Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

Saint Steven, when he was stoned, all his bones crushed and burst in pieces, and his Soul ready to leave his body, even then he prayed for his Tormentors, even then he cried out unto God, and said,¹ O Domine, ne statuas illis peccatum hoc, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. So that holy father Nazianzen, when the hangman that most cruelly had tormented him, desired pardon of him, he meekly answered, Qui mihi ignovit, ignoscat tibi He that hath forgiven me, the same forgive thee; God hath pardoned me, and I beseech him that he will in like pardon thee. Even so likewise Christ, when he hanged on the Cross, when his hands and feet were nailed to the tree and he in the middest of all his woe, even then he prayed for his persecutors, then he desired his Father to pardon them, and said,² O Pater, ignosce illis, nesciunt enim quid faciunt, Father, forgive them, for they wot not what they do. This is an example for us to follow, thus ought we to do, as in the beginning of Christs Church, ⟨image 61⟩the Christians did, who called themselves Brethren, and one would dye for an other: Thus ought we to say, as S. Steven said, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge: thus should we do, as that holy father Nazianzene did, and say, He that hath forgiven me, the same forgive thee. And lastly so ought we to pray for our enemies, as Christ did for his persecutors, and say, Father forgive it them, they wot not what they do. Thus ought we to do, if we mind to live according to our profession, and if we will be Christians, as we are called Christians. We read, written by S. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, that in the beginning & first spring of Gods Church, the whole congregation had one thought,³ one mind, one hart. Such a love, such a charity, such a Christian conformity was among them. And in commendation of Christian charity, & brotherly love one with an other, the prophet David said,⁴ O quàm bonum, & quàm jocundum, habitare fraires in unum, Behold how good & joyful a thing it is Brethren to dwell together in unity: He esteemed ⟨image 61⟩