the sight of all men. If it be possible (as much as is in you) live peaceDearly beloved, avenge not your selves, but rather ably with all men. For it is written: Vengeance is mine, I will For in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with goodness. The Gospel. WHEN he was come down from the mountain, much people followed Math. viii. him. And behold, there came a Leper, and worshipped him saying: Master, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying: I will, be thou clean : and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said unto him: Tell no man, but go and shew thyself to the Priest, and offer the gift (that Moses commanded to be offered) for a witness unto them. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a Centurion, and besought him, saying: Master, my servant lieth at home sick of the Palsy, and is grievously pained. And Jesus said: When I come unto him, I will heal him. The Centurion answered, and said: Sir, I am not worthy, that thou shouldėst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man subject to the authority of another, and have soldiers under me and I say to this man, go, and he goeth: and to another man, come, and he cometh: and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these words, he marvelled, and said to them that followed him: Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. I say unto you, that many shall come from the East, and West, and shall rest with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into utter darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing with teeth. And Jesus said unto the Centurion: Go thy way, and as thou believest, so be it unto thee: and his servant was healed in the self same hour. The fourth Sunday". The Collect. GOD, which knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that for man's frailness we cannot always stand uprightly: Grant to us the health of body and soul, that all those things which we suffer for sin, by thy help we may well pass and overcome: through Christ our Lord. The Epistle. LET every soul submit him self unto the authority of the higher Rom. xiii. powers: for there is no power but of God. The powers that be, are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth power, resisteth the ordinance of God: but they that resist, shall receive to them selves damnation. For rulers are not fearful to them that do good, but to them that [1596, after the Epiphanie.] [ Grafton, of.] Math. viii. Phil. ii. 4 do evil. Wilt thou be without fear of the power? do well then, and so shalt thou be praised of the same: for he is the minister of God for thy wealth. But and if thou do that, which is evil, then fear, for he beareth not the sword for nought: for he is the minister of God, to take vengeance on them that do evil. Wherefore, ye must needs obey, not only for fear of vengeance, but also because of conscience. And even for this cause, pay ye tribute: for they are God's ministers, serving for that purpose. Give to every man therefore his duty: tribute, to whom tribute belongeth: custom, to whom custom is due: fear, to whom fear belongeth: honour, to whom honour pertaineth. The Gospel. AND when he entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, in so much as the ship was covered with waves; but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying: Master, save us, we perish. And he said unto them: Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there followed a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying: What manner of man is this, that both winds and sea obey him? And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesites, there met with him .ii. possessed of devils, which came out of the graves, and were out of measure fierce, so that no man might go by that way. And behold, they cried out saying: O Jesu, thou Son of God, what have we to do with thee? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them a herd of swine, feeding. So the devils besought him, saying: If thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine. And he said unto them: Go your ways. Then went they out, and departed into the herd of swine. And behold, the whole herd of swine was carried headlong into the sea, and perished in the waters. Then they that kept them, fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what had happened unto the possessed of the devils. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him, that he would depart out of their coasts. The fifth Sunday 2. The Collect. LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy Church and household continually in thy true religion: that they which do lean only upon hope of thy heavenly grace, may evermore be defended by thy mighty power: Through Christ our Lord. The Epistle. Pur upon you, as the elect of God, tender mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiv [1 Grafton, in.] [3 1596, Jesus Christ.] [2 1596, after the Epiphanie.] [Misprint for, Col. iii.] ing one another, if any man have a quarrel against another: as Christ forgave you, even so do ye. Above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And the peace of God rule your hearts, to the which peace ye are called in one body: And see that ye be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously, with all wisdom: Teach and exhort your own selves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do, in word, or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesu, giving thanks to God the Father by him. The Gospel. THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man, which sowed good Math. xiii. seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the housholder came, and said unto him: Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them: The envious man hath done this. The servant said unto him: Wilt thou then that we go and weed them up? But he said: Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye pluck up also the wheat with them: let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather ye first the tares, and bind them together in sheaves, to be brent; but gather the wheat into my barn. The .vi. Sunday (if there be so many) shall have the same Collect, The Sunday called Septuagesima. The Collect. O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people, that we which are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth", world without end'. The Epistle. PERCEIVE ye not, how that they, which run in a course, run all, i. Cor. ix. but one receiveth the reward? So run, that ye may obtain. Every man that proveth masteries, abstaineth from all things. And they do it to obtain a crown that shall perish, but we to obtain an everlasting crown. I therefore so run, not as at an uncertain thing. So fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I tame my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means it come to pass, that when I have preached to other, I myself should be a cast away. [ Grafton and 1596, Jesus.] [ 1596, Amen.] [Grafton, reygneth. &c.] Math. xx. ii. Cor. xi. The Gospel. THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an housholder, which went out early in the morning, to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when the agreement was made with the labourers, for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw other standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, I will give you. And they went their way. Again, he went out about the .vi. and .ix. hour, and did likewise. And about the .xi. hour, he went out, and found other standing idle, and said unto them: Why stand ye here all the day idle? They said unto him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard said unto his steward: Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning at the last, until the first. And when they did come, that came about the .xi. hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came also, they supposed that they should have received more, and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying: These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal with us, which have borne the burthen and heat of the day. But he answered unto one of them, and said: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do as me lusteth with mine own goods? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. For many be called, but few be chosen. The Sunday called Sexagesima. The Collect. LORD God, which seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do mercifully grant, that by thy power we may be defended against all adversity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Epistle. For ye suffer, if a YE suffer fools gladly, seeing yourselves are wise. man bring you into bondage: if a man devour: if a man take: if a man exalt him self: if a man smite you on the face. I speak as concerning rebuke, as though we had been weak in this behalf. Howbeit, whereinsoever any man dare be bold, (I speak foolishly), I dare be bold also. They are Hebrews, even so am I. They are Israelites, even so am 1. They are the seed of Abraham, even so am I. They are the ministers of Christ (I speak like a fool), I am more: In labours more abundant: In stripes above measure: In prison more plenteously: In death oft. Of the Jews .v. times received I .xl. stripes save one: Thrice was I beaten with rods: I was once stoned: I suffered thrice shipwreck: Night and day have I been in the deep sea. In journeying often: in perils of waters: in perils of robbers: in jeopardies of mine own nation: in jeopardies among the Heathen: in perils in the city: in perils in wilderness: in perils in the sea: in perils among false brethren: in labour and travail: in watchings often: in hunger and thirst: in fastings often: in cold and nakedness: beside the things, which outwardly happen1 unto me, I am cumbered daily, and do care for all congregations. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs boast, I will boast of the things that concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. The Gospel. WHEN much people were gathered together, and were come to him Luke viii. out of all cities, he spake by a similitude. The sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it up. And some fell on stones, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moistness. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And as he said these things, he cried: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying: What manner of similitude is this? And he said: Unto you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to other by parables that when they see, they should not see; and when they hear, they should not understand. The parable is this: The seed is the word of God: those that are beside the way, are they that hear: then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved. They on the stones are they, which when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no roots, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation go away. And that which fell among thorns, are they, which when they have heard, 'go forth, and are choked with cares and riches, and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit. That which fell in the good ground are they, which with a pure and good heart hear the word and keep it, and bring forth fruit through patience. The Sunday called Quinquagesima. The Collect. O LORD which dost teach us, that all our doings without charity are nothing worth, send thy Holy Ghost, and pour in2 our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and all virtues, without the which whosoever liveth, is counted dead before thee: Grant this for thy only Son Jesus Christ's sake. ['Grafton, happened.] [1596, thine.] [ Grafton and 1596, into.] |