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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18193	The lamentacion of a synner, made by ye most vertuous Ladie, Quene Caterin, bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life: set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin duchesse of Suffolke, [and] the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord, William Parre, Marquesse of North Hampton	Catharine Parr, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1512-1548.; Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.	1547 (1547)	STC 4827; ESTC S108944	34,896	122

The lamentacion of a sinner made by y e most vertuous Ladie Quene Caterin bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin Duchesse of Suffolke the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord William Parre Marquesse of North Hampton Wiliam Cicill hauing taken muche profit by y e reading of this treatyse folowing wisheth vnto euery christian by y e reading therof like profit with increase from god MOste gentle Christian reader yf matiers shoulde be rather confirmed by their reporters than the reportes warraunted by the maters I might iustely bewayle our tyme wherin euil deades be well woorded and good actes euill cleped But synce truthe is y e thinges be not good for their prayses but be praysed for their goodnes I doe not moue the to lyke this christian treatise bycause I haue mynde to prayse it but I exhorte the to mynde it for the goodnes thou shalt allowe it for whose likinge I labour not to obteyne only moued by my example their iudgement I regarde chieflye confirmed by by the matier Truely our tyme is so disposed to graunte good names to euill fruites and excellente termes to meane workes that neyther can good dedes enioye their due names being defrauded by the euill neyther excellente workes can possesse their worthy termes beinge forstalled by the meane In so muche that men seeke rather howe muche they can then howe muche they ought to saye inclininge more to their pleasure thē to theyr iudgement and to shewe them selues rather elo●uent then the matier good so that neyther the goodnes of the cause can moue them to saye more neyther the euilnes lesse For if the excellencye of this christian contemplacion eyther for y e goodnes herin to maruaill appering eyther for the proffyt herupon to the reader ensewinge shoulde be with due commendacion folowed I of necessitie shoulde eyther trauayle to fynde oute newe wordes the olde being anticipated by euill matiers or wishe that the commen speache of praysing were spared vntill conuenient maters were founde to spende it suche is the plentye of praysing and scarcenes of deseruing Wherfore lackinge the manner in woordes and not the matier in deade of high commēdacion I am compelled to kepe in my iudgemente with sylence trusting whō my reaport coulde not haue moued to lyke thys present treatise the worthines of the matier shal compell to geue it honour Any earthely manne woulde sone be stirred to see some mistery of magike or practise of alchumye or perchaunce some enchauntemente of Elementes But thou whiche art christened hast here a wonderful mistery of the mercy of god a heuenly practise of regeneracion a spirituall Enchauntement of the grace of god Yf Ioye and tryumphes be shewed when a kinges childe is borne to the worlde what Ioye is sufficient when goddes childe is regenerated from heauen Th one is fleshe whiche is borne of fleshe The other is spirite whiche is borne of Spirit The one also shall wither like y e grasse of the yearth in shorte tyme the other shal lyue in heauen beyond al time Yf the finding of one lost shepe be more ioyfull then the hauing of ninetie and nyne what Ioye is it to consyder the returne of a straye childe of almightye god whose returne teacheth the nyentie and nine to come to their folde Euen suche cause of Ioye is this that the Aungells in heauen take comforte herin be thou therfore ioyfull where a noble childe is newlie borne shewe thy selfe gladde where the lost shepe hathe wunne the hole flocke be thou not sad wherin Aungelles reioyce Here mayst thou see one if the kinde maye moue the a woman if degre may prouoke the a woman of highe estate by birthe made noble by mariage most noble by wisdome godly by a mighty king an excellent Quene by a famous Henry a renoumed Katheryne a wife to hym that was a kinge to realmes refusinge the worlde wherin she was loste to obteyne heauen wherin she maye be saued abhorringe synne whiche made her bounde to receyue grace wherby she may be fre dispising fleshe the cause of corrupcion to put on the spirite y e cause of sanctificacion forsaking ignoraunce wherin she was blind to come to knowledge wherby she may se remouing supersticion wherwith she was smothered to enbrace trew Religion wherwith she may reuiue The fruit of thys treatise good Reader is thye amendment this only had the writer is satisfied This good lady thought no shame to detect her sinne to obteyne remissiō no vilenes to become nothing to be a mēbre of hī which is al thinges is all no folye to forget the wisdome of the worlde to lerne the Simplicitie of the gospel at the last no displeasauntnes to submyt her selfe to the scole of the Crosse the learning of the crucifixe the booke of our redēpciō y e very obsolute library of goddes mercye and wisdome Thys way thought she her honour encreased and her state permanente to make her yearthlye honour heauenly and neglect the transitorye for the euerlastynge Of this I woulde the warned that y e profit may ensewe These greate misteries and graces be not well perceyued except they be suerly studied neyther be they perfectly studied except they be diligently practised neither profitablye practysed without amendement Se lerne hereby what she hath doone then mayst thou practise and amend that thou canst do so shalt thou practise with ease hauing a guyde amende w t profit hauing a zeale It is easyer to see these then to learne begynne at the easyest to come to the harder see thou her confession that thou maist lerne her repētaunce practyse her perseueraunce that thou mayst haue lyke amendemente displease thy selfe in eschewing vice that thou mayste please god in askynge grace let not shame hinder thy confessiō whiche hindred not the offence be thou sure yf we knowledge our sinnes god is faythful to forgiue vs and to clense vs from all vnryghteousnes obey y e prophetes saying declare thy wayes to the lord Thus far thou maist learne to knowe thy selfe next this be thou as diligent to releiue thye selfe in goddes mercy as thou hast bē to reuele thy selfe in thine owne repentaunce For god hath cōcluded al thinges vnder sinne because he woulde haue mercy vpon al who hath also borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tre y t we shoulde be delyuered from sinne shoulde lyue vnto rightwisnes by whose stripe we be healed here is oure anker here is our shepeherd here we be made hole here is our life our redempcion our saluacion and our blisse let vs therfore nowe fede by thys gracious quenes example and be not ashamed to become in confession publicanes since thys noble lady wil be no Pharesie And to all ladies of estate I wishe as ernest minde to folow our quene in vertue as in honour that they might once appere to prefer god before the worlde and be honorable

geue me his holy spirit to teache me to auowe that Christ is the sauiour of the worlde and to vtter these wordes the lorde Iesus and finally to helpe myne infirmities and to intercede for me For I am mooste certayne suer that no creature in heauen nor earth is of power or can by any meane helpe me but god who is omnipotent almighty beneficyall and mercyfull wel willing and louing to all those that call and put their whole confidence and trust in hym And therfore I wil seke non other meanes nor aduocate but Christes holy spirite who is only the Aduocat and mediatour betwene god and man to helpe and relyue me But nowe what maketh me so bolde hardy to presume to cum to the lord with suche audacitie boldnes beyng so greate a Sinner trulye nothinge but hys owne woorde for he sayeth Cum to me al ye that labour and ar burdened and I shall refresshe you What gentle mercyfull cōfortable wordes ar ●hese to all sinners were he not a frantick mad beastly folysh man that would runne for ayde helpes or refuge to any other creature What a most gracious comfortable and ge●tle saying was this w t suche pleasant and swete wordes to allure his enemies to cū vnto him Is there any worldlie prince or magistrate that woulde shewe suche clemencie mercie to their disobedient and rebellious subiectes hauyng offended theym I suppose they woulde not with suche woordes allure thē excepte it were to calle theym whom they can not take punishe theym beyng takē But euen as Christe is Prince of Princes and lorde of lordes so his charitie mercy excedeth surmounteth all others Christ saith if carnall fathers do geue good giftes to their childrē whē they aske them howe muche more shall your heauenly father being in substance al holie most highly good geue good giftes to all them that aske hym It is no smal nor litle gift that I require neyther thinke I my selfe worthy to receyue suche a noble gift being so ingrate vnkinde and wicked a chylde But when I behold the benignitie liberalitie mercy and goodnes of the lorde I I am encoraged boldened and stirred to aske suche a noble gift The lorde is so bountefull and lyberall that he will not haue vs satisfyed and contented with one gyft neyther to aske simple and small giftes And therfore he promiseth and bindeth him selfe by hys worde to geue good and beneficiall giftes to all them that aske hym with true fayth without whiche nothing can be doen acceptable or pleasing to god For fayth is the foundacion and grounde of all other giftes vertues and graces and therfore I wil saye Lord encreace my fayth For this is the life euerlastynge lord that I must beleue the to be the true god whom thou didest sende Iesu Christ. By this fayth I am assured and by thys assurance I fele the remission of my sinnes this is it that maketh me bold this is it that cōforteth me this is it that quencheth all dispayre I knowe O my lorde thy eyes looke vpō my fayth Saynt Paule sayeth we be iustified by the fayth in Christe not by the deades of the lawe For if rightwisenes cum by the lawe then Christ died in vayne S. Paule meaneth not here a dead humain historical fayth gottē by humain industrie but a supernall liuelye fayth which worketh by charitie as he him selfe plainly expresseth This dignitie of fayth is no dirogaciō to good workes for oute of this fayth springeth all good workes Yet we may not impute to the worthines of fayth or workes our Iustificaciō before god but ascribe and geue the worthynes of it wholy to the merites of Christes passion and referre and attrybute the knowlege and perceyuyng therof onely to fayth whose very true only propertie is to take apprehende and holde fast the promyses of goddes mercie the whiche maketh vs rightwise and to cause me continually to hope for the same mercy and in loue to worke all manner of wayes allowed in the scripture that I may be thankfull for the same Thus I feele my selfe to cū as it were in a newe garment before god and nowe by his mercye to be taken iuste and rightwise whiche of late without hys mercy was sinfull and wicked and by fayth to obteyne his mercy the whiche the vnfaythfull can not enioye And although Saint Iohn extolleth charitie in hys Epistle saying that god is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in god Truly charitie maketh menne liue lyke aungelles And of the most furious vnbrydled carnall men maketh meke lambes Yea w t howe feruent a spirite ought I to call crye pray to the lorde to make his greate charitie to burne and flame in my harte being so stonye and euyll affected that it neuer woulde conceyue nor regard the greate inestimable charitie and loue of god in sending hys only begotten and dere beloued Sonne into this vale of miserie to suffre the moste cruell sharpe death of the crosse for my redēcion Yet I neuer had this vnspeakable speakeable and most high charitie and abundant loue of god printed fixed in my hart dulye tyll it pleased god of hys mere grace mercy pitie to opē myne eyes makyng me to see and beholde with the eye of liuely fayth Christ crucified to be myne only sauiour and redemer For then I beganne and not before to perceyue and see myne owne Ignoraunce and blindnes the cause therof was that I woulde not learne to knowe Christ my Sauiour and redemer But when god of hys meere goodnes had thus opened myne eyes made me see and behold Christ the wisdome of GOD the light of the world with a supernatural sight of fayth All pleasures vanities honour riches welth and aydes of the world beganne to waxe bitter vnto me thā I knewe it was no illusion of the deuill nor false ne humain doctrine I had receyued whē suche successe came therof that I had in detestaciō horrour y t which I erste so muche loued estemed being of god forbidden that we shoulde loue the worlde or the vayne pleasures shadowes in the same Thā begā I to perceyue y t Christe was my only Sauiour redemer the same doctrine to be al diuine holy heauēly infused by grace into the hartes of y e faythful which neuer cā be atteyned by humayne doctrine wit nor reasō although they should trauayle and labour for the same to th end of y e world Then began I to dwel in god by charitie knowing by the louyng charitie of god in the remission of my sinnes that god is charitie as Saint Iohn sayth So that of my faythe wherby I came to knowe god and wherby it pleased god euen because

people it bringeth furthe good fruit aboundantly so that the want faute is in men and not in the worde of god I praye god all men women may haue grace to becum meete tillage for the fruites of the gospell and to leaue onelye the iangling of it for only speaking of y e gospel maketh not men good christians but good talkers excepte theyr factes and workes agre with the same so then theyr speache is good because they re hertes be good And euē as much talke of the worde of God without practising the same in our lyuing is euill and detestable in the sight of god so it is a lamentable thing to heare howe there be many in y e worlde that do not wel digest the reading of scripture doo commende and prayse Ignoraunce and saye that muche knowlege of gods worde is the original of al discencion scismes and contencion and maketh mē hawte proud and presumptuous by readynge of the same Thys maner of saying is no lesse than a playne blasphemie agaynst the holy gost For the spirite of God is the authour of his worde and so the holy goste is made the authour of euill whiche is almoste great blasphemie as the scripture sayeth a synne that shal not be forgeuen in this worlde neyther in the other to cum It were al our partes and duties to procure and seeke all the wayes and meanes possible to haue more knowledge of goddes wordes set furthe abrode in the worlde and not allowe Ignoraunce and discommende knowledge of gods woorde stopping the mouthes of the vnlearned with suttle and crafty perswasions of Philosophie and Sophistrie wherof cōmeth no ●ruite but a greate perturbacion of the mynde to the simple ignoraunt not knowing whiche way to turne theym For howe is it not extreame wickednes to charge the holy sanctified woord of God with thoffences of man To allege the scriptures to be perillous learnyng because certayne readers therof fall into heresies These menne might be forced by thys kynde of argumente to forsake thuse of fyer because fyer burned theyr neighboures house or to absteine from meate or drynke bicause they see many surfeyte O blynde hate they sklaunder God for mans offence and excuse the man whom they see offende blame the scripture whiche they cannot improue Yea I haue heard of sum that haue very well vnderstande the latin tong that when they haue hearde learned men perswade to the credite and beliefe of certeyne vnwritten verities as they call theym whiche be not in scripture expressed and yet taught as doctryne apostolike and necessary to be beleued they haue ben of thys opinion that the learned menne haue mo Epistles written by thappostes of Christ then we haue abrode in the Cannon of tholde and newe Testament or knowen of any but only to them of the Clergie Whiche beliefe I did not a lytle lament in my harte to heare that any creature should haue suche a blinde ignoraunte opiniō Some kinde of simplicitie is to be praysed but this simplicitie without the veritie I can neyther prayse nor allowe And thus it may be seen howe we that be vnlettered remayne confused withoute god of his grace lightē our hartes w t a heauenly light and knowledge of hys wil for we be geuen of our selues to beleue men better then god I pray god sende all lerned menne the spirite of god aboundantly that theyr doctryne may bryng furthe the fruites therof I suppose there was neuer more nede of good doctryne to be setfurth in the worlde than nowe in thys age for the carnall children of Adam be so wise in theyr generacion that if it wer possible they woulde deceyue the children of light The worlde loueth hys owne and therfore theyr factes doynges be highly estemed of the world but the children of god ar hated because they be not of the worlde for they re habitacion is in heauen and they do dispise the worlde as a most vile slaue The fleshly children of Adam bee so politicke subtil craftie and wise in they re kynde that the electe should be illuded if it were possible for they are clothed with Christes garment in vtter apperaunce with a fayer shewe of all godlines and holines in they re wordes but they haue so shorne nopped turned Christes garmente haue so disguysed theym selues that the children of light beholdyng theym with a spirituall eye accounte and toke theym for men whiche haue solde they re masters garment haue stolne a pece of euery mans garmēt yet by theyr subtill arte and craftie wittes t●ey haue so sette those patches and pieces together that they do make the blind worlde carnal mē to beleue it is Christes very mantle but the children of light knowe the cōtrary for they are led by the spirite of god to the knowledge of the truthe therefore they di●cerne and iudge all thinges right and knowe from whence they cū euen fro the bishop of Rome his membres the head spring of al pride vain●glorie ambicion hipocrisie and fayned holynes The children of god be not abashed although the worlde hate theym they beleue they are in the grace and fauour of God and that he as abest father doeth gouerne theym in all thynges putting away frō theym al vayne cōfidence trust in theyr owne doinges for they knowe they can doe nothing but sinne of theym selues they be not so folish childish not to geue God thankes for theyr eleccion which was before y e beginning of the worlde for they beleue moste surely they be of y e chosen for the holy gooste doeth witnes to their spirite that they be the childrē of god and therfore they beleue god better than man They say with saynt Paule who shall seperate vs from the loue of god shal tribulacion anguish persecucion hunger nakednes peryll or swearde as it is written for thy sake are wee kylled all day long are counted as shepe appoynted to be slayne Neuertheles in al these thinges we ouercum thorowe hym that loueth vs for I am sure y t neyther death neyther life neyther aungelles nor rule neyther power neyther thinges present neyther thinges to cum neither quantitie or qualitie neyther any creature shal be able to departe vs from the loue of god whiche is in Christ Iesu our lord They are not by this godly fayth presumptuously enflamed nor by the same becum they leuse idell or slowe in doinge of godly workes as carnall men dreame of them so much the more feruent they be in doing moste holy and pure workes whiche god hath commaunded theym to walke in They wandre not in mennes tradicions and inuencions leauing the moste holye and pure preceptes of god vndone whiche they knowe they be bounde to obserue kepe Also they worke not like hierlinges for meede wagies or rewarde but

great zealebearers to god Yf this were the greatest euill of these younglinges it were not the moste euyl but I feare they be so blynde and ignoraunte that they are offended also at good thinges and iudge nothing good but suche as they enbrace esteme to be good with murmuringe against al suche as folow not their wayes Yf there be any of this sort the lord geue thē light of his truth y t they may encrease grow in godly strength I suppose if suche yōglinges vnperfect had sene Christ and his disciples eate meate w t vnwashed hādes or not to haue fasted with y e Phariseis they would haue ben offēded seīg him a breaker of mēnes tradiciōs their affections dispose their eies to se through other men they se nothing in thēselues where charitie although it be moste fullest of eyes to see the faultes of others whome it coueteth to amēde thinketh none euil but discretely and rightly interpreteth all thynges by y e which more iustly truly euery thing is takē Now these supersticious weaklinges yf they had ben cōuersaūt with Christ seen him leade his liefe sumtime with wemē sumtime with Samaritanes w t Publicanes sinners with the phariseis they woulde haue murmured at him Also yf they had sene Mary powre vpon Christ the preciouse oyntmente they would haue sayde with Iudas this oyntmente might haue bene solde and geuē to the poore Yf they also had sene Christ with whippes driue out of the temple those that bought and sould they woulde furthwith haue iudged Christ to haue ben troubled and moued with angre and not by zeale of charitie How would they haue bene offended yf they had seen him gooen to the Iewes feast heale a syckeman vpon the Saboth daye practyse with the woman of Samary ye and shew vnto her of his moste diuine doctrine and life They woulde haue taken occasion to haue hated and persecuted hym as the Scribes and Phariseis dyd And euen so shoulde Christe the Sauioure of the worlde haue bene to them an offence and ruine There be an other kynde of litleones vnperfect which are offēded after this sorte and maner as when they see one that is reputed and estemed holy to commit synne furthwith they learne to doe that and worse and waxe colde in doing of good and confirme thēselues in euil then they excuse their wicked lyfe publishyng the same with the sclaūder of theyr neyghbor If eny mā reproue them they saye suche a man dyd this and worse So it is euident that suche persōs would denye Christe yf they sawe other men do the same If they went to Rome and saw the enormities of the prelates whiche is sayde to reigne there emonges I doubte not yf they sawe one of them sinne which were reputed and takē for holy theyr fayth shoulde be loste but not the fayth of Christ which they neuer possessed but they should lease that humayne opinion whiche they had of the goodnes of prelates For yf they had the faythe of Christe the holye ghoste shoulde be a witnes vnto them which should be mighty in them that in case all the world would denye Christ they woulde remayne firme stable in the true faith The phariseis also toke occasion of y e euil of others to waxe hautie proude taking thēselues to be men of greater perfection thē any other bicause of their vertue euen as the Pharisei did whē he sawe the publicanes submission and so they be offended with euerye litle thinge iudging euill murmuring agaynst their neyghbour and for the same they are of manye reputed and taken for the more holy and good wheras in deade they be the more wicked The most wicked persons are offended euen at themselues for at their litle stabilitie in goodnes and of their detestable and euill lyfe they take occasion to despayre Where they oughte the more to commit themselues to god asking mercye for theyr offences And furthwith to gyue thankes y t it hath pleased him of his goodnes to suffer them so lōg a tyme. But what neadeth it any more to saye the euyll men are offended euē at the workes of god They see god suffer synners therfore thinke they sinne displeaseth him not And because they se not the good rewarded with riches oftentymes they imagin that god loueth them not it seameth to them god is parciall because he hath elected sum and sum reproued And therfore they saye that the elected be sure of saluacion takyng by y t occasion to do euyl ynough saying whatsoeuer god hath determined shal be perfourmed Yf also they see the good men oppressed and the euill men exalted they iudge god vniust taking occasion to lyue euelly saying inasmuche as god fauoureth the naughty men let vs doe euyll ynough to th entent he dooe vs good Yf then the wicked be offended euen at god it is no wondre yf they be offended at those that folow walke in his pathes and wayes Nowe I will speake with greate dolour and heuynes in my harte of a sorte of people whiche be in the worlde that be called professors of the gospell by theyr wordes doe declare and shewe they be muche affected to the same But I am afrayed sum of them do builde vpon the sand as Simon Magus did making a weake foundacion I meane they make not Christe their chiefest foundacion professing hys doctryne of a sincere pure and zelous mynde but eyther for bycause they woulde be called gospellers to procure sum credit good opinions of the true and very fauourers of Christes doctrine eyther to finde out sum carnall libertie eyther to be contencious disputers fynders or rebukers of other mennes fautes orelles finally to please and flatter the worlde suche gospellers are an offence and a ●klaunder to the worde of God and make the wicked to reioyce and laugh at theym saying behold I praye you theyr fayre frutes What charitie what discrecion what godlynes holynes or puritie of life is amongst thē Be they not great auēgears foule glottons slaunderers backbyters aduouterers fornicatours swearers and blasphemers yea and wallow and tumble in al sinnes These be y e fruites of theyr doctrine And thus it may be seene how the worde of GOD is euill spokē of through licencious and euil liuing and yet the worde of God is all holye pure sincere and godlye beyng the doctryne and occasion of al holie and pure liuing It is the wicked that peruerteth all good thinges into euill for an euil tree cannot bring furth good fruite And whē good seed is sowen in a barreyne and euill grounde it yeldeth no good corne and so it fareth by the word of god For when it is heard and knowē of wicked mē it bringeth furth no good fruit but when it is sowē in good ground I meane the hartes of good