A17183:1115
Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)
Fifty godly and learned sermons divided into five decades, containing the chief and principal points of Christian religion, written in three several tomes or sections, by Henry Bullinger minister of the church of Tigure in Switzerland. Whereunto is adjoined a triple or three-fold table very fruitful and necessary. Translated out of Latin into English by H.I. student in divinity.Fiftie godlie and learned sermons diuided into fiue decades, conteyning the chiefe and principall pointes of Christian religion, written in three seuerall tomes or sections, by Henrie Bullinger minister of the churche of Tigure in Swicerlande. Whereunto is adioyned a triple or three-folde table verie fruitefull and necessarie. Translated out of Latine into English by H.I. student in diuinitie.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralph Newberrie, 1577London: printed by Henry Middleton for Ralphe Newberrie, 1577
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.
Our father is in heaven, and therefore heaven is our country. Wherefore when we die, we are delivered from exile, and placed in the heavenly country and true felicity. In like manner, whom the tyrant 1killeth with hunger and famine, those doth he rid of innumerable evils. And again whomsoever famine doth not utterly •il, but only torment▪ them doth it teach to live more sparingly, and afterward to fast the longer and devoutly. Now in this case the faithful which suffer famine, do call to remembrance the examples of the ancient Saints, of whom when Paul speaketh, he saith: They wandered about in sheep skins & goat skins, being destitute, afflicted and tormented, of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in wilderness, & in mountains ⟨p. 313⟩and in dens and caves of the earth, christians also consider that the state of famished Lazarus, who died among the tongues of the dogs that licked his bla••es, was far perter than the surfeiting of the strutbellied glutton, who being once dead was buried in hell. Moreover it is to be abhorred, de 2tested, and (yet) lamented of all men, to see a crew of barbarous villains, and unruly soldiers abuse perforce not honest matrons only, but tender virgins also that are not fit yet, nor ripe for a man. But the greatest comfort that we have in so great a mischief and intolerable ignominy is, that chastity is a virtue of the mind. For if it be a treasure of the mind, then is it not lost though the body be abused: even as in like sort the faith of a man is not thought to be overcome, although the whole body be consumed with fire. And chastity is not lost verily where the body is deflowered, because the will of the abused body, persevereth still to use that chastity, and doth what it may to keep it undefiled. For the body is not holy therefore, because the members thereof are undefiled, or because the secret parts thereof are not undecently touched: considering that the body being wounded by many casualties may suffer filthy violence, and since Physicians for healths sake may do to the members the thing that otherwise is unseemly to the eyes.