THere was a certayne riche man, which was clothed in purple and fyne white, and fared delyciously euery daye &c. Our Lorde Iesus Christe (honourable audyence) in the beginnyng of this .xvj. chapter of the holy Euangeliste saynte Luke, pro­pouned & setfurthe a parable of a cer­teyn wicked and craftie Stewarde, whom he lawded, because he ordered the matter so w^t his maisters fermers and tenauntes, that he should neuer wante whiles they had. This mans wisedome, was lauded of our sauiour Christ, not because it was wicked, but because he made prouisyon, that is to say fryndes, here in this present world, for the tyme that was to come. And so in this parable of this wicked Stuard he techeth vs all to make vs frendes whiles that we be here in this present worlde, that we lacke not in the world that is to come. These be our saluiour Christes woordes, and the hole pitthe [Page]openyng of this afore named parable. And I saie (saith he) make you frendes of the vnrighteous and wicked Mam­mon, that when ye shall haue nede, they maie receiue you into euerlast­yng habitacions. There shall a greate chaunge come at that daie, where the pacient and the thankefull poore beggers, shalbe very ryche. And the vnmercifull and vnthankefull riche shalbe very beggers and poore. This is the riches that the pacient & thanke­full poore beggers shall receiue: euer­lastyng, (that is to saie) felicytie and glory with god in heauen. And this is the pouertie and beggery that the vn­mercifull and vnthankefull riche men shall receiue with the deuell in hell, that is to saie euerlastynge payne and misery. This doctryne is bothe liuely and truly setfurth in this parable of Diues and Lazarus, that is to saie in the parable of y^e richeman & of y^e poore begger Lazarus. Althing heare in this parable, is setfurth so liuely & plainly, that a man marking it thoroughly and[Page]depely, with all the circumstaunces of thesame, shal rather thynke, that he seeth althynges done before his eyes, as it ware played in a playe, and euery persone sene, then to haue redde it or to haue harde it preached. Nowe whe­ther this parable of this richeman & of this begger, ware a thyng that was done in dede, or rather a thynge in­uented by our sauiour Christ to teche with all suche thynges as be heare taught: it maketh no matter for vs to know. Let vs consider, vs (I say) whi­che either bee, or oughte to bee very Christians, lette vs marke well, and depely consider, what thynges bee taught in this parable for our instruc­tions and lerninges, and let vs beleue the doctrines of thesame to bee moste true. And that the selfsame thynges here taught in the parable, shall cha­unce vnto vs, if we do as they dyd. Let vs therfore haue contynually be­fore our eyes, y^e eyes I say of our con­sciences: these .ij. persones in this pa­rable or example: setfurth (and by our[Page]sauiour Christe to learne vs by. This parable is very necessary and also pro­fitable & worthy to be had in memory of all men, whether they be riche or poore, for there is no persone of what soeuer degree or state, he or she be, but may learne by this parable. The riche may learne & beware by it. The poore man maye learne and take greate com­fort of it. I would wyshe this storie or parable to be painted or grauē in euery mannes house; but rather imprinted in euery mannes conscience & memory.

Nowe let vs come vnto the parable, & therein marke, both notable wordes and sentences. There was a certeyne Riche man, whiche was clothed in purple and fyne whyte, and fared de­liciously euery daie. The holy scrip­ture teacheth .ij. maner or sortes of riche men. The one sorte are suche as are riche in God. The other sorte that are riche to thēselues. They are riche in God, that knowe that all riches are geuen and come of god, and muste be spent accordynge to the will and[Page]pleasure of God. They knowe what Dauid in his xxiij. Psalme dothe con­fesse and saie, not onely with mouthe but also wyth harte: in these wordes. Domini est terra, & plenitudo eius: The earthe is the Lordes and all the plentuousnes that is in it Ergo suche goodes as we haue and possesse, be not ours, but the lordes. We haue but the vse of them, and shall make a strait compt for them how that we vse them ether to our own, or to the lordes vse, to our owne profite and pleasure, or to the lordes profite or pleasure. If that we ernestly, woulde weye these wordes and ernestly beleue thē to be true (as they be moste ernestly to be waied, and also most ernestly to be be­leued,) I suppose we should not be so vnthankeful in receiuing, so vnwares either in kepyng or spending, contrary to the wil and pleasur of the owner of them as we now are. Then should we receiue of the handes of our Lorde a great summe or porcion of his goodes, loke to make of thesame Lord, a great[Page]and a perfete compte for those goodes receyued. I pray you, doe no greate riche men of the woorlde, looke for a compte of them to whom they commit ther substaunce or goodes. Is it not right and reason that the tenauntes, knowe their lande lordes, and ones in the yere to paye their rentes, and knowleage their dueties. Seyng that al mē that haue aught, do loke to haue their deuties paied and done vnto thē accordyng to couenaūtes, why should not al men both highe and lowe noble and vnnoble, looke to do their duties to their lorde god? Let them consider they haue receiued that that thei haue they be none owners, they be but ser­uauntes and disposers of their Lordes goodes. God geue grace to all suche seruauntes, to receiue suche thynges, as they receiue truly, and to spende and bestowe their goodes truly, that in tyme to come, they may make suche a compte, as shalbe thankfully re­ceiued, and they to be rewarded abun­dantly. Of suche a seruaunte Dauid[Page]wri­tethe in the .Cxij. Psalme thus sai­yng: Opes & diuitiae in domo eius & iusticia eius manet ineternum. Abundance and greate riches are in his house, and his rightuousnes and vprighte dealynge remayneth for euer. He saith not, Robberyes, euell gotten goodes and vsury are in his house: for then Dauid wold haue said that his vnrightuousnes and subtile dealyng had remained in his house for euer. Here lette vs weye and depely consider, the great gyfte of god wher­by these .ij. thynges may be ioyned to­gether in one house, that is to saye, rghtuousnes and Riches. When the good man of the house is bothe Riche and rightuous, howe muche is that man bounde to God. For seldome be these .ij. gistes lodged in one house. And yet it is not vnpossible to God although it be vnpossible to man. We reade in holy scripture of many (by the goodnes of god) that ware bothe riche and rightuous. As Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph, Samuel, Iob; Da­uid, [Page]&c. These men ware more then men, for they wer good men, that both feared god & loued god, & that by hys grace and goodnes: whiche was not receiued of them in vaine, they vsed al their goodes to godes will & pleasure. And so doe all good men that are riche in god. Richesse and pouertie of them­selues, be thynges indifferente neither good nor badde, but the vse of them maketh all. God is not pleased by and by, because that a man is poore, for there be many poore that be also wic­ked, and none more wicked then they. Nether is god displeased, because a man is riche, for ther haue bene, and I doute not but ther be, many riche mē bothe riche & good also, that pleasen god right well. For riches be meanes and instrumentes, wherby God maie be pleased, if thei that possesse them, be bothe riche and rightuous. Then doe they vse there richesse to goddes ple­asure and poore mens profettes. And they beynge suche riche men, there spryngethe out of them as it ware .ij.[Page]founteynes, one is: they will do good, And another y^t they are able to do that good that they wil. Here ye see, that the riche man may do one thynge, that the poore cannot do, That is, he hath wherwith to do that y^t he will do, & so hath not the poore man, yet for al that the poore man is neuer the more vn­rightuous because he hath not to do with all, but it is sufficyente for hym to whom god geueth nomore, to haue a good will and a mercifull harte to­wardes all them that haue nede. And lette hym deale hys almose with hys tongue, in comfortynge, counseilynge and exhorting other to pacience and to al other goodnes. But although the rich mā be bound to do al these, yet he must helpe the neadie to, with his sub­staunce accordynge to his abilytie and their necessitie, or els he is not that man, that is afore spoken of, that is bothe riche and rightuous. I pray god make all them that haue riches of god geuen vnto them, or rather lent vnto them, to be of this sort, that is bothe[Page]riche and rightuous, and to consider deaply the will of god, and to remem­ber charitably, the nede of their poore neighbours. It foloweth also in the afore rehersed texte & Iusticia eius manet ineternum. His rightuousnes dothe remaine for euer. Aboundaunce and richesse remainethe not for euer, but the righte vsyng of them and the vpright dealing with them remaineth for euer. Some men perchaunce will say, sir ye say wel, that I muste helpe and releue my neighboures nedes and necessities. But I pray you tel me? be­not my gooddes mine owne gooddes, and maie not I bestowe them accor­ding to mine owne mind? This obiec­tion is answered to partely before, but heareafter it shalbe answered fully, that neither the gooddes that thou haste in thy possessyon, are thy good­des, but goddes gooddes, and are not geuen the to be bestowed at thy plea­sure, but at goddes pleasure. Heare and marke it wel in this matter, what the holy man Dauid in y^e .ciiij. psalme [Page]saith. Impleta est terra facultatibus, tuis. The earthe O lorde (saith he) is replenished with thy goodes and sub­stance. Then if we beleue the saiyng of this holy man Dauid, as we muste nedes and are bounde to do, because it is autenticke scripture. We shall per­ceiue that al the goodes and substance that is on the earth, is the Lordes and not ours, and that we be but balliefes and Stuardes of thesame, to bestowe them after his wyll and not after our owne wyll, & that on payne of damna­cion. Wylt thou knowe what is thine owne proper good, among al the good­des of the earth, consider well what thou broughtest in with the in to this world, that is to say, nothyng, thē that nothynge maiste thou bestowe accor­dyng to thyne owne will, for all other thynges are to be bestowed accordyng to the Lordes will, that is the owner of them. Perchaunce a man will saie, although I brought nothing into this world with me, yet ther be many thin­ges, that I my self with my witte and[Page]wisedome, with my diligence and pol­l [...]cye haue gotten, may I not bestowe those goodes at myne owne will and pleasure? I pray the tell me, who gaue the that witte and wisedom, that with thy diligence & policie, thou haste got­tē these (as thou accomptest thē) thyne owne goodes? Did not god geue the al that thou haste, witte, reason, vnder­standynge, knowlege, and whatsoeuer thou haste els, to serue hym with all. Art not thou his bounde seruaūt with all that thou haste, and arte bounde to serue him to y^e vttermost of thi powre? May a seruaunt that is sure bounde to his maister, make himselfe free, and to do what hym lyste, when he wyll? Standeth he not bound to his maister to do hym seruice, to the vttermoste of his powre, with all his witte, with all his reason, with all his vnderstand­ynge and knowlege, & with all that is possible for him to do, and thus muste he continue vntill the tyme his coue­naunt be out? Are not all manner of persons with all there qualities, both[Page]inwarde and outwarde, bothe greate and small, high & lowe, men & women, from the highest sorte to the lowest, bounde to serue God with all there goodes and substance, and with al that thei haue or be beside. Who hath made any man free from this seruice? Not god: for he saith in the .xij. chapiter of Exodus Ego sum dominus deus tuus I am (saithe he) the Lorde thy God. This saiynge is spoken to euery man and woman of whatsoeuer state they be, here is none excepted. If god be the Lorde of vs all: be not we then all hys seruauntes, wyth all our qua­lities. Who hath made vs free? Not god, for he wil neuer make vs free frō hys seruice, so longe as we be in this body, Can we make ourselues free? That cannot a seruaunte do duryng his couenant. Our couenant is made, it cannot be broken durynge this lyfe. Therefore we with all that we haue be goddes bound seruauntes, and are bounde to serue hym faithfully and truly, and that to our ende euen on[Page]panye of Damnacion. Nowe there­fore, ye that wylbe ryche and rightu­ous, see that ye get youre gooddes accordyng to the wyll of God godly, kepe them godly & spende thē godly, be mercyfull to the poore and nedye, be not hyghe mynded and haultie ouer other that be poore, Truste not in vncerteyn riches, but in the liuynge God, be riche in good workes: for all these lessons dothe the holy Apostle Paule teche vs, in his firste Epistle to Timothe .vj. Suche a nother good lesson dothe Dauid teche vs in the lxxxj. Psalme saiynge: Si diuitiae af­fluunt, nolite cor apponere. If riches (saithe he) flowe or be abun­dante, sette not your harte on them, Make not your good, your God. Serue you your God, and lette your good serue you.

Nowe heare ye haue heard the pro­perties of those riche men y^t are bothe Ryche and Rightuous, and they that are suche are also Ryche in God. I beseche God of his infinite goodnes, to[Page]geue vs all grace to learne to be riche in this wise, that is in God, & to prac­tyse the same in our liuynge, whiche shalbe if that we be ryche and rightu­ous, but all are not riche & rightuous, it is good inoughe if we be rightuous whether we be riche or poore. What­soeuer be awaye, rightuousnes maye not be away.

¶ The seconde parte.

FVrthermore accordyng to my promes, I will speake of ano­ther sorte of men, that are rich in themselues and not in god. Of this sorte of riche men was this riche man of whom Christe made this parable. Of such sorte of riche men the holy scripture is plentyfull, and the whole worlde is not emptie. Of that sorte of men Sainte paule admonissh­eth Timotheus his dysciple .j. Timo­thy .vj. Charge them (saith he) whiche are riche in this worlde, that they be­not[Page]highe mynded, nor to truste in vn­certen riches: and in thesame chapiter he spekethe also, of suche riche men. They (saith he) that wilbe riche, (that is to say to themselues & not to God) fall into temptacion and snares of the Deuell, and to many folyshe and noi­some lustes, whiche drawe men in­to perdicion and destruction &c. Here ye see partly in what case they are that are riche in themselues and not in god. Paule calleth them the riche of this worlde, because they looke for none other riches of the other worlde. They maye well bee called the riche of this worlde, for they shalbe poore beggers in the other worlde, for­they make no preparacion here, that they may be riche there. A liuely ex­ample of suche a riche man is setfurth by our sauiour Christe himselfe in the xii. of Saint Luke & that by a parable. The grounde (saith Christe) of a cer­ten riche man brought forth plentiful frutes, and he thought within himself saiyng, what shal I do? because I haue[Page]no rome where to bestowe my frutes? And he saied, thus wil I do I wyl de­stroye my barnes and buylde greater and therein wil I gather all my good­des that are growen vnto me and I wyll saie vnto my soule: Soule thou haste muche goodes layed vp in store for many yeares, take thyne ease, eate, drinke, be mery. But God saied vnto hym: Thou foole, this night they shall fetche away thy soule againe from the then whose shall those thynges be, whiche thou haste prouided?

Here is many wounderous thinges in this parable to be considered, if men of thys worlde ware so wyse to consider them in tyme, no doubte of this mat­ter, they shall consider it & that depe­ly and ernestly, but all to late, all to late I say. It ware very expedient for all menne, and namely for suche as be laden with worldly, goodes, riches, Dignities & promocions, & that nowe in tyme, whyle tyme is, for that tyme wyll awaye shortely ere a manne be ware. It ware good to beware in [Page]tyme I saie, for after that tyme, it is to late to be beware, It is to late to be wyse, for al thy warenesse and wise­dome will not helpe then. Lette them be ware nowe ere it be ouer late. Re­member the olde prouerbe: happie is he that can be ware by another mānes hurte, he is wise, that can learne wise­dome by another manes folishnes. He is happie that can learne to be ware in tyme. All menne, that haue godly witte and vnderstandynge, maye be ware howe they vse their gooddes and their liues, by these .ij. men set­furth in these .ij. parables, to all men to learne by, howe to haue heare in this worlde there goodes, and howe to spende them. Of the one mencion is made in Luke .xij. Chapiter, And of the other in the .xvj. Chapiter of the­same Euangeliste. I wyll begynne nowe with the fyrste.

¶ I haue rehersed vnto you, alredy the texte, which begynneth thus. The grounde of a certeyne Ryche manne broughte furthe plentifull frutes. &c.[Page]Here is to be marked, the greate and infinite goodnes of god that gaue such aboundaunce of al erthly thynges, to this vnthankefull man, that dothe not once consider the abundant goodnes of God towardes hym, nor yet is he merciful towardes his neighbors, but forgate his bounde dewtie, bothe to­wardes god and his neighbours, and remembred onely hymself. Marke the wordes of y^e history or parable, marke what this man saied, and marke also what he dyd, Marke I say, for al men oughte to beware, either of suche sai­ynges or doynges, for the prouerbe is true: so do: so haue. Say and do as this man dyd, and it shalbe sayed and done to you, as it was sayed and done vnto him. Marke this man well, with his saiynges and doynges, for euen so, it shalbe saied and done vnto you as was saied and done vnto hym. Firste what saied he? what dyd he? He saied, what shall I do, because I haue no roume where to bestowe my frutes. And he saied: thus will I do: I wil destroy my[Page]barnes, and buyld greater, and therin will I gather all my goodes that are growen to me. &c. Here ye heare part of this mannes saiynges, and see his doynges, not without his thinkinges. He saied, what shall I do? Was this euill said? It had not been euill said, if the meanyng of his saiyng had been good. Euery man ought to examyne his awne consciēce: saiyng to hymself, what shall I do? This mānes saiyng maie be borne with in part, but consi­der the whole, with the meanyng, all is naught. He saieth: what shall I do. His meanyng was naught, his awne wordes declare no lesse. He meaneth not, when he saieth, what shall I do, accordyng to Goddes will, and to the comfort of my neighbor. His meaning was altogether to get, to kepe, and to spende, all for his awne pleasure, all for his awne profite. He regarded nei­ther his dutie towardes God, nor yet towardes his neighbour. He made no reconyng, whence his aboundance of his goodes came, who gaue that plen­tie, whose goodes thei were, and how[Page]thei ought to be bestowed. His mynd was set another waie, how he should kepe these his goodes, wher he should bestowe thē, his mind was occupied in pullyng doune those thynges, y^t were to litle for his purpose, & to build greater, & to lacke no rome, where to lay al suche goodes, as wer growē vnto him as God had sent, geuen, or lent hym. Was this an euill thyng, either to speake or to do? to buyld greater hou­ses, and to make greater romes, wher god sendeth suche great plentie? Nay truly. Herein was his faulte, that all that he either thought, said or did, was thought, said and doen, to none other end, but al for hymself. He neither re­garded his duetie towardes God, nor yet towardes his neighbor. We heare nothyng of his thoughtes, saiynges & doinges, that his goodes came-frō god and ought to haue been receiued with thankesgeuyng, and also to haue been bestowed, accordyng to God the ge­uers wil. We heare tell of none of all these thynges, neither by his though­tes, wordes nor dedes, but he thought[Page]said and did, al thynges, accordyng to his awne will, to his awne pleasure, & for his awne profit. He compted al his goodes and substaunce his awne, gro­wen vnto himself onely, and onely (as he toke it) to vse thē to his awne plea­sure and profite. This I will do, this I will say, saith he to hymself. He re­mēbred not, what the will of god was what he should saie, & what he should do; but he saied: thus wil I do, & thus will I saie. Be there not many now a daies, that bothe dooe and saie: euen as this man did and saied. If a manne would consider the doynges & the sai­ynges, of many mē now a daies, shuld we not thinke ye, finde them as mad & as marueilous, as this mannes doyn­ges & saiynges were? Should we not perceiue by suche saiynges and doyn­ges their imaginaciōs and thoughtes to be as vain, as mad and as vngodly, as this mannes were. Should not a man markyng these thinges, perceiue that men now a daies, be as vnthank­ful to God, as this man was? Should not a man finde suche now a daies, as [Page]hath receiued suche aboundaunce of goodes, of substaunce, of honours and promocions at Goddes hand, and re­garde their dueties in these thynges, towardes God and their neighbour, as litle as this manne did. But what nedeth me to go furth and dilate this matter at length. Loke vpon mennes maners, and ye shall se, that thei now a daies, passe this man, bothe in their doynges & saiynges, and also by their imaginacions, whiche be seen vnto vs by their saiynges and doynges, to bee nothyng behynd hym. Thynke ye not that those menne, beyng either equall with this mā, or passyng hym, in their imaginacions, saiynges and doynges, shall not all these heare also by the mouthe of God, said vnto thē, as this man did, saied vnto hym? Yes, truely shall thei. Nowe what the mouthe of God spake to this man then, and no lesse to oure menne of like condicions now ye shall heare hereafter. Butere I passe, I muste reherse vnto you, one saiyng of this mannes more, and then I wil come to Gods saiyng, for, [Page]when we haue all saied, we muste bee content to geue God licence also, to saie his mynd, for surely so will he do, wil we: nil we. And we will not heare hym here, we must and shal heare him there, with a worse will and lesse pro­fite. I will returne again, to that one saiyng of this man that is behind, and then will I tell you what God saith. This man saied thus, saieth the text: And I will saie vnto my soule (saieth he) soule, thou haste muche goodes la­yed vp in store for many yeres. Take thyne ease, eate, drinke, be mery. First and formoste ye must marke, who it is, that speaketh on this fashion, it is the riche mā, that heare afore is described he that had suche abundance of good­des, that he wist not where to lay thē, he that had no Godly regarde to be­stowe them, but all his mynde was, in gettyng, in gatheryng, in hourdyng, and laiyng vp in store, for lōg tyme to come. Suche menne thus full, hauyng all thyng after their awne mind, then thei begin to saie to thē selfes, in their awne cōceiptes: soule thou hast much[Page]goodes laied vp in store for many ye­res. Marke here the imaginacion of suche riche men, thei wene, through the multitude of their substaunce, to liue many yeres and daies. This man was of that opinion, because he had suche aboundaunce of goodes, he pro­mised hymself many yeres, to make mery in, and to leade a gētlemanly life, bothe a pleasaunt and a long. But he made his reconyng (as the Prouerbe is) without his hoste: and so he is fain to recon again. His many yeres were sone run ouer. He was not suffered to liue, the space of an whole day. He promised hymself, many other thynges mo: whiche came to as good effect and passe, as this thyng did. He saied also: take thine ease, eate drinke and be me­ry. Where is that long ease that was promised, with that delicacie in eatyng and that pleasauntnesse in drynkyng. Where is become, the carelesse life, wherein there should be nothyng, but mirthe and ioye, and makyng merie: settyng the Cocke vpon houpe, and all should bee well. All together is[Page]turned: arsie, versie. There came one sodainly, vnloked for, and also vnwel­come, that marred all the playe. Who was that? Truly GOD. Why, is it come to his course, to speake nowe? Yea surely. When men haue shewed their vanitie, then will God shewe his veritie. Men doo take their plea­sure, when thei bee here hauyng all thyng after their awn lustes, but whē the tyme commeth, that God dooeth appoyncte, he will take then his luste and pleasure, and will bryng theim: corā nobis in a wilde wanion, and he will tell them a newe tale then, farre vnlike to their tale, wherein thei pro­mised themselfes long life and wel to fare. But when God beginneth to speake, then thei begin to holde their peace. Why will God begin once to speake? Yea, that he will truely. A practise of Goddes speakyng, wee learne here, in this present place of Scripture. When this riche manne had talked ful his bely, after his awn fansie, thinkyng al thyng should come[Page]to passe, euen as he had imagined it. Euen when he had went he had been mooste sure, he was sonest deceiued. I told you, he made his reconyng with­out his hooste. His hooste (whiche is God, to whom all reconynges muste be made truely) called hym to a newe reconyng, he made hym make a newe compt. It foloweth in the texte. But God saied vnto hym: thou foole, this night thei shal fetche awaie thy soule again frō thee, then whose shall those thynges bee, whiche thou hast proui­ded? It is the fashion of GOD, to call suche menne to a reare compt. Is God so sharpe in his woordes, that he will call as many as he findeth in this case, fooles? Yea truly, this is his fa­shion, and thus will he do. I feare me then, that a greate many of our wise men, at whose wisedome the worlde wondereth now, will bee called foo­les then. I feare me, that a greate nō ­ber of noble men, whose nobilitie the worlde worshippeth, will bee proued fooles then. I feare me, that a greate nomber of our Iudges and Iustices,[Page]whose aucthoritie is not small in the worlde, will bee proued fooles then. I feare me, that a greate many of our learned clergie, whose learnyng is in no small reputacion: will bee founde fooles then. What shall I nede to run ouer, all the states and sortes of men: seeyng that all menne, of whatsoeuer state or condicion thei be, if thei do, as this foolishe riche man did, no doubte the mouthe of God, here in this place of Scripture, calleth all the many of theim fooles. All suche men that thus liueth, and so dieth, be created fooles by Goddes awne mouth, whiche cal­leth theim fooles, because thei vse thē selfes, here in this life, so like fooles. Thei liue fooles, thei shall die fooles (except thei repent) and shall arise a­gain fooles: and shall go to their iud­gemēt fooles, and after that, thei shal go to the deuill, like fooles as thei be. Men compt now a daies, none fooles but suche as we are fooles cotes, coc­kes cōbes, eares & belles. But I feare me, that this manne that our sauiour Christe speaketh of in this Parable,[Page]with all those that are like vnto hym in condiciōs, be more fooles then thei, for all their cockes combes, eares, ba­bles and bel [...]es. What if a man should aske but a questiō in a similitude: whe­ther he were worthie to bee called a foole that had in his awne possession of his awne patrimonie, a .M. pound lande, and if that manne hauyng this thousand pound land, would chaunge his thousande pounde of patrimonie, for an hūdred shillynges of copie hold lande, onely to haue it ad uoluntatem domini? Were not this man worthie to be called of all mē a foole, and wor­thie to weare a Cockes combe and a bel. &c. wer he neuer so wise compted. Suche fooles almost are al the whole worlde. Doeth not all the worlde (for the most part) chaunge heauēly thyn­ges for yearthly thynges, perpetuall thynges, for transitorie thynges, the life euerlasting, for this presēt life. Is not this foole as wise as thei? What will ye make of a foole, or how will ye discerne or knowe a foole, but by that he doth like a foole, and as no wise mā [Page]would doo, he will not geue his bable for a Kynges raund some, he knoweth not what is good & what is euill. He wil leaue the best and chose the worst. He knoweth not (as the Prouerbe saieth) chese from chalke, and therfore he is iudged a foole, and is a foole in deede, and if he neuer ware wiser, he shall die a foole in very deede. Now I pray you, do not thei, that receiue goo­des, richesse, honors, offices, and pro­mocious of this worlde, & either abuse them, or be vnthankfull to god for thē and so for these vncertein & vnstable goodes, riches, honors, offices and pro­mocions of this false flattryng world, do for lacke of godly wisedom and ta­kyng hede here in tyme, lose euerla­styng, sure and permanent, goodes, ri­chesse, honors, offices and promociōs. Be not these thinke ye, those that the mouth of God, doth openly, plainly, & sharpely here in this place cal fooles? yes truly, & shalbe serued like fooles, as the cōclusion, & knittyng vp of this aforesaid parable of our sauior Christ doth plainly & vndoubtedly pronoūce[Page]and declare to all maner of persones, none excepted: saiyng. So it is with him, that gathereth riches to himself, and is not riche towardes god. Heare the mouthe of truthe, yea, the truth it self pronounceth, what shall come of all suche as abuse, and be vnthankfull to God for suche thynges, and vncha­ritable to their neighbors, with their goodes, richesse, honours, offices, and promocions of this world, and regard not suche thynges, as bee prepared for good and godly men, in the world that is to come. I would fain if it wer pos­sible, sette furthe some thyng, before these worldly wise mennes iyes, that thei might clerely se their awne state, that thei bee here in, in this present worlde. I cannot imagine how better to shewe them their state, (if it be not rather worthy to be called a fall) then to cōpare their whole life, to men that dreame, pleasaunt and profitable dre­mes, and do thinke themselfes, for the tyme so well, as thei can imagin them selfes, that thei cannot be better, and so long as that swete slepe dooth con­tinue,[Page]so long are thei (as thei imagin) mooste happie. But when thei awake out of that dreame, and perceiue al the matter, to bee turned to a dreamyng matter, all that their felicitie, is tur­ned to misery, all their ioye, is turned to sorowe, and so to conclude, al thyng is turned topsie turuie. Truly, truly, if the worldly mynded manne, whose hart, mynd and al, is set vpō worldly thynges, his state, the ende considered is euen like the state of a dreamer, or a dreamyng man, that is in the middes of his pleasaunt & profitable dreames. He thynketh all is well, and he hath al thinges after his awne hartes lust, and supposeth all thynges so to conti­nue. But alacke alacke, he is farre de­ceiued, euen as a dremyng man is. For when God shall take suche men, from this vain and dreamyng life, then shal thei, truly se and perceiue, with their awne greate hurte, because thei will not consider it in tyme, that al was as vain, as vain dreames, that thei tooke for bothe stable and profitable, which doeth but make fooles fain for a tyme. [Page]Therefore I would aduise, all suche worldly men to bee wise in tyme, and to cōsider what Ecclesiastes teacheth them in the .xij. Chapiter of his boke, saiyng: Vanitas uanitatum (dixit Ec­clesiastes) & oīauanitas. Ecclesia­stes saieth, he can see nothyng here in this world, but all was vanitie, vani­tie, vanitie, fondnesse, fondnesse, foo­lishenesse, foolishenesse. Now what is all your greate richesse, high honours offices and promocions? Are not all vanities. When your dreamyng tyme is out, ye shal then truly perceiue thē to bee verie vanities. Yea, and worse then vanities, if either ye abuse them, or be vnthankfull to God for thē, and help not your neighbors with thē, thei shalbe vnto you dampnable vanities. Now I beseche god for his great mer­cies sake, to geue vnto all mē grace, to vse well their riches, high honors, of­fices and promocions, and to be thankfull to god for them, and charitable to their neighbors with them. And so to vse these thynges (whiche of thē selfes if thei be abused) bee but vanities, to[Page]vse thē (I saie) as instrumentes, wherby thei may please god, & profite their neighbors, and make thē here frendes by the right vsing of these worldly vanities, whiche maie receiue them into euerlastyng habitacions. Now here I haue shewed you of suche riche mē, as are riche to themselfes, & not to God, Better it wer for theim to be warned here in tyme, then to tary to lōg, vntil thei for lacke of warnyng come to hel, where warnyng will not serue. As it chaunced vnto this riche man, of whō ye now shall heare, in this Parable folowyng, whiche is now for lacke of takyng hede in tyme: dāpned in hell, & fain would haue remedy, but because he seketh it to late, none wilbe found.

NOwe to the Parable. There was a certain riche mā, which was clothed in Purple & fine white, & fared delicioufly euery day, & there was a begger named Lazarus, whiche lay at his gate full of sores, de­siryng to be refreshed with y^e crōmes whiche fell frō the riche mans borde, &[Page]no man gaue vnto hym. The Dogges came also, & licked his sores. Here, in the beginnyng of this parable, Christ did set furthe to the Iewes, to whom he preached then, and no lesse to vs, to whō this his doctrine is preached now two mē, of the which, one was a riche man, and the other a poore begger, by the whiche twoo, he setteth furthe by antithesin, the felicitie of this worlde in thone, and the misery of this world in the other. That is, in this riche mā is set furthe, the life that is compted onely happie in this worlde. In the poore man, is set furth the life, that is compted moste vnhappie, and misera­ble in this worlde. First, let vs cōsider earnestly, the state of these twoo men, beyng bothe here in this worlde: and also their states in the world to come. These thynges are to bee considered earnestly of vs, euen now while tyme is, lest perchaunce we deferre it, til it be to late, as this riche man did, as ye maie well consider in this Parable. Here we maie learne also to consider not thynges that be onely present, but[Page]rather thendes of al thynges. The life of the riche manne was compted best, and the poore mannes life worste, but the ende sheweth farre otherwise. Let vs not folowe the fashion and maner of men of this worlde, whiche care li­tle for the ende, so that thei now maie haue the pleasaunt life, that this rich man had, nothyng at all consideryng the ende, what chaunced vnto hym af­ter this life was past. This aforesaied man, is named here riche, & was riche in deede, and was compted happie and fortunate, for he lacked nothyng, whi­che belonged to leade a pleasaunt life withall. He was clothed in Purple, and fine white, and fared deliciously e­uery daie. In these two thynges, that is, in costly and precious raiment, and delicate fare, is comprehended al thin­ges, that are to this present life, either pleasaunt or delectable. Vnder these twoo kyndes, that is, purple & white, is comprehended, all maner of costly and sumpteous apparel, whether it be linen, or wollen. And by these wordes he fared deliciously euery daie, is vn­derstande, [Page]that he had abundance of al costly and delicate meates and drinkes We rede not here, that this riche man was condempned in hell, for his costly raiment, and his delicate fare, but that he hauyng suche abundance of theim bothe, could not finde in his hart, that poore Lazarus should haue any parte with hym. All thei that are costly ara­yed, and fare delicatly, are not condē ­pned, so that thei kepe theim within their limites and boundes, and for­gette not theim that lacke, euen their castraimēt, and their scrappes also of their table. Here are cōdempned one­ly thei, that are to theimselfes to libe­rall, yea, to prodigall, bothe in raimēt and fare, regardyng not, what thei spende vpon theimselfes, painperyng vp their awne bodies, & in the meane season, are altogether vnliberall, and starke nigardes to the poore and nedy and can finde in their hartes, to se thē die at their gates, bothe for hunger and also for cold. Thus did this riche manne, to the poore begger Lazarus: therfore he is in hel for his labor. And [Page]what learne we by this riche mannes doyng, but to bewart, lest wee doyng like, shall haue like, euen as he hath. For, therfore is this rich man set here to teache vs to be ware by his exāple. Here I saie, euery manne muste kepe himself, within his limites and boun­des, and so there shalbe no man damp­ned, either for rayment, or for costly fare, so that men bee beneficiall to the poore. But boūdes be broken, limites be ouer trodē, there is almoste no per­sone that kepeth hymself within his limites or boundes: there is almost no man, that can be cōtent with his awne state, neither in raimēt, nor yet in fare. The yeoman will approche to the gē ­tlemannes state, the gentleman to the knightes state, the knight to the lords state, and so furth on: and not onely in raiment, but also in fare. And that see the seruauntes, and thei passe their de­gree also: and so euery man is out of order. O that men would be content, to fare and go, euery man after his de­gree, and beware of climyng. And also if euery man would beware of excesse[Page]in all thynges, the pouerties nedes might bee releued in all thynges. For there is more spēt in superfluous rai­ment, and superfluous fare (I holde my peace from superfluous gamyng, and superfluous giftes geuyng) in Englande, then would serue to the necessities, of the very nedy of al En­glande. Nowe yet a litle to the texte. There is a certain riche man. &c. We reade not that this riche manne, gatte his goodes euil, but he bothe kept thē euill, and spent them not well. I rede not, that he was a bribe taker, nor an extorcioner, nor a rēt raiser, nor a fine taker, nor a leasemonger, nor an vsu­rer, nor a piller, or poller of the poore, nor a false purchaser. In sūma, I rede not that he gatte his goodes euil, but that he spent theim all vpon his awne persone, and after his awne pleasure, and not vpō the poore, after the plea­sure of God. The text saith, this man was riche, but it was to hymself, and to the world, and altogether after the worldly estimaciō, and alone afore the worlde and worldly men, but he was[Page]a very miser and poore begger, before God and all godly men. Here ye haue heard of this rich man, in what felici­tie and pleasure, he ledde his life, how that he was compted happie and for­tunate, emong all other here, and as he liued honourably, so he died to the world honorably, and was buried ho­norably. All his life was honorable, e­uen vnto the very graue, but to what honor he came afterward beyng dedde ye shall heare hereafter. First, ye shal heare of the poore begger Lazarus life howe miserably he liued, in a worldly respect: as it foloweth in the text. And there was a certein begger, named Lazarus, whiche laie at his gate full of sores, desiryng to be refreshed with the cromes, whiche fel from the riche mannes borde, and no man gaue vnto hym, the dogges came also and licked his sores. Nowe herken here of this poore beggers life. There was a cer­tain begger named Lazarus, a man as farre drouned in miserie, as the riche man was in felicitie: this manne was not onely poore and a begger, but also[Page]a miserable begger, as far out of mon­nes reputacion, as the riche man was in estimaciō. This man was as poore in lackyng, as the other was riche in hauyng. This man lacked, euen verie necessaries, where as the other abun­ded in superfluousnes. This miser (as the worlde taketh misers) had neither house nor home, neither coate nor goune, he lacked neither sores nor hū ­ger, who would not saie, that he was moste vnhappie of all other, that euer liued in the worlde? Who would saie that doth cōsider, bothe these mennes lifes, that is to say, this riche mannes life, & the poore beggers life, but that the riche manne was euen a verie pa­terne, full of felicitie, and the begger a paterne of very misery. Thone was riche, the other a beggar and poore, the one had abundance of all thynges and the other the lacke of all thynges. The one had to many houses, & the o­ther neuer a one. Thone had to much meate and drinke, and the other neuer a whit. The one was sound and mery and the other sicke and sorie. The one[Page]was all to well clothed: and the other all together naked. Here a man maie se a liuely exāple of worldly felicitie & of worldly misery. What man seyng & consideryng, bothe these mēnes lifes, but would saie, thone wer altogether happie, & thother altogether vnhappy The state of this riche man is highly estemed, with all that be but men, and a lonely worldly men, and yet it is no­thyng lesse, then so estemed of God, & godly men. As our sauior Christ saith in Luke .xvi. chap. That that is high­ly estemed emōgmen: is abhominable in the sight of god. He saith not onely it is litle or lightly set by, in the sight of God, but it is abhominable in the sight of god. Marke here, that all ho­nors, all dignities, all promocions, all offices, & al riches, whiche, although thei be neuer so highly estemed in the worlde of worldly men: if thei bee not rightly vsed, vnto the honor of God, and charitably ordered, to the commo­ditie and wealthe of Goddes people, the state of theim that possesse theim: although it bee in the sight of menne, [Page]highly estemed and honourable, in the sight of GOD and Godly menne, is bothe horrible & abhominable. What shall wee then saie? Shall thynges of this present worlde, continue still in their estimacion, in another world al­so, as menne esteme theim here, whe­ther thei bee good or bad? This mat­ter is clerely set furthe, to all mennes iyes that will see, in this present Pa­rable, of this riche manne, and poore Lazarus. Consider the ende of those twoo persones, and then ye shall see, and that euidently, that the matter is farre otherwise. Sodeinly, death com­ming, turneth y^e matter vpside doune. Death commyng to the riche man, maketh an ende of all his felicitie & plea­sure, wherin he was thought to be so happie. Death on the other side, com­myng to this poore man, is the ende of all sorowes and miseries. O that the world, whiche is so blinded in world­ly vanities: would cōsider this thyng bothe hartly and earnesty. Then men should not be so forgetful, and so litle remember the state, that is to come in[Page]another worlde. It is not for naught, that that good man, Iesus the sonne of Siracke in his boke, whiche is cal­led Ecclesiasticus, in the .vij. Chapit. doth warne euery man of this thyng, saiyng: Sonne, remēber thy last ende, and thou shalt neuer doo amisse. The lacke of this remembran̄ce in tyme, is the cause, that so many menne go to the deuill. If that we would, earnest­ly and often remēber, what is to come in another worlde, after this present life, we should neuer so forget, (as we now doo) neither our duetie to God, nor yet to our neighbour. We should not set so muche by worldly vanities as we do: we should not so lightly re­gard heauenly and eternall thynges, and so highly esteme worldly thynges as we do. Remember therfore thy last ende, and what thy state shalbee after this present life. Remember (I saie, yea, bothe earnestly and oftē, and that remembraunce shall cause thee to ex­chue vice, and to folowe and embrace vertue. Beware by thexample of this riche man, whiche delighted and had[Page]somuche pleasure, that he thought not once of deathe, and of his state after deathe. And therefore is he nowe, (al­though to late) taught with his awne dampnacion, to teache other in tyme, by his example, the waie to saluacion. He was so full of richesse, that he had no regard to pouertie. He had somuch wealth, that he regarded nothyng at all poore mennes miserie. Poore La­zarus desired no deinties, but onely to releue his hunger, with the cromes or scrappes, that were lefte at this riche manne's table, but no man gaue vnto him. By like there was an vncharita­ble house, that neither one nor other, could finde in his harte, to geue this begger some almose. I doubt not, but euery manne within the dores had to muche, euē dogges and all. But there was nothyng without the doores, for the poore nedy and hungrie, but hun­ger and small ease. Yea, the very dog­ges were more mercifull, then either their maister, or maistres, or houshold for thei delte their almose vpon hym. The dogges (saith the text) came and[Page]licked his sores. Suche maister, suche seruauntes, is commonly sene. This man was altogether liberall, yea, pro­digall vpon hymself and his, after his awne luste and pleasure: but concer­nyng the poore nedy, and Goddes lust and pleasure, he was euē a very starke nigard. Well, this man liued here all in his felicitie, and so did poore La­zarus, euen in his miserie. But nowe commeth death (as I haue saied) and turneth all topsie turuie. It foloweth in the texte. And it fortuned, that the begger died, and was caried by the an­gels into Abrahams bosome. It chaū ­ced (saieth the texte) that the begger died. That begger (I saie) that no mā regarded whiles he liued, but god she­wed howe muche he regarded hym, in that that his angelles brought him in to Abrahams bosome. The riche man wold not once vouchsafe, to take hym into his house, to releue hym, but god doth vouchsafe to take hym, to suche a place, where is euerlastyng felicitie & glory. Let vs consider, what maner of departing had Lazarus frō this world[Page]Death to this good and godly begger yea, to all godly men, is a greate bene­fite. For it deliuereth all suche, from innumerable euils, euē as it wer men that had been long in a sharpe prison, from greate affliccion, to great refre­shyng. Therefore it is no pein nor mi­serie, for a good and godly man to die. For to hym death is the very way and passage, to euerlastyng ioye and high felicitie. This poore man is ded (saith the text). He is ded I graunt, but not so dedde, or with suche a death, as the wicked men vse to die, but after ano­ther fashion, of the whiche the holy man Iob, the .Lxvi Chap. speaketh on saiyng: The death of his sainctes (saith he) is very precious in the lordes sight This poore Lazarus soule was ca­ried, not of one Angell, but of many saieth the text. Whether did thei cary it? Into Abrahams bosome, that is, in to euerlastyng ioye & rest in the lorde. Whiche place, some men call Para­dise, after Christes saiyng to the thefe hangyng on his right hand, whiche de­sired hym, to haue hym in his remem­braunce, [Page]whē he should come into his kyngdome, Luke .xxiij. where Christe saith vnto him: this daie shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Some call this place the hande of the Lorde, as it is written in the .iij. Chap. of the boke of Sapiēce. The soules of the righteous are in the hande of the Lorde. Marke here, that although mencion is made, that the soules of good, godly, & righ­teous persones, be safe enough, either in Abrahams bosome, in Paradise, in the hande of the Lorde, or in heauen. And I doubte not but that thei haue, suche glory and felicitie: as .S. Paule to the Cori. speaketh of in the .i. Epi­stle the .ij. Chap. saiyng, that mannes iye hath not seen, and theare hath not heard, neither haue entered into the hart of man, the thynges whiche God hath prepared for them that loue him. But to tell you what glory thei haue what thei do, and where thei be: I can nomore tel, then the scripture telleth. I let God alone with all suche secre­tes, as Christe, his Apostles, and the prophetes, hath not reueled and made[Page]manifest to vs in holy scripture. Now I doubt not but Abrahames bosome, is the place wherin all the elected and chosen of God, whiche doo truely fo­lowe Abrahams faith, do rest in. But nowe where that place is, I knowe not, and therfore I will not go about to determyne a thyng that I knowe not. Lette vs not bee muche carefull, where that place is, but rather let vs bee carefull, how wee shall come the­ther. There was neuer time, but that God had appoyncted a place for his e­lected to rest in. Afore Christes com­myng, that place was called, the bo­some of Abraham: but now it is called heauen, the house of the eternall fa­ther, as .S. Paule witnesseth in his .ij Epistle, the .v. Chap to the Cori. For we knowe (saieth he) that if our year­thy mansion of this dwellyng wer de­stroyed, we haue a buyldyng of God, an habitacion, not made with handes but eternall in heauen. Also Christ in Ihō .xiiij. speakyng of the same thyng, saieth: In my fathers house there bee many dwellyng places. And the same [Page]Christ safeth also in Ihou .xii. Where I am (saith he) there shal my minister bee also. Paule also in his Epistle to the Philippians the .i. Cha. Desireth to bee losed, and to bee with Christe. Now here ye haue hard thende of this poore begger, beyng righteous before God, what came to hym after his deth and departyng frō his body. Although he were of no reputacion before the worlde, yet he was highly regarded before God. In this good poore man, beyng in the sight of God righteous: all good, godly, and righteous poore beggers, and men of small reputaciō, make greate comfort, vnto whom the ioye & felicitie of the life to come, shal recompense the sorowe and miserie, that is in this life all comen and past. Here ye heard of Lazarus death, and what chanced vnto him after his deth. Now shall ye heare of the riche man­nes death. Why? do suche men die, as well as poore men doo? So well? No God knoweth, thei die all doubtles, but how well thei die, and how well cometh to thē after their death, marke [Page]well this parable, and ye shall know. It foloweth in the parable. The rich man also died and was buried. Is he ded in deede? How chaunced he died? It was not (I truste) for lacke of clo­thes? For he had to many. It was not for lacke of meate and drynke, for he had to muche. Why? will not gay and costly clothes & delicate meates, kepe men from death? No, rather I feare me thei help men to death. Then I se that neither costly araye, nor delicate fare, nor abundaunce of goodes, nor excellencie of dignities, nor greatnes in office, nor yet noblenesse of birthe: will kepe any man from death. For as sone dieth the riche man with his ri­ches, and his costly raiment, and with his delicate fare, as the poore manne with his pouertie, course raimēt, and homely fare. Assone die thei in digni­ties and greate Offices, as other that haue none of them bothe. Assone dieth the noble, as the base borne. Assone dieth the Prelate, as the Pulter, as sone dieth the prieste as the clerke. &c. For as Paule saieth to the Hebrues,[Page]ix. Chapiter. It is appoyncted vnto al men, that thei shall once die. And the olde saiyng is true: There is nothyng more certain then death, but there is nothyng more vncertain, then thoure of death. Now to the text again. The riche also died. &c. Why? Is he dedde that promised hymself so long tyme to liue? He is dedde. But is he dedde in deede? Yea truly. What shall we then saie? what? Mary if he wer, as many of our riche menne be now a daies, I knowe what men bee wont to saie, I would not that thei should so saye. What (I praie thee) bee thei wont to saie, when suche riche coueteous men die? What? Euen thus plumpe out. The deuill in hell be with theim. Let theim gesse again, if thei had saied so when this riche man died, and had la­yed any wager on it, it maie fortune thei should haue won. But what shal we saie? God haue mercy on his soule that wer but lost labor. For God wil haue no mercie vpon theim that be in hell. For scripture saieth: in hell is no redempcion. What shall I saie, God [Page]haue mercie on poore Lazarus soule? That also is lost labor, for God hath mercie on him all redy. It is now past God haue mercy of all christen soules matter, when men de departed all re­dy. Praie here, and that in time, for to praie when men be ded, it is to late. It foloweth in the text. And was buried. What matter was this, that he was buried. It is a matter, for we read no­thyng of Lazarus buriyng, and yet I doubte not but that he was buried. Here is mencion made of this riche mannes buriyng: by that is signified, that his buriall was like, as al his like was compted, that is moste honorable and I doubt not, but so was his buri­all also. Moreouer, I doubte not but this riche man, had Diriges, Masses, Trintals, and priestes enough to saie Masses for hym. He neither lacked singyng nor ringing, chimyng nor tol­lyng, if suche thynges were vsed in those daies. I doubt not but ther wer at his buriall, all the foure orders of Friers, with al the religious men and women, that could bee gotten for mo­ney.[Page]There wer also many mourners with whoodes & blacke gounes, with many a dri [...]ye more, and so he was brought into the yearth moste honourrably. But poore Lazarus lacked us more but al this pomp [...] and glory▪ [...] he lacked not euerlastyng glory▪ [...] had not this riche manne with all his trinkettes, wrought and dooen so ho­nourably, euerlastyng felicitie? Nor, ware that, for that is gottē with [...] suche trōpery▪ But where is he then? Where? Mary euen where he should be, & where he sought in all his whole life for to be: Where is that? Euer in hell: for so saieth the text. What man, is al that ringyng and singyng, al that Massyng & dirigyng, with crouchyng and kneelyng, with that bitter wea­pyng and wailyng, with the Churche hangyng and greate offeryng, al toge­ther loste? Yea truely; all was lost to hym. For whosoeuer founde aught; he found naught. Perchaunce ye wil say there were no suche thynges at that tyme, as is now vsed. I answere, al­though there were no suche thynges,[Page]at that tyme vsed, yet I doubt not but there was then, as pratie deuices de­uised by the Clergie, and receiued of the laitie, as wee haue seen in tymes past, and yet maie se, so that we wil se it. See ye not what pratie trickes bee in our this moste knowyng tyme con­ueighed into the blessed Communion for to get money withall? Now let vs returne again to this riche man, thus honorably buried, and so semeth vnto vnknowyng people of the worlde, to be in no worse state in another world, then he was in this world. But it wil bee founde farre otherwise, when the truthe is knowen.

IT foloweth in the text: And beyng in hell in tormentes, he lift vp his iyes, and sawe Abraham a farre of, and Lazarus in his bosome, and he cried and said: father Abraham haue mercie on me, and send Lazarus that he maie dippe the tippe of his fin­ger in water, and coole my tongue, for I am tormented in this flambe. But[Page]Abraham saied: sonne remember that thou in thy life tyme, receiuedest thy pleasure, and contrarywise Lazarus receiued pain, but now he is cōforted, and thou art punished. Ye haue heard here afore, how honourably this rich man (to the worlde) led his life, died and was also honorably buried. Now his honor is turned to horror, his pro­sperous state, to an vnluckie state. He liued here in all delicacie and pleasu­res, but he leadeth his life now in all miseries and paines. Let vs consider out of the texte here, in what misera­ble case this riche man is comen into nowe, after all his felicitie, and plea­sure taken in this worlde. First, he is cast into hell, whiche is a place for the that are perpetually dāpned, in whi­che place, there is no hope of any deli­uery or saluacion. Furthermore, in that helle he is tormenred with firie flambes. We read no lesse written by Esate the Prophete, in his .lxvi. chap. Their wormes (saith he) shal not die, neither shall their fire bee quenched, and all fleshe shall abhorre thē. Christ[Page]saieth also in Matthewe .xiij. Chapi. Thei shall cast theim into a furnes of fire, there shalbe wailyng, & gnashing of tethe. Yet more, this riche mā seeth sette before his iyes, poore Lazarus, whom in tymes paste, he did nothyng regard, in greate and perpetuall feli­citie. This is no litle pain to thē that be dampned, to se them that were no­thyng, in comparison to them, now so to be in perpetuall pleasure, and them selfes in perpetuall pain, & al through their awne folie. Furthermore, this riche manne is driuen to that nede, through his exceding pain, to begge of him, to whom in his life, he would not once vouchsafe to geue the crōmes of his table. He saith; send Lazarus that he may dippe the tippe of his finger in water, and coole my tongue, for I am tormented in this flambe. This is the very iudgement of God: whereby the pride and stoutnesse of suche men, are wont to be punished withall. For thei whiche were in plentie, and felicitie: contempned poore s [...]ly soules in their misery and beggarie, not hauyng pitie[Page]vpon thein to helpe them, but thei de­spised theim and iudged thē not wor­thy to their companie. These mē thus doyng, doeth finde no lesse at Goddes hande, and that by the right iudgemēt of God, bee brought to suche extreme necessitie and high miserie, that thei would thanke God with al their har­tes, that those men, whom thei contē ­pned and sette so litle by, would now vouchsafe once to geue theim one fa­miliar countenaunce, or speake vnto the one familiar worde. It is (I saie) the very ordinaunce of God, that thei shalbee measured with the same mea­sure, that thei measured other withal for so saieth Christe in Matthewes Gospell .vil. Chapi. with what mea­sure ye mete, with the same shal other men measure to you? There is a mer­uerlous equalitie in god, for this riche man (not withstandyng his bitter pra­yer) obteined not so muche at Goddes hand, as a droppe of water, because he had defiled afore a crome of bread. We haue here a liuely example, what thei shall finde hereafter, that now in this[Page]life doeth not prepare for theimselfes frendes of the wicked Mammon, that whē thei shalbe takē frō their goodes whiche thei cōpt their frendes, and be very beggers in deede, & haue greate nede, thei shall find as this mā found, euerlastyng lackyng, & euermore beg­gyng. There is no begger in worse case, and a more miser, then he that euer beggeth, and neuer obteineth. Suche shalbe all that dooeth as this man did. Therfore here in tyme what remedy Christ hath found, for as ma­ny as doth beleue him, and folowe his counsaill. Luke .xvi. I saie vnto you, (saith he) make you frendes of the vn­righteous Mammon, that when ye shall haue nede, thei maie receiue you into euerlastyng habitacions. Wil ye folowe Christes counsail? while ye be here riche, and be able to make frēdes by your riches, make them I counsail you. Geue here, and it shalbee geuen vnto you there, helpe the poore here, and thei shal help you there. Receiue theim here, and thei shall receiue you there. Loke what ye do vnto thē here.[Page]shalbe doen vnto you again there, bee it good or euill: for Christe compteth altogether, that is doen to one of his, beyng neuer so poore, to be doen vnto himself. And wher it is promised that thei (to whom ye are beneficiall here) shall receiue you into euerlastyng ha­bitacions: By that wee gather, that Christ of his goodnes, hath geuen the bothe goodes and aucthoritie, to dooe you good again, that haue doen theim good here. Here ye se, how to be recei­ued of God, and how to bee abiected. Be good therfore vnto the poore, and do to them, as ye would that thei here after, shall do vnto you. And so ye do­yng good vnto theim, shall dooe your self greate good, and laie vp threasure for your selfes, that neuer shall faile you. And so dooyng here, ye shall not lacke ther. And to the text again. And beyng in hell in tormentes, he lifte vp his iyes, & saw Abraham a farre of, &c. Here are in this parable that Christ propouneth, many straunge thynges, to them that knoweth not the nature of a Parable. In a Parable, there be[Page]many thynges feigned to be, that wer neuer doen: & yet maie there be muche and Godly doctrine taught by theim. This one thyng emong many, is to be marked in euery Parable: the scopt, the meanyng and thend, wherfore the parable is spoken, & all thynges in pa­rables, must be directed to y^t purpose. Now in this Parable ye muste marke well, although here in the Parable, it semeth that thei that be in heauē, or in a place of saluaciō, should bothe se and talke with thē, y^t be in the place of dā ­pitation, yet there is no suche thinges in deede, but we muste marke to what end christ spake this parable. He spake it to the Iues & in them to all vs, tea­chyng bothe thē and vs, how to liue in this world, y^t we may liue in the world that is to come also. Here is in this Parable taught, how that wee maye not iudge, after the iudgement of the worlde, but after the Iudgement of God: whiche is knowen onely in holy scriptures, neither of thynges present in this worlde, neither of thynges in the worlde to come. Now once again[Page]to the text: and beyng in hel in tormē ­tes, he lift vp his iyes, and sawe Abra­ham &c. Here must ye note (as I haue partly told you before) that although that Christ setteth furth in this para­ble, as though soules departed out of this worlde, some to the place of glo­rie, and some to the place of miserie: should speake or talke one with ano­ther, yet there is no suche thyng, nor Christ meaneth no suche thyng. But Christes meanyng is, to teach vs that bee his, and here a liue, to bee ware of suche imaginacious or saiynges, as this man beyng in hell, doth saie here. For euē as Christ feigneth this man, to speake in hell: euen so doth deuilish men imagin and speake in yearth sup­posyng suche thynges to bee true, as this man in hell doth speake, or is ra­ther by Christ feigned to speake. And ye muste note also, that like as in this mannes speakyng is signified all euill mestnes imaginacions and saiynges: so here is also to bee marked in Abra­hams saiynges, Gods will and plea­sure knowen in scriptures, for Abra­ham[Page]doeth speake here in the persone of god, and there is here nothyng spo­ken of hym, but that is true, and doth confute all this wicked mannes asser­tions & saiynges. Now let vs example the text, whiche saith: he beyng in hell in tormentes, lift vp his iyes, and saw Abrahā a farre of, and Lazarus in his bosome, and he cried and saied, father Abraham haue mercie on me, and send Lazarus that he maie dippe the tippe of his finger in water, and coole my tongue, for I am tormented in this flambe. Now here is shewed the ima­ginacions of them, that bee in helle in pain. Thei doo consider the state that thei be in, in helle, that is in pain and misery. Thei do also consider the state of them that be in glorie and felicitie, and that doth augment their pain and miserie. Thei beyng thus altogether wrapped in sorow on euery side, shew their affeccion, & desiryng relief of the same, crie to Abraham (that represen­teth God) for mercie, but altogether is in vain, because thei do it all out of due tyme. But Abraham saied: sonne,[Page]remember that thou in thy life tyme, receiue dost thy pleasure, and cōtrary-wise, Lazarus receiued pain, but now is he cōforted, and thou art punished. Here speaketh almightie God in A­brahams person, not onely to this mā but rather to all menne, that doeth as this manne did. He asketh mercie, but out of tyme. He would haue helpe of Lazarus, whom when he might haue holpē, he would not help. Therfore he heareth Abraham speakyng the sen­tence of god to hym, saiyng: sonne, re­membre that thou in thy life. &c. God doth call men to a reare cōpt, because thei do folowe their awne sensualitie, takyng in al thinges their awne plea­sure, thei regard nothyng at all what is gods pleasure. Thei care not what God would haue theim dooe, but thei regard and onely care for their awne pleasures, and suche thynges as thei will, and haue pleasure to do. Consi­der also, that he calleth Abraham fa­ther, & also Abrahā calleth him sonne. But likewise as this man here beyng a liue and in prosperitie, regarded not[Page]Abrahā, that is to say god, any thing at al, & he toke him not once for his father (except it wer with the mouth onely.) He loked for no helpe at his hande, he trusted not in hym, nor was for thyn­ges receiued, thankful vnto him [...] so doth Abrahā, that is to say god, cal­leth hym sōne after the same fashiō, as he called him father, nothyng meanyg to shewe his fatherly pitie, & compas­sion vpon hym, neither doeth he make hym once partaker of any parte of his euheritaunce; but saieth: Sonne, re­membre that thou in thy life tyme, re­ceiuedst thy pleasure, & contrarywise Lazarus receiued pain. As though he might saie, like as thou in the worlde, beeyng in high prosperitie, forgottest me, regardedst me not, haddest no trust in me to do thee good in time to come, but folowedst thyne awne pleasure; & not myne, thyne awne will, and not myne, and was also in al thynges vn­thankfull. Remembre now how thou hast doen thē, and therefore now thou must be concent to receiue there after Thou regardedst not, neither my wil [Page]nor pleasure then, but thyne awne: therefore now thou hast, accordyng to thyne awne deseruynges. But cōtra­ry wise Lazarus beyng in aduersitie, forgat me not, all tymes he regarded my waies. He put his whole truste in me, to do hym good, in tyme to come. He folowed not his awne pleasure, but myne, he did not his awne will, but myne. He was pacient in his ad­uersitie, and gaue thankes in all his misery. Therfore, now is he cōforted, and thou art now punished. This do­ctrine is not set furthe here, neither for this riche manne, nor yet for this poore manne, for thei can neither take good nor harme by it. But it is sette furth (as all other scripture is) for vs to do vs good, to teache vs, to monish vs, whether we bee riche or poore, to haue before oure tyes, here in this worlde, whether we be in prosperitie, or aduersitie, al tymes the state of the worlde that is to come. If that wee would earnesty and often do this, we (I saie) of what state soeuer we bee, truely, truely, it would make vs, that [Page]be riche to consider, from whence our goodes come, to what purpose. God either did lende them vs, or put theim into our handes, it would make vs to remember what good, we beyng here riche, maie dooe vnto oure selfes in another worlde, (hourdyng vp oure Threasure there) in ministeryng the­same goodes, gladly, liberally, and with a louyng harte, to our poore bre­thren and sisterne, accordyng to their necessitie, and our abilitie. It would also make vs thankefull to GOD, whiche hath geuen vs the same good­des, and hath made vs to be in a more blessed state, whiche is in the state of geuyng, accordyng to the saiyng of our Lorde Christe, in the Actes of the Apostles the twentie Chapiter, whi­che saieth: It is more blessed to geue, then to receiue. This doctrine also would make theim that bee poore and in miserie, to bee pacient, and thanke­full to GOD their father, knowyng that ther is nothyng that can come or chaunce to theim, no, not one here[Page]of their heade shall perisshe, without either their fathers wil or permission. Now therfore both riche & poore take hede to this doctrine, cōsider what is setforth in the same, either to eschue of folowe. If ye take hede in tyme and folow this poore mans doyng, that is, the wyll & pleasure of god, walkynge trulie in your vocation, trulie seruing your callyng, doing in all poyntes to your power your duty & office, bothe towardes God & your neighbours, ye shall haue as this poore man (your pa­terne and examplar, doinge his office and seruing his vocacion) hadde, that is euen heuen for his labour. If ye re­gard not this doctrine setforth here in this parable of this riche mā, but be negligent and carelesse in doyng your office, and seruing your vocacion, ge­uing your selues to your owne lustes & pleasures, as th [...] riche mā did, that that is written here in the parable to come to hym, doubtles shall come to you, that is to be perpetually damned in hel. It foloweth furthermore ī the texte: Beyond all this, betwene vs &[Page]you, ther is a greate space set, so that they which wolde go frō hēnce to you cannot, neither may come from thence to vs. Here is a nother doctrine of the heauenly father taught here by our saluiour Christ, in the person of Abraham. By this doctrine of Christe here set furth, is signified vnto all men, that in a nother worlde, ther is no chaunge of thinges, but al thinges be ther firme, stable, suer and perpetual. Therfore they y^t be ones made happy in that world (as all those shalbe that doth departe in faith) shall for euer & perpetually, remaine happy and neuer be chaunged, as Iohn saieth in y^e Apocalipse the .xiiii. Blessed are all they y^t die in the lorde, y^t is in y^e faith of Iesu Christe. Euē so they, that are once vnhappy, shal euer & perpetually be vn­happy, & ther is no place lefte of repē ­tyng amendyng & obteinyng of salua­cion. Marke what is writtē in Eccle­siastes the .ij. chapiter. If the tree fal­le, ether to the sowth or to y^e northe, in whatsoeuer place it falleth, ther it lieth. This doctrine is not ment of[Page]fallyng of trees, but of the deathe of men. By y^e South is vnderstāde faith, by the North infidelite. Lyke as the tree lieth still where it falleth: So dothe the man signified ther by, abide stil for euer in one state & neuer chaun­geth. If he die in faith he is saued, if in infidelitie, he is damned. So that he that is ones damned shall neuer be sa­ued, Euen so nomore shall he that is ones saued, euer after be dampned. Wher is then become purgatory, that hath put so many both great & smal in a wanne hope, to be saued by other mēs merites after their death? I trust it be runne home again to his first in­uenter & founder the pope. I wolde wish y^t al purgatorie mainteiners were with him also vntil I wold wish thē here again. Seyng that euery man at his death is either saued or dampned, wherfore is all that money bestowed for the dead. If they be in heauē, ther can no money increace ther ioy ther. If thei be ī hel, ther can no money mi­nish their paines there. Therfore the money that is bestowed for the dead[Page]with that opinion, either to increase the ioy of y^e one, or to relese the paine of the other, is euel spent. For y^e dead be neuer the better, and the liuyng bestowers be moche the worse. Why sir may not a man geue his goodes to be bestowed among the poore when he is dead? I say not nay. For ther is li­tell enowgh geuen vnto the poore by mens liues. Therfor I thinke it mete to geue at y^e lestwyse at ther deathes. But I will counsel nomā to tary and differ is almosse vntill he die: for then I doubte whether it be his almosse or not. Or whether other mē wil geue for him that he coulde not finde in his owne harte to geue for himselfe. We be bounde to geue that y^t we be able to spare to them that hathe present neade and necessite, and not to tarie vntill we die, for then we geue, be­cause we can no longer kepe it, and I am a fraied that god shall thanke vs therafter, that is to say, nothyng at all. For he neuer gaue vs his goodes nor yet lent them vs to kepe them tyll we die, but in all our life tyme to[Page]bestowe them vppon the neady: & not to kepe them that other men may be­stow them for vs, or rather striue for them after our deathe. Here we may lerne of this doctrine, that although this riche man begged a pace, (beyng in hell in tormentes), to haue bene re­lesed of some of his paine: yeat he fo­unde no relief at gods hādes at al, for he asked it to late. Nomore shall we finde at gods handes, if we come to late as he did, which died ī infidelitie. And as many as dieth in infidelitie, shall neuer obteine mercy, pray they neuer somoche for thē selues, as this man is made mencion to do. And mo­reouer and if all the whole worlde together wolde pray for one of them: yet shulde he neuer obteine any relief of his paine. Now by y^e sentēce of god, ther is nothing behind then but this, that both this riche man and his lyke companions must content them selues with ther state & paine that thei be in, & neuer to loke for better. Now here we may see & lerne by this doctrine of this place, that ther be nomore but ij.[Page]places prepared for thē that be depar­ted out of this world, One for thē that are blessed, y^t is a place of refreshyng Another for them that are dampned, that is a place of tormēting. We finde not one worde in scriptures of y^t for­ged purgatory, wherin sowles be not purged, but fooles purses be emptied.

BUt whē this afore named riche mā saw y^t he could not preuaile any thing at al for himselfe, thā he began to make his peticiō for other saieng: I pray the therfor father sende him to my fathers howse, for I haue fyue bretherne, for to warne thē, leste they also come to this place of tormentes. Here is also to be marked, in this parte of the parable, a nother damnable opinion spoken by this man being in hell, to teache them that are yet here in the earth, to be ware of it and suche lyke. This mans opinion was, as Christe teacheth here in the parable, that men wolde geue more credence to Spirites that come from[Page]a nother worlde, thā to the holie scri­ptures beyng taught thē here in thys world. This opinion is confuted here by y^e heuēlie Fathers doctrine taught by Christe in the person of Abraham, as ye shall heare hereafter This opi­nion is confuted here of Christe, not for this riche mans sake, nor for to teache hym and to conuerte hym, but it is set here to teache vs, to conuerte vs, whiche be yet here, where we may be taught, where we may be conuer­ted. Why? be there any nowe a lyue thinke ye, that be of that opinion that this riche dampned man was of? Ye trulie, I fere me to many. There be y^t be not ashamed to vtter ther dampna­ble opinion, with these and suche lyke wordes: We knowe (say they) what we haue here, but we know not what we shall haue ther. Who dothe know, whether there be any other life after this life? Who wil chaunge (that wise is) the certentie of thinges that we be suer of here in this worlde, for the vn­certentie of thynges that be to come,[Page]in a nother (to vs vnkowen) worlde. Ther is none (say they) that will do thus except a few of momishe mopers whiche can do none other thyng else, but mope vppon ther bookes, to make vs afraied of shadowes and bugge­beres. Therfore (say these wicked mē) we wyll abyde in this our opinion, vntill we haue some messenger sent from heuen or hell, to shew vs what newes be ther, and take our pleasure here in the meane season, let thē teche what they wyll. Of this opinion the parable teacheth vs that this riche man was, and he doth here represent all those that be now of that opinion, and that answere that was made vnto hym than, is to warne them that be of suche opinion now. That the para­ble doeth teach, this mā to be careful for his bretherne, that wer yet of the opinion that he was of: is not set here to teche that the sowles in hell dothe care for them that are in earthe, but it is set here to teache vs to be carefull for our owne selues and for our fryn­des also here, while care wil help. For[Page]lyke as this mans care (that the para­ble speaketh of) preuailed not, nomore shall no mans care preuaile, nether for himselfe, nor yet for other, that is not taken in tyme. What was this mans care in hell? that his bretherne all together vntawght of the will of god, that is, that they that lyue here in this world godly, folowing the wil and the pleasure of god, shulde haue with god euerlasting glorie, as he saw Lazarus had. And the contrarie wise, as many as toke ther owne pleasure, regarding not the will of god, shulde be in paine euerlasting, as he himselfe was. This was his care, but to late. He saide, Vt testificetur illis, for to warne them (quod he) leste thei also come in to this place of torment. This mans opinion thus farre was good, y^t he wolde haue his bretherne warned, to be ware here ī this presēt lyfe furth But in this his opinion was nought, that he wolde haue one to come owe of a nother worlde to teache them, for that is a false opinion confuted here by our saluiour Christ, let vs be war­ned[Page]here in tyme, while lyfe is in vs. But let vs loke neither for Angell, sowle, nor deuel to teach vs, but onely Scripture, as ye be here taught by Abraham speaking in gods person to this riche man, and not onely to hym, but rather vnto vs, that we heringe this his doctrine, beleuing & working after y^e same, may be saufe: wher doing y^e cōtrarie we shulde be dāned. For to warne thē, saieth the texte: To warne them of that (as though he might say) that I now finde by experiēce, that is, that vertue shalbe of god rewarded & vice punished. Of this let thē be war­ned, lest perchaunce, they differre (the amendement of ther liues,) til they be dead, as I dyd, and then it wilbe to late for thē to be warned, as it is now to late for me. Vt testificetur illis, for to warne them, &c. By these wordes here he bewraieth his owne wicked opinion, that he had here whan he ly­ued. May not a man gather owt of these his wordes, this to be his opi­nion? I (as though he might say) whē I was yet a lyue. I iudged all thyn­ges[Page]to be put vaine, whatsoeuer was spoken of the fire of hell, and of the punishmentes of malefactours in a no­ther worlde. I supposed suche thyn­ges, to haue bene but preachers drea­mes to terrifie the simple people and selie sowles, to kepe them in awe. Therfore I pray the good father A­braham to send Lazarus to warne my fiue bretherne and to testifie vnto thē, suerly not onely those thynges to be most true, whiche holie scripture doth teache of the euerlastyng damnacion, whiche nether they nor I dyd beleue ones to be true, or any suche thyng to be in dede. Whiche thynges nowe, I am not onely compelled to beleue, but with myne owne hurte I fele thē to be to trewe, and to be suche paines as nomans tong can expresse. Ther­fore nowe they that wyll not beleue suche thynges as the scriptures tea­cheth to be, with ther owne mischeue and euerlastynge destruccion shall lerne by ouermuch experience (as this riche man did) suche thynges to be. Here ye haue harde this wicked mans[Page]peticion for his bretherne, with his wicked opinion, that one owt of a no­ther worlde shoulde be sent to teache them, but his peticion was not harde because his opinion was wicked, and also he praied owt of tyme. To this wicked opinion, whether it be of this wicked man in hell (as the parable teacheth) or of such like wicked men in earth, our saluiour Christe with the doctrine of his father spoken by Abra­ham, do make answere in this wise sayng: They haue moses and the pro­phetes, let them heare them. What is vnderstande by Moses and the pro­phetes? By Moses is vnderstande Moses doctrine, and by the prophe­tes is vnderstande the prophetes do­ctrine, & both those doctrines taught that Christe shulde come, promised of god to do all thinges that belonge to our whole saluacion, iustificacion, & redempcion. And that we by him onely shoulde haue remission of our sinnes and lyfe euerlasting. Al these thynges we may and owght to learne by Mo­ses and the prophetes, that is the ho­lie [Page]scriptures. Is there nothing elles to be learned but holie scriptures? No truelie, Nothyng that shall make any thinge for owr saluacion, iustifi­cacion, redempcion, remission of sin­nes and obteining of euerlasting lyfe. Therfor we be taught here with these wordes: They haue Moyses and the prophetes: let them heare them that is, let them geue eare to them, let thē regarde them, herken to thē. He saith not they haue with thē, reason, witte and wordly prudence: let them heart and hearken to them, let them folowe them. He saith not here, they haue Scribes and phariseis, Fathers Cu­stomes, long vsages, Many hundrede yeares, Mans tradicions, decrees and inuencions, Mens good intentes and meaninges, Multitudes of peo­ple, Aboundāce of Doctours & Coun­celles and such lyke, heare them: but he saith, that they haue Moyses and the prophetes (that is holie scriptu­res) let them heare them. For all these afore named thinges with such lyke, put on one heape without scriptures[Page]be of none authorite, but holie Scri­pture without all these, is of full and perfect authorite. Therfore if we will be saued, let vs heare Moses and the prophetes, that is holie Scriptures. Our saluiour Christe sayed vnto the Iues, in Iohns gospel the .v. chapiter Searche scriptures, for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall lyfe, and they are they whiche testifie of me. Also in Mathews gospel the .xxij. chapitre our saluiour sayed vnto y^e Saduceis: Ye do erre, not knowing the scri­ptures. Here ye se all knowlege co­meth by the knowing of y^e scriptures, & all ignoraunce also cometh for lacke of knowyng the scriptures. For they that knowe not the Scriptures that they are the worde of God, care for no godly thynge, thei take their pleasure in al thing. Now the lorde that wolde haue al thyng done after a right order, that is by his owne rule, which is the holie scripture, sendeth these mē & also vs vnto the same scriptures: saieng. They haue Moses & the prophetes, let them heare them, obey them, kepe [Page]and obserue thē. How shal we vnder­stande this saieng of this place. They haue Moses & the prophetes: meaning this riche mās fiue bretherne whiche know nothing lesse then y^e scriptures. By this is signified nothing else, but that ther is none other lernyng to be saued by, then by y^e scriptures. Ther­fore let euery man learne, y^t intendeth to be saued by this doctrine of Christe to knowe the scriptures, to teache the scriptures, to credite the scriptures, & to leade a lyfe according to the same. And if this riche man had done this, he had not bene nowe in hell, but be­cause he wolde neither heare it, nor haue it, neither read it, nor yet regard it, neither credit it, nor yet leade hys life after it, to conclude, he sought no­thing, but refused al thynges y^t made for hys saltration, therfore muste he nedes be dampned, & so shall all that soo doeth. Now after that this damp­ned riche man had harde y^e sentence of god (spokē by Abrahā) infallibly true & to be receiued of al men: They haue Moses & y^e prophetes: Yet he was not[Page]contented with the answere, but he replied against this manifest and open true doctrine and sayed: Nay father Abraham, but if one come vnto them from the dead, they will repent. He sayth vnto hym, if they heare not Moyses and the prophetes, neither wil they beleue, though one rose from death againe. Here ye may marke by this damned riche mans replication, the wicked opinion of them, that folow ther owne sensual iudgemētes, and not goddes iudgement expressed­ly sette furthe by scriptures. For they say Nay, when God saieth yea, God saieth, they haue Moses, and the pro­phetes to teache them, and them only must they heare, obey and folowe, for in theym onely is conteined enoughe and abūoauntly, al maner of doctrine that can, or maie helpe vs vnto salua­cion. Nay say they, as this dampned man said. Nay father Abraham (quod he,) not so, but if any man come vnto thē of the dead they wil repent. Mea­ning (as his damnable opiniō was) y^t if such one as Lazarus was that shuld [Page]come out of an other worlde, raised vp againe from death to life, should haue more credite geuen vnto hym, and men shoulde soner repent at his prea­chyng, then of either readyng, or preachyng of the scripture. But vnto that vaine and wicked opinion, Abra­ham (in goddes persone) aunswereth saiyng: If they heare not Moses, and the prophetes, neither wil thei beleue thoughe one rose from deathe againe. As though Christ might say. If there bee anye man, that wil not heare the doctrine of Moses & the prophetes to repente and amende his life at theim, surely that manne will sone cauil and finde a fault, if any man woulde saye that hee ware raised vp from among the dedde, to bring any other new ru­les & preceptes out of another worlde to learne men to repent & amende by. Therfore let al men come onlie to the holy scripture. For there is more cre­dicte to be geuen to that onelye scrip­ture, then to al mens doctrines, to all mennes rules, inuentions, tradicions customes, miracles & all other imagi­nacions[Page]of men. This is a plaine and infallible rule, that the holie scriptur is the only rule to iudge and liue rightly by. Whiche doeth comprehende all that belongeth to godlinesse and oure Saluation. And is onelie of hymselfe autenticke & of aucthoritie, and so is nothyng elles in the whole worlde a­mong men but it onely. For to haue blessed sowles sent vnto vs from hea­uen to admonish and preache vnto vs, this ware but vaine, and false. We be sent here of the lorde to the Scriptu­res. They haue (saith God,) Moses and the prophetes. Let no man there­fore (that is of God, and entendeth to bee saued,) ones looke for anye appe­ryng of either Prophete, or Apostle, Thei whilest thei liued, (by thinstinct and inocion of the spirit of God, pre­ached vnto thē that ware present, and wrote for theym that ware absent, all thynges that are sufficient to instruct bothe them and vs. Let vs loke vpon their preachinges, and writinges, and content our selues with the same. Let vs not aske with this wicked & dam­ned[Page]riche man, that either saintes, or soules out of an other world, shoulde come, or be sent messengers vnto vs. For ther is no credite to be geuen vnto spirites raised frō the deade. That doth the historie of Samuel raised (or rather supposed to be raised) againe, which is writtē in the .i. Re. or. Sam. the .xxviij. cha. testifye. Furthermore we haue a plain comaundement of the lorde, that we shal not seke no trueth at theym that bee deade, in the boke of Deute. the .xviii. cha. Let none be fo­unde in the (saith the lord) that seketh the truthe of them that be deade. If we maie not seke y^e truth at their do­ctrine, much lesse we may seke our saluation at their doctrine. Here ye may perceiue howe greuously they sinne, that doeth geue credite and beleue to the aunsweres of coniured Spirites. It is possible by Goddes permission, to come to passe that spirites shal ap­pere & geue answer to certeine inter­rogatiōs. But to tel the trueth what they be in diede, these are euen verye mockinges and deceiptes of the deuel. [Page]Although Satan sometyme will telle truth, lyke as he did what shold come to Saul, as it apereth in the afore re­hersed historie .i. Sam .xviii. Yet not­withstandyng, he doth whatsoeuer he doeth to beguile & deceiue euen so ma­ny as credite, and beleue hym. Seing then that Sathan is a lier, & also the verye father & beginner of lieng, ther is no faith to be geuen vnto hym. Furthermore there is no reuelation of Angels to be loked for, whiche sholde teache vs the Gospel, for either those Angels should preache the same Gos­pel, that the Prophetes and the Apo­stles hath preached, and so it ware in vayne, or els they sholde preache con­trary. Then marke what Paul saith to the Galathiens in the first Chapi. If we (saith he) or an Angel from he­auen, shoulde preache vnto you an o­ther gospel, besides, or cōtrary to that ye haue receiued, curssed be he. Here it is manifest, that there bee no dedde mens soules to bee hearde. Angelles bee not to bee looked for. Mannes wisedome in thys case, is not to bee[Page]regarded, but onelye Moses and the prophetes. For this doctrine of Mo­ses and the prophetes, did Christ tea­ache, euen aftre his resurrection. For as Luke saith. Chapit .xxiiij. He did interpretate, or expounde Moses and the Prophetes. Wherefore here it is plaine, that the aucthoritie of theym is so by Christ confirmed, that we mai heare, nor credite anye other, either doctours, or preachers, for our salua­cion. Therfore the way of saluacion is true, whiche Moses and the Pro­phetes, and after theym, the Apostles haue taught, and besides that waye, there is none other to be sought, ney­ther if it ware soughte, there is none other to bee founde. This is the waie that they taught, that we knowledge our sinnes, and belieue, that for Chri­stes sake, to haue remission of our sin­nes. And in thys faith lette vs walke in gods vocation. Al this shal come to passe if we beleue christes saieng to be true whiche is: Thei haue Moses & the prophetes, let thē heare thē. Now on the other side, they that contemne[Page]scriptures, or minishe the aucthoritie of scripturs, make lighte of theym, or dispraise them: of such men if they do not shortelye repente, and retourne, there is no manner of hope, that by anye other waye, theye maye be brought to the way of their saluation accordyng to the true saiyng of oure lorde, If they (saith he) heare not Moses and the Prophetes, (that is holye scriptures, neither will, theye beleue thoughe one rose from deathe againe. Therefore of Angelles, of deade mens soules, of al Spirites, whether theye come from hel, or heauē, must be auoi­ded, abhorred, and eschued onelye the law and the prophetes, receiued & he­arde. Yet if a man wil consider the dis­posicions of the fleshe, and of the spi­rite, and consider the Iudgementes of both, it shal teache him to beware of thone & to folowe the other. The spi­rites iudgemēt is, that the scriptures whiche are the worde of God, that is Moses & the prohetes are sufficient for our saluation. The flesh on the o­ther side seketh for saluacion not only[Page]at the Scriptures, but at manye o­ther straunge thynges also. It se­kethe the trueth, at the deade, it ge­ueth credite to spirites, to miracles & to all maner of thynges taught beside scriptures. But they that be taughte of the holy Ghost, beleueth, or geueth credit to miracles, and signes, for the wordes sake, and not to the worde for the Signes and miracles sakes. But theie that beleue after the flesshes perswations doth contrary. And therfore it commethe to passe often tymes euen by the very iudgement of God, that they that desire rather signes & miracles, thē true doctrines of scrip­tures, to be deceiued with false mira­cles, & lyeng signes, for noman ought to beleue the truethe for signes and miracles sake, before hee beleueth the word of truth. For y^e scriptures saith not, thei haue signes and miracles let the beleue them. But it saith: Thei haue Moyses, and the Prophetes, lette theym beleue and credite them.

By these thynges wee maye mar­ke, that apperynges of spirites which[Page]doeth shewe, and also require manye thynges) can not bee of GOD, but doubtlesse they be wicked Spirites, whiche by the fearefulle and terrible iudgemente of God, (for mennes vn­faithfulnes) dothe deceiue, and bring manye to errour. Here wee maie wel perceiue, that the will of God is, that we should not be taught, neither of one thing, nor of other (cōcernyng our saluacion) but only of holy Scri­pture, or elles God woulde neuer haue spoken thus by Abraham: They haue Moses and the prophetes, lette theim heare theim.

Now I beseche the God of al veritie and truthe, to geue vs all Grace, only as wee be commaunded to heare to harken to, to credite and obeye the onely woorde of God, that is Moses and he prophetes, whiche are the on­ly truethe, and to fashione our whole liues after thesame worde to the glo­rie of God, and to oure owne Soules saluation. Amen.