A03519:182
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 Homily against contention and brawling.¶An Homelie agaynst contencion and braulynge.
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.
that as long as emulation, contention, and factions, be among us, we be carnal, and walk according to the fleshly man. And saint James sayeth:1 If you have bitter emulation & contention in your hearts, glory not of it: for where as contention is, there is inconstancy, & all evil deeds. And why do we not hear .s. Paul, which prayeth us, where as he might command us, saying: I beseech you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will speak all one thing,2 & that there be no dissension among you, but that you will be one whole body, of one mind, & of one opinion in the truth. If his desire be reasonable & honest, why do we not grant it? if his request be for our profit, why do we refuse it? And if we list not to hear his petition of prayer, yet let us hear his exhortation, where he saith▪ ⟨image 84⟩I exhort you, that you walk, as it becometh the vocation,3 in the which you be called, with all submission and meekness, with lenity and softness of mind, bearing one another by charity, studying to keep the unity of the spirit, by the bond of peace: For there is one body, one spirit, one faith, one baptism. There is (he sayeth) but one body, of the which he can be no lively member, that is at variance with the other members. There is one spirit, which joineth and knitteth all things in one. And how can this one spirit reign in us, when we among our selves be divided? There is but one faith, and how can we then say, he is of the old faith, and he is of the new faith? There is but one baptism, and then shall not all they, which be baptised, be one? Contention causeth division, wherefore it ought not to be among christians, whom one faith and baptism, joineth in an unity. But if we contemn saint Pauls request and exhortation, yet at the least, let us regard his obtestation, in the which he doeth very earnestly charge us, and (as I may so speak) conjure us in this form and manner: If there be any consolation in Christ,4 if there be any comfort of love, if you have any communion of the spirit, if you have any bowels of pity and compassion, fulfil my joy, being all like affected, having one charity, being of one mind, of one opinion, that nothing be done by contention, or vainglory. Who is he, that hath any bowels of pity, that will not be moved with these words so pithy?