stycke nor cut teachynge deed workes without fayth loue whiche are the life y e hole goodnes of al workes the only thynge why they please God And therfore their audieÌ„ce abode euer carnal fleshly mynde without fayth to god loue to theyr neyboures Christes wordes were spirite and life Io. vi That is to say they ministred spirite and lyfe and entred into the harte and grated on the coÌ„science and thorowe preachynge the lawe made the herars perceyue theyr dutyes euen what loue they ought to God and whAt to man the right daÌ„pnacion of al them that had nat the loue of God man written iÌ„ their hartes and thorow preachyng of fayth made al y t coÌ„sented to the lawe of god â—ele the mercy of God is Christ and certefyed theÌ„ of theyr saluacion â—or y e word of god is a two edged swerde that perceth and deuydeth the spirite and soule of man a sonder Hebre 4. A man before the preaching of Goddes worde is but one man all fleshe the soule consentyng vnto the lustes of the fleshe to folowe them but the swerde of the worde of God where it taketh effecte diuideth a man in two and setteth hym â—t variaunce agaynst his owne selfe The fleshe â—alynge one way and the spirite drawynge a â—other y e flesh ragyng to folowe lustes the â—pirite callynge backe agayne to folowe the â—awe and wyll of God A man al the whyle he â—oÌ„senteth to the fleshe and before he be borne â—gayne in Christ is called soule or carnal But when he is renewed in Christ thorowe y e word of lyfe and hath the loue of God and of his neyboure and the fayth of Christe wrytten in his harte he is called spirite or spirituall The lorde of all mercye sende vs preachers with power that is to say true expounders of the worde of god and spekers to the harte of man deliuer vs from Scribes Phareseyes ypocrites and all false prophetes Amen ☜ †☞ w. T. ⧠The table whiche shall sende you to all thynges conteyned in this boke The table ALmose prayer and fastyng are inseperable Folio lxxvii s ii Anointe the heed what it is fo 76. s i Almose prayer and fastynge howe necessarye Fo. lxxvii s ii Aduoutrye ⧠⧠fo xxxix s ii Angrye Howe a man may be angrye and synne nat Folio xxv s ii Absolucion Goddes couenaunt is a sure absolucion Fo. lxxi s ii ⧠Baptyme Folio lxxiiii s ii Breade daylye breade Fo. lxv s ii Baptyme the ryght baptyme what fo ix s i. Beame Fo. xciii s i. Belefe To beleue in God what it is fo xcv s i Beleuers without workes and workers without fayth are buylt on sande fo C.vii. s ii †Ceremonies must be salted Fo. xxv s ii Couetousnes what a pestileÌ„ce it is fo 81. s i Care Folio xc s i. Couenaunt kepe couenaunt with God and he shall kepe promyse with the. fo lxxxix s i Couetousnes causeth darkenes Fo. 84. s i. Cursed most accursed who Fo xxiii s ii Care Fo. lxxxviii s i. Couetousnes maketh a false prophete Folio lxxxiii s i. Couetousnes maketh the salt of goddes word vnsauery Fo. lxxxiii s i. Churche of Christe what Fo. ix s i. Clothynge shepes clothynge what fo C. s ii Ceremonyes Folio xciii s ii Ceremonyes He that breaketh vnite for zele of ceremonies vnderstandeth nat the lawe Folio xciii s i. Couetousnes can nat but erre fo lxxxi s ii Care what care euery man ought to haue Folio xci s i. Care what care is forboden fo xci s i Churche what fo 31 s i. Chambre To shut thy chambre dore what it meaneth fo lxiii s ii Couenaunt Goddes couenaunt is a sure absolucion Folio lxxi s ii Couenaunt fo 71. s ii Couetousnes Fo. lvi s ii Cheke To turne the other cheke what it meaneth Fo. lxvii s ii Couetousnes By couetousnes is a false prophete knowen fo xiii s i. Couetousnes is contrary to the worde of god and to the ministres of the lawe Fo 13. s i †Darckenes all knowledge is darkenes tyl the knowledge of Christes passion be in the harte Fo. xxvi s ii Doctrine False doctrine is cause of euell workes fo xxix s ii Doctrine True doctrine is cause of good workes fo 29. s ii Dogges ☜ †☞ fo xciiii s i. Darckenes Fo. lxxxiii s i. fo 84. s ii Dogges loue nat the lawe fo viii s i. Darckenes Fayth in workes is darckenes fo lxxxiiii s ii †Darckenes Fo. 85. s i. Doutes Howe to assoyle doutes fo xcvii s ii Fayth The office of fayth Fol. x. s ii Fayth fo C xiiii s i. fo lxxvi s ii Fayth is our victorie fo xiiii s ii Fayth the differeÌ„ce of faythes howe it is to be vnderstande fayth iustifieth fo viii s ii Fayth Fo. lxxiiii s ii Fayth of swyne what fo viii s ii Fayth maketh the worke good acceptable fo C.iii. s i Fayth loue and hope are inseperable in this lyfe fo v s ii Fayth iustifieth what it meaneh fo lxxiii s ii Fayth in workes is darckenes fo lxxxiiii s ii Fayth and the lawe be of contrary operacioÌ„s folio 3. s i. Fayth is the kernell of all our good workes folio C.iii. s i. Fayth hope charite are iÌ„seperable fo x. s i Faythe true fayth is coupled with loue to the lawe fol. 8. s i. False prophetes what theyr wickednes is folio xcvi s i. False prophetes howe to knowe where they be fo C.vi s ii ⧠⧠Fastynge is nat in eatynge and drinkynge onlye fol lxxvii s ii Fast howe the Iewes dyd fast fo lxxx s i Fastynge the true entent is awaye in the popes fast â–ª ⧠†⧠fo lxxx s i. Ferthynge the last ferthynge fo xxxviii s ii †Glorie he that seketh his owne glorie teacheth his owne doctrine and nat his masters Folio 31 s ii fo 32. s i. Glorie he that seketh his owne glory altereth his masters message Folio xxxii s i. ¶ Hate whan a man may hate his neyboure Folio xxxvii s ii Henry the seconde fo xiiii s ii Herted Impure herted who fo 20. s i. Hope the office of hope· fo xii s i. Honoure to honoure the name of God what Folio lxvii s ii Hundred folde fo xvi s i. Handy craftes are Goddes commaundement Folio C. iiii· s i Holynes of ypocrites fo C.v. s ii ☞ Iustifye Fayth iustifyeth what it meaneth Folio· lxxiii s ii Impure herted who fo xx s i Iudgynge what Iudgynge is rebuked Folio xcii s ii Ignoraunce excuseth nat fo C.vi s ii ☞ Keye what it is· Folio 2. s· ii Kynges ought to be lerned fo xxvii s ii Kyngedome of heuen what fo lxxxix s ii Kynge Iohan. fo xiiii s ii Kyngdome of heuen what it is fo ii s i. ⧠Lawe Folio· xlv s ii Lawe the lawe is restored fo xxxv s i Lawe what her office is fo 2. s ii Lawe
neuer reste on the erthe and to haue thy dayes shortened therto God hathe promysed if thou he meke and soft and soffer a lytle persecucyon to geue the not onely the lyfe to come but also an hundred folde here in this lyfe that is to say to geue the hys owne selfe and to be thy protector and to minyster the euer ynough whiche may of right be called an hundred folde and that is a treasure passynge the treasure of al prynces Fynally Chryste teacheth here howe euery man muste lyue for hym selfe amonge them to whom he is a neyghboure and in pryuat matters in whiche he is but as a neyboure thoughe he be a kynge and in whiche thou canste not be to softe But and yf thou be an offycer then thou must be good kynde and mercyful but not a mylkesoppe and neegligent As to whom thou art a father them muste thou rule and make obay and that with sharpenes if softenes wyll not be harde and so in all other offyces Blessed are they that honger and thyrste for ryghtwysnesse for they shalbe fulfylled Ryghteousnes in thys place is not taken for the pryncypall ryghtuousnes of a chrysten man thorowe which the person is good and accepted before God For these .viii. poyntes are but doctryne of the frutes and workes of a chrysten man before whiche the faythe muste be there to make ryghteous without all deseruynge of workes and as a tre out of which al suche frutes and workes muste sprynge wherfore vnderstande here the outwarde ryghteousnes before the worlde and true and faythful dealynge eche with other and iuste executynge of the offyces of all maner degrees and meke obedyence of all that are vnder power So that the meanynge is happy are they whiche not onely do theyr dutyes to all men but also studye and helpe to the vttermoste of theyr power with worde deade councel and exortynge that all other deale trulye also aceordynge to the degre that euery man beareth in the wolde be as desyerous to further good order order and ryghtuous dealynge as the hongrye and thyrsty be desyrous to eate and drynke And not that it is not for naught that he sayth hongre and thurst For excepte thy soule hongre and thyrste for thys ryghteuosnes of her newe nature as the bodye dothe for meate and drynke of hys olde nature the deuell and the chyldren of thys worlde whiche can not soffer that a man ether deale truly hym selfe or helpe other wyll so resyste the plage the and so wery the that thou haddeste leuer of very mystruste and desperacion that ought shulde be better forsake al and make thy selfe a monke or a fryer ye and to ronne into a straunge contrey and leue all thy freÌ„des then to abyde in the world and to let it chose whether it wyl synke or swyme But to comforte vs that we faynte not or be wery of wel doynge Chryste promyseth that all that haue thys thruste and hongre shall haue theyr lust satysfied and be traÌ„slated into a kyngdome where none vnryghtwysnes is be sydes y t thou shalt here and se at leÌ„gth many come to the ryghtway and helpe with the and many thynges that cannot be al together meÌ„ded yet somewhat better more tolerable so that all ryghtwysnes shal not be quenched And contrary wyse cursed be all they that are full as Luke in the .vi. saythe â— that is to saye they pocrytes whiche to auoyde all laboure so rowe care comberaunce and sofferynge with theyr bretheren get them to dennes to lyue at rest and to fyll theyr belyes the wealth of other men not regarded No it were a grefe to them that other were better that they alone maye be taken for holye and that who so euer wyl to heuen must bye it of them ye they be so ful that they compare them selues to other poore synners and loâ—â— as narowly on them as the phareseye dyd on the publycane thankynge God that he alone was good and the other euell Cursed are they yet for al their fulnes for they shal honger with euerlastynge honger where none shall geue them to eate nor they haue any refresshynge of theyr paynes To be mercyfull is to haue compassyon and to feale a nother mannes desease and to mourne with them that mourne and soffer with them that soffer and to helpe and socoure them that are in trybulacyon and aduersyte and to comforte them with good councell and wholsome instruccyon and louynge wordes And to be mercyfull is louyngly to forgeue them that offended the assone as they knowledge theyr mysdoynge and axe the mercy To be mercefull is pacyently longe to abyde the conuersyon of synners with a lusty courage and hope that God wyl at the last conuerte them and in the meane tyme to praye instauntlye for them and euer when he seythe an occasyon to exhorte them warne them monyshe them and rebuke them And to be mercyfull is to enterprete all to the best to loke thorowe the fyngers at many thynges and not to make a greuous synne of euery small tryfle and to soffer and forbere in hys owne cause the malyse of them that wyll not repente nor be a knowen of theyr wekednes as longe as he can soffer it and as longe as it ought to be soffred and when he can no lenger then to complayne to them that haue auctoryte to forbyde wronge and to punyshe suche euell doers But the ypocrytes clene contrary condempne all them for greuous synners saue them onely that bye theyr holynes of them And because they wyll soffer with no man they get them to sylence And because they wyll helpe no man â—ll that they haue they saye partayneth to the couent and is none of theyrs And yf they be offended they wyll be aduenged immedyatly And to cloke that they shulde not seme to aduenge them selues the mater saye they paâ—tayneth to God and holy churche or to some saynte or to one or other holye thynge as if thou smyte one of them on the one cheke he wyll turne to hym the other yer he wyll aduenge hym selfe But the iniurye of the holye Oyle wherewith he was anoynted that muste he aduenge and that with a spyrytuall punyshmente that thou muste be accursed as blacke as a colyer and delyuered to Sathan And yf thou come not in and axe absolucyon and offer thy selfe to penaunce and to paynge therto they wel not soffer tyll the deuell fetche the. But wyll delyuer the to the fyer in the meane tyme. And al for zele of ryghtwysnes say they O ypocrytes the Zele of ryghtwysnes is to hongre and thryste for ryghteousnes as it is aboue descrybed that is to care and study and to do the vttermoste of thy power that all thynges went in the right course and due order bothe thorowe all degrees of the temporalty and also of the spyrytualty and to Ieoperde lyfe and goodes theron Al the worlde
come out of Egypte The Moabites and Ammonites hyred Balam to curse them and begyle thē with their women and made a great plage amonge them These lyke nacyons were perpetual enemyes to theyr lande which God had gyuen them and also of y e name of God and of their fayth For which cause they not onely myght lawfully but were also bound to hate thē and to study theyr destruccion agayne howe be it they myght not yet hate the sayed nacyons such as were conuerted to theyr faythe Nowe by the reason of such textes as commaunded to hate the comune enemyes of theyr contrye and of God and his lawe and of theyr fayth the pharyseys doctryne was that a man myght lawfully hate all hys pryuate enymyes without excepcion nor was bound to do them good And yet Moyses sayth Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thyne harte And agayne thou shalt not aduenge thy selfe nor bere hate in mynde agaynst the chyldren of thy people And yf thyne enemyes asse synke vnder hys burthen helpe to lyfte hym vp agayne and yf hys oxe or asse go a straye brynge them home agayne which all no doute the pharyseys dyd enterprete for good councell but for no preceptes wherfore Chryst salteth theyr doctryne and proueth that a man is bounde both to loue and to do good to hys enemye and as a naturall sone though hys brethren be neuer so euel yet to loue them and shewe them kyndnesse for hys fathers sake and to studye to amende them what hast thou to reioyse of yf thy relygyon be not better then the religion of theues For theues loue amonge themselues and so do the couetouse of the worlde as the vsurars and publycans whiche bought in greate the emperoures trybute and to make theyr moste aduauntage dyd ouer sette the people Naye it is not ynough for the to loue thy benefactoures onely as monkes and freres do and them of thyne owne cote and order or the brethren of thyne owne Abbaye onely for amonge some ther loue stretcheth no further and that shall he that is remoued out of another cloysture thyther well fynde ye and in some places charyte reacheth not at all the celles of the same cloysture and to all the monkes that were professed in the same place But lyfte vp thyne eyes vnto thy heuenly father and as thy father doth so do thou loue al thy fathers chyldrē He mynystreth sonne and rayne to good and badde by which two vnderstande all hys benefytes For of the heate and dryeth of the sonne and colde and moyst of the rayne sprynge al thynges that are necessary to the lyfe of man Euen so prouoke thou and drawe thyne euell brethren to goodnes with pacyence with loue in worde and dede and pray for them to hym that is able to make thē better and to conuerte them And so thou shalt be thy fathers natural son perfecte as he is perfecte The text sayth not ye shalbe as perfecte as God But perfecte after his ensample To be perfecte y e scrypture is not to be a monke or a fryer or neuer to syn For chryst teacheth not here monkes or fryers but hys dyscyples and euery Chrysten man and woman And to be in thys lyfe al to gether without syn is impossyble But to be perfect is to haue pure doctryne without false opinyons and that thyne hart be to folowe that lernynge FINIS ¶ An exposycyon of the syxte Capiter TAke hede to your almose that ye do it not before men to be sene of them or els ye get no rewarde of youre father which is in heuen Therfore when thou gyueste almose make not a trompet to be blowen before the as the ypocrytes do in the synagoges and in the streates to be praysed of men Verely I say vnto you they haue theyr rewarde But thou when thou gyuest almose let not thy lefte hande knowe what thy ryght hāde doth that thyne almose may be in secrete And then thy father whiche seeth in secrete shal rewarde the openly As he rebuked theyr doctryne aboue euen so here he rebuketh theyr workes for out of deuelyshe doctryne can sprynge no godly workes But what workes rebuketh he Verelye such as God in the scrypture commaūdeth and without whiche no man can be a chrysten man euen prayer fastynge and almose dede For as the scrypture corrupt with gloses is no more Goddes worde euen so the dedes cōmaunded in the scrypture when the entent of them is peruerted are no more godlye dedes what sayde the scrybes and pharyseys of hym thynke ye when he rebuked suche maner of workes No doute as they sayde when he rebuked theyr false gloses howe he destroyed the lawe and the prophetes interpretyng the scripture after the lyterall sence ▪ whiche kylleth and after hys owne brayne cleane contrarye to the comune fayth of the holy chyrche and myndes of great clerkes and autentyke exposycions of olde holye doctoures Euen so here what other coulde they saye then Beholde the heretyke and dyd not we tell you before wherto he wolde come and that he kepte some myschefe behynde and spued not out all hys venome attonce see to what al his godly newe doctryne that sounded so swetly is come he preached all of loue and wolde haue the people saued by fayth so longe tyl y t nowe at the last he preached clene agaynst all dedes of mercy as prayer fastynge and almose dede and destroyeth al good workes Hys dyscyples faste no more then d◠〈◊〉 they despyce theyr dyuyne seruyce and come not to churche ye and yf the holyest of al saynt Fraunces order axe them almes they byd hym laboure with his handes and gete hys lyuynge and saye that he that laboureth not is not worthy to eate and that God bade that no suche stronge loboures shulde loyter and go a beggynge and be chargeable to the congregacyon and eate vp that other pore men gete with the swete of theyr bodies ye and at the last ye shal see yf we resyste him not be tymes that he shal moue the people to insurreccyon as Cayphas sayd and the Romaynes shall come and take our lande from vs. As ye se in the texte Luke 13. Howe when they coulde not dryue y e people from hym with these persuasyons they accused hym to Pylate sayenge we haue founde thys felowe peruertyng the people and forbyddyng to pay trybute to Cesar and saynge that he is Chryste a kynge wherfore thou canst not be Cesars frend yf thou let hī escape But after al these blasphemies yet must the holy ghost rebuke y e world of their ryghtwisnes ye of theyr false ryghtwysnes and false holynes which are nether ryghtwysnes or holynes but coloure of ypocresye Christ here destroyeth not prayer fastynge and almose dede But preacheth agaynste the false purpose and entent of suche workes and peruertynge the true vse that is to saye theyr sekynge of glorye and that they estemed them selues righteouse therby and better then other men and so
bloude and in the promyses made vs for his sake dothe brynge ryghtwysnesse into the harte And the ryghtwysnes of the harte by fayth is felt and knowen by the worke As Peter in the fyrst of his seconde epystle commaundeth to do good workes for to make our vocacyoÌ„ and election sure that we myght fele our fayth and be certefyed that it is ryght Eor except a man be proued and tryed it can not be knowen nether to hym selfe or other men that he is ryghtwyse and in the true fayth Take an ensample lest thou be begyled with sophystrye Chryst sayeth Mat. 13. The kyngdome of heueÌ„ is lyke leuen which a womaÌ„ taketh and hydeth in thre peckes of meale tyll all be leuended or soure Leuen is some tym taken in an euel sence for the doctryne of the phareseys which corrupted the swetnes of the worde of God with the leuen of theyr gloses and some tyme in a good sens for the kyngedome of heuen that is to say the gospel and glad tydinges of Christ For as leuen altereth the nature of dowe and maketh it throughe sowre euen so the gospell turneth a man into a newe lyfe and altereth him a lytle and a lytle fyrst the hart and then the meÌ„bers Fayth in Chryst fyrst certyfyeth the conscyence of the forgeuenes of synnes and delyuereth vs from feare of euerlastynge dampnacyon and then bryngeth the loue of God and of hys lawe into the harte whiche loue is the ryghtwysnes of the harte Loue bryngeth good workes in to the members whiche workes are the outwarde ryghtwysnesse and the ryghtwysnesse of the members To hate the wyll of God is the vnryghtwysnes of the harte and causeth euell workes whiche are the vnryghtwysnesse of the members As when I hatyd my brother my tonge spake euel my haÌ„des smote and so forth To loue is the ryghtwysnesse of the harte and causeth good workes whiche are the ryghtwysnes of the members As yf I loue my brother and he haue nede of me and be in pouerte loue wyll make me put myne hande in to my pursse or almorye and to gyue hym some what to refresh hym c. That the loue of God and of his commaundementes is the ryghtwysnesse of the harte doeth no man doute saue he that is hertlesse And that loue spryngeth of faythe thou mayst euydently see 1. Iohan. 2. â—e that loueth hys brother dwelleth in the lyght But he that hateth his brother is in darckenesse and walketh in darckenesse and woteth not whether he goeth for darckenesse hathe blynded hys eyes why is he that hateth in darckenesse verely because he seyth not the loue of God For yf he sawe that he coude not but loue his brother for so kynde a fathers sake If any man hate hys brother thou arte sure that thesame man is in darkenes and hath not the lyght of true faythe nor seyth what Chryste hathe done If a man so loue that he can forgyue his brother thou arte sure that he is in the lyght of the true fayth and seyth what mercy is shewed hym in Chryst This is then the somme of all together workes are the outwarde ryghtuousnes before the worlde and may be called the ryghtuousnes of the meÌ„bers and spryng of inwarde loue Loue is the ryghtwysnes of the hart and spryngethe of fayth Faythe is the trust in Christes bloude and is the gyfte of God Ephe. 2. where vnto a man is drawen of the goodnesse of God and dreueÌ„ thorowe true knowledge of the lawe and of beholdinge his dedes in y e lyght of the law and with comparynge the lust and desyre of y e meÌ„bers vnto the requeste of the lawe and with seynge hys owne dampnacyon in the glasse of the lawe For yf a man sawe his owne dampnacion in the law he shuld ymmedyatly hate God and al his workes and vtterly dyspare except that God offered hym Chryste and forgaue all that were paste made hym his son toke the dampnacyon of the lawe away and promysyd that if he wold submytte him selfe to lerne and to do his best that he shulde be accepte as well as an aungell in heauen and therto yf he fell of frayltye and not of maâ—yce and stoburnesse it shulde be forgeuen vpon a meÌ„dment and that God wolde euer take him for his son and only chastyce hym at home wheÌ„ he dyd a mysse after the most fatherlyest maner and as easely as his deseases wold suffer but neuer bring hiÌ„ forthe to be iudged after the rygorousnes of the lawe And as thou couldest not se leuen though thou brakest vp a lose except thou smellest or tastedest the sourenes euen so couldest thou neuer se true fayth or loue except thou sawest workes and also sawest the entente meanynge of the worker leest ypocresy deceaue the. Our dedes are the effecte of ryghtwysnes and therto an outwarde testymony and a certefyenge of the inwarde ryghtwysnes as sourenesse is of leuen And when I say faythe iustefyeth the vnderstandynge is that fayth receaueth the iustefyenge God promyseth to forgyue vs our synnes and to impute vs for ful rightwysse And God iustefyeth vs actyuely that is to saye forgeueth vs rekeneth vs for ful ryghtwyse And Chrystes bloude deserueth it and fayth in the promyse receaueth it and certyfyeth the coÌ„scyeÌ„ce therof Fayth chalengeth it for Chrystes sake which hath deserued al that is promysed and cleueth euer to the promyse truthe of the promyser and pretendeth not the goodnesse of her worke But knowledgeth that our workes deserue it not saue are crowned and rewarded w t the deseruynge of Chryst Take an ensaÌ„ple of yonge chyldren when the father promyseth them a good thynge for the doynge of some tryfle and when they come for theyr rewarde dalyethe with them saynge what that thou hast done is not worth hafe so much shulde I geuethe so great a thynge for so lytle a tryfle They wyll answere ye dyd promyse me it ye sayde I shulde haue it why dyd ye promyse and why then dyd ye saye so And let hym saye what he wyl to dryue them of they wyl euer say agayne ye dyd promyse me so ye dyd ye sayd I shuld haue it so ye dyd But hyrelinges wyl pretende theyr worke and saye I haue deserued it I haue done so muche and so muche and my laboure is worthe it Nowe at the first couenaunt makynge with God and as ofte as we be reconsyled after we haue synned the ryghtwysnesse cometh of God all together But after the attonement is made and we reconsyled then we be partlye ryghtwyse in our selues and vnrightwyse ryghtwyse as ferre as we loue and vnryghtwyse as ferre as the loue is vnperfecte And fayth in the promyse of God that he dothe reken vs for full ryghtwyse doth euer supply y t vnryghtwysnes imperfectnes as it is our hole ryghtwysenes at the begynnynge Fynally our workes which God coÌ„maundeth and vnto which he annexed hys promyses that he
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
of the entent and purpose that they were ordeyned for And with theyr obedience they haue drawen them selues from vnder the obedience of all princes and temporall lawes with theyr pouerty they haue robbed all nacions kyngedomes and so with theyr wylful pouerty haue enryched them selues haue made the comens poore with theyr chastite they haue fylled all the worlde full of whores and sodomites thynking to please God more hylye with kepynge of an whore then an honest chast wyfe If they say it is nat truthe then all the worlde knoweth they lye for if a prest mary an honest wyfe they punyshe hym immediatly and saye he is an haynouse heretyke as though matrimonye were abhominable But if he kepe a whore theÌ„ is he a good chast chylde of theyr holy father the pope whose ensample they folowe an I warrant hym synge masse on y e next day after as wel as he dyd before without ether persecucion or excommunicacion suche are the lawes of theyr vnchaste I wolde say theyr owne chast father ☜ ☞ If thou professe obedieÌ„ce why ronnest thou from father mother master and ruler whiche God byddeth the to obeye to be a fryer yf thou obeye why obeyest thou nat the kynge and his lawe by whome God defendeth the bothe the in lyfe and goodes and al thy great possessions ⧠⧠⧠⧠If thou professe pouertye what doest thou with the landes of gentylmen squyerâ— knyghtes baroÌ„s erles dukes what shulde a lordes brother be a beggers seruaunt or what shulde a begger ryde with thre or foure score horses waytynge on hym Is it mete that a man of noble byrth the right heyre of the landes whiche thou possessest sholde be thyne horse keper thou beynge a begger If ye professe chastite why desyer ye aboue al other men the company of women what do ye with whores openly in many contreyes and with secret dispensacions to kepe concubines why corrupte ye so much other mennes wyues and why be there so many Sodomites amonge you ☜ †☞ Your charite is mercylesse to the rest of the worlde to whome ye may gyue nought agayne and onely lyberall to your selues as is the charite of theues xxx or fourtye of you to gether in one denne amonge whiche yet are nat many that loue thre of his neyboures hertelye Your fastynge maketh you as full and as fatte as your hydes can holde besye that ye haue a dispensacion of your holy father for your fastynge ☜ †☞ Your prayer is but patterynge without all affeccyon Your syngynge is but roâ—ynge to stretche out our mawes as do your other gestures and rysynge at mydnyght to make the meate synge to the botome of the stomacke y t ye may haue perfecte dygestion be redy to deuoure a freshe agaynst the nexte refeccion Ye shal know them by theyr frutes First thornes beare no grages nor bryers fygges Also if thou se goodly blossomes in them thynkest there to haue fygges grapes or any frute for the sustenaunce or confort of man go to them in tyme of nede and thou shalt fynde nought at all Thou shalte fynde for southe I haue no goodes nor any thyng proper or that is myne owne It is the couentes I were a thefe yf I gaue it my father what so euer nede he had It is saynt Edmondes patrimony Saynt Albons patrimonye Saynt Edwardes patrymonye the goodes of holy churche It may nat be mynysshed nor occupyed vpon lay and prophane vses The kyng of the realme for al that he defendeth them aboue all other yet getteth he nought what nede soeuer he haue saue theÌ„ only whan he must spende on theyr causes all that they gyue withal that he can get besyde of his pore comeÌ„s If the kyng wyl attempte to take ought from theÌ„ by y e auctorite of his office for the defence of the realme Or yf any man wyll entre at them otherwyse then they lust them selues by what lawe or ryght it be they turne to thornes and bryers and waxe at once rougher then a hedgehogge wyll sprynkle them with the holy water of theyr maledictions as thycke as hayle and brethe out the lyghtenynge of excommunicacion vpon them and so consume them to pouldre ☜ ☞ More ouer a corrupt tree can beare no good frute That is wher they haue frute that semeth to be good go to and proue it and thou shalt fynde it rotten or the carnell eaten out and that it is but as a holowe nutte For fayth in Christ that we and al our workes done within the compase of the lawe of God be accepted to God for his sake is the kernell the swetnes and the pleasaunt bewty of al our workes in the syght of God As it is wrytten Iohan vi This is the worke of god that ye beleue iÌ„ him whome he hath sent This faythe is a worke whiche God nat only worketh in vs but also hath therin pleasure and delectacyon and in all other for that faythes sake Fayth is the lyfe of man as it is wrytten Iustus ex fide viuit out of whiche lyfe the pleasantnesse of all his workes sprynge As for an ensample thou arte a shoumaker whiche is a worke within the lawes of God and sayest in thyne harte Lo God here I make a shue as truely as I wolde for my selfe to do my neyboure seruice and to get my lyuynge in truthe with the laboure of myne handes as thou commaundest and thanke the that thou hast geuen me this crafte and makest it luckye that I gette my lyuynge therwith and am surelye persuaded that bothe I and my worke please the O father for thy sonne Iesus sake Lo nowe this faythe hath made this symple worke pleasaunt in the syght of God ☜ ☞ Another ensample thou takest a wyfe and sayest O father thou nat only permyttest this but also commaundest all that burne and haue their myndes vnquyeted to mary for feare of fornicacion so forthe And father I promise the to loue this woman truelye and to care for her and gouerne her after thy lawes to be true to her to stande by her in all aduersites and to take in worthe as well the euell as the good and to brynge vp the frute that thou shalte geue me of her in thy feare and teache it to knowe the. ⧠⧠⧠⧠Moreouer as concernyg the acte of Matrimony as whaÌ„ thou wylt eate thou blessed god and receauest thy dayly fode of his hande accordynge to the fourthe peticion of thy pater noster and knowlegest that it is hys gyfte and thankest hym beleuyng his word that he hath created it for the to receaue it with thankes by the which worde prayer of thaÌ„kes thy meate and drynke is sanctifyed 1. Timot. iiii Euen so thou sayest Father this I do nat only at thy permission which is ynough to please the with all but also at thy commaundement and haue bounde my selfe here vnto
to kepe my soule from synnynge agaynst the and to helpe my neyboure that she synne nat also and promyse the to kepe this profession truly to noryshe the frute that thou shalt gyue me iÌ„ the feare of the in the faith of thy son Iesu so thankest the lorde for his gyftes How is thy worke thorowe this fayth thankes pleasaunt acceptable in the syght of God And so was the genderynnge of Iacob in faith and of Samuel many other And y e geuyng sucke was a good worke and so was the dressyng of them by the fyre And whan our lady conceaued Christs thorowe fayth was nat that a good worke what yf God whan she doubted asked by what maner she shulde conceaue him had commaunded her to conceaue hym of Ioseph or of some other man had nat that worke done in obedience and fayth ben as good a worke The wyll that Abraham had to slaye Isaac all that he dyd tyl he came at the very poynte to slaye hym were good workes and so had ben the slayenge also And Abraham was sure that he pleased God hylye and as well as in any other worke and had as depely synned yf he had ben disobedient therin as though he had done any other cruell dede forboden by God ye but shomakynge is nat commaunded by God yes and hath the promise of God annexed therto For God hath commaunded me for the auoydynge of syne to do my brethren seruice and to lyue therby and to chose one estate or other for if thou woldest receaue only of thy brethren and do nought agayne thou were a thefe and an extorcioner a tyraunt And I chose shomakynge or receaue it at the obedience of myne elders Nowe haue I goddes commaundement to worke therin trulye and his promyse annexed therto that he wyll blesse myne occupacion and make it lucky and frutful to brynge me an honest lyuynge worke I nat nowe at goddes commaundement and haue his promyse that it pleaseth hym †Note thê also Fyrst my crafte is goddes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t SecoÌ„darely I beleue and am sure that my worke pleaseth god for Christes sake Thyrdlye my worke is proffytable vnto my neyboure and helpeth his necessite Fourthlye I receaue my rewarde of the hande of God w t thankes and worke surely certefyed that I please God in my worke thorowe Christe and that god wyl gyue me my dayly breade therby But yf thou examyne theyr doctrine thou shalt fynde that this fayth is away in all theyr frutes and therfore are they worme eaten and shales without kernelles ☜ ☞ ☞ Note agayne the turkes and lewes gyue almose as well as we as muche and yet abhominable for lacke of fayth and knowledge of the true entent what sayth the texte he that receaueth a prophete in y e name of a prophete shall haue the rewarde of a prophete That is because thou aydest him in preachyng of Christes worde thou shalt be partaker with him haue the same rewarde And he that receaueth a disciple in the name of a disciple shall haue c. And he y t geueth one of these lytle ons but a cuppe of colde water for my name sake shal haue his rewarde If a kyng minister his kyngedome iÌ„ the fayth of this name because his subiectes be his brethren and the pryce of Christê bloude he pleaseth God hyghly and yf this fayth be nat there it pleaseth him nat And yf I sowe a shue truly in the fayth of his name to do my brother seruice because he is the pryce of Christes bloude as pleaseth God Thus is fayth the goodnesse of all workes ⧠Fynally whan God geueth and I receaue with thankes is nat God as well pleased as whan I geue for his sake and he receaueth A true frende is as glad to do his frende a good turne as to receyue a good turne whan the father gyueth his sonne a newe cote sayth Am nat I a good father wylte nat thou loue me agayn and do what I bydde the And the boye receyueth it with thankes and sayth ye and is glade and proude therof dothe nat the father reioyse as muche nowe in the lade as a nother tyme whan the lade dothe what so euer it be at his fathers commaundemeÌ„t But the false prophetes do well to paynte God after the lykenesse of theyr owne visenomye glad whan he receyueth â–ª ye whan they receyue in his name But sowre grudgynge and euell content whan he geueth agayne But thou pleaseth god whaÌ„ thou askest iÌ„ faith whan thou receauest with thankes and whan thou reioysest in his gyftes and louest hym agayne to kepe his commaundementes and the apoyntemaÌ„t and couenaunt made betwene hym and the. ☜ ☞ †And for a conclusion besydes that they expell feyth which is the goodnesse of al workes they set vp workes of theyr owne makynge to distroye the workes of God and to be holyer then goddes workes to the depisyng of goddes worke to make Goddes workes vyle †with theyr chastite they distroye the chastite that god ordeyned only requyreth w t theyr obedience they destroye the obedience that God ordeyned in this world and desyreth no nother with theyr pouertye they destroye the pouerty of the spirite which Christ taugh only whiche is onely nat to loue worldely goodes with theyr fast they destroye the fast whiche God commaundeth that is a perpetuall sobrenesse to tame the fleshe with theyr patterynge prayer they destroye y e prayer taught by god whiche is ether thankes or desirynge helpe with fayth trust that God heareth me Theyr holynesse is to forbyd that God ordeyned to be receaued with thankes gyuynge as mete and matrimonye And their owne workes they mayntayne and let Goddes decaye Breake theirs and they persecute to the dethe But breake Goddes and they ether loke thorowe the fingers or else gyue the a flappe with a foxe tayle for a lytle monye There is none ordre amonge theÌ„ that is so perfecte but that they haue a prison more cruell then any â—ayle of theues and murtherers And yf one of theyr brethren commytte fornycacion or adulterye in the worlde he fynissheth his penaunce therin in thre wekes or a moneth and then is sent to a nother place of the same religion But yf he attempt to put of y e holy habite he cometh neuer out and is so straytlye dyoted therto that it is meruel if he lyue a yere besyde other cruell murther that hath ben founde amonge them and yet is thys shamefull dyotynge of theyrs murther cruell ynough Be nat deceaued with vysures nor yet with myracles But go to and iudge theyr workes for the spiritual iudgeth al thyngê sayth Paule i. Cor. 11 who is that spirituall nat suche as we nowe call men of holy churche But al that haue the true interpretacion of the lawe wrytten in theyr hartes The ryght fayth of Christe and the true intent of workes which God byddeth vs worke he
to God Fo. xx s ii Venge the priuate person may nat aduenge but the officer must Fol. xvi s ii Violence nat to resyst violence fo xlix s ii wyfe howe good a thynge she is Fol. xl s ii warre howe to be awarry oure fo li. s i way few fynde the narowe way fo xcix s i wolues Rauenynge wolues fo C.i s i workes iustifye nat fo lx s ii fo 4. s ii workes make ypocrites yf the true entent be awaye Folio lxxviii s i workes must be seasoned with goddes worde Folio ☜ ††☞ lxiii s ii workes what they do fol. lxii s ii workes are sacramentes fo lxxiiii s i. worde Goddes worde altered is nat his worde Folio xxx s ii ⧠Ypocresye it is ieopardous to salte it Folio ☜ †☞ xxiiii s ii Ypocrites the holynes of ypocrites wherin it is Folio C v s ii †Zele of ryghtwysnes what it is Fo. 18. s ii ¶ Cum priuilegio regali Abrahams wellos The kyngdome of heuen who it is The keye what it is The lawe is the waye that ledeth to Chryste lawe what â—er office is The braseâ— serpente Num. xxi The lawe and faythe be of contrary operacyons The scrypture howe it is lockeâ— vppe Christ vseâ— no teÌ„poraâ— regyment â–ª Christ is a gyfte gyueÌ„ only to theÌ„ that loue lawe and professe it He that professeth not â—he lawe â—ath no parâ—e in the â—romyses Yorkes â—o not iuâ—yfye ii Cor. v. The lawe by kepyng y e lawe we contynue in grace Fayth loue and hope are inseperable iÌ„ this lyfe The lawe they that loue not the lawe can not vnderstande the scrypture to saluacyon Care howe God careth for the weake Rulers why they were or dayned why God scourgeth hys the coÌ„dycyons of the couenaunt Fleshe and spirite Crosse To syn vnder grace and to syn vnder the lawe Lambes Swyne Dogges Swyne haue no fayth Dogges loue not the lawe True fayth is coupled with loue to the lawe The differeÌ„ce of faythes and howe it is to be vnderstaÌ„de fayth iustfyeth Fayth of ypocrytes Faythe of swyne The ryght baptyme The church of Chryste â—hey that â—aue not y e â—awe wrytâ—en in theyr â—artes can â—ot vnderâ—tande the passyon of Chryste to â—aluacyon A short repetynge Thau Fayth hoâ—pe and châ—â—rite are inâ—seperablâ— â–ª Faythe â—â—â—pe and â—â—â—ryte are knowen one by the other The offyce of faythe The offyce of loue The offyce of hope Pouertye in spyryte Ryches Ryche in spirite Couetousnes is a thynge contrary to the worde of god and to the mynysters of the same By couetousenes is a false prophete chefely knowen Godlye mourninge Kynge Iohan. Henry the seconde Fayth is our victory The mourners for ryghtwysnes are saued wâ— God taketh vengeaunce on the vnright wyse Mekenes possesseth the erthe Hundred folde The pryuat person may not aduenge But the officer muste Ryghtwysnes Monke Monkes why they ronne into relygyon Luc. vi Monkes be cursed To be mercyful what â—t is Monkes Couent· Oyle Holy oylâ— must be aduenged â—ele of â—yghtwysâ—es what â—t is Care howe â—e spiritual â—are for y e â—eÌ„poral coâ—eÌ„ wealth The fylthynes of the harte what The purenes of the harte what Impure haâ—â—ted who Peace maâ—kyng whaâ— Prynces what they ought to do yer they make war â–ª â—engeauÌ„ce â—artayneth â—o God â—nely peace the peace of Chryste is peace of conscyence Payne No bodely payne can be a satysfaccyon to God saue Chrystes passyon what the moste cruel ê‘secucyoÌ„ is Set the ensample of Chryst before the. Cursed Moste accursed who workes iustyfye not It is a ieopardous thynge to salte ypocrysye Salt who is mete to salte Monkes why thy ronne to cloystures Spirytuallye why they be dyspysed Ceremonyes muste be salted Darkenes â—ll knowâ—edge is â—arckenes â—ntyll the â—nowlege â—f Christes â—loude she â—lyng be in â—he harte Laye The laye ought to haue the gospell Gospell The propertye of the gospel Gospell The true gospell not hyd in dennes Kynges ought to be learned The order howe euery man maye be a preacher and howe not False doctryne cauâ—het euell workes True doctryne is the cause of good workes Grace and truthe thoroughe Iesus Chryste Gloses They that destroy the law of god with gloses must be cast out The church Lawet Excepte a man loue gods lawe he can not vnderstand y e doctrine of Chryste The ryghteousnes of pharyseys Glorye Hâ— that seketh hys owne glory teacheth his owne doctryne and not his masters Glorye He that seketh hys owne glory altereth his masters message worde gods word altered is not his worde To loue is to helpe at nede Prayer The prayer of Monkes robbeth helpeth not Loue prayeth Scrybes Pharyseys what they were The pharyses myght better haue proued theÌ„ selues the true chyrch then our spyritualty maye The promyses are made vpon the profes syon of the keping the law of God so that the church that wyl not kepe Goddes lawe hathe no promise y t they can not erre The wyckednes of the Pharyseys what it was Preacher why the true preacher is accused of tresoÌ„ and heresy Ypocrysy why ypocrysy muste be fyrst rebuked thoughe it be ieoê‘dy to preache agaynste it The lawe is restored Racha how a man may be angrye without siÌ„nyng Loue is the kepyng of the lawe Synners he y t helpeth not to menâ—de synners muste suffer with them when they be ponyshed Hate when a man may hate hys neyghbour Offeringes or sacrefyces what they mente Laste ferthynge Loue is the fulfyllynge of the lawe Aduoutry Fylthye A wyfe how good a thynge Ryght eye Ryght haÌ„d The offyce of a preacher Law what foloweth the keping of the lawe Law what foloweth the breakyng of y e lawe Tyrantes why God gyueth vs vp and leuethe vs in the handes of tyrantes in al myserye An admonycyon Swerynge To swere by God Swerynge Charite moderateth y e lawe Othe To performe an euell othe is double synne Cheke To turne the other cheke what it is Mekenes Pollynge howe to aduoyde it Two maaer states degrees of regymeÌ„tes Euery man is of y e spyrytualty of the temporaltye bothe Loue. He that loueth not his neyghboure hath not the true faythe of Chrystâ— The temporal regimeÌ„t Vyolence Not to resyst vyoleÌ„ce hawe it is vnderstaÌ„d An exâ—pul of two reamentes How to be a warry ouâ— Goodes â—ath 25. To go to lawe Prynces whether they maye be resysted or putte downe of theyr subiectes in any case Gooddes Regymentes Euery man is vnder bothe regimeÌ„tes A preacher of the gospell maye vse no vyolence Couetousnes Iaco. 2. Publycans what they were To be perfecte what it meaneth Iohan. 16. TroÌ„pettes To blowe trompettes what Lefte hand Vayne glory A good remedyâ— agaynste it workes iustefye not from synne â—ether deserue the rewarde promysed Crosse workes what they do Promyse he that professeth not a newe lyfe hathe no promise of mercye in Chryste Prayers workes must be seasoned with gods word if they shal please god Prayer what it is Chamber To shutte thy chaâ—ber dore what it meaneth Prayer Gods commandemeÌ„t and promyse shuld moue vs to praye False prayer is paynfull true prayer is plesaunt Syon Shene The Pater noster is expounded To honour gods name what it is A couenauÌ„t where with god is bonde to forgyue vs we to forgyue eche other Gods couenaunt is a sure absolucyoÌ„ to al y t kepe it Leuen Fayth Loue is ryghtwysnes Fayth bryngeth loue workes Loue. Faythe that faythe iustefyeth what it meanethe Faythe workes are sacrameÌ„tes Baptym Chryste Faythe To annoiÌ„t the heed what it meneth Fastynge Almose Prayer Fastynge Almose Prayer and fastynge howe necessarye Almose Prayer and fastynge are inseperable Fastynge is not in eatyng and drynkynge onelye workes make ypocrytes yf the true entent be awaye Rulers be ordeyned for them that caÌ„ not rule them selues Preacher the offyce of a true preacher Payne howe God delyteth in our payne takynge Fast The entent of fastynge what it is Fast Howe the Iewes faste Fast The popes faste Fastynge The true entent is awaye from the Popes fastynge Monkes made the Pope a God for his dyspensacyons Couetousnes what a pestylence it is 2. Pe. 2. Couetousnes can not but erre More Luc. 12. Luke 14. Couetousnes maketh the salte of Goddes worde vnsauerye Couetousnes maketh A false prophete Darkenes Couetousnes causeth Darkenes Darkenes Faythe in workes is darkenes Darkenes Mammon what it is Mammon is a God Mammon make men dysgyse theÌ„ selues The seruauÌ„tes of Mammon are not of Chrystes churche The seruaunt of Mammon is no true preacher To be MaÌ„mons seruaunt what it is Mammon seruaunt howe is he knowen Birdes and bestesteche vs to put away care Care Nammon Actes 8. Couenaunt kepe couenaunt with God and he shall kepe promyse with the. Kyngdom of heuen what Ryghtwysnes of the kyngdome of heuen what it is Care Tempte why God letteth his chyldren be teÌ„pted with aduersite what care is forboden Care what care euery man ought to haue Goddes coÌ„maundement is mannes lyfe Exod. 20. why God soffereth tyrauÌ„tes to prospere Iudgynge what iudgynge is rebuked The beame Ceremonies he that breaketh vnite for zele of ceremonies vnderstandeth nat Goddes lawe Ceremonyes Measure Dogges Swyne Prayer is a commaundement Belefe To beleue in God what Luke 18. Prayer By prayer we wynne the vyctorye onely and therfore is it of all thynges moste necessarie False prophetes what theyr wekednes is Marc. xiii Mat 24. The ryche must praye for daylye breade Fayth must be ioyned to our prayers †Doutes howe to soyle doutes Nota. Nota. Law what the fulfyllynge therof is Strayte gate The narowe way Few fynde the narowe way and why Peter Paule Christe The false prophetes who Shepes clothynge what 2. The. 2. Shepes clothynge Raueninge wolues The obedience pouertye wylful chastite of our spiritualtye Pouertye Chastite Charite Fastynge Prayer Thornes beare no fygges A corruptetre beareth no good frute Fayth is the kernell of all our good frutes Fayth maketh the worke good and ecceptable †Handy craftes are the coÌ„mandement of God Nota. The holynes of ypocrites wherin it is Axe the Austen fryers why they murthered one of theyr felowes at London who is the spirituall IgnorauÌ„ce excuseth nat yf we wyl nat se False prophetes howe to know wher they be Beleuers without workes and workers without fayth are buylt on sande Fayth Loue.
also he hathe ordyned rulers bothe spirituall and temporall to teache them and exorte them to warne theÌ„ and to kepe occasyons from them that with custome of synâ— they fall not from theyr possessyon Nowe when they that take vpon them to be the elder bretherne are become ypocrytes and turned to wyly foxes and cruel wolues and fercâ— lyons and the offycers be waxen euyll and serâ—uauntes to Mammon mynystrynge theyr officeâ— for theyr owne lucre onely and not for the proâ—fyte of theyr bretheren but fauorynge all vyceâ— wherbye they maye haue auauntage Then iâ— God compelled of his fatherly pytye to scourgâ— his weke hym selfe with pouertye oppressy on wronge losse daunger and with a thousandâ— maner of deseases to brynge them agayne yâ— they be fallen and to kepe theyr hartes faste to theyr professyon So that Diligentibus deuz onâ— usa co operantur in bonum Roma viii They that loue God that is to saye the lawe of God for that is to loue God vnto them God turneth al to the best and scourgeth them with the lustes of theyr owne weakenes to their owne saluacioÌ„ â–ª Another conclusyon is thys God receaueth both perfyte and weake in lyke grace for Chriâ—stes sake as a father receaue the all hys children bothe smal and great in lyke loue He receaueth them to be hys sonnes and maketh a couenaunâ— with them to beare theyr weakenes for Christes sake tyll they be waâ—en stronger and howe so ofte they fall yet to forgyue them yf they wyll turne agayne and neuer to caste of any tyll he yelde hym selfe to syn and take synners parte and for affeccion and luste to syn fyght agaynsts his owne professyon to destroy it And he correcteth and chastyseth hys chyldren euer at home with the rodde of mercy and loue to make them better but he bringeth them not forthe to be iudged after the condemnacyon of the lawe Another conclucyon is thys euery man is â—wo men fleshe and spirite whiche to fight parpetually one agaynste another that a man muste go ether backe or forwarde and can not stande â—onge in one state Yf the spirite ouercome the â—emptacyon then is she stronger and the fleshe â—eaker But and yf the fleshe get a custome then â—s the spirite none other wyse oppresseth of the â—leshe then as thoughe she had a mountayne vpoÌ„â—ere backe and as we sometyme in oure dremes â—hynke we beare heuyer then a mylstone on our â—reastes or when we dreme nowe and then that â—e wold ronne away for feare our legges seme â—enyer then leade Euen so is the spirite oppresâ—ed and ouer ladeÌ„ of the fleshe thorowe custome â—hat she struggeleth and stryueth to get vp and to â—reake louse in vayne vntyll the God of mercy â—hiche hereth her grone thorowe Iesus Chryste â—ome and louse her with his power and put his â—rosse of trybulacyon on the backe of the fleshe â—o kepe her downe to minyshe her strengthe and â—o mortefye her wherfore euery man must haue hys crosse to â—ayle hys fleshe to for the mortefyenge of her Nowe if thou be not stronge ynough and dyscret â—herto to take vppe thy crosse thy selfe and to â—ame thy fleshe with prayer and fastynge watchynge â— dedes of mercy holye medytacyons and readynge the scrypture and with bodely laboure and in withdrawynge all maner of pleasures from the fleshe and with exercyses contrary to the vyces whiche thou markeste thy bodye moste enclyned to and with abstaynynge from all that courage the fleshe agaynste the spiryte as readynge of wanton bokes wanton communycacyon foolyshe testynge and effemynate thoughtes and talkynge of couetousnes whiche Paule forbyddeth Ephesy v. and magnyfyenge of worldly promocyons And takest I say vppe suche a crosse by thyne owne selfe or by the counsayle of other that are better lerned and exercysed then thou Then muste God put his crosse of aduersyte vpon the. For we muste haue euery man his crosse in this world or be damned with the worlde Of this ye se the dyfference betwene the syn of them that beleue in the bloude of Chryste for the remyssyon of synne and coÌ„sent and submitte them selues vnto the lawe and the synne of them that yelde them selues vnto syn to serue it c. The fyrste synne vnder grace â— and theyr synnes are venyall that is to saye forgeueable The other synne vnder the lawe and vnder the damnacyon of the lawe and fyght for a great parte of them agaynste grace and agaynste the spirite of grace and agaynst the lawe of God and fayth of Christ and corrupte the texte of the couenauÌ„t with false gloses and are dysobedyent to God and therfore synne dedly Of this also ye se the dyfference betwene the lambes of true beleuers and betwene the vnclene swyne that folowe carnal lustes and fleshly lybertye and the churlyshe and ypocrytyshe dogges which for the blynde zele of their owne ryghtwysnes persecute the ryghtwysnes of the faythe in Chrystes bloude The effemynate and careles swine which contynue in their fleshlynes and cease not to walow them selues in their olde podell thynke that they beleue very well in Christes bloude but they are deceaued as thou mayste clerly perceaue because they feare not the daÌ„nacyon of euyl workes nor loue the lawe of good workes and therfore haue no parte in the promise 〈…〉 and doggyshe ypocrytes whiche take vpon them to worke thynke they loue the lawe whiche yet they neuer sawe saue vnder avayle But they be deceaued as thou mayste perceaue by that they beleue not in Chryste for the forgeuenes of synne wherbye also I meane they that beleue not thou mayste perceaue that they vnderstande not the lawe For yf they vnderstode the lawe it wolde ether dryue them to Chryste or make dyspare ymmedyatly But the true beleuers beholde the lawe in her owne lykenes and se the ympossybilite ther of to be fulfylled with natural power and therfore fle to Chryste for mercy grace and power and then of a very thankefulnes for the mercy receaued loue the lawe in hyr owne lykenes and submytte them selue to lerne it and to proffyte therin and to do to morowe that they can not do to day Ye se also the dyfference of all maner of faythes The faythe of the true beleuer is that God iustefyeth or forgeueth and Christe deserueth it and the fayth or truste in Christes bloude receueth it and certefyeth the conscyence therof and saueth and delyuereth her from fere of deth and damnacion And this is that we meane when we say faythe iustefyeth that faythe I meane in Christe and not in oure owne workes certefyeth the coÌ„science that our synnes are forgeuen vs for Chrystes bloude sake But the faythe of ypocrytes is that God forgeueth and that workes deserue it And that same false faythe in theyr owne workes receaueth the mercye promysed to the merytes of theyr owne workes And so Chryste is vtterly excluded And thus ye se that faythe is the thynge that
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
for bade to paye trybute to Cesar and that he moued the temple to insurreccyon Rayled they not on hym in the bytterest of all hys passyon as he hanged on the Crosse saynge saue thy selfe thou that saueste other come downe from the Crosse and we wyll beleuen in the fye wretche that destroyest the temple of God Yet was he beloued of God and so art thou his cause came to lyght also and so shal thyne at the last ye and thy rewarde is great in heueÌ„ with hym for thy depe sofferynge And on the other syde as they be cursed which leue ryghtuousnes destytute and wyll not soffer therewith so are they mooste accursed whiche knowe the truthe and yet not only fle ther from because they wyll not soffer But also for lucre become the mooste cruell enymyes therof and moste suttyll persecuters and moste falslye lye theron also Fynally thoughe God whan be promyseth to blesse our workes do bynde vs to worke yf we wyll obtayne the blessynge or promyse yet muste we beware of thys pharesaâ—cal pestylence to thynke that our workes dyd deserue the promyses For what so euer God commaundeth vs to do that is our dutye to do thoughe there were no suche promyse made to vs at all The promyse therfore cometh not of the deseruynge of the worker as thoughe God had nede of ought that we coulde do but of the pure mercy of God to make vs the more wyllynge to do that is our dutye c. For yf when we had done all that God commaundethe vs to do he then gaue vs vppe in to the handes of tyrauntes and kylled vs and sent vs to purgatorye which men so greatlye feare or to hell and all the aungelles of heuen with vs he dyd vs no wronge nor were vnryghtuous for ought that we or they coulde calynge of deseruynge howe so euer that God vseth his creatures he euer abideth ryghtuous tyl thou canst proue that after he hath bouÌ„d hym selfe with hys owne worde of mercy he then breake promyse with them that kepe couenaunt with hym So nowe yf nought were promysed nought coulde be callenge what so euer we dyd And therfore the promyse cometh of y e goodnes of the promyser only and not of the deseruyng of those workes of whiche God hathe no nede and which were no lesse our dutye to do though there were no suche promyse ye be the salt of the erthe But yf the salt be waxen vnsauery what can be salted therewith It is henceforth nothynge worthe But to be caste out and to be troden vnder fote of men The offyce of an Apostle and true preacher is to saltâ— not only the corrupte maners and conuersacyons of erthye people but also the roten harte within and all that spryngeth out therof theyr naturall reson theyr wyll theyr vnderstandyng and wysdome ye and theyr fayth and beleue and all that they haue ymagyned without Goddes worde concernynge ryghtuousnes iustifyenge satysfaccyon and sercynge of God And the nature of salt is to byte frete make smart And the sycke pacientes of thys worlde are meruelous impacyent so that thoughe with greate payne they can suffer theyr grosse synnes to be rebuked vnder a fassyon as in a parable a farre of yet to haue theyr ryghtuousnes theyr holynes and seruynge of God and hys sayntes dysalowed improued and condemned for damnable and deuely she that maye they not abyde In so moche that thou muste leaue the saltynge or els be prepared to suffer agayne euen to be called a rayler sedicyous a maker of dyscorde and a troubeler of the comon peace ye a scysmatyke and an heretyke also and to be lyed vpon that thou hast done sayde that thou neuer though test and then to be called coram nobis and to synge a newe songe and forswere saltynge or els to be seÌ„t after thy felowes that are gone before and the waye thy mayster went True preachynge is a saltynge that stereth vppe persecucyon and an offyce that no man is mete for saue he that is seasoned hym selfe before with pouertye in spyryte softenes mekenes pacyence mercyfulnes purenes of harte and honger of ryghtuousnes and longynge for persecucyon to and hathe al hys hope comfort and solace in the blessynge only in no wordly thynge Nay wyll some say a man myght preche longe ynough without persecucyon ye and get fauoure to yf he wolde not meldle with the pope byshopes prelates and holye gosty people that lyue in contemplacyon and solytarynes nor with greate men of the worlde I answere true preachyng is saltynge and al that is corrupt muste be salted And those persones are of all other most corrupt therfore may not be lefte vntouched The popes perdones muste be rebuked the abuse of the masse of the sacramenentes and of all the ceremonyes must be rebuked and salted And sellynge of merytes and of prayers must be salted The abuse of fastinge and of pylgrimage must be salted All ydolatrye and false faythe muste be rebuked And those freres that teache men to beleue in saynt Fraunces cote howe that they shall neuer come in hell or purgatorye yf they be buryed therin maye not be passed ouer with sylence The payne and grefe of saltynge made monkes fle to theyr cloysture Naye saye they we went thether of pure deuocyon to praye for the people ye but for all that the more ye encrease and the more ye multyplye youre prayers the worse the worlde is That is not oure faute saye they but theyrs that they dyspose not them selues but contynue in synne and so are ynapte to receaue the influence of our prayers O ypocrytes yf ye were true salt and had good hartes and loued youre neyghboures yf dead men be neyghboures to them that are a lyue and wolde come out of youre dennes and take payne to salte and season them ye shulde make a greate many of them so apte that your prayers myght take effecte But nowe seynge as ye saye they be so vnsauery that your prayers be to them hem improfitable though their goodes be to you profitable and yet ye haue no compassion to come out and salt them it is many feste that ye loue not them not theyrs and that ye praye not for them but vnder the colour of praynge mocke them and robbe them Fynally salt which is the true vnderstandynge of the lawe of faythe and of the entent of all workes hathe in you lost her vertue nether be there any so vnsauery in the worlde as ye are nor any that so sore kycke against true saltyng as ye and therfore to be caste out and troden vnder fote dyspysed of al meÌ„ by the ryghtuous iudgement of God Yf salt haue loste hys saltnes it is good for nothynge but to be troden vnder fote of men That is yf the preacher which for his doctryne is called salt haue loste the nature of salt that is to saye hys sharpenes in rebukynge all vnryghtuousnes al natural reason
loue one another to helpe at nede And suche louers he hereth and not sottle ypocrytes As loue maketh the helpe me at my nede so when it is paste thy power to helpe it maketh the praye to God Euen so where is no loue to make the take bodely payne with me there is no loue that maketh the praye for me But thy prayer is in dede for thy belye whiche thou loueste what were the scrybes and pharyseys The scrybes besydes that they were pharyseys as I suppose were also offycers as are our bysshopes Chauncelers Comyssaryes Archedeacones and offycyalles And the phariseys were relygyouse men whiche hade professed not as nowe one Dominycke the other fraunces another Barnardes rules But euen to hold the very lawe of God with prayer fastynge and almes dede and were the flowre and perfectyon of all the Iewes as S. Paule reioyseth of hym selfe philippen 3. saynge I was an Ebrue and concernynge the lawe a pharyse and concernynge the ryghtwysnes of the lawe I was fautles They were more honorable then any secte of Mōkes with vs. whether obseruaūt or Ancre or what so euer other be had in pryce They myght moche better haue reioysed to haue ben the true churche and to haue had the spyryte of God and that they coulde not haue erred they men whome all the worlde seeth neyther to kepe Godes lawes nor mannes nor yet y t deuelyshe lawe of theyr owne makyng For God hathe made thē of the olde testament as great promyses that he wold be theyr God and that his spiryte and al grace shuld be with thē yf they kepte his lawe as he hathe made to vs Nowe seing they kepe the vttermost rote of the lawe in the syghte of the worlde and were fautles and seynge therto that God hathe promysed neyther vs nor them oughte at al but vpon y e professyon of kepyng his lawes whether were more like to be the ryght church and to be taughte of the spyryte of God and they coulde not erre those pharyseys and oures Myght not the general councelles of those and the thynges there decreed with out scrypture seme to be of as great actoryte as the generall councelles of oures and the thynges there ordayned and decreed bothe clene with out and also agaynste Godes worde Myght not the ceremonyes whiche those hade adyde to the ceremonyes of Moses seme to be as holy as wel to plese God as the ceremonyes of oures The thynges whiche they added to the ceremonyes of Moyses were of the same kynde as those ceremonyes were and no more to be rebuked then the ceremonyes of Moyses As for as ensāple yf Moyses bade washe a table or a dyshe when an vnclene worme had crepte theron the pharyseys dyde washe the table with a wete cloute before euery refection leste any vnclene thynge hade touched them vnwares to all men as we put vnto our tythes a mortuarye for all forgotten tythes what was then the wyckednes of the pharyseys verely the leuen of theyr gloses to the morall lawes by whiche they corrupte the commaundemētes and made them no more Godes and theyr false fayth in the ceremones that y e bare worke was a sacrefyce and a seruyce to God the sygnyfycacyons lost and the opinyon of false ryghtwysnes in theyr prayers fastynge and almos dedes that such workes dyd iustefy a man before god and not that God forgeueth syn of his mere mercy yf a man beleue repent and promise to do his vttermost to synne no more when these thus sate in the hertes of the people with the opynyon of vertue holynes and ryghtwysnes and theyr lawe the lawe of God theyr workes workes comaūded by God and confyrmed by all hys prophetes as prayer fastynge and almose dede and they loked vpon as the chyrche of God that could not erre and fynally they thē selues ether euery where were the chefe rulers or so sate in the hartes of the rulers that theyr worde was beleued to be the worde of God what other thynge coulde it be to preache agaynste all suche and to condemne theyr ryghtwysnesse for the mooste damnable synne that can be than to seme to goo aboute to destroye the lawe and the prophetes what other thynge can such a precher seme to be before y e blynde worlde then heretycke scysmatycke sedicyous possessed with the deuel and worthy of shame moste vyle and deth moste cruel And yet these must be fyrsterebuked and theyr false ryghtwysnes detecte yer thou mayste preache agaynste open synners Or els yf thou shuldest conuerte an open senner from hys euell lyuynge thou shuldeste make hym nyne hundred tymes worse then before For he wolde attonce be one of these sorte euen an obseruaunt or of some lyke secte of whiche amonge an hundred thousande thou shalte neuer brynge one to beleue in Chryste where among open synners many beleue at the houre of dethe fal flat vpon Chryst and beleue in hym onely without all other ryghtwysnes It were an hundred thousand tymes better neuer to pray then to praye soche lyppe prayers and neuer to fast or do almes then to faste and to do almes with a mynde therby to be made ryghtuous and to make satysfaccyon for the fore synnes Ye haue harde howe that it was sayde to them of olde tyme kyl not for who so euer kelleth shall be in daunger of iudgement But I say vnto you who soo euer is angrye with his brother shall be in daunger of iudgement And whosoeuer saye vnto his brother Racha shall be in daunger of a councell But whosouer say to his brother thou fole shalbe in daunger of hell fyre Here Chryste begynneth not to destroy the lawe as the pharyseys had falsly accused hym but to restore it agayne to the ryght vnderstandynge and to purge it from the gloses of the pharyseys He that sleyeth shall be gyltye or in daunger of iudgement that is to say yf a man murther hys dede testefyeth agaynst hym there is no more to do then to pronounce sentence of dethe agaynst hym This texte dyd the pharyseys extende no further then to kyll with the hande and outwarde members But hate enuye malyce churlyshnesse and to withdrawe helpe at neade to begyle and cyrcumuent with wyles and sottle bergenynge was no synne at all No to brynge hym home thou hatedest to dethe with crafte and falshed so thou dyddeste not put thyne hande therto was no synne at al. As when they had brought Chryste to dethe wrongefully and compelled Pylate with sotteltye to sleye hym they thoughte them selues pure In so moche that they wolde not go into the hall for defylynge them selues and beynge partakers with Pylate in his bloud And Ac. 5 they sayd to the Apostles ye wolde bryng this mannes bloude vpon vs as who wolde saye we slue hym not And Saul in the fyrste boke of the Kynges in the .xviii. Cha ▪ beinge so wrothe with Dauid that he wold gladly haue had him slayne determyned yet that he
wyll rewarde them are as it were very sacramentes and visyble and sensible sygnes tokens yernest oblygacyons wytnesses testimonyes and a sure certefyenge of our soules that God hath wyl do accordynge to his promyse to strengthe our weake faythe and to kepe the promyse in mynde But they iustefye vs not no more thē the visible workes of the sacramentes do As for an ensample the worke of baptyme that outwarde wasshynge whiche is the vysyble sacrament or sygne iustefyeth vs not But God only iustefyeth vs actyuely as cause effycient or workeman God promyseth to iustefye who so euer is baptysed to beleue in Christ to kepe the lawe of God that is to say to forgyue them theyr fore synnes and to impute ryghtwysnesse vnto them to take them for hys sonnes and to loue them aswell as though they were ful ryghtwyse Chryste hathe deserued vs that promyse and ryghtwysnesse And faythe do the receaue it and God dothe gyue it and impute it to fayth not the wasshynge And the wasshynge dothe testefye it and certyfye vs of it as the Popes letters do certyfye the beleuers of the Popes perdones Nowe the letters helpe not or hyndre but that the perdone were as good without them as with them saue onelye to stablyshe weake soules that coulde not beleue excepte they rede the letters loked on the seale and sawe the prynte of saynt Peters keyes O mercyfull God and a moste louynge father howe careth he for vs fyrst aboue all and besyde all hys other benyfytes to geue vs hys owne son Iesus and with hym to geue vs hym selfe and all and not content therwith but to geue vs so many sacramentes or visible sygnes to prouoke vs and to helpe our weake faythe and to kepe hys mercye in mynde as baptyme the sacrament of his body and bloude and as many other sacramentes as they wyll haue yf they put sygnyfycacions to thē for we destroy none but they destroy whiche haue put out the sygnificaciōs or fayned some without as wedlocke to sygnefy that Christ is the husbāde and we his wyfe and partakers w t him as the wyfe with her husbande of al his ryches c. and beyonde all those vysible sacramentes to geue vs yet more sensyble and surer sacramentes and suraunce of his goodnes euen in our owne selues as yf we loue and gyue almes to our neyghboure yf we haue cōpassyon and pray for hym yf we be mercyful and forgeue him yf we deny our selues and faste and withdrawe all plesures from the fleshe for loue of the lyfe to come and to kepe the commaundementes of God For when suche thynges beinge before impossible and nowe are easye and naturall we fele and are sure that we be altered and of a newe nature and a newe creature shapen in ryghtwysnes after the ymage of Christ and God our father seynge hys lawes of ryghtwysnesse are wrytten in our hartes When ye fast be not sade as the ypocrites are For they fassyon them a newe countenaunce that it myght appere vnto men howe they faste Verely I say vnto you they haue theyr rewarde Thou therfore whē thou fastest annoynte thyne heed washe thy face that it appere not vnto men howe thou fasteste But vnto thy father whiche is in secrete And thy father whiche seythe in secrete shall rewarde the openly As aboue of almose and prayer euen so here Chryste rebuketh the false entente and ypocrysye of fastyng That they sought prayse of that worke that was ordeyned for to tame the flesh and vsed suche fassyons that all the worlde myght knowe that they fasted to prayse them and to saye O what holye men are these howe pale and petyfull they loke euen lyke deathe hangynge downe theyr hedes and beholdynge the erthe as men clene out of the worlde If these come not to heauen what shall become of vs poore wretches of the worlde If these be not greate in the fauoure of God and theyr prayers harde what soo euer they axe in what case are we laye people Happy is he that may be a brother amonge them and partaker of theyr prayers and fastynges and other holye lyuynge In an vnhappy In an happy I wolde saye houre was he borne that buyldethe them a sell or a cloysture or geueth them a porcyon of hys lande to comforte them good men in thys paynefull lyuynge and strayte penaunce which they haue taken vpon them Blessed were he that myght kysse the edge of the cote of one of thē Oh he that myght haue hys body wrapped in one of theyr olde cotes at the houre of dethe it were as good to hym as his Chrystendome c. It apereth also by y t they axed Christe why hys dyscyples fasted not as well as the pharyses y t they oft fasted whē the comen people fasted not al apere holy As oures fast aduent and begyn before lent at Septuagesima when Laus tibi domine cometh in And concernynge the annoyntynge of thy heed c. is ment as afore of turnyng the other cheke and of that the lefte hande shulde not knowe what the ryght dyd that is y t they shuld auoyde al vayne glory and fast to god and for the entent that God ordeyned it for and that with a mery hart and cherful countenaūce therby to fele the workyng of God and to be sure of his fauoure Such is the meaninge and not to bynde thē that wyl fast to anoynt theyr heed washe theyr faces And the maner or phrase of spekynge cometh of an vsage that was among the Iewes to anoynt thē selues with swete and odoryferouse annoyntmentes when they were dysposed to be mery and to make good chere as ye se howe Mary of Bethany poured a boxe of precyouse oyntmente vpon Chrystes heed at souper As concernynge fastyng it were good that kynges and rulers dyd sette an order of sobernesse amonge theyr subiects to auoyde derthe innumerable deseases and the great hepe of vyces that sprynge of intēperancy and that they forbade not onelye ryote and excesse But also all maner wanton delycyous and customable eatynge and drynkynge of such thynges as corrupte the people and make the men more effeminate then the woman so that there remayneth no more tokens of a man in thē saue theyr berdes Our fassyons of eatinge make vs slouth full and vnlusty to laboure and study vnstable inconstant and lyght manered full of wyttes after wytted as we call it incyrcumspecte in consyderat hedy rashe and hastye to begynne vnaduysedly and without castynge of parelles the ende not consydered what may folowe nor the meanes well loked vpon howe and by what way the mater might be brought to passe tryfelers mockers rude vnsauery iestere with out all maner of salte and euen very apes and Marmesettes and full of wanton and rebaldyshe communycacyon and lewde gestures It corrupteth the wyte with false iudgement and infecteth the body with luste and makethe the hole man so vnquyet in hī selfe
before hym he seythe not gyue hym a lanterne in his haÌ„de and yet he can not go streyght Brynge hym out into the son and poynte hym vnto that which thou woldest haue him se it boteth not Euen so yf couetousnesse haue blynded the spyrytuall eye and peruerted the ryght entent of the lawe of God and of the workes coÌ„maunded by God and of the sacrefyce ceremonyes and sacramentes and of al other ordynauÌ„ces of God which entente is the spiritual eye then is al the doctrine darke and verye blyndenes ye and then howe darcke is the darckenesse when that whiche is pure blyndenes is beleued to be lyght howe darcke is the doctryne of them that teache that a man may compel God with the workes of frewyll to gyue them hys fauoure and grace or make God vnryghtwyse Howe darcke is the doctrine of theÌ„ which to y e rebuke of Christes bloude teache that workes do iustefye before God and make satysfaccyon for synnes howe blynde are they whiche thynke prayer to be the paterynge of many wordes and wyll therefore not only be praysed and payed of the worlde but also by the title therof chalenge heuen and not by the merytes of Chrystes bloude Howe darke is the doctryne of theÌ„ whose fayth is only and al together apoyntmentes which they them selues haue fayned betwene theÌ„ and God vnto which yet God neuer subscribed In which also they assygne what worke and howe muche they wyll do and what rewarde and howe greate God must gyue them or chose whether he wyll be vnryghtwyse Howe darke is the doctrine of them that say styâ—â—â—e that the worke of the sacramentes in it selfe not referrynge it to stere vp the faythe of the promyses â—nnexed to them dothe iustefye â–ª and affyrme that bodelye payne for the payne it selfe not referrynge it eyther to the loue of the lawe of God or of their neyghboure dothe please God Howe darke daÌ„pnable and deuelyshe is the doctryne of them whiche not onely thynke lucre to be the seruyce of God but also are so ferre past al shame that they affyrme they be the holy church and can not erre and al that they decre must be an artycle of our fayth and that it is daÌ„pnable once to doubte or serche the scrypture whether theyr doctryne wyll therto agre or no but say their decres must be beleued as they sounde howe contrary so euer the scripture be and the scripture must be expouÌ„ded made agre to theÌ„ They nede not to regarde the scripture but to do say as theyr holy gost moueth them and if the scrypture be contrary theÌ„ make it a nose of waxe and wrest it this way that way tyll it agre Fayth of workes was the darkenes of the false prophetes out of the whiche the true coulde not drawe them Fayth of workes was the blyndenesse of the pharysyes out of the whiche nether Iohan Baptist nor Christ coulde brynge them And though Iohan Baptist pyped to theÌ„ with reasons of the scrypture inuyncible and Chryst therto added myracles yet the pharesyes wolde not daunce For Iohn Baptist as they thought was to madde to lyue soo strayte a lyfe and to refuse to be iustefyed therby And as for Chryst and his dyscyples the pharysyes were muche holyer them selues fasted oftener prayed thycker vttered muche mo wordes in theyr prayer then they Faythe of workes is that belefe of the turkes and Iewes which dryueth them euer awaye form Chryste Faythe of workes hathe ben that lyght of darckenesse in which a great parte of vs ChrysteÌ„ haue walked â—â—er seÌ„ce Pelagius and Faustus wel aboue .xii. C. yeres and euer mo mo and iÌ„ which al out â—â—lâ—gyons haue walked al more to this foure or fyue hundred yere and in whiche the prestes also haue walked a loÌ„ge season y e lorde bring them out agayne Fynally howe darke is the darkenes when a pharesye and a verye Pelagyan standeth vp and preacheth agaynste the pharesyes and the Pelâ—gians and is alowed of all the audyence And in conclusyon when the worlde euer sence it beganne hathe and dothe of naturall blyndenes beleue in theyr owne workes then yf the scrypture be peruerted to coÌ„fyrme that errour howe sore are their hartes hardened and howe depe is that darkenes No man can sarue two maysters for he shall ether hate the one and loue the other or cleaue to the one and despyce the other ye can sarue God and Mammon MaÌ„mon is reches or aboundance of goodes and Chryste concludeth with a playne symylitude that as it is impossyble to serue two contrary masters as it is impossyble to be retayned vnto two dyuerse lordes whiche are enymyes one to the other soo is it impossyble to sarue God and Mammon Two masters of one minde and one wyl might a maÌ„ serue for if one wyll one mynde and one accorde be in twenty then are they all but one master And two maysters where one is vnder the other and a substytute maye a man serue For the seruyce of the inferior is the commaundement of the superior As to serue and obey father mother husbande master and lorde is Goddes commaundement But and yf the inferyor be of a contrarye wyll to the superyor and commaunde any contrary thyng theÌ„ mayst thou not obey For nowe they be two contrary masters so God MaÌ„mon are two contrary masters â–ª ye two coÌ„trary Godes of contrary commaundementes ¶ God sayth I thy lord God am but one and me shalt thou serue alone y t is thou shalt loue me with all thy harte or with thy whole harte with all thy soule and with al thy myght Thou shalt nether serue obey or loue any thyng saue the and that I byd the and that is far no farther then I byd the. ¶ â—nd MaÌ„man sayth the same For Mammon wylbe a God also and serued and loued alone ¶ God sayth se thou loue thy neyghbour that thou labour with thy handes to get thy lyuynge and some what aboue to helpe hym ¶ MaÌ„mon sayth he is called thy neyghbour because he is nye the. Nowe who is so nye the as thy selfe Ergo Proximus esto tibi that is loue thy selfe and make lewde and vyle wretches to laboure dylygentlye to gette the as muche as thou mayst and some scrappes aboue for them selues Or wylt thou be perfecte Then dysgyse thy selfe and put on a gray cote a blacke or a pyed and gyue thy selfe to deuocyon despyce the world and take a couetous I wold say coÌ„templatiue lyfe vpon the. Tel y e people howe hote purgatory is and what paynes there must be suffered for smal fautes And theÌ„ geue mercy fully a thousaÌ„de folde for one spiritual for teÌ„poral geue heuen and take but house lande and folyshe temporal thinges ¶ God saythe iudge trulye betwene thy brethren and therfore take no gyftes Mammon sayth it is good maner and a poynte of curtesy to take that is offered And he that geueth y
comforte thou thy selfe with the hope of a better lyfe in an other worlde euer assured that thou lhalt haue here suffycient onely yf thou kepe couenaunt with the lorde thy God and seke his kyngedome and the ryghtwysenesse therof aboue all thynges The kyngedome of God is the gospell doctrine of Christ And the ryghtwysnes therof is to beleue Christes bloude for the remyssyon of synnes Out of whiche ryghtwysenesse springeth loue to God and thy neyboure for his sake whiche is also ryghtwysnesse as I haue sayd afore so farre as it is perfycte and that whiche lacketh is supplyed by fayth in Goddes worde in that he hath promised to accepte that tyll more come Then foloweth the outwarde ryghtwysnesse of workes by the which and dyligent recording of Goddes worde together we growe and waxe perfecte kepe our selues from goynge backe and losynge the spite agayne And these haue our spiritualty with theyr corrupte doctryne myngled to gether that is to say the ryghtwysnes of the kyngedome of God which is fayth in Christes bloude the outwarde ryghtwysnes of the meÌ„bres that we ascrybe to y e one that perteyneth to the other Seke the kyngedome of heuen therfore and the ryghtwysnesse of the same be sure thou shalte euer haue sufficient and these thynges shalbe mynystred vnto the that is to say shall come of their owne accorde by the promise of God ye Christ promyseth the an hunderfolde euen in this lyfe of all that thou leuest for his sake If that were true wolde some say who wolde nat rather serue him thaÌ„ Mammon yet it is true For first if thou be seruaunt of Mammon thou must kepe thy God thy God nat the. And euery man that is stronger then thou wyll take thy God from the. Moreouer God wyll take ether the from thy Mammon or thy MaÌ„mon from the yeâ— thou woldest to adueÌ„ge him selfe of thy blynde vnkyndnes that when he hath made the and geuen the all thou forsakest him and seruest his mortall enemye But yf thou folowe Christ all the worlde and let them take all the deuelles in hel to them shal nat be able to disapoynte the of a sufficient lyuynge And though they persecute the frome house to house a thousaÌ„de tymes yet shal god prouide the of another with all thynges sufficient to lyue by Nowe compare the surety of his with the incertayntie of the other and then the blessed ende of this that heuen is promysed the also with the myserable departynge from the other so sore agaynst thy wyll then the desperacion that thy hurte feleth y t thou art alredy in hel And theÌ„ may nat this be well called a thousande folde more then y e other Care nat then for the day folowynge but let the day folowynge care for it selfe For the day that is present hath euer ynough of his owne trouble If thou loke well on the couenaunt that is betwene the thy lorde God on the one syde and the temptacions of the worlde the fleshe and Satan on the other thou shalte sone perceyue that the day preseÌ„t hath euer ynough to be cared for and for which thou must crye instantlye to God for helpe also though thou do thy best Now then seynge the day present is ouer charged with her owne care what madnesse is it to lade vpon her also the care of the day folowyng ye the care of a yere ye of .xx. yere or as though thou neuer entendest to dye to torment and vexe the soule thorow mystrust and vnbelefe to make thy lyfe sowre and bytter and as vnquyete as the lyfe of the deuelles in hell ⧠⧠Therfore care day by day and houre by houre ernestlye to kepe the couenaunt of the lorde thy God an to recorde therin day and nyght and to do thy parte vnto the vttermost of thy power And as for Goddes parte let hym care for it hym selfe and beleue thou his wordes stedfastly be sure that heuen erthe shal soner peryshe theÌ„ one â—ote byde behinde of that he hath promysed And for thyne owne parte also care nat of that maner as though thou shuldest do all alone Naye God hath fyrst promysed to helpe the. Secondarely to accepte thyne harte that lytle that thou art able to do be it neuer so imperfecte Thyrdly though wynde wether and the streame cary the cleane coÌ„trary to thy purpose yet because thou by dest styll in thy professyon redy to turne the ryght course as sone as the tempeste is a lytle ouer blowen God promiseth to forgeue that and nat the lesse to fulfyll his promyses of one iote ⧠⧠Dothe Christe so defende his that they neuer come in daunger of trouble yes they come in to suche straytes ofte that no wytte nor reason can se any way out saue fayth only is sure that God hath and wyll make a way thorowe But that teÌ„ptacion is but for an houre to teche them and to make them fele the goodnes of theyr father and the passyons of theyr bretkren and of theyr maister Christ also It is but as a louyngge mother to make her chylde to perceaue and fele her kyndenes to loue her agayne an be thankfull letteth it hunger in a mornynge And whan it calleth for his breakfast maketh as she herde nat tyll for payne impacience it begynneth to crye a good And then she stylleth it geueth it all that it asketh and more to to please it And whan it is peased and begynneth to eate and reioyseth and is glade and fayne she asketh who gaue the that thy mother and yt sayth ye Than sayth she Am nat I a good mother that gyue the all thynges and it answereth ye And she asketh wylt thou loue thy mother c. And yt sayth ye and so cometh it to the knowledge of his mothers kyndenesse and is thankfull Suche is the temptacion of Christes electe and other wyse nat ⧠⧠Here is nat forboden all maner of care but that worldly and deuelshe care that springeth of an inordinat loue to worldly thynges and of mistrust in god As for an ensample I couet inordinatly more then sufficient or but euen that I haue nede of And it because I mystrust God haue no hope in hym therfore pray nat to hym cometh nat Then I mourne sorow and pyne away and am whole vnquyet in myne harte Or whether I haue muche or but sufficient and loue it inordinatly then I care for the kepynge And because I mistrust god haue no hope in hym that he wyl helpe me therfore whan I haue locked dores chambres and cofers I am neuer the nere at rest but care styl cast a thousande parelles of which the moost parte were nat in my myght to aduoyde though I neuer slepe And where this care is there can the worde of God haue no restynge place but is choked vp as sone as it is sowne ⧠⧠There is a nother care that spryngeth
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
thou hast the same thynge that God desyreth of the for which he hath bounde hym selfe to forgyue the. Leade vs nat into temptacyon That is Let vs not slyppe out of thy leafe but holde vs faste gyue vs not vp nor cease to gouerne vs nor take thy spirite froÌ„ vs. For as an hounde can not but folowe his game when he seyth it before him yf he be lowse so can we not but fall into synne when occasyon is gyuen vs yf thou withdrawe thyne hande from vs. Leade vs not into temptacyon Let no temptacyon fall vpon vs greater then thyne helpe in vs. But be thou stronger in vs than the temptacyon thou sendeste or letteste come vppon vs. Leade vs not into teÌ„ptacyons Father though we be neglygent ye and vnthankful and dysobedyent to thy true prophetes yet let not the dyuell lowse vpon vs to deceyue vs with hys false prophetes and to harden vs in the waye in which we gladly walke as thou dydest Pharao with the false myracles of hys sorserars as thyne Apostle Paule threateneth vs. 2. The. 2. A lytle threde holdeth a stronge man where he gladly is A lytle pullyng draweth a man whether he gladly goeth A lyght wynde dryueth a greate shyppe with the screme A lyght persuasyon is ynoughe to make a lecherous man beleue that fornycacyon is no synne And an angrye man that it is lawful to aduenge him selfe and so forth by all the corrupt nature of man A lytle myracle is able to confirme and harden a man in that openyon and faythe whiche hys blynde reason beleueth all redye A fewe false myracles were ynoughe to persuade the couetousnes of Pharao and hys gredynes to holde the chyldren of Israel in bondage for theyr seruyce that thy true myracles shewed by Moyses for theyr delyueraunce were not of the. But of the same kynde and done by the same crafte as were the myracles of hys sorserars and so to harden his harte Euen so father yf thou gyue vs ouer for our vnkyndenesse seynge the blynde nature of man delyteth in euell and is ready to beleue lyes a lytle thynge is ynoughe to make them that loue not to walke in thy truthe and therfore neuer able to vnderstande thy sonnes doctryne Iohan. 7 for to beleue the faynynges of our most holy father al is superstycyous popetry and inuysyble blessynges and to harden them therin As a stone caste vp in to the ayer can nether go any hyer nether yet there abyde when the power of the hurler ceaseth to dryue it Euen so father seynge our corrupt nature can but go downewardâ— onely and the deuell and the worlde dryueth therto the same waye howe can we procede further in vertue or staÌ„de therin if thy power cease in vs. Leade vs not therfore o mercyfull father into teÌ„ptacyon nor cease at any tyme to gouerne vs. Nowe seynge the God of al mercy which knoweth thyne infirmite coÌ„manded the to pray in al temptacion and aduersite and hath promysed to helpe yf thou trust in hym what excuse is it to say when thou hast synned I coulde not staÌ„de of my selfe when his power was ready to helpe the yf thoâ— hade axed it But delyuer vs from euell Fyrst as aboue let vs not fal into temptacyon Seconderely yf we be fallen as who lyueth and falleth neuer for neuer to falle were ynough to make a man as euell as Lucyfer and to beleue that he stode by hys owne power If therfore we be fallen euen to the botome howe so euer depe it be put in thyne arme after for it is longe and stronge ynough and plucke vs out agayne Thyrdly delyuer vs from euel and plucke vs out of the fleshe and the world the power of the deuel put vs in the kyngdome where we be past al ieoperdy and where we can not synne any more For the kyngdome and the power and the glorye is thyne for euer So be it Because that tâ—ou only art the kynge and al other but substytutes And because al power is thyne and all other mennes power but borowed of the therfore ought all honoure and obedyence to be thyne of ryght as chefe lorde and none to be gyuen other men but onely for the offyce they holde of the. Nether ought any creature to seke any more in thys worlde then to be a brother tyl thou haue put hym in offyce then yf brotherlynes wyll not helpe whiche he ought fyrste to proue let hym execute thy power Nether maye any man take auctorite of hym selfe tyll God haue chosen hym that is to wete â–ª tyll he be chosen by the ordynaÌ„ce that God hath set in the worlde to rule it Fynally no kynge lorde mayster or what ruler it be hath absolute power in this worlde and is the very thynge whiche he is called For then they ceased to be brethren styl nether could they syn what so euer they coÌ„maunded But nowe theyr auctoryte is but a lymeted power which when they traÌ„sgresse they syn agaynst theyr brethren and ought to reconsile them selues to their brethren and to axe forgiuenes and they are bouÌ„d to forgyue Fynally let kynges rulers and officers remeÌ„ber that God is the very kynge and referre the honoure that is gyuen to them for theyr offyces sake to hym and vmble them selues to hym and knowledge and confesse in theyr hartes that they be but brethren and euen no better before God then the worst of theyr subiectes So be it For yf ye forgyue men theyr fautes your heuenly father shall forgyue you also But and yf ye do not forgyue men theyr fautes no more shal your father forgiue your fautes This is Goddes couenaunt with vs and a coÌ„fyrmacyon of the petycyon aboue rehersed in y e Pater noster forgyue vs our trespasses as we forgyue our trespassers If thou wylt enter into the couenaunt of thy lorde God and forgyue thy brother then what so euer thou hast coÌ„mytted against God if thou repent and axe hiÌ„ forgyuenes thou art sure that thou art so absolued by these wordes that none in heueÌ„ nor erth can bynd the â–ª No though our most holy father cursse the as blake as coles seuen fote vnder the erthe and seuen fote aboue cast al his lyghtenynge vpon the to burne the to powder Kepe the couenaunt of the lorde thy God therfore feare no bugges But and if thou wylt not come with in the couenaunt of God or yf when thou haste professed it and receyued the signe therof thou cast the yoke of the lorde from of thy necke be thou sure thou art bounde by these wordes so fast y t none in heuen or in erthe can lowse the. No though our erthyshe god whysper al his absolucyons ouer the clawe the and stroke thy hede with al his swete blessynges Furthermore though forgiueneâ— of thy synnes be annexed to thy worke and forgeuynge thy brother yet doeth not as I sayd thy workes iustefye the before God But the faythe in Chrystes