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
/ 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
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
/ 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
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
fyrst at the leaste equall with faythe / For I can not truste in god / oneles I thynke that he is gentyll / mercyfull meke and kynde to me / wherby I am moued to loue hym agayne to trust to hym with all my mynde vtterlye determyned with my self that he wyll do all thynges for the best to me NOwe thou seest that all they whiche byleue not alwaye in god and ê“myse not to theÌ„ selfes the grace fauoure good wyll of hym in all theyr workes and vexacycyons lyfe or deathe / but seke it about other thynges or elles in theym selfes / kepe not this commaundement of god / but truely vse ydolatrye / ye thoughe they dyd the workes of all thother coÌ„maundementes / ye in so moche yf they had caste in one heape togyther / the prayers fastynges obedyence sufferaunce chastyte and innosencye of all sayntes / for there is not the pryncypall heade worke / without the whiche all other workê be nothnyge at all / but fayre shynynge outwarde showes and colours / of the whiche our lorde hathe warned vs before Mathewe the .vii. chapytre / beware of false prophetes which come to you in shepes clothynge / wtin they be rauysshyng wolues / of the whiche sorte be they / whiche go about to gette the fauoure of god as they speake with many good workes hym theyr frynde as thoughe they shulde bye his grace fauoure / as thoughe god were a broker seller and a merchaunte / whiche wolde not frely gyue his grace in good wyll These ben the moste frowardes of all the men in the worlde / And whiche eyther hardely or elles neuer be conuerted to the true waye Lykewyse be those whiche in theyr trouble aduersitye ronne hyther thyther vp and downe / sekyng couÌ„sell helpe and conforte and lette god alone / of whome oonly they be coÌ„maunded to seke suche thinges / whome the prophete Esaye rebuketh after this maner My people is folysshe / and hathe not tourned agayne to hym that stroke hym / that is to saye the lorde hath stryken theym and sende to theym all maner of trouble vexacyons and aduersytie that they myghte ronne to hym and truste to hym / but they roÌ„ne from hym to men nowe in to Egypte now in to Assiria / ye and somtyme to yll deuylles / of the whiche Idolatrye there be many thynges redde bothe in the same prophete Esaye / and also in the boke of kynges / and so do nowe a dayes all oure holye Ipocrytes / that whan they be troubled with any aduersytie / they roÌ„ne not to god but flye from hym / thynkynge this oonlye / that they maye be delyuered out of this trouble eyther by them selfe or elles by mannes helpe / and yet in all these thynges not oonlye iudgynge them selfe good but sufferynge all other so to repute and iudge them THis is the mynde of saynt Paule in many places where he attrybuteth so moche to fayth A right wyse man lyueth by his faythe / for faythe is the selfe same thynge / for the whiche a man is couÌ„ted ryghtwyse afore god / therfore yf ryghtwysenes be in faythe / it is clere the the same faythe onelye fulfylleth all the coÌ„maundementes of god maketh ryghtwyse all theyr workes / in as moch as no man is ryghtwyse / but yf he fulfyll all the coÌ„maundementes of god / and agayne workê without faythe iustyfye no man And therfore saynt Paule with a full mouthe reiecteth workes / and so greatly coÌ„mendeth and prayseth faythe that many beynge offended with his wordes sayd than let vs do no good workes But saynt Paule rebuketh theym / as erronyous and folysshe and so it is now a dayes / that whan we reiecte these great and shynynge workes done nowe a dayes with out fayth / they say than we must onelye byleue and do no good / for nowe they call the workes of the fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dement to synge / to rede to playe on the organce / to saye seruyce or to celebrate / to say mattens euensong or other canonycalle houres / to founde churches alters monasteryes to honour them and heape them vp with belles vestementes and suche other treasure to god to Rome and other sayntes vpon pylgrymage Moreouer to were this garment or that knelyng of theyr knees / sayenge the Rosary or psalter of our Ladye doynge al these not before an ydole But before the holy crosse of god / the ymages of sayntes / this they call the worshyppyng and prayenge to god / whiche thinges bothe vserers / adulterers / and all maner of synners do and maye do dayly Nowe where as these be done with suche a faythe that we byleue that they please god thanne they be praysed not for theyr owne vertue but for the faythe sake for the whiche all maner workes as is sayde byfore be equalle But yf we eyther doubte or iudge god not to be gentyll or mercyfull vnto vs or not to please god or yf we presume to please god by or after these workes than be they nothynge / but verye gyles dyssymulacyons and dysceytes outewardlye to worshyppe god and inwardelye to put hym for an Idole This therfore is the cause / why I haue so ofte spoken and caste awaye suche workes pompes bostynges and multytudes of theym / And bycause it is open and manyfeste / that suche workes be done not onelye in doubte and without suche faythe / but also amonges a thousande men there is scante one that putteth not all his trust in theym / thynkynge surely that so he shall obtayne the grace / or fauour of god / And that he shall preuent his grace / so to make merchauÌ„dyse with god the whiche thynge god can not suffre / whiche hath promysed his fayth frely / he wolde that we shulde begyn at his grace / through fayth / and in the same to fynysshe all our workes what so euer they be / and by what name so euer they be called OF these thou thy selfe perceyueste howe greatly these two differ / to fulfyl the fyrst coÌ„maundement with outwarde workes / and withinwarde fayth / for the one maketh vs the true lyuynge sones of god / thother maketh the worste ydolatrye and moste hurtefull hypocrytes of the worlde / bryngynge many men in to the wayes by the great shynynge and yet sufferyng them to remayne with out faythe / and so wretchedlye deceyue theÌ„ styckyng in the outwarde voyce and apparauÌ„ce / of whome Chryste speaketh Mathewe .xxiiii. Than yf any man shall saye vnto you lo here is Chryst or there is Chryst byleue it not Also in IohnÌ„ the .iiii. chapytre / woman truste me the houre coÌ„meth whan ye shall neyther in this mountayne nor yet at Iherusalem worshyp the father / but the houre coÌ„meth and nowe is / whan the true worshyppers shall worshyp the Father in spyryte veryte / for verylye suche the Father requyreth to worshyp hym These and suche other sayntê as they haue moued me / so they
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
ryght For Chryst at the last iudgemeÌ„t wyll not aske the howe moche thou haste fasted prayed gone pylgrymages or done this or that for thy selfe But howe moch good thou hast done to other / yea that were poore And without doubt there be mo poore meÌ„ oppressyd with synne / spirytuall pouertie Spirytuall pouertie pryson and nede than with bodely trouble And therfore take hede to thy selfe / for oure chosen workê and peculyar purposes do bryng vs aboue our selfes / so that we onely seke for our owne profyte and welthe But the coÌ„maundementes of god / compelle vs to oure neyghbours / to serue for theyr welthe onely / by the example of Christ vpon the crosse prayenge not onely for hym selfe / but for vs / sayenge father forgyue theÌ„ / for they wot not what they do So must we one praye for another Of this euery man maye knowe howe froward and wycked this people is / which backebyte iudge rasshelye / do none other but dyspyse theÌ„ for whome they ought to praye / in the whiche vyce no man stycketh so deapelye / as they that wery theym selfes in these peculyer and chosen workes / whiche appere moche shynynge and beautefull before men for theyr goodlye and outwarde lyfe with theyr manyfolde good workes The saboth day AFter the spirytuall sence / this coÌ„mauÌ„dement hath a more excellente worke / coÌ„taynynge the hole nature of man Saboth in Hebrewe signyfyeth / holye rest and quyetnesse Here therfore must be knowen / that the Saboth day after the Hebrewe tonge / sygnifyeth holy or reste / bycause that god rested and ceased the seuenth day from all his workes / whiche he create the syxe dayes before Genesis the secoÌ„de chapytre Therfore god coÌ„mauÌ„ded that we shulde sanctifye the saboth daye / and cease from all our workes / whiche we worke the syxe dayes This saboth daye is nowe chauÌ„ged into the sonday / and thother dayes be called prophane or workedayes But the sonday is called the day of quyetnesse or rest or the holy daye And I wolde to god that there were no holy day iÌ„ chrystendome but the sonday / so that the feastê of our lady and al other sayntes were chaunged into the sonday / for so shulde moche vyce be exchued lefte throughe the workedayes / and the countreys shulde not be so oppressed with penury But nowe we be so laden with the multytude of holydayes / that it is dystruccyon / bothe of soules body and goodes / of the whiche many thyngê myght be spoken Furthermore this rest from workes is two maner of wayes / There ben two maner of sabotes bodely and spirytually / so this commauÌ„dement is here vnderstaÌ„de / two maner of wayes / for the bodely saboth day or rest / The bodely saboth is of the whiche / we haue spoken before / as the ceasynge fro our crafte or labour / in tyme conuenyent to se masse / to here the worde of god / and to praye all togyther for the coÌ„mon welthe of all men / the whiche bodely saboth day is not coÌ„maunded to chrysten men / in so moche that the apostell to the Collossyans the .ii. chapytre sayeth Lette no man therfore trouble your conscyence about meate or drynke / or for an pease of an holy day as the holy daye of the newe moone / or of the sabothe daye / whiche are nothynge but shadowes of thynges to come / but the body is Chryste Nowe verely the truthe is fulfylled / so that euery daye is holy daye / as Esaye sayeth the. 6.6 chapytre And the moneth shall be of the moneth / and the saboth daye / of the saboth daye And agayne all dayes be prophane and workedayes But yet this saboth daye is necessarye and ordayned of chrysten people / for the prophane and lay men / for craftes men / labourers and hyred seruauÌ„tes / that they may come togyther / to here the worde of god / for as we se / the preestes and monkes dayly sacryfyce and saye masse / pray euery houre / and exercyse them selfe in the worde of god / by studyeng readyng or hearyng For the which cause they be without labour in comparyson to other / theyr rentes pensyons increased and prouyded for / hauynge dayly holydayes dayly doynge the workê of the holydayes / without all worke dayes / to whome all dayes be indyfferent So yf we were all perfyte knewe the gospell / we myght dayly ayther worke labour / or yf we wolde rest and kepe holy day yf we myghte / for the saboth daye is not nowe necessary nor coÌ„maunded / but to lerne the worde of god to praye The spirytuall saboth which ought to be halowed euery day THe spirytuall holy day whiche god hathe specyally coÌ„maunded in this coÌ„mauÌ„dement is / that not onely we labour not and leaue our occupacyon / but moche more that we suffre god onely to worke in vs / workynge nothyng of our owne in all our power / but howe shulde that be Thus it is man corrupte with synne / hathe moche euyll loue desyre to al synnes / as the scrypture sayth Genesis the .viii. cha All the thoughte of maÌ„nes herte is gyuen to euyll at all tymes / that is to pryde dysobedyence The spirytuall saboth is to reste ceasse froÌ„ all the workes of our olde Adam to mortefye thapetytes of our corrupte nature and to put on Iesu Chryst and all his workes yre hate couetyse vnclennes And to be short in all thynges that he dothe or leaueth vndone He seaketh more his owne profyte and pleasure / than the glorye of god or his neyghbour / so that al his workes all his thoughtes all his lyfe / is yll and not godly Therfore to the ende that god may worke in hym / all these vyces malyces muste be dystroyed and plucked vp / that here may sprynge the rest and ceasyng of our workes thoughtes wordes lyfe that hereafter not we / but as saynt Paule sayeth to the Galatianes the fyrst chapytre Chryst may worke lyue and speake in vs. But this is not done with pleasauÌ„t dayes / but we must do vyolence to nature and suffre / the vyolence be done vnto it / for here begynneth the batayle betwene the spiryte the flesshe / here the spiryte wrasteleth agaynste yre / voluptuousnes pryde / the flesshe wyllynge to flowe full of pleasure honoure ydelnes reste / of the whiche speaketh saynt Paule to the Galatianes / the .v. chapy They that be of Chryst hathe crucyfyed theyr flesshe with appetytes and lustes Out of this saboth therfore folowe good workes / to faste to watche to pray to labour / of the which many men speake wryte so moch yet they knowe nother the begynnnge nor ende of them The spirytuall saboth is kepte two maner of wayes And therfore at this tyme we shall speake of theym This holy day whiche god worketh in vs whan oure workes
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
may abyde in the fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dement and fayth as is sayd before / and the faythe maye exercyse strength her selfe in them / for the which thyng be all the other workes coÌ„maundementes ordeyned Marke therfore howe goodlye a golde rynge is made / of these thre coÌ„maundementes / and theyr workes / and how out of the fyrst coÌ„maundement and faythe ronneth the seconde in to the thyrde / and agayne the thyrde by the seconde / entreth in to the fyrst / for the fyrst worke is to beleue and haue a good herte and truste in god / out of this spryngeth the seconde good worke / whiche is to prayse the name of god to confesse his grace and to ascrybe gyue all glorye to hym onely Than after foloweth the thyrde worke / that is the worshype or seruyce of god / to exercyse thy selfe in prayer / in hearyng of sermondes in remembryng the benefytes of god Also to chastyse hym selfe to tame his flesshe The deuyll therfore seynge such faythe glorye and worshype of goo / waxeth madde begynnyng ê‘secucyon comynge vpoÌ„ our body goodê honour lyfe / putteth vnto vs syckenes sclauÌ„der deth / god so sufferyng ordeynyng hym Lo than beginneth the ii worke or .ii. saboth day of the iii. coÌ„mauÌ„dement / wherby fayth is meruaylouslye proued euyn as golde in a fornayse For it is a great thyng to kepe good trust to god / yea whaÌ„ he sendeth deth sclauÌ„der syckenes pouertie yet neuerthelesse in such a fearefull Image of deth to couÌ„t hym for a most meke gentyl father / the which thynge must be in the worke of this thyrde coÌ„maundement / where sufferyng coÌ„pelieth faythe to call vpon the name of god to prayse hym in such sufferynges / so agayne turneth the thyrde coÌ„mauÌ„dement in to the secoÌ„de And by the praysyng and callyng vpon the name of god ryseth fayth / coÌ„myng agayne in to her selfe / stablysshyng her felfe by two workes of the seconde thyrde coÌ„mauÌ„dement / so faythe goeth out in to workes and by workes commeth agayne to her selfe Lyke as the sonne rysynge iÌ„ the East goeth to the Weest / after that retouryng agayne to the Easte Daye For the whiche cause the day in holy scrypture is properly lykened vnto the workê of a quyte peasable lyfe Nyght But the nyght is lykened to the sufferynge lyfe oppressed with trouble and aduersytie And so faythe lyueth worketh in bothe these lyues / goeth out coÌ„meth in as Chryst sayeth in the .vi. chapi of IohnÌ„ Se here how the ordre of the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes ben obserued in our Pater noster WE praye for this ordre of good workes in our Pater noster in the whiche the fyrst thyng that we say is our father whiche arte in heuen whiche be the wordes of the fyrst worke of faythe / whiche by the tenoure of the fyrste coÌ„maundement doubteth not / but that she hathe a good mercyfull father in heuen Secondely halowed be thy name / by the which faythe desyreth the name prayse and glorye of god to be shewed / callynge vpon the name of god in all aduersytie Thyrdly let thy kyngdome come wherby we do praye / for the trewe and laufull saboth day / rest from our workes that the worke of god be onelye in vs / and that Chryste may so reygne in vs / as in his kyngdome as he hym selfe sayd Verely I saye vnto you / the kyngdome of god is no where but withiÌ„ you The fourthe peticyon is Thy wyll be fulfylled in the which we praye that we may kepe and do the seuen coÌ„maundementes of the seconde table / in the which and by the whiche faythe is exercysed to our neyghbours / as in these thre fyrst / she is exercysed in workes towarde god And these thre prayers in the whiche ben these pronounce / thou thyne / seke nothynge els but that that belongeth to god but al other prayers say ours to vs for vs. c. For we pray there for our gooddes for our helth Hytherto haue we spoken of the fyrste table of Moyses / truely the more grosely to shewe the chyef good workes vnto the symple Nowe therfore folowe the seconde table ¶ The fyrste coÌ„maundement of the seconde table / honour thy Fyther and thy mother WE lerne of this commaundement the next the hyghe workes of the .iij. fyrst coÌ„maundemeÌ„â—es / there is no better worke than obedyence seruyce vnto them which be ordeyned to be oure superyours And therfore disobedyence is a greatter synne thaÌ„ manslaughter vnclennesse thefte disceyte / what soeuer may comprehende in it For we can knowe no better the difference of synnes Howe to knowe the greatnes of one synne aboue another which is greatter one thaÌ„ the other / than by the ordre of goddê coÌ„mauÌ„dementê Howbete one euery coÌ„muÌ„demeÌ„t by hym selfe hath distereÌ„ce iÌ„ his worke / for who is he that knoweth not / that to curse baÌ„ne is more greuous than to be angrye / to stryke is worse thaÌ„ to curse / to stryke father or mother / is worse than to stryke any other of the coÌ„mon people Therfore these .x. coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes teach vs howe we ought to exercyse good workes to uore neyghbour / fyrst to our supery oures The honour of father mother The fyrst worke is to honour our bodely father moder The whiche honoure standeth not in this onely that we shew our selfes godly in our gesture / but that we applye obey them haue theyr wordes reuerently in our iyes settynge moche by them and regardynge them folowynge theÌ„ holdyng our peace sufferynge them howe soeuer they intreate vs whan it is not agaynst the thre fyrste coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes And moreouer yf they haue nede we must prouyde theÌ„ meate clothyng and house For it is not for nought that god sayd honoure them / he sayd not loue theÌ„ / howe be it that loue is also requyred / but honour is hygher thaÌ„ syngle loue Honour is aboue loue for it hath a certayne feare growynge togyther with loue causyng a maÌ„ to feare more the displeasure thaÌ„ the punysshement Euen as we worshyppe relyques with feare / and yet we fle not fro them as from punysshement / but rather approche more nyghe them / suche feare myngled with loue is true honoure What honoure is For there is another feare without loue to those thyngê whiche we dispyce or fle from As from manquellers or punysshemeÌ„t and there is no honour For it is feare without all loue / yea it is a feare ioyned with hatred and enuye / of the whiche is a prouerbe of saynt Hierome sayenge / that that we feare we hate with such feare wyll god nother be feared nor honoured / nor yet our father nor mother / but with the fyrst feare to whome is loue and trust ioyned THis worke semeth lyght and easy but fewe esteme it worthely For
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
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
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
busynes ynoughe so that we wolde lyue with god honour but we shulde also quake and be a ferde of this peryllous wretched lyfe / that is troubled ouercoÌ„med and taken with care of temporall goodes / his myscheuous gettynges WHerfore it was not without a cause that the wyse man sayd / blessyd is that man that is fouÌ„de without spotte / hath not gone after golde / nother hathe truste in the treasoure of money Whiche is he we shall prayse hym / for he hathe done myracles in his lyfe / as thoughe he wolde saye / there is none or at the least very fewe that knowe and perceyue in them selfe suche gredynes desyre and loue of money For here couetyce hathe a goodly couer of shame and vyce whiche is called bodely sustenaunce and necessytie of nature / vnder the whiche couetyce laboureth so immoderatly and vnsacyably that a man must beware to kepe hym selfe clene / that as the wyse man sayeth / he may worke myracles in his lyfe Nowe se that this lyberall man shall not onelye do good workê / but also myracles whiche maye please god be praysed What nede hathe he than to ymagen or loke for any other Let hym take hede of hym selfe / and let hym beware that he go not after golde / nor that put he truste in the treasure of money / but suffre the money to fololowe hym / and that money abyde for his sake not he for the money sake / that he loue not the money nother that his herte be sette in it Thus is he very lyberall a worker of myracles and a blessyd maÌ„ And as Iobe sayd in the .31 chap. I neuer thoughte golde my strength neyther haue I trusted iÌ„ it And the .6.2 WhaÌ„ youre ryches increase put not your hertes to theÌ„ And Chryste the .6 of Mathewe Be ye not carefull sayeng that what shall we eate or what shal we weare for the gentyls aske all these thinges And the father iÌ„ heuen knoweth that you nede al these / But here perauenture some well say / well truste thou not to that and care not loke whaÌ„ the rosted henne shall flye into thy mouth Care is forbydden and not laboure Truely I say not that no man shulde laboure / but that we shulde not be full of care and desyre couetouslye and that we shulde not mystruste but that we shulde haue ynough / for we be all iudged to laboure in Adam / for god sayd Genesis the .iii. chapytre Thou shalte eate thy breade in the swete of thy face / Iobe the .v. A man is borne to laboure and a byrde to flye / but euyn as the byrde flyeth not with care busynes couetyce / so we ought to labour without care and couetyse / but and yf thou care for byrdes and wolde the rosted chekyn shulde flye into thy mouthe / care and be busye lokynge whether thou mayste fulfyll the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god or no that thou mayste be made blessyd Care commeth of infydelytie TRewe fayth teacheth this worke by her selfe / for the herte that thynketh surely that it hath god mercyfull louynge vnto hym howe is it possyble that he shulde be carefull and couetyce for it must nedes be that god taketh hym and defendeth hym And therfore he stycketh in no money / but he vseth it with a mery lyberalytie to the profyte of his neyghbour / knowyng that he shall haue ynoughe howe moche soeuer he dystrybuteth or gyueth for his god in whom he trusteth wyll not dysceyue hym nother forsake hym As it is in the .36 psalme Verely I haue ben yoÌ„ge and olde / and yet sawe I neuer the ryghtwyse forsaken or his sede beggyng theyr brede Why the Apostell calleth couetyse ydolatrye Therfore the apostell called none other synne ydolatrye than couetyce / whiche vttereth it selfe grossely / how it trusteth nothyng in god / trustynge to haue more good by his money than by god / by the whiche trust as is sayd before / god is other truely honoured or els sclauÌ„dred And verely in this coÌ„maundement it may be clerely perceyued howe all good workê muste come out and be done in faythe / for here euery man perperceyueth by a meruaylous surenesse / that as faythe is the cause of lyteralytie / so vnfaythfulnes is the cause of couetyce / for he that trusteth in god is lyberal doubtynge nothyng but that he shall euer haue ynough And contrary he that trusteth not in god is euer couetous carefull Lyke therfore as in this commaundement faythe is mayster mouer of this lyberalytie / so is he chefe workeman in al the other coÌ„mauÌ„dementê In so moch that without such fayth lyberalytie profytes nothynge / but is rather a rasshe wastyng and expence of money HEre also is worthye to be knowen that this lyberalytie and goodnes muste be stretched and set forth euyn vnto our enemyes aduersaryes For what lyberalyte is this yf we be onely lyberal to our fryndes as sayth Chryst Luke the .vi. chap. For an euyll maÌ„ vseth suche lyberalytie to his fryndê / the dombe beestê do good be lyberal to bestes of theyr owne kynde Therfore a Chrysten man muste thynke an hygher thynge that his goodnes lyberalytie may helpe them that deserue it not / his enemyes theÌ„ that haue hurt hym after the exaÌ„ple of his heueÌ„ly father which suffreth the sonne to shyne vpon good euyll / the rayne to rayne vpon the kynde and vnkynde Here also thou shalt fynde how harde it is to do the workê coÌ„mauÌ„ded by god howe nature wryeth wrastelyth her with her selfe although she do easely gladly her owne chosen workes So set before the thy enemyes theÌ„ that be vnkynd to the doynge them good / and so shalt thou fynde howe nyghe or howe farre thou arte from this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / howe moche busynes thou shalt haue all thy lyfe tyme euyn in the worke of this one coÌ„maundement For excepte thou helpe thy enemye whiche hathe nede vpon the socoure hym in his necessytie / it is euyn as thou haddest stollen froÌ„ hym for thou arte bounde to helpe hym So sayeth saynt Ambrose Fede the hungrye sayeth he for yf thou fede hym not thou kyllest hym / as moch as is in the. In this coÌ„maundement therfore depende the workê of mercy which chryst wyll requyre of the in the extreme day Yet neuerthelesse the rulers of cytyes shulde take hede that vacaboundes freres Iacobyns and suche other / strauÌ„ge beggers were put away inhibyte or at the lest they shulde be admytted by some meane measure and ordre leste by suche inordynate lyuers vnder the name of beggyng errours and deceytes of the which there be nowe many shulde be suffered I haue spoken more largely of the workes of this coÌ„maundement in the sermonde that I made of vsury ¶ The .viii coÌ„mauÌ„dement / thou shalt beare no false wytnes agaynst thy neyghbour TRewely this commauÌ„dement