¶ The fyrste verse.

THis fyrst verse cōtayneth thre striges of dauids harpe, which are theyse, faythe, confession of the faythe, wherby are vnderstande al good workes, and persecucion. These thre therfore wyll I nowe, thorowe the healpe of Goddes spi­rite, set in tune by ryght order.

¶ The seconde verse.
¶ The fourth strynge.

NO meruayle in dede thoughe our Mynstrell Dauid sayth, What the occasion was y^t Da­uid was so foretroubled that he was sore troubled for spea­kynge. For he syngethe a verye homely songe lytle pleasaunte and swete to the eares of beastlyke, car­nall & flesshely men. Who can abyde to be called a liare, yea & that w^tout ony reuerēce taken? yet he shameth not to speake vniuersally, & to saye that euery man is a lyer, withoute excepcion. Surely me thyncke that Dauid wanteth here y^e chefe poynt The chefe poynte of a Mynstrel & of a syn gynge man is to lye & flatter. of a Mynstrell & of a syngyng mā, whiche is to lye & flatter, or at the leaste to fasshon his songe accordīg vnto the audience, & w^t his singing to please so many as heare hym. Is [Page] Dauid nowe become a man of so ly tle experience, that he thinketh the holy Pharisees, the wise Scribes, the learned Byshoppes, the deuout Prestes, the godly rulars of y^e tem­ple. &c. could be contented to be cal­led liars, which would be noted tho rowe out all the world to be y^e prīci pall teachers of all verite & trueth, & alone to haue y^e key of knowledge Undoubtedly Dauid kept shepe to longe for to be a Mynstrell to such delycate & softe religious parsons. But Dauid was a good playne, sī ­ple, & homely man brought vp in y^• countre, & endewed w^t that spirite, wherwith S. Paule was, whan he Gala, i. sayde, If I dyd please mē, I should not be the seruaunt of Christ [...]. For euē as Iohn̄ Baptist, whan he saw many of y^e Pharises & Saduces cō Math. iii. Luke. iii. myng vnto his baptisme, called thē the generaciō of vipers for al theyr glysteryng hypocrysy & fayned ho­lynes, [Page] & as Christ called y^• Scribes Math. xxiii & Pharises blynd gydes, strayning oute a gnat but swalowing vp a ca mel, paynted sepulchres, outwarde ly in apperaunce righteous before mē, but īwardly ful of hypocrisy & iniquite, & as S. Paule called Ana Act. xxiii. nias y^e hygh preste a paynted wall, bycause more lyke a bocher than a Bysshop, he cōmaunded them that stode aboute hym to smyte Paule on the mouth contrary to al equite & iustice, whan he should haue pour ged hymselfe before the councell of the Articles layd agaynst him, euē so Dauid can none otherwyse but call hym y^t is a lyar, a lyare in dede. He can not beare fyre in one hande & water in the other. He canne not playe placebo. He is none of those, that saye all is well, when altogy­ther is starke nought. He is no dis­sembler, his harte & his tong goeth togither. He is as playne as a pack [Page] staffe. For as the trueth is, so spea­keth he, hauyng respecte neither to the parson nor to the tyme. He sea­kethe the glory of God, & not to sa­tisfy the vayne fantasy of man. He hadde rather suffer greate rebuke, moche trouble, extreme persecuciō, yea very death, than that Goddes glory should in ony parte be obscu­red thorow his faynynge flattery. God sende vs fewer gnathos & mo AMEN. good Lorde Dauids. But lette vs retourne to oure songe.

I sayde beynge as it were in a traunse, sayth he, euery man is a ly are. Before Dauid confesseth that enery man is a lyare, it is to be no­ted that he sayth, he was in a traūs that is to say, in a dāpe, a stupour, abasshement, & soden preuacion of sence or fealyng, as whan a man is so rapte into another kynd or state that he forgetteth hīselfe, or semeth to be in another world, as they vse [Page] to saye. For all this doth the greke worde Ecstasis sound. A lyke thynge we read of S. Paule in the seconde Epistle to the Corinthians. ii. Cor. xii.

It is necessary in dede, y^• Dauid What Da­uids tra [...]s signyfye. shoulde be in this Ecstasy & traūce that is, that he should be transfor­med into another man, renewed by the holy ghoste, illumined w^t diuine knowledge, lyfted vp to y^• cōtēplac [...] on of heuēly thīges, & haue his mīd wholly rapte & plucked frō carnali te vnto spirituall & ghostlye mat­ters, or elles coulde he neuer haue cōfessed this infallible trueth, that euery man is a lyare. For a natu­rall man dothe not perceaue those thynges that pertayne vnto y^• spi­rite of God. For they are folyshnes vnto hym, neyther cā he vnderstād thē, because they be spiritually iud i. Cor. ii. Math. xii. ged. Howe can a man speake good thynges, whā he hym selfe is euell? Can blessyng & cursyng come both [Page] out of one mouth? Doth a foūtayn Lnke. vi. Iacob. iii. sende for the at one place swete wa­ter & bytter also? Can a fygge tree [...]eare Olyue berys, eyther a vyne beare figges? Of the aboundaunce of the hart, the mouth speaketh. He Ioan. iii.. that is of the earth, is earthly, and speaketh of the earth, but he whom god hath sent, speaketh the wordes of God. Euery man speaketh, as he is. The chyldren of truethe, speake trueth, & the sonnes of a lying seed speke lyes & falshode. Now is dauid no moresuch a manne, as of nature is a lyare, butte he is regenerate, & borne anewe of y^e holy ghost, & is no moreof y^t false & lying seed, which de ceyueth accordynge to the nature, Ioan. viii. ingeny & proper [...]e of Satā, which is a lyare, & the father of all lyinge, & therfore confessethe he nowe ano­ther tale, than he would haue done before his regeneraciō & new byrth He woulde before haue glorified in The natu­re of flesh. [Page] hymselfe, in his flesh, in his bloude, in his strēgth, wisdome, polecy, rit­ches, holynes, good workes, and all that euer he dyd, (for that is the na ture of al flesh) and haue fought mā fully agaynst them that condemne the Hypocrisy, fayned holynes, ini­quite & vnrighteousnes of the flesh but nowe beynge nourtered in the discipline of Gods trueth, he freely grauntethe euery man of his owne nature to be nothynge but a lyare which thynge S. Paule also affir­meth in his Epistle to the Romās. Rom. iii. What we are of ou [...] selues.

Hereof maye we learne what we are of our selues, howe blynde and vnapte of oure owne nature to as­pire, breath, or come to ony poynte of true godlynes & godly trueth w^t out the inspiraciō of Gods spirite. It is not wythout a cause sayde of Gen. vi. God, My spirite shall not dwell for euer in man, for he is flesh, If we be lefte vnto oure selues, than are we [Page] nothynge but lyars, that is to saye Note. beastlyke, wicked, folyshe, vngodly, thynkynge all abhominacion, brea­thynge all noughtynes, speakynge all wickednes, doynge all mischefe, & euen suche without faynynge as we were leafte of oure fyrste father Adam after the trāsgressiō of God­des Gene. iii. precepte, that is to saye, naked, voyd of all goodnes, replete with al euell. Therfore before we can sa Searche the Newes out of heauen. uour aright ony godlynes, & worke y^t which is accceptable in the syght of God, & healthfull to oure soules, we must be in this traunce, into the which Dauid was cast, we must be trāsformed into another nature, & lyfted vp vnto the contemplacion of diuine & celestiall thynges. But Psal. [...]xv. Rom. iii. ii. Cor. iii this canne not come to passe of our owne strengthes, whiche are lyars of our selues, & not able to thyncke a good thought, but by the helpe of gods spirite, which workethe in vs [Page] both the wyll & the dede. For Christ Phil. ii. Ioan. vi. Esay. [...]iii. iii Iere. xxxi. sayth, no mā can come vnto me, ex­cepte my father drawethe hym, & I shall reyse hym vp at the last daye. It is writtē in the Prophettes, Al shall be taught of God. Euery one therfore that hath heard of the fa­ther, & hathe learned, cōmeth vnto Ioan. xv. me. I gayne, withoute me ye can do no thynge. Whan Peter confessed Christ to be the sonne of the lyuyng God, he sayd vnto him: Blyssed art Math. xvi. thou Simon the sonne of Ionas, for flesh & bloude hath not openned that vnto the, but my father which is in heauen.

Here se we that flesshe & bloud, y^• is, all that euer we haue of our sel­ues, & of our forfather synful Adā, cā not: attayne vnto the intelligēce of the diuine misteries, & vnderstā ­dynge of Gods truethe, excepte we Ioan. vi. be drawne of the father by his holy spirite. Nowe that we maye ther­fore [Page] come vnto this true knowlege of God, & of his trueth, let vs pray with that spouse. Drawe me after y^• so shal we ron in y^e swete sauourof Cant. i. thyne oyntmētes. So shal we be su re not only to becōe new mē, but al so w^t a free & wylling hart graūt w^t Dauid that euery man is a lyare.

Euery man is a lyare, saythe he. This is to be vnderstand before he Howe euery man is a ly [...]e. be regenerate & borne anew by the seconde byrth, not in Adam, but in Christ. For so many as haue put of the olde man Adam, & put on y^• new mā Christ, so many are no more mē if we haue respecte vnto theyr spiri tuall regeneracion, but Gods, as y^• holy scripture saithe ye are gods & all of you are the sonnes of y^• moost Psal. [...]xxxi Ioan. x hygheste. But all that haue not on the Lorde Iesus Christe, remayne styll lyars, & all that euer they do or speake w^toute Christ & his moost holy word, is nothynge but a very [Page] lye, and mere fansy, a mad dotage, semeth it neuer so tru in y^e iuge mēt of carnall reason. And this false & lyenge corrupcion commeth not of God (for God is not the Author of Psal. v. Iacob. i. sinne, nor one that wylony vnrigh teousnes, neyther tempteth he ony man vnto euell, as s. Iames sayth) but of Satan the mortal enemy of mankynde, which lying full crafte­ly Gen. iii. vnto Eue, & sowyng this seed in her, & she in Adā, & Adam in all hys posterite, brought vs into this dā ­nable & false lyinge state, so that by nature, as S. Paule sayth. We are all borne the sonnes of wrath, & all Ephe. ii. that euer we do of our selues w^tout the spirite of God, is lyinge, false, Ioan. iii. wicked, vnfaythfull, & detestable be fore God, as Christ testifieth, That which is borne of flesh, is flesh. Also S. Paule, All that is not groūded on fayth, is synne. Rom. xiiii.

Of this salse and lying seed was Gen. iiii. [Page] Cain, which s [...]ewe his brother Ab [...] Lyars of y^e old Te [...]ta­ment. with innumerable mo of y^e olde Te stament, euen so many as attēpted ony thynge at all contrary to God des moost holy wyll, as banyshyng Goddes worde, sheddyng innocent bloud, kyllynge the true Prophet­tes of God, setting vp straung wor shyppynges of newe Idols, procla­mynge other gods, thā the one and alone God of Israel. &c. In the new Testament also ther ware many li Lyars of y^• new Test. ars, as Bishoppes, head prestes, pre stes, masters of the Tēple, Lawers Scribes, Pharises, Saduces with an innumerable cōpany of Iewes, which all resisted Christ, condēned his preachynge, obscured the glory of his miracles, hyndred y^• honoure of God, belied the verite of Goddes worde, slaundered the gospell, blas­phemed Christe & his Apostles, ne­uer ceasyng vntyl they had broght both hym and his vnto theyr finall [Page] destruccion as they thought. After Lyars after the apostles tyme. thē dyd ther aryse a great swarme of pestilente lyars, as Heretykes, Schismatykes, & false Christians. Of this nomber was Ebion, Mar­cion, and Cherinthus, which deny­ed Christ to be God frō euerlastyng agenst whome S. Iohn̄ dyd write his Gospell: Catarus & Nouatus, whiche affirmed, that they whiche dyd fall after Baptisme ought not to be receaued agayne, neither can they obtayne remission of theyr sinnes: Eutiches, which denied Christ to be both God & man: Montanus Marcion, & Manicheus which condemned bothe mariages & meates, as thynges vnpure: Arrius, Pela­gius, Artemō, Sabellius, Paulus Samosetanus, with other īnume­rable, which dyd sowe much diuisiō in the chyrche of Christ, & brought in many pestilent & detestable heresis. All theyse ware lyars, bycause [Page] they were w^tout the spirite of god, and inuented sectes & opinions of theyr owne braynes without y^• au­thorite of Goddes worde, so easye a thynge is it for men to erre, to de­ceaue & to be deceaued, whan they leane not to y^e holy scriptures, but to theyr owne iudgemētes and fan­tasies.

And would God that all lyinge were onlye founde in them, whome I haue rehersed hytherto, thā were it well with Christes chyrche. But who that euer lyued, Christe alone excepte, hathe not shewed hymselfe in some poynte to be a man, that is to say, a lyer? Peter confessed christ to be the sonne of the lyuyng God, Mat. xvi. & therfore was he called blissed, and promised that agaynst that cōfessi­on of his faythe, hell gates shoulde not preuaile, yet whē he afterward Math. xxvi denied Christ and forsware hym, he shewed hymselfe to be a man, that [Page] is, a very lyare, so feble and of no strength are we, if we be not endew ed with valeaunce, myght, & power from aboue. I here frely confesse, y^t nexte vnto the holye scriptures, I The myud of y^e autho [...] concerning y^e Doctors owe the chefe & principall honoure to the writynges of the Catholyke Doctors, to whome I cleaue as vn to an holy Ancker, whom I follow as great lyghtes to shewe me howe I maye walke in y^e waye of trueth, whome I reuerence as my mooste faythefull teachers, yet dare I not approue & allowe them in all thyn­ges, The Doc tors also are lyars in sōe poyntes bycause in some poyntes they haue shewed thēselues men, & haue manifestly erred agaynst the open trueth of Gods worde, as it is not vnknowen to them, that be diligēt ly exercised in the readyng of theyr workes. And for an example I wyl here reherse. ii. or. iii. not to their re proche, but to admonysshe all men, what we are of our selues & that no [Page] man should be sworne & wholly ad­dicte to the doctrine & teachynge of ony man, be he neuer so holy & lear­ned, excepte it agreeth with the ho­ly Scriptures.

Origē was vndoubted a famoꝰ Doctor, & dyd write very excellent Origen. ly of diuers matters concernyng y^e purite of christen religion, yet she­wed he hymselfe to be a man & very lyare, whan he fayned that the pay nes of the dyuels & of the damned should cease in time to come, & that they should be saued.

Tertullian was a man of great Tertullian learnyng, & dyd wryte many thyn­ges very godly, yet did he erre, whē he cōdēned the second mariages in a christen mā. He maketh his argu ment on this māner: Thou mayste not mary the wyfe of thy brother beyng dead. He that maryeth a wy dowe lefte of a christen man, mary­eth the wyfe of his brother beynge [Page] dead. Ergo he doth not well. This & certayne other thynges he wry­teth not very godly, shewynge him selfe to be a very mā, that is to say a lyare.

Cypriane was an excellent clar ke, and died for the faythe of Christ Cyprian. leauynge many godly worckes be­hynd hym, yet dyd the auncient fa­thers of Christes chyrch condemne this his opinion, that they, whiche were baptised of Heretykes, ought to be baptised agayne.

I passe ouer many other ecclesi­asticall wryters, which wante not theyr errours, neyther haue they in all poyntes so circumspectely writ ten, but that theyr faultes may ea­sly be perceaued of them, that haue whole, true, good & pure iudgemen tes in the holy scripture. For they haue declared thē selues not in few thinges to be men & lyars, therfore are they to be beleued no further, Marke. [Page] than the worde of God mayntay­neth them. That whiche they haue written well, let vs receaue & gyue God thankes for it, confessing that it came to passe by the instincte of his mooste holy Spirite, & not by theyr owne polecy, wyt, reason, elo­quence & learnynge. But y^• wherin they haue erred, let vs charitably [...] enterpret, take it into y^• best parte, & couer theyr faultes, consythering that they were men, & both myght and dede erre, as S. Austen withe other dydboth confesse, graunt and wryte of them selues.

And this I desyre all men that be ghostely learned, & walke after y^• order of charite to vnderstond also The pro­testacion of the Author concernyng hys workes of all my workes, which I haue hy therto wrytten, or shall here after, if the wyll of God so be, & to beleue them no further thā the holy scrip­ture testifye that they be true.

For I am a manne and a lyarre of [Page] my selfe, and therfore maye I erre so well as mannye learnedde and aunciēt Doctors haue done before me. Let God alone be true, & euery Rom. iii. man a lyare. Let the spirite of cha­rite and not of cōtencion reygne a­monge vs. If we erre, let vs chari­tably monysshe one another, beare one with another, instruct one ano ther, & not streightwayes furiously condemne what so euer at the fyrst blushe lyketh not our carnal iudge mentes, no nor yet at euery lytyll faulte be redy to caste the ignorant offenders into preson, chenes, stoc­kes & fyre. If ony man doth not of [...]end w^t his tonge, sayth S. Iames Iacob. iii. he is a perfecte man. Let vs follow the long sufferaunce of God, which [...]aciētly abydeth our amendment. Act. viii. If God had takē away Paule out of this lyfe, whan so tyraūtlyke he [...]ersecuted the Chyrche of Christe, [...]aule had neuer be made of a wolfe [Page] a lambe, of a persecutoure an Apo­stle, of a blasphemer a true precher, of an Heretyke ketcher, a faythfull Euangelist. They that are stronge Rom. [...] [...]ia. vi. ought to beare the weaknes of thē that be infirme & weake and not to stonde in theyr owne conceates. They ought so to order thē selues, that they should please theyr neygh bour vnto his wealthe & edifienge. For Christe pleased not hym selfe. Wherfore we ought to receaue one another, euen as Christ hath recea ued vs vnto the glory of God, and to beare one anothers burdē, seing that we be all mēbers of one body, & haue one heade, whiche is Iesus Christ.

Besydes these aforsayd, the vn­godly Lyars of out tyme. Byshop of Rome & al his wic ked kygedome are lyars, & all theyr decrees, actes, lawes, constituciōs, councelles. &c. that syght with god des worde, are lyes, & very mad [...]an [Page] tafies, by no meanes to be beleued of ony faythfull harte.

Agayne all Hypocrites, Sacra­mentaries, Anabaptistes, & all au­thors of false sectes, are lyars. To conclude, so many as dissente from God & his moost blyssed worde, are lyars, whither it be in doctrine, tea chyng, lyuynge, manners, conuer­sacion or otherwyse.

Thus se we what we are of our selues, euē very lyars, & into what great captiuite we be throwen tho row Adā, & that we can not by our owne strengthes be deliuered from this bōdage, but only by the spirite of hym, which sayth. If y^e sonne ma Ioan. viii keth you free, thā are ye fre in dede. For where the spirite of the LORDE ii. [...]or. iii. Ioan. [...]iiii. and [...]vi. 1. Ioan. ii. is, there is liberte. Therfore that we maye haue that vnccion & an noyntyng in vs, I meane the holy Ghost, y^• maye teache vs all trueth, we muste with continuall prayers [Page] resorte vnto oure heauenly father: Luke. xi. Math. vii. Rom. x. Ioan. iiii. whiche vndoubtedlye wyll gyue a good spirite, to so many as aske it of hym. For he is a beneficiall Lord sufficiētly rytch for so many as call on him in spirite, and trueth, as it followeth.

¶ The thyrde verse.
¶ The fyfte strynge.

AFter that our Mynstrell Da­uid hath diligently pondered with hiselfe, what he is of his owne nature, euen a very lyare, and one that is replete with all synne & ini­quite, thynkyng, breathynge, spea­kynge and doynge all that euer is nought & vnthankefull in the sight of God, & whan on the othersyde he [Page] hath agayne consydered howe that God of his mere marcy, fre bounte & vnspeakable goodnes hath deliue red hym frō all these greuo us enor mities without his merites or deser tes, he begynneth nowe to delighte no more in carnall & trāsitory thin ges, but in spirituall and heauenly thynges, & weyeth, pondreth, & con siderethe howe he maye shewe hym selfe thanckefull agayne vnto God for y^e innumerable benefites, which he hath receaued at y^• hand of God. What shall I gyue agen, saythe he, vnto the LORDE for all those thyn­ges, that he hath gyuē me? O kynd & thanckefull harte, farre estraun­ged from al ingratitude & vnthāke fulnes. He knowethe full well, that to recōpence & make God amendes for y^• kyndnes that he hathe shewed vnto him, it lieth not in his power, notwithstandyng he desyreth very greatly to do somewhat, wherby he [Page] maye shewe hys thanckefull harte agayne toward God. For he confes seth that all that euer he hathe be­yng good, he receyued it of God, as S. Paule sayth: What hast thou, y^• [...]. Lor. iiii. thou hast not receued? If thou hast receaued it, why doste thou reioyce as though y^u haddest not receued it? S. Iames also saythe: Euery good Iacob. [...]. & perfecte gyfte is from aboue, com mynge downe from the Father of lyghtes.

On this manner oughte we to We ought [...] [...]ut to set before oure [...] y^e bene fytes of god pōder with our selues the inestima ble benefites & great giftes of God towarde vs. Fyrst that he made vs not lyke to brute beastes, but lyke vnto his owne ymage, neyther dyd he place vs in hell, or in some other dolorous & sorowefull place, but in ioyfull Paradise, where all kynd of pleasures dyd abound. He endewed Gen. 1. vs with wyt, reason, discrecion, pru dence, wisdome, knowledge & wyth [Page] al other thynges, that should moue Gene. [...]. vs vnto godlynes & vertue, setting vs at oure owne liberte to do what so euer we woulde, only he gaue vs a cōmaundement to abstayne from the tree of lyfe, & told vs lyke a mer cifull father before, that whan so e­uer we did taste of y^t, we should dye the death. Notwithstondynge this his moost gentle premonicion tho­rowe Gene. iii. y^• subtilite of Satā, we brake his moost godly precepte, & throwe our selues into y^e deathe, wherof he tolde vs before, so that no we of all earthly creatures we ware become moost miserable. Yet beholde agen the great goodnes of God towarde vs, whā we had worthely deserued to be damned for euermore, he dyd not, as he handled the Aungelles, Iob. iiii. ii. Petre. iii. streyghtwayes cast vs ito hell fyre, but marcyfully sente vs into thys world, that we myght here repent, deplore, lament, & bewayle our syn­full [Page] & abhominable offence, that by this meanes thorow the diuine pro uidence we myght afterward be re stored to our olde innocency & be sa ued. Neyther sent he vs hyther as into a salte, barrē, & desolate place, or wyld forest, but rather into such a kyngdome, as florysheth with all kyndes of rytches, treasures, plea­sures, & moost goodly possessions, so that we can desyre nothynge, but y^t we haue it here redy at hande. He hath garnysshed the earth w^t grene grasse, swete herbes & moost plesant floures. He hath gyuen vs all kyn­des of grayne to sowe in the earthe for our sustenaunce. He sendeth vs rayne & temperate heate in conue­nient tyme for y^e fortunate encrease therof. He hath planted vs trees, & garnysshed thē in tyme of the yeare withe moost goodly grene leaues & fruites to serue our necessary busi­nesses, for diuers causes. And as he [Page] hath replenyshed the earth with all kyndes of beastes, so hath he stuffed the sea & other waters with inume­rable sortes of fysshes. And of all these thinges with many other mo Psal. viii. Heb. ii. hath he made vs Lordes, rulars, go uernours, owners. Neyther do the his kyndenes here cease concerning temporall thynges. For he hath al­so set ouer vs as a moost beautiful roofe & goodly seelynge, the firma­mēt or ayer, which in the day tyme sheweth vs lyght thorow the clere­nes therof, wherin for our great cō solacion & cōforte, he hath also set a goodly great lyght, whiche we call the sonne, by the vertue & operaciō wherof, y^e erth brigeth forth her fru ites in due season, yeldyng them to vs bothe rype, apte & mete for oure vse, whan conuenient tyme requi­reth. For the nyghte tyme agayne, because we should not be dismayde thorowe the great darkenes, wher [Page] with y^e earth is than ouerwhelmed seynge it is a tyme appoynted not to laboure but vnto reste, not vnto trouble, but vnto quietnes, not vn to watchynge, but vnto slepynge, God hath moost gorgiously garnis­shed the firmament withe a goodly great lyght, called the moone, & w^t innumerable Starres mo for oure great ioye, pleasure & cōfort, so y^t no gardē, be it neuer so plesaūtly refer ted & stuffed full of herbes moost a­miable in aspecte, maye be cōpared vnto it. And al these thynges hath God wrought and done not for his owne sake, but for ours, not for his owne wealth & felicite, but for oure profyt and commodite.

Hytherto haue I spoken of his tēporal gyftes, which though they seme to be muche precious, as they are in dede, yet are they nothynge to be compared vnto those that fol low. For looke howe muche the spi­rite [Page] excelleth the body, so muche do these gyftes excell the other beynge incōparable, & not able by ony mea nes to be recōpēsed of ony creature neyther in heauen nor in earth.

Fyrst what an excedynge gentle nes of God was this, whā we were worthely condemned for our offēce, & had no hope of health, to promise vs streightwayes, bicause we shuld despayre, y^t his only begotten sonne the highest treasure that he hadde, Gen. iii. Esa. vii. Math. i. Luke. i. Colloss. i. Ephe. i. Esa. [...]iii. Ephe. v. i. Ioan. i. Math. i. shoulde come downe from his right hand, be conceaued by y^• holy ghost, take very flesh & be borne of y^• moost pure virgin Mary, yea and y^t with oute the seed of ony man, reconcyle vs to his fauoure, make an attone­mēt for vs, purchased grace, mercy, & remission of our synnes, offer his moost blissed body a swete smellyng sacrifice for our iniquite, sufferhis moost precious bloud to be shed for the purgacion & clensynge of oure [Page] synnes, & become a perfecte & ful satisfaccion for all the synnes of hys people, that is, of so many as repēt, beleue in him, and lead a godly and innocent lyfe. This promised God the father oftentimes, & accordyng to his promyse at his tyme, predefined and tofore appoynted he moost faythfully performed it vnto y^• perpetuall ioye & conforte of all true Christiās. But in the meane season howe great sees of kyndnes dyd he opē vnto vs? After that he had set vs in this world, howe dyd he pros­per vs in all thynges, that we wēt about? How dyd he giue vs y^• victory of our enemies? Howe wonder­fully dyd he delyuer vs from oure Exo xiiii. cruell enemy Pharao? How maruelously preserued he vs whē he made the red see to gyue place vnto vs? How fauourably dealt he with vs, Ex. xvi. xvii when he gaue vs meate frō heauen and water out of the harde rocke? [Page] What a londe dyd he gyue vs flow­ynge with mylke & honye. And by­cause we should lyue an honest and godly lyfe before hym, dydde not he Exo. [...]x. [...]ere. xxxi. gyue vs his moost holy lawe, yea & that not only [...] tables of stone, but also wrytten in our hartes by y^e ho­ly Ghoste? What goodly ce­remonies also receaued we of hym, whiche were mysteries, figures ty­pes, cloudes & shadowes of good thi ges to come, euen of Christe, of hys moost holy passion, glorious resur­reccion. &c. All these thynges ware great consolacion to the true, spiri­tuall, & christen men, in asmuche as they preched Christ vnto thē, which accordynge vnto theyr fayth whol ly fixed on y^e promyse of God, came at the tyme appoynted ito this mi­serable world toke flesh of the moost glorious virginne Marye, became lyke to vs in all thynges, syn alone excepte, preached vnto vs the wyll [Page] of his heauenly father, wrought mi racles, suffered & dyed for oure syn­nes, & on the thyrd day rose agayne for our iustificacion. Certayne day es after he ascended into Heauen, Mar [...]. xvi. Luke. xxiiii. Act. i. H [...]. ix. i. Tim. ii. i. Ioan. ii. Math. xxv. i. Cor. xv. i. Thes. iiii. where he nowe sytteth on y^e ryghte hande of god the father almyghty, beynge there not ydle, for he inces­sauntly prayeth for vs, beynge our mediatoure & aduocate, apeasynge dayly the fathers wrath & purcha­synge for vs all good thynges. And at the latter daye, he shall come agē to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead, both the faythfull & vnfayth­full, bothe the shepe & the goates, & than shal he take vs both body and soule enunied togyther withe hym into eternall glory, where we shall remayne wyth him for euermore.

If ony man desyrethe to knowe more of the benefites of god, and of his vnmesurable kyndenes toward vs, let hī resorte vnto y^e Pathwaye [Page] of prayer, & read, where I entreate Search th [...] Paythway vnto prayer of thanckes gyuyng from the xlii. Chap. vnto the xlix. & there shall he se this matter entreted of at large.

If we dyd consyder on this wise the inestimable benefites of god to ward vs, vndoubtedly we woulde leaue our vnthanckefulnes, & saye wyth Dauid, what shall I gyue a­gayne vnto the Lorde, for all those thynges, that he hathe gyuen me? But let vs se what our Mynstrell entendeth to gyue agen vnto god, that we maye followe hym and do so lykewyse.

¶ The fourthe verse.
¶ The syxte strynge.

HEre Dauid expresseth two thī ges, y^t he entendeth to do. One is to take the cuppe of health. The [Page] other to caull on the name of the LORDE. These are two thynges, What the cup of helth signifye. wherin God very much delighteth. Fyrst he sayth, he wyll take y^e cuppe of health, wherby is vnderstand af fliccion, trouble, persecucion, morti ficacion of olde Adam, kyllynge of carnall affectes, slayenge of fleshly lustes, bearyng of the crosse, and at the last death, as it appeareth by y^e wordes of Christ to the sōnes of Ze bedeus: Can ye drynke, sayth he, of Math. xx the cuppe that I shall drynke? Also to his father, Let this cup departe Math. xxvi from me, wherby he vnderstandeth his passion & death. To recompense partely y^e kyndenes of God, Dauid sayth, that he wyll mortifye the ra gīg lustes of his owne flesh, y^t fyght agaynste the spirite, & neuer leaue vntyl he hath made y^e body subiecte to the soule, that in all poyntes it maye be obediente to the lawe and wyll of God. For this is an hygh & [Page] acceptable sacrifice to God as Da­uid Psal. l. wytnesseth ī another place, a sa­crifice to God is a troubled spirite, a contrite & humble harte God wyl not despyse. S. Paule also saythe, Rom. xii. I beseche you brothers by the ten­der mercyes of God, that you gyue your bodies a sacrifice, y^t is quicke, holy & acceptable to God, whiche is youre resonable seruynge of God. And God himselfe sayth by y^e Pro­phet, vnto whome shal I looke, but Esa. lxvi. vnto the hūble & broken in spirite, & vnto hym y^t fearethe my wordes?

Agayne he confessethe here that he wyl not only mortify his carnal lustes, that he maye be truely spiri­tuall, but he wyll also paciently suf fer, what soeuer crosse, that is, trou ble, persecucion and affliccion God layeth vpon hym, yea thoughe it be very death. His harte is nowe so en flamed w^t the loue of God for the be nefites that he hathe shewed vnto [Page] hym, that he recositeth not only all that he hath, but also his very lyte to vile & of to small a price to gyue agayn for the glory of God, that he may at the least in some parte shew hymselfe thankefull vnto so boun­teous & gētle a Lord, as S. Paule Act. [...]x. and. xxi. sayth, The holy Ghost wytnessethe & layth, y^• bondes & troubles abyde me in euery Citie. But I care not for it, neyther is my lyfe dere vnto me, so that I may fynish my course with ioy, & the office that I haue re ceaued of the LORD Iesu to testify y^• gospel of y^e grace of God. For I am not only redy to be bound, but also to dye for y^e name of y^e LORDE Iesu.

It is not withoute a cause, that he calleth affliccion, trouble, or per Why afflic [...]ion is cal­led the cup of health. secucion, the cuppe of helth or salua cion, for it brigeth i dede helth & s [...]l uaciō to a true Christen man. And though the crosse be bitter to y^e flesh yet is it swete and healthfull to the [Page] spirite. And y^• more y^• body be depres sed & made low, y^• more is y^• spirite ex alied & made hygh, as s. Paule saith though our outward mā be brokē, ii. Cor. iiii. yet y^• iward is renewed day by day. Agen, we are not detters to y^• flesh, y^• we should lyue after y^• flesh, For yf Rom. viii. ye lyue after the flesshe, ye shal dye. But yf ye mortifi y^• dedes of y^e body in y^• spirite, ye shall lyue. For they that are lead with y^• spirite of god, are the sonnes of GOD. Therfore Luke. ix. sayth Christ, If ony man wyl come after me, let hym deny & forsake hī self, & take his crosse dayly & follow Act. xiiii. me. For by many tribulaciōs must we enter into y^• kyngedome of god. And all y^• wyll lyue godly in Christ Iesu, muste suffer persecucion. It was necessary, sayth the scripture, ii. [...]im. iii. Luke. xxiiii. [...]b. [...]. that Christ shoulde fyrst suffer, and so ryse agayne, & enter into glorye.

But for asmuch as it is an hard thing for a mā of his owne strēgth [Page] paciētly to beare the Crosse, and to suffer rebuke, slaunder, ignominy, blasphemy, euel reportes, empresō ­mēt losse of goodes, yea & percuaūse very death for Gods truethe and y^• glory of his worde, seyng y^t though the spirite be redye, yet the flesshe is Math. xxvi [...]arc. xiiii weake, therfore Dauid saythe, He wyll call on the name of the Lorde. Wherfore? Uerely for strēgth, that he maye be able to beare the crosse y^• is layd vpon his backe, y^• he swarue not whan persecucion cōmeth, and so slaunder y^• trueth, which so bolde ly he professed before. For withoute the assistence of Goddes spirite no man is able to abyde in the tyme of persecucion, semeth he neuer so va­leaunt a souldiour at other tymes, Math. xxvi. Matt. xiiii. Luke. xxii. Ioan. xiii. as we may se in y^• Apostles of Christ whiche before theyr master was in onye daunger, promised that they woulde neuer forsake hi, but sticke vnto hym euen vnto the very deth, [Page] yet whan they came to the bronte, wel was he that could ronne away fastest, in so much that he, which be fore craked moost, & shewed hīselfe boldest of al the other, I meane Pe ter, dyd not only fle away from his master, but also shamefully denyed hym vnto a poore mayde, & sware y^t he neuer knewe hym, so impotente, weake, frayle, & ful of all imbecilite is man, if he be lefte vnto hymselfe, & not endewed with strength from aboue. Therfore our Mynstrel Da uid, kynge & Prophet, not crakyng of his owne strēgthes, nor boasting of his owne free wyll withoute the healpe of Gods spirite, saythe that he wyll call on the name of y^• Lord for strength & valeaunce, y^t he maye manfully abyde in the tyme of per­secucion, confesse the trueth of God des worde, & publysshe his glory be­fore all mē, yea though a thousand deathes should followe. It is very [Page] profitable for adflicte & troubled cō sciences to caull on the name of the Lorde. For as Salomon sayth, the name of the LORDE is a myghtye Pro. xviii toure, & very strong Bulwarke, vn to that doth the ryghteous mā fly, & he shall be exalted & fynd socoure. Blissed is that man, which putteth Psal. xxxix his truste ī the name of the LORDE, & regardeth not vanities & false y­maginacions. Call on me, sayth God, in the day of thy trouble, and Psal. xiix. I wyll delyuer the, and thou shalte honoure me.

Thus se we partely how Dauid goeth about to shewe hīselfe thāke full agayne vnto God for the inesti mable benefites, that he hath gyuē hym. He wyll mortify his carnall af fectes, & paciently suffer what so e­uer crosse, persecuciō, trouble or af­fliccion be layde vpon his backe for Gods truethes sake. And that he maye be the more able to do theyse [Page] thynges, he wyll caull on the name of the LORDE. All these be very ac­ceptable thynges in y^• sight of god. And God thyncketh his benefites wel bestowed, where such gyftes be gyuē agayne vnto hym, procedyng from a gentle & thanckefull harte.

Nowe we beynge no lesse bound vnto God for his gentlenes thā Da uid was, ought to shewe our selues no lesse thankefull agayne to hym, thē Dauid dyd, or els are we muche vnworthy this inestimable benefi­cence of God. We ought therfore to Rom. vi. Colos. iii. i. Cor. vi. prouyde y^• no synne reygne in this oure mortal body, but that we mor tifye our earthly members, whore­dome, fornicacion, vnclennes, wan tonnes, euell concupiscence & coue­tousnes, which is the worshypping of Idolles, for the which the wrath of God is wonte to come vpon the chyldren of vnbeleue. All wrath, in­dignacion, maiyce, cursed speaking [Page] fylthy cōmunicacion, lying oughte Colos. iii. Ephe. ii. Rom. vi. Ephe iiii. Galla. v. Collos. iii. we to laye asyde, & put vpon vs ten der mercye, gentylnes, honest beha­uour, mekenes, softenes, goodnes, charite, peace, ioy, fayth, tēperaūce, with all the other fruytes of y^• spi­rite. For they y^• are of Christe, haue crucified the flesh, with the lustes & concupiscenses therof, yea they are dead to the world, and theyr lyfe is hyd wyth Christ in God.

Moreouer we must be contēted to take the cuppe of helth at y^• LOR­DES hande, & paciently suffer what soeuer crosse he layeth vpon vs, yea & prayse hym in the myddes of our trouble, recountynge our selues so moche the more blyssed, seynge that Phil. [...]. Act. v. [...]. Tim. ii Psa. xxxiii. it is gyuen vnto vs not only to be­leue in hym, but also to suffer for y^• glory of his name, beyng thorowly perswaded, that yf we suffer wyths Christe, we shall reygne with hym. [Page] For many are the troubles of the ryghteous in this world, but from thē all shall the LORDE delyuer thē, yf none otherwyse, yet at y^• least by death, which is the nexte waye vn­to the very true lyfe.

And because it is hard for y^e fl [...]sh to awaye with the crosse (which se­keth glory, wealth, ease, rytches, ho nour, & not ignominy, scasenes, dis quietnes, pouertie, shame & oppro­bry) therfore must we flye with fer­uent and continuall prayers vnto God & vnto his moost holy name, y^• we maye haue strength sent vs frō aboue, to do these thinges aforsayd that by no meanes we be found in­grate, vnthanckefull & vnworthy y^e great & vnmeasurable kyndenesse, whiche God hath shewed vnto vs. So shall God not only not take a­way his giftes from vs, but also en Matt x [...]. crease them dayly more & more, as the Scripture sayth, to euery one [Page] that hath, it shall be gyuen, and he Make. iiii. Luae. viii. shall haue abundance. But who so hath not, from hym shall be taken a waye, euen that he hath also.

But lette vs heare more of oure Mynstrelles songe.

¶ The fyfte verse.

¶ The syxte verse.
¶ The nynte strynge.

BEcause no man, be he neuer so holy, good and perfecte, should thyncke that thorowe his owne ho­lynes, goodnes & perfeccion, he had deserued that his deathe shoulde be dere, precious, and of great valour in the Lordes syght, or els because that he had suffred many great tor mentes for the glorye of God, yea & perchaunse very death, & so by that meanes recounte hymselfe worthy by hys owne desertes of the lyfe e­ternall: oure Mynstrell Dauid in this verse of his songe, not vnto the [Page] derogacion of the sayntes honour, whiche are not to be defrauded of theyr prayse, but vnto the promocion & settynge forth of Gods glory, syngeth here, howe it commethe to passe, that the death of Saynctes, that is, of the faythfull, is so preci­ous i the sight of y^e Lord. The cause is this, sayth he, because God hath broken theyr bondes. For what is man, that he maye appeare righte­ous Iob. ix. in y^e sight of God, before whom a chyld of one day olde is not pure, nor the starres in the Eliment, nor nor yet the Aungelles in heauen. Math. xix. Esa. ixiiii. Pro. xx. i. Ioan. i. Psal. cxiiii. There is no man good, but God a­lone. All our righteousnesses are as a clothe polluted wythe menstrue. Who is able to say, my hart is pure & I am cleane without synne? The moost ryghteous man in the world maye pray on this manner wythe Dauid, Lorde enter not into iudge ment with thy seruaunte, for none [Page] y^• lyueth, shallbe foūd ryghteous in ii. Cor. iii. Ioan. iii. Rom. viii. thy sight. Is it ony maruayle, whē of our selues we are not able to thi­ke a good thoughte, moche lesse to worke ony good dede by our owne power, before we be regēerate, bor ne a newe, and made other men by Christes Spirite.

And as towchyng the affliccion and trouble, that we suffer in this worlde, seme it to the flesh neuer so greate, paynefull and intollerable, yet can it not be compared to y^e glo ry, that shalbe shewed to vs, as S. Paule sayth. Notwitstandynge yf Rom. viii. i. Cor. xii. ii. Tim. ii. Heb. iiii. Tit. i. Psal. cxiiiii we suffer with Christ, we shall also reygne with Christ, yea & be glorifi ed with hym, not that we of our sel­ues haue deserued so great glorye, but because God hath so promised which can not lye, but is faythfull in al his wordes, & leaueth no good dede vnrewarded, that is done in Christ, yea and that for his promise [Page] sake thorow his vnmesurable mer­cy Math. x. i. Pet. i. poured forthe plenteously in the moost precioꝰ bloud of Christ Iesu. Now seyng y^e not we onlye but also Ioan. iii. Rom. xiiii. al y^e euer we do of oure selues is vn pure & vnclene in the syght of god, vntyl both we & al our dedes be pu rified by the diuine spirite, therfore before we canne brynge forthe ony thinge that maye be approued and accepted before God, we must be de lyuered from that moost miserable Gen. iii. Rom. v. vi. vii. viii. captiuite, wherunto we ware caste of Satan thorowe the synne of A­dam. Our bondes must be broken, we muste be set at liberte from the power of Satan, syn, death, hel. &c. This thynge once done, thā what Mark well. so euer we do in Christ and in oure newe regeneracion, muste nedes be allowed before God, & receaued as an acceptable Sacrifice. Yea why­ther we lyue or dye, both our lyfe & oure death is right dere and preci­ous [Page] in y^• syghte of the Lorde. But let vs returne vnto our songe.

Although it be true, & nothynge more true, y^t God of his owne mere The good nes of God toward vs. mercy & fre goodnes & vndeserued benignite saued vs whan we ware so vtterly loste, that by no meanes we could seke ony parte of our own saluacion, nor recouer by our owne strength & power ony thynge at all that we before had lost in Adam, so that both oure creācion, eleccion, re demcion, saluacion, iustificacion, & glorificacion commeth only of hym Rom. viii. thorow his moost entierly beloued sonne, our Lord & Sauiour Iesus Christe. Yet do these his benefites only belonge vnto thē, that are his faythfull seruauntes, & the sonnes of his handemayd, as Dauid sayth here: O Lord because I am thy ser uaunte, yea thy seruaunt in dede, & the sonne of thy handmayde, thou hast broken my bondes. We se here [Page] that Dauid confessethe, that God Note to whome the benefytes of God in Christbelōg brake his bondes, but he addeth al­so, that he therfore is his seruaunt, yea his vnfayned seruaūte & y^• sōne of his handmayd. Wherby we maye easly learne that the merciful bene fites of God the father, which lyghe poured out in Christes bloude, per­tayne not vnto all persons vniuer­sallye, but only vnto those, that are his seruauntes, yea & that not fay­ned, but true, hartye, louynge and faythful, & the sonnes of his hande mayd. God hath performed y^e othe, sayth y^• good preste Zachary father to S. Iohn̄ baptist, which he sware Luke. i. Gene. xxii. vnto Abraham our father, to gyue vs, that we beyng without feare & delyuered frō the power of our ene­mies, shoulde serue hym w^t holynes & ryghteousnesse before hym all the dayes of our lyfe. We are delyuered sayth this good preste, from the po­wer of our enemiesnot y^• we should [Page] lyue wickedly & vngodly, but that we shoulde serue oure LORDE God, not in our owne fleshly ymaginaci­ons & blynde good ententes, but in holynes & righteousnes, yea & that not a daye or two, but al the dayes of our lyfe. God hath not called vs, saythe S. Paule, vnto vnclennes, 1. Thes. i. Act. iii. but vnto sanctificacion. God hathe blyssed you, saythe the scripture, by his sonne Iesus, that euery one of you shoulde turne from his wicked nes. God hath broken our bondes, that we shoulde be his faythfull ser uauntes & the sonnes of his hande mayd, as Dauid sayth. Now what What it is to be the ser uaunte of God. is it to be the seruaunt of God? Ue rely to do those thynges that we be commaunded of God. In considera cion wherof S. Paule & the other Apostles ī al theyr Epistles call thē selues the seruauntes of God, by­cause vnto the vttermoost of theyr power they euer fulfylled those thī [Page] ges that were enioyned thē of god. For it becommeth a seruaūt to ful­fyll his masters cōmaundemente, & not to worke after his owne fansy, so maye he be bolde to appere in his masters syghte, whan so euer he be called, & to aske that which his ma­ster hath promised him. In lyke mā ner yf we wyll be counted & so pro­ued the seruauntes of God vnfay­nedlye, we muste earnestelye consi­der euery mā accordynge to his cal lynge, what God hathe commaun­ded vs in his holy law, and that we must laboure vnto the vttermoost of our power for to fulfyl, or els we are no true seruaūtes of God. For by no meanes may we leaue y^e wyll of God vnfylled, & practise thynges of oure owne imaginacion. If ony Io. viii. xiiii. xv. man loueth me, sayth Christ, he wyl kepe my word & my father shal loue hym, & we wyl come vnto hym and dwell with him. He that hath my cō [Page] maundemētes & kepeth them, he it is that louethe me. For not euery Math. vi [...] one that sayth vnto me, Lord Lord shall enter into the kyngdome of he uē, but he that doth the wyll of my father, which is in heauen.

But it is to be noted, that Da­uid doth not only name hymselfe y^• seruaunt of god, but he doubleth it & sayth, yea the seruaunt of God in dede. As though he should saye, god hath done moch for me, he hath bro ken my bondes, he hathe delyuered me oute of captiuite, & set me agen at liberte, therfore wyll I be his ser uaūt, yea & that not fayn [...]dly, but his seruauut in dede, doynge what so euer he commaundethe me, yea though it shoulde coste me my lyfe. So it becometh vs not only to pro Math. vii. Rom. viii. Iacob. i. fesse our selues to be the seruaūtes of God and christen men by mouth, but also to expresse it in verye dede, seyng that not the hearers but the [Page] doers of the law shall be iustified be fore God.

O LORDE GOD be mercy­full to vs, howe many be ther nowe a dayes, that caull themselues y^e ser Agenst the grosse Gos­pellers and vayne tal­kers of the scripture. uauntes of God & gospellers, & yet are nothynge lesse in theyr dedes? They crake moch of fayth, but they brynge not forth y^• fruytes of fayth They talke moch of the gospel, but they lyue no part of y^e gospel. They reade the holy scriptures, but they fashon theyr lyues nothyng theraf ter. They call Christ theyr sauiour, yet walke they nothynge worthye his kyndenes. They thynke thē sel­ues the sonnes of lyghte, but they exercise the workes of darknes. Oh that they were Goddes seruaūtes in dede, feruent gospellers, earneste practisers of fayth, true followers of the holy Scriptures, to cōclude, both louers and lyuers of Christes gospell, than wel were it with Chri [Page] stes chyrch. But alas theyr lyuing is so dissolute, & theyr manners so wycked and vngodly, that we may well saye, as S. Paule wrytethe: They professe that they know god, Tit. i. but they deny hi wyth theyr actes, seynge they are abhominable, diso­bedient and vnapte to al good wor kes.

Moreouer Dauid callethe hym selfe here not only the true & fayth full seruaunte of God, but also the sonne of Gods handmayd. Who is this handmayd of God? Uerely the vniuersall congregacion of Christ, Who is the handmayde of God. whiche from the begynnyng of the worlde hathe serued God & beleued in hym, whose sonne euery one is, y^t beleueth in God. For he is begottē of God, the sonne of god by fayth to that congregacion, whose member he is made, & that congregacion by preachynge begetteth hym to God, that beleueth the word of god. So [Page] that as the congregacion is a mo­ther by begettynge and wynnyng other to the fayth, so is he that be­leueth, & is begottē vnto the fayth, the sonne of the congregacion, as s. Paule wryteth to the Galathians, Gala. iiii My lytle chyldren, of whome I tra uayle in byrth agayne, or w^t whom I am agayne wythe chylde, vntyll Christe be fasshyoned in you.

Also to the Corinthians, althoghe [...]. Cor. iiii. ye haue many masters ī Christ, yet haue ye not many fathers. For I begat you in Christ Iesu by the gos pell. He also writyng to Timothe, [...]. Tim. i. calleth hym his natural sonne in [...] fayth. Agayne Syon signifyeng y^• Church of Christ, sayth by the Pro phet, who hath begottē me these? Al so ī another place: the desolate hath Esa. xlix. and. iiiii. mo chyldren, than y^• maryed wyfe.

Thus se we, that we must both be the true seruauntes of God, and also the sonnes of the handmayd of god, Christes chyrche, yf we wyl en [Page] ioye the benefites, that ly bent out in Christ. And verely it is not with out a cause required of vs, not only that we shoulde be the faythful ser­uauntes of god, but also the sonnes of his handemayd For many in ty­mes past, nether want ther at this daye, haue bosted valeauntly that they were the seruauntes of God, yea & woulde seme of a feruent zele to dye for the glory of god, yet in as muche as they were not the sonnes also of gods handmayde, they were not the seruauntes of god in dede, but dissemblers & Hypocrites. Of this sorte were all the olde Hereti­kes, Scismatikes, & false Christiās in tymes past, which sowed dissensi on in Christes chyrche, and deuided them selues from the holy catholike chyrche, whiche is the fellowshyp of sayntes, by teachyng straunge do­ctrine, & mayntenynge erroneous opinions cōtrary to the doctrine of [Page] the holy scripture, & the teachynge of the true godly fathers. Of this sorte also at this tyme are the An [...] baptistes, Sacramētaries & other Phanaticall & frentyke Spirites which haue vayne visions inuēted Math. xiii Mar. iiii. Tit. iii. Heb. xiii. of theyr owne braynes, sowe cockel among the good wheat, in the Lor­des felde, brynge in straunge sectes inuente newe opinions, make dissē ­cion in Christes churche, allure mē from the olde & true christen fayth, corrupte the scriptures, teache doc­trine contrary to the vayne of god des word, trouble the cōmon weale of Christendome. &c. All these in as much as they haue deuided & cutte of them selues from the chyrche of Christ, which is the hand mayde of god, pertayne not vnto god, nether haue they any parte of gods mercy though they boste & crake neuer so much, that they be the seruauntes of god, yea though they gyue theyr [Page] bodies to be plucked asunder wyth Mark. wild horses for y^e glory of god For w^t out the chyrche of Christ, ther is no health nor saluaciō, but altogyther death & damnacion. But I woulde An ad [...]oni cion for the true & fals chyrch. haue men wyse in knowynge thys chyrche of Christe, vnlesse they erre & mayntayne an whore in steade of a spouse, an vnchast harlotte for a true wyfe, a fylthy strompette for a faythfull yokefellow, a disobedient Synagoge for a christen congrega­cion. We haue in tymes past taken the Bysshop of Rome, & hys payn­ted carnall Idolles, I would haue Errours a­bout the Chyrche. sayd, his sayncted Cardinalles, Pa triarches, Legates, Archbysshops, Bysshops, Prestes, Monckes, Fry­ars, Chanons, Heremites, Anacho rites, & other of the spiritualte, as they call thē, only to be the chyrche & haue thought that by no meanes we myght departe from them and theyr doctrine, excepte they would [Page] be dāned, in what so euer case they O abhomi­nacion. stode, were they on Goddes syde, or contrary, taught they accordynge to gods worde or otherwyse. For once to hyske agenst them, was co [...] Ioan. ix. ted to cut the cote of Christe y^• had neuer a seme, to subuert and tople downe the chayre of Peter & Paul the chefe Apostles, to defyle, to tear & to tread vnder fote the authorite of the chyrche Christes spouse, yea Apoc. xxi. & to make shorte tale, to caull oute of hel the heresies that were buried and layd to slepe.

By this meanes haue they theise many hundred yeares not only se­duced the simple and vnlerned peo ple, butte also falselye vsurpedde the name of the Chyrche, callynge them selues the mother holye chur che, beynge so rather in name thā in very dede. If they were faith full, & dyd continewe in y^e doctrine of the holy Scripture so were they

[Page] members of this chyrche of Christ, yf contrarywyse, than pertayned they not vnto this holy catholyke chyrche, but were corrupt & rotten members, h [...]ynge nothyng lesse thē pertakers of this helth and saluacion, that is in this moost pure & vn­defyled chyrche.

This chyrche of Christ, whome Dauid calleth here, the handmayd of the LORDE, is the vniuersall What the Chyrch is Ioan. iii. vi. Collos. i. Matth. xvi. i. Ioan. iiii. Ioan. x. congregacion of the faythfull, whiche w^t a sure & vndoubted fayth beleue in Christe, acknoweledge hym to be theyr heade, confesse hym to be the sonne of the lyuynge God, graunt vnfaynedly that he came in y^e flesh, heare the voyce of theyr Sheppard cleaue only to his worde, flye y^e voyces of straungers, stycke vnto him us to theyr alone treasure, & looke for all good thynges at hys hande only.

Unto this churche pertayne [Page] so many as from the begynnyng of the world vntyl this tyme haue vn [...]at. [...]vi. xxi Esa. xxviii. Dan. ii. i. Cor. x. Matxx. viii faynedly beleued in Christe, or shall beleue vnto y^e very ende of y^e world. Agaynste this chyrche the gates of hell shall not preuayle, seynge it is bylte on the rocks Christ For Chri [...] hymselfe hathe promised, y^t he wyll be with it by his holy spirite euen vnto the very cōsummaciō and end of the world.

Moreouer Christ loued this chirch so well, that he gaue hymselfe for it Ephe. v. Gala. i. Cit. iii. i. Pet. iii. Apoc. xxi. i. Tim. iii. to sanctify it, & clensed it in the fo [...] tayne of water, by y^e word, to make it vnto hym selfe a glorious congre ciō hauynge no spot or wryncle, nor ony suche thyng, but that it should be holy & without blame. This chir che is the spouse of Christ, and ma­trone of heauen, the house of God, whiche is the congregacion of the li uynge God, the pyller & ground of trueth. This chyrche is the mount [Page] Syō, the Cytye of the lyuyng god, the celestiall Hierusalē, the compa­ny Heb. xii. of innumerable aungelles, & the congregacion of the fyrst begotten, which are written in heauen. This chyrche is the holy cytie, that newe Apo. xxi. Ierusalem, which came downe frō God oute of heauen, prepared as a bryde garnysshed for her husbonde. This chyrch is that loue, that dere Cant. i. ii. iii. iiii. dearlynge, that doue, that fayreste amonge all women without spotte or deformite, of whome we rede in y^• Balades of Salomō. This chyrch cā neuer erre, seinge that it is euer Ioan. xiiii. xv. xvi. Mat. xxviii Ioan. x. gouerned with the spirite of Christ seynge also that it cleaueth only to the worde of God, neyther dothe it heare y^e voyce of ony straunger, but only heare and followe the voyce of her Sheppard, which is Christ. To know therfore this chyrch of Christ from the Synagoge of Antichriste it is very easye, For the Chyrche of [Page] Christ leaneth with a sure fayth to A compari­son betwene y^• Chyrch of Christ, & the Synagoge of antechrist Christ alone the sonne of the liuing God, as an omnisufficient sauiour. The Synagoge of Antechriste al­though it confessethe Christ after a certayne manner, yet it sekethe sal­uacion also at the handes of other. The chyrch of Christ followeth on­ly the word of God, & accordyng to that worketh in all thynges. The Synagoge of Antechrist followeth the voyces of straungers, deuyseth newe decrees, constitucions, lawes ordinaunces &c. & vnto them it stic keth maynly. The chyrch of Christ practysethe those workes, that ar [...] commaunded in the holye Scrip­ture. The Synagoge of Antechrist worketh thynges of her owne yma ginacion, not prescribed in the law of God. The chyrch of Christ seketh aboue all thynges the glory of god, & the health of her neyghbour. The Synagoge of Antechrist seketh her [Page] owne pōpe, honour, glory & prayse. The chyrche of Christ is redy at all tymes to suffer persecuciō for God­des truethes sake. The Synagoge of Antechrist hateth y^• crosse, seketh to lyue all in pleasure, to persecute so many as loue god and his word. The chyrche of Christ seaketh euer after heauenly thynges. The Sy­nagoge of Antechrist hūtethe after temporall promocions, worldly ho­nours, fleshly dignities, easy lyuin ges, carnall pleasures, galant pasti mes, sumptuous fare, gorgious ap­parell. &c. The chyrche of Christ spē deth her goodes vpon the poore mē bers of Christe. The Synagoge of Antechrist bestoweth her goodes af ter her owne fansye, & not after the commaundement of God. To con­clude, The chyrche of Christ is alto gyther godly & celestiall. The syna goge of antechrist is altogither wic ked & earthly. Hereby do we learne [Page] which is the true chyrch, & which is y^e false, which is y^e chyrche of Christ & which is y^e sinagoge of Antechrist

But it is not to be gone ouer w^t Why the chyrch is cal an hande mayde. a lyght fote, as they vse to say, that Dauid calleth this chyrch of Christ the handemayde of God, neither is it withoute a cause. For as a true, faythfull and diligent handmayde haue her eyes alwayes fyxed vpon her mastres for to wayte & se, what Psal. cxxii. Mark well. shall be her pleasure to commaund her to do, that she maye do it wyth all redines & spede, euē so becometh it them of Christes chyrche diligent lyto wayte vpon theyr Lord God, & to marke what his moost godlye Esa. viii. Psal. cxviii. Luc. xvi. wyll, pleasure and commaundemēt is that they shoulde do. And thys shall they assuredly knowe by sear­chynge the holye Scriptures. And as it becometh not an honest hand mayde to leaue the cōmaundement of her mastres vndone, and to busy [Page] herselfe about suche thinges, as she ☞ her selfe thynketh best to be done of her owne brayne, euē so doth it not become them that professe them sel­ues members of Christes chyrch to leaue the cōmaundementes of God vndone, & to fall in hande withe do­ynge thynges of theyr owne fansy & ymaginacion. For they that do so shewe them selues no handmaydes, but mastresses, nether are they obe­dient subiectes vnto God, but ra­ther take vpon them to be arrogāt superiours, & presumteous checke­mates. Let them therfore that wyl ☜ be of Christes chyrche learne to be handmaydes & no mastresses, to be obedient subiectes, & not arrogant superiours & presumpteous checke mates, vnlesse, whyle they followe theyr owne fantasyes and dreames they fall from the chyrche of Christ vnto Antichristes Synagoge, as we may se in the Papistes, Anabap [Page] tistes, Sacramentaries. &c.

Moreouer we reade that thys The true Chyrch is the spouse of Christ. chyrch is not only called the hande mayde of the LORDE, but also the spowse of Christe, yea & that not vn worthy. For as a good, honeste, and faythfull wyfe is obediēt to her hus bonde in all thinges, loueth hī pure ly, cleaueth vnto hym only, hath no pleasure to ronne after other men, delyghteth her self w^t her husbōdes cōpany alone, is glad to please hym Cant. iiii. [...]. Cor. xi Apoc. xxi. alway, seketh the accomplyshment of his wyll, & by no meanes wyll at tempte ony thynge that shoulde be displeasaunt to hym: So lykewyse this chyrche, which is the spouse of Christ, is obedient to her husbonde Christ in all thynges, loueth him w^t an ernest, pure & vnfayned loue, cle ueth to him only, hath no plesure to Mark well. ronne after other men, wherby she may be entised from the loue of her husbonde, delyghtethe only in hym [Page] and in his worde, sea [...]eth the accō ­plyshment of his wyl, & sheweth her selfe in all poyntes conformable to his moost diuine wyll, beynge lothe that ony thynge shoulde be commit ted on her behalf, that should be dis­pleasaunt to hym in ony poynte.

Let them therfore nowe take hede, that recoūte thē selues to be of this chyrche, & wyll be called the spouse of Christe, that they cleaue onlye to theyr husbonde Christ & his worde, Ioan. viii. x. heare hym alone, followe hys voyce delyght only in his moost holy law, seke the accomplysshment of his di­uine wyll, & by no meanes admytte nor heare the voyce of ony straūger For as y^e womā is an whore, thogh she bereth y^e name of an honest wife Note neuer so moche, y^e is not contented with her owne husbonde, but follo­weth other men, ronnethe a whore huntynge after straung louers, ca­styng away the sincere & true loue, [Page] that she ought to beare toward her husbonde: So lykewyse, if suche as call thē selues the chyrche & spouse of Christe, forsake theyr husbonde Christe, be not contented w^t hym & his word alone, but followe straūg doctrines, & ronne a whorehūtinge [...]eb. xiii. after new lawmakers, which teach thynges cōtrary to the wyll of this bridegrome, yea or els they themsel ues make lawes, decrees, actes, con stitucions. &c. that fyght withe th [...] voyce of this heauenlye shepparde, Brydegrome and husbonde Christ Iesu, surely, surely let them beleue me, they are not y^• spouse of Christ, but fylthy whores, vnclene harlot­tes, stynckynge strompettes, abho­minable adultresses, & stulyke Go­shyppes, thoughe they weare neuer so many triple crownes, carnal hat tes, glysterynge myters, forked cap pes. &c. vpon theyr heades, & haue neuer so many pilers, pollaxes, cros [Page] ses, crosser staues, & syluer roddes Ioan. x. Cant. iiii. borne before them. For y^e spouse of Christ only hereth the voyce of her husbonde, followeth that, cleaueth to that, & by no meanes ronneth a whorehuntynge after straunge lo­uers, neyther carethe she for theyr voyce, fayre wordes, & flatterynge promyses, seynge she knowethe full well, that no man can shewe thyn­ges more necessary & profytable vn to her health & saluacion, than her husbonde hath already done. Ther fore recounteth it she a very vayne & madde thynge to forsake this her true & alone husbond Iesus christ, & to followe straungers. I am ge­lous ouer you, sayth S. Paule, w^t a godly ielosye. For I haue maryed ii. Cor. xi. you to one man, to brynge a chaste virgine vnto Christ.

This moche haue I spoken by the waye concernynge the chyrch, y^• all men maye knowe the chyrche of [Page] Christ, whiche is the handmayde of Ephe. v. God, & the spouse of Christ, hauing nother spor nor wryncle, but alto­gither glorious, pure & vndefyled, from the Synagoge of Antichrist, & be no more deceaued w^t outward appearaunces, glysterynge visars, and paynted clokes, vnlesse they go forthe to worship, reuerence & haue in honour certayne deceatfull sha­dowes for y^e self trueth, as we haue done in tymes paste. God make vs al the seruauntes of y^e Lordes hand mayd, and graunt that we maye so abyde in the olde catholyke fayth & in the doctrine of Christes chyrche, y^• we may be blissed, & haue our bon­des Search the Newes out of heauen. broken, as it followeth.

O LORDE because I am thy ser­uaunte, yea thy seruaunte in dede, sayth Dauid, and the sonne of thy handemayde, thou haste broken my bondes. What bōdes are these, that The bōdes God hath broken, & made vs fre frō [Page] them thorowe Christe, settynge vs agen at liberte? Uerely the bondes of Satan, synne, death, hell, despe­racion, and the curse of the lawe.

Fyrst as concernyng Satā, eue Sata [...]. Gen. iii. Rom. v. Ephi. ii. ry man knoweth, howe we were in captiuite & bondage to hym by the sinne of our fyrst father Adā which thorowe his disobedience dyd caste vs into the bondes of that infernal Prince, made vs captiue & thraull, so that by our owne strēgth, power wytte, polecy, & free wyll we could neuer haue set oure selues agayne at liberte. But God of his tender mercy & fre goodnes, whan we had caste our selues into this bondage, promised vs deliueraunce, when he spake these wordes vnto y^• serpent: I wyll set emnite betwene the and an woman, betwene her seed & thy seed That selfe seed shal trede down G [...]e. iii. thy heade. And so many as beleued them, were at that very instant de [Page] lyuered from the bondes of Satā. What it is to treade downe the heade of the Serpente For what other thig is it to treade downe the heade of the serpent, thā to vanquish & subdue hym, to make his power frustrate & of no strēgth yea and to set those agen at liberte, whiche before were his bonde preso ners. Nowe although this promise were not streyghtwayes fulfylled, yet stode it in effect with y^• faithful, & they so sone as they beleued, were Mark well. Ioan. i. Galathi. iii mat. iii. xvii Marc. xix. Luke. iii. ix. [...]. Ioan. iii. deliuered out of captiuite, set at li­berte agayne, & made the sonnes of God, thorowe the faythe that they had i Gods promise, which he made vnto thē in his derely beloued sōne Christ Iesu. But whan christ was once come, & had fulfylled this pro­myse of hys celestiall father, than was Satans power vtterly adni­hilated and made of no strength. His bōdes were broken, wherwithe so miserably he dyd detayne & hold vs, as S. Iohn̄ testifieth, The sōne [Page] of god dyd appere for this purpose, euen to dissolue, losen & breake the workes of the dyuell. So that now Satan hathe no more power ouer vs, excepte wyllyngly we cast oure selues agayne into hys bondes, as S. Iames sayth, resist the dyuell, & Iaco. iiii. i. Pet. v he shal flye from you. For although he goeth about lyke a roryng lyon, seakyng whome he maye deuoure, yet can not he deuour, no nor yet so muche as once byte or towche ony faythfull man, excepte he wyll of a set purpose caste hymselfe into that Dragons rauenyng teth to be rent & torne, the sōne of God hath set vs at such libertie, & gyuen vs our ma numission so frely and plenteously.

Nowe seyng that Satan, which is our moost vtter enemye, is so vā quisshed & subdued, & we vtterly de liuered from his captiuite, that our bondes are brokē, wherwith he had vs bound, it is to be thoughte that [Page] synne, death, hell, desperacion, and the curse of the lawe can worcke vs ony euell, or that theyr power is so gret, that they are able to make vs styll captiue and bonde presoners?

As towchynge synne, to whome is it vnknowen, that as the power Synne. of Satā is vāquisshed by Christ, so in lyke māner is synne thorow hym put to flyghte. He is that lambe of God, which taketh away the synne Ioan. i. Math. i. Esa. xiiii. [...]. Tim. i. [...]. Cor. v. i. Pet. ii. Ephe. v. Esa. iiii. of the worlde. He is that sauioure, which saueth his people from theyr synnes. He is, yea he is that Lorde in dede, whiche putteth awaye our iniquities, yea & that for his owne sake, & wyll remēber them no more. He came into y^• worlde to saue syn­ners. He beynge without all synne offered hym selfe vpon the altare of the crosse, a swetesmellynge Sacri fice to God y^• father for vs, & made a sufficiēt satisfacciō for al our syn nes. Thorow his name all the Pro [Page] phetes beare witnes, that so many i. Ioan. ii. Act. x. Act. iiii Heb. vii. viii ix. x. i. Ioan. i. as belue in him, shall receaue remis sion of theyr synnes. For ther is no health in ony other, nether is there ony other name gyuen vnto men, wherby they myghte be saued, but only the name of Iesus Christe. He is that Bysshop, whiche w^t one ob­lacion yea & that once for all, hathe made them perfecte for euer more y^t are sanctified. To be short, y^e bloud of Iesus Christ Goddes sonne ma­keth vs clene from all synne. Thus se we y^t by Christ, by Christes death passion & bloud the bondes of synne are broken, and we sette agayne at liberte. Death, hell, desperacion

As for death, hel, & desperacion, what can they do? Are not they al­so ouercome? Let vs heare what y^e Scripture sayth, out of the power of deathe, saythe the LORDE wyll I Oze. xiii. delyuer them, & from death wyll I redeme thē. O death I wyll be thy [Page] deathe. O hell I wyll swallowe the vp. S. Paule also saythe, Death is i. Cor. xv. swallowed vp into victorye. Where is thy stynge O deathe? Where is thy victorye O hell? The stynge of deathe is synne, & the power of syn i. Ioan. v. is the lawe. But thankes be to god whiche hathe gyuen vs the victory thorowe our LORDE Iesus Christ. Agen, By death hath Christ put hī Heb. ii. to flyght, that had lordshyppe ouer death, that is to say, the dyuel, that he myght delyuer them, which tho­row the fere of death, were al theyr lyfe tyme in daunger of bondage. O swete and confortable sayenges. O thalone true and christen pleasu res. The lawe

As touchynge oure last enemy, whiche is the curse of the lawe, are not we also made free from that by Christ? What sayth the scripture? Gala. iii. Christ hath redemed vs frō y^• curse of the lawe, whyle he was made ac­cursed [Page] for our sake. Agayne, Christe Rom. [...] is y^e perfect fulfyllyng of y^e lawe to iustificacion for euery one that be­leuethe Also in another place, be it knowen vnto you, ye men & brethrē Act. xiii. that thorow this man Christ is pre ched to you the forgyuenesse of syn­nes, & from al the thynges, wherby ye coulde not be iustifyed by y^e lawe of Moses, thorowe hym euery one that beleueth is iustified.

Thus se we, that our bōdes are broken thorow Christ, & we also set at liberte frō the daunger of all our enemies, so that now there is no cō Rom. viii. Ioan. viii. Gala. iiii. Heb. vii Rom. viii. demnacion for thē that are engraf­fed in christ Iesu, whiche walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite. For the lawe of the Spirite of lyfe thorowe Christe Iesus hathe made them fre from the law of synne and death. Who wyl now lay ony thing to the charge of Gods chosen? It is God that iustifyeth, who can than [Page] condēne? Hereof cōmeth it to passe, Luke. i. Psal. cxv i. Ioan. iii. Math. i. Oze. xiii. i. Cor. xv. Rom. x. that after we be once delyuered frō y^e power of our enemies, haue oure bondes broken, & set at liberte tho­rowe christ & christes passion, death & bloud, by whome Satan is van­quisshed, synne put to flyght, death ouercome, hel swallowed vp, despe­racion driuē out of place, the curse of the lawe vtterly takē away, yea the lawe fulfylled, and heauē gates open for the faythfull, all that euer A good les­son. we do in christ, is acceptable in the sight of God, taken to good worth, & moche made of, not for the digni­te of the worke it selfe, but because it is salted with y^e dignite, holines, i. Cor. x. Colos. iii. ryghteousnes, purite, & innocency of Christ, in whose name what so e­uer is done, smelleth swetely before GOD, so that bothe the thogh­tes, wordes, dedes, lyfe & death of y^e Sayntes, that is, of the faythfull, yea & all y^e euer we do, is precious [Page] in the syght of y^• Lorde, as we herd before. For sure we are that all thin ges worke to the best for them that loue God, whiche are called of pur­pose. For those whome he knewe be­fore, Rom. v [...]. hathe he ordened also before, y^t they should be lyke fashoned vnto y^• shape of his sonne, that he might be the fyrst begottē amonge many bro thren. As for those, whome he hath ordyned before, them hath he called also, & whōe he hath called thē hath he also made ryghteous, & whōe he hath made ryghteous, them hathe he glorified also. What shall we saye than vnto these thynges? If God be on our syde, who can be agaynste vs? But let vs se, what is to be ren dred, & gyuen agayne vnto God for these his inestimable benefytes to­ward vs miserable synners?

¶ The seuenth verse.
¶ The tente strynge.

OUr Mynstrell Dauid goethe Dauid is lyke hym selfe. forth to be lyke hymself, y^• is to saye, to shewe that he is one of a ve­ry gentle & thankefull nature, redy at all times vnto the vttermoost of his power to recompēce and make amendes for ony poynte of kynde­nes that is shewed to hī, as we may se here. For after y^• he hath songe of the singulare & incōparable benefi tes of god, which are shewed not on ly to hym, but also to all mankynd, I meane so many, as are the fayth­full people of God, beleue in hym, & lyue accordynge to his diuine wyll, and hathe consydered howe greatly Ephe. [...]. both he & all the faythfull are blys­sed of God thorowe them in Christ Iesu, he now taketh an occasion to ponder wyth hym selfe how he may [Page] shewe hym selfe thankefull agayne to God, as he dyd before in y^• [...]ourth & fyfte verse of this his songe. For he desyreth nothynge to be more e­straunged from his manners, than ingratitude & vnthankefulnes. He Note thyncketh it no poynte of humani­te to leaue the beneficence and gen­tle liberalite of a mortall mā vnre­compensed to neglecte therfore and nothynge to regarde the inestima­ble goodnes & the infinite benefites of God, he recoūteth it an acte highly to be detested and abhored of ony christen harte. To shewe hymselfe therfore thankefull to God for his benignite, he is now full bent. But what wyll he gyue God agayne? What amendes wyll he make him? In what thynges wyll he shewe [...] selfe thanckefull agayne vnto the LORDE▪ Wyll he gyue hym moun­taynes of golde? Wyl he bryng him heapes of precious stones? Wyll he [Page] fetche hym frankensence, and other swete sauours out of Araby? Wyll he offer vnto hym fatte oxen, lusty hayffers, well lykynge shepe. &c. Na verely, for he knoweth ful wel, that Esa. [...]. Iere. vii. Psal. xxiii. xlix. Agge. ii. [...]. Cor. x. Math. xxv. GOD reiectethe all these thynges in many places of the holy Scrip­ture, neyther hathe he ony nede of Dauids goodes, which hath bothe heauen and earth at his owne plea sure, and all that is contayned in them. Dauid knowethe full well, y^• his goodes were gyuen hym of god that he should help his poore neigh bours with thē. What wyl he gyue God than? Uerely the sacrifyce of The Sacri fice of praise Psal. xlix. prayse & of thanckes gyuynge. For this is that thynge, whiche God de syreth so greatly, as he hymselfe te­stifyethe, The Sacrifyce of prayse, sayth he, shall honour me. Agayne, offer to God the sacrifyce of prayse Co [...]oss. iii. What so euer ye do, sayth s. Paule, in worde & dede, do all thynges in y^• [Page] name of the LORDE Iesu, gyuynge thanckes to God and the father by hym. Agayne, he mercyfull. Also in Ephe. [...] ▪ another place, Gyue thākes alway for all thynges in the name of oure LORDE Iesu Christ to God & the fa ther. To the Hebrewes also he wry teth on this māner: By hym, he me Heb. [...] neth Christ, do we offer the Sacri­fice of prayse alwaye to god, that is to saye, the fruyte of y^• lyppes, that gyue glory to his name.

Thus se we howe acceptable a What it is to offer y^• sa­crifice of prayse. thyng to god, the sacrifice of praise [...]s. But what is it to offer the Sa­crifyce of prayse vnto god? Uerely to confesse & vnsaynedly to graunt that what so euer is noughte, com­meth of our selues, agen y^• all that euer good is, commeth of God only as he saythe by the Prophet, O Is­raell thy destruccion commethe of [...]. xiii thy selfe, but thy health and salua­cion commeth only of me. For this [Page] is the greatest prayse y^• we can giue ☞ to God, for to knowlege hym alone the author & gyuer of all goodnes, & that all oure ryghteousnes, wys­dome, holynes, sanctificacion, redē ­cion, [...]. Cor. iiii. Iacob. i. vertue, deuocion, and all that euer good is, cometh of hym alone, & not of our selues. This is that sa crifyce wherwith God is hyghly de lyghted. This is that oblaciō, that gyueth so godlye an odoure before god. This is that offryng, that ma keth God well pleased with hym, y^• doth offer it, in as muche as by the oblacion hereof he confessethe hym selfe to be able to do no thyng, that of the owne dignite & righteousnes [...] therof, maye seme worthy to be ac­cepted in the syght of god, and ther fore gyueth he al the glory, honour encomy, laud, prayse & magnificēce to god alone, as the Prophet sayth [...]. i. O Lorde all glory be vnto the, and to vs shame & confusion. The sayn­tes [Page] thēselues also praye on this mā Psal. [...]xi. ner, Not to vs, O Lorde, not to vs, but to thy name gyue all the glory for thy mercy and truethes sake. God hymselfe also sayth, I am the Esa. xiii. Lord, this is my name, I wyl giue my glory to no other, nor my praise to grauen Images. If God hym selfe wyll not gyue away hys glory & prayse to other, certes we do hym thā much iniury, yfwe steale it frō hym, and gyue it to ony other crea ture eyther in heauen or in earthe. If we depely consyder with our sel ues at al tymes the great kyndnes of God toward vs, we shal vndoub tedly be moued to synge perpetual prayses to his moost blyssed name, and continuallye to offer the sacri­fice of thankes gyuyng vnto hym.

But in as much as I haue entre ted abundātly of thankes gyuing, and of the sacrifice of prayse in my Pathway vnto prayer, I wyl now [Page] cease to speke ony more of it at this tyme. Reade from the li [...]. vnto the [...]v. Chapter.

As towchynge the inuocacion of the Lordes name, wherof Dauid agen maketh mēciō in this place, I haue spoken sufficiently of it in the fourth verse of this Psalme. Thou mayst therfore (moost gentle Rea­der) yf thou wylte, resorte thyther for this matter. I am lothe to be te dious vnto the. I wyl go forth and make an ende, althogh that whiche followeth, maye also seme abundāt ly to be entreated of heretofore.

¶ The eyght verse.

[Page] DAuid is euer one man. He had Dauid is euer one man. rather synge one song a thou­sand tymes, than he woulde once at tempte ony thynge without the au thorite of Gods word. He is at this poynte, that he wyll do nothyng, ex cepte Gods worde bearethe hym in it. He wyll not cleaue to his owne good intentes, myndes and zeles. He wyl worshyp God accordyng to his worde. He setteth before his ey­es this commaundement. That I commaund the, do that only to the Lorde, neyther put thou ony thing to it, nor yet plucke ought therfrō. Agayne, I commaunde the to do y^•, whiche is pleasaunt in the sight of the Lord thy God. Also in another place, Ye shall not do euerye one of you, that which ye yourselfe think Deu [...]ro. xii xiii. right & good. He can make no shyft to be diuers in the worshippyng of God. He can inuente no newe and straunge honorynges of god, as the [Page] olde Phareses dyd in tymes paste, Esa. xrix [...]ath cv. [...]. vii. and the Papistes & Monckes haue done syns y^• tyme, but all in vayne, as the Scriptures testifye. He ke­pethe hym selfe wythin the bondes of Gods worde, and as he sayde be­fore that he would paye his vowes, that is to saye, do those thynges y^• he had promysed to his LORD God, kepe his Commaundementes, fol­lowe & accomplysh his moost godly wyll in all poyntes vnto the vtter­mooste of hys power, and do the of­fyce of a true kynge, seake Goddes glory, promote his holy worde, ten­derly The office of a true kynge. loue his subiectes, mayntayn vertue, and suppresse vice: euen so dothe he nowe agayne. So that Dauid knoweth not howe to recō ­pense in ony parte the goodnes of GOD, but only by kepynge hys moost holy commaundementes, & in gyuynge hym hattye and conti­all thanckes, whiche he also promi­sethe [Page] to do in this verse.

But seyng that I haue entrea­ted of the whole matter, that this verie contayneth, in the fyfte verse and seuenhte strynge heretofore, I wyll speke no more of it at this pre­sent, but only note this one thinge that our Mynstrell sayth, He wyll paye his vowes in the courtes of y^• Lordes house, and in the middes of Ierusalē. By the courtes of y^• Lor­des house, & by Ierusalem is none What is signifyed by the cour­tes of y^• Lordes hous, and by Ieru salem. i. Cor. iii. v [...] ii. Cor. v [...]. other thyng signifyed, thā y^• chirch of Christ, I meane the congregaciō of Saync [...]es, that is to saye, of the faythfull, in whome God dwelleth by his holy Spirite, as S. Paule sayth. The Temple of God is holy, which ye are. His meanyng is this, loke wher so euer the people of god is mooste gathered togyther, euen there in the thyckest of them wyl he sette forthe the glory of God, as we read of the good Kynge Iosias. He [Page] wyll seake all meanes possible, that [...]iii. [...]e. xxiii [...]i. pa. xxxiiii Would god that all kyn ges would [...] [...]o this. all thynges in his Realme shalbe or dered accordyng to y^• law of God, & that no vice shal reygne among his people, nether I dolatry, nor swea­rynge, nor disobedience, nor whore­dome, nor manslaughter, nor stea­lynge, nor bearynge false wytnes, nor ony other vice, that is prohibi­ted by the holy scripture. And that thys thynge maye the more fortu­nately come to passe, Dauid hym selfe, in as muche as he is king and excelleth all other in dignite, wyl al so farre excell & passe all his subiec­tes in vertue & godlynes. He wyll be vnto them an example & specta­cle of all goodnes. He wyll lyke vn­to Phil. ii. Math. v. Iosue. i. Psal. i. as great lyghte shyne before hys people in godly conuersacion. The boke of the lawe of the Lorde shall neuer departe from hym. He wyll read & meditate in it daye & nyght. He wyll not steake to the corrupte [Page] iudgementes of other, nor be led w^t the dotyng fansys of those pestilēt flatterers, Trueth wyll we, but he hymselfe wyll looke vpon the scrip­tures Ma [...] we [...] of God wythe all diligence, & & euermore caull vnto God for the assistence of his moost holy spirite, Ioā. xiiii. xv that that swete confortoure maye both assist & conforte hym in all his godly and vertuous enterpryses, & also lead hym into all trueth, & kno ledge of Gods moost holy wyll. To make an ende, come ther lyfe, or cō ­meth ther death, Dauid is fully de­termned to stycke by Gods word, & Math. x. Mar. iiii. Luke. viii. to seke his glory aboue all thynges yea and that not in corners and se­cret places, but openly, that all the worlde maye euidently se that Da­uid is an earneste setter forthe and an vnfayned promotoure of God­des glorye, and by that meanes be occasioned also wyth Dauid to ho­noure, worshyppe, magnify, laude, [Page] and prayse GOD wyth one mynd and voyce for euermore, as Christe Math. v. saythe: Let your lyght so shyne be­fore menne, that they maye se your good workes, and glorifye your fa­ther, which is in heauen, to whome wythe his onlye begotten s [...]nne oure LORDE and omnisuffici­ent sauiour Iesus Christ, & the holy Ghoste that moost swete confor toure, be all ho­noure, prayse and glory for euer and euer.