A17183:721
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.
Now here are to be observed the steppes y• lead to murder, wherein we must consider the kinds & causes of hurting 1& annoying. For the Lord doth not simply forbid murder, but all things else whereon murder doth consist: all egging on therefore and provoking to anger is utterly forbidden, slanderous taunts & brawling speeches are flatly prohibited, strife, wrath, & envy are plainly commanded to be suppressed. And in this sense we have Christ our Lord himself interpreting this law, where in the gospel after Matth. he saith: Ye have herd it said of old, thou shalt not kill, whosoever killeth shall be in danger of judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother unadvisedly, shall be in danger of judgment. And whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha, shall be in danger of a counsel: But whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Thou seest here therefore, ye anger, slander, brawling, & all other tokens of a mind moved to utter ill words, are flatly forbidden. What then must thou do? Thou must forsooth come into charity again with him whom thou hast offended, thou must lay aside all wrath & envy, unless thou hadst rather have all the honour that thou dost to God be imputed for sin unto thee, & that peradventure thou wouldest choose rather utterly to be condemned. For our Lord goeth on in the Gospel & saith: If therefore thou bring thy gift unto the Altar, and there rememberest that thy brother have any thing against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar (he speaketh to them, who as then had their ten ple standing, their altar remaining, and burnt offerings in use, we at this day have an other manner of worshipping God) and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, & then come and offer thy gift. And again, Agree with thine adversary quickly whiles ⟨p. 164⟩thou art in the way with him, least at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, & the judge deliver thee to the minister, & thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee thou shalt not depart from thence, until thou hast paid the utmost farthing. But for because so few of us obey this sound and wholesome doctrine of the Lords, thereby it cometh to pass that so many great & troublesome tumults happen among men. For small is the substance of them that obey the word of god, but great is the rest & quietness of their consciences.