A03519:135
Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)
Certain sermons, or homilies appointed by the kings Majesty, to be declared and read, by all persons, vicars, or curates, every Sunday in their churches, where they have cure. Anno 1547.Certayne sermons, or homelies appoynted by the kynges Maiestie, to be declared and redde, by all persones, vicars, or curates, euery Sondaye in their churches, where they haue cure. Anno 1547.
London: printed by Richard Grafton printer to his most royal Majesty, 1547London: printed by Rychard Grafton printer to his moste royall Maiestie, 1547
Title page typeset from the transcription.
¶ An exhortation against the fear of Death.¶ An exhortation agaynst the feare of Death.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now, the holy fathers of the old law, and all faithful and righteous men, which departed before our saviour Christs ascension into heaven, did by death, depart from troubles unto rest, from the hands of their enemies into the hands of God, from sorrows & sicknesses unto joyful refreshing into Abraham's bosom, a place of all comfort & consolation, as scriptures do plainly by manifest words testify. The book of Wisdom saith:1 that the righteous mens souls be in the hand of God, & no torment shall touch them. They seemed to the eyes of foolish men to dye, and their death was counted miserable, and their departing out of this world, wretched, but they be in rest. And another place sayeth: that the righteous shall live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord, & their minds be with God, who is above all. Therefore they shall receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown, at the Lords hand. And in another place,2 the same book sayeth: the righteous, though he be prevented with sudden death, nevertheless he shall be there, where he shall be refreshed. Of Abraham's bosom, Christs words be so plain, that a christen man needeth no more proof of it. Now then, if this were the state of the holy fathers & righteous men, before the coming of our saviour, and before he was glorified, how much more then, ought all we to have a steadfast faith, & a sure hope of this blessed state & con diction, after our death? Seeing that our saviour, now hath performed the whole work of our redemption, and is gloriously ascended into heaven, ⟨image 61⟩to prepare our dwelling places with him, & said unto his father: Father, I will that where I am,3 my servants shall be with me. And we know, that whatsoever Christ will, his father will the same: wherefore it cannot be, but if we be his faithful servants, our souls shall be with him, after our departing out of this present life. Saint Stephen,4 when he was stoned to death, even in the middest of his torments, what was his mind most upon? When he was full of the holy Ghost, (sayeth holy scripture) having his eyes lifted up into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. The which truth, after he had confessed boldly before the enemies of Christ, they drew him out of the city, and there they stoned him, who cried unto God saying: Lord Jesus Christ, take my spirit.