is taught to do them and god also many tymes dothe temporally rewarde men for doing the same yet they be not meritoriouse nor auaylable to the atteynynge of euerlasting life whan they be not done in the faythe of Christe and therfore be not accompted amonge the good workes wherof we do here intreat but we speake of suche outwarde and inwarde workes as god hath prepared for vs to walke in and be done in the faith of Christe for loue and respecte to god and can not be brought forthe onely by mans power but he must be preuented and holpen therto by a speciall grace And these workes be of two sortes for some be such as men truely iustified and so continuinge do worke in charitie of a pure harte and a good conscience and an vnfayned faith Which workes although they be of them selues vnworthy vnperfect and vnsufficient yet for as moch as they be done in the faith of Christe and by the vertue merites of his passion theyr vnperfectues is supplied the mercifull goodnes of god accepteth them as an obseruation and fulfillinge of his lawe and they be the very seruice of god and be meritoryouse towardes the atteyninge of euerlastinge lyfe And these be called the workes and fruites of rightuousnesse Other workes there be whiche be not so perfect as these yet they be done by the grace of god in faith and good affection of harte towardes god as those be which mē that haue ben in deadly sinne and by grace turne to god do worke bring forthe vpon respecte and remorse that they haue for theyr offences done against god And these may be called proprely the workes of penance As for exaumple whan a sinner hearing or remembring the lawe of god is moued by grace to be contrite and sorye for his offences and beginneth to lament his estate to fall to prayer and other good dedes seking to auoide the indignatiō of god and to be reconciled in to his fauour These workes come of grace but yet this mā is not to be accompted a iustified man but he is yet in sekinge remission of his sinnes and his iustification which the anguishe of his own conscience telleth him that he yet wanteth but he is in a good way and by these meanes doth entre into iustification and if he do procede with harty deuotion seke for further grace he shall be assured of remission of his sinnes and atteine his iustification and so be made able and mete to walke in the very pure seruice of god with a cleane conscience and to bringe forth the foresaide workes of rightuousnes in Christ which he can not do afore he be iustified And that suche workes of penance as we haue spoken of be required to the atteining of remission of synnes and iustification It is very euident and playne by scripture as when our sauiour Christe sayth Be penitent and beleue the gospel Marc i. that is to say Fyrst be contrite and knowlege your synnes than receiue the glad tidinges of remission of your sinnes And saint Iohn Baptist preached penance and made a way vnto Christ and taught men whiche came vnto hym what they shuld do to come vnto Christe and to haue remission of sinnes by hym as it is wryten in the thirde chapiter of Luke and specially that they which be ones christened and afterwarde fall from the grace of god by mortall syn can not recouer their iustification without penāce it is playne by the saying of saynt Peter vnto Simon Magus where he sayeth Act. vii Do penance for this thy wyckendnes and praye god if peraduenture this thought of thy hart may be forgyuen vnto the. And truely this waye and forme of doctrine is to be obserued which is the very trade of scripture wherin men be taught firste to leaue synnes and to retourne by workes of penance vnto god and that than they shall receiue remission of synnes and iustification And although suche workes of penance be required in vs towardes the atteining of remission of synnes and iustification yet the same iustification and remission of sinnes is the free gifte of god and conferred vnto vs Gratis that is to say of the grace of god wherby we doyng suche thynges and hauing suche motions and workes of penance be prepared and made more apte to receiue further grace of remission of our sinnes and iustification And it is not inconuenient that suche thynges shulde through grace be done by vs fyrst and yet it shulde be sayd that we receyue the sayde gyft freely For Christe sayth in the reuelation of saynt Iohn Qui sitit ueniat Apo. xxii qui uult accipiat aquam uitae gratis He that is thristy let hym come and he that woll lette hym take the water of lyfe frely Where he affyrmeth this gyfte of god to be freely gyuen conferred and yet there is required some labour before as to haue a wyll and desire to come which cōming can not be without arising by faithe and penance proceding in the same so to take the water of lyfe that is to say iustificatiō through our sauiour Christ whiche ones receiued in baptisme or after baptisme being recouered by penance although man dayly do offende and fall into dyuers veniall synnes by reason of his infirmitie and weakenesse and therfore hath nede of continuall and dayly repentance Yet as longe as he consenteth not to deadely sinne he leseth not the state of his iustification but remaineth styll the chyld of god And being in that state hath power by goddis grace dwellyng in hym to do suche workes as by acceptation of god through Christ be compted workes of rightuousnes and do serue for the preseruation and encrease of his farther iustification and be appointed by goddis most gratious promyse to haue euerlasting rewarde in heauen Whiche bothe inward and outwarde workes be not onely the declaring of our faith and confidence in god and of the grace whiche we haue receyued but also a continual exercyse nourishment preseruation encrease and perfection of the same For yf we shulde not after that we haue professed Christe apply our wyll to worke well accordyng to our sayd profession than shulde we falle from the grace of god and the estate of rightuousnes and iustification whiche we were ones set in and become agayne the seruantes of synne And as saint Peter saith we shuld be in wors case ii Pet. ii than we were before we receyued the knowlege of Christ And that we encreace in grace by workynge in the grace of god ones receyued it appereth by the worde of our sauiour Christ where he saith Omni habenti dabitur abundabit Meaning therby that who so euer vseth well the grace of god whiche is offred vnto hym al redy he shall haue more waxe plentyfull in grace wherfore as we contynue and perseuere in good workes so more and more we go forward and procede in our iustification and in encreasyng
praier superfluous neyther there wanteth any petition suite or request for suche thinges as be necessarie for oure iourney and passage in this worlde or for oure furtherance to that â—eming of the lyfe and glorye euerlastinge Secondly that euery good christen man may be assured to atteine the requestes made in this praier if he shall enforce hym selfe and apply his hole harte and wyll to the wyll and grace of hym vnto whom this prayer is made and also if he shal vtter and offer the said petitions inwardly with his hart and with suche faith confidence and truste in god as he requireth For surely no prayer is thankfull vnto god Ps cxviii Exod. xiiii but that whiche is made with the hart And therfore the prophet Dauid crieth to our lorde with all his hart And Moyses is noted to crye out aloude whan he spake no word with his mouth but he spake aloude with his hart And our lord by his prophete noteth Psal xxix that some pray with theyr lyppes and in their hartes minde nothinge lesse than that which they praye for And therfore who so euer intendeth by saying his Pater noster to atteyne his desyre he must haue with faith a good and ernest deuotion and his hart as nigh as he can voyde of vayne thoughtes and applyed to god so that the entente and desyre of his harte maye be ioyned alwaies with the prayer of his mouth And for this purpose it is mete moch requisite that the vnlearned people shulde vse to make theyr prayers in their mother tounge which they best vnderstand wherby they may be the more moued and stirred vnto deuotion and the more ernestly minde the thinge that they pray for Our father which art in heauen halowed be thy name OF these wordes Our father placed in the beginning of this petition all true christen meÌ„ ought to conceiue a great comfort and ioy in that they be taught and commaunded in this prayer to take almighty god for their father and so to call him as for example If oure soueraine lorde the kynge wolde saye to any of vs take me for your father and so call me what ioye in harte what comforte what confidence wolde we coÌ„ceyue of so fauourable graciouse wordes Than moch more incoÌ„parably haue we cause to reioyse that the king prynce of al princes shewith vnto vs this grace goodnes to make vs his children And surely as the naturall sonne may assuredly trust that his father wyll do for him all thinges that may be for his settyng forth and aduancemeÌ„t euen so we may vndoubtedly assure our selues that hauyng almighty god to our father vsinge our selfe as obedient children we shall lacke nothynge whiche may be profitable for vs toward the euerlastinge inheritaunce prepared for vs. And here is to be noted a lesson that as this word Father declareth the great beneuolence mercy and loue of god towardes vs as well in the creation as also in the redemption of man so it admonisheth vs againe of our duetie towardes him and howe we be bounde to shewe againe vnto hym our hole harte loue and our obedience and redynes to fulfyll all his preceptes and commaundementes with all gladnes and humilitie And therfore who so euer presumeth to come to god with this prayer and to call hym father and yet hath not full entente and purpose to vse hym selfe in all thinges lyke a kinde and an obedient sonne he coÌ„meth to hym as Iudas came to Christe with a kisse 〈◊〉 xx.i. pretending to be his frende and his seruant in callyng hym mayster and yet he was in dede a traytour to hym and a deadly ennemy And for this consideration euery christen man that intendeth to make this prayer ought inwardly and thoroughly to inserche and examine him selfe and yf he finde in him selfe any notable crime for the whiche he ought to be ashamed to call god his father Let him accuse him selfe therof to god and recognise his vnworthynes sayeng as the prodigall sonne sayde Father I haue offended the Luc. xv I am not worthy to be called thy sonne And with due repentaunce and firme purpose intente to amende his naughty lyfe let him lyfte vppe his harte to god and callinge for his grace of reconciltation humbly say Our father c. Moreouer by these wordes Our father is signified that we ought to beleue that almighty god is the common father of al true christen people and fatherly regardeth all throughe and by the meane of our sauiour Iesu Christe vnto whom all faitheful and obedient christen men be brethern by grace and adoption and called to inherite with him the kingdome of heauen And they be also brethern eche one to other hauing al one father which is god almighty And therfore we ought not onely to be of one spirite towardes our said father and to employ and endeuour our selues to the vttermost to please him and to kepe his lawes and commandementes but we ought also eche to consent with other in perfite loue charitie eche to helpe further other towardes the saide inheritaunce of heauen And fynally in al our praiers to god eche to coÌ„prise other and to praye for other lyke as in this prayer we be taught to say Our father gyue vs our breade forgiue vs our synnes suffer vs not to fal into temptation and delyuer vs from euyll By these wordes whiche art in heauen we be taught that we ought to haue an inwarde desyre and a great care study to come to the place where our heauenly father is and moche couet his sighte and presence For lyke as a louynge chylde is euen desirous to be where his father is euen so oughte we euer desyre to be with our heauenly father and to endeuour our selues that our conuersation be al withdrawen from the worlde the fleshe and the deuyll and be sette in heauen and heauenly thinges Phili. iii. as saint Paule teacheth and we shulde continualy wayle and lament bycause we be not with oure heauenly father sayenge with the prophete Ps cxix wofull am I that my dwellynge apon the earthe is so moche prolonged In these wordes Halowed be thy name it is to be noted that by the name of god is vnderstande god him selfe the power of god the myght the maiestie the glory the wysedome the prouidence the mercy and goodnes of god and al suche other good thynges as in scripture be attributed vnto god And this name is halowed whan it is praised glorified sette forthe honoured and magnified of vs both in worde and deede And where in this petition we praye that his name myghte be halowed it is not to be taken or thought that this name of god whiche in it selfe is euermore moste holy most gloriouse most marueylous and full of maiestie can be eyther aduanced or diminished by vs or any thyng that we can do but we desyre here that this most holy name may accordinge as it is
thē in their dedes outwardly wherby they may be partakers of that blisse whiche the gyuer of blessednes our sauiour Christe spake of and promised to suche sayeng Beati qui audiūt uerbum dei custodiunt illud Blessed by they that here the true doctrine of god and kepe it whiche is the true sense of that texte Wherfore we exhorte and desyre al our louyng subiectes that they prayeng to God for the spirite of humilitie do conforme them selues as good scholers and learners ought to here and beare away as afore and willingly to obserue such ordre as is by vs and our lawes prescribed and to rede and beare well away the true doctrine lately by vs and our clergye set forthe for theyr erudition wherby presumption and arrogancye shall be withstanded malyce and contention expelled and carnall libertie refrayned and tempered and disdeyne clerely remoued and taken away So as endeuouryng our selues to lyue quietly and charitably togither eche one in his vocation we shall be soo replenyshed with manifolde graces and gyftes of god that after this lyfe we shall reigne in ioy euerlastyng with the onely head of the vniuersal catholike churche our sauiour and redemer Iesus Christe Amen Faithe FORASMOCHE AS IN this boke whiche is sette furthe for the institution and crudition of the common people the articles of our faith haue the fyrste place it is very necessarye before we entre into the declaration of the sayde articles some thyng to entreate of fayth to the intent that it may be knowen what is ment proprely by the worde Faythe as it is apperteynyng to a christen man who by faythe is partaker of goddis benefites by Chryste And although Faith be diuersly taken in scripture it shal be sufficient to entreate here of two kyndes or acceptions of the same FAythe in the fyrste acception is consydered as it is a seuerall gyfte of god by it selfe dystincte from hope and charitie and so taken it signifieth a perswasion and belefe wrought by god in mannes harte wherby he assenteth granteth and taketh for true not onely that god is whiche knoweledge is taught and declared by the marueylous workes of the creation of the worlde Rom. i. as sayeth saint Paule in the epistle to the Romains but also that al the wordes and sayenges of god which be reueled and opened in the scripture be of moste certaine truthe and infallible veritie And further also that all those thynges whiche were taught by the apostles and haue ben by an hole vniuersal consent of the church of Christe euer sythe that tyme taught continually and taken alwayes for true ought to be receyued accepted and kept as a perfect doctrine apostolyke And this is the first acception of Faith which man hath of god wherin man leaneth not to his owne naturall knowledge whiche is by reason but leaneth to the knowledge atteyned by Fayth without the whiche Faith we be ignorant and blynde and can not vnderstande accordynge as the prophete Esaie saythe Vii iuxta sept Nisi credideritis non intelligitis Onles ye beleue ye shall not vnderstande And this faithe is the beginning entrie and introduction vnto all christen relygion and godlynes For as saynt Paul sayth Hebr. xi He that commeth to god must beleue that be is and that he is a rewarder vnto theym whiche seeke to please hym And this faithe although it be the necessary beginning of all rightuousnesse yet if it procede not further to Hope and Charitie it is called in scripture a deade Faythe bycause it is voyde and destitute of the lyfe and efficacy of charitie Faythe in the second acception is considered as it hath hope and charitie annexed and ioyned vnto it And faith so taken signifieth not onely the belefe and perswasion before mentioned in the fyrst acception but also a sure confidence and hope to atteyn what so euer god hath promised for Christes sake and an harty loue to god and obedience to his commaundementes And this Faythe is a lyuely faythe and worketh in man a redy submission of his wyll to goddis wylle And this is the effectuall faythe that worketh by charitie whiche faynte Paule vnto the Galathians affirmeth to be of value and strengthe in CHRISTE IESV Gala. v. By this Faythe Abraham not knowing whether he shulde goo went out of his countreye Hebr. xi and dwelte in the lande of beheste as in a straunge lande lokynge and trustynge for a citie founded and buylded by almyghty god By this Faythe also he was ready to offer vp his onely begotten sonne Isaac whan he was tempted in whom he loked for the promyse nothynge doubtynge but that god was able to rayse hym vp agayne frome deathe And this wyse is Faythe taken in the moste part of the examples whyche be recyted of sainte Paule in the eleuenthe chapiter of his epistle to the Hebrues And this Faythe euery christen man professeth and couenanteth to keepe whan he receyueth the sacrament of baptisme For declaration whereof it is to be noted that all promyses of god made to man after the falle of Adam for Christes sake be made vnder this condition that man shoulde beleue in god and with the grace of god gyuen for CHRISTE endeuoure hym selfe to accomplyshe goddis commandementes The churche therfore intendynge that man shoulde alwayes haue in mynde how the promyses of god be made vppon condition and without kepinge of the condition no man is partaker of goddis promyses hathe taughte and ordeyned that menne before they receyue baptisme shall promyse and couenaunte to fulfylle the sayde condytion and to forsake the deuyll and the worlde and to serue onely god And of this especiall couenaunt wherby man byndeth him self to god he is called in latyn Fidelis faithefull and he that neuer made the same couenant or after he hath made it renounceth and refuseth the same is called amonges chrysten men Infidelis vnfaythfull or heathen And bycause god hath made promise and couenant with man as is before declared whiche we muste moste assuredly beleue that god wyll obserue and kepe and is euer in his wordes and promyses most true moste iuste moste constant therfore god is called as he is in dede faythfull to man and keepeth and obserueth his fayth that is to say his promyse to man requiryng that man shulde lykewyse kepe his faithe and promyse towardes hym Nowe of that whiche is beforesayd it is manifest that Fayth as it is taken in the second acception is the perfect faythe of a true christen man and conteineth the obedience to the hole doctrine and religion of Christe And thus is faythe taken of saynt Paule and in other places of scripture where it is sayd that we be iustified by fayth In which places men may not thynke that we be iustified by faythe as it is a seuerall vertue separated from hope and charitie feare of god and repentaunce but by it is ment Faith neither only ne alone but with the forsayd vertues
be neuer soo cleane winowed and purged from the chaffe yet if it be caste into the ground and sowen the newe whiche springeth of it is full of chaffe agayne vntyll it be also wynowed and clensed So lykewyse the chyldren of christen men be full of chaffe and corruptution of originall sinne vntyl that by baptisme they be washed clensed and purged from the same as their parentes were And where as we haue before shewed that originall synne is remitted and taken awaye by baptisme bothe in infantes and all other whiche hauyng the vse of reason duely receyue the same Yet further we thynke good to note a speciall vertue and efficacy of this sacramēt of baptisme Whiche is That all be it there remayne in vs that be christened a certaine infirmitie or inclination of synne called Concupiscence whyche by lustes and desyres moueth vs many tymes to synne and wickednes yet almighty god of his great mercye and goodnes hath giuen vs suche grace in this his holy sacramēt of baptisme that such carnall and fleshly lustes and desyres shal or can in no wise hurt vs if we do not consent vnto theym And by the same grace also conferred vnto vs in baptisme we be made more strong and able to resist and withstand the sayde concupiscences and carnall desyres than is any other man which neuer was christened Farthermore for as moche as in these dayes certain heresies haue risen sprong vp against the christenyng of infantes It is to be noted that as the holy doctours of the church do testifie the vniuersall consent of the churches in al places of all tymes vsyng frequēting the christening of infantes is a sufficient witnes profe that this custome of the church in baptising of infantes was vsed by Christis apostles them selues by them gyuē vnto the churche and in the same hath ben alwais continued euen vnto these dayes And this custome and perpetuall vsage of the churche euen from the beginning is agreable with the saying of saint Paul Christ loued his church Ephe. v. hath giuen hym selfe to the death for his churches sake to sanctify her make her holy in clēsing her by the foūtain of water in his word c. So that no mā is nor can be of this church but he which is clēsed by the sacrament of baptisme Lyke as the texe before alledged sheweth where Christe saith Ioan. iii. who so euer is not born againe of water and the holy gost shal not enter into the kyngdome of heauen Wherfore seing that out of the churche neyther infantes nor noo man elles can be saued they muste nedes be christened and clensed by baptisme and so incorporated into the churche And as the infancye of the chyldren of the Hebrues in the old testament did not let but that they were made participant of the grace and benefite giuen in circumcision Euen so in the newe testamēt the infancy of chyldren doth not let but that they may and ought to be baptised and so receyue the graces and vertues of the same In this parte also it is to be noted that children or men ones baptised ought neuer to be baptised agayne And all good christen men ought and muste repute and take all the Anabaptistes the Pelagians opinions whiche be contrary to the premisses euery other mans opinion agreable vnto the said Anabaptistes or the Pelagians in that behalfe for detestable heresies and vtterly to be condemned Moreouer for bycause as well this sacrament of baptisme as all other sacramentes instituted by Christe haue all theyr vertue efficacy and strength by the worde of god which by his holy spirite worketh al the graces vertues which be giuen by the sacramentes to all those that worthily receyue the same We must vnderstand knowe that although he which doth minister the sacrament be of a sinful euill conuersation yet the vertue and effect of the sacrament is therby nothing diminished or hurted neither in infantes nor yet in them whiche beinge indued with the vse of reason come thervnto truly contrite and penitent of al their sinnes done before beleuyng confessing all the articles of the Crede and hauyng a sure fayth and truste in the promises of god of remission of their synnes and purposing euer after to lyue a christen lyfe Finally this sacrament of baptisme may wel be called a couenant betwene god and vs wherby god testifieth that he for his sonne Christis sake iustifieth vs that is to say forgiueth vs our synnes and indueth vs with his holy spirite giueth vs suche gracis that therby we be made able to walke in the workes of iustyce ordeyned by god to be exercysed of vs in this present lyfe to the glory and prayse of god And so perseueryng to enioye the fruite of the lyfe euerlastyng And we agayne vpon our parte ought moste diligently to remembre and keepe the promyse that we in baptisme haue made to almighty god that is to beleue only in him onely to serue and obey hym to forsake all synne and the workes of Satan to mortifie our affections of the flesshe and to lyue after the spirite in a newe lyfe Of whiche promyse and couenant by vs made to god saint Paule putteth vs in remembrance sayeng Knowe ye not that all we Rom. vi whiche are baptised in Iesu Christe are baptised to dye with hym for we be buryed with hym by baptisme to dye that lykewyse as Christ was raysed vp from deathe by the glory of his father euen soo we shulde walke in a newe lyfe By the whiche wordes saint Paule giueth vs to vnderstande that all we whiche be baptised in Christe that is to saye whiche by baptisme are incorporated in to the mystycall body of Christe haue professed and bounde ourselfe in baptisme to dye from synne and vtterly to absteyne from the corruption of our olde synfull lyfe and to walke and procede in a newe lyfe of grace and the spirite into the whiche we are called by the worde of god and by faythe and due receyuyng of this holy sacramente are brought and sette into the same The sacrament of penance FOr the cleere vnderstanding of this sacramente it is to be consydered what penance is also what is the sacrament of penance Penance is an inward sorowe and griefe of the harte for the synnes by vs doone and committed and an hatrede and detestation of the same with an earnest desyre to be purged frome them and to recouer agayne the grace and fauour of god by suche meanes and remedies as god hath appoynted for the obteynyng therof with a stedfast purpose and mynde neuer to offende agayn For he that sayeth that he is sory for his offences commytted agaynst the hyghe maiestie of god and yet styll contynueth or intendeth to contynue in the same is no penytent person but a dissembler or rather a deryder of penance And thus is penaunce commonly taken in the scripture as welle in the
hym our god is to conceyue hym in our hartes to cleaue faste and surely vnto hym with harte and mynde to put all our trust confidence in him to set all our thoughtes and care aboue all thynges to please hym and to depend holely of hym takyng him to be infinitely good and mercyfull vnto vs beynge his creatures and continuyng in his flocke Secondly god commandeth vs thus to do to hym onely and to no creature nor to no false and fayned god For as a kynde and louynge man can not be content that his wyfe shulde take any other husband So can not our most kynd most louing god and creatour be pleased if we shulde forsake hym and take any other goddis And surely he is more presente with vs and more ready to shewe vs all kyndnes and goodnes than any creature is or can be And already of his gyft we haue al that we haue meate drynke clothe reason witte vnderstandynge dyscretion and all good thynges that we haue perteynynge bothe to the soule and the bodye And therfore he wylle not suffre vnpunysshed soo muche ingratitude and vnkyndenesse at our handes that we shoulde forsake hym and fyxe our faythe and godly truste in any other thinge besydes hym Thyrdly by this precepte god commandeth vs not onely to truste thus in hym but also to gyue hym the hole loue of our hartes aboue all worldly thynges yea and aboue our selues so that we may not loue our selues ne any other thyng but for him according as Moises saith in the boke of Deutronomie Thy lorde god is one god Deut. vi and thou shalte loue hym with all thy harte and with all thy soule with all thy minde and with all thy strengthe and power And this loue muste brynge with it a feare that euen for very pure loue we ought to be muche ashamed and afrayde to breake the leaste of his commaundementes Lyke as the chylde the more he loueth his father the more he is lothe and afrayde to displease hym in any maner of case Fourthly all they offende agaynste thys commaundemente whiche set theyr hartes and mindes vpon any worldly thing aboue god For what so euer we loue aboue god so that we set our myndes vpon it more than we do vpon god or for it we wyl offende god truely we make that for the tyme our god For as saint Paule sayeth The couetous man maketh his goodes his god And the gluttonous man maketh his bealy his god For the one setteth his mynde vpon his goodes the other vpon his bealy more than they do vpon god and for them they will not sticke to offende god Also all they whiche haue more confidence in the creatures of god than in god do make the creatures of god theyr god And howe greuousely god is offended therewith we fynde in the boke of Paralipomenon ◠Par. xvi where it is written that whan Aza kynge of Iuda beynge sore constrayned by Baasa kynge of Israell sente for helpe to Benadad kinge of Syria and gaue hym greate treasure for to allure hym to his ayde Our lorde sente the prophete Hanani to Aza the kynge of Iuda who sayde vnto hym on this maner Bycause thou haste trusted in the kynge of Syria and not in thy lorde god therfore the hoste of the kynge Syria is escaped from thy handes Were not they of Ethiopia and Libia of farre greatter power bothe in charyottes and horsemen and in numbre and multitude whyche were innumerable and yet our lorde as longe as thou dyddest put thy truste in hym dyd yelde them in to thy handes The eyes of god do beholde all the worlde and gyueth strength to them that truste in him with all theyr harte In whyche wordes it dothe appere that it is layde to Azaes charge that he dyd not beleue in our lorde bycause he dyd more trust in Benadad the hethen prince thā in our lord It is noted also in the same chapiter that where as Aza had very great peyne in his feete he sought not to our lorde for remedy of his disease but trusted more in the art and remedy of phisike Wherby we maye learne that it is one great parte of perfit belefe in our lorde god to put our truste and confidence moste principally and aboue al other in him wherfore they that do otherwyse do transgresse this commandement and make to them other goddis Also all they transgresse this commaundement whiche eyther presume so muche vpon the mercy of god that they feare not his iustice and by reason thereof do styll continue in theyr synne or elles soo muche feare his iustyce that they haue no truste in his mercy Also they be of the same sorte whiche by lottes diuination chatterynge of byrdes and lokynge of mens handes or other vnlawfull or superstitiouse craftes take vpon them certeinly to tell determine and iudge before hand of mens actes and fortunes which be to come afterwarde For what do they but make them selues goddis in this behalfe as the prophete Esaie sayeth Tell vs afore what shall come Esai xii and we shall say that ye be goddis Also al they which by charmes and witchecraftes do vse any prescribed letters sygnes or carectes wordes blessynges roddes christall stones sceptures sweardes measures or for any superstitious entente charmes or wytchecraftes hange saincte Iohns gospelle or any other thynge aboute theyr neckes or any other partes of theyr bodies or vse to drynke holy water or any other suche vayne obseruation trustyng therby to continue in long life to dryue awaye syckenes to preserue them from sicnes fier water or any other peryll otherwyse than phisike or surgery dothe allowe doo also offende agaynst this commaundement But moste greuousely of all and aboue all other they do offende agaynst this commaundement whiche professe Christe and contrary to theyr profession made at theyr baptisme do make secrete pactes and couenantes with the deuyll or do vse any maner of coniurations to rayse vp deuyls for treasure or any other thynge hydde or loste or for any maner of cause what so euer it be for suche committe so hygh offence and treason to god that there can be no greatter For they yelde the honour due vnto god to the deuyll goddis ennemie And not onely all suche as vse charmes wytchecraftes and coniurations transgresse this chiefe and high commandement but also all those that seke and resorte vnto them for any counsayle or remedy accordynge to the sayinge of god when he sayde Let no man aske counsayle of them that vse false diuinations Deu. xviii or suche as take heede to dreames or chattering of birdes Let there be no witche or enchanter amonges you or any that asketh counsaile of them that haue spirites nor of sothesayers nor that seke the trouthe of them that be dead for god abhorreth all these thinges The exposition of the seconde commaundement of god ¶ Thou shalte not haue any grauen Image nor any lykenes of any thyng that