A17183:1771
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.
In these words of the Lords thou hearest first the differences of sins, as anger, the tokens of angry minds, and open scoldings, which do for the most part end in open fightings. And then thou hearest that as the sin increaseth, so the greatness and sharpness of the punishment is still augmented. It was therefore no unapt or silly distinction, that they made in actual sin, which said that there is one sin of the thought, ⟨p. 509⟩an other of the mouth, and an other of the deed, which they did again divide into certain kinds and sorts: reducing them again partly into Scelera, 1and partly into Delicta. Scelera are those heinous crimes which are conceived and committed of set purpose and pretended malice: of which sort are those especially which are called the Crying sins, as murder, 2usury, oppression of the fatherless & widows, Sodomy, and the withheld hire of the needy labourer. For touching murder the voice of the Lord in Genesis, sayeth: The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me. And in the twenty two of Exodus he sayeth: If ye vex the fatherless and widows, and they cry to me I will hear them and slay you. The word of GOD doeth with bitter quips, bait usury and utterly condemn it. The sin of the Sodomites ascended up to heaven, requiring vengeance to light upon the villainous beasts. And James the Apostle saith: Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which hire of you is kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them, which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
In these wordes of the Lords thou hearest first the differences of sinnes, as anger, the tokens of angrie minds, and open scouldinges, whiche doe for the most part end in open fightinges. And then thou hearest that as the sinne increaseth, so the greatnesse and sharpenesse of the punishmente is still augmented. It was therefore no vnapte or sillie distinction, that they made in actuall sinne, which said that there is one sinne of the thoughte, ⟨p. 509⟩an other of the mouth, and an other of the déede, which they did againe diuide into certaine kindes and sortes: reducing them againe partly into Scelera,