<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-04-08</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A72490">
<STC T="S">14992.5</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99900279</BIBNO>
<VID>150659</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>&para; A funerall &s;ermon that was pre|pared to haue b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ne preached, by Robert king doctour in diuinit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> for a cert<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">in honourable Lady then almo&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> dead<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">, but after|ward recouered, to who~ in writ|ing this Sermon was g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">uen, that &s;he be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ng<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ue, might<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> read<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> what &s;hould haue b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> preached at her death: howbeit now<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> God hath done his will vpon her and hath called her (I doubt not) to him|&s;elf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">. But now it is here &s;et f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">rth<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> as it was deliuered to her then be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">nge al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ue. 1552.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The preface or Epi&s;tle to this Sermon.</HEAD>
<P>_AS I looked amonge pa|pers of myne olde &s;tudied notes and &s;ermones (mo&s;t gentle Lady) by chaunce I founde a draught of a &s;er|mon that was prepared, to haue bene preched at your buryall. This was when your Ladi&s;hippe was &s;o dead|ly &s;icke at Chel&s;ie. Then was I war|ned of one of your cheefe officers to prepare a &s;ermon for your burial, whi|che was thought to come &s;hortly, whi|che thynge made a greate many of vs your &s;eruauntes ful heuy. But in &s;uch a ca&s;e no thought wylle helpe. And I knowyng that &s;uche a thyng wolde be loked for at my hande, with an heuie harte I prepared this pre&s;ent &s;ermon (althoughe it be nowe a litle more di|lated) to be in a redines, for y^e in&s;truc|cion of all them, that &s;hould haue bene pre&s;ent at your buriyng, to lerne them<PB REF="3">howe they &s;hould preare them&s;elues to die. And now (tha~kes be vnto god,) whiche dothe ordre all thynges to the be&s;t, &s;o that, that &s;ermon whiche was prepared for to haue edified &amp; ben pro|fitable to other then, mai be profitable to teache your good Ladi&s;hippe now, in readyng of the&s;ame, bothe to lyue and to die. It &s;hall not be onely pro|fitable to you, but al&s;o to as many as &s;hal either reade it or heare it. I praye you good madame remember this one thynge well, althoughe death dyd but dalye with you then, to put you in re|membraunce that ye be mortall, &s;uer|ly he will come again a nother tyme, and execute his office vpon you euen in earne&s;t. And whe~ this &s;halbe, ye ca~|not tell, therfore be alwaies in a redy|nes, for as our Sauiour Chri&s;te &s;aith: Ye know neither the daye nor yet the houre. &amp;c. watche therfore and be all times in a redines. Heare I mu&s;t de|&s;ire you to note &amp; beare in mynde, that the exhortacio~ that I purpo&s;ed to haue
<PB REF="3">&s;poken to them that &s;hould haue bene hearers alyue at your buryng: Nowe heare I &s;peake the&s;ame (by my penne) to you, ye thankes be vnto god beyng aliue, and may by readyng of the&s;ame knowe what &s;hould haue bene &s;poken vnto other. And thoughe it maye bee &s;umwhat merueiled at, why that I name you &s;o often in this my preface, as though al y^e whole exhortacion wer made onely vnto you. The cau&s;e why I name you &s;o often is ths. In your name or your per&s;on, I admony &s;he as mani as &s;hal either heare or reade this poore exhortacion. Remember good Lady, reme~ber, yea euen in your mo&s;t pro&s;perite, what ye &s;halbe in aduer&s;ite Remember in your plea&s;aunte lyfe, what ye &s;halbe after your dolorous death. It is not for naught, that the wi&s;e man &s;aith, <HI>Memorare noui&s;&s;ima tua, &amp; in eternum non peccabis,</HI> Re|member (&s;aith he) thy la&s;t end, (erne&s;t|ly and often, &amp; I warraunt the) thou &s;halt neuer &s;ynne, wyllyngly. And &s;o <PB REF="4">con&s;equently, thou &s;hal neuer be da~|ned. A worthy bill of remembraunce, often to be loked vpon: Yet moreouer I tru&s;te (good Lady) that the&s;e doctri|nes, whiche are nece&s;&s;ary for al maner of per&s;ones, &s;halbe al&s;o your in&s;truc|tion, for there is no per&s;on &s;o perfecte, no nor yet &s;o well lerned, but he or &s;he, may be better, bothe in learnynge and liuynge. There is no per&s;one &s;o wittie or wi&s;e, but by hearyng of god|ly doctrine, he or &s;he maye bee made wi&s;er: accordyng to the &s;aiyng of Sa|lomon in the fir&s;te chapiter of his pro|uerbes. <HI>Audiens &s;apiens, &s;apientior eris:</HI> The wi&s;e hearyng, &s;halbe wi&s;er. Moreouer, that that I write to your good Ladi&s;hippe nowe, for your good in&s;truction, both to liue and to die by, I doubt not but that ye will imparte and communicate the &s;ame, with your mo&s;te dearly beloued hu&s;bande, my e&s;|&s;pecyall good Lord and mai&s;ter&punc; which I am &s;ure wilbe as gladde to heare it, as your Ladi&s;hippe wyll bee to reade<PB REF="4">it, for he that &s;o often vouched&s;aulf to heare me preche, wyll nowe I doubte not heare that that I haue writ|ten&punc; for I haue euen now with as good an harte written vnto you, as I was wonte to preache before you. And am now as ready as euer I was to do you &s;eruice if time and place would &s;uffer. But bi y^e grace of god, y^t which wilnot be now brought to pa&s;&s;e, a nother time God wylling &s;hall wel come to pa&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>&para; I woulde wy&s;he nowe that this poore exhortacion ware euen as a gla&s;&s;e afore your eyes, and as a bill of remembraunce afore your myndes, bothe to thynke how that ye do lyue, and al&s;o howe that ye &s;hould liue, and con&s;ider erne&s;tly, what ye do, &amp; what ye be commaunded of God to do, Let the holy &s;cripture in all the&s;e thyn|ges, be your rule. Al&s;o con&s;ider, what ye be now by the goodnes of god, and what ye &s;halbe hereafter by the cour&s;e of nature. What ye haue receiued at goddes handes, &amp; how that ye v&s;e &s;uch<PB REF="5">thynges &s;o receiued, ye mu&s;te remem|ber al&s;o, that he that dothe receiue muche at his lordes handes, mu&s;te ge|ue a compte of muche. And he that ma|keth a good accompte of many thinges wel be&s;towed accordi~g to his mai&s;ters minde, &s;hall haue greate thankes, and be &s;ette ouer muche more after then he was before Mathew .xxv. I tru&s;t that both my good lorde and you al&s;o, will|be content wyth my writyng now vn|to you, both boldely, plainly and truly, as well as ye haue bene content in ty|mes pa&s;t to heare me preche before you bothe boldly, truely and plainely. And not onely contented to heare me &s;o preache, but al&s;o, to defende me &s;o pre|chyng. Yet moreouer I tru&s;te, that your wi&s;edome, knowynge my rude|ne&s;&s;e, ru&s;ticalnes and plaines, will ra|ther con&s;ider the thynges that be here writen, with the meanyng of the wri|ter, then to loke for &s;uche thynges as ye knowe, by your olde experience not to be in him&punc; that is&punc; Colors of rethori|cke,<PB REF="5">Eloquence of &s;peche, Craftie con|ueiaunce of matter, Fine termes, pure Engli&s;he, and ortographically writ|ten, &amp; &s;uche like, wher as the prouerbe &s;aithe, where nothynge is, the kyng lo&s;eth his right. So your good Lady|&s;hippe mu&s;te be fayne to be contented with &s;uche as heare is, &s;eyng y^t he that &s;ent your Ladi&s;hip this, would with al his harte, haue &s;ent you a better made thyng, if there had bene any better in his &s;tore hou&s;e, Therfore I be&s;ech you my good Lady, take it in good worth nowe, and when god geueth better, ye &s;hal haue better, La&s;t of al I would be gladde, that you of your accu&s;tomed goodnes, would vouche&s;aulfe to take the payne to loke ouer this poore &s;er|mon, erne&s;tly &amp; often. Yet becau&s;e it is &s;umwhat long: I haue diuided it in to v. partes, that ye may reade ouer one parte at once, and &s;o at length all. I woulde de&s;ire you at the le&s;te wi&s;e to loke ouer, the fir&s;t and the &s;conde par|tes, and that as I haue &s;aied, bothe<PB REF="6">erne&s;tly and often. For although it be, very good &amp; expedient to know diuer&s;e play&s;ters and medicynes for dyuers &s;ores and &s;ickene&s;&s;es, yet we mu&s;te v&s;e tho&s;e mo&s;te, that we knowe will helpe ouer &s;ores and di&s;ea&s;es be&s;t.</P>
<P>&para; Nowe when I had made an ende of this poore exhortacion, it came into my mynde, that a newe yere was at hand, a tyme wherin, both men &amp; women, be wonte to gratifie there fryndes with &s;uche giftes, as are bothe plea&s;aunte and profitable in this lyfe. But I in|tende to gratifie you my e&s;pecial good Lady, and mai&s;tres, with &s;uche a Iu|wel or gyfte, out of the trea&s;ure hou&s;e of god, that if ye kepe it wel and v&s;e it wel, it &s;halbe vnto you, both plea&s;au~t, profitable &amp; permanent, not onely for this pre&s;ent lyfe, but al&s;o for the life that is to come, &amp; &s;hall dure for euer. Other imagyne in this mery tyme of Chri&s;tmas, to make ther frindes mery &amp; gladde in body. But I go about to make my fryndes (amonge whom my<PB REF="6" MS="y">Lorde and you bee the chefe and all) mery and gladde in cou&s;cience, that is, when ye &s;o lyue as though ye ware euer redie to die, and gladde to be in heauen, with your Lorde Chri&s;te, who euer pre&s;erue my good Lord and ma|&s;ter, your good Lady|&s;hippe and al yours bothe in honour heare, and in glory ther. Amen.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>By your &s;eruaunte Roberte k<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ng after h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">s vncha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ngeable pla<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> facion.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="7">
<HEAD>A preface into the Sermon.</HEAD>
<P>_I Am comen hether this daye (Chri&s;ten audy|ence) to preche at the buriall of this hono|ralbe Lady, my good Lady and Mai&s;tres. That that &s;halbe preached heare at this time, &s;hal be to her nothing profi|table: for lernynge tyme, wyth her is pa&s;t, but this &s;ermon may be vnto you al, that &s;halbe the hearers of the&s;ame, if ye imprinte it wel in your mynd, and bere it wel away profitable. It may be (I &s;ai) profitable to you al, of what&s;o|euer &s;tate, condicio~ or degree, ye be of.</P>
<P>&para; I haue cho&s;en he parable, that our Sauiour Chri&s;te &s;peketh of in the xvj. chapiter of &s;ainte Luke, to treate of this day: out of the which parable, euery man mai learne, that marketh it wel, bothe how he dothe and al&s;o how he &s;houlde liue. And howe that if he lyue heare well, he &s;hall euer after lyue well in ioye and plea&s;ure. The contrary, if that he lyue not heare<PB REF="7">well, he &s;hall no lyue hereafter, that is, he &s;hall be damned and &s;uffer per|petuall payne in hell. That we all may heare the doctrine of this parable preched &s;o, that it may be to the aduaunce|ment of goddes glory and to the profite and vtilitie of his peo|ple, I &s;hall de|&s;ire you for to pray. &amp;c.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="8" MS="y">
<HEAD>A Sermon.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="part">
<P>_THere was a certayne riche man, which was clothed in purple and fyne white, and fared delyciou&s;ly euery daye &amp;c. Our Lorde Ie&s;us Chri&s;te (honourable audyence) in the beginnyng of this .xvj. chapter of the holy Euangeli&s;te &s;aynte Luke, pro|pouned &amp; &s;etfurthe a parable of a cer|teyn wicked and craftie Stewarde, whom he lawded, becau&s;e he ordered the matter &s;o w^t his mai&s;ters fermers and tenauntes, that he &s;hould neuer wante whiles they had. This mans wi&s;edome, was lauded of our &s;auiour Chri&s;t, not becau&s;e it was wicked, but becau&s;e he made proui&s;yon, that is to &s;ay fryndes, here in this pre&s;ent world, for the tyme that was to come. And &s;o in this parable of this wicked Stuard he techeth vs all to make vs frendes whiles that we be here in this pre&s;ent worlde, that we lacke not in the world that is to come. The&s;e be our &s;aluiour Chri&s;tes woordes, and the hole pitthe <PB REF="8">openyng of this afore named parable. And I &s;aie (&s;aith he) make you frendes of the vnrighteous and wicked Mam|mon, that when ye &s;hall haue nede, they maie receiue you into euerla&s;t|yng habitacions. There &s;hall a greate chaunge come at that daie, where the pacient and the thankefull poore beggers, &s;halbe very ryche. And the vnmercifull and vnthankefull riche &s;halbe very beggers and poore. This is the riches that the pacient &amp; thanke|full poore beggers &s;hall receiue: euer|la&s;tyng, (that is to &s;aie) felicytie and glory with god in heauen. And this is the pouertie and beggery that the vn|mercifull and vnthankefull riche men &s;hall receiue with the deuell in hell, that is to &s;aie euerla&s;tynge payne and mi&s;ery. This doctryne is bothe liuely and truly &s;etfurth in this parable of <HI>Diues and Lazarus,</HI> that is to &s;aie in the parable of y^e richeman &amp; of y^e poore begger Lazarus. Althing heare in this parable, is &s;etfurth &s;o liuely &amp; plainly, that a man marking it thoroughly and<PB REF="9">depely, with all the circum&s;taunces of the&s;ame, &s;hal rather thynke, that he &s;eeth althynges done before his eyes, as it ware played in a playe, and euery per&s;one &s;ene, then to haue redde it or to haue harde it preached. Nowe whe|ther this parable of this richeman &amp; of this begger, ware a thyng that was done in dede, or rather a thynge in|uented by our &s;auiour Chri&s;t to teche with all &s;uche thynges as be heare taught: it maketh no matter for vs to know. Let vs con&s;ider, vs (I &s;ay) whi|che either bee, or oughte to bee very Chri&s;tians, lette vs marke well, and depely con&s;ider, what thynges bee taught in this parable for our in&s;truc|tions and lerninges, and let vs beleue the doctrines of the&s;ame to bee mo&s;te true. And that the &s;elf&s;ame thynges here taught in the parable, &s;hall cha|unce vnto vs, if we do as they dyd. Let vs therfore haue contynually be|fore our eyes, y^e eyes I &s;ay of our con|&s;ciences: the&s;e .ij. per&s;ones in this pa|rable or example: &s;etfurth (and by our<PB REF="9">&s;auiour Chri&s;te to learne vs by. This parable is very nece&s;&s;ary and al&s;o pro|fitable &amp; worthy to be had in memory of all men, whether they be riche or poore, for there is no per&s;one of what &s;oeuer degree or &s;tate, he or &s;he be, but may learne by this parable. The riche may learne &amp; beware by it. The poore man maye learne and take greate com|fort of it. I would wy&s;he this &s;torie or parable to be painted or graue~ in euery mannes hou&s;e; but rather imprinted in euery mannes con&s;cience &amp; memory.</P>
<P>Nowe let vs come vnto the parable, &amp; therein marke, both notable wordes and &s;entences. There was a certeyne Riche man, whiche was clothed in purple and fyne whyte, and fared de|liciou&s;ly euery daie. The holy &s;crip|ture teacheth .ij. maner or &s;ortes of riche men. The one &s;orte are &s;uche as are riche in God. The other &s;orte that are riche to the~&s;elues. They are riche in God, that knowe that all riches are geuen and come of god, and mu&s;te be &s;pent accordynge to the will and<PB REF="10">plea&s;ure of God. They knowe what Dauid in his xxiij. P&s;alme dothe con|fe&s;&s;e and &s;aie, not onely with mouthe but al&s;o wyth harte: in the&s;e wordes.
<HI>Domini e&s;t terra, &amp; plenitudo eius:</HI> The earthe is the Lordes and all the plentuou&s;nes that is in it Ergo &s;uche goodes as we haue and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e, be not ours, but the lordes. We haue but the v&s;e of them, and &s;hall make a &s;trait compt for them how that we v&s;e them ether to our own, or to the lordes v&s;e, to our owne profite and plea&s;ure, or to the lordes profite or plea&s;ure. If that we erne&s;tly, woulde weye the&s;e wordes and erne&s;tly beleue the~ to be true (as they be mo&s;te erne&s;tly to be waied, and al&s;o mo&s;t erne&s;tly to be be|leued,) I &s;uppo&s;e we &s;hould not be &s;o vnthankeful in receiuing, &s;o vnwares either in kepyng or &s;pending, contrary to the wil and plea&s;ur of the owner of them as we now are. Then &s;hould we receiue of the handes of our Lorde a great &s;umme or porcion of his goodes, loke to make of the&s;ame Lord, a great<PB REF="10">and a perfete compte for tho&s;e goodes receyued. I pray you, doe no greate riche men of the woorlde, looke for a compte of them to whom they commit ther &s;ub&s;taunce or goodes. Is it not right and rea&s;on that the tenauntes, knowe their lande lordes, and ones in the yere to paye their rentes, and knowleage their dueties. Seyng that al me~ that haue aught, do loke to haue their deuties paied and done vnto the~ accordyng to couenau~tes, why &s;hould not al men both highe and lowe noble and vnnoble, looke to do their duties to their lorde god? Let them con&s;ider they haue receiued that that thei haue they be none owners, they be but &s;er|uauntes and di&s;po&s;ers of their Lordes goodes. God geue grace to all &s;uche &s;eruauntes, to receiue &s;uche thynges, as they receiue truly, and to &s;pende and be&s;towe their goodes truly, that in tyme to come, they may make &s;uche a compte, as &s;halbe thankfully re|ceiued, and they to be rewarded abun|dantly. Of &s;uche a &s;eruaunte Dauid<PB REF="11">wri|tethe in the .Cxij. P&s;alme thus &s;ai|yng:
<HI>Opes &amp; diuitiae in domo eius &amp; iu&s;ticia eius manet ineternum.</HI> Abundance and greate riches are in his hou&s;e, and his rightuou&s;nes and vprighte dealynge remayneth for euer. He &s;aith not, Robberyes, euell gotten goodes and v&s;ury are in his hou&s;e: for then Dauid wold haue &s;aid that his vnrightuou&s;nes and &s;ubtile dealyng had remained in his hou&s;e for euer. Here lette vs weye and depely con&s;ider, the great gyfte of god wher|by the&s;e .ij. thynges may be ioyned to|gether in one hou&s;e, that is to &s;aye, rghtuou&s;nes and Riches. When the good man of the hou&s;e is bothe Riche and rightuous, howe muche is that man bounde to God. For &s;eldome be the&s;e .ij. gi&s;tes lodged in one hou&s;e. And yet it is not vnpo&s;&s;ible to God although it be vnpo&s;&s;ible to man. We reade in holy &s;cripture of many (by the goodnes of god) that ware bothe riche and rightuous. As Abraham, I&s;aac, Iacob, Io&s;eph, Samuel, Iob; Da|uid,
<PB REF="11">&amp;c. The&s;e men ware more then men, for they wer good men, that both feared god &amp; loued god, &amp; that by hys grace and goodnes: whiche was not receiued of them in vaine, they v&s;ed al their goodes to godes will &amp; plea&s;ure. And &s;o doe all good men that are riche in god. Riche&s;&s;e and pouertie of them|&s;elues, be thynges indifferente neither good nor badde, but the v&s;e of them maketh all. God is not plea&s;ed by and by, becau&s;e that a man is poore, for there be many poore that be al&s;o wic|ked, and none more wicked then they. Nether is god di&s;plea&s;ed, becau&s;e a man is riche, for ther haue bene, and I doute not but ther be, many riche me~ bothe riche &amp; good al&s;o, that plea&s;en god right well. For riches be meanes and in&s;trumentes, wherby God maie be plea&s;ed, if thei that po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e them, be bothe riche and rightuous. Then doe they v&s;e there riche&s;&s;e to goddes ple|a&s;ure and poore mens profettes. And they beynge &s;uche riche men, there &s;pryngethe out of them as it ware .ij.<PB REF="12">founteynes, one is: they will do good, And another y^t they are able to do that good that they wil. Here ye &s;ee, 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, &amp; &s;o hath not the poore man, yet for al that the poore man is neuer the more vn|rightuous becau&s;e he hath not to do with all, but it is &s;ufficyente for hym to whom god geueth nomore, to haue a good will and a mercifull harte to|wardes all them that haue nede. And lette hym deale hys almo&s;e with hys tongue, in comfortynge, coun&s;eilynge and exhorting other to pacience and to al other goodnes. But although the rich ma~ be bound to do al the&s;e, yet he mu&s;t helpe the neadie to, with his &s;ub|&s;taunce accordynge to his abilytie and their nece&s;&s;itie, or els he is not that man, that is afore &s;poken 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 &s;ort, that is bothe<PB REF="12">riche and rightuous, and to con&s;ider deaply the will of god, and to remem|ber charitably, the nede of their poore neighbours. It foloweth al&s;o in the afore reher&s;ed texte <HI>&amp; Iu&s;ticia eius manet ineternum.</HI> His rightuou&s;nes dothe remaine for euer. Aboundaunce and riche&s;&s;e remainethe not for euer, but the righte v&s;yng of them and the vpright dealing with them remaineth for euer. Some men perchaunce will &s;ay, &s;ir ye &s;ay wel, that I mu&s;te helpe and releue my neighboures nedes and nece&s;&s;ities. But I pray you tel me? be|not my gooddes mine owne gooddes, and maie not I be&s;towe them accor|ding to mine owne mind? This obiec|tion is an&s;wered to partely before, but heareafter it &s;halbe an&s;wered fully, that neither the gooddes that thou ha&s;te in thy po&s;&s;e&s;&s;yon, are thy good|des, but goddes gooddes, and are not geuen the to be be&s;towed at thy plea|&s;ure, but at goddes plea&s;ure. Heare and marke it wel in this matter, what the holy man Dauid in y^e .ciiij. p&s;alme
<PB REF="13">&s;aith. <HI>Impleta e&s;t terra facultatibus, tuis.</HI> The earthe O lorde (&s;aith he) is repleni&s;hed with thy goodes and &s;ub|&s;tance. Then if we beleue the &s;aiyng of this holy man Dauid, as we mu&s;te nedes and are bounde to do, becau&s;e it is autenticke &s;cripture. We &s;hall per|ceiue that al the goodes and &s;ub&s;tance that is on the earth, is the Lordes and not ours, and that we be but balliefes and Stuardes of the&s;ame, to be&s;towe them after his wyll and not after our owne wyll, &amp; that on payne of damna|cion. Wylt thou knowe what is thine owne proper good, among al the good|des of the earth, con&s;ider well what thou broughte&s;t in with the in to this world, that is to &s;ay, nothyng, the~ that nothynge mai&s;te thou be&s;towe accor|dyng to thyne owne will, for all other thynges are to be be&s;towed accordyng to the Lordes will, that is the owner of them. Perchaunce a man will &s;aie, although I brought nothing into this world with me, yet ther be many thin|ges, that I my &s;elf with my witte and<PB REF="13">wi&s;edome, with my diligence and pol|l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">cye haue gotten, may I not be&s;towe tho&s;e goodes at myne owne will and plea&s;ure? I pray the tell me, who gaue the that witte and wi&s;edom, that with thy diligence &amp; policie, thou ha&s;te got|te~ the&s;e (as thou accompte&s;t the~) thyne owne goodes? Did not god geue the al that thou ha&s;te, witte, rea&s;on, vnder|&s;tandynge, knowlege, and what&s;oeuer thou ha&s;te els, to &s;erue hym with all. Art not thou his bounde &s;eruau~t with all that thou ha&s;te, and arte bounde to &s;erue him to y^e vttermo&s;t of thi powre? May a &s;eruaunt that is &s;ure bounde to his mai&s;ter, make him&s;elfe free, and to do what hym ly&s;te, when he wyll? Standeth he not bound to his mai&s;ter to do hym &s;eruice, to the vttermo&s;te of his powre, with all his witte, with all his rea&s;on, with all his vnder&s;tand|ynge and knowlege, &amp; with all that is po&s;&s;ible for him to do, and thus mu&s;te he continue vntill the tyme his coue|naunt be out? Are not all manner of per&s;ons with all there qualities, both<PB REF="14">inwarde and outwarde, bothe greate and &s;mall, high &amp; lowe, men &amp; women, from the highe&s;t &s;orte to the lowe&s;t, bounde to &s;erue God with all there goodes and &s;ub&s;tance, and with al that thei haue or be be&s;ide. Who hath made any man free from this &s;eruice? Not god: for he &s;aith in the .xij. chapiter of Exodus <HI>Ego &s;um dominus deus tuus</HI> I am (&s;aithe he) the Lorde thy God. This &s;aiynge is &s;poken to euery man and woman of what&s;oeuer &s;tate they be, here is none excepted. If god be the Lorde of vs all: be not we then all hys &s;eruauntes, wyth all our qua|lities. Who hath made vs free? Not god, for he wil neuer make vs free fro~ hys &s;eruice, &s;o longe as we be in this body, Can we make our&s;elues free? That cannot a &s;eruaunte 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 &s;eruauntes, and are bounde to &s;erue hym faithfully and truly, and that to our ende euen on<PB REF="14">panye of Damnacion. Nowe there|fore, ye that wylbe ryche and rightu|ous, &s;ee that ye get youre gooddes accordyng to the wyll of God godly, kepe them godly &amp; &s;pende the~ godly, be mercyfull to the poore and nedye, be not hyghe mynded and haultie ouer other that be poore, Tru&s;te not in vncerteyn riches, but in the liuynge God, be riche in good workes: for all the&s;e le&s;&s;ons dothe the holy Apo&s;tle Paule teche vs, in his fir&s;te Epi&s;tle to Timothe .vj. Suche a nother good le&s;&s;on dothe Dauid teche vs in the lxxxj. P&s;alme &s;aiynge: <HI>Si diuitiae af|fluunt, nolite cor apponere.</HI> If riches (&s;aithe he) flowe or be abun|dante, &s;ette not your harte on them, Make not your good, your God. Serue you your God, and lette your good &s;erue you.</P>
<P>Nowe heare ye haue heard the pro|perties of tho&s;e riche men y^t are bothe Ryche and Rightuous, and they that are &s;uche are al&s;o Ryche in God. I be&s;eche God of his infinite goodnes, to<PB REF="15">geue vs all grace to learne to be riche in this wi&s;e, that is in God, &amp; to prac|ty&s;e the &s;ame in our liuynge, whiche &s;halbe if that we be ryche and rightu|ous, but all are not riche &amp; rightuous, it is good inoughe if we be rightuous whether we be riche or poore. What|&s;oeuer be awaye, rightuou&s;nes maye not be away.</P>
<TRAILER>&para; Here endeth the fir&s;t parte of this &s;ermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="part">
<HEAD>&para; The &s;econde parte.</HEAD>
<P>FVrthermore accordyng to my promes, I will &s;peake of ano|ther &s;orte of men, that are rich in them&s;elues and not in god. Of this &s;orte of riche men was this riche man of whom Chri&s;te made this parable. Of &s;uch &s;orte of riche men the holy &s;cripture is plentyfull, and the whole worlde is not emptie. Of that &s;orte of men Sainte paule admoni&s;&s;h|eth Timotheus his dy&s;ciple .j. Timo|thy .vj. Charge them (&s;aith he) whiche are riche in this worlde, that they be|not<PB REF="15">highe mynded, nor to tru&s;te in vn|certen riches: and in the&s;ame chapiter he &s;pekethe al&s;o, of &s;uche riche men. They (&s;aith he) that wilbe riche, (that is to &s;ay to them&s;elues &amp; not to God) fall into temptacion and &s;nares of the Deuell, and to many foly&s;he and noi|&s;ome lu&s;tes, whiche drawe men in|to perdicion and de&s;truction &amp;c. Here ye &s;ee partly in what ca&s;e they are that are riche in them&s;elues and not in god. Paule calleth them the riche of this worlde, becau&s;e they looke for none other riches of the other worlde. They maye well bee called the riche of this worlde, for they &s;halbe poore beggers in the other worlde, for|they make no preparacion here, that they may be riche there. A liuely ex|ample of &s;uche a riche man is &s;etfurth by our &s;auiour Chri&s;te him&s;elfe in the xii. of Saint Luke &amp; that by a parable. The grounde (&s;aith Chri&s;te) of a cer|ten riche man brought forth plentiful frutes, and he thought within him&s;elf &s;aiyng, what &s;hal I do? becau&s;e I haue<PB REF="16">no rome where to be&s;towe my frutes? And he &s;aied, thus wil I do I wyl de|&s;troye my barnes and buylde greater and therein wil I gather all my good|des that are growen vnto me and I wyll &s;aie vnto my &s;oule: Soule thou ha&s;te muche goodes layed vp in &s;tore for many yeares, take thyne ea&s;e, eate, drinke, be mery. But God &s;aied vnto hym: Thou foole, this night they &s;hall fetche away thy &s;oule againe from the then who&s;e &s;hall tho&s;e thynges be, whiche thou ha&s;te prouided?</P>
<P>Here is many wounderous thinges in this parable to be con&s;idered, if men of thys worlde ware &s;o wy&s;e to con&s;ider them in tyme, no doubte of this mat|ter, they &s;hall con&s;ider it &amp; that depe|ly and erne&s;tly, but all to late, all to late I &s;ay. It ware very expedient for all menne, and namely for &s;uche as be laden with worldly, goodes, riches, Dignities &amp; promocions, &amp; that nowe in tyme, whyle tyme is, for that tyme wyll awaye &s;hortely ere a manne be ware. It ware good to beware in
<PB REF="16">tyme I &s;aie, for after that tyme, it is to late to be beware, It is to late to be wy&s;e, for al thy warene&s;&s;e and wi&s;e|dome will not helpe then. Lette them be ware nowe ere it be ouer late. Re|member the olde prouerbe: happie is he that can be ware by another ma~nes hurte, he is wi&s;e, that can learne wi&s;e|dome by another manes foli&s;hnes. He is happie that can learne to be ware in tyme. All menne, that haue godly witte and vnder&s;tandynge, maye be ware howe they v&s;e their gooddes and their liues, by the&s;e .ij. men &s;et|furth in the&s;e .ij. parables, to all men to learne by, howe to haue heare in this worlde there goodes, and howe to &s;pende them. Of the one mencion is made in Luke .xij. Chapiter, And of the other in the
.xvj. Chapiter of the|&s;ame Euangeli&s;te. I wyll begynne nowe with the fyr&s;te.</P>
<P>&para; I haue reher&s;ed vnto you, alredy the texte, which begynneth thus. The grounde of a certeyne Ryche manne broughte furthe plentifull frutes. &amp;c.<PB REF="17">Here is to be marked, the greate and infinite goodnes of god that gaue &s;uch aboundaunce of al erthly thynges, to this vnthankefull man, that dothe not once con&s;ider the abundant goodnes of God towardes hym, nor yet is he merciful towardes his neighbors, but forgate his bounde dewtie, bothe to|wardes god and his neighbours, and remembred onely hym&s;elf. Marke the wordes of y^e hi&s;tory or parable, marke what this man &s;aied, and marke al&s;o what he dyd, Marke I &s;ay, for al men oughte to beware, either of &s;uche &s;ai|ynges or doynges, for the prouerbe is true: &s;o do: &s;o haue. Say and do as this man dyd, and it &s;halbe &s;ayed and done to you, as it was &s;ayed and done vnto him. Marke this man well, with his &s;aiynges and doynges, for euen &s;o, it &s;halbe &s;aied and done vnto you as was &s;aied and done vnto hym. Fir&s;te what &s;aied he? what dyd he? He &s;aied, what &s;hall I do, becau&s;e I haue no roume where to be&s;towe my frutes. And he &s;aied: thus will I do: I wil de&s;troy my<PB REF="17">barnes, and buyld greater, and therin will I gather all my goodes that are growen to me. &amp;c. Here ye heare part of this mannes &s;aiynges, and &s;ee his doynges, not without his thinkinges. He &s;aied, what &s;hall I do? Was this euill &s;aid? It had not been euill &s;aid, if the meanyng of his &s;aiyng had been good. Euery man ought to examyne his awne con&s;cie~ce: &s;aiyng to hym&s;elf, what &s;hall I do? This ma~nes &s;aiyng maie be borne with in part, but con&s;i|der the whole, with the meanyng, all is naught. He &s;aieth: what &s;hall I do. His meanyng was naught, his awne wordes declare no le&s;&s;e. He meaneth not, when he &s;aieth, what &s;hall I do, accordyng to Goddes will, and to the comfort of my neighbor. His meaning was altogether to get, to kepe, and to &s;pende, all for his awne plea&s;ure, all for his awne profite. He regarded nei|ther his dutie towardes God, nor yet towardes his neighbour. He made no reconyng, whence his aboundance of his goodes came, who gaue that plen|tie, who&s;e goodes thei were, and how<PB REF="18">thei ought to be be&s;towed. His mynd was &s;et another waie, how he &s;hould kepe the&s;e his goodes, wher he &s;hould be&s;towe the~, his mind was occupied in pullyng doune tho&s;e thynges, y^t were to litle for his purpo&s;e, &amp; to build grea+ter, &amp; to lacke no rome, where to lay al &s;uche goodes, as wer growe~ vnto him as God had &s;ent, geuen, or lent hym. Was this an euill thyng, either to &s;peake or to do? to buyld greater hou|&s;es, and to make greater romes, wher god &s;endeth &s;uche great plentie? Nay truly. Herein was his faulte, that all that he either thought, &s;aid or did, was thought, &s;aid and doen, to none other end, but al for hym&s;elf. He neither re|garded his duetie towardes God, nor yet towardes his neighbor. We heare nothyng of his thoughtes, &s;aiynges &amp; doinges, that his goodes came-fro~ god and ought to haue been receiued with thanke&s;geuyng, and al&s;o to haue been be&s;towed, accordyng to God the ge|uers wil. We heare tell of none of all the&s;e thynges, neither by his though|tes, wordes nor dedes, but he thought<PB REF="18">&s;aid and did, al thynges, accordyng to his awne will, to his awne plea&s;ure, &amp; for his awne profit. He compted al his goodes and &s;ub&s;taunce his awne, gro|wen vnto him&s;elf onely, and onely (as he toke it) to v&s;e the~ to his awne plea|&s;ure and profite. This I will do, this I will &s;ay, &s;aith he to hym&s;elf. He re|me~bred not, what the will of god was what he &s;hould &s;aie, &amp; what he &s;hould do; but he &s;aied: thus wil I do, &amp; thus will I &s;aie. Be there not many now a daies, that bothe dooe and &s;aie: euen as this man did and &s;aied. If a manne would con&s;ider the doynges &amp; the &s;ai|ynges, of many me~ now a daies, &s;huld we not thinke ye, finde them as mad &amp; as marueilous, as this mannes doyn|ges &amp; &s;aiynges were? Should we not perceiue by &s;uche &s;aiynges and doyn|ges their imaginacio~s and thoughtes to be as vain, as mad and as vngodly, as this mannes were. Should not a man markyng the&s;e thinges, perceiue that men now a daies, be as vnthank|ful to God, as this man was? Should not a man finde &s;uche now a daies, as
<PB REF="19">hath receiued &s;uche aboundaunce of goodes, of &s;ub&s;taunce, of honours and promocions at Goddes hand, and re|garde their dueties in the&s;e 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 &s;hall &s;e, that thei now a daies, pa&s;&s;e this man, bothe in their doynges &amp; &s;aiynges, and al&s;o by their imaginacions, whiche be &s;een vnto vs by their &s;aiynges and doynges, to bee nothyng behynd hym. Thynke ye not that tho&s;e menne, beyng either equall with this ma~, or pa&s;&s;yng hym, in their imaginacions, &s;aiynges and doynges, &s;hall not all the&s;e heare al&s;o by the mouthe of God, &s;aid vnto the~, as this man did, &s;aied vnto hym? Yes, truely &s;hall thei. Nowe what the mouthe of God &s;pake to this man then, and no le&s;&s;e to oure menne of like condicions now ye &s;hall heare hereafter. Butere I pa&s;&s;e, I mu&s;te reher&s;e vnto you, one &s;aiyng of this mannes more, and then I wil come to Gods &s;aiyng, for,
<PB REF="19">when we haue all &s;aied, we mu&s;te bee content to geue God licence al&s;o, to &s;aie his mynd, for &s;urely &s;o will he do, wil we: nil we. And we will not heare hym here, we mu&s;t and &s;hal heare him there, with a wor&s;e will and le&s;&s;e pro|fite. I will returne again, to that one &s;aiyng of this man that is behind, and then will I tell you what God &s;aith. This man &s;aied thus, &s;aieth the text: And I will &s;aie vnto my &s;oule (&s;aieth he) &s;oule, thou ha&s;te muche goodes la|yed vp in &s;tore for many yeres. Take thyne ea&s;e, eate, drinke, be mery. Fir&s;t and formo&s;te ye mu&s;t marke, who it is, that &s;peaketh on this fa&s;hion, it is the riche ma~, that heare afore is de&s;cribed he that had &s;uche abundance of good|des, that he wi&s;t not where to lay the~, he that had no Godly regarde to be|&s;towe them, but all his mynde was, in gettyng, in gatheryng, in hourdyng, and laiyng vp in &s;tore, for lo~g tyme to come. Suche menne thus full, hauyng all thyng after their awne mind, then thei begin to &s;aie to the~ &s;elfes, in their awne co~ceiptes: &s;oule thou ha&s;t much<PB REF="20">goodes laied vp in &s;tore for many ye|res. Marke here the imaginacion of &s;uche riche men, thei wene, through the multitude of their &s;ub&s;taunce, to liue many yeres and daies. This man was of that opinion, becau&s;e he had &s;uche aboundaunce of goodes, he pro|mi&s;ed hym&s;elf many yeres, to make mery in, and to leade a ge~tlemanly life, bothe a plea&s;aunt and a long. But he made his reconyng (as the Prouerbe is) without his ho&s;te: and &s;o he is fain to recon again. His many yeres were &s;one run ouer. He was not &s;uffered to liue, the &s;pace of an whole day. He pro+mi&s;ed hym&s;elf, many other thynges mo: whiche came to as good effect and pa&s;&s;e, as this thyng did. He &s;aied al&s;o: take thine ea&s;e, eate drinke and be me|ry. Where is that long ea&s;e that was promi&s;ed, with that delicacie in eatyng and that plea&s;auntne&s;&s;e in drynkyng. Where is become, the carele&s;&s;e life, wherein there &s;hould be nothyng, but mirthe and ioye, and makyng merie: &s;ettyng the Cocke vpon houpe, and all &s;hould bee well. All together is<PB REF="20">turned: ar&s;ie, ver&s;ie. There came one &s;odainly, vnloked for, and al&s;o vnwel|come, that marred all the playe. Who was that? Truly GOD. Why, is it come to his cour&s;e, to &s;peake nowe? Yea &s;urely. When men haue &s;hewed their vanitie, then will God &s;hewe his veritie. Men doo take their plea|&s;ure, when thei bee here hauyng all thyng after their awn lu&s;tes, but whe~ the tyme commeth, that God dooeth appoyncte, he will take then his lu&s;te and plea&s;ure, and will bryng theim: <HI>cora~ nobis</HI> in a wilde wanion, and he will tell them a newe tale then, farre vnlike to their tale, wherein thei pro|mi&s;ed them&s;elfes long life and wel to fare. But when God beginneth to &s;peake, then thei begin to holde their peace. Why will God begin once to &s;peake? Yea, that he will truely. A practi&s;e of Goddes &s;peakyng, wee learne here, in this pre&s;ent place of Scripture. When this riche manne had talked ful his bely, after his awn fan&s;ie, thinkyng al thyng &s;hould come<PB REF="21">to pa&s;&s;e, euen as he had imagined it. Euen when he had went he had been moo&s;te &s;ure, he was &s;one&s;t deceiued. I told you, he made his reconyng with|out his hoo&s;te. His hoo&s;te (whiche is God, to whom all reconynges mu&s;te be made truely) called hym to a newe reconyng, he made hym make a newe compt. It foloweth in the texte. But God &s;aied vnto hym: thou foole, this night thei &s;hal fetche awaie thy &s;oule again fro~ thee, then who&s;e &s;hall tho&s;e thynges bee, whiche thou ha&s;t proui|ded? It is the fa&s;hion of GOD, to call &s;uche menne to a reare compt. Is God &s;o &s;harpe in his woordes, that he will call as many as he findeth in this ca&s;e, fooles? Yea truly, this is his fa|&s;hion, and thus will he do. I feare me then, that a greate many of our wi&s;e men, at who&s;e wi&s;edome the worlde wondereth now, will bee called foo|les then. I feare me, that a greate no~|ber of noble men, who&s;e nobilitie the worlde wor&s;hippeth, will bee proued fooles then. I feare me, that a greate nomber of our Iudges and Iu&s;tices,<PB REF="21">who&s;e aucthoritie is not &s;mall in the worlde, will bee proued fooles then. I feare me, that a greate many of our learned clergie, who&s;e learnyng is in no &s;mall reputacion: will bee founde fooles then. What &s;hall I nede to run ouer, all the &s;tates and &s;ortes of men: &s;eeyng that all menne, of what&s;oeuer &s;tate or condicion thei be, if thei do, as this fooli&s;he riche man did, no doubte the mouthe of God, here in this place of Scripture, calleth all the many of theim fooles. All &s;uche men that thus liueth, and &s;o dieth, be created fooles by Goddes awne mouth, whiche cal|leth theim fooles, becau&s;e thei v&s;e the~ &s;elfes, here in this life, &s;o like fooles. Thei liue fooles, thei &s;hall die fooles (except thei repent) and &s;hall ari&s;e a|gain fooles: and &s;hall go to their iud|geme~t fooles, and after that, thei &s;hal go to the deuill, like fooles as thei be. Men compt now a daies, none fooles but &s;uche as we are fooles cotes, coc|kes co~bes, eares &amp; belles. But I feare me, that this manne that our &s;auiour Chri&s;te &s;peaketh of in this Parable,<PB REF="22">with all tho&s;e that are like vnto hym in condicio~s, be more fooles then thei, for all their cockes combes, eares, ba|bles and bel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">es. What if a man &s;hould a&s;ke but a que&s;tio~ in a &s;imilitude: whe|ther he were worthie to bee called a foole that had in his awne po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of his awne patrimonie, a .M. pound lande, and if that manne hauyng this thou&s;and pound land, would chaunge his thou&s;ande pounde of patrimonie, for an hu~dred &s;hillynges of copie hold lande, onely to haue it <HI>ad uoluntatem domini?</HI> Were not this man worthie to be called of all me~ a foole, and wor|thie to weare a Cockes combe and a bel. &amp;c. wer he neuer &s;o wi&s;e compted. Suche fooles almo&s;t are al the whole worlde. Doeth not all the worlde (for the mo&s;t part) chaunge heaue~ly thyn|ges for yearthly thynges, perpetuall thynges, for tran&s;itorie thynges, the life euerla&s;ting, for this pre&s;e~t life. Is not this foole as wi&s;e as thei? What will ye make of a foole, or how will ye di&s;cerne or knowe a foole, but by that he doth like a foole, and as no wi&s;e ma~<PB REF="22">would doo, he will not geue his bable for a Kynges raund &s;ome, he knoweth not what is good &amp; what is euill. He wil leaue the be&s;t and cho&s;e the wor&s;t. He knoweth not (as the Prouerbe &s;aieth) che&s;e from chalke, and therfore he is iudged a foole, and is a foole in deede, and if he neuer ware wi&s;er, he &s;hall die a foole in very deede. Now I pray you, do not thei, that receiue goo|des, riche&s;&s;e, honors, offices, and pro|mocious of this worlde, &amp; either abu&s;e them, or be vnthankfull to god for the~ and &s;o for the&s;e vncertein &amp; vn&s;table goodes, riches, honors, offices and pro|mocions of this fal&s;e flattryng world, do for lacke of godly wi&s;edom and ta|kyng hede here in tyme, lo&s;e euerla|&s;tyng, &s;ure and permanent, goodes, ri|che&s;&s;e, honors, offices and promocio~s. Be not the&s;e thinke ye, tho&s;e that the mouth of God, doth openly, plainly, &amp; &s;harpely here in this place cal fooles? yes truly, &amp; &s;halbe &s;erued like fooles, as the co~clu&s;ion, &amp; knittyng vp of this afore&s;aid parable of our &s;auior Chri&s;t doth plainly &amp; vndoubtedly pronou~ce<PB REF="23">and declare to all maner of per&s;ones, none excepted: &s;aiyng. So it is with him, that gathereth riches to him&s;elf, and is not riche towardes god. Heare the mouthe of truthe, yea, the truth it &s;elf pronounceth, what &s;hall come of all &s;uche as abu&s;e, and be vnthankfull to God for &s;uche thynges, and vncha|ritable to their neighbors, with their goodes, riche&s;&s;e, honours, offices, and promocions of this world, and regard not &s;uche thynges, as bee prepared for good and godly men, in the world that is to come. I would fain if it wer po&s;|&s;ible, &s;ette furthe &s;ome thyng, before the&s;e worldly wi&s;e mennes iyes, that thei might clerely &s;e their awne &s;tate, that thei bee here in, in this pre&s;ent worlde. I cannot imagine how better to &s;hewe them their &s;tate, (if it be not rather worthy to be called a fall) then to co~pare their whole life, to men that dreame, plea&s;aunt and profitable dre|mes, and do thinke them&s;elfes, for the tyme &s;o well, as thei can imagin them &s;elfes, that thei cannot be better, and &s;o long as that &s;wete &s;lepe dooth con|tinue,<PB REF="23">&s;o long are thei (as thei imagin) moo&s;te 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 tur|ned to mi&s;ery, all their ioye, is turned to &s;orowe, and &s;o to conclude, al thyng is turned top&s;ie turuie. Truly, truly, if the worldly mynded manne, who&s;e hart, mynd and al, is &s;et vpo~ worldly thynges, his &s;tate, the ende con&s;idered is euen like the &s;tate of a dreamer, or a dreamyng man, that is in the middes of his plea&s;aunt &amp; profitable dreames. He thynketh all is well, and he hath al thinges after his awne hartes lu&s;t, and &s;uppo&s;eth all thynges &s;o to conti|nue. But alacke alacke, he is farre de|ceiued, euen as a dremyng man is. For when God &s;hall take &s;uche men, from this vain and dreamyng life, then &s;hal thei, truly &s;e and perceiue, with their awne greate hurte, becau&s;e thei will not con&s;ider it in tyme, that al was as vain, as vain dreames, that thei tooke for bothe &s;table and profitable, which doeth but make fooles fain for a tyme.
<PB REF="24">Therefore I would adui&s;e, all &s;uche worldly men to bee wi&s;e in tyme, and to co~&s;ider what Eccle&s;ia&s;tes teacheth them in the .xij. Chapiter of his boke, &s;aiyng: <HI>Vanitas uanitatum (dixit Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tes) &amp; oi~auanitas.</HI> Eccle&s;ia|&s;tes &s;aieth, he can &s;ee nothyng here in this world, but all was vanitie, vani|tie, vanitie, fondne&s;&s;e, fondne&s;&s;e, foo|li&s;hene&s;&s;e, fooli&s;hene&s;&s;e. Now what is all your greate riche&s;&s;e, high honours offices and promocions? Are not all vanities. When your dreamyng tyme is out, ye &s;hal then truly perceiue the~ to bee verie vanities. Yea, and wor&s;e then vanities, if either ye abu&s;e them, or be vnthankfull to God for the~, and help not your neighbors with the~, thei &s;halbe vnto you dampnable vanities. Now I be&s;eche god for his great mer|cies &s;ake, to geue vnto all me~ grace, to v&s;e well their riches, high honors, of|fices and promocions, and to be thank+full to god for them, and charitable to their neighbors with them. And &s;o to v&s;e the&s;e thynges (whiche of the~ &s;elfes if thei be abu&s;ed) bee but vanities, to<PB REF="24">v&s;e the~ (I &s;aie) as in&s;trumentes, wher+by thei may plea&s;e god, &amp; profite their neighbors, and make the~ here frendes by the right v&s;ing of the&s;e worldly va+nities, whiche maie receiue them into euerla&s;tyng habitacions. Now here I haue &s;hewed you of &s;uche riche me~, as are riche to them&s;elfes, &amp; not to God, Better it wer for theim to be warned here in tyme, then to tary to lo~g, vntil thei for lacke of warnyng come to hel, where warnyng will not &s;erue. As it chaunced vnto this riche man, of who~ ye now &s;hall heare, in this Parable folowyng, whiche is now for lacke of takyng hede in tyme: da~pned in hell, &amp; fain would haue remedy, but becau&s;e he &s;eketh it to late, none wilbe found.</P>
<TRAILER>&amp; Here endeth the &s;eco~d part of this Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="part">
<P>NOwe to the Parable. There was a certain riche ma~, which was clothed in Purple &amp; fine white, &amp; fared delicioufly euery day, &amp; there was a begger named Lazarus, whiche lay at his gate full of &s;ores, de|&s;iryng to be refre&s;hed with y^e cro~mes whiche fell fro~ the riche mans borde, &amp;<PB REF="25">no man gaue vnto hym. The Dogges came al&s;o, &amp; licked his &s;ores. Here, in the beginnyng of this parable, Chri&s;t did &s;et furthe to the Iewes, to whom he preached then, and no le&s;&s;e to vs, to who~ this his doctrine is preached now two me~, of the which, one was a riche man, and the other a poore begger, by the whiche twoo, he &s;etteth furthe by
<HI>antithe&s;in,</HI> the felicitie of this worlde in thone, and the mi&s;ery of this world in the other. That is, in this riche ma~ is &s;et furthe, the life that is compted onely happie in this worlde. In the poore man, is &s;et furth the life, that is compted mo&s;te vnhappie, and mi&s;era|ble in this worlde. Fir&s;t, let vs co~&s;ider earne&s;tly, the &s;tate of the&s;e twoo men, beyng bothe here in this worlde: and al&s;o their &s;tates in the world to come. The&s;e thynges are to bee con&s;idered earne&s;tly of vs, euen now while tyme is, le&s;t perchaunce we deferre it, til it be to late, as this riche man did, as ye maie well con&s;ider in this Parable. Here we maie learne al&s;o to con&s;ider not thynges that be onely pre&s;ent, but<PB REF="25">rather thendes of al thynges. The life of the riche manne was compted be&s;t, and the poore mannes life wor&s;te, but the ende &s;heweth farre otherwi&s;e. Let vs not folowe the fa&s;hion and maner of men of this worlde, whiche care li|tle for the ende, &s;o that thei now maie haue the plea&s;aunt life, that this rich man had, nothyng at all con&s;ideryng the ende, what chaunced vnto hym af|ter this life was pa&s;t. This afore&s;aied man, is named here riche, &amp; was riche in deede, and was compted happie and fortunate, for he lacked nothyng, whi|che belonged to leade a plea&s;aunt life withall. He was clothed in Purple, and fine white, and fared deliciou&s;ly e|uery daie. In the&s;e two thynges, that is, in co&s;tly and precious raiment, and delicate fare, is comprehended al thin|ges, that are to this pre&s;ent life, either plea&s;aunt or delectable. Vnder the&s;e twoo kyndes, that is, purple &amp; white, is comprehended, all maner of co&s;tly and &s;umpteous apparel, whether it be linen, or wollen. And by the&s;e wordes he fared deliciou&s;ly euery daie, is vn|der&s;tande,
<PB REF="26">that he had abundance of al co&s;tly and delicate meates and drinkes We rede not here, that this riche man was condempned in hell, for his co&s;tly raiment, and his delicate fare, but that he hauyng &s;uche abundance of theim bothe, could not finde in his hart, that poore Lazarus &s;hould haue any parte with hym. All thei that are co&s;tly ara|yed, and fare delicatly, are not conde~|pned, &s;o that thei kepe theim within their limites and boundes, and for|gette not theim that lacke, euen their ca&s;traime~t, and their &s;crappes al&s;o of their table. Here are co~dempned one|ly thei, that are to theim&s;elfes to libe|rall, yea, to prodigall, bothe in raime~t and fare, regardyng not, what thei &s;pende vpon theim&s;elfes, painperyng vp their awne bodies, &amp; in the meane &s;ea&s;on, are altogether vnliberall, and &s;tarke nigardes to the poore and nedy and can finde in their hartes, to &s;e the~ die at their gates, bothe for hunger and al&s;o for cold. Thus did this riche manne, to the poore begger Lazarus: therfore he is in hel for his labor. And
<PB REF="26">what learne we by this riche mannes doyng, but to bewart, le&s;t wee doyng like, &s;hall haue like, euen as he hath. For, therfore is this rich man &s;et here to teache vs to be ware by his exa~ple. Here I &s;aie, euery manne mu&s;te kepe him&s;elf, within his limites and boun|des, and &s;o there &s;halbe no man damp|ned, either for rayment, or for co&s;tly fare, &s;o that men bee beneficiall to the poore. But bou~des be broken, limites be ouer trode~, there is almo&s;te no per|&s;one that kepeth hym&s;elf within his limites or boundes: there is almo&s;t no man, that can be co~tent with his awne &s;tate, neither in raime~t, nor yet in fare. The yeoman will approche to the ge~|tlemannes &s;tate, the gentleman to the knightes &s;tate, the knight to the lords &s;tate, and &s;o furth on: and not onely in raiment, but al&s;o in fare. And that &s;ee the &s;eruauntes, and thei pa&s;&s;e their de|gree al&s;o: and &s;o euery man is out of order. O that men would be content, to fare and go, euery man after his de|gree, and beware of climyng. And al&s;o if euery man would beware of exce&s;&s;e<PB REF="27">in all thynges, the pouerties nedes might bee releued in all thynges. For there is more &s;pe~t in &s;uperfluous rai|ment, and &s;uperfluous fare (I holde my peace from &s;uperfluous gamyng, and &s;uperfluous giftes geuyng) in Englande, then would &s;erue to the nece&s;&s;ities, of the very nedy of al En|glande. Nowe yet a litle to the texte. There is a certain riche man. &amp;c. We reade not that this riche manne, gatte his goodes euil, but he bothe kept the~ euill, and &s;pent them not well. I rede not, that he was a bribe taker, nor an extorcioner, nor a re~t rai&s;er, nor a fine taker, nor a lea&s;emonger, nor an v&s;u|rer, nor a piller, or poller of the poore, nor a fal&s;e purcha&s;er. In &s;u~ma, I rede not that he gatte his goodes euil, but that he &s;pent theim all vpon his awne per&s;one, and after his awne plea&s;ure, and not vpo~ the poore, after the plea|&s;ure of God. The text &s;aith, this man was riche, but it was to hym&s;elf, and to the world, and altogether after the worldly e&s;timacio~, and alone afore the worlde and worldly men, but he was<PB REF="27">a very mi&s;er and poore begger, before God and all godly men. Here ye haue heard of this rich man, in what felici|tie and plea&s;ure, he ledde his life, how that he was compted happie and for|tunate, emong all other here, and as he liued honourably, &s;o he died to the world honorably, and was buried ho|norably. All his life was honorable, e|uen vnto the very graue, but to what honor he came afterward beyng dedde ye &s;hall heare hereafter. Fir&s;t, ye &s;hal heare of the poore begger Lazarus life howe mi&s;erably he liued, in a worldly re&s;pect: as it foloweth in the text. And there was a certein begger, named Lazarus, whiche laie at his gate full of &s;ores, de&s;iryng to be refre&s;hed with the cromes, whiche fel from the riche mannes borde, and no man gaue vnto hym, the dogges came al&s;o and licked his &s;ores. Nowe herken here of this poore beggers life. There was a cer|tain begger named Lazarus, a man as farre drouned in mi&s;erie, as the riche man was in felicitie: this manne was not onely poore and a begger, but al&s;o<PB REF="28">a mi&s;erable begger, as far out of mon|nes reputacion, as the riche man was in e&s;timacio~. This man was as poore in lackyng, as the other was riche in hauyng. This man lacked, euen verie nece&s;&s;aries, where as the other abun|ded in &s;uperfluou&s;nes. This mi&s;er (as the worlde taketh mi&s;ers) had neither hou&s;e nor home, neither coate nor goune, he lacked neither &s;ores nor hu~|ger, who would not &s;aie, that he was mo&s;te vnhappie of all other, that euer liued in the worlde? Who would &s;aie that doth co~&s;ider, bothe the&s;e mennes lifes, that is to &s;ay, this riche mannes life, &amp; the poore beggers life, but that the riche manne was euen a verie pa|terne, full of felicitie, and the begger a paterne of very mi&s;ery. 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 hou&s;es, &amp; the o|ther neuer a one. Thone had to much meate and drinke, and the other neuer a whit. The one was &s;ound and mery and the other &s;icke and &s;orie. The one<PB REF="28">was all to well clothed: and the other all together naked. Here a man maie &s;e a liuely exa~ple of worldly felicitie &amp; of worldly mi&s;ery. What man &s;eyng &amp; con&s;ideryng, bothe the&s;e me~nes lifes, but would &s;aie, thone wer altogether happie, &amp; thother altogether vnhappy The &s;tate of this riche man is highly e&s;temed, with all that be but men, and a lonely worldly men, and yet it is no|thyng le&s;&s;e, then &s;o e&s;temed of God, &amp; godly men. As our &s;auior Chri&s;t &s;aith in Luke .xvi. chap. That that is high|ly e&s;temed emo~gmen: is abhominable in the &s;ight of god. He &s;aith not onely it is litle or lightly &s;et by, in the &s;ight of God, but it is abhominable in the &s;ight of god. Marke here, that all ho|nors, all dignities, all promocions, all offices, &amp; al riches, whiche, although thei be neuer &s;o highly e&s;temed in the worlde of worldly men: if thei bee not rightly v&s;ed, vnto the honor of God, and charitably ordered, to the commo|ditie and wealthe of Goddes people, the &s;tate of theim that po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e theim: although it bee in the &s;ight of menne,
<PB REF="29">highly e&s;temed and honourable, in the &s;ight of GOD and Godly menne, is bothe horrible &amp; abhominable. What &s;hall wee then &s;aie? Shall thynges of this pre&s;ent worlde, continue &s;till in their e&s;timacion, in another world al|&s;o, as menne e&s;teme theim here, whe|ther thei bee good or bad? This mat|ter is clerely &s;et furthe, to all mennes iyes that will &s;ee, in this pre&s;ent Pa|rable, of this riche manne, and poore Lazarus. Con&s;ider the ende of tho&s;e twoo per&s;ones, and then ye &s;hall &s;ee, and that euidently, that the matter is farre otherwi&s;e. Sodeinly, death com|ming, turneth y^e matter vp&s;ide doune. Death commyng to the riche man, ma+keth an ende of all his felicitie &amp; plea|&s;ure, wherin he was thought to be &s;o happie. Death on the other &s;ide, com|myng to this poore man, is the ende of all &s;orowes and mi&s;eries. O that the world, whiche is &s;o blinded in world|ly vanities: would co~&s;ider this thyng bothe hartly and earne&s;ty. Then men &s;hould not be &s;o forgetful, and &s;o litle remember the &s;tate, that is to come in<PB REF="29">another worlde. It is not for naught, that that good man, Ie&s;us the &s;onne of Siracke in his boke, whiche is cal|led Eccle&s;ia&s;ticus, in the .vij. Chapit. doth warne euery man of this thyng, &s;aiyng: Sonne, reme~ber thy la&s;t ende, and thou &s;halt neuer doo ami&s;&s;e. The lacke of this remembran~ce in tyme, is the cau&s;e, that &s;o many menne go to the deuill. If that we would, earne&s;t|ly and often reme~ber, what is to come in another worlde, after this pre&s;ent life, we &s;hould neuer &s;o forget, (as we now doo) neither our duetie to God, nor yet to our neighbour. We &s;hould not &s;et &s;o muche by worldly vanities as we do: we &s;hould not &s;o lightly re|gard heauenly and eternall thynges, and &s;o highly e&s;teme worldly thynges as we do. Remember therfore thy la&s;t ende, and what thy &s;tate &s;halbee after this pre&s;ent life. Remember (I &s;aie, yea, bothe earne&s;tly and ofte~, and that remembraunce &s;hall cau&s;e thee to ex|chue vice, and to folowe and embrace vertue. Beware by thexample of this riche man, whiche delighted and had<PB REF="30">&s;omuche plea&s;ure, that he thought not once of deathe, and of his &s;tate after deathe. And therefore is he nowe, (al|though to late) taught with his awne dampnacion, to teache other in tyme, by his example, the waie to &s;aluacion. He was &s;o full of riche&s;&s;e, that he had no regard to pouertie. He had &s;omuch wealth, that he regarded nothyng at all poore mennes mi&s;erie. Poore La|zarus de&s;ired no deinties, but onely to releue his hunger, with the cromes or &s;crappes, that were lefte at this riche manne's table, but no man gaue vnto him. By like there was an vncharita|ble hou&s;e, that neither one nor other, could finde in his harte, to geue this begger &s;ome almo&s;e. I doubt not, but euery manne within the dores had to muche, eue~ dogges and all. But there was nothyng without the doores, for the poore nedy and hungrie, but hun|ger and &s;mall ea&s;e. Yea, the very dog|ges were more mercifull, then either their mai&s;ter, or mai&s;tres, or hou&s;hold for thei delte their almo&s;e vpon hym. The dogges (&s;aith the text) came and<PB REF="30">licked his &s;ores. Suche mai&s;ter, &s;uche &s;eruauntes, is commonly &s;ene. This man was altogether liberall, yea, pro|digall vpon hym&s;elf and his, after his awne lu&s;te and plea&s;ure: but concer|nyng the poore nedy, and Goddes lu&s;t and plea&s;ure, he was eue~ a very &s;tarke nigard. Well, this man liued here all in his felicitie, and &s;o did poore La|zarus, euen in his mi&s;erie. But nowe commeth death (as I haue &s;aied) and turneth all top&s;ie turuie. It foloweth in the texte. And it fortuned, that the begger died, and was caried by the an|gels into Abrahams bo&s;ome. It chau~|ced (&s;aieth the texte) that the begger died. That begger (I &s;aie) that no ma~ regarded whiles he liued, but god &s;he|wed howe muche he regarded hym, in that that his angelles brought him in to Abrahams bo&s;ome. The riche man wold not once vouch&s;afe, to take hym into his hou&s;e, to releue hym, but god doth vouch&s;afe to take hym, to &s;uche a place, where is euerla&s;tyng felicitie &amp; glory. Let vs con&s;ider, what maner of departing had Lazarus fro~ this world<PB REF="31" MS="y">Death to this good and godly begger yea, to all godly men, is a greate bene|fite. For it deliuereth all &s;uche, from innumerable euils, eue~ as it wer men that had been long in a &s;harpe pri&s;on, from greate affliccion, to great refre|&s;hyng. Therefore it is no pein nor mi|&s;erie, for a good and godly man to die. For to hym death is the very way and pa&s;&s;age, to euerla&s;tyng ioye and high felicitie. This poore man is ded (&s;aith the text). He is ded I graunt, but not &s;o dedde, or with &s;uche a death, as the wicked men v&s;e to die, but after ano|ther fa&s;hion, of the whiche the holy man Iob, the .Lxvi Chap. &s;peaketh on &s;aiyng: The death of his &s;ainctes (&s;aith he) is very precious in the lordes &s;ight This poore Lazarus &s;oule was ca|ried, not of one Angell, but of many &s;aieth the text. Whether did thei cary it? Into Abrahams bo&s;ome, that is, in to euerla&s;tyng ioye &amp; re&s;t in the lorde. Whiche place, &s;ome men call Para|di&s;e, after Chri&s;tes &s;aiyng to the thefe hangyng on his right hand, whiche de|&s;ired hym, to haue hym in his remem|braunce,
<PB REF="31">whe~ he &s;hould come into his kyngdome, Luke .xxiij. where Chri&s;te &s;aith vnto him: this daie &s;halt thou be with me in Paradi&s;e. Some call this place the hande of the Lorde, as it is written in the .iij. Chap. of the boke of Sapie~ce. The &s;oules of the righteous are in the hande of the Lorde. Marke here, that although mencion is made, that the &s;oules of good, godly, &amp; righ|teous per&s;ones, be &s;afe enough, either in Abrahams bo&s;ome, in Paradi&s;e, in the hande of the Lorde, or in heauen. And I doubte not but that thei haue, &s;uche glory and felicitie: as .S. Paule to the Cori. &s;peaketh of in the .i. Epi|&s;tle the .ij. Chap. &s;aiyng, that mannes iye hath not &s;een, 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 &s;cripture telleth. I let God alone with all &s;uche &s;ecre|tes, as Chri&s;te, his Apo&s;tles, and the prophetes, hath not reueled and made<PB REF="32">manife&s;t to vs in holy &s;cripture. Now I doubt not but Abrahames bo&s;ome, is the place wherin all the elected and cho&s;en of God, whiche doo truely fo|lowe Abrahams faith, do re&s;t 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 &s;hall come the|ther. There was neuer time, but that God had appoyncted a place for his e|lected to re&s;t in. Afore Chri&s;tes com|myng, that place was called, the bo|&s;ome of Abraham: but now it is called heauen, the hou&s;e of the eternall fa|ther, as .S. Paule witne&s;&s;eth in his .ij Epi&s;tle, the .v. Chap to the Cori. For we knowe (&s;aieth he) that if our year|thy man&s;ion of this dwellyng wer de|&s;troyed, we haue a buyldyng of God, an habitacion, not made with handes but eternall in heauen. Al&s;o Chri&s;t in Iho~ .xiiij. &s;peakyng of the &s;ame thyng, &s;aieth: In my fathers hou&s;e there bee many dwellyng places. And the &s;ame
<PB REF="32">Chri&s;t &s;afeth al&s;o in Ihou .xii. Where I am (&s;aith he) there &s;hal my mini&s;ter bee al&s;o. Paule al&s;o in his Epi&s;tle to the Philippians the .i. Cha. De&s;ireth to bee lo&s;ed, and to bee with Chri&s;te. Now here ye haue hard thende of this poore begger, beyng righteous before God, what came to hym after his deth and departyng fro~ 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 &s;ight of God righteous: all good, godly, and righteous poore beggers, and men of &s;mall reputacio~, make greate comfort, vnto whom the ioye &amp; felicitie of the life to come, &s;hal recompen&s;e the &s;orowe and mi&s;erie, that is in this life all comen and pa&s;t. Here ye heard of Lazarus death, and what chanced vnto him after his deth. Now &s;hall ye heare of the riche man|nes death. Why? do &s;uche 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 the~ after their death, marke
<PB REF="33">well this parable, and ye &s;hall know. It foloweth in the parable. The rich man al&s;o died and was buried. Is he ded in deede? How chaunced he died? It was not (I tru&s;te) for lacke of clo|thes? For he had to many. It was not for lacke of meate and drynke, for he had to muche. Why? will not gay and co&s;tly clothes &amp; delicate meates, kepe men from death? No, rather I feare me thei help men to death. Then I &s;e that neither co&s;tly araye, nor delicate fare, nor abundaunce of goodes, nor excellencie of dignities, nor greatnes in office, nor yet noblene&s;&s;e of birthe: will kepe any man from death. For as &s;one dieth the riche man with his ri|ches, and his co&s;tly raiment, and with his delicate fare, as the poore manne with his pouertie, cour&s;e raime~t, and homely fare. A&s;&s;one die thei in digni|ties and greate Offices, as other that haue none of them bothe. A&s;&s;one dieth the noble, as the ba&s;e borne. A&s;&s;one dieth the Prelate, as the Pulter, as &s;one dieth the prie&s;te as the clerke. &amp;c. For as Paule &s;aieth to the Hebrues,<PB REF="33">ix. Chapiter. It is appoyncted vnto al men, that thei &s;hall once die. And the olde &s;aiyng 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 al&s;o died. &amp;c. Why? Is he dedde that promi&s;ed hym&s;elf &s;o long tyme to liue? He is dedde. But is he dedde in deede? Yea truly. What &s;hall we then &s;aie? what? Mary if he wer, as many of our riche menne be now a daies, I knowe what men bee wont to &s;aie, I would not that thei &s;hould &s;o &s;aye. What (I praie thee) bee thei wont to &s;aie, when &s;uche riche coueteous men die? What? Euen thus plumpe out. The deuill in hell be with theim. Let theim ge&s;&s;e again, if thei had &s;aied &s;o when this riche man died, and had la|yed any wager on it, it maie fortune thei &s;hould haue won. But what &s;hal we &s;aie? God haue mercy on his &s;oule that wer but lo&s;t labor. For God wil haue no mercie vpon theim that be in hell. For &s;cripture &s;aieth: in hell is no redempcion. What &s;hall I &s;aie, God
<PB REF="34">haue mercie on poore Lazarus &s;oule? That al&s;o is lo&s;t labor, for God hath mercie on him all redy. It is now pa&s;t God haue mercy of all chri&s;ten &s;oules matter, when men de departed all re|dy. 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 no|thyng 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 &s;ignified, that his buriall was like, as al his like was compted, that is mo&s;te honorable and I doubt not, but &s;o was his buri|all al&s;o. Moreouer, I doubte not but this riche man, had Diriges, Ma&s;&s;es, Trintals, and prie&s;tes enough to &s;aie Ma&s;&s;es for hym. He neither lacked &s;ingyng nor ringing, chimyng nor tol|lyng, if &s;uche thynges were v&s;ed in tho&s;e 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 mo|ney.<PB REF="34">There wer al&s;o many mourners with whoodes &amp; blacke gounes, with many a dri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">ye more, and &s;o he was brought into the yearth mo&s;te honour+rably. But poore Lazarus lacked us more but al this pomp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> and glory&punc;
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> he lacked not euerla&s;tyng glory&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> had not this riche manne with all his trinkettes, wrought and dooen &s;o ho|nourably, euerla&s;tyng felicitie? Nor, ware that, for that is gotte~ with
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;uche tro~pery&punc; But where is he then? Where? Mary euen where he &s;hould be, &amp; where he &s;ought in all his whole life for to be: Where is that? Euer in hell: for &s;o &s;aieth the text. What man, is al that ringyng and &s;ingyng, al that Ma&s;&s;yng &amp; dirigyng, with crouchyng and kneelyng, with that bitter wea|pyng and wailyng, with the Churche hangyng and greate offeryng, al toge|ther lo&s;te? Yea truely; all was lo&s;t to hym. For who&s;oeuer founde aught; he found naught. Perchaunce ye wil &s;ay there were no &s;uche thynges at that tyme, as is now v&s;ed. I an&s;were, al|though there were no &s;uche thynges,<PB REF="35">at that tyme v&s;ed, yet I doubt not but there was then, as pratie deuices de|ui&s;ed by the Clergie, and receiued of the laitie, as wee haue &s;een in tymes pa&s;t, and yet maie &s;e, &s;o that we wil &s;e it. See ye not what pratie trickes bee in our this mo&s;te knowyng tyme con|ueighed into the ble&s;&s;ed Communion for to get money withall? Now let vs returne again to this riche man, thus honorably buried, and &s;o &s;emeth vnto vnknowyng people of the worlde, to be in no wor&s;e &s;tate in another world, then he was in this world. But it wil bee founde farre otherwi&s;e, when the truthe is knowen.</P>
<TRAILER>&para; Here endeth the third part of this Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="part">
<P>IT foloweth in the text: And be+yng in hell in tormentes, he lift vp his iyes, and &s;awe Abraham a farre of, and Lazarus in his bo&s;ome, and he cried and &s;aid: father Abraham haue mercie on me, and &s;end Lazarus that he maie dippe the tippe of his fin|ger in water, and coole my tongue, for I am tormented in this flambe. But<PB REF="35">Abraham &s;aied: &s;onne remember that thou in thy life tyme, receiuede&s;t thy plea&s;ure, and contrarywi&s;e Lazarus receiued pain, but now he is co~forted, and thou art puni&s;hed. Ye haue heard here afore, how honourably this rich man (to the worlde) led his life, died and was al&s;o honorably buried. Now his honor is turned to horror, his pro|&s;perous &s;tate, to an vnluckie &s;tate. He liued here in all delicacie and plea&s;u|res, but he leadeth his life now in all mi&s;eries and paines. Let vs con&s;ider out of the texte here, in what mi&s;era|ble ca&s;e this riche man is comen into nowe, after all his felicitie, and plea|&s;ure taken in this worlde. Fir&s;t, he is ca&s;t into hell, whiche is a place for the that are perpetually da~pned, in whi|che place, there is no hope of any deli|uery or &s;aluacion. Furthermore, in that helle he is tormenred with firie flambes. We read no le&s;&s;e written by E&s;ate the Prophete, in his .lxvi. chap. Their wormes (&s;aith he) &s;hal not die, neither &s;hall their fire bee quenched, and all fle&s;he &s;hall abhorre the~. Chri&s;t<PB REF="36">&s;aieth al&s;o in Matthewe .xiij. Chapi. Thei &s;hall ca&s;t theim into a furnes of fire, there &s;halbe wailyng, &amp; gna&s;hing of tethe. Yet more, this riche ma~ &s;eeth &s;ette before his iyes, poore Lazarus, whom in tymes pa&s;te, he did nothyng regard, in greate and perpetuall feli|citie. This is no litle pain to the~ that be dampned, to &s;e them that were no|thyng, in compari&s;on to them, now &s;o to be in perpetuall plea&s;ure, and them &s;elfes in perpetuall pain, &amp; 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 vouch&s;afe to geue the cro~mes of his table. He &s;aith; &s;end 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 &s;toutne&s;&s;e of &s;uche men, are wont to be puni&s;hed withall. For thei whiche were in plentie, and felicitie: contempned poore &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ly &s;oules in their mi&s;ery and beggarie, not hauyng pitie<PB REF="36">vpon thein to helpe them, but thei de|&s;pi&s;ed theim and iudged the~ not wor|thy to their companie. The&s;e me~ thus doyng, doeth finde no le&s;&s;e at Goddes hande, and that by the right iudgeme~t of God, bee brought to &s;uche extreme nece&s;&s;itie and high mi&s;erie, that thei would thanke God with al their har|tes, that tho&s;e men, whom thei conte~|pned and &s;ette &s;o litle by, would now vouch&s;afe once to geue theim one fa|miliar countenaunce, or &s;peake vnto the one familiar worde. It is (I &s;aie) the very ordinaunce of God, that thei &s;halbee mea&s;ured with the &s;ame mea|&s;ure, that thei mea&s;ured other withal for &s;o &s;aieth Chri&s;te in Matthewes Go&s;pell .vil. Chapi. with what mea|&s;ure ye mete, with the &s;ame &s;hal other men mea&s;ure to you? There is a mer|uerlous equalitie in god, for this riche man (not with&s;tandyng his bitter pra|yer) obteined not &s;o muche at Goddes hand, as a droppe of water, becau&s;e he had defiled afore a crome of bread. We haue here a liuely example, what thei &s;hall finde hereafter, that now in this<PB REF="37">life doeth not prepare for theim&s;elfes frendes of the wicked Mammon, that whe~ thei &s;halbe take~ fro~ their goodes whiche thei co~pt their frendes, and be very beggers in deede, &amp; haue greate nede, thei &s;hall find as this ma~ found, euerla&s;tyng lackyng, &amp; euermore beg|gyng. There is no begger in wor&s;e ca&s;e, and a more mi&s;er, then he that euer beggeth, and neuer obteineth. Suche &s;halbe all that dooeth as this man did. Therfore here in tyme what remedy Chri&s;t hath found, for as ma|ny as doth beleue him, and folowe his coun&s;aill. Luke .xvi. I &s;aie vnto you, (&s;aith he) make you frendes of the vn|righteous Mammon, that when ye &s;hall haue nede, thei maie receiue you into euerla&s;tyng habitacions. Wil ye folowe Chri&s;tes coun&s;ail? while ye be here riche, and be able to make fre~des by your riches, make them I coun&s;ail you. Geue here, and it &s;halbee geuen vnto you there, helpe the poore here, and thei &s;hal help you there. Receiue theim here, and thei &s;hall receiue you there. Loke what ye do vnto the~ here.<PB REF="37">&s;halbe doen vnto you again there, bee it good or euill: for Chri&s;te compteth altogether, that is doen to one of his, beyng neuer &s;o poore, to be doen vnto him&s;elf. And wher it is promi&s;ed that thei (to whom ye are beneficiall here) &s;hall receiue you into euerla&s;tyng ha|bitacions: By that wee gather, that Chri&s;t of his goodnes, hath geuen the bothe goodes and aucthoritie, to dooe you good again, that haue doen theim good here. Here ye &s;e, how to be recei|ued of God, and how to bee abiected. Be good therfore vnto the poore, and do to them, as ye would that thei here after, &s;hall do vnto you. And &s;o ye do|yng good vnto theim, &s;hall dooe your &s;elf greate good, and laie vp threa&s;ure for your &s;elfes, that neuer &s;hall faile you. And &s;o dooyng here, ye &s;hall not lacke ther. And to the text again. And beyng in hell in tormentes, he lifte vp his iyes, &amp; &s;aw Abraham a farre of, &amp;c. Here are in this parable that Chri&s;t propouneth, many &s;traunge thynges, to them that knoweth not the nature of a Parable. In a Parable, there be<PB REF="38">many thynges feigned to be, that wer neuer doen: &amp; yet maie there be muche and Godly doctrine taught by theim. This one thyng emong many, is to be marked in euery Parable: the &s;copt, the meanyng and thend, wherfore the parable is &s;poken, &amp; all thynges in pa|rables, mu&s;t be directed to y^t purpo&s;e. Now in this Parable ye mu&s;te marke well, although here in the Parable, it &s;emeth that thei that be in heaue~, or in a place of &s;aluacio~, &s;hould bothe &s;e and talke with the~, y^t be in the place of da~|pitation, yet there is no &s;uche thinges in deede, but we mu&s;te marke to what end chri&s;t &s;pake this parable. He &s;pake it to the Iues &amp; in them to all vs, tea|chyng bothe the~ and vs, how to liue in this world, y^t we may liue in the world that is to come al&s;o. 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 &s;criptures, neither of thynges pre&s;ent in this worlde, neither of thynges in the worlde to come. Now once again<PB REF="38">to the text: and beyng in hel in torme~|tes, he lift vp his iyes, and &s;awe Abra|ham &amp;c. Here mu&s;t ye note (as I haue partly told you before) that although that Chri&s;t &s;etteth furth in this para|ble, as though &s;oules departed out of this worlde, &s;ome to the place of glo|rie, and &s;ome to the place of mi&s;erie: &s;hould &s;peake or talke one with ano|ther, yet there is no &s;uche thyng, nor Chri&s;t meaneth no &s;uche thyng. But Chri&s;tes meanyng is, to teach vs that bee his, and here a liue, to bee ware of &s;uche imaginacious or &s;aiynges, as this man beyng in hell, doth &s;aie here. For eue~ as Chri&s;t feigneth this man, to &s;peake in hell: euen &s;o doth deuili&s;h men imagin and &s;peake in yearth &s;up|po&s;yng &s;uche thynges to bee true, as this man in hell doth &s;peake, or is ra|ther by Chri&s;t feigned to &s;peake. And ye mu&s;te note al&s;o, that like as in this mannes &s;peakyng is &s;ignified all euill me&s;tnes imaginacions and &s;aiynges: &s;o here is al&s;o to bee marked in Abra|hams &s;aiynges, Gods will and plea|&s;ure knowen in &s;criptures, for Abra|ham<PB REF="39">doeth &s;peake here in the per&s;one of god, and there is here nothyng &s;po|ken of hym, but that is true, and doth confute all this wicked mannes a&s;&s;er|tions &amp; &s;aiynges. Now let vs example the text, whiche &s;aith: he beyng in hell in tormentes, lift vp his iyes, and &s;aw Abraha~ a farre of, and Lazarus in his bo&s;ome, and he cried and &s;aied, father Abraham haue mercie on me, and &s;end 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 &s;hewed the ima|ginacions of them, that bee in helle in pain. Thei doo con&s;ider the &s;tate that thei be in, in helle, that is in pain and mi&s;ery. Thei do al&s;o con&s;ider the &s;tate of them that be in glorie and felicitie, and that doth augment their pain and mi&s;erie. Thei beyng thus altogether wrapped in &s;orow on euery &s;ide, &s;hew their affeccion, &amp; de&s;iryng relief of the &s;ame, crie to Abraham (that repre&s;en|teth God) for mercie, but altogether is in vain, becau&s;e thei do it all out of due tyme. But Abraham &s;aied: &s;onne,<PB REF="39">remember that thou in thy life tyme, receiue do&s;t thy plea&s;ure, and co~trary-wi&s;e, Lazarus receiued pain, but now is he co~forted, and thou art puni&s;hed. Here &s;peaketh almightie God in A|brahams per&s;on, not onely to this ma~ but rather to all menne, that doeth as this manne did. He a&s;keth mercie, but out of tyme. He would haue helpe of Lazarus, whom when he might haue holpe~, he would not help. Therfore he heareth Abraham &s;peakyng the &s;en|tence of god to hym, &s;aiyng: &s;onne, re|membre that thou in thy life. &amp;c. God doth call men to a reare co~pt, becau&s;e thei do folowe their awne &s;en&s;ualitie, takyng in al thinges their awne plea|&s;ure, thei regard nothyng at all what is gods plea&s;ure. Thei care not what God would haue theim dooe, but thei regard and onely care for their awne plea&s;ures, and &s;uche thynges as thei will, and haue plea&s;ure to do. Con&s;i|der al&s;o, that he calleth Abraham fa|ther, &amp; al&s;o Abraha~ calleth him &s;onne. But likewi&s;e as this man here beyng a liue and in pro&s;peritie, regarded not<PB REF="40">Abraha~, that is to &s;ay god, any thing at al, &amp; he toke him not once for his father (except it wer with the mouth onely.) He loked for no helpe at his hande, he tru&s;ted not in hym, nor was for thyn|ges receiued, thankful vnto him
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;o doth Abraha~, that is to &s;ay god, cal|leth hym &s;o~ne after the &s;ame fa&s;hio~, as he called him father, nothyng meanyg to &s;hewe his fatherly pitie, &amp; compa&s;|&s;ion vpon hym, neither doeth he make hym once partaker of any parte of his euheritaunce; but &s;aieth: Sonne, re|membre that thou in thy life tyme, re|ceiued&s;t thy plea&s;ure, &amp; contrarywi&s;e Lazarus receiued pain. As though he might &s;aie, like as thou in the worlde, beeyng in high pro&s;peritie, forgotte&s;t me, regarded&s;t me not, hadde&s;t no tru&s;t in me to do thee good in time to come, but folowed&s;t thyne awne plea&s;ure; &amp; not myne, thyne awne will, and not myne, and was al&s;o in al thynges vn|thankfull. Remembre now how thou ha&s;t doen the~, and therefore now thou mu&s;t be concent to receiue there after Thou regarded&s;t not, neither my wil
<PB REF="40">nor plea&s;ure then, but thyne awne: therefore now thou ha&s;t, accordyng to thyne awne de&s;eruynges. But co~tra|ry wi&s;e Lazarus beyng in aduer&s;itie, forgat me not, all tymes he regarded my waies. He put his whole tru&s;te in me, to do hym good, in tyme to come. He folowed not his awne plea&s;ure, but myne, he did not his awne will, but myne. He was pacient in his ad|uer&s;itie, and gaue thankes in all his mi&s;ery. Therfore, now is he co~forted, and thou art now puni&s;hed. This do|ctrine is not &s;et 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 &s;ette furth (as all other &s;cripture is) for vs to do vs good, to teache vs, to moni&s;h vs, whether we bee riche or poore, to haue before oure tyes, here in this worlde, whether we be in pro&s;peritie, or aduer&s;itie, al tymes the &s;tate of the worlde that is to come. If that wee would earne&s;ty and often do this, we (I &s;aie) of what &s;tate &s;oeuer we bee, truely, truely, it would make vs, that
<PB REF="41">be riche to con&s;ider, from whence our goodes come, to what purpo&s;e. 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 &s;elfes in another worlde, (hourdyng vp oure Threa&s;ure there) in mini&s;teryng the|&s;ame goodes, gladly, liberally, and with a louyng harte, to our poore bre|thren and &s;i&s;terne, accordyng to their nece&s;&s;itie, and our abilitie. It would al&s;o make vs thankefull to GOD, whiche hath geuen vs the &s;ame good|des, and hath made vs to be in a more ble&s;&s;ed &s;tate, whiche is in the &s;tate of geuyng, accordyng to the &s;aiyng of our Lorde Chri&s;te, in the Actes of the Apo&s;tles the twentie Chapiter, whi|che &s;aieth: It is more ble&s;&s;ed to geue, then to receiue. This doctrine al&s;o would make theim that bee poore and in mi&s;erie, to bee pacient, and thanke|full to GOD their father, knowyng that ther is nothyng that can come or chaunce to theim, no, not one here<PB REF="41">of their heade &s;hall peri&s;&s;he, without either their fathers wil or permi&s;&s;ion. Now therfore both riche &amp; poore take hede to this doctrine, co~&s;ider what is &s;etforth in the &s;ame, either to e&s;chue of folowe. If ye take hede in tyme and folow this poore mans doyng, that is, the wyll &amp; plea&s;ure of god, walkynge trulie in your vocation, trulie &s;eruing your callyng, doing in all poyntes to your power your duty &amp; office, bothe towardes God &amp; your neighbours, ye &s;hall haue as this poore man (your pa|terne and examplar, doinge his office and &s;eruing his vocacion) hadde, that is euen heuen for his labour. If ye re|gard not this doctrine &s;etforth here in this parable of this riche ma~, but be negligent and carele&s;&s;e in doyng your office, and &s;eruing your vocacion, ge|uing your &s;elues to your owne lu&s;tes &amp; plea&s;ures, as th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> riche ma~ did, that that is written here in the parable to come to hym, doubtles &s;hall come to you, that is to be perpetually damned in hel. It foloweth furthermore i~ the texte: Beyond all this, betwene vs &amp;<PB REF="42">you, ther is a greate &s;pace &s;et, &s;o that they which wolde go fro~ he~nce to you cannot, neither may come from thence to vs. Here is a nother doctrine of the heauenly father taught here by our &s;aluiour Chri&s;t, in the per&s;on of Abra+ham. By this doctrine of Chri&s;te here &s;et furth, is &s;ignified vnto all men, that in a nother worlde, ther is no chaunge of thinges, but al thinges be ther firme, &s;table, &s;uer and perpetual. Therfore they y^t be ones made happy in that world (as all tho&s;e &s;halbe that doth departe in faith) &s;hall for euer &amp; perpetually, remaine happy and neuer be chaunged, as Iohn &s;aieth in y^e Apo+calip&s;e the .xiiii. Ble&s;&s;ed are all they y^t die in the lorde, y^t is in y^e faith of Ie&s;u Chri&s;te. Eue~ &s;o they, that are once vn+happy, &s;hal euer &amp; perpetually be vn|happy, &amp; ther is no place lefte of repe~|tyng amendyng &amp; obteinyng of &s;alua|cion. Marke what is writte~ in Eccle|&s;ia&s;tes the .ij. chapiter. If the tree fal|le, ether to the &s;owth or to y^e northe, in what&s;oeuer place it falleth, ther it lieth. This doctrine is not ment of<PB REF="42">fallyng of trees, but of the deathe of men. By y^e South is vnder&s;ta~de faith, by the North infidelite. Lyke as the tree lieth &s;till where it falleth: So dothe the man &s;ignified ther by, abide &s;til for euer in one &s;tate &amp; neuer chaun|geth. If he die in faith he is &s;aued, if in infidelitie, he is damned. So that he that is ones damned &s;hall neuer be &s;a|ued, Euen &s;o nomore &s;hall he that is ones &s;aued, euer after be dampned. Wher is then become purgatory, that hath put &s;o many both great &amp; &s;mal in a wanne hope, to be &s;aued by other me~s merites after their death? I tru&s;t it be runne home again to his fir&s;t in|uenter &amp; founder the pope. I wolde wi&s;h y^t al purgatorie mainteiners were with him al&s;o vntil I wold wi&s;h the~ here again. Seyng that euery man at his death is either &s;aued or dampned, wherfore is all that money be&s;towed for the dead. If they be in heaue~, ther can no money increace ther ioy ther. If thei be i~ hel, ther can no money mi|ni&s;h their paines there. Therfore the money that is be&s;towed for the dead<PB REF="43">with that opinion, either to increa&s;e the ioy of y^e one, or to rele&s;e the paine of the other, is euel &s;pent. For y^e dead be neuer the better, and the liuyng be&s;towers be moche the wor&s;e. Why &s;ir may not a man geue his goodes to be be&s;towed among the poore when he is dead? I &s;ay not nay. For ther is li|tell enowgh geuen vnto the poore by mens liues. Therfor I thinke it mete to geue at y^e le&s;twy&s;e at ther deathes. But I will coun&s;el noma~ to tary and differ is almo&s;&s;e vntill he die: for then I doubte whether it be his almo&s;&s;e or not. Or whether other me~ wil geue for him that he coulde not finde in his owne harte to geue for him&s;elfe. We be bounde to geue that y^t we be able to &s;pare to them that hathe pre&s;ent neade and nece&s;&s;ite, and not to tarie vntill we die, for then we geue, be|cau&s;e we can no longer kepe it, and I am a fraied that god &s;hall thanke vs therafter, that is to &s;ay, 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<PB REF="43">be&s;towe them vppon the neady: &amp; not to kepe them that other men may be|&s;tow them for vs, or rather &s;triue 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 re|le&s;ed of &s;ome of his paine: yeat he fo|unde no relief at gods ha~des at al, for he a&s;ked it to late. Nomore &s;hall we finde at gods handes, if we come to late as he did, which died i~ infidelitie. And as many as dieth in infidelitie, &s;hall neuer obteine mercy, pray they neuer &s;omoche for the~ &s;elues, as this man is made mencion to do. And mo|reouer and if all the whole worlde to+gether wolde pray for one of them: yet &s;hulde he neuer obteine any relief of his paine. Now by y^e &s;ente~ce of god, ther is nothing behind then but this, that both this riche man and his lyke companions mu&s;t content them &s;elues with ther &s;tate &amp; paine that thei be in, &amp; neuer to loke for better. Now here we may &s;ee &amp; lerne by this doctrine of this place, that ther be nomore but ij.<PB REF="44">places prepared for the~ that be depar|ted out of this world, One for the~ that are ble&s;&s;ed, y^t is a place of refre&s;hyng Another for them that are dampned, that is a place of torme~ting. We finde not one worde in &s;criptures of y^t for|ged purgatory, wherin &s;owles be not purged, but fooles pur&s;es be emptied.</P>
<TRAILER>Here endeth the fowerth parte of this Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="part">
<P>BUt whe~ this afore named riche ma~ &s;aw y^t he could not preuaile any thing at al for him&s;elfe, tha~ he began to make his peticio~ for other &s;aieng: I pray the therfor father &s;ende him to my fathers how&s;e, for I haue fyue bretherne, for to warne the~, le&s;te they al&s;o come to this place of tormentes. Here is al&s;o to be marked, in this parte of the parable, a nother damnable opinion &s;poken by this man being in hell, to teache them that are yet here in the earth, to be ware of it and &s;uche lyke. This mans opinion was, as Chri&s;te teacheth here in the parable, that men wolde geue more credence to Spirites that come from<PB REF="44">a nother worlde, tha~ to the holie &s;cri|ptures beyng taught the~ here in thys world. This opinion is confuted here by y^e heue~lie Fathers doctrine taught by Chri&s;te in the per&s;on of Abraham, as ye &s;hall heare hereafter This opi|nion is confuted here of Chri&s;te, not for this riche mans &s;ake, nor for to teache hym and to conuerte hym, but it is &s;et here to teache vs, to conuerte vs, whiche be yet here, where we may be taught, where we may be conuer|ted. 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 a&s;hamed to vtter ther dampna|ble opinion, with the&s;e and &s;uche lyke wordes: We knowe (&s;ay they) what we haue here, but we know not what we &s;hall haue ther. Who dothe know, whether there be any other life after this life? Who wil chaunge (that wi&s;e is) the certentie of thinges that we be &s;uer of here in this worlde, for the vn|certentie of thynges that be to come,<PB REF="45">in a nother (to vs vnkowen) worlde. Ther is none (&s;ay they) that will do thus except a few of momi&s;he mopers whiche can do none other thyng el&s;e, but mope vppon ther bookes, to make vs afraied of &s;hadowes and bugge|beres. Therfore (&s;ay the&s;e wicked me~) we wyll abyde in this our opinion, vntill we haue &s;ome me&s;&s;enger &s;ent from heuen or hell, to &s;hew vs what newes be ther, and take our plea&s;ure here in the meane &s;ea&s;on, let the~ teche what they wyll. Of this opinion the parable teacheth vs that this riche man was, and he doth here repre&s;ent all tho&s;e that be now of that opinion, and that an&s;were that was made vnto hym than, is to warne them that be of &s;uche opinion now. That the para|ble doeth teach, this ma~ to be careful for his bretherne, that wer yet of the opinion that he was of: is not &s;et here to teche that the &s;owles in hell dothe care for them that are in earthe, but it is &s;et here to teache vs to be carefull for our owne &s;elues and for our fryn|des al&s;o here, while care wil help. For<PB REF="45">lyke as this mans care (that the para|ble &s;peaketh of) preuailed not, nomore &s;hall no mans care preuaile, nether for him&s;elfe, 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 plea&s;ure of god, &s;hulde haue with god euerla&s;ting glorie, as he &s;aw Lazarus had. And the contrarie wi&s;e, as many as toke ther owne plea&s;ure, regarding not the will of god, &s;hulde be in paine euerla&s;ting, as he him&s;elfe was. This was his care, but to late. He &s;aide, <HI>Vt te&s;tificetur illis,</HI> for to warne them (quod he) le&s;te thei al&s;o 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 i~ this pre&s;e~t 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 fal&s;e opinion confuted here by our &s;aluiour Chri&s;t, let vs be war|ned<PB REF="46">here in tyme, while lyfe is in vs. But let vs loke neither for Angell, &s;owle, nor deuel to teach vs, but onely Scripture, as ye be here taught by Abraham &s;peaking in gods per&s;on to this riche man, and not onely to hym, but rather vnto vs, that we heringe this his doctrine, beleuing &amp; working after y^e &s;ame, may be &s;aufe: wher doing y^e co~trarie we &s;hulde be da~ned. For to warne the~, &s;aieth the texte: To warne them of that (as though he might &s;ay) that I now finde by experie~ce, that is, that vertue &s;halbe of god rewarded &amp; vice puni&s;hed. Of this let the~ be war|ned, le&s;t perchaunce, they differre (the amendement of ther liues,) til they be dead, as I dyd, and then it wilbe to late for the~ to be warned, as it is now to late for me.
<HI>Vt te&s;tificetur illis,</HI> for to warne them, &amp;c. By the&s;e wordes here he bewraieth his owne wicked opinion, that he had here whan he ly|ued. May not a man gather owt of the&s;e his wordes, this to be his opi|nion? I (as though he might &s;ay) whe~ I was yet a lyue. I iudged all thyn|ges<PB REF="46">to be put vaine, what&s;oeuer was &s;poken of the fire of hell, and of the puni&s;hmentes of malefactours in a no|ther worlde. I &s;uppo&s;ed &s;uche thyn|ges, to haue bene but preachers drea|mes to terrifie the &s;imple people and &s;elie &s;owles, to kepe them in awe. Therfore I pray the good father A|braham to &s;end Lazarus to warne my fiue bretherne and to te&s;tifie vnto the~, &s;uerly not onely tho&s;e thynges to be mo&s;t true, whiche holie &s;cripture doth teache of the euerla&s;tyng damnacion, whiche nether they nor I dyd beleue ones to be true, or any &s;uche thyng to be in dede. Whiche thynges nowe, I am not onely compelled to beleue, but with myne owne hurte I fele the~ to be to trewe, and to be &s;uche paines as nomans tong can expre&s;&s;e. Ther|fore nowe they that wyll not beleue &s;uche thynges as the &s;criptures tea|cheth to be, with ther owne mi&s;cheue and euerla&s;tynge de&s;truccion &s;hall lerne by ouermuch experience (as this riche man did) &s;uche thynges to be. Here ye haue harde this wicked mans<PB REF="47">peticion for his bretherne, with his wicked opinion, that one owt of a no|ther worlde &s;houlde be &s;ent to teache them, but his peticion was not harde becau&s;e his opinion was wicked, and al&s;o he praied owt of tyme. To this wicked opinion, whether it be of this wicked man in hell (as the parable teacheth) or of &s;uch like wicked men in earth, our &s;aluiour Chri&s;te with the doctrine of his father &s;poken by Abra|ham, do make an&s;were in this wi&s;e &s;ayng: They haue mo&s;es and the pro|phetes, let them heare them. What is vnder&s;tande by Mo&s;es and the pro|phetes? By Mo&s;es is vnder&s;tande Mo&s;es doctrine, and by the prophe|tes is vnder&s;tande the prophetes do|ctrine, &amp; both tho&s;e doctrines taught that Chri&s;te &s;hulde come, promi&s;ed of god to do all thinges that belonge to our whole &s;aluacion, iu&s;tificacion, &amp; redempcion. And that we by him onely &s;houlde haue remi&s;&s;ion of our &s;innes and lyfe euerla&s;ting. Al the&s;e thynges we may and owght to learne by Mo|&s;es and the prophetes, that is the ho|lie
<PB REF="47">&s;criptures. Is there nothing elles to be learned but holie &s;criptures? No truelie, Nothyng that &s;hall make any thinge for owr &s;aluacion, iu&s;tifi|cacion, redempcion, remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in|nes and obteining of euerla&s;ting lyfe. Therfor we be taught here with the&s;e wordes: They haue Moy&s;es and the prophetes: let them heare them that is, let them geue eare to them, let the~ regarde them, herken to the~. He &s;aith not they haue with the~, rea&s;on, witte and wordly prudence: let them heart and hearken to them, let them folowe them. He &s;aith not here, they haue Scribes and phari&s;eis, Fathers Cu|&s;tomes, long v&s;ages, Many hundrede yeares, Mans tradicions, decrees and inuencions, Mens good intentes and meaninges, Multitudes of peo|ple, Abounda~ce of Doctours &amp; Coun|celles and &s;uch lyke, heare them: but he &s;aith, that they haue Moy&s;es and the prophetes (that is holie &s;criptu|res) let them heare them. For all the&s;e afore named thinges with &s;uch lyke, put on one heape without &s;criptures<PB REF="48">be of none authorite, but holie Scri|pture without all the&s;e, is of full and perfect authorite. Therfore if we will be &s;aued, let vs heare Mo&s;es and the prophetes, that is holie Scriptures. Our &s;aluiour Chri&s;te &s;ayed vnto the Iues, in Iohns go&s;pel the .v. chapiter Searche &s;criptures, for in them ye thinke ye haue eternall lyfe, and they are they whiche te&s;tifie of me. Al&s;o in Mathews go&s;pel the .xxij. chapitre our &s;aluiour &s;ayed vnto y^e Saduceis: Ye do erre, not knowing the &s;cri|ptures. Here ye &s;e all knowlege co|meth by the knowing of y^e &s;criptures, &amp; all ignoraunce al&s;o cometh for lacke of knowyng the &s;criptures. For they that knowe not the Scriptures that they are the worde of God, care for no godly thynge, thei take their plea&s;ure 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 &s;cripture, &s;endeth the&s;e me~ &amp; al&s;o vs vnto the &s;ame &s;criptures: &s;aieng. They haue Mo&s;es &amp; the prophetes, let them heare them, obey them, kepe
<PB REF="48">and ob&s;erue the~. How &s;hal we vnder|&s;tande this &s;aieng of this place. They haue Mo&s;es &amp; the prophetes: meaning this riche ma~s fiue bretherne whiche know nothing le&s;&s;e then y^e &s;criptures. By this is &s;ignified nothing el&s;e, but that ther is none other lernyng to be &s;aued by, then by y^e &s;criptures. Ther|fore let euery man learne, y^t intendeth to be &s;aued by this doctrine of Chri&s;te to knowe the &s;criptures, to teache the &s;criptures, to credite the &s;criptures, &amp; to leade a lyfe according to the &s;ame. And if this riche man had done this, he had not bene nowe in hell, but be|cau&s;e 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 &s;ought no|thing, but refu&s;ed al thynges y^t made for hys &s;altration, therfore mu&s;te he nedes be dampned, &amp; &s;o &s;hall all that &s;oo doeth. Now after that this damp|ned riche man had harde y^e &s;entence of god (&s;poke~ by Abraha~) infallibly true &amp; to be receiued of al men: They haue Mo&s;es &amp; y^e prophetes: Yet he was not<PB REF="49">contented with the an&s;were, but he replied again&s;t this manife&s;t and open true doctrine and &s;ayed: Nay father Abraham, but if one come vnto them from the dead, they will repent. He &s;ayth vnto hym, if they heare not Moy&s;es and the prophetes, neither wil they beleue, though one ro&s;e from death againe. Here ye may marke by this damned riche mans replication, the wicked opinion of them, that folow ther owne &s;en&s;ual iudgeme~tes, and not goddes iudgement expre&s;&s;ed|ly &s;ette furthe by &s;criptures. For they &s;ay Nay, when God &s;aieth yea, God &s;aieth, they haue Mo&s;es, and the pro|phetes to teache them, and them only mu&s;t they heare, obey and folowe, for in theym onely is conteined enoughe and abu~oauntly, al maner of doctrine that can, or maie helpe vs vnto &s;alua|cion. Nay &s;ay they, as this dampned man &s;aid. Nay father Abraham (quod he,) not &s;o, but if any man come vnto the~ of the dead they wil repent. Mea|ning (as his damnable opinio~ was) y^t if &s;uch one as Lazarus was that &s;huld
<PB REF="49">come out of an other worlde, rai&s;ed vp againe from death to life, &s;hould haue more credite geuen vnto hym, and men &s;houlde &s;oner repent at his prea|chyng, then of either readyng, or preachyng of the &s;cripture. But vnto that vaine and wicked opinion, Abra|ham (in goddes per&s;one) aun&s;wereth &s;aiyng: If they heare not Mo&s;es, and the prophetes, neither wil thei beleue thoughe one ro&s;e from deathe againe. As though Chri&s;t might &s;ay. If there bee anye man, that wil not heare the doctrine of Mo&s;es &amp; the prophetes to repente and amende his life at theim, &s;urely that manne will &s;one cauil and finde a fault, if any man woulde &s;aye that hee ware rai&s;ed vp from among the dedde, to bring any other new ru|les &amp; preceptes out of another worlde to learne men to repent &amp; amende by. Therfore let al men come onlie to the holy &s;cripture. For there is more cre|dicte to be geuen to that onelye &s;crip|ture, then to al mens doctrines, to all mennes rules, inuentions, tradicions cu&s;tomes, miracles &amp; all other imagi|nacions<PB REF="50">of men. This is a plaine and infallible rule, that the holie &s;criptur is the only rule to iudge and liue righ+tly by. Whiche doeth comprehende all that belongeth to godline&s;&s;e and oure Saluation. And is onelie of hym&s;elfe autenticke &amp; of aucthoritie, and &s;o is nothyng elles in the whole worlde a|mong men but it onely. For to haue ble&s;&s;ed &s;owles &s;ent vnto vs from hea|uen to admoni&s;h and preache vnto vs, this ware but vaine, and fal&s;e. We be &s;ent here of the lorde to the Scriptu|res. They haue (&s;aith God,) Mo&s;es and the prophetes. Let no man there|fore (that is of God, and entendeth to bee &s;aued,) ones looke for anye appe|ryng of either Prophete, or Apo&s;tle, Thei while&s;t thei liued, (by thin&s;tinct and inocion of the &s;pirit of God, pre|ached vnto the~ that ware pre&s;ent, and wrote for theym that ware ab&s;ent, all thynges that are &s;ufficient to in&s;truct bothe them and vs. Let vs loke vpon their preachinges, and writinges, and content our &s;elues with the &s;ame. Let vs not a&s;ke with this wicked &amp; dam|ned<PB REF="50">riche man, that either &s;aintes, or &s;oules out of an other world, &s;houlde come, or be &s;ent me&s;&s;engers vnto vs. For ther is no credite to be geuen vn+to &s;pirites rai&s;ed fro~ the deade. That doth the hi&s;torie of Samuel rai&s;ed (or rather &s;uppo&s;ed to be rai&s;ed) againe, which is writte~ in the .i. Re. or. Sam. the .xxviij. cha. te&s;tifye. Furthermore we haue a plain comaundement of the lorde, that we &s;hal not &s;eke no trueth at theym that bee deade, in the boke of Deute. the .xviii. cha. Let none be fo|unde in the (&s;aith the lord) that &s;eketh the truthe of them that be deade. If we maie not &s;eke y^e truth at their do|ctrine, much le&s;&s;e we may &s;eke our &s;al+uation at their doctrine. Here ye may perceiue howe greuou&s;ly they &s;inne, that doeth geue credite and beleue to the aun&s;weres of coniured Spirites. It is po&s;&s;ible by Goddes permi&s;&s;ion, to come to pa&s;&s;e that &s;pirites &s;hal ap|pere &amp; geue an&s;wer to certeine inter|rogatio~s. But to tel the trueth what they be in diede, the&s;e are euen verye mockinges and deceiptes of the deuel.
<PB REF="51">Although Satan &s;ometyme will telle truth, lyke as he did what &s;hold come to Saul, as it apereth in the afore re|her&s;ed hi&s;torie .i. Sam
.xviii. Yet not|with&s;tandyng, he doth what&s;oeuer he doeth to beguile &amp; deceiue euen &s;o ma|ny as credite, and beleue hym. Seing then that Sathan is a lier, &amp; al&s;o the verye father &amp; beginner of lieng, ther is no faith to be geuen vnto hym. Fur+thermore there is no reuelation of Angels to be loked for, whiche &s;holde teache vs the Go&s;pel, for either tho&s;e Angels &s;hould preache the &s;ame Go&s;|pel, that the Prophetes and the Apo|&s;tles hath preached, and &s;o it ware in vayne, or els they &s;holde preache con|trary. Then marke what Paul &s;aith to the Galathiens in the fir&s;t Chapi. If we (&s;aith he) or an Angel from he|auen, &s;houlde preache vnto you an o|ther go&s;pel, be&s;ides, or co~trary to that ye haue receiued, cur&s;&s;ed be he. Here it is manife&s;t, that there bee no dedde mens &s;oules to bee hearde. Angelles bee not to bee looked for. Mannes wi&s;edome in thys ca&s;e, is not to bee<PB REF="51">regarded, but onelye Mo&s;es and the prophetes. For this doctrine of Mo|&s;es and the prophetes, did Chri&s;t tea|ache, euen aftre his re&s;urrection. For as Luke &s;aith. Chapit .xxiiij. He did interpretate, or expounde Mo&s;es and the Prophetes. Wherefore here it is plaine, that the aucthoritie of theym is &s;o by Chri&s;t confirmed, that we mai heare, nor credite anye other, either doctours, or preachers, for our &s;alua|cion. Therfore the way of &s;aluacion is true, whiche Mo&s;es and the Pro|phetes, and after theym, the Apo&s;tles haue taught, and be&s;ides that waye, there is none other to be &s;ought, ney|ther if it ware &s;oughte, there is none other to bee founde. This is the waie that they taught, that we knowledge our &s;innes, and belieue, that for Chri|&s;tes &s;ake, to haue remi&s;&s;ion of our &s;in|nes. And in thys faith lette vs walke in gods vocation. Al this &s;hal come to pa&s;&s;e if we beleue chri&s;tes &s;aieng to be true whiche is: Thei haue Mo&s;es &amp; the prophetes, let the~ heare the~. Now on the other &s;ide, they that contemne<PB REF="52">&s;criptures, or mini&s;he the aucthoritie of &s;cripturs, make lighte of theym, or di&s;prai&s;e them: of &s;uch men if they do not &s;hortelye repente, and retourne, there is no manner of hope, that by anye other waye, theye maye be brought to the way of their &s;aluation accordyng to the true &s;aiyng of oure lorde, If they (&s;aith he) heare not Mo+&s;es and the Prophetes, (that is holye &s;criptures, neither will, theye beleue thoughe one ro&s;e from deathe againe. Therefore of Angelles, of deade mens &s;oules, of al Spirites, whether theye come from hel, or heaue~, mu&s;t be auoi|ded, abhorred, and e&s;chued onelye the law and the prophetes, receiued &amp; he|arde. Yet if a man wil con&s;ider the di&s;|po&s;icions of the fle&s;he, and of the &s;pi|rite, and con&s;ider the Iudgementes of both, it &s;hal teache him to beware of thone &amp; to folowe the other. The &s;pi|rites iudgeme~t is, that the &s;criptures whiche are the worde of God, that is Mo&s;es &amp; the prohetes are &s;ufficient for our &s;aluation. The fle&s;h on the o|ther &s;ide &s;eketh for &s;aluacion not only<PB REF="52">at the Scriptures, but at manye o|ther &s;traunge thynges al&s;o. It &s;e|kethe the trueth, at the deade, it ge|ueth credite to &s;pirites, to miracles &amp; to all maner of thynges taught be&s;ide &s;criptures. But they that be taughte of the holy Gho&s;t, beleueth, or geueth credit to miracles, and &s;ignes, for the wordes &s;ake, and not to the worde for the Signes and miracles &s;akes. But theie that beleue after the fle&s;&s;hes per&s;wations doth contrary. And ther+fore it commethe to pa&s;&s;e often tymes euen by the very iudgement of God, that they that de&s;ire rather &s;ignes &amp; miracles, the~ true doctrines of &s;crip|tures, to be deceiued with fal&s;e mira|cles, &amp; lyeng &s;ignes, for noman ought to beleue the truethe for &s;ignes and miracles &s;ake, before hee beleueth the word of truth. For y^e &s;criptures &s;aith not, thei haue &s;ignes and miracles let the beleue them. But it &s;aith: Thei haue Moy&s;es, and the Prophetes, lette theym beleue and credite them.</P>
<P>By the&s;e thynges wee maye mar|ke, that apperynges of &s;pirites which<PB REF="53">doeth &s;hewe, and al&s;o require manye thynges) can not bee of GOD, but doubtle&s;&s;e they be wicked Spirites, whiche by the fearefulle and terrible iudgemente of God, (for mennes vn|faithfulnes) dothe deceiue, and bring manye to errour. Here wee maie wel perceiue, that the will of God is, that we &s;hould not be taught, neither of one thing, nor of other (co~cernyng our &s;aluacion) but only of holy Scri|pture, or elles God woulde neuer haue &s;poken thus by Abraham: They haue Mo&s;es and the prophetes, lette theim heare theim.</P>
<P>Now I be&s;eche the God of al veri+tie 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 Mo&s;es and he prophetes, whiche are the on|ly truethe, and to fa&s;hione our whole liues after the&s;ame worde to the glo|rie of God, and to oure owne Soules &s;aluation. Amen.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="summary">
<PB REF="53">
<HEAD>A Short &s;umme of &s;uche thinges as our &s;auiour Chri&s;t doeth te|ache and admoni&s;he vs of, in this pre&s;ent Go&s;pel.</HEAD>
<P>Fir&s;t is that we v&s;e wel the pre&s;ent gooddes of this worlde. Here wee bee taught al&s;o to be merciful to the pore in di&s;tributyng &amp; mini&s;tring to theym tho&s;e gods goodes lent vs for the&s;ame purpo&s;e. Here we be taught morouer that if we be not thankful to God for thinges receiued at his hande, and be mercifull to our pore neighbors with the&s;ame goodes, that then we &s;halbee vnmercifully handled with perpetu|al tormentes in hel. Al&s;o we bee com|maunded to learne of the holye &s;crip|ture, what plea&s;ure we may looke for at Goddes hande, if wee here, and o|bey hym accordyng to his owne wyll &s;et furth in &s;cripture and none other where. And contrary wy&s;e wee maye learne what paine wee &s;halbe &s;ure to haue if we do otherwi&s;e. Yet more we may learne that it is vaine, foli&s;h, and vngodly to loke to be taughte rather of theym of an other Worlde, then of<PB REF="54">the holy Scripture, whiche is left to teache vs inthis world. La&s;t of al, we be taught that al good, godly, and ne|ce&s;&s;ary thinges for our &s;aluacion, are taught and plainly &s;et furthe in holye &s;cripture. And if ther be any that do|eth otherwy&s;e beleue, or of the&s;ame doeth doubt, he, or &s;he, (as yet) doethe lacke the &s;pirite of God, whiche doth teche al truth, and &s;uche one abidyng in that ca&s;e &s;hal neuer geue credite to Chri&s;t him&s;elfe, nor to Prophete, nor Apo&s;tle, nor yeat to all the Aungel|les in heauen, if they ware al &s;ente to conuert him, much le&s;&s;e &s;hal he, or &s;he beleue the dead, if thei wer &s;ent to tea+che him. Here we mai gather of what auchoritie the holy &s;cripture is. And that there is therein expre&s;&s;elye &s;ette furth, al that is for our &s;oules health, and wealthe nece&s;&s;ary, and of done o|ther thyng to be knowen, but of it on|ly, in &s;o much that if we do not heare that &s;cripture only, credite it only, o|bey it, and fa&s;hion our whole life af|ter it only, we &s;hal neuer finde any o|ther thyng, beyng in heauen, earth,<PB REF="54">or hel, that we may be &s;aued by</P>
<P>Now the God of heaueu, which is the maker &amp; aucthor of the holy &s;crip|ture, geue vs al grace gladly to rece|iueit purely to vnder&s;ta~d it, faithful+ly to beare it away, and effectually to liue aftre the&s;ame, to the glory of god and to all our Soules healthe. To the whiche God, with our &s;auiour Chri&s;te, hys deare &s;onne, and with the holie Gho&s;t, bee al honour, laude prai&s;e, and glo|rye, for euer and euer, worlde with out ende. Amen.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<PB REF="55">
<P>Imprinted at London by R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">|chard<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> Grafton, Printer to the K<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">nges Maie&s;tie.</P>
<P>Anno po&s;t Chri&s;tum natum. 1552.</P>
<P>Men&s;e Maio.</P>
<P>Cum priuilegio ad imprimen|dum &s;olum.</P>
<P><PB REF="55">
<FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>depiction of the the seven liberal arts</FIGDESC>
<HEAD>VERSVTVS CELAT SCIENTIAM PRO .12.
<LIST>
<ITEM>LOG</ITEM>
<ITEM>GRAM</ITEM>
<ITEM>ASTRO</ITEM>
<ITEM>RETHOR</ITEM>
<ITEM>ARITHM</ITEM>
<ITEM>GE^OMET</ITEM>
<ITEM>MVSIC</ITEM>
</LIST></HEAD>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><PB REF="56">
<FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>printer's device of Richard Grafton</FIGDESC>
<HEAD>SVSCIPITE INSITVM VERBVM IACO .I.</HEAD>
</FIGURE></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
