Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

These be the very words of our saviour Christ himself, touching the love of our neighbour. And forasmuch as the Pharisees (with their most pestilent traditions, false interpretations & glosses) had corrupted, and almost clearly stopped up, this pure well of Gods lively word, teaching, that this love and charity pertained only to a mans friends, & that it was sufficient for a man to love them, which do love him, & to hate his foes: therefore Christ opened this well again, purged it, & scoured it, by giving unto his Godly law of charity, a true & 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 repute & take us for his children? And this shall we be sure of (sayeth Christ) if we love every man without exception. And if we do otherwise (sayeth he) we be no better then the Pharisees, Publicans, & Heathen, and shall have our reward with them, that is, to be excluded from the number of Gods elect children, and from his everlasting inheritance in heaven.

These be the very woordes of our sauior Christ himself, touchyng the loue of our neighbor. And for asmuche as the Phariseis (with their moste pestilente tradicions, false interpretacions & gloses) had corrupted, and almost clerely stopped vp, this pure wel of Gods liuely worde, teachyng, that this loue and charitie perteyned onely to a mannes frendes, & that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them, which do loue hym, & to hate his fooes: therfore Christ opened thys welle agayn, pourged it, & scoured it, by geuyng vnto his Godly lawe of charitie, a true & clere interpretacion, which is this: that we ought to loue euery mā, both frende and fooe, addyng thereto, what commoditie we shal haue thereby, and what incōmoditie by doynge the contrary. What thyng can we wishe so good for vs, as the eternall heauenly father to repute & take vs for hys chyldren? And this shal we be sure of (sayeth Christe) if we loue euery man withoute exception. And if we doo otherwyse (saieth he) we be no better then the Phariseis, Publicans, & Heathen, and shal haue our rewarde with them, that is, to be excluded from the number of Gods electe chyldren, and from hys euerlastynge inheritaunce in heauen.