Sermons upon the Book of Job

For there is no apparent reason how he should take so perfect and excellent a work as mans body is, out of a thing that is so base of it self. And although the philosophers say well, that if a man will have any thing in nature, it must begin of corruption: yet notwithstanding ye see it is a fair beginning, & that is clean contrary to mans reason. It is true. But it was Gods will to show them, that even the wisest of them shall be gravelled, when they come to the beholding of his §40works. Nevertheless God granteth to the philosophers in the mean while, too view and consider many things, which shall not be understood of the common people and the unlearned sort: but Gods meaning here, is not to call us to such a school. What then? he meant to show the things that is available for our salvation: which is, that we should first know what we our selves are, and of what metal we be made: and secondly, that in respect of the workmanship that is in us, we should behold the shape that God hath given us to glorify him withal, to the end that §50none of us, neither great nor small, learned nor ignorant and simple, should have any excuse at all. For if God had treated of things overcunningly: the great clerks would have surmised that they had attained too such knowledge by their own study, or by reason of their great discretion above other men. But God setteth down things here in such a sense, as there needeth no descanting upon them afterward, nor any such great speculation, as the unlearned might say, I never went to school. There needeth no great learning nor skill too understand §60what is said here. Ye see then that the great clerks shall be the more blame worthy, if they perceive not the things which the ignorantest persons ought too know. And they also which have not gone to school, shall have no excuse to cloak themselves withal, because the things that God setteth down here ought to be known to us all. Thus ye see how we ought to inure ourselves to the speech which the holy Ghost useth here by the mouth of Job, when he sayeth, that God hath clothed man with skin and flesh, and knit him together with bones and sinews. For it serveth to express better, what hath been said afore: that is to wit, what difference there is between the seed of man, and that which we see in mans body.

For there is no apparant reason how he should take so perfect and excellent a worke as mans body is, out of a thing that is so bace of it selfe. And although the philosophers say well, that if a mā will haue any thing in nature, it must begin of corruptiō: yet notwithstanding ye see it is a fayre beginning, & that is cleane contrary to mannes reason. It is true. But it was Gods will to shewe them, that euen the wisest of them shal be graueled, when they come to the beholding of his