Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

He worshippeth god that knoweth god. Let us forbid to bring napkins & rubbers to Jupiter, & to hold a looking glass to Juno. God seeketh not such service. Why so? Because he him self forsooth doth serve and supply all mens necessities. He is present every where, & at hand with all men. Let every man hear therefore how he ought to worship God as he should. He shall never verily be sufficiently clear from troublesome superstitions, unless he in his mind ⟨p. 104⟩think of God as he should do, that is, that he hath all things, that he giveth all things, and that he bestoweth benefits freely, not looking for any recompense at all. What is the cause that the Gods do good? Their nature forsooth. He is deceived who so ever thinketh that they either will, or possibly can do harm: they can neither take wrong, nor yet do wrong. For to do harm and to suffer harm, are coupled together. The chiefest and most excellent nature of all, is the nature of them, which are themselves exempt from peril, and are not by nature hurtful to others. The first point of worship due to the Gods, is to believe that there are Gods: then to give them the majesty due unto them, and to ascribe to them their goodness, without the which their majesty is none at all. To confess that they are they that govern the world: that they rule all things as their own, that they do generally look to the safeguard of all mankind, and sometime to are careful for peculiar men. They neither do nor have any evil at all. But some they chastise, keep under, and punish sometime by whipping, in hope to make them good. Wilt thou please the Gods and make them thy friends? Be good thy self then. He hath sufficiently worshipped them, whosoever hath imitated them in goodness.

He worshippeth god that knoweth god. Let vs forbid to bring napkins & rubbars to Iupiter, & to hold a looking glasse to Iuno. God seketh not such seruice. Why so? Bicause he him self forsooth doth serue and supply all mens necessities. He is present euery where, & at hand with al mē. Let euery mā heare therefore howe he ought to worship God as he shold. He shal neuer verily be sufficiently cleare frō troublesome superstitions, vnlesse he in his minde ⟨p. 104⟩thinke of God as he should do, that is, that he hath all things, that he giueth all things, and that he bestoweth benefites freely, not looking for any recompence at all. What is the cause that the Gods doe good? Their nature forsothe. He is deceiued who so euer thinketh that they eyther will, or possibly can doe harme: they can neither take wrong, nor yet do wrōg. For to do harme and to suffer harme, are coupled together. The chiefest and most excellent nature of al, is the nature of them, which are themselues exempt from peril, and are not by nature hurtful to others. The first point of worship due to the Gods, is to beleue that there are Gods: then to giue them the maiestie due vnto them, and to ascribe to them their goodnesse, without the whiche their maiestie is none at all. To confesse that they are they that gouerne the worlde: that they rule all thinges as their owne, that they doe generally looke to the safegarde of all mankinde, and sometime to are carefull for peculiar men. They neither doe nor haue any euill at all. But some they chastise, keepe vnder, and punish somtime by whipping, in hope to make them good. Wilt thou please the Gods and make them thy friends? Be good thy selfe thē. He hath sufficiently worshipped them, whosoeuer hath imitated them in goodnesse.