of the trees not the cause that somer draweth nye but the drawinge nye of somer cause of the blosomes and the blosomes put vs in remembrance that somer is at hande So Christe here teacheth Simon by the ferueÌ„tnes of loue in the outwarde deades to se a stroÌ„ge fayth within wheÌ„ce so greate loue springeth As the manet is to saye do your charyte showe your charyte do a deade of charyte showe youre mercye do a deade of mercye meaninge ther by that oure deades declare how we loue our neyghbours and howe much we haue compastion on them at there neade More ouer it is not possyble to loue except wee se a cause Except we se in oure hertes the loue and kindnes of God to vs warde in Christe our Lorde it is not possible to loue God a ryght We saie also he that loueth not my dog loueth not me Not that a man shulde loue my dog fyrst But if a man loued me the loue where with he loueth me would coÌ„pell hym to loue my dogge thoughe the dogge deserued it not ye though the dog had done him a displeasure Yet if he loued me y e same loue would refrayne him from venging him selfe and cause him to tefet the veÌ„geaunce vnto me Such speakinges finde we in scripture Ihon in the iiii of hys fyrst Epistle sayth he that saieth I loue God and yet hateth his brother is a lyar For how can he that loueth not his brother whom he seith loue God whom he seyth not Thys is not spoken that a man should fyrst loue hys brother and then God but as it folowith For thys commaundement haue we of hym that he whyche loueth God shoulde loue his brother also To loue my neyghboure is the commaundement whiche coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t he that loueth not loueth not God The kepynge of the commaundemeÌ„t declareth what loue I haue to God If I loued God purely no thing that my neyghboure coulde do were able to make me neyther to hate hym eyther to take veÌ„ geaunce on hym my selfe seing that God hath commauÌ„ded me to loue hym and to remitte al vengeaunce vnto him Marke now how muche I loue the commaundement so muche I loue God how much I loue God so much beleue I y t he is merciful kind and good yea and a father vn to me for Christes sake how much I beleue that God is mercyfull vnto me and that he wyll for Christes sake fulfyll all hys yromyses vnto me so much I se my sinnes so moche do my synnes greue me so moche do I repent and soro we that I sinne so moche displeaseth me that poyson that moueth me to sinne and so great ly desyre I to be healede So now by the naturall order fyrst I se my sinne Then I repeÌ„t and sorow TheÌ„ beleue I Gods promises y t he is mercyfull vnto me and forgeueth me and wil heale me at the last then loue I and then I prepare my selfe to the commaundement THis do and thou shalt lyue Luc. x. that is to saye loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy hert wyth all thy soule wyth all thy streÌ„gh and wyth all thy mynde and thy neyghboure as thy selfe As who shoulde saye if thou do this or though thou canst not do it yet if thou fealest luste ther vnto and thy spirit sigheth morneth and longeth after streÌ„gth to do it take a signe and euideÌ„t token therby that the spirit of life is in the and that thou art electe to life euerlasting by Christes bloude whos gift and purchase is thy faith and that spirit that worketh the will of God in y e whos gift also are thy deades or rather the deades of the spirite of Christ and not thine and whos gift is the rewarde of eternall life which foloweth good workes It foloweth also in the same place of Luc. When he shoulde depart he pluked out ii pence and gaue them to the host and sayd vnto hym Take the charge or cure of hym and what so euer thou spen dest more I will recompense it the at my coming agayne Remembre this is a parable and a parable maye not be expounded word by word But the entent of the similitude must be sought out only in the whole parable The entent of the similitude is to shewe to whoÌ„ a man is a neigh bour or who is a mans neighbour which is both one and what it is to loue a maÌ„s neyghboure as hym selfe The Samaritane holpe hym and shewed mercy as loÌ„g as he was present and he left his monyâ— behinde him And if that were not sufficient he left hys credeÌ„s to make good the rest and forsoke hym not as longe as the other had neade TheÌ„ said Christ go thou and do lyke wise that is wythout difference or respection of persons whoe so euer neadeth thy healpe hym count thy neighbour and his neyboure be thou and shewe mercy on hym as longe as he neadeth thy soccour that is to loue a mans neyboure as him selfe Neyghboure is a worde of loue and signifieth that a man shoulde be euer nye and at hand and readye to healpe in time of neade They y t wil enterprete parables worde for worde fall in to straytes oft tymes whence they can not rid them selfes And preach lyes in steade of the trueth As do they whiche enterpret by the two pence the olde testament and the newe and by that whiche is bestowed Opera supererogationis Howe be it superarogancia were a meter terme That is to saye deades which are more then the lawe requyâ—eth deades of perfectioÌ„ and of liberalite which a man is not bownde to do but of hys freewil And for them he shall haue an hygher place in heauen and may giue to other of his merites or of whiche the pope after his death maye giue pardons fâ—ome the paines of purgatorye Agaynst whiche exposicion then I answer Fyrst a greatter perfection then to loue God and his will whiche is the coÌ„maundementes with all thine herte with all thy minde is ther none And to loue a mans neiboure as hym selfe is like the same It is a woÌ„derfull loue where with a man loueth hym selfe As glad as I woulde be to receyue pardone of myne owne life if I hade deserued death so glad ought I to be to defeÌ„d my neibours life with out respect of my life or of my good A man ought nether to spare hys goodes nor yet him selfe for his brothers sake after the ensaÌ„pel of Christ i. Iohn iii. Here in sayeth be perceyue wee loue in that he that is to saye Christe gaue his life for vs. We ought therfore to bestow our liues for y e brethreÌ„ Now saith Christ Iohaâ— xv ther is no greater loue than that a man bestowe his lyfe for his frende More ouer no man can fulfil the lawe For Ihon sayth i. Chapter of the sayd epistle if we saie we haue no sinne we deceyue our selues and true this not in vs. If
hir Christ defended hyr and iustified hyr saynge Symon I haue a certayne thynge to say vnto the â–ª And he said master saâ—e on There was a certaine lender whyche hade two detters the one ought fyue hundreth pens and the other fiâ—ftye When they had nothinge to paye he for gaue both Which of them tel me wyll loue him moost Simon answered and saide I suppose that he to whom he forgaue moost And he to hym thou haste iudged truly And he turned hym to the woman and sayde vnto Symon Seest thou thys woman I entred in to thyne house and thou gauest me no water to mi fete but she hath washed my fete with teres and wyped them wyth the heares of hir head Thou gauest me no kysse but sence the tyme I came in hath not shee reasted to kysse my fete Thou haste not anoynted my heade with oyle But she hath annoynted my fete with costlye and preciouse oyntement Wherfore I saye vnto the many synnes are forgeuen her for she loued much To whoÌ„ lesse is forgeuen the same doth loue lesse and here by se we that deades and workes are but outwarde sygnes of the inwarde grace of the bounteous and plenteous mercy of God frely receyued with out all merytes or dedes yea and before all dedes Christ teacheth to knowe the in warde fayth and loue by the outwarde dedes Dedes are the fruites of loue and loue is the fruit of fayth Loue also the dedes are greate or smal accordinge to the proporcioÌ„ of fayth Wher faith is mighty and stronge ther is loue feruent and dedes plenteous done with exceadynge mekenes Where fayth is weake ther is loue clode and the dedes few and faydeth as flores and blossomes in wynter Symon beleued and had fayth yet but weak ly and accordynge to the proporcyon of hys fayth loued coldly and hadde dedes therafter he bade Christe vnto asimple and abare feaste only and receyued hym not with any greate humanite But Mary had a strong fayth and therfore burn ning loue and notable dedes done with exceadinge profounde and depe mekenes On the one syde she sawe herselfe clearely in the lawe both in what daunger she was and hyr cruell bondage vnder synne hyr horryble dampnacion and also the fearfull sentence and iudgement of God vpon synners ¶ On the other syde she hearde the Gospell of Christe preached and in the promises she sawe with Egles eyes the exceadinge abundaunt mercy of God that paseth all vtterauÌ„ce of speach whiche is set forth in Christ for all meke synners Which knowlege theyr synnes And she beleued the worde of God myghteli and glorifed God ouer his mercy and trueth and beinge ouercome ouer whelmed with the vnspeakable yea and incoÌ„prehensyble abundauÌ„t ryches of the kind nes of God dyd enflame and burne in loue yea was so swollen in loue that she coulde not abyde nor holde but muste breake out and was so dronken in loue that she regarded nothinge but eueÌ„ to vtter the feruent and burnynge loue of hyr herte onelye She hade no respecte to hyr selfe thoughe she was neuer so greate and notable a synner neither to the curyouse bypocrisie of the pharisies which euer dysdayne weake synners nether to the costlynes of hyr oyntment but with all humbelnes dyd runne vnto hys fete Washed theym wyth the teares of hyr eyes and wiped them with the heares of her head and anoynted them with precyous oyntement yea and would no doubt haue runne in to the grounde vnder hys fete to haue vttered hyr loue toward him yea woulde haue descended downe in to hell yf it had bene possible Eâ—â— as Daul in the nyenth chapter of his epistle to the Romayns was dronke in loue and ouer whelmed and with the plentuousnes of the infinite mercye of God whiche he had receyued in Christ vnsought for wi shed hymselfe banished from Christe and dampned to saue the Iewes yf it myght haue â—en For as a maÌ„ feleth God in him selfe so is he to hys neghbour Marke an other thinge also We for the moost part because of oure grossenes in all oure knowledge procede from that which is last and hiâ—â—ost vnto y t whiche is fyrst begynnynge at the later ende disputynge and makynge oure argumentes backwarde We begynne at the effecte and worke and procede vnto the naturall cause As because of an eÌ„sample we fyrst se the mone darke and then searche the cause and fynde that the puttyng of the earth betwene the sonne and the mone is the naturall cause of the darkenes and that the earth stoppeth the lyght Then dispute we backwarde sayenge the mone is darkened therfore is the earth directly betwene the sonne and the mone Nowe yet is not the darkenes of the mone the naturall cause that the earth is betwene the sonne and the moÌ„e but the effect ther of and cause declarynge and leadyng vs vnto the knowlege howe that the earth is betwene the sonne and the mone direct lye and causeth the darknes stoppynge the light of the soÌ„ne from the mone And contrarye wise the beyng of the earth directly betwene the sonne and the mone is the naturall cause of the darkenes Lykewyse he hath a sonne therfore is he a father and yet the sonne is not cause of the father but contrarye wyse Not withstaÌ„dynge the sonne is the cause declaratyue where by we knowe that the other is a father After the same maner here many synnes are forgeuen her â–ª for she loued much thou mayste not vnderstande by the worde for that loue is the natural cause of y e forgeuyng of synnes but declareth it onely and contrary wyse the forgeuenes of synnes is the naturall cause of loue The workes declare loue And loue declareth that ther is some be nefyte and kyndnes shewed â–ª or els would there be no loue Why worketh one and an other not Or one more then another Because that one loueth and y e other not or that the one loueth more theÌ„ the other Why loueth one and another not or one more then another Because that one feleth the exccadynge kyndnes of God in his herte and another noâ— or that one feleth it more then another Scripture spea keth after the moost grossest maner Be diligente therfore that thou be not deceyued with curiousnes For men of no smal reputacion haue ben deceyued with thier owne sophistrye HEreby seist thou y t ther is greate differeÌ„ce betwene beinge rightuous and good in declarynge and vtterynge a mans owne ryghtuousnes and goodnesse The fayth onelye maketh a man safe good rightuous and the freÌ„de of god yea heir of al his goodnes and possesseth vs wyth the spirite of god The worke declareth the same faith and goodnes Nowe vseth the scripture the commune maner of speakinge and the very same that is amonge the people As whan a father sayeth to his chyld go and be louynge mercyfull and good to such or such a poore man he byddeth him not ther with to be made mercyful
and the same spirite thou cowldest neuer consent to their deades and healpe them But thy deades testifye what thow art and certyfye thy conscience that thou art receyued to mercy saÌ„tyfied in Christes passions and sufferynges and shallt here after wythe all them that folowe God receyue the reward of eternall lyfe â–ª Of thy wordes thou shalt be iustified and of thy wordes thou shalt be condemned Math. xii That is thy wordes as wel as other deades shall testifye with the or agaynst y e at the daye of iudgemente Many ther are which abstaine from the vtte warde deades of fornicacioÌ„ and adulteri neuer the lasse reioice to talke ther of and laugh their wordes and laughter testifie agaynste them that theyr herte is vnpur and they Adulterers and Fornicatours in the syght of God The tonge other signes oft times vtter y e malice of y e hert though a man for many causes abstayne his haÌ„de froÌ„ the outwarde deade or acte IF thou wylt enter in to lyfe kepe the commaundementes Maâ—hei xix Fyrste remeÌ„bre that wheÌ„ God coÌ„maundeth vs to do anie thinge he dothe it not therfore because that wee of oure selues are able to do that he com mauÌ„deth but that by the lawe we myght se and knowe oure horryble damnacion and captiuite vnder sinne and shoulde repent and come to Christe receyue mercye and the scripture of God to loose vs strengh vs to make vs able to do gods wil which is the law Now when he say eth if thou wylt enter in to lyfe kepe the conmaundementes is as much to say as he that kepeth the commaundementes is intred in to life for except a maÌ„ haue first the spirit of life in him by Christes pourcheasinge it is impossible for him to kepe the commaundementes or that his herte shoulde be loose or at libertie to lust after theÌ„ â–ª for of nature wee are enemyes to the lawe of God As toutchinge that Christe saieth after ward if thou wilt be perfect goe and sell thy substance and geue it to the pore he saieth it not as who shoulde saye that ther were any greater perfectioÌ„ then to kepe the lawe of God for that is all perfection but to showe the other his blindnes which saw â—not that the law is spiritual and requireth the herte But because he was not knowinge that he hade hurt any man with the outwarde deade he supposed that he loued his neyghbour as hym selfe But when he was bade to shewe the deades of loue and geue of his abundance to them that neaded he depar ted morninge Whiche is an euident tokeÌ„ that he loued not his neyboure as well as hym selfe For if he had nede him selfe it woulde not haue greaued him to haue receyued succour of an other man Moreduer he sawe not â–ª that it was morder and thefte that a man shoulde haue oboÌ„dauÌ„ce of ryches lyinge by him and not succoure hys neiboures neade God hath geueÌ„ one maÌ„ riches to healpe an other at neade Yf thi neighbour neade and thou healpe him not beinge able y u with holdist hys dutye from him and art a thefe before God That also that Christ saieth how that it is harder for a rich man whiche loueth his riches so y t he can not find in his hert liberally and frely to healpe the pore and nedy to enter in to the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ then a camell to go thorowe the eye of an nedle declareth that he was not intred in to the kingdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ that is to saye eternall life But he that kepeth the commauÌ„ demeÌ„tes is intred in to life yea hath life and the spirite of life in him THis kinde of deuils goth not out but by prayere fastinge Math. xxvii Not that the deuill is caste out by merites of fasting or pray inge For he sayeth before that for there vnbelefes sake they coulde not cast hym out It is fayeth no doute that casteth out the deuils and fayth it is that fasteth and praieth Fayth hath the promyses of God where vnto she cleaueth and in all thinges thristeth the honour of god She fasteth subdueth y e body vnto y e spirite y t the prayer be not let and that the spirite maye quietly talke wyth God she also when so euer oportunitie is geueÌ„ prayeth god to fulfil his promises vnto his praise and glorye And God whiche is mercyful in promysinge and true to fulfyll ' them casteth out the deuils doth all that faith desyreth and satisfieth hyr thurst COme ye blessed of my father enherete the kyngdome prepared for you from the begynnynge of the world For I was a thurst and ye gaue me drinke c. Mat. xxv Not that a man with workes deserueth eternall lyfe as a worke man or labourer his hyre or wages Thou readest in the text that the kingdome was prepared for vs from the beginnge of the worlde And we are blessed and sanctified In Christes bloude are we blessed from that bitter cruse and damnable captiuite vnder synne where in we were borne and conceyued And Christes spirit is poured into vs to bring forth good workes and oure workes are the fruites of the spirit and the kingdom is thr deseruinge of Christes bloude and so is fayth and the spiryte and good wor kes also Not withstandinge the kingdoÌ„e foloweth good workes good workes testifie that we are heyres therof and at the daye of Iudgement shall they testifie for y e electe vnto theyr comforth and glorye And to the confucion of the vngodâ—ie vnbeleuynge faythlesse synners whiche had not truste in the worde of Goddes promyses nor lust to the wil of God but were caryed of the spirite of theyr father the deuill vnto al ab hominacioÌ„ to worke wyckednes with all luste delectacion and gredâ—nes MAny sinnes are forgeuen hir for she loueth moche Lu. vii Not y t loue was cause of forgeuenes of sinnes But coÌ„ trary wise the forgeuenes of synnes caused loue as it foloueth to whom lesse was forgeueÌ„ the same loueth lesse And afore he coÌ„mended the iudgement of Symon whiche answered that he loueth most to whoÌ„ moste was forgeuen and also sayde at the last thy fayth hath saued the or made y e safe go in peace We can not loue except wee se some benefite and kyndnes As longe as we loke on the law of god only where we se but sinne and damnacion and the wrath of God vpon vs yea where wee were damned afore we were borne wee can not loue God No wee can not but hate him as a ryrante vnrightuous and vniust and fle from hym as dyd Cayn But when the Gospel that glad tidinges and ioâ—full promises are preached howe that in Christe God loueth vs fyrst forgeueth vs and hath mercye on vs then loue we again and the deades of our loue declare oure fayth This is the maner of speakyng As we saye Somer is nye for the trees blosome Nowe is the blosome