certifieth my brethern for nowe is the last tyme. And as ye haue herde howe that Antechrist shal come euē nowe are there many Antechristes come all redy Beware of the false prophetes which come to you in shepes clothynge but inwardly they are raueninge wolues ye shal knowe them by they re frutes So men gaddre grapes of thornes or figges of brires euen soo euery good tree bryngeth forth good frute But a corrupte tree bryngeth forth euil frute A good tre can not brynge forth bad frute Nor yet can a bad tree brynge forth good frute Euery tree that bryngeth not forth good frute shal be heawen doune and cast in to the fyre wherfore by they re frutes ye shal knowe them Not all they that saye vnto me master master shal enter in to the kyngdome of heuen but he that fulfilleth my fathers wyll which is in heuen Many wil saye to me in that daye master ma◠haue we not in thy name prophesied and in thy name haue we not cast out deuyls and in thy name haue we not done many myracles and then wyl i knoudledge vnto them that I newer knewe thē Departe from me ye workers of iniquite I beseche you brethern marke them which cause diuision and gewe occasions of euyl contrary to the doctrine which ye haue learned of the oyntment which ye haue of the holy goost and awoyde them For they that are soch serue not the lorde Iesus Christ but theyr awne belyes and by swete preachynges and flatterynge wordes deceaue the hertes of the innocentes For youre obedience vnto the trueth is publeshed through out amonge all christē brethern I am glad no dout of you but yet I wolde haue you wyse vnto that which is good and to be innocent as concerninge euyl The God of peace shall treade sathan vnder youre fete in shorte tyme. To hym that is of power to stabilishe you accordynge to the Gospell wherewith Iesus Christ is preached vnto you in openynge of the mistery which was kept closse from you a longe tyme a goo thorowe bely wysdome I meane y e craft of y e ypocrites And nowe is opēned at this tyme and declared in the holy scrip◠heuenly father Which spared not his aune sonne but gaue hym for vs all Wherefore no dispare mo haue place in you for as saith Paul Ye haue not receaued the sprite of bōdage to feare eny moare but ye haue receaued the sprite of adoption wherby ye crye abba father God youre father is mercifull yee and very merciful sayth the scripture And his mercy he wyl not denye vnto his awne children whiche are ye so ye kepe sure the faith of the Gospell Herefore truste sure in the lorde for there is no damnation to you whiche are in Christ Iesu whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the sprite for the lawe of the sprite wherin is lyfe thorowe Iesus Christ hath deliuered you from the lawe of synne and deeth For what the lawe coulde not doo in as moch as it was weake because of the fleshe that performed God and sent his sonne in the similitude of sinful fleshe and by synne dampned synne in the fleshe that the righteuesnes required of the lawe myght be fulfilled in you which walke not after the fleshe but after the sprite c. It is God that iustifieth you who then shal condempne you it is Christ which is deed yee rather which is rysē agayne which is also at the ryght honde of God and maketh intercession for you Ye are dearly bought Ye are Christis awne possession Ye are members of Christ And the very housholde of God Wherfore doute not for he careth for you cast roure care on the lorde and he shall nouresshe you To put all feare all dredoure and all dispare from you Christ hath geuen you consolation sayinge Feare not lytle floocke for it is youre fathers pleasure to geue you an kyngdom Be not careful for youre heuēly father knoweth what ye haue neade of and wyll ministre all necessary thynges vnto you ¶ Axe and it shal be geuen you seke and ye shal fynd knocke and it shal be opened vnto you for whosoeuer areth receaueth and he that seketh findeth and to hym that knocketh it shal be opened Is there any man amonge you which wolde profer his sonne a stone yf he axeth hym breed or yf he axeth fisshe wolde he profer hym a serpent yf ye then which axe euyl can geue to youre children good gyftes howe moche moare shall youre father which is in heuen geue good thynges to them that axe of hym I will dwell amonge you and walke amōge and wil be youre God and ye shal be my people I wil be an father vnto you and ye shal be vnto me sonnes and doughters sayth the lorde God almyghty Beholde the dayes shal come saith the lorde and I will fynnisshe apon the hous of Israel and apone the hous of Iuda an newe testament not lyke as the Testament that I made with theyr fathers at that tyme when I toke them by the honde to leed them oute of the lande of Egipte For this is the testament that I will make vnto the hous of Israel after theyr dayes I wil put my lawes in they re myndes and in theyr hertes I will writ them and I wil be theyr God and they shal be my people And they shall not teache euery man his neybour and euery man his brothre sayinge knowe the lorde for they shal knowe me from the leest to the greatest of them for I will be mercifull to them on theyr iniquites and synnes and on they re vnrighteuesnes will I not thynke any moare ¶ I the lorde defende and water her in the due tyme. I kepe her daye and nyght leste any man inuade her I am with oute all wrathe who then mo so mowe me to be so greate an enemie to her that I my promes neglecte I shal fyght for this cytie and shall defende it saith the lorde and shal saue it for my namys sake Be of good chere be of good chere my people saith youre God se that ye counforte the hertes of Ierusalem and tell them of theyr reest and deliueraunce from captiuite tell them howe theyr synnes shal be forgeuen them after that they haue receaued theyr full chastisinge of y e lordis honde for all theyr synnes Thou shal be my seruaunte I haue chosen y e nether shal I at any tyme refuse y e ▪ se that thou feare not for I shal be with y e nether loke thou aboute for eny other for I am thy God which shal conforte y e I shal helpe y e I shal holde the fast with this same my faithful righthonde Beholde as many as prouoke the to angre shal be counfunded and shamed thy aduersares shal come to nought and peresshe so that he that shal seke for them
of Christes poore shepe to deuoure Belowed brethern be stronge in the lorde and feare them not whiche canne do vnto you no harme but kyll the body wher vnto ye are apoynted of God yf it so come to passe as it is written For thy sake are we kylled all daye longe and are counted as shepe apoynted to be slayne Tribulation is oure righte baptim and is signified by plunginge in to y e water we that are baptysed in y e name of Christ saith Paul are baptised to dye with hym The sprite thorowe tribulacion purgeth vs and kylleth oure flesshly witte oure wordly vnderstondinge and bely wisdome and fylleth vs full of the wisdome of God Tribulacion is a blessinge that cometh of God as Christ witneseth Blessed are â—hey that suffre persecution for righteuesness is sake for theyrs is the kingdome of heuen Ys not this a confortable worde who ought not rather to chose aÌ„d desyre to be blessed with Christ in a litle tribulation then do be cursed perpetually with the worlde for a litle pleasure prosperite is a ryght curse and a thynge that God geueth vnto his enemies Woo be to you rich saith Christ Lo ye haue here youre coÌ„solatioÌ„ woo be to you y t are full for ye shall hoÌ„gre woo be to you that laugh for ye shall wepe woo be to you when men prayse you For so did theyr fathers vnto the false prophetes yee and so haue oure fathers done vnto the false ypocrites The ypocrites with worldly preachynge haue not goten the prayse only but euen the possessions also and the domination and rule of the hole worlde TribulacioÌ„ for righteousnes is not a blessinge only but also a gyfte that God geueth vnto none saue his speciall frendes â–ª The apostles reioysed that they were counted worthy to suffre rebuke for Christes sake And Paul saith All that wil lyue godly in Christe Iesu must suffre persecution And in a nother place vnto you it is geuen not only to beleue in Christ but also to suffre for his sake And Peter sayeth Happy are ye yf ye suffre for the name of Christe for the glorious sprite of God resteth in you Is it not an happy thynge to be sure y t thou arte sealed with gods sprite vnto the euerlastinge lyfe aÌ„d verely thou arte sure therof yf thou suffre paciently for his sake By suffrynge arte thou sure But by per persecutinge canst thou neuer besure For Paul saith Tribulation maketh fealinge that is it maketh vs feale the goodnes of God and his helpe and the workynge of his sprite And in another place he saith The lorde sayde vnto hym my grace is sufficiente for y e for my strength is made perfecte thorowe weaknes Lo Christ is neuer stronge in vs tyl we be weake As oure strength abateth so groueth the strength of Christ in vs. When we are clene empted of oure awne strength then are we full of Christes strength And loke howe moche of oure strength remayneth in vs so moch lacketh there of the streÌ„gth of Christ Therfore saith Paul in the same place Very gladly wil I reioyse in my weaknes that the strength of Christ maye dwell in me ¶ Therfore haue I delectation saith he inmy infirmites in rebukes in neade in persecutions and in anguisshe for Christes sake For when I am weake then am I stronge meaninge that y e weakenesse of ye fleshe is the the strength of the sprite And by fleshe vnderstonde witt wisdome and all that is in a man before the sprite of God come and whatsoeuer spryngeth not of the sprite of God and of Gods worde And of lyke testimonyes is all the scripture full â–ª ¶ Beholde God setteth before vs a blessinge and also a curse A blessinge verely and that a glorious and a euerlastinge â–ª yf we wil suffre tribulation and aduersite with oure lorde and saueoure Christ And an euerlastinge curse yf for a litle pleasures sake we with drawe oure sylfes from the chastisinge and murtoure of God wherwith he teachet all his soÌ„nes and faschioneth theÌ„ after his godly will and maketh them perfect as he did Christ and maketh them apte and mete wessels to receaue his grace and his sprite that they myght perceaue and feale the exceadinge mercy which we haue in Christ and the innumerable blessinges and the vnspeakeable enheritaunce where vnto weare called and choseÌ„ and sealed in oure saueoure Iesus Christ vnto whom be prayse for euer Amen ¶ Finally whom God choseth to regne euerlastyngly with Christ hym sealeth he with his myghtye sprite and powreth strength into his herte to suffre afflictions also with Christ for beriÌ„ge of vitâ—es vnto y e trueth And this is y e differeÌ„ce betwene the childerne of God and saluation and betwene the childerne of the deuil and of damnation that the childerne of God haue power in theyr hertes to suffre for Gods worde which is theyr lyfe and saluation theyr hope and trust and wherby they lyue in the soule before God And the childerne of the deuyll in tyme of aduersite do flye froÌ„ Christ Whom they folowed faynedly theyr hertes not sealed with his holy and myghtie sprite and get them to the stondert of theyr ryght father the deuyl and take his wages the pleasures of this worlde which are ernest of euerlastinge damnation As ye reade in many places of the holy scripture The whiche are writteÌ„ for oure learnynge ¶ Iesus sayde vnto his disciples Verely I saye vnto you a ryche man shall with difficulte enter into the kingdom of heuen And moreouer I saye vnto you it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a nedle then for a ryche man to enter in to the kingdom of heuen ¶ The londes of a certayne man brought forth frutes plenteously and he thought in hym sylfe sayinge what shall I do because I haue no roume where to bestowe my frutes and he saide This will I do I will destroye my barnes and bilde greater aÌ„d ther in will I gadder all my frutes and all my goodes and I will saye to my soule Soule thou haste moch goodes layde vp in stoore for many yeares take thyne ease eate drinke and be my mery But God sayde vnto hym Thou fole this night will they fetche awaye thy soule agayne froÌ„ the. Then whose shall thoose thynges be which thou hast â—rouided So is it with hym that gaddreth ryches and is not ryche in God ¶ There was a certayne riche man which was cloethin purpure and fine raines and fared deliciously euery daye And ther was a certayne begger named Lazarus whiche laye at his gate full of soores desiringe to be refresshed with the cromes whiche fell from the riche mannes borde but there was no maÌ„ that gaue hym ought Neuerthelesse y e dogges cam and licked his soores And it fortuned that the begger dyed and was caryed by the angelles into Abrahams bosome The riche man also
dyed and was buried in hell ¶ When he lifte vppe his eyes as he was in tormentes he sawe Abraham a farre of and Lazarus in his bosome and cried and saith haue mercy on me and sende Lazarus that he maye depe the rippe of his finger in water and cole my tonge for I am tourmented in this flame Abraham saith vnto hym Sonne remembre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receauedst thy pleasure and contrary wyse Lazarus payne Nowe therfore is he conforted and thowe arte punisshed .c. ¶ For as moch then as we must neades be baptised in tribulations and goo thorowe the redde see and a greate and fearful wildernes and a londe of cruell geâ—untes into oure awne contree for here haue we no contynuinge citie but we seke â— citie to come yee and in as moch as it is of playne ernest there is no nother waye into y e kyngdome of heueÌ„ then thorowe persecutioÌ„ and sufferinge of payne and very deeth after the ensaÌ„ple of Christ For we â—ustenter in at ye strayte gate â–ª for wyde is the gate and broade is the waye that leadeth to distruction and many there be which goo in there at For strayte is the gat and narawe is the waye which leydeth vnto lyfe and feawe there be that fynde it ¶ Therfore let vs arme oure soules with the conforte of the scriptures howe that God is euer ready at honde in tyme of neade to helpe vs. And howe that soch tyrauntes and persecuters are but Gods scourge and his rodde to chastise vs. And as the father hath alwaye in tyme of correction the rodde faste in his honde so that the rodde doeth no thynge but as he moweth it euen so hath God all tyrauntes in his honde and letteth them not doo whatsoeuer they wolde but as moch only as he apoynteth them to do and as for forth as it is necessaâ—y for vs. And as when the childe submitâ—eth hym sylfe vnto his fathers correction and nurtoure and humbleth hym sylfe all to gether vnto the will of his father then â—he rodde is taken awaye euen so when we are come vnto the knowleage of the righte waye and haue forsakeÌ„ oure awne wyll and offer oure sylfes clene vnto the will of God to walke which waye so euer he will haue vs then turneth he the tyrauntes Or else yf they enforce to persecute vs any forther he putteth them out of the waye accordynge vnto the confortable ensamples of the holy scripture ¶ Moareouer let vs arme oure soules with the promyses both of helpe and assistence and also of the glorious rewarde that foloweth Greate is youre rewarde in heuen saith Christ And he that knowledge me before men hym shall I knowledge before my father that is in heuen And call on me in tyme of tribulation and I shal delyuer y e And beholde the eyes of the lorde are â—uer them that feare hym aÌ„d ouer them that trust in his mercy To delyuer theyr soules from deeth and to fede them in the tyme of hongre And Dauid sayeth The lorde is nye theâ— that are troubled in theyr hertes and the mâ—ke in sprite he wyll saue The tribulation of the righteous are many and out oâ— them all will the lorde delyuer them Thâ— lorde kepeth all the bones of them so thaâ— not one of them shal be brosed The lorâ—de shal redeme the soules of his seruauntes And of soch lyke consolation are the psames full the lorde open youre hertes to reade them and vnderstonde them perfectly in the sprite When ye delyuer you take no thoâ—ught what ye shal saye It shal be geuen you the same houre what ye shall saye For it is not ye that shall speake but the sprite of youâ—re father speaketh in you The very heares of youre heedes are noumbred Yf God care for oure heares he moch moare careth for oure soules which he hath sealed with his holy sprite Therfore saith Peter Cast al youâ—re care apon hym for he careth for you and Paul saith God is true he will not suffre you to be tempted aboue youre myght· Cast thy care apon the lorde Let thy care be to prepare thy sylfe with all thy streÌ„gth to walâ—ke which waye he wyl haue the and to beleue that he wyl goo with the and assiste the and strength the agenst all tyrannes and delyuer the out of all tribâ—lation But what waye or by what meanes he wyll do it that committe vnto hym and to his godly pleaâ—ure and wisdome and cast that care apon hym And thougth it seme neuer so vnlikely or neuer so vnpossible vnto naturall reason yet beleue stedfastly that he will doo it And â—hen shall he accordynge vnto his olde vse chaunge the course of the worlde euen in the â—winkelinge of an eye and come sodeÌ„ly apon youre tyranntes and myghtye geauntes as a thefe in the nighte and compasse them in theyr wiles and worldly wisdome when they crye pece aÌ„d all is saffe then shal theyr sorowes begynne as the sorowes of a woman that traueleth with childe And then shall he dystroye them aÌ„d delyuer you vnto the glorious prayse of his mercy aÌ„d trueth Amen And as perteyninge vnto them that despice Gods worde countinge it as a phantasy or a dreame and to them also that for feare of a litle persecutio flye froÌ„ it setthes before thy eyes How God sens the beginnynge of the worlde before a general plage euer seÌ„te his true prophetes and preachers of his worde to warne the people and gaue them space to repente But they for the greatest part of them hardened theyr hertes and persecuted the worde that was sente vnto them And then God destroyed them vtterly and toke them cleane from the erthe As thou seist what folowed the preachynge of Noe in the olde worlde what folowed the preachinge of Lot amonge the Sodomites and the preachinge of Moses and Aaron amonge the Egiptians and that sodenly agenst all possibilite of mans witte Moareouer as ofte as the childerne of Israel fell froÌ„ God to the whorsepinge of ymages he sente his prophetes vnto them And they persecuted and waxed harde herted And then he sente them into all places of the worlde captiue Cast of all he sente his awne sonne vnto them And they waxed moare harde herted then euer before And se what a fearfull ensample of his wrath and cruell vengeaunce he hath made of them vnto all the worlde nowe almost fyftene huÌ„dred yeres ¶ Marke also howe Christ threathnet them that forsake hym for whatsoeuer cause it be Whether for feare eyther for shame eyther for lousse of honoure frendes lyfe or goodes he that deniet me before men saith he hym wil I denie before my father that is in heuen he that loweth father or mother moare then me is not worthy of me Whosoeuer is asshamed of me saith he or of my wordes amonge this adoutours and sinneful generation of hym shall the
preseÌ„t with me not in the sprite but in the fleshe Then it foloweth I delite in the lawe of God as concerninge the inner man but I se another lawe in my members rebellinge agenst the lawe of my mynde and subduinge me vnto ty e lawe of synne which is in my members Not that this lawe of synne in his members ouer come hym that he was in the sprite subdued vnto it But it subdued hym to synne because it made hym in daunger of the lawe for it requireth the hole maÌ„ with his strength and power And because ther was an euyl lust and concupiscence in hym contrarious vnto the lawe therfore he was subdued to synne not in the sprite but thorowe synne in the fleshe Nowe Paul seinge this synne sowen and fast roted in his fleshe that it was vnpossible to get it cleane awaye in this lyfe he longeth and murneth for the delyueraunce of the synnefull fleshe sayenge O wretched man that I am who shal delyuer me froÌ„ this body of deeth theÌ„ it foloweth I thank God by Iesus Christ oure lorde As he wolde saye thought I wolde delyuer my sylfe from synne I maye not and no other man maye delyuer me from synne for they are all in the same bondage and thrall with me so many as are yet in the fleshe There is none righteous no not one ther is none that vnderstoÌ„deth there is none that seketh after God they are all gone out of the waye They are all made vnprofitable there is none that dâ—eth good no not one Theyr throte is an open sepulchre with theyâ— tounges they haue disceaued the poyson of aspes is vnder theyr lippes Whose mouthes are full of chursinge and bitternes Theyr fete are swifte to shee l bloud Destruction and wretchednes are in theyr wayes and the waye of peace haue they not knowen there is no feare of God before theyr eyes But thou alone o lorde God and father which art the weake mans strenght aÌ„d refuge ready at the honde of hym that is in strese arte my delyueroure For thou shal delyuer me of this presonment of synne and body of deeth by thy wellbelowed sonne Iesus Christ oure lorde And thought for an tyme I must neade suffre or I receaue the finall ende of my deliueraunce yeâ— by hope I aÌ„ sure of it For thou arte true in all thy sayeÌ„ges And thy trueth is sure to all age for euer And thought in the fleshe be some synne yet in the sprite I shall consent to the lawe and serue it Belowed brethern thoughe there be in vs some synne and euyl lust aÌ„d concupiscence yet let vs not consent to it in the sprite But resist to it and fyght agenst it seruynge the lawe of God in the sprite As did Paul And as he reached vs sayenge Let not synne regne in youre mortall bodyes that ve shulde there vnto obey in the lustes of it make not prouisioÌ„ for the fleshe to fulfill the lustes of it Walke in the sprite and fulfill not the lustes of the fleshe Yf ye liue after the fleshe ye must dye So thought we haue synne in the fleshe oure sprite is fre of it but not thorowe oure sylfes but thorowe the holy goost ¶ Where the sprite of the lorde is there is libertie And Christ sayd to the Iewes Yf the sonne shall make you fre then are ye fre in deade The sonne worketh by the holy goost So doeth the father also And theyr workynge is indiuisible ¶ For that which the father doeth the sonne doeth and lyke wyse the holy goost So when the holy goost maketh vs fre the sonne maketh vs fre And when the father aÌ„d the sonne maketh vs fre the holy goost maketh vs fre And though one of the iij. persones of the holy trinite be named in any place of the scripture yet it shal be vnderstonde after the indiuisible workinge of the holy trinite hauynge some workes after oure maner of speakinge appropriet to euerych persone Thyse fredome that we haue as saith Paul we haue it thorowe the sprite of the lorde and not be oure sylfes For God hath sent his sprite in oure hertes wherby we are louseth in the sprite from the bondes of synne and delyuered out of seruitute and cryes to God Abba father Nowe seinge that we are made fre in the sprite from synne let vs not tangle oure sylfes agayne in subiection therto but fyght agenst it resist to it aÌ„d with all diligence labour to dante and tayme the wantannes of it to holde it doune and mortifie it as it is written Yf ye theÌ„ be rysen agayne with Christ seke they thynges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the ryght honde of God Set youre affectioÌ„ on thynges that are aboue and not on thynges which are on the erth For ye are deed and youre lyfe is hyd with Christ in God When Christ which is youre lyfe shal shewâ— hym sylfe then shal ye also apere with him in glory mortifie therfore youre meÌ„bers which are on y e erth .c. And in another place it is writteÌ„ They y t are Christes haue crucifyed the fleshe with the appetites and lustes Not that we maye mortifie the fleche thorowe oure awne strength and labours as preache the false preachers No no but by the holy sprite as it is written Yf ye mortyfie the deades of the fleshe by the helpe of the sprite ye shall lyue And of what sprite he speaketh he shewed immediatly after sayenge As many as are ledde by the sprite of God are the sonnes of God This mortyfication and crucifienge of the fleshe and synne is an subiection where vnder synne is â—ut not that it is takeÌ„ cleane awaye but subdued holden doune and not suffered to worke An thynge when it scaâ—es workynge it is called deed Anâ— tree when it springeth not and beareth no frute nor braunches it is called deed So synne when it worketh not and shewed not the sylfe by workes it is called deed so we shall make synne to dye and we shulde crucifie it not sufferinge it to worke And this we maye not do of oure sylfes but by the holy sprite which regneth in oure hertes and of his power mortyfies and crucifies this synne which resteth in the fleshe He strenghteth vs for in to the inner man he maketh vs able and stronge to resist to all the assautes of oure enimies He eyketh oure power and minishet theyâ—s He maketh vs fre and subdued them He gyueth vs lyfe and kylled them The fleshe and synne as is said is mortifieth by the sprite of God but to the same mortification oure workes are required but oure ablenes commeth of God Not that we maye do any good of oure sylfes No we are not sufficient of oure sylfes to thynke any thynge as it were of oure sylfes but our ablenes there to cometh of God by his holy sprite For it is God that worketh in vs both the will