namely That God neuer suffred one Gentile kynge or prince in all the scripture to be cōmended no not sence y e worlde was created but caused them alwaye to be rebuked the whiche is a dredefull ensample vnto all superiorites Nother dyd he fynde moreouer ony laudable and blamelesse kyng amonge hys peculyare people of Israel Besydes all thys among the Iewes whych were y e chefe and heade of all mankynde lyfted vp and beloued aboue all creatures were but a fewe nother aboue syxe kynges praysed Finally that deare part and precious prince Dauid whych left none nother behynde nor by him that was lyke hym in worldly polycye the whych though he beynge full of the feare wysedome of God dyd rule and iudge all thynges by the only cōmaūdement of God and not by hys reason yet neuerthelesse stōbled sometyme So y e scripture also because she coulde not blame hys gouernaunce and yet must recyte y e hurte of the people where by Dauid was cloyde dyd not impute it vnto Dauid but vnto y e people sayenge That God was wroth wyth y e people and suffred Dauid the holy man to be steared of Sathā whyche gaue hym in hys mynde to nōbre y e people for the whych dede .lxx. thousand mē dyd dye of the pestilence All thys hath God so brought to passe to fraye the superiorite to retayne thē in feare and to admonysh them of theyr daungers For great ryches great honours great power greate fauoure and besyde thys many flatterers from whom no lorde is fre do so of all partes besege and assaulte the hart of a prynce and dryue hym so to pryde to the forgetfulnesse of God to not carynge ether for the people or commune wealth to pleasure to rashnesse to curiosite to ydelnesse brefely to all vnryghteous thynges and vyces that no cytie nor stronge holde can so be beseged assaulted Now he that beyng warned by the aforesayd ensamples wyll not anoyde and vse the feare of God for a banke or fence where I pray you shall he become For yf ony lorde or superioure do not loue his people do not apply therto his mynde not how he lyue deyntely but how by hys ensample hys subiectes maye be steared to goodnesse all is done wyth hym and y e state of hys dominion shall thence forth be onely to the losse of hys soule nother shall it auayle him that he doth foūde great moneth-means trentals diriges and yeare tydes buylde great monasteryes altares or thys or that God shall requyre of hym an accōpt of hys estate and offyce nother shall he care for ony thynge els Wherfore moost boūteous lorde and prince I commende thys Magnificat vnto your hyghnesse but specially y e fyfte syxte verses aboute y e whych I haue cōprehended it prayenge requyrynge your hyghnesse to drede nothynge so sore all your lyfe tyme on earth no not hell as it that y e blessed mother of God callth here the imaginacyō of the mynde For y e same is y e greatest y e fearcest the myghtyest and the most hurtfullest enemye of all kynde of men specially of superiours Hys names are Reason good opinion or intent wherof must come all counsels and gouernaunces Nother can youre hyghnesse be in sauegarde yf ye haue not thys alwaye suspecte and wyth the feare of God followe not only the reasons not only of your peres and senatours but also of all them that be of your hyghnesse counsell No mans coūsel is to be despysed nother agayne is it only to be trusted vnto But what must be done than Thys verely that your hyghnesse do not sende away your prayer in cloysters vnder monkes chanons and freres cooles ether vnder chalices as it is a wycked maner now a dayes to do to buyld vpon other mēs prayers to truste therin to set lytle store by theyr own But your hyghnes must take a fre hardy a mery corage settynge asyde y e feble mynde cal vpon God ether in your harte or els where secretlye layenge at hys fete the keyes and constraynynge hym wyth hys owne ordynaunce on thys wyse Behold my God and father thys is thy worke thys is thyne ordinaunce that I shulde be borne and gendred to rule in thys state the whych noman wyll denye and thou thyselfe knowest whether I be worthy or vnworthy of it neuerthelesse here am I ready as thou seyst and as euery man knoweth Graunt therfore my father and LORDE that I maye rule thys people to thy prayse and theyr wealth and I beseke the suffre me not to stāde in myne own conceate and to myne owne reason but be thou my reason and appoynted marke Let hym begyn vpon lyke sentence and procede in what thynge so euer he haue in hande cōmēdyng it to God Moreouer how well God be appayed w t suche a prayer and mynde doth Salomō y t in lyke maner dyd praye declare y t whyche prayer I haue also ioyned hereto the your hyghnesse maye be steared gladly to trust in the grace of God that both hys feare mercy maye byde with you And herwyth I cōmende me vnto your hyghnesse the whych I praye God to preserue vnto a lucky gouernaunce Amen The prayer that kynge Salomon prayed a patron for all princes taken out of the .iii. chapter of the iii. boke of the kynges THe LORDE appeared vnto Salomon at Gibeon in a dreame of the nyght God sayd Are what I shall geue the. Salomon sayde Thou hast done greate mercy vnto my father Dauid thy seruaunte so that he walked before the in faythfulnesse ryghteousnesse and in a true harte wyth the and thys mercy hast thou layed vp for hym and geuen hym a sonne to syt vpon hys seate as it is now come to passe Now LORDE my God thou haste made thy seruaunt kynge in my father Dauids steade As for me I am but a smal yōge man knowynge nother myne outgoyng nor ingoynge And thy seruaunt is amonge the people whome thou hast chosen whych is so great that no man can nombre them nor describe thē for multytude Geue thy seruaūte therfore an obediente harte that he maye iudge thy people and vnderstande that what is good or bad for who is able to iudge thys thy myghty people Thys pleased the LORDE well that Salomon axed such a peticion And God sayd vnto Salomon For so muche as thou axest thys and desyrest not lōge lyfe nother ryches nother the soules of thyne enemyes but vnderstandynge to heare iudgement beholde therfore haue I done accordyng to thy wordes Beholde I haue geuen the an harte of wysedome and vnderstandynge so y t suche one as thou hath not ben before the nother shal ryse vp after the. Yee and that thou hast not prayed for haue I geuen the also namely ryches and honoure so that amonge the kynges of thy tyme ther is not such one as thou And yf thou wylt walke in my wayes so that thou kepe myne ordinaunces and lawes as
be destroyed of God wyth theyre pryde and arrogācy But seynge ther is noman that so persueth y e truth ryghteousnes as these do though they thynke it be ongods behalfe as we haue sayde before therfore amonge the thre enemyes of God muste they go before and beare the standarde the seconde leest are the rych whome the greate men and rulers the thyrde enemyes do passe in executynge power But these learned men excell ether of the other farre beyonde the nocke for they do hurte on both partyes with theyr bloudy entysynge The rych men quenche y e truthe by themselues only The men of authorite chace her from other But these learned men quenche her cleane out in themselues in steade thereof they brynge forth y e imaginacion of theyr owne harte so that she can neuer ryse agayne Now as the truth is better in herselfe than men in whome she hath hyr dwellynge so much are the learned men worse than the greate men or rych mē O how doth God abhorre and hate such as they be worthy The thyrde worke is to subdue the proude He putteth dovvne the myghty from the seate Thys worke wyth the other followynge maye easely be perceaued by the two workes aboue rehearsed For lyke as he destroyeth the wyse and suttyll in theyr imaginacions and good meanynges where vnto they sticke and vse theyr pryde agaynste suche as feare God whiche must suffre wronge and theyr wytte and ryghteousnesse must be cōdemned the whiche all is chefely done for y e loue of Gods worde Euen so he destroyeth and putteth downe the myghty great men wyth all theyr power and dominion where vpon they leanynge vsed theyr crueltye and pryde vpon theyre inferiours and on the good lowlyones the whiche must suffre punyshmente death and all euell of them And as he comforteth thē that must suffre wrōge and shame for ryghteousnesse the truth and hys wordes sake euen so strengtheth he thē that suffre hurte and wronge but the more he cōforteth those that must suffre wronge so much the more frayeth he the other But thys all muste be perceaued and loked for in fayth For he destroyeth not the myghty as soone as they haue deserued it sufferyng them sometyme vntyl theyr power or authorite be fynisshed for than doth God kepe thē nomore nother can they kepe themselues but do vanyshe fayde of theyr owne swyng wythout ony rumoure or sedicion and than such as are oppressed comeforth and reioyce without ony vprour or noyse For the power of God is in them which only abydeth Marke that she sayeth not he destoyeth the syes or trones but he putteth the myghty dovvne out of the seates nother sayeth she that he leaueth the oppressed vnder foote but setteth them vp For as longe as thys worlde doth endure so longe muste Superiorite Rule Power the Trones continue But that they are euell vsed contrary to the wyll of God in doynge iniurye and wronge vnto such as are good and that they do also delyte therin and exalte themselues therein and vse it not with the feare of God to his prayse and defence of iustice that can he not suffre longe As experience here of maye be sene in all storyes how that God setteth vp one kyngdome and putteth downe another howe he rayseth one prouince and putteth downe another howe he multiplyeth one nacion and destroyeth another as maye be sene in the Assyrians Babylonians Perses Grekes and Romanes which neuerthelesse imagined theyr raygnes to endure euer Euen so lykewyse doth he not destroye reason wysedome and lawes for they muste be had yf y e worlde shalbe mayntayned but pryde the hyghmynded which serue themselues w t these gyftes feare not God persecute y e good and gods lawe abuse such bewtyful giftes of god against hī Gods busynesse is in that case now that the wyse and proude meaners yf I maye so call them do mooste communely ioyne themselues with mē of authorite and steare them agaynst the truthe as Dauid wytnesseth in the .ii. Psalme sayenge The kynges of the earth stande vp the rulers are come together agaynst the LORDE and agaynst hys anoynted Because the lawe and ryght haue alwaye the wyse myghty and ryche agaynste them that is the worlde wyth hys greate and valeaunt powers therfore doth the holy gooste conforte them by the mouth of hys mother that they be not abasshed nor doute but let these wyse myghty and ryche alone seynge they shall not longe endure Yf the holyones and learned takynge to thē the myghty wyse rulers gouernours and y e rych shulde all not stande agaynst the truth but be of hyr syde where shulde vnryghteousnes remayne who shuld suffre wrōge or euel Not so For the holyones myghty superious the ryche and the beste of the worlde muste fyghte agaynst God and hys ryghteousnesse and be the Deuels darlynges as wytnesseth the prophet Abacuc in the fyrste chapter sayenge Hys meate is pycked and deynty That is the wycked sprete hath a denty touth he loueth to eate of the swetest moost deyntyeste and costlyest dyshes as y e Beer also doth hony Therfore are the learned the holy pharises the Herodes and the rych euen the deuels deynties Agayn what so euer the worlde doth refuse as the poore lowly symple vyle and despysed that dothe God chose as wytnesseth S. Paule .i. Cor. i. that he maye suffre the vylest of y e worlde to be myshādled of the best of the same that so it be euidently knowen that our saluaciō doth not stande in mans power but only in the power handes of God as Paule doth also testify Hereof cōmeth that these by wordes are cōmunely vsed They that be learned are peruerted And a ruler is venyson in heauen And here rych there poore For the learned alaye not theyr hartes pryde the myghty theyr oppressynge nother do the rych despyse theyr pleasures and fynally is it done that maye be done The fourth worke is to exalte thē of lowe degre And exalteth them of lovve degre They of lovve degre are not to be taken here for those that be lowly but such as be vnderlynges and of no reputacyon befor the worlde For it is euen the same worde y e she ment whan she sayd For he hath loked vpon the lowe degre of hys handmayden Neuerthelesse they that of theyr fre wyl are nought abiecte of harte not sekyng hyghe thynges they are lowly in dede Moreouer thys exaltynge is not to be vnderstande as that he shulde set them in the thrones places of them that be putte downe as he doth not set them that feare hym in the rowme of the learned that is proude another whā he sheweth mercy vpon them but he geueth thē such gyftes as do farre passe those namely y t they beyng exalted in God spiritually are set as iudges aboue all thrones powers and knowlege both here in thys worlde and in the worlde to come for they are better learned than al the learned
maye deuoure The seconde is Synne wherin Adam by the enticynge of the deuel dyd fall the whych is cropen in al mākynde from Adam whereby also they be prouoked vnto all maner of wyckednesse The thyrde enemye are Affliccions Death and Hell These are the mooste haynouse enemyes y t can be Nother is it to be thought that these enemyes although they do enuy mē in dede yet are they farre from them but it is to be marked that these enemyes haue mē wholy in theyr clawes For naturally are we the chyldren of wrath that is the deuels owne borne in synne and by reason of synne we be in daunger of troubles of thys worlde bodyly death also hell These enemyes hath Christ so ouercome though they somtime do repyne and gnash threatnynge men many thynges that they can in no wyse hurt them that beleue in Christe Iesu Moreouer Christe hath not restored hys people vnto such surenesse and tranquillite wherin they myght vse at Ierusalem theyr seruyce prescribed vnto them in the thyrde boke of Moses called Leuiticus for that seruyce as it was to be obserued and kept for a season only as the lawe wytnesseth euen so was it only an introduccion and ciuile holynesse to Christwarde but he forgaue them theyr sinnes By the which knowlege the conscience is so quieted by fayth that she nowe feareth nother the deuell death nor hel And because that the holy goost is geuen by faythe therfore whosoeuer hath the forgeuenesse of synnes by fayth the same serueth the LORDE quyetly at all tymes in suche holynesse and ryghteousnesse as he can wythout ony fear of the cruell enemyes death or hell Wherfore as the promyses made vnto Abraham and Dauid are to be vnderstande of the spirituall enemyes and of the true and spirituall holynesse the whych we haue by Christ euen so is thys songe of Zachary also to be vnderstande spiritually and of the inwarde victory by the fayth of Iesus Christe oure LORDE For to possesse the gates of the enemyes is to be lorde of all thynges wyth Christ the whych shall begyn by fayth shal finysh whan Christes kyngdome shall ende the whych shal neuer be for seynge Christes kyngdome is euerlastynge and he eternall therfore shall we raygne and reioyce euerlastyngly wyth hym in hys kyngdome That God than dyd promyse vnto Abraham and Dauid that he dyd confirme stablyshe wyth an oth namely to remēbre hys cōuenaūt to shewe y e mercy promysed vnto the fathers y e we shulde be delyuered of our enemyes from the hāde of all such as hate vs so we delyuered from the hādes of our enemyes maye serue hym wythout feare that sayeth Zachary that God hath done very wel whan he sent Christ hys sonne in the flesh The whych as he shall clense vs from all our synnes and reconcyle vs agayne to God the father euē so shall he also cōmaūde that we do becomme holy and ryghteous before God by the fayth in hym and be endued wyth the holy goost that so we do obeye hys callynge by fayth wyth great rest and peace of conscience Holynesse signifyeth the clennesse from al synne ryghteousnesse a cōlynesse of all y e lyfe a seruiable loue vnto all men Wyth these is God truly serued so doynge we do him an hygh pleasure representyng hys image lykenesse the whyche is moost cleanest from all euell and the moost beneficial and weldoynge vnto all thynges Thys seruice worship only doeth he alowe therfore sayeth he As is accept before hym For he dyd requyre it of hys people whā he brought thē out of Egipte sayenge Be ye holy for I am holy Moreouer because it is not truly good that taketh an ende therfore sayeth he also All the dayes of our lyfe For it is no godlynesse y e hath an ende God is eternall is not chaunged whom who so knoweth truly can neuer be drawen from hys seruice for he shall fynde nothynge better than him Thys is now the fyrste parte of the songe wherin the truth of God is cōmended wherby the promyses of Christe are kepte where by also we be admonished of those benefytes that are happened vnto vs by Christ Now followeth the other parte And thou chylde shalt be called a prophete of the Hyghest for thou shalte go before the LORD to prepare hys vvayes And to geue knovvlege of saluacion vnto hys people for the remissiō of theyr synnes Thorovv the tēder mercy of our God vvherby the daye sprynge from on hygh hath visited vs. That he myght geue lyght vnto them that sytte in darkenesse and shadovve of death and to gyde our fete in to the vvay of peace In thys other parte of the songe is declared and set forth the offyce of Ihon baptiste Nother is it declared wyth vayne dreames but wyth the wordes that the prophete Malachy and the angell that appeared vnto Zachary dyd testifye of hym Thou sayeth he chylde shalte be called a prophete of the Hyghest That is thou shalte be the chefe preacher in Gods church or congregacion for of the hath Malachy prophecyed on this wyse Beholde I sende my messaunger before thy face whych shall prepare thy waye before the. And agayne He shall turne y e hartes of the fathers vnto the chyldren and the harte of the chyldren vnto the fathers for thys cause shalt thou go before the LORDE that is before that Christ do openly begyn hys offyce thou shalte do thyne appointed busynesse For what intent Fyrst that thou prepare the waye vnto Christ Nowe hath Ihon prepared the waye vnto Christe as is sayd aboue not only in that he rebuked the people of theyr synnes but rather because he declared opēly that thys is the true Christe and sente hys disciples vnto the same Christe sayenge Beholde the lambe of God whych taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde Secondely that thou geue knovvlege of saluacion vnto hys people for the remission of theyr synnes That is that thou wyth thy doctrine shewe vnto the people the true waye and maner where by they maye obtayne saluacion the whych consysteth not in the delyueraunce from the tyranny of the Romanes nother in the felicite or happynesse of thys worlde but in the remyssion of synnes Though thou warest rydde of all tyrauntes and enemyes in this worlde and hast obtayned all the felicite of thys worlde yet arte thou in the deuels daūger an enemye moost cruell and not onely hys but also of Death and Hell whyche are vtter destructions Thou arte in daunger of them by reason of synne for Paule sayeth vnto the Romaynes the .v. Chapter that by one man synne entred in to y e world and death by the meanes of synne euen so wente death also ouer all men in so muche as they all haue synned Wherfore that we maye be delyuered from the cruelte of the deuel and from the power of death and hel it is requyred that we be delyuered fyrste of all from synne Ihon was the fyrst
and almyghtye euē so abydeth the same nature in hym styll vnchaunged And all hys workes haue ben shalbe done so vnto the worldes ende that he shal make of y e whych is nothyng vyle despysed small myserable and dead in comparison some specyall costly honorable healthfull and lyuynge thynge And agayne al that is sōwhat costly honorable lyuely to make it nought small despysed myserable mortall and transitory After whych fashion and maner no creature can nor maye worke that is of nought to make ought so that hys eyen are toward the depth and not to the heyght as the .iii. chyldren sayde Daniel the thyrde Chapter Blessed be thou that lokest thorowe the depe and syttest vpon the Cherubins And also Dauid Psalm C.xxxvii Thoughe the LORDE be hyghe yet hath he respecte vnto the lowly as for the proude he beholdeth hym afarre of Item Psalm C.xi. Who is lyke vnto the LORDE our God that hath hys dwellynge so hyghe whyche humbleth hymselfe to beholde that is in heauen and earth For seynge he is the supreme and moost hyghest of all and nothynge aboue hym therfore maye he not loke aboue hym nother maye he loke besydes hym seynge none is to be cōpared w t hym Thus must he nedes behold hymself loke vnder hym And euē so y e deper a mā loketh vnder hym y e better he seyeth hymselfe But the worlde mans eyen do the contrary they loke only aboue themselues they wyll mount on hygh as Salomon sayeth Pro. xxx Ther are people which haue hygh lokes cast vp theyr eyelyddes Thus we se dayly that euery one loketh only vpward to ryches honoure authorite science easy lyfe and to all that is greate and hygh in thys worlde And where such are to thē doth euery man cleue to thē runneth euery man thē is euery mā glad to please and to serue with them wyll euery man ioyne hymselfe and be partaker of theyr exaltacion hygh estate so that it is not sayde for nought in y e scripture that few kynges and princes haue ben good and vertuous Agayne nomā wyl loke downward where are pouerte despysyng anguysh mysery and sorow frō thence doth euery man wende his eyen And where suche people is frō thence doth euery man runne they be shuned nother doth ony man assyste nor helpe thē and prouyde so for thē that they maye be able also but must abyde styll in the depth and low estate For ther wyll noman be such a creatoure amōge men that wyl make ony thyng of that nothynge accordynge to y e lesson of S. Paule Ro. xii sayenge Be of one mynde amonge youre selues Be not proude in your owne conceates but make your selues equall with them of the lowe sorte And for thys cause doth y e syght of God cōtinue of one fashiō which beholdeth y e depth nede and mysery is neare vnto all such as are in that depth anguysh and as sayeth S. Peter wythstandeth the hyghmynded but geueth mercy vnto the lowly Out of thys grounde now spryngeth loue and y e prayse of God for nomā cā thanke and prayse God without he fyrst loue hym nother may ony mā loue hym without he confesse knowlege hym in the best syncerest maner he can Nother maye he so be cōfessed and vttered saue by hys worke which is remembred felte tryed in vs. Wherfore now whan he proueth knoweth God to be such one which loketh towarde the depth and helpeth only the poore despysed wretched myserable forsaken them that are nothynge than is he so inflamed in loue that his hart euen floweth ouer in ioye leapeth and for delyte that he hath gotten in God And euen there is than the holy goost that teacheth such vnspeakeable connynge and lust at the twynklynge of an eye whan a man is so tryed For thys cause also hath God charged vs all with death and the crosse of Christe and with innumerable paynes and sufferynges charged hys ryght welbeloued chylderen the Christians sufferynge them somtyme to fall in synne that he maye se so much the deper that he maye helpe many worke muche shewynge hymselfe a true creatoure thereby that he maye knowe hymselfe thereby and maye cause hymselfe to be louynge and mooste laudable Where contrary wyse the worlde God amende it wyth his hygh and ouerseynge eyes is alwaye repynynge wythoute ceassynge and letteth the syghte workes helpe knowlege loue and prayse of God robbynge it selfe of such honoure frute ioye and saluacion After thys maner hath he also throwen his only beloued sonne Iesu Christe in the depth of all myserye and euydently declared hys seynge worke helpe nature counsell and wyll that it myghte 〈…〉 to what intent he suffereth it to 〈◊〉 Therfore remayneth in Christe suche notable prouynge full knowlege loue and prayse of God foreuer as sayeth the .xv. Psalme Thou shalt make me full of ioye wyth thy countenaunce that is That he seyth and knowlegeth the. Of thys speaketh Dauid also in the .xliiii. Psalme sayenge that all sayntes shall do nothynge but prayse God in heauē for lokynge vpon thē in theyr depth and hath made thē thankfull louynge and praysynge in the same Lykewyse also doth here the beloued mother of Christe which wyth the ensample of hyr prouynge and wyth hyr wordes teacheth vs how we shulde knowlege loue and prayse God For seynge she reioyceth and thanketh God here wyth a ioyfull and leapynge sprete that he hath loked vpon her though she were lowlye and nothynge in hyr owne and mens syghte therfore is it to be beleued that she hath had symple frendes poore and rather of the lowest sorte And thys wyll we now so saye because of them that be symple and of the lowest sorte themselues At Ierusalem doutlesse were the doughters of the hyghe prestes and of the counsellers fayre yonge and bewtyfull virgines taught and brought vp after y e mooste honest maner before all the contry as nowe are also the doughters of many kynges princes and other noble and rych mē Nothersemeth she to haue ben the doughter of the chefe ruler of Nazareth hyr natyfe cōtry but rather of a meane poore cytesins where vnto was not geuen greate hede or force Yee she was rekened amōge hir neghboures and theyr chyldren for none other saue a seruyng mayde vnto whome the charge of houswyfery and the cattel was committed as poore maydens do whome lyke charge is cōmitte to be faythfully executed For thus prophecyed Esaye in hys .xi. chapter Ther shall a rodde come forth of y e kynred of Iesse and a blossome out of hys rodde and the sprete of the LORD shal lyght vpon it The stocke and roote of the kynred of Iesse or Dauid is the virgine Mary the rodde and blossome is Christe Now lyke as it is not sene yee incredible that out of a seere and rottē stocke or roote shulde growe a fayre rodde or blossome euen so was it not to be loked for nor lykely that Mary the virgine shulde be
y e mother of such a chylde For I thynke Mary was not called a stocke and a roote therfore only because that aboue nature vnstayned flore of hyr maydenheade she became a mother as it is also aboue nature y e a rodde shuld springe of a dead blocke But also because that she was of a kynglye stocke and of Dauids kynred which was sōtyme buddynge florysshyng honorable puyssaunte rych and happy both in hys and Salomons tyme and a thynge greatly set by amonge men But at the laste whan Christe shulde come dyd the hygh prestes vsurpe and take to themselues that dignite hauyng the rule alone and the kyngly progeny or kynred was fallē to extreme prouerte and despysed as a deade blocke so that ther was no hope nor lokynge for more that ony kyng of great worshyp and renowne shulde sprynge of it And whā it was in thys state and euē come to y e lowest thā doth Christe come of a small stocke borne of a symple and poore virgine and so the rodde and blossome of such a persone as the doughters of my lorde Annas Caiphas wolde not haue wytesafe to haue done the vylest seruice of theyr handmaydē Thus go the workes of God and hys syghte in the depthes and the workes and lokes of men only in the heyghte And thys is the cause of hyr loude songe of prayse which we wyll now heare from verse to verse My soule magnifieth the LORDE That worde brusteth out of a vehemente heate and ouerflowynge ioye wherewyth hyr mynde and conuersacion heaue it selfe wholy in sprite inwardly Wherfore she sayeth not I do magnifye the LORDE but my soule As yf she wolde saye My lyfe and all my thoughtes dryue compelle and ouerflowe in the loue and prayse of God and exceadynge gladnesse so that I euen besydes my selues ame rather heaued than do heaue to prayse God Euen as it chaunceth also vnto them that be endued wyth godly swetenesse and sprete so that they fele more than they can vtter and expresse wyth wordes For it not mans worke to geue thankes vnto God wyth ioye It is rather a ioyfull mynde and the only worke of God the whiche is not perceaued by vtteraunce but by experience as sayeth Dauid in the .xxxiii. Psalme Tayste and se how good the LORDE is happy is the mā that trusteth in hym He sayeth fyrste Tayste and than se because he can not be knowen wythout a mans owne experience wher vnto neuerthelesse noman commeth wythoute he do wholye and fullye truste in God whan he is into the depthe and anguyshe and for thys cause doth he adde continently and sayeth Happy is the man that trusteth in hym For such one shall perceaue y e worke of God in hymselfe and by thys waye he shall come to the perceaueable swetenesse and therby come to all vnderstandynge and knowlege Now let vs marke weye euery worde in order The fyrst is My soule Scripture dealeth man in thre partes as Paule the fyrst to the Tessalonians the last Chapter sayeth The very God of peace sanctifye you thorow out And I praye God that your whole sprete soule and body be kepte blamelesse vnto the commynge of our LORDE And euery one of these thre wyth al the mā is agayne dealte another waye in two namely the fleshe and the sprete The whyche particion is not of the nature but of the beynge or propernesse That is to say Nature path .iii. partes namely the sprete the soule and the body and all thre maye altogether be ether good or bad and is than called the sprete and the fleshe wherof we wyll not speake at thys tyme. The fyrst part that is the sprete is the moost excellente the depest and the mooste noblest parte of man wherewyth he is apte to vnderstande incomprehensible inuisible and eternall thynges and to be shorte it is the house wherin fayth and y e worde of God are conteyned wherof Dauid speaketh in y e L. psalme sayenge LORDE renewe a ryght sprete in myne intrayles that is a strayght and not bowed fayth And agayn in y e .lxxvii. psal speakyng of the vnfaythful he sayeth A frowarde ouerthwart generaciō a generacion that set not theyr harte aryght whose sprete was not true towarde God The seconde part the soule is euen the same sprete after the nature but after another operaciō Namely in that it quyckeneth the body and worketh by the same and is oftentymes taken in scripture for lyfe For the sprete maye lyue well ynough wythout the body but so maye not the body Thys parte se we also that euen as we slepe it doth lyue and worke wythout ony ceassynge And hys cōdicion or properte is not to perceaue thinges that be incomprehensible but suche as reason can haue knowlege of and measure And reason is the chefe lyght in thys house Yee wythout the sprete beynge lyghtened wyth fayth or a greater lyght do rule gyde thys lyght of reason it can not be wythoute errour for it is to vyle to beare ony swynge in godly busynesse Vnto these two partes doth scripture attribute much but chefelye wysedome and knowlege wysedome vnto y e sprete and knowlege vnto the soule Besydes these attributeth it also hate loue pleasure lothsomnes and such lyke The thyrde is the body wyth hys membres whose workes are mere exercyse vse of such thynges as the soule knoweth and y e sprete doth beleue And to confirme thys by a wytnesse of the scripture Moses made a Tabernacle with a threfolde and seuerall mansion The fyrst was called Sanctū sanctorum in the which God dwelled and this had no lyght The second was called Sanctum wherin was the candelsticke wyth the seuen shaftes and lampes The thyrde was called the forecourte whych was vnder the open skye and bare to the Sonne beames In thys fygure is euery Christen man featly described For hys sprete is y e Sanctū sāctorū y e is the moost holy y e dwellyng of God in a secrete as a mā myght say in a darke fayth for he beleueth it y t he cā not perceaue with his eyesyght nother feleth nor yet doth comprehende The Soule is the Sanctum that is y e holy there be the .vii. lampes that is all maner of vnderstandynge y e differēce and knowlege of corporal visible thynges The bodye is the forecourte whych is bare to euery man so that they maye se what he doth and how he lyueth Therfore now prayeth Paule sayeth The very God of peace sanctifye you thorowout Not only in one parte but thorowe out that the sprete soule bodye and altogether be holy Here were many thynges to be spoken of the cause of thys prayer but I wyl brefely rehearse some of them Yf the sprete be not holy ther shall nothynge els be holy Than is the moost ieoperdy and busynesse in the holynesse of the sprete whych consysteth only in a pure fayth that is yf y e sprete be not combred wyth
comprehensible thynges as it is sayd In the meane tyme than come false teachers whych entyse the sprete forth of it whan the one seketh to be ryghteous by these workes another by that waye and maner Yf the sprete be not here wel prouyded and wyse then falleth it out and followeth and cōmeth to leane vpon outward workes costumes whereby it imagineth to be saued Lo so soone is fayth lost the sprete dead before God Vpon thys grewe sectes and orders so that y e one becōmeth a Charterhouse mōke another a Grayfrere the one endeuoureth to be saued wyth fastyng y e other wyth prayenge another by this maner fashiō one by this another by y e worke procure to flye euerlastynge damnacion And yet are they all euen but mēs inuēcions euē such as one mans chosynge hath foūded Reade therof y e treatyse of orders sectes Nother are they commaunded by God but inuented by mē aboute the whych the vayne ianglers haue no respecte of fayth but teach alwaye the cōfidence of workes so longe tyll they be at variaunce wythin themselues Euery mā wyl be nearest the marke despyse the other as our obseruaūtes do nowe a dayes swell and heaue thēselues Agaynst these workers and good men in syght or rather hypocrites doth Paule praye sayeng that God is y e God of peace of whom these varienge hypocrites haters of peace are not partakers nor hauynge hym can holde y e same wythout they byd farewell theyr statutes rules ceremonies be all one mynded in fayth sprete knowlegynge that workes cause variaunce synne dissencion onely fayth maketh honest one mynded peaceable mē as wytnesseth the .lxvii. Psal sayenge He is the God y t maketh mē to be of one mynde in y e house And agayne in y e C.xxxii Psalme Beholde Euen so sheweth Mary wherof hyr songe of prayse shall synge and treate namely of the renowmed excellent workes of God the comforte of our fayth to cōforte y e lowly and to fraye all the hyghest of the earth And to these thre vses or cōmodities is it necessarye for me to directe thys virgyns songe of prayse that she haue not songe it only to herselfe but to vs all that we shulde coūterfayt her Nother is it possible that ony man ether shulde be afrayed or receaue consolaciō out of so great workes of God wythout he not onely beleue that God can knoweth to do great thynges but also he must beleue that he wyl do them and hath pleasure in doynge them Nother is it ynough to beleue y t God wyll do great thynges wyth other and not wyth you and by thys meanes to auoyde your selues from the workes of God Euen as they do whych beynge in prosperite or set in authorite feare not God and they that be feblemynded tremble and be abashed of hym in theyr aduersyte For such fayth is no thynge and euen dead lyke vnto an opinion cōceaued of some tale But ye must set hys wyl surely stedfastly afore your eyes thynkyng wythin your mynde y t he both wyl now hereafter also do great thynges wyth you Thys fayth is lyuely growynge pearsynge through and chaungynge a man and makynge hym euen a newe creature and cōpelleth hym to feare yf he be hygh and conceaue consolacion yf he be lowly Yee the hygher he is the more ought he to feare and the lower he is to haue the more consolacion the whiche none other fayth doth But what must he do in extreme necessite or daunger of death Surely than muste he not onlye beleue that God can and knoweth how to helpe hym but also that he wyl helpe hym where a straunge and an vnspeakeable thynge must be done namelye that he delyuered from the death euerlastynge do becōme the chylde of saluacion the sonne and heyre of God Thys fayth as wytnesseth Christe hymselfe is able to do all thynges Thys fayth doth abyde and cōmeth to the knowlege of the godly workes from thence into the loue of God and forthe from thence into the praysynge and thankynge of God so that a man doth than make much of God and conceaue a good opinion of hym For God in his nature is not magnifyed of vs seynge he is immutable but in oure knowlege and mynde that is yf we holde muche of hym or set muche by hym specially for hys godnesse and mercy For thys cause doth not the blessed mother say My voyce my mouthe myne handes my thoughtes nor my reason and wyll do magnifye the LORDE for ther are manye one that prayse God wyth loude voyce praysynge and preachynge hym with preciouse and godlye wordes speakynge disputynge wrytynge and payntynge muche of hym and also many that haue greate meditacions and by the gyde of reason haue greate searchynges of hym fynally ther are some that wyth fayned religion and intente make muche of hym but she sayeth of thys wyse My soule magnifyeth God that is my whole lyfe senses and powers haue a greate opinion of God so that as though she were rauyshed vp to hym she felte some raysynge and rauyshynge in hys goodnesse the whiche the verse followynge doth declare Of thys wyse se we also that yf ony man doth vs good that euen all our wyttes be moued and bended to hym so that we saye Oh how greate and good opinion do I conceaue of thys man And euen thys is the verye sygnifycacion of the sayenge My soule magnifyeth the Lorde Howe muche more shall suche lyuelye stearynge be caused what tyme as we perceaue the goodnesse of God the whyche is verye greate in hys workes so that euen wordes and thoughtes shal fayle and the whole lyfe and soule shall be necessarelye steared and euen as though all that is quycke and lyuely in vs wolde synge and prayse God Now are ther two false spretes whiche can not synge the Magnificat aryght The fyrste that prayse not God before he haue fyrste done them good as Dauid sayeth They shall prayse the whan than hast done good vnto them These seme to prayse God very earnestly but seynge they neuer wyll suffre the depth the makynge lowe and subduynge they can neuer fele and perceaue y e ryght wayes of the LORDE and so consequently nother loue nor prayse God truly Hereby commeth it that the worlde now a dayes is full of diuine seruices as they call them and laudes wyth syngynge preachynge playenge on the organes and other instrumentes of musike Yee and this songe of prayse called Magnificat also But thys is to be pytyed namely that so precious a songe is handled so vnfrutefully wythoute pyth of vs the which we do not synge wythoute all thynges go well wyth vs for yf ony myschaunce do happen vnto vs than hath oure syngynge an ende nother is ther ony regarde or estimacion more of God thynkynge that nother he can nor wyll worke wyth vs and therfore haue both syngynge and the Magnificat also done wyth vs. The other be yet
father gladly and frely as an heyre only for y e fathers wyl for yf he serueth him only for the goodes and heretage he is vnkynde and worthye to be dishereted euen so muste they do that knowlege Christe to be theyr father and brother For he hath loked vpon the lovve degre of hys handmayden Beholde from hence forth shall all generacions call me blessed The worde lowe degre haue some drawen to humilite as though the holy virgine had referred ought to herselfe of hyr honest behaueoure iustice and worke and dyd reioyce therin Whereby it is come that some prelates and specially the Antichristes do call themselues humiles or lowly whych is farre wyde from the truth For in the syghte of God can no mā boast of ony good thynge wythout synne and damnacion Before him must a man reioyce only of hys pure goodnesse and grace shewed vnto vs vnworthy that not oures but Gods loue and prayse remayne in vs kepe vs whych thynge Salomon doth also teach Pro. xxv sayenge Put not forth thyselfe in y e presence of y e kynge preasse not in the place of great mē Better it is that it be sayde vnto the Come vp hether thā thou to be set downe in the presēce of the prynce How shulde than such boast presumpcion be ascribed vnto thys chaste virgine that she shulde auaunce hyr humylite in the syght of God which is the moost worthyest of all vertue Nother doth onye man thynke or boaste hymselfe to be lowly wythout he be the mooste proudest Only God doth knowe iudge and open the lowe degre or lowlynesse so that mā neuer knoweth lesse of it than whan he is moost lowly The vse of scripture is to call Humiliare to cast downe to preasse downe and to brynge to nought wherfore Christen men also in some place of the scripture are called poore vyle and brought lowe as in the C.xiiii Psalme I was brought downe he helped me Humilite than is nothynge saue a despysed vyle depressed or cast down thynge or estate of the which kynde are the nedy sycke hongry thyrsty presoners troubled dyenge creatures as Iob whā he was proued Dauid as he was chaced dryuen out of hys realme and Christe wyth all the true Christians in theyr nede And thys is the depth whereof we haue spoken before namely that the eyes of the LORDE beholde the depthes but mans eyen loke only in the heyghte that is the outwarde appearaunce and shynynge estate or condicion And for this cause is Ierusalem called a citie where vpon Gods eyen do beholde After thys maner lyeth the Christen congregaciō or church in the depth and is of no reputation before the worlde wherfore God doth loke vpon it and wendeth hys syghte alway vpon the same as Dauid wytnesseth in the xxxi Psalme speakynge in the persone of God I wyll enfourme the and shew the the waye wherein thou shalt go I wyll fasten myn eyes vpon the. Of lyke fashion speaketh Paule .i. Corin. i. sayenge That folysh is before the worlde hath God chosen that he myght confounde the wyse and that weake is before y e worlde hath God chosen that he myght confounde the myghty and the vyle and despysed before the worlde hath God chosen yee and that which is nothynge that he myghte destroy that whiche is ought that no fleshe shulde reioyce in hys presēce By thys meanes maketh God the worlde folysh with all hys wysedome and strengthe and geueth another wysedome and power Seyng than that thys is the mynd of God to loke downwarde and to the thynges that are nothyng therfore haue I englyshed y e word Humilitas for a thynge of no price or regarde so that thys be the mynde of Mary God hath wended his eyen vpon me that ame a poore vyle and a mayden of no regarde which myghte easyly haue founde ryche renowned noble quenes and of great lynage ether myght he haue chosen y e doughters of prynces great estates yee he myght haue chosen y e doughters of Annas or Cayphas rulers of thys cōtry But he hath fastened vpon me the eyes of hys mere goodnesse and vsed me that ame so vyle and despysed an handmayden because none shulde boaste herselfe to haue ben worthy of such an office I also muste nedes graunte that it is only of pure grace and goodnesse that such doth happē vnto me and not for my merites or worthynesse wherof I ame bare Thus haue we now sufficiently shewed here aboue how y e holy virgine vnloked for is come to thys honoure out of a despysed estate and how God hath so graciously loked vpon her And for thys chaunce she doth not boast auaunce hyr worthynesse or vnworthynes but only she reioyceth of y e syght of God which is so bounteous gracious y t he hath loked vpō so slender a maydē that so greatly honorously and worshypfully Wherfore they that saye she dyd not auaūce hyr virginite but hyr lowlynesse do her iniury For she nother dyd auaunce hyr virginite nor lowlynesse but the only the godly and gracious syghte of God Wherfore ther is no pyth or wayghte in the worde lovve degre but in the worde he hath loked For hyr surrendrynge is not to be praysed and commended but the lokyng of God vpon her Euen as yf a noble prince shulde reach hys hande vnto a wretched begger y e beggers hande is not to be alowed therfore but the prynces gentlynesse and familiarite But that the wronge opinion maye be auoyded and the true lowlynesse maye be knowen from the fayned we wyll make a lytle digression and treate of humilite or lowlynesse for many one haue erred not a lytle therin Humilite do we cal communely a wyl to smal and despysed thynges Now are ther many that brynge water to the wel namely they that alwaye cōbre theyr myndes wyth vyle clothyng persons outwarde gestures townes wordes and places vpon them do they thynke in them is theyr conuersacion but to that intente that by thesame they myght be counted and estimed greate rych learned holy yee also God as such that loue to be conuersaunte in lowly thynges But yf they knewe mē dyd not set thereby they wolde ryght soone leaue them Thys is a fayned lowlynesse for theyr wycked eye beholdeth nought saue the rewarde auayle and prayse of humilite Nother beholde they the vyle thynges not lokynge for rewarde and profite nomore than a kooke doth to roost meate that doth not droppe wherfore whan the rewarde and prayse do nomore appeare than hath humilite done with thē Such haue no affection to the vylenesse because they be not of one harte and mynde in vyle thynges they haue only the thoughtes handes mouth clothynge and outward behaueoure in vylenesse but theyr harte loketh to hygh thynges to the which they do imagine to come and such are they that counte themselues lowly holy sayntes They that be lowly in dede turne not theyr eyen to the rewarde and prayse
of humilite but w t a simpel hart do they beholde the vyle thynges beynge glad to be occupied in thesame nother do they at ony tyme perceaue theyr lowlynesse Here spryngeth the water out of the fountayne here followeth it of hys owne swynge wherfore they do vse vyle vestures gestures wordes places and persones though they do euery where shone gorgious and hyghe thynges which thynge Dauid also wytnesseth in the C.xxix Psal sayenge LORDE I ame not hygh mynded I haue no proude lokes c. And Iob in the .xxii. chapter Whoso humbleth hymselfe shalbe set vp and whoso loketh mekely shalbe healed Hereby commeth that vnto such doth honoure befal vnwares and theyr heauynge vp wythoute foreknowlege or deliberacion For they were content wyth theyr lowe estate and simple condicion nother thought they once vpon hygh thynges But y e fayned lowly maruayle greatly that theyr exaltacion honoure taryeth so longe nother is theyr false and fayned pryde contente with theyr vyle condicion but secretly cōsydereth hygher estates in theyr myndes Therfore dyd I saye that true humilite or lowlynes doth not at ony tyme perceaue that she is lowly for yf she dyd knowe it she wolde be proude wyth the syghte of so greate a vertue but wyth harte mynde and all hyr wyttes is she pyght vpon sleghte and lowly thynges whiche alwaye presente themselues to hyr syghte These are hyr images wherein she hath hyr conuersacion and pastyme and as lōge as she hath them in syghte so longe can not she beholde herselfe nor be combred with herselfe much lesse be rauyshed and haue pleasure in the contemplacion and syghte of hygh and greate thynges or geue hyr mynde therto For thys cause than must the honoure and dignite be fall vnto her vnwares fynde her in thoughtes cleue contrary to honoures and dignityes for after thys maner doth Luke saye that the Angels gretynge was straunge vnto the virgine for it came sodenly and vnloked for Yf thesame gretynge hadde chaunced vnto Cayphas doughter she wolde not haue thought What maner of gretynge is thys but wolde soone haue accepted it and wolde haue sayde wythin herselfe Ah howe well and happely doth thys befall And agayne fayned lowlynesse doth neuer know that she is proud for yf she dyd she shulde quickely be refrayned wyth the syght of the haynous faute but she fasteneth hyr harte mynde and thoughte vpon hyghe thynges the whyche she hath in syght wythoute ceassynge These are hyr ymages wherewyth she is alwaye combred and as longe as she setteth hyr mynde on thē she cā nother beholde nor consydre herselfe Wherfore the honoure commeth nother vnwares nor vnthought vpon for it fyndeth thoughtes therto agreynge but shame and enpoueryshynge come vnloked for vnto such for they were mynded to sayle with another more luckelyer wynde For thys cause is it not good to learne lowlynesse after thys maner that he haue in syghte and imagine vyle and despysed thynges or persons Nother contrarywyse waxeth ony man proude because he seyeth hygh and greate thynges The images are not to be auoyded but the eyē ▪ must be weened therefrom As longe as we lyue vpon earth we must lyue both wyth the hygh and lowe thynges or estates but as Christ sayeth the eye must be put out Genesis the .iii chapter sayeth not Moses that Adam and Eue sawe other thynges after the preuaricacion thā they dyd se before it but y t theyr eyen were opened that they myght se theyr nakednesse where as they were naked before also and yet dyd not consyder it The quene Hester dyd weare a verye costlye crowne vpon hyr heade yet dyd it seme but a stayned cloth in hyr syght Here were not the hygh images taken away from her but rather were set before her as vnto a mooste puissaunt quene and no sleyght or vyle thynges were before her but the syght was wended therfrom and hyr harte and mynde dyd not beholde the hye thynges and gloriouse Wherfore God wroughte also straungely wyth her After thys fashion must not y e outwarde thynges be altered but we must be altered in our mynde and wyttes for thā shal we easely learne to despyse and flye hyghe thynges to set much by and to seke sleyght lowly thynges For there is humilite or lowlynesse founde and stedfast for all chaūces yet neuer are ware of it This is done with delyte and the harte remayneth alwaye one and of one fashion howsoeuer other thynges do befall or chaunge ether to the heyghte or depth But LORDE God what pryde skoulketh vnder the vylenesse of clothynge wordes and behaueoure wherof the world now a dayes is full The whych visures and dissemblers do so submytte themselues y t they wyll be despysed of no man they do so flye honours that they notwithstandynge wyll be chaced therwyth they do so shone hyghe thynges y t neuerthelesse they be not myspraised nor theyr possessions mynished y e whych they couet alwayes to haue of the best and pycked out But thys virgine vttereth nothynge but hyr vylenesse wherin she lyued abode wyllynglye she neuer coueted nor thought vpon honoure and heyght nother dyd she consyder and behold hyr lowlynesse This humilite is so fayre and precious that she can not abyde hyr owne countenaunce but that image is reserued vnto the face of God as wytnesseth the C.xii. Psalme sayenge Who is lyke vnto the LORDE oure God that hath hys dwellynge so hygh which humbleth hymselfe to beholde that is heauē and earth For he that can beholde hys lowlynesse the same can iudge hymselfe worthy of eternal blesse so were Gods iudgement at an ende seyng we know surely that God doth saue the lowlyones Therfore muste God reserue and kepe the same for hymselfe to knowe and to iudge and hyde them from vs wyth the fence of exercyse in lowly thynges by beholdynge of the whych we also do forget ourselues To thys now serue many persecucions deathes al kynde of trouble on earth in y e which is trauayle payne y e w t thēwe may put out y e false deceatful eye Thus is it euidēt vnto vs by thys word humilite or lowlynesse that Mary the virgyne was a despysed vyle and a mayden of no estimacion in thys lowe degre to haue serued God and not to haue knowen that hyr low estate was much worth before God Whereby we are taught and cōforted that though we ought wyllyngly be despysed and brought low yet shuld we not despayre therfore as though God dyd hate vs but rather trust that he shalbe mercyful vnto vs. Only thys shal we beware lest we be not wyllyng ynough in thys subduyng castyng downe lest oure wicked eye be to much open and so deceaue vs wyth preuy lokynge vpon hyghe thynges or searchynge out of our pleasures wherwyth the humilite or lowlynesse do perysh For what helpeth it y e dāned to be cast downe to the nedermost lowest seyng they do not suffre y e aduersite gladly and wyth a
God that hys chyldrē take no consolacion of the gyftes ether spirituall or temporall be they neuer so great but of hym and hys goodes yet not despysynge the gyftes Nother doth y e mother of God rehearse ony goodnesse seuerally but wyth one word doth she comprehende them all sayenge He hath done great thynges vnto me that is all that he hath done vnto me is greate Whereby she teacheth vs that the hygher the contemplaciō in sprete be the lesse wordes ought we to make For she feleth well ynough that she can not vtter wyth wordes the thynge that she thynketh in hyr mynde and wolde fayne expresse Wherfore such fewe wordes of the sprete are sometyme so weyghtye and profounde that no man can vnderstāde them wythout he somdeale fele the same sprete But vnto them that be voyd of the spret do such wordes seme very sleght and clene wythout swetnesse or tayst which dispatch theyr taxe wyth many wordes and greate noyse Christe in the .vi. Chapter of Mathew teacheth vs to eschue the multiplyenge of wordes in oure prayer seynge the Heythen men do euen the same whyche therby do thynke to be herde As now a dayes also in many churches ther is plenty of ryngynge of bels playenge on organes and other instrumentes of musyke of syngynge cryenge and readinge but scarcenesse of praysynge of God the whyche is to worship God in sprete and truth Ioh. iiii Salomō sayth in the .xxvii. chap. of y e Pro. He that is to haysty to prayse his neghboure aboue measure shalbe taken as one that geueth hym an euell reporte For he causeth y e matter to be suspect so that euery man doth thynke it a fayned matter whych he busyeth so earnestlye to stuffe with hys gorgious prayses and maketh neuerthelesse the matter worse therewyth And contrarywyse he that lacketh hys neghboure and ryseth early that is is not slack and spedely doth ryd the matter thesame is to be taken for a prayser For men do thynke it is not as he doth saye and he doth it of an hatynge and euelwyllynge harte so that he doth make hys cause worse and hys neghboures better On thys wyse do they that endeuoure to prayse God with multiplyenge of wordes with cryenge and ianglynge They do as though he were deafe or knewe nothynge and that we must wake or teach hym Such opinion of God is rather a dispraysynge of hym than a praysynge But he that thynketh vpon the workes of God aryght euen from the bottō of hys harte and beholdeth thesame wyth wonderyng and geuynge of thankes so that for very feruentnesse he bruste out and sygh rather thā speake and the wordes that flowe by themselues not fayned nor connynglye deuysed do so rolle oute that euen the sprete do also comme oute Yee that the wordes haue euen handes fete and lyfe so that finally the whole bodye the whole lyfe and all the members do longe to speake that is to prayse God truly in sprete and verite There are the wordes very fyre lyghte and lyfe as wytnesseth Dauid in the C.xviii Psalme sayenge LORDE thy wordes are fyry And agayne My lyppes shall set forth thy prayse euen as water in a sethynge potte runneth ouer and fometh so that it can not retayne it selfe therein for the vehemente heate in the potte Of thys kynde be all the wordes of the virgine Mary in thys songe the whiche be fewe yet both greate and hygh Such praysers of God doth saynt Paule vnto the Romaynes the .xii. chapter call Feruente of sprete the whych chafe and burne in sprete teachynge vs to be of thesame sorte and such were y e fyry tunges that the holy gooste descēded in vpō the disciples The greate thynges be nothynge els saue that she is become the mother of God by the whyche thynge so greate goodes and so excellent are geuen vnto her that passe all the vnderstondynge of ony man For frō hence floweth all honoure and blesse so that amonge all mankynde she be euen one persone excedynge all other and perelesse because she hath only the heauenly father with the sonne cōmune with her And hereby commeth that she herselfe can not name these greate thynges for the abundaūte excellēcy of them but must rest there and breste oute in praysynge wyth a feruent affeccion sayenge He that is myghty hath done great thynges vnto me For thys cause is all hyr honoure comprehended in one worde namely yf she be called the mother of God for no man can saye greater thynges by her nor to her though he had as many tunges as the earth hath herbes and floures the skye hath starres or the see sondes Moreouer it must be cōsydered wyth a depe harte what it meaneth to be the mother of God She doth also featly ascrybe and attrybute thys thynge vnto the grace of God and not hyr merite For thoughe she was wythout synne yet was that grace so greate that she was in no wyse worthy of it For howe coulde a creature be worthye to be the mother of God Although some vayne iāglers and not wryters do bable very much of hyr worthynesse and deseruynge of thys office But I geue more credence vnto the blessed virgine than vnto those vayne wryters and bablers She sayeth that hyr lowe degre was loked vpon and that God hath not rewarded her therfore but that he hath done greate and myghty thynges vnto her He hath done greate thynges vnto me sayeth she not for my deseruynges For suche a thynge dyd the holy virgine neuer thynke vpon muche lesse than dyd she prepare herselfe to it that she myght be the mother of God The message came sodenly and vnwars vnto her as sayeth Luke the euangeliste As for a deseruyng abydeth and loketh not for the rewarde to come sodenly but of a redynesse and set purpose Now it that is in the songe called Regina coeli letare c. namely Vvhome thou deseruedest to beare And in another songe Vvhome thou vverest vvorthy to beare is nothynge to purpose For y e same wordes are also songe of the holy crosse the whiche not wythstandynge was a tre and coulde deserue nothynge And euen so is thys also to be vnderstande Yf it than of necessite must haue ben the mother of God it was requyred agayne that it shulde haue ben a woman kynne a virgine of the tribe or kynred of Iuda and to beleue the message of the angell that iudged her apte to thesame as the scripture had wytnessed of her The preciousnesse or worthynesse of the woode was none other saue that it was mete to be a crosse was ordyned of God to thesame vse Euē so had the holy virgine none other worthynesse to be the mother of God saue that she was comly and ordyned therto that so it myght be a mere grace and no deseruynge or duety that in no case it were preiudiciall and mynysshynge ether the fauoure or the glorye of God It is more semely to abayte to much from her than frō the glory
and rulers But how thys commeth to passe haue I shewed aboue in the fyrst worke of God nother nedeth it to be rehearsed here But it is al said to the comforte of them that suffre and to y e frayenge of the tyrauÌ„tes yf we had so much fayth as to consyder it well The fyft and syxte workes He fylleth the hongry vvyth good thynges and letteth the rych go empty It is sayd aboue that they of lovve degre are not to be called those that are of a vyle lowly estate but such as are contente to be so taken specially whan they are compelled therto for mayntaynynge the worde ryght law of God Euen so ought to be called hongry not they that haue lytle or no meate but they that wyllyngly do wante it specially yf they be coÌ„pelled therto of other for Gods or hys truthes sake What is more abiecte vyle vayne or myserable then the deueâ—l them that be damned or them y e be racked famyshed hanged for theyr mysdedes or what so euer they be y e are brought lowe agaynst theyr wyll Yet doth not God helpe them but rather augmenteth theyr mysery Of such doth not the mother of God speak but of them that agre wyth God which are one wyth God God is one wyth them Agayne what hyndered AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob y e they were ryche What hyndered Dauid hys kyngly seate ether Daniel y e power of BabiloÌ„ or who soeuer was or is in hygh degre wealth yf theyr harte doth not set store by theÌ„ or standeth in hys owne conceate SalomoÌ„ sayeth in y e .xvi. Chap. of the Prouerbes It is the LORD that weyeth y e spretes or myndes that is he iudgeth not after y e vtter appearauÌ„ce whether he be rych poore in authorite or abiecte but after the sprete and hys behaueoure in the aforesayd estates The difference of states maners persones must remayne in earthe as longe as we lyue but the harte may not cleue vnto nor flye not cleue vnto them of hygh estate and rych nor flye the abiecte â–ª despysed and nedy After thys maner sayeth Dauid also in the .vii. psalme Maynteyne the iuste thou ryghteous God that tryest y e very hartes and the reynes But meÌ„ iudge after the vtter appearaunce wherfore they erre ofte And these workes are wrought secretly also as is sayde aboue of other so y t no man feleth them vntyll they be ended The rych man doth not perceaue hys vanite mysery before he dye or perysh otherwyse as testifyeth the .lxxv. psal on thys wyse The proude shalbe robbed slepe theyr slepe the myghty shalbe able to do nothyng w t theyr haÌ„des Contrarywyse y t hongry can not tel how ful they be before they come vnto y e ende of honger for thaÌ„ do they fynde the word of Christ in y e .vi. of Luke Blessed are ye y t hoÌ„ger here for ye shalbe satisfyed thys coÌ„fortable promyse of Gods mother He fylleth the hongry vvyth good thynges It is so impossible that God shulde suffre ony hongry man to perysh by famine whych trusteth in hym that euen y e angels must come fede hym Helias the prophet dyd a rauen fede wyth so muche meele as coulde be holden in one hande was he sustayned a great whyle by y e wedowe of Sarepta For he can not forsake them that put theyr trust in hym as wytnesseth Dauid in the .xxxvi. psal sayeng I was yonge now am olde yet sawe I neuer the ryghteous forsakeÌ„ nor hys sede to seke theyr breade Who so trusteth in God is ryghteous And in the .xxxiii. psal sayeth Dauid also The rych shall wante and suffre honger but they whych seke the LORDE shal want no maner of thynge that is good Lykewyse also sayde Anna the mother of the prophete Samuel i. Reg. ii They that were fylled afore are solde for bread and they that were hongry are satisfyed But the cursed infidelite doth alwaye wythstand let y t God can not worke these thynges in vs that we can not perceaue haue experience of it We wyl be ful haue plenty of al before honger necessite do coÌ„strayne vs prouydynge vs aforehande y t we be not greued w t the nede pouerte to come that so we nede none of Gods workes or grace What fayth is y t wherby thou trustest in God whan y u felest knowest stoare ynough wherwyth y u mayest helpe thyselfe Infidelite is y e cause y t we se y e word of God the truth ryght to lye vnder and iniury to haue y e vpperhaÌ„de y t in the meane seasoÌ„ we kepe our peace punyshe nothynge saye nothynge to it nor forbyd ought but let euery man haue y e brydel ruÌ„ne at large suffryng hym to do as it pleaseth hym But what is the cause Euen because we feare to be attached also brought to pouerte so finally dye for hoÌ„ger remayne euer an vnderlyng And y t is sayd to set more by teÌ„poral goodes then by y e feare of God to worship theÌ„ as Idols in his steade whereby we are vnworthy to heare or to vnderstande this promyse of God full of coÌ„forte namely that he exalteth the oppressed and of lovve degre and putteth dovvne the proude that he fylleth the poore vvyth good thynges and letteth the rych go empty And so come neuer to y t knowlege of hys workes wythout y e whyche neuerthelesse ther is no blesse but must be daÌ„ned for euer as y e .xxvii psal doth testifye sayenge For they regarde not y e workes of y e LORD nor y e operacioÌ„ of hys haÌ„des therfore shal he breake theÌ„ down not buyld theÌ„ vp And y t ryghtfully for they beleue not hys so many promyses couÌ„tynge hym a lyght faylyng God vpoÌ„ whose word they darre begynne nought so lytle felynge haue they of hys truth Ye must aduenture put your selues in hasarde vpon hys worde For he sayeth not He hath fylled the ful and set vp the hygh but he hath fylled the hoÌ„gry hath exalted the lowly vnderlynges Ye muste fyrste come by honger in the myddes of nede know what hoÌ„ger nede do meane so y t ye haue nought to trust vnto or y t ye may vse hereafter or whereby ye may be holpen hereafter nother by yourselfe nor of other but only of God so that the worke y t is impossible vnto other be only Gods Thus must ye not only thynke speake of lowlynesse but also come therto sticke fast therin be helpelesse destitute and forsaken of euery man that God onely maye worke there or at the leest to desyre suche and not shoâ—e it yf we can attayne it wyth the dede And for thys cause are we called Christians and haue the Gospell whyche the deuel and meÌ„ can not beare that thereby we beynge come to anguyshe and lowlynesse God maye entre in to hys workes Thynke ye by your
Dauid thy father hath walked than wyll I geue the a longe lyfe FINIS ¶ A confutacioÌ„ of the songe called Salue Regina prouyng by scriptures layed therto that it is rather Idolatry than lawfull to be songe of true Christen men ¶ Grace mercy and strength of sprete that commeth of God the father and our LORD Iesu Christ do I wysh vnto the gentle reader SEynge welbeloued brethren and systers that nowe by the bouÌ„teous goodnesse mercy of God the moost clere and shyninge lyght of the Gospel is declared vnto vs agayne in thys preseÌ„t world therfore may we ryght well thanke prayse God that he hath wytsafe vs to come vnto the ryghte vnderstandynge knowlege by y e power of hys lyuyng worde Namely that we knowe perfectlye now how and after what fashioÌ„ we ought to prayse and to thanke God how to vtter declare thankfully our fayth whych nother can nor ought be sloggysh not only inwardly but also outwardly as Dauid y e prophete dyd thankynge and praysynge the LORDE Iesus wyth songes and melody as Paul exhorteth hys Coll. iii. to do For yf a man beleue from the harte he shalbe made ryghteous and yf a maÌ„ knowlege wyth the mouth he shalbe saued Rom. x. By thys is it lykely that the songes whiche are nowe vsed in churches euery where were fyrst institute of the fathers for thys inteÌ„t namely so to declare boldlye to exercyse openly the inwarde fayth For it is manifest that we haue no commaundemeÌ„t concernynge thys in all the new testament And for thys cause ought we Christians to haue such songes and ballades now also wherewyth the name of God be auaunced and magnifyed and not dishonoured nor blasphemed But alas thys costume is not only come to such mysuse that Christes honoure is not vttered therin but also that Lucifer y e prince of thys worlde hath thereby confirmed and fortifyed hys kyngdome so y t ther is noughte vsed therin now saue only the byshop of Romes fayres and the thynge wherein the seruice and honoure of God was supposed to haue consysted haue ben occupyed wyth nothynge saue byenge and sellynge choppynge and chaungynge yee playne vsury Euen as Esay doth featly prophecy of them speakyng in the persone of almyghtye God on thys wyse It is ye that haue burnte vp my vyneyard the robbery of y e poore is in your house c. vpon whom Christ also geueth a fearfull senteÌ„ce ful of dredful curses sayenge Wo vnto you scrybes pharises ye hypocrites that deuoure wedowes houses and that vnder the coloure of prayenge longe prayers therfore shall ye receaue the greater damnacyon As though he wolde saye wyth youre great howlynge do ye deceaue the poore innocentes of whose sweate and bloude ye fyll your paunches so ful that one wolde thynke ye had eaten euen the poore innocentes houses also But seynge they study nothynge so earnestly as to serue theyr God y e belly therfore do not they care for y e worde of God but do ruffle it vpon an heape yee sell Christe and hys worde as it may be wel perceaued of them that take diligent hede vnto it But what nede more wordes hereof seyng we se dayly one bayte â–ª after the other put at the angle to catch and to seduce the symple people the more whyche now is partely delyuered from the Babilonicall captiuite For the pardoÌ„s where by they were wonte to scrape a good summe of pens that once were refused begynne now to preasse in agayne in an other hue vysoure namely that they shall be had frely Neuerthelesse the ende wyll declare to what intente thys be institute I counsell therfore euery Christen brother and syster that desyreth to be a membre of Christe to abyde by theyr heade Iesus Christe lokynge for the true pardons of his merites suckynge the pardonynge and forgeuynge of theyr synnes out of hys passion wouÌ„des only I wyll passe ouer to speake of thys matter at thys tyme for it is not now myne â—ntent so to do lest I go to farre fro my purpose that is y e I wolde haue euery man to geue diligent hede vnto the songes that be vsually songe in our churches or temples and specially of one the whyche by the inspiracyon of the deuel is so ryfe and so corrupped y e God is therby depryued of his honoure contrary to the fyrst commaundement and it is geuen vnto a creature This maye be proued in the songe of prayse that is songe to the blessed virgine Mary the mother of Christ wherin we imagine to do her hygh seruice and worship whyche notwythstandynge is pytefully dishonoured mocked therewyth for therin is great ydolatry so that no greater spyte can be done to her than to synge such songes of prayse vnto her wherin hyr sonne Iesus Christe by whome she receaued all mercy â–ª grace vertue goodnesse and holynesse accordyng to hyr owne confession Luke in the fyrst chapter sayeng â–ª My soule magnifyeth the LORDE And my sprete reioyceth in God my Saueoure For he hath loked vpon the lovve degre of hys handmayden Beholde from hence forth shal al generacions call me blessed For he that is myghty hath done great thynges vnto me and Holy is hys name c In the whych wordes she confesseth God to be hyr Saueoure whych must saue vs all also or els we shall be damned for euer We ought therfore to go to hym askynge mercy and grace of hym for he is our hope aduocate and saluacion Wyll ye therfore worshippe Mary aryght worship her in Iesu Christ hir sonne thankynge and praysynge him for workynge so wonderfull power whyche he tofore had promysed vnto the fathers in that vessell Now yf thy contemplacion or inwarde deuocion doth chauÌ„ce vpon the maydeÌ„ which thorowe hyr constaunte fayth dyd brynge forth our Saueoure the sonne of God with out ony spot of nature only by the ouershadowynge of the holy goost remaynyng pure virgyn mother as the scripture doth playnly beare wytnesse than may ye salute her with the same salutacion that the angel Gabriel saluted her but ye shall worshyp God only in the trine of persons namely y e father y e soÌ„ne and holy goost Thys doynge ye shal do the hyghest worshippe vnto Mary y t can be done accordynge to the iudgement of the scripture And that we maye be the more assured and certifyed of thys we wyll conferre this songe of Salue regina wyth the scripture se how they accorde But yf it doth not agre wyth Gods worde I requyre you for the honoure of God to leaue it and cleue vnto the worde of God so doynge ye shalbe the brethren and systers of Christe accordynge to hys owne wytnesse Luke .viii. And what so euer is not hys that is agaynst hym and venyme of the soule for the whyche we oughte earnestly to beware lest after thys transitory lyfe we be robbed of the eternal glory the which God omnipotent raygnynge for euer graunt
vs all Amen ¶ A refutacion of the songe called Salue regina BLessed be God and the father of our LORDE Iesus Christ which accordynge to hys greate mercye hath begotten vs agayne vnto a lyuely hope by the rysynge agayne of Iesus Christ from the dead vnto an vncorruptible and vndefyled enheritaunce whyche neuer shall fayde awaye c. Thus wryteth Peter in hys fyrst canonicall epistle the fyrst chapter wyllynge vs to thanke prayse and blesse God alwaye for delyuerynge vs from death euerlastynge thorowe hys only sonne Iesus Christe Thys hygh and moost laudable benefyte as no tunge can expresse it so can no tunge also prayse it ynough And therfore doth Paule exhorte warne vs of the abuse of thys benefite sayenge .i. Corin. vii Ye are dearly bought namely wyth the bloude of Iesus Christ be not ye seruauÌ„tes of meÌ„ c. Now to synge cense praye and to do lyke reuerence vnto a creature or an ymage of wood or stone and vnto that ymage to attribute such prayse thanke and worship as beloÌ„geth vnto God only what is that els saue a seruice of men whereby God his worde are blasphemed denyed and set at nought as it shalbe brefely declared hereafter ¶ Fyrst we synge Salue regina misericordiae that is to saye Hayle quene of mercy Here is fyrst denyed the sayeng of Esay recyted of S. Paule Rom. xiiii As truly as I lyue sayeth the LORDE all knees shall bowe vnto me and al tunges shal knowlege vnto God And agayne the sayenge of Moses Deuteronomy the .vi. Chapter Heare O Israell the LORDE our God is one LORDE only And thou shalte loue the LORDE thy God wyth all thyne harte wyth all thy soule wyth all thy myght The sayenge also of the prophete Esaye in the .xlii. Chapter is here denyed where God sayeth I my selfe whose name is the LORDE whych geue my power to none other nother myne honoure to the goddes c. Marke now earnestly how featly wel these sayenges agre w t thys salutacioÌ„ or gretyng of Mary verely as wel as day nyght Marke how our carnall deuocion and good meanyng accordeth with God hys worde euen so wel that God sayeth by the prophet Esay in the .lv. chapter My thoughtes are not youre thoughtes and youre wayes are not my wayes But as farre as the heaueÌ„s are hygher than the earth so farre do my wayes excede youres my thoughtes youres Hereby maye it be sene what thys saluacion is namely that God doth not geue hys honoure to none of the goddes Now consysteth hys honoure in nothynge so greatly as in thankefulnesse and praysynge hym for hys infinite mercy goodnesse shewed vnto vs in suffrynge for vs that were in thraldom and the deuels daunger and so delyuered vs therout whyche nother the blessed virgine Mary Peter nor Paule nor none of al the sayntes hath done It followeth than that she is not the quene of mercy ¶ Secondarely we synge Vita dulcedo et spes nostra salue â–ª that is Hayâ—e our lyfe our swetnesse and our hope The coÌ„trary to thys wytnesseth Christ hymselfe Ioh. xiiii sayeng I am y e waye the truth and the lyfe c. And Esaye sayeth lyke wyse in the .xlv. Chapter in the persone of God Turne you vnto me all ye endes of y e worlde and ye shalbe saued for I am God and ther is els none To thys agreeth also Paule .i. Cor. iii. sayenge Other foundameÌ„t can no man laye than that whyche is layed already whych is Christ Iesu These confortable wordes do we nother kepe nor beleue seynge we confesse wyth our mouthes and wyth the dede seke another lyfe or saluacion thaÌ„ the true and only lyfe and saluacion namely Iesus Christe Yee thus doynge we make not God true in hys promyse that he ether can not or wyll not do for vs as he sayeth euery where in the scripture or els do not we beleue y e sayenge of y e boke of wysedome the .xv. Chapter where it is thus written Thou our God arte swete longe sufferynge true in mercy ordrest thou al thinges so forth And Christ speakynge of hym selfe Ioh. vi sayeth Who so coÌ„meth vnto me hym wyll not I cast out And agayne in the x. chapter he sayeth My shepe heare my voyce and I knowe them and they followe me and I geue them euerlastyng lyfe they shal neuer perysh Where is ony such worde of comforte lyfe hope or swetnesse spoken of in the scriptures of God of the blessed virgine Mary or ony creature and yf ther be not what madnesse is it of vs ether to cal or to take them for our hope and refuge which do so lowly alway submitte themselues both to God and hys creatures Yf we wolde a lytle ponder these wordes of the salutation of Mary conferrynge them with the sayeng of Dauid Psalm C.ii. where he sayeth Lyke as a father pytyeth hys owne chylderen eueÌ„ so is the LORDE mercyfull vnto them that feare hym we shulde easyly se howe farre abtrunnynge we be both from God and his true worde We se than welbeloued brethreÌ„ and systers that yf we beleued these foresayd wordes aryghte we shulde nede none other saluacion hope nor lyue saue only Christe which is geuen vs of the father to be a mediatour betwene him vs as ye shal heare hereafter But alas it is come to y e poynte wyth vs that we aske lyfe of them that do not lyue themselues as Salomon sayeth in hys boke called the boke of Wysedome the .xiii. Chapter God sayeth in the .li. chapter of Esay I ame he that in al thynges geueth you consolatioÌ„ What arte thou than that feareste a mortall man the chylde of man which goeth awaye as doth the flore and forgettest the LORD that made the In the boke of wysedome the xvi chapter it is thus written It is thou O LORDE that haste the power of lyfe and death thou leadeste vnto deathes dore and bryngest vp agayne This is he in whome only ye ought to hope to haue confidence hym only shall ye feare to hym only muste ye sygh sobbe for ther is but one only that is mooste hyghest creatoure of all thynges moost puyssauÌ„t and myghty that is greatly to be feared and dradde as Iesus Sirak exhorteth vs to do in the fyrst chapter of Ecclesiasticus sayenge Ther is one euen the Hyghest the maker of all thynges the Almyghty the kynge of power of whome men ought to stande greatly in awe whiche sytteth vpon hys trone beynge a God of dominion and so forth Thanke therfore prayse hym only feare and drede hym and thaÌ„ shall not ye be deceaued For yf ye trust in men or ony creature callynge vpon them than veryly shal ye be deceaued vnhappy accursed as testifye both Ieremy in the .xvii. chap. and Dauid in the C.xiii. Psalme sayenge Cursed be the man that putteth hys trust in man Let therfore theÌ„ that feare the LORD put theyr truste in hym for
he is theyr succoure and defence and thynke yee be assured thys kynde of worshyp to be nought but a deuyce and imaginacion of men only the which are ydle and vayne as sayeth Ieremy in the .x. chapter And Christe also sayeth Mathe. xv that he is worshypped in vayne whyle they teach suche doctrines as are nothynge but the commaundementes of men Though they approche neare vnto me with the Pater noster callynge me father LORDE and God yet do they runne to other fathers gods and saueoures in thys vale of teares Drawe therfore backegood brethren and systers your strayenge steppes wende them in the wayes of the LORDE yeldyng you rather to hym and hys worde for ye haue more assuraunce to be herde when ye call to hym yf ye so do than ye haue of followynge mans voyce Dauid sayeth Psalm xlix in the persone of God Call vpon me in the tyme of trouble so wyll I heare the that thou shalt thanke me Where is ther ony such promyse or comfortable worde in all y e scripture of the blessed virgine or ony other name he shall geue it you Yf ye therfore beleue these wordes stedfastlye than nede ye none other meane Or thynk ye that he wyl lye ether for you or for youre synnes whych only is the truth hymselfe and hath taken a waye the synnes of the worlde as Esaye doth expressely wryte of hym in the .liii. chapter and Ihon baptiste doth by mouth ¶ Syxtly it followeth in the songe Et Iesum benedictum fructum uentris tui nobis post hoc exilium ostende that is And shewe vs Iesu y e blessed frute of thy wombe after thys exilyng bannyshynge Yf you wyll haue her to shewe you Iesus than must ye fyrste let hym shewe you her in thys mysery and heare what she sayd Luke in the fyrst chapter where it is wrytteÌ„ He remembreth mercy and helpeth vp hys seruaunte Israel Euen as he promysed vnto oure fathers Abraham and to hys sede for euer Here sayeth Mary that vnto Abraham and hys sede was promysed saluacion thorowe Christe Iesu which thynge is playnly declared in Genesis the .xxii. Chap. where God sayd to Abraham In thy sede shall all nacions be blessed and Abraham beleuynge thys was saued thereby And Genesis xvii was Isaac promysed vnto Abraham and Abraham beleuynge the same lykewyse was saued thereby Vnto Dauid was lyke promyse made .ii. Regum the .vii. chapter on thys wyse Whan the tyme is fulfylled that thou shalte slepe w t thy fathers I wyll rayse thy sede after the. I wyll be hys father and he shalbe my sonne and wyll stablysh y e seate of hys kyngdome for euer This dyd Dauid beleue and was also saued Beholde thus hath now Abraham receaued hys chylde sayeth Mary as it was promysed vnto AbrahaÌ„ and hys posterite Wyll ye now therfore be also saued then must ye let Iesus be shewed vnto you as Mary doth shewe hym here in the Magnificat namely that he is the blessynge of all nacyons and so to beleue faythfully to trust in Iesu Christ only for by thys fayth only shall ye be saued Yee must haue thys fayth only in hym in thys vayle of teares and so se hym here and not let hym be shewed vnto you by other meanes after this myserable exilynge as it is sunge in thys songe of prayse Thus must we haue hym shewed vnto vs in thys vayle of teares as he was shewed vnto y e patriarkes and prophetes that we maye knowe hym in thys mortall lyfe beleue in hym as they haue done and than surely shall he shewe hymselfe wel ynough after thys exilynge and banyshmeÌ„t Yf els hys wordes be true that he hath spoken Ioh. xi I am the resurreccion and y e lyfe He that beleueth on me shall lyue thoughe he were dead already And Ioh. iii. He that beleueth on me shal not be condeÌ„ned Thus must thou than knowe Iesu Christe as one that taketh awaye thy synnes dyenge y e bytter death for them But yf ye know hym not here than maye he not be shewed you after thys partynge of bodye and soule nother of Mary nor of ony body els ¶ Seuenthly we synge in thys songe O clemens O pia O dulcis uirgo Maria that is O bounteous O good O swete virgine Mary These wordes were wonte to be cryed out loude but Baals prestes cryed out louder whereof it is wrytten in the thyrd boke of the kynges the .xviii. Chapter of thys maner And they cryed loude and prouoked theÌ„ selues wyth knyues and â—otkens as theyr maner was tyll the bloude followed but no answere was herde Wherfore the prophete Elias mockyng them sayd Crye loude For he is a God peradueÌ„ture he is musynge or hath soÌ„what to do or is gone some iourney or happly he slepeth so that he wolde be waked vp c. They cryed farther yet yee that euen theyr throte semed to haue brasten asuÌ„der but what they optayned thereby that maye ye reade there And much lesse shal ye optayne wyth your loude blaryng For God geueth no eare to loude cryenge but to loue and mercy Besydes thys ascrybest thou swetenesse goodnesse and ryghteousnesse vnto a creature whyche is to be referred vnto none but vnto God onely Of thys swetenesse sayeth scripture in the boke of wysedome the .xii. Chap. on thys wyse O LORDE how gracious and swete is thy sprete in all thynges And Ioel in the .ii. Chapter Turne you vnto the LORDE youre God for he is gracious and mercyfull longe sufferynge and of great compassion and ready to pardon wyckednesse and to forgeue synnes c. Dauid doth lykewyse exhorte vs in the .xxxiii. Psalme sayeng Tayste and se howe frendely the LORDE is happye is the man that trusteth in hym Marke well now that ye must seke and loke for all goodnesse swetenesse mercy and vertue at hym only yf ye shall optayne ought and that ye can do nought wythout hym Thys confirmeth the prayer of Anna the wyfe of Helcana in the fyrste doke of the kynges the seconde chapter where she sayeth Ther is no man holy as the LORDE for wythout the is nothyng and ther is no comforte lyke vnto oure God And euen so noman can nor maye be holy or come to the father but thorowe the sonne Christ Iesu as he wytnesseth hymselfe To conclude good brethren and systers I beseke you for the vnspeakeable mercy of God to remembre and to thynke that God is wyser than ye and so doynge geue youre wytte and wysedom captiue vnto the worde of God and than shal happen vnto you both health and saluacion But alas it is happened vnto vs God amende it that is spoken of in the .xiiii. Chapter of the boke of wysedome namely that thorowe the bewty of the worke the commune people was deceaued insomuche that they toke hym now for God whyche a lytle afore was but honoured as man Lyke vnto thys maye ye reade Deuteronomy the .vi. Baruch the laste and in the
boke of wysedom the .xiii. and .xiiii. chapters besides other places innumerable mo in the bible Yf ye loke vpon these places ye shall easely se what Idolatrye is vsed daylye in Christendome before the paynted blockes stockes Whych I truste shall once be redressed by the power of the word of God though to some it seme to be vnpossible by the reasō of the depe rootynge of it in some supersticious hartes But let suche call to mynde the power of God specifyed in these wordes of God by hys prophete Esaye in the .l. chapter Why wolde no man receaue me whan I came and whan I called no man gaue answere Was my hande clene smytten of that it myght not helpe Or had I not power to delyuer Sende therfore the pure playne vnderstādynge of thy Godly worde into oure hartes that the lyght of the clere vnderstandynge of thy worde maye dryue out the darkenesse of Idolatry and so thyne honoure be restored vnto the agayne AMEN ¶ The true Salue Regina grounded vpon the scripture HAyle Iesu Christ kynge of mercy oure lyfe our swetenesse and oure hope hayle Vnto the do we call the wretched chyldren of Eua vnto the do we call and syghe wepynge waylynge in thys valley of teares Turne therfore thy mercyfull eyen to vs warde thou spechman and aduocate of oures and shewe vs the visage of thy blessed father in the euerlastynge glory as thou hast promysed vs O gracious O swete Christe and sonne of the virgine Mary ¶ The songe of Zachary called Benedictus vsually songe at Mattins brefely declared Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for he hath redemed and visited hys people And hath set vp an horne of saluacyon in the house of hys seruaunt Dauid Euen as he promysed afore tyme by the mouth of hys holy prophetes That he vvolde delyuer vs from oure enemyes and from the hande of all such as hate vs. And that he vvolde shevve mercy vnto our fathers and thinke vpon his holy conuenaunte Euen the oth that he svvare vnto oure father Abraham for to geue vs. That vve delyuered out of the hande of oure enemyes myght serue him vvithout feare all the dayes of oure lyfe in suche holynesse and ryghteousnesse as is accepte before hym And thou chylde shalte be called a prophete of the hyghest for thou shalt go before the LORDE to prepare hys vvayes And to geue knovvlege of saluaciō vnto hys people for the remissiō of synnes Thorovv the tender mercy of our God vvhereby the daye sprynge frō on hygh hath visited vs. That he myght geue lyght vnto them that syt in darkenesse and shadovve of death to gyde our fete in to the vvaye of peace THys songe of Zacharye the prophete the father of Ihon baptiste washe occasioned to syng for ioy that he was restored agayne to hys speche the whych he lost because he dyd not beleue the angell shewynge hym of hys sonne Ihon baptiste that shulde be borne of hym so that as the angell sayde vnto hym the token whereby he shulde be assured ther of was that he shulde be domme vntyll the tyme of the chyldes natiuite Wherfore at hys natiuite beynge restored agayne vnto hys speche he is forthwyth fylled also wyth the holy gooste and prophecyeth not that he was not fylled afore wyth the sprete of Gods chyldren wherby he walked vnblameably in the commaūdementes and ryghteousnesses of God but that than he was euē rauyshed and specially fylled with the sprete so that Luke the Euangelist who doth describe these wordes in his .i. chapter sayeth that he was fylled with y e holy gooste and prophecyed Now is to prophecy to vtter thynges ether to come or that he paste already or els to open the scriptures and prophecyes the whiche all thys songe doth conteyne and is diuided in .xii. verses and two partes In the fyrste doth Zachary cōmende and prayse the truth of Gods promyses that God doth kepe fulfyll those thynges which he dyd promyse by hys prophetes of Christe In the seconde doth he declare the office and seruice of Ihon baptiste Let vs therfore kepe and handle thys songe of Zachary not only as a rehearsall and abrygmente of all suche promyses as are spoken of Christe but also as a large commentary and vtteraunce of y e gospell of Iesu Christe But alas thys songe is haynously abused euen as is also y e songe of prayse that Mary the blessed virgine dyd syng called Magnificat seynge it is roared out dayly rather than songe wythout faythe or deuocion God auenge hys worde from the blasphemyes of the wycked Now let vs go to the songe Blessed be the LORDE God of Israel Zachary doth blesse and thanke God which accordynge to the promyse made vnto the holy mē in olde tyme dyd send Christ the Saueoure of Israel whereby he doth also strenghten the weaklynges in fayth and feble harted And with thys syngynge opēly confessynge of his name is he wellapayed yf the harte and mouth do accorde Though he do call God the God of Israel it is not therfore to be vnderstande that he is not the God of the Gētyles but he is so called fyrst because of the promyse made vnto Abraham in the .xvii. chapter of Genesis where God sayde vnto hym I wyll make wy cōuenaunt betwene me and the and thy sede after the thorowe out theyr posterites that it may be an euerlastynge conuenaunte so that I wyl be the God of y e and of thy sede after the. c. Secondly because he gaue them Patriarkes Prophetes the lawe the Gods seruice and the promyses of Christe that was to-come Thyrdly because that of thys people shulde Christe be borne after the flesh But after that Christe was come he was nomore called Israell truely that was borne of that kynred and of the flesh of Israel but he that is borne by the fayth of Iesu Christe Wherfore though the LORDE by hys power and rule be the LORDE of all nacions yet is he properly called the God of thē that beleue in Iesus Christe because that them only be knowlegeth for y e heyres of hys kyngdome Blessed is than the God of Israel But wherfore Euē because he hath visited and redimed hys people And hath set vp an horne of saluaciō in the house of hys seruaunte Dauid Euen as he promysed afore tyme by the mouth of hys holy prophetes Thys pertayneth vnto the fyrste parte of the songe wherin God is commended for hys faythfulnesse and fulfyllynge of hys promyse He hath visited and redimed hys people sayeth Zachary the whiche be both one thynge and be as much to saye as he is come vnto vs to brynge and to set afore vs the wholsome worde whereby we are saued For to visite is to be myndefull to care for or to make an ende of trauyll and thraldom as God dyd whā he delyuered y e chyldrē of Israel out of Egipte though it be sōtyme takē for euell as to punysh or to chastise Now
.xlii. Chapter of Esay where he prophecieth of Christ on thys wyse I wyll geue the for a conuenaunt of the people and to be the lyght of the Gentyles that thou mayest open the eyes of the blynde and let out the presoners and them that syt in darkenesse out of the doungeon house And Christe sayeth thus of hymselfe in the viii chapter of Ihon I ame the lyght of the worlde He that followeth me shal not walke in darknesse but shall haue the lyght of lyfe What are than those darknesses that Christ the lyght doth dryue out The darkenesse are fyrst all mans power wysdom and ryghteousnesse the whiche though they glyster and shyne before men yet to optayne the grace of God thereby to apeace gods wrath to make satisfaccion for oure synnes and to get the true blesse wyth them they are but euen darknesse Secondly are the darknesse all doctrines of philosophers all lawes ether of the Heythen or of Moses For those though they be profitable and be necessarye to redresse maners by them and to represse the wycked yet to put awaye synne with thē and to get the true ryghteousnesse before God they are euen darknesse Only Christ is the lyghte because that whoso beleueth hys gospell hath the clensynge and remissiō of synnes thorowe hym the whiche is oure ryghteousnesse consistynge in the iudgemēt of God Finally are oure synnes death and hell darknesse but Christe is the true lyght For yf God hath not spared the naturall braūches let vs beware lest he spare not vs also God refused the Iewes for theyr wyckednesse howe muche more shall he refuse vs Gentiles yf we be lyke vnto thē in wyckednesse He refused the Iewes not because they crucifyed Christe but because they beleued not in hym whō they crucifyed nother repented at the preachynge of the gospell of Iesu Christe Euen so shall not God refuse vs because we haue synned orels had we ben longe sence refused but we shalbe refused because we wyll not beleue hys Gospel agaynste whome we haue synned nother haue done penaunce by fayth but partly persecute the gospel wyth tyranny partly with despysynge and lothsomnesse Therfore let vs be diligent by obedience vnto the gospel that the same glory of Christe that is come and translated vnto vs do abyde with vs for euer and not be sklaundered by oure misbehaueoure and vngodly lyuynge For better were it that a milstone were hanged aboute oure neckes and we caste into the see than ony sklaunder vnto God and hys holy worde shulde come by vs. ¶ Here is now good reader the songe of the sage grayheaded Simeon the whiche he beynge full of the holy goost dyd synge to declare hys mynde to Godwarde Wherein fyrst by his owne ensample he sheweth wher by the true peace and tranquillite of conscience doth come and whereby we become wyllynge to dye namely thereby that we knowe Christe to be the ouercommer and vanquisher of synne and Death For yf we do beholde the Death in vs and in herselfe ther is nothynge more haynous or dredeful But yf we take Christe in oure armes of sayth and beholde the death in hym than do we so lytle despayre wyth beholdynge the death that we rather do saye ether wyth Simeon LORDE Novv lettest thou thy seruaunte departe in peace accordynge to thy vvorde Orels wyth Paule I desyre to be lowsed and to be wyth Christe Moreouer doth Simeon sette forth Christe with thre goodly titles callyng hym the Saueoure of all people the lyght of the Gentyles and the glory of Israel that with these titles he myght so set forth the maiesty of Christe that ether he myght prouoke the vnbeleuynge to the fayth or stablyshe the weake in fayth or kepe them that be stronge
that preached Iesus Christe that we for hym onely haue the forgeuenesse of synnes by the fayth in hym Nother is there ony other waye to obtayne the true saluacion thā by the fayth in Christe Iesu nor yet also is ther geuen vnto men ony other name wher in we be saued Actu iiii For the glory of God is to saue as many as are ordined ther to and that glory geueth he to none other Seynge than Ihon dyd opē shewe declare Iesus Christ the doer away of our synnes ▪ he is ryghtfully sayd to haue geuē or to haue taught the people suche knowlege whereby they obtayne the remission of theyr synnes that is ryghteousnesse and lyfe euerlastyng But for what deseruynges or merites sake hath y e people obtayned such benefites that they shulde learne the waye of saluacion get the remission of theyr synnes Veryly not for the circumcision nor sacrifices nor ciuile honesty the whych though they haue a worthynesse in theyr kynde yet were they not such thynges before God that therfore he shulde bestowe on vs the benefyte of forgeuenesse of synne What are then the thynges wherfore we haue such benefyte bestowed on vs Thorovv the the tender mercy sayeth he of our God He sayeth not onely by the mercy ▪ but by the tender mercy that is thorowe the great and vnsearcheable mercy for thorow the same and for none of mās merites dyd the daye sprynge frō on hygh visite vs. For as the remissiō of synnes happened vnto vs for none of our merites but only of the mere grace and tender mercy of God euen so doth thys fayth also The day sprynge doth Zachary call here Christe as thoughe he were buddynge and spryngynge lyke a braunch of a tre alludynge to the sayenge of Ieremy in hys .xxiii. chap. sayenge I wyll rayse vp the ryghteous braunch of Dauid which shall beare rule discusse matters with wysedom shal set vp equite and ryghteousnesse agayne in the earth And also to the prophecy of Zachary in hys .vi. chap. sayenge Beholde the man whose name is y e braunch and he that shall sprynge after him shall buylde vp the temple of the LORDE Thys braunch than or daye sprynge is rysen from aboue and hath visited vs whā Iesus Christ came into thys world sente Ihō baptiste before to beare opē wytnes of him To what intente That he myght geue lyghte vnto thē that syt in darknesse and shadovve of death and to gyde oure fete into the vvaye of peace These wordes of Zachary concerne the prophecy of Esaye in his .ix. chap. sayenge The people that haue dwelte in darknesse shall se a great lyght to thē that dwell in the lande of the shadowe of death to thē shall the lyght shyne And agayne in y e .lx. chap. And therfore get y e vp by tymes for thy lyght cōmeth and the glory of the LORD shall ryse vpon y e. In the darknes and shadovv of death do they syt whiche are so wrapped in wretchednesses y t they se nought saue euē euerlastyng dānaciō That is done whan the synnes are vttered and y e conscience knoweth the iudgement of synne Therfore whan Ihon dyd shew Christe takynge awaye the synnes of the worlde surely he shewed vs such a lyghte whereby we maye not only auoyde the darkenesse of infelicite or wretchednesse and the shadowe of death but also to gyde our fete into y e way of peace so to obtayne y e true saluaciō felicite For ther is none other way of peace or felicite saue Iesus Christ our LORD by whose faythe we beynge iustifyed haue peace to Godwarde A foote in scripture is takē oftymes for y e affection desyre wyll of the harte as in y e .xxxv. Psal Let not the foote of pryde ouertake me That is the affections thoughtes of pryde lest I conceaue a proude opinion of meselfe in my mynde of my ryghteousnesse wysdom strength wyll lest I coūte meselfe somewhat where I ame nothynge seynge I fynde no good thynge in my flesh The clause wherwith Zachary doth ende hys songe is veryly a pythy one namely into the vvay of peace For yf we walke not in the wayes of God in hys commaundemētes in the lyfe that is blessed and happy because of the assuraunce of Gods goodnesse wherby such tranquillite rest of conscience is procured y t we take all thynges in worth and as neare as we can haue peace wyth al men than veryly do we wander in darknes goynge astraye as shepe hauyng no sheperd He doth worthely cal the ignoraunce of god the shadowe of death wherwith are holdē all those into whose hartes Christe the true Sonne of ryghteousnesse hath not spred hys beames seynge y e true knowlege of God is lyfe euerlastynge What tunge cā expresse y e misery of thē that want y e knowlege of God For in thys lyfe they haue a cōscience captiuate restlesse marked wyth a whote yron sekynge now thys waye to be saued thā puttynge y e body to such payne to deserue heauē so y t it can nomore reste thā Euripus the ryuer which ebbeth and floweth .vii. tymes in a daye and nyghte And agayne what tunge can vtter the felicite happinesse of such as haue thys knowlege that Ihon is come to geue for they beynge suffysed y e God is theyr God that he careth for thē that he forgeueth thē theyr synnes thorow the tēder mercy of theyr God wherewyth the daye sprynge or braūch frō on hygh hath visited vs they kepe an euerlastyng Sabbat cōmyttyng al y e care ether of lyuelode of clothyng or of ryddaūce and delyuerynge frō al theyr enemyes both bodyly and goostly to hym only that hath created and gouerneth all thynges trustyng in him that as he is only good so cā not he do other wyse but good vnto them Thys veryly is a peace passynge the peace of y e worlde Thys peace maye be felte inwardly but can be vttered sufficiently with no tunge outwardly Yee noman can synge nother thys nor lyke songes worthely frutefully wythout he be contrite of harte endued w t the holy goost Therfore is it a haynous iniury vnto God to synge thys lyke wholsome songes only for auauntage wythout ony consyderaciō of the benefites that God hath shewed vs as it testifyeth God graunte that abuses may be redressed by the breth of hys holy worde ¶ Thys is the songe of prayse that Zachary dyd synge at hys chyldes natiuite whereby seynge the truth mercy of God and the benefites which we haue gottē thorow Christ whome Ihon by by hys preachyng testimony doth auaūce are chefely praysed let vs stablysh our fayth declare our thankfulnes towarde God that we maye kepe retayne with thankfulnesse y e godly benefites which of liberalite we haue receaued by Iesus Christe AMEN ¶ The songe of the aunciente father Simeon called Nunc dimittis the whyche he dyd synge whan Mary was puryfyed LORDE novv lettest
thou thy seruaunte departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse For myne eyes haue sene thy Saueoure vvhome thou hast prepared before all people A lyght for the lyghtenynge of the Heythen and for the prayse of the people of Israel THis songe hath .iii. verses it was songe what tyme Christ was borne to the consolaciō of Mary and Ioseph wyth diuerse other electe Moreouer lyke as Zachary and Mary and before them Moses Debora Anna the mother of Samuel Dauid diuerse other dyd vtter theyr thankefulnes towarde God wyth songes nor coulde fynde more pleasynge thynge to thanke hym for hys benefites than such open prayses wherein the glory of Gods name is recyted Euē so doth here Simeon by the holy goost bruste out in a songe wherewyth he declareth hys thanke full mynde towarde the goodnes of God He setteth forth Christe in thys songe decketh hym with great prayses goodly tytels He teacheth also by hys owne ensample wherof the true peace of conscience doh cōme and whereby it cōmeth that we loke readely and gladly for death yee euen ouercōme death Novv sayeth he LORD lettest thou thy seruaūt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse That is I haue nought in me wherof I may boast at thy iudgemēt saue only thys that thou arte my LORD I thy seruaunte not suche one that haue done all thy wyl but such one as seynge I haue not done thy wyll ought therfore worthely to haue ben condemned yet neuerthelesse am graciously saued of the. It was veryly a feruent prayer and desyre that the ryghteous dredynge God sage Simeon praysed God with as he sawe the LORDE in the temple and toke hym in hys armes The harte of y e aged man reioyced so sore at that tyme y t he could kepe the prayse of God no longer hyd in hys harte yee yf it had ben possible y e harte wold haue brusten for ioye sayeng LORD novv lettest thy seruaunt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse As though he wolde saye Let me now departe I ame now glad to dye death shalbe now acceptable vnto me for it is fulfylled y t was promysed vnto me It myght also be vnderstāde y t Simeons desyre was not only to be delyuered of y e bodyly death but also frō all pynyng and vnquietnesse of conscience the which can be apeaced with no workes before we haue sene the anoynted of the LORDE that is before that our conscience knoweth Christ aryght For thā waxeth a man fyrst mery thā dyeth a man gladly and than dryueth y e holy goost awaye all grefe of conscience also whyche maketh a man restlesse God geueth some men a greate peace inwardly at the fyrste as Mary brought forth hir sonne with great ioye But such must suffre greatly afterward as Mary dyd also afterward Some suffreth God to haue grefe and pynyng of consciēce vntyll theyr bodely death as he dyd thys Simeon but than are they contented with auauntage for all that they dyd forgo so lōge y e which is a paynful lyfe but very precious Nother were it possible for a man to endure yf Gods worde dyd not sustayne hym whervpon he wayteth vntyll that tyme that God hath chosen to thesame Now whan God veryfyeth the promyse than is it aboue measure swete vnto man and so thanketh prayseth God for it For he learneth than by true experience that God doth veryfy hys pro myses howe longe so euer he differreth it Than is the goodnesse of the LORDE yee the LORDE hymselfe very swete and he hymselfe is very wyllynge to dye In that Simeon calleth hymselfe the seruaunte of the LORDE he fyrste prayseth y e goodnesse of God that seyng he myght haue destroyed hym for his wyckednesses yet hath he wyte safe to spare hym mercyfully Secondly he confesseth hys extreme vilenesse and lowlynesse so that he haue nought in hymself that is ought worth in the syght of God but that God hath all power ouer hym ether to slay or saue and that he be vnworthy to be counted for a man before God Ther is nothyng more stronger to steare God to mercy than so to knowlege before God and to submitte thēselues to hym callyng vpō hym by fayth Wherfore Dauid stearynge God to shewe mercy doth so ofte repete the name seruaūt as though he wolde saye Lyke as he that is taken in battayll or in tyme of warre and so beynge solde is a bondman and seruaunt vnto hym that bought hym Euen so I also beynge redymed by thy precious bloude from the daūger of the deuel death and hell am euen altogether thyne owne thy seruaūt thy bondman hauynge no ryght to my selfe Moreouer that Simeon sayeth accordynge to thy promyse therein doth he prayse and commende the truth of Gods promyses For the worde or promyse made vnto Simeon was that he shulde not se death before he had sene the LORDES Christ Now though ther appeared many thynges contrary to thys worde or promyse and though it semed to haue ben a vayne and fayned tayle neuerthelesse seynge all men are lyars but thou LORDE my God arte true thou fulfyllest it at the fullest that thou hast promysed and lettest me now go in peace Hether to haue I carefully abyden thy commynge and that thys many yeares and what mystrustynge dyd not the fleshe in the meane season steare me vnto What infidelite dyd not Satan inspire me wyth And because thou dyddest differre thy promyse of seynge Christ therfore was I nearehande caused to thynke that all thy promyses were vayne And good LORDE what rumoure or vproure dyd than ryse in my conscience With what engins dyd Satā assaulte my mynde layenge now my synnes before me than she wynge me an hougle image of death somtyme kyndlynge the horrible fyre of hell in myne entrayles wherewyth I was so dismade that I was nearhāde in despayre But nowe thou makeste me an happye aged man LORDE and lettest thy seruaunt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse Now doest thou set my consciēce at rest now shall I carelesse wayte for the bodyly death I wil now dye gladly But what is happened vnto the good father that thou arte so sodenly chaunged and where afore thou werest so sorowfull that thou arte now euē filled with so great ioye For what cause doest thou now so leape for ioye as though thou werest reuyued which afore semedest to haue ben more than dead Surely hys ioye is not for nought Let vs therfore heare hymselfe For thys sayeth he to be the cause of hys myrth and gladnesse namely For myne eyen haue sene thy Saueoure vvhome thou hast prepared before all people Thys is the treasure y e reioyceth me maketh death acceptable to me namely That I se hym y t was vnder the law knowe hym for such one as helpeth me it can not be but I must reioyce and not be afeared for death Behold now what is hyd in the harte of the olde grayheaded father that he wyll nowe dye and