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
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
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
syde / that is to say / in suche thyngê as perteyne vnto god / without the meane of any creature The fyrste workes therfore of this precept be grosse sensyble / which the most parte we cal diuyne seruyce as to here masse to pray to heare sermons vpon the holy dayes / after this opynyon there be but fewe good workê in this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t And yet thyse except they ron out of the loue grace trust fayth of god / be nothynge at all as I sayd byfore Wherfore it were wel yf there were lesse holy dayes / in asmoche as now a dayes / the workes done in suche holy dayes ben coÌ„monly worse than the workes of feryall or workye dayes by Idelnes eatyng drynkyng playeng such other yll dedê Moreouer the masses be herde wtout any ê“fyte the prayes sayde without any fayth For the most ê‘te thus it is / that we thynke we haue done ynoughe / whan we haue seen masse with our eyes / prayed with our mouth / passynge ouer these thynges outwardlye not thynkynge that we shulde conceyue some thynge of the masse in to our hertes / that we shuld gette some lernyng out of the sermoÌ„de / and that we shuld desyre / aske and loke for some thynge in our prayers Albeit here is the greattest faute of bysshops prestê and of them to whome the offyce of preachynge is enioyned in that that they preache not the gospell and teache not men / howe they shuld se masse here sermondes / and praye / wherfore we wyll declare these thre workes in fewe wordes IN the masse it is necessarye / that we be there present in herte / How the masse oughte to be herde and what to be done thereat of the hearers than be we present in herte / whan we exercyse faith in our herte here we ought to nombre weye the wordes of Chryst wherby he ordayned the masse sayeng / Take ete / this is my body whiche is gyuen for you / lykewyse ouer the cuppe / take and drynke of this all / this is the cuppe of the newe Testament / in my blode / whiche for you and manye shall be shedde / so ofte as you shall do this / do it in the remembraunce of me By thyse wordes / Chryste ordayned Diriges yere myndes / daylye to be kepte for hym / throughe out all Chrystendome And made solempne lawfull / ryche and so great a testament / in the whiche he bequethed no rentes monye or temporal goodes / but forgyuenesse of all synnes grace mercye / and euerlastynge lyfe / that who soeuer come to these diriges / may haue this testameÌ„t And vpon this he dyed / wherby this testameÌ„t was made sure fyrme stable and neuer to be reuoked And in a token of that / in the stede of a wrytynge and seale / he hath lefte here his proper body vnder breade and wyne Here nowe therfore is neade / that a man exercyse well the fyrste worke of this coÌ„maundement / that he doute nothynge but that this is for a suertye that he suffer byleue the testament to be certayne vnto hym / lest he make chryst a lyer For what other thynge is it / yf thou standyng at the masse and nother thynke nor byleue / the chryste hath bequethed gyuen the / by his testameÌ„t forgyuenes synÌ„es / than as yf thou shuld say I knowe not or byleue not that it is true / that forgyuenes of all my synÌ„es is here bequethed gyuen vnto me O how many masses ben there now in the worlde how fewe that heare them / after this fayth maner wherby god is greuously offeÌ„ded Wherfore there is no man that heareth masse profytablye / except other that he be in aduersytie temptacyons and desyrynge the grace of god / or els whiche wolde gladlye be rydde of his synÌ„es or els yf he be in an yll mynde and yet chauÌ„ge it in the meane tyme / and attayne the desyre of the testament And for this cause the coÌ„mune and open synners weare not suffered in tymes paste to come to masse Therfore this faythe goynge ryghte forthe after her maner / it can not be / but the herte of man / made merye with this testament muste waxe hoote and melte in the loue of god / and than foloweth prayse gyuyng of thankê with a swete herte / vpon this in the greke tonge / the masse is called Eucharistia / that is to say Eucharistic kyndnes or gyuynge of thankes / bycause we prayse god gyue hym thankes / for suche a comfortable ryche and blyssed testamente euen as he / whome a notable faythfull freÌ„de hath bequethed a thousande pouÌ„des or more / prayseth gyueth thankes / and is merye But it happeneth ofte tymes to chryste / as it doth to some other / whiche by theyr testament make them that they bequethed vnto ryche / whiche neuer after remembre them / nother praysynge nor gyuynge vnto them thankê So be our masses done nowe a dayes / that we in the meane tyme / nother know nor be sure what they profytte vs / or wherfore they be done / which thynge is the cause / that we nother praysyng nother gyuyng thankes / nor dylygent / but drye and harde contynue at masse / content with our owne prayers small deuocyons / of the whiche I shall speake more an other tyme. PReachyng shuld be none other thynge / Preachyng but the declarynge of this testamente / but who can here whan no man dothe preache for now truely they vnderstond not this testament / whose duty it is to preache it / prechynges also for the most parte go a brode / at large into tryfelyng tales nothyng worth / so whyles Christ is forgotten / it happeneth to vs as it dyd to them in the .iiii. boke of kyngê the .vii. chapytre / thou shalte se / and therof thou shalte not eate / bycause that we seynge our good do not vse it / of the whiche speketh Ecclesiastices This is a great myschyefe the god hath gyuen ryches to man / whiche he suffereth hym not to vse So we se innumerable masses and yet ignorauÌ„te in the meane tyme whether the masse be a testament or no / or rather some other thynge / as though it were a good worke by it selfe The masse is no good worke of it selfe that is to wytte it ê“fyteth not whan it is herde or said without the faythe therunto necessarely requesyte this is thauthors mynde O good lorde / howe vtterly blynded be we But where as this thyng is well preched / it muste neades be delygentlye harde receyued ofte tymes spoken of / and so shall the faythe be strengthed agaynste teÌ„ptacyons of synnes past preseÌ„t to come Lo this is the onelye ceremony the onely exercyse ordayned of Chryst / in the whiche we ought all to be gathered togyther come togyther exercysed and be agreed The which ceremony is
/ 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
vndoubtedlye to resyste them as moche as we may For here we muste folowe the example of good chyldren / whose fathers be madde And fyrste of all we muste loke from whense this lawe came / that suche thynges as were ordayned founded and gyuen to the worshyppyng of god and bryngynge vp of our owne chyldren / shuld returne to the vse seruyce profyte of theym that lye at Rome and nothyng to be done in the meane tyme here at home where it were most mete coÌ„uenyeÌ„t Why be we so madde The bysshoppes and the chiefe of the church be here so slacke / that they do not onely not resyst suche thynges / but also they feare lest other wold resyst so they suffre that chyrstyan coÌ„mon welthe to perysshe Fyrste of al let vs mekely call vpon god / thaÌ„ let vs set vpoÌ„ to redresse these myscheuous with hande / stoppe the messyngers of Rome theyr waye / shewyng theÌ„ lowly and gentylly / that yf they wolde rule theyr benefyces / they shulde be resydent vpon theym / feadyng the people with preachynge good example which thyng yf they wyll not do / or els lye at Rome or other places pyllyng pollynge the parysshes Let the pope or other fynde theÌ„ to whom they doo seruyce For it is not mete that we shulde fynde the bysshoppe of Rome / his offycers or coÌ„mynaltie / ye rather his bawes whores with the losse vndoynge of our soules Lo these be the verye Turkes / whom kynges prynces and gentylmen / shulde fyrste inuade / not for hope or remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of theyr priuate welth but for the loue onely of Chrystes coÌ„mon welth / and to let the sclaunders hurtes / blasphemye of the name of god How the bysshopp of Rome ought to be handeled with all his whaÌ„ they beÌ„ out of the way Thus therfore muste suche spyrytuall ê‘sones be handeled and regarded as a madde father / whiche excepte he be taken and let whiche thynge yet must be with feare reuerence may destroy bothe chyldren and patrymonye all that he hath Soo truely shulde we take the power of Rome honourably as 〈…〉 father / but whan they be madde and wood / they muste be let from theyr purpose / leaste by that the common welthe of Chryste be vndone THere be some that thynke that this shuld be referred to a generall counsell / but I say it is not to be done For we haue had many counsels in the whiche this matter hath ben had in hande / especyally in the counsell of Constance Basyll / and the last at Rome / but yet there is nothynge fynysshed so that it is euer worse and worse Nother do suche counsels profyte any thynge syns that the wysdome of Rome hath ymagyned this inuencyon / that kynges and prynces muste be fyrst bounde by an othe / that they shal suffre them styll to poscesse kepe that that they haue without any dysturbance Suche requestes and condycyons hath the bysshop of Rome that nowe is Clement the .vii. made to the prynces of Germany / yea moch worse for a generall counsell to be hadde And so they laye a barre and a stoppe to withstande all reformacyons and to defeÌ„de theyr lybertie and lycence of all vngodlynesse Albeit suche an othe made by vyolynce agaynste god and ryghte / letteth the holy ghoste whiche they saye beareth the rule in suche counsels But this were the best onely remedy that is lefte Yf kynges prynces gentylmen cytyes and vniuersyties wolde take the matter in haÌ„de to reforme it theyr self ê so handle it / that the bysshops spyrytualtie fearyng theyr cause / shuld haue an occasion to folowe For here is nothiÌ„ge to be regarded but the fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dementê of god / agaynst the whiche nother pope nor heuen / nor erth may forbyd or coÌ„mauÌ„de any thing nother is ther any ieoê‘die in cursingê or thretenyngê / wherby they go aboute to let a laufull redressyoÌ„ Nomore theÌ„ it doth no hurt yf the furyous father greatly threten his sone that holdeth hym / let hym fro his madde doynge THe thyrde worke of this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is / to obey the temporall or seculer power as Paule teachyth to the Romans the .13 chapitre / and to Titus the fyrste chapytre / and saynt Peter in his fyrst epystle the .2 chapitre sayeng Submyt your selfes vnto all men / other to the kynge as chief / or to his offycers as sent of hym to the punysshement of all yll doers / but for the prayse of wel doers The offyce of the teÌ„porall or seculer power is to defende theyr coÌ„mons subiectes / to punysshe thefte brybery and adulterie / as saynt Paule sayth to the Romans the .13 chapyt The hyghe power bereth not a swerde for noughte But he is the mynystre of god to take veÌ„geauÌ„ce of them that do euyl but to do good to theÌ„ / that be good / Here than we synne .ii. maner of wayes Fyrste whan we deceyue the seculer power other by lyeng deceyte / or vnfaythfulnesse / and agayne whan we obey them not byddynge or coÌ„maundynge vs any thynge / whyther it muste be done with body or goodes For thoughe they do vniustly / as the kyng of Babylon dyd to the chyldre of Israell yet god wolde that we shuld obey them / without all disceyte or any begyle Secondarely whan we backebyte them / whan we be angrye and can not be auenged whan we grudge agaynst them or hurte them with euyll wordes priuely or openly In all these thynges we must regarde that that saynt Peter coÌ„maundeth vs to regarde / specyally that theyr power can not hurte our soules but onely oure bodyes and goodes / except they openly compell vs to do agaynst god or vniustlye agaynste men / as the Heathen prynces compelled many Chrystyanes before they came into Chrystes relygyon And as it is sayd the Turke dothe nowe a dayes / for to suffre wrong hurteth not the soule but maketh it better thoughe it taketh somwhat from the bodye or goodes But vnryghtuous doynge dystroyeth the soule / yea thoughe thou gette all the good of the worlde ANd this is the cause that there is not so great peryll in the seculer power whan it doth yll / as in the spirytuall or ecclesyastycall power For the seculer or temporall power can not hurte / in as moche as they meddyll not with preachynge and sermons and with faythe / the thre fyrste coÌ„maundementes of god But the ecclesiastycall power hurteth not onely doyng vnryghtwysenesse But also whan they leaue theyr duetye and do that that is not theyr duetye / yea thoughe it were better than the best workê / that the seculer power doth And therfore suche men muste be resysted whaÌ„ they do wroÌ„gê / not the temporal powers / all thoughe they lyue contrarye to theyr offyces For the poore coÌ„mon people so folowe the ecclesyastycall power in belefe and in lyfe that both they be
blynde as betelles and knowe neyther what to beleue nor to do Furthermore the ecclesyastycal power was ordayned for nothyng els / but to brynge the people by faythe to god / the whiche thynges be not in the temporall or seculer power For whether the temporall powers do these thynges or leaue them vndone after theyr owne mynde / yet my faythe goeth forthe neuerthelesse / her way workyng by it selfe / and not compelled to byleue by theyr example Wherfore the temporall power is of verye lytell force before god to hurte any mans soule of moch lesse reputacyon weyght than that for the euyll lyfe or good lyfe of it we shulde moue any sedicyon dysobedyence and debate And agayne the spirytuall ecclesyastycall power is a great good and excellent thynge of more hyghe value before god / than that the least chrysten man shulde suffre them / and not to speke to theÌ„ yf they ones swarue one heare brede from theyr offyce I wyll not say yf they go vtterly agayne theyr offyce / as we se nowe dayly THere be many abuses in this teÌ„porall or seculer power Fyrst whan they that enioye the dygnytie do folowe the counsell of flatterers / whiche is a coÌ„mon and meruaylous hurtefull dystruccyon and pestylence / and can not be auoyded to moche And in this poynte the offycers be ledde as men saye by the nose to the great hurte and euyll of the myserable people / bycause that where men be so ledde there is coÌ„menly suche gouernauÌ„ce as the Ethnyke speketh of That lyke as the spyder webbes be stronge ynoughe to holde faste flyes where as the mylne stones brast through theÌ„ and go theyr wayes Euen so the poore people be holden with lawes constytucyons and rules / the great men scapynge and at lybertie Therfore where as the lorde or prynce is not so wyse by hym selfe so bolde vertuous that he nedeth not the couÌ„sell of other / there muste nedes be excepte god shewe a peculyar myracle a chyldysshe rulynge and gouernauÌ„ce Therfore almyghty god amoÌ„ges all other plages troubles nombreth iudgeth euyll and folysshe offycers princes and rulers / with whome he thretened to punysshe the people / Esaye the .iii. chap. I shall gyue chyldren to be theyr prynces / effamynate meÌ„ shall haue power ouer theym And truely god in scrypture hathe thretened foure plages or punysshementes Esechiell the .xiii. chapy The fyrste is the pestylence moste poysoned deadely whiche Dauyd chose The seconde hungre / the thyrde swerde or batell / the fourthe euyll beastes and lyons wolues serpentes and dragons / wherby beÌ„ sygnyfyed euyll gouernours For where as suche rulers be / the countrey hath not myschefe and losse onely in theyr bodyes goodes and ryches all other thynges / but also in fame honoure lernyng vertue and in helthe of theyr soules For pestylence and hungre maketh men good and ryghtwyse But warres and yll rulers losse dystroye bothe all temporall goodes perpetuall IT is also the duetye of a synguler wyse prince not to punysshe alway with dethe thoughe he haue neuer so good and iuste a cause For it is moche more excellent vertue that he do harme or losse to his lawe / than to the goodes or bodyes of his subiectes yf it may be to the profyte of his coÌ„mons or subiectes In asmoche as the temporall lawes regarde onely temporall thynges Therfore this is a folysshe sayenge the lawe is with me in this matter / wherfore with myghte power I wyll reuenge it kepe it / ye thoughe all other shulde be wrapped in ieoperdye and myschiefe Octauian themperour We rede that the Emperoure Octauyan wolde neuer more make any warre had he neuer so ryght a cause / onelesse he were sure that he shulde warre for more profyte than hurte or at the leste with tollerable losse In so moche that he was wont to say / that warryours were lyke them that fysshed with a golden hooke / whiche whan it is loste can neuer be recompensed by takynge of fysshe For he that leadeth a waggen muste nedes go otherwyse than he that goeth a lone For he that goeth alone may kepe this way that way as he wyll / but the caryer or carter muste nowe turne this way / nowe that waye as his cart or horses may folowe hym / whome he must regarde not his owne wyll So it is necessarye that a prynce or a lorde guydynge an hooste / go forth not after his owne mynde but by the power and coÌ„modytie of his hooste / more regardynge the profyte nede and coÌ„modytie of his companye / than his owne wyll and pleasure For a prynce or a lorde coÌ„maundynge or rulynge after the mynde and luste of his owne brayne and folysshe hede / is lyke a madde caryer or carter that dryueth horse carte headelynge throughe busshes groues dyches poddelles waters hylles and dales / and neyther loketh for wayes nor brydges / suche a carter shall not loÌ„ge carye but breake his wagen all to peces And therfore it were most profytable for prynces and kyngê that they rede or els cause to be redde to theym / euen from theyr chyldhode As well the storyes of scrypture as of the gentylles / for they shuld fynde more lernynge and more examples to rule and gouerne in them / thaÌ„ in all the bokes of lawe and decrees / as we rede in the reygne of the kynge of Persie in the .vi. chapytre of Hesters For we be euer taughte more by examples and storyes than by lawes decrees constytucyons bycause that in suche examples hystoryes / sure experyence teacheth vs and here bare wordes teache vs. Prynces lordes with other noble men shulde exerise them selfes in .iii. maner of workes All prynces noble men and lordes shulde haue thre specyall workes / which they may do specyally in our countrey The fyrst that they anulle the horryble abusage of eatynge drynkyng / not onely for the vnmeasurablenesse of it / but for loue and charytie For by swete meates and sawces without the which a maÌ„ may lyue well ynoughe / no lytel losse of teÌ„porall goodes is crepte and dayly entreth into this laÌ„de In takyng awaye of the which two hurtes / the temporal power shulde haue ynoughe to do / for they be deply roted Howe shuld the prynces serue god better thaÌ„ to make theyr owne regyoÌ„s more plentuous The seconde is to take away the vnmeasurable wast of apparell and rayment in the which so moche good is wasted / and that onely for the pleasure of the worlde and the flesshe / that it is fearefull to thynke on it / that there shulde be such mysuse fouÌ„de amonges the people gyuen sworne to Chryst / baptysed and dedycate to beare his crosse with hym / and dayly preparynge our selfe to dethe If this were done vnauysed it myght the better be sufferde But nowe whan it is done so boldely so vnponysshed so vnshamefastly / and so that no
for euyll to no man NOw se howe this excelleÌ„t and hyghe worke is gone to nought amonges chrysteÌ„ meÌ„ that nowe nothyng reyneth but stryfe chydyng warre yre hate enuye backbytyng cursyng abhorrynge hurtes vengeaunce and all maner of yre and dysdayne / bothe in worde and deade in euery place And yet neuerthelesse we procede styll / with many holy dayes / hearynge masses / mumblyng of prayers / buyldynge of churchs / and garnysshynge the same albeit wihout any coÌ„maundement of god / and so vnmoderatly as though we were moste holy of all chrysten men that euer were / suffrynge vnder these glasses dysfygured workes / the coÌ„maundementê of god to lose and decaye In so moche that there is not one that thynketh or remembreth howe nygh he is vnto gentylnes kyndnesse pacyentnes and vnto the fulfyllynge of this coÌ„maundement of god Notwithstandyng yet that god sayd not he that doth these workes but he that kepeth his coÌ„maundementes / shulde entre in to the kyngdome of heauen For as moch then as there is no man lyuynge in this worlde / to whom god hath not gyueÌ„ an vtterar of his owne yre and malyce that is to wyt his enemye or aduersary hurtyng hym in goddes dygnytie honour and frendes to proue whither there be any yre lefte in hym or no / whyther he can loue his ennemye / speake well of hym / do for hym do good to hym / thynkynge no euyll agaynst hym / Nowe lette hym come that wyll and aske / what good workes he shall do that may be plesaunt to god and helthfull to hym felfe / let hym sette his enemye before his face / let hym haue hym contynuallye in the ymage and iye of his herte / for this cause / that he maye ouercome hym selfe / vsynge his herte to thynke frendly of hym to fauoure hym after the beste maner / to care praye for hym and after whan ther is occasyon or tyme / not onely to speake wel of hym / but also to do him good lette hym proue this / that wyll and yf he haue not ynoughe to do all the dayes of his lyfe / lette hym reproue me of a lye / and let hym saye / this sayenge is false But nowe whan god wyll haue this thynge done and admytteth nor requyreth no lesse payment / but this kyndnes to our enemye what I beseche you doth it profyt vs to be busye in other great workes not coÌ„maunded / and to leaue these coÌ„maunded vndone therfore sayth Chryst Mathew the fyfte chapytre I saye vnto you / he that is angrye with his brother is gylty of iugement / he that saith to his brother Racha that is / whiche gyueth an abhomynable angry and cruel sygne of wrathe is gylty of counsell He that sayth foole / that is / he that gyueth any maner of cheke backebyteth slaundreth or curseth is gyltye of euerlastynge fyre / where abydeth than the vyolent layenge of haÌ„des as to stryke to cut to wounde to kyll and to hurt yf the thoughtes wordes of yre be so greuously dampned BVt where as is the inward geÌ„tylnes kyndnes pacyence of the herte / there the herte hath petye of all that troubles that happen to his enemye / and such be the true chyldren and heyres of god and bretherne of Chryst whiche dyd the same for vs vpon the crosse Euyn lykewyse as we se in a good iudge whiche is ryght sory and lothe to gyue sentence vpon the gyltye person / is heuye of the deth put to hym by the lawe Here in the iudge is a shew in the worke as though there were yre dysdayne impacyeÌ„tnesse / but in wardly there is very sorow and pacyence abydynge vnder suche ioyfull workes / and it than swarmeth most quyckely louyngly in the herte whan it is constrayned so to be angrye and to exercyse seueryte But here we must beware that we be not gentyll and peace agaynst the glorye and coÌ„maunementes of god For it is wrytten that Moyses was gentylest of all men / yet whaÌ„ the Iewes had prouoked and moued god by the worshyppyng of a golden calfe he kylled many of them / by that gate agayne the fauour of god So the offycers and superyours ought not to kepe the holy day and suffre synne to reygne / they in the meane tyme to say nothyng vnto it I ought to despyce my honoure / my rythes my losse my hurte nor to be angrye yf any aduersytie happen vnto me / but we must regarde the commundementes of god and also defende and put awaye the hurte and wronge of our neyghboure And the offycers and rulers must punysshe other / that is to saye priuate persones with wordes and rebukes And yet al these ought to be done with compassyon vpon them that haue deserued punysshement / For this hyghe goodlye and pleasaunte worke suffereth her selfe to be obtaygned easely yf we do it in faythe and exercyse faythe in it / not doubtyng in the fauour and grace of god / it shall be a lyghte thynge for hym to be mercyfull and kynde to his neyghboure / howe moche soeuer he hathe offended hym / for we haue offended god more greuouslye and cruelly Lo howe shorte a commaundement this is But there is a longe great exercyse of good workes faythe set forthe in it ¶ The syxe coÌ„maundement thou shalte be no Lecher ALso in this commaundement is a worke commaunded contaynynge many good workes and puttynge awaye many vyces / and it is called clennesse or chastytie / of the whiche many thynges be wrytten shewed and knowen well to many But it is not so well obserued and kepte as be other workes not coÌ„maunded So redy we be al to do that that is not coÌ„mauÌ„ded / to leaue that ehat is coÌ„maunded We se that the worlde is full of fythye workes of vnclennesse vnshame fast wordê bawdy tales and songes And besydes these the prouokyng is dayly increasyd with to moch meate and drynke / ydelnesse and gorgeous apparell And yet we go forthe styll as thoughe we were chrysten men bycause we go to the churche / whype vp our prayers fast and keape holy dayes wherby we thynke all perfyte But yf there were no more workes coÌ„maunded but chastytie / we had all busynes ynoughe to do For this byce is so peryllous and outragyous that it rageth in all our membres / in the herte by thoughtes in the iyes by syght in the eares by hearynge in the mouth by wordes in the handes fete and all the body by worke it selfe And to tame all these we muste laboure and punysshe our selfe / so the coÌ„maundementes of god teche vs. How moch howe truelye howe syncerely suche good workê ben exercysed god knoweth Yea it is vnpossyble for vs to thynke any good thyng of our owne power / I wyll not saye to begynne or fynisshe it For saynt Augustyne sayeth / that amoÌ„ges all chrysten mens battelles / the batell of chastytie is the greattest bycause
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
semeth but lytel / but iÌ„ very dede it is so great / that he that wyll kepe it muste be in ieoperdye of his body and his lyfe of his goodes and fame of his fryndes and all that he hath And yet it comprehendeth no more but the worke of a lytell membre the tonge / that is to saye The truthe and gaynesay lyenge / yf nede requyre / and so here be forbyde many euyll workes of the tonge Fyrst suche as be commytted by speakynge than after suche as be done by holdyng our peace By spekynge whan he that hath an euyl cause in the lawe / laboreth to proue and defende it by an euyll foundacyon to take his neyghbour in a tryppe to laye out all that he can for to set out promote his owne cause / hydynge makynge lesse what soeuer shulde helpe his neyghbours cause / in the which thyng he dothe not to his neyghboure as he wolde be done to There be some that do this for ê“fyte some partly to auoyde losse or sclauÌ„dre / bothe they seke more theyr owne ê“fyte thaÌ„ the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god / they excuse theÌ„ selfes on this facyon The lawe helpeth hym that laboureth as though they were not as well bounde to laboure in theyr neyghbours cause as in theyr owne So they wyllyngly suffre theyr neyghboures cause go to nought all though they know that it be ryght / the which euyl is now a dayes so coÌ„mon that I feare there is no iudgement nor acte / but one ê‘tie synneth agaynst this coÌ„maundement Yea be it so that they be not able to brynge theyr purpose about / yet they haue an euyll mynde wyll to do yll bycause that they wolde haue the good cause of theyr neyghbour decaye theyr owne euyl cause pÌ„uayle And this synne is chefely coÌ„mytted of the iudges / Iudges whan the one part is a great man or ennemye to the iudges For so they wyl be auenged of theyr enemye not haue the dyspleasure of any great man By this meanes are begon flateryng adulacyon / and at the leste suppressynge of the truthe / for here no man wyll suffre dysdayne hurte ieoperdye for the truthe sake / and so the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god must nedes be troden vnder fete And this is now for the most parte the rule ordre of the worlde He that coueteth or wylleth to contynewe in this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t may haue both his handes full of workes be but onely occupyed with his tonge Moreouer oh good Iesu / howe many be there that by gyftes rewardê be dryuen froÌ„ the truth to holde theyr peace so that surelye in euery place it is a hyghe great rathe worke a man not to be a false wytnes agaynst his neyghboure BEsydes these there is yett a greatter wytnessyng of the truthe wherby we be coÌ„pelled to stryue agaynst euyll spirytes / Euyll spirytes be false teachers prechers but this stryfe begynneth not about temporall thynges / but for the gospell / the truthe of the fayth which the deuyll can not suffre but so goeth about all thynges / that the chefe of the people whom it is harde to withstande may resyste persecute the true faythe / of the whiche it is sayde the .81 psalme Take awaye the poore man and delyuer the nedy from the handê of a synner And that this persecucyon is so seldome done and waxen out of vse / oure prelates of the spirytualtie be in the faute / whiche suffre not the gospell to be preched / but to be oppressyd / and so they haue banysshed as moch as in them is the cause for the whiche such persecucyon wytnesse shulde be moued And for the gospel they teache vs theyr owne tradycyons constytucyons and what soeuer please them / therfore Satan resteth For whan the gospell is banysshed / fayth in Chryst must also be banysshed so all thynges come to passe after the deuyls desyre / but yf the gospell shuld be raysed vp agayne and harde of the people / vndoubted all the worlde shulde be troubled sturrynge the greatter parte of kynges prynces bysshoppes doctours spirytuall men to stryue agaynst it as it hath ben alway / so oft as the worde of god came forth to lyght For the worlde can not suffre that thynge that coÌ„meth from god / the which thyng was proued by our sauyour Chryste whiche was the greattest beste beloued and chefe thynge that god had / yet he was more cruellye persecute than al other thynges that came froÌ„ god / so farre was it of that the worlde wolde receyue or take hym And so as in his tyme there be fewe that so fauour the truth of god / that wyll put body lyfe ryches fame / all that they haue in ieoperdye for it And that is the thyng that Chryst hathe promysed to them that folowe hym Sayeng Mathewe the .x. chapytre You shall be hated of all people for my name Also than many shal be sclauÌ„dred But and yf housbaÌ„demen shepardes horsekepers suche fylthy men shulde persecute this truthe / who than myght not or wolde not graunt and wytnesse the truthe but nowe whan the pope and bysshoppes with prynces kynges persecute it / euery man flyeth awaye al men holde theyr peace all flatter lest they shulde lose theyr goodes theyr honour theyr fauour / and at the last theyr lyfe ANd why do they this truelye bycause they haue no faythe in god / nor thynke that they haue any good of god / for where soeuer is this faythe and truste towarde god there is a strauÌ„ge hert bolde and without feare / whiche graunteth standeth by the truthe whether he lose bodye or goodes / whether it be agaynst the bysshoppes or kynges / as we se that the holy martyrs haue done for such an herte is content with the mercy gentylnesse of god / dyspyseth honoure fauour thankes and ryches of all worldly thyngê sufferyng all thyng to go and come that wyll not last tary As it is redde in the .14 psalme He abhorreth suche sclaunderous and noughty ê‘sones / such as worshyppe the lorde he setteth moche by That is tyrantes and men of great power whiche ê‘secute the truthe and dyspyce god those he feareth not regardeth them not he dispyseth them And vpon the other parte / they that suffre persecucyon for the truthe / and feare god more thaÌ„ men Those he foloweth those he standeth by / those he defendeth those he honoureth / who soeuer be dyspleasyd with them As we rede in the 11. chapytre to the Hebrewes That Moyses defended his bretherne the chyldren of Israell / nothyng fearyng the myghty kynge of Egypte Lo agayne in this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / thou seest shortelye howe that faythe is the mayster of this worke for without fayth no man dare worke it / so be all workes grounded vpon faythe / as we haue ofte tymes sayd before And so without faythe all workes be deade thoughe they appere seme and shyne neuer so goodlye / and be called neuer so good For as no man dothe the worke of this coÌ„maundement / but he the is stroÌ„ge sure stedfast in the fayth of the fauour of god / so can not he do any worke of the coÌ„maundementes without this fayth So that of this coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t euery man may take a felynge perseueraunce whether he be a chrysten maÌ„ or no / may knowe whether he doth good workê or no. Nowe we se that almighty god hath not onely set before vs our lorde Iesu Chryst / in whome we shulde beleue with suche truste / but also that we shulde haue hym for an exaÌ„ple of suche trust settynge before vs suche good workes in hym / that we shuld byleue in hym folowe hym abyde euermore in hym As he sayth in the .17 cha of IohnÌ„ I am the way Chryste is the way truth and lyfe the truthe the lyfe / he is the way by the whiche we shulde folowe hym / the truth that we may byleue in hym the lyfe that we maye euermore lyue in hym vpoÌ„ these thyngê before rehersyd / it is manyfest that all other workes not coÌ„mauÌ„ded be very ê‘ylous easy to be knowen / as by buyldynge of churches deckyng of theÌ„ pylgrimage to sayntes / what soeuer is wrytten in the popes decrees which disceyueth the world greueth dystroyeth it / maketh mans coÌ„scyence vnquyete hath brought fayth to sylence made it weake / therfore in asmoche as a man hathe busynes ynoughe to do in the commauÌ„dement of god all other set a parte / so that he can neuer do al the good workê coÌ„mauÌ„ded to hym of god / why thaÌ„ doth he seke other which be nother necessary to him nother coÌ„mauÌ„ded these workê necessary coÌ„mauÌ„ded left vndone THe two last coÌ„mauÌ„dementes forbyddynge euyll desyres or lustê of the body / and pleasures loue of temporall thynges be clere in them selfe without hurt to our neyghbour And these lustes last to the graue / for the stryfe agaynste them contynueth vs vnto dethe Therfore saynt Paule wrytynge to the Romayns the .7 chapytre comprehendeth these two coÌ„mauÌ„dementes in one / they be set for one purpose whiche we can not obtayne / but onely we labour and stryue to come to it vnto the honoure of deth For there was neuer man so holy which hath not felte euyll lustes in hym / specyally yf he had any cause or occasyon / for orygynall synne is naturally borne with vs sufferyng it self to be oppressyd / but not to be vtterly plucked awaye but by deth / which deth for the endyng of this orygynall synne is bothe profytable and to be wysshed for / and that we may manfully fyght agaynst this orygynall synne I beseche god to helpe vs. Amen ¶ Finis ¶ Imprynted be me Robert wyer / dwellynge in saynt martyns parysshe besyde charynge Crosse ¶ Cum priuilegio ROBERT WYER