be suerlye armed Puer and vnfayned prayer bryngythe and lyftethe vp the inwarde affection to heauen to the whyche oure enemyes can in noo wyse haue entraunce Knowledge and good lerning armyth and defendyth the vnderstanding of man with holsome doctrines and good opynyons and so neither praier ne knowledg may be lacked the one so necessarily requireth the other they agre so frendfully Faithful and vnfayned prayer obteineth of god our peticion knoledge good lerninge teacheth vs howe and in what maner we shall praye And what thinges we shall desyer in oure petycyons whyche as S. Iames sayth be onlye suche as be profytable holsom for the soule praier is the thing more commōly to be requyred whiche is famy lyar cōmunicatyon with god but knowledge and good lerninge is no lesse profitable holsom or neces ry For I cannot immagine how a man intending to forsake the cōmon course of the world can surely and withoute peryll walke so longe and daungerous a iourney vnles he haue the companye and felowship of the two most valiant capitaynes Moyses and Aaron Aaron for that he was the chefe preeste of the temple fygurethe in scripture praier Moyses signyfiethe knowledge of the lawe And as knowledge and lerning without operacion lyttell or nothinge auaileth so praier without know ledge is of smale vertue and efficacie Some men when they pray only consider how longe prolyx their praier is how many orisōs and psalmes they haue saide thiking plainly the vertue strēgth of praier only to consyste in longe and muche cōmunication thys faulte is speciallye amonge them whiche yet as babies cleue in the letter and carnal ceremonies and haue not the rypenes of the spirit But here what maner of prayer Christ in Mathewe teacheth vs vse not saith he much and tedious bablinge in youre praier as infidels doth which earnestly beleue that by longe and by muche spech they shall obtayne their peticion Couet not in this thing to be lyke ned to them for your father in hea uen knoweth what is necessary behouable for youe before youe make peticion And Paule in the xiiii chapiter to the Corinthyans the ii Epistel Muche more estemeth fiue wordes well vnderstād with pure and cleane mynde spoken then tenne thousande not vnderstande and spoken wythe the mouthe only Moyses in his peticion vsyd noo wordes and yet he was hearde It is not the noyse mouing of the lyppes that deferrith our peticion and praier to the hearinge of almightye god But onely the inwarde and feruent desyre of the soule Let this then be thy familiar vsage and custome that when thine ennemyes moue the to vice thou strayght and immediately lyfte vp thy harte vnto heauen with sure faithful hope from whence all helpe cummyth but thether also lyfte vp thy handes The sureste waye to auoyde the daunger of thy ennemyes is alwaye buselye to be occupyed in ly Manna waxe not vnsauery And if you thus with pure and cleane minde with reuerence and humilitie studie the scripture you shall perceiue your selues maruelously rauished and transformed and shall se in them the most pleasante deinties of your moste pleasante spouse The haboundant rychesse of the enryched Salamon the secret treasures of euerlasting wysdome Heauen and earth may peryshe but the worde of god is e uerlasting and shall not peryshe Men may lie and be deceiued but the trueth whiche is god neither can lie ne be disceiued And as for the expositours of the scripture if you couet to be more liuely in spirite then redy to contention if you intende the fatnes of the soule rather then the quyckenesse of the wytte labour suche auncient doctours whose good vertuous lyuing hath ben wel known whose lerninge more plentiful and ful of fruite whose speche neither leude ne vnsauery and their exposition furthest fro the carnal vnderstanding and most fyt to the holy mysteries The holy scripture of god hathe his peculyar language and proper figures whiche must diligently be knowen Somtime she stutteth and as a louynge mother after our infancie she formeth her speche To littel babes and infantes in Christ she geueth milke to them that be sicke and weake suppinges and brothes To thē that be stronge more solyde norishing and stronge meates Haste you to come from childhode and sycknes that you may eate strong and norishinge meates She boweth and enclineth her selfe after our humility and febelnes But inforce you to arise and be strong accordynge to her sublimitye it is very monstruous alwaye to be chyldysshe and to much dastardnes alwayes to be lowest One verse well vnderstand with faithfull and good intent spoken is more sauery and noryshing then the whole psalter not vnderstande and idelly redde And of this I more often admonishe youe for that I knowe this errour not only amonge the common people but also among them which count them selues learned They here not what Chryst saith in the gospel of Iohn the. x. chapiter The fleshely vnderstandynge nothing profiteth The spirituall only geueth life They regard not the sayinge of Paule The flesshe destroieth the spirite quickeneth We knowe that the lawe of God is spiritual not carnal and to spiritual things spirituall vnderstādinge moste be had and geuen In time past the pleasure of god was to be worshipped in the moūtain Nowe he wyll be worshypped in truth and spirite If god hath geuen you a pregnaunt florishinge witte continue not alwaye in the barreine letter but hast you to the high secret misteries and diligētlye call vppon god that it maye please him to open you the booke clasped with the. vii claspes of the whych S. Iohn in the apocalips mencionethe The whyche booke none can open but he that declarethe the secretes of hys father whiche neuer man knewe but the sonne and suche as it pleased him to declare them vnto Then if you dylygently apply the knowledge of scripture busily haue remembraūce of the lawes of Christ you shalbe sufficiently armed and defendid against all assaults and inuasion of your ennemies But he that entendeth profitablye to vse this godly armour must first cast away the armour of proud Saul that is to sai the affectiōs of this worlde whyche be more onerous then profitable more hinderethe then furdereth him that shal fight with our greate Golias And after with pure and humble mynde gather oute of holy scrypture fyue sonns which I thinke be the fiue wordes which Paule desireth to be spoken in good vnderstanding and then arme thy ryghte hande with the slynge for by these weapons onlye is our aduersarye the father of al pride mischefe ouerthrowne Whom our Capytayne christ by thi◅ armour vanquished and ouercam what time the deuil mouid him first to glotony sith to auarice third to Idolytrye did he not with wordes of the said scripture abashe his proude courage vtterly repel hī Dauid also out of the holy
of the first heauenly And this I speak welbelouyd for that neither the fleshe ne the bloud shal possesse the kingedome of heauen neither thinges corruptible or incorruption Here you maye euydently se that what Paule in one place called the exteriourman and the fleshe whiche is corruptyble In another place he calleth it the earthely Adam And suerlye this is the same flesh the same body of death where with he was troubled when he sayde O vnhappye creature who shall delyuer me from the body of this death And of the fruites bothe of the spiryte and of the fleshe whiche be muche diuers he writeth saieng He that soweth in the flesshe shall gather corruption of the flesshe And he that soweth of the spiryte shall of the spirite gather euerlasting life O happy and fortunate manne in whom this earthelie Adam is so mortified and subdewed that it in no wise resysteth the spirite But whether this perfecte quietenesse and tranquilitie maye fortune to any man in this worlde I wil not affyrme Peraduenture it is not necessary to be For Paule in this lyfe not withstandinge his hyghe perfection and grace had a mocion of the fleshe to vexe and dystrou ble him And when he thryse desired god to be delyuered from the sayde mocion He onely had this aunswere Paule my grace is suf ficient for vertue is made perfite by vexation Paul was vexed by pryde that he shuld not be proud To be perfit and strong in god he was caused to be weake and feeble For he caryed the treasure of heuenly reuelation in a frayle and bryckell vessell that the honoure and victory shulde onely be in the power and mighte of God not in him selfe This one exaumple of Paule is erudition and learninge to vs in many things First when we be moued and tised to syn that we diligently cal to almighty god by prayer Furthermore that to trewe christian men temptations be not only profitable but also necessary for the preseruation of ver tue Finally that when all the other motions be subdued then the mocions of pryde and vayneglorye are most to be feared which in the myddes of vertue priuelye awayteth vs. After that man hath mortifyed the flesshe and subdued the concupicence of the same TheÌ„ shal he se god and tast god that he is swete God is not seene in the fierce and boisteous winde of temtacion but after man hath resisted and valiantlye oppressyd the suggestions of his ennemies Then foloweth a delectable smale blaste of ghostly comforte and consolacion Which when you shal perceue then quikly awayt with your inwarde eyes and you shall se god well knowe that he hathe made safe for you ¶ Of the thre partes in man the spiryte the sowle and the fleshe These myght be thought more then sufficient but that you maye the more playnlye knowe what man is I shall brieflye declare vnto you what deuision Oxygen maketh of man And to be shorte he maketh three partes in man The body or the fleshe as the lowest parte of man in the which by the offence of the firste parente Adam the cruell and subtyll serpente the deuyll sowed the lawe of synne into the sowle of man By the which he is prouokid to sinne ouercome by the deuill and bonde in sinne The spirite by the which man dothe expresse the very similitude of the nature of god In the which also the highe creatour and maker of al thinges out of the inwarde secretes of his minde with his own finger that is to say his spirite dyd write the eternal law of vertue honestie By this portion also Man is adioyned and made one with god After these he putteth the thyrde parte as a middle or a meane betwene the. ii other which is a receiuour of the naturall meuinges or felynges This parte as in a factious or sedicious cytie is moued and intysed of both partes and is at libertie to whether it wyll encline If it forsake the fleshe and folow the spirite then shall it be spirituall But if it followe the desires and â—…upidities of the fleshe it shalbe al so fleshely And that ment sayncte Paule when he sayd Know you for trouthe that he that cleaueth to an harlotte is made oone body with her and he that cleaueth to god is made one spirite with him This harlot is the slipper and vn stedfast parte of man which is the fleshe Of whom it is spoken of in the seconde booke of Prouerbes withdrawe the from the strange woman whiche maketh her wordes softe and forsaketh the capytayne of her youthe and hath forgotten the couenaunte shee made with god Her house is al deadly her pathes bryngeth to hel They that folowe her shall not obteyne the pathe of lyfe And he that forsaketh her shalbe saued Then the spirite maketh manne godlye the fleshe maketh beastely The soule maketh man liuynge the spirite good and vertuouse the flesshe euyll and vngracious the soule ma keth neither good ne euyl the spirite seketh heauenly thynges the fleshe swete and pleasaunte The soule necessary the spirite lyfteth to heauen the fleshe depresseth to hel The soule of the spirit or flesh taketh merite or demerite what so euer is fleshely is vicious that which is spiritual is parfite that which is of the soule is mean and indifferent will you that I more playnly discriue to youe the difference betwixte these partes You honoure and feare your parentes you loue youre chyldren and frendes it is not so muche ver tuous to do these thinges as it is sinne not to doe them For whye should not you beynge a christian man do those thinges which infidels and beastes doo onely by instinct of nature That which man dothe of nature is not worthie rewarde But it so chauncith that other you must not regard the reue rence towardes youre parentes neglecte dispyse the loue of your children or els displease god In this case what is to be done the sowle is in dought the flesshe mouithe in the one side the spirite in the other The spirite perswadeth that god is better then thy father and more to be regardid the fleshe contrary maketh suggestion You owe your parentes your naturall being And in case you obey them not you shalbe disheritid and com moÌ„ly called vnnatural vnkind lose not your goodes disteyne not your name as for god other he seethe not or he wil not see and at the leaste he wyll sone be pleased Nowe the soule is in doubte and standethe amasyd if it inclyne to the flesshe dispise the spirite it is one bodye with it And if it folow the spyryte it is transmutyd in to the spirite It is great erroure to exteme that absolute vertu which is of nature Some of nature are little moued or intised to the pleasures of the bodye Let them not iudge theÌ„ selues verteous for that which is indifferent For the laud of
A Godly Boke wherein is contayned certayne fruitefull godlye and necessarye Rules to bee exercised put in practise by all Christes Souldiers lyuynge in the campe of this worlde 1561 ¶ Cum priuilegio ad Imprimendum solum ¶ IOHN GOVVGHE PASTOR to the Paryshe of Sayncte Peters in Cornebull of London to the Christian Reader GRace mercye peace from God the father and from our lord Iesus christ his son be with thee good Christian reder and with all those that loue the lord vnfainedlye Amen Callinge to remembraunce the saying of Iesus the Son of Syrache in Ecclesiasticus the 20. Chapter Wisedome that is hyd and Treasour that is whordyd vppe what profyte is in them bothe Thought it no lesse then my bouÌ„den dutye after I had perused this worke to do my indeuor that the same might be put in printe whereby others might be part takers with me therein For after I had red the same and fyndyng therein so heauenly doctryne so consonant and agreynge wyth goddes booke and so mete for thuse of all estates and sortes of people beynge christians thought I should do iniury to god and wronge to my Christen bretherne yf I shoulde anye lenger deteigne the same from them And as I knowe not the author thereof no more founde I any title or name geuen vnto the booke But for that the author tooke as it were for his theame the beginninge of the 7. Chapiter of Iob where hee sayeth The lyfe of man is a warfare vppon the earthe and hys dayes lyke the dayes of an hyred seruaunt Wherevppon he hath most lyuelye set before our eyes as well howe we are incessantlye assauited and assayled by the continuall flatteringe promyses of the worlde the carnall allurementes and entycementes of our domesticall enemye the fleshe and craftye temptatyons and prouocations of our olde ennemye the dyuell wyth three ferce and cruell enemyes neuer cease daye nor nighte to inuade vs and what they can to prouoke vs to fall from God as also oure duties bothe in the resistence of synne aâ—…d of cleauing to our Capytaine and hed Chryste and also by certeyne rules instructinge vs as it were wyth a certayne armure and weapon bothe how to beare of the sodein inuasions of those our enemyes and also to repulse them when they shall assayle vs. Wherefore that the name of the booke might agre with the worke I thought it good to attribute to the same suche a name as the worcke desired that is to saye godly and necessary rules to be exercised and put in practyse by all Christes souldyers lyuynge in the campe of this worlde And in the diligent readinge of this worke and disgestinge of the same thou shalte well perceaue deere reder that the lyfe of a very christian of what estate or degree so euer he be to exceade and far passe the counterfayte lyues of cloyning cloysterars of mummynge monkes fonde fryers or of hypochrytical heremytes and that we nede not ronne to seke a strayte lyfe among the Chartâ—…rhouse monkes for the parfection of a christian lyfe but as y e same is most perfitly set forth in God his booke I meane the sacred Scriptures so it is to be followed of al Christians yf we wilbe christians in dede for it is not the name of a Chrystyan that maketh vs Christians before God vnlesse we haue also the dedes of Christyans as Christe sayeth in Mathewe the 7. Not whosoeuer sayethe vnto mee Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth the wil of my father And in the 6. of Luke he sayeth Why call ye me maister Lorde and do not that I byd ye And Saint Iohn sayeth in his first Epystle and 2. Chapyter He that sayeth I knowe him and kepethe not his commaundementes is a lyer and the truth is not in him So that as the name of a Iewe maketh not a Iewe. Romayns 2. Nomore doth the name of a Christian make a christiaÌ„ except we also shew forth y e workes of a christian That our christiaÌ„ lyues might shyne in puryty in clennes in sobryetâ—… in pacyence in charitye in longe sufferyng that the enemyes of the ghospel seinge our godlye conuersation mighte bee wonne by thesame to the ghospell As Christe sayeth in Mathew the 5. Let your light so shyne before men that they seynge your good workes may glorify your father which is in heauen And that they haue no cause iustlye to reporte euill of vs folowyng the counsell of Seneca in his booke de morâ—…bus where he hathe this pithy sayinge Haue peace with all men but be at defyaunce with syn God graunt that this Heathen philosopher rise not at the Iudgemente to condempne a nomber of vs Christians for oure negligence So that now I hope it is apparant to all eyes that wil not wilfully be blynd that it is the duty of al christians to liue so straightlye in this worlde and so earnestlye to wrastle againste vyce and sinne as the weaknes of our fleshe shal or can beare in oure myndes detestynge and abhorrynge synne and from the bottome of our hartes to wyshe that we coulde not sinne For it is our partes to wrastle against the same and therein hath the holye ghost by his elect vessell Saynct Paule comforted vs saying in the 1. Epistle to the Corinth 10. God is faithfull whiche shall not suffer you to bee tempted aboue your strength but shal in the myddest of temptacion make a waye that ye maye be able to beare it And what we are not able to doe by reason of our weaknes that hath christ fulfilled for vs as y e same apostle saith also to the Romaynes the. 8. For what the lawe could not do in as muche as it was weake bycause of the fleshe that performed God and sente hys sonne in the similytude of sinfull flesh c. And in the beginning of the same Chapiter he sayeth There is then nowe no dampnacion to them that are graffed in Christ Iesu. What to do what they lyst and to ronne carelesly hedlonge into synne Naye he addeth Whyche walke not after the flesh but after the sprite As God himselfe sayeth in lenit 15. Be ye holye for I am holye So that the lyfe of euerye true Christian oughte to be suche as no man worthely can rebuke whiche thynge is moste pientifully and at the full set forth in this godly worke And thys I write onely to stoppe the mouthes of suche as slaunderously reporte and saye that these newe preachers for so it pleaseth them to tearme suche as moste syncerlye preach Gods trueth would haue no good workes but preach lyberty libertye Who in dede meane nothynge lesse but bycause they seeke to plucke theÌ„ from their fond trust in their vayn meritorâ—…us workes taughte them by the papistes thereby makinge Christe but halfe a Sauioure and sette forthe the perfection of a trewe faithe whiche is most playnly taughte vs in the. 17. of Luke by Christe himselfe by the parable of the seruaunte
comminge from the ploughe whiche parable he concludeth with thys sayinge So ye also when ye haue done all that are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruantes we haue done y ◠whiche was our duty to do And therfore sayeth S. Paule in the 2. to the Ephesians For by grace are ye saued through faythe and that not of your selues For it is the guyfte of God and not of workes least any man should boaste And because that we shoulde not mystake S. Paule and thinke that the opinyon of faith were inough therfore we might be ydle and liue careleslye without desier or regarde of vertue he immediatlye addeth sayinge For we are his workmāship saieth he created in christ Iesu vnto good workes whiche God hath prepared that we shoulde walke in them So that it is most manifest what impudent and vnshamefast lyers and slaunderers the papistes their ad herentes are vpō god his preachers and his mynysters for neyther they nor none other at any time hard any other doctrine out of anye of those preachers mouthes whome it hath pleased them to cal new preachers but thei and their doctrine I meane the papistes maye be called this dayes bakinge in comparyson of the auncienty of y ◠doctrine whiche is taughte by those newe felowes then this that I haue aboue written Which in dede most aboundantly and plentifully is setts forthe in this little booke bothe godlyly and learnedly Where by it maye well be perceyued that though the tyme of darkenes hath bene muche in the world by reason the same hath bene so obfuscated and ouer whe◅ed with the dyrtye tradicions of wicked men that the light and puryty of god his ghospel coulde not shine yet was it not hidde from all men but at al times and in all ages there euer haue bene some that sawe and knewe the trueth and left the same in wrytyng to their posterity as appeareth by this little worke whiche came to my handes written and when I had red the same considerynge the antiquytye thereof I remembred the aunswere of God made to Elyas the Prophete 3. Reg. 19. I haue lefte me sayeth God 7000. men in Israell whose knees neuer vowed before Baall nor kyssed hym with hys mouth So that god alwayes as appereth thoughe they be not taken of the worldlynges hath his churche and people in the worlde thoughe in dede they be very few and so haue alwayes bene in respecte of the contrarye parte and oftentymes exercised vnder the Crosse and afflyeted by the worlde For if we should consider the estate condicion of gods church from the beginnyng of the world euē vntyll our time we shal perceiue y e same alwaies to be very few in comparison of the residue of the world and that for the most part afflyeted for anon after that Adam and Eue were cast out of paradice Genes 3. Dyd not wicked Caine kyll iust Abel Genes 4. And after as the worlde increased so did wickednesse habounde and synne wared rife and God so put in oblyuion that 1556. yeares after the creatyon of the world in the whiche the deluge or vniuersall floode came whereby all the world was drowned there was no more found God his people and God his churche in all the worlde but eight persōs that is to saye Noy his wife his 3. sonnes and theyr wyues which were saued and skaped the floode As appeareth in Genes the 7. And after the floode was passed Noy and his housholde come out of the arke the worlde beyng deuided among his thre sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphethe and that the people began eftsones to multiplye and increase the worlde was so forgrowē in wickednes that there was none found that truely worshipped god but Phare Abrahams father and his housholde as may appeare to the diligent reader from the. 9. to the. 12. of Genes and after the death of Phare god called Abraham from among the chaldeis least he shoulde haue him plucked from the true worshipping of god to idolatry which then was ryfe among the Chaldeyans and flowed also ouer all the worlde Abraham obeyed god his calling toke with him his wife Sara al his houshold and Lot his brothers son and so departed from Haram where Abrahams father dyed into the lande of Canaan which afterward his posteritie enioyed after muche tribulacion as from the 12. of Genes and so the 5. bokes of Moyses and Iosue is plainlye sette forth and at large dyscribed And so to see the whole course of the bible from Abrahams comming from among the Chaldeys vnto Moyses departure ◅ute of Egipt with the people of Israel his rule of theym in the wildernesse what trauaile and rebellyon he had amonges them and so to Iosua who was there guyde to the promysed lande in whose tyme the true and pure religion of god florished emōgst them and from Iosues tyme the manner of the gouernance of their common welth vnder Iudges and from Iudges vnto kinges and from kinges vnto priestes after the captiuytye of Babylon euen vntill Christes tyme. And it shall be well perceyued that euen amonge the Iewes being gods peculyar people all the world besides being altogether geuen to ydolatry and knowing not god that God hys people were alwayes the least in number and the true worshippinge of God was in very fewe And that alwaies the greater sort and more in number were suche as folowynge their owne dreames inuencyons forsoke the true worshippinge of God and with most cruelty put to death the professors thereof and slue the prophetes which tolde them Gods will rebuked their sinnes and ydolatry as in the sacred Scriptures is most plentifully described As for ensample Of syx hundreth thousande which came out of Egipte vnder Moyses there entred but two namely Iosue and Caleb into the land of promis And when that Moyses by the cōmandement of god sent forth 12. of y e people of Israel out of eche tribe one to vew the promysed lande After they hadde bene out 40. dayes and retourned of the 12. which were sent two parsons onely that is to say Iosue and caleb tolde the trueth and tenne of the twelue were lyers and perswaded the people from going into the lande whiche god had promised Ye and such hurly burly was amongste them that not onely Moyses and Aaron but also Iosue Caleb the true messengers were like to be stoned and would haue made themselues capitaines and so haue returned back into Egipt What plague folowed them rede the place Nume 13. Not one of theym entred the lande no more any rebellours againste God hys truth and his true preachers which are signified by Iosue caleb shal enter into our promised land which is the king dom of heauen purchased by y ◠precious death and bloudshedding of y ◠immaculate lambe Iesus christ our onely sauiour aduocate again was not Micke as y e prophet of god against 400. false prophets of Baall whiche promised Achab victory i
Farther another euident and sure token to know whether thy soule be lyuely or dead Thou hast desceiued and falsely begiled thy brother in god now hath thy sowle a deadly wounde and yet thou art nothinge sorye for it but reioysest at it as though thou haddest won great aduantage or lucre Knowe for truth that in this case thy soul is dead the body is not aliue whē it can not fele a litle pricking and thynkest thou that thy sowle is a liue when it perceueth not so gret a wounde When you here a man customably blasphemig the name of god hautely and proudely dysdayning the dedes and behauiour of other vsinge vncleane and fylthy communication misiudginge and hynderynge the name of his brother Know for troth that his soule is dead The rotten and stinkyng carion lieth buried in the bo tome of his brest fro whense such stinkinge and poysoned sauours a ryse that they infecte and poyson all the hearers Christ in the gospell calleth the pharise is painted sepulcres because they caryed in their freshe colored bodies stynking and dead soules The bodies of good and vertuous men be the temples of the holy ghoste The bodies of vicious people be the sepulcres of caryons As Dauid witnesseth in the psalm Their bo dies are great and open sepulcres for that they haue deceyued theyr bretherne and lyed wythe theyr tounges And surely there is nothing so dead as is the soule whē it fallith from Chryste Ne no carion so stincking in the noses of mē as a deade sowle is abhominable in the syghte of god Then when dedly wordes procedyth from the soule the soule must nedes be cary on and dead For Christ saieth as the harte thinketh so the mouthe speaketh And surely yf the verye life of the soule which is god wer in the soule then should the mouth speake godly and liuely wordes The disciples of Christ as it ap◅rethe in the gospell sayde vpon a time to hym lord thy wordes ben all lyuely and the words of christ were all lyuely bycause they procedid fro that sowle from the whi che the godhed neuer depart◅ If the body be sycke it is by phisicke sone restored to his olde healthe often times dead bodies by the instance and prayer of holy and vertuous men be restoryd agayne to life But if the soule be once dead nothing can reuiue it but only the louyng and mercifull goodnes of oure sauiour Iesu Chryst which helpeth not ne restoreth the sowle to lyfe if it in sinne departe from the bodie Furthermore the death of the body is shortely fynyshed but the death of the sowle is euer lastinge and when it is in maner more than deadde yet in felynge of deathe it is immortall Then sythe oure battel is thus daungerous what dulnesse what Idlenes what pokishenes of minde is this nothing to regard ne feare so many ieoperdies and feareful perils And though we be thus on euerye side with enemies greuously compassid yet is there no cause why that other the greatnes of perill the multitude of enemyes their mighty and muche strength or dysceyuable doblenes shoulde to much impalle or abashe our corage for thoughe our aduersaries be very stronge and myscheuous yet is oure louinge ayde and dyligent capytayne Christ more strōg and myghty than they all For as Saynt Paule sayth if Christ be of oure part who can preuayle agaynst vs If he assist and help vs who shall ouercome vs conceyue then a suere hope of victorye and diligently remember that thine enemies hath in tyme past bin sore beaten confoundyd spoyled and plainlie ouerthrowne of vs. But by the might of our captain christ of whom no dought if we be faith full he shalbe ouercome againe in vs inforce and laboure that thou be of the body and in vertu pow er of thy head thou shalt and may do all thigs Thou art in thy selfe very weake and feble but in thy head very myghty stronge and therfore the ende of our battel is not doubtful and vncertaine For asmuche as the victory dependeth not on fortun but is vtterly in the hand and power of god and by hi in oure power and might also He that effectually myndethe and desyreth victory shal ouercom The gentelnes and redynes of our cartaine neuer faileth make not thy selfe then vnworthy of his goodnes and fauour and thou shalt ouercome He shal fight for the and accepte his liberality for thy merite yet reason wold that thou refer the victory wholly receiuyd of hym Whiche fyrst and only pure from all synne oppressed the tyrany of sinne But this victory can not be obtayned wythoute thyne owne diligence For he that saieth trust in me I haue ouercome the worlde will that thou be coragious and nothing slouthfull and so through his help thou shalt haue victory yf thou fyght accordinge as he hathe geuen ensample And therfore betwene too extreme ieoperdyes thou muste obserue and kepe the mene course that thou to muche truste not to the mercye of god and doe nothynge ne to sone geue ouer ouercome with hardenes of battell Of the armour fyt for a christian souldiour ANd for as much as no batel can be maynteined without conuenyent armoure I thinke it necessari that we first know what kynde of armoure is most fyt for euery christian souldier Then our armoure known that it be alway in a redines and at hand least our disceytful ennemie whiche continually lyethe in a wayte take vs vnprouidyd and so ouercome vs. In this wordely battelles menne oft tymes be at rest and quietnes the batel not parfectly endid But in this spiritual battels is perpetual fyght no rest ne quietenes so longe as the sowle is in the body And therefore we must alwaie be in readenes alway wakinge in armoure For our enemies neuer resteth but when he is most quiet and fayneth truce and she with as he wold flye then is he most busy to doo most mischiefe therfore the chefe and special care must be that the sowle be neuer vnarined you see daily how deligently we arme and defende the body what tyme we haue busynes or Iorney to be done that we maye be more able to withstande all suche ennemies and troubles as maye fortune by the waye shall we nat then much more prouyde that our sowles be in saftye oure enemyes alwayes be armed and ready to destroy vs and shal we by negligence for slothe not be suere that wee peryshe nat but as concerning the armure most nedeful for euerye chrystian soldier I shall more specially speake in hys peculyar and proper place And in the mean season som what generally to talke of them there be ii kyndes of armours or weapons most requisite for euery man that shall fight with the mischeuous company or army of sine which as S. Paul saith is praier knowledge or lerning with the which he aduiseth vs alway with out intermyssyon to