Newes out of heauen both pleasaunt [and] ioyfull, lately set forth to the great co[n]solacion [and] co[m]forte of all christen me[n]. By Theodore Basille.

Newes out of heauen both pleasaunt [and] ioyfull, lately set forth to the great co[n]solacion [and] co[m]forte of all christen me[n]. By Theodore Basille.

Table of contents

Title page

§

¶To the ryght worshypful Maister George Pierpount. Theodore Basille wissheth continual health and prosperous felycite.

The newes out of Heauen.

¶Gabriel the Aungel and Embassadour of god speaketh.

¶A brefe rehersall of all those thynges that go before.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

Newes out of heauen both pleasaunt & ioyfull, lately set forth to the great cōsolacion▪ & cōforte of all christen mē. By Theodore Basille. ✚

Roma. 10.

¶O how beautyful are the feete of thē, which brīg ye glad tydīges of peace & shewe good and mery newes?

§

§

[Page]

Ioan. 7.

¶My doctryne is not myne, but his that sent me. If any man wyll do his wyll, he shall knowe of the doctryne, whether it be of God, or whether I speke of my selfe▪ He that speaketh of him selfe, seaketh his owne prayse. But whosoeuer seketh his prayse yt sent hym, he is true, & no vnryghteousnes is in hym.

Ioan. 8.

[...] that is of God, heareth the wordes of God.

Ioan. 18.

Euery one that is of the truth, heareth my voyce.

¶To the ryght worshypful Maister George Pierpount. Theodore Basille wissheth continual health and prosperous felycite.

[Page]

IF wyth studious & attēt myndes we reade y• moost sacred scriptures markyng wel such thī ges as make to our informacion, learnynge, erudicion, & [...]n [...]ease of deuyne knowledge, we shal easely & without any difficulte perceaue that among al other vertues & fruytes of ye spirite, Christe [...]ur LORDE & Sauiour exhortethe [...]s vnto none so moche as to loue & [...]harite.Loue is the cognisaunc [...] & [...]age where by christꝭ seruauntes a [...] knowen. In thys thynge sayeth he, [...]hal al mē know that ye are my dys [...]iples, yf one of you loue another: [...]s though he should say,Iohan. xiii. other mēs [...]eruaūtes are knowē by theyr maysters [Page] cognisaūces, I wil also y• you whych are my disciples be knowne by my cognisaunce in lyke maner, whych is loue comminge oute of a pure herte,i. Timoth. i. and a good cōsiēce, and a fayth not fayned.

And as Christ hym selfe dyd inculke & beate in nothyng so moche, as pure loue and feruēt charite, so dyd the Prophetes & Apostles in al theyr sermons & wrytinges, aboue all thinges exhorte men to mutual loue, yea & yt vnfayned as we maye se in theyr prophecies & Epistles, in somoch that S. Paule sayth, [...]. Cor. xiii. that though he could speake wt the tonges of mē & aungles, & yet had no loue, he were euē as soūdyng brasse or as a tinglyng cymbal. And though he could prophecie & vnde [...] stond al secretes & al knowledge, and had al fayth so that he coulde moue moūtaynes oute of theyr places [Page] & had not loue, he were nothīg, And though he bestowed al his goodes to fede the poore, yea & though he gaue his body euen to be burnt, & yet had no loue it profyteth hym nothynge.wtout charite nothīg pleasethe God. The excellencye of thys christen loue muste nedes be great & inestimable, seynge that wtout it no thing is acceptable in the syght of God, though it be iudged of the world to be a worke of neuer so hye and singulare meryte.

Of this loue christ dyd prophecy that it shoulde waxe colde in y• hartes of many nowe these last dayes,Mat. xxiiii. & that wickednes should abound & [...] plentuous. Certes accordyng to hys prophecy, whyche euer is true. [...]n asmoche as he is the selfe trueth [...] cā not lye,Ioan. xiiii. is it come to passe. For [...]f we consyther wel the maners of [...]en at thys present,Titum. i. we shal wtout [...]oubte easely perceaue that thys [Page] chrystē loue towarde God and our neyghbour reygneth but in the hertes of a few. And that they haue no thynge lesse than that true & workyng fayth, which the holy scriptures cōmēd so hyghly in euery place. For the christen fayth worketh by charite, [...]ll [...]. v. sayeth saynt Paule. Nowe in asmuch as the fayth, wher of so many hoste nowe a dayes, worketh not this charite or loue in them, it is manifest & an euident argumēt, that theyr fayth, [...]. ii. as S. Iames calleth it, is a dead fayth, ye is, a fayth in name but not in dede. Yf there were true & liuish fayth, thā would it worke loue in theyr hertes, both toward God & theyr neighboures. Agayne,Roma. xv. if ther were such a law as is the fulfyllynge of the loue,i. Timo. i. than wold it whan tyme requireth,Psal. i. and an occasyon is gyuen, shewe forth it selfe by eternall operacyon. Who [Page] can iustly affyrme y• he loueth God, & yet worketh not his wyll, nor yet walketh not in ye waye of hys moost godly cōmaundementes, he y• sayth I knowe hym, & kepeth not his cō maundement sayeth saynte Ihon,i. Ioh. ii. is a lier, & the trueth is not in him. But he that kepeth his worde, truly in him is ye loue of God perfecte. Agayne thys is ye loue of God that we kepe his cōmaundementes. Beholde S. Ihon sayth, [...] that the loue of God is in none, but in them only whiche do his wyll. Neyther do Christes sayenges dyffer from this: If ye loue me,Ioh. xliii. sayeth he, kepe my cō maundemētes. He that hath my cō maundementes & kepeth thē, he it is that louethe me. If ony man loueth me,Ioh. xv he wyll kepe my word. He that loueth not me, kepethe not my wordes. If ye kepe my commaūdementes, ye shall abyde in my loue. [Page] Ye are my freendes, yf ye do theyse thynges y• I cōmaunde you. Christ sayeth here playnely,He louethe Christ that kepeth hys worde. that whosoeuer hath an herty & precordial loue toward hym, kepeth his cōmaundementes: but yf any do the contrary, surely he loueth not christ. How than may theyse men be recounted & iudged to loue Christ, whan they go not about to fulfyll one poynte of his worde?

Hys worde is that they shoulde loue him wt all theyr herte,Exod xx. Deut. vi. Mat. xxii. Philip. iii. mynde, soule & strēgth but in ye stede of him they loue them selues, theyr carnall pleasures & wordely vanyties, the ende wherof is dampnacion.Deut. v.

His word is that they should honour & reuerence Gods moost holy & blessed name,Of swerīg [...]ote. but they omittynge the iuste honour of it, blaspheme it, rayle on it, & wickedly sweare by it to ye great defasynge of gods glory, [Page] so muche as lyeth in theyr power. For thorowe theyr wickednesse the name of god is styl blasphemed,Esai. vi. railed vpon,Eze. xxxvi. & euel spoken of,Roma. ii. as the holy scriptures saye. Yf christen princes do not shortely fynde some remedy to exyle & banysh thys moost detestable, haynous,Would god [...] it myghte once come to passe. & abhomynable maner of swearyng out of theyr realmes. Certes it is to be feared, yea we may be certayne, that God wyl powre out vpon vs his vengeaūce & plage vs greuously, although we haue not wanted, nor yet dayly do, dyuers tokens of hys fearce anger toward vs, & yet do we not repēt & amend.Psal. vii. God is a ryghteous iudge, & God is euer threatenyng. Yf mē wyll not turne, he wyll whette hys sweard, bend his bowe and make it redy. He wyll prepare him the weapons o [...] [...]ath, & orden his arrowes to [...].

[Page] Agayne his worde is,Deut. v. What it is to sunctify y• sabbothe daye. that they shoulde sanctify the Sabboth day, that is, so to temperate thēselues & abstayne from wycked lustes, that they maye quietly mediate in gods lawe, read the holy scriptures, giue them selues to deuyne contēplaciō, talke of serious matters, praye to God for grace, gyue hym thanckes for his benefytes, visyte the sycke & cōfortles, & continually be gyuē to the workes of y• spiryte. But what do they lesse? the moost sacred & holy Byble (thankes be to God which hath brought these thīges to passe, by hys dearely beloued seruaunt & our kynge Hēry the eyght, a prince of famous renowne & mortall glory, whose graces hyghnes I mooste humbly beseche almyghtye God, in whose handes the harte of [...]uerye kyng is, lyke as are y• ryuers of water, to turne it whyther so euer it [Page] shall be his pleasure, to beutyfye wt the benefyte of ꝑpetuall helth, that his moost excellent maiesty liuing here among vs his faythfull subiectes the yeares of auncient Nestor or sage Tythonus, maye styl continually auaunce, promote, & let vp Christes moste blessed gospel, to the glorye of God, the saluacion of hys subiectes soules, the immortalytye of hys graces mooste noble renowne, & the vtter confusyon of Antechrist and his kyngdome) the moost sacred & holy Byble,The holy bible frely permitted to be [...]eade in the Englyshe tonge. I saye, is nowe had amonge vs in our vulgare tonge, & frely permytted to be read of all men vniuersallye, at tymes conueniēt wythout any let or perturbacion, euē in the churches, but howe many reade it? Uerely a man may come into some churches & se y• Byble so enclosed and wrapped about with dust, euē as y• Pulpet [Page] in lyke maner is bothe wt duste & coppe webbes, that with his fynger he maye wryte vpon the Byble this Epitaphe.Iob. vii. Ecce nunc in puluere dor mio. Deut. viii. So lytle plesure haue these fylthy swyne & currish dogges in that mooste sweate & synguler treasure,Math. iiii. which is the meate of the soule,Ephe. vi. the swearde of y• spirite,Prouer. iii. the tree of lyfe, the lanterne to our fete,psal. [...]xviii. & the lyght to our pathes,Psal. xviii. whiche also turneth soules,Iacob. i. gyuethe wisdome, euen vnto babes, reioysethe the herte, gyueth lyght vnto the eyes, & is able to saue the soules eyther of the readers or hearers, yf they seriouslye folowe it. O cruell murtherers of theyr owne soules.Ioan. iii. Uerely this is the cōdēnaciō that ye lyght is come into the world, & mē loue the darkenes more then the lyghte, for theyr workes are euell. Who so euer doth euell hatethe the lyghte, and commeth [Page] not to the lyghte, y• his dedes should not be reproued: but he that doth y• trueth, cōmeth to y• lyghte, y• his workes maye be knowen y• they are done by God.be ware therfore betimes Uerely I thynke the wrathe of god to be so whot agaynst vs, y• excepte we shortely repent, & receyue this glorious lyght of christes most blessed gospel which nowe is come amonge vs, wt more thākefull hertes thā we haue done hytherto, God wyll surely take it away againe frō vs, & throw vs īto more blynd darkenes than euer we were inuolued & wrapped ī before. He loued cursyng,Psa. lcviii. sayth y• Psalmographe, & it shal come vnto him He would not haue the blessing, & therfore shal it be farre from hym.Math. xx [...]. The kyngdom of god shalbe taken from you sayeth Christ, & shalbe gyuē to such as shal brynge forth the fruytes of it. Suche as thus wyckedly [Page] despyse Gods word, are lyke to the old ydolaters & vngodly rebellyōs the Iewes,Num. xxi. whiche had rather be in Egypt among y• gresy flesh pottes, than to be in the seruyce of god eatyng Manna y• celestial & Aungels foode.Psal. cv. But as they for theyr disobedient & vnthākeful hertes were extremelye punyshed, so shall theyse wycked Hypocrites except with al hast they repent & turne.

And as they are necligēt in re [...] dyng y• holy scriptures, so are they also in deuout meditacion & feruēt prayer.Math. vi. They are cōmaunded they say, to pray ī secret verely, many of thē pray so secretly, y• neyther God nor mā knowe any thynge at all of theyr prayer, o new kind of prayēg.

Howe they vysite the poore & cō fortles according to Gods precept,Mat. xxv. I [...]cob. i▪ theyr dayly maners do shew: for to the ale house & tauernes rōne they [Page] as flockes of shepe vpō y• Sōdayes and other holy dayes, so sone as seruyce is done, yea many before it is begone, because they are loth for to come to late, wher they eate, drīke, swyl, gul, bāket, ly & swere tyl they be more lyke bruite beastes thē mē. Yf they haue a ghostly & learned curate,O vnthākeful ꝑsons. which accordynge to his office would be glad to teach thē ye wyl of God, hym do they hate, they wysshe the pulpyt a colepyt. They thynke it a hūdreth yeare, yf he preachethe but halfe an houre, so litle pleasure haue these asse heades in hearynge the gloryous & blessed word of god.

And wher as they should spēd al theyr talke on godlynes,Ephe. iiii. Col [...]. iiii. & suffer no fylthy comunicaciō to procede out of theyr mouthes, theyr whole talk is nothīg els thā lasciuious, wātō, & vncleanly wordes, hurting greatly the chaste eares of other.

[Page] And as for theyr pastymes, they are such as rather moue & entise to dishonesty than honesty. What shal we nowe saye?Mat. xxiii. Is not the loue of many colde, accordinge to Christes prophecy? All seke theyr owne & not that which is Iesus christes.Philip. i [...]. They loue the glory of men,Ioan. xii. more thē the glory of God. Thus se we that they haue no loue towarde GOD. For though they say y• they knowe god, yet wt theyr dedes they denye hym, for so much as they are abhominable & disobedient,Titum. i. and vnmete to all good workes.

Nowe seynge that theyr loue is so colde toward God, what is to be thought of theyr loue toward their neyghbour? which necessarely folowethe of the loue of God.Note. Can floudes of water cōtinually flowe oute of a place, where there is no heade sprynge? Neyther can ye true & christen [Page] loue towarde our neyghboure be in that herte, whiche is wtout all loue of God.i. Ioh. v▪ S. Iho [...] ̄ sayeth, whoso euer loueth hym that begat, loue hym also whyche was begotten of hym. It foloweth therfore that for asmuch as they loue not god, as we haue heard before, neyther do they loue his creature. For yf they dyd loue the creature of God. I meane theyr neighbour surely, they would expresse it by externall operacion & outward dedes. Colde is that fyre, yea rather there is no fyre, which cō tayneth not in it y• vertu & strēgth of burnyng. Sēblably cold is that loue, yea rather it is no loue whiche contayneth not in it the vertu and strength of workynge. The preest & Leuyte (as we read in the gospel of Luke) sawe a man which was robbed & woūded so greuously that he was left half dead,Luke. x. yet they moued [Page] with no cōpassion toward him. passed by, & helped nothyng his miserable state. But a Samaritane commyng that waye, & seynge the woū ded mā in so great misery, sorowe & payne, was streyght wayes moued with pitie, & commynge vnto hym, bounde vp hys woundes tenderly, powred in oyle & wyne, & layd hym vpon his beaste, brought hym into an Inne, and made prouyson for hym. Nowe chaunsed it. y• all they thre seynge this man in suche miserable case, were not alyke moued to helpe this mā?To lo [...]e y• we haue toward god, maketh vs to loue our neyghbour The preest & Leuite were mercylesse, the Samarytane was mercyfull. Uerely in the Samaritane was y• loue of god, whiche excited & moued him agayn to shew loue towarde his neyghbour. But in the preest & Leuyte was ther no loue toward god, therfore had they no pytie & cōpassiō vpō theyr neighbour. [Page] So y• where the loue of God wanteth, ther can the loue of oure neyghboure haue no place. And to saye y• trueth, I thynke surely that accordinge to Christes prophecy, y• loue of manye was neuer so colde, For whan was there euer so many fayre wordes,Mat. xxliii. Of dissimulacion. Psa. xi. & so much dissimulacioon? who can at this daye vnfaynedly know his frende frō his [...]? al trueth is vtterly decayd among the chyldren of mē. Euery one speaketh lyes to theyre neyghbour, theyr lyppes are deceytfull, they speake one thynge & thynke an other.Iere. [...]. In theyr mouthe they speake peace wt theyr frend, & yet secretely they lay in wayte for him,Iere. [...]. They stretch out theyr tonge as a bowe of lying, and not of trueth. As the folowers lay snares to take byrdes, so do they laye snares & trappes to take men. And as the trappe is full of byrdes [Page] so are theyr houses full of disceyte. Nowe is the tyme come that Christ speaketh of in the holy gospel. The brother (sayeth he) shall betray the brother vnto the deathe,Math. x. y• father y• sonne, & the chyldren shall aryse aagaynst theyr fathers & mothers, & shal putte them to deathe.Mat. xxvi. Manye are become ryght Iudasies, that is frendes in pretence, & extreme enemyes in theyr workes, so y• almoost no man knowethe whome he maye truste & take for his frende. It shall therfore become al mē to folow the admonicion of the Prophete Ieremy,Iere. ix. which sayeth: Let euery mā be ware of his neyghboure, & put hys affyance & trust ī none of al his brothers. For euery brother wyll supplant & deceyue, & euery frend wyll walke deceytfully, so yt one brother shal mocke another, and not speake trueth: For they haue taught their [Page] tonge to speake lyes, & studyed very ernestly to do wyckedly. Here to pertayneth the sayeng of the Prophete Miche:Miche. vii. Kepe the secretes of thy mouth from her that slepeth in thy bosome, for ye sonne shall worke the father displeasure, & the doughter shall ryse agaynst her mother, & the doughter in lawe agaynste her mother in lawe, & a mannes owne houshold and familyars shalbe his mooste enemyes. Thus se we what loue ther is nowe a dayes amonge men.

Agayne what vnmercyfulnesse reygneth amōg men at this tyme?Of vnmer [...] fulnes. Howe slenderly are the poore members of Christ prouyded for nowe a dayes? Howe do they go about frō dore to dore lamētyng & expressyng with dolorous & sorowful wordes, theyr to muche wretched & miserable state, & yet no man pitieth thē? [...] [Page] ter, thefte & whoredome haue ouerflowed the world, & bloud hath towched bloud. But to be shorte in this behalfe,Ia [...]ob. ii. let vs knowe that the iugement shalbe wtout mercy to hym yt wyll shew no mercy.Math. v. Math. xxv Let vs also be assured that as the mercyefull shall obtayne mercy, so shall the vnmercifull receyue euerlastyng dānacion.

Moreouer what couetousnesse raygneth amonge men at this present tyme?Of couetousnes. Howe ioyne they house to house,Esai. v londe to londe, ferme vnto ferme, pasture to pasture, so longe as any is to be gotten, as thoughe they shoulde dwell vpon the earthe alone.Ieremy. vi &. viii. From the leest to the mooste, they hange all vpō couetousnesse, & frō the Prophete to the preest, they go all about with falsehode & lyes. They are shameles dogges that be neuer satified.Esai. lvi. Euery one foloweth his owne couetous appetyte, euen [Page] frō the hyghest to the lowest. They receyue gyftes to shed bloud.Eze. xxii. Sopho. iii They take vsury & encrese. They oppresse theyr poore neyghbours by extorcion. They are lyke rauenīg wolues to shed bloud & to destroy soules for theyr couetous lucre. They heape vp other mens goodes.Aba [...]uck. ii They lade thē selues with thycke claye. They couetouslye gather togyther euell gotten goodes into theyr houses, yt they maye set theyr neste on hye to escape frō ye power of mysfortune.

The are rycthe,Marke. x. not to God, but to the world.Psal. xxxviii They heape vp treasure and yet knowe they not for whome they gather it. They do so abound in all kynde of rytches, yt theyr goodes be corrupte.Iacob. v. Theyr garmentes are motheaten, theyr golde & theyr syluer are cāckred, & the rust of thē shalbe a wytnes agaynst thē, & shal eate theyr flesshe as it were fyre. [Page] And yet for all theyr greate aboundans, mercy shewe they none to the poore people, but y• more they haue, the more they couyte.i. Timo. vi For they are proud, they put theyr hope in vncertayne rytches, & not in y• lyuing God, which gyueth vs aboundantly all thynges to enioye thē. They do no good, they be not rich in good workes, they do not distribute and gyue with a good wyll, they gather not vp treasures for them selues, which should be a good foundacion agaynste the tyme to come, yt they maye laye hande on eternall lyfe.

Therfore to all suche it is not with out a cause sayde.Amos. vi Luke. vi Wo be vnto you rytch men, which haue your consolacion. Wo be to you yt are full, for ye shal hūger. Wo be to you yt laugh nowe, for he shall wepe and wayle.

Agayne.Math. xix. Marke. x. Luke. xviii It is more easye for a Cammell, to go thorowe the eye of [Page] a nedle, than a rytch man to enter into the kyngedome of God. What loue. I praye you, can there be to a mans neyghbour, where such couetous affectes & insatiable lustes do reygne? God turne awaye this pestilence out of the earth.

Furthermore what detestable,Of whore [...] & vnclean [...] lyuynge. fylthye, stynkynge, and abhominable whoredome reygnethe in the worlde nowe a dayes, yea and that so frely and wythout punisshment, that it is accounted no synne at all among many, but rather a sporte, a good felowlike dalyaūce, a tokē of loue,Ephe. v. & a touch of lusty youth. The holy scripture cōmaundeth ye fornicaciō, adultry, whoredome, & al vncleanes shoulde not once be named among vs, muche lesse perpetrated & done.O abhominacion. Yet to deflour maydens, to corrupt wyues, to defyle wydowes is now iudged and taken but for a [Page] playe & tryfelynge matter. Yea many are growen into such vnshamefastenes, that they vse to enterlase theyr talke at the tyme of theyr repast wt such fylthy cōmunicacion, nothyng fearyng to declare before other how valeant champiōs they haue shewed thē selues in Uenus court.Prouer. i. Thus do they reioyce whan they haue done euel, & make a sport [...]t vnfyttynge thynges. O detestable abhominaciō. This maketh, as the Prophet sayeth,It. v. [...].ix. Eze. xxii. that there are so many adulterers. This maketh that they fal to whoredome, & haūt harlottes houses This maketh thē lyke stoned & wyld horses to ney at theyr neighbours wiues. Yea thys maketh chast matrimony to be despysed, and whores to be set more by than honest wyues.Beware betymes. Oh the fearce wrathe of God that hangethe ouer our heades, yf this hygh abhominacion [Page] be not shortly exiled frō amōg vs. Howe greatlye this vncleanes,Deut. xxii. was punisshed in y• old law at gods cōmaundement, it is not vnknowē to thē, that wt attent myndes read the holy scryytures. Yea God hym selfe oftentymes toke vengeaunce of ye fornicatours & adulterers for theyr vncleanes.Ge. vi. &. vii. ii. Pet. ii. Gen. xix. What caused all the world sauynge eyght persones to be drowned, but vnclenes? what made Sodome & Gomorme wt certayne other cytyes to be burnte wt fyre & brīstone frō heauē, but vnclenes?Num. xxv: i. Cor. x. What moued god to sley ī one day .xxiiij. M. of y• Israelytes, but vncleanes? Yf God at yt tyme dyd so cruelly punyssh this vncleanes, let vs not thynke that we shall escape vnpunysshed nowe.Psal. v. For he is styll that God, that reioyseth not in wickednes. Neyther can any vngodly person dwell wt hym, nor the [Page] vnryghteous before his eies, for he hatethe al yt worke iniquite. More ouer this word abydeth euer true: Neyther fornicatours,i. Cor. vi. Ephe. v. nor adulterers, nor weakelynges, nor abusers of them selues wt mankynd shal in heryte y• kyngdom of God. Agayne wedlocke is honorable amonge all mē,Heb. xiii. & the bed vndefyled. But fornicators & adulterers God shal iuge, Therfore can not we escape, except we repent, & leaue this great abhomynacion of fylthye & vncleane lyuynge.

Thus se we euydentlye that the loue of oure neyghbour is colde in y• hertes of many, euē as we hearde before of the loue of God. For who can loue his neyghbour & dissemble with him, be vnmercyful vnto him, couyt his goodes, & abuse his wife, doughter or mayd. These be manyfeste tokens, not of loue, but of hatred. [Page] So yt we maye perceyue y• prophecye of Christe to be true, whiche sayth,Mat. xxii [...] that in the last dayes, iniquite shal abound or be plenteous, and the loue of many shall waxe colde.

Some men wyll meruayle peraduenture howe it cōmeth to passe yt the loue both towarde God & our neyghboure shoulde thus decaye in these last dayes, seyng that God is nowe no lesse beneficial, gentle, boū teous, and mercyfull to vs, than he hath ben in tymes paste to our predecessors. And lyke gentlenes, they saye, deserueth lyke loue.The [...] why y• christen [...] decayeth. Certes so ofte as I consyther with my selfe ye great decaye of christen religion, & ye better subuerciō almoost of al godly lyuīg, me thīke yt two thīges are the chiefe & principall causes. The fyrst is, the want of yt knowledge of our selues. The second, the want of the knowledge of God. For the first [Page] poynte of wisdom by the cōmon cō sent of all learned men, is ye knowledge of our selues.Nosce te ipsum. Nowe yf we do not knowe what we are of our selues, verely we can neuer know god arighte, nor yette haue anye delectacion or pleasure in hym. And yf we do not delyght in hym, [...] how can we loue hym? For who loueth that thyng wherin he hath no pleasure? Therfore ye next & moost redy way to make vs for to loue GOD, is to lerne to knowe our selues.Math, ix. Who felyng hymselfe sycke & sette in great daunger of his helth, desyrethe not the helpe of a Phisicion? Yf we dyd knowe y• so many of vs as be borne of the seed of Adam,Ioh. iii. Ephe. ii. be borne verye flesshe of flesshe, vnpure, vnhalowed, abominable before GOD, the sonnes of wrath, wrapped in infynite errours, set round about with corrupt affecciōs, not able to thīke [Page] a good thought of our selues,ii. Cor. iii. Roma. vii. moch les of power to worke any goodnes breathing nothing but the fruytes of synne, vnable eyther to thynke, lust or employe oure selues to any good thynge,The knowlege of our selues maketh vs to fly to god▪ but that is vngodly, croked vnequall, & vnpure, so that we se nothyng but ye fearce wrath, the greuous iudgement, ye extreme vēgeaūce of God, sinne, deth, hel, desperaciō, laid out & prepared for vs accordīg to our desertes, yf we had this knowledge, I saye, of oure selues, thā would we moost hūbly fal downe before our LORDE God, comfessyng how beggerly & miserable we are of our selues, sekynge at his goodnes, grace, fauoure, peace, remission of synne, tranquilite of conscience, & all confortable thynges yt shoulde make vnto oure saluacion, yea than would we cōfesse that our destruccion commeth of our selues [Page] and that all our helpe commethe of God only. [...]z [...]. xi. Nowe in asmuch as the moost parte of mē wāt this knowledge of them selues, therfore stand they well in theyr owne conceyte, please them selues well, make much of theyr owne actes, be they neuer so vnpure. These Iusticiaries thīk themselues ryghteous, as y• proude & arrogant Pharise dyd in the gospell of Luke,Luk. xviii. & therfore haue they no part of christes deth.Mat. ix For Chryst sayeth: I came not to call the ryghteous, that is, such as iustify them selues, & thīke yt they be made sufficientlye ryghteous by theyr owne good dedes, merytes and desertes, but synners to repentaunce. And this want of the knowledge of thē selues, makethe that they can not feale the goodnes of God, nor perceaue wherfore christ serueth, wherfore he was borne, why he dyed, for [Page] what cause he rose agayne.marke what y• knowledge of our selues doth. And therfore is the loue of God colde in thē. For yf they dyd knowe thē selues perfectely, & were perswaded yt theyr whole saluacion dependeth altogither of the goodnes of God the father thorowe Iesus Christe oure LORDE & sauiour, thā woulde they with all theyr herte loue God, plese God, delyte ī God, & seke ye glory of god aboue al thing. Yea thā should this theyr loue towarde God be so feruent & mighty in operaciō, that euen of very loue agayne, & with a wyllynge spirite, they shoulde loue theyr neyghbour euen as them selues, & employe al theyr diligence to accōplysshe Gods moost holy wyll, & that not of feare,i. Ioh. i [...] but of loue. For perfecte loue casteth out feare.

And would God that al prechers woulde vse this trade & maner in theyr sermons, that is to saye, fyrst [Page] teach men to know thēselues, that they maye perceyue theyr owne misery, wretchednes and damnacion. Secondly declare vnto them that ther is no way to escape this great daunger, but only to flye to Gods mercye, & there to seke remedy thorow Iesus christ. Yf they dyd thus surely it would kyndle in mens hertes a meruaylous feruente loue towarde God, & an vnspekable redynes to walke in the LORDES pathe wayes, and so hertely to loue theyr neyghbour, that they would wyshe no lesse kyndenesse to theyr neyghbours thā to thē selues, & in al thinges do for them,The goodnes of god depely pō dred, maketh vs to loue him agayn and freelye to worke hys wyll. what soeuer lyeth in theyr power. They woulde vndoutedly do all thynges for loue.

For whan they consithered y• great boūty of God toward vs, & perceyued that whan we were in a dampnable state, he freelye of hys owne [Page] mere goodnes saued vs, & made vs heyres of eternall glory, they could none otherwyse do but loue hym agayne, & employ them selues to accomplysshe that thinges that he cō maundeth, whiche is to loue oure neyghboure, and to walke in a new lyfe. For what naturall man sheweth vnkyndnes for kyndnes? Who hateth, where he is loued? Mē therfore hearynge this vnspekable loue of God towarde them, muste nedes loue him agayne, & out of this loue orderly, bryng forth a true & vnfayned loue toward theyr neyghbour, and an herty desyre to walke wythou [...]e spotte in the syght of so gentle and louynge a father. Yf we marke wel the Epistles of the blessed Apostle saynt Paule, we shall esely perceyue that he in lyke maner vsethe this trade aforesayde almoost in all his Epistles, but chefely to the Romaynes, [Page] Galathians, and Ephestans.

I therfore ponderyng with my selfe but latelye ye great decaye of y• christen religiō,The occasion of makynge thys treatyse, & the vtter destruccion almooste of all godly lyuynge, thoughte wt my selfe that I coulde not at this present bestowe ye smale talent, that God hath credited and lent vnto me, better & more aptely to the auauncement of gods glory, & edi [...]icacion of his church, than to compyle some ly [...]e treatyse oute of the holy scriptures, whiche shoulde contayne in it these thynges aforesayd, & paint out as it were in a certayne table, fyrst the knowledge of our selues, and afterward the benefytes of God the father toward vs by Iesus Christ, that men perceyuy [...]ge theyr owne abhominacion, maye make the more haste to Gods goodnes, & whan they haue once tasted [Page] of that, endeuour thē selues to walke worthy the kyndnes of god.

Thys thynge haue I done in thys worke folowynge, accordynge as I trust, to the pure vayne of the holy scryptures.

I haue entyteled the boke,Newes ou [...] of heauen, Ne. wes of heauen, because it shewethe to vs the plesaunte, ioyful & confortable newes of Christe. It openeth to vs aboundantly the syngular & incomperable benefytes, that we receyue of God thorowe Christ.

The Ebuccinatour, shewer, & declarer of these newes, I haue made Gabriel the aūgell & Embassadour of God,Luk. i. because that he fyrste of all brought tydinges of Christes incarnacion, to the mooste pure & cleane virgyne Marye.

I wyll not prayse the boke, vnlesse I shoulde seme to hunte after vaynglory, neither wyl I dispraise [Page] it, vnlesse I myght seme rasshely & without a cause to condēpne that, which is worthy prayse & cōmendaciō of it selfe. I leaue it therfore to ye iudgemēt of other, that be ghostly learned & taught of God.The profite of this boke Thys I dare boste y• it contaynethe more true and christen learnyng, than a great sorte of volumes, yt we haue hyghly estemed in tymes paste. He that shall make this boke his cōpagnion, shal here fynd in fewe leaues, that the whole Byble & cōmētaries of the auncient doctors do teach of christ in many, so y• it might well be called ye treasure house of christē knowledge.The tresure house of christen knoweledge. Neyther can any man iustely condempne or reiecte thys boke, excepte he also wyl cotēne & set at nought the moost sacred and holy Byble, with the aucthorities wher of this lytle treatyse is sufficiently & plenteously fortressed & defensed [Page] agaynste the boryshe tethe & serpētlyke tonges of these crakyng calūniatours, & subtyle Sycophā tes, which after the maner of Momus are redy to carpe, reprehēde, & cōdempne euery mans worke & enterprise, be it neuer so godlye, whā they themselues brynge for the nothyng at all, that is worthy eyther the redyng or the hearynge, except men haue pleasure to read or heare blasphemes.

Yf any man shal thynke that I set out Christ & Christes benefytes to largely (which I am sure, no mā wyll do, excepte he be a very Antechrist and a wicked Papist) let hym knowe that I set for the Christe no more than the holy Scriptures do beare. The argumente also of my matter requyrethe no lesse than I haue wrytten. Christ must be declared otherwyse then Moyses. For [Page] Christe is a sauyoure.Math. i. And he bryngeth ioye, peace, fauour, tranquilite of conscience, & free remission of synnes. Therfore as a Sauyoure must he be declared, and not as an extreme reuenger.

At Christes byrthe the Aungell sayd to the shepeherdes:Luk. ii. Feare not, for beholde I shewe vnto you great ioye, which shalbe to all people For this day is a sauyour borne, which is Christ the LORDE, in the cytie of Dauid. And Christ hymselfe after his resurreccion sayde to his Apostles:Mat. xvi. What this word gospel signifyeth. Go ye into ye vniuersal world & preach the Gospel, that is to say, good & mery tydinges to euery creature. He that shal beleue & be baptised, shalbe saued But he y• shal not beleue shalbe condēpned. Here may all men se, that both the aūgell and Christ are on my syde, & agree with me in facte. Neyther is ye preching [Page] of christ & his benefytes,The prech [...] of christis benefites, is a prouacacion to lyue well for y• faythefull. a wyndow to all kynd of carnal liberte & dissolute lyuyng (as the vngodly Papistes with vnshamefaced forheades dolye) but rather a prouocacion & sterynge vp of men vnto true godlynes, which when they se the exceadyng goodnes of God toward thē, take streyght wayes an occasion to loue God agayne, & a valcaunt courage to do his moost godly wyll. He that readeth this my worke to the ende, shall easelye perceyue that I go not aboute to plucke men from good workes, but rather animite & encourage them vnto the doyng of good workes, prouynge with manifest & euydent scryptures y• Christe is no sauyour,Psal. l. To whom Christ is a Sauiour but to such as wyth a contryte herte and an hūble spyrite confesse theyr sinne, repent thē of theyr wyckednes, call to God for grace, amend theyr wycked conuer [Page] saciō,Romn. vi. correcte theyr synful maners,psal. lxxxiii walke in a newe lyfe,Luke. i. go from vertue to vertue, and serue God theyr maker all the dayes of theyr lyfe, in holinesse, in righteousnes. For god dyd chose vs in christ,Ephe. ii. as S. Paule sayeth, thorowe loue, before ye foū dacion of y• worlde was layde, y• we should be sayntes & wtout blame in his sighte. And although by grace we are made safe thorow fayth, and that not of oure selues, for it is the gyfte of God, & cōmeth not of workes, vnlesse any man shoulde boast hymselfe, yet are we his workemā shyp created in Christ Iesu to good workes, which God hath prepared that we should walke in them.

But I wyl make an end, vnlesse the preface of the worke, maye seme to be longer then the worke it selfe.

Nowe for asmuch as in the begynnyng of a new yeare, men vse customably [Page] to sende one to another gyftes & tokens, whereby they declare the beneuolens and good wyll that is betwene them: I for my parte, knowyng howe greatly I am boūd to your ryght worshypfull maystershyp, couetynge by some meannes to declare agayne my good wyl & obse quious herte to youre moost bounteous gentlenes, do send vnto you this lytle treatyse at this tyme for a newe yeares gyfte, moost humbly desyrynge youre ryght worshypfull maystershyp to accepte and take in good worth this my lytle gyfte, although not worthy youre graunde munificence, yet as a memosynon & memoriall of my studious mynde towarde your maystershyp. At another tyme (God furtherynge me in my studies) I shall wyth no lesse dilygence compyle ether workes no lesse serious, weyghtye & graue, dedicatynge [Page] thē to your maystershyppes name, as I truste to the glorye of God, ye edificacion of his churche, and the immortalytye of youre renowne. In the meane season I shal moost hertely desyre God ye author of euery yeare, that this new yeare with many other, maye euer begyn vnto you wyth good fortune, procede wt better, ende wyth y• whiche is beste, and alwaye be prosperous and fortunate so long as they last. God preserue your ryght worshypful maystershyp, with the good, gentle woman your wyfe, in cōtinual helth and prosperous felicite. Amen.

¶Yours at wyll & cōmaūdement, Theodore Basille.

The newes out of Heauen.

[Page]

¶Gabriel the Aungel and Embassadour of god speaketh.

WHerfore are ye sadde o ye men mortall? Wherfore do ye walke as persons desolate dismayd & altogyther conforteles? Wherfore do ye sygh, wepe, sob and take thought. Wherfore do ye wrynge your handes, & teare your heere? Whye rather do ye not reioyce? Why do ye not eleuate and lyfte vp your heades, walkyng plesaūtly? Why do ye not loke wt smylynge countenaunces? Whye do ye not putte oute of youre hertes all thought & care? Why do ye not so cō pose & set youre selues, that all the gesture of youre body maye frāckely [Page] & wyth a lustye courage, declare youre ioye, myrth, gladnes, felicite and pleasaūce? Ther is, beleue me, not one cause of sadnes: but of gladnes many ye & innumerable. For God is nowe nomore an enemy vnto you,The great loue of god toward vs but a dere frende. He is become of a cruell iudge, a mercifull sauyour, & of an austere and fearce LORDE, a bounteous and gentle father, of an extreme reuenger, a tender forgyuer, to be shorte, he is now become the very same vnto you, y• a moost tender, moost gentle, moost louynge, moost bounteous, mooste kynde, moost benefycial, moost liberal, most benygne father is to y• his natural sonne, whome he moost int [...]erlye loueth, and tenderly inhalseth aboue al the other. Howe therfore can ye be sadde? Howe can ye any otherwyse than reioyce and be mery, seynge that al doloure, all so [Page] rowe, all care, all grefe, all payne, al perrell, all trouble, all daunger, all disquietnes, all hatred, all malyce, all emnite, all maliuolence, all euell wyll, all wrathe, all displeasure, all desyre of vengeaunce, and all that euer is cōtrary to your ioye & pleasaunce, to your health and cōforte, to your rest and tranquilitie, is vtterly extinguysshed & so put awaye for euer and euer, that you whiche are of Gods faythful cōgregaciō, obediēt to his word, & redy to accomplysshe his moost holye and deuyne wyll,Ioh. iii. shall neuer after this perysshe & fall out of fauour, but haue eternall lyfe. And all this is come to passe thorowe Gods grande mercies by the glorious natiuite &Miche. v. moost blessed byrth of his welbeloued son Iesus Christe,Math. ii. whiche this daye is borne of a pure & cleane virgine in Bethleē a citie of Dauyd,Luke. ii. thorowe [Page] the meruaylous and wōderfull operaciō of the holy Ghost,Math. i. ye he shoulde be a sauyoure, yea and an omnisulficient sauyoure to saue his people, that is to saye, so many as beleue in hym, from theyr synnes, and from the daunger of Sattan, that they maye be made inherytours of eternall glory.

These newes out of heauē Luke. i. am I Gabriel the Aungell and Embassadour of God sent for to declare vnto you,ii. Cor. x. that ye maye vnfaynedly reioyce not in vayne & worldely thynges,Phil. iiii. but fyrste in the LORDE GOD your sauyour, & afterwarde in celestial and heauenly thynges,Collos. iiii & euer more be thankefull for them,i. Thes. ii. followynge worthy this inestimable benignite & vnspeakable goodnesse of God ye father thorow Iesus Christ, that these synguler benefytes may not at any tyme seme to be shewed [Page] vnto ingrate and vnthankeful personnes.

Me thinke I se you nowe begin to reioyse and skyppe for ioye, yea and seriously to triumph as persō nes ful of francke courage at y• hearynge of these moost pleasaunt and ioyfull newes, which thyng certes to me is no vulgare delectacion & smale pleasure.

But that you maye reioyce vnfaynedlye, & knowe that ye in dede haue an vrgente & weyghtye cause to be glad, yea and that with a contynuall myrth, and suche a ioye as ought to be immortall & neuer dye: I wyl reherse to you in what damnable state ye were in,The knowldge of our selues maketh vs to fle vnto christ for socoure. before these moost confortable newes were sent vnto you from the mooste glorious and imperial seate of ye mooste blessed Trinite, that you perceyuynge your owne miserable cōdicion, may [Page] the more seriouslye reioyse in those swete and delectable newes.

God in the begynnynge,The ereacion on of man as the holy scriptures testifye,Gene. i. created mā accordyng to his owne similitude,Sop. ii. lykenes & ymage,i. Cor. xi. y• is to saye,ii. Cor. iii. he in dued hym with immortalyte, [...]ol. iii. wyt,Ephe. iiii. reason,Psal. viii. sapience, iustyce, free wyll, mercy, goodnes, holynes, truethe, & all perfeccion, and gaue hym impery and rule ouer all lyuyng creatures, constitutynge hym in ioyefull Paradyse a gardē full of pleasure, that he should worke in it & kepe it, geuyng hym also authorite, power & lybertye to eate of euery tree in ye garden, saue only of ye tree of knowledge of good and euel.Gen. i. yf man dyd eate of that neuer so sone,The death [...] Adam and what it is. god tolde him before, yt he should dye the deth that is, fall from the glorious state wherin than he stode, become mortal, wretched, synfull, miserable, seruyle, [Page] thraull, captyue, & a very bōd slaue to Satan, hated of god, voyd of all goodnes, bent to al myschefe, the sonne of perdicion, a fyre brand of hell, a vessell of yre and wrathe. All these thynges dyd God tell before to Adā,Rom. ii. that he myghte be prudent,Ephe. vi, wyse & circumspecte, and the better inarme himselfe wt courageous valeaūce to fyght agaynst the crafty and subtyle assaultes of his enemy,

Not longe after Satan,Esay. xiiii. whom God before had throwen out of heauen for his arrogācy and pryde,ii. Pet. ii. enuyeng man that blessed & gloryous state wherin he dyd remayne, desyrynge also hys lyke perdicion, full craftely and lyke a wyly serpent,i. Pet. iii. attēpted the womā as ye more frayle vessell, & redy to be deuycte & ouer come, so that at the last thorow hys subtyl and crafty perswasions, she [Page] gaue place to y• tortuous & wylye serpent,Ioan. vii. y• father of lyeng,i. Tim. ii. & wyckedly transgressed Gods moost holy cō maundement.Gen. iii. For Satan told her playnly,The crafty assautes of Satan. that there was no daunger in eatyng of that fruyte, which was forbyddē, neyther should they dye the deathe, though they so dyd, yea rather theyr eyes should be opened, and they shoulde be as goddes knowynge good and euell. The woman beyng enflamed with these honylycke and swete entysementes, seyeng also that the tree was good to eate of, fayre to the eye, and plesaunt to beholde,All is not gold that shinethe. toke the fruyte of it, dyd eate, and afterward gaue of it to her husband, whiche dyd eate in lyke maner, so yt streyght wayes both theyr eies were opened, & they saw that they were naked, that is, perceyued ryghte well, yt they were nowe become miserable wretched, [Page] synfull, redacte to extreme calamite,behold what syn [...]e doth. and vtterlye fallen from the fauour of God for the transgressiō of his mooste blessed precepte, whiche thyng made them to be very much ashamed, and to hyde thē selues frō the face of God. O miserable & pitefull chaūge. O chaunse more perryllous than it can be expressed.The miserable [...]al of mā Nowe is a man become of immortall mortall, of good euel, of righteous wycked, of wyse folysh, of holy prophane of vertuous yll desposed, of fre bōd, of mercyful cruel, of godly deuilysh of faythful vnfaythfull, of spirituall, carnal, of true false, of a vessel of mercy the vessell of wrath, of ye sōne of God the sōne of the dyuell, of the heyre of glory the heyre of damnacion.Psal. xlviii. Alas whan man was in honour he perceyued it not, and therfore is he nowe becomme euen lyke vnto a brute beast.Gene, vi. He is altogyther wythout [Page] the spiryte of God, he is all carnall and fleshelye, therfore can not gods spiryte abyde in hym,i. Cor. ii. neyther can he perceyue those thynges that pertayne to the spirite of God, yea & that is more to be lamented, not Adam alone is fallen into this dāpnable state,Rom. v. but also al his posterite. For thorowe this his faulte & wycked synne,Gene. iii. all the earth with the inhabitātes therof are accursed.All we are dāpned in Adam. So that so many as come of thys olde Adā, are dāpned, cursed & throwen from the fauour of God. This one transgression of Gods cōmaundement hath made you al subiecte to the yoke & tyranny of Satan,ii. Cor. v. and bonde to euerlastynge damnacion. Adam is youre father, and you are his childrē. Loke therfore in what case he is, in the very same are you. Adā is carnall,Ioh. iii. therefore are ye carnall. Adam is wicked,Ephe. ii.. therefore are [Page] ye wycked. Adam is the sonne of wrathe, therfore are ye the sōnes of wrath. Adā is a lyer & nothing but vanite,Psal. xv. therfore are ye liers and no thyng but vanite. Adā is captyue & bonde prisoner to Satan, synne, deth & hell, therfore are ye captiues and bond prisoners to Satan, syn, death and hell. Howe can it otherwyse be?Iohn. iii. That whiche is borne of flesshe is flesshe.Math vii, Do mē gather grapes of thornes, or fygges of briers? So lykewyse euery good tree bryngethe for the good fruyte: but a corrupt tree bringeth forth yll fruyte. A good tree can not bryng forth yil fruyte, nother a corrupte tree good fruyte. Euen as it is impossible for a sower crabbe tree to brynge forth sauery and swete apples, so is it impossible for a synfull man drowned and buryed all in synne, I meane Adā, to beget any other thē synnefull, [Page] vngodly and wicked chyldren.Luke. vi A good tree oute of the good treasure of his herte,Math. xii. brīgeth forth that which is good. And an yll man out of the yll treasure of his herte, bryngeth forth that which is yll. Nowe was Adam euell, therfore whatsoeuer he brought forth, mu [...]te nedes be euell.Rom. v. Yea verely by the synne of this one mā Adā, euel was brought forth vpon all men vnto dāpnaciō. By the dysobedyence of hym were ye all made synners,Ephe. ii. and by nature the sonnes of wrathe. For this one mānes faulte dyd synne enter into the worlde, & thorowe synne, death, and so came death vpon all men,Rom. v. in so muche as all ye haue synned.Psal. l. Ye were therfore begotten in synne, cō ceyued in synne, & brought forth in synne. None of you al are pure, but euery one is polluted wyth vngodlynes.Rom. iii. Ther is no differēce, all haue [Page] synned, and want the glory of god. Ye are corrupte and become abhominable in youre studies,Psal. xiii. there is not one that doth good, no not one for the LORDE hath loked from heuen vpon the children of men, for to se yf there were anye that hathe vnderstandynge or seakethe after God. But all are fallē from y• true waye, they are become all togyther vnprofitable,Rom. iii. there is not one that doth good no not one. Their throte is lyke a wide mouthed graue, they worke deceyte wyth theyr tonges, the poysō of adders is vnder theyr lyppes.The frutes whych we bryng forth by Adam. Theyr mouth is ful of cursynge & bytternes, theyr feete are swyfte to shed bloud. Destruction & wretchednes are ī theyr wayes, they knowe not the waye of peace, neyther is there anye feare of God before theyr eyes. Theyse are ye synful, wycked, and dāpnable fruytes [Page] which you full of synne, wyckednes and dāpnacion brynge forth.Gen. ix. Your mindes & thoughtes also are prone to euel at al tymes. Ye are not able once to thynke a good thought of youre selues.ii. Cor. iii. Who beyng borne of a woman can appeare pure and cleane in the syghte of God,Iob. xxv. before whome the starres are not pure?

What is thā to be thoughte of mā, which is nothynge but duste and a very worme? [...]. xx. Who is able to sai, my herte is cleane, and I am pure frō synne? Ye haue al synned, ye are all become vncleane,Esai. xlvi. all youre ryghteousnes are lyke a cloth polluted wt menstrue. Ye are fallen as a leafe, and youre iniquityes haue caryed you awaye as the wynd.i. Ioan. i. Yf ye say, that ye haue no synne, ye deceyue youre selues,Iere. xvii. & the trueth is not in you. For your herte is wycked and inserutable. Ye are vnprofytable [Page] seruasites.Luk. xvii Yea ye are Hypocrites and wycked,Esa. ix. and. liii. and the mouthes of you al haue spoken folyshnes. Al y• sorte of you haue gone astraye as shepe, euerye one haue walked after his owne fantasye.Psa. iiii. Ye all are of stuburne harte,Iere. iiii. ye loue vanities & seke after lyes. To be shorte, ye are folysh people, vnwyse chyldren and madde. To do myschefe ye are wyse ynough, but to do good ye are very fooles.

Here may ye se as in a clere mirroure youre deformyte, youre botches, youre sores, youre greuous woundes.What we are of ourselues. Nowe maye ye learne what ye are of youreselues, certes very fleshe, that is to saye, al that euer noughte is, enemyes to God, louers of your selues, captyues to Satan, and fyrye brondes of hell. What remedy? What shyfte wyl ye fynd: Whyther wyl ye go? to what [Page] coast wyl ye turne you?Ps. cxxxviii. Howe wyll ye escape the fearce wrath of God? Whyther wyll ye go from hys spyrite. Whyther wyll ye flye from his face? Yf ye go vp into heauen, he is there, yf ye go downe to hel, ther is he redy also. Yf ye take your flyght in the mornynge, & dwel in the furthest parte of y• see, verely his hand wyll retche you there, yea and hys ryght hand shall catch you. What wyll ye do nowe? to flye profyteth nothynge, to abyde also bryngethe dampnacion. Thus se you that y [...] can not escape by no meanes. To demulse, mitigate & swage y• deuyne yre & Gods wrath ye are not able. Your syn hath made God angry w^ you. What haue ye nowe I praye you, wherwith ye may please him? your selues as ye haue hearde here to fore,Ephe. ii. are the children of wrath be gotten in synne,Psal. l. conceyued in syn, [Page] borne in synne,Ioan. iii. carnall, wycked and vngodly, your herte is corrupte,Iere. xvii. vncleane, stynkynge, flowynge wythe iniquite, arrogāt, puffed vp, proud hatyng God, louyng it selfe, full of hypocrisy and all euell.Esai. xxxiiii [...] Your fruytes are lyke vnto your selues, y• is, detestable in y• syght of God. What [...]ertu thē can ther come out of such corrupte and polluted place?Iacob. iii. What purenes can ther flow out of a puddle so fylthy, so dyrtye, so vncleane, so stynkyng, so vnsauery? Thus se ye that ye haue no waye to pacyfye Gods wrath, whiche ye haue styred vppe agaynst youre selues thorowe your owne wickednes.O dolor [...]us calamitie, [...] myserable wretched [...] nesse. What therfore remayneth, but only that you loke for all cruel and greuous thinges. Helles mouthe is open & redye to swallow you vp. The fyre of hel which shall neuer be quenched, tarieth you. Euerlastynge tormentes, [Page] Intollerable punishments, perpetual turmoylynges abyde you. Ye are appoynted to the place,Math. xxii. where wepyng & gnasshyng of teth is,Act. xxv where the fyre is inextinguible,Psal. xxxvi where the worme of them that be there, neuer dye. What wyll ye do nowe? What shyf [...]e wyll ye fynde?Of y• lawe. Wyll ye fulfyl the lawe whiche God gaue you by Moyses,Iohan. iii. and so pacifye his wrath?Gene. vi. But this to do ye are not able.i. Cor. xv. For of your selues ye are nothynge but flesshe and cleane without God.Rom. viii.

Flesshe and bloud can not possesse y• kyngedome of God. They that are flesshly, regarde those thynges that pertayne to the flesshe. And the desyre of the flesshe is death. Yea the desyre of y• flesshe is emnite agaynst God. For it is not subiecte to the lawe of God, neyther canne it be by any meanes. They that are in the flesh, can not please God. Yea they [Page] that lyue after the flesshe, shall dye▪ And he that hath not Gods spirite,Gene. [...] pertayneth not to God. Now haue not ye the spirite of god,Gala. v in asmuch as by Adam ye be all flesshe (for the flesshe lusteth agaynst the spirite, & the spirite agaynst the flesshe) howe than wyll ye fulfyl the lawe to apease Goddes wrath.

Moreouer the lawe is spiritual that is,The law is spirituall. it requireth not only polytyke & cyuple workes,Rom [...]. vii but also the pure affectes, and cleane mocyons of the spirite, and must be fulfylled not with the externall worke only, but also wythe a francke and free herte,i. Ioh. iii [...] doing the workes of the law, not of constraynte & for feare of punyshment, but of loue. For perfecte charitie or loue casteth out feare.

But as the law is spirituall, so are ye carnall, that is, prone and redye to all noughtines, buryed in synne [Page] and no lesse bonde to Satan, than a bought slaue is obstricte & bonde vnto his mayster. Nowe is the law & you of a contrary nature. When then shall ye agre?Rom. vii The lawe, I confesse, is holy,i. Timo. i & the precepte is holy, righteous & goood, but ye are vnholy, wicked & euel. How wil ye thē accomplysh the lawe, that ye maye pacify Gods wrath, & deserue remission of youre synnes thorowe youre owne merytes and desertes? Cā he that is deade erecte & lyfte vp hym selfe? Can he resume & take agayne his armonies? Can he recouer new strengthes? Cā flesshe teach flesshe no more to synne? Cā the Egle commaund her selfe no more to flye? Cā the Dolphynne cease to swymme?Iere. xiii Can the man of Inde chaunge hys skynne? and the catte of the mountayne her spottes? Nether cā ye of your selues cease to be y• ye are, nor [Page] yet worke good, which so long haue ben exercysed in euel The lawe kylleth,ii. Cor. iii. it gyueth not lyfe.Rom. iiii. The lawe worketh wrath, displeasure & damnacion, it purchaseth not grace, fauoure, mercye, remission of synnes, peace and tranquilite of cōscience. For cursed is euerye one that abydethDeu. xxvii. not in all thynges y• are wrytten in the boke of the lawe that he maye do them.Gal. iiii. No man fulfyllethe the whole lawe, ergo no man is iustifyed by the lawe, but rather cursed and brought to dampnacion.Iacob. ii.

For he that kepeth the whole lawe, and yet offende the in one, is made gylty of them all.Ioan. vii. Moses gaue you a lawe,Act. xv. and yet none of you all do fulfyll it. Neyther ye nor youre fathers were euer able to bere y• yoke of the lawe. Who euer entred into the glorye by the fulfyllynge of the lawe?Gal. v [...] Wyl ye therfore seke to be iustifyed [Page] by the lawe, ye are vtterlye fallen from that which ye soughte. You not knowynge the righteousnesse of God, and sekyng to stablysh youre owne ryghteousnes,Rom. [...]. can not be made subiecte to the ryghteousnes of God.Why y• law was gyuen. The lawe was gyuen you by Moses from God, not that you shoulde seke to be made ryghteous by it, which is a thynge impossible, but that it shoulde declare to you the wyll of God, proue the obediēce of your her [...]e, kepe you in an honest and godly trade of lyuynge, [...] refrayne you from wycked doynge, represse ydolatry, swearing, vngodlines, disobediēce, thefte, māslaugter, adultrye, false wytnesse. &c. set before your eies your abhominable wickednes and synful lyuyng, that you may learne to knowe your selues, and make the more hast to approch vnto Gods mercy.Romo. ii. For by y• [Page] lawe commethe the knowledge of synne: [...]. xx. Ye should not haue knowen synne but by the lawe.Deut. v. For ye had not knowen concupiscence excepte the law had sayd,Gala. iii. thou shalt not co [...]ytte.Rom. iii. The lawe is a schole mayster to teache you what ye ought to do. Whose admoniciōs, warnynge and instruccions, seynge ye folowe not nor obeye as it teachethe, and as ye oughte, it rather cōdēpne thā saue you, kyll then quicken you. For no fleshe shalbe iustifyed by y• workes of the lawe in y• syght of god.Rom. iii [...] Your laboure therfore in thys behalfe is vayne,Gala. v. seynge that ye seke Gods fauour, remission of synne, iustifica [...]ion, saluacion, and eternall glorye by y• workes of the lawe only.The [...] of the olde law. Whyther wil ye now fly? wil ye pacyfye Gods wrath by offrynge vp the sacrifyces of the ceremoniall lawe?

This also is in vayne. For yf y• workes [Page] of y• moral law, [...] vii. I meane the. x. commaundementes, brynge no mā to perfeccion, and are nothyng lesse thā able to pease y• deuine wrath by cause of theyr vncleanes whiche do y• cōmaūdemētes, yea rather which do thē not, how thā cā this be brought to passe by external ceremonies which are nothing but types fygures, [...] x. cloudes, & shadowes of good thi [...] ges to cōe? Here therfore do ye no thing els thā as the commune Prouerbe is, go about to make an Ethiop whyte. For as touchynge youre sacrifyces, it is manyfest by diuers places of the scriptures, that God hath no pleasure in thē. [...] vi. Wherfore, sayeth he, do ye brynge vnto me enlence out of Saba, and swete smellynge Calamus oute of farre countrees? Youre burnt offrynges are not accepted, and youre sacrifyces haue not pleased me. [...] vii. Agayne, put [Page] youre burnte offringes to your sacrifices, & eate y• flesh, for I dyd not speake with youre fathers, neither dyd I commaūd thē on y• daye, whā I broughte thē oute of the lande of Egypte, any thyng at all of burn [...]e offringes and sacrifices, but I commaūd thē this word, sayeng: Heare you my voyce, & I shalbe your god, and ye shall be my people, walke in euerye waye that I haue cōmaunded you, that ye may prosper. But they would not once heare me, nor geue attendaunce to me, but they followed their owne pleasures, and walked in the lewdnes of theyr malicious hertes, so that they fel clene frō me.Esai. i. To what purpose do ye offer vnto me the multitude of your sacrifices,A [...]mos. v. sayeth the LORDE? I am full of them.Mala. i. The burnte offringes of youre wethers, and the fatte of youre fatlynges, and the bloude of [Page] youre calues, of your lambes & gotes woulde not I haue. Whan ye come before my syghte, who requyreth these thynges of your hādes? Offer I praye you, no more Sacrifyce to me thus in vayne. Your ensence is abhominacion to me. Your Sabbothes and holye dayes by no meanes can I away with. He that offereth an oxe, is lyke to hym that kylleth a man. He yt sleyeth a beast, is lyke vnto hym that braynethe a dogge. [...]sal. lxvi. He that offereth an oblaciō, is lyke vnto hym that offereth swynes bloude. Here le ye yt God hathe no pleasure in these externall sacrifices, but rather abhorreth them.

Then perceyue you full well, that this is no waye to delyuer your selues out of captyuitie, & to obtayne the fauoure of God.Thīges of a good in [...]ent. What wyll ye now do? Wyl ye inuent new thiges of your owne fātasy, & offer thē to [Page] God of a good intent, that by this meanes he maye be the more mercyfull to you? This also is yet mooste vayne. For yf thynges prescribed & commaunded of God himselfe, can not [...]btaynē for you remyssyon of your synnes, what shall than your dreames, youre fantasies, your inuencions, your good intētes, your godly zeles,Deut. iiii do in this behalfe?Prouer. xx [...] Uerely ye are in a miserable case.Apoca. xxii. For ye maye not put any thynge to the word of God, nor yet plucke ought from it. Ye muste walke in the way that God hath appoynted you, neyther maye ye declyne on the ryghte hande nor on the lyfte hand.Deut. xii [...]. xiii. Yea ye maye not do to your LORDE god y•, which ye thynke best in your owne eyes, but that only whiche he commaundeth you. Here therfore is no euasion, nor way to escape y• fearce plages of God. Certes the longer [Page] ye wrastle and entāgle your selues in this behalfe, the worsse ye are, so farre as I can perceyue, so vnable are ye of your selues in any poynte to satisfy Goddes wrath, & to make hym your frende.

What refuge then can ye nowe inuente?Our deseruīg is euerlastyng dā nacion yet is there nothynge before your eyes set, but only desperacion & eternall death, for ye haue deserued no other, & ye rewarde of syn is death.Rom. vi. Certes the hooke is layde at the roote of the tree that euery tree that bryngeth forthe not good fruyte, shalbe hewen downe & caste into the fyre.Math. iii. Howe nowe wyll ye escape from the wrathe that is to come? [...]ii [...]. Es. xv Wo be vnto them that synne and kepeth not my cōmaundementes, sayeth ye LORDE, surely I wyll not spare thē. Sinners shalbe turned into hell,Psal. ix. yee and all those people that forget God. For God shall [Page] raygne snares vpon synners,Psal. xi. fyre & brymestone,Psa. lxvii. storme and tēpest shall be parte of theyr cuppe. As smoke decayeth, so shall the wycked decay, and as waxe meltethe before y• face of the fyre, so shal synners perysh before the face of God.Eccl. xii. The moost hyest hateth synners, & he wyll be reuenged of the wycked.Ecc. xviii. The soule y• hath synned,psa. xxxiii. shal dye.i. Pet. iii. The countenaunce of the LORDE is vpon them that do euell,i. Ioan. iiii that he may roote the remembraūce of thē out of y• erth.Deut. iiii.

He that cōmytteth synne,Heb. xiii. is of the dyuell.Eccl. xli. For the dyuell synneth from the begynnynge God is a consumyng fyre. It is a dreadfull thyng to fall into the hādes of the lyuyng god. Wo be to you therfore O ye vngodly men, which haue forsakē the lawe of the LORDE that moost high god. If that ye be borne, in cursing shall ye be borne, & yf ye dye, in cursīg [Page] also shalbe your part,The miserable captiui [...] of mā. what wil ye now do? Here ye se nothyng but malediction, cursynge, wrath, vengeaunce, destruction, perdicion, dā nacion. Here perceyue ye no waye to escape the greate displeasure of god, but only to precipitate & caste your selfe headlong into hell pytte to be burnte wt the continuall flames of that moost terrible and greuous fyre. Remedye is there none, all conforte is gone, besydes sorowe and mournyng, nothing here doth appeare, o the miserable case, wherin ye stonde.

Me thynk I se you nowe agayn very sory, much lamentyng, wryngyng your handes, tearyng youre heere, cursynge the tyme of youre byrth, hauyng pleasure in nothing walkyng as persons īdistresse, void of al consolacion and conforte, verely I haue broughte you into thys [Page] case y• your ioy afterward should be the greater,The knowledge of our selues ledeth vs to christ. and that you shoulde haue the more pleasaunte and ioyefull newes, whiche I nowe bringe to you oute of heauen. For no man knoweth what a precious thyng a Phisicion is, excepte fyrste of all he sealeth hymselfe diseased, & perceyueth that he hath nede of a Phisicion, yf he intende to enioye the benefyte of health.Mat. i [...] They that are strōge haue no neade of a Phisicion, but they that are sycke. Nowe therfore heare agayne your moost pleasaūt newes,Ioan. xv. and. [...]vi. that youre sadnes maye be turned into ioye, & that youre ioye maye be ful and perfecte.

God, perceyuynge in what myserable case Adam and all his posteriteGen. iii. was set thorowe the brekynge of his moost blessed and holye commaundement, [...]ap. ii. agayne that by the enuy of Satan, death was come ouer [Page] all the worlde, [...]it. iii. wyllynge of his owne free mercye withoute ony of your merites or desertes, to shewe hym selfe of no lesse puissaunce, to saue man, that the dyuell was to condēpne hym, sayd at that present to Satan, whan Adam had offended: [...]en. iii. I wyll set emnite betwene the and an woman, betwene thy seede and her seed, and that selfe seed shall treade downe thy heade.The begynning of our saluaciō is Christ here [...] Promy [...]. O mooste swete and confortable promyse. O moost heauēly word of grace. Here is ye begynnyng of your ioy & gladnes. In Adam were ye all lost, but ī this seed of a womā are ye al saued But who is thys seede? Not Abell, [...] [...]oche, Abrahā, Isaac Iacob, nor Dauid. Who then? Uerely euē the sonne of God, euen Iesus Chryste,Esay. vii. which wtout y• seed of mā by ye wonderful operaciō of ye holy ghost,Mat. i. dyd take very flesh of y• moost pure virgyn [Page] Mary,Luke. i Gene. iii Christ [...]uercōmeth Satan for vs. & is this day borne īto y• world. He is this seed of a woman, which shal trede downe the head of this serpent, y• is to say, destroy his power, delyuer you out of captiuite, set you agayne at lyberte, reconcyle you to God y• father, purchase remission of youre synnes, obtayne the holy Ghost for you, & make you fellow heyres wt hym of eternall glory. Satan, synne, death & hell, with all theyr armye shall nowe no more agaynste you preuayle.i. Cor. x [...] For by this seed of a woman Iesus Christ your LORDE, hath God gyuē you the victory. So that nowe with tryumphant hertes and reioysynge spirytes,Dse [...]. xiii. ye may say, O deth wher is thy styng? O hell where is thy victory? For nowe is he borne, whyche shall [...]aye death, & delyuer you from the power of deathe, yea from deathe it selfe shall he redeme you. And hell [Page] shall he swallowe vp, so that Satā shall haue no more domynion ouer you.

Moreouer in this seed alone Iesus Christ shall all nacions be blessed.In christ we are blessed. In Adā ye all were cursed,Gene. xi. i. but in Christe ye be all blessed.Gala. iii. Adam brought to you wrath and displeasure, but Christ bryngeth loue and [...]auour.Mark what we are by Adā, & what by Christ. Adā is the author of synne, death and dampnacion, but Christ is the author of goodnesse, lyfe and saluaciō. Adam casteth you downe into hell, but Christ lyfteth you vp to heuen. Adā maketh you fyre brā des of hell, but Christe maketh you inheritours of eternall glorye. By the synne of Adā many were dead, but by the goodnes of Christ, grace hath come vpon many.Rom [...]. v. By the wickednesse of Adam synne came vpon all men vnto dampnacion, but by the righteousnes of Christ saluaciō [Page] is come vpon al men vnto the iustificacion of lyfe. By the disobediēce of Adā, many were made synners, but by the obedience of Christe many are made rygtheous. Thus se you y• in Christe ye are blessed, that is, pardoned of your synnes & receiued īto fauour. Furthermore this is he,Gen. xiix. of whome Iacob dyd prophecy that he should come beyng loked for & desyred of all naciōs.Deut. xvii. This is that Prophet whome God promised to Moses that he woulde rayse vp amonge his brothers, [...]. xvii. & put hys wordes in his mouth, so that whoso euer wyll not heare hym, shall perysshe & vtterly be destroyed.Exo. xii. This is he whyche was fygured in theNu. xxi. olde lawe by so many tipes,Ex. xvi. vii. ceremonies and shadowes.i. Pa. xvii. This is that kynge whose kyngdome God promysed vnto Dauid to corroborate & establysshe for euermore. This is [Page] that euerlastynge preeste,Psal. xxx. Psal. cix. Esa. lxiiii. Psa. cxliiii Luk. x. after the order of Melchisedech. This is he, whome so manye kynges and Prophetes haue desyred to se. And now is he cōe which so lōg hath ben desyred. How much blessed & fortunate are ye therfore, vnto whom it hath chaūsed to se this day? ye maye wel reioyse,Psa. xlvi. & clappe youre handes for ioye.Io. iii. xii. For he is not borne to be vnto you a tyrant, a fearce LORDE, a cruell iudge, an extreme reuenger, but a swete sauyour, a gentle LORDE, a bountyous fauourer, a mercyfull forgyuer.Mat. i. Whyche thynge ye maye well perceyue by his name, for hys name is IESVS, Iesus by enterpretacion is [...] gyuen vnto hym of God hys father by the Aungell, which by true interpretacion, is a SAVIOVR. For he it is that shal saue his people frō theyr sinnes. Marke he shal saue them and not condēne thē. If he had had a rigorous name [Page] ye myghte well haue ben afearde of hym, but his name is full of swetenes, pleasare, delectacion & cōforte. And because ye shoulde not feare to come vnto hym,Christe became poore for to make vs rytche. Luke. i. Psal. viii Heb. ii. Ioan. xvii Mat. viii. ii. Cor. viii beholde he is not borne royallye after ye maner of the wordly Prynces set out wt gallant pompe, but humbly, mekely & lowely. For he lyeth symply, in a maunger wrapped in vyle cloutes, whan not withstandynge he is LORDE ouer all thinges both in heauen and in earth. But his kyngdome is not of this worlde. For he hathe not so much as a place wher he may lay his head. Thus is he become poore, that by his pouertye ye shoulde become rytche. O howe muche are ye bounde to this poure newe kynge & sauiour, which when he was in the forme of God,Philip. ii ye very God himselfe toke vpō him y• shape of a seruaūte, and became very mā for your sake. [Page] Yf she had not done thus,Christ alone sauethe, and makethe vs cleane from all synne. certes ye had ben damned for euer and euer. For youre synne was so haynous & great, that it coulde not otherwyse be taken awaye but only by hym.

By him, yea by hym alone are all youre synnes put awaye. He it is, yea he it is alone, which putteth awaye your iniquities for his owne sake, & wyll remember thē no more. A righteous God,Esaie. xliii Esaie. xlv & suche a one as saueth, is there none but he alone. He is that lambe of God,Iohan. i. which taketh awaye the synne of the world. He is that sauyour, which is come into the world for to saue synners. He it is,Tim [...]. li Actum. iiii. in whose name and in none others vnder heauen, men must be saued.

Moreouer dyuers graue,The vrgent cause of christes byrth. weightye & serious causes are there, why it was conuenient that this youre sauiour should be borne. Fyrst, that [Page] in asmuch as ye all are greuous sinners & haue broken all the cōmaundementes of God, he shoulde fulfyll the lawe for you,Christ delyuerethe vs frō the curse of the lawe. delyuerynge you from the curse of the lawe, wherun to ye are bounde, or els saued could ye be by no meanes. And this shall this chylde, whiche is nowe borne, do for you: I meane, satis [...]y the law before he ascende agayne vnto his father, & set you free from the malediccion and curse of the lawe.Rome. x. For Christ is the perfecte fulfyllynge of the lawe vnto iustificacion for euery one that beleueth.Gala. iii. Christ shall redeme you from the curse of y• lawe, whyle he is made accursed for your sake.Deut xxi For it is writtē, cursed be euery one yt hāgeth vpō a tree. O what ioyfull trdinges are these vnto you for to heare, y• Christe shall delyuer you from the curse of the lawe, and restore you vnto lyfe, whiche before [Page] were dead?

Secondly seyng that the world is without all knowlege of god,Christ teacheth truely the wyll of his Father. corrupte with Idolatrye, poysoned wt theyr owne ymaginacions, drowened with Ipocrisy, and altogyther s [...]t on wickednes (the head Prestes Bisshops, lawers, Scribes & Pharisees corruptyng the holy scriptures on such maner with theyr pestilent gloses) it is necessary that this Christe the wisdomme of the father come downe, & redresse theise great absurdities, reducyng & bringynge the deuyne Scriptures agayne to theyr true sence, that men maye for sake all Idolatrye, all vngodly doctryne, all wycked customes, & lerne to knowe the true God. [...]an. iii. And surelye as he is come from God to be a mayster & teacher, so wyll he vndoutedly teache godly thynges. For he that cōmeth from heauen, is aboue [Page] al men: And that he hathe sene and hearde, that wyll he testify. For he whome God hath sent, speaketh the wordes of God. For God gyuethe not hym the spyrite,Esay. lxi. Luke. iiii. to a measure. But the spyryte of God is plenteously vpon hym, because he hath an noynted hym, to preach glad tidynges, to y• poore hath he sente hym, yt he should heale the broken in herte, preach delyueraunce to prysoners, syght to the blynde, and frely set at libertye them that are brused, and declare the acceptable yeare of the LORDE. Esa. xi. Esa. ii. The earth shalbe full of the knowlege of the LORDE. All naciōs shall resorte vnto hym. They shall saye one to another, come, let vs go vp to the mount of the LORDE, & to the house of the God of Iacob, & he shall teache vs his wayes, that we maye walke in his pathes. The people that walke nowe in darkenes, [Page] shall se a great lyght,Esa. ix. Mat. iiii. & they y• dwell in the land of the vadowe of death, shal haue the lyght shyne vpon thē Christ shal multiply the people and encrease theyr ioye also. He shall make them to reioyse, euen as men that make mery in heruest, & as mē that haue gotten the vyctory, whē they deale the spoyle. For he shall breake ye yoke of yt peoples burden. The wolfe shal dwell with ye lambe,Esa. xi. & the catte of the mountayne shall ly with the goate. The calfe the lyon, & the shepe shall dwel togyther, & the yonge chylde shal not once be afearde of them. The calfe and the beare shall fede one with another, & theyr youngelynges shall take theyr reste togyther. And the lyō lyke as the ore shal eate chaffe. And the in fant so soone as it is wened, shal lye playeng vpon the hooles of adders and the chylde that is wened shall [Page] put his hande into a cokeatrycesnest. They shall not hurte, nor they shal not kyl in al Gods holy mountayne. For the earth shalbe full of the knowledge of the LORDE, euen as though the water of the see flowed ouer the earth. O what a synguler plesure is this for you, which hitherto of blind gides haue blyndly be led in all kynd of Idolatrye & wyckednes to the great daunger & peryll of your soules health (for yf the blynd lead the blynd,Math xv. bothe fall into the dytch) to haue such an heauenly teacher cōmyng downe from the bosome of god the father,Ioan. iii. Tit. i. which can not ly, but wyl purely & syncerly teach you al trueth,Ioan. xvi [...] Sap. xv. that ye may vndoubtedly knowe the true God, whych thynge is euerlasting lyfe, & cōsummate or perfecte ryghteousnes. Can any newes be brought vnto you mor [...] ioyfull than these? He [Page] is truly to much brutal, that reioy seth not at the hearyng of them.Christ confirmeth his doctrine wt myracles.

Thyrdly he shal not onlye wyth all syncerite enforme you of the denyne wyl of his celestial father, but he shal also worke manye straūge & wonderfull myracles amonge you,mat. vii i. mat. [...]x. [...]u. xi. mat. xii. Luk. xii. Ioan. xi. mat. ix. Luk. v. to cōfyrme his doctryne, & to shewe that he is vnfaynedly y• true Messias, which so many yeres was promised before to come. For he shal restore the sycke to theyr healthe, the blynd to theyr syght, the deathe to they hearynge, the domme to theyr speakyng, the halte to theyr goyng the madde to theyr whole mynde, y• possessed of ye dyuel to theyr perfect state, the dead to theyr lyfe, the synful to grace & vertue. Then as the Prophet sayeth, shal the eyes of the blynde be made to se, and the eares of the deafe shalbe opened. Thē shal the halte skyppe as the herte, & the [Page] tonge of the domme shalbe losoned. They shall wa [...]ke as persones delyuered & set at liberty of the LORDE. They shal turne and come into Sion with prayse, & euerlastinge gladnes shalbe vpon theyr head. Ioye & myrthe shall they haue, sorowe and mourning shal fly from thē. Whose herte reioyseth not to heare theyse moost plesaūt & cōfortable newes?

Fourthly he shall watch,Christ is oures & al christes good dedes are oure good dedes. Luke. ix. Math. iiii. pray & fast exercysyng all kynde of benefycence and vertue, yea & that not for hymselfe shall he do theise thynges, but for you, for your helth, for your cōmodite, profyte & saluacion. All yt euer he shal do, shalbe done for your sake.i. Cor. i. His watching, fastynge, prayenge, almes dedes, & al that euer he dothe, shall be done for you. All hys good dedes shalbe yours. His ryghteousnes, holynes & godly lyfe shall be youres. Christes dedes muste nedes [Page] be youres,Esai. ix Christe is oure newe yeres gyft. for Christ himselfe is youres. This Chylde is borne for your sake, & this sonne is giuen vnto you. He is your new yeres gifte. He that hathe not spared his owne sonne,Ioh. iii. Esai. [...]iii Rom. viii. but hathe geuen him for all you, how is it possible but yt wt this his sonne he muste nedes geue you all thynges. Who shall nowe therfore attēpte any synne agaynst you that be the electe and chosen people of God? It is God that iustifiethe & maketh you righteous, who then is he that cāne condempne you? O moost blessed & ioyfull tidynges.

Fyftely when he hath full godly on this maner both lyued verteously,Of y• deth of Christe. and also preached purely the deuyne wyl of his celestial father,Iohan. vii the Bysshoppes, the head Preestes, the Scribes & Pharisees,) whiche thorow theyr obstinate blyndnes & pretensed malyce shall euer hate hym, [Page] [...]aye in wayte to snare him ī his sermōs calūmate his moost godly doctryne,Mat. xxii. Math. xi. Iohn. viii. Iohn. xii. Math, xi Math. xii. obscure his mooste pure & irreprehensible name) shall at y• laste growe into so great a malyce & fury against Christ, that they shall neuer cease vntyll they haue cruellye slayne him.Iohn. vii [...] Iohn. [...]. Iho [...]. vii. Iohn. ii. Luke. xxiii Mat. xxvi Luke. xxiii Iohn. xix. For they shall reporte him to be a glotton, a wynebybber, a frende of Publicās & sinners, one that casteth out diuelles by y• helpe of Beelzebull prynce of the dyuels, a Samaritane, one possessed withe a diuell, one all togyther set a maddinge, a seductour and deceyuer of the people, a destroyer of Gods temple, an herityke, a traytoure, & one that forbyddeth to paye tribute to Cesar. They shal make his owne disciple to betraye hym thorowe gyftes & rewardes. They shall brynge in false wy [...]nes agaynste him for to condēpne him to death, They shall [Page] brynge him before the tēporall iudges.Marke. xv. Beholde the payn [...]s that Christ suffered for vs. They shall laye many thynges to his charge vniustlye. They shall mocke him, they shall rayle on him, they shall spytte on hym, they shall buffet him, they shall scourge hym, they shal put a crowne of thorne on his heade, they shall nayle hym on a crosse, they shall pricke him euē to ye herte with a speare, they shall for very despyte hange him betwene two theues, and cruell murtherers, as thoughe he were the chefe & princypall. No kynd of torment or vilany can be inuented. but the very same shall they exercyse vpō him. [...] For frō the sole of the foote, to the toppe of the hed, shall ther be no whole place ī his most blessed body. O cruel fury & furious cruelnes. All these thīges shall he suffer not for his owne, but for your sake, for your health & saluacion, [...] yea & that wyllyngely. H [...] [Page] shal gyue his body to thē y• stryke, & his chekes to thē yt plucke thē. Hys face shall not he turne awaye from thē that rayle & spyt on hym.Esay. l [...]iii. Lyke as a shepe shal he be led to be slayne, and lyke a lambe before the clypper shal he hold his peace, nether shal he once opē his mouth. Thus because it is his pleasure, shall he offer hym selfe vpon the altare of the crosse,Colo. i▪ & by hys moost precious bloude paye our raūsome.Mat. vi [...]. Esay. lii. By this his glorious passion shal he take vpon hym your infyrmities, & beare awaye youre synnes. By his moost blessed woundes shal al your iniquities be putte awaye. Al your synnes shalbe layd on his backe. His bloud shall make you cleane from al your synne. By his bloude shal ye haue remission of your synnes.i. Ioan. i. Col [...]. i. i. Pet. i. Tit. ii. By ye precious bloude of this Christ, as of an immaculate and pure lambe shal ye be redemed [Page] from the tyrany of Satan. By y• oblacion of Christe shall ye be made free from al wyckednes,Col. i. delyuered from the power of darkenes, & caried into the gloryous kyngedome of God.Ioan. i. For he is the lambe of GOD whiche taketh awaye the synne of the worlde.Mat. xviii Luke. xix. This is that sonne of man, which is come to saue that which was lost, & not to destroy the soules of mē, but to saue thē. And al this shall come to passe by the oblacion & offryng of his owne moost precious & blessed body. For he shal by your Bysshop,Heb. x. not suche one as also shall haue nede to offer for hys owne synnes, but for youres onely, nether shal he be like y• bishoppes of y• old law, which offer dayly for y• sinnes of y• people suche sacrifyces, as can neuer take away sinne, nor yet make men perfecte.Heb. vii. But this your Bysshop shalbe godly, innocēt, fautles, [Page] segregated from synners, and made higher then ye heauēs, whiche shal not nede, as the other Bisshoppes do, dayly to offer sacrifices first for hys owne synnes, & afterwarde for the synnes of the people.The one [...] cri [...]ice of christes deth serueth for euer to put away sines▪ For he beynge without al synne shall once for all offer hymselfe. And this one sacrifyce or oblacion of hys mooste blessed bodye shal be able to saue so many as beleue in him, euen to the vttermoost Christ beynge the Bysshop of good thynges to come shall enter into y• holy place by hys own bloud, & fynd euerlastyng redēpciō. He thorow the holy Ghoste shall offer hymselfe immaculate to God,Heb. ix. & pourge your conscience from deade workes to serue the lyuynge God. Hē once for al offeryng vp him selfe shall take awaye the synnes of many.Hob. x [...] By the oblacion of the bodye of Iesus Christ done once for all, shall [Page] you be sanctifyed. With one oblaciō shall he make perfecte for euermore thē that are sanctifyed. Here se you of what īestimable pryce the sacrifyce of Christ your bysshop is. The vertue of it neuer ceaseth,The vertue of christes sacrifice neuer ceaseth, but endureth in perfect strēgthe for euer and [...]uer. but endurethe in perfecte strengthe for euer & euer, y• the sinnes of y• faythful repentant maye be forgyuen at all tymes by it. Christes bloud shall not crye for vengeaūce, as y• bloude of Abell dyd, but for mercy, grace & fauour.Gen. iiii. Yea by Christes bloud shall all thynges both in heauen & e [...]the be pacifyed, apeased, set at a stay,Colos. i. & reconcyled to God the father aboū dātly.Heb. x. So that nowe ye shalbe purged of al your synnes by this one & omnisufficiente oblacion of Iesus Christe your Bisshop.Esa. lxiii. For he alone shal treade downe the wynepresse, & take vpon his backe the great & importible burden of your synnes all. [Page] He by his death shall slaye death & ouercome Satā,Ozee. xii. synne, hel, desperacion, & all y• euer maye be agaynste you. So y• nowe ye shal be made so cleare, as though ye had neuer offē ded. Ye shall now be so set at liberty as though before ye had neuer ben in captiuite. And all this shall come to passe by the deathe alone of thys yonge chylde nowe borne, whose body shall be the alone sacrifyce of all your synnes,Augustinus in Manual, Cap. xxii. vnto the which as vnto an holy ancker ye muste alwaye ronne for ayde, refuge & succoure, trustynge assuredly, that his death [...]s youre whole hope, youre meryte, youre refuge, helth, lyfe & resurreccion.Mark [...] For youre meryte is the compassion & excedyng mercy of Christ your LODRE, ye are not wtoute meryte, so longe as y• LORD of mercyes doth not fayle, And yf the merytes of the LORDE be many, than are ye [Page] plenteous in merites. The more able y• he is to saue, the more safe and wtoute daūger are ye. Thus se you what a great occasiō ye haue to reioy se in the deathe of the LORDE Christ your alone sauyour, wherby so many synguler & great commodities shall chaunse vnto you. [...]. vi. God forbydde therfore that ye should reioyse in ony thynge at all, saue only in the crosse & death of your LORDE Iesus Christ.

Syrtely but in asmuch as it is not sufficient that this youre newe hynge Iesus Christ do dye for your synnes,Of the resurreccion of Christ. Roma. iiii. except he also ryseth againe for youre iustificacion, therfore do I also declare vnto you these moost ioyful & cōfortable newes, yt after he be once dead & buried he by y• power of his deite shall gloriouslye ryse again y• thyrd day frō deth to life for your iustificaciō accordīg to y• holy [Page] scriptures.Ozee. vi For God his father shal make him alyue after two dayes, & vpon the thyrde daye he shall rayse hym vp, & he shal lyue in his syght. As Ionas was ī ye belly of a whale thre dayes & thre nightes,Ionas. ii &. iii so shall ye sonne of man be in the herte of the earth thre dayes and thre nightes. And as Ionas by y• power of God came out of y• whalles belly ye thyrd daye,Math. xii so in semblable wyse shall this Christ by ye puissaūce of God his father ryse agayne y• thyrd daye from deathe to lyfe.i. Cor. xv By this glorious resurreccion of Iesus Christ, shall ye gette the victory of Satan, synne, death,Roma. iiii hell, desperacion. &c. By this glorious resurrecciō of Iesus christ shall ye be made ryghteous in God the fathers sight.Ioan. [...] By this glorious resurrecciō of Iesus Christ shal heauen gates be opened for you, which so longe haue ben sparred.Ioan. v. By this [Page] glorious resurrecciō of Iesus christ shall ye also ryse agayne, & enter īto euerlastyng lyfe.i. Petre. i. By this glorious resurrecciō of Iesus christ, shal god of his excedynge mercy beget you a new into euerlastyng hope, & an immortall heritage, which is kepte for you in heauē.Ioan. ii. For Christ is y• resurrecciō & lyfe, he y• beleueth in him, al though he be dead, yet shall he lyue, & euery one that lyueth & beleuethe in hym, shall neuer dye. Here se you in howe ioyfull and mery a state ye shall be set by Christes moost glorious resurreccion. What is here but that moueth & styreth vs to ioye & gladnesse? To muche brutall is he which at the heryng of these moost swete & delectable newes dothe not seriously reioyse.

Furthermore after that thys LORDE Iesus Christ is risen agayn from death to lyfe,Of Chrystes ascencion. & hath continued [Page] here vpō the earth certayne dayesmat. xxviii▪ shewyng himselfe vnfaynedly tomat. xvi. haue risen vnto his disciples &Luke. xxiiii. certayne other,Ioan. xx. than shal he by the wō derfull power of his Godhead ascēd vp into heauē very God &Act. i. very mā in the presence of his disciples,Heb. i. that they maye be faythefull wytnesses hereof to other, & sytte downe on y• right hand of God his father, as equal God concernynge his dette wt his father in all vertue, puissaunce strength & power.Ioan. xiiii▪ By this his meruaylous ascencion shall he go & prepare places for you in y• house of his eternal father. For he is ye way, the trueth & the lyfe.Ioan. xii. No man cōmethe to y• father but by him.Ephe. iiii. But this his meruaylous ascēciō shall he drawe you all vnto him.Psa. ixvii. By this his meruaylous ascēciō shal he gyue diuers spiritual gyftes vnto you thorowe the sendyng of ye holy ghost y• swete [Page] cōfortour,Ion. xiiii. and .xvi. which shal lede you into al trueth. Although he ascēde vnto his father, yet wyll not he leue you cōfortles.mat. xxiiii. For by his deuyne spirite he wyll be wt you euē to the very cō summacion & ende of the world.Ios [...]e. i. He wyll not leaue & [...]orsake you.Heb. xiii. For he is called Emanual,math. i. whych is by interpretaciō,Esa. vi. God is with vs.Ioan. xiiii. For he is that God which wyl euer accompany you so lōge as ye abyde in his worde. Yea he wyll come & dwell wt you. He wyll offer himselfe to you, euen as a gentle & louynge father doth to his moost tēder childrē. [...]. xxvi. For this his promyse, I wyll, [...]. Cor. vi. sayeth he, dwell amonge thē, & be conuersant among thē, I wyll be theyr God, & they shall be my people, yea I wyll be theyr father, & they shalbe my sō nes and doughters.

Agayne though Christ shall syt on ye ryght hand of God ye father almyghty,Christ alone is oure mediatoure and aduocate. [Page] yet shal he not be ther ydle & vtterly fallē frō sekyng your profyte.Rom. ix. For he shall ther continuallye pray & make intercessiō to God his father for you.He. vii. &. ix. This mā Christ Iesus is youre alone mediatoure,i. Tim. ii. so y• yf onye of you dothe synne, ye haue him to be your aduocate,i. Ioan. ii. euen Iesus Christ y• righteous. And he it is y• obtayneth mercy for your synnes.Ioan. xiiii. and .xvi. Whatsoeuer also ye aske of the father in his name, he wyll surelye gyue it you. What wyll ye desyre more? Are not these comfortable & swete newes to heare,Esa. ix. y• you haue this daye so precious a iewel borne amōg you, yea & gyuen you frely? Uerely youre ioye oughte to be so great, yt it coulde not be expressed. B [...]t let vs hear mo ioyful tidīges.

Whā y• tyme is ones come y• this world shall haue an ende,Of christes cōminge to y• iudgement▪ Mat. xxv. then shal this your LORDE and kynge Iesus [Page] Christ come full gloryo [...]y from the right hand of his father in his maiesty,i. Cor. xv. i. & before him shall be gathered al naciōs.Thes. iiii. For at y• voyce of y• archangell & trōpe of God shall all people ryse out of the erth,Esa. xxvi. wt theyr bodies both faythfull & vnfaythfull.Ioan. v. They y• haue done good,Rom. xiiii. shall come forth into ye resurrecciō of lyfe,ii. Cor. v. but they y• haue done euell,Rom. ii. i. into y• resurrecciō of dānaciō.Cor. xv. All shal be presēt before the iudgyng place of Christ. [...]. iii. Euery mā shal receyue accordynge to theyr dedes. Thā shal you which are his faythful people receyue for your corruptible body, an īcorruptible body, for your mortal body an immortal body, & euen such one as shal be lyke to his owne gloryous body. It hath not yet appered that ye shal be.i. Ioan. iii. But knowe ye that yf he ones appeare, ye shall be lyke vnto him, for ye shal se h [...]m as he is, This [Page] day of iudgement shalbe to the wicked & vnfaythfull,Sop [...] [...] Ioel. [...]i. a daye of wrath, a daye of trouble & heuines, a daye of calamite & misery, a day of darkenes & myst.Amos. v. They shall walke as mē beyng blynde, because they haue of fended the LORDE, & theyr bloude shalbe shed as ye dust, & theyr bodies as dūge hylles. Neyther shall theyr syluer & golde be able to deliuer thē in that daye of the LORDES wrath. For to thē it shalbe sayde.Mat. xxv. Departe from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre, which is prepared for ye dyuell & his Aungels. But ye daye to you, which are his faythfull people, and obedient to his worde, shalbe a daye of cōsolacion, cōforte, ioye & myrthe wt all gladnes. For to you it shal be sayd:Mat. xxv. Come ye blessed chyldrē of my father, inheryte y• kyngdom prepared for you from the begynnyng of the worlde.i. Thes. iiii. For ye shall be taken vp [Page] in the cloudes for to mete y• LORDE in the ayre, and so shal ye euer he wt the LORDE in glory. But who is able to expresse what ioy, what pleasure, what myrthe, what gladnesse ye shal haue in heauē.Esai. xliiii The eie hath not sene, & the eare hath not herde, neither hath it entred īto ye herte of man y• God hath prepared for them that loue hī. Ye shall se him face to face, vpon whom Aungelles desyre to loke.Esai. [...]xv With sorowe, care, thought▪ payne or deathe shall ye no more be entangled.Apo. v [...]. & x [...]i. God shall wype away al teares from your eyes.Esaie. li. Your ioye, your gladnes, youre myrth shall be perpetuall. All the pleasure of this world cōpared to the leest ioy of heuen is nothynge.Apo. xxi For this celestiall citie is of pure gold, lyke vnto clere glasse, & the foūdacions of the walles of this citie are garnisshed with all maner of precious stones, the gates [Page] are of fyne pearle. Yea the streres of this heauenlye citie are pure golde. It hath no nede of the sonne neyther of the Moone to lighten it. For the brightnes of God doth lighten it,Esaie. ix. & the lambe is the light of it.Dani. xii. In this citie shall ye glyster as the shynyng of heauē, & shalbe as ye sterres,Mat. xii. worlde without ende. Ye shalbe as y• aūgels of God y• are in heauē, Ye shall be pyllers in ye tēple of god.Apoc. iii. Ye shall be clothed wt whyte garmē tes, ye shall sytte wt Christe vpō his seate, ye shall eate Māna y• is hyd. ye shall eare of y• tree of lyfe, which is in the myddes of the Paradise of God.Apo [...]. ii. Ye shall haue a whyte stone, & in the stone a newe name wrytten, which no man knoweth sauyng he that receyuethe it.Iacob. i. Ye shall receyue the crowne of lyfe, which the LORD hath promised to thē that loue him Ye shall receyue the vncorrupty [...] [Page] crowne of glory.i. Pet. v. Ye shal receiue the crowne of righteousnes, which the LORDE a ryghteous iudge in y• daye shal gyue to all thē that loue his cō mynge.i. Tim. iiii. To conclude, ye shall accordynge to his promyse receyue euerlastynge lyfe,i. Ioh. ii. in the whiche ye shall lyue wt god the father, and this his sonne Iesus Christ your Lord and Sauiour, with the holy Ghost one very God worldes without ende, to whome alone be all honour & glory for euer and euer.i. Tim [...]. i▪ Amen.

¶A brefe rehersall of all those thynges that go before.

THus haue I declared vnto you the moost swete, moost confortable, moost plesaūt, & moost meri newes out of heaue at the cōmaundement of the hyghest & puissaūt God.Roma. v Ye se ī how miserable a case ye are redacted and [Page] fallen by the synne of Adā,Ephe. ii▪ & howe that by hym ye are all damned and made y• sonnes of wrath. Ye se that of your selues because of youre imperfecciō, ye are not able to do any good thyng, that maye satisfy y• deuyne wyll & apease Gods wrathe. Ye se that y• workes of the lawe can not make you fre in y• syght of god,ii. Cor. iii. neyther are ye able of youre owne strenth & free wyll so pure [...]y, so spiritually to do thē as the law requireth,Rom. ii [...]. that you may obtayne remissyon of youre synnes by doynge of them.Heb. x▪ Ye se also that the sacrifyces of the olde lawe can neuer putte away synne,Dent. iii [...] ▪ xii. xiii. & as for workes of your owne inuenciō are mooste of all imꝑfecte, & mooste vnapte to purchase grace & fauoure. Thus se you that of youre owne selues, of your owne polecy, of your owne righteousnes ye are not able to escape the daūger [Page] of dānacion, yea rather dānaciō it selfe, Therfore dyd I declare vnto you the cōfortable newes out of heuē, shewyng you that God, not for the workes of righteousnes that ye haue done,Tit. iii. which in dede are none, but of his owne free & great mercy hath vouchedsaufe to preserue and kepe you from the daūger of Satā sinne, death & hel, [...]uk. ii. yea and yt by this his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ which this daye is borne in the cytie of Dauid to be the sauioure of y• world.mat. iii. So that for Iesus Christes sake God is well pleased with you.

Ye haue heard that y• lawe hath condēned you,Den. xxvi [...] in asmuch as ye are trāsgressours of it,Gel. iii. and hath made you accursed. Frō this cursse of the lawe shal christ delyuer you, not frō the lawe it selfe, that you shoulde lyue vngodly,Ephe. v. & after a remisse and dissolute maner (for such haue no in [Page] heritaūce in y• kyngdome of Christe & of God) but from the curse, seruitude, bondage, damnaciō of ye lawe. For he shall fulfyll y• whole law euē to the vttermoste.math. i. And hys fulfyllynge shall be accepted before God the father for the fulfyllynge of so many as beleue in him.Rom. [...]. And he settyng you at libertye from the curse of the lawe,Eze. xxxvi. shall gyue you a newe herte, & put in you a newe spirite, & he shal take away your stony herte & gyue you a fleshly,Iere. xxxi. that is, a softe & gentle herte, redy to enclyne to y• accōplyshment of Goddes wyll.Heb. viii. He shal gyue his lawes into your myndes, & wryte them in your hertes, y• you maye euer after franckely and with a free spirite fulfyl them.

Ye haue hearde how this Christ shall brynge you oute of the darkenes into the lyght of trueth by the syncere declarynge of hys fathers [Page] wyll.Ioan. viii. For he is the lyght of y• world, & God hath gyuen hym to be a witnes vnto the people,Esay. ix. a captayne & a mayster amonge the heythen.Mat. iiii. And this his doctryne shall he confyrme with such miracles,Esay. iv. as shall euydētly shew & proue that he is that true Messias, whiche was promysed to come.Dan. ix.

Agayne ye haue hearde y• all his good dedes are youres.Rom. viii. For with hī hath God the father also gyuē you all thynges,i. Cor. i. so that he is your wysdome, your righteousnes, your sāctificacion and redempcion.

Ye haue herde also that he shall offer himsele for you to God the father an oblacion & swete swellynge sacrifice vpō the Altare of the crosse & that by this one oblacion & sacrifyce of his mooste blessed body done once for all,Ephe. v. all your synnes shall be put away, ye shal be made perfecte, [Page] and wasshed from all deformitie so cleane by christes bloud,Ephe. v. as though ye had neuer offended heretofore.

Ye haue hearde agayne that as christ shal dye for your sīnes,Rom. iiii. so shal he ryse agayne for your iustificacion,Hebre. ii. i. obtaynynge for you the victory of synne,Cor. xv. death and hell,Ozee. xiii. y• that his moost glorious resurreccion.

Ye haue heard y• after he is once rysen agayne, he shal here remayne certayne dayes, & than ascende corporally into heauen,Mat. xvi. & sytte downe on the ryght hande of God ye fatherActum. i. sendynge downe the holye Ghoste,Hebre. i. which shall lede you into all trueth.Ioan. xvi.

Ye haue hearde also that Christe syttynge on the ryght hand of God the father shall not be ydle,i. Timo. ii. but styll prouyde & seke youre helth.i. Ioan. ii. He shall be your mediatoure & aduocate.Roma▪ vii▪ He shall make contynuall intercessyon for you.Hebre. vii. He shall pleate youre cause [Page] before God his father. He shall auaunce your matter before the deuyne presence.i. Iohn. ii. Yf ye at any tyme excite or styre vp gods wrath against you thorowe your iniquitie, he shall streyght wayes apease it, and make God the father, styll youre louynge father, which elles would be to you an extreme reuenger.

Ye haue herde agayne y• Christe at y• laste daye shal come gloriously frō y• right hād of his father to iuge the quicke & the deade,Math. xxv & howe that after the iudgemente is once done,Esai. lxiiii. ye shall enter into glory with hym,i. Cor. ii. lyuynge for euer after in such ioye, pleasure & gladnesse, as can not by any meanes eyther be expressed by tong, or cōceyued in herte. All these cōmodities,Math. [...]. pleasures & profyttes shal ye haue by this your new kīge & sauiour Iesus Christ, [...]uke. ii. which this day is borne in Bethleem a citie of [Page] Dauid. What more pleasaunt and thanckeworthye newes coulde be brought to you then theise? What coulde haue set suche a ioye in your hertes, as the hearynge of these newes? Cā any thyng lyke vnto these chaunse vnto you, so great, so welcome, so acceptable, so ioyful? Uerely yf ye seriously cōsyder the misery wherwith ye were obruted & ouerwhelmed before, ye shall easlye perceyue that ye haue an earnest cause to reioyce. No prisoner, no captiue, no bond slaue was euer in so great captiuite & thraldome, as ye were, before these news were brought to you. I [...] a prisoner reioysethe for his delyuerance oute of pryson, whiche once muste nedes haue an ende, yf none otherwyse, yet at the leest by death, howe great a cause thē haue you to reioyse for your deliueraūce which were captiues & prisoners to [Page] that horrible monsture and pestiserous serpent euen Satā hymselfe, yea and that not for certayne yeares, but for euer worldes wythout ende. Neyther was it youre body alone, that was in captiuite and bō dage but your soule also, both your body & soule were captyue to hym, so that yf this your newe kynge, redemer & sauioure shoulde not helpe you, it could none oth [...]rwyse be but that you must nedes haue ben damned, cast into hel fyre, ther to burne to wepe, to lamente▪ for euer & euer remediles. But frō this moost greuous destruccion shal this chyld Iesus Christ delyuer you, & make you heyres of euerlastynge glory. What a cause haue ye nowe to reioyse? Your ioy can not be expressed, your gladnes is vnmeasurable.

Therfore seynge ye shall receyue of this youre newe kynge so many, [Page] so greate, so inestimable benefytes, loke that ye be not vnthanckefull. Receyue this your sauioure wt enbrasyng armes.Psal. ii. Runne vnto hym, yf not wt the feete of your body, yet wt the feete of your mynde. Knowledge hym to be your alone & omnisufficient sauioure,Act. iiii. & that there is none other name gyuen vnto men vnder heauen,Mat. xvi. wherin they must be saued,Esa. vii. but only this name of Iesus Christ.Ephe. ii. Confesse hym to be the true sonne of the lyuynge God,Ioan. xiiii. whiche hath nowe taken flesshe of y• mooste pure and cleane virgin Marye for your sake.i. Cor. i. Confesse him alone to be your peace,Eze. xxxiiii. lyfe,Colos. i. helth,i. Tim. ii. defence, goodnes, wisdom, righteousnes, sanctyficacion, redēpcion, pastoure, shepehearde, Bisshoppe and heade. In al youre trouble resorte to hym as vnto a strong Bulwarke, y• you maye ease you of your miserable burdens [Page] Poure out your hertes before this LORD. i. Ioan. i. Knowe him to be your alone mediatour & aduocate.Ioan. xvi. Aske al thinges in his name.Esay. xlix. Dout nothyng of his greate goodnes & exceadynge mercy towarde you. Can a woman forget the chyld of her wombe, and y• sonne whom she hath borne? And thoughe she doth forgette hym, yet wyll not he forget you. For beholde he hath wrytten you vp vpō his hā des,math. xi. so y• euer ye are in his syght. He wyll vndoubtedly ease you of your burdens,Esa. xliiii. be they neuer so great.Apo. xii. If ye thurst,Ioan. vi. he wyll gyue you of y• wel of y• water of lyfe frely. If ye hūger he is that bread of lyfe, which came downe from heauē. If any mā eate of that bread, he shall lyue for euer. If ye be sycke,mat. ix. he is a Phisicion, redy to cure & heale all your diseases. If ye be bonde and in seruitude,Ioan. viii. he wyll make you free, & set you at lyberite. [Page] If ye be dead in sinne,Ioan. xi. he is the resurrecciō & lyfe.Ioan. viii. If ye walke in darkenesse, he is the lyghte of the worlde. He that foloweth him, walketh not in darkenes, but shal haue the light of life.Rom. x. If ye be poore, he is rytch vnto all thē y• cal vpon hym. If ye be wicked, prophhane & folysh he is righteous,i. Cor. i. holye & wyse. If ye be oppressed wyth syn [...]e,Ose [...]. xiii, deathe of hell,i. Cor. xv. he hath subdued them al. If ye feare the wrath of God the father,i. Tim. ii. he is youre mediatour, aduocate & attonement maker.i. Ioan. ii. If ye haue condemned youre selfe thorowe synne,Mat. i. he is a sauiour,Rom. x. & wyll saue his people from theyr synnes. What wyl ye haue more? Ye wante nothynge, but he wyll supplye it for you aboū dantlye, & to the vttermoste. Feare not therfore to come to thys youre newe kynge Iesus Christe.Luke. [...]. For the very cause of his cōminge is not to [Page] destroye, but to saue the soules of men.

Receaue hym therfore with ioyfull hertes.An exortacion to the diligente doyng of good workes. Forsake all ydolatrye & vayne supersticiō. Beleue in hym alone. Put your affiaunce & truste in none other but in him only. And let not this your fayth be dead, but agile, quicke, lyuysshe, & myghty in operaciō. Let it be such a fayth, as worketh by loue. Fyrst lette youre fayth brynge forth an earnest loue toward God,Gala. v. and oute of this loue toward god, let such a loue procede toward your neyghbour, that out of that loue ther maye sprynge plē tie of good workes.Psal. i. Be lyke vnto a good tree,Mat. xxi. which bringeth forth her fruyte in due tyme.Gala. vi. Be no baren & vnfruytful fygge tree vnles y• malediccion & curse of God fal on you. While ye haue tyme, worke good to al mē. For God hath not delyuered [Page] you from the power of your enemies, & of all suche as hate you, yt you should styll cōtinue euel, or returne to your old wickednes, but that ye set at libertie and voyd of all feare, should serue him in holynes &Luke. i. righteousnesse before hym all the dayes of our lyfe.Rom. viii. The lawe of the spiryte of lyfe throwe Christ Iesus hathe made you free from the lawe of syn & death.Gala. v. Notwithstandyng though ye be cal [...]ed into libertie, yet let not youre libertie be an occasion to the flesshe, but by loue serue ye one another.i. Pet ii. Be as free not hauyng y• liberte for a cloke of wickednes, but euē as the seruaūtes of god. For Christ hath not of his owne mere bountie delyuered you from the myserable seruitude of Satan, that ye should runne agayne to that your enemy, but that ye should serue him, which hath shewed you such great kyndenes. [Page] Ye are nowe Christes all togyther,Make [...]well. therfore must ye loke what he wyll haue you do. For yf he be punished, whiche disdaynethe to fulfyll the cōmaundement of a terrestiall & earthly Prynce, in what case thā are ye, yf ye do eyther cast awaye or despyse the cōmaūdement of an heuenly gouernour? Certes ye ought so to institute & order youre lyfe, yt it should serue Christ your captain on such maner, that Satan should haue nothinge to do with you, nor ye wt hym. For he that doth synne, is the seruaunt of synne.Iohan. viii. Therfore ought you to caste awaye all synne from you, & gyue your mynd to purite & holynes of lyfe, & euer studye to mayntayne mutuall loue.Math. vii. For not euery one that sayeth, LORDE, LORDE, shall enter into the kyngedome of heauen, but he that doth y• wyll of God whiche is in heauen. [Page] He that pertayneth to Christe,ii. Cor. v. is a newe creature.Gala. v. And they that belonge vnto hym, haue crucified the flesshe with the lustes therof. Therfore yf ye be souldiers of Christe, declare it in outwarde workes, For it is a poynte of notable vnshamefastnes to bost your selues that ye pertayne to Christes army, & yet do nothynge at all that he commaūdeth. He that sayeth that he dwelleth in him,i. Ioh. ii. ought to walke as he hath walked.i. Ioh. i [...] ▪ If ye saye, that ye haue fel [...]owshyp with Christ, and yet walke in darkenes, ye ly & do not the trueth. But yf ye walke in lyghte, as he is lyghte, than haue ye fellowshyp togyther, & the bloud of this your sauiour Iesus Christe Goddes owne sonne makethe you cleane from all synne.

Wherfore yf ye wyll enioy these moost confortable & pleasaunte newes, [Page] whiche I haue broughte from heauen and haue now declared vnto you, forsake all wickednesse, and enhaulse al godlynes, reiecte al ydolatrye, and practyse the true worshyppynge of God,Gala. v. caste awaye the workes of the flesshe and put on the fruytes of the spirite, mortifye olde Adam. and become newe men, to be shorte,Math. v. let your lyght so shyne before men that they maye se youre good workes & glorify your father which is in heauen, to whome wyth thys your newe kynge and omnisufficient sauyour Iesus Christ Goddes owne sonne, and the holy ghost that mooste swete confortoure, be all honour and glorye worldes withoute ende. AMEN.

¶Gyue the glorye to God alone.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

Newes out of heauen both pleasaunt [and] ioyfull, lately set forth to the great co[n]solacion [and] co[m]forte of all christen me[n]. By Theodore Basille.

Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.

Edition statement

1541

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A06966

ID [STC]

STC 1739

ID [STC]

ESTC S109665

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99845312

ID [PROQUEST]

99845312

ID [VID]

10204

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A06966)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 10204)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 61:01)

Source

— Newes out of heauen both pleasaunt [and] ioyfull, lately set forth to the great co[n]solacion [and] co[m]forte of all christen me[n]. By Theodore Basille., Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567..

Extent

[126] p.

J. Mayler for J. Gough,. [London :: 1541?]. (Theodore Basille = Thomas Becon.) (Imprint from STC.) (Last line on C1 recto has: commeth--STC.) (Signatures: A-H (-H8).) (Reproduction of the original in the Cambridge University Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.