The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in the former part of homilees. Set out by the aucthoritie of the Queenes Maiestie: and to be read in euery parishe church agreeably.

¶ The seconde parte of the Homilee of Repentaunce.

HJtherto haue ye heard (wel beloued) how needeful & ne∣cessary the doctrine of repen∣taunce is, & how earnestly it is throughout all the scrip∣tures of God vrged and set foorth, both by the auncient prophetes, by our Sauiour Jesu Christ, & his Apostles, and that forasmuche as it is the conuertion or turning agayne of the whole man vnto God, from whom we go away by sinne, these four pointes ought to be obserued, That is, from whence or from what thinges we muste returne, vnto whom this our returnyng muste be made, by whose meanes it ought to be done that it may be effectual, and last of all, after what sort we ought to behaue our selues in the same, that it may be profitable vnto vs, and at∣tayne vnto the thing that we do seeke by it. Ye haue also learned, that as the opinion of them that denie the benefite of repentaunce vnto those that after they be come to God and graffed in our sauiour Jesu Christe, do through the fraylenesse of theyr fleshe, and the temptation of the deuill, fall into some greeuous and detestable sinne, is most pestilent and pernitious: So we muste be∣ware, that we do in no wyse thynke that we are able of our owne selues and of our own strength to retourne vnto the Lorde our God, from whom we are gone awaye by our wyckednesse and sinne. Nowe it shall be declared vnto you,

what be the true partes of repentaunce; & what thinges ought to moue vs to repent, and to re∣turne vnto the Lorde our God with all speede. Repentaunce (as it is sayde before) is a true re∣turning vnto God, whereby men, forsakyng vt∣terlye their idolatrie and wickednes, do with a lyuelye fayth embrace, loue, and worship the true lyuyng God onelye, and geue them selues to all maner of good workes, whiche by Gods worde they knowe to be acceptable vnto him. Nowe there be foure partes of repentaunce, which be∣yng set together, maye be lykened to an easie and short ladder, whereby we may clymbe from the bottomles pit of perdition, that we caste our selues into by our daylye offences and greeuous sinnes, vp into the castle or to wre of eternal and endelesse saluation. The fyrst is the contrition of the heart. For we must be earnestly sorye for our sinnes, and vnfaynedlye lament & be wayle that we haue by them so greuously offended our most bounteous and mercifull God, who so tenderlye loued vs, that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to dye a most bitter death, & to shed his deare hart blood for our redemption and deliueraunce. And veryly this inward sorowe and greefe being con∣ceaued in the heart for the haynousnesse of sinne, if it be earnest and vnfayned, is as a sacrifice to God, as the holy prophete Dauid doth testifye, saying: A sacrifyce to God is a troubled spyrite, a contrite and broken heart, O Lord thou wylt not dispyse. But that this may take place in vs, we must be diligent to reade and heare the scrip∣tures and worde of God, whiche most lyuely do

paynt out before your eyes our naturall vnclean∣lynesse, and the enormitie of our sinfull lyfe. For vnlesse we haue a through feeling of our sinnes, how can it be that we shoulde earnestlie be sorye for them? Afore Dauid did heare the worde of the Lorde by the mouth of the prophet Nathan, what heauinesse I praye you was in hym for the adultrie and murther that he had committed? So that it myght be sayd right wel, that he slept in his owne sinne. We reade in the Actes of the Apostles, that when the people had hearde the Sermon of Peter, they were compunct and pric∣ked in theyr heartes. Whiche thing woulde ne∣uer haue ben, if they had not heard that holsome Sermon of Peter. They therefore that haue no mynde at all neyther to reade, nor yet to heare Gods word, there is but smal hope of them that they wil as muche as once set their feete, or take holde vpon the fyrst staffe or steppe of this ladder: but rather will sinke deeper and deeper into the bottomlesse pit of perdition. For if at anye tyme through the remorse of their conscience, which accuseth them, they feele any inwarde greefe, so∣rowe, or heauines for their sinnes, forasmuch as they want the salue and comfort of Gods worde, which they do dispyse, it will be vnto them ra∣ther a meane to bryng them to vtter desperation then otherwyse. The seconde is, an vnfayned confession and acknowledgyng of our sinnes vn∣to God, whom by them we haue so greeuouslye offended, that if he shoulde deale with vs accor∣dyng to his iustyce, we do deserue a thousande helles, if there coulde be so manye. Yet if we

wyll with a sorowfull and contrite hearte make an vnfayned confession of them vnto God, he will freely and frankly forgeue them, & so put all our wickednes out of remembraunce before the syght of his maiestie, that they shall no more be thought vppon. Hereunto doth parteyne the golden saying of the holy prophet Dauid, where he sayth on this maner: Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee, neither did I hyde myne in∣iquitie: I sayde, I will confesse agaynst my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lorde, & thou forgauest the vngodlines of my sinne. These are also the wordes of John the Euangelist: If we confesse our sinnes, God is faythfull & ryghteous to for∣geue vs our sinnes, & to make vs cleane from all our wickednes. Which ought to be vnderstanded of the confession that is made vnto God. For these are saint Augustines wordes: That confession whiche is made vnto God, is requyred by Gods lawe, whereof John the apostle speaketh, saying: If we confesse our sinnes, God is faythfull and ryghteous to forgeue vs our sinnes, and to make vs cleane from all our wickednesse. For without this confession, sinne is not forgeuen. This is then the cheefest & most principal confession that in the scriptures & worde of God we are bydden to make, and without the whiche we shal neuer obteyne pardon and forgeuenesse of our sinnes. In deede, besydes this there is another kynde of confession, whiche is needefull and necessarye. And of the same doth Saint James speake after this maner, saying: Acknowledge your faultes one to another, and praye one for another, that

ye may be saued. As if he should saye: Open that whiche greeueth you, that a remedye maye be founde. And this is commaunded both for hym that complayneth, & for hym that heareth, that the one should shew his greefe to the other. The true meaning of it is, that the faythfull ought to acknowledge their offences, whereby some ha∣tred, rancour, grudge, or malyce, hauyng rysen or growen among them one to another, that a brotherlye reconciliation maye be had, without the which nothing that we do can be acceptable vnto God, as our sauiour Jesus Christ doth wit∣nesse himselfe, saying: When thou offerest thyne offeryng at the aulter, if thou remembrest that thy brother hath ought agaynst thee, leaue there thyne offryng, & go and be reconciled, and when thou art reconciled, come and offer thine offring. It may also be thus taken, that we ought to con∣fesse our weakenesse and infirmities one to ano∣ther, to the ende that knowing eche others frail∣nesse, we may the more earnestly pray together vnto almyghtye God our heauenly father, that he will vouchsafe to pardon vs our infirmities, for his sonne Jesus Christes sake, and not to im∣pute them vnto vs, when he shall render to eue∣ry man according to his workes. And where as the aduersaries go about to wrest this place for to maynteyne their auriculer confession withal, they are greatlye deceaued themselues, and do shame fullye deceaue others. For if this texte ought to be vnderstanded of auriculer confession: then the Priestes are as muche bounde to con∣fesse them selues vnto the laye people, as the lay

people are bound to confesse them selues to them. And if to pray, is to absolue: then the laytie by this place hath as great aucthoritie to absolue the priestes, as the priestes haue to absolue the laytie. This dyd Iohannes Scotus, otherwyse called Duns, well perceaue, who vppon this place wryteth on this maner, Neyther doth it seeme vnto me that James dyd geue this com∣maundement, or that he dyd set it foorth as be∣yng receaued of Christe. For fyrst and foremoste whence had he aucthoritie to bynde the whole Churche, syth that he was only Byshoppe of the Churche of Hierusalem? except thou wylt saye that the same Church was at the beginnyng the head Church, and consequently that he was the head Byshop, which thyng the sea of Rome wyll neuer graunt. The vnderstandyng of it then, is as in these wordes: Confesse your synnes one to another. A perswasion to humilitie, whereby he wylleth vs to confesse our selues generally vnto our neyghbours that we are synners, accordyng to this saying: If we say we haue no synne, we deceaue our selues, and the trueth is not in vs. And where that they do alleage this saying of our sauiour Jesu Christe vnto the Leaper, to proue auriculer confession to stande on Gods worde, Go thy way and shewe thy selfe vnto the prieste: Do they not see that the Leaper was cleansed from his leprosie afore he was by Christ sent vnto the priest for to shewe hym selfe vnto hym? By the same reason we must be cleansed from our spirituall leprosie, I meane, our synnes muste be forgeuen vs afore that we come to con∣fession.

What neede we then to tell foorth our synnes into the eare of the priest, sith that they be alredy taken away? Therefore holy Ambrose in his seconde sermon vpon the hundred and nyne∣teenth Psalme, doth say full well: Go shewe thy selfe vnto the prieste. Who is the true prieste, but he whiche is the prieste for euer after the order of Melchisedech? Whereby this holy father doth vnderstande, that both the priesthood and the law beyng chaunged, we ought to acknowledge none other prieste for delyueraunce from our synnes but our Sauiour Jesus Christe, who be∣yng our soueraigne Byshop, doth with the sacri∣fice of his body and blood, offered once for euer vppon the aulter of the crosse, moste effectuallye cleanse the spirituall leprosie, and washe awaye the synnes of all those that with true confession of the same do flee vnto hym. It is moste eui∣dent and playne, that this auriculer confession hath not his warraunt of Gods worde, els it had not ben lawfull for Nectarius Byshoppe of Constantinople, vpon a iust occasion to haue put it downe. For when any thyng ordeyned of God, is by the lewdenes of men abused, the abuse ought to be taken awaye, and the thyng it selfe suffered to remayne. Moreouer, these are Saint Augustines wordes: What haue I to do with men, that they shoulde heare my confession, as though they were able to heale all my diseases? A curious sorte of men to knowe another mans lyfe, and slouthfull to correct and amende their owne. Why do they seeke to heare of me what I am, whiche wyll not heare of thee what they

are? And howe can they tell when they heare by me of my selfe, whether I tell the trueth or not, syth that no mortall man knoweth what is in man, but the spirite of man which is in him? Au∣gustine woulde not haue written thus, if auricu∣ler confession had ben vsed in his tyme. Beyng therfore not led with the conscience therof, let vs with feare and tremblyng, and with a true con∣trite heart, vse that kynde of confession, that God doth commaunde in his worde, and then doubt∣lesse, as he is faythfull and ryghteous, he wyll forgeue vs our synnes, and make vs cleane from all wyckednesse. I do not saye, but that if anye do fynde them selues troubled in conscience, they may repayre to their learned Curate or Pastour, or to some other godly learned man, and shewe the trouble & doubt of their conscience to them, that they may receaue at their hand the comfor∣table salue of Gods worde: but it is agaynst the true Christian libertie, that any man shoulde be bound to the numbryng of his synnes, as it hath ben vsed heretofore in the tyme of blindnesse and ignoraunce.

The third part of repentaunce, is fayth, wher∣by we do apprehende and take holde vppon the promises of God, touchyng the free pardon and forgeuenes of our synnes. Whiche promises are sealed vp vnto vs, with the death and bloodshed∣dyng of his sonne Jesu Christe. For what should auayle and profite vs to be sorye for our sinnes, to lament and bewayle that we haue offen∣ded our moste bounteous and mercyfull father, or to confesse and acknowledge our offen∣ces

and trespasses, though it be done neuer so ear∣nestly, vnlesse we do stedfastly beleue, and be fully perswaded, that God for his sonne Jesu Christes sake, wyl forgeue vs al our synnes, and put them out of remembraunce, and from his syght? Ther∣fore they that teach repentaunce without a liue∣lye fayth in our sauiour Jesu Christe, do teache none other but Judas repentaunce, as all the Schole men do, whiche do onlye alowe these three partes of repentaunce: the contrition of the heart, the confession of the mouth, and the sa∣tisfaction of the worke. But all these thynges we fynde in Judas repentaunce, whiche in out∣warde appearaunce dyd farre exceede and passe the repentaunce of Peter. For fyrst and foremost we reade in the gospel, that Judas was so sorow∣full and heauie, yea that he was fylled with such anguishe and vexation of mynde, for that which he had done, that he coulde not abide to lyue any longer. Dyd not he also afore he hanged hym selfe, make an open confession of his faulte, when he sayde, I haue synned, betraying the innocent blood? And veryly this was a very bolde confes∣sion, whiche might haue brought hym to greate trouble. For by it he did lay to the hygh priestes & elders charge, the sheddyng of innocent blood, and that they were moste abhominable murthe∣rers. He dyd also make a certayne kynde of satis∣faction, when he dyd cast their money vnto them agayne. No suche thyng do we reade of Peter, al∣though he had committed a very heynous synne, and most greeuous offence, in denying of his ma∣ster. We fynde that he went out and wept bytter∣lye,

whereof Ambrose speaketh on this maner: Peter was sory and wept, because he erred as a man. I do not fynde what he sayed, I know that he wept. I reade of his teares, but not of his sa∣tisfaction. But howe chaunce that the one was receaued into fauour agayne with God, and the other cast away, but because that the one dyd by a lyuely fayth in hym whom he had denyed, take hold vpon the mercie of God, and the other wan∣ted fayth, whereby he dyd dispayre of the good∣nesse and mercie of God? It is euident and playn then, that although we be neuer so earnestly so∣rye for our synnes, acknowledge and confesse them: yet all these thynges shalbe but meanes to bryng vs to vtter desperation, except we do stedfastly beleue, that God our heauenly father wyll for his sonne Jesu Christes sake, pardon and forgeue vs our offences and trespasses, and vtterly put them out of remembraunce in his syght. Therefore, as we sayde before, they that teache repentaunce without Christe, and a lyue∣ly fayth in the mercie of God, do onely teache Cains or Judas repentaunce. The fourth is, an amendement of lyfe, or a newe lyfe in bryngyng foorth fruites worthy of repentaunce. For they that do truely repent, must be cleane altered and chaunged, they muste become newe creatures, they must be no more the same that they were before. And therefore thus sayde John Baptist vnto the Pharisees and Saduces that came vnto his baptisme: O generation of vypers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come? bryng foorth therefore fruites worthy

of repentaunce. Whereby we do learne, that if we wyll haue the wrath of God to be pacified, we muste in no wyse dissemble, but turne vnto hym agayne with a true and sounde repen∣taunce, whiche may be knowne and declared by good fruites, as by moste sure and infallible signes thereof. They that do from the bottome of their heartes acknowledge their synnes, and are vnfaignedly sory for their offences, wyll cast of al hypocrisie, and put on true humilitie, and low∣lynesse of heart. They wyll not onlye receaue the Phisition of the soule, but also with a moste feruent desyre long for hym. They wyll not only abstaine from the sinnes of their former lyfe, and from all other filthy vices, but also flee, exchew, and abhorre all the occasions of them. And as they dyd before geue them selues to vncleannesse of lyfe, so wyll they from henceforwardes with all diligence, geue them selues to innocencie, purenesse of lyfe, and true godlynesse. We haue the Niniuites for an example, whiche at the preachyng of Jonas dyd not onlye proclayme a generall fast, and that they shoulde euery one put on sackloth: but they all dyd turne from their euill wayes, and from the wyckednesse that was in their handes. But aboue all other, the historie of Zacheus is moste notable. For beyng come vnto our sauiour Jesu Christe, he dyd say: Beholde Lorde, the halfe of my goodes I geue to the poore, and if I haue defrauded any man, or taken ought away by extortion or fraude, I do restore hym foure folde. Here we see that af∣ter his repentaunce, he was no more the man

that he was before, but was cleane chaunged and altered. It was so farre of, that he woulde continue and byde styll in his vnsatiable coue∣tousnesse, or take ought awaye fraudulentlye from any man, t••at rather he was most wylling and redye to geue away his owne, and to make satisfaction vnto all them that he had done in∣iurie and wrong vnto. Heare may we ryght well adde the synfull woman, whiche when she came to our sauiour Jesu Christe, dyd powre downe suche aboundaunce of teares out of those wan∣ton eyes of hers wherwith she had allured many vnto follie, that she dyd with them washe his feete, wypyng them with the heres of her head, whiche she was wont moste gloriously to set out, makyng of them a nette of the deuyll. Hereby we do learne, what is the satisfaction that God doth require of vs, which is, that we ceasse from euyll, and do good, and if we haue done anye man wrong, to endeuour our selues to make hym true amendes to the vttermoste of our po∣wer, folowyng in this the example of Zacheus, and of this sin••ull woman, and also that good∣ly lesson that John Baytist Zacharies sonne dyd geue vnto them that came to aske coun∣sayle of hym. This was commonly the pe∣naunce that Christe enioyned synners: Go thy way, and synne no more. Whiche penaunce we shall neuer be able to fulfyll, without the speciall grace of hym that doth say, Without me ye can do nothyng. It is therefore our partes, yf at least we be desyrous of the health and saluation

of our owne selues, most earnestly to praye vnto our heauenly father, to assist vs with his holye spirite, that we may be able to hearken vnto the voyce of the true shephearde, and with due obedi∣ence to folowe the same. Let vs hearken to the voyce of almightie God, when he calleth vs to re∣pentaunce, let vs not harden our heartes, as suche Infidels do, who abuse the tyme geuen them of God to repent, and turne it to continue their pride and contempt against God and man, whiche knowe not howe much they heape Gods wrath vppon them selues, for the hardnesse of their heartes, whiche can not repent, at the day of vengeaunce. Where we haue offended the law of God, let vs repent vs of our straying from so good a Lorde. Let vs confesse our vnworthynesse before hym, but yet let vs trust in Gods free mer∣cye for Christes sake for the pardon of the same. And from henceforth let vs endeuour our selues to walke in a newe lyfe, as newe borne babes, whereby we may glorifie our father which is in heauen, and thereby to beare in our consciences a good testimonie of our fayth. So at the last, to obteyne the fruition of euerlasting lyfe, through the merites of our saui∣our, to whom be al prayse and honour for euer.

Amen.

Notes

• There be foure partes of repentaunce
• Psal. 51.
• ii. Sa. xii.
• Act. iiii.
• Ezech. 18.
• Psal. xxxi.
• i. Iohn. i.
• In Epist. ad Iulian•• comitem. 30.
• Mat. 5.
• Aunswere to the aduersa∣ries, which mainteyne au∣riculer con∣fession.
• Iohannes Scotus. li. 4. senten. distinc. 17. quest. 1.
• Math. 8.
• Ambrose
• Nectari∣us soro∣menus ecclesiast. histo. li. 7. cap. 16. Lib. 10. confessio∣num. ca. 3.
• The repen∣taunce of the 〈…〉〈…〉ole men.
• Judas and his repentaunce.
• Mat. 27.
• Peter and his repentaunce.
• Depeni∣tentia di∣stin. 1. cap. petrus
• Matth. 3.
• Ionas. 3.
• Luk. 19.
• Luk. 7.
• Iohn. 5.
• Iohn. 15.