¶ A new yeares gyfte more precious than golde worthy to be embrased no lesse ioyfully than thaÌ„kfully of euery true christeÌ„ man newly published by Theodore Basille Esa. 9. A yong chylde is borne for oure sake and a sonne is gyuen vnto vs. ¶ The newe yeares gyfte speaketh A Newe yeares gyfte more precious Than golde or pearle certes am I For I bryng forth the Lorde Iesus Which of all treasures is moost hygh Many in thynges of vanite Do reioyse and delyght greatly Such can haue no pleasure in me For I teach Christ that Lorde moost hygh Christ and Christes doctryne shalt thou heare Learne yf thou wylte vnfaynedly Wherby thou mayst become ryght deare To God and his sonne that Lord moost hygh To mortify thy lustes carnall And to walke aye innocently Teache the also godly I shall That thou mayst please that Lord moost hygh To good workes also I shall the moue In them euermore to be busy That God the father maye the loue And his sonne Christ that Lorde moost hygh If thou therfore louest godlynes Take me vnto the ioyfully I shall fyll thy harte with gladnes And ioyne the w t Christ that Lord moost hygh ¶ To the ryght worshypfull Master Thomas Roydon Esquyer and Iustice of peace Theodore Basille wyssheth long lyfe continuall health and prosperous felicite I Canne none otherwyse but highly prayse the honest fashons commendable vsages and frendely customes that our auncetours elders haue vsed heretofore vnto the greate example of theyr posterite for y e mayntenaÌ„ce of all humanite geÌ„tylnes Among many other who wyl not recouÌ„t y e cuâ—toÌ„e of gyuyng newe yeres gyftes to be so commendable and prayse worthy that he maye seme to be estrauÌ„ged from all ciuilite that dothe not obserue it vnto the vttermost of his power For what other thing do we meane by geuyng mutuall giftes in the begynnyng of a newe yeare thaÌ„ that we desyre that all good lucky prosperous and fortunate thynges maye chaunse that yere vnto euery one of vs and that one wylleth wysheth desyreth well to another is redy to do good one to another and to healpe what so euer lyethe in hys power This vndoubtedly was the meanyng of theÌ„ that fyrst were the inueÌ„tours of this moost honest and frendly custome to this ende hath it ben obserued kept mayntayned hytherto Whan I consydered this but lately iudged y e custome to 〈◊〉 both good and godly and nothynâ— more mete for the preseruacion anâ— coÌ„ciliacioÌ„ of amite I thought thaâ— for asmuch as I was not able accoâ—dyng to my wyll to gyue such new yeares gyftes as commonly be sen from one to another Yet I would prepare somthyng wherby I might shewe my selfe to wysh well vnto all men and to beare an honest frendly hart to my coÌ„trey meÌ„ of EngloÌ„d I haue therfore prouided a newe yeres gyfte not of corruptible gold or syluer but of the moost sacred scriptures whiche as Dauid saythe are much more worthy to be desired theÌ„ golde or precious stonne are sweter then the hony hony combe In this my newe yeares gyfte I haue openned many goodly godly thynges Amonge all other I haue declared what a precious treasure Christ is vnto vs whiche was gyueÌ„ vs of God the father for our new yeres gyfte and how many benefites we haue receyued by hym I haue also described the whole lyfe of a christen maÌ„ shewyng what we must do if we wyll enioy so great benefites Agen I haue exhorted men to mortify theyr carnal affectes worldly lustes and shewed them howe they must walke both toward theÌ„selues theyr neyghbour God if they wyl haue the fruicion of the celestiall enheretauÌ„ce To coÌ„clude as I haue shewed that all saluacion commeth by Christ so haue I proued that Christ is no sauiour but to theÌ„ that repeÌ„t beleue lede a vertuous lyfe be pleÌ„teous in doyng good workes These thinges with diuers other not to be despised shal be fouÌ„d in this my new yeares gyfte so that I doubte not but that it shall be no les profitable for the soule than other worldly giftes shall be for the body This my labour employed herein after myne so greuous troublous syckenesses I dedicate and sende to your ryght worshypfull mastershyp for a newe yeares gyfte desyrynge you to accepte it wyth no lesse good mynde than it is offered to your geÌ„tylnes If I shal may perceaue that this my lytle gyfte is acceptable vnto you it shall not only not repente me but also cause me very much to reioyse of my trauayle iÌ„ this behalf GOD the Author of euery yere mought vouchesafe to graunt that this newe yeare wythe many other maye euer begynne vnto you withe good fortune procede wyth better ende with that which is best and alway be fortunate vnto you so long as they last so y t ye maye alway enioye coÌ„tinual helth prosperoê° felicite accordyng to y e wyll of God to whome be all honour glory AMEN The newe yeres gyfte ¶ Philemon the gyuer of the newe yeares gyfte Theophile Eusebius Christopher his frendes Philemon CHrist our Lord and master dothe not wyth out a cause coÌ„pare resemble y e cares rytches pleasures of thys lyfe to thornes in his moost holy gospel For as thornes prycketh the flesh suffer him not to be in quiet that is greued hurte w t them so lykewise the cares rytches and pleasures of this world wyl not suffer by ony menes that man to enioye tranquilite rest peace that is turmoyled with them Happy is he that appoynteth him selfe such kynde of lyuyng that he maye be fre from these great waues rockes wherwythe the lyfe of mortall meÌ„ is so miserably assayled so ofte put in dauÌ„ger The ritches pleasures of this world seme to y e flesh to be thinges of much pleasauÌ„s great delectacion but they be nothyng els thaÌ„ entysyng and flatteryng mooremaydes which syngyng songes pleasaunt to the eare bryng destruccion to so many as be herers of theÌ„ Blessed is hetherfore which after the example of Ulisses can stop his eares with waxe so passe by beynge nothynge moued withe theyr vayne flatterynge entisementes For as S. Paule saythe They that haue a pleasure to waxe rytche fall into temptacioÌ„ snares into many folysh and noysome lustes which drowne men into destruccion damnacioÌ„ For couetousnes is the roote of all euell which whyle some lusted after they erred from the fayth and entangled them selues wythe many sorowes Hereto pertayneth the sayeng of S. IohnÌ„ Loue not y e world nor those thiÌ„ges that are in y e world If ony maÌ„ loueth the worlde y e loue of the father is not in hym For all that is in the worlde as the lust of y e flesh the concupiscence of the eis the pryde of the lyfe is not of y e father but of the worlde the worlde passeth away
Chrysostome wytnesseth Nether Baptisme sayth he nor forgyuenes of synnes nor knowledge nor y e communion of y e Sacramentes nor the holy table nor y e fruicion of the body nor y e partakyng of y e bloud nor ony of these thiÌ„ges shal may be able to profyt vs except we haue a lyfe whych is ryght very pure yea and fre from all synne What wyll these idle lubbers say to these wordes of y e goldeÌ„ mouthed Doctor Where are all theyr proude crakes becomme of Christ hys bloude and merites All these profyt nothyng at al without a good lyfe Chri. It stondeth christeÌ„ mâ—nin haÌ„d therfore to be earnest followers of good workes Phil. Ye saye trueth chefely if they entende to be saued But let vs heare the scriptures Whan God promised Abraham that he woulde blysse them that dyd blysse hym and cursse them that dydde cursse hym and that in his seed all nacions of the earthe shulde be blyssed that he would multiply hys seed as the starres of the firmament and make hym a father of many nacions that he woulde be hys defender hys sufficiente greate rewarde He made a couenaunt wythe hym because he woulde haue hym shewe gentylnes agayne and sayd I am the God omnipoteÌ„t walke before me be perfecte As though he shulde saye I am the God almyghty omnisufficient all good all holy all righteous all wyse all liberal al pleÌ„teous all mercyfull haue nede of no thynge but frely gyueth to all meÌ„ all thynges what so euer are necessary ether for the bodye or for the soule so replenyshed with al thynges that I am able and sufficient in all poyntes to satisfy the lawful desyres of all creatures yea I haue all thynges so in my power y t no thing that good is canne be gyuen to ony maÌ„ but of me alone what so euer I am or haue it is for the profyt of the of thy posterite Alonly walke before me and be perfecte take me alone for thy omnisufficieÌ„t sauiour flye vnto no other as though there were in me a certayne insufficiency but cleaue to me alone wyth all thy harte attempte no thyng but that is pleasaunt in my syght order thy lyfe in all poyntes accordyng to my holy wyll let thy conuersacion be innocent blameles pure honest right and all good and so wyll I be thyne almighty God thy puissaunt defender thy sufficient great rewarde This couenauÌ„t hath God made not only with Abraham but also wythe all hys posterite that is so many as are faythfull Nowe yf we be of the seed of Abraham I speake of the spituall and not of the carnall generacion than doth God require of vs also that we walke before hym and be perfecte that we stedfastelye cleaue vnto him by stronge faythe as the onelye and sole Authore of al goodnes so institute oure lyfe that we maye breath nothynge but purite innocency holynes intergrite all the tyme of our lyfe in this worlde Thus doyng God wyl be our God yea our almyghty God our strong defender and our sufficieÌ„t great rewarde no lesse than he was AbrahaÌ„s Therfore as Abraham walked before God so let vs do By this means shall God be no lesse beneficiall to vs than he was to Abraham If ye were the sonnes of AbrahaÌ„ sayth Christ ye woulde do the worckes of Abraham Euse. Of all these matters and howe we ought to walke before God and be perfecte ye taughte vs full godly in the Nosegaye whyche ye gaue vs. Chri. It was our second floure called Pure innocency Phil. I remember it wel and I am glad ye haue not forgotteÌ„ it I wyll therfore haste vnto the other scriptures Whan S. IohnÌ„ Baptist sawe many of the Pharisees Saduces commynge vnto his Baptisme he sayd vnto them O ye generacion of vipers who hathe shewed you that ye should flye from the wrath to come Bryng forthe therfore frutes worthy of repentaunce be not of this mynde to saye within youre selues Abraham is our father For I saye vnto you that God is able to bring it to passe that of these stones there maye rise vp chyldren to Abraham The hooke is now layd at the roote of y e trees Therfore euery tree that bryngeth forth not good frute shall be heweÌ„ downe and cast into y e fyre Theo. This is a terrible sayeng for al theÌ„ that are not earnest followers of good workes Phil. Certes as it profited the Pharises Saduces with the other Iewes nothynge at all to boste them selues of AbrahaÌ„ excepte they dyd the workes of Abraham so lykewyse it auauÌ„tedgeth vs nothiÌ„g at all to crake of GOD of Christes bloude pashon merites fayth c. if we do not good workes This seÌ„teÌ„ce abydeth alwaye true Euery tree y t bringeth forth not good frute shall be hewen downe cast into the fyre If we be not lyke vnto those trees which are plaÌ„ted by the riuers syde and brynge forth theyr frute in due season surely we shall be â—â—wen vp cast into hel fyre For how dare we looke for ony kyndnes at y e hande of God do no thiÌ„g y t he coÌ„mauÌ„deth Dauid sayth I beyng as a fruteful olyue tree iÌ„ y e house of God haue trusted iÌ„ y e mercye of God for euermore Dauid coÌ„fesseth here y t he trusted in the mercye of GOD but he addeth y t he was iÌ„ y e house of god y t is to say y e coÌ„gregacioÌ„ of Christ as a fruytefull Olyue tree which as Pliny writeth is neuer wtout grene leues frute Eu. You taught vs this also in y e Poâ—acioÌ„ for LeÌ„t declariÌ„g to vs what the Procession on Palme sondaye signifyeth with all the ceremonies pertaynyng thervnto Phil. So se ye than that if we wyll be holpen by the mercy of God we must be as fruytefull Olyue trees and brynge forth plenty of good workes and neuer cease from doynge them or elles our hope and trust is but vayne Christ sayth not euery one y t saythe vnto me Lorde Lorde shal enter in to the kyngedome of heauen but he y t doth the wyll of my father which is in heauen For many shall say vnto me at that daye Lorde Lorde haue not we prophecied iÌ„ thy name cast out dyuels by thy name and wroughte many miracles thorowe thy name But thaÌ„ shall I saye vnto them I knowe you not iÌ„ Departe froÌ„ me ye workers of iniquite Here are we taught that to professe God by our mouth to cal vpon his name to talke of Christ of fayth of y e gospell and of all the diuine misteries yea to worcke miracles and to caste out diuels by the power of Christes name shall auayle nothynge at the daye of iudgement excepte we lede a good lyfe in thys worlde worke the good pleasure of God For the kyngdome of God is not in worde but in power saythe S. Paule 〈◊〉 that
hath my commaundementes sayth Christ and kepeth them he it is that louethe me If ony man loueth me he wyl kepe my worde and my father shall loue hym we wyll come vnto hym dwell wyth hym He that louethe not me kepeth not my wordes Here Christ measureth our loue that we heare toward him by kepyng his word If we kepe his worde than loue we hym but if we kepe it not than loue we hym nothynge at all Agen he saythe I am the vyne and ye are the braunches He that abydeth in me I in hym bryngeth forth much frute Let vs not flatter our selues If we aâ—yde in Christ we brynge forthe muche frute If we brynge forth no frute than abyde we not in Christ. If we abyde not in christ thaÌ„ are we none of christes So followeth it that as withered braunches we shall be gathered and cast into the fyre ther burne for euer S. Paule sayth â–ª not they which heare the lawe are righteous before God but they that expresse the lawe in dedes shall be coâ—ted righteous Although no man be able so longe as he lyuethe in thys worlde to fulfyl the law so thorowly as the purite therof requirethe â–ª yet is it our offyce to laboure vnto the vttermoost of our power to fulfyll the lawe and where we perceaue that we are not able to bring to passe w t so great clennes of hartâ— that which the spirite of the law requireth to bewayle our weakenes â–ª to desyre strengthe to praye vnto God that Christ whiche is the ende and perfecte fulfyllyng of the law maye supply that which wantethe in vs. Agayne he saythe we are buryed wythe hym by Baptisme into death that as Christ is rysen agâ—â—n from death thorow the glory of the father so we shulde walke in a newe lyfe And a litle after recount your selues to be dead vnto sinne but liuing vnto God thorow Iesus christ our Lorde Therfore let not synne raygne in youre mortall bodye for to obey it thorow the lustes therof Neyther gyue ye your members as instrumeÌ„tes of vnrighteousnes vnto synne but gyue your selfes vnto God as they that are alyue from death and gyue youre members as instrumentes of ryghteousnes vnto God Agayne in that same chapter as ye haue gyueÌ„ your members seruauntes to vncleannes to iniquite euen from one iniquite vnto another so now gyue your meÌ„bers seruauÌ„tes vnto righteousnes that ye maye be sanctifyed All these sentences declare vnto vs howe pure innocent and fautles our lyuynge oughte to be If it be the contrary our professioÌ„ profyteth vs nothyng at al. In another place also he sayth If ony man be in Christ he is a new creature that is to say wholly changed froÌ„ his olde maÌ„ners vnto newe He hath no more fellowshyp wythe the vnfruteful workes of darkenes but so composeth appoynteth his lyuyng that he maye appeare to be the lyght of the world Agayne they that are of Christ haue crucifyed y e flesh with the affectes lustes therof If we lyue in the spirite lette vs walk in the spirite For the flesh lustethe agaynst the spirite the spirite agaynst the flesh All they therefore which lyue accordynge to y e appetyte luste and desyre of the fleshe pertayne not vnto Christ. We are y e workemanshyppe of God created in Christe Iesus vnto good worckes whiche God hath prepared that we shulde walke in them Beholde God is oute maker we be made a newe in Christ Iesus vnto good workes So many therfore as apply not theÌ„ selues to do good workes are not engraffed in Christ but remayne styll members of Satan Item I being presoner exhorte you in the Lorde that ye walke worthy your callyng wherin ye are called with all lowlynes mekenes w t softenes of mynd sufferynge one another by charite studyeng to kepe the vnite of y e spirite thorow the bond of peace Here se we with what vertues we ought to garnyshe oure lyfe that we maye walke worthy oure vocacion callyng Howe farre than are they out of the waye whiche defyle them selues wyth all kynde of abhominable vice Be ye sayth S. Paule the followers of God as well beloued chyldren walke in loue as Christ hath loued vs. If it be our duty to â—e the followers of God so must we practise his goodnes follow his innocency purite so muche as lyghethe in our power or els we are not y e soÌ„nes of God Our celestial father is pure holy shal we his chyldreÌ„ be prophane vnholy Our heuily father is good godly mercyful pacieÌ„t al spirite shal we hys soÌ„nes be euel wycked rigoroê° impacieÌ„t al flesh Be ye holy sayth he for I am holy Ye shall be perfecte sayth Christ as your heauenly father is perfecte Moreouer S. Paule wrytethe Be ye pure and suche as no man can be offended wyth you agaynst the day of Christ fylled full of the fruyte of ryghteousnes which chaunseth thorowe Iesus Christ vnto the glory prayse of God Agayne do all thynges without grutchynge and disputacion beyng such that no man can complayne of you and pure the sonnes of God fautles in the myddes of a frowarde and crokedde nacion amonge whome shyne ye as lyghtes in the worlde holdyng fast the word of lyfe It is not without a cause y t your newe yeres gyfte teacheth vs to be earnest folowers of good workes seynge that so great purite and cleÌ„nes of lyfe is required of vs. â—o worthe those fylthye swyne whiche walowe and tomble them selues in all kynde of fleshly vnclennes vnto the great slaunder of Christes Gospell IteÌ„ Mortify your earthly meÌ„bers whoredome vncleannes couetousnes c. For god hath not called vs vnto vnclennes but vnto sanctificacioÌ„ All ye are the soÌ„nes of lyght sayth he and the sonnes of the day we are not of the nyghte nor yet of darkenes Therfore let vs not slepe as other do but lette vs watch and be sober Seyng y t we are no more y e worldes seyng also we haue gyuen ouer Satan and the fleshe wyth all theyr workes pompes plesures it becommeth vs so to walke in al our lyfe conuersacion that we be not found lyke Satans seruauÌ„tes nor the volupteous worlde lynges nor yet ony suche as lyue 〈◊〉 the flesh and not after the spirite but pure clene honest fauteles godly and as I maye so speake euen lyke another christ S. Peter also sayth giue not your selfes to your olde lustes wher wyth ye were ledde whan ye knewe not Christ but as he that called you is holy so be ye also holy iÌ„ al your coÌ„uersacion for it is wrytten be ye holy for I am holy Here are we taught to forsake our olde synfull lyuynge and to fashon our selues lyke vnto the manners of God which is holy righteous perfecte abundantly good in all thynges Furthermore saynt IohnÌ„