¶A deuout treatise vpon the Pater no­ster / made fyrst in latyn by the moost fa­mous doctour mayster Erasmus Roterodamus / and tourned in to englisshe by a yong vertuous and well lerned gentylwoman of .xix. yere of age.

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¶Richarde Hyrde / vnto the moost studyous and vertuous yonge mayde Fraunces. S. sendeth gretynge and well to fare.

I Haue herde many men put great dout [...] whether it shulde be expedyent and re­quisite or nat / a woman to haue lernyng in bokes of latyn and greke. And some vtterly affyrme that it is nat onely / no­ther necessarye nor profytable / but also very noy­some and ieoperdous: Allegyng for their opinion that the frayle kynde of women / beyng enclyned of their owne corage vnto vice / & mutable at eue­ry newelty / if they shulde haue skyll in many thī ges / that be written in the latyn and greke tong / compiled and made with great crafte & eloquēce / where the mater is happely sōtyme more swete vnto the eare / than holsome for ye mynde / it wolde of lykelyhode / bothe enflame their stomakes a great deale the more / to that vice / that men saye they be to moche gyuē vnto of their owne nature alredy / and enstructe them also with more subti­lyte and conueyaunce / to sette forwarde and accō ­plysshe their frowarde entente and purpose. But these men that so say / do in my iugement / eyther regarde but lytell what they speke in this mater / or els / as they be for ye more parte vnlerned / they enuy it / and take it sore to hert / that other shulde haue yt precious iewell / whiche they nother haue theym selfe / nor can fynde in their hertes to take [Page] the payne to gette. For fyrste / where they reken suche instabilite and mutable nature in women / they saye therin their pleasure of a contensyous mynde / for the mayntenaunce of their mater / for if they wolde loke theron with one euyn eye / and cōsydre the mater equally / they shulde fynde and well ꝑceyue / that women be nat onely of no lesse constancy and discrecion than men / but also more stedfast and sure to truste vnto / than they.

For whether I praye you was more light and more to be discōmended / Helen that with moche labour and sute / and many craftye meanes / was at the last ouercome and inticed to go away with the kynges sonne of Troye? Or Parys / whiche with ones syght of her / was so doted in her loue / that neyther the great chere and kyndenesse she­wed vnto hym of her husbāde kyng Menelaus / nor shame of the abomynable dede / nor feare of the peryll that was lyke to come thervpon / nor the drede of god / myght let hym to conuey her a­waye / contrary to all gentylnesse / contrary to all ryght / all lawes and conscience? Nor the woman casteth her mynde neyther to one nor other of her owne proper wyll / Whiche thyng is a sure token of an vpryght and a stedfaste mynde / but by the sute and meanes of the man: Whan he with one loke of her / is rauisshed of all his wyttes. Nowe if here parauenture a man wolde saye / yes / they be moued aswell as men / but they dissemble / for­beare / and wyll nat vtter theyr stomakes / nother it is so cōuenyent the womā to speke as the man: [Page] that shall nat helpe his excuse / but rather hyndre it / for they be the more worthy to be allowed / that wyll nat be so farre ouersene in that affectiō / whi­che is so naturally gyuen to all thynges lyuyng / but that they can remembre theyr duetie and ho­nestie / where the man is many tymes so farre be­side his reason / yt he seeth nother where nor whā / nother to whom / nor howe to behaue hym selfe / nother can regarde / what is comely and what is nat. For verily / it is as vncōuenient for the man to demaunde that thynge that is vnlaufull / if he coude perceyue / as for the woman. And if bothe theyr vyces were all open and shewed / the man shulde haue moche more that he ought to be ashamed of / sauyng that he is also in that poynt worse than the woman / in as moche as she is a shamed of her faute / be it neuer so small: and he is so farre from that vertue / yt whan he hath done nought / he reioyseth of it & auaūceth hymselfe / as though it were well done. And yet he is so vnreasonable in iugyng the woman / that as Isocrates saythe wherin he hathe no consyderation / howe ofte or howe sore he offende his wyfe: He wyll nat suffre ones to be offēded hym selfe by her neuer so lytell: where he wolde that she shulde take his dedes all well in worthe. Wherfore in dede / women be in gaye case and happy / if their honestie and prayse must hange at the gyrdelles of suche people. Nowe as for lernyng / if it were cause of any yuell as they say it is / it were worse in the man than in the woman / bicause (as I haue said here before) [Page] he can bothe worse staye and refrayne hym selfe / than she. And moreouer than that / he cometh of­ter and in mo occasyons thaūe the woman / in as moche / as he lyueth more forthe abrode amonge company dayly / where he shalbe moued to vtter suche crafte as he hath gotten by his lernynge. And women abyde moost at home / occupied euer with some good or necessary busynesse. And the latyn and the greke tonge / I se nat but there is as lytell hurt in them / as in bokes of Englisshe and frēche / whiche men bothe rede them selfe / for the proper pastymes that be written in them / and for the witty and craftie conueyaunce of the makyn­ges: And also can beare well ynoughe / that wo­men rede them if they wyll / neuer so moche / whiche cōmoditeis be farre better handeled in the la­tyn & greke / than any other lāgage: and in them be many holy doctours writinges / so deuout and effectuous / that who soeuer redeth them / muste nedes be eyther moche better or lesse yuell / whi­che euery good body bothe man and woman wyll rede and folowe / rather than other. But as for that / that I here many men ley for the greattest ieoꝑdy in this mater / in good faythe to be playne me thynke it is so folysshe / yt scantly it is worthy / eyther to be rehersed or answered vnto. That is / where they saye / if their wyues coulde Latyn or greke / than myght they talke more boldely with preestes and freres / as who sayth / there were no better meanes (if they were yll dysposed) to exe­cute their purposes / than by spekynge Latyn or [Page] greke / outher els / that preestes and freres were cōmenly so well lerned / that they can make their bargeyne in latyn & greke so redily / whiche thing is also farre contrary / yt I suppose nowe a dayes a man coude nat deuyse a better waye to kepe his wyfe safe from them / than if he teche her the la­tyn and greke tonge / and suche good sciences as are written in them: the whiche nowe most parte of preestes / and specially suche as be nought / ab­horre and flye from: ye / as faste in a maner / as they flye from beggars / that aske them almesse in the strete. And where they fynde faute with lernyng / bycause they say / it engendreth wytte and crafte / there they reprehende it / for that that it is moost worthy to be commended for / and the whi­che is one singuler cause wherfore lernyng ought to be desyred / for he that had leuer haue his wyfe a foole than a wyse woman / I holde hym worse than twyse frantyke. Also / redyng and studyeng of bokes so occupieth the mynde / that it can haue no leyser to muse or delyte in other fantasies / whā in all handy werkes / that men saye be more mete for a woman / the body may be busy in one place / and the mynde walkyng in another: & while they syt sowing & spinnyng with their fyngers / maye [...]aste and compasse many peuysshe fantasyes in their myndes / whiche must nedes be occupyed / outher with good or badde / so long as they be wakynge. And those y• be yuell disposed / wyll fynde the meanes to be nought / though they can neuer a letter on the booke / and she that wyll be good / [Page] lernynge / shall cause her to be moche the better. For it sheweth the ymage and wayes of good ly­uynge / euyn right as a myrrour sheweth the sy­mylitude and proporcion of the body. And dout­lesse / the daylye experyence prouethe / that suche as are nought / are those that neuer knewe what lernyng ment. For I neuer herde tell / nor reed of any woman well lerned / that euer was (as plen­tuous as yuell tonges be) spotted or infamed as vicious. But on the otherside / many by their ler­nyng taken suche encreace of goodnesse / yt many may beare them wytnesse of their vertue / of whi­che sorte I coulde reherse a great nombre / bothe of olde tyme and late / Sauynge that I wyll be contente as for nowe / with one example of oure owne countre and tyme / that is: this gentylwo­man / whiche translated this lytell boke herafter folowyng: whose vertuous cōuersacion / lyuyng / and sadde demeanoure / maye be profe euydente ynough / what good lernynge dothe / where it is surely roted: of whom other women may take ex­ample of prudēt / humble / and wyfely behauour / charitable & very christē vertue / with whiche she hath with goddes helpe endeuoured her selfe / no lesse to garnisshe her soule / than it hath lyked his goodnesse with louely beauty and comelynesse / to garnysshe and sette out her body: And vndouted is it / that to thyncrease of her vertue / she hath ta­ken and taketh no lytell occasyon of her lernyng / besydes her other manyfolde and great cōmody­teis taken of the same / amonge whiche cōmody­teis [Page] this is nat the leest / that with her vertuous / worshipfull / wyse / and well lerned husbande / she hath by the occasyon of her lernynge / and his de­lyte therin / suche especiall conforte / pleasure / and pastyme / as were nat well possyble for one vnler­ned couple / eyther to take togyder or to conceyue in their myndes / what pleasure is therin. Ther­fore good Fraunces / seyng that suche frute / pro­fite and pleasure cometh of lernyng / take uo hede vnto the leude wordes of those that dispreyse it / as verily no man dothe / saue suche as neyther haue lernyng / nor wotteth what it meaneth / which is in dede the moost parte of men / & as the moost parte and the best parte be nat alwaye of one mȳ ­de / so if this mater shulde be tryed / nat by wytte and reason / but by heedes or handes / the greater parte is lyke as it often dothe / to vanquisshe and ouercome the better / for the best ꝑte (as I reken) whom I accompte the wysest of euery age / as a­mong the Gentyls the olde philosophers / and a­mong the christēmen / the aūcient doctors of Christes churche / all affyrme lernȳg to be very good & ꝓfitable / nat onely for men but also for women / ye whiche Plato the wyse philosopher calleth a bri­dell for yonge people agaynst vice. Wherfore good Fraunces / take you the best parte and leaue the moost / folowe the wyse men and regarde nat the folysshe sorte / but applye all your myght / wyll / & dilygence to optayne that especiall treasure / whi­che is delectable in youthe / cōfortable in age / and profytable at all seasons: Of whom wtout doute / [Page] cometh moche goodnesse and vertue. Whiche vertue who so lacketh / he is without that thing that onely maketh a man: Ye and without the whiche a man is worse than an vnreasonable beest / nor ones worthy to haue the name of a man. It ma­keth fayre and amyable / that that is of nature deformed: as Diogynes the philosopher / whan he sawe a yong man foule and yuell fauoured of persone / but very vertuous of lyuenge: thy vertue sayd he / maketh the beautifull: And that that is goodly of it selfe alredy / it maketh more excellent and bright. Whiche as Plato ye wyse philosopher saythe / if it coude be sene with our bodily eyes / it wolde make men wondersly enamored and taken in the loue of it. Wherfore vnto those especiall gif­tes of grace that god hath lent you / and endewed you with all / endeuer youre selfe that this precy­ous diamōde and ornament be nat lackyng / whi­che had / shall florisshe and lyghten all your other giftes of grace / and make them more gaye: and lacked / shall darke and blemysshe them sore. And surely the beautie of it / though ye had none other / shall gette you bothe greatter loue / more faithfull and lengar to cōtynue of all good folkes / than shall the beautie of the body / be it neuer so excellent / whose loue decayeth togyder / with it yt was the cause of it / and moost cōmenly before / as by dayly experyēce we maye se / them that go to­guyder for the loue of the bodily beautie / within a small whyle whan their appetyte is satisfyed / repent thē selfe. But the loue that cometh by the [Page] meanes of vertue & goodnesse shall euer be fresshe and encrease / ryght as dothe the vertue it selfe. And it shall you come by non otherwise so redily / as if you contynue the study of lernyng / whiche you be entred well in all redy: And for your tyme and age / I wolde saye / had greatly profyted / sa­uynge that chyldes age is so frayle accompted / that it nedeth rather monicion and cōtynuall cal­lynge vpon / than the deserued prayse. Howe be it I haue no doute in you / whome I se naturally borne vnto vertue / and hauyng so good brīgyng vp of a babe / nat onely among your honourable vncles chyldren / of whose conuersacion and com­pany / they that were right yuell / might take oc­casyon of goodnesse and amendement / But also with your owne mother / of whose preceptes and teachyng / and also very vertuous lyueng / if you take hede / as I put no feare you wyll and also do / you can nat fayle to come to suche grace and goodnesse / as I haue euer had opynion in you that ye shulde. Wherfore I haue euer in my mynde fauo­red you / and forthered to my power your profite / and encrease thervnto / and shall as long as I se you delyte in lernynge and vertue / no kynde of payne or labour refused on my partie / that maye do you good. And as a token of my good mynde / and an instrument towarde your successe and furtheraunce I sende you this boke / lytell in quan­tite but bigge in value / tourned out of latyn in to englysshe by your owne forenamed kynswoman / whole goodnesse and vertue / two thynges there [Page] be that let me moche to speke of. The one / bicause it were a thyng superfluous to spende many wordes vnto you about that mater / which your selfe knowe well ynough / by long experiēce and dayly vse. The other cause is / for I wolde eschewe the sclaundre of flatery: howe be it I count it no fla­tery to speke good of them that deserue it / but yet I knowe that she is as lothe to haue prayse gy­uyn her / as she is worthy to haue it / and had lea­uer her prayse to reste in mennes hertes / than in their tonges / or rather in goddes estimacion and pleasure / than any mannes wordes or thought: and as touchynge the boke it selfe / I referre and leaue it to the iugementes of those that shall rede it / and vnto suche as are lerned / y• onely name of the maker putteth out of question / the goodnesse and perfectyon of the worke / whiche as to myne owne opinyon and fantasye / can nat be amended in any poynte: And as for the translacion therof / I dare be bolde to say it / that who so lyst and well can conferre and examyne the translacyon wt the originall / he shall nat fayle to fynde that she hath shewed her selfe / nat onely erudite and elegant in eyther tong / But hath also vsed suche wysedom / suche dyscrete and substancyall iudgement in ex­pressynge lyuely the latyn / as a man maye para­uenture mysse in many thynges / translated and tourned by them that bare ye name of rightwise & very well lerned men: & the laboure that I haue had with it about the printing / I yelde holly and frely gyue vnto you / in whose good maners and [Page] vertue / as in a chylde / I haue so great affection / and vnto your good mother / vnto whom I am so moche beholden / of whose cōpany I take so great ioye and pleasure / in whose godly communyca­cion I fynde suche spyrituall frute and swetnesse / that as ofte as I talke with her / so ofte me thȳke I fele my selfe the better. Therfore nowe good Fraunces folowe styll on her steppes / looke euer vpon her lyfe / to enfourme your owne therafter / lyke as ye wolde loke in a glasse to tyre your body by: ye / and that more diligentlye / in so moche as the beautie of the body though it be neuer so well attended / wyll soone fade and fall awaye: good lyuyng and vertue ones gotten tarieth styll / whose frute ye shall fele / nat onely in this worlde whiche is transytorie and of shorte contynuaunce / but al­so in another: And also it shulde be great shame dishonestye / and rebuke vnto you borne of suche a mother / and also nourysshed vp with her owne teate / for to degenerate and go out of kynde. Be­holde her in this age of hers / in this almost con­tynuall disease and syckenesse / howe busye she is to lerne / and in the small tyme that she hath had / howe moche she hath yet ꝓfited in the latin tōge / howe great comforte she taketh of that lernynge that she hath gotten / and consydre therby what pleasure and profite you maye haue here after (if god lende you lyfe (as I praye he do) of the ler­nyng that you may haue or you come to her age / if you spende your tyme well: whiche doyng you shall be able to do youre selfe good / and be great [Page] ioye and conforte to all your frendes / and all that euer wolde you well / among whom I wolde you shulde reken me for one / nat amonge the leest yf nat amonge the chefe: and so fare you well / myne owne good / gentyll / and fayre Fraunces.

At Chelcheth / the yere of our lorde god / a thousande fyue hun­dred .xxiiij. The first day of Octo­bre.

¶Here after folowethe seuyn peticions of the Pater noster / translated out of La­tyn in to Englysshe.

¶The fyrst peticion.

PAter noster qui es in celis / sanctificetur nomen tuum. Here O father in heuyn the petycions of thy chyl­dren / whiche thoughe they be as yet bodily in erthe / natwithstan­dynge / in mynde euer they desyre and long to come to ye countre celestiall / & fathers house / where they well knowe and vnderstande / that the treasure of euerlastyng welthe and fely­cite / that is to saye / the inherytaunce of lyfe im­mortall / is ordayned for theym. We aknowledge thyne excellency / O maker / sauyour / and gouernour of all thyng / conteyned in heuen & in erthe / And agayne we aknowledge & confesse our owne vylenesse / & in no wyse we durst be so bolde to call the father (whiche are farre vnworthy to be thy bonde men) ne take vpon vs the most honorable name of thy children / whiche vnneth thou vouch sauest thyne angelles / except thy mere goodnesse hadde: by adoptyon receyued vs in to the great honour of this name. The tyme was / whan we were seruaūtes to wyckednesse and synne / by the miserable generacion of Adam: we were also children of the fende / by whose instinction and spyrite we were driuen and compelled to euery kynde of myschefe and offēce. But that thou of thyne infi­nite [Page] mercy / by thyne onely begoten sonne Iesus / made vs free from the thraldome of syn̄e / & dely­ueredest vs frō the deuyll our father / & by violēce riddest vs frō thinheritaunce of eternall fyre / & at the last / yu vouchsaffest to adopt vs by faythe and baptyme / as membres in the moost holy body of thy sonne: nat onely in to the felowshyppe of thy name / but also of thyne inheritaūce. And bycau­se we shulde nothyng mystrust ī thy loue towarde vs / as a sure token therof / thou sendest from he­uen downe in to oure hertes / the moost holy spy­rite of thy sonne: Whiche (all seruauntlye feares shaken of) boldely cryeth out in our hertes with­out cessyng / Abba pater / Whiche in Englysshe is as moche to saye / as O father father: & this thy sonne taught vs / by whome (as mynister) thou gyuest vs all thynge: That whan we were as it were borne agayne by thy spyrite / and at the fōt­stone in baptyme / renounced and forsaken our fa­ther ye deuyll / and had begon to haue no father in erthe / than we shulde aknowledge onely oure fa­ther celestyall: By whose marueylous power we were made somwhat of ryght nought: by whose goodnesse we were restored / whan we were loste: by whose wysedome incomparable / euermore we are gouerned & kepte / that we fall nat agayne in to distruction. This thy sonne gaue vs full truste to call vpon the / he assigned vs also away of prayeng to the / aknowlege therfore the desire & prayer of thy sonne / aknowlege the spirite of thy sonne / whiche prayeth to thy maiestie for vs by vs: Do [Page] yu nat disdayne to be called father of those / whom thy sonne moost lykest thy ymage / vouchesafe to call his brethern / and yet we ought nat her vpon to take lykyng in our selfes / but to gyue glorie to the and thy sonne for that great gentylnesse: sithe no man can here of hym selfe ought deserue / but that thyng whatsoeuer good it be / cometh of thy onely and free lyberalite. Thou delytest rather in names louyng and charitable / than terrible and fearefull: Thou desyrest rather to be called a fa­ther / thanne a lorde or maister: Thou woldest we shulde rather loue the as thy children / than feare the as thy seruaūtes and bonde men: Thou fyrst louedest vs / and of thy goodnesse also it cometh / and thy rewarde / that we do loue the agayne. Gyue eare / O father of spyrites to thy chyldren spyrituall / whiche in spyrite praye to the: For thy sonne tolde vs / that in those that so prayed thy delyte was / whom therfore yu sēdest in to the worlde that he shulde teache vs all veryte and trouthe. Here nowe the desyres of vnyte and concorde / for it is nat sytting ne agreable / that bretherne whō thy goodnes [...]e hath put in equall honoure / shulde disagre or varry among themselfe / by ambicious desyre of worldely promocion / by contencious de­bate / hatered or enuy / all we hang of one father / we all one thyng praye for and desyre / no man as­keth ought for hym selfe specially or a parte / but as membres of one body / quyckened and releued with one soule: We requyre and praye in cōmen / for that whiche indyfferētly shalbe expedient and [Page] necessary for vs all. And in dede / we dare none o­ther thyng desyre of the / than what thy sonne cō ­maūded vs / ne otherwise aske / than as he apoynted vs / for in so askyng / his goodnesse promysed we shulde optayne / what soeuer we prayed for in his name. And for as moche as whan thy sonne was here in erthe / he nothyng more feruently de­syred / than that thy moost holy name shulde ap­pere and shyne / nat onely in Iudea / but also thorowe all the worlde / besyde we also / bothe by his encoragyng and ensample / this one thing aboue all desyre / that the glorie of thy most holy name / maye replenisshe and fulfyll bothe heuen & erthe / so that no creature be whiche dredeth nat thy hye power and maieste / whiche do nat worshippe and reuerēde also thy wysdome eternall and maruey­lous goodnesse / for thy glorie as it is great / so neyther hauyng begynnyng nor endyng / but euer in it selfe florisshynge / can neyther encreace nor de­creace / but it skylleth yet mākynde nat a lytell / yt euery man it knowe and magnifye / for to knowe and cōfesse the onely very god. And Iesus Christ whom thou fendest in to ye worlde / is as moche to vs / as lyfe eternall. Let the clere shynyng of thy name / shadowe & quenche in vs all worldly glory. Suffre no man to presume to take vpō hym selfe any ꝑte of glory / for glory out of yt is non / but very sclaūdre & rebuke. The course of nature also in carnall children this thyng causeth / that they greatlye desyre the good fame and honest reputacion of their father: for we maye se howe glad they be / & [Page] howe they reioyce / howe happy also they thynke them selfe / if happen their fathers any great ho­noure / as goodly tryumphe / or their ymage and picture to be brought in to ye court or cōmen place with an honourable preface / or any other goodly royalte what soeuer it be. And agayne we se how they wayle / and howe agast & astonyed they be / if chaunce their fathers sclaundre or infamy. So depely hath this thyng naturall affection routed in mannes hert / that the fathers reioyse in their childrens glory / and their children in the glorie of their fathers. But for asmoche as ye gostly loue & affection of god / farre passeth and excedeth ye car­nall affecion of m [...]: therfore we thy spirituall children / moche more feruently thurst and desyre the glory and honour of thy most holy name / & greatly are vexed and troubled in hert / if he / to whom alone all glorye is due chaunce rebuked or sclaun­dred to be / nat that any sclaundre or rebuke can mynisshe or defoule the clerenesse of thy glory / but that we / as moche as lyeth in vs / in a maner do wronge and iniury to thy name / whan soeuer the gentyls eyther nat knowyng / or elles dispisynge the maker and originall of all / do worshippe & ho­mage to creatures most vyle / as made of tymbre or stone: or other peynted images / some also to oxē some to bulles / and suche other lyke: And moreo­uer / in all these foule and wycked deuylles / in ho­nour of thē they sing hymnes: to these they do sa­crifyce / before these they burne ensence and other swete sauours / than we thy spirytu [...]ll chyldren / [Page] seyng all this / doubly are agreued / bothe yt thou hast nat that honour whiche is due to the / & that these wretches perisshe by their owne madnesse & follye. The iewes also neuer cesse in their sinago­ges and resorte of people / from dispitefull and ab­ominable bacbytinge of thy onely sonne / wherby in the meane tyme they sclaundre the / sithe it can nat be chosen whan thy sonne is misfamed (whi­che is ye very clerenesse of thy glorie) but that in­famy also must redounde in the. They cast eke in our tethe / as a thyng of great dishonestie / ye most glorious name of thy chyldren / sayeng / yt it were better to be called theues or manquellers / than̄e christen men and folowers of Christ. They ley a­gaynst vs also that thy sonne was crucified / whi­che is to vs great glorie and renoume / We maye thāke thy mercy father of all this thyng that we haue / and aknowledge the as originall and cau­ser of all oure helthe / that we worshyppe also thy sonne in egall authorite with the / & that we haue receyued in to our hertes the spirite of you bothe. But yet good father in heuen / we pray yt to shewe thy mercy to those also / that bothe the gētyls lea­uyng and forsakyng the worshippyng & homage of counterfaite ymages: maye do all honour and reuerence to thy maiestie alone / and the iewes re­leued with thy spyrite / renounsing their supersti­cious vsyng of the lawe maye confesse god / from whom all thyng so abundantly cometh / may confesse the fonne of god / by whome we receyue all: maye confesse the holygost / parttaker and felowe [Page] of the diuyne nature / Let them worshippe in thre persons / one and egall maiestie / and aknowledge thre persons as one proper persone / so that euery nacyon / euery tonge / euery secte / euery age / as well olde as yong / maye with one assent auaunce and praise thy moost holy name. And I wolde to god that we also / whiche beare the name of thy children / were nat dishonestie to thy glorie / amongest those yt knowe the nat: for lyke as a good and wise sonne is the glorie and honour of his father / so a folisshe & vnthrifty childe / getteth his father dishonestie and shame / & he is nat a naturall and ꝓper chylde / whosoeuer do nat labour all that he can to folowe and be like his father in wytte & condicions: But thy son̄e Iesus is a very kynde and naturall childe / for he is a very full and perfite y­mage & similitude of the / whom holly he is lyke & representeth. We whiche are become thy children by adopcion and nat by nature / confermyng our selfes after his ensample / endeauer as moche as lyeth in vs / to come to some maner lykenesse of y•: that lykewise as thou waste moost parfitely exal­ted and glorified in thy son̄e Iesus: so as farforth as our weakenesse wyll suffre / thou mayst be glo­rified also in vs / but the wayes howe thou mayst be glorified in vs / is / if the worlde perceyue that we lyue after ye teaching and doctrine of thy son̄e that is to say / if they se that we loue the aboue all thyng / and our neighbour & brother no lesse than our owne selfes / & that we euer beare good mȳde and loue to our ennemy and aduersary / also well [Page] doing and profyting those / whiche do vs iniury & wrong: For these thynges thy sonne badde vs we shulde do / whan he prouoked vs to the folowyng and likenesse of our father in heuen / whiche com­maundeth his sone to shyne vpon good and yuell: And howe great a shame and dyshoneste are they to thy glorie / whiche whan they haue professed & taken vpon them thy name / natwithstandynge / do robbery and thefte: commyt aduoutrie: chyde and braule: study to reuēge: go about to disceyue: forswere theym selfe by thy moost holy name: a­monge also sclaundre and backebyte: haue their belly as their god: dispyce the / and do seruice and homage to worldely richesse. And truely the com­men sorte of people for the moost ꝑte / esteme god after the lyueng and cōdicions of his seruaūtes. For if they may parceyue that they whiche haue professed thy name / lyue viciouslye: thanne they crye out and saye. What a god is he / that hath suche maner of worshippers? Fye on suche a may­ster that hath so vnrewly seruauntes: Out vpon suche a father / whose children be so leude: Banis­shed be suche a kyng / yt hath suche maner of peo­ple and subiectes. Thy sonne therfore consydring this / taught vs that lykewise as he bothe lyue­eng and dyeng euer glorified thy name / so we al­so all that we might / shulde endeuer by chast and blamelesse condicions / to auaunce and preyse the clerenesse of thy glorie / sayeng vnto us. Let your light shine in the sight of men / that they maye se your good workes / & in those glorify your father [Page] in heuen. But in vs O good father / there is no lyght at all / excepte it wyll please the to sende vs any / whiche arte the contynuall and euerlastyng spring of all lyght: nor we of our selfes can bring forthe no good workes. Therfore good lorde we praye the / lette thy goodnesse worke in vs / & thy clere lyght shine in vs: as in all thynge that thou hast created / dothe shine thy eternall and endlesse power / thy wysdome vnable to be expressed & thy wonderfull goodnesse whiche moost specially / yet thou vouchsafest to shewe to mankynde. Nowe than whyder soeuer we loke / all thynges glorifye thy name: the erthely spirites bothe day & nyght neuer lynne prayeng their lorde and kyng: y• wō ­derfull also & heuenly ingen that we beholde: the disagreyng concorde moreouer of the elamentes: the flowing and ebbyng of the see: ye bublisshyng of ryuers: the enduring courses of waters: so many dyuers kȳdes of thynges / so many kyndes of trees and of herbes / so many of creatures / and to euery thyng the proper apoynted and sette na­ture: As in y• Adamant stone to drawe yron / ye herbes to cure and heale diseases and sickenesse: All these thynges I saye / what other thyng do they shewe to vs than the glorie of thy name / & that thou arte onely very god / onely immortall / onely of all power and might / onely wyse / onely good / onely mercyfull / onely Iuste / onely trewe / onely marueylous / onely to be loued & had in reuerēce. Than father / we may well se that he doth wrong to thy glorious name / who soeuer take vpon him [Page] self to be called by any of these names / for though there be in vs any of these rehersed vertues / yet all that cometh to vs from thy liberall goodnesse. Graunt nowe therfore father / that thy name on euery side be glorified / and that the light and glo­ry of thy name / maye no lesse appere and shyne in our maners and lyuenge / than it shyneth in thy Angels / and in all thynge that thou hast created and made: that in lykewise as they / whiche be­holde and loke vpon this worlde of the wōderfull and marueylous workemanshippe / do guesse the excellēcy of the maker therof: so they that knowe the nat / moued and stered by our example / maye bothe cōfesse their owne misery and wretchednes and marueile thy liberall goodnesse / and by these meanes turned and cōuerted / may togyder with vs glorify the most holy name of the / of thy son̄e / and of the holy gost / to whom indifferently all ho­nour and glorie is due for euer. Amen.

¶ The seconde peticion.

ADueniat regnum tuum. O father in heuen / whiche arte the onely causer / maker / sa­uiour / restorer / & gouernour of all / bothe ī heuen and in erthe / out of whom cometh & procedeth all authorite / power / kyngdome / and rule / aswell to thynges vncreated as created / aswell to thinges inuisible as visible / whose trone and seate of ma­iestie is the heuen: & the erthe as fotestole: whose kyngly septre & mace / is thyne eternall and most [Page] establisshed wyll / whom no power is able to withstāde. Ones thou promisest thy people by ye mou­thes of thy prophetes / for the helth of makynde / a certayne spirituall realme whiche shulde brȳg into liberte / those that were thyne & borne anewe in the / and shulde delyuer them out of the tyran­nous hādelyng of the fende / whiche in tyme past raigned as prince in the worlde / sore entangled & combred with synne. And to the gettyng & optay­nynge of this realme / thou vouchsauest to sende from heuen downe into the erthe thy onely son̄e / whiche with the losse of his owne lyfe / redemyn­ge vs / where we were afore seruauntes of the de­uyll / shulde make vs the children of god: and ve­rily thy sonne / while he lyued here in erthe / was wont to call his gospell / the heuenly kyngdome a the realme of god: whose knowlege yet he sayde to be hydde and kepte secrete from vs / but nat wt ­standyng / thy children humbly require / and with feruente desyre / beseke the that this realme / whi­che our lorde Iesus chal [...]ged for the / myght day­lye more and more be disclosed and opyned here in erth / vntyll that tyme come / in whiche that same thy sonne shall restore and rendre it vp to the full and hole / whan all those haue subdued themselfe / whom thy goodnesse or the begȳnyng of ye worlde hath apoynted to dwell in this realme. And whā all obstinate and rebelleous spirites / and all ma­lycious and yuell desyres be fully quenched & wy­ped away / whiche hiderto and at this day / make warre and insurrection agaynst thy maieste / whiche [Page] vexe and vnquiete thy cōmunalte / what time thy royalme shalbe in sure peace and trāquillite: For verily as yet the worlde / by all the meanes & subtilties it can / oppresseth thy childrē / wādryng here bodily in erth as yet: also corrupt & vnclene affections / and olde original synue / rebell & striue ayenst the spirite: as yet noyous and wycked spi­rites / whiche thou banyssheddest / and put out of the heuēly cite / do assaut with fyrely dartes from aboue those / whom thou of thy mere goodnesse hast deuyded frō this worlde / and as chosen folke and parttakers of thy sōne / hast apoynted to thy royalme. Graunt father of all myght / that they / whom thy goodnesse ones hath delyuered frō the tyrāny of synne / and assygned to dwell in thy roy­alme / maye by the benifitte of the same benygne goodnesse contynue / and stedfastly abyde in theyr liberte and fredome: and that none leauynge and fayling from the and thy sonne / retourne agayne in the tyrannous seruice of the deuyll: & so bothe we by thy sonne shall raigne in the to our welthe / and thou in vs to thy glorie: for thou art glorified in our blysse / and our blysse is of thy goodnesse. Thy son̄e Iesus taught vs we shulde dispice the realme of this worlde / whiche standeth all by ry­chesse / and is holde vp by garrisōs of men / by ho­stes and armour / which also what soeuer it doth / dothe by pryde and violence / and is both gotten / kept / & defended by fierse cruelnesse: & he with the holy goost / ouercame ye wycked spirite that ruled as chefe and heed in the worlde: afore he by inno­cency [Page] and purenesse of lyuyng / had the victorie of synne / by mekenesse venquesshed cruelnesse / by suffraūce of many dispitefull rebukes / recouered euerlastyng glory / by his owne deth restored life / and by his crosse had triumphe vpon the wycked spirites. Thus wōderfully hast thou father war­red and ouercome: after this maner thou both triumphest & reignest in thy sonne Iesus / by whom it hath pleased the of thy goodnesse / to take vs in to the cōgregaciō of the dwellers in thy royalme. Thus also thou tryūphest and reignest in thy ho­ly martyrs / in thy chast virgins and pure confes­sours / whiche yet neyther by theyr owne strēgth nor power / dyde ouercome the fiersenesse and dis­pleasure of tyrantes / ne the raging or the wantō ­nesse of the flesshe / ne the maliciousnesse of this worlde. But it was thy spirite father / Whiche it pleased the to gyue them to ye glorie of thy name / and the helthe of mankynde / that was bothe the begȳner and ender of all this in them: And we fa­ther / hertely desire the / that thy realme may flo­risshe also in vs: whiche all though we do no my­racles / for asmoche as neyther tyme nor mater requireth: albe it we be nat imprysoned nor turmented: though we be nat woūded nor brent / althogh we be nat crucified nor drowned: thoughe we be nat beheeded: yet natwithstandyng / the strength and clerenesse of thy realme: may shine and be no­ble in vs / if the worlde perceyue / that we by the helpe of thy spirite / stande stedfast & sure agaynst all assautes of the deuyll / and agaynst the flesshe: [Page] whiche alwaye stereth and prouoketh vs to those thynges / that be contrary to the spirite / & agaȳst the worlde / whiche by all the wayes it can / mo­ueth vs to forsake and leaue the trust that we ha­ue ones put in the / As often so euer as for thy loue we despice and sette nought by the realme of this worlde / and with full trust hange vpon the heuē ­ly kyngdome / that thou hast promysed vs: as of­ten also / as we forsake and leaue honourynge of erthely richesse / and onely worshyp and enbrace ye precious and gostly lernyng of the gospell / as of­ten as we refuse those thȳges / that for the season seme swete and pleasaunt to the flesshely & carnal appetite / and in hope and trust of eternall felicite we suffre paciently and valiantly all thynge / be it neuer so harde: as often also as we can be content to forsake our naturall affections / and that whi­che we haue moost dere / as our fathers and mo­thers / wyues / chyldren / and kynsefolke / for the loue of the: Likewise as often as we oppresse and refrayne ye furious and fiersely braydes of angre / and gyue mylde & meke wordes / to those y• chyde and [...]raule with vs / and do good to them / whiche do vs iniury and wronge: and all for thy sake. So often father thou warrest in vs / and ouerco­mest the realme of the deuyll / & openyst y• myght and power of thy realme. Thus it hath pleased and lyked thy wysdome father / by continuall and greuous batayle / to exercise / confyrme / and make stedfaste the vertue and strengthe of thy people. Encrease suche strengthe in thy childrē / that they [Page] maye euer retourne stronger from their batayle [...] and that whan by lytell and lytell / their enemies and aduersaries myght is minysshed and broken thou mayest euery day more and more raygne in vs: But the tyme is nat yet come good father / in whiche all the worlde haue subdued them selfe to thy yoke: For as yet / that tyrannous fende hath a do with many and diuers naciōs: There is nat yet one herde / and one herde mayster / whiche we hope shalbe / whan the iewes also shall bryng and submyt them selfe to the spirituall and gostely lernyng of ye gospell: for yet many knowe nat howe great a liberte it is / and what a dignite / and how great a felicite / to be subiectes to the heuenly re­alme: and that is the cause why they had rather be the seruaūtes of the deuyll / than thy children inheritours with Iesu / and parttakers of ye kȳg­dome of heuen / and amongest those two father / that walke within the cloyster of thy churche / & seme as chefe in thy realme / there are nat a fewe / (alas) which holde on their aduersaries side: and as moche as lyeth in them / abate / shame / & dis­honest the glory of thy realme. Werfore we speci­ally desyre and wisshe for that tyme / whiche thou woldest none to knowe but thy selfe alone / in whi­che / acordyng to the promyse of thy sonne / thy an­gels shall come and make clene the floore of thy churche / and gader to guether into thy barne the pure corne / deuyded and seuered fro the cockle / & plucke out of thy realme / all maner occasyon of sclaundre / What tyme there shall neyther be hun­ger [Page] nor pouerte: no necessite of clothīg: no disease: no dethe: no pursuer: no hurt or yuell at all / ne a­ny feare or suspicion of hurte but than all the bo­dy of thy dere sosie heaped togyder in theyr heed / shall take f [...]uicion and pleasure of thy blessed company of heuen. & they whiche in the meane tyme had rather serue the tyrannous fende / shall togy­ther with their maister be banysshed and sente a­waye to euerlastyng punisshement: And trewely this is the realme of Israell / whiche whan Ie­sus Christ forsoke the erthe / & retourned agayne to his disciples / desyred / myght shortely be resto­red. Than thou madest heuen free and rydde frō all rebellion / what tyme Lucifer [...] with his com­pany was caste out. So ones in the day of dome and iugement whan the bodyes shall aryse / thou shalte departe the sheepe from the gottes: & than who so euer hath here with all d [...]gēce embrased the spirytuall and goollely realme of the gospell / shalbe desyred and brought to the / to the inhery­taūce of the euerlastynge kyngdome / to ye whiche thy goodnesse had apoynted theym or the worlde was made. This fortunate and happy day whi­che thy sonne Iesus promysed shulde come / we thy children good father / greatlye desyre / whiche dwelle here in erthe as outlawes in exyle / sore lo­dened with the hugenesse of the erthely body / suf­fryng in the mean tyme / many greuous displea­sures / and sorowyng that we be withdrawen frō thy company / wherof than we shall haue perfite pleasure and fruycion / Whan face to face we shall [Page] se and beholde our kyng and father / raignyng in his great glorie. And yet we haue nat this hope & truste of our owne merites and desertes / whiche we knowe verily as non / but onely of thy liberall goodnesse: Wherby it lyked the to bestowe thyne owne sonne holly for vs / and to sende vs the holy goost as pledge and token of this inheritaunce: & if it wyll please the also to graunt / that we maye stedfastly and without any waueryng / contynue in thy sonne Iesus: than thou canst nat departe vs from the company of thy realme: To whome with that same thy son̄e and the holy goost / all renome / honour / and glorie is due worlde without ende. Amen.

¶The thyrde peticion.

EIat voluntas tua sicut in ceso et in terra. O fa­ther whiche art the noryssher and ordrer of all / whom it pleaseth thy sonne to aknowlege as his bretherne / and he so aknowlegeth all those / yt in pure faythe professeth his name in baptysme: Thy children here in erthe call and crye to ye dwellyng in heuen / a place farre out of all chaūgeable mutabilite of thynges created / desyryng in dede / to come to thy heuenly and celestiall cōpany / whiche is defouled with no maner spotte of yuell / sa­uyng they knowe well that non can be taken and receyued in to so great a tranquillite & quietnesse / but onely they / whiche with busye studye / whyle they lyue here / labour to be such as ther must be: [Page] Therfore it is all one realme / bothe of heuen and erthe / sauyng this difference / that here we haue sore & greuous conflicte wt the flesshe / the worlde / and the deuyll: and there all though there is no­thyng that might minysshe or defoyle the welthe of blessed soules: Yet as touchynge the full perfe­ction of felicite / there is some maner mysse / whi­che is / that all the membres and partes of thy sonne be gathered together / and that the hole bo­dy of thy sonne / safe and sounde be ioyned to his heed / Wherby neyther Christe shall lacke any of his partes and mēbres / nor good mennes soules theyr bodyes: whiche lykewise as they were euer here in erthe parttakers of theyr punīsshementes and afflictiōs: so their desyre is to haue them companiōs of their ioye in heuen. And they finally in this worlde / go about to folowe the vnite and con­corde of the heuenly kyngedome / whiche all the tyme they lyue bodily in erthe / as it becometh na­turall and obedient children / studye with all dili­gence to fulfyll those thȳges / whiche they knowe shall cōtent thy mynde & pleasure / and nat what their owne sensuall appetite gyueth them / ne iu­gyng or disputyng why thou woldest this or that to be done / but thynkyng it sufficient / that thus thou woldest it / whom they knowe surely to wyll nothing / but that that is best. And what thy will is / we lerned sufficiently of thy onely begotton & moost dere sonne. He was obeydient to thy wyll / euyn to his owne dethe / and thus he sayd / for our lernyng and instruction. Father / if it may conue­nyently [Page] be / suffre this drynke of my passyon to be withdrawen from me / howe be it / yet thy wyll be fulfylled and nat myne. So that thā nedes must man be a shamed / to preferre & set forth his owne wyll / if Christ our maister was cōtent to cast his owne wyll awaye / and subdue it to thyne. The flesshe hath his propre wyll and delyte / whi­che man naturally desyreth to kepe and folowe. The worlde also hath a wyll by it selfe / and the deuyll his wyll / farre contrarye to thyne. For the flesshe coueteth agaynst the spirite whiche we haue receyued of the: and the worlde entyseth vs to sette our loue on frayle and vanysshyng thynges: and the deuyll laboureth about that / that might bring mā to euerlasting distruction. Nor it is nat inough / yt in baptyme we haue ꝓfessed / yt we wyll be obedient to thy preceptes / and there to haue renounced the deuyls seruice / excepte we labour all our lyfe / to perfourme stedfastly that / whiche we haue professed: But that we can nat perfourme / but if thou gyue vs strengthe / to helpe forthe our purpose: so that our wyll haue no place in vs / but let thy wyll father worke in vs that / whiche thy wysdome iudgeth and thynketh best for vs. Who so euer lyueth after the flesshly & carnall appetite they are deed to the / and than nat as thy childrē. Ye / and we thy children also / as longe as we are here bodily in erthe / haue among nat a litell busi­nesse and a do / in venquesshyng the flesshly delite: whiche laboreth to preuent thy wyll: but graunt good father / that thyne euer ouercome & haue y• [Page] better / whether it lyke the we lyue or dye / or to be punisshed for our correction / or be in prosperite / to the entent we shulde gyue the thankes for thy li­berall goodnesse. And they folowe and obeye the wyl of the deuyl / whiche do sacrifice and homage to idols / whiche sclaūderously backebite thy most honorable sonne / and for enuy and yuell wyll / go about to brynge theyr neyghbour in to perill and distruction: and so they may shortly waxe ryche / care nat whether they do ryght or wrong / and are al fulfylled with corrupt and vnclene thoughtes / But this is thy wyll father / that we shulde kepe both our body and mynde chast and pure from al vnclenesse of the worlde / and that we shulde pre­ferre and set more by thyne honour & thy sonnes / thā all other thynges besyde. And that we shulde be angry with no man / ne enuye or reuenge any man / but alway be redy to do good for yuell: ye / & to be content rather with turmentes / hūger / im­prisonement / banysshement / and dethe / than in any thynge to be contrarye to thy pleasure: And that we may be able euery day more and more / to perfourme all this / helpe vs O father in heuen / that ye flesshe may euer more and more be subiect to the spirite / and our spirite of one assent / and one mynde with thy spirite. And likewyse as nowe in dyuerse places thy children / whiche are obedient to the gospell / obey and do after thy wyll: so graūt they may do in all the worlde besyde / that euery man may know and vnderstāde / that thou alone art the onely heed and ruler of al thyng / and that [Page] in lyke wyse as there are none in heuen / Whiche mutter and rebell agaynst thy wyll / so let euery man here in erthe / with good mynde and gladde chere obey thy wyll and godly preceptes. Nor we can nat effectually and fully mynde what y• good lorde wyllest / excepte it wyll please the to plucke & drawe vs therto. Thou cōmaundest vs to be obe­dyent to thy wyll and pleasure / and in dede they are nat worthy to be called children / but if in all poyntes they folowe and obey theyr fathers byd­dyng: but sithe it hath liked thy goodnesse to take vs / although farre vnworthy into so great an ho­nour of thy name: let it please the also of thy gen­tylnesse to gyue vs a redy and stedfast wyll / that in nothyng we ouerhippe or be agaynst that / whiche thy godly and diuine wyll hath apoynted vs / but that we kyll and mortifye our flesshly and carnall lustes / and by thy spirite be ledde to ye doyng of all good workes / and al thyng that is pleasaūt vnder thy sight. Wherby yu father mayst aknow­ledge vs as thy children naturall / and nat out of kynde / and thy sonne as kynde & good bretherne: that is to saye / that bothe twayne maye aknow­ledge in vs his owne propre benefyte / to whome with the holy goost equall and indifferent / glorie is due for euer. Amen.

¶The fourthe peticion.

PAnem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie. O fa­ther in heuē / whiche of thy excedyng goodnesse / moost plentuously fedest all thynges yt thou [Page] hast so wondersly created / prouide for vs thy chil­dren / whiche are chosen to dwelle in thy celestiall and heuēly house / and that hang holly and onely of thy son̄e / some spirituall and goostly fode / that we obeyng thy wyll and preceptes / may dayly encrease and waxe bigger in vertue / vntyl after the course of nature we haue optayned and gathered a full and ꝑfyte strength in our lorde Iesu Christ. The children of this worlde / so longe as they are nat banysshed ne out of theyr frendes fauour / all that tyme they take lytell care of their meate and drynke: sithe their fathers of their tendre loue to­warde them / make sufficient prouision for them. Than moche lesse ought we to be carefull or studious / whom thy sonne Iesus taught shulde caste away all care of the morowe meale / perswadyng and assuring vs / that so riche a father / so gentyll / so louynge / and that had so great mynde of vs / & whiche sente meat to the lytell byrdes / and so no­bly clotheth ye lyles in the medowe / wolde nat suf­fre his childrē / whiche he hath endued with so honourable a name / to lacke meate and bodily apparayle: but all thyng sette asyde that belongeth to the body / We shulde specially and aboue all / seke and labour about those thynges / whiche pertay­neth and belongeth to thy realme / and the iustice therof. For as touching the iustes of the pharises that sauereth all carnally / thou vtterly dispysest and settest nought by: For the spirituall iustes of thy realme / stādeth by pure faythe and vnfayned charyte. And it were no great mater or shewe of [Page] thy plentye / to fede with breed made of corne the body / whiche althoughe it perisshed nat for hun­ger / yet it must nedes dye & perysshe within short space / eyther by syckenesse / age / or other chaūce / but we thy spirituall and goostly children / desyre and craue of our spirituall father / that spirituall & celestiall breed / Wherby we are verily relyued / whiche be verily and truely called thy children: y• breed is thy worde full of all power / bothe the gy­uer and norissher of lyfe: Whiche breed yu vouche­sauest to sende vs downe from heuen / what tyme we were lyke to haue perisshed for hūgre. For ve­rily / the breed and teachynge of the proude philo­sophers and pharises / coude nat suffice and con­tent our mynde: But that breed of thyne / whiche thou sendest vs / restored deed men to lyfe / of whi­che who soeuer dothe eate shall neuer dye. This breed relyued vs: by this breed we are norysshed and fatted: and by this we come vp to the perfite and full strength of ye spirite. This breed though day by day it be eaten and distributed to euery bowell of the soule / yet but if thou father doest gyue it / it is nat holsome nor any thyng auayleth. The blessed body of thy dere sonne is the breed / wher­of we be all parttakers / yt dwell within thy large house of the churche. It is one breed that indiffe­rently belōgeth to vs all / lykewyse as we are but one body / made of sondrye and diuers membres / but yet quickened with one spirite: and though al take of this breed / yet to many it hath ben dethe and distruction / for it can nat be relefe / but to su­che [Page] as thou reachest it vnto / mynglynge it with thy heuenly grace / by the reason wherof it maye be holsome to the receyuours. Thy son̄e is verite and trouth / trouth also is the breed and teachyng of the gospell / Whiche he lefte behynde hym for our spirituall fode / and this breed likewise to ma­ny hath ben vnsauery / which haue had ye mouth of theyr soule out of taste / by the feuer of corrupte affectiōs. But and it wyll please the good father to gyue forthe this breed / than it must of necessite be swete & pleasaūt to the eaters: thā it shal cōfort those that be in tribulation / and plucke vp those that be slydden & fallen downe / and make stronge those that be sicke and weake / and finally brynge vs to euerlasting lyfe. And for asmoche as the imbecilite and weakenesse of manes nature / is euer redy & apt to declyne into the worse / & the soule of man so cōtynually assauted & layde at with so many subtile ingyns / it is expedient and necessary / that thou dayly make stronge & he [...] thy children with thy breed / whiche elles are farre vnable to resyst so many and so stronge ennemyes so many assautes / and so many fearefull & terrible dartes. For who father might abyde to be had in derision of the worlde / to be outlawed and banisshed / to be putte in prison: to be fettred and manacled: to be spoyled of all his goodes / and by stronge hande / be depriued of the cōpany of his moost dere wyfe and welbeloued children / but if nowe and thā / he were hertened with thy heuēly and gostly breed? He that teacheth the lernyng of the gospell / he is [Page] he / ye gyueth vs forthe this breed / whiche yet he gyueth all in vayne / except it be also gyuen by ye. Many there are / whiche receyue the body of thy son̄e / and that here the worde and doctryne of the gospell / But they departe fro thence no stronger than they came / bycause they haue nat deserued that thou good father / shuldest priuely and inui­sibly reache it forthe vnto them. This breed / O most benigne father / gyue thy childrē euery day / vntyll that tyme come / in whiche they shall eate of it / at thy heuenly and celestiall table: Wherby the children of thy realme shalbe fulfylled with ye plentuous abundancye of euerlastynge trouthe. And to take fruiciō therof / it were a marueylous felicite and pleasure / whiche hath nede of none o­ther thyng at all / neyther in heuen nor erthe: For in the O father alone is all thynge / out of whom is right nought to be desyred / whiche toguyther with thy sonne and the holy gooste / raygnest for euer. Amen.

¶The fyfte peticion.

EL dimitte nobis debita nostra / sicut et nos dimitti­mus debitoribus nostris. This is thy wyll and mynde O father in heuen / whiche art the maker of peace and fauourer of concorde / that thy chyl­dren / whom it hath pleased thy goodnes to cou­ple and ioyne in the bōdes of one assent: & whom thou quickenest with one spirite / & with one bap­tysme purgest and makest clene / and in one house [Page] of the churche acōpanyest / and with the cōmen sacramentes of the churche doest norisshe: & whom thou hast indifferently called to the inheritaunce of the kyngedome of heuen / bycause they shulde be of more strength / and shulde lyue toguyder in thy house of one mynde: and that there shulde be no stryfe or contencion amongest the partes and membres of one body / but eche to lyue in charite with other: Yet in so moche as they are fayne to kepe styll theyr mortall body / it can nat be chose / but by reason of the weakenesse and frailte of na­ture amonge / displeasure & offences shall chaūce / wherby though the clerenesse of brotherly loue & concorde be nat vtterly extinct and quenched / yet it is made all faynt and colde / and lyke in conclu­sion to be quenched: Except yu father of thy great gentylnesse & mercy / shuldest dayly forgyue those that euery day offended the: for as often as we offende our brother / so often also we offende and dis­please ye father / whiche cōmaūdeddest we shulde loue our brother as our owne selfe / but thy sonne knowyng well inough the imbecilite and weake­nesse of this membre / shewed vs a remedy ther­fore / gyuyng vs sure hope yt thy goodnesse wolde remytte and forgyue vs all our offences / if we on the other side with all our hert wolde forgyue our brother / what so euer he trespaceth agaynste vs / and this is a very equall and indifferent waye to optayne ꝑdon and forgyuenesse / whiche thy son̄e Iesus hath assigned: For howe can any mā be so bolde to desyre his father to withdrawe his reuē ­gynge [Page] hande from hym / if he hym selfe go about to reuenge a lytell offence in his brother / or who is of so shamelesse boldenesse / that wolde nat be afrayde to saye to the / Slake thy angre / whan he contynueth in rancoure and malyce styll towarde his brother? And howe can he surely boost and auaunce hym selfe as a membre of thy sonne / whi­che beyng fre from all synne hym selfe / prayde the to forgyue the theues on the crosse / if he all entangled with synne / and a synner coulde nat fynde in his hert to forgyue his brother / agaynst whome nowe and than he offendeth? so that amōgest vs it maye be called rather as mutuall chaūge of ꝑ­done / than very forgyuenesse: that sacrifice is impleasaunt in thy sight / whiche is offred in remē ­braunce of displeasure or neglygence / of reconcy­lyng his brothers good wyll. Therfore thy sonne gaue vs this in cōmaundement / that we shulde leaue our offring euyn at ye auter / & hye vs a pace to our brother / and labour to be in peace with hȳ / and than returne agayne & offre vp our rewarde: Lawe nowe / we folowe yt thy sonne hath taught vs / we endeuer to performe that he hath done / if thou aknowlege the couenant & bargayne made of thy son̄e / as we dout nat but thou doest / graūt vs we beseke the / that thyng wherof we had full hope & trust by thy sonne: Thus he bad vs praye whan he answered nat a fewe tymes / yt we shulde optayne what soeuer we desyred of y• in his name he made vs bolde to pray to the / vouchesafe thou by him / to forgyue those that call vpon the: we aknowlege [Page] our owne imbecilite & feblenesse / wher­by we well perceyue / in to howe shamfull and ab­homynable offences we were lyke to fall into / ex­cept we were preserued by thy goodnesse frō gret­ter synnes: and the same mekenesse thou leftest in vs / as a remedy against ye pride which we shulde haue ben in ieopardy to haue fallen in dayly: We offende and fall / to the entent that euery daye we might glorify thy gētylnesse: Graunt father that we may hertely forgyue our bretherne / that whā we be in peace and vnite amongest our selfes / we may haue the alway mercyfull vnto vs / and if in any thyng we offende the / amēde vs with thy fa­therly correction / so that thou vtterly forsake vs nat / nor disinherite vs / ne cast vs in to hell: ones in baptyme thou hast remytted vs all our sȳnes / but that was nat inoughe / for thy tendre loue to­warde vs / but thou hast also shewed a sure & redy remedy / for the dayly offences of thy children / for the whiche we thanke thy great gētylnesse / whi­che vouche sauest by thy sonne and the holy gost / to endewe vs with so great benifytes / to the euer lastyng glorie of thy moost holy name. Amen.

¶The sixte peticion.

EL ne nos in ducas in tentationem. O good fa­ther in heuen / albeit there is nothing that we greatly feare / hauyng the mercyfull vnto vs / and whyle mutuall loue and charyte eche with o­ther / maketh vs thy children of more strength a­gaynst [Page] euery yuell assaut / yet whan we consydre howe weake and fraile the nature of man is / and howe ignorant also we be / whome thy goodnesse wyll iudge and thynke worthy the contynuaunce in thy loue / to the ende of this lyfe / in whiche as long as we are / a thousande maner of wayes we be stered to fall and ruyne / therfore we can nat be vtterly seker and carelesse: all this lyfe is rounde about be sette with the dyuelles snares / he neuer cesseth temptynge vs / whiche was nat a frayde with craftie subtylteis to sette vpon thy sonne Iesus / We call to mynde howe greuously the fende assauted thy seruaunt Iob: We remembre howe Saull was fyrst thy electe and chosen seruaunt / & within a while after cast out of they light: We can nat forget howe Dauyd whom yu calleddest a mā euyn after thyne owne appetyte / was drawen to that great villany of synne / that he mengled ad­uoutre with māslaughter: We cōsydre howe So­lomon whom in the begynnyng of his rule / thou gauest wysedome aboue all men / was brought to that madnesse and folly / that he dyde sacrifyce to strange & vtter goddes: We remembre also / what befell the chefe and heed of thyne apostles / whi­che after that he had so valyantly professed / that he wolde dye with his mayster / natwithstādyng thrise forsware his maister. These and suche ma­ny other / whan we cōsydre / we can nat but feare and aborre the ieopardy of temptacion: and thy fatherly loue wolde vs alway to be in this feare / bycause we shulde nat sluggisshely & slouthfully [Page] begyn to trust in our owne helpe / but defēde and arme our selfe agaynst euery saute of temptacion with sobre temperaūce / watche / & prayer: wher­by we shulde neyther prouoke our ennemy / remē ­bring our owne feblenesse / nor be ouerthrone in ye storme of temptacion trustyng to thy ayde / with out whiche we are able to do right nought / yu suf­frest among tēptacion to fall / eyther to proue and make stedfast the suffraūce & pacience of thy chil­dren / as Iob and Abraham were tempted / or els by suche scourges to correcte and chasten our offē ­ces: but howe often soeuer thou suffrest this / we praye the thou wylt bring that same temptacion to good and lucky ende / & gyue vs strength egall to the moūtenaunce & weight of the yuels yt come vpon vs / it is no lytell ieopardy whan soeuer we be thretned with losse of our goodes / wt banysshe­ment / rebukes / imprisonment / with bandes and bodily turmentyng / & horrible and fearfull dethe But we are in no lesse peryll at all / whan ꝓsperite to moche laugheth on vs / than whan we be ouer moche feared with trouble and aduersyte: They are an īnumerable sorte whiche fall on euery side / some for feare of punysshment do sacrifyce to wic­ked deuyls / some ouerthrone and astonyed with yuels and vexaciōs / do blaspheme thy most holy name: & agayne / some drowned with ouermoche worldely welthe / sette at nought and dyspice thy gyftes of grace / and retourne agayne in to their olde and former fylthynesse / as the sonne that the scripture speketh of / whiche after tyme he hadde [Page] spent and reuelled out all his fathers substaunce / by vnthrifty and vngracious rule / was brought to that misery and wretchednesse / that he enuyed the swyne their chaffe. We knowe well good fa­ther / that our aduersary hath no power ouer vs at all / but by thy suffraunce: Wherfore we be cō ­tent to be put to what soeuer ieopardy it pleaseth the / so it wyll lyke thy gentylnesse to measure our ennemys assaute and our strength / for so though we be somtyme in the fyrst metyng to weake / yet thy wysedome in the conclusyon wyll tourne it to our welthe. So thy most dere and honorable son / was euer wonte to ouercome the deuyll: thus the flesshe: and thus the worlde: that whan he semed moost to be oppressed / he than moost specially tri­umphed / and he fought for vs / he ouercame for vs / and triumphed for vs: Let vs also ouercome by his ensample with thy helpe / and by the holy goost / procedyng frō bothe for euer. Amen

¶The seuenth peticion.

SEd libera nos a malo. O almyghty father / it hath pleased thy mere and liberall goodnesse / ones whan we were rydde from sȳne / to de­lyuer vs by thy son̄e Iesus Christ / out of the hā ­des of our moost foule and vnclene father the de­uyll / & to electe & take vs in to the honour bothe of thy name and thyne inherytaūce: but yet of this condycion that all the while we lyue here in erthe we shulde be in cōtynuall batell with our enemy / [Page] nothyng mystrust / but that thou wylte performe that whiche we desyre of the. Amen.

¶Thus endeth thexposicion of the Pater noster. Imprinted at London in Fletestrete / in the house of Thomas Berthelet nere to the Cundite / at the signe of Lucrece.

Cum priuilegio a rege in du [...]o.

¶The Rote or myrroure of con­solacyon and conforte.

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