cor. xv.i. Tess. iiii. Apoca. iiii: Wherefore rather gyue thankes to God for thē, then praye from them.
¶Of restitucion to be made to man.
IN external goodes maye a man offend thre maner of wayes. In yuel getting of thē. An euyl kepyng of thē. And in euyll spendyng of thē.
They be yuel gotten manye wayes. Fyrste when they be taken from an other, by murder, Rape, Uyolencie, Crafte, or Thefte.
Thus offēdid quen Iesabel in [Page] takyng away Nabothes vineyard .iii. Reg. xxi. at length she was torne wyth dogges, for her labour. Then be they iue [...] gotten by subtylties, fraudes, corrupcion of lawes, by lying, flattery, and such other. Let euery man make restitucion of goodes thus gotten, or els he shal sure perish. Let the sedicious, hurtful, and daungerous traytoure, that contrarye vnto Gods lawes, taketh weapon agaynst hys leage Lorde and kynge, restore both hys hearte and hys goodes agayne, to the Kynges pleasure and commaundement. Let al men cease from gettyng of theyr goodes by thys vnlawfull meanes: and the goodes so gotten, lette them restore againe. As zacheus [Page clxxix] dyd. Luc. xix. And that they may be ye better fensed against thys vnlawful & vngodly gettīg to gether of goods, I prai thē to read the Canon of saint Paul .i. Tim. vi. Such as wil be ryche. et cetera.
Goodes be yuel kept, Fyrste if thei exalt thē vnto arrogancie and pryde, whych bringeth the contempt of other: and thē if in the aboundaūce of goods thou forget God: Thyrdly yf hauynge goodes, thou cease from labour, and put thy selfe to ease, so that thou make thy selfe profitable neither to god, neyther to y• commune wealth thou dwellest in. Here offende verye sore and daungerouslye such as possesse the goodes of the Church, and preache not, [Page] such as haue stipēdes to teach and teach not, wages to warre and warre not, receaued for a thousād souldiers, and serueth not wyth fyue hūdreth. Such as enioye hospitales, almoshouses, and the prouisyon of the poore to ther owne priuate commoditie. To al these I say repente ye, and make restytucion.
Goodes be euyll spente. Fyrste, if they be consumed in an yuell case. As when they be applyed to pryde and excesse in apparel or meate and drinke, to the oppressyon and hurte of the poore. Eyther to fynde a greate companye of ydle and loyterynge men.
Then yf they be not vsed to a good vse, to the edifiyng [Page clxxx] of Christes Churche, the helpe of the poore, the prisoners, and suche lyke.
For in the latter iudgement, the Lord shal aske what care and charge we had of the poore. Math. xxv. And we see the rych man damned, because he gaue not to Lazarus, Luc. xvi. Unto those also I saye: repent ye, and spend the giftes of God after knowledge and vertue, yf ye wyll not, ye shall all peryshe, Luke. xiii. God sleepeth not but seeth all oure actes, aud noteth oure dooynges.
Incase anye of these men (whether they be of the Ecclesiasticall Policie, or the Ciuile policie of thys your realme, mooste Gracious Kynge, [Page] and you my Lordes of hys most honorable coūsel) detract and wyl not make restitucion, nor vse theyr goodes well, for the offyce ye haue taken from God, ye be bounde to compell them to do it. And fyrste of all (because ther is no mā but sinneth) loke fyrst vnto your selues, & thē wyth ye kyng of Niniue, and the Nobles of hys realme, repente ye, and restore vnto God that is Gods, and vnto mā, that which is for the cōfort of your subiectes: good lawes, and dilygent execucion and vsage of the same. Then compell both the spiritualtye as they be called, and also the temporaltie to make restituciō both to God and man accordingly. And now the lord hath [Page lxxxi] geuen you peace, because ye myght haue leasure to do these thyngs, as Paul saith .i. Tim. ii. Do therfore as Salomon did .iii. Re. viii. Abuse not the peace in playing sportes, and pastyme, but in the buildynge of Gods temple, whych hath a longe tyme layne desolate: Ye haue an example. Num. v, and in any case let that example be folowed. Ther be the gestes of Iosaphat the kynge wrytten ii. Para. xvii. in the whych are thre notable thynges. Fyrst he toke away and remoued from hys people, Idololatrie.
The seconde, he gaue them true iudges, whose godly condicions are wryttē in the same booke. cap. xix. that feared the Lorde, accepted in iudgement [Page] no persōs, third. They receiued no brybes, nor rewardes.
The thyrde he placed and apoynted Priestes not in one place but in all the Cytyes of Iuda: and not to the ende they shoulde playe and pastyme, but to teache, and not euerye thynge, but the lawe of God. Al these thynges muste ye do, mooste Gracious Kynge and you my honourable Lordes of hys highe and wysecouncel, if ye wyll lyue in peace, and quyetnes. I do not exhorte your Maiestye nor your most honorable Counsell lyghtlye, but vpon greate, and wayghtye consideracion to remoue al these thynges, that be eyther the Deuyl [...], ether mannes inuincion.
[Page lxxxii] For in the scripture I fynde that God manye tymes is offended when we giue [...]ym but halfe honour.
Howe well began Hiiu the kynge of Israell .iiii. Regum. x. But because he remayned in the synnes of Hieroboam, hys kyngdome was not onelye afflycted, but at length distroied also. Abolyshe therfore godlye kynge all iniquytye, and permit not Masse nor such abhominacion to any man wyth in youre hyghnes realme: no not to the straungers, whyche doubtles shoulde be an occacyon of slaunder to youre realme, and subiectes. For Asa the kyng of Iuda .iii. Regum. xv. remouyd hys mother from the rule, and gouernaunce of [Page] of the realme, because she had an Idole in a groue, the which her sonne the kyng brent. Thē your magestie muste institute true, faythfull, and iudges of good conscyence. Then sende suche priestes throughe youre realme, that haue these twoo condycions. Fyrste that they teach, thē yt thie teach the word of God. If your magestye doo these thynges, then shall God sed peace and quietnes to hys pleasure. Farther, God shall make you a feare and terrour to fo [...]en and straunge nacions that know not the liuing god.
And this your magesty shal auoeyde the better, if ye beware of flaterers, and thynk as Ioada in hys youth fauored the truthe of God, and in hys age [Page clxxxiii] by flattery departed from it iiii. Reg. xii. so the same yuell and daunger maye corrupte your hyghnes. Then if it may please you to commaund more sondry tymes to haue sermōs before your magestie, it wyll not be a lytle healpe to you yf they be wel made, wel borne awaye, and wel practised. And seyng ther is in the yeare .viii. M.vii.C.lx. houres, it shall not be much for your highnes no nor for al your housholde, to bestow of thē .lii. in the yere to heare the Sermon of God. If your magesty do these thinges, the blud of youre people shal not be requyred at youre hands. But I rede both kyng and counsel to be admonished, and to amend thynges amysse. [Page] Yf not, the kynge of Niniue wyth hys people, shall ryse a [...] the later daye, and condempne bothe kynge and counsell to deathe. For they conuerted at the preaching of one man: yea at the preachyng of a straunger, we haue not only heard yt same by the mouth of straungers, but also by the mouth of our owne country men, & that many tymes. Let vs therfore beleue and amende, or els we must peryshe.
God preserue for ye death of Christ, the Kyngs magestie, al hys honorable councell wyth the hole realme. Amen.
¶Faultes eskaped in the pryntyng.
- Foli. iiii fac. i. linea. viii. read. Mat. xvii
- Fol. viii. faci. ii. lini. xx. lacketh a woord was. The consideracion therof was.
- Fol. xx. faci. i lini. i. Deut. v.li.xxxii. faci. ii. lini. xxi. they.
- Fol. xli. faci. i. lini. [...].
- Fol. xliiii. faci, i. lini. viii. Ionas.
- Fol. xlix. faci. i. lini. xiii. Iho. xi.
- Fol. liii. faci. ii. lini. ii. Magistrate.
- Fol. liii. fa. i. ii. lini. e [...]. serue not.
- Fol. li [...]i. fa. ii.li.xxi. nor punish y• innocēt.
- Fol. liiii. faci. i. lini. xii. intencion.
- Fol. liiii. faci. i lini. xviii. as aboundeth.
- Fol. liiii. faci. i. lini. xix. thy.
- Fol. lxiii. faci. ii. lini. xvi. is.
- Fol. lxvii. faci. i. lini. iii [...]i. not.
- Fol. lxxv. faci. i. lini. xix. Most.
- Fol. lxxvii. faci. i. lini. viii.xix.
- Fol. lxx [...]. faci. i. lini. xii. seynge.
- Fol. xc. faci. i. lini. v [...]alteri.
- Fol, xcvii. faci, [...] xii. prea [...]he truely.
- Fol. cxiii. faci. i. l [...]ni. xii. reserued,
- Fol. cxiiii. faci. li. lin. xiii. deferred.
- Fol. cxvii. faci. ii. lini. xxi. nature
- Fol. c [...]viii. faci. ii. lini. putforth he shall.
- Fol. cxx. faci. ii. lini. vi [...]i. et. lini. ix. et.
- Fol. cix. faci. ii. lini. xiii. chaunce.
- Fol cxxii. faci. ii. lini. xix. Comes [...].
- Fol. cxx [...]iiii. faci. ii. lini. xxii. fygur.
- Fol. cxx [...]vi. faci. i. lini. xxii. vi.
- Fol. cxliiii. faci. i. lini. vi. omitted.
- Fol. clxix. faci. ii. lin [...]. i. Ionas.
☞☞☞Imprinted at London by Ihon Daye, dwellyng ouer Aldersgate, and Wylliam Se [...]es dwellinge in Peter Colledge.
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