Kepe vs from all euyll / misshe vous / obstinate / hard / styffe / vngentill / and resisting will Gyue de we obedieÌ„ce / parsait freminde in all spiritual thinges / worldly / euerlasting transitory Kepe vs froÌ„ the most horribill synne of grugyng slaunder / accusing folisshe hardy iudgemeÌ„t / that we condeÌ„pne no man or turne any thing to rebuke Put from vs that abhominabill euyl / and most greuous stroke al suche tongues / teache vs that if we se or heare of other any thyng worthye of rebuke / whiche dyspleaseth vs / that we holde oure peace hyde it coÌ„plenyng to the onely / putting committyng it vnto thy will / so that with all oure minde we forgeue theim that offeÌ„d vs for whome also we be sory Teache vs to vnderstoud that no man may hurte vs except be do hym selfe moche more hurie in thi sighe so that we may be moued with mercy towardes hym / rather then we shuld be prouoked to wrath rather wepyng for his bliÌ„denesse / then to thinke of aduengemeÌ„t Gyue vs grace that we reioyce not in theyr trouble / whiche haue resisted oure will or hurte vs / or in what poynt so euer they re life displeasith vs / and also that we be not sory when they prosper haue welfare Of this peticion are all psalmes verses and prayers teaching vs to pray for oure enemyes / and against oure synnes ¶ The fourthe peticion Gyue vs this day oure dayly breade THe breade is oure lorde Iesus Crist whyche nourysseth / and conforteth the soule Therfore O heuenly father / gyue vs thys grace / that the lyfe of Chryst wordes / workes / and passions / may be preached / knowen / and holden / bothe of vs / of all the worlde Gyue vs grace that we may haue his wordes / worltes and all his lyfe for an affectuose example / and spectacle of all vertues Gyue vs grace that iâ— oure passyons and aduersytes / we may comfort oure selfe by hys passyon and crosse Gyue vs grace that we may with a scable faith ouercome oure deth by his deth / and folowe without feare this nobil capteyn into aÌ„other life Gyue this grace that all they that preache / may proufitably and blissedly preache thy word / and Iesu crist through all the worlde and that al whicke haue thy worde preached / may lerne Crist and so may be purified / and go forth in a better life Graunt this also mercyfull father / that all strauÌ„ge doctrynes in the whiche Christ is not lerned may be thrust out of thy churche Haue mercy on all bisschoppes / prestes and on al theym whome they call consecrated / of all officers that they maye be lyghteneth with thy grace / to teache rule well / bothe in worde also craÌ„ple of life Kepe al that are weke in the faith lest they be offended bi the myschevous exemple of heddes and rulers Kepe vs from hereyses and doctrynes of dyuision / that we may be agreyng in one mynde / syth we vse one dayly brede that is / one dayly doctryne / and worde of Chryst Teache vs by thy grace / to thynke / and haue in mynde / truely and as we ought to do the passyon of Christ / and to ioyne it happyly with oure lyfe / so that we may coÌ„me and atteyn some thing / though it be but the shadowe of it Finally gyue vs oure dayly breade / that Christ in vs we in Chryst may dwelle perpetuelly / and may worthyly bere this name / syth of Christ we are called Christen Of this peticyon are all kinde of prayers and Psalmes / with whiche we pray for oure officers / ageynst false teachers / for the Iewes / for heretikes / and all other that are out of the ryght wey And also with whiche we pray for theym that lacke â—onforte ¶ The fyft peticyon ¶ Forgyue vs oure treaspaces euen as we forgyue theym that trespas vs. THis prayer hath a certeyn coÌ„dicyon and sygne annexed with hym / whiche â—s that first we forgeue oure trespassers This done / then may we say forgeue be oure trespasses Before also in the thyrde peticyon we prayed that the will of God myght be fulfilled / whiche willeth that we suffer all thinges paciently / not quytyng euell for euell / nether sekyng auengement / but that we do good for euyll / by thexample of oure father in heuyn / whiche maketh his sonne shyne vppon good and euyll / and sendeth his rayne vppon kynd and vnkinde ¶ This is nowe oure prayer O father coÌ„forte oure coÌ„science / bothe nowe / and in the day of deth / whiche conscience nowe is abasshed seynge his synne and iniquyre / then also shal be abasshed / remembryng thy cruell iugemeÌ„t Gyue thy peace into oure hartes that we reioysing may loke for thy iugement Entre not into iudgement with thy strayte lawe / for in it shall no man be funde innocent ryghtuous Teache vs dere father not to sticke or be comforted in oure good workes or diseruynges / but to gyue and submytte oure selfe playnely and faithfully to thyne iufinite and incoÌ„parable mercy Agayne Make that we despeyre not for this oure gylty and synfull lyfe / but that we maye iudgge thy mercy more myghty and stronger then oure lyfe / howe soeuer we haue ordered it Helpe and coÌ„fort all mennes coÌ„science whiche in the poynt of deth / or in any other suche temptacyon are vexed with desperacyon Forgyue theym and vs oure deâ—ces / comfort theym / refresshe theym / and he recoÌ„ciled vnto theim Gyue vs thy goodnesse for oure malice / as thou coÌ„maundest that we shulde do Cast doune the horrible fende flaunderer / accusar / and encreasar / of our synnes nowe and in the poynt of deth and to be short / in all straytnesse of coÌ„science Gyue vs grace to auoyd that by oure diffamacyon mennes synnes appere not the more greuous Iudge vs not after the accusacyon of the deuyll and oure wretched conscience / nether heare the voyce of oure enemyes whiche accuse vs day and nyght byfore the / eueÌ„ as we wyl not heare theim whiche diffame and accuse other Take from vs the greuous hepe of the synnes in oure conscience / so that we refresshed by â—he suer trust and confidence of thy mercy in the botom of oure hart / may lyue / dye / suffer / and take all thinges pacyently In this peticyon take place all Psalmes and prayers whiche ageynst synnes crye on the mercy of God ¶ The sext peticyon ¶ And leade vs not in to temptacyon WE are assauted with thre maners of temptacyon and vexacyon / the flesshe / the worlde / the deuell Therfore we desire the most dere father to endowe vs so with thy grace that we may withstond the desires of the flesshe Make that we resyst and fyght ageynst this super fluyte of meate / drynke / slepe / slouth / and ydelnesse Make that we
trinite may we worshypper He therfore that wyll be saued / let hym vnderstande thus of the trinite But it is necessary vnto euerlastynge health / that euery christian beleue also faythfully the incarnacyon of oure Lorde Iesu Chryste It is therfore the ryght fayth that we be leueâ— confesse that our lorde Iesu Chryste the Sone of God / is God and man He is God by the substaÌ„ce of the Father goten before all worldes / and he is man by the substance of his mother / borne in the worlde Perfyte God / perfyte man / beynge of a soule reasonable / and of flesshe humayne Equall to the Father by his godhed lesse then the Father by his manhed Whiche thoughe he be God and man / yet is there not twayne but one Chryste Truely he is one not by turnyng of his godhed in to manhed / but by assumptynge of his manhed in to godhed Beynge out to all intentes / not by confusyon of substance / but by vnite of person For as the reasonable soule the flesshely body is or maketh one man / so God and man is one Chryste Whiche suffered death for our saluacyon descended to helle / and rose from death the thyrde daye Whiche ascended to heuens / sytteth at the ryght hande of God the Father almyghty froÌ„ thense shall he come to iudge the quycke and dead At whose comynge all men muste ryse with theyr bodyes shall gyue accompt of theyr owne propre dedes And they that haue done well shall go in to euerlastyng lyfe / they that haue done euyll in to euerlastynge fyre This is the Catholyke sayth / whiche excepte euery man faythfully / and stedfastly do beleue he can not be saued ¶ Finis ¶ The offyce of all Estates i. Timothe .iij. A Bysshop muste be fautlesse / the husbande of one wyfe sober discrete honestly appareled herberous / apte to teache / not dronkeÌ„ not fyghter not gyuen to fylthy lucrebut gentyl / abhorringe fyghtynge / abhorringe couetousnesse / and one that ruleth his owne house honestly / hauynge chyldren vnder obedyence / with all honeste ¶ Rulers Sapien. i. Ye that are rulers of the earth / se that you loue ryghteousnes / and that you commyt none vnryghteousnes in iudgement Leui. ix Thou shalte not fauour the poore / nor honoure the myghty / but shalt iugge thy neyghbour ryghtteously ¶ The coÌ„mens Leui. xix Ye shall not deceyue youre brethren neither with weyght nor measure / but shall haue true balances / and true weyghtes / for I am the Lorde your God ¶ Husbandes Ephe. v ¶ Husbandes loue your wyues euen as Chryst loued the congregacyon / and gaue hym selfe for it to sanctyfy it and clensed it in the fouÌ„tayne of water thorowe the worde / to make it vnto hym selfe / a gloryous congregacyon with out spot or wrencle / or any suche thinge So ought men to loue theyr wyues / as theyr owne bodyes He that loueth his wyfe / loueth hym selfe For no man euer yet hated his owne flesshe / but norrysshed it c. ¶ Wyues Ephe. v. Wyues submit youre selues to your owne husbandes / as to the lorde For the husbande is te wyues heed / euen as Chryst is the heed of the congregacyon Therfore as the coÌ„gregacyoÌ„ is in subiection to Chryste lykewyse lette the wyues be in subiectyon to theyr husbandes in all thynges ¶ Fathers and Mothers Ephe. v. Ye fathers moue not your chyldren vnto wrath but brynge them vp with the nurture and informacyon of the lorde ¶ Chyldren Ephe. vi Chyldren obey youre fathers mothers in the Lorde for so it is ryght Honour the Father and mother that is the fyrst commaundement that hathe any promyse that thou mayste be in good estate and lyue longe on the earthe Maysters Colles .iij. Ye maysters / do to youre seruauÌ„tes that whiche is iuste and equall puttyng away all bytternisse and threatenynges knowinge that euen ye also haue a mayster in heueÌ„ Seruauntes Collos .iij. Seruauntes / be obedyent to youre bodyly maysters in all thinges not with eye seruyce as men pleasers / but in synglenesse of herte / fearynge God And what soeuer ye do / do it hertely as thoughe ye dyd it vnto the lorde / not vnto men for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receyue the rewarde of enherytaunce for ye serue the Lorde Chryst Wydowes 1. Timo. v. She that is a very wydowe frendlesse putteth heth truste in god / and contynueth in supplicasyon and prayer nyght and day ¶ The somme of all LOue thy neyghbour as thy selfe And whatsoeuer ye wolde that other shulde do to you do you euen the same to them what ye wolde not that other men shulde do to you / se that ye do it not to them ¶ A prayer for wysdom Sapien .ix. chapiter Deus patrum nostrorum / et dominus misericordie O The God of our fathers / god of mercy / whiche hast made al with thy worde / and with thy wysdome haste constytuded man / to haue dominyon vpon the creature whiche was made of the / to order the world with equyte and iustyce / and with a dyrecte herte for to iudge iudgementes / gyue me the assystent wysdome of thy seates and reproue me not from thy chyldren For thy seruaunt am I / the sone of thy haÌ„de mayde / a man weyke of lytle tyme vnsuffycyent to the vnderstandynge of thy iudgement lawes And yf any shall be of moost perfyte wysdome amoÌ„ge the sones of men / yf thy wysdome ones flye froÌ„ him he shall be counted regarded at nought Sende thy wysdome froÌ„ thy holy heuyns / froÌ„ the seate of thy myghtynes that it maye be with me / laboure with me / and that I may know what is acceptable before the. For she knoweth all / and vnderstandeth all and shall conduyt me sobrely in my workes / shall â—epe me in her power And my wordes shal be acceptable So be it ¶ The prayer of Salomon for wysdom ij Reg. iij. Chapter Tu fecisti domine cum seruo tuo THou hast done lorde with thy seruaunt Dauid my father great mercy so that he walked in thy syght in trueth and iustyce ryght herte with the. Thou sauedest vnto hym thy great mercy / and gauest hym a sone syttinge vpon his trone / as it is at this day And nowe lorde god thou hast made thy seruauÌ„t to reygne in the roume of Dauid my father I am a very babe and knowe not myne entrynge / nor my comynge out / and thy seruaunt is in the myddest of an infinite people / whiche thou hast chosen / whiche can not be nombred nor counted for the mâ— lâ—ytude Wherfore thou shalte gyue to thy seruaunt an herte apt to be taught / to the entent he maye iudge thy people / and discerne bytwyxte good and euyll For who can iudge this people this thy people so many ¶ For coÌ„petency of lyuynge the prayer of Salomon Prouer.
he knew the not / what thinke you he sayed I suppose that he sware by god and by the lawe of Moses that he knewe the not / addiÌ„ge such wordes Thinke you that I am the disciple of this Samaâ—â—ane which / deceaueth the people which is inspired with the deuil and destroyeth oure lawe I am the disciple of Moyses / and knowe not froÌ„ whenâ—â— this felowe is Blissed be God that they acused enquyriÌ„ge any further / for els wold he neuer haue ceased denyenge the / so that a thousande interrogacyons wolde haue made a thousand staite negacyons yee a thousand curses and periuryes yet were these interrogacyons but wordes / what wold he haue done I praie the yf they had scourged hym buffeted hym well Trulye he wold haue sought proued all meanes / denyenge / forsweringe / cursinge / and blaspheminge vntyll that he had escaped their handes But thou most meke Lorde lokedst backe vppon hym and by and by he knowleged his offence Nether yet durst he lepe in to the myddes of them and confesse the to be the sonne of God / for he was not yet strengthed with power from aboue / so that with our doute he wold haue denyed the agayne / yf he had sene any ieopardye at hande / therfore as it was most mere for hym / he wentâ— forth and wepte bitterlye But thou after thy resurrecyon appearedst vnto hym and confortedst hym / yet kyd he hym selfe for feare of the Iues he sawe the so gloryouslye assendynge vnto heaueÌ„ was strengthed by the syght and comforte of Angels / yet durst he not go abroade / for he had lerned by experyence to knowe his awne fragilite / and had proued his wekenesse ¶ Therfore dyd be tarye and wayte for the holye ghost which was promysed / wheÌ„ he was come and had fylled Peters harte with grace / then stepte he forth then beganne he to speake / and then with greate power and sygnes bare he wytnesse of thy resurreccyon Then feared he nether the hyt preastes nether yet kynges / but reioysed in tribulacyons receaued the crosse with all mâ—â—th and gladnes Therfore strengthen me Lorde with a principall sprete that I maye contynuallye reioyce in thy sauynge helth / or els can I not beare so manye assautes agenst me The flessh coueteth contrarye to the sprete The worlde assayleth me on eueryesyde The deuell slepeth not Geue me the strenght of thy sprete that the there maye fallely my syde a thousand anâ— then thousande by my right hande that I maye be a sure and stronge witnesse of thy sayth For yf Peter whom thou enduedst with so manye fauourable gyftes / dyd fall so wretchedlye / what shuld I doo Lorde which haue nether sene thy naturall presence nether haue tasted of thy glorie in the mountayne nether haue sene thy gracious myracles ye and haue scarcelye perceaued thy meruelous workes / haue neuer hard thy voyce / but haue bene euer subdued vnder synne therfore strength me with a principall sprete that I maye perseuer / in thy seruyce and geue my lyffe for thy sake I will enstructe the wyked that they maye knowethy wayes / and the vngodlye shal be conuerted vnto the. Ascribe not this oh Lorde vnto presumcyoÌ„ / yf I go aboute to the teach the vngodlye thy wayes / for I desyre not to teach theÌ„ as I now am wyked / vngodlye / and vnder the boÌ„des of synne / but yf thou make me agayne to reioyce in thy sauiÌ„ge helth yf thou strenghten me with a principal sprete and yf also thou sette me fre / then shall I teach the vngodlye thy wayes ¶ Nether is this harde vnto the / which of verye stones canst rayse vp chyldren vnto Abraham / nether can my synnes be impedimeÌ„t vnto the yf thou wilt do this / but rather where sinne is so abundaunte / there aboundeth grace Paule yet brethinge out threateninges and slaughter agenst the disciples of the lorde receaued coÌ„missyon that yf he founde any whether they were men or wemeÌ„ which folowed the professed thy fayth / he shuld bringe them presoners to HierusaleÌ„ And forth was he goynge lyke a mad harebrayne and as a raueninge volfe / for to straye abrode / rauysh and kylle thy shepe But whylles he was yet in his iorney euen in the hete of his persecucyon / and in actuall doynge of his synne / whyles he was persecutinge the and wold haue slayne thy chosen / hauynge no maner of preparatyue vnto grace / nether yet knowlege of his synne / when with harte and will he was thyne aduersarye / blasphemed and cursed the. Behold the voyce of thy merciable pitye vnto hym sayeng Saute / Saule why persecuteâ—â— me by the which voyce he was immedyatlye both sayed alonge and raysed vp he was layede alonge and ouerthrowne as concernynge his bodye / but he was raysed vppe with the mynde thou raysedst hym vp that was in the slepe of darke ygnorauncye and pouredst in thy gloryous lyght in to those yies which were oppressed with this blynde slepe thou shewedst hym thy sauourable face and endued hym with thy gracyous mercye Then was he raysed as it had bene from deeth / he opened his yies / he sawe the and sayed Lorde what wilt thou that I doo And after dydst thou sende a shepe to his wolfe / for thou commaundedst Ananias to go vnto hym And then was he baptysed and anon was he replenyshed with the holye ghoste and was made a chosen vessell to beare thy name before kynges / nacyons and the childer of Israel And with out delaye he entred in to the synagoges preached thy name stoutelye / affirmiÌ„ge that thou arte Christe / He disputed / preuayled and confounded the Iues. Behold Lorde euen streyte of a persecutoure / thou madest hym a preacher and such a preacher that laboured more theÌ„ all the other apostles O / how greate is thy power / yf thou wylt of a wyked man make a ryght wyse / or of a persequntoure a preacher / who shall forbyd the who shall resyst the who maye saye vnto the / why dost thou so All thinges that thou woldest haue thou made in heauen and in erth / 〈◊〉 these and in all bottomlesse depth Therfore impute it not to arrogaÌ„cye yf I couete thorow thy power not thorow myne awne to teach the wyked thy wayes for I knowe that I can offer nothynge which caÌ„ be so acceptable iÌ„ thy godlye sight this is the most pleasaunte sacrifice / also for my singulare profite / now yf thou chauÌ„ge me in to a nother man / theÌ„ wyll I teach the wyked thy wayes / not the wayes of Plato Aristotle / not the intricate soâ—le proposycyoÌ„s of maÌ„nes witte / not the instructions of philosophie / not the paynted wordes vayne coloures of the rethoricyans Not wordlye maters policyes / not vnfrutefull wayes of vanitye / not wayes that lâ—ad men iÌ„to deeth but thy wayes thy pÌ„ceptes which
the .xxx. chapiter Duo rogaui te / ne deneges mihi TWo thinges lorde haue I requyred the that thou woldest not deny me vntyll I dye Vanite and wordes of lesynge make farre frō me Pouerty or ryches gyue me not Onely gyue that is necessary for my lyuinge / lest per chaunche beynge in full habundaunce I myght be prouoked to deny the / and saye who is the lorde Or cōpelled by necessyte I myght steale and for sweare the name of my God So be it ¶ A prayer of the churche of the faythfull / for the worde of God to be spoken with boldenes of herte Actes the .xiiij Chapter Dn̄e tu fecisti celum terram mare c. LOrde thou hast made heuyn earth / see / and all that be in them / whiche with thy holy spirit by the mouth of our father Dauid thy seruaunt saydest Why do the gentylles fume lyke wilde bores / and why do the people attempt thynges in vayne The kynges of the earth be assembled the princes be gathered togyther agaynst the lorde agaynst his Christe / for with out sayle there assembled in this cyte agaynst thy holy chylde Iesu whom thou dydest anoynt Herode and Ponce Pylate with the gentylles and people of Israhel to do the thynges with thy power and thy counseyl dydde determyne before to be done And nowe lorde caste thyne iye vpon their manasses / gyue to thy seruauntes with all boldenes / power to speake thy worde extendyng thy hande io healynges / and sygnes / and wonders to be wrought in the name of thy holy sone Iesu ¶ The prayer of Chryst before his passyon for his churche in this worlde Iohan .xviij. Chapiter Pater venit hora / clarifica filium FAther the houre is come / glorifye thy sone / that thy sone maye glorifye the As thou gauest hym power of euery flesshe to the entente that all that thou gauest hī he myght gyue the euerlastynge lyfe And this is euerlastyng lyfe that they knowe onely the for the true god and whome thou sendest Iesu Chryste I haue glorifyed the in earthe I haue perfourmed the worke whiche thou gauest me to do And new glorifye thou me Father with thy selfe / wyth the glory whiche I had before this worlde was made of the I haue publysshed thy name of the men / whome thou gauest me of the worlde They were thyne / and thou gauest them to me / and they kepte my worde Nowe they knowe that all that thou gauest me come from the. For the wordes which thou gauest me I haue them / they toke them / and knew verily that they came from the / and they beleued that thou sentest me For them I aske / for the worlde I aske not / but for theym whiche thou gauest me because they be thyne and all myne be thyne / and thyne myne / and I am glorifyed in them And I am nowe no longer in to worlde But they be in the worlde styll For I come to the / holy Father saue theym for thy names sake whome thou haste gyuen me / that they maye be one as we be one When I was with thē in the worlde I dyd kepe thē in thy name Whome thou gauest me I kepte and none of them peryshed / but onely the sone of perdicyon that the scrypture myght be fulfylled But nowe I come to the / and these I speke in the world that they may haue my ioy replenyshed in them I gaue them thy worde / and the world hated them bycause they be not of the worlde lyke as I am not of the worlde I asked not that thou shuldest take thē away out of the worlde but that thou kepe them from the wycked They be not of the worlde / lyke as I am not of the worlde Make thē holy in thy trueth Lyke as thou hast sent me in to the worlde / so haue I seme thē in to the worlde / and for thē I do sanctifye my selfe / that they also may be sanctifyed in the trueth And I pray not only for them / but also for them that shall beleue in me through theyr preachynges so that all they maye be one Lyke as thou father arte in me and I in the / that they also maye be in vs / that the worlde may beleue that thou hast sent me And the glorye / whiche thou hast gyuen me / I gaue it thē that they myght be one lyke as we be one / I in them / and thou in me / that they may be made perfyte in one / and that the worlde may know that thou hast sent me / and loued them as thou loued me Father / they whome thou haste gyuen me / I wyll that where I be / they maye also be with me that they maye se my glorye / whiche thou gauest me / for thou hast loued me before the makinge of the worlde Iuste father / the worlde knoweth the not but I know the these know that thou hast sent me / I haue made knowen vnto them thy name / and I wyll make it knowen to the entent / that the loue wherwith thou louest me myght be in thē and I in them ¶ The prayer of the church for synners Sapience the .xv. Chapiter Tu deus noster / suauis et verus es THou our God arte gentyll true pacyent with mercy orderyng al thynges For yf we synne / we be thyne knowinge thy greatnes / yf we synne not / we knowe that with the we be rekened For to know the is perfyt and consumate ryghtwysnes / and to knowe thy iustice and vertue is the rote of immortalite So be it ¶ The prayer and blyssynge of Iob in his moost tribulacyon takynge away of his goodes Iob .ij. Chapiter In tonso capite corruens in terram IOb his heade clypped fallynge flatte on the grounde worshipped god sayenge Naked I entred out of my mothers wōbe / and naked I shall retourne The lorde hath gyuen the goodes / and the lorde hath taken them away As it pleased the lorde so it is done Blyssed be the name of the lorde So be it ¶ When we be shorged of God eyther for our synnes / or that we may be proued by hym / the prayer of Thobie iiij Chapiter Iustus es domine / et omnia iudicia tua THou arte iuste lorde / and all thy iudgementes are true / and all thy wayes mercy truth and iustyce And now lorde remembre me / and take not vengeaunce of my synnes / nor thynke not on my offences / nor the synnes of my parentes Because we haue not obcyed thy preceptes therfore thou haste delyuered vs vp in to these euylles / in to confusyon and reproche an to be a fable to all people and the gentles And now lorde great be thy iudgementes / for we haue not done accordynge to that preceptes / we haue not walked purely before the. And now lorde accordynge to thy pleasure do with me cheyfly
the father / for it is he / whiche with the father / bi christ in christ workith and quyckenyth all thinges I beleue that in all the we â—ide / be hit neuer so greate / there is but one comune christen church whiche is none other thing but the coÌ„gregacyon coÌ„munyon of holy men that is of ryghtuous faithfull men on the erth And that this churche by this holy sprete is gathered maintened Thorough whome also it is gouerned and encreased dayly by the sacramentes and worde of god I beleue that no man can euer be saued / whiche is not fouÌ„de agreable consenting with this congregacioÌ„ / in one faith in one worde / in one sacrament / hope and charyte And that none of the Iewes or gentyles can be saued with this cherche except they reconcyle theym self vnto it / and come in fauoure wich it / confirmyng theym selues in all poyntes therunto I beleue that in this communion or Christen te all the prayers and good workes of this congregation do necessarily helpe me / waye om my syde and comfort me in all tymes of lyfe and deth I beleue that in this congregation comeÌ„welth and in none other place is gorgeuenesse of synnes And that without this all greate and good workes / how many so euer there are of theym do nothyng profyt to forgeuenesse of synne And contrarywyse in thys congregatyon / the multytute / greatnesse / and often commyttyng of synnes / do nothyng hurte / nether lette the forgheuenesse of synne / but that this forgyuenesse doth contynue whersoeuer / and howe song / thys excellent churche doth endure To whome alsoo Cryst ghyueth hys keyes / and sayeth in the xviij of Mathewe what soeuer ye lose vppon erthe / it shal be losed in heuen lykewise he saith to Peter alone / in the name and stede of this onely one churche in the xvi of Mat. Whatsoeuer thou lose vppon erthe it shall losed in heuen I beleue that there shal be arrysing of theym that are deade / in the whiche rysing the holy gost shall sturre vppe all fleshe / that is all men concernyng the body and flesshe good onell / so that the very flesshe whyche was dead buryed and consumed or by other wayes destroyed shal retourne / and lyue agayn I beleue that after this resurrectioÌ„ shal be eternall lyfe of good men / and eternall deth of synners Of all these thinges I doubt not but euery one of theym shal come vnto me froÌ„ the father bi the sonne Iesu chryst oure lord with and in the holy goost Amen that signifieth that in good fayth wythout doubt all these thinges are trewe ¶ The prayer of the lorde called the Pater noster wheryn are conteyned .vij. peticions ¶ The preface and introduccion to arâ— these .vij. peticions is conteyned in these wordes Oure father whiche art in heuen The vnderstonding of the wordes ALmyghty god sith thou of thyne intynyte beneuolence and mercy hast not onely admytted vs / but also taught / ye and commauÌ„ded by the onely / and dere son oure lorde Iesu christ that we trusting in his meryâ—es and protection / he beyng oure intercessor shulde beleue that thou were a louig father vnto vs. And that we shulde also call the father / though worthyly and bi great ryghte thou mightest haue byn a cruell iuge agaynst vs sinners whiche so oft and abhominably haue done agaynst thy godly and most holi will / and haue gyuen the occasion of displeasure agaynst vs. Gyue vs we beseche the / by the fame beniuolence and mercy / that we may haue in oure hertes sure trust without feare of thy fatherly loue And make vs feare this acceptable smelle swetnesse / whiche the most sure / and chyldly trust doth gete vnto vs / that we may with glad mynde call the father / knowlege / loue / and crye on the in al leoperdyes kepe vs I desire the that we may contynue thy louynge chyldren / and not deserue to make the most mekest father oure horrible iudge nor suffer vs not to be thyne enemyes / whyche ought to be thy chyldren and heyres Thou wilt also / not onely symply / be called a father / but that we with a comeÌ„ voyce shuld call the oure father And so with a speciall prayer of vnyte pray for euery man Wherfore gyue vnto vs anagreyng / and brotherly loue / so that we may perceyue euery one of vs that we are truely brothers / and sisters / and may pray to the as to oure comen and mercyfull father / euery on for other / euen as kynd chyldren entreate they re father one for another Graunte / that none of vs seke that whiche is his owne or els forget other / in thy sight but that auoyding all hete / enuye / disceÌ„tion / as it becomith the trewe childreÌ„ of god we may loue to gyther with dewe fauoure so that we may say with a faithfull harte not my father but oure father Syth truely thou arte no bodyly nor erthly father / whome we may se in erthe / but art iÌ„ hauyn oure spiritual father which dyeth not / nether are vncerteyn or doubtfull / or such which art not able to helpe thy selfe as is an erthly bodyly father wherby it is euideÌ„t vnto vs howe moche thow art a better father / whiche reachist this teÌ„porall father odes cuÌ„trey / freÌ„des / rychesse / flesshe / blode / to be dispysed for the. Graunt vs dere father that we may be thy heuynly chyldren Teach vs to regard none other thing then oure foule helith / and the euerlasting heritage / so that this teÌ„porall coÌ„trey worldli heritage whiche coÌ„passeth noyeth vs / labouring to make vs erthly lyke vnto it selfe deceyue vs not so that we maye saye truely with a faithful here O oure heuynly father gyue vs thy grace that we may be thy heuynly children ¶ The first peticion Thy name be halowed O God almyghty / oure most dere heuen the father / thy godly name / euen now in this tyme / in thys vale of mysery Alas for shame so many wayes is slaundered / with checkes / and iniuryes myserably rebuked / applyed to many thynges wheryn stondyth not thy honour and glorie ye and manye abuse it / to they re greate confusion / whyche thyng is so comen often vsed / that this fylthy life may well be called a slaunder and dishonesting of thy most gloryouse name Therfore endowe vs with thy godli grace / that we may auoyde suche thinges as are agaynst the honoure prayse of thy most holy name Make thou all witther aftes and falce charmes shortly to decaye Cause all coniuringes by the whiche satan or other creatures / are enchaunced to cease by thy blyssed name Make that all false fayth by the whyche other we distrust the / or put more confydence in other then is nedefull / may quyckly be distroyed Make that all heresies and false
most noysom are most profytable to theym that beleue / so that they be well suffered As S. Petre sayeth / who is he that will harme you yf ye folowe that whyche is good And the Psalme .lxxxviij. hys enemy shall nothyng prevayle agaynst hym And the sonne of iniquyte shall haue no power to hurte hym / howe shall he not hurte hym syth that many tymes he kylleth hym Cruely for in hurtyng hym he doth hym most profit Therfore wese that we dwell in the myddes of goodnesse on euery syde / yf we be wyse / and also in the myddes of euylles So are all thynges tempered merueylously by the hygh prouidence of the goodnesse of god ¶ The syxt Chapter of the syxte image whiche is the good on the ryght honde THis is the congregacion of holy meÌ„ the newe creature of god / oure frendes and brothers in whome we se nothing but good nothyng but comforte / yf we behold theym wyth a spyrytuall yie for vnto the carnall yie many tymes it appereth all otherwise / as we haue declared in the contrary image of euylles And yet these goodes whiche we seyn theym with oure carnall yie are not to be dispysed But in these we may perceyue that we are comforted of god / for the Psalme durst not presume to condempne all theym whiche possessed rychesse in this worlde / saying / If I dyd say thus Behold I haue reproued the generation of thy children If I wolde haue send that all whiche are ryche / hole and honoured be euyll I shulde haue condempned thy holy men for many of theym are â—o Chappostell also teacheth tymothe that he commaunde the ryche men of this worlde that they be not proude / not to forbid theyme to be ryche The scripture also doth testifie that Abraham Isaack and Iacob were ryche And Danyell with hys companions / were also honoured in Babylon Besides thys many kynges of Iurye were ryche The Psalme therefore consyderyng theym sayeth / If I did say thus I haue reproued the nacyon of thy children for I say god hath gyuen to his elect the abundaunce of these rychesse to comfort theym / and other with all howe beit these are not they re specyall goodes / but they are a sygne and a shadowe of the trewe goodes whiche are feith / hope / cheryte / and other graces and gyftes whiche all are comune by charyte This is the communyon of holy men in the whiche we reioyse And who will not here reioyse / ye though he be iÌ„ great sorowes whyche doth beleue as it is in dede that all the goodes of holy men are his goodes and that his euyll is also theyrs This image is most swete and pleasaunt / whiche Chappostel to the Galathians .vi. doth descrybe / saying bere ye one an others burthen and so fulfill ye the lawe of Christ Is it not good for vs to be here where yf one membre do suffer as it is said vnto the Corinthians all suffer with hym If one meÌ„bre be had in honoure / all membres be glad also Therfore / while I suffer / I suffer not alone / for Chryst and all Chrysten suffer with me As he sayeth hym selfe / he that toucheth you toucheth the ball of myne yie Thus / do other here my burthen / and there vertue is myne The fayth of the congregacyon socoureth my fearfulnesse The chastyte of other healeth the temptacyon of my lust The fastyng of other is myne aduauntage The prayers of other taketh thought for me And to be short / so all the meÌ„bres helpe one an other that the most honest partes do couer / kepe honoure the lesse honest As it is well discrybed vnto the CorinthiaÌ„s .xij. And a swell I may delyte in the goodes of other as in myne owne / and then truely they are myne yf I be gladde and reioyse in theym I am foule and fylthy / but they whome I loue and in whome I reioyse are faire and beutifull By the whiche loue I do not onely make they re goodes myne / but also theym selues / wherfore vnder they re glory myne ignominie shall easyliâ—e honoured they re rychesse shall fulfyll my pouertye They re good dedes shall heale my synnes / whate man can nowe dispeyre in synne who will not reioyse in paynes whiche nowe doth not beare his synnes or at the lest yf he beare theym / he beareth theyme not alone / but is holpe with so many children of god / ye with Chryst hym self Suche a thyng is the communyon of holy men / and the Churche of Chryst If eny maÌ„ do not beleue that this is true he is an infidele / and hath denyed Chryst his churche for though thys be not fealt / yet it is so done / ye who is he that fealeth not thys who is in the cause that thou disperyest not that thou art not ympacyent Thy vertue naâ— truely / but the feloushyppe of holy meÌ„ or elles thou were not abyll to bere the lest synne that is / nor yet abyde one worde of man agaynst the / so nygh is Chryst and the churche vnto the. This is it that we say / I beleue in the holy goost / the holy and pure churche whate is it to beleue the holy churche / but the communyon of holy wheryn do the holy men comyn Truely in good and euyll and all thynges As the sacrament of Chrystes body doth figure it in brede and wine wherof Thappostle spekith saying / we are one brede and one body / who offendeth any lytell part of the body / and hurteth not the hole whate suffereth the ferthest part of the fote that the hole bodi suffereth not wate benefyte is done to the feate in the whyche all the body reioyseth not But we are one body therfore whate so euer another sufferyth I suffer whate so euer benefyte is done to an other / it is done to me Euyn so Chryst sayeth that whate so euer is done to one of his left is done vnto hym whate man takyng a lytell peace of breade of the altare wyll not sey that he hath taken brede / or dyspysing any lytell part of hy shall not be named to dyspyse brede Wherfore yf we sorowe / yf we suffer / yf we dye / let oure yie loke hytherward / and let vs beleue strongly and besure / that not we or at the lest not we alone But christ also and his churche doth sorowe / suffer / aÌ„d dye with vs. So good is Chryst vnto vs that he wolde not the waye of oure deth shuld be solytarye whiche euery man doth abhorre But all the churche beryng vs companye we entre the wey of passions and deth and the churche doth mare strongly suffer it then we do / so that we may well applye vnto vs the wordes of Helyseus whyche he spake to his forefull seruaunt saying feare not / there are more with vs then with theyme And when Helyseus had prayed he sayed Lorde open this childes yies that
despayre God forbid full mercyfull is god / and my souyoure is meake / and louynge / therfore onlye god is my refuge he will not despise his creature nother forsake his awne ymage vnto the therfore most meke and mercifull good come I all sad and sorowfull for thou onlye arte my hope / and thou arte on lye the toure of my defēce But whate shall I saye vnto the fyth I dare not lyfte vppe mine yies I wyll poure out the wordes of sorow / I will hartelye besech the for mercye and wyll saye Haue mercye apon me oh god accordinge to thy grace mercye God which dwellest in light that no man can attayne / God whych are hid and canst not be sene with bodelye yies / nor comprehended with any vnderstondinge that euer was made nether expressed with the tōgues of mē or angels My god the / whych arte incomprehēsible do I seke the / which cāst not be expressed do I call vppon what tinge so euer thou arte / which arte in euerye place I knowe that thou arte the most hye and excellēt thinge / yf thou be a thinge and not rather the cause of all thinge / yf I maye so calle the / for I finde no name by the which I maye name or expresse thyne inenarrable magestye God I saye which arte all thinges that are in the / for thou arte euen thyne awne wysdom / thy power and thy most gloryouse felycyte Seynge therfore that thou arte mercyfull / what arte thou but euen the verye mercye it selfe And what am I / but verye miserye Behold therfore o god which arte mercye / behold myserye is before the / what shalt thou do mercye truelye thy worke canst thou do otherwise then thy nature is And whāte is thy worke verelye to take awaye myserye / and to lifte vpp them that are in wretched condicyon / therfore haue mercye on me oh god God I saye which arte mercye take a waye my miserye / take a waye my synnes / for they are myne extreme myserye Lift vppe me which am so miserable shew thy worke in me / and exercyse thy power apon me One depth requyreth another / the depth of myserye requyreth the depth of mercye The depth of synne areth the depth of grace and fauoure Greater is the depth of mercye then the depth of myserye Let therfore the one depth swalow vppe the other Let the bottomlesse depth of mercye swalow vp the profounde depth of myserye Haue mercye on me oh god accordynge to thy greate mercye Not after the mercye of men whych is but smalle / but after thyne awne mercye which is greate / which is vnmesurable / which is incomprehensible / which passeth all synnes without comparison Accordynge to that thy greate mercye wyth the whych thou hast so loued the world / that thou woldest geue thyne onlye sonne / what mercie cā be greater what loue cā be more / who cā despayre who shuld not haue good confidence god was made man / crucefied for mē therfore haue mercye on me oh God accordynge to this thy greate mercye bi the which thou hast geuen thy sonne for vs by whych thorow hym thou hast takē awaie the synne of the worlde bi which thorow his crosse thou hast lyghtened all mē by whē thorow hī thou hast redressed all thinges in heauē and erth wash me oh Lorde in his bloude / lighten me in his humilite / redresse me in his resurreccion Haue mercie on me oh God not after thy smal mercie for that is but thy smal mercie in cōparison whē thou helpest mē of their bodelie euylles but it is great whē thou forgeuest synnes dost eleuate mē by thy fauoure aboue the toppe of the erth Euē so Lord haue mercie on me accordīge to this thi greate mercie that thou turne me vnto the that thou put out my synnes and that thou iustefie me bi thi grace fauoure And accordinge to the mustitude of thy compassiōs wype awaye myne iniquyte Thy mercye Lorde is the habundaūce of thy pytye / by the which thou lokest gentlye on the poore and wretched Thy compassyons are the workes ād processes of thy mercye Marye magdalene came vnto thy fete good Iesu she wasshed them wither teares / and wyped them with her here / thou forgauest her and sentest her a waye in peace / this was Lorde one of thy compassions / Petre denyed the ād forsoke the with an oth / thou lokedst apon him and he wepte bitterlye / thou forgauest him and madest hym one of the chefe amonge thyne Apostles this was lorde another of thy compassyons The these on the crosse was saued with one worde Paule in the furious wodnes of his persecution was called ād by and by fulfylled wyth the holye goste / these are Lorde thy compassyons The tyme shuld faile me yf I shuld enumbre all thy merciable compassyons / for loke how manye ryghtwyse men there be / ād so manye are thy godlye compassions / There is none that can glorye in hym selfe Let them all come that are ryghtwyse other in erth or in heauen and let vs axe them before the whether they be saued by theyr awne power and vertue And surelye all they will answere with one harte / and one mouth sayenge Not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs / but vnto thi name geue all the prayse / for thy mercye for thy truthes sake for they in theyr awneswerde possessed not the lande / and theyr awne arme or power saued them not but thy right hande and thyne arme ād the lighteninge of thy councenaunce for thou delitedst in the / that is / they are not saued for their awne deseruynges lest any man shuld boste him selfe / but because it pleased the so to be whych thynge the Prophete doth also more expresselye witnesse of the whē he sayeth he saued me because he wold haue me Sith therfore that thou arth the me god wyth whome is no alteracyon or variablenesse nether art thou chaūged vnto darknesse and we thy creatures as wel as oute fathers whych were borne vnder concupyscence synners as well as we and sith there is but one mediatore and a tonement betwene god and man that is chryst Iesus whych endureth for euer / why dost thou not poure on thy plentuous compassions vppon vs / as well as thou didest vppon oure fathers hast thou forgotē vs or are we onelye synners did not crist die for vs Are all thy mercyes spent none lefte Lorde oure god I desyre hartelye besech the / to put out myne iniquite accordinge vnto the multitude of thy compassions for manye yee infinite are thy compassiōs that accordynge I saye to the multytude of thy cōpassions thou vouchsafe to quēch my synne that as thouhast draune receaued innumerable synners / hast made thē rightuous euen so that thou wilt drawe take me make me rightwyse thorow thy grace fauoure / therfore accordinge to the multitude of thy compassions wype
awaie myne iniquyte Clense purefye myne harte after all myne iniquyte is put out / and all my vnclennesse clensed it maye be as a clene table in the whych the fynger of god may wryte the lawe of his loue aÌ„d cheryte wyth the whych can none inyquyte contynue Yet wash me more from myne iniquite clense me froÌ„ my synne I graunte and knowlege oh Lorde thou hast once put out myne iniquyte thou hast put it out agayne / And hast wasshed me a thousande tymes / how be it yet wash me from myne inyquyte / for I am fallen agayne Dost thou vse to spare a synfull man vntyll a certayne numbre of his synne / whych when Peter enquyred / how of then shall my brother offende agenst me and I shall forgeue hym / whether seuen tymes thou answeredst I saye not seuen tymes but seuentye tymes seuen tymes takynge that certeyne numbre / for an infynyte numbre / syth then that a man must forgeue so often / shalt thou in pardoninge and forgeuenesse be passed of a man is not god more then man is he not better then man yee rather god is the greate Lorde / and euerye man lyuynghe is nothynge but all vanyte And onlie god is good and euerye man a lyar / hast thou not sayed In what houre so euer the synner doth repent I will not remeÌ„bre any of his iniquities Behold I a synner do repent and morne / for myne old preuye sores festred within and now are they brokeÌ„ forth for myne awne folyshnesse I am depressed and fore broken / I walke in contynuall mornynge I am feble / and verye weake / I roored for the sorow of myne harte Lord all my desyres are before the my sorowfull syghes are not vnknowne vnto the. Myne harie trembleth and panteth for sorow / my strength fayleth me and euen the verye sight of myne yies cease from theyr office / wherfore them oh Lord dost thou not put awaye mine iniquitie And yf thou put it out accordinge to the multitude of the multitude of thy mercyes / yet wash me more from myne iniquyte for yet am I not perfeytlye purefyed / finysh thy worke / take awaye the hole offence and also the payne that is due vnto the cryme encrease thy lyght with in me / kendle myne harte with thy loue and cheryte put out all feare Let the loue of the worlde / the loue of the flesh the loue of vayne glorye / and the loue of myselfe vtterlye departe fro me / yet styll more and more wash me from mine iniquite by the whych I haue offended agenst my neyghbour / and clense me from my synne that I haue commytted agenst god I wold haue the put awaye not onelye the faute and payne that foloweth it / but also the occasion and nourishmeÌ„t of synne wash me I saye with the water of thy gracyous fauoure / with water of which he that drinketh shall not thirst for euer / but it shall be made in hym a fontayne of lyuinge water runninge in to euerlastynge lyfe Wash me with the water of my teares Wash me with the comfortable waters of thy holye scriptures that I may be enumbred amonge theÌ„ vnto whom thou saydest Now are ye clene for my wordes which I haue spoken vnto you / Ioan. xiij For I knowlege mine iniquite my synne is euer before mine yies Although thorow the beholdinge of thy mercye and coÌ„passyons I maye be bolde to flye vnto the oh Lord yet will I not come as the pharise which prayed not but rather praysed hym selfe and despysed his neyghboure but I come vnto the as the publicane Luc. xviij which durst not lyfte vppe his yies vnto heauen For I also do knowlege myne iniquite / and whyles I poÌ„dre my synnes I dare not lyfte vppe myne yies / but humblinge my selfe with the publicane I saye God be mercyfull to me a synner My soule wauereth betwene hope and feare / and somtyme for the feare of my synnes which I feale and knowelege to be in me I am ready to despayre / somtyme thorow the hope of thy mercye / I am lifted vp and comforted Neuerthelesse because that thy mercye is greater then my myserie I wyll euer Lorde trust in the and wil singe out thy plentuous coÌ„passyons for euer / for I know that thou desyrest not the deth of a synner / but rather that he were coÌ„uerted and that he wold knowlege his iniquite and forsake his synne / and so come to the that he maye lyue My god graunte me that I maye lyue in the / for I knowlege my wykednesse / I know what a greuous burthen it is / how copyous / and how ieoperdyous I am ignoraunce of it / I hyde it not but sette it eueÌ„ before myne yies / that I maye wash it with my teares and knowlege vnto the Lorde myne vnrightwysnes agenst my self also my synne which I haue proudlye done agenst the / is euer agenst me / therfore is it agenst me / because I haue synned ageÌ„st the And it is trulye agenst me / for it is euen agenst my soule accuseth me euer before the â—â—y iudge condemneth me euer in euery place and it is so agenst me that it is euer before my face and stondeth butte agenst me that my prayer maye not perce thorow vnto the / that it myght take thy mercye frome and hynder thy mercye that it can not come at me therfore do I tremble and therfore do I morne besechinge thy mercye Therfore oh Lord as thou hast geueÌ„ this grace vnto me to knowe my wykednesse and to bewayle my synne euen so accomplysh this thy beneuolence geuynge me a parfayte fayth / and drawynge me vnto thy sonne which hath made a full satisfaccyon for all my synnes Geue me Lord this precyous gyfte / for euerye good gyfte and euerye parfeyte gyfte is from aboue comynge from the father of lyght Agenst the only haue I synned haue done that which is euell in thy sight that thou mayst be iustefyed in thy wordes mayst haue the victorie wheÌ„ thou arte iudged I haue ouermoch synned vnto the alone for thou coÌ„maundedst me that I shuld loue the for thy selfe / and shuld loue all creatures for thy sake But I haue loued a creature more then the / louinge it euen for it selfe Whate is synne / but to loue a creature for it selfe what is that / but to do ageynst the Surelye he that loueth a creature for it selfe maketh that creature his god And therfore haue I synned agenst the onlye / for I haue made a creature my god So haue I cast the awaye / and haue bene iniurious onlye to the / for I haue not offended agenst any creature in that I haue set my trust or coÌ„fidence in it For it was not coÌ„maunded me that I shuld loue anye creature for it self Yf thou haddest coÌ„maunded me that I shuld haue loued an angell onlye for hym self / I had loued monye for
it selfe / then no doute I had offended agenst the angell But syth that thou only art to be loued for thy selfe that is to saye without any respecte other of good or euell and euerye creature is to be loued in the for thy sake / therfore haue I surelye offended onlye agenst the / for I haue loued a creature for it selfe But yet haue I worse done / for I haue synned euen in thy syght I was nothinge ashamed to synne before thy face Oh mercyfull god / how manye synnes haue I done in thy syght which I wold in no wise haue done before mortall men / yee that I wold not in any case that men shuld knowe I feared men more then the / for I was blynde and loued blyndnesse / and so dyd I nother se nor once coÌ„sydre the I had onlye fleshlye yies / therfore dyd I onlye feare loke on men which are flesh But thou lokedst on all my synnes numbred theÌ„ / therfore I can nother hyd them froÌ„ the / nether turne my backe and flye from thy face Whother shall I go from thy spryte and whother shall I flye from thy face what shall I then do whother shall I turne me whom shall I fynde to be my defender whom I praye you but the my God who is so good who is so gentle who is so mercyfull for thou passest with out coÌ„parison all creatures in gentlenesse It is one of thy chefest propertyes to forgeue be mercyfull / for thorow mercye and forgeuenesse thou dost most declare thy almyghtinesse I graunte Lorde that I haue offended onlye agenst the / and haue done that which is euell in thy syght / haue mercye therfore on me expresse thy puysaunce in me / that thou mayst be iustefyed in thy wordes for thou hast sayed that thou camest not to calle the rightwyse / but synners vnto repentaunce Iustefye me Lorde accordinge to thy wordes call me / receaue me / and geue me grace to do true workes of repentaunce For this cause wast thou crucifyed / deed and buryed Thou saydest also Ioan .iij. When I am lyfted vp from of the erth / I will drawe all vnto my selfe / verefye thy wordes / drawe me after the let vs runne to gether in the swetenesse of thyne oyntmentes Besides that thou saydest Mat. xi Come vnto me al ye that laboure / and are laden / and I will ease you Loo I come vnto the laden with synnes / labouringe daye and nyght in the sorow of myne harte refresh and ease me lorde that thou mayste be iustefyed and proued true in thy wordes / and mayst ouercome when thou art iudged for there are manye that saye he shal haue no socoure of his god God hath forsaken hym Ouercome lorde these persones wheÌ„ thou arte thus iudged of them and forsake me not at anye tyme. Geue me thy mercye and holesome socoure / then are they vaynqueshed They saye / that thou wilt haue no mercye on me / and that thou wilt cast me clene out of thy fauoure and no more receaue me / thus art thou iudged of men / thus do men speake of the / these are their determinacyons / but thou which arte meke and mercyfull haue mercye on me / and ouercome their iudgementes / shewe thy mercye on me and let thy godlye pitye be praysed in me Make me a vessell of thy mercye / that thou mayst be iustefyed in thy wordes and haue the victorye when men do iudge the for men do iudge the to be firce and inflexible Ouercome their iudgement with mekenesse and beneuolence / so that men maye lerne to haue compassyon on synners / and that malefactours maye be enflamed vnto repentaunce / seynge in me / thy pytye and mercye Loo I was fashoned in wekednes and my mother conceaued me polluted with synne Behold not Lorde the greuousnesse of my synnes / consyder not the multitude / but loke mercyfullye on me which am thy creature ☞ Remembre that I am dust / and that all flesh is as wythred haye / for Loo I am fashoned in wekednes in synne hath my mother coÌ„ceaued me My naturall mother I saye hath coÌ„ceaued me of coÌ„cupiscence / in her am I polluted with original sinne What is original synne / but the lacke of originall iustice of the ryght and pure innocencye which man had at his creacyon therfore a man coÌ„ceaued borne in suche sinne is hole croked and out of frame The flesh coueteth agenst the sprete Reason is slender / the wyll is weake / man is frayle and lyke vanite / his senses deceaue hym / his ymaginacyon fayleth hym his ignoraunce leadeth him out of the right waye / he hath infinite impedymeÌ„tes which plucke hym froÌ„ goodnes and dryue hym in to euel Therfore original synne is the roote of all synnes and the nurse of all wikednesse / for all be it that in euerye man of the awne nature it is but one synne yet in power it is all synnes Thou seyst therfore Lorde what I am / and of whence I am for in originall synne which coÌ„teyneth al synnes and iniquites in it am I fashoned / in it hath my mother conceaued me / syth then I am hole in synnes and enuyroned with snares one â—erye syde how shall I escape for what I wold that do I not / but the euell that I wold not that do I / for I fynde a nother lawe in my membres rebellinge agenst the lawe of my mynde / subduynge me vnto the lawe of synne deth Therfore the more frayle and entangled thy godlye beneuolence seeth me / so moch the more let it lyft vppe coÌ„fort me Who wold not pitye one that is syke who wold not haue coÌ„passyon on hym that is dyseased Come / come thou swete Samaritane and take vppe the wounded and halfe deed cure my woundes / poure in wyne and oyle sette me vppon thy beest / bringe me in to the hostrye / coÌ„mitte me vnto the host / take out two pence and saye vnto him what so euer thou spendest aboue this / when I come agayne I wyll recompence the. Loo thou hast loued truth / the vnknowne secrete thinges of thy wysdoÌ„ / hast thou vttered vnto me Come most swete Samaritane / for behold thou hast loued truth / the truth I saye of thy promyses which thou hast made vnto mankynde / then hast thou trulye loued for thou hast made and kepte them / so that thy loue is nothinge els but euen to do good for in thy selfe thou arte inuaryable immutable / thou vsest not now to loue and a none not to loue as men doo nether doth thy loue so come goo / but thou art such a louer as doth neuer chaunge for thy loue is verye god Thy loue therfore wherwith thou louest a creature / is to do it good / whom thou most louest / to them arte thou most beneficyall Therfore what meaneth that thou louest truth /
but that of thy gracyous mercye thou makest vs promises / fulfyllest them for thy truthes sake Thou dyst promyse vnto Abraham a sonne when he was aged / thou falfylledst thy promyse in olde and baren Sara / because thou louedst truth Thou promysest vnto the children of Israell a lande that flowed with milke and honye / and at the last dydst geue it them / for thy truthes sake Thou madest a promyse to Dauid sayenge I shall set vppon thy sete regall one of the frute of thy bodye / and it came euen so to passe / because thou woldest be founde true There are other innumerable promyses in which thou hast euer bene faythfull because thou louedst truth Thou hast promysed to synners which wyll come vnto the / forgeuenesse and fauoure / and thou hast neuer defrauded man / for thou hast loued truth That vnthryftye sonne Luc. xv that toke his iorney in to a farre cōtre and wasted all his goodes with covetous lyuinge / when he came to hym self / he retouened vnto the sayenge Father I haue synned agenst heauen and before the / now am I not worthye to be called thy sonne / make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes / When he was yet a greate waye of / thou sawest hym and haddest cōpassyon on hym and rannest vnto hym / fallynge vppon his necke and kyssynge hym / thou broughtest forth the best garmenth and puttest a rynge on his fynger and showes on his fete / Thou kylledst that fatted calfe and madest all the house merye sayenge / Let vs eate be merye / for this my sonne was deed and is alyue agayne / he was lost and is now founde Why dydst thou all this Lorde God surelye because thou louedst truth Loue therfore o father of mercyes this truth in me / which retorne vnto the from a farre countre / runne towardes me geue me a kysse of thy mouth / geue me those chefe garmētes / drawe me in to thy house / kylle that fatted calfe that all which trust in the maye reioyce in me / and lette vs eate to gether in spirituall feastes Oh Lorde wilt thou exclude me alone and wilt thou not kepe this truth vnto me yf thou shuldest loke narowlye on oure wykednesse o lorde lorde who myght abyde the But Lord thou wilt not be so strayght vnto vs / for thou louest truth yee and that with a feruent incomprehensible loue Which is the truth that thou so louest is it not thy sonne that sayde Ioan .xiiij. I am the waye / truth / and lyfe he is the verye truth of whom all truth is named in heauen and in erth / this is it that thou hast loued and in it onlye hast thou delyted for thou dydest fynde it pure with out spotte and woldest that it shuld dye for synners / kepe therfore Oh God this truth / behold I am a greate synner in whom thou maist kepe it / to whom thou maist forgeue manie synnes / whom thou mayst purefye in the bloude of thy Christ / whom thou mayst redeme thorow his passyō why Oh lorde hast thou geuen me this knowlege of thy sonne / this fayth of hym Because I shuld se my redēpcyon and not to attayne it that I myght by that meanes be the more vexed with sorow God forbydde / but rather that I maye perceaue the remissyon of my synnes purchased by Christes bloude / and so by his grace maye obtayne it Purge me therfore and redeme me oh Lorde for thou hast vttered vnto me the vnknowne and secrete poyntes of thy wysdom that this knowlege maye helpe me brīge me vnto helth for trulie the philosofers neuer knew these thinges / they were vnknowne vnto hē / yee vtterlye hid frō thē and no mā knewe these thīges except a fewe whō thou lonest entyrelie before thy sonnes incarnaciō The most curyous serchers of the world / I meane the wysemen of this world lyfted vp their yies aboue heauen yet coulde not fynde this thy wysdom / for thou hast hyd these thinges from the wyse prudent / and hast opened them vnto babes / that is / to humble fishers and thy holye prophetes which also haue vttered thē vnto vs. And so hast thou vttered the vnknowne and secrete thinges of thy wysdom of thy scriptures vnto me / why do I know thē in vayne I know them surelye in vayne yf they profytte me not vnto my helth and saluacyon For the Philosophers when they knewe God by his meruelous creatures they glorifyed hym not as god nether were thākefull / but wexed full of vanityes in theyr ymaginacyons and their folish hartes were blinded / when they counted them selues wyse / they became soles / wylt thou suffer me Lorde to be of their numbre God forbyd / for thou arte euē mercye it selfe which doth neuer vtterlye forsake any man / fauoure therfore Lorde fauoure and spare thy seruaunt / and commaunde hym to be of the numbre of thy babes / that the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdom / which thou hast opened to hym maye leade hym vnto the fountayne of wysdom which is an hye / that thou mayst be praysed in the worke of thy mercye which thou dost exercyse towardes thy seruaunte Lorde which neuer forsakest them that trust in the. Sprinkle me Lorde with hysope / and so shall be clene / thou shalt wash me / and then shall I be whitther then snowe Because Lorde that thou hast loued the truth hast opened vnto me the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdome / I am well cōforted and I trust that thou wilt not cast me out of thy fauoure / but thou shalt sprinkle me with hysope and so shall I be clensed Hysope is a lowe herbe / it is hote and of a good sauoure / which sygnifyeth nothynge els / but thy onlye sonne oure lorde Iesu Christ / which humbled hym selfe vnto deeth / euen vnto the deeth of the crosse / which with the heate of his feruent charite loued vs / and washed vs from oure synnes in his bloude / which with the redolent sauoure of his beneuolence and rightuousnes replenyshed the hole worlde Therfore with this hysope shalt thou sprincle me / when thou pourest apon me the vertue of his bloude when Christ thorow fayth shal dwell in me when thorow loue I am ioyned with hym when I shall countre fayte his humylite and passyon / then shal I be clensed frō all myne vnclennesse Then shalt thou wash me with mine awne teares which flowe out of the loue of Christ / then shall I sygh vntyll I be werye I shall water my bed euerye nyght with my teares / so that it shall swymme in them and then shalt thou wash me and I shall be whyter then snowe Snowe is whyte and colde / but Lorde yf thou sprinkle me with hysope I shal be more whyte then snowe for I shall be thorowlye endued with thy splendent lyght which passeth all bodelye whytenesse And when I am enflamed
/ it draweth vnto hym all vertue and expelleth all vyce / therfore create iÌ„ me Oh god a pure harte thorow thy grace / make a newe an vpryght sprete in mi bowels For thy sprete shall leade me in to a right waye / which shal purge me from all erthy affectes and shall lyfte me vpp vnto heueÌ„lie thynges The louer the thynge that is loued are both of one nature He that loueth bodelie thinges is wordlye but he that loueth spretuall thiÌ„ges is spretuall Geue me a sprete that maye loue the worshyppe the / the most hye sprete / for god is a sprete they whych worshyppe hym / must worshyppe hym in the sprete verite Geue me an vpright sprete not schinge his awne profyte and glorye / but the will and glorie of god renewe an vpryght sprete wyth in me renewe it For my synnes haue qwenched the fyrst that thou gauest me Geue me now a new sprete that it maye redresse that thinge whych is inueterate my soule is also a sprete so made of the that of her selfe she is ryght for of her awne nature she loueth the aboue her selfe and desyreth all thynges for thy glorye / so that her awne naturall loue is ryght / for it cometh of the / but of her awne frowarde will is it iÌ„ueterate polluted causinge her natural loue to decaye Make new therfore this sâ—te this loue thorow thy grace that it maye walke iÌ„ the right waye accordiÌ„ge to his nature renue it I saye that it maye euer enflame me with heueÌ„lye loue that it maye euer cause me to sighe vnto the / to enbrace the continuallye and neuer to forsake the. Cast me not awaye from thy face / and thy holye goste take not from me Behold Lorde I stande before thy face that I maye fynde mercye I stonde before thy benigne goodnes lokinge for thy fauourable aÌ„swere cast me not coÌ„fused froÌ„ thy face who came euer Lorde vnto the and went awaye confused Who euer desyred thy fauoure / and went wyth out it Surelye thou passest in thy aboundant pytye both the deseruinges and also the desires of theÌ„ that praye vnto the / for thou geuest more then men can desyre yee or vnderstonde wheÌ„ they haue it It was neuer harde that thou dydst cast awaye from they face any man that euer came vnto the Shall I Oh Lorde be the first that shall be cast awaye from thy face and vtterlye confouÌ„ded wilt thou beginne at me to confounde them that come vnto the wilt thou neuer more haue mercye and coÌ„passion God forbidde The woman of Canane folowed the / she cryed and made a pytuous noyse / she moued thy dysciples / vnto compassion / and thou hyldest thy peace / she contynued knockynge / she worshipped the and sayd Lorde helpe me / nether yet woldest thou answere Thy dyscyples entreated for her sayenge let her goo for she cryeth after vs. But what was thyne answere Lorde I praye the / what dydst thou answere for south that she wepte in vayne / and laboured for nought / for thou saydst that thou wast not sent but vnto the shepe that were perysshed of the house of Israel What shuld this woman do when she hade these wordes verelye euen despayre as concerninge the grace that she requyred yet despayred she not / but trustynge in thy mercye prayed agayne sayenge Lorde helpe me / vnto wose importunite Lorde thou answeredst / it is not good to take the chyldrens brede and cast it to hondes as though thou shuldest haue sayed departe from me you Canaanites are dogges / ye are Idolatres / the precyous gyftes of he venâ—ye fauoure partayne not vnto you I ought not to take them a waye from the Iues whych worshyppe the true and liuynge god / and to geue theÌ„ to soch dogges as ye are which worshuppe ydolles and deuels what shalt thou now doo thou woman of Canaan thou mayst now be a shamed and gette the awaye / for the Lorde is angrye not wyth the alone / but also thy hole nacyon Oh Lorde god / who wold not haue bene confounded and haue pyked hym awaye at these thy wordes who wold not haue mumbled and grugged agenst the who wolde not haue iudged the to be cruell And yet did thys woman contynue stille in prayer She cast not away her confidence / she toke not these harde wordes heuelye / she was nâ—â— angrye / but she humbled her selfe the more and abode stylle in her petycion and sayde with good fyaunce It is truth Lorde that thou sayest / but I axe nobrred / I axe not the fauoure that thchyldren shuld haue I am a litle whe elpe and desyre the tromes whyth falle from thy chyldrens table Let them storysâ— and abounde with miracles / and other gracyous fauours / but let not me be destytute of thys trumme of grace / that my douhter maye be delyuered from the fendes possession for the whelpes do rate of the trummes whych faile from theyr masters tables Behold wat fayth / whate trust / and what humylyte was in thys women therfore thou / not dyspleased with her ymportunate instaunce but reioysinge in her excelleÌ„t constauncie dydst saye O woman greate is thy fayth / be it vnto the as thou wilt Why are these thynges wryten Lord god that we maye lerne to trust in the / that me maye humblye and deuoutlye continue in prayer / for thou wilâ— geue it yf men be greadye But the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence / and they that make violence vnto is catche it / for what thinges so euer are writen are writen for oure lerninge that thorow pacience and comforte of the scriptures we maye haue hope Cast me not therfore lorde froÌ„ thy face which stond wepinge and way linge daye night before thy face / not that thou shuldest deliuer me froÌ„ the bodelye oppression of deuyls / but that thou wilt delyuer my soule froÌ„ his spirituall power dominion Let me not be shamed O swete Iesu for in the onlye haue I trusted I haue no helth or comforte but in the o Lorde / for al haue forsakeÌ„ me / eueÌ„ my brothreÌ„ children haue cast me of and myne awne bowels abhorre me I haue no nother helper / but onlye the. Cast me not therfore awaye from thy face / take noâ— thy holye sprete for me There is nomaÌ„ which can saye that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holye gost therfore yf I call vppon the lord Iesu / that do I in the holye gost / yf I be sorye for my synnes which are passed / yf I are forgeuenesse / this do I verelye by the holye gost Therfore I besech the take not fro me thy holye gost / but that it maye be with me / and laboure wyth me / for we wote not what to desyre as we ough to do But the sprete helpeth oure infirmityes and maketh intercession for vs / that is / maketh vs to praie with such sorowfull
the holye gost beholdeth a farre off the glorye of God accordynge to the capacite of this lifte / and therfore sayed the Apostle .ij. Corinth .iij. all we with an vncouered face beholdynge as in a glasse the glorye of the Lorde / after the same ymage are transformed from glorye to glorye as by the sprete of the Lorde Lord god how small is thy church at thys daye almost the hole world is fallen from the there are many mo myscreauntes then christen And yet emonge the chrysten how many are there which forsake worldlie thīges seke the glorie of the Lorde Surulye ye shal finde fewe / in comparyson of them which are addicte to wordlye thīges whose god is theyr belye glorye to theyr shame and confusyon / Deale gentlye Lorde of thy fauourable beneuolence wyth zyon that it maye be encreased both in multitude in good lyuynge Beholde frō heauē deale gentlye as thou arte wont to do that thou wilt send emonge vs the fyre of thy cheryte / whych maye consume all oure sunnes Deale Lorde accordynge to thy fauourable beneuolence / and do not with vs after oure deseruinge / nether yelde thou vs agayne accordynge to oure iniquytyes but ordre vs accordinge to thy greate mercye Thou arte Lorde oure father and redemer / thou arte oure hope / and euerlastynge helth Euerye man desyreth goodnes of he / yf thou geue it them / then shall they gather it yf thou open thy hande all shal be fylled wyth plentye / when thou turnest awaye thy face / then are they astōnyed whē thou gatherest in theyr breth then are they deed and returne in to erth And agayne when thou brethest on them / then are they created a new and thus renuest thou the face of the erth Psalme .ciiij. Lorde I praye the whate profyte is there in the damnacyon of so manye thousande men Hell is fylled and thy church doth daylye decrease Aryse Lorde / why slepest thou so longe Aryse / and differe not vnto the ende / Deale gentlye of thy fauourable beneuolence with zyon / that the walles of Hierusalem maye be buylded agayne / what is Hierusalem whych by interpretacyon signifieth the vysion of peace but the holye congregacion and citye of the blessed whych is oure mother Her walles were decayed whē Lucifer with his aungels fell / in to whose places are the rightwyse men receaued Deale therfore gentlye oh Lorde with zyon / that he numbre of thy chosen maye shortlye be fulfylled / that the walles of Hyerusalē maye be edefyed and finyshed with newe stones whych shall euer prayse the and endure euerlastinglye Then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of ryghtwysnes / obsaeions burnt offeringes them shal they laye vppon thyne altare wanton casues When thou hast delt gentlye of thy fauourable will beneuolence with zyon / then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of rightwisnes / for thou shalt consume it with burninge fyre of thy loue cheryte / so acceptedst thou the sacryfyces of Moses and Helias And then acceptest thou the sacrifyces of rightwysnes / whē thou fattenest with thy grace the soules which endeuoure them selues to lyue ryghtwyslye / what profiteth to offer sacrifices vnto the whē thou acceptest thē not oh Lorde How many sacryfices offer we now a dayes whych are not pleasaunte vnto the but rather abhominable for we offer not the sacrifices of ryght wysnes / but oure awne ceremonyes and therfore are they not accepted Where is now the glorye of the Apostlee where is the valyaunte perseueraunce of martyrs where is the frute of preachers where is that holye simplycyte of them that vsed to lyue solitarye where are the vertues and workes of the Chrysten which were in olde tyme Then shalt thou accepte theyr sacrifyces / when thou shalt decke and garnish them with thy grace and vertues Also yf thou deale gentlye with zyon of thy fauourable beneuolēce / then shalt thou delight in sacrifices of ryghtwysnes / for the people shall beginne to lyue well / to kepe thy cōmaundemētes to deale iustlye so shall thy people be endued wyth thy benefyted blessinge Thē shall the oblacious of the preastes of the clergye be acceptable vnto the / for they shal forsake their carnall affeccyon endeuoure thē selues vnto a more perfeyte liffe / so shall the oyntmēt of thy blyssinge descende vppon theyr heddes Then shall the burnt offerynges of the relygious be pleasaunt to the / for they shall cast out all drousye sluggeshnes and false confidence / and be hoellye enflamed and made perfayte with the burninge fyre of goddes loue Thē shall the bisshoppes and preachers put calues vppon thyne altare / for after they are consummate in all kynde of vertue and replenysshed wyth thy holye sprete / they shall not feare to geue theyr lyues for theyr shepe what is thyne altare swete Iesu but thy crosse where vppō thou wast offered what sygnifyeth a wanton calfe / but oure bodye Therfore thē shall they put calues on thyne altare / whē thei shal offer theyr awne bodies vnto the crosse / that is vnto all afflictions euē vnto the verye deeth for thy names sake Then shall the church florish and dilate her coostes / then shall thy prayse be noysed from the last ende of the worlde / then shall ioye / and gladnesse fulfyll the hole worlde Then shall thy sayntes reioyce in glorye shall make mirth in their māciōs waytinge for vs in the loude of the lyuynge Accōplish in me euē now Lorde that thē / which I so ofte name / that thou maist haue compassiō on me accordinge to thy greate mercye / that thou mayst receaue me for aburnt sacrifice of rightwisnes for a holie oblaciō for a sacrifice of good lyuinge / and for a calfe to be offered on thyne altare or crosse / by the which I maye passe from thy vale of miserye vnto that ioye which thou hast prepared for them that loue the. Amen ¶ To fyll vp the leffe we haue touched certayne places which we thou most necessarye to edefie the congregacion of Christ ¶ Of fayth FIrst dere brethren ye ought to geue diligent hede that you maye purelye vnderstonde what fayth is and what frutes procede out of her / And to cōclude the summe in fewe wordes / fayth is a sure persuasyon full knowlege that God for his truth and ryghtwysnes sake wyll fulfyll such promyses / as he hath made vnto vs of his mercye and sauoure / which sure persuasyon must be geuen from god .i. Corin. xij For it can nother be goien by mannes power / nether yet retayned Therfore with feare and tremblinge performe that helth which is begōne in you / for it is God that worketh in you both the wyll and also the deed / euē at his awne pleasure And se that with all mekenes ye submitte youre selues vnto the vocacyon of god / not sekynge the libertye of the flesh / nether yet despysinge good workes / for