Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

Pericles, when a certain scolder, or a railing fellow did revile him, he answered not a word again, but went into a gallery, and after toward night, when he went home, this scolder followed him, raging still more and more, because he saw the other to set nothing by him. And after that he came to his gate, (being dark night) Pericles commanded one of his seruaū •es to light a torch, & to bring the scolder home to his own house. He did not only with quietness suffer this brawler patiently, but also recompensed an evil turn with a good turn, & that to his enemy. ⟨image 88⟩Is it not a shame for us that profess Christ, to be worse then Heathen people, in a thing chiefly pertaining to Christs religion? Shall Philosophy persuade them more, then Gods word shall persuade us? Shall natural reason prevail more with them, then religion shall do with us? Shall mans wisdom lead them to that thing, whereunto the heavenly doctrine cannot lead us? What blindness, wilfulness, or rather madness is this? Pericles being provoked to anger with many contumelious words, answered not a word. But we stirred but with one little word, what tragedies do we move? How do we fume, rage, stamp, and stare like mad men? Many men of every trifle, will make a great matter, and of the spark of a little word, will kindle a great fire, taking all things in the worst part. But how much better is it, and more like to the example and doctrine of Christ, to make rather of a great fault in our neighbour, a small fault, reasoning with our selves after this sort. He spake these words, but it was in a sudden heat, or the drink spake them, & not he, or he spake them at the motion of some other, or he spake them, being ignorant of the truth:¹ he spake them not against me, but against him whom he thought me to be. But as touching evil speaking, he that is ready to speak evil against other men: first let him examine himself, whether he be faultless and clear of the fault, which he findeth in an other. For it is a shame, when he that blameth an other for any fault, is guilty himself either in the same fault, either in a greater. It is a shame for him that is blind, to call an other man ⟨image 88⟩man blind: and it is more shame for him that is whole blind, to call him blinkard, that is but pore blind.