A17183:657
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.
Let us therefore erect to our parents, even when they be dead, monuments seemly for their estate while they were alive: which if we shall do, then shall we, undoubtedly, be worthily rewarded at the hands of the gods. Thus much hath Plato. Saint Hierome saith: Pay to mothers the reverence that ye owe them, who serving you with the pain of their own 1wombs, do bear the weight of your bodies, and carrying about the infant unknown, do as it were become servants to them that shall be borne. At that time the mother hungereth, not to the filling of her own belly, neither doth she alone digest and feed upon the meat that she eateth. With the mothers meat is the babe nourished that lieth within her, his members are fed with another bodies eating, so that the man that shall be, is filled with the morsels that the mother swalloweth. What should I rehearse the nourishment that they give to their children, and the sweet injuries of way ward infancy, that they take and put up by means of their little ones? Why should I speak of the meat digested of the mother, which coming from the other parts of her body into her paps, is turned there into milk and moisture, to fill the weak and tender jaws, with thin and liquid food for nourishment? By nature, the infants are compelled to take of their mothers, that which they drink, and when as yet their toothless gums are not able to byte, then do they with the labouring of their lips, draw that from their mothers breasts that they need not to chew. The mothers dug doth serve the child, and still attendeth upon the swathled babe, her hands to hold, and her back to bend, are ready still to dandle the sucklings limbs, that she loves full well God wot. The mother desireth often and earnestly to have her youngling grow, and wisheth full many a time to see him a man. For these so many and so great good deeds, ought the child, once come to age, to apply him self to do her service, with a good and ready mind and heart. Let natures debt be paid, let them that follow have their due. Pay child that which thou owest, and show thy bounden duty by all manner of service, what soever it be. Because no man is able to pay to his parents, so much as he oweth them. Thus far out of Hierome.
Let vs therefore erect to oure parents, euen when they be dead, monuments seemely for their estate whyle they were aliue: which if we shal do, then shal we, vndoutedly, be worthily rewarded at the hands of the gods. Thus much hath Plato. Saint Hierome saith: Pay to mothers the reuerence that ye owe them, who seruing you with the paine of their owne