e loueth the better then such a churle that geueth the â—â—ught ye thou art more bounde to fauoure hys cause ¶ God sayth sel and geue almose ¶ MaÌ„mon sayth lay vp to haue ynough to mayntene thyn estate and to defende the froÌ„ thyn enemyes and to serue the in thy age For as muche then as God and Mammon be two so contrary maysters that who so euer wyl serue God must gyue vp Mammon and all that wyl serue Mammon must forsake God it foloweth that they which are the sworne seruauntes of Mammon and haue his holy spirite and are his faythful churche are not the true seruauntes of God nor haue hys spirite of truthe in them or can be hys true churche More ouer seynge that God and Mammon be so contrarye that Goddes worde is dethe in Mammons earâ— and hys doctryne poyson in Mammons mouthe it foloweth that yf the ministers of Goddes word do fauour Mammon they wyl so fassyon theyr speche so sounde their wordes that they may be plesaunt in the eares of Mammon Fynally al only to haue rychesse is not to be the seruaunt of Mammon but to loue it and cleue to it in thyne harte For yf thou haue gooddes onely to maynteyne the offyce whiche God hath put the in and of the rest to helpe thy neybours nede so art thou lorde ouer thy MaÌ„mon and not his seruauÌ„t â–ª Of them that be riche howe shalt thou knowe the mayster of MaÌ„mon froÌ„ the seruauÌ„t verely fyrst by the gettynge secoÌ„darely when his pore neybour complayneth yf he be Mammons seruaunt MaÌ„mon wyl I shute vp his harte and make him without coÌ„passyon Thyrdly the crosse of Christe wyl trye them the one from the other For when persecucyon aryseth for the worde then wyl the true seruauÌ„t of Christ byd Mammon a dewe And the faythful seruauÌ„t of Mammon wyl vtter his ypocresy c. not only renounce the doctryne of Chryste but also be a cruel and a sharpe persecuter therof to put awaye all surmyse and that hys fydelyte whiche he hathe in hys mayster Mammon maye openly appere Therfore I saye vnto you care not for your lyues what ye shal eate or what ye shal drinke nether for your bodyes what ye shal put on Is not the lyfe more then mete the body more then the rayment He that buyldeth a costely house euen to the tylynge wyl not leue there lose so great cost for so smal a tryfle more No more wyll he that gaue the so precyous a soule and so beutyful a body let ether of them perishe agayne before the day for so smal a thing as fode or raymeÌ„t God neuer made mouth but he made mete for it nor body but he made reymeÌ„t also How be it MaÌ„mon blyndeth our eyes so that we can nether se nor iudge a ryght Beholde the fowles of the ayer how they sow not nether reape nor gather into store howses and yet your heuenly father feadeth them And are not ye farre better then they Whiche of you with takynge thought is able to put one cubette vnto hys statute He that careth for the lest of his creatures wyll muche more care for the greattest The byrddes of the ayre and beastes preache all to vs that we shulde leue caringe and put our trust in our father But Mammon hathe made vs so dul and so clene with out capacyte that no exsample or argumente be if neuer so vehement can enter the wyttes of vs to make vs see or iudge a ryght Fynallye what a madnes is it to take soo greate thought for fode or raymente when the welthe helthe lyfe of thy bodye and al to gether is out of the poure If al the world were thyne thou couldeste not make thy selfe one ynche lenger nor that thy stomacke shall dysgest the meate that thou puttest into it No thou art not sure that which thou putteste in to thy mouth shal go thorwoe y e or whether it shal choke the. Thou canst not make wheÌ„ thou lyest or syttest downe that thou shalt aryse agayn or when thou sleapest that thou shal awake agayn or that thou shuldest lyue one houre lenger So that he which cared for the when thou couldest not care must care for the styl or else thou shuldest peryshe And he wyll not care for the to thy soules profyte yf thou mystrust hiÌ„ and care for thy selfe And for reymente why take ye thought Beholde the lylyes of the felde how they growe they labour not nether spyn And yet I saye to you that euen Saâ—omâ—n in al hys glory was not apparailed like one of theÌ„ Wherfore if the gras whiche is to daye in the feldes and to morowe shal be caste into the furnace God so clothe howe muche more shall he do the same vnto you O ye of lytle fayth Not only fowle and beast but also tre erbe and al the flowres of the erth do cry vnto vs to trust God to cast awaye all care that is coupled with couetousnesse of more then suffycyent to beare the charges which we haue in our handes by the reason of the state we be in the worlde and al care that is anexed with mystrust y t God shuld not mynister ynough to beare al our charges if we endeuer our selues to kepe his coÌ„mauÌ„dementes to do euery man his craft or offyce he is in truly and when God to proue vs sofferyth vs to haue nede of our neyboures we fyrst coÌ„playne to God desyre him to prepare the hartes of our neyghboures agaynst we come to desyer theyr helpe But MaÌ„mon pypeth another songe sayenge yf thou shuldeste make no nother maner of laboure for a benefyce then as yf thou careddest not whether thou haddest it or haddest it not 〈◊〉 wolde be longe yet thou gattest one al wolde be take out of thyne hande I answere as the labour was to get it suche shalbe thy behauor in it as thou flatteredest to haue it so shalt thou in it And as thou boughtest and soldeste to get it so shalte thou fell in it to be fauoure and to be set by in the worlde If thy pryncypal entend that thou sekeste a benefyce for be lucre then take hede to the ensaÌ„ple of thy fore father Symon magus Let thy care therfore be to do thy office that God putteth the in truly the blessynge that he coupleth therto y t take with thankes and nether care nor couet farther Take no thought therfore sayenge What shall we eate or what shall we drynke or what shall we put on al these thynges the hethen seke ye your heuenly father knoweth that ye nede al these thinges But seke fyrste the kyngedome of God and the ryghtwysnesse therof and all these thinges shalbe mynystred vnto you Be not lyke the hethen which haue no trust in God not hys worde nor beleue any lyfe to come let them vexe them selues and eche be a deuell to another for worldlye thynges But
is affyrmed to iustefye of all partyes For fayth in Christes bloude whiche is Goddes promyse quieteth the cōscyence of the true beleuers And a false faythe or truste in workes which is theyr owne fayninge begyleth the blynde ypocrytes for a ceason tyll god for the greatnes of theyr synne when it is full openeth theyr eyes and then they dyspare But the swyne say God is so good that he wyl saue deuelles and al and damne no man perpetually what so euer he do Another cōclusyon is thys to beleue in Christ for the remyssyō of synnes and of a thankfulnes for that mercy to loue the lawe truly that is to say to loue God that is father of all and geueth all and Iesus Chryste that is lorde of vs all and bought vs al with al our hartes soules power myght and our bretheren for our fathers sake because they be created after his image and for our lorde and master Christes sake because they be the pryce of hys bloude and to longe for the lyfe to come because this lyfe can not be ledde with out synne These iii. poyntes I saye are the professyon and relygion of a Chrysten man and the inwarde baptyme of the harte sygnified by the outwarde wasshynge of the body And they be that spiritual charactter badge or sygne wherwith God thorowe hys spyrite marketh all hys immedyatly and assone as they be ioyned to Chryste and made members of hys churche by true faythe The churche of Christ then is the multytude of al thē that beleue in Chryst for the remyssyon of syn and of a thankfulnes for that mercy loue the lawe of God purely and without gloses and of hate they haue to the syn of thys world longe for the lyfe to come Thys is the churche that can not erre dampnablye nor any longe tyme or all of them but assone as anye questyon aryseth the truthe of Goddes promise stereth vp one or other to teche them the truth of euery thynge nedefull to saluacyon out of Goddes worde and lyghteneth the hartes of the other true members to se the same and to consent therto And as all they that haue theyr hartes wasshed with thys inwarde baptyme of the spyryte are of the church and haue the keyes of the scrypture ye and of byndynge and lowsynge and do not erre Euen so they that synne of purpose and wyll not heare when theyr fautes be tolde them but seke lybertyes and pryuyleges to syne vnpunysshed and glose out the lawe of God and mayntene ceremonyes tradicyons and customes to destroy the fayth of Chryste the same be members of Sathan and all theyr doctryne is poyson erroure and darkenes ye thoughe they be Popes Bysshoppes Abbotes Curates and doctoures of dyuynyte and though they can reherse all the scrypture without booke and thoughe they be sene in greke Ebrewe and latyne ye and though they so preache Chryste and the passyon of Chryste that they make the poore wemen wepe and howle agayne For when they come to the poynte that they shulde mynyster Chrystes passyon vnto the saluacyon of our soules there they poyson all together and glose out the lawe that shulde make vs fele our saluacyon in Chryst and dryue vs in that poynte from Chryste and teache vs to put our truste in our owne workes for the remyssion and satysfaccion of our synnes and in the apysplay of ypocrytes which sel theyr merites in stede of christes bloud and passyon Lo now dere reader to beleue in Chrystes bloude for the remyssyon of synne and purchasynge of all the good promyses that helpe to the lyfe to come and to loue the lawe and to longe for the lyfe to come is the inwarde baptyme of the soule the baptyme that onelye aualeth in the syght of God the newe generacyon and ymage of Chryste the onely keye also to bynde and lowse synners The towchestone to trye al doctrynes The lanterne and lyght that skatereth expelleth the myst and darkenes of al ypocrisy and preseruatyue agaynst al erroure and heresy The mother of all good workes The ernest of euerlastynge lyfe and title wherby we chalenge our enherytaunce And though fayth in Chrystes bloude make the maryage betwene our soule and Christe and in properly y e maryage garmēt ye and the signe Thau that defendeth vs from the smytynge and power of the euell aungelles and is also the rocke wheron Chrystes churche is buylte and wheron all that is buylte stondeth agaynste all wether of wynde and tempestes yet myght the professyon of the faythe in Chrystes hloude and of the loue to the lawe and longynge for the lyfe to come be called all these thynges were malyce and frowarde vnderstandynge awaye because that where one of them is there be all thre and where all are not there is none of them And because that the one is knowen by the other and is ympossyble to knowe any of them trulye and not be deceaued but in rispecte and comparyson of the other For yf thou wylte be sure that thy faythe be perfecte then examyne thy selfe whether thou loue the lawe And in lyke maner yf thou wylte knowe whether thou loue the lawe aryght then examyne thy selfe whether thou beleue in Chryst onely for the remyssyon of syn and obtaynynge the promyses made in the scrypture And euen so compare thy hope of the lyfe to come vnto Fayth and loue and to hatyng the synne of thys lyfe whiche hate the loue to the lawe engendereth in the. And yf they accompany not one another all thre together then be sure that all is but ypocresye Yf you say seynge faythee loue and hope bethre vertues inseperable Ergo faythe onely iustefyeth not I answere thoughe they be inseperable yet they haue seperable and sundrye offyces as it is aboue sayd of y e lawe an fayth Fayth onely whiche is a sure and an vndouted truste in Christ and in the father thorowe hym certefyeth the conscyence that the synne is forgeuen and the dampnacyon and impossybylyte of the lawe taken away as it is aboue rehersed in the condycyons of the couenant And with such persuasyons mollefyeth the harte and maketh her loue God agayne and his lawe And as ofte as we synne fayth onely kepeth that we forsake not our professyō and that loue vtterly quenche not and hope fayle and onely maketh the peace agayne For a true beleuer trusteth in Christ onely and not in his owne workes or ought els for the remyssyon of syn And the offyce of loue is to powre out agayne the same goodnes that she hathe receaued of God vpon her neyghboure and to be to hym as she feleth Chryste to her selfe The offyce of loue onely is to haue cōpassyon and to bere with her neyghboure the burthen of hys infyrmytyes And as it is wrytten 1. Pe. 4. Operit multitudinem peccatorum couereth the multytude of synnes That is to saye consydereth the infyrmytyes and interpreteth all to
the beste and taketh for syn none at al a thousande thinges of which the leste were ynoughe yf a man loued not to goo to lawe for and to trouble and vnquyet an hoole towne and somtyme an hoole realme or two And the offyce of hope is to comforte in aduersyte and make pacyent that we faynt not and falle downe vnder the Crosse or caste it of our backes And thus ye se that these .iii. inseperable in thys lyfe haue yet seperable and sondry offyces and effectes as hete and dryeth beynge inseperable in the fyer haue yet theyr seperable operacyon For he dryeth onely expelleth the moystnes of al that is consumed by fyer and hete onely destroyeth the coldenes For dryeth and colde may stande togyther and so maye hete and moystenes It is not all one to saye the dryeth onely and dryeth that is alone nor all one to saye faythe onely and fayth that is alone Goo to then and desyre God to prynte thys professyon in thyne harte to encrease it dayly more and more that thou mayst be ful shapeÌ„ like vnto the ymage of Christ in knowledge loue meke thy selfe and crepe lowe by the grounde and cleue fast to the rocke of this profession and tye to thy shype this anker of faythe in Chrystes bloude with the gable of loue to easte it out agaynste al tempestes so set vp thy sayle get the to the mayne se of Godes worde And rede here the wordes of Chryste with thys exposycyon folowynge and thou shalte se the lawe fayth and workes restored eche to his ryght vse and true meanynge And therto the clere dyfference betwene the spiritual regyment and the temporal and shalt haue an â—ntraunce and open waye into the rest of all the scrypture wherin and in all other thynges the spyryte of veryte gyde the and thyne vnderstandynge So be it ⸫ ⸫ The .v. chapter of Mathewe WHen he sawe the people he wente vp into a mountayne and sat him downe hys dysyples came to hym and he opened hys mouthe and taught them saynge Blessed be the poore in spirite for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauen Chryste Here in his fyrst sarmone begynneth to restore the lawe of the ten commaundementes vnto her ryght vnderstandinge agaynste the scrybes and Pharyses whiche were ypocrytes false prophetes and false preachers and had corrupte the scrypture with the leauen of theyr gloses And it is not without a great mystery that Chryst begynneth hys preachynge at pouertye in spyryte whiche is nether beggery nor agaynste the possessynge of rychesse But a vertue contrarye to the vyce of couetousnesse the inordynate desyre and loue of reches and puttynge truste in rychesse Ryches is the gyfte of God geuen man to mayntayne the degrees of thys worlde and therfore not euell ye and some muste be poore and some ryche yf we shal haue an order in thys worlde And God our father deuydeth rychesse and pouertye amonge hys chyldren accordynge to hys godlye pleasure and wysdome And as rychesse dothe not exclude the from the blessyng so dothe not pouertye certefye the. But to put thy truste in the lyuynge God maketh the heyre therof For yf thou truste in the lyuynge god Then yf thou be poore thou coueteste not to be ryche for thou art certefyed that thy father shall mynystre vnto the fode and rayment and be thy defender and yf thou haue ryches thou knowest that they be but vanyte and that as thou brough teste them not into the worlde so shalte thou not carye them out and that as they be thyne to daye so maye they be another mannes to morowe and that the fauoure of God onely bothe gaue and also kepeth the and them and not thy wysdome or power and that they nether ought els can helpe at nede saue the good wyll of thy heuenly father onely Happy and blessed then are the poore in spyryte that is to saye the ryche that haue not theyr confidence nor consolacyon in the vanyte of theyr rychesse and the poore that desyre not inordynatly to be ryche but haue theyr truste in the lyuynge God for fode and rayment and for all that partayneth ether to the body or the soule for thers is the kingdome of heuen And contrary wyse vnhappy and accursed and that with the fyrste and depest of all cursses are the ryche in spirite that is to saye the couetouse that beynge ryche and trust in thir rychesse or beynge poore longe for the consolacyon of rychesse and comforte not theyr soules with the promyses of theyr heuenlye father confyrmed with the bloude of theyr Lord Christ For vnto them it is harder to enter into the kyngedome of heuen then for a camell to enter thorowe the eye of an nedle Mar. 10. No they haue no parte in the kyngedome of Chryste and God Ephe. v. Therfore it is euydent why Chryste so dylygentlye warneth all hys to be ware of couetousnes and why he admytted none to be hys dyscyples excepte he fyrste forsake altogether For there was neuer couetous person true yet ether to God or man Yf a couetous man be chosen to preache goddes worde he is a false prophete immedyatlye Yf he be of the laye sorte so ioyneth he hym selfe vnto the false prophetes to persecute the truthe Couetousnesse is not onely aboue all other lustes those thornes that choke the worde of God in them that posesse it But it is also a dedelye enemye to all that interprete goddes worde trulye All other vyces thoughe they laugh them to scorne that talke godlye yet they can soffre them to lyue and to dwell in the contre But couetousnes can not reste as longe as there is one that cleueth to goddes worde in all the land Take hede to thy preacher therof and be sure yf he be couetous and gape for promocyon that he is a false Prophete and leueth the scrypture for al his câ—yenge fathers fathers holy chyrch and fyftene hundred yeres and for al hys other holy pretenses Blessed are they that mourne for they shalbe comforted Thys mournynge is also in the spyryte and no kynne to the soure lokynge of Ypocrytes nor to the impacieÌ„t weywardnes of those fleshly which euer whine and complaine that the world is naught because they can not obtayne and enioye theyr lustes therin Nether forbydyth in alwayes to be mery and to laugh and make good chere nowe and then to forget sorowe that ouermoche heuynes swalowe not a man clene vp For the wyse man saythe sorowe hath cost many theyr lyues And prouer .xvii. and heuy spirite dryeth vp the bones And Paule commaundeth Phili. iiii to reioyse euer And Roma xii he sayth reioyse with them that reioyse and sorowe with them that sorowe and wepe with theÌ„ that wepe which seme two contraryes This mournynge is that crosse without which was neuer any dysciple of Chryst or euer shalbe For of what so euer state or degree thou be in thys worlde yf thou professe the
of and lette vs slyppe to folowe our owne wytte And then shall all go agaynste vs what so euer we take in hande in so moch that when we gather a perlyament to reforme or amende ought that we there determe shalbe our owne snare confusion and vtter destruccyon so that all the enemyes we haue vnder heauen coulde not wyshe vs so greate myschefe as our owne councell shall do vs God shall so blynde the wysdome of the wyse If any man haue any godlye councell it shall haue none audyence Erroure madnes and daunsynge shal haue the vpper hande And let the spyrytualty take hede and loke wel about them and see whether they walke as they haue promysed god and in the steppes of his sonne Chryst and of his apostles whose offyces they bere For I promyse them all the deuelles in hell if God had let them all lowse â–ª coulde not haue gyuen them worse counsell then they haue gyuen them selues thys .xx. yere longe God gaue vp his Israeltites oftentymes when they wolde not be ruled nor knowe theÌ„ selues and theyr dutye to God and broughte them into captyuyte vnder theyr enemyes to proue and fele saythe the texte whether were better seruyce ether to serue God and wyllynglye to obaye hys lawe coupled with so many folde blessynges or to serue theyr enemyes and to obaye theyr cruelnes and tyranny spyte of theyr hedes in nede and necessyte And let the temporaltye remember that because those nacyoÌ„s vnder which the Israelites were in capteuyte dyd deale cruelly with them not to ponyshe them for theyr ydolatrye and syn whiche they had commytted agaynst God but to haue theyr landes and goodes and seruyce onely râ—ioysinge to make them worse and more out oâ— theyr fathers fauoure therfore when God had scorged his chyldren ynough he dyd bete the other for theyr laboure But to our purpose what yf the man ronne from hys wyfe and let her sette Verely the rulers ought to make a law if any do so come not agayne by a certayne daye as within the space of a yere or so that then he be banyshed the contry and yf he come agayne to come on his hede and let the wyfe be fre to mary where she wyll For what ryght is it that a lewde wretch shulde take his goodes and ronne from his wyfe without a cause and sytte by an whore ye and come agayne after a yere or two as I haue knowen it and robbe his wyfe of that she hath gotten in the meane tyme and go agayne to hys whore Paule sayth to the Corinthyans that if a man or woman be coupled with an infydell and the infydel depart the other is free to mary where they lust And .1 Timothe 5. he saythe yf there be any man that prouydeth not for his and namely for them of his owne housholde the same denyeth the fayth and is worse then an infydel And euen so is thys man moche more to be interpretat for an infydel that causeles runneth from his wyfe Let I say the gouerners take hede howe they let syn be vnponyshed and howe they bringe the wrath of god vp on their realmes For God wylbe aduenged on all iniquyte and ponyshe it with plages froÌ„ heuen In lyke maner if the woman depart can seles and wyl not be reconcyled though she coÌ„mytte none adultery the man ought of right to be fre to mary agayne And in al other causes if they seperat them selues of impacience that the one can not sufferthe others infirmite they must remayne vnmaryed If any parte burne let the same suffer the payne or infirmytes of the other And the temporaltye ought to make lawes to brydle the vnruly party Agayne ye haue harde how it was sayd to them of olde tyme forswere not thy selfe but paye thyne othes vnto thy lorde But I saye vnto you that ye swere not at all neyther be heauen for it is the seate of God nether by the erthe for it is his fotestole nether by Ierusalem for it is the cety of the great kynge nether thou shalte swere by thyne heed for thou canste not make a whyte here or a blacke But your communycacyon shalbe ye ye nay naye For yf ought be aboue that it procedeth of euell As to hate in the harte or to couet another mannes wyfe was no synne with the phareseys no more was it to hyde one thynge in the harte and to speake another with the mouthe to deceyue a mannes neyghbour yf it were not bounde with an othe And thoughe Moyses say Leuitici xix Lye not nor deceyue any man hys neyghboure or one another yet they interpreted it but good councell yf a man desyred to be perfecte But no precepte to bynde vnder payne of synne And so by that meanes not onelye they that spake true but also they that lyed to deceyue were compelled to swere and to confyrme theyr wordes with othes yf they wolde be beleued But Chryste bryngeth lyght and salt to the texte whiche the phareseys had darkened and corrupte with the stynkyngemyste of theyr sophystry and forbyddeth to swere at all â–ª eyther by God or any creature of Goddes for thou canst swere by none othe at al excepte the dyshonoure shal redowne vnto the name of God If thou swere by God it is so or by God I wyl do this or that the meanynge is that thou makest God iudge to auenge it of the yf it be not as thou sayest or yf thou shalte not do as thou promysest Nowe if truth be not in thy wordes thou shameste thyne heuenlye father and testyfyest that thou beleuest that he is no ryghtwyse iudge nor wyll aduenge vnryghtwysnes but that he is wycked as thou arte and consenteth and laugheth at the whyle thou deceyuest thy brother aswell created after the lykenes of God and so deare bought with the precyous bloude of Christ as thou And thus through the a wycked sonne is the name of thy father dyshonoured and his lawe not fered nor hys promyses beleued And when thou swereste by the gospell boke or byble the meanynge is that God yf thou lye shall not fulfyll vnto the the promyses of mercye therin wrytten But contrarye wyse to brynge vp on the all the cursses plages and vengeaunce therin thretened vnto the dysobedyent and euell doers And euen so wheÌ„ thou swerest by any creature as by breade or salte the meanynge is that thou desyreste that the creator therof shall aduenge it of the yf thou lye cÌ„ wherfore our dealynge ought to be so substancyal that our wordes myght be beleued without an othe Our wordes are the signes of the truth of our hartes iÌ„ which ought to be pure and siÌ„gle loue toward thy brother for what so euer procedeth not of loue is damnable Nowe falshed to deceyue hym and pure loue can not stande together It caÌ„ not therfore be but dampnable syn to deceyue thy brother with lyenge thoughe thou adde no othe to thy wordes Moche more dampnable
epistle of his seconde epystle prophesyeth that there shuld be false teachers amonge vs that shoulde folowe the way of Balam that is to saye for couetousnes persecute the truth and thorowe couetousnesse with fayned wordes to make marchaundyse of the people and to bringe in damnable sectes to And here ye haue an infallyble rule that where coutouesnesse is there is no truthe no thoughe they call them selues the churche saye thereto that they can not erre Couetousnesse kepte Iudas styll in vnbelefe thoughe he sawe and dyd myracles also in the name of Chryste and compelled hym to sell hym to the scrybes and pharesyes for couetousnesse is a thynge mercylesse Couetousnes made the pharesyes to lye on Chryste to persecute hym and falsly to accuse him And it made Pilate though he founde hym an innocente yet to slee hym It caused Herode to persecute Chryste yet in hys cradel Couetousnes make the ypocrites to persecute the truth agaynst their owne conscyences and to lye to prynces that the true preachers moue sedicion and make their subiectes to ryse agaynste them and the sayde couetousnesse maketh the prynces to beleue theyr wycked perswacyons and to lende theyr swerde to sheed ynnocent bloude Fynally couetousnes maketh many whom the truthe pleaseth at the begynnynge to caste it vppe agayne and to be afterwarde the moste cruel ennemyes thereof after the ensample of Symon Magus Actes viii Ye and after the ensample of Syr Thomas More K. whiche knewe the truthe for couetousnes forsoke it agayne and conspyred fyrst with the Cardynal to dysceaue the kynge and to leade hym in darckenes And afterwarde when the lyght was spronge vpon them had dryuen them clene out of the scrypture and had delyuered it out of theyr tyranny and had expelled the darcke stynkynge myst of theyr deuelyshe gloses and had wyped awaye the cobwebbes whiche those poysoned spyders had speade vpon the face of the clere texte so that the spiritualtye as they call them selues were asshamed of their parte as shamelesse as they be yet for all that Couetousnes blynded the eyes of that glerynge foxe more and more and hardened hys harte agaynste the trouthe with the confydence of hys paynted poetry babyllynge eloquence and iuggelynge argumentes of sutle sophystry grouÌ„ded on his in wrytten verytes as true and as autentycke as hys storye of Vtopia Paule therfore byddeth Tymothe to charge the ryche to beleue in the lyuynge God and not in theyr vncerten ryches for it is impossyble for a couetous ydolater or ymage seruer that trusteth in the deed God of hys ryches to put hys trust in the lyuinge God One mysery is that they which here gather and leye vppe can not tell for whom An other iâ— rust canker mothes and a thousaÌ„de mysfortâ—nes besyde theues extorcyoners oppressers and myghtye tyrantes to the whiche the ryche â—e euer praye And thoughe they prosper to the ende outwardlye yet feare euer gnawethe their hartes inwardly And at the houre of deth they knowe and fele that they haue gathered naught and then sorowe they and are lyke one that dremeth of rechesse and in the mornynge when he fyndeth naughte is heuye and sorye for the remembraunce of the pleasaunt dreme And fynally when they be moste lotheste to dye and hope to lyue longe then they peryshe sodaynlye after the ensample of the ryche man whiche entended to make hym larger barnes and store houses Happy therfore is he that layeth vp treasure in heuen and is ryche in faythe and good workes for the rewarde therto promysed shall God kepe sure for hym No maÌ„ can take it awaye Here is not forboden to haue ryâ—hes But to loue it to trust in it and to be careful for it For God hathe promysed to care for vs and to gyue vs ynoughe and to kepe that which is gotten yf we wyll care to kepe his coÌ„maundementes what so euer offyce or degree thou art in in this worlde do the dutye of thy offyce dylygently and trust in God and let him care If thou be an husband maÌ„ Eare and sowe and husbande thy grounde and let God alone for the rest he wyll care to make it growe plenteously and to seÌ„de seasonable wether to haue it in and wyll prouyde the a good market to sell c. In lyke maner yf thou be a kynge do the offyce of a kyng and receaue the dutyes of the kynge let God care to kepe the in thy kyngdome Hys fauoure shall do more for the then a thousande myllyons of golde and so of all other He that hathe but a lytle and is sure that God shall kepe bothe him and it is rycher then he which hath thousande hath no other hope then that he and it must be kept with hys owne care and polycye And fynally marke one poynt in Lu. 14. none of them that refuseth not al that he posesseth can be my dyscyple that is he that caste the not awaye the loue of all worldly thynges can be no scoler of Christes to lerne hys doctryne Then he addeth that salt is good but if the salt be vnsauerye or hathe lost his vertue what can be seasoned therwith verely nothynge Nowe by salt is vnderstaÌ„de the doctryne and the menynge is yf ye be couetouse and loue worldlye thynges it wyll corrupte the salte of your doctrine so that what so euer you pouder therwith it shalbe more vnsauery then before where your treasure is there are your hartes If your treasure be in the worlde so is the loue of youre hartes And yf ye loue the worlde and the thinges of the worlde the loue of God is not in you the loue of God is the loue of hys coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes and he that loueth not Goddes coÌ„maundementes shal neuer preache them truelye because he louethe them not But shal corrup them with gloses that they may stande with that which his hart loueth and vntyl they haue a nother sence theÌ„ euer God gaue them Ergo no couetouse person can be a true prophete It is not for naught theÌ„ that Christ so oft and so dylygeÌ„tly warneth his dyscyples to beware of couetousnes as of that thinge which he wyst wyl had euer corrupt the word of God and euer shulde The lyght of thy body is thyne eye wherefore yf thyne eye be syngle al thy body shalbe ful of lyght But and yf thyne eye be wycked then shal thy whole body be darcke If therfore the lyght that is in the be darkenesse howe greate is that darkenes Note the conclucyon with a proper symylytude The eye is the lyght of the body â–ª by the lyght of the eye all other members see and are gouerned As longe as the eye seyth hande and fote do theyr dutyes neyther is there any feare that a man shulde stomble or fall into fyer or water But yf the eye be blynde all the body is blynde and that so blynde that there is no remedye at all set a candel
true entent of workes whiche who so euer vnderstandeth the same shalbe dryuen to Christ to fetche of his fulnes and to take him for his ryghtwysnes and fulfyllynge of the law al to gether at the begynnynge and as ofte as we fall afterwarde and for more then the thousande parte of our fulfyllynge of the lawe and ryghtwysnesse of our best workes al our lyfe longe For except the ryghtwysnesse of Christe be knytte to the best dede we do it wyll be to shorte to reache to heuen ⧠⧠And the narowe waye is to lyue after this knowledge â–ª He that wyll enter in at this gate must be made a newe his heed wyll else be to great he must be vntaught all that he hath lerned to be made lesse for to entre in and disused in all thynges to which he hath ben accustomed to be made lesse to walke thorowe the narowe way where he shall fynde such an heape of temptacions and so continuall that it shall be impossible to endure or to stande but by prayer of stronge fayth ⧠⧠And note a nother that fewe fynde the waye why for theyr owne wysdome theyr owne power the reasons of their owne sophistrye blynde them vtterly That is to say the lyght of theyr owne doctrine which is in them is so extreme darcknesse that they can nat se Shuld god let his church erre say they Shulde our elders haue gon out of the waye Shulde God haue let y e deuel do these myraclas so forth And whan Christ sayth fewe shall fynde the gate ye say they in respecte of the turkes and saresyns whiche are the greater multitude Ye but yet here a lytle the Scrybes Phareseys which had all the auctorite ouer the people taught out of the scripture the saduces with all other false prophetes that were whaÌ„ Christ came were no Turckes nor Saresyns nether had God any other churche than was amonge them And saynt Peter prophesyeth y t it shal be so amonge vs that we shalbe drawen w t false sectes of couetousnesse to deny Christ as we nowe do and beleue no more in hym And Paule Christ coÌ„firme the same that the elect shulde be deceyued if it were possible Moreouer yf it were ynough to say I wyll beleue do as myne elders haue done as though they could nat erre then was Christ to blame for to saye that excepte thou forsake father mother and thyne elders thou couldest nat be his disciple Christe must be thy master thou must be taught of God and therfore oughtest thou to examine the doctrine of thyne elders by the worde of God For the greate multitude that Christ meneth are the false prophetes them y t folow theÌ„ as it shal better apere here after Beware of false ê“phetes whiche come to you in shepes clothynge but are within rauenynge wolues By their frutes ye shal know them do men gather grapes of thornes ether figges of bryers euen so euery good tree bryngeth for the good frute But a corrupt tree bringeth forth euel frute A good tre can nat brynge forthe euel frute nor a corrupte tree brynge forth good frute Euery tre that bryngeth nat forth good frute is to be hewen downe to be cast in to the fyre wherfore by their frutes ye shal know them Here Christe warneth the and describeth vnto the those capitayns that shulde so blynde the great multitede that they shulde nat finde the strayte gate leade them the brode waye to perdicion Note fyrst that though they be false yet he calleth them prophetes whiche worde in the newe testameÌ„t is taken for an expounder an interpreter of scripture And he sayth they shal come to you my disciples then they must be our preachers and our doctours Ye verely they must be those our false prechers which Peter prophesyed shulde be amonge vs and brynge in daÌ„pnable sectes for to fulfyl satisfy theyr couetousnesse folowe the way and steppes of theyr father Balam And they shall come therto in shepes clothynge Ergo they be nether the turkes nor yet saresins For they come clothed in yron and stele and wyll therto suffre vs to kepe our fayth yf we wyll submytte our selues to them as the grekes do â–ª And as for the Iues they be an hundred tymes fewer then we are euery where in bondage ye and for the great parte captiues vnto vs. They also be nat clothed in shepes skynnes but mayntene openly theyr fayth cleane contrarye to oures ⧠⧠But what are these shepes clothynges truly the very name of Christ For sayth Christ Mat. xxiiii There shall come many in my name and deceaue many And besydes that they shall do myracles in Christes name as it foloweth in the texte that they shal call Christ Maister Maister and begynne theyr sermone sayenge Our maister Christe saythe in suche a chapiter what so euer ye bynde vpon earthe shalbe bounde in heuen Se frendes these be nat our wordes but our master Christes And they shal do myracles in Christes name therto to confyrme the false doctrine which they preache in his name O feareful terryble iudgement of almyghty God and sentence of extremery gorousnesse vpon al that loue nat the truth whan it is preached them that God to aduenge hym selfe of their vnkyndnesse shal sende them so stronge delusions that doctrine shuld be preached vnto them in the name of Christ made seme to folowe out of his wordes and be confyrmed with myracles done in callynge vpon the name of Christ to harden their hartê in the fayth of lyes accordynge to the prophesye of Paule to the ThessaloniaÌ„s in the secoÌ„de pistle Another of theyr shepes coutes is that they shal in euery sermon preche myghtely agaynst the Scrybes Phareseyes agaynste Faustus and Pelagian with such lyke heretykes which yet neuer preached other doctryne then they theÌ„ selues do And more of theyr clothynge is they shal preache that Christ preached almose prayer and fastynge and professe obedience pouerty and chastite workes that our sauiour Christ bothe preached and dyd Fynally they be the holy churche and can nat erre But they be within rauenynge wolues They preache to other steale nat yet they them selues robbe God of his honoure take from hym the prayse proffite of all their doctrine and of all their workes They robbe the lawe of God of her myghtye power wherwith she dryueth all men to Christe and make her so weyke that the feble frewyll of man is nat able to wrestle with her without callynge to Christe for helpe ⧠⧠They haue robbed Chiste of all his merytes and clothed them selues therwith They haue robbed the soule of man of the breade of her lyfe the fayth and trust in Christes bloude and haue fede her with the shales and coddes of the hope in theyr merytes and confydence in theyr good workes ☜ ☞ They haue robbed the workes commaunded by God
is spirituall and iudgeth al thynges and is iudged of no man Nat all that say to me lord lorde shall entre in to the kyngdome of heuen but he that fulfylleth the wyll of my father whiche is in heuen Many wyll say vnto me at that daye lorde lorde dyd we not prophelye in thy name and in thy name cast out deuelles and dyd we not in thy name many myracles Then wyll I confesse vnto them I neuer knewe you departe from me ye workers of iniquite This doublynge of lorde hath vehemensy betokeneth that they whiche shalbe excluded are suche as thynke them selues better perfitter then other men to deserue heuen with theyr holy workes nat for them selues onely but also for other And by that they prophesyed by whiche thou mayst vnderstande the enterpretynge of scripture and by that they cast out deuelles and dyd myracles in Christes name and for all that they are yet workers of wykednesse and do nat the wyll of the father which is iÌ„ heuen it is playne that they be false prophetes and euen the same of which Christe warned before ⧠††⧠†And nowe for as muche as Christe and his apostles warne vs that suche shall come and descrybe vs the fassioÌ„s of their vysures Christê name holy churche holy fathers and fyftene hundred yeres with scripture and myracles and coÌ„maunde vs to turne our eyes from their visures and consider their frutes and cut them vp and loke within whether they be sounde in the coreÌ„ and kernell or no and gyue vs a rule to trye them by is it excuse good ynough to say God wyl nat let so great a multitude erre I wyll folowe the most parte and beleue as my fathers dyd and as the preachers teache and wyll nat busy my selfe chose them the faute is theirs and nat oures God shal nat laye it to our charge yf we erre ☜ †☞ †where suche wordes be there are the false prophetes all redy for where no loue to the truthe is there are the false prophetes and where suche wordes be there to be no loue to the truthe is playne Ergo where suche wordes be there be the false prophetes in theyr full swynge by Paules rule .2 Thessa 2. Another coÌ„clusion where no loue to the truthe is the be false prophetes The greatest of y e worlde haue least loue to the truth Ergo the false prophetes be the chapelanes of the greatest which may with the swerde compell the rest As the kynges of Israell compelled to worshype the golden calues And by false prophetes vnder stande false teachers as Peter calleth them wycked expounders of the scripture Who so euer hereth these wordes of me dothe them I wyll lyken hym vnto a wyse man that buylte his house vpon a rocke and there fell a rayne and the floudes came and the wyndes blew bete vpon that house but it fel nat for it was grounded vpon a rocke And all that heare of me these wordes and do them nat shalbe lykened vnto a folyshe man that buylt his house vpon the sande there fell a rayne and the floudes came and the wyndes blewe and dasshed vpon that house and it fell and the fall therof was great †Christ hath two fortes of hearers of whiche nether nother do there after The one wyll be saued by fayth of their owne makyng without workes The other with workes of their owne makynge without fayth The first are those volupteouse which haue yelde them selues vnto synne sayenge tushe God is mercyfull and Christ dyed for vs that must saue vs only for we can nat but synne without resistence The secoÌ„de are the ypocrites which wyl deserue al with theyr owne ymagyned workes only And of fayth they haue no nother experience saue that it is a lytle meritoriouse where it is paynfull to be beleued As that Christ was borne of a virgyne and that he came nat out the waye that other chyldren do fye no that ware a great inconuenience but aboue vnder her arme and yet made no hole though he had a verye naturall bodye as other men haue and that there is no breade in the sacrament nor wyne though the fyue wyttes saye all ye And the merytoriouse payne of this belefe is so heauye to them that excepte they had fayned them a thousande wyse similitudes and lowsye lykenesses and as manye madde reasons to steye them with all and to helpe to captiuate theyr vnderstandynge they were lyke to cast all of their backes And the onely refuge of a greate many to kepe in that faythe is to cast out of theyr myndes and nat to thynke vpon it As though they forgyue nat yet yf they put the displeasure out of their mindes thynke nat of it tyll a good occasion be geuen to aduenge it they thynke they loue theyr neyboure well ynough all the whyle and be in good charite And the fayth of the best of them is but lyke theyr fayth in other worldlye storyes But the fayth which ls trust and coÌ„fydence to be saued and to haue theyr synnes forgeuen by Christe whiche was so borne haue they nat at al That fayth haue they in theyr owne workes onely But the true hearers vnderstande the lawe as Christe interpreteth it here and fele therbye theyr ryghtwyse dampnacion and runne to Christe for succoure and for remyssyon of all theyr synnes that are past and for al the synne whiche chaunce thorowe infirmite shall compell them to do and for remysson of that the lawe is to stronge for theyr weake nature And vpon that they consent to the lawe loue it and professe it to fulfyll it to the vttermost of theyr power and then go to and worke Fayth or coÌ„fidence in Christe bloude without helpe and before the workes of the law bryngeth al maner of remission of synnes and satisfaccion Fayth is mother of loue Fayth accoÌ„payneth loue in all her workes to fulfyll as muche as there lacketh in our doynge the lawe of that perfayte loue whiche Christe had to his father and vs in his fulfyllynge of the lawe for vs. Nowe whan we be reconcyled than is loue and fayth to gether our ryghtwysnesse our kepynge the lawe our contynuynge our proceadynge forwarde in the grace whiche we stande in and our bryngynge to the euerlastynge sauynge and euerlastynge lyfe And the workes be estymed of God accordynge to the loue of the harte If the workes be great and loue lytle colde then the workes be regarded therafter of God If the workes be small and loue muche and feruent the workes be taken frr great of God ⧠And it came to passe that whan Iesus had ended these sayenges the people were astonied at his doctrine For he taught them as one hauyng power nat as y e scribes †The Scribes Phariseyes had thrust vp the swerde of the word of god into a scabarde or shethe of gloses and therin had knytte it fast that it coulde nether