liue according therunto such a man clerely deceiueth himself seeth not hys awn harte if he thinketh y t he either knoweth god loueth him feareth him or trusteth in him Some peraduēture phātasie in themselfes y t thei belōg to God althouh they lyue in synne so they come to y e Church shewe thēselfes as Gods dere childrē But s Ihō sayth plaīly if we saie y t we haue any company with God and walke in darkenesse we do lye Other doo vainly thīke that thei know loue God although they passe not of his cōmaundementes But s. Ihon saieth clerely he y t saieth I know God kepeth not hys cōmaūdementes he is a liar Some falsly perswade thēselfes y t thei loue God whē they hate their neighbors But s. Ihon saieth manifestly if any mā say I loue god yet hateth his brother he is a liar He that saieth y t he is in the light hateth his brother he is stil ī darkenesse He y t loueth his brother dwelleth in the light but he y t hateth hys brother is in darkenesse walketh in darkenesse and knoweth not whether he goeth for darkenesse hath blynded hys eyes And moreouer he saieth hereby we manifestly knowe the childrē of God from the children of the deuill He that doeth not righteously is not the childe of God nor he that hateth hys brother Deceiue not your selfes therfore thinkynge that you haue faith in God or that you loue God or do truste in hym or do feare hym when you lyue in sinne for then your vngodly sinfull life declareth y e contrary whatsoeuer ye saye or thinke It perteineth to a christian man to haue this true christian fayth and to trye himself whether he hath it or no to knowe what belongeth to it how it doeth worke in hym It is not the worlde that we can trust to ▪ the world and all that is therin is but vanitie It is God that muste be oure defence and protection against all tēptacion of wickednesse sinne errors supersticiō ydolatrie al euill If al the world were on our side God agaīst vs what could y ◠worlde auaile vs Therfore let vs set our whole fayth and trust in God neither the worlde the deuil nor al y e power of thē shal preuayle agaynst vs. Let vs therfore good christiā people trie examyne our faith what it is let vs not flatter our selfes but loke vpō our woorkes and so iudge of our fayth what it is Christe hīself speaketh of this matter saieth The tree is knowen by the fruicte Therefore let vs doo good workes therby declare our faythe to be y e liuely christian faith Let vs by suche vertues as ought to spryng out of fayth shew our elecciō to be sure stable as s. Peter teacheth Endeuor your selfs to make your calling electiō certain by good workes And also he saieth minister or declare in youre faith vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge tēperaunce in tēperaunce paciēce again in pacience Godlinesse in Godlinesse brotherly charitie in brotherly charitie loue So shall we shew in dede y t we haue y e very liuely christiā faith may so both certefie our cōscience the better that we be in the righte faith also by these meanes cōfirme other men If these fruictes do not folowe we do but mocke with God deceiue our selfes also other mē Wel maye we beare y e name of Christiā mē but we do lacke the true faith that doeth belonge thereunto For true faithe doeth euer brynge furthe good workes as s. Iames saieth shewe me thy faythe by thy deedes Thy deedes workes must be an opē testimonial of thy fayth otherwise thy fayth beyng without good workes is but the deuils faith y e faith of y e wicked a phantasy of faith not a true christian faith And like as the deuils euil people be nothyng the better for their counterfet faith but it is vnto them the more cause of dāpnacion so thei y t be christened and haue receiued knowledge of God of Christes merites and yet of a set purpose do liue idlely without good workes thinkyng y e name of a naked faith to be either sufficiēt for thē or els settyng their mindes vpō vain pleasures of this world do liue in syn w tout repentaūce not vtteryng the fruites y t do belōg to suche an high profession vpon suche presūpteous persōs wilful synners must nedes remain y e great vengeaunce of God eternal punishmēt in hel prepared for y e deuil wicked liuers Therfore as you professe y e name of Christ good christian people let no suche phantasy and imaginacion of faith at any time beguile you but be sure of your faith trie it by your liuyng loke vpon the fruites y t commeth of it marke the increase of loue charitie by it towades God and your neighbor so shal you perceiue it to be a true liuely faith If you fele perceiue suche a faith in you reioyce in it be diligēt to maintein it and kepe it stil in you let it be daily increasing and more more by wel workyng so shal ye be sure y t you shal pleace god by this faith at the length as other faithful mē haue doen before so shal you whē his wil is come to him receiue thēde and final reward of your faith as s. Peter nameth it the saluacion of your soules the which God graunt vs that hath promised thesame vnto his faithfull To whō be al honor and glory worlde without ende Amen ¶ An Homelie or sermon of good woorkes annexed vnto faithe IN the last Sermon was declared vnto you what the liuely and true faithe of a christiā man is that it causeth not a man to be idle but to be occupied in bringyng furthe good workes as occasion serueth Now by Gods grace shalbe declared the seconde thyng that before was noted of faith that without it can no good worke be doen acceptable and pleasaunt vnto God For as a braunche cannot beare fruit of it self saith our sauior Christ except it abide in the vine so cannot you except you abide in me I am the vine and you be the braunches he that abydeth in me and I in hym he bringeth furthe muche fruit for without me you can do nothyng And S. Paule proueth that Enoche had faithe because he pleased God For without faithe saieth he it is not possible to please God And again to the Romay he saith whatsoeuer worke is doen without faith it is sinne Faith geueth life to the soule and thei bee asmuche ded to God that lacke faith as thei be to the world whose bodies lacke soules Without faith al that is doen of vs is but ded before God although the woorke seme neuer so gaie and glorious before man Euen as the picture grauen or painted is but a ded
representacion of the thyng it self and is with out life or any maner of mouyng so be the workes of all vnfaithfull persones before God Thei do appere to be liuely workes in deede thei be but ded â–ª not auailyng to the eternall life Thei bee but shadowes and shewes of liuely and good thynges and not good and liuely thynges in dede For true faith doth geue life to the workes and out of suche faith come good woorkes that be very good woorkes in dede and without it no worke is good before God as saieth saincte Augustine wee muste set not good workes before faithe nor thynke that before faithe a man maie do any good worke for suche workes although thei seme vnto men to bee praise worthy yet in deede thei bee but vain and not allowed before God Thei bee as the course of a horse that ruÌ„neth out of the waie whiche taketh great labor but to no purpose Let no man therefore saieth he reckeÌ„ vpon his good workes before his faithe Whereas faithe was not good woorkes were not the intent saieth he maketh the good workes but faith must guide and order thintent of man And Christ saith if thine iye be naught thy whole body is ful of darkenesse The iye doth signifie the intent saith sainct Augustine wherwith a man doth a thyng So that he whiche doth not his good workes with a Godly intent and a true faithe that woorketh by loue the whole body beside that is to saie all the whole nuÌ„bre of his workes is darke and there is no light in it For good deedes bee not measured by the factes theimselfes and so disseuered from vices but by the endes and intentes for the whiche thei bee doen. If a Heathen man clothe the naked fede the hongerie and do suche other like workes yet because he doth theim not in faithe for the honor and loue of God thei â—e but ded vain and fruitles workes to hym Faithe is it that dooth commende the woorke to god for as s. Augustine saith whether thou wilt or no that worke that coÌ„meth not of faithe is naught where the faith of Christ is not the fouÌ„dacion there is no good worke what buildyng soeuer we make There is one worke in y t which be al good workes that is faithe whiche worketh by charitie If thou haue it thou hast the ground of all good woorkes For the vertues of strength wisedom temperaunce iustice be al referred vnto this same faith Without this faith we haue not theÌ„ but onely the names and shadowes of them as s. Augustine saieth All the life of them that lacke the true faithe is syn and nothyng is good without hym that is the aucthor of goodnes where he is not there is but feined vertue although it be in the best workes And s. Augu. declaryng this verse of the psalme the Turtle hath found a nest where she may kepe her young birdes saith that Iewes heretiques and pagans do good workes thei clothe the naked fede the poore and do other workes of mercy but because thei be not doen in the true faithe therfore the birdes be loste But if thei remain in faith then faith is the nest and sauegard of their birdes that is to say safegard of their good workes that the reward of them be not vtterly lost And this matter whiche s. Augustin at large in many bokes disputeth s. Ambrose concludeth in fewe wordes saiyng he that by nature would withstand vice either by naturall will or reason he doth in vain garnishe the tyme of this life and atteineth not the very true vertues for without the worshippyng of the true God that whiche semeth to be vertue is vice And yet moste plainly to this purpose writeth s. Ihon Chriso in this wise you shall finde many which haue not the true faith and be not of y e flocke of Christ and yet as it appereth thei florishe in good workes of mercy You shall finde them full of pitie compassion and geuen to iustice and yet for all that thei haue no fruite of their workes because the chief worke lacketh For when the Iewes asked of Christ what thei should do to worke good workes he aunswered this is y e worke of God to beleue in hym whom he sente So that he called faithe the worke of god And assone as a maÌ„ hath faith anone he shall florish in good workes for faith of it self is full of good workes and nothyng is good without faith And for a similitude he saith that thei whiche glister and shine in good workes without faithe in God be like dead men whiche haue goodly precious toÌ„bes and yet it auaileth them nothyng Faith may not be naked without good workes for then it is no true faith and when it is adioyned to workes yet is it aboue the workes For as men that be very men in dede first haue life and after be norished so must our faithe in Christe go before after be norished with good woorkes And life maie be without norishment but norishment cannot be without life A man must nedes be norished by good workes but first he must haue faithe he that doth good deedes yet without faith he hath no life I can shew a man that by faith without workes liued cam to heaueÌ„ but without faithe neuer man had life The thiefe that was hanged when Christe suffered did beleue onely and the moste mercifull God did iustify hym And because no manne shall obiecte that he lacked tyme to doo good woorkes for els he would haue doen them truthe it is and I will not contend therin but this I will surely affirme that faithe onely saued hym If he had liued and not regarded faith and the workes thereof he should haue lost his saluacion again But this the effecte that I saie that faithe by it self saued hym but workes by theim selfes neuer iustified any man Here ye haue heard the minde of sainct Chrisostome wherby you maie perceiue that neither faith is without workes hauyng opportunitie therto nor workes can auaile to eternall life without faithe Now to procede to the third parte whiche in the former Sermon was noted of faithe that is to say what maner of workes thei be whiche spring out of true faithe and leade faithfull menne vnto eternall life this cannot bee knowen so well as by our sauior Christe hymself who was asked of a certain greate man thesame question What woorkes shall I do said a Prince to come to euerlastyng life To whom Iesus aunswered If thou wilte come to the eternall life kepe the commaundementes But the Prince not satisfied herewith asked farther whiche commaundementes The Scribes and Phariseis had made so many of their awne lawes and tradicions to bryng men to heauen besides Gods coÌ„mauÌ„dementes that this man was in doubte whether he should come to heauen by those lawes tradicions or by the lawes of God therfore he asked Christe whiche
master Christ and humbleth hymself as vnworthy to vnbuckle his showes and geueth all honor and glory to God So doth s. Paule bothe oft and euidently confesse himself what he was of himself euer geuyng as a moste faithfull seruaunt all praise to his master and sauior So doth blessed s. Ihon the Euangelist in the name of hymself and of all other holy men be they neuer so iust make this open confession if we saye we haue no synne we deceyue oure selfes and the truthe is not in vs if we knowledge our synnes God is faithful and iust to forgeue vs our synnes and to clense vs frō al vnrighteousnes if we saye we haue not sinned we make hym a liar and hys worde is not in vs. Wherfore the Wisemā in the boke called Ecclesiastes maketh this true generall confession there is not one iust man vpon the earth that doeth good and synneth not And s. Dauid is ashamed of hys synne but not to confesse his synne How oft how earnestly lamētably doth he desire gods great mercy for his great offences that God should not entre into iudgemēt with him And agayn how well weigheth thys holy man his synnes when he confesseth that they bee so many in numbre and so hid and hard to vnderstande that it is in maner vnpossible to knowe vtter or numbre them Wherfore he hauing a true earnest and depe contemplacion and consideracion of his sinnes and yet not commyng to the botome of them he maketh supplicaciō to God to forgeue him his priuy secret his sinnes to the knowledge of the which he cā not attein vnto He weigheth rightly his sinnes frō the original roote spring hed perceiuing inclinaciōs prouocaciōs stirrynges stingynges buddes braūches dregges infecciōs tastes felinges and sentes of them to continue in hym still Wherfore he saith marke behold I was cōceiued in synnes he saith not sinne but in the plural nūbre sinnes forasmuch as out of one as fountayn spryngeth all the reste And our sauior Christ saieth there is none good but God and that we can do nothyng that is good without hym nor no mā can come to the father but by hym He commaundeth vs all to saye that we be vnprofitable seruaūtes when we haue done al that we can do He preferreth the penitēt Publicane before the proude holy glorious Pharisey He calleth hymself a phisicion but not to them y t be whole but to them that be sicke and haue nede of his salue for their sore He teacheth vs in oure prayers to reknowledge our selfes sinners to aske forgeuenes and deliueraunce from all euilles at our heauenly fathers hande He declareth that the synnes of oure awne hartes do defile our awne selfes He teacheth that an euill worde or thought deserueth condempnacion affirmyng that we shall geue an accompte for euery idle worde He saieth he came not to saue but the shepe that were vtterly lost and cast away Therfore fewe of the proude iust learned wise perfect and holy Phariseis were saued by him because thei iustified themselfes by their coūterfeit holynes before men Wherefore good people let vs beware of suche hypocrisy vainglory and iustifiyng of our selfe Let vs loke vpō our fete and then doune pecockes fethers doune proude harte doune vile clay frayle and britle vessels Of our selfes we be crabbe trees that can bryng furth no apples We be of our selfes of suche yearth as can brynge furthe but wedes netles brābles briers cocle and darnell Oure fruites be declared in the ▪ v. Chap. to the Gala. We haue neither faith charitie hope pacience chastitie nor any thyng els that good is but of God therfore these vertues be called there the fruites of the holy Ghost and not the fruites of man Let vs therfore acknowledge our selfes before God as we be in dede miserable and wretched synners And let vs earnestly repent and humble our selfes hartely and crie to God for mercye Let vs all confesse with mouthe and harte that we be full of imperfeccions Let vs know our awn workes of what imperfecciō they be then we shall not stande foolishly and arrogantly in our awne conceiptes nor chalenge any part of iustificacion by our merites or workes For truly there be imperfecciōs in our best workes we do not loue God so much as we are bounde to do with all our hart mynd and power we do not feare God so muche as we ought to do we do not praye to God but with greate and many imperfeccions we geue forgeue beleue liue and hope vnperfectly we speke thinke do vnperfectly we fight agaynst the deuill the worlde and the fleashe vnperfectly Let vs therfore not be ashamed to confesse plainly our state of imperfeccion yea let vs not be ashamed to confesse imperfeccion euen in all our awne beste workes Let none of vs be ashamed to say with holy s. Peter I am a sinfull man Let vs al saye with the holy prophet Dauid we haue synned with our fathers we haue doen amisse dealt wickedly Let vs all make open cōfession with the prodigal sonne to our father and saye with hym we haue synned agaynst heauen and before the O father we are not worthy to be called thy sonnes Let vs al saye with holy Baruch O Lorde our God to vs is worthily ascribed shame and confusion to the righteousnes We haue synned we haue doen wickedly we haue behaued our selfes vngodly in all thy righteousnes Let vs al saie with the holy prophet Daniell O Lorde righteousnes belongeth to the vnto vs belongeth confusion We haue synned we haue bene naughtie we haue offended we haue fled from the we haue gone backe from al thy preceptes and iudgementes So we learne of all good men in holy scripture to humble our selfes and to exalt extoll prayse magnifie and glorifie God Thus we haue heard how euill we be of our selfes how of our selfes and by our selfes we haue no goodnes helpe nor saluaciō but cōtrariwise synne dampnacion and death euerlastynge whiche if we depely weigh consider we shall the better vnderstande the great mercy of God and how our saluacion cōmeth onely by Christ. For in our selfes as of our selfes we find nothing wherby we may be deliuered from this miserable captiuitie into the which we were caste throughe the enuie of the deuill by transgressing of Gods commaundemēt in our first parent Adam We are all become vncleane but we all are not able to clense our selfes nor to make one another of vs cleane We are by nature the childrē of Gods wrathe but we are not able to make oure selfes the children and inheritors of Gods glorye We are sheepe that ronne astraie but we cannot of our awn power come agayn to y e shepefold so great is our imperfecciō weakenes In our selfes therfore maye not we glorie which of our selfes are nothyng but synfull
woorkes by faythe onely freely we receyue remissyon of oure synnes What can be spoken more plainlye then to saye that freely withoute woorkes by fayth onely we obteyne remission of oure synnes These and other lyke sentences that we be iustifyed by fayth onelye frelye and without workes we do reade oftymes in the moste best and aūcient writers As beside Hillarye Basill sainct Ambrose before rehersed we read thesame in Origene saincte Chrisostome saincte Cypriane saincte Augustine Prosper Oecomenius Phocius Bernardus Anselme and many other aucthors Greke and Latine Neuertheles this sentence that we be iustified by fayth onely is not so meāt of them that the sayed iustifiyng fayth is alone in man without true repentaunce hope charitie dread and feare of God at any tyme or ceason Nor when they say that we be iustified frely they meane not that we should or might afterwarde be idle that nothyng should be required on oure partes afterward Neither thei meane not so to be iustified without our good workes that we shoulde do no good workes at all lyke as shalbe more expressed at large hereafter But this proposicion that we be iustifyed by faith onely frely and without workes is spoken for to take away clerely all merite of oure workes as beyng insufficient to deserue our iustificacion at Gods handes and thereby moste plainly to expresse the weakenes of man and the goodnes of God the great infirmitie of oure selfes and the myght and power of God the imperfectnes of oure awne workes and the moste aboundaunt grace of our sauior Christe And thereby whoey to ascribe the meryte and deseruing of our iustificaciō vnto Christe onely and his moste precious bludshedyng This faythe the holy scripture teacheth this is the strong rocke foundacion of Christian religion this doctryne all olde and auncient aucthors of Christes churche do approue this doctrine aduaūceth setteth furthe the true glory of Christ and suppresseth the vayne glory of man This whosoeuer denieth is not to be reputed for a true christian man not for a setter furth of Christes glory but for an aduersarye of Christe and his Gospell for a setter furth of mēnes vain-glory And although this doctrine be neuer so true as it is most true in dede that we be iustified freely without al merite of our awne good workes as S. Paule doth expresse it and freely by this liuely and perfect fayth in Christe onely as the auncient aucthors vse to speke it yet this true doctrine must be also truely vnderstande and moste plainly declared lest carnall men should take vniustly occasyon thereby to lyue carnally after the appetite and will of the world the flesh and the deuil And because no man should erre by mistakyng of this doctrine I shall plainely shortely so declare the right vnderstandyng of the same that no man shall iustly thinke that he maye therby take any occasion of carnall libertie to folowe y e desires of the flesh or that therby any kind of synne shalbe committed or any vngodly liuyng the more vsed First you shall vnderstande that in our iustificacion by Christ it is not all one thinge the office of God vnto man and the office of man vnto God Iustificacion is not the offyce of man but of God For man cannot iustifye himselfe by his awne workes neither in parte nor in the whole for that were the greatest arrogancie presumpciō of man that Antechrist could erect agaynst God to affirme that a man might by his awne workes take awaye and purge his awne synnes and so iustifie himself But iustificacion is the office of God onely and is not a thyng whiche we rendre vnto hym but whiche we receiue of him not whiche we geue to him but whiche we take of him by his free mercie by the onely merites of his moste derely beloued sonne our onely redemer sauiour and iustifier Iesus Christ. So that the true vnderstandyng of this doctrine We be iustified freely by faith without workes or that we be iustified by faithe in Christ onely is not that this our awne acte to beleue in Christe or this oure faithe in Christe which is within vs dooth iustifie vs and merite oure iustificacion vnto vs for that were to cōpte our selfes to be iustified by some acte or vertue that is within oure selfes But the true vnderstandynge and meanynge thereof is that although we heare Gods woorde and beleue it although we haue faith hope charitie repentaunce dread and feare of God within vs and do neuer so many good woorkes thereunto yet we must renounce the mertte of all our saied vertues of faith hope charitie and all our other vertues and good dedes which we either haue doen shal do or can do as thynges that be farre to weake and insufficient and vnperfecte to deserue remission of our synnes and oure iustification and therefore we must trust onely in Gods mercie and in that sacrifyce whiche our high prieste and sauior Christ Iesus the sonne of God once offered for vs vpon the crosse to obtein therby Gods grace and remission aswel of our originall synne in baptisme as of all actuall synne cōmitted by vs after oure baptisme if we truely repente and conuerte vnfainedly to hym agayn So that as sainct Ihon Baptiste although he were neuer so vertuous and Godly a man yet in this matter of forgeuyng of synne he did put the people frō hym and appoynted them vnto Christ saiyng thus vnto them Behold yonder is the lambe of GOD whiche taketh awaye the synnes of the world Euen so as greate and as Godly a vertue as the liuely fayth is yet it putteth vs from it self remitteth or appointeth vs vnto Christ for to haue only by him remission of oure synnes or iustification So that our fayth in Christ as it were saieth vnto vs thus It is not I that take awaye your synnes but it is Christ onely and to him onely I send your for that purpose renoūcyng therein all your good vertues woordes thoughtes and woorkes and onely puttyng your trust in Christe Thus you do se that the very true sense of thys proposicion We be iustifyed by faythe in Christe onely accordyng to the meanyng of the old auncient aucthors is this we put oure faithe in Christe that we be iustifyed by hym onely that we be iustified by Gods free mercie and the merites of our sauior Christe onely and by no vertue or good worke of our awne that is in vs or that we can be able to haue or to do for to deserue thesame Christ hymself onely beyng the cause meritorious thereof Here you perceiue many woordes to be vsed to auoyd cōtencion in wordes with them that delighte to braule aboute woordes and also to shewe the true meaning to auoyde euill talking misunderstandyng And yet peraduenture all wyll not serue with theim that be contencious but cōtenders will euer forge matter of contencion euen when thei haue none occasiō thereto Notwithstandyng such
and ioye with GOD for euer To whome be laude honor and imperie for euer euer AMEN ¶ An Homelie of Christian Loue and Charitie OF all thynges that be good to bee taught vnto christian people there is nothynge more necessarye to bee spokē of and dayely called vpon then charitie aswell for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decay therof is the ruyne of the worlde the banishmēt of vertue and the cause of all vice And for so muche as almoste euery mā maketh and frameth to hymself charitie after hys awne appetite howe detestable soeuer his lyfe be both vnto God man yet he perswadeth hymself stil that he hath charitie therfore you shall heare now a true playn descripcion of Charitie not of mennes imaginaciō but of the very woordes and example of our sauior Iesus Christ. In which descripcion euery mā as it were in a glasse maye considre himself se plainly without error whether he be in the true Charitie or not Charitie is to loue God with al our harte al our lyfe and all our powers and strength With all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynd and studye be set to beleue his worde to trust in him and to loue hym aboue al other thynges that we loue best in heauen or in yearth With al your lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye delight be set vpon him his honor our whole lyfe geuē vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges with hym to lyue dye and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or daughter house or lāde more then me sayeth Christ is not worthy to haue me With all our powers that is to saye that with our handes fete with our eyes and eares our mouthes tongues and with all other partes powers both of body soule we should be geuen to the kepyng fulfillyng of his cōmaundementes This is the fyrste principall parte of charitie but it is not the whole for charitie is also to loue euery man good euil frende foo and whatsoeuer cause be geuē to the cōtrary yet neuertheles to beare good wil and harte vnto euery man to vse our selfes wel vnto them aswell in woordes countenaunce as in all our outwarde actes and deedes For so Christ himself taught so also he performed in dede Of the loue of God he taught in thys wyse vnto a doctor of the law that asked hym which was the great and chiefe commaundemente in the lawe Loue thy Lord God saied Christ with all thy hart with all thy lyfe and with al thy mynde And of the loue that we ought to haue emōg our selfes eche to other he teacheth vs thus you haue heard it taught in tymes paste thou shalt loue thy frende and hate thy foe but I tell you loue youre enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you speake euill of you do well to theim that hate you praye for them that vexe and persetute you that you maye be the chyldren of your father that is in heauē For he maketh hys sunne to ryse both vpon the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to iuste and vniuste For yf you loue them that loue you what rewarde shall you haue Do not the Publicans likewyse And if you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derebeloued frendes what great matter is that Do not the Heathen thesame also These be the very woordes of our sauior Christ himself touchyng the loue of our neighbor And for asmuche as the Phariseis with their moste pestilente tradicions false interpretacions gloses had corrupted and almost clerely stopped vp this pure wel of Gods liuely worde teachyng that this loue and charitie perteyned onely to a mannes frendes that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them which do loue hym to hate his fooes therfore Christ opened thys welle agayn pourged it scoured it by geuyng vnto his Godly lawe of charitie a true clere interpretacion which is this that we ought to loue euery mā both frende and fooe addyng thereto what commoditie we shal haue thereby and what incōmoditie by doynge the contrary What thyng can we wishe so good for vs as the eternall heauenly father to repute take vs for hys chyldren And this shal we be sure of sayeth Christe if we loue euery man withoute exception And if we doo otherwyse saieth he we be no better then the Phariseis Publicans Heathen and shal haue our rewarde with them that is to be excluded from the number of Gods electe chyldren and from hys euerlastynge inheritaunce in heauen Thus of true Charitie Christ taught that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue all thynges and to loue euery man frend fooe And thus likewyse he did vse hymselfe exhortynge hys aduersaries rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes and when he coulde not amende them yet he prayed for them Firste he loued God hys father abouee all thinges so muche that he soughte not hys awne glory wil but the glory and wyl of hys father I seke not said he myne awne wyl but the wyl of hym that sent me Nor he refused not to dye to satisfie his fathers wil saiyng if it maye be let this cuppe of death go frō me if not thy wyll be doen and not myne He loued not onely hys frendes but also hys enemyes which in their hartes bare exceeding great hatred agaīst hym in their tongues spake all euill of hym and in their actes and dedes pursued hym with all their might and power euen vnto death Yet al this notwithstandynge he withdrewe not hys fauor from them but styll loued them preached vnto theim of loue rebuked theyr false doctryne theyr wycked liuyng and did good vnto them paciently accepting whatsoeuer they spake or did agaynst hym When they gaue hym euill woordes he gaue none euyll agayn when they did stryke hym he did not smyte agayne when he suffered death he dyd not sle them nor threaten them but prayed for them and referred all thinges to hys fathers wyl And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slayn and as a lambe y t is shorne of hys fleese make no noyse nor resistēce euē so wente he vnto his death without any repugnaunce or openynge of his mouth to saye any euil Thus haue I described vnto you what charitie is aswel by y e doctryne as by the exāple of Christ himself Wherby also euery man maye without error know hymself what state and condiciō he standeth in whether he be in Charitie so the chyld of the father in heauen or not For althoughe almoste euery man perswadeth hymself to be in charitie yet let hym examine none other man but his awne hart his life conuersacion and he shal not be deceiued