THere was a certain rich mā, whyche had a stew­ard that was acused vn to hym that he had wa­sted his goodes. And he called hym and sayd vn­to hym. Howe is it that I heare this of the? Geue accomptes of thy stewardshyp. For thou mayst bee no longer my steward. The steward said w^t in himselfe: what shal I doo? for my ma­ster wil take away from me my steward­shyp. I cannot dygge, and to begge I am ashamed. I wot what to do, that whan I am put out of my stewardshyp, thei may receyue me into their houses.

¶ Thē called he al his masters detters and said vnto the fyrst, how much owest thou vnto my master? And he said, an. C. tonnes of oyle, And he sayde vnto hym, take thy byl, and syt downe quickly, and wryte. l. Then sayd he to another, what owest y^u? And he saied, an. C. quarters of wheat. He sayd vnto hym. Take thy byl and write. lxxx. And the Lord commended the vniust steward, because he had doone wysely. For the chyldren of thys worlde, are in theyr kynd wiser then the chyldren of lyght. And I say also vnto you, make you fryndes of the wycked Mammon, [Page] that whan ye shall haue neede, they maye receyue you into euerlastyng habitatiōs.

FOr asmuche as with this and di­uers such other textes, many haue enforced to drawe the people from the true fayth and from puttynge theyr trust in the truthe of Gods promy­ses and in the merites and deseruynge of his Chryst our Lord, & haue also brought it to passe, for many false prophetes shall aryse and deceyue many, and much wyc­kednes must also be, sayth Christ. Mat. xxiiii. And Paul sayth. Ti. iii. Fuyl men & deceiuers shal preuaile in euil while thei deceiue & are deceiued them selues, & haue taught thē to put trust in their own me­rites, and brought thē in belefe that they shalbe iustified in the sighte of God by the goodnes of theyr owne workes and haue corrupt the pure worde of God to confyrme theyr Aristotle w^tal. For thou­ghe that the phylosophers and worldlye wyse men wer enimyes aboue al enemy­es to the Gospel of God, and though the worldly wysedome cannot comprehende the wysedome of God, as thou mayst se i. Corin. i. &. ii. And though worldly rygh­tuousnes cannot bee obediente vnto theThey geue mo re fayth to A­ristotle then to Christ. ryghtuousnes of God: Ro. x. Yet what­soeuer they read in Aristo, that must fyrst be true. And to mayntayn that, they rent [Page] and teare the scriptures with theyr distin ctions and expound them violently, con­trary to the meanyng of the texte, and to the circumstances that go before and af­ter, and to a thousand clere and euidente textes. Wherfore, I haue taken in hand to expound this Gospel and certayne o­ter places of the newe testament and (as farfurth as God shall lende me grace) to bryng the scripture vnto the ryght sence, and to dygge agayne the wels of Abrahā and to purdge and clēse them of the erth of worldly wysedome, wherwyth these Philistians haue stopped them. Whyche grace graūt me God, for the loue that he hath vnto his sonne Jesus our Lord, vn to the glory of his name.

Amen.

THat fayth only before alworkes and without al merites but Chri stes onely, iustifieth, and sette [...]h vs at peace with God: is proued by Paule. Roman. i. I am not a shamed (sayth he) of the Gospel, that is to say, of the glad tydynges and promyses whyche God hath made & sworne to vs in Christ For it (that is the Gospell) is the power of God vnto saluation, to al that beleue. And it foloweth in the forsayd Chapter the iust or ryghtous must lyue by fayth.

¶ For in the fayth whiche we haue inThe lawe is death, and the promyses lyfe Chryst and in Gods promyses fynde we mercy, lyfe, fauoure, & peace. In the law [Page] we fynde deathe, damnation, and wrath▪ moreouer, the cursse and vengeaunce of God vpon vs. And it (that is to saye the law) is called of Paule. ii. Cor. iii. the mi­nistration of death and dampnation. In the lawe we are proued the enemyes of God, and that we hate hym. For how cā The law whā it is preached geueth no po­wer to fulfyll the same. we be at peace wyth God, and loue hym, seyng we are conceiued and borne vnder the power of the Deuyl and are his po­ssessyon and kyngdome, his captiues and bondmen, and led at his wyll, and he hol­deth oure her [...]es, so that it is impossible for vs to cōsent to the wyl of God, much more is it impossible for a man to fulfyll the law, of his owne strength and power seyng that we are by byrth and of nature the heyres of eternal damnation. As saith s. Paule Ephe ii. We (saythe he) are by nature the chyldren of wrathe. Whyche thyng the lawe doth but vtter onely and helpeth vs not, yea, she requireth impossi ble thynges of vs The law when it com maundeth that thou shalt not lust geueth the not power so to do, but damneth the, because thou canst not so do.

IF thou wylt therfore bee at peace wyth God & loue hym, thou muste turne to the promyses of God and to the Gospel, whiche is called of Paule in the place before rehersed and to [Page] the Corin. the ministration of rightuous nes and of the spirit. For fayth bryngeth pardon and forgeuenes freely purchased by Christes bloude and bringeth also the spiryte, the spyrite loseth the bondes of the deuyll and setteth vs at lybertye. For where the spirit of the Lorde is ther is ly­bertye sayeth Paule in the same place to the Corinthians, that is to saye, ther the herte is free and hath power to loue the wyll of God, and ther the hert mourneth that he cā not loue ynough. Now is that consēt of the hert vnto the lawe of GodThe consen­tynge vnto the lawe with the hert is eternal lyfe. eternal lyfe, yee though ther be no power yet in the membres to fulfyll it. Let euery man therfore (accordyng to Pauls coun­cel in the. vi Cha. to the Ephe. arme hym­selfe wyth the armour of God, that is to vnderstāde, with Goddes promyses, and aboue al thyng (sayeth he) take vnto you the shylde of fayth, wherwith ye maye be able to quenche all the fyry dartes of the wicked, that ye maye be able to resiste in the euell daye of temptacyon, and namely at the houre of death.

Se therfore thou haue Goddes promy ses in thyn hert and that thou beleue thē without wauerynge: & when temptacyon aryseth, & the deuel layth the law and thy dedes agaynst the, answer hym with the promyses and turne to God and confesse [Page] thy selfe to hym and saye it is euen so, or els howe coulde he be mercyfull? but re­membre that he is the God of mercy and of trueth and can not but fulfyl his pro­myses. Also remembre that his sonnes bloude is stronger then al the synnes and wyckednesses of the whole worlde and therwyth quyet thy selfe, and ther vnto commyt 'thy selfe, and blesse thy selfe in all temptacyon (namely at the houre of death) with that holy candel Or els peri­shest thou though thou hast a thousande holy candels about the, a hundred tonne of holy water, a shipfull of pardons, a­clothsacke ful of freers coates and al the ceremonies in the world, and all the good workes deseruinges, and merytes of all men in the world be they or were they ne uer so holy. Goddes worde onely lasteth for euer and that whiche he hath sworne doth abyde, when all other thynges pe­ryshe. So longe as thou findest any con sent in thyne hert vnto y^e lawe of God y^t it is righteous and good, and also disple sure that thou canst not fulfyl it, dispayr not, nether dout, but that Gods sprite is in the, & that thou art chosē for Christes sake, to the enheritaunce of eternall lyfe.

And agayne, Ro. iii. We suppose that a manne is iustified thorow fayth with­out the dedes of the lawe. And lykewyse Ro. iii. We saye that faith was rekened [Page] to Abraham for righteousnes. Item Ro. v. Seyng that wee are iustified thorow fayth, wee are at one with God. Itē Ro. x. With the herte doth a man beleue to be made ryghteous. Item Gal. iii. Receyued ye the spirit by the dedes of the lawe, or by hearyng of the fayth? He whiche mi­nistreth the spirit vnto you and workeh miracles amonge you doeth he it by the deades of the Lawe or by hearynge of faythe? Euen as Abraham beleued God and it was tekened to him for ryghteous nes. Understāde therfore (sayeth he) that the chyldren of Abrahā. For the scripture sawe before, that God woulde iustifi the heythen or gentyls by fayth, and shewed before glad tydynges vnto Abraham, in thy sede shal al nacious be blessed. Wher fore they which are of fayth shalbe bles­sed, that is to saye made ryghteous with the righteous Abraham. For as many as are of the dedes of the law are vnder the curse For it is written (sayth he) curssed is euerye man that contynueth not in all thynges whiche are written in the boke of the lawe to fulfil them.

Item Gal. ii. where he resisteth Peter in the face he sayeth. We whiche are Ie­wes by nacion and not synners of the gentyls, knowe that a man is not iusti­fied by the dedes of the lawe, but by the fayth of Iesus. Christ and haue therfore [Page] beleued on Iesus Christe, that we myght be iustfied by the faith of Christ, and not by the dedes of the lawe: for by the dedes of the lawe shall no fleshe be iustified. I­tem in y^e same place he sayth Toutchyng that Inow lyue, I leue in y^e fayth of the sonne of God, whiche loued me and gaue hym [...]elfe for me I despyse not the grace of God. For yf ryghteousnes com by the lawe, then is Christe dead in vayne. And of such lyke ensamples are al the epistles of Paul full. Marke how Paule labou­reth with hym selfe to expresse the excea­dyng mysteryes of fayth in the epistle to the Ephesians, and in the Gpistle to the Collossians. By this and many such like textes are we sure that the forgeuenes of sinnes and iustifienge is appropriate vn­to faith onely with out the adding of the workes. Take for the also the lykenes that Christ maketh Mat. vii. A good tree bringeth forth good fruite. And a bad tre bringeth forth bad fruit. Ther seyst thou that y^e fruite maketh not the tre good, but the tre the fruit, and that the tree must a­fore hande bee good or be made good: e [...] it can bryng forth good fruite. As he also sayeth. Mat. xii. ether make the tree good and his fruyte good also, et her make the tree bad and his fruit bad also. How can ye speake well whyle ye youre selues are euill? So lykewyse is this true and no­thinge [Page] more true, that a man before all good workes must fyrst be good, and that it is impossible that workes should make hym good, yf he were not good before, e [...] he dyd good workes. For this is Christes prynciple and (as we saye) a general rule.

Howe can ye speake well, whyle ye are euel? So lykewise howe can ye do good, whyle ye are euel?

Thys is therfore a playne, and a sure couclusion not to be dowted of, that therA manne must haue sōe good nes in his hert before be bring furth good workes must be firste in the hert of a man before he doeth any good workes greater and a preciouser thinge then all the good wor­kes in the world to reconcyle him to God to brynge the loue and fauour of God, to hym, to make hym loue God agayne to mak him righteous and good in the sight of God, to do awaye hys synne, to dely­uer hym and loose hym, out of that cap­tiuite wherein he was conce [...]ued & borne, in whiche he coulde nether loue God nor the wil of God. Or else how can he work any good work that shoulde please God, if there wer not some supernatural good nes in hym geuen of God frely wherof the good worke must sprynge? euen as a syck man muste fyrste be healed or made whole, e [...] he can do the dedes of an whole man, and as the blynde man muste fyrste haue sighte geuen hym er he can se: and he that hath his fete in fetters, giues, or [Page] stockes muste first be loused or he can go, walke or runne, and euen as they whiche thou readest of in the Gospell, that were possessed of the deuyls, coulde not laude God tyll the deuyls were caste out.

That precious thynge whiche must be in the herte er a man cā worke any good worke is the worde of God which in the Gospel precheth, profereth, and bringeth vnto all them that repent and beleue, the fauoure of God in Christ. Whosoeuer heareth the word & beleueth it, that same is therby righteous, and therby is geuen hym the spirite of God, whyche leadeth hym vnto all that is the will of God, and is loused from the captiuite and bondage of the deucll, and his herte is fre to loue God, and hath lust to do the wyl of God. Therfore it is called the word of lyfe, the worde of grace, the worde of health, the word of redēpcion the word of forgeue­nes, and the worde of peace. He that hea­reth it not or beleueth it not, can by no­meanes be made ryghteous before God.

This confirmth S. Peter in the xv. chapter of the actes, sayng that God tho row fayth doth purifie the hertes For of what nature soeuer the word of God is, of the same nature muste the hertes be whiche beleue theron and cleue ther vnto.

Now is the worde lyuynge, pure, rygh­teous and true, and euen so maketh it the [Page] hertes of them that beleue theron. If it be sayde that Paule (when he saith Roma. the. iii. No fleshe shall be or can be iusti­fied by the dedes of the lawe) meaneth it of the ceremonies or sacrifices, it is a lye verelye. For it foloweth immediatly, by the lawe commeth the knowleg of sinne.

Now are they not the ceremonies that vtter synne, but the law of commaunde­mentes.The lawe vt­tereth sinne, & setteh vs at de bate. In the. iiii (he sayth) the law cau­seth wrath whiche can not be vnderstāde of the ceremonies for they were geuen to reconcyle the people to God agayne after they had synned. If as they say the cere­monies which were geuen to purge sinne and to reconcile, iustifie not, nether blesse but temporallye only, much more the law of cammaundementes iustifieth not. For that whiche proueth a man sike healeth hym not, nether doth the cause of wrath bryng hym to fauour, nether cā y^t which damneth, saue a man When the mother cōmaundith hyr chylde, but euen to rocke the cradell, it grudgeth: this commaunde­ment doth but vtter the poyson that laye hyd, and setteth hym at debat wyth hys mother and maketh him beleue she loueth hym not. These commaundementes also (thou shalte not couet thy neyghboures house, thou shalt not lust, desier, or wishe after th [...] neybours wyfe seruaūt, mayde, oxe or asse, or what soeuer pertayneth vn to thy neyghboure) geue not me power [Page] so to do, but vtter that poyson that is in me and dampne me, because I can not so do, & proue that God is wrath wyth me, seynge that his wyll and myne are so cō ­trary. Therfore sayth Paul Gala iii. If ther had ben geuen suche a law that could haue geuen lyfe, thē no doubte ryghteous nes had come by the lawe: but the scryp­ture dyd conclude all vnder synne (sayth he) that the promyse myght be geuē vnto them that beleue thorow the faith that is in Iesus Christe.

The promyses when they are beleued,The promises iustifie. are they that iustyfie, for they brynge the spirite which louseth the hert, geueth lust to the law and certyfieth vs of that good wyll of God vnto vs ward. If wee sub­mytte oure selues vnto God and desyre hym to heale vs, he wyl do it, and wyll in the meane tyme (because of the consente of the herte vnto the lawe) count vs for full whole and wyll nomore hate vs, but pytie vs, cherish vs, be tender herted to vs, and loue vs as he doth Christe hym selfe, Christe is oure redemer, sauioure, peace, attonement, and satisfaction, and hath made amēdes or satisfactiō, to God ward for all the synne whyche they that repent (consentinge to the lawe and fele­lynge the promyses) doe, haue done, [...]r shall do. So that if th [...]rowe frag [...]e we fall a thousand▪ tymes in a daye, yet if [Page] we do repēt agayn, we haue al waye mer cy layed vp for vs in stoare in Iesus Christe oure Lorde.

WHat shal we say then to those criptures whyche go so fore vpon good workes? As wee rede Math, xxv. I was as hū gred and ye gaue me meat. &c.

And suche lyke. Whyche all sounde as though we shoulde be iustified and accep ted vnto the fauoure of God in Christe thorowe good workes. Thys wyse ans­were I. Many ther are whych when they heare or rede of fayth, at once they cōsēt ther vnto and haue a certayne ymagina­cion or opinion of the faith, as when a­man telleth a storye or a thynge done in a straūge lande, that pertayneth not to thē at all. Whiche yet they beleue and tell as a true thinge. And thys ymaginacyon or opinion they call fayth. They thinke no farther then that fayth is a thyng which standeth in their owne power to haue, as do other naturall workes, whyche men worke: but they fele no maner workynge of that spirit, neyther the terrible sentēce of the lawe, the fearfull iudgementes of God, the horrible damnacion and capti­uite vnder Satan. Therfore as sone as they haue this opinion or imaginacion in their hertes: that sayth: verely thys doc­tryne semeth true, I beleue it is euen so.

[Page]Then they thynke that the right fayth is ther. But afterwarde when they fele in them selues, and also se in other that ther is none alteracion, and that the wor­kes folowe not but that they are altoge­ther euen as before, and abide in thir olde estate: then thynke they that fayth is not sufficient, but that it muste be some grea­ter thyng, then fayth that shoulde iustifie a man. So fall they away from fayth a­gaine, and crye sainge faith only iustify­eth not a man, and maketh hym accepta­ble to God. If thou aske them wherfore Thei answere, se how many ther ar that beleue and yet do nomore then they dyd befor. These ar they which Iudas in his epystle caleth dreamers which deceiue thē selfes with their own fātasies For what other thinge is their imaginacion whiche thei cal faith, then a dreamyng of y^e faith and an opiniō of their owne imaginacion wrought wout the grace of God? These must nedes be worse at the later ende thē Olde vesselle [...] that [...] is put [...] Mat [...] at the beginning. These ar y^e old vessels, y^t rente when newe wyne is powred into them, that is, they heare Gods worde but hold it not, and therfor waxe worse then they wer before. But the right faith sprin geth not of mās fātasy, nother is it in any mans power to obtayne it, but is altoge­ther the pure gift of god poured in to vs fr [...]lye with out all maner doynge of vs▪ [Page] without deseruinge and merites, yee and without seekinge for of vs. And it is (as Paule saith. ii. Eph.) euen gods gift and grace purchased thorow Christ Thet for is it mighty in operation, full of vertue and euer workynge, whiche also renueth a man and begetteth him agayn, altereth hym, altogether in to a newe nature and conuersaciō so that a man feleth his hert altogether altered and chaunged and fare otherwyse desposed thē before, and hath power to loue that which before he could not but hate, and delyteth in that whiche before he coulde not loue. And it setteth the soule at libertie, and maketh hyr free to folowe the will of God, and is to the soule euen-as healthe is vnto the bodye, of a man that is pyned and waysted a­waye with a longe sokinge disease. The legges can not beare hym, he can not lyft vp his handes to helpe hymself, his tayst is corrupt, suger is bitter in his mouth, his stomake abhoreth, longinge after sib­bersruse at the whyche a whole stomake is ready to cast hys gorge. When health commeth, she chaungeth and altereth him cleane, geueth him strength in all his mem bers and luste to do of hys owne accorde that whiche before the coulde not do, ne­ther could not sustre that any man exhor­ted him to do, and hath now lust in whol som thynges, and his mēbres are fre and [Page] at libertye, and haue power to do of their owne accorde all thinges whiche belonge to an whole man to do, whiche afore th [...] had no power to do, but were in captiui­tie and bondage. So lykewise in al thing doth right fayth to the soule.

The sprite of God a cōpanieth faith, and bringeth with her lyght, where with a man be holdeth hym felfe in the law of God, and seyth hys myserable hondage and captiuitie, and humbleth hymselfe, and abhorreth himself: she bringeth gods promyses of all good thynges in Christe, God worketh with his worde, and in his worde, And whan his word is preached, fayth worketh her selfe in y^e hertes of the electe: and as fayth entreth and the word of God is beleued, the power of God lo­seth the hert from the captiuitie and bon dage vnder synne, and knitte [...]h and coup leth him to God and to the wyll of God, altereth hym aud chaungeth hym cleane, fassioneth and forgeth him a n [...]w, geueth hym power to loue and to do that which before was vnpossyble for hym ether to loue or do, and turnneth hym in to a new nature: so that he loueth that whiche he before hated, and hateth that whyche he before loued, and is cleane altered and chaunged and contrary disposed, and is knyt and coupled fast to Gods wyll, and naturally bringeth furth good workes, [Page] that is to saye, that which God commaū deth to do and not▪ thynges of his owne ymagination. And y^t doth he of his owne accorde as a tre bryngeth forth frute of hyr accorde. And as thou neadest not to byd a tre to hrynge forth frute, so is ther no lawe put vnto hym that beleueth and is iustified thorow faith, (as saith Paul in the fyrste epistle to Timothe the fyrste Chapter.) Neither is it nedfull. For the lawe of God is writen and grauen in his herte, and his pleasure is therin. And as without cōmaundemēt and of his owne nature, he eateth, drynketh, setteth, hea­reth, talketh, and goethe: euen so of his owne nature, with out coaccion or com pulsiō of y^e lawe, bryngeth he forth good workes. And as an whole man when he is a thurste, taryeth but for drinke, and whan he hungreth abydeh but for meate, and then drinketh and eateth naturally: euen so is the faythfull euer a thrust and an hongred after the wyll of God, and tarieth but for occasion. And whan soe­uer an occasion is geuen, he worketh na turally the wyl of God. For this blessing is geuē to all them that trust in Christes bloude, that they thyrst and honger to do Gods wyll He that hath not this fayth, is but an vnprofytable babler of fayeth and workes, and woteth nether what he bableth, nor what he meaneth or where [Page] vnto his wordes pertayne. For be seleth not the power of faith nor the workynge of the spirite in his herte, but interpreteth the scriptures which speake of faith and workes, after hys owne blynde [...]a [...]one and folish [...]āta [...]ies and not of any feling that he hath in his herte: as a man r [...]h [...]r­seth a tale of an other mans mouth and woteth not▪ whether it bee so or not as he saith, nor hath any experiēce of y^e thynge it selfe. Now doth the scrip ure asscribe both faith and workes not to vs, but to God only, to whome they belonge only, and to whom they are appropriat, who [...]e gyfte they are and the proper wor [...]ke of hys spirite. Is it not a fr [...]war [...] and peruerse blyndnes? thei teath how a man can do nothynge of hys owne selfe, & yet presumptuously take vpon them the gre atest & hyest worke of God, euen to make fayth in thē selues of their owne power and of their own false imagina [...]y on and thoughtes. Therfore I say, we must [...]is­payre of oure selfes, and praye God (as Christes Apostels dyd) do geue vs fayth, and to encrease our fayth. Whē we haue that, wee nede none other thynge more.

For she bryngeth the spirite with her, and he, not only teacheth vs all thynges, but worketh thē also myghtily in vs and carieth vs thorow aduer [...]ite, perse cutiō, death and hel, vnto heauen & euer lastyng lyfe.

MArke diligentlie therfore seynge wee are come to answere. The scripture because of suche drea­mes and fayned faythes sake, vseth such maner of speakinges of wor­kes, not y^t a man shoulde ther by be made good to God warde or iustified, but to de clare vnto other, and to take of other the difference betwene falce fained faith and ryght faith: for where ryght faith is ther bryngeth she forth good workes, yf there folowe not good workes, it is no doubte but a dreame and an opinion or fayned fayth. Wher for loke as A fruite maketh not the tre good, but declareth and testifi eth outwardly that the tre is good (as Christe sayeth / euery tre is knowen by his fruite: euen so shal ye knowe the right faith by hyr fruite.

Take for an ensample Mary that an­noynted Christes fete, Luke. vii. When Symon whiche bad Christe to his house had condempned hir, Christ defended hyr and iustified hyr saynge: Symon I haue a certayne thynge to say vnto the▪ And he said master sa [...]e on. There was a certaine lender whyche hade two detters, the one ought fyue hundreth pens, and the other fi [...]ftye. When they had nothinge to paye he for gaue both. Which of them tel me, wyll loue him moost? Simon answered and saide: I suppose that he to whom he [Page] forgaue moost. And he to hym, thou haste iudged truly. And he turned hym to the woman, and sayde vnto Symon Seest thou thys woman? I entred in to thyne house and thou gauest me no water to mi fete, but she hath washed my fete with teres, and wyped them wyth the heares of hir head Thou gauest me no kysse, but sence the tyme I came in hath not shee reasted to kysse my fete, Thou haste not anoynted my heade with oyle.

But she hath annoynted my fete with costlye and preciouse oyntement. Wher­fore I saye vnto the, many synnes are forgeuen her for she loued much. To whō lesse is forgeuen, the same doth loue lesse and here by se we that deades and wor­kes are but outwarde sygnes of the in­warde grace of the bounteous and plen­teous mercy of God frely receyued, with out all merytes or dedes, yea and before all dedes. Christ teacheth to knowe the in warde fayth and loue, by the outwarde dedes. Dedes are the fruites of loue, and loue is the fruit of fayth. Loue & also the dedes are greate or smal accordinge to the proporciō of fayth. Wher faith is migh­ty and stronge, ther is loue feruent and dedes plenteous, & done with exceadynge mekenes: Where fayth is weake, ther is loue clode and the dedes few and faydeth as flores and blossomes in wynter. Sy­mon [Page] beleued and had fayth, yet but weak ly, and accordynge to the proporcyon of hys fayth loued coldly, and hadde dedes therafter he bade Christe vnto asimple and abare feaste only, and receyued hym not with any greate humanite. But Ma­ry had a strong fayth, and therfore burn ning loue, and notable dedes done with exceadinge profounde and depe mekenes. On the one syde she sawe herselfe cleare­ly in the lawe, both in what daunger she was, and hyr cruell bondage vnder synne hyr horryble dampnacion and also the fearfull sentence and iudgement of God vpon synners. ¶ On the other syde she hearde the Gospell of Christe preached, and in the promises she sawe with Egles eyes the exceadinge abundaunt mercy of God, that paseth all vtteraūce of speach, whiche is set forth in Christ for all meke synners. Which knowlege theyr synnes And she beleued the worde of God mygh­teli and glorifed God ouer his mercy and trueth, and beinge ouercome & ouer whel­med with the vnspeakable, yea and incō ­prehensyble abundaūt ryches of the kind nes of God, dyd enflame and burne in loue, yea was so swollen in loue, that she coulde not abyde nor holde, but muste breake out, and was so dronken in loue that she regarded nothinge, but euē to vt­ter the feruent and burnynge loue of hyr [Page] herte onelye. She hade no respecte to hyr selfe, thoughe she was neuer so greate and notable a synner, neither to the cury­ouse bypocrisie of the pharisies which e­uer dysdayne weake synners, nether to the costlynes of hyr oyntment but with all humbelnes dyd runne vnto hys fete. Washed theym wyth the teares of hyr eyes, and wiped them with the heares of her head, and anoynted them with precy­ous oyntement, yea and would no doubt haue runne in to the grounde vnder hys fete to haue vttered hyr loue toward him yea woulde haue descended downe in to hell, yf it had bene possible. E [...] as Daul in the nyenth chapter of his epistle to the Romayns was dronke in loue and ouer whelmed and with the plentuousnes of the infinite mercye of God (whiche he had receyued in Christ vnsought for) wi shed hymselfe banished from Christe and dampned, to saue the Iewes, yf it myght haue [...]en. For as a mā feleth God in him selfe, so is he to hys neghbour.

Marke an other thinge also. We for the moost part because of oure grossenes in all oure knowledge procede from that which is last and hi [...]ost vnto y^t whiche is fyrst, begynnynge at the later ende, dis­putynge and makynge oure argumentes backwarde. We begynne at the effecte and worke and procede vnto the naturall [Page] cause. As because of an ēsample we fyrst se the mone darke, and then searche the cause, and fynde that the puttyng of the earth betwene the sonne and the mone is the naturall cause of the darkenes and that the earth stoppeth the lyght. Then dispute we backwarde sayenge the mone is darkened, therfore is the earth directly betwene the sonne and the mone. Nowe yet is not the darkenes of the mone the naturall cause that the earth is betwene the sonne and the mōe, but the effect ther of and cause declarynge and leadyng vs vnto the knowlege, howe that the earth is betwene the sonne and the mone direct lye and causeth the darknes, stoppynge the light of the sōne from the mone. And contrarye wise the beyng of the earth di­rectly betwene the sonne and the mone is the naturall cause of the darkenes. Lyke­wyse, he hath a sonne therfore is he a fa­ther, and yet the sonne is not cause of the father, but contrarye wyse.

Not withstādynge the sonne is the cause declaratyue where by we knowe that the other is a father. After the same maner here, many synnes are forgeuen her,▪ for she loued much, thou mayste not vnder­stande by the worde for, that loue is the natural cause of y^e forgeuyng of synnes, but declareth it onely, and contrary wyse the forgeuenes of synnes is the naturall [Page] cause of loue. The workes declare loue.

And loue declareth that ther is some be nefyte and kyndnes shewed▪ or els would there be no loue. Why worketh one, and an other not? Or one more then another? Because that one loueth and y^e other not or that the one loueth more thē the other, Why loueth one and another not, or one more then another? Because that one fe­leth the exccadynge kyndnes of God in his herte and another no [...], or that one fe­leth it more then another. Scripture spea keth after the moost grossest maner. Be diligente therfore that thou be not decey­ued with curiousnes. For men of no smal reputacion haue ben deceyued with thier owne sophistrye.

HEreby seist thou, y^t ther is greate differēce betwene beinge rightu­ous, and good in declarynge and vtterynge a mans owne ryghtu­ousnesThe office of fayth▪ and goodnesse. The fayth onelye maketh a man safe, good, rightuous and the frēde of god, yea & heir of al his good­nes and possesseth vs wyth the spirite of god. The worke declareth the same faith and goodnes. Nowe vseth the scriptureThe office of workes. the commune maner of speakinge, and the very same that is amonge the people. As whan a father sayeth to his chyld, go and be louynge, mercyfull, and good to such or such a poore man, he byddeth him [Page] not, ther with to be made mercyful, kynd and good: but to testifye and declare the goodnes that is in hym already with the outwarde dede: that it maye breake out to the profete of other, & that other maye fele it whiche haue nede therof.

After the same maner shalt thou enter­prete the scryptures whiche make menci­on of workes: that God therby wyll that we shewe forth the goodnes whyche wee haue receyued by fayth, and let it breake forth and come to the profet of other that the false fayth maye be knowen and we­ded out by the rotes. For God geueth no man hys grace, that he shoulde let it lyeThe talent. Math. xxv. styll and do no good withall: but that he shoulde encreace it and multiplye it with lendynge it to other, and with openly de­claryng of it with the outwarde workes, prouoke & draw other to God, As Christ saieth in Mathew the fift chapter. Let youre lyght so shyne in the syght of men that they maye se your good workes, and glorifye youre father whiche is in heauē.

Or els were it as a treasure dygged in the ground and hid wysdōe, in the which is no profete. Moreouer therwith the goodnes grace, fauoure, & gyftes of God whiche a [...] in the, not only shalbe knowen vnto other, but also vnto thin owne selfe and thou shallt besure that thy fayth is ryghte, and that the true spirite of God [Page] is in the, and that thou art called and cho sen of God vnto eternall lyfe, and loosed from the bondage of Sathan whose pre­soner thou waste. Peter exhorteth in the fyrst of his seconde epistle, thorowe good workes to make oure callynge and electi­on (where with we are called and chosen of God) sure. For how darre a man pre­sume to thynke, that his fayth is ryghte, and that goddes fauoure is on hym, and that Goddes spirite is in hym, when he fealeth not the working of the spirite, ne [...] ther hym selfe desposed to anye Godlye thynge? Thou canst neuer knowe or be sure of thy fayth, but by workes whiche workes must also come of pure loue with out lokynge after any maner rewarde thou mayste be sure that thy fayth is but a dreāe and not ryght, and euen the same that Iames calleth in his epistell the secō chapter dead fayth and not iustifyenge.

Abraham thorowe workes Genesis. xxii. was sure of his faith to be right, and that the true feare of God was in hym▪ whē he had offered hys sōne (as the scrip ture sayeth) Now knowe I that thou fearest God, that is to saye▪ Now is it opē and manifest that thou feareste God in as muche as thou haste not spared thy onlye sonne for my sake.

So now by this abyde sure and fast that a man inwardly in the herte and before [Page] god is rightuous and good thorow faith only before all workes. Notwithstāding yet outwardly and openly before the peo ple yea & before him selfe, is he rightuous thorowe the worke that is, he knoweth and is sure thorowe the outwarde worke that he is a true beleuer and in the fa­uoure of God and ryghtuous and good thorow the mercy of God▪ that thou may est call the one an open and an outwarde rightuousnes, and the other an inwarde rightuousnes of y^e hert (so yet) that thou vnder stande by the outwarde rightuous nes, none other thinge saue the fruit that foloweth as a declaringe of that inwarde iustifiyng and ryghtuousnes of the hert, and not that it maketh a man rightuous before God, but that he muste fyrste be rightuous before hym in the herte. Euen as thou mayste call the fruite of the tre, which foloweth and vttereth the inward naturall goodnes of the tre.

Thus meaneth Iames in his Epystle where he sayth, fayth without workes is dead that is, yf workes folow not, it is a sure and an euidente sygne, that ther is no fayth in the hert but a dead ymagina­cion and dreāe which they falsly cal faith.

Of the same wyse is thys sayinge of Christe to bee vnderstande. Make you frendes of the vnryghtuous Mammon, that is shewe youre fayth openly & what [Page] ye are within the herte with outwarde geuynge and bestowynge youre goodes on y^e poore, that ye may obtayne frendes, that is, that y^e poore on whom thou haste shewed mercy may at y^e daye of iudgmēt testifie and witnesse of thy good workes.

That thy fayth and what thou waste within in the herte before God maye ther appeare by thy fruits openly vnto al mē For vnto the ryghte beleueynge shall all thynges be confortable and vnto conso­lacion at that terryble daye. And contra­ry wyse vnto the vnbeleuynge, al thynge shallbe vnto desperacion, and confusion, and euery man shalbe iudged openly and outwardely in the presence of all men, ac­cordynge to ther dedes and workes. So that not without a cause thou mayeste call them thy frendes, whyche testifie atWhy he called them frendes▪ that daye of the, that thou louedest as a true and a ryght christen man and folo­wedest the steppes of Christ in shewynge mercy, as no doute he doth whiche feleth God mercyfull in his herte. And by the workes is the faith knoweth, that it was ryght and perfecte. For the outwarde workes can neuer please God nor make frende, excepte they springe of fayth. For as muche as Christe hym selfe Matthew in the. vi. and. vii. Chapter dysaloweth and casteth awaye the workes of the pha rises: yea prophesyenge and workynge of [Page] miracles & castynge out of deuels, whiche we counte and esteme for very excellente vertues. Yet make they no frendes wyth their workes, while their hertes are false and vnpure and theyr eye double. Now without fayth is no herte true or eye sin­gel: so that wee are conpelled to confesse that the workes make not a man ryghte­ous or good but that the herte muste fyrst be ryghteous and good before any good worke procede thence.

SEcondarely all good workes muste be done freli with a single eye, withGood workes muste be done frely. out respecte of any thyng, and that no profyte be sought therby.

That commaundeth Christe where he sayeth Math. x. frely haue ye receyued, frely geue agayne. For loke as Christe with al his workes dyd not serue heauē, for that was hys all redy, but dyd vs ser­uyce therwith, & nether loked nor sought his owne profyte, but oure profyte, and the honoure of God the father only: euen so wee wyth all oure workes may not seke oure owne profyte, neyther in thys worlde nor in heauē, but must and ought frely to worke, to honour God withall, and with out all maner respect, seke oure neyghbours profyt, and do hym seruice.

That meaneth Paul Philip. ii. saynge Be minded as Christ was which beynge in the shape of God, equal vnto God and [Page] euen very God, layd that a parte, that is to say, hyd it. And toke on hym the forme and fashion of a seruaunt, That is, as concernynge hym selfe he had ynoughe, that he was full, and had plentuousnes of the Godhead, and in all hys workes sought oure profyte and became our ser­uaūt. The cause is, for as much as faith iustifieth and putteth awaye sinne in the syght of God, bryngeth, lyfe, health and the fauoure of God, maketh vs the hey­res of God powreth y^e spirite of God in­to our soules and fylleth vs with al god­lynes in Christe, it were to great a shame, rebuke, and wronge vnto the fayth, yea to Christes bloude yf a mā would worke any thynge to purchase that, wherwith fayth hath endued him already, and God hath geuen hym surely. Euen as Christe had done a rebuke and shame vnto hym selfe, yf he woulde haue done good wor­kes and wrought to haue ben made ther by Gods sonne and heyre ouer all, which thynge he was alredy. Now doth faith make vs the sonnes or children of God, Iohn. i. he gaue them myght or power to be the sōnes of God, in that they beleued in his name If we be sonnes, so are wee also heyres Roma. viii. and Gala. iiii. Howe can, or ought wee then to worke, for to purches that enherytaunce wyth all, where of wee are heyres all redye by [Page] fayth? What shall we saye then to those scriptures which sod̄e as though a man shoulde do good workes and lyue well for heauens sake or eternall rewarde? As these are, make you frendes of the vn­rihgtuous mammon. And Math. vii. Ga ther you treasure together in heauen. Al­so Math. xix. If thou wilt enter in to life kepe the commaundementes and suche lyke. This saye I, that they which vnder stāde not, nether fele in their herts what fayth meaneth, talke and thynke of the re warde euen as they do of the worke, ne­ther suppose they that a man oughte to worke but in a respecte to the rewarde.

For they ymagen that it is in the kyng dome of Christe, as it is in the worlde a­monge men, that they must deserue heauē with theyr good workes. How be it their thoughtes are but dreams and false ima­ginacions. Of these men speaketh Mala. Chap. i. who is it amonge you that shut­teth a dore for my pleasure for nought? that is, wythout respecte of rewarde. These are seruauntes, that seke gaynes and auauntage, hyrelynges and daye la­bourers which here on earth receyue their rewardes, as the pharyses with ther pra­yers, and fastinges Matth. v.

But on this wise goeth it with heauē, with euerlastyng lyfe, & eternal rewarde, lykewyse as good workes naturally fo­lowe [Page] faythe (as it is aboue rehersed) so that thou nedest not to commaūde a true beleuer to worke or to compel hym wyth any lawe, for it is impossible y^t he should not worke he taryeth but for an occasi­on, he is euer disposed of hym selfe, thou needest but to put hym in remembraunce, and that to knowe the faulse fayth from the true. Euen so naturally doth eternall lyfe folowe fayth and good lyuing, with out sekynge for, and is impossible that it should not cōe, thought no man thought there on. Yet is it rehearsed in the scrip­ture, alleged, and promysed to knowe the difference betwene a false beleuer and a true beleuer, and that euery man maye knowe what foloweth good lyuinge na­turally and of it selfe wythout takynge thought for it. Take agrosse ensampel. Hel, that is euerlastinge death is threa­tened vnto synners, and yet foloweth it synne naturalli without sekyng for. For no man doth euell to be damned therfore, but had leuer auoid it. Yet the one folo­weth the other naturally, and thought no man tolde or warned hym of it, yet should the synner fynde it, and fele it. Ne uerthelesse it is therfore threatened, that men maye knowe what foloweth euyll lyuynge. Now then as after euell lyuing foloweth his rewarde vnsought for euē so after good liuing foloweth his rewad [Page] naturally vnsoughte for or vnthoughte vpon euen as when thou drynkest wyne, be it good or badde, the tayst foloweth of it selfe, thought thou therfore drinke it not. Yet testifieth the scripture, and it is true, that we are by enheritaunce heires of dānacion, and that before we be borne we are vessels of the wrath of God and full of that poyson whence naturally all synnes sprynge, and where with we can not but synne, whyche thynge the dedes that folowe (when we behold our selues in the glasse of the lawe of God) do de­clare and vtter, kyll our consciences, and shewe vs what we were and wist not of it, and certifie vs that wee are heyres of damnacion. For yf we were of God we should cleaue to God and lust after y^e wil of God. But now oure dedes compared to the lawe declare the contrarye and by oure dedes, wee se oure selfe both what we be and what oure ende shalbe.

So nowe thou seyst that lyfe eternall and all good thynges are promised vnto fayth and belefe: so that he that beleueth on Christe, shalbe safe. Christes bloude hath purchased life for vs and hath made vs the heyres of God: so that heauen cō ­meth by Christes bloude. Yf thou woul­dest obtayne heauē with the merytes and deseruynges of thyne owne workes, thā dyddest thou wronge, ye and shamedest [Page] the bloude of Christe, and vnto the were Christ deade in vayne. Nowe is the true beleuer heyre of God by Christes deser­uinge, ye and in Christe was predestinate and ordened vnto eternal lyfe, before the worlde beganne. And when the Gospell is preached vnto vs we beleue the mercye of God, and in beleuynge we receyue the spirite of God whiche is the arneste of eternal lyfe, and we ar in eternal lyfe al­ready and fele al ready in oure hertes the swetnes therof, and are ouercome wyth the kindnes of God and Christ and ther­fore loue the wyl of God, and of loue are ready to worke ferly, and not to optayne that whiche is geuen vs frely, and wher­of we are heyres alredy

Now when Christe sayeth. Make you frendes of vnryghtuous Mammon Ga ther you treasure together in heauen and such lyke. Thou seyst that the meanynge and entent is none other, but that thou shouldes do good, and so wyll it folowe of it selfe naturally, without sekyng and takinge of thought that thou shalt fynde frendes & treasure in heauen and receyue a rewarde. So let thyne eye be syngle, and loke vnto good lyuynge onely, & take no thought for the rewarde. But be con­tent. For as muche as thou knoweste and arte sure that the rewarde and all thynge contayned in Goddes promyses folowe [Page] good lyuinge naturally, & thy good wor­kes do but testifye onely and certifye the that the spirite of God is in the, whō thou hast receiued for an ernest of gods trueth, and that thou art heyre of all the good­nesse of God, and that all good thynges are thyne all ready purchased by Christe bloude and layed vp in stoare agaynste that day when euery man shal receyue ac­cordyng to hys dedes, that is, accordynge as his dedes declare and testifye, what he is or was. For they that loke vnto the re­warde, are slow, false subtel and crafty workers, and loue the rewarde more then the worke, yea hate the laboure▪ yea hate God whyche commaundeth the laboure and are w [...]ry both of the commaunde­ment and also of the cōmaunder & worke wyth tedyousnes, But he that worketh of pure loue without sekinge of rewarde worketh truly. Thyrdly that not y^t sayn­tes, but God only receyueth vs in to eter nall tarbernacles, is so playne and euidēt y^t I nede not to declare or proue it Howe shall the sayntes receyue vs in to heauē, whan euery man hath nede for him selfe, that God onely▪ recyue hym to heauen, and euery man hath sk [...]ce for hym selfe? As it appeareth by the fiue wise virgins. Mat. xxvi. which woulde not geue of the oyle vnto the vnwyse virgyns. And S. Peter sayth in the iiii. of his fyrst epistle [Page] that the ryghtuous is wyth difficultye saued. So▪ seest thou that the sayenge of Christe (make you frendes of the. &c. That theye maye receyue youe into the euerlastynge tabernacles) pertayneth not vnto the sayn [...]tes whiche are in heauen, but is spoken of y^e poore and nedy which are here presēt w^t vs on earth, as thought he woulde saye. What byldest thou chur ches, foundest abbayes, chauntryes, and colleges in the honour of sayntes, to my mother, saynt Peter, Paul and sayntes that be deade to make of thē thy frēdes? Thei nede it not, yea thei are not thy frē ­des but theyrs whyche lyued then, when thei lyued, of whō [...] they were holyē ▪ T [...] frendes are the poore whiche are now [...] thy tyme and a lyue with the, thy poor [...] neighbours which nede of thy healp and succoure. Them make thy frendes with thy vnryghtuous mammon, y^t they maye testifye of thy, fayth and thou mayste knowe & fele that thy fayth is ryght and not fayned.

UNto y^e seconde, suche receyuinge into y^e euerlastinge habitacions is not to be vnderstāde, that men shal do it. For mani to whom we shew mercy and do good shall not comme ther, nether skylleth it, yf we mekely and louyngly do oure, dutye yea it is a sygne of stronge fayth, and feruent loue, and [Page] stronge fayth and feruent loue, if we do [...] well to the euyll, and studye to drawe thē to Chryste in all that lyeth in vs. But the pore geue vs an occasion to exercyce oure fayth, and the deades make vs feale oure fayth and certyfye vs and make vs sure that we are safe, and are escaped and translated frō death vnto lyfe, and that we are delyuered and redemed from the captyuyte and boundage of Satan, and brought in to the lybertye of the sonnes of God in that we fele lust and strength in our herte, to worke the wyl of God. And at that daye shall oure deades appere and comfort oure hertes, witnese oure fayth and trust whiche we now haue in Christ, which fayth shall then kepe vs from shāe as it is writtē. None that beleueth in him shallbe a shamed Rom. ix. So that good workes healpe oure fayth, and make vs sure in our cōsciences and make vs feale the merci of God. Not withstandinge heauē, euerlasting lyfe, Io [...]e eternal, faith the fauoure of God the spyryte of God lust and strength vnto y^e wil of God, are geuē vs frely, of the boūtuous and plete­ous ryches of God purchased by Christ, with out oure deseruinges, that no man shoulde reioyse, but in the Lorde onely.

FOr a forder vnderstāding of this Gospell, maye here be made. iii. questions. What mamōn is, wh [...] [Page] it is called vnrighteous, and after what maner Christ byddeth vs counterfet and folowe the vniust & wicked stuard which with his Lordes damage prouyded for hys owne profit and vantage, whyche thing no doute is vnrighteous and syne.

Fyrst Mammon is an Ebrewe wordeMammon and signifyeth ryches or tēporal goodes, and namelye all superfluitie and all that is aboue necessary y^t whyche is not repu­ted vnto our necessari vsees, where with a man maye healpe an other, with out vn doinge or hurtinge him selfe. For hamon in the Ebrewe speach, signifieth a multi­tude or a bundaunce or many

And therehence commeth mahamon or mammon aboundaunce or plenteousnes of goodes or riches. Secūdarili, it is cal­led vnrighteous mammon, not because it is gotē vnrightuousli or with vsuri. For of vnrighteous goten goodes can no mā do good workes, but ought to restore thē whom agayne. As it is sayd Isaias. lxi. I am a God that hateth offeringe that commeth of robbery. And Salo. pro. iii. sayeth, honoure the Lorde of thyne owne good. But therfore is it called vnrighte­ous, because it is in vnryghteous vse. As Paule speaketh vnto the Ephesians. v. how that the dayes are euil thoughe that God hath made thē, and they are a good worke of Goddes makynge. Howe be it [Page] they are yet called euill because that euill men vse them a mysse, and moche synne, occacions of euill, perrell of soulis are wroughte in them. Euen so is riches cal­led euill, because that euill men bestowe them amisse & misuse them. For where ri­ches is ther goeth it after the cōmen pro­uer [...]e. He that hath money hath what him lysteth. And they cause fyghtinge, ste linge, leynge a wayte, lyinge, flatteringe and al vnhappines against a mans neigh boure. For all men holde on ryches parte

But singularly before God is it called. vnrightuous mammon, because it is not bestowed and mynistred vnto oure ney­bours neade For if my neyboure neade and I geue him not, nether depart liberal ly with hym, of that whiche I haue: than with hold I frō him vnrightuously that whiche is hys owne. For as muche as I am bownden to healpe hym by the lawe of nature, whyche is, what soeuer thou woldest that another dyd to the that do thou also to him. And Christ Mathey. v. Geue to euery man that desireth the. And John in his fyrste pystle, yf a man haue this worldes good & se his brother neade, how is the loue of God in hym? And this vnryghtuousnes in our mammon se vert fewe men, because it is sprituall, and in those goodes whiche at goten most truly and iustly are mē muche begyled For they [Page] suppose they do no man wronge in ke­pinge theim, in that thei got thē not with stelinge, Robbinge, oppressiō, and vsury, nether hurt any man now with them.

Thrydly many haue busyed thē selfesWho is the steward in studyenge what or who thys vnrygh­teous steward is, because that Christe so praiseth hym. But shortely and playnely thys is the answere. That Christe pray­seth not the vnryghteous stuard, nether setteth hym forth to vs to counterfet, be­cause of his vnrighteousnes but because of his wisdome only in that he with vn­right so wisely prouldid for him selfe. As if I woulde prouoke another to praye or studie saiyng. The theues watche all nighte to robbe and stele: why canst not thou watche to praye and to studie? Here prayse not I the thefe and murderer for there euil doinge, but for ther wysdome▪ that they so wisely and diligently waite on ther vnrighteousnes. Like wise when I saye mysse women tyer thiem selfes with golde & sylke to please ther louers. What wylt not thou garnysh thy soule with fayth to please Christe? here prayse I not whordome, but the diligence which the whore mysuseth.

Of this wise Paule also Roma. v. like­neth Adam and Christ together, sayenge that Adam was a fygure of Christe, And yet of Adā haue we but pure synne, and [Page] of Christe grace onely, whiche are out of measure contrarie. But the similitude or likenes stādeth in the original byrth, and not in the vertue and vice of the birth.

So that as Adam is father of all synne, so is Christe father of all rightuousnes. And as all synnes springe of Adam: euen so all rightuous men and women springe of Christe. After the same maner is here the vnrightuous stuarde an ensample vn to vs in hys wisdome and diligence only, in that he prouided so wysely for hym selfe, that we with rightuousnes shoulde be as diligent to prouyde for our soules, as he with vnrightuousnes prouided for his body Lyke wyse mayste thou soyle all other texes whiche sounde as though it were betwene vs and God as it is in the worlde where the rewarde is more lo ked vpon, then the laboure: yea wher mē hate the laboure and worke falsly with the bodye, and not with the herte and no longer than they are loked vpon, that the laboure maye appere outwarde only.

WHen Christe sayth Mathe. v. Blessed are ye whē they rayle on you, & persecute you, and saye all maner euill sayinges agaynst you, and yet lye, and that for my sake, reioyse and be glad, for youre rewarde is greate in heauen. Thou mayste not ymagen that oure deades de­serue [Page] the Joye and glorye that shalbe ge­ven vnto vs. For then (Paule saieth Ro. xi.) fauoure were not fauour I can not receyue it of fauour and of the boūteous goodnes of God frely, and by deseruinge of deads also. But beleue as the Gospel▪ the glade tidynges and promises of God saye vnto the that for Christes bloudes sake only thorowe fayth, God is at one wythe the and thou receyued to mercye and art becōe the sonne of God and heire annered with Christe of all the goodnes of God the ernest where of is the spirite of god poured in to our hertes. Of which thinges the deades are witnesses and cer­tifie oure consciences that oure fayth is vnfained and that y^e ryght spirit of God is in vs. For if I paciently suffer aduer­site and tribulacion for cōscience of God only that is to say, because I know God and testifie the trueh. Than am I sure that God hath chosen me in Christe and for Christes sake, and hath put in me his spirit as an ernest of his promises, whose workyng I feale in mine hert, the deades beringe wittnes vnto the same. Nowe is it Christes bloud only that deserued all the promises of God and that whiche, I suffer and do is partly y^e curinge healing and mortifieng of my mēbres and filyng of that originally poyson, where with I was conceyued and borne, that I myght [Page] be altogether Christ, and partly the doing of my dutye to my neighboure, whos det ter I am of all that I haue receyued of God, to drawe hym to Christe wyth all suffringe, with al paciens and euen with shedinge my bloud for him, not as an offe ringe or merite for hys sinnes, but as an ensampel to prouoke him. Christes bloud only putteth away al the synne that euer was, is or shallbe from them that are e­lecte and repēt beleuing the Gospel that is to saye gods promises in Christe.

AGayne in the same. v. Chap loue your enmyes, blesse thē that cursse you do wel to them that hate you and persecute you, that ye may be the sonnes of youre father whiche is in heauen. For he maketh his son shyne vp pon euill and on good, and sendeth hys tayne vppon Iust and vniust. Not that our workes make vs the sonnes of God. but testifie only and certifie oure consci­ences that we are the sonnes of God and that God hath chosen vs and weshed vs in Christes bloude, and hathe put hys spirite in vs. And it foloweth, if ye loue them that loue you, what rewarde haue ye? do not the publicanes euen the same? and if ye shal haue fauour to your frēdes only what singuler thinge do ye? do not the publicanes euen the same? ye shalbe perfecte therfore as your father whyche [Page] is in heauen is perfect. That is to saye if that ye do no thinge but that the world doth, and they whiche haue the spirite of the worlde, wherebye shal ye knowe that ye are the sonnes of God and beloued of God, more than the worlde? But and ifThe signe of Gods fauour. ye conterfecte and folowe God in well doinge thē no doute it is a sygne that the spirite of God ys in you and also the fa­uoure of God, which is not in the world and that ye are enheretours of all the pro myses of God, and elect vnto the felow­shippe of the bloude of Christe.

ITē Math. vi. Take hede to your Almes, that ye do it not in y^e sight of men to the entent that ye would be sene of them, or els haue ye no rewarde with your father whyche is in heauē. Neither cause a trompet to be blo­wen afore the when thou doest thyne Al­mes, as the hypocrits do in the sinagoges and in the stretes to be gloryfied of the worlde. But whē thou doist thine Almes let not thy lyft hād know what thy right hand doth, that thy Almes may be in se­cret, and thy father whiche seeth in secret shall rewarde the openly. Thys putteth vs in remembraūce of oure dutye, and she weth what foloweth good workes, not that workes deserue it, but y^t the reward in leayd vp for vs in store, and wee ther vnto elect thorow Christes bloud, which [Page] the workes testifye. For if we be worldly mynded and do our workes as the world doth, how shal we knowe that God hath chosen vs out of the worlde? But and if we worke frely, without al maner world ly respect, to shewe mercye, and to do our dutie to oure neyghboure, and to be vnto him as God is to vs, then ar we sure that the fauour and mercie of God is vpon vs and that we shall enioye all the good pro­myses of God thorowe Christe whiche hath made vs heyres therof.

Item in the same Chap. it foloweth. When thou prayst be not as the hypocri­tes, whiche loue to stand and praye in the synagoges & in the corners of the stretes, for to be sene of men. But when thou prayeste enter in to thy chāber and shutte thi dore to y^e, & preaye to thi father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret shal rewarde y^e opēly. And likwise whē we fast (teacheth Christe in the sam place) that we shoulde behaue oure selfes that it appere not vnto men how that we fast, but vnto our father whiche is in se­cret, and our father which seeth in secret shall rewarde vs openly. These. ii. textes doe but declare what foloweth good wor kes, for eternall lyfe commeth not by the deseriunge of workes but is (sayth Paul in the. vi. to y^e Romayns) y^e gyft of God thorowe Iesus Christ. Neither do oure [Page] workes iustifie vs. For except we were iustifyed by fayth whiche is oure rightu­ousnesWythout we be iustified we can not worke frely. and had the spirite of God in vs to teach vs, we could do no good worke frely without respecte of some profit, o­ther in this world or in y^e worlde to come, neither coulde we haue spiritual Ioye in oure hertes in tyme of afflicition and mortyfyinge of the fleshe.

Good workes are called y^e fruites of theGood workes are called the frute of y^e spi­rite and ryght wysnes. spirit, Galt. v. Cha. for y^e spirit worketh them in vs, and some tyme frutes of righ tuousnes, as in the seconde epistle to the Corhinthians. ix. Chapter▪ before al wor­kes therfore we muste haue a rightuous­nes wythin in the herte, the mother of all workes, and from whence they springe.

The rightuousnes of the scribes andWhat is the ryghtuousnes of scribes▪ and pharises. Pharises, and of thē that haue the spirit of this worlde, is the glorious showe and outward shinyng of workes. And Christ sayth to vs Mat. v. except your rightu­ousnes excede the ryghtuousnes of the scribes and pharises, ye can not enter in to the kyngdome of heauen. It is rightu­ousnes in the worlde, if a man kyll not. But a Christen perceyueth rightuousnes if he loue his enemye, euen when he suf­feth persecuciō and formente of hym, and the paynes of death, and morneth more for his aduersaries blindnes than for his owne payne, and prayeth God to open [Page] his eyes and to forgeue him hys synnes, as dyd▪ Steuen in the Actes of the Apo­stles the. vii. Chap. and Christ Luc. xxiii.

A christen considereth hym selfe in the lawe of God, and ther putteth of hym al maner rightuosnes. For y^e lawe suffereth no merites no deseruinges, no rightuous nes, nether any man to be iustified in the syght of God. The lawe is spirytuallThe law must be fulfilled spiritually and w^t obedience as Christ, hath done and requireth the herte and commaunde­mentes to be fullfillyd with suche loue and obedience as was in Christe. If any fulfil al that is the wil of god with such loue and obedience, the same may be bold to sel pardons of his merites, and els not.

A Christen therfore (whē he beholdeth him selfe in the law) putteth of al maner rightuousnes, deserueuinges and merites and mekely & vnfaynedly knoweledgeth his sinne and mysery, his captyuite and bondage in the flesh, hys trespasse and gylte, and is there by blessede wythe the poore in spirite Math. v. Cha. Then he morneth in hys herte, be cause he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God, and is an hongred and a thrust after rightuousnes. For rightuousnes (I meane) which springeth out of ChristesA christen whē he praieth abi­deth & sticketh bloud, for strength to do the wil of God. And turneth hym selfe to the promyses of God, and desyreth hym for hys greate mercye and trueth, and for the bloude of [Page] his sonne Christe to fulfil his promyses, and to geue hym strength. And thus hysfast to Gods promises. spirite euer prayeth within hym. He fast­eth also not one day for a weke, or a lente for and whole yeare, but professeth in his herte a perpetuall sobre [...]es, to tame the fleshe & to subdue y^e body to the spirite, vntyll he wax stron̄ge in the spirite, and growe rype in to a full ryghtuousnes af­ter the fulnes of Christe.

And because this fulnes happeneth not tyl the body be slayne by death, a Christē is euer a synner in the lawe, and therfore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirite, the world seing it not. Yet in y^e promises he is euer rightuous, thorowe fayth in Christe and is sure that he is heyre of all goddes promyses, the spirite whiche he hath receyued in exnest, beringe hym wit­nes, hys herte also and his deades testifi­inge the same. Marke this then. To se in wardlye that the lawe of God is so spi­rituall, that no fleshe can fulfyll it. And then for to morne and sorowe and to de­syre, yee to honger & thurst aftir strength to do the will of God from the groūde of the herte, and (not wythstandyng all the soutelty of the deuils, weknes and feble­nes of the fleshe, and wondringe of the worlde) to cleue yet to y^e promises of god and to beleue y^t for Christes bloude sake thou art receyued to the enherytaunce of [Page] eternall lyfe, is a wonderfull thinge, and a thinge that the world knoweth not of: but who so euer fealeth that (thought he fall a thousande tymes and is sure that the mercye of God is vpon hym.

If ye forgeue other men theyr trespas­ses, your heauenlye father shall forgeue you yours, Math. in the. vi. Chapt. If I forgeue, God shall forgeue me, not for my dedes sake, but for his promises sake for his mercie and truth, & for the bloude of his sonne Christe oure Lorde. And my forgeuing certifieth my spirite that God shall forgeue me, ye that he hath forgeuen me all redye For if I consent to the wyllBy cōsentyng vnto the wyll of God & kno­wledging our faulte mekely we be assured of the spirite of God. of God in my herte, thought thorowe in­firmitie and wekeanes I can not do the wil of god at al tymes, more ouer though I can not do the will of God so purelye as the lawe requireth it of me, yet if I se my faute and mekely knowledge m [...] sinne we [...]inge in mine herte because I can not do the wil of God, & thruste after strēgth, I am sure that the spirit of God is in me and his fauoure vpon me. For the world lusteth not to do the wil of God, neither soroweth because he can not, thoughe he sorowe some time for feare of the payne that he beleueth shall folowe. He thatWherfore the beleuinge for­geueth hath the spirit of this worlde can not for­geue wyth out a mendes makinge or a­greater vaūtage, If I forgeue now how [Page] cometh it? verily because I feale the mer cye of God in me. For as a man fealeth God to hym selfe, so is he to hys neygh­boure I knowe by myne one experience that all fleshe is in bondage vnder sinne and can not but sinne, therfore am I mer cyfull and desyre God to loose the bōdes of synne euen in myne enimye.

GAther not treasure to gether in earth & cet. Math. vi But gather you treasure in heauen. & cet. Let not your herts be glued to world ly thynges studie not to heape treasure vpon treasure and riches vpō riches, but studie to bestowe well that whiche is go­ten all ready, and let your abundaūce suc core the lacke and neade of y^e pore whichwith y^t which aboundeth of [...]ure necessary fode ought [...] to sustaine the nedy. haue not▪ Haue an eye to good workes, whiche if ye haue luste and also powre to do them, then are ye sure that the spirite of God is in you▪ and ye in Christ electe to the rewarde of eternal lyfe whiche fo­loweth good workes.

But loke that thine, eye be syngle and robbe not Christe of his honoure ascribe not that to the deseruinge of thy workes whiche is geuen the frely by the merites of his bloude. In Christe we are sonnes In Christ we are heires. In Christ God chose vs and elected vs before the begin­ynge of the worlde, created anew by the worde of the Gospell, and put his spirit [Page] in vs, for because wee shoulde dooe good workes. A Christen man worketh becaus it is the will of his father only. If we do no good worke nor be mercyfull, howe is our lust therin? If we haue no luste to do good workes, how is gods spirite in vs? If the spirite of God be not in vs, howe are wee hys sonnes? Howe are wee hys heyres, and heyres annexed with Christe of the eternall lyfe which is promysed to all them that beleue in him? Now do our workes testifie and witnes what we are, & what treasure is leade vp for vs in hea­uen, so that our eye be single and loke vp­pon the commaūdemēt with out respecte of any thynge, saue because it is Gods wyll, and that God desireth it of vs, and Christe hath deserued that w [...] do it.

Math. vii Not all they that saye vntoNot onely to speake of the Gospel is ac­cepted before God but to lyue after the Gospel. me Lorde, Lorde, shall enter in to y^e kingedome of heauen, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauē. Though thou canste laude God wyth thy lippes, and call Christ Lord, and canst bable and talke of the scripture, and knowest al the storyes of the byble. Yet shalt thou there by neuer knowe thine election or whether thy fayth be right. But and if thou feale lust in thine herte to the will of God, and bringest forth the fruits therof, then hast thou confidence and hope, and thy dedes and also the spirite whence thy deades [Page] spring certyfye thine hert that thou shalt enter, yea art all ready entred in to the kingdome of heauen. For it foloweth, he that heareth the word and doth it, bildeth his howse vpon a rocke, and no tempest of temptacions can ouer thorowe it. For the spirit of God is in his herte and com forteth him, and holdeth hym faste to the rocke of the merites of Christes bloude▪ in whom he is electe. Nothing is able to pluck hym out of the hādes of God, God is stronger then all thinges. And contrary wise he that heareth the worde and doth it not, byldeth on sande of his owne ima­ginacion and euery tēpest ouer throweth his byldinge. The cause is, he hath not Gods spirite in hym, and therfore vnder standeth it not a right nother worketh a ryght. For no man knoweth the thinges of God (sayeth Paul in the .i. pistle to the Corinthyans in the seconde Chap (saue the spirite of God: as no man knoweth what is a man, but a mans spirite whichWher the spi­rit of God is not, there can not a mā work accordynge to Gods will. is in hym. So then if the spirite be not in a man, he worketh not the wil of God nether vnderstandeth it though he bable neuer so moche of the scriptures. Neuer­thelesse soch a man maye worke after his owne ymaginacion, but Gods will can he not wor [...]ke, he may offer sacrifyce, but to do mercye knoweth he not. It is easye to saye vnto Christe Lorde, Lorde: but [Page] therby shalt thou neuer feale or be sure of the kingdome of heauen. But and if thou do the wil of God then art thou sure that Christ is thy lord in deade, and that thou in him art also a lord, in that thou fealest thy selfe loosed and fere from the bōdage of synne, and lusty and of power to do the wyll of God. Wher the spirit is ther is fealynge. For the spirite makethe vs feale all thinges. Wher the spryte is not ther is no fealynge, but a vayne opinion or ymaginacion. A phisician serueth but for sycke men, and that for such sycke men as feale ther sekeneses & morne ther fore, and lōge for health. Christ lyke wise serueth but for such sinners only as feale ther synne and that for suche synners, as sorowe and morne in theyr hertes for health Health is power or strēgth to ful­fyllWhat health is to saye. the lawe or to kepe the commaunde­mentes. Nowe he that longeth for that health that is to saye, for to do the lawe of God is blessed in Christe, and hath a promyse that his lust shalbe fulfylled and that he shalbe made hole. Math. v blessed are they which honger & thurst for right­wesnes sake (that is to fulfyll the lawe) for ther lust shalbe fulfylled.

This longyng and consent of the herte vnto the lawe of God, is the workynge of the spirite which God hath poured in to thine hert in ernest that thou myghtyst [Page] be sure that God wyll fulfyll all his pro­myses that he hath made the. It is also the seale and marke whiche God putteth on al men that he choseth vnto euerlast­inge lyfe. So lōge as thou seest thy sinne and mornest, and consentest to the lawe and lōgest (though y^u be neuer so weake) yet the spirite shall kepe the in all tempta cions from desperacion and certifie thine herte, that God for his trouth, shall dely­uer y^e and saue the, yea and by thy good deades shallt thou be saued not whyche thou hast done, but whiche Christe hath done for the. For Christe is thine, and all his deades are thy deads. Christ is in theChristes me­rites are ours and thou in hym knyt to gether insepara bly. Neither canst thou be damned except Christe be damned with the. Neither can Christe be saued excepte y^u be saued with hym. More ouer thy hert is good, ryght, holy and Iust. For thy herte is no enimie to the lawe but a frend and a louer. The lawe and thy hert are agreed and at one, and therfore is God at one with the. The consent of the hert vnto the law, is vnite and peace betwene God and man. For he is not myne enemy whiche woulde fayne do me pleasure and morneth be cause he hath not where with. Nowe he that ope­ned thy dysease vnto the and made the longe for health, shal as he hath promised heale the, and he that hath loesed thy hert [Page] shall at his Godly pleasur, loese thy mem bres▪ He that hath not the spirite hath no fealyng, nether lusteth or longeth after power to fulfyl the lawe, neither abhor­teth the pleasures of synne, nether hath any man more certentie of the promyses of God, than I haue of a tale of Robyn hode, or of some iest that a mā telleth me was done at Rome Another man maye lightely make me doute or beleue the con­trary, seing I haue no experience ther of mi selfe. So is it of them that feale not the working of the spirite, and therfor in tyme of temptaciō the byldinges of ther ymaginacions fall.

MAthei. x. He that receyueth a pro phete in the name of a prophete, that is because he is a prophete ? ? ? ? shall receyue the rewarde of a prophete and he that geueth one of thes li [...]leons a cuppe of colde water to drinke, in the name of a dysciple, shal not lose his rewarde. Note this, that a prophete sing­nifieth as well him that enterpreteth the harde places of scripture, as him that pro phisies thinges to come. Nowe he that re ceyueth a prophete, a iust man, or a disci­ple, shall haue the same or lyke rewarde, that's to saye, shal haue the same eternal lyfe, whiche is appoynted for thē in Chri stes bloude and merytes. For except thou were electe to the same eternall lyfe, and haddest the same faith and trust in God, [Page] and the same spirite, thou cowldest neuer consent to their deades and healpe them.No man can consent to the deades of the lawe except he be chosen.

But thy deades testifye what thow art and certyfye thy conscience that thou art receyued to mercy, & sātyfied in Christes passions and sufferynges, and shallt here after wythe all them that folowe God, receyue the reward of eternall lyfe▪ Of thy wordes thou shalt be iustified and of thy wordes thou shalt be condemned.

Math. xii. That is thy wordes as wel as other deades shall testifye with the or a­gaynst y^e at the daye of iudgemente. Ma­ny ther are which abstaine from the vtte warde deades of fornicaciō and adulteri, neuer the lasse reioice to talke ther of and laugh, their wordes and laughter testifie agaynste them, that theyr herte is vnpur, and they Adulterers and Fornicatours in the syght of God. The tonge & other signes oft times vtter y^e malice of y^e hert though a man for many causes abstayne his hāde, frō the outwarde deade or acte.

IF thou wylt enter in to lyfe kepe the commaundementes Ma [...]hei. xix. Fyrste remēbre that whē God ? ? ? cōmaundeth vs to do anie thinge, he dothe it not therfore, because that wee of oure selues are able to do that he com maūdeth, but that by the lawe we myght se and knowe oure horryble damnacion and captiuite vnder sinne and shoulde re­pent [Page] and come to Christe, & receyue mer­cye and the scripture of God to loose vs, strengh vs & to make vs able to do gods wil which is the law. Now when he say eth if thou wylt enter in to lyfe kepe theExcepte a mā haue y^e spirite of life it is im­possible for him to kepe y^e cōmaundemē ­tes▪ conmaundementes, is as much to say, as he that kepeth the commaundementes is intred in to life, for except a mā haue first the spirit of life in him by Christes pour­cheasinge, it is impossible for him to kepe the commaundementes, or that his herte shoulde be loose or at libertie to lust after thē ▪ for of nature wee are enemyes to the lawe of God. As toutchinge that Christe saieth after ward if thou wilt be perfect, goe and sell thy substance and geue it toThe greatest perfection. the pore he saieth it not as who shoulde saye that ther were any greater perfectiō then to kepe the lawe of God (for that is all perfection) but to showe the other his blindnes which saw [...]not that the law is spiritual and requireth the herte. But be­cause he was not knowinge that he hade hurt any man with the outwarde deade, he supposed that he loued his neyghbour as hym selfe. But when he was bade to shewe the deades of loue, and geue of his abundance to them that neaded, he depar ted morninge. Whiche is an euident tokē that he loued not his neyboure as well as hym selfe. For if he had nede him selfe, it woulde not haue greaued him to haue re­ceyued [Page] succour of an other man. Mored­uer he sawe not▪ that it was morder and thefte that a man shoulde haue obōdaūce of ryches lyinge by him and not succoure hys neiboures neade. God hath geuē one mā riches to healpe an other at neade. Yf thi neighbour neade and thou healpe him not beinge able y^u with holdist hys dutye from him and art a thefe before God.

That also that Christ saieth, how thatHe that wyth draweth from hys negboure the whyche is his can not come to hea­uen. it is harder for a rich man (whiche loueth his riches so y^t he can not find in his hert liberally and frely to healpe the pore and nedy) to enter in to the kingdō of heauē, then a camell to go thorowe the eye of an nedle, declareth that he was not intred in to the kingdō of heauē, that is to saye, e­ternall life. But he that kepeth the com­maū demētes is intred in to life, yea hath life and the spirite of life in him.

THis kinde of deuils goth not out but by prayere & fastinge. Math. xxvii. Not that the deuill is caste out by merites of fasting or pray inge. For he sayeth before that for there vnbelefes sake they coulde not cast hym out. It is fayeth no doute that casteth out the deuils and fayth it is that fasteth and praieth. Fayth hath the promyses ofFaith casteth out deuels and doth such lyke miracles. God where vnto she cleaueth, and in all thinges thristeth the honour of god She fasteth subdueth y^e body vnto y^e spirite y^t [Page] the prayer be not let, and that the spirite maye quietly talke wyth God: she also when so euer oportunitie is geuē prayeth god to fulfil his promises vnto his praise and glorye. And God whiche is mercyful in promysinge and true to fulfyll 'them, casteth out the deuils & doth all that faith desyreth and satisfieth hyr thurst.

COme ye blessed of my father, en­herete the kyngdome prepared for you from the begynnynge of the world. For I was a thurst and ye gaue me drinke. &c. Mat. xxv. Not that a man with workes deserueth eternall lyfe as a worke man or labourer his hyre orThe kyngdōe of heauen is prepared for y^e faythful▪ ergo theyr workes do not deserue it. wages. Thou readest in the text that the kingdome was prepared for vs from the beginnge of the worlde. And we are bles­sed and sanctified. In Christes bloude are we blessed from that bitter cruse and damnable captiuite vnder synne, where in we were borne and conceyued. And Christes spirit is poured into vs, to bring forth good workes, and oure workes are the fruites of the spirit, and the kingdom is thr deseruinge of Christes bloude, and so is fayth and the spiryte and good wor kes also. Not withstandinge the kingdōe foloweth good workes, & good workes testifie that we are heyres therof, and at the daye of Iudgement shall they testifie for y^e electe vnto theyr comforth and glo­rye, [Page] And to the confucion of the vngod [...]ie vnbeleuynge & faythlesse synners, whiche had not truste in the worde of Goddes promyses nor lust to the wil of God: but were caryed of the spirite of theyr father the deuill vnto al ab hominaciō, to worke wyckednes with all luste delectacion and gred [...]nes.

MAny sinnes are forgeuen hir for she loueth moche Lu. vii. Not y^t loue was cause of forgeuenes of sinnes. But cō trary wise the forgeuenes of synnes caused loue, as it foloueth, to whom lesse was forgeuē, the same loueth lesse. And afore he cōmended the iudgement of Symon, whiche ans­wered that he loueth most to whō moste was forgeuen: and also sayde at the last, thy fayth hath saued the or made y^e safe,As longe as we see the law we cā not loue Christe but when we se y^e gospel, then re ioyce we. go in peace. We can not loue except wee se some benefite and kyndnes. As longe as we loke on the law of god only where we se but sinne and damnacion and the wrath of God vpon vs, yea where wee were damned afore we were borne, wee can not loue God: No wee can not but hate him as a ryrante vnrightuous and vniust, and fle from hym as dyd Cayn. But when the Gospel that glad tidinges and io [...]full promises are preached howe that in Christe God loueth vs fyrst, for­geueth vs, and hath mercye on vs, then [Page] loue we again and the deades of our loue declare oure fayth. This is the maner of speakyng, As we saye. Somer is nye, for the trees blosome. Nowe is the blosomeAn exāple for declaracion of inward deeds of the trees not the cause that somer dra­weth nye, but the drawinge nye of somer cause of the blosomes, and the blosomes put vs in remembrance that somer is at hande. So Christe here teacheth Simon by the feruētnes of loue in the outwarde deades to se a strōge fayth within whēce so greate loue springeth. As the manet is to saye do your charyte, showe your cha­ryte, do a deade of charyte, showe youre mercye do a deade of mercye, meaninge ther by, that oure deades declare how we loue our neyghbours and howe much we haue compastion on them at there neade.

More ouer it is not possyble to loue ex­cept wee se a cause. Except we se in oure hertes the loue and kindnes of God to vs warde in Christe our Lorde, it is not pos­sible to loue God a ryght.

We saie also he that loueth not my dog loueth not me. Not that a man shulde loue my dog fyrst. But if a man loued me theAn example of loue to warde our neghbour loue where with he loueth me, would cō ­pell hym to loue my dogge, thoughe the dogge deserued it not, ye though the dog had done him a displeasure. Yet if he lo­ued me, y^e same loue would refrayne him from venging him selfe, and cause him to [Page] tefet the vēgeaunce vnto me. Such spea­kinges finde we in scripture. Ihon in the iiii. of hys fyrst Epistle sayth, he that sai­eth. I loue God, and yet hateth his bro­ther is a lyar. For how can he that loueth not his brother whom he seith, loue God whom he seyth not? Thys is not spoken that a man should fyrst loue hys brother and then God, but as it folowith.

For thys commaundement haue we of hym, that he whyche loueth God shoulde loue his brother also. To loue my neygh­boure is the commaundement, whiche cō ­maūdemēt he that loueth not, loueth not God. The kepynge of the commaunde­mētThe kepynge of y^e commaū ­dement decla­reth outr loue toward God. declareth what loue I haue to God. If I loued God purely, no thing that my neyghboure coulde do were able to make me neyther to hate hym eyther to take vē geaunce on hym my selfe, seing that God hath commaūded me to loue hym, and to remitte al vengeaunce vnto him. Marke now how muche I loue the commaunde­ment, so muche I loue God how much I loue God, so much beleue I y^t he is mer­ciful, kind and good, yea and a father vn to me for Christes sake, how much I be­leue that God is mercyfull vnto me, and that he wyll for Christes sake fulfyll all hys yromyses vnto me: so much I se my sinnes, so moche do my synnes greue me, so moche do I repent and soro we that I [Page] sinne, so moche displeaseth me that poy­son that moueth me to sinne, and so great ly desyre I to be healede. So now by theA goodly or­der of perfecti on. naturall order fyrst I se my sinne. Then I repēt and sorow. Thē beleue. I Gods promises, y^t he is mercyfull vnto me and forgeueth me, and wil heale me at the last: then loue I and then I prepare my selfe to the commaundement.

THis do and thou shalt lyue Luc. x. that is to saye, loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy hert, wyth all thy soule, & wyth all thy strēgh and wyth all thy mynde, and thy neygh­boureIf we do but lust it is a sign that the spirit is in vs. as thy selfe. As who shoulde saye, if thou do this, or though thou canst not do it, yet if thou fealest luste ther vnto, and thy spirit sigheth morneth, and long­eth after strēgth to do it, take a signe and euidēt token therby that the spirit of life is in the, and that thou art electe to life e­uerlasting by Christes bloude, whos gift and purchase is thy faith and that spirit that worketh the will of God in y^e, whos gift also are thy deades or rather the dea­des of the spirite of Christ and not thine, and whos gift is the rewarde of eternall life which foloweth good workes.

It foloweth also in the same place of Luc. When he shoulde depart, he pluked out. ii. pence, and gaue them to the host, and sayd vnto hym Take the charge or [Page] cure of hym, and what so euer thou spen dest more I will recompense it the at my coming agayne. Remembre this is a pa­rable, and a parable maye not be expoun­dedA parable can not be ex pou­ned in al po [...] ­tes but y^e sē [...] onely. word by word. But the entent of the similitude must be sought out only in the whole parable. The entent of the simili­tude is to shewe to whō a man is a neigh bour or who is a mans neighbour (which is both one) and what it is to loue a mās neyghboure as hym selfe. The Samari­tane holpe hym and shewed mercy as lōg as he was present, and he left his mony [...] behinde him. And if that were not suffi­cient, he left hys credēs to make good the rest, and forsoke hym not, as longe as the other had neade Thē said Christ go thou and do lyke wise, that is, wythout diffe­rence or respection of persons whoe so euer neadeth thy healpe, hym count thy neighbour, and his neyboure be thou and shewe mercy on hym as longe as he nea­deth thy soccour, & that is to loue a mans neyboure as him selfe. Neyghboure is aWhat neigh­bour signifi­eth. worde of loue and signifieth that a man shoulde be euer nye and at hand and rea­dye to healpe in time of neade-

They y^t wil enterprete parables worde for worde fall in to straytes oft tymes, whence they can not rid them selfes. And preach lyes in steade of the trueth. As do they whiche enterpret by the two pence [Page] the olde testament and the newe, and by that whiche is bestowed, Opera super­erogationis. Howe be it superarogancia were a meter terme. That is to saye, dea­des which are more then the lawe requy­ [...]eth, deades of perfectiō and of liberalite which a man is not bownde to do, but of hys freewil. And for them he shall haue an hygher place in heauen, and may giue to other of his merites: or of whiche the pope after his death maye giue pardons f [...]ome the paines of purgatorye.

Agaynst whiche exposicion then I an­swer.There is no greater perfec tion than the lawe. Fyrst a greatter perfection then to loue God and his will, whiche is the cō ­maundementes, with all thine herte, with all thy minde, is ther none. And to loue a mans neiboure as hym selfe, is like the same. It is a wōderfull loue where with a man loueth hym selfe. As glad as I woulde be to receyue pardone of myne owne life (if I hade deserued death) so glad ought I to be to defēd my neibours life with out respect of my life, or of my good. A man ought nether to spare hys goodes nor yet him selfe for his brothers sake, after the ensāpel of Christ, i. Iohn. iii. Here in sayeth be, perceyue wee loue, in that he (that is to saye Christe) gaue his life for vs. We ought therfore to be­stow our liues for y^e brethrē Now saith Christ Ioha [...]. xv. ther is no greater loue [Page] than that a man bestowe his lyfe for his frende. More ouer no man can fulfil the lawe. For (Ihon sayth. i. Chapter of theNo man full­fylleth the lawe. sayd epistle) if we saie, we haue no sinne, we deceyue our selues and true this not in vs. If wee knowledge our synnes he is faithfull and rightuous to forgeue vs our synnes. Now if we be all synners, none fulfyleth the lawe. For he that ful­fileth the lawe is no sinner. In the lawe maye nother Peter nor Paul ner any o­ther creature saue Christ only reioise. In the bloude of Christ which fulfilled the lawe for vs maye euery parsone that re­penteth beleueth, loueth the lawe and morneth for strengh to fulfyll it, reioyse, be he neuer so weake a sinner. The two pence therfore and the credens that heWhat y^e two pence be [...]oken. left behind him, to bestowe more if neade were, signifith that he was euery where mercyfull, both present and absent, with out fayninge, cloking, complayninge, or excusinge and forsoke not his neyboure as lōge as he had neade. Which exemple I praye God men maye folowe and let, opera superrogationis a lone.

MAry hath chosen a good parte whiche shall not be taken fromWhat the parte was y^t Marye hadde chosen. her. Lucc. x. She was fyrst cho­sen of God and called by grace both to knowe hir sinne, & also to heare, the worde of fayth health & gladtidiges [Page] of mercy in Christe and faith was gyuen hyr to beleue and the spirite of God lo­sed hyr hert from the boundage of sinne.

Then consented she to the will of God agayne, and agayne, and a boue all thinges had delec­taciō to heare that worde wherin she had obtayned euerlastinge health, and namly of his mouth whiche hade purchased so grate mercy for hyr God choseth vs first and loued vs fyrst and optneth our eyes to se his exceadinge abundaunt loue to vs in Christ, and thē loue we againe and accepte hys wyll aboue all thynges, and serue him that office where vnto he hath chosen vs.

Selle that ye haue and giue almes. And make you bagges whyche wax not old, and treasure which faileth not, in heauē Lu. xii. This and souch lyke are not spo­ken that we shoulde worke as hyrelinges in respecte of reward, and as though we should obtayne heauen with merite. For he saith a litle afore, feare not litel flocke for it is youre fathers pleasure to geue you a kingdome. The kingdome cometh then of the good will of Almyghty God thorowe Christ. And souche thinges areScriptur spe­keth to vs di­ne [...]s wayes. spoken partlye to put vs in remenbraūce of our dutye to be kinde agayne. As is that sainge let your light so shine before men that they se your good workes and gloryefye your father which is in heauē. [Page] As who shoulde saye, if God haue geuen you so greate gyftes bee not vnthanke­full, but bestowe them vnto hys prayse.

Some thinges are spoken to moue vs to put our trust in God, as are thes. Be­holde the bryddes of the ayre. If youre childerne aske you bred will ye profer thē a stoon? and many souch lyke. Some are spoken to put vs in remembraunce to be sober, to whatche and praye, and to pre­pare our selfes against temptacions, and that we shoulde vnderstande and know, howe that tentacions and occasion of e­uil come then most, when they are lest lo­ked for: lest we shoulde be carelesse and sure of oure selues, necligent, and vnpre­pared. Some thinges ar spoken, that we shoulde feare the wonderfull and incōpre hē [...]ible iudgmētes of God lest we should presume. Some to confort vs y^t we des­payre not. And for lyke causes are all the ensamples of the olde testament▪ In con­clusiō y^e scripture speaketh mani thingeswhere the spi­rit is not ther is no vnderstā dynge of scrip ture. as the worlde speaketh. But they maye not be worldly vnderstande, but goostlye and spirituallie, yea the spirite of God only vnderstandeth them, and where he is not ther is not the vnderstandinge of the scripture. But vnfrutefull dispu­tynge and braulinge about wordes.

The scripture saith, God seeth, God heareth, God smelleth, God walketh, [Page] God is with thē, God is not with them, God is angrie, God is pleased, God sen­deth his spirite, God taketh his spirite a way, and a thousande suche like. And yet is none of them true after the wordly ma ner and as y^e words sowne. Rede the se­cound Chapter of Paul to the Corinthi ans, the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God, but y^e spirite of god only and we (saieth he) haue receyued the spirite which is of God, to vnderstande the thinges which are geuen vs of God.

For without the spirite it is inpossibleIt is impossi­ble to vnder­stand the scri­pture without the spirite of God. to vnderstande them. Rede also the. viii. to the Romains They that are led with the spirite of God, are the sōnes of God. Now the sōne knoweth his fathers wil [...] and the seruant not He that hath not the spirite of Christ (saieth Paul) is none of his. Likewise he that hath not the spirite of God is none of Gods, for it is bothe one spirite, as thou mayste se the same place. Now he that is of God hereth the worde of God Io. viii. & who is of God but he that hath the spirite of God. For ther more, saieth he ye here it not, because ye are not of God, that is, ye haue no lust in the worde of God, for ye vnderstāde it not, and that because his spirite is not in you. For as muche then as the scripture is no thinge els but that whiche the spi­rite of God hath spoken by the Prophe­tes [Page] and Apostls, and can not be vnder­standePray y^e spirit to leuse you from your na­tural blindnes and to gyue you vnderstan dyng of spiri­tual thynges. but of the same spirite: Let euery man praye to God to send him his spirit to loose vs from oure naturall blindnes and ignoraunce, and to geue vs vnderstā ding and fealinge of the thinges of God and of y^e speakinge of y^e spirite of God And marke this processe. First we are dāned of nature, so conceyued and borne, as a serpēt is a serpēt, and a tode a todeMarke the or dre of Goddes workes. & a snake a snake bi nature. And as thou seest a yonge chylde (which hath pleasure in mani thinges wherin is present death, as in fire, water and so forth) wolde sle [...] hym selfe with a thowsande deathes, if he were not wayted opon and kept ther­froe. Euen so we, if we shoulde lyue this thousand yeares coulde in all that tyme delite in no other thinge nor yet seke any other thinge, but that where in is death of the soule.

Secundarily of the hole multitude of the nature of man, whom God hath electe and chosen and to whom he hath apointed mercy and grace in Christe, to them sendeth he his spirit, whiche open­eth their eies, showeth thē, theyr meserye, and bringeth them vnto the knoledge of thē selues, so that they hate and abhorre thē selues, are astonyed and amased and at ther wittes endes, nether wote what to do or where to seke health. Then le [...]t [Page] they shoulde [...]ie from God by despeta­cion, he conforteth them agayne with his swete promises in Christe and certifieth ther hertes that for Christes sake they are receyued to mercye & theyr sinnes for geuen and they electe and made y^e sonnes of God and heyres with Christe of eter­nal lyfe: and thys thorowe fayth are they set at peace with God.

Now maye not we are why God cho­seth one and not another, other thynke that God is vniust to dāme vs afore we do any actuall deade, seing that god hath power ouer all hys creatures of right, to do with them what he lyst or to make of eueri one of thē as he lysteth. Our dark­nes can not perceyue his lyght. God wil­be feared & not haue his secret iudgemēts knowen. More ouer we by the light of fayth se a thousande thynges whiche are impossible to an infidle to se. So lyke wise no doute in the light of the clear vi­s [...]on of God we shall se thynges whyche now God will not haue knowen For pryde euer accompanieth hye knowledge but grace accompanieth mekenes. Let vs therfore gyue diligence rather to do the will of God, then to search his secrettes which are not profitable for vs to know.

When we are thus recōsyled to God, made the frendes of God and heyres ofHe that is re­cōciled to God eternal lyfe, y^e spirite that god hath pow­red [Page] in to vs testifyeth that we maye notmuste not liue after the olde lustes of iogno raunce. lyue after our olde deades of ignorance.

For how is it possible, that we shoulde repente and abhorre them, and yet haue lust to lyue in thē. Wee are sure therfore that God hath created and made vs new in Christe, and put hys spirite in vs that we shoulde lyue a newe lyfe, whiche is y^e lyfe of good workes.

That thou maist know what are good workes, or what workes are good and the ende and entente of good workes, or wherfore good workes serue, marke this that foloweth.

The lyfe of a Christen man is inward betwene hym and God, and properly is the consente of▪ the spirite to the will of God, and to y^e honour of god. And godesGood works. honour is the finall ende of al good wor­kes. Good workes all thynges that are done wyth in y^e lawes of God, in whych God is honoured and for whiche thākes are geuen to God.Fastynge

Fastinge is to absteine from sur [...]eting or ouer much ca [...]inge, frō dronkenes and care of the worlde (as thou mayste reede Lu. xxi.) and the ende of fastynge is to tame the bodie, that the spirite may haue a free course to God, and maye quyetly talke with God. For ouer much eatynge and drinkinge and care of worldly busy­nes persse downe the spiryte, choeke hyr [Page] and tāgle hyr that she can not lift vp hyr selfe to God. Now he that fasteth for a­nyThe cause of fastynge. other entente, than to subdue the bo­dye, that the spirite may wayte on God, and frely exersice hyr selfe in the thinges of God: y^e same is blinde and woteth not what he doth, er reth & shoteth at a wrōge marke, and his entente and ymaginacion is abhomynable in y^e sight of God. Whē thou fastest from meate and drinkest all day, is that a Christen fast? either to eate at one meale that wer sufficiēt for foure.

A man at foure tymes maye beare that he can not at ones. Some fast from meat and drinke, and yet so tangle them selues in worldli busines that thei can not ones thinke on God. Some abstayne from butter, some from egges, some from all manner witte meate, some this day, some that dai, sōe in the honoure of this saint, some of that, and euery man for a sondr [...] purpose. Some for the tothache, sōe for the hed ache, for feuers, pestilence, for so­den death, for hanginge, drounding, and to be deliuered from the paynes of hell. Some ar so mad that thei fast one of the thursdayes betwene▪ the two saynt ma­rye dayes in the worshippe of that saynt whos day is halowed betwne cristēmas and candelmas, and that to be delyuered from the pestilence. All those men fast without conscience of God, and without [Page] knowledge of the true entēte of fastinge, and do no other thā honoure sayntes as the gentels and heathen worshiped, their ydolles, and are drowned in blindnes and know not of the testamēt that God hath made to manward in Christes bloud. In God haue thei nother hope nor cōfidēce, nether beleue his promyses nether know hys wyll, but are yet in captyuyte vnder they prince of the darkenes.

Watche is not only to absteyne from slepe, but also to be cir­cūspectWhat watch signifieth and to cast al pereles: as a mā should watch a toure or a castell. We muste remem­bre that the snares of the deuill are infi­nite and innumerable, and that eueri mo­mentIn al tentaciō we must cal v­pon God. aryse new temptations and that in al places mete vs fresh occasiōs. Against whiche we must prepare our selues, and turne to God, and complaine to him, and make oure mone, and desyre hym of hys mercye to be our shylde, our toure, oure castell and defence from all euill, to put his strength in vs (for wy thout hym wee can do nought) and aboue all thinges we must call to mynde what promises God hath made, & what he hath sworne that he wyll doo to vs for Christes sake, and with stronge fayth cleue vnto them, and desire hym of his mercye and for the loue that he hath to Christe, & for hys truthes [Page] sake to fulfyll his promyses. If we thus cleue to God wyth stronge fayth, and be leue his wores: then (as sayth Paule i. Corint. x.) God is faythfull, that he wyll not suffer vs to be tēpted aboue that we are able or aboue oure myght that is to say, if we cleaue to his promyses and not to oure fantasyes and ymaginacions, he will put might and power in to vs, that shal be strōger then al the tentaciō which he shal suffer to be against vs.

PRayer is amorninge a longinge and a desire of the spirite to godWhat prayer is. ward for that which she lacketh as a sick morneth and soroweth in his hert longinge for health. Fayth e­uer praieth. For after that by fayth wee are recōsiled to God and haue receyued mercie and forgiuenes of God the spirite longeth and trusteth for strengeth to do the will of God, and that God maye be honoured, hys name halowede, and hysThe condiciōs and propreties of prayer. pleasure and wyll fulfilles. The spiryte waiteth and watcheth on the will of god and euer hath hir owne fragilite & weak­nes before hyr eyes, and when she seeth tentacion and perell drawe nye, she torn­eth to God & to the testamente that God hath made to all that beleue and truste in Christes bloud and desireth God for his mercy, trueth and for the loue he hath to Christe, that he wyl fulfill hys promyse, [Page] that he shall soccur and helpe and giue vs strength, and that he wyll sanctifie hys name in vs and fulfill hys godly wyll in vs, and y^t he wil not loke on our sin and iniq [...]ite, but on his mercy, on his trueth, and on the loue that he oweth to his sone Christ and for hys sake to kepe vs from tentacion, that we be not ouercome and that he delyuer vs from euyll, and what so euer moueth vs contrary to hys God­ly wyll. More ouer of hys owne experi­enceLette the sam mind be in yon that was in Ie su Christ which. &c. he fealeth other mens neade, and no lesse commendeth to God the infirmites of other then hys owne knowynge that ther is no strength, no helpe, no succure but of God only. And as mercyfull as he fealeth god in his hert to him selfe warde so mercyfull is he to other, and as great­ly as he fealeth his owne miseri, so grate cōpassiō hath he on other. Hys neibours is no lesse care to hym then hym selfe. He fealeth hys neybours grieffe no lesse then his owne. And when so euer he seeth occa siō he can not but pray for his neibour as well as for him selfe: his nature is to seke the honour of god in al men, and to draw (as much as in him is) all men vnto God

This is the lawe of loue whiche spring eth out of Christes bloude in to y^e hertes of al thē that haue their trust in hym. No man nedeth to byd a christen man to pray if he se his neybours neade: if he se it not [Page] put hym in remembraunce only, and then he can not but do his dutye.

Nowe as toutchynge y^t we desier one aOne to praye for au other. nother to pray for vs, that do wee to put oure neybour in remēbraunce of his du­tie and not that we truste in his holynes. Oure truste is in God, in Christe and in the trueth of goddes promyses, we haue also a promise that when .ii. or ▪iii. or moe agre togethere in any thynge accordynge to the wil of God, God heareth vs. Not wythstandynge as God hearethe many: so heareth he few, [...]nd so heareth he one, if he pray after the wyl of god and desire the honour of God. He that desireth mer cye, the same fealeth hys ow [...]e mysery, and sinne and morneth in his hert for to be delyuered, that he might honour God and God for hys trueth must heare hym, which saieth by y^e mouth of christ Mat. v. Blessed are they that hōger and thurst after rightousnes, for they shalbe fulfyll­led. God for hys truethes sake muste put the rightuousnes of Christe in him andIn what hour the sinner sigh eth I shal hear hym. washe his vnrightuousnes awaye in the bloude of Christ. And be the sinner neuer so weke, neuer so feable and frayle, syne he neuer so oft & so areuousli, yet so long as this lust desire and morninge to be de­liuered remaineth in hym, God seeth not hys sinnes, rekeneth them not, for hys truethes sake and loue to Christe. He is not a sinner in the sight of God, y^e would [Page] be no sinner. He that would be del [...]uered hath his hert loose already. His hert sin­neth not, but morneth repenteth, and cō ­senteth vnto the lawe and wyll of God and iustifith God, that is, beareth record that God whiche made the law is rightu ous and iustc. And such an hert trustinge in Christes bloude, is accepted for full rightuous. And hys weaknes, infirmitie and frayltie is pardoned and hys synnes not lokede vpon: vntyll God put more strength in hym and fulfyll his lust.

When the weake in the fayth and vn­expert in the misterites of Christe desire vs to pray for thē, thē ought we to leade then to the trueth and promises of God, and teach them to put their truste in the promises of God, in y^e loue y^t God hathThe loue of God to ch [...]ste is inf [...]t▪ to Christe and to vs for his sake, and to strength ther weke consciēces, shewing [...] and prouinge by the scripture, that as longe as they folowe the spirite & resyste sinne it is impossible they shoulde faule so depe that God shal not pulle them vp agayne, if they hold fast by the anker of fayth hauinge truste and confydence in Christe. The loue that God hath to Christe is infinite, and Christe dyd and suffered all thynges, not for hym selfe, to optaine fauouer or ought else: for he had euer the full fauoure of God and was e­uer Lorde ouer all thinges, but to rec [...]n­sile vs to God and to make vs heyres [Page] with him of his fathers kyngdome. And God hath promised, that whosoeuer cal­leth on his name shall neuer be confūded or a shamed Ro. ii, Yf the ryghtwis fall (saith the scriptur) he shal not be broised, the Lorde shall put his hande vnder him.

Who is rightuous but he that trusteth in Christes bloude, be he neuer so weak?Who is righ­tuouse. Christe is our ryghtuousnes and in hym ought we to teach all men to truste, and to expounde vnto al mē y^e testament that God hath made to vs sinners in Christes bloude. Thys ought wee to do and not make a praye of them to leade them cap­tyue, to sitte in ther conscyences and to teach them to truste in our holynes, good deades and prayers, to the entēt that we woulde fede oure ydle and slowe belyes of their great labour and sweate, and so to make our selues Christes & sauiours.

For if I take on me to saue other by mi merites, make I not my selfe a Christ and a sauioure, and am in deade a false prophete and a true antichrist, and exalt my selfe and sytte in the temple of God, that is to wyt the consciences of men? A mōg Christē men loue maketh al thingesLoue makethe all thynges cō ­mon. commune: eueri man is others detter and euery man is bōūde minister to his neigh boure, and to supplye hys neyghbours lacke, of that where wyth God hath en­dued hym. As thou seeest in the worlde [Page] howe the Lordes and offycers minister peace in the commune wealth, punyshe murderers, theues and euyll doers, and to maynteine ther ordre and estate do the communes minister to them agayne rēt, trybute, tolle and custome So in y^e Gos­pell the curates whyche in euery paryshe preach the Gospel ought of dutie to rece­yue an honest lyuing for them and theyr how sholdes and euen so ought the other officers whiche are necessarilye repu [...]ed in the commune wealth of Christ. Wee neade not to vse fylthy lucre in the Gos­pell,He y^t seruethe y^e aultare oug hte to lyue of y^e aultare also to chope and chaunge and to playe the tauernars, altering y^e word of God, as they do their wynes to theyr moste a vauntage, and to fascion Goddes word after euery mans mouth, or to abse the name of Christe to optayne therby auto­rite & power, to feede oure slowe bealies. Now seest thou what prayer is, the ende therof, and wherfore it serueth,

If thou giue me a thousand pownde to praye for the I am no more boūde thē I was before. Mans ymaginacion canTemporal re­warde nother augmente the▪ nor miny sheth Charitie. make the commaundement of God ne­ther greater nor smaller nether can it ey­ther adde to the lawe of God or minishe. [...] Goddes commaundement is as grater as hym selfe. I am bownde to loue the Turke wyth all my myght and power, yea and aboue my power euen from the [Page] grounde of my hert, after the ensample that Christ loued me, nether to spare god des, bodye or life to win him to Christe. And what can I do more for the if thou gaueste me all the worlde? Where I see neade ther can I not but pray if Godes spirite be in me.

Almes is a greake worde and sygnify­eth mercy One Christen is detter to a no­ther at hys neade of all that he is able to do for him vntill his neade be suffised. E uery Christen man ought to haue Christ all ways before his eyes, as an ensample to counterfaite and folowe, and to do to his neyboure as Christ hath done to him as Paule teacheth in all his epystles and Peter in his fyrst and Iohn in his fyrsteThe order of Paule in sett­ynge forthe of Christ. also. This order vseth Paule in all hys epistles. Fyrste he preacheth the lawe and proueth that the whole nature of man is damned in that the hert lusteth contrary to the will of God.

For if we were of God, no doubt we shoulde haue lust in his will. Then prea­cheth he Christ, the Gospel the promises, and the mercye that God hath set forth to all men in Christes bloude. Whyche they that beleue and take for an erueste thing, turne thē selues to God, begininge to loue God agayne, and to prepare thē selues to hys wyll by the working of the spirite of God in thē. Last of all exorteth [Page] he to vnite, peace & sobernes, to a voyde braulinges, sectes, opinions, disputinge and arguinge a bowt wordes, & to walke in the playne and syngle fayth and fea­linge of the spirite, and to loue one an o­ther after the ensample of Christe, euen as Christe loued vs and to be thankfull, and to walke worthy of the Gospell and as it [...]e cometh Christ and wyth the en­sāpel of pure liuing to draw al to Christ.

Christ is Lord ouer al, and euery christē is heyre ānered with Christ and therfore Lorde of all, and euery one lord of what soeuer a nother hath.

Yf thy brother or neyboure therforeBy what rea­sone al thynge is commune. neade & thou haue to healpe hym and yet showest not mercy but wythdrawest thy handes from hym: then robbest thou h [...]m of hys owne and art a thefe. A Christen mā hath Christes spirite. Now is Christ a mercyful thinge: if therfore thou be not mercyfull after the ensample of Christe then hast thou not hys spirite. Yf thou haue not Christes spirite, then art thou none of hys Ro. viii. nor haste any parte with, him. More ouer though thou sh [...]we mercye vnto thy neiboure, yet if thou do it not with such burning loue as Christe dyd vnto y^e, so must thou knowledge thy sine and desyre mercy in Christ. A christē man hath nought to reioyse in, as concer ninge hys deades. Hys reioysinge is that [Page] Christe died for hym, and that he is wa­shed in Christes bloude. Of hys deades reioyseth he not, nether countech his me­rites, nether giueth pardons of them, ne­ther seketh an hier place in heauē of thē, nether maketh hym selfe a sauoure of o­ther men, thorow hys good workes. But geueth al honour to God, and in his grea tist deades of mercye knowleageth hym selfe a sinner vnfaineadly, and is a bun­dantly content wyth the place that is pre pared for hym of Christe. And his good deades are to him a signe onli y^t Christes spirite is in hym, and he in Christe, and thorowe Christe electe to eternall lyfe.

The order of loue or charite which, some dreame, the Gospell of Christe showeth not of that a man should beginne at hym selfe fyrste and then descende I wot not by what steppes. Loue seketh not hyr owne profet. ii. Cor. xii. but maketh a mā Ther is no or­der in charitie. to forgette him selfe, and to turne his pro fet and other man, as Christe sought not hym selfe or is owne profit but oures.

This terme my selfe is not in the Gos­pell, nether yet father, mother sister, bro­ther, kinsman, that one shoulde be prefer­red in loue aboue a nother. But Christ is all in all thinges. Euery christen man to an other is Christe him self, and thy neyg bours neade hath as good ryghte in thy goodes as hath Christe hym selfe whiche [Page] is heyre & Lorde ouer all. And loke what thou owest to Christe that thou owest to thy neybours neade. To thy neybour o­west thou thine herte, thi selfe and al that thou▪ haste and canste do. The loue that springeth out of Christ excludeth no mā nether putteth differēce betwene one and an other. In Christe we are all of one de­gree wythout respecte of persons. Not withstandinge thought a Christen mans hert be open to all men, and receyueth all men. Yet because that his abilite of good des extendeth not so ferre, this prouision is made, that euery man shall care for his owne howsehold, as father and mother and thyne elders that haue holpē y^e, wife childerne and seruātes. If thou shouldest not care & prouide for thyne howseholde, then, wert thou an infidele, seynge thou haste taken on the so to do, & for as moch as that is thy parte committed to the of the congregacion.

Whē thou hast done thy dutie to thineHowe and to whome almes oughte to bee geuen▪ howescholde, and yet hast farder aboun­dance of the blessinge of God, that owest thou to y^e pore y^t cā not labour or would laboure & can gette no worke, and are des titute of frēdes, to y^e pore I meāe whych thou knoweste, to them of thyne own pa rysh. For that prouision ought to be had in the congregaciō, that euery parish care for ther pore. If thi neibours which thou [Page] knowest be serued, and thou yet haue su pers [...]uyte, & hearest necessite to be amōge the bretherne a thousand myle of, to thē ar [...] thou detter. Yea to the very infydels we be detters, if they neade, as ferforth as we mayntene thē not agaynste Christ or to blasfeme Christ. Thus is euery mā that neadeth thy healpe, thy father, mo­ther, syster, and brother in Christe: euen as euery man that doth the will of the fa ther, is father, mother, sister, and brother vnto Christe.

More ouer if any be an infydele and a fals Christen and forsake hys houshold, hys wyfe, chylder and such as can not healpe them selues, then art thou bound and thou haue where w^t, euen as much as to thine own houshold. And they haue as good ryght in thy goodes, as thou thy selfe. And if thou with drawe mercye frō them, and haste wherewith to healp thē: thē art thou a thefe. Yf thou showe mer­cye,Whoe is a thefe. so doest thou thy dutie & art a fayth­full minister in the houshold of Christe, and of Christ shalt thou haue thi reward and thanke. Yf the whole worlde were thine, yet hath euery brother his ryght in thy goodes and is heyre with the, we are all heyres with Christe. More ouer the rych and they that haue wysdome wyth them must se the pore set a worke, that as many as are able maye feade them selues [Page] with the laboure of there owne handes, accordinge to the scripture and cōmaun­dement of God.

Nowe se [...]st thou what almes deades meaneth & wherefore it serueth. He that seketh wyth hys almes more than to be mercyful, to be a neybour, to succonr his brother, to giue his brother that he owith him, the same is blind and seth not what i [...] is to be a Christen man, and to haue fe­lowship in Christes bloude.

As partayning to good workes, vnder­stand that all workes are good which areAlworkes y^e be done in faithe are good. done with in y^e lawe of God in faith and with thankes geuing to God, and vnder­stande that thou in doinge them pleasest God, what so euer thou doiste wyth in that lawe of God, as when thou makest water. And trust me if other wind or wa ter were stopped y^u shouldeste feale what a preciouse thinge it were to do ether of both, and what thankes oughte to be ge­uē to God therefore. More ouer put no difference betwene workes, but what so euer cometh in to thy handes that do as tyme, place and occasion geueth, and as God hath put the in degre hye or lowe.

For as toutching to please God, ther is no worke better then an other. God lok­eth not fyrste on thy worke as the world doeth, as though the bewtifulnes of the worke pleased him, as it doeth the world [Page] or as though he had neade of them. But God loketh fyrst on thy hert, what faith thou hast to hys wordes, how thou bele­uest hym, trustest hym and how thou lo­uest him for his mercie y^t he hath shewed the, he loketh with what hert thou wor­kest, and not what thou workest, howe thou acceptest the degre that he hath put the in and not of what degre y^u art, whe­ther y^u be an Apostle or a showe maker.

Set thys ensample before thyne eyes.An example of diuersitie of estates. Thou arte a ketchin page & washeste thy masters dyshes, an other is an Apostle and preacheth the worde of God. of thys Apostle herke what Paule sayth in the secōde to y^e Corinthians. ix. If I preach (sayeth he) I haue nought to reioyse in, for necessite is put vnto me as who shuld say, God hath made me so.

Woe is vnto me if I preache not. If I do it wylingly (sayth he) then haue I my rewarde that is, thē am I sure that god­des spirite is in me and that I am electe to eternall lyfe. Yf I do it agaynste my wyll an offyce is cōmitted vnto me, that is, if I do it not of loue to God, but to gete aliuing ther by and for a worldli put pose and had, leuer other ways lyue, then do I that office which God hath put me in and yet please not God my selfe. Note now if thys Apostle preach not as many do not, whiche only make them selues A­postles, [Page] but also compell men to take thē for greatter then Apostles, yea for great ter then Christ hym selfe, then wo is vn­to hym, that is, his damnacion is iust. If he preach and hys hert not right, yet my­nistreth he the office that God hath put hym in, and they that haue the spirite of God here the voyce of God, yea though he speake in an Asse▪ More ouer howe so euer he preacheth he hath not to reioyse, in that he preacheth.

But and if he preach willyngly, wyth a true hert and of conscience to God: then hath he his rewarde, that is, then fealeth he the ernest of eternall lyfe and the wor­kinge of the spirite of God in hym. And as he fealeth Gods goodnes and mercye, so be thou sure he fealeth his owne infir mite, weaknes and vnworthynes, and morneth and knowledgeth hys synne, in that y^e hert wyll not arise to worke with that full luste and loue that is in Christe oure Lorde. And neuerthelesse is yet at peace with God thorowe faith and trust in Christ Iesu. For the ernest of the spi­rite that worketh in hym testyfyeth and beareth wytnes vnto hys hert▪ that GodThe ernest of the spirite hath chosen hym, and that hys grace, shal suffi [...]e hym, which grace is now not ydle in hym. In hys workes putteth he no trust. Nowe thou that ministerest in the [...]tchē and art but a kechēpage receyuest [Page] al thinge of y^e hand of God knowest that God hath put the in that office, submit­test thy selfe to his will and serueste thy master, not as a man, but as Christe hym selfe with a pure hert, acordinge as Paul teacheth vs, puttest thi trust in God, and with hym seekest thy rewarde. More o­uer ther is not a good deade done, but thi hert reioyseth therin, yea when thou he­reste that the worde of God is preached by this Apostle and seest the people trune to God, thou consentest vnto the deade, thine hert breaketh out in ioye, springeth and leapeth in thy brest, that God is ho­noured And in thyne hert doist the same that the Apostle doeth and happly wyth greate delectacion and a more feruēt spi­rit. Now he that receyueth a prophete in the name of a prophete shal receiue the re warde of aprophete. Math. x. that is he concēteth to y^e dede of a prophete & main teineth it, the same hath the same spirite and ernest of euerlastinge life whiche the prophete hath and is electe as y^e prophete is. Now if thou compare deade to deade ther is difference betwixt, washing of dis ches and preaching of the worde of God.

But as toutchinge to plaise God none at all. For nother that nor this pleaseth, but as ferforth as God hath chosē a mā, hath put his spirite in hym and purified his hert by fayth and trust in Christe.

[Page]Let euery man therfore wayte on the office wherin Christe hath put hym andLet euery mā wayte vpon the office that Christe hathe put hym in. therin serue hys bretherue. If he be of lowe degre lette hym paciently therein a­byde tyll God promote hym and e [...]alte hym hier. Let kinges & hed officers seke Christe in ther▪ offices and ministre peace and quietnes vnto y^e bretherne, punyshe synne, and that wyth mercye▪ euen wyth the same sorowe and grefe of minde as they woulde cutt of a fynger or ioynte a legge or arme of their own bodie if theyr were such disease in thē, that either they must be cutte of or else all the body must perish. Let euery mā of what soeur craft or occupaciō he be of, whether bruer ba­ker,Howe the cra ftesmā ought to lyue godly and according to the gospell. tailer, vitailer, marchaūt, or husbāde man refer hys craft and occupacion vn­to the commune wealth, and serue hys bretherne as he woulde do Christe hym slefe. Let hym bye and sell truely and not set dice on hys bretherne, and so showeth he mercy, & hys occupacion pleaseth God.

And when thou receyuest mony for thy laboure or ware thou receiuest thy dutie. For wherin so euer thou minister to thy bretherne, thy brether are detters to geue the where with to maintene th [...] selfe and thy houshold. And let your superf [...]uites succoure the poore, of whyche sort shall euer be some in al townes cityes, and vil lages, and that I suppose the greatest [Page] nombre. Remembre that wee are mem­bres of one bodye and oughte to miny­ster one to an other mercyfully. And re­membre that what so euer we haue, it is geuen vs of God to bestowe it on oure bretherne. Let hym that eatethe eate and gyue God thankes, onely lette not thy meate pulle thine hert from God. And let hym that drynketh do lyke wyse. Let him that hath a wife gyue God thankes for hys libertie, only let not thy wife wyth drawe thyne hert from God and then ple sest thou God and hast the worde of god for the. And in al thinges loke on y^e word of God and there in put thy truste, and not in a visure in a disgysed garmēt and [...] cutte sho [...].

Seke the worde of God in all thinges, and wyth out the worde of God do no­thinge, though it appere neuer so glory­ouse. What so euer is done with out the worde of God, that coūt ydolatrye. The kingdome of heauen is wyth in vs. Luc. xvii. Wonder therfore at no monstrous shappne [...] at any outwarde thinge whythThe worlde was neuer de­ceyued but w^t outwarde ap­pearaunce. out, that worde. For the worlde was ne­uer drawn from God, but with an out­warde showe and glorious appearaunce and shininge of hypocrisie and of fained and visured fastinge, praing, watchinge offeringe sacrificinge, halowinge of su­persti [...]ous ceremonies and monstrouse [Page] disgising. Take this for an exēple. Iohn baptist whiche had testimonie of Christe and of the Gospell, that their neuer rose a greatter among wymennes chyldern, wyth hys fasting, watching, praing, ray­ment and straite lyuing deceiued y^e iewes and brought thē in doute, whether IohnIohn decey­ueth y^e Iewes opinion. were very Christ or not and yet no scrip ture or miracle testif [...]ing it, so greatly the blynd nature of man loketh on the out­ward shining of workes, and regardeth not the inwarde worde whyche speaketh to the herte. When they sent to Iohn ax­inge hym whether he ware Christ, he de­nied it. Whā thei axed him what he was and what he said of him self. He answe­red not. I am he that watcheth, praieth, drinketh no wine nor strōge drike, eateth [...]other fysh nor flesh, but lyue with wild hony and grashopers and weare a cote of camels heare and a girdle of a skinne: but sayd I am a voyce of a criar. My voice only pertaineth to you. Those out­warde thinges whiche ye wonder at, per­tayne to my selfe only vnto the taminge of my bodye To you am I a voyce onlyThe straygh [...] nes of lyfe pe tayneth to Iohn onli b [...] the voyce to Iewes. and that which I preach. My preachinge (if it be receiued in to a penitent or repen­tinge hert) shall teache you howe to lyue and please God, accordynge as God shal shed oute hys grace on euerye man. Iohn preached repentaunce, saynge prepare the [Page] Lordes waye & make his pathes straigh [...] The lordes waye is repentaunce and notIt is impossi­ble for Christe to come wyth out the synne bee knoledged truely wyth repentaunce. hypocrisie of mans imagynacion and in uencion. It is not possible that the Lorde Christe shoulde come to a man, except he knowe hym selfe and his sinne and truly repent. Make his pathes streight: the pa­thes are the lawe, if thou vnderstande it aryght as God hath geuen it.

Christe sayeth in. xvii. of Mat. Helyas shall fyrst come, that is shall come before Christe and restore all thynges meanyng of Io. bap. Io. bap. dyd restore the lawe and the scriptur vnto y^e ryght sence and vnderstādinge, which the pharyseis part li had darkned and made of none effecte, thorowe their owne tradicions Math. xv. where Christe rebuketh them sainge: why transgresse ye the commaundemen­tes of God thorow your tradicions: and partly had corrupt it wyth gloses & false interpretatiōs, that no man coulde vnder stande it. Wherefore Christe rebuketh them Math xxiii. sainge: woo [...]e to you pharises hypocrites which shut vppe the kingdome of heauē before men: ye enter not youre selues, nether suffer them that come, to enter in: and partli dyd begile the people and blinde ther eyes in disgisinge them selues, as thou redest in that same. xxiii. Cha. howe they made brode & large philatries, and ded all ther workes to be [Page] sene of men, that the people shoulde won der at ther disgisinges and visuringe of them selues other wyse then God had made thē: and partly mocked them with hypocrisie of false holines in fasting, pra inge and almes giuinge Mat. vi. and this did thei for luker to be in authorite, to sit in y^e cōsciences of y^e people and to be coū ted as God hym selfe, y^t the people should truste in ther holynes and not in God, as thou redeste in the place a boue rehersed Mat. xxiii. wo be to you phareses hypo­crites whiche deuoure wydowes houses vnder a colour of long praier. Coūterfet therfore nothinge without the worde of God when thou vnderstandeste that, it shall teach the all thinges howe to applye outwarde thinges, and where vnto refer them. Beware of thy good enten [...], goodBeware of en terpriseynge ought of a good intent. minde, good affection or zele as they call it. Peter of a good minde and of a good affection or zele chode Christ Math. xvi. be [...]cause he saide that he must goe to Hie rusalem and there bee slaine.

But Christe called hym satan for hys laboure a name that belongeth to the de­uil. And saye that he perceyued not godly thynges but worldly. Of a good e [...]tent and of a feruent affection to Christe the sonnes of zebedei woulde haue hade fyre to come downe from heauen to consume the Samaritanes Lu ix. But Christe re­buked [Page] them saienge that they wist no [...] [...] what spirite thei were: that is, that the [...] vnderstande not how that they were al­together worldly and fleshly minded.

Peter smo [...]e malchus of a good zele: but Christe condemned his dede. The ve ry Iewes of a good entente & of a good zele: slew Christ & persecuted the apostles as Paull vereth them recorde Ro. x. I beare them recorde (sayeth he) that they haue a feruente mynde to God warde but not accordnge to knowelege. It is a nother thinge thē, to do of a good minde and to do of knoweledge.

Labour for knoweledge that thou maist knowe goddes wyll and what he would haue the to do. Oure mynd, entent, and affection or zele are blind, and al that we do of them is damned of God, and for that cause hath God made a testamente betwene hym a [...]d vs where in is contayGod hath made an euer­lastynge coue­naūt with vs that we shulde no more go a­straye after our good intēt ned boeth what he would haue vs to do, and what he woulde haue vs to axe of hym. Se therefore that thou do no thing to please God wth all but that he com­maundeth, nether are any thinge of hym but that he hath promised the.

The Iewes also (as it appereth Act. vii) s [...]ewe Steuen of a good zele. Because he proued by the scripture, that God dwel­lethe not in Churches or templs made wyth hādes. The churches at the begin­nyng [Page] were ordeined, y^t the people should thyther resorte to here the word of GodThe vse of tē ­ples or chur­ches. there preached only, and not for the vse where in they now are. The tēple where in God will be worshipped is the h [...]rte of man. For God is a spirite (sayth Christe Io. iiii.) and wylbe worshiped in the spi­rite and in trueth: That is, when a peni­tent herte consenteth vnto the lawe of God, and wyth a stronge fayth longeth for the pormyses of God. So is God ho nored on al sydes in that we counte himThe honoure of God. rightuous in all hys lawes & ordinaūces and also true in all his promyses. Other worshiping of God is there none, except we make an yd [...]le of hym.

IT shalbe recompensed the at the risinge a gayne of the ryghtuous Lu. xiiii. Rede the terte before and thou shalt perceiue y^t Christ doeth here that same that he doeth Mathe. v. that is he putteth vs in remenbraunce of oure dutie, that we be to y^e pore as Christ is to vs, & also he teacheth vs how that we can neuer knowe wether our loue be ryght, and whether it springe of Christe or no as longe as we are but kinde to thē only whiche do as much for vs a gayne. But and wee be mercifull to the [...]ore, for consciēce to God and of compassion and hertie loue, whiche compassion and loue springe of the loue wee haue to God in [Page] Christ for the pure mercye and loue that he hath showed on vs: then haue wee a sure token, that wee are be loued of God and washed in Christes bloud and electe by Christes deseruing vnto eternall lyfe. The scripture speaketh as a father doeth to his younge sonne, do this or that and then wil I loue the, yet the father loueth his sonne fyrst and studieth with all hys power and witte to ouercome hys childe with loue and with kindnes to make him do that which is comly honeste and good for it selfe, A kynde father and mother loue ther chylder euen whē they are euyl, that they would shede there owne bloude to make thē better, and to brynge them in to the ryght waye. And a naturall chylde studieth not to obtayne hys fathers loue with workes, but considereth with what loue his father loueth hym wyth all, and therfor loueth agayne, is glade to do hys fathers wil. And stu [...]ith to be thank [...]ull.

The spirite of the worlde vnderstan­dethEsaie xxix. I wyll destroye the wysdome of the wyse, And vnderstā dynge of the learned men shall [...]eryshe. not the speaking of God, nether the spirite of the wyse of this worlde, nether the spirite of Philosophers nether y^e spi, rite of Socrates, of Plato or of Aristo­les Ethikes, as thou maist se in the fyrste and seconde Chapter of the fyrste to the Corint. Thoughe that many are not a­shamed to rayle and blaspheme saynge, how shoulde he vnderstande the scrip­ture [Page] seynge he is no phylosopher nether hath sene hys metaphisike? More ouer they blaspheme sayenge howe can he be a deuine and wotteth not what is subiec tum in theologia? Neuer y^e lesse as a man wyth out the spirite of Aristotell or phi­losophie, maye by the spirite of God vn­derstand scripture: Euen so by the spirit of God vnderstandeth he that God is to be sought in all the scripture, and in all thinges and yet wotteth not what mea­neth Subiectum in theologia, because it is a terme of ther own makinge. If thouLoue of God Loue of my neyboure. shouldest saie to him that hath the spirite of God, the loue of God is the kepinge of the commaundementes, and to loue a mans neyboure▪ is to showe mercye, be woulde with out arguinge or disputinge vnderstāde, how that of the loue of God springeth the kepinge of his commaunde mentes and of the loue to thy neyboure springeth mercie. Nowe woulde Aristo­tell denye suche spakynge and a Duns man would make. xx. distinctiōs. If thou shouldest say (as sayeth saynte Iohn in the fourth of his epistle) how can he that loueth not his neyboure whome he seeth loue God whom he seeth not? Aristotell wolde saye lo a man must fyrst loue hys neyboure and then God and out of the loue to thy neyboure sprinketh the loue to God. But he that fealeth the working [Page] of the spirite of God, & also from what vengeaunce the bloude of Christe hath delyuerid hym, vnderstandeth how that it is impossible to loue othere fathere or mother, syster, brother, neyboure, or hisThe loue of a mans neybour is a signe of y^e loue of God. owne selfe a rygh, except it springe out of the loue to God, and perceyuethe that the loue to a mans neyboure is a signe of the loue to God as good frute declareth a good tre, and that the loue to a mans neyboure accōpanieth and foloweth the loue of God as heate accompaneth and foloweth fire.

Lyke wise when the scripture sayeth. Christ shall rewarde euery man at the re­surrection or vprising againe accordinge to his deades, the scripture of Aristoles Ethikes woulde saye, lo with the multi­tude of good workes mayst thou, & muste thou obtayne euerlastinge lyfe, and also a place in heauē hye or lowe acordinge as thou hast many or few good workes, and yet wotteth not what a good worke mea neth as Christ speaketh of good workes as he y^t saieth not the hert▪ but out warde thinges only. But he that hath gods spi­rite vnderstādeth it. He fealeth that goodWhat good workes be. workes are no thinge but, frutes of loue, compassion mercifulnes, and of a tender nes of hert which a Christen hath to his neiboure, and that loue springeth of that loue whiche he hath to God, to his wyll [Page] and commaundementes, and vnderstan­deth also that the loue whiche man hath to God springeth of that infinite loue and botōlesse mercy which god in ChristWhence spr [...] [...]th the loue of God. shewed fyrst to vs, as saieth Iohn in the pistle and Chap. aboue rehersed. In this sayeth he) appered the loue of God to vs warde, bycause that God sent his only begoten sonne in to the worlde that we might lyue thorow hym. Here in is loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his sonne to make a grement for oure sinnes. In conclusion a Christē man fealeth that that vnspeakeable loue and mercy whiche God hath to vs, and that spirite whyche worketh all thynges are wroughte accordinge to the wyll of God, and that loue where wy the wee loue God, and that loue whiche we haue to oure neybour, and that mercy and com passion whiche wee showe on hym, and also that eternalll lyfe whiche is layd by in store for vs in Christe are all together the gift of God thorowe Christes pur­chasinge. If the scripture sayde alwaies Christe shall rewarde the accordinge to thy fayth, or accordnge to thy hope and truste thou hast in God, or accordinge to the loue thou haste to God and thy ney­boure so were it true also as thou seyst. i.

Pe. i. receiuinge the ende or rewarde of youre fayth, the health or saluaciou of [Page] your soules. But the spirituall thinges coulde not be knowen saue by theyr wor kes, as a tre can not be knowen, but by hir frute. How coulde I knowe that I lo ued my neyboure, if neuer occasiou wereTrue fayth & loue be know­en by workes giuen me to showe mercy vnto him? how shoulde I knowe that I loued God, if I neuer suffered for his sake? how shoulde I know that God loued me, if ther were no infirmite, temptacion, perell and Ieo­p [...]rdye whence God shoulde delyuer me.

THere is no man that forsaketh house, other father, or mother▪ o­ther brethern or sisterne, or wife, or childerne for the kingdome of hauēs sake, which shal not receyue much more in this worlde, and in the worlde to come euerlastinge lyfe. Luc. xviii.

Here seest thou that a Christen man in all hys workes hath respecte to nothingeA christē hath respect to no­thing else but the glorie of God. but vnto the glorye of God only and to the maynteinynge of the trueth of God, and doth and leaueth vndone all thinges of loue to y^e glorie and honor of God on­ly, as Christ teacheth in the pater noster.

More ouer when he sayeth he shall re­ceiue much more in this world, of a truth yea, he hath receiued muche more al redi. For excepte he had felte the infinite mer­cy, goodnes, loue and kyndnes of God and the feloweshyppe of the bloude of Christe and the comfort of the spirite of [Page] Christ in hys herte, he coulde neuer haue forsaken any thinge for Gods sake. Not withstādinge (as sayth Marke in the. x. Chapter) Who soeuer for Christes sake and y^e Gospels forsaketh house, brethern or systers etc. He shall receyue an hūdrede folde houses, bretherne etc, That is spi­ritually.Howe it is to be vnderstand He shal recey­ue an hundred folde. For Christ shalbe all thinges vn to the. The angels, all Christen and who so euer doth the will of the father, shalbe father mother, syster and brother vnto, the, and all theirs shal be thyne. And God shall take the cure of the and minister all thinges vnto the▪ as longe as thou [...]ekyft but his honour only. More ouer if thou were Lorde ouer all the world, yea of tenGods spirite slake the all worldly desyr worldes before thou knewiste God: yet was not thine appetite quenched, thou thurstedeste for more. But if thou seke his honoure only, then shall he slake thy thurste and thou shalt haue all that thou desyrest, and shal be con [...]ēte: if thou dwel amonge infydeles, and amonge the moste eruelest nacion of the worlde, yet shall he be a father vnto the and shal defende the, as he dyd Abraham, Isaac and Iacob and all sayntes whos lyues thou readest in the scripture. For all that are past and gone before are but ensamples to strēgth oure fayth & truste in the worde of God.All y^t is wryt­ten, is written to our instruc tion.

It is the same God and hath sworne to vs all that he sware vnto them, and is as [Page] true as euer he was and therfore can not but fulfyll hys promyses to vs as well as he dyd to them, if we beleue as thi did.

The hour shal come when al they that are in the garues shall heare hys voyce,Howe it is to be vnderstāde. The deade in the graue shall hear the voice. that is to saye Christes voyce, and shall come forth, they that haue done good in to the resurcection of lyfe and they that haue done euill in to the resurrection of damnacion, Jhon. v.

Thys & al lyke textes declare what folo­weth good workes, & that our dedes shal testifie wyth vs or agaynste vs at that daye, and putteth vs in remembraūce to be diligente and feruēte in doinge good.

Here by mayste thou not vnderstande that we obtayne the fauour of God and the enheritaunce of life thorowe the meri tes of good workes, as hirelinges theyr wages. For then shouldest thou robbe Christ, of whose fulnes we haue receiued fauoure for fauoure, as affirmeth also Paule Ephe. i. he loued vs in his beloued by whome we haue (sayeth Paule) redē ­cion thorowe his bloude, and forgeuenes of sinnes. The forgeuenes of sinnes then is oure redemcion in Christe▪ and not the rewarde of workes.

In whom (sayth he in the same place) he chose vs before the makynge of the worlde, that is longe before we dyd good workes. Thorow fayth in Christ are we [Page] Also the sonnes of God, as thou readest Jo. i. in that they beleued on his name he gaue thē powere to be the sōnes of God. God with al his fulnes and ryches dwel leth in Christ, and out of Christ must we feach all thinges. Thou readest also. Jo. iii. he that beleueth on the sōne hath eter­nall lyfe. And he that beleueth not shal se no lyfe, but the wrath of God abideth vpon him. Here seeste thou y^t the wrath and vengeaunce of God possesseth eueryFayth & trust [...] in Christ expel leth y^e wrath [...] bryngeth fa­uoure. man tyll fayth come. Faith and truste in Christe expelleth the wrath of God, and bringeth fauoure, the spirite, power to do good, and the euerlasting lyfe. More­ouer vntyll Christe haue geuen the light thou knowest not where in standeth the goodnes of thy workes, and tyl his spirit hath loosed thyne herte thou canste not cōsente vnto good workes. All that is good in vs both wyl and workes cometh of the fauoure of God thorow Christ, to whom be the laude and thankes Amen.

IF any man wyll do hys wyll (he meaneth the wyll of the doctryne whether it be of God or whether I speak of myselfe. Jo. vii. This text meaneth not y^t any man of his owne strength power and fre wil (as they call it) can do the wyl of God, before he hath receyued y^e spirite and strength of Christ thorow faith. But here is ment y^t which [Page] is spoken in the third of Jhon when Ni­codemus maruayled howe it were possy­ble that a man shoulde be borne agayne, Christ answered, that which is borne of the fleshe, is fleshe, & that whyche is borne of the spirite, is spirite as who shoulde saye, he that hath y^e spirite thorow faith, and is borne agayne and made a new in Christ, vnderstandeth the thynges of the spirite and what he that is spiritual mea neth. But he that is fleshe and as Paule sayeth. i. Cor. ii. a natural man and led of his blynde reason onely, can neuer ascēde to the capacite of the spirite. And he ge­ueth and ensample sayenge. The wynd bloweth where he listeth and thou herest his voyce and wottest not whence he cō ­eth nor whyder he wyll. So is euery mā that is borne of the spirite, he that spea­keth of y^e spirite can neuer be vnderstāde of the naturall man whiche is but fleshe and sauereth no more then thinges of the fleshe. So here meaneth Christ if any mā haue the spirite, and consenteth vnto the wyll of God, the same at ones wotteth what I meane.

IF ye vnderstande thes thynges, happie are ye if ye do them John. xiii. A christen mans herte is with the wil of God, wyth the law and commaundementes of God, and hōgreth and thursteth after strength to fulfyl thē [Page] and morneth daye and nyght desyringe God accordinge to hys promyses, for to geue him power to fulfyl the wil of God with loue & luste: then testifieth his deade that he is blessed & that the spirite whiche blesseth vs in Christ is in hym and mini­streth such strength. The outwarde dedeThe workes testifie. testifieth what is with in vs, as thou rea dest John. v. The deades whiche I do, testifyeth of me sayth Christ. And John. xiii. hereby shal al men knowe that ye are my disciples, if ye loue one an other. And John. xiiii. he that hath my commaunde­mētes and keapeth thē the same it is that loueth me. And agayne, he that loueth me kepeth my cōmaundementes, and he that loueth me not kepeth not my commaūde­mentes, the outwarde deade testifiynge of the inwarde herte. And John. xv. Yf ye shal kepe my cōmaundementes ye shal cōtinue in my loue, as I kepe my fathers commaundemente▪ and continue in hys loue. That is, as ye se the loue y^t I haue to my father in that I kepe his commaū dementes, so shall ye se the loue that, yee haue to me in that ye kepe my commaun­dementes. Thou mayst not thinke that oure deades blesse vs fyrst and that wee preuent God and his grace in Christe, as thought we in oure naturall gyftes, andOur dedes pre uent not God des grace nor make vs iuste beinge as we were borne in Adam, loked on the lawe of God and of oure owne [Page] strēgth fulfylled it & so became ryghtuos & thē with that rightuousnes obtained y^e fauour of God. As philosophers writ of rightuousnes, & as the rytuousnes of tē ­poral law is, wher y^e lawe is satisfied w^t y^e ypocrisie of the outward dede. For con trary to y^e readest thou. Ye haue not cho­sen me, but I haue chosen you, y^t ye go, & bring furth fruit, and that your fruit re­mayn. And in the same Cha. I am a vine & ye the braunches & wythoute me can ye do nothinge. With vs therfore so goeth it. In Adā are we al as it wer wild crab­tres▪ Wee are all crabtres in A­dam. of which God choseth whō he wyll & plucketh theim out of Adam & planteth them in the gardē of his mercy & stocketh thē & graffeth the spirit of Christ in them which bryngeth forth the fruit of the wilDuryng oure lyfe wee are yet partly car­nall. of God, which fruit testifieth that God hath blessed vs in Christ. Note this also y^t as long as we lyue we are yet partlye carnal & fleshly (not withstandyng y^t we are in Christ, & though it be not imputed vnto vs for Christes sake) for ther aby­deth & remaineth in vs yet of the old Adā as it wer the stock of the crabtre & euer a mong whē occasion is gyuē him, shoteth forth his, braunches & leues, bud, blosom & fruit. Against whom we must fyghte & subdue him chaunge all hys nature by a lytle w^t prayer, fasting, watchinge, with vertuous meditacion & holy workes, vn­tyl [Page] we be altogether spirit. The kingdom of heauen sayth Christe, is lyke leauen,Mathew. xiii. which a womā taketh & hideth in .iii. pec­kes of meale till al be leuened. The leuen is the spirit & we the meale whiche mustRomans. ii. What leuē is▪ What is meal be seasoned with the spirite a litle & a ly­tle tyl we be throughout spiritual. Whi­che shal reward euery man accordinge to his dede, y^t is accordinge as the dedes are so shal euery mans reward be, the dedes declare what we are, as the fruit the tree according to the frut shal the tree be pray sed. The reward is gyuen of the mercy & truth of God, & by the deseruing & mery­tes of Christ. Wosoeuer repēteth, bele­ueth the Gospel and putteth his trust in Christ merites, y^e same is heyre w^t Christ of eternal lyfe, for assuraunce wher of y^e spirit, of God is poured into his hert as an ernest, which louseth him from the bō des of sathan, & giueth him lust & strēgth euery day more and more according as he is diligēt to axe of God for Christes sake. And eternall lyfe foloeth good lyuing. I suppose (sayeth Paule in the same Epi­stle) y^t the offlictions of thys worlde areRomans. viii. not worthy of the glorye whyche shalbe showed on vs, y^t is to say, that which we here suffer can neuer deserue y^e rewarde which ther shalbe giuē vs. Moreouer, if y^e ▪ reward shuld depend & hang of y^e wor kes no mā shuld be saued. Forasmuch as [Page] oure beste deades, compared to the lawe, are damnable synne. By y^e deades of the lawe is no fleshe iustified, as it is writtē in the third Chap to the Rom. The lawe iustifieth not, but vttereth the sinne only and compelleth and dryueth the penitent or repentinge synner to fle vnto the seyn tory of mercy in the bloude of Christe. Al so repēte we neuer so much, be we neuer so well willinge vnto the lawe of God: yet are we so weake, and the snares and occasions so innumerable that wee falle daily and hourely. So that we could not but dispere, if the rewarde hanged of the worke. Whosoeuer ascribeth eternal lifeHe that ascri­bethe eternall lyfe vnto meri tes is other a pharise or else he muste de­spayre. vnto the deseruinge & merite of workes, must falle in one of two inconueniēces, either must he be a blynde pharise not se­inge that the lawe is spiritual and he car nall, and loke and reiose in the outwarde shynynge of hys deades, despysynge the weake, and in respect of thē Iustify him selfe. Or else if he se howe that the lawe is spirituall and he vnable to asc [...]nde vnto that whiche the lawe requirethe he must nedes dispayre. Let euery Christen man therfore reioyse in Christ oure hope, trust & rightuousnes, in whom we are lo ued, chosen & accept vnto the enheritaūce of eternal lyfe, nether presumynge in our perfectnes, nether dispering in our weak nes. The perfecter a man is, the clerer is [Page] his syght, and seyth a thousande thinges whiche desplease him and also perfecte­nes that can not be obtayned in this lyfe. And therfore desyreth to be with Christ, where is no more synne. Let him that isLet not hym y^t is weake de­spayre nor him that is perfect boast him self. weake and can not do y^t he woulde fayne do not despeare, but turne to hym that is stronge & hath promysed to geue strength to all that axe of hym in Christes name, and complaine to God and desire hym to fulfyll his promises, and to God cōmitte him selfe. And he shall of his mercye and trueth strength hym and make him feale▪ wythe what loue he is beloued for Chri­stes sake, thought he be neuer so weake.

THey are not rightuous before God which heare the lawe, but they which do the lawe shalbe iu stified. Ro. ii. This text is playn ner than that it neadeth to be expounded In this chapiter before, Paull proueth that the law natural holpe not the Gen­tiles.The law natu rall was writ­ton in y^e gētils For the law of God was writen in the hertes of Gentiles (as it appereth by the lawes, statutes, & ordinaunces whych thei made in their cities) yet kept they thē not. The great kepe the smale vnder for their owne profit with the violēce of the lawe. Euery man praiseth the law as fa [...] furth as it is profitable and pleasaūt vn to himselfe. But when his owne appeti­tes should be refrained, then grudgeth he [Page] agaynst the lawe. Moreouer he proueth that no knowledge holpe y^e gentyles. For thoughe the larned men (as the philoso­phers) came to the knowledge of God, bi the creatures of the worlde, yet had they no power to worshippe God. In thys se­conde. Chapt. proueth he that the Iewes (though they had the lawe written) yet it holpe thē not: they coulde not kepe it, but were ydolaters and were also murthe­rers, adulters and what so euer the lawe forbade. He concludeth therfore that the Iewe is as well damned as the gentyle. If hearinge of y^e lawe onely myght haue iustified, then had the▪ Iewes ben rightu­ous.Not haeynge but doeynge y^e lawe maketh ryghtuose. But it is required that a man do the lawe, if he wyll be rightuous. Which be­cause the Iewe did not, he is no lesse dam ned thē the gentyle. The publishinge and declarinnge of the lawe doth but vtter a mans synne, and gyueth nether strength nor healpe to fulfyll the lawe.

The lawe killeth thy cōsciens & geueth y^e no lust to fulfyl the lawe. Faith in Christ geueth luste & power to do y^e lawe. Now is it true that he whych doeth y^e lawe is rightuous, but y^t doth no mā saue he that beleueth & putteth hys truste in Christe.

IF any mans worke that he hath bylde vpon abyde, he shall receyue a rewarde. i. Corint. ii. The circū ­staunce of the same Chapter, that [Page] is to wete, that whyche goeth before and that whiche foloweth, declareth playnly what is mente. Paule talketh of lerning doctrine or peachinge. He sayeth that he him selfe hath layd the fundacion, which is Iesus Christ: and that no mā can laye any other. He exhorteth therfore euery man to take heade what he byldeth vp­on, and boroweth a similitude of y^e gold­smith whyche tryeth hys metalles wyth fyre saienge that the fyer (that is) the iud gement of the scripture, shall trye euery mans worke, that is euery mans preach: inge and doctrine. Yf ani bylde vpon theThe fyre is y^e iudgment of scripture fundacion layde of Paule, I meane Ie­sus Christ, golde syluer or precious stone whyche are all one thynge and signifye true doctrine, whyche when it is exa­minined the scripture aloweth, then shallGolde, syluer, and preciouse stones, is true doctrine. he haue his rewarde, that is he shall be sure that his lerning is of God, and that Goddes spirite is in him and that he shal haue the rewarde that Christe hath pur­chased for hym. On the other syde if any mā bylde theron tymbre, heye or stubble,Tymber, hey, stubble, are mens doctrine which are alone and signifie doctrine of mans ymaginacion, tradicyons and fan­tasics whiche standeth not with Christe when they are examyned and iudged by the scripture, he shall suffer damage, but shalbe saued hym selfe, yet as it were tho rowe fyre, that is, it shalbe paynefull vn­to [Page] hym, that he hath lost his laboure, andHe shall be sa­ued neuer the lesse thorowe fyre. to se hys byldinge perishe, notwythstan­dinge if he repente and enbrace the truth in Christe, he shall obtayne mercy and be saued. But if Paule were now a lyue and woulde defende hys owne learnige, he shoulde be tried thorowe fyre, not tho­row fyre of the iudgemēt of scripture (for y^e iyght men now vtterly refuse) but by the popes law and with fyre of fagottes.

WE muste all appere before the iudgement seate of Christ, for to receyue euery man accor­dinge to the deades of his bo­dy. ii. Corin. v. As thy deades testifie of the so shal thi rewarde be. Thi deades be euyl, then is the wrath of God vpon the and thyne herte is euill and so shall thy rewarde be if thou repente not. Feare therfore and crie to god for grace, that thou maist loue his lawes And whē thou louest them cease not tyll thou haue optayned power of God to fulfyll them: so shalt thou be sure that a good rewarde shal folowe. Whiche rewarde not thye deades, but Christes hath purchaised for the, whose purchasinge also is that lust whiche thou haste to Goddes lawe, and that myght where with y^u fulfyllest them Remember also, that a rewarde is rather called that whiche is giuen frely, thē that whiche is deserued. That whiche is deser ued, [Page] is called (if thou wilt gyue hym hys tyght name) heyre or wages. A rewardeWhat rewar­de is & what hyre. is gyuen frely to prouoke vnto loue and to make frendes. Remenbre that whatso euer good thinge any mā doeth, that shall he receyue of y^e Lord. Ephes. vi. Remem­bring that ye shall receiue of the Lord theThe Lord shal rewarde euery man according to his dedes. rewarde of enheritaunce, Collossens. iii.

These tow textes are excedinge playne. Paul. meaneth as Peter doeth. i. Peter. ii. y^t seruaūtes should obey theyr masters with all ther hertes and wyth good wyll though they were neuer so euyll. Yea he will that all that are vnder power obeye, euen of herte and of conscience to God, be cause God will haue it so, be y^e rulers neuer so wicked. The childerne must o­beye father and mother bee they neuer soWe must obe [...] our superiou­res, be thei [...]e­uer so yu [...]ll. cruel or vnkynde, lyke wyse the wife hyr husbonde, the seruaunte hys master, the subiectes and communes their Lorde or kinge. Why? For ye serue the Lorde say th he in the thryde to the Coll. We are Christes and Christe hath bought vs, as thou readest Ro. xiiii. i. Cori. vi. i. Peter. i. Christe is oure Lorde and we hts possi­on, and his also is the commaundement. Now ought not the crueluesse and chur­lishnesse of father & mother, of husboud, master, Lorde or kinge, cause vs to hate the commaundemente of oure so kynde a Lorde Christe. Whiche spared not hys [Page] bloude for oure sakes whyche also hath purchaysed for vs wyth hys bloude, the rewarde of eternall lyfe whiche lyfe shall folowe the pacience of good leuinge and wher vnto oure good deades testifie that we are chosen. Forthermor we are so car­nal, that if the rulers be good, we can not knowe whether we kepe the commaun­dement for y^e loue that we haue to Christ and to God thorowe him or no. But and if thou canste fynde in thyne herte to do good vnto hym that rewardeth the evyll agayne, then art thou sure that the same spirite is in the that is in Christe. And it foloweth in the same Chap to the Clo­lossians. He y^t doeth wronge shal receyue for the wronge that he hath done. That is God shall auenge the aboundantly, whiche seeth what wronge is doene vn­to the and yet suf [...]reth it for a tyme, that thou myghtest feale thy pacyence and the workynge of hys spirite in the▪ and bee made perfet. Therfore see that thou not once desire vengeaunce but remitte all vengaunce vnto God as Christ dyd.

Whiche (Sayth Peter. i. Pet. ii.) when he was reuiled, reuiled not agayne nether thretned whē he suffered. Unto such obe­dience, vnto suche pacience, vnto suche a pore herte, and vnto suche fealyuge, is Pauls meanynge to brynge all men, and not vnto the vayne disputinge of them [Page] that ascribe so hye a place in heauen vn­toOur spiritual tiwyl not ob [...] rulers but curse them for doeynge ryght theire pylde merites. Whiche as they feale not the workinge of Goddes spiri­te, so obey they no man. Yf the kynge do vnto them but righte, they wyll interdite the hole realme, curse, excomunycate and sende downe far beneth y^e botome of hel, as they haue brought the peole oute of theyr wyttes, and made them madde to beleue.

THy prayers and almes are come vp in to remeraunce in the pre­sence of God. (in the tenth Chap▪ of y^e Actes) That is God forgeteth the not, thought he come not at the fyrste callynge, he loketh on and be­holdeth thy praier and almes. Prayer co­meth from the hert. God loketh fyrst onGod loketh fyrste on the herte. the herte. As thou readist Genesis. iiii. God behelde or loked fyrst on Abell, and then on his offerynge. Yf the herte be vn pure, the deade verily playseth not, as thou seest in Cain, Marke the order. In the beginnynge of the Chap. thou redest ther was a certayn mā named Corn [...]lius which feared god, gaue much almes, and prayed God alwaye. He feared God, that is he tremblede and quakede to breakePrayer. the commaundementes of God. Then praied he all waye. Prayer is the frute affecte, deade or acte of fayth and is no thinge but the longynge of the herte for [Page] tho thinges which a mā lacketh & whiche god hath promised to geue him. He doeth also almes. Almes is the frute, effecte orAlmes. deade of compassiou and pitie which we haue to our neibour. Oh what a glorious fayth and a ryght is y^t whych so trusteth God & beleueth his promises, that she fea reth to breake his commaūdementes and is also merciful vnto hyr neiboure. This is that faith where of thou readest name ly in Peter, Paul and Iohn, that we are there by bouth iustifyed and saued. And who so euer ymageneth any other fayth, deceyueth him selfe and is a vaine dispu­ter & a brauler a boute wordes, and, hath no fealinge in his herte.

Thought thou cōsēte to the lawe, that it is good rightuous and holy, soroweste and repentest because thou haste broken it, mornest because thou hast no strength to fulfyll it: yet art not thou there by at one with God. Yea thou shouldest shortli despayre and blaspheme God if the pro­mises of forgeuenes and helpe were not there bi, and faith in thine herte to beleue them. Faith therfore seteth y^• at one with God. Fayth praieth alwaye. For she hath alwaye hyr infirmites and weaknesses before hir eyes, and also Gods promises, for whiche she alwaye longeth and in allThe maner of prayeyuge of misbeleuers. places. But blinde vnbelefe prayeth not alwaye nor in al places, but in the church [Page] only, and that in such a church, where it is not lawfull to preach godes promises, nether to teach men to trust therin. Faith whē she prayeth setteth not hyr good dea des before hyr sainge: Lorde for my good deades do thys or that. Nor bergeneth with God sayinge Lord graunte me this or do thys or that, and I wyll do thys or that for the, as mumble so much dayli, goThe prayer of fayeth. so ferre or fast thys or that fast, enter in thys religion or y^t, with such other poyn­tes of infidelite, yea rather ydolatry. But shee setteth hyr infirmyties and hyr lacke before hyr face and Gods promises say­inge: Lorde for thi mercye & trueth which thou haste sworne be mercyfull vnto me, out of thys pryson & out of thys hel. And lose the bondes of Satan and gyue me power to gloryfye thy name. Fayth ther­foreFayeth iustifi eth. iustifieth in y^e herte and before God, and the deades iustifie outwardly before the world, that is, testifie onli before men what we are inwardly before God.

Whosoeuer loketh in the perfect lawe of libertye and continueth ther in (Yf he be not a forget full hearer but a doer of the worke) he shalbe happye in his deade.The lawe of libertie. Iames. i. The lawe of liberte y^t is, which requireth a fre herte, or (if thou fulfyl it) declareth a free herte lowesed from, the bondes of satan. The preachinge of theThe preach­ynge of the lawe bindeth but y^e preach­ynge of y^e gos­pell openeth. lawe maketh no man free, but byndeth.

[Page]For it is the keye that byndeth all cons­ciences vnto eternall damnacion, when it is preached: as the promyses or Gospel is the keye that lowseth all consciences that repente when they are boūd thorow preachinge of the lawe. He shalbe happye in his deade, that is, by his deade shall he knowe that he is happye and blessed of God which hath geuen him a good herteNot the hear­ynge but y^e do yng of y^e lawe declareth ble­ssednes. and power to fulfyl the law. By hearing the lawe thou shalt not knowe that thou art blessed but if thou do it, it declareth that thou art happie and blessed.

WAs not Abraham iustified of his deades, whē he offered his [...]onne▪ Isaac vpon the altar? Iames. iii. his deade iustifyed hym before the worlde, that is it declared and vttered the fayth whiche boeth iustifyeth hym before God, and wrought that wonderfull worke as Ia­mes also affermeth.

Was not Raab the harlot iustified whē she receyued the messengers and sent thē out an other waye? Iam. iii. that is lyke wise outwardli, but before God she was iustified by fayth whyche wrought that outward deade, as thou mayst se Iosue. ii. She had herde what God had done in Egipte, in the redd see, in the deserte, and vnto the two kinges of the Amorreans, Sion, and Og. And she confessed seynge: [Page] youre Lord God, he is God in heauen, a boue and in erth beneth. She also bele­ued that God as he had promised the chil derne of Israel would g [...]ue thē the lande where in she dwelt, and cōsented ther vn to, submytted hyr selfe vnto the will of God, and holpe God (as mouch as in hir was) and saued his spies & messingers.

The other feared that which she beleued but resysted▪ God wyth all there myght and had no power to submitte them selfe vnto the will of God. And therfore peris­hed they, and she was saued and that tho rowe fayth, as we reade Hebre. xi. where thou maist se how the holy fathers were saued thorou faith, & how faith wrought in them. Fayth is the goodnes of all the deades that are done with in the lawe of God and maketh thē good and glorious,Fayth is the goodnes of y^e dedes done in lawe. seme they neuer so vile, and vn beleuefe maketh them damnable seme they neuer so gloryous.

AS pertaninge to that whiche Ia­mes in thys. iii. Chapter. fayeth. What a vayleth thoughe a man say that he hath fayth, if he haue no deades? can fayth saue him? & agayne. Fayth without deades is dead in it selfe. And the deuils beleue and tremble. And as the body without the spirite is deade, euen so fayth without deades is deade. It is manifeste & cleare that he meaneth [Page] not of that fayth wher of Peter & Paul speke in their epistles, Ihō in his Gospel and fyrst Epistle, & Christ in the Gospel when he sayth, thy faithe hath made the safe, be it to the accordyng to thy fayth, or great is thy faith &c and of which Ia­mes himselfe speaketh .i. Cha. saying. Of hys owne wyl begat he vs wyth y^e word of life, y^t is in beleuing y^e promises wherIn beleueyng the worde are we made y^e sō ­nes of God. in is lyfe, at we made the sōnes of God.

Whych thinge I also thys wise proue. Paule sayeth, howe shall or can they be­leue wyth out apreacher? Now I praye you when was it hearde that God sent any man to preach vnto y^e diuyls, or that he made thē any good promes? He threat neth them oft, but neuer sent embassa­dours to preach any atonement betewene hym and them. Take an ensample that thou mayst vnderstand. Let there be two pore men both destitude of raymente in aExample of y^e beleueynge of Deuels. winter, the one stronge that he fealeth no grefe the other greuously, mornynge for payne of the colde. I then come by and moued wyth pitye and compassyon saye vnto hym that fealeth hys dysease, come to suche a place and I will gyue the ray­mente sufficyente. He beleueth, cometh, and obtayneth that whyche I haue pro­mysed. That other seeth al this and kno­weth it, but is partaker of naught. For he hath no faith, and y^t is because ther is no [Page] promise made him. So is it of the deuils The deuils haue no fayth. For fayeth is but ernest beleuinge of Gods promises. Now are ther no promises made vnto y^e diuyls, but [...]ore thretninges. The old Phi losophers knewe that ther was one God but yet had no faith, for thei had no pow er to seke his wyl nether to worship him The turkes and the saresons know that haue no power to worship God in spirit to seke his pleasure, & to submit thē vnto his wyl. Thei made an Idoll of God (as we do for y^e most part) & worshipped him euery mā after his own imaginaciō & for a sundry purpose. What we wyll haue done, that must God do, and to do oure wyll worshippe we hym and praye vnto hym: but what God wyll haue done that wyll nother turke nor saresonne nor the muste parte of vs do. What so euer wee ymagin ryghtuous, that must God ad­mytte. But Goddes ryghtuousnes, wyll not our herte admytte. Take an other enAn other exem ple. sample Let ther be to such as I speake of before and I promise both, and the one because he fealeth not his disease cometh not. So is it of Goddes promyses. No man is holpe by them but synners that feale ther synnes, morne and sorowe forIohn Baptist shewe [...] y^e peo­ple theyr dise [...] ses by the lawe and then sent them to Christe to be healed, them and r [...]pente with at there herte For Iohn Baptiste wente before Christ and preached repentaunce, that is, he preached [Page] the lawe of God right, and brought the people in to knowledge of them selues, and vnto the fear of God, and then sente them vnto Christe to be healed. For in Christe and for hys sake only hath God promised to receyue, vs vnto mercye, to forgyne vs and to giue vs power to re­siste sinne▪ How shal God saue the, when thou knowest not thie damnacion? How shall Christe deliuer the from synne, whē thou wylt not knowledge thy synne? Now I pray the how many thowsādes ar there of them that saye I beleue that Christ was borne of a virgin, that he dy­ed, that he rose agayne and so furth, and thou canste not brynge thē in belefe, that they haue any synne at all? Howe many are there of the same sorte whyche thou canst not make beleue that a thousande thinges are sinne whyche God damneth for sinne all the scripture thorowe out? As to bye as good chepe as he can, and toSinnes forbo den. sell as deare as he can, to rayse the mar­ket of corne & vitaile, for his owne vaūn­tage, withoute respecte of hys ueyboure or of the poore or of the commune wealth and such lyke. Moreouer how mani hun drede thousandes are there whiche when they haue synned, and knowledge there sinnes: yet truste in a bald ceremonye or in a lowsie freris cocte and merites or in the praiers of thē that deuoure widowes [Page] howses and eate the poore out of howse and herboure, in a thynge of his owne y­maginacion, in a folish dream and a false vision, and not in Christes bloude and inHowe they y^t are disobediē [...] vnto the rygh­tuousnes of y^e lawe and the truth of God▪ are faythlesse. the trueth y^t God hath sworne? All these are faith [...]lesse, for thei folowe ther owne ryghtuousnes and are disobediente vnto all maner ryghtousnes of God: boeth vn to the ryghtuousnes of gods lawe where with he dāneth al our dedes for thoughe some of them se ther sinnes for feare of payne, yet had thei leuer that such deades were no synne (and also vnto the rightu­ousnes of the trueth of God in his pro­myses where by he sayeth all that repent and beleue them. For though they beleue that Christe dyde, yet beleue the not that he dyed for threir sinnes & that hys death is a suffciēte satisfacion for there sinnes and that God for his sake wilbe a father vnto them and geue them powere to re­siste sinne.

Paule sayth (to the Romains in the. x. Chapter.) if thou cōfesse with thi mouth that Iesus is the lorde and beleue wythe thyne herte that god raised him vp from death, thou shalt be safe

That is if thou beleue y^t he reysed hymGod raysed Christ for our sauation. vp againe for thy saluacion. Many be­leue that God is rich and almyghtye, but not vnto them selues and that he welbe good to them and defende them and be [Page] their God. Phara [...] for payne of y^e plage was compelled to confesse his sinnes, but hadde yet no powere to submytte hym selfe vnto the wyll of God and to lette the chylder of Israell go and to loose so greate porfet for Gods pleasur. As oure prelates confesse there sinnes sayenge: though we be neuer so euill, yet haue we the power.

And agayne, the scribes and the phari­ses, say they, sate in Moises seate, do as they teach but not as they do. Thus con­fesse they that they are abhomynnable. But to the secōde I answere, if they sate on Christes seate they woulde preachr Christes doctryne, now preach they their owne tradicions and therfore not to be hearde If they preached Christ we ought to here them thought they were neuer, soThe preachars or the true gos pell ought to be herd though they lyue nau­ghtyly. abhominable, as thei of them selues con­fesse and haue yet no power to a mende nether to let lowese Christes flocke to serue God in the spirite whiche they hold captiue compellinge them to serue theyre false lyes. The diuils fealte the power of Christe and were compelled against th [...]ir wylles to confesse that he was the sonne of God, but had no power to be contente therewith nether to consente vnto the or dinaunce and eternall cowncell of the e­uerlasting God, as oure prelates feale the power of God against them but yet haue [Page] no grace to geue rowme vnto Christe, be­cause that they (as the diuils nature is) wyll them selues sitte in his only temple, that is to wete, the consciences of men. ¶Simō magꝰ beleued, Actes. viii. with such a faith as the diuils cōfessed Christ,Simon Ma­gus. but had no righte fayth, as thou seyst in the sayd Chapter. For he repented not consentinge vnto the lawe of God. Ne­ther beleued the promyses or longed for them, but wondred only at the myracles whiche Philippe wroughte and because that he hym selfe, in Philippes presence, had no power to vse his wychcrafte, sor­cery and art magike, where with he moc­ked and deluded the wytes of the people: he woulde haue bought the gyft of God to haue sold it muche dearer, as hys suc­cessiours now do and not y^e succestoures of. Simon Peter.

For were they. Simon, Peters succes­sours,Our spiritual tie are the suc­cessors of Si­mon not Pe­ter. they woulde pre [...]che Christ as he­dyd, but they are. Symon magusses suc­cessiours, of whyche Simon Peter well prophesied in the seconde Chapter of his seconde Epistle sainge, there were fals prophettes amonge the people (meaninge of the. Ieues) euen as there shalbe false teachers or doctours a monge you which priuely shall brynge in sectes damnable. Sectes is partetakyng as one holdeth of frauces a nother of domynyck whiche [Page] thinge also Paule rebuketh. i. Corinthi. i▪ and▪ iii. Euen denienge the Lorde that bought them, for they wyll not be saued by Christe nether suffer any mā to preach him to other. And mani shal folowe their damnable wayes. Thou wylt saye shall God suffer so mani to go out of the right wayes so longe? I answere many muste folowe their damnble wayes or else must Peter be a false prophete, by whiche the waye of trueth shalbe euyl spoken of, as it is nowe at this presente tyme. For it is heresye to preache y^e trueth and thorowe couetuousnes shal thei w^t fayned wordes make merchaundyse of you, of theyr merchaundyse and couetuousnes it neadeth not to make rehersall, for they that be blinde se it euidently.

Thus seest thou that Iames when heWhat fayth Iames spea­keth. sayeth, fayth withoute deades is deade, and as the body wyth oute the spiryte is deade, so is fayth without deades, and the deuyls beleue: that he meaneth not of the fayth and truste that wee haue in the treueth of Gods promises and in his ho­ly testamente made vnto vs in Christes bloude, whyche fayth foloweth repent­taunce and the consente of the herte, vn­to the lawe of God, and maketh a man safe, and setteth him at peace with God.

[...]ut speaketh of that false opinion and ymagynacyon where wyth some saye, I [Page] beleue that Christe was borne of a vir­gine, and that he dyed and so furth. That beleue they veryly, and so strongely that thei are readye to sley whosoeuer would saye the contraye.

But they beleue not that Christe dyed for theire sinnes, and that his death hath pleased the wrath of God and hath ob­tayned for them all that God hath pro­mysed in the scriptuer. For how can they beleue that Christ died for theyre sinnes and that he is theyre only and sufficiente sauioure, seynge that they seke othre sa­uiours of ther owne ymaginacion and seynge that they feale not theyre synnes neyther repente, excepte that some repēte as I aboue sayd) for feare of payne▪ but for no loue nor consente vnto the lawe of God nor lōging that they haue for those good promises whiche he hath made thē in Christes bloude.

Yf thei repented and loued the lawe of God and longed for that helpe whyche God hath promysed to gyue to all that call on him for Christes sake, then v [...]tily muste Goddes tryeth gyue them powere to do good workes when so euer occasi­on were giuen, either must God be a fals God. But let God be true and euery mā a lyer as scripture sayeth. For the trueth of God lasteth euer, to whom only be all honor and glory for euer