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
be not al equal lyke / suche maner of men muste be forborne suffered / and we muste obserue and beare those thyngê / whiche they obserue and beare / and not dyspyse theym / but teache them the true waye of faythe / as teacheth saynt Paule to the Romaynes / xiiii chapitre / hym that is weake in the faythe / receyue vnto you and lerne hym / the which thyng he dyd hym selfe / the fyrste epystell to the Corinthyanes the .ix. chapytre And vnto the Iewes sayeth he I became as a Iewe to wynne the Iewes to theym the were vnder the lawe / was I made as thoughe I had ben vnder the lawe to wynne theym that were vnder the lawe And Chryste in Mathewe the .xvii. chapytre / whan he shulde paye trybute / which he ought not to do / reasoned with Peter sayenge / of whome do kynges of the erthe take trybute or poole money of theyr chylderne or of straungers Peter sayde vnto hym of straungers / than sayde Ihesus vnto hym agayne than are the chyldren fre / neuerthelesse leaste we shulde offende theym / go to the see / and caste in thy angle / and take the fysshe / whiche fyrste commeth vp / and whanne thou openeste his mouthe / thou shalte fynde a peace of twelfe pens that take / and paye for the and me / here we se that as all workes / so all thynges be free to a chrysten man throughe his faythe yet he dothe suffre and obserue with the faythfull that / that he is not bounde to do And that he dothe vpon his lybertie beynge free nothynge doubtynge that he so dothe please god / and he dothe it gladly / takynge it frelye as any other worke that coÌ„meth to his hande without his owne chosyng or purpose here he dothe onely desyre and requyreth nothynge elles but that he maye so worke to please god with his fayth But in as moche as we purposed to teache in this boke which be very true good workes we nowe speake of the hyghest worke of all / it is manyfest the we speake not of the secoÌ„de thyrde or fourth sorte of men / but of the fyrste to whome all thother must be lyke in conclusyon and in the meane whyle be taught and suffered of the fyrste And so suche men of weake faythe / redy alwayes to do good and to lerne better / and yet not able to perceyue and vnderstande all thynges be not to be despysed iÌ„ theyr cerymonyes Blame therfore theyr folysshe blynde teachers whiche neuer taughte theym faythe but haue drawen theÌ„ so deaplye in to workes That is to wytte from that confydence that they maye be saued by theyr workes / for els they make a god sauyoure of theyr workes whch is hyghe ydolatrye and vtterly concludeth that the blod of christ is shedde in vayne for if our workes can saue vs what neded christ to dye this is thautors meanyng whan so euer he saieth fran workes therfore they muste be gentlye broughte vp by a lytell and lytell fro workes to faythe / as men do handell a sycke man / they must be suffered to leane to some workes a whyle for theyr owne conscyence vntyl they embrace faythe a ryght / lest whyles we go about cruelly and sharpely to plucke them froÌ„ theyr workes theyr conscyence be confounded or troubled and erre wauer aboute vncertayne / and so they nother kepe faythe nor workes But styffe necked men holdynge styffelye in theyr workes / not regardynge what is spoken of fayth / ye in so moche they stryue agaynst it / must be let alone / that the blynde maye leade the blynde / as Chryste bothe taught and dyd BVt peradueÌ„ture thou wylte saye howe shulde I thynke for a suertye that al my workê please god otherwhyles speakyng eatynge drynkynge slepynge to moche or in any other waye swaruynge from the ryght the whiche is vnpossyble for me to exchue I answere that this questyon proueth / that thou yet takest faythe no other wayes than thou doste other workes nother doste thou esteme it aboue all other workê / for no other cause is fayth the chiefe worke but for bycause it remayneth quencheth these venyall dayly synnes bycause she byleueth that god fauoureth the and imputeth not suche daylye falles fautes ye moreouer yf the fall be dedely / which thyng happeneth seldome or neuer to theym the lyue in faythe towarde god / yet faythe ryseth agayne doubteth not but that by by all his synnes shall be weared awaye as it is in the fyrst epystle of IohnÌ„ the .ii. chapytre My lytell chyldren these thynges wryte I vnto you that you shulde not synne and yf any man synne yet we haue an aduocate with the father Ihesus Chryste whiche is ryghtwyse / he it is that obtayneth grace for our synnes / not for ours onelye but also for all the synnes of all the worlde And the wyse man the .xv. chapytre Yf we do synne we be thyne knowyng thy greatnes And the .xxiiii. chapytre of the prouerbes seuen tymes in a day the ryghtwyse man falleth and ryseth agayne / ye this faythe truste muste be so hyghe stroÌ„ge that a man maye knowe that all his lyfe dede is no other thyng but daÌ„pnable synnes in the iudgement of god as it is wryten the 142. psalme / there shal no lyuyng man be iustyfyed in thy syghte / but we shulde rather so dyspayre in our workê / that we shulde byleue that they can not be good / but by this faythe thynkynge that we shall haue no iudgement of god but pure grace fauoure good wyll gentylnes and mercye / as it is in the .xxv. Psalme / thy mercy is before my eyes / and I haue delyted in thy truth and in the .iiii. psalme Thy lyghte is marked vpon our face that is the knowlege of thy grace by fayth and by the thou hast gyuen myrth in my herte / for as thou byleuest and trusteth so shall come vnto the. Lo thus by the mercye and grace of god and not by theyr owne nature these vayne and voyde workê be without synne / and so by faythe labourynge with the same mercye they be good / And so for our workes we maye be a frayed / but for the mercy of god we maye be comforted / as it is wryten in the .146 psalme / the lorde delyteth in them that feare hym / and in them that truste to his mercye / so we pray with full trust our father whiche is in heuen We be synners as concernyng our workes and our owne lyfe but in respect of chrystes workê his satysfaccyon blode we be iust no synners for because we cleane whooly to hym by faythe for the which we be accepted as no synners neuerthelesse to forgyue vs oure synnes We be his sones neuerthelesse synners We be acceptable and yet haue not made satysfaccyon But fayth confyrmed stablysshed in the truste of god
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
/ ben pryuate troubles temptacyons and aduersyties of a mans owne / of the whiche speaketh Dauyd the .31 psalme Thou arte my defender from trybulacyon thou shalt kepe me / and make me glade excedyngly for my delyuerauÌ„ce Also the .141 psalme I cryed vnto the lorde / before the lord I fell downe and made my prayer / before him I powred forth my heuy medytacyon / before hym I layde my strayte anguysshe So ought a chrysten man to remembre hym selfe before masse / what he thynketh what he lacketh or what he hathe to moche / to powre that frely out before god wepynge mournynge syghynge / and that as pyteously as he can / as before his most trustye father most redy to helpe hym But and yf thou nother knowe nor ê‘ceyue thy necessyties / or yf thou lacke temptacyon or persecucyon / thaÌ„ thynke thy selfe in an euyll case For this is the greattest persecucyon / yf thou fele thy selfe / so blockysshe so herde so dull that thou arte moued by no persecucyon There is no better glasse / The glasse in the which we maye se our necessyties is the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god wherin thou mayste beholde thy necessyties / than the .x. coÌ„maundementes of god / in the whiche thou mayste fynde what thou wantest what thou oughtest to seke / and so thou shalte fynde in thy selfe weake faythe / sclender hope lytel loue toward god / and that thou dost nother prayse nor worshyppe hym / but louest thyne owne prayse and bostyng and settest moche by the fauour of men / not glad to here masse and sermons / slow to praye in whiche thynges euery man fayleth and dothe amysse / Suche defautes thou oughtest to regarde more than all corporall damages / of fame of honoure or of body in so moche that they are more to be sorowed thaÌ„ deth it selfe or all bodelye dyseases Whiche all thou oughtest to lay before god with reuereÌ„ce feare and faythe complaynynge and cryenge for helpe with all trust / lokynge surelye to be herde and that he wyll graunt the socoure and grace And of this facyon goynge further in the seconde table of the coÌ„maundementes of god / take hede howe dysobedyent thou haste ben / and yet arte to thy father and mother to the offycers and superyours / howe thou haste offended thy neyghbour with angre hate and checkes / howe that wantones couetyse vnryghtwysenesse hathe tempte the / bothe in worde and dede / and than without doubte thou shalte fynde thy selfe ful of trouble and myseryes / that thou shuldest haue cause ynoughe yf thou myghtest to weape teares of blode BVt I knowe many that be so folysshe that they wyll not praye and desyre suche thynges before they fynde theym selues cleane / thynkynge that god heareth none that is in synne / the whiche thyng all togythers false prechers haue made / whiche teache that we muste begynne / not at the grace of god and faythe / but at our owne workes Nowe beholde thou wretched man / yf thy legge be broken / or yf thou be brought in to any other bodelye ieoperdye / thou callest vpon god or vpon this saynte or that / and taryeste not vntyll thy legge be hole or thy ieoperdy be past Nother arte thou so folysshe the thou wyll thynke that no man shal be herde that hath a broken legge / as in ieoperdy of dethe Yea thou thynkest than to be moste specyallye herde of god / whan thou arte in most ieoperdye sorowe Wherfore thaÌ„ art thou so folysshe here / where is moste necessytye and greattest hurt / that thou wylte not fyrst praye / for faythe hope loue humylytie obedyeÌ„ce chastetye gentylnes peace and ryghtwysenesse / before thou be without all vnbyleue waÌ„tones couetyse and vnryghtwysenes / whaÌ„ that the more thou fyndest thy selfe a synner iÌ„ these thyngê / the more largelye thou oughtest to praye and call to god We be so blynde that iÌ„ bodely troubles synnes we ron vnto god / but in the syckenes of our soules we ronne from hym not wyllyng to come to hym except we be hoole perfyte before / as though god were not alwaye one in helpyng the body the soule / or as though we coulde helpe our selfe in spyrytuall trouble / which is greatter than bodelye dyseases in the which we can not helpe our self This is a deuelysshe counsell purpose Therfore O man do not so / for yf thou be wyllyng to be helped of thy synnes / thou must not withdrawe thy selfe froÌ„ god / but moche more boldelye ronne preyse vnto hym / thaÌ„ yf bodely trouble ê‘secucion come vpoÌ„ the. God refuseth no man but if he refuse hym fyrst by vnfaythfulnesse For god is no enemy to synÌ„ers / but to vnfaythful / the is to them the knowlege not theyr synnes wyl not coÌ„playne seke to god for helpe but of theyr owne pryde presuÌ„pcion fyrst do purge theym selfes / as men that wyll not staÌ„de nede of his grace / as men not sufferyng god to be with theÌ„ / which gyueth to al men frely receyueth nothyng agayne ALl these thynges be spoken of the prayer both for thyne owne trouble also for coÌ„mon trouble / but prayer properly pertaynyng to this coÌ„mauÌ„dement To this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t ê‘tayneth coÌ„men prayer for all chrystendome is called the worke of the holy day / moch better greatter to be done for al chrysteÌ„dome for the troubles of al meÌ„ / for enemyes frendê specyally for them the be iÌ„ euery mans parysshe or dyocê / so sayd saynt Paule to his dyscyple Timothe in his fyrst epystle the .ii. chapytre sayeng I exhort therfore the aboue al thyngê prayers supplycacyons peticyons gyuynge of thankes / be had for all men / for kynges for al that are had in prehemynence / the we may lyue a quyete and peasable lyfe in all godlynesse and honestye / for that is good accepted in the syght of god our sauyour And Heremie the .xxix. chapytre / he coÌ„maunded the people of Israell to pray to god for the cytie and for the couÌ„trey of Babylon / bycause that the peace of Babylon was theues also And Baruche the fyrst chapytre Praye you for the lyfe of Nabugodono for kynge of Babylon and for the lyfe of Balthasar his sone / that theyr dayes may be as the dayes of heuen vpon erth / and that the lorde wolde gyue vs vertue and lyghte our eyes / that we may lyue vnder the shadowe of Nabugodonosor kynge of Babylon / vnder the shadowe of his sone Balthasar / that we may serue them many dayes and fynde fauour in theyr syghte This commune publique prayer is most precyous and effectuous for the whiche also we come togyther Also vpon this the temple is called the house of prayer / that there all togyther we shulde set our eyes / bothe vpon our owne trouble / and the trouble of all other and shewe theym vnto god /
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