saynt Paule sayenge / that what soeuer is not of fayth / is synne For of fayth and of none other worke / we be ornate by this name / that we be called chrystyanes / as of the chefe worke For as for all other workes / euery hethen Iewe turke and synÌ„er may do them But to trust byleue stedfastely that oure workes please god / is not possyble / but to a chrystyan illustrate stablisshed by the grace of god But suche teachynge as this is very scante And therfore I am accused to be an heretyke / the cause wherof is that men folowynge blynde reason gentylles doctryne / haue put faythe not aboue but nyghe vnto other vertues / attrybutynge vnto it a peculyer and propre worke separated from all other workes of other vertues NotwithstaÌ„dyng that faythe onely doth make all other workes good acceptable worthy in that / that it trusteth in god Ones agayne remembre that this faythe muste be buylded vpon the word of god forget it no more for so meaneth thauctor doubteth not / but what so euer a man dothe / it is well done in the syght of god ye they haue not suffered faythe to remayne as a worke / but after theyr maner of speakynge haue made it a vayne qualytie / all though all holy scrypture do attrybute / the name of godly goodnes to faythe onely no worke elles Wherfore it is no meruayle that they theym selfes be made blynde and the leaders of the blynde For as this faythe dothe brynge with her charyte peace so doth she ioye and hope / for who so euer byleueth trusteth iÌ„ god / to hym strayght waye god gyueth the holy ghost / wytnesse saynte Paule to the Galatiens sayenge Ye haue receyued the spyryte not by youre good workes / but bycause ye haue byleued the worde of god IN this faythe al workes be made lyke and equall / and one as good as another In this faythe also falleth away all dyfference of workes For without faythe it is impossyble to please god as sayeth Paule the xi chapyter to the Hebrewes whether they be great or lytell longe or shorte many or fewe / for the workes be pleasaunt to god not for them selfes but for faythes sake / whiche onely and specyally and without any dyffereÌ„ce worketh quyckeneth and maketh acceptable all and synguler workes howe many and sondrye so euer they be / none otherwayes than as all the membres of a mannes body lyue worke haue theyr name by the goodnes and vertue of the heade And without the heade no membre can lyue worke or haue the name of a lyuyng membre / of the whiche thynge it foloweth more largelye / that a chrystyan lyuyng in this faythe hath no nede of a techer of good workes / but to do all thyng that commeth to his hande And all thynges be well done / as holye Samuel said vnto Saule / thou shalte be chaunged into another man whan the spyryte of the lorde shal come into the / than do what soeuer coÌ„meth to thy hande / god is with the. So rede we of holy Anne Samuels mother / whan she byleued Hely the preest promysynge her the fauour of god / she wente home mery and pacyfyed neyther after that chauÌ„ged her countenaunce that is to say all thyngê were afterwardes vnto her one equall what soeuer fortuned vnto her Also saynte Paule sayde all thynges be free there as the spiryte of god is / for fayth suffereth not her selfe to be bounde to any workes / nor agayne any workes to be taken from her / but euen as it is wryten in the fyrste Psalme / she gyueth her frute in due season / that is howe so euer it commeth or chaunseth WHiche thynge we may se by a grosse and carnall example after that a man or woman hath coÌ„ceyued a moche specyall loue a synguler mynde and fauoure one of thother and stedfastly by leueth the same / who shall than teache them howe to behaue theÌ„ selfe one to thother / or what they ought to do to leaue vndone to saye / to kepe close or to thynke for this onely specyall truste / that one hathe in thother / teacheth them al thynges and more than is necessarye And than there is no dyfference in workes / but eyther of theym dothe great workes longe workes many workes as gladly as small workes shorte workes or fewe workes And that with a mery pacyfyed and quyete herte and vtterlye of a fre mynde / but after that there is any doubte than ryse growe in the mynde dyuers ymagynacyons what shall be best to do And yf it be the man than he begynneth to appoynt hym selfe with the dyfference of workes wherby he may obtayne fauour yet euen thaÌ„ he coÌ„meth almost lyke a prysoner with a heuy herte great trouble more than halfe loste and desperate / and ofte tymes amoÌ„ges these thyngê playeth the foole So a christen man lyuynge in this hope and truste towardes god / knoweth all thinges may do all thynges / goeth about to do all thynges and he dothe all thynges merely frelye / not to heape and gather togyther many merytes and good workes / but that it is delyte and pleasure to hym so to please god well and purely and frely to serue god / beynge contente with this onely thynge that he pleaseth god And of the contrarye partye he agreeth not / nor is at one with god by faythe / whiche doubteth of hym / whiche seaketh and busely careth howe he wolde satisfye and moue god by many workes / and than he ronneth to saynt Iames to Rome to Iherusalem / hyther and thyther this waye and that waye / sayeth saynt Brigettes prayers / sayeth this and sayeth that / he fasteth this day and that day / he confesseth hym here he coÌ„fesseth hym there / he asketh this man that man / yet in all this tyme he fyndeth no reste nor quyetenes / doynge all these thynges with great payne doutfulnes indygnacyon and sorowe of his herte / in so moch that scrypture calleth these good workê in the Hebrew tonge / Aueu Amall Whiche we call in oure tonge werynesse and labour Howe be it truely they be not good workes / but all loste voyde vayne whiche ben done in suche doubte dotage Wherfore many men otherwhyles haue so doted in these / that for sorowe they haue fallen in to many troubles / of whom it is sayd / we be werye in the waye of iniquytie and perdycyon Sap. 5. we haue walked harde wayes / but the waye of the lorde we haue not knowen and the sonne of ryghtwysenes hath not shyned to vs. BYcause that faythe yet nowe and then appeareth in oure workes ryght smale feble weake / let vs aske moreouer them / that be oppressyd with any trouble aduersytie / eyther of body or of goodes or of honour or of frendes or of any other thyngê that they haue
/ 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
fyrst at the leaste equall with faythe / For I can not truste in god / oneles I thynke that he is gentyll / mercyfull meke and kynde to me / wherby I am moued to loue hym agayne to trust to hym with all my mynde vtterlye determyned with my self that he wyll do all thynges for the best to me NOwe thou seest that all they whiche byleue not alwaye in god and ê“myse not to theÌ„ selfes the grace fauoure good wyll of hym in all theyr workes and vexacycyons lyfe or deathe / but seke it about other thynges or elles in theym selfes / kepe not this commaundement of god / but truely vse ydolatrye / ye thoughe they dyd the workes of all thother coÌ„maundementes / ye in so moche yf they had caste in one heape togyther / the prayers fastynges obedyence sufferaunce chastyte and innosencye of all sayntes / for there is not the pryncypall heade worke / without the whiche all other workê be nothnyge at all / but fayre shynynge outwarde showes and colours / of the whiche our lorde hathe warned vs before Mathewe the .vii. chapytre / beware of false prophetes which come to you in shepes clothynge / wtin they be rauysshyng wolues / of the whiche sorte be they / whiche go about to gette the fauoure of god as they speake with many good workes hym theyr frynde as thoughe they shulde bye his grace fauoure / as thoughe god were a broker seller and a merchaunte / whiche wolde not frely gyue his grace in good wyll These ben the moste frowardes of all the men in the worlde / And whiche eyther hardely or elles neuer be conuerted to the true waye Lykewyse be those whiche in theyr trouble aduersitye ronne hyther thyther vp and downe / sekyng couÌ„sell helpe and conforte and lette god alone / of whome oonly they be coÌ„maunded to seke suche thinges / whome the prophete Esaye rebuketh after this maner My people is folysshe / and hathe not tourned agayne to hym that stroke hym / that is to saye the lorde hath stryken theym and sende to theym all maner of trouble vexacyons and aduersytie that they myghte ronne to hym and truste to hym / but they roÌ„ne from hym to men nowe in to Egypte now in to Assiria / ye and somtyme to yll deuylles / of the whiche Idolatrye there be many thynges redde bothe in the same prophete Esaye / and also in the boke of kynges / and so do nowe a dayes all oure holye Ipocrytes / that whan they be troubled with any aduersytie / they roÌ„ne not to god but flye from hym / thynkynge this oonlye / that they maye be delyuered out of this trouble eyther by them selfe or elles by mannes helpe / and yet in all these thynges not oonlye iudgynge them selfe good but sufferynge all other so to repute and iudge them THis is the mynde of saynt Paule in many places where he attrybuteth so moche to fayth A right wyse man lyueth by his faythe / for faythe is the selfe same thynge / for the whiche a man is couÌ„ted ryghtwyse afore god / therfore yf ryghtwysenes be in faythe / it is clere the the same faythe onelye fulfylleth all the coÌ„maundementes of god maketh ryghtwyse all theyr workes / in as moch as no man is ryghtwyse / but yf he fulfyll all the coÌ„maundementes of god / and agayne workê without faythe iustyfye no man And therfore saynt Paule with a full mouthe reiecteth workes / and so greatly coÌ„mendeth and prayseth faythe that many beynge offended with his wordes sayd than let vs do no good workes But saynt Paule rebuketh theym / as erronyous and folysshe and so it is now a dayes / that whan we reiecte these great and shynynge workes done nowe a dayes with out fayth / they say than we must onelye byleue and do no good / for nowe they call the workes of the fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dement to synge / to rede to playe on the organce / to saye seruyce or to celebrate / to say mattens euensong or other canonycalle houres / to founde churches alters monasteryes to honour them and heape them vp with belles vestementes and suche other treasure to god to Rome and other sayntes vpon pylgrymage Moreouer to were this garment or that knelyng of theyr knees / sayenge the Rosary or psalter of our Ladye doynge al these not before an ydole But before the holy crosse of god / the ymages of sayntes / this they call the worshyppyng and prayenge to god / whiche thinges bothe vserers / adulterers / and all maner of synners do and maye do dayly Nowe where as these be done with suche a faythe that we byleue that they please god thanne they be praysed not for theyr owne vertue but for the faythe sake for the whiche all maner workes as is sayde byfore be equalle But yf we eyther doubte or iudge god not to be gentyll or mercyfull vnto vs or not to please god or yf we presume to please god by or after these workes than be they nothynge / but verye gyles dyssymulacyons and dysceytes outewardlye to worshyppe god and inwardelye to put hym for an Idole This therfore is the cause / why I haue so ofte spoken and caste awaye suche workes pompes bostynges and multytudes of theym / And bycause it is open and manyfeste / that suche workes be done not onelye in doubte and without suche faythe / but also amonges a thousande men there is scante one that putteth not all his trust in theym / thynkynge surely that so he shall obtayne the grace / or fauour of god / And that he shall preuent his grace / so to make merchauÌ„dyse with god the whiche thynge god can not suffre / whiche hath promysed his fayth frely / he wolde that we shulde begyn at his grace / through fayth / and in the same to fynysshe all our workes what so euer they be / and by what name so euer they be called OF these thou thy selfe perceyueste howe greatly these two differ / to fulfyl the fyrst coÌ„maundement with outwarde workes / and withinwarde fayth / for the one maketh vs the true lyuynge sones of god / thother maketh the worste ydolatrye and moste hurtefull hypocrytes of the worlde / bryngynge many men in to the wayes by the great shynynge and yet sufferyng them to remayne with out faythe / and so wretchedlye deceyue theÌ„ styckyng in the outwarde voyce and apparauÌ„ce / of whome Chryste speaketh Mathewe .xxiiii. Than yf any man shall saye vnto you lo here is Chryst or there is Chryst byleue it not Also in IohnÌ„ the .iiii. chapytre / woman truste me the houre coÌ„meth whan ye shall neyther in this mountayne nor yet at Iherusalem worshyp the father / but the houre coÌ„meth and nowe is / whan the true worshyppers shall worshyp the Father in spyryte veryte / for verylye suche the Father requyreth to worshyp hym These and suche other sayntê as they haue moued me / so they
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
be not al equal lyke / suche maner of men muste be forborne suffered / and we muste obserue and beare those thyngê / whiche they obserue and beare / and not dyspyse theym / but teache them the true waye of faythe / as teacheth saynt Paule to the Romaynes / xiiii chapitre / hym that is weake in the faythe / receyue vnto you and lerne hym / the which thyng he dyd hym selfe / the fyrste epystell to the Corinthyanes the .ix. chapytre And vnto the Iewes sayeth he I became as a Iewe to wynne the Iewes to theym the were vnder the lawe / was I made as thoughe I had ben vnder the lawe to wynne theym that were vnder the lawe And Chryste in Mathewe the .xvii. chapytre / whan he shulde paye trybute / which he ought not to do / reasoned with Peter sayenge / of whome do kynges of the erthe take trybute or poole money of theyr chylderne or of straungers Peter sayde vnto hym of straungers / than sayde Ihesus vnto hym agayne than are the chyldren fre / neuerthelesse leaste we shulde offende theym / go to the see / and caste in thy angle / and take the fysshe / whiche fyrste commeth vp / and whanne thou openeste his mouthe / thou shalte fynde a peace of twelfe pens that take / and paye for the and me / here we se that as all workes / so all thynges be free to a chrysten man throughe his faythe yet he dothe suffre and obserue with the faythfull that / that he is not bounde to do And that he dothe vpon his lybertie beynge free nothynge doubtynge that he so dothe please god / and he dothe it gladly / takynge it frelye as any other worke that coÌ„meth to his hande without his owne chosyng or purpose here he dothe onely desyre and requyreth nothynge elles but that he maye so worke to please god with his fayth But in as moche as we purposed to teache in this boke which be very true good workes we nowe speake of the hyghest worke of all / it is manyfest the we speake not of the secoÌ„de thyrde or fourth sorte of men / but of the fyrste to whome all thother must be lyke in conclusyon and in the meane whyle be taught and suffered of the fyrste And so suche men of weake faythe / redy alwayes to do good and to lerne better / and yet not able to perceyue and vnderstande all thynges be not to be despysed iÌ„ theyr cerymonyes Blame therfore theyr folysshe blynde teachers whiche neuer taughte theym faythe but haue drawen theÌ„ so deaplye in to workes That is to wytte from that confydence that they maye be saued by theyr workes / for els they make a god sauyoure of theyr workes whch is hyghe ydolatrye and vtterly concludeth that the blod of christ is shedde in vayne for if our workes can saue vs what neded christ to dye this is thautors meanyng whan so euer he saieth fran workes therfore they muste be gentlye broughte vp by a lytell and lytell fro workes to faythe / as men do handell a sycke man / they must be suffered to leane to some workes a whyle for theyr owne conscyence vntyl they embrace faythe a ryght / lest whyles we go about cruelly and sharpely to plucke them froÌ„ theyr workes theyr conscyence be confounded or troubled and erre wauer aboute vncertayne / and so they nother kepe faythe nor workes But styffe necked men holdynge styffelye in theyr workes / not regardynge what is spoken of fayth / ye in so moche they stryue agaynst it / must be let alone / that the blynde maye leade the blynde / as Chryste bothe taught and dyd BVt peradueÌ„ture thou wylte saye howe shulde I thynke for a suertye that al my workê please god otherwhyles speakyng eatynge drynkynge slepynge to moche or in any other waye swaruynge from the ryght the whiche is vnpossyble for me to exchue I answere that this questyon proueth / that thou yet takest faythe no other wayes than thou doste other workes nother doste thou esteme it aboue all other workê / for no other cause is fayth the chiefe worke but for bycause it remayneth quencheth these venyall dayly synnes bycause she byleueth that god fauoureth the and imputeth not suche daylye falles fautes ye moreouer yf the fall be dedely / which thyng happeneth seldome or neuer to theym the lyue in faythe towarde god / yet faythe ryseth agayne doubteth not but that by by all his synnes shall be weared awaye as it is in the fyrst epystle of IohnÌ„ the .ii. chapytre My lytell chyldren these thynges wryte I vnto you that you shulde not synne and yf any man synne yet we haue an aduocate with the father Ihesus Chryste whiche is ryghtwyse / he it is that obtayneth grace for our synnes / not for ours onelye but also for all the synnes of all the worlde And the wyse man the .xv. chapytre Yf we do synne we be thyne knowyng thy greatnes And the .xxiiii. chapytre of the prouerbes seuen tymes in a day the ryghtwyse man falleth and ryseth agayne / ye this faythe truste muste be so hyghe stroÌ„ge that a man maye knowe that all his lyfe dede is no other thyng but daÌ„pnable synnes in the iudgement of god as it is wryten the 142. psalme / there shal no lyuyng man be iustyfyed in thy syghte / but we shulde rather so dyspayre in our workê / that we shulde byleue that they can not be good / but by this faythe thynkynge that we shall haue no iudgement of god but pure grace fauoure good wyll gentylnes and mercye / as it is in the .xxv. Psalme / thy mercy is before my eyes / and I haue delyted in thy truth and in the .iiii. psalme Thy lyghte is marked vpon our face that is the knowlege of thy grace by fayth and by the thou hast gyuen myrth in my herte / for as thou byleuest and trusteth so shall come vnto the. Lo thus by the mercye and grace of god and not by theyr owne nature these vayne and voyde workê be without synne / and so by faythe labourynge with the same mercye they be good / And so for our workes we maye be a frayed / but for the mercy of god we maye be comforted / as it is wryten in the .146 psalme / the lorde delyteth in them that feare hym / and in them that truste to his mercye / so we pray with full trust our father whiche is in heuen We be synners as concernyng our workes and our owne lyfe but in respect of chrystes workê his satysfaccyon blode we be iust no synners for because we cleane whooly to hym by faythe for the which we be accepted as no synners neuerthelesse to forgyue vs oure synnes We be his sones neuerthelesse synners We be acceptable and yet haue not made satysfaccyon But fayth confyrmed stablysshed in the truste of god
loketh ryghtly vnto these chosen and shynynge workes / agaynste the whiche god cōmaundeth Deuteronomie the .xxvii. and Iosue the .xxiii. chapytre Be ye onely strong and busy that you may kepe all thynges that be wryten in the boke of Moyses lawe do you not bowe from it nother on the ryght hande nor on the lyfte hande The thyrde worke of the seconde commaūdemēt THe thyrde worke of this cōmaundement is to call vpō the name of god in all trybulacyōs / for by this god iudgeth his name to be halowed magnyfyed worshypped / yf we name hym cal vpon hym in persecucyon and necessytie And for to be shorte this is the very cause why he dothe not onely punysshe vs with so many necessyties suffrynges persecucyons ye dethe / but also suffereth vs to lyue in many yll and synfull affeccyons / that by them he maye moue man to ronne to hym / to crye to hym and to call vpon his holy name / and so to fulfyll the worke of the seconde cōmaundement as he sayde the 4.9 psalme Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble / And I shall delyuer the and thou shalte honour me Offre to god the sacryfyce of prayse and thou shalt honoure me And this is the waye wherby thou mayst come to helthe For by this worke a mā may perceyue proue what the name of god is howe myghty and full of power it is to helpe thē that call vpon it / by the whiche spryngeth meruaylouslye truste and faythe / wherby the chiefe fyrst cōmaundement is fulfylled / the whiche thynge Dauyd had proued whan he said the .53 psalme I shall wyllyngly offre to the / I shall prayse thy name for it is good For thou haste delyuered me from all trouble / and my eye hath loked ouer all my enemyes And in the .90 psalme god sayth Bycause he hathe trusted in me I shall delyuer hym and I wyll defende hym / bycause he hathe knowen my name Nowe therfore marke what man there is in the worlde / that hathe not busynes ynoughe all his lyfe / in this one worke / for who lacketh temptacyon ye the space of one houre Albeit in the meane tyme I passe ouer and speake in thynge of the temptacyon of troubles whiche be infynyte To this adde that the moste peryllous temptacyon of all is this whan there is no temptacyō nor trouble but that al thynge gothe after a mannes mynde leste that he forgette god and be the more cruell and mysuse this prosperyte and fortunable seasōs yea here hath he ten tymes more neaed to call vpon the name of god than in aduersytye as it is red the .90 psalme there shall falle a thousande vpon thy ryght hāde Moreouer we se clerer than the day by dayly experyence of men that there be more greuous vyces syn̄es cōmytted in peace / in welthe of goodes in prosperous tyme Cōtynuall prosperyte is most daūgerous than in warre pestylence syckenes in al maner of troublous In somoch that Moyses feared that his people shulde forsake the cōmaundementes of god / for no other cause but that they were more full sacyate / and quyete than was expedyent as he sayde Deutronomie the .32 chap. And Israell waxed corsye kycked waxed corsye thycke smothe / let god go the made hym despysed the rocke the saued hym wherfore almyghty god suffred hym to haue many other enemyes who he wolde not put awaye that they shulde haue no rest but excercyse them selfe to kepe the cōmaundementes of god as it is redde the .iiij. chapytre of Iudyth Thus he handeleth and punyssheth vs with all maner of aduersytie / he is so carefull for vs to dryue and teache vs to call vpon his name / to desyre faythe truste in hym / and so to fulfyll two the fyrste cōmaundementes HEre therfore folysshe men doo peryllously / and specyallye these holy workes whiche chalenge any syngularytie to them self one lerneth to blysse hym selfe / the other to defende hym selfe with letters / some ronneth to charmers prophesyers and sothe sayers / this man seketh this this man that / all that they myght be safe without aduersytie Neyther can it be tolde howe myght lye the deuyls wytchecraftes reygne agaynst this commaundement by charmynge and coniuryng with superstycyous which be all done for this cause / that they shulde haue no neade in the name of god By the whiche thinges there is moche vnreuerence had to the two fyrste cōmaundementes bycause that such thynges ben sought of the deuyll man or other creature which ought onely to be sought and foūde of god / by pure playne and bare faythe and truste with a merye boldenesse / and by callyng vpon his holy name Doste not thou thy selfe therfore fele at thy fyngers endes that it is a great folysshenes to beleue the deuyll man and creature / and loke for good thynges of them And yet without suche faythe and truste in theym it helpeth or profyteth nothyng to cal vpō them What disceyte thā shal there be ī the good faythfull god or what shulde let vs to trust byleue of moche yea and farre more in hym as in man or deuyll Whan that god doth not onely promyse vs succour and sure helpe but sheweth it vs by al maner occasions dryuynge vs to put such faythe and truste ī hym Is it not a pyteous thynge and to be bewayled that the deuyll or man cōmaundyng no thynge nother compellynge but only hyghtynge and promysynge shulde be set aboue god whiche promyseth compelleth and cōmaundeth Yea and more to be gyuen to the deuyl than to god we maye well be ashamed / yf we take but euen take example of them that trust in the deuyll or in man For yf the deuyll although he be an yll and a lyenge spyryte kepe his promyse with them that come in to his felowshyppe / howe moche more wyll god onely mekest and truest kepe promyse with them that trust in hym The ryche man trusteth and is bolde in his ryches and money and that profyteth hym and wyll not we truste and be bolde in the lyuynge god that he wyll and maye helpe vs it is a comon sayenge / ryches maketh man bolde and it is true As Barucke wryteth the thyrde chapytre Whiche treasure vp syluer and golde / in the whiche men truste and there is none ende of theyr gettynge But he is moche more bolde that is moued by the hyghe and euerlastynge good / in the which not men / but onely the sonnes of god be bolde and trustye BVt yf no suche aduersyte or trouble dyd compell vs to cal vpon the name of god to truste in hym / yet onely synne is suffycyent to exercyse and styre vs to this worke / for synne besegeth vs with thre stronge hoostes Of the whiche / the fyrst is our owne flesshe The seconde the world the .iii. the deuyl by whome we be cōtynually prouoked styred and
may abyde in the fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dement and fayth as is sayd before / and the faythe maye exercyse strength her selfe in them / for the which thyng be all the other workes coÌ„maundementes ordeyned Marke therfore howe goodlye a golde rynge is made / of these thre coÌ„maundementes / and theyr workes / and how out of the fyrst coÌ„maundement and faythe ronneth the seconde in to the thyrde / and agayne the thyrde by the seconde / entreth in to the fyrst / for the fyrst worke is to beleue and haue a good herte and truste in god / out of this spryngeth the seconde good worke / whiche is to prayse the name of god to confesse his grace and to ascrybe gyue all glorye to hym onely Than after foloweth the thyrde worke / that is the worshype or seruyce of god / to exercyse thy selfe in prayer / in hearyng of sermondes in remembryng the benefytes of god Also to chastyse hym selfe to tame his flesshe The deuyll therfore seynge such faythe glorye and worshype of goo / waxeth madde begynnyng ê‘secucyon comynge vpoÌ„ our body goodê honour lyfe / putteth vnto vs syckenes sclauÌ„der deth / god so sufferyng ordeynyng hym Lo than beginneth the ii worke or .ii. saboth day of the iii. coÌ„mauÌ„dement / wherby fayth is meruaylouslye proued euyn as golde in a fornayse For it is a great thyng to kepe good trust to god / yea whaÌ„ he sendeth deth sclauÌ„der syckenes pouertie yet neuerthelesse in such a fearefull Image of deth to couÌ„t hym for a most meke gentyl father / the which thynge must be in the worke of this thyrde coÌ„maundement / where sufferyng coÌ„pelieth faythe to call vpon the name of god to prayse hym in such sufferynges / so agayne turneth the thyrde coÌ„mauÌ„dement in to the secoÌ„de And by the praysyng and callyng vpon the name of god ryseth fayth / coÌ„myng agayne in to her selfe / stablysshyng her felfe by two workes of the seconde thyrde coÌ„mauÌ„dement / so faythe goeth out in to workes and by workes commeth agayne to her selfe Lyke as the sonne rysynge iÌ„ the East goeth to the Weest / after that retouryng agayne to the Easte Daye For the whiche cause the day in holy scrypture is properly lykened vnto the workê of a quyte peasable lyfe Nyght But the nyght is lykened to the sufferynge lyfe oppressed with trouble and aduersytie And so faythe lyueth worketh in bothe these lyues / goeth out coÌ„meth in as Chryst sayeth in the .vi. chapi of IohnÌ„ Se here how the ordre of the .x. coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes ben obserued in our Pater noster WE praye for this ordre of good workes in our Pater noster in the whiche the fyrst thyng that we say is our father whiche arte in heuen whiche be the wordes of the fyrst worke of faythe / whiche by the tenoure of the fyrste coÌ„maundement doubteth not / but that she hathe a good mercyfull father in heuen Secondely halowed be thy name / by the which faythe desyreth the name prayse and glorye of god to be shewed / callynge vpon the name of god in all aduersytie Thyrdly let thy kyngdome come wherby we do praye / for the trewe and laufull saboth day / rest from our workes that the worke of god be onelye in vs / and that Chryste may so reygne in vs / as in his kyngdome as he hym selfe sayd Verely I saye vnto you / the kyngdome of god is no where but withiÌ„ you The fourthe peticyon is Thy wyll be fulfylled in the which we praye that we may kepe and do the seuen coÌ„maundementes of the seconde table / in the which and by the whiche faythe is exercysed to our neyghbours / as in these thre fyrst / she is exercysed in workes towarde god And these thre prayers in the whiche ben these pronounce / thou thyne / seke nothynge els but that that belongeth to god but al other prayers say ours to vs for vs. c. For we pray there for our gooddes for our helth Hytherto haue we spoken of the fyrste table of Moyses / truely the more grosely to shewe the chyef good workes vnto the symple Nowe therfore folowe the seconde table ¶ The fyrste coÌ„maundement of the seconde table / honour thy Fyther and thy mother WE lerne of this commaundement the next the hyghe workes of the .iij. fyrst coÌ„maundemeÌ„â—es / there is no better worke than obedyence seruyce vnto them which be ordeyned to be oure superyours And therfore disobedyence is a greatter synne thaÌ„ manslaughter vnclennesse thefte disceyte / what soeuer may comprehende in it For we can knowe no better the difference of synnes Howe to knowe the greatnes of one synne aboue another which is greatter one thaÌ„ the other / than by the ordre of goddê coÌ„mauÌ„dementê Howbete one euery coÌ„muÌ„demeÌ„t by hym selfe hath distereÌ„ce iÌ„ his worke / for who is he that knoweth not / that to curse baÌ„ne is more greuous than to be angrye / to stryke is worse thaÌ„ to curse / to stryke father or mother / is worse than to stryke any other of the coÌ„mon people Therfore these .x. coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes teach vs howe we ought to exercyse good workes to uore neyghbour / fyrst to our supery oures The honour of father mother The fyrst worke is to honour our bodely father moder The whiche honoure standeth not in this onely that we shew our selfes godly in our gesture / but that we applye obey them haue theyr wordes reuerently in our iyes settynge moche by them and regardynge them folowynge theÌ„ holdyng our peace sufferynge them howe soeuer they intreate vs whan it is not agaynst the thre fyrste coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes And moreouer yf they haue nede we must prouyde theÌ„ meate clothyng and house For it is not for nought that god sayd honoure them / he sayd not loue theÌ„ / howe be it that loue is also requyred / but honour is hygher thaÌ„ syngle loue Honour is aboue loue for it hath a certayne feare growynge togyther with loue causyng a maÌ„ to feare more the displeasure thaÌ„ the punysshement Euen as we worshyppe relyques with feare / and yet we fle not fro them as from punysshement / but rather approche more nyghe them / suche feare myngled with loue is true honoure What honoure is For there is another feare without loue to those thyngê whiche we dispyce or fle from As from manquellers or punysshemeÌ„t and there is no honour For it is feare without all loue / yea it is a feare ioyned with hatred and enuye / of the whiche is a prouerbe of saynt Hierome sayenge / that that we feare we hate with such feare wyll god nother be feared nor honoured / nor yet our father nor mother / but with the fyrst feare to whome is loue and trust ioyned THis worke semeth lyght and easy but fewe esteme it worthely For
where as the father and mother be good louyng theyr chyldren not with carnall loue / but as they be bounde to holynesse the worshyppyng of god bryngynge them vp / teachyng them in the thre fyrst coÌ„maundementes there is alwaye the chyldes owne wyll broken So that he is compelled to forsake to suffre that that his nature wolde not / wherby he fyndeth a cause to despyce his father and his mother / to grudge agaynst them / or to go about do worse thynges There than goeth awaye bothe loue and feare excepte the grace of god helpe Lykewyse whaÌ„ the father and mother correcte and chaste theyr chyldren as they deserue / yea other whyles more than they deserue the whiche thyng yet is no let to the soules helthe than the frowarde nature taketh suche chastesynge with dysdayne Moreouer there be some of such vngracyous disposicyon / that they be a shamed of the pouertie loue byrthe deformytie or sclauÌ„der of theyr father mother sufferyng them selfe to be moued more with such thynges / than with this hyghe commauÌ„demeÌ„t of god / the is aboue all thynge / which by his great couÌ„sel hath gyuen theÌ„ such father mother to proue exercyse theÌ„ in his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t But this is moche stroÌ„ger whaÌ„ the chyldren be at lyberte / for thaÌ„ loue goyng downe there is moche loue taken away froÌ„ the father mother whatsoeuer is coÌ„mauÌ„ded and sayd of oure father mother / that must be vnderstaÌ„de also of them that be in the stede of our father mother whan they be deade or absent / as be our kynsfolke our godfarthers / temporall rulers and spirytuall fathers For euery man must be ruled of other men and be vnder them Wherfore we se here also howe many good workes is taught in this coÌ„maundement / in as moch as all our lyfe is subiect vnto other men Hense it coÌ„meth that obedyence is so greatly praysed and that it compreheÌ„deth all vertues and good workes in it Agaynste euyll bryngyng vp of chyldren THere is another sclaunder agaynst the father and mother moch more subtyll peryllous than the fyrst / whiche is garnysshed and set forth for ryght true honoure And that is whan the chylde lyueth after his owne mynde and wyll / his father and mother sufferynge hym to do it Here is honour here is loue but it is but beastlye of bothe ê‘tyes Here the father and the mother please the chylde and the chylde agayne pleaseth the father the mother This punysshement is so open and coÌ„mon that there be verye seldome examples sene of the fyrst sclaunder / which thyng happeneth bycause that the father and mother be blynded and nother know nor worshype god in the fyrste coÌ„maundementes And for this cause they can not se what thynge theyr chyldren lacke / and howe they shulde be taught and brought vp And so they brynge theÌ„ vp to prophane worldly honoures ryches / that they may onely please men / by all meanes to be exalted made great men This thyng is pleasauÌ„t to the chyldren / into this they be obedyent without any gayne sayenge So the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god vnder the colour of goodnes go to wreake / that is fulfylled which is wryten by the prophetes Esaye Hieremye / that the tyme shulde come whan the chyldren shuld be dystroyed by theyr owne fathers mothers After the example of kynge Manasses which suffered his sone to offre do sacryfyce and burne beastes to the ydoll Moloch For I praye you what other thynge is this / than the chylde to do sacryfyce offre to an ydolle / whan the father mother brynge theym vp more to the loue of the worlde thaÌ„ of god / sufferyng theÌ„ to be caryed after theyr owne wyll in the pleasures of the worlde / to be set a fyre with the loue myrth goodes honoure of this worlde / the loue glorye of god the pleasure of euerlastyng goodes to be quenched clene put out in theÌ„ O howe great ieoê‘dye is it to be a father mother where as nothynge reygneth but flesshe and blode For it staÌ„deth hooly iÌ„ this coÌ„mauÌ„dement / that the thre fyrste syxe last be knowen kepte In as moche as it is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to the father mother to teache theyr chyldren those thyngê as it is in the .77 psalme He gaue his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t vnto Iacobe / and put his lawe into Israel whaÌ„ he coÌ„mauÌ„ded the fathers to declare these thyngê to theyr chyldren / that theyr posteryte myghte knowe them / and that theyr chyldren whan they be waxen vp myght shewe the same to theyr chyldren also And this is the cause why god hathe coÌ„mauÌ„ded to honour thy father mother / that is to loue them with feare / for loue without feare is more sclauÌ„der than it is honour Now marke therfore whether al men haue ynoughe good workes to do or not Whether soeuer they be fathers and mothers or they be chyldren But we be so blynde that we let this alone and seke for other workes not coÌ„maunded WHere than as the father and mother be so folysshe that they brynge vp theyr chyldren wantonly and worldly / the chyldren in no wyse shuld obeye them / for god is more to be sette by in the thre fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„dementes than our father and mother I call waÌ„tonly worldly bryngyng vp / whaÌ„ they teach vs not more to seke folowe god / than the pleasures honours ryches power of this world / to weare laufull clene rayment / and loke for honest goodê / is necessary no synne So yet that the chylde be so taught in his herte that at the leaste in the puttynge on and wearynge of his apparell The trewe wearyng of apparell he sorowe and lament the wretchednesse of this lyfe in erthe that it can not well be begon nor passed ouer wtout moche more rayment and ryches than neade requyreth / to hyll couer the body / to keape away the colde / and get a lyuynge so / that he shal be constrayned agaynst his wyll to playe the foole / for the fauoure of the worlde suffre this euyll for a better thynge to exchue the worse The spirytualtie neuer redde this text of Hestor Thus the quene Hester dyd weare her crowne sayenge vnto god / thou knowest my necessytie that I abhorre the sygne of pryde my glorye which is vpoÌ„ my hede in the dayes of my bostynge / and I dysdayne it as the clothe of a menstruate woman / the whiche I wyll not beare in the dayes of my sylence what soeuer hert therfore is thus armed / may weare all maner of garmentes wtout all ieoê‘dy / for he weareth them weareth theÌ„ not / he playeth of the instrumeÌ„tes playeth not / he lyueth gloryouslye not gloryously And these be the preuy soules secrete spouses of Chryste / but they be very scarse For it is very harde not to
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
delyte in goodly raymeÌ„t bostynge So saynt Cecyle by the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of her father mother dyd weare clothe of golde / but vnder that she ware heare But here wyll some say / yea syr but howe than shall I mary my doughter honourably Am I not in suche a case coÌ„pelled to boste my selfe But I praye the tell me / be not these the wordes of a herte mystrustynge god trustynge more in his owne proper wysdome / than in the cure and prouysyon of god All thoughe saynt Peter teacheth vs and sayeth / caste all youre care on hym for he careth for you / yea it is a token that suche men dyd neuer gyue god thankes for theyr chyldren / neyther haue truely prayed or coÌ„mended them vnto his goodnes Or els they shulde knowe and proue how they ought to aske desyre of god / that they myght marye theyr daughters Therfore god suffereth them to theyr owne wytte care benefytes / and not to ende theyr busynesse conuenyently SO true is that that is coÌ„monly sayd / the father and mother may get heuen iÌ„ theyr owne chyldren / yf they had nothynge els to do For in the bryngyng vp of them to the worshyppe of god / they haue bothe theyr haÌ„des full as the maÌ„ sayth to do good workes For what be the hungry thyrstye naked prysoners sycke and straungers / but the soules of thy chyldren A chrysten mans house is an hospytall of the which god hath made thyne house an inne or an hospytall / makyng the to them as the mayster of the hospytall / that thou shuldest keape them / feade them / gyue them meate and drynke / with good workes and wordes that they may lerne to trust in god to byleue feare hym and to put theyr hope in hym worshypyng his name / not sweryng nor cursynge chastysynge them selfes / prayenge fastynge watchynge laborynge and to serue god and his worde / to kepe his sabothe day that they may lerne to despyse teÌ„porall thynges / to suffre pacyently aduersytie / not to feare dethe not to loue this lyfe Lo how great busynes these be Lo howe many good workes thou haste at home in thy chylde that lacketh all suche thynges / as the soule beynge hungrye thyrsty naked poore prysoned sycke O howe blessyd a thynge is matrymony O howe happye be those houses in the whiche dwell suche fathers and mothers For they be the verye true temple and electe abbay of god / yea rather a Paradyse / of the whiche is spoken .127 psalme Blessyd be he who soeuer honoureth the lorde and walketh in his wayes Thou shalte eate the labours of thy owne haÌ„des / and shalte haue prosperous increase Thy wyfe shal be fruteful as the vyne tree / wtin the walles of thy house / thyne chyldren shal stande about the table lyke the plantes of Olyue trees Lo thus shall that man be blessyd which worshyppe the lorde / the lorde shall blesse the from Syon / and thou shalte delyte beholdynge the prosperyte of Ierusalem all dayes of thy lyfe / and thou shalt se thy chylders chyldren / and the felycytie of IerusaleÌ„ Where be suche fathers mothers / where be they that aske for good workes no man commeth hyther Therfore I say god hath commaunded that thynge / from the whiche the deuyll / our flesshe bloode pulleth vs. It is not goodly in the syght of the worlde / and therfore it is not set by But one ronneth to saynt Iames / another voweth hym self to our lady And no man voweth hym selfe to the glory of god / and to rule and teache well hym selfe and his chyldren / he forsaketh theym whome he hathe taken to kepe by the commaundement af god / and laboureth to serue god other wayes / where he hathe no commaundemente / there is no bysshoppe that resysteth suche frowarde maners / no precher rebuketh these thynges / ye rather they stablysshe such thynges / inuentynge dayly mo pylgrymages canonysynge of mo sayntes sellynge of ê‘dons I praye god therfore to haue mercye on suche blyndnesse ANd agayne vpon the other syde the father and the mother do not soner deserue hell / than in theyr owne chyldren at home whaÌ„ they lacke to them not teachynge theÌ„ these thynges which be spoken of before For what doth it profyte them yf they dye with fastyng prayenge goynge pylgrymage doynge all other good workes In as moche god wyll not aske vs of suche thynges / nother at the tyme of dethe nor at the laste iudgemente but wyll aske a compte of oure chyldren coÌ„mytte to oure custodye This proueth the sayeng of chryste the .2.3 chapytre of Luke Ye women of Ierusalem wepe not for me but for your selues for your chyldren for lo the tyme shall come whan they shall saye Take hede al you that haue householdes and chyldren Happye be the baren and the wombes whiche haue not borne chyldren and the brestes whiche haue not gyuen sucke Why shulde they so complayne / but that all theyr dampnacyon coÌ„meth to them for theyr sones / whiche yf they had lacked peraduenture they shulde haue ben blessyd Trewely these wordes shulde open the iyes of the Fathers and mothers to loke spiritually vpon theyr chyldren leste the wretched chyldren shulde be deceyued by the false carnall loue of theyr father and mother whaÌ„ they be not angrye with theym bycause they obey them after the coÌ„mon nature of the people / by the whiche thynges theyr free wyll is stablysshed and waxeth stronge / and yet the coÌ„maundemente of God therfore coÌ„maundeth vs to honoure our Father our mother that that chyldren may be made lowe demure meke / theyr free wyll broken dystroyed Therfore as it is sayde in the other coÌ„maundementes that the workes must be so obserued that they procede out of the fyrst worke euyn so here / let no man thynke that the orderynge and bryngynge vp of his chyldren is suffycyent of it selfe / but yf it be done in the grace fauoure of god / so that a maÌ„ doubteth nothynge of it / but that he pleaseth god in all suche workes Therfore let these workes be nothynge els to a maÌ„ but sygnes and exercysynges of fayth to truste in God / to haue a surenesse in his grace and lyberall wyll For without this fayth noo worke other lyueth / or is good and pleasaunte to god For many of the Hethens and gentylles haue brought vp theyr chyldren well / but that dyd profyte theym nothonge bycause of theyr vabeleue THe seconde worke of this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is to honour our spirituall mother holy churche and the ecclesyastycall power coÌ„maundynge forbydgynge ordeynynge makynge cursynge or absoluynge In all these we muste obey them and as we honoure loue and feare our bodely fathers mothers euen so we must obey the spyrytuall power in all thynges whiche be not contrary to the thre fyrste coÌ„maundementes of god But in this worke the matter is farre iÌ„ worse
case thaÌ„ in the fyrst For it wolde become the ecclesyastycall power to punysshe synnes by excoÌ„munycacyon / cursynge lawes / and to compell theyr spirytual persons to goodnes / that they myghte haue a cause to do good workes and to exercyse them selfes to obedyence / and gyuyng honoure to the power But we se that the spirytuall power taketh no hede at all to kepe theyr chyldren in theyr offyce / but so to deale with theyr people subiectes as mothers folowynge theyr louers As it is sayd in the .ij. chap. of Ozee They preache not they teche not they resyste not they rebuke not they punysshe not / and to be shorte there is no ecclesyastycall gouernynge left in all chrystendome What than shulde I speake in this worke There be lefte yet some fastyngdayes and holy dayed / which it were better to anulle / but no man careth for that So there is no thynge that flouryssheth nowe / but excoÌ„munycacyon for duetyes accustomed / the whiche thynge oughte not to be But the power of the churche shulde se that adulterye vnclennesse glotonye pryde vnmesurable ryote of all thynge and suche other vyces be punysshed and let And also that the colleges and abbeyes parysshes scoles be well ordred / and the goddes seruyce be holely kept in theÌ„ And that the yonge bothe men maydes in the scoles and abbeys haue good and coÌ„nynge men prouyded to teache them that they may be wel brought vp / that the olde may ê“fyte the yonge by good example / that the chyldren coÌ„mon welth may be fylled garnysshed with goodly youth For so saynt Paule taught his discyple Titus / that he shuld teache well and gouerne all degrees estatê yonge and olde men and womeÌ„ But nowe we lyue euery man after his owne wyll euery man teacheth hym selfe yea alas for sorowe it is come to the poynt / that the places in the which goodnes shulde be taughte be now made scoles of vanyties so that no maÌ„ taketh hede of outragious youth IF euery thyng were ordered after this maner than a maÌ„ myghte shewe howe honour and obedyence ought to be done to ecclesiastyke persones But it is nowe with theym as it is with bodely fathers mothers whiche suffer theyr chyldren to moch after theyr owne mynde wyll / and ecclesyastycall power dothe nowe graunte and dyspence / and for money pardoneth more than it may pardone Here I wyll let many thynges passe that I myghte speke of / for I se moo thynges than be well Couetyse sytteth and gouerneth and the churche teacheth that that it shulde forbyd And besydes these it is open to euery mans iyes / that the lyuynge of the spyrytualtie is moche more vngoodlyer and vyler / than the lyfe of the lay or seculer men Wherfore the chrystyan coÌ„mon welthe muste nedes be dystroyed / and this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t subuerted For where there were suche a bysshoppe as wolde take hede vysyte loke vpon and go aboute all suche orders and degrees with so great dylygence and laboure as he is bounde / truelye one cytie were to moch for hym For in the tyme of the apostles / whan the churche was most stourysshynge / euery cytie hadde one bysshop although the last parte of the worlde was not than chrystened Howe thanne shulde it be well amonges men / whan one bysshop wyll haue thus moche / another so moche the thyrde chalengeth halfe the worlde / and the fourthe wolde haue all the worlde vnder his rule Therfore it is nowe tyme to praye to god for grace For we haue ecclesyastycall power ynoughe / but as for ecclesyastycall gouernyng we haue lytell or none In the meane tyme he that knoweth myghte helpe / that the colleges or preestes abbeys and parysshes scoles / were well ruled and gouerned For this also is the ecclesyastycall power to make fewer colleges abbeys and scoles where as no profite coÌ„meth of them Truely it is better to haue no colleges nor abbeys at all than to haue euyll rule or ordre in them wherby god is greuously offended THerfore whan the superyours be froward and suffre theyr offyce to decay it must neades folowe that they abuse theyr power settynge forthe outwarde euyll workes bothe them selfe to the people / none otherwyse thaÌ„ the father mother yf they commaunde any thynge contrarye vnto god Here therfore we must beware wyse For the apostell shewed before that suche peryllous tymes shulde come / in the whiche suche superyours or offycers shulde rule Yet suche superyours haue this cloke to couer theyr iniquitie withall / to beare men in hande that they repyne resyste the power of god / yf at any tyme what soeuer they statute or ordayne be vndone or let Therfore let vs than take in our handes the thre fyrst coÌ„maundementes of god / and the ryght table beyng sure that no man nother bysshoppe nor pope / no nor aungels maye ordayne or commaunde any thynge contrarye / dysagreinge or repungnyng to the thre fyrst coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes theyr workes But yf they go about the contrary it is nought worth nother byndeth any man And we also do synne obeyeng suche coÌ„maundementes constytucyoÌ„s / eyther doyng theÌ„ or twynkelyng at them By this a man may lyghtly perceyue / howe that sycke meÌ„ be not bounde with the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tê of fastyng / nother womeÌ„ great with chylde / nother they that may not fast for any other cause wtout hurt And that we may serche this matter more groundelyer / There is nothyng nowe that commeth from Rome / but the marte fayre of all thyngê of the churche which be opeÌ„ly bought solde with out any shame / as ê‘doÌ„s ê‘ysshes abbeys dioces prelacy benefyces what soeuer was made ordayned in any place to the honour of god By reason wherof all the ryches goodes and money of all the worlde be not onely dryuen to Rome / which were but a lytell losse But also parysshes dyoces and prelacy be pulled forsaken and wasted So that Goddes people is dyspysed and loste / the worde name and glorie of god be trode vnder fete fayth is dystroyed and all to the ende that suche colleges and offyces maye be gyuen not onely vnto vnlerned folysshe and vnworthy / but also to Rome ronners the chefe heddes of al noughtye packes in the worlde And so those thinges that were founded to the worshyp of god to the fyndynge of prechers whiche shulde rule and correcte the peonowe spente vpon horses horse kepers and moyles / Yea and yf I maye speake somwhat vnshamefastly / vpon the whores and also whore hunters of Rome / of whom yet we haue no kyndnes but be mocked vnto oure tethes lyke fooles SEyng therfore the all these intollerable folysshenes be done vnder the name of god and saynt Peter as thoughe the ecclesyastycall power were ordayned to haue the glorye of god in shame mockyng to distroye chrystyan coÌ„mon welth bothe of bodye and soule We oughte