thinke themselues to be the church which the Lord cannot forsake. All which thinges to þ^e entent they may the better appeare in his owne wordes, I haue thought here to translate & exhibite the sermon as it was spoken before þ^e pope.

MarginaliaA Sermon made before the Pope. I Vxta est salus mea, vt veniat, & iustitia. &c. that is: My sauyng health is nere at hand to come, and my righteousnes to be reuealed. &c. Esay. 56. MarginaliaEsay 56.
The worlde deuyded into two sortes of men before the incarnation of Christ. After the sentence of S. Paule Rom. 2. and in diuers other places, before the Natiuitie of Christ: the whole world was deuided into two sortes of men, the Iewes and Gentils. The Iewes who wayted for the openyng of the doore of Paradise, by the bloud of the sauiour to come. The Gentils who yet sittyng in darkenes were to be called to light, and to be iustified by fayth, as is written. Rom. 5.

This saluation pertayning both to the Iew and Gentile. God promysed before time to the fathers by the Prophets, to stir vp the desire thereof in their hartes the more: and to encrease their firme hope and fayth in the same. As first in Mich. 6. the voyce of the Lord cryeth: Health and saluation shall be to all men which feare my name. And Esay 46. I will geue in Syon saluation, and in Ierusalem my glory. &c. with diuers such other places like. And forsomuch as hope many times which is deferred, doth afflict þ^e soule, and conceiueth wearines of long deferring: He therefore prophesiing of the nerenes of the commyng therof, saith moreouer. Esa. 14. his tyme is nere at hand to come. Also Abac. 2. He wyll come and will not tary, with many such other places mo. So then the holy fathers beyng in Limbo, looked and hoped that he should bryng out them that sate bound, and which in the house of prison sat in darkenes, as is red Esa. 41. Then the tyme drew on in which came the fulnes of the Gentils, and in which the lord would declare the riches of this mistery beyng hidden from the world, and from generatiōs, Col. 1. Wherfore the lord in this text doth both certifie our fathers of the commyng of our sauior, and doth comfort them touchyng the nerenes thereof, and also teacheth the iustification of the Gentils by faith aproching now nere at hā;;, accordyng to ā;;^e words of my text, Iuxta est salus mea. &c. Which wordes were fulfilled then, what time the Lord did make manifest hys saluation, and dyd reueale hys righteousnes in the sight of all the Gentils.MarginaliaDiuision. And is deuided in 3. partes. Of which the first speaketh of the nerenesse of his commyng, where is sayd, Iuxta est salus. &c. Marginalia1
Iuxta est. The second concerneth the mystery of the Aduent Marginalia2
Vt veniat. of Christ and his incarnation, where he sayth: Vt veniat. &c. Marginalia3
Vt reueletur.
Amos. v. Thirdly is considered the seueritie of God, his terrible reuengyng iudgemēt to be reuealed, where he sayth: Vt reueletur. &c. which is to be expounded of hys primitiue iustice: wherof speaketh Amos v. saying: And iudgement shalbe reuealed like a floud, and righteousnes lyke a strong streame. Wherfore for our contemplation let vs receaue with ioy the solemnities of his holy vigile, the word I say of God the father, þ^t is, Christ. To whom it is sayd. Esay. 49. I haue geuen thee to be a light to the Gentils, and to be my saluation thorough the endes of the world. Agayne, Esay. 46. My saluation shall not slacke. &c.

As touching the nerenes therof, it is in these days opened to vs by the gospell, where we read in S. Math. When the virgin Mary was despoused vnto Ioseph, before they did come together: she was found w^t childe by þ^e holy ghost. By this it is euident to vnderstand, that our sauiour ought shortly to procede out of the chast wombe of the virgin, accordyng as the Prophet did foretell, saying: Behold a virgin shal conceaue, & bring forth a sonne. &c. For lyke as the grape whē it waxeth great & full, is nere to the makyng of wyne, & the floure when it shouteth forth abroad, it hasteth to the fruit: So the saluation of the world in the swelling & growing of þ^e virgins womb, begā; to draw nigh to mā;;kind. For then appeared the grace & benignity of our sauior, whē his mother was found to haue in her wōbe by þ^e holy ghost as is declared in that as followeth by the aungell saying: for that which is borne of her, is of the holy ghost.

MarginaliaThe second part of his theame. Touching the 2. part of that which is sayd, vt veniat: this may be applyed to the contemplation of the mystery of christes comming in ā;;^e flesh. Wherof speaketh Aggeus the Prophet. 2. He shal come, who is desired and loked for of all nations. &c.MarginaliaAggeus 2. Albeit the same also may be applied to the secōd Aduent, spok? of þ^e 3. of Esa. The Lord shll come to iudgement. &c. In memorial wherof, the 4. sonday was dedicate, in the old time of þ^e holy fathers. And of this day of iudgement is written in þ^e prophet Sopho. cap. 1. The day of the lord is nere, great & mighty, it is approching at hand & won drous short. &c. And albeit not in it self, yet it may be expoūded in tribulatiōs þ^t go before, as preambles vnto the same: as Greg. saith: The last tribulatiō is preuented w^t many & sōdry tribulatiōs going before, althogh þ^e end of al be not yet.

MarginaliaThe third part of his sermon. Wherfore commyng now to the 3. part of my Sermon or theame, let vs see of those tribulations that go before þ^e last commyng of Christ, if there be any such tribulation approching nigh at hand, wherof this last part of my theame may be verified, where is sayd: vt reueletur, that my rightuousnes shalbe reueled, to wit the rightuousnes primitiue, that rightuousnes may be brought, and the Prophesie of Daniell fulfilled Dan. ix. Concerning which matter, 4. thinges here come in order to be declared.

Marginalia1.
Vt reueletur. First concerning the reuelyng of tribulation, accordyng to that part of my theame. Vt reueletur. &c.

Marginalia2.
Vt iuxta est. Secondly, concernyng the nerenes of the tribulation cōmyng according to þ^t part of my theame. Quia iuxta est. &c.

Marginalia3.
Vt veniat. Thirdly of the false opinions of some, vpon this parte of my theame. Vt veniat. &c.

Marginalia4.
Salus. Fourthly, what meanes and consultation we ought to take. Vt iuxta sit salus.

MarginaliaThe first part of the subdiuision. As for the first, it is so notorious and so common in in the scriptures that the church should suffer and abyde tribulation, that I neede not here to stā;d in alledging any thing touching either the causes to be weide, or the terme to be cōiectured therof.MarginaliaTwo rules to be noted. As concerning the which causes, I will here geue ij. rules to be noted before, for þ^e better opening of that to folow.MarginaliaThe kingdome of Israell signifiing the false Church The first rule is, that by the ij. kingdomes of the nation of Hebrues, which were in the old time, to wit, by the kyngdome of Israel, whose head was Samaria, is signified in the prophets the erroneous sinagoge:MarginaliaThe kingdome of Iuda signifieth the right church. And by þ^e second kingdome of Iuda, of whose stoke came Christ, whose hed metropolitane was Ierusalē, is signified þ^e true church. And this rule is not mine, but is an authentike glose of S. Hierome, and also is the rule of Origene in the laste Omely vpon the old testament, and is approued by the church.

MarginaliaThe 2. rule. The second rule is, that by the brodell house and fornication mentioned in the Prophetes: is signified symony, and abused dispensations, and promotions of persons vnworthy, for lukers sake, or els for any other partiall fauour, which be vnlawfull wayes by all lawes of the worlde to come to office and honour. Merx dicitur nanque a merendo, that is, for gayne or price is deriued of gayning: For the which gayne or price, that is soulde which by nature ought not to be sould. Therfore, to geue any thyng for respect of gayne or hyer, which ought to be geuen freely for vertues sake, is a kynde of a spirituall corruption, and as a mā; would say, an whorish thyng, wherof the prophet Esay, complaineth speaking of Ierusalem, and saying: The citie which once was faithfull and full of iudgement, how is it now become an whorishe citie?MarginaliaEsay. 1. And in like maner Osee also þ^e prophet chap. 9. Ierusalem, thou hast fornicated and gone an whoring from thy God. Thou hast loued like an harlot, to get gayne in euery barne of corne.MarginaliaOse. 9. And in many other places of scripture, where fornicatiō cā; not otherwise be expoūded.

These two rules thus premised, now let vs marke the scriptures, and according to the same iudge of the whole state of the Church, both that is past, and that is to come: first intreating of the causes of tribulation to come: secōdly of the vicinitie of time of the sayd tribulation to come.

MarginaliaFiue states of the church described. And first, concernyng the state of the Church, & of causes of tribulation. Thus sayth the Lord in the prophet Ezechiell xvi. chap. speaking to the Church vnder the name of Ierusalem. In the day of thy byrthe I came by thee, and saw thee troden downe in thyne owne bloud, &c,Marginalia1.
The martirdome of the Church. Here he speaketh of the tyme of the martyrdome of the church. Thē it followeth:Marginalia2.
The prosperity of the Church. After thys thou wast clensed from thy bloud, thou wast growen vp, & waxen great: then washed I thee wyth water, I purged thy bloud from thee (speakyng of ceasing of persecution) I annoynted thee wyth oyle, I gaue thee chaunge of raymentes, I gyrded thee wyth white silke, I decked thee wyth costly apparell, I put ringes vpon thy fingers, a chayne about thy necke, Spangs vpon thy forehead, and Earerings vpon thyne eares. Thus wast thou deckt wyth siluer & golde, and a beautifull crowne set vpon thine head. Marueilous goodly wast thou & beutifull, euen a very queene wast thou: For thou wast excellent in my beutie, which I put vpon thee, sayth the Lord God. &c: Thys prophecie or rather history speaketh of and declareth, the prosperitie of the Church.

Marginalia3.
The corruptiō of the Church. And now heare the corruption and transgression of the Church, for so it followeth: But thou hast put confidence in thyne owne beautie, and playd the harlo:, when thou haddest gotten thee a name. Thou hast committed whoredome wyth all that went by thee, and hast fulfilled their desires: Yea thou hast taken thy garmentes of dyuers colours and