¶A declararation of …

¶A declara­ration of the twelue arti­cles of the christen faythe with anno­tations of the holy scripture, where they be grounded in. And the righte foundation and principall comon pla­ces of the hole godly scripture, a goodly short declaration, to all Christians profitable and necessarye for to come to the right vnderstondynge of holy Scripture compy­led for the com­modite of al chri­sten people. By D. Vrbanum Regi­um.

Prologe.

WHan Christen­dome after the be­ginnynge of the churche thoroughe godly grace, was growen vp into a myghtye increase the people thought them selues from daye to daye more and more sure, and beganne after na­turall flesshely inclination, to forgette God & hys worde (as in prosperite is accustumable) for the scripture saith The people sate downe to eate and drynke, and arose to playe.Exod. xxxiij Isay. lvi They tourned euery manne in hys owne wayes euery one after hys own couetousnes from the hyest to the lowest. They di­spysed the holsome true doctryne, and chose to themselues foregoers & may­sters after theyr owne wylle, whiche taught mennes tradicions and inuen­tions, as they delyted to heare, contrary to the manifolde godly moniciōs in [Page] the olde and newe testament compre­hended.Deut. xiij Math. v.ij i.ii.miiij Isai. xxx Theyr tongues and inuenci­ons were agaynst the Lorde. There­with dyd they prouoke the eyes of his maiestye to displeasure. Wherfor he visited thē by many fatherly correcti­ons and benefytes (lyke as in tymes paste the Israhelites) yf they from su­che theyr vngodly lyues woulde tourne agayne to hym, to thintent, that it myght go well with them, But they woulde not sette theyr hertes that thei myght amende.iiij. Re. xxv. Psal. ij.xxxiiij Therfore hath he per­mitted the Princes and Chiefe Capi­taynes of the Assyrians to come vpon them, theyr chosen forgoers, whiche cruelly with cheynes and bondes of mannes wisedome, and good intentes haue bounden & taken them, and spoillyng them of all Goddes ornamentes of the tempel of the cleare, pure wor­de of God, haue caryed them altoge­ther towardes Babylon, in theyr la­wes and doctryne of mannes tradici­on, where, for a great season thei haue serued heuely. In so much that they by reason of the strayght and harde ser­uyce [Page] of the same, were neuer able to serue the true goddes seruyce (althou­ghe at the laste of great necessyte they woulde gladly haue done) nor yet to know to lyue there after. For the water vaynes of the word of God, were stopped vp for thē with earth of mē ­nes lawes and tradiciōs Esay sayth.Esa. lvi Theyr wachemen and foregoers we­re all blynde, and knowe not the lawe of God, they are dombe dogges not beyng able to barke, nothynge regar­dynge but mannes doynges, they are sleapye and sluggysshe, and the shameles dogges can neuer be satisfyed. The shepeherdes also themselues ha­ue had none vnderstandynge, so holye hath mannes good thynkynge decea­ued them all. For all suche thynges had God often treathened vnto them before, in case they dyd tourne awaye from hys commaundementes, lyke as by Esay. I wyll geue them children,Esa xxx to be theyr princes, and the wyuysshe shall ruelle ouer them, he hadde, fyrst warned them for mennys dreames, whan he sayde, My people, Those [Page] which vphold thy cause and prayse thy therfore, they deceyue thy, beleue thē not. But for asmuche as they willin­gely gaue thē selues into it he suffered them to decaye, to thintent that they myght learne to knowe hym by them selues, as Ezechiel sayth.

Ezechi. xxxiiij.In such anguyshe haue they ackno­weleged them selues as lost shepe, of theyr shepeherdes (whiche haue fed them selues) seduced, haue ben sory, & repented with all theyr hertes for theyr synnes, and haue called vnto God vnfaynedly for grace & succour. The lawe of God was holly aliena­ted from them, In so muche that they knewe it no more,iiij. Re, xxij. and toke it for inuē ­ted newes. Lyke as in the tyme of Io­sia the good kynge at Ierusalem, Hel­chias the priest founde the boke of the lawe, in the howse of the Lorde, which had lyen there for a great season.

When the same was reade before the Kyng, as for an olde antiquite, he rent hys clothes, and cōmaunded the prie­stes to aske counsell of the Lorde tho­rough the Prophetes, for hym and the [Page] boke, for he feared God, because that his forefathers had not liued thereafter, and founde fauoure before God, with thys answere. For as moche, as he had humbled hymselfe, feared, and weped before hym, woulde he be mercyfull vnto hym, and to the people.

After that, dyd the kynge erecte al Goddes honour after the tenoure of the lawe, and made a couenaunt with God for hym selfe and the people to kepe the same from thensfurthe, & the people consented therein. After that dyd he breake down, & destroyed all I­dolles with al theyr appertenaunces, And god was with thē in al that they dide & left vndone. God sende vs such lyke foregoers. Vvhen now the deso­late Christianite haue done penaunce in such bōdage the in Babylonysh captiuite, & cryed to god with al their her­tes for delyueraunce, he hath immedi­atly heard thē, & brought again to lighte hys holy, cleare, pure lawe, worde & doctryne, thorough meanes according to hys pleasure, And as we dayly see before oure eyes, namely, that such a­ryseth of a fewe & despysed personnes [Page] as also in tymes paste in the begyn­nynge of the churche hath ben done,i. Re. xiij i. Esd. ij Matth. xxij. Roma. ij. as apereth here and there in the scrip­ture, whereby we see euidently, that it is not harde to god to speke through many or thorowgh feawe, for all mul­titude is before God, as one man, hys power is not in the multitudes or in many, and there is no respecte of per­sonnes by hym. The lyght is come a­gayne into the worlde, God graunte that oure foregoers loue no more the darkenesse, but followe the good kyn­ge Iosia, than shalt, them as the shepe­herdes, the people as the shepe gladly followe,Ezechi. xxxiij that the prophecye of Ezechi­el come not ouer them. Vvoo be vnto the shepeherdes that feede them selues the mylke haue ye eaten, with the wolle haue ye clothed you, and that which was fatte, haue ye slayne, but my floc­ke, haue ye not norysshed, the weake haue ye not strengthned, the loste haue ye not brought agayne, but with cruel authorite haue ye rueled ouer them. me shepe haue ben scattered for so mu­che as they ware without a shepeherd [Page] as truely as I lyue saith the Lord. For so moche as my shepe haue ben robbed & deuoureth of the wylde beastes, be­cause they ware withoute shepeherde, for the shepeherdes haue not sought my flocke but thēselues, and haue not fed my shepe. I wyl requyre my floc­ke of theyr handes, and make them to ceasse from feadynge my shepe any more, yea they shall feede them selues no more, and I wyl delyuer my flocke oute of theyr mouthes.

To be a foregoer is an offyce,i. tim. iiij plea­saunte, and no Lordeshyp whosoeuer diligently consydereth the same, wyll not couete to charge him selfe with it, nor yet to presse into it. Couetousnes worketh suche, whiche is a roote of all iniquytie. Lyke as loue, is a roote of al goodnes, as Paule sayth.i. tim. vi. i. Pe. v Pryde clea­neth to them that be couetous. There of speaketh Peter, God resisteth the proude but geueth grace to the hum­ble.

In Apocalypse writteth S. Ihon thus.Apoc. iij Christe standeth euen nowe be­fore the dore of oure hertes & knocketh [Page] yf any man heare hys voyce, and opē the dore vnto him, vnto him wil he en­tre in, and suppe with hym. He prouo­keth and beekeneth vs confortably to hym by hys holy word many wayes, whereby we be delyuered frō the cap­tiuite of mans lawe, so that we wyll heare hym. Vve be waxed so blynde, that we se not oure redemptiō and ly­berty.Ioha. v. and .xiiij Therfore sheweth he vs the waye and the dore, sayenge. Seke in the scripture, for she beareth witnesse of me. And I am the waye, the trueth, and the lyfe. No man cometh to the father, but by me. Item I am the dore: all they that haue entred any other waye,Iohan. x than by my, be theues and mur­derers. He that entreth in by my shal besafe, and shall goo in and oute, and fynde pasture. The thefe cometh not into the fold, but to steale & to destroy. I am come that they myght haue lyfe, and haue it more aboundantly.Mat. xi Item, come vnto me all ye that laboure and are ladē, and I shal refresshe you. Ta­ke my yoke, on you, and learne of me, for I am meke and lowely in herte, [Page] and ye shal fynde rest vnto your sou­les. For my yoke is easy & my burthen is lyght. Of suche lyke sainges be he­re and there innumerable many.

Therfore lette vs ioyfully receyue and with greate diligence thankefully kepe the holy, pure, sincere worde of God, the sustenaūce of the soule, whi­che the Lorde God agayne of newe, mercifully hath manifested vnto vs. For Christ saith,Luce. xi. Deuter viij. happye are they that heare the worde of god, and kepe it. Therewith maye we boldely praye, in spyte of the deuill, and all hys illusions.

And to thintente that we maye the more stedfaste lyer do the same, here followeth moost compendiously cō ­prehended, howe we oughte to holde vs in al Christian lyuinge concernyn­ge the faythe in doynge and lyuing, towarde God and man, and where the same al together and euery parte therof is grounded in the scripture, to the prayse of god, and for the succoure & crudicion of the sim­ple Christen congregacion [Page] ordeyned and made to vse them selues in the holy scripture. The mer­cyfull God vouchesafe to geue and graun­te vs hys gra­ce, helpe and fatherly succoure there vnto. AMEN.

¶The twel­ue Articles of oure Christen faythe, with annotations of holy scri­pture, wherein they be grounded. By Vrbanum Regium to the pleasure of the worshipfull wyse man Caspar wytbrugge collected

Prologe.

CYprian & Ruf­fyn be of thys opi­nion,mat. xvi that the Apo­stles (whan Christ had commaunded the gospell vniuer­sally in the worlde to be preached) be­fore theyr departynge the one from the other haue agreed and haue made a summe of all theyr predications to come, what euery one dyd holde, to thintent that they myght preache the [Page] Godly doctryne of Christe to all cre­atures with one accorde. And that shoulde be the twelue articles of oure beleue, as euery mā speketh them day­ly. Nowe be it as it wyll, whether the Apostles or likewise their successours haue extracted it moost briefly,The scripture ought men to reade them selues. rom. xv. Vvhat we bele­ue, is not all compre­hended in the Crede. it is good in myne opynyon, notwithstan­dynge. Let euery man also heare or reade the treasure of wysedome, the Byble, as the ryght well and springe, where that, and other thynges more for our instruccyon is written.

Vve beleue, that in the Sacrament of the aulter is the body and blode of Christe. That standeth not in these twelue articles, and yet is an artycle of faythe, therfore must men reade the scripture also. In the twelue chiefe ar­ticles of faithe, is the chiefest, compre­hended, what to a christen man is ne­cessary to beleue for hys saluacyon. For as muche now, that faythe is to vs so necessary,mar cxvi Ebre. xi Iohan iij that no man withoute fayth can be saued, as Christe sayeth, He that beleueth not, is dampned.

Item, he that beleueth not, is condēp­ned [Page] all ready.

Verely the wicked spirite our ene­my laboureth with many craftes to put vs awaye from the faythe of the­se articles, wherfore it is necessarye, that oure herte be very sure bound to these articles with a strōg stedfast fai­the, which in the felde of heauy temp­tacion may resiste.Matth. iiij. Deute. viij. Psa. xci Ioh. viij

Christe dyde set him selfe agaynste the deuyls temptacion with the scri­pture, castynge before hym the sayn­ges out of the scripture: euē so shoul­de we do also. The wicked spirit fea­reth the scripture. For as muche as he is a father of lyes,Gen. iij Iho. viij he can not abyde the wordes of the euerlastynge very­te. He is a Prynce of darkenes, ther­fore flyeth he from the wordes of ly­fe.

Therfore shall euery Christian su­rely walle rounde aboute and make stronge with saynges of the holye Scripture, these twelue articles, that the Deuyll be not able to ouercome hym.

¶The holy Scripture is here oure [Page] wall and refuge where vpon the hert may and shall surely truste whereout cometh confirmation of oure faythe,Profyte of the holy scriptu­re. whatsoeuer she teacheth and biddeth vs the same is right and Goddes wille She is oure lyght and waye, she co­meth of God the holy gooste, tea­cheth vs what is necessary for vs to oure saluacyon cōforteth vs in all tēp­tacions, refourmeth vs in all errours illumineth vs in the darknes of oure ignoraunce.rom. xv Therfore sayth s. Paule whatsoeuer is written afore tyme, is written for our learnynge, that we through pacience and comforte of the scripture myght haue hope. And to Timothee,ij. tim. iij all scripture geuen by in­spiration of god, is profitable to tea­che, to improue, to amende, and to in­structe in righteousnes, that the man of God be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes.

god speketh through men. ij. Pet. i.Laudable perseueraunce, vertue & honoure of the godly scripture of the old and newe testament, testifyeth to vs, sufficiently, that menne haue not of them selues, but God hath spoken [Page] through the men.Exo, iiij They be not men­nes, but Goddes wordes. Euen thus spake God vnto Moyses. Goo to, I wyll be in thy mouthe, and wil teache the, what thou shalt speake. Christe asscrybeth hys doctryne to the father,Iohā. vij and .xiiij mat. xvi. as stondeth in Iohn. God the father hath geuen hym vnto the congregaci­on, as theyr ryght true doctour, who­me men should beleue as he sayth him selfe.

In the articles of oure holy faythe standeth thys worde, beleue,Ebr. xi. before in the beginnyng. For as saynt Paule sayth, withoute fayth it is impossible, to please God, for he that cometh to God, must beleue, that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that se­ke hym.

We saye not, I see or I knowe,Ebr. xi. but I beleue Paule sayth: Faythe is a su­re confidence of thynges whiche are hoped for, and a certaynte of thinges whiche are not sene. For these articles be wonderfull secretes of God, which thorough mennes witte can not be ob­tayned and vnderstonde, but onely [Page] with the eyes of fayth. Mannes wy­sedome can not vnderstonde that god is become man, and frō death rysen a­gayne, and rayseth also the dead in Christe, that he ascended into heauen sitteth on the ryghte hand of God his father. Item that Goddes naturall sonne be borne of a virgyn and suche lyke.

Wise­dome of the cros­se.The wysedome of the crosse is hy­den from al eyes of worldly wysedo­me it is a mistery, which is knowen by fayth. All worldly policye knoweth nothynge of it.i. Cor. i. Euen thus sayth Paul we preache Christ crucifyed, vnto the Iewes an occasion of fallyng, and vn­to the Grekes folisshnes, but vnto thē whiche are called bothe of Iewes and Grekes, we preache Christe the po­wer of God, and the wysedome of God. It semeth vnto the Gentiles to be a folissh thyng, that God shoul­de dye, beyng the incomprehensible maiestye. They knowe nothynge of the mistery of the blessed manhode, whiche God toke vpon hym for oure saluacyon from the beginnynge pro­uydedEphes. i [Page] and ordeyned.

Saynt Paul speaketh vnto the Corinthians.

When the world through their wi­sedome knowe not God in hys wyse­dome,i. Cor. i it pleased God through folysh­nes of preachynge to saue them that beleue thereon.Luce. ij Here is set and erec­ted the signe which is spoken agaynst, and whiche is the fall and resurrecti­on of many in Israel.Esay. xxviij Here is set the stone of stomblynge, and rocke of of­fence, as Esay sayth. Vvhereon ma­ny shall be brused. That is the wise­dome of Christen men, whiche saued vs. As for all the wysedome of the Gentiles was not able to comforte her teachers effectually in their sma­lest grefe.Mat. xi The wysedō hath God hyd from the wyse and prudent, and hath opened it vnto babes.

The Iewes wente about,Rom. xi to be ma­de, and to come ryghteous to God, throughe the lawe, and throughe the dedes of the lawe, but so coulde [Page] coulde they not be ryghteous.Roma. x They haue reiected Christe the precious cor­ner stone, which is the ende of the la­we, in whome is made righteous, he that beleueth.Rom. ix But there is another ryghteousnes, whereof the Iewes knowe not, whiche is called the ryghte­ousnes of God, that is no thynge el­les, then to beleue in hym, that iustify­eth the synner, accordynge as saynte Paul witnesseth,Rom iiij If I beleue truely in Christe, as in the very some of God, & myne onely redemer and saueour, truely then shall thys fayth and truste be counted vnto me for ryghteousnes before God.

Fayth is not a slyght thynge, whi­che a man may geue vnto hym selfe, or make it, when he wyll. But it is a great myghtye thynge, whiche renu­eth man, and leaueth hym not in hys olde opinyon,Vvhat is fayth and in hys, olde skynne, and desyres. To beleue is stedfastly to cleaue vnto the worde sf God, whe­ther it be wordes of threatenynges or of promyse, that thou doest truste the­re vpon. That can no man do of hym [Page] selfe,Act. iiij. the spirite of God must renue & illumyne hys herte before. A man maye make to hymfelfe, an opinyon of God, that he is good and merciful, but it hath no efficacye, for as sone as the earnest & nede cometh, it vanissheth awaye as a dreame.A right fayth.

It is not ynowgh, that we speake the articles of oure fayth euery daye, fyue, sixe, or seuen tymes after the pa­ter noster. Thei must be written in the herte, & that lyuely, & not onely mum­bled with the tōg, that when the affliction beginneth that it be then, euen as thou speakest. Thou sayest, I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes, & when the deuyll doth assayle the in necessyte of death, for thy manyfolde synnes sake, then arte thou abasshed, and wylt dis­payre. Thereby do I see, that thou spe­kest this article with thy mouthe, but thy herte knoweth nothynge thereof. Thou beleuest it not truely. Thou sa­akest, I beleue the resurrection of the body, and the lyfe euerlastynge, but whan death breaketh in, and body & soule must parte, than arte thou so a­frayde, [Page] as though body and soule dy­ed altogether, & as yf it were cleane done with the: Se, yf there were a right fayth in the of this article, that there were no doubtefulnes with the in it, that thy body and soule, woulde sone come together agayne, thou shouldest not be so fearefull. For fayth is kepte in necessite euen as golde in the fyre.dayly prayer Thy daily and moost diligent pray­er allwayes to god shal be. O Lorde euerlastyng almighty God geue me the ryght true faythe loue, and hope, that I maye serue my neygh­boure ac­cordynge to thy pleasure. AMEN.

¶The fyrste Artycle.

I Beleue in God, the father almighty maker of heauē and earth.

Here marke fyrste,One god thre persons that there is but one God, but they be thre person­nes. The father and the sonne and the holy goost, as the scripture testifyeth. The thre personnes be lyke euerla­styng, lyke myghtye, of one maiestye and beynge.

The sonne in the holy trinitye is sent vnto vs in the last tyme, hath ta­gen vpō him humayne nature to thin­tent that he shoulde fulfylle the scri­pture, and redeme vs, accordynge to the good wyll of hys father. And he hath also created all thynges with the father and the hooly goost (after the Godheade) in the beginnynge.Deu. vi Thus sayth the scripture. Heare Israel. The Lorde oure God is an onely Lorde, [Page] And thou shalt loue the Lord thy god with all thy herte, with all thy soule, with all thy mighte.

the nature bele­ueth not that there is one God.The nature of mankynde is so euel & so sore blynded through synne, that she of her owne power and strengthe can not well comprehende thys arti­cle, that there is one God, yea althou­ghe she thynke, there be somewhat, that is God, as the gentyle Cicero maketh mencion, yet knoweth she no­thyng sure of hym, of hys power and wille. It is easy to perceyue how littel the gentyls haue knowen of god tho­rough theyr own wittes, thei haue made many Goddes,Roma. i and haue waxed ful of vanities in theyr imaginacions, ād haue knowen nothynge truely of the almyghtynes of God. The lyght of nature is to weake for suche hyghe matters. The lyght of grace must shyne here in darkenes, elles is it errour and ignoraunce.

God oure fatherGod is called oure father, that is a confortable thynge to the faythfull, is he our father, so be we hys children and heyres of hys kyngdome. Euē so [Page] doeth also Esay calle hym, Lord, thou atre our father, oure redemer. And in another place, Lorde oure father arte thou, thou arte the worke mayster we all be workes of thy handes.Mat. vi Therfo­re pray we. Our father which arte in heuen.

Father almyghtye,God is almigh­ty. God is omni­potent, all thynges are possyble vnto hym, all thynges be in hys hande, his power, domynyon, and beyng is euer lastynge and endles. Therfore calle hym the Prophetes so often Domi­num Zabaoth, or exercituum, a Lorde of hostes, Itē Baruch speaketh.Bar. iij. Ge. xvij Exo. xv and .vi Iudith xvi. Iob. viij Luc. i. Apo. iiij Thou Lorde almightye God of Israel, In the fyrst boke of Moyses. I am the al­mighty God. In the second boke of Moyses, Almighty in hys name. Itē in the boke of Iudyth, The almightye Lorde had hyndered hym. In Iob, Yf thou wouldest pray to the almightye. Item Iohā. v. xiij. xxi. xxij. xxiiij. xxvij. The Angel sayde Luce. i. with God is nothyng vnpossyble. Item in the Re­uelacions of saynt Ihon. Holy, holy, holy, is the Lorde almighty, whiche [Page] was, and is, and is to come. Item in the .xi,Gen. i Esaye xxxij. xlvij. lxv. Chap. The Lorde the almighty God is theyr tempel.

Maker, that hast thou in the firste boke of Moyses. In the beginnynge made God heauen and earthe. Reade thereof, the xxxvij. xl. and xlv. Chapit. of Esay. The scripture is full therof.

¶Here agayne marke the light of nature. For nature can not vnderstō ­de the great wonderful workes of creation, she can not comprehende howe oute of nought should become ought, but the lyght of faythe vnderstondeth the creation,Ebr. xi. as saynt Paule witnes­seth. Nowe see, howe blynde all scien­ces of the gentyls be. Theyr chiefe poyntes be. Of nothynge becometh nothynge. The worlde hath lasted e­uer and alwayes. The course of hea­uen hath nether begynnynge nor en­dynge. The fyrste man neuer was, & the laste shal neuer be. Gendryng and dyenge endureth for euer. The soule hath no propre worke, wherin she hath no nede of the body, whatsoeuer dyeth ones, that same thyng can no [Page] more come agayne. Here doest thou see what an errouious & vntrue thing Philosophie is, for all the same is vn­trewe, and yet it is the chiefest, that men learne oute of Aristotell. Ther­fore is an old woman whiche beleueth hygher in the ryght Philosophye thē Aristotell. She hath by her faythe. That God hath created the worlde: that Adam was the firste man: that euen her owne body in the laste daye shalbe raysed agayne: that the soul of man as a cleare brightnes of the euer­lastyng sonne which shall neuer ceasse to be, but is immortall, That the bodely dyeng & beyng shal ceasse at the day of dome. Therfore ought a yong chri­sten man to be brought vp not in bo­kes of the gentylls, but in oure boke of the Byble, men learne nothyng in the heathen bokes, but vngodly thyn­ges, whiche be cleane contrary to the scripture, and the faythe, and make vs erronious.

the son­ne of god. ❧The second Article. ☞And in Iesu Christe hys onely sonne oure Lorde.

God hath but one naturall sonne, of one beynge, with the father, in incō prehensyble wyse borne of the father from the eternyte.Gal. iiij The father hathe not ben before the sonne, they be coe­ternall: The same sonne is sent in the fulfyllyng of the tyme,Roma. i and also tem­porally borne of a woman. He was promysed by the Prophetes long be­fore. And euen by the eternall wyse­dome by the which God hathe fulma­de the worlde,Hebre. i by the same hath he brought her agayne from her heauy fall. He is the ryght Messias, redemer of the world, whereof al the Prophe­tes haue writtē, as he sayd vnto the womā of Samaria. Ioh. iiij. whan he said. I knowe, that Messyas shall come, which is called Christe. Then answe­red Iesus, and sayde. I that speake vnto the, am he, And the Samaritanes dyd also knowledge hym, and sayde, [Page] we knowe, that thys is euen in dede Christ the sauyoure of the worlde.

Euen so doeth Peter and the other Apostles knowlege hym.mat. xvi Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god, he is that blessed sede of Abrahā, whe­rein God hath promysed to oure fa­ther Abraham to blesse al the nations of the earth.Ge. xxij Gen. iij He is the seede of the woman, that shoulde treade downe the heade of the infernall worme. Onely by hym are we reconsyled to God, As Paule sayth.Rom. v. Through the fayth in Christe be we made ryghteous and saued,Ebre. vi i, timo. i Ebre. ix i. Cor. i. Ioha. iiij Ioh. xiiij Ioha. iij Matth. xxvi. he is oure Kyng and prieste for euer, by whome we haue a sure intraū ce vnto God, he is oure onely media­toure. A mediatour of the newe testa­ment. Oure hope and oure redempti­on. No man cometh vnto the father, but by hym. For he is the waye, the trueth, and the lyfe, God hath therfo­re sent hym into the worlde, that he shoulde saue vs, whosoeuer beleueth in hym, shall not be dāpned. He hath geuen hys lyfe for the redemption of many.

[Page]Vvithoute fayth in the mediatou­re Christ could no man be saued. The fathers before hys byrthe beleued in hym, that was to come. Vve beleue in hym that is present, hys name is Ie­sus,Zach. ix Esa. lxii Ebre. v. vi. & vij that is sauioure, And Christus that is anoynted. He is oure Kynge & Bysshop, as Zacharie sayth. Lo, thy Kynge cometh vnto the lowely, Hys Priestly offyce (withoute the whiche we come not vnto God) declareth vn­to vs Paul very connyngly, The kynges of the worlde be annoynted with bodely oyle,Esa. lxi. Luce. iiij Act. x but Christe oure Kynge (whose kyngdome is not of thys worlde) is annoynted of God through the holy Ghoste, as stondeth in E­saye.

The spirite of the Lorde is vppon me for he hath annoynted me, he hath sent me to preache the Gospell vnto the poore. &c.

Iesus the son­ne of Naue.Lyke as Iesus the sonne of naue, was an electe Lorde and Capitayne of the people of Israel, whan they ware brought oute of Egypte, that he shoulde brynge them into the lande [Page] promysed vnto them.

Euen so is oure Lorde Iesus Chri­ste, geuen of God and ordeyned, that he brynge vs oute of the thicke Egip­tysshe darkenes of oure lyfe, oute of all erroure of thys worlde into the lande of the lyuinge, as the Angell sayth.

Mathei. i.

He shal saue hys people from their synnes. Therfore calleth hym the scripture in the newe Testament so often oure Lorde, as the Epistles of Paule manifestly shewe.

That is the onely sonne of god, wherevpon the hole scripture doth poynte and leade vs, as vpon oure onely sauioure, as Symeon nameth hym. Luce. ij.

But wheras the scripture doth cal­le vs Christen beleuers also the son­nes of god.

That is spoken after another ma­ner. Christe is alone the ryght natu­ra sōne of god. frō the eternite, as the scripture testifyeth. Our herte muste [Page] haue suche a myghtye Lord, where v­pō it may surely truste which is able, to defende vs from synne, death, deuil hel, He that shall do the same, must nedes be God.

❧Vvitnesse out of bothe Testamentes.

Esa. vij Iohan. i¶In Esay is Christ named Ema­nuell, that is, God with vs.

Ihon begynneth hys gospell on thys wyse. In the beginnyng was the worde, and the worde was with God, and God was the worde. The same was in the begynnyng with God. Al thynges were made by it. And the worde became flesshe. For as muche now, as he is not made, but he is the maker hymselfe, so must he nedes be God.

Ioh. xxi Act. xIohannis in the laste saith Tho­mas, My Lorde, my God. In the Ac­tes of the Apostles sayth Paule, that god hath purchased the Churche with hys owne bloude. That speaketh he of the agreynge of Persons in two natures of Iesu Christe.

[Page]To the Romaynes sayth s. Paule,Rom. ix which Christe is god ouer al thinges, blessed for euer.Phili. ij. And to the Philippi­ans. Let euery man be mynded as Ie­sus Christe was, whiche beyng in the shape of god: thought it not robbery,Colos. ij to be equall with God. To the Colossyans. In hym dwelleth all the fulnes of the Godheade bodyly.

Vnto Titus sayth Paule:Tit. ij. that we shoulde loke for that blessed hope, and gloryous appearynge,Ebre. i of the myghty god & of our sauyour Iesu Christ. To the Ebrewes speketh he vnto the son­ne. God thy seate shalbe for euer and euer. And Ihō in hys Epistel.i. Ioh. v In hys sonne Iesu Christe, this is the true God and eternall lyfe.Psa. viij In the Psalm standeth of Christe, what is thys man that thou arte myndefull of hym, and the sonne of man, that thou regardest hym. Thou madest hym lower, than the Angels, to crowne hym with glo­ry and worshyppe. Thou makest him to haue dummyon ouer the workes of thy handes: the declaracyon of thys saynge seke in Saynt Paules Epist. [Page] To the Ephesians and Colossyans, & to the Hebrewes.

Now yf god haue set Christ on his ryght hande, and hathe made hym Lorde ouer all thynges in heauen & earth then must he be god. For it is not me­te in no wyse, that one shoulde be sett on the ryght hande of god, and in ly­ke power with god the Father, yf he were no god, for as muche as god wil geue hys honoure to none other, as Esay sayth.Esa. xlij xlvi and xlviij God speaketh in Osea. Osee. xiij. Thou shalt knowe none o­ther god but me. There is none other saueour besydes me. Euen so is it also written in Esaye,esa. xliij. xliiij. & xlv. Exo. x [...]. & xxxiiij Deu. v vi. Ioha. v. and in the second & fyfth boke of Moyses. There wil he, that mē worshyp none other or straun goddes, nowe it standeth in Ihon, god wyl haue that men shall honoure the sonne, euē with the honour, wherwith the father is honoured, that is, gods honour. Euen so wyl god, that men shall haue one God, and geue the ho­nour of god to no creature. For as much as he geueth it here to Christe, truely so is he god also. As also wit­nesseth [Page] Paule,Rom. i to the Romaynes in the first Chap. sayng. After the flesshe is he the sonne of Dauid, but after the spirite he is declared to be the sōne of god with power. The scripture som­tyme calleth Christ, God: & somtyme by other wordes. Vvherfore infally­bly it is cōcluded that Iesus Christ is very god & what nedeth it many wit­nesses. Reade the gospel of s. Ihō, that is almoste nothynge elles than a wit­nes of the very godheade of Christe. Therfor erred the Cherintians Ebionytes and Arrianes for they weaned, Christ were but onely a mā & no god.

But we beleuers be the sonnes of God onely of grace through election and adoption, not of very nature.Christi­ans be the chil­dren of God. Gal. iiij Ro. viij. Ephe. i Of the same childhode, reade the Epistle of Paul vnto the Galath. Romayns, & Ephesians. There findest thou, how that we through Christ the ryght na­tural sonne of God, of grace be accepted for the sonnes of god, & heyres an­nexed with Iesu Christ our lord. The fayth in Iesu bringeth vs vnto suche hygh worthy childhode, and to hys Lordely heritage, and Iohan sayth. [Page] As many as receyued hym,Iohan. i to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God, in that they beleued on hys na­me.

❧The thyrde article. Vvhiche was conceyued by the holy gooste, borne of the virgyn Marye.

Thys article hath two partes. The firste, Christe is not of a man after the commune course of nature, but of the holy gost, yet naturally born. The seconde. The mother of Christe, was not defyled, as another woman, that conceyueth a chyldee with hurt of her bodyly and goostly virginite, but she is a virginall mother, a virgyn before the byrthe, in the byrthe and after the byrthe.

The wonderfull conceyuyng and byrthe, hath the holy gost prophecyed through the Prophetes,Math. i & by the Euā gelistes descrybed and proued. For thus sayth the Angell vnto Ioseph. That whiche is conceyued in her, is [Page] of the holy gost. For when the blessed virgyn Mary heard the salutaciō an­gelical, that she shoulde become a mo­ther of so mightye a Lorde, which was the sonne of the moost hyghest, and that hys princely kyngdome shoulde endure for euer, she asked tharchangel Gabriell with a virginal comlynesse, howe that shoulde be, seynge she kne­we of no man.Luc. i Then answered thar­changel. The holy gost shal come vpō the, and the power of the hyest shall ouershadowe the. Therfore also, that holy thyng, which shalbe borne, shalbe called the sonne of god.

Here was necessary that a specyall newe mā shoulde be borne,Christe most be borne pure. that might take away, and wash awai the corrup­tion and disease of the fyrst synne of oure damnable byrthe of Adam with hys purenes. Therfor was it here ne­cessary to be a virginal pure birth, we­rein were no spot of sinne, nor yet ma­ledictiō. The holy ghost was the wor­ke mayster in the workynge place of the pure immaculate body of Mary, her pure flesshe and bloude was the [Page] natural sede, whereout God the holy gost hath shapen the noble pure body of Christ. And the wōderful holy vir­ginite of Marye the electe virgyn is descrybed in the Prophetes and Euā gelistes with inuincyble argumentes.

The scripture geueth to vnderstonde,Gen. iij. that Christ the blessed fruyt of Marye must be a natural childe of a wo­man, for he is called the sede of a wo­man. Item he must be a man of an ex­cellent frydom aboue all men, that he be aboue all synne. For he shal treade downe the heade of the serpent, that is, synne, death, & hel, yf he were borne in synne, then shoulde the deuyll also haue power ouer hym, as ouer other children of wrath. But he hathe no power ouer him.

For Christ sayth thus.

Ioh. xiiijThe Prynce of thys worlde cometh, and hath nought in me. And so muste Christe nedes be a right natural son­ne of a woman (but with a supernaturall wyse be borne, then the children of Adam) of whome all the virginyte is clearly and vndoubtedly kept.

[Page]Firste sayth the Scripture, the sede of a woman. It sayth not. The sede of a man. It nameth onely the name of a woman. Therfore the mother of thys chylde whiche conceyueth with­out the helpe of a man, is a virgyn, & yet a ryght natural mother of the childe as also Paule witnesseth,Gal. iiij wher as he sayth. That the sonne of God is borne of a woman. Other children be borne of a man and a woman. Here sayth the Scripture Christe is onelye borne of a woman.A wo­man. A woman is not here taken, for a womā that knoweth a man, but it signifyeth the person of a woman, or the name of a woman, and geueth here to vnderstonde, that thys byrth is done without all additi­on of man, or helpe of man.

Secondarely,Ge. xxij whan God promysed to Abraham Christe the ryght Messias, he sayde.

In thy sede shall all the nations of the earthe be blessed. Marye co­meth bodily of Abrahā and Dauid. And Christe cometh of Mary bodily and is thesame sede of Abraham, [Page] through the which al natiōs be blessed. Then it followeth,Gal. iij that Marye is a pure virgyn. For yf her sonne Christe be a blessed sede, whiche taketh awaye all male diction, truely than can not he be borne of a man, yf he were borne of a man, than were he borne after the course of nature, and were a chylde of Adam polluted with synnes. Now is he onely a fruyt of a womanes body, and not of a man: for the worke of the flesshe, and the blessyng stande not to­gether.

Thirdely speaketh the spirite of god, through Esay.Esa. vij God hymselfe shal ge­ue you a token. Beholde a virgyn shal conceyue, and beare a sonne &c. The Hebrewe texte hath Alma, that is a virgyn, not as a seruyng mayde, but a yonge woman person, which as yet hath no husbande, and weareth a gar­londe, which is yet vndefyleth. And that is also nothynge elles, but a vir­gyn. And so do men call the mother of God a pure mayden, that is a vir­gyn as the Iewes them selues can not deny. And therfore is she a pure vir­gyn [Page] before the byrth, and in the byrth. Let the testimony of the Euangelistes Mathewe and Luke be sufficient for the, for they cal Mary a virgyn,Math. i Luc. i alle­gen the sayeng of the Prophete Esaye That she also dyd remayne alwayes a virgyn after the byrth,Marye a vir­gyn also after the byrthe. wyl I defend euen with the scripture. Wherewyth the heretyke Heluidius would proue the contrary parte, that she shoulde haue hadde children by Ioseph, after the fyrste borne sonne.

Mathewe sayth,Math. i Ioseph knewe her not, tyl she had brought forth her first sonne, hereout wille the folysshe that marke not the nature and propertye of the language, defyne, and conclude that she shoulde haue borne more chil­dren afterwardes. But I saye, loke better vpon the circumstaunce. The Euangelist setteth a great meruayll before oure eyes: namely that a virgin is with childe before the man taketh her into hys house and lyeth with her and before he knoweth her, for as mo­che as she hath a sonne before, whome not withstondyng she should haue, In [Page] case she were knowen of hym after the common course. And the wordes of saynt Mathewe, tende not vppon that, whiche is done after the byrth.

Ge. viijItem in the fyrst boke of Moyses, to speake after such lyke phrase. The Rauen flewe out and retourned not agayne vntyl the waters were dryed vp vppon the earth. Here wyl the texte that the Rauen is not come agayne at all. Euen so followeth not in the forsayde sayenge of Saint Mathewe, that Ioseph afterwardes hath lyen with Mary, or hath knowen her, but rather the contrary parte, that he ne­uer knewe her afterwarde.

Esay. ixThe temporall byrth of Christe, hath Esaye prophecyed and notifyed. A childe is borne vnto vs, and a sonne is geuen vnto vs vpon hys shoulder doth hys kyngdome lye. And he is called with his own name wōderful, the mightye God, the Prince of peace, a father of the worlde to come. Behol­de also the xi. Chap. of Esay.

The historye of the byrth of Christ reade Luc. ij, Howe Marie the virgyn [Page] was delyuered of her childe in Beth­leem,Mich. v Matt. ij as the Prophete Micheas dyd say in spirite, oh which wordes saynte Mathewe maketh relation, sayng: & thou Bethlehem in the lande of Iuda, arte not the leaste amonge the Prin­ces of Iuda, for oute of the shall there come vnto me, the Captayne, that shal gouerne me people Israel.

The fourth Article. Vvhiche suffereth vnder Pō ce Pilate was crucifyed,The passyon of Christ. de­ad and buryed.

That was the wille of God the fa­ther, that hys onely sonne Iesu Christ shoulde dye vpon the crosse in the hu­mayne nature, to thintēt that he shoulde bryng together the children of God that were scattered.Ioh. xi That was the fa­thers commaundement, that he shoul­de suffocate oure death by hys innocēt death.Mat. xx That same sayde Christ vnto hys twelue disciples before in the way towardes Iherusalem, whā he spake. Beholde we go vp to Ierusalem, and the sonne of man shalbe be­trayed vnto the chief priestes, [Page] and vnto the scrybes, and they shal cō dempne hym to death, and shall dely­uer hym to the gentyls, to be mocked, and to be scourged, and to be crucify­yd. And the thyrde daye he shal ryse a­gayne.Lu. xviij And in Luke speaketh Christe vnto his disciples. Beholde we go vp to Ierusalem and all shalbe fulfilled, that are written by the Prophetes of the sonne of man. &c. Wheras euen the forsayde wordes followe also.

The Prophetes haue descrybed the death of Christe very earnestly and so playnly euery thynge, that manye tymes they haue also noted, howe the payne was, as of thornes, scourges, buffettes, of the crosse, that men dyd playe for hys cote, that men gaue him vynagre to drynke, and of suche lyke many more.

In the olde testament seke, or reade wytnes.

We fynde often in the olde Testa­ment thy worde, Compact, couenaunt and testament, whereby was signify­ed, that god shoulde dye in the nature of man. Besydes that: is hys passyon [Page] and death clearly descrybed and she­wed. Esay. ij.x.xi.xli.xlvi, xlix.l.liij.lxiij.lxv. Iere. xi.xviij.xxiij.xxxi.xxxiij Tre. iij.iiij, There sayth Ieremy, chri­ste hath ben taken for our synnes. Baruch. v. Ezechiel. xvij. Osee. vi. xiij. Io­hel. ij. Amos. ij. Ione. ij. Michee. ij.v. Abacuc. ij. Aggei. ij. Zacharie. ix. xij. xiij. xiiij. Dauid, Psalm. xx.xxi.xxxvij.liiij.lxviij. and also in other Psalmes.

I wyl onely bring the into the scri­pture, that thou thy selfe mayest dryn­ke of the cleare well. But in especyall loke ouer, and reade the .liij. Chapiter in Esaye, how goodly the Prophete there descrybeth the historie of the passyon of Christe, and also the fruyte of the same passyon.

¶In the newe testamente.

Reade the Euangelistes of the pas­syon, where they handle the Passyon of Christe▪ there shalt thou fynde, ho­we godly the Prophecyes be fulfilled and that the Euangelystes accorde ād agree with the Prophetes. Lykewyse in the Actes of the Apostles .i. ij. iij. iiij v. vij. x. xiij. xvij. xx. xxvi.

Witnesses of the Apostoles.

Paule Roma. i. iij. where he proueth that we haue the redemption through the bloude of Christe in the .v. sayth he, when we were enemyes, we were reconcyled to god by the death of hys sonne. Item Roman. vi. viij. Christe dyed for vs. Roma. xiiij. xv. To the Corinthians .i. Cor. i. ij. vi. viij. x. xi. xv. ij. Corinth. iiij. v. xiij. To the Gala­thians. i. ij. iij. iiij. vi. To the Ephesi­ans. i. ij. v. To the Philippians in the seconde teacheth he, and sheweth, that the sonne of God hath humbled hymselfe frō the hyghnes of hys maiestye for oure saluacyon, euen vnto the most haynous deathe of the Crosse, Philippen. iij. To the Coloss. i. ij. iij. To the Tessaloniens. i. ij. iiij. v. To Timot. i. ij. To Titus .ij. In the Epistell to the Hebrewes, in the .i. ij. v. vi. ix. x. xiij. Cha. Peter. i. Petri. i. ij. iij. iiij. And also in the seconde Epistle. Iohan. i. Iohan. i. ij iij. iiij.

Of the buryall, reade. Treno. iij. They haue layde a stone vppon me. Psalm. iij. iiij. xvi. My flesshe shal lye [Page] sure. Item Esaye. xi. In the newe Te­stamente. Matth. xxvij. Marci. xv. Luce. xxiij. Iohan. xix The vnspeakea­ble fruyte of the hoolsome death of Iesu Christe, and the infinite merites shalt thou fynde also in the places afore rehersed.

The fyfth Article. He ascended into hel: and the thyrd daye he rose agay­ne from the death.

Christe is our redemer and sauiou­re, therfore ouercometh he all, whatsoeuer is contrary to oure saluacion is synne, death, hell, & the deuyl, through whose enuie, death is come into the worlde. Christ also descended into hell, that he shoulde suppresse, all po­wers and subtelties of the deuyl, to the faythfull. And he is rysen agayne for to geue a newe lyfe to the beleuynge, that we here after may lyue inno­cently and godly.

Dauid speaketh thereof on thys wyse. Thou shalt not leaue my soul in [Page] hell.Christ descēded into hel. Here is it cleare, that he descēded into hell. For he sayth not. Thou shalt not leaue the work of my soule in hel­lethe sayth, my soule, so that the soule of Christ dyd truely descende into hel, after her substaunce, or beynge, not o­nely after the worke. And although we do not knowe properly, what ma­ner of descendynge into hell the same be. Yet neuerthelesse wyll we surely & truely beleue the wordes of the Pro­phetes: whan he hadde commended hys blessed soule into the handes of God hys father, than laye hys holye body styll, but the soule went downe to hell. Oh the mercyfull Lorde hathe ouercome for vs euery fearful thyng.

The re­surrec­tion of Christe.¶ The resurrection of Christe is a great article. For it hath made the paines and sufferynges of all martyrs lyght, and is the triumphe and ioye of all Christians. Hys resurrectyon is oure righteousnes, and worketh also oure resurrection bothe of bodye and soule. Euen so sayth saint Paul. Chri­ste is rysen agayne.Rom iiij Ro. viij. If the spirite of hym that raysed vp Iesus from death, [Page] dwell in you, euen he that raysed vp Christe from death, shal quicken your mortall bodyes, because that hys spirite dwelleth in you.i. Co. xv And to the Corin­thians, as by Adam all dye, euen so by Christ shall all be made a lyue, and euery man in hys owne ordre. The firste is Christe, then they that are Chri­stes.

The inuincible glorye of the glori­ous resurrection of Iesu Christe, de­clareth and glorifieth al that was we­ake & feareful before, dryueth awaye the feare of death, and exalteth into great ioye the hertes of all faythfull Christians. Vvhat ioye is greater, thē that, Christe is rysen in euerlastynge glorye and honour.Rom. vi He dyed ones for vs, and shall dye no more, death shall haue no more power ouer hym, Nowe be we hys membres, and he is oure o­nely heade, wheresoeuer then the hea­de becometh and reygneth there shall also the membres become. There is oure ioye and reioysynge.i. the .iiij Therfore sayth Paule, That the Christians shoulde comforte themselues one ano­ther [Page] with suche wordes. They are cō ­fortable wordes truely to all true be­leuers.

Sūma Euan­gel ij.This is the summe of the gospel. Christe is a kyng of glorye, he is bor­ne and geuen vnto vs. Vve haue syn­ne and death, but he hath righteousnes and lyfe, yf thou beleue in hym, then be hys goodes thy goodes, hys resur­rection thy resurrectiō, And it is thy­ne also whatsoeuer he hath wrought by hys glorious triumphāt resurrection,Ro. viij. God hath geuen vs, hys sonne & all thynges with hym, as saynt Paule sayth.

Vvhat hath he wrought by hys re­surrection?Fruyct of the resurre­ction. Truely great thynges, he hath destroyed synne, raysed righte­ousnes, abolysshed death brought a­gayne lyfe, ouercome hel, and he hath geuen eternall glorye and honour. Therfore syngeth the churche with great gladnes, not without inspiratiō of the holy goost. Christe is rysen and yf he were not rysen, then were all the worlde perysshed.

In the old Testament is the resur­rection [Page] of Christe signifyeth the prophete Ionas.Ione. ij Mat. xij Luce. xi. He laye thre dayes and thre nightes in the bely of a great whalle, after that was he delyuered, as Christe hym selfe bringeth in the same. The scribes and the Pharisees would see but a signe. Then sayde the Lorde vnto them.The signe of Ionas The euyl & aduou­trous generation seketh a signe, but there shall no signe be geuen to them, than the signe of the Prophete Io­nas. For as Ionas was thre daies and thre nyghtes in the whalles belly, so shall the sonne of man be thre dayes and thre nyghtes in the herte of the earth.Iohn. ij. And in Iohn speaketh he also of thys hys resurrection, saynge. De­stroye thys temple, and in thre dayes I wyl rease it vp agayne. There spea­keth he of hys owne body.

Reade more there of in Osee, and in the psalter. I haue slept and am ry­sen, That is asscrybed vnto Christe.

Item thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell, neyther wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

[Page]Here sheweth Dauid clearly the bo­dely resurrection of Christe. For Christe is properly called in scripture the holy one of god, and he sayth, thou shalt not leaue hym in hell, that is as muche to saye. Thou shalt sone bryng hym from theus. Item thou shalt not suffre thy holy to see the corruption That is, Thou shalt make haste to brin­ge me abroade agayne to the bodely lyfe. The continual readyng in the Bible shall bryng before the more su­che lyke saynges.

Vvitnesse of the newe Testament.

Mathei. xx. He shall ryse agayne the thyrde daye. That is the worde of God, that can not lye nor faile. Mar. x. Luce. xviij. Mathei. xxviij. Mar. xvi Luce. xxiiij. Iohan. xiiij. xvi. xx. Act. i. ij. iij. iiij. v. x. xiij. xvij. xxiiij. xxvi. Paule Roman. i. iiij. v. vi. vii. viij. x. xiiij. xv. i. Corinth. vi. xv. and ij. Corinth. v. xiij. Galat. i. iij. iiij. v. Ephes. i. ij. iiij. Phil. i. ij. iij. Colloss. i. ij. iij. i. Thessalo. iiij. v. ij. Thess. i. ij: iij. i. Tim. i. iij. ij. Tim. i. ij Titu. ij. Ebre. i. ij. iiij. vi. vij. x. xiij. Petrus. i. Pet. i. iij. v. Iohan. i. Iohan [Page] i. ij. iiij.

The sixte Article. Ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God the father almighty.

Christe ascended vp to heauen, not that the eternall worde, whiche is god hym selfe, was not in heauen before. For as muche as the worde is alway­es in heauen, and abydeth in the father and is essentyally, mightely, and pre­sently in all places. But for to speake after the humanite, say we, that he is ascended into heauen, the same was neuer in heauen before. For because, that the godly and humayne nature be so agreable inwardely in vnite of the personnes, therfore vse we suche & suche like maner of speakyng: He sit­teth on the ryght hande of God. That is, he is ordeyned of God a kyng, and mightye lorde ouer all the goodes of God, in heauen, hell and earth. Ther­fore is he able ynough to helpe hys faythful in all necessities.

Witnesse of the olde Testament. [Page] In the Psalme hath the spirit of God goodly descrybed the glorinus trium­phe of the ascention of Christe, sayng.pl. xlviij Thou arte gone vp an hye, and haste led captiuite captine, and hast recey­ued gyftes for menne. Christ is gone vp to heauen by the power of the dei­te, and hath euen there receyued all power and dignite of the father ouer all creatures, and hath sent downe the holy goost with the treasure of al ma­ner of gyftes through whome the go­spel without feare is preached with power, and the worlde conuerted.

christes ouerco­mynge.The euill enemye hath taken men captiue, for they were all synners, he hath caryed them away with hys crafty subtelties from theyr Lorde God and brought them into his kyngdome of darkenes,Iuce. xi. that is the feareful kyngdom of synne and death. But there is yet come one stronger then he. The stronge Lyon of the trybe of Iuda, a ryght conqueror, a stronge Sampson, an ouercomer of death, synne, and hell. And hath done to the deuyll a myghtye insullacyon in hys kyngdo­me. [Page] And as a Kyng of glory destroyed the gates of hell, spoylled the deuyll. And hath brought agayne the prince­ly spoyle with the triūphe of the cros­se, a Lorde of lyfe and of al thynges, so that all they, that beleue in Christe, be delyuered from the power of syn­ne, death, and the deuyll. Reade more ouer the .i. xvij. xxiiij. xlvi. xlvij. xix. and [...]x. Psalme.

❧Witnes of the newe Testament.

Thus sayth Christe Matthei. xxvi. Ye shal se the sonne of man, sittynge on the ryght hande of power. Item Marci. xvi. standeth thus. He was re­ceaued into heauen, and is set downe on the ryght hande of God.

Item Luce. xxiiij. Iohan. xvi. I go to my father. Iohan. xiiij.Act. i. In the Actes of the Apostles is the story of the as­cention very goodly described. Euen there sayth Peter.Actu. ij. and .v. The God of oure fathers raysed vp Iesus, whome ye slewe & hanged on the tree, hym hath God lifte vp with hys ryght hande, [Page] to be a ruler and a sauyoure, for to geue repentaunce to Israel, and forgeuenes of synnes.

Ro. viijPaule sayth. He is on the ryght hā de of God, and maketh intercessyon for vs.Eph. i. In the Epistle to the Ephesy­ans, hast thou a goodly witnesse. The­re sayth Paule on thys wyse. God hath rayseth Christ from death, and set hym on hys ryght hande in heauē ­ly thinges aboue al rule power, might and domination and aboue all names that are named, not in thys worlde o­nely, but also in the worlde to come, and hath put all thynges vnder hys fete, and hath made hym aboue al thyn­ges the heade of the congregacyon, which is, hys body and fulnes of hym that filleth all in all thynges. In the iiij.Eph. iiij Psalm lxviij Chap. There dothe Paul bryng in the saynge, out of the Psalme. He is gone vp an hyghe, and hath ledde captiuite captiue, and hath geuen gyftes vnto men. That he ascended, what meaneth it, but that he also descēded first into the lowest partes of the earth. He that descended, is euen the same, also [Page] that ascended vp aboue all heauens, to fulfyll all thynges.

Reade the Epistel vnto the Philippians,Phi. i Colo. iij in what hyghnes or dignity he is set. Lykewyse to the Colossians and Ebrewes, in the .i. iiij. vij. ix. x. Chapi­ters.

Peter sayth.i. Pe. iij i. Ioh. iij Christe is on the right hande of god, and is gone into heauē, angilles, powers, and myght subdued vnto hym.

Marke wel the two articles,Comforte of the resurre­ctiō and ascentiō of christ of the resurrection and ascention of Christe. For there in is great comforte. For, to beleue, that Christ is rysen frō death, and ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the ryght hand of God, is nothyng elles, than to beleue, That Christe by hys death hath ouercome the eternall death, and hath taken vpon hym, and put awaye the feruentire of God a­gaynst vs,Rom. v. and reconsyled vs vnto hys heauenly father, made vs parteners of hys innocencye, that death from hen­cefurth shal haue no more dominati­on, neyther ouer hym, nor yet ouer his electe membres, so that by hys resur­rection, [Page] we haue receyued a great be­nefyte, namely pardon or forgeuenes of all synnes.

Ioh. xvi Matth. xxviij. Eph. i. i. Ioh. ij. Eph. ijTo sitte on the ryght hande of god is to sitte in the power and kyngdome as a Lorde. Item al power in heauen and earth, is geuen vnto hym. God hath caste al thynges vnder hys fete. Item he is now before the father, our mediatour, & reconciliation. Through hym we haue an open waye in, vnto the father, he hath the euerlastynge Priesthode, lyueth for euer, and can perfectly saue all them, that go vnto God by hym.

The seuenthe Article. From thens he shal come, to iudge the quicke & the dead.

The daye of domeThat shall be at the daye of dome, whiche shall be a ioyfull daye to all faythfull Christians, as Christ hym selfe witnesseth in Luke, whan he had rehersed the signes and tokens whiche shoulde come before the laste daye,Luce. xxi Matth. xxiiij [Page] vnto hys discyples, He sayde, Vvhen all these thynges begynne to come to passe, then loke vp, and lyfte vp your heades, for youre redempciō draweth nyghe. Here he speaketh of the blessed they shall reioyce in the last daye, that oure blasphemous lyfe hath an ende, and that Christ is declared in all hys membres, who woulde not be gladde with all hys harte of hys redempcion.

He that through the sprete of faith, vnderstandeth the great calamite of thys myserable lyfe,Rom. ix and the blasphe­mye of god, whiche through oure syn­full lyfe dayly in the flesshe is com­mitted, reioyseth that thys calamitie sone ceasseth.The vngodly. But the vngodly who­me Paul calleth, vessels of ire, where on God shal shewe hys strayght iud­gement, they woulde wysshe that this temporal lyfe myght laste for euer.

They woulde be content with a good wyl, that god shoulde kepe hys hea­uenly kyngdome alone. O how fear­ful shal be vnto them, the face of Ie­sus Christe, which shal shewe him self in the last day with such great glory & [Page] maiestie,Zach. ix vnto all men, Angels, and deuils. His first comyng, was despysed, and a slight thynge before the world, but then when god the father shal ge­ue ouer vnto hym all hys enemyes in­to suche horryble euerlastynge and in tollerable paynes and punyshemētes,Esa. lxij And all the membres of Christe shall be sett from al calamitye and misery into all perfection, ioye and glory ād in al certayntye withoute ende. Vere­ly then shall he ryde no more vpon an asse, in mekenes, and shewe no more necessite, but all glorye, then shall the greate daye of the Lorde be at hande, the daye of wrath and sorowfulnes, the day of myst, and of stormy wynd, as the Prophete Sophony wryteth.Soph. i.

He shall come to iudge the quicke that shall be founde, and the dead, that haue dyed. Cyprian vnderstandeth, that the lyuinge be the soules, and the deade their bodyes. But for as muche as Paule sayth,i. tess. iiij that we which lyue & remayne in the comynge of the Lord, shal be caught together with the dea­de also in the cloudes, to mete the [Page] Lorde in the ayer, and so shall euer be with the Lorde. Truely, so myght it be thought, that there shalbe some on lyue caught to the iudgement, as also Saynt Ierome sayth vppon thys pla­ce. They that be departed in Christe, shall aryse fyrste, and the sayntes whiche shalbe founde lyuinge, they shalbe caught to gether with the fyrste.

Augustyn in the boke of the Citye of God sayth.Lib. xxij Cap. xx. That Paul here in this Epistle to Thessaloniens, dyd not meane hymselues and those that lyued in hys daies. But that he dyd meane those, that Christe shal fynde on lyue. He supposeth also, that those, whiche soon lyue shal be caught in the ayer to mete Christe, shall together at one ty­me, in the same catchyng dye,In Ecc. dog. vi. and .vij. and ryse agayn, as he sayth in another place. Nowe howe the same cometh to passe wil we committe to God, it is not ne­cessary for vs to knowe.

Witnesse of thys article out of th [...] scripture.

Malachie descrybeth the comyng of Christe, and the iudgemēt.Mal. iij dan. vij. Daniell [Page] dothe also note, the comynge of the sonne of man to the iudgement Item of hys power and kyngdom, that this power endureth foreuer,Luce. i. Mic. iiij Matth. xxiiij and that his kingdō endureth vncorrupte, as also Luke dothe writte and Micheas. In Mathewe, is descrybed the comynge of Christe, whereas he saythe. Euen as the lightenyng cometh oute of the easte, and appeareth into the west, so shall the commynge of the sonne of man be. Then shal al the kynredes of the earthe mourne, and they shall see the sonne of man commynge in the cloudes of heauen, with great power, and glorye, and he shal sende hys An­gels with the great voyce of trōpettes And they shall gather together hys chosen, from the foure wyndes, from the one ende of heauen vnto the o­ther.

Marci. xij. Luce. xxi. Matthei. xix. xxv & xxvi. fyndest thou also such lyke

ij. ii. iiij.Paule. i. Corinth. iiij. i. Thessa. iiij. ij. Thessal. ij. Item to Timothe, I te­stitye before God and the Lorde Iesu Christe, which shall come to iudge the [Page] quycke and deade,Ro. xiiij at hys appearynge in hys kyngdome. And to the Romaynes, Vve shalbe al brought before the iudgement seate of Christe.Esa. xlv For it is written, as truely as I lyue, sayth the Lorde. Al knees shal bowe to me and al tonges shall geue prayse to God.ij. Co. v Item to the Corinthians, we muste al appeare, before the iudgement seate of Christe, that euery man maye receyue the workes of hys body, accordyng to that he hathe done,i. Pe. iiij whether it be good or bad. Peter. Vviche shal geue accomptes to hym, that is ready so iudge the quycke and the deade.Act. [...] In the Actes of the Apostles, sayth Pe­ter. Christe hath commaunded vs to preache vnto the people, and to testify that he is ordeyned of God, a iudge of the quycke and the deade.

The eyghte Article. ☞I beleue in the holye goost.

Here speakest thou, In the holy gost, [Page] therewith doest thou confesse, that the holy goost is God. For to beleue a thynge, is to sett there on thy truste, hope, and loue, thys is an honour whiche pertayneth onely to God hys maiesty. The holy goost is the thirde person in the eternal deite, procedynge from the father, and from the sonne, through an vnknowen,Matth. xxviij and inexplica­ble wyse. In Mathew sayth Christe, Go, and baptise in the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy goost. Here is mightely shewed the deite of the holy goost, for seynge, he cō ­manded to baptise in the name of the holy goost, so must I beleue & trust in the holy gost, Shall I then truste & beleue in hym, then must he also surely be God, for a man maye trust or bele­ue in none but onely in god.

Gen. iIn the firste boke sayeth Moyses. The spirite moued vpon the water. There doeth Moyses geue and appropriate to the holy goost hys worke in the creation.Psalm. xxxiij Dauid sayth in the Psal­me. By the worde of the Lorde are the heauens made, and all the hoste [Page] of them by the breath of hys mouth, That is, The heauens are made by the holy goost, and al that is therein. These wordes geue clearly, that he is God, seynge the creation is asscrybed vnto hym. And in another Psalme,Psalm. cxxxix Whyther shal I go from thy spirite? and whyther shal I flee from thy pre­sence? There geueth he also to vnder­stande, that he is euery where. To be in all places, belongeth onely to God and to no creature, as Dauid sayeth, Yf I clyme vp into heauē,Psalm. cxxxix. thou arte there, yf I go downe to hell, thou arte there also.

Iohn sawe the spirite of god descende, lyke vnto a doue,Iohan. i and abyde vpon hym. Christe sayeth in Iohan. I wyll praye the father,Iho. xiiij and he shal geue you another conforter, that he may abyde with you euer, whiche is the spiryte of truethe. The comforter (whiche is the holy goost) whome my father wil sen­de in my name, he shall teache you all thynges.

Item in another place.Iho. xvi yf I goo not awaye, that comforter wyll not come [Page] vnto you. And suche lyke sayenges more declare euidently, the thyrd per­son in the godheade, the holy gost. Itē receyue the holy goost.

Act. x.In the Actes of the Apostles is it written. Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes, the holy goost fell on al them whiche hearde the preachynge.Act. viij Item they prayed for them, that they myght receyue the holy goost.Rom. v. viij. & xv Paule to the Romayns. The loue is shed abrode in oure hartes, by the holy goost, whiche is geuen vnto vs. Item to the Corin­thians.ij cor. xiij The grace of oure Lorde Iesu Christ, the loue of God, and the fello­weshyppe of the holy goost, be with you all. There be more other of suche lyke places in S. Paules Epistles.

The great maiesty, and the abysme of the vnsercheable greatnes of God, ought in hys essence and persons we to worshyppe with al humilitye, and not presume to groūd or searche it, for mannes witte cā not cōprehende it, neither shal it also attayne to the knowe­ledge therof. God hath ordeyned al thynges, to thintēt that we should be [Page] ryghteous & saued.Offyce of the tree persons, Christ hath by hys holsome death deserued, that we shoulde be saued. The holy goost fulfilleth nowe, the desertes of Christe, that we maye be ryghteous. And this is euen hys offyce, that he do truely bestowe Christe, and all that he hath, and geue it the in thy herte, as thyne owne treasure. Summa. Shal I come to the fa­ther by Christe, and be partener of his lyfe, passyon & of al such goodes as he hath done for my sake, truely so muste the holy gost work in my before. The father and the sonne must moue me by the worke of the holy gooste, & drawe me vp, or elles am I spiritually dead. The holy goost is that great thynge, whereby god the father by hys sonne Christe, and in Christe, worketh and quickeneth all thynges.

The nynth Article. I beleue one holy catholi­ke church,The co­mon Catholyke churche The cōmunion of saynctes.

These two partes be one thyng, for cō muniō & holy catholike churche is no­thynge [Page] elles, then the spiritual cōgregatiō of sainctes, of ryghteous faythful mē wheresoeuer they be in earthe. It is also proprely no congregation, that is bounde euen in one parte or place, but a congregation in one faith, hope, and loue of the spirite.

The holy goost hath gathered thys churche through the worde of God, he kepeth and gouerneth it. The churche is dayly in the worde of God & hygh blessed sacramentes, augmented and nourysshed, as in her foode.

Ephe. vThe churche is a bryde of the Lord Christe, as Paule sayeth, Christe gaue hym selfe for it, to sanctifye it, and clē sed it in the fountaine of water, throu­ghe the worde, to make it vnto hymselfe a glorious congregation, withoute spot or wrynckle, or any suche thyng, But that it shoulde be holy withoute blame.

The vnitye betwene the man and the woman in the state of wedlocke, signifyeth suche a spirituall wedlocke betwene the Catholike churche, and Christe her brydegrome, as in the E­pistle [Page] to the Ephesians,Eph. v. Gene. i. very properly is descrybed and annoted. Euen as man and wyfe be one body, hauynge all thynges comon, so here also, what soeuer Christ is and hath, that is and belongeth to the congregation hys spouse. Thys is a great ioyfull, and blessed thynge. We haue synne, death hell and all shame, Christe hath righ­teousnes, lyfe, saluacion, and all glory. This shal now be oures, yf we throu­ghe the wedding ringe of fayth be maryed vnto Christ and become one bo­dy with hym.

Thus saythe the Prophete Osee,Osee. ij. I wyll mary the vnto myne owne selfe for euermore. Yea euen vnto my selfe wyl I mary the, in ryghteousnes, in equitie, in louinge kyndnes, and mer­cy, In fayth also wyll I mary the vn­to my selfe, And then shalt thou kno­we, that I am the Lorde. For Christ is not onely by his becomynge man, proprely, and perfectely become the bry­degrome of the churche, But also by the consentynge of hys churche in his worde and couenaunt through fayth. [Page] He that hath maryed a bryde,Ihon. iij Psalm. xix. he is a brydegrome, The consentyng maketh mariage. Before the consentyng is he not called a brydegrome. Therfore is hys progresse as concernynge bryde­gromeshyppe (whereof Dauid spea­keth) his manifestacion in the fayth of the churche. That is, whan there was beleued in hym of the churche, then dyd it appeare, that he is a bryde­grome. He hath put on the humanite, and so vnyed hym selfe with the chur­che in one flesshe,Eph. v. whiche the Apostell calleth a great mystery, wherein the ryche and poore, the ryghteous & the synner, the saued and the dampned, the sonne of grace, and the sonne of wrathe and heuynesse, are agreed, for here be al hys goodes geuen vnto vs, as our owne, and all our pouerty and penury taken awaye.

i. Cor. iij i. Pet. ijIn the churche dwelleth Christe, he speaketh in her, he is the onely foundation and grounde thereof. In the Churche is one Lorde, one fayth, one baptisme, one God and father of all thynges, whiche is ouer all thynges, [Page] through all thynges, & in all thynges.

Wheresoeuer the Gospel is prea­ched, there is a peere of thys churche,The christen congregation. she is in her selfe inuisyble, not boun­de to one place. For it is a congregation in the spirite. And the worde wor­keth inuisybly in her. And she dothe neuer heare it without frute,Esai. lv as Esay sayeth. My worde that cometh oute of my mouthe, shall not tourne agayn voyde vnto me.

Lyke as in the tyme of Noe,Ge. vij. no mā escaped with hys lyfe, but was drou­ned in the floude, excepte he entred in to the Arke, or into the Cheste of Noe.

Euen so, whosoeuer is not founde, in thys felloweshyppe, or Catholike Churche, agreynge with her in one faythe, worde, Sacramente, hope, and loue, he shal be loste.

Martion, Valentinus, Hebiō, Cherinthus, Manicheus, Heluidius, and suche lyke heretykes haue also had a Churche, That is, a heape, a propresecte, or felloweshyppe. But it was not the Catholyke Churche, [Page] wherein Christe is a bridegromes for they had not the right fayth.

And whereas such felloweshyppe is yet, which separate themselues frō the Christen communyon and congregatiō, and haue no pure, syncere faith, as the scripture teacheth vs, and wyll not suffer thēselues to be refourmed they be heretykes, and sectysshe per­sons, and shall all be loste, oneles they reconcyle them selues agayn with the churche of Christe.

Note, we saye not, I beleue in the holy Catholike churche, but I beleue, one holy Catholike churche, pardon, or remissyon of synnes, and so furthe, for that worde, in, is vsed to the trinite on or in God the father, God the son­ne, and God the holy goost.

Cōmu­nyon of saynctesWhat is the communyon of sainc­tes: Answer. That the Christians and saynctes after suche a sorte, be bounde and knytte together in one fraternite, through the bande of loue, which se­keth not her owne.i. cor. xiij That all thynges be common vnto the in good & euyll. The goodes of the sayuctes be thyne [Page] also, they helpe and comforte the also, they haue compassyon with the in thy griefe, one beareth anothers burden, and so fulfylle the commaundement of Christe. There is great helpe,Gal. vi comforte and succoure, as the Sacrament of the aulter signifyeth & betokeneth in breade and wyne.i. Co. x For we be called of Paule, one breade, one drynke, and one body.

Vvhosoeuer beleueth thys article ryght, can not dispayre in his heuynes and temptacyon. For as muche as he knoweth, that Christe and al saynctes as hys brethren, do loke to hym.

And whosoeuer doth any thynge vn­to hym, he doth it vnto Christ and his saynctes. All prayers, and all good dedes whatsoeuer they are, that be done in the vniuersall Christianite, must at all tymes ayde me, as a brother of thys heauenly fraternite. Suche help, comforte, and succour, vnderstode Dauid well in spirite, and sayd.Psalm, cxix. I am in the congregation of al them that feare the, and kepe thy commaunde­ments. Thus may we in al necessities [Page] speake vnto our enemyes, as Heli­seus spake to hys seruaunt. Feare not, for they that be with vs, are more then they that be with them.

The tenthe Artycle. I beleue the forgeuenesse of synnes.

Forgeuenes or remission of synnes is no where, but onely in the christen congregation or felloweshyppe, for Christe hath geuen her the keye.Matth. xviij. Forge­uenes of synnes No­natianus a blynde heretyke, thought yf a man were ones fallen in synne, that than no repentaunce or penaunce coulde helpe hym any more, but were than loste. Thys doth the scripture reiecte in all places, and openeth and declareth vnto vs,Mat. xi the mercyfulnes of God, and calleth vs alwayes from our synfull lyfe to repentaunce. Chri­ste sayth. Come vnto me all ye that la­boure and are laden, and I shal refres­she you. Nowe is there no heuyer and more importable burthen, then oure synnes.

And what nedeth it to defend this [Page] longe. Vvherfore dyd Christ elles come into the worlde and dyed, but for to declare such mercifulnes. He sayth in Luke. They that are hool,Luc. v. nede not of the Phisiciō, but they that are sicke. I am not come to cal the ryghteous, but synners to repentaunce. And the Angel in Mathewe declareth also his offyce clearly sayng vnto Ioseph:Mat, i thou shalt call hys name Iesus. For he shal saue his people frō their synnes. This is not, that he forgeueth the synnes, but ones, but as often as men desyre it, as the Prophetes and Euangelistes clearly testifye and shewe.

Vvitnesse of the scripture.

In he second boke cryeth Moyses thus vnto god. Lord,Exod. xxxiiij. Lord God mercyful & gratious, lōg sufferyng & aboun­dant in goodnes & trueth, & kepynge mercy instore for thousādes, forgeuing wickednes vngodlines, & synne, & not leauyng one innocēt, visityng the wickednes of the fathers vpō the childrē, & vpō the childrens children, euē vnto the thyrd & fourth generatiō. Behold, howe goodly declareth Moyses here [Page] the grace and mercifulnes of God.

ij. Re. xijItē in the boke of Samuel it is cōtay­ned that whā Dauid had cōmitted aduoutry with the wyfe of Vrias, and hys synnes were opened vnto hym, whan he was abasshed, anone sayde the Prophete Nathan. The Lord hath put awaye thy synne.Esa. i? In Esaye sayth God: Vvasshe you, make you cleane, put awaye your euyl thoughtes oute of my syght, cease from doyng of euil, learne to do right, applye your selues to equitye, delyuer the oppressed, help the fatherles to hys ryght: Let the wedowes complaynte come before you, I pray you come, and let vs be defen­ded, then shal the Lord saye: Though your synnes be as reade as scarlet,Esa. lvij they shalbe as white as snowe. And though they were lyke purple, they shalbe as whyte as wolle.

Ezechi. xviij.In Ezechiel sayth God, yf the vn­godly wil tourne awaye from all his synnes, that he hath done, and kepe all my commaundementes,Ione. iij esa. xliij Iuhel. ij surely than wyll I neuer more thynke vpon al his synnes, that he dyd before. Reade also [Page] the .xxxij. li. and lxxxix. Psalme.

Vvhen Peter asked, howe ofte,Matth. xviij. muste I forgeue my brother that synneth agaynst me. Is it ynough seuē tymes. Then answered Christe and sayde, I saye not vnto the, seuen tymes, but se­uenty tymes seuen tymes. And euen vpon that worde, sayde he a similitude whereby he teacheth vs, that we shoulde gladly forgeue oure neyghboure, whatsoeuer he hath offended agaynst vs, then shal God also be willynge to forgeue vs oure synnes.

In Luke standeth: Forgeue, and ye shal be forgeuen, And what nedeth it many witnesses?Matth. xviij. In Mathewe geueth he the keyes therfore vnto the church, that synne shoulde be forgeuen,Ioha. xx and in Ihon also.

Nowe beholde the examples, Chri­ste speaketh vnto the man that was sicke of the palsie. Sonne,Mat. ix thy synnes be forgeuen the. Euen there he calleth Mathewe from the receyuynge of custome. Hys offyce of preachynge,Mat. iij and .iiij, and the preachynge of Ihon the Baptiser beganne bothe at the repentaunce.

[Page]They sayde, Repente, the kyngedome of heauen is at hande.Luc. vij. In Luke absol­ueth Christ the woman synner of her synnes, saynge. Thy synnes are forgeuen the. In another place calleth he the synners to repentaunce, when a Toure in Syloe had slayne,Luc. xiij eyghtene. He sayde, Excepte ye repente, ye all shal lykewyse perysshe. In Marke, sayth Christe, All synnes shalbe for­geuen vnto mennys children, and the blasphemy of god where with they blaspheme God,Ioha. iij what meaneth elles, the renewyng of byrthe whiche Nico­demus vnderstode not, but repētaun­ce and the renewyng of man.

Ioha. v.In Iohn had one ben sicke thyrty & eyght yeares. Christe made hym whole and sayde. Behold, thou arte made whole,Ioh. viij synne no more, lest a worse thynge happen vnto the. Item when he absolued the woman taken in ad­uoutry. He sayde. Go, and synne no more.Act. ij. Item, in the Actes of the Apostles sayeth Peter. Repente of your synnes, and be baptised euery one of you, in the name of Iesus Christ, for the remissyon [Page] of synnes.ij. Co. ij To the Corinthiās desyreth Paule, that the open synner, which had ben excōmunicated mighte be receaued againe to grace, yf he dyd repente.

Briefely, the scripture is of suche saynges and examples full, in al pla­ces, that the synnes be forgeuen vs, & taken awaye. He that hath assured & promysed vs suche maner of clensyng of synnes, is almighty and is able y­nough to do it. He is oure mercyfull and gracious father,Mat. vi therfore wyl he gladly do it, and hath taughte vs to praye the same in oure Pater noster. In Iohn sayeth he.Iho. xvi Aske and ye shall receyue. Verely, verely, I saye vnto you: whatsoeuer ye shall aske thy fa­ther in my name, he wyl geue it you.

The eleuenthe Article. ❧The resurrection of the body.Resur­rection of the dead.

¶This article is to hyghe agayne for mannes capacite, she can not see, nor vnderstande with her darke [Page] lighte howe, euen the same body shal come agayne, which so diuersely may perysshe. The one is drowned in the sea, hym consume the fysshes, the one is eaten of the fowles in the ayer, another of the wylde beastes or wormes, or is consumed of the fyre. Here cā not nature comprehende, howe euen that same body with all hys substaunce, maye be made and brought together agayne, that I shal haue euē my firste eyes, handes, fete and membres, as I haue now vpon me.

Therfore is it called a mistery of God, whiche man beleueth and seeth not before hys eyes, Euen the same body, where with my soule nowe synneth, or fasteth, and doth any good, shall at the laste daye be rayseth agayne, and my soule shall be coupled with it agayne. And shal be bothe together saued, or together damned.

But there shal be a greate alterati­on in the body. Now in the mortal ly­fe, is my body subiecte to all maner of miserye. Men maye beate me, woun­de me, the body is fowl, vnhansome, [Page] darke, dull, slowthful, and sluggysshe, and vseth muche payne and labour, or it can come from one place to another. It is fearful and weake, and hyndreth the soule often in her worke, If I stu­dy longe or imagine some hygh mat­ter and subtyl, anone orketh my head: Of suche lyke calamytyes sticketh the body ful. Therfore dyd the Platouy­stes call oure body, a denne of the sou­le, and death a delyueraunce from bō des.i. Co. xv But in the last daye shal the body of the blessed be garnysshed with fayr gyftes and glorye. It shal be no more corruptyble, but cleare bryght & fayr. In the boke of wysedome sayth the Scripture.Sapi. iij The ryghteous shall shy­ne as the sparkes that runne through the busshe.mat. xiij And in Mathewe sayth Christe. Then shal the ryghteous shyne as the sunne in the kyngedome of theyr father.

¶Item the body shal no more be slowfull, sluggysshe and lyther, but quycke and swyfte, that wheresoeuer the spirite wil be, euen there shall also the bodye be without delay. It shall [Page] no more be wretched and sicke or wea­ke, but mightye and strong, that no­thing shal be able to hynder it, or to kepe it in, It can come oute and in, tho­rough dores beyng shut.

Item it shalbe no more corruptible, that it may be beaten, hurted or wounded, but incorruptible, as the shadowe of the sonne.

i. Co. xvThe foure gyftes of glory and worshyp, toucheth Paule in the Epistle to the Corinthyans. Moreouer howe the one shalbe clearer then the other, Lyke as one starre is bryghter and clearer than the other. Wherevpon sayd S. Augusten saith to Diostero, God hath made the soule so mightye, that thorough her perfect saluatiō, floweth into the body a perpetual healthe & an vnmouable power.i. Co. xv Paul helpeth our weake fayth with a goodly exāple of a grayne, which is sowen in the earth, and it is not quickened, excepte it dye before, then groweth oute, of the smal corne a fayr frute, & euery corne of the frute hath hys owne body. His natu­ral fourme and fashion is now muche [Page] syner, fayrer, & mightyer, then before. Such thynges see we daily in the workyng of nature in the incomprehēsible creatures, howe much more glory, po­wer, goodnes, wysedome, & science be­stoweth God the creatour of al thyn­ges vpon the reasonable creatures of men, whome he hath geuē a soul four­med after him selfe & irreprehēsyble.

In tymes past in the Aquiliane or Carthagiane Churche, dyd men pro­nounce thys article, thus, I beleue the resurrectyon, euē of thys body, behol­de, mē dyd adde to it that word, euē of thys, to thintēt, that it myght be plainly and cleare ynough expressed, that none other body, lyke vnto this, shalbe raysed or made, but euen this same, wherein I now stand, sitte, see, heare, walke, and do suche lyke workes, yea which vseth it selfe here with the soule in al maner of good workes.

Thys sheweth Iob very clearly,Iob. xix. wheras he saith: I am sure that me re­demer lyueth, and that I shal ryse out of the earth in the latter daye, that I shal be clothed agayn with this skinne [Page] and se God in my flesshe, ye a I my selfe shall beholde hym, not with other, but with myne owne eyes.

i. Co. xvTo the Corinthians sayth Paule. Euen thys corruptyble thynge muste put on incorruptibilite, and this mor­tall must put on immortalite, thys is cleare ynough declared, that euen this body, euen these eyes, shal come agay­ne.

❧Witnesse of the Scripture.

esa. xxviEsaye sayth. Thy dead men shal ly­ue and my slayne shall ryse agayne. Awake and lyue ye that lye in the du­ste. Christe, when he agaynst the vn­godly Saducees defended the resur­rection of the dead, he brought in the saynge out of the second boke of Moyses. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Ia­cob. But God is no God of the dead, but of the lyuinge. When he spake those wordes, than had those thre ben dead longe before. But for as muche as god nameth hym selfe a god, of the aforenamed, surely then they be some, [Page] where and be a lyue. Therfore shall theyr body and soule in tyme conueni­ent be ioyned agayne together.

In Ezechyel speaketh the scripture clearly of the generall resurrectyon,Ezechi. xxxvij. saynge amonge other wordes, Thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde I wyl open your graues, and brynge you forthe of youre sepulchres.Da. xij. Daniel sayth: Many of them that slepe in the dust of the earthe shall awake, some to the euerlastyng lyfe, the other to perpetuall shame.

¶Witnesse of the newe Testament.

In Mathewe,Matth. xxij. mar. xij. whereas Christ pro­ueth the resurrection of the bodyes, agaynst a Iewysshe secte named the Saducees, is thys article of the resurrection of the flesshe grounded.

Mathewe sayeth.Matth. xxvij The graues dyd open, and the bodyes of many Sayn­ctes, whiche slept, arose, and came ou­te of the graues, after hys resurrecti­on, and came into the holy citye, and appered to many.Luce. vij Luc. viij Christe rayseth a wydowes sonne. Item he raysed vp [Page] from death a yong in [...]yde.Ioh. xi. Act. xx. Lykewyse Lazarum. Paule raysed also a yonge man named Eutichus.

Ioh. vi.In Iohn sayth Christ, no man can come to me, excepte the father whiche hath sent me, drawe hym. And I wyl rayse hym vp at the laste daye.Ioh. xi Item in another place: I am the resurrectiō and the lyfe, he that beleueth on me, yea thoughe he were deade, yet shall he lyue. Item he sayeth to Martha. Thy brother shall ryse agayne, Mar­tha answered: I knowe, that he shall ryse agayne, in the resurrection at the last daye.

Ioh. viLykewyse sayeth he more ouer, as the father rayseth vp the deade, and quickeneth thē, euen so the sonne quic­keneth whome he wyll. The father hath geuen power to the sonne also to iudge.

The houre shal come in the whiche all that are in the graues shal heare hys voyce, and shal come forth, they that haue done good to the resurrec­tyon of lyfe, and they that haue done euyll vnto the resurrection of dam­natyon. [Page] In the Actes of the Apostles,Act. xvij preacheth Paule vnto those of Athe­nes, the resurrectyon of the deade.

Item in another place sayeth Paule,act. xxiiij I beleue all thynges, which are writtē in the lawe and the Prophetes, and haue hope towardes God, that the sa­me resurrection of death (which thei loke for also) shal be,act. xxvi bothe of iuste and vniuste.Rom. vi Item to the Romaynes sayth he, yf we be grafte in death lyke vnto hym,Ro. viij. euen so muste we be lyke in the resurrection, yf we be dead with christ we beleue that we shall lyue with him.

¶Item to the Corinthians.i. Co. vi God hath raysed vp the Lorde, and shal rayse vs vp by hys power, knowe ye not, that youre bodyes are the mem­bres of Christe: yf they be the mēbres of Christe, then muste they be glori­fyed and claryfyed with theyr hea­de.

❧The fyfthene Chapyter in the fyrste Epystle to the Corinthyans haue dearly in commendation, whe­rein Sayncte Paule so excellentely [Page] and commyngly writeth of the resur­rection of Christe and of oure resur­rection, and maketh suche an argumēt and ground. Christ is rysen frō death, therfore shal we ryse also. Vvherfore dyed he? howe hath slayne hym? Tru­ely our synnes. The father hath layed all oure synnes vpon hym, therfore hath he satisfyed,Esa. liij. as Esay sayth. No­we yf he were not rysen, then were all oure doyng in vayne, yea we were yet in synne and dominacyon as depe as euer we were, No man were poo­rer and more miserable then we chri­stians, yf we onely in thys shorte lyfe, shoulde put oure trust in Christe, and afterwarde all shoulde be at an ende. Then the sinnes had ben to heauy and to stronge for hym. But nowe is chri­ste risen from death, death hath no more power ouer hym, Truely then hath he ouercome oure synne and death, that they can beare no more rule ouer vs. He is become theyr myghtye and stronge Lorde. And as by Adam all dye, euen so by Christe shal all be ma­de a lyue.

[Page]Therfore let vs be mery in the Lorde, oure enemys, synne, death, hell, be layde downe. Christ is a kynge myghtely, hys kyngedome endureth for euer, where as he is, there shal we be also. Vvhe haue a good cause to reioyce, and with thankefulnes to be free­harted and blode in Christ oure ouer­comer and Lorde, and to be with death at defyaunce, death is swallowed vp in victory. The Lorde sayth. O death,Ose. xiij I wil be thy death. O hel, I wil be thy stynge. Death where is thy stynge? Hel, where is thy victory: But than­kes be vnto God, whiche hath geuen vs the victory. Through our Lord Ie­sus Christe.

In the seconde Epistle to the Co­rinthians, sayth he,ij. Cor. i that we should not put oure trust in oure selues, but in God which rayseth the dead to lyfe a­gayne. Reade a goodly example, the fyfth Chapiter in the same Epistle.

Item we knowe that,ij. cor. iiij he whiche ray­seth vp the Lorde Iesus shall rayse vp vs also by the meanes of Iesus.ij. co. xiij Item we shall lyue with hym by the power of God.

[Page]Item to the Philippians. Oure cō ­uersacyon is in heauen, from whence aso, we loke for the sauyour, euen the Lorde Iesus Christ, whiche shal chaū ­ge oure vyle body, that he maye make it lyke vnto hys gloryous body, accor­dyng to the workyng, whereby he is able also to subdue all thynges vnto hym selfe.

Colo. iijItem to the Colossyans, ye be now rysen with Christe, therfore seke those thynges, whiche are aboue.

i. Th. iiijItem to the Thessalonyens sayeth Paule. I would not bretheren, that ye should not be ignorant, concerning them, whiche are fallen a slepe, that ye sorrowe not as other doo, whiche haue no hope. For yf we beleue, that Iesus dyed, and ryse agayne, euen so them also whiche slepe by Iesus, wyll God brynge agayne wyth hym.

And thys saye we vnto you in the worde of the Lorde, that we whiche lyue and are remainynge in the commynge of the Lorde, shal not come yerre then they, whiche slepe. [Page] For the Lorde hym selfe shall descen­de from heauen with a showre, and the voyce of the Archangell and trompe of God. And the dead in Christe shall ryse fyrste, then shall we whiche lyue and remayne, be caught vp with them also in the cloudes, to mete the Lorde in the ayer, and so shall we euer be with the Lorde, wherfore comforte youre selues one another with these wordes.

The twelfte Artikel. And the lyfe euerlastynge.

The life here in thys worlde is cal­led a calamitye, for we haue no restyn­ge place here, neyther shall we abyde here alwayes, as Paule sayeth.Ebr. xiij Here haue we no contynuynge City, but we seke one to come.

Heauen is oure home,the lyfe euerla­stynge thether long we in the lyfe euerlastynge. Summa summarum, there is all the desyre of man, whiche can be satisfyed with no­thynge elles, than with beholdynge [Page] and browkynge of the godly essence, as Dauid saith,psa. xvij I wyl beholde thy presence in ryghteousnes, and I shalbe satisfyed, when I awake vp after thy lykenes.

The Philosophers and world wy­semen, haue taken great paynes to studye & seke out, what thyng it myght be,Saluation of man wherein the harte of man, without all calamytye and miserye were satis­fyed, and stedfastly rested, an in the ende wherevnto it is ordeyned, and whiche myght be oure saluacion. But lyke as they coulde see no ryghte ver­tue by the naturall power, withoute grace, euen so coulde they not knowe also, that thynge where in the saluacy­on of man consisteth.

The one thought, that health is the greatest good. Another toke ryches for it. Some haue named vertue, the saluacyon, Some dyd put theyr saluatiō in thre, goodes, namely the goodes of fortune, as ryches, honour, power. The goodes of the bodye, as healthe, strengthe. The goodes of the soule, as science, and vertue. But the blynde [Page] lyghte of nature knoweth nothyng of the ryght saluation, and of the ryghte lyfe euerlastynge. The spirit of God doth teache it vs by the scripture. For thus sayth Iohn.i. Ioh. v Ioh xvij Christe is very God and eternall lyfe. Item thys is lyfe eternall, that then myght knowe the onely true God, and Iesus Christe, whome thou hast sent, That is oure heauen, thether be we bounde, sayng: This is my rest for euer: that is oure kyngedome,Psalm. cxxxij wherein Christ hath preipared for vs many maners of dwellinge places.Ioh. xiiij Matth. xxv. Matt. v Into that housse shal he sende the electe, and shall saye: Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kyngdome prepared for you from the be­gynnynge of the worlde. Thys is the ryght saluation whiche shal begynne euen after the temporal lyfe to them, that lyue in Christ.

In Iohn sayth Christ,Ioh. iij God so lo­ued the worlde, that he hath geuē hys onely sonne, that none that beleue in hym, shoulde perysshe, but should ha­ue euerlasting life. The scripture speaketh of the lyfe euerlastynge euerye [...] [Page] Christe, that men might knowe christ a ryght the sonne of God.mat. xvi Therfore asked he hys disciples, what thy helde of hym. Then answered Peter for hym selfe and for the other. Thou art Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God. Vpon suche knowledge which is ne­cessary for vs all in the Catholyke churche buylded.

i. Cor i. i i Cor. iijThus sayth Paule. Vve preache Christe, the power, and wysedome of God. He wyll also suffer none other foundation, but onely Iesus Christe, euen as he hath preached hym, That he is come from the father in the nature of mankynd, and hath redemed the worlde: dyed for vs vppon the crosse and is rysen agayne, oure heade and Lorde.Eph. ij. And is sett on the ryght hande of God, vnto whome we come and are saued, not by oure owne workes, but of grace through fayth.Ioh. x

Throughout the hole Gospel of s, Iohn declareth he for the moost parte, that he hym selfe is the sonne of God, and preacheth for the moost parte, that God is hys father. In so muche [Page] that the yewes did reiecte hym, and would stone him for the same.i. Ioh. v. For Christ is come to teache fayth, whe­reby men beleue euen in hym, as in the sonne of God. And fayth is the fulfyllinge, of al lawes. He is the righteousnes for euer, he is the worke of Goddes glorie, he is the mortifica­tion of the flesshe, the raysinge of the spirit, the subduinge of the world the subduinge of the flesshe, the sub­duynge of hell, the gates of hell cannot preuayle agaynst hym. Briefely,Matth. xvi. Ioh. viij Ioh. xiij he is all in all thinges, as he sayeth in Iohn: Excepte ye beleue that I am he, ye shall dye in your sinnes. Itē he that beleueth in me shall neuer dye.

The writynges of the Apostles be full of doctryne, as concernyng fayth for thereon lyeth all the matter.mar. xvi He that beleueth not, shal be damned: he that beleueth in the sonne hath euer­lastynge lyfe.Ioha. iij. Therfore shoulde we praye continually for the ryght faith, for he bryngeth with hym loue, hope, and all goodnes.Fayth,

Fayth is not a slyght meanynge, [...] [Page] whiche the natural witte or wyll can make to hym selfe,Act. xv. but it is a liuely thynge in the herte, which renueth mā and purifyeth the herte. It is suche a lyuely confidence and trust to God, that man is sure and certayn aboue al wysedome, that he pleaseth God, and that he hath a mercyfull God, whiche is towardes hym kynd gracious, and mercyfull, and forgeueth hym in all thynges that he doeth.

Thys fayth is the chiefest worke of the fyrste commaundement & lyke as the fyrste commaundement is a mea­sure, example, rule, and vertu of all o­ther commaundementes, in the which as in the heade all membres lyue and haue power thereof.Goode workes Euen so is fayth the heade, lyfe and power of al good workes. No work is good except faith hath wrought it, ye except it be thoro­wely mixte with fayth,Ro. xiiij euen as wyth newe leuyn, whatsoeuer is not of faith that same is synne.

Ioh. viThys fayth is the dearest worke of god, wherof Christ speaketh in Iohn. This is the worke of God, that ye be­leue [Page] in hym, whome God hath sent. Therfore doth the scripture moost re­quyre fayth, as in the Gospell often standeth. Vvhen Christe would wor­ke any myracle asked he before, yf thei beleued that he coulde and woulde do suche thynges.

Item in marke and Mathewe,Mar. ix Matth. xiij. mat. vij. it is written that Christe hath not done many myracles in hys owne countree, because of theyr vnbeleue. In Mathewe sayth Christe, that hys disciples could not heale the lunatike for theyr vnbe­leues sake. Vvheras a ryght Catholike fayth is,Ephe. ij there is a creation of a ne­we harte. The olde harte of Adā hath not thys faith of it selfe For it is a gyfte of god Many say the Crede dayly,Fayth. & boaste there of very sore. But they knowe not, what it is. O it maketh a meke, hūble obediēt godly peple, whi­che trusteth in god onely, hopeth, lo­ueth him aboue al things, feareth him & serueth his euen christen willingly, with body & goodes, hindereth nomā, suffereth gladly dāmage & persecutiō. Al his workes be ordered to the vty­lyte and profyte of hys neyghboure, [Page] be he frende or foo, euen as Christe hath done vnto vs also.

Therfore be not all they Chrysten manne that be called Euangelical, and be inclined to hurte or endamage their neyghbours in body soule, honoure or goodes. They be heathen vnder the name of Christe, theyr frutes shewe, what they be, yf they were ryght christians or Euangelicall, they would be obedient, seruable vnto al men, intendyng to hurte no man. God vouchesaue to il­lumine them with true fayth, that they maye be suche in dede, as they wil be cal­led. Amen.

Marci. ix.

Lorde I beleue, helpe myne vn­beleue.

Marci. xvi.

He that beleueth not, shalbe damned.

Marci. ix.

All thinges are possible to hym that beleueth.

¶ Here begynneth the …

¶ Here be­gynneth the ryght founda­tion, and pryncypall common places of the hole godly scripture, a goodly shorte declaration, to all Christians profitable and necessarye, for to come to the right vnderstondyng of the ho­ly Scripture compyled for the commoditie of all Chri­sten people, By Doctor Vr­banus Regius.

❧The contentes of the common places.

  • i. Holy Scripture.
  • ij. God.
  • iij. The ryght honour of God.
  • iiij. Goddes greatest dishonour.
  • v The lawe.
  • vi The gospell
  • vij Fayth.
  • viij Good workes.
  • ix Sacramente.
  • x The death of Christ.
  • xi Flesshe.
  • xij Spirite.
  • xiij Vertue.
  • xiiij The greatest vertue.
  • xv The greatest synne.
  • xvi The soule
  • xvij Lyfe.
  • xviij Euerlastyng lyfe:
  • xix Death
  • xx The resurrection.
  • xxi The later daye.
  • xxij Masse.
  • xxiij Righteousnes.
  • xxiiij Honour of sainctes.
  • xxv Difference of meates.
  • xxvi Holy dayes.
  • [Page]xxvij Prayer.
  • xxviij Vowe.
  • xxix Obedience.
  • xxx The wyll of God.
  • xxxi Mannes wyl
  • xxxij Offence.
  • xxxiij Almoses.
  • xxxiiij Othe or swearyng.
  • xxxv Christian lyberty.
  • xxxvi Churche.
  • xxxvij Ryches.
  • xxxviij Synne.
  • xxxix Infirmitie.
  • xl Health
  • xli Persecution.
  • xlij Ioye and heuynes.
  • xliij Peace.
  • xliiij Free wyl.
  • xlv Counsayll.
  • xlvi Confessyon.
  • xlvij Merytes.
  • xlviij Shepeherde.
Ende of the Tabell.

¶ To the most reuerende father in God, Thomas by the permission of God, Archebysshope of Can­turburye, Metrapolitane & pry­mate of all Englande, Hys dayly oratoure Gwalter Lynne wyssheth lyfe euerlastynge.

ME thynketh (most reuerēde fa­ther) that this say­enge of our Sauyoure Christ (be oc­cupied til I come) is an admonicyon of all other moste necessarye and profytable,Luc. xix. and xij Matth. xxiiij. & xxv mar. xiij aswell for the parentes or maysters to declare to theyr chyldren or seruauntes,Deu. vi and .xi, as to meditate and remēbre with themsel­ues, [Page] whylse they be sittynge in theyr houses, walkynge on theyr iourneye,Nu. xv. Ex. xiij. sleapynge or wakynge. And (as Moyses sayeth) worthy to be tyed in a mās hande, as a signe or remembraunce, and that shoulde be, and moue betwe­ne our eyes. To be bryefe, it is worthy to be written on the dore sylles, and on the dores of the house. And (oh) I woulde to God, that the voyce of the lord, myght (as the vehemēt sowne of the heauenly trumpe) astonny the ea­res of all men so, that the drousye and slougyshe myght leaue theyr slouthe and idlenesse, and the forwarde and willynge be encouraged. For we see that mankynde (not muche inferioure vnto the angelles) is negligent, & wel­most ignorante of hys owne worthi­nesse, so that he is letted and holden backe with innumerable other occupations and busynesses, and as the wyse man sayeth. I haue seene (sayeth he) al thynges that are vnder the sunne, and beholde all together, is but vanitie & trouble of mynd. He sawe it,Ecclesi. i. and we knowe by experience (and that not [Page] without great hynderaunce) that mankynd (as I haue sayd) followeth vani­tyes, leauynge of in the meane tyme (yea contynuyng, laugheynge to scor­ne) eyther altogether, other els for the moste parte, that most profytable and gaynefull trade of merchaundyse. Neither do they passe for the manyfolde rewardes that wysedome promyseth when she calleth them, nor yet for the punyshmentes that she threateneth. They passe not though she crye neuer so often in the myddes of the multytudes, and in the greate gates of the ci­tye sayenge. My litle ones, howe lon­ge wyll you delite in vanitie? And ho­we longe wil foles desyre the thinges that be hurtefull vnto them? How longe wyl the witlesse hate wysedome? Conuerte your selues to amendemēt. Furthermore,Matth. xxij. a Lu. xiiij c Ap. xix c the lord sendeth hys seruauntes to cal the gestes to the supper & all do excuse themselues. One mari­eth a wyfe, an other proueth an yocke of oxen: but none of them doeth than­kefully receyue the benefyte of that delycyous supper: and yet in the mea­ne [Page] tyme thynke oure selues well fed, notwithstandyng that we be vtterlye famysshed, and very happye: not withstandyng that we be in the myddes of all miserye, and that we suffering gre­at lacke of heauenly rychesse: are exce­adynge ryche. In so great slougysshe­nesse therfore, wherewith the bodye (beynge corrupted) doeth so muche o­uerlade oure soules: we ought of con­gruence cal to remembraunce the say­enge of the Lorde, wherein (after he had delyuered hys summe of moneye) he preysed the diligent and faythfull seruaunte. And what diligence was that so greately praysed: or what sum­me of money was it, that he lent and woulde receyue agayne with vsurye: It nedeth vs not to sende into far coū treys for straunge merchaundise. Yea we mai gain much more precious thinges at home, that is to saye, our owne soules vnto christ, for the which al the world can not be a sufficient pryce. we may adourne & decke our soules with vertues, which are the true & vncoūtrefayt richesses. The wisdom also, which [...] [Page] preysed aboue all martchaundyse of golde, sayenge vnto hys sonne, Hap­pye is the man that hathe aboundaunce of wysdome.Matth. xxv. mar. xiij Luce. xij xix So greate a treasure, so innumerable commodities may we get vs, yf we bestowe the talent that is geuen vs a ryght. The talent is the worde of God, as the psalmist sayeth. The saynges of the Lorde are chaste sayenges,Psa. xij. syluer tryed in the fyer, proued thryse, & purged .vij. tymes. For after that the worde of God is prey­sed and setforth by many and sundrye names of prayse,Esa. lv. Ioh. vij. beynge called the ly­uynge water, wherwith the flammes of cōcupiscence are quentched. the bre­ade of lyfe hauynge in it al delectatiō,Ioh. vi wherwith we maye feede our hungry soule, most pure wyne wherewith we may be made druncken and merye, the lyght of our fotesteppes, the swer­de that destroye the aduersaryes of the trueth,Eph. vi the fyrey shylde wherwith we defende vs agaynst our enemyes, the sure rocke wherevpon we muste buylde the tutchestone wherewith all opinyons must be examyned & tryed, [Page] whereby all workes muste be tryed, whether they be iuste or vniuste, whe­reby all spirites muste be tryed whe­ther they be of god or not, the keye wherwith the heauens be shut and o­pened, the instrument wherwith we do confort the werynesse of thys oure exile, the soueraygne medicyne, wherwith all dyseases are cured, the presēt remedye agaynst all daungers, the re­lyques of Christe beynge absent frō vs, which we ought to kepe, obserue and worshyppe with all deuocyon, the chariote of fayth, the carbunkle of charitye: after that, I saye, the worde of fayth is praysed and set furth vnto vs by these names and many other,Matth. xxv christ also praysed it callynge it a summe of money or talent, and by these names he doeth also prouoke vs vnto mer­chaundyse, to put vs in mynde, that we haue not receyued it for oure sel­ues onelye, but for others also. And notwithstandynge that he, by hys spirite, worketh all thynges in all: yet doeth he make vs hys workemen be­yng but onely hys instrumentes. And [Page] as he hath in heauen his ministrynge spirites: so hathe he in the earthe ap­poynted vs his spirituall ministers, and stuwardes of his spiritual miste­ries, to thentent that we shoulde com­municate vnto our brothers for his fa­ke the celestiall philosophie, euen with lyke charitie as he brought it from heauen vnto vs. Neyther is it vnfea­melye to calle syluer moneye, but the money that is shut vp in the coffer is not moneye, euen by the testimonie of the heathen, which affirme that there cometh no fruite of moneye, if it be not vsed, and this thynge taketh place chifelye in spirituall thynges. For they are geuen, for the moste parte, not so muche for oure priuate commoditye, as for the profite of the congre­gacyon. Wysedome (sayeth the wyse­man) that is hyd, & the treasure that is not seene, what vtilyte or profyte co­meth of either of them. And therfore hath God geuen vs hys worde, not that we shoulde hyde it vnder the grounde, but set it abroade for the profyte of others. And therfore muste we [Page] before all other thynges see, that tho­rowe thys talent, the fayth in Christe, and the charitie towarde oure neygh­boures do increase, and that we do de­lyuer oure soules from worldely desyres, from the tyranny of pryde and enuye, and to be briefe, that we get suche a treasure, that we be made newe mē, strayngers in thys worlde, and (put­tynge of the olde Adam) partetakers of heauen, not carnall but spirituall. For to dyge in the ground, is to be carnal, and to knowe and teache thynges that be carnal. Nowe yf we beyng carnal, shoulde presume to teach other the thynges that be spiritual: we shoulde not teach them, but for our sakes shall the worde of god be yuell spoken of. And for as muche as in our lyfe we serue the deuyll, and Christe in oure wordes: we shall hynder more with oure lyfe, then we shal profyte wyth oure wordes. It is the parte of an Hy­pocryte, to carye in hys hande, the Testament, goodly beset with golde and gylted, and to dispute and reasone [Page] of the worde of God in euerye feaste or bākette, and yet in the meane tyme, to lyue as one voyed of all mercye, impacient, ignoraunte of charitye, vn­myndefull of modestye, and paste all shame. The eternall wysedome loueth none suche preachers, notwithstan­dynge that it suffereth them. But we muste see that we honoure and reue­rence god in hys miracles and won­ders that he wrought, illumyne oure soules with hys helthsome doctryne, and that we (conceyuyng a sure hope in god through hys benefyte shewed) do inwardely burne with the fyer of loue. To conclude after that we (be­ynge ryche of spiritual gyftes) haue gayned one talent by an other, and do possesse two talentes, that is to saye lyfe and doctryne: then muste we go forwarde merilye,Eph. vi gyrdyng vp our loy­nes, and pullyng on oure shoes to go forwarde in the Gospel of peace, that we may also wynne the soule of oure brothers. For thys is the wyll of god, that vntyll suche tyme as Christ was gone into heauen, secrete thynges [Page] shoulde be spoken secretely in the ea­res of our frendes, but fence he is go­ne, and the spirite comē, deniynge him selfe to noman that wyll desyre hym vnfaynedlye:Mat. x. mar. iiij. Lu. viij. xij. Matth. xxviij mar. xvi i. co. iiij a Iob. xij c Sap. i. b he would that the gos­pell should be preached on the toppes of houses, & that the preachers should runne into all the costes of the earthe, and declare the gospel vnto all naciōs estates, ages & sexes, in whome was any hope of any sparke of light, what shoulde candles do vnder a busshell. What shoulde money do without gaines. And what shoulde fyre do,mat. v. b mar. iiij. Lu. viijb & xi. c with­out it burne. Furthermore, the Apo­stles were not sufficed with the prea­chynge of helthfull doctryne, whylse they were yet on lyue in thys worlde, but to the intent to profite theyr posteryte, they occupyed theyr pennes, that the spiritual traualle myght contynu­ally beynge forth spirituall children. All they therfore be without Christiā charitie, and are infideles, whiche do let preachynge, and do forbyd that the christian people shoulde haue the new Testament, & the olde, to reade there [Page] in theyr common tonge, as thoughe our misteries were oracles, and the christian writtynges contayned in the any thynge that loueth darkenesse. No doubte we are muche bounde to thanke God, for that he hath geuen the lyght of hys trueth vnto al nacy­ons, in theyr owne tonges and lāgua­ges. And besydes that euery nacyon is ryche in hys owne language: thys is also a syngular benifite, that we haue hys worde purelye and vncorrup­ted in the greke tonge, euen as the A­postles wrote it. So that yf they translatours haue in any place sayled of the true meanynge. We may by the firste copyes amende th [...], which thyn­ge shal be so much the more acceptable vnto vs, by howe muche more it doeth conduce vnto the reueilynge and ope­nyng of the workes of darkenesse. Let vs be occupyed in them therfore. Not as the Pharisees, we sistynge on their chayres, do teache the thynges that they do not. Not as men destituted of charitye, & as Angelles preachyng misteryes. Not as men tournyng syluer [Page] into drosse & most precyouse wyne in water, that is to say,mat. xv. chaungyng gods lawes into mens tradiciōs, & making merchaundyse of that, which is godly which thynge the Antichristes do continually: for it is not mere that the worde of god do obeye vs,Exod. xxxij. but that we do obeye it. It was a great offence to ma­ke a caulfe of the Egyptians golde & howe much more damnable were it for vs to make of the Lordes golde, I­doles to be set vp in the temple of god what abhomynacyon is in them, that auaunce theyr owne opinions in stea­de of christe?mat. vij. Psalm. cxxxvi. Let vs be occupyed therfore, but let vs not caste perles before swyne, but let vs geue them to suche exchaungers as be godly couetouse, & that wyl render gaines boeth to them selues, and vs to. For there is nothing to let in thys matter. There is no lack of money. For looe, we haue the Go­spell, we haue also the Epistles, and besydes that we haue the talent, not the crueltye of that Lorde that rea­peth where he showed not,Matth. xxv. for looe we maye occupye thys at libertye. [Page] Let vs not laye for oure excuse, that we lacke cunninge or knowledge. For yf the word of God be in our hertes: we shall lacke neyther diligence nor wysedome.Matth. xxv mar. xiij Luc. xij and xix. Let vs thynke, that Christ hath not left vs money vnnumbred, but numbred, that is to saye a pounde of the which he wyl, that nothynge be conueyed awaye, nothynge altered or chaunged, nor any thynge spent in id­lenesse. For he wyll requyre an accōpt and that onely were ynough to put a­waye all slouthe, if it were not all rea­dy to far drouned in dulnesse. For he sayeth, vntyl I come, that is, to iudge­ment, and suche kynde of iudgement, that neyther the iudge shall be decey­ued, the sentence altered, nor yet the gyltye. And that more is, he hath lefte the tyme vncertaine, because we shoulde watche alwayes, notwithstandyng that the tyme it selfe is but short. wherfore he sayeth, watche, because ye knowe not, in what houre the lord shal come. Suche as be faythfull in a small matter, he wyl make gouernours of a greate deale. And such as he fyndeth [Page] vnfaythfull, he wyll condemne to e­ternall tormentes. What shall rychesse auayle then: what shall honoure, what shall greate frendshyppe auayl, what shal any thyng auayle then. Thē shall the chyldyshe eloquence, the bru­tyshe and beastly sophistry, & the vn­certayne wisedome of the worlde, knowe theyr vanitye.Luc. xix Let vs be occupied therfore,Ier. vij and let vs walke whilse it is daye. And (as Hieremy sayeth) before it waxe darke, and that oure fete stumble agaynst the darc­ke hylles: let vs geue glorye to oure God. AMEN.

¶Your graces dayely oratoure Gwalter Lynne.

¶ The con­tentes of Gods holy boke, the Olde and newe Testament, com­monly calleth the Bybell.

❧The Bokes of the Olde Testament.
  • i The first boke of Moses. Gen.
  • ij The secōd boke of Moses. Exo.
  • iij The third boke of Moses. Leui.
  • iiij The fourth boke of Moses. Nu.
  • v The fyfth boke of Moses. Deu.
  • vi Iosua.
  • vij Of the Iudges Iudicum.
  • viij Ruth.
  • ix Samuel Regum. i. and ij.
  • x Of the Kynges. Regum iij. & iiij
  • xi Chronicles. Paralipo men .i. & ij.
  • xij Esdras.
  • xiij Nehemia. Esra .i. and ij.
  • xiiij Esther.
  • xv Hiob.
  • xvi Psalter.
  • xvij Prouerbes of Salomon. Prou.
  • xviij Preacher of Salomon. Eccles.
  • xix Hygh songe of Salomon.
  • Canticum Canticorum.
The Prophetes.
  • Esay.
  • Ieremye.
  • Ezechiel.
  • Danyel
Twelue small Prophetes.
  • i Hosea
  • ij Ioel
  • iii Amos
  • iiij Abdia.
  • v Iona
  • vi Micha
  • vij Nahum.
  • viij Habacuck.
  • ix Sophonia.
  • x Haggi
  • xi Sacharia.
  • xij Malachia
  • Thobie
  • Iudith
  • Baruch
  • Esra Esra iij. and iiij.
  • The boke of wysedome. Sapientia.
  • The wyseman Ecclesiasticus.
  • Machabeus.
The bokes of the newe Testament.
  • i The Gospell S. Mathewe.
  • ii The Gospell S. Marke.
  • iij The Gospell S. Luke.
  • iiij The Gospell S. Iohn.
  • v The Actes of the Apostles, de­scrybed of Saynct Luke.
  • vi The Epistle of S. Paule to the Romaynes.
  • vij The fyrst Epistle of S. Paule, to the Corinthians.
  • viij The second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians.
  • ix The Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathians.
  • x The Epistle of S. Paule to the Ephesians.
  • xi The Epistle of S. Paule to the Philippians.
  • xij The Epistle of S. Paule to the Colossians.
  • xiij The fyrst Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessaloniens.
  • xiiij The seconde Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessaloniens.
  • xv The fyrste Epistle of S. Paule [Page] to Timothe.
  • xvi The second Epistle of S. Paul vnto Timothe.
  • xvij The Epistle of S. Paule vnto Titus.
  • xviij The Epistle of S. Paule vnto Philemon.
  • xix The first Epistle of S. Peter.
  • xx The second Epistle of s. Peter
  • xxi The fyrste Epistle of S. Iohn.
  • xxij The second Epistle of S. Iohn
  • xxiij The thyrde Epistle of S. Iohn
  • The Epistle of S. Paule to the Hebrues.
  • The Epistle of S. Iames.
  • The Epistle of S. Iudas.
  • The Reuelations of S. Iohn.

Holy Scripture.

The worde of God THese are the laudable ryght bo­kes of Holy Scri­pture, whiche came from the holy goo­ste, they can not lye or faylthe, wherein is also sufficiently comprehended, whatsoeuer is necessary for the salua­tion of the soule, so that for the rulyn­ge of the conscience in the kyngdome of faythe, in the spirite, none other worde, doctryne or commaundemente is necessary vnto man, but onely the Byble. How be it, there is a great battayl in the same, whosoeuer truely vnderstandeth the Scripture, for asmu­che as euery man vndertaketh to vse the Scripture, whether he be apte or vnapte.

Thys battel shall sone be slighted, yf the Scripture indifferently be lo­ked vppon, and concordantly expoun­ded, & not onely here & there peces taken oute, but before and behynde, and in the middes duely loked vppon, and [Page] scanded, It is al one spirite of the olde and newe Testament. Euen the same holy goost, that through the holy Prophetes hath shewed the commynge of Christ, the same hath also ruled the hertes and pennes of the Apostles & Euangelistes. Peter sayeth.ij. Pet. i. Da. ix. b Zac. vij. ij. tim. iij There came neuer any Prophecye by the wille of man, but holy menne of God spake, as thei were moued by the holy Goost. It is also no mans doctryne or worde, but Goddes owne worde, of menne descrybed. Euen so doth Chri­ste asscrybe hys doctryne to God the father in Iohn.Ioh. vij My doctryne is not myne, but hys that hath sent me. Item it is the foode of the soule, as Christe sayth in Mathewe.mat. iiij.

Item blessed are they, that heare the worde & do it. S. Austen sayeth, that onely the Scripture afore named, without any doubte or fayll oughte & maye be beleued, and that there is the verite of God. But the other which he maketh, or Hierome or other doctours and fathers, shal be iudged after the Scripture.

God.

2 God is onely euerlastyng, al other thynges haue a beginnyng, his nature is kyndenes and beneficence.

Rom. i.God is knowen here in thys lyfe by the goodly orderyng of hys creatures.To kno­we christ But the ryght knoweledge of God, which is necessary vnto vs, for oure saluacyon, is the knowlege of Christe,Ro. viij. And to knowe Christe, that is to knowe, wherfore god hath sent his Sonne vnto vs, what great immea­surable and excellēt benefites he hath geuen vs by hym.

The righte honour of God.

3 The ryght honour of god is, to knoweledge him as a creatoure of heauē,Ioh. iiij. and earth, and of all creatures, to sette oure hope, trust and confidence in him onely, as in hym that can helpe vs, for he is almighty, and will do it with all hys harte, for he is oure father in hea­uen. Item to loue hym aboue all thyn­ges, as the mooste hyest and greatest good, for hys owne sake, and to feare hym as chyldren not with the feare of bondage.

Goddes greatest dishonour.

The greatest dishonour of God is, to 4 put hys hope, trust confidence, and hyest loue in a creature, and not to bele­ue God in his wordes, where in he of­fereth hym selfe vnto vs, as an onely, willynge ryche sauyour.

The lawe.

The lawe is a sentence,deu v. vi Ro. vij. whereby 5 the good is commaunded, and the euil prohibited, as loue god, and thy neighbour, Steale not, do no murther. The lawe is spiritual, that is,Ro. viij. It requyreth the desyre and the herte, It may onely be fulfylled by the spirite, and not by the flesshe. The flesshe is enemye to the lawe. Mē come no further by the lawe, then into fearfulnesse, and kno­weledge of theyr synnes and damna­tion.Gala. v Faythe whiche by loue is migh­ty in operation, doth onely fulfyl the lawe, and faythe is a gyfte of God.

The Gospell.

The Gospel is a Ioyfull message,6 gone furth from God vnto mankyn­de that he through Christe hys onelye Sonne hath delyuered man,Rom. iij from sin­ne, [Page] death, and hell. The lawe maketh man to feare, and shewed hym hys faultes. The Gospel conforteth man, and sheweth hym the Phisicyon. The lawe sayth. Thou arte a synner, and damned. The Gospell sayth. Be of good chiere and free herted,Rom. iij Esa. liij Christe hath taken vpon hym thy synnes, o­uercome, and satisfyed for them. Be­leue in Christe, as thy redemer, that same fayth maketh thy ryghteous be­fore God, and killeth in thy the olde man with hys carnal lustes, whosoe­uer through fayth is made one with Christe our Lorde, vpon the same hath synne, death, and hell no more com­playnte nor power,Rom. iij iiij. viij as Paule wytnes­seth in the Epistle to the Romeyns.

Faythe.

7 Fayth is no slight dreamynge ima­gination or meanyng of God, but faythe is a liuely confidence in the mercyfulnes of God, promysed and plente­ously declared in Christe oure Lorde. Also promysed in other sygnes as the Sacramentes are.

He that beleueth ryght, hangeth [Page] vpon the scripture, whiche speaketh of iudgement, wrathe, and also of the mercyfulnes of God, and hangeth there on so earnestlye, that he there in trusteth in all necessities, and also dy­eth thereon.

Suche a fayth,Fayth bryn­geth lo­ue with her. is the ryghte Chri­sten fayth, whiche bryngeth with her the Christen loue. For through faythe vnderstandeth man, the aboundante and inestimable loue of God, towar­des vs, whereby hys herte is fyrste moued and getteth peace, and is kind­led with the fyre of Godly loue, that he for suche mercyfulnes doth ioyful­ly geue thankes and becometh wyllinge to please God, agayne also so to serue hys neyghboure, and the com­maundementes to fulfyll.Ro. xiiij Vvhatso­euer is not done in faythe, the same is wicked and synne, where as the mercye of God is not founde in suche wyse, there is surely despy­synge of GOD, that he is not re­garded, nor sette by, or there is ha­tred.

[Page] Good workes.Fayth bringeth alwayes her fru­tes with her, that is, good workes, and wheras no workes of charitie are she­wed, there is nothynge elles but a de­ad,Iaco. ij fayth. A christen man shall before all thynges praye for fayth, whereby he may do ryght good workes. Much to bable of good workes, or vnderta­ke to do the same, before that fayth be there, is as moche as to bynde the hor­se behynde the plough.Lu. xviij Much the worke or do withoute fayth, is to take great paynes and laboures for noughte, and with the sicke woman to spend all hys substaunce amonge the Phisiciās and yet for all that remayne sicke styl.Lu. viij Power of faith. Vvhat power fayth hath, is descry­bed in these places here after follo­wynge. Genesis. xv. Roma. iij. iiij. xiiij Galacas. iij. Ephes. ij. Math. vi. viij. ix. xvij. xxi. Marci. v. ix. xi. Luce. viij. xi. xviij. xix. Iohannis. iij. iiij. vi. vij. viij. And i. Iohannis. iij. iiij. v. Act iiii. xvi. and in many places more besydes.

Good workes.

8 The Iewes asked Christe in Iohn. what they shoulde do,Ioha. vi that they might [Page] the workes of god: he answered. This is the worke of God, that ye beleue on hym, whome he hath sent. First lo­ke aboute for faythe,Lu. xvij and say with the discyples of Christe, Lord, increace my fayth. And after that loke what God wyl haue in hys commaundementes, and do it, these are good Christen workes, for they flowe oute of fayth, and are done by the commaundemente of god. Vvhatsoeuer is not done by the commaundement of god (whiche ordi­nately and sufficyently is expressed in the Scripture) the same be of thy despised.Isa. xxix mat. xv. Deu. xij For God wil not be serued wyth mennes tradicyons, lawes or inuenti­ons.

Vvhosoeuer steppeth out of the cō mune strete of the Christen lyfe, and seketh a peculyar waye to saluacion through hys owne imagyned workes the same standeth daungerousely. For he that followeth not Christe in hys doctryn, must nedes walke in darke­nes, & in erronyous by pathes.Ioh. viij and .xiiij Christ is the lyght of our lyfe, and the waye, as it is written in Iohn.

[Page]Vvhosoeuer maketh or instituted a perpetual lighte for the deade or sainctes, and besydes that forgetteth the lyuynge saynctes, the poore bretheren, and systers in Christe, he feleth & gro­peth in the darkenes, and goeth a by­pathe, vnderstond by the example so­mewhat more.

9 Sacrament.

Sacrament is a holy token in oure faythe, which putteth vs in remem­braunce the promyse of God, and sta­blyssheth oure hertes in a confidence towardes God, as Baptisme, and the Sacrament of the aulter, Thou hea­rest, that God promyseth vnto the pardon and forgeuenesse of synnes. He suffered therfore hys sonne Christe to dye vpon the crosse, that thou by the death of Christe myghtest be reconcy­led agayne to God,Rom. v beleue this, so hast thou it. And therfore hath he ordeyned and left vnto the, hys body and blou­de in the Sacramente, as a sure holye token and bonde of suche promyse. [Page] Euen as sure as Gedeon was,Iudi. vi that he shoulde ouercome his enemye, whē God hath promysed it vnto hym, and by the fyre and flese hath assured it vnto hym. So sure arte thou, that thou haste obtayned mercy, when thou hearest in fayth. Goddes promy­se of remissyon of synnes, and besydes that receyuest Baptisme or the Sa­crament of the aulter, for an assurance of suche promyse. Learne the Sacra­mentes a ryght with theyr vertue, for the Conscience hath skant a greater comforte in earth, then the Sacramē ­tes. Thys is taught, Genesis in the xvij. Chapter, and to the Romaynes in the iiij.

The death of Christe.10

The death of Christe is oure satis­faction for synne,Esa. liij i. Co. i Christe hath onelye satisfyed, for he onelye hathe rede­med. Oure sufferynge vpon earth is no satisfaction for synne properlye, but a mortifyenge of the olde carnall man, to thintent that, accordynge to the workynge and to the vertue of [Page] baptisme,Ro, viij. a Christian myght be conformable to Christe hys heade, dye and ryse agayne, a newe creature in Chri­ste.Ioh. iij. A man must be borne agayne of water, and of the spirite, yf he shal co­me to heauen, he must beare the crosse he must crucifye hys flesshe,mat. xvi Gala. v ij. tim. iij with the euyl concupiscences and lustes, yf he wyl be Christes owne. Item, al that wyl lyue godly, must suffre persecuti­on.

11 Flesshe.

Flesshe is called in the Scripture commonly not onely the body,Ephe. ij but the hole olde carnall man. The sonne of Adam with body and soule,Gen. vi for he is from the fyrste generation a synner, and a chyld of wrath.Iohn. iij For whatsoeuer is borne of flesshe, is flesshe.

A man, before he is borne agayne through the spirite of fayth, is he all flesshe, that is, concernyng hys body & soule, can he of hys owne power vn­derstande, thynke, and desyre nothyng but earthy and carnal thinges, heauē ­ly thynges are to hygh for hym, and to subtyl, he can not attayne to them: [Page] he knoweth nothynge ryght of God, and godly thynges.The ori­ginall synne. A deadly hurte is happened vnto man, in body & sou­le, of that poysoned origynall synne. The origynal synne oughte not to be counted for a smal hurte.Gen. vi and viij. The wittes are blynded, man vnderstandeth no­thynge of hym selfe, withoute grace. The wyl is croked and tourned away from that, whiche is good, and so weake and wounded, that he delyreth euill for good, and al that is pernicious. Ly­ke as the ague taketh away a mans taste, that nothyng sauoureth vnto hym but that whiche is deadly and hurtful vnto hym, that which is swete, semeth vnto hym to be soure. Euen so hath the stinckynge and filthy origynal sinne corrupted al the powers of man, that to theyr ryght workes they can not attayne, withoute a great rene­wyng. A man muste be renewed, and made hole, or elles must he be dam­ned. That cometh to passe,The de­ath of Christ. when the death of Christe hath and vseth hys workyng in man, that the spirite of fayth doth stryue and fyghte agaynst [Page] the flesshe, and at the laste the flesshe with death is destroyed, and the car­nall man,Eph. iiij accordynge to the signifyca­tion of Baptisme is hole drowned, & the fylthynes of the synfull byrthe of Adam is hool wassheth awaye, and becometh a newe man, whiche is sha­pen after God, in true ryghteousnes and holynes.

12 Spirite.

The spirite is the holy Goost, and hys motion or workynge in vs.

It is one thynge. The outward mā the olde Adam, the flesshe, the body of synne.

It is one thyng, The newe man, & the inwarde man.

Ro. vij. Gala. vBetwene the spirite and the flesshe is a contynuall battell, as S. Paul te­stifyeth.

Here vpon earth as longe as bodye and soul be knitte together.Ro. viij. Hathe the vpryght & ryghteous man onelye the fyrste frutes of the spirite. In such maner are here yet al workes of mā spot­ted and polluted of the flesshe, & synne before the iudgement of God. Ther­fore [Page] lette noman buylde and trust vpō hys workes.Rom. iij iiij. The fayth in Christe is onely oure ryghteousnes before God.

Vertue.13

The thre hyest vertues

  • Fayth.
  • Charite.
  • Hope.

Out of a ryghte fayth flowe the other two, Charite and hope.Knowe­ledge of the kindnesse of God. For the knowledge of the godly mercyfulnes maketh, that God is loued agayne, maketh also, that we be willinge, and subdue oure selues to serue euery creature, and that is called the loue of our neyghboure.

Hope floweth also oute of faythe for fayth is that,Hope wherewith thou beleuest the worde, and with hope thou lokest for that, whiche is promysed vnto the through the worde. What maketh me to haue hope. Answer.

The fayth in the worde of God.

Therfore hange these thre vertues together.

The greatest vertue.14

¶The greatest vertue is,Gal, v where of Saynt Paule speaketh. Faythe [Page] whiche through loue is myghtye in o­peration, without fayth is no vertue.

15 The greatest synne.

The greatest synne is vnbeleue. He that beleueth not in Christe is dam­ned.Ioh. iij He shal not see lyfe, but the wrath of God abydeth on hym.Ro. xiiij For whatso­euer procedeth not of fayth, that same is synne.

16 The soule.

The soule of man is highly honou­red or made honourable,Gene. i. namely crea­ted after the image of the moost hygh­ly blessed trinite, and hath thre vertu­es, or qualities, vnderstandyng wille, and remembraunce, and is yet but one thynge. Notwithstondynge thou learnest to knowe thys creation in that, that the soule hath a respecte towar­des God,Likenes of God. and hys holy worde, thys testifyeth, that in vs is a lykenes and Image of God. No man can satisfye the large and greate desyres of the wise and prudent menne, but God the creatoure hym selfe onely. Then shall I be satisfyed,Ps. xvij. sayth the Psalme, when thyne Image awaketh vp. The soule [Page] hath a beginnyng, for she is created of god, but she hath none end for she died not. For thus sayth Christ:Mat. x. Feare ye not thē which kyl the body, & be not a­ble to kyl the soul, but rather fear him, whiche is able to destroye bothe soule and body into hell. The soule is suche a precyous godly worke and creature, that no corporall thynge, may be com­pared vnto her, what shoulde it profi­te a man,mat. xvi though he shoulde wynne al the hole worlde, yf he lose hys owne soule.

Lyfe.17

There is two maner of lyfes, the one temporall, the other perpetuall. The lyfe temporall hath a beginnyng and endynge, and is full of sorrowe, as Iob complayneth,Hiob. iij and it is onely a shadowe of the ryghte euerlastynge lyfe, which the creatures haue in theyr begynnynge. A ryght Christen man counteth the temporal lyfe very littell and small, for he knoweth through his fayth, that he is not created for thys shorte temporal life. He seeth with the eyes of hys fayth aboue in the ryghte [Page] true euerlastynge lyfe, whiche with­oute death and departynge, withoute trouble and misery, in certayntye, in Ioye and withoute sorrowe endureth for euer.Phil. i Thus sayth Paul to the Philippians, Christ is to me lyfe, & deathe is to me aduauntage. I desyre to be lowsed and to be with Christe.

Willyngly to dye.Whosoeuer is not wyllynge, and glad to dye, & to departe oute of thys miserable corruptible tyme, the same is yet full of the olde Adam, and hath yet but a small fayth. The right faith kyndleth in vs, and maketh vs to hate thys vngodly lyfe, and to become ene­mye vnto it. Fayth maketh a man to dye from thys lyfe and all hys lustes, whylest he is yet liuynge, and vnto the beleuynge is no greater reioysyn­ge vpon earth. He hath tourned away and plucked awaye hys herte from all creatures, and lyueth onely in Christ. Thus sayth Paul.Gal. vi. God forbydde that I shoulde reioyce, but onely in the crosse of oure Lorde Iesu Christ, wherby the worlde is crucifyeth vnto me, and I vnto the world.Gala. ij And in another pla­ce [Page] sayth he, I lyue, yet now not I, but christ lyueth in me. For the lyfe which I lyue now in the flesshe, I lyue by the fayth of the sonne of god, which loued me, and gaue hym selfe for me. The tē poral life is delectable vnto the heathē that knowe no better. But a Christiā doth littel regarde it, because he kno­weth a better. Therfore departed the welbeloued elect sainctes of god, with myrthy and ioye from hence, as out of wretchednes into the ryghte countree of theyr father.Cicero in Tusc­ques. The heathen feare the tēporall death very sore, for they thinke, that hereafter it is cleane done with man. Al theyr wisedome, conuyng and Philosophie, was not able to conforte them, in the feare of death, albe it that they dyd enterpretyse the same. He that knoweth not CHRISTE, and beleueth not in hym, feareth deathe, and not withoute a cause, for it is horryble vnto hym, and an intraunce into death euerlastynge.

But he that knoweth Christ, & hath hym, doth not feare deathe muche [...] [Page] hath ouercome death. And hys holy woorde doth onely conforte vs effec­tually, agaynste the horryble tempe­ste of death.

18 Eternal lyfe.

The lyfe euerlastynge is, that we knowe the very god,Ioh xvij and Iesus Christ whome he hath sent. Nowe we see in a glasse euē in a darke speakyng.i. cor. xiij But then shal we see face to face. Nowe I knowe it vnparfectely, That is. We knowe here vpon earth by fayth, all what God is, and what God geueth vnto vs, but it is not yet the right knoweledge, nothyng nygh, she is also darke and vnperfecte. But the know­ledge to come in our fathers mansion, is the ryght bryghtnes, and perfecte knoweledge.i. Ioh. iij For we shall see hym, as he is.

19 Death.

There is two maners of death, the one temporall, the one euerlastynge. The temporal, whan body and soule parte the one from the other.Ebre. ix It is so appoynted, that euery man must ones dye. The euerlastynge death, whan [Page] the euerlastyng soule must nedes de­parte from the face of God, that is, from her ryght onely lyfe euer more and euerlastyng with out endynge.

The eternall death, that is,ij. tim. i. the damnacyon infernall, is vnto the elect christen menne ouercome al ready by chr­ste. Christ hath spoyled death of hys power, and brought to lyght, lyfe, and incorruptyble conuersacyon by the Gospell. The wayght and burthen of oure synnes, hath suppressed & drow­ned vs into the botomeles pitte of hel.Esa. liij But God hath layed thys burthen v­pon hys dearly beloued sonne Christ, the same hath satisfyed for vs, and de­lyuered vs from synne, death, & hell. There of shalt thou fynde in Saynte Paule .i. Cor. i. Gal. i. ij. Ephe. i. Col. i. Roma. ij. Ebre. ix. and to Titus. ij.Iohn. iij

In so muche that he that beleueth in Christe, shal not perysshe, but haue euerlastynge lyfe. For thus sayth S. Paule.Ro. viij. There is then no damnation to them whiche are in Christe Iesu, whiche walke not after the flesshe, but after the spirite. Therfore is there no [Page] meryer thynge vppon earthe, than a ryght Christen man, for he dothe not muche esteme the temporall lyfe, he is sure of a better lyfe. He is a Lorde ouer synne, death, and helle. Vvhy so? Answer.Rom. vi Christe dyed once, and dyeth no more. Death shal haue no more power ouer hym,Iohn. Nowe bei he hath ouercome it, and taken awaye synne. Now he that beleueth in Christe, hath Christ before hys eyes, becometh one spirite wyth hym, ouercometh in him, and by hym, synne, death, helle, Deuyll, and the worlde.Ro. viij For thus sayth Saynte Pau­le. Yf God be on oure syde, who can be agaynste vs. Vvhiche also spared not hys owne sonne, but gaue hym for vs all. Howe shall he not with him geue vs all thynges.Psalm. xxx. viij. Vve are well delyuered into death, but we ouerco­me all those thynges through Christe whiche hath loued vs.

Vvhat hath Christe. Answer. He hath the righteousnes, peace, lyfe and saluation. Euē that same hath the christen soule also, which is knytte in vni­te vnto Christe her lorde and head, thoroughe [Page] a ryght faith.Ro. viij. Hose xiij She defyeth de­ath, & sayth, neyther death, nor any creature is able to separate her from the loue of god, whiche is in Christ Iesu. She speaketh ioyfully.i. Co. xv Death is con­sumed in the victory. Death where is thy styng. Hell where is thy victory. But thankes be vnto god, which hath geuē vs victory thorough our Lord Iesu Christ,Deathe is not fearfull to a christen mā. The tēporall deathe is vnto such a christen man no more so fearful Yea he doth desyre it, for it is to hym onely a delyueraunce frō thys sinful, wretched, blasphemous lyfe, & an in­traunce into the ryght lyfe, vnto Christe our onely saluation.

A Christian knoweth, that the euer lastynge death can do nothing to him yea as littel as to Christe hym selfe, and the temporall death is onely a departing of the soule from the body, to thiutent that they bothe beynge puryfyed, pure and cleare in all perfection in the Later daye maye be agayne coupled to gether, glorifyed and cla­rifyed, And knoweth that the soule stondeth in the hande of Christ, and [Page] is well preserued in the bosome of Abraham.Luc. viij Therfore doth the scriptu­re calle the Christen death a slepe, be­cause that then a Christian doth firste amende hys estate, and cometh from disquietenesse to reste. The ryghte Christians also should not behaue thē selues euyl, or sorrowe ouer muche, whan any thynge dyeth from them. Paule sayth.i. the. iiij Vve woulde not brethe­ren haue you ignorant, concernynge them, whiche are fallen a slepe, that ye sorrowe not, as the other whiche haue no hope. For yf we beleue, that Iesus dyed and rose agayne, euen so, them also whiche slepe by Iesus, wyll God brynge agayne with hym.

20 The Resurrection.

esa. xxix Ezeche. xxxvij and viijIn the latter daye, shall the bodyes of menne by the infinite power, and myght of god be raysed agayne, and be coupled agayne with the soules. But in the blessed, shall they wonder­fully be chaunged, and endued with foure gyftes, honour and glorye with impassiblenes, with brightenes, with swyftenes, and with subtilenes. For [Page] thus sayth Saynt Paule.i. Co. xv The flesshe is sowen in corruption and ryseth in incorruption. It is sowen in dishonour & ryseth in honour. It is sowē in wea­kenes & ryseth in power. It is sowen a naturall body, & ryseth a spiritual bo­dy. For a lyttell before sayth he. For as in Adam all dye, euen so by Christe shall all be made a lyue, and euery mā in hys owne ordre. The fyrste is Chri­ste, then they that are Christes, at his commynge. Then commeth the ende, when he hath delyuered vp the kyng­dome to God the father, when he hath put downe all rule authorite and po­wer.

Christ is rysen from death, therfor shall we ryse also. Thys artycle of oure fayth is al the hole somme. and contayned all the hole matter. Yf Christe were not rysen, then had synne and death ben to stronge for him. But for as moche as he is rysen from death, so is synne and death ouercome, and we shall ryse also in glorye purchaced & prepared for vs by Christe.Ro. viij But then when the spirite of God, that raysed [Page] vp Iesus from death, quickeneth your mortall bodyes, because of his spirite, whiche dwelleth in you.

Ioh. xiChriste sayth, I am the resurrectiō and the lyfe. He that beleueth on me, yea though he were deade, yet shall he lyue. And whosoeuer lyueth, and beleueth on me, shall neuer dye. Item this is the wyl of hym that sent me,Ioh. vi that euery man which seyth the sonne, and beleueth on hym haue euerlastin­ge lyfe. And I wyll rayse hym vp at the last daye.

hiob. xixItem I am sure that me redemer lyueth, and that I shall ryse oute of the earthe, in the later daye, that I shall be clothed agayne with thys skynne, and see God in my flesshe, yea I my selfe shal beholde hym, not with other but with these same eyes. Itē the hou­re shall come, in the whiche al that are in the graues, shall heare hys voyce, and shall come forthe, they that haue done good, vnto the resurrection of lyfe, and they that haue done euyll vnto the resurrection of damnation. One Christian shoulde conforte ano­ther [Page] with suche wordes of Scripture agaynst the feare of death, as Saynte Paule teacheth, in the Epistle to the Thessalonians.i. Th. iiij

The Latter daye.21

Of the last daye hath the Scripture two poyntes. The fyrst. Christe hath geuen sure sygnes which be the mes­sagers of the last iudgement. Reade the Gospelles of Mathewe, Marke,Matth. xxiiij mar. xiij Luc. xxi. and Luke. All maner of persecutions of the faythfull, shall aryse. Item warre, insurrection, offence, euyl maners, quenchynge of charite.

Item the abhomination in the holy place, in the tempel of God,Dan. ix whiche exalteht hym selfe, and sheweth hym selfe as God.

Item an abhominable departynge,ij. Th. ij. and fallyng from the faythe vnto mā ­nes institutions and traditions. For thus sayth Christe, when the trees shute forth theyr buddes, it is a sure signe, that Sōmer is then nygh at hā de. So lykewyse ye, when ye see those [Page] thynges come to passe, vnderstonde, that the later daye is at hande.

The other, Euen thesame poynte of thys laste tyme, the daye or houre can no man knowe. Christe geueth signes,Matth. xxiiij but he sayth in Mathewe. Of that daye and houre knoweth noman no not the Angels of heauen, but my father onely, and recyteth euen in the same place. Howe that in the dayes of Noe, the floudde came vnwarres, and ouer hasted the worlde. So shal the cō mynge of the sonne of man be, when men wyl least loke for hym.i. thes. v. ij. thes. ij. Euen thus sayth Paule also. The daye of the Lorde cometh as a thefe in the nyghte.

Matth. xxiiij. and xxv. i. the .iiijThe fourme, fasshyon, processe, and iudgement of the Latter daye. Reade in Mathewe, and in the Epistle vnto the Thessaloniens. I wyll not brynge the oute and from the scripture with my laboure, but in and to the Scripture. Euery water is better in hys fyrst sprynge, than it is in the fellowynge crekes or ryuers.

22 The Masse.

[Page]The masse is a testamente of Christ wherein is promysed, pardon and re­missyon of synnes vnto all faythfull Christians, and soundeth thus.

As they dyd eate the Lorde Iesus, loke the breade, and gaue thankes bra­ke it, gaue it to hys disciples, and sayd Take, eate, thys is my body. And he toke the cuppe, thanked, and gaue it them, and saide, drynk of it euery one. Thys is the cuppe, the newe Testa­ment, in my bloude, that shall be shed for you, and for many for the remissiō of synnes.Matth. xxvi mar. xiiij Luc. xxij i. Cor. xi. Thys do in the remembraū ce of me. Reade Mathewe, Marke, Luke, and the Epistle of Paule to the Chorinthians. Euen there is the masse instituted of Christ. Therfore what so euer is more there by they additiōs of menne.

These forsayd wordes must euery mā knowe perfectely, & remembre thē in a right stedfaste faith. It is not lauful. that they shoulde be hidden and spokē secretely yf thou wilt heare masse a right, remembre that here is a meate and drynke. therfore muste thou eate [Page] and drynke, or elles thy masse hearyn­ge is of no valoure.

To hea­re masse a ryght.Howe shall I do then? Take the wordes of the masse before the, and remembre them in a ryght fayth, that thou doubte not, but as Christe hath promysed thy, euen so shall it come to passe vnto the, and in the fayth of the same wordes, receyue the blessed Sa­crament, as a sure holy token, vnder the whiche suche promyse is made vn­to the, whereby thyne herte is broughte to the wordes, to beleue them. This is spiritually and corporally to go, to goddes borde.

Goyng to God­des bor­de.Whan the Sacramente is not mi­nistred vnto the, but thou hearest masse onelye, then take the wordes of the Testament into thy herte, and remembre there, what thy God and Lorde Iesus Christe hath done for the, howe he by hys death hath redemed the, and deserued for the eternall lyfe. And besydes thys hast thou the very right lyuynge token and seall, hys body & hys bloude.

Beleue the wordes and the token, [Page] so obtaynest thou the promysed inhe­ritaunce, and goest to Goddes borde, spiritually, thou doest strengthen thy selfe oute of the wordes of Christe, thou doest conforte the, preserue and amende the. For he that doth accepte the wordes and token in fayth is nou­rysshed and strengthened agaynst all temptations and necessities, and mo­ued and prouoked to geue thankes, vnto the plenteous mercyfull father, which hath geuen and made suche a ryche, costely Testamente to vs poore damnable synners.

Here maye be no doubte at all in the promyse. For it is therfore called a Testamente, that is, a thynge which can not be called agayne, a sure pro­myse, whiche is sealled and confirmed with the precious death of the Son­ne of God.Ebre. xi Here is no bloude shed of vnreasonable cattell, whiche can not take awaye synne, but the precyous innocent bloude of Iesu Christ,Ebre. ix which pourgeth our consciences from deade workes, whiche for that cause is a me­diatour of the newe testamēt,Rom. iij as Pau­le doth name hym.

[Page] the mas­se is no sacrifyceThe masse is properly no oblation, but is a remembraunce of the hyghe worthy oblation or Sacrifice whiche Iesus Christe the sonne of God in he­auen,Hebr. ix. offred hym selfe for oure synnes vpon the crosse ones. This remem­beraunce shall be very newe vnto all hertes, whereby man is taught, what he hath ben, and what God hath done for hym. There of groweth then confidence in suche a kynde Lorde and re­demer. Also loue is raysed towardes God, and towardes oure neyghbour, and a renewynge of the olde man.

We haue nowe many masses, but the death of the Lorde is seldome she­wed, the plentyfull grace of the death of Christe shoulde alwayes be shewed thereby. And we shoulde admonysshe & exhorte one another to the loue of God, and of our neyghbours. For thys Sacrament signifyeth vnite in loue, as the names therof clearly do declare.

A testa­ment.Briefely, whatsoeuer a Testamēte hath in it selfe in especyall, that same hath also the masse. The Testatour is [Page] Christe. The testamente are the wor­des, as is a fore sayde, whereby Christe dyd institute the blessed Sacramēt of the aulter, therein is contayned with fewe wordes, what Christe hath bequethed, and geuen vs. The sealle,i. Tim. ij bonde, and assuraunce, is the body, & bloude of Christe, a pledge, token, and sealle of the Godly promyse, and re­demption for vs. The heyres are all faythfull Christians. The inheritaun­ce is pardon and remissyon of synnes. Where as remission of synnes is, the­re followe all goodes, promysed and geuen in the Testament. For whan the synnes be remitted and forgeuen, then haue we a mercyfull God throu­ghe Christe. Christ is then oures,Ro. viij. and with hym all thynges. Thys is nowe the inheritaunce.

The Sacrifyces of the olde Testa­mente were vnperfecte,Ebre. x for they dyd not take and wasshe awaye synne, thei were a figure of the ryght perfecte sacrifyce,the oblacion of Christe whiche taketh away our syn­nes, and maketh vnto vs a mercyfull God. That was Christe, which dyed [Page] vpon the crosse, a ryght onely sacrify­ce of the newe Testamente, for oure synnes, oure onely sanctification, iustifycacyon, and satisfaction. Nowe whē we haue masse, or go to Goddes bor­de, than may we not saye properlye, that Christ is offred agayn, for he dy­eth now no more.Ebre. vi ix. Rom. vi The Apostle sayth. He hath done it once. And after that fayth he agayne. Once dyd he entre into the holy place. He offreth not him selfe often, he was offred but ones. But proprely is it a remembraunce of the ryght perfecte oblacyon, which once vpon the crosse is accomplysshed And here is the passyon of Christ ear­nestly remembred, through the which fayth is strengthened and augmēted, loue towardes God and man kynde­led, and hope stablysshed and confir­med. Therfore sayde Christe. Thys do in the remembraunce of me, that is when ye eate my body, and drynke my bloude, then remember my death, that I dyed for you, and redemed you, and became an oblation for your synnes.

Righteousnes.23

A ryght fayth in the mercy & gra­ce of God, in Iesu Christe, is onelye oure ryghteousnes.Ro. iiij. To hym that be­leueth, is hys fayth counted for rygh­teousnes. Abraham beleued God,Gen. xv and it was counted vnto hym for ryghte­ousnes.

There is two maner of ryghteous­nes.Two maner of righ­teous­nes. The fyrste is ryghteousnes of workes. The Ipocrites vnderstonde the lawe carnally, & vndertake to ful­fyll the lawe with outewarde wor­kes, withoute the herte for the herte is yet vnlusty and vnwillyng to good workes, but thys ryghteousnes,Mat. v. hel­peth nothynge to saluation, as Christ sayth. Excepte your righteousnes ex­cede, the ryghteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye can not entre into the kyngedom of heauen.Rom. iij and .iiij. The other is called, the righteousnes of God, whiche is nothyng elles, but the fayth in Christe, and this is onely of valour before God.

No man may set vp hys own righ­teousnes or iustification oute of the [Page] workes, builde and truste thereon, for it is a sandy grounde, but we muste knowledge the true righteousnes,Roma. x whiche is allowed before God. Christe is geuen vnto vs, beleue this, the syn­nes are forgeuen for Christes sake,Rom. iij he is oure sanctification and ryghteous­nes, trust in hym onely, and that thou shalt be saued by no worke. Thesame fayth is the true righteousnes, where by thou arte saued.

All workes are yet vncleane, cor­rupted through the flesshe. Therfore is no worke the ryghteousnes, but on­ly the fayth in Christe, thy redemer. In the sighte of God shall no man be iustifyed by the workes of the lawe,Rom. iij Gala. ij as Saynt Paule witnesseth.

24 Honourynge of saynctes.

The blessed electe saynctes, maye be honored of vs two maner of way­es. Fyrst by a waye whiche we oure selfes of oure owne Imagination do sette vp and inuente. As when we cause golden or other costely Images to be made for them, trustynge that it is a good dede, buylde and erecte greate [Page] churches, not withstonding that there are churches ynough. Runne farre here and there to the holy places lyghte candels or tortches in theyr name. Cal them our conforte, help, lyfe, or hope, holde opinyon that we must haue the saynctes, for mediatours to Christe. As thoughe Christe had diuyded hys kyngdome with hys saynctes, and cō ­mitted vnto them the mercyfulnes, and kepte the streyght iudgement for hym selfe, and wete a fearful teryble iudge, vnto whome there were no cer­tayne accesse or intraunce, but onelye throughe the saynctes.

The same inuented honouryng of saynctes is nothynge elles, but a mockyng of the blessed saynctes, and co­meth by greate ignoraunce of the scri­ptures. They wyll not be honoured of vs alone.Ioha. xv Ebre. iiij Ephes. ij and .iij Ro. viij Christe is onely the medi­atour betwene God and vs. He onely dyed for vs. Christ onely doth loue vs so muche that he gaue hys owne lyfe for vs. And is more mercyful then al hys saynctes. Thorough Christ we haue an open waye in, vnto the father. [Page] He sitteth on the ryght hande of God and maketh intercessyon for vs. He prayeth for vs, as the Epistle vnto the Ebrues sayth,Ebr. vi, euen there sayeth the texte, that Christe hath an euerla­stynge priesthode, and therfore can he saue perfectely all them that throughe hym come vnto God, what nedeth it then to haue other mediatours.

Summa, God is onely oure hope, and no sayncte. The hope, and fayth, truste and confidence perteyneth one­ly to God, and to no creature howe hygh so euer she be, A man must one­ly truste in the Lorde GOD, and put hys hope and confidence in hym, as in the hyest goode, from when­ce cometh properly helpe conforte, & delyueraunce of all euyll, all goodnes and saluation.Esa xliij Esay sayth, I am, euen I am the Lorde, and besydes me there is no sauyour.Ie. xviij. Item in Ieremye it is written. The Lorde is my refuge in the daye of tribulation. Item cursed be the man, that putteth hys truste in man. But blessed is the man, whose hope is in the Lorde.

[Page]It auayleth not, that thou sayest.Good intente, I do it for a good intent. In the thinges which perteyne to Goddes honour & to the saluation of oure soules, maye mē not followe their owne good thin­kynge (for it erreth and deceiueth) but the scripture & the commaundemētes of God. For thus sayth Moyses,Deute xij. Ye shall not do euery man, what semeth hym good. It is not all good, that is done in a good intent, the Scripture muste iudge the intent, & make it right

Secondarily, are the Saynctes ho­noured, accordyng as the scripture holdeth therof, the same is ryght, and cannot erre, we must honoure and prayse the sainctes in God, & god in them.Galat. i Luce. i S. Paul saith. They praysed God on me behalfe. Elisabeth thus lauded & ho­noured Marie. She dyd not take her for a redemer or goddesse, but for a noble creature, & an electe vesshel of god, she lauded god and reioyced with her, that God had shewed her such greate mercye, and sayd. Blessed is the frui­te of thy wōbe, & called her a mother, of the Lord, and blessed, because that she had beleued the wordes of God. [Page] And she sayth her selfe in the Mag­nificat, from hence furthe all genera­tions shall call me blessed. And that is done dayly, that she is praysed, and called blessed, as the noble vndefyled lodgynge or Tabernacle, wherin the eternall wysedome of the heauenly father hath rested, and the holy Gooste wonderfully hath wrought the great worke of the blessed humanite of god.The hu­manite of God. Her immaculate, pure, virginal flessh of her bodye, was coupled in vnite of personnes of the inestimable high blessed godheade, that by reason of suche inexplicable vnyon, of bothe natures in her person, she is called a mother of God.

The tru honoure vnto saynctesSo is nowe thys the ryght honou­rynge of the saynctes, that we remembre them with prayse and loue, and al­so reioyce with them, that they nowe in Christ haue valyauntely ouercome, the flesshe, the synne, and the worlde, and triumphe with Christe oure head in great glorye. Vve see in them the wonderful workes, of the aboundante grace and mercyfulnes of God, that [Page] he so highly hath illumyned and endued them, of mere mercy. For they we­re also Adams children, and had of them selues done Adams workes,Rom. ix but God hath made of them suche good­ly fayr vessels of glory.

Oute of suche beholdynge of the benefytes in the saynctes,To praise God in hys sainctes do we lear­ne to knowe the immeasurable riches of the goodnes of God, and we prayse God in hys Saynctes, as a ryche liberall sauyour, and prayse the electe saynctes, whiche now with great lo­ue, very perfectely are grafted in christe theyr heade, and are put in possessi­on of hys goodes, as heyres of God, and fellowe heyres with Christe.

I see there, in the saynctes, the gre­at wysedome, power, and goodnes of God, whereby in me is kyndeled a stronge confydence towardes suche a mercyfull God, that he will also be mercyfull and propitious vnto me, euen as vnto the saynctes. I obtayne loue towardes God, and a sure hope towardes hym, that he wyll also ma­ke of me wretched synfull chylde of [Page] Adam, and vessell of damnatiō, a ves­sell of glory.Rom. ix Praynge hym that he wil graunte vnto me suche a faith, suche loue and hope, as the deare sainctes haue had, to thintent, that I may be shortely ioyned with them, as with my brethren in Christe, and fellowe membres.

The sainctes loue vsAlso I dowte not at all, that forasmoche as here vppon earthe they we­re yet tymorous and frayll, and yet loued their neyghbour, truely so do they loue vs hartely, and reioyce highly, when oure saluation approcheth, and the kyngdome of God cometh vnto vs that the will of God is done in vs, that oure blasphemous lyfe doth crasse, and we be conuerted, that the spirituall body with all the membres soone may be fullfilled, and to the laude and honour of God may be songe,Hos. xiij i. Co. xv this mery songe, death is swallo­wed vp in the victory, death where is thy stynge, hell where is thy victory. Where as then the laste enemy, the death shal be destroyed, and all faith­full Christians coupled & vnyed with [Page] Christ as the bryde with her bridegrome,i. co. xiij Luc. xv. then shall there be Ioye withoute ende. For the loue decreasseth not in heauē, but she is there fyrst made per­fecte. For the angells of God in hea­uen,Luc. xv. reioyce ouer one synner that doth repente, more then ouer nynty & nyne iuste persons which nede no repētaū ­ce. But howe the saynctes praye for vs, yf they knowe and see oure pray­ers,Roma. i i. The. v Coll. iiij i. Thes. i Ac. xiij. in the glasse of the eternall wor­de, and after what maner it is done is not necessary for vs to knowe. We ought here vpon earth to praye one for another, as we are taughte in the Pater noster. And Paul desyreth eue­ry where, the supplication for the con­gregation. He prayeth also earnestely for it, here and there in hys Epistles. There is but one name, wherein we maye be saued, namely, Iesus Christ, Christ sayde,Ioh. xvi & xiiij. whatsoeuer ye shall are the father in my name, he will geue it you. Euē so doth also the churche conclude her collectes, through our Lorde Iesus Christe.

That in the olde testament in pray­ers [Page] sometyme the names of Saynctes are brought in, & remembred, as Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Dauid and suche other, that is not done therfore, that theyr names shoulde be sette vp or ex­alted, as though thei were the helpers but God is onely admonysshed there by, to remēbre the couenaūt, which he made with the same saynctes, of hys great mercy. Euen so myghte I saye yet. O mercyful euerlastynge God, that hast geuen to the blessed saincte. Saynct Peter suche a fayth. I beseche the, strengthen my fayth also. And su­che remembraunce, is not properlye, worshippyng or adoryng of the sainc­tes, but it is to laude God onely in the saynctes, and to admonyshe hym of hys trueth and mercyfulnes.i. Iohn. i In the name of Iesus shoulde all prayers be made, for he is onely oure reconcilia­tion before God. For so is geuen to the saynctes, that belongeth vnto thē, and also vnto God, that which is his. Let the lyuinge saynctes be highly cō mitted vnto the, for they haue nede of thy helpe, S. Nycolas hath no nede [Page] of thy mony, but the poore whiche is thy neyghbour,Matth. xxv. geue it vnto the poore for Goddes sake, thys is as accepta­ble vnto Christe, as though it were done to hymselfe.

Difference of meates.25

God dyd commaunde the Iewes in the Olde Testamente to absteyne from eatyng of certayne beastes. But in the newe testamente, is no more for biddynge of meates, but onelye the abuse of them is forbidden, and not the ryghte vse of them for the necessa­ry sustenaunce of man. Euerye daye mayest thou Christenly eate al maner of meates, for the sustentation of thy body, fysshe, egges, what soeuer it be with thankes geuynge.mat. xv. mar. vij Colo. ij. What soeuer entreth in to the mouthe defyleth not the man, but onely that which cometh owte from the herte. Thys is groun­ded in the Euangelistes,Titus. i Ro. xiiij and in saynt Paules Epistles: For vnto the pure (that is vnto the beleuyng) are al thinges pure.

But for as moche as many are en­tangled with mennes traditions,i. Cor. x and viij thinkynge, [Page] that it is not alwayes laufull to eate flesshe. So shalt thou auoyde the offence, and for thy neyghboures sake somwhat forbeare thy Christian liberty, in that whiche is not agaynste god, and instructe & teache hym, what is commaunded of god, or lycensed. For yf thou wylt be a right Christian, then must thou haue a respecte vnto the wordes of Christe, and vse thy sel­fe thereafter. But yf thou regard mo­re the wordes of mē thē the wordes of god, thē arte thou no Christiā, but a papist. God hath not layed his word be­fore the for nought. Thinkest thou, Thou Ipocryte, blynde, myserable wretche, that God was not able to shewe the ryghte waye to saluation, wilt thou with thy good thynkynge, inuente a better waye.ioh. xiiij and viij Christe is the way and the lighte. He that followeth not hys doctryne, and inuenteth ano­ther waye, the same doth erre, and fe­leth and gropeth in the darkenes.

Then wilt thou saye, shall then the Popes lawes, and the institutions of [Page] the Counsaylles be of no reputation. Answer. The pope and the counseyl­les maye erre, and haue many tymes erred shamefully, but yf thou wilt not erre, then followe the scripture. It is to vs a sure marke, that the scripture of the Bybell cometh from the holye gooste, yf the institutions of the Po­pes and counseils be conformable and agreynge with the Byble, then are they conclusyons oute of the Bible, & to be kepte. But yf they be contrary to the Bible, then is it errour. The holy goost is not wauerynge, that whi­che he hath ones spoken through the Euangelistes for the saluation of the soule, the same is sure, and he doth not agayne saye it, or speake agaynst hym selfe. Wilt thou proue, & be sure, yf the spirite of the Pope, or of the counseils be of God, then beholde & reade theyr writtynges, cōparing thē with the Bible, yf they be agreable to the Byble, then is it the spirite of God, yf not,Pro xxx deu. viij so is it the spirite of the deuyll. For the­re oughte nothynge to be added vnto the worde of God.

[Page] mat. iiijThe worde of God is the sustenaū ce of the soule, and maketh a newe vp­righte ioyfull conscience, and sheweth vnto mā the nexte & streyghtest waye to saluation. But the worde of men, is a poyson to the soule, and maketh a troubled,i. tim. iiij ij. Cor. x sorowfull, fearfull and erronious conscience, whiche is marked with an hote Iron.

26 Holy dayes.

Vnto a Christen man is nowe one daye as the other, he must kepe holye daye euery daye vnto God in the ne­we Testament. The Sabboth muste euery daye be kepte holy, that we lea­ue the euyll workes, of the olde man, and suffre onelye Goddes workes in vs.mat. xvi This is the mortifyenge of oure selues, and renewyng of oure selues. He that wyl come to Christe must for sake hym selfe. The Sonday and other holy dayes, are permitted for this cause, that men so muche the better, and more conueniently maye come toge­ther in those dayes, to praye with the congregation in one accorde, to heare the worde of God, and to receyue the [Page] Sacramente. Vvhen that is done, thē mayest thou worke without any syn­ne.

Men dyd in the tyme of Ierome, after the diuine seruyce, vse bodely laboure in the congregation, as he writ­teth hym selfe in Epitaph. Pauli. Vvherfore wyl they compel vs then to rest,Gal. iiij Colos. ij with manyfest hynderaunce of the body, soule and goodes, Reade Paule in the Epistle to the Galathi­ans and Colossians.

Prayer.27

The ryght and beste prayer,Mat. vi is the Pater noster, and it comprehendeth whatsoeuer is necessary vnto vs. A ryght Christen prayer must be made earnestly and attentyuely. Take before the, an extreme necessitie and bryng that before God. The greatest neces­site is, lacke of faith, loue and hope, for these thre thynges oughtest thou to pray, for therein consisteth oure salua­tion. For thus sayth Christe. Seke fyrste the kyngdome of God, and his righteousnes, & al these thynges shall be ministred vnto you, yf God doth [Page] fede the byrdes of the ayer, with oute all care, and clotheth the floures of the felde so costely verely truste in hym, he shall also prouyde for thy lyuyng. Abraham trusted well in God, and be came ryche here, and also hereafter.

Mat. viThe prayer must be shorte, as Christe sayth, when ye pray, bable not mo­che as the heathen do, for they thynke that they shalbe hearde for theyr mo­che bablinges sake. Superfluous wordes oughte to be auoyded in the prayer. Therfore beware of Hortulus ani­me, Rosarium, The gardeyn of Her­bes, thy Myrour, and suche lyke foo­lysshe baggage. For therein is moche vnprofitable babblynge. Euery man can not seke nor gather oute, the golde out of the myre.Iacob. i. Matth. xxi. Ioh. iiij. Let the prayer be faithfull, he that prayeth not in fayth, ob­tayneth nothynge. God hath promy­sed to heare vs, therfore muste we be done in spirite and in truth.

Prescrybe vnto god no signe, way, tyme, nor houre, when and howe he shoulde geue the thy requeste, he kno­weth well ynough, when it is beste for [Page] the, putte it to hys discretion, and saye alwayes, Lorde thy holy wyll be do­ne. He heareth hym anone, that pray­eth in fayth, but he geueth not alway­es so soone, for he knoweth, when it is tyme.

Vowe.23

¶We haue made a promyse vnto God, in the holy Baptysme, that we wyll forsake the deuyll, and renounce all hys workes. Here doth man pro­myse to fyghte, agaynste hys owne flesshe, agaynste the worlde, & agaynst the deuyll. He is borne of hys father,Eph. ij Iohn. iij a synfull chylde of wrath, he muste be renewed, and borne agayne, of water, & the holy goost. The olde man muste be mortifyed, thys is done through all maner of tribulatiō & aduersite, which greue the carnall man.ij. tim. iij For thus sayth Paul. Al that wyll lyue godly in chri­ste muste suffer persecutiōs.Mat. iij and. iiij. And thys is the repētaunce or amēdemēt which Iohn & Christe do teache. This repentaunce is a mortifyeng of the old mā, & a renewyng of the spirite. His tokē is Baptisme, which is a newe byrthe.Tit. iij [Page] whosoeuer wyl not suffre aduersitye and afflictions in thys worlde,Ac. xiiij thesa­me is vntrewe, and kepeth no promise nor doth the thynges, whiche he hath promysed in hys baptysme. Therfore is it good to see, that there be but fewe ryght Christians in earth. Mē oughte not to vowe or promyse any thynghe rasshely for euery man hath both hys handes full of workes,The promyse of baptis­me. and ynoughe to do, yf he wyll satisfye, hys Baptis­me.

The promises or vowes of fre­res &c.The vowes of freres or monkes a­re foolysshnes, and are made without faith. To vowe chastite, is not in their power, for it is a specyall gyfte of God. And a counseyl, not a comman­dement. The Euangelicall pouertye belongeth to vs all,i. Co. vij Matth, xix. and is nothyng el­les, then in spirite not to desyre, & not to cleame the temporall goodes with oure herte, and to vse the goodes, for the commoditie and welthe of oure neyghboure, as dispensatours, and distributours, not as owners and Lor­des of the goodes.Luc, xiiij For thus sayth christe, yf a man come to me, and hateth [Page] not hys father, mother, wyfe & chyl­dren, bretheren and sisters. Moreouer and hys owe lyfe, he can not be my di­scyple. Thys lawe doth bynde euerye man, not onelye freres and Nonnes,Ro. vij. for it is spirituall, euen as the hole la­we is, and requyreth a cleane pure herte. To forsake all thynges, that is,To for­sake all thinges not to be entangled with any thynge, with any inordinate or vncomely de­syres, And to vse the same onelye, and not to hange or cleane thereon with wyl or desyre.

Therfore is not the Euangelicall pouerte,Euan­gelicall pouerte to go a beggynge from hou­se to house, and to haue nothyng at al but not to hang vpō the goodes with a couetous mynde and desyre. All ry­ches are geuen vs of God, not that we should occupye thē alone, but that we shoulde serue oure neyghboure with them, yea with all that we haue,Deu. xv Luce. x. thys requyreth, the lawe of nature & the lawe of God. Moyses commaun­ded that no man shoulde be suffred to begge. Christe sayth. Go not frō hou­se to house. Into whatsoeuer house ye [Page] enter, there eate and drynke suche as they haue.

Obedi­ence. Ro. xiij. Philip. i i. Pe. iijObedience must we kepe euen as wel as the freres or monkes, as Pau­le and Peter teache, euery man in his Citie or cōmunalty to hys Lord, whatsoeuer the scripture sayth of the obe­dience of God, and of his holy worde the same do the blynde guydes drawe by the heare vpon theyr inuented obedience. Euen as also they wreste thys saynge in Samuel,i. Re. xv Obedience is bet­ter sacrifyce, & drawe it vpon mannes traditions. The vowes & promyses of the freres or monkes, come of igno­raunce of the free wyll, whiche they presume to haue and to defende. The vowe of freres is no counseyll in the Scripture, nor yet commaundemente therfore is it nothyng but mere seduction, Ipocrisye and vnbeleue. Christe wyl, that oure fayth, purely & onelye shall be buylded vpon hys onely worde, For vpō thesame rock doth he buylde hys congregation.mat. xvi Iohn. x. And in Iohn sayth he. My shepe heare my voyce. For as much now, as there is no cle­are [Page] or manifest worde of God, which counsayleth or cōmaundeth, that the­re should be a bonde of eternal vowes of chastite or of beggerye, verelye so erre al they that teache freres vowes and take them for good and sure gere in the Scripture, whiche neuertheles are vnsure, and contrary to the scrip­ture. God wil, that hys worde be onely taughte for saluation. For thus sayth Saynt Peter.i. Pe. iiij Yf any man spea­ke, let hym talke, as thoughe he spake the wordes of God, that is, let him be sure, that it is the worde of God, whi­che he speaketh and teacheth.

Obedience.29

Before all thynges,Ro. xiij. i. Pet. ij must men be obedient vnto god, as vnto our right Lord, After that also vnto such as god hath ordeyned and geuen to be rulers ouer vs, as father, and mother, Lordes and iudges, and whosoeuer is ordey­ned for the defence of the commō peace in the hyer powers.

Yf they commaunde oughte that [Page] perteyneth to the profyte of the com­mune welth, and serueth for the com­mon peace, or any thynge elles al­though it were tyranny, then suffer & be pacient, subdue thy selfe mekely, be obedyent, to thys byndeth the the, brotherly loue.

But yf they commaunde ought, cō trary to the wyll of God,Act. v. Mat. vi then say as Peter and the Apostles do saye. Vve ought more to obey God then men. No man can serue two contrary may­sters. The kynge of Babylon com­maunded the Prophete Daniel, that he shoulde worshyp the Dragon for a God.Daniel xiiij. Daniel sayde, I worshyppe god my Lord. For he is the liuynge God, but the dragon is not the lyuing god. Paul sayth.Ro. xiij. The hyer power is god­des minister for thy welth. Therfore when thei commaunde the ought that is wicked and agaynst God, then do it not.

30 The wyll of God.

The wyll of God is a ryghte lyne of all ryghteousnes, and of all good­nes, whiche can not erre, whatsoeuer [Page] is ryght and good, is therfore ryghte and good, because that God will haue it so.

Mannes wyll.31

Mannes wyll is erronious, and must be made conformable, and sub­mitted vnto the wyll of God, where­in the perfection of the reasonable creature doth consiste. Euen thus do we praye. Thy wyl be done.Matth. xxvi, Euen so dyd Christe praye also. Father, thy wyll be done. Yf Christe dyd subdue hys moost holy, and moost ryghtest wyll vnto the wyll of hys heauenly father, Wherfore would not then, the poore stynkynge worme, the synfull man, desyre in all thynges, that not mānes wyll, whiche erreth but goddes wyll myght be done whiche can not erre? In Ieremye sayth the spirit of God,Ier. xvij Ge. viij that the harte of man is wicked, cro­ked, and vnsercheable, Nowe is man­nes herte a place of all carnall desy­res and wylles. Thou wylt, of thyne owne selfe, withoute the grace of god nothynge, but that which is euyl, where is then the fre wyll.

32 Offence.

There is two maner of offence, The one is geuen vnto the neyghbour. As when a man teacheth his neyghbour wronge in the faith, this is an horrible offence,Matth. xviij. or offendeth hym with his euil lyuinge, as the open synners do.

The other offence is taken, as whan Christe taught the worde of trueth before the Iewes,Ioh. viij whiche his heuenly father had commaunded hym, than were the Iewes offended there at, but Christe gaue them none offence. Euen so are many offended as yet, whan they heare the christen lybertye preached, for theyr conscience is mise­rably entangled with mennes tradi­tions and institutions.Luce. ij The Gospell must nedes be preached, whosoeuer be offended with it. Christ is ordeyned to be a fall and resurrection of many in Israell, and a signe whiche shalbe spo­ken agaynst. They that be hys shepe, shall in tyme conuenient, heare, and accepte the shepeherdes voyce, vnto them is Christe, and hys doctryne or­deyned [Page] for a resurrectyon.i. Pet, ij Is. xxiiij Rom. ix They that are not hys, shal stōble at hym downe to the grounde.

In the thinges whiche God com­maundeth, be thou obedyent, not re­gardinge whosoeuer will be offen­ded withall.Isa. viij Of this take an exam­ple, God will, that I shall learne his holy worde, and serche therein his will, yf nowe any man would forbid­de me the Scripture, then woulde I not be obedient vnto hym.

In thynges whiche are instituted by man,Men­nes pre­ceptes. whiche maye well be done or left vndone therein followe the ru­le order, the selfe therein as fayth, lo­ue and nede requyreth, and teacheth, as to eate flesshe, or not, to eate it, here in hast thou libertye of God. There in shall the brotherly loue teache the sufficiently.

Yf noman thereby be offended, thē mayest thou eate, that whiche is hoolsome for the, but whereas noman kno­weth of thys liberte, there doest thou forbeare the same, and absteynest (for the welth of thy neyghboure) [Page] from suche meates, whiche notwith­standyng are good in themselues, and not prohibited. Thou doest therfore no good worke, when thou eatest no flesshe vpon the frydaye, but onely yf thou doest serue thy neyghboure the­rein. Neyther doest thou synne also, when thou doest eate it, so that thou geue vnto no man an occasyon of fal­lynge.

¶Howe longe wyll we continue chyldren, and drynke mylke. Vvere it not ones tyme, that we beleued mo­re the worde of god, then the foolys­she tradicions of men. God sayth, that vnto the pure are all thynges pure.Tit, i And yet wyl men styll forth, be afrayde for a weake shadowe. They had yet an occasyon in the tyme of Paule to be offended at the flesshe, for it was flesshe that had bē offred vnto Idols. But nowe wyll men be offended at the flesshe which cometh cleane and pure from the shambles or flessh market. Vvhen shall we ones haue an en­de of suche foolysshe offendynges. Vvhy do not the wordes of the holye [Page] goost moue vs, which he speaketh thorough Paule,i. Cor. x. whatsoeuer is solde in the flesshe marketh that eate, and as­ke no questions, for conscience sake. And yet was there of thesame flesshe also some solde for the Idolles.

It preuayleth not that thou sayest the counseylles, the holy fathers dyd forbydde it. Forbidde here, forbydde there, whatsoeuer Christ hath not prohibited, but hath left it free vnto the, thesame may nor can noman forbidde the vpon payn of deadly synne, what soeuer they ordeyne or institute besy­des the godly scripture, thesame byn­deth not thy conscience,ij. Cor. x and xiij. they haue no power to destroye thy conscience, but to edifye it, as Paule sayth.

Almose dedes.33

Almes is all maner of seruiable­nes towardes thy neyghbour. The Euangelicall Penaunce, or repentaū ­ce, consisteth, principally in thre sun­dry thynges. Fastynge, praynge,Faste. and geuinge of almes. Fastinge doth con­clude in it selfe, all manner of chaste­nynges of the synfull flesshe, with [Page] oute any difference of meates or apparell.Prayer. Prayenge comprehendeth in it selfe all manner of vsyng of the harte towardes God, readyng, hea­rynge, prayenge, and remembrynge. Euen so doeth Almose comprehende all maner of seruyce,Almose dedes. towardes oure neyghboure.

By fastyng do I serue my selfe, & mortifye the olde man. By prayer do I serue God. By almose do I serue my neyghbour. By fastynge doth a man ouercome the euyll concupiscēces of the flesshe, a man lyueth soberly, me asurably and purely. By prayer doth a man ouercome the pryde of thys ly­fe and lyueth Godly. By almose de­des, dothe a man ouercome the lustes, of the eyes, and lyueth ryghtfully in thys lyfe.

34 Othe or swearynge.

Thereof speaketh Christe in Ma­thew,Mat, v. on thys wyse. Sweare not at al. But your communicatiō shal be, yea, yea, naye, naye, for whatsoeuer is mo­re then that cometh of euyl. Here doth Christ inhibite the desyre of swearing [Page] euen as the lawe dothe euery where forbidde the desyre. Christe wyll,Iohn. v that a Christian shal be so slyght & ryghte, not full of euyll thoughtes or mysde­mynges, that he shal beleue his neyghboure gladly, and dryue or compel no man to make an other, and that he also neuer wyl sweare hymselfe, to the ho­nour of the godly maiesty, before the which we be alwaies lyers. Therfore saith the texte, whatsoeuer is more thē that cometh of euyl, as though he wolde saye, whē a mā is desyrous, to take an othe of his neyghbour, or lyghtely requyreth an othe of hym, or when he sweareth hym selfe lightely, then is it a sygne that he is vntrewe, wicked, lyght mynded, and possesseth not the godly verite. No mā ought to sweare of hym selfe. Howe be it, whan it tou­cheth or concerneth the loue, necessite and the profyte of our neyghbours, or the honour and glory of God, then is it laufull.

Christian lyberte.35

The christē liberte is not, that we nede not to do no more good, but it is such a lyberte, wherein not the lawe, but [Page] man is chaunged.Act, ix Vvhen Paul was conuerted and illumined, then conti­nued yet the tenne commaundemen­tes with hym inmutable, that he shoulde obserue them but he became ano­ther man, for euen the same lawe of God whiche before his conuersion, was bitter and hole contrary to the wyll of Paule, as soone, as throughe fayth he was purifyed, and loue was through the holy, goost infounded in­to hys herte, then became the lawe vnto hym amiable, he was before vnwillynge, but afterwarde willynge.

The lawe can not condemne a chri­sten man (albeit he hath yet synne) in case he beleueth, that the malediction of the lawe is taken awaye by Christ, and that the ryghteousnes of Christe is hys, and the satisfaction of Christ, hys purifyenge as the spirite of God sayth.i. Cor. i. Christ of God is made vnto vs wysedome, ryghteousnes, sanctifyen­ge, and redemption. Thys lyberte ha­the Christe deserued for vs, and we must be ware,Gala. v that the liberte be not an occasion vnto the flesshe, to synne, [Page] but in loue serue one another.

Thou mayest not say, yf I am free through fayth, and yf fayth doth it all alone, then wyll we do no goode, it is all done allready, Thys is not ryghte, men may not make a cloke for the ray­ne thereby. It is not suche a libertye,i. Pet. ij that thou nedest to do no more goode workes, but the christen lyberte, cau­seth that we nowe from hencefurthe withoute compulsyon, free, withoute respecte of the rewarde, fyrste begyn­ne to do some good.i. Tim. i Thus sayth S. Paule, vnto the ryghteous is no lawe geuen, the lawe hath no auctorite, nor action vpon hym, he doth by the spiri­te of God, of hym selfe whatsoeuer he ought, and whatsoeuer the lawe requyreth.

The Churche.36

In the scripture standeth Ecclesia.Ecclesia Thys is a Greke worde, and as moch as a congregation of the faythful pe­ople. And the hole vniuersall Church hath the holy goost by her, by whome [Page] she is gouerned, and cannot erre. The brydegrome doth not forsake the bry­de. But a parte of thys churche maye well erre. The pope and hys Cardi­nals, are not the Christen churche or congregatiō, but onely a part or membre therein when they be christen mē ­bres, or els not.

Isa. xlvi De. viij mat. iiij.The churche is congregated by the worde of God. The worde of God is a body, wherein the churche is recey­ued, fourmed, susteyned, borne, noury­shed, clothed, strengthened, and preserued. The hole lyfe and conuersation of the churche is in the word of God.

Therfore doth the Christen church institute, make, and teache nothyng cō trary to the word of god, she abydeth by the cleare, pure, and syncere worde of God, there hath she whatsoeuer is necessary for her, for the spiritual lyfe. Whensoeuer any institution is layed before vs, and commaunded to be ob­serued, then muste we iudge yf it come oute of the scripture or not. Yf it be not oute of the Scripture, then doth it not bynde our consciences, neyther [Page] is it the commaundement of the Chri­sten churche. Yf it be agaynst the scri­pture, then hath not the Churche of God commaunded it, but the congre­gation of Behemot the deuyll.

Therfore let not thys worde Ca­tholyke churche,The Catholike churche drawe the to euerye vngodly assembel, as hathe ben done hitherto. They haue also taught, that a counsayll whiche sitteth in the stede of the churche, can not erre. I say thus Cleaue & take holde by goddes worde yf thou wylt not stomble. It is mani­fest and euydent,Coun­ceyls that the counsaylles haue erred shamefully. As the Coun­sayll of Arimin, of Ephesus, the secō ­de of Constantinoble. Item the Counsayls be contrary the one to the other in theyr institutions, then must nedes the one alwayes erre.

Ryches.37

Ryches is a good creature of god, and an instrument of vertue.Luc. viij Matth. xix Wher­fore doth then the holy Scripture call them thornes? Item Christe sayth. It is harde for a ryche man to enter into the kyngdome of heauen, it is [Page] easier for a camell to go throughe the eye of a nedle, then for a ryche man to enter into the kyngdome of God. Answer. Al be it that ryches in it sel­fe is a creature of God, and good, yet are we of nature enclyned to al euill. Therfore when we haue occasyon to synne,Ge. viij we be very swyfte, and can not withholde, and tame our selues. A man maye haue muche goodes well ynoughe, and yet for all that come to heauē, as Abrahā, Iob, Namaā of Sy­ria, were also in great possessyons, but yet ryghteous, reasonable and godfe­aryng menne.

Therfore is ryches not prohibited, but the misvsyng there of is prohibi­ted, & the couetousnes, that is, the inordinate and vncomely desyres towar­des the goodes,Ephe. v for it is an Idolatry. He is properly called ryche in the scripture, that putteth hys truste and confidence in hys goodes, and hath hys pleasure, ioye and pastyme therein. As the ryche man sayed.Luc. xij. My soule, thou haste muche goodes layed vp in store for many yeres, take thyne ease, [Page] eate, drynke, and be mery. Thereof is it written in the Psalme, Lo,Psa. lij. thys is the man that toke not God for hys strengthe, but trusted vnto the multi­tude of hys ryches.Psalm. xxxix And in another Psalme, he heapeth vp rychesse, and can not tell who shall gather them,

Euen suche persons trust not god, they thynke, that yf they shoulde not mistruste and be carefull, the corne & wynes shoulde not growe in the fel­des, & yet see well ynoughe, that with all theyr thought and care they be not able to put one cubite vnto their statures. They be heathen,Mat. vi and knowe not the care, prouidence, & grace of God.

Two thynges doth the Scripture speake and touche concernyng ryches First it is daungerous to medle with them.Ryches­se. The scripture calleth thē thor­nes. He must nedes haue a fayre gra­ce of God, that doth not prycke hym selfe beynge amonge thornes. They be wytche, blynde, and hynder a man very sore. A certaine Iewe came vnto Christe, whiche was counted before the worlde a ryght honest man. But [Page] when Christe woulde teache hym the perfection, and bad hym forsake hys goodes and possessyōs, he went away mournynge, for he had great possessy­ons, Then sayde Christ vnto hys di­sciples,Matth. xix Mar. x. Lu. xviij with what difficultye, shal thei that haue ryches, enter into the kyng­dome of God. The goodes are loued and man is blynded.

Secondarely, the Scripture doth not therfore denye the kyngdome of heauen vnto the ryche, but onelye sheweth them the daunger, and ieopar­dye thereof, and warneth them fayth­fully, that they shoulde not suffre the goodes to be theyr mayster, and Lord, and haue none euyll concupiscence, after that which is temporal.Psa. lxij And yf ryches do increase vnto them, that they shoulde not sette theyr hertes v­pon them, and make an Idoll thereof. The ryche man in S. Luke shoulde be a warnynge vnto them.Luce. xij Verely the spirite of God, which knewe very wel the perilles & daungers thereof, saith in sayncte Paul on thys wyse.i. tim. vi They that wil be ryche fall into temptation [Page] and snares, and into many foolyssh & noysome lustes, which drowne men in perdicion and destruction. For coue­tousnes is the rote of all euyl, whiche whyle some lusted after, they erred from the fayth, and tangled them sel­ues with many sorrowes.

In the end of the same Epistle, ge­ueth he vnto the ryche a very goodly rule to lyue by, and fayth. Charge thē that are ryche in thys worlde, that they be not excedyng wyse, and that they truste not in the vncertayne ry­ches, but in the lyuynge God, whiche geueth vs aboundantly all thynges to enioye thē, and that they do good, and be ryche in good workes, and rea­dy to geue and to distribute, layenge vp in store for themselues a good foū ­dation agaynst the tyme to come, that they may obtayne eternal lyfe,Mat. vi Men can not serue God & Mammon toge­ther.Ecclesi. v. Reade in the preacher of Salo­mon of the ryche men of thys worlde.

Whosoeuer doth medle moche with goodes by the way of marchādyse, customes or other wyse, latte hym remembre that he medleth with [Page] thornes, and forgette not the brother­ly loue, but accordynge to the lawe of nature, as he would that men shoulde deale with hym truely and vprightly so let hym deale with hys neyghbou­re.Tob. iiij Vvhatsoeuer ye woulde that men shoulde do to you,mat. vij. euen so do ye to them. Thys is the lawe and the Pro­phetes.Luce. vi Geue, and it shalbe geuen vnto you, sayth Christe. Lende, lokynge for nothynge agayne, and youre re­warde shalbe greate, and ye shal be the chyldren of the hyest.Deute. xv. Item in the fyfte boke of Moyses sayth the lawe. Tourne not thyne eyes from thy poore brother handle not deceatfully and craftely with hym in hys necessities, that thy Lorde God maye blesse the alwayes, and in all thynges that thou goest aboute or takest in hande.Deute. xxiij. & xxiiij. Geue vnto thy brother no money vpon vsu­ry.

O Lorde God why do men rage so vnmanerly and abhominable for the temporall goodes, seyng, thei mu­ste shortely departe from them, when they dye. They can not preserue them [Page] from death what shoulde it profite a man,Matth, xxvi. though he shoulde wynne all the hole worlde yf he loose his owne soule. Christe warneth you fatherly, in Mathewe and sayeth.Mat. vi See that ye gather you not treasure vppon the earth, where ruste and mothes corru­pte, and where theues breake through and steale. But gather ye treasures together in heauen, where nether ruste nor mothes corrupte, and where the­ues nether breake vp, nor yet steale. For where so euer youre treasure is, there will youre hertes be also.

It can not well be done, to followe the naked Christe, and to beare his crosse where as so greate ryches and all plentie doth abounde.

Synne.38

Synne is all what soeuer is against the commaundement of God.

There is thre maner of synnes.

The originall synne is an euill con­cupiscēce [Page] where of we be inheritours by byrthe descēdinge from Adā vpon all Adams children, whiche prouoketh and enticeth to synne. For it is written in the fyrst boke of Moyses. The ima­gination of mannes herte is euyl,Ge. vi. and .viij euē from hys youthe. Of thys synne com­playneth Dauid sayenge.Psal. li. Rom. v Ephe. ij Beholde I was shapen in wickednes, and in syn­ne hath my mother conceyued me.

Thys synne bryngeth the chylde with hym, euen from hys mothers wombe.

The deadly synne is euery synne agaynst the commaundement of god, of her owne nature.

The daily synneThe dayly synne, is a synne of the Christen menne or of the saynctes, & is called daily, for thys cause, not that she is so small of her selfe, but because she is forgeuen vnto the faythful tho­rough the mercyfulnes of God, and is not imputed vnto hym, for synne, vnto death. Briefely euery dede of man, whiche is not through the faythe in Christe, is a deadly synne. For the frute is as the tree. The tree is the carnal mā, which spiritually is dead, how [Page] shoulde he then of hymself bring furth a lyuing fruite, that is, a good worke?

Infirmitie.39

For as muche as a Christen man doth not feare death, he feareth much lesse bodely sickenes, he escheweth on­ly the infirmities of the soule, that is to say synne. The bodely infirmitye is vnto man a costely medecyne, agaynst the synfull flesshe. For man is neuer more righteous, then when he is sicke when God scourgeth, thē doth he he­ale. Amendement of lyfe happeneth best in the tyme of all maner of tribu­lation. Sickenes doth withdrawe him from the inordinate and vncomely lo­ue of creatures, that he begynneth to loke for the creatoure, as for hym that onely can helpe on euery syde, and quycken man in all hys aduersities, whiche he muste suffre here. It geueth also vnto man in tribulation a spiritu­all ioye, and bryngeth a good confi­dence towardes god, whā he thinketh [Page] (accordinge as the scripture doth she­we) Vvhome the lord loueth,Ebr. xij hym he chasteneth, and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receyueth. Yf ye endure chastenynge, God offereth hymselfe vnto you, as vnto sonnes, what sonne is that, whome the father chasteneth not. If ye be not vnder correction, whereof al are partakers, then are ye bastardes and not sonnes. Moreouer seynge we had fathers of our flesshe, whiche corrected vs, shoulde we not moche rather be in subiectiō, vnto the father of spirituall gyftes, that we myght lyue.

40 Healthe.

The beste health is the health of the soule, that she is in the ryghte fay­the.

The bodely health is well a precy­ous gyfte of God. But she is vnto vs oftentymes (accordynge to oure natu­rall inclination) an occasyon to sinne. Augustyne sayth. Vvhen we be in health, then is the infirmitye of the [Page] euyll concupiscence, moost weakest.

Persecution.41

A man must nedes suffre, he that wyll be a discyple of Christe, must ge­ue hym selfe lustely and willyngely into all manner of affliction, for,Matth. xxiiij for hys names sake shal we be hated. The crosse must we nedes beare, there is no remedy.Ro. viij. For those whiche he kne­we before, he also ordeyned before, that they should be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of hys sonne.

For thus sayth S. Peter.i. Pet. ij Christe suffred for vs, leauyng vs an ensam­ple, that we shoulde followe hys steppes.i. Pe. iiij Item in another place doth he admonyshe vs, that we shoulde not be troubled, and take it for a straunge thynge, when persecution and trybu­lation cometh vpon vs, for thereby a­re we tryed and preserued, as the gol­de through the fyre. We must be par­takers of Christes passyons, for thus sayth he. If ye be rayled vpon for the name of Christe, happye are ye. For [Page] the spirite of glory, and the spirite of God resteth vpon you. On theyr par­te he is euyll spoken of, but on your parte he is glorifyed.

Where as Christe is preached, the­re is also alwayes, a Iudas, an Annas Cayphas, Pilate, Herode, and the crosse. By them is it sene, where the Go­spel is preached. Nowe let euery man beware that he suffre not as a male­factour,i. Pe. iiij that hath deserued it. Thus sayth Peter, Se that none of you suf­fre as a murtherer, or as a thefe, or an euyll doer, or as a busy bodye in other mennes matters, Yf any man suffre as a Christen man, let hym not be a­shamed, but let hym glorifye God on hys behalfe.

Rom. vPaule sayth to the Romaynes, we reioyce in tribulation. For we knowe that tribulation bryngeth pacience, Pacience bryngeth experience, expe­rience bryngeth hope, and hope ma­keth not ashamed.

Iacob, i.Item Iames layth. My bretheren counte it excedynge ioye, when ye fal into diuers temptations, for as muche [Page] as ye knowe, howe that the tryenge of your fayth bryngeth pacience, and let pacience haue her perfecte worke, that ye maye be perfecte and sounde lackyng nothynge.

Paule doth onely reioyce and boa­ste hym selfe, of the infirmities,ij. Co. ij. rebu­kes, nede, persecutions, and anguyshe whiche he suffred for Christes sake.

And howe shoulde not be confor­ted hearynge the fatherly voyce of Christe,Matt. v where he sayth to hys discy­ples. Blessed are they whiche suffre persecution for ryghteousnes sake, for theyrs is the kyngdome of heauē. Blessed are ye, when men reuyle you, and persecute you, and falsely saye all maner of euyl sayenges agaynst you for my sake.

In the Actes of the Apostles sayth Luke,Actu. v that Peter and the discyples at Ierusalem when they had ben impry­soned and beaten and let go agayne, departed from the councell reioysyng that they were counted worthy to suffre rebukes for the name of Iesu Christe.

42 Ioye and heuynes.

There is no ryght ioye, that hath any continuance, but onelye the ioye of a pure conscience, all other ioye of thys present tyme, and of these tem­porall corruptyble thinges doth soone vanyshe awaye, and is mixte with muche sorowe and bitternes, and hath the sorowe vpon her backe, for the sa­me ioye is of a creature. Nowe no cre­ature continueth immutable, but wa­uereth to and fro as the wynd. Vvhē any thynge is taken from the, or alte­red, wherein thou haddest delyte ioye and pleasure, than arte thou sory, and heauy, now no creature contynu­eth with the alwayes, but she is taken from the, or elles thou arte separated from her. Therfore is there no permanent Ioye vpon earth, in al creatures, or thynges created.

The sorowe and ioye of the spirite and of the flesshe, haue a great diffe­rence: not onely the sorowe for the creatures sake, but also suche temporall Ioye, hath smarte and damage. Con­trarywyse, [Page] not onely the spirituall ioye, but also the spirituall sorowe, hath pleasure and profyte. Therfore sayth Paule I nowe reioyce,ij. co, vij not that ye were sory, but that ye so sorowed, that ye repented. For ye sorowed godly, so that in nothynge ye were hurte by vs. For godly sorowe causeth repē taunce vnto saluation, not to be repē ­ted of, but worldely sorowe causeth death.

A ryght Christian reioyseth in no­thynge, but onely in hys Lorde Christ and thys is a ryght stedfast ioye, whi­che maye withstonde all aduersities, for she hāgeth not vpō any waueryng creature, but vpon hym, whiche is the Ioye of the Angels, and taketh away all the sorowe and gronynges of hys seruauntes, as he saith in Iohn.Ioh. xvi I wyl se you agayne, and youre hertes shall reioyce, and your ioye shall no man take from you. To thys pure bodelye Ioye,Phi. iiij doth Paul exhorte hys Philippians, sayenge, reioyce in the Lorde al­waye, and agayne I saye reioyce.

A right Christian soroweth for no­thynge [Page] but onely for synne, whereby he hath offended hys moost deare Lor­de, Therfore whan he is persecuted, then soroweth he more for the sinne of the persecutoure, then for hys owne redukes and hurtes, he seeth that hys enemye doth and handeleth so cruelly and wilfully agaynst the Godly ma­iestie, and before he persecuteth ano­ther, hath he synned in God, and hur­te hym selfe moost perniciously in the soule. And the vpryght Christen man thinketh, I haue ful well deserued all persecutions for my synnes sake, but O Lord howe cometh he to thys that he must be an instrument of the god­ly iudgement, and offende God in me wretched synner, and hath compassion vpon hys euen Christen, and prayeth vnto God for him, because that he knoweth not what he doth.

43 Peace.

There is two maner of peace. The temporall or worldly peace is, when a man hath no disquietnes of any man and standeth in certaynte of hys lyfe. [Page] The spirituall peace, is certeynte of the harte which no man hath, but one­ly a Christen faythfull herte through fayth, for it knoweth & perceyueth, that it hath escaped the moste daungerous battell, and the greatest damma­ge, namely the euerlastyng wrath of God, and is through Christ made su­re, agaynst the feare of synne, death & hell, and vnto hym is nowe persecuti­on, sickenes, and sufferyng in earth, yea death, and whatsoeuer the worlde counteth, to be horryble and fearfull, a small matter, whiche he regardeth not, so ioconde, peaceable, and sure is hys herte vnto hym. Thys is the qui­ete herte whiche is a continuall feast, as Salomon sayth.Pro. xv Thys is that pea­ce, whiche the worlde can not geue, neither can she take it awaye with al her inimity and rumour, it passeth al myndes and vnderstandynge as Paule sayth. The peace of God,Phil. iiij whiche pas­seth all vnderstondynge, kepe youre hertes and myndes in Christe Iesu. And to the Ephesians.Ephe. ij Rom. v He is oure pe­ace. Item to the Romaynes. Because therfore [Page] through Christe, when God is a mer­cyfull father, and so continueth, then desyreth she no further.

Therfore dyd the Prophetes na­me the kyngdome of Christe, a kyng­dome of saluation,Esaye xxxij. For thus sayth E­saias. And the rewarde of ryghteous­nes shalbe peace, and her frute reste and quietnes for euer. And my peo­ple shall dwell in the innes of peace, and in sure dwellynges, in safe places of conforte.

The worde of God bryngeth thys spirituall peace, and destroyeth the body of Behemoth, but the carnal peace it bryngeth not, for it is a word of the crosse, and not of the wicked voluptuous lyfe vpon earth. Therfore shall no man merueyll, that through the preachynge of the cleare, pure & syncere worde of God, ryseth contencion & discorde, for it is hys nature and pro­pertye to separate the good from the euyll, lyke as the fyre doth separate the copper from the golde.

Therfore knowe not the enemyes of GODDES worde, what they [Page] speake, whan thei say, yea what good cometh by the preachynge that is vsed nowe a dayes, it causeth nothyng but discorde and sedition. I saye deare frē de, thou vnderstandest not the matter a ryght, It ought to be so, It is a bles­sed discorde, when the electe embrace the worde of God, and wyll not ha­ue theyr porcyon with the vngodly. It can be none other wyse.i. Cor. xi For thys waye muste the ryghte Christians be knowen and tryed. It was euen so, lykewyse in the primityue Church. The Christians which dyd receyue the go­spell, separated themselues from the Gentyls, and woulde not erre wyth the greate multitude. It stode neuer better with the churche, then when e­uery daye some shedde theyr bloude, for the knoweledgyng of the holy na­me of Christe, as Cyprian sayth, and thys do we learne oute of the wordes of Christ, wheras he speaketh.Luc. xij. I am come to kindle fyre vpō earth, notwith­stōding I must be baptised, with a baptisme, & how am I payned till it be en­ded, what is my desyre but that it we­re [Page] all ready kyndled. Suppose ye that I am come to send peace on earthe. I tel you nay, but rather debate. For frō hence forthe there shall be fyue in one house deuyded, thre agaynst two, and two agaynst thre. The father shalbe deuided against the sonne and the son­ne against the father, The mother a­gainst the doughter, and the doughter agaynst the mother, The mother in lawe against her doughter in lawe, and the doughter in lawe against her mother in lawe.

Ebr. iiijThe two edged swearde of the ho­ly goost, whiche entreth through, euen vnto the diuidinge a sonder of the soule and the spirite, and of the ioyntes and the Mary, & iudgeth the though­tes & the intentes of the herte, is now abroade, Therfore let noman mer­ueill at the dissention, whiche nowe is euery where. The inwarde peace can not be well, withoute suche an owte­warde battail.

44 Free will.

Man had in Paradise, in the state [Page] of innocencye, a free wyll. There vpō soundeth the sayenge in the wyse mā. But after the tyme that Adam had synned,Eccl. xv dyd also the spirite of god for­sake man, In so much that he became hole blynde, ignoraunt and erronious and the Scripture doth call hym af­ter the first byrth, flesshe.Gen. vi Not because onely the comprehensyble power, is prone to euyll, and is carnall, but be­cause the body and soule, through the poyson of synne, is hole infected and made vncleane. In so much that man from hys fyrste byrthe, through al his naturall power can do nothynge but synne.

The Scripture calleth the hert im­pure,The herte is vncleane. Heb. xij Ge, viij mar. vij what goodnes and purenes can then be in man. He must be borne a ne­we, elles is he hole vnprofitable and nothynge but flesshe, that is proue to thynges terrestriall, and al euyll, he seketh not after God? he regardeth hym not: neyther holdeth he of hym. Euen thus doth the Scripture con­terfayte hym.Ro. viij Saynt Paule speaketh to the Romaynes, They that are car­nall, [Page] are carnally mynded, but they that are spirituall are goostely myn­ded, they that are geuen to the flesshe, can not please God. For the flesshely mynde is enemitie against God, for it is not obedient to the lawe of God, nether can be.Augu­styne. Therfore called Augusti­ne (in the secōde booke, agaynst Iulian the heretike) the will of man, a bonde will,Ioh. viij accordinge to the wordes of Christe in Iohn, who so euer committeth synne is the seruaunt of synne.

Libertie of the wyll.Howe be it this will maye be ma­de free agayne, through the grace of God. For thus is it conteyned euen in the same place of Iohn. If the sonne shall make you free,Ioh. viij then are ye free in dede. The sonne of God Christe, hath purchased agayne for vs, the spi­rite and grace of God, If we beleue, than maye we and can do good agay­ne. Notwithstondynge it must all be asscribed vnto the grace of God whi­che worketh in vs, and nothinge ap­propriated to oure owne naturall po­wer or workinge, whereof the will is also partely named to be an occasion [Page] of the good worke, as the miserable Sophistes seduce the worlde.

In Paule is it written on this wyse.ij. Co. iij We are not sufficient of oure selues, to thinke any thinge, as it were of oure selues, but oure able­nes cometh of God. Yf then we can thynke no good of oure selues, why presume the Sophistes by the power of the free wille to do any good?

Thus saith Paule, It is God,Phili. ij whi­che worketh in you, bothe the will and also the dede.i. Co. xv Euen so doth he speake also in another place, I labou­red more aboundantly, then all the other, not I, but the grace of God whiche is with me. Euen so do all saynctes asscribe all goodnes onely to God, & knoweledge them selues, as an instrumēt of the Godly grace, sayē ­ge with Dauid, Not vnto vs O lorde,Psa. cxv Not vnto vs, but vnto thy name geue the prayse.

Item,Iohn. iij A man can receyue nothin­ge at all, excepte it be geuen hym from heauen.

Item.Iohn. vi No man can come to me ex­cepte [Page] the father, which hath sent me, drawe hym. And of suche lyke is the Scripture full.

Therfore is it euen as muche, whē any man boasteth of hys free wyll, that he of hym selfe maye begynne to do any good, before grace, and to obtayne the grace by workes. As yf a man should boaste moche of a Castell that were brent and al destroyed with shutyng of ordinaunce, whereas one­ly were left the place, with brokē walles, where as the towres were fallen downe, and no defence left at all, and yet woulde presume to kepe it perfor­ce. A broken Castell hath yet the olde name, that men saye. There standeth suche a Castell, but it hath not the fyr­ste strenght and power, as it had, whē it was yet standynge, and had strong towres, sure walles, good and broade dyches. Euen so hath oure wyll one­ly the name and tittell, that he is cal­led the free wyll. But he is not in de­de, vntyll the grace do make him free But yf h [...] be so free as they suppose, howe cometh it then to passe, that [Page] Paul was not able to do what he wolde, why dyd he serue the synne,Ro. vij. which notwithstandyng he hated.

Beholde the chosen vessell of God Paule, complayneth that he is in bon­dage vnder the lawe of synne, and the vngodly Sophistes, graunte to a syn­ner that he hath a free wyll. Yf he be so free, as they make hym, why praye we then. Halowed be thy name. Thy wyl be done. Do we that for thys cause, that oure free wyll so muche the better and easyer maye do good, as the abhominable heretikes called Pe­lagians, affirmed. No, truely,Pelagi­ans. yf we praye, then is it a signe, that we haue it not in oure possibilite.

Therfore when we reade, that the olde fathers, defende the free wyl, thā must we vnderstande, that they wyll declare and teache, that the wyl maye receyue freedome, and not that he is free of hymselfe. But he may be tur­ned vnto the good through grace, and become free in dede, where vnto he was shapen, that he maye do the com­maundementes of God, whiche elles [Page] withoute the grace were vnpossyble to kepe, for he can do nothynge of him selfe but synne. But in the grace are they possyble to be kept of hym, as Paule sayth.Phil. iiij The cō ­mande­mentes of God are im­possible to be kept. I can do all thynges tho­rough the help of Christ, which strēg­teth me. Ierome speaketh wel, Accur­seth be he that sayth, that the commaū dementes of God are vnpossyble to vs. They are not hole vnpossyble, for they were elles geuen vnto vs in vayne, but in oure power withoute the grace of God, they are vnpossyble, but vnto God are all thynges possy­ble.

45 Councell.

Mat. vThe Sophistes haue taught for a great season, what Christe Matthei in the fyfte dyd teache, as to loue the enemyes, not to resiste wronge, not to striue before the iudge, neyther to go to lawe, to tourne the other cheke, to loue withoute rewarde, and suche ly­ke. That they are good counseylles, vnto those that wyll be perfect Chri­stians, howe be it, yf any man do it not, that neuerthelesse he is withoute [Page] danger of hys saluation. And that Christ did here onely geue good counsell (that is he hath conseilled it onely) and not commaunded. This is not true. For loke vpon the texte with his circumstaunces, then shalt thou see, & learne, that they be pure commaunde­mentes of God, whiche he requyreth of vs vpon payne of losynge hys grace and assistence. But they are the fal­se Prophetes, of whome God spea­keth in Ezechiel.Eze. xiij They deceaue the people, and tell them of peace, where as there is no peace. They preache and teache, that whosoeuer doth not the a­boue mencioned poyntes, shall not peryshe therfore.

Confessyon.46

There is an Euangelicall Confes­siō,Matth. xviij. as Christ sayth in Mat. yf thy bro­ther trespace agaynst the. Go and tell hym hys faute betwene hym and the alone, yf he heare the, Thou hast wonne thy brother. But yf he heare the not, then take yet with the one [Page] or two, that in the mouthe of two or thre witnesses, all thinges maye be stablyshed. Yf he heare not them, tell it vnto the congregacion. Yf he heare not the congregacion, take hym as an heathen man, and as a publican. That was an open Confession.i, Tim. v Thus sayth S. Paule, Agaynst an elder receyue none accusation, but vnder two or thre witnesses.

At that tyme were the open crymes and blasphemyes hearde and exami­ned, with wetnesses and accusers, vn­till the tyme, that suche as were giltie were knowen and reproued. And this Confessiō, hath ben kepte by the lawe of God, of the twelue Apostles, and of their successours and of this confession muste the fathers be vnderstan­de, as Augustyne, Ambrose, Ierome, Gregory. But the confession whiche is done secretely in the eare, is not grounded in the scripture. I do not re­iecte it, but it greueth me, that it is co­me to suche abomination and compulsion, that men be dryuen and compel­led there to agaynst their wille, & are [Page] betrayed, where by they come in ha­zarde of their lyues. Itē maketh euill entangled desperate consciences.

Merites or Deseruynge.

Deseruinge is a proude worde,47 when a man doth asscribe it vnto hym selfe, and boasteth that he hath done many meritorious workes, O lorde, seynge we can of oure selues thynke no good, why do we boaste oure sel­ues of many deseruynges. What good soeuer we do, that worketh God in vs, he crowneth in vs his owne gyfte, he maketh his owne workes oure deseruynge, Thynke allwayes vn this sayenge in Luke,Luc. xvij When ye haue done all those thinges whiche are cō ­maunded you, saye, we are vnprofita­ble seruauntes, We haue done that whiche was oure duetye to do.

Christe is oure sauiour, and hath done all thinges for oure saluatiō, not for any lucre or deseruinge, but becau­se it was the fathers pleasure. And so shoulde we do also, we shoulde not serue God for any lucre or profite, as the [Page] seruauntes theyr maysters, but free as the chyldren theyr father of free loue, not thinkynge howe greate thyn­ges we deserue, but howe wel we please the good wyll of God.

Deser­uyngeDeseruyng is not to do any good, to thintent, to deserue ought thereby, as the Seducers of soules haue tau­ght hitherto, to the abhominable vn­doynge and destruction of the worl­de, but to deserue or to merite, that is, with a syngle herte, willyngly with­oute respecte of rewarde or deseruin­ge, to obeye the wyll of God, for loue seketh not her owne,i. Co xiij as Paule sayth, But deseruynge and rewarde follo­we and come of them selues, without oure sekynge, oute of the obedience, which I do to the godly wyll.

48 Shepeherdes.

We haue one right, good, true she­peherde, whiche hath geuen hys precious lyfe for vs, that is Iesus Christe. In Iohn sayth he.Iohn. x. I am a good shepe­herde. He is the dore of the shepe, whosoeuer entreth not at thys dore, is a [Page] thefe and a murtherer. He is oure ar­che shepeherde,i. Pet. v Ioh. xxi and the shepe are hys owne, & none of oures, In Iohn sayth Christe to Peter. Fede my shepe. He sayth not thyne. Vvhosoeuer ende­uoureth hym selfe to followe the voy­ce of the shepeherde, thesame shal not be deuoured of the wolfe infernall, but shalbe well and surely preserued.

There be many hyred seruauntes,Phil. ij. but fewe shepeherdes, they seke all theyr owne and not that whiche is Ie­sus Christes, as Paule sayth. The vnder shepeherdes should feede with the worde of God syncerely and purely, But they make additions, and teache vs mannes doctryne, through the whiche the soule doth hungre spiritually. Mannes doctryne bryngeth money, but Goddes doctryne bryngeth persecution. Therfore wyll noman truely take the Gospel in hande.mat. xvi Christ hath geuen vs warnynge of such in Matt. Beware of the Leuen of the Phari­ses and of the Saduces, that is, of mē ­nes traditions.

Thereof reade further, Deut. iiij. [Page] Prouer. xxx Esaye. xxxix. Matth. xv. xxiiij. Marc. vij. Luc. xvij. Gal. i. Col­loss. ij. i. Timot. iiij. Tit. i. And .i. Pe. ij. Yf thou wilt see with what coloure the Scripture doth counterfaite, and paynte the wicked shepeherdes, then reade Ezechiel. xiij. and xxxiiij. Ieremie. xxiij. Esa­ye. iij. Michee. iij, To the Philippians iij.

Conclusyon.

AT the last wyl I admonyshe charitably euerye good Christian, that he wyll beware and take good hede, in thys last perillous tyme, wherein Ante Christe hath also hys predication, & sheweth hys miracles, and that he wil earnestly reade the Byble hym selfe, [Page] with humilitie, and not with presumption, Whereas the spirite of God openeth any thynge vnto hym, let hym be thankefull. And wheras any thyn­ge is to harde for hym, there let hym not iudge rasshely, and put no doub­tes in it but that all thyng is well and good, written by the spirite of God, whiche can not erre. But the faulte is in our selues. Moreouer, one daye teacheth another, what soeuer thou vnderstandest not to daye, thesame bryngeth the daye of to morowe with him. The holy scripture wyl not be reade as other bokes, thou mayest not rasshely, and with vnwassheth handes (as the common Prouerbe soundeth) fall into it, but with a precedent deuoute prayer, and yeldynge of thy selfe, that God may worke in the, and that thou wilt not vnderstonde the Scripture after thyne owne brayne, or brynge an interpretation in the Scripture after thyne owne phantasy, but that thou mayest seke it euen there, and be taught of god in the ryght hygh scoo­le of the holy Ghooste, and gladly en­quyre [Page] of the learned, and learne with­oute arrogancye and curiosite. There must nedes be good experience of the language and the spirite, yf a man wil truely handle with the scripture. For the one helpeth the other.i. co. xiij. Paul wyll, that a man shal here knowe the lan­guage, and prophecye.

Therfore let not hym that is not very expert in languages, be rasshe and presumpteous to iudge in the scripture, how doth it agree, that men hā dell the reliques of Saynctes with so greate reuerence, and honorablenes, & handel so rasshely or vndiscretely the ryght and true reliques, that is the worde of God, whiche the sonne of God hath confirmed and stablysshed by hys holy bloude, and whereby we be all made ryghteous and holy.

Howe be it, thou shalt not therfore be abolished, thinkynge that, to reade, and to knowe the scripture, perteineth onely to prestes.

Mat. viIt is the worde, whereby thy sou­le make lyue, whereby thou arte ma­de [Page] a Christen man. Vve are called all together, to one kyngedom of hea­uen, and inheritaunce of God.

There is one Baptisme,Eph. iiij one wor­de, and one fayth. Vve muste al kno­we, what God requyreth of vs.

Therfore as deare as thy soule, he­alth, and saluation is vnto the, euen so earnestly let the worde of God be committed vnto the. It preuayleth nothynge vnto the, that thou sayest. I wyll continue in my fathers belefe.The be­lefe of oure fo­refa­thers Paraduenture thy father was taught that he shoulde be made righteous by workes, that he should institute many soule masses, buylde Churches, & that then all were well. Yf thou shouldest fynde thy father in hel, thou shouldest fynde an euyll fyndynge. The sun­ne of ryghteousnes Iesus Christe is rysen, the holy Gospell is purely and syncerely preached, he that nowe ope­neth not hys eyes, and shutteth the trueth withoute the dores, shal surely fynde hymselfe deceaued.

Yf Sayncte Paule woulde haue [Page] beleued as hys father, and the great multitude, then shoulde he haue bele­ued, that withoute the bodely circum­sion no man coulde be saued, what ca­se hadde he byn in thou. Yf my father hadde beleued, that whatsoeuer a Byshoppe dyd institute or ordeyne, were the holy Gospel, shoulde I therfore folowe hym in thys errour. Christe my hope and redemption saue me frō so doynge, whiche vouchesafe through the quickenyng spirite to teache vs his scripture hym selfe, that we may vn­derstande the vnspeakeable ryches of hys grace. AMEN.

Vvhosoeuer sayth, I wil beleue as my father hath done before me, and wyl not be instructed and infourmed to heare the Gospell, the same wil not knowe the trueth, and paraduenture Christ wyl not knowe hym also, ther­fore shall he stande to hys owne daunger, vnto hym is the Sunne rysen in vayne, he is blynde and a blocke, or he feareth the trueth of the Gospell, he feareth that he shoulde be fayne to be good. Hys euyl workes are espyed in [Page] in the cleare lighte of the Gospel, whiche he hath couered with mennes tra­ditions. This is then as Christ sayth,Iohn. iij the condemnation, that the lyght is come into the worlde, and the men lo­ued darkenes more then light. Euery man that doth euyl hateth the lyght.

Thou wilt saye vnto me,The Gospel hath bē darke­ned with mennes doctry­ne. The Go­spell hath alwayes ben preached. But I saye naye to it. The texte might wel be tolde vnto the, whiche afterwarde was so darkened with mens gloses, that the Gospell, that is, the glad ty­dynges was made a heauy tydynges vnto the. For they haue onely tau­ght, and preached many instituti­ons, but the conforte in the Scriptu­re was hydden, namely the inenarra­ble treasure of grace purchased vnto vs by Christe. They haue not taught Christe but Antichrist. Thou hast not ben set from thy selfe vnto Christe, that thou mightest haue learned, wherfore Christe is geuen vnto the. Item to knowe the secretes of the Gospel, & what is the right peace and ioye of al hertes and consciences, but we haue [Page] ben brought & leadde frō Christ vpon and into our selues, that we shoulde be iustifyed and saued by the workes of oure free wyl. O Lorde, what misery and calamite haue we ben brought vp in, & in what great vnquietnes. For the conscience can neuer be, in quiete, sure and content, yf she must be iustifyed by workes. She can neuer be sure in what case she standeth with God, as Paule declareth.Ro. iiij. Gal. iij. But thys is vnto a troubled conscience a great conforte when she heareth that man is not iustifyed by workes, but by the fayth in Iesu Christ. Thys is the ryght preachinge of the Gospell.

Rom. iij iiij. Gal. ij Rom. iij iiij. & v Ge. xv.Lyke as oure father Abraham was iustifyed before God, euen so must we be iustifyed also. The scripture calleth hym a father of all beleuers, and saith in the fyrst boke of Moyses, Abraham beleued God, and it was counted vn­to him for ryghteousnes. And so doth Paul dryue it alwayes euery where: we are iustifyed by fayth. Thys shalt thou vnderstond thus for a conclusyō.

Two maner of faithWe haue two maner of beleuyn­ges [Page] or knoweledges of Christe. The one is called an Actual knoweledge. As, when I haue readde and knowe in the scripture, that CHRISTE is GOD and man, Lykewyse as I be­leue, that Aristotell was scoole may­ster to great Alexander, & thys goeth not earnestly to the herte. I beleue it, as an other historye or acte. Suche a knoweledge or colde fayth of Christe doth not iustifye me, for the vngodly beleue this also, and the Deuyls haue thys fayth also, it is a dead fayth with oute workes, as S. Iames sayth.Iaco. ij and it is of none effect. Vvhere as no good workes folowe, there is also no fayth, but onely an Ipocrisie in the herte withoute fayth or confidence towar­des God.The christen fayth But the right Christē liuely fayth is a strong trust & confidence in the promyse of God, as that Christe is geuen for me, that Christ doth wassh awaye my synnes, that Christ quicke­neth me, & this is the ryght Euāgeli­cal fayth, which onely iustifyeth man, Thys is onely that faith, which is coū ted of God for oure righteousnes. I speake [Page] here in comparison betwene faith and workes, Otherwyse knoweth euery man well ynough howe that God, Christe, the spirite, and sacramēt doth iustifie. But the workes seme they or be they neuer so good or holy, yet are they not counted for righteousnes.

But yf faith do grafte and plante vs in Christe our lorde, then are we made righteous and therfore will god also counte vs for righteous.

And so doth Paule sette it furth very goodly to the Galathians,Gal. iij. God hath promised vs iustification, and ly­fe through Christe.The promise is beleued Nowe is a promyse beleued, or onely obtayned through faith, therfore be we also iustifyed onely by faith. Lyke as no man despiseth a mannes testamēt, or addeth any thinge thereto, nor taketh any thinge frō it, euen so maye nothinge be substra­cted from the Testament of God, nei­ther any thinge added therevnto. No­we hath God ordeyned, geuen and appointed lyfe in the Testamente, vnto all beleuers, withoute respecte of any maner of workes, for nought, There [Page] oute foloweth that we are not coun­ted iuste, for any workes sake, but onely thorough faith.Gal. iij. and .iiij. Ro. iiij. Haue in mynde the Epistles to the Galathians, and to the Romaynes, there shalt thou fyn­de, that a Christen man, setteth his cō ­science at rest & quyet, onely by faith. The right hollsome doctrine of the Gospell concernynge the right lyuely faith, is an onely conforte and stablys­shynge of the cōscience, agaynst death, synne, and hell.

I knowe very well that the righte spirituall Euangelicall doctrine, will be at the fyrst somewhat straunge to a man that beginneth to learne it after the scripture of the scolers, and after their carnall doctrine.i. Cor. ij For as Paule saith. The naturall mā perceaueth not the thinges of the spirite of God. For they are vnto hym but foolyshenes, neyther can he perceyue them, because he is spiritually examined. It will not sauoure very well vnto the at the fyr­ste. For thyne vnderstondinge is yet full of Phantasticall Imaginations of mennes dreames. But take thyne [Page] vnderstandynge captiue, to the glo­rye of Christe in faythe, then shal the holy spirite of God declare hym selfe vnto the, and teache the a ryght, suche thynges, as no hygh scoole teacheth. And thys is the cause that nowe a daies slighte and symple persons are founde, whiche through the maistery of the spirite of God, vnderstand and expounde the Scripture better then great Doctours, and breake and plucke downe by the Spirituall ar­mours of oure Cheualrye, all hyghe worldely wysedome, whiche exalteth her selfe agaynste knoweledge of God.

It is a great errour to thynke that the knoweledge of the scripture per­teyneth onely to the prestes, that weare Crounes, longe gownes, and who­se fyngers are anoynted. No my frē ­de, the tyme is nowe at hande, whe­re of Esaye sayth.Esa. iiij. That the science cometh not onely oute of the hye scooles, as hath ben thaught hitherto, but the Christians are taughte of GOD hymselfe, as it is contayned in Saynt [Page] Iohn.

It is not necessary that men rede Aristotell, Plato,Ioh. vi and other bokes of the heathen, for the ryght vnderston­dynge of the scripture, as thus longe they haue borne vs in hande.

The Apostles redde neuer a hea­then mayster, they were also no suche doctours, as nowe a dayes are made in the vniuersities, but simple people. Nowe yf the holy goost could instru­cte them the Euangelical trueth with oute the helpe of the heathen Philo­sophye, Scotistrye,The ho­ly goost teacheth goddes worde and other men­nes bokes, truely then can he also hym selfe open and teache nowe a simple and humble laye man. The ryght vnderstandyng of the godly scriptu­re.

God regardeth hym,Esaye lxvi i. Pet. v that is poore and of a lowly troubled spirite, and receyueth hys godly wordes with re­uerence and standeth in awe thereof, as Esaye writeth.

He resisteth the proude, and ge­ueth grace to the humble. The holy Saint Bernarde learned hys science [Page] throughe hys deuoute prayer vnder the Oken trees.

Aristotell and other heathen, whi­che are taught, do hynder and destroy mannes vnderstondyng so pituously, that a man becometh so muche the more vnapte, to receyue and perceiue the Godly wysedom in the scripture. For mannes wysedome, and the Godly scripture,Esa. lv. do nothynge agree together as Esaye declareth very goodly. All worldly Philosophie for the moost parte hath her beginnynge, owt of man­nes witte and interpretation. For as muche nowe, as the same is carnal, & blynded thorough synne, so is she dar­ke, and errynge, and vnderstandeth of her selfe nothynge but that whiche is carnall, and knoweth nothyng groundely of spirituall thynges, and of GOD.

Therfore when the herte of man is voyde quyte, not hyndered of suche heathen sciences, and mēnes dreames then is it more apte to receiue the godly doctryne and wysedome, then whā it is encombred and entangled, with [Page] suche phantasies, inuented of man, The wysedome of man whereof they boaste hym selues highly, is terrestri­all, carnall, and deuelysshe,Iaco. iij. Colo. ij. as Iames elegantly declareth. And Paule warneth vs for mannes wysedome, sayen­ge. Beware lest any man come, and spoyle you thorough Philosophie and deceatfull vanitie, thorough the tra­dicions of men, and ordinaunces after the worlde, and not after Christ.

The Philosophie and mannes wit­te and exposition, is cleane contrarye to oure fayth, as it is euident and cle­are ynough among the learned, ney­ther can they agree together. Therfo­re let the laye people be of good chere and take no thoughte for it, bycause they haue not studyed in great vniuersities, but with humilite, and pure herte and hygh reuerence, reade the costely treasure of holy scripture, both Testamentes, and praye vnto Christe for the ryght vnderstandyng, which hath the kepe of Dauid.Apo. iij The knoweledge of the Scripture, is a littel deuyed vnto the, as vnto the moost excellent do­ctour [Page] of all.Omelia vpon Iohn. Euen so taught the holy Chrisostome his people also at Con­stantinoble.

The Pharisees despised the com­mon people, & thought also that they shoulde knowe the trueth alone, and sayde,Ioh. vij. The common people, whiche knowe not the lawe are cursed. Euen so saye they nowe lykewyse, Howe shoulde haue taught it vnto the plo­wemen, as though all science did come from the hye scoles. But I aske them this question, My maisters, I pray you howe taught the common symple people that they helde more of Chri­ste, then the chiefe priestes & scribes.

It is euident, that the common peo­ple had alwayes a righter iud­gement, & better knoweled­ge of Christe then the chiefe lordes at Ie­rusalē as Chri­sostome writteth.

FINIS.
Psalm. lxviij.

❧Let God aryse, and let hys ene­myes be scattered, let them also that hate hym flye before hym.

❧Imprinted for Gwalter Lynne, dwellyng vpon So­mers kaye, by Byllinges gate. In the yeare of oure Lorde. M.D.XLVIII. And they by to be solde at Poules churche yarde at the North doore, In the signe of the By­bell. By Richard Iugge.

❧ Cum Gratia et Priui­legio ad imprimen­dum solum.

☞ Seke peace & ensueit. Psalm. xxxiij. i. Petr. iij.
[printer's device of Walter Lynne]

Psalm. C. xi. Prouerb. ix.

¶The feare of the Lorde is the be­gynnynge of wysedome.

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