A pathwaye into holy. &c.
I Do ma [...]ueyle greatly / derely beloued in Christ / that euer any man shulde repugne or speke agaynst the scrypture to be hadde in euery language / and that of euery man. For I thought that no man had ben so blynd to aske why lyght shuld be shewed to them that walke in darknes / where they can nat but stomble / & where to stomble is the daūger of eternall dampnacion: either so dispytefull that he wolde enuy any man (I speake nat his brother) so necessary a thing: or so bedlem mad to afferme that good is the naturall cause of euyll / & darkenesse to procede out of lyght / & that lyeng shulde be grounded in trouth & verytie / and nat rather clene contrary that lyght distroyeth darkenes / and veritye reproueth all maner lyenge.
Neuerthelesse / seyng that it hath pleased god to sende vnto oure Englysshe [Page] men / euen to as many as vnfaynedly desyre it / the scrypture in their mother tonge / consyderynge that there be in euery place false techers & blynde leders / that ye shuld be disceyued of no man. I supposed it very necessarye to prepayre this Path way into the scripture for you that ye myght walke surely & euer know the trewe from the false. And aboue al to put you in remēbraunce of certayne pointes which ar: That ye well vnderstande what these wordes meane. The olde Testament / the newe Testament / the lawe / the gospell / Moses / Christ / nature / grace / workyng & beleuyng / dedes and fayth. L [...]t we ascrybe to the one / that whiche belongeth to the other / and make of Christ / Moses / of the gospell / the law: dispyse grace and robbe fayth: and fall from meke lernynge in to ydle dispicyons / braulynge [Page] and scoldinge about wordes. The olde testament is a boke wherin is written the lawe of god / & the dedes of them which fulfyll them / & of them also which fulfyll them nat.
¶ The newe Testament is a boke / wherin are conteyned the promyses of god / & the dedes of them whiche beleue them / or beleue them nat.
Euāgelion (that we call the gospel) is a greke worde / & sygnifyeth good mery / glad / & ioyfull tidynges / that maketh a mannes herte glad / & maketh him synge / daunce / & leape for ioye. As whā Dauid had killed Go lyath the giaūt / came glad tidinges vnto the iewes / that their fearfull & cruell enemy was slayne / & they delyuered out of all danger: for gladnes wherof they sōge / daūsed & wer ioyfull. In lyke maner is the euangelion of god (which we cal gospel & the new testamēt) ioyfull tidyngꝭ [Page] and as some saye: A good herynge publysshed by the apostels through oute all the worlde / of Christe the righte Dauyd / howe that he hathe fought with synne / with dethe / and the deuyll / and ouercome them.
Whereby all men that were in bondage to synne wounded with dethe / ouercome of the Deuyll / are withoute their owne meryttes or deseruynges / losed / iustifyed / restored to lyfe / and saued / brought to lybertie and reconsyled vnto the fauoure of god and set at one with him agayne which tidynges as many as beleue laude / prayse / and thanke god / are glad / synge / daunce for ioye.
¶ This Euangelyon or Gospell (that is to saye / suche ioyfull tidynges) is called the newe Testament. Because that as a mā whan he shal dye / appoynteth his goodes to be delte and distributed after his deth [Page] amonge them whiche he nameth to be his heyres. Euyn so Christ before his deth commaunded and appoynted that suche Euangelyon / Gospell or tidynges / shulde be declared throughoute all the worlde / and therwith to gyue vnto all that repent and beleue / all his goodes: that is to saye / his lyfe / wherewith he swalowed and deuoured vp deth his rightwysnesse / wherwith he banysshed synne: his saluacion / wherwith he ouercame eternall dampnacyon. Now can the wretched man (that knoweth him selfe to be wrapped in syn / and in daunger to dethe and Hell) here no more ioyouse a thynge / than suche gladde and comfortable tidynges of Christ / so that he can nat but be gladde and laugh from the lowe bottome of his hert / if he beleue that the tidynges are trewe.
[Page]¶ To strength such fayth with all / god promysed this his euangelyon in the olde testameut by the prophetes (as Paule sayth in the fyrst chapiter vnto ye Romayns) Howe that he was chosen out to preche goddes Euangelion / whiche he before had promysed by the prophetꝭ in the holy scriptures that treate of his sōne which was borne of the sede of Dauyd. In the thirde chapiter of Genesis / god sayth to the serpente: I wyll put hatered betwene the & the woman / betwene thy seede and her sede: that selfe sede shall treade thy heed vnder fote, Christ is the womans sede / he it is that hath troden vnder fote the deuyls heede / that is to saye: synne / dethe / hell / and all his power. For without this sede can no mā auoyde synne / deth / hell / and euerlastynge dampnacion. Agayne / Gene. xxii. God promysed [Page] Abraham / sayeng. In thy sede shall all the generacyons of the erthe be blessed. Christ is that sede of Abraham / saith s. Paul in the third to the Galathyans. He hath blessed al the worlde throughe the Gospell. For where Christe is nat / there remayneth the curse that fell on Adam / as sone as he had synned / so that they are in bondage vnder the dampnacyon of synne / deth / & hell. Against this curse blesseth nowe the gospell all the worlde / in as moch as it cryeth openly vnto all that knowledge their synnes and repent / sayenge: Who so euer beleueth on the sede of Abraham shalbe blessed / that is / he shall be delyuered from synne / deth and hell / and shall hence forthe contynewe [...]ightwyse & saued for euer / as Christ him selfe sayth (in the. xi. of Johan.) He that beleued on me shall neuer more dye.
[Page]¶ The lawe (sayth Jo. in the fyrst [...]ha) was gyuen by Moses: but grace and vertue by Jesus Christ. The lawe (whose minyster is Moses) was gyuen to bringe vs vnto the knowledge of oure selues / that we myght thereby fele & perceyue what we are of nature, The law condemneth vs & all oure dedes / & is called of Paule (in the third cha. of the. ii. pistle vnto the corinthians) the mynistracyon of dethe. For it kylleth oure conscyences and drweth vs to disperacyon / in as moche as it requyreth of vs / that which is vnpossyble for our nature to do. It requyreth of vs the dedes of an hole man. It requyreth ꝑfet loue from the low bottom and grounde of the hert / as well in all thynges which we suffre as in tho thiges which we do. But sayth John̄ in the same place▪ grace and veritye is gyuen vs by Christ / [Page] so that wha [...] the lawe hathe passed vpon vs / & condempned vs to dethe (which is his nature to do) than haue we in Christ grace / that is to say fauour / promyses of lyfe / of mercy / of pardone / frely by the merytes of Christ / & in Christ haue we veritye and trouth / in that god for his sake fulfylleth all his promyses to them that beleue. Therfore is the gospell the ministracion of lyfe. Paule calleth it in the fore rehersed place of ye seconde [...]ap. to the Corinthiās. the ministracion of the spirit▪& of rightwysnes. In the gospell whan we be leue the promyses / we receyue the spirite of lyfe / and are iustifyed in the blode of Christ from all thinges whereof the lawe condempneth vs. And we receyue loue vnto the lawe and power to fulfyll it / & grow therin dayly. Of Christ it is written in the fore [...]hersed fyrste chapiter of [Page] John: this is he of whose abūdance or fulnes / all we haue receyued grace for grace / or fauour for fauoure. That is to saye / for the fauour that god hath to his son christ / he giueth vnto vs his fauour & good wyl / & al gyftes of his grace / as a fader to his sōnes. As affermeth Paule / sayeng: whiche loued vs in his beloued before the creatyon of the world. So that Christ bringeth the loue of god vnto vs / and nat oure owne holye workes. Christ is made lorde ouer all / & is called in scripture / goddes mercy stole. whosoeuer therfore flyeth to christ / can neither here nor receyue of god any other thynge saue ¶ In the olde testament (mercy. ar many ꝓmises / which ar nothyng els but this euangelyon or gospell / to saue those that beleued thē / from the vengeaunce of the lawe. And in the new testament is oft made mencion [Page] of the lawe / to condempne thē / which beleue nat the promyses.
Moreouer the lawe & gospell maye neuer be seperate: for the gospel and promyses serue but for troubled couscyences whiche are brought to disperacion and fele the paynes of hell and deth vnder the lawe / and are in captiuyte & bondage vnder the law. In all my dedes I muste haue the lawe before me to condempne myne vnꝑfytnes. For all that I do (be I neuer so parfyte) is yet dampnable synne / whan it is compared to the lawe / which requyreth the grounde and bottome of myne herte. I must therefore haue alwayes the lawe in my syght / that I may be meke ī the spirit / & gyue god all the laude and prayse / ascribīge to hī all rightwysnes / & to my selfe all vnright wysenes & synne. I must also haue the promyses before myne eyes / that I [Page] dispeyre nat / in which promyse I se the mercy / fauour / and good wyl of god vpō me in the blode of his sōne christ / which hath made satisfaction for myne vnparfytenes / & fulfylled for me / that which I coulde nat do, ¶ Here maye ye perceyue that two maner of people are sore disceyued. Fyrst they which iustifye them selfe with outwarde dedes / in that they absteyne outwardly from that whiche the lawe forbyddeth / and do outwardly that whiche the lawe commaundeth. They compare themselues to open synners / and in respecte of them iustify thē selues / condempnynge the open synners. They set a vayle on Moses face / & se nat howe the lawe requyreth loue frō the botthom of the hert / & that loue only is the fulfyllynge of the lawe. If they dyd they wolde nat condemne their neybours. Loue hydeth the multy [Page] tude of synnes sayth saynt Peter in his fyrst Pistle. For whom I loue from the depe bothom & grounde of myne herte / him condempne I nat / neither reken his synnes / but suffre his wekenesse & infyrmyte / as a mother the wekenesse of her sonne / vntyll he grow vp into a parfyte man. ¶ Those also are disceyued which without all feare of god gyue them selues vnto all manner vyces with full consent / & full delectacion / hauynge no respect to the lawe of god (vnder whose vengeaunce they are locked vp in captiuytie) but saye: God is mercyfull / & Christ dyed for vs / supposynge that such dremynge and ymaginacion is that fayth whiche is so greatly commended in holy scripture. Naye / that is nat fayth but rather a folysshe blynde opinyon / springynge of their owne corrupt nature / and is nat gyuen them [Page] of the spirit of god / but rather of the spirit of the deuyl / whose faith now a dayes / the popysshe compare and make equall vnto the best trust / confidence and beleue / that a repenting soule can haue in the blode of oure sauyour Jesus / vnto their owne confusyon / shame / & vttrynge what they are within. But trewe fayth is (as sayth the apostle Paule) the gyft of god / & is gyuen to synners after the lawe hath passed vpon them / & hath brought their conseyences vnto the brim of disꝑacion & sorowes of hell.
¶ They that haue this right fayth consente to the lawe that it is right wyse & good / and iustifye god whiche made the lawe / and haue delectacyon in the lawe (natwithstāding that they can nat fulfyll it as they wolde for their wekenes) & they abhorre what so euer the lawe forbyddeth / though they can nat alwayes [Page] auoyde it. And their great sorowe is / bycause they can nat fulfyll the wyll of god in the lawe / & the spirit that is in thē / cryeth to god night & day for strength & helpe with teres (as saith Paul) yt can nat be expressed wt tonge / of which thingꝭ the be lefe of our popish or of their father / whom they so magnify for his strō ge faith hath none experience at all.
¶ The first [...] that is to say / he whiche iustifyeth himselfe with his outward dedꝭ / consenteth nat to ye law inward / nether hath delectatiō their in: ye / he wolde rather that no such lawe wer. So iustifieth he nat god but hateth hī as a tyrāt / neither careth he for the promyses / but wyll with his own strēgth be sauyour of himselfe / no wise glorifyeth he god though he seme outwarde to do.
¶ The secōd / that is to say / the sensuall person / as a voluptuous swyne [Page] / neither fereth god in his lawe / neither is thankefull to him for his ꝓmises & mercy / which is set forthe in Christ to all them that beleue.
¶ The right christē man cōsenteth to the lawe that it is rightwyse / & iustifyeth god in the lawe: for he affermeth that god is rightwyse and iust / which is author of the lawe / he beleueth the promyses of god / & iustifyeth god [...] iugynge him true and beleuing that he wyl fulfyll his promyses. With the lawe he condempneth him selfe & all his dedes / & gyueth all the prayse to god. He beleueth the promyses / and ascrybeth all trauth to god. Thus euery where iustifieth he god & prayseth god.
¶ By nature through the fall of Adam are we the chyldren of wrath / heyres of the vengeaūce of god by byrth / ye / & from our cōception. And we haue our felowship wt the dampned [Page] deuels vnder the power of derknes & rule of Sathan / whyle we ar yet in our moders wōbes / & though we shewe nat forth the frutes of syn as sone as we be borne / yet are we full of the naturall poyson wherof all synfull dedes springe / & can nat but syn outwardes (be we neuer so yonge / as sone as we be able to worke if occasyon be gyuē / for our nature is to do syn / as is the nature of a serpent to stynge. And as a serpent yet yonge / or yet vnbrought forthe is full of poyson / and can nat afterwarde (whan the tyme is come and occasyon gyuen) but bringe forthe the frutes therof. And as an edder / a tode / or a snake / is hated of man (nat for the euyll that it hathe done but for the poyson that is in it / and hurte whiche it can nat but do) so are we hated of god for that naturall poyson which is conceiued and [Page] borne with vs / before we do any outward euyll. And as the euyll which a venomouse worme dothe / maketh it nat a serpente: but bycause it is a venomouse worme / dothe it euyll and poysoneth: and as the frute maketh nat the tree euyll / but bycause it is an euyll tree / therfore bringeth it forth euyll frute / whan the season of frute is. Euen so do nat our euyl dedes make vs fyrst euyll throughe ignorance & blyndnes thorow euyll workynge / harde [...]eth vs in euyll & maketh vs worse and worse: but bycause that of nature we ar euyl therfore we both thinke & do euyll / and ar vnder vengeance / vnder the law conuycte to eternall dampnation by the lawe / and ar contrary to the wil of god in all our wyll / & in all thinges consent to the wyl of the fende.
¶ By grace / that is to saye / by fauour / we ar plucked out of Adā / the [Page] grounde of all euyll / and graffed in Christ the rote of all goodnesse. In Christ god loued vs his elect & chosen / before the worlde beganne / and reserued vs vnto the knowlege of his sonne & of his holy gospell / and whan the gospell is preached to vs / openeth oure hertes / and gyueth vs grace to beleue / and putteth the spiryte of Christ in vs / and we know him as our father moste mercyfull / and consent to the lawe / and loue it inwardly in our hert / and desyre to fulfyll it / and sorowe bycause we cā nat / which wyll (syn we of frayltie neuer so moch) is suffycient tyll more strengthe be gyuen vs / the blode of Christ hath made satisfactiō for the rest / the blode of Christ hath opteyned all thynges for vs of god. Christ is our satisfactyon / redemer delyuered / sauyour frō vengeance and wrath▪ Obserue and marke in [Page] Paules / Peters / & Jhons pistels / & in ye gospell what christ is vnto vs,
¶ By faith ar we saued only ī beleuynge the promises. & though faith be neuer without loue & good workes / yet is our sauinge imputed nether to loue nor vnto good workes but vnto faith only. For loue & workes ar vnder the lawe which requyreth perfection / & the groūde & fountayne of the hert / & damneth all imperfytues▪ Now is faith vnder the ꝓmyses which damne nat: but giue ꝑdon / grace / mercy / fauour / & whatsoeuer is cōteyned in the promises.
¶ Rightwisnes is dyuers / for blide reason imagyneth many maners of rightwisnesses. There is the rightwisnes of workꝭ (as I sayd before) whan the hert is away & is nat felte how the lawe is spūall & can nat be fulfylled but from the botom of the herte. As the iust ministracyon▪ of [Page] al maner of lawes / & the obseruing of them / for a worldly purpose & for our owne profyte & nat of loue vnto our neyboure without / all other respecte & morall vertues / wherin philosophers put their felicite & blessednes / which all ar nothynge in ye syght of god in respect of the lyfe to come. There is in lyke maner the iustifye [...]g of ceremonies which sōe imagyn their own selues / some coū terfey [...]e other / sayeng in their blide reason: such holy persons dyd thus and thus / and they were holy men / therfore if I do so lykewyse / I shal please god: but they haue none answere of god / that y• pleaseth. The iewes seke rightwisnes in their ceremonies which god gaue vnto thē nat for to iustifye / but to discribe & paynt christ vnto thē / of which iues testifyeth Paule / sayeng / how that they haue affectyon to god: but nat [Page] after knowlege / for they go aboute to stablyssh their owne iustyce / & ar nat obedyent to the iustyce or rightwysnes that cometh of god / which is the forgyuenes of syn in christes blode / vnto all that repent & beleue. The cause is verily / that excepte a man cast away his owne imagynacyons & reason / he can nat perceyue god / & vnderstande the vertue and power of the blode of Christ. Ther is a full rightwisnes / whā the lawe is fulfylled from the grounde of the hert. This had nat Peter nor paul in this lyfe parfytly: vnto the vtter most / that they coulde nat be parfyter but syghed after it. They were so farforth blessed in christ / that thei hungred & thyrsted after it. Paule had this thirst / he consēted to ye law of god / that it ought so to be / but he foūde another lust in his membres contrarye to the lust & desyre of his [Page] mynde that letted him / and therfore cryed out sayeng: Oh wretched mā that I am: who shal delyuer me frō this body of deth / thākes be to god thorowe Jesus Christ. The ryghtwysnes that before god is of value is to beleue the promyses of god / after the lawe hath confoūded the conscyence. As whan the tēporall lawe ofte tymes condempneth the thefe or morderer / & bringeth him to execusyon / so that he seeth no thynge before him but present deth / & than cometh good tydynges / a charter from the kinge and deliuereth him. Lykewyse whan goddes lawe hath brought the synner in a knowlege of him selfe / & hath confounded his conscyence / & opened vnto him the wrath and vengeance of god / than cometh good tydynges / the Euangelyon sheweth vnto him the promyses of god in Christ / & howe that [Page] Christ hath purchased pardon for hī hath satisfyed the lawe for him / and pesed the wrath of god. And ye pore sinner beleueth / laudeth & thanketh god / thorowe Christ / and breaketh out into excedynge inwarde ioye / & gladnes / for that he hathe escaped so gret wrath / so heuy vengeaunce / so ferfull and so euerlastyng a deth And he hence forthe is an hungred and a thirst after more rightwisnes that he myght fulfyll the lawe / and mourneth contynually cōmendyng his wekenes vnto god in the blode of our sauyoure Christ Jesu.
¶ Here shall ye se compēdiously & playnly set out / the ordre & practyse of euery thynge afore rehersed.
¶ The fall of Adam hath made vs heyres of the vengeance & wrath of god & heyres af eternall dāpnation And hath brought vs īto captiuyte & bōdage vnder the deuyll. And the [Page] deuyll is our lorde & our ruler / our heed / our gouernour / our prince / ye and our god: and our wyl is locked and knyt faster vnto the wyll of the deuyll / thā coude an hūdreth thousande chaynes bynde a man vnto a post. Unto the deuyls wyll consent we with all our hertes / with al our myndes / with all our might / power strength / wyl & lust: so that the law & wyll of the deuyl is writtē as wel in our hertes as in our membres / & we ronne hedlonge after the deuyll with full seale / & the hole swynge of al the power we haue / as a ston cast vp into the ayre cometh downe naturally of his owne selfe / wt all the vyolence and swynge of his owne weyght. With what poyson dedly / and venomouse hate / hateth a man his enemyes? With howe great malyce of mynde inwardlye doo we sleye & murther▪ With what vyolence [Page] & rage / ye / and with how feruent lust commyt we aduoutrye / fornication / & such lyke vnclennesse with what pleasure & dylectacyon inwardly serueth a glottō his bely? With what dilygence disceyue we? Howe busely seke we the thinges of this worlde? Whatsoeuer we do thynke / or ymagin / is abhomynable in the syght of god. For we can referre nothinge vnto the honour of god: neither is his law or wyl written in our membres or in our hertꝭ / neither is there any more power in vs to folowe the wyll of god / thā in a stone to ascende vpwarde of his owne selfe. And besyde that we are as it were a slepe in so depe blidnes that we can nether se nor fele i what misery / thraldom & wretchednes we ar in / tyll Moses come & wake vs / and publysshe the lawe. Whan we here the lawe truly preached / howe [Page] that we ought to loue & honor god with all our strength & might from the lowe bothom of the hert / bycause he hath created vs / & both heuen and erthe for our sakes / & made vs lorde therof: and oure neyghbours (ye our enemyes) as our selues inwardly from the groūde of the hert bycause god hathe made them after the lykenes of his owne image / and they ar his sonnes as well as we / & Christ hathe bought them with his blode / & made them heyres of euerlastynge lyfe as well as we: & how we ought to do what so euer God biddeth / & absteyne frō whatso euer god forbyddeth with all loue & mekenes / with a feruent & a burnynge lust from the center of the hert: than beginneth the conscyence to rage agaynst the lawe & agaynst god, No see / be it neuer so great a tempest is so vnquyet / for it is nat possyble for [Page] a naturall man to consent to ye lawe that it shulde be good / or that god shulde be rightwise / which maketh the lawe in asmoch as it is cōtrary vnto his nature & dampneth him / & all that he can do / & neither sheweth hi where to fetch helpe / nor precheth any mercy / but onely setteth man at varyance with god / as wytnesseth Paul. Ro. iiii. and prouoketh him and styrreth him to rayle on god / & to blaspheme him as a cruel tyrant. For it is nat possyble for a man tyll he be borne agayne / to thynke that god is rightwyse to make hi of so poison a nature / either for his owne pleasure or for the synne of another man / and to gyue him a law that is impossyble for him to do / or to consent to his wytte / reason and wyll / beynge so fast glued / ye / nayled and cheyned vnto the wyll of the deuyll Neither can any creatures lose the [Page] bōdes / saue the blode of christ only. ¶ This is captiuyte and bondage whēce christ delyuered vs / redemed and losed vs. His blode / his deth / his pacience in suffrynge rebukes & wronges / his prayers & fastynges / his mekenes & fulfyllyng of the vtmost poynte of the lawe / peased the wrath of god / brought ye fauoure of god to vs again / opteined that god shulde loue vs first / & be our father and that a merciful father / that wyl consydre our infirmites & wekenes and wyll gyue vs his spirit againe (whiche was taken awaye in the fall of Adam) to rule / gouerne / and strengthe vs / & to breke the bondes of Satan / wherin we were so streit bounde. Whan Christ is thus wyse preched / and the promyses rehersed which ar conteyned in the prophettes in the Psal. & in dyuers places of the fyue bokes of Moses / whiche [Page] preachynge is called the gospell or glad t [...]dynges: than the hertes of them which are electe and chose / begyn to waxe softe & to melte at the bountuous mercy of god / and kyndnes shewed of Christ. For whā the Euangelion is preched / the spirite of god entreth into thē / which god hath ordeyned and appoynted vnto eternall lyfe / and openeth their inwarde eyes / and worketh such bele [...]e in them, whan the wofull conscyences fele & cast howe swete a thige the bytter deth of Christ is / & howe mercyfull & louyng god is through Christes purchasynge & merytes / they begyn to loue agayn / & to consent to the lawe of god / howe that it is good & oughte so to be / and that god is ryghtwyse whiche made it / and desyre to fulfyll the lawe / euen as a sycke man desyreth to be hole / and ar an hongred and thirst after [Page] more riȝtwysnes / & aft more strēgth to fulfyll the lawe more parfytly.
And ī all that they do or omyt & leue vndon, they seke goddes honour / & his wil wt mekenes / euer cōdemnīg ye vnꝑfytnes of their dedꝭ by ye law. ¶ Nowe Christe standeth vs in double steede / and vs serueth two maner wyse. Fyrst he is our redemer / delyuerer / reconsyler / medyator / intercessor / aduocate or turney / solyciter / our hope / conforte / shelde / protection / defender / strength / helth / satisfaction / & saluacion. His blode / his deth / all yt he euer dyd / is ours. And Christ himselfe with all that he is or can do / is ours. His blode shedynge and all that he dyd doth me as good seruyce as though I my selfe had done it. And god (as gret as he is) is myne with all that he hath as an husbāde is his wiues thorowe Christ & his purchasynge▪ [Page] ¶ Secōdarily / after that we be ouercome with loue & kyndnes / and now seke to do the wyl of god (whiche is a christenmās nature) Than haue we christ an example to coūter feyt / as sayth Christ hi selfe in Joh. I haue gyuen you an example. And in another Euāgelist / he sayth: He that wyl be gret amonge you shalbe your seruaunt & minister / as the son of man [...]ame to minister & [...]at to be ministred vnto, & Paul saith: coū terfet Christ. And peter saith / christ dyed for you / & left you an ensample to folowe his steppes. What so euer therfore faith hath receyued of god thorow christes blode & deseruyng / that same must loue shede out euery whyt / & bestowe it on our neybours vnto their profyt / ye / & that though they be our enemys. By faith we receyue of god / & by loue we shede out again. And that must we do frely after [Page] the ensāple of Christ wt out any other respecte / saue oure neybours welth only / & neither loke for rewarde in erth nor yet in heuen for the deseruīge & merytes of oure dedes as freres prech / though we knowe that good dedes are rewarded▪ bothe in this lyfe & in the lyfe to come: but of pure loue must we bestow our seluꝭ al yt we haue / & al that we ar able to do / euyn on our enemyes to bringe thē to god / cōsyderige nothinge but their welth as christ did ours▪ christ [...]yd nat his dedes to obteyne heuen [...]herby (that had bē a madnes) heuē [...]as his alredy / he was heyre ther [...]f / it was his by inherytaunce / but [...]yd thē frely for our sakes / consyde [...]nge nothinge but our welthe / & to [...]ringe the fauoure of god to vs a [...]ayne / & vs to god. As no naturall [...]e that is his fathers heyre / doth [...]s fathers wyll bycause he wolde [Page] be heyre / that he is alredy by byrth: his father gaue hī that are he was borne / and is lother that he shulde go without it / than he him self hath wytte to be: but of pure loue dothe he that he doth. And aske him why he doth any thynge that he doth: he answereth: My father bad / it is my fathers wyll / it pleaseth my father▪ Bonde seruauntes worke for hyre. Chyldren for loue. For their father with all he hath is theirs alredy.
So doth a cristen mā frely all that he doth / consydereth nothynge but the wyll of god & his neyghbours welth only: if I lyue chast / I do it nat to opteyne heuen thereby: For than shuld I do wronge to the blod of christ. Christes blode hath opteyned me that / Christes merites hath made me heyre therof. He is bothe dore & way thitherwardes, Neither that I loke for an hier roume in heuen [Page] than they shall haue which lyue in wedlocke / either than a hore in ye stewes (if she repent) for that were the pryde of Lucyfere. But frely to wayte on the euangelion: and to auoyde the trouble of the world / and occasyons that myghte plucke me ther from / and to serue my brother withall / euen as one hande helpeth another / or one mēbre another / bycause one feleth anothers grefe / and the payne of the one is the payne of the other. Whatsoeuer is done to ye lest of vs (wheder it be good or bad it is done to Christ / & what so euer is done to my brother (if I be a christen man) the same is done to me.
Neither doth my broders paine greue me lesse thā myne own / neither reioyse. I les at his welth thā at myne owne / if I loue him as well and as moche as my selfe / as the law commaundeth me if it were nat so: how [Page] sayth Paule? Let him that reioyseth reioyse in the lorde / that is to saye Christ / which is lorde ouer all creatures / if my merites obteined me heuē or a hier place there than had I▪ wheri I miȝt reioyse besydꝭ ye lorde ¶ Here se ye the nature of the lawe and the nature of the Euangelion. Howe the lawe is the key that byndeth & dampneth all men / and the Euangelion is the key that looseth thē agayne. The lawe goth before and the euāgelion foloweth. Where a precher precheth the lawe / he byndeth all consciences / & whan he precheth the gospell / he loseth them agayne. These two salues (I meane the lawe & the gospell) vseth god & his precher to heale & cure synners with all. The lawe driueth out the disease / & maketh it appere / & is a sharpe salue / & a fretynge corsey / & kylleth the deed flesshe / & loseth and [Page] draweth the sores out by the rotes / and all corruption. It pulleth from a man the trust & confydence that he hath in him selfe & in his owne workes / merytes / deseruynges / & cerimonyes / & ro [...]beth him of all his rightwisnes and maketh him pore. It kylleth him / sendeth him downe to hell / & bringeth him to vtter disperacion / and prepayreth the waye of the lorde / as it is written of Joh. the Baptiste. For it is nat possyble that Christ shulde come to a mā as longe as he trusteth in him selfe / or in any worldly thinge / or hath any rightwysnesse of his owne / or ryches of holy workes. Than cometh the Euangelyon / a more gentle plaster / whiche soupleth and swageth the woundes of the conscyence / and bringeth helth. It bringeth the spirite of god / which loseth the bondes of Satan / and coupleth vs to god [Page] and his wyll thorowe stronge faith and [...]eruent loue / with bondes to stronge for the deuyll / the worlde or any creature to lose thē, And the poore and wretched synner feleth so gret mercy / loue / & kyndnes in god that he is sure in him selfe how that it is nat possyble that god shuld for sake hī / or withdrawe his mercy & loue frō him. And boldly crieth out with Paul / sayeng: Who shall seperate vs frō the loue that god loueth vs with all? That is to saye / what shall make me beleue that God loueth me nat? shall tribulation? anguysshe? persecution? shall hungre nakednes? shall swerde? Naye / I am sure that neither dethe nor lyfe / neither angell / neither rule nor power / neither present thīges nor thinges to come / neither hye nor lowe / neither any creature is able to seperate vs from the loue of god which [Page] is in Christ Jesus our lorde. In al suche tribulacyons a Christen man perceyueth that god is his father / and loueth him / euyn as he loued Christe whan he shed his blode on the crosse. Fynally / as before whan I was bounde to the Deuyll & his wyll / I wrought all maner euyll & wickednes / nat for helles sake whiche is the rewarde of synne / but bycause I was heyre of hell by byrthe and bondage to the deuyll / dyd I euyll. For I coulde non otherwyse do / to do syn was my nature. Euen so now / syth I am coupled to god by christes blode / do I well / nat for heuens sake / which is yet ye reward of well doynge: but bycause I am heire of heuē bi grace & christes purchasynge / & haue the spirit of god / I do good frely / for so is my nature As a good tree brīgeth forthe good frute / & an euyll tree euyll fute. By [Page] the frutes shal ye know what the treis. A mānes dedes declare what he is within / but make hī neither good nor bad / though after we be created a newe by the spirite and doctryne of Christ / we wa [...]e parfyter alway with workynge accordynge to the doctrine / & nat with blynde workes of our owne imaginīg. We must be first euyl ere we do euyl / as a serpēt is first poysoned ere he poison. We must be also good ere we do good▪ as the fyre must be fyrst ho [...]e / ere it hete another thīge. Take an ensā ple / as those blynd & deffe which ar cured in the gospel could nat se nor here / tyl Christ had gyuen thē syght and herynge / & those sycke could nat do the dedes of an hole man / tyll Christ had gyuen them helth: So can no man do good in his soule / tyll Christ haue losed him out of the bondes of Satan / and haue gyuen [Page] him wherwith to do good / ye / and fyrste haue powred in to him that selfe good thinge whiche he shewed forth afterwarde on other. What so euer is our owne is synne. What so euer is aboue that / is Christes gi [...]t purches / doynge / and workynge. He bought it of his fader derely wt his bloude / ye / with his most bytter deth and gaue his lyfe for it.
What so euer good thinge is in vs / that is gyuen vs frely withoute our deseruynge or merytes for Christes blodes sake. That we desyre to folowe the wyll of god / it is the gyfte of Christes blode. That we nowe hate the deuylles wyll (wherevnto we were so faste locked / and coulde nat but loue it) is also the gyfte of Christes blode / vnto whom belongeth the prayse and honoure of our good dedes / and nat vnto vs.
¶ Our dedes do vs thre maner ser [Page] uyce. Fyrst they certify vs that wear heyres of euerlastynge lyfe. And that the spirite of god / which is the ernest therof is in vs / in that oure hertes consent vnto the law of god and we haue power in oure mēbres to do it / though imparfytly. And secondarily we tame the flesshe ther with / and kyll the synne that remayneth yet in vs / & waxe dayly parfyter & parfyter in the spirit therwith and kepe that the lustes choke nat the worde of God that is sowen in vs / nor quence the giftes or workīg of the spirite / and that we lose nat the spirite agayne. And thirdly we do our duty vnto our neybour ther with & help their necessite vnto our owne cōfort also / & drawe al mē vnto the honorīge & praisynge of god. ¶ And who so euer exelleth in the gyftes of grace / let the same thinke that they be gyuen him / as moche [Page] to do his broders seruyce as for his owne selfe / and as moch for the loue which god hath to the weke as vnto him / vnto whō god gyueth suche gyftes. And he that withdraweth ought that he hath frō his neibours nede / robbeth his neybours & is a thefe. And he that is proude of the gyftes of god & thynketh him selfe / by the reason of thē better than his feble neyboure / & nat rather as the [...]ruth is / knowlegeth him selfe a seruaūte vnto his poore neybour / by y• reason of them the same hath lucyfers spirite in him and nat christes. ¶ These thynges to knowe: fyrst the lawe / howe that it is naturall right & equite / that we haue but one god to put our hope & trust in / and hun to loue with all the hert / al the soule / and all oure myght & power and neither to moue hert nor hande but at his cōmaundement / bycause [Page] he hathe fyrste created vs of nought and heuen and erthe for oure sakes. And afterward whan we had marred our selfe thorowe synne / he forgaue vs and created vs agayne in the blode of his beloued sonne.
¶ And that we haue ye name of our one god in feare & reuerence / & that we dishonoure it nat in swearynge therby about lyght trysles or vanite or call it to recorde for the cōfyrmīg of wickednes or falshed / or ought / that is to the dyshonoure of God / which is the brekynge of his lawes or vnto the hurte of our neighbour.
¶ And inasmoch as he is our lorde and god / and we his double possessyon by creacion & redemption / and therfore ought / as I said / neither to moue hert or hande without his cō maūdemēt / it is right that we haue nedefull holyedayes to come togyther & lerne his wyll / both the lawe [Page] which he wyl haue vs ruled by / & also the promyses of mercy which he wyll haue vs trust vnto / & to gyue god thākes togyther of his mercy / and cōmytte our infyrmities to him thorow our sauyour Jesus / & to reconsyle our selues vnto him / & eche to other / if ought be betwene brother & brother that requyreth it. And for this purpose & suche lyke / as to vyset the sycke & nedy / and redresse peace & vnyt [...]e / were the holydayes ordeyned only / & so farforth ar they to be kepte holy from al maner workes that may be cōuenyently spared for the tyme tyll this be done and no further / but than laufully to worke.
¶ And that it is right that we obey father and mother / mayster / lorde / prince / & kynge / & all the ordynaunces of the worlde bodily and gostly by whiche god ruleth vs and ministreth frely his benefytꝭ vnto vs al. [Page] And that we loue them for the benefytes that we receyue by thē / & fere them for the power they haue ouer vs / to punyssh vs if we trespace the lawe and good ordre. So farre yet ar the worldly powers or rulers to be obeyed onely / as their cōmaūdementes repugne nat agaynst the cō maundement of god / and than ho. Wherfore we must haue goddes cō maundement euer in our hertes / & by the hyer lawe interprete the inferyor: that we obey nothīge against the belefe of our god / or agaynst the faith / hope and trust that is in him only / or agaist the loue of god wher by we do or leaue vndone all thing for his sake / & that we do nothinge for any mans cōmaūdemēt against the reuerence of the name of god / to make it dispysed and the lesse fered and set by / & that we obeye nothinge to the hynderaunce of the know [Page] lege of the blessed doctryne of god / whose seruaunt the holye daye is.
¶ Nat withstandynge though the rulers whiche god hath set ouer vs commaunde vs against god / or do vs opē wronge / & oppresse vs with cruell tyrāny / yet bycause they are in goddes rowme / we maye nat auenge our selues / but by the proces and ordre of goods law / & lawes of man made by ye auctorite of goddes law / which is also goddes lawe / euer by an hier power & remyttīge y• vengeāce vnto god / & in the meane season suffre vntyll y• hour be come.
And on ye other syde to know that a man ought to loue his neibour equally & fully / as well as him selfe / bicause his neibour (be he neuer so siple) is equally created of god & as full redemed by the blode of our sauyour Jesu Christ. Out of whiche cōmaūdemēt of loue springe these. [Page] Kyll nat thy neibour / defyle nat his wyfe / bere no false witnes agaynst him / & fynally / nat only do nat these thynges in dede / but coueyt nat in thyne herte / his house / his wyfe / his manseruant / maydseruant / oxe / asse or whatsoeuer is his. So that these lawes perteynyng vnto our neyboure are nat fulfylled in the syght of god saue with loue. He that loueth nat his neyboure / kepeth nat this cōmaundement: defyle nat thy neighbours wyfe / though he neuer touche her or neuer se her / or thinke vpon her. For the commaundement is / thoughe thy neybours wyfe be neuer so fayre / & thou haue neuer so great oportunytie gyuen the / and she content or haply prouoke the / as Putiphers wyfe dyd Joseph / yet se thou loue thy neibour so well / that for very loue thou can nat fynde in thyne herte to do that wyckednesse. [Page] And euen so he that trusteth in any thinge saue in god onely and in his sōne Jesus Christe / kepeth no comm [...]ūdemēt at al in the syght of god.
¶ For he that hath trust ī any creature / wherther in heuen or in erth / faue in god & his sonne Jesus / ca [...] se no cause to loue god with all his herte. &c. Neither to abstayne [...]rom dishonourynge his name / nor to kepe the holy daye for the loue of his doctryne / nor to obey louyngly the rulers of the worlde / nor any cause to loue his neyghboure as him selfe / and to abstayne frome hurtynge him / where he maye get profyte by him / and saue him selfe harmles. And in lyke wyse agaynst this law / loue thy neibour as thy self. I may obey no worldly power to do ought at any mans cōmaūdemēt vnto the hurte of my neybour that hath nat [...]eserued it / though he be a turke.
[Page]¶ And to knowe howe contrarye this law is vnto our nature / & how it is dampnation / [...]at to haue this lawe written in our hertes / though we neuer cōmytte the dedes: & how there is none other meanes to be saued from the dampnacion / thā thorowe repentance toward the law & fayth in Christes blode / which ar ye very inward baptim of our soules / and the wasshynge & the dippynge of our bodyes in the water / is the outwarde sygne. The plungyng of the body vnder the water signifieth that we repent & professe to fyght agaynst synne & lustes / & to kyll thē euery daye more & more / with the helpe of god & oure dilygence in folowynge the doctrine of Christ and the ledynge of his spirite / & that we beleue to be wasshed from oure naturall dampnation in which we are borne / and from all the wrath of the [Page] lawe / & from all the infyrmytes and weknesse that remayne in vs / after we haue gyuen our consente vnto ye law / & yelded ourselfe to be scolers therof / & from all the imperfytnesse of all our dedes done with colde loue / & from all actuall synne whiche shal chaūce on vs whyle we enforce the contrary and euer fyght there against & hope to sine no more. And thus / repētaūce & faith begynne at our baptyme & first professynge the lawes of god / & contynue vnto our lyues ende / & growe as we growe in the spirite. For the perfyter we be the gretter is our repentaunce / & the stronger our faith. And thus as the spirit & doctryne on goddes ꝑte and repentaunce and fayth on oure parte beget vs a new in Christ: euē so they make vs grow & waxe parfeyt & saue vs vnto the ende & neuer leue vs vntyll all syn be put of and [Page] we clene purifyed and full fourmed and facyoned after the symilytude and lykenes of the perfytnes of our sauyour Jesus / whose gyfte all is.
And fynally to know that what so euer good th [...]ge is in vs / that same is the gyfte of grace / & therfore nat of deseruyng / though many thingꝭ be giuen of god / thorow our dilygē ce in working his lawes & chastesige our bodyes & in prayenge for thē and beleu [...]ge his promyses / whiche els shulde nat be gyuen vs / yet our workinge deserueth nat the giftes / no more thā the dilygence of a marchaunte in sekynge a good shippe / bringeth the goodes safe to lande / though suche dilygence doth nowe and than helpe therin. But whan we beleue in god / & than do all that is in our might and nat tempt him / than is god tr [...]we to abyde by his promise and to helpe vs and performe [Page] alone whan our strength is past ¶ These thynges I say to knowe / is to haue al the scripture vnlocked & opened before the / so that if thou wylt go in & rede / thou cannest nat but vnderstande. And in these thinges to be ignoraunt / is to haue all the scrypture locked vp / so that the more thou redest it the blinder thou arte / & the more contrary thou fyndest in it / and the more tangled art thou therin & canst nowher thorow For if thou adde a glose in one place / in another it wyll nat serue. And therfore / bycause we be neuer taught the ꝓfessyon of our baptim / we remayne alwayes vnlerned / as wel the spiritualte for all their gret clergy & hye scoles / as we saye / as the laye people. And nowe bycause the laye & vnlerned peple ar taught these first princyples of our profession therfore they rede the scripture [Page] and vnderstande and delyte therin: And our great pyller of holy churche / whiche haue nayled a vayle of false gloses on Moses face / to corrupte the trewe vnderstandynge of his law / can nat come in. And therfore barke and saye / the scripture maketh heritykes and it is nat possykle for theym to vnderstande it in Englysshe / bycause they them selues do nat in latyne. And of pure malyce that they can nat haue their wyll / they sley their brethrene for their faith they haue in our sauiour and therwith vtter their blody woluysshe tyrannye / and what they be within and whose dyscyples. Here with reder / be commytted vnto the grace of our sauyour Jesus / vnto whome and god oure father thorow him be prayse frō euer and for euer.
Amen.
¶ A letter sent vnto a certayn frēde / to enstructe hī in the vnderstandynge of the scripture / translāted out of French into Englysshe.
MY welbeloued brother in Christ / the sauyour / the peace and mercy of god be with you / and with al them that wyll the honoure of god and thēcrease of his gospell. Amen. I gyue thankes vnto our sauyour / that it hath pleased hī (in this gret wretchednes of infydelyte / with the which the pore soules bought with the precious blode of Christ / were sore clogged & combred) to gyue vs knowledge of his worde / the which was holye buryed and drowned by the reason of leude lerning fables / and dreames of men which haue bē [Page] hytherto preched in the place of the right holy & worthy worde of god / which the very sauyoure & redemer of ye worlde / the only mediatour betwene god & man / very god & very man Jesus Christ came to shew vs which wordes (I mene the wordes of holy scripture / a mā ought to receyue in as gret reuerēce as though our sauyoure spake vnto vs in his owne person / gretly therfore ought we to thanke him / that it hath plesed him of his vnspekeable goodnesse / to gyue vs this grace / that we may rede his holy gospels / and blessed be they that shall bere these holy wordes and kepe them.
¶ In as moche therfore / welbeloued brother / that god of his infinit mercy (and nat by our deseruyng / which can do nothynge but synne) hathe gyuen vs this grace to rede these godly wordes / & to be refresshed [Page] with this heuenly breed. I desyre you that in all humilyte & loulynes of hert / knowlegīge that you be nothyng but synne & abhomi [...]ation (as all worldly thīges be) without any maner of presumyng vpon your owne witte / knowlege or wisdome: ye come vnto the redynge of the holy worde of god / settynge all your hert in our lorde / desyring hī with lowly praier / faithfully that it wolde please him to gyue you his holy spirite / as he hath promised to thē that faithfully requyre it of him and so with a sure confydence and fast hope & trust of his infinit goodnesse / desyre him that he wyll open vnto you the kyngdome of heuyn / with the key which no man can gyue but he / and that it wyll please him to lyghten youre herte through pure & trewe vnderstandyng of the christen fayth / to thende you may be [Page] made a trewe creature lyuyng no [...] ger in yourself / but all togyther in Jesu christ / & that we loue nothyng but him & nothing to loue nother in heuen nor in erth but for the loue of him: & euen as he cōmaūded you to loue youre neibour socouryng hī in his bodylye nedes / so that you socour him / & nat norisshe him in his dampnable lyfe / as they do whiche gyue the goddes that belonge to their chyldren / & which the pore mē shulde haue / that thorowe wekenes can nat gette their lyuynge / vnto a sort of vyllayn swyneheedes & strō ge lubbers / which haue strēgth ynough to labour for their lyuynge / the whiche ye ought nat to fede: for he that wyll nat labour (sayth the Appostle) shulde nat eate. Furthermore ye ought to loue your neighbour and his helthe so ardentlye that ye shulde nat stycke to dye for him / yf [Page] case requyred / the which thinge betokeneth & sygnifyeth the cōmunyō of the precyouse body & blode of our lorde / that we be one bodye in Jesu Christe / & lykewyse as he dyed for vs / so we do dye one for another: for we must loue one another lykewise as he loued vs / for so he cōmaūdeth vs / sayeng: I gyue you a new commaūdement yt one of you loue another / lykewise as I haue loued you.
¶ In this charite & loue is ye sōme and conclusion of all scripture. For that maketh vs loue (for the honor of god) fader & moder / husband / wife / children / brethrē / systers / & all other thinge except god: ye / our selue and maketh vs leaue & forsake / for elles we can nat be the discyples of Jesu Christ / & without beynge his disciples we can haue no porcyon nor parte with him / for he that lo [...]eth any thynge excepte he loue it [Page] only for the loue of god [...]he hath nat yet forsaken al thīges: but he that loueth nothinge but for ye loue of god and nether doth / nether willeth anythīge / but for the loue & honoure of god / he hath tru [...]y forsaken all thinges. Take hede you do nat misunderstāde me / for whan I saye that you shulde forsake all thinge / I do nat meane that you shulde entre relygion & make yourself a monke / a frere / or a nōne: for there is no [...]eple in the worlde that hath les forsaken all thinge thā they. Whom shall ye se more busyer / more curious about other mens busynes thā th [...]y? whō shall ye se more couetous / hauynge lesse pitye & mercy on the pore? lesse feringe & regardynge god & his holy worde / lesse ferynge to breke his cōmaūdement which standeth all in loue toward a mans neyboure / whiche they consydre nat / but gyue [...]lygence [Page] that their bely be full / kepyng thē to the rulers that mā hath made settynge lyght by the cōmaūdement of god: ye / & brekynge them dayly [...]n that they ouercharge and deuour the houses of poore wydowes and other simple people vnder ye coloure of longe prayer & fayned holynesse.
¶ To the ende that such as seke nō other but to deuoure you / dysceyue you nat / it is necessary that you holde you vnto the worde of god. And that you maye the lyghtlyer vnderstande the scripture / ye shall vnderstande that in holy scripture we haue the lawe / whiche is so called for the most parte / & somtyme it is called the lawe of bondage of ye flesshe and of synne / we haue of workes & of rightuousnes of man / and also of workes of the flesshe of the law. On [...]he othersyde we haue also the gos [...]ell / the law of lyberte of the spirit [Page] and of grace: of fayth / and of the rightousnesse that cometh of god of the gospell / fayth and spirite.
¶ The lawe is called generally in all scripture euery cōmaundement by the which we ar cōmaūded to do or to shon & nat do any thynge / as thou shalte loue god aboue all thīge thou shalte nat sley / thou shalte nat desyre any thinge / that is to saye / thou shalte nat coueyt or desyre any thynge contrary vnto the motion of the spirite of god: for all concupiscence of lust contrary to the wyll of god is synne / & whan the lawe is set before vs & giuē vs / by & by our flesshe / that is to saye / we our selfe which be nothynge but flesshe with out the spirit of god / begynne for to waxe angry & to be inflamed & set a fyre / & to be moued & styrred with great iudignaciō by ye reson of our synne & filthines which the law sheweth [Page] & openeth vnto vs / for before the workyng of the law / mā was in peace brought a slepe in syn / nat per ceyuynge the concupiscence & lustes nat beleuyng that they were synnes but whan he hath receyued the lawe he feleth his synne / out of the which he can nat draw himself / for the more he goth about by his owne workes / vertues and strengthe to ryse out of synne / the more he augmenteth and encreaseth his synne. For (as saynt Paule sayth) god sent vnto vs his sonne / bycause it was impossyble for vs to kepe the lawe by the reason of the infirmite that was in vs / to the ende that the rightousnes whiche cometh of fayth / myght be parfyt in vs / for if it had ben possyble for vs to haue ben iustifyed by the lawe & to haue fulfylled it / what nede christ to haue dyed? And bicause it is impossyble to accomplysshe [Page] and fulfyll the lawe withoute the spiryte of god / the flesshe grudgeth full of angre and malyce / sayenge: How is it possyble that I loue god aboue all thyng / or by that meanes I shulde haue my hert alwayes vp to god / which hert of his owne nature can nat thīke nor ymagyne any thinge but vanytie / requyrynge alwayes and in all thinges his owne glory & profyte / and nat the honour of god nor the profyte of myne euen christen. Helas / I seke nat that thige that shuld be to Christes plesure / but all togyther myne owne commodytie. Howe is it possyble but I shulde haue concupiscēce & lustyng cōtrary to the wyll of god / cōsydrīg that I am nothīg but flessh / whiche hath euer desyres agaynst the spiryt by the reason wherof I can nat do that thing yt I wolde? Helas wherfore hath god gyuē this lawe which [Page] is so burdenous & so weighty? And on this facyon the flesshe sore greued with the weight of ye law / whiche is more than he can bere / perceyuynge how sore it doth condempne him & all his dedes / begynneth for to curse & hate the lawe / & so consequently god which made the law. & for this cause saīt Paul saith / The law worketh angre / in as moch as the flesshe knowyng his offences & hauynge his offences layde before him by the lawe / and seynge that he can nat ryse out of them / doth wrestel and stryue with himfelfe / & murmurynge agaynst the lawe / as before is sayde / questyoneth & reasoneth in him selfe: why god gaue the [...]awe to Adam of the fruite of lyfe / and why he made hī nat of such na [...]ure that he shulde nat synne / & such other thinges which by gret ignomynies & blasphemies against god [Page] and his hye wisdome: which mā beyng but asshes & dust / pres [...]meth to iuge & reprehende the diuine prudē ce. And it is as moch as to wyl that god were nat god. For if he wer nat rightouse in euery thynge / he were nat god / & his iustyce & rightuousnes requyre / that such inhibicions & lawes shuld be ministred to ye orgulous & proude flesshe / for to bringe hī down out of his pride. Wherfore to wyll that these holy lawes were nat giuē to men / is to wyll that god were nat: & such be the blasphemies of the flessh whan she receyueth the lawe / which is spūall / in the which she hath no intēdemēt nor vnderstā ding: for she weneth to cōpasse it by workes / which thinge onely faythe doth. And now whā he seeth & perceiueth / that though he do neuer so moch he cā nat accomplissh or fulfil the law / than is he full of horrour & [Page] of dispeyre / seyng that hell is redy for him / bicause of the transgression of the lawe / & whan he can imagyn [...]o wayes to auoyde the indignatiō of the law / than all disolate & full of dispayre he beg [...]neth to abhorre the lawe / & without the father of heuen draw him & inspyre him / the way to fulfyll the lawe / he doth all cōtrary to it. For of hī selfe he can nat chuse but synne & do euyll. And therfore is the lawe gyuen vs / bycause we shuld know our s [...]nes / & the only of fyce of the lawe is nat to iustify vs: but she we vs our wekenesse & feblenesse in well doyng / & to shew man that he hath deserued deth & damnation / which by his own power he cā nat shon / to the ende that a mā knowyng his owne wekenes & vnablenes to do well / dispeyre of his own vertue & strength / settinge asyde all cōfydence in any th [...]ge that he cā do [Page] humble him selfe / knowleging that if our mercyfull lorde of his vnspekable mercy / delyuer him nat from deth and dampnacyon / the whiche he hath deserued thorow transgressyon of the lawe / he had perysshed and ben dampned for euer. For if oure fearse and proude herte be nat mekened fyrst by the lawe / and make vs confesse oure selfe Synners / we shulde neuer be saued by Christ for he came for to saue synners and vnrightuous / nat them that be rightuouse and iust / which iustify them selfe by their workes.
¶ But whan a man knoweth his owne fylthynes & abhomination / & seeth that he is condēned rightuously to euerlastynge deth / thā cometh the gospell / which is to say glad tydynges in vse & is presented vnto hī which sayth: Thou wretched thefe whiche woldest haue depriued god [Page] of his godheed / & woldest haue ben thyne owne god thorow thy pride: Thou wretched & desperate caityfe which after the iust iugemēt of god haddest deserued to be hanged on ye galowes of hell / which hast the halter about thy necke / that is to saye / thy wyl / thy flesshe & thy lustes / whiche be lordes ouer the by reasō that the spirite of god ruleth nat in the. The most mercy full god hath sente the thy pardone / and wyll nat that this iugement be executed / but that thou be quyte and haue thy lyfe / & be delyuered from the handes of the deuyll of hell / which was thy hāge man / whom thou dydest serue and worke to. And he hath nat alonely rydde the from dethe and made the his seruant / but also graunteth the to be his sōne and inherytour with our swete sauyoure Jesus / whiche is become thy brother / & whom the [Page] father of his infynite goodnes and kindnes (nat for bicause of thy good dedes which hast done neuer but euyll) hath gyuē for the / to make full satis factyon for all thy euyll dedes / so that thou beleue that he dyed for thy synne & rose agayne to iustifye the / which desyreth none other thig but to saue that the which was lost / that is to saye synners / whiche thorowe their owne deseruynges were in the way of dāpnacion. And whā the conscience which was before full of great drede / hereth this good tydynges (if god gyue thē the grace to gyue credēce therto & beleue thē) than they be certayne / by the reason of this fayth / that they be pardoned of all their offēces / thorow the deth and passyon of Jesu Christ. Than cōceyue they a gret ioye / myrth & in warde reioysynge in thē selfe. And our mercyfull lorde in gyuynge vs [Page] this fayth gyueth vs also his spirit the which maketh vs the very chyldren of god thorow faith / & the very [...]ēbres of the body of Jesu christ / & we be in all thynges alwayes conduyted & directe by this holy spirite of god / for otherwyse could we nat be the chyldren of god / for they only be the chyldren of god / which be led by the spirit of god. So we hauīg this holy spirite in vs to be our gyde & directour of our iourney / whiche is all charyte & loue / by the whiche the lawe is accomplysshed / the lawe is fulfylled in vs. And by the reason of his holy spirit which gydeth vs / we go no more in the waye of the flessh. For the flessh hath no lē ger dominion ouer vs / but is caste out of his kīgdome (Christ reining in vs by the holy ghost) which causeth vs dayly to mortify our flesshe which alwayes is contrary vnto ye [Page] spirit / destroyeng / pullyng downe and cōsuminge our concupiscences and lustes by ye fyre of charyte. And albeit that this concupiscens is syn ye / & mortall synne of his owne nature / neuertheles it is nat imputed nor rekened vnto vs which ar membres of Jesu Christ / consyderynge that by the reasō of the spirit of god we loue god with all our hert / & desyre nothing so moch / as the wyl of god to be done in vs. And so by the reasō that we haue this good spirit in vs / we neuer sīne. For this newe natiuyte / by the which we be made the infantes of god / doth cōserue & kepe vs / that is ye holyghost / which thorowe fayth is gyuen vs. But in as moch as all our wyttes / wyll / & intendementes be but flessh / as lōg as we be [...]uironed & clogged with this corruptyble bodye / which is a gret let vnto the soule / we cā nat be [Page] without sinne / seing that all thinge that is in vs / excepte the gyftes of god / which sue & come of faith / is alwayes contrary vnto the spirit / by the reason wherof euermore / as touchynge the olde man & fyrst Adam / the outward man / the man of syn & flesshe / we syn. And if we saye that we haue no synne / we lye & deceyue our selues / & bycause of this / haue we cause euermore to mekē our self and to put awaye all confydence in vs or in oure workes / gyuynge all glory vnto god / which of his only grace delyuered vs from the captyuytie of deth / makynge it of no effecte or power to lose or distroy vs. For the lyfe which he hath giuen vs by the spirite of his sonne / is farre gretter than is this deth / and therfore it can nat harme vs. Whiche is a greate assuraunce to a mannes conscyence / for whan he beleueth [Page] surely in Jesu Christ / he is assured and certifyed that Jesu Christ is in him / & therfore he can be afrayde of nothynge / seynge that Jesu Christ is puysaunt & mighty / whiche hath vaynquysshed the worlde & all power contrary vnto the soule / in the which he dwelleth by his holy spyryte / so that nothynge can ceperate him from his souerayne welth / whiche is Jesu Christ / which cōforteth him with his holy promyses / which euery faythfull ought to haue contynually before him. And by this menes is the soule delyuered from the gret quakyng & tremblyng that he was in before the gospell was presēted vnto him / which drede the law brought him vnto / shewynge him that he had deserued dampnacyon in the brekynge therof. But whan he hereth those same glad tydīges / he hath an inwarde ioye in himselfe [Page] whiche no herte of man can thinke without that he haue proued it.
For the more harder the condemnation is / & the more sharpe the dethe is that foloweth it / & from the more greuousnesse that he is delyuered & brought to this blessednes and lyfe / which he neuer loked for / the more is his ioye gret, And therfore ye soule consyderinge the excedyng goodnes that ye endles mercy that the father of heuen hath done for him / in gyuyng his son for him / ponderīge also the most inestimable swetnesse of the most benige Jesus / who hath spent & shed his blode for him takīg vpon him all his sīnes / cancellyng and makyng voyde the oblygacion of deth in the which he was bonde / wasshynge him pure & clene in his blode / baptisynge him with ye holy spirite / the which of an ardent loue wolde vouchesafe to come downe & [Page] dwell in his conscience for to direct it / & instructe it or corroborate it in fayth / gyuyng him vnderstādynge in the worde of god / layeng al these great gyftes & sondrie benefytes togyther / conceyueth thorow the working of the holyghost a maruelous ardent loue toward god by the reason of the whiche he is set on fyre / & burneth in the meruelouse zele that he hath to the honour of god. And whan he seeth that he can nat please god so highlye as he wolde do / by the reason of the flesshe with his aduersarye vnto the spirite: and that his worke be nothynge parfyte by the reason of his infirmite: he mourneth in him selfe / desyring to be delyuered frō his seruytute of corrupcyon of sīne: but than is he brought in quyetnes by ye holy spirit which prayeth for him wt vnspeakable sighes / that this empeshment or let may [Page] be taken away / to the ende he maye fulfyll the wyll and the lawe of god without any gaynsay or contradyc [...]yon. And in all suche rekenynges [...]he holyghost cōforteth him / so that at the laste he taketh all in gree pa [...]yently / takynge all his pleasure in god / & that in all temptacyons and trybulacions & afflyctions that shal come to him. For the holyghost sheweth him the promyses whiche are conteyned in holye scripture and so instructe / seynge that it is the wyll of god that he shuld be so vexed / he reioyseth in all his tēptacions / & all his troubles be lyght & swete vnto him. Howbeit there is one temptation which is more gret & more horryble than all other / that is / whan we be persecuted on al sydes / & whā the lorde withdraweth his consolation and confort from vs / as though he were angrye agaynste vs / for [Page] to proue & tast our fayth and confydence that we haue in the goodnesse of god. for whā our lorde doth comforte vs & we fele him to be present / we set lyght of all our trybulaciōs. be it losse of goodes / of chyldren / of wyfe / of husbande / of lyfe / or of all honoure / or whatsoeuer it be. But whā we ꝑ [...]eyue nat him to be nygh vs whā he absenteth himselfe to our semynge / to the profe of our fayth / than we lackyng him lacke all goodnes / full of synne & wretchednes / se our self abhorred by ye reason of our fylthynes / se all thinge agaynst vs / se hell open to deuour & swalow vs vp / as the forsaken of god. In this maruelous tēptacion it is but a foly to rōne for socour to our good workes / for the best of thē do but cōdemne vs. For all the good dedes that come of our selfe be but fylthines & abhominacion before god / and as a [Page] cloth defyled & contamynate with ye floures of a woman. In such a tēptacion there is no remedy but fayth that is to haue full cōfydence & trust in the promyses of god / as be these. He that beleueth ī me shall nat taste euerlastīge deth. Nothinge is impossyble to hī that beleueth. Al they that call on the name of ye lorde shalbe saued. And accordynge to your fayth / be it vnto you. And many other / of which holy scripture is full.
¶ Such promyses as promyse vs lyfe & delyueraunce from our euyls [...]e called euangelique / & be the ve [...]y gospell or glad tydynges whiche saueth that whiche the lawe damp [...]eth / which quyteth whan the law condempneth vnto the deth / so that [...]elefe be gyuen therto. And ye soule also hath another thīge which may assure him / that is / that our helthe [...]s nat in our handes / for if it were / [Page] we shuld haue lost it within a whyle / but in the hande of god / oute of whose hande no power can take it. and also that we be ye shepe of christ which can nat be rauysshed oute of his hande / for as him selfe saythe. No parson shall take thē away nor bereue me of thē. And this must we beleue surely that he came to saue synners / & in as moch as we be synners / he is com to saue vs / & the more that the soule perceyueth hī selfe opprest with gret & horrible synnes so moch the more to haue confydēce in the deth of our sauyour / whiche satisfyed for al the syn of the world leuynge to haue any truste in hys good workes / but only to haue confydence in the greate goodnesse of god / which he declared habundantlye in the passyon and dethe of his sōne. For if by workes a mā might accomplyssh & fulfyl the law / christ [Page] suffred deth in vayne. Wherfore on Jesus only must we set all our confydence. Now we must nat bicause Christ is come to saue synners & to helpe thē that be diseased. We must nat therefore synne styll / to the ende that he shulde saue vs styll: for we haue done to moche alredye & synne euery day & synne euery houre sore / for there is nat so rightuouse a man but he synneth / at the lest seuen tymes a day: but those same sinnes of the rightuouse man be nat imputed vnto him / bycause that the spirit of god is within him / for they be nat in him / for as touchyng the inwarde man / and in that that he hath the spirit / he synneth nat. For the fayth contynueth hole and parfeyte in the spiryt / which faith hath put awaye the hole body of synne / so that synne [...]ygneth nat in vs / bycause we be made newe creatures / though now [Page] and than by the reason of our wekenesse we do synne: yet this synne is nat imputed bycause of the stryfe that we haue agaīst it. And for this cause must we humble our selfe before god / & knowlege our selfe to be sīners / & also haue a sure belefe that our synnes be forgiuen vs / euyn as we be assured by the infallyble promyses of god / for as moch as we beleue / so moch receyue we of god / as he sayde: Accordyng to your faith so be it to you. It is nat possyble yt we beleue our synnes to be forgyuē vs in Christ / but they be so in dede.
¶ Note well these wordes & print thē fast in your hert that you forget thē nat / for it shalbe very necessary for you to haue recourse vnto these holy wordes & promyses / that you may defēde you against all temptations. for I am certayn that if you be of Christ / louyng him aboue all [Page] thinges that the deuyll shall lay vnto you greate assaultes for to make you tumble from the faithe of Jesu Christe. Wherfore praye instantly god our good lorde that he wyl cō serue you & augmēt your faith / and [...]ndoutedly he wyll angment it as [...]e hath ꝓmised [...] & loke that you re [...]yst all tēptacyons stronge in faith.
¶ Welbeloued brother / the worde of god can nat lye / it hath giuen vs [...]arnynge. They haue persecuted me & so wyl they do you. Wherfore [...]inke nat the contrary / but if ye fo [...]we Christ / ye must be persecuted [...]nd mocked / and laughed to scorne within the house & also withoute of [...]l the worlde / & none shall speake [...]ell of you. If so noble a prince & [...] exellente was made a mockynge [...]ocke / was reproued & persecuted [...] al the worlde▪as was Jesus our [...]ed / it can nat be chosē but the mē bres [Page] must be lykewyse hated / for it is nat comlye the heede to be full of thornes & the membres full of pleasure and delytes, Lykewyse as the heed was nat of the worlde / nomore shulde the mēbres be. Wherfore the world dispyseth them as enemyes & contrary to their pride / their couetousnes and their flesshly pleasure. But it is necessary that you confort your selfe with the blessynges that our lorde gyueth to them which take trouble for the honour of him.
And that you laye euermore before you / the sermon that our sauyoure Jesus spake in the moūtayne / wher he saythe: Blessed be they that suffer persecutyon for rightuousnesse sake / that is to saye / for the loue of Jesu Christ / for he is oure right [...] ousnes and our wysdome. And a [...] so he saythe: Happye be you whan mē shall curse you and saye all euyl [Page] agaynst you lyenge for my sake / for great shalbe your rewarde. &c.
¶ Bicause we shuld nat dispeire & thinke our self out of the fauour of god bicause we be persecuted / he gyueth vs warnynge that the electe & chosen haue he persecuted frō the begynnyng of the worlde: for the enemyes of ye truth neuer cesse nor shal cesse vnto the ende of the worlde to persecute the faythefull [...] whiche by their fayth & longe pac [...]ence / at the [...]ast shall ouercome. And whā their enemyes we [...]e to haue troden them vnder the fote / thā shal they be most victorious, Beleue surely that our [...]orde doth moch for vs whan he gyueth vs the grace to endure & suffre any thynge for his honoure / for a noble hert which loueth his kynge wel / is meruelous wel apayde whā the kynge maketh him knyght / gyuynge him charge for to do batayle [Page] for the quarell & honour of ye kyng. Likewise the faithful ought gretly to thanke god / in that that he suffereth for his honour. For al our fely cyte lyeth in this / that we be made conforme & lyke vnto our captayne and hed Jesu christ / & if we be troubled and vexed in this worlde with him / we shall also raygne with hi,
¶ It can nat be but there muste be alwayes debate betwene the world and the faythfull / for they be of contrarye affections.
¶ The worlde is nothynge but pride / couetousnesse / all fylthynesse and flesshely lustes.
¶ The faythfull & the chyldren of god be all togyther humilyte / & lyberaly tie & all clennesse & louers of spirituall thinges / full of faith / hope / and charyte / estemynge thēselfe of no goodnes / knowlegyng themselfe to be but sine / settyng nought [Page] by worldly goodes / louyng nothinge but goddes honoure.
¶ The worlde desyreth nothynge [...]ut to plucke to him and gather all [...]at it can catche / and snatche by a [...]y maner of wayes.
¶ The faythfull on the contrarye [...]arte be as dily gente to dele and to [...]yue to al them that haue nede and [...]hat they maye socoure / for the ho [...]oure of God / and desyre none o [...]her rychesse but god.
¶ The worlde desyreth nothing so [...]etly as to be praysed / honoured & [...]agnifyed / takynge more vpō him [...]ā becometh him / & wyl haue none [...]aysed or spoken of but himselfe.
¶ The faythfull care nat thoughe [...]hey [...]e dispised / dispraysed or mo [...] [...]ed for the honour of god / giuyng [...]l praise and honour vnto him / de [...]pringe nothynge so moche as the [...]onour of god only / of whom ryseth [Page] and springeth all goodnesse.
¶ They that be of the worlde loue nothyng but them selues / and that thynge that pleaseth theym & them that loue them / hatynge all thinge contrary to their mynde / all thinge that greueth or displeaseth them / & chefely of al / they cā nat away with the crosse (though no mā crosse himselfe oftener than they) they loue nothynge worse than trybularyon & persecutyon / they hate all thynges that open and shewe vnto thē their fautes / infyrmyties and wekenesse they abhorre all instructyo [...] of the amendement of their lyuynge▪ and for a conclusyon / they hate al thing contrary vnto their pleasure.
¶ The faithfull loue nothinge but god hauynge no delyte in them selues / neither loue any thige carnally but loue that thynge that is contrary to their concupyscence & desyres / [Page] and aboue all thinges they receyue thankfull the crosse of Christ / whiche is trybulation / afflyction & persecution / & haue thē in gret fauour which shewe them their fautes / abhorrynge all flaterers / auoydynge and flyenge to their power all errours / distroyeng the knowledge of god / hatyng all thinge that letteth the correctyon and punysshment of [...]yces / loth to medle with any thinge contrary vnto the wyll of god / [...]reuounsynge that whiche is of the worlde. And in as moche as their wyl / their [...]ences & [...]endment / whiche be but flesshly / be of the worlde they forsake & vtterly renoūce themselfe [...]in that that they refuse the deuyll & all his powpes / and by these menes they accōplyssh the worde of god which sayth / that he yt wyl nat forsake hiself shal nat be his disciple So he doth also at the [...]aptun whā [Page] he sayth. I renounce Satan & all his pompes, In the which baptim there is a great abusyon nowe / as well as in many other ordynances of the church / for the child knoweth nat what is said / nor the godfaders nor the preest that baptyseth many tymes. And this is done by the prestes / bycause they wolde be made moche of & ordre all thynge at their pleasure the better / sayenge all in Latyne / where as the symple peple vnderstande nothynge / which is against the cōmaundement of god & ordynaūce of the apostle / which cō maundeth that such maner of folke prayeng or spekynge on that maner kepe sylence in the congregacion or churche / or els that they speke that men may vnderstande them.
¶ By these thynges aboue sayde may you vnderstande that ther shal neuer be peace betwene the worlde [Page] and the spirit / and that the worldly [...]hal neuer loue ye faithfull / but shall [...]uermore persecute them by conty [...]uall battayle / & bycause we haue [...]o great & fearfull an enemy / whom it is impossyble to resyste / if we be [...]at well armed. We must aske of this noble instrument in whom the [...]olyghost wrought▪ we must enqui [...]e of this noble vessell of electyon▪ [...]octour of the gentiles saynt Paul / [...]hat armoure is necessary / and he [...]yll tell vs that we shulde nat be defended with armours & scyences [...]f man / neither by any relygyon or [...]bseruacion / but with the armours of god. Fyrst of all we must gyrde [...]ur loynes with the truthe / so that [...]ll our strength stande in the truth / [...]or our loynes betoken strength (as it is written in Job). Than our [...]rength may nat be in vanytie and [...]synges as ar all the constitucions [Page] and inuencions of man: for seynge that euery mā is a lyer / that the whiche cometh frō him must nedes be a lesynge. Therfore we muste setell our strength in verite & truth which is Jesu christ / which giueth vs hatdynes / sayeng: Haue good confydē ce and trust / I haue ouercomen the world. Thā must we take the brest plate of rightuousnes / that is Jesu Christ that is oure iustycs & our iustifycation. For in another place. s. Paul admonisheth vs that we cloth our selfe with Jesu Christ / that is▪ that we haue none other protectyon or any other socoure to trust vpon / but him onelye whiche is the sure and true protectoure. Nowe / after this we must haue our fete shode in the preparyng of the gospel of peace that is / that our afflyction & lustes be mortifyed / that we maye walke after the spirit of god. And whā we [Page] haue al this / we must haue the sheld of faithe for to put of tēptaciōs that they hurte nat our conscyences / havynge a sure belefe in the holy promyses of god / the which we must se [...]e within our cōscyence / & nat here and there as many haue done / whi [...]e for lacke of redynge & vnderstā [...]nge holy scripture / haue deuyded [...]e christen people into more sectes than all the worlde is in besydes.
[...]e muste also haue a sallet / that is [...]ope of helth ▪ that is / that we haue [...]re trust / that euyn as Jesus christ [...]yed for vs / euen so we to be saued. And euyn as thou hast faith that he [...]yed / so must thou haue hope that [...]e dyed for the / for he that hath nat [...]is hope / can neuer haue a full confidence in god. For to confounde [...]lso all the aduersaryes of the fayth [...]e must gyrde vs with the swerde [...] ye ▪ spirit / which is ye word of god. [Page] And howe we must vse it our capitayne & heed hath shewed vs. Whā the deuyll came to tempte him / we rede nat that he toke any thynge to resyste him but the onely worde of god / shewinge vs that we shulde in all temptations haue recourse vnto that and be contented with that.
¶ In this poynte are the enemyes of Jesu Christ greatly to be reproued / which say that the laye people and worldly (for so they call them) ought nat to rede the holy scripture nor for to commen of the worde of god / as who sayth / Christ spake to clerkes only and shewed them onely the secretes of his father / and nat to the vulgare and cōmen laye people / in as moche as the chefe of his discyples were fysshers and no doctours: & also he thanked his father that it pleased him to hyde his secretes from the prudent & wyse of this [Page] worlde and had opened it to youn [...]elynges / that is / vnto loles after the iudgement of the worlde. For that I can nat merueyle ynoughe of their madnes which wyll forbyd or [...]et the comen people to rede the ho [...]y wordes of god / seynge that euer from the begynnynge of the worlde god hathe chosen moste symple and [...]dyotes to the vnderstandynge of the great misteryes whiche he hath [...]ydde from the greate wyse & sage [...]hen / the experyence of the whiche thinge we se dayly before our eyes.
¶ But the oute raged cloggers of mennes consciences / whiche feare [...]est their gaynes and gettynge shulde be demynysshed / and that they shulde nat eate so manye fatte mor [...]lleg / as they do and haue done before / feyng that they can nat plucke backe the shepe of Christ (all stor [...]en and famysshed for the worde of [Page] god) replenisshed with the spirit of the deuyll / begyn to blaspheme the worde of god / and aboue all thinge the writynge of saynt Paule / as yt knowe these enemies of Christ dyd murmure behynde my backe / & yet had they nothynge to answere whā I was there / & therfore spake they nothynge before me therin / for they knew well that by the grace of god I was fensed well ynough for them for to de [...]tes & confoūde their bestly wordes / reasons & deuilissh obiections. Therfore / if these belly bestes & fylthy swyne full of ambicion & auarice / enemyes to all truthe / disceyuers of mānes soule / and bringers of it out of the right way / false christen men and very ypocrytes make suche obiectyon with you: Howe you knowe that the holy bokes that ye rede nowe conteyne the Gospell [...] without that the churche had appreued [Page] them / and without the counsels is it appereth in the decrees and de [...]retalles / had alowed them. Nat [...]ithstandynge that such questions [...]e so folyssh / that it is but folly to an [...]er them: yet to the ende that they [...]sceyue nat symple people / euen as [...]r maister Christ asked the iewes [...] question / whā they asked him by that power he did those thingꝭ that [...] did: for the questiōs be euen & pro [...]ded both of infydelyte. ye shall de [...]aūde of thē / what coloure ye popes decrees and decretals haue to couer [...]ē self & their fylthynesse: but i that they allege wrongfully saynt Paul and other workes of the olde & new [...]stamēt / by which thing they shew [...]ydently holye scrypture ought to [...]dge and approue all thynges that [...] good / and reproue all thynges [...]t be nought / and nat to be iudged [...] reproued by any ma [...]mes learnyng [Page] For the holy scripture hath be gyuen with so euydent and manifest sygnes and tokens that there is no doute of but it is of god / as y• lawe whiche god gaue by Moses / which no man douted to be goddes seynge that in so euydent a token it was gyuen from the mountayne couered with fyre and with clowdes▪ Who was euer so hardye to iudge one of the bokes of Moses or of the Prophetes? euen so by more stronge argument / the bokes of the new Testament / which be so moch more perfyte than the olde: how moch more clerely they shew Christ than the olde. Also lykewyse as Jesus dyd take no wytnes of men but onlye of the father: lykewyse the worde of god is nat to be iudged nor maye nat receyue his authoritye o [...] men / but onely of god. Therfore they that wyl iuge it [...]he very▪ And [Page] christes. For in that they take vpon theym to iuge it / they exalte theym selfe aboue it. He that exalteth him selfe aboue the worde of god / exalteth him selfe aboue god and the power of god. And therfore these maters of decrees and other tradityons / as offerynges / tythes / and other inuentyons / with the whiche [...]aynt Augustyne in his tyme sayd That they were more charged and [...]den than the Jewes. But nowe [...]hat wolde he saye if he sawe the abhominable sorte of lawes and cō [...]ttucyons the which they haue ma [...]e to take the symple people in their [...]ettes? And yet they coloure theym [...]ith holy scripture / wrastīge and [...]rithynge it at their own pleasure [...]s it appereth by their decrees. For [...]heir lawes had neuer be receyued [...]ad they nat clokyd theym with ho [...]e scripture. Nowe / bycause the [Page] faythefull Christen in lokynge on the scrypture shulde nat know what holy horisons they be / & the effecte of their lawes / as be these that prestes shulde nat haue wyues by laufull maryage / & that men shulde nat eate of suche meate as god sendeth with gyuynge thankes: clene contrary to the cōmaundement of god. And to the ende that these thynges shuld nat be knowen / they haue forbydden that any of the laye people dispute of the faith / either openly or pryuely. For whan one reasoneth with them of suche maters / he must holde his peace / or say as they saye / orels they wyll curse him and make an herityke on him: sayeng / that he speaketh more than becometh him / or to him belōgeth. And one of that sorte checked me ones / bycause I redde the Byble / hauyng nat redde before my Philosophye / with the [Page] whiche they bringe oute of the right course all them that be newly planted in the faythe in all vniuersyties in christendome. But this thīge bassheth me but lytell: seynge that this ordynaunce is made cleane repugnaunt vnto god / to the susteyninge of all vngracyouse scyences.
¶ Therefore / welbeloued brother / take no regarde vnto the wordes of these outraged dogges / but take vnto you the worde of god / which only can saue youre soule. Studye in [...]hat daye & nyght / and in all places goynge and commynge / let that neuer slyde out of your hert nor mynd [...]ll your studye to rede & vnderstan [...]e these holye wordes in all humy [...]ytie of hert. For god sayth: whom shall I regarde / but him that hathe [...] meke herte / & a contryte spirite ferynge my wordes. Therfore sette [...]l your confydēce in god / lokyng of [Page] him onely the grace to vnderstande his right worthy wordes / gyuynge dilygence to be obedyente to the holye mocyons of the spiryte: so that at the last thou maist do those thynges that those holye wordes commaunde / settynge no regarde by any thinge in the worlde: ye / though the Angels in heuen shulde tell the / moche lesse than if that men full of vanytie shulde go about to perswade the / excepte that it be grounded vpon the worde of god / which can neither disceyue nor be disceyued, wherefore it muste be receyued purely withoute addynge any thynge of mānes therto. For the worde of god is so pure / so net▪ so cleane / and so parfyte / that it can suffre nothinge to be mengled therto. And for this cause remembre the rule which I haue so often tymes inculcate vnto you. Do that onely to the Lorde [Page] whiche he cōmaundeth you. Thou shalte adde nothyng therto / neither diminysshe any thinge therfro. Remembre also that by faith we be made the membres of Jesu Christ / and that is the thynge whiche ioyneth vs vnto him and oure conscyences. By faythe we be made his espouses and by the reason of this maryage he gyueth vs all his good [...]edes & merytes / all his rightuousnesse and holynesse / and taketh vpon him all our synnes which can nat noy him / seynge that he bare thē on the crosse and with the trybulacyon of this worlde / made full satisfactyon for all. And so the soule hathe fyrme [...]nd stable fayth and charitie / whi [...]he is gyuen vs whan we be vned [...]nd made one with Jesus / whan he gyueth vs his holye spirite / whiche [...]oth conduyte and guyde vs in the [...]ight waye / all the lawe is accomplysshed [Page] and fulfylled / as ye maye more largely vnderstande / if ye dilygently rede the scripture / as ye do full well. In the whiche god gyue you grace to contynue with the encrease of fayth and spirituall vnderstandynge. The whiche gyue you he whiche hange on the crosse & dyd cancell the oblygacyon of faythe / in whiche we were dettours / and rose the thyrde daye to iustifye vs / that hauynge this vnderstandynge ye maye edifye youre housholde in the fere of god and your neighbours to the edifyenge of the verye bodye of Jesu Christ / of the whiche we hope to be very membres / whan his glorye shal appere: euen as we be now in this mortall lyfe by trew & quick fayth / the which we must praye him to augmente / to the ende that worthely we maye offre vp our body by [...]rew [...]ortifyeng of this olde Adam [Page] and euermore studyenge to be newe borne / and so to be made a new creature after the shappe of god / a man spirituall and interyor man.
The grace of the almighty father the peace of the mercyful Jesus / the consolation of the most holy spirite be alwayes with you. Amen.
I praye you haue remembraunce of me in your prayers / that I maye worthely walke in the holye worde of god / to the glory of god. Amen.
¶ Of gouernours / as Judges / baylyfes / & other lyke / An information after the gospell.
THe gospell is written for all persones / & for all estates of the worlde. And there is no [...]e estate [Page] in the worlde / but that he may fynde in the gospell howe that he shuld lyue if that he wyll folowe it. Let none thinke that he is nat boūde to lyue after the gospell though he be neuer so great a person / be he duke prīce / emꝑour / or bysshop: For god hath cōmaunded that the gospell be preached to euery creature / that is to saye / to all mankynde. Before god there is no dyfferynge / neither distynction / whether thou be a commen husbande man or a gouernour of a towne or of a contrey / noble or vnnoble / we haue al promysed at oure baptysme the one as moche as the other / we haue al taken one rule that is the teachyng of the Gospell after the whiche we must lede & gonerne our lyfe, We maye nat saye / let the monkes and preestes kepe it for we haue all promysed at our baptysme y• one as moche as the other. [Page] Wherfore whan the lordes wyll lyue as they shulde do after the Gospell / they must fyrst obserue and kepe two thigꝭ / that is to say / mercy & iustice. And also that they knowe whan they muste be mercyfull / and whan they must vse iustyce.
Than first it behoueth that thyne intēt be to defende the rightuouse & innocent / & so with the seculer ryght to come in ayde vnto the right of the Gospell / reprouynge and rebukyng openly & without any fauoure all vnrightousnesse / to thentent that the people may liue frely vnder thy protection / preserued from theues / murtherers / and from all maner oppressyon and iniurye / as farreforth as is possyble vnto the / whan thou dost so thou art goddes seruaunt. But it be houeth yt thou be well ware in suche thinges to aduenge thy self in thy iugemēt & that thou gyue [Page] no iugement nor sentence / but only where yu knowest yt thy iudgemēt is riȝtful / & y• neither for hatred / enuy / nor fauour. & yet thou must do it wt as gret mercy & compassyō / & as tenderly as yu woldest cut of a corrupte mēbre frō thine own body / which by the malice or corruption if yu dydest let hī alone / wolde corrupt thy hole body. It wer also no hurt ī this mater to kepe ye ordināce sōtyme made bi Theodosiꝰ emꝑour / which ordeyned that non shuld be put to deth before that he had bē. xxx. dayes ī prisō to thentēt that in the meane tyme he might be well aduysed to make answer [...] & to thentent that ye iuge shuld cause no man to dye hastely & with out aduisemēt / but yt he might haue tyme to cole his enchaffed courage
And whā any of ye cominalty shulde happē to do any euyll by misfortune agaīst right & iustice / the whiche [Page] hath alwayes before bē of good [...]yfe & name / such a one may a iudge helpe agaynst the lawes & procure his delyueraūce without syn. For [...]f it be so that ye lawe of Moses had [...]o great discretion that therby they dyd nat put them to deth / which vn [...]arely & bycause of mysaduenture had cōmytted murther against their wyll. As it is written in Deuteronomi. iiii. So that Moses had as [...]ygned. iii. cyties / vnto which they [...]hat had commytted homicyde by misfortune against their wil / might [...]ye for their sauegarde. How moch more shulde we that are Christen / [...]hat lyue after the gospell / and loue our enemyes / haue and kepe discrecion and regarde in this maner.
This I say / to thentēt that ye iuges shall nat thinke that they offende if they helpe such. For whā they haue hope & lyklyhod that the euyll doer [Page] shall amende they must be alwayes mererfull / as Christ was vnto ye womā which was foūde in aduoutry. As [...]. Joh. reherseth / Jo. viii. The temporall lawe must obeye & serue vnto the gospell / it maye in no wyse be contrarye thervnto / wherfore if any thynge therin be agaynst the Gospell / than the tēporall law must gyue place & perisshe in that poynt For we must alwayes obeye more vnto god than vnto mē. As techeth vs saint Paul. Actuū. v. Them that we may amende by warnynge we shal nat correct them by iustyce. All that a iuge may do without synne in the cause of another / he maye nan do it in his owne. For non may auenge his owne iniury / nor vere his Christen brother for his owne profyt. as it is before sayd / that the true christē neuer playneth vnto the iuge of the iniury that men do vnto [Page] [...]hi / but suffreth all pacyently. As [...]yth. s. Paule. [...]. Corin. vi. Nowe [...]s synne yet alwayes in you / bycause y• ye haue stryfe togyther among [...]ou. Why do ye natte rather suffre wronge? why do ye nat rather receyte hurt? It behoueth the iuges to lo [...]e deligētly yt the one do nat wrōge the other / without lokyng that euery mā shulde cōplayne vnto him / & [...]ll by charytie / sechynge nothynge but the rest and quyetnesse of their Christen brother whom the euyl people do oppresse. The prophet Esay reproueth the princes and iudges that in their iudgementes & sentenes take regarde vnto rychesse / servynge theire owne profyte / or be [...]ynge fauoure vnto their fryndes / [...]yenge on this wyse.
[...] They all loueth bryves / they [...]lowe towardes / they iudge natte vnto the Orphantes / and the cause [Page] of the wydowe entreth nat vnto th [...] They ought to determyn the cause with good auysement / & as shortely as wer possyble ▪& to exhort the partyes to make brotherly appoyntemēt the one with the other / she wīge them by the gospell that the christē ought nat to haue sute & proces amonge them. They ought to be very sorye of the dissentyon of their christen brethren / & of the euyl gouernaunce of euyll doers. It behoueth also that the lordes enforce thē selues to put away all euyll customes / and that they forbyd streytly that no yonge stronge persons go on beggynge. For therof commeth gret euyll / but shall constryne them to lerne a craft. Therto a place in the Cyuyl law that forbiddeth that no stronge persones beyng in helth shall begge their breed. And therfore I merueyle gretly that the temporall lordes kepe nat this lawe / [Page] kynge that it is good and nat contrarye / but agreable vnto the gospell / which commaundeth that we that laboure natte shulde nat eate.
The lordes shuld procure & coū sell the rich folke that they shuld do their dtlygence to cause the poore [...]onge folke to lerne a craft / to then [...]nt that they shulde nat go a beggynge / & that they haue none occasion to take thē to the walet. The [...]alers shuld also ordeyne some honest prouisyon / that the poore impotent / yonge chyldren & olde people that can nat gette breed / & haue nat [...]eherof to lyue / shulde nat be con [...]reyned to go frō dore to dore: but [...] were rather better that they shuld [...]deyne. iii. or. iiii. honest persons in euery paryssh / which of a comen treasure / as of the treasure of the poore / might prouyde euery weke is moch as shulde be nede to euery [...]ouse of the pore / & that by porcion [Page] after the nombre of the poore. And that they shulde exhort the ryche to gyue their almes to that comē treasure / and to be queth that that they wolde bequeth by their testamētes other wayes to that comen treasure, For we can fynde the meane to byld gret abbeys for to nourysshe in delycate lyuynge stronge people that may labour / & somtyme hores and bawdes also. And why can we nat as well fynde the meanes to do our charytable workes according to the gospell to the poore impotent / sycke and feble. We shuld also bye houses for the poore to dwell in / as are the hospytalles / sytuate in a fayre plesaunt & large out of the towne. and lyke wyse shulde we prouyde vnto them an honest man that myght euery day make vnto them a sermon shewynge them the worde of God for to comforte them in their pouertye and langours / which shulde be [Page] a seruyce honest / holsome and very acceptable vnto god.
The offyce of all estates. i. Timo. iii.
A Bysshop must be fautelesse / the husbande of one wyfe / sobre / discrete / houestly apparelled / herberouse / apte to teche / nat dronken / no fyghter / nat gyuen to fylthy lucre: but gentle / abhorryng fyghtynge / abhorrynge couetousnesse / and one that ruleth his owne house honestly / hauynge chyldren vnder obedyence with all honesty.
¶ Rulers. Sap. t.
Ye that are rulers of the erth / se that you loue rightuousnesse / and that you cōmyt none vnrightuousnesse in iudgement. Leui. ix.
Thou shalt nat fauour the poore nor honour the mightye: but shalte iudge thy neyghbour rightuously.
¶ The co [...]ens. Leui. xix.
[Page]Ye shal nat disceyue your brethrē / neither wt weight nor measure: but shall haue trew balances and trewe weightꝭ / for I am ye lorde your god
¶ Husbandes. Ephe. v.
Husbandes / loue youre wyues / euen as Christ loueth the congregatyon / & gaue him selfe for it to sāctifye it / & clensed it in the fountayne of water thorowe the worde / to make it vnto hīselfe a gloriouse cōgregatyon withoute spotte or wryncle or any suche thynge.
So ought men to loue their wyues / as their owne bodyes. He that loueth his wyfe / loueth him selfe. For no man euer yet hated his own flesshe but nourisshed it. &c.
¶ Wyues. Ephe. v.
Wyues submytte your selues to your owne busbandes / as vnto the lorde. For the husbāde is the wyues heed / euen as Christ is the heed of the congregation. Therfore as the [Page] Congregatyon is in subiectyon to Christ: like wise let ye wiues be ī sub [...]ectiō to their husbādꝭ in all thīges.
¶ Fathers & moders. Eph. vi
Ye fathers / moue nat your chyldren so wrath / but bringe thē vp wt the nurter & information of the lord
¶ Chyldren. Ephe. vi.
Chyldren / obey youre fathers & mothers in ye lorde / for so it is right [...] Honour thy father & mother (that is the fyrste commaundemente that hath any ꝓmys) that thou mayst be in good estate & lyue lōge on therth
¶ Maisters, Collo. iii.
Ye maisters / do vnto your seruā tes that which is iust & egalle / puttynge away all bytternesse & thret [...]enynges / knowynge that euen ye haue also a maister in heuen.
¶ Seruaūtes. Collo. iii.
Seruauntes / be obedyent vnto your bodily maisters in al thinges [...]at with eye seruyce as men plesers [Page] but in synglenes of hert feryng god And whatsoeuer ye do / do it herteli as though ye dyd it vnto the lorde / and nat vnto men / for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receyue the reward of inherytance for ye serue the lorde Christ.
¶ Wydowes. i, Timo. v.
She that is a very wydo we and frendlesse / putteth her trust in god and contynueth in supply catyon & prayer / nyght and daye.
¶ The sōme of all.
Loue thy neybour as thy selfe / & what so euer ye wolde that other shulde do to you / do you euyn the same to them: and what ye wolde nat that other men shuld do to you se that ye do it nat to them.
¶ Printed at London by Thomas Godfray. Cum priuilegio Regale.