That worde brusteth out of a vehemente heate and ouerflowynge ioye, wherewyth hyr mynde and conuersacion heaue it selfe wholy in sprite inwardly: Wherfore she sayeth not: I do magnifye the LORDE, but my soule. As yf she wolde saye: My lyfe and all my thoughtes dryue, compelle and ouer­flowe in the loue and prayse of God and ex­ceadynge gladnesse, so that I (euen besydes my selues) ame rather heaued than do heaue to prayse God. Euen as it chaunceth also vnto them that be endued wyth godly swetenesse and sprete: so that they fele more, than they can vtter and expresse wyth wordes. For it not mans worke to geue thankes vn­to God wyth ioye. It is rather a ioyfull mynde, and the only worke of God, the whiche is not perceaued by vtteraunce, but by experience, as sayeth Dauid in the .xxxiii. Psalme: Tayste and se how good the LORDE is, happy is the mā that trusteth in hym. He sayeth fyrste: Tayste, and than se, because he can not be knowen wyth­out a mans owne experience: wher vnto neuerthelesse noman commeth, wythoute he do wholye and fullye truste in God, whan he is into the depthe and anguyshe: [Page] and for thys cause doth he adde continently and sayeth: Happy is the man that trusteth in hym. For such one shall perceaue y^e worke of God in hymselfe, and by thys waye he shall come to the perceaueable swetenesse, and therby come to all vnderstandynge, and knowlege.

Now let vs marke & weye euery worde in order: The fyrst is, My soule. Scripture dealeth man in thre partes, as Paule the fyrst to the Tessalonians the last Chapter sayeth: The very God of peace, sanctifye you thorow out. And I praye God that your whole sprete, soule and body be kepte blamelesse vnto the commynge of our LORDE. And euery one of these thre, wyth al the mā, is agayne dealte another waye in two, na­mely: the fleshe, and the sprete. The whyche particion is not of the nature, but of the be­ynge or propernesse. That is to say: Nature path .iii. partes, namely: the sprete, the soule, and the body, and all thre maye altogether, be ether good or bad, and is than called the sprete and the fleshe, wherof we wyll not speake at thys tyme.

The fyrst part (that is) the sprete, is the moost excellente, the depest and the mooste noblest parte of man, wherewyth he is apte [Page] to vnderstande incomprehensible, inuisible and eternall thynges: and to be shorte, it is the house wherin fayth and y^e worde of God are conteyned, wherof Dauid speaketh in y^e L. psalme sayenge: LORDE renewe a ryght sprete in myne intrayles, that is, a strayght and not bowed fayth. And agayn in y^e .lxxvii. psal. speakyng of the vnfaythful, he sayeth: A frowarde & ouerthwart generaciō, a generacion that set not theyr harte aryght, & whose sprete was not true towarde God.

The seconde part, the soule; is euen the same sprete after the nature, but after ano­ther operaciō. Namely, in that it quyckeneth the body and worketh by the same, and is of­tentymes taken in scripture for lyfe. For the sprete maye lyue well ynough wythout the body, but so maye not the body. Thys parte se we also that euen as we slepe it doth lyue and worke wythout ony ceassynge. And hys cōdicion or properte is not to perceaue thinges that be incomprehensible, but suche, as reason can haue knowlege of and measure: And reason is the chefe lyght in thys house. Yee wythout the sprete beynge lyghtened wyth fayth, or a greater lyght do rule & gyde thys lyght of reason, it can not be wythoute errour: for it is to vyle, to beare ony swynge [Page] in godly busynesse. Vnto these two partes doth scripture attribute much: but chefelye wysedome and knowlege: wysedome vnto y^e sprete, and knowlege vnto the soule. Besy­des these attributeth it also, hate, loue, pleasure, lothsomnes, and such lyke.

The thyrde is the body wyth hys membres, whose workes are mere exercyse & vse of such thynges as the soule knoweth, and y^e sprete doth beleue. And to confirme thys by a wytnesse of the scripture: Moses made a Tabernacle with a threfolde and seuerall mansion: The fyrst was called Sanctū san­ctorum, in the which God dwelled, and this had no lyght. The second was called Sanc­tum, wherin was the candelsticke wyth the seuen shaftes and lampes. The thyrde was called the forecourte, whych was vnder the open skye, and bare to the Sonne beames. In thys fygure is euery Christen man feat­ly described: For hys sprete is y^e Sanctū sāc­torū, y^e is, the moost holy, y^e dwellyng of God in a secrete & (as a mā myght say) in a darke fayth: for he beleueth it y^t he cā not perceaue with his eyesyght, nother feleth, nor yet doth comprehende. The Soule is the Sanctum, (that is y^e holy) there be the .vii. lampes, that is, all maner of vnderstandynge, y^e differēce and knowlege of corporal & visible thynges. [Page] The bodye is the forecourte, whych is bare to euery man, so that they maye se what he doth, and how he lyueth.

Therfore now prayeth Paule & sayeth: The very God of peace sanctifye you tho­rowout. Not only in one parte; but thorowe out, that the sprete, soule, bodye, and altoge­ther be holy. Here were many thynges to be spoken, of the cause of thys prayer, but I wyl brefely rehearse some of them: Yf the sprete be not holy, ther shall nothynge els be holy. Than is the moost ieoperdy and busynesse in the holynesse of the sprete, whych consys­teth only in a pure fayth: that is, yf y^e sprete be not combred wyth comprehensible thyn­ges, as it is sayd. In the meane tyme than come false teachers, whych entyse the sprete forth of it, whan the one seketh to be ryghte­ous by these workes, another by that waye and maner. Yf the sprete be not here wel prouyded and wyse, then falleth it out and fol­loweth, and cōmeth to leane vpon outward workes & costumes, whereby it imagineth to be saued. Lo so soone is fayth lost, & the sprete dead before God.

Vpon thys grewe sectes and orders, so that y^e one becōmeth a Charterhouse mōke, another a Grayfrere: the one endeuoureth [Page] to be saued wyth fastyng, y^e other wyth prayenge, & another by this maner & fashiō: one by this & another by y^e worke procure to flye euerlastynge damnacion. And yet are they all euen but mēs inuēcions, euē such as one mans chosynge hath foūded. Reade therof y^e treatyse of orders & sectes. Nother are they commaunded by God, but inuented by mē: aboute the whych the vayne ianglers haue no respecte of fayth, but teach alwaye the cō fidence of workes, so longe tyll they be at variaunce wythin themselues: Euery mā wyl be nearest the marke, & despyse the other, as our obseruaūtes do nowe a dayes swell and heaue thēselues. Agaynst these workers and good men in syght, or rather hypocrites doth Paule praye, sayeng: that God is y^e God of peace, of whom these varienge hypocrites, & haters of peace are not partakers, nor ha­uynge hym, can holde y^e same, wythout they byd farewell theyr statutes, rules & ceremo­nies, & be all one mynded in fayth & sprete, knowlegynge that workes cause variaunce, synne & dissencion, & onely fayth maketh ho­nest, one mynded & peaceable mē, as wytnesseth the .lxvii. Psal, sayenge: He is the God y^t maketh mē to be of one mynde in y^e house. And agayne in y^e .C.xxxii. Psalme: Beholde [...] [Page] Euen so sheweth Mary wherof hyr songe of prayse shall synge and treate, namely: of the renowmed & excellent workes of God, the comforte of our fayth, to cōforte y^e lowly and to fraye all the hyghest of the earth. And to these thre vses or cōmodities is it necessarye for me to directe thys virgyns songe of prayse, that she haue not songe it only to herselfe, but to vs all, that we shulde coūterfayt her. Nother is it possible that ony man ether shulde be afrayed, or receaue consolaciō out of so great workes of God, wythout he not onely beleue that God can & knoweth to do great thynges, but also he must beleue that he wyl do them, and hath pleasure in doynge them. Nother is it ynough to beleue y^t God wyll do great thynges wyth other, and not wyth you, and by thys meanes to auoyde your selues from the workes of God. Euen as they do, whych beynge in prosperite or set in authorite, feare not God: and they that be feblemynded tremble and be abashed of hym in theyr aduersyte. For such fayth is no thynge and euen dead, lyke vnto an opinion cōceaued of some tale. But ye must set hys wyl surely & stedfastly afore your eyes, thynkyng wythin your mynde y^t he both wyl now & hereafter also do great thynges wyth you. [Page] Thys fayth is lyuely, growynge, pearsynge through and chaungynge a man, and ma­kynge hym euen a newe creature: and cō ­pelleth hym to feare, yf he be hygh: and con­ceaue consolacion, yf he be lowly. Yee the hygher he is, the more ought he to feare: and the lower he is, to haue the more con­solacion, the whiche none other fayth doth. But what must he do in extreme necessite, or daunger of death? Surely than muste he not onlye beleue that God can, and knoweth how to helpe hym, but also that he wyl helpe hym: where a straunge and an vnspeakeable thynge must be done, namelye, that he delyuered from the death euerla­stynge, do becōme the chylde of saluacion, & the sonne and heyre of God. Thys fayth (as wytnesseth Christe hymselfe) is able to do all thynges. Thys fayth doth abyde, and cōmeth to the knowlege of the godly wor­kes, from thence into the loue of God, and forthe from thence into the praysynge and thankynge of God: so that a man doth than make much of God, and conceaue a good opinion of hym.

For God in his nature is not magni­fyed of vs, seynge he is immutable, but in oure knowlege and mynde: that is, yf we [Page] holde muche of hym, or set muche by hym, specially for hys godnesse and mercy. For thys cause doth not the blessed mother say: My voyce, my mouthe, myne handes, my thoughtes, nor my reason and wyll do magnifye the LORDE, (for ther are manye one, that prayse God wyth loude voyce, praysynge and preachynge hym with preci­ouse and godlye wordes, speakynge, dispu­tynge, wrytynge and payntynge muche of hym, and also many that haue greate medi­tacions, and by the gyde of reason haue greate searchynges of hym: fynally ther are some that wyth fayned religion and intente make muche of hym.) but she sayeth of thys wyse: My soule magnifyeth God, (that is) my whole lyfe, senses, and powers haue a greate opinion of God: so that as though she were rauyshed vp to hym, she felte some raysynge and rauyshynge in hys goodnesse, the whiche the verse followynge doth declare. Of thys wyse se we also, that yf ony man doth vs good, that euen all our wyttes be moued and bended to hym, so that we saye Oh how greate and good opi­nion do I conceaue of thys man? And euen thys is the verye sygnifycacion of the sayenge: My soule magnifyeth the Lorde. [Page] Howe muche more shall suche lyuelye stea­rynge be caused, what tyme as we perceaue the goodnesse of God, the whyche is verye greate in hys workes, so that euen wor­des and thoughtes shal fayle, and the whole lyfe and soule shall be necessarelye stea­red, and euen as though all that is quycke and lyuely in vs wolde synge and prayse God.

Now are ther two false spretes, whiche can not synge the Magnificat aryght: The fyrste that prayse not God before he haue fyrste done them good, as Dauid sayeth: They shall prayse the whan than hast done good vnto them. These seme to prayse God very earnestly, but seynge they neuer wyll suffre the depth, the makynge lowe,, and subduynge, they can neuer fele and perceaue y^e ryght wayes of the LORDE, and so conse­quently nother loue nor prayse God truly. Hereby commeth it that the worlde now a dayes is full of diuine seruices (as they call them) and laudes, wyth syngynge, prea­chynge, playenge on the organes and other instrumentes of musike: Yee and this songe of prayse called Magnificat also. But thys is to be pytyed, namely, that so precious a songe is handled so vnfrutefully & wythoute pyth [Page] of vs, the which we do not synge, wythoute all thynges go well wyth vs: for yf ony myschaunce do happen vnto vs, than hath oure syngynge an ende, nother is ther ony re­garde or estimacion more of God, thyn­kynge that nother he can nor wyll worke wyth vs, and therfore haue both syngynge, and the Magnificat also done wyth vs.

The other be yet more peryllous, which leane to the other syde, the which be proude of the gyftes of God, and do not thanke the pure wyll of God for it, wyllyng parte both of the prayse and hygh estimacion to be as­cribed vnto themselues. Such wyll be sene aboue other, and beholdyng the great good that God hathe done wyth them, stomble thereat, vsynge it as theyr owne, auaūcyng and heauynge themselues aboue suche as haue not those gyftes, as though they were some straunge or peculiare thynge. Thys veryly is a brykle and yeoperdous hauen for shyppes, it is a daungerous estate. The gyftes of God be suche that they make men proude & to stande in theyr owne conceate and opinion: and therfore it is requyred that the laste worde be consydered, namely, the Lorde. For Mary sayethe not: My soule magnifyeth herselfe, or setteth greate [Page] pryce by hersefe, yee she wold haue nothyng to be holden of her: but she doth exalte and lyfte vp God only, vnto hym she geueth glory, robbynge herselfe thereof, and ascri­beth and referreth all thynges vnto hym. And though she perceaued the moost plen­teous workes of God in herselfe, yet was she of that mynde and abode therin, that she dyd not exalte herselfe aboue the moost vy­lest and pooreste man on earth: and yf she had done so, than hadde she fallen wyth Lucifer into the lowest bottome of hell.

Nother hath she thought otherwyse than yf suche goodnesse of God hadde hap­pened vnto another handmayden, she wold haue ben euen as wel content, & wysh it her so well, as herselfe: yee she hath coūted her­selfe vnworthy, & al other worthy of such ho­noure, nother wold she finally haue ben miscontent yf God takynge agayn frō her such gyftes, had geuen them vnto another in hyr presence. So lytell dyd she drawe all thys to herselfe, and left Gods gyftes fre, whole and proper to hymselfe, vsynge herselfe as a glad hospitall and a gladde oostesse of suche a geste: and therfore hath she also kepte it foreuer. Lo thys is sayde to magnifye God, of thys wyse to haue a great opinion and [Page] hyghe estimacion of hym, and of vs no­thynge.

Hereby now is it euident in what greate yeopardy of fallynge and synnynge she was, so that it is no lesse maruayll how she dyd so refrayne herselfe that she dyd not pryde and swell for the exceadynge plentye of goodes, nother dyd ascribe ought to her­selfe: than that she dyd receaue them. Thynkest thou not that to be a wonderous harte? She seyeth herselfe a mother of God, ex­cited farre aboue all men: yet neuerthe­lesse doth she remayne in that lowlynesse, simplicite, vpryghtnesse and courteousy that she hath not counted the leest handmayden to be vnder her. O we moost wretches, whome yf a fewe goodes, a lytle authorite or honoure, or a lytle more bewty than ano­ther do befall can not counte vs equal with them of the lower sorte: nother cā we make an ende of suche opinion and standynge in oure owne conceate: what wolde we do yf we had great and hygh gyftes?

Wherfore God letteth vs remayne styll in pouerte and wantynge, because we kepe not hys bewtyfull goodes vndefyled, & can vse vs as we dyd before we dyd receaue them. But we let oure myndes increase [Page] or decrease, as the goodes ether growe or minysh. But the harte of the virgine Mary remayneth euer stedfaste in one mynde and equalite, she letteth God worke in her ac­cordynge to hys wyll and pleasure, takynge therby nomore saue an earnest consolacion, ioye and truste to Godwarde, and euen so ought we to do also: for that were truely to synge the Magnificat.

What the sprete be, haue we shewed a lytle before, namely, it that perceaueth thynges incomprehensible by fayth. And ther­fore she calleth God hyr Saueoure or sa­uynge health, the whiche fayth she had con­ceaued by the worke that God declared to her. And verely she begynneth after a com­ly order in that she calleth God fyrste hyr LORDE, and than hyr Saueoure, and fyrste hyr Saueoure before she rehearse his workes. Where wyth she teacheth vs, howe after a ryghte order we oughte to loue and to thanke God onlye and purely, nother seke ought of oure owne. Nowe doth he loue and thanke God purely, syncerelye and truely, whyche prayseth hym for none [Page] other cause, saue that he is good: ether be­holdeth noughte in hym, but only hys bare goodnesse, and in the same only he hath hys ioye and delyte. And thys is the hyghest and moost fayrest maner to loue & prayse God, which agreeth very well vnto such an excellente and demure sprete, as the holy vir­gins is.

The vncleane and frowarde louers, which are nothynge but vsurers, sekynge in God that is theyr owne, suche nother loue nor prayse hys bare goodnesse. For they do beholde themselues, countynge only howe good God be to them, that is, howe muche he doth declare hys goodnesse towarde thē and doth well by them, euē that they do fele it: the whiche do also conceaue greate and hyghe thynges in theyr myndes of hym, and ioyfully do synge of hym and prayse hym, as longe as they fele the benefites of God. But whan God doth hyde hymselfe, or withdraweth a lytle the beames of his goodnesse, so that they seme bare and banyshed, than hath the loue and prayse an ende, no­ther can they loue or prayse the bare and vnfeleable goodnesse hydde in God: whereby they declare, y^t theyr sprete dyd not reioyce in God theyr Saueoure, & that there was [Page] no true loue, no prayse of the bare goodnesse of God, but that they delyted more in the sauynge health, than in the Saueoure, in the gyftes thā in the geuer, in y^e creatures more then in the creatoure. Nother can they re­mayne of one mynde in plentyfulnesse and in scarsenesse, in abundaunce of goodes and in wantynge the same, in ryches and pouer­te: contrary to saynt Paule, whych sayde to the Philippians the .iiii. Chapter: I haue learned in whatsoeuer estate I am, therwith to be contente. I can be lowe and I can be hygh. Euery where and in all thynges I am mete, both to be full, & to be hungry: to haue plenty, and to suffre nede. I can do al thyn­ges thorow Christ, whych strengtheth me. Of thys thynge speaketh the .xlviii. Psalme on thys wyse: He shall speake good of the, so longe as thou doest hym good. As though he wolde saye: He seketh his, and not thyne. Yf they had receaued pleasure and riches of thyne hande, thou shuldest be lytle set by of them, they wold make lytle of the. As Christ also sayd Ioh. vi. vnto them that sought hym Verely, verely I saye vnto you: Ye seke me not because ye sawe the tokens, but because ye dyd eate of the loaues and were fylled. Suche vncleane false spretes stayne and defyle [Page] all Gods gyftes, lettynge hym to geue more, and to worke more luckelye wyth them. Wherof let vs heare a proper en­sample:

A certayne honest woman and fearyng God dyd se .iii. virgins syttyng by an altare, and at massynge tyme, a goodly boye lepte from the altare vnto y^e fyrst virgyne, vsynge her very frendly, claspynge her aboute the necke, and smylynge vpon her. After that wente he to the seconde, but he dyd not be­haue hymselfe so familiarly to her, neuerthe­lesse he lyfte vp hyr vayle, and smyled vpon her. Vnto the thyrde he shewed no sygne of loue at al, but bet her on the face, haled her by the heere, trode her wyth hys fete, & vsed her very vncourteously: and sodenly lepte agayne vpon the altare, & vanyshed awaye.

Then was the interpretacion of that syght shewed vnto the woman. The fyrste virgyne signifieth the vnclenly spretes, se­kynge theyr owne, vnto whome God muste geue many good thynges, and rather accomplysh theyr mynde and wyll, then hys owne, whyche wyll wante nothynge, and euer haue comforte and pleasure of God, not be­ynge suffised wyth the goodnesse of God. The second sygnifieth those spretes, whych [Page] haue begonne to serue God, and can suffre some scarcenesse, yet neuerthelesse are not wythout loue of themselues and theyr pro­fyte. Vnto them muste he sometyme shewe a smylynge countenaunce, lettynge them assaye hys goodnesse, that thereby they myght learne to loue hys bare goodnesse, and hyghly to prayse it. The thyrde virgine, poore, wretched and cleane forsaken hath nothyng but mysery & smarte, she seketh no profyt she is content therwyth y^t God is good, though she shulde neuer assaye it (the whych neuer­thelesse can not be) the same abydeth of one fashion and of both the sydes, ether to loue or to prayse y^e goodnesse of God, as wel whā it is felt, as whā it is not felt: nother doth she fal vpon y^e goodes whā they fal to her, nor falleth frō thē whā they fayle. And this is y^e true spouse of Christe, whych sayeth to hym: I wyll not it that thyne is, but thyselfe: I loue the no better whyle all thynges go prospe­rously, than I do hate the whyle it goeth cō trary wyth me.

Wyth such maner of spretes is it fulfyl­led that is wrytten: Thou shalte not turne from the ryghte waye of God, nother to the ryght, nor to the left hande. That is, Ye shal loue & prayse god aryght & straightly, nother [Page] bended to your selues, nor youre profytes. Suche sprete had Dauid, whan he beynge dryuen from Ierusalem by hys sonne Absa­lon, was of that mynde▪ that he beynge cast awaye for euer, wolde neuer loke for to come agayne, nother in the kyngdome, nor in the fauoure of God, so that he sayde (as it is wrytten in the seconde boke of Samuel the fyftenth Chapter:) Yf I shal fynde grace before the LORDE, he shall fetch me a­gayne, and let me se it (meanynge the Arke) and the house of it. But yf he saye thus: I haue no pleasure to the, beholde, here am I, let hym do wyth me as it pleaseth hym. O what a pure sprete was that, whych dyd not ceasse to loue, prayse and to obey the plea­sure of God, no not in extreme necessite. Suche sprete also doth the holy mother and virgine Marye shewe, whan she ebbynge and flowynge in the myddest of al ouerflowynge and excellent goodes dyd not stomble nor fall at them, nother seketh hyr owne, but kepeth hyr sprete pure and wythout blame in the loue and prayse of the mere goodnesse of God, glad and wyllynge to take in good worth, yf God wyll spoyle her of the same a­gayne, and leaue her a poore, naked and faylynge sprete.

[Page]Moreouer as it is more ieopardous to refrayne hymselfe in wealth, ryches & great worships, than in pouerte, shame and wret­chednesse, seynge ryches mynistre great oc­casion to wyckednesse: euen so is thys pure and wonderfull sprete of Mary so muche more to be allowed, that she beynge endued wyth so exceadyng hygh honoures, doth not for all them set vp hyr combe, behauyng her selfe as though she sawe it not, remaynynge strayght & ryght in the hygh waye, leanynge to the goodnesse of God only, the whych she nother feleth nor seyth, settynge lytle store by such goodes as she feleth, nor taking pleasure in them, nother sekynge it that is hyr owne, so that out of a true and ryght funda­ment she doth synge: My sprete reioyceth in God my Saueour. It is truly a spret that spryngeth of fayth only, and reioyceth not for the goods of God whych the blessed vir­gine dyd fele, but for God onely, whom she felte not, and is glad of hyr saluacion, whych she now knewe by fayth. These lo are the true, lowly, empty, and hungry spretes, of y^e whych we shall shortly speake.

By thys now maye we knowe & iudge how ful thys present worlde is of false prea­chers, and sayntes, whych do beate in much [Page] of good workes vnto the symple people. And though ther be fewe that preach earnestlye the very thynge, namely, how good workes ought to be done, (for many one do preache mans tradicions and workes, that they thē ­selues haue inuented & set vp) yet are many of thē (& that alas of y^e best of them) so farre wyde out of the strayght and ryghte waye, that they dryue the commune people alway vpon the ryght hande. For they teach good workes and the wholsome lyuynge, not for the mere goodnesse of God, but for theyr a­uauntage. For yf ther were no heauen nor no hell, and yf they loked for no grace of the goodnesse of God, they shulde soone leaue the goodes of God vnloued and vnpraysed. Those are sekers of themselues, hyrelinges, bondmen, straungers and not heyres, which make an Idoll of themselues, and aske loue and prayse of God, wyllyng God to do that vnto them, that they necessarylye shulde do vnto hym. They haue no sprete. Nother is God theyr Saueoure, but Gods gyftes saue them, where wyth he muste serue them as a seruaunte. They be the chylderen of Israell, vnto whom it suffised not to be fedde wyth heauenly Manna, but lusted also after fleshe, onyons and garlyke: and as they peryshed, [Page] and attayned not the londe of promyse, so shall such false spretes do also.

Now (God amende it) is all the worlde, all cloysters and temples full of suche kynde of men, whyche all throughe false, wycked and croked spretes do walke, driue, chase and heaue good workes so hygh, that finally they imagyn to deserue heauen by them: where before all thynges the goodnesse of God shulde haue bene declared. And it became vs to knowe, that lyke as God saued vs and made vs happye, wythout ony of oure me­ryte or workynge: so lykewyse shulde we seke to worke wythout respecte of all pro­fyte or rewarde, workynge good onely for the goodnesse of God, sekynge nothinge but that is pleasynge to hym: not hauynge an eye to the rewarde, whyche of hys owne swynge shall befall vnto vs, though we do not seke nor loke for it. For it can not be but the rewarde muste followe vs yf we do worke of pure and vpryghte sprete, wythout lokynge for rewarde or profyte. God refu­seth a sprete that seketh hys owne profyte, nother wyll he euer geue hym ony re­warde. Moreouer, as a chylde serueth hys father gladly and frely as an heyre, only for y^e fathers wyl: (for yf he serueth him only [Page] for the goodes and heretage, he is vnkynde, and worthye to be dishereted:) euen so muste they do that knowlege Christe to be theyr father and brother.

The worde lowe degre haue some dra­wen to humilite, as though the holy virgine had referred ought to herselfe, of hyr honest behaueoure, iustice and worke, and dyd re­ioyce therin: Whereby it is come that some prelates, and specially the Antichristes do call themselues humiles or lowly, whych is farre wyde from the truth. For in the syghte of God can no mā boast of ony good thynge wythout synne and damnacion. Before him must a man reioyce only of hys pure good­nesse and grace shewed vnto vs vnworthy, that not oures, but Gods loue and prayse remayne in vs, & kepe vs: whych thynge Salomon doth also teach Pro. xxv. sayenge: Put not forth thyselfe in y^e presence of y^e kynge, & preasse not in the place of great mē. Better it is that it be sayde vnto the: Come vp he­ther, thā thou to be set downe in the presēce [Page] of the prynce. How shulde than such boast & presumpcion be ascribed vnto thys chaste virgine, that she shulde auaunce hyr humy­lite in the syght of God, which is the moost worthyest of all vertue? Nother doth onye man thynke or boaste hymselfe to be lowly, wythout he be the mooste proudest. Only God doth knowe, iudge and open the lowe degre or lowlynesse, so that mā neuer knoweth lesse of it, than whan he is moost lowly.

The vse of scripture is to call Humili­are to cast downe, to preasse downe and to brynge to nought: wherfore Christen men also in some place of the scripture are cal­led poore, vyle and brought lowe, as in the .C.xiiii. Psalme: I was brought downe, & he helped me. Humilite than is nothynge saue a despysed, vyle, depressed or cast down thynge or estate: of the which kynde are the nedy, sycke, hongry, thyrsty, presoners, troubled & dyenge creatures: as Iob whā he was proued, Dauid as he was chaced & dryuen out of hys realme, and Christe wyth all the true Christians in theyr nede. And thys is the depth, whereof we haue spoken before, namely: that the eyes of the LORDE be­holde the depthes, but mans eyen loke only in the heyghte: that is, the outwarde appea­raunce [Page] and shynynge estate or condicion. And for this cause is Ierusalem called a citie where vpon Gods eyen do beholde. After thys maner lyeth the Christen congregaciō or church in the depth, and is of no reputa­tion before the worlde: wherfore God doth loke vpon it, and wendeth hys syghte alway vpon the same, as Dauid wytnesseth in the xxxi. Psalme, speakynge in the persone of God: I wyll enfourme the and shew the the waye wherein thou shalt go, I wyll fasten myn eyes vpon the.

Of lyke fashion speaketh. Paule .i. Corin. i. sayenge: That folysh is before the worlde hath God chosen, that he myght confounde the wyse: and that weake is before y^e worlde hath God chosen, that he myght confounde the myghty: and the vyle and despy­sed before the worlde hath God chosen, yee and that which is nothynge, that he myghte destroy that, whiche is ought, that no fleshe shulde reioyce in hys presēce. By thys mea­nes maketh God the worlde folysh, with all hys wysedome and strengthe, and geueth another wysedome and power. Seyng than that thys is the mynd of God, to loke downwarde, and to the thynges that are nothyng therfore haue I englyshed y^e word Humilitas [Page] for a thynge of no price or regarde, so that thys be the mynde of Mary: God hath wended his eyen vpon me that ame a poore, vyle and a mayden of no regarde, which myghte easyly haue founde ryche, renowned, noble quenes and of great lynage, ether myght he haue chosen y^e doughters of prynces & great estates, yee he myght haue chosen y^e dough­ters of Annas or Cayphas rulers of thys cō try: But he hath fastened vpon me the eyes of hys mere goodnesse, and vsed me that ame so vyle and despysed an handmayden, because none shulde boaste herselfe to haue ben worthy of such an office: & I also muste nedes graunte that it is only of pure grace and goodnesse that such doth happē vnto me and not for my merites or worthynesse, wherof I ame bare.

Thus haue we now sufficiently shewed here aboue, how y^e holy virgine vnloked for is come to thys honoure, out of a despysed estate: and how God hath so graciously lo­ked vpon her. And for thys chaunce she doth not boast & auaunce hyr worthynesse or vn­worthynes: but only she reioyceth of y^e syght of God, which is so bounteous & gracious, y^t he hath loked vpō so slender a maydē, & that so greatly, honorously and worshypfully. [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] Wherfore they that saye she dyd not auaūce hyr virginite, but hyr lowlynesse, do her iniury. For she nother dyd auaunce hyr virgi­nite, nor lowlynesse, but the only, the godly and gracious syghte of God. Wherfore ther is no pyth or wayghte in the worde lovve degre, but in the worde he hath lo­ked. For hyr surrendrynge is not to be praysed and commended, but the lokyng of God vpon her. Euen as yf a noble prince shulde reach hys hande vnto a wretched begger, y^e beggers hande is not to be alowed ther­fore, but the prynces gentlynesse and fa­miliarite.

But that the wronge opinion maye be auoyded, and the true lowlynesse maye be knowen from the fayned, we wyll make a lytle digression, and treate of humilite or lowlynesse: for many one haue erred not a lytle therin.

Humilite do we cal communely a wyl to smal and despysed thynges. Now are ther many that brynge water to the wel, namely they, that alwaye cōbre theyr myndes wyth vyle clothyng, persons outwarde gestures, townes, wordes and places, vpon them do they thynke, in them is theyr conuersacion, but to that intente, that by thesame they [Page] myght be counted and estimed greate, rych, learned, holy, yee also God, as such that loue to be conuersaunte in lowly thynges. But yf they knewe, mē dyd not set thereby, they wolde ryght soone leaue them. Thys is a fayned lowlynesse, for theyr wycked eye be­holdeth nought saue the rewarde, auayle and prayse of humilite. Nother beholde they the vyle thynges, not lokynge for rewarde and profite, nomore than a kooke doth to roost meate that doth not droppe: wherfore whan the rewarde and prayse do nomore appeare, than hath humilite done with thē. Such haue no affection to the vylenesse, because they be not of one harte and mynde in vyle thynges, they haue only the thoughtes, handes, mouth, clothynge and outward behaueoure in vylenesse, but theyr harte loketh to hygh thynges, to the which they do imagine to come: and such are they that counte themselues lowly holy sayntes.

They that be lowly in dede, turne not theyr eyen to the rewarde and prayse of hu­milite, but w^t a simpel hart do they beholde the vyle thynges, beynge glad to be occupi­ed in thesame, nother do they at ony tyme perceaue theyr lowlynesse. Here spryngeth the water out of the fountayne, here followeth [Page] it of hys owne swynge, wherfore they do vse vyle vestures, gestures, wordes, places and persones, though they do euery where shone gorgious and hyghe thynges: which thynge Dauid also wytnesseth in the .C.xxix. Psal. sayenge: LORDE I ame not hygh myn­ded, I haue no proude lokes. &c. And Iob in the .xxii. chapter: Whoso humbleth hym­selfe, shalbe set vp: and whoso loketh mekely, shalbe healed. Hereby commeth that vnto such doth honoure befal vnwares, and theyr heauynge vp wythoute foreknowlege or de­liberacion. For they were content wyth theyr lowe estate and simple condicion, no­ther thought they once vpon hygh thynges. But y^e fayned lowly maruayle greatly that theyr exaltacion & honoure taryeth so longe, nother is theyr false and fayned pryde con­tente with theyr vyle condicion, but secretly cōsydereth hygher estates in theyr myndes.

Therfore dyd I saye that true humilite or lowlynes doth not at ony tyme perceaue that she is lowly, (for yf she dyd knowe it, she wolde be proude wyth the syghte of so greate a vertue) but wyth harte, mynde and all hyr wyttes is she pyght vpon sleghte and lowly thynges, whiche alwaye presente themselues to hyr syghte. These are hyr [Page] images, wherein she hath hyr conuersacion and pastyme: and as lōge as she hath them in syghte, so longe can not she beholde herselfe nor be combred with herselfe: much lesse be rauyshed and haue pleasure in the contem­placion and syghte of hygh and greate thyn­ges, or geue hyr mynde therto. For thys cause than must the honoure and dignite be fall vnto her vnwares, & fynde her in thoughtes cleue contrary to honoures and digni­tyes: for after thys maner doth Luke saye, that the Angels gretynge was straunge vn­to the virgine, for it came sodenly and vn­loked for. Yf thesame gretynge hadde chaun­ced vnto Cayphas doughter, she wolde not haue thought: What maner of gretynge is thys, but wolde soone haue accepted it, and wolde haue sayde wythin herselfe: Ah howe well and happely doth thys befall?

And agayne fayned lowlynesse doth ne­uer know that she is proud: for yf she dyd, she shulde quickely be refrayned wyth the syght of the haynous faute, but she fasteneth hyr harte, mynde and thoughte vpon hyghe thynges, the whyche she hath in syght wyth­oute ceassynge. These are hyr ymages, wherewyth she is alwaye combred, and as longe as she setteth hyr mynde on thē, she cā [Page] nother beholde nor consydre herselfe. Wherfore the honoure commeth nother vnwares nor vnthought vpon, for it fyndeth though­tes therto agreynge: but shame and enpo­ueryshynge come vnloked for vnto such: for they were mynded to sayle with another & more luckelyer wynde.

For thys cause is it not good to learne lowlynesse after thys maner, that he haue in syghte and imagine vyle and despysed thynges or persons. Nother contrarywyse waxeth ony man proude because he seyeth hygh and greate thynges. The images are not to be auoyded, but the eyē ▪ must be weened therefrom. As longe as we lyue vpon earth, we must lyue both wyth the hygh and lowe thynges or estates: but (as Christ say­eth) the eye must be put out. Genesis the .iii chapter sayeth not Moses, that Adam and Eue sawe other thynges after the preuari­cacion, thā they dyd se before it, but y^t theyr eyen were opened, that they myght se theyr nakednesse, where as they were naked be­fore also, and yet dyd not consyder it. The quene Hester dyd weare a verye costlye crowne vpon hyr heade, yet dyd it seme but a stayned cloth in hyr syght. Here were not the hygh images taken away from her, but [Page] rather were set before her, as vnto a mooste puissaunt quene, and no sleyght or vyle thynges were before her: but the syght was wended therfrom, and hyr harte and mynde dyd not beholde the hye thynges and gloriouse: Wherfore God wroughte also straungely wyth her. After thys fashion must not y^e outwarde thynges be altered, but we must be altered in our mynde and wyttes: for thā shal we easely learne to despyse and flye hyghe thynges, to set much by and to seke sleyght & lowly thynges. For there is humilite or lowlynesse founde and stedfast for all chaūces, & yet neuer are ware of it. This is done with delyte and the harte remayneth alwaye one and of one fashion, howsoeuer other thynges do befall or chaunge, ether to the heyghte or depth.

But (LORDE God) what pryde skoul­keth vnder the vylenesse of clothynge, wor­des and behaueoure? wherof the world now a dayes is full. The whych visures and dis­semblers do so submytte themselues, y^t they wyll be despysed of no man: they do so flye honours, that they notwithstandynge wyll be chaced therwyth: they do so shone hyghe thynges, y^t neuerthelesse they be not myspraised, nor theyr possessions mynished, y^e whych [Page] they couet alwayes to haue of the best and pycked out. But thys virgine vttereth no­thynge but hyr vylenesse, wherin she lyued & abode wyllynglye, she neuer coueted nor thought vpon honoure and heyght, nother dyd she consyder and behold hyr lowlynesse. This humilite is so fayre and precious, that she can not abyde hyr owne countenaunce but that image is reserued vnto the face of God, as wytnesseth the .C.xii. Psalme, say­enge: Who is lyke vnto the LORDE oure God that hath hys dwellynge so hygh, which humbleth hymselfe to beholde that is heauē and earth. For he that can beholde hys low­lynesse, the same can iudge hymselfe worthy of eternal blesse, & so were Gods iudgement at an ende, seyng we know surely that God doth saue the lowlyones. Therfore muste God reserue and kepe the same for hymselfe to knowe and to iudge, and hyde them from vs wyth the fence of exercyse in lowly thyn­ges, by beholdynge of the whych we also do forget ourselues. To thys now serue many persecucions, deathes & al kynde of trouble on earth, in y^e which is trauayle & payne, y^e w^t thēwe may put out y^e false & deceatful eye.

Thus is it euidēt vnto vs by thys word humilite or lowlynesse, that Mary the vir­gyne [Page] was a despysed, vyle, and a mayden of no estimacion, & in thys lowe degre to haue serued God, and not to haue knowen, that hyr low estate was much worth before God Whereby we are taught and cōforted, that though we ought wyllyngly be despysed and brought low, yet shuld we not despayre therfore, as though God dyd hate vs: but rather trust that he shalbe mercyful vnto vs. Only thys shal we beware, lest we be not wyllyng ynough in thys subduyng & castyng downe, lest oure wicked eye be to much open, and so deceaue vs wyth preuy lokynge vpon hyghe thynges, or searchynge out of our pleasures, wherwyth the humilite or lowlynesse do pe­rysh. For what helpeth it y^e dāned to be cast downe to the nedermost & lowest, seyng they do not suffre y^e aduersite gladly and wyth a good wyll? And agayne what hurteth it the angels to be hyghly exalted, seyng they con­ceaue no false lust and presumpcion therby?

Finally, to be shorte, thys verse doth teach vs to know God truly, seynge it wyt­nesseth that God doth behold lowly thynges and persons. And he knoweth God aryghte, that knoweth y^t he bēdeth hys eyen to y^e low­ly, as we haue sufficiently declared: & of the same knowlege followeth the loue & trust to [Page] Godwarde, so that a man do yelde hymselfe and followe hym wyllyngly. Of thys haue we a goodly place in the .ix. Chapter of Ieremy, sayeng: Let not the wyseman reioyce in hys wysedome, nor the stronge man in hys strength, nother the rych man in hys riches: But who so wyll reioyce, let hym reioyce in thys, that he knoweth and vnderstādeth me. Thys doth Paule confirme in the .ii. epistle to the Corinthians the .xi. Chapter, sayeng: Let hym that reioyceth, reioyce in y^e LORD

After than that the mother of God had in such wyse praysed hir God and Saueour wyth a bare pure sprete, & ascribed none of the goodes to herselfe, and therfore had sōge truly vnto hym of hys goodnesse: now dothe she fynally and orderlye go to the prayse of hys workes & goodes. For (as we haue sayd before) we ought not to rūne headlynges to y^e goodes of God, nother ought we to ascribe and drawe them to vs: but by thē as by step­pes we muste pearse vnto the author & cause of all goodnesse, we must cleue vnto hym onely, and make much of hym. And after that prayse and thanke hym in hys workes, wherin he hath shewed vs suche goodnesse, that we maye truste, loue and prayse hym: so that hys workes are nothyng saue a great [Page] occasion to loue and to thanke y^e mere good­nesse that raygneth ouer vs.

She begynneth fyrst wyth her selfe, and syngeth what God hath done for her, wherin she teacheth vs two thynges: Fyrst, muste euery man marke diligently what God worketh wyth hym, more than all the workes y^t he doth wyth other. For thy blesse consysteth not in that he worketh wyth other, but wyth the. As (Ihon the .xxi. Chapter) whan Peter sayd of S. Ihon: LORDE, but what shall he do? Christ sayd vnto hym: Yf I wyll that he tary tyll I come, what is that to the? Fol­lowe thou me. As thoughe he wolde saye: Ihons workes shall not auayle y^e, thou must go to thy selfe, and take hede what I wyl do wyth the. Neuerthlesse a great mysuse of sellynge good workes doth raygne in y^e worlde now a dayes. For some presumptuous spre­tes wyl helpe other, chefely such as lyue and dye wythout Gods owne workynge: euē as though they had to many good workes. Where Paul .i. Corin. iii. sayeth: that euery mā shalbe rewarded accordynge to his wor­kes: ergo not after another mans workes.

It myght be suffred yf they dyd pray for other, or brought theyr workes as meanes & intercessiōs to god. But seyng they come to [Page] God therwyth, as wyth some gyfte or presēt it is a wycked and haynous intent. And (that moost abominable is) they deale and geue theyr workes vnto other, the whych neuer­thelesse they knowe not howe acceptable they be vnto God. For God doth not be­holde the workes, but the harte and fayth, by the whych he worketh wyth vs. Whereof they do not force, leanynge vpon y^e workes only, wyth the whych they do deceaue them­selues and other also. And so farre is y^e mat­ter come, that they perswade men that be at the poynte of death, to put on a freres ray­ment, sayenge: that yf ony mā dye in so holy an habyte, al his synnes shalbe forgeuē hym, and get eternall blesse. Thus do they not only saue men wyth straūge good workes, but also wyth straunge garmentes. I thynke (yf ther were no hede taken therto) that the de­uell wolde brynge such men so farre, y^t they wolde thynke to brynge the people to heauē wyth religious meates, dwellynge, and bu­ryenge. Good LORDE how feleable is thys darknesse, namely: that a coole or religious abyte may iustify and saue a man? for what nedeth fayth than? Let vs thā become al fre­res, let vs all dye in frerely abites: & by that meanes shall cloth wante to make freres. [Page] Beware, bewar of wolues, walkyng in such shepes clothyng, for they do begyle the & tear the, & thynke that God doth worke with the, & thy saluacion, & that by the worke y^t he worketh in the: nother put thy trust in ony other as thou seyst y^e holy virgine Mary do here. And though thou doest vse to thys the inter­cession of other, thou doest not euell: for we all ought to praye the one for the other. And no man shall trust vnto other mēs workes, wythout the owne & proper workes of God: but wyth great diligēce take hede to thyselfe & Gods workes, euen as though God & thou were one in heauē & earth, and though God dyd worke wyth noman but wyth the, and so forth loke vpon other mens workes also.

The secōd that Mary teacheth, is, that euery mā wyl be y^e fyrst in the praysynge of God, & to recyte the workes done to hym, & after y^e yrayse hym also in other workes. Af­ter thys maner do we reade y^e Paule & Barnabas dyd shewe vnto the apostles the actes that God wrought by thē: & agayne y^e apost­les shewed thē what God had wroughte by thē also. Lyke vnto this dyd they (in the last Chap. of Luke) shewyng ech other of y^e resur­recciō of y^e LORD & appearyng to thē. Euen there doth finally begyn a cōmune ioye and [Page] prayse of God, wher euery one prayseth the grace of another, and his moost of al, though he be vyler than another: nother doth he co­uete to be the chefe in the goodes, but in the loue and prayse of God. For euery mā hath ynough of God, & hys mere goodnesse, how slender that euer hys gyfte be, so symple an harte hath he. But the hypocrites, sekynge theyr owne auayle loke a squynte and playe the luskes: whych whan they se they be not the chefest nor best in the goodes, they mur­mure in steade of prayse, and saye: that they be ether lyke or vnder other, lyke as they dyd wherof we reade Math. xx. that murmured agaynst the husbandman, not that he dyd thē wronge, but that he coūted the last lyke worthy of the dayes hyre wyth them.

After thys maner are ther many foūde that do not prayse the goodnesse of God, yf they se that they haue not receaued so much as Peter, or ony of the other sayntes, ether thys or that holy man alyue on earth: thyn­kynge that yf God had geuen them so many good gyftes also as he hath geuen to other, they wolde prayse and laude hym lykewyse, settynge it lyght to be endued of God wyth such goodes, as they do not perceaue, as be: the body, lyfe, reason, substaunce, honoures, [Page] frendes, the seruice of the Sonne, wyth al o­ther creatures. The which persons, yf they had all the goodes that Mary had, yet wolde not they knowlege nor prayse God in them, For as sayeth Christe Luke .xvi. He that is faythfull in y^e leest, is faythful also in much: and he that is vnryghteous in the leest, is vnryghteous also in muche. Therfore are not they worthy of the greate and much, because they despyse the small or lytle. Yf they dyd prayse God in the leest, they shuld haue abundauntly the greate: wherof the cause is they haue theyr syghte aboue them, and not vnder them. For yf they had theyr syght bowed downwarde, they shulde se some, which perchaunce haue not halfe so manye goodes and gyftes, and yet be at rest and cō tente, praysynge God. A byrde hoppeth for ioye and syngeth yf it can, beynge contente wyth it that it possesseth, and murmureth not because it can not speake. A dogge lea­peth and waggeth hys tayle, shewynge a ioyfull countenaunce, nother is he myscon­tente that he wanteth reason. All maner of beastes are contente wyth theyr goodes, & serue God wyth theyr endeuoure & prayse. But the onlye wycked and louynge it selfe eye of man is vnsatiable, nother doth it en­deuoure [Page] itselfe to be saciate by reasō of hys vnkyndnesse and pryde, seynge it coueteth euer to be the chefest & best, preferred aboue other: nother wyll it prayse and glorify God but rather loke for honoure of hym.

Of thys maner do we reade that in the tyme of the councell holden at Constaunce in Germany, two Cardinals rydynge vpon costlye mules ouer the feldes by the waye, dyd se a shepeherde stāde wepyng. The one of them a more meker mā and moued wyth pytie, wold not passe by hym that was so so­rowfull, approched to comforte hym, and as­ked fyrst what hym ayled. The shepeherde after he had wepte bytterly, and holden hys peace a greate whyle, so that the Cardinall was greued and sorowfull also. At the laste he shewed hym a tode and sayde: For thys cause do I wepe, namely, that God hath shapen and created me so fayre a creature, and not lyke thys euell fauoured worme, and that I dyd neuer consydre thys by myselfe, nor thanked hym therfore. Of thys was the Cardinall so abashed, that he fell from hys mule, and was boren in the councell house, where he cryed and sayde: O Austine howe truely was it sayde of the: The vnlearned ryse vp and take in the kyngdome of heauē, [Page] but we wyth oure learnynge do wander in flesh and bloude. Now do I thynke that the shepeherd was not so rych nor fayre, yet dyd he so hyghly & earnestly consyder the gyftes of God in hym, and rendre thankes ther­fore, that he dyd fynde more in hymselfe, thā he coulde well attayne & perceaue with hys syghte.

The fyrste worke of God towarde the holy virgine doth she confesse to be the lo­kynge vpon her, the which also is the che­fest, of the which al the reste hange & flowe. For yf it be come so farre that God wende hys syght to ony man to beholde hym, that is nothynge but grace and mercy, and there must nedes followe all gyftes and workes. As we reade Gene. iiii. that God dyd loke vpon Abell and hys gyftes, and not so vpon Cayn nor hys offerynge. Of thys come the prayers cōmunely in the psalter, that God wyll lyghten hys countenaunce vpon vs, and not hyde hys syghte, but directe it vpon vs, and such lyke. And that she doth thynke thys to be the chefest, she doth sufficientlye shewe, sayeng: Lo, for thys beholdyng of me shall al chyldes chyldren call me blessed.

Marke the wordes, she sayeth not y^e hyr prayses shall be spred abrode, y^e hyr vertues [Page] shalbe commended, that hyr virginite or humilite shalbe extolled, or that hyr excellente dedes shalbe songe and vttered wyth some songe or ballade, but she doth only often re­pete and saye: that God hath loked vpō her, and that thereby she shalbe called blessed. And that is to geue the honoure and prayse to God so holyly and purely, that ther is no thynge more holy nor pure. And therefore poyntynge vpon the beholdynge or lokynge vpon of God, as wyth a fynger she sayeth: Beholde from hēce forth novv shall they call me blessed. That is, from the tyme that God hathe beholden my vylenesse, I shalbe called happy. Wherein not she, but y^e grace of God in her is praysed: yee she is made lytle, and maketh herselfe lytle, whan she sayeth that hyr vylenesse is loked vpon of God. And for thys cause doth she fyrste auaūce hyr saluacion, before she recyte the workes of God declared toward her, and attributeth the lokynge vpon hyr vylenesse al together vnto the syght of God.

By thys now is it euident, & we maye gesse by thys whyche be the true honoure, wherewyth she must be honoured, yf she per chaunce hath nede of it. But howe shall we saye to her▪ Loke vpon hir wordes, and they [Page] shall teache the to saye thus: O thou blessed virgine and mother of God, howe vyle and despysed werest thou? yet not wythstan­dynge God dyd wende so mercyfullye and rychely hys syghte towarde the, and hathe wrought great thynges in the, wherof thou werest neuer one worthy: and the ouerflo­wynge grace of God in the is farre aboue thy deseruynges. Happy arte thou & blessed arte thou from that tyme forth for euer, the which hast founde such a God. Nother ne­deth ony man to thynke that she wyl not be pleased, yf she be sayde to be vnworthy of so greate fauoure: veryly she fayled not, whan she graunted of hyr owne mynde y^t she was vyle and vnworthy, that God dyd loke vpon her for none of hyr merites or deseruynge, but of hys mere and only grace.

She hath no delyte to heare such vayne ianglers, as both preach and wryte manye thynges of hyr merytes, wherewyth they crake and auaunce theyr greate learnynge: not consyderyng how greatly they derogate the Magnificat accuse the mother of God of lyenge, and minysh the grace of God. For so much worthy merite as is geuen vnto Mary, so much is the grace of God rob­bed of, and the virginis songe is robbed of [Page] truth. The angell dyd only grete her on the grace of Gods behalfe, and that the LORD was wyth her, wherfore she is blessed a­monge wemen. Wherfore they that attri­bute her so many prayses and honoures, and let them so styck and cleue vpon her, they be not farre from makynge an idol of her: euē as though she ought be worthely worshyp­ped and trusted vnto, where as she doth re­iecte and render all vnto God, & wyll haue God to be praysed in her, labourynge and endeuourynge fynally to cause euery man to haue truste and confidence in Gods fa­uoure by hyr ensample.

Whosoeuer therfore wyll honoure the virgine Mary aryght, thesame must not set her nexte hys harte, and by God, but farre beneth hym, makynge her bare and naked, and so (as she sayeth herselfe) behold hyr nakednesse. After that must he maruayle of the vnspeakeable and abundaunte grace of God, whyche so rychely and bountyfully both loke vpon, loue, and blesse so vyle, vn­worthy and despysed a persone: that so be­holdynge he be moued to prayse & loue God in lyke gyftes, and so he be occasioned euer to trust & to hope some greate goodnesse of God, and that of such a God, as doth not despyse [Page] the poore, despysed & vyle, but wyteth them safe of hys owne syghte, that so hys harte be stablyshed in fayth, hope and cha­rite. What more acceptable thynge suppose ye can befall vnto her, than that ye come to God by her after this maner, and learne to truste and hope in God by hyr ensample, whan ye lykewyse are despysed and set at nought, what maner of waye that euer it be, ether in lyfe or death: She wyll not haue the to come to her, but by her to God.

Agayne, that ye learne to eschue al hygh easte and condicion, the which euery man enuyronneth to obtayne, seynge that God nother fande nor dyd wyll thesame in hys mother. But those paynters and counterfayters, the whych do so paynte and set out the blessed virgine vnto vs, that ther be no vyle thynge sene in her, but all excellente thyn­ges, what do they els but teach vs to set our syght on the mother of God, & not her in the syght of God: Whereby they do fraye vs, & nearehāde do cause vs to despayre, & darken vnto vs the ymage full of consolacion, euen as they do stoppe the sayntes in Lente. For seyng she is drawen aboue all ensāples & patrones, ther is nothynge lefte whereof we maye [Page] take ony coosolacion or cmnforte, where she ought and wyth a good wyl wolde be a principall ensample of grace, to steare all the world to the grace, loue and prayse of God, that the hartes of all men myght conceaue such an opinion of her towarde God, which with all confidence myghte saye: Ah blessed virgine and mother of God, what greate comforte dyd God geue vs by the, because he dyd wyth so gracious a coūtenaunce be­holde thyn vnworthynesse and lowe degre, whereby we are admonyshed henceforth to trust, that after thyn ensample he wyll also loke vpon vs wretches.

Thynkest thou not that yf Dauid, S. Peter, Paule, Mary Magdalene and such lyke for the greate grace that they vnwor­thely dyd obtayne, are become ensamples to comfirme the Godly fayth and hope, that y^e blessed mother of God doth not couet lyke­wyse gladly and worthely to be an ensam­ple and patrone vnto all the worlde? But now can not that be for the superfluous blowers out of hyr prayse and vayne ianglers, which do not declare by thys verse how the abundaunte ryches of God were vnyed and made one wyth hyr slender pouerte, y^e godly worshyppe wyth hyr humilite, the Godly [Page] worthynesse with hyr vylenesse, the Godly power wyth hyr feblenesse, the Godly good­nesse, wyth hyr merite of no value, the Godly fauoure wyth hyr vnworthynesse: where of lust, delyte and loue towarde God wyth all confydence do growe. To the whych in­tent the lyues and sayenges of all sayntes be wrytten also. But ther are now a dayes some that seke helpe and comforte at her, as at some God, so that I feare me ther raygne more Idolatry in the worlde in oure dayes, than euer dyd. Let thys suffise at this tyme.

These two wordes: All generacions do signifye as much as: Chyldes chylderen, and it is so darkly spoken, and so profoundly, that some haue busely combred themselues, thynkynge whych waye thys shulde be true, seynge that the Iewes, Turkes, Saracens, and other Heythen, besyde no small nombre of false Christians do not only refuse to cal her blessed, but despyse and curse her. The cause of thys is that they vnderstande the worde Generacions of the congregacion of men, wher as it stretcheth farther in this place. As namelye: the degrees or membres of the naturall yssue, where the one euer followeth or succedeth another: the father, the sonne, the cosyn, and so forth, whereof euery [Page] membre is called a Generacyon. So that the mynde of the holy virgine, whā se sayeth that hyr prayse shall laste from generaciō to generaciō, is, that ther shalbe no tyme, wherin hyr prayses shall not be publyshed. And that doth she meane whan she sayeth: Lo from henceforth shal all generacions, that is, it begynneth now and shall endure in all generacions or kynreds that shall succede hereafter.

Moreouer y^e worde to call blessed hath a larger sygnificacion in the Greke thā that it can so be expressed. For it sygnifyeth also to make happy or blessed, so that it is not done with tunge only, or wordes, or makyng courtesy, or bowynge of the heade, or vay­lynge of the bonet, or settynge vp of ymages or pictures, wyth buyldynge of temples or chappels, the which wycked men can do al­so: but wyth all thy strengthe, truly and hartely. And that is done, whan the harte (as it sayde before) with beholdynge of hyr lowly­nesse, and lokynge of the Godly grace vpon her doth conceaue an inwarde ioye and de­lyte towarde God, and saye or thynke thus from the very entrayles and bottome of the harte: O how happy is thys virgine? Such blessynge is hyr true honour and wor­shyppe, [Page] as we haue sayde before.

Here doth the blessed virgine synge a­tonce and in a semely order all the workes that God hath wrought in her. In the laste verse hath she songe of the lokynge graci­ously of God and hys bounteous and mercyfull wyll towarde her: the which is the chefe and principall parte of mercy and grace (as is sayde:) and here she syngeth of gyftes and workes. For God though he geue many one greate gyftes, and strowe hys goodes in cō ­mune, yet doth not he therfore strayght way loke vpon and beholde them. The worldly and temporall goodes are good: but the grace, fauoure and syghte of God, are the heretage that doth last euer: as sayth Paule Ro. vi. The gyfte of God is euerlastynge lyfe in oure LORDE Iesu Christe. In the goodes geueth he that is hys, but in the syght and grace doth he geue hymselfe. In the goodes is hys hande receaued, but in the syght of grace vpon y^e harte, hys sprete, mynd and wyll are receaued there in. Wherfore the holy virgine doth geue the mooste than­kes vnto the syghte of God. Nother sayeth she fyrste: All chyldes chyldren shall call me [Page] blessed, because he hath done so great thyn­ges vnto me, wherof thys verse maketh mē cion: But because he hath loked vpon me that am vyle and of no reputacion, and to my lowe degre, wherof the fyrst verse doth specifye. Where a gracious beholdynge is, there are gyftes also, but not contrary wyse is there a gracious syght, where gyftes are. For thys cause doth thys verse or parte of this songe duely follow the fyrst verse. After thys maner do we reade Genesis .xxv. that Abraham gaue gyftes vnto the chylderen of the concubines, but vnto Isaac hys true and lawfull sonne by Sara hys lawfull wyfe, he gaue the whole heretage. After thys ma­ner is it the mynde of God, that hys chyldrē take no consolacion of the gyftes, ether spi­rituall or temporall, be they neuer so great, but of hym and hys goodes, yet not despy­synge the gyftes.

Nother doth y^e mother of God rehearse ony goodnesse seuerally, but wyth one word doth she comprehende them all, sayenge: He hath done great thynges vnto me, that is, all that he hath done vnto me is greate. Whereby she teacheth vs, that the hygher the contemplaciō in sprete be, the lesse wor­des ought we to make. For she feleth well [Page] ynough that she can not vtter wyth wordes the thynge, that she thynketh in hyr mynde, and wolde fayne expresse. Wherfore such fewe wordes of the sprete are sometyme so weyghtye and profounde, that no man can vnderstāde them, wythout he somdeale fele the same sprete. But vnto them that be voyd of the spret do such wordes seme very sleght and clene wythout swetnesse or tayst, which dispatch theyr taxe wyth many wordes and greate noyse. Christe in the .vi. Chapter of Mathew, teacheth vs to eschue the multiplyenge of wordes in oure prayer, se­ynge the Heythen men do euen the same, whyche therby do thynke to be herde. As now a dayes also in many churches ther is plenty of ryngynge of bels, playenge on or­ganes and other instrumentes of musyke, of syngynge, cryenge, and readinge: but scarcenesse of praysynge of God, the whyche is to worship God in sprete and truth. Ioh. iiii.

Salomō sayth in the .xxvii. chap. of y^e Pro. He that is to haysty to prayse his neghboure aboue measure, shalbe taken as one that ge­ueth hym an euell reporte. For he causeth y^e matter to be suspect, so that euery man doth thynke it a fayned matter, whych he busyeth so earnestlye to stuffe with hys gorgious [Page] prayses, and maketh neuerthelesse the mat­ter worse therewyth. And contrarywyse he that lacketh hys neghboure, and ryseth ear­ly, (that is, is not slack, and spedely doth ryd the matter) thesame is to be taken for a prayser. For men do thynke: it is not as he doth saye, and he doth it of an hatynge and euel­wyllynge harte, so that he doth make hys cause worse, and hys neghboures better. On thys wyse do they that endeuoure to prayse God with multiplyenge of wordes, with cryenge and ianglynge. They do as though he were deafe, or knewe nothynge, and that we must wake or teach hym. Such opinion of God is rather a dispraysynge of hym, than a praysynge. But he that thynketh vpon the workes of God aryght euen from the bottō of hys harte, and beholdeth thesame wyth wonderyng and geuynge of thankes, so that for very feruentnesse he bruste out, and sygh rather thā speake, and the wordes that flowe by themselues, not fayned nor connynglye deuysed do so rolle oute, that euen the sprete do also comme oute: Yee that the wordes haue euen handes, fete and lyfe, so that finally the whole bodye, the whole lyfe and all the members do longe to speake, that is, to prayse God truly in sprete and verite. There [Page] are the wordes very fyre, lyghte and lyfe, as wytnesseth Dauid in the .C.xviii. Psalme, sayenge: LORDE thy wordes are fyry. And agayne: My lyppes shall set forth thy prayse: euen as water in a sethynge potte runneth ouer and fometh, so that it can not retayne it selfe therein, for the vehemente heate in the potte. Of thys kynde be all the wordes of the virgine Mary in thys songe, the whiche be fewe, yet both greate and hygh. Such praysers of God doth saynt Paule vnto the Romaynes the .xii. chapter call: Feruente of sprete, the whych chafe and burne in sprete, teachynge vs to be of the­same sorte: and such were y^e fyry tunges, that the holy gooste descēded in vpō the disciples.

The greate thynges be nothynge els saue that she is become the mother of God, by the whyche thynge so greate goodes and so excellent are geuen vnto her, that passe all the vnderstondynge of ony man. For frō hence floweth all honoure and blesse, so that amonge all mankynde she be euen one per­sone, excedynge all other and perelesse: be­cause she hath only the heauenly father with the sonne cōmune with her. And hereby commeth that she herselfe can not name these greate thynges, for the abundaūte excellēcy [Page] of them: but must rest there, and breste oute in praysynge wyth a feruent affeccion, say­enge: He that is myghty, hath done great thynges vnto me. For thys cause is all hyr honoure comprehended in one worde, namely yf she be called the mother of God: for no man can saye greater thynges by her, nor to her, though he had as many tunges, as the earth hath herbes and floures, the skye hath starres, or the see sondes. Moreouer it must be cōsydered wyth a depe harte, what it meaneth to be the mother of God.

She doth also featly ascrybe and attry­bute thys thynge vnto the grace of God, and not hyr merite. For thoughe she was wyth­out synne, yet was that grace so greate, that she was in no wyse worthy of it. For howe coulde a creature be worthye to be the mo­ther of God? Although some vayne iāglers, and not wryters, do bable very much of hyr worthynesse and deseruynge of thys office. But I geue more credence vnto the blessed virgine, than vnto those vayne wryters and bablers. She sayeth that hyr lowe degre was loked vpon, and that God hath not rewarded her therfore, but that he hath done greate and myghty thynges vnto her. He hath done greate thynges vnto me (say­eth [Page] she) not for my deseruynges: For suche a thynge dyd the holy virgine neuer thynke vpon, muche lesse than dyd she prepare her­selfe to it, that she myght be the mother of God. The message came sodenly and vn­wars vnto her, (as sayeth Luke the euange­liste.) As for a deseruyng abydeth and loketh not for the rewarde to come sodenly, but of a redynesse and set purpose.

Now it that is in the songe called, Re­gina coeli letare. &c. (namely: Vvhome thou deseruedest to beare. And in another songe: Vvhome thou vverest vvorthy to beare) is nothynge to purpose. For y^e same wordes are also songe of the holy crosse, the whiche not wythstandynge was a tre, and coulde deserue nothynge. And euen so is thys also to be vnderstande. Yf it than of necessite must haue ben the mother of God it was requyred agayne, that it shulde haue ben a woman kynne, a virgine, of the tribe or kynred of Iuda, and to beleue the message of the angell, that iudged her apte to thesame, as the scripture had wytnessed of her. The preciousnesse or worthynesse of the woode was none other, saue that it was mete to be a crosse, & was ordyned of God to thesame vse: Euē so had the holy virgine [Page] none other worthynesse to be the mother of God, saue that she was comly and ordyned therto: that so it myght be a mere grace and no deseruynge or duety, that in no case it were preiudiciall and mynysshynge ether the fauoure or the glorye of God. It is more semely to abayte to much from her, than frō the glory of God. Yee ther cā not be abayted to much frō her, seynge that she (as all other creatures) is created of nought. But vnto the grace of God is to much derogated, the which is daungerous, nother is the mother well apayed therewyth. It is nedefull also, that we passe not the markes that Gods glory doth admitte, in vsurpyng of callyng her: as whan we grete her a quene of heauen, yet is she not an idoll thereby, that ether she maye geue or helpe, as they do, which call vpon her, desyre her to be gracious, and finally flye vnto her rather than vnto y^e rych treasures of God. She geueth nothynge, onlye God geueth all as it followeth: He that is myghty, wherw^t she robbeth all creatures of theyr strēgth & power. O what greate hardynesse is thys, and what spoyles of so tender and yonge mayden? whiche can make desti­stute all myghtye and stronge men of theyre strengthe, al puyssaunt men of theyr power, [Page] all wyse men of theyr wytte, and all boa­stynge and glorious men can she brynge to shame, attributyng al strength, noble actes, wysedome and glory vnto God only. For the sayenge: He that is myghty, is so much to saye, as ther is noman that can do ought, saue only God, as wytnesseth S. Paule sayenge in the .i. chapter to the Ephesians: that God worketh all thynges after the counsell of hys owne wyll, and that the workes of all creatures, are the workes of God: the which thynge we also acknowlege in oure Crede, sayenge that we beleue in God almyghtye. He is so Almyghty, that in all thynges, by all thynges, and aboue all thynges, nothyng doth worke, saue only hys strength and puyssaunce. After thys maner sayde Anna the mother of Samuel, in the .i. boke of Regum, the .ii. chapter: Ther is noman that can do ought of hys owne power. And Paule sayth also in the .ii. Epistle to the Corinth. the .iii. chapter: Such trust haue we thorow Christ to Godwarde, not that we are able of oure selues to thynke ony thyng, as of ourselues, but oure ablenesse cōmeth of God. Thys is an hygh & worthy artycle, cōteynynge very much, alayenge atōce al pryde, curiosite, presūpciō, rashnes, boastyng, false cōfidēce, & ex­alteth [Page] only God: yee and sheweth the cause also why he oughte to be exalted, euen because he worketh all thynges. It is easy to be spo­ken, but to refourme and redresse oure lyfe accordynge to it, that is laborious, and full of payne. For they that leade theyr lyfe in such thynges, are louers of peace, geuen to God, and simple men, attributyng nothyng to themselues, certifyed that God hath all thynges, and they nothynge.

Thys is than the meanynge of Gods mother in these wordes: Of all these greate goodes is nothynge myne, but he that wor­keth all thynges alone, and whose power a­lone worketh in all thynges, he it is that hath done so greate thynges vnto me. For the worde Myghty sygnifyeth not a worke­lesse, ydle, and restynge power, (as we saye of a worldly kynge that he is myghty, which neuerthelesse is styll, and worketh not) but a workyng power and continually doynge, which without intermission doth procede & worke. For God doth not holde vp, but pro­cedeth in workynge, as wytnesseth Christe Ioh. v. My father worketh hetherto, and I worke also. Of thys wyse also sayeth Paule Ephes. iii. that God is able to do exceadyng abundauntly, aboue all that we axe or vn­derstonde [Page] accordyng to the power that worketh in vs. That is: He euer geueth greater thynges than we requyre, as hys nature is to do, so doth hys power worke. For thys cause dyd I saye, that Mary wolde be no Idoll, and that God doth all, & she nothynge.

For thys cause doth she adde and saye: And holy is hys name. That is: As I do not take the worke to me, euen so do not I ascribe the honour thereof vnto me nother. For he only ought to haue y^e prayse & name, that fulfylleth y^e worke. It is vnsemely y^e one shall do the worke, and another shall drawe the name and prayse thereof vnto hymselfe. As for me, I ame the workehouse only, wher in he worketh, and therfore is no prayse nor honoure due vnto me, that I ame the mo­ther of God, but God and hys excellent worke are to be praysed and honoured in me. It is ynough for me that I reioyce with hym, and saye: Happy ame I, that God hath separate me, in whome it hath plased him to accomplysh such hys workes.

Lo how purely doth she wende all to Godwarde, how wholye doth she drawe no honoure, no worke, no glory to herselfe, and behaueth herselfe as before whan no suche thynge had happened vnto her, settynge no­more [Page] [...]are, or makyng more searche for ho­noure, than she dyd before: nother doth she swell, auaunce, or crye out that she is be­come the mother of God: nother doth she fynally requyre ony worshyp therfore, but goeth hyr waye, and doeth hyr busynesse as before, mylketh the kyen, dyghteth the meat, washeth the dyshes, swepeth the house, and doeth all that a handmayden or huswyfe be­cōmeth to do in such vyle workes, as though such plenteous gyftes of grace dyd not per­tayne vnto her Amonge women & hyr neghbures was she estymed no greater, than she was afore, she requyred nomore nother, and remayned a poore cytesin amonge the com­mune people. O what a simple & poore hart is that? O what wonderfull virgine? what greate thynges are hyd vnder a lowly beha­ueoure? How many haue felte her, spoken to her, eaten and dronken wyth her, whych perchaunce haue counted her to be despysed, of the commune sorte, a poore and simple cyte­sin, whych wolde haue be nabasshed and maruayled, yf they had ben aware of suche in estimable gyftes in her: and that is hys name to be holy. For holy is it called, that is sundered and appropriate to God, whych noman maye touch nor defyle, but worshyp [Page] it. And name is called a good fame or re­nowne, glory, prayse and worshyppe. Nowe muste euerye man than abstayne from the name of God, so that he nother touch it, nor drawe it to hymselfe, the which is also ment Exod. xxx: where Moses was commaunded by God to make precious oyntmēt, & it was straytelye forbydden onye man to anoynte hys bodye therewyth. That is: Noman shall be so hardye as to appropriate the name of God to hymselfe, for that is sayd to vnhalow and to despyse it, yf we reioyce in ouresel­ues, or take onye honoure vpon vs, ether haue pleasure in oureselues, or auaunce oure goodes or workes, as the worlde dothe vnhalowe and defyle the name of God with out ceassynge. For as the workes are onlye Gods, so is the name lefte hym onlye also. Moreouer as many as hallowe so his name makynge themselues voyde of prayse and honoure, worshyppe it aryght, wherfore they also be halowed of it: whiche the precious oyntment that is spoken of in the thyrtyeth chapter of Exodus doth signify w^t the which all that was touched, was clensed. Thys oyntment is y^e worde of God, halowed of vs. For whā we do attribut vnto vs no workes, no [...]oastynge, nor loue of ourselues thereof, [Page] thā is it honoured aryghte, thā doth it touch and hallow vs.

For thys cause ought we to beware, seynge that we can not be on earth without the goodes, name and honoure of God, that yf we be praysed of ony man, or get a name, that than we vse thys example of the mo­ther of God, beynge ready to answer them wyth thys verse, vsynge the honour & prayse aryghte, confessynge openly, or at the leaste thynkynge thus in oure mynde: LORDE God, it is thy worke that is praysed & auaū ­ced, I beseke the let it be thyne name also. Not I LORDE, but thou hast wrought it, which workest all thynges myghtely, and holy is thy name. After this maner oughte noman to refuse the prayse and honoure as wronge, nor to disprayse them as nothynge worth: but he ought not to ascribe it to hym selfe, as a thynge to percious and noble, re­ferrynge them to hym, whose they be truly in heauen. Thys lo teacheth thys noble verse, wherewith he is answered also that demaundeth, whether one do not owe reue­rence vnto another. Yee Paule sayeth, Ro. xii. In geuyng honour let one go before another. Neuertheles nomā shal take y^e honour vpon him, as though it dyd befall vnto hym: [Page] nother shall he suffre it to remayne vpō hym selfe. But he shall hallowe and restore it vn­to God, vnto whome it belongeth, wyth all the good and worke, from whence y^e honoure floweth. Nother shall ony man leade an vn­honest lyfe. Yf he lyue honestly, than muste honoure be there. But as an honeste lyfe is the gyfte and worke of God, so let his name also be holye and vndefyled from delytynge and hauynge delectacion in hymselfe. This do we also desyre in y^e pater noster, whan we saye: Hallovved be thy name ▪

It is nedefull for vs to knowe the ma­ner of the scripture, whiche calleth the natu­rall linage or yssue a progeny or generacion by the whych one man is euer successiuelye borne of another. Wherfore thys englyshe worde generacion or progeny doth not suf­fyse to expresse the meanynge thereof, yet do I knowe none better than it. For a pro­geny do we call the company that belongeth vnto vs, ether by reason of bloude or mari­age. But in thys place it signifyeth the na­turall yssue and succession from father, tyll chyldes chylde, and euery membre of the­same [Page] is called a progeny, and I thynke it be not wronge Englyshed of thys fasshion: na­mely, and hys mercy endureth from chylde to chylde vpon them that feare hym. And thys phrase of the scripture is very ryfe, ha­uynge hys begynnynge and originall of the wordes that God spake vnto Moses and all the people vpon mount Syna, sayenge Exo. xx. I the LORDE thy God ame a gelous God, visitynge the synne of the fathers vpō the chyldren, vnto the thyrde and fourth ge­neracion, of them that hate me: and do mercy vpon many thousandes, that loue me, and kepe my commaundementes.

After that Mary the mother of God had fynished the prayse of God, and of hys goodnesse towarde her, she wandreth nowe al amonge the workes, whych God worketh generally in all men, and syngeth of them also, teachyng vs featly to knowe the workes, kynde, nature and wyll of God. Many ingenious and wytty philosophers haue attēpted the same also, that they myght knowe what God were, wrytynge much of the same, the one thus, another so. But they were all blynde in that behalfe, and coulde not per­ceaue the true shynynge. And verely y^e greatest thynge, both in heauen and earth, is to [Page] knowe God aryghte, yf it do befall vnto ony man. And that doth the blessed virgine teach very properly by hyr owne ensample, as is shewed aboue. But how can he be knowen more easyer or better than by hys workes? for he that perceaueth thys duely, the same must nedes knowe hys nature, wyll, harte & mynde: Wherfore it is connynge to knowe hys workes. And that we myghte marke it the better, she rehearseth orderlye in these foure verses syxe godly workes in syxe kyn­des of men, and parteth the worlde in two, settynge on ech syde thre maner of workes, and thre kyndes of men so, that a continuall debate doth remayne amonge y^e partyes, by reason of the feate opposition one agaynst y^e other: wherby she doth descrybe hym so goodly, as can not be amended.

Moreouer, thys particion is duely and orderly comprehended in sundery places of the scripture, as namely Ieremye the nynth Chapter, where he sayeth: Let not y^e wyse man reioyce in hys wysedome, nor y^e strōge man in hys strength, nother the ryche man in hys ryches: But who so wyll reioyce, let hym reioyce in thys, that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me: for I am the LORDE whych do mercy, equite and ryghteousnesse [Page] vpon earth: Therfore haue I pleasure in such thynges, sayeth the LORDE. Thys is a noble texte, and agreable to thys songe of the blessed virgine. By thys place also do we se that the spirite of the prophet dealeth the worlde in thre, as namely: in Vvysedom Povver and Ryches, the which he doth o­uerthrowe whan he sayeth that nomā shuld reioyce in them: for God is not founde in them, nother can he haue pleasure in them. Moreouer he setteth thre other agaynste these, namely: Mercy, Iudgemente and Ryghteousnesse. In these is myne ende­uoure (sayeth he,) ye [...] I myselfe do all these. So neare ame I, that I do these thynges, not in heauen, but vpon earth, there ame I founde. He that knoweth me of thys maner, thesame maye reioyce truely and make hys boaste boldely therof. For yf he be not wyse, but poore spreted, than is my mercye wyth hym: Yf he be not myghty, but vyle & lowlye, than is my iudgement ready for hym: Yf he be not ryche, but poore and nedy, than is my ryghteousnesse so much the more raygnyng wyth hym.

By wysedome he vnderstandeth al hygh spirituall goodes, whereby man maye get a delyte, reioycynge and a good opinion, (as [Page] the verse followynge doth specifye,) as be: vnderstandynge, reason, prudence, knowlege, vertuousnesse, an honest conuersacion: finally, all that is called in the soule holy or spiri­tuall, how greate gyftes that euer they be, so that none of them be God hymselfe.

By power he vnderstandeth all power, noblynesse of byrth, frendes, dignityes, wor­shyppe, whether they concerne temporall or spiritual goodes or men (though in scripture ther be no spirituall superiorite, but onlye a seruice and occupyenge of a lowe rowme) wyth all hys ryghte, lyberte and priuilege. &c

By ryches are [...]te health, bewtye, pleasure and all that maye chaunce vnto the body outwardly. Agaynste these are thre o­ther set of the prophete, namely: the poore­spreted, the oppressed, and the nedy. But we wyll loke orderly vpon the syxe workes and partes.

The fyrst worke of God is Mercy.

Of thys worke speaketh thys presente verse, sayenge: ‘Hys mercy endureth from chylde to chyldes chylde,’ or frō ‘progeny to progeny vpon them that feare hym’.

She begynneth at the greatest, namely, at the spirituall or inwarde goodes, whyche [Page] make men here vpon earth the moost prou­dest, hyghmynded and hardnecked. Ther is no rych man, no myghtye lorde so proude or hygh mynded, that is not ouercome of such a wyse man: the whych perceaueth and douteth not at all that he doth pleate or de­fende a iuste cause, vnderstande the matter well, and that he is wyser than other folke. Specially, whan it is come so farre y^t ether he must auoyde, or els knowlege hys cause to be vniust, than becommeth he so rash and voyde of the feare of God, that he wyll not be ashamed to boast and say, that he can not erre, that God is wyth hym, and other be accursed, yee he is not ashamed to call the iudgement and daye of dome to wytnesse: and yf occasion be ioyned to hys power, than breaketh he forthe wyth hys malepartnesse where it pleaseth hym, he persueth, iudgeth, vexeth, slayeth, dryueth away and waisteth all them that wythstande hym, and thys af­firmeth he to be done to the prayse, glorye and seruice of God. And is so sure of a great deseruynge and plenteous grace by God, that the angels of heauen be scarce so sure. O what a great burble is this? O how much doth y^e scripture treate of such kynde of mē? how dredfull thynges doth she threaten thē? [Page] but they fele it lesse than the anuylt doth the hammer strokes. And thys thynge is ryfe and plenteous of matter.

Of suche speaketh Christ in the .xvi. of Ihon, sayenge: The tyme cōmeth, that who so euer putteth you to death, shal thinke that he hath done seruyce to God. And Dauid sayeth lykewyse of such on thys wyse: He doth preuayle agaynst all hys enemyes, say­enge: Ther shall no euell aproche me. As though he wolde saye: I defende a ryght quarell, I do well, God shall rewarde me hyghly Such do Esay in the .xvi. Chapter, and Ie­remye in the .xlvii. say [...] that the Moabites were, wrytynge on thys wyse: As for Mo­abs pryde, we haue herde of it, she is verye hygh mynded. I know hyr stoutnesse, hyr boastynge, hir arrogancy, and the pryde of hyr stomacke, sayeth the LORDE. For hyr furi­ousnesse maye nother vpholde her wyth strength, nor dede. We se such mē take thyn­ges vpon them passynge theyr power, for the great pryde. Such were the Iewes agaynst Christe and hys apostles. Suche were Iobs frendes, whyche reasoned aboue measure wysely agaynste hym, and commended and praysed God vehemētly. But such kynde of men heare no man, they can be persuaded [Page] of no man, nother can onye man brynge them therto, that yf theyr cause be wronge, they wyll graunte it, or to geue place, but styck to it that they haue begonne and pro­cede therein, though the world shulde perysh therfore. Nother can the scripture sufficiently reprehende such naughty packes, callynge them sometyme an adder, stoppynge hys eare, lest he heare the charmers voyce, som­tyme a roarynge lyon, somtyme an vnmo­ueable rocke, somtyme a draggon, & so forth other names.

But thys kynde of men is no where better set forthe in hys colours, than in the .xl. and .xli. chapters of Iob, where they be called Behemoth. Nowe Behema in He­brue is as much to saye as a beaste, and Be­hemoth the plurall nombre sygnifyeth bea­stes, that is: a vmbremente or multitude of men, leadynge a beastly lyfe, and not per­mittynge themselues to be guyded by the sprete of God. Thys kynde doth God in the same place saye to haue eyen lyke the mor­nynge shyne: for ther is no ende of hys wys­dome. Hys skynne also is so harde, that no wapen can pearse thorowe it, ether shot or stycked at, that is: yf the worde of God be preached agaynst thē to theyr reprofe, they [Page] laugh it to scorne: for they iudge theyr mat­ter sure ynough: The skales also do shycke so faste together, that the leest ayre can not entre, that is: they agre so, and be so one mynded, that they wyll not admitte the leeste breth of Gods sprete. As for hys harte (sayethe God) is hardened lyke an anuylte. It is the Deuels body, and ther­fore doth he in thys place attribute it all vnto thesame. Suche a people aboue all other is the Byshoppe of Rome, wyth all his vm­bremente, and hath ben a greate season. For they do lykewyse, and that of such a fa­shion, as is euidente that neuer was sene: they heare no body, ther is no redressynge and amendynge of lyfe: No persuadynge, no prayenge, no threatenynge wyll helpe. Shortelye, they nother saye nor synge, saue: We defende a good quarell, thus must it be, auaunte they whome thys doth not please, yee though it were the whole worlde.

Here myght some body saye: How shall thys agre? shal we not kepe the lawes? shall we let go the truthe? Is it not commaūded vs euen to dye in the truthes quarell & ryghteousnesse? haue not the holy martyres of God suffred much for y^e Gospel? Wolde not Christ himselfe haue ryght? For it chaūceth [Page] oftymes, that such men defende a iuste quarell, (yee and before God also, as they do boaste,) and that they handle themselues ryghteously and truely. I Answere: Here is it due to haue the eyes opened, and also ne­cessary, here is the knot: It resteth only in that, that a man haue the true learnynge in the lawe. It is true veryly that we must suf­fre much for the truthe and ryghteousnesse, & not to denye thesame, howe slender soeuer she be. Moreouer, it maye be that the other parte haue ryght, but they do amysse in that they execute the lawe vniustely, and handle not the matter with feare, nother haue they God before theyre eyen, but thynke it to be ynough that the matter is ryghte, and ther­fore he both wyll and must procede by hys power, and make an ende of the game: wher by they make of theyr ryght, wronge, though it were true in dede and vnblameable. But it is mooste perrillous, whan they thynke themselues to be in the ryght waye, and yet be not sure what oughte to be done in mat­ters that concerne God and hys iudgemen­tes. But we wyll fyrst speake grosly and set forth a commune and blonte ensample:

Are not mony, goodes, the body, honoure, a wyfe, chylderen, frendes and suche lyke [Page] good creatures, created and geuen of God▪ Now that they are the gyftes of God, and not thyne, and God wyll proue the, whether thou canste fynde in thyne harte to lose thē to auaunce hys glory, and hange more vpon hym only, than vpon these creatures: and therfore shulde rayse one that ether shulde take parte of them from the, or altogether, ether hurte the or by bodylye death wolde cause the to lose them: Thynkes thou not here were a iuste cause to be wytlesse, to rage, to recouer thesame agayne by force and stronge hande, or to be vnpaciente vn­tyll thou haddest recouered thē agayne, lay­enge for the that they be good creatures of god? And because y^t all the scripture iudgeth the thynges to be good, therfore thou also wylt kepe the worde of God, and defende or requyre agayne thesame goodes both wyth body and lyfe, orels to forbeare them or let them go agaynste thy wyll: Were not thys a ioly visure? Yf thou wylt therfore do well in thys behalfe, thou mayest not runne headlynges after thyne owne brayne. But howe shall I do than? ye shall feare God, and saye on thys wyse: LORD they be good thynges and thy gyftes, as thyne owne worde and y^e scripture do wytnesse. Neuerthelesse I doue [Page] whether thou doest enuye me them. Yf I knewe I shulde not vse them, I wolde not bestowe one heare vpon the hauynge agayn of them: but yf I knewe thou woldest them to be in my power, I wolde (obeynge thy wyll) bestowe both body and goodes to haue them agayne. But seynge nowe I stande in doute of ether of these thy wylles, and I se what now is don, namely, that thou suffrest them to be taken from me, I commytte the matter vnto the, and wyll wayte vpon thy pleasure in thys behalfe, redy ether to kepe them, or to forgo them.

Thys (lo) is a faythfull soule, and fea­rynge God, by whome is mercy, as the mo­ther of God syngeth of. And here by maye it be euident, of what fundament and sprete Abraham, Dauid, and all Israel dyd warre and slaye so many in tymes past. For they toke the matter in hande at the commaun­dement and wyll of God, and wyth feare: not fyghtynge for ryches, but because God dyd requyre it of them, shewynge otherwhyles the commaundement of God in that be­halfe, as the holy scripture maketh mencion somtyme. Now maye ye se that the truth is not denyed, whych sayeth y^t these be good creatures: Yee the same truth also doth saye [Page] and teach that thou do forsake, and ready at all tyme to forgo the same goodes, yf it please God, and so hange onely vpon God, The truth doth not compell the to requyre the goodes agayne, in that she sayeth they be good: nother doth she constrayne the to saye they be not good, but renouncynge the same saye that they be not euell.

Lykewyse must be done wyth the lawe, and all maner of goodes ether of wytte or reason. Iustice is a good thynge, geuen of God, who douteth therin? Gods worde it selfe doth confesse that the lawe is good. Nother maye ony man saye that hys ryghteous cause is euell, but shall rather dye the death, and forgo al that is not God. For that were to denye God and hys worde, the whych te­stifyeth that the lawe is not euell, but good. Wylte thou therfore crye out, rage, playe y^e madde man, and kyll all the worlde, because suche ryghte or lawe is taken from the? As some do whyche lyfte vp theyre voyce vntyll heauen, causynge great mysery, way­styng people and contryes, fyllynge y^e world wyth warre and bloudsheddynge. What knowest thou whether God wyl leaue those gyftes and ryghte to thy gouernaunce? they be hys, he can take them from the, ether to day [Page] or to morowe, he cā depriue the of them, and restore the to thesame agayne whan it shall please hym by frendes or enemyes, euen as it pleaseth him. He doth proue, whether thou wylte lose thy ryghte for hys loue, suffre wronge and iniurye, suffre rebuke for hys name, and cleue only to hym. Yf thou than arte dredynge God, and sayeste thus within the: LORDE, it is thyne, I wyll not haue it in my power & subiection, wythout I know that thou do wysh it me, than shal this verse haue rowme: And hys mercy endureth thorovv out all generacions, vpon them that feare hym, which wyll worke nought, but it be accordynge to hys wylle.

Here (lo) is the worde of God kepte on both partes: fyrste, that thou grauntest thy ryght, reason, vnderstandynge, wysdom, and all thyne opinion to be good and iuste, the which euen the worde of God doth also say. Secondlye, that thou arte contente to for­beare such gyfte for the loue of God, to be wrongefully condemned, yee to be a moc­kage and a gasynge stocke to the worlde, the which Gods worde also doth teache. Ther be .ii. thynges: to confesse the thynge that is iuste and good, and to obtayne or ouer­come. It is ynough for the to knowlege and [Page] confesse that thou hast a good cause. Yf thou canste not ouercome, committe the matter vnto God. It is thy parte to knowlege, to o­uercome hath God reserued vnto hymselfe. Yf he wyll haue the to ouercome, he shall do it, ether shall he so brynge the thynge to pas, wythout thy counsell or thoughte, that thou muste nedes take the matter in hande and ouercome, and that after such fashiō, as thou neuer woldeste haue thought or desyred. Yf he wyll not, let hys mercy suffyse the. Yf the victory of thy ryghteousnesse be taken from the, yet can not the knowlegynge of the­same be taken from the. Lo, here muste we stande backe, not from the goodes of God, but from the wycked and euell geuynge of to muche mynde to thesame, that we can ryght well both vse and forgo them, so that in all chaunces that befall, we cleue only to God. Wolde God all princes and po­wers (as theyr duety is) were not ignoraūte of thys, whiche be not contente to confesse that they haue ryghte, but wyll nedes ouer­come and wynne, settynge asyde all feare of God, and fyllynge the worlde wyth bloude and mysery thynkynge they do ryght therin seynge they haue a ryghtfull cause, a true matter and a ryghteous quarell, or at the [Page] leest suppose it to be so. What is that els saue the proude and hyghmynded Moab? whiche counteth and maketh hymselfe wor­thy of the noble and bewtyfull possession of Gods gyfte, namely, the Law: where as he (yf he beholde hymselfe well in the syghte of God) is not worthy that the grounde do beare hym, and that he do eate the crustes of breade, because of the vnclēnesse of hys synnes. O blyndnesse, blyndnesse, who is worthy of the leeste creature of God? yet wyll we not only haue the chefe creatures, as iustice and wysedome and theyr honour, but also wyth outragious sheddyng of bloud and wyth all misfortune do procure & ende­uoure to kepe the same: and forthwyth we go praye, faste heare masse, founde churches, wyth so bloudy and ragynge mynde, that it were no wonder though the stones shulde leape in oure faces.

Her [...] ryseth now agayne a question, namely: Shall not a prince than defende hys lande and people from iniury? Shall he syt­tynge styll and restynge, suffre all thynges be taken from hym? What shulde become in the worlde of thys at the laste? Here vpon wyll I brefely shew my mynde: The power of the swearde or superiorite must & nedeth [Page] to defende hys subiectes, as I haue oftymes sayd. For that cause beareth he the swearde, that suche as receaue the worde and admo­nicion of God, and do not obey the same, be retayned in feare, that so they maye let o­ther be in rest and peace. And here in ought he not to seke hys owne auaūtage, but of o­ther, and the honoure of God, beynge con­tente to be at rest, and to lay vp the sweard, had not God ordined the same to the puny­shynge of the wycked, and defence of y^e good: so that suche proteccyon and defence be not done wyth farther dammage, as namely, for takyng vp a spowne, a platter be broken. It is but a slender proteccion, yf an whole cy­tie be brought in daunger for one persone: or yf for one vyllage or castell, all the pro­uince be disquieted: wythout God doth commaunde it seuerally, as sometyme he was was wont to do. A souldyer doth robbe some cytesyn, and for to auēge the same, thou raysest an hoost, and gatherest a taxe of y^e whole contry: who hath the moost harme, the lorde or the souldyer? Dauid dyd wynke oftymes, whan he coulde not punysh wythout y^e great dammage and harme of other. Euē so must all powers order themselues, and agayn the indweller must forbeare and suffre somwhat [Page] for y^e cōmunite, & not wysh, that for hys sake, all other suffre great losse and hurte. Equa­lite can not be had alwaye. Christ wold not that the taxes shulde be plucked vp, leste the wheate were plucked vp also. Yf men shulde warre for euery assaulte, and wynke at no­thyng, ther shuld neuer be peace, but cōtinuall waistyng. Therfore is ryghteousnesse or vnryghteousnesse neuer a sufficient cause to punysh or to warre wythout discreciō: neuertheresse it is cause sufficient to punyshe in season, wythout the vndoynge of another For a lorde or prynce must specially se what is expedient rather vnto a cōmunalte, than vnto one or other. To speake of warre is here no conuenient tyme.

Of thys wyse must be done in godly matters, namely: Fayth and the Gospell, which are y^e best goodes, nother may ony mā leaue them. But y^e ryghteousnesse, fauoure, and honoure befallyng & belōgynge to y^e same must be weyed, & cōmytted to God. The care is to be taken not for y^e victory, but for y^e cōfes­synge & knowlegynge, & to suffre wyllyngly though a mā were reuyled as a wycked de­ceauer, an heretyke, an erronious or rash fellowe, though a man were persecuted, dryuē away, burnt or kylled, or ony other meanes: for the mercy of God is nye vnto such. For [Page] the fayth and truth can not be takē frō hym, though he be depriued of hys lyfe. Yet neuerthelesse ought nomā to rūne of hys owne accorde, & to brynge or kepe such ryghte of the gospell by force or vnlawful meanes: but to submytte hymselfe in y^e syght of God, as one y^e perchaūce is vnworthy, y^e such exceadynge goodnesse shulde happē thorow hym, & wyth complaynynge and prayenge to commende the matter vnto hys mercy.

Beholde thys is y^e fyrst worke of God, na­mely: y^t he is mercyfull vnto thē, y^t w^t a good wyl forgo theyr intent, ryghteousnesse, wysedom & what soeuer spiritual goodes ther be & gladly remayne poore of sprete. Those are y^e true fearers of God, that iudge thēselues worthy of nothynge, be it neuer so lytle, & be naked w^t a good wyll both before God & mē. And y^e goodes, whych they haue vnworthely receaued of y^e pure grace, do they vse wyth prayse, thākesgeuyng & feare, euē as thoughe they were other folkes go [...]des, not sekynge theyr own wyl, pleasure, prayse, or glory but hys whose they be. Wherof y^e blessed virgin taketh occasiō to shewe howe God delyteth more in exercisyng this hys bewtyful work, namely mercy, thā strength: whā she sayeth, that thys worke of God shal last cōtinually, from chylde to chyldes chylde, vpon thē that [Page] feare hym, where as the other worke lasteth only vntyl the thyrde or fourth generacion, and in thys verse followynge is nother stent nor tyme set.

The seconde spirituall worke, is to subdue the proude.

Let no mā be moued wyth thys my true translacion, in that I haue translated aboue vvorketh myghtely, but here I say: he shevveth strength. For the cause why I so do, is that the wordes myght be the playner & easyer to vnderstande, whych oughte not to be bounde ether to tyme or place: but that y^e nature and workes maye be more frelyer vttered, the whych he alwaye hath done, doth, and shall do, so that it is as much as though I had sayd: God doth so playe the LORDE, that hys workes prospere so myghtely, that he scattereth the proude, and geueth mercye vnto them that feare hym.

The arme of God is taken in scripture for hys owne power, by y^e whych he worketh wythout ony meane of the creatures: the whyche is done priuelye and vnloked for, so [Page] that noman is ware of it, before it be dispat­ched: and that no man can knowe the same arme or power, saue onely by fayth. Wher­fore, few do geue fayth therevnto, as Esaye doth cōplayne in the .liii. Chapter, sayenge: Who geueth credence vnto our preachyng? Or to whō is the arme of the LORD know­en? Al thys is done (as it followeth in y^e same place) because y^e al thinges ar wrought pryuely vnder an vnequall appearaūce of such po­wer. Abac. the prophet sayeth also in hys .iii. Chapter that God hath hornes in hys han­des, meanynge thereby hys great strength: yet notwythstandynge doth he saye that the same power is hyd. But how is thys done? namely after thys maner:

Whan God worketh by the meane of creatures, than is it euidentlye sene where strength or feblenesse is: wherof is rysē this prouerbe: God doth ayde the stronger part. Whatso euer prynce therfore vanquysheth the other, the same is he, thorow whom God doth stryke the other. Yf a wolfe teare ony man, or he get ony dāmage otherwyse, that same is done by y^e creatures. Of thys wyse doth God make or destroye one creature by another. He that ouercōmeth, ouercōmeth: he that abydeth, abydeth. But where as he [Page] hymselfe worketh wyth hys arme, there go­eth it otherwyse to worke: for there is y^e matter destroyed or made agayne, contrary to our opinion, no man perceauynge it. Thys kynde of workynge doth he vse in two sortes of men, namely good and wycked: for y^e good he suffreth to be so feble, strengthlesse and oppressed, that euery man wold thynke it were all done wyth them, and that they were at theyr latter meace, & at the very same tyme is he strongly by them, and that so secretly, that they themselues that suffre can not tell therof, but beleue it. There is y^e ful strength and arme of God. For whan the strength of man fayleth, than cōmeth the power of God in: yf fayth only be there, waytynge for the same. Now whan the trouble is come to an ende, then doth it appeare what strength lay hyd vnder the feblenesse. Of thys wyse (lo) was Christ destitute of strength on y^e crosse and euen than wrought he exceadyng great thynges, vanquyssyng synne, death, y^e world, hell and all euell. After thys maner were all martyres stronge and ouercame: and after thys maner do all such as be troubled nowe a dayes ouercōme. For the which cause Ioel sayeth in the .iii. Chap. Let the weake man saye, I am strōge, but in fayth, not in felyng, [Page] vntyll it be nearehande come to an ende.

Agayne, the other parte suffreth God to heaue and exalte it selfe, wythdrawynge hys power from them, and letteth them be puft vp by reason of theyr owne strength. For whan mans power cōmeth in, than go­eth the power of God out. But whan the bladder is full, & euery mā thynketh to haue the better hande, then commeth God sodenly, and prycketh the bladder, whereby all is dashed. Those fooles knowe not, that euen whan they ryse and prospere, they are forsa­ken of God, & that Gods arme is not wyth them. Therfore doth theyr endeuoure laste an appoynted season, and after that doth it sayde and vanysh, lyke a burble, and becom­meth as though it neuer hadde ben, wherof Dauid (maruaylynge in the .lxxvii. Psalme how it happened that the wycked and vngodly became so rych, carelesse and myghtye) at the last doth say: I coulde not know this, vn­tyl I wēte into y^e Sāctuary of God, & consydred y^e ende of these mē, namely: how y^u hast set thē in a slyppery place, that thou mayest cast them downe headlynges, & destroye thē O how sodenly do they cōsume, perysh, and come to a fearfull ende? Yee euen as a dreame whan one awaketh, so makest thou theyr [Page] ymage to vanysh out of y^e cytie. And agayne in the .xxxvi. Psal. he sayeth: I my selfe haue sene y^e vngodly in great power, & floryshyng lyke a grene Baye tre: but whā I went by, lo, he was gone: I sought hym, but he coulde no where be founde.

Lacke of fayth is only the cause that we can not also abyde a lytle, or els shulde we se seatly how the mercy of God is wyth them that feare hym, and the arme of God also a­gaynst the proude wyth all force & strength. We faythlesse grope blyndfeld with our fyst after the mercy of God and hys arme. The whych yf we do not continently fele, thā do we euen thynke all be lost of our parte, and oure enemyes to haue gotten the felde: as thoughe both Gods mercy and grace were wythdrawen from vs, and hys arme to be a­gaynst vs. And that cōmeth therby, because we knowe not hys workes, wherfore we know not hym, hys mercy, nor hys arme. It is necessary, and he wyl be knowen by fayth Therfore must y^e wytte & reason be shut vp, theyr eye offendeth vs, we muste therfore plucke it out, and cast it awaye.

Lo these are the two workes of God re­pugnaūt ech to other, wherin we are taught that to be the mynde of God, that he be [Page] farre from the wyse and prudente, but be neare vnto the foolysh, whiche muste suffre wronge. Thys maketh God to be loued and praysed, and conforteth the soule, body and all powers.

Now consydre the wordes: He scatte­reth them that are proude in the imagi­nacion of theyr harte. Thys scatterynge or waystynge is done (as it is sayde) whan they are wyseste of all, and mooste fullest of theyr owne wysedome, for than surely is the wys­dome of God gone. But what waye can he scatter them better, than wyth depriuynge them of hys eternall wysedome? and by permittynge them to be fylled wyth worldly & transitory wysedome. It is pythy that she sayeth: them that are proude in the ima­ginacion of theyr harte, that is, suche as theyr owne mynde, vnderstandynge (the which not God, but theyr harte doth mini­stre) doth greatly playse, as though they on­ly were the moost iustest, wysest and beste: whereby they auaunce themselues aboue such as feare God, myspraysynge theyr opi­nion and ryghte, reuylynge & persecutynge them to the vtermooste, so that theyr cause only must be iuste and abyde. The which whan they haue optayned, they heaue them [Page] selues vnto the cloudes, as the Iewes [...], that wythstode Christe, and yet perceaued not that theyr matter came to nought thereby, and was despysed, and Christ contrary­wyse to be exalted and set vp vnto an exceadynge glory. Thus do we se than that thys verse speaketh of spirituall goodes, and tea­cheth by what meanes the workes of God are knowen on both partes, and teacheth vs also to embrace wyllyngly the pouerte of sprete, and to suffre iniury, to permitte vnto oure aduersaryes theyr request, for they shal not longe reioyce. Herein is a stronge and sure promyse that the proude shal not escape Gods arme, they muste be throwen downe, though they heaue themselues neuer so sore, yf we at the leest be fully so persuaded. For where such fayth is not, there doth God not worke such greate workes, but leauynge thē he worketh openly by creatures as is decla­red before. But these are not true workes whereby he maye be knowē, for the powers of the creatures are ioyned to them also: Nother are they the bare workes of God, which ought be to such, as he worketh alone, w^tout ony foren helpe, which is done whan we are oppressed for oure opinion and ryghte, and suffre y^e power of God to vse hyr wyll in vs. [Page] These are hys noble workes.

Moreouer, Mary doth connyngly checke the vngodly hypocrites here, and loketh no­ther to theyr handes nor eyen, but to the harte, and sayeth: them that are proude in the imaginacion of theyr harte, where wyth she doth specially meane the enemyes of the truth, euen as the Iewes were some­tyme agaynste Christ, and as some are now a dayes lyke vnto them. For suche holy and learned men are not proude in clothynge and behaueoure, they praye, faste, preache, study, saye masse oft, they go doukynge with theyr heades, and thynke nomā to be a greater enemy vnto pryde, couetousnesse, or hy­pocrisy than themselues, and that noman be a greater frende of God than they themsel­ues. How coulde they hynder and hurte the truth, were not they so holy, honeste & lear­ned mē? For such theyr vtter apperaūce, glystereth, shyneth and bleareth the eyes of the cōmune people. Good LORD how wel are they persuaded, callynge vpō God, and take pytie vpon poore Iesus that doth so euell, is proude, and finally not lyke vnto thē in ryghteousnesse & honesty▪ Of them sayeth Christ in the .xi. of Mathew: that wysedome is iu­stifyed of hir chyldren, that is, they are wyser [Page] and more ryghteous than I myselfe, whyche ame the godly wysedome. Whatsoeuer I do that is nought, and must be checked and cor­recte of them.

These are the moost wycked and poyso­nest men on earth, whose pryde of harte is so depe and deuellysh, that she can brouke no medecyne nor wholsome counsell. For they heare not what is sayde, yee they reken it not to be spoken vnto them, but vnto the wretched synner, which hath nede of it, they nede it not. Ihon baptiste doth call them the generacion of vipers Mathew .iii. and Luke the thyrde: and euen so doth Christe also Mathew the .xii. and .xvi. These are they that do not truely feare God, do & serue to be destroyed of God wyth theyre pryde and arrogācy. But seynge ther is noman that so persueth y^e truth & ryghteousnes as these do, (though they thynke it be ongods behalfe as we haue sayde before) therfore amonge the thre enemyes of God muste they go before and beare the standarde, the seconde & leest are the rych, whome the greate men and rulers, the thyrde enemyes do passe in execu­tynge power. But these learned men excell ether of the other farre beyonde the nocke, for they do hurte on both partyes with theyr [Page] bloudy entysynge. The rych men quenche y^e truthe by themselues only: The men of au­thorite chace her from other: But these learned men quenche her cleane out in themsel­ues, & in steade thereof they brynge forth y^e imaginacion of theyr owne harte, so that she can neuer ryse agayne. Now as the truth is better in herselfe than men, in whome she hath hyr dwellynge, so much are the learned men worse than the greate men, or rych mē. O how doth God abhorre and hate such, as they be worthy?

The thyrde worke is to subdue the proude.

Thys worke wyth the other followynge maye easely be perceaued by the two wor­kes aboue rehearsed. For lyke as he destroyeth the wyse and suttyll in theyr imaginaci­ons and good meanynges: (where vnto they sticke, and vse theyr pryde agaynste suche as feare God, whiche must suffre wronge, and theyr wytte and ryghteousnesse must be cō ­demned, the whiche all is chefely done for y^e loue of Gods worde.) Euen so he destroyeth [Page] and putteth downe the myghty & great men wyth all theyr power and dominion, where vpon they leanynge, vsed theyr crueltye and pryde vpon theyre inferiours, and on the good lowlyones, the whiche must suffre pu­nyshmente, death and all euell of them. And as he comforteth thē that must suffre wrōge and shame for ryghteousnesse, the truth, and hys wordes sake, euen so strengtheth he thē, that suffre hurte and wronge: but the more he cōforteth those that must suffre wronge, so much the more frayeth he the other. But thys all muste be perceaued and loked for in fayth. For he destroyeth not the myghty, as soone as they haue deserued it, sufferyng them sometyme vntyl theyr power or authorite be fynisshed: for than doth God kepe thē nomore, nother can they kepe themselues, but do vanyshe & fayde of theyr owne swyng wythout ony rumoure or sedicion: and than such as are oppressed comeforth and reioyce without ony vprour or noyse. For the power of God is in them, which only abydeth.

Marke that she sayeth not, he destoyeth the syes or trones, but he putteth the myghty dovvne out of the seates: nother sayeth she, that he leaueth the oppressed vn­der foote, but setteth them vp. For as longe [Page] as thys worlde doth endure, so longe muste Superiorite, Rule, Power & the Trones continue. But that they are euell vsed, con­trary to the wyll of God, in doynge iniurye and wronge vnto such as are good, and that they do also delyte therin, and exalte them­selues therein, and vse it not with the feare of God, to his prayse, and defence of iustice: that can he not suffre longe. As experience here of maye be sene in all storyes, how that God setteth vp one kyngdome and putteth downe another: howe he rayseth one pro­uince, and putteth downe another howe he multiplyeth one nacion, and destroyeth ano­ther: as maye be sene in the Assyrians, Ba­bylonians, Perses, Grekes and Romanes, which neuerthelesse imagined theyr rayg­nes to endure euer. Euen so lykewyse doth he not destroye reason, wysedome and law­es, for they muste be had, yf y^e worlde shalbe mayntayned: but pryde, & the hyghmynded, which serue themselues w^t these gyftes, feare not God, persecute y^e good and gods lawe, & abuse such bewtyful giftes of god against hī.

Gods busynesse is in that case now, that the wyse and proude meaners, (yf I maye so call them) do mooste communely ioyne themselues with mē of authorite, and steare [Page] them agaynst the truthe, as Dauid wytnes­seth in the .ii. Psalme, sayenge: The kynges of the earth stande vp, & the rulers are come together, agaynst the LORDE and agaynst hys anoynted. Because the lawe and ryght haue alwaye the wyse, myghty and ryche a­gaynste them, that is: the worlde, wyth hys greate and valeaunt powers: therfore doth the holy gooste conforte them by the mouth of hys mother, that they be not abasshed nor doute, but let these wyse, myghty and ryche alone, seynge they shall not longe endure. Yf the holyones and learned, takynge to thē the myghty, wyse, rulers, gouernours and y^e rych shulde all not stande agaynst the truth, but be of hyr syde, where shulde vnryghte­ousnes remayne? who shuld suffre wrōge or euel? Not so. For the holyones, myghty, superious, the ryche and the beste of the worlde, muste fyghte agaynst God and hys ryghte­ousnesse, and be the Deuels darlynges, as wytnesseth the prophet Abacuc in the fyrste chapter, sayenge: Hys meate is pycked and deynty. That is: the wycked sprete hath a denty touth, he loueth to eate of the swetest, moost deyntyeste and costlyest dyshes, as y^e Beer also doth hony. Therfore are the learned, the holy pharises, the Herodes and the [Page] rych euen the deuels deynties. Agayn what so euer the worlde doth refuse, as the poore, lowly, symple, vyle, and despysed, that dothe God chose, (as wytnesseth S. Paule .i. Cor. i.) that he maye suffre the vylest of y^e worlde to be myshādled of the best of the same: that so it be euidently knowen, that our saluaciō doth not stande in mans power, but only in the power & handes of God, as Paule doth also testify. Hereof cōmeth that these by wordes are cōmunely vsed: They that be lear­ned, are peruerted. And a ruler is venyson in heauen. And here rych, there poore. For the learned alaye not theyr hartes pryde: the myghty theyr oppressynge: nother do the rych despyse theyr pleasures, and fynally is it done that maye be done.

The fourth worke, is to exalte thē of lowe degre.

They of lovve degre are not to be ta­ken here for those that be lowly, but such as be vnderlynges, and of no reputacyon befor the worlde. For it is euen the same worde y^e she ment, whan she sayd: For he hath loked vpon the lowe degre of hys handmayden. Neuerthelesse, they that of theyr fre wyl are [Page] nought & abiecte of harte, not sekyng hyghe thynges, they are lowly in dede. Moreouer thys exaltynge is not to be vnderstande, as that he shulde set them in the thrones & pla­ces of them that be putte downe, as he doth not set them that feare hym in the rowme of the learned that is proude, another whā he sheweth mercy vpon them: but he geueth thē such gyftes as do farre passe those, namely: y^t they beyng exalted in God spiritually, are set as iudges aboue all thrones, powers and knowlege, both here in thys worlde, and in the worlde to come: for they are better learned than al the learned and rulers. But how thys commeth to passe haue I shewed aboue in the fyrst worke of God, nother ne­deth it to be rehearsed here. But it is al said to the comforte of them that suffre, and to y^e frayenge of the tyraūtes, yf we had so much fayth as to consyder it well.

The fyft and syxte workes.

It is sayd aboue that they of lovve de­gre are not to be called those that are of a vyle & lowly estate, but such as are contente to be so taken, specially whan they are com­pelled [Page] therto for mayntaynynge the worde, ryght, & law of God. Euen so ought to be called hongry, not they that haue lytle or no meate, but they that wyllyngly do wante it, specially yf they be cōpelled therto of other for Gods or hys truthes sake. What is more abiecte, vyle, vayne or myserable then the deue [...]l, them that be damned, or them y^e be rac­ked, famyshed & hanged for theyr mysdedes, or what so euer they be y^e are brought lowe agaynst theyr wyll? Yet doth not God helpe them, but rather augmenteth theyr mysery. Of such doth not the mother of God speak, but of them that agre wyth God, which are one wyth God, & God is one wyth them.

Agayne, what hyndered Abrahā, Isaac & Iacob y^e they were ryche? What hyndered Dauid hys kyngly seate? ether Daniel y^e power of Babilō? or who soeuer was or is in hygh degre & wealth, yf theyr harte doth not set store by thē, or standeth in hys owne conceate? Salomō sayeth in y^e .xvi. Chap. of the Prouerbes: It is the LORD that weyeth y^e spretes or myndes, that is: he iudgeth not after y^e vtter appearaūce, whether he be rych, poore, in authorite or abiecte: but after the sprete and hys behaueoure in the aforesayd estates. The difference of states, maners & [Page] persones must remayne in earthe, as longe as we lyue: but the harte may not cleue vn­to nor flye: not cleue vnto them of hygh es­tate and rych, nor flye the abiecte▪ despysed and nedy. After thys maner sayeth Dauid also in the .vii. psalme: Maynteyne the iuste thou ryghteous God, that tryest y^e very hartes and the reynes. But mē iudge after the vtter appearaunce, wherfore they erre ofte.

And these workes are wrought secretly also (as is sayde aboue of other) so y^t no man feleth them vntyll they be ended. The rych man doth not perceaue hys vanite & mysery before he dye, or perysh otherwyse, as testifyeth the .lxxv. psal. on thys wyse: The proude shalbe robbed & slepe theyr slepe, & the myghty shalbe able to do nothyng w^t theyr hādes. Contrarywyse y^t hongry can not tel how ful they be, before they come vnto y^e ende of honger, for thā do they fynde the word of Christ in y^e .vi. of Luke: Blessed are ye y^t hōger here for ye shalbe satisfyed, & thys cōfortable pro­myse of Gods mother: He fylleth the hongry vvyth good thynges. It is so impossi­ble that God shulde suffre ony hongry man to perysh by famine whych trusteth in hym, that euen y^e angels must come & fede hym. Helias the prophet dyd a rauen fede, & wyth [Page] so muche meele as coulde be holden in one hande was he sustayned a great whyle by y^e wedowe of Sarepta. For he can not forsake them that put theyr trust in hym, as wytnesseth Dauid in the .xxxvi. psal. sayeng: I was yonge, & now am olde: yet sawe I neuer the ryghteous forsakē, nor hys sede to seke theyr breade. Who so trusteth in God, is ryghte­ous. And in the .xxxiii. psal. sayeth Dauid also: The rych shall wante and suffre honger: but they whych seke the LORDE, shal want no maner of thynge that is good. Lykewyse also sayde Anna the mother of the prophete Samuel. i. Reg. ii. They that were fylled a­fore, are solde for bread: and they that were hongry, are satisfyed.

But the cursed infidelite doth alwaye wythstand & let, y^t God can not worke these thynges in vs, & that we can not perceaue & haue experience of it. We wyl be ful & haue plenty of al, before honger & necessite do cō ­strayne vs, prouydynge vs aforehande, y^t we be not greued w^t the nede & pouerte to come that so we nede none of Gods workes or grace. What fayth is y^t wherby thou tru­stest in God, whan y^u felest & knowest stoare ynough, wherwyth y^u mayest helpe thyselfe? Infidelite is y^e cause y^t we se y^e word of God, [Page] the truth, & ryght to lye vnder, and iniury to haue y^e vpperhāde, & y^t in the meane seasō we kepe our peace, punyshe nothynge, saye no­thynge to it, nor forbyd ought: but let euery man haue y^e brydel & rūne at large, suffryng hym to do as it pleaseth hym. But what is the cause: Euen because we feare to be attached also, & brought to pouerte, & so finally dye for hōger, & remayne euer an vnderlyng And y^t is sayd to set more by tēporal goodes, then by y^e feare of God, & to worship thē as Idols in his steade: whereby we are vnworthy to heare or to vnderstande this promyse of God, full of cōforte, namely: that he exalteth the oppressed and of lovve degre, and putteth dovvne the proude: that he fylleth the poore vvyth good thynges, and letteth the rych go empty. And so come neuer to y^t knowlege of hys workes, wythout y^e whyche neuerthelesse ther is no blesse, but must be dāned for euer, as y^e .xxvii psal. doth testifye, sayenge: For they regarde not y^e workes of y^e LORD, nor y^e operaciō of hys hādes: therfore shal he breake thē down, & not buyld thē vp. And y^t ryghtfully, for they beleue not hys so many promyses, coūtynge hym a lyght & faylyng God, vpō whose word they darre begynne nought: so lytle felynge [Page] haue they of hys truth. Ye must aduenture & put your selues in hasarde vpon hys worde. For he sayeth not: He hath fylled the ful, and set vp the hygh: but he hath fylled the hōgry, & hath exalted the lowly & vnderlynges. Ye muste fyrste come by honger in the myddes of nede, & know what hōger & nede do mea­ne, so y^t ye haue nought to trust vnto, or y^t ye may vse hereafter, or whereby ye may be holpen hereafter, nother by yourselfe, nor of o­ther, but only of God: so that the worke y^t is impossible vnto other, be only Gods. Thus must ye not only thynke & speake of lowly­nesse, but also come therto, sticke fast therin, be helpelesse & destitute and forsaken of euery man, that God onely maye worke there: or at the leest to desyre suche and not sho [...]e it yf we can attayne it wyth the dede. And for thys cause are we called Christians, and haue the Gospell (whyche the deuel and mē can not beare) that thereby we beynge come to anguyshe and lowlynesse, God maye en­tre in to hys workes. Thynke ye by your selues, yf he shuld fyl you, before ye were hōgry or exalte you before ye were brought lowe, he shuld be fayne to playe the iuggler, not beynge able to fulfyl his promyse, & so shuld his worke be nothyng saue a mockage, whā the [...] [Page] neuerthelesse doth say in the .C.x. Psalme▪ The workes of hys handes are verite and iudgement, al hys cōmaundemētes are true Yf he shuld be fayne to helpe you at the in­traūce of your anguysh & lowlynesse, ether in euery smal suppression & nede, than shuld hys workes be slenderer thā becōmeth hys maieste: Where as it is sayd in y^e same psal. that the workes of the LORDE are greate, sought out of al them y^e haue pleasure therin

Let vs now loke vpon y^e contrary parte also. Yf he shuld destroy and put downe the hygh & rych before they became hygh & rych how shuld he behaue hymselfe therin? They must fyrst come so hygh & so passynge in ry­ches, that euery mā, & they themselues also must be persuaded, (yee & y^t it be so in dede) that no mā cā destroy, w^tstande, or roote thē out, & be so sure of theyr cause, y^e they say it y^e Esaye dyd prophecy in his .xlvii. chap. of the Babilonians, sayeng: Heare now therfore thou wylfyl, that syttest so carelesse, & spea­kest thus in thyn hart: I am alone, and with out me is ther none: I shal neuer be wedow nor desolate agayne, (that is wythoute strength and ayde.) And yet both these thynges shall come vnto the in one daye, in the the twynckelynge of an eye. &c. [Page] There hath God than an occasion to worke hys worke. Of thys wyse dyd he suffre Pha­rao to heaue hymselfe aboue the chyldren of Israell, and to oppres [...]e them, as God doth testifye of hym in the .ix. chapter of Exodus, sayenge: I haue [...]ered the vp for thys cause, euen to shew my power vpon the, and that my name myght be declared in all landes. Of suche ensamples is the Bible euen full, which teach nothynge els saue God wor [...]es and workes, and refuse both the workes and doctrines of men.

Beholde now thys stronge cōforte, that is, that not man, but God hymselfe, geueth not only somewhat, but fylleth and satisfy­eth. And in that she addeth vvithgood thynges, she signifyeth that such fyllyng shal not be hurtefull, but profytable and wholesome, so that it shall do good both to body & soule. By this is shewed moreouer that they were empty, and full of all nede. For (as is sayde before) by ryches are vnderstāde all faydyng and transitory thynges, that concerne the body, wherewyth the soule is also reioyced. Euen so also by honger ought to be vnder­stande in this place, not only wāte of meate but of all transitory thynges: for somtyme maye a mā forbeare al thynges saue meate [Page] so that for the moost parte all transitory go [...] des and occupyenges are for thesame. With oute meate can noman lyue, thoughe they maye lyue without clothynge, house, mony goodes and men, therfore doth scripture here comprehende the temporall goodes for the moost necessaryest, profitablest and mooste vsuallest, that can leest be forborē, insomuch that she calleth couetous mē and them that be so gredy vpon the vnstable ryches, belly seruaūtes, and Paule doth call y^e belly theyr God. How coulde than ony body entyce vs so earnestly and with more comforte to wyl full honger and pouerte, than these vehemēt wordes of Gods mother, namely that God wyl fede euery hongry soule with good thynges? Whome such comfortable wordes, such honoure and prayse of pouerte doth not per­suade and entyce therto, he is surely wyth­out fayth and confidence as an Heythen.

Agayne, how can ony man blame ryches more, and fraye the rych more, than w^t thys one clause, that God letteth the rych go empty? O what greate and plentifull thyn­ges are these both: the fyllynge of God and the lettyng go empty? how lytle cā ony creature helpe or geue counsell therein? A man is abasshed whan he heareth hys fathers defiaunce, [Page] or his maysters displeasure, and we hygh & rych are not dismade whan God doth defy vs. And not only proclameth warre, but threateneth also destruccion, abiection and rootynge out: Contrary wyse is it a ioye whan the father is meke, and the mayster mylde, so that many aduenture theyr lyfe & al that they haue there vpō. And we hauyng such promyse, and such stronge cōsolacion, cā not vse and brooke it, we can not geue than­kes for it, nor yet reioyce therein. O thou lamentable vnbelefe, whiche passest the sere­nesse of a blocke, and the hardnes of a stone, that thou cāst not perceaue such great thynges. Let thys now be sufficiently spokē of the syxe workes of God.

After the rehearsynge of Gods workes both in her and in other, doth Mary nowe come agayne to the begynnynge and fyrste, and closeth the Magnificat wyth y^e greatest and chefe of all the godly workes, which is y^e incarnacion of the sonne of God, and con­fesseth here frely that she is a handmaydē & seruaunte of all the worlde, seyng the worke is accōplyshed in her, the which is profitable not only to her, but vnto all Israell. Yet dealeth [Page] she Israell in two, and bryngeth that parte only that serueth God. Nother doth ony mā serue God, saue he that letteth hym be hys God, and suffreth hym to worke hys worke in hym wherof we haue spoken before: Al­though that worde Gods seruice (alas for pytie) is brought into so straunge vnderstandynge and vse, that whoso heareth it, doth thynke nothynge, vpon such workes, but ra­ther vpon ryngynge, vpon the stone worke and tymber of the temple, vpō the censoure, vpon the burnynge of the lyghtes, vpon the blarynge, the golde, the syluer, the whyte clothes, the pearles, the vestimentes and surplyses, the chalice, the pyre, the organes & tables, the procession and stations, and that moost of all is, vpon the bablyng and talyng wyth God vpon beede stones. Foo (alas) Gods seruyce is come hetherto, whereof he knoweth nothynge. And we also know none other saue thys. We synge the Magnificat dayly, and y^e with great solemnite and lowd, and yet kepe secrete the true vnderstādynge thereof more and more. But yet doth thys text stonde styfly: Yf we do not learne these workes of God, and suffre them in vs, than shall ther be no Gods seruice, no Israell, no grace, no mercye, nor no God, though we [Page] crye out in temples, and rynge tyll we brust and gaue therto all the goodes of y^e worlde. For God hath geuen no commaundemente concernynge that, & therfore doutelesse can he haue no pleasure therein.

The incarnacion therfore of Christe doth auayle vnto suche an Israell, that ser­ueth God. Such one is hys owne and belo­ued people, for whose sake also he is become man, to delyuer them from the thraldome of the Deuell, synne, death and hell, and to brynge them vnto ryghteousnesse and euer­lastynge lyfe and blysse: that is the helpyng vp that she syngeth of here. And Paule doth also proclame thys, sayenge in the .ii. chapter vnto Titus, that Christe gaue hymselfe for vs, to redeme vs from all vnryghteousnesse & to purge vs, to be a peculiar people vnto hymselfe. And Peter also in hys fyrst epistle the .ii. chapter, sayeth: Ye are that chosen ge­neracion, that kyngly prestholde, that holy nacion, that peculiar people. &c. These are the godly ryches, and the greate mercyes of God, the whych we haue optayned by none of oure deseruynge, but of the only mercy and grace. Wherfore she sayeth also: He re­membreth mercy. She sayeth not: He remebreth oure merite and worthynesse, for we [Page] were in necessite and vnworthy. Of this thā doth hys prayse and honoure springe, & oure boaste and presumptiō is suaged. He had no­thynge at whose syghte he myght be moued, saue only hys owne mercy, the whiche also was therfore to be shewed on all nacions.

But wherfore sayeth she more: He re­membreth mercy, than he loked vpō hys mercy? Euen because he had promysed the­same, as the verse followynge doth declare. Moreouer, he wytheld y^e same mercy so lōge, that he semed nearehande to haue forgotten it: (euen as all hys workes do seme to haue no care for vs) neuerthelesse whā he came, it was euidently knowen that he had not for­gotten vs, but that he was euer mynded to fulfyll hys promyses.

Truth it is, that by Israell the Iewes on­ly are ment, and not the Gentiles: but seyng they refused hym, he chose a few of them, and satisfyed the name of Israell therewith, and made a spirituall Israell. Thys is figu­red Gen. xxxvii. by the patriarke Iacob wrastlynge wyth the angel, whose thygh the an­gell touched, and made hym to halte. For therby was signifyed that the chylderen of Israell shulde not from thenceforth boaste theyr carnall byrth, (as the Iewes do) where [Page] he also obtayned the name Israell, that he thenceforth shulde so be called, as a Patri­arke, which were not only Iacob, the father of carnall chyldren, but also Israel the father of spirituall chylderen. To thys doth agre also the name Israel, the which is as muche to saye, as, the LORDE of God. That is surely a very holy & hygh name, cōteynynge in it selfe that great mirakle, that a man by the Godly fauour, hath in a maner brought God in his power, so that God do accōplysh all mans requestes: as we se also that the church is made one w^t God thorow Christe, euē as a bryde vnto the brydegrome, which hath power of hyr brydegromes body and all that he hath. All this is done by fayth, whereby a man obeyeth the wyll of God, and God agayne agreeth vnto mans wyll, so that Is­rael be so conformable to God, and of suche power ouer hym, y^t in God, w^t God & by God he do all thynges, & be able to do all thynges

Thys (lo) signifyeth Israell. For Schar in Hebrue is as muche to saye, as a lorde or a prince, and El signifyeth God, & ioynynge them together, maketh Israel. Such an Israell wyll God haue, wherfore whan Iacob hadde wrestled wyth the angell & ouercome him, y^e angel sayd: Thou shalt nomore be called [Page] Iacob, but Israell: for thou hast stryuē wyth God and with men, & hast preuayled. Many thynges more were to be sayde hereof, for Israell is a hygh mystery.

Here are all merites and presumpcion ouerthrowen, and the grace and mercy of God are lyfte vp. For God hath not holpen vp Israell for hys owne merites, but for hys owne promyse. Of only and mere grace hath he promysed, and of mere grace also hath he fulfilled it. Therfore sayeth Paule in the .iii. chapter to the Galathians that God dyd bynde hymselfe to Abraham foure hundreth yeare before he gaue the lawe by Moses, lest ony man myghte saye or boast that he had deserued or obtayned so greate grace and promyse by the lawe or the wor­kes of thesame: Thys same promyse doth the mother of God laude and prayse aboue all thynges, attributynge the mooste cleare worke of the incarnacion vnto the pure, vn­deserued, godly and fre promyse made vnto Abraham.

Thys promyse of God vnto Abraham is specially wrytten in the .xii. and .xxii. chapters of Genesis, and diuerse other plades, [Page] soundynge on thys maner: In thy sede shall all the naciōs of the earth be blessed. The which wordes of God, S. Paull and al Prophetes (as they be worthy) lyfte vp vnto the cloudes, for in those wordes both Abra­ham and all hys posterite are saued, because that Christe is comprehended in thesame, and promysed to be the Saueoure of all the worlde. Moreouer thys is Abrahams bo­some, wherein all they that were saued be­fore Christes natiuite, dyd remayne. Nother was ony man euer saued without these wordes, though he had done all the good dedes that euer were done, the which we wyl loke vpon continently.

Fyrst doth it fellowe by these wordes, that all the worlde, excepte Christe, was in thraldome and daunger of synne, damna­cion and curse wyth all hys workes and connynge. For whan he sayeth, that not some, but all nacions shalbe blessed in Abrahams sede, it is manifeste, that wythout thesame sede; ther shalbe no blesse. What neded God to promyse the blesse wyth so earneste, so greate and so preciouse, an oth, yf the blesse and not rather the curse had ben in the worlde? Out of thys place haue the Pro­phetes sucked and concluded many thynges [Page] as namely: that all men are euell, vayne, ly­ars, fayners, blynde and brefely Godlesse or wythout Godlynesse: so that it be no wor­shyppe in scripture to be called a man. For that name is nomore worth by God, than yf a man were called before the worlde a lyar or periured. So wholy dyd he perysh by A­dams fall, y^t the curse beynge borne w^t hym, was nearehāde become one nature w^t hym.

Secondely it followeth, that that sede of Abraham neded not to be borne by natu­rall sede of man and wyfe: For suche byrth is cursed, and bringeth forth cursed frutes, as is sayde euen now. Yf now all the worlde was to be delyuered from thys curse by A­brahams sede and to be blessed, it was requyred that y^e sede were blessed before, and vn­touched or vndefyled of suche a curse, and to be a mere blesse, full of grace and truthe. Agayne, yf God that is no lyar doth pro­myse (and that wyth an oth) a naturall sede vnto Abraham, that is a naturall and lawfull chylde, whyche shalbe borne of hys flesh and bloude: it was necessary that such one shulde be a true naturall man, borne of the fleshe and bloude of Abraham. Now do these two thynges stryue together: To be the naturall fleshe and bloude of Abra­ham, [Page] and yet not to be borne by man and wyfe after the course of nature. And ther­fore vseth he thys worde, thy sede, and not thy chylde or thy sonne: that so it were clere and euident, that it must be hys naturall fleshe and bloude, as it is also hys sede.

Who wyll now here attayne a meane, that the worde and oth of God be true, wherin thynges so contrary do mete? That shall God surely do, whiche can accomplysh that he hath promysed, though noman couet it before it be done. Therfore do hys wordes and dedes requyre no naturall wytte, but a fre and pure fayth. Lo how he hath vnyed these two thynges: He geueth vnto Abrahā a naturall sede, of one of hys doughters, the pure and chaste virgine Mary, by the holy gooste, wythout the workynge of man. There was not the naturall concepciō and generacion wyth hyr curse, nother coulde it stayne the sede: and yet neuerthelesse is thys the naturall sede of Abraham as well, as all other Abrahams yssue. Beholde than, thys is the blessed sede of Abra­ham, whereby all the worlde is delyuered of hys curse. For from hym that beleueth on thys sede, calleth vpon it, confesseth it, [Page] and cleueth there vnto, is the curse taken a­waye and forgeuen as a cryme, and al blesse is geuen him, for the sounde of the word and oth of God, namely: In thy sede shall all nacions be blessed. That is, Loke what is to be blessed, that shal be blessed, by thys sede and none other. Lo thys is y^e sede of Abrahā, the which is borne of none of hys chylderen, (as the Iewes haue alwaye loked for to haue ben) but of hys only doughter the virgine Mary.

That same meaneth here the bewtyful mother of God whan she sayeth that God hath taken vp Israell, accordynge to the pro­myse made vnto Abraham: vnto Abrahā (I saye) and all hys sede. Veryly she sawe that the promyse was than fulfylled in her, and therfore sayd she: It is now fulfylled, he hath now taken hym vp, he hath accōplyshed hys worde by the only callynge to mynde hys mercy. Here do we beholde the fundamente of the gospell, wherfore all doctrines & prea­chynges of hym do dryue vnto Christes fayth and Abrahams bosome. For ther is no counsell, nor helpe yf thys fayth is wantynge, whereby y^e blessed sede maye be vnderstand. And veryly ❧ all the scripture hangeth vpon thys oth. For all that is wrytten in y^e whole [Page] Bible, doth behold and concerne Christ. Be­sydes thys do we se that al the fathers of the olde testamente, and all Prophetes also had thesame fayth, and thesame gospell that we haue, as Paule doth testifye .i. Corinth. x. For in thys testamente of God & Abrahās bosome dyd they all remayne by stedfaste fayth, and therfore are saued: sauynge that they beleued in the sede that was promysed and for to come, but we beleue in y^e sede that hath appeared and is geuen. Neuerthelesse the truth of the promyse remayneth on both partes, it is all one fayth, one sprete, one Christ, one LORDE that was at that tyme and is now, and shall be for euer, as the .xiii. chapter to the Hebrues doth beare witnesse.

But that the Iewes had a lawe geuen them afterwarde, that is not lyke vnto thys promyse, for it was done therfore, that by y^e lyght of the lawe they myghte knowe theyr cursed nature, and that they shulde more feruently and wyth more whoter desyre sygh and longe for thys promysed sede of blessyng in the whiche they had a prerogatiue before all nacions on earth. But they haue turned the prerogatiue into hurte and dammage, & haue thought to accomplysh and fulfyll the lawe by theyr owne strength, and therfore [Page] haue not they sene theyr wretched mysery. And after thys maner haue they shut y^e dore to themselues, so that y^e sede promysed muste nedes go by them, in y^e which opiniō they remayne yet, God geue it be not longe. Amē. Thys hath ben the debate that all the Pro­phetes haue had wyth them, for seynge the Prophetes knew wel ynough the meanyng of the lawe, namely: that thereby the wyc­kednesse of our nature shulde be knowē, and to learne how Christe shulde be called vpon, therfore refused they all the workes & lyues of the Iewes, that wente not in that waye: for the whych cause the Iewes cōceaued an anger agaynst thē, & slew thē, as those that refused y^e gods seruice, good workes, and the good lyuyng, as y^e hypocrytes and graceles sayntes d [...] sometyme. Of whome ther were not a lytle to be spoken.

That she sayth: and to hys sede foreuer, is to be vnderstāde, y^e such grace shall laste in Abrahams bloud (which are y^e Iewes) frō that tyme forth, thorow all tymes, vntyll the laste daye. For though y^e moost parte be har­dened, yet are ther somtyme parte of them (though but a fewe) that turne vnto Christ, & beleue in hym, seynge thys promyse of God both not fayle, namely: y^e the promyse was [Page] made vnto Abraham & hys sede, not for one, nor for a thousande yeares, but for euer, that is: from one mās tyme vntyll another with­out ceassynge. And for thys cause ought not we to intreate y^e Iewes so vncourteously, for amonge thē are yet some that shalbe Christians and dayly do some of thē turn to Christ. Moreouer, they only, and not we Gentiles haue the promyse made vnto thē, that ther shalbe euer some Christiās in y^e sede of Abra­ham, that shall knowlege y^e blessed sede. Our matter is founded vpō the mere grace with out the promyse of God, who knoweth how and whan? Yf we lyued godly & Christenly, and with mekenesse brought them to Christ, that veryly were the beste maner and way.

Who wolde become a Christian, whā he seyeth Christen men deale so cruelly w^t mē? Not so ye welbeloued Christiās. Let y^e truth be shewed them after a good maner, y^e which yf they refuse, leaue thē alone. Howe many Christiās are ther now adayes, that regard not Christ, nother heare hys worde? beynge worse thā y^e Gentiles or Iewes, whome ne­uerthelesse they do let be in reste, yee do thē reuerēce, makyng nearehand an Idol of thē.

Here wyll we rest at thys tyme, prayng god for y^e true vnderstādyng of thys virgins sōg of prayse called Magnificat, y^e which not only [Page] do shyne and speake, but also inflame & lyue in the body and soule: the which oure Saue­oure Christe graunte vs. Amen.

Now do I returne vnto you moost boū ­teous prince, desyrynge youre hyghnesse to take my boldenesse in worth. Though I know that your goodnesses youth hath ma­ny instructers and dayly admonicions, yet coulde I not represse the care of my subiec­tion and due faythfulnesse, and besydes this the charge of my conscience, and the exhor­tacion of your hyghnesse. Seynge we all do hope, that in tymes to come, the rule of the commune welth (the which oure mercyfull god geue to prosper) shall come to your hyghnesse handes: the which is a greate thyng, yf it do well befal: and agayne a peryllous and myserable thynge, yf it do befall otherwyse. But vnto vs it becōmeth to loke and praye for the beste, neuerthelesse carefully to feare is the worst of all.

Let your hyghnesse call thys to mynde, namely: That God neuer suffred one Gen­tile kynge or prince in all the scripture to be cōmended, no not sence y^e worlde was crea­ted, but caused them alwaye to be rebuked: the whiche is a dredefull ensample vnto all superiorites. Nother dyd he fynde moreouer [Page] ony laudable and blamelesse kyng amonge hys peculyare people of Israel. Besydes all thys among the Iewes, whych were y^e chefe and heade of all mankynde, lyfted vp and beloued aboue all creatures, were but a fewe, nother aboue syxe kynges praysed. Finally that deare part and precious prince Dauid, whych left none nother behynde nor by him that was lyke hym in worldly polycye: the whych though he beynge full of the feare & wysedome of God, dyd rule and iudge all thynges by the only cōmaūdement of God, and not by hys reason, yet neuerthelesse stō bled sometyme. So y^e scripture also, because she coulde not blame hys gouernaunce, and yet must recyte y^e hurte of the people, where by Dauid was cloyde, dyd not impute it vnto Dauid, but vnto y^e people, sayenge: That God was wroth wyth y^e people, and suffred Dauid the holy man to be steared of Sathā, whyche gaue hym in hys mynde to nōbre y^e people, for the whych dede .lxx. thousand mē dyd dye of the pestilence.

All thys hath God so brought to passe to fraye the superiorite, to retayne thē in feare and to admonysh them of theyr daungers. For great ryches, great honours, great po­wer, greate fauoure, and besyde thys many [Page] flatterers, (from whom no lorde is fre) do so of all partes besege and assaulte the hart of a prynce, and dryue hym so to pryde, to the forgetfulnesse of God, to not carynge ether for the people or commune wealth, to plea­sure, to rashnesse, to curiosite, to ydelnesse: brefely to all vnryghteous thynges and vy­ces, that no cytie nor stronge holde can so be beseged & assaulted. Now he that beyng warned by the aforesayd ensamples wyll not a­noyde, and vse the feare of God for a banke or fence, where (I pray you) shall he become? For yf ony lorde or superioure do not loue his people, & do not apply therto his mynde, not how he lyue deyntely, but how by hys ensample hys subiectes maye be steared to goodnesse, all is done wyth hym, and y^e state of hys dominion shall thence forth be onely to the losse of hys soule: nother shall it a­uayle him that he doth foūde great moneth-means, trentals, diriges, and yeare tydes, buylde great monasteryes, altares, or thys or that. God shall requyre of hym an accōpt of hys estate and offyce, nother shall he care for ony thynge els.

Wherfore moost boūteous lorde and prince I commende thys Magnificat vnto your hyghnesse, but specially y^e fyfte & syxte [Page] verses, aboute y^e whych I haue cōprehended it, prayenge & requyrynge your hyghnesse to drede nothynge so sore all your lyfe tyme on earth, (no not hell) as it that y^e blessed mo­ther of God callth here the imaginacyō of the mynde. For y^e same is y^e greatest, y^e fear­cest, the myghtyest and the most hurtfullest enemye of all kynde of men, specially of su­periours. Hys names are: Reason, good opi­nion or intent, wherof must come all coun­sels and gouernaunces. Nother can youre hyghnesse be in sauegarde, yf ye haue not thys alwaye suspecte, and wyth the feare of God followe not only the reasons, not only of your peres and senatours, but also of all them that be of your hyghnesse counsell. No mans coūsel is to be despysed, nother agayne is it only to be trusted vnto.

But what must be done than? Thys verely: that your hyghnesse do not sende away your prayer in cloysters vnder monkes, chanons and freres cooles, ether vnder chalices as it is a wycked maner now a dayes to do, to buyld vpon other mēs prayers & to truste therin, & to set lytle store by theyr own. But your hyghnes must take a fre, hardy & a me­ry corage, & settynge asyde y^e feble mynde cal vpon God, ether in your harte or els where [Page] secretlye, layenge at hys fete the keyes, and constraynynge hym wyth hys owne ordy­naunce, on thys wyse: Behold my God and father, thys is thy worke, thys is thyne ordinaunce that I shulde be borne and gendred to rule in thys state, the whych noman wyll denye, and thou thyselfe knowest whether I be worthy or vnworthy of it, neuerthelesse here am I ready as thou seyst, and as euery man knoweth. Graunt therfore my father and LORDE, that I maye rule thys peo­ple to thy prayse and theyr wealth: and I be­seke the suffre me not to stāde in myne own conceate and to myne owne reason, but be thou my reason and appoynted marke.

Let hym begyn vpon lyke sentence and procede in what thynge so euer he haue in hande, cōmēdyng it to God. Moreouer, how well God be appayed w^t suche a prayer and mynde, doth Salomō, (y^t in lyke maner dyd praye) declare: y^t whyche prayer I haue also ioyned hereto, the your hyghnesse maye be steared gladly to trust in the grace of God, that both hys feare & mercy maye byde with you. And herwyth I cōmende me vnto your hyghnesse, the whych I praye God to preserue vnto a lucky go­uernaunce. Amen.