of Iesus Christe for the remission of synnes ye shall receyue the gyfte of the holy Ghost Here se you that Christ and his Apostles declared Repentaunce to be a meane wherby we maye obtaine remission of our synnes euerlastying lyfe And that you maye perceyue y e matter y t more playnly I wyll lyuely paynt in moost euydent coloures and set it out before your eies w t certayne other histories of both Testamentes y t ye maye learne to be true whiche Chrisostome sayeth THEO I pray you what sayth he PHIL. Ther is not sayeth he there is not beleue me ony synne in y â worlde that doth not gyue place to the vertue of repeÌtance yea rather to y e grace of God which when we turne to better thiges dothe streyght wayes worke w t vs. EVSE This is a confortable sayeng for synners PHIL. Yea and in al pointes agreable to the holy scriptures For Christ came not to call the ryghteous but synners vnto repentaunce Nowe marke for your helth and consolacion Dauid committed both maÌslaughter adultrye therfore was he threatened many euels of God by his Prophet NathaÌ Not withstandynge he had not so sone repented hym of his acte coÌfessed his faute sayenge I haue offended the LORDE but the Prophet sayde The LORDE hath turned awaye thy syn thou shalt not dye Kynge Achab also dyd slaye his subiecte Nabotch y t he myght enioy his vyneyeard And God therfore sent his Prophet Heli as vnto hym for to tell him that the dogges shoulde lycke his bloude olso euen there where they lycked the blonde of Naâothe and that euery one of the house of Achabbe that maketh water agaynst y â wâull should be slayne c. Achab streyghte waye was ashamed of his faulte repeÌted cutte his clothes couered his flesshe with garmeÌtes of heere fasted slept in sacke cloth walked with a heuy countenaunce therfore god seyng his repentaunte herte sayd that he would not bryng in that euel in his dayes but iÌ his soÌnes tyme. Agayne kinge Manasses in asmuch as he repented for all the abhominacioÌ that he committed agaynst god his glory was forgiueÌ afterward noÌbred among y e fredes of god The Niniuites were threatened withiÌ forty daies to be subuerted for theyr dissolute wicked lyuynge But they beynge striken with repentauÌce in y e meane season mendynge theyr lyfe receyued fauour were saued As I may come nerer home as they saye who was more famous in sinne thaÌ Mary Magdalene yet in asmuch as she faythfully repented bewailed her synfull lyuyng her synnes were forgynen her Peter denyed Christ yet seynge he repented wepte bytterly for his offeÌce he was fauourably receyued to grace The prodigal sonne althoughe he had consumed all hys goodes was ioyfully receyued in as muche as he repented knowledged his offeÌce The thefe called neuer for grace tyl y e hour of deth yet seyng y t he bewayled than his misery axed merci he was herd weÌt w t Christ iÌ to Paradyse Do not these histories besydes other shewe of what greate strength repentaunce is CHRI Certes they be very coÌfortable for poore afflicte synners PHIL. Thus se you that repentaunce is a great cause of the mitigacion of gods wrath yea an acceptable Sacrifice to God as Dauid saith a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirite a contryte huÌble herte god wyl not despyse Thus repentaunce maketh a man to dye vnto lynne to syne to righteousnes It maketh vs so loÌg as we iÌ this worlde valeantly to enarme our selues and to enter battayle with SataÌ his army coÌtinually to fyght against our enemies It maketh vs to hate all wyckednes enbrace all vertue so y â dayely we procede more more from faith to faith froÌ vertu to vertue It maketh vs to hunger thyrst after ryghteousnes It makethe vs to desyre to be dissolued from this mortal body to be with Christ. No maÌ is able to expresse sufficiently y e excellency vertu of this true and faythfull repentauÌce And this is it which maketh Chrisostom to crye out on this maner O repentaunce which thorowe gods mercy forgyuest sinne openest Paradise which healest a man contryte brokeÌ makest merye hym that is sad callest agayne lyfe froÌ deathe restorest the state renuest the honour gyuest boldenes reformest streÌgthes powrest iÌ agayne grace more aboundaÌt O repetauÌce what new thyng shall I tell of the Thou doste loseÌ althynges that are bounde All thynges losened doste thou set at liberty All troublous thynges doste y u mitâgate All thynges broken doste thou make whole All confused thynges doste thou make cleare Al desperate thynges doste y u encourage O repentaunce more rutulante than golde more bryght than the sonne whome synne doth not ouercome nor defeccion suppresse nor desperacioÌ put awaye Repentaunce refuseth couetousnes abhorrethe lecherye excheweth furour madnes maketh loue stronge treadethe downe pryde refrayneth the tonge fasshyoneth maners hateth malyce excludeth enuy Perfecte repentaunce compelleth a synner to suffer all thynges gladly If a violente persoÌ seke that that he hathe he forbyddeth hym not Yf he taketh awaye his garment he stryueth not agaynst hym To him that striketh the one cheke he profereth y e other If ony man wyl compell him to go a myle with him he wyll of his owne free wyll go two If he be chastised he geueth him thanâkes If he be prouoked he holdeth his peace If he be sharpeâye spoken vnto he speaketh gentely agayne To his superiour he geueth reuerence To his inferiour he is lowlye In his herte is contricion in his mouth confession in his worke all humilite This is y â perfecte and fruytful repentaunce To him that repenteth so God is at hand a noryssher to hym that is huÌgry a gyuer of drinke to him that is thyrstye O repentaunce the mother of mercye the maystres of vertues thy workes are great wher w t thou dost loosen the gylty refressheth theÌ that offend reuelest them that slyde âecreatest y e desperate By y e Christe appoynteth vs that y â kiÌgdom of heuen is at hande sayenge repent for the kyngdome of heauen is at hanâ Nither to haue I rehersed vnto you the mynd of Chrisostome coÌcerning repentaunce whereby ye maye perceyue as I sayde before that repentaunce is one of the principal meanes wherby we obtayne remissioÌ of synnes the kyngedome of heauen EVSE God gyueth vs all grace truly to repent THEO But howe shall we know whaÌ we truly repent on such maner that it prouoketh God to be mercyfull to vs. CHRI In dede this is a thynge necessary to be knowen PHIL. To this youre question shall S. Austen aunswere which sayeth Whan thou dost so repent y t y t thing sauoereth to the bytter iÌ thy mynd which before was swete in thy life that whiche
And in dede synne may well be compared to a thorne or bramble For as the thorne breÌble prycketh the body wouÌdeth it greuouslye yea and bryngeth many tymes destruccion vpoÌ it except other wyse it be holpen so lykewyse synne moost greuously prycketh wouÌdeth and vtterly destroyeth the soule excepte it be redemed by Gods mercye thorow Iesus Christ. THEO I thiÌke this to be true PHIL. It therfore foloweth y t iÌ asmuch as all we are dead in Adam we are not able of oure selues to ryse agayne from death vnto lyfe And seyng that we are synners all that euer we do muste nedes be synne yea it is synne in dede deserueth euerlastynge death For as the scripture sayth The disposicioÌ and thought of maÌnes herte is prone to euel from his yonge age We are wicked chyldren a wicked seed We are that seed whiche was cursed froÌ the begynnyng We are lyke bruyte beastes We are carnall flesshely sould vnder synne We are vnprofitable seruauÌtes We all haue gone astray lyke shepe We all are Hypocrites wycked We are all lyers We all are vncleane all our ryghteousnesses as a cloth polluted with mensture All haue synned There is not one y â dothe good no not one There is no man cleane from fylthynes no not the yonge chylde Ther is no man able to say my hert is cleane I am pure from sinne For our hartes are wicked and inâcrutable We are not able to thynke a good thoughte All that euer we bryng forth is thornes braÌbles that is to saye synne vngodlines all abhominacion What are we nowe of oure selues I praye you tell me CHRI Very synners EVSE Yea and al that euer we do in AdaÌ of our own streÌgth is plaine synne and wickedness PHIL. I am glad that we haue learned what ye are of your selues by Adam I pray you what are ye able nowe to do for to saue your selues from this perel wherunto ye are fallen by Adam THEO Verely I can not tell EVSE Forsoth I thynke very lytle PHIL. Ye might right well haue sayde nothinge at all For I ensure you that ye beyng lefte vnto your selues can do none otherwise but synne faull headlyng into all kynde of mischefe Your wytte strength polecy imaginacion reason free wyll auayleth here nothynge to delyuer you from the captiuite of Satan He leadeth you as the mayster dothe his bonde slaue whyther soeuer it pleseth him as Christ witnesseth euery one that doth synne is the seruauÌt of synne Ye remember I am sure the storye of the wounded man in the Gospell of Luke which beyng dispoyled and robbed of all his clothes greuously wouÌded laye styll halfe dead THEO I remeÌber it very well PHIL. This wouÌded maÌ signiâieth euerye chylde of Adam The clothes signify fayth charïte iustice mercy such other vertues The theues are SataÌ and his aungels The woundes are synnes Haulfe deade is to be alyue in the flesshe slayne in the soule thorowe synne All this are we by AdaÌ And as this wouÌded man could not be holpen of the Preste nor Leuyte vntyll the Samarytane came no more can we be holpen by ony creature or worke tyll christ coÌmeth the true Samaritane We can not certes we can not helpe our seues but euen lye styll the stynkynge puddle of synne Loke in what case Satan leaueth vs in the verye same do we remayne excepte God of his mercy thorowe Christe helpeth vs. Neyther canfre e wyll nor all the wytte polecye that we haue profyte here any thynge tyll God indueth vs w t streÌgth from aboue For as S. Austen sayeth The nature of man all though it dyd remayne coÌtinue in that integryte purenes wherin it was made yet could it kepe it selfe by no meanes if the creator maker of it dyd not helpe Therfore seynge that w tout the grace of god it could not kepe the health that it receiued howe is it able to repare and get agayne that which it hath lost without y e grace of God Againe he saith free wyll sufficethe vnto euell but vnto good it auayleth lytle excepte it be holpen of that almyghty God Therfore is it well sayde of the Apostle God worketh in vs âoth the wil the dede Hereto agreeth the sayeÌg of âhrist As the vyne braunche can not beare fruyte excepte it abyde in the vine no more can ye except ye abyde in me I am the vyne ye are y â braunches He that abideth in me I in him the same bryngethe for the much fruyte For without me ye caÌ do noâhyng If any maÌ abydeth not in me he is cast out as a braunche is wythered men gather theÌ cast theÌ into y â fyre there burne Thus se ye what âe are of youre selues by Adam that no strengthe ye haue ones to aspyre or breath towarde ony goodnes much lesse to do or work any good thynge excepte ye be holpen of God Ye se also howe full of sinnes diseases woundes sores botches canckers al y â euer nought is ye are Ye se agayne how ye are not able of your selues to recouer youre innoceÌcy that ye lost by AdaÌ CHRI Alas what is now to be done THEO The rehersyng of these thynges maketh me very sadde PHIL. It shoulde rather make you very glad For as S. Hierome sayeth This is y â true wysdome of a man to knowe hym selfe to be inperfecte as I maye so speake the perfeccioÌ of all righteous men in the flesshe is imperfecte Agayne he sayeth Than are ye righteous when we confesse oure selues synners our righteousnesse consisteth not of our owne merite but of the mercye of God as the holy scripture sayth the righteous maÌ is the accuser of himselfe in y â begynnynge of his spech Therfore must ye coÌfesse your selues to be that in dede which ye are y â is very synners yf ye wyll be set free from this miserable captiuite wher w t ye are nowe to muche wrapped and ouerwhemled EVSE We confesse y e same THEO We nowe knowledge y t of oureselues by AdaÌ we are nothynge but synners all that euer we do without the spirytâ of god is playne sinne as S. Paule sayeth What soeuer is not of fayth is synne PHIL. Well seynge that ye haue so fruytfully digested the fyrst dysshe of your Banket nowe haue I a fyt place a conuenient tyme a good occasion to brynge vnto you the seconde dysshe as it followeth in order CHRI I praye you let vs tast of it THEO That thynge also do I desyre ¶ The seconde dysshe YOur second dysshe is coÌtayned in that same chap. wher in the fyrst is recited Therfore deuoure this w t no lesse gredy appetyte than ye haue done y â other For this dysshe is much delicious very wholsome forthe vertuous preseruacioÌ of the soule I now brynge it for
him For yf when we were enemies we were reconcyled âo God by the deathe of his sonne much more sâynge we are reconcyled we shall be preserued by his lyfe Not only so but we also ioy in god by the meanes of our LORDâ Iesus Christ by whome we haue receyued this attonemente Also S. Iohn sayeth For this purpose appered the sonne of God for to loose the workes of the euel Agayne tâ this appeared y â loue of God to vswarâ ⪠bycause that God sent his onlye begotteÌ sonne into the world that we myghte lyue thorowe hym Thus se you y t whan ther was no hope of saluacioÌâor vs in ony creature God of his owne free goodness seÌt dâwne hâs only begotten sonne to be a Sauyour vnto vs. EVSE This do we perceyue right wel PHIL. Nowe markâ agayne howe that by him alone we are saued His name is IESVS that is to saye a sauyour for he it is that saueth his people froÌ theyr synnes neyther ãâã there any other name gyuen vnto men vnder heaueÌ wherin they must be saued but only by this name IESVS To hym geueth all the Prophetes witâeg ⪠that thorow his name âll shall receyue remission of synnes that beleue in hiÌ Be it knowen vnto you ye men brothers y e by this Iesus Christ remissioÌ of synnes is preached vnto you from al thynges from the whiche ye coulde not be iustified by the law of Moses by him is eueri one that beleueth âustified He is y â LaÌbe of God whiche taketh awaye the synne of y â worlde He is our resurreccion lyfe He is the waye trueth lyfe No man commeth to the father but by him He is the good shepeheard by whom we be saued from the wolfe He is the dore by whom we must enter into grace He is the vyne in whome we beyng ingrassed muste nedes brynge forth muche fruyte He is oure wisdome righteousnes sanctificacion redeÌcioÌ He is our peace He is our mediatour aduocate He is alpha omega that is both the begynnyng and endyng of our saluacion Moreouer by him are we at peace with God By him haue we a waye in thorowe sayth vnto this fauoure wherin we stond reioyce in hope of the prayse that shall be gyuen of God By hym is the fauoure of God plenteous towarde vs. By hym his righteousnes are we made righteous By him hath the lawe of the Spirite of lyfe made vs free from the lawe of âynne deth By hym hath god the father blessed vs with all spiritual blessyng in heauenlye thynges By him dyd God chose vs before the foundacioÌs of the worlde were layd y t we should be sayntes fautles before hym By hym are we made dere to god the father By hym haue we redempcion by his bloud remission of sinnes By him are all thynges both in heauen earth gathered togyther By him we which in tymes paste were farre of are made nigh thorow his bloud By hym we haue and open waye vnto the father By him are all our sinnes forgyuen vs. By hym are we delyuered from the wrath to come By hym and by his bloude are we made cleane from all synne By hym by the oblacion of his moost blessed body done once for all are we sanctified Yea by that one oblacion hath he made perfecte for euârmore theÌ that are sanctifyed To conclude by hym is euerlastyng lyfe gyuen vnto vs. Thus se you that by Christ all good thynges chauÌse vnto vs that god the father is wel pleased set at one w t vs for his sake as he himselfe witnesseth This is my welbeloued soÌne in whome I am well pleased or for whose sake I am fully contented w t man Hereto agreeth the sayenge of S. Austen All y â euer receyue euerlastynge lyfe receyue it not but by Christ. Therfore sayth he in another place All my hope is in the death of my LORDE His death is my meryte my refuge succour health âife my resurreccion My merite is the compasssioÌ of the LORDE I am not w tout meryte so long as y t LORDE of mercies shal not waÌt And yf y t mercies of y â LORD be many I am plenteous in merites The stronger is to saue the more without iopardy am I let vs therfore gyue thaÌkes sayeth he to the LORDE our sauiour whiche no merites goynge before hathe heled vs that were wounded reconcyled vs his enemyes redemed vs froÌ captiuite brought vs againe out of darkenes into light called vs again from death to lyfe let vs humblye confessyng our fragilite wekenes desyre hys mercy in asmuch as he hath preuented vs as the Psalmographe sayth w t his mercye he maye vouchâaâe not only to preserue and kepe in vs but also to augment and encrese his giftes or benefytes wâiche he hath vouchedsafe to gyue vs. CHRI Amen THEO So be it EVSE LORDE let it so come to passe PHIL. Home dothe this seconde seruyce of your BaÌcket please you THEO We neuer iÌ our lyues tasted a dysh more pleasaunt confortable to our soules health EVSE We haue now learned what we are of oureselues and wher remedy is to be gotten but by what meanes shall we come by it What thynge maye be the occasion wherby we maye receyue so many âo great benefytes at y e hande of god the father for Iesus Christes sake I praye you a good fellowshyppe decâare this vnto vs. PHIL. I neuer heard a questioÌared in better tyme for the answere to it is your thyrde dysshe whiche before you proponed this question I was fullye determined to set before you And now here it is ¶ The thyrde dysshe PHILEMON REpent beleue the gospell These were y e wordes that our sauiour christ as marke testifieth vsed wheÌ be begaÌ to preach In the which he declareth by what meanes we may obtaine remission of our synnes the celââial heritage of gods glorye Repent sateth he beleue the gospell Fryrste he exorteth vs to repentaunce whiche is as Chrisostome sayth not only to cease from the oldewithour euelles but also to folowe better offices such thynges as ought of dutie to be done as Dauid sayeth Declyne froÌ ãâã euel do good S. IohnÌ the Baptysâe in lyke maner in the begynnyng of his preachyng sayd RepeÌt for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Christ also after his resurreccion commaunded his Apostles to preach repeÌtaÌce and remission of sinnes in his name vnto al nacions Lykewyse we read in the Actes of y e Apostles then wheÌ Peter preached to the Iewes much of christ shewed that he was the same LORDE Iesus whom they had crucyfied they were prycked in theyr hertes sayd Ye meÌ breââreÌ what shall we do Peter sayde vnto theÌ Repent be baptised euery one of you in the name