Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	heart_n	speak_v	word_n	18,801	5	4.3019	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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

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

secretes as were not cōuenient mete to vtter to men but counted all hys workes doinges as nothing to winne Christ. And I most presūptuously thinking nothing of Christ crucified went about to set furth mine owne righteousnes saying w t the proude Pharisey Good lord I thanke y e I am not like other mē I am none adulterer nor fornicatour so furth w t suche like wordes of vaynglory extollyng my self dispising others working as an hired seruaunt for wagies orels for reward not as a louing childe ōly for very loue w tout respect of wagies or reward as I ought to haue done neyther did I cōsidre howe beneficiall a father I had who dyd shewe me his charitie mercie of his owne mere grace goodnes y e when I was most his ennemie he sent his only begottē welbeloued Sonne into thys world of wretchednes misery to suffre most cruel sharpe deathe for my redempcion But my hart was so stony hard y t this great benefite was neuer truly liuely printed in my hart although w t my wordes it was oftē rehearsed thinking my selfe to be sufficiently instructed in y e same and being in dede in blind ignorance And yet I stoode so wel in mine owne iudgement opiniō y t I thought it vayne to seke y e encreace of my knowlege therin Paule calleth Christe the wisedome of god and euen the same Christe was to me folishnes my pryde blindnes disceyued me the hardnes of my hart withstode the growing of truthe within it Suche were the fruites of my carnall and humane reasons to haue rotten ignoraunce in pryce for rype and seasonable knowlege Suche also is the malice wickednes that possesseth the hertes of men suche is the wisedome and pleasing of the fleshe I professed Christe in my baptisme whē I beganne to liue but I swarued from him after baptisme in continuaunce of my lyuing euen as the heithen whiche neuer had begunne Christe was innocent and voyde of all sinne and I wallowed in fylthie sinne was free from no sinne Christe was obedient vnto his father euē to the death of the crosse I disobedient and most stubburne euen to the confusion of truthe Christ was meke and humble in harte and I moste proude and vaynegloryous Christe dispised the worlde with all the vanities therof and I made it my god bicause of y e vanities Christ came to serue his bretheren I coueted to rewle ouer thē Christe dispysed worldlye honor and I much delited to attayne the same Christ loued the base and simple thinges of the world and I estemed the moste fayre and pleasant thinges Christe loued pouertie and I welth Christ was gentle and merciful to the poore and I hard harted vngentle Christe prayed for his enemies I hated mine Christ reioysed in y e conuercion of sinners I was not greued to see their reuerciō to sinne By this declaraciō all creatures may perceyue howe farre I was from Christ w tout Christe yea how cōtrary to Christ although I bare y e name of a Christian. In so muche y t if any mā had sayde I had ben w tout Christe I woulde haue stifly withstande the same And yet I neyther knewe Christ nor wherfore he came As concernyng the effecte and pourpose of his comming I had a certayne vayne blind knowlege both cold dead which may ●e had with al sinne as it doth playnly appere by this my confession open declaraciō What cause nowe haue I to lament mourne sigh wepe for my life time so euil spent w t howe much humilitie lowlines ought I to cum knowlege my sinnes to god geuing hī thākes y t it hath pleased hym of his haboundaunt goodnes to geue me time of repentaunce for I know my sinnes in y e consideracion of thē to be so greuouse in y e number so exceding y t I haue deserued very oftē eternal damnaciō And for the deseruing of goddes wrath so manifoldlie due I must vncessantly geue thankes to the mercy of god beseching also that y e same delay of punishment cause not his plage to be the sorer since mine own cōscience condēneth my former doinges But his mercy excedeth al iniquitie and if I shuld not thus hope Alas what should I seke for refuge cōfort no mortal man is of power to help me for the multitude of my sinnes I dare not lyft vp myne eyes to heauen where the seate of iudgement is I haue so muche offended god What shal I fal in desperacion nay I wyll call vpon Christ the light of the worlde the fountayne of life the releife of al carefull and the peacemaker betwene god and man and the only health and comforte of al true repentant sinners He can by his almighty power saue me delyuer me out of this miserable state and hath will by his mercy to saue euen the whole sinne of y e world I haue no hope nor confidence in any creature neyther in heauen nor earth but in Christe my whole and only Sauiour He came into the worlde to saue sinners and to heale them that are sicke for he sayeth the whole haue no nede of a Phisicion Beholde lord howe I come to the a sinner sycke greuously wounded I aske not breade but the crummes that fall from the childrens table Cast me not oute of thy sight although I haue deserued to be cast in to hell fier If I shoulde looke vpon my sinnes and not vpō thy mercy I shoulde dispayre for in my selfe I fynde nothing to saue me but a donghill of wyckednes to condemne me if I shoulde hope by myne owne strength and power to cum oute of thys mase of iniquitie and wickednes wherin I haue walked so long I shoulde be disceyued For I am so ignorant blinde weake feble that I cannot bring my selfe out of this intangled weyward mase but y e more I seke meanes wayes to wind my selfe out the more I am wrapped tangled therin So y t I perceyue my striuing therin to be hynderance my trauayle to be labour spent in going backe It is the hand of y e lord that can will bring me out of this endles mase of death for without I be preuented by the grace of the lorde I can not aske forgeuenes nor be repentante or sory for thē There is no man can auowe that Christe is the only Sauiour of the world but by the holy ghost yea as Saynt Paule sayeth no man can say the lorde Iesus but by the holy ghost The spirit helpeth our infirmities and maketh continuall intercession for vs with suche soroful groninges as can not be expressed Therfore I wyll first require and pray the lorde to

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

as louyng children without respect of lucre gayne or hyer They be in suche libertie of spirit and ioye somuche in god that theyr inwarde consolacion can not be expressed with tongue all feare of dampnacion is gone frō theim for they haue put their whole hope of saluacion in hys handes that will can performe it neyther haue they any poste or piller to leane to but god and his smothe and vnwrinkled churche For he is to theym all in all thinges and to him they leaue as a most sure square piller in prosperitie and aduersitie nothyng doubting of hys promises and couenaūtes for they b●leue most surelye they shal be fulfilled Also the childrē of god be not curiouse in searching the highe misteries of god whiche be not mete for thē to knowe neither do go aboute w t humayne and carnall reasons to interpret scripture perswading men by theyr subtill wittes and carnall doctrine y t muche knowl●dge of scripture maketh menne her●●ikes without they tempre it with humayne doctryne Sophistrie Philosophie and Logicke wherwith to be seduced according to the tradicions of menne after y e ordenaunces of the world not after Christ. Saynt Paule doeth moste diligently admonish vs which artes are not conuenient meete to be made chekmate with scripture for the scriptures be so pure and holy that no perfeccion can be added vnto them For euen as fine golde doeth excell all other mettals so doeth the woorde of god all mens doctrines I beseche the lord to sende the learned and vnlearned suche aboundaunce of hys holy spirit that they may obey and obserue the most sincere and holye worde of god shewe the fruites therof whiche consisteth chieflye in charitie and godly vnitie that as we haue professed one god one faith and one Baptisme So we may be all of one minde and one accorde putting away all biting gnawing for in bacbiting slaūderinge and misreporting oure christen brethren wee shewe not our selues the disciples of Christ whom we professe In hym was most high charitie humilitie and pacience suffering most paciently al ignominie rebukes slaūders praying to hys eternall father for his enemyes with moste feruent charitie and in al thinges did remit his wil to hys fathers as the Scripture doeth witnes whan he prayed in the mounte A goodly example and lession for vs to folowe at al times and seasons aswell in prosperitie as in aduersitie to haue no will but goddes wil committing and leauing to hym all our cares griefes and to abandon al oure policies and inuencions for they be moste vayne and folish and in dede very shadowes dreames But we be yet so carnall fleshly that wee cum hedlyng lyke vnbridelled coltes w tout snaffle or bit Yf we had the loue of god printed in oure hartes it woulde kepe vs backe from runnyng astray And vntill suche tyme as it please god to sende vs thys bit to holde vs in we shall neuer runne y e right way although we speake and talke neuer somuche of god and hys worde The true followers of Christes doctryne hathe alwayes a respecte and an eye to theyr vocacion If they be called to y e ministerie of Goddes word they preache teache it sincerely to the edifiyng of others shewe theym selfes in their liuing folowers of the same If they be maried men hauing children and familie they norish bring them vp without all bytternes and fiercenes in the doctryne of the lorde in al godlynes and vertue committ●ng the instruccion of others which apperteyneth not to theyr charge to the reformacion of god and hys ministers whiche chiefly be kinges princes bearing the swerde euen for that porpose to punishe euyll doers If they be childrē they honour theyr father mother knowing it to be goddes commaundement that he hath therto annexed a promise of long life If they be seruaūtes they obey and serue theyr masters with al feare and reuerence euen for the lordes sake neyther with murmuring nor grudgyng but with a free herte and minde If they be husbandes they loue their wifes as theyr owne bodies after the example as Christe loued the congregacion and gaue hym for it to make it to hym a spouse without spot or wrinkle Yf they be women maryed they lerne of Saynt Paule to be obedient to theyr husbandes and to keepe silence in the congregaciō to learne of theyr housbandes at home Also they weare suche appare●l as becummeth holines and comly vsage with sobernes not beyng accusers or d●tractours not g●u●n to muche eating of dilicate meates and drynking of wyne but they teache honest thinges to make the youg womē sobre minded to loue theyr housbandes to loue theyr children to be discrete chast huswiflie good obedient vnto theyr husbandes that the worde of god be not euil spoken of Uerely yf all sortes of people would loke to theyr owne vocacion and ordeyne the same according to Christes doctrine we should not haue so many eyes eares to other mennes fautes as we haue For we be so busye glad to finde espie out other mennes doinges that we forget can haue no time to weye ponder oure owne whiche after the woorde of god we ought first to refourme and then we shall the better help an other w t the strawe out of hys eyes But alas we be so muche geuen to loue and to flatter our selfes and so blinded with carnall affeccions that we can see and perceyue no faute in our selfes And therfore it is a thing very requisite necessarie for vs to pray all with one herte and mynde to god to geue vs an heuenly light knowlege of our our owne mis●ries calamities y e we maye see them acknowledge them trulye before hym Yf any man shal be offended at thys my lamenting y e fautes of mē which be in the worlde fantasiyng with theym selues that I do it eyther of hatred or of malice to any sort or kynde of people verely in so doing they shall dooe me greate wrong for I thanke God by hys grace I hate no creature yea I woulde saye more to geue witnes of my conscience y e nether life honour riches neyther what soeuer I possesse here whiche apperteyneth vnto myne owne priuate commoditie be it neuer so deerlie beloued of me but moste willinglie and gladly I woulde leaue it to winne any manne to Christ of what degre or sorte soeuer he were And yet is this nothing in comparison to the charitie that God hath shewed me in sending Christe to dye for me no yf I had all the charitie of Aungelles and apostles it shoulde be but like a sparke of fyer compared to a greate heape of burning cooles God knoweth of what intent and minde I haue lamented mine owne sinnes fautes to the worlde I trust no bodye