and tongues, and with all our partsh and powers both of body and soul, we should be given to the keeping and fulThe love of filling of his commandments. This is the first and printhy neigh cipal part of charity; but it is not the whole for charity

bour.

Matt. 22.

Matt. 5.

is also to love every man, good and evil, friend and foe;
and whatsoever cause be given to the contrary, yet never-
theless to bear good-will and heart unto every man, to use
ourselves well unto them, as well in words and counte-
nances', as in all our outward acts and deeds; for so Christ
himself taught, and so also he performed indeed. Of the
love of God he taught in this wise unto a doctor of the law,
that asked him, which was the great and chief command-
ment in the law: Love thy Lord God, said Christ, with all
thy heart, with all thy soulk, and with all thy mind. And
of the love that we ought to have among ourselves each to
other, he teacheth us thus: You have heard it taught in
times past, Thou shalt love thy friend, and hate thy foe:
but I tell you, Love your enemies, speak well of them that
defame and speak evil of you, do well to them that hate
you, pray for them that vex and persecute you, that you
may be the children of your father that is in heaven: for
he maketh his sun to rise both upon the evil and good, and
sendeth rain to the justm and unjust. For if you love them
that love you, what reward shall you have? Do not the
publicans likewise? and if you speak well only of them
that be your brethren and dear beloved friends, what great
matter is that? Do not the heathen the same also? These
be the very words of our saviour Christ himself, touching
the love of our neighbour. And forasmuch as the Phari-
sees (with their most pestilent traditions, and false interpre-
tations and glosses) had corrupted and almost clearly stopped
up
this pure well of God's lively word, teaching that this
love and charity pertained only to a man's friends, and that
it was sufficient for a man to love them which do love him,
and hate his foes; therefore Christ opened this well
again, purged it and scoured it by giving unto his godly
law of charity a true and clear interpretation, which is this;
That we ought to love every man, both friend and foe,
adding thereto what commodity we shall have thereby, and
what incommodity by doing the contrary. What thing can
we wish so good for us, as the eternal heavenly father to
reckon and take us for his children? And this shall we be

h all our parts] all other parts A.
B. C.

i countenances] countenance A. B.
k soul] life A. B. C.

1 defame] defame you A. B. C.
m to the just] to just A. B. C.
n and hate] and to hate A. B. C.
o reckon] repute A. B.

sure of, saith Christ, if we love every man without exception. And if we do otherwise, saith he, we be no better than the Pharisees, publicans, and heathen, and shall have our reward with them, that is, to be shut out from the number of God's chosen 9 children, and from his everlasting inheritance in heaven.

Thus of true charity, Christ taught that every man is bound to love God above all things, and to love every man, friend and foe: and this likewise he did use himself, exhorting his adversaries, rebuking the faults of his adversaries; and when he could not amend them, yet he prayed for them. First, he loved God his father above all things; so much, that he sought not his own glory and will, but the glory and will of his father. I seek not, said he, mine John 5. own will, but the will of him that sent me. Nor he refused not to die, to satisfy his father's will, saying, If it may be, Matt. 26. let this cup of death pass from mes; if not, thy will be done, and not mine. He loved not only his friends, but also his enemies, which in their hearts bare exceeding great hatred against him, and with their tonguest spake all evil of him, and in their acts and deeds pursued him with all their might and power, even unto death: yet all this notwithstanding, he withdrew not his favour from them, but still loved them, preached unto them of love, rebuked their false doctrine, their wicked living, and did good unto them, patiently taking" whatsoever they spake or did against him. When they gave him evil words, he gave none evil again; when they did strike him, he did not smite them again; and when he suffered death, he did not slay them, nor threaten them, but prayed for them, and did put all things to his father's will. And as a sheep that is led unto the shambles Isa. 53. to be slain, and as a lamb that is shorn of his fleece, maketh no noise nor resistance; even so he went to his death without any repugnance, or opening of his mouth to say any evil. Thus have I set forth unto you what charity is, as well by the doctrine as by the examples of Christ himself, whereby also every man may without error know himself, what state and condition he standeth in, whether he be in charity (and so the child of the father in heaven)

P shut out] excluded A. B.

q chosen] elect A. B.

r and this] and thus A. B. C.

s pass from me] go from me A. B. C.

t with their tongues] in their tongues A. B. C.

u taking] accepting A. B.

x smite them again] smite again

A. B. C. smite him again D.

y did put] referred A. B.

z maketh] make A. B.

a he went to] went he unto A. B. C.

b set forth] described A. B.

c examples] example A. B. C.

F

Acts 8.

John 14.

or not. For although almost every man persuadeth himself to be in charity, yet let him examine none other man but his own heart, his life and conversation, and he shall not be deceived, but truly discernd and judge whether he be in perfect charity or not. For he that followeth not his own appetite and will, but giveth himself earnestly to God, to do all his will and commandments, he may be sure that he loveth God above all things; and else, surely he loveth him not, whatsoever he pretend: as Christ said, If ye love me, keep my commandments. For he that knoweth my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is, saith Christ, that loveth me. And again he saith, He that loveth me, will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will both come to him, and dwell with him: and he that loveth me not, will not keep my words. And likewise, he that beareth a good heart and mind, and useth well his tongue and deeds unto every man, friend and foe, he may know thereby that he hath charity. And then he is sure that Almighty God taketh him for his dear beloved son, as St. 1 John 3. John saith, Hereby manifestly are known the children of God from the children of the devil; for whosoever doth not love his brother, belongeth not unto God.

John 14.

The Second Parth of the Sermon of Charity. YOU have heard a plain and a fruitful setting forth of charity, and how profitable and necessary a thing charity is; how charity stretcheth itself both to God and man, friend and foe, and that by the doctrine and example of Christ; and also who may certify himself whether he be in perfect charity or not. Now, as concerning the same matter, it followeth. The perversem m nature of man, corrupt with sin, and destitute of God's word and grace, thinketh it against all reason, that a man should love his enemy, and hath many persuasions which bring him to the contrary. Against all which reasons, we ought as well to set the teaching as the living of our saviour Christ, who that will not loving us when we were his enemies doth teach us to love forgive their our enemies: he did patiently take for us many reproaches,

Against

carnal men,

enemies.

d discern] decern A. B. C.

i You have heard-it followeth]

e a good heart] good heart A. B. C. omitted A

f And then] And when D.

g sure] sure also A. B. C.

h The second part] The homily is not divided in A.

k setting forth] description B.

1 stretcheth] extendeth B.

m The perverse] But the perverse A.

n bring] induceth A. induce B.

suffered beating and most cruel death: therefore we be no members of him, if we will not follow him. Christ, 1 Pet. 2. saith St. Peter, suffered for us, leaving an example that we should follow him.

Furthermore, we must consider, that to love our friends, is no more but that which thieves, adulterers, homicides, and all wicked persons do; insomuch that Jews, Turks, infidels, and all brute beasts, do love them that be their friends, of whom they have their living, or any other benefits. But to love enemies, is the proper condition of them that be the children of God, the disciples and followers of Christ. Notwithstanding man's froward and corrupt nature weigheth over deeply many times the offence and displeasure done unto him by enemies, and thinketh it a burden intolerable, to be bound to love them that hate him. But the burden should be easy enough, if on the other side every man would consider, what displeasure he hath done to his enemy again, and what pleasure he hath received of his enemy; and if we find no equal or even P recompence, neither in receiving pleasures of our enemy, nor in requiting displeasures unto him again; then let us ponder the displeasures which we have done untos Almighty God, how often and how grievously we have offended him, whereof if we will have of God forgiveness, there is none other remedy but to forgive the offences done unto us, which be very small in comparison of our offences done against God. And if we consider that he which hath offended us deserveth not to be forgiven of us, let us consider again, that we much less deserve to be forgiven of God. And although our enemy deserve not to be forgiven for his own sake, yet we ought to forgive him for God's love, considering how great and many benefits we have received of him without our deserts, and that Christ hath deserved of us, that for his sake we should forgive them their trespasses committed against us. But here may rise a neces- A question. sary question to be dissolved. If charity require to think, speak, and do well unto every man, both good and evil; how can magistrates execute justice upon malefactors or evil-doers" with charity? How can they cast evil men in prison, take away their goods, and sometime their lives, according to laws, if charity will not suffer them so to do?

o of them] only of them A. B. C.

P or even] omitted A.B.
q requiting] rendering A. B.
r displeasures] displeasure A.

s unto] against A. B. C.

t remedy] mean A.

u or evil-doers] omitted A. B.

Answer.

Charity

hath two offices.

Hereunto is a plain and a brief answer, That plagues and punishments be not evil of themselves, if they be well taken of the harmless*: and to an evil man they are both good and necessary, and may be executed according to charity, and with charity should be executed. For declaration whereof, you shall understand that charity hath two offices; the one contrary to the other, and yet both necessary to be used upon men of contrary sort and disposition. The one office of charity is, to cherish good and harmlessy men, not to oppress them with false accusations, but to encourage them with rewards to do well, and to continuez in well doing, defending them with the sword from their adversaries; as the office of bishops and pastors is, to praise good men for well doing, that they may continueb therein, and to rebuke and correct by the word of God the offences and crimes of all evil-disposed persons. The other office of charity is, to rebuke, correct, and punish vice, without regardd of persons, and is to be used against them only that be evil men, and malefactors or evil-doers. And that it is as well the office of charity to rebuke, punish, and correct them that be evil, as it is to cherish and reward them that be good and harmlesss, St. Paul declareth, writing to the Romans, saying, That the high powers are ordained of God, not to be dreadful to them that do well, but unto malefactors, to draw the sword to take vengeance of him that 1 Tim. 1. committeth the sinh. And St. Paul biddeth Timothy stoutly and earnestly to rebuke sin by the word of God. So that both offices should be diligently executed, to fight against the kingdom of the devil, the preacher with the word, and the governors with the sword: else they neither love Godm, nor them whom they govern, if, for lack of correction, they wilfully suffer God to be offended, and them whom they govern to perish. For as every loving father correcteth his natural son when he doth amiss, or else he loveth him not; so all governors of realms, countries, towns, and houses, should lovingly correct them which be offenders under their governance, and cherish them which live innocently, if they have any respect either unto

Rom. 13.

x the harmless] innocents A. B.
y harmless] innocent A. B.
z continue] persevere A. B.

a as] and A. B. C.

b continue] persevere A. B.

c The other] For the other A. B. C.
d regard] acceptation A. B.

e and is] and this is A. and this B.
for evil-doers] omitted A. B.

g harmless] innocent A. B.

h the sin] sin B.

i stoutly and earnestly] constantly and vehemently] A. B.

k fight against] impugn A. B.

1 governors] governor A. B. C.

m neither love God] love neither God A. B. C.