Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	beget_v	belove_a	great_a	42	3	2.1254	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18193	The lamentacion of a synner, made by ye most vertuous Ladie, Quene Caterin, bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life: set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin duchesse of Suffolke, [and] the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord, William Parre, Marquesse of North Hampton	Catharine Parr, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1512-1548.; Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.	1547 (1547)	STC 4827; ESTC S108944	34,896	122

geue me his holy spirit to teache me to auowe that Christ is the sauiour of the worlde and to vtter these wordes the lorde Iesus and finally to helpe myne infirmities and to intercede for me For I am mooste certayne suer that no creature in heauen nor earth is of power or can by any meane helpe me but god who is omnipotent almighty beneficyall and mercyfull wel willing and louing to all those that call and put their whole confidence and trust in hym And therfore I wil seke non other meanes nor aduocate but Christes holy spirite who is only the Aduocat and mediatour betwene god and man to helpe and relyue me But nowe what maketh me so bolde hardy to presume to cum to the lord with suche audacitie boldnes beyng so greate a Sinner trulye nothinge but hys owne woorde for he sayeth Cum to me al ye that labour and ar burdened and I shall refresshe you What gentle mercyfull cōfortable wordes ar ●hese to all sinners were he not a frantick mad beastly folysh man that would runne for ayde helpes or refuge to any other creature What a most gracious comfortable and ge●tle saying was this w t suche pleasant and swete wordes to allure his enemies to cū vnto him Is there any worldlie prince or magistrate that woulde shewe suche clemencie mercie to their disobedient and rebellious subiectes hauyng offended theym I suppose they woulde not with suche woordes allure thē excepte it were to calle theym whom they can not take punishe theym beyng takē But euen as Christe is Prince of Princes and lorde of lordes so his charitie mercy excedeth surmounteth all others Christ saith if carnall fathers do geue good giftes to their childrē whē they aske them howe muche more shall your heauenly father being in substance al holie most highly good geue good giftes to all them that aske hym It is no smal nor litle gift that I require neyther thinke I my selfe worthy to receyue suche a noble gift being so ingrate vnkinde and wicked a chylde But when I behold the benignitie liberalitie mercy and goodnes of the lorde I I am encoraged boldened and stirred to aske suche a noble gift The lorde is so bountefull and lyberall that he will not haue vs satisfyed and contented with one gyft neyther to aske simple and small giftes And therfore he promiseth and bindeth him selfe by hys worde to geue good and beneficiall giftes to all them that aske hym with true fayth without whiche nothing can be doen acceptable or pleasing to god For fayth is the foundacion and grounde of all other giftes vertues and graces and therfore I wil saye Lord encreace my fayth For this is the life euerlastynge lord that I must beleue the to be the true god whom thou didest sende Iesu Christ. By this fayth I am assured and by thys assurance I fele the remission of my sinnes this is it that maketh me bold this is it that cōforteth me this is it that quencheth all dispayre I knowe O my lorde thy eyes looke vpō my fayth Saynt Paule sayeth we be iustified by the fayth in Christe not by the deades of the lawe For if rightwisenes cum by the lawe then Christ died in vayne S. Paule meaneth not here a dead humain historical fayth gottē by humain industrie but a supernall liuelye fayth which worketh by charitie as he him selfe plainly expresseth This dignitie of fayth is no dirogaciō to good workes for oute of this fayth springeth all good workes Yet we may not impute to the worthines of fayth or workes our Iustificaciō before god but ascribe and geue the worthynes of it wholy to the merites of Christes passion and referre and attrybute the knowlege and perceyuyng therof onely to fayth whose very true only propertie is to take apprehende and holde fast the promyses of goddes mercie the whiche maketh vs rightwise and to cause me continually to hope for the same mercy and in loue to worke all manner of wayes allowed in the scripture that I may be thankfull for the same Thus I feele my selfe to cū as it were in a newe garment before god and nowe by his mercye to be taken iuste and rightwise whiche of late without hys mercy was sinfull and wicked and by fayth to obteyne his mercy the whiche the vnfaythfull can not enioye And although Saint Iohn extolleth charitie in hys Epistle saying that god is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in god Truly charitie maketh menne liue lyke aungelles And of the most furious vnbrydled carnall men maketh meke lambes Yea w t howe feruent a spirite ought I to call crye pray to the lorde to make his greate charitie to burne and flame in my harte being so stonye and euyll affected that it neuer woulde conceyue nor regard the greate inestimable charitie and loue of god in sending hys only begotten and dere beloued Sonne into this vale of miserie to suffre the moste cruell sharpe death of the crosse for my redēcion Yet I neuer had this vnspeakable speakeable and most high charitie and abundant loue of god printed fixed in my hart dulye tyll it pleased god of hys mere grace mercy pitie to opē myne eyes makyng me to see and beholde with the eye of liuely fayth Christ crucified to be myne only sauiour and redemer For then I beganne and not before to perceyue and see myne owne Ignoraunce and blindnes the cause therof was that I woulde not learne to knowe Christ my Sauiour and redemer But when god of hys meere goodnes had thus opened myne eyes made me see and behold Christ the wisdome of GOD the light of the world with a supernatural sight of fayth All pleasures vanities honour riches welth and aydes of the world beganne to waxe bitter vnto me thā I knewe it was no illusion of the deuill nor false ne humain doctrine I had receyued whē suche successe came therof that I had in detestaciō horrour y t which I erste so muche loued estemed being of god forbidden that we shoulde loue the worlde or the vayne pleasures shadowes in the same Thā begā I to perceyue y t Christe was my only Sauiour redemer the same doctrine to be al diuine holy heauēly infused by grace into the hartes of y e faythful which neuer cā be atteyned by humayne doctrine wit nor reasō although they should trauayle and labour for the same to th end of y e world Then began I to dwel in god by charitie knowing by the louyng charitie of god in the remission of my sinnes that god is charitie as Saint Iohn sayth So that of my faythe wherby I came to knowe god and wherby it pleased god euen because

in religion whiche nowe be honorable in vanyties so shall they as in some vertuouse ladies of right high estate it is with greate comforte seene taste of this fredome of remission of this euerlastyng blisse whiche excedeth all thoughtes and vnderstandinges and is prepared for the holie in spirite for the which let vs with our intercessiō in holynes and purenes of lyfe offer our selfes to the heauenly father an vndefiled host to whom be eternall prayse and glorye through all the yearth without ende Amen A lamentaciō or complaynte of A Synner WHen I considre in the bethinking of myne euill wretched former life myne obstynate stony and vntractable herte to haue so much exceded in euilnes y t it hath not only neglected yea cōtemned dispised goddes holy preceptes cōmaundementes But also enbrased receyued and estemed vayne folish and feyned tryfles I am partely by the hate I owe to sinne who hathe reygned in me partely by the loue I owe to all Christians whom I am contente to edifye euen with thexample of mine owne shame forced and constrayned with my harte and wordes to cōfesse and declare to the worlde howe ingrate negligent vnkynde and stubberne I haue bene to god my Creatour and howe beneficiall mercyfull and gentill he hath ben alwayes to me his creature beyng suche a miserable wretched sinner Truly I haue taken no lytle small thing vpō me firste to set furth my whole stubbernes and contempt in wordes the which is incomprehensible in thought as it is in the Psalme who vnderstandeth hys faultes next this to declare the excellente beneficence mercy goodnes of god which is infinite vnmeasurable neyther can all the wordes of Angelles men make relaciō therof as apperteyneth to hys moste high goodnes Who is he that is not forced to confesse the same if he consyder what he hath receyued of god and dothe dayly receyue Yea if men woulde not acknowledge confesse the same the stones would crie it out Trulye I am constrayned forced to speake write therof to mine own cōfusiō shame but to the great glorye and prayse of god For he as a louyng father of moste habundant and high goodnes hath heaped vpon me innumerable benefites and I contrary haue heaped manifolde sinnes dispysing that whiche was good holy pleasant and acceptable in hys sight and choysing that whiche was delicious pleasant and acceptable in my sight And no meruayle it was that I so dyd for I would not learne to knowe y e lord and hys wayes But loued darkenes better then light Yea darknes semed to me light I enbraced ignorance as perfect knowlege knowelege seamed to me superfluous vayne I regarded little goddes worde but gaue my selfe to vanities and shadowes of the worlde I forsooke him in whom is all truth folowed the vayne folishe imaginacions of my hert I would haue couered my sinnes with the pretence of holynes I called supersticion godly meaning and true holynes erroure The lord did speake many pleasant and swete wordes vnto me and I woulde not heare he called me diuersly but throughe frowardnes I woulde not answere Mine euilles and miseries be so many and great that they accuse me euen to my face Oh howe miserably wretchedly am I confounded when for the multitude and greatnes of my sinnes I am cōpelled to accuse my selfe Was it not a merueylous vnkyndnes when god dyd speake to me and also call me that I woulde not answer him what man so called woulde not heaue harde or what man hearyng woulde not haue answered Yf an earthlye Prince had spoken eyther called him I suppose there be none but would willingly haue done bothe Now therfore what a wretche Caytife am I that when the Prince of princes y e king of kinges did speake many pleasant and gentle woordes vnto me also called me so many sundry times that they canne not be numbred And yet notwithstandyng these greate signes tokens of loue I woulde not cum vnto him but hyd my selfe out of his sight seking many crooked bye wayes wherin I walked so longe that I had cleane loste his sight And noo maruayle or woundre for I had a blinde guyde called Ignoraūce who dimmed so mine eyes that I could neuer perfectlye get any sighte of the fayre goodly streight and ryght wayes of hys doctrine but cōtinually trauayled vncomfortablie in the foule wicked croked peruerce wayes Yea bicause they were so much haunted of many I coulde not thinke but I walked in the perfect right way hauing more regarde to the numbre of the walkers then to the order of the walking beleuing also moste surely with company to haue walked to heauen wheras I am most sure they woulde haue brought me downe to hell I forsoke the spirituall honoring of y e true liuyng god worshipped visible idoles and ymages made of mennes handes beleuing by them to haue gotten heauē yea to say y e truthe I made a great ydol of my selfe For I loued my selfe better then god And certaynely looke howe many thinges are loued or preferred in our hartes before god so many are taken and estemed for ydolles and false goddes Alas howe haue I violated this holy pure moste high precepte and commaundement of the loue of god whiche precepte byndeth me to loue hym w t my hole harte minde force strength vnderstāding And I like vnto an euyll wicked disobedient childe haue gyuen my wil power and sences to the contrary making almoste of euery earthly carnall thing a god Furthermore the bloud of Christe was not reputed by me sufficient for to wassh me frō the fylth of my sinnes neyther suche wayes as he hath appoynted by his word But I sought for such rifraf as the bisshoppe of Rome hath planted in his tyranny and kingdom trusting with greate confidence by the vertue holynes of thē to receyue full remission of my sinnes And so I did as much as was in me to obfuscate and darken the great benefite of Christes passion then the whiche no thought cā cōceyue any thing of more value There can not be dooen so great an iniury and displeasure to almighthy god our father as to treade vnder foote Christ his only begotten wel-beloued Sonne All other sinnes in the worlde gathered together in one be not so heynous and detestable in the sight of god And no wonder for in Christe crucified god doth shewe him selfe most noble and gloryouse euen an almighty god and most louing father in his onlye deere and chosen blessed sonne And therfore I counte my selfe one of the moste wicked myserable sinners bycause I haue ben so much cōtrary to Christ my sauiour Sainct Paule desired to knowe nothing but Christ crucified after he had ben rapt into the thirde heauen where he hearde suche

Christ was vpon the crosse whiche deliuered al hys electe from suche a sharpe miserable captiuitie He had in this battayle many strypes yea and loste hys life but his victory was so muche the greater Therfore when I loke vpon the sonne of god with a supernatural fayth and light so vnarmed naked geuen vp and alone with humilitie pacience liberalitie modestie gentlenes and with all other hys diuine vertues beating downe to the grounde al goddes enemies and making the soule of man so fayre and beautyfull I am forced to say that his victory and triumphe was merueylouse And therfore Christ deserued to haue this noble title Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes But if we will perticulerlie vnfold and see hys great victories let vs firste beholde howe he ouercame sinne w t his Innocencie and confounded pride with his humilitie Quenched all worldlie loue with hys charitie appeysed the wrath of his father with his mekenes turned hatred into loue with hys so many benyfites and godlie zele Christe hath not only ouercum sinne but rather he hath kylled the same in asmuche as he hath satisfied for it him selfe with the most holy sacrifice and oblacion of hys precious bodye in suffering most bitter and cruel death Also after an other sorte that is He geueth to al those that loue hym so muche spirit grace vertue and strength that they may resiste impugne and ouercome sinne not consent neyther suffer it to reigne in them He hath also vanquished sinne bicause he hath taken away the force of the same that is he hathe cancelled the lawe whiche was in euil men the occasion of sinne Therfore sinne hath no power agaynste theym that are with y e holy ghost vnited to Christ. In theim there is nothing worthy of damnaciō And although the dregges of Adam doe remayne that is our concupiscences which in dede be sinnes neuertheles they be not Imputed for sinnes yf we be truly planted in Christe It is true that Christe might haue taken away all our immoderate affeccions but he hath left them for the greater glory of hys father and for his owne greater triūph As for an example When a prince fyghting w t his ennemyes which sōtime had y e soueraintie ouer his people subdewing thē may kil them yf he will yet he preserueth and saueth theym And wheras they were lordes ouer his people he maketh theym after to serue whom they before had rewled Nowe in suche a case the prince doth shewe hym selfe a greater conquerour in that he hath made theym whiche were rewlers to obey the subiectes to be lordes ouer them to whom they serued then yf he had vtterly distroyed theim vpon the conquest For nowe he leaueth continuall victory to theym whom he redeamed wheras otherwise thoccasion of victory was taken away where none were left to be the subiectes Euen so in lyke case Christe hath left in vs these concupiscences to thintente they should serue vs to the exercise of our vertues where first they did reigne ouer vs to thexercice of oure sinne And it may be plainly sene that wheras first they were suche impedimentes to vs y t we coulde not moue our selues towardes god nowe by Christ we haue so muche strength that not withstanding the force of theym we may assuredly walke to heauen And although the chyldren of god sūtime doo falle by frailtie into sum sinne yet that falling maketh them to humble thē selues and to reknowelege the goodnes of god and to cum to hym for refuge and helpe Lykewise Christ with hys death hath ouercum the prince of deuilles with all hys hoste and hath distroyed them all For as Paule sayeth this is verefied y t Christe should breake y e serpentes heade prophesied by GOD. And although the deuil tempte vs yet if by fayth we be planted in Christ we shall not perish but rather by his temptacion take greate force and might So it is euident that the triumph victory and glory of Christe is the greater hauing in suche sorte subdewed the deuyll that wheras he was prince and lorde of the worlde holding all creatures in captiuitie nowe Christe vseth him as an Instrument to punish the wicked to exercise make strong the electe of god in christian warre fare Christe likewise hath ouercum death in a more glorious manner yf it be possible because he hath not takē it away but leuing vniuersally al subiect to the same He hath geuen so muche vertue and spirite that wheras afore we passed therto with great feare nowe we be bolde through the spirite for the sure hope of resurrecciō that we receyue it w t Ioie It is nowe no more bitter but swete no more feared but desired It is no death but life And also it hath pleased god that the infirmities and aduersities doo remayne to the sight of the world but the children of God are by Christ made so strong rightwise whole and sounde that the troubles of the worlde be comfortes of the spirite The passions of the fleshe are medicines of the soule For al maner thinges worketh to their commoditie and profite for they in spirite feele that god their father doth gouerne theym and disposeth all thinges for their benefite therfore they feele theym selues sure In persecucion they are quiet and peacefull in tyme of trouble they ar without werynes feares anxcieties suspicions miseries and finally all the good and euil of the world worketh to their commoditie Moreouer they see that the triumph of Christ hath ben so great that not only he hath subdewed and vanquished all our enemies and the power of theym but he hath ouerthrowne vanquished them after suche a sorte that al thinges serue to our helth he might and coulde haue taken theym all away but where then should haue bē our victorye palme crowne For wee dayly haue fightes in the flesshe and by the succour of grace haue continuall victories ouer sinne wherby we haue cause to glorifie god that by his sonne hath weakened our enemy the deuil and by hys spiryte geuith vs strength to vanquishe hys ofspringes So doe we knowelege daylie the great tryumphe of our Sauiour reioyce in our owne fightes the which we can no wise impute to any wisedome of thys worlde seing sinne to encrease by it And where worldlie wisedome most gouerneth there most sinne ruleth For as the world is enemy to god so also the wisedome therof is aduerse to god And therfore Christ hath declared discouered the same for folishnes And although he could haue taken awaye all worldlye wisedome yet he hath left it for his greater glorye and tryumphe of hys chosen vesselles For before wheras it was our ruler against god nowe by Christe we are serued of it for God as of a slaue in worldlye thinges Albeit in supernaturall thinges the same is not to be vnderstand And

further if any time men would impugne gaynsaye vs w t the wisedome of the world yet we haue by Christe so muche supernatural light of the trut●e that we make a mocke of al those that repugne the truthe Christe also vpon the c●osse hath triumphed ouer the worlde Firste bycause he hath discouered the same to be naught that wheras it was couered with the vayle of Ipocrisie and the vesture of morall vertues Christ hath shewed that in goddes sight the r●ghteousnes of the worlde is wickednesse and he hath yelded witnes that the workes of men not regenerated by him in fayth are euel And so Christe hath iudged and condemned the worlde for naught Furthermore he hath geuen to al hys so muche light and spirite that they knowe it and disprayse the same yea and treade it vnder their feete w t al vayne honours dignities and pleasures not taking the fayre promises neyther the offers whiche it doth present Nay they rather make a scorne of theym And as for the threatnynges and force of the worlde they nothing feare Nowe therfore we may see howe great the victorye and tryumphe of Christ is who hathe deliuered all those the father gaue him frō y e power of the deuill cancellynge vpon the Crosse the wrytyng of our dertes For he hath delyuered vs frō the condemnacion of sinne from the bondage of the lawe from the feare of death from the daungier of the world and from all euylles in this life and in thother to cum And he hath enriched vs made vs noble most highlie happie after suche a glorious and tryumphant waye as can not w t tongue be expressed And therfore we are forced to say his triūphe is merueylous It is also sene knowen y e Christ is the true Messias for he hath delyuered man from all euylles and by hym man hath all goodnes so that he is the true Messias Therfore al other helpers be but vaine and counterfeyted Sauiours seing that by this oure Messias Christ wholie and onely we be delyuered from all euylles and by hym we haue all goodnes And that this is true it is euidente and cleare because the very true christian is a christian by Christ. And the true christian fealeth inwardly by Christe so muche goodnes of god that euen troublouse lyfe and death be swete vnto hym and miseries happie the true christian by Christe is disburdened frō the seruitude of the lawe hauing the law of grace grauen by the spirite inhabiting his hart and from sinne that reygned in him from the power of the infernal spirites from dānacion and from euery euyll And is made a sonne of God a brother of Christ heyre of heauen and lord of the worlde So that in Christe and by Christ he possesseth al good thynges But let vs knowe that Christ yet fighteth in spirite in his elect vesselles and shall fight euen to the daye of iudgemēt At which daye shal that great enemy death be wholie distroyed and shal be no more Then shall the children of god reioyce on him saying O death where is thy victory sting There shal be thē no more trouble nor sinne naye rather none euyll but heauen for the good and hell for the wicked Then shall wholie be discouered the victorie and triumphe of Christ who after Paul shall present vnto his father the kyngdome togithers with his chosen saued by him It was no lytle fauour towardes his chyldren y ● Christ was chosē of god to saue vs his elect so highlie by the waye of the crosse Paul calleth it a grace and a moste singuler grace We maye well thinke that he hauinge ben to the worlde so valiaunte a Capitayne of God was full of light grace vertue and spirite Therfore he myght iustelie saye Consūmatum e●t We seing then y t the tryumphe and victory of oure capitaine Christ is so merueilous glorious and noble to the whiche warre we be appoynted lette vs force our selues to folowe him w t bearyng our crosse that we maye haue felowshyppe with him in his kyngdome Truly it maye be most iustely verified y t to behold Christ crucified in spirite is the best meditacion that can be I certeynlye neuer knewe myne owne miseries and wretchednes so wel by booke admonicion or learnyng as I haue doen by lokyng into the spirituall booke of the crucifix I lamente muche I haue passed so many yeares not regardyng that diuine booke but I iudged and thought my self to be well instructed in the same whereas nowe I am of this opinion that yf God would suffer me to lyue here a M. yeare and should studye continually in the same diuine booke I should not be fylled with the contemplacion therof Neyther holde I my self contented but alwayes haue a great desier to learne and study more therin I neuer knewe myne owne wickednes neyther lamented for my synnes truly vntill the tyme god inspired me with his grace that I looked in this booke Then I beganne to see perfectly that mine owne power and strēgth could not helpe me that I was in the Lordes hande euen as the cleye is in the potters hand thē I began to crye and saye Alas lorde that euer I haue so wickedlie offēded the beyng to me frō the beginnyng so gracious so good a father most specially now hast declared and shewed thy goodnes vnto me whan in the time I haue doen the mooste iniurie to call me and also to make me know take the for my sauioure and redemer Suche be the wōderful workes of god to cal sinners to repentaunce and to make them to take Christe his welbeloued sonne for theyr sauiour this is the gift of god of all christians to be required and desiered For except this great benefite of Christe crucified be felte and fixed surely in mannes harte there cā be no good work doen acceptable before god For in Christ is al fulnes of y e godhead in him are hid al the treasures of wisedōe and knowledge euen he is the water of life wherof whosoeuer shall drynke shal neuer more thyrst but it shal be in hym a well of water springinge vp into euerlastynge life Saynct Paule sayeth there is no damnacion to them that are in Christ whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite Moreouer he sayth yf when we were ennemies we were reconciled to god by the death of his sonne muche more seyng we are reconcyled we shal be preserued by his death It is no lytle or smal benefit we haue receyued by Christ yf we consydre what he hathe doen for vs as I haue perfectly declared heretofore Wherfore I praye the lord y t this great benefite of Christ crucified maye be stedfastly fixed and printed in al christian hartes that they maye be trewe louers of God

and worke as chyldren for loue and not as seruauntes compelled with threatnynges or prouoked with hyer The syncere and pure louers of god do enbrace Christ w t suche feruēcie of spirite that they reioyce in hope be bolde in daungier suffer in aduersitie cōtinew in praier blesse theyr persecutours further they be not wise in their owne opinion neyther high mynded in their prosperitie neyther abasshed in their aduersitie but humble and gentle alwayes to all men For they knowe by their fayth they are members all of one body and that they haue possessed all one God one fayth one baptysme one ioye and one saluacion If these pure and syncere louers of God were thicke sowen there shoulde not be so muche contēcion strife growing on the fieldes of our religion as there is Well I shall praye to the lorde to take all contencion strife away and that the sowers of sedicion may haue mynde to cease their labour or to sowe it amongst the stones to haue grace to sowe gracious vertues where they may both roote and bring furth fruite with sending also a godlie vnitie and concorde amongest all christians that we maye serue the lorde in true holynes of life The exāple of good liuinge is required of all christians but especially in the ecclesiastical pastoures and shepeherdes for they be called in Scripture workemen with god disbursers of goddes secretes the light of the worlde the salte of the earthe at whose handes all other shoulde take comforte in workyng knowlege of gods will and sight to becum children of the light and taste of seasonable wisedōe They haue or shoulde haue the holye spirite habundauntlie to pronounce and set furth the worde of God in veritie and truth yf ygnoraunce and blyndnes reygne among vs they should with the truthe of goddes worde instructe and set vs in the truth and directe vs in the way of the lord But thankes be geuē vnto the lorde that hath now sent vs suche a godlie learned kynge in these latter dayes to reygne ouer vs y t with y e vertue force of goddes worde hath taken awaye the vayles mistes of erroures and brought vs to the knowledge of y e truthe by the lyghte of Goddes worde which was so long hydden and kepte vnder that the people wer nigh famished hungred for lacke of spiritual foode suche was the charitie of y e spiritual curates shepherdes But our Moyses moste godlye wise gouernour and king hath delyuered vs out of the captiuitie and bondage of Pharao I meane by this Moyses king Henry the eight my most soraigne fauourable lord husbād one If Moyses had figured any mo then Christ through y e excellēt grace of god mete to be an other expressed veritie of Moses cōquest ouer Pharao And I mene by this Pharao the bishop of Rome who hathe bene and is a greater persecutor of al true christians thē euer was Pharao of the children of Israel For he is a persecutor of the gospel and grace a setter furth of all supersticion and counterfeit holynes brynging many soules to hell with his alchimye and counterfeit money deceyuing the poore soules vnder y e pretēce of holines but so muche the greater shal be his damnacion because he disceyueth robbeth vnder Christes mātle The Lorde kepe and defend all mē from his iugglinges sleyghtes But specially the poore simple vnlearned sowles And this lesson I woulde all men had of hym that when they begyn to mislike his doyng then onely begyn they to lyke god and certeynlye not before As for the spiritual pastoures shepherdes I thynke they wyl cleaue and stycke fast to the worde of god euen to the death to vanquishe all goddes enemies yf nede shall require all respectes of honour dignitie ryches welth and theyr priuate commodit●es layde apart folowing also the examples of Christ his chosen apostles in preaching and teaching sincere pure holsum doctryne and such thinges as make for peace with godlye lessons wherwith they may edifie others that euery man may walke after his vocation in holynes of life in vnitie and concorde which vnitie is to be desyred of all true Christiās It is muche to be lamēted the Scismes varieties contēcions and disputacions that haue ben and are in the worlde aboute Christen religion no agremente nor concord of the same amongest the learned men Treuly the deuill hath ben the sowier of the seede of sedicion and shal be the maynteyner of it euen tyl gods wyl be fulfylled There is no warre so cruell and euell as this for the warre with the sweorde kylleth but the bodies and this sleyeth many soules for the poore vnlearned personnes remayne confused and almoste euery one beleueth and worketh after his owne waye And yet there is but one truthe of goddes worde by the whiche we shal be saued Happye be they that receyue it and moste vnhappye are they whiche neglecte and persecute the same For it shal be more easie for Sodome and Gommor at the day of iudgement then for them and not without iuste cause yf we consydre the beneuolence goodnes mercy of god who hath declared his charitie towardes vs greater and more inestimable then euer he dyd to the Hebrues For they lyued vnder shadowes and figures and were bound to the law And Christe we being his greatest ennemies hathe deliuered vs from the bondage of the lawe and hath fulfilled all that was figured in their lawe and also in their prophesies sheadyng his owne precious bloode to make vs the chyldren of his father and his brethren and hathe made vs free settynge vs in a godlye libertie I meane not licence to synne as manye bee glad to interprete the same when Christien libertie is godlye entreated of Trewlie it is no good spirite that moueth men to fynde fault at euery thing and when thinges may be wel taken to peruert them into an euell sence and meanyng There bein the world many speakers of holines good workes but very rare and and seeldome is declared which be the good and holy workes The workes of the spirite be neuer almost spoken of And therfore very fewe knowe what they be I am able to iustifie the ignorance of the people to be great not in this matter alone but in many other which were most necessary for christians to know Bicause I haue had iust profe of y e same it maketh me thus muche to say with no lytle sorowe and griefe in my harte for suche a miserable ignoraunce and blyndnes amongest the people I doubte not but wee can saye al Lorde Lorde but I feare god may saye vnto vs this people honoreth me with their lippes but their hartes be far from me God desyreth nothing but the harte and sayeth he will be