SERMON MADE BY Symon Matthew.

HVMILIAMINI igitur
sub potenti manu dei, ut
uos exaltet in tempore uisitationis.
&c. Priori epistola
Petri Capit. ultimo.
It may ryght well be
verified of saynte Peter, that the famouse
prynce Salomon wryteth in
the .ix. chapytre of his Prouerbes,
Scie~tia sanctorum prudentia, that is to say,
The counnynge and knowledge of
perfecte good men is Prudency, not
in gyuynge them selfe to knowledge
onely of worldely matters, remembringe
thinges paste, and prouidyng
for thinges to come, but also vsynge
the same, to the profit of other in spiritual
thinges: neither hyding their
talentis ne precious treasure of their
mayster co~mytted to them, more superfluously,
or vndiscretely expendynge
the same: but as they se occasion

A.ii.

and haue tyme, dilige~tly labour
fruitefully to bestow them. For somtyme
the wyse man must exhort, and
somtyme disswade, somtyme prayse,
somtyme disprayse, somtyme intrete,
and sometyme rebuke, as his causes
shall require: sometyme he muste asswage
the proude corage of an high
stomacke, and courage and comfort
them that are weake and comfortles:
and these propreties shal ye se in this
blessed apostoll, if ye reuerently rede
his epistoll, and obserue euery parte
of the same. For he, consyderinge in
his tyme the great persecution, that
was done ageinst the christians, and
howe they were fledde into dyuers
parties and scattered about for feare
of the same, sent lyke a good Pastor
louynge letters to theym, commendyng,
comfortyng, exhortynge them.
Fyrste he mooste hyghly extolleth,
preyseth, and blesseth god, for his inestimable
mercye shewed, to regenerate
and repare vs by the Resurrection
of Iesus Christe from deathe to
immortalitie and lyfe euerlastynge,
puttynge them in comfort to be parttakers
and inheritours of the same
glorie, not by their merytes, but by
the operation of the holy goste, whiche
by feythe preserued them worthy
such rewarde: wylling them for this
cause to reioyce in their persecutions
and other tribulations, whiche shall
proue and declare their vnfeyned &
true feyth to their praise, and glorye
of god. And for that he wyl not them
to haue a countrefet fayth, or a faith
of their owne imagination, inue~ted
by some sensuall diuise: he wylleth
and commaundeth theym to lyue accordyngly
to their profession. For it
is not inough to be christened, & with
outwarde dedes or countenances to
professe Christ, and so to haue the title
of a Christian, excepte they wyll
declare theym to be suche in dede by

A.iii.

innocencye of lyuynge, whiche they
muste especially regarde, therby representynge
Christ: and also remembringe
with howe greatte a treasure
they are redemed. And these perswaded
to them in the fyrst chapitre, and
parte of the second, he wylleth them,
that they shall not vnder the pretexte
of Christianitie, to thynke them selfe
at liberte to disobey their superiours,
but rather euery one to do his duetie
to them, although they were infidels
and tyrauntis: for herin consysteth
the perfection of a christen man, if he
wyllyngely suffre iniuries & deserue
them not. For if a man suffre losse of
goodes, imprisonment, outlawry, ye
deathe, and deserue the same, it shall
nothyng be rewarded of god: so that
the punyshement maketh not a martyr
but the cause, as saynct Peter affyrmeth
in the seco~de chapitre. Ther
fore he wyll all christians to suffre as
innocentes, takyng exa~ple of Christ.
In the thirde chapitre he techeth,
howe the woman shal vse her selfe to
her husbande, and what conuersation
she oughte to be of, the maner of
her tyringe and of her apparell, expressynge
the chastitie of her mynde,
he also there teacheth, howe the man
shall vse hym selfe to his wyfe. Then
he generally exhorteth all to faythe &
to vnitie in the same, and to compassion
fraternal, loue, ge~tylnes, mekenes,
pacience, not hasty to be reuenged,
repayinge one iniurie for an other,
or one ylle worde for an nother,
but gentylle in worde and dede: and
thus lyuynge innocently to feare no
persecution, for no manne can hurte
them, but moche blessed are they that
suffre for vertue.
He wylleth also the Christianes
to be perfectly instructe in feyth and
hope, that if any demande any thing
of them, they may be in a redynes to
answere them, and with wysedome &

A.iiii.

example to allure theym to the Religion
of Christe and lyke paciency, if
they shoulde suffre, lyke persecution
for their innocency. For thus Christe
moste innocent and voyde of all syn
suffred for vs synners, hauyng great
care to saue vs, as he also in the tyme
of Noe wolde haue saued the people
if they had conuerted and done penaunce
in tyme. Wherfore for as
moche as Christe by afflictions and
many tribulations is nowe ascended
into heuen, it shall become his disciples
to be of his co~dicions & mynde,
and prepare them fyrst to be indewed
with vertues, and than to be in redynes
to suffre for the same. This no
lesse thanne thryse he inculketh into
them, aduertysynge them to be in redynes
to suffre, but not as malefactours,
but to haue a good and a iuste
cause to suffre for. And for y=t= he wyll
not the flocke of Christe to be destytute
& lack knowlege, insta~tly he desyreth
the senyours, that ar assigned
to haue the ouersyghte, to fede them
diligentely, and that gladdely and
wyllyngly, lokynge for rewarde of
god. Also the iuniours to be obedient
to their elders: and generally all
to shewe humilitie to eche other. For
god withdraweth his grace from the
proude, and gyueth the same to them
that are meke. Humble you, submytte
and meke your selfes therfore
vnder the myghty hande of god. Co~mytte
your selfes, that is to say fully
and holly to his protection, that he
maye promote and exalte you in the
tyme of his visitation. Commytte to
hym all your busynes: for he hathe
great care for you. Be you sobre and
circumspecte: for your aduersary the
dyuell, lyke a rorynge lyon wandereth
about sekyng whom he may deuoure:
hym resyste you stronge in
feyth, consyderynge lyke persecution
to be done to al your christen brotherheed.

A.v.

The god of all grace, whiche
hathe called vs into his euerlastyng
glory by Christ Iesus, shal his owne
selfe after you haue suffred a lyttell
affliction, make you perfecte, shall
settyll and strengthe you. To hym
be glorye and dominion for euer, and
while the worlde endureth. Amen.
This is the englyshe of the Epistle,
that we rede this prese~t sonday: that
I may haue grace to declare y=e= same
more largely to the glory and honor
of god, I shall desyre you to calle to
god for the assiste~ce of his grace: and
in your prayer to commende to hym
the catholike church of Christe~dom,
in especial this churche of Engla~de,
our soueraine lord the kyng supreme
heed vnder god of this churche, our
most gratious queene, queene Anne,
my lady Elisabeth princesse and laufull
heire to them bothe. &c. And all
though the laste sonday the preacher
coude not fynde in his conscience to
pray for the soules departed, saying,
that he thought his prayer shuld nothynge
auayle them: yet I wyll desyre
you to praye for them, trustynge
that you haue in remembrance, howe
in times paste I haue proued by auctorities
of Hierome, Augustin, Ambrose,
and Chrysostome, and also by
scriptures, as saynt Augustine vnderstandeth
them, that we shulde so
do: for they ar in such case, that they
maye be reliued by our prayer. &c.
All thoughe in consyderynge the
sensible creatures of god, many tymes
I am constrayned greattely to
meruaylle at the diuyne power: yet
nothynge so greatly moueth me, as
when I remembre all the regions of
Christendome, whiche before the comynge
of Christe, were spiritually
deade, and nowe by his mercye haue
lyfe gyuen to them, so knyt and ioyned
to hym as one principall heed by
vnitie of feythe, that nowe they are
one misticall body, hauynge dyuers
membres deputed to dyuers offices,
and euery one ministrynge for other
in Christe. And this is well worthye
to be meruayled at, if we wyll consider
the great multitude of the people,
and the diuersitie of the same,
whiche settynge all customes apart,
all humayn lawes, all lernynge, all
pleasures, al vices wherin they had
al their lyfe tymes accustomed them
selfes before most humbly receyued
the feythe of Christ, from the whiche
neyther losse of goodes, nor imprysonement,
nor dethe coulde euer disswade
them.
And surely great meruaylle it is,
howe that so many noble men, so many
princis, so many kynges, so many
emperours, ye of so great power and
stomake, wolde gyue credence to suche
symple, vnknowen, abiecte and
vile persones as the Apostols were,
after the worldly estimation: whiche
preched thinges incredible, as Christ
god and man to be borne of a virgin,
whiche crucified and put to deth, rise
agayne the thirde daye by his owne
power from dethe to lyfe, and soone
after ascended to heuen. Whiche preched
for delicacie of lyuynge, abstinency:
for voluptuousnes, chastitie:
for daliance, lamentation and continuall
moonynge: for riches, pouertie,
the spirite of god so workynge,
that many nations vnlike in condicions,
vnlyke in langage, and being
in great distance, dyd agree, and yet
do agree in professinge Christ Iesus
and his religion, one spirit workyng
and gyuyng vital operation to them
all. For as in the naturall body of
man the soule gyueth lyfe and mouynge
to euery ioynt, so that no man
can moue any parte of his body, but
by the spirite vitalle extended to the
same: no more can any manne moue
hym selfe to any poynt of vertue and
goodnes, but by the vertue of the holy
gooste, excitinge & mouyng him to
the same. And as the bodye is one,
and hath many membres, and yet al
the membres make one bodi, though
they be many in theym selfes: so is
Christe with all christians one. For
al we are christened in one spirite, for
that we shulde be one body in Christ.
This body was sometyme in Christ
and his apostols and disciples, and
by them it was nouryshed and increced,
some trauaylynge into one cou~trey,
and some into an other: and as
they dyd profyt in them, so did they become
pertis of Christis misticall body,
that is to sey of y=e= churche, so that the
diuersitie of regions and countreys
maketh not the diuersite of churches
but the vnitie of feyth maketh all regions
one churche, all thoughe the
same regions were vnknowen to vs
and we to them. As if saynt Andrew,
Philip, Thomas, and other of the
apostols preached in straunge countreys,
and conuerted them, spekinge
nothynge of eche other, nor of Peter,
but onely of Christe and his benefytis:
yet for their feyth shulde they be
of the same churche that Peter was
of, al though they neuer harde of Peter,
nor Peter of theym. As sayncte
Paule after his conuersion, vnknowe~
to Peter and other apostols, preched
in Arabie and Damasco .iii. yeres,
Iesus, that he is the son of god:
and many by his preachynge receyued
the feyth, whiche neyther knewe
Peter nor other of the apostols, but
Iesus Christ, and the same crucified
for our redemption: and yet for this
feythe, were they made one in Christ,
and of his churche. So that it was
of no necessytie for them to knowe
Peter, as many haue rekened in the
byshoppe of Rome, that excepte we
knewe hym and his holy college, we
coulde not be of Christis churche.
But I am ryghte sure, that manye
thousandes are saued, whiche neuer
harde of Peter, nor yet of the bishop
of Rome: so that the vnitie of Christis
church co~sisteth not in the knowlege
of any erthely creature: but in
the knowlege of Christe and true beleue
in hym. And for this laboured
the apostolles, and yet labour theyr
trewe successours, whose continuall
study must be to maynteyn the same,
takynge example of sayncte Paule,
whiche regardynge moche this vnitie,
sayth in the .xiiii. chapiter to the
Romaynes, Quæ pacis sunt, sectemur, et
quæ ædificationis sunt, inuicem custodiamus,
Where he reprouynge vnfruitefull
disputations, wyllethe vs to folowe
those thinges that maye make for vnitie,
& for the edifienge of our brothern
and vs. And in lykewise in the
fyrst chapitre to the Corinthians, in
the firste epistle he saythe, Obsecro uos
fratres per nomen domini nostri Iesu Christi,

14

vt idipsum dicatis omnes, et non sint in vobis
schismata. sitis autem perfecti in eodem sensu
et in eadem sententia, I instauntly desyre
you sayth he to the Corinthians in
the name of our lorde Iesu Christe,
that you agree both in word & mynd
in one, and lette there be no schisme
nor diuision among you. And in the
xiiii. chapitre I rede of hym, Non est
dissensionis deus, sed pacis, sicut et in omnibus
ecclesiis sanctoru~ doceo, where the holye
apostoll wylleth, that if any man reken
hym selfe to haue the spiryte of
god, he shall the rather regarde vnitie:
for that the spirite of god is author
of vnitie, and not of discorde.
Euen so writinge to the Ephesians,
he saythe, Soliciti seruare unitatem spiritus,
wyllyng al hautenes to be set apart,
and euery man with gentylnes to do
his diligente endeuer to maynteyne
vnitie. And saincte Paule rekeneth,
that he shall sone opteyne his desire,
for that they haue one body and one

B

spirite, and one trust and hope of the
enheritance of heuen, that is promised
them by their vocation . Furthermore
they had one lorde, one feythe,
one baptime, whiche by the meritis
of the passion of Christe was of lyke
effect to them all. Also they haue one
god, whiche is father of them all, &
hath the moste high regency, gouernynge
all thinge, and by his diuine
spirite is present in vs al. And in his
epistle ad Hebreos, in the .xii. chapitre,
he sayth: Pacem sequimini cum omnibus
et sanctimoniam, sine qua nemo deum uidebit,
contemplantes ne quis de sit gratie dei, ne
qua radix amaritudinis sursum germinans impediat,
et per illam inquinentur multi, Doo
your endeuer to haue peace and quietnes
with al folkes, and to haue puritie
and clenlynes of lyuynge, without
the whiche no man shall se god,
neyther nowe by feyth, nor hereafter
by fruition: do I saye your endeuer,
consyderynge not onely for your selfes,
but also for other that they falle
not from grace: And take hede, leste
any yll rote of infidelitie springe vp,
wherby other may be corrupte. And
thus sainct Paule was euer wont to
preache, knowinge righte well, that
al though diuers and many thinges
perteyne to the lyfe of a christian, yet
nothyng more then peace and vnite,
our sauiour Christe sayeng, Ioan. xiij.
In hoc cognoscent omnes, quia mei estis discipuli,
si dilectionem habueritis adinuicem, By
this cognisaunce all the worlde shall
know you for my disciples, if ye haue
vnite amo~g you, vnitie I say of feith
and spirite, fixed and sette stedfastly
in god, and not in any mortall creature,
as many haue thought necessarie,
that if a ma~ shuld be of the churche
of Christe, he must be of the holy
church of Rome, & take the holy father
therof for the supreme heed, and
for the vicare of Christ, yea for Christ
hym selfe: and to be diuyded frome

B.ii.

hym, were euen to be diuided frome
Christe. Suche da~pnable techynges
haue there be~, which haue caused me~
to leaue the co~mandementes of god
vndone for the humayne traditions:
but what so euer hath ben done by ignorance,
let vs reforme it, and not
be ashamed to professe truthe: whiche
is, that nexte vnto god the prince
ought to be honoured, and that the
bishop of Rome hath no more power
by the lawes of god in this realme,
than any other foreyn byshoppe, and
this wyll I playnely proue: and all
though I can not do it eloquentely,
yet I shall do it feythfully, and that
for truthes sake. And for that I wyll
not be tedious in rehersyng the kynges
in the lawe of nature and lawes
written tyll the commyng of Christe,
I shall speake that the gospelle, the
very worde of god prouoketh me to.
Fyrst the act of saynct Iohn~ Baptist
moche moueth me, which being
the elect and chosen prophet of god, &
sent from hym, to whom no other creature
borne after the common course
of nature myghte be compared, lyuynge
in suche greate integritie and
innocencye, preachynge veritie, and
maynteynynge the same to deathe,
demaunded of the moste notable offenders
in Iury, what they shuld do,
commanded them, reuerently to obserue
the ordinaunces and lawes of
their emperour: whiche he wolde not
haue done, if that obedience had not
ben due by the lawes of god. He dyd
not counsayle theym to ronne into a
solitude, and leaue their dueties vndone:
nor he dyd bydde them to laye
aparte their armours, but that accordingly
as god wylled, serue their emperour,
doing no violence to any person,
nor falsely accuse any man, but
to be contente with suche wages as
theyr emperour gaue them, to resyst
his enmyes, and to preserue the common

B.iii.

welthe. And Christe hym selfe
not onely with other dydde write his
name, knowledginge his obedience,
but he also payde the heed peny, as a
token of the same, perswadinge the
iewes, whiche had coniured to rebell
ageinst their emperour, that without
murmour or grudge they shulde doo
their duetie, and conforme them selfes
to their princis pleasure, sayeng:
Gyue to Cesar, that is dewe to Cesar,
and gyue to god, that is dewe
to god. And euen so whanne the
Iewes wolde haue forsaken theyr
prince, & haue chosen Christe to their
kynge, he withdrewe hym selfe, and
that to auoyde occasyon of rebellion
and disobediency. Also teaching his
disciples humilitie, and not to be ambitious,
whan they stryued, whiche
of theym shulde be taken for the better,
he sayde: who so estemeth hym
selfe better, let hym vse hym selfe as
an inferiour, menyng, that the gretter
gracis that a man or woman receyueth
of god, the more shall they
humble them selfes, in disposyng the
same, and not to desyre no hyghe estate,
nor to be the more stately or
proude for them, but euermore to reken
them selfes moste vnworthy.
And for a token herof before his passion,
in all his .v. examynations, he
neuer grudged at Cesars lawes, nor
at the commaundementes of his co~missioners.
Now good Christia~s, if there were
no other scriptures to teche vs to do
our dueties to our soueraigne: yet it
semeth to me, that these fewe examples
shulde sufficie~tly moue vs, if we
dyd loue and drede god. For if saynct
Iohn~ and Christ shewe suche obedience
to princis being infidels and tirantis:
howe moche more shal we be
bounde to do the same to our christen
prince? And if they neuer wente about
to diminish the royaltie of their

B.iiii.

Emperour, what good christian can
with good conscience attempt the co~trarie?
Saynct Peter, whiche neuer
challenged so high honour or dignitie,
as many haue gyuen to hym, all
proude prelacy set aparte writeth not
to one countrey or citie, but vniuersally
on this wyse: Humble your selfes
vnto all maner ordinance of man
for goddis sake, whether it be to the
king as most excelle~t, or to his co~missaries
sent from hym, for the punyshme~t
of iuel doers, & the laude of them
that do wel. Marke here, y=t= the prince
is called most excellent: whiche if he
so be, than none in his realme shall
excell hym. And he sayth also: Feare
god and honour the kynge. Se here
howe that he putteth no meane person
betwixte god and the prince: but
immediatly after god, the kyng must
be honoured. Thus taught sayncte
Paule the Romayns, that euery ma~
and woman shulde be obedient vnto
the auctoritie of the hygher power:
for there is no power but of god, the
powers that are, ar ordeyned of god.
who so euer therfore resisteth power,
resisteth the ordinance of god: And
they that resiste, shal receyue to them
selfes damnation. For rulers are not
to be feared for good workes, but for
iuell. wyll you be without fere of the
power? do wel than, and so shalt thou
be praysed of the same. For he is the
ministre of god for thy welthe. But
and if thou do yuell, tha~ feare: for he
beareth not the swerde for naughte,
but is the ministre of god, to take ve~geance
of them that do euyll. Wherfore
you muste nedes obeye, not for
feare of vengeance only, but also bicause
of co~science. And euen for this
cause paye you tribute: for they are
goddis mynisters, seruynge for the
same pourpose. O good lorde, what
maiestie is in these wordes? howe ernestly
shulde euery christen man and

B.v.

woman haue this in mynde. For if
suche power be of god as in dede it
is and the resister therof, resisteth the
ordinance of god, if god haue giuen
the sworde to punisshe and slaye the
deniers herof, if eternall damnation
remayneth for theym, that disobeye
this godly ordinance: what damnation
are they in, which contempnyng
trewth, shall studye to procure theyr
owne dethe, and so cause other to fal
in lyke damnable errour with them?
I can not nor dare iudge them, but
the worde of god iudgeth them, whiche
oppugnen verite. God of his infinite
mercy pardon the ignora~t, not
of this realme onely, but of all christen
realmes, and graunt them light
to se his truthe, and open theyr hartes,
with pure conscience to receyue
the same.
Howe erneste this holy apostolle
was for this veritie, it maye ryghte
well appere in his epostol sent to his
disciple Titus, whom he had assigned
to be byshop of Crete, gyuynge
hym amonge all other thinges in co~maundemente,
to warne the people
in his sermons, that they submytte
them selfes to princis and powers, &
redily to obey their commaundeme~tes,
as he hym selfe in all thinges obeyed
them: & made refuge to them,
as wha~ he apeled to Cesar in a cause
of heresie, gyuing example of his obedience.
Whan I redde this fyrste,
I meruayled moche, that Paule, in
a mattier concernynge the helthe of
his soule, wolde appele to Cesar and
not to Peter, if Peter hadde ben the
chiefe prelate ordeyned of god. But
full well he knewe, that good Peter
neyther had nor wold haue any high
estate, or imperiall power, although
Christ had vsed hym familiarly. Nor
good Paule him self challenged any
more authoritie, all thoughe Christe
called hym his electe and chosen vessell.