it is dayly without ceasynge or leauynge of / bycause that chastytie seldome ouercommeth All sayntes haue complayned vpon this / and all holy men haue bewayled it / as saynt Paule to the Romaynes the .7 chap. For I know that there dwelleth nat in me that is in my flesshe any goodnes THat the worke of chastytie may haue the hygher hande Saye not another tyme that the new lernynge as the papystes call it forbydeth tastyng watchynge labour with other chastesynge of the bodye it dryueth vs to many other good workes / as to fastynges temperaunce / agaynst glotony dronkennes to watchynge erlye rysynge / agaynst slouth vnmeasurable slepe to laboure and werynesse agaynst ydelnes For alwayes to eate drynke sleape sytte styll and be ydelyd / ben the armoure defence norysshynge of vnclennesse / by the whiche chastytie is ouercome by and by And vpoÌ„ the other syde the holy apostle Paule calleth fastynge watchynge laboure / the armure of god by the which vnclennesse is tamed broughte in ordre But yet so as is sayd before / that suche exercysynges go no further than to oppresse vnclennesse / and not to destroye nature Besydes all these the moste stronge wepen is prayer and the worde of god / that whan the euyll luste and desyre prycketh a maÌ„ / than let hym fle to prayer / callynge vpon the grace and helpe of god Let his mynde be occupyed vpon it lokyng in the passyon of Chryst So sayeth he in the .137 psalme O cytye of Babell worthye to be dystroyed / blessid be he that shal take thyne yonge babes / and throwe them agaynste the stones / that is to saye whan the herte is infecte / with euyll thoughtes / beyng yet tender / and in the begynnyng ronneth to our lorde chryst whiche is the stone by the whiche they be brused broken dystroyed Lo here euery man laden in hym selfe shall fynde good busynesse ynoughe to do good workes in hym selfe But nowe it is so that no man vseth prayer fastyng watching labour for this purpose but for a clene coÌ„trary intent Albeit they were ordayned made onely to fulfyl the worke of this coÌ„mauÌ„ement to purge it euery day more more Besydes this there haue ben some men whych haue shewed howe vnclennesse myghte be auoyded as by leauynge of softe beddes / pleasauÌ„t chambres gorgeous rayment / as well in men as in women / to famylyer coÌ„munycacyon countenauÌ„ce / and what soeuer other thyng is ê“fitable to kepe chastytie / in all the whiche thyngê no man can put a certayne rule or measure But euery man muste marke hym selfe / what thinges how many howe longe they be ê“fytable for hym to kepe chastytie must chose them hym selfe But and yf he know not by hym selfe let hym submytte hym selfe a whyle to the instruccyon and lernynge of another / the whiche maye brynge hym vp instructe hym in it vntyll he be able to rule hym selfe For truely the abbeys monasteryes were ones founded for this cause That chyldren and yonge men myght be taught goodnesse and chastytie in them A Good stronge fayth profyteth more sensablye in this worke than it shuld in any other In so moche The gyrdell of the reynes that Esaye calleth fayth the gyrdell of the reynes / that is to saye the kepynge of chastytie For spirytual chastytie pleaseth hym that lyueth in it so well that he promyseth and thynketh hym self sure of the grace and fauoure of god Therfore by this he may the more strongly resyste bodely vnclennesse / for the spyrite of god sheweth hym for certayne howe he ought in such fayth to exchue euyll thoughtes and what soeuer is contrary vnto chastytie For as this trust of the grace of god lyueth workynge all workes without any intermyssyon euyn so it forsaketh no holsome admonyssion in thyngê that be pleasaunt to god or dyspleasaunt As saynt IohnÌ„ sayth in his epystell I haue not wrytten vnto you as thoughe you were ignorauÌ„t of the truthe but as to them that knowe it For ye haue oyntement of the holy ghost and ye knowe all thynges / that is the spiryte of god teacheth you al thynges Nother must we dispayre though we be not delyuered by and by from tempacyon Yea we ought not to determyne that we shulde haue any reste of it so longe as we lyue / nother to take it any other wayes / but as a prouokyng and warnynge / to pray to fast to watch to labour other exercysyngê to tame the flesshe / specyally for to haue do suche thyngê to vse our fayth towarde god For that chastytie is not great that hathe quyete rest / but that whiche commeth in batayle and fyghteth with vnclennesse without ceasyng expellyng all poysons / that the flesshe the euyll spiryte cast vnto vs / so sayeth saynt Peter Derely beloued I besech you as vnacquaynted and straungers to abstayne your self from flesshely desyres / whiche stryue agaynst the soule And saynt Paule to the Romaynes the .6 chapyt Let not synne reygne in youre mortall body the ye obey his lustes In this sentence and suche other is shewed the no man is fre froÌ„ euyll lustes / but that we be compelled daylye to fyght with them And all though this conflycte brynge payne and trouble vnto our flesshe / yet it is a pleasaunt worke to god in the whiche oughte onely to be oure pleasure and comforte For they that thynke that they shal withstande suche teÌ„ptacyon in quyetnesse / they kyndell and inflame it more and more / so the al though it resteth a lytell whyle / yet it coÌ„meth agayne more stroÌ„ger / fyndynge nature more weake than it was before ¶ The .vii. coÌ„maundement thou shalte do no thefte ANd this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t hath a worke coÌ„taynyng many good workes in hym contrary to many vyces / whiche is called lyberalytie / the whiche is suche a worke that a maÌ„ is redy mete to profyte socoure all men with his goodes / stryuyng not onely agaynst thefte robbery / but also agaynst all dysceytes gyles / which may be done in teÌ„poral goodê of one man agaynst a nother As be couetyce vserye to great pryce counterfete measure and couÌ„terfete wayght / for who can noÌ„bre all newe disceytes subtyll inuencyons which be euery day increased iÌ„ all merchauÌ„dyse in the whiche all men seke theyr owne lucre profyte / with the dysprofyte of other forgettyng the sayeng of Chryst Mathew the .7 chapytre What soeuer ye wyll that men do vnto you do the same to them Yf euery man hauyng this rule before his iyes wolde kepe it in his occupacyon in his merchaundyse and dedes He shuld fynde howe he ought to bye and sell to take lende gyue frelye / to promyse and fulfyll with such other For yf we beholde the busynes and crafte of this worlde / and howe great a swynge couetyce hathe in them / we shulde not alonlye haue
case thaÌ„ in the fyrst For it wolde become the ecclesyastycall power to punysshe synnes by excoÌ„munycacyon / cursynge lawes / and to compell theyr spirytual persons to goodnes / that they myghte haue a cause to do good workes and to exercyse them selfes to obedyence / and gyuyng honoure to the power But we se that the spirytuall power taketh no hede at all to kepe theyr chyldren in theyr offyce / but so to deale with theyr people subiectes as mothers folowynge theyr louers As it is sayd in the .ij. chap. of Ozee They preache not they teche not they resyste not they rebuke not they punysshe not / and to be shorte there is no ecclesyastycall gouernynge left in all chrystendome What than shulde I speake in this worke There be lefte yet some fastyngdayes and holy dayed / which it were better to anulle / but no man careth for that So there is no thynge that flouryssheth nowe / but excoÌ„munycacyon for duetyes accustomed / the whiche thynge oughte not to be But the power of the churche shulde se that adulterye vnclennesse glotonye pryde vnmesurable ryote of all thynge and suche other vyces be punysshed and let And also that the colleges and abbeyes parysshes scoles be well ordred / and the goddes seruyce be holely kept in theÌ„ And that the yonge bothe men maydes in the scoles and abbeys haue good and coÌ„nynge men prouyded to teache them that they may be wel brought vp / that the olde may ê“fyte the yonge by good example / that the chyldren coÌ„mon welth may be fylled garnysshed with goodly youth For so saynt Paule taught his discyple Titus / that he shuld teache well and gouerne all degrees estatê yonge and olde men and womeÌ„ But nowe we lyue euery man after his owne wyll euery man teacheth hym selfe yea alas for sorowe it is come to the poynt / that the places in the which goodnes shulde be taughte be now made scoles of vanyties so that no maÌ„ taketh hede of outragious youth IF euery thyng were ordered after this maner than a maÌ„ myghte shewe howe honour and obedyence ought to be done to ecclesiastyke persones But it is nowe with theym as it is with bodely fathers mothers whiche suffer theyr chyldren to moch after theyr owne mynde wyll / and ecclesyastycall power dothe nowe graunte and dyspence / and for money pardoneth more than it may pardone Here I wyll let many thynges passe that I myghte speke of / for I se moo thynges than be well Couetyse sytteth and gouerneth and the churche teacheth that that it shulde forbyd And besydes these it is open to euery mans iyes / that the lyuynge of the spyrytualtie is moche more vngoodlyer and vyler / than the lyfe of the lay or seculer men Wherfore the chrystyan coÌ„mon welthe muste nedes be dystroyed / and this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t subuerted For where there were suche a bysshoppe as wolde take hede vysyte loke vpon and go aboute all suche orders and degrees with so great dylygence and laboure as he is bounde / truelye one cytie were to moch for hym For in the tyme of the apostles / whan the churche was most stourysshynge / euery cytie hadde one bysshop although the last parte of the worlde was not than chrystened Howe thanne shulde it be well amonges men / whan one bysshop wyll haue thus moche / another so moche the thyrde chalengeth halfe the worlde / and the fourthe wolde haue all the worlde vnder his rule Therfore it is nowe tyme to praye to god for grace For we haue ecclesyastycall power ynoughe / but as for ecclesyastycall gouernyng we haue lytell or none In the meane tyme he that knoweth myghte helpe / that the colleges or preestes abbeys and parysshes scoles / were well ruled and gouerned For this also is the ecclesyastycall power to make fewer colleges abbeys and scoles where as no profite coÌ„meth of them Truely it is better to haue no colleges nor abbeys at all than to haue euyll rule or ordre in them wherby god is greuously offended THerfore whan the superyours be froward and suffre theyr offyce to decay it must neades folowe that they abuse theyr power settynge forthe outwarde euyll workes bothe them selfe to the people / none otherwyse thaÌ„ the father mother yf they commaunde any thynge contrarye vnto god Here therfore we must beware wyse For the apostell shewed before that suche peryllous tymes shulde come / in the whiche suche superyours or offycers shulde rule Yet suche superyours haue this cloke to couer theyr iniquitie withall / to beare men in hande that they repyne resyste the power of god / yf at any tyme what soeuer they statute or ordayne be vndone or let Therfore let vs than take in our handes the thre fyrst coÌ„maundementes of god / and the ryght table beyng sure that no man nother bysshoppe nor pope / no nor aungels maye ordayne or commaunde any thynge contrarye / dysagreinge or repungnyng to the thre fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes theyr workes But yf they go about the contrary it is nought worth nother byndeth any man And we also do synne obeyeng suche coÌ„maundementes constytucyoÌ„s / eyther doyng theÌ„ or twynkelyng at them By this a man may lyghtly perceyue / howe that sycke meÌ„ be not bounde with the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tê of fastyng / nother womeÌ„ great with chylde / nother they that may not fast for any other cause wtout hurt And that we may serche this matter more groundelyer / There is nothyng nowe that commeth from Rome / but the marte fayre of all thyngê of the churche which be opeÌ„ly bought solde with out any shame / as ê‘doÌ„s ê‘ysshes abbeys dioces prelacy benefyces what soeuer was made ordayned in any place to the honour of god By reason wherof all the ryches goodes and money of all the worlde be not onely dryuen to Rome / which were but a lytell losse But also parysshes dyoces and prelacy be pulled forsaken and wasted So that Goddes people is dyspysed and loste / the worde name and glorie of god be trode vnder fete fayth is dystroyed and all to the ende that suche colleges and offyces maye be gyuen not onely vnto vnlerned folysshe and vnworthy / but also to Rome ronners the chefe heddes of al noughtye packes in the worlde And so those thinges that were founded to the worshyp of god to the fyndynge of prechers whiche shulde rule and correcte the peonowe spente vpon horses horse kepers and moyles / Yea and yf I maye speake somwhat vnshamefastly / vpon the whores and also whore hunters of Rome / of whom yet we haue no kyndnes but be mocked vnto oure tethes lyke fooles SEyng therfore the all these intollerable folysshenes be done vnder the name of god and saynt Peter as thoughe the ecclesyastycall power were ordayned to haue the glorye of god in shame mockyng to distroye chrystyan coÌ„mon welth bothe of bodye and soule We oughte
Here after ensueth a propre treatyse of good workes The preface IT is not vnknowen to all men good chrysten reader but that the true syncere teachers of the infallyble truthe of our sauyour Iesu Chryst ben falsely defamed vnto the vnlearned people theyr good name defaced to the no lytell hynderaunce and reproche of the same truth / in that they as they be borne in haÌ„de vniustly shulde in theyr wrytynges and sermons allure and withdrawe the forsayd rude people from penauÌ„ce froÌ„ prayer from fastyng from watchynge froÌ„ paynes from labours / fynally from all good workê But what they ben and theyr workes also whiche reproue sclaunder calumpnyate and falsely impeche the pure syncere and true worde of god pronounced by the mouthes of those his good and vertuous seruauntes / it is nowe thanked be god ryghte metely well perceyued / ye and for what intent truely for none other thaÌ„ for the mayntenaunce of the god theyr belyes theyr ambycyon theyr symony theyr pryde theyr promocyon theyr treason theyr trechery theyr glotony theyr lecherye theyr murdre with all theyr vngracyousnes God therfore moste good and almyghtye of his excedynge and bountefull mercy and grace to declare and set forth his infinyte goodnes towardes his electe moste welbeloued and faythful seruauntes / that they to theyr great conforte and consolacyon may be proued innocent of this most vntrue accusacyon wrongfully layde vnto theyr charge / and chiefely to the garnysshynge and deckynge of his emperyall glory mayntenauÌ„ce of his vndoubtable truthe hathe sent the here O reder a ryghte famous and excellent worke wherin is comprehended what good workes be / howe we may please god in all oure workes / howe our workes do not please hym and out of what fouÌ„tayne they ought to spryng and flowe yf they shulde please his godhede truely out of the fresshe and lyuyng fountayne of an vndoubted faythe truste / that his moste benygne petye swetnes and gentylnes which is the father of all mercyes the god of all consolacyon and conforte / dothe loue the fauoure the petye the accepte the. And thy workes also done at his coÌ„maundement for the blode passyon redempcyon and satysfaccyon of his moste dere and welbeloued sone Iesu Chryst / in whome by whome and for whose sake thou arte thus entyerly loued fauoured and accepted As wytnessed our father of heuen hym selfe at the baptysme of our sauyour Iesu Christe sayenge This is my welbeloued sone in whom or for whose sake I am well pleased that is to say appeased and swaged of my wrathe immedyately here hym that is to saye beleue truste hym stycke cleaue harde to hym by faythe For it is he for whom I delyte in you loue you fauour you petye you accepte bothe you and your dedes This is the fountayne out of the whiche all the workes of a chrysten man oughte to procede / so that what soeuer buddeth out of the tre of this fayth is accepted and pleasaunte before god / and els it is but synne and not accepted As saynte Paule wryteth in the xiiii chapytre to the Romaynes / what soeuer sayth he is not of faythe is synne And in the .xi. chapytre to the Hebrues without faythe it is impossyble for any man to please god The reason why is this albeit thou bestowe neuer so moche in almes / fast neuer so moch paye neuer so moch watche neuer so moch / yea albeit thou haddest done as many good dedes as all the worlde Yet yf thou haue not the faythe before rehersyd / that god for the blode of his sone doth accept the thy workes / loue the fauoure the petye the / yea and that entyerly and as his owne son heyre by adopcyon all that euer thou doste can not please god / but is abomynable synne and dyspleasyth hym vtterly For howe is it possyble that thou shuldest please hym whan thou art but a Iudas vnto hym doste beare two faces in one hoode / doynge one and thynkynge another In thy dedes thou woldeste seme to be his seruaunte in thy hert thou dost neyther loue hym nor truste that he loueth the. And albeit he hathe made neuer so many and great ê“myses of saluacyon mercye loue pety and fauour in the blod of his sone to al that repent doubt not therof / but assuredly truste vnto it yet thou what soeuer thou arte that haste not this fayth lyke an hethen hounde and an vnfaythfaull myscreaunt by thy infydelyte and false herte dost make no better of hym but a lyer and false of his promyse / a tyraunte and a butchers curre delytyng in blode and neyther doste thou loue hym truste hym nor fauour hym For howe shuldest thou loue hym whan thou accoÌ„ptest no better of hym than I haue sayde And agayne howe is it possyble that he shuld loue the fauoure the petye the accepte other the or thy workes seynge thou doste fyrste abiecte hym by thy synful dyspayre and incredulytie Yea what worldlye prince wold kepe such a wretche in his house yf he knewe hym / howe moche lesse than wolde he loue hym fauoure hym accepte hym or any of his seruyce Agaynste suche workes it is that the true and faythfull mynysters of Chrystes worde haue foughten as done in most false hypocrysye and deuelysshe despayre whiche otherwyse they haue do hyghely prayse and coÌ„mende as whan they be done in true faythe and loue towarde god his coÌ„maundementes as thou shalte se and fynde in this moste goodly and excellente volume of good workes / whiche I beseche god neuer to fauour me yf any of those vntrue men / I wyll not saye false deceyuers dyd euer wryte to teach any thyng halfe so good in theyr lyues But it is an olde prouerbe that a good thyng wyl prayse it selfe / wherfore I commytte it vnto thyne owne iudgement good reader to prayse it euer as thou shalte fynde cause / So bolde I am of the goodnes therof And yf thou fynde my wordê to be true that good workes be here of our auctor requyred taught praysed and coÌ„mended to the vttermost as the truthe is then I beseche the moste gentyll and indyfferent reader to take admytte all false backe byters sclaunderers of goddes true mynysters euermore hereafter as they be not to thynke the contrary but that as they most deadely belye those good men in this behalfe / so they do also in other thynges as I truste in god it shall more playnly appere / bothe to the gentyll reader therto to all the worlde in tyme commyng And that as I beleue vnfayned to the great glorye of the lyuyng god the inestymable solace and comforte of his electe chyldren and the vtter confusyon of the chyldren of Antechrist So be it ¶ Here endeth the preface of this present worke dieu et mon droit De bonis operibus ¶ Here begynneth the boke of good workes IT is fyrst of all to be knowen
saynt Paule sayenge / that what soeuer is not of fayth / is synne For of fayth and of none other worke / we be ornate by this name / that we be called chrystyanes / as of the chefe worke For as for all other workes / euery hethen Iewe turke and synÌ„er may do them But to trust byleue stedfastely that oure workes please god / is not possyble / but to a chrystyan illustrate stablisshed by the grace of god But suche teachynge as this is very scante And therfore I am accused to be an heretyke / the cause wherof is that men folowynge blynde reason gentylles doctryne / haue put faythe not aboue but nyghe vnto other vertues / attrybutynge vnto it a peculyer and propre worke separated from all other workes of other vertues NotwithstaÌ„dyng that faythe onely doth make all other workes good acceptable worthy in that / that it trusteth in god Ones agayne remembre that this faythe muste be buylded vpon the word of god forget it no more for so meaneth thauctor doubteth not / but what so euer a man dothe / it is well done in the syght of god ye they haue not suffered faythe to remayne as a worke / but after theyr maner of speakynge haue made it a vayne qualytie / all though all holy scrypture do attrybute / the name of godly goodnes to faythe onely no worke elles Wherfore it is no meruayle that they theym selfes be made blynde and the leaders of the blynde For as this faythe dothe brynge with her charyte peace so doth she ioye and hope / for who so euer byleueth trusteth iÌ„ god / to hym strayght waye god gyueth the holy ghost / wytnesse saynte Paule to the Galatiens sayenge Ye haue receyued the spyryte not by youre good workes / but bycause ye haue byleued the worde of god IN this faythe al workes be made lyke and equall / and one as good as another In this faythe also falleth away all dyfference of workes For without faythe it is impossyble to please god as sayeth Paule the xi chapyter to the Hebrewes whether they be great or lytell longe or shorte many or fewe / for the workes be pleasaunt to god not for them selfes but for faythes sake / whiche onely and specyally and without any dyffereÌ„ce worketh quyckeneth and maketh acceptable all and synguler workes howe many and sondrye so euer they be / none otherwayes than as all the membres of a mannes body lyue worke haue theyr name by the goodnes and vertue of the heade And without the heade no membre can lyue worke or haue the name of a lyuyng membre / of the whiche thynge it foloweth more largelye / that a chrystyan lyuyng in this faythe hath no nede of a techer of good workes / but to do all thyng that commeth to his hande And all thynges be well done / as holye Samuel said vnto Saule / thou shalte be chaunged into another man whan the spyryte of the lorde shal come into the / than do what soeuer coÌ„meth to thy hande / god is with the. So rede we of holy Anne Samuels mother / whan she byleued Hely the preest promysynge her the fauour of god / she wente home mery and pacyfyed neyther after that chauÌ„ged her countenaunce that is to say all thyngê were afterwardes vnto her one equall what soeuer fortuned vnto her Also saynte Paule sayde all thynges be free there as the spiryte of god is / for fayth suffereth not her selfe to be bounde to any workes / nor agayne any workes to be taken from her / but euen as it is wryten in the fyrste Psalme / she gyueth her frute in due season / that is howe so euer it commeth or chaunseth WHiche thynge we may se by a grosse and carnall example after that a man or woman hath coÌ„ceyued a moche specyall loue a synguler mynde and fauoure one of thother and stedfastly by leueth the same / who shall than teache them howe to behaue theÌ„ selfe one to thother / or what they ought to do to leaue vndone to saye / to kepe close or to thynke for this onely specyall truste / that one hathe in thother / teacheth them al thynges and more than is necessarye And than there is no dyfference in workes / but eyther of theym dothe great workes longe workes many workes as gladly as small workes shorte workes or fewe workes And that with a mery pacyfyed and quyete herte and vtterlye of a fre mynde / but after that there is any doubte than ryse growe in the mynde dyuers ymagynacyons what shall be best to do And yf it be the man than he begynneth to appoynt hym selfe with the dyfference of workes wherby he may obtayne fauour yet euen thaÌ„ he coÌ„meth almost lyke a prysoner with a heuy herte great trouble more than halfe loste and desperate / and ofte tymes amoÌ„ges these thyngê playeth the foole So a christen man lyuynge in this hope and truste towardes god / knoweth all thinges may do all thynges / goeth about to do all thynges and he dothe all thynges merely frelye / not to heape and gather togyther many merytes and good workes / but that it is delyte and pleasure to hym so to please god well and purely and frely to serue god / beynge contente with this onely thynge that he pleaseth god And of the contrarye partye he agreeth not / nor is at one with god by faythe / whiche doubteth of hym / whiche seaketh and busely careth howe he wolde satisfye and moue god by many workes / and than he ronneth to saynt Iames to Rome to Iherusalem / hyther and thyther this waye and that waye / sayeth saynt Brigettes prayers / sayeth this and sayeth that / he fasteth this day and that day / he confesseth hym here he coÌ„fesseth hym there / he asketh this man that man / yet in all this tyme he fyndeth no reste nor quyetenes / doynge all these thynges with great payne doutfulnes indygnacyon and sorowe of his herte / in so moch that scrypture calleth these good workê in the Hebrew tonge / Aueu Amall Whiche we call in oure tonge werynesse and labour Howe be it truely they be not good workes / but all loste voyde vayne whiche ben done in suche doubte dotage Wherfore many men otherwhyles haue so doted in these / that for sorowe they haue fallen in to many troubles / of whom it is sayd / we be werye in the waye of iniquytie and perdycyon Sap. 5. we haue walked harde wayes / but the waye of the lorde we haue not knowen and the sonne of ryghtwysenes hath not shyned to vs. BYcause that faythe yet nowe and then appeareth in oure workes ryght smale feble weake / let vs aske moreouer them / that be oppressyd with any trouble aduersytie / eyther of body or of goodes or of honour or of frendes or of any other thyngê that they haue
/ whether that than they byleue that they please god / and whether they thynke that theyr trouble and aduersyties be mercyfully put to theym by the very fauoure of god or no / and here they wyll saye that god sheweth hym selfe wrothe and angrye / whan neuerthelesse euen in such vexacyons trouble a true chrystyan hath stedfaste truste / persuadeth farre better thinges vnto hym selfe of god / that he beareth moch better good wyll and fauoure than appeareth For in suche case he is hyd euen as the spouse sayeth in the cantycles Beholde he standeth behynde the walle and seeth me through the creastes / that is to saye in vexacyons and aduersyties whiche are lyke almoste to departe vs froÌ„ hym as a wall or a bulwarke / he staÌ„deth hydde and yet lokynge vpon me he forsaketh me not / for he standeth and is redye to helpe me in grace sufferynge hym selfe to be sene by the wyndowes of darke fayth And Hyeremye in the boke of Threnes / he hath loued vs after his herte / and hath caste downe the sones of men / this faythe they knowe not but thynke they be forsaken of god and that god is enemye to them Yea and they rather impute such ylles to men and wycked deuylles / so that they haue no truste at all in god And for this cause theyr troubles suffrynges euen as they be sclaunderous to them / so be they hurtfull And yet in that whyle they go forthe doynge good workes after theyr owne iudgement / lokynge nor carynge nothynge at all for this true faythe But to theÌ„ that byleue in god / and that in suche ylles and troubles haue a stedfaste truste that they please god / suche ylles and aduersyties be precyous merytes and moste noble of all workes Faythe maketh al thynges precyous aboue all mennes estymacyon / for faythe and truste to god maketh al thinges precyous whiche ylles be dampnable / the whiche thynge is wryten euen of dethe / the .115 psalme / the death of his sayntes is precyous in the syghte of the lord / for the more better hygher and stronger that the faythe and truste is / so moche more the sufferynges in the same fayth passe all workes in faythe / And so bytwene workes suche passyons there is an inestymable dyffereÌ„ce of better place coÌ„dycyon pryce MOreouer the hyghest degree of faythe is whan god ponyssheth our coÌ„scyence not onelye with temporall hurtes and persecutyons / The hyghest degre of faythe but with deathe helle and synne / and semeth in a maner to denye his grace and mercye as thoughe he wolde perpetuallye dampne vs / the which thynge very fewe men perceyue / as Dauid coÌ„playneth the .vi. psalme / lorde correcte me not in thy angres / for to byleue then that we please god / is the chiefe worke that may be done of or in any creature / of the whiche these iustytiaryes holy workemen benefactours knowe nothyng at all / He calleth them iustitiaries which truste of forgyuenesse of theyr synnes of saluacy on by theyr owne workes and holynesse for how wolde they here promyse or ê‘suade the goodnes and mercye of god to theÌ„ / whan they be vncertayne in theyr workes / and doubtfull and waueryng yea in the leaste degre of faythe Beholde thus haue I alwayes spoken thus haue I alwayes praysed fayth / thus haue I reiecte al workes done without suche faythe / to th ende that I myght brynge men from this false fayned shynyng pharysaycall and vnfaythefull good workes wherof all Abbeyes teÌ„ples houses al degres and states bothe hygh and lowe be full and replenysshed with to moste and true good faythful workes euen from the grounde / in the whiche thynge no man stryueth or goeth agaynste me / but vnclene beastes whose feate be not clouen as hit is in the lawe of Moyses not sufferyng the dyfference of good workê But they rousshe out so vnaduysed that whan they haue onelye prayed fasted founded this chauntrye or that / coÌ„fessed them / and done satisfactyoÌ„ after theyr owne iudgement / they wold by and by haue all these doynges good / all though in all these thynges they haue no truste of the lyberalytye or gentylnes of god / but rather they than specyally esteme them for good workes / whan they haue done many / great and longe workes / and so they regard not the grace of god nother his pleasure in theyr workes / but put all theyr truste in theyr workes / and so buylde vpon the grauell and the water / wherfore at the laste / they muste neades haue a great fall As Chryste sayeth / Mathewe the .vii. chapytre / but this good wyll and pleasure of god the father towarde vs vpoÌ„ the whiche standeth our trust / the aungelles shewed from heuen that nyghte that our lorde was borne / syngyng prayse be to god aboue / peace in the yerthe / and to men good wyll BEholde nowe this is the worke of the fyrste coÌ„maundement / wherby it is coÌ„maunded that thou shuldest haue no strauÌ„ge god / which is asmoch to saye as thus For asmoche as I am onely god / thou oughtest to put all thy truste hope faythe in me and none els / for it is not to haue one god / yf thou name hym with thy mouthe outwardelye or worshyppe hym with knelynge or other suche gestures / but yf thou truste in hym â—â—th herte and mynde promysyng to thy selfe all goodnes grace and good wyll of hym / as well in ê‘secucyon and aduersytie / as in prosperyte / no lesse in deth than in lyfe / as well in bytter harde thynges / as in pleasaunt easy / lyke as our lorde Chryste / sayde to the woman of Samarytan / god is a spiryte / and they which worshyppe hym / must worshyppe hym in spyryte and truthe And this truste hope and faythe of the herte / is the true full lyuynge of the fyrste coÌ„maundement without the whiche there is no worke at all that maye satysfye this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / and lyke as this coÌ„maundement is chief / hyghest and beste of all other / and out of the whiche all other come / in the whiche all thynges procede / and after the whiche all thynges must be ordered and reweled / so this worke / that is to saye hope and truste in the grace of god is chyef / hyghest and beste of all other workê / out of the whiche all other growe come forth / be orderyd gouerned All other workes therfore coÌ„pared to this worke / staÌ„de without the fulfyllyng of the fyrste coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t as nothynge worth / and as thoughe there were no god S. Augustyne wherfore saynt Augustyne sayde excellentlye / that the workes of the fyrste coÌ„maundement be / to byleue truste and loue Moreouer we sayde before that suche fayth and truste bryngen with theym charyte and hope / ye and yf thou wylt well consydre the matter / charyte is
oughte to moue all other to caste away this great pompe with Bulles sealles baners pardons / wherwith the myserable people be moued to buylde temples to gyue and founde abbayes and suche lyke and in the meane tyme fayth is suppressed and put to syleÌ„ce yea rather vtterly oppressed But where fayth hathe no dyffecence bytwyxte workes there is no worke pompous and prowde better one thaÌ„ another after her And of a truth it is the fayth only wyll be the true worshyp seruyce of god not suffryng any such name or prayse to be gyuen to one worke or other / but as far forth as she dothe vouchesalfe / which thynge / she than dothe / whan the worke is done in and of her But this yll was fygured in the olde testament / whan the Iewes forsoke to offre in the temple offred in other places / as in wodes and in hylles / euen so do they which be busye and redy to do all thynges neuer do this heade worke of fayth WHere be they nowe whiche aske what be good workê what they oughte to do or howe they myghte be good ye where be they which saye that we so preche faythe that we teache no good workes and that there oughte none to be done Doth not this fyrst coÌ„maundement make vs more busynes / than any man can fulfyll For yf one man were a thousand meÌ„ / ye all men or all creatures / yet here he had ynoughe to do / and more than he myght away with whyles he is coÌ„maunded to lyue contynue alwaye in fayth / and trust to god / and to put trust in no other / so to haue one true god / seynge than that mannes lyfe can not be one moment wtout dede faute trouble or flyghte / for the lyf of man as we se neuer resteth / let hym that wolde be good and full of good workê begynne to be alwaye in this faythe let hym lerne ofte tyme to do and leaue vndone all thynges in suche trust / for so shall he fynde howe great busynes he hathe to do / and howe all thynges stande in faythe / and that faythe can not be ydell / and that the selfe same ydelnes is somtyme the exercyse and worke of faythe And to be shorte / there is nothynge that can perysshe or lose to vs that byleue that all our workê please god / for thaÌ„ they can not be / out good merytoryous / so sayeth saynt Paule / 1. Corin. 10. whyther therfore ye eate or drynke / or what soeuer you do / do all to the prayse of god / it can not be done in the same name / but yf it be done in the same faythe / Also to the Romaynes / for we knowe well that all thynges worke for the beste to them that loue god Therfore the sayenge of them that say that we forbyde good workes and preache onely fayth / is lyke as I shulde say to a sicke man / yf thou haddest helthe / thou shuldest haue all the workes of thy membres without the whiche / the workes of the meÌ„bres be nothynge / of this he myght vnderstonde That I forbyd the workes of the membres / whan my meanynge is that he muste haue helthe and than worke all the workes of all his membres / so fayth must be the chiefe craftêman buylder and capytayne in all workes / or elles the workes be vtterly noughte BVt yf thou saye / why haue we than soo many Lawes bothe spyrytuall temporall so many cerymonyes of churches monasteryes and abbeys to moue cause and prouoke men to good workes / yf faythe do all thinges after the fyrst coÌ„maundement I answere for no cause but that we al nother haue nor set by this faythe / for yf we all hadde this faythe / we neded no lawes / but euery one of vs shulde do alwayes good workes as the same faythe do teache hym There be foure maner of men / the fyrst nowe named whiche neade no lawe of whome sayeth saynte Paule .i. Timoth .i. The lawe is not gyuen to a ryghtwyse man / the is to a faythfull man For suche maner of men do all what so euer they knowe or may with a free mynde regardyng this onely with a sure and stable faythe that the grace and beneuolence of god helpeth them in all thynges The seconde sorte or kynde of meÌ„ ben they / which wyl mysse vse this lybertie / falsely styckynge beynge bolde of it waxe slowe / of the which speketh saynt Peter in his fyrst epystle the .ii. chapytre / sayeng for so is the wyll of god / that with well doynge / ye shulde stoppe the mouthes of al ingnorauÌ„t meÌ„ / as fre not as thoughe you toke lybertie for a cloke of malicyousnes / but euen as the seruauntes of god / as thoughe he shulde saye / lybertie of faythe gyueth no lycence to synne nother cloketh it / but gyueth power to do all maner of workes / to suffre all thinges / howe soeuer they come to haÌ„de / so that no man is bouÌ„de peculyerly to one worke or to some workê As saynt Paule sayeth to the Galatianes the fyrste chapytre Bretherne ye were called into lybertie / onely let not your lybertie be an occasyon vnto the flesshe / but in loue serue one another / these men therfore must be coÌ„pelled by lawes and kept with doctrynes warnynges The thyrde sorte be wycked men / euer redye to synne and vyce / whiche must be compelled bothe with spyrytual and temporall lawes / euen lyke wylde horses and dogges / and yf they amende not / let theym be punysshed with extreme ponysshement by the teÌ„porall swerde as saynte Paule sayeth to the Romaynes the .xiii. chapytre / for rulers are not to be feared of good doers / but of yll / wylte thou be without feare / of the power Do well than / and so shalt thou be praysed of the same For he is the mynyster of god for thy welthe / but yf thou do yll / thou feare / for he beareth not the swerde for nought / for he is the mynyster of god to take vengeaunce of them that do yll The fourth kynde of men be they / which be yet wyld weake and chyldren in the vnderstandyng of fayth and spyrytuall lyfe / whiche must neades be intysyd tyckled as chylderne with outward wordes cerymonyes with adournyng the churches with organnes / and what soeuer is done in the temple / with prayer fastynge what soeuer is vsed other in the temples or abbeys / vnto they lerne to knowe fayth / howe be it here is a great faute / that rulers offycers alasse for sorowe be so accustomed weryed in these cerymonyes outwarde workes and faythe lette alone which they ought to haue alway to teache aboue these workes lyke as the mother gyueth the chylde with mylke other meate vntyll the chylde it selfe maye eate stronger meate by it selfe BVt for as moch as we
greued / for the flesshe seketh pleasure and rest the world loketh for ryches / power and honoure the deuyll seaketh pryde bostynge and loue of hym selfe / and despysyng of all other men / whiche be so myghty that euery one of theym alone is stronge ynough to oppresse ouercome a man the whiche truelye we can neuer ouercome / but by callyng vpon the holy name of god in sted faste faythe As Salomon sayth the .xviii. chapitre of the prouerbes The strongest towre is the name of god / the ryghtous man ronneth vnto it and he shall be lyfte vp / so Dauyd in the .115 psalme I shall take the cuppe in the thaÌ„kefull fyste for the helpe brought me and I shall call vpon the name of the lord Also the .xvii. psalme I magfyed and worshypped the lorde so was I saued froÌ„ my enemyes These workê the power of the name of god be vnknowen vnto vs / that for bycause we haue not vsed them nor euer fought gladly with our synnes as thinkyng that we had no neade to call vpon the name of god And this fortuneth bycause we be onely exercysed in our propre workes whiche we do by our owne power ALso the workes of this commauÌ„dement be / that we shulde not swere curse lye deceyue charme by the holy name of god nother exercyse any other mysuses the whiche be so great that they be knowen vnyuersallye to all men For these synnes be onelye for the moste parte preached and shewed in this commaundement / in the whiche is also comprehended that we shulde forbydde other men to swere to lye to deceyue to curse to charme or by any other meanes to synne with the name of god by the whiche as there be many causes gyuen to do good deades / so there be to lette yll The chyefe cuÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t of this precept But the chyefe and moost weyghtye worke of this coÌ„maundemente is to defende the holye name to god agaynste all the spyrytuall mysuses and to sette that forthe amonges all men For it is not ynoughe that for my selfe and in my selfe I prayse and call vpon the name of god as well in aduersytie as in prosperyte / but I muste neades shewe this name for the and lade my selfe with the hatered of all men for the glory of this name / as Christe said to his discyples you shal be hated of al men for my name Here we must dyseplease father mother our best frendes here we may withstaÌ„de our offycers and segnyours bothe spyrytuall and temporall and we muste be rebuked as stubborne and dysobedyent Here the ryght and great lerned men they that seme holy with the all worldly men must be agaynst vs. And thoughe they be chyefelye bounde to do these thynges to whome is coÌ„mytted the chyefe of preachynge / yet euerye Chrysten man is bounde to the same whan tyme and place requyreth it / for we ought to pay and to gyue all that we haue or may do for the name of god and to proue in dede that the name honoure and laude of god is derer to vs than al other thyngê to truste in hym aboue all thynges / and to loke for all goodnes of hym so to professe hym that we take hym for the hyghest good of al / and for whose name we be redye to leaue and forsake all other thynges HEere we muste withstande all iniuryes wyckednesse where as other the treuthe or ryght be in daunger or sufferyth vyolence or necessyte Neyther shuld be here haue respect to any ê‘sone as many men do greatlye stryuynge for wronge done vnto the ryche myghtye men and to theyr frendes but where as any suche thynges fortune to the poore and subiecte men or to theyr ennemyes / they reste and let theym alone / suche men loke not vpon the name of god in them selfe but throughe a paynted wyndowe measurynge the veryte and ryght after the respecte of persones They fynde neuer out theyr owne false eye whiche loke more vpon the persone than the cause These be very flaterers and hypocrytes / hauynge no thynge to defende the truthe with / but clokynge and colouryng For they knowe very wel that there is no ieoperdy to fauour the ryche myghty and connynge men and theyr frendes of whome they may receyue thankes be defended and honoured agayne With suche easynes may a man withstande wronges done to bysshoppes kynges prynces other great men / for to helpe and defende theym euery man stryueth to be beste O howe preuye is this disceytfull Adam with his wytte / whiche goodlye cloketh the couetousnes of his profyte with the name of verytie and uistyce and with the name fo god But whaÌ„ any suche thyng happeneth vnto a neadye or poore man / than this false eye fyndeth not so moche profyte thoughe he perceyue neuer so well the hate of the ryche menne and so forsaketh the poore manne carynge for nothynge lesse / thanne to helpe hym that is in trouble Who can nombre the multytude of this synne that is in Chrystendome So sayeth god the .81 Psalme Howe longe wyll ye iudge wronge fullye and take vppon you the face of vngodlye menne Se that you delyuer in iudgement the poore and yonge fatherlesse / sette the troubledde and oppressyd menne in theyr ryghte / auenge the poore forsakenne and neadye / and to delyuere theym fromme the handes of the vngodly But for as moch as they do none of these it foloweth that they nother knowe nor perceyue any thyng but stycke in the respecte and persones of men that be of greate power how vnryghtous soeuer they be and knowe not the pore men be they neuer so rightwyse LO here myghte a maÌ„ do many god workê For the greattest parte of men of power ryche men our frendê do wroÌ„ge and exercyse vyolence tyrrannye in the nedy poore and aduersaryes And the geratter a man is the worse he is coÌ„menly Wherfore there as thou canste not let such vyoleÌ„ce helpe the truthe / yet shewe it in wordes nother assente nor fauour to the vnryghtwyse but speke the truth playnly For what I pray you profyteth it a man to do all good workes ronne to Rome and to all other holye places / to buylde founde churches and colledges to purchase all pardons and yet fynde hym selfe fawty in the name and honour of god bycause that his name beynge hyd / and suppressed they set more by theyr owne goodes honoures and fauoure of theyr frendes / than they dyd by the truth / whiche is the name and verye honoure of god / yea what man is he / that hath not suche good workes daylye and hourelye coÌ„mynge home to his dores and house that he nedeth not to ronne farther or inquyre moche for good workes For yf we wolde loke vpon the lyfe of man and marke with how lytell regard all thynges be done both here / and euery where / we shuld be compelled to crye with the
prophete sayeng / euery maÌ„ is a lyer Of a truth all men be false lyers deceyuers / All men be lyers for the cheyf true pryncypall worke sette a parte they garnysshe paynt them selues / with the leste and vyle workes / and yet they wolde be counted good and clymÌ„e to heuen with a sure quyetnes and reste But perauenture some man wyl saye wherfore dothe not god helpe the pore alone seynge that he knoweth maye helpe euery maÌ„ I answere that he knoweth and maye helpe and do it but he wyll not do it alone / for he wyll worke togyther with vs / and by vs / But albeit we refuse to do hym this honoure Yet neuertheles / he wyll perfourme it helpynge the pore dampne suche with the vnryghtwyse as wyl not helpe theym but despyse the great honoure of his worke as men that fauoured the vnryghtwyse And albeit he be blyssed alone yet he gyueth vs the same honoure bycause he wyll not be blyssed alone but wyll haue vs blyssed togyther with hym And moreouer yf god shuld do all these thynges alone his coÌ„maundementes shuld be gyuen in vayne no man hauynge a cause to exercyse hym self in the great workê of his preceptes Nether shulde any man haue any sure profe or experyence whether he trusted faythfully in the name of god or no An innoceÌ„t lyfe good workes ben fyue tokens of a ryghte faythe and allowed it for the hyghest good that is or no. And whether that he wyll put hym selfe in all ieoperdyes for hym or no. IT pertayneth also to this worke to resyste all false peruerse / deceyuable erronyous doctryne and heresyes / and all the abuse of the spyrytuall and ecclesyastycall power the whiche is a merueylouse hyghe thynge / for they straytelye withstonde the name of god / with the name of god / Wherfore it semeth to be greate Ieoperdye to gaynesaye them whan they cloke theym selfes sayenge Who soeuer resysteth them resysteth god and all his sayntes / whose stede they be in and whose power they do vse sayenge that it was spoken to them by Chryst He that heareth you heareth me / and he the despysyth you despysyth me / to the whiche wordê they stycke styffely and be fyerce bolde to coÌ„maunde to do leaue vndone what so euer they wyl / to excoÌ„munycate curse take a waye sleye / and do all other wyckednes rebukes shames after their owne pleasur without any let but Chryst dyd not thynke them to be obeâ—yed in all thynge which they speake and do / but onelye whan they put forthe vnto vs the worde of the gospell and not theyr owne worde / or elles howe shulde we haue knowen to auoyde theyr lyes and synnes for we muste neades haue a rule to shewe wherin they muste be obeyed folowed / whiche rule muste be gyuen to vs not of them but of god to the which we must order and vse our selfes / as we shall here in the fourth coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t Thus therfore muste it be / that in the spyrytuall degre / the more parte be false doctryne prechynges and the abuse of the Ecclesiastycall power to the ende that we maye haue cause and occasyon to do the workes of this commaundement and that we shuld be proued / what we wyll do or leaue vndone for the honoure glorye of god / agaynst the vngodlye blasphemers of hym and his name O I wolde to god / that here we were as we oughte to be Howe often than shuld the false offycyalles sette forth both the popes and the bysshoppes excoÌ„munycacyon in vayne howe greatly then shulde the thundrynges of Rome / faynt and decaye howe ofte shuld he holde his peace / whom all the worlde is coÌ„pelled to here howe fewe prechers shuld than be fouÌ„de in Chrystendome But this myschefe hath so longe preuayled that what soeuer they ordeyne muste be iuste and ryght Here is no man that wyll stryue for the name and glorye of god Truely I byleue that there is no greatter synÌ„e / nother more coÌ„mytted by the outwarde workes / then in this coÌ„maundement For it is hygher then that many can vnderstande and perceyue it / and so ornate with the name and power of god / that it is ieoperdye to touche it But the prophetes were ones chefe / crafte maysters in this thynge and after theym / the Apostles / and specyallye saynte Paule nother regarded nor cared whether the hyghe preest As it appeareth the .2 chapytre to the Galatyens wher Paule rebuketh peter openlye for his dyssymulacion or the lowe preest sayde it / whether he dyd it in the name of god / or that he dyd it in his owne name / for they marked the wordes and the deades and compared theym with the commaundementes of god / not lokynge whether great IohnÌ„ / or lytel Nycholas spake or dyd eyther in goddes name or in mannes And for this cause they were put to deth / of the which thyng moche more / myght be spoken now in our tyme wherin all thiÌ„ges be done out of frame But Chryste paule must hyde these thyngê with theyr holy names all though there can be no more shamfull a cloke of synne in the worlde / than the most holye and blyssed name of chryste Ihesu Wherfore a man maye abhorre this lyfe / onlye for the abuse and blasfeme the holy name of god / And yf these thynge contynue any longer I am a frayde leste for god / they shall worshype the deuyll Our holy and spyrytuall men do all thyngê with suche abhomynable boldnes / and withoute any shame Therfore it is hyghe tyme / that we praye hertely to god / that he wyll sanctyfye his name But the muste be with the blode of them that sette in the goodnes of martyres He meaneth that we be saued by the worde wherfore the martyrs shedde theyr blode and whiche be gotten saued with theyr blode And eueÌ„ they them selues must be martyres agayne / of the whiche thynge / we shall speake more an other tyme. ¶ The thyrde coÌ„maundement WE haue nowe seen howe manye good workes be in the seconde coÌ„maundement of god / whiche be not good in them selues / except they procede out of fayth / trust of the loue of god toward vs / I wolde to god therfore we kept onely this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t so that we were not so occupyed busye with other workê / that we vtterly forget this worke / nowe than foloweth the thyrde coÌ„maundement Kepe thy sabboth day the thou sanctyfye it / as the lorde thy god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded the / In the fyrst it is coÌ„maunded how that our herte oughte to be byfore god in thoughtes In the seconde both in herte also in mouthe with wordes In this thyrde is coÌ„maunded howe we shuld gyue our selfes to god by workes / And this the ryght fyrste table of Moyses / in the whiche these thre coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes be wryten rulynge man on the right
/ that is to say of faythe truste boldenes hope and loue toward god / so that the fyrste coÌ„maundement is the ruler and captayne in all the other coÌ„maundementes / and fayth is the chyefe worke lyfe of all other workes / without the whiche as it is sayd before they cannot be good But and yf thou wylte saye / what and I can not byleue that my prayer is harde accepted / I answere specyallye for that cause / faythe prayer all other good workes be commaunded that thou mayste knowe what thou canste do / and what thou canste not do / but yf thou fynde thy self that thou can not byleue and do / than do thy dylygence to humble thy selfe before god / makynge thy complaynte and begynnynge in this weake sparkyll of fayth / stablysshe and comforte it euery daye more and more / by vse in all thy lyfe and in al thy workes For there is no man in the worlde whiche lacketh not a great parte of faythe / that is of the fyrst and chyefe coÌ„maundement Yea the holy apostels in the gospell / and specyally saynte Peter were weake in the faythe / so that they prayed Chryste sayenge Lorde increase fayth in vs / and he also rebuked theym / bycause they had weake faythe Therfore thou oughtest not to dyspayre / leuynge as they saye hande foote whan thou perceyuest that thou byleuest not so stronglye in thy prayer or other workes / as thou oughtest and wolde / yea than thou oughtest to thanke god with all thy hert / that he hathe shewed thy weakenesse vnto the / teachynge warnynge the by that / howe necessarye it is for the to exercyse dayly stablysshe thy selfe in faythe For howe manye doste thou se / fastynge prayeng syngynge redynge workynge shynynge as thoughe they were meruaylous holy good / and yet neuer commynge so farre that they knowe howe that faythe is the chyefe worke of all other / wherby they be blynded deceyued / both them selfes and other / also thynkynge them selfes well ynoughe buyldyng vpon the grauell of theyr owne workes without all faythe And not trustyng vpon the fauour and ê“myse of god by sure pure faythe And thus thou seest that we haue ynoughe to do all our lyfe / to do the workê of the fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dement fayth euer lernynge contynueng scolers / for no man knoweth howe great a thyng it is to byleue onely in god / but he that begynneth to practyse it NOwe se agayne / yf there were no other worke coÌ„maunded / than prayer were it not only ynoughe to exercyse in faythe all the tyme of mans lyfe for the which purpose specyally were ordeyned holy ordres / in tyme past some holy fathers prayed bothe nyght and daye / yea there is no man at all but that he hath to pray at al tymes without ceasyng But I speake of spyrytual prayer / that is no man is so payned with his labour yf he wyll but he may also speake to god in his herte / and sette before hym other his owne troubles or other mens / prayenge besechyng for helpe / in al these exercyse streÌ„gth his faythe / for this is it that oure lorde wolde Luke the .18 sayeng we must pray without ceasynge / all thoughe Mathewe the .vi. he forbyd many wordes and longe prayers / in the which he rebuked the Pharyseis and hypocrytes / not that vocall longe prayers be euyll / but that it is not the true prayer whiche muste be done alwaye / which without the inward prayer of faythe is nought worthe / for the outwarde prayer must be vsed also at tymes / specially at masse as it is requyred by this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / and not onely than but also at any other tyme where soeuer it shall ê“fyte to thynwarde prayer fayth / whether ye be at home in the fylde or in any other worke Wherof nowe it is no tyme to speake more / for it ê‘tayneth to the Pater nrÌ„ / in the whiche al peticyons vocall prayers be comprehended in short wordes WHere be they nowe that desyre to knowe and do good workes What soeuer they be let theÌ„ set onely prayer before them / they shall fynde this trewe / that holy fathers haue sayd / there is none so great labour as it is to pray / it is but a lyght thyng to mumble with thy mouthe / Here haste thou descrybed whatte true prayere is but to put out the wordes sadlye with thy herte with inwarde godlynesse and deuocyon That is with desyre faythe that the herte may ernestly aske that thynge / that the wordes pretend / doubtynge not but that it shall be herde This truely is a good worke in the sight of god / and to let this the deuyll stryueth and wrasteleth with all his myght O howe ofte wolde he let our pleasure in prayenge / suffre vs nother tyme nor place / yea ofte tymes make vs dyspayre / whether a man be worthy to praye to so hyghe a maiestye as god is / so prouoke man that he can not tel / whether that it be in erneste or no that he prayeth / whether it be possyble / that this prayer be accepte or not / many such other thoughtes cast the deuyll to vs / for he knoweth howe myghty stronge profytable to all men / is the prayer of a faythfull man Wherfore he wold not gladly suffre vs to praye Here a man muste playe the wyse man / not for this cause to dyspeyre / that other our selfes or our prayers be vnworthy in the syght of the excedynge maiestye of god / nor to laboure by his owne worthynesse / nor to lyue by this vnworthynesse / but we must marke the coÌ„maundement of god and laye that agaynste hym / and to preuente the deuyll / sayenge as I wyll begynne nothynge by my owne worthynesse / so I wyll omytte nothyng for myne vnworthynesse For I do onely praye worke for this / that god of his pure mercye grace hath ê“mysed hearynge and grace to all men / thoughe they be vnworthye / yea he hathe not alonly ê“mysed / but also most ernestly coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnder the payne of his euerlastyng indygnacyoÌ„ angre / to praye to be bold to receyue If therfore it was no lytel thyng to so hygh a maiesty / to bynde so greatly suche his vnworthye wormes / to pray to trust iÌ„ hym to receyue of hym / howe shulde it be a lytel thiÌ„g to me / to take such a coÌ„mauÌ„dement with all ioye / whether I be worthy or vnworthy Thus the suggestyon of the deuyll / muste be ouerthrowen by the coÌ„maundement of god / for so wol he leaue vs or els neuer The causes and necessytyes that shuld moue vs to praye BVt what be the causes necessyties / that shulde be put and complayned vpon to almyghtye god in prayer / to exercyse faythe I answere fyrst of all
cease / is kept two maner of wayes Fyrst by our owne exercyse / secoÌ„darely by another outwarde exercysynge or mocyon Therfore our exercyse must be so ordered / that fyrst we se wherunto our flesshe is gyuen / and to what our wyll and reason prouoketh vs / that we resyst them and folowe them not / as the wyse man sayeth do thou not go after thyne owne lustes and appetytes / and Deuteronomye the .xii. chapytre Do that onely that I coÌ„maunde the / and thou shalte put nothynge to the lorde nor take nothynge awaye Here a man muste haue the prayers euer in vse / whiche Dauyd prayed saynge Lorde brynge me in the way of thy coÌ„maundementê / and not into couetyce Item shewe me thy wayes / and teache me thy pathes / that my steppes be not moued such many / the which all this prayer conteyneth Lorde let thy kyngdome come / for there be so many and so manyfold appetytes and lustes / and somtyme so subtyll and goodly by the suggestion of the euyl spiryte / that it is vnpossyble for a man to rule hym selfe in his lyfe Let hym therfore forsake handes and fete put hym selfe / to the rule of god / trustyng nothyng in his owne reason / as Hieremye sayth Lorde the waye of man is not in his owne power And that was fygured whan the chyldren of Israel went out of Egypt / where they had no way / no meate no drynke nor helpe Therfore god went byfore them by daye tyme in a clere clowde / but at nyght in a fyerye pyllar / nourysshyng them with aungelles foode / from heuen / so kepynge theyr shoes and clothes / that they were not torne / as it is red in the bokes of Moyses And therfore let vs praye / lorde lette thy kyngdome come / that thou mayst rule vs and not we our selfes / For there is nothyng more perillous iÌ„ vs / than our owne propre wyll reason And this is the cheyf and hyghest worke / of god and the beste exercyse to leaue our owne workes / and to be voyde fre and ydle from all our owne wyll and reason / commyttynge our selfe to god in all thynges / specyally / where as spirytuall good thynges appere AFter this spirytuall exercyse foloweth the exercyse of the flesshe / to kyll his euyll grosse desyres / to make rest and quyetnesse whiche we muste kyll with fastyng Here lerne of fasting watchyng with other laboures and exercyse of the body wherfore they serue for what inteÌ„t they shulde be done watchyng and labour Out of the whiche grounde we lerne howe moch / and wherfore we ought to fast watche and labour For there be many blynde men alas for sorowe that faste watche laboure onely for this cause / that they thynke they be good workes in them selfe / and that they deserue many thynges in them / and so contynuynge in suche thynges so longe / that otherwhyles they dystroye theyr owne bodyes and make theym selfes desye in the heades But yet they be more blynde / whiche measure not onely theyr fast after theyr multytude or greatnes / but also after the meates thin kynge that it is moche better yf they eate not flesshe egges or butter And yet of all other they be worse / that faste for sayntes chose dayes / as whaÌ„ one fasteth wednysday and another saturdaye / he fasteth for saynt Barbara and another for saynt Sebastyan suche other All these seke none other thiÌ„ge in fasting but the worke in it selfe / by the which they thynke they do well I here wyttyngly passe ouer many which so fast fro meate / that yet they drynke tyl they be dronken / some eate fysshe other deintyes so costly whan they faste / that they might eate flesshe egges and butter farre better cheape / but suche maner of fastynge / is no fastynge / but rather a mocke both to fastyng and to god / therfore I wolde the euery man shuld chose what daye what meate howe moche he wolde fast / after his owne mynde / so that he there rest not / but let hym marke the state of his flesshe / so fast watche and labour / that he tame the fearsnes and wantones of it / neuer the more that the pope / bysshop / churche / goostly father or any other man coÌ„maunded it / For the maner and rule of fastiÌ„g watchynge and labour / is to be taken of no man / nother after the multytude of meates or dayes / but after the increasynge or dyscreasynge of the concupyssence and outragyousnes of the flesshe / and for to kyll oppresse them / fastynges / watches / and labour was ordayned / for none other cause / for yf there were no suche desyres it were as good to eate / as to faste to slepe as to watch to be ydell as to laboure / one as good as another without all dyfference IF therfore a man perceyue fynde / that ther groweth more fearsnesse in his flesshe by eatynge of fysshe / than by egges flesshe He than oughte to eate flesshe no fysshe And agayne yf he feale his heade to be corrupte and his body and his stomake to be weake with fastyng / or that he hathe no neade to oppresse the fearsnesse of his flesshe let hym leaue fastynge eatynge slepynge restynge as moche as he hathe nede for the helthe of his body / not lokynge whether it be agaynste the coÌ„maundementes of the churche / her ordre or decre / for there is no coÌ„maundement of the churche nor constytucyons of any ordre / that maye ordayne prescrybe fastynges watchynges and laboure more straytelye than they profyte to tame and mortyfye the voluptuous desyres of the flesshe But where soeuer without this purpose and ende they coÌ„maunde fastyng meates slepe and watches more hardely than the flesshe may suffre / or more than is neade to the kyllynge of the lust of the flesshe / so that nature is corrupt and the heade lost / than let no man thynke that he hathe done a good worke / excusynge hym selfe other by the coÌ„maundementes of the churche / or els by the constytucyons of his ordre / for he shall seme to haue wanted to hym selfe / and as moche as laye in hym to be a mansleyer and stryker of hym selfe No truely the bodye is not gyuen to kyll his naturall lyfe or worke / but onely to oppresse his fyersnesse / excepte the fyersnesse be so great / that it can not be resysted without the hurte losse of naturall lyfe And as I sayde before in the exercysynge of fastynge watchynge and labour / a man must haue an eye not to the worke in it selfe not to the dayes multytude or meates / but onely to the fyers wanton Adam / so that the wantonesse and fyersenesse may be taken from hym OF these we may perceyue howe wyselye or folysshelye some woman great with chylde do / and howe sycke men
where as the father and mother be good louyng theyr chyldren not with carnall loue / but as they be bounde to holynesse the worshyppyng of god bryngynge them vp / teachyng them in the thre fyrst coÌ„maundementes there is alwaye the chyldes owne wyll broken So that he is compelled to forsake to suffre that that his nature wolde not / wherby he fyndeth a cause to despyce his father and his mother / to grudge agaynst them / or to go about do worse thynges There than goeth awaye bothe loue and feare excepte the grace of god helpe Lykewyse whaÌ„ the father and mother correcte and chaste theyr chyldren as they deserue / yea other whyles more than they deserue the whiche thyng yet is no let to the soules helthe than the frowarde nature taketh suche chastesynge with dysdayne Moreouer there be some of such vngracyous disposicyon / that they be a shamed of the pouertie loue byrthe deformytie or sclauÌ„der of theyr father mother sufferyng them selfe to be moued more with such thynges / than with this hyghe commauÌ„demeÌ„t of god / the is aboue all thynge / which by his great couÌ„sel hath gyuen theÌ„ such father mother to proue exercyse theÌ„ in his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t But this is moche stroÌ„ger whaÌ„ the chyldren be at lyberte / for thaÌ„ loue goyng downe there is moche loue taken away froÌ„ the father mother whatsoeuer is coÌ„mauÌ„ded and sayd of oure father mother / that must be vnderstaÌ„de also of them that be in the stede of our father mother whan they be deade or absent / as be our kynsfolke our godfarthers / temporall rulers and spirytuall fathers For euery man must be ruled of other men and be vnder them Wherfore we se here also howe many good workes is taught in this coÌ„maundement / in as moch as all our lyfe is subiect vnto other men Hense it coÌ„meth that obedyence is so greatly praysed and that it compreheÌ„deth all vertues and good workes in it Agaynste euyll bryngyng vp of chyldren THere is another sclaunder agaynst the father and mother moch more subtyll peryllous than the fyrst / whiche is garnysshed and set forth for ryght true honoure And that is whan the chylde lyueth after his owne mynde and wyll / his father and mother sufferynge hym to do it Here is honour here is loue but it is but beastlye of bothe ê‘tyes Here the father and the mother please the chylde and the chylde agayne pleaseth the father the mother This punysshement is so open and coÌ„mon that there be verye seldome examples sene of the fyrst sclaunder / which thyng happeneth bycause that the father and mother be blynded and nother know nor worshype god in the fyrste coÌ„maundementes And for this cause they can not se what thynge theyr chyldren lacke / and howe they shulde be taught and brought vp And so they brynge theÌ„ vp to prophane worldly honoures ryches / that they may onely please men / by all meanes to be exalted made great men This thyng is pleasauÌ„t to the chyldren / into this they be obedyent without any gayne sayenge So the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god vnder the colour of goodnes go to wreake / that is fulfylled which is wryten by the prophetes Esaye Hieremye / that the tyme shulde come whan the chyldren shuld be dystroyed by theyr owne fathers mothers After the example of kynge Manasses which suffered his sone to offre do sacryfyce and burne beastes to the ydoll Moloch For I praye you what other thynge is this / than the chylde to do sacryfyce offre to an ydolle / whan the father mother brynge theym vp more to the loue of the worlde thaÌ„ of god / sufferyng theÌ„ to be caryed after theyr owne wyll in the pleasures of the worlde / to be set a fyre with the loue myrth goodes honoure of this worlde / the loue glorye of god the pleasure of euerlastyng goodes to be quenched clene put out in theÌ„ O howe great ieoê‘dye is it to be a father mother where as nothynge reygneth but flesshe and blode For it staÌ„deth hooly iÌ„ this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / that the thre fyrste syxe last be knowen kepte In as moche as it is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to the father mother to teache theyr chyldren those thyngê as it is in the .77 psalme He gaue his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t vnto Iacobe / and put his lawe into Israel whaÌ„ he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the fathers to declare these thyngê to theyr chyldren / that theyr posteryte myghte knowe them / and that theyr chyldren whan they be waxen vp myght shewe the same to theyr chyldren also And this is the cause why god hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded to honour thy father mother / that is to loue them with feare / for loue without feare is more sclauÌ„der than it is honour Now marke therfore whether al men haue ynoughe good workes to do or not Whether soeuer they be fathers and mothers or they be chyldren But we be so blynde that we let this alone and seke for other workes not coÌ„maunded WHere than as the father and mother be so folysshe that they brynge vp theyr chyldren wantonly and worldly / the chyldren in no wyse shuld obeye them / for god is more to be sette by in the thre fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dementes than our father and mother I call waÌ„tonly worldly bryngyng vp / whaÌ„ they teach vs not more to seke folowe god / than the pleasures honours ryches power of this world / to weare laufull clene rayment / and loke for honest goodê / is necessary no synne So yet that the chylde be so taught in his herte that at the leaste in the puttynge on and wearynge of his apparell The trewe wearyng of apparell he sorowe and lament the wretchednesse of this lyfe in erthe that it can not well be begon nor passed ouer wtout moche more rayment and ryches than neade requyreth / to hyll couer the body / to keape away the colde / and get a lyuynge so / that he shal be constrayned agaynst his wyll to playe the foole / for the fauoure of the worlde suffre this euyll for a better thynge to exchue the worse The spirytualtie neuer redde this text of Hestor Thus the quene Hester dyd weare her crowne sayenge vnto god / thou knowest my necessytie that I abhorre the sygne of pryde my glorye which is vpoÌ„ my hede in the dayes of my bostynge / and I dysdayne it as the clothe of a menstruate woman / the whiche I wyll not beare in the dayes of my sylence what soeuer hert therfore is thus armed / may weare all maner of garmentes wtout all ieoê‘dy / for he weareth them weareth theÌ„ not / he playeth of the instrumeÌ„tes playeth not / he lyueth gloryouslye not gloryously And these be the preuy soules secrete spouses of Chryste / but they be very scarse For it is very harde not to
for euyll to no man NOw se howe this excelleÌ„t and hyghe worke is gone to nought amonges chrysteÌ„ meÌ„ that nowe nothyng reyneth but stryfe chydyng warre yre hate enuye backbytyng cursyng abhorrynge hurtes vengeaunce and all maner of yre and dysdayne / bothe in worde and deade in euery place And yet neuerthelesse we procede styll / with many holy dayes / hearynge masses / mumblyng of prayers / buyldynge of churchs / and garnysshynge the same albeit wihout any coÌ„maundement of god / and so vnmoderatly as though we were moste holy of all chrysten men that euer were / suffrynge vnder these glasses dysfygured workes / the coÌ„maundementê of god to lose and decaye In so moche that there is not one that thynketh or remembreth howe nygh he is vnto gentylnes kyndnesse pacyentnes and vnto the fulfyllynge of this coÌ„maundement of god Notwithstandyng yet that god sayd not he that doth these workes but he that kepeth his coÌ„maundementes / shulde entre in to the kyngdome of heauen For as moch then as there is no man lyuynge in this worlde / to whom god hath not gyueÌ„ an vtterar of his owne yre and malyce that is to wyt his enemye or aduersary hurtyng hym in goddes dygnytie honour and frendes to proue whither there be any yre lefte in hym or no / whyther he can loue his ennemye / speake well of hym / do for hym do good to hym / thynkynge no euyll agaynst hym / Nowe lette hym come that wyll and aske / what good workes he shall do that may be plesaunt to god and helthfull to hym felfe / let hym sette his enemye before his face / let hym haue hym contynuallye in the ymage and iye of his herte / for this cause / that he maye ouercome hym selfe / vsynge his herte to thynke frendly of hym to fauoure hym after the beste maner / to care praye for hym and after whan ther is occasyon or tyme / not onely to speake wel of hym / but also to do him good lette hym proue this / that wyll and yf he haue not ynoughe to do all the dayes of his lyfe / lette hym reproue me of a lye / and let hym saye / this sayenge is false But nowe whan god wyll haue this thynge done and admytteth nor requyreth no lesse payment / but this kyndnes to our enemye what I beseche you doth it profyt vs to be busye in other great workes not coÌ„maunded / and to leaue these coÌ„maunded vndone therfore sayth Chryst Mathew the fyfte chapytre I saye vnto you / he that is angrye with his brother is gylty of iugement / he that saith to his brother Racha that is / whiche gyueth an abhomynable angry and cruel sygne of wrathe is gylty of counsell He that sayth foole / that is / he that gyueth any maner of cheke backebyteth slaundreth or curseth is gyltye of euerlastynge fyre / where abydeth than the vyolent layenge of haÌ„des as to stryke to cut to wounde to kyll and to hurt yf the thoughtes wordes of yre be so greuously dampned BVt where as is the inward geÌ„tylnes kyndnes pacyence of the herte / there the herte hath petye of all that troubles that happen to his enemye / and such be the true chyldren and heyres of god and bretherne of Chryst whiche dyd the same for vs vpon the crosse Euyn lykewyse as we se in a good iudge whiche is ryght sory and lothe to gyue sentence vpon the gyltye person / is heuye of the deth put to hym by the lawe Here in the iudge is a shew in the worke as though there were yre dysdayne impacyeÌ„tnesse / but in wardly there is very sorow and pacyence abydynge vnder suche ioyfull workes / and it than swarmeth most quyckely louyngly in the herte whan it is constrayned so to be angrye and to exercyse seueryte But here we must beware that we be not gentyll and peace agaynst the glorye and coÌ„maunementes of god For it is wrytten that Moyses was gentylest of all men / yet whaÌ„ the Iewes had prouoked and moued god by the worshyppyng of a golden calfe he kylled many of them / by that gate agayne the fauour of god So the offycers and superyours ought not to kepe the holy day and suffre synne to reygne / they in the meane tyme to say nothyng vnto it I ought to despyce my honoure / my rythes my losse my hurte nor to be angrye yf any aduersytie happen vnto me / but we must regarde the commundementes of god and also defende and put awaye the hurte and wronge of our neyghboure And the offycers and rulers must punysshe other / that is to saye priuate persones with wordes and rebukes And yet al these ought to be done with compassyon vpon them that haue deserued punysshement / For this hyghe goodlye and pleasaunte worke suffereth her selfe to be obtaygned easely yf we do it in faythe and exercyse faythe in it / not doubtyng in the fauour and grace of god / it shall be a lyghte thynge for hym to be mercyfull and kynde to his neyghboure / howe moche soeuer he hathe offended hym / for we haue offended god more greuouslye and cruelly Lo howe shorte a commaundement this is But there is a longe great exercyse of good workes faythe set forthe in it ¶ The syxe coÌ„maundement thou shalte be no Lecher ALso in this commaundement is a worke commaunded contaynynge many good workes and puttynge awaye many vyces / and it is called clennesse or chastytie / of the whiche many thynges be wrytten shewed and knowen well to many But it is not so well obserued and kepte as be other workes not coÌ„maunded So redy we be al to do that that is not coÌ„mauÌ„ded / to leaue that ehat is coÌ„maunded We se that the worlde is full of fythye workes of vnclennesse vnshame fast wordê bawdy tales and songes And besydes these the prouokyng is dayly increasyd with to moch meate and drynke / ydelnesse and gorgeous apparell And yet we go forthe styll as thoughe we were chrysten men bycause we go to the churche / whype vp our prayers fast and keape holy dayes wherby we thynke all perfyte But yf there were no more workes coÌ„maunded but chastytie / we had all busynes ynoughe to do For this byce is so peryllous and outragyous that it rageth in all our membres / in the herte by thoughtes in the iyes by syght in the eares by hearynge in the mouth by wordes in the handes fete and all the body by worke it selfe And to tame all these we muste laboure and punysshe our selfe / so the coÌ„maundementes of god teche vs. How moch howe truelye howe syncerely suche good workê ben exercysed god knoweth Yea it is vnpossyble for vs to thynke any good thyng of our owne power / I wyll not saye to begynne or fynisshe it For saynt Augustyne sayeth / that amoÌ„ges all chrysten mens battelles / the batell of chastytie is the greattest bycause
semeth but lytel / but iÌ„ very dede it is so great / that he that wyll kepe it muste be in ieoperdye of his body and his lyfe of his goodes and fame of his fryndes and all that he hath And yet it comprehendeth no more but the worke of a lytell membre the tonge / that is to saye The truthe and gaynesay lyenge / yf nede requyre / and so here be forbyde many euyll workes of the tonge Fyrst suche as be commytted by speakynge than after suche as be done by holdyng our peace By spekynge whan he that hath an euyl cause in the lawe / laboreth to proue and defende it by an euyll foundacyon to take his neyghbour in a tryppe to laye out all that he can for to set out promote his owne cause / hydynge makynge lesse what soeuer shulde helpe his neyghbours cause / in the which thyng he dothe not to his neyghboure as he wolde be done to There be some that do this for ê“fyte some partly to auoyde losse or sclauÌ„dre / bothe they seke more theyr owne ê“fyte thaÌ„ the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god / they excuse theÌ„ selfes on this facyon The lawe helpeth hym that laboureth as though they were not as well bounde to laboure in theyr neyghbours cause as in theyr owne So they wyllyngly suffre theyr neyghboures cause go to nought all though they know that it be ryght / the which euyl is now a dayes so coÌ„mon that I feare there is no iudgement nor acte / but one ê‘tie synneth agaynst this coÌ„maundement Yea be it so that they be not able to brynge theyr purpose about / yet they haue an euyll mynde wyll to do yll bycause that they wolde haue the good cause of theyr neyghbour decaye theyr owne euyl cause pÌ„uayle And this synne is chefely coÌ„mytted of the iudges / Iudges whan the one part is a great man or ennemye to the iudges For so they wyl be auenged of theyr enemye not haue the dyspleasure of any great man By this meanes are begon flateryng adulacyon / and at the leste suppressynge of the truthe / for here no man wyll suffre dysdayne hurte ieoperdye for the truthe sake / and so the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god must nedes be troden vnder fete And this is now for the most parte the rule ordre of the worlde He that coueteth or wylleth to contynewe in this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t may haue both his handes full of workes be but onely occupyed with his tonge Moreouer oh good Iesu / howe many be there that by gyftes rewardê be dryuen froÌ„ the truth to holde theyr peace so that surelye in euery place it is a hyghe great rathe worke a man not to be a false wytnes agaynst his neyghboure BEsydes these there is yett a greatter wytnessyng of the truthe wherby we be coÌ„pelled to stryue agaynst euyll spirytes / Euyll spirytes be false teachers prechers but this stryfe begynneth not about temporall thynges / but for the gospell / the truthe of the fayth which the deuyll can not suffre but so goeth about all thynges / that the chefe of the people whom it is harde to withstande may resyste persecute the true faythe / of the whiche it is sayde the .81 psalme Take awaye the poore man and delyuer the nedy from the handê of a synner And that this persecucyon is so seldome done and waxen out of vse / oure prelates of the spirytualtie be in the faute / whiche suffre not the gospell to be preched / but to be oppressyd / and so they haue banysshed as moch as in them is the cause for the whiche such persecucyon wytnesse shulde be moued And for the gospel they teache vs theyr owne tradycyons constytucyons and what soeuer please them / therfore Satan resteth For whan the gospell is banysshed / fayth in Chryst must also be banysshed so all thynges come to passe after the deuyls desyre / but yf the gospell shuld be raysed vp agayne and harde of the people / vndoubted all the worlde shulde be troubled sturrynge the greatter parte of kynges prynces bysshoppes doctours spirytuall men to stryue agaynst it as it hath ben alway / so oft as the worde of god came forth to lyght For the worlde can not suffre that thynge that coÌ„meth from god / the which thyng was proued by our sauyour Chryste whiche was the greattest beste beloued and chefe thynge that god had / yet he was more cruellye persecute than al other thynges that came froÌ„ god / so farre was it of that the worlde wolde receyue or take hym And so as in his tyme there be fewe that so fauour the truth of god / that wyll put body lyfe ryches fame / all that they haue in ieoperdye for it And that is the thyng that Chryst hathe promysed to them that folowe hym Sayeng Mathewe the .x. chapytre You shall be hated of all people for my name Also than many shal be sclauÌ„dred But and yf housbaÌ„demen shepardes horsekepers suche fylthy men shulde persecute this truthe / who than myght not or wolde not graunt and wytnesse the truthe but nowe whan the pope and bysshoppes with prynces kynges persecute it / euery man flyeth awaye al men holde theyr peace all flatter lest they shulde lose theyr goodes theyr honour theyr fauour / and at the last theyr lyfe ANd why do they this truelye bycause they haue no faythe in god / nor thynke that they haue any good of god / for where soeuer is this faythe and truste towarde god there is a strauÌ„ge hert bolde and without feare / whiche graunteth standeth by the truthe whether he lose bodye or goodes / whether it be agaynst the bysshoppes or kynges / as we se that the holy martyrs haue done for such an herte is content with the mercy gentylnesse of god / dyspyseth honoure fauour thankes and ryches of all worldly thyngê sufferyng all thyng to go and come that wyll not last tary As it is redde in the .14 psalme He abhorreth suche sclaunderous and noughty ê‘sones / such as worshyppe the lorde he setteth moche by That is tyrantes and men of great power whiche ê‘secute the truthe and dyspyce god those he feareth not regardeth them not he dispyseth them And vpon the other parte / they that suffre persecucyon for the truthe / and feare god more thaÌ„ men Those he foloweth those he standeth by / those he defendeth those he honoureth / who soeuer be dyspleasyd with them As we rede in the 11. chapytre to the Hebrewes That Moyses defended his bretherne the chyldren of Israell / nothyng fearyng the myghty kynge of Egypte Lo agayne in this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / thou seest shortelye howe that faythe is the mayster of this worke for without fayth no man dare worke it / so be all workes grounded vpon faythe / as we haue ofte tymes sayd before And so without faythe all workes be deade thoughe they appere seme and shyne neuer so goodlye / and be called neuer so good For as no man dothe the worke of this coÌ„maundement / but he the is stroÌ„ge sure stedfast in the fayth of the fauour of god / so can not he do any worke of the coÌ„maundementes without this fayth So that of this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t euery man may take a felynge perseueraunce whether he be a chrysten maÌ„ or no / may knowe whether he doth good workê or no. Nowe we se that almighty god hath not onely set before vs our lorde Iesu Chryst / in whome we shulde beleue with suche truste / but also that we shulde haue hym for an exaÌ„ple of suche trust settynge before vs suche good workes in hym / that we shuld byleue in hym folowe hym abyde euermore in hym As he sayth in the .17 cha of IohnÌ„ I am the way Chryste is the way truth and lyfe the truthe the lyfe / he is the way by the whiche we shulde folowe hym / the truth that we may byleue in hym the lyfe that we maye euermore lyue in hym vpoÌ„ these thyngê before rehersyd / it is manyfest that all other workes not coÌ„mauÌ„ded be very ê‘ylous easy to be knowen / as by buyldynge of churches deckyng of theÌ„ pylgrimage to sayntes / what soeuer is wrytten in the popes decrees which disceyueth the world greueth dystroyeth it / maketh mans coÌ„scyence vnquyete hath brought fayth to sylence made it weake / therfore in asmoche as a man hathe busynes ynoughe to do in the commauÌ„dement of god all other set a parte / so that he can neuer do al the good workê coÌ„mauÌ„ded to hym of god / why thaÌ„ doth he seke other which be nother necessary to him nother coÌ„mauÌ„ded these workê necessary coÌ„mauÌ„ded left vndone THe two last coÌ„mauÌ„dementes forbyddynge euyll desyres or lustê of the body / and pleasures loue of temporall thynges be clere in them selfe without hurt to our neyghbour And these lustes last to the graue / for the stryfe agaynste them contynueth vs vnto dethe Therfore saynt Paule wrytynge to the Romayns the .7 chapytre comprehendeth these two coÌ„mauÌ„dementes in one / they be set for one purpose whiche we can not obtayne / but onely we labour and stryue to come to it vnto the honoure of deth For there was neuer man so holy which hath not felte euyll lustes in hym / specyally yf he had any cause or occasyon / for orygynall synne is naturally borne with vs sufferyng it self to be oppressyd / but not to be vtterly plucked awaye but by deth / which deth for the endyng of this orygynall synne is bothe profytable and to be wysshed for / and that we may manfully fyght agaynst this orygynall synne I beseche god to helpe vs. Amen ¶ Finis ¶ Imprynted be me Robert wyer / dwellynge in saynt martyns parysshe besyde charynge Crosse ¶ Cum priuilegio ROBERT WYER