FOr so much as God hath cōsti­tute me a creature reasonable,Gene. ij. Psal. xv and indued me wyth an vnder­standynge, I am naturally desyerouse to knowe, to what ende I am created.

Than wyl it be ne­cessary for yow to haue fayth. For he y^t shal haue a do with god or with godly­nesse,Hebr. xi. Ioan. iij must fyrste of all beleue after the sacred scrypturs.

Than tel me whatfaith is, by those same sacred scriptures.

Hebr. xi. Gal. iiij. After the saynge of S. Paule, it is a certen assuraunce of god­ly thynges, whyche we trust vnto, and a grounded euydence in the sprete of heauēly causes that neuer are seane w^t the eye.

What suppose ye moste fytt to dyrect me in thys faythe.

The eternall Testament or Gos­pell of Iesus Christ, for that is y^e power of the Lorde into saluacyon to all them [Page] that beleue.Apo. xiiij Roma. i. What shal I esteme the tradicions of men besides that gos­pel?

The leuen of Pharisees, chaffe,Ihō xvij Luce. xij Mat. xiij Sa. xiiij. cockle, tares, stubble, swylle, swines draffe ydeluesse, ydolatry, whordome of the sprete, fylthynesse, false worshyppynge, the call of straungers, the fearfull curse of God and abhomi­uacion standing in the holy place.Ihon .iiij and .x. ma. xxiiij

Whā was this gospel first taught

Sone after the worldes beginning, whā Adā had ones offended, least he shulde haue fallen into vtter dispair and so haue bene lost for ener.

Gene. iij Gala. iij And hath the Gospell contynued euersens to the confort of manne?

Yea, truly hath it, & oft sens that time bene confirmed by more earnest promises from age to age, tyll that meke lambe come,Gen. xxij Psalm. cxxxi. Ihon .i. i. Petr. i. Luce. 1. Ma. xxij Luc. xiiij. whyche toke awaye the synnes of the worlde, thorough the she­dynge of his most innocent bloud. For the scrypture sayth, that hys mercye was plenteouse, from kyndrede to kyndred to them that feared the Lord.

Hath all menne bene called to grace by that Gospell of saluacyon?

Yea doubtlesse haue they, yet [Page] haue they not al thākefully receyued it. So well was it taught of our fyrste fa­ther Adam to Cain,Ge. iiij. Gen. vi as to Abel. So wel to the fleshely chyldren of menne as to the ghostly chyldren of God. So well ded Noe preache it vnto Cham, as vn­to Sem and Iapheth.Gen. ix. Ge. xxi. Exo. v. ij. re. xiij iij. Reg. xviij. So well ded Abraham shewe it to Ismael, as to Isaac. So well Moyses to Pharao, as to the peo­ple of Israel. Dauid to Amnon, and Absolon, as to Salomō, & Nathan. He­lias to Achab & Iesabel, as to the moste faythfull beleuers. No lesse ded Christ open therof to Iudas, than to Peter Iohan, & Iames. And so forth the Apostles with other true preachers to this pre­sent day,Mat. x. Act. viij Rom. i. so that non is without excuse,

How cometh it then to passe, that so many are lost, and still yet doth dayly peryshe through their lewde cō ­uersacyonHiere. l. and lycencyouse lyuyng.

Rom. i. ij. Co. xi ij. Tes. ij No faute can be ascribed to the Gospel, but to their vnthankeful recei­uing of y^e frutes therof, so frely offered them, as I sayd afore. The disdayneful spurninge a syde or throwinge at their tayles of that necessary health in Christ is cause of their decaye, and not the set [Page] ordinaunce of God, whych willeth all menne to be saued.

If Adam thus receyued thys gospel,i. Tim. ij Gene. iij & so taught it vnto his posterite, it hath continued much longer then I supposed.

The gospell is as y^t Lord is, euer­lasting.Apa. xiiij Ihon .i. ps. cxviij For as wytnesseth the Apostle saynt Iohn. In the beginninge was the word, & the word was w^t God, & God was that word.

Thē was not Mathew the fyrst wryter therof wyth the other Euangelistes, as the popyshe churche hath taught vs?

No, God wrote it fyrst in the naturall hart of man,Heb. viij Luc. xvi. & so yt remained here styll tyll Moyses and the prophetes ded leaue it in outward wrytinge to the peoples farder erudicyon.i. Cori. x. Exo. xvij Mat. xvi For as S. Paule do­eth wytnesse, all they ded eate frō the first beginninge of one spiritual meate & dranke of one spiritual drynke, y^t har­de rocke folowinge thē which was Iesus christ. And this is a clere tokē that one gospel hath reigned in y^e people of god sence y^t worldes beginninge.

Yonge infantes departinge hence in their chyldehode,Act. vij. Hiere. ix. shoulde seme to be no partyners therof.

How so [Page] I pray you?Sapi. xij What is your reasō.

For they neuer haue it taught thē. And yf they had, yet shuld it lytle pro­fyght thē hauing so smal vnderstāding

God neuer distributeth his gyf­tes to y^t measure of age & discressiō, for then had Annas bene more faythfull then Peter,Iacobi. i Io. xviij mat. xvi and Caiphas more godlye then Iohan. For they were both elder and wyser. As fayth is an vnknowne gyft of God, so is it of hym secretelye ministred.Ephesi. i Galat. v Ioan. ij Luc. i We knowe not frō whēce it cometh whē menne are borne of the spirit. Iohan Baptist knewe Christ in his mothers wōbe, & yet had he neither age nor vnderstanding that was sene. God is their secrete instructour & preacher, which taught it first withoute voyce & wrote it without penne in the hyddenPsalm cxviij Sap. x Roma. ij hart of man. As the spirite of prophecyded happen vnto menne by the fre gift of god without age, so doth fayth to y^e infantes.ij. Pet. i. As he gaue that benefyght of his grace to the babe Hieremye, so doth he secretely ministre vnto thē that ne­cessarye health of saluacion.Hier. i. He alone made y^e child Daniel rightlye to iudge y^e vngodlye. The Apostles spoke not of [Page] them selues,Da. xiij. Mat. x. Marci. xvi. but out of the abundaūce of hys eternal spirit also. The aged are left to the outwarde gospell, the chyl­dren are reserued to Gods secrete wor­kynge. And therfore Christe said vnto hys Apostles suffre the childrē to come vnto me,Lu. xviij Mar. x. Mat. i. for to thē belongeth the king­dome of heauē. Theyr angels are euer­more beholdinge the face of my father which is in heauē. Suche secrete doub­tes ought not to be moued.Ecc. iij. pro. xxv For nothing perteyne that vnto vs, whych is aboue our compasse.

For the nature, tyme,Za. vij. Esai. v. and passage of this gospel, I am wel satisfied. But now tel me what shal here after become of them whych hath not of all this longe season in the trueOse. ix. feare of god, regarded the swete promises therof?Rom. i. ij. thes. ij Sa. xvij Matth. xxv.

As they haue in their vnfaythfulnesse here, bene left to them selues to worke al vngodlynesse, and so departed hence with a desperate conscience. So shall they at the latter daye be condempned to eternall fyre wyth the deuyll and hys angels.

Oure mercyfull redemer defende vs from that malediccyon. But what shall moste spedylye brynge me to that [Page] Gospel of health?

The meke knowlege of thy selfe,Act. xv. Luc. iij. Ephe. ij. that thou art of nature the synnefull sonne of Adam, iustlye condempned in his transgressiō besydes thyne owne wycked doynges, and so lost for euer were not that reco­uer whiche thou hast in Christe Iesu.Iaco. v. i. Co. xv

Shewe me by what meanes I maye come to that knowlege.

Seke fyrste vnto the lawe,Io. vij. Rom. iij whych the Lorde taught by Moyses, and that shall declare the a synner.

Will the lawe do nothinge els but manifest my synne?

Yes,Gal. iij. it wyl shewe the also thy condempnacyon.

If these be the only fruites of the lawe, I will not ones beholde it, least I by the searche, therof do fall in­to dispayre.

Then shalt thu not do wyselye.Rom. v. ij. cor. vij Gala. iij Rom. iij Gala. iij For yf thou know not thy sore, thou shalte not be occasyo­ned to seke the remedye. When thu hast therfore in y^t law as in a clere myrrour beholdē thy manyfolde mysheues & cōsidered the depe daungers of thē, thu shalt of necessite be moued to seke vnto Christe as vnto an onlye relefe,Act. iiij. i. Cor. i. health, cōfort, peace, attonement, grace, [Page] righteousnesse, wysedome & redēpcion.

Esa. liij Ioan. i Why, is there non other sal­uacion, but that which is in Christ?

No surely frynde, he alone is y^t lambe, which taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde.ij. Pet. ij Ap. xviij

What shall we thē call our spiritual sacrifiars, which saye they delyuer vs from synne wyth their masses, absolucions, blessinges, vnccions,Matth. xxiiij. Luc. xvij Coloss. ij & holy water.

Not sauers but deceyuers, lyke as Christ of thē hath prophecyed. Manye seducers (sayeth he) shal come in my name and saye: Here is Christe, and there is thy maker. But beware they deceyue you not.

Where shall I then seke to open vnto hym my grefe, and so to haue remedy for my soules disease?

Not out of thy selfe,i. Io. iiij. i. Cor. vi Luc. xvij Ioā. xiiij to thy sou­les behoue. For thy faythful hart is the temple of God, or that holy habitaciō that Christ hath promised to dwell in. The false worshippers seke him in outwarde thinges, & neuer finde him.Apo. xiij Ioan. iiij But seke thu him in spirite and verite, and thou shalt haue hym present.

Then is he not vnder the deliueraunce of menne, nor yet bounde to their dispē sacyon?

No trulye is he not,ij. tim. ij. Esai. xi. nomore than are the other gyftes of God, as wysdome, vnderstandinge, connsell, strengthe, science, pyte & the iust feare of God. For as testifyeth saynt Iames.Iaco. i. Ioan. iij Pro. ij. Euerye perfyght gyft is from aboue, & commeth downe vnto vs frō the father of lyght immediatlye.

By this your hole protestaciō it should seme than vnto me, that I am ordayned of God to this ende. First to acknowlege my selfe a wycked synner,Psal. l. Rom. vi than to aryse from it through true re­pentaunce, and so to leade a newe lyfe after the gospell,ephe. iiij tyll suche tyme as my eternall father shall wy [...]saue to call me from this corruptible mansyon,Iob. x. Ro. vij. Ro. viij. thys foren lande, this vale of myserye, this castell of synne, and thys habytacle of deathe, into the eternall heretage of hys sonne Iesus Christe. To whom with the holye ghost be euerlastynge prayse, honour and glorye worlde wyth­out ende.

Amen.

I Acknowledge vnto my e­ternal & euerlastyng god, that of myne owne nature I am non other but a car­nall thynge and the myse­rable chylde of Adam,Ephe. ij iustlye exyled wyth hym in hys transgression. I felt also that of my selfe I haue neyther power, vnderstandinge, wysdome, knowledg,Esai. xi. strength, grace, vertu, nor godlynesse, and that I can not do so muche as ones thynke a good thought. Here haue I wandered in the regyon of dyssimylitude, all contrarye to hys prescrypt rewles and admonishmētes.ij. cor. iij I haue folowed the fylthye concupis­cence of an hart all earthlye mynded, the wantō desyres of eyes replete wyth all vanites,i. Ioā. ij. & the vayne glorye of thys worlde comprehendynge al inordinate vyces to the vtter dampnacion of my sowle.Luc. xxij Sathan hath suggested vnto me [Page] the loue of thynges corruptible, the de­syre of fleshlye pleasurs, the appetyte of voluptuouse fedinges,i. Pet. v the delyght of lasciuyouse fables, the couetynge of ydell slouthfulnesse, the affeccions of ryches, honour, bewtye, wantonnesse, and other execrable fantasyes wyth­out nombre. And vnto all these haue I consented, nor regardynge the godlye warninges of scripture to the cōtrary. So that I am now become through myne owne wyckednesse, a captyue presoner vnder the lawe,Ro. vij. Iaco. i. the worlde, the fleshe, death, synne, helle, and the deuyl, all cruell, & fearce aduersaryes vnto me. Whan I haue respect vnto mine owne nature, I fynde it al synne­full in Adam, feble, weake, & wretched. Whan I loke towardes Moyses, I finde all to heuye for me.Eccle. i. He burdeneth me with greuose yockes, he feareth my conscience wyth threttenynges,Deut. xxvij. and vtterlye dampneth me with curses for disobedyence. I heare the lawe & reade the commaundementes, but whan I conferre them wyth my fleshe,Hier. iiij & assaye to do them in effect, I fynde it farre vnable to fulfyll them. Wherupon I [Page] dispayre in my self as one readye to fal into the moste depe bottome of helle. Than consydre I ageyne by the lyght of the Lordes callynge, and by the openinge of hys grace, hys confortable promyses in the prophetes,Psalm. xxxvij. & the glad tydynges of saluacyō in the Gospell. These doth rayse me vp agayne, they confort me gratly. They wytnesse vnto me of Christ.Esai. xxvi. Ioan. i. They leade me vnto him, throughlye assertanynge me that he is whollye myne owne, yf I trulye repēt from the hart.Ro. viij. Thus after the heauēlye father hath shewed vnto me the iuste cause of hys indignacyon, and vtterly deiected me for synne, he calleth vnto mynde hys eternall mercye. He remembreth I am but fleshe.Luce. i. Eccle. Psal. cij He consydereth that I am but dust. No louyng Father can be more mercyfu [...]l to the fruyte of hys owne bodye, nor yet naturall mo­ther more pr [...]tefull to her chylde, than he is vnto me hys wretched creature. Though I haue most ryehtously abu­sed the gyftes of nature,Isa. xlix fortune, and grace, yet calleth home agayn to repē ­taunce. And so causeth me to remembre that I haue synned agaynst heauen, [Page] that I haue in hys syght done fylthy­nesse,Luc. xv Psal. l. and that I am not worthye from henceforth to beare name of his sonne. Whan he beholdeth my wretched na­kydnesse without good workes or de­seruynges, he bryngeth forth the beste garment, whych is the ryghtuousnesse of Christe. He putteth it vpon me, and so hydeth my sinne. He setteth a rynyge on my fyngar, so espowsynge me to immortalyte, in case I perseuer in fayth to the ende.Mat. x. ephe. vi He putteth showes vpon my fete, so sequesteringe my carnall af­fecciōs & so preparyng my pathwayes into the gospell of peace. Christ resor­teth vnto me of lou [...]. He descrybeth hym selfe before me in the gospell.Luc. xix Mat. xi He telleth me, hys office is onlye to saue. He calleth me vnto him to refreshe me. He receyueth me to ease me of my bur­dene. He conforteth me wyth promyses of euerlastynge lyfe.Ioā. viij i. cor. vi. He kuytteth me vnto hys owne mistycall bodye, ma­kynge me a mēbre therof. He declareth vnto me all other offyces of conforte heauenlye. As that he is my onlye wysdome, helth, ryghteousnes, & redēpciō. And that yf I beleue in him,i. Cor. i. I shal not [Page] come into iudgemēt, but passe through from death vnto the lyfe euerlastyng. Thus beynge a fleshlye thynge of na­ture,Ephe. ij and throwne downe by the lawe, I am raysed vp ageyne by the gospell, and so saued, no synne past beynge▪ im­puted vnto me from henceforth for Iesus Christes sake.Ro. viij, To whom he glorye wyth the father and the holye Ghost worlde wythout ende. Amen.

Psalm. viij.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklynges haste thou made per­fyght thy prayses.