that doeth nothing else then looke to the sicke helpe them vp strengthen them and maketh them whole and as Esaie saith He will not breake a brused reede nor he will not quench the smoaking flaxe I beléeue also the rising of the body that my body whiche the wormes shall eate shall arise againe euen as it was before For Christe at the last day shall raise it vppe according to his promise where he saith Iohn 6. This is the will of him that sent me that whosoeuer seeth the sonne and beleeueth on him shall haue euerlasting life and I will raise him at the last day And Whosoeuer eateth of my flesh and drinketh of my bloud hath euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day I beléeue that after this life there shal be an euerlasting life so that I shal liue with Christ for euer according to his promise Iohn 5. where he saith Verily verily I say vnto you who so euer heareth my worde and beleeueth on him that sent me he hath euerlasting life and commeth not into iudgment but he passeth clean through death to life And Whosoeuer beleueth on the sonne he hath euerlasting life And Verily verily I say vnto you if any mā will keepe my word he shall not see euerlasting death Item I am the breade of life saith Christ Iohn 6. which is come from heauen whosoeuer shall eate of this breade shall liue for euer Nowe welbeloued séeing your time draweth on stand stedfast vpon the only rocke Christe our Lorde Then can no storme no whirlwinde yea hell gates them selues can not remoue nor ouerwhelme you For whosoeuer beléeueth vpon our Lord God shal neuer fall nor be ouerturned but shall abide for euer Therfore call vpon our Lord God with your whole heart for he is rich ouer all that call vpon him and he will be nigh to all them that pray to him to al them that call vpon him with their heartes and graunteth all thinges which they that feare God do require heareth their cry and helpeth them Therfore cal vpon God the most highest in the name of Iesus Christe that he will shewe vnto you his great plentifull mercy and powre out vpon you in the time of grace richly his mercy For séeing that our Lord is the spring it selfe of Gods mercy and Christ his onely begotten sonne is the pipe conduit wherby such plentie of grace and mercy floweth and is conueyed vnto vs take yet againe fast hold in this your extreame néede of the ouerflowing and floud of Gods grace specially Iesus Christe the scrine and casket wherein Gods mercy is locked vp for Christ is ful of grace and truth Ioh. 1. For the euerlasting sonne of God hath brought with him such great plentie of grace that he hath therewith fulfilled the whole worlde for heauen and earth is full thereof And also Christe is full of truth so that he is not alonly the truth it selfe but also meaneth heartily and truly with vs and will take to him selfe your soule with great veritie and earnestly Therfore be of good comfort that your name is written in the booke of life you are fully cleansed with the bloud of Christ and annoynted with the holy Ghost The same holy spirite assureth your heart that you also be one of the very children of god And albeit it doeth not as yet appeare what you be yet knowe you that when it shall appeare then ye shall be like vnto him Iohn Chap. 8. For ye shall be partaker of the godly nature Pet. 2. Chap. 1. specially when Christe our sauiour shall come hither from heauen and glorifie your miserable body and make it like vnto his glorified body after his mighty power and working Phil. 3. Christe Iesus is the onely refuge of all poore penisent sinners he onely is your strength your comfort hope and strong tower in all néede and aduersitie Therefore goe without feare into the danger of death Christ in the twinckling of an eye being your euerlasting king will plucke you out againe bring you to light and make you righteous and liuing Wherfore giue your self ouer valiantly from this life vnto death and be not afraide séeing that death hath lost all his might and strength on the faithfull Christ the victorious conquerer hath taken from death al his strength so that from hence foorth he can no more hurt wearie or deuour any Christian Wherefore will ye then be dismaide or afraide for suche a shadow or visar of death Death may for a litle while roare whet his téeth but he can do no more for Christe hath taken his sting from him and likewise is Gods euerlasting iudgment through the Sauiour of the worlde taken from you And Christ the only sonne of God hath appeased the iustice of God layde the same farr enough out of your way So that from hencefoorth you shall neuer be called to appeare before the iudgment seate of GOD nor you shall not néede to appeare neither aunswere for your sinne bicause Iesus your sauiour hath made you frée from it Therefore chearefully appeale from the iudgment seate vnto the throne of mercy which is Christ your deliuerer call earnestly vpon the stoole of grace whervpon gods mercy resteth and dwelleth in Christe Iesus the sonne of the highest therfore can no complaint come against you nether sinne death hell nor sathan him selfe Christ is the true Lion of the tribe of Iuda which for your sakes hath subdued vtterly all your enimies wiped blotted out all sinne and swallowed vp death so there remaineth now no more but that the body must suffer and abide only one litle shiuering and shrinking after that you shal be perfectly safe and sure Fight therefore manfully as a valiant Rutter or Capteine against the dragon and hell gates then will Christ with the hoast armie of heauen méete you and receiue your soule to carrie it with him into euerlasting ioy and felicitie Amen ¶ If any be disposed they may rehearse againe to the sicke the twelue Articles of our beleefe for they be the very ancor yea the very foundation of our beleefe which wee can neuer sufficiently meditate and thinke vpon It is therefore very meete and necessarie seeing in our youth wee bee baptised in them that wee continually be fed with them then shall wee ioyfully die in them It were very good that we should alwayes in time of our health remember them and learne perfectly to vnderstande them Then when we lye on our death bed we shall not so much neede to be put in remembraunce And if a man ready to die in time of neede specially if death come soudenly vpon him confesse no more but the onely articles of our true and auncient faith and Christian religion it were sufficient specialy if those articles were holden and professed by him that lyeth dying with a faithfull heart For we hope yea we earnestly beleeue that our beloued ancestors in the
great darknes though they knew nothing of the brightnesse of Gods holy light and knowledge and yet confessed and dyed in this Christian beleefe and haue inioyed euerlasting life Therfore shall we bestowe our possible diligence to bring young children to be baptised those that be elder to be taught and those that bee at the point of death to be comforted euery man according to his measure and gift wherby as much as lyeth in vs no body shall bee taken tarde be vnprouided or dye in his errour and vnbeleefe But so to vse our selues that euery body may come vnto the knowledge of the truth be blessed and saued and so at the last commend in our prayer euery man one with an other vnto God which can mightily bring to passe al that we desire or require according to his power that worketh in vs To him be prayse in the congregation which is in Christe Iesus for euer and euer Amen Last of all now when the last pang commeth when the sick body beginneth to scrocle and shrincke vp his bodie as when one biteth vppon a sowre apple as the biting of Adams apple teacheth vs séeing the same bit and sinne is runne ouer vs all and therefore we all must raunsome it with our skinne and with death then may a man to conclude say to the sicke as followeth Lord into thy hand I commend my spirite Almightie God lead thy soule into euerlasting peace and blessednesse And our Lorde Iesus Christe raise vp againe at the last day this dead body to euerlasting honour and glorie Amen A short exhortation to them that be present and shall attend vppon the dead body WElbeloued in our Lord you haue nowe seene for a time the course of this departed bodie and howe like a good Christian and warriour it is departed out of this life Yea rather howe fatherly and gratiously our Lord God hath visited it how at the last he hath deliuered it from al aduersitie and trouble wherevnto the old Serpent of all mans progenie had brought vs Therefore séeing this dead person is so Christianly departed out of this life full of miserie let vs to the euerlasting praise thankes of God say ioyfully We praise thee ô God c. And to conclude inwardly with all our heartes call vppon him pray vnto him that he wil vouchsafe whâ—n we shal be in extremitie and perill of death gratiously defende vs and blesse vs and giue vnto vs a blessed houre thorough Christ his onely begotten sonne Therefore wéepe not as the heathen and infidels that beléeue not the resurrection and haue no hope thervppon For If we beleeue as witnesseth S. Paule 1. thess. 4. that Iesus died and is raised vp againe likewise also shall God with him lead all those that bee departed through Iesus Heare may we sée what it is to die well namely the death of Christ that of necessitie died for vs wretched sinners whereby through his death he hath purchased that we shal neuer die but sleepe only Out of which sléepe Christ a mightie Lorde and king shall at the last day raise vs vp if we beléeue vppon him and lead vs with himselfe into euerlasting blisse and peace Therefore suffer this sléeping bodie lie and rest and his soule in the meane season refresh it selfe and reioyce vntill that day when body and soule shall come againe together and enioy euerlasting felicitie Whervnto our Lord Iesus nowe helpe vs all together Amen Secondarily it is not possible that man may so much bridle nature that we should not be heauie and complaine after the death of our friendes And also Syrach saith the 38. chapiter My sonne powre foorth â—eares ouer the dead and beginne to mourne as if thou haddest suffered great harme thy selfe and then couer his body according as he hath appointed and neglect not his buriall Make a greeuous lamentation and be earnest in mourning and vse lamentation as he is worthie and that a day or two least thou be euil spoken on and then comfort thy selfe for thine heauinesse For of heauines commeth death the heauines of the heart breaketh the strength Of the afflictions of the heart commeth sorrow and the life of him that is afflicted is according to his heart Take no heauines in heart driue it away and remember the last end Forget it not for there is no turning againe thou shalt do him no good but hurt thy selfe Remember his iudgement thine also shal be likewise Vnto me yesterday and vnto thee to day Seeing the dead is at rest let his remembrance rest and comfort thy selfe againe for him seeing his spirite is departed from him Thus we sée that also the good Patriarches and holy people haue after this maner mourned as Abraham Ioseph Dauid c. But at the length they haue layd mourning aside and comforted themselues with the ioyefull resurrection Yea Christ himselfe mourned for dead Lazarus Iohn 11. Thirdly and last of all you shal worshipfully bring this dead body to the earth and shewe vppon it such manner of worke of loue as Syrach willeth vs in the vij Chapter saying Shewe thy good will vpon the dead specially worshipfully accompanie him conuey him and help him to his graue for the resurrection sake As Syrache also saith in the 38. Chapter When any dyeth burie him decently and bring his body worshipfully to the graue As did good Tobie Dauid and many moe to giue vs example how we ought to behaue our selues towardes the dead Our Lord God graunt vs his grace that euery of vs each one for other may be diligent in this behalfe whereby we all to the prayse of God and to the profit of our neighbours without let or offence may begin goe forward and happily end through Christe our Lorde in the holy Ghost Amen Thus you sée welbeloued in Christe our Lord vpon this dead body the earnest and high iudgement of GOD and what an extreme horror our Lorde God hath vpon sinne For who hath thus iudged this dead body taken from him his comely countenaunce giuen vnto him such an ougly looke face Onely death But wherfore Only bicause Death is the wages for sinne But if this dead man since his birth had not sinned then had sinne neuer had suche power ouer him But from whence hath death this power Only from Gods wrath and iudgment Therefore tremble looke vp to GOD auoyde sinne for this dead body maye be a warning vnto you that ye kéepe your selues from sinne Christ Iesus kéepe and defend vs altogether Amen ¶ To the Reader FRiendly and Christian Reader hitherto haue ye perceiued in plaine simple manner howe sicke persons are to be comforted I haue also shortly shewed you first of Repentaunce then of Faith and afterward of Good workes which I haue not done only for the sick and for such as be ready to dye but also for them that be in health to the intent that they that be whole in the
muche offended against sinne not only with temporall punishment but also with euerlasting Therefore you shall vnderstande well knowe and learne that you by meanes of your doings and sinne haue wrought and deserued not only a temporall but also an euerlasting death For if God would deale with you acording to his earnest and vttermost iudgment then should your punishment be euerlasting and neuer haue end But séeing that God hath forséene you from the beginning and hath taken and receiued you through his fatherly correction in the time of grace but specially nowe at this time he will turne your euerlasting punishment into temporal punishment cut short his euerlasting anger and displeasure to a timely and tēporal anger And yet the same before him is no anger but a fatherly visitation whereby he will make you leape ouer the way to euerlasting damnation and lead you out of it and by this crosse he will bring you to the right way to heauen Therefore our Lord GOD of grace and fauour by meanes of the innocent death of his welbeloued sonne our Lord Christ will take from you the euerlasting punishment and take the same from your soule and lay it vppon your body so that both your body and your soule may at the length be made frée and deliuered wholy both from worldly and euerlasting punishment Therfore this worldly correction is laid vpon the body but as it were the space of the twinckling of an eye whereby you being warned of your vnpenitent life might leaue off to sin which otherwise will not be and you would still haue continued in sinne and thereby at the last haue fallen into the feareful anger of God and euerlasting torment plague Howbeit God of his great mercy hath taken mercy of your fall and will deliuer you from his great mightie strong and euerlasting iudgement The righteousnesse and iustice of God hath earnestly sought and required to haue her right vpon you that is to say euerlasting punishment and paine but the mercy of God hath on your behalfe stept in the middle and hath foughten against iudgement and mercy hath obteined the victorie and driuen iudgement backe so that she shal neuer hereafter lay any thing to your charge how be it so that righteousnesse is partly agréed with all and satisfied but onely temporally as farre as concerneth the body but not the soule This is a wonderfull battel and on your side maruellously brought aboute through grace For what is this temporal transitorie suffering enduring as it were but the twinckling of an eye in comparison of the euerlasting tormentes where you should haue abidden the euerlasting death and paine Therefore is this a tollerable yea rather an acceptable and pleasaunt exchaunge séeing we by our sinne haue deserued the euerlasting wrath of God punishment that this punishment now shall endure but for a time yea rather but the twinkling of an eye which else should haue béene euerlasting and fearefull if God in his anger would haue delt with vs Therefore nowe welbeloued you shall doe like one that hath his house a fire and burneth all in a flame so that it is vnpossible to be quenched Then wil he throwe out and fetche from thence all his treasure iewels And if he can saue them from burning he may with them build vp an other house Thus must you likewise do Your house I meane your body is of a light flame it so burneth with sinne that there is no hope to quench it you must now let your old house burne and now looke about and bethinke you howe to saue and deliuer your treasure and iewels that is your soule through a true faith in Christ your deliuerer then shall you wel at Doomes day thorough that iewel come to a new house where you shal haue a new bodie in the blessed resurrection of the elected and chosen people of God which neuer dieth nor thorough fire can be consumed But you shal then haue such a bodie as shal neuer die nor at any time suffer any griefe punishment paine harts sorrow trouble or néed neuermore forsakē but enioye euerlasting peace and blessednes Therefore praye now that he wil rule and turne the harts of the magistrates that they will lay vpon you of fauour such correction as shal be most séemely in this case that you may quietly suffer and beare For God ruleth the heartes of the magistrates and sitteth amongst them in their counsel iudgements And séeing the great magistrate is of your side you haue altogether and can lacke nothing Thirdly marke also further welbeloued that Gods iudgement euer beginneth at his owne children For whensoeuer he purposeth to correcte the world with his displeasure and earnest punishment first of all he séeketh out his owne and visiteth them and correcteth them first of all with his fatherly rodde whereby he may saue and deliuer them from the endlesse and euerlasting damnation as S. Peter sheweth in his first Epistle and 4 Chap. out of the holy prophet Ieremie in the 25. Chapter The iudgement of God saith he beginneth at Gods house And as Dauid saith Psa. 75. The Lord hath a cuppe in his hand which is full of mightie wine he skinketh and filleth out of it But godlesse people must drincke all out and make a carrouse and suppe vppe the very dregges of Gods wrath It is hereby ment GOD giueth euery bodie their measure that they shal suffer but the grounds and dregges remaine for the vngodly especially for the stubborne froward and vnpenitent world which will néedes perishe in their stubbornes But the iudgement anger correction and visitation which God of his grace layeth vppon his children is after many sortes God correcteth some of his children with sicknes some with pouerty some with imprisonment some with contempt that they be not regarded nor any accompt made of them some other with temporal death by the magistrate as he hath now purposed to correct you therefore it appeareth outwardly that God sheweth himselfe as thoughe he were angrie with you But With him there is no anger for his anger lasteth but the twinkling of an eye after that he taketh vppe his againe with euerlasting grace and mercie As the prophet Esaias in his 54. Chapter saith And as Dauid remembreth in his 89. Psalme If the children of grace breake and forsake Gods commandementes and keepe not Gods lawes then will God with his rodde seuerely visite them But hee will not turne his grace from them The cause is the mercifull couenaunt which God hath by meanes of his onely begotten sonne made and established with his children Fourthly thus you shall earnestly beléeue that this your suffering care shame martyrdome and death is not sufficient thereby to purchase euerlasting life For if you by your death and paines might before God do penance and satisfie then dyed our Lord Christe in vaine but séeing he dyed he hath by that his suffering passion and death done
will only trust vpon him Sixtly moreouer welbeloued though nowe death at the last will come and stare in your face and should with his greuous countenance make you afraid for he is such a capteine and giant that he will make one beléeue he will eate vp the whole world and therfore he gapeth so wide yet be not afraide of him for he aduaunceth him selfe maruellously and is ougly to behold howbeit he hath no power nor strength anye more to ouerthrowe you For Christe hath matched him throughly wounded him séeing that he hath layd hande vpon Christ the right Lion therefore is all his strength taken from him Therfore he shall be to the faithfull no more death but only a sléepe as Saint Paul in the second Epistle to Timothie the first Chapter doth witnesse and declare very plainly and comfortably where he saith Christe Iesus our sauiour hath taken the strength from death and brought vs the light life and a being by meanes of the Gospell that shall neuer corrupt nor perish Yea the faythfull shall neuer taste of death as Christe witnesseth him selfe being the very trueth Iohn the eight Chapter where he saith thus Verily verily I tell you if any man will keepe my word by faith he shall not taste of death euerlastingly Looke and marke well what a noble vertuous and right beléefe is for that ouercommeth and driueth away all aduersitie all plagues sinne death it selfe And a faithfull person goeth cleane through death to the right life as our Lord Christ againe witnesseth Iohn 5. where he saith thus Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my worde and beleeueth on him that hath sent me he hath euerlasting life and shall not enter into iudgement but he passeth through death to life There doe you sée what is necessarie for you yea you shall escape the iudgement of God ouercome death and inioy euerlasting life namely to heare Gods word as Christe saith and beléeue the same It requireth no great cunning wisedome strength might liueland and preparation to ouercome death but this ouercomming victorie or triumphe is in these two pointes to heare and to beléeue Surely my thinketh this is a maruellous victorie that a poore wretched weake and sicke man that by reason of weakenesse can scant moue hande nor foote can ouercome so great a giant as death onely with a Christianlike hearing and a beléeuing heart But thus can Christ auenge him selfe vpon suche a strong enimie death that would gladly haue eaten and swalowed vp Christ that he hath so wonderfully taken away the strength from death that a poore wretched man may ouercome death besides that may mocke and laugh him to scorne that is I thinke death rightly to despise and contemne But howe commeth that to passe that we ouerrun and wearied by death shall neuerthelesse abide still aliue That is as Christ him selfe saith Iohn 11. where he sayth thus I am the resurrection and the life who so euer beleeueth on me shall liue although he seeme to dye And whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth on me shall neuermore dye This is the right and onely cause that the faithfull yea in the middest of death imbrace the right life Christ our Lord that giueth againe vnto them life For as little nowe can death any more wearie or ouercome our Lord or holde him in death so little can he either punish or quarell with any faithfull men For seeing that Christ which is the life doth still liue and can neuermore be ouercome so may the faithfull neuer abide prisoner in death but he breaketh out valiantly with Christe and singeth the merrie song of thankes giuing and of triumph Death is swallowed vp in victorie for where is thy sting Thus shal a Christian souldier looke death betwéen the browes and manfully wage battell with him or else woulde death eate vp and swallow the whole world But if you will with a true faith encounter â—ith him then will he quietly let you â—lone Wherevnto Christe helpe you he valiaunt and puissaunt king ouer â—eath and life Amen Seuenthly also welbeloued if the diâ—ell the tempter would lay hand vpon â—ou assault or make you despaire as â—hough you did belong to his kingdome â—r were in his claws thus shal you enâ—ounter him stande against him beate â—im ouercome him first by earnest â—rayers and calling vpoÌ„ God for grace helpe and comfort as our Lord Christe admonished his Disciples Matth. 26. where he saith thus Pray you least ye fall â—nto temptation As also our louing Lord Christ him selfe hath taught vs to pray Luke 12. Oh Lord and father leade vs not into temptation specially when we â—re tempted by sathan and assaulted that we through thy grace and holy spirite may withstande him and that we may eschue his persuasions and enticementes to doubt Therefore thus withstand him by prayer for sathan is falne downe hither to vs swiftly and inuisibly as Christe our sauiour witnesseth Luke 10. where he saith thus I sawe Sathan fal from heauen like a lightening But wherefore Truely therefore as Christ further teacheth his Apostles Luke 22. where he saith thus Simon Simon beholde Sathan hath desired you that he might fift you as wheat is sifted But I haue prayed for thee that thy faith shall not faile Beholde nowe how sathan prouleth after euery man he spareth no man he durst assault the best and holiest men namely Adam and Eue in Paradise though they were made to the Image of god Also he hath not spared Gods own sonne but assaulted and tempted him in the wildernes so hath he also desired to doe the like with the deare Apostles as you heard euen nowe therefore it is to be feared he will also not spare you Séeing then that is to be feared and that we knowe his meaning as Saint Paule saith in his second Epistle to the Corinthians the second Chapter that we shuld looke about vs that we be not deceiued of sathan For saith he It is not vnknowne vnâ—o vs what he purposeth and goeth about Therefore haue a good eye vppon this â—armefull and perillous tempter and â—riue him away by godly prayers Againe thus shall you desend stand â—gainst sathan with a stedfast faith on Christ our Lord chiefly that Christe is â—ur high Priest and King which hath oâ—ercome sathan the same Lord can for our commoditie destroy sathan ouerâ—ome him therefore shall you stedfastly â—eléeue the Christ your mightie King can â—unt driue away sathan froÌ„ you with â—ll fantasies dreames toyes and deâ—eites For He goeth as saith Saint Peter 1. Pet. 5. about as a roaring Lion and seeketh whom hee may deuour whome saith the Apostle resist you being strong in faith therefore take the shield of faith As Saint Paule further warneth vs where he in the 6. to the Ephesians saith thus Before all things saith he take the shield of faith whereby ye may quenche â—all the fierie dartes of the
wicked Therfore beléeue stedfastly by this noble counsell of the holy Apostle Saint Paule where be speaketh in the first Chapter to the Ephesians and in the first to the Colossians in this maner God hath deliuered vs from the Prince of darkenesse and hath established vs in the kingdome of his louing sonne of whome we haue our deliueraunce through his bloud specially the forgiuenesse of sinns acording to the richnes of his grace There doe you heare and must with your whole heart beléeue that our Lord Christe hath deliuered you from the power of sathan so that the gates of hell can not preuaile against you Matth. 16. Thirdly if sathan moreouer will encounter with you then take you the sword of the holy ghost which is Gods worde after the counsell of the holy Apostle in the 6. to the Ephesians and set vpon him with Gods worde after the example of Christ Matth. 4. Therefore if he will say vnto you this or such like wordes The vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God. the sixt Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians IteÌ„ it is written Who so euer sinneth is of sathan the first Epistle of Saint Iohn the â—hird Chapter Then shall you answere â—im againe with Christ and say Away â—athan for it is also written c. And also 〈◊〉 desire not the death of a sinner saith our Lord God but that he amend him selfe â—â—ue And Christe in the 9. of Matthewe â—aith thus I am come to call sinners to reâ—entance And Matthewe 18. and Luke 9. The sonne of man saith Christ is come â—o seeke and to make blessed that that was â—â—st Nowe looke sathan though I be inâ—éed a wretched sinner yet is not Gods will that I should be for euer condemâ—ed but that I should liue Albeit then that I be a lost shéep yet will Christ the â—igh shepheard of my soule séek me out and saue me of this I doubt nothing at â—ll Therefore avaunt harmefull diuel thou hast nothing to do here séeing that Christ my Lorde hath clothed and coueâ—ed me with his innocencie vertues holinesse for I haue put on Christe my Lorde in my baptisme Galathians the â—hird Chapter I haue put on the wedâ—ing garment in which I shall appeare before God and dwell in his kingdome for euer and euer Amen Beholde thus shall you driue away the wicked flend and striue and fight against him as a Christian Capteine to the end that ye may atteine at the great day vnto the euerlasting crown Thus wil our Lord God which is the God of peace tread downe sathan after a litle time vnder your feete as Saint Paule writeth in the 16. to the Romanes Eightly if welbeloued the euerlasting iudgement hell and euerlasting damnation assault you as though you were one that should be damned or forsaken and lost and woulde make hell mouth gape and open wide vppon you thus comforte and refreshe your selfe euer and quickly with Gods word reléeue and coole your selfe with the freshe water that springeth and floweth out of the treasure of Gods mercy against sin and filthy liuing which water we haue in the Gospell where also the holy prophet Zacharias maketh mention in the 13. Chapter and the Prophete Esaie in 55. Cha. Thus imbrace now with true â—ith the noble coÌ„fortable pleasant sayâ—ngs promises of God of euerlasting â—â—fe whereof this is one Iohn 3. where â—ur Lorde Christe speaketh thus God â—â—th not sent his son into the world that he â—â—uld coÌ„demne the world but that the world â—hrough him should be saued Whosoeuer beâ—eeueth on him shall not be condemned â— Iâ—em Iohn 5. Verily verily I say vnto you saith Christ our Lord Whosoeuer heaâ—eth my word beleeueth in him that hath sent me shal neuer enter into condemnation â—â—â—t he hath a through passage from death to â—â—e Item the third of S. Iohn Whosoeuer â—eleueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life And moreouer he saith Like as Moses set vp a serpent in the wildernesse likewise â—â—ust the sonne of man also be lifted vp to the intent that all they that beleeue in him â—hould not be lost and perish but inioy and inâ—erite euerlasting life And God hath so loâ—â—d the world saith the euerlasting sonne â—f God him selfe that he hath giuen his 〈◊〉 sonne to the intent that all that beâ—eeue in him shoulde not be destroyed but should inioy euerlasting life Item Iohn the sixte thus saith Christe Verily verily I say vnto you he that beleeueth on me hath euerlasting life Item our Lorde Christe saith further thus This is the will of him that sent me that whosoeuer beholdeth the sonne and beleeueth on him shal haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day By this may you ioyfully say conclude and through true faith acknowledge that hel through the resurrection of Christe our deliuerer is shut vp against you for you beléeue the highest article of Christian religion where we beléeue and acknowledge that Christe our Lorde is gone downe into hell not for his owne sinne and vnrighteousnes sake but for the cause of our wickednesses by whiche we haue deserued the euerlasting plagues hell and damnation There hath Christ himselfe taken away that euerlasting correction done penaunce for it and made satisfaction broken hell and shut and stopped it vp and to be short in stead of euerlasting imprisonment dungeon and destruction purchased and giuen vs euerlasting life and brought vnto vs and giuen vs a triumphant victorie that we with him may nowe merily sing Hell where is thy victorie Beholde it behoueth you in such sore dangerous and lingering sicknesse and battel to shew and instruct your selfe that you be a childe of God and suffer not your selfe to be deceiued albeit it doeth not as yet appeare in this world nor can easily be perceiued whether we be presently through faith fully Gods children or not Iohn the first saith It doeth not yet nowe appeare what we be but we knowe that when it shal appeare then shal we be like vnto him The first of Saint Iohn the third Cap. Then shall we see him as he is and then shal we be pertakers of his Godly nature The seconde Epistle of Saint Peter the first Chapter Albeit that yet our knowledge and appearance what we be is vnperfecte and that we as yet beholde the maiestie of God as it were through a glasse in darknesse or in a cloude Yet shall we hereafter beholde him face to face Thus doe we waite for neuerthelesse these thinges in the meane season in blessed hope For we beholde our selues likewise by our selues childishlye and looke for the deliueraunce of our bodies for we shal be throughly blessed albeit in hope This hoping neuerthelesse that we sée is no hope for how can a man hope for that he seeth But if we hope for that we sée not then doe we looke after
The communion of Saintes The forgiuenes of sinnes The resurrection of the bodie and the life euerlasting Amen Oh highest comfort in all trouble helpe that we neither feare shame nor death that our senses be not dismayed when the enimie accuseth vs Lord haue pittie vppon vs. Fiftly if the partie lye long in a traunce For I haue many times seene that some haue lyen a long time as it were in a traunce and afterward haue begunne againe to speake and haue said that they very well heard and did vnderstand what hath then beene said vnto them Therefore they that will may rehearse to the sicke this short exposition of our beleefe I put all my trust hope and comfort onely in the méere grace and mercie of God that he onely himselfe can helpe me and none other creature howe holy soeuer he be in all my néede and trouble And séeing he is my father I beléeue stedfastly that he with all his hart will gladly helpe me neuer forsake me neither in this world nor in the world to come And because he is almightie God I beléeue that he can defend me and kéepe me from all that is against me For he onely is strong ynough for mine enimie by reason of his almightie power And séeing he is the creatour of heauen and earth I beléeue he can commaund all other creatures that none of them shall haue any power ouer me to my harme without his fatherly good will. Therefore do I looke for onely from this almightie God father creatour all good things and euerlasting life For all thinges come onely from him and are giuen vnto him for he will giue himselfe wholy and fully vnto me with all that he is and hath with heauen and earth with al creatures that they must serue me and profite me and further me toward euerlasting life I beléeue with all my heart that Iesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of the father from the beginning hath for my sake taken vpon him mans nature and that he was conceiued of the holy Ghost and borne of the holy virgin Marie as a right naturall mother and that that man is very truly God as an euerlasting and vndiuided person of God and man And that this sonne of God Marie our Lord Iesus Christ hath for me wretched sinner suffered was for me crucified and dead Wherby he hath deliuered me from sinne from death and from the euerlasting wrath of God by his innocent bloud whiche in his owne person suffered the pangues of death and hath tasted euerlasting hell and ouercome it to the intent that I should be reconciled with God and be made Lord ouer al mine enimies I beléeue that except the death of this sonne our Lord Iesus Christe I could neuer haue atteined vnto Gods fauour and my saluation neither by works nor by any manner of desert I beléeue that Iesus Christ my brother is risen from death for my righteousnesse and hath for my sake taken death and hell prisoner that they can neuer hurt me For I confesse that I shuld haue dyed for euer if Iesus Christ had not come to help me and taken vpon him as an innocent lamb my sinne faults curse and euerlasting death and hath satisfied for me by his passion and hath taken away the curse for me I beléeue that he doth daily like a faithfull mercifull Mediatour Sauiour and only Priest and Byshop of my soule appeare and intreate for me I beléeue that Christe with God equally ruleth and fulfilleth all thinges and that he is of equal power and might in heauen and in earth Lorde ouer all Lordes King ouer al Kings and aboue all cretures in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth aboue death and life aboue sinne and righteousnesse This King and Lorde shall goe before me in my passion and death shall hold battell and fight for me so that I with him shal be a Lorde ouer all mine enimies for euer and euer I beléeue that Christe crucified shall come againe at the last day and shall iudge and condemne those that will not beléeue on him but will defend me and all faithfull from the terrible iudgemēt of damnation perpetuall and say vnto vs Come ye hyther ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome whiche is prepared for you from the beeginning of the worlde coet I beléeue in the holy Ghost whiche with the father and the sonne is one very God and is procéeded from the father and the sonne euerlastingly and yet in one and the same godly being and nature an vndiuided person I beléeue that I by him shall be adorned with faith as with a liuing euerlasting godly gift and reward raised vp from death made frée from sinne and in my heart made merrie comforted and frée and safe in conscience For this is my reioycing that if I can finde in my hart such witnesse of Gods holy spirite that then God will be my father forgiue me my sinne and reward me with euerlasting life I beléeue that the holy Ghoste will help to beare mine infirmities and intreate for me with vnspeakable sighings strengthen me and light my hart that I may knowe the excéeding riches fatherly mercy that he hath giuen me rewarded me with of méere grace without all my deseruinges onely through Christ his beloued sonne by whome the father hath rewarded me with those his giftes But the holy Ghost teacheth me to knowe all these thinges he kindleth my heart and lighteneth me that these giftes come from aboue as Christe hath promised vs where he saith Iohn 7. He that beleueth in me as the scripture saith from his bodie shall flowe streames of liuing waters I beléeue that there is vpon earth one Christian church that is the congregation or number or assemblie méeting of all Christians in which there is one God one Lord one holy Ghost one faith one baptisme of which Churche Christ onely is the spouse and husband I beléeue that this Churche is the spirituall body and that Christ onely is her head I beléeue that Christ is the sauiour of this his body and Church and hath giuen him selfe for her that he might make her holy and hath cleansed her through the waterbath of his word that he may haue for him selfe a speciall congregation that neither hath spot nor wrinckle or any other infirmitie but that she may be holy and without fault a piller and foundation of trueth I beléeue that in this Christian congregation and where so euer it be that there also is forgiuing of sinnes There is the kingdome of grace and right pardon and that there is no saluation nor forgiuing of sins without Christendome I beléeue that no man can be saued except he be in this congregation and Church as a liuely member planted in his owne body I beléeue that in this kingdome there is not only once forgiuing of sinnes but as oft as we require and aske it For Christ is such a maister of the hospitall
inioy euerlasting peace and happinesse Sixtely Nowe welbeloued while you be in the way to the kingdome of heauen and that you will euen now go thither it is good for you to knowe the way and diligently to learne it and to inquire after it least you wander or be lead or driuen from it Therfore learne well to lay hande and holdfast vpon the ladder to heauen which ladder the good Patriarch Iaacob did sée Gen. 8. That is the ladder whereby the Angels clime vp and downe vppon whiche from the earth with his top reacheth vp to heauen wherevpon at the vppermost part our Lord God standeth Christ him selfe is this ladder Iohn 1. Therefore holde fast by true faith vpon this ladder for No man can go to heauen but he that came from thence that is the sonne of man which is in heauen This Lord is the very ladder to heauen For by his manhoode he standeth vppon the earth and with his godhead he reacheth to heauen where God him selfe doth appeare If you will goe to heauen you must begin at Christes humanitie to clime vp specially through his passion and death and to séeke after his very godhead aboue vpon the top of the ladder where God him selfe is and say thus My Lorde and my God for as much as I must goe to heauen as I am very willing and euen now haue begunne be thou my ladder leader and guide for thou art the very way to heauen Iohn 14. And no man commeth to the father but through thée and by thée as thou thy selfe doest witnesse Iohn 10. where thou sayest thus I am the doore if any man enter in by me hee shall bee safe Thus shall you vnto the right way to heauen prepare and dresse your selfe for Christ is the onely gate into heauen Heauen it selfe is very wide and large but it hath but only one gate through the which a man may come but as soone as you haue gotten this gate and gotten through it then haue you left behinde you as it were in a heape al misfortune at once and then are you assured and defended by this gate that no aduersitie hereafter for euer can hurt you There do you lay at once at your backe death sinne diuell hell and all that can be against you There be you then sure and safe as in a strong castel that no man can any more stirre vp hurt against you Therefore let no man withdrawe you from this way goe vnto it boldly you shall come safe from thence to the kingdom of heauen thither shal the good angels be your guides that harme can not once touche you Be therefore of good courage our Lord Christe is your king which hath dyed before you hath made the pathe plaine and sufficiently strengthened and made safe this iourney therefore go streight foorth hold right on in this way turne of no side for You shall neyther goe on the right hande nor of the left as our Lord God doth cōmaund Deut. 12. You take the left hande out of the right way when you despaire of Gods mercy where God is before you And on the right hand you go out of the way too wide when you trust in your worke death passion and shame therfore abide in the middle way toward heauen and then shall you not goe out of the way Vpon this way shall you vndoubtedly finde the true life for our Lord Christe is not onely the way but also the life so that you shall receiue in Christ the true life as he saith and witnesseth of him selfe Iohn 11. I am saith Christe the resurrection and the life but not only the life for him selfe but suche a life as giueth the right life and diuideth it among all them that put their trust vpon Christe For Christ saith further also Whosoeuer beleeueth on me he shall liue though he be dead Suche a valiaunt and almightie thing is it about faith and about all the faithfull of Christe that they lay hande vpon life in the middest of death that they sing merrily In the middest of death we be in life Welbeloued you must vnfeignedly beléeue al this that it is no sport nor deceite that Christ saith and promiseth for he is the trueth it selfe his wordes be true and certeine therevpon shall you haue no manner of doubt for the truth it selfe doeth say I am the way and the trueth and the life and also the resurrection Whosoeuer beléeueth truely vpon him he receiueth in the midst of death the resurrection so that nowe you shall lye the twinckling of an eye in death slide thence to life But by this death through Christ you shall inioy euerlasting resurrection where you shal neuermore dy These be vnspeakable words and aboue measure comfortable gratious wordes that a wretched sinner only through beléefe in Christe shall finde life in death in dying resurrection and in the middest of the dongeon of darkenesse shall find the right way to heauen Therefore be of good comforte before death séeing that God is such a mightie Lorde that bringeth vnto you out of death life and bringeth you through the snares of death to euerlasting peace 〈◊〉 quietnes God graunt you this Amen Seuenthly Welbeloued for as muc◠as you be nowe through faith a member of Christ the olde serpent will now set vppon you and as he hath bitten Christe our head in the héele so will he a little whip your héele for that you are kept here and must dy that is his stroke and byte yea the poyson wherby the old serpent hath stinged and poysoned you Howbeit it is nothing else but a byting by the héele that can do you no hurt toward the right life She biteth the children of God after many ways but they againe treade vpon the olde serpentes head through our Lord Christe in that that they through beléefe as through the right Triacle and medicin driue away heale and quenche the stripe the biting and the poyson of the serpent Therfore valiantly tread down the serpents head in thy Lord Christ through a true Christian beléefe on the gratious promise of God that Christe is the onely head of Christendome which first of al with his passion death and ioyfull resurrection ouercame sathan and brake the serpents head The dragons head is diuers specially sinne death and hell There hath the old serpent opened his iawes would swalow vs vp in sinne death hel But our louing lord Christ hath broken the serpents scull so that she is not able anymore to gape against the faithfull that she may swalow them vppe as she hath purposed Therefore learne nowe howe you shall trouble charme coniure and ban or curse this serpent so that she shall not hurte you which you shall do if you ouercome her through beléefe in Christ and so shal you treade vpon her head Eighthly Although my welbeloued your wife children brother sister and your friends may tempt you that they shall
further earnestâ—â— marke vnderstand and knowe that â—ot only al punishments and sufferings â—â—me from God and be layde vppon vs â—â—y God but ye shall also earnestly beâ—eue that GOD fendeth vnto his chilâ—â—en as a very merciful father such puâ—â—shmentes and sufferings of méere faâ—our and grace to his owne for their â—â—ofite and commoditie For there be two causes why God â—â—ndeth vnto vs aduersities troubles â—â—d passions séeing that God hath two â—â—tes of children vpon the earth Some many times lead a long time 〈◊〉 vnrepentaunt life they cannot not abide that a man of loue and good will say any thing vnto them but continually runne foreward in their mischiefous frowarde and naughtie wayes They haue GOD very little before their eyes Therfore must God lay hold on them restraine draw them backe and to true repentaunce and godly liuing driue and inforce them or els they will dye in their wicked froward conuersation Therfore doth God lay in the necke of backsliders from him some aduersitie that they may looke well about them and marke well who is at their backes and layeth such a yoke on their neckes at the last to knowe themselues and learne what they be whereabout they goe and howe they against GOD haue so grieuously offended Thus God correcteth them through punishmentes and learneth them as the Prophet Esaias saith in the 28. Chap. that doth the soule very much good and suche aduersitie is a precious medicine for trouble onely maketh a man take héede to the word Esaias 28. Then doeth â—e worde of God very well sauour vnto vs â—â—en it is pouldred mingled or sawced with â—ubles and passions For when trouble is at â—de then we seeke to God and when God â—h visite vs then we call earnestly Esai 〈◊〉 Therefore doeth God many times â—mplaine against his foolish ignoraunt â—ople Esaias 9. where God saith The â—â—ople do not turne backe to them that haue â—icken them nor inquireth after the Lord â—d of Sabbaoth Which is a great token â—an vnrepentant and stubberne heart â—esides that it is a great and heauie â—ne against the Lord God from whiâ—e God mercifully defend vs Amen The other cause wherfore our Lord â—d layeth troubles and aduersities vpâ—â—â—his children is this specially bicause â—e Lord God will leade his chosen chilâ—en from faith to faith and continualâ— maketh them expert and cunning in â—e knowledge of God and will thus â—oue them in faith and godly knowâ—ge whereby his name by this meaâ—s may be the better knowne coÌ„menâ—d praysed as we sée in good Dauid Ionas and Iob c. Fiftly séeing that ye perceiue and knowe that ye are flesh fleshly weaknesse hath many times preuailed and you had the vpper hande vpon you and you haue oftentimes giuen ouer your selfe to your olde Adam and followed fleshe and bloud too muche and thereby many times displeased our Lord god Thus shall you therefore before the high maiestie of GOD humble your selfe acknowledge your offences aske mercy haue a seuere purpose to absteine from sinne and if God will againe restore you to liue in a good perfect Christian penitent life to embrace Gods mercy in Christ our deliuerer stay and holde your selfe with an holie hope vpon his comfortable promises Therefore thus say earnestly after me with heart and minde ALmightie euerlasting most mercifull God Father I acknowledge from the bottome of my heart and say with my mouth that I am a poore and damnable sinner For I am in sin conceiued borne Besides that from my youth hitherto all the imaginations thoughtes of my heart haue bene very wicked and inclined to al sinne and vnrighteousnesse There is also no true feare of God no faithful loue of God no perfect faith of God in my heart hitherto oh Lord founden Also I haue with my mouth oh God little called vppon God my lord in my trouble fled vnto him for succour I haue also bene very vnthankfull to God my Lord for all his wonderfull benefites both bodily and ghostly Likewise also haue I litle praysed or set foreward the thankes due to God and the same acknowledged confessed much lesse haue I rightly ben desirous to set forward maintein Gods true seruice To be short I haue not in my whole life time done and brought forth any good thing wherby before god I haue brought foorth any godly coÌ„uersation to his glory honour and praise wherevnto he hath chiefly created and made me Al this I confesse and it grieueth me from the bottome of my heart that I haue so grieuously offended thée my very God Lord father especially with euill thoughts words and déedes Againe I acknowledge and confesse thée my Lord and God that I haue not rightly and truly obeied them to whom I ought obedience Also I haue oftentimes grieuously offended my neighbours and not sufficiently shewed vnto them Christian charitie and loue but haue bene many times disdainefull angrie fierce and very sowre Also I haue bene many times kindled in euil lustes and desires in forbidden loue Also I haue bene many times ouerséene with lewd thoughts I haue also many times ben too streight to my neighbours harmed them not holpen them defended them nor comforted them I haue likewise offended and hurt my neighbour by word spoken euill behinde his back and condemned him To be short all wicked desires and lustes haue taken in me very mightie vpperhand Therefore I acknowledge this my sinfull life require mercy haue pitie vpon me Lorde heauenly father for the bitter passion death of thine onely sonne our Lorde ¶ Heare your comfort Thus saith Saint Paule in the first Epistle to Timothie the seconde Chap. There is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man specially the man Iesus Christe that hath giuen him selfe for all for our deliuerance Beléeue this comfortable saying holde fast on Iesus Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour so shall you in your consciences rest in peace and quietnes with God the lord God graunt his grace thervnto Amen ¶ But if the sicke bodie be so weake and cannot make such a long confession you may vse an other shorter in this maner An other confession to the Lord God. OH thou merciful gratious good God and father I wretched sinfull sicke miserable forsaken creature come nowe before thy high and mightie maiestie as a poore sinfull creature full of sinne and vnrighteousnesse and confesse vnto thée froÌ„ my heart that I haue grieuously sinned against thée from my youth hitherto with wicked thoughtes words and déedes These do I acknowlege and confesse altogether generally for I am not able to remember number theÌ„ all at length particularly therefore my God be gratious to me a poore sinner through the deserts of thy louing Son our Lord Iesus Christ which was therfore slaine for me wretched sinner to the intent that I should be and remaine thy childe for euermore Amen Hearken to this comfort Thus saith S. Iohn
where may we abide in safetie to the Lord Christe alone Thou hast shead thy bloud that hath satisfied for our sinns oh holy Lord God oh holy mightie God oh holy mercifull sauiour oh thou euerlasting God let vs not fall backe from the comfort of our faith Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Behold thus shall we reioyce in our greatest daunger and withall our heart Sing vnto our Lord God a song of thankesgiuing which is the right sacrifice of thankes Psal. 50. These be the right singers to God when the whole armie of heauen singe with vs and giue vnto God prayse and thankes Therefore nowe without all feare and trembling hope vppon the endlesse mercy of God that this your trouble and heauinesse and dangerous gronings and sighings commeth vp to Gods compassion and commeth neare inough to his heart But herein shall you stay your self and hope and so shall you be strengthened Esaie 30. And thus shal you conclude in your heart and earnestly hope and with S. Paule say thus Rom. 8. I knowe certeinly that neither death nor life neither Angel nor principalitie neither power present or to come neither aboue nor beneath nor none other creature may remoue vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. To be short Who will accuse the elected of God God is hee that doth iustifie who can condemne vs Christe is hee that died yea rather that is risen againe which sitteth on Gods right hand and forgiueth vs. Nowe if death sinne diuel hel all trouble aduersitie and plague fall vpon me in heapes yet will I before you all abide still in my God and still remaine a childe of euerlasting ioy and felicitie Amen The eleuenth though welbeloued that ye do persuade your selfe as though God himselfe were against you and were angrie with you by reason of forepassed sinnes yet ye shall not be afraid nor dismaye your selfe For God many times doth proue his appeareth vnto them outwardly as though he were verie angrie with them as thoughe he would lay hands on them punish them and vtterly condemne them Therefore séeing God first will make you to liue he wil before huÌ„ble you seeing he will bring you to heauen he will first caste you downe into hel For Our Lord sleyeth and reuiueth God doth cast vs into hel and leadeth vs out againe As holy Anna saith the first of Samuel the 2. Therefore in this temptation learne rightly and properly to knowe the nature and propertie of god He meaneth not euil towardes you but by this meanes he tryeth your faith and your hope that ye may be found to be perfect Surely it is a hard fight to wage battel with God him selfe as the good Patriarch Iaacob did a whole night long but at the length he had the victorie and lay aboue And therefore was he called Israel Likewise also must the spirituall Israel doe and in spiritual fight preuaile and haue the ouerhand And to be short at length it must come to passe with you thus that you must nowe onely beléeue vpon hope where no hope is Rom. 8. For True faith is a certeine assuraunce to obteine those things and not doubt on the whiche we can neither beholde nor see Heb. 11. This is your case for in outward appearance and féeling ye sée nothing but death him selfe but the eyes of your faith looke further for they sée life in the middest of death in the middest of sinne true ioy and perfection in the middest of hell heauen in the middest of Gods anger and punishment grace and euerlasting welfare This is surely a strang and wonderfull sight and this is also an excellent passing and fine knowledge a cunning aboue all cunnings whiche declareth vnto vs howe we shall find in death perfect life howe we in the déepest miserie shall be comforted how we in the greatest doubtes shall be instructed to be short when it appeareth vnto vs that we are vtterly vndone euery body hath forsaken vs euery body withdraweth their succour from vs and before our eyes there appeareth nothing but destruction and vtter vndoing we shall make much adoe and wonderfully busie our selues and in our reason and opinion knowe not whether to goe we seeme to liue and yet we dye we sée and féele and yet be in the middest of death But here we must lay aside all féeling seeing vnderstanding wisedome and reason and vtterly forsake them and with these comforts to be merrie in the middest of death and slide through it as through sléep to the blessed hope that God will through his mercy in the promise of Christe euerlastingly kéepe vs and make vs inioy his blessings What so euer Gods wil be let things appeare outwardly as they will let thinges goe and stand with vs as God will yet beleue we stedfastly that Gods grace and goodnesse will defende vs for euer contrarie to all mans reason and imagination for he will not ascribe our saluation nor giue the honour glory prayse thereof vnto vs or our workes eyther to our indeuour but vnto his endlesse mercy that at the last day we should must confesse that our saluation was not in our power in our doings in our will and might but onely in the mercy and onely grace of God which we haue obteined through Christ our onely Sauiour For which grace and good will we are bound to giue to God continual thankes and only laude and prayse his holy name and ascribe vnto him all honour power might and maiestie behold thus shal you fight and striue with God against god and push and enforce your selfe as it were through very thistles thornes to enter into heauen and there againe beginne in your heart to sing the comfortable song of the holy Dauid Psalme 73. where he thus singeth If I haue onely thee my Lord and my God I passe of nothing neither in heauen nor in earth though my body and my soul be in contempt yet art thou my God alway my heartes comfort and my health And then will GOD comfort you and say thus Esaie 41. Be not afraid I am with thee be not faint hearted for I am thy God I will strengthen thee I will helpe thee out I will holde thee vppe through the strength of my righteousnesse Twelfthly if welbeloued many assaultes and temptations fall vpon you as it were by heapes yet let them not â—ismay or discourage you for sathan â—oth willingly bestowe all his cunning when the matter commeth to the push â—r extremitie If he could not ouercome you in your life time whilest ye were â—n perfect health then wil he now more â—trongly withstande and assault you now in your weaknesse Therfore now â—earne and be expert in deede what the â—ubtiltie and craft of the wicked fiende â—s what sleightes and deuises he vseth and practiseth against you for his nature and condition is with great rage and fiercenesse to set vpon men he commeth to
time of their prosperitie and good health maye learne how to vse and behaue them selues and learne in time to dye For nothing is more certeine then death and nothing more vncerteine then to come vnto the right knowledge to dye Therfore ought euery man before to prepare himselfe and to make ready to take this iourney in hand and go forward wherby he may be carefull for that that will necessarily followe But specially ought we to remember these thinges before-hand and cōtinually exercise our selues in the crosse of warre specially nowe in the sore daungerous warre against the cruell enimie of Christendome the Turke which if he haue the victorie spareth no man but without all mercy heweth downe the miserable Christians striketh them and shooteth them through where many times the wounded bodies a long time lye in the gréene medowes before they be brought into the slaughter house in great daunger of desperation if he were not before well prepared and exercised in Gods worde So that this souldier must fight with his body against the Turke and with his soule against the Diuell him selfe Howbeit this shall be their comforte out of the Prophet Daniel the 7. Chapter That these murtherers of christians bloudhoundes doe onely by this meanes prepare Christian soules and doe further them to euerlasting life For he setteth him selfe with all his might in greate force against the Saintes of God and chiefly warreth against them Wherefore without all question when so euer a Christian man is slaine and ouercom by the Turke yet dyeth he with a safe cōscience in that that he is a Christian for he séeth that this warre is against the Saintes of GOD without cause For the Turke hath no lawfull occasion to fight against the Christians and so miserably to spill Christian bloud Thus therfore dye they so much the ioyfuller séeing they go foorth in the obedience of their superiours and do not only defend their owne countrie and people but also with their owne bloud help to preserue Christian religion Therefore good Christian learne in time to dye for thou knowest neither time nor houre neither place nor manner when howe either what maner of death thou shalt haue specially in this last and dangerous time Therefore deferre not till the last pushe least that you tarrie too long Learne learn this cunning while thou hast time memorie and oportunitie therevnto Then shall you go the surest way séeing the daye must néedes come yeald thy selfe in time with desire and will therevnto for it can not be avoyded Wherevnto our Lorde GOD giue vs grace that we may well and happily depart Amen Howbeit no man is to be tied and bound to vse euery matter as it is herein conteined but if any other can or haue better much good do it them for I haue here remembred certeine temptations wherein I my selfe like a poore simple plaine man haue bene tempted and assaulted with and haue experienced if I may boast my self of my weaknesse for I haue thrise béene at that point that euery man gaue me ouer and despaired of my life in this worlde yet at the last our Lorde GOD by his great power reuiued me wherefore I giue vnto him euerlasting prayse and thankes in Christ our Lorde I will not say that in my days I haue gone to many Christian people I haue comforted them and haue bene at their end whose names be written in the booke of life where I haue experienced diuers and many temptations GOD graunt both thée me his godly grace that we may also blessedly sléepe at the last in Christe our Lorde and through Gods power at the last day may be raised vp to euerlasting life Amen How to aduise and comfort them that lye in prison and be by the Magistrate iudgged to dye FIrste welbeloued Almightie God giue you his grace and true patience whereby you may beare and patiently suffer this your deserued crosse layde vpon you séeing the matter is come thus far with you that Gods iudgment and the punishment of the magistrate is falne vpon you yeald your self willingly therevnto and thinke that this correction commeth from God him selfe Therefore refuse not the correction of the Almightie as it is written in Iob the 5. Séeing then that euery mans iudgement commeth from God our Lord as it is in Solomon the 29. of his Prouerbes receiue such iudgement and punishment vp from our Lord God as a fatherly correction as the Epistle to the Hebrues witnesseth Chapter 12. where the text saith thus My sonn make not light of the correction of the Lorde and despaire not when thou art punished by him For the Lord doth correct him whom he loueth and he beateth euery sonne which he taketh to him selfe And so it commeth to passe as Solomon saith in his highe song the 8. Chapter that the loue which the Lorde beareth vs is as strong as death It appeareth vnto the world as though the loue of God were very misfortune death and destruction Howbeit there is vnder such loue great mercy goodnesse life and blessednesse hidden For If we be iudged we be corrected by the Lorde to the intent that we should not be damned with the world as saith S. Paule in the first epist. to the Corinthians the 10. Chap. Therefore learne here with spirituall eyes to beholde that you vnder punishment may sée grace vnder correction peace and vnder death life Thus shal not this crosse layd vpon you be very sore and fearfull but you may beare it and you also shal patiently suffer it For God can soone end this crosse that you shall be able to carrie it For as much then as God our Lorde hath appointed to euery man a certeine end of his life which he shall not passe Iob. 14. thinke you nowe that your appointed time by God is nowe come and this day is by God appointed vnto you for a certeine end of your life Trouble not your selfe much therefore after what maner you haue taken your life from God and that you shall so soone deliuer it him againe But set your will to Gods will and say Father thy will be done and not mine if it be thy pleasure that I shall drinke this cuppe which thou hast filled for me giue me thy grace thervnto that I may continue in a true Christian belefe vnto mine end and that I may vnder this my crosse and suffering in perfect patience passe through it to euerlasting life Amen Secondarily For as muche as you haue now heard that this crosse and punishment commeth from God him selfe and is laide vpon you by God through an ordinarie magistrate you shall vnderstand nowe further well learne to knowe the great and earnest anger of God ouer sinne for it is no smal matter before God when a man behaueth him selfe contrarie to Gods lawe and continually without ceasing offendeth and prouoketh God with his vnpenitent liuing GOD is very angrie with suche déedes and is
sufficient penance for your sinnes appeased Gods wrath reconciled you to GOD his father and purchased for you euerlasting righteousnes blessednesse Therefore by this your suffering death you can not escape Gods iudgement nor make amendes to Gods iustice nor make satisfaction for euerlasting punishment but only thereby you do make satisfaction before the worlde For séeing that you haue done amisse offended the outwarde temporall and worldly iustice and transgressed and found guiltie thereof you must necessarily satisfie the same externall and outward iustice with such outward punishment as the worlde and the magistrate can doe for aboue that the world nor the magistrate can not reach nor giue correction But for as much as the offence whiche you haue committed against the Magistrate is also against God and his holy commaundementes specially this sinne whiche you at the first on the racke or pyning banke and after by your owne confession haue acknowledged besides other grieuous faultes wherewith in your life time from your youth hitherto you haue offended God your Lord in such manner that he might punish you for such offences euerlastingly and not for a time yet will he not do so as I haue told you before but he will mercifully forgiue you such offences altogether both small and great howe so euer you haue committed them through the deseruing miserie shame bitter death of his deare sonne our Lord Christ Iesus your Sauiour So that Gods iustice is satisfied for you by Christ our lord For GOD hath made his sonn for our sakes to be righteousnesse holinesse and our deliuerer 1. Cor. 1. Therfore you must beleue this not doubt confesse it with your mouth Do you beléeue this deare beloued Say yea Fiftly lest peraduenture you should imagine and say How commeth it then to passe that God hath only laide vpon me this shame reproch death Howe commeth it to passe that he hath spyed me out only Am I then alone the most wicked the most vnhappie man vppon the earth There be yet many worse then I. Why could he not visite and punish me after some other fashion Marke wel here and learne that it becommeth you not to murmur and be vnpatient by your leue against God nor his purposed worke for if God will thus visite you you ought not to weiue it nor refuse it for God can best skill according to his fatherly goodnesse how to intreate and handle his children and he will not deale alike with one childe as with an other He hath many crosses and rodds whereby he will chastice his He forbeareth some long and another he patiently abideth he leadeth him therby to repentance the thirde he taketh foorth to him selfe with this rod but he taketh vp an other with an other rod after them our Lorde God layeth vpon euery one his crosse Therfore by your leaue you shall not despaire nor doubt neither wishe nor desire that you were dead or that this or that carrie you away as some haue done of impatience feare and shame of the world What hurt is it to you that you must in déede be shamed before the worlde and that euery man beholdeth you as vppon a great offender séeing neuerthelesse that you be the child of God through your beléefe vpon Christ Which our Lord God and the whole armie and hoast of heauen doth nowe heholde looke vpon though it doth not apeare before the world All that you haue to doe shal passe away in the twinckling of an eye after that the worlde shall beholde you after an other fashion I mean at doomes day in great ioy and glory as one of Gods chosen children What shal it then hinder you though you for an hour or two must be kept to be shamed and openly executed or put to death Reioyce be frolike that at the general day thou shalt escape condemnation before the whole earth and all the hoast and armie of heauen It is much better that you should suffer reproch and shame a little while before a smal number then that at that day you shoulde be shamed and confounded before the Angels and the whole worlde for euer and euer Therfore yeald your self thervnto willingly and behold this shame death not with your bodily eye but with your spirituall eye Doe away your eyes remembraunce and reason let euery man laughe mocke looke say and doe what they will. Looke not vpon man but vpon God he is at hand with all Angels they behold you gratiously they haue pitifull hearts with you and our Lord Christ and our deliuerer will take you with him into euerlasting peace and blessednesse There be also among this companie heape and cluster of people many good men that feare God that be very sorrie and take griefe with you and doe truly pray to God for you Therefore do you not suffer alone but Christ our Lord and head suffereth with you Likewise al Christian members suffer with you likewise all creatures beholde with you and heartily long for your deliuerie as witnesseth Saint Paule Rom. 8. Therefore turne you to him that striketh you that is to God your true louing father and praye vnto him that he will mitigate shorten and ease your paines and smartes and lend vnto you a strong and merrie heart manfully and patiently to beare this crosse laide vpon you and to stande vpright And then you shall proue in the midst of your trouble that he is mercifully on your side doth helpe you suffer and beareth your crosse for he will be with you in your aduersitie therfore lay al your trouble only vpon our Lord God he wil first make your troubles in your heart and conscience easier and take them cleane away And after that your heart is once at peace with God and that you haue obteined a quiet conscience then will all bodily paines be very little and nothing in comparison of the conscience Then séeing that to euery man particularly or by him selfe death as a iust rewarde of sinne is appointed and that we all which shall remain after you must also get vs hence and no man remaine but that death must swallowe vppe the whole worlde what hurt is it to you that you go a litle before vs to the way of blessednesse and haue possessed and inioyed euerlasting life before vs Though you nowe by the way to blessednesse shall tread a hard bitter sharpe and rough way yet haue you this aduantage that you in a whole body and good memorie and perfect reson slide hence and in death you doe thrust into euerlasting life and all we must come after And who can tell how we poore néedie and forsaken men shal doe and what shall come of vs We be sure to be assaulted with many misfortunes and plagues and at the last some long time lye stretching and suffer many smarts and troubles vpon our sicke bed all which you haue escaped and in the meane season rest quietly and comfort your selfe and
nowe be in néede and must suffer for your misdéedes let goe and let passe altogether all such thoughts and earthly temptations and thinke thus Well now albeit that I hitherto haue béene by God appointed and set to be a purueyor to take care to mainteine my wife children c. and I haue not honestly behaued my selfe in that calling I hartily therfore desire my Lord God in Christe Iesus my deliuerer that he will not lay to my charge that sinne but through grace pardon me for I am very sorie Therefore almightie God séeing thou wilt take that my care and office from me and put me besides it I commend them vnto thée as to the chiefest magistrate their Lorde defender father that thou wilt vouchsafe that I maye commende vnto thée my wife children and friendes and not to suffer that they shal be charged with mine offences but to take care for them defend them féede them and mainteine them as the true onely father in heauen and earth And that thou wilt vouchsafe in my stéed to send them some other that may leade them and bring them vp in godly feare and Christianlike conuersation And althoughe that they before the world must be charged with my faultes that thou wilt richly requite those things vnto them and lay against that thy gentle gratious and fatherly blessing so that they may enioye their innocencie All these thinges I cōmend vnto thée together Oh most mightie Lord and God into thy gratious hand Wherevnto also I commit my life and soule Therefore doe I yéeld vnto thy mercie altogether and in perfect trust blessed hope that thou wilt gratiously accept this my poore prayer heare me in Iesu Christ thine only louing sonne Amen Now welbeloued in this ouergiuing and prayer wherein you haue giuen ouer al things vnto God in your prayer and offered them vp you shall wholy throughly persuade your selfe of Gods mercie For God is rich toward them that call vppon him Beléeue this thing onely and so it will in déede come to passe according vnto the comfortable promise of Christ our Lord in the 11. of Marke where he comforteth such as doe pray and promiseth to giue them all Oure Lord Christ saith Whatsoeuer you pray for in your prayer onely beleeue that ye shall receiue it and you shall haue it And in Marke the 9. Christ saith thus If you can beleeue all thinges are possible to them that beleeue Therefore giue vnto our Lord God the glorie and estéeme him to be a true god Then will he for his trueth sake heare your prayer and kéepe you For He is gratious and mercifull of great goodnes trueth God surely is the highest but he looketh vppon the lowest very gladly and of them that be of gentle and courteous minde and heart Onely for his loue sake that he beareth towardes them that be of troubled and heauie hearts For they be so commended vnto him that he hath special regard vpon them As our Lord God himselfe acknowledgeth Esaie 66. where God saith thus I behold such as be in miserie and haue a contrite heart and on such as feare my word This is the right offering that pleaseth God specially a troubled spirit For A sorrowful troubled heart will not God despise Psalm 51. If you then can commend all your causes to God your very creatour giue ouer all to him then will he doe like a louing and gentle father can well tell how to prouide for all yours For he is the Iudge of the widowes and the father of orphanes and the fatherlesse As vpon him it is written in the Psalme 68. Then séeing that God by this means and crosse layd vppon you wil take you away from yours you shall not therefore sorrowe nor be dismayde specially séeing that within a short time you shal finde againe all your friends in euerlasting life euen as you beléeue the ioyful resurrection of all Christians to enioy euerlasting liuing There shall you find for your earthly friendes heauenly friendes To die you must necessarily and prepare your selfe therevnto as all mankinde must and no man be left behinde God doth this thing vnto you for the best bycause this way he doth shorten your griefes and pains helpeth you this way through all paine shame slander and death very easily and fatherly Therfore be lustie and of good courage he that layeth this crosse vpon you he will also helpe you to beare it giue you patience make a blessed end of it Ninethly Séeing then that God hath laid this crosse vpon you that you shuld heare it a very litle while therefore you shall not excuse your selfe nor make your fault light to the world nor smooth it as though you were guiltlesse or as though you had not deserued this your punishment laide vpon you Take not the figge leafe before thée thereby to couer thine offence as the nature of olde Adam is to doe and as Adam after his sinne would thereby haue couered him selfe But giue God the glorie as Iosua warned the offender Achan when he tooke him with the things that were cursed Iosua 7. Then said Iosua there vnto him My sonne giue to the Lord God of Israel the glory and giue him the prayse and tell me and confesse what hast thou done lye not Then also said Achan therevpon Surely I haue sinned against the Lorde the God of Israel thus thus haue I done c. There did Achan before all folke acknowledge his offence and albeit he were by the Magistrate condemned to dye by Gods appointment yet is he no doubt thereof taken vp through Gods mercy and much commended for his confession he gaue God the glory and so departed in Gods mercy Likewise welbeloued shall you also doe searche your heart giue God the glorie which alonly is good wise righteous and holy but all men be euill and false Take nothing hence with you carrie nothing awaye with you but searche your heart and conscience and what you haue don denie it not do not make it lesse but séeing it is manifest and knowne and séeing GOD hath brought your offence to light and by the magistrate ordeined will punish you therefore giue God prayse and thanks that he will of grace not punishe you for euer Thinke it is much better here before fewe folke to be a little while shamed then hereafter before al the world and the whole companie of heauen for all must come to light and be openly knowne therefore it is much better here then there Then séeing that God by the Magistrate hath made it knowne therefore suffer it patiently willingly and blame no man as though any man had opened it of malice or condemned you as your enimie The Magistrates iudgement is Gods iudgement and the sentence hath also pleased him He is the highest Iudge therefore blame no man and charge no man that is vnguiltie in this case If you haue
mightily helpeth the body out of dust and mire and all maner of destruction for euermore For he doth helpe in déede yea the longer he séemeth to withdraw his help he sheweth it afterward more mightily therefore he is the only comfort and refuge or helpe to miserable sinners Furthermore Christe hath walked among sinners in the middest of them gone to sinners and hath runne after them and deliuered them from their destruction blindnesse and sin Shal not all this make worthily a mans heart merrie and to haue a good conscience yea a perfect assurance to all troubled and sorrowful sinners that they may in all their néedes sinne griefe sorrow and death with al their heartes run and come vnto suche a friendly Lorde that wisheth euery man good prayeth for it and doth it that neuer hath driueÌ„ from him any wretched sinner Yea they at the last in his death were partakers with him on the crosse that he by the â—peciall foresight of God shoulde hang betwéene two grieuous offenders in tâ—ken that he would willingly dye for miserable sinners and for their cause willingly giue him selfe to death yea they had their part with him after his glorious resurrection to signifie thereby that he hath not forgotten miserable sinners albeit that he hath conquered sinne death hell and sathan him selfe and yet might he well haue let alone this his conquest and triumph and haue neglected vs miserable sinners But he hath now sought out miserable sinners that he might helpe them and comfort them as namely vnbeleuing Thomas the penitent Magdalene and many mo as he was going towards heauen and nowe sitteth at the right hande of God in great glory and maiestie yet doth he not at all forget the poore sinners but opened Sauls eyes put away all his sinnes and made of him a chosen witnes yea euen in these dayes from time to time doth our good faithfull Lord without ceassing take vp sinners vnto him For what doth he else at the right hand of God then intreat speake for and defend the miserable sinners as a faithful Attorney Mediatour peacemaker anâ— highe priest reconciler and continuall king as he hath taken vp al vs you and me and all sorrowfull repentant faithful sinners In mercy he giueth vs now daily his holy Ghost which doth lighten and purifie our heartes strengtheneth them giueth them power and defendeth vs in all our néedes Therefore be of good comfort séeing Christe nowe liueth there can no miserie come vnto you séeing that Christe sitteth on the right hand of God Who can doe vs any harme Who can condemne vs If Christ him selfe doe absolue vs and accounteth vs to be quit frée loose and vnbound and so pronounceth vs To this Lord do I nowe commend you let him not depart from your hart For albeit I must depart hence froÌ„ you must suffer you to go to death neither I nor the whole world any more help you yet wil not this Lorde depart from you he is with you and by you in your execution And he is also faithful vnto you and so gratious that he wil go with you to death and will plucke you out againe from him by his almightie power Holde you vpon this Lorde by a stedfast faith for I nowe commend you vnto him with all my heart The fourtéenth Dearely beloued séeing you shal eueÌ„ now be caried hence to the place of execution shal be séene of many folkes take a merrie hearte vnto you and speake vnto the people like a man and louingly and giue them warning before your death of these thrée pointes following First that they will well thinke vppon and remember the earnest strong righteousnes of God and take you before their eyes for an example of Gods Iustice albeit his iudgement vppon you in comparison of Gods righteous iustice and euerlasting punishment which ought worthily to stirre and moue all men to the feare of God but as it were a flap with a foxe taile Secondarily that they fréely for Gods sake and of his mercie euery of them all will forgiue you forget your fault and forgiue it wherewith you at any time haue offended any man whether it be in this place or in any other for Iesus sake with all their heartes wil forgiue you where and how soeuer you haue offended any of them whether it be by word or déede And that you also doe forgiue from the bottome of your hart willingly both friend foe wherein soeuer you haue béene offended Thirdly that they will praye to our Lord God truely for you whereby our Lord God for his deare sonns sake may giue vnto you a Christian and blessed passage out of this miserie by the ioynt working of the holy ghost Amen If the poore prisoner by reason of weakenes or for faint heart cannot speake himselfe and in the place of execution cannot warne the people and speake vnto them himselfe then may his appointed minister Or as it is in some place the hangman himself speake vnto him without danger in this maner and warne the people thus WElbeloued as you are now here present and minde to behold this miserable sight First remember wherfore this poore prisoner standeth here surely not therefore that in Gods sight he is the greatest sinner amongst vs But to the intent that Almightie God through this condemned man will set before your eyes an example of his godly iustice whereby by him you might be moued to a godly feare to amend your life and come before Gods anger correction and displeasure repent in time abstaine from your wicked life and go in a godly liuing Is it not thus welbeloued say Yea. Againe the tyed prisoner desireth you all here heartily and humbly that al you here together specially and generally that you wil forgiue him whatsoeuer he hath spoken done or committed whether it hath béene priuily or openly he is hartily sorie for them all he desireth you all humbly and Christianly Therefore he requireth that you wil bestow also vppon him this mercie that his Lord and God thorough Christ hath shewed vnto him in that that he of méere grace and loue hath forgiuen and forgotten all his sinnes that you haue a heartie compassion with him not to be offended at him but beare with his weakenes helpe it suffer it and carrie it as the Christian rule willeth where S. Paule the 6. to the Galathians saith thus Euery one beare an others burthen and so shall you fulfill the lawes of Christ Is it not so my welbeloued say Yea. Thirdly and lastly this bounden prisoner also requireth and prayeth you for Gods mercie sake that you now at the houre of his departure out of this miserie for Christian duetie and loue sake that you will inwardly from the bottome of your heart call vppon God and pray that he will increase in this poore man the faith of Christ strengthen him and kéepe him therein for euer and euer wherby he may of grace enioy a
vs in Christ Iesus Therefore let no man driue off too long to better his life but let euery man remember and thincke vppon the wrathe of God and vppon his punishment in time preuent or come before them driue not the time off till your death bed for you are not sure howe it will frame and fall out with you whether you shall haue then your reason your wittes or whether you shall be able to heare or speake your selfe or whether you shall dye soudenly and dye in the twinckling of an eye wherefore albeit we be all subiect to death and that therefore we must all dye yet doth our Lord God many times shorten many a mans life before his time chiefly bicause such a man doth not remember his sinfull and vnpenitent liuing that he may let him smart whereby he may win vnto him a good purpose to amend and better his life I am afraide there be very fewe that God taketh away before their time bicause they be vertuous whereby he may saue and deliuer them from great mischaunces and from the plagues at hand and therefore God can take but small pleasure of such people as then only call vpon God and sue vnto him in the time of their mishappes and punishmentes and by and by as soone as God our Lorde hath taken his correction from them againe they also by and by forget it and afterwarde become worse then euer they were before Experience daily teacheth this therefore when so euer God helpeth vp such a man he helpeth a great offender only vp againe vpon his sound limmes so that afterwarde he is worse then he was before Therfore is this the cause that God many times hath little pleasure lust or will to helpe suche people turne their punishment from them or to take it from them It is better they ly there sick or else buried in their graue then that they shoulde more grieuously offend God or any longer hurt good mē Howbeit if it so come to passe that God lay hand vpon his owne that is to say weaklings and straglers and take them vnder his fatherly correction looke well whether you be one of those or not and that ye doe not suffer such correction in vaine but rather imagine learne what our Lord GOD meaneth thereby and what profite and good our Lord God purposeth to set foorth by you First you shall knowe that by this meanes God will lead you to true repentance after that giue you cause that you earnestly séeke vnto him and with your heart call vpon him and from him onely looke for helpe and comfort which be the very good and precious woorkes of the second commaundement where you are commaunded that you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vaine which is then done when you inwardly call vppon God in your necessitie haue all your refuge for succour to him looke for all goodnes at his hands Those be most precious good woorkes that doe passingly please god After that as soone as God hath helpen you that you thancke him for his gratious helpe thanke and praise his holy name which is the right offering vp of thanks of the newe testament As holy Dauid witnesseth Psal. 50. That is then the right true Gods seruice to which Gods seruice our Lord God sometime without our minde and will must force or driue vs with great crosses and smarts or else we would neuer walke in any such good woorkes Also we must lastly with holy Dauid in the 119. Psalme acknowledge and say O Lord it is very profitable for me that thou hast humbled and brought me lowe that I might know thy lawes And hereof it commeth to passe that our Lord God suffereth Sathan to trouble to vexe his that he doth tempt them somtime with some special sinne and plagueth them therewith whereby they be moued or driuen first to knowe themselues their weake nature frailtie then to sigh vnto God to call vppon him and flie vnto him they be our spurs and prickes whereby wée be driuen to god And againe that is our comfort that God is so good and that he can shew himselfe so almightie that he can turne the wickednes of his to the best For he is such a God that he wil suffer no euil to be done whereof he doeth not worke some good But our Lord God is so cunning and many times doth shew it vnto his to shame the diuell whereby he doeth very often breake and hinder Sathans purpose and vtterly destroy it To this onely God and Lord he euerlasting thankes and praise in Christ our lord Amen Exhalt mich durch dein wort Keepe me according to thy promise Psalm 119. An instruction to teache children howe they ought to goe to the Lordes Table I haue herein something varied from mine Authour both because hee is not named in the booke and also for that it did in the woordes varied something sound contrary to our English Churche I thought it meete to be added because it was bound with the former Dutch bookes and necessary to be read to them that be in extremitie if time will serue for it FIrst you must beléeue if you will receiue the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ to your commoditie After that must you trye or proue your selues whether you doe worthily eate it or take commoditie by it ¶ Faith. First of all you must well embrace the wordes of our louing Lord God Iesus Christ wherein he hath appointed vnto you his body and bloud to be a testament whereby you may be assured and certeined of his grace and blessed inheritaunce for euer and with Christ and al good Christians to enioy their felowship in all thinges and that you doe belong to the fellowship of Christ For Christian faith hath in it these 2. partes First that by Gods grace we are made frée from all our sinnes and miseries Againe that we be partakers and felow woorkers of all the goodnes of God in Christ Iesus These two partes be promised vnto vs in the Gospel belong to as many as beléeue the Gospel Howbeit to the intent euery man should be the more sure of his faith and better certified that it belongeth vnto him whatsoeuer is conteyned and promised in the Gospel Christ our Lord hath ordeined two Sacraments or outward signes So that euery man that should receiue them in a fast and perfect faith thereby should be assured that the two before remembred parts do belong vnto him which he hath bound and tyed to no time place or person so that wheresoeuer it be receiued it is sure that the faithfull receiue those partes Therefore beléeue stedfastly that through Baptisme almightie God worketh forgiuing of all sinnes as we pray in our beliefe I beléeue one Baptisme for the forgiuenes of sinnes That is to say I beléeue that through Gods mercy by Iesus Christ in the holy Ghost only my sinnes altogether be forgiuen me whereby I am