An homilie or sermon, intreatinge of Ceremonies and mannes lawes.

GOod Christen
people, forasmuch
as now
of late manye
me~ hath so litle
fauored the Ceremonyes
of
Christes churche,
& also mannes
traditions,
or lawes made
by man, reputing
them inualide and of no strength to bynde
Christen people to obserue and kepe them,
that they haue runne into so greate peruersitie, as to
despise as wel such laudable vsages as hath ben
vsed among christen people continually, sith the
time of the Apostles vnto our dayes, as also to
reiecte the very Sacramentes of God, the principal
Ceremonies of oure faith, to the extreme
daunger of their owne damnation, and of all the~
that haue geuen faith to theyr doctrine, because
you shal not erre in like opinions, but rather shal
know how necessary Ceremonies be, that so you
may haue a loue to the~, ye shal first hear the au~cientie
of Ceremonies, & then the necessitie of Ceremonies,
And consequentlye somewhat I shall
speake of mannes traditions and lawes, and of the
strength that they haue to bind men that be subiect
to the same lawes, to kepe them. For the first
ye shall vnderstande, that this vocable or latyn
worde Ceremonie as Valerius Maximus wryteth
in the fyrst booke of his stories hath his name of
a towne in Italy called Cerete, into which towne
whe~ the citie of Rome was taken by the frenchmen
the preist of Quirinus, and the professed maidens
called Vestales virgines with theyr Idolles,
and other sacred thinges after their maner that
they could conuey out of the citie, were caried in
a wayne and there receiued, & had in very greate
veneration. And thereof it was ordeyned, that
thinges perteyninge to the seruyce of their Goddes,
shoulde be called Ceremonies, because the
Ceretanes worshipped them in that decaye, and
destruction of the citie of Rome, as wel as when
it floryshed in prosperitie. And the translatours
of holy scripture vseth the same latin worde, to
signifie the rites, maners, and vsages accustomed
in the seruice of the true and onelye lyuinge
God almighty, maker of all creatures, and about
thinges dedicate, applyed, and belonginge to the
same seruice, callinge them Ceremonies. They be
externall or outwarde protestations, and declarations
of the inwarde worshippinge of GOD,
whiche is by fayth, hope, and charitie, and hath
ben vsed in the time when the law of nature had
his course, and afterwarde in the time of the law
written, vnto Christes time, and finallye in the
time of grace from the firste publique and open
preachinge of Christes Gospell, and so shal continue
vnto the worldes ende. Almightye God allowed
and commended the holy patriarch Abraham
vnto Isaac, saiyng: I will geue to thee and
to thy posteritie all these countreys hereaboute,
and all nacions of the worlde shall be blessed in
thy seede for Abrahams sake, because he obeyed
my voice, and kepte my commaundementes, my
ceremonies, and my lawes. Gene. xxvi. What ceremonies
kept Abraham for which he was worthy
thus to be commended? Uerely some speciall
deuout fashions or behauiour that he vsed about
the sacrifices or seruices of God as he had learned
of his anceters, which I thinke verely were
euen the same, or muche like to them that afterwarde
were expresly commaunded by God, and
written by Moyses. Abel Adams sonne learned
of his father to honoure God wyth the fruites
that God sende him, and to make oblations to
him of the same. Enos that was sonne vnto
Seth, begonne to call vpon the name of God, inuentinge
deuout wordes by the waye of prayer
to honour him. Enoch the fourth generation after
him, of whose goodnesse scripture speaketh,
saiynge: that he walked with God, and appeared
no more amonge the sinnefull people, for
God toke him away, doubtlesse he was no lesse
ceremonious in sacrifices, oblatio~s, and prayers,
then his progenitours were. And of Noe the holye
Patriarch it is expressely written, yt when he
came out of his ship after ye great flode with his

Z.i.

sonnes, his wife, and his sonnes wiues, and all
the beasts that were saued bi that shippe. Forthwith
he erected and made vp an aultare for almighty
god, and offered sacrifices of part of the
beastes and birdes that were clene, burnyng the~
vpon the same aultare, and our Lord God smelled
the swetenesse of his oblation, acceptynge it
graciously for the faith and deuocion of the offerer,
and not for the things self that were offred.
Here you haue manifest ceremonies, the aultare
was Ceremoniall, so was the distinction of the
clene beastes from the vnclene. And of the cleane
fowles from he vnclene, the burnynge vp of the
whole carkasses, head, fete, bowels, and al except
the skinne was ceremoniall. But afore that wee
entreate of these ceremoniall lawes, I thinke it
necessary somewhat to speake of morall lawes,
and also of Iudiciall lawes, which knowen, the
ceremonies may be more euident. The morall
lawes co~maunded by God be they that be of the
iudgement of right reason or much consonant &
agreing to the same, & that shal moue a ma~ to fulfil
& do the~, although there wer no law writte~ to
co~pell a ma~ to fulfil the~, as this. Thou shalt honor
thy father & mother, for reaso~ wil that thou
shalt do the best thou canst for the~, that brought
thee into this worlde, and nourished thee, and
cherished thee, when thou were not able to helpe
thy self. Of this kinde be the. x. co~maundements
of God sonderly expressed to his elect people of
Israel, and bi them to vs, to reduce them and vs
to the lyght of naturall reason, whiche by euyll
exercyse was blinded in the~, as it was throughout
all the worlde in that tyme, and as I feare
me, it is in manye of vs nowe, for malyce was
neuer so abundaunte. For this purpose it is verye
necessarye that they shoulde be declared in
the churches on sondayes and holy dayes to put
men in remembraunce of their duetie to GOD,
and to their neighbors, other morall rules there
be, whyche bynde as monicions by the waye of
honestie, as this. Afore a white heade thou shalte
rise vp and do thy dutye. And this,
Honor the
person of an olde man, with manye others like.
And of the saide morall commaundementes dependeth
bothe the Iudiciall preceptes, and the
ceremoniall. The Iudiciall lawes be as it were
yokes or bondes to binde the people, to kepe and
do that reason woulde to be done in an order to
God and to their neighboure, determinynge the
paynes and punyshemente for transgressours,
quietynge and endynge strife, plees, and controuersies,
hauynge their strengthe to binde, not of
the necessary iudgement of right reason, but only
by institution or of that that they be made by
theim that haue auctoritie to make lawes, example
of thys. A morall lawe this is. Thou
shalt not kyll anye man, woman, or childe. Then
if a man breake this lawe by prepensed malyce,
killynge a manne, the Iudiciall lawe sayeth
that he shall dye for it, where as if he did it by
chaunce medley, wythout anye suche intended
mischiefe, he myghte saue hym selfe by some
sanctuarye. Thou shalte honour thy father and
mother, is a morall commaundemente.

Z.ii.

To punishe them that do contrarye the iudiciall
lawe saith: whosoeuer hurteth father or mother
shal die for it. And whosoeuer rayleth vpo~ the~ geuing
the~ opprobrious words that also dye for it.
Ceremonies vsed afore Christes tyme were
of foure diuers maners. Some consisted in sacrifices.
Some in sacraments. Some in halowed thinges,
or thinges dedicate or applied to
Gods seruice. Some in obseruaunces. Sacrifices
they hadde, of whiche some were offered for
the sinnes of the people, or of particuler persons
Some of deuotion to pacify Gods displeasure,
and to obtein his grace and fauour, or for to obteine
some speciall benefite of almighty GOD.
Some were all burned, some were part burned,
part rosted or sodde, and parte appointed for the
priestes part, part for the owner that offred it to
make merye with all. And they were commonly
of rudder beastes, of sheepe, or goates. And amonge
birdes, of doues or turtles, and seldome
of sparrowes, as in the purgation of Lepris,
which as S. Paule saith can not purge the co~science
of them that serueth in them, for it is not
possible sinne to be taken away by the bloude of
bullockes or goates. Hebr. x.
Sacramentes they had among them as circumcisio~,
and the paschal lambe, and order of the
priestes ministring in the tabernacle or temple,
and the water of expiation made of the asshen of
the redde Hefer & running water, to clense folke
fro~ their irregularitie bi touchi~g of a dead corps
or of any other vncleane thinge. Saint Paule
calleth them neady and pore principles, for they
nother geue grace to the vsers, nother geueth to
the ministers any spiritual power to remit sinne.
The priest bi his order had power to kil the cow
and to burne her, and to mingle the asshen with
running water, & to sprinkle it vpon the vnclene
and so to purge him from an externall irregularitie
of his flesh, that so he might lawfully come
into the courts of the tabernacle, & sta~d amongst
honest me~, where as afore he ought not so to do.
And for this thapostle saith, they sanctify folkes
for the clensyng of the flesh. Heb. ix. Euen like as
when a prelate dispe~seth with a bastard or with
a ma~ that hath but one eye, that he may be made
priest, bi this dispensation, he geueth him not any
grace, but only taketh away the irregularitie &
maketh hym able to be ordered, where afore he
was not so.
Of the thirde maner of ceremonies were sacred
or halowed things to gods seruice. As ye tabernacle
& te~ple, ye parts of the~, the courts about
them, the implementes and vtensils, as cruets,
cuppes, morters, caudrons, and kettles. And so
were certayne dayes and solemne feastes as the
vii. day of the weke, the seuenth yere, the Iubily
yere, with a great multitude more, which should
be to long here to be rehearsed.
The obseruances were certain religious maners
of liuinges that the people of Israell, and
the holy fathers their progenitours as the electe
and chosen people of GOD vsed, to shewe them
selues distincte and differente from all Idolaters,
of which the world was then full. In Moyses
time almighty God expressely commaunded
the~ by Moyses and Aaron to obserue & keepe a
prescise maner in their diet. They should eat no
fleshe of any four foted beastes, but onely of such
as were both clouen foted, and did also ruminat
his meat, or chew quyd. All other they should repute
vnclene and not eat of the~. They should nother
eat porke, pigge, hare, nor conyes, with many
others. They were forbidden all fish that had
not both finnes and skales, tench, eles, congres,
loches, & culles, with manye others were not for
them, of birdes, all raueners liuynge by prey,
as haukes, grifes, kites, and all kinde of rauens,
or crowes, and such like, and swanne flesh, with
many others they were forbidden as things vnclene
to be eaten & to be touched. And they sholde
not drinke nor occupie the water or other liquor
that any such or any part of them had falle~ into,
the vessell conteynynge such liquor, should be cou~ted
vnclene, and if it were an earthen vessell, it
should be broken and cast away. Albeit, brokes,
welles, mayrs, pondes, and cesternes made to
gather water, and to kepe them, mighte be occupied
for drinke, and to dresse meat, although such
filthy forbidden thinges had fallen into them.
How they shold punysh the~ selues with fastyng.
In the feast of expiation or clensynge, & many other
seasons, and how the wiues vowe to offer,
or to fast, or to do any such like thing of deuotion
should be approued by her husbande as sone as
he knew of it, or els not to binde her. And in case
he wold say co~trary on the first day that he knew
of his wiues vow, she was discharged, & he without
fault, but if he deferred it til the morow the~
next folowing, she was bound to perfourme her
vow. And if the~ he wold co~pel her to do co~trary,
he should beare the perill of her iniquitie, transgressing
& breaking her vow. The vowes & promises
of ye maids dwelling within their fathers
houses, did likewise binde, if the father saide not
co~trary on the first day that he knew therof, if afterward
he wold say nay, on his perill, the synne
was his. As co~cerning their raiment, thei should
wear no cloth woue~ of wollen & linne~ threde, together
as be our carpets & tapstry works. They
shold also haue in the skirts of their gownes certain
ribands in color rese~bling the skie on a clere
day. No man shold wear a womans garme~t, nother
any woma~ a mans garme~t, for that was abhominable
afore god. Of yokinge their cattell in
their plowes, of sowyng their vyneyards & their
feldes, And of the very birdes neasts thei had ceremonial
obseruances appointed the~. In al these
this is to be taken for a generall rule that suche
ceremonies as semeth to be without ani sad reason,
& without any necessitie or profite in kepyng
of the~, or eschuying the~. Almighty God intended
to remoue his people farre of fro~ the cites of Idolatry,
in which such thinges as be here forbidden
were vsed. The payn for not obseruing these
ceremonies in manye cases was death, whereby
thei were very da~gerous painful & vntollerable
as. s. Pet. saith, thei wer so heuy yt nother Iewes
in his tyme beynge, nother their forefathers
could bear the~. Act. xv. They were very many to
the number of. vi. hundred, or aboue, of whiche
some were verye chargeable, what payne and
charge was it for euerye manne to appeare in
Ierusalem, three times in the yere, how farre of
so euer he dwelled. Likewise to kepe holy day all
the. vii.th yere in deuotio~, & nother to plow nor to
sow, nor to gather corne, & so in the space of two
yeres together, they had but small sustenaunce.
Nowe wee haue hearde howe these Lawes
bounde the Iewes to obserue and keepe theim
vnder the paynes expressed for transgressours
of the same, it is necessarye to knowe howe they
binde vs christen people in the tyme of grace exhibited
and geuen vs by oure Sauioure Iesus
Christe. For this you shall vnderstande that
the morall preceptes, because they be consonant
and agreing to the light and iudgement of right
reason, whiche is one in all men naturally printed
in their Soules at their creation, they must
nedes binde vs christian people as well as they
bounde the Iewes. Al be it the Iewes as verye
ignare & rude vnperfitly and grosely vnderstode
the saide morall co~maundements, as thinking it
sufficient to kepe this co~maundeme~t. Thou shalt
not kill, if they held their handes they thought it
none offence to be angry wt their neighbour. To
imagine mischefe against him. This imperfectio~
of their grosse vnderstanding our sauiour Christ
clerely taketh away, forbiddyng vs to be angry
with our neighbour in wardly in our harte or by
exteriour signes in word, hand, or in cou~tenau~ce.
Mat. v. takynge away the very rote of homicide.
The iudicialles of Moises law as giuen by him,
hath this imperfection annexed, that they make
a man to doe well for feare of punyshment more
then for loue. And feare hath euer payn annexed,
and therfore Moyses law was called the law of
feare, and by that is a painefull law. It woulde
abhorre a mans hart to heare how many tymes
the payne of deathe is inculcated and repeted among
the sayd iudiciall lawes specially, but they
as giuen by Moyses bindeth not vs Christe~ people,
notwithstandinge because in manye pointes
they be very ciuill and holsome rules to direct comonalties,
or particuler persons, wher Christen
princes and noble counsailes thynketh it good to
take any of the saide iudiciall lawes of Moyses,
and to stablishe theym, to order theyr subiectes,
then the sayd subiectes be bounde to obserue and
kepe them, not as giuen of Moyses, but as newlye
made by their owne superiours and rulers.
But as for the Iewes ceremonies, because they
were the very figures and onelye significations
of Christ to come, and of some sacraments & ceremonies
to be vsed in Christes church in the tyme
of grace now alredy exhibited and performed, giuen
vs by our sauiour Christ. They must needes
surceasse, for when the veritie of the sygnes and
fygures be put in execution, the shadowes be of
no efficacitie. It is mortal sinne now to vse them
putting any trust of saluation in them, for in so
doing we shoulde shewe oure selues to be of the
Iewes faith, thinkinge that our redemption by
Christ is not yet sufficiently performed, whych is

Aa.

plaine false and dampnable to be beleued. Notwithstanding
Christes churche is not clearelye
without ceremonies, some ordeined by Christ, &
by his Apostles, and holy fathers, by the comon
consent of noble princes and commonalties, for
the adorning, aduauncing and settyng furthe of
Christes religion. For we haue sacrifices, sacramentes,
sacred or halowed thinges and obserua~ces,
proporcionably to the foure that as I tolde
you were vsed in Moyses law, one most excelle~t
sacrifice is the busy and dayly sacrifice and offering
in the masse of the blessed bodye and bloude
of our sauiour Christ, in the forme of breade and
wine. This sacrifice we be taught and commaunded
to vse by the eternall priest, after the order of
Melchisedech, our sauiour Iesus Christ at hys
last supper, sacrificing vnto his father bread and
wyne, turned by the vertue of his holy and mighty
worde into hys owne bodye and bloude. And
in this doyng most deuoutly is called to mans remembrance
his blessed immolation on the crosse,
and is presented vnto hys father for health and
grace to theym that be a lyue, and for reast and
quyetnes for all them that be departed in fayth.
A contrite and a troubled hart for a mannes sinnes
the Prophet in the psalme calleth a sacrifice
which almighty God will not despise. And in an
other psalme God sayth by the same prophet, the
sacrifice of laude and praysing shal do me honor,
kyll the wantonesse of thy wyll, and the ranknes
of thy fleshe in the loue of him, and so thou shalt
set vpon Gods aulter, that is to say, on Christes
crosse the most acceptable sacrifice vnto him, and
who so euer voweth and payeth to God all that
he hath, all that he lyueth, all that he vnderstandeth,
as the Apostles did he offereth to God an
holocaust, that is to saye an alburned sacrifice.
For generally euery dede that we do, by whych
we shewe our selues to cleaue and sticke fast vnto God,
referred to an heauenlye ende, maye be
called a sacrifice.
Sacramentes we haue also seuen in nomber,
taking their efficacitie and strengthe at oure
sauiour Christ, and left in the church as holesom
medicines against the manyfold infirmities and
diseases of our soules. These be the very few and
manifest sacraments, in which the mercy of god
woulde haue his churche free and at lybertie as
saynt Austine writeth in his boke of the customs
of the church to Ianuarye. And yet all these be
not necessary for euerye man that shall be saued.
For euery man taketh not holye orders, neyther
euery man contracteth matrimony, many a man
is saued without confirmation, and also wythout
the blessed sacrament of the aulter, and without
extreme vnction that we cal Inoyling. Baptisme
is necessary, and to theym that after baptisme
haue fallen to mortall sinne, penance must
nedes be had. And this seemeth to be the hardest
Sacrament or ceremonie that Christe lefte in
hys Churche, specially for that part of it, that is
confession, in whyche we reueale and vtter to
a mortall manne the synnes that afore were priuye
and secrete betwyxte GOD and vs.

Aa.ii.

But to mitigate thys confusion or shame, wee
must inwardly consider the losing of our synfull
bondes, and by that to be set at libertie, oute of
the deuils danger, & this shall make vs not to be
ashamed to tell the truth for our soules sake. Let
vs with all consider that he to whom we be confessed,
is most straitly bound to keepe our counsayl
vnder a more priuie seale, then we be our self
bounde, and so we shall not neede to stycke nor
shrinke to make a plaine confessio~. Sacred or halowed
thinges we haue very manye, as churches
and Churchyardes, Chalice, Corporas, Cruets,
Uestimentes, and other ornamentes of the ministers,
doynge seruice in Christes churche, besyde
their daily rayment, shewing distinction of them
fro~ the laife which is a veri honest ceremony & necessary
to be vsed, albeit a great many of vs priestes
litle regard it, going in our apparell lyke the
lay men, by that declaring that we be ashamed of
our order, and woulde be glad to pull our heade
out of that yoke if we might. We haue also obseruances
of holye dayes, as sondayes and other solempne
feastes by course succedynge after the reuolucion
of the yere. We obserue also certayn solempne
times of fastinge, as the faste of Lent, &
the Embre daies, and in the reme~brance of Christes
passion we punish our bodies with abstine~ce
and fasting euery fridai. The deuout ceremonies
on Palme sondayes in processions and on good
fridaies about the laying of the crosse and sacrament
into the sepulchre, gloriouslye arayed, be so
necessary to succour the labilitie of mans remembrance,
that if they wer not vsed once euery yere,
it is to be feared that Christes passion wold sone
be forgotten, the crucifixes erected in churches, &
crosses by the highe wayes were intended for the
same purpose, although some pestiferous perso~s
haue ouerthrowne them and destroyed them, for
the very contempt of Christes passion, more then
to finde money vnder them, as they haue pretended.
We obserue as a necessary ceremoni likewise
a sober silence in the church in time of preachyng
the worde of God, and also while diuine seruice
is a doyng, with manye suche other ceremonyes
which were to long here to be rehersed.
And finally to speake of the iudiciall lawes
the Iewes were neuer yoked nor troubled wyth
halfe so manye gyuen to them, as we be pressed
withal, what with ecclesiastical lawes and other
statutes and actes aboue nomber. So that as
Sainte Austine in the booke of the customes of
the church saith the condicion of the Iewes seemeth
more tollerable and easye to be borne, then
the case that Christe~ people be in. For the Iewes
neuer knewe the tyme of lybertie, and yet they
were not bou~d but only to the burdens expressed
in Gods lawes, and not to mens presumptions
as we be, in somuche that if a Iewe well learned
in Moyses law, and conuerted to Christes faith,
woulde consider hys former bondage whyle he
was of the Iewes secte, and woulde conferre it
to this bondage that he must lyue in wyth Christen
people, he would thincke Christes law much
more vntollerable, the~ Moyses law was to him.
For what with our iudiciall lawes and our ceremonials,
we haue more layd vpon our backs, the~
we can well awaye withall, and but verye fewe
daies passeth ouer vs, but we breake a great many
of them, and not without peryl to our soules.
Then where is the swete promise of our sauiour
Christ: Come vnto me all ye that labour and be ouerburdened
and I shall refreshe you, and make you
beare lighter, for my yoke is sweete, and my burden
but light. For this ye shall vnderstand, that comparing
the old law vnto the new law of Christe,
we may consider Christes lawe one way, as giue~
of Christ, and so very true it is that Christes law
is muche more easye then Moyses lawe. For the
iudiciall lawes be none left vs by Christe, but he
biddeth vs to leaue all plees and actions, in somuche
that he wylleth vs not to requyre eye for
eye, nor toothe for toothe as Moyses law wold,
but rather if a man would afore a Iudge claime
thy coate, thou shalt not sticke with him, but rather
giue him thy coate and thy cloke withal. On
a time there came one to Christ that had a matter
in variance betwixte him and his brother, about
the diuision of theyr enheritance or londes,
and would haue had Christ to take the matter in
hand and to call his brother, & to bid him deuide
their possessions, that either of them might know
his own: But Christ would none therof, and refused
to be their Iudge in that behalfe, sayinge:
O man, who made me your Iudge or the deuyder
betwixt you? I came not for that entent, I
wil not medle in such matters nowe, & therefore
his good scholer S. Paule writeth to the Corinthia~s:
that it was a great fault amo~g them that
they had such iudiciall causes among them: why
do not ye rather sayth he take wrong? why doe
ye not rather suffer to be begiled? And this we be
bound to do, in case that by our extreme and gredie
asking of our own, there may be like to aryse
some greater inconuenience, or yl example to our
neighbour, but in case by our sufferance, malicious
or couetous persons may take a courage or
boldnes to persist in theyr yll doing. We be not
bound so to refraine to aske our own, but rather
with modestie and sober behauiour we mai afore
a competent Iudge redresse the iniury done vnto
vs; & to require our right by iudiciall lawes,
as well ecclesiastical as temporal, to which they
that be subiect to the same lawes, be bound to obey,
in asmuche as they be made by men, whom
God hath constitute & set in power and authoriti
or by his secret counsail permitted & suffered to
beare rule & authoritie, & to haue the ministratio~
& execution of the lawes. Of the authority of prelates,
successours to the Apostles saith Christe yt
whosoeuer heareth the~ hereth him, & whosoeuer
despiseth the~, despiseth him, And generally of all
rulers saith the Apostle, co~maunding euery man
to be subiect to higher powers. For ther is no power
but of god, & the things that co~meth of God
be resonably disposed & ordred, & therfore he that
withsta~deth superior powre, withsta~deth Gods
ordinance, & they that so do, procureth their own
da~pnation. And therfore of very necessitye they
shoulde be subiecte to theyr heades, not onelye
for feare of theyr anger and punyshemente,
but also for discharge of mens co~sciences, so that
they shoulde do nothing contrarie to the princes
and rulers of the people, but that they should exercise
the workes of Iustice and goodnes, wyth
tranquillitie and quietnes wythout tortures or
compulsion. Then consideringe that for our conscience
sake we must obey the iust ordinaunces of
our rulers, it is plaine that if we do contrary, we
hurt our consciences with inobedience, neglige~ce
and contempt, and so we sinne and deserue pain,
whereof it foloweth that to obserue & kepe ma~s
traditions, constitutions, and lawes, made by
our superiours, hauinge authoritie ouer vs, as
well for obseruing and keping of the ceremonies
& other bound duties of the churche, as for other
lawes temporall, godly deuised for the quietnes
of the kinges subiectes spirituall and temporall,
is necessarie for our soule health. And that to disobey
and contempne them, is pernitious and perelous,
as Samuel said: Obedience is better the~
sacrifice, for disobedience, repugnaunce, and resistance,
is like the most detestable vice of sorcerye
and idolatry. But whether we be bound vnder
payne of deadly synne to kepe all the reasonable
lawes and traditions made by man or not, it is
doubtfull. For this ye shal vnderstand that some
lawes bindeth men to do suche thinges as be necessarye
to obtayne the loue of GOD and of thy
neighbour, as this: thou shalt worshyp one God:
thou shalt do none adultery. And these also which
be necessary because God hath commaunded the~:
Thou shalt be baptised, thou shalt keepe holylye
Gods holy day, thou shalt be confessed to a priest
with all such as he necessarily deriued of them, &
agreing to them, whether they be gyuen by God
or by man, edifying charitie, and commaundinge
to exchewe, and not to do the thing that is contrarie
to charitie. Nowe because charitie is the
life of the soule, without which the soule is dead,
whosoeuer transgresseth and breaketh any suche
lawes, whether they be made by God or man, killeth
his owne soule, and sinneth deadly. So that
charitye is the verye true myrrour or glasse, by
which thou maist trie and discusse & haue a great
euidence, as well of thine owne dedes as of other
mens dedes, whither they be godlye or diuelyshe,
holy or sinnefull. Some positiue lawes there be
that binde not so fore as these do, because the violation
and breaking of them, maketh not directly
against the loue of God and of thy neyghbour.
As the positiue lawes of fasting, the prescise obseruing
of the ordinal in saying diuine seruice, the
lawes of humanitte or curtesie. And thys: Thou
shalt make no lesynges, with a great nomber of
temporal lawes, which a ma~ transgressing, doth
not euer synne deadly, except there be concurrent
a contempt or dyspisinge of the authoritie of the
law, which maye make the offence that els was
but veniall to be mortall. As in theym that wee
haue heard of, that for very frowardnes and despite
of superiour authoritie haue eaten fleshe in
Lent, which after Easter woulde haue ben glad
to haue eaten fishe, if they coulde haue gotten it.
Penall lawes bindeth two maner of wayes, one

Bb.i.

way because the maker of the lawes wold haue
them kept, and we be bounde to obey theym, not
onelye for feare of payne, but also for our conscience
sakes. But they binde no way vnder payne
of deadly sinne, in asmuch as it appeareth by the
mindes of the makers of the law, that they wold
not so sore charge the consciences of theyr subiectes,
but that whe~ they breake the said lawes,
whether it be with contempt or withoute, they
shoulde suffer the temporall paines, determined
& ordained for them that offende the said lawes.
And so they binde the seconde way by the payne
to be inflicte on the breakers of the same. Thys
due obedience of the subiectes of theyr heades &
rulers, and other premisses considered, al noble
Princes and Prelates, and all others that commonly
be called to high counsels to make lawes,
had nede maturely to consider, that in their offices
they be Gods helpers, and the mean betwixt
God and hys people, and to be well ware that
they make none such humane traditions, as mai
barre or deface the law of God as they dydde, to
who~ Christ vmbraideth that they for their own
lucratiue traditions, disswaded from the law of
the honour of theyr parentes. Math. xv. And that
they doe not binde suche heauye and vnportable
burdens vpon their subiectes backes, as they wil
not set one finger to, to helpe men to beare Math.
xxiii. as the Scribes and Pharisies did, whych
then had the aucthoritie both temporall and spiritual
vnder the Romaines. And that they haue
no malicious eye towarde anye partie diuisyng
lawes, for theyr neyghbours destruction, or excogitating
lawes for the impouerishynge of other
men, alleuiatyng theyr owne charges, and making
others fal down vnder their burdens: The
Prophet sayth to them that be constitute and set
in suche authoritie. Psa. lvii. O ye children of men,
if ye speake truelye of iustice and ryghteousnesse,
then se that ye iudge streightly, neither declining
on the right hand by affection to your selfe, or to
your friende, neither on the least hand by malice
or displeasure to your foes, or to them that you
sauour not. Considering that the iust iudgement
of God shall be against them that measureth the
power that they haue receiued of God after their
owne wickednes, & not according to Gods
lawes. Wher they that iustly and charitably
haue vsed their authority,
shall haue suche reward
prepared for them in
heaue~ as no song
can tel, nor
hart can
think
Of whiche
that we may be
partakers, he graunt
vs, that for vs
dyed. Amen.