whiche made heuē erth / and alone ruleth all creatures To hym hoelly I submytte my sylfe Nothing fearyng / nor regardyng the malice of the deuell / his felawes / for my god is aboue theym all Nether wolde I put thelesse cōfidence in god / though all men did forsake me and persecute me Nether will I trust hym thelesse / bycause I am wretched and poore / bycause I am rude and vnlerned / bycause I am dispised and lacke possessions Nether yet the lesse bicause I am a synner for this my faith doth sarre passe / al thīges as it is necessary ought to do what soeuer eyther be / or be not / bothe synnes and vertues to be short / all thinges So that she doth purely hoely fixe her self in God onely / as the first cōmaundement teachith and compellith me Nether desire I any signe to tempt hym I trust faythfully vnto hym / all though he differre tary at his pleasure I will not sette or prescribe to hym any ende / any tyme / measure or reason but I commit all to his will / with a pure faith and a stable For he is almyghty / what can I lacke that he can not gyue and do vnto me For he is the maker of heuen erth and lorde of all thinges / what thing can hyndre me or hurte me Howe may it be that all thinges shall not turne to myn vse and profit / when he to whome all these thynges ar subiect and obedyent fauoureth me and loueth me Nowe syth he is god he knoweth wherunto he hath ordyned me / and howe euery thinge shal be best for me and that whiche he knoweth / he may do Yf he be my father / it is sure that he wil se the best for me and that with a good will When I doubt not herof and haue suche trust in hym / then no doubt I on his seruaunt his sonne / his heyre for euer And euen as I beleue se shall it be vnto me ¶ The secunde parte of the belefe ANd in Iesu Christ / his onely sonne oure lorde Whiche was cōceyued by the holy goost / borne of Mary the virgyn Suffred vnder Pontius Pylatus / crucyfyed / deede / and buryed / descended to helle / the thyrd day rose ageyn from deth Ascended to heuen / syttith on the ryght hand of God the father almyghty / from thens he shall come to iudge quycke and deade That is / I do not only beleue / that Iesu Christ is the true only sonne of God / by euerlasting godly nature / beyng frō the begynnyng euer begotten but also that all thinges are subdued vnder hym / that he is my lorde / and the lorde of all creatures / made ruler of theym beyng man / whiche he hym self with the father in his diuynite dyd make I beleue that no man may beleue in god the father or may come vnto the father / nether by science and lernyng nether by workes / nether by they re owne reason and witte or by what thing so euer may be named in heuen or erthe / but by this and in this Iesu Chryst his onely sonne / that is to say by the sayth in the name and power of Iesu Chryst I beleue vnfaynedly / and surely / that he was conceyued for my proufit by the holy goost without all mannes and carnal worke / without a bodyly father / or mannes sede / and that to purifye / and make spirituall my synfull / flesshely / vnclene / and dampnabill conception / and all theyrs that beleue in hym moued to his mercy of his owne and fre will and the will of the almyghty father ¶ I beleue that he was begotten of the virgyn Mary without the losse of her pure and vncorrupt virgynite / so that accordyng to the prouidence of the mercyfull father he shulde blysse and clense the synnes dāpnabill byrth of all that beleue in hym that after / it myght do no hurte I beleue that he suffred passyon deth for my synnes / and all theyrs that beleue in him / that he therby blyssed all passyons / crosses deathes / so that after they myght not hurte / but be bothe holsome and merytorious I beleue that he was deade and buryed to mortifye bury all my synnes / theyrs that beleue Finally that all bodely deth bi his deth was distroyed / so that it is of no power to hurte but is rather made holesome and profitable I belefe that he went downe to hell to subdewe and make captyue / to me to all that beleue / the deuyll with all his impery / subtilite and malice / to delyuer me frō helle / takyng awey all his power that he myght not hurte me / but shulde rather be profitable vnto me I beleue that on the thyrde day he rose ageyn from deth / to bryng me and all that beleue in to a newe lyfe / and that by this dede he reysed me with hym / in grace and spryte / not to synne after / but that I endowed with all kindes of grace and vertue / myght serue hym / and so fulfull his commaundementes I beleue that he ascended vnto heuen / and that he hath receyued of the father / rule / honoure aboue all aungelles / and creatures And that he nowe sittith on the ryght honde of the father / that is / that he is king and lorde ouer all the goodes of godyn heuen hell and erthe Wherfore he may helpe me and theym that bileue / yn all maner of aduersitees against all oure aduersares and ennemyes I beleue that from thens he shal retourne the last day / to iudge quycke / whome he them shall finde alyue / and deed whyche before were buried And that he shall compell all men and aungelles good and euel to come before the seate of his iudgement whome they shal se bodyly to delyuer me and all faithfull / from bodyly deth / from all euyl / and synnes And to punysshe with eternall iudgement his enemyes / and aduersaryes / so that we shal be delyuered frō they re power for euer ¶ The thirde parte of the belefe I Beleue in the holy ghoost / the holy Christen churche / the communyon of saintes / the forgeuenesse of synne / the rysing / of flesshe / and euerlasting life Amen That is to sey / I do not onely beleue that the holy goost is verey god with the father the sonne But also that no man can come to the father by ceist / by his lyfe / passiō / deth what so euer who spokē of christ or opteyne any of these thinges / without the worke of this sprete with the whiche sprece I desire the father the son / to touch me and all faithfull to sturre me vp / to call / to drawe / and by Chryst and in christ to quycken me to make me holy and spirituall and so to brynge me to
despayre God forbid full mercyfull is god / and my souyoure is meake / and louynge / therfore onlye god is my refuge he will not despise his creature nother forsake his awne ymage vnto the therfore most meke and mercifull good come I all sad and sorowfull for thou onlye arte my hope / and thou arte on lye the toure of my defēce But whate shall I saye vnto the fyth I dare not lyfte vppe mine yies I wyll poure out the wordes of sorow / I will hartelye besech the for mercye and wyll saye Haue mercye apon me oh god accordinge to thy grace mercye God which dwellest in light that no man can attayne / God whych are hid and canst not be sene with bodelye yies / nor comprehended with any vnderstondinge that euer was made nether expressed with the tōgues of mē or angels My god the / whych arte incomprehēsible do I seke the / which cāst not be expressed do I call vppon what tinge so euer thou arte / which arte in euerye place I knowe that thou arte the most hye and excellēt thinge / yf thou be a thinge and not rather the cause of all thinge / yf I maye so calle the / for I finde no name by the which I maye name or expresse thyne inenarrable magestye God I saye which arte all thinges that are in the / for thou arte euen thyne awne wysdom / thy power and thy most gloryouse felycyte Seynge therfore that thou arte mercyfull / what arte thou but euen the verye mercye it selfe And what am I / but verye miserye Behold therfore o god which arte mercye / behold myserye is before the / what shalt thou do mercye truelye thy worke canst thou do otherwise then thy nature is And whāte is thy worke verelye to take awaye myserye / and to lifte vpp them that are in wretched condicyon / therfore haue mercye on me oh god God I saye which arte mercye take a waye my miserye / take a waye my synnes / for they are myne extreme myserye Lift vppe me which am so miserable shew thy worke in me / and exercyse thy power apon me One depth requyreth another / the depth of myserye requyreth the depth of mercye The depth of synne areth the depth of grace and fauoure Greater is the depth of mercye then the depth of myserye Let therfore the one depth swalow vppe the other Let the bottomlesse depth of mercye swalow vp the profounde depth of myserye Haue mercye on me oh god accordynge to thy greate mercye Not after the mercye of men whych is but smalle / but after thyne awne mercye which is greate / which is vnmesurable / which is incomprehensible / which passeth all synnes without comparison Accordynge to that thy greate mercye wyth the whych thou hast so loued the world / that thou woldest geue thyne onlye sonne / what mercie cā be greater what loue cā be more / who cā despayre who shuld not haue good confidence god was made man / crucefied for mē therfore haue mercye on me oh God accordynge to this thy greate mercye bi the which thou hast geuen thy sonne for vs by whych thorow hym thou hast takē awaie the synne of the worlde bi which thorow his crosse thou hast lyghtened all mē by whē thorow hī thou hast redressed all thinges in heauē and erth wash me oh Lorde in his bloude / lighten me in his humilite / redresse me in his resurreccion Haue mercie on me oh God not after thy smal mercie for that is but thy smal mercie in cōparison whē thou helpest mē of their bodelie euylles but it is great whē thou forgeuest synnes dost eleuate mē by thy fauoure aboue the toppe of the erth Euē so Lord haue mercie on me accordīge to this thi greate mercie that thou turne me vnto the that thou put out my synnes and that thou iustefie me bi thi grace fauoure And accordinge to the mustitude of thy compassiōs wype awaye myne iniquyte Thy mercye Lorde is the habundaūce of thy pytye / by the which thou lokest gentlye on the poore and wretched Thy compassyons are the workes ād processes of thy mercye Marye magdalene came vnto thy fete good Iesu she wasshed them wither teares / and wyped them with her here / thou forgauest her and sentest her a waye in peace / this was Lorde one of thy compassions / Petre denyed the ād forsoke the with an oth / thou lokedst apon him and he wepte bitterlye / thou forgauest him and madest hym one of the chefe amonge thyne Apostles this was lorde another of thy compassyons The these on the crosse was saued with one worde Paule in the furious wodnes of his persecution was called ād by and by fulfylled wyth the holye goste / these are Lorde thy compassyons The tyme shuld faile me yf I shuld enumbre all thy merciable compassyons / for loke how manye ryghtwyse men there be / ād so manye are thy godlye compassions / There is none that can glorye in hym selfe Let them all come that are ryghtwyse other in erth or in heauen and let vs axe them before the whether they be saued by theyr awne power and vertue And surelye all they will answere with one harte / and one mouth sayenge Not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs / but vnto thi name geue all the prayse / for thy mercye for thy truthes sake for they in theyr awneswerde possessed not the lande / and theyr awne arme or power saued them not but thy right hande and thyne arme ād the lighteninge of thy councenaunce for thou delitedst in the / that is / they are not saued for their awne deseruynges lest any man shuld boste him selfe / but because it pleased the so to be whych thynge the Prophete doth also more expresselye witnesse of the whē he sayeth he saued me because he wold haue me Sith therfore that thou arth the me god wyth whome is no alteracyon or variablenesse nether art thou chaūged vnto darknesse and we thy creatures as wel as oute fathers whych were borne vnder concupyscence synners as well as we and sith there is but one mediatore and a tonement betwene god and man that is chryst Iesus whych endureth for euer / why dost thou not poure on thy plentuous compassions vppon vs / as well as thou didest vppon oure fathers hast thou forgotē vs or are we onelye synners did not crist die for vs Are all thy mercyes spent none lefte Lorde oure god I desyre hartelye besech the / to put out myne iniquite accordinge vnto the multitude of thy compassions for manye yee infinite are thy compassiōs that accordynge I saye to the multytude of thy cōpassions thou vouchsafe to quēch my synne that as thouhast draune receaued innumerable synners / hast made thē rightuous euen so that thou wilt drawe take me make me rightwyse thorow thy grace fauoure / therfore accordinge to the multitude of thy compassions wype
and indifferently to all men Hyther conferre all the instructyons of pacyence / gentilnesse / peace and vnite ¶ The fulfylling of the syxt is CHaslite sobernes shame fastnesse not of dedes onely but of wordes and maners / ye of thoughtes Besydes that attemperaunce / of meate / drynke / slepe / and what so euer doth helpe chastite / hether applye al places of holy scrypture cōcernyng chastite / fastyng / sobriete / attemperaunce / prayer watching / laboures / and in cōclusyon all thinges that mainteyn chastite ¶ The fulfylling of the seuenth is POuerte of spryte / kyndenesse / liberalyte / wasting of oure owne goodes to profit oure neyghboures / to lyue without couetousnesse and desyre of rychesse Here gather all that is wryten of couetousnesse of goodes vniustly gotten and possessed / of vsury / so tylte / euyll deceyte / of iniury and hurte done / of lettyng thy neyghboures profyt / or dispysing hym ¶ The fulfylling of the eyght is A Peasable and hole tongue whiche hurteth no man / but profyteth all men whiche setteth enemyes at one / whiche excuseth and defendeth theym that are noted viciose parsons and synners Suche simplicite profit is in speakyng Hereto perteyne all thinges whiche are spoken of sylence speakyng / and whate so euer toucheth the good name / honoure / ryght causes / and profyttes / of thy neyghbour ¶ The fulfilling of the last is THe perfyt and absolute purenesse dispysing in the hert of all temporal rychesse pleasures / whiche thing shal be done perfectly in the lyfe to come In all these thinges seest thou none other thinges but to loue other / that is to loue god and thy neyghbour whiche loue seketh not his owne profyt / but onely those thinges whiche belong to god / and to his neyghbour / whiche loue yeldeth gyueth hym sylf playnly to euery man grauntyng theym full rule and auctorite / to vse they re pleasure his goodes and profyttes NOwe seyst thou that in all these tenne cōmaundementes / in a good ordre and briefly are cōteyned / all kyndes of in formacions / that are expedient for mānes lyfe / whiche yf any man will do his diligence to kepe truely he shall neuer be ydel no / not an houre / but shall haue occasyon to do good deades / so that truely he shall neuer haue nede to chose to hym other straunge workes of mannys inuention / as are to runne hyther and thyder / and to be occupied in suche thinges / whiche in no place are cōmaunded / and whiche shal be profitable for no thing Hit is euydent that in all these preceptes there is nothing wryten / whiche teacheth vs to serue oure silues / eyther to do / leue / or require of any man / that whiche cōcernyth oure owne proufit / but onely what we are bounde to do to other / that is to sey / to god and to oure neyboure So that euen blynde men may well perceyue that the fulfylling of the commaundementes stondeth in loue towardes other / not towardes oure sylfe For man of his owne nature seketh and auoydeth sufficiently / that whiche is for or ageynst his profit / so that it nedith not to moue hym to it / but muche rather to bringe hym frō hit Ther fore he lyueth best whiche lyueth not to hym sylfe And contrary he lyueth worst whiche lyueth to hym sylf This is theffect that the tenne cōmaundementes teache Wherby it is manifest that there are but fewe that lyue well it / in that we are men / none of vs lyeuth well This knowen / we must lerne of whome to axe this excellent gyfte / to lyue well / so that we may fulfyll these cōmaundemētes ¶ The Crede or Belefe THe effect of oure fayth stondith in thre partes / as in hit are rehersed thre parsonnes of the godly trynyte The first is of the father The secunde of the sonne The thyrd of the holy goost / and to euery one of these persones is applyed his operation This is the chief article of the fayth / on the whiche all the other depend Here note .ij. maner of belefes First some there be whiche beleue that those thinges be true / whiche are spoken of god / euen as a man doth beleue those thinges to be true whiche he heareth of the Turke / of the deuyll / and of hell This fayth is rather a science / or a vayne opinyon / then a sure trust or belefe There is an other faythe towardes god / that thou do not onely beleue these thynges to be true whiche thou hearest of god / but also trust to hym / and be take cōmytte thy selfe wholy vnto hym / besydes that / to presume vppon hym / beleuyng / without doubt that thou shalt obteyn and receyue of hym / that whiche thou hardest spoken of hym / and that with suche fayth and confidence as thou wooldest gyue to no man Be it in case that the Turke or any other man be gretely preysed vnto the / and that thou beleue faythfully that some man is discrete / and wurthy prayse / yet for all that thou wilt not cōmytte thy selfe vnto hym puttyng all thy trust and confidence in hym But this fayth whiche boldly betaketh hym selfe to god / both in ieoperdye of lyfe and deth / knowelegyng that he is such as he is spoken of maketh only a Chrysten / obteyneth of god what so euer she desyreth nether is there any false herte that receyueth this faith For this is the quycke faith whiche is requyred in the first commaundement whiche sayeth thus I am thy god take no straunge goddes Wherfore this / in / is not put in vayne / but it is to be obserued with a notable sygnificacyon For we do not say / I beleue to god the father or of god the father / but I beleue in god the Father / in Iesu Christ / and in the holy goost Wherfore this fayth ought to be had in none but in one god / so that by this we cōfesse also the godhed of Christ and of the holy goost / bycause we beleue none other wise in the sonne / and the holy goost / then we do in the father hym selfe For euen as we haue one faythe in all the thre persones / so all the thre persones are onely one god ¶ The fyrst parte of the belefe I Beleue in God the father almyghty / maker of heuē erthe That is / I forsake Satan and all ydolatrye / all charmes witchecraftes false hope I put my trust in no man of all the worlde / nether yet in my sylfe / not in my power / lernyng / scyence rychesse / wysdome / or what thyng so euer it be / that I haue or possesse I put no cōfidence in any creature whether it be in heuen or in erthe But I put my suer trust onely in one god whiche can not be sene with mannes eye / whiche cannot be cōprehendend with mannes witte /
the father / for it is he / whiche with the father / bi christ in christ workith and quyckenyth all thinges I beleue that in all the we â—ide / be hit neuer so greate / there is but one comune christen church whiche is none other thing but the coÌ„gregacyon coÌ„munyon of holy men that is of ryghtuous faithfull men on the erth And that this churche by this holy sprete is gathered maintened Thorough whome also it is gouerned and encreased dayly by the sacramentes and worde of god I beleue that no man can euer be saued / whiche is not fouÌ„de agreable consenting with this congregacioÌ„ / in one faith in one worde / in one sacrament / hope and charyte And that none of the Iewes or gentyles can be saued with this cherche except they reconcyle theym self vnto it / and come in fauoure wich it / confirmyng theym selues in all poyntes therunto I beleue that in this communion or Christen te all the prayers and good workes of this congregation do necessarily helpe me / waye om my syde and comfort me in all tymes of lyfe and deth I beleue that in this congregation comeÌ„welth and in none other place is gorgeuenesse of synnes And that without this all greate and good workes / how many so euer there are of theym do nothyng profyt to forgeuenesse of synne And contrarywyse in thys congregatyon / the multytute / greatnesse / and often commyttyng of synnes / do nothyng hurte / nether lette the forgheuenesse of synne / but that this forgyuenesse doth contynue whersoeuer / and howe song / thys excellent churche doth endure To whome alsoo Cryst ghyueth hys keyes / and sayeth in the xviij of Mathewe what soeuer ye lose vppon erthe / it shal be losed in heuen lykewise he saith to Peter alone / in the name and stede of this onely one churche in the xvi of Mat. Whatsoeuer thou lose vppon erthe it shall losed in heuen I beleue that there shal be arrysing of theym that are deade / in the whiche rysing the holy gost shall sturre vppe all fleshe / that is all men concernyng the body and flesshe good onell / so that the very flesshe whyche was dead buryed and consumed or by other wayes destroyed shal retourne / and lyue agayn I beleue that after this resurrectioÌ„ shal be eternall lyfe of good men / and eternall deth of synners Of all these thinges I doubt not but euery one of theym shal come vnto me froÌ„ the father bi the sonne Iesu chryst oure lord with and in the holy goost Amen that signifieth that in good fayth wythout doubt all these thinges are trewe ¶ The prayer of the lorde called the Pater noster wheryn are conteyned .vij. peticions ¶ The preface and introduccion to arâ— these .vij. peticions is conteyned in these wordes Oure father whiche art in heuen The vnderstonding of the wordes ALmyghty god sith thou of thyne intynyte beneuolence and mercy hast not onely admytted vs / but also taught / ye and commauÌ„ded by the onely / and dere son oure lorde Iesu christ that we trusting in his meryâ—es and protection / he beyng oure intercessor shulde beleue that thou were a louig father vnto vs. And that we shulde also call the father / though worthyly and bi great ryghte thou mightest haue byn a cruell iuge agaynst vs sinners whiche so oft and abhominably haue done agaynst thy godly and most holi will / and haue gyuen the occasion of displeasure agaynst vs. Gyue vs we beseche the / by the fame beniuolence and mercy / that we may haue in oure hertes sure trust without feare of thy fatherly loue And make vs feare this acceptable smelle swetnesse / whiche the most sure / and chyldly trust doth gete vnto vs / that we may with glad mynde call the father / knowlege / loue / and crye on the in al leoperdyes kepe vs I desire the that we may contynue thy louynge chyldren / and not deserue to make the most mekest father oure horrible iudge nor suffer vs not to be thyne enemyes / whyche ought to be thy chyldren and heyres Thou wilt also / not onely symply / be called a father / but that we with a comeÌ„ voyce shuld call the oure father And so with a speciall prayer of vnyte pray for euery man Wherfore gyue vnto vs anagreyng / and brotherly loue / so that we may perceyue euery one of vs that we are truely brothers / and sisters / and may pray to the as to oure comen and mercyfull father / euery on for other / euen as kynd chyldren entreate they re father one for another Graunte / that none of vs seke that whiche is his owne or els forget other / in thy sight but that auoyding all hete / enuye / disceÌ„tion / as it becomith the trewe childreÌ„ of god we may loue to gyther with dewe fauoure so that we may say with a faithfull harte not my father but oure father Syth truely thou arte no bodyly nor erthly father / whome we may se in erthe / but art iÌ„ hauyn oure spiritual father which dyeth not / nether are vncerteyn or doubtfull / or such which art not able to helpe thy selfe as is an erthly bodyly father wherby it is euideÌ„t vnto vs howe moche thow art a better father / whiche reachist this teÌ„porall father odes cuÌ„trey / freÌ„des / rychesse / flesshe / blode / to be dispysed for the. Graunt vs dere father that we may be thy heuynly chyldren Teach vs to regard none other thing then oure foule helith / and the euerlasting heritage / so that this teÌ„porall coÌ„trey worldli heritage whiche coÌ„passeth noyeth vs / labouring to make vs erthly lyke vnto it selfe deceyue vs not so that we maye saye truely with a faithful here O oure heuynly father gyue vs thy grace that we may be thy heuynly children ¶ The first peticion Thy name be halowed O God almyghty / oure most dere heuen the father / thy godly name / euen now in this tyme / in thys vale of mysery Alas for shame so many wayes is slaundered / with checkes / and iniuryes myserably rebuked / applyed to many thynges wheryn stondyth not thy honour and glorie ye and manye abuse it / to they re greate confusion / whyche thyng is so comen often vsed / that this fylthy life may well be called a slaunder and dishonesting of thy most gloryouse name Therfore endowe vs with thy godli grace / that we may auoyde suche thinges as are agaynst the honoure prayse of thy most holy name Make thou all witther aftes and falce charmes shortly to decaye Cause all coniuringes by the whiche satan or other creatures / are enchaunced to cease by thy blyssed name Make that all false fayth by the whyche other we distrust the / or put more confydence in other then is nedefull / may quyckly be distroyed Make that all heresies and false
feare after hym to drynke syth we do so that there chaunced none euyll to hym but onely good by rysing agayn No doubt chat chyef pure myrrhe Crystes lyppes distillyng it and his wordes coÌ„mending it shulde be moste acceptable aÌ„d swete euen as the smell of lylses So writeth Petre in the fyrste pystle for asmuche as Chryst hath suffer for vs in flesshe Arme your selues lykewyse with the same mynde Paule also in the .xij. to the Hebrues Consyder howe that he endured suche speaking agaynst hym of synners / lest ye shulde be weryed eÌ„d saynt in your myndes Therfore yf we haue lerned in the ymages byfore whiche were byneth vs and nere vnto vs to suffer euylles paciently / cruely in this last ymage which is set aboue vs we being rauysshed in christ lyft vp and set hygher them all euylles ought not onely to suffer theym / but also to loue / desyre and seke theym And the ferther of that a man is frome this mynde desyre / the lesse he hath of Christes passion As they which vse the sygnes and armure of Christ against euylles and deth / that they might nether suffer nether dye / whyche desires are clene contrary to the crosse and deth of Christ wherfore it is necessary that what euylles so euer we suffer be consumed clene brought to nought in this seuenth ymage / so that it shulde not greue vs but rather delite vs and make vs glad yf this ymage perse and entre in to oure herâ—s / or do remayn and sure in oure inward desire and mynde ¶ This mothe haue we spoken of the fyrst table Nowe foloweth the secunde TO the secunde table we shal also assygne seueÌ„ ymages contrarye to they me that were made bifore The first shall be of the inward goodnesse The secunde of the goodnesse to come The thyrd of the goodnesse passed The fourth of the goodnesse beneth vs. The fyft of the goodnesse on the lyft honde The syxt of the goodnesse on the ryght honde The ses venthe of the goodnesse aboue vs. ¶ The first chapter of the fyrst ymage whiche is the goodnesse with in vs. WHo is a bill to numbre the goodnesse whyche euery man possesseth in his owne person fyrst howe grete are the gyftes of the bodie as beutye streinght helt / qÌ„cknesse / witte besydes these in the male the most ê‘faiâ— noble kynde nature / by the whyche he is mete to exercyse and take vpon hym many thinges priuate / comune and other excelleÌ„t actes / whiche woman is nothing mete nor apt to / whathe merueyle is it / yf thou vsing these giftes thorough the fauoure of god cenne twenty / or thyrty yere with pleasure shuld suffer be payned in one of theym for the space of teÌ„ne dayes whate shal we do whiche haue had manye good houres / and will not be coÌ„tent to suffer one euell here may we se howe we be endued by hepe with the goodly giftes of god And agayn with howe fewe euylles many of vs be oppressed or touched Howe be it god almyghtye not thynking it sufficieÌ„t to haue done this moche for vs dyd also cast vnto vs rychesse plenteous abundaunce of all thinges / though not to all men yet truely to many / to theym specially that are impotent weake to suffer euyll for as I sayde bifore to theym he gyueth more of the sprete / to whome he gaue lesse worldly bodyly goodes that there shuld be a certeyn equalite in all thynges he the ryghtuouse iuge of al thinges Nether do grete rychesse so moche comfort a man as a mery glad sprete Bisides this / to some he gyueth yssue children whiche is a grete pleasure power / imperye / honour a name / glory / fauoure / and suche other whyche yf a man vse a longe season ye though he vse theym but a smal season they shall sone declare vnto hym whate he shal do in a lytell euyll The gyftes of the soule are more exceleÌ„c then all these as witte / connyng iudgemeÌ„t eloquence / wysdom / and these also as he dyd the other he deuideth after an equalyte so that he hath recompensed it in the other / by gyuing theym more quietnesse and gladnesse of mynde In all these thynges the most liberall hond of god must be considered with gyuyng thankes and oure infirmite must be comforted that in this multitude and gretnesse of goodes we merueyl not / though some sowernesse be admyxt / for vnto voluptuous men / there is no meate acceptable whiche of his nature hath not other some sharpe tast / or elles hys sawce prepared for hym / so that contynuall and onely swetnesse is a thing intollerabill Therfore it was well sayd euery pleasure by his perseueraunce maketh a man full of it / and to disdayn it And agayn / it is said Euen pleasure hir self is a payne bycause this lyfe is to weke and impotent to suffre coÌ„tinually goodnesse without the temperature of euyll for the abuÌ„dant copie of the goodnesse wherof spryngeth thys prouerbe They re bones must be strong whyche shall suffer good dayes whiche prouerbe I haue often considered merueyling at the merueylous true sentence of it / howe all the purposes and desires of men are clene contrary vnto it / whyche seke nothyng but good dayes / ye when they haue gotte theym they can worse bere theym theÌ„ the euyll For whaÌ„te doth god coÌ„mend vnto vs in those thinges / but that the crosse shulde be merueylous / euen in the enemyes of the crosse Insomoche that we ought to tempore and halowe all thynges by it / euen as we powdre flesshe with salte that it do not putrifie wareful of wormes werfore theÌ„ do not we receyue with a glad hert / thys temperature sent of god / whyche yf he dyd not sente / yet oure lyfe whiche is not able to endure with thys contynuall pleasure and goodnesse / wolde desire it of his owne will Nowe we perceiue howe truely the wise maÌ„ sayed of god he that contynueth from the one ende to the other strongly / and dysposeth all thynges swetely / for yf we consider these good thynges / it shall appere that it is also true whiche is spoken of Moses in the. xxxij of Deuteronomyon / he bare hym Vppon hys shulders / he ledde hym about and kept hym as the balle of hys eye wyth thys saying we may stoppe they re mouthes whyche vnkyndly chatter that there are mo euilles in this lyfe them good thynges for surely / we neuer lacke goodnesse nor pleasures / full of proufit swetnesse but we do moche lacke suche people as shuld vnderstond it with the Prophete saying The Erthe is full with the mercy of god And agayn the erth is full of hys prayse / in the .ciij. psal The erth is replenysshed with thy possession / thou hast delyted me Lorde in tese creatures for this cause we syng dayly in the
masse heuyn erth are full of thy glorye / why so for there are many good thinges for the whiche he shulde be praysed / but that is onely of theym whiche se this fulnesse and replenysshyng for euyn as we sayde of the euylles in the first ymage / that euery mannes euyll was so greate as hys opynyon / and knowelege was in it Euen so good thynges though they come on vs on euery syde and in a maner suppresse vs / yet are they no gretter them they are extemed / for all that god made be verey good / howe be it they be not knowen so of all men Of this ymage / Iob gyueth vs a fayre most proufitable example / whyche when all his goodes were taken a way sayde / yf we haue taken goodnesse of the hond of the Lorde whye shall we not also suffer euylles truely it was a goodly sayng and a myghty comfort in temptacion / for he dyd not onely suffer but was also tempted by his wife to ympacyence / saying vnto hym wilt thou yet perseuer in this innocency curse the Lorde and dye / for it is manyfest that he is not god whyche so doth forsake the / why them doest thou trust in hym and not rather denye hym / and curse hym / and so to knowelege thy selfe mortall / to whome after this lyfe nothyng is remaynyng These and suche other to euery man hys owne wyfe whyche is sensualyte doth prompt and shewe in temptacyon / for the sense sauoureth not that thyng whyche perteyneth to god howebeit all these thinges are bodyly goodes / and comen to all men But a Chrysten man precelleth in other inwarde goodes which are farre better that is to say in the fayth of Chryst / of the whyche it is spoken in the .xl. Psalme All hys glorye is of the kynges doughter whyche is withyn in borderes of gold cumpassed about with varyete And as we haue spoken of the euyll of the fyrst ymage / that there can be sene no euyll so grete in a man / but there is a moche worse in hym whiche he can not se Euyn so the best of all the good thinges that be in a Christen he hym self can not se nor iudge / for yf he dyd perceyue it he shulde be then in heuen / bycause the kyngdome of heuen as sayeth Chryste is withyn vs for he that hath faith hath the truth and word of god / he that hath the worde of god hath god hym self the maker of all thinges If these goodes were reuelat vnto the soule that he myght feale the botom of theym as they be in verey dede / he wolde sone be dissolued from the bodye / for thabundaunce of that swetnesse wherfore all other goodes art as it were a monysshyng of those goodes that we haue withyn vs whiche he wolde by theyme shulde be shewed vnto vs / bycause thys lyfe is not a byll to abyde the glorye of ther yf they were shewed forth Therfore they are mercyfully hydden of god vntyll they are encreased to they re perfit state / euen as louing fathers do gyue vnto they re chyldren sometyme lytell gyftes to play wythall / wherby they may entyce the myndys of they re chyldren to trust for gretter thynges Howe be it sometyme they shewe theim selfe and come forth when that the conscience reioysing / doth coÌ„mytte hym self holly vnto got / speaketh gladly of hym / hereth his worde swetely deuoutly / is redy and glad to serue hym / to do good workes / to suffer euylles / and suche other / whiche all are tokens of an infinite and incoÌ„parabill goodnesse lying with in / whyche sendeth out theÌ„se swete droppes by a lytell at ones though sumtyme it chaunce that it be ferther reuelate to soules whyche fall to contemplacyon / in so moche that they are made dronkeÌ„ with it / and can not tell where they are As S. Augustine his mother do confesse of theym selues / and many other ¶ The secunde Chapter of the secunde ymage whiche is / the goodnesse to come / or byfore hym THey that are not Christen can take but small comfort of the goodnesse to come / bycause to theym all thynges are vncerteyn for this affect whyche is called hope by the whyche we are commaunded after mannes confortyng to trust euer for the best / bithe whiche we take greate maters in honde trustyng to bryng theym to oure purposse doth of ten tymes ye and in a maner alweyes / deceyue vs. As Chryst doth teache in the .xij. of luke of the ryche maÌ„ whiche said to his soule I wil distroy my barnes and bylde gretter / and theryn will I gadre all my frutes and all my goodes / and will saye vnto my soule Soule thou hast moche goodes leyd vp in store for many yeares / take thyne ease / eate / drinke / be mery But god said vnto hym thou sole this nyght will they fetche awey thy foule agayne froÌ„ the / then whose shall tho is thinges be whiche thou hast prouyded So is it with hym that gathereth rychesse and is not ryche in god Nether yet hath god left the sones of men so / but doth confort theym by a hole suer and perfait hope / that they shall ouer come they re euilles and obteyne goodnesse And though they be vncertein where goodnesse â—t is that shall come / yet they hope styll wythout doubt / by the whyche hope they are susteyned / lest by falling ynto desperatyon they shulde not be able to suffer they re present euyll / so to do worse wherfore this affect of hope whiche is in temporall thinges is gyuen the of god / not taht he wold haue the stykke therin / but to procede vnto the hole suer / and parfayt hope whiche is onely vnto hym And for thys cause god is luÌ„g sufferyng that be may briÌ„g vs to repentaunce / As paule sayeth in the ij to the Romains Nether will he suffer that all men be deceyued in this vnperfit deceytful hope whithe is in worldly maters / but that they retorne and take the parfait and vnfayned hope whiche is in hym There are bysides these goodes to the ChristeÌ„ .ij. great goodes whiche they shall suerly haue but not without deth and sufferyng for they haue also the comon hope that we spake of / concernyng the fynysâ—hing of they re present euyll encreasing of the coÌ„trary good / although they do not so gretely regard that / as they do in the increasyng of they re owne proper good / whiche is the truthe in Christ in the whiche they do procede from day to day / for the wiche they do both liue and hope But bysides these as I sayde / there ys .ij. chyef whiche shall come in deth The fyrst is that in deth is fynysshed all the tragedy of the euylles in thys lyfe / as it is wryten Precioê° is in the sight of god / the deth of his sayntes And agayn in peace I
falle vnto prayer for this also is in the hand of god nether is it geuē to euerie man but some haue it more some lesse for god distributeth all at his pleasure Not withstondinge there are certayne meanes and smale pathes by the which a mā maye haue as it were an entraunce in to this faith / fyrst turne thine eyes and beholde the hartye loue bounteous kindnes of chryst which so tenderlye loued the that he wold take on him self all thy synnes / louynglye enbrace the to hele thy wounded conscience / yf thou remembre and thinke on thys amitye thy harte shall somwhate be refreshed and so shall thy trust in Chryst be the more encreased and stablysshed After that thou hast perceaued this feruent fauoure that Christ had to wardes the then shalt thou sone marcke what good will the father owed the / for then shall it appeare that Chryst coude not endue the with such greate benefytes excepte it had bene before so decreed of hys heuenlye father / for vnto him did Chryst obey whē he suffered for thy trāsgressions And so shalt thou se the flamynge cheryte of god the father towardes the / and thorow crist shalt thou be so drawne to the father that thou mayst perceaue the sayinge of Chryst Ioā iij. God so loued the worlde that he gaue his ōlye sonne for thē tent that none which beleue in hym shuld perysh but shuld haue euerlastynge lyfe And thys is the true knowlege of god when we beholde / and magnefye not hys puysaunt mageste or his incomprehensible prudence for they make a man a frayde of God but rather his curteous and mercyefull beneuolence wherin he maye put hys confydence / and maye be hoellye in god renued ☞ And when thy harte is so confermed in Chryst that thou begynnest wyth full entent to hate thy synne not for feare of payne but for the loue that thou hast vnto god because thou woldest not displease hym whych is soch a mercyfull and louinge father vnto the then is it expediēt that thou take thys passyon for an ensample by the which thou maist ordre thy lyfe but this remembraunce is farre vnlike the first / for hetherto haue we recounted it as a secrete mysterye whych shuld worke in vs and renue vs thorow repentaūce / and whē we haue obtayned that profyte then let vs considre it as an ensample or rule to order oure lyffe and workes / euer comparinge them vnto Christes passion on thys maner as foloweth When thou art dyseased with anye sorow or maladye then thynke how smalle that payne is yf thou shuldest comparte it with Christes croune of thorne ād the nayles which perced his tendre flesh When thou art constrayned to doo or leaue vndone anye thinge which thou woldest not then remembre that Chryst was bounde and tossed from post to piller euen as it pleased his cruell enemyes Yf thou be tempted with pryde lordlynesse then marke how vnworthelye Crist was mocked / yee and crucyfyed betwene two theues / that he myght be reputed as one of theyr nombre Yf thou be assayled with wantonnesse or with the lust of the flesh then behold how cruellye the tendre flesh of Crist was scourged torne and most pituouslye woūded Yf thy harte boyle with hate or enuye be full sette to take auengeaunce then calle to thy remembraunce how Crist with a lamētable voyce did praye vnto hys father for the / and other his enemyes / whom he myght bi good right haue punisshed perpetuallye Yf thou be vexed with anye other afflictions whate so euer they are / whether secrete or open / take them on good worth be not disquieted / but thynke with thy selfe on this maner It were a great shame yf I shuld not suffre paciētlye this smal trouble / syth that Christ my Lorde and sauyoure suffered in the garden such panges that he swette droppes of bloude / for whate is more shame then that the seruaunte shuld take his ease and lye sluggeshlye in his bed what tyme his master stondeth in ieoperdye of his lyfe Behold / on this maner mayst thou cōforte and stablish thy harte with the passion of christ agenst all vexacyons And this is the true meditacyon and remembraunce of Chrystes passyon out of whych the a fore sayde commodityes sprynge Therfore they that exercyse them selues dilygentlye in it / are moch better occupyed then yf they harde a thousande tymes the storie of the passion / or sayet as manye masses And these onlye are the true Chrysten which on this wyse do expresse in theyr lyfe or manners the name and lyfe of Chryst as Saynte Paule sayeth they that belonge to chryst haue crucefyed theyr flesh and concupiscentes with Christ Nether it is ynough that we countre fayte him in oure outwarde be haue oure ād wordes / but we must do oure endeueraunce perfeytlye to expresse hys passion in all oune conuersacyon from the botom of oure hartes which thynge Paule exhorteth vs vnto Hebrew .xij.. Loke vnto Iesus the captayne of oure faith / which for the ioye that was sette before hym abode the crosse and dispised the shame / is sette dounne on the right hande of god Consider therfore how that he endured such speakinge agēst hym of synners / lest ye shuld be weryed or faynte in oure myndes And saynte Petre .i. Pet .iiij. sayeth for as moch as cryst hath suffered in the flesh / arme youre selues lykewyse wyth the same mynde How be it the maner of thys remembraunce is verye rare out of vse although Saint Paule Saint Petre make eftsones mention of it And we haue chaunged it al to gether into an outwarde apperaūce and haue thought it sufficient to behold the story of the passyon paynted vpon walles But there are verye fewe yee almost none that call it to theyr remēbraunce for thent to know theyr synnes by it / or to quyet theyr tremblynge consciences / or to ordre and cōpare their liffe to this ensample ¶ Thus endeth the meditacyon and frutefull remembraunce of Chrystes passyon which passeth the contemplacyon of Monkes / fryers and Nonnes yee and all other religious ¶ We purpossed Christen brother to haue annexed the Christian Libertye / how be it all thinges cōsidered we thought it most profitable for this present world to ioyne rather vnto the ende of this boke a deuoute exposicyon vppon the Psalme Miserere mei Deus ¶ An exposicyon after the maner of a contemplacyon vpon the .li. Psalme / called Misereremei Deus ALas wretch that I am / comfortlesse / and forsaken of all men / which haue offended both heauen / and erth / whother shall I turne me To whom shall If lye for socoure who shal haue pytye or cōpassion on me vnto heauen date I not lifte vppe myne eyts / for I haue greuouslye synned agenst it And in the erth can I fynde no place of defence / for I haue bene noysome vnto it whate shall I nowe do shall I
but that of thy gracyous mercye thou makest vs promises / fulfyllest them for thy truthes sake Thou dyst promyse vnto Abraham a sonne when he was aged / thou falfylledst thy promyse in olde and baren Sara / because thou louedst truth Thou promysest vnto the children of Israell a lande that flowed with milke and honye / and at the last dydst geue it them / for thy truthes sake Thou madest a promyse to Dauid sayenge I shall set vppon thy sete regall one of the frute of thy bodye / and it came euen so to passe / because thou woldest be founde true There are other innumerable promyses in which thou hast euer bene faythfull because thou louedst truth Thou hast promysed to synners which wyll come vnto the / forgeuenesse and fauoure / and thou hast neuer defrauded man / for thou hast loued truth That vnthryftye sonne Luc. xv that toke his iorney in to a farre cōtre and wasted all his goodes with covetous lyuinge / when he came to hym self / he retouened vnto the sayenge Father I haue synned agenst heauen and before the / now am I not worthye to be called thy sonne / make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes / When he was yet a greate waye of / thou sawest hym and haddest cōpassyon on hym and rannest vnto hym / fallynge vppon his necke and kyssynge hym / thou broughtest forth the best garmenth and puttest a rynge on his fynger and showes on his fete / Thou kylledst that fatted calfe and madest all the house merye sayenge / Let vs eate be merye / for this my sonne was deed and is alyue agayne / he was lost and is now founde Why dydst thou all this Lorde God surelye because thou louedst truth Loue therfore o father of mercyes this truth in me / which retorne vnto the from a farre countre / runne towardes me geue me a kysse of thy mouth / geue me those chefe garmētes / drawe me in to thy house / kylle that fatted calfe that all which trust in the maye reioyce in me / and lette vs eate to gether in spirituall feastes Oh Lorde wilt thou exclude me alone and wilt thou not kepe this truth vnto me yf thou shuldest loke narowlye on oure wykednesse o lorde lorde who myght abyde the But Lord thou wilt not be so strayght vnto vs / for thou louest truth yee and that with a feruent incomprehensible loue Which is the truth that thou so louest is it not thy sonne that sayde Ioan .xiiij. I am the waye / truth / and lyfe he is the verye truth of whom all truth is named in heauen and in erth / this is it that thou hast loued and in it onlye hast thou delyted for thou dydest fynde it pure with out spotte and woldest that it shuld dye for synners / kepe therfore Oh God this truth / behold I am a greate synner in whom thou maist kepe it / to whom thou maist forgeue manie synnes / whom thou mayst purefye in the bloude of thy Christ / whom thou mayst redeme thorow his passyō why Oh lorde hast thou geuen me this knowlege of thy sonne / this fayth of hym Because I shuld se my redēpcyon and not to attayne it that I myght by that meanes be the more vexed with sorow God forbydde / but rather that I maye perceaue the remissyon of my synnes purchased by Christes bloude / and so by his grace maye obtayne it Purge me therfore and redeme me oh Lorde for thou hast vttered vnto me the vnknowne and secrete poyntes of thy wysdom that this knowlege maye helpe me brīge me vnto helth for trulie the philosofers neuer knew these thinges / they were vnknowne vnto hē / yee vtterlye hid frō thē and no mā knewe these thīges except a fewe whō thou lonest entyrelie before thy sonnes incarnaciō The most curyous serchers of the world / I meane the wysemen of this world lyfted vp their yies aboue heauen yet coulde not fynde this thy wysdom / for thou hast hyd these thinges from the wyse prudent / and hast opened them vnto babes / that is / to humble fishers and thy holye prophetes which also haue vttered thē vnto vs. And so hast thou vttered the vnknowne and secrete thinges of thy wysdom of thy scriptures vnto me / why do I know thē in vayne I know them surelye in vayne yf they profytte me not vnto my helth and saluacyon For the Philosophers when they knewe God by his meruelous creatures they glorifyed hym not as god nether were thākefull / but wexed full of vanityes in theyr ymaginacyons and their folish hartes were blinded / when they counted them selues wyse / they became soles / wylt thou suffer me Lorde to be of their numbre God forbyd / for thou arte euē mercye it selfe which doth neuer vtterlye forsake any man / fauoure therfore Lorde fauoure and spare thy seruaunt / and commaunde hym to be of the numbre of thy babes / that the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdom / which thou hast opened to hym maye leade hym vnto the fountayne of wysdom which is an hye / that thou mayst be praysed in the worke of thy mercye which thou dost exercyse towardes thy seruaunte Lorde which neuer forsakest them that trust in the. Sprinkle me Lorde with hysope / and so shall be clene / thou shalt wash me / and then shall I be whitther then snowe Because Lorde that thou hast loued the truth hast opened vnto me the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdome / I am well cōforted and I trust that thou wilt not cast me out of thy fauoure / but thou shalt sprinkle me with hysope and so shall I be clensed Hysope is a lowe herbe / it is hote and of a good sauoure / which sygnifyeth nothynge els / but thy onlye sonne oure lorde Iesu Christ / which humbled hym selfe vnto deeth / euen vnto the deeth of the crosse / which with the heate of his feruent charite loued vs / and washed vs from oure synnes in his bloude / which with the redolent sauoure of his beneuolence and rightuousnes replenyshed the hole worlde Therfore with this hysope shalt thou sprincle me / when thou pourest apon me the vertue of his bloude when Christ thorow fayth shal dwell in me when thorow loue I am ioyned with hym when I shall countre fayte his humylite and passyon / then shal I be clensed frō all myne vnclennesse Then shalt thou wash me with mine awne teares which flowe out of the loue of Christ / then shall I sygh vntyll I be werye I shall water my bed euerye nyght with my teares / so that it shall swymme in them and then shalt thou wash me and I shall be whyter then snowe Snowe is whyte and colde / but Lorde yf thou sprinkle me with hysope I shal be more whyte then snowe for I shall be thorowlye endued with thy splendent lyght which passeth all bodelye whytenesse And when I am enflamed
he knew the not / what thinke you he sayed I suppose that he sware by god and by the lawe of Moses that he knewe the not / addiÌ„ge such wordes Thinke you that I am the disciple of this Samaâ—â—ane which / deceaueth the people which is inspired with the deuil and destroyeth oure lawe I am the disciple of Moyses / and knowe not froÌ„ whenâ—â— this felowe is Blissed be God that they acused enquyriÌ„ge any further / for els wold he neuer haue ceased denyenge the / so that a thousande interrogacyons wolde haue made a thousand staite negacyons yee a thousand curses and periuryes yet were these interrogacyons but wordes / what wold he haue done I praie the yf they had scourged hym buffeted hym well Trulye he wold haue sought proued all meanes / denyenge / forsweringe / cursinge / and blaspheminge vntyll that he had escaped their handes But thou most meke Lorde lokedst backe vppon hym and by and by he knowleged his offence Nether yet durst he lepe in to the myddes of them and confesse the to be the sonne of God / for he was not yet strengthed with power from aboue / so that with our doute he wold haue denyed the agayne / yf he had sene any ieopardye at hande / therfore as it was most mere for hym / he wentâ— forth and wepte bitterlye But thou after thy resurrecyon appearedst vnto hym and confortedst hym / yet kyd he hym selfe for feare of the Iues he sawe the so gloryouslye assendynge vnto heaueÌ„ was strengthed by the syght and comforte of Angels / yet durst he not go abroade / for he had lerned by experyence to knowe his awne fragilite / and had proued his wekenesse ¶ Therfore dyd be tarye and wayte for the holye ghost which was promysed / wheÌ„ he was come and had fylled Peters harte with grace / then stepte he forth then beganne he to speake / and then with greate power and sygnes bare he wytnesse of thy resurreccyon Then feared he nether the hyt preastes nether yet kynges / but reioysed in tribulacyons receaued the crosse with all mâ—â—th and gladnes Therfore strengthen me Lorde with a principall sprete that I maye contynuallye reioyce in thy sauynge helth / or els can I not beare so manye assautes agenst me The flessh coueteth contrarye to the sprete The worlde assayleth me on eueryesyde The deuell slepeth not Geue me the strenght of thy sprete that the there maye fallely my syde a thousand anâ— then thousande by my right hande that I maye be a sure and stronge witnesse of thy sayth For yf Peter whom thou enduedst with so manye fauourable gyftes / dyd fall so wretchedlye / what shuld I doo Lorde which haue nether sene thy naturall presence nether haue tasted of thy glorie in the mountayne nether haue sene thy gracious myracles ye and haue scarcelye perceaued thy meruelous workes / haue neuer hard thy voyce / but haue bene euer subdued vnder synne therfore strength me with a principall sprete that I maye perseuer / in thy seruyce and geue my lyffe for thy sake I will enstructe the wyked that they maye knowethy wayes / and the vngodlye shal be conuerted vnto the. Ascribe not this oh Lorde vnto presumcyoÌ„ / yf I go aboute to the teach the vngodlye thy wayes / for I desyre not to teach theÌ„ as I now am wyked / vngodlye / and vnder the boÌ„des of synne / but yf thou make me agayne to reioyce in thy sauiÌ„ge helth yf thou strenghten me with a principal sprete and yf also thou sette me fre / then shall I teach the vngodlye thy wayes ¶ Nether is this harde vnto the / which of verye stones canst rayse vp chyldren vnto Abraham / nether can my synnes be impedimeÌ„t vnto the yf thou wilt do this / but rather where sinne is so abundaunte / there aboundeth grace Paule yet brethinge out threateninges and slaughter agenst the disciples of the lorde receaued coÌ„missyon that yf he founde any whether they were men or wemeÌ„ which folowed the professed thy fayth / he shuld bringe them presoners to HierusaleÌ„ And forth was he goynge lyke a mad harebrayne and as a raueninge volfe / for to straye abrode / rauysh and kylle thy shepe But whylles he was yet in his iorney euen in the hete of his persecucyon / and in actuall doynge of his synne / whyles he was persecutinge the and wold haue slayne thy chosen / hauynge no maner of preparatyue vnto grace / nether yet knowlege of his synne / when with harte and will he was thyne aduersarye / blasphemed and cursed the. Behold the voyce of thy merciable pitye vnto hym sayeng Saute / Saule why persecuteâ—â— me by the which voyce he was immedyatlye both sayed alonge and raysed vp he was layede alonge and ouerthrowne as concernynge his bodye / but he was raysed vppe with the mynde thou raysedst hym vp that was in the slepe of darke ygnorauncye and pouredst in thy gloryous lyght in to those yies which were oppressed with this blynde slepe thou shewedst hym thy sauourable face and endued hym with thy gracyous mercye Then was he raysed as it had bene from deeth / he opened his yies / he sawe the and sayed Lorde what wilt thou that I doo And after dydst thou sende a shepe to his wolfe / for thou commaundedst Ananias to go vnto hym And then was he baptysed and anon was he replenyshed with the holye ghoste and was made a chosen vessell to beare thy name before kynges / nacyons and the childer of Israel And with out delaye he entred in to the synagoges preached thy name stoutelye / affirmiÌ„ge that thou arte Christe / He disputed / preuayled and confounded the Iues. Behold Lorde euen streyte of a persecutoure / thou madest hym a preacher and such a preacher that laboured more theÌ„ all the other apostles O / how greate is thy power / yf thou wylt of a wyked man make a ryght wyse / or of a persequntoure a preacher / who shall forbyd the who shall resyst the who maye saye vnto the / why dost thou so All thinges that thou woldest haue thou made in heauen and in erth / 〈◊〉 these and in all bottomlesse depth Therfore impute it not to arrogaÌ„cye yf I couete thorow thy power not thorow myne awne to teach the wyked thy wayes for I knowe that I can offer nothynge which caÌ„ be so acceptable iÌ„ thy godlye sight this is the most pleasaunte sacrifice / also for my singulare profite / now yf thou chauÌ„ge me in to a nother man / theÌ„ wyll I teach the wyked thy wayes / not the wayes of Plato Aristotle / not the intricate soâ—le proposycyoÌ„s of maÌ„nes witte / not the instructions of philosophie / not the paynted wordes vayne coloures of the rethoricyans Not wordlye maters policyes / not vnfrutefull wayes of vanitye / not wayes that lâ—ad men iÌ„to deeth but thy wayes thy pÌ„ceptes which
therfore will I offer prayse vnto the / euen the prayse of infauntes and suckelynges for my synnes And why shall I offer for my synnes rather prayse then sacrifice for yf thou haddest desyred sacrifices I had surelye offred them / but thou delyghtedst not in burnt sacrifices / caÌ„st thou be pacefyed with the bloude of calues / or gootes will thou eate the flesh of bulles / or drinke the bloude of gootes Other dost thou desyre golde which possessest heauen and erth other wilt thou that I sacrifyce my bodye vnto the which desyrest not the deeth of a synner / but rather that he were conuerted and lyue Neuerthelesse I wyll chasten my flesh in a measure that thorow thy grace it maye be subdurd vnto reason and obey it / for in this poynte also yf I passe measure and bringe my bodye so lowe that it is on apte to serue my neyghboure and to do that office which is apoynted me of god / it shall be imputed vnto me for synne Let youre seruynge of god be resonable sayth the apostle Roma .xli. And thou hast sayed also by the Prophete I require mercye not sacrifice Osâ—e .vi. Therfore shall my mouth shewe forth thy prayse / for this oblacyon doth honoure the / and sheweth vs the waye vnto thy sauynge helth My harte is readye Oh God my harte is readye / it is readye thorow thy grace to do all thinges which are pleasaunte vnto the this one thinge haue I founde most acceptable vnto the / that wyll I offer vnto the / that shall euer bein my harte / on that shall my lippys euer be harpinge Yf thou haddest desyred a bodelye sacrifyce I wold surelye haue geuen it the / for my harte is readye thorow thy grace to fulfyll thy wyll but in such burnt sacrifice hast thou no delyght / Thou madest the bodye for the sprete / therfore seakest thou spirituall thinges and not bodelye / for thou sayest in a certayne place Prouer. xxiij My sonne geue thyne harte vnto me / this is the sacrifice that pleaseth the. Let vs offer vnto the an harte repentinge with sorow of oure synnes and enflamed with the loue of heuenlye thynges and then wylt thou desyre no more / for with such a sacrifice wylt thou be content A sacrifice to God is a broken sprete / a contrite and humble harte thou shalt not despyse o God A broken sprete not broken flesh pleaseth the o Lorde for the flesh is broken and vexed because he hath not the carnall thinges that he desireth / or els fealeth in hymselfe such thinges as he hateth But the sprete is broken vnquyeted for his faute / because he hath offended agenst God whom he loueth He soroweth that he hath sinned agenst his maker redemer / that he hath despysed his bloude / that he hath not regarded such a good louynge father this broken and sorowinge sprete is vnto the a sacrifice of most swete sauoure which not withstondinge hath his coÌ„feccyon of most bitter spices / euen of the remembraunce of oure synnes / for whyles oure synnes are gathered to gether in to the mortoure of the harte / and beaten with the pestle of coÌ„punccyon / and made in to prouder watered with teares / therof is made an oyntment and sacrifice most swete which redolent offerynge thou wylt not despyse / for thou wilt not despyse a contrite humble harte Therfore he that breaketh his stonie harte which is made with the most harde stones of synne / that he maye therof prepare an oyntmeÌ„t of repeÌ„taunce in abuÌ„daunce of teares / not despayringe of the multitude greuousnes of his sinnes / but humbly offeringe this sacrifice vnto the he shal in no wyse be despysed of the / for a broken humble harte wilt thou not despyse oh god Marye magdalene whych was a notable synner made such an oyntment and put it in the alablaster boxe of her harte she feared not to entre in to the Pharesees house / she humbled her selfe flatte before thy fete / she was not a shamed to wepe at thy mele tyde / she coude not speake for inwarde sorow / but her harte melted iÌ„to teares / with the which she washed thy fete / she wyped theÌ„ with her here / anoynted theÌ„ with oyntmente ceased not kyssinge them who euer sawe such a nother thinge ye or who hath euer harde of a thinge lyke vnto this Surelye her sacrifice pleased the well and was so acceptable that thou preferredst it aboue the Pharyse whych in hys awne syght was ryghtewyse / for it maye 〈◊〉 gathered of thy wordes Luce. vij That there was so moch difference betwene the rightewissenes of marye and the pharise as there was difference betwene these to washe the fete with water / to wash them with teares to kysse one on the face and not to cease to kysse the fete to anoynte the hed with oyle / and to anoynte the feâ—e with most precyous oyntmeÌ„t yee moch more precelled he the pharise / for he nether gaue the water / kysse nor oyle O greate is thy power Lorde / great is thy myght which declareth it selfe most cheflye in spacinge / and hauynge compassyon Now se I well that a contrite and meke harte thou shalt not despyse oh Lorde And therfore endeuoure I miselfe to offer such am harte vnto the Neter is it ynough that I saye so outwardlye / for thou arte a god which serchest oure hartes reynes Accepte therfore thys my sacryfyce and yf it be vnperfeyte / amende thou the defaute whych onlye arte of power that to do that it maye be a burnt sacrifyce / all hole enflamed wyth the here of thy bounteous cheryte that it maye be acceptable vnto the or at the leste that thou despyse it not for yf thou despyse it not I know well that I shall finde fauoure before the / and then shall none of thy sayntes other in heauen or erth despyse me Deale gentlye of thi fauourable beneuolence with zion Let the walles of Hierusalem be bist agayne Because it is wryten Psalme .xviij. vnto the holye man thou shalt be holye / wyth the innocent shalt thou deale innocentlye with the pure and chosen shalt thou do purelye / and with the wyked shalt thou playe ouerth warte I am verye desyrous that al men were saued and that they shuld comâ— vnto the knowlege of the truth whych thiÌ„ge were verye necessarye for them and also for my profyte / for by theyr prayers exhortacyons / and examples I myght ryse from this filthye synne / and be prouoked daylye to procede vnto better I besech the therfore oh Lord although I be a synner / that thou of thy fauourable beneuolence woldest deale gentlye wyth zion that the walles of Hierusalem myght be bylt agayne / zion is thy church / for zyon by interpretacion signifieth a footehill or a place where a man maye se farre aboute hym And euen so thy church thorow the grace of