cloister thou workest ageinst thy helth thou maist then retourne into the world without synne and lyve according to the Gospell although that it be grete shame bifore the worlde For it is better to obey vnto god then vnto men as sayd Saint Peter in thactes of thappostles Act. 5 ¶ Howe it is that the Monkes go not forward in spirituaâ—l life but waxe often worse Chaptre .xviij. WIlt thou knowe whie they live nowe sloughtfully in the monasteries and wherfore that there be so many that wold faine thei were out This happeth for none other cause but that they never entred for that entent that they shuld have entred One entreth there of necessite to haue his expences An other to become a greate prelate The thirde to live Idelly to haue good tymes Many for vaine glory to be reputed holy aÌ„d devout to be honoured of the comon people or so in preching to shewe theym silves that they be wise None taketh that astate with suche a sprite and courage as sometyme did saint Fraunceis or saint Benet And therfore they proufâ—t nothing But the longer they be there the more sloughtfull they waxe to do good For to be ydell and to be nourisshed delicatly dulleth vs and maketh the flesshe rebell so that they are the more enclined vnto lubricite vncleÌ„nesse hatred envye and slought then the seculers that labour with they re hondes Some se the religious rede moche praysing watche goo wolwared and were meke clothiÌ„g And this pleaseth them They get a pleasure to serve god in suche a sort They here sey that euery body promiseth the kingdome of heven vnto the observauntes so that they kepe well theire rule and by this meane conceive they sprite aÌ„d courage to lerne this life bicause they consider not what thing is promised theim if they kepe well the promises made at they re baptâ—sme And after that they be thus entred into the cloister they here of none other thing they lerne none other thing but outward workes as reding singing watching fasting and other like ceremonies Thei know none other thing but that the summe of all perfection and helth resteth in these thinges So think they that they haue the principall part of all perfection that they are sure to be saved when with grete vnlust and tediousnesse they haue accomplisshed and observed these outward thinges And bicause they thinke thus thei abide hanging and trusting in suche thinges And so come they never vnto the holy and blissed sprite of saint Fraunceys or of sâ—int Beneâ— They haue never experieÌ„ce howe it stoÌ„deth with a spirituall hart for they know not whate thing they shuld do with inforth They thinke that all lyeth in outward workes and bicause they come not vnto the sprite therfore abide they so coide weâ—y and sloughtâ—ull And so recule they more bakward then they goo ferward in goodnesse And comonly when they haue lived in they re religion twenty or thirty yere they are lesse worth as vnto the purpose of helth then they were at they re entre For they haue nought gotten there but a good estimacyon of theym silf of theyr good workes supersticion and ypochrisye They haue not yet ones tasted the sobriete and lytell estymacyon that the spirituall parson bereth in his hert of him silf for they abide alweys in the flesshe and in the lettre of they re rule and of the commaundementes And they do nought by love nor with good hert And as long as they kepe thus they re ordre they are reproved of God with the Pharesey yn the .xviij. Chaptre of Saint Luke Lu. 18 For if the lawe of Moyses and the Ceremonyes whiche God him silfe did ordeyne might iustifie nor save none as wryteth Saint Paule the Apostle yn all his epistles howe moche lesse may a monke be iustified by his rule and ceremonyes whiche be institute by men wherfore we must serche all in the hert and in the sprite wherby we may be iustified For the outward workes whiche we do without the sprite be sumtyme called flesshe by Christ in the Gospell Iohn â— Suche flesshe proufiteth nothing it is the sprite that quykeneth as Christ saieth That is to sey All outward and forayne thinges seme they never so holy yf yt procede not from the sprite fulfylled with fayth and love That is to sey if it be not done by Charyte and love ioyfully by the mocyon of fayth and trust that we have to God All suche thing seme it never so holy or haue it never so goodly apparaunce proufyteth nothing but rather hurteth and maketh an ypochryte For seing that god is a sprite he lovith nothing but that whiche procedeth from the sprite as he him silf saieth in the gospell Saint Paule ostymes calleth suche outward workes elementes that is to sey Ga. 4 Commencementes and entrees into christendome as though he wold sey that suche thinges are ordined and institute for theym that begyn to take vppon them the christianite As the children of the scole lerne first they re Col. 2 A. B. C. He warneth vs also that we suffer not oure silves to be deceyved that we serve not nor abide subiectes to suche elementes but willeth that we shuld procede vnto the sprite For whate proufit shuld a scoler hane to abide all his life in his A. B. C. lerne no ferther No more proufit bring the workes without the sprite and feith Moreover oure saviour Christ calleth theym mannes constitucions saying Mat. 15 They honour me in vayne teching doctrines and commaundementes of men 1. Tim. 4 Saint Paule also calleth them bodily exercitacion that is to sey thinges wherby oure body is onely exercised busyed and letted to do worse They of theÌ„ silves proufit nothing vnto oure soules For he saieth exercitacioÌ„ or bodily labour is litell thing proufitable but mekenesse proufiteth to all thâ—nges And this is bicause that we do it with the body onely that therby oure hert and sprite is not tourned to god Suche outward workes are moche mocked of the prophete Esaye where he speketh in the parsone of god in this maner Esa. â— Offre me no more sacrifice Sence to me is abhominacion I will no more suffre the festes of the newe mone nor of the sabbat nor other festes My soule hath hated youre calendes and solempnitees And ageyn Heven is my seate the erthe is the fotestole of my fete Esa. 66 whate is the house that thou caÌ„st bild to me And whiche is the place of my rest My hond hath made all these thinges saieth the lord God But wherunto shall I take regarde but vnto the pore and contrite sprite and vnto the fearer of my wordes He that maketh sacrifice of an oxe as he that slewe a man He that killeth a shepe as he that brayned a dogge he that offreth oblacion as he that offered the bloude of a hogge He that remembreth the eusence as he that blissed an ydoll They haue chosen all
as teacheth saynt Paule saying 1. Ti. 2 whiche hath gyven him silf a price and raunsome for all men Then when I beleve nede I not to do nothing Nede I not to do no good shall I not kepe the commaundementes of God Herken whate saint Paule answereth The faith saith he worketh by loue Ga. 5 Then when thou thus beleuest without doutiÌ„g that is to sey that thou art the sonne of god and that god hath so made the grete and riche thou shalt thinke thus in thy â—ilf Behold nowe god hath made me his childe enheritour of his glory brother of Iesus christ hath giveÌ„ me pardoÌ„ of al my sinnes aÌ„d I shall shortly be with hiÌ„ in the euerlasting life which he hath gyveÌ„ me without deserving it 〈◊〉 thiÌ„g shall I do agein to god by love and kindenesse for all this that he hath gyven to me Psal. 115 As saith the prophete David whate shall I yeld to god ageyn for all that he hath gyven to me when eny parson speaketh thus in him silf considering and beholding the greate goodnesse and mercy of god then comith and entreaseth the loue of god in him by the fayth bicause that he beleveth surely that God hath thus made him grete and riche And after that the loue is thus entred and enchauffed in the hert of the parson it maketh him to suffre and bere all thiÌ„ges maketh him to laboure to thinke and to do all that he thinketh wold please god without regarding â—ny thing but the loue of god Cor. 13. as sayeth saint Paule Loue suffreth all thinges loue doth nothing in vaine and he that hath suche a loue toward god all that he doth is agreable to god Ye when he gyveth but a drop of water for goddis sake as writeth saint Mathewe for loue iÌ„ god can not sinne all that he doth is well done For the holy goost that hath put this charite in vs can not do evill Aâ—d if of aduenture by suche a good entent one did any evell by errour this evell shul be pardoned incontinent and reputed for good by the good entent and loue that he hath towardes god Mat. 6. For Christ saieth in the gospell If thyne yie that is to sey thyne entencion be simple and applying to good all thy body that is to sey all thyne operacion shall be lightened and good And saint Paule saieth Ro. 8 we knowe that vnto theym that loue god al thinges worke for the best All they that are constant in this faith and charite be the children of god aÌ„d please god As witnessith saint Petre where he speaketh in thactes of thappostles Of a truth I perceyve that god is not percyall but in all people he that feareth hym and worketh rightuousnesse is accepted with him for god nedeth not oure works when he thus hath oure hertes albeit that suche a loue can not be ydell This loue comith in vs as I haue seid by faith when the parson beleveth surely that he is the childe of God It nedeth not that suche a parsone be constreyned to doo good workes by any commaundementes For the love of god dwelling yn him can not be ydell For loue as sayeth saint Paule suffreth long and is courteys 1. Cor. 13. loue eÌ„vyeth not love is not craving swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seketh not her owne is not provoked to angre thinketh not evell reioyseth not in iÌ„iquite but reioyseth in the truth suffreth al thing beleveth all thinges hopeth all thinges Suche a love or charyte bryngeth a parson to good workes and not good works a parsone vnto suche a love or to suche a faith trust in god These workes spring out of feith and not feith out of these workes for as I haue seid feith bringeth loue and loue bringeth good workes Lyke as though there were a riche maÌ„ with out children or heyres which might take a poore beggar out of the strete and make hym his heyre of his goodes This poore man beyng this made greate and ryche if he wold be thankefull as becomith hym to be shuld serve hys lorde or master whiche had thus exalted hym made him ryche truely and with greate loue Ye and if he ones might knowe the wil of his master he wold not deferre the doing therof till he were commaunded But he wold do all thinges by and by of his owne courage for the charyte or loue that he hath toward his master without commaundement Behold this poore man so exalted hath not deserved by hys workes nor by hys service that this riche man shuld so make him his heyre but the riche man hath made him his heyre of hys owne goodnesse without that the poore maÌ„ had in eny maner wyse deserved it And the service that this poore man doth afterward comith of loue and kyndnesse For he knoweth and beleveth surely that he is heyre of the godes of his lord bifore that he do any service And for bicause that he beleveth that the ryche man will kepe promyse wyth hym he beginneth to love him by the meane of this faith And so when he loveth hym he doth to him willingly and wyth good hert all the service he can and fulfil â—â—leth ioyfully his commaundementes and all by love And the more laboure service that he can do for his good master the more grete pleasure he taketh So is it of a good ChristeÌ„ for wheÌ„ he was yet enemye of god by the sinne of Adam he was accepted of God byfore he â—esyred it and byfore that he had yn eny maner wise deserved it Thus hath god made vs his children and heyres without oure deserving Then when we beleve this stedfastly this faith bringeth loue into oure hertes so that we beginne to love God by cause that he hath made vs so greate and excellent And when we so love him we kepe his commaundemeÌ„tes by loue and do all thinges with good wil As saieth Christ in saint Iohn Iohn 14. He that loveth me kepeth my commaundementes And so kepe we all thinges and suffre all thinges which we thinke agreable to god and nothing is to hevy for vs and as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 5 we reioyce in tribulacioÌ„ for we knowe that tribulacion bringeth pacience pacieÌ„ce bringeth feling feling briÌ„geth hope and hope maketh vs not a shamed bicause the love that God hath vnto vs is shed abrode in oure hertes by the holy goost whiche is gyven vnto vs whiche love maketh all thinges light vnto vs plesaunt and easy to bere so that after the word of Christ in the gospell his yoke ys easy and his burthen is light Mat. 11. Act. 5 This faith and love had thappostles as wryteth saint Luke when they departed from before the iudges they reioysed that they were made worthy and able to suffre shame and dishonoure byfore the worlde for the love of Iesu christ Thys charâ—te had saint Paule when he seid vnto the Romayns Ro. 8. Who
bifore seyde Fourthly all they that be not yet christen belong vnto the kingdome of the worlde and be vnder the lawe In this nombre are all the evill christen whiche seke nought elles but all worldly pleasure and are called christen but they are not so Seyng then that there be so fewe good Christen and so many evill people god hath gyven vnto the same evill out of the Christen astate and out of his kingdome an other regyment and governaunce and hath put theym vnder the swerde that is to sey vnder the seculer power and cyvill ryght to thintent that they may not accoÌ„plisshe they re malice when they wolde As a myschevous wylde best is tyed with chaynes and bondes that he may nether bite nor stryke after his nature albeit that he wolde saine accoÌ„plisshe hys evel nature whiche is not nedefull vnto a gentill tame best for without the cheynes and without bondes he doth noue evill to no man If it were not thus bicause that there be many mâ— evill persones yn the worlde theÌ„ good aÌ„d that the good do not resist evill the one wolde devoure and put the other to destruction yn suche facyon that none shulde be abill to kepe nether wife nor children nether yet be abill to maynteyn hym silf And by suche meane shulde the worlde yn contynuaunce become wast aÌ„d with out inhabitauntes For this cause hath god ordyned these .ij. governemeÌ„tes The spirituall the whiche maketh christen and good persones by the holy gost vnder the king of that kingdome Iesus christ And the seculer gouernaunce the whiche â—â—ostreyneth the evell parsones to kepe outward peace and to be tame ageynst they re will Rom. Thus teacheth vs saint Paule to vnderstond the swerd and seculer instice saying the prynces are not to be feared to theym that be good but vnto theym that be evill Nowe if eny man wold governe the world that is to sey the evill only after the gospell and cause to cease all worldly lawe and iustice saying that they are baptised and christen to whome the swerde of iustice nedeth not Unto theym may be answered Hit is of a truth that the true christen haue no nede of ryght nor of the swerde for they re iustifying But do your dyligence to fulfill the worlde with true christen bifore that you governe theym christenly aÌ„d after the gospell whiche shal be verey hard for you to do For the worlde is all gyven to synne and starcely can they abide good christen They are not all christen that are baptised and called christen Therfore it is not possible vnto the worlde to observe and kepe a comon christen governaunce namely also yn the iuddes of a grete comonte for the evill are alweys more yn nombre then the good feithfull For this cause to governe a cuntrey after the gospell without the swerde of iustice is as though a man wolde put togyther yn a stable heries wolves lyons shepe and other lyke and to suffre all these bestes to be conversaunt togyther the one with the other howe long I pray you shuld they haue peace to gyther the one with the other Ye howe long shuld the poore shepe lyve we therfore must nedes haue here bothe these governementes The spirituall or evaâ—gelye all bicause it iustifieth aÌ„d bryngeth helth The other bicause it entreteyneth and holdeth peace The one is not sufficient in the worlde without the other For without the spirituall governement of Iesus christ can none be saved nor iustified bifore god by the worldly regyment So may ye perceyve that the rule or governemeÌ„t of christ hath not lordship over all persones For the true christeÌ„ be alweys lesse yn nombre aÌ„d be yn the middes among the not christen as a rose emong the thornes Then where as the worldly governaunce reyneth every where alone there can be none other thiÌ„g but ypocrysye For without having the holy goost yn the hert can none be made ryghtuous nor saved Lykewyse where the spirituall governaunce reyneth every where alone there is perversite vnbrydeled aÌ„d vnbound redy for to accoÌ„plisshe all malice for the worlde caÌ„ not vnderstoÌ„d the spirituall governaunce bicause that it fyghteth onely by the swerde of the spryte whiche is the worde of god And vseth none other swerde Nowe seest thou well whate the wordes of onre savioure christ meane whiche we haue recyted bifore where he sayeth that the christeÌ„ shall drawe nomaÌ„ yn to iustice and that they shall not resist evill He speketh that onely of hys dere christeÌ„ the whiche alone take it ynto they re hartes aÌ„d also do it alone for so are thy enolyned aÌ„d disposed by vertue of the holy gost workiÌ„g yn they re hartes that they do harme to nomaÌ„ but suffer williÌ„gliÌ„ evell wrong of every maÌ„ Then if all the worlde were suche christeÌ„ all persones wolde kepe egally this peassible coÌ„maâ—n demeÌ„tes all thing wold they do accordiÌ„g theruÌ„to But nowe because thy be not christen the word of god entreth not ynto they re hertes nor they do not according ther vnto and therfore they apperteyne vnto the other seculer governaunce wher by the not christen be constreyned to kepe peace outwardly and to do none evill For this cause hath not Iesus christ â—orne the swerde nor ordined it yn hys spirituall kingdome for he is king over all the true christen ad governeth without swerde and without ony outward lawe onely by the holy goost working inwardly yn the hert of man And albeit that god hath ordeâ—ned the seculer swerde for the correction of the evill yet he hath not vsed it for iâ— belongeth not vnto hys kingdome yn the whiche kingdome there are none but suche as be good aÌ„d iust And for this cause mought not david bilde the tempel of god bicause he had shed moche blode aÌ„d vsed the swerde not that he had done evill or vnryghtuousnesse but bicause he myght not yn this thing be a figure of Ephe. 5. Christ whiche shuld haue a kingdome peasible and without swerde But god commaunded to solomon whiche had a peasible kingdome to bilde the temple for Salomon is as moche to saye as peasible by the whiche kingdome of the verey Salomon Iesu christ mought be figured and signified Moreover yn all the edificatioÌ„ of the temple of god was never herd stroke of Iron nor of hamer nor of Axe nor king 6. of none other lyke thing as it is writen yn the therd boke of kinges yn the .vi. chaptre All these thinges here sigrufied that Iesus Christ shulde haue yn his kingdome a people willing to serve hym without constreynt without commaundementes without swerde Esa. 1â— This was also bifore prophesied by Esaie saying They shall not hurt and shall not sle yn all my holy mountaigne Asâ—o yn his secunde chapitre They shall tourne they re swordes ynto cultres and they re speres ynto sythes The one shall not lyst vp a swerde ageiÌ„st the other and they shal be
beholde oure sigâ—ne and gage whiche we haue receyved 〈◊〉 god wherby he hath promysed vs 〈◊〉 we be his children and that he wil not 〈◊〉 vs. So say I then that by pure faith atâ— oure sinnes be to vs pardoned aÌ„d that 〈◊〉 be the children of god and that we belonâ— to god and that god shall shewe ouer 〈◊〉 his mercy Here vpon receave we a 〈◊〉 that is the signe of baptesme to thiÌ„teÌ„t thaâ— as oâ—ten as we haue regard vnto this signe we shuld be myndefull of the grace 〈◊〉 mercy that god hath done vnto vs thaâ— we belong to god and that we be the chilâ—ren of god Beholde nowe thou seest well whaâ— thinge the baptesme betokeneth it is 〈◊〉 one byfore god yf thou be .lxxx. yere oldâ— or twenty yere olde when thou receavâ— the baptesme for god regardeth not houâ— thou art but with whate purpose aÌ„d â—tencyon and with whate feith thou reâ—avest this baptesme and grace He regarâ—â—th not whether thou be Iue or paynyâ—e man or woman noble or vnnoble bisâ—â—ope or cytezyn But alonly he that with 〈◊〉 parfait faith and trust comyth vnto god 〈◊〉 maketh violence vnto the euerlastynge 〈◊〉 Mat. 26. getteth it as promyseth Iesu christ 〈◊〉 the gospell ¶ Whate thinge we promyse at the Baptesme and whate professyon we make Chaptre iij. WHen one warneth these worldly people to do any good they say let the monkes and religious do it whiche haue promyâ—ed it as though they were not bounde to 〈◊〉 the doctrine of Iesu christ or as thoâ—gh they had nothing promysed All be it â—hat no monke can promyse more then he â—ath promysed at the baptesme And we be moche more bounde vnto 〈◊〉 promyse made at the baptesme then 〈◊〉 eny religious vnto his professyon For we make no promyse vnto man but vnto god and we promyse not to kept the rule of a man but of the gospell Thinke ye noâ— therfore that it is a small thiÌ„g to be a christen when thou hast promysed to Iesuâ— christ to amend thy life ad that thou 〈◊〉 not live according to the worlde nor acoâ—ding to the flesshe It is a greate thing 〈◊〉 enterpryse the Christen faith whiche 〈◊〉 fewe people do knowe whate thing it coÌ„teyneth namely suche as here after 〈◊〉 world do seme to be verey wise lettered But one might say I have nothing promysed to God I was a child let him kepe it that hath promysed for me For this cause to thintent that no man shulde so say it was sumtyme ordeyned that none shulde be baptysed before that he camâ— to vnderstanding and knowlege to thintent that he might promyse him â—ilfe and forsake the devell and that he might knowe what thing he had promysed If it were not that the children were feble in perill of deth theÌ„ thei must haue bin baptized Nowe alweyes albeit that we oure silfe haue not promysed we be allegally bounde to observe it For if thou haddest dyed wheÌ„ thou were but a yere old thou had dest also be saved thou wilt saye ye by the â—aith of my godfathers godmothers aÌ„d 〈◊〉 holy churche I say ageyn doest thou â—fesse that the faith of thy godfathers aÌ„d â—odmothers is so mighty that thou mayst â—erby be saved The same feith is likewiâ—â— mighty to subiect the binde the to that 〈◊〉 that they haue promysed for the 〈◊〉 paine of thi daÌ„pnacioÌ„ losse of thy 〈◊〉 wherfore thou must as well kepe this â—hat thy pareÌ„tes haue promysed for the as â—hough thou haddest promised it thy silfe The godfathers godmothers be bouÌ„d 〈◊〉 warne the childreÌ„ to helpe them that â—hey be put to stole to thintent that they â—ay vnderstoÌ„d the gospell the ioyfull mesâ—age of god with the epistles of S. Paule For the vnlettered simple people be as â—ell bouÌ„de to knowe theÌ„ as the lettered 〈◊〉 And god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded for to pubâ—â—she to shewe the gospell not allonly to â—restes but also vnto euery creature Go â—e saith Christ vnto his disciples into the â—niuersal world preche the gospell to euery creature Mar. 16 for we be all egally bouÌ„d to â—now the gospell the doctrine of the newe testameÌ„t saint Paule hath not alloÌ„ly â—â—riteÌ„ his pistles vnto the prestes but also Citezyns and housholders And this witnessith saint Paule him silfe wryting vnto the Corinthians and vnto the Galathians â—Cor 1 where he confesseth that he sendeth his epistles to all the church that is to sey to all thassemble of Christen men and to all theym that call on the name of Iesus And vnto the Romayns he saith To you all that be at Rome the frendes of god Ro. 1. And Iesus Christ hath aswell suffered deth for the comon housholder as for the prestes God shall alwayes requyre the scriptures of the prestes for they be ydell and do not study nor make no diligence to declare theym vnto the simple Therfore it is very nedefull that the common people shulde vnderstond the gospell and the doctrine of the apostles according to the lettre aÌ„d that they knowe theÌ„ by hart with the other storyes of the olde testament for so shulde they more lightly vnderstond the preachers It were also very necessary that every one dyd lerne his children to rede as men were wont to do afore tyme. The Iues had they re lawe in Hebrue the whiche euery one myght vnderstond accordynge to the lettre After this the paynems were converted by saint Paule to whome he wrote-in greke whiche they all dyd vndstond After that was Italy and affryque converted where as well the wymen as the men spake latyn for this cause was the byble translated into latyn to thintent that euery one might vnderstond it and they preached in latyn and the prophetes were redde in the Italien churches in latyn And in that tyme there were many ladyes and wymen whiche vnderstode verey well the scriptures as was Paulâ— aÌ„d Eustochium Demetrias and Marcella â— many other of whome wâ—iteth saint Iherome and the comune housholders redde the bible in they re houses with they re children So is it nowe of greate necessite that the holy scripture be translated into all langages or that all the children lerne the latyn tongue Some man wolde sey euery maÌ„ may not set his children to sâ—ole bicause they be poore wherfore I wolde well that the children of the pore were holde to scole at thexpences of the comynaltye or that folkes shulde take the money whiche they spende so outragioâ—â—ly in making and gilding of ymages aÌ„d in dressing the aultres of the churches and in buylding of Monasteris Chanonryes and chapels and founding of Obites and prebendes Or of the money that men offer in churches and of the whiche men make vessels of golde and silver and other precious ornamentes They might enploy this money a thousand folde better if ther with they dyd holde these yong children to scole till suche tyme that
do with vs ▪ for we be his we live or dye saith saint Paule Ro. 14. For this cause he that with a stedfast faith suffereth and endureth paciently all thinges tribulacions is a christen And this is the faith and the stedfast stone vppon the whiche the cristente is founded For in this doing we beleve ād trust stedfastly that god is oure father and that he will not forsake vs albeit that nowe he do here chastise vs for as I haue sayd there can be no more certayn signe that god loveth the. thē whē sorowe and tribulacion happeneth vnto the. for all the scriptures of the newe testament promyse vs here nothing but sorow and sufferaunce ¶ Of the most certayn weye to come to salvacyon Chaptre v. THis must euery Christē knowe that none syns the tyme of Adam vnto this day hath deserved the euerlasting life by his good workes And that none by his good workes shall deserve it Hebre. 7 as writeth saint Paule vnto the Hebrewes The lawe hath brought nothing vnto perfection wherfore all they do erre that thinke that then they shal be saved whē they haue done many good workes And like wise all they that thinke that they shal be dampned when they have done no good For good workes make no mā certeyn that he shal be saved And he that hath done no good is not also certeyn that he shal be dampned The workes can gyve no maner certeynte For the Pharisey that had done moche good whiche loked for grete reward of god was reproved and despised Luke ◠As writeth saint Luke where the pharisey thanked god that he was not as other were extorcioners vniust aduoutrers nor as the publican was and bosted him silf of his good workes And the publican that had done no good and confessed mekely his sinnes was of God receyved vnto grace for this cause to thintent that euery man may knowe that god hath no nede of oure good workes for to save vs with all I will declare here first how we be iustified and obteyne helth First we must knowe that by the originall sinne we were made subiectes and servauntes vnto the devell and none yn the world mought helpe vs for all mankinde was dettoure vnto God And that worse was we did not knowlege oure mysery nor are socoure of god Then when there was no comforte nor meane to helpe vs and to deliver vs ageyne from the subiection of the devell Oure god almightye by his greate mercy and goodnesse of him silf hath willingly suffred that his onely begotten son Iesu Christ was made mortall man for vs to thintent that by his deth whiche he had not deserved he might by vs ageyn and delyuer vs from eternal deth wherunto we were all subiectes As writeth saint Paule saying Ro. 5 If it be so that by the sinne of one man that is to sey of Adam deth hath reygned vppon many moche more the grace of god and the gyft of grace of one man Iesuchrist aboundeth vppon many Ephe. 2 And vnto the Ephesians Blessed be God father of oure lorde Iesu christ whiche hath blessed vs with a spirituall benediction by his son Christ. Thus is this grace comen hoelly to vs from god of his goodnesse and not by oure meryte or good workes For we dyd not knowlege oure bondage and subiectyon nor dyd not ones desyre to be delyvered from oure myserye Then for asmoche as the devell dyd se◠honde vppon Chryst to whome he had no right for bicause he had not sinned christ hath gotten right vppon vs agaynst the devell and hath made vs fre and delyvered vs and we be made his heyres and all his glory is ours as saint Paule doth largely declare in all his epistles This hath God gyven vs without oure deservyng and we nede not to laboure for these thinges For we haue all this alredy As witnessith saynt Iohn saying Iohn ◠Behold whate love the father hath shewed on vs that we shuld be called the children of God And in the same chapter sayeth he Derely beloved nowe are we the children of god This helth hath god gyven to vs willingly by hys sonne Iesu Christ. For Iesu Christ ys bycome man to satisfie vnto hys father for vs and to make oure peace with hys father Ro. 3 And as writeth Saynt Paule vnto the Romayns sayīg we be iustified frely by the grace of God and by the redempcyon whyche ys in Iesu Christ. So ys Christ made a mediator and a peace maker bywene God the father and man As sayeth saynt Paule vnto the Hebrewes he may make theym safe for ever that come vnto god by hym Hebre. 7 he is allweyes lyving for to praye for vs Suche an hyghe prest it becometh vs to haue whiche is holy harmles vndefiled separat from sinners and made hygher thē hevens And by his deth it is graūted vs that we be christen and children of God Gala. 3. As lyke wise teacheth saint Paule saying Ye are all the children of God by the faith whiche is in Iesu christ And for asmocheas Iesu christ is made man he is also made oure brother And seyng we be his bretheren we be also heyres of his glory whiche he hath with his father as sayth saint Paule vnto the Romayns whiche hath not spared his owne sonne Ro. 8. but hath gyvē him for vs all howe shall he not also gyue vnto vs all thinges with him We be then sure that all that is Iesu Christes is ours if we can beleve it Some man mought demaund Hath god the father willingly gyven vs all this hath none deserved it No truely None hath deserved it None by his deserving or good workes hath enduced god to do this But he hath done it of him silf and by his greate mercy Hiere 3◠as saieth the prophete Ieremy In a perpetuell charite I haue loved the And therfore haue I had compassion on the and haue taken the to mercy Iohn 3. And Iesu christ saieth in the gospell of saint Iohn God hath so loved the world that he hath gyven his onely begotten sonne to thintent that whosoever beleve yn him shuld not perisshe but haue everlastīg life as wryteth S. Paule If a lawe had byn gyven which might haue iustified the iustice shuld haue byn truely of the lawe Gala. ◠But the scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne to thintent that the promyse shuld be gyven vnto the belevers by fayth And vnto the Romayns If God be for vs who is he that may be againste vs as though he wold saye Ro. 7. None for we haue receyved all thing of god with his sonne But whate thing haue we receyved this lybertye from the subiection of the devell that is remission of all sinnes that ys the ioy and glory of the everlastinge life And this hath god gyven vnto vs by his sonne as saint Paule sayeth vnto the Hebruwes The bloude of Christ whiche by the holy
ghost hath offred hym silfe without Hebre. â— spot vnto God hath clensed oure consciences from mortall workes for to serve vnto the lyving God And therfore we haue no nede to laboure by oure good workes to get euerlasting lyfe for we haue that alredy we be all iustified we be all the children of God God hath gyven vs all thys of him silf without oure deserving Some man might say I will also do sumwhate to thintent that I may be so moche the more certeyn to be saved All they that say so and all they that thinke that they re good workes helpe eny thing or proufit for to get the gift of saluacyon they blaspheme ageynste God and robbe god of his honoure and speke ageynst the might and goodnesse of God Gala. 5 as wryteth saint Paule If ye be circumcised Christ shall nothinge proufit you that is to say if ye put eny trust in the lawe or in any workes Christ shall not helpe you And yet sayeth saint Paule in that same Chaptre whosoever will be iustified by the lawe is fallen out of the grace of god Howe may the wordes be more clere wherfore al they blaspheme ageynst the dyvine puissaunce that will eny maner wey deserve by they re good workes for this cause we must do oure good workes alweys by love to the proufit of 〈…〉 not for the necessite of oure hâ—â—th for by Iesu christ be we made sure of the euerlasting life as it is bifore said They that by they re workes will satisfie vnto god be agaynst God as though God were not puissaunt ynough of him silf without the helpe of oure werkes for to pardone vs oure sinnes and as though the passion of Christ were not vertuouse ynough without oure deservinges for to helpe vs to come vnto heven Therfore say I we must allonly hoelly trust in the grace mercy of god not in oure workes or els christ shall nothing proufit vs. ¶ Howe that by the onely grace of God and by nothing elles we be saved Chaptre vi NOwe might some man sey I knowe wel that god is mightie ynough to save me without my workes but I caÌ„ not tel whether he wil do it if it be not that I live therwith al rightuously paraueÌ„ture my good werkes shal enduce hiÌ„ to make me rightuous to save me or els he wolde not do it All they that so saye or thinke as I haue said blaspheme against the goodnesse of god as though god were not of him silf mercyfull aÌ„d good ynough except he were first stered vnto mercy by oure werkes Ro. 4. Not withstoÌ„ding that saint Paule sayeth that the promesse was not made vnto Abraham by the lawe but by the iustice of the faith And seyng also that of his proper nature he is nothing els but goodnesse and mercy as he hath alweyes taught and shewed wheÌ„ he was teaching in the world for he hath never dispysed nor left none discomforted of eny thing that eny hath requyred him but onely suche as wold not beleve Wherfore thou must knowe ones for all that by the onely grace of god we be saved And god will not that thou put thy good workes or thy iustice with his pretending to helpe him by thy workes for he will do it a lone and will haue no maner helpe For he hath no nede of the couÌ„sell nor of the dede nor of the workes nor of the iustice of any other Ephe. 2 For saint Paule saieth By grace are ye saved thorowe faith and that not of your silves for it ys the gift of god and cometh not of workes lest eny man shulde bost himsilf Now were it possible to speake it more pleynly and vnto the Romains Ro. 5. Being iustified by fayth we are at peace with god And saynt Iohn saieth He is the recoÌ„ciliacion for oure sinnes 1. Iohn The deth of Iesu christ and his iustice be vertuous ynough for to take awey all the sinnes of the world Nowe might one demaunde whi will god iustifie vs and so save vs of him silfe God doth it to thintent that he make hys goodnesse and mercy vnto vs more clere and more open Ephe. 2 As writeth saint Paule vnto the Ephesians God that is riche yn mercy thorowe the grete love wherwyth he loved vs even when we were dâ—ed by sinne hath quykned vs with Christe by whose grace ye be saved and with hiÌ„ hath reysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sitte in hevenly thinges thorowe Christ for to shewe in tyme to come the exceding richesse of his grace in kindnesse towarde vs thorowe Iesus Christ. Here seest thou by these wordes the cause whye god will do it alone for if god shuld iustifie vs aÌ„d shuld gyue helth bicause of oure workes he shuld not do it by his goodnesse but oure workes had deserved it and so shulde we not nede to thanke God therfore but moâ—ght ascribe it to oure selves and vnto oure workes But saint Paule and all the prophetes do teache vs that we be iustified and haue gotten helth by the onely grace of God and not by oure deservynges for we haue none And as god wyll that we do not thanke laude or loue other then alonely him Also like wyse will he not that we serche elswhere or of any other helth but of him onely for god wil be oure helth and oure savioure alone and he will not that we serche els where comfort but in him and of him and not in oure silfe nor in oure good werkes And for this cause thus writeth saint Paule vnto Titus But after that the kindnesse and loue of oure savioure appered vnto man not of the dedys of rightuousnesse which we haue wrought but of his mercy he hath saved vs by the fonteyne of the newe birth with the renewing of the holy gost whiche he shed over vs abundauntly thorow Iesus christ oure savioure TituÌ„ 3 And therfore whosoever thiÌ„ke to haue deserved the kingdome of heven by his rightuous life he robbeth god of his goodnesse for god hath frely iustified vs of hiÌ„ silf oure lord him silf hath seid in the gospel of S. Ioh None may come vnto me except my father that sent me drawe hiÌ„ Iohn 6 And in an other place without me ye caÌ„ do nothing Iohn 15 god spake by the prophete Osee O Israel thi perdicioÌ„ comith of thy silf alonely of me cometh thy helpe Osee. 14 And saint Paule vnto the romains Ro. 9. The enerlasting life is not his that will or that râ—neth after it but it is in the hondes will of god to gyve it to whome he will by his mercy Therfore erre all they that thiÌ„ke that god owith to theym the euerlastiÌ„g life or that they haue deserved it when they haue done many good workes for that thing that god onely gyveth to whome he will that wold they take froÌ„ him plucke it out of
it behoveth that thou beleve him stedfastly without ony maner waveringe to thinten that thou knowe that it is all grace and not deserving and that the wordes and promyses of god be verey certein and true for god hath called vs his children as saint Paule saieth Because that ye are sonnes god hath sent the sprite of hys sonne into oure hertes crying Abba father Then arte thou nowe no servaunt but a sonne Gala. 4 and if thou be a sonne then art thou also heyre of god by christ aÌ„d so be we delyvered from oure sinnes and from the bondage of the devell and made heyres of the kingdome of heven by the benefit of Iesu christ He beleveth in god that putteth all his trust and hope in god and in the iustice of god living after his power accordinge to the rule of charite having no maner hope nor trust in the world in his good works or good life but alonly in the goodnesse of god and in the merites of Iesu christ beleving certeynly that god will hold to hym that he hath promysed remission of sinnes and certeynte of everlasting life He that doth so is a true christen and beleveth stedfastly that the wordes of god must nedes be true Notwithstanding that according to his workes he thinketh it a thing ympossible Neverthelesse he beleveth that he shal be saved without deservinge of any good workes rather then the wordes of god and all thinges that they do promyse shuld not come to passe As writeth saynt Paule of Abraham which beleved rather that his wife whiche was bareyne out of thage of generacyon shuld conceyve a childe rather theÌ„ the promyse of god shuld not be fulfilled And by this fayth was Abraham reputed iuste byfore God not by his good workes So behoveth it that euery christen do albeit that it seme to him ympossible to be saved bycause he hath done no good he shall neverthelesse stykke stedfastly vnto the goodnesse and mercy of God and vnto hys worde yn suche maner that he doubt not yn nothyng Lu. 2â— For Christ sayeth in Saynt Luke Heven and erth shall passe but my worde shall never passe Of this sayth wryteth Saynt Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 10. whosoever shall call on the name of the lord God shal be saved He therfore that calleth vppon hym on whome he beleveth not that he may helpe hym loseth but his laboure Therfore thou must first beleve in hym And then if thou call vppon hym with suche a fayth as we haue spoken of thou shalt be saved Of this fayth speaketh also the prophete Esaie as recyâ—eth Saynt Paule the apostle yn the forseyd Chaptre All they that beleue yn hymshall not be ashamed And ageyn saint Paule Ro. 10 If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the lord and that thou beleue with a perfaict herte that God hath reised christ froÌ„ deth thou shalt be saved And the word that Christ preched first as recyteth Saint Marke was The tyme is full come and the kingdome of god is evyn at honde repent and beleve the gospell Mar. 1 Of this faith writeth lyke wise saint Iohn and they be the wordes of Christ vnto Nicodemus as Moyses lift vp the serpent in wildernesse even so must the sonne of man be lift vp that no man that beleveth in him perisshe but haue eternall life Iohn 3 God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely sonne for the entent that none that beleve in him shuld perisshe but shuld haue everlasting life And a lytell after he that beleveth in him shall not be coÌ„dempned and ageyn in the same chaptre He that beleveth on the sonne hath everlasting life and he that beleveth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrathe of god abideth vppon him By all these escriptures here maist thou see that we be all the children of God alonly thorowe faith and this had God lever promyse vnto vs bicause of oure faith then bicause of oure good workes to thintent that we shuld be so moche the more certeyn of oure helth And therfore saith saint Paule by faith is the enheritaunce gyven that it might come of grace that the Ro. 4. promyse be sure and stedfast to all the seade for if god had said whosoever will do suche or suche workes shal be saved we shuld ever haue byn iÌ„certeyn whether we shuld haue byn saved or not for we shuld never haue knowen whether we had dogood ynough to haue deserved the lyfe eternall But nowe god hath promysed it vnto vs bicause of oure faith by hys favoure not by oure workes to thintent that we be the more sure therof For let vs beleve stedfastly and we may knowe for certeyn that we be the childreÌ„ of god Not that we haue deserved it but bycause he hath promysed it And it must nedes be that the word of god be true for this cause if we haue perfeit trust in god and beleve perfeitly in him we shal be sure that we shal be saved It was suche a feith that saint Paule had when he seid 2. Ti. â— I knowe and am sure that he to whome I haue coÌ„mitted and gyven my gage to kepe ys mighty ynough to kepe it for me tyll that day And ageyn I haue fought a good batayl 2. Ti. 4. I haue fulfilled my course and haue kept the faith from hensforth is leyd vp for me a crowne of rightuousnesse whiche the lord that is a rightuous iudge shall give me at that day Not vnto me onely but vnto all theym whiche love hys coming 1. Ioh. 3 And saint Iohn saieth Derely beloved nowe are we the sonnes of God And yet it hath not appered whate we shal be we knew that wheÌ„ he shal appere we shal be like hiÌ„ for we shal see hiÌ„ as he is This faith had also saynt Martine at the houre of his deth when he saide vnto the devell whye art thou here thou bloudy beest thou hast nought in me the seed of Abraham shall receyve me This suertye had likewise saint Imbrose when one axed hym if he feared not the deth he answered whye shuld I feare seyng that we haue one so good a lordâ— For this cause must we love the deth and more desyre to dye aÌ„d to be with god as dyd saint Paule then to feare the deth Phi. 1 for Iesu christ is deede for vs to thintent that we shuld not feare to dye And he hath flayne the deth and hath destroyed the streynght of deth as writeth saint Paule saying 1. Cor. 15 O deth where is thy victory It is swalowed and brought to nought by victory Phi. 1 And vnto the Philippyans Christ is my life and deth is to me advauntage ¶ Howe that feith bryngeth Charyte and Charyte good workes Chaptre .viij. NOwe might one axe when I beleve certeynly that I am the childe of god that Iesu christ hath satisfied for me vnto hys hevenly father
at the beginning Thus by ydelnesse are thei come vnto all evell and perversite and by grete hepes be they fled out of they re cloysters Monkes and Nonnes Then was it ordeyned as it semith that bifore saint Bernardes tyme the monkes did make professyon After that the life of monkes was so corrupted came saint Bernard to cloyster and then were the monkes refourmed Then did they ageyn diligently take they re astate and began ageyn to charge they re ordre with profession and promesse and haue made many statutes after the whiche they mought live and wherby they might compell men therto for the willing sprite was clere extinct in theym After this is comen the .iiij. secte of monkes As Norbertus saint Dominyk saint Fraunceys And of theym are nowe comen many sectes as the observauâ—tes freres minors Collettes and Marâ—â—aÌ„s Saint Dominyk hath byn as fertill as saint Fraunceys And thus be the cloysters and monkes multiplied without noÌ„bre But the gretter that the nombre of moÌ„kes and nonnes hath byn the gretelyer hath vertue and charite ben minisshed for they haue begonne to make divysions and partes the one ageinst the other for to knowe whiche of they re ordres were most holy and better then other and many other folyes After this haue the moÌ„kes gotteÌ„ popes and cardynals of they re relygion And also they haue purchased and gotten to the despyte and contempte one religyon of an other many privileges pardons and auctoritees to make coÌ„frayries for the seculers whome thy make parttakers of they re good workes as though they dyd more then they are bounde to do Notwithstonding that Christ him silf sayeth in the gospell Lu. 17 After that ye haue done all that to you is commaunded yet sey ye we be vnproufitable servauntes we haue done but that whiche we were bound to do Thus are the cloysters and monkes multiplied and all charyte among theym mynysshed In tymes passed was the lyfe of monkes a departing from the world and nowe they are called monkes whiche in the myddes of the world by aÌ„d sell iudge drynk eate and be conversaunt like seculers and yet will still be called monkes or racher religious They do the better to be called religyous then monkes after the life that they lede nowe for monkes after the greke worde signyfieth solytary or lyving alone as they were wont to lyve byfore tymes when they re life was good aÌ„d holye But religyous after the laâ—yne ys bonde and subiect For whate is now the life of the religious but a supersticious subiection vnto certeyn vayne ceremonyes Therfore they may nowe by good reason be called religious that is to sey captyves imprysoned in a ceremoniall life aÌ„d all Indaicall forasmoche as they kepe not they re ordre liberally and willingly but for the most part by constreynt But there intent is not to be called religyous sor thys cause For this worde religious betokeneth sometyme holy and gyven to the servise of god And therfore they wolde so be called entending to be taken more holyer then other Albeit that thappostell sey If eny man thinke that he is sum whate wheÌ„ in dede he is nothing the same deceyveth him silf in his imaginacion Alweyes in old tymereyned all vertue emong the religious They haunteâ— not the worldly people aÌ„d therfore might they well be called monkes that is to sey solitaryes living alone and also religious that is to sey holye and bound vnto all vertue But nowe ye shall finde no where no gretter eaters banqueters drinkers I dare not sey druÌ„kardes chidinges nor envy theÌ„ emong theym They thinke that when they kepe they re rule outwardly in habite kneling becking singing reding fasting seying of masse aÌ„d in other semblable ceremonyes that they be then saintes and vertuous albeit that all these thinges thus done without the sprite and fre will be nothing els bifore god but supersticion pryde and ypochrisie Thus do they dayly encrease they re supersticious ceremonyes trusting therun to bicause they haue not the same feyth sprite that the religious had in tymes passed Beforetymes the â—ove of God stered theym to do suche thinges Nowe they do it all of a necessite as though they coude not be saved without suche thinges making to theym ydols and Goddes of the workes of they re hondes Then howe is it nowe a religious lyfe I se nothing wherfore one shuld entre ynto religyon ¶ Whether the life of a Monke be better then the lyfe of a comon Eytesyn Chaptre .xvij. THe life of monkes as it is nowe vsed in the worlde is none other thing but a secte and theryn lyeth no more holynesse then in the life of a good housholder wherfore the state that the moÌ„kes become to nowe a dayes is moche to be playned And if thou wilt knowe that I sey truth coÌ„pare the life of a good honsholder vnto the life of a good monke behold whiche agreeth most vnto the doctrine of the gospell The monke is obeysaunt vnto hys Abbot Pryour or warden The housholder vnto his pastor or herdman in that it pleasith him to commaund him in fastinges holydayes and suche like and that many tymes more willingly then the monke to his Abbot The monke promyseth povertye but he never wanteth as seith Saynt Barnard He is fedde and nourisshed of the goodes of other gayned by the laboure of other He gyveth to none but receyveth every where The housholder liveth not of almesse as doth the monke or frere but gayneth his lyving with the labour of his hondes ye he giveth almesse according to his power So is better herin the housholder then the religious 〈◊〉 20 For Christ him silf saieth that it is more blessed to give then to receive The thirde thing that the monke promiseth is chasâ—ite neverthelesse the state of matrimonye pleaseth god also for he himsilf hath institute it The monke promisyth to kepe the rule of a man The housholder is content with the promise that he hath made at the font of baptesme so that he may kepe it well For the good life lieth not in moche promising but in kepiÌ„g wel that whiche one hath promised The monke reioyseth bicause saint Fraunceys or saint Dommike is his superiour The housholder holdeth god for his superiour The monke hath the rule of a man The housholder the rule of god that is to say the gospell Then whie will the Monke holde him silf more holy then the comon housholder God is egally like nighe vnto all theym that love him with all theire hert and lyve according to the gospell â— be he monke or chanone reguler or seculer The Abit of Monkes nor they re ceremonyes can not helpe theim when their hert is not good likewise as the seculer abit caÌ„ not hurte the seculer man when the herte is spirituall For the perfection of ChristeÌ„dome lyeth not in mete or drinke or in other outward workes as is fasting praing with the mouth watching reding synging
making obeysaunce with the hede kneling or in eny other outward thing semblable As testifieth saint Paule vnto the Romains saying The kingdome of god is nother mete nor drinke but it is rightuousnesse peace and ioy in the holy goost If thy hart and entent seche none other thing but the honour and will of God if thou reioyse that thou maist do and suffer all thing for the love of god then art thou sure that thou lovest God and that he loveth the. This let every religious kâ—owe that he may not thinke that he shal be iustified by his outward workes or that he is eny thing better then the seculer man As at this day god amend it we se that many religious esteme theym silves so holye as though they alone were christen And herof many tymes the seculers are cause whiche playne they re life when they behold the life of the religious They prayse the state of religion bicause they regard onely the outward workes and pleyne that god hath not called theym to suche a life wheÌ„ the religious here this they glorifie heryn trust in they re workes and thinke that it is even so and that they be more holy theÌ„ the other This is the most daungerous temptacyon that a religious may haue for by this temptacyon they beginne many tymes to trust and abyde vppoÌ„ they re good workes notwithstonding that they be often done ageynst they re will whiche can never be good As at this day we se howe many monkes and nonnes lyve in they re cloysters ageynst their will And all that they do procedeth from an hart constreyned and not voluntary And out dare thâ—y not go for shame bicause they haue otherwâ—se promysed And they curse oftymes all evill to theym that haue counceyled theym and brought theym into that religyon aud wolde fayne that they re cloyster were buâ—ned And so be they never content in they re hart nether can finde eny rest of conscience and be then moche ferther from god then they were wheÌ„ they were seculers Suche people oftymes do many evelles toward theym silves by impacience and rebellion ageinst god They do nothing by love that they haue to god or bycause that they beleve theym silves to be the childreÌ„ of god but onely by constreynt and ageynst they re will And when they must dye they trust and stikke vppon suche workes by theim done ageynst they re hartes and by constraynt of they re ordre and thinke even thus Behold dere lord my life hath byn to me hard and bitter I haue oftymes had evill will I haue alweyes abiden in my Cloyster I haue kept myn ordre I haue valiantly fought vnto the ende gyve me nowe the crowne of glorye and the everlasting lyfe In all the worlde ys there not a more daungerous synne then this perversyte and ypochrisye It were better for suche people to voyde from they re cloyster For synners knowyng they re synnes and requyryng pardone and grace be receyved vnto grace where as suche ypochrites are reproved of god As we may sein the gospell where god received vnto grace Marye Magdaleine saint Mathew the good theef and meny other open sinnars But he hath lest the scribes and phariseys in they re blyndnesse whiche trusted on they re workes Ye fathers and mothers behold well whate ye do when ye put your children in to religion For ye are causes of all they re sinnes And it suffiseth theim not to lyve alone in suche abusion bâ—t they teache it theim silves vnto other whome they write in theire confraynes and make theÌ„ participant of theire good workes which procede often from an evill willed sprite whiche can never be good bifore god for God will no constreined service Nether is there any worke agreable vnto god but suche as procede from faith charite and out of a willing hart And if God wold haue suche a constreyned service he wold constreyne the devels to pray moche to syng moche to watche moche and to do suche other thinges But god will none of oure workes when he hath not oure hertes And all the workes that we do daily be agreabill vnto god if with all oure hartes we love hiÌ„ beleve and trust in him And all the workes done without suche faith and loue be sinne and dampnabill bifore god aÌ„d if we sâ—ikke vppon theim as though they were good workes And so were it better for the to go out of thy cloyster and to be an open sinnar and to knowlege thy misdoing bifore god as did the publican then so for to trust vnto thy workes as though god for theim did owe vnto the the kingdome of heven But thou saiest I haue promysed it I must abide Iudi. 11. Mar. 6 I sey ageyne None is boâ—nde to hold a promyse whiche is contrarie vnto his helth as did Iepte and Herode whiche had byn better to breke they re othes then to holde theire promyses For none may promise nor holde a thing that is coÌ„trary vnto hys helth S. Fraunceis and saint Dominike had lever that thou were saved in keping the gospel then daÌ„pned trusting vppon thy workes And it is better to be shamed here bifore the worlde then bifore god But whate is it that thou hast promysed when thou madest thy profession hast thou promised that thou wilt not live after the promise that thou hast made at thy baptesme Thoâ— saiest nay But therfore saiest thou I am entred into religion for the better to fulfill the promyse made at baptesme Then whan thou perceyvest that thou livest worse in the monasterye then thou didest when thou were seculer whiâ— darest thou not take ageyn the life astate wherin thou maist worke better for thy helth without offending any parsone but rather amend other Or if thou be entred into religion for to seche the helth of thy soule and findest there more noise envye drinking bankettes diuisions hatredes then from whens thou camest thou maist alweyes sey I am come hyther to amend my lyfe And I finde that I waxe daily worse therfore I will goo there I may amend my life and serve God with more grete rest of conscience Therfore I tell the that it is better to live well in the world then yll in the monasterie to trust vppon thy good workes But thou must thinke not to leve the cloister to haue libertie and carnall pleasure but onely to serve God more frely as saieth Saint Paule Give not youre libertie an occasion vnto the flesshe And none can give the better knowlege herof Ga. 5. then thine ownr conscience when thou axest it counceil for it deceyveth none but saith alwey manifestly the trouth The world hath likewise his daungiers and his perilles and it is impossible to live in the world without sinne Therfore when the religious seith that he may be saved in his cloister â—er hym abide there although he haue there moche to suffre But when thou percey vest that in thy
these thinges in they re wayes and theire soules haue takeÌ„ pleasure in theire abhommacions wherfore I will also reherce they re illusions and deceites And I will bring vnto theym the thinges that they feared bicâ—use I haue called and there was none that answered I haue spoken and they haue not herd Thinke well on these wordes you all that make suche estimacion of your Ceremonies festes oblacions sensinges and all other outward workes for albeit that ye will sey that all these wordes be spoken of Iâ—es that abode obstinate in the lawe of Moyses shall they not ye ought they not Likewise to be vnderstond of all theym that folowe the Iâ—es in suche rites As do all they that thinke to do grete pleasure to god by they re ceremonies sumptuous bildinges singinges pleying at the organs sensinges diversitees of abites and a thousand other dreames whiche thinges may be done by any envious parson proude parsonye verely also by a murtherer or a theâ—e as well as by a verey christen But to love god with good hert to recognise his imperfection to pray for his enemies to socoure by verey loue his christen brother to â—ere paciently and with a ioyfull hart all that god sendeth these thinges can none do but he that is all holly given vnto god They that be suche be onely verey religious byfore god For onely suche do fulfill there rule For they do observe it and kepe it ioyfully and with a will fre good But otherwyse when one doth all by constreynt and tediousnesse it is but a small comfort But that there be nowe so fewe religious having the verey feling of the sprite this is for none other cause but as I haue seid bifore forbicause that they eÌ„tre not with suche a courage entent as they shuld do and that they be not enstructed as it aperteyneth Therfore whosoever will entre yntâ— religion let him be ware aboue all thinges that he entre not vppon thintencion to deserve the kingdome of heven by his watchinges fastinges abstinences prayers singinges redinges and other thinges lyke For if thintent be suche he trusteth yn hys workes and becometh an ypochrite And the more he doth of suche workes the more great ypochriste he becomyth And so abideth he alweyes a merchaunte with god for he serveth for wages But if thou wilt entre into religion thou must do it for the love of God bicause god hath made vs his children for to thanke him ageyn and to fle the synne whiche reyneth emong the worldly For he that doeth thus he thinketh that he can never do service ynough vnto god for that he hath receyved alredy for loue knoweth no measure He laboureth not for to get the eternall lyfe as the merchaunt for his wages but onely to give thankes of the goodnesse that god hath done vnto him alredy bycause that he beleveth and knoweth of trouth that he is the childe of God and his heyre And therfore when eny hath the feith wherof we haue bifore spoken he is to be praysed that by thankfulnesse doth separate him silf from the worlde for to fle the daungyers therof For the worlde hath a thousand occasyons to synne principally for yong people Wherfore this is not a thing to be dispraysed that a parson yelde him in a good religion to amend his lyfe But if one fynde nowe in the Monasteryes more debates drinkinges banquettes pompes hatred envye and ypochrysye then in the worlde it were moche better to abyde out ye or if one be entred to voyde out rather then to lerne there to haunt suche life For one must go thider to amend his life not to waxe worse But thou mayst saye I haue made profession and promesse I must abide I haue seid bifore that none is bounde to holde ye that none ought to hold eny promyse that is contrary vnto his helth Herken to this that saint Paule sayeth 2. Tessa 3 We commaunde you bretheren by the name of Iesu Christ that ye withdrawe your silves from every brother that walketh inordinatly and not after the institucion whiche ye receyved of vs. And ageyn If he that is called a brother emong you be a fornicatour or covitous or a worshippper of images 1. Cor. 5 or a rayler or a dronkard or an extorcyonar wyth hym that ys suche see that ye eate not And in an other place God hath not called vs to lyve in strife and discencion but in peace and love ¶ Osparentes that will put they re children into religion Chaptre .xix. HEre must we warne the parentes that they be ware to put theire children into religion without advice whiche they do often bicause they seche more they re owne proufit then the helth of they re children For some do it bicause they haue many children and to thintent that they may mary the other the more richely they put one or .ij. hauing some bodily imperfection into religioÌ„ Some also do it to haue honour by they re children bicause they be made monkes prestes or prelates Other do it by hope to be holpe and socoured of they re children Behold howe that by suche meanes there be so fewe that entre into relygyon with suche intâ—ncion as I haue seid aboue Hit is not to be preysed but gretely to be dispreysed when by suche occasion eny entreth into religion Therfore shulde the parentes se first whether they re children were enclyned therunto or not and whether they dyd desire it or notâ— and for whate cause they desired it for if they be not enclined therunto whye wilt thou lese theÌ„ as though none mought be saved yn the worlde Howe dyd men bifore that monkes came into the world And why were not thappostles moÌ„kes Ye why were ye not monkes your silves that wolde so haue your children God as sayeth Saint Paule the apostle loketh on no mannes parson whether he be monke or seculer man or woman nobill or ignobill But he onely is agreabill vnto God that loveth him with all his hert be he housholder or preste religious or lay yt ys all one to him And as Saynt Peter saieth in thactes of thappostles Acto 10 There is no respect of parsones bifore God And in these thinges are manye tymes moche giltye the religious that with fayre wordes drawe yought vnto they re cloysters Some tymes the children theym silves because when they se the religyous syng rede pray watche knele avale they re hedes and do suche lyke thynges they esteme that to do suche thinges ys an holy life And get a will to do likewise And when they haue byn there a yere they repent that ever they there entred for they haue not the sprite that may comfort theym and to avoyde they are asshamed and so make they re profession ageynst theire will And even as they began with a cold courage so abode they comunely cold and chaunged fâ—om god Wherfore it were well done to absteyne him silfe from making of suche
their old sinnes But the children that feare they re parentes by dilection abide alweyes obedient by that same dilection The parentes must be well ware that they strive not the one ageinst the other that they swere not and that they speke none inordinate or dishonest wordes principally bifore they re children for when they lerne eny vnhappinesse in youthe they shall with grete difficultie leve it in theire age Ye may never shewe your silf sorowfull waile nor make compleynt bifore your children for losse of erthly goodes or bicause ye haue not good gaines For when they here you plaine for suche thinges thei get a desire and a love of temporall thinges so that they take pleasure in nothing els but in temporall richesse and have sorowe of nothing but for the losse of suche thinges for they lerne it of they re pareÌ„tes The childe foloweth nothing so moche as that whiche he seeth his father mother aÌ„d other frendes do Finally thou must marke verey diligently whether they haue desire or will to be maryed at the state of mariage or not And as ye perceive it so must you incontynent helpe theym and care for theym that they may make a good manage As AbrahaÌ„ was carefull for his sonne Isaac And forbicause that the parentes be many tymes not carefull in suche case it comyth to passe that so fewe come chast to the state of maryage that they re children be often deceyved and that they haue shame dishonour and sorowe of they re children And this is most the faute of the parentes whiche be more carefull for the bodyes of theire children then for they re soules And therfore they will in no wise that they re children be poore but seke rather to mary theym richely then helthfully aÌ„d axe more for temporall goodes then after vertue good maners and goodes spirituall And for to make theym haue good tymes they make theym many tymes prestes or relygious And so for to provide theym of the case of they re bodyes they are oftymes cause of the everlasting payne of they re soules For none ought to be brought in vnto the state of prysthod except he be first chosen to some office in the congregacyon and that bycause that we mought se whate lyfe that he ledith This thyng compleyneth saint Austyne in the boke of his confessions in the secunde Chaptre that hys parentes were not carefull for him in this mater ¶ Of the lyfe of the comune Cyteuns or housholders Chaptre .xxiiij. IN all the worlde there is not a more Christen life nether more accordaunt vnto the Gospell then is the life of comune Citesins or housholders whiche by the labour of they re hondes in the swette of they re visage get they re brede expences 1. Tessa and. 4 for saint Paule reioyseth that he gayned his brede in the labour of his hondes And he rebuketh the idell wâ—dowes that ronne about pleying from house to house Wherfore it were moche better emong the christen that euery one were set to some occupacion and that we shulde not suffer so many yong and strong parsones to begge theire brede but rather cause theim to lerne some occupacion And if that all yong prestes monkes and religious did likewise it were nether sinne nor shame wil thei be better then saint Paule was the other appostles we se nowe a dayes that thei be forboden to worke whiche is Ga .1 manifestly appostasie and ageinst the christen faith It becometh none to forbid theÌ„ to laboure although he were an angell of heven moche lesse man The monkes also were wont to laboure in olde tyme. It is plaine that there be to many prestes and religious in the world by half And seing prestes will not laboure then if all the world were prestes who shulde laboure the erth I can not tell whate holinesse there is now a dayes in the life of prestes or moÌ„kes aboue the life of the housbondman The husbondes life is betrer nowe after the Gospell then the life of a grete parte of prestes monkes or freres For all prestes monkes and freres whiche haue none office that is necessary vnto the christenâ—e do â—ate vnrightuously the goodes of the poore and are called of Christ in the Gospell Iohn 10 murtherars and theves But let vs shewe vnto the housholders howe they shall live holsomely For it behoveth that they also knowe howe they shulde live The housholder shall first whether he be husbond craftes man or marchauÌ„t kepe the rule that God hath given in the gospell that Mat. 7 is to sey that in all his marchaundise and in all his businesse he do to another as he wolde be done vnto not seking his owne proufit to the hurt or dammage of an other He shall never dispreyse his neighbours goodnesse but wisshe him as moche good as he wolde haue him silfe Thus commaundeth vs saint Paule that 1. Tessa 4 none oppresse or disceyve his brother in any maner bicause the lord god is vengear of all suche for we be all bretheren and meÌ„bres of one body Therfore thou shalt be ware to striveo and to move eny maner of dissention with thy neighbour be he riche or poore noble or ignoble for we be all like nobill bifore God bicause we have all togyther one father Ga .3 For saint Paule saieth ye are all one in Christ. And therfore shall none dispise the poore nor cast hys povertye in his teth but shall socoure him with his goodes and comfort him alweyes in his povertye If thy neyghboure or christen brother be sike and poore thou shalt oft go to him and comfort him distributing to him of thy goodes according to thy power Thou shalt be redy to serve him and to gyve thy life for him as saieth saint Iohn Hereâ—y knowe we the love bicause he hath given his life for vs. â— Iohn 3 And we ought also to gyve oure lyves for oâ—re bretheren And if thou haue nothing to gyve vnto him thou shalt gyve knowlege therof vnto theim that haue and shall exhort theym to socoure this pore parson Biforetymes it was accustumed to gyve knowlege to the pastor or curate of the churche whiche did socoure the poore wyth the treasure of the churche wherof was made mencyon in the life of saint Laurence of saint Gregory wheÌ„ there was nomore the bisshop toke the chalices the other vessels of gold silver brake theÌ„ distributed the price therof vnto the pore The bisshoppes also were wont to warne the â—ytesins that they shuld gyve him knowlege when eny were diseased or syke But nowe God amend it it is all otherwise the Bisshoppes take care of no suche thinges the treasure of the churcheis speÌ„t â—gilding of ymages in founding of greâ— prevendes in bilding of tabernacles in â—ostly auter tables and suche superfluous â—rodigalite And thus are the poore memâ—res of Christ deprived of that that to theÌ„â—pperteyneth O world blynd