saluation in his innoceÌ„cy sythe no man is innocente but confessynge his synnes he humbly prayde and he that forgyueth the humble harde his prayer The whiche thinges the lord in his gospel putteth and sayth Two men went vp into the temple to pray the one a pharisee and the other a Publycane The pharisee stode and prayed by him self after this maner God I thaÌ„k the bicause I am nat as other meÌ„ vniuste robbers adulterers as this publycane I faste twyse in the weke I gyue the tythes of al what so euer I possesse But the publycane stoode afarre of and wolde not lyfte vp his eies to heuen but knockid his brest saying God be mercyfull vnto me a synner I telle you this manne went downe moore iustyfyed into his hous theÌ„ he the pharisee For who so euer exalteth hym selfe shall be humbled and who so euer wolle humble hym selfe shal be exalted Whiche thynges dere bretherne we lerning of the diuine lesson after that we knowe how we ought to ê“cede to praier we must know alsoo the lorde instructynge vs what we shulde pray thus saythe he praye ye Our father whiche art in heuen halowed be thy name Thy kyngedome come Thy wyl be done in erth as it is in heuen Gyue vs this day our dayly breade And forgyue vs our trespaces as we forgyue them that trespas agaynst vs. And let vs not be ledde into temptation But delyuer vs from euyll Amen Aboue all thynges the teacher of peace and mayster of vnitie wyl not singular priuate prayer to be made that whaÌ„ any prayeth y t he shuld not onely pray for hym selfe We say nat My father whiche art in heuen nor Gyue me my dayly bread Nor there is no man that desyreth to haue his synnes forgyuen hym aloone or prayeth for hym selfe alone that he shulde nat be led into temptation and delyuered from euyl Our prayer is publyke and common and whan we pray we pray not for one but for all the people for we all be but one The lorde of peace and mayster of concorde whiche taughte vnitie wolde oone to pray soo for all as he hym selfe bare al in one This rule of prayer the thre childern inclosed in the forneis of fire obserued agreing and accordyng in prayer and consente of spirite Whiche thynge the trouthe of diuine scripture declareth whan it teacheth howe they prayd it giueth example whiche in our praiers we ought to folowe that we may be suche as they were Than sayth the scripture they thre as out of one mouth sang an himne and blessed the lorde They spake as out of oone mouthe and yet Christe had not tought theym to pray and therfore to theym prayinge their wordes were effectuall and toke place for their peasyble symple and spirituall prayer deserued to be accepted of god And so we fynd that the apostels with the disciples prayid after thascention of the lorde They were all sayth the scripture of one mynde and continuynge in prayer with the womeÌ„ and Mary the mother of Iesu and with his bretherne They being of one mynde perseuered in prayer declaryng bothe the instance and concorde of their prayer For god whyche maketh the inhabitantes of one mynde in the house admitteth none into the diuine and eternall house but suche as are of one mynd in prayer But what be the misteries of the lordis prayer most dere brethern how many how great how brefely gathered togither but in vertue spirituall howe copious and abundant that there is nothing omittid that is not in our praiers and orysons comprysed in this compendiouse heauenly doctrine Thus sayth he pray ye Our father whiche arte in heauen The man that is renewed and borne ageyn and restored to god by his grace sayth in the fyrst place Father bycause he begynneth nowe to be his sonne He came sayth the scripture into his owne and his owne receyued hym not But as many as receyued hym to theym gaue he power to be the chylderne of god which beleue in his name Therfore he that beleueth in his name and is made the chyld of god must forth withall begyn both to gyue thankes and acknowlege him selfe to be the chylde of god whan he nameth his father to be in heauen god He woll also among the first wordes of his byrthe declare hym selfe to haue forsaken his erthely and carnall father and to begyn to haue hym his only father that is in heuen as it is writen They that say to the father and mother I knowe the not they acknowleged not their children they haue kepte thy preceptes and haue obserued thy testameÌ„t Also the lord in his gospel commaundeth that we shulde calle no man father in erthe bycause we haue one father whiche is in heuen And to the disciple that shewid that his father was deade he sayde Suffre the deade to burye the deade For he sayde that his father was deed sythen they that beleue haue a lyuynge father Nor we ought not dere bretherne to marke and consyder this onely that we shuld cal hym father that is in heauen but we ioyne therwith and say Oure father that is of them that beleue of theÌ„ that by hym bd sauctifyed and with the natiuite of spiritual grace restored beganne to be the chyldren of god Whyche voyce also doothe wrynge and sharpely touche the Iewes whych not only vnfaythfully despised Christe forshewed to them by the prophetes and to them fyrst sent but also cruelly slewe hym The whiche Iewes can nat nowe call god father sythen the lord confoundeth and reproueth them sayeng You are of the father the dyuelle and after the lustes of your father wyl ye do for he was a murderer froÌ„ the begynnynge and abode not in the truthe bycause the truthe is not in hym And by Esaie the prophete god disdaynyng crieth out I haue begotteÌ„ chyldren and exalted them but they haue despised me The oxe knowith is lord the asse his masters stable but Israell knoweth not and my people hath not vnderstand out vpon ye synfull nation people full of synnes wycked seede vngracyouse childerne you haue forsaken the lorde and haue prouoked him the holy one of Israel to indignatioÌ„ To whose rebuke and shaame whan we Christians pray we say Our father bycause he hath begon to be ours and hath lefte to be the Iewes father which forsoke him Nor a synfulle people can nat be his chylde but they whose synnes are forgyuen be callyd chylderne and to theym euerlastynge ioye is promysed oure lorde hym selfe sayenge Who so euer dothe synne is the seruant of synne as for the seruant abydeth not in the house foreuer but the sonne abydeth for euer But howe greate is the gentylnesse of the lorde howe plentiful is his fauour goodnes towarde vs That so wolde haue vs celebrate our prayer in goddis sight that we shuld cal god fader and that as Christ is the sonne of god so we also
his name and honoure there is anye stryfe to shewe constancy in wordes that we confesse hym with and sure truste in question wherwith we assayle other pacience in dethe wherto we contende this is to wylle to be heire wyth Chryste this is to do goddis commaundement this is to fulfyll the wyll of the father We desyre the wylle of god to be done in erthe as it is in heuen bothe whiche apperteyne to the consummation of our wyll and saluation For sythen we possesse a body of the erth and a gost of heuen we be erthe and heuen and in bothe that is bodye and gooste we praye that the wyll of god be doone Trewely there is a wrastlyng betwene the fleshe and the spirite and stryuinge oone ageynste the other they dayly contende together that we canne not doo the thynges that we wolde while the spirite seketh for heuenly and diuine thynges the fleshe coueiteth erthly and worldly thinges And therfore we ernestly desyre that betweene these two by the ayde and helpe of god agreement may be made that whan the wylle of god is fulfylled bothe of the spirite and the fleshe the soule whiche by hym is borne agayne may be saued Whych thynge the apostel Paule playne and openly declareth with his owne voyce The fleshe saythe he lusteth agaynste the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe These two are so contrarye one to the other that you can not do what thinges that ye wolde The dedes of the fleshe be manyfeste whiche are adulteries fornications vnclennes fylthy wantonnesse idolatry witch-craft murder hatred contention spite wrath prouocation debate heresye enuye dronkennes glottony and suche lyke which I tell you before as I haue tolde you that they whiche do such thinges shall not possesse the kyngedome of god But the fruit of the spirite is Charitie ioye peace long sufferynge feythe mekenesse continence chastite And therfore daily yea continually we praye that the wyll of god be done concernynge vs bothe in heauen and in erthe For this is the wylle of god that erthely thynges shuld gyue place to heuenly and that spiritual and diuine thynges shulde preuayle It may also be thus vnderstande dere bretherne that bycause god commandeth ye and monyssheth vs to loue our ennemies and also to pray for them that ê‘secute vs we shulde praye for them that be as yet erthy and haue not yet begun to be heuenly that touchyng them the wyl of god may be done whiche Christ fully dyd in coÌ„seruynge and renewynge man For sythen he called his disciples not erthy but the salte of the erth and the apostell calleth the fyrste man of slyme of the erthe erthy the seconde of heauen heauenly with good cause we whiche oughte to be lyke god the father that maketh his sonne to ryse vppon the good and bad and sendeth rayne vpon the iuste and vniuste shulde so praye and desyre god admonishynge that we myghte make prayer for the helthe of all men That lyke as in heuen that is in vs by our faythe the wylle of god is done that as we shuld be of heuen so eueÌ„ in erth that is in them beleuynge the wyll of god maye be done that they whiche as yet of theyr fyrste byrthe be erthye borne of water and the holy goost may begynne to be heuenly ¶ Procedyng forth in our prayer we aske and say Gyue vs this daye our dayly breade whiche saieng may be vnderstaÌ„d spiritually and simply for bothe the vnderstandynges with diuine vtilitie profytte vnto saluation For the breade of lyfe is Christ and this is not euery mans breadde but it is oures And lyke as we saye our Father by cause it muste be vnderstande he is father of theym that beleue so we cal hym our bread For Christ whose bodye we touche is oure breade This bread we aske dayly to be gyuen vs leste we that be in Christe and receyue dayly his precious body by some greuouser offence chaunsynge whyle we be accursed out of the churche not communicating shulde be prohybited from that heuenly breadde and shulde be separated from the body of Christe hym selfe before shewyng and monysshynge I am the breade of lyfe that descended from heuen he that woll eate of this breade shall lyue for euer The breade that I woll gyue for the lyfe of the world is my fleshe Therfore whan he saythe he that woll eate of this bread shall lyue for euer it is than manyfest they lyue whiche touche his body and receyue it by the right of communion soo contrarywyse it is to be feared and prayed for leste while one accursed out of the churche is separated from the body of Christ he remayne farre from saluation hym self thretnynge and saying Excepte ye eate the flesshe of the sonne of man drynke his bloud ye shall haue no lyfe in you And therfore we aske daily our breade that is Chryst to be gyuen to vs that we that abyde and lyue in Chryste shulde not departe from his sanctification and body It may also be thus vnderstaÌ„d that we whiche haue forsaken the wolde and by grace of spirituall feythe haue caste away the riches and pompe therof woll desyre onlye oure meate and foode seinge Chryst woll vouchsafe to instruct vs and saye He that woll not forsake all that he hath canne not be my disiple He that hathe beguÌ„ne to be Christis disciple forsakynge all that he hath after the wordes of his mayster ought to aske his daily foode ne we may nat extend the desyres of our petition to any longe tyme. For Christ ageyn prescribeth and saith Be not ye careful for the morowe for the morow shall care for it selfe Euery daye hath inough of his own trauaile Therfore Chrystis dysciple skylfully asketh his dayly foode whiche is prohibited to be carefull for the morowe For it is bothe contrarye and repugnant in it selfe that we shuld desyre to lyue longe in this worlde whiche prayer that the kingedome of god may quickly come And so the blessed apostel monisheth forinynge strengththyng the stedfastnes of our hope and faithe Nothynge sayth he we brought into the worlde aud truely we can carye nothyng out Therfore hauyng foode and rayment let vs be content therwih For they that woll be ryche falle into the temptation and snares of the dyuell and into many noysom lustes which drowne a man into distruction and damnation For couetousnes is the roote of all yuels whiche some moch desiring haue rounne to wrecke frome the faythe and tangled theym selfes with many sorowes He teacheth not onely that ryches shoulde be despised but also that they be peryllous and that in theym is the rote of blandysshinge yuelles the blyndnes of mans mynde begyling with priuie deceyt Wherfore Christe reprouynge the foolysshe ryche man that had set his mynde on his worldly substance reioyced in him self for the great abundance of his fruites saythe in the gospell Thou foole this nyghte
shall they require thy soule frome the than whose shall those thynges be that thou haste prepared The fole that shuld dye the same nyght reioysed in his fruites and he whose lyfe nowe fayled was carefull for abundance of foode But Christe teacheth a contrarye lesson that he that wol be perfect muste selle a way all that he hath and deale it amonge poore men and make hym a tresure in heuen This man saith Christ foloweth him and the glorie of his passion whiche is expedite and lyght apparayled not wrapped and loded with householde stuffe but leuse and at lybertie his goodes and substaÌ„ce sent afore to god he also foloweth after To the which that eche of vs may pÌ„pare him selfe he lerneth vs to pray to knowe after what maner our prayer ought to be For no ryghtous man can lacke his dayely foode sythe it is written The lorde kylleth not the soule of a iuste man with hunger And agayne I haue ben yonger and nowe am olde and haue nat sene the iuste man forsakeÌ„ nor his sede seke theyr breadde Also the lorde promyseth and saythe Be not ye carefull sayeng what shall we eate or what shall we drinke or wherwith shall we be clothed For those thinges the hethen people seke But your heuenly father knowethe that ye haue neede of those thynges Seke ye fyrst the kyngedome of god and the rightuousnes therof all these thinges shall be ministred vnto you To them that seke the kyngdome and rightuousnes of god al those thynges he promyseth to be ministred For sythen all thynges be goddes he that hath god lacketh nothynge yf he hym selfe be not wantyng to god So for Daniel by the kynges commaundemente inclosed in the lyons denne a dyner from heauen was prepared and he the man of god dydde eate among the hungry wyld beastes that hurte hym not So Helyas in his flyght was fed and in wildernes by rauens and byrdes ministrynge and bryngynge to hym meate he was norished in persecution O detestable crueltie of mans malyce the wylde beastes forbeare to doo hurte the byrdes bryng fode to nourishe men practise wyles and cruellye demeane them selfes ¶ After all this we praye for our synnes sayeng And forgyue vs our trespaces as we forgyue them that trespas agaynst vs. After helpe of fode forgyuenesse of synne is desyred that he that is fedde of god may lyue in god hauynge respecte not only to this present and temporal but to the eternal lyfe to the whiche he may come if his synnes be forgyuen whiche the lorde callith dettes lyke as in his gospelle he sayth I haue forgyuen the all thy dette bycause thou praydest me But howe nedefully howe prouidently and howe holsomly be we admonyshed that we be synners whiche be compelled to praye for our synnes that while forgiuenes is craued of god the mynde maye remember his conscience For to the ende no man shulde stande in his owne conceyte as though he were an innocent and extollynge hym selfe shuld peryshe the more he is instructed taughte that he synneth dayely sythen he is commaunded dayely to praye for his synnes And thus fynallye IohnÌ„ in his epistell admonyssheth vs sayeng If we saye that we haue no synne we deceyue our selues and the truth is not in vs. But if we woll confesse oure synnes the lorde is faithfull and iuste whiche wol forgyue vs our sinnes Both these he hath comprised in his epistell that we oughte to praye for our synnes and that we shall opteyne forgyuenes whan we praye And therfore he saith god is faith full to forgyue synnes holdynge the faith of his promise For why he that taught vs to praye for our sinnes hath ê“mised that fatherly mercy and forgyuenes shulde folowe He hath ioyned and added therto a lawe constraynynge vs with a certayn condition and promise that we shulde so desyre our synnes to be forgiuen vs euen as we forgiue theym that trespas ageynste vs Knowynge well that it canne nat be obteyned that we aske for our sinnes rxcept we wol doo the lyke to them that trespas agaynste vs. And therfore in an other place he saithe With what measure ye mette with the same shall it be mesured to you agayn And he the seruaunt whiche after his lord hadde forgyuen hym all his duetie wolde not forgyue his felowe was trowen into pryson Bicause he wold not gentilly forgiue his felowe he loke that that his lord had courteisly giuen him Whiche thynges Chryste in his preceptes more strongly and with more vigour of his sharpe iudgement fortolde vs And whan ye stande to praye sayth he forgiue yf ye haue ought against any maÌ„ that your father also whiche is in heuen may forgiue you your trespasses but if you wol not forgiue no more woll your father that is in heauen forgyue your offences There is no excuse for the at the day of iudgement whanne thou shalt be iudged after thyne owne sentence and that thou hast done that shalt thou suffre For god coÌ„mandeth that such as loue peace concorde to liue in vnitie shuld dwelle in his house and suche as he made vs in our seconde natiuitie suche he woll vs beinge borne againe to perseuer that we whiche haue begunne to be the childreÌ„ of god shuld remain in the peace of god and we that haue one spicitie shoulde be of one minde and intent for so god receyueth our sacrifice He commaundethe the stryuer retournyng from the altare fyst to reconcile hym to his brother that with prayers commynge from an harte that loueth peace god may be pacified Our peace and brotherly concorde and the people knytte togyther in the vnitie of the father of the sonne and of the holy goste is a sacrifice hyghly acceptable vnto god For god regarded not the gyftes and offerynges that Abill and Cayne the fyrst offred vp in sacrifice but he behelde theyr hartes that he shulde pleace hym with his gyfte that pleased hym in his hart The peasible and iust Abell innocently offrynge vp his sacrifyce vnto god taught all other whan they offre theyr gyft at the altare so to come with the drede of god with a symple harte with the lawe of iustice with the peace of concord He that was suche in the sacrifice of god was afterwarde worthily made a sacrifyce to god that he fyrste shewyng a profe of martirdome with the glory of his bloud tasted the lordes passion the whiche had in hym bothe iustyce and peace Suche the lorde crowneth such at the day of iudgement shal with the lorde be reuenged But he that is at debate and strife and lyueth not in peace with his bretherne lyke as the blessed apostle holy scripure witnesse though he shuld be slayne for the name of Chryst yet coude he not escape the cryme of dyssention For as it is written who soo euer hateth his brother is a mankyller a man sleer commeth not to the kyngedome of heuen