sight what are our sins then neuertheles his goodnes and his pittie is more then al our wretchednes and therefore with all humblenes and lowlines and with a reuerent dread in a full trust and confidence of his great mercy let him goe vnto him for his worthines shall make him worthy let him offer himselfe in humble and hartie prayer vnto God committing vnto him both his body soule to be made by his grace and through the working of the holy Ghost in his heart a worthy partaker of this holy Sacrament that together in by and with the same hee may receiue and bee partaker of the reall naturall holy flesh and bloud of Christ through which hee may be purged of all his sinnes and receiue grace of good life For why for that cause amongst other was this holy Sacrament ordeined that a man through offering of his praiers to God and partaking of this Sacrament should aske pardon and forgiuenes of all his sinnes and grace of good life and should obtaine it If time therefore doe suffer before the receiuing of the blessed sacrament let him meditate or say on this manner Lord all things bee thine that are in heauen and in earth I desire to offer my selfe vnto thee in a free perpetuall offering so that I may be perpetually with thee in singlenes and simplicity of heart I offer mee this day to be thy seruaÌ„t in thy seruice and although I am vnworthy to serue thee yet art not thou vnworthy to haue my seruice make mee therefore worthy of that which thou art worthy of so shall I be worthy of that which now I am vnworthy of make mee as thy will is to cease from sinne that as my dutie binds mee I may serue thee I offer also vnto thee O Lord all my sinnes and offences that I haue committed before thee from the day that I might first offend vnto this day that thou vouchsafe through thy great goodnes to put away all my sinnes out of thy sight and remembrance and to cleanse my conscience of all mine offences restoring mee againe to that grace that I through sinne haue lost and that thou forgiue me al things past receiuing me mercifull Lord into the blessed kissings of peace and of forgiuenes for what may I doe but meekly confesse and bewaile my manifold sinnes continually crauing mercie of thee for the same forgiue mee merciful Lord now I beseech thee for al my sinnes dispâ—ease mee much and by the helpe of thy grace I will neuer coÌ„mit them againe but sorrow for them and be readie to dopenance and satisfaction before thy congregation Church to the vttermost of my power and abilitie for all the iniuries that I haue done to the offence of thy Church or to thâ— hinderance and hurt of any my Christian brethren or sisters by any the offences I haue committed Forgiue me Lord forgiue me my sinnes and for thy holy name saue my soule that thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloud I commit my selfe wholly to thy mercie I resigne mee into thy hands doe with me after thy goodnes and not after my wicked deseruings I offer also vnto thee al the good works which through thy grace haue beene wrought or done by me which because they are few and very imperfect through my frailtie and great wretchednes I beseech thee to amend them and sanctifie them and make them liking and acceptable vnto thee alway make them better better bring me though I be a slow vnprofitable seruaÌ„t to a blessed happy end I offer also vnto thee my prayer peaceable offering for all them that haue hindred me greeued me and wrought me sorrow and also for all them whom I haue at any time made heauy troubled grieued or iniured in thought word or deed wittingly or ignorantly that thou forgiue vs altogether our sinnes offences against thee and of each of vs against other and that thou Lord take from our hearts all enuie suspicion wrath variance pride indignation and contention and whatsoeuer may let charity or diminish fraternall loue that each of vs should haue to other Haue mercy Lord haue mercy on all them that aske thee mercy and giue vs grace that wee may receiue thy precious bodie and bloud which thou really and truly offerest vnto all and giuest vnto all thy children the true beleeuers in this blessed Sacrament that through the liuely power of this thy holy body receiued by vs in a true stedfast and vnfained faith by and through the operation of the holy Ghost wee and all thy whole Church may receiue remission of sin and obtaine euerlasting life And after this meditation let him vow and promise purpose also with himselfe through the grace of God by the working of the holy Ghost â—uer after more diligently to serue God for seeing a man is busie to serue an earthly Lord with all his diligence much more should wee be diligent to serue our Lord God and to lift vp our hearts vnto him and to consider the gâ—eatnes of God and the wretchednes of our selues how great and how worthy God is how little how vnworthie our selues are consider also the great loue of God that would take to himselfe that is so worthy the fraile weake estate of mankind not for any cause of his own but for the great loue hee bare vnto vs consider also his vnspeakable and rich mercy towards miserable and wretched sinners who not onely offered himselfe to death for vs on the crosse but also giueth himselfe to vs in the Sacrament to be our spirituall meate ann drinke and to bee fully with vs and in vs. Wherfore let euerie Christian man if hee haue time before the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament say thus in his heart Lord I know well that al workes and deserts of men be they neuer so holy are not worthy to receiue thee how much more am I vnworthy that each day sinne and as a man vncorrigible dwell still therein O Lord why do I such de pite vnto thee for to cast thee my precious Lord into the foule pit of my conscience for surely there is no dâ—â—g more stincking then my soule is O Lord what shall I doe shall I lay thee in that foule place surely Lord I durst not but in hope of thy mercies but I beleeue and am assured that thy mercies are endlesly more then all my sinne and therefore in full trust of thy goodnes I offer my selfe to receiue thee as a sicke man receiueth a medicine thou art the most soueraine salue and I am sore sicke therefore I take thee to bee made whole through thee and the sicker that my soule is the more desire I haue to be healed and the more need I haue of thee for why in healing of my deadly sicknes shall well bee shewed and commended the greatnesse of thy goodnesse that wilâ— helpe and heale so wretched a creature and bring mee to the possession of
and new Testament called the Epistles and Gospels The Epistles Gospels cut in the Masse The which the Massalians haue cut and mingled with the Pompilian Idolatry therein haue prophaned the lawe of God euen as did the Apostate Sergius Doctor of the Mahomet the the which decked the Alcoran with many places of the holy Bible and patched a hotch potch of fables and heresies with the holy lawe of God The Massalians haue ordeined two persons to sing the Epistles and Gospels to the end to enrich their Mâ—sseâ—daunce to wit the subdeacon who marcheth before to play the person of the first lawe of the Iewes and the deacon which commeth after with more great dignitie to represent the lawe of the Gospell the which deacon carieth vpon his breast a cushon to figure the humblenesse of heart The subdeacon receiueth not the blessing of the Massing Sacrificer as the deacon doth for this cause say the Massalian Doctors that God sent his Prophets inuisiblie But the deacon playing the personage of the lawe of the gospell hee receiueth blessing as being sent among Wolues because Christ sent his Apostles as men visiblie It is ordeined that the deacon shall we are a stoale crosâ—wise hanging vpon his shoulders one end ouer the other to figure force and continence ioyned together in the Masse-monger The Deacon playing his pagen and singing some peece of the Gospell in a language vnderstanded neither of him nor of the assistaÌ„ts must turne himselfe toward the north standing vpright Because saith Titelman the north part is cold and malicious And therefore he must make a crosse to chase awaie the Diuels of the north Be not these sorceries and conflâ—ctes more horrible then al the coÌ„mentaries of the ancient Romane Bishops Idolators Doth not this approue the Alcoran Against the long possession and prescription of Idolators of Mahomet the long possession wherof Turkes presently haue had for these 900. yeares past hauing conquered Countries Realmes and Empires Against Turkes prospered in all their enterprises still obseruing the abhominable lawe set out Against the people of Israell offering to Moloch in the Alcoran Where the people of Israel excused before God when they did sacrifice in the valley of Tophet to Moloch with innocents bloud by alleaging the long possession accustomed 4 King 16. 23. Against the idolatry of the brasen serpent vsage for the space of 1200. yeares before this Idolatry was altogether destroyed by the good king Iosias Did the Israelites murmure against the vertuous King Ezechias when he destroyed the brasen serpent which was made by the expresse commandement of God 900. yeares before Where the same people excused of their Idolatries coÌ„mitted in Dan Bethel wherein are the Images of 2. heiffers of gold instituted by their King Ieroboam vnder pretence of long possession and that they had continued this Idolatry for the space of 300. or 400 yeares The Iewes nowe vacabonds Against the image set vp in Ieroboam 3 King 12. Against the infidelity of the Iewes shall they be excused before the maiesty of God by shewing the long possession of this ceremoniall lawe instituted of God himselfe three thousande yeares agoe Also you O Massalians can you alleage against God the continuance and long possession of celebrating your PoÌ„pilian Masses long time and that you your predecessors haue vsed solde and put to vsurie your Missall sacrifices Is this reason sufficient to grounde vpon long possession as your predecessors Senators of Rome did alleage vnto Theodose the Emperour their Pompilian religion to haue bene obserued more then a 1000. yeares This is not an excuse sufficient to bring in long possession and vsage of long time obserued for the confirmation of your Idolatries For if God of his mercie and wonderfull patience did suffer the Iewes in their vnfaithfulnesse the Turkes in their Alcoran lawe and the Christians in their Masse Idolatries It is not for vs to dispute of the incomprehensible secrets of God but with all humility to take againe the way of truth when it shall please him to giue it vs after long and deepe darknes whereunto the people in all ages haue fallen turned from the true worshipping and ordinance of God euen so as briefly before we haue declared of the Israelits the chosen people of God the which notwithstanding that they had Moyses and the Prophets which did admonish them by many miracles and threatnings how they should honor God and keepe the lawe neuerthelesse they neuer ceased by mens inuentions to commit Idolatries So that during the raigne of the Princes Iudges of Israell when the people were gouerned as in Aristocratia then after submitted vnder the yoake of Kings as in a Monarchie last of all brought vnder the gouernement of the Pristes hauing gotten both the temporaltie and spiritualtie the law of God hath beene corrupted the sacrifices and sacraments defaced and defiled and Idolatry continued more then 1600. yeares from the law written by Moyses vnto the incarnation of Iesus Christ What may one hope for then of the people of Rome instructed in all Idolatrie as a dry tree a Heathenish and bastard people But these Massalian heretikes cannot vaunt themselues of very long possession of their Masse sacrifices except of the 9. peeces before described restored and borrowed of Numa Pempilius for the other parts of the Masse were inuented at diuerse times by diuerse antichrists corruptors of the holy sacraments ordeyned of God And to vnderstand the times and yeares of the chiefe builders Agapet Pope of Rome raigned in the yeare of Christ 533. and brought in the procession after the order prescribed by Numa The Confiteor was restored by Damase raigning the yeare 577. The Kyrie eleyson the Letanies by Gregory raigning in the y. 593. The Graduell the Collects the Traict by Gelase raigning in the yeare 493. The Sequences by Gothere Abbot of Sandale The Gloria in excelsis by Symachus raigning in the yeare 508. The Incens and the Offertorie restored from the ancient doctrine Pompilian by Leo the third of that name in the yeare 800. The kissing of the Paxe by Innocent the first of that name in the yeare 408. Agnus Dei instituted by Sergius in the yeare 697. The Commemoration of the deade inuented by Pelagius in the yeare 558. The Cannon forged by Gelase Siricie Leo and Pelagi raigning in the yeare 800. The transubstantiation instituted by the bishops of Rome about the yeare of Christ 162. Wherefore of what impudencie are these Alcoranists Masse Doctours to be condemned the which falsly do affirme that the holy Apostles of Iesus Christ did celebrate their missall sacrifice Seeing that this sacrifice was not restored to his integrity after Numa Pompilius but after Christ 800. yeares In what approued histories is there mention made that such Idolatry was committed by the holy Apostles of God How is it possible to beleeue or thinke it when as this great whore of Babylon
need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dweleth the loue of God in him beloued let vs loue one another for loue coÌ„meth of God and euery one that loueth iâ— borne of God and knoweth God heâ— that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue In this appeareth the loue of God towards vs because God sent his onely begotten son into the world that we might liue through him herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs first and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes beloued if God so loued vs we ought also to loue one another no man hath seene God at any time if wee loue one another God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs God is loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him we loue him because hee loued vs first if any man say he loue God and hate his brother he is a lier for how can hee that loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene and this coÌ„mandement haue we of him he that loueth God should loue his brother also By this instruction of the Apostle in this epistle it appeareth that it is a false lying and vaine boasting of any man to say hee loueth and beleeueth in God truly when hee shuteth vp all his compassion from the helpe of mankind which beare the image of God in the person of our Sauiour Christ which was both God and man who presenteth himselfe to vs to bee beloued in them which beare the image of his maÌ„hood For no man can truly say he hartely loueth the father but hee must also loue the sonne and although the sonne be naughtie and vnthriftie yet for his fathers sake hee must helpe to better him and euen lament and bee sorry for the sonnes wickednes euen so much the rather seing God hath appointed and by his holy ordinance commaunded that whatsoeuer any true Christian man is or whatsoeuer hee hath hee should thankfully receiue it as of the free bountie and gift of God who himselfe is the fountaine and full treasure of all good things the onely author and giuer of euery good and perfect gift giuing and distributing to euery one of the abundance of his riches treasures to this end and purpose that â—ach should communicate to other of the goods they haue receiued for the supply of each others want and necessitie For which cause euery true Christian man must loue good meÌ„ in Christ and euill men for Christes sake who so loued vs when wee were his enemies that he gaue vp of his own life for our redemption let him embrace the one because they are good the other neuerthelesse to make them good let him forgiue and pray for his enemies persecutors slanderers that God would turne their harts open their blind eies and giue them true knowledge of himselfe his word coÌ„mandements in whose nature let him see and behold as in a glasse the image of his own crookednes corruptioÌ„ for there is no maÌ„ so mad cruell furious or hard hearted but all other as of themselues are as farre wide from God as hee so that euery man which escapeth the filthinesse and corruption of the wicked and vngodly may thanke God that keepeth him by his grace from that or the like impietie as for example thou seest a man that is a theefe a whoromonger and an hereticke or idolator there thou seest euen thine owne image and picture for if God keepe thee not of his mercifull grace and goodnes out of such vices thou wouldest be euen as euill and bad as he and seeing thou art not such a one glory in God and not in thy selfe hate not nor bee not angry with those which are diseased in sinne no more than a faithfull physition hateth a sicke man but rather lament and bee sorrie for their euils be thou an enemie onely vnto sinne and vice the greater the disease is the more care will true charity haue to remoue it is he an adulterer or hath he coÌ„mitted sacriledge or is he a Iew Turke Heretike or Infidel hate the adulterie sacriledge heresie idolatrie and infidelitie of the man and seeke to remoue purge and cleanse these vices wherewith the man is defiled and wherin he is wrapped and entangled through his owne fault so that the man may bee saued which God made let euery true Christian wil well wish well and doe well vnto all men â—â—â—fainedly not hurting them which haue diserued it but doing good to them which haue not diserued it according to the instruction of the Apostle Gal 6. Ro. 12. Whilst we haue time let vs do good vnto all men especially vnto those which are of the houshould of faith Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst giue him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape coles of fire vpon his head Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with good For a true Christian man must bee glad and reioyce for all mens commodities as for his owne and so to take to heart and be sorrie for an other mans harmes as if they had fallen vpon himselfe and to weepe with them that weepe and to ioy in all maner good things with them that reioyce as the same Apostle also teacheth He must not thinke with himselfe after the fashion of the worldlings and wicked men what haue I to doe with this fellow he is a man vnknowne to mee hee is a stranger hee neuer did ought for mee hee hath hurt mee some times but hee neuer did me good hee must I say thinke none of these things but remember onely what Christ hath done for thee who willeth his kindnes shewed towards thee should be requited not in himselfe which thou canst not nor shalt not bee able to doe but to shew such kindnes for his sake towards all men as hee requireth of thee distributing of such bodily or ghostly goods as he hath giuen thee to the releefe of others necessities euen to the vttermost of thine abilitie For so doth the holy scripture teach euery christian man in many places of the same as Luke 3. v. 11. Let him that hath two coates parte with him that hath none and he that hath â—eate let him doe likewise by which two examples of food and rayment the faithfull are warned by a common care and indeuour and by a particular speciall care in euery one to prouide that the necessities and wants of the poore be holpen and supplied according as God shall haue delt to them a portion of abilitie to doe it for so is it commaunded in other places of the scripture as in the I. of Tim. the 6. chap. Charge them which are rich in the world that they be readie to giue and glad to distribute laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may attaine eternall life and Math. 6. Lay not vp for