CHrist our Lord and master dothe not wyth out a cause cōpare & resemble y^e cares, rytches, & pleasures of thys lyfe to thornes in his moost holy gospel. For as thornes prycketh the flesh, & suffer him not to be in quiet,Math. xiii. Mar [...]. i [...]ii. Luke. viii. that is greued & hurte w^t them, so lykewise the cares, rytches, and pleasures of this world wyl not suffer by ony menes that man to enioye tranquilite rest & peace that is turmoyled with them. Happy is he, that appoynteth him selfe such kynde of lyuyng, that [Page] he maye be fre from these great wa­ues & rockes wherwythe the lyfe of mortall mē is so miserably assayled, & so ofte put in daūger. The ritches & pleasures of this world, seme to y^e flesh to be thinges of much pleasaūs & great delectacion, but they be no­thyng els thā entysyng and flatte­ryng mooremaydes, which syngyng songes pleasaunt to the eare, bryng destruccion to so many as be herers of thē Blessed is hetherfore, which after the example of Ulisses, can stop his eares with waxe, & so passe by, beynge nothynge moued withe theyr vayne & flatterynge entisementes. For as S. Paule saythe:i. Timo. vi. They that haue a pleasure to waxe rytche, fall into temptaciō & snares, & into ma­ny folysh and noysome lustes, which drowne men into destruccion & damnaciō. For couetousnes is the roote of all euell, which whyle some lusted [Page] after, they erred from the fayth and entangled them selues wythe many sorowes. Hereto pertayneth the sayeng of S. Iohn̄,i. Ioan. ii Loue not y^e world, nor those thīges that are in y^e world If ony mā loueth the worlde, y^e loue of the father is not in hym. For all that is in the worlde (as the lust of y^e flesh, & the concupiscence of the eis, & the pryde of the lyfe) is not of y^e father, but of the worlde, & the worlde passeth away,Psal. lxxxix [...]. Cor. vii Esa [...]. xl. Ioan. vi. & the lust therof. But he that fulfyllethe the wyll of God, abydeth for euer.

I haue not spoken these thynges w^t out a cause, I thanke my lord God of his gyfte, I haue bene from my yought studious of y^e holy Scrip­ture, and very glad, whan I might eyther reade it my self, & common of it wyth my neyghbours, or els hear other preache and talke of it, that I myght be edifyed therby, recoūtyng [Page] that daye but a lytle fortunate vn­to me, that was transacted and passed ouer without some repast of goddes worde, seyng that man lyueth not w^t bread alone,Deut. viii. Math iiii. Marc. i. Luke. iiii. but wyth euery worde that cometh out of y^e mouthe of God. But lo, no mā in this world is so happy, that he canne haue hys mynde satisfyed in all poyntes.Nemo exom ni parte beatus. For I desyrynge nothyng more than to be quiet, that I myghte frely gyue my mynde to the studye of the holye scriptures, & sometyme comō of thē wythe my neyghbours, haue ben so turmoyled & vexed wythe the cares & troubles of this worlde for y^e space of syxe or seuen monethes, y^t I haue had no lesure almoost ones to thīke of the holy scripture. O Lord what is it to liue in this wretched world?What it is to lyue ī this worlde. ony other thyng than dayly more & more to be plucked awaye & estraunged from the, & to heape synne vpon [Page] synne, & prouoke thyne anger more feruently agaynst vs? But now se­yng it hath pleased God partely to deliuer me out of the troublous waues of this occean, and to bryng me into an hauē of some quietnes, I entend to repare vnto myne olde stu­dies, & to participate them with my neyghbours, as I was wonte to do heretofore. For I feare much vnlesse that dissolucion & slackenes maye also be found in them, that these certē monethes hathe not wanted in me, so prone & redy are we to faull from goodnes vnto lewdnesse, if we haue not y^e spurre of gods grace to pricke vs forwarde. Syns I gaue them a nosegaye, I neuer spake vnto them, but good euen & good morow. Therfore haue I nowe sent for thē by my seruaunte to come vnto me, that I maye imparte and gyue them some spirituall treasure for theyr new yeres [Page] gyfte this holye tyme of Christ­mas. I trust they wyl not tary lōg. What do I saye, tary long? Me thī ke I heare theyr voyces euen nowe at y^e dore. It are they. Neyghbours euen with one worde, welcome vnto you all.

Brother Philemō right hartely we thancke you.

Wyl it please you to take the payne, for to come wythe me into my parloure?

We follow you gladly.

Neybours yet once agayne welcome. I praye you take euery man a chayre & syt downe quietly. For I entende to talke w^t you.

We are all set, speake what it shall please you.

Neyghbours and brothers it is not vnknowen vnto you, how desyrous I haue euer ben syns oure fyrst ac­quayntaunce to seake no lesse youre soules healthe than myne owne.

we are not ignorant of this brother Philemon, and we all giue you [Page] ryghte hartye thanckes for it.

I haue done nothyng but my duty, & I confesse my selfe to be an vnprofi­table seruaunt.Luke. xvii. Notwithstandynge neyghbours thys greuethe me very muche, that I haue ben so negligēt these certayne monethes in doynge my duty toward you.

No duty brother Philemon. It commethe of your mere goodnes, what so euer ye do toward vs. But it is not vnkno­wen vnto vs, howe greatly ye haue ben disquieted w^t diuers businesses for a great space.

Ye say trueth, but nowe heare the cause of my sen­dynge for you. Twelue monethes passed, if ye do remēber neyghbours at this tyme of the yere I made you a Christmas banckette, which, as I haue syns perceaued, ye haue ryght well digested. The Lent ensewyng, I called you all to a Potaciō, wher­at I trust ye tasted of y^e wyne, which [Page] maketh the spirite mery. The May followyng at myne instaūce full gē ­tylly ye resorted vnto myne house, & accordynge to season of the yeare, I gaue you a Nosegay. All these were not for the bodye, but for the soule, yea rather both for body and soule.

We remember all these thynges wel, nether haue we forgottē, what you taught vs in them.

It ma­keth me greatly to reioyse for to he­are these thynges of you. For nowe I perceaue full well,Iacob. [...]. that ye are no forgetfull hearers, but diligent ful­fyllers of such thīges, as are taught you, & therfore are ye blissed in your acte. Well neyghbours, my loue to­ward you is nothyng abated. I de­syre your furtherauns in the knowledge of Gods worde euen nowe, so muche as I haue done heretofore. In consideracion wherof, I entend at thys present to gyue you a newe [Page] yeares gyfte.

Can ony thyng [...] be more welcome to vs than suche a gyfte, cōmyng from so dere a frend and so in tyme & place? It is now a newe yeare, and men vse customa­bly to gyue gyftes one to another wherby they declare theyr good wy [...] & wysshe that all good & prosperous thynges maye chaunse to theyr frē ­des all the whole yeare longe. Therfore in gyuyng vs this gyfte, we do not only acknowledge your accusto [...]med gentylnes toward vs, but also confesse our selues to be more ende [...]ted toward you, thā we may at any tyme be able to recōpēce your kynd [...]nes.

Neighbour Philemon, th [...] daye passethe awaye, let vs therfo [...] I pray you, se our New yeres gifte. For there is nothyng that can offer it selfe more welcome to these our e [...]es.

Trueth is this, & nothynge more true.

Youre Newe yeares [Page] gyfte is red in the chyrche on Christmasse day in the mornyng at y^e fyrst masse for the Epistle, & it is wrytten of S. Paule in the second Chapter of his Epistle to Bisshoppe Titus.

I pray you let vs heare it.

Behold take your new yeres gyfte.

The gyft of God that brigeth saluacion vnto all men / hath appeared / and teacheth vs [...] that we shoulde deny vn­godlynes and worldly lustes & that we shoulde lyue sober [...]y / ryghteously / and godly in [...]his present worlde / lookyng [...]or that blyssed hope and ap­pearynge of the glorye of the greate GOD / and of [...]ure Sauiour Iesus Christ / whych gaue hymselfe for vs [Page] maner:Esa ix. A yonge chylde is [...] for our sake, and a sonne is gyuen [...]to vs.Rom. viii. Also S. Paul, God hath [...] [...] red his own son, but hath gyu [...] [...] for vs all, how is it thā possibl [...] [...]ut that he must gyue vs all thynge [...] hym?

Is Christ frely gyuen [...] to vs?

Yea verely neyghbour [...] Eusebiꝰ Neuer was ther any thing so frely gyuē vnto you, as Christ is.

The goodnes than of God the father appearethe here towarde vs great & vnmesurable.

It muste nedes be great & vnmesurable, seing y^t he loued vs, whan we were siners Beholde,Rom. v. i. Ioan. iii. sayth s. Iohn̄, what a loue the father hath giuen vnto vs, that we should be called y^e sonnes of god. And that ye maye well knowe that Christ is the fre gyfte of God, giuen vs wythoute ony desertes, caull, I praye you, to remembraunce y^e faull of Adam, in whome all we haue syn­ned, [Page] and deserued lyke damnacion. What had he done to pacify y^e wrath of God & to recouer his fauour, whē God made hym this moost confortable promyse, I wyll sette emnite be­twene the & an womā, betwene thy seed and hyr seed.Gen. iii. And that selfe seed shal tread downe thy head?

For sothe I thyncke very lytle.

Ye myghte haue sayde, nothynge at all ryght well, excepte ye thyncke thys somewhat, whan he had once offen­ded, to put his head in a bush, & not to knowledge his fault, nor once to dare to come in syghte.

Ye saye trueth.

What had Abraham de­serued, whā God made him this promyse of Christ,Gen. xxii. Gen. iii. Gen. xv. Roma iiii. Gala. iii. Iaco. ii. Ephe. i. sayēge: in thy seed all nacions of the earth shal be blyssed? Uerely nothyng at all, only he bele­ued the promyse of God, & it was rekened vnto him vnto righteousnes. He chosed vs, sayth saynt Paule, in [Page] Christ, before the foundacions of the world were layd, y^t we should be holy & fautles before hī. Agē, we were by nature, the chyldren of wrath, euen as other were. But God, whiche is ritche in mercye,Ephe. ii. for his greate loue wherwith he loued vs, euē thē, whē we were dead thorowe synne, quickened vs with Christ (for by grace are ye sauid) & hathe raysed vs vp with him in heauenly thynges, thorowe Christ Iesus, that in tymes to come he myghte shewe the excedynge rit­ches of his grace ī kyndnes toward vs in Christ Iesu. For by grace are ye saued thorow fayth & that not of your selues. For it is y^e gyfte of god & commeth not of workes, least an [...] man shoulde boast hymselfe.Tit. iii [...] Also in another place, after y^t the goodnesse & loue y^e God our sauioure hath to­warde men, dyd appeare, not of the workes of righteousnes, whiche we [Page] haue done, but according to his mercy hath he saued vs by y^e fountayne of the newe byrth,Ioan. iii Ephe. v & renewynge of y^e holy Ghost, which he shed on vs abū dantly thorow Iesus Christ our sa­uiour,Act. xv. Ephe. i [...] that we beynge made righte­ous by his grace, shulde be heyres of eternall lyfe accordynge to hoope. This is a sayenge not to be doubted of.Ioan. iii Rom. v Christ himselfe also sayth, God loued the worlde so intierly, y^t he gaue his only begotten sonne, that euery one that beleueth in him, shulde not peryshe, but haue euerlastynge lyfe. For God sent not his sonne into the worlde, to condemne the world, but that the worlde shoulde be saued by him.

Of these scriptures heretofore rehearsed, is it euident, that Christ is frely giuen vnto vs of God y^e father yea & that without oure merites or desertes. For whan we were vtterly [Page] damned, & knewe not howe to reco­uer ony parte of our helpe, God the father of his own gracious goodnes gaue vs his sonne Christ to be oure Sauioure. So that as the begin­nynge of youre Newe yeares gyfte is, Christ is vnfaynedly the gyft of God▪ frely giuen vs for our great cō forte & saluacion.

It can not be expressed howe much we are bounde to God the father for this his gyfte seynge that he gaue vs not an Aun­gell or ony other celestiall creature, but his onlye begotten sonne, euen the higheste and mooste precious treasure that he hadde.

Y wyl say so whan ye haue once hear [...] what a treasure this youre gyfte [...] vnto you, & howe many pleasures & commodities ye receaue by hym.

I pray you let vs heare.

It followeth: That bryngeth sal­uacion [Page] vnto all men. Beholde, youre newe yeares gyfte, that God the father hath giuen you, bryngeth saluacion vnto all mē. It is no idle & vnprofitable gifte, but commodi­ous & necessary. For it worke the vs health & saluacion.

The giftes of the world bring many times perdicion, destrucciō & damnacion, but this gyft of God bringeth lyfe, health, ioye, pleasure, saluacion & an whole sea of good thynges. It bringeth saluacion, sayth the scrip­ture. Note this worde bringeth. As though it shoulde be sayd, whā ther was no hope of health, but all thyn­ges yoked in the bond of desperaciō, synne bare rule, & Satan triūphed ouer mankynd as his bond captiue, than came the gifte of God, whiche droue synne out of place, vāquished Satan, destroyed the powers of hel brought saluacion to man, which lo­ked [Page] only for damnacion, yea & that frely, & without ony desertes, euen of mere grace & pure mercye. O the inestimable excellency of this gifte, which both wyllyngly & frely bryn­geth saluacion to mankynde. Howe can it otherwyse be? Is not y^e name of this our gyfte, IESVS, gyuen hym of God the father,what Iesus signifieth. & published by his Aungell & Embassadoure Gabriel? And what other thyng, I pray you, soundethe IESVS, than a sauioure? This our gyfte Christ,Math. i. is a sauiour. For he saueth his people from theyr synnes. Feare ye not, sayth the aungell. For beholde,Luke. ii. I shewe vnto you a great ioye, which shall chaunse to all people. For this day is borne vn­to you a sauiour, whiche is Christ y^e Lorde of the cytye of Dauid. Thus sewe, that Christ is a sauiour. Therfore maye he righte well brynge sal­uacion, & saue so many as beleue in [Page] hym.All saluaciō muste be loked for of Christ

Is there no saluacion to be loked for, but only at the hand of Christ?

No verely, ye heard, that the gyfte of God, which is Christ brī geth saluacion. It is Christes office alone to saue, & besydes hym is ther no sauiour neither in heauen nor in earth. Who so euer seaketh saluaciō at y^e hande of ony other,Marke wel. but at Christes alone, he doth not only deceaue hym selfe, but also robbe christ of his office, depriue him of hys glory, blas­pheme his blissed name, tread vnder foote his moost precious bloud, & vtterly maketh of none effecte y^e whole misterye of Christes incarnacion.

It were pite that ony mā shuld be of this mind.

You say trueth Notwithstandyng there haue bene, that haue sought health at other besydes Christ, would God there were none at this day. S. Paule feareth not to saye, if righteousnes cometh [Page] by y^e lawe,Gala. ii. Gala. [...]. thā dyed Christ in vayne. Agayn, ye are gone quyte frō Christ so many of you as wyl be made righteous by the lawe, & are fallen from grace.

Let vs hear it proued by the scriptures, that ther is no saluacion, but by this gifte of God Christ alone.

The matter is more eui­dent, than it neadeth ony probacion to the faythful, & as for thē that are obstinately blynd, all the scriptures in the worlde can profit nothyng at al. Notwithstōdyng to satisfy your godly desyre, of many, I wyl reherse a fewe, yea and those, that shall seme moost fyt for y^e purpose.Christalone saueth.

I pra [...] you let it so be.

Whense shall I take my begynnyng, but of the Pr [...]phet Esaye, whome Christ our sau [...]oure had so ofte in his mouthe? By hym Christ speaketh on this maner, I am, I am the Lorde, & there is no sauiour besides me.Esa. xliii. Agayne in tha [...] [Page] same chapter, I am, I am he, which putteth away thyne iniquities, yea & that for myne owne sake, & wyll remember thē no more. Put me in re­membraunce, & let vs be iudged to­gyther. Tell me if thou haste anye thynge, whereby thou mayeste be iustified Thy fyrst father synned and thy Prophettes haue trespassed a­genst me. Also in another place, Am not I the Lord?Esa. x [...]v. Is there any other God besydes me? A righteous God, & such one as saueth, there is none but I alone. Tourne vnto me, and ye shall be safe, o all ye coastes of the earth, for I am God, & there is none other. Once agayne by y^e same Pro­phet he saythe,Esa. lxiii. I alone haue troden downe the wyne presse, & there was none at all that dyd healpe me. Are not al these scriptures playn inugh to declare that Christ is the sauiour & that there is no saluacion, but by [Page] easeth, refreshethe & conforteth the conforteles. Christ the sonne of man came to seke & saue that, which was lost. Ergo what so euer is lost & sa­ued agen,Luke. xix. is saued by Christ. Christ is that true light, which lighteneth euery man, that commeth into this worlde. Ergo they that are not lightened by Christ,Ioan. i. remayne styl in darkenes. Christ gaue to so many as receaued hym, power to be made the sonnes of God because they beleued in his name. Ergo they that receiue not him to be theyr sauiour, and be­leue that theyr synnes are only put awaye by his name, are not the son­nes of God. Christ is that lambe [...] God, that taketh away the fynne [...] the world. Ergo there is none othe [...] sacrifyce for synne, but Christ alone No man goeth vp into heauen,Ioan. iii. but he that came downe from heauen, y^e sonne of man, whiche is in heauen. [Page] Ergo so many as go vp into heuen, go vp onely by Christ. He that bele­ueth in the sonne, hath euerlastyng life. But he that beleueth not in the sonne, shall not se lyfe, but y^e wrathe of GOD abydeth vpon hym. Ergo they alone shall be saued, whiche w^t a stronge faythe beleue Christ to be theyr Sauioure. Euery one, saythe Christ, that drynketh of the water, that I gyue hym, shall neuermore thyrst.Ioan. iiii Ergo Christ is a sufficient sauiour for so many as repent and be­leue. Christ is that lyuynge bread, which came downe from heauen, yf ony mā eateth of that bread, he shal lyue for euermore. Ergo he that tasteth Christ aryght,Ioan. vi. nede the none o­ther sauiour to gyue hī euerlastyng lyfe. Christ is that good shepeherde, whiche gyueth his lyfe for his shepe.Ioan. x. Ergo so many as are saued, are sa­ued by Christes death. Christ is the [Page] resurreccion & lyfe.Ioan. xi. Ergo by him w [...] ryse out of syn, & obtayne lyf [...] eter­nall. Christ is the waye, trueth and lyfe. No man commeth to the father but by him.Ioan. xiiii. Ergo by christ alone we ascende & go vp vnto the presence of the father. Without christ we cā do nothing. Ergo w^tout him we cā not be saued. Christ is the vine. He y^t abideth in him,Ioan. xv. bryngeth forthe muche frute. Ergo he y^t casteth away christ, & seketh ony other sauyour, is y^e tre, which brīgeth forth no frute,Math. iii. & therfore shall he be hewē downe & cast in to y^e fyre. Christ dyed for our synnes & rose agen for our iustificacion. [...] go by christes deth are we [...] frō our sinnes,Rom. iiii. & by his resurre [...]cio [...] iustified & made righteous. We be­yng iustified,Rom. v. by fayth haue peace toward god thorowe our Lord [...]us christ Ergo christ it is which m [...]keth y^e attonemēt betwene god y^e [...] & [Page] vs. By the synne of Adā alone came dānaciō on all mē, euē so by y^e righteousnes of christ alone came y^e iustificaciō of lyfe vpō all mē. Ergo as we were dāned by the syn of Adā alone, so are we saued, iustified & preserued vnto euerlastyng life by y^e righteousnes of christ alone. Euerlasting lyfe is the gyft of god thorowe christ Iesus our Lord.Rom. vi. Ergo so many as ob­tayne euerlasting lyfe cometh vnto it by y^e fre gyft of god, yea & y^t for our Lord Iesus Christes sake. Christ is appoynted of god to be our wysdom righteousnes,i. Cor. [...]. sāctificaciō & redēciō. Ergo by Christ are we made wyse, ryghteous, holy, & the chyldrē of re­dēciō. We are washed,i. Cor. vi. we are sāctifyed, yea we are made ryghteous thorow the name of y^e Lord Iesus & the spirite of our God. Ergo by christes name and the spirite of God are we made, pure, holy & righteous. Christ [Page] whiche knowe no synne,ii. Cor. v. became syn for oure sake, that is to saye, a sacri­fyce for our synnes. Ergo those syn­nes that are putte awaye, are putte awaye by y^e sacrifyce of christ. Christ whan he was ritche,ii. Cor. viii. became pooore for our sake, that by his pouertie he should make vs ritch. Ergo so many as be made ritche, are enrytched by christ.Gala. ii. If righteousnes cometh by y^e lawe, than dyed christ in vayne. Er­go they that are made rygheteous, are made righteous by the death of christ. And who so euer seketh to be iustified by ony other meanes than by the deth of christ, he goeth about to make christes deth of none effect, and so is he a playne Antechrist. By christ we haue redempcion,Ephe. i. & by his bloude remission of synnes. Ergo by christ is our raunsome payd, and by his bloud are oure synnes forgyuen vs.Ephe. ii. Christ is our peace. Ergo by him [Page] haue we tranquilite, quietnes and rest in our cōsciēces. By christ haue we free entraunce vnto the father.Ephe. ii.iii. Ergo so many as come vnto the fa­ther, come by Christ. Christ is gone vp on high,Ephe. iiii. and hath led away cap­tiuite captiue, and hath giuen gyf­tes vnto men.Psa. lxvii. Ergo he it is that gi­ueth remission of synnes. Christ lo­ued vs, and gaue hymselfe for vs to God an offeryng & swete smellynge sacrifyce.Ephe. v. Ergo for this swete & odo­riferous sacrifice of christ, God the father pardoneth our sīnes. Christ is the head of the body of the congregaciō. Ergo he it is,Colos. i. that saueth his members. It hath plesed the father, that in christ al fulnes shuld dwel, & that by him all thynges should be reconcyled vnto hīselfe, whyther they be thynges vpon earth or in heauē, y^t thorowe the bloud of his crosse, he myght make peace euen thorow his [Page] owne selfe. Ergo all they y^t are reconcyled & set at one w^t God the father, haue obtayned thys by y^e bloude of christ.i. Tim. i. This is a true sayeng, & by al means, worthy y^t we should embrace it, y^t Christ Iesus came into y^e world to saue synners. Ergo Christe it is, y^t saueth sinners.i. Tim. ii. Ther is one God & one attonemēt maker betwene god & men euen the man Christ Iesus, whyche gaue hym selfe a raunsome for all mē. Ergo as there is but one God, so is there but one attonemēt maker, and this is Iesus Christ, by whōe alone we are redemed. We are sāctifyed by y^e oblaciō of y^e bodye o [...] Iesꝰ christ,Heb. x. done once for al. Wyt one oblacion hath christ made ther perfecte for euermore that are sanctifyed. Ergo so many as are made holye, haue obtayned that holynes only by the sacrifyce of christ, which he once for all offered on the A [...]tare [Page] of the crosse, so cōsumate & perfecte that ther remayneth none other sa­crifyce for syn.i. Pet. i. We are not redemed from our vayne cōuersacion (whiche we receaued thorow the tradiciō of the fathers (with corruptible syluer & golde, but with the precious bloud of christ, as of an innocent & vndefyled lābe. Ergo by christes bloud are we redemed from all vayne thinges wherwith before we were entāgled. The bloude of Iesus christ makethe vs clene from all syn.i. Ioan. i. Ergo by chri­stes bloud are we made clene & puri­fied frō al our sinnes. If ony mā sinneth, we haue an aduocate w^t the father, Iesꝰ christe y^e righteous one,i. Ioan. ii. & [...]e it is, that obtaineth merci for our synnes not for our synnes only, but also for al y^e worldes. Ergo so oft as we sinne, by our aduocate christ are our synnes put awaye. There is saluacion in none other but in Christ. [Page] Nether is there ony other name gi­uen vnto men vnder heuen, wherin they must be saued,Act. iiii. but only y^e name of christ Iesus. Ergo who so euer is saued, receaueth his saluacion onely by the name of christ our Lorde. As I maye tary no longer aboute this matter, al y^e Prophettes, saith saint Peter,Act. [...]. beare wytnes of christ, that thorowe his name, euery one y^t beleueth in hym, shall receaue the remission of synnes. If all the Prophetes beare wytnesse of this thynge, who dare be bolde once to opē his mouth to speake agaynst it, except he be at defyaunce & open warre wyth God & his sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde & sauioure. But withe suche I loue not to meddle. God blysse me from them.

Do ye not perceaue nowe y^t thys gyfte of God the father, whiche he hath frely gyuē you, I meane christ [Page] is thalone sauiour, and that ther is no helth, saluacion, conforte, and re­mission of sīnes to be looked for, but onely at his hande?

We were to much blynd, yf we dyd not perceaue it, ye haue made the matter so open w^t playne & euident scriptures.

O Lord, what blyndnes was ther ī the world, whan some dyd put theyr hope of saluaciō in stockes & stones, & olde rotten bones, in gaddynge of pylgrymage, in gyldyng of Images in sayntes reliques, & hallowed stic­kes, & popysh pardons, in other mennes workes, in fansyes inuented of men. &c. Yea there haue not wanted whiche sought saluacion in a Graye [...]ryers cowle, trustynge assuredly, y^t yf they were buryed in y^t, they could by no meās be damned.

Al these were greatly deceaued. But that ye maye knowe, that there can be no sauiour, but this gyfte of God Christ [Page] alone, marke a fewe wordes, that I shall nowe saye vnto you. Fyrst he y^t shall be a sauioure, & saue men from theyr synnes, muste be withoute all synne hym selfe. Secondly he must be both God & mā. Thyrdly he must by his innocency delyuer vs from y^e cursse of the law, yea and fulfyll the lawe for vs, that the aduersary may laye nothyng agaynst vs. Fourthly he must by his puyssaunce & power, vanquysh & subdue all the power of Satan. Fyftly he must slaye death, y^t it may haue no more power ouer y^e faythfull. Syxtly, it must be in his power to gyue vnto hys people the holy Ghost, to gouern & kepe them ī a ryght trade of lyuyng. To cōclud [...] he must be suche one, that whā they that beleue in hym, do offende & pro­uoke the heauenly father vnto an­ger, he maye at all tymes he both redy & able to make an attonement betwene [Page] God and the offenders.

If ye can fynde ony suche, as I haue here described, besydes Christ, wel, I wil thā also graūt y^t he is a sauiour. Untyll that tyme wyll I say with all the Prophettes, Apostles & our Doctor Paule, that this gyfte of God christ Iesus is thalone saui­our, bryngeth helth, & that there is no saluacion to be gotten, but only thorow hī.

This thyng is now more manifest, then it may be doub­ted of, or called into questiō.

It followeth in your new yeares gyft, To all men. Note that he saythe not,To whome Christ is a Sauyour to the wycked & damned spiri­tes, which shall neuer recouer theyr health & saluacion, what so euer the Origenistes tryfle in thys behalfe but to al men, yea and that those only, which repent, beleue, and leade a good lyfe. For to wycked mē and vngodly persons is christ no sauioure, [Page] excepte they repēt, beleue & amend. It is not to be passed ouer lyghtly, y^t the scriptures spekethe generally and vniuersally w^tout ony excepciō To all men. Christ bryngeth saluacion to all menne.As christe is a sauiour so are al mē synners. These wordes proue manifestly, that as christ is a sauiour, so are all men synners, and agayne, that there is no man but y^e receaueth saluacion of christ, if he be saued. Where are they nowe y^t wyll iustify them selues, and sel theyr merites and good dedes to other? The scriptures sayth, we be all synners. There is no differēce,Rom. iii. sayth s. Paule All haue synned & wante the glory [...] of God.Hyponost. Lib. iii. What is this, sayth S. Austen, and want the glory of God, but the grace of God the father by Ie­sus christ, which is the glory of God the father? And what meaneth this they wante or haue nede, sayth he? but that no mā of himselfe, because [Page] he is borne carnally, is able to reco­uer the lyfe lost, no though he bryn­geth the workes of merites, excepte he be spiritually borne a new by our Lorde Iesus christ, whiche came w^t the vndetted mercy of the father, & of his owne,Luke. x [...]x. and of the holy ghost to saue & seake that whiche was loste? What was lost? Unreasonable bea­stes? Hathe God also care for oxen?i. Cor. ix. Uerely mankynde was lost thorow synne, in consideraciō wherof christ beynge wythout spotte euen of hys owne fre wyll gyuyng hym selfe to the death & rysyng agayne, hath re­demed man from synne & death euē ly the largenes of fre grace. These are the wordes of S. Austen, which [...]hewe euidently what we are of our selues, and what by Christ▪ But let vs heare mo scriptures.Psal. cxv. Rom. iii. Euery mā is a lyare, God alone is true. The scripture hath cōcluded all thinges [Page] vnder sin,Gala. iii. y^t y^e promyse by y^e faithe of Iesꝰ christ shuld be gyuē to y^e faythful. God hath comprehended all mē vnder incredulite & vnfaythfulnes that he myght haue mercy on al mē Here se we that all men were found synners & vnfaythfull, & that they are saued only by the great mercies of God.Rom. xi. All our righteousnesses are as a cloth polluted wyth menstrue. We were conceaued & borne in syn. The imaginaciōs and thoughtes of mannes harte are prone vnto euell euen from his yonge age.Esa. liiii. Esay. l. Gen. viii. Ex xxxiiii. lii. Ro. viii. Eccle. vii. There is no man innocent before God, there is no man but that synneth. There is not a righteous man on y^e earth that doth good, and synneth not. Euery one is an hypocrite & wicke [...] and the mouthes of thē all haue spokē folyshnes.Esay. ix. All we haue erred and gone astraye lyke shepe, euery one hath followed his owne fansye. The [Page] harte of man is wicked & in [...]cruta­ble. No man is pure from synne,Esa. liii. Hiere. xv [...]i no the starres are not clene in his sight howe much more is man fylthy and vnclene, which is nothyng but cor­rupcion & a very worme in compa­rison of God?Iob. xxv. Prou xx Math. xix. Mar. x. Luke. xvii. psa. xiii.lii Who is able to say, my harte is clene, and I am pure from syn? No mā is good but God alone. We are al vnprofitable seruauntes. The Lorde looked downe from heauen vpon the chyldren of men, to se yf there were ony one, y^t had vnder­standyng or saught after God. But all are swarued & clene gone oute of the waye, they are become all togy­ther vnprofitable, there is▪ none that dothe good, no not one. They are corrupt, & become abhominable ī theyr studies: Theyr throte is lyke a wyde mouthed graue,Psa. v. Psa. cxxxix they worke de [...]eate with theyr tonges, the poy­son of adders is vnder theyr lyppes [Page] Theyr mouthe is full of cursynge & bytternes,Psal. ix. Prouer. i. Esa. [...]i [...] theyr feete are swyfte to shed bloude. Destruccion and wery­nes are in theyr wayes, the waye of peace haue they not knowne. Ther is no feare of god before theyr eyes. Howe lyke ye these scriptures?Psa. xxxv. i. Cor. iii. Do they not paynte oute man in his natiue colours? What haue we of oure selues to reioyse & boste of.

We maye perceaue now right wel, that we be all wretched & miserable syn­ners.

If god had not gyuen vs his sonne christ to be our sauioure, we hadde bene in a damnable case.

We were so pocky & full of diseases, that yf christ had not bene our [...] Phisicion to heale our woundes [...] his moost precious woūdes, we had continued styl disesed for euermore.

I am glad ye haue learned that all men are synners, & that therfore they haue nede of christ the gyfte of [Page] God, whiche bryngeth saluacion to all men. For this is the fyrst poynte to knowe christ aryght. Nether can ony man to muche deiecte and cas [...]e downe hym selfe. For the more man humbleth hym selfe, the more dothe he exalte y^e glorious maieste of god. But that ye maye be without dout in this matter, I wyll rehearse cer­ten vnto you, out of both the Testamentes, which shall declare that we be all synners.Gen. iii. Adam, as ye knowe, transgressed the commaundement of God in Paradise, & by his trans­gression made vs all bonde to eter­nall damnacion.Gen. ixi Nohe fell into the synne of dronkēnes. Lothe was not only dronken, but also lay with hys owne doughters,Gen. xix. Gen. xx. Exod. ii. ii. Re. xi. and .xii. & so commytted y^e greuous synne of inceste. Abraham denyed hys wyfe. Moses cōmytted man [...]aughter. Dauid commytted bothe manslaughter & whoredome. [Page] Salomon was an Idolater. Ma­thew was a tolle gatherer. The Apostles dyd stryue amonge them, who shoulde be hyghest & of greatest auc­thorite.iii. Reg. xi. Math. ix. Math. xx. Luke. vii. Ioan. xviii. Act. ix. Mary Magdalene was a greuous synner. Peter denyed and forsoke Christ thryse. Paule persecuted the cōgregacion of christ. [...]hat shoulde I make many wordes? So many as euer were clad wythe this flesh (Iesus christ alone excepte whiche was both God and man & conceued & borne without the seed of mā, by the operacion of the holy Ghoste of the moost blyssed & vndefyled vir­gin Mary) were synners, and so many as are in the same at this day, [...] shal be vnto the worldes ende, are [...] shall be synners, saued onely by the fre mercy of god thorow Iesꝰ christ. We all offende in many thynges, sayth S. Iames.Iacob. iii. Here are none ex­certed. If we saye,i. Ioan. i saythe S. Iohn, [Page] that we haue no synne, we deceyue ourselues, and the trueth is not in vs. Here S. Iohn̄, which was so holy, vertuous & dearly beloued of god nombreth him selfe among synners neyther is he ashamed so to do, that al glory maye be gyuen to God, and the prayse of oure saluaciō to Iesus Christ our Lorde & sauiour.

If all be synners with oute excepcion, what is than to be sayde of y^e moost glorious & blyssed virgyn Mary? Is she also to be rekened in the nomber of synners?

I answere with S. Austē, whan so euer there is dis­putacion of synne,Libro de na­tura & grati a cap. xxxvi. all must nedes cō fesse them selues synners, excepte y^e holy virgyn Mary, of whom for the honour of the Lorde, I wyl haue no question at all whan we entreate of synne. For we know that there was giuen to her more grace than to ony other creature for to ouercome [...]yn [Page] on euery parte, for as muche as she deserued to conceaue & bryng [...]orth hym, whom it is euidēt to haue had no synne. Therfore this virgyn ex­cepte, if we coulde gather all y^e sayn­tes both men and women, wh [...] they lyued here, & demaund of them, whyther they were w^tout synne. What do we thyncke that they would aunswere, as this Pelagian sayth, or as Iohn̄ the Apostle affyrmeth? Uere­ly ware theyr excellency of holynes neuer so great in this bodye, if they myghte be asked thys thynge, they woulde surely crye with one voyce, yf we shoulde saye, that we haue no synne, we deceaue oure selues [...] the truethe is not in vs.

Hytherto haue I rehearsed the wordes of S. Austen, which as they ex­cepte the moost blyssed virgyn Ma­ry from the spot of synne, so do they proue all other wythoute excepcion [Page] to be sinners. Yet this dare I boldly affyrme & say, that this moost holy pure and glorious virgyn disday­ned not to confesse Christ to be also her Lorde and sauiour. Her wordes are these:Luke. i. My soule magnifyeth the Lorde, & my spirite hath reioysed in god my sauiour. Behold she bosteth not her good dedes, she crakethe not of her merites, she swelleth not with her owne dignite, but humbly graū tyng herselfe to be the handemayde of the lord, redy to do his moost godly pleasure and wyll in all thynges, she confesseth God to be her sauiour and not her selfe, nor her owne good dedes. If so holye and pure a vir­gyne, which was replenyshed wythe all grace, vertue and goodnes, dyd not bost of her own dignite, worthynes, merites, dedes & good wor [...]kes, but cleued to God alone and sought for saluacion at his hande, howe wicked [Page] and go [...]les are they, which se [...]e health at ony other, sauyng a [...] thys gyfte of God Iesus christ, which brī [...]geth saluacion to all mē?

This is godly spoken. Dothe christ ther­fore bryng saluacion to all menne?

To all men that repent, beleue, and labour to [...] a good lyfe▪ were they neuer so greuous synners be­fore.Math. ix. For christ came not to call the righteous, that is, such as wyt iustify them selues by theyr owne good dedes & merites, but synne [...]s vnto repentaunce.Luke. xxiiii. He commaunded hys Apostles after his Resurreccion to preache repentaunce and remissio [...] of synnes in his name vnto all [...]. For he is that sauioure,i. Tim. ii. y^t [...] haue almē to be saued & to cōe vnt [...] y^e knolege of y^e trueth. In y^e old lawe he was onely knowen & preached t [...] be the sauiour of the iewes for God was knowen but in Iewrye▪ and in [Page] Israel was his name great.Psa. lxxv. He she­wed his worde to Iacob, his righte­ousnes & iudgementes to Israel▪ He dyd not so to euery nacion,Psa. cxlviii neyther dyd he open vnto them hys ordinaū ce [...] ▪ but nowe he is a sauyour to all kynde of people. Christ before hys death, sayd to hys disciples, whā he sene them forthe to preache.Math. x. Go no [...] among y^e Gentiles nor Sain [...] [...], but go rather to y^e lost shepe of [...] of Israel, but after his resurre [...]ion he sayd▪ Go thorowe out all the worlde,Mat. xxviii Marc. xvi. and preache the gospell to euery creature. For there is now no differēce betwene the Iewe and [...]he Gentyle.Roma. x. Iohel. ii. Actum. ii. For one is Lorde of al, [...] ynoughe for so many as call [...]. For euery one that callethe on the name of the Lorde, will be saued▪ Esay. ix Math. iiii. And this is it that the Prophet sayth [...] people y^t walked in darknes, [...] lygh [...], & to thē which s [...]t [Page] in the region and shadow of deathe, lyght is spronge & risen vnto them. This is greate consolacion and conforte for vs, that this gyfte of God, Christ, bryngeth saluaciō to all mē, so well Gentile as Iewe, or els had we, which were Gentiles, bene damned for euer and euer.

Blyssed be God for the rytches of his grace, wherwyth he hath frely called, iustifyed, saued and glorifyed vs thorow Iesus Christ our Lord▪ Rom. viii Well neygh­bours, seynge that Christ is a saui­our & bryngeth saluacion to all mē, so endeuoure your selues, y^t ye maye be found worthy to be of that nom­ber, which shal receaue saluaciō & [...] saued. Repēt ye of your old wycke [...] lyuyng. Beleue to haue remission o [...] all your synnes thorowe the name of Christ. Haue no more to do with the worlde, the dyuell and the flesh▪ but euermore garnysh youre lyfe & [Page] conuersacion with the frutes of the spirite, that ye maye be fyt vessels, into whome God maye powre hys grace.

I beseche God gyue vs grace to do this.

Nowe marke, what this gyfte of God hath done. It hathe appeared. ‘The gyfte of God / sayth the scripture that bryngethe saluacion vnto all menne / hathe appeared.’

Christ hath appeared, saythe youre newe yeares gyfte. In the olde law he appeared by figures, types, clou­des, & shadowes, as by Manna, the Rocke, the Paschall lambe, the bra­sen serpent, &c. which all prefigured Christ, and by them dyd he appeare to the faythfull, which beleued and looked for his commynge, but nowe he hath appered personally, euen in his owne flesh. He that hath bene so longe looked for, is nowe come very [Page] God and very man. He hathe appe­red; he hath ben sene and hearde. He hath preached. He hath wrought miracles. He hathe suffered & dyed for vs. He is rysen agen, and ascended vp into heuē, where he sytteth now on the ryght hand of god his father. All this was not fantastically done but truely and vnfaynedly. He ap­pered very man in the fleshe, whiche he receaued of y^e blyssed virgine Mary, hauyng his godhed conioyned w^t hys humanite, so that he was, and is, very God & very man.

Ther wante not nowe a dayes,Of them y^t denye the humanite of Christ. as I haue hearde, whiche playnely deny, that Christ toke ony fleshe of the virgine Mary, and as for that body that he had, he broughte downe wythe hym from heauen.

Thys is no newe heresy, althogh it be lately renewed by the wycked and pernicious [...] of the vngodlye Anabaptistes, [...] [Page] spronge vp among the olde Herety­kes, shortely after the ascencion of Christ. Would God I had sufficient tyme and conuenient leasure to vtter my mynde fullye concernynge this matter. But for asmuche as I knowe and am perfectly perswaded that none of you are addicte nether to thys, nor none other opiniō that they mayntayne & holde cōtrary to the rule of the catholyke fayth, and y^e determinacion of christes church. I wyll not laboure muche in the confutacion of thys theyr dānable heresy, but onely rehearse certayne Scriptures vnto you, that ye may in fewe wordes perceaue how greatly they swarue frō the verite of god­des worde. Fyrst I wyll reherse vn­to you the wordes of god the father spoken to the serpent shortely after the fall of man. I wyll set emnite be­twene the and an woman, betwene [Page] thy seed and her seed. And that selfe seed shall [...]read downe thy head. This seed to be Christ no man doubteth, that is faythfull. Marke now that he calleth christ the seed of a woman, he meneth the moost glorious virgine Mary. If christ be the seed of this woman Marye, than dyd he take hys flesshe & humanite of her. So doth it than folowe ryght well, that they erre, whiche affyrme that christ brought his body wythe hym from heauen, and toke no flesshe of this moost blyssed and vndefiled virgin [...]. For howe can he be named to be the seed of a woman, if he had no parte of her? Canne a woman truly saye, thys is myne owne and natu­rall sonne, whan she neuer broughte hym forth.Gen. xxii. [...] Abraham also God the father sayd▪ In thy seed all na­cions of the earth shall be blyssed▪ This seed is christ,Gala. iii. as S. Paule de­clareth [Page] to the Galathians, whiche beynge borne of the virgine Mary, came of the seed of Abraham. Nowe i [...] christ had taken no flesh of Mary, howe could he haue come of the seed of Abrahā. The Prophet Esaye al­so sayth,Esa vii. Math. i. Luke. i. Beholde a mayden shall cō ceaue & bryng forth a sonne, and his name shall be called Emanuel. Are not these wordes playne ynoughe? Coulde this glorious virgine bothe haue conceaued and brought forthe Christ, and yet Christ haue takē no parte of her? This had bene a mer­ualous cōcepcion, and a wonderfull [...]yrth, seyng that all the scriptures [...]yghte agaynst it. But let vs come [...] the newe Testament.Ioan. i. S. Iohn̄ in his Gospell sayth: The worde, mea­ [...]yng Christ, became fleshe, & dwelte among vs. As though he shuld say, The worde, whyche is the sonne of God and the seconde parson in Tri­nite, [Page] toke flesh of the virgine Mary and became by that means very mā for our sake, and lyued here amonge vs on the earth, and wrought suche thynges as was the wyll of his hea­uenly father. Marke that he sayth, the worde became flesshe, that is, the sonne of God became very mā. How came thys to passe, that he was not only God, but also very man. Uerely in asmuch as he toke fleshe of that moost pure virgine Mary, thorowe the wonderfull operacion of the ho­ly Ghoste. Saynt Paule also sayth, Christ also sayth, Christ was begot­tē of the seed of Dauid after y^e fles [...] ▪ Here S. Paule confessethe y^t Chri [...] had fleshe,Roma. i. and was very man and he toke thys flesh of y^e seed of Dauid which was Mary the most pure vi [...]gine. These wordes are open [...]nough for them that wyll [...]e. A lyke thyng he wryteth to Timothe,ii. Timo. ii. remember [Page] that Iesus Christ is rysen agen frō death, of the seed of Dauid. Behold howe he styl maketh mencion of the seed of Dauid, because he wold haue vs earnestly imprynte the humani­te of Christ in our brestes, whych he receaued of the virgine Mary. For he dyd afore se in y^e spirite, that ther shulde aryse certen false Prophetes which should labour to wreste oute of our hartes thys necessary article of Christes humanite.Gala iiii. To the Gala­thians also he wryteth on this manner, whan the tyme was fulfylled, God sente hys sonne borne of a wo­man, or rather as the Greke worde [...]enomenon [...]oūdeth, begottē or made Christe by the wounderfull and su­pernaturall operacion of the holye Ghoste, was begotten & made man of the virgine Mary, yea and that wythoute the seed of ony man. He only receaued hys flesh and man he [...] [Page] of Mary, whiche God so workynge by his holy spirite was so pure, clene and vndefyled, that there was no spot of vnclennes in her at all. And as Christ was begotten of God the father goddes owne sonne and very God from euerlasting, yea and that wythoute the cōpany of ony womā, so was he begottē, conceaued, made, & borne very man of the moost pure virgine Mary wythout the seed of ony mā,Luke. i. the holy Ghoste dyd so come vpon her, and the power of the hyest ouershadowed her. And as Christ receaued hys godhed only of God the father, [...]o receaued he hys manhed [...] onely of the virgine Mary hys mother. Wherof we may cōclude the as Christ is very God of God the [...]ther without a mother, so is he very man of Mary his mother wythout ony father. Therfore maye h [...] god [...]hed be as iustly denyed, as his [...] [Page] and fleshe takynge of the blyssed virgine Mary. But Christ abydeth very God and very man, what so e­uer the wycked Heretykes bable in thys behalfe.Heb. iiii. I wyll rehearse ano­ther text of S. Paule to the Hebrues and make an end of thys matter, He was tempted & made lyke to vs in all thynges, synne alone excepte. If he were lyke vnto vs in all thyn­ges, synne alone excepte, than follo­weth it that he had a body of flesh as we haue, and that there was no dif­ferēce, but that hys moost blyssed body was wythout all synne, and our bodyes are synful. For he was borne wrapped in cloutes, layd in a maunger, fedde, circumcised, embrased in armes, grewe, was made stronge in y^e spirite, profited in wisdome & age, hongred, thyrsted, wepte, was wery reioysed, was moued w^t wrathe and indignaciō, sorowed, was heuy, sad, [Page] & at the last suffered the moost spyteful death of the crosse. Are not these very signes & manifest tokēs of mā? Coulde he haue done these thynges, if he had had eyther a fantastical body, or elles a body from heauen? Na verely, for what fantasticall or hea­uenly thynge hongreth, thyrstethe, wepeth slepeth, reioyseth. &c. which all Christ dyd. A lytle before hys passhon was he not in such an agony, y^t his sweat was lyke droppes of bloud tryckelynge downe to the ground?Luke. xxii. Dyd he not so greatly feare deathe, that he desyred his father to wyth­drawe the cuppe of hys pashon from hym? Are not all these eui­dent tokens of a verye man, seynge hys flesshe so greatly feared deathe▪ Seyng than that he was very mā, whense had he thys body, but of the moost holy virgine Mary, thorowe the meruelous operaciō of Goddes [Page] spirite? Cōfounded therfore be Manicheus, whiche deny the humani [...]e of Christ. Confoūded be Ualentius which affirmed that Christ brought hys bodye withe hym from heauen, & toke no flesh of the virgine Mary. Confounded be the Anabaptistes, & so many as holde & mayntayne this wycked doctrine contrary to Gods trueth.i. Timo. iii Ioan. i. Luke ii. Ephe. iii. Phi [...]. iii. For God was shewed in the flesh, iustifyed in the spirite, sene of Angels, preched vnto the Gentiles, beleued on in the earthe, and recea­ued vp into glory.

Thus se you neyghboures, that Christ the gyfte of God, which bryngeth saluacion to all men, hathe ap­pered yea & that in the flesh, whiche he receaued of the moost blyssed and pure virgine Mary He appered, say one S. Iohn̄,i. Ioan. iii. that he myghte [...] awaye our synnes, & yet was there [...] in hym. Agayne, for thys [Page] cause appered the sōne of God, that he myghte loosen the workes of the dyuell, but of all theyse thynges ye haue heard abundātly before, ther­fore wyll I go forthe wythe youre newe yeares gyfte. It followeth.

‘And teacheth vs, that we shulde deny vngodlynes and worldely lustes.’

We hearde before, that christ be­ynge borne of the virginne Mary, brought health and saluacion to all men bothe Iewe and Gentile. Here agayne S. Paule teachethe, what pleasure he hathe done vs more. He hath not only brought saluacion to vs, & by that meanes delyuered vs out of the miserable state, where w^t we were deteined before but he hath also taught vs what we shoulde do, that thorowe oure owne faul [...] we loose not agen y^e dignite whi [...] we [Page] haue gotten thorowe the fre mercy of God. And in this behalfe also are we much bound to thys oure gyfte. For what doth it profytte to haue a treasure gyuen vs, & to loose it agen streyght wayes? Are we not muche bound to them, which both gyue vs treasures, and shewe vs also, howe we maye safelye kepe them to oure great pleasure and conforte? Howe muche than are we endetted to our sauyour Christ, whyche hath not only gyuen vs the treasure of saluaciō which of all treasures is moost excellent, but also taughte vs, howe we shall behaue our selues, that we lose it not hereafter. But let vs heare, what he hath taught vs

I pray you speake on, for we desyre greatly to heare it.

His doctrine is this That we shulde deny vngodlynes and worldely lustes. [Page] We heare here none vnwrytten verites, nor the fansys of men, nor yet olde wyues fables and suche thyn­ges as edify not, but those thynges that haue ben taught of Moses and the Prophettes many yeres before hys commyng, as we maye se in the holy scriptures, therfore maye they not be reiecte and cast a waye. The olde Ethnyckes harkened not more to the Oracles and answers of Apollo, than we oughte to harken & gyue eare to the doctrine of this gyfte of God Christ our sauyoure.Deut. xviii. For he is that Prophet, which God promised that he would rayse vp, and put his wordes into hys mouth,Ioan. iii. so y^t who so euer wyll not heare hym, God wyl [...] be reuenged of hym. He is a master sent from God. He hath the wordes of euerlastyng lyfe.Ioan. vi. Ioan. viii. He is the lyghte of the world. Who so euer followeth hym, walkethe not in darkenes, but [Page] shal haue the lyght of lyfe▪ ix.xii. Ioan. xiiii. Titum. i. Psa. xiiii. Math. xvii. Mar. ix. Luki. ix. ii. Pt. ii. Esa. lxi. He is the waye, trueth, and lyfe. He is y^e God that can not lye. He is faythefull in all hys wordes, and holye in all hys workes. We are cōmaunded of god the father to heare him. The spirite of GOD is vpon hym, he is sent to preach mery tydynges to the poore, that he myghte heale the broken in harte, preache delyueraunce to pry­soners, and syghte to the blynde.Luke. iiii. Ioan. x. Ioan. viii. Esa. xlviii. He is that good shepeherd, whose voyce hys shepe heare. And euery one that is of the trueth, hearethe hys voyce. He is that Lord God, which techeth vs profitable thynges, and gouer­neth vs in y^e way, wherin we ought to walke. Seynge than that he is a Lorde of suche and so great authorite, excellency & puyssaunce, seyng al­so he teacheth nothyng but trueth, agayne seyng he hath done so much for vs, and tēdereth nothynge more [Page] than our healthe and saluacion, we were not only to much ingrate and vnkynde towarde hym, but also ve­ry enemies vnto oure selues, yf we should not wyth all diligence apply our selues both to heare hym, and also to followe & accōplysh suche thyn­ges as he teacheth vs. Let vs ther­fore hear, what he wylleth vs to do.

‘And teachethe vs / that we shoulde denye vngodlynesse and worldely lustes.’

Where as our Englyshe translacion hath, teacheth, the Greke worde is Paideuousa.

What signifyeth that I praye you?

It signifyeth not only to teache, but so to instructe, enforme, fashon▪ & teache, as scolema­sters are wonte to do theyr chyldrē, whome they found & receaued rude, grosse, ignoraunt, and wythoute all good knowledge both of learnyng & [Page] manners.Christ is our Scole master. Euen suche dyd our scole­master and teacher Christ fynde vs, all grosse, all rude, all barbarous, al blynde, all ignorant, all vnlearned, all vnmannered and clene out of fa­shon. Howe coulde it otherwyse be? We were darkenesse. We walked in the vanite of our mynde, blynded in our vnderstandynge, beyng straun­gers from the lyfe,Ephe. v. Ephe. iiii. which is in God thorow the ignorauns, that was in vs, and the blyndenes of our hartes so that we gaue ouer our selues vn­to wantonnes, to worke all manner of vnclennes wythe gredynes. For Satan the God of this worlde,ii. Cor. iiii. Esa. vi. Iohan. xii. had blynded our mindes, that we should not beleue, vnlesse the lyghte of the glorious gospell of Christ, whiche is the Image of God,Colos. i. should shyne vn­to vs. But yet for all thys our rudenes, ignorauncy & blyndnes, Christ that heauenly Doctor doth not dis­dayne [Page] vs. He is contented to re­ceaue vs into hys scole, & to become oure scole master, so y^t we wyll leaue our wyckednes and be contented to be reformed Oh what a gētle poynt is thys of our sauyour Iesus christ not to disdayne vs for al our rudenes & ignorācy but ioyfully to accepte vs, if we wyl follow y^e trade of his scole. The comō sayeng is, an honest master loueth to haue honest seruā ­tes. Nowe who is more honest, pure godly, innocent and [...]autelesse, than this master Christ? It becometh thē his seruauntes to practyse & follow so nyghe as they can, his manners. Therfore the fyrst lessō that his scol­lers learne in his schole, is to denye vngodlynes & wordly lustes. They that entende not to do thys, they are no fyt scholers for such a schole­master, thoughe they bragge neuer so muche of hys name, and call them [Page] selues Christiās.Mat. vii For not euery one, sayth vnto me, Lorde, Lorde, sayth Christ, shall enter into heauen, but he that dothe the wyll of my father, which is in heauen. And I pray you marke, howe pretely and handsomely the Scripture speakethe.

‘That we should deny vngodlynes and worldely lustes.’ As though it should saye, although in tymes paste we haue both followed and mayntened vngodlynes, ydolatry, false worshyppynges of God, supersticion, confidence in our owne selues and workes, and haue lyued after the lustes of the world and the flesh, yet now for asmuch as we are come into a newe schole, and haue another schole master & techer, which teacheth hys scholers nothyng but vertue, godlynes, and all that euer is contrary to vice, it becomethe vs [Page] to deny, forsake, yea & vtterly to for­sweare all vngodlynes and worldly lustes, and what so euer is cōtrary to the teachynge of thys oure newe scholemaster, and neuer to haue to do w^t them here after, but studiously and wythe all applicacion of mynde to followe the doctrine of thys oure techer.

What is it to deny vn­godlynes?

What it is to deny vngodlynesTo deny vngodlynes is vttterly to forsake & to cast away all thynges, that should obscure, de­face, or in ony poynte hynder the honour and glorye of God. For who so euer wyl be Christes scoler, he must fyrst seke the glory of God aboue all thynges, as it is writen. Thou shalt worshyp the Lorde thy God,Deut. vi. Math. iiii. & hym only shalt thou serue.

which are they, that hynder the glory of God?

i. Ioan. v.Aske ye which neyghbour Eusebius, whan the world is altogither set on wickednes, as s. Iohn̄ sayth: [Page] They loue the glory of menne,Ioan. xii. more than the glory of GOD, as Christ sayth. All seake theyr owne, and not that, which is Iesus Christes, sayth S. Paule.Phili. ii. What a sorte of Idola­ters are there in the worlde, whyche steale the honour from God & gyue it to creatures? What a nomber are fallen from Christ, some puttynge theyr trust in popysh pardons, some in y^e merites of other, some in theyr owne workes, some in the obseruaū ­ces of mens tradicions &c? What a company also is there, y^t loue world­ly thynges,Math. xix. Marc. x. Luke. xviii. more then God? Howe doth the couetous man embrase and loue hys rytches, so that it is not w^t out a cause sayd of Christ, It is mo­re easy for a cable rope to go thorow the eye of a nedle, than for a rytche man to enter into the kyngdome of God? How doth the glotonne make of his belly, and enfarse it wythe all [Page] kynde of deynties? Howe dothe the prowde parsonne garnysh▪ hymselfe and delight in precious ornamētes? Howe doth the irefull man set asyde all charite and feare of God, & seake to be reuēged? Agē, what a swarme of wycked parsons are ther, whiche dishonour the name of oure God by vnlawfull and abhominable othes? What thynge in earth do they leaue vnsworne by? Yea what parte of y^e moost glorious body of our Sauy­our Iesus Christ, wherby we recea­ued redempcion and saluacion, do they leaue vntowched wythe theyr to moche detestable othes?

Exo. xx. Deut. v [...]Why do not these wretches call this precepte of God to theyr remēbrās, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy GOD in vayne. For the Lorde wyll not holde hym gyltles, y^t taketh his name in vayne. The wis [...] man also saythe, A man that vsethe [Page] much swearyng,Eccl. xxiii. shall be fylled with wyckednes, and the plage, that is, y^e vengeaūce of God shal not go away from hys house. Furthermore what a flocke is there, that hate the Gods worde, & so many as laboure to pro­mote and set it forth, callynge them Heretykes, and felowes of the newe learnyng? How lytle pleasure haue these swynysh worldlynges and vo­lupteous bely goddes ether to read the scriptures thē selues or to heare other? Yea I would there were not, whiche nether wyll read the moost holy Bible thē selues, nor yet suffer wyth a gladde mynde other to read. Agaynst all such dothe Christ thon­der in the gospell, sayenge, Wo be to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites,Math. xxi [...] Luke. xi. which haue taken awaye y^e keye of knowledge, and speared the kyngdome of heauen before men. Ye your selues do not enter, nor yet sufferre [Page] them that come to enter. Do not al [...] these, thinke you, as I may let passe many other, greatly dishonour God and obscure his glory? These are no fytte scholers for Christes schole, ex­cepte they repent and amend. Therfore, as I sayd vnto you before, who so euer wyll be Christes scholler, he must fyrste seake the glory of God a­boue all thynges. He must loue god aboue all thynges ether in heuen or in earth, beleue hym to be hys alone sauyoure, and aske and looke for all good thynges of him alone. He must honour hys name, and seake the glory therof in al thynges that he doth Yea for the glorye of thys hys God, he must be contented not only to b [...] stowe his goodes, but hys very lyfe also, if the honoure of God so requi­reth. He must loue the worde of god, as the alone tresure of his soule, stu­dy in it daye and nyghte,Psal. i. talke of it [Page] with other,But in paules Chyr [...] he may a man se the leues of y^e Bybl [...]s torne out [...] & y^t no ma [...] nō bre, and al because mēne shulde haue no knoledge of Goddes word, nother do men loue y^e reders therof but seke w^t al gile to p [...] se [...]ute thē & to cast thē ī prisō so that ī short tyme there y^e dy. &c What it is to denye worldly lu­stes. Coloss. iii, exhor [...]e his christen bro­thers vnto the readyng of it, reioyse whan he se men haue a plesure in i [...], and encourage them so to continew, & to followe that, whiche they read▪ They that do thys, denye vngodlynes, & vnfaynedly seake the honour and glory of God.

I bes [...]ch god, that we all may haue grace thu [...] to do

For asmuch as we walke not only before God but also before mē, therfore doth your new yeres gyfte, I meane Christ youre scholemaste [...] not only teache you to deny vngod­lynes, but also worldely lustes.

What meaneth he by that?

Euen the very same that S. Paule dothe wrytynge to the Collossians▪ Mortify, sayth he, youre members▪ whiche are on the earth, fornicacion vnclennes, vnnaturall lust, euell cō cupiscence, and couetousnes, which is worshyppyng of Idols, for which [Page] thynges the wrath of God comethe on the childrē of vnbelefe. In which ye walked once, whē ye lyued in thē. But nowe putte ye also away from you all thynges, wrath, fearcenesse, maliciousnes, cursed speakyng, fyl­thy talke out of your mouthes. Ly not one to another after y^t ye hau [...] putte of the olde man with his wor­kes, and put on the newe, whiche is renewed in knowledge after y^e ima­ge of hym that made hym. Of these wordes may ye learne, what it is to deny worldly lustes. Uerely to mor­tify all carnal affectes, which stryue agaynst the spirite. For the fleshe lu­stethe cōtrary to the spirite, and the spirite contrary to y^e flesh. But they that pertayne vnto Christ, haue crucifyed the flesh with the affectes and lustes therof. If ye lyue after y^e flesh ye shal dye. But if ye mortify the dedes of the body in the spirite, ye shal [Page] lyue.Gala. v. Roma. viii▪ For who so euer are led wythe the spirite of God, they are the son­nes of God. Here may ye se what purenes bothe of body & mīd god requireth of vs, seīg we may not so much as once noryssh a worldely & carnall lust in our hartes. How muche lesse than, is it lawefull for vs to accom­plysh them in dede, and to bryng thē forth in externall acte? Hereto per­tayneth the cōmaundement, Thou shalte not couyt or lust. Our schole­master also in the Sermon that he made in the mountayne, sayth, who so euer looketh on another mannes wyfe, lustyng after her, hath comit­ted adultry alredy in hys harte.Math. v▪ It is not w^tout a cause y^t Christ techeth vs to deny worldly & fleshly lustes. For if the hart be not refrayned frō euell concupiscences, & kepte cleane, it is not possible, that we can eyther speake or do, ony thynge at all that [Page] shoulde [...]e good or godly.Matth. vii. and xii. For of the abundaunce of the herte, the mouth speaketh. A good man out of y^e good tresure of hys harte, bryngeth forth that is good And an euell man out of the euel tresure of hys harte,Luke. vii. bryngeth forth that is euell. Euery tree is knowne by her fruyte. Therfore muste we aboue all thynges watche that no euell lust crepe into our hartes ether thorow the entys [...]ment of the flesh, or the flattering of y^e world or yet the craftye suggestion of Sa­tan.i. Pet. v. Be sober, saythe S. Peter and watche. For your aduersary the dy­uell goeth about lyke a rorynge lyō, seakynge whome he maye d [...]uoure. I [...] the harte be once corrupte wythe w [...]rldely lustes, than goeth all to hauocke▪ as S. Iames saythe:Iacob. i. After y^e lust hathe conceaued, she bryngethe forthe [...]ynne, and synne whan i [...] is fynyshed, bryngethe forthe deathe. [Page] Blyssed is that man, that can kepe hys ha [...]e fre from worldly lustes & vnlawfull desyres. For he is a fytte scholler to be in Chri [...]tes schole, yea it is an euident token that he hathe learned wyth Christ alredy, & hathe well profyted in godly knoweledge. And that you may do thys, set euer before the eyes of youre mynde this sayenge of S. Iohn̄: Loue not the world,i. Ioan. ii▪ no [...] those thynges that [...] the worlde. If ony man louethe the worlde, the loue of the father is not in hym. For all that is in the world, as the concupiscence of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pryde of the life, is not of the father, but it is of the world. And the world passeth away, & the lust therof. But he that dothe the wyll of God, abydethe for euermore.

Is it not lawfull for vs to couytte & desyre such thynges of y^e worlde, as are necessary for our lyuynge?

To desyre to haue meat, dryncke & clothe, wythout y^e whiche ye canne not lyue in the worlde, it is lawfull.Gen. xxviii Pro xxx. Mat. vi. Salomon and Iacob prayed for them vnto God. Christ also in the Pater noster taught vs to pray on this manner: Gyue vs this daye our dayly bread. S. Paule also sayeth, If ony man dothe not prouyde for hys houshold,i. Tim. v. he hath denyed the fayth, and is worse than an infidell. Therfore is it lawful both to desyre praye, and make prouision for them, so that it be done in fayth & of a sin­gle harte. For all the creatures of god are good, as the scripture sayth God beheld all thynges that he had made,Gen. i. Tit. [...].i. and they were very good. All thinges are pure to them y^t are pure No thynge is to be cast awaye, that is receaued wyth thankes gyuyng.i. Tim. iiii. To desyre these thynges, I say, yea and to haue the vse and possession of [Page] thē ye are not forbyddē, but to lust & desyre worldly rytches wyth a couetous and insatiable mynde, that ye maye ioyne house to house, londe to lande & ferme to ferme, to desyre to be reuenged, when all vengeāce per­tayneth to God, as he sayth, venge­ance is mynde,Deut. xxxii Roma. xii and I wyll reward, to lust after another mannes wyfe, mayde or seruaūt, to desyre and lust after deynty meates, that the fleshe maye be the more prone and redy to synne, this to do ye are forbydden, & if ye do it, ye are cursed of God, as y^e Psalmographe sayth, cursed be they that turne awaye from thy cōmaū ­dementes.Psal. cxv Thus perceue ye, I trust what is ment by y^e denieng of worldly lustes.

We perceaue it ryght well.

Seyng ye do so neyghbou­res, looke ye be no forgetful herers,Iacob. i. but diligent accomplyshers of suche thynges, as ye knowe, vnlesse youre [Page] knowledge turneth to your greater damnacion▪ Mortify youre carnall affectes and worldly lustes. Suffer none of them to crepe into your hartes▪ Ca [...] to God for helpe wythout ceasynge, that ye maye [...]e able tho­rowe hys grace to suppresse all euell affectes, concupiscences, lustes and de [...]yres▪ Kepe your harte so pure, y^t nothing may come frō you but purenes, ve [...]tue, & godly innocency. Re­member, that so many as are bapti­sed in Christ Iesus, are baptised in­to hys death.Roma. vi They are buryed togyther w^t hym by baptisme into death that as Christ was reysed vp from death, thorowe the glory of y^e father, so they lykewyse shoulde walke in a newe lyfe.Coloss. iii. If ye be rysen agayne w^t Christ, seake for those thynges that are aboue, where Christ is syttynge on the ryght hande of GOD. Pro­uyde for those thynges y^t are aboue [Page] and not vpon the earth. For ye are dead, & your lyfe is hyd wyth Christ in God▪ I [...] ye do these thynges, & follow the teachyng of your scholema­ster Christ, so that ye deny vngodlynes and worldly lustes, than shal ye shewe your selues to haue ben good studentes in the schole of Christ, and ye shal take forth a new less [...], which here followethe.

What is that?

Euen thys. ‘And that we shoulde lyue so­berly / ryghteously and god [...]y in this pr [...]sent worlde.’

Thys is a godly lesson.

La­bour therfore the more diligently to remember it. Before ye herd, how ye must forsake syn, now ye are taught to practyse vertu & godlynes.Psal. xxxiii Esay. i. For it is not ynough to cease from doynge euell, excepte we also do good, as the Psalmograph sayth. Departe from [Page] euel, & do good Also y^e Prophet▪ ceas [...] to do euel, lerne to do good Therfore as before we were taught to decline frō euel, so are we here monyshed to do good & to embrace vertue. And in this our lessō, which I nowe last re­hersed we are taught how to behaue our selues both toward our selues, our neighbours & god in this world we must lyue soberly toward our selues, righteously toward our neyghbours, & godly toward God▪ Here is y^e hole ly [...]e of a christē mā, paynted, described, & set forth in few wordes. To lyue so, y^t we nether offende our selues, our neyghboures, nor God, is not thys the whole summe of the christen religion? What is the duty of a christen man more to do?What it is to lyue soberly.

what is it to lyue soberly?

The Greke worde Sophronos soundethe on such manner, that to lyue soberlye, shoulde seme to be, so purely, discretely, [Page] modestly, temperatly & lagely to institute our lyfe, that our consciēs should neuer accuse vs of ony euell, but testify wyth vs, that we lyue & do all thynges godly. He that thus lyueth, lyuethe soberly. For there is a certen sobriete so well in y^e mynde as in the bodye. There is also a cer­ten dronckēnes so well in the mynd as in the body. Lykewyse as the bo­dy is recoūted sober & in salue estate so longe as it is not distemperate w^t the superfluite of meates and dryn­kes, so in lyke maner so long as the mynd is not troubled with vicious affectes but remayne in her natiue purite, it is recounted sober. So y^t we are here taught, not only to lyue soberlye, modestly and temperately concernynge the bodye, but also the mynde. For a christen mā must haue a special respecte to y^e mynde, which beyng dronken w^t vices, what doth [Page] the sobriete of the body profytte? If I kepe my bodye sober, & in neuer so good temperaunce, & my mynde be dronken w^t wrathe, yre, contencion, desyre of vengeaunce, whoredome, vnclene thoughtes, and suche other carnall affectes and worldly lustes, what dothe it profyt? Therfore as y^e body is to be kepte from dronkēnes, so muste the mynde be from vices. Than shall we be truly sober, & lyue well toward our selues. But for as muche as this tyme of Christmasse men vniuersally are moost of all gyuen to banckettyng, volupteous eatynge and drynkyng, so that y^e chri­sten sobriete & moderate temperaū [...] is forgotten wyth many, and gloto­ny & dronckenshyp beare chefe rule, therfore I desyre you brothers by y^e tender mercies of God,Luke. xxi. that ye lyue soberly, and beware of surfettynge and dronckeshyppe.

[Page]Use a sober and temperate dyette. Ouercharge not your stomackes w^t to muche eatyng and drynkynge. Let other glory in theyr Christmas banckettes, made for the bely, haue you your whole reioysyng, plesure, & delyght in that meat, which perissheth not,Ioan. vi but abydethe into euerla­stynge lyfe. Make no prouision for the flesh to fulfyll the lustes therof.Rom. xii [...] ▪ Be not drōcken wyth wyne, wherin is excesse. Cast awaye the workes of darkenes, & put on the armoures of lyght.Ephe. v. Roma. xii [...] Walke honestly as in the day lyght, not in banckettyng and dronkennes,, not in chamburyng & wantonnes, nor yet in stryfe & enuyeng, but put ye on y^e Lorde Iesus christ. Remēber that we lyue not to eate, but eate to lyue. And nature is con­tented with a lytle. What so euer is superfluous, is synfull and damna­ble.Gene. iiii Remember that Adā and Heua [Page] dyd fall thorowe glotony. Remēbe [...] that Nohe whan he was droncken, was vncouered in hys Tente, & laye with his priuities bare.Gen. [...]. Remember that Loth beynge dronken committed incest with his owne doughters Remember that whan the chyldren of Israel had sat downe to eate and dryncke,Gen. xix. they fell streyght weys vnto Idolatry, & worshipped the goldē calfe. Remember that Ammon the brother of Absolon was slayne at a bancket,Ex. xxxii 1. Cor. x. ii. Reg. xiii. Iudith. xiii. whan he was droncke. Re­member y^t Holofernes beyng drōke, was slayne of an woman. Remēber that at a bancket, it was graunted,Math. xiiii that S. Iohn̄ Baptist should loos [...] hys heade, & yet no cause why, but [...] lytle enuy, & because he would tel y^t kīg truth,Luke. xvi. wherw^t y^e flaterers y^t were about hī could not away. Remēber that the rytche gloton, which fared deyntely euery daye, was buryed & [Page] throwen downe into hell. Remēber that thoccasion of the wickednes of Sodome was pryde,Gen. xviii. Ezech. xvi. fulnes of meat abundans & ydlenes. All these be terrible hystories agaynst glotony and dronckeshyp. Agayne what diseases come therof? Howe many sorowes & troubles do they bryng to mans bo­dy? Lette vs heare what Salomon sayth,Pro. xxiii. Where is wo? Where is sorow Where is stryfe? Wher is brawling? Where are woundes w^tout a cause? Where be red eyes? Euen amonge those, that be euer at the wyne, and seake out wher the best is. Therfore kepe no company wythe wyne byb­bers and ryotous eaters of flesh, for suche as be dronckardes & ryotous shall come to pouerte. Iesus y^e sonne of Syrach also sayth: Be not gredy in euery eatynge, & be not to hastye vpon all meates.Eccl. xxxvii. For excesse of mea­tes bryngeth syckenes, & glotony cō meth [Page] at the last to an vnmesurabl [...] heate. Thorow glotony haue ma [...] peryshed, but he that dye [...]e the hym [...] [...]ēpera [...]ely, prolongeth his lyfe Therfore good neighbours, that w [...] maye eschewe all these great perels let vs caste awaye all glotony & drō [...]kennes, lyue soberly, practyse mod [...]rate temperauns, & so embrace christen sobriete, that we maye be sober bothe in body & mynde. So shall we be the more able to do oure duty to­ward our neighbours.

Trueth it is. For he that can not order hym selfe well toward himselfe, shal euell do his duty toward hys neyghbour, I praye God gyue vs grace fyrst to looke vpon our selues, as we ought to do, & afterwarde to behaue oure selues towarde our neyghbours, a [...] it becommeth vs.

This is a godly desyre. We are taughte of Christ our scolemaster not only to lyue so­berly, [Page] whiche concerneth our selues but also ryghteously, whiche to we­cheth oure neyghboures.What it is to lyue ryghteously.

What is it to lyue ryghte [...]usly?

To do to euery mā as we are boūd by y^e commaundement of God. For the offyce of ryghteousnesse is, to gyue euery one his owne. This oure lesson, that we should lyue ryghteously, compre­hendethe all the seconde table of the ten commaundementes. For iustice and ryghteousnes requirethe, that we honour our father & mother,Ex. xx. Deut. v. Matth. xix. Marc. x. re­uerence thē, and do for them, what so euer lygheth in our power. It requirethe of vs that we also haue in honour all temporall magistrates & so many as be our superious. It re­quireth agayne,Roma. xiii. i. Pet. ii. i. Timo. v. that we giue to the ministers of Gods worde double honour, that is to saye, both an harty externall reuerence, and also all thinges that are necessary for theyr [Page] lyuynge, that theyr moost godly ex­ercyses maye not be letted. It requireth that we slay no man, nor do no man no harme, but walke charita­bly towarde all men, speke & reporte well of all men, healpe, conforte and socour thē, yea though they be our [...] extreme enemies, & seake our death. For the cōmaūdement of our schole­master is this.Math. v. Loue your enemies, pray for thē that curse you, do good to them that hate you. &c. It requi­reth,i. Cor. vii. that we commit none adultry but that euery man haue hys owne wyfe & euery woman her owne hus­bonde. It requirethe that we do no theafe, nor steale ony thynge from our neyghbour,i. Thes. iiii. nor brybe away his goodes vniustly, nor deceue hym in bargaynyng, but healpe hym, mayntayne hym, socour hym, & do for him vnto the vttrmoost of our power, y^t he may want no good thynge. It requireth [Page] that we beare no false wyt­nes agaynst our neyghboures, nor obscure hys good name, nor yet do ony thynge at all, that maye turne hym to displeasure, but both thynke & speake of hym gentylly, frendly & charitably,Prouer. [...]. 1. Pet. iiii. enterpretynge all thyn­ges vnto the best, and coueryng his fautes, where there is hope of amēdmēt. It requireth of vs, that we do not couyt oure neyghboures house, wyfe, seruaunt, handmayd, nor ony thyng that is his, but that we wysh well vnto hym & to all that he hath, beynge contented wyth that y^e God hath gyuen vs, be it lytle or muche. To be shorte,Matth. vii. Luke. vi to lyue ryghteously, is to do vnto other, as we woulde they shoulde do vnto vs. He y^t doth these thynges aforesayde, lyueth ryghte­ously, & behaueth hym selfe towarde hys neyghbour, as he is bound by y^e commaūdement of God.

Nowe [Page] haue we learned our duty bothe to­ward our selues, & our neyghbours Let it nowe be declared vnto vs, I praye you, how we ought to behaue our selues toward God.

Christe our scholemaster techeth vs not on­ly to lyue soberly and ryghteously,What it is to liue godly but also godlye.

What is it to lyue godly?

To lyue godly, is to beleue that ther is but one true & lyuyng God, to cleaue vnto hym as the foūdaciō of all goodnes, to looke for all health & saluaciō at his hand, to loue hym with the whole mynde, harte, power & soule, to call vpō his moost blyssed name, to prayse hym in all kynde of fortune, to seke his glo­ry aboue all thynges, & to serue him accordynge to his worde.

Blys­sed is y^e man, to whome it is gyuen thus godly to lyue.

Neighbours nowe haue ye learned y^e whole trade of Christes schole, & what he techeth [Page] Hys doctrine is this, that ye should deny vngodlynes & worldly concu­piscēces, & that ye should lyue sober­ly, ryghteously & godly. Looke ther­fore that ye followe thys teachynge & practyse it in your dayly cōuersa­cion, that ye maye be founde no for­getfull hearers, but feruēt doers of suche thinges as ye haue heard and learned. Deny vngodlynes, and for sake all y^t euer is contrary to Gods honour, prayse, worshyp and glory. Mortify youre carnall affectes and worldely lustes.Coloss. iiii. Become newe men in your lyuyng. Awaye w^t the wor­kes of darkenes, & on wyth the fru­tes of the spirite. Put on the armoures of lyght,Roma. xiii. and cast awaye the workes of darkenes. Be no lōger darke­nes, but lyght in the lorde.Ephe. v Phili. i [...] Shyne in the worlde as great lyght. Glori­fy God in your body, & in youre spi­rite, whiche are Gods. Lette youre [Page] lyght to shyne before men,i. Cor. v [...]. Math. v. that they maye se your good workes, & glorify your father, whyche is in heauen. Lyue soberly, modestly, temperatly discretely & [...]agely toward your sel­ues. Do nothyng, wherof your con­science maye eyther condemne or accuse you. Lyue righteously toward youre neyghboure. Do none other­wyse vnto hym, than ye woulde, he should do vnto you. Lyue godly to­warde God. Seake hys glory in all thynges, & worshyp hym accordyng to hys word, & not after your blynd fansy, & fleshly ymaginacion. Thus doyng, ye shall shew your selues scholers not altogyther vnworthy suche a scholemaster. But ye must note y^t all these thīges must be done in this present worlde, as your newe yeres gyfte hathe. For this is the tyme of grace, fauour, conforte and remissiō of synnes, as God sayth by the Prophet, [Page] I haue heard the in a tyme ac­cepted,Esa. xlix. ii. Cor. vi. & in y^e day of saluacion haue I socoured the. Behold now is that well accepted tyme, behold now is y^e day of saluacion.Esa. lii. Seake the Lorde whyle he maye be founde. In thys world ther is tyme of mercy fauour & grace. Here is it lawful to lament our synnes. Here maye we vndoub­ted beleue, trust & obtayne remissiō of our synnes. After this lyfe there remayneth nothyng, but ether euerlastynge payne or eternall glory, as S. Ciprian sayth: Whā we go once out of thys worlde,C [...]ntra. Demet Tractum primo. there is no more place of repentāce, there is no more satisfaccion to be made. For lyfe is here ether lost or gotten, here is pro­uision made for eternall helth wyth the worshyppynge of God and the [...] of fayth. Let no mā discorage hym selfe because of the multitude of his synnes, or by y^e reasō y^t he hath [Page] bene so longe a synner, thynkynge y^t by this means he shal obtayne helth the lesse For so long as we are ī this worlde, there is no repentaunce to late. There is a waye to obtayne [...]auoure, and they that seake & vnder­stand the trueth, shall soone come by it. Therfore in this worlde must we deny vngodlynes & worldely lustes. In this world must we lyue soberly righteously and godly. So doynge, we maye with a good & fre consciēce do that which foloweth.

I pray you lette vs heare, what it is.

‘Lokīg for y^e blyssed hope & apperyng of the glory of y^e great God / and of oure Sauyoure Iesus Christ.’ A good seruaunte nedeth not to feare his masters commynge. For in hys absence he hathe bene faythfull & diligent to do that thyng, which his master wylled him [Page] to do. Therfore maye he lawfully e­uen with ioye & gladnes loke for his masters retourne. So lykewyse a christen mā, that walketh in y^e waye of the Lorde, & dothe that, which he is appoynted by the lawe of God, & seaketh aboue all thinges thaccom­plyshment of his masters wyll, may with a fre, glad and mery conscience looke for the commynge of Christ at the day of iudgement, which shal be terrible to the wycked, but confortable to the faythefull. And verely so many as hope to be saued at y^e great day, ought so to behaue them selues in this worlde, that they maye with [...]oye at all tymes looke for it. And they ought to be so muche the more diligent, seing the tyme is vncerten whā it shal be. Of y^e dai & time, sayth Christ, knoweth no man, no not the Aungels, which are in heuē, nether the sonne hymselfe, saue only the father. [Page] Take hede,Actum i. Mat. xxiiii xxv. Luke. xii.xix. watch, & pray, for ye know not when y^e tyme is. As a man, which is gone into a straūge countrey, & hath lefte his house, and gyuen authorite to his seruauntes, and to euery man his worke, & commaunded the porter to watche. Watche therfore▪ for ye knowe not, whan the mayster of the house wyll come, whyther at euen, or at myd­nyghte, whyther at the cocke crow­yng, or in the dawninge, leaste yf he come sodēly should fynd you slepyng And that I say to you I saye to all, watche.

It is to be noted, that the Scripture calleth y^t a blissed hope, wherw^t we hope and looke for the glorious commyng of oure Lorde & sauioure Iesus Christ vnto the iudgemente. And not w^tout a cause. For althogh a Christen man be neuer so greatly vexed in thys worlde, yet whan he [Page] casteth the eyes of hys faythe vpon that daye, and hope the that Christ shall come & gyue hym eternall glo­ry accordynge vnto his fayth, thys maketh hym blyssed, ioyfull, quiet. & mery, and contented wyth a gladde harte, paciently and thāckefully to beare, what soeuer crosse God layeth on hys backe. We are saued thorow hope, sayth S. Paule. Derely belo­ued, sayth S. Iohn̄,Roma. viii. i. Ioan. iii We are now y^e sonnes of God, & it hathe not yet appered what we shalbe. But we know that if he once appeare, we shall be lyke vnto him, for we shal se hym, as he is. And euery one that hath this hope in hym, purifieth hym selfe, euē as he is pure. The hoope of sayntes is ful of immortalite,Sap. iii. sayth the wyse manne. It followeth.

And the appearyng [...] of the glory of the great god / and of [Page] our sauyoure Iesus Christ.

At Christes commynge into thys world, he came altogyther poorely. He was borne of a poore mayd in a stable, wrapt in simple clowtes, and layd in a maunger amonge brute bestes. He was brought vp homely, lyued hardely, not hauynge where once to reast his head. All the tyme of hys lyfe he was of suche ignomi­ny among the Byshoppes, Prestes, hed rulars, Scribes, Pharises and Saduces,Phil. ii. Math xxvii Luke. xxii. Marc. xiiii. Ioan. xviii. that at the laste they put hym vnto the moost spytefull death of the crosse, as a pestiferous malefa [...]toure, a deceyuer of the people, a techer of newe learnyng, an enemy to our mother the holy chyrche. &c. But whan he shall appeare agayne, & come vnto the iudgement, his ap­pearyng shall be glorious, his com­myng shall be royal, victorious and triumphant. He shal not come humbly [Page] and simply, as a base person, but lyke a great and almyghty GOD, lyke a Lorde full of all puyssaunce, myghtye and power, terrible to the wycked, and amiable to the faythe­full. He shall come in his glory, and all the holy aungels wyth hym,Matth. xxv thā shal he syt vpon the seat of his glory & there shall be gathered before hym all nacions. He shall shewe hymselfe to be a great God, and suche one as none is able to be cōpared vnto him It shal wel be knowne at that tyme that he was and is the true sonne of god & that very true Messias, which was promised of God by the Prophetes, what so euer the wicked Iewes saye vnto the contrary. Than shall it be manifest to al men, that y^e gods of the Gentiles are dyuels, and that there is no other God, but this oure God alone.Psal. cxv Than shal they that are the aduersaries of hys trueth, & enemies [Page] of his moost holy Gospel know howe greatly they haue erred,Sap. i.iii and .v. blas­phemed y^e diuine verite, persecuted his faythful seruaūtes, maintained pernicious doctrine,Math. xxv: yea than shall they receaue a reward worthy theyr wyckednes & tyranny. He shal shew hym selfe suche a great God, that it shall lyghe in his power to gyue to y^e faythfull euerlastynge lyfe, & to the wycked eternall dānaciō. Oh great is the Lord & worthy very much to be praysed,Psal. cxliiii & there is no ende of hys greatnes, sayth the Psalmographe. Nedes must our Lord god be great, seyng he replenysheth bothe heauen and ear the withe the maieste of hys glory. No place is there ony where, but that hys power retchethe vnto it.Esa. lxvi. Act. vii. Heuen is my seate, & earth is my footestoole, what house wyl ye bylde for me, sayth y^e Lorde? or what place is it that I should rest in: Hath not [Page] my hande made all these thynge? But it is to be noted y^t Christ is not onely called a great God, but also a sauiour ye & y^e our sauiour. So y^t at y^e day of iudgemēt he shal not onely appere a great & myghty God to al men,Phil. iii. but also a bounteous & merci­full sauiour to the faythfull, as S. Paule witnesseth, our conuersacion is in heauen, sayth he, from whense we also looke for a sauiour, euen the Lord Iesus Christ, which shall chaū ge our vile bodyes,Colos. i. that they maye be fashoned lyke vnto hys glorious body accordyng vnto the workyng, wherby he is able to subdue al thin­ges vnto hym selfe. Agayne, whan Christ, whiche is our lyfe, shall shew him selfe, than shal ye also appere w^t him in glory. Thys great god christ is our sauiour, and not Mary, Pe­ter, Iames, Michael, Fraūces, Do­minicke, Austē, or ony other. He shal [Page] both sa [...]e and lede his people wyth [...] hym into eternall glorye. For as h [...] shall saye to the wycked, Departe & go awaye frō me ye cursed into euer lastynge fyre, which is prepared fo [...] the dyuell & his aungels, so shall he faye to his faythful people: Come y [...] blyssed chyldren of my father, inhe­rite the kyngdome, which was pre­pared for you from the begynnynge of the worlde. O swete sayeng more full of ioye & conforte than it can be expressed.

Lorde I beseche the for thy great mercyes so to assyst vs with thy holy spirite, that, we maye so walke before the in this lyfe accor [...]dynge to thy moost holy worde, y^t w [...] may be found in y^e nōber at that day of thy blyssed chyldren, to whome [...] of thy fre grace shalte gyue y^e moost glorious inheritaunce.

Your de [...]syre is godly. Ye shall heare more of your new yeares gyfte, for it begyn­nethe [Page] to drawe vnto an ende.

I praye you, lette vs heare.

‘whyche gaue hymselfe for vs to redeme vs from all vnrighteousnes.’ That there can be no sauyour for vs but christ alone, these word is proue manifestly, for asmuch as none other but he only gaue him selfe for vs to redeme vs from al vn­righteousnes. Was Paule crucify­ed for vs? Or were we baptised in y^e name of Paule?i. Cor. [...] What saynt at ony tyme thought hymselfe so pure, im­maculate and wythout all spotte of synne, that he durst presume to dye for vs, & to auouche hys death to be an oblacion & sacrifyce for oure syn­nes to god the father excepte peraduenture we wyll admytte for good payment these & suche lyke blasphe­mies which were wonte full solem­ly to be songe in the temples vnto y^e [Page] great ignominy of y^e glorious name of God, & the dishonoure of Christes moost precious bloud. Iesu bone per Thomae merita, nostra nobis dimitte debita. Eta trina morte nos suscita. Agen, Iesu bone per Thomae uulnera, quae nos ligant, relaxas cele­ra. Item, Thomae cedunt & parent omnia, Pestes, morbi, mors, & demonia, Ignis, aer, tellus & maria. Thomas mundū repleuit gloria. Mūdat lepra conspersos maculis, soluit mor­tis ligatos uinculis. I let passe many mo whiche are very easye to be searched & founde oute. What are, if these be not blasphemies? What obscure the price of Christes death, if these wyc­ked sentēces do not? Ah Lord, what blyndenes occupyed the world, whā suche wycked doctrine crept in and was receaued into the chyrche, and made in a manner of equall authorite wyth the holy scripture? Oh Satan, great is thy crafte, vnsearchea­ble is the suttelty of thy wicked imaginacions.

Here are some of vs, whyche vnderstande not the Latin tonge. Englyshe therfore the afore­sayd sentences.

I wyl do it in order. O good Iesu, forgyue vs oure dettes thorowe the merites of Thomas. And reyse vs vp from the thre folde death. O good Iesu, release vs of our synnes, whiche bynde vs, thorowe Thomas woundes. All thyn­ges gyue place and obeye Thomas, Pestilences, diseses, death & dyuels, Fyre, ayre, earth & the sees. Thomas fylled the world full of glory. He maketh clene lepers. He losoneth them that are bounde, from the bondes of death. Howe saye ye to thys geare? Is it not good stuffe?

Let God be but a lytle mercifull vnto me, yf I haue ether heard or read more pe­stilent & abhominable blasphemies, thā these are. Is this ony other, thā as Lucifer sayd,Esa. xiiii. I wyll clyme vp in [Page] to heuen, & make my seat aboue the starres of God, I wyll sytte vpon y^e glorious mount toward the North. I wyl clyme vp aboue the clowdes, and wyll be lyke the hygheste of all? Is not this the office of God to for­gyue vs oure dettes for the merites of Christ? Doth it not pertayne vn­to God to reyse vs vp from deathe? Are not our sinnes only released for Christes woundes sake? Is not all power gyuen vnto Christ both in heuen and in earthe?Mat. xxviii Are not all thynges in the hande of God, to do withe them what so euer hys moost godly plesure shal be? Is it not God alone that losoneth the synfull from y^e bondes of deathe? Howe than can these thynges be iustly ascribed to a mor­tall creature begotten, conceaued & borne in synne, yea & as some iudge of him, & Tratour both to God and his Prynce? Is a synner fyt to pay [Page] a synners raūsome? Is a Traytou [...] a conuenient parson to make meās for another Traytour vnto a kyng whome both of them haue offended? What Prynce can awaye with the syght of thē?

Ye say trueth. It therfore foloweth wel y^t nether Thomas, Fraunces, Dominicke, Austē, nor any other creature nether in heuen nor in earth, were they neuer so holy, & suffered they neuer so greate paynes, could be our sauiour, but christ alone y^e pure & īmaculate lābe of God, which gaue himselfe for vs, as your newe yeares gyfte sayth, to redeme vs from al vnrighteousnes. Marcke that he saythe,

whych gaue hym selfe for vs. These wordes expresse the vnspeakeble kyndenes of Christ towarde vs, seynge that whan we had deserued no suche gentylnes, he was conten­ted to come downe from the glorye [Page] of his father,The gentilnes of christ toward vs. and to become man for oure sake, yea & to gyue hymselfe vnto the deathe to reconcyle vs vnto God the father, and to make an at­tonement betwene hī & vs. He gaue hym selfe for vs. He suffered deathe wyllyngly. It was not the violence of the Iewes, that drewe hym vnto his passion, but hys owne volūtary wyll. The seruent & brennyng loue, that he had in hys brest toward mā ­kynde caused hym to take the death vpon hym, and to suffer those moost cruell paynes. So that he dydde all thinges wyllyngly,Esa. liii. as the Prophet sayth. He was offred, because it was his pleasure and he dyd not once opē his mouth. Christ hīselfe also sayth, Therfore doth my father loue me,Ioan. x. b [...] cause I put my lyfe from me, that I myght take it agayne. No man takethe it from me, but I putte it awaye of my selfe. I haue power to [Page] put it from me, and haue power to take it agayne. Thus se we y^t Christ wythoute ony compulsion suffered death for our sake. He gaue himselfe and no Aungell, nor ony other crea­ture nether in heauen nor in earth, for vs, for vs, I saye, men, although neuer so greuous synners, if we re­pent, beleue & amende. O moost pre­cious & incomparable gy [...]te. There is one god,i. [...] sayth S. Paule, and one attonement maker of God and mē, euen the man Christ Iesus, whyche gaue hymselfe a raūsome for all mē. Christ gaue hīselfe for vs. wherfore? To redeme vs frō all vnrighteousnes.What it is to redeme vs

What is it to re­deme vs?

To redeme vs is to bye vs agayne, whā we are loste, to pay our raunsome, to satisfy for our syn to delyuer vs oute of captiuite, to brynge vs home agayne to our true [Page] owner, to restore vs to our old liberte, to set vs agayne in that fauour, wherin we were with God y^e father, before we offended. All this hathe Christ, and none other, done for vs, by hys mooste precious bloude, the sheddynge of hys bloude, was the perfecte and wholly sufficient raunsome for al our synnes,i. Ioan. i as S. Iohn̄ saythe: The bloude of Iesus Christ maketh vs clene from all synne. By hys owne bloud, sayth S. Paule,Heb. ix. entred Christ once for all into the holy place,Hebre. x and found euerlastyng redemcion. Agayne, we are made holy by y^e oblacion of the body of Iesus christ done once for all. Itē, by christ haue we redēcion, & by his bloud remissiō & forgyuenes of our synnes.Coloss. i By the bloude of Christes crosse are all thinges pacifyed & set at a staye, y^t ether be in earth or in heauen.

Hathe Christ by hys bloud redemed vs frō [Page] all vnryghteousnes?What vnrighteousnes signifyethe

Yea verely

Let me aske you one question, what do ye vnderstand by vnrighteousnes?

Unrighteusnes is here taken for synne, and for all that we offende God w^t. From all this hathe Christ redemed vs.Of original synne

I haue herd some saye that Christ only redemed vs frō originall synne, & that as for all other synnes we must make amē des & [...]atisfy for them our selues by our owne workes and merites.

This is not farre frō theyr opi­nion, which holde that there is no remission of those synnes, that be com­mitted after baptisme. But as that is an heresy, so is this no godly doc­trine. Of the remissiō of synne after baptisme we talked the last Lent abundātly in our Potaciō,Searche the Potacion for Lent therfore leauyng that, I wyll shewe & proue nowe vnto you that Christ hath re­demed vs from all vnrighteousnes, [Page] as your new yeres gyfte sayth, and that by his bloud we are delyuered not onely from originall synne, but also actual, veneall, mortall, call thē by what name ye wyll, so that they which offende, repent, beleue & take a newe lyfe vpō them. Only y^e synne agaynst the holy Ghost, which hath desperaciō & obstinate malyce to her cōpagnions, is irremissible & neuer forgyuē, for asmuch as it excludeth repentance, fayth & amendement of lyfe,Matth. xii. as Christ witnessethe, Euerye sinne & blasphemy shall be forgyuen men, but the blasphemy agaynst the holy Ghost shall not be forgyuen vnto men. And who so euer shall speke a worde agaynst the sonne of man, it shall be forgyuen hym. But he y^t speaketh agaynst the holy Ghoste, it shal not be forgyuen hym, nether in this worlde, nor in y^e world to come. Agē, Al sinnes shal be forgyuē to mē nes [Page] chyldrē,Marc. iii. and blasphemies, wher­wythe so euer they blaspheme. But he that blasphemeth the holy Ghost, shall neuer haue forgyuenes, but is gyltye to euerlastynge damnacion. Thys is the synne,i: Ioan. v. whiche S. Iohn̄ calleth the synne vnto death, for the which he would that no man should praye. Of these wordes it is euident that all synnes shal be forgyuen mē if they repent, beleue & amend, besy­des the synne agaynst the holy ghost But nowe let vs se by what means these synnes are forgyuē. Whyther for our dedes & merites, or for Christes bloudes sake, and so shal we easely perceaue, whyther Christ by hys death hath delyuered vs onely from original synne, or rather from all o­ther vniuersally

This is it that we would gladly heare.Esai. xliii

By the Prophet Esaye Christ speakethe on this māner, I am he, I am he, which [Page] put away thyne vnrighteousnesses yea and that for myne owne sake, & I wyl remēber thy synnes no more. Marke that he sayth, vnrighteous­nesses and synnes in the plurall nō ­ber, because no man shoulde pycke a cauilacion and say, y^e Christ only putteth awaye one offence, whiche is y^e originall synne. S. Paule in oure newe yeres gyfte sayth, Christ gaue hym selfe to redeme vs from all vn­righteousnes. And by the Prophet Christ sayth, y^t he putteth away our vnryghteousnesses and synnes. Is it not all one? Do they not tell both one tale? So se we that it is no new doctrine to say, that Christ putteth awaye all our synnes both original, actuall, veneall, mortall. &c. They that affyrme the contrary derogate not a lytle the vertue & glory of christes death, and are very they, whom S. Paule callethe,Philip. iii. the enemies of y^e [Page] crosse of Christ,ii. Pet. ii whole ende damnacion is, whose God theyr belly is. &c. These are those false Prophettes & lyeng techers, whiche, as Peter prophecied, shuld come, & priuyly bryng in dānable sectes, denyeng y^e Lorde which bought them Are not they very enemies of Christes crosse, and do not they vtterly deny Christ, which teache, that Christ by hys pashyon, bloud and death did only put away but one synne? And that for those, whiche we commyt after baptisme, we oure selues must satisfy & make amēdes, so that for them there is no remissiō and forgyuenes to be asked of God the father for Iesus Christis sake?Mark well What ony other thyng is this than to make our selues equal with Christ, yea to exalt our selues aboue Christ, & to holde that oure good de­des & merites be of greater pryce & more value, than the death & bloude [Page] of christ? For this doctrine I graūt teacheth that Christ is a sauyoure, but yet that he saueth only frō ori­ginall synne, whiche we receaued of our fyrst father Adā, so that by him we are delyuered but from one syn. It techeth agayne, that we our sel­ues are sauiours, for asmuch as we saue our selues thorow our good dedes and merites from all those syn­nes, which we cōmit after baptisme Nowe lette vs se, whyther Christ be the better sauiour or we our selues & whyther there is more saluaciō in the death of Christ, or in oure good workes. Christ by his death sauethe only from one synne, which is orig [...]nal. We saue our selues from ma [...] and innumerable synnes (for seuen tymes in a daye synneth the righte­ous) whiche we commyt after bap­tisme. Ergo we are better sauiours than Christ, and there is more ver­tue [Page] of saluacion in our workes, thā in the bloud and death of Christ: So that Christ is but a quarter sauiour and we make vp the whole. O pernicious and dyuellyshe doctrine. Who hath euer opened his mouth to spe­ake blasphemies agaynst the moost highest, if they do it not, which maintayne this wycked & damnable doc­trine? But let vs heare mo scriptu­res. Esay the Prophet sayth, vnfaynedly he,Esa. liii. Matth. vii [...] i. Pet. ii. that is to saye Christ, hath taken vpon hym oure syckenesses, & borne our sorowes. Agayne, he was wounded for our wyckednesses, and broken for our mischeuous and vn­gracious actes. Beholde howe vni­uersally the scripture speaketh, oure syckenesses, sorowes, wyckednesses, myscheuous and vngracious actes. Are all these but one synne? If they be many, ergo Christ delyuered vs from many. If he delyuered vs frō [Page] many, ergo not from original synne alone. To what poyn [...]e are the au­thors of thys wycked doctrine be­come now? wyth what eyes do these Owles and blynd Andabates looke vpon the holye scriptures? w^t what spirite do they searche the misteries of God? Let vs heare what y^e Psal­mograph sayth: Prayse ye the lorde O my soule,Psal. [...]ii. and all that is wythin me, prayse his holy name. Prayse y^e Lorde O my soule, and forget not al his benefites. Whiche forgyueth all thy synnes, and healeth all thyne infirmites. Which saueth thy lyfe frō destruccion, & crowneth the in mer­cy and louing kyndnes. Dauid here bosteth not hym selfe of his good de­des, nether cleueth he vnto them as the Authors of his saluaciō, but he falleth vnto the prayse of the Lorde & magnifieth hym for his benefites confessyng y^t what so euer he hathe, [Page] beynge ether good or godly, cōmeth of God and not of hym selfe, & ther­fore is he worthy all prayse, honour & glory. He acknowlegeth that god forgyueth hym all his synnes, & healeth al his infirmities. Where is ony excepcion here I pray you? God forgyueth all, what remayneth thā be­hynde to be forgyuen? Is originall synne only nowe forgyuen thorowe Christ? Moreouer he saythe, y^t God saueth his lyfe from destrucciō, and crowneth him in mercy and louyng kindnes. Are not these wordes playne ynough? He graunteth y^t god preserueth hī frō dāpnaciō, agen y^t God crowneth hī y^t is to say, giueth hym eternall glory euen of his owne free mercye and tender goodnes. What woulde we haue more? God forgy­ueth vs all oure synnes, healeth all our infirmities, saueth our lyfe frō destruccion, crowneth vs in marcye [Page] and louyng kyndenes, what can he do more to shew himselfe a sauiour, and that there is none that sauethe from synnes, be they originall, actuall, veniall or mortall, but he alone?

He is twyse vnkynde to God & his sonne Christ, that can not broke these thynges.

Ye saye trueth, but let vs come vnto y^e newe Testa­ment.Math. i. Whan Gabriel came vnto the moost blyssed virgine Mary, & she­wed her, that she should cōceaue thorowe the operacion of y^e holy Ghost, and bryng forth Christ y^e true Mes­sias, and annoynted kynge, whyche was so longe looked for, amonge all other thynges he sayd to Ioseph, a [...]ter that Mary was perceaued to be with chyld, & he mynded to go from her priuely: Ioseph the sonne of Da [...]uid, feare not to take mary thy wife vnto the, for that which is cōceaued in her, commeth of the holy Ghoste. [Page] She shall bryng forthe a sonne, and thou shalte call his name IESVS. For he shall saue hys people from theyr synnes. Here are two notable thyn­ges to be marked. One is, that christ is called IESVS. whych, as ye heard before, is by interpretacion, a saui­our. Another is y^t it is he y^t saueth his people frō theyr synnes. Hys name declareth hym manifestly to be a sa­uiour. And because no man shoulde thyncke, that Christ is called a saui­our only, bycause he saueth vs from the daunger of the originall synne, therfore the Aungell speakethe here in the plurell nōber, and sayth, that he shall saue hys people from theyr synnes, and not frō theyr synne ori­ginall alone. If Christ saueth vs frō synnes, ergo he sauethe vs from mo synnes than one.Ioan. [...] S, Iohn̄ Baptiste also appoyntynge Christ wythe hys [...]ynger, sayd: Beholde that lambe of [Page] God, whych taketh away the synne of y^e worlde.

This texte among other haue I hearde rehearsed for y^e establyshmēt of this opinion, y^t christ redemed vs only from originall syn.

There is no texte that makethe more agaynst it. But we wyll pon­der euery worde of this sentence. Fyrst s. Iohn̄ sayth, Beholde, wherby he declareth that he wyll shewe a newe, straung & wonderfull thyng. Was not this a thyng both straūge and to be wōdered at, to se one in so vile fashō, so beggerly apparelled, so of no substaunce, hauynge so slender a garde to wayte vpon hym, and so lytle worshyp, honour and reuerēce shewed vnto hym, to be the sauiour of the world, & very him, that shulde reygne ouer all nacions and kynge­doms? This was a straunge thy [...]g to the grosse Iewes and fy [...]e Pharisees, which thought that he [...]ulde [Page] come into the worlde w^t great pōpe & glory, subduynge other naciōs to them by martiall armoures, & euen by strong hande and myghty power whan not withstandynge the scrip­ture saythe, Tell ye the doughter of Syō,zach. ix. Math. xxi beholde thy kynge cometh vnto the, meke & sytting on an asse. &c. Therfore I thynke S. Iohn̄ might saye vnto them, Beholde, twyse, or they woulde harken vnto hym once in suche a case, or at the leest beleue hym. But let vs se, what S. Iohn̄ entēdeth to shew vs. Beholde, sayth he, that lambe of God. By these wordes, y^e lambe of God, he setteth forth very muche the dignite of Christ, & shewethe that there is a speciall res­pecte to be had vnto hym, and that we ought to cast our eyes vpon him as our alone sauyour, & vpon none other.Exo. xi [...] For he is that lambe of God, whiche was prefigured by the Pas­chal [Page] lābe, [...] Pet. [...] w^t whose bloud they y^t are sprynkeled, are safe & w^tout al ieoperdy of sleyng. The other lambe was taken out of the flock,Ephe. [...] but thys lam­be is the lambe of God, gyuen vs of god to be a sacrifyce for our synnes, to be oure wisdome, ryghteousnes, sanctificacion & redēpcion. [...]. Cor. 1 It follo­weth, whiche taketh awaye the syn of the worlde. Christ is that lambe of God, whych taketh away y^e synne of the worlde.1. Ioan. 1. The bloude of Christ maketh vs clene from all synne. By the offerynge vp of the bodye of Ie­sus Christ done once for all, are we sanctifyed & made holy. [...]ebre. [...] But note, y^t S. Iohn̄ sayth, which taketh away. He vsethe here the presente tence, and not the preter nor yette the fu­ture, whiche he declarethe that the vertue of Christes deathe abydethe euery one, and that it is of asmuche strength now, as euer it was, & that [Page] by it our synnes are dayly forgyuē, no lesse than they were at the verye hour of hys death, whā our raūsome was payd. For his bloud cryeth not for vēgeaūce,Gen. iiii. as the bloud of Abell, but for grace, mercy, fauoure, and y^e dignite of it is so great, that it is neuer sayd naye, but obtayneth what so euer it askethe, so that, as s. Iohn̄ sayth, Christ that pure and immaculate lambe of God doth styll dayly & continually take awaye. What? ve­rely the synne of the worlde. Now if Christ taketh awaye synne dayely & cōtinually, so foloweth it well, that he taketh awaye mo synnes thā the originall synne.

They that al­leadge thys sentence for theyr pur­pose, stycke verye muche to this, y^t S. Iohn̄ namethe the synne of the worlde, and not synnes, so that he semeth to speke of one syn only, which saye they, is originall syn. And thus [Page] do they conclude that Christ taketh awaye only the synne originall.

A wyse conclusion & a praty. They cōclude, before they haue made their argument aryghte. That S. Iohn̄ saythe, synne, hynderethe nothynge oure purpose, if it be truely vnder­stand. For by this word, synne, doth S. Iohn̄ vnderstāde the whole lōpe of synne,What is mente by thys worde synne, that is in the worlde, why­ther it be that, which we committed in Adam, or elles those, whiche after oure baptisme thorowe the ragynge carnal affectes, that are in vs, we cō myt in thoughte, worde or dede. All thys whole lōpe of synne, that is to saye, all that euer is contayned vn­der thys worde, synne, or yet pertaynethe vnto synne, doth Christ y^e lābe of God at all tymes take awaye. What authorite of the scripture cā be recited more open & euidēt agenst thē?

Ye saye trueth. But let vs [Page] heare mo scriptures, that we maye be thorowly satisfyed in this poynt

Whan Christ hangynge vpon y^e crosse had payd a sufficient raūsome for oure synnes by the sheddynge of his moost precious bloud, he cōmen­dethe hys spirite into the handes of his heauenly father, and bowynge downe hys head,Ioan. xix. sayd, Tetelestai, that is to saye, euery thyng is nowe con­sūmate, perfecte and fully fynished. The sacrifyce for synne is offered, & a plentefull raunsome is payde, so y^t nowe all sacrifyces, all oblacions for synne cease. This one sacrifice, thys one oblacion, whyche I haue made vpon the altare of the crosse, fynys­sheth & maketh perfecte all thinges, so that there remayneth after thys none other sacrifice for ony kynde of synne. Hereto agreeth the saynge of S. Paule, Christ oure Byshop aby­deth for euer,Heb. vii & hath an euerlastyng [Page] prestehode, so that he is able to saue euen at the full, them that come vn­to God by hym, euer lyuynge, that he may make intercessiō for vs.Heb. ix. Agen Christ by his owne bloud entered into the holy place once for al, & found euerlastyng redemcion. Item, with one oblacion hathe Christ made thē consūmate & perfecte for euermore, [...]. x. that are sāctifyed. Thus se we, that all thynges are thorowly fynyshed, made consummate and perfecte by Christ, so that there is no more sacrifice for synne lea [...]te behynde to put awaye synne, but if we wyll haue remissiō of our wyckednesses, we must rūne wyth the fete of our mynde to that sacrifice, whiche Christ offered once for all vpō the altare of y^e crosse, that he myght put syn to flyght for euermore. Nowe if Christ had putte awaye onely originall synne by hys death, thā had he not made all thin­ges [Page] perfecte. For he had lefte mo synnes vnforgyuen, than were forgiuē by his deathe. Howe great and infi­nite is the nomber of those synnes, which we commit after baptisme in cōparison of this one originall syn? This were but a slender consummacion & makynge perfecte, so to leaue vs in mo synnes, thā we ware foūd. But Christ saueth at the ful. He maketh thē perfecte for euermore, that are sanctifyed. The vertue of Chri­stes sacrifice is so great & of so much dignite before God the father, that it lastethe euer in full strengthe to put awaye synne, yea and that not only before, but also after baptisme.

Let vs here, what s. Paul saith to this matter.

Paul as a good & faythfull seruaūt doth agre wyth his master, ye maye be sure. Notw^t ­standyng I wyll gyue you a taste of his doctrine concernyng thys mat­ter.

Lette it so be, I praye you▪ To the Romās he sayth on this mā ner: God setteth forthe hys loue to­warde vs, in that Christ dyed for vs whan we were yet synners.Roma. v. Muche more than shall we be sauedde from wrathe by hym, seynge we are nowe made righteous thorowe his bloud. For if we were reconciled vnto god by the deathe of his sonne, whan we were yet enemies, muche more shall we be saued by hym nowe that we are reconciled. Here S. Paule pro­ueth, y^t as we are reconciled to God the father by the death of his sonne Christ, so are we also by hym saued from all wrath and displeasure that shoulde fall vpon vs. Are not these wordes playne ynoughe? At baptis­me we are purged thorowe Christes bloud from originall syn & all other, that we haue committed before, so y^t we are recōciled to God, & recoūted [Page] for righteous. Nowe by Christ also are we preserued from the wrath of God, which we deserue thorowe the wyckednes, whiche we do after baptisme. Hereof than maye we gather that Christ is not only a sauiour vnto vs before, but also after baptis­me. So maye we conclude, that by Christes death we are not only redemed from originall synne, but also from all other, by what so euer na­mes they be called. Agayne he sayth it is not with the gyfte as with the synne. For if thorowe the syn of one, many be dead, yet much more plen­teously came the grace and gyfte of God vpon many by the fauour that belonged vnto one mā Iesus christ. And the gyfte is not onely ouer one synne, as deathe came thorowe one synne, of one that synned. For the iudgement came of one synne vnto condemnacion, but the gyfte, to iu­stify [Page] frō many synnes. Do not these wordes euidently shewe, y^t by Christ we are iustifyed & made ryghteouse from many synnes? If from many synnes, than not from one synne a­lone. Agen to the Corinchians, fyrst of all I delyuered vnto you y^t,1. Cor. xv. Esa. liii. which I also receaued, how that Christ dyed for oure synnes, accordynge to y^e scriptures.Rom. v. Marke that S. Paule sayth, for our synnes, & not for oure synne, wherwithe we all offended in Adā. To the Collossians also he wryteth on this manner: By Christ we haue redēcion & by his bloud remission of sines. Note, by Christes bloud we haue remissiō of synnes, not only originall, but also actuall, mortall, veneall, &c. and not by the worckes, wich we do after baptisme as thogh it laye in oure power to fulfyll the lawe, to satisfye the wyll of God, to apease y^e diuine wrath, & to obtayne [Page] euerlastīg lyfe. For al these thynges chaunse vnto vs by Christ, & are ob­tayned for vs by Christes deathe, & not by ony workes or merites of mā as S. Paule sayth,Gala. ii. if righteousnes cōmeth by the lawe, thā dyed Christ in vayne. Igen, we knowe that mā is not iustifyed by the workes of the lawe,Gala. v. but by y^e fayth of Iesus christ, & we beleue in Christ Iesu, that we myght be iustifyed by the faythe of Christ, & not by the workes of y^e law because that no man shall be iustifi­ed by the workes of the lawe. Item, ye are gone quyte frō Christ, as ma­ny of you as wyl be made righteous by the lawe, yea ye are fallen from grace.Rom. x. Agayn in another place, they not knowynge the righteousnes of God, & labouryng to establysh theyr owne righteousnes, were not obedi­ent to the righteousnes of God. For Christe is the perfeccion of the lawe [Page] vnto iustificaciō for euery one that beleueth. Once agayne, if saluacion commeth of grace,Rom. xi than is it not o [...] workes, elles were grace, no grace. But if it come of worckes, than is grace nothynge. All these sentences teache vs, that we are delyuered frō all our synnes by Christ & his rygh­teousnes, & not by our owne workes and deseruynges.

Moreouer S. Paule sayth, whā ye were dead thorowe synnes,Colos. ii. Rom. v. Ephe. ii. & the vncircūcision of the flesh, God quic­kened you with christ, & forgaue vs all our synnes, & put out the hande­wrytyng, that was agaynst vs con­tayned in the lawe wrytten, & that hath he taken oute of the waye,Gen. iii. Luke. xi. Ioan. xii. and fastened it to the crosse, & hath spoy­led rule and power, and hath made a shewe of them openly, & triumphed ouer them in hys owne person. God hathe forgyuen vs all oure synnes, [Page] thorow christ, sayth S. Paule here. Where is ony excepcion? If there be mo synnes, than the originall synne as there are, them also hath God the father forgyuen vs thorowe Iesus Christ oure Lorde.Heb. i. To the Hebrues agayne he wrytethe, Christe in hys owne parson pourged our synnes, & is set on the righte hande of the ma­iestye on hygh. Frō our synnes hath Christ made vs clene, and not from one synne onely.Heb. ix. Christ was offered once for all to take away the synne of many. All shal not be saued, for al not beleue, but many shall be saued, & they haue not only originall syn­ne, but also al theyr other sīnes takē away by Christ.Heb. x. Agē, euery prest is redy dayly ministrīg, & oftētimes offereth onemāner of of [...]erīges, which canne neuer take awaye sinne. But this man Christ, whā he had offered for [...]ynnes one sacrifice, which is of [Page] value for euer, satte hym downe on the right hand of God, & from hense forth taryeth tyll hys foes be made his footstoole.Psal. [...]ix. For with one of [...]ryng hath he made perfecte for euermore, them that are sanctified. S. Paule here cōpareth Christ the euerlasting Byshop & preste, wyth the prestes of the olde lawe. He sheweth that they offered sacrifices dayly, & yet coulde they neuer put awaye synne by thē. No maruayle for they were only shadowes of good thynges to come. But this our hed preste Christ hath offered but one sacrifice, not for the originall synne only, but for synnes sayth he, & yet is it of so great vertu and strength, that it is of value for euer, the power of it neuer decayeth it abydeth in full strength [...] so longe as ony synne remayneth, so that it nedeth not oftē tymes to be offered, as the sacrifices of y^e old lawe were. [Page] For withe this one sacrifice, whiche was the oblacion of hys body, hathe he made them for euer so perfecte, y^e are sanctifyed, that they nede none other sacrifice to make them holy & acceptable in the syghte of God. All that haue had theyr synnes forgyuē thē from the beginnyng of y^e worlde vntyll this daye, or shall haue vnto the ende of the world, haue had, and shall haue all theyr synnes forgyuē thē thorowe this one sacrifice of Iesus Christ. And that ye maye know thys to be true, consyther thys one thyng, that I shall nowe saye vnto you. Who was more faythfull thā Abrahā, more derely beloued w^t God than Dauid,Ephe. v [...] more holye than Iohn̄ Baptist? Yet could nether they, nor none other enter into heauē, vntyll Christ had suffered hys pashon, and offered hys bodye a swete smellyng sacrifyce for vs vnto God the father

[Page]Thus haue I opened vnto you y^e mynd of S. Paule concerning this matter.

Hys sayēges proue ma­nifestly, y^t we are redemed by Christ not only from originall synne, but also from all other▪

You say truth. Wel ye shal heare now y^e myndes of the other Apostles. S. Peter sayth,i. Pet. ii. Esa. liii. christ his owne selfe bare our synnes in his body on the tree, that we beynge delyuered from synnes, shuld lyue vnto righteousnes. Note how Peter agreeth in euery poynt with hys fellowe Paule. He styffely affyrmeth that christ his owne selfe, and none other, bare our synnes in his bodye, & not our originall synne alone. By his strypes we were made so whole, that there remayned not so muche as a scarre of all our sores, botches & woundes.i: Ioan. i. S. Iohn̄ also sayth, the bloud of Iesus Christ maketh vs thorowly cleane, yea & tha [...] [Page] from all synne. Can ony thynge be spokē more generally? If the bloude of Iesus christ maketh vs clene frō al syn, what remayneth ther behynde, I praye you? So followethe it that both the synne originall, ac­tuall, mortal, veneall, & what not, is washed awaye by Christes bloude. Agayne, if we confesse oure synnes, God is faythfull and ryghteous to forgiue vs our synnes, and to make vs cleane from all wickednes. This one texte alone of S. Iohn̄ is able to subuerte, ouertople and throwe downe all the byldynge, shores and proppes, wherwithe these sleyghtye daubers vpholde theyr enterprises. If we confesse our synnes, sayth he. If which we? if we that professe the christen religiō, and yet thorow our fragilite and weakenesse of nature haue offended God after oure bap­tisme contrary to our vow and promyse [Page] made thereat, if we, I saye af­ter that we haue fallen, confesse our synnes, God is faythfull and rygh­teoꝰ, what to do? to forgyue vs our synnes. Note our synnes, & to make vs cleane from all vnrighteousnes: What synne is it than, I praye you from the whiche he dothe not make vs clene? This sentence must nedes be vnderstonde of thē, which offende after baptisme. Nowe sayth s. Iohn̄ although we synne after baptisme, yet lette vs not dispayre, but rather repent, bewayle our synfull lyuyng detest our wycked manners, turne vnto God, & cōfesse our synnes vn­to hym. If we do this, doubt we not but y^e God, which is faythfull in performyng his promyse (he hathe pro­mised them that come vnto hym w^t a faythfull and repentaūt harte, re­missiō of theyr synnes) & ryghteous in forgyuyng the penitent & sorow­full [Page] synner, & in condemnynge the wycked, which continewe in his vn­godlines wythout ony confession of his faulte and amendement of lyfe, wyll forgyue vs oure synnes, yea & make vs clene from all vnrighteousnes. These wordes proue manifest­ly, that God forgyueth oure synnes after baptisme, if we repent, cōfesse, and amende. Wherof comethe this? of the merites of our workes, or ra­ther of the free grace & mere mercye of God, purchased for vs by Iesus Christ, for whose sake the wrathe of God the father is pacified, and he is wel pleased & fully contented w^t mā? Uerely for Christes sake dothe God shew to vs this excedīg & great mercy in forgiuyng vs our synnes, whē so euer we call vnto hym, wi [...]h a contrite & sorowfull harte,i. Ioan. ii. as S. Iohn̄ proueth by the wordes that follow: My lytle childrē, I wryte these thinges [Page] vnto you, y^t ye should not synne. And if ony man synne, we haue an aduocate wythe the father, Iesus Christ that ryghteous one. And he is that sacrifice, which apeaseth goddes wrath & satisfyeth (so soundethe the Greke word Hilasmos) for our syn­nes, not for our synnes only, but for al y^e worldes. As though he shuld say: My lytle chyldrē, I haue decla­red vnto you, that although we syn after baptisme contrary to our professiō, yet that ther is grace, fauour, mercy, & forgyuenes of synnes layd vp for vs in store, if that we repent, cōfesse our faultes, & entend vnfay­nedly to amende our lyues. I haue not done thys to engraffe in you a vayne hoope, & to encourage you to haue y^e more plesure & to remayne ī your olde wyckednes, but I wryte these thynges vnto you, y^t ye should not synne. I haue set forth the kyndnes [Page] of God towarde you, y^t ye shulde endeuour youre selues to lyue wor­thy of it. But for asmuch as there lyueth no man in thys world, whyche synneth not, & seynge we canne not walke so purely, but y^t at sometyme we must nedes fall, therfore because ye shoulde not dispayre, but be assu­redly persuaded, that there remay­neth health for you wyth the Lorde god: I certefy you, that we haue one which is our aduocate wyth the fa­ther, which pleateth our matter be­fore the throne of the diuine maieste whiche is ready to healpe vs, whiche ceaseth not makyng intercession for vs, vntyll he be hearde, and this is, not such one, as hath also offended, but Iesꝰ christ y^t righteoꝰ one, which is godly innocent, vndefyled, pure, clene, fautles, immaculate, & so w^t ­out all spotte of vice, that euen for his owne dignite, worthynes & innocēcy, [Page] he is worthy to obtayne what so euer he asketh. And I saye more­ouer v [...]to you, y^t not our owne wor­kes, nor y^e merites of other, but that righteous one Christ, is that verye sacrifice, which apeseth Gods wrath whome we haue prouoked vnto an­ger wyth the synnes, whiche we do comitte after Baptisme, and satis­fyeth for oure synnes. Yea he makteh not only a sufficient & plen­teous amendes for our synnes, but also for all y^e whole worldes, I mean so many as repent them of ther wicked liuing, confesse ther fautes, beleue, desyre forgyuenes, and laboure to leade a newe lyfe, what wyll we haue more? Doth not S. Iohn̄ de­clare here euidently y^t oure synnes, whā so euer they be cōmitted or done are forgyuē vs of god thorow Iesꝰ Christ, which is oure aduocate, and that sacrifice, whyche apeaseth god [Page] the fathers wrath, & plenteously sa­tisfyeth for our synnes? So doth it than manifestly appeare, that christ hath not only redemed vs & satisfy­ed to God y^e father for originall syn, but also frō al other. But let vs yet heare more,i. Ioan. ii. what he sayth. I wryte vnto you lytle chyldren, that youre synnes are forgyuen for hys names sake. Ergo our synnes, and not one synne alone, are forgyuē vs, not for our owne workes & merites, but for Christes name, that is to saye, for y^e dignite, worthynes, excellency, merites and deseruynges of Christ.i. Ioan. iiii. Agē, In thys thynge appeared the loue of God towarde vs, that he sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we shoulde lyue thorowe hym. In thys is loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his sonne to be a sacrifice both to appease hys wrathe and to satisfye for [Page] our sīnes. what do I? Paper, yncke penne, and tyme shall fyrst want vnto me, than I shall may be able to reherse all the testimonies, wherwith it is euidentely proued, that Christ hath not only by his moost blyssed & precious bloud redemed vs frō ori­ginall syn, as some wickedly dreame but also from all other, by what so euer name they be called, the synne of the holye Ghoste excepted, & that whan so euer we repent, beleue and amende God the father forgyuethe vs also those synnes, whiche we commit after baptisme, not for our own dedes,Deut. iiii. Heb. xiii. Iob. xxxvii. workes and merites, whiche be more vnpure, than they maye be able to stonde in the syghte of God, which is a consumyng fyre, a ielous God, great in strength, iudgemente and righteousnes, and with whome there is none innocente, but for the swete smellyng sacrifyce, which Ie­sus [Page] Christ his welbeloued sonne of­fered for our synnes vpō the altare of the crosse once for all,Exo. xxxiiii. Ephe. v Heb. ix.x. whose vertu and strength abydeth so perfecte for euermore, that by it the sinnes of so many as with a truly faythfull and repentaunte harte come vnto God, are forgyuen, forgotten, and neuer­more remembred. And thus se you that Christ is a perfecte Sauiour, whiche, as youre newe yeares gyfte sayth, hath by his bloud redemed vs from all vnrighteousnes, that is to saye, from all synne both originall, actuall,Actum. iiii. mortall, veneall. &c. yea and y^t not onely before but also after baptisme. So that as S. Peter sayth, there is saluaciō in none other, but only ī Christ Iesus. Nether is ther ony other name gyuē to men vnder heauen, wherin we muste be saued.

We haue now hearde it euidēt­ly proued by the holye scriptures, y^t [Page] we thorowe Christ are delyuered frō all synne, both originall, actual, mortall, veniall. &c. So that all y^e whole glory of our saluacion is to be giuē and ascribed vnto God alone, as he sayth by the Prophet, O Israel thy destrucciō commeth of thy selfe, [...]ze. xiii. but thy health and saluacion commeth only of me. This thynge maketh all sayntes and y^e truly faythful to say, not to vs, O Lord, not to vs, but to thy name gyue y^e glory for thy merci & truthes sake.Psal. [...]xiiii

Wel, thus haue ye hearde grossely and rudely, but yet faythfully and truly vttered of me, what the holye scriptures do deter­myne concernynge the remission of synnes by Christ, and that by hym we are not only delyuered from ori­ginall syn, as some wickedly dreame but also from all other, by what so­euer name they be called. Nowe be­cause ye shal not thyncke y^t I wreste [Page] the scriptures, whome all mē ought to handle reuerently and incorruptly, I wyll rehearse a sayenge or two vnto you of the Doctors.Lib. ii. cap. viii. Hylichius sayth: Not one synne only, but ma­ny are forgiuen vs thorow the sacrifice of Christ, whiche is the onely be­gotten sonne of God. If not one syn only, but many are forgiuen vs thorowe the sacrifice of Christ, it follo­weth than that by Christes deathe we are not only redemed from origi­nall synne, but also from all other. Hereto agreeth the sayeng of saynt Ambrose, The grace of God thorow Christ hath iustifyed men not from one synne alone,In Rom. cap. v. but from many, by gyuynge them remission of synnes. Not from one synne only, sayth S. Ambrose, hath God of his grace thorowe Christ iustified, and made vs ryghteous, but from many, by gy­uyng vs remission of synnes. Nowe [Page] gather who luste. The wordes are playne ynough. But I wyll reherse S. Austen, one of the best amonge y^e auncient Doctors, and moost faythfull expositour of y^e holy scriptures. S. Austen wrytyng agaynst y^e Pe­lagians & Manicheys,Ad hilari [...]. Ep. lxxxix. hath on this manner, what is this to saye, of one faulte vnto condemnaciō, but y^e fault wherw^t Adā offēded? And what is it to say, from many faultes to iustificacion, but that the grace of Christ hath not onlye loosoned that fault, wherwith infantes be boūde, which hadde theyr begynnyng of that one man, but also many faultes, whiche after y^e men come to age, they adde and put vnto it thorowe theyr euell manners. Here sayth saynt Austen playnly, that the grace of christ hath not only losoned, delyuered & made vs free from originall synne, wher­wyth we all offended in Adam, but [Page] also from all other, which we after­warde commit, as we growe in age. I could rehearse many mo authori­ties both of this Doctor and other, whiche maynly fortify this matter, but because I wyll not be tedious vnto you, I let them passe, trusting that with these aforsayd ye are ful­ly satisfyed.

Yea verely neygh­bour Philemon, or elles our hartes were more then twyse stony.

Although this vngodly doctrine be raised vp now agen in this our tyme of the Anabaptistes, yet hath it had alwayes fautoures and maynteners longe before our dayes, in somuche as we rede, that a certen man called Peter Abelharde was counted for an Heretyke and compelled of saynt Bernarde to recant in the councell of Senon▪ because he taught this & suche lyke thynges. If hys doctrine had bene godly and agreable to the [Page] holy scriptures, he had neuer ben so handeled. Alas good neyghboures, what are we of our selues, y^t we dare so depresse and thrust downe y^e death of Christ, and so to exalte our selues that he by his pashon sauyng vs frō one synne, we shuld presume to saue our selues by our owne workes and merites from many? This is a pre­sumpcion to moche to be detested. Thys is a stondyng in our owne cō ceate more Luciferlyke than it may be suffered of ony christen harte.Baruch. i.ii To the Lorde our God, saythe the Pro­phet, be righteousnes, but to vs and to our fathers, confusion of face. As towchyng the righteusnes, whiche is in the lawe, no man could once rebuke me,Philip. iii Actum. ix. Gala. i. sayth S. Paul. But those thynges, which were vauntage vn­to me, I counted losse for Christes sake Yea moreouer I thyncke all thynges but losse for the excellencye [Page] of the knowledge of Christ Iesu my Lorde, for whome I haue counted all thynges losse, and do iudge them but dounge, that I myghte wynne Christ, & be foūd in hym, not hauing myne own ryghteousenesse, whyche cometh of the lawe, but that, which is by the fayth of Christ, namely the righteousnes, whych cometh of god in fayth, to knowe hym and the vertue of his resurrecciō and the felowshyp of his pashon. How cleueth S. Paule vnto Christ? Howe reiecteth & casteth he awaye his owne righte­ousnes, whyche he had by the oute­warde kepynge of the lawe, that he myght thorowe fayth be made righteous in Christ? How lytle estemeth he his own goodnes, so that he may knowe the vertue of Christes resur­reccion, and the felowshyp of his pa­shon. All Paules delectacion & pleasure is in Christ & in christes death, [Page] as he sayth in another place, GOD forbyd, that I shulde reioyse in onythynge,Gala v [...] but in the crosse, that is to saye, the death & pashon of our Lord Iesus Christ. If so noble and wor­thy Apostle hadde all his delyght in Christ, & in christes merites, so that for christes [...]ake and to wynne y^e righteousnesse of Christe, he est [...]med hys own ryghteousnes so vile as y^e dūge what shall we wretches than saye? Shall we lyfte vp our brystles and open our mouthe to speake blasphe­mies agaynst the moost hyghest? Shall we so trust to oure workes, y^t we shall seake more saluacion in thē, than in the Lorde christ?Esa. xxxiiii. All oure ryghteousnesses, sayth the Prophet are as a cloth polluted w^t menstrue. All sorte of vs haue erre [...] as shepe, Esa. liii. euery [...]an hath followed hys own [...] trade. Euery one is an Hypocrite, a [...] and wycked. No man is [Page] able to saye, my harte is clene, I am pure from syn. There is not a righ­teous man on earth,Esa. ix. Prou. xx. Ec [...]l vii. Rom. iii. that doth good and synneth not. All haue synned, & want the glory of God. Seynge we are all in this case, how dare ony mā auouche hymselfe to be so pure, and hys workes to be so good & perfect y^t by thē he is able to satisfy for hys sī nes committed after baptisme?

Ye saye trueth. My thyncke y^t those menne, whiche are of thys opinion, knowe nether God nor them selues aright.

Trueth it is. For if they dyd know, that as god is good, righteous, holy, perfecte, fau [...]les & with out all spotte of synne, so they of thē selues are euell, vnryghteous, im­perfecte, synfull, and hedged rounde about wyth the fylthynes of synne, & if ony goodnes they haue, it com­methe of God, & therfore haue they nothyng, wherof they may reioyse, [Page] for it is Gods, and not theyrs, they woulde not stonde so much in they [...] owne conceate, nor crake so much o [...] theyr purite and clennes. If y^e starres be not pure in the syght of god, and if the Aungels be not clene and [...]uteles before hym, howe thā dare a wretched mortall creature, which synn [...]th dayly and heapeth wycked­nes vpon wyckednes so auaūce him selfe, that he dare presume to stonde ryght vp, and with an open face be­fore GOD, whiche is a consumyng fyre and hatethe so many as worcke wyckednesse, and to take vpon hym to satisfy for his synnes by his own righteousnes? If they wolde assaye to go downe into thē selues, & could search y^e botome of theyr hart, which is wycked & inscrutable,Hie. xvii. they shulde there fynd such hepes lopes & donge hylles of synne, that they would be redye to dispayre and to vndo them [Page] selues, so farre is it of, y^t they would iustify them selues, or take vpō thē to be theyr owne sauiours by theyr dedes, workes, & merites. The consyderacion of the diuine maieste and y^e true knowledge of hym selfe made Dauid to praye on this manner, O Lorde enter not into iudgement w^t thy seruaunt,Psal. for no man y^t lyuethe shallbe iustifyed in thy syght. Agen, O Lord, yf thou shuldest marke our wyckednesses,Psal. O Lorde who were able to abyde it? But there is mer­cy wythe the. Lette Israel therfore truste in the Lorde. For wythe the Lorde there is mercy and plēteous redemcion. And he shall redeme Is­rael from all hys synnes.

God gyue vs grace to haue y^e true know­ledge of God, and of our selues. So shall we vnfaynedly ascrybe & gyue vnto God al the glory and prayse of our creacion, vocacion, iustificaciō, [Page] redempcion, saluacion, glorificaciō, and what so euer goodnes we haue more, and frely confesse that we are saued of the great and vndeserued grace of God thorowe Iesus Christ our Lord and sauiour.

I besech God, it may so come to passe. Thus haue I accomplysshed youre desyre neyghbours in prouynge by y^e scriptures and the auncient Doctors, y^t christ by hys death hath not only redemed, delyuered and set vs fre frō originall synne, but also from all o­ther, and that the synnes, which we commit after baptisme, be not for­gyuen of God the father for the dignite and worthynes of ony workes which we do, but for the excellēcy of y^e sacrifyce, which Christ once for al offered vpon the Altare of y^e crosse, the vertue & strengthe wherof aby­deth in so full power, that i [...] is able to saue so many as repent, b [...]leue. & [Page] labour to lead a good and innocent lyfe for euermore. Neyther haue I spoken theyse thynges to discorage ony man from doyng good workes, but for [...]o set forth christ to be a perfecte sauyoure agaynst the wycked doctrine of the Anabaptistes which nowe begyn to crepe in amonge vs vnto the great dishonour of God, y^e extreme blasphemy of Christes most precious bloud, & noysome pertur­baciō of the holy catholyke chyrche. And as I maye knytte vp all thys matter in fewe wordes, know good brothers, that in Adam all we were damned, so that thorowe his wickednes we were begotten, conceaued & borne in synne, yea & by nature the very sonnes of wrathe. Nowe to be delyuered from this miserable state wherinto we were caste by Ad [...] ̄ we of our owne wytte, polecy, wisdome [...]olynes, ryghteousnes. &c. could in­uent [Page] no means, but so styll remay­ned in the daunger of euerlastynge dānaciō. Therfore God moued w^t pitie towarde mankynde, euen of hys owne free mercy & goodnes w^toute ony of our desertes, sent downe his only begotten sonne Iesus christ in to [...]his vale of misery which for our sake toke flesh of the moost holy and pure virgin Mary, thorow the ope­racion of the holy ghost, became mā & at the tyme to fore appoynted, he offered voluntaryly his moost blys­sed [...]ody an acceptable & swete smel­lynge Sacrifice to God the father, which was & is of so great vertue & power, that by it alone all our syn­nes are putte awaye, not only that which we committed in Adam, but those also, whiche we oure selues in processe of tyme do perpetrate & cō ­mit. Now so many of vs as are bap­tised in the name of the father, of y^e [Page] sonne & of the holy Ghost, and haue taken vpō vs a newe lyfe forsakyng y^e world, y^e deuil & the flesh w^t al theyr pōpes & workes, haue at that verye tyme of Baptisme all theyr synnes forgyuen them, and are so clerely redemed, deliuered and made fre from all vnryghteousnes, be they yonge or olde, as though they had neuer cō mitted ony of them at all. And this is it that S. Paule sayth,Ephe. [...]. christ lo­ued the congregacion, & gaue hym­selfe for it, to sanctifye it, and clēsed it in y^e fountayne of water thorowe the worde, to make it vnto hymselfe a glorious congregacion wythoute spot or wryncle, or ony suche thyng, but that it shulde be holy and with­out blame. Nowe if whan they be once baptised and growne vppe in age, they thorow eyther fragilite or ignorancy do agen offende & breake the lawe of God contrarye to theyr [Page] profession & vow made at baptisme, than haue they an holye anchore [...]o flye vnto, whiche is the holye sacra­ment of Penaunce, so that if they truly repent, be sory for the faultes committed, bewayle theyr synful lyuynge, mortifye theyr carnall affec­tes, slay theyr worldly lustes, banish theyr dyuellysh concupiscences, confesse theyr wycke [...]nes, flye vnto the mercy of god, beleue to haue forgiuenes, and take a newe lyfe vpon thē. God the father wyll surely forgyue them theyr synnes, be they neuer so great or many, yea and that for the dignite of that one sacrifice whyche hys only begottē sonne offered once for all vpon the altare of the crosse. So that if repentaunce & amende­ment of lyfe come, christes sacrifice serueth to put away sinnes for euer & euer. But as the bloud of christ is sufficient to pacify y^e father, althogh [Page] one man had cōmitted so many offē ces, as all the worlde hathe done or shall do vnto y^e very ende of y^e world,☜ so lykewyse is ther no saluaciō layd vp for hym in store, which wyll not repent nor cease to synne, although christ shuld suffer an hondred thou­sande tymes. For christ is a sauiour to penitent synners, and not to the wicked & vngodly.Rom. [...]. And as there is no damnacion to them, that are en­graffed in christ Iesu, whiche walke not after y^e flesh, but after y^e spirite, so is there no helth nor saluacion to them, that lyue after y^e flesh, though they bable neuer so muche of christ, of christes passion, bloud & death, of the remission of sinnes, of the mercy of God, of the gospell, of y^e swete pro­mise [...] of God, & of euerlastyng lyfe. God hath not called vs,1. The [...]. [...] y^t we shulde be vnclene, but holy and vertuous. God sayth S. Peter, sent his sonne [Page] to be a beneficial sauiour vnto you, that euery one of you should turne from his wyckednesse. But of thys we wyl speake more hereafter.A [...]tum. iii. Therfore brothers, whan so euer ye per­ceaue y^t ye offend God in ony thyng, dispayre not, flye vnto that blyssed sacrament of Penaunce, b [...] sory for your synful lyuynge, bewayle your wycked māners, thyr [...]t after strēgth to do the wyll of God, conf [...]sse your synnes from the very harte, call for grace, desyre mercy, and praye vnto God y^t he wyl forgyue you your faultes, & he wyll vndoubtedly remit & forgyue you al the faultes, synnes & trespasses, that ye euer cōmitted a­gaynst hym for the loue that he beareth towarde his sonne our Lord & sauiour Iesus christ, which as your newe yeres gyfte sayth, hathe rede­med vs from all vnrighteousnes, y^t is to say, both from originall synne [Page] and all other.

Brother Philemō we shal neuer be able to recompense thys your kyndenes, which so gen­tylly at our request hathe declared this matter vnto vs concernyng y^e remission of synnes thorowe christ. I beseche God gyue vs all grace, so to institute & order our lyfe, that we maye be found in the nomber of thē whose synnes are put away by this moost holy sacrifice of christes blys­sed bodye, whose wyckednesses are washed awaye by christes moost precious bloude.

Amen. For than shall we be sure not only to be dely­uered from all our synnes, but also to enioye euerlastyng lyfe, which is the gyfte of GOD thorowe Iesus Christ oure Lorde.

We wyll go forthe wyth your newe yeares gift [...] and make an ende.Rom. vi. It followethe. ‘And to pourge vs a peculier [Page] people vnto hym selfe.’

Christ gaue not hymselfe only vnto death for to redeme vs from all vn­righteousnesse, but also to pourge vs a peculiare people to hymself. For as he hath redemed vs by hys death so hath he pourged, purified & made vs cleane by his bloud,i. Ioan. i. as S. Iohn̄ sayth, the bloude of Iesus christ makethe vs cleane from all synne. For what entent hath he thus pourged and made vs clene? Uerely that we should be a peculiare people vnto hī selfe.

What is mente by that I praye you?What it is to be the pe­culiare p [...]o­ple of God.

To be the peculiare people of God, is to be chosen out of the company of the vnfaythful and wycked people, and to be cōsecrated dedicated, & wholly gyuen to serue God, to seake his glory, to magnify his moost blyssed name, and to do al thynges accordyng to his worde, as the Iewes in tymes past were cho­sen [Page] awaye from the Gentiles to be the people of God, to serue him, and to walke in hys holye ordinaunces. ye are a chosen generacion, saythe Peter,i. Pet. ii. a royall prestehode, an holye nacion, and a peculiare people, that ye should shewe forth the vertues of hym, that called you oute of darke­nes [...]to his maruelous lyght, which in times past were not a people, yet are nowe the people of God, whiche were not vnder mercy, but now ha­ue obtayned merci. Of these wordes may we lerne, vnto what end christ hathe redemed & purifyed vs by his bloud. Uerely y^t we shuld be a peculiare people to hym selfe. Thā are we here taught, that we maye nomore [...]romhense forth serue the Prynce of darkenes, be conuersēt in hys court were ony lenger hys cogniscauns, fulfyll ony more hys pleasure and wil, but wholly gyue oure selues to [Page] serue God, which is y^e Prīce of lyght yea & the true lyght it selfe, whiche lyghteneth euery man y^t cometh in to this world.Ioan. i what nacion wylyngly serueth a straunge Prince? what faythful and honest seruaunte for­sakethe a gentle & louyng master, & ronneth vnto a Tyraunt? How vnsemely than were it for vs, whych before were in so miserable a case and delyuered from it only by the good­nes & fre harte of our Lord and master Iesus Christ,Ephe. v. Ioan. i. Ephe. ii. Apoc. xxi. Ephe. ii. to forsake hī, & to ronne backe agen vnto the powers & rulers of darknesse? we are nowe lyght in the Lrde, shall we become darkenes agen? we are now the sonnes of God, shall we become the children of wrathe, agayne▪ we are now the beautifull spouse of Iesus christ shall we be made the horlot of Sa­tan agayne? we are nowe nomore Ghestes & straungers, but Cytysenses [Page] of the saynctes, and of the house hold of God, shall we become Captines & bonde seruitours to Satans courte againe?Act. i.v. i. Pet. ii. Titus. ii. we are now by christ made prestes and kynges, shall we faull from thys dignite, and becom vilious and abiectes agen? we are now y^e peculiare people of God, sanctifyed vnto his vse, and vnto y^e workynge of those thynges y^t make vn­to hys glory, shal we neglecte oure dignite worshyp and honoure, as I maye so speake, fall awaye agayne from our Master and so behaue our selues, y^t thys prouerbe may worthely be obiected and layde agaynst vs The dogge is returned vnto his vomitte,Pro. xxvi▪ ii. Pet. ii. and the sowe after she hathe washed herselfe is gone agayne vn­to hyr olde wallowyng in the myer? Therfore seyng that Christ by hys bloude hathe purifyed, and pourged vs a peculiare people vnto hymselfe [Page] let vs manfully fyghte vnder y^e stā darde of our Captayne against Satan the Prynce of darckenes, let vs seake the glory of our master, let vs obserue suche preceptes as he hathe commaunded, let vs reuerēce, feare honoure, worshyp & loue hym aboue all thynges, lette vs not suffer hys moost precious bloude to be shed in vayne, let vs so behaue our selues, y^t it may euidently appere, y^t we be no vnkynd nor vnthanckful personnes but euermore walke worthy his kīdnes and tender cōpassion. This thīg shall come to passe, if we be suche, as the ende of your Newe yeres gyfte paynteth.Of good workes.

What is that.

Euen such as be earnest folowers of good worckes. If we wyll shewe oure selues to pertayne vnto Christe, to be hys people, to be wholy addycte vnto hym, we muste [Page] be earnest folowers of good workes we may no lenger loytour nor play the idle lubbers, we must worck earnestly, and as the Kentysh men say, a good. For Christ hath redemed vs from all vnryghteousnes, not that we shuld continewe styll in our olde wyckednes and vngodly conuersacion, but that we shuld be hys peculi­are people chosen out to serue hym and to worcke hys moste godly pleasure, agayne y^t we shuld be earneste followers of good workes. And here is answer to be made to thē, whych saye.An obieccion If Christ hath redemed me frō all vnrighteousnes, made me clene by hys bloude from all my synnes, purchased frely by hys death for me eternall lyfe and made a perpetuall agremente betwene God the father and me, what nede I to worke? what can my workes profitte what shall my laboures auayle me? [Page] Christ hath done ynoughe for me. Christ is my sufficient Sauyoure. Christ hath made al thynges so perfect, that nothyng cā be added thervnto. Therfore let vs be mery and take no thought.The aun­swere. O fylthye swyne and careles dogges. Becaus Christ hathe don that for them, which they could not do for them selues, behold how wyllyngly they caste them sel­ues in to hell fyre. who treadeth the bloude of Christ vnder hys foote, if these bellygods do it not▪ Who defaceth y^e price of Chrystes death, & the glory of his resurreccion, if these fylthy swyne heades do it not? Who dishonoureth Gods most holy worde, yf these Epicures do it not? But let these swyll bellyes wel knowe, that they haue no part of Christe, of Christes passhon bloude & death, nor yet of none of all hys merites so longe as they continew in thys ther wyc­ked [Page] & to muche detestable purpose, crake the neuer so muche of Christe of christes bloud, of fayth, of the gospell, of the christen liberty. &c. They shall go to the Deuell hedlonge w^t ­out ony mercy for al christ,Note. Christes bloude, fayth, Gospel, Christen libertye, and what soeuer they cā alled­ge more, yf they haue tyme & conue­nient leasure to do good workes, & yet wyll not who was euer saued wythout good worckes,Of y^e thefe Luke. xxiii. hauynge o­portunite to worcke? Ye obiect and laye agay [...]st me the thefe. Uery theuyshly done. For what lesure had he to worke Nether do I knowe why­ther the waye of healthe was euer preched vnto hym, or not, although he was not vtterlye voyde of good workes. For he beyng at the poynte of death, bewayled his wretchednes lamented hys synnefull manners, confessed hys wyckednes, repented [Page] hym of hys abhominable lyuynge, turned to Christ, knoweledged him to be the sonne of God, & the sauiour of the world, and desyred him to re­membre hym; whan he came in to hys kyngdome. If thys mā had had leasure, vndoutedlye he wolde haue shewed forth hys repētaūce & fayth by doyng externall good workes. Therfore y^e exāple of hī helpe the no­thīg your sluggish & dissolute māner of lyuīg, which haue both red & hard Christ many tymes preched to you, & yet are ye neuer y^e better. Only ye perswade your selfe well of christe & Christes merites, but al ī vaine. For he is no sauiour to those sīners, whiche lyue w^tout al feare of god, but to such as repēt, beleue & labour ernestly to brīgforth good workes, from y^e nōber of y^t which ye seme to be no les far, thā y^e west is frō the East. Christ hath redemed vs, sayth y^e scripture, [Page] that we shuld be hys people,Titn. ii. and earnest folowers of good workes, We must be his people and earneste folowers of good wockes, or els haue we no redempciō by christ,In dictum. Apost. Nolo vos ignarare. as S. Iohn̄ Chrysostome wytnesseth. Nether Baptisme, sayth he, nor forgyuenes of synnes, nor knowledge, nor y^e communion of y^e Sacramentes, nor the holy table, nor y^e fruicion of the bo­dy, nor y^e partakyng of y^e bloud, nor ony of these thīges shal may be able to profyt vs, except we haue a lyfe, whych is ryght, very pure, yea and fre from all synne. What wyll these idle lubbers say to these wordes of y^e goldē mouthed Doctor? Where are all theyr proude crakes becomme of Christ, hys bloude and merites? All these profyt nothyng at al without a good lyfe.

It stondeth christē m [...]nin hād therfore to be earnest followers of good workes.

Ye saye [Page] trueth, chefely if they entende to be saued. But let vs heare the scriptu­res. Whan God promised Abraham that he woulde blysse them that dyd blysse hym, and cursse them that dydde cursse hym, [...]. xv.xvii and that in his seed all nacions of the earthe shulde be blyssed, & that he would multiply hys seed as the starres of the firma­ment, and make hym a father of many nacions, & that he woulde be hys defender & hys sufficiente greate re­warde: He made a couenaunt wythe hym, because he woulde haue hym shewe gentylnes agayne, and sayd, I am the God omnipotēt, walke be­fore me,Gene. xvii. & be perfecte. As though he shulde saye: I am the God almygh­ty, omnisufficient, all good, all holy, all righteous, all wyse, all liberal, al plēteous, all mercyfull, & haue nede of no thynge, but frely gyueth to all mē all thynges, what so euer are ne­cessary [Page] ether for the bodye or for the soule, & so replenyshed with al thyn­ges, that I am able and sufficient in all poyntes to satisfy the lawful de­syres of all creatures, yea I haue all thynges so in my power, y^t no thing that good is, canne be gyuen to ony mā, but of me alone, & what so euer I am or haue, it is for the profyt of the, & of thy posterite. Alonly walke before me, and be perfecte, take me alone for thy omnisufficiēt sauiour, flye vnto no other, as though there were in me a certayne insufficiency, but cleaue to me alone wyth all thy harte, attempte no thyng but that is pleasaunt in my syght, order thy lyfe in all poyntes accordyng to my holy wyll, let thy conuersacion be innocent, blameles, pure, honest, right and all good, and so wyll I be thyne almighty God, thy puissaunt defender, & thy sufficient great rewarde. [Page] This couenaūt hath God made not only with Abraham, but also wythe all hys posterite, that is, so many as are faythfull. Nowe yf we be of the seed of Abraham (I speake of the spi­tuall, and not of the carnall generacion) than doth God require of vs also, that we walke before hym and be perfecte that we stedfastelye cleaue vnto him by stronge faythe, as the onelye and sole Authore of al good­nes, & so institute oure lyfe, that we maye breath nothynge but purite, innocency, holynes & intergrite, all the tyme of our lyfe in this worlde. Thus doyng, God wyl be our God, yea our almyghty God, our strong defender, and our sufficiēt great re­warde, no lesse than he was Abra­hās. Therfore as Abraham walked before God, so let vs do. By this means shall God be no lesse beneficiall to vs, than he was to Abraham. If [Page] ye were the sonnes of Abrahā,Ioan. viii. sayth Christ, ye woulde do the worckes of Abraham.

Of all these matters and howe we ought to walke before God and be perfecte, ye taughte vs full godly in the Nosegaye, whyche ye gaue vs.Searche the Nosegaye in the seconde floure.

It was our second floure, called, Pure innocency,

I remember it wel, and I am glad, ye haue not forgottē it. I wyll therfore haste vnto the other scriptures Whan S. Iohn̄ Baptist sawe ma­ny of the Pharisees & Saduces commynge vnto his Baptisme,Math. iii. Luke. ii. he sayd vnto them, O ye generacion of vi­pers, who hathe shewed you that ye should flye from the wrath to come? Bryng forthe therfore frutes wor­thy of repentaunce, & be not of this mynde to saye within youre selues, Abraham is our father. For I saye vnto you, that God is able to bring it to passe, that of these stones there [Page] maye rise vp chyldren to Abraham, The hooke is now layd at the roote of y^e trees. Therfore euery tree, that bryngeth forth not good frute, shall be hewē downe and cast into y^e fyre.

This is a terrible sayeng for al thē, that are not earnest followers of good workes

Certes as it profited the Pharises & Saduces with the other Iewes nothynge at all to boste them selues of Abrahā, excepte they dyd the workes of Abraham,Ioan. viii. so lykewyse it auaūtedgeth vs nothīg at all to crake of GOD, of Christes bloude, pashon, merites, fayth. &c. if we do not good workes. This sētēce abydeth alwaye true, Euery tree, y^t bringeth forth not good frute, shall be hewen downe & cast into the fyre. If we be not lyke vnto those trees, which are plāted by the riuers syde and brynge forth theyr frute in due season, surely we shall be [...]wen vp [Page] & cast into hel fyre.Psal. i. Hiere. xvii. For how dare we looke for ony kyndnes at y^e hande of God, & do no thīg y^t he cōmaūdeth? Dauid sayth, I beyng as a fruteful olyue tree ī y^e house of God, haue trusted ī y^e mercye of God for euermore,Psal. li. Dauid cōfesseth here y^t he trusted in the mercye of GOD, but he ad­deth y^t he was ī y^e house of god, y^t is to say y^e cōgregaciō of Christ, as a fruytefull Olyue tree, which as Pliny writeth is neuer w^tout grene leues & frute.Lib. [...]

You taught vs this also in y^e Po [...]aciō for Lēt, declarīg to vs what the Procession on Palme sondaye signifyeth, with all the ceremonies pertaynyng thervnto.

So se ye than, that if we wyll be holpen by the mercy of God, we must be as fruytefull Olyue trees, and brynge forth plenty of good workes, and neuer cease from doynge them, or elles our hope and trust is but vayne. [Page] Christ sayth,Math. vii. not euery one y^t saythe vnto me, Lorde, Lorde, shal enter in to the kyngedome of heauen, but he y^t doth the wyll of my father, which is in heauen. For many shall say vnto me at that daye, Lorde, Lorde, haue not we prophecied ī thy name, & cast out dyuels by thy name, and wroughte many miracles thorowe thy name? But thā shall I saye vn­to them,Psal. vi. I knowe you not. ī Departe frō me ye workers of iniquite. Here are we taught, that to professe God by our mouth, to cal vpon his name to talke of Christ, of fayth, of y^e gos­pell, and of all the diuine misteries, yea to worcke miracles and to caste out diuels by the power of Christes name, shall auayle nothynge at the daye of iudgement, excepte we lede a good lyfe in thys worlde, & worke the good pleasure of God. For the kyngdome of God is not in worde, [Page] but in power, [...]. Cor. iii [...] saythe S. Paule. [...] that hath my commaundementes, sayth Christ, and kepeth them, he it is that louethe me.Ioan. xiiii. If ony man lo­ueth me, he wyl kepe my worde, and my father shall loue hym, & we wyll come vnto hym, & dwell wyth hym. He that louethe not me, kepeth not my wordes. Here Christ measureth our loue that we heare toward him by kepyng his word. If we kepe his worde, than loue we hym, but if we kepe it not, than loue we hym nothynge at all. Agen he saythe, I am the vyne, and ye are the braunches. He that abydeth in me,Ioan. xv. & I in hym, bryngeth forth much frute. Let vs not flatter our selues. If we a [...]yde in Christ, we brynge forthe muche frute. If we brynge forth no frute, than abyde we not in Christ. If we abyde not in christ, thā are we none of christes. So followeth it, that as [Page] withered braunches we shall be ga­thered and cast into the fyre,Rom. i [...] & ther burne for euer. S. Paule sayth▪ not they, which heare the lawe are righteous before God, but they that ex­presse the lawe in dedes, shall be co [...] ted righteous. Although no man be able,Marke well so longe as he lyuethe in thys worlde, to fulfyl the law so thorow­ly, as the purite therof requirethe▪ yet is it our offyce to laboure vnto the vttermoost of our power to fulfyll the lawe, and where we per­ceaue, that we are not able to bring to passe w^t so great clennes of hart [...] that, which the spirite of the law requireth, to bewayle our weakenes▪ to desyre strengthe,Rom. x. & to praye vnto God that Christ, whiche is the ende and perfecte fulfyllyng of the law, maye supply that, which wantethe in vs.Rom. vi. Agayne he saythe, we are bu­ryed wythe hym by Baptisme into [Page] death that as Christ is rysen ag [...]n from death thorow the glory of the father, so we shulde walke in a newe lyfe. And a litle after, recount your selues to be dead vnto sinne, but li­uing vnto God thorow Iesus christ our Lorde. Therfore let not synne raygne in youre mortall bodye, for to obey it thorow the lustes therof. Neyther gyue ye your members as instrumētes of vnrighteousnes vn­to synne, but gyue your selfes vnto God, as they that are alyue from death, and gyue youre members as instrumentes of ryghteousnes vn­to God. Agayne in that same chap­ter, as ye haue gyuē your members seruauntes to vncleannes & to ini­quite, euen from one iniquite vnto another, so now gyue your mēbers seruaūtes vnto righteousnes, that ye maye be sanctifyed. All these sen­tences declare vnto vs, howe pure, [Page] innocent and fautles our lyuynge oughte to be. If it be the contrary, our professiō profyteth vs nothyng at al. In another place also he sayth If ony man be in Christ,ii. Cor. v he is a new creature, that is to say, wholly changed frō his olde māners vnto newe. He hath no more fellowshyp wythe the vnfruteful workes of darkenes but so composeth & appoynteth his lyuyng, that he maye appeare to be the lyght of the world.Ephe. v. Math. v. Agayne, they that are of Christ, haue crucifyed y^e flesh with the affectes & lustes ther­of. If we lyue in the spirite, lette vs walk in the spirite.Gala. ii. For the flesh lu­stethe agaynst the spirite, & the spi­rite agaynst the flesh. All they therefore which lyue accordynge to y^e ap­petyte, luste and desyre of the fleshe, pertayne not vnto Christ.Ephe. ii. We are y^e workemanshyppe of God, created in Christe Iesus vnto good worckes, [Page] whiche God hath prepared that we shulde walke in them.Searche the Bancket in the fourthe dyshe. Beholde God is oute maker, & we be made a newe in Christ Iesus vnto good workes. So many therfore as apply not thē selues to do good workes, are not engraffed in Christ, but remayne styll members of Satan.Ephe. iiii. Item, I being presoner, exhorte you in the Lorde, that ye walke worthy your callyng wherin ye are called, with all lowlynes, & mekenes, w^t softenes of mynd sufferynge one another by charite, studyeng to kepe the vnite of y^e spi­rite thorow the bond of peace. Here se we, with what vertues we ought to garnyshe oure lyfe, that we maye walke worthy oure vocacion & cal­lyng. Howe farre than are they out of the waye, whiche defyle them sel­ues wyth all kynde of abhominable vice. Be ye, sayth S. Paule, the fol­lowers of God, as well beloued chyldren, [Page] & walke in loue, [...] as Christ hath loued vs. If it be our duty to [...]e the followers of God, so must we practi­se his goodnes & follow his innocency & purite so muche as lyghethe in our power, or els we are not y^e sōnes of God. Our celestial father is pure & holy, & shal we his chyldrē be pro­phane & vnholy? Our heuily father is good, godly, mercyful, paciēt & al spirite, & shal we hys sōnes be euel, wycked, rigoroꝰ, impaciēt & al flesh? Be ye holy, [...]euit. xix i. Pet. i sayth he, for I am holy. Ye shall be perfecte, sayth Christ, as your heauenly father is perfecte. Moreouer S. Paule wrytethe, Be ye pure,Phil. i and suche as no man can be offended wyth you agaynst the day of Christ, fylled full of the fruyte of ryghteousnes, which chaunseth thorowe Iesus Christ vnto the glory & prayse of God. Agayne, do all thyn­ges without grutchynge and disputacion [Page] beyng such that no man can complayne of you,Phil. ii and pure, the sonnes of God fautles in the myddes of a frowarde and crokedde nacion, amonge whome shyne ye as lyghtes in the worlde, holdyng fast the word of lyfe. It is not without a cause, y^t your newe yeres gyfte teacheth vs to be earnest folowers of good wor­kes, seynge that so great purite and clēnes of lyfe is required of vs. [...]o worthe those fylthye swyne, whiche walowe and tomble them selues in all kynde of fleshly vnclennes, vnto the great slaunder of Christes Gos­pell. Itē.Colos. iii. i. Thes. iiii i. Thes. v Mortify your earthly mē ­bers, whoredome, vncleannes, coue­tousnes. &c. For god hath not called vs vnto vnclennes, but vnto sanctificaciō. All ye are the sōnes of lyght, sayth he, and the sonnes of the day, we are not of the nyghte nor yet of darkenes. Therfore let vs not slepe [Page] as other do, but lette vs watch and be sober. Seyng y^t we are no more y^e worldes, seyng also we haue gyuen ouer Satan and the fleshe, wyth all theyr workes, pompes & plesures, it becommeth vs so to walke in al our lyfe & conuersacion, that we be not found lyke Satans seruaūtes, nor the volupteous worlde lynges, nor yet ony suche, as lyue [...] the flesh and not after the spirite, but pure, clene, honest, fauteles, godly, and as I maye so speake, euen lyke another christ.i. [...]. i. S. Peter also sayth, giue not your selfes to your olde lustes, wher wyth ye were ledde, whan ye knewe not Christ, but as he that called you is holy,Leuit. xix. so be ye also holy ī al your cō uersacion, for it is wrytten, be ye holy, for I am holy. Here are we taught to forsake our olde synfull lyuynge, and to fashon our selues, lyke vnto the manners of God, which is holy, righ­teous, [Page] perfecte, & abundantly good in all thynges. Furthermore saynt Iohn̄ sayth, if we say, that we haue fellowshyp with Christ,i. Ioan. i. & yet walke in darknes, we lye & do not y^e trueth But if we walke in the lyght, as he is in the lyght, we haue felloweshyp one wyth another, and the bloud of Iesus Christ gods owne sonne, ma­keth vs cleane from all synne. This texte prouethe manifestly that we haue no feloweshyp wythe Christ, so long as we walke in darkenes, that is, in synfull lyuynge, agayne, that the bloude of Christe profytethe vs nothyng at all, excepte we walke in the lyght of Gods worde, & laboure to fulfyll hys holye preceptes. For, sayth S. Iohn̄,i. Ioan. ii. by this do we know y^t we haue known hī, if we kepe hys cōmaūdemētes. He y^t sayth, I know hī, & kepeth not hys cōmaūdemētes is a lyare, and the truethe is not in [Page] hym, But he that dothe hys worde, trulye in hym is the loue of God perfecte. By this do we knowe that we are in hym. He that sayth, he abydeth in hym, oughte to walke, euen as he walked. Of this & all the other textes, which I haue hitherto rehearsed, we may easly lear­ne, what is our duty and howe ear­nestly we oughte to seake occasions for to do good. Seyng we are y^e peopeople of God, yea hys peculiare & oute chosen people, we muste nedes shewe oure selues earnest followers of good workes, or elles haue we no fellowshyp wyth Christ. God the father is not oure father, nether are we christes brothers, nor yet fellow heyres wyth hym, if we seake not to lead a godly and vertuous lyfe. Let vs neuer crake of the iustificaciō of fayth, of y^e fre mercy of God, of chri­stes pashō, bloud, death, merites, &c. [Page] we lead a lyfe worthy the kyndenes of God. Lette vs neuer reioyse that we are delyuered from the power of Satā, synne, deth, & hell, for so long as we cōtinue in our olde synnefull lyuynge and wycked manners, we pertayne not vnto Christ, but are y^e bonde slaues of Satan, & very fyre brondes of hell. For as y^e good preste Zachary, father to S. Iohn̄ Bap­tist sayth God hath perfourmed the othe,Luke. [...] whiche he sware to our father Abraham for to gyue vs, that we delyuered out of the hādes of our ene­mies, myght serue hym w^tout feare all the dayes of oure lyfe in holynes & righteousnes. Hereto agreeth the sayng of s. Paule,Heb. ix the bloud of christ whyche thorow the euerlastyng spi­rite, hathe offered hymselfe pure to God, shall pourge youre conscience from dead workes for to serue the lyuynge God. Here learne we, y^t christ [Page] hathe delyuered vs from the power of our enemies that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of oure lyfe. Nowe if ony be not giuen to the seruyse of God, surely he is not free, but abydethe styll the miserable captiue & bonde presoner of his enemies. Let all mē therfore take hede, & prepare thē sel­ues to lede a godly lyfe, y^t they maye be earnest followers of good workes or elles nether theyr baptisme, nor Christ, nor yet ony thyng that euer Christ dyd, shall profytte them ony thynge at all.

O good Lorde, how greatly be many deceued, whi­che put theyr trust in Christ & crake muche of fayth, & yet continue styll abhominable lyuers, thynkyng not with stondynge, all this theyr great wyckednes, to be saued?

To repē taunce, [...]aythe and amendement of lyfe, mercy is neuer denyed. But be [Page] not you deceaued neyghbours.Rom. ii. For not they, whiche heare the lawe, are righteous before god, but they that expresse the law in dedes, shallbe cō ­ted righteous. Be ye the doers of y^e worde, and not the hearers only, de­ceauyng your selfes.Iacob. i.

God gyue vs grace thus to do, that we maye garnysh the doctrine of God our sa­uioure in all thynges.

Amen I beseche the good Lorde.Titus. ii.

Uerely there are many causes, yea & those vrgent and necessary, why Christen men shoulde bryng forth good wor­kes, if they dyd consider theyr voca­ciō & callyng wel.Causes wh [...] we ought to do good workes Fyrst because it is the wyll of God, & God hath cōmaū ded so by his holy worde. For what chylde accōplysheth not his fathers wyll for the loue that he beareth to­warde hym? What seruaunt fulfylleth not his masters cōmaundemēt if he do but onely feare hym▪ Ho [...] [Page] muche more than ought we, w [...]che haue so louynge a fathe [...], and so pu­yssaūt a Lorde and beneficiall a ma­ster, for the loue & [...] [...]ear [...], that we beare toward hym, shewe our [...] obedient to his holy wyll. & ful­fyl it to y^e vttermoost of our power▪ Where ether [...]ear [...] or loue of God is, there must the [...]ulfyllynge of Gods lawe nedes followe.Malach [...] If so doth not, neuer let vs confesse oure selues ey­ther to feare or loue god truly. The sonne honoureth his father, and the seruaunte his Lorde.Math. vii If I than be youre father, where is my honoure▪ And if I be your Lord, where is my feare, sayth y^e Lord or Ho [...]stes? Not euery one that sayth vnto me, Lord Lorde, shall enter into y^e kyngdome of heauen, sayth Christ, but he tha [...] doth the wyll of my father,Math. iii which i [...] in [...]eauen. The holy [...] [Page] bryng forth frutes of repentaunce. And christ sayth, as my father gaue me commaundement,Ioan: x [...] so I do. Agen I haue not spokē of my selfe, but he that sent me, that is to saye, my fa­ther, he gaue me commaundement, what I shoulde do, & what I should speake. A christē man therfore must do good because it is the commaundement and wyll of God.

Secondely, we ought to do good workes, that God may be glorifyed thorowe them, as Christ sayth, Let your light so shyne before men,Ma [...]. v that they may se your good workes, and glorify your father, which is in hea­uen Also S. Peter, se that ye haue as honest conuersacion amonge the Hey then,i. Pet. ii that they, whiche backe by t [...] you a [...] euell doers, may s [...] your good workes, and prayse God in the day of visitacion. For what greater dishonour [...]ther be done to god, thā [Page] to professe the name of God & i [...]no­min [...]usly to deface and obscure the glory of it, thorowe our wycked and vngodly conuersacion? Theyr ru­lars do vnrighteously, sayth y^e lord,Esay. iii. and by this means my name is blas­phemed cōtinually euen all y^e whole daye longe.Roma. ii. S Paule also sayth, the name of GOD is euell reported for you among the Hethen. Agen, what greater honour can there be gyuē to God of vs, thā to lede a godly lyfe, & to expresse the manners and lyuysh Image of our heuenly father in all our lyfe. By the one, God is dishonored, by the other, he is greatly hono­red, praysed and magnified.

Thyrdely, it is oure dutye to do good workes, that we maye be certē that our fayth is right, true, lyuysh and workynge. For as there is not a more certen argument & sure tokē that a tree is good, thā by bringing [Page] [...]orth good [...]te, so is ther not a better probaciō, that our fayth is true [...] than whan we worke the wyll of God, and brynge forthe the sentes of the spirite.Note whan we haue the true fayth Whā we worke the wyll of God, and fashon our lyfe [...]rdynge to the rule of Christes gospell, than may we be certen that [...]ur sayth is ryght, and that we are the sonnes of God, & fellowe enheri­t [...]rs w^t Iesus Christ. Nether nede [...]e doubte of ony thynge, that God hathe promised in his holy scriptu­ [...], but beleue stedfastly, y^t we shall [...]aue al thīges accordīg to hys pro­mises, in asmuch as we bryng forth the frutes of faythe. But if we lyue [...] carnally, and do the fylthy wor­ [...] of the [...], as drōckeshyp, whore [...], theafte, couetousnes. amp;c. than [...] we no cause to reioyse, nor yet [...] of our faythe. For the true [...] the great & maruelous [Page] thynges, as we maye se in Abrahā, whiche truly beleued in God, & therfore wroughte many godly workes. He obeyed the word of God,Gene. xx.x [...]ii. he lefte hys owne natiue countrey, he was contented at the commaundement of God to kyll & offer hys owne sōne & to what soeuer the spiri [...]e of God moued hym to do. Of this nature are so many as truely beleue. They y^t thus worcke not, haue not Abra­hams fayth, neyther are they y^e son­nes of Abraham. For Christ sayd to the Iewes, if ye were the sonnes of Abraham, ye woulde do [...] workes of Abrahā.Ioan. viii. Therfore after that we are persuaded of the goodnes of god towarde vs, and beleue f [...]ythfully, y^t god for his promises sak [...], which h [...] hath made vs in christe [...] be boūteous and mercifull vnto vs, we must note that the scr [...]pture cō ­maundeth workes to be dne of the [Page] faythfull. For after that we be once iustifyed by fayth before GOD, we must expresse that faythe, whiche is knowne to god alone, by externall & outward workes, y^t we may appere [...]ghteous both before God & man. Nether is there ony better sygne, or more manifest argument, as I sayd before y^t our fayth is rygh [...], true & lyueth, than whan it produceth and bryngeth for the good workes, euen [...]s there is not a more manifest pro­bacion, that a tree is good, than by the bryngynge forth of good frute. I faythfull man therfore is not cō ­pared without a cause of the Psal­mographe,Psal. i. to a tree planted by the ryuers syde, which bryngeth forthe [...] fruyte in due season. I beynge [...] a frtefull Olyue tree, saythe Dauid,Psal. ii. in the house of GOd, haue trusted in the mercy of god for euer [...] euer. A christen man is compa­red [Page] to a grene Olyue, for he is euer full of fruyte and neuer barren, all waye grene & neuer seare, [...]er wor­kyng, and neuer idle. He y^t truly be­leueth, hath no nede of lawes to cō ­pell hym to do good workes,i. [...]. i as the scripture sayth, the lawe is not gy­uen vnto a ryghteous man, but vnto the vnrighteous & disobediēt. &c. For of hys owne fre wyll (s [...] lyuyshe and myghty in operacion i [...] faythe) whan God gyuethe an occasion, he wyll bryng forth good workes, euen the frutes of faythe vnto [...]he glory of God and the health of h [...]s neyghbour. The sonnes of God are not cō tent to syt ydle,Chrysostōe sayth Chri [...]ostome, but the spirite prouokethe them to take some great and commendable worke in hande. Hereto agreeth the sayenge of S. Gregory,Gregory. The loue of GOD is neuer idle, for it worketh great thynges, if it be y^e loue of God [Page] in dede, but if it cease the to worcke, than is it no loue. The vnfaythfull is lyke vnto a dead stocke, which brī geth forth no frute at all, but is vnprofitable altogyther, and therfore shall he be hewen downe and cast in­to hell fyre.Math. iii. To be shorte in this matter, they that are frutefull & bryng forthe good workes, pertayne vnto the chyrche of God, and they whych are vnfrutefull, and bryng forth no good workes, belong vnto y^e chyrche of the Dyuell (for there is a double chyrche) and shall be cursed as the [...]ygge tree was.Math. xxi.

Fortely, we ought to do good wor [...]es, that we may wynne our neygh [...]our also vnto Christ,i. Pet. iii. as S. Peter [...]ryteth: you wiues be ye obediēt to our husbandes, y^t they also, whiche [...]hey not the worde, maye be wonne [...]y the conuersacion of theyr wyues [...]ythout the worde, whyle they consydre [Page] your chaste and pure conuer­sacion ioyned wyth reuerence. For as christ came not īto thys world to wynne the fauoure of hys eternall father for hymself, but what so euer he dydde, was done for vs, so in lyke māner what so euer we do, we must do it also for oure neyghboures to wynne thē vnto Christ, to make th / [...] professours of Christes Gospell, an [...] the perfecte chyldrē of GOD our father. Let that same affecciō be in you, saythe S. Paule, that was in Christ Iesus, whyche beynge in the shape of God, thought it no robber to be equall wythe God. Neuerthe­lesse he made hymselfe of no reputacion, and toke on hym the shape of [...] seruaunt, and became lyke vnto in & was founde in the figure as a mā He humbled hym selfe & be [...]ame obe [...]dient vnto the death, euē the death of the crosse.

[Page]Fyftely we must do good workes, that the mouthes of y^e vngodly may be stopped,i. Petre. ii. as S. Peter sayth, thys is the wyll of God, that by well do­yng ye shulde stoppe the mouthes of folysh and ignorant parsonnes. Do all thynges wythout murmurynge and disputyng,Phili. ii. sayth S. Paul, that ye maye be fautlesse and pure, and the sonnes of God wythout rebuke in the myddes of a croked & peruerse nacion, among whome, se y^t ye shyne as lyghtes in the worlde, holdynge faste the worde of lyfe. Uerely if it ware euer expedient, that Christen mē shoulde lede a godly lyfe, it is at thys tyme moost necessary. For whā the aduersaries of Goddes trueth se them y^t professe the Gospell of Christ lyue dissolutely, not fast, not praye, not gyue almes, not mortify the af­fectes of the fles [...]he, but lead a more vngodly lyfe, thā the other sorte do, [Page] than blaspheme they the gospel, thā call they the worde of God heresye, than hate they extremely, persecute presonne, condemne and vtterly destroye so many as clea [...] purely to y^e doctrine of christ. And all this come to passe thorowe the wyckednes and vngodly conuersacion of the grosse Gospellers, the raylyng readers of the scripture, the [...]aye l [...]ke ianglers of Gods worde, and br [...]yneles bab­lers of y^e gospell, whych [...]able muche of gods trueth, and yet [...]yue no part therof. Oh what a great hinderaūs is this to goddes moo [...] holy word [...] God giue vs grace, both to loue and lyue the gospell.

Finally we ought to do good workes, seynge it is none [...]nprofitable seruice, neyther shal our laboure be loste in so doynge, but we shall hyghly be rewarded for doynge of them, not only in thys world [...], but muche [Page] [...] plēteously in y^e worlde to come:Math. v. Reioyse and be mery, saythe Christ to all that do good workes, for great is your rewarde in heauen. Agayne he that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, he shall receaue the rewarde of a Prophet. And he y^t receauethe a ryghteous man in the name of a righteous man,Math. x Luke. x. he shall receaue y^e rewarde of a righteous mā. And who so euer shal gyue to one of these lytle ones a cuppe of colde water to dryncke onely in the name of a disciple,Ma [...]. ix. Gala. vi. verely I saye vnto you, he shall not loose his rewarde. Also in another place, who so euer shal giue to you a cuppe of water to dryncke in my name, because ye are of Christ [...]erely I saye vnto you, he shall not loose his rewarde. Euery man shall beare his owne burdē.ii. Cor. v. Al of vs must stonde opēly before y^e iudgyng place of Christ, y^t euery one maye receaue [Page] accordynge to that, [...]. xiiii. whiche he dydde whan he was alyue, whyther it be good o [...] euell. Christ the sonne of mā shall come in the glory of his father wyth his Aungelles, [...] and than shall he gyue to euery one accordynge to theyr workes. The hour commethe in the whiche all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of Christ, [...] & they that haue done good, shal come forth into the resurreccion of lyfe, & they that haue done euel into the resurreccion of damnacion. To them that haue done the workes of mercy shall euerlastynge glory be gyuen at the day of iudgement, [...] & to y^e vnmer­cifull, eternall damnacion. So that they which do good workes in thys worlde, shall receaue a glorious and euerlastynge rewarde in the worlde to come. [...] Of this had [...]. Paule a cer­ten assuraūce, whan he sayd, I haue [...]ought a good fyghte, and haue ful­fylled [Page] my course, and haue kepte the sayth. From henseforth is layde vp for me a crowne of ryghteousnesse, whyche the Lorde, y^t is a ryghteous Iudge, shall gyue me at that daye, not to me onelye, but vnto all them, that loue his commynge.

Thus muche haue I spokē cōcer­nynge good workes, & here haue ye now your new yeres gyft cōplete & ꝑfecte.

Blyssed be God for thys our new yeres gyfte, which is more precious thā golde, perle, & precious stone, god mought gyue you an hea­uēly gyfte for this your newe yeres gifte, wherw^t this day ye haue enryched vs.

The christē loue & tēder affecciō, wherw^t I loue you all, hath moued me to do, that I haue done. If I haue done you ony pleasure to the reioysyng of your spirite, I am glad. If I haue not in al poyntes satisfyed your desyre & expectaciō, yet [Page] accepte my good wyll. For he is not altogyther to be blamed, whiche en­tendeth well, although all thynges do not thorowlye answere to his intent. Well neyghbours I wyll now knyt vp in few wordes, that I haue sponne in many, & shewe you breue­ly the whole effecte of your new ye­res gyfte. Ye haue learned, y^e Christ is the gyfte of God, frely gyuen you of God the father for your newe yeres gyfte. [...] So that not only he, but all that euer he hath, in asmuche as he is man, is ours, his fastyng, watchyng, prayenge, hys mercye, good­nes, purite, innocency, hys pashon, bloude, deathe, resurreccion, and all y^t euer he hath besydes. All is [...]ures. God hath gyuen vs all thyng with hym, as S. Paule sayth. This gyft of God Christ our new yere [...] gyfte hath appeared no more by ty [...]es,Rom. viii. fi­gures, clowdes and shadowes, but [Page] in his flesh.Heb. iiii. He hath taken flesh of y^e moost holye and pure virgine Ma­ry and is become very man for oure sake, lyke vnto vs in al thynges, syn alone excepte. And y^t we maye [...] that he is a precious gyfte vnto vs, he bryngeth helth vnto all menne,Ioh [...]l. [...]. Act. ii Rom x. Act. [...]. not onely vnto the Iewes, but also to the Gentiles, so that who so euer calleth on the name of the Lorde, he shall be saued, be he Ieweor Gētile, free or bonde, noble or vnnoble. For he is thalone sauiour. None saueth but he alone, nether is there ony saluaciō but in hym alone, nor yet ony name gyuē vnto men vnder heauē wherin they muste be saued, but in his name alone. Moreouer ye haue lerned that he is not only a sauiour & bryngeth saluacion to al men, but he is also a scholemaster vnto vs. For he teacheth vs, y^t fyrst we shulde deny vngodlynes & worldly lustes, [Page] and afterwarde lyue soberly, rygh­teously and godlye in thys [...]esent world. What so euer vice hath reyg [...]ned in vs ī times past, we must now vtterly put it awaye fr [...]m vs, were it Idolatry, false worsh [...]ppynge of God, supersticion, confidence in ce­remonies, despisyng of Gods word, swearyng by hys moost blyssed na­me, brekīg of y^e saboth d [...]y, &c. or els vnclēnes, carnall affectes, worldly lustes, dyuellysh mociōs, whordome theafte, couetousnes, dronckēshyp, glotonny, wrathe, contenciō, bloud sheddynge, &c. and ga [...]nysshe oure lyues wythe all kynde of vertues,Gala [...]. sobriete, iustice, godlynes, purite, innocency, pacience, longe sufferynge, charite, peace, goodnes, fayth, tem­peraunce, mekenes, and wyth al the [...] other frutes of the spirite, that [...] good consciences and fre hartes we maye looke for that blessed hope and [Page] glorious appearyng of y^e great God & our sauiour Iesus Christ, whiche wyllyngely and wythout ony com­pulsion gaue, no aungell nor man, but hym selfe for vs, to redeme vs from all vnrighteousnes, that is to saye, from all synne, [...]oth originall, mortal, veniall, or ony other, so that we repente, beleue, aske marcye and amende our synfull lyuyng, and to pourge vs a peculiare people vnto hymselfe, to do hym seruyce & none other, and euen suche, as wythoute any fayning or cloked holynes shuld be earneste followers, not of theyr [...] wylles, fansys and fleshly ple­sures, but of good workes, euē such workes as God commaundeth and [...] accepted be fore hym, & not such [...]s dame Good entent, and her self or [...] zele imaginethe and [...] of theyr own braynes without [...]he authorite of Goddes worde.

[Page]Thus haue ye neighbours in [...] workes, that ye receaued before in many. What nowe re [...]yneth, but that, seyng God the father hath shewed vs so great kyndenesse by hys sonne Iesus Christ, we do, as y^e new yeares gyfte teacheth vs, that is [...] saye, deny vngodlynes and [...] lustes, lyue soberly, righteously and godly in thys present [...]ld, and be earnest followers of good workes▪ we may with a good conscience and mery harte looke for y^e blyssed hope and glorious apperyng of the great God and our sauiour Iesus Christ. Remēber that to be called a christ [...] man anauayleth no thyng, except [...] we lyue accordyng to our name and profession. Remember that to rede the scriptures, & to haue the know­ledge of them, profyteth nothyng at all, excepte we fashon our lyfe [...] ­dyng to the doctrine therof. Remē ­ber [Page] that to crake of sayth & of oure [...]ustificacion by it, is nothing to the purpose, except we brynge forth the frutes of fayth. Remember that to glory of our saluacion purchased by Christ auaylethe nothynge, excepte me chaunge our olde lyuyng and become newe men. Remember that al the benefites of christ serue only for them, whych repent, beleue and lead a godly and innocent lyfe. All other as they haue no parte of christ, so remayne they styl y^e bond captiues of Satā, and shall, if they amend not, be committed vnto hel fyre for euer more. Therfore neyghboures take bede, refuse not to walke in y^e lyght of Goddes worde. Walke whyle ye haue lyght, lest darkenes ouerwhel­me you. Whyle ye haue lyghte beleue in the lyght,Ioan. xii. that ye maye be the chyldrē of lyght. Whyle ye haue tyme, do good vnto all men. Nyght [Page] shall come, whā no man shall be able to worke. Now is the tyme of grace now is the tyme of health.Esaye. xlix. [...]. Cor. vi. Math. xx. Math. xxv. Therfore neyghbours stonde not idle all day, worke manfully in the Lordes vine yearde. Be not lyke vnto that vn­profitable seruaunt, whyche hydde vp the treasure of hys master in the grounde, vnlesse ye be caste into the vtter darkenes, where wepyng and gnasshyng of teth shal be, but apply the talēt,Math. xxi. Marke. xi. that ye haue receaued vn­to the glory of god and the profyt of your neighbour. Be not barren and vnfrutful as the fyg tree was, vn­lesse ye also be cursed.Math. xxv. Be not lyke y^e fyue [...]olysh virgins, whych had lampes & no oyle in thē, & therfore could not they enter into the mariages w^t y^e Brydegrōe, but were speared out. Be not lyke y^e grosse & vnthākful Iewes,Exod. xvi.xvii. Num. xx. which whā they were delyue­red out of Egypt y^e house of bōdage, [Page] desired to be ther agen amōg y^e grecy [...]esh pottes. Be not lyke to Lothes wyfe,Gene. xix. whiche looked backe vnto the [...]ylthy Sodomites, but be lyke vn­to Christ, and so many as be the fol­lowers of hym,i. Cor. xi. Titus. ii. Philip. i. as S. Paule sayth, Be ye the followers of me, as I am of Christ. Be earnest followers of good workes. Walke worthy y^e gos­pell of Christ, and so shewe your sel­ues faythefull in all thynges, that ye may garnysh the doctrine of god oure sauioure. What shulde I saye more vnto you? Be faythfull vnto the deathe,Apoc. ii. that the crowne of lyfe maye be giuē vnto you. For he that continuethe vnto the ende, he shall be safe. And here also I make an end desyryng you by the rēder marcyes of God,Roma. xii. ii. Cor. vi. and by the precious bloude of Iesus Christ our Sauiour, that ye receaue not the grace of God in vayne, but so behaue your selues in [Page] all thynges, as it becomethe the ser­uauntes of GOD. So maye ye be sure to receaue the crowne of lyfe,Iaco. [...] whyche the Lorde hath promised to so many as loue hym. Amen. Nowe neyghbours here haue ye your new yeares gyfte, although homely, yet godly. If it had lyghen in my power better to haue gyuen you, better ye shoulde haue had. But I praye you accepte my good wyl for this tyme. If God at another tyme gyue me better, be ye sure, that ye shall not want youre parte of it.

Neygh­bour Philemon we thāke your right hartely, and we agayne vnto the vttermoost of oure power, gyue bothe our selues and all that euer we haue vnto you, not only to desyre but al­so to commaund.

I knowe the good hartes of you all towarde me. I praye you vouchesafe to come w^t me into my haull, & we wyll dryncke [Page] [...]d be mery togyther in GOD, as [...] tyme of the yeare and the com­mon custome require.

We followe you gladly. Blys­sed be GOD for our newe yeres gyft. CHRISTOPHER AMEN.