Do we not all not all, “Our For he that wants all these not necessary things to salvation, When Adam dalve, and Eve span, Up start the carle, and gathered good, How can we And although no nation has anything to rejoice in of themselves, yet England has less than other. We glory much to be called Britons; but if we consider what a vagabond Brutus was, and what a company he brought with him, there is small cause of glory. For the Saxons, of whom we come also, there is less cause to crack. So that of Brutus we may well be called brutes for our brutish conditions, and of the Saxons saxi, that is, stout and hard-hearted: but if we go up to Cain, Japhet, and such other fathers of us gentiles, we may be ashamed of our ancestors: for of all these we come, that knew no God. rity began. Tully, a heathen philosopher, telleth how many ways men How authocame first to have great possessions, and waxed more wealthy and mighty in the earth than others did: either by coming into void places, (saith he) where as none did dwell, and then every man took to himself as much ground as he would; or else they got it in the wars by power from others; or bought it; or else by gift, or descent. So that at the first we were all alike, not one better than another: and we shall be also all alike angels at the last. For in heaven there is no higher place for rich men, nor lower for the poor; but every man according as he hath done, so shall he receive. If the [The last two lines are wanting in the second edition. In both editions the first line has dalve, as here printed: Chaucer uses dalfe in the preterit tense. ED.] Ezra iii. poor and rich man's blood were both in one basin, how should the one be known to be better than the other, seeing we crack so much of it? Yet doth this derogate nothing from that honour and dignity, which is due to all princes and magistrates in this life of all sorts of men: but it is only spoken how all sorts shall obtain the life to come, and that we should not overmuch rejoice in worldly vanities, but in God alone, that we have him for our God. And whereas the prince, priest, and people, have all one lesson taught them, and no difference at all is made betwixt them, how to please God, we may see the wickedness of our priests, that by their trentals and other masses can help, as they say, others to heaven, but they themselves care not for such baggage, and buy none of them for themselves, because they think them unprofitable; or else they see there is another way to heaven than this, and therefore will not use this at all for themselves, but deceive others therewith: or rather they care not for heaven, but will here live at ease, and enrich themselves, they care not how, not hoping for another life. But the prophet here, and all the scripture throughout, teaches one way of salvation for all sorts of men, whatsoever they be, how to live and die and enjoy heaven. The effect of this message now is to comfort them, that they should not faint in their work, but manfully go on forwards, and luckily finish the building of God's house, being discouraged at nothing. Many there were that, beside the fear of the king's displeasure, which had forbidden them to build any more, seeing the gorgeousness of the old temple builded by Salomon, and how slender a house this would be in comparison of that, were sore grieved at it and discouraged. Esdras writeth, that when the ground-work and foundation - was laid, some which had seen the old temple, how costly, great, and solemn it was, were very sorry to see this, how slender a work it would be in comparison of the old; and therefore they fell on weeping when as they considered it. The younger sort which had not seen the old temple, that was destroyed by Nabuchodonozor, and now seeing this go so well forward, took their instruments, sang psalms, and praised God that had given them so good and prosperous We may Divers good religion. success; and were right glad that they might have such a house to resort unto, to make their prayers and sacrifices in, although it were not 'so costly and pleasant as they would wish. In which two sorts of men the one, as Esdras saith, wept because this house was not costly enough, nor becoming the majesty of God their Lord; the other did sing and rejoice, that they had one so good a house as this was. learn the sorrow which good christian hearts take, when they see God's true religion, not only coldly set forth, and negli affections in gently followed, but also if it be not in such perfection as it ought to be, and as they have seen or yet would wish. Also we be taught how we should rejoice, when we have any honest little house and religion granted unto us, to serve and worship our Lord and God in, so that it be according to his word for the primitive church was glad, if they could get private houses to teach in. The noise was so great, as Esdras saith, that a man could not discern whether was greater, the noise of them that sung, or of them which wept: therefore the prophet saith to them, which were so sorry and heavy for the slenderness of this building, that although this house. seemed nothing in comparison of the other in beauty in their sight, yet it should appear a more glorious house afore God than the first. And so it came to pass, as afterwards it shall appear. must be strongly, seen long. Let us note also where he saith, "Which of you hath The cross seen this house in his former glory, &c.", the strong patience borne and long suffering of the people of God, that had borne their though it cross so long, and were not weary of it; but were very sorry that they could not have God worshipped so solemnly as they would. There was none that could have seen the first temple of Salomon standing in his glory, and now this second temple beginning to be renewed, but he must at the least be fourscore years old, and yet be not past ten years old, when it was destroyed by Nabuchodonozor. The years of the captivity in Babylon were seventy, as Jeremy promised, and the foundation of this temple was laid under Cyrus, the second year of their returning. so that if we take these years besides those seventy years of captivity, they must have so many also after they were born, that they might be able to remember the temple standing, which can be no less than ten years, or twelve: so that, all counted, they could be no less, but rather more, than fourscore years old but if we reckon to this second of Darius, they must be anno 130 years old at the least. This I speak to note, how manfully they had borne their banishment under heathen kings, where they were prisoners, mocked, and evil entreated: whereas we are so tender, that we cannot abide a little sorrow for Christ's sake under christian rulers, nor cannot depart from our flesh pots and belly cheer. We call the Jews sturdy and stiff-necked people: but if we compare ourselves to them in many points, we shall find ourselves much worse. They Ps. cxxxvii. sat on the water-banks of Babylon seventy years weeping, and hanged their harps in the willows, instead of the temple, when they had sung their psalms: they were mocked, and yet manfully did they bear all sorrows: we being banished or punished under christian rulers, yet cannot be content with necessaries; but grudging that we want our old flesh pots of Egypt and our superfluous dainties, murmur and grudge at God's doings, and provoke his vengeance upon us. Matt. xxiv. 1 Kings x. The apostles coming to our Saviour Christ, and shewing him the goodly building and workmanship of this temple, which they now builded, wondered at the costly fineness of it but these old men, which had seen the first temple of Salomon's building, wept because it was not good enough, nor to be compared to the first. Notwithstanding all the fineness of it, our Saviour Christ told them that the days would come, when their enemies should come, besiege it, destroy it, and not leave one stone standing upon another: and so it came afterwards to pass by the Romans. The first house, if ye mark in the life of Salomon, where is described all the fashion of it, length, breadth, thickness, and height of the walls, the wideness of the house, and what things and jewels were in the house, it is much more gorgeous, costly, and pleasant than this second temple is, whose greatness Esdras telleth in the sixth chapter: but the things that were done in this second house by Christ and his apostles, were much more wonderous than those which were done in the first. It was great glory that the queen of Saba came from the utmost part of the earth to see the first temple: but it was much more glorious that into the second temple came the Son of God from heaven, to preach his Father's will and the glad tidings of the gospel. sity of the church and As in the restoring of this second temple many old men did weep, because it was not so great, gorgeous, costly, and glorious as the first was; so now in the restoring of the gospel many weep, when they see not the churches so well decked and furnished as before. The pope's church hath all things The diverpleasant in it to delight the people withal: as for the eyes, pope's their god hangs in a rope', images gilded, painted, carved most Christ's. finely, copes, chalices, crosses of gold and silver, banners, &c. with relics and altars; for the ears, singing, ringing, and organs piping; for the nose, frankincense sweet, to wash away sins (as they say) holy water of their own hallowing and making; priests an infinite sort, masses, trentals, diriges, and pardons, &c. But where the gospel is preached, they knowing that God is not pleased but only with a pure heart, they are content with an honest place appointed to resort together in, though it were never hallowed by bishop at all, but have only a pulpit, a preacher to the people, a deacon for the poor, a table for the communion, with bare walls, or else written with scriptures, having God's eternal word sounding always amongst them in their sight and ears; and last of all, they should have good discipline, correct faults, and keep good order in all their meetings. But as they wept to see this second house no more costly nor pleasant to the eye; so our poor papists weep to see our churches so bare, saying they be like barns, there is nothing in them to make curtsey unto, neither saints nor yet their old little god. But hereafter it appears, whether of these churches God is more delighted withal. For although these ceremonies in the old Cere law were given by Moses for the hardness of the people, to keep them exercised, that they fall not to idolatry of the gentiles; yet is there no mention of any of these in the New Testament, nor yet commandment now, neither to us nor them, but forbidden to be used of all, both of us and them. We be no longer under shadows, but under the truth: Christ hath fulfilled all, and taken away all such dark kind of cere [1 The pix, or box with the consecrated wafer, hung up by a cord over the altar. ED.] [PILKINGTON.] 9 monies. |