slepe from the whyche Iesu Christ shall wake vs at the day of iudgement And yf we haue suche a feith as is that wherof I haue nowe spoken of we shall be nothing sory but rather ioyfull when eny dyeth Whosoever is sory for suche thing he synneth For he is sory that the will of god is done Then let none be sory therfore for it is but all folye and infidelite Thou shalt not ordeyne where thou wilt be buryed or whate stone thou wylt haue on thy tombe for it is all pryde and vaynglory and proufiteth nothing ye yt is grete synne bifore god For it is all one bifore god if thou be buryed in the churche or in the churcheyard or yn any other place And all the pompes and ceremonyes wherwith the deed are buryed is more institute for the proufyt and advauntage of the lyving then to help the deed For they proufit or helpe nothing at all vnto the deed The best preparacyon vnto deth ys to love nothing in this world to set his hert on none erthly thing but so to entreate aÌ„d vse all temporall thinges that one may be alweyes redy to forsake theym aÌ„d to loue better to be with god then here wilt thou nowe knowe who dyeth helthfully as ferre as man may haue knowlege Me semyth after the scripture that when a man or a woman hath loving coÌ„versacion with his neyghboure or if they be maryed to gyther in an holy love glad to here talke of god giving willingli after they re power for goddis sake and are not sory or discomforted for the losse of they re goodes or of any other adversite willingly comforting the desolate and dieth in a stedfast faith and with good will it is to be thought that suche a parsonne shuld be saved Nowe forbicause I haue moche spoken of the faith and howe we be the children of god I will write howe all estates shuld lyve and of every estate alone a doctryne after the Gospell and epistles of S. Paule And first of monkes aÌ„d nonnes ¶ Of the life of Monkes whate it was yn tymes passed Chaptre .xvi. IN tymes passed there were no holyer parsones then monkes And all they that wold lyve according to the gospell were wont to gyve theym silves vnto that life bycause they had a more gretter occasyon aÌ„d help to leade a good lyfe then with theym of the world A parsone mought better kepe his symplicite chastyte sobryete humilyte and other vertues in such assemble of holy parsones then he coud do among the seculers and worldly whiche sought but thinges carnall So was then the lyfe of monkes the fontaygne of christendome But thou must know that the monkes of that tyme were all other then they of this present tyme. They made no vowes noâ— promyses as they do nowe None was then constreyned to chastite or to other vertues ageynst his will They were subiect and obeysaunt vnto the commaundement of they re Abbot willingly as though god had commaunded theym For they re superyours commaunded theym nothing but the commaundementes of God and of the Gospell And bycause I may not reherse the lyfe of all Monkes I wyll speke here of .iiij. maner of Monkes to thyntent that ye may knowe how the life of monkes is chaunged The first monkes was Helyas Helizeus the sonnes of Ionadab the sonnes of the prophetes saynt Iohn Baptist other lyke They were parsones lyvyng yn abstynence yn wyldernesse But the lyfe of theym hath no maner similytude vnto the life of oure monkes nowe a dayes Not long after that oure savioure christ is ascended vnto heven ys there come an other sect of Monkes of whome wryteth Piâ—â—lo and Eusebius These monkes had they re begynning of the disciples of saynt Marke with theym dwelled wymen aÌ„d lyued to gyther separat from the people yn sobryete chastyte and love And they lauded God with reding of the psalmes with fastinges and prayers And lyved hoelly after the life whiche thappostles had first enterprysed emong whome all thinges were comon Acto 4 As wryteth Saynt Luke yn thactes of thappostles Many have folowed the life of these moâ—kes here as saint Effrem saint Machayre saint Hierome saint Heliodore and many other holy parsones that then were in the world as a man may perceyve in the bokes of saint Iohn Chrysostome Of suche life was also saynt Martyne with his bretheren They were not ydell but writing of bokes and labouring with they re hondes for to get they re expences They made no vowes nor profession Every one mought eate fast reade wheÌ„ he wolde like as did the seculers They came many tymes to gyther to communyon and prayer They had no certeyn masses nor houres to syng dayly And when yt was noyous vnto theym they mought avoyde out of the company for they were not constreyned there to abyde by any professyon And when a Bisshop or an herdman dyed they toke custumably one of these monkes for a newe Bisshop and herdman for they were then holy and lettered parsones After theym came the thyrde secte of monkes of the whiche was saint Benet Montanus Gregory and other monkes of the ordre of saint Benet In that tyme was the life of monkes sum whate charged with a certeyn nombre of Psalmes with certeyn prayers with one certeyn habite and ordre and with other ceremonyes Neverthelesse saint Benet dyd not so charge his ordre but submitted all vnto the discrecyon of the Abbot to dispence chaunge and do all thinges accordinge as he shuld thinke it best convenient after the tyme And bicause they were men of holye life the â—ytesins toke of theym to they re pastores bisshopes So came it afterward to passe that the princes and grete parsonages haue had favoure aÌ„d love vnto the cloysters and haue gyven theym moche goodes and possessions and haue founded newe monasteryes so that they be thus multiplied in the worlde as thou mayst see And bicause that to moche goodes aÌ„d possessions haue be gyven vnto theÌ„ they re good discipline and life is by lytell and lytel brought to nought and corrupted by rychesse So that they have enterprysed to make sumpluous bnyldinges costly vestmentes and haue begonne to eate and drynke delycaâ—ly haue bought precyous vessels chalices and other ornamentes in they re churches So haue they enterprysed to lyve not as monkes but as lordes By these thinges here is coled the spryte and love of God Thus loving the sprite they haue taken the flesshe ordeyning all they re holynesse yn foreyn and outward thinges and ceremonyes as in reding they re houres in singing in kneâ—â—g in habytes and many other ceremonyes But humilite contemptibilite sobriete pacyens and povertie they haue forgetten And by suche meanes is the life of monkes come vnto voluptuousnesse and vnto all vanyte by thabundaunce of richesse Thus haue they begonne to be ydell and wold not get they re expences by laboure of they re hondes as it was ordeyned
they corde reade well For alas ye shall fynde thousandes of auncyent persones that can not sey the pater noster and Crede in they re mother tongue and of theym that say it in latyn are many that wote not whate they sey nor knowe not of never an article of the faith Wherfore I say that it is expedient for the christen to set all they re children to skole till they can reade aâ—d vnderstonde the holy scriptures namely when they be wryteÌ„ in they re mother tongue And then they that had not wyt and vnderstondinge worthy to be contynued at scole shulde be caused to lerne an occupacion If they did thus they shulde bring into the worlde double prouâ—fit First we shulde not haue suche a great nombre of prestes and monkes vnlettered and knowing nothing in the christen churche For nowe there are made many prestes monkes and freres that for lacke of litterature are nothing coÌ„venieÌ„t for that office By the vnlettered prestes is this grete erroure comen into the worlde that ys that in the stede of the pure scriptures whiche is the lyvely worde of God whiche they knowe not they preche narracions fables lyes and tradicions of the invencioÌ„ of the yppochrites that alas the faythfull trust honoure which belongeth to gods worde they cause the people to gyve to they re fables and lyes SecoÌ„dly it wolde proufit for if euery body weÌ„t so long to skole they shuld vnderstoÌ„d more lightly the prechers if thei theÌ„ silves had redde the storyes or the Gospell after the letre then they might reherce to they re childreÌ„ servauÌ„tes iÌ„ doing of their busines some thing of the gospell of the stories or of the scripture iÌ„stede of vaine fables ydell wordes vncouenabill maters which they speake the one to the other As we se suÌ„tyme nowe a dayes that felowes of one crast whiche haue bin at scole syng many tymes the song in doing they re bussynesse whiche they haue learned to sing at the scole or at the churche and the other vileyn songes for they haue lerned none other thing ¶ Whate thing is the Christen faith and whate thing one ought to beleve to haue helth Chaptre iiij I Haue seyd at the beginning that the foundacion of Christendome is the faith whyche so fewe people haue and vnderstond not whate the faith is we thiÌ„ke that when we beleve that god is god and can oure crede that we haue the faith that a Christen is bounde to haue The devell beleveth also that there is a God and one life everlasting and one hell but he is never the better for it Ye and he trembleth alway for this feith as faith saint Iames Iam. 2. The devels beleve and they tremble Somâ— man might axe whate shall I theÌ„ beleve Thou shalt beleve then first plainly and vndoutedly that the father the sonne and the holy gost is one onely godâ— And this thou shalt not desyre to vnderstond howe nor busy thy silfe moche therin for this is not the principall that we must beleve Oure faith lyeth not principally therin For this likewise beleve the wicked sprites as is saide before and are nothing the better therfore There is yet an other feith whiche Christ so moche requyreth of vs in the gospell and wher unto also saint Paule almost in all his epistles so strongly exhorteth vs. That is that we must first beleve the gospell when oure lorde began first to preache he said as reherseth saint Marke haue repentaunce aÌ„d beleve in the gospell Mar. 1. Thou mayst axe me whate thing ys the gospell Hit is a good and ioyfull message or glad tydinges For it is newes of the favour grace mercy and goodnesse of god towarde vs. It is I sey tydinges that god hath taken vs to mercy and therfore songe the aungels when Christ was borne as reherseth saint Luke Lu. â— I shewe vnto you greate ioy for this day is borne youre savioure whiche is Christ the lorde In this gospell that is to sey in this message we beleve certainly that god the father hath sent hither his sonne for to bye vs agayn to enfraunchise vs and to delyuer vs froÌ„ the devel to whome we were made subiectes and servauntes by the sinne of oure fore father we coude not helpe ouâ— silves bicause we were servauntes and bâ—nde None of vs was abill to satisfie for vs For we were all like wise subiected as sayth Saynt Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 3. They haue all sinned aÌ„d haue nede to the grace of god It was nedefull then that he that shuld satisfie for vs shulde be without sinne without subiection or obligacion And no suche patron or mediatour was there founde in the worlde TheÌ„ this one thing was of necessite that other we must abide lost for euer or it behoved that god shulde be made maÌ„ So hath oure god almighty had pitye and compassion on vs by the greate love that he had toward vs and hath sent his onely sonne Iesu christ Hiere 31 As writeth the prophete Hieremye saing I haue loved them a-perpetuell charyte therfore I haue drawen the having mercy He hath sent him to thintent that bâ— his deth whiche he had not deserved he myght appayse God and satisfie hym for vs. Coâ— 5 As wryteth saynt Paule All is of God whiche hath reconcilyed vs vnto him by christ Then is Christ made a mediator bytwene god and man and hath offered him silfe an oblacion for vs to his father wherby he hath reconsiled vs agayn and made oure peace And for bicause the devell did set his honde vppon Christ to whome he had no right he hath so lost all his right whiche he had over vs. And so are we delyuered from the servitude and subiection of the devell and belong vnto Christ. And by that that the sonne of god is nowe made man he is also made oure brother And if we be his bretheren we be also enheriters wyth hym of the glory of his father Ro. 8. As writeth saint Paule vnto the Romayne saying If we be children we be also heyres with Christ. And we haue as moche and as greate right to heven as Iesu Christ hym silfe For christe is a sonne of God so be we reserved that he is a sonne naturall and was for euer without beginning the sonne of God But we be the children of God allonly by the goodnesse and grace of God whyche he hath done to vs as sayeth Saynt Paule Ephe. 1. He hath predestinate vs into an election of the children of God Then ys it this comen to passe that we must beleve surely that we be the children of god and that god is oure father Secondly thou shalt stedfastly beleve the wordes of god that is to sey that all that god hath seyde shall come to passe and be done without ony fâ—lse â—ene 17 and. 2â— As did the faithfull Abraham whiche when god had promysed to him a thing impossible
ghost hath offred hym silfe without Hebre. â— spot vnto God hath clensed oure consciences from mortall workes for to serve vnto the lyving God And therfore we haue no nede to laboure by oure good workes to get euerlasting lyfe for we haue that alredy we be all iustified we be all the children of God God hath gyven vs all thys of him silf without oure deserving Some man might say I will also do sumwhate to thintent that I may be so moche the more certeyn to be saved All they that say so and all they that thinke that they re good workes helpe eny thing or proufit for to get the gift of saluacyon they blaspheme ageynste God and robbe god of his honoure and speke ageynst the might and goodnesse of God Gala. 5 as wryteth saint Paule If ye be circumcised Christ shall nothinge proufit you that is to say if ye put eny trust in the lawe or in any workes Christ shall not helpe you And yet sayeth saint Paule in that same Chaptre whosoever will be iustified by the lawe is fallen out of the grace of god Howe may the wordes be more clere wherfore al they blaspheme ageynst the dyvine puissaunce that will eny maner wey deserve by they re good workes for this cause we must do oure good workes alweys by love to the proufit of 〈…〉 not for the necessite of oure hâ—â—th for by Iesu christ be we made sure of the euerlasting life as it is bifore said They that by they re workes will satisfie vnto god be agaynst God as though God were not puissaunt ynough of him silf without the helpe of oure werkes for to pardone vs oure sinnes and as though the passion of Christ were not vertuouse ynough without oure deservinges for to helpe vs to come vnto heven Therfore say I we must allonly hoelly trust in the grace mercy of god not in oure workes or els christ shall nothing proufit vs. ¶ Howe that by the onely grace of God and by nothing elles we be saved Chaptre vi NOwe might some man sey I knowe wel that god is mightie ynough to save me without my workes but I caÌ„ not tel whether he wil do it if it be not that I live therwith al rightuously paraueÌ„ture my good werkes shal enduce hiÌ„ to make me rightuous to save me or els he wolde not do it All they that so saye or thinke as I haue said blaspheme against the goodnesse of god as though god were not of him silf mercyfull aÌ„d good ynough except he were first stered vnto mercy by oure werkes Ro. 4. Not withstoÌ„ding that saint Paule sayeth that the promesse was not made vnto Abraham by the lawe but by the iustice of the faith And seyng also that of his proper nature he is nothing els but goodnesse and mercy as he hath alweyes taught and shewed wheÌ„ he was teaching in the world for he hath never dispysed nor left none discomforted of eny thing that eny hath requyred him but onely suche as wold not beleve Wherfore thou must knowe ones for all that by the onely grace of god we be saved And god will not that thou put thy good workes or thy iustice with his pretending to helpe him by thy workes for he will do it a lone and will haue no maner helpe For he hath no nede of the couÌ„sell nor of the dede nor of the workes nor of the iustice of any other Ephe. 2 For saint Paule saieth By grace are ye saved thorowe faith and that not of your silves for it ys the gift of god and cometh not of workes lest eny man shulde bost himsilf Now were it possible to speake it more pleynly and vnto the Romains Ro. 5. Being iustified by fayth we are at peace with god And saynt Iohn saieth He is the recoÌ„ciliacion for oure sinnes 1. Iohn The deth of Iesu christ and his iustice be vertuous ynough for to take awey all the sinnes of the world Nowe might one demaunde whi will god iustifie vs and so save vs of him silfe God doth it to thintent that he make hys goodnesse and mercy vnto vs more clere and more open Ephe. 2 As writeth saint Paule vnto the Ephesians God that is riche yn mercy thorowe the grete love wherwyth he loved vs even when we were dâ—ed by sinne hath quykned vs with Christe by whose grace ye be saved and with hiÌ„ hath reysed vs vp and with him hath made vs sitte in hevenly thinges thorowe Christ for to shewe in tyme to come the exceding richesse of his grace in kindnesse towarde vs thorowe Iesus Christ. Here seest thou by these wordes the cause whye god will do it alone for if god shuld iustifie vs aÌ„d shuld gyue helth bicause of oure workes he shuld not do it by his goodnesse but oure workes had deserved it and so shulde we not nede to thanke God therfore but moâ—ght ascribe it to oure selves and vnto oure workes But saint Paule and all the prophetes do teache vs that we be iustified and haue gotten helth by the onely grace of God and not by oure deservynges for we haue none And as god wyll that we do not thanke laude or loue other then alonely him Also like wyse will he not that we serche elswhere or of any other helth but of him onely for god wil be oure helth and oure savioure alone and he will not that we serche els where comfort but in him and of him and not in oure silfe nor in oure good werkes And for this cause thus writeth saint Paule vnto Titus But after that the kindnesse and loue of oure savioure appered vnto man not of the dedys of rightuousnesse which we haue wrought but of his mercy he hath saved vs by the fonteyne of the newe birth with the renewing of the holy gost whiche he shed over vs abundauntly thorow Iesus christ oure savioure TituÌ„ 3 And therfore whosoever thiÌ„ke to haue deserved the kingdome of heven by his rightuous life he robbeth god of his goodnesse for god hath frely iustified vs of hiÌ„ silf oure lord him silf hath seid in the gospel of S. Ioh None may come vnto me except my father that sent me drawe hiÌ„ Iohn 6 And in an other place without me ye caÌ„ do nothing Iohn 15 god spake by the prophete Osee O Israel thi perdicioÌ„ comith of thy silf alonely of me cometh thy helpe Osee. 14 And saint Paule vnto the romains Ro. 9. The enerlasting life is not his that will or that râ—neth after it but it is in the hondes will of god to gyve it to whome he will by his mercy Therfore erre all they that thiÌ„ke that god owith to theym the euerlastiÌ„g life or that they haue deserved it when they haue done many good workes for that thing that god onely gyveth to whome he will that wold they take froÌ„ him plucke it out of
as teacheth saynt Paule saying 1. Ti. 2 whiche hath gyven him silf a price and raunsome for all men Then when I beleve nede I not to do nothing Nede I not to do no good shall I not kepe the commaundementes of God Herken whate saint Paule answereth The faith saith he worketh by loue Ga. 5 Then when thou thus beleuest without doutiÌ„g that is to sey that thou art the sonne of god and that god hath so made the grete and riche thou shalt thinke thus in thy â—ilf Behold nowe god hath made me his childe enheritour of his glory brother of Iesus christ hath giveÌ„ me pardoÌ„ of al my sinnes aÌ„d I shall shortly be with hiÌ„ in the euerlasting life which he hath gyveÌ„ me without deserving it 〈◊〉 thiÌ„g shall I do agein to god by love and kindenesse for all this that he hath gyven to me Psal. 115 As saith the prophete David whate shall I yeld to god ageyn for all that he hath gyven to me when eny parson speaketh thus in him silf considering and beholding the greate goodnesse and mercy of god then comith and entreaseth the loue of god in him by the fayth bicause that he beleveth surely that God hath thus made him grete and riche And after that the loue is thus entred and enchauffed in the hert of the parson it maketh him to suffre and bere all thiÌ„ges maketh him to laboure to thinke and to do all that he thinketh wold please god without regarding â—ny thing but the loue of god Cor. 13. as sayeth saint Paule Loue suffreth all thinges loue doth nothing in vaine and he that hath suche a loue toward god all that he doth is agreable to god Ye when he gyveth but a drop of water for goddis sake as writeth saint Mathewe for loue iÌ„ god can not sinne all that he doth is well done For the holy goost that hath put this charite in vs can not do evill Aâ—d if of aduenture by suche a good entent one did any evell by errour this evell shul be pardoned incontinent and reputed for good by the good entent and loue that he hath towardes god Mat. 6. For Christ saieth in the gospell If thyne yie that is to sey thyne entencion be simple and applying to good all thy body that is to sey all thyne operacion shall be lightened and good And saint Paule saieth Ro. 8 we knowe that vnto theym that loue god al thinges worke for the best All they that are constant in this faith and charite be the children of god aÌ„d please god As witnessith saint Petre where he speaketh in thactes of thappostles Of a truth I perceyve that god is not percyall but in all people he that feareth hym and worketh rightuousnesse is accepted with him for god nedeth not oure works when he thus hath oure hertes albeit that suche a loue can not be ydell This loue comith in vs as I haue seid by faith when the parson beleveth surely that he is the childe of God It nedeth not that suche a parsone be constreyned to doo good workes by any commaundementes For the love of god dwelling yn him can not be ydell For loue as sayeth saint Paule suffreth long and is courteys 1. Cor. 13. loue eÌ„vyeth not love is not craving swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seketh not her owne is not provoked to angre thinketh not evell reioyseth not in iÌ„iquite but reioyseth in the truth suffreth al thing beleveth all thinges hopeth all thinges Suche a love or charyte bryngeth a parson to good workes and not good works a parsone vnto suche a love or to suche a faith trust in god These workes spring out of feith and not feith out of these workes for as I haue seid feith bringeth loue and loue bringeth good workes Lyke as though there were a riche maÌ„ with out children or heyres which might take a poore beggar out of the strete and make hym his heyre of his goodes This poore man beyng this made greate and ryche if he wold be thankefull as becomith hym to be shuld serve hys lorde or master whiche had thus exalted hym made him ryche truely and with greate loue Ye and if he ones might knowe the wil of his master he wold not deferre the doing therof till he were commaunded But he wold do all thinges by and by of his owne courage for the charyte or loue that he hath toward his master without commaundement Behold this poore man so exalted hath not deserved by hys workes nor by hys service that this riche man shuld so make him his heyre but the riche man hath made him his heyre of hys owne goodnesse without that the poore maÌ„ had in eny maner wyse deserved it And the service that this poore man doth afterward comith of loue and kyndnesse For he knoweth and beleveth surely that he is heyre of the godes of his lord bifore that he do any service And for bicause that he beleveth that the ryche man will kepe promyse wyth hym he beginneth to love him by the meane of this faith And so when he loveth hym he doth to him willingly and wyth good hert all the service he can and fulfil â—â—leth ioyfully his commaundementes and all by love And the more laboure service that he can do for his good master the more grete pleasure he taketh So is it of a good ChristeÌ„ for wheÌ„ he was yet enemye of god by the sinne of Adam he was accepted of God byfore he â—esyred it and byfore that he had yn eny maner wise deserved it Thus hath god made vs his children and heyres without oure deserving Then when we beleve this stedfastly this faith bringeth loue into oure hertes so that we beginne to love God by cause that he hath made vs so greate and excellent And when we so love him we kepe his commaundemeÌ„tes by loue and do all thinges with good wil As saieth Christ in saint Iohn Iohn 14. He that loveth me kepeth my commaundementes And so kepe we all thinges and suffre all thinges which we thinke agreable to god and nothing is to hevy for vs and as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 5 we reioyce in tribulacioÌ„ for we knowe that tribulacion bringeth pacience pacieÌ„ce bringeth feling feling briÌ„geth hope and hope maketh vs not a shamed bicause the love that God hath vnto vs is shed abrode in oure hertes by the holy goost whiche is gyven vnto vs whiche love maketh all thinges light vnto vs plesaunt and easy to bere so that after the word of Christ in the gospell his yoke ys easy and his burthen is light Mat. 11. Act. 5 This faith and love had thappostles as wryteth saint Luke when they departed from before the iudges they reioysed that they were made worthy and able to suffre shame and dishonoure byfore the worlde for the love of Iesu christ Thys charâ—te had saint Paule when he seid vnto the Romayns Ro. 8. Who
is he that shall separate vs from the love of god shall tribulacion or anguisshe or persecucion or hunger or nakydnesseâ— other parell orswerd we be sure that neither deth nor life nether aungell nether rule nor thiÌ„ges present nor thinges to come nether height nor depnesse nether eny other creature shal be abyll to separat vs from goddis love which is in Iesu christ our lord But I axe you nowe wherby ys it that thou knowest that thou are the childe of god by the service that thou hast done hi Nay Wherby then by the faith wher by thou belevest the worde of god whiche sayth that thou art the childe of god before thou begynnest to serve hym as wryteth saint Paule in all his epistles Thy service and thy workes haue not gyveÌ„ the the faith and trust wherby thou belevest that thou art the childe of god and his heyre for thou haddest that or thou dydest hiÌ„ any service but bicause that thou belevest stedfastly that god hath made the so grete by this faith beginnest thou to loue hym And when thou lovest him so thou doest him all the service that thou knowest ys agreable vnto hiÌ„ Thou â—beyst his coÌ„maundementes alweyes humbly knoweleging thyne ymperfection ascribing all that thou doest vnto God for els as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 4 If oure heretage came of the lawe the feith were but in vayne and the promyse of none effect Behold nowe seest thou that we do not deserve the euerlasting life by oure good workes for God hath promysed it vnto vs all surely bifore that we began to do good wherfore thou must knowe and beleve that good workes make none sure that he shal be the childe of God and hys heyre But contrary wise the feith trust that thou hast in god wherby thou belevest stedfastly that he haâ—h made the hys sonne maketh the to serve god and to kepe his commaundementes by love â–ª wherfore all they are abused Theologyans and doctours that sey that certeynte or hope procedeth out froÌ„ good workes â–ª For contraryly out from the certeynte from the feith wherby thou belevest the goodnesse that god hath done vnto the comith the good works That is to sey wheÌ„ thou belevest thou begynnest to love and when thou lovest thou doest that God wold haue done ¶ Howe that we shall not serve God for hyres or wages Chaptre ix THe workes done in suche fayth and charyte be allonely plesauÌ„t vnto god and worthy to be called good workes for they be the workes of the holy gost that dwelleth in vs by this faith But they that are done by tediousnesse evill will for fere of hell or for desire of paradise be none other thiÌ„g but shadowes of workes makiÌ„g ypochrytes The ende of oure good workes may seÌ„ke nought but to please god knowlegiÌ„g that if we do never so moche we caÌ„ neuer do our duety for they that for feare of hell or for the ioyes of heveÌ„ do serve god do a coÌ„streined service which god will not Suche people do not serve God bicause he is theire god theire father but bicause he is riche for to haue part of his richesse they not god but his wayes and richesse that is to sey they serue for none other purpose but to haue they re rewardes and for to avoide his punissions And suche people be as it were hyred men and waged servauntes and are not children for the service they do is but for wages and hyres But the children of god serve they re father for loue for they knowe the goodnesse that god hath done to theym alredy in that they beleue that god hath made theym hys children and heyres Gala. 3 For saint Paule seith ye are all the children of god by the feith which is in Iesu Christ And ageyn forasmoche as ye be childreÌ„ god hath sent the sprit of his sonne in to your hartes crying Ga. 4 father father Thou art then nowe no servaunt but a sonne And if thou be the sonne thou art also heyre of god by christ as saieth saint Paule ye are all the children of â—ight and children of god Tessa 5 Then the children of god that is the true christen do not desyre to get the heretage by theire service for they knowe by the sure promyses of god whiche they do beleve that God of hym self hath purely and liberally gyueÌ„ it vnto theym alredy Is when a burgoys hath a servaunt and a sonne The servaunt serueth his master and dare not offend hym for feare of losing of his wages whiche he attendeth for for he serveth for wages and after that he hath receyved theym he levith his master axeth no more of him for he demaunded nothing els but his money which he hath receyved alredy The sonne of the house serveth hys father and kepeth his commaundementes not to haue wages but for loue that he hath vnto hys father For he knoweth the goodnesse that his father hath done to him and that he is heyre of the goodes of hys father And knoweth that he shall ever dwelle in his fathers house as saieth saint Iohn Iohn And therfore doth he liberally the will of his father by cause he will not anger him So must euery christen serve god and kepe hys commaundementes by true loue and not by hope to get for his service everlasting life or the heritage of his heveÌ„ly father but knowleging alonly that god hath gyven him that alredy and that he hath made him hys heyre â—yfore he requyred him So shall he serve him by love declaring that god is all good and to shewe that ageynst his goodnesse he wyll not be vnkynd ¶ Howe that we disheret oursilves by oure disobedience Chaptre x. NOwe must euery maÌ„ know that alonly they that by suche love serue God be the children of god his heyres and shal be saved For he that gyveth not thankes to God and loveth hym not of this facyon for the goodnesse that god of hym silf hath willingly done vnto him is cause that he is not the child of god and maketh him silf vnworthye of all the promyses of God Lyke as though there were a maâ— that had gotten some grete rychesse by his laboure that he had .ij. sonnes The. ij sonnes be here egally like nighe vnto the goodes of they re father the herytage of they re father beloÌ„geth egalâ—iâ— vnto theÌ„ for thei be both sonnes But if the one be rebell disobedient vnto his father do to him dishonour after that he come to thage of discretion by suche meanes may hâ— be cause of dishereting of him silf â— he is naturelly sonâ—nd heyre to the goodes as well as his other brother but he disheriteth him silf by his evill life So are all parsones the childreÌ„ of god bought ageyn by Iesu Christ but they that rebell ageinst god and obey not vnto his commaundementes disheryt theym silves aÌ„d theym silves because of they re daÌ„pnacyon God wold
sinnes then he doth a worker of good workes proudely bosting him silf truâ—ling in theym For as it is said God hath loved better the publicaÌ„ then the pharesey hath shewed more love vnto the poore opeÌ„ sinners then to the phareseys ypochristes to whome it semed that they had fulfilled the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god that god coude nothyng demaund of theym For they reproved Iesu christ that he was frende of the sinners that he ete amoÌ„g theim Mat. 9. Oure lord demauÌ„deth nothing but the hert and when he hath the herte he regardeth not whether we fast pray or here masse or whether we bere blewe or gray For all suche outward thiÌ„ges be indifferent bifore god When oure hartes be ruled in God according to the doctrine of the gospell it is all one whate thing we do for we haue alweyes love whiche teacheth vs whate thing we must do or leve vndone for love doth nothing in vayne For this cause an humble hart not abyding vppon his good workes though he do theym but putting all his hope and trust in god and founding him silf vppon his goodnesse grace and mercy belevyng stedfastly that god hath all satisfied for vs and that of him silf he hath iustified vs gyuen vs helth doth purely and liberally without demaunding eny wages all the service and all the good he can alweyes knowleging him silfe to be dettour vnto god and axing grace Suche an hert is onely plesaunt vnto god Some might nowe sey I beleve wel all this that I am the childe of God and I must serve god by love and kindnesse in knowleging onely by my service the godnesse that he hath done vnto me but whate shall I do for the better how shall I shewe vnto god my kyndnesse and loue Albeit that we have oft touched thys mater byfore yet we will declare yn the Chaptre folowing more pleynly the thinges that shall be nedefull to thys purpose ¶ Of good workes and by whate meane they be most pleasing to God Chaptre .xij. FOrasmoche as I haue moche spoken of the feith and trust yn god to thintent that the evill aÌ„d perverse whiche interprete and take all thinges to the worse and corrupt theym shall not sey that I do lerne and counceyle you to do no good workes I will nowe shewe you whate thinges ye shall do I haue many tymes seyd that fayth bringeth Charyte and charite good workes For if thy feith induce the not to do good workes then hast thou not the right fayth Thou doest but onely thinke that thou hast it For saint Iames sayeth that faith without workes is dede in it silf Ia. 2 He feith not that it is lytell or feble but that it is deed And that that is deed is not Therore when thou art not moved by feith vnto the love of god and by the love of god vnto good workes thou hast not the feyth but the feith is deed in the. for the sprite of god that by feyth comith into our hertes to styre vp loue can not be ydell Euery one doth as moche as he beleveth and loveth as moche as he hopeth Iohn 3 As wryteth Saint Iohn he that hath this hope that he is the sonne of god purifyeth hym silf as he is pure He seith not he that purifyeth him silf hath this hope for the hope must come byfore proceding from the feith as it behoveth that the tre must first be good whiche must bring forth good frute TheÌ„ it behoveth to know first that ye are the children of God and afterward to laboure But whate shall we do we shall do and lyve so with oure christen bretheren as Christ hath lived and done with vs that is to sey as Iesu christ hath offred him silf to vs and for vs so must we present give oure silves as it were a Christ for to serve theym and to socoure vnto theire nede Phi. 2. As saieth Saint Paule Let the same mynde be in you the which was in Christ Iesu which being in the shape of god aÌ„d thought it no robberi to be equal with god Neuerthelesse he made him silf of no reputacioÌ„ toke on him the shape of a servauÌ„t aÌ„d all for our proufit And so must we helpe serve comfort one an other as Iesu christ hath done with vs. we may not seke oure owne proufit avauÌ„tage or honoure but al thiÌ„ges profitable vnto our neighbour alweyes miÌ„dfull to procure the honoure of god that in al thiÌ„ges we helpe oure christeÌ„ brother for so warneth vs. S. paule that none seke his owne profit but his neyghboures that all that we do be vnto the honoure of God we must set byfore vs the lyfe of Iesu Christ as a rule of all thing that is expedient for vs to do or to leve vndone we must take payne to folowe hym in mekenesse in love in swetnesse and in compassyon And to lyve so with oure neyghboure as Iesus christ hath lyved with vs. For Iesu Christ was not borne for hym silf nor hath not lived here for hiÌ„ silf but for vs. He sought not his owne honoure but his heveÌ„ly fathers Likewise shalt thou not seke that is proufitable vnto the but â—ovenable vnto thi neighbour As teacheth vs saint Paul in al his epistles namely in the first vnto the CoriÌ„thieÌ„s I seke â—or 10 not saieth he that that is necessary proufitable vnto me but that that is proufitable to many to thintent that they shuld be saved Ephe. 4 And vnto the Ephesians He that robbed let him robbe no more but laboure rather with his hondes and that is good to thintent that he haue wherof to gyve to him that hath nede Ga. 6 And vnto the Gaiathiens Bere sayeth he eyther of you others charges and burdons so shall yon fulfill the lawe of god And for bicause that we speke nowe of good workes It must be knowen that we must do some workes for our silves some for oure christen bretheren but all for the love and honour of god Theym that we shall do for oure silves teacheth vs Eol 3 saint Paule seying that we must mortyfie in vs all evill desires and all carnall operacyons as vnclennesse covityze wrathe blasphemye detraction pryde and other lyke vices Ro. 6 And vnto the Romayns That sinne reygne not in your mortall bâ—dy that is to sey albeit that we caÌ„ not lyve without the mocyon of suche evill desyres we shall not suffre theÌ„ to rule in vs but shall mortyfie theym in resisting theym Whate we shuld do for oure Christen bretheren teacheth vs like wise saint Paule sayng Serve ye one an other by love bere ye one an others burthen For christ commaundeth vs to exercyse the workes of mercy wherof he shall hold his iudgement All other workes that men do at this day in the churches be rather found by auarice then commaunded of god except the prayers whiche
may in no wise be done to get money but alonely by loue yn praying one for an other Behold nowe seest thou well howe grete occasyon thou hast to do good For thou hast alweyes occasion to mortyfie thine evill desires to serve thyne neyghboure to comfort hym to helpe hym with worke with worde with counceyl with exhortacyon and by other semblable meanes In suche loue towardes oure neyghboure for the loue of God lyeth all the lawe and the prophetes as sayeth Christ Ye and all the verey Christente and nat in fasting keping of halydayes watching praying and synging long prayers dayly and all day hering of masses setting vp of candels runnyng on pilgremages and other suche thinges whiche aswell the ypochrites proude people envious and subiectes to all wikked affections doo Ye aÌ„d many tymes enforce theym silf more there vnto then the good christen But so to serve and socoure the one the other by verey love can none do but they that haue true faith and the verey love of god And whosoever so loveth his christen brother he is alweyes ioyfull in his conscience For he knoweth surely that he is the child of god and that God is his good father and is well content in his courage of all that god sendeth vnto him But he that hath not this love is alweyes sory full of anguisshe and woteth not whate to do to deserve more he fasteth he kepeth halydayes nowe of one saint nowe of an other He seyth his prayers nowe bifore one altre nowe bifore an other He renneth on pilgremage nowe here nowe there and can never come vnto the rest and quyet of his coÌ„science For suche workes make no man sure but make rather ypochrites trustyng in they re workes But the verey faithfull cleveth to god for he knoweth that he may never satisfie nor do ynough to deserve the everlasting life And therfore he putteth hys trust yn god beleveth stedfastly that he hath satisfied for vs that he hath iustifyed vs. And therfore it is all one to hiÌ„ whate thiÌ„g he do so that he please him exercyse charyte to his neyghbour for the love of god for he knoweth that God demaundeth nothing but the hert aÌ„d that he regardeth not howe we doo the worke so that yt be according to the teachiÌ„g of the gospell whiche commaundeth but charyte And so comith he by feyth and trust in God vnto rest and quyet of hert and conscience and is well coÌ„tent to dye wheÌ„ it pleaseth god ¶ Of .iiij. maner of feythes after the holy scripture and whiche is the Christen feyth Chaptre .xiij. THis present Chapitre bycause I haue moche spoken of faith that scarcely of a thousand one knoweth not this feith teacheth of how many maner feithes there is made meÌ„cioÌ„ in the holy scripture not as do now the doctours whiche have founde many maner of feythes I will onely speke of iiij maner of feithes whiche are most comunely fouÌ„de in the holy scripture The first faith is this whiche the marchauntes hold one to an other and feithfull frendes wherby they kepe promyse and fidelite the one to the other Eccle. 2â—â—nd 27 wherof speketh the wise saying possesse or kepe feith with thy frende in his povertye to thintent that in his welth thou mayst be ioyfull And ageyn he that discloseth the secret of his frende loseth his faith And in the Proverbes He that gyveth his faith for a straunger shall be vexed with evell And this is the faith wherof the worldly people complaine seying there is no feith in the worlde The seconde feith is when we beleve that a thing is to come and suche thinges as we here or rede as we beleve that Rome is a Cytie in Italye or that Cartage was destroyed of the Romayns and this we beleve although we haue not sene yt Also we beleve that Iesu Christ hath he relyved on erth and that he hath preached and that he is dâ—ed for vs and that he hath done many other thinges when we beleve these thinges after the story we beleve that this is oure christen faith The simple people aloneli doth not beleve this but also many doctours in Theologye which are taken for wise Ye the devell hath also this faith as sayeth saint Iames The devels beleve and tremble Ia. 2. for as we haue seyd byfore the devell beleveth that god is god and that Iesus Christ hath here preached that he was deed buryed rysen This must we also beleve but yet this is not the faith wherof speaketh the gospell and saint Paule The third faith is that we beleve that god may all thinges and that he is rightuous good and holye This faith haue also the devels and Iudas had it also aÌ„d other disciples that did miracles in the name of Iesus but they were therfore never the better for when they bosted theym silves and were ioyfull that by they re faith they expulsed the devils in the name of Iesus Lu. 10 Iesus Christ hath reproved them saying Ioy not you that the spretes be vnder your power but reioyce bicause youre names be writen in heven 1. Cor. 1â— Of this fayth writeth saint Paule vnto the Corinthians saying If that I had all feith so that I coude move mountaignes oute of they re places and yet had no love I were nothing The .iiij. faith is oure Christen fayth wherof so moche speake Iesu christ saynt Paule and saint Iohn and sey that it ys the foundacion of christendome And this is the feith wherof I speake in this boke None hath this faith but they that put all they re trust hope comfort refuge and fynally all theire helth in god alone serching all these thinges in him and loking for theÌ„ of him and not of they re deservinges or good workes Of this feith speaketh saint Paul saying whosoever call on the name of god shal be saved Ro. 10 And the prophete Ieremye Blessed is that man that trusteth in the lord god Iere. 17 And Christ in the Gospell To thinient that none that beleve in him shuld periss he but shuld haue everlasting life Iohn 3 And in the boke called ParalipomenoÌ„ Beleve in your lord God and you shal be assured and without thought Pa. 20 Beleve his Prophetes and all happy thinges shal come vnto you And almost all the Psalmes all the prophetes and all the leves of the holy Byble teache vs that we must beleve and hope in God by a sted fast fayth wherof speaketh so moche Saynt Paule the apostle and whiche he prayseth so moche in all hys epistles And as we haue abundauntly sayd in the Chaptres byfore none may comprehend thys fayth but he that considereth whate was the fayth of Abraham As wryteth saynt Paule vnto the Galathyans saying Abraham beleved God and yt ys rekened to hym for ryghtuousnesse Ga. â— For by hys fayth hath he obteyned that he ys called oure father and we be called hys children
yn the holye scripture that ys to sey we be the childern of the fayth For by the meane of oure fayth we be saved as Abraham was iustified by his fayth and hath gotten by hys fayth that all they that shall haue suche fayth may lyke wyse be iustyfyed For this cause whosoever hath not the fayth of Abraham nothing can come vnto hym of that whiche Abraham beleved That ys to say when God ys not thy hope and thy comforte when thou abydest not wyth a stedfast trust vppon God when thou art not redy to suffer and endure all thinges namely also the deth for the loue and honour of god And also to lose all that thou hast in the world thou art not the childe of Abraham For Abraham was redy to all thinges wherunto god wold send hym Suche was Iob when he sayed Iob. 13 Albeit that he kill me I will put my trust in him And the wise saieth Pro. 12 Whatsoever thing come to the rightuous let him not sorowe And saint Paâ—le saieth who shall separat vs from the love of Iesu Christ Ro .8 shall tribulacion persecucion â—werd or deth And as saint Petre saieth 1. Pet. 3. who is he that may hurte you if ye be haunters and folowers of goodnesse For all that ever comyth vnto the when thou hast this feith be it of maÌ„ or of the devell all comyth to thy proufit As saieth saint Paule vnto the Romains To theym that love God all thinges be helping and avauncement to good Ro. 8. And therfore pray we alweyes that the will of god be done For as he is not here come as he seyd him silf to do his will Mat. 6. but the will of his hevenly father So shall Iohn 5 not the good Christen desyre that hys owne will be done but the will of God And therfore shalt thou bere al thinges paciently as did Abraham with a stedfast feyth knowing surely that god will not forsake the for god is thy father and thou art his childe And it behoveth that he do with the what him pleaseth For seyng that he is all good he will nothing but thine helth None can have suche a feyth if he haue not therwith the love of god And he that hath the loue of god hath fulfilled the lawe for all the scriptures teache vs none other thing but that we loue god with all oure hartes and oure neyghbour as oure silf as it is writen in saint Mathewe Mat. 22. None is a true christen but he that hath this loue All other be rather ypochrites then Christen For all good workes which be not done by charyte and of good will are all synne byfore God as saieth saint Austyn He that doth good ageynst his will he doth evill albeit that that that he doth be good For all that I do ageynst my will I hate it And when I hate the commaundement I hate also him that hath coÌ„maunded it And as long as the parsone ys suche he may not be rightuous â–ª for none may be rightuous but he that kepeth fulfilleth the commaundementes of God by charyte and with a ioyfull hart And this is a singular grace of god And therfore may none be proude of it for he caÌ„ not haue it of him silf So hath a man nothing of him silf wherwith he may exalt him silf For without God can we do nothing Iohn 15 As Christ him silf sayeth wit out me caÌ„ ye do nothing No not ones haue of your silf one good thought as sayeth saint Paule 1. Cor. 4 whate hast thou that thou hast nor receyved wherfore there is no wey more sure to come to everlasting life then to humble him silf byfore God and to pray hym humbly of mercy nothing trusting in hys good workes but with a ferme trust forsaking him silf to knowlege alweyes to god his imperfection For we can come to nothing by oure good workes if we put eny trust in theym For they are nothing eis but sinne and stinking byfore God when God helpeth vs not by hys grace Esai 64 As saieth the prophete Esaie We are all made vnclene and all oure iustice is as yt were a clothe of a womaÌ„ that suffreth the fluxe of bloude And therfore I can never merveyle ynough that many of the religyous parsones wolde make other parttakers of thyre good workes by bretheryeldes and fraternytees seyng that Christ saieth yn the Gospell After that ye haue done all that to you ys commaunded say ye we be vnproufitable servauntes we haue done but oure duetye For none can do to moche None doth more then he ys bound to do but onely Iesu Christ whyche 1. Pet. 2. onely as sayeth Saynt Petre the apostle yn his .ij. epistle Never dyd synne nether was there deceyte found yn hys mouth hath done that he was not bound to do And as sayeth the Prophete Esaye hath taken vppon hum all oure languores Csa 53 And all oure sorowes dyd he beare he was wounded for oure inyquytees he was beten for oure offences and by hys strype spottes were we made hole His iustice was onely parfait iustice for he hath done that he was not bouÌ„d to do But we of our silves wheÌ„ we do our best yet can not oure iustice be parfeyt when after oure advice we do more then we are bounde to do yet be we vnrightuous and if we will be rightuous so must goddes rightuousnes make vs rightuous for as sayeth saint Paâ—le Christ of god to vs is made wisdome iustice sanctificacyon and redempcion to thintent that as it is wryten He that reiâ—yseth shuld reioyce in the lord 1. Cor. 1 Saint Paule also teacheth vs yn all his epistles that Iesus Christ is oure iustice and that by him we shal be saved aÌ„d by none other Nowe seest thou well that none can do to moche For of him silf none can do ynough and that we must take oure comfort of the satisfaction of Iesus Christ. Then whye will some sell vnto vs they re merytes aud good workes and make vs parttakers of theym And if it be not that suche ypochristes forsake they re trusting vppon there good workes and that they lerne for to trust vppon the iustice aÌ„d satisfaction of Christ they theym sylves shall never be saved For the Pharesey had done many good workes but bycause that he stode well yn hys owne conceyte gloryfyed and bosted hym sylf therof therfore he was forsaken of God ¶ In whate thing lyeth the Christendome Chaptre .xiiij. TKen lyeth the verey Christianyte in this thing that thou do all thing that Charyte proceding from thy faith iudgeth to be agreable vnto god And wheÌ„ thou hast all done with the lest evill that thou canst that thou iudge thy silfe yet an vnproufitable servaunt and that by all thy good workes thou hast yet deserved nothing or yf there be eny thing well done that it apartayneth to god albeit that by his goodnesse he will
making obeysaunce with the hede kneling or in eny other outward thing semblable As testifieth saint Paule vnto the Romains saying The kingdome of god is nother mete nor drinke but it is rightuousnesse peace and ioy in the holy goost If thy hart and entent seche none other thing but the honour and will of God if thou reioyse that thou maist do and suffer all thing for the love of god then art thou sure that thou lovest God and that he loveth the. This let every religious kâ—owe that he may not thinke that he shal be iustified by his outward workes or that he is eny thing better then the seculer man As at this day god amend it we se that many religious esteme theym silves so holye as though they alone were christen And herof many tymes the seculers are cause whiche playne they re life when they behold the life of the religious They prayse the state of religion bicause they regard onely the outward workes and pleyne that god hath not called theym to suche a life wheÌ„ the religious here this they glorifie heryn trust in they re workes and thinke that it is even so and that they be more holy theÌ„ the other This is the most daungerous temptacyon that a religious may haue for by this temptacyon they beginne many tymes to trust and abyde vppoÌ„ they re good workes notwithstonding that they be often done ageynst they re will whiche can never be good As at this day we se howe many monkes and nonnes lyve in they re cloysters ageynst their will And all that they do procedeth from an hart constreyned and not voluntary And out dare thâ—y not go for shame bicause they haue otherwâ—se promysed And they curse oftymes all evill to theym that haue counceyled theym and brought theym into that religyon aud wolde fayne that they re cloyster were buâ—ned And so be they never content in they re hart nether can finde eny rest of conscience and be then moche ferther from god then they were wheÌ„ they were seculers Suche people oftymes do many evelles toward theym silves by impacience and rebellion ageinst god They do nothing by love that they haue to god or bycause that they beleve theym silves to be the childreÌ„ of god but onely by constreynt and ageynst they re will And when they must dye they trust and stikke vppon suche workes by theim done ageynst they re hartes and by constraynt of they re ordre and thinke even thus Behold dere lord my life hath byn to me hard and bitter I haue oftymes had evill will I haue alweyes abiden in my Cloyster I haue kept myn ordre I haue valiantly fought vnto the ende gyve me nowe the crowne of glorye and the everlasting lyfe In all the worlde ys there not a more daungerous synne then this perversyte and ypochrisye It were better for suche people to voyde from they re cloyster For synners knowyng they re synnes and requyryng pardone and grace be receyved vnto grace where as suche ypochrites are reproved of god As we may sein the gospell where god received vnto grace Marye Magdaleine saint Mathew the good theef and meny other open sinnars But he hath lest the scribes and phariseys in they re blyndnesse whiche trusted on they re workes Ye fathers and mothers behold well whate ye do when ye put your children in to religion For ye are causes of all they re sinnes And it suffiseth theim not to lyve alone in suche abusion bâ—t they teache it theim silves vnto other whome they write in theire confraynes and make theÌ„ participant of theire good workes which procede often from an evill willed sprite whiche can never be good bifore god for God will no constreined service Nether is there any worke agreable vnto god but suche as procede from faith charite and out of a willing hart And if God wold haue suche a constreyned service he wold constreyne the devels to pray moche to syng moche to watche moche and to do suche other thinges But god will none of oure workes when he hath not oure hertes And all the workes that we do daily be agreabill vnto god if with all oure hartes we love hiÌ„ beleve and trust in him And all the workes done without suche faith and loue be sinne and dampnabill bifore god aÌ„d if we sâ—ikke vppon theim as though they were good workes And so were it better for the to go out of thy cloyster and to be an open sinnar and to knowlege thy misdoing bifore god as did the publican then so for to trust vnto thy workes as though god for theim did owe vnto the the kingdome of heven But thou saiest I haue promysed it I must abide Iudi. 11. Mar. 6 I sey ageyne None is boâ—nde to hold a promyse whiche is contrarie vnto his helth as did Iepte and Herode whiche had byn better to breke they re othes then to holde theire promyses For none may promise nor holde a thing that is coÌ„trary vnto hys helth S. Fraunceis and saint Dominike had lever that thou were saved in keping the gospel then daÌ„pned trusting vppon thy workes And it is better to be shamed here bifore the worlde then bifore god But whate is it that thou hast promysed when thou madest thy profession hast thou promised that thou wilt not live after the promise that thou hast made at thy baptesme Thoâ— saiest nay But therfore saiest thou I am entred into religion for the better to fulfill the promyse made at baptesme Then whan thou perceyvest that thou livest worse in the monasterye then thou didest when thou were seculer whiâ— darest thou not take ageyn the life astate wherin thou maist worke better for thy helth without offending any parsone but rather amend other Or if thou be entred into religion for to seche the helth of thy soule and findest there more noise envye drinking bankettes diuisions hatredes then from whens thou camest thou maist alweyes sey I am come hyther to amend my lyfe And I finde that I waxe daily worse therfore I will goo there I may amend my life and serve God with more grete rest of conscience Therfore I tell the that it is better to live well in the world then yll in the monasterie to trust vppon thy good workes But thou must thinke not to leve the cloister to haue libertie and carnall pleasure but onely to serve God more frely as saieth Saint Paule Give not youre libertie an occasion vnto the flesshe And none can give the better knowlege herof Ga. 5. then thine ownr conscience when thou axest it counceil for it deceyveth none but saith alwey manifestly the trouth The world hath likewise his daungiers and his perilles and it is impossible to live in the world without sinne Therfore when the religious seith that he may be saved in his cloister â—er hym abide there although he haue there moche to suffre But when thou percey vest that in thy
as he hath shewed in all hys conuersacion and doctrine And this knowe ye my dere sisters aÌ„d ye also my relygious brethereÌ„ that ye robbe from the poore all the goodes that ye dispose and spende vppon suche pompous buyldinges and ornamentes of your chapelles for wheÌ„ one entreth ynto your monasteryes one can se nothing like vnto the povertie of Iesu Christ whiche had not where he mought rest hys heed But contraryly your monasteries seme rather the palaces of kinges or princes then houses Luce. 9. of hospitalite to harbour your silues and your â–ª poore nedy bretheren Remember ye not that good will requyre the bloude of the poore of your hondes bicause they dye for hunger by your outrage There is nothing that planteth covytyse yn the hertes of the religious and that maketh theym begge but this superfluyte and outrage for without these thinges hereit were no nede to begge thei myght get honestly they re expences yn the laboure of they re hondes and myght do almesse holsomly of that that they shuld haue superfluous for they shuld fynde worke yâ—oâ—gh And vnhappy were he that could not get hys expenses for al the worlde wolde take pleasure to helpe theym to get it and to se they re holynesse peaâ—ible symplicite and conuersacyon So truly shuld they live pleasing god and accordiÌ„g to the doctrine of the gospell But one might saye whate shuld they do if â—ny misfortune happened vnto theym as of pestilence or of other thing I answere you that it is a demaund of vnbeleve Thinke you that God wold leve theym in daunger I certifie you that in suche a case he shulde not thinke him silf happy that mought not assist and ayde theym for the lord wold move the hertes to do it For he never leveth his true servauntes and children in daunger if they trust in him But nowe when one seith there sumptuous edifices so manyfold garnisshinges of aulters and ymages courteyâ—s of silke and gold and many other costly thinges whiche truely represent nothing but vanyte vnto spiritull hartes one can in no wyse take pleasure theriÌ„ albeit that the worldly make moche therof and prayse it moche bycause they knowe but the flesshe aÌ„d lettre whiche sleyth ¶ Howe man and wife shall lyve togyther a doctrine after the Gospell Chaptre xxij OUre savioure Christ hath commaunded nothing so streytly as to love one another ye also to love oure enemyes as it is writen in saint Mathewe where he sayeth Mar. 5 Love youre enemyes Then how moche the more shuld the man and wif love the one the other whiche are but one body Ephe. 5 Saint Paule teacheth that the meÌ„ shall love they re wives But alas there ar but fewe that knowe howe they shall love the one the other For if thou love thy wife onely bicause she is thy wife and bicause she serveth and pleaseth the after sensuall appetite of the flesshe in beautye noblesse richesse â–ª and suche like this is no love bifore god Of suche love speaketh not saint Paule for suche love is among harlottes ye among brute bestes But thou shalt love her bicause that she is thy sister in the christen feith and that she is enheriter togyther with the of the glory of god and bicause ye serve togyther one god bycause that ye have receyved togither all one baptesme and semblable sacramentes Thou shalt also love her for her vertues as shamefastnesse chastite diligeÌ„ce sadnesse pacyence attemperaunce secresye obedience and other gostly vertues albeit that she be poore of a small lynage and foule For ye may not love the woman bâ—t that is in her that is sey vertues aÌ„d the grace of god Also thou maist not hate her but thou must hate the imperfection that is yn her as her vices detraction lakke of shame lak of chastite vayne and ydell woordes gloutony dishoneste sloughtfulnesse wrath pryde and other vices Lykewise shall the woman love or hate that that is yn the man The man shall reprove his wise by good maner when she shall make eny faute without hating of her having alweis pacyence with her as with a frayle vessell as teacheth saint Petre. When suche a good and holye love is bytwene the man and wife then shall the man be â— Peti 3. the hede and the woman the lesse The wife shall willingly serve her husbond as her lorde Ephe. 5. The man shal love hys wife and honour her as his owne body For although the man be the hede he may not therfore suppresse and dispise his wife but he must dyligently defend her and kept her from ewill as his owne body he shall more enforce hym silf that his wife love hym theÌ„ that she feare hym He must love her as god hath loved vs while we were yet hys enemyes and yet enfect with oure synnes So shal the husbond love his wife albeit that she be foule or difforme he shal not be hard or cruel vnto her but shal support her pacyentli and shall warne her swetely For if thou be hede whye wilt thou hurt or dispise thy body that is to sey thy wife The man shall defende warne teache and conduyte his wife taking hede that she clothe not her silf to sumptuously and poÌ„pousely and that she were no Ievelles for veyne glory For wymen be naturally gyven vnto suche folyes vnto braguery and pryde It is not expedient that a christen woman shuld appareill her outwardly as do the paymems for scarcely is she the wife of one man alone that so costly doth appareil her silf outwardly aboue her astate Also they that do so gyve vnto many occasion of evill desires And seing thou hast a husbond whye wilt thou go so to please other Herin shall the man be the hede and lorde over the woman and shall defende suche superfluite and vaine glory in his wife He shall teche her and exhort her that she do her diligence to please by vertue and holy conversacion and not by Iewelles and costly appareil For with suche thinges do the most folisshe wymeÌ„ of all garnisshe theym silves Therfore shall the husbond take hede that the wife kepe measure herm Then shall the wife obey vnto her husbond as vnto her so vereygne and shall love hym as her owne body shall honour and feare him as her lord For so was Sara subiect vnto her husbond Abraham and she called him her lordâ— 1. Pe. 3. as writeth saint Petre. So did Monyca the mother of saint Austyn honour her husbond And when he was wrothe or dronken she tempted him not but after that it was passed she warned hym of yt by swete wordes So shuld all good wymen do vnto they re husbondes Thus shall there be no sensuall or carnall love in the state of mariage but a godly and a spirituall Then shall both man wife helpe the one other for to get theire expences The woman shall take care for that that must be done within the house
subiectes for therof they shall yeld a streyte accompt bifore God ¶ Of men of warre and of the warre whether the Christen may warre without synne an informacyon after the Gospell Chaptre .xxix. THe men of warre haue nothing in the gospell for the gospell knoweth no meÌ„ of warre nor the warre but onely peace Albeit that many doctoures sey that the men of warre is a thing resonable good bicause of the wordes of saint Iohn baptist who as writeth saint Luke in the gospell answered vnto the men of warre axâ—ing him whate thing they shulde do to be saved that they shuld hurte nomaÌ„ but shulde be contented with theire wages By these wordes will the doctours and Theologyens saye that the men of warre may warre pill and do evill without synne But they vnderstond not the wordes of saint Iohn ye must vnderstond that the teching of saint Iohn brought noman vnto full perfectioÌ„ It did but onely make redy the hert of man vnto god and vnto the teaching oâ— Iesu christ He rebuked the most grettesâ— euilles by his preaching He did but onely teche the beginning of rightuousnesse aâ— though he wolde haue seyed If I shuld all arâ—once forbid you to warre ye mighâ— not yet for your wekenesse suffer it â— nor yeâ— might not leveâ—t all sodeynly But beginne first to â—eue the most grettest evill as to do hurt and outrage vnto other as to burne to kill to pill and so forth And be alweyes content with your wages So was saint Iohn Baptist none other thing but as a man that abateth and cutteth of from a pece of timber the most gretest knotres He doth it not to thintent that it shulde abide so But wheÌ„ the knottes and warres be cut of then comith a better master carpenter that planeth it maketh it more smothe with a large fine rabot Likewise did saint Iohn by his preaching he did but onely abate and cut of the grete knottes that is to sey the grete sinnes And yet they were not clene taken away â—nd cut of till an other better master workman came after and â—ut them of with his fine rabot And therfore was he nothing els but a voyte crying in the deserte whiche cryed Esa. 40 Make redy the wey of the lorde make â—â—reyght his fete pathes He was not the light as saieth saint Iohn the Evaungelist He coude not pardone oure sinnes for he was not Christ. Iohn 1 He was but onely a voyce a foregoar and a shewer whiche made redy the wey ageinst the coming of Christ. And for this cause did Saint Iohn sende his disciples to Iesu Christ when he shulde die to thintent that they might lerne the full perfection of him For he had but onely made them redy for to come vnto christ for this cause reason it is al manifest that saint Iohn hath not preised the warre by these wordes but hath rather forboden it As teacheth all the gospell for as it is a thing evill agreing that the hoÌ„de fight ageinst the hede So is it a thing as evell agreing and grete sinne that one Christen warre ageinst the other Ro. 12 For we are all bretheren and membres of one body the body is Christe whiche in all his life preached peace and concorde to all theim that he taught Saynt Iohn in his fyrst epistle saieth 1. Ioh. 4 He that hateth his brother is an homicide We may hate noman we must love oure enemyes we must pray for theym and do good vnto theym that persecute vs. How can it then be possible after the gospell that we may warre without sinne wherin so many people lose they re livis and wherby so many parsones come to wildenesse ryot and evill life There be textes in the canon lawe that suffre some warres But the reehing of Christ forbiddeth all warres It is a thing horrible and daungerous for body and soule to enterpryse move a warre For all malice reyneth in tyme of warre Neverthelesse when a cuntrey is invaded or a towne beseged wheÌ„ the comon peace is troubled and grete violence is done vnto the subiectes the lord of that cuntrey ys bounde by brotherly love to helpe hys subiectes and to defende theym to punysshe the evyll and to put hys lyfe yn ieoperdy for hys subiectes But he must alweyes beware that he do it not to revenge his owne wronge or for to enlarge his londe and lordship but onely to defende his subiectes And so may he vse the horrible businesse of the warre charitably and christenly But if it were possible to agre for golde or silver he is bounde to do it For the life of a chrilren is more worth then all the richesse of the worlde A lorde shall thinke alweyes that there is a king aboue him in heve bifore who me all parsones shall yeld accompte at the last day of iugement ye of the lest workes and thoughtes that he shall do be he king or Emperour 〈…〉 nobill or ignoble yong or olde We rede that the people of Israell did warre many tymes but theire warres were 1. Co. 10 but all figures As saieth saint Paule wherfore it betokeneth to vs that we shal likewise fight not the one ageynst the other but ageynst oure silves that is to sey ageynst oure synnes ageynst pryde wrath covitize lechery hatred envye and suche other ¶ Howe servauntes shulde lyve a doctrine after the Gospell Chaptre .xxx. SErvauntes that serve theyr lordes mastres ladyes and mastresses shal be true vnto theym as vnto theym silves and shall alweyes do the proufit of they re lordes and mastres as though it touched theym silves They shall nor do they re service onely for temporall rewardes For thou mayst by the service that thou doest vnto thy master please god as wele as though thou were no servaunt and as though thou were in the churche â—prayng on thy knees Therfore thou shalt do thy service by faith and love in god thus thinking in thy silf Behold dere lorde God I thanke the that thou hast not made me riche I am well content with the state that I am yn I will with a good wilâ— for the love of the serve all the worlde And I thanke the that thou hast made me worthy to suffereny thing for thy love and that I may in this worlde be one of the lest and leâ—t estemed when thou serveâ—â— thy lorde in suche a faith with a good will thou receivest not onely the rewarde or wages of men towhome thou servest bnt that more is of God Therfore thou shalt do thy laboure diligently and ioyfully not as though thou didest sarve a man but as though thou didest serve God as truely thou doest For so doeth saint Paul teche the writing to the Ephesians where he saieth Ephe. Servauntes obey vnto youre carnall mastres with feare and trembling in ynnocency of your hartes as vnto Iesu christ not with service in the yie â—ight as men pleasers but as the servauntes