the father / for it is he / whiche with the father / bi christ in christ workith and quyckenyth all thinges I beleue that in all the we â—ide / be hit neuer so greate / there is but one comune christen church whiche is none other thing but the coÌ„gregacyon coÌ„munyon of holy men that is of ryghtuous faithfull men on the erth And that this churche by this holy sprete is gathered maintened Thorough whome also it is gouerned and encreased dayly by the sacramentes and worde of god I beleue that no man can euer be saued / whiche is not fouÌ„de agreable consenting with this congregacioÌ„ / in one faith in one worde / in one sacrament / hope and charyte And that none of the Iewes or gentyles can be saued with this cherche except they reconcyle theym self vnto it / and come in fauoure wich it / confirmyng theym selues in all poyntes therunto I beleue that in this communion or Christen te all the prayers and good workes of this congregation do necessarily helpe me / waye om my syde and comfort me in all tymes of lyfe and deth I beleue that in this congregation comeÌ„welth and in none other place is gorgeuenesse of synnes And that without this all greate and good workes / how many so euer there are of theym do nothyng profyt to forgeuenesse of synne And contrarywyse in thys congregatyon / the multytute / greatnesse / and often commyttyng of synnes / do nothyng hurte / nether lette the forgheuenesse of synne / but that this forgyuenesse doth contynue whersoeuer / and howe song / thys excellent churche doth endure To whome alsoo Cryst ghyueth hys keyes / and sayeth in the xviij of Mathewe what soeuer ye lose vppon erthe / it shal be losed in heuen lykewise he saith to Peter alone / in the name and stede of this onely one churche in the xvi of Mat. Whatsoeuer thou lose vppon erthe it shall losed in heuen I beleue that there shal be arrysing of theym that are deade / in the whiche rysing the holy gost shall sturre vppe all fleshe / that is all men concernyng the body and flesshe good onell / so that the very flesshe whyche was dead buryed and consumed or by other wayes destroyed shal retourne / and lyue agayn I beleue that after this resurrectioÌ„ shal be eternall lyfe of good men / and eternall deth of synners Of all these thinges I doubt not but euery one of theym shal come vnto me froÌ„ the father bi the sonne Iesu chryst oure lord with and in the holy goost Amen that signifieth that in good fayth wythout doubt all these thinges are trewe ¶ The prayer of the lorde called the Pater noster wheryn are conteyned .vij. peticions ¶ The preface and introduccion to arâ— these .vij. peticions is conteyned in these wordes Oure father whiche art in heuen The vnderstonding of the wordes ALmyghty god sith thou of thyne intynyte beneuolence and mercy hast not onely admytted vs / but also taught / ye and commauÌ„ded by the onely / and dere son oure lorde Iesu christ that we trusting in his meryâ—es and protection / he beyng oure intercessor shulde beleue that thou were a louig father vnto vs. And that we shulde also call the father / though worthyly and bi great ryghte thou mightest haue byn a cruell iuge agaynst vs sinners whiche so oft and abhominably haue done agaynst thy godly and most holi will / and haue gyuen the occasion of displeasure agaynst vs. Gyue vs we beseche the / by the fame beniuolence and mercy / that we may haue in oure hertes sure trust without feare of thy fatherly loue And make vs feare this acceptable smelle swetnesse / whiche the most sure / and chyldly trust doth gete vnto vs / that we may with glad mynde call the father / knowlege / loue / and crye on the in al leoperdyes kepe vs I desire the that we may contynue thy louynge chyldren / and not deserue to make the most mekest father oure horrible iudge nor suffer vs not to be thyne enemyes / whyche ought to be thy chyldren and heyres Thou wilt also / not onely symply / be called a father / but that we with a comeÌ„ voyce shuld call the oure father And so with a speciall prayer of vnyte pray for euery man Wherfore gyue vnto vs anagreyng / and brotherly loue / so that we may perceyue euery one of vs that we are truely brothers / and sisters / and may pray to the as to oure comen and mercyfull father / euery on for other / euen as kynd chyldren entreate they re father one for another Graunte / that none of vs seke that whiche is his owne or els forget other / in thy sight but that auoyding all hete / enuye / disceÌ„tion / as it becomith the trewe childreÌ„ of god we may loue to gyther with dewe fauoure so that we may say with a faithfull harte not my father but oure father Syth truely thou arte no bodyly nor erthly father / whome we may se in erthe / but art iÌ„ hauyn oure spiritual father which dyeth not / nether are vncerteyn or doubtfull / or such which art not able to helpe thy selfe as is an erthly bodyly father wherby it is euideÌ„t vnto vs howe moche thow art a better father / whiche reachist this teÌ„porall father odes cuÌ„trey / freÌ„des / rychesse / flesshe / blode / to be dispysed for the. Graunt vs dere father that we may be thy heuynly chyldren Teach vs to regard none other thing then oure foule helith / and the euerlasting heritage / so that this teÌ„porall coÌ„trey worldli heritage whiche coÌ„passeth noyeth vs / labouring to make vs erthly lyke vnto it selfe deceyue vs not so that we maye saye truely with a faithful here O oure heuynly father gyue vs thy grace that we may be thy heuynly children ¶ The first peticion Thy name be halowed O God almyghty / oure most dere heuen the father / thy godly name / euen now in this tyme / in thys vale of mysery Alas for shame so many wayes is slaundered / with checkes / and iniuryes myserably rebuked / applyed to many thynges wheryn stondyth not thy honour and glorie ye and manye abuse it / to they re greate confusion / whyche thyng is so comen often vsed / that this fylthy life may well be called a slaunder and dishonesting of thy most gloryouse name Therfore endowe vs with thy godli grace / that we may auoyde suche thinges as are agaynst the honoure prayse of thy most holy name Make thou all witther aftes and falce charmes shortly to decaye Cause all coniuringes by the whiche satan or other creatures / are enchaunced to cease by thy blyssed name Make that all false fayth by the whyche other we distrust the / or put more confydence in other then is nedefull / may quyckly be distroyed Make that all heresies and false
shall bothe slepe and rest And a ryghtuous man yf he be subdewed of deth he shall be in colenesse And contrary to theyme that are wyked / deth is the begynnyng of euyll As it is saide the death of synners is worst / and euylles shall take an euell man in hys deth So Lazarus shall be comforted whyche hath receyued here his euylles / where as the gloton shall be punysshed bycause he hath receyued here his goodes So it feloweth that a chrysten whether he die or lyue is euer in better takyng / suche a blissed thyng is it to be a chrysten and to beleue in chryst wherfore as Paule saieth To lyue it is Chryst to me / and to dye it is auauntage / and in the .xiiij. to the Roma he that lyueth he lyueth to god / and he that dyeth he dyeth to god / whether we lyue therfore or dye we are the lordes This surenesse hath christ obteyned for vs bycause that he died and rose agayn / that he shulde be lorde both of quykke and dede whiche was a bill to make vs sureâ— bothe in life deth as the prophete sayeth in the xxij psalme If I walke in the myddes of the shadowe of deth I will not feare euilles bicause thou art with me And yf that this adauauÌ„tage of deth do but lytell moue vs / it is a signe that oure faith in Christ is verey weke with vs / for he that doth not well exteme the pryce and value of a good deth / or elles that deth is good / he doth not yet beleue but is ouer moche letre by the olde adam / and the wysdome of the fllesshe yet reynyng in hym / we must therfore laboure that we may be promoted to knowe and loue thys benefyte of deth It is a greate thyng that death whiche is to other the greatest euyll is made to vs the greatest auauntage / and except that Cryst had gotten that for vs / whate grete thyng had he done by gyuyng hym selfe for vs. Truely it was a godly worke that he dyd therfore it was no merueyle to hym to make the euyll of deth most proufitable for vs Therfore deth is nowe dede to faythfull men / and hath nothyng to be feared for / but hys visar and outward face And ys euyn lyke to a serpent whyche ys kylled for he hath the ferefull shape that he had byfore / howe be it yn verey dede there is nothing left but the figure / the euil is dede / and can do no more harme And as in the .xxi. of Numery God coÌ„maunded the brasen serpent to be lyft vp by whose sight the quykke serpentes dyd perisshe Lykewise oure deth by the faithfull beholdyng of the deth of Christ doth perisshe and doth not nowe appere but a certeyn figure of deth So the mercy of God hath figured all thinges to vs that are weke / that he hath destroyed the power of deth / and bycause it can not be vtterly put awey hath made it but a verey figure / for the whiche cause it rather called slepe inscripture then deth The secunde goodnesse of deth is that it doth not onely fynisshe the euilles paynes of this life / but also whyche is letter it maketh an ende of all vice and synne the whiche to theym that be good faithful maketh deth moche more to be desyred then these present goodes wherof we haue spoken / for the euilles of the soule whiche are synnes are without coÌ„parison worse theÌ„ the euylles of the body These onely sinnes yf we dyd sauoure theyme wolde make deth verey acceptable and loued vnto vs / whiche thyng yf they do not / it is a sygne that we do not wel perceyue nor hate the euylles of oure soule Therfore sith thys lyfe is full of perylles / and that synne doth besâ—ge vs on euery syde / and sith we can not lyue without synne / deth is best and most expedient whiche loseth vs from the seperilles / and cutteth synne clene awey from vs therfore in the prayse of a ryghtuouse man it is spokeÌ„ / in the .iiij. of Sapience He that pleased god is made beloued / he lyuing emong synners is translated rauysshed / that malice shulde not chaunge his vnderstoÌ„ding / nether that fayning shulde deceyue his soule for the bewitching of tryfeling doth darken goodnesse / the vnstablenesse of concupisceÌ„ce doth ouerwhelme the witte wyth out malyce O howe true these wordes are and dayly â—ene it is fone roted and hard to be dystroyed But his soule pleased god and for that he hasted to bryng hym out from the myddes of iniquite Euen so thorough the mercy of god deth whiche was to man the payne of synne made to the chrysten the ende of synne and the begynning of lyfe and ryghtuousnesse wherfore it is necessary that he whiche louith lyfe and ryghtuousnesse shulde not abhorre deth whiche is the minyster gate of theym both but rather to loue it / or elles he can neuer come to lyfe ryghtuousnesse / and he that can not loue it / let hym pray god that he may For therfore are we taught to say / thy will be fulfilled / because we whiche fearing deth do rather fauoure loue synne then iustice of oure power be not abyl to fulfil it And that god dyd ordeyn deth to be the destruccyon of synne / it maybe gathered of this / that after synne he put deth vppon Adam by and by / ye byfore he cast hym for the of Paradise / to thinteÌ„t to shewe vs that deth shuld worke none euyl but all goodnesse toward vs syth it was put on hym as a penaunce and satisfaction in paradice Truth it is that by the enuy of the deuil deth entered into al the worlde / but in this was declared the hyghe and godly goodnesse toward vs / that it was ordyned euen at his first begynnyng / not to hurte vs but to be the payne and destruction of synne to oure grete proufit This was signyfyed when be had tolde Adam byfore in the precept / that what houre so euer he dyd tast of that frute he shulde dye / yet after the traÌ„gression he dyd moderate the extremyte and rygoure of the precept / nether dyd he speke one syllable of deth / but sayde onely Thou art erth / and shalt retourne into erth / vntyll thou come ageyne into the londâ— out of the whiche thou art taken And as though he had hated deth wolde not vouthesaus ones to name it / according to the Prophete layng / for there is wrathe in his indignacyon and lyfe in his wyll And semed so to speke / that except deth had byn necessary to the distruction of synne he wolde neuer haue put it vpon man / no / nether yet haue named it ☞ Euen so ageynst synne whiche brought forth deth / the prouysyon of God dyd so arme deth / that here thou mayst se fulfylled the saying of the Poete The maker of deth /
coÌ„fesse / that thou suffryst iustly for thy synnes / thou arte ryghtuouse and holye as the thefe on the ryghthonde The knoweleging of thy synne / because it is truthe dothe iustifye and make the holy And eueÌ„ then immediatly after this knowelegyng of thy synne thou doest not suffer for thy synne / but for thy truthe and innocency For a ryghtuous man can not suffer / but for the truthe and innocently Nowe art thou iustifyed by the knoweleginge of thy synne / and suffering pacyently Therfore and that truely and worthyly is thy passyon and suffering to de coÌ„pared to the sufferyng of the sayntes euen as the knowelegyng of thy synnes is to be coÌ„pared vnto theyrs For there is but one truthe of all men the knouwelegyng of synne / sufferyng pacyently of all euylles / and true coÌ„munyon of holy men in all and by all thinges ¶ The seuenth Chaptre of the seuenth ymage whiche is the euyll aboue vs. IN this last ymage we must lifte vp oure hart and assence vp in to the mountayne of Myrthe with the spouse Here is Iesus Chryst crucifyed the hed of all chrysten / the capteyn of all theym that suffer / of whome many haue wryten many thinges And all men as it is coÌ„uenyent haue wryten all thinges His memorye is coÌ„mended vnto the spouse / where as it is sayde Put â—e as a sygne vpon thyne arme The bloud of this lambe marked on the post doth put awey the stryking aungell The spouse of hym is commended / because her here is lyke the purpure of a kyng That is her meditacyon is redde and of purpure coloure by remembryng the passyoÌ„ of Christ This is the wodde that Moyses was commaunded to put in to the waters of Marath that is to say / the bitter passions and they were made swete There is nothiÌ„g but this passyon maketh it swere / ye deth As the spouse doth say his lyppes are lylyes distillyng the chief and pure Myrrhe What proporcyon is there bytwene lylyes and lyppes syth these are redde and they whyte Truely it is spoken mystycally / bycause his wordes are most whyte / and pure in the whiche is no bloude bytternesse of enuye or malyce / but they are swete and mylde / with the whiche neuerthelesse he doth distyll the most pure and chief myrrhe / that is to say / persuadeth most bitter death / whiche euen as the most pure and chiefe Mirrhe at one taketh awey all corrupcyoÌ„ and stynking of the body taketh awey the corrupcyon and stynking of synne Of grete power are these most swettest lyppes that are able to make the most bitter deth / swete / pure / whyte and acceptable But howe shall this be done Truely whyle thou herest that Iesu Christ the sonne of god hath by his most holy touching and passyon consecrate and halowed all oure euylles / and suffrynges / ye the deth it selfe most extremest and grettest of all other / hath blyssed the curse / glorifyed the slaunder made ryche the pouertye / so that deth is compelled to be the gate of lyfe / Curse / the begynnyng of blyssyng And slaunder the father of glorie / howe canst thou nowe be so harde vnkynde that thou wilt not both loue ye also desyre all passyoÌ„s troubles / whiche are deped purified in the most clene holy flesshe bloude of Christ / so made vnto the holy / innocent / holsome / blessed / glorifyed For yf he by the touchinge of his clene flesshe hath halowed al waters for baptesme ye al creatures Howe moche more bi the touchiÌ„ge of his moste pure flesshe bloude had he sanctified al dethes / all passioÌ„s / al iniuries all curses / al slaunders / for the baptesme of the sprete or bloude As he sayeth of the same baptesme or passyoÌ„ in the .xij. of Luke I must be baptysed with a baptesme / howe I am payned tyll it be ended Thou seest how he is payned howe he pantith / how he thirsteth to sanctifye and make loued passyon and deth For he seeth that we are feared with passyons / he seeth that deth is feared and abhorred Wherfore he as a most meke sheperd / and most faythfull phisiseoÌ„ goyng aboute to cure oure euyl / doth hast and is payned vntyll his dye that by his deth he myght make theym acceptable welcome to vs. So that the deth of a Christen is to be counted lykeÌ„ to the brasen serpent of Moses which in all poyntes had the facyon of a serpent / but it was clene without lyfe / without mouyng / without venome / without bytyng So the ryghtuous do apere to theym that a soles to dye / howe be it they lyue in peace We are like to thinges which dye / Nether is there any other face outwardly of oure deth then of the deth of other thinges Howe be it the thinges in dede are other wyse For to vs deth is deed Lykewyse all oure other troubles and vexacyons are lyke the troubles of other thiÌ„ges / but that is onely in the face outwardly For in very dede oure sufferynges at the begynning of impassibilite / euen as deth is the begynnynge of lyfe And this is it that Ihon speaketh of in the viij If a man kepe my sayenges / he shall neuer so deth How shal he not se deth Truely for dying he begynneth lyfe So that for the lyfe whiche he seeth he can not see deth / here the nyght as the day shall belyghtened / for there is moche more clere lyght of the lyfe whyche we begynne then there is of the lyfe from whyche we be exyled by deth And all these thynges are confyrmed and stablisshed to theym whiche beleue in Christ / but it is contrary to theym that beleue not Therfore if thou kysse / loue / and embrace the cote of Chryst vesselles / water pottes / and suche other that Christ did touche and vse / countyng theym grete and swete relykes / as though they were consecrated halowed by this thouchyng / whye doest thou not moche more loue / embrace and kysse / the paynes euylles of this worlde slaunder and deth whiche were not onely halowed by his touching / but also clensed and blissed in his pure bloude / ye and embraced with the will of his hert / his enfamming charyte and mercy mouing hym therunto / seyng that in these are moche greater merytes / rewardes / and goodnesse / theÌ„ in those relykes for in these are obsteyned for the / the victory of deth and heel / and of all synnes / and so is it not in the relyques O that we myght se / and beholde the hert of Chryst / when that hangyng on the crosse he was payned to make death deade and despysed howe feruently / swetely he toke vppon hym paynes and deth for vs that were feerfull and dyd abhorre paynes and deth howe gladly he began to drynk thys cuppe to vs that were dyseased / that we shulde not
old man of synne that rayneth / in oure membres to caste out all hope and coÌ„forte that we haue in creatures / so depe to brynge a man in to the knowlege of his synne that he shall come euen to the brincke of desperacyon and thinke that he is forsaken of god Yet it leaueth hiÌ„ not there but it briÌ„geth hym agayne with all coÌ„solacyon and coÌ„forte sheweth hym that al his outragyous enormityes are crucifyed with Christ and thorow his deeth put out of the waye that they can neuer accuse hym more / and that the fathers wrath is pacefyed by his sonnes deeth / and we al as manye as beleue that Christes deeth hath payed the raunsome of oure synne are set at one with god and are become his childer so that he is no more oure iudge which shuld punishe vs for oure inquityes / but wyll he called oure mercyful father which forgeueth his childrens transgressyons Now syth we can not thus frutefullye remembre Christes passyon excepte we be enspired with grace from aboue for oure impotent viciate nature can do no good without the sprete of god the next remedye to obteyne this frutefull gyftes is to praye and desyre it of god oure father / and all be it he geue it vs not in the same tyme and moment that we wold haue it / yet let vs not despayre and cease from prayer paraduenture he holdeth it from the to make the more desyrous of it and to sette the more by it when it cometh / and that thou maist knowe that it is not in thy power and wil to haue it at thy pleasure / but this is a clere case that he wyl surelye geue it the wheÌ„ it shall be most expedyent for his glorye thy welth / which tyme no man knoweth but he alone Therfore let vs prescribe hiÌ„ no tyme / but euer submytte oure wâ—lles to his and praye that his wyll be fulfylled And contrarye wise sumtyme he geueth vs this gyfte before we praye or axe it / nether gâ—ueth he vs aâ— al tymes the sprete to praye / but distributeth that gyfte also / eueÌ„ aâ— his awne godlye pleasure nether wyll he that it be bounde other to tyme place or any person When he hath ones receaued the sprete which mollesyeth the harre and bryngeth hym in to the remembraunce of the passyon / fly and by his harte trembletâ— he lotheth hym selfe and knowlegeth his infirmitye / so that the effecte of the passyon is fulfylled in hym in a maner before he be aware But they that falle to their meditacyons and behold this passyoÌ„ beynge voyd of this sprete which openeth the harte / take greate laboures and are diligentlye occupied but all aboute nought for they can not her repent not yet perceaue their awne infirmitye / which is the verye ende and effect of Christes passyon So mayst thou se that the first with our laboure attayne the frute and profyte of Christes passyon all though it appeare not outwardlye And the other for all their diligent studye haue nothynge profyted / although they seme outwardlye to haue God by the fote And thus doth God turne topse turne a / that they which are all daye occupyed in hearinge masses and in remembringe Christes passyon get none auantage / and the other which seme to do none of both / do both in deade and obtayne the hole profyte Hetherto haue we entreated the crosse and passyon of Christ by the remembraunce wherof we knowe oure infirmityes / abhorre oure vices and are clene ouerthrowne readye to falle in to the pitte of desperacyon / and now will we touch how oure coÌ„sciences thus wounded and cast doune must be lyfte vppe agayne ¶ When a man begynneth on this maner to knowe and feale his synnes trembleth at the hydeous syght of them / let him take good hede that those tremblinge mocyons sticke not to longe in his coÌ„science for so shuld he falle in to vtter desperacyoÌ„ But euen as that feare knowlege of synne dyd springe out of Christes passyon / so must oure conscience vnlade her selfe agayne and laye all on Christes backe But beware that thou do not as the vnfaithfull doo / for they when they feale their synne / that their coÌ„science biteth theÌ„ / they runne to their awne good workes / to satisfactioÌ„s pilgrimages and pardoÌ„s / and so vexe theyr meruelouslye their vnquiet myndes to rid them froÌ„ theyr burden / but their laboure is in vayne And yet hath that false coÌ„fidence trust in satisfactioÌ„s so spred it selfe / that it hath founded manye religious cloystres in christendom / to the vtter destruccyoÌ„ of all christianite for yf I can make satisfactioÌ„ for my synnes / the is christes bloude shed in vayne Therfore on this maner shalt thou vnlade thy mynde and cast thy synnes on Christ First thou must faithfullye beleue / that Christ suffered for thy sake euen to redeme thy synnes / and that he toke theÌ„ on his awne backe and made full satisfaccyoÌ„ for theÌ„ vnto his father / as Esa sayeth liij the lorde layed on hym all oure iniquityes .i. Pet. ij he bare oure synnes in his awne bodye vpon the crosse And Paule .ij Corin. v. God made him that knewe no sinne / synne for vs that is to saye a sacrifice for oure synne that we thorow him might be that ryghtuousnes which before god is alowed Now the more that thy coÌ„science boyleth ryseth ageynst the / the more shalt thou cleaue to these and soch other coÌ„fortable sentences / and put thy hole fyaunce in Christ an they teach the / for yf thou god aboute thorow thy contricyon / and satisfaccyon to pacefye and aswage thy ragynge conscience / thou shalt neuer be in suretye / but after intollerable laboure and toylinge thou shalt falle in to vtter desperacion / for the conscience can not be quyet wheÌ„ he fealeth his synne / but estemeth is greater theÌ„ that we of oure awne power shuld be able to qwench it Not with stondinge yf he sawe that Chryst which is both god and man had taken them vppon hym and had vaynquesshed them by his deth / yee aÌ„dtyesinge agayne had triumphed vpon deth hell and the deuell then shuld he sone perceaue how weake the stinge and power of synne is / for euen as the paynes of his woundes and panges of hys deth do now no more remayne in his bodye euen so are all oure synnes vanysshed awaye like smoke to this well agreeth the sayinge of Paule Rom .iiij. that Christ dyed for oure synnes and is rysen agayne to iustifie vs. That is the passyon / and deth of Chryst doth open / and declare oure synnes vnto vs and so doth take them awaye / but thorow hys rysinge agayne are we iustefyed and made fre from all oure synnes / yf we beleue How be it yf we feale oure vnbelefe that we can not be surelye persuaded that these thinges are true / them is the next remedye to
trinite may we worshypper He therfore that wyll be saued / let hym vnderstande thus of the trinite But it is necessary vnto euerlastynge health / that euery christian beleue also faythfully the incarnacyon of oure Lorde Iesu Chryste It is therfore the ryght fayth that we be leueâ— confesse that our lorde Iesu Chryste the Sone of God / is God and man He is God by the substaÌ„ce of the Father goten before all worldes / and he is man by the substance of his mother / borne in the worlde Perfyte God / perfyte man / beynge of a soule reasonable / and of flesshe humayne Equall to the Father by his godhed lesse then the Father by his manhed Whiche thoughe he be God and man / yet is there not twayne but one Chryste Truely he is one not by turnyng of his godhed in to manhed / but by assumptynge of his manhed in to godhed Beynge out to all intentes / not by confusyon of substance / but by vnite of person For as the reasonable soule the flesshely body is or maketh one man / so God and man is one Chryste Whiche suffered death for our saluacyon descended to helle / and rose from death the thyrde daye Whiche ascended to heuens / sytteth at the ryght hande of God the Father almyghty froÌ„ thense shall he come to iudge the quycke and dead At whose comynge all men muste ryse with theyr bodyes shall gyue accompt of theyr owne propre dedes And they that haue done well shall go in to euerlastyng lyfe / they that haue done euyll in to euerlastynge fyre This is the Catholyke sayth / whiche excepte euery man faythfully / and stedfastly do beleue he can not be saued ¶ Finis ¶ The offyce of all Estates i. Timothe .iij. A Bysshop muste be fautlesse / the husbande of one wyfe sober discrete honestly appareled herberous / apte to teache / not dronkeÌ„ not fyghter not gyuen to fylthy lucrebut gentyl / abhorringe fyghtynge / abhorringe couetousnesse / and one that ruleth his owne house honestly / hauynge chyldren vnder obedyence / with all honeste ¶ Rulers Sapien. i. Ye that are rulers of the earth / se that you loue ryghteousnes / and that you commyt none vnryghteousnes in iudgement Leui. ix Thou shalte not fauour the poore / nor honoure the myghty / but shalt iugge thy neyghbour ryghtteously ¶ The coÌ„mens Leui. xix Ye shall not deceyue youre brethren neither with weyght nor measure / but shall haue true balances / and true weyghtes / for I am the Lorde your God ¶ Husbandes Ephe. v ¶ Husbandes loue your wyues euen as Chryst loued the congregacyon / and gaue hym selfe for it to sanctyfy it and clensed it in the fouÌ„tayne of water thorowe the worde / to make it vnto hym selfe / a gloryous congregacyon with out spot or wrencle / or any suche thinge So ought men to loue theyr wyues / as theyr owne bodyes He that loueth his wyfe / loueth hym selfe For no man euer yet hated his owne flesshe / but norrysshed it c. ¶ Wyues Ephe. v. Wyues submit youre selues to your owne husbandes / as to the lorde For the husbande is te wyues heed / euen as Chryst is the heed of the congregacyon Therfore as the coÌ„gregacyoÌ„ is in subiection to Chryste lykewyse lette the wyues be in subiectyon to theyr husbandes in all thynges ¶ Fathers and Mothers Ephe. v. Ye fathers moue not your chyldren vnto wrath but brynge them vp with the nurture and informacyon of the lorde ¶ Chyldren Ephe. vi Chyldren obey youre fathers mothers in the Lorde for so it is ryght Honour the Father and mother that is the fyrst commaundement that hathe any promyse that thou mayste be in good estate and lyue longe on the earthe Maysters Colles .iij. Ye maysters / do to youre seruauÌ„tes that whiche is iuste and equall puttyng away all bytternisse and threatenynges knowinge that euen ye also haue a mayster in heueÌ„ Seruauntes Collos .iij. Seruauntes / be obedyent to youre bodyly maysters in all thinges not with eye seruyce as men pleasers / but in synglenesse of herte / fearynge God And what soeuer ye do / do it hertely as thoughe ye dyd it vnto the lorde / not vnto men for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receyue the rewarde of enherytaunce for ye serue the Lorde Chryst Wydowes 1. Timo. v. She that is a very wydowe frendlesse putteth heth truste in god / and contynueth in supplicasyon and prayer nyght and day ¶ The somme of all LOue thy neyghbour as thy selfe And whatsoeuer ye wolde that other shulde do to you do you euen the same to them what ye wolde not that other men shulde do to you / se that ye do it not to them ¶ A prayer for wysdom Sapien .ix. chapiter Deus patrum nostrorum / et dominus misericordie O The God of our fathers / god of mercy / whiche hast made al with thy worde / and with thy wysdome haste constytuded man / to haue dominyon vpon the creature whiche was made of the / to order the world with equyte and iustyce / and with a dyrecte herte for to iudge iudgementes / gyue me the assystent wysdome of thy seates and reproue me not from thy chyldren For thy seruaunt am I / the sone of thy haÌ„de mayde / a man weyke of lytle tyme vnsuffycyent to the vnderstandynge of thy iudgement lawes And yf any shall be of moost perfyte wysdome amoÌ„ge the sones of men / yf thy wysdome ones flye froÌ„ him he shall be counted regarded at nought Sende thy wysdome froÌ„ thy holy heuyns / froÌ„ the seate of thy myghtynes that it maye be with me / laboure with me / and that I may know what is acceptable before the. For she knoweth all / and vnderstandeth all and shall conduyt me sobrely in my workes / shall â—epe me in her power And my wordes shal be acceptable So be it ¶ The prayer of Salomon for wysdom ij Reg. iij. Chapter Tu fecisti domine cum seruo tuo THou hast done lorde with thy seruaunt Dauid my father great mercy so that he walked in thy syght in trueth and iustyce ryght herte with the. Thou sauedest vnto hym thy great mercy / and gauest hym a sone syttinge vpon his trone / as it is at this day And nowe lorde god thou hast made thy seruauÌ„t to reygne in the roume of Dauid my father I am a very babe and knowe not myne entrynge / nor my comynge out / and thy seruaunt is in the myddest of an infinite people / whiche thou hast chosen / whiche can not be nombred nor counted for the mâ— lâ—ytude Wherfore thou shalte gyue to thy seruaunt an herte apt to be taught / to the entent he maye iudge thy people / and discerne bytwyxte good and euyll For who can iudge this people this thy people so many ¶ For coÌ„petency of lyuynge the prayer of Salomon Prouer.
whiche made heuē erth / and alone ruleth all creatures To hym hoelly I submytte my sylfe Nothing fearyng / nor regardyng the malice of the deuell / his felawes / for my god is aboue theym all Nether wolde I put thelesse cōfidence in god / though all men did forsake me and persecute me Nether will I trust hym thelesse / bycause I am wretched and poore / bycause I am rude and vnlerned / bycause I am dispised and lacke possessions Nether yet the lesse bicause I am a synner for this my faith doth sarre passe / al thīges as it is necessary ought to do what soeuer eyther be / or be not / bothe synnes and vertues to be short / all thinges So that she doth purely hoely fixe her self in God onely / as the first cōmaundement teachith and compellith me Nether desire I any signe to tempt hym I trust faythfully vnto hym / all though he differre tary at his pleasure I will not sette or prescribe to hym any ende / any tyme / measure or reason but I commit all to his will / with a pure faith and a stable For he is almyghty / what can I lacke that he can not gyue and do vnto me For he is the maker of heuen erth and lorde of all thinges / what thing can hyndre me or hurte me Howe may it be that all thinges shall not turne to myn vse and profit / when he to whome all these thynges ar subiect and obedyent fauoureth me and loueth me Nowe syth he is god he knoweth wherunto he hath ordyned me / and howe euery thinge shal be best for me and that whiche he knoweth / he may do Yf he be my father / it is sure that he wil se the best for me and that with a good will When I doubt not herof and haue suche trust in hym / then no doubt I on his seruaunt his sonne / his heyre for euer And euen as I beleue se shall it be vnto me ¶ The secunde parte of the belefe ANd in Iesu Christ / his onely sonne oure lorde Whiche was cōceyued by the holy goost / borne of Mary the virgyn Suffred vnder Pontius Pylatus / crucyfyed / deede / and buryed / descended to helle / the thyrd day rose ageyn from deth Ascended to heuen / syttith on the ryght hand of God the father almyghty / from thens he shall come to iudge quycke and deade That is / I do not only beleue / that Iesu Christ is the true only sonne of God / by euerlasting godly nature / beyng frō the begynnyng euer begotten but also that all thinges are subdued vnder hym / that he is my lorde / and the lorde of all creatures / made ruler of theym beyng man / whiche he hym self with the father in his diuynite dyd make I beleue that no man may beleue in god the father or may come vnto the father / nether by science and lernyng nether by workes / nether by they re owne reason and witte or by what thing so euer may be named in heuen or erthe / but by this and in this Iesu Chryst his onely sonne / that is to say by the sayth in the name and power of Iesu Chryst I beleue vnfaynedly / and surely / that he was conceyued for my proufit by the holy goost without all mannes and carnal worke / without a bodyly father / or mannes sede / and that to purifye / and make spirituall my synfull / flesshely / vnclene / and dampnabill conception / and all theyrs that beleue in hym moued to his mercy of his owne and fre will and the will of the almyghty father ¶ I beleue that he was begotten of the virgyn Mary without the losse of her pure and vncorrupt virgynite / so that accordyng to the prouidence of the mercyfull father he shulde blysse and clense the synnes dāpnabill byrth of all that beleue in hym that after / it myght do no hurte I beleue that he suffred passyon deth for my synnes / and all theyrs that beleue in him / that he therby blyssed all passyons / crosses deathes / so that after they myght not hurte / but be bothe holsome and merytorious I beleue that he was deade and buryed to mortifye bury all my synnes / theyrs that beleue Finally that all bodely deth bi his deth was distroyed / so that it is of no power to hurte but is rather made holesome and profitable I belefe that he went downe to hell to subdewe and make captyue / to me to all that beleue / the deuyll with all his impery / subtilite and malice / to delyuer me frō helle / takyng awey all his power that he myght not hurte me / but shulde rather be profitable vnto me I beleue that on the thyrde day he rose ageyn from deth / to bryng me and all that beleue in to a newe lyfe / and that by this dede he reysed me with hym / in grace and spryte / not to synne after / but that I endowed with all kindes of grace and vertue / myght serue hym / and so fulfull his commaundementes I beleue that he ascended vnto heuen / and that he hath receyued of the father / rule / honoure aboue all aungelles / and creatures And that he nowe sittith on the ryght honde of the father / that is / that he is king and lorde ouer all the goodes of godyn heuen hell and erthe Wherfore he may helpe me and theym that bileue / yn all maner of aduersitees against all oure aduersares and ennemyes I beleue that from thens he shal retourne the last day / to iudge quycke / whome he them shall finde alyue / and deed whyche before were buried And that he shall compell all men and aungelles good and euel to come before the seate of his iudgement whome they shal se bodyly to delyuer me and all faithfull / from bodyly deth / from all euyl / and synnes And to punysshe with eternall iudgement his enemyes / and aduersaryes / so that we shal be delyuered frō they re power for euer ¶ The thirde parte of the belefe I Beleue in the holy ghoost / the holy Christen churche / the communyon of saintes / the forgeuenesse of synne / the rysing / of flesshe / and euerlasting life Amen That is to sey / I do not onely beleue that the holy goost is verey god with the father the sonne But also that no man can come to the father by ceist / by his lyfe / passiō / deth what so euer who spokē of christ or opteyne any of these thinges / without the worke of this sprete with the whiche sprece I desire the father the son / to touch me and all faithfull to sturre me vp / to call / to drawe / and by Chryst and in christ to quycken me to make me holy and spirituall and so to brynge me to
Kepe vs from all euyll / misshe vous / obstinate / hard / styffe / vngentill / and resisting will Gyue de we obedieÌ„ce / parsait freminde in all spiritual thinges / worldly / euerlasting transitory Kepe vs froÌ„ the most horribill synne of grugyng slaunder / accusing folisshe hardy iudgemeÌ„t / that we condeÌ„pne no man or turne any thing to rebuke Put from vs that abhominabill euyl / and most greuous stroke al suche tongues / teache vs that if we se or heare of other any thyng worthye of rebuke / whiche dyspleaseth vs / that we holde oure peace hyde it coÌ„plenyng to the onely / putting committyng it vnto thy will / so that with all oure minde we forgeue theim that offeÌ„d vs for whome also we be sory Teache vs to vnderstoud that no man may hurte vs except be do hym selfe moche more hurie in thi sighe so that we may be moued with mercy towardes hym / rather then we shuld be prouoked to wrath rather wepyng for his bliÌ„denesse / then to thinke of aduengemeÌ„t Gyue vs grace that we reioyce not in theyr trouble / whiche haue resisted oure will or hurte vs / or in what poynt so euer they re life displeasith vs / and also that we be not sory when they prosper haue welfare Of this peticion are all psalmes verses and prayers teaching vs to pray for oure enemyes / and against oure synnes ¶ The fourthe peticion Gyue vs this day oure dayly breade THe breade is oure lorde Iesus Crist whyche nourysseth / and conforteth the soule Therfore O heuenly father / gyue vs thys grace / that the lyfe of Chryst wordes / workes / and passions / may be preached / knowen / and holden / bothe of vs / of all the worlde Gyue vs grace that we may haue his wordes / worltes and all his lyfe for an affectuose example / and spectacle of all vertues Gyue vs grace that iâ— oure passyons and aduersytes / we may comfort oure selfe by hys passyon and crosse Gyue vs grace that we may with a scable faith ouercome oure deth by his deth / and folowe without feare this nobil capteyn into aÌ„other life Gyue this grace that all they that preache / may proufitably and blissedly preache thy word / and Iesu crist through all the worlde and that al whicke haue thy worde preached / may lerne Crist and so may be purified / and go forth in a better life Graunt this also mercyfull father / that all strauÌ„ge doctrynes in the whiche Christ is not lerned may be thrust out of thy churche Haue mercy on all bisschoppes / prestes and on al theym whome they call consecrated / of all officers that they maye be lyghteneth with thy grace / to teache rule well / bothe in worde also craÌ„ple of life Kepe al that are weke in the faith lest they be offended bi the myschevous exemple of heddes and rulers Kepe vs from hereyses and doctrynes of dyuision / that we may be agreyng in one mynde / syth we vse one dayly brede that is / one dayly doctryne / and worde of Chryst Teache vs by thy grace / to thynke / and haue in mynde / truely and as we ought to do the passyon of Christ / and to ioyne it happyly with oure lyfe / so that we may coÌ„me and atteyn some thing / though it be but the shadowe of it Finally gyue vs oure dayly breade / that Christ in vs we in Chryst may dwelle perpetuelly / and may worthyly bere this name / syth of Christ we are called Christen Of this peticyon are all kinde of prayers and Psalmes / with whiche we pray for oure officers / ageynst false teachers / for the Iewes / for heretikes / and all other that are out of the ryght wey And also with whiche we pray for theym that lacke â—onforte ¶ The fyft peticyon ¶ Forgyue vs oure treaspaces euen as we forgyue theym that trespas vs. THis prayer hath a certeyn coÌ„dicyon and sygne annexed with hym / whiche â—s that first we forgeue oure trespassers This done / then may we say forgeue be oure trespasses Before also in the thyrde peticyon we prayed that the will of God myght be fulfilled / whiche willeth that we suffer all thinges paciently / not quytyng euell for euell / nether sekyng auengement / but that we do good for euyll / by thexample of oure father in heuyn / whiche maketh his sonne shyne vppon good and euyll / and sendeth his rayne vppon kynd and vnkinde ¶ This is nowe oure prayer O father coÌ„forte oure coÌ„science / bothe nowe / and in the day of deth / whiche conscience nowe is abasshed seynge his synne and iniquyre / then also shal be abasshed / remembryng thy cruell iugemeÌ„t Gyue thy peace into oure hartes that we reioysing may loke for thy iugement Entre not into iudgement with thy strayte lawe / for in it shall no man be funde innocent ryghtuous Teache vs dere father not to sticke or be comforted in oure good workes or diseruynges / but to gyue and submytte oure selfe playnely and faithfully to thyne iufinite and incoÌ„parable mercy Agayne Make that we despeyre not for this oure gylty and synfull lyfe / but that we maye iudgge thy mercy more myghty and stronger then oure lyfe / howe soeuer we haue ordered it Helpe and coÌ„fort all mennes coÌ„science whiche in the poynt of deth / or in any other suche temptacyon are vexed with desperacyon Forgyue theym and vs oure deâ—ces / comfort theym / refresshe theym / and he recoÌ„ciled vnto theim Gyue vs thy goodnesse for oure malice / as thou coÌ„maundest that we shulde do Cast doune the horrible fende flaunderer / accusar / and encreasar / of our synnes nowe and in the poynt of deth and to be short / in all straytnesse of coÌ„science Gyue vs grace to auoyd that by oure diffamacyon mennes synnes appere not the more greuous Iudge vs not after the accusacyon of the deuyll and oure wretched conscience / nether heare the voyce of oure enemyes whiche accuse vs day and nyght byfore the / eueÌ„ as we wyl not heare theim whiche diffame and accuse other Take from vs the greuous hepe of the synnes in oure conscience / so that we refresshed by â—he suer trust and confidence of thy mercy in the botom of oure hart / may lyue / dye / suffer / and take all thinges pacyently In this peticyon take place all Psalmes and prayers whiche ageynst synnes crye on the mercy of God ¶ The sext peticyon ¶ And leade vs not in to temptacyon WE are assauted with thre maners of temptacyon and vexacyon / the flesshe / the worlde / the deuell Therfore we desire the most dere father to endowe vs so with thy grace that we may withstond the desires of the flesshe Make that we resyst and fyght ageynst this super fluyte of meate / drynke / slepe / slouth / and ydelnesse Make that we
for deth holy men did feare ye Chryst hym self went to his deth with feare and bloudy droppes of swette Finally so horryble is this euyll that the mercie of god neuer toke more diligence / then to comfort oure weaknesse in this mater / as we shall se hereafter All those thinges are comyn and indifferent to all men / euen as the benefytes of helth are comyn to theym that are vexed Howe be it to the christen there is a newe and speciall cause / to feare this euyll to come which dothe ferre passe all other euylles And this is it that thappostel deschryâ—eth .i. Corin .x. sayenge Let him that thynketh that he stondeth take hede / lest he fall The wey is so slypper and oure enemyes so myghty / armed with out owne powers that is to sey with the socoure of oure owne flessh and of all oure euyll desyres accoÌ„panyed with the infinite multitude of the worlde / wyth deuities and pleasures on the reght honde / with fearsnesse / crueltye of meÌ„ displeasures on the lift honde / besydes the craft of subtiltie a thousaÌ„d weyes to hurte / deceyue and destroye / whiche he is instructe wyth al hym selfe Thus lyue we / beynge not sure to contynue one mynute of an houre in our good mynd purpose Saint Cipriane remembring many of these thynges in a pistle whyche he made of mortalyte / doth teache that it is good to desyre deth / as a quycke helper to scape these euylles And trulye when these men were in a goode mynde / and dyd entreate of these infinyte ieopardyes / we do se theym dispysynge lyfe and death that is to saye al these foresaid euylles desyre to dye and to be dyssolued / so that they myghte be loosed frome the multytude of synnes / that are in theym as we haue sayde in the fyrst image into whiche they may fall of the whiche we speake nowe And truly these .ij. thiÌ„ges are verey ryghtuouse both to desire deth / also to set lyght by all these euylles / ye vtterly to dispyse theym / yf god stryke the or moue the with one of theym / for it is te gyft of god to be moued wyth theym What true Chrysten is there whiche wold not desyre to be diseased / ye and to dye / whyche seyth and fealeth hym selfe whyle he is hole to be yn synne / and that he may continuelly runne into more and dayly fall in theym / and so to transgresse the specyall and good wil of his most dere father With thys here and indygnation was Paule vexed and sturred vppe in the vnto the romayns when he had compleyned that he coud not do to good wicht he wolde haue done / but that he dyd the euyll whiche he wolde not haue done / he cryed out O wretched maÌ„ that I am who shal delyuer me froÌ„ this bodi of death the grace of god he sayde by Iesus chryst / he doth lytel loue god his father whiche doth not hate more the euill of synne then he doth death / sith that god dyd ordeyn death for this purpose / that it myght at the length fynysshe this euyll of synne / so that deth may be the mynistre of lyfe and ryghtuousnesse / of the whiche we shall speke hereafter ¶ The thirde chapiter of the thyrdey mage / whiche is the euyl that is passed or behind vs. IN thys chiefly / aboue all other doth the swete mercy of god oure father shyne and set forth it selfe whiche is abyll to comforte vs in all veracyon / and ieoperdyes Nether is there any man whiche fealeth the hand of god more ready with hym then when he doth reherse meditate the yeares of his lyfe past Saynt Austine sayeth / yf that the choyse were gyuen to a man / that he shulde other dye or elles to lyue hys life passed agayn / as he hath liued it / that he wolde chose rather to dye seyng his greate ieoperdies euilles whice scarcely and with great peryll he hath escaped whiche opynyon is verey true if it be well extemed Here he may se howe often he hath done many thinges with out studie and regard / ye clene coÌ„trary to his purpose And hath also suffred many thynges with out counceyll and prouision byfore they were done and when they were done / in so moche that merueyling with hym self he is coÌ„pelled to saye howe are these thinges come to passe / whiche I neuer thought to do but rather contrary So that the prouerbe is founde verey true / man purposeth / god dysposeth / that is to sey bryngeth to passe other thinges then man doth purpose So that by this one text it is more euideÌ„t then we can denye / that oure life and goodes ar gouerned by the hyghe and merueillous power / prouision / and goodnesse of god / and not by oure owne wysdome Here we may perceyue howe oft god hath byn with vs / when we haue nether sene nor felt hym And howe trewe it is that Petre sayeth he taketh the charge and prouydeth for al vs. Wherfore yf there were nether bokes nor preachinges / yet oure lyfe hir selfe whiche is ledde thorough so mani perylles and ieoperdies may abundauntly testyfie and comend vs the godly goodnesse / most ready and swetist / whiche hath taken vp and borne vs in his bosom farre beyond all oure prouision and witte And as Moses in the .xxxij. Deuteronomyon sayeth The lorde hath kept hym as the ball of hys eye he hath ledde hym about and borne hym on hys shulders And of this spring all the exhortacions in the psalter / I haue remeÌ„bred the olde dayes I haue coÌ„sidered in meditacion all these workes creatures I shall remembre froÌ„ the beginnyng all thy merueilles And I haue remeÌ„bred thy iugemeÌ„tes am comforted These suche other perteyne herunto that we maye surely knowe sith that he was them present with vo wheÌ„ we sawe hym not / nor thought it / that he is also nowe present with vs / while he semith to vs to be abseÌ„t For he that toke vs in suche necessite with out oure consent wil not forsake vs in a lytell trouble though he seme to leaue vs / as he sayeth in Esaie I haue forsaken the for a mynytte lytell space / in greate mercy will gather the agayn receyue the. Here maist thou put in these thinges / who was he that toke the charge of vs / so many nyghtes whyle we were slepyng Who was he that toke thought for vs as oft as we laboured / played / dyd in the other infinyte thynges / in the whyche we loke no thought for oure selfe Or howe long ys the tyme / in the whiche we â—ake regard to oure selfe The Couetous maÌ„ taketh thought to seke money / yet in the seking labouring for it / it is necessary that he put a part hys though So we may so that all oure care wether we wil or not retourneth onely to
god / verey seldome it is that we are left in oure owne prouysion / whyche yet sometyme god doth suffer / that he may lerne vs to knowe his goodnesse that at the length we may perceyue what grete difference there is bytwene his prouision and ours So it chaunceth / that he wyll suffer vs sumtyme te be stryken with some lyght dysease / or other euell faynyng as though he holpe vs not howe be it in dede he dothe euer helpe vs but yet he forbyddeth that those whyche are about vs / assaut vs not so fyersly that they suppresse vs / so to tempt vs as hys dere chyldren / whether we wyll commytte to hys prouysyon all the resydue of oure lyfe and to se howe weke vnproufitable oure care and prouision is / what do we yâ— / or what can we proufit oure selfe in al oure life whiche are not a bill to heale shortly a lytell ache in the thyghe whye then are we so hasty to berydde in a moment froÌ„ oure parylles and euilles and leaue not rather to hym the charge cure of it / fyth that by hym we are delyuered oure owne self beryng witnesse from so many euylles and kept without oure oune ê“uision To knowe these thinges is to knowe the workes of god / to considre and remembre hys workes / and by that remembraunce to be coÌ„forted in all aduersitees They that knowe not this shall runne into the daunger that there is spokeÌ„ of in the Psalme .xxviij. Bycause they haue not vnderstond the workes of god and the workes of his hondes thou shalt destroye theym / and not edyfye theym For they are vnkind to the hole prouision of god gyuen theym in all they re lyfe / whiche in al lytel minycte committe not to hym the hole charge and prouision ¶ The fourth chapitre of the fourth ymage whiche is the euyll beneth vs. YEt we se none other thing iÌ„ al the euilles that we suffer theÌ„ that the goodnesse of god is so greate so redy with vs that emong the iÌ„numerabyl euylles wyth which we are compassed on eueri syde / ye in whiche we are fulli prisoned scaÌ„ta fewe nor thei at al times are suffred to assayle vs / in so moche that the euil wherwith we are suppÌ„ssed is but a warninge of a grete auauntage with whiche god endueth vs / whyle that he suffreth vs not to be oppressed with the multitude of euilles with the whiche we are beseged What a myracle is it for a man to bestrykeÌ„ at on euery syde with infinite strokes / and chaunce at the length to be touched but with one yee it is a greate grace that he is not stryken with theym all / and a myracle that he is not touchet with many Therfore the first of those euylles whiche are by neth is death The secunde is hell / yf we shulde consyder the dyuers and vyle deth of other men / wherwith synnars are stryken / we shall sene perceyue wyth howe grete lucre we suffre lesse then oure deseruinges Howe many are strangled wyth halters / galowes / and water / or dye with swerde / whyche paraduenture haue done moche lesse synnes then we haue done In so moche that they re â—â—th and mysery may be leyd bifore vs of Christ for an ymage glasse wheryn we may perceyue / whate we haue deserued For so he answered in the .xiij. of lyke / when there were present that shewed hym of the galyleans whose bloude pylate myngled with they re owne sacrifice Suppose ye that these galyleans were gretter synnars then all other galyleans bycause they suffred suche punysshement I tell you nay / but except ye repent / ye shall all in lyke wise perisshe Or thynke ye that those .xviij. Vppon whome the coure in Siloe fill and slewe theym / were synners aboue all men that dwell in Ierusalem I tell you naye / but except ye repeÌ„t ye al shall lyke wise perysshe Nether can we thinke that we ought lesse to be punysshed / whyche haue commytted as great or gretter crymes Nether the iustice truthe of god will be for oure cause other vnequall or false / whiche hath or dyned to geue to euery man acordyng to hys dedes / yf we do not preuent and at the lest suffre some lytel euyll pacyently that is gyuen vs of god most mercyfully for a warnyng / to exchewe the gretest euell Howe many thousandes are there in hell / and euerlasting dampnation whiche haue not the thousand part of oure synnes howe many virgyns chyldren and whiche we call innocentes howe many religious prestes and maryed men whiche semed thorow all they re lyfe to serue god / peraduenture / falling into one synne are dampned perpetually We will not dissemble There is one ryghtuousnesse of god iÌ„ euery synne He hateth equally condeÌ„pneth synne in who so euer it be founde May we not here se the inestymable and bounteous mercy of god / whiche hath not dampned vs that so oft haue offended howe moche I pray the is it that we can suffer in all oure lyfe to be compared to euerlasting payne / whiche they suffer / deseruyng it bâ—one transgression And yet we whiche haue so oft transgressed are saued Truely it is a great vnkindnesse and extreme hardnesse of vnbeleue / that we so lytell regard and so coldly magnifye these hyghe benefytes of god Bysydes thys hyther thou mayst applye / so many infydelles / natyons / Iewes / infauntes / tho whome if the grace had byn gyuen whiche is gyueÌ„ to vs / they shuld not be in hell but in heuyn and shulde moche lesse haue synned theÌ„ we haue For Crist in the .xi. of Mathewe sâ—tâ—â—â—h this ymage before oure yes saying / wo be to the Chorosaym / wo be thou Both saydâ— for yf the miracles whyche were shewed in you had byn shewed in tyre Sydon they had repented long a gone in sackeclo the asshes Neuerthelesse I say to you it shall be easyer for Tyre and Sidon at the day of iugement then for you And thou Caphernaum wyiche art lyft vp vnto heuyn / shalt bethruft downe vnto hell for yf the myracles whiche haue byn done in the had byn shewed in zodom they had remained to this day Neuerthelesse I say vnto you / it shal be easier for zodom in the day of iudgement / then for the. We se therfore howe moche prayse loue we owe vnto oure mercyful god in al the euylles of this lyfe / bycause it is scant one droppe of that we haue deserued Whiche Iob compareth to the see and the grauell of the see ¶ The fyfte Chapter of the fyfte ymage whiche is the euyll on the lyft hond HEre set byfore thyne yies the hole kepe and multitude of aduersaries and euyll men And first consydre in theym howe many euylles they haue not done / to oure body / goodes / name and soule / whiche they wolde haue done / except by the prouisyoÌ„ of
that are in the worlde So the coÌ„gregacyon of christeÌ„ areth in they re prayers / that they prouoked be the examples of holy men / maye folowe the vertue of they re passyons / and syngeth solemply / that the holye men haue suffered turmentes / that they myght suerly come to the victorye of martyrdome By the which wordes and songes of the church we must vnderstoÌ„d that the passyons and victoryes that God hath gyuen to his martyres and holy sayntes / ought to be had in memory / that by they re example we may be quykened and bolded to suffer those euylles whiche they suffred And yf they re commemoracyon be by vs done to any other entent / whatsoeuer it be / then is it medled with supersticyon hypocrisie As is theyrs that honoure theym to thintent that they shulde not suffer the trouble vexacyoÌ„ / whiche the sayntes by theyr example memory do teache to be suffred / so that they desire to be made vnlyke vnto theym / whose feastes they celebrate Right excelleÌ„tlye doth thappostle entreate this place of coÌ„fort in the .xij to the Heb. sayeÌ„ge ye haue not yet resysted vnto bloud shediÌ„ge striuiÌ„ge ageynst synne And ye haue forgotten the consolacyon / whiche speaketh vnto you as vnto chyldern My sonne despyse not the chastenynge of the lorde / nether saynt when thou art rebuked of hym for whoÌ„ the lorde loueth hym he chasteneth If ye shall endure chastenynge god offereth hym selfe vnto you / as vnto sonnes / what sonne is that whome the father chasteneth not Yf ye be not vnder correccyoÌ„ wherof al ar parte takers them are ye bastardes and not sonnes Moreouer seyng we haue fathers of oure flesshe whiche corrected vs / and we gaue theyme reuerence shall we not moch rather be in subieccyon vnto the father of spirituall gyftes / and lyue No maner lernynge for the present tyme semych to be ioyous but greuous / neuerthelesse afterward it bryngeth forthe the quyet frute of ryghtuousnesse vnto theym / whiche there in are exercysed These were the wordes of saynt Paule Who wolde not be abasshed of these wordes / where he diffyneth playnely / that they are not the sonnes of god / whiche are not vnder his lernyng and correccyon Who can more strongly be coÌ„firmed / more effectuouslye be coÌ„forted / then he that heareth that they are loued of god whiche are chastened / and that they are the sonnes of god / and endued with the coÌ„munyon of holy men / ye they onely are holy whiche suffer and are chastened This vehement exhortscyoÌ„ shulde make sufferaunce and correccyon to be loued and desyred Here is no place to excuse oure selfe / that some suffer lesse some more for to euery man is gyuen temptatioÌ„ by measure / not aboue oure streynght as it is wrytten in the .lxxix. psalme Thou shalt fede vs with the brede of teares / and geue vs drinke in th eares / in measure / whiche Paule doth also saye God is faithfull whiche suffereth you not to be tempted / for ther theÌ„ ye be able ye he wyll put such chaunce vnto the temptacyon that ye may be able to resyst Therfore where as the gretter euyll and temptacyoÌ„ is / there is the more coÌ„fort and helpe of god So that the inequalyte of trouble and temptacyoÌ„ is but onely in the face outwardly and not in the verey thinge When we nowe at this daye remembre Iohn Baptist shamefully slayne behedded of Herode / doth it not coÌ„found vs and make vs abasshed that he beyng suche one as emoÌ„g the chyldren of wymen there arose not a greâ—ter the onely frende of the spouse the prepare of christes waâ—e / gretter them all the prophetes / was nether slayne by any open iugement / nether yet for any fayned cause as Christ was accused nether for to auoyd insurreccyon of the people But was beheded in pryson at the appetyte of a dauncetesse / the doughter of a wretched aduoutrous woman Let then the shameful deth / of suche an holy persone suche an holy lyfe of suche a Prophete / so wretchedly and vilaynously delyuered into the cruell hoÌ„des of a rybaud that was angry with hym swage and pacyfye al our euyll / where was god whiche suffered eueÌ„ before his eyes such an horrible dede Where was Christ whiche hearyng of it spake neuer a worde He dyed as though he had byn vnknowen to god / men and all creatures What suffer we in the whiche we may reioyce and not rather be vtterly confounded and asshamed yf it be compared vnto this mannes dethe Or howe shall we be bold to shewe oure faces / yf we wyll suffer nothynge / syth suche holye men haue suffered suche vyle deth without deseruyng / ye and they re bodyes after they re deth hath ben made a laughing stocke to they re enemyes Behold sayeth Ieremyas they whiche had no iugement to drynke of the cuppe / drinkyng shall drynke of it / shalt thou be lest innocent thou shalt not be lefte innocent / but drynking thou shalt drinke of it Therfore the heremyte dyd well whiche because he was wont euerye yere to haue sykenesse / and scaped one hole yere without sykenesse / was very sadde wepte / sayng that God had forgotten hym / had denyed hym his grace So necessary and holsome is the correccyon of the lorde to all christeÌ„ Here we se howe it is nothing that we suffer / yf we coÌ„pare it to the prisons / Iron / fyre / bestes / water / and other infynite tormentes / ye yf we ponder well the greuous persecutyons of theym whiche suffer the temptacyons of the deuell beynge present with vs in this lyfe For there are manye whiche are suffer more sharply and greuouslye them we do / bothe in sprete and bodye Here some man wyll say in this I coÌ„pleyne / that my passyon cannot be compared to the passyons of holy men / bycause I am a synner / not worthy to be compared vnto theym They suffered gylties and for innocencye but I suffer for my synnes / therfore it â—s no merueyle though they suffered all thynges pacyently and gladly This saying is verey folisshe / for yf thou suffer for thy synnes thou mayst reioyce that thy synnes be purged Where not the holy men also synners but thou fearest lest thou be lyke vnto Herode or to these whiche honge on the left honde Thou art not yf thou be pacyent / what thiÌ„g maketh the differeÌ„ce bytwene the thefe on the ryght hoÌ„de the thefe on the left hoÌ„de but onely pacieÌ„ce impacieÌ„t Yf thou be a synnar / well / the thefe was also a synner / howe be it his pacyence obtayned the glory of ryghtuousnesse and holynesse So do thou lyke wyse / for thou caÌ„st not suffer but other for thy synnes / or for ryghtuousnesse / and bothe these suffrynges make the holy blessed / yf thou loue theym Wherfore thou hast none excuse left Finally as thou doest
dyd perisshe by his owne worke / and synne was distroyed and kylled by his owne proper frute that is to say deth whiche he begat he hymself / euen as a viper by hyr owne you frute This is a goodly syght to se howe deth is distroyed / not by an others worke / but by his owne As Goliath had his he destroy â—en of wih his owne swerde For Goliath was the figure of synne / a terrybill gyaunt to all men / except to lytell Dauid that is to say to Christ whiche alone dyd ouer throwe hym / and cutting of his hede with his owne swerde sayde there can not be ater swerde then Golyath hath hym selfe If then we do remembre these ioyes of the vertue of Christ and the gyftes of his grace / whate shall a lytell euyl vexe vs syth in that great euyll to come we se so grete profites and commodytees ¶ The thyrd chapter of the .iij. ymage whiche is the good that is passed or behinde vs THe coÌ„syderacyon of this good whiche is passed may sone be gathered by his coÌ„trary ymage whiche we spake last of howe be it we will helpe in this also hym that desyreth to loke on it Saynt Austyne in this thing is a grete doar / in his coÌ„fessyoÌ„s / where he doth wel recite the benefites of god towardes hym / froÌ„ the woÌ„be of his mother That doth also the excellent psalme Lorde thou hast proued me / where emong all other he merueyling at the prouideÌ„ce of god sayeth Thou hast vnderstoÌ„d my thoughâ—es a farre of my path / and my downe lyinges thou hast serched / as though he wolde say / whate so euer thing I haue thouht / and what so euer I haue wrought / or howe moche so euer I shulde obtayne and possesse / nowe I perceyue that it is not done by my witte and polecye / but that they were ordyned by thy prouisyon loÌ„ge byfore this tyme / finally Thou hast sene before all my wayes / there is no worde in my tongue Wherin then in thy power This we lerne by oure owne experience / for yf we remembre oure lyfe whiche is passed / shall we not merueyle / that we haue thought / wylled / done and sayde suche thinges as we coude not se byfore howe shulde we haue brought theyme to passe / yf we had byn left to oure owne will and power And nowe fyrst we perceyue and se that his care was so ready with vs / and his prouision so coÌ„staunt vpon vs / that we coude nether speke / wyll / nor thinke / but that whiche he had gyuen vs. As it is spokeÌ„ Sapience .vij. for in his hond are both we oure workes And Paule / whiche worketh all thinges in all men / whye then are not we so insensyble and harde â—arted a shamed whiche thaugh by oure owne experience do â—e howe carefull the lord hath byn for vs vnto this day / and hath gyuen vs all goodes and yet cannot fynde in oure hertes to gyue vnto hym the same charged ouer vs in a lytell tryfill / but ordre oure selfe so folishely as though he had forsaken vs / or elles myght forsake vs / doth not the Psalme say on this maner I truely am â—edy and poore / the lord taketh thought for me Saynt Austyne sayeth Let hym take charge on the whiche made the / whiche prouided for the / before thou were Howe can it be that he shall not prouide for the whiche art a man / syth he prouided for the to be a maÌ„ But thou wilt say we haue the rule of oure selfe as well as god / we graunte vnto hym that he made vs and that scarcely but we haue in oure power the charge of oure selfe / as who sayeth he made vs / and by and by went his wey / leuyng vs in oure owne power to rule and ordre oure selfe ☞ And yf that oure wysdome and prouysyon do let vs / that we can not perceyue this workyng of God / whyle that par aduenture many thynges do chaunce after oure purpose / yet ones turne thyne yie and loke vpon the Psalme whiche sayeth My bone is not hyd from the / whiche thou madest in secrete / that is to say Thou dydest se and facyoÌ„ my bones in my mothers bely when I was not / when my mother dyd not yet knowe whate was made in her / and my substaunce in the neder partes of the erth / that is to say / the figure and facyon of my body in the lowest bowelles of my mother was not hydde froÌ„ the / for thou didest make it Whate meaneth he by these wordes but to shewe vs by this greate example / whate care god hath euer taken for vs who can glorye that he wrought with god and holy to make him selfe in his mothers bely Who gaue the mother charge to geue vs myske / to nourisshe vs / to loue vs / and to exercyse all motherly dewetyes to vs when that we dyd not yet feale oure lyfe Of this shulde we knowe nothing except we had sene it done in other / and so therby beleue that we were euen so ordered Nether shulde we haue any memory of theym that they were done to vs / no more them yf they had byn done to theym that slepe / ye or be deed / and rather not yet borne / for asmoche as concernyth oure knowelege and memory Here we se that without oure helpe the goodly mercyes and coÌ„fortes be mynistred vnto vs. Do we yet doubt and dispeyre to coÌ„myt the cure and custody of vs vnto hiÌ„ Yf this experience do not moue instruct man / I wot not whate wyll moue him / for we do se this comynly in all yong chyldren set byfore oure yies / so that so many examples may make vs a shamed of oure folysshenesse and hardynesse Yf we shulde thinke that the lyghtest good and euyll shulde chaunce vnto vs without the singular prouisyon of God Saynt Petre sayeth Cast all youre care to hym for he careth for you And the Psalme Cast all thy care vpon the Lorde and he shall nourisshe the. And S. Augustyne in his coÌ„fessyons to his soule / why stoÌ„dest thou vppon thy selfe and doest not stoÌ„de Cast thy selfe to hym / he wil not plucke awey his hond that thou maist falle And ageyn S. Petre sayeth Let theym that suffer accordyng to the will of God / commytte they re soules to hym with well doyng / as vnto a faythfull creator O yf any man dyd knowe his god after this maner / howe suer / howe quyet / howe mery shulde he lyue be truely shulde haue God / knowyng surely that whatsoeuer thing do come or chaunce vnto hym / it is by the dysposicyon and ordinaunce of his swete wyll The sentence of Petre is sure and stable / he caryth for you / whate can we heare swetter theÌ„ these wordes Therfore cast all youre care he sayeth to hym / whiche yf we do not but wyll
frende of synne and an enemye of iustice whiche worketh in the. So that thou mayst fere lest this be also spoken to the. Thou doest loue theym that hate the / and hatest theym that loue the. Therfore eueÌ„ as thou must reioyse with al thy hart in the iustice whiche is feerse and cruell ageynst thy synne Euen so must thou be glad when it pursueth and punyssheth synners whiche are the enemyes of god and all good men Thou seest no we that principall goodes appere sumtyme in extreme euylles / not for the euylles but for the grete goodnesse of iustice / whiche doth auenge vs ¶ The .v. chapter of the fyft ymage whiche is the euyll on the lyft hond SOme aduersaryes we haue here in this lyfe bisides theym of whome we haue spoken in the Chaptre next before whiche are dampned and made lyke vnto fyndes whome we must consyder with an other mynde / we shall perceyue .ij. profites that come of theym First that they habunde with temporall goodes / in so moche that the Prophetes where almost moued vnto enuy by they re goodes / as in the Psalme .lxxvij. My fete be almost moued / my steppes be disparsed / for I haue fauoured the wyked / seyng the peace and prosperite of synners And after / Beholde the verey synners haue obteyned the abundauntry chesse in the worlde And in Hieremye .xii. Truly lorde thou art iust / yf I shulde dispute with the / howe be it I wyll speke ryghtuous thynges vnto the / why doth the wey of wyked men prosper for they are all well / whiche trangresse thy coÌ„maundementes and lyue wykydly Why doth he poure so many benefytes vppon theym for nothyng and leseth theym but to coÌ„fort vs / and shewe howe good he is to theym that are ryghteuous / as the psalme sayeth he that is so good to euil howe moche more shall he be good to the good reserued that he punissheth the euil with no vexacyon / and tempteth the good with many troubles / that they may knowelege hym to be good to theym / not onely in these present goodes / but also in the secrete goodes whiche be to come / and may saye with the same Psalme it is good for me to cleue to the lorde / and to put my hope in god As though he shulde saye / be it / that I suffer some thinges whiche I se they suffer not / yet I trust that god is moche better vnto me them vnto theym and so these visible euylles are an argumeÌ„t of inuisible goodnesse / that we shuld trust for goodes inuisible / and despise the euylles that we suffer Euen as Chryst in the gospell / biddeth vs to behold the foules of the ayre / the ly yes of the felde saying / yf god so clothe the grasse whiche is to day in the fylde to morowe shall be cast into the fornace shall he not moche more do the same vnto you / o ye of lytell fayth / wherfore by conferring the goodes with whiche the euyll abounde / vnto the euylles whiche we suffer oure fayth is exercysed / and oure comfort whiche onely is holy is stablisshed in god so that it is necessary that all thynges worke for the best vnto theym that loue god The secunde profit moche more merueylous is that all they re euilles are good vnto vs / god so prouydeht for vs / for although they re offences be euyll occasyons vnto the weake / yet to theim that be strong they be an exercyse of vertue / an occasyon of resisting of synne / and a greate meryte Blissed is that man whiche suffereth temptacyon / for when he is proued / he shall receyue a crowne of lyfe / where is a greater temptacion then the multitude of myschevous examples fynally for thys cause the world is called one of the enemyes of the elect people of god bycause that sayth hys entisementes / and wicked workes / he â—â—â—reth vs vp prouoketh vs / entysith vs froÌ„ the wey of god into his wey / As it is wryten in Gen .vi. The children of god dyd se the doughters of meÌ„ that they were fayre / and they were made carnall And in the â—xv of Numeri / The chyldren of Israell did fall with the doughters of the Moabites / so that it is holsome that we euer be suppressed by some incommodyte / lest that we as they that are weke offended by the euyll occasions of the worlde shulde fall and synne So lot is commended of S. Petre in the secunde of his secund epistell / bycause that he suffred moche euyl by the wâ—ked examples of the sodomytes / and neuerthelesse contynued in his ryghtuousnesse Necessary it is therfore that euyll occasyons be gyuen / whiche shuld be the occasysion that we shuld resist synne haue victory / howe be it wo be vnto the worlde bycause of euyll occasions Dyth then in the transgressions of other god ê“cureth for vs so greate goodes howe moche more ought we to beleue / with al oure hart that he wil turne ouer owne offenâ—â—s to oure profits / though the with fleshe iuge otherwise Nether any lesse doth the wolde profit vs by hys other euyll whiche is called aduersite / for theym that he cannot deuoure by hys entisementes / nor incorporate to hym by euyll occasions / he laboureth to dryue theym from hym by troubles and passions and to vexe and inquyet theym by paynes and punysshementes / euer entending other deceytes thorough the example of synne / or elles to auert mennes myndee by paynes aÌ„d turmeÌ„tes Thys is the monstre thy mer a whose hede is flateryng / and lyke a virgyns this belye deuouryng and lyke a lions and his taile full of deth and lyke a serpentes / for the ende of the worlde / bothe of pleasure and tyranny is venom and deth euerlastyng Therfore as in the synnes of the worlde god hath made vs to fynde profytes Euen so that hys persequucyons shuld not be ydell and in vayne they are ordeyned to vs for the encreasing of oure goodes in so moche / that in that they hurt vs / they are compelled to profit vs. As saynt Augustyne dothe saye / concernyng the lytell chyldren whiche were killed of Herode / he conde neuer haue done so greate profit good by hys benefytes / as he dyd by hys hate enuye And saint Agatha went reioysyng to the pryson as though she had gone to a dyner saying on this maner without thou make my body to be well handeled of thy turmentours / my soule can not with victory entre into Paradyse as the corne without he be thrust out of his huske / and be strongly beten in the barne floure shal not belayd vp in the garner But whate nede vs to speke so moche of this / syth the hole scripture / all the wrytinges and sayinges of the fathers / and all the deades and actes of the holy men are consenting vnto thys that those thynges whyche are
he may se And the Lord opened hys yies / and he dyd se / and behelde a mountaynefull of horses and charettes of fyre about Helyseus we lacke nowe nothyng but to pray / that oure yies may be opened and that we may fethe churche rounde about vs wyth the yies of the faith Then haue we noting to feare As the Psalme sayeth Mountaynes are about it and the Lord in the compasse of his people from thys tyme present and perpetually / Amen ¶ The seuenth Chapeter of the seuenth ymage which is the good aboue vs. I Speake nothyng of the euerlastyng and heuynly goodes whiche the blyssed haue in the clere syght of god Or at the lest yf I touche theyme / it is in the fayth / by the meanes wherof we may onely obteine theyme But this seuenth ymage is Iesus Chryst kyng of glorye / rysing froÌ„ deth euin as he was the seuenth ymage of euylles / sufferyng / dying / and beyng buryed / here may we se the hyghe and chief ioy of oure hart / and goodes parmanent and stable Here is none euylles at all / for Crist ones reysed from deth / dyeth no more / deth hath no more power ouer hym This is the chemney of charyte / the fire of god in Syon As Esay as sayeth cryst is borne for vs / and not that onely but also gyuen vnto vs. Wherfore his resurrection is myne / ye and all thynges whyche he wrought thorough his resurreccion And as tappostell vnto the Romayns .viij. most copyously gloryeth sayng howe shall he not wyth hym gyue vs all thynges whate wrought he by hys resurrectyon truely he dystroyed synne and raysed ryghtuousnesse confirmed deth and restored lyfe / ouercame hell and brought euerlastyng glorye These thinges are inestimable and suche as maÌ„nes vnderstonding scarce can beleue to be gyuen vnto hym No more then Iacob whyche amased eueÌ„ as though he had wakened out of a grete slepe when he herd sey that his sonne Ioseph dyd reygne iÌ„ Egipt coude not beleue it vntyll they rehersyng all did shewe hym the waynes that were sent from Ioseph So truely it had byn very harde to beleue that suche greate benefytes had byn by Iesu Chryst geuen to vs whiche were vnworthye except that bi many wordes / by many wayes and apperinges he had shewed hym selfe to hys dyscyples So that at the last by great vse and experyence of hys shewyng and teachyng as Iacob was by the waynes we be taught so to beleue Truely Chryst is to vs a true and notable sygne / and wayne whyche is made of god / oure wisdome / ryghtuousnesse / sanctifyeng and redempcion As thappostell sayeth I am a sâ—nne / but I am caryed in his rightuousnesse whiche is gyuen vnto me I am vnclene but hys holynesse is my sanctifieng / wheryn I am swetely caryed / I am folisshe / but hys wysdome caryeth me / I am synfull and dampnabyll but hys innocency is my redempcion hys goodnesse is a sure charyot that caryeth me out of perdycion Thus may euery Chrysten / this stoÌ„ding that he haue feith bost of all the goodnesse merites of Christ nether nedeth he more nor lesse to reioyse in theym then yf he had done theym hym self / and euen so are they hys owne So that nowe he may ioyfully abyde the iugement of god whyche eyles were intollerable Suche a noble thyng is faith Suche profites is getteh for vs. Suche glorious children of god it maketh vs. Nether can we be chylder except we enheryte oure fathers goodes Let then euery Cristen sey with sure trust and confydence deth / where is thy victory deth / where is thy stynge / that is to sey synne for the styng of deth is synne / aÌ„d the power of synne is the lawe Thankes be to god whyche hath gyuen vs the victory / thorough Iesu Chryst oure Lorde / fynally The lawe maketh vs synners / And synne maketh vs subiect vnto the senteÌ„ce of deth who hath ouercome these .ij. oure iustyce oure lyfe nay truely / but Iesus Chryst ryssing from deth â—ondempnyng synne deth gyuyng vs his rustyce / and distributing to vs hys merytes / whyche also by puttyng hys bond vpon vs hath healed vs and geuen vs power to fulfyll the lawe to ouercome deth / to exile synne and to bothe chyldren of god / to whome be honoure / prayse / and thankes wyth out measure / and ende Ammen Thys is the last ymage in the whyche nowe we not onely lylt vp aboue oure euylles / but also aboue oure goodes lately also sittyng in the euylles and perylles to vs purchased by the synne aÌ„d offence of an other / and encreased by oure owne nowe fitte and rest vs in the goodes gotten by the rightuousnesse of an other that is of Iesus cryst onely for vs crucfied we are iustified in his iustice and euen as he is iust ryghtuous / euen so are we that are alyed knytte / and clene vnto hym by fayth This is he that hath gyuen hym self hole to vs. This is he that pleaseth god Thys is the most chyef prest / the true bysshop / the good aduocate oure onely mediator / that continually neuer ceassing in the presence of hys father prayeth for vs. And loke howe impossible it is that he in his iustice shuld not please Euen so impossible it is that we by fayth wherby we cleue vnto his ryghtuousnesse shulde not please And bi these meanes a Chrysten is almyghty / Lord of all thynges / aÌ„d clene without all synne And yf it chaunce that he falle ynto synne yet is it necessary that they hurt not / but are forgeuen for the iustyce of Christ whyche is not a bill to be ouercome whyche dryeth vp and putteth awey all synne / on the whiche also oure fayth doth lene surely beleuyng that Christ is suche a one vnto vs as we haue spoken of hym / and moche better then we are able to declare / for he that beleueth not this / knowith not Christ nether vnderstondeth whate Chryst proufiteth / neither whate he is good for Wherfore euen this one ymage yf there were none other / may encrease suche comfort in vs yf we behold it with a good aÌ„d dylygeÌ„t hert that we shall nothing be sory in oure troubles but rather as though we felt theym not reioyse be glade in Chryst that we haue tribulacions with the whiche reioysing instruct vs chryst hiÌ„ self oure Lordes god whiche is blissed for euer And ¶ A deuoute frutefull and godlye remembraunce of the passion of oure sauioure Christ Iesu THere are certeyne which when they exercyse theÌ„ selues in the meditacion or remembraunce of the passyon which Christ suffered for man kynde / do nothynge elles but were wode and furious agenst the blinde Iues and Iudas theyr gyde thorow whom he was betrayed as an innocent lambe into theyr bloudye and cruell handes Euen as it is the comen maner of them whych are wonte to lament and bewayle the myseâ—ye of theyr
frendes to accuse and crye out on those persones whych do the deade but they nothynge consider them which are the chefe causes of his better deeth and passion So that surely thys maye better be called a remembrauÌ„ce of the Iues wyckednes then of Chrystes passion There are other that haue gathered to gether diuerse coÌ„modityes which sprynge thorow the diligent beholdynge of thys passyon / wherof is the sayenge of Albert in euerye maÌ„s mouth that it is better to remembre the passyon of Christ once in oure lyfe all though it be but slenderlye / the to fast euerye daye a hole yere to gether or to reade ouer the hole psalter of Dauid / how he it for all theire politike meanes and studyouse ymaginacyoÌ„s they coude neuer attayne the verye vse and profyte of the passyoÌ„ of Christ Nether sought they any thynge theryn but their awne priuate welth / For some caryed aboute theÌ„ ymages / paynted papers / carued tables / crosses and soch other trifles / yee some felle to soch madde ignoraunce that they thought them selues thorow soch beggerrye to be safe froÌ„ fyre / water and all other perylous ieoperdyes As though the crosse of Christ shuld delyuer them froÌ„ soch outward troubles and not rather the coÌ„trarye These doo pytuouslye sorowe and morne for Christ and coÌ„playne that he was innocent and gylties put to deeth / euen lyke as the wemen of Hierusalem whom Christ hym self dyd reprehende aduertisynge them that they shuld lament them selues theyr awne children Nether is it anye meruell for the preachers them selues are sycke of the same disease / which for the most parte when they encrease this mater / lepe out of the frutefull and holesom storye in to these theyr comen places how Iesus toke his leaue of his disciples I Bethania And with what dolorous syghes his mother Marye pityed hym and soth other thinges / on se these that table at length and discant at these plesures rather to the wereynge then edefyenge of the audience / vnto this sorte maye we also adnumbre them which haue defyned and enstructe other what excelleÌ„t commodytyes are in the masse / in so moch that the rude ignoraunte people persuaded theÌ„ selues that it was sufficient yf they had herde a masse / and that they shuld haue good lucke what so euer mischefe they went a boute And there are some which runne so farre hedlinge that they affirme stoutelye that the masse which they call a sacrifice is accepte of god for the worke it selfe not for his sake that doeth the masse They consider not that god loketh first on the person that worketh / and then after on the worke as thou hast a goodlye ensample Geue the fourth of Abell and Cayn They consyder not that an euell tre can not brynge forth good frute Matth. xil And that on a bromble men can gether no fygges Matth. vij They consider not that the masse was institute of Christ to make vs more holye thorow the deuoure remembraunce of his passyon with a pure fayth / and not for any other worthynesse that it hath in it self How be it though we shuld graunte them that the masse in it self were as good and holye as their couetousnes and belyes haue fayned it / yet trulye can it nothinge profyte vs excepte we vse it for the same purposse that Christ dyd institute it For what doth it profitte vs that meate and drincke are good and holesom yf we abuse them corruptinge oure nature / yee or what doth it auayle vs that god is God / that is to saye almightye / most mercyfull / good righte wille and alone sufficieÌ„t yf we abuse his goodnes and beleue not in him It is therfore to be feared lest yf thou be ignoraunte in the true vse of the masse that the moo thou hearest the more thou offendest god abusinge his institucyon and ordinaunce ¶ But these are the verye ryght beholders of Christes passyon / which coÌ„syder marcke in his passyon their awne synnes enormityes which were the cause grounde of his passyon and deeth / for they are feared / and their coÌ„sciences tremble as sone as they remembre the passyoÌ„ which feare and tremblynge ryeseth of this that they maye se in the passyon the vehement wrath and ryghtuous punyshement of god the father ageynst synners which wold not for al the abundaunt fauoure that he had vnto his â—oÌ„ne suffer malefactoures to go fre vnpunyshed but that he must redeme them with his awne deeth / which thinge Esayas .liij. doth also coÌ„firme sayenge in the person of god the father for the synnes of my people haue I wounded hiÌ„ What then shall be come of vs / syth his most deare and onlye sonne is so cruellye entreated It must nedes be a meruelous and inenartable wrath towardes vs which coude not be pacefyed but thorow the deeth / yee and that thorow the deeth of Christ his best beloued sonne And verelye yf a man do marke diligentlie that the verye sonne of God / the ymage and wysdoÌ„ of the father did suffer for oure traÌ„sgressyons / to recoÌ„cyle vs vnto his father / there is no doute but he shall tremble and abhorre his greuous iniquityes Further more emprent this thinge surelye graue it in thy harte thou thy selfe / art one of them which on this maner doest torment and crucefye Christ For thy synnes haue cast hym in to those tormentes accordinge to the wordes of Peter Actes .ij. where he amased the Iues as with a thonder clappe sayenge vnto al that where present you haue crucyfyed hym At which voyce thre thousande men were astoyned sayed vnto the Apostles What shall we now do brethren therfore when thou seyst the nayles fastened in the handes of Christ / thynke that those sharpe nayles are thy euyll deades When thou beholdest his brayne perced with the ceoune of thornes / thinke that those thornes are thy wycked thoughtes and setle ymaginacyons And where thou seyst Christ pricked with one thorne / remeÌ„bre that thou hast deserued to be pricked a thousand folde moare of the and greuouslye Where thou seyst his handes and fete thrust thorow with nayles / remembre that thou hast deserued with out coÌ„parison moare cruell payne And surelye they that despise the passyon of Christ / shal without ende suffre most greuous tormentes For the vehement wrath and rightuouse punishement of god which he well declared in that he wold his onlye sonne to dye for oure transgressions is no ioyned trifle / but the wyked and vnfaithfull shall proue it in deade This sorow and tremblinge founde saynte Barnarde out of Christes passyon / sayinge in the thirde sermone of the birthe of oure lorde Brethren / the teares of christ do engender in me both shame and sorowweth feare I was playenge with out in chastyante / and in the kinges secrete chaumbre there passed ageynst me a sentence of dâ—th The kinges â—eare and onlye sonne harde of this and
awaie myne iniquyte Clense purefye myne harte after all myne iniquyte is put out / and all my vnclennesse clensed it maye be as a clene table in the whych the fynger of god may wryte the lawe of his loue aÌ„d cheryte wyth the whych can none inyquyte contynue Yet wash me more from myne iniquite clense me froÌ„ my synne I graunte and knowlege oh Lorde thou hast once put out myne iniquyte thou hast put it out agayne / And hast wasshed me a thousande tymes / how be it yet wash me from myne inyquyte / for I am fallen agayne Dost thou vse to spare a synfull man vntyll a certayne numbre of his synne / whych when Peter enquyred / how of then shall my brother offende agenst me and I shall forgeue hym / whether seuen tymes thou answeredst I saye not seuen tymes but seuentye tymes seuen tymes takynge that certeyne numbre / for an infynyte numbre / syth then that a man must forgeue so often / shalt thou in pardoninge and forgeuenesse be passed of a man is not god more then man is he not better then man yee rather god is the greate Lorde / and euerye man lyuynghe is nothynge but all vanyte And onlie god is good and euerye man a lyar / hast thou not sayed In what houre so euer the synner doth repent I will not remeÌ„bre any of his iniquities Behold I a synner do repent and morne / for myne old preuye sores festred within and now are they brokeÌ„ forth for myne awne folyshnesse I am depressed and fore broken / I walke in contynuall mornynge I am feble / and verye weake / I roored for the sorow of myne harte Lord all my desyres are before the my sorowfull syghes are not vnknowne vnto the. Myne harie trembleth and panteth for sorow / my strength fayleth me and euen the verye sight of myne yies cease from theyr office / wherfore them oh Lord dost thou not put awaye mine iniquitie And yf thou put it out accordinge to the multitude of the multitude of thy mercyes / yet wash me more from myne iniquyte for yet am I not perfeytlye purefyed / finysh thy worke / take awaye the hole offence and also the payne that is due vnto the cryme encrease thy lyght with in me / kendle myne harte with thy loue and cheryte put out all feare Let the loue of the worlde / the loue of the flesh the loue of vayne glorye / and the loue of myselfe vtterlye departe fro me / yet styll more and more wash me from mine iniquite by the whych I haue offended agenst my neyghbour / and clense me from my synne that I haue commytted agenst god I wold haue the put awaye not onelye the faute and payne that foloweth it / but also the occasion and nourishmeÌ„t of synne wash me I saye with the water of thy gracyous fauoure / with water of which he that drinketh shall not thirst for euer / but it shall be made in hym a fontayne of lyuinge water runninge in to euerlastynge lyfe Wash me with the water of my teares Wash me with the comfortable waters of thy holye scriptures that I may be enumbred amonge theÌ„ vnto whom thou saydest Now are ye clene for my wordes which I haue spoken vnto you / Ioan. xiij For I knowlege mine iniquite my synne is euer before mine yies Although thorow the beholdinge of thy mercye and coÌ„passyons I maye be bolde to flye vnto the oh Lord yet will I not come as the pharise which prayed not but rather praysed hym selfe and despysed his neyghboure but I come vnto the as the publicane Luc. xviij which durst not lyfte vppe his yies vnto heauen For I also do knowlege myne iniquite / and whyles I poÌ„dre my synnes I dare not lyfte vppe myne yies / but humblinge my selfe with the publicane I saye God be mercyfull to me a synner My soule wauereth betwene hope and feare / and somtyme for the feare of my synnes which I feale and knowelege to be in me I am ready to despayre / somtyme thorow the hope of thy mercye / I am lifted vp and comforted Neuerthelesse because that thy mercye is greater then my myserie I wyll euer Lorde trust in the and wil singe out thy plentuous coÌ„passyons for euer / for I know that thou desyrest not the deth of a synner / but rather that he were coÌ„uerted and that he wold knowlege his iniquite and forsake his synne / and so come to the that he maye lyue My god graunte me that I maye lyue in the / for I knowlege my wykednesse / I know what a greuous burthen it is / how copyous / and how ieoperdyous I am ignoraunce of it / I hyde it not but sette it eueÌ„ before myne yies / that I maye wash it with my teares and knowlege vnto the Lorde myne vnrightwysnes agenst my self also my synne which I haue proudlye done agenst the / is euer agenst me / therfore is it agenst me / because I haue synned ageÌ„st the And it is trulye agenst me / for it is euen agenst my soule accuseth me euer before the â—â—y iudge condemneth me euer in euery place and it is so agenst me that it is euer before my face and stondeth butte agenst me that my prayer maye not perce thorow vnto the / that it myght take thy mercye frome and hynder thy mercye that it can not come at me therfore do I tremble and therfore do I morne besechinge thy mercye Therfore oh Lord as thou hast geueÌ„ this grace vnto me to knowe my wykednesse and to bewayle my synne euen so accomplysh this thy beneuolence geuynge me a parfayte fayth / and drawynge me vnto thy sonne which hath made a full satisfaccyon for all my synnes Geue me Lord this precyous gyfte / for euerye good gyfte and euerye parfeyte gyfte is from aboue comynge from the father of lyght Agenst the only haue I synned haue done that which is euell in thy sight that thou mayst be iustefyed in thy wordes mayst haue the victorie wheÌ„ thou arte iudged I haue ouermoch synned vnto the alone for thou coÌ„maundedst me that I shuld loue the for thy selfe / and shuld loue all creatures for thy sake But I haue loued a creature more then the / louinge it euen for it selfe Whate is synne / but to loue a creature for it selfe what is that / but to do ageynst the Surelye he that loueth a creature for it selfe maketh that creature his god And therfore haue I synned agenst the onlye / for I haue made a creature my god So haue I cast the awaye / and haue bene iniurious onlye to the / for I haue not offended agenst any creature in that I haue set my trust or coÌ„fidence in it For it was not coÌ„maunded me that I shuld loue anye creature for it self Yf thou haddest coÌ„maunded me that I shuld haue loued an angell onlye for hym self / I had loued monye for
but that of thy gracyous mercye thou makest vs promises / fulfyllest them for thy truthes sake Thou dyst promyse vnto Abraham a sonne when he was aged / thou falfylledst thy promyse in olde and baren Sara / because thou louedst truth Thou promysest vnto the children of Israell a lande that flowed with milke and honye / and at the last dydst geue it them / for thy truthes sake Thou madest a promyse to Dauid sayenge I shall set vppon thy sete regall one of the frute of thy bodye / and it came euen so to passe / because thou woldest be founde true There are other innumerable promyses in which thou hast euer bene faythfull because thou louedst truth Thou hast promysed to synners which wyll come vnto the / forgeuenesse and fauoure / and thou hast neuer defrauded man / for thou hast loued truth That vnthryftye sonne Luc. xv that toke his iorney in to a farre cōtre and wasted all his goodes with covetous lyuinge / when he came to hym self / he retouened vnto the sayenge Father I haue synned agenst heauen and before the / now am I not worthye to be called thy sonne / make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes / When he was yet a greate waye of / thou sawest hym and haddest cōpassyon on hym and rannest vnto hym / fallynge vppon his necke and kyssynge hym / thou broughtest forth the best garmenth and puttest a rynge on his fynger and showes on his fete / Thou kylledst that fatted calfe and madest all the house merye sayenge / Let vs eate be merye / for this my sonne was deed and is alyue agayne / he was lost and is now founde Why dydst thou all this Lorde God surelye because thou louedst truth Loue therfore o father of mercyes this truth in me / which retorne vnto the from a farre countre / runne towardes me geue me a kysse of thy mouth / geue me those chefe garmētes / drawe me in to thy house / kylle that fatted calfe that all which trust in the maye reioyce in me / and lette vs eate to gether in spirituall feastes Oh Lorde wilt thou exclude me alone and wilt thou not kepe this truth vnto me yf thou shuldest loke narowlye on oure wykednesse o lorde lorde who myght abyde the But Lord thou wilt not be so strayght vnto vs / for thou louest truth yee and that with a feruent incomprehensible loue Which is the truth that thou so louest is it not thy sonne that sayde Ioan .xiiij. I am the waye / truth / and lyfe he is the verye truth of whom all truth is named in heauen and in erth / this is it that thou hast loued and in it onlye hast thou delyted for thou dydest fynde it pure with out spotte and woldest that it shuld dye for synners / kepe therfore Oh God this truth / behold I am a greate synner in whom thou maist kepe it / to whom thou maist forgeue manie synnes / whom thou mayst purefye in the bloude of thy Christ / whom thou mayst redeme thorow his passyō why Oh lorde hast thou geuen me this knowlege of thy sonne / this fayth of hym Because I shuld se my redēpcyon and not to attayne it that I myght by that meanes be the more vexed with sorow God forbydde / but rather that I maye perceaue the remissyon of my synnes purchased by Christes bloude / and so by his grace maye obtayne it Purge me therfore and redeme me oh Lorde for thou hast vttered vnto me the vnknowne and secrete poyntes of thy wysdom that this knowlege maye helpe me brīge me vnto helth for trulie the philosofers neuer knew these thinges / they were vnknowne vnto hē / yee vtterlye hid frō thē and no mā knewe these thīges except a fewe whō thou lonest entyrelie before thy sonnes incarnaciō The most curyous serchers of the world / I meane the wysemen of this world lyfted vp their yies aboue heauen yet coulde not fynde this thy wysdom / for thou hast hyd these thinges from the wyse prudent / and hast opened them vnto babes / that is / to humble fishers and thy holye prophetes which also haue vttered thē vnto vs. And so hast thou vttered the vnknowne and secrete thinges of thy wysdom of thy scriptures vnto me / why do I know thē in vayne I know them surelye in vayne yf they profytte me not vnto my helth and saluacyon For the Philosophers when they knewe God by his meruelous creatures they glorifyed hym not as god nether were thākefull / but wexed full of vanityes in theyr ymaginacyons and their folish hartes were blinded / when they counted them selues wyse / they became soles / wylt thou suffer me Lorde to be of their numbre God forbyd / for thou arte euē mercye it selfe which doth neuer vtterlye forsake any man / fauoure therfore Lorde fauoure and spare thy seruaunt / and commaunde hym to be of the numbre of thy babes / that the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdom / which thou hast opened to hym maye leade hym vnto the fountayne of wysdom which is an hye / that thou mayst be praysed in the worke of thy mercye which thou dost exercyse towardes thy seruaunte Lorde which neuer forsakest them that trust in the. Sprinkle me Lorde with hysope / and so shall be clene / thou shalt wash me / and then shall I be whitther then snowe Because Lorde that thou hast loued the truth hast opened vnto me the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdome / I am well cōforted and I trust that thou wilt not cast me out of thy fauoure / but thou shalt sprinkle me with hysope and so shall I be clensed Hysope is a lowe herbe / it is hote and of a good sauoure / which sygnifyeth nothynge els / but thy onlye sonne oure lorde Iesu Christ / which humbled hym selfe vnto deeth / euen vnto the deeth of the crosse / which with the heate of his feruent charite loued vs / and washed vs from oure synnes in his bloude / which with the redolent sauoure of his beneuolence and rightuousnes replenyshed the hole worlde Therfore with this hysope shalt thou sprincle me / when thou pourest apon me the vertue of his bloude when Christ thorow fayth shal dwell in me when thorow loue I am ioyned with hym when I shall countre fayte his humylite and passyon / then shal I be clensed frō all myne vnclennesse Then shalt thou wash me with mine awne teares which flowe out of the loue of Christ / then shall I sygh vntyll I be werye I shall water my bed euerye nyght with my teares / so that it shall swymme in them and then shalt thou wash me and I shall be whyter then snowe Snowe is whyte and colde / but Lorde yf thou sprinkle me with hysope I shal be more whyte then snowe for I shall be thorowlye endued with thy splendent lyght which passeth all bodelye whytenesse And when I am enflamed
lead vnto lyffe / nother wil I teach thē ōlye one waye but manie waies for manye are thy cōmaundmentes / how be it all the wayes ende in one / that is in loue charite / which doth so cōbynde the faythfull hartes / that they haue one mynde and one will in god Or els maye we vnderstāde by thy manye wayes / the diuerse maner of lyuinge / wherin euerye man walketh accordinge to his vocacyō some maryed / some lyuinge chaste in wedowhod / some virgyns and so forth / these walke after diuerse wayes vnto their heuenlye inheritaunce euerye man chosynge one in the which he maye best subdue his rebellious membres Thus will I teach the wyked thy wayes accordinge to their capacite and cōdicyon And the vngodlye shal be cōuerted vnto the for I will preach vnto them not my selfe / but Christ crucyfied and they shal be conuerted not vnto my prayse / but vnto the geuynge the all honoure and prayse / they shal leaue their awne wayes and come vnto thyne / that they may walke in them and so cōsequentlye attayne vnto the. Delyuer me from bloudes oh God the God of my hefth / and me tongue shall triumphe vppon thy ryghtwysenes I am stifled in moch bloude / and frō the depth of it shall I crye vnto the Lorde / lorde herke vnto my voyce Tarye not lorde for I am euen at the wynte of deeth / this bloude that I speake of are my synnes / for as the bodelye lyffe cōsysteth in bloude / euē so is the lyffe of a synner in his synne poure out the bloude / and the beest dyeth poure out the synne knowleginge it vnto God / the synner dyeth and is made rightwyse Nether am I wropped in bloude / but ouer whelmed drouned in bloudes / full streames of bloudes do driue me vnto helle / helpe me Lorde / lest I perysh Oh god which gouernest all thinges / which onlye cāst delyuer me / in whose hande is the sprete of lyffe / tyd and purge me frō these bloudes Delyuer me from bloudes oh God the auctor of my helth / God in whom onlye cōsysteth my saluacyō Delyuer me Lorde / as thou delyuerest Noe from the waters of the floude Delyuer me as thou delyuerest Loth from the fyre of Sodom Delyuer me as thou delyueredst the chyldren of Israell from the depth of the red see / delyuer me as thou deliueredst Ionas from the belye of the whale / delyuer me as thou deliuerest the thre children from the furnace of burninge fyre Delyuer me as thou deliueredst Peter frō the peryll of the see Deliuer me as thou deliueredst Paule frō the depe of the see Deliuer me as thou hast deliueredst infinite synners frō the power of deeth / from the gates of hell And then shall my tōgue triumphe thy ryghtwysenes / that is / for thy ryghtwysenes which I shall feale and perceaue in me thorow thy gracious fauoure For thy rightwysenes as thappostle sayeth Roma .iij. cometh by the fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all vppon all thē that beleue in hym / then shall my tōgue triūphe in praysinge this thy ryghtwysnes / cōmendinge thy fauoure / magnifyenge thy pitye knowleginge my sinnes / that thy mercye maie be declared in me which wold vouchsaffe to iustefye soch a greate synner / that all men maye knowe that thou sauest them which trust in the deliuerest thē frō extreme anguysh aduersyte o lorde oure God ¶ Lorde open thou my lyppes and then my mouth shall shewe forth thy prayse Thy prayse is a greate thinge o Lorde / for it proceadeth out of thy foūtayne wherof no synner drinketh It is no gloryous prayse that cometh of a synners mouth / deliuer me therfore frō bloude oh God the god of my helth my tōgue shall magnifye thy rightwysenes And thē shalt thou lorde open my lippes my mouth shall shew forth thy prayse / for thou hast the kaye of Dauid which shettest no mā openeth / openest and no man shetteth / therfore open thou my lyppes as thou openedst the mouthes of infantes and suckelinges / out of whose mouthes thou hast stablyshed thy prayse These trulye were thy Prophetes / Apostles and other sayntes which haue praysed the with a syngle and pure harte mouth / and not the Phylosophers and oratoures which haue sayed / We wyll magnefye oure tongue / oure lyppes be in oure awne power / who is oure god They opened their awne mouthes / and thou openedst them not / nether yet stablishedst thy prayse out of their mouthes Thy infauntes Lorde praysed the and despysed them selues The Philosophers went aboute to praise them selues and magnifye their awne name Thy suckelinges extolied thy fame glorye which they knew thorow heuenlie fauoure The philosophers knowinge the onlye by naturall creatures / coulde neuer perfeytlye expresse thy renowne Thy sayntes magnefied the with their harte / mouth good workes The Philosophers onlye with wordes and theyr awne sotle ymaginacyōs / thy chyldren haue spred thy glorye thorow out all the world The Philosophers haue enstructe but a fewe of theyr awne adherentes Thy frendes with spredinge thy glorie haue cōuerted innumerable men from synne vnto vertue and vnto true felicite The Philosophers nether knewe true vertues nether yet true felycite Thy beloued haue preached openlye thy bounteous gentlenes and merciable fauoure / which thou shewedst in thy deare sonne vnto all the worlde But the Philosophers coulde neuer attayne to knowe it Therfore out of the mouth of infauntes suckelinges hast thou stablyshed thy prayse For it hath euer pleased the to exalte the humble and bringe lowe the proude / now seynge thou dost euer resyst the proude / geue me true humilite that thou maist stablish thy prayse by my mouth Geue me a chyldes harte / for excepte I turne backe become as a chyld I can not entre in to the kyngdome of heauen / make me as one of thy infauntes or suckelinges / that I maye euer hange on the teates of thy wysdome for thy teates are better then wyne / and thy wysdome better then all rychesse / so that nothynge can be compared vnto it / for it is to men an infinite treasure which they that vse are made parte takers of the frendshippe of God / therfore yf thou make me a child then shalt thou stablish thy prayse in mouth for then shalt thou open my lyppes and my mouth shall shewe forth thy prayse shall perfeytlye declare it euen as thou hast published it by the mouth of thyne infauntes and suckelinges If thou hadst desyred sacrifices I had suresye offered thē but thou delightedst not in burnt sacrifices My mouth lorde shall shew for thy glorious fame / for I knowe that this thingeis most acceptable vnto the / syth thou sayest by the Prophete Psalme .xlix. the sacrifice of prayse shall glorifye me / and by that meanes shall I be entysed to shew hym my sauynge helth /
therfore will I offer prayse vnto the / euen the prayse of infauntes and suckelynges for my synnes And why shall I offer for my synnes rather prayse then sacrifice for yf thou haddest desyred sacrifices I had surelye offred them / but thou delyghtedst not in burnt sacrifices / caÌ„st thou be pacefyed with the bloude of calues / or gootes will thou eate the flesh of bulles / or drinke the bloude of gootes Other dost thou desyre golde which possessest heauen and erth other wilt thou that I sacrifyce my bodye vnto the which desyrest not the deeth of a synner / but rather that he were conuerted and lyue Neuerthelesse I wyll chasten my flesh in a measure that thorow thy grace it maye be subdurd vnto reason and obey it / for in this poynte also yf I passe measure and bringe my bodye so lowe that it is on apte to serue my neyghboure and to do that office which is apoynted me of god / it shall be imputed vnto me for synne Let youre seruynge of god be resonable sayth the apostle Roma .xli. And thou hast sayed also by the Prophete I require mercye not sacrifice Osâ—e .vi. Therfore shall my mouth shewe forth thy prayse / for this oblacyon doth honoure the / and sheweth vs the waye vnto thy sauynge helth My harte is readye Oh God my harte is readye / it is readye thorow thy grace to do all thinges which are pleasaunte vnto the this one thinge haue I founde most acceptable vnto the / that wyll I offer vnto the / that shall euer bein my harte / on that shall my lippys euer be harpinge Yf thou haddest desyred a bodelye sacrifyce I wold surelye haue geuen it the / for my harte is readye thorow thy grace to fulfyll thy wyll but in such burnt sacrifice hast thou no delyght / Thou madest the bodye for the sprete / therfore seakest thou spirituall thinges and not bodelye / for thou sayest in a certayne place Prouer. xxiij My sonne geue thyne harte vnto me / this is the sacrifice that pleaseth the. Let vs offer vnto the an harte repentinge with sorow of oure synnes and enflamed with the loue of heuenlye thynges and then wylt thou desyre no more / for with such a sacrifice wylt thou be content A sacrifice to God is a broken sprete / a contrite and humble harte thou shalt not despyse o God A broken sprete not broken flesh pleaseth the o Lorde for the flesh is broken and vexed because he hath not the carnall thinges that he desireth / or els fealeth in hymselfe such thinges as he hateth But the sprete is broken vnquyeted for his faute / because he hath offended agenst God whom he loueth He soroweth that he hath sinned agenst his maker redemer / that he hath despysed his bloude / that he hath not regarded such a good louynge father this broken and sorowinge sprete is vnto the a sacrifice of most swete sauoure which not withstondinge hath his coÌ„feccyon of most bitter spices / euen of the remembraunce of oure synnes / for whyles oure synnes are gathered to gether in to the mortoure of the harte / and beaten with the pestle of coÌ„punccyon / and made in to prouder watered with teares / therof is made an oyntment and sacrifice most swete which redolent offerynge thou wylt not despyse / for thou wilt not despyse a contrite humble harte Therfore he that breaketh his stonie harte which is made with the most harde stones of synne / that he maye therof prepare an oyntmeÌ„t of repeÌ„taunce in abuÌ„daunce of teares / not despayringe of the multitude greuousnes of his sinnes / but humbly offeringe this sacrifice vnto the he shal in no wyse be despysed of the / for a broken humble harte wilt thou not despyse oh god Marye magdalene whych was a notable synner made such an oyntment and put it in the alablaster boxe of her harte she feared not to entre in to the Pharesees house / she humbled her selfe flatte before thy fete / she was not a shamed to wepe at thy mele tyde / she coude not speake for inwarde sorow / but her harte melted iÌ„to teares / with the which she washed thy fete / she wyped theÌ„ with her here / anoynted theÌ„ with oyntmente ceased not kyssinge them who euer sawe such a nother thinge ye or who hath euer harde of a thinge lyke vnto this Surelye her sacrifice pleased the well and was so acceptable that thou preferredst it aboue the Pharyse whych in hys awne syght was ryghtewyse / for it maye 〈◊〉 gathered of thy wordes Luce. vij That there was so moch difference betwene the rightewissenes of marye and the pharise as there was difference betwene these to washe the fete with water / to wash them with teares to kysse one on the face and not to cease to kysse the fete to anoynte the hed with oyle / and to anoynte the feâ—e with most precyous oyntmeÌ„t yee moch more precelled he the pharise / for he nether gaue the water / kysse nor oyle O greate is thy power Lorde / great is thy myght which declareth it selfe most cheflye in spacinge / and hauynge compassyon Now se I well that a contrite and meke harte thou shalt not despyse oh Lorde And therfore endeuoure I miselfe to offer such am harte vnto the Neter is it ynough that I saye so outwardlye / for thou arte a god which serchest oure hartes reynes Accepte therfore thys my sacryfyce and yf it be vnperfeyte / amende thou the defaute whych onlye arte of power that to do that it maye be a burnt sacrifyce / all hole enflamed wyth the here of thy bounteous cheryte that it maye be acceptable vnto the or at the leste that thou despyse it not for yf thou despyse it not I know well that I shall finde fauoure before the / and then shall none of thy sayntes other in heauen or erth despyse me Deale gentlye of thi fauourable beneuolence with zion Let the walles of Hierusalem be bist agayne Because it is wryten Psalme .xviij. vnto the holye man thou shalt be holye / wyth the innocent shalt thou deale innocentlye with the pure and chosen shalt thou do purelye / and with the wyked shalt thou playe ouerth warte I am verye desyrous that al men were saued and that they shuld comâ— vnto the knowlege of the truth whych thiÌ„ge were verye necessarye for them and also for my profyte / for by theyr prayers exhortacyons / and examples I myght ryse from this filthye synne / and be prouoked daylye to procede vnto better I besech the therfore oh Lord although I be a synner / that thou of thy fauourable beneuolence woldest deale gentlye wyth zion that the walles of Hierusalem myght be bylt agayne / zion is thy church / for zyon by interpretacion signifieth a footehill or a place where a man maye se farre aboute hym And euen so thy church thorow the grace of
the holye gost beholdeth a farre off the glorye of God accordynge to the capacite of this lifte / and therfore sayed the Apostle .ij. Corinth .iij. all we with an vncouered face beholdynge as in a glasse the glorye of the Lorde / after the same ymage are transformed from glorye to glorye as by the sprete of the Lorde Lord god how small is thy church at thys daye almost the hole world is fallen from the there are many mo myscreauntes then christen And yet emonge the chrysten how many are there which forsake worldlie thīges seke the glorie of the Lorde Surulye ye shal finde fewe / in comparyson of them which are addicte to wordlye thīges whose god is theyr belye glorye to theyr shame and confusyon / Deale gentlye Lorde of thy fauourable beneuolence wyth zyon that it maye be encreased both in multitude in good lyuynge Beholde frō heauē deale gentlye as thou arte wont to do that thou wilt send emonge vs the fyre of thy cheryte / whych maye consume all oure sunnes Deale Lorde accordynge to thy fauourable beneuolence / and do not with vs after oure deseruinge / nether yelde thou vs agayne accordynge to oure iniquytyes but ordre vs accordinge to thy greate mercye Thou arte Lorde oure father and redemer / thou arte oure hope / and euerlastynge helth Euerye man desyreth goodnes of he / yf thou geue it them / then shall they gather it yf thou open thy hande all shal be fylled wyth plentye / when thou turnest awaye thy face / then are they astōnyed whē thou gatherest in theyr breth then are they deed and returne in to erth And agayne when thou brethest on them / then are they created a new and thus renuest thou the face of the erth Psalme .ciiij. Lorde I praye the whate profyte is there in the damnacyon of so manye thousande men Hell is fylled and thy church doth daylye decrease Aryse Lorde / why slepest thou so longe Aryse / and differe not vnto the ende / Deale gentlye of thy fauourable beneuolence with zyon / that the walles of Hierusalem maye be buylded agayne / what is Hierusalem whych by interpretacyon signifieth the vysion of peace but the holye congregacion and citye of the blessed whych is oure mother Her walles were decayed whē Lucifer with his aungels fell / in to whose places are the rightwyse men receaued Deale therfore gentlye oh Lorde with zyon / that he numbre of thy chosen maye shortlye be fulfylled / that the walles of Hyerusalē maye be edefyed and finyshed with newe stones whych shall euer prayse the and endure euerlastinglye Then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of ryghtwysnes / obsaeions burnt offeringes them shal they laye vppon thyne altare wanton casues When thou hast delt gentlye of thy fauourable will beneuolence with zyon / then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of rightwisnes / for thou shalt consume it with burninge fyre of thy loue cheryte / so acceptedst thou the sacryfyces of Moses and Helias And then acceptest thou the sacrifyces of rightwysnes / whē thou fattenest with thy grace the soules which endeuoure them selues to lyue ryghtwyslye / what profiteth to offer sacrifices vnto the whē thou acceptest thē not oh Lorde How many sacryfices offer we now a dayes whych are not pleasaunte vnto the but rather abhominable for we offer not the sacrifices of ryght wysnes / but oure awne ceremonyes and therfore are they not accepted Where is now the glorye of the Apostlee where is the valyaunte perseueraunce of martyrs where is the frute of preachers where is that holye simplycyte of them that vsed to lyue solitarye where are the vertues and workes of the Chrysten which were in olde tyme Then shalt thou accepte theyr sacrifyces / when thou shalt decke and garnish them with thy grace and vertues Also yf thou deale gentlye with zyon of thy fauourable beneuolēce / then shalt thou delight in sacrifices of ryghtwysnes / for the people shall beginne to lyue well / to kepe thy cōmaundemētes to deale iustlye so shall thy people be endued wyth thy benefyted blessinge Thē shall the oblacious of the preastes of the clergye be acceptable vnto the / for they shal forsake their carnall affeccyon endeuoure thē selues vnto a more perfeyte liffe / so shall the oyntmēt of thy blyssinge descende vppon theyr heddes Then shall the burnt offerynges of the relygious be pleasaunt to the / for they shall cast out all drousye sluggeshnes and false confidence / and be hoellye enflamed and made perfayte with the burninge fyre of goddes loue Thē shall the bisshoppes and preachers put calues vppon thyne altare / for after they are consummate in all kynde of vertue and replenysshed wyth thy holye sprete / they shall not feare to geue theyr lyues for theyr shepe what is thyne altare swete Iesu but thy crosse where vppō thou wast offered what sygnifyeth a wanton calfe / but oure bodye Therfore thē shall they put calues on thyne altare / whē thei shal offer theyr awne bodies vnto the crosse / that is vnto all afflictions euē vnto the verye deeth for thy names sake Then shall the church florish and dilate her coostes / then shall thy prayse be noysed from the last ende of the worlde / then shall ioye / and gladnesse fulfyll the hole worlde Then shall thy sayntes reioyce in glorye shall make mirth in their māciōs waytinge for vs in the loude of the lyuynge Accōplish in me euē now Lorde that thē / which I so ofte name / that thou maist haue compassiō on me accordinge to thy greate mercye / that thou mayst receaue me for aburnt sacrifice of rightwisnes for a holie oblaciō for a sacrifice of good lyuinge / and for a calfe to be offered on thyne altare or crosse / by the which I maye passe from thy vale of miserye vnto that ioye which thou hast prepared for them that loue the. Amen ¶ To fyll vp the leffe we haue touched certayne places which we thou most necessarye to edefie the congregacion of Christ ¶ Of fayth FIrst dere brethren ye ought to geue diligent hede that you maye purelye vnderstonde what fayth is and what frutes procede out of her / And to cōclude the summe in fewe wordes / fayth is a sure persuasyon full knowlege that God for his truth and ryghtwysnes sake wyll fulfyll such promyses / as he hath made vnto vs of his mercye and sauoure / which sure persuasyon must be geuen from god .i. Corin. xij For it can nother be goien by mannes power / nether yet retayned Therfore with feare and tremblinge performe that helth which is begōne in you / for it is God that worketh in you both the wyll and also the deed / euē at his awne pleasure And se that with all mekenes ye submitte youre selues vnto the vocacyon of god / not sekynge the libertye of the flesh / nether yet despysinge good workes / for