his name and honoure there is anye stryfe to shewe constancy in wordes that we confesse hym with and sure truste in question wherwith we assayle other pacience in dethe wherto we contende this is to wylle to be heire wyth Chryste this is to do goddis commaundement this is to fulfyll the wyll of the father We desyre the wylle of god to be done in erthe as it is in heuen bothe whiche apperteyne to the consummation of our wyll and saluation For sythen we possesse a body of the erth and a gost of heuen we be erthe and heuen and in bothe that is bodye and gooste we praye that the wyll of god be doone Trewely there is a wrastlyng betwene the fleshe and the spirite and stryuinge oone ageynste the other they dayly contende together that we canne not doo the thynges that we wolde while the spirite seketh for heuenly and diuine thynges the fleshe coueiteth erthly and worldly thinges And therfore we ernestly desyre that betweene these two by the ayde and helpe of god agreement may be made that whan the wylle of god is fulfylled bothe of the spirite and the fleshe the soule whiche by hym is borne agayne may be saued Whych thynge the apostel Paule playne and openly declareth with his owne voyce The fleshe saythe he lusteth agaynste the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe These two are so contrarye one to the other that you can not do what thinges that ye wolde The dedes of the fleshe be manyfeste whiche are adulteries fornications vnclennes fylthy wantonnesse idolatry witch-craft murder hatred contention spite wrath prouocation debate heresye enuye dronkennes glottony and suche lyke which I tell you before as I haue tolde you that they whiche do such thinges shall not possesse the kyngedome of god But the fruit of the spirite is Charitie ioye peace long sufferynge feythe mekenesse continence chastite And therfore daily yea continually we praye that the wyll of god be done concernynge vs bothe in heauen and in erthe For this is the wylle of god that erthely thynges shuld gyue place to heuenly and that spiritual and diuine thynges shulde preuayle It may also be thus vnderstande dere bretherne that bycause god commandeth ye and monyssheth vs to loue our ennemies and also to pray for them that ê‘secute vs we shulde praye for them that be as yet erthy and haue not yet begun to be heuenly that touchyng them the wyl of god may be done whiche Christ fully dyd in coÌ„seruynge and renewynge man For sythen he called his disciples not erthy but the salte of the erth and the apostell calleth the fyrste man of slyme of the erthe erthy the seconde of heauen heauenly with good cause we whiche oughte to be lyke god the father that maketh his sonne to ryse vppon the good and bad and sendeth rayne vpon the iuste and vniuste shulde so praye and desyre god admonishynge that we myghte make prayer for the helthe of all men That lyke as in heuen that is in vs by our faythe the wylle of god is done that as we shuld be of heuen so eueÌ„ in erth that is in them beleuynge the wyll of god maye be done that they whiche as yet of theyr fyrste byrthe be erthye borne of water and the holy goost may begynne to be heuenly ¶ Procedyng forth in our prayer we aske and say Gyue vs this daye our dayly breade whiche saieng may be vnderstaÌ„d spiritually and simply for bothe the vnderstandynges with diuine vtilitie profytte vnto saluation For the breade of lyfe is Christ and this is not euery mans breadde but it is oures And lyke as we saye our Father by cause it muste be vnderstande he is father of theym that beleue so we cal hym our bread For Christ whose bodye we touche is oure breade This bread we aske dayly to be gyuen vs leste we that be in Christe and receyue dayly his precious body by some greuouser offence chaunsynge whyle we be accursed out of the churche not communicating shulde be prohybited from that heuenly breadde and shulde be separated from the body of Christe hym selfe before shewyng and monysshynge I am the breade of lyfe that descended from heuen he that woll eate of this breade shall lyue for euer The breade that I woll gyue for the lyfe of the world is my fleshe Therfore whan he saythe he that woll eate of this bread shall lyue for euer it is than manyfest they lyue whiche touche his body and receyue it by the right of communion soo contrarywyse it is to be feared and prayed for leste while one accursed out of the churche is separated from the body of Christ he remayne farre from saluation hym self thretnynge and saying Excepte ye eate the flesshe of the sonne of man drynke his bloud ye shall haue no lyfe in you And therfore we aske daily our breade that is Chryst to be gyuen to vs that we that abyde and lyue in Chryste shulde not departe from his sanctification and body It may also be thus vnderstaÌ„d that we whiche haue forsaken the wolde and by grace of spirituall feythe haue caste away the riches and pompe therof woll desyre onlye oure meate and foode seinge Chryst woll vouchsafe to instruct vs and saye He that woll not forsake all that he hath canne not be my disiple He that hathe beguÌ„ne to be Christis disciple forsakynge all that he hath after the wordes of his mayster ought to aske his daily foode ne we may nat extend the desyres of our petition to any longe tyme. For Christ ageyn prescribeth and saith Be not ye careful for the morowe for the morow shall care for it selfe Euery daye hath inough of his own trauaile Therfore Chrystis dysciple skylfully asketh his dayly foode whiche is prohibited to be carefull for the morowe For it is bothe contrarye and repugnant in it selfe that we shuld desyre to lyue longe in this worlde whiche prayer that the kingedome of god may quickly come And so the blessed apostel monisheth forinynge strengththyng the stedfastnes of our hope and faithe Nothynge sayth he we brought into the worlde aud truely we can carye nothyng out Therfore hauyng foode and rayment let vs be content therwih For they that woll be ryche falle into the temptation and snares of the dyuell and into many noysom lustes which drowne a man into distruction and damnation For couetousnes is the roote of all yuels whiche some moch desiring haue rounne to wrecke frome the faythe and tangled theym selfes with many sorowes He teacheth not onely that ryches shoulde be despised but also that they be peryllous and that in theym is the rote of blandysshinge yuelles the blyndnes of mans mynde begyling with priuie deceyt Wherfore Christe reprouynge the foolysshe ryche man that had set his mynde on his worldly substance reioyced in him self for the great abundance of his fruites saythe in the gospell Thou foole this nyghte
A SERMON OF S. CYPRIAN made on the Lordes prayer that is to wytte the Pater noster AN. M. D. XXXIX TO THE RIGHT VVORshypfull mayster Antony Deny esquier Thomas Paynel sendeth gretynge THIS Sermon by me translated out of latine into englysh I dedicate vnto you not so moch for instruction as for a token of the good mynd I beare you For whā I consyder your syncere affection to god and his holy worde your great fidelytie and dilygence towarde our moste gracyous souerayne lorde the kyng your pure honest and lowly behauiour to all men in worde and dede your faythful wyse and frendly councels your continuall exhortations and perswasyons to vertue your lyberall and moste gentylle nature I can not chose but vehemently loue you and therfore I ofte thynke what I haue or howe I a poore man myght doo you any pleasure Wherefore suche thynge as I maye gyue with my entier hartes loue I sende you And as this my booke goeth on prayer soo pray I God sende you abundaunce of all welthe and good Fortune this newe yere The Sermon of saynte Cyprian made on the Pater noster THE PRECEPtes of the Gospell moste louynge bretherne are none other thing than diuine techinges the foundacions of edifyenge hope the sure groundes of fortifyenge faith the nourysshmentes to cheryshe the harte the stere to directe our iourney and the firme defences to opteyne saluation whiche preceptes whyle they instructe in erthe the apte myndes of the beleuers they bryng them to the kingdome of heuen Goddis wyl was that many thynges shuld be both spoken and harde by the prophetes his seruantes but how farre greatter are those thynges that the sonne speketh which the word of god that was in the prophetes witnesseth with his owne voyce not nowe commaunding that the waye be made redy for hym commyng but commynge hym selfe and openynge and shewing to vs the way that we that fyrste were blynd and wandryng in the darknes of deathe beinge illumyned with the grace of his lyghte and he beinge our leder and gide may holde on our iourney to lyfe whiche among other his helthful monitiōs and diuine preceptes with whiche he allureth his people to saluation he also gaue a forme of prayer he monyshed and instructed what we shulde pray He that made vs to lyue taughte vs also to pray this dyd he of his benignitie whereby he vouchesaued to gyue and conferre other thynges that whyle we in prayer and oryson that the son taught vs speke to the father we may be the soner hard He than tolde vs before the howre commeth whan the trewe worshyppers shulde worshyp the father in spirite and trouthe and hath fulfylled that he before promysed that we which of his sancctification haue receyued spyrite and trouthe of his tradition also shall truely and spiritually pray For what prayer can be more spiritual than that that is gyuen vs of Christe frome whome also the holy ghoste is sente to vs What prayer maye do more with the father than that that the son whiche is the veritie spake with his owne mouthe in soo moche that to praye otherwyse than he hathe taught is not onely ignoraunce but also offence seinge he hath set forthe and sayde Ye caste asyde the commandement of god to the ende you wolde stablysshe youre own tradition Therfore dere brethern let vs pray as god our master hath taught vs. It is a frendly and familyar oryson to praye god of his owne the prayer of Christe to ascend to his eares the father wyll acknowlege the wordes of his sonne Whan we make our prayer lette hym that dwelleth within the breaste be in the voyce And seynge that we haue hym as an aduocate to the father for our synnes whan we synners pray for our offences let vs bring forth the wordis of our aduocate For syth he saith What so euer ye wylle desyre of the father in my name he shall gyue it you than howe moch more effectually shall we obteyn that we axe in Christis name if we craue it with his own prayer But suche as woll praye let their wordis prayer be lowly quiete and honest Let vs thinke that we stand in the syght of god The diuine eyes must be pleased bothe with the behauyour of the body and maner of speche For as it is an imprudent poynt to make a clamorous noyse so cōtrarywise it is conuenient shamefastely to praye with sober and temperate prayers Furthermore the lorde commandeth vs secretely to pray in priuie secrete or out places ye in oure bedde chaumbers whiche thynge dothe greately agree with our fayth to th ende that we shuld knowe God to be presente euerye where to here and see vs all and with the fulnesse of his maiestie also to perse and enter into secret and hydde places as it is writen I am god drawyng nere and nat god afarre of If a man were hid in priuie and secrete places ergo shall nat I see hym Do not I fyl both heuen and erth And ageyn The eies of god do beholde in euery place bothe the good bad Whan we com togyther with our brethern and do celebrate diuine sacrifyces with goddis mynister the prieste we must be myndefull of shamefastnesse and dyscipline not to blaste abrode our prayers with vnordered voyces nor oure petition soberly to be commended to god we shuld cast out with tumustuouse ianglynge for god hereth the harte and not the voyce Nor we shoulde crye out to hym whyche seeth oure thoughtes the lord prouokyng and saying what thynke you wyckednesse in youre hartis and in an other place And let all congregations knowe that I am the sercher of the rainis and harte Whiche thyng Anna in the fyrst boke of kynges bearing the figure of the church obseruid and kepte whyche not with a clamorous peticion but styll and softly within the pryuye partes of her breast prayd vnto the lorde She spake with a hyd prayer but with an open fayth she spake not with voyce but with harte for soo she knewe god herde and she obteyned effectuallye that she desyred bycause she axed faythfully Holy scripture declareth what she sayd She spake in her harte and her lippes moued and her voyce was not harde and god herd her Also we rede in the psalmes Speke in your hartes and in your beddes and remember your selfis By Ieremye also the same thynges the holy ghooste dothe perswade and teache sayenge It behoueth the to praye to god inwardelye But yet well beloued brethern he that dothe pray shuld not forget after what maner in the temple the publycane prayed with the pharisee his eies not vnsemely lifted vp to heuen nor his handes insolently stratched out knocking his brest and acknowlegynge his secrete hydden synnes lamentably desyred succour of goddis meecy But seinge the Pharisee stoode in his owne conceite this man deserued more to be sāctified which so praied that he had no hope of
saluation in his innoceÌ„cy sythe no man is innocente but confessynge his synnes he humbly prayde and he that forgyueth the humble harde his prayer The whiche thinges the lord in his gospel putteth and sayth Two men went vp into the temple to pray the one a pharisee and the other a Publycane The pharisee stode and prayed by him self after this maner God I thaÌ„k the bicause I am nat as other meÌ„ vniuste robbers adulterers as this publycane I faste twyse in the weke I gyue the tythes of al what so euer I possesse But the publycane stoode afarre of and wolde not lyfte vp his eies to heuen but knockid his brest saying God be mercyfull vnto me a synner I telle you this manne went downe moore iustyfyed into his hous theÌ„ he the pharisee For who so euer exalteth hym selfe shall be humbled and who so euer wolle humble hym selfe shal be exalted Whiche thynges dere bretherne we lerning of the diuine lesson after that we knowe how we ought to ê“cede to praier we must know alsoo the lorde instructynge vs what we shulde pray thus saythe he praye ye Our father whiche art in heuen halowed be thy name Thy kyngedome come Thy wyl be done in erth as it is in heuen Gyue vs this day our dayly breade And forgyue vs our trespaces as we forgyue them that trespas agaynst vs. And let vs not be ledde into temptation But delyuer vs from euyll Amen Aboue all thynges the teacher of peace and mayster of vnitie wyl not singular priuate prayer to be made that whaÌ„ any prayeth y t he shuld not onely pray for hym selfe We say nat My father whiche art in heuen nor Gyue me my dayly bread Nor there is no man that desyreth to haue his synnes forgyuen hym aloone or prayeth for hym selfe alone that he shulde nat be led into temptation and delyuered from euyl Our prayer is publyke and common and whan we pray we pray not for one but for all the people for we all be but one The lorde of peace and mayster of concorde whiche taughte vnitie wolde oone to pray soo for all as he hym selfe bare al in one This rule of prayer the thre childern inclosed in the forneis of fire obserued agreing and accordyng in prayer and consente of spirite Whiche thynge the trouthe of diuine scripture declareth whan it teacheth howe they prayd it giueth example whiche in our praiers we ought to folowe that we may be suche as they were Than sayth the scripture they thre as out of one mouth sang an himne and blessed the lorde They spake as out of oone mouthe and yet Christe had not tought theym to pray and therfore to theym prayinge their wordes were effectuall and toke place for their peasyble symple and spirituall prayer deserued to be accepted of god And so we fynd that the apostels with the disciples prayid after thascention of the lorde They were all sayth the scripture of one mynde and continuynge in prayer with the womeÌ„ and Mary the mother of Iesu and with his bretherne They being of one mynde perseuered in prayer declaryng bothe the instance and concorde of their prayer For god whyche maketh the inhabitantes of one mynde in the house admitteth none into the diuine and eternall house but suche as are of one mynd in prayer But what be the misteries of the lordis prayer most dere brethern how many how great how brefely gathered togither but in vertue spirituall howe copious and abundant that there is nothing omittid that is not in our praiers and orysons comprysed in this compendiouse heauenly doctrine Thus sayth he pray ye Our father whiche arte in heauen The man that is renewed and borne ageyn and restored to god by his grace sayth in the fyrst place Father bycause he begynneth nowe to be his sonne He came sayth the scripture into his owne and his owne receyued hym not But as many as receyued hym to theym gaue he power to be the chylderne of god which beleue in his name Therfore he that beleueth in his name and is made the chyld of god must forth withall begyn both to gyue thankes and acknowlege him selfe to be the chylde of god whan he nameth his father to be in heauen god He woll also among the first wordes of his byrthe declare hym selfe to haue forsaken his erthely and carnall father and to begyn to haue hym his only father that is in heuen as it is writen They that say to the father and mother I knowe the not they acknowleged not their children they haue kepte thy preceptes and haue obserued thy testameÌ„t Also the lord in his gospel commaundeth that we shulde calle no man father in erthe bycause we haue one father whiche is in heuen And to the disciple that shewid that his father was deade he sayde Suffre the deade to burye the deade For he sayde that his father was deed sythen they that beleue haue a lyuynge father Nor we ought not dere bretherne to marke and consyder this onely that we shuld cal hym father that is in heauen but we ioyne therwith and say Oure father that is of them that beleue of theÌ„ that by hym bd sauctifyed and with the natiuite of spiritual grace restored beganne to be the chyldren of god Whyche voyce also doothe wrynge and sharpely touche the Iewes whych not only vnfaythfully despised Christe forshewed to them by the prophetes and to them fyrst sent but also cruelly slewe hym The whiche Iewes can nat nowe call god father sythen the lord confoundeth and reproueth them sayeng You are of the father the dyuelle and after the lustes of your father wyl ye do for he was a murderer froÌ„ the begynnynge and abode not in the truthe bycause the truthe is not in hym And by Esaie the prophete god disdaynyng crieth out I haue begotteÌ„ chyldren and exalted them but they haue despised me The oxe knowith is lord the asse his masters stable but Israell knoweth not and my people hath not vnderstand out vpon ye synfull nation people full of synnes wycked seede vngracyouse childerne you haue forsaken the lorde and haue prouoked him the holy one of Israel to indignatioÌ„ To whose rebuke and shaame whan we Christians pray we say Our father bycause he hath begon to be ours and hath lefte to be the Iewes father which forsoke him Nor a synfulle people can nat be his chylde but they whose synnes are forgyuen be callyd chylderne and to theym euerlastynge ioye is promysed oure lorde hym selfe sayenge Who so euer dothe synne is the seruant of synne as for the seruant abydeth not in the house foreuer but the sonne abydeth for euer But howe greate is the gentylnesse of the lorde howe plentiful is his fauour goodnes towarde vs That so wolde haue vs celebrate our prayer in goddis sight that we shuld cal god fader and that as Christ is the sonne of god so we also
shoulde be cleped the chyldren of god Which name none of vs durste ones touche in prayer but if he had permitted vs soo to praye Therfore deere bretherne we ought to remēbre and knowe that whan we cal god father we oughte to behaue vs as children of god that as we take a pleasure to haue god our father so he maye be pleased to haue vs his chyldren we shoulde behaue vs as the temples of god that it myght appere that god dwelleth in vs. Ne our dedes shoulde not vary from the spirit that we that haue begunne to be heuenly and spirituall shulde thynke nor doo but heuenly and spiritualle thynges For god hym selfe saythe I wyll glorifie theym that glorifie me and he that despiseth me shal be despised Also the blessed apostel in his epistell sayth ye are not your owne for ye be bought with a great price glorifie and beare god in your body ¶ After this we saye Halowed be thy name not that we desyre of god that his name shulde be halowed by oure prayers but we aske of him that his name maye be halowed in vs. For of whome is god sanctified whiche hym selfe sanctifieth other but bicause he saith Be ye holy for I am holy therfore we desyre and pray that we that are sanctified in baptysme maye perseruer abyde in that we haue begun and this daily we pray for For truly we had nede to be dayly sanctified that we whiche synne dayly might pourge our synnes with continuall fanctifycation But what this sanctification is that god vouchsafeth to giue vs the apostelle declareth sayienge Nother fornicatours nor Idoll worshippers nor brekers of wedlocke nor weakelynges nor abusers of them selfes with mākynd nor theues nor the couetous nor drunkardes nor sclanderers nor cursed speakers nor extorcioners shall inheryte the kyngedome of god And suche haue you ben but ye be washed ye ar made rightuous ye are sanctified in the name of oure lorde Iesu Christe and in the spirite of our god He saythe we be sāctified in the name of our lorde Iesu Christe and in the spirite of our god That this sanctification shulde remayne in vs we pray and bycause god our iudge menasseth the healed and the relyued of hym to sinne no more now leste he shulde be worse handled we make this continuall prayer this we craue bothe daye night that the sanctification and viuificatiō that is goten by the grace of god might be kept by his protection There foloweth in this prayer Thy kyngdome come We desyre also that his kyngedome be represented vnto vs lykewyse as we aske that his name maye be halowed in vs. For whanne doth not god reigne or whan begynneth his reigne which alway was and euer shal be We desyre our kyngdome to come of god to vs promysed and with the bloudde and passion of Christ gotten that we which before serued in the world may afterward reigne with Christ rulyng lyke as he promyseth and sayth Come ye blessed of my father take and receyue the kyngedome whiche is prepared for you from the beginnyng of the world Truely it may be dere bretherne that Christ hym selfe is the kyngdome of god whiche dayly we desyre to come whose commyng we couete soone to se. For seyng that he is oure resurrection and that we ryse agayn in him so likewise he may be vnderstande the kyngdome of god For in hym we shall reigne And we do well to desyre the kyngdome of god that is the kyngdom of heuen For there is also an erthely kyngdome But he that now forsaketh the worlde is greatter than the honours and kyngedome therof and therfore he that dedicateth hym self to god and Christe desyreth not the erthly but the heauenly kyngdome We had nede to pray cōtinually leste we falle frome the heauenly kyngedome as the Iewes dyd to whom it was fyrste promysed as oure lorde hym selfe manyfestely proueth Many saythe he shall come from the easte and west and shall reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngedome of heuen But the chylderne of the kyngedome shall be caste out into vtter darknesse there shal be wailynge and gnashynge of tethe He sheweth this bycause the Iewes were afore chylderne of the kyngdome as longe as they continued to be the chyldren of god But after the name of the father ceassed amonge them theyr kyngedome ceassed withall And therfore we christians whiche in our prayer haue begonne to call god father do also praye that the kyngedom of god may come to vs. ¶ We adde therto and saye Thy wyll be done in erthe as it is in heuen not that god shuld do that he wol but that we may do that god wol For who withstandeth god but that he may do what he wol But bycause the dyuelle withstandeth vs that our myndes in all thynges and in euery act obeyeth nat god we praye and desyre that the wylle of god maye be done in vs whiche to the ende it may be done in vs we haue nede of Goddes wyll that is of goddis helpe and protection for no man is stronge of him selfe but is sure and safe by the indulgence and mercye of god For god declaryng the infirmitie of man whiche he bare himselfe sayth Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me And gyuynge an exaumple to his disciples that they shulde not do theyr owne but goddis wylle he added therto sayinge Neuerthelesse not as I wylle but as thou wylte And in an nother place he saythe I discended not from heuen to do myn owne wyll but his that sente me If that the sonne was obedient to doo the fathers wyll Howe moche more oughte the seruaunt to be obedient to do goddis wyll Saynte Iohū alsoo lykewyse in hys epistle exhortethe and instructeth vs to do the wylle of god sayenge Se that ye loue not the world neither the thinges that are in the world If any man loue the world the loue of the father is nat in hym For all that is in the worlde is the luste of the fleshe the luste of the eies and the pryde of lyfe whyche is not of the father but of the concupiscence of the worlde and the world passeth awaye and the luste therof But he that doth the wyll of god abydeth for euer lyke as god abydeth for euer We that woll abyde for euer must fulfyl the wyll of god whiche is eternalle The wylle of god is which Christ both taught and fulfilled humilitie in conuersation stablenesse in feyth myldnes in wordes ryghtousenesse in dedes mercy in workes discipline in maners not to knowe to do iniurie and to suffre wronge done to lyue quietly amonge brethern to loue god with all the harte to loue hym bycause he is the father to feare hym bycause he is god to esteme nothynge aboue Chryste for he estemed nothing aboue vs to cleaue to his charitie inseparably to sticke to his crosse strongly and faythefullye whan for