A03519:147
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.
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.
much less then it is lawful for subjects to resist their godly & christian princes, which do not abuse their authority, but use the same to Gods glory, & to the profit and commodity of Gods people. The holy apostle S. Peter commandeth servants to be obedient to their masters,1 not only, if they be good and gentle, but also, if they be evil and froward: affirming, that the vocation & calling of Gods people, is to be patient, and of the suffering side. And there he bringeth in, the patience of our saviour Christ to persuade obedience to governors, yea, although they be wicked and wrong doers. But let us now hear S. Peter himself speak, for his own words certify best our conscience.2 Thus he uttereth them in his first Epistle: Servants obey your Masters with fear, not only, if they be good and gentle, but also, if they be froward: For it is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God, suffereth ⟨image 67⟩grief, and suffereth wrong undeserved: for what praise is it, when ye be beaten for your faults, if ye take it patiently, but when ye do well, if you then suffer wrong, & take it patiently, then is there cause to have thank of God: for hereunto verily were ye called. For so did Christ suffer for us,3 leaving us an example, that we should follow his steppes. Al these be the very words of .s. Peter .s. David also teacheth us a good lesson in this behalf,4 who was many times most cruelly & wrongfully persecuted of king Saul, and many times also put in jeopardy and danger of his life, by king Saul & his people: yet he never resisted, neither used any force or violence against king Saul, his mortal enemy, but did ever to his liege Lord & master king Saul, most true, most diligent, and most faithful service. In so much, that when the lord God had given king Saul into Davids hands in his own cave, he would not hurt him, when he might without all bodily peril, easily have slain him: no, he would not suffer any of his servants, once to lay their hands upon king Saul, but prayed to god in this wise: lord, keep me from doing that thing unto my master, the lords anointed: keep me that I lay not my hand upon him, seeing, he is the anointed of the lord: