The Lamentation of a Sinner

The lamentacion of a synner, made by ye most vertuous Ladie, Quene Caterin, bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life: set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin duchesse of Suffolke, [and] the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord, William Parre, Marquesse of North Hampton
Catharine Parr, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1512-1548.
1547
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The lamentacion of a synner, made by ye most vertuous Ladie, Quene Caterin, bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life: set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin duchesse of Suffolke, [and] the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord, William Parre, Marquesse of North Hampton
Catharine Parr, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1512-1548.
Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598.
[128] p.
In Fletestrete at the signe of the Sunne ouer agaynste the conduyte by Edwarde Whitchurche,
[Imprinted at London :
the. v. day of Nouember, in the yere of our Lord. 1547]
Preface by William Cecil, Baron Burghley.
Imprint from colophon.
Signatures: pi ² A-G (G7-8 blank).
Running title reads: The lamentacion of a sinner.
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Catharine Parr, -- Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1512-1548 -- Early works to 1800.
Christian life -- Early works to 1800.
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The lamentacion of a sinner, made by ye most vertuous Ladie, Quene Caterin, bewayling the ignoraunce of her blind life: set furth and put in print at the instaunt desire of the righte gracious ladie Caterin Duchesse of Suffolke, & the earnest requeste of the right honourable Lord, William Parre, Marquesse of North Hampton.
Wiliam Cicill hauing taken muche profit by ye reading of this treatyse folowing, wisheth vnto euery christian by ye reading therof like profit with increase from god.
MOste gentle & Christian reader, yf matiers shoulde be rather confirmed by their reporters, than the reportes, warraunted by the maters, I might iustely bewayle our tyme wherin euil deades be well woorded, and good actes euill cleped. But synce truthe is, ye thinges be not good for their prayses, but be praysed for their goodnes, I doe not moue the to lyke this christian treatise, bycause I haue mynde to prayse it, but I exhorte the to mynde it, & for the goodnes, thou shalt allowe
it, for whose likinge I labour not to obteyne, only moued by my example, their iudgement I regarde chieflye confirmed by by the matier. Truely our tyme is so disposed, to graunte good names to euill fruites, and excellente termes to meane workes, that neyther can good dedes enioye their due names being defrauded by the euill, neyther excellente workes can possesse their worthy termes beinge forstalled by the meane. In so muche that men seeke rather, howe muche they can, then howe muche they ought to saye: inclininge more to their pleasure, thē to theyr iudgement, and to shewe them selues rather elo
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uent, then the matier good: so that neyther the goodnes of the cause can moue them
to saye more, neyther the euilnes lesse. For if the excellencye of this christian contemplacion eyther for ye goodnes herin to maruaill, appering eyther for the proffyt herupon to the reader ensewinge shoulde be with due commendacion folowed, I of necessitie shoulde eyther trauayle to fynde oute newe wordes, the olde being anticipated by euill matiers, or wishe that the commen speache of praysing were spared vntill conuenient maters were founde to spende it: suche is the plentye of praysing, and scarcenes of deseruing. Wherfore lackinge the manner in woordes, and not the matier in deade of high commē
dacion, I am compelled, to kepe in my iudgemente with sylence, trusting whō my reaport coulde
not haue moued to lyke thys present treatise, the worthines of the matier shal compell to geue it honour. Any earthely manne woulde sone be stirred to see some mistery of magike, or practise of alchumye, or perchaunce some enchauntemente of Elementes: But thou whiche art christened, hast here a wonderful mistery of the mercy of god, a heuenly practise of regeneracion, a spirituall Enchauntement of the grace of god. Yf Ioye and tryumphes be shewed when a kinges childe is borne to the worlde, what Ioye is sufficient, when goddes childe is regenerated from heauen.
Thone is fleshe whiche is borne of fleshe: The other is spirite, whiche is borne of Spirit. The one also shall wither like ye grasse
of the yearth in shorte tyme, the other shal lyue in heauen beyond al time. Yf the finding of one lost shepe, be more ioyfull, then the hauing of ninetie and nyne, what Ioye is it to consyder the returne of a straye childe of almightye god, whose returne teacheth the nyentie and nine to come to their folde? Euen suche cause of Ioye is this, that the Aungells in heauen take comforte herin: be thou therfore ioyfull where a noble childe is newlie borne: shewe thy selfe gladde where the lost shepe hathe wunne the hole flocke: be thou not sad, wherin Aungelles reioyce. Here mayst thou see one, if the kinde maye moue the a woman, if degre may prouoke the a woman of highe estate, by birthe made noble, by mariage most noble,
by wisdome godly, by a mighty king, an excellent Quene, by a famous Henry, a renoumed Katheryne, a wife to hym that was a kinge to realmes: refusinge the worlde wherin she was loste, to obteyne heauen wherin she maye be saued: abhorringe synne, whiche made her bounde, to receyue grace, wherby she may be fre: dispising fleshe the cause of corrupcion, to put on the spirite, ye cause of sanctificacion: forsaking ignoraunce wherin she was blind, to come to knowledge, wherby she may se: remouing supersticion, wherwith she was smothered, to enbrace trew Religion, wherwith she may reuiue. The fruit of thys treatise (good Reader) is thye amendment: this only had, the writer is satisfied. This good
lady thought no shame to detect her sinne, to obteyne remissiō: no vilenes, to become nothing, to be a mēbre of hī, which is al thinges is all: no folye to forget the wisdome of the worlde, to lerne the Simplicitie of the gospel: at the last, no displeasauntnes to submyt her selfe to the scole of the Crosse, the learning of the crucifixe, the booke of our redēpciō, ye very obsolute library of goddes mercye and wisdome. Thys way thought she her honour encreased, and her state permanente, to make her yearthlye honour heauenly, and neglect the transitorye for the euerlastynge. Of this I woulde the warned that ye profit may ensewe. These greate misteries, and graces be not well perceyued, except they be suerly
studied, neyther be they perfectly studied, except they be diligently practised: neither profitablye practysed, without amendement. Se & lerne hereby what she hath doone, then mayst thou practise, and amend that thou canst do: so shalt thou practise with ease hauing a guyde, & amende wt profit, hauing a zeale. It is easyer to see these, then to learne: begynne at the easyest to come to the harder: see thou her confession, that thou maist lerne her repētaunce: practyse her perseueraunce, that thou mayst haue lyke amendemente: displease thy selfe, in eschewing vice, that thou mayste please god in askynge grace: let not shame hinder thy confessiō, whiche hindred not the offence: be
thou sure yf we knowledge our sinnes, god is faythful to forgiue vs, and to clense vs from all vnryghteousnes: obey ye prophetes saying: declare thy wayes to the lord. Thus far thou maist learne to knowe thy selfe: next this be thou as diligent to releiue thye selfe in goddes mercy, as thou hast bē to reuele thy selfe in thine owne repentaunce. For god hath cōcluded al thinges vnder sinne, because he woulde haue mercy vpon al, who hath also borne our sinnes in his body, vpon the tre, yt we shoulde be delyuered from sinne, & shoulde lyue vnto rightwisnes, by whose stripe we be healed: here is oure anker, here is our shepeherd, here we be made hole, here is our life, our redempcion,
our saluacion, and our blisse: let vs therfore nowe fede by thys gracious quenes example, and be not ashamed to become in confession publicanes, since thys noble lady wil be no Pharesie. And to all ladies of estate I wishe as ernest minde to folow our quene in vertue, as in honour: that they might once appere to prefer god before the worlde: and be honorable in religion, whiche nowe be honorable in vanyties: so shall they (as in some vertuouse ladies of right high estate it is with greate comforte seene) taste of this fredome of remission of this euerlastyng blisse, whiche excedeth all thoughtes and vnderstandinges, and is prepared for the holie in spirite, for the which let vs with our intercessiō in holynes
and purenes of lyfe, offer our selfes to the heauenly father an vndefiled host: to whom be eternall prayse and glorye through all the yearth, without ende. Amen.
A lamentaciō or complaynte of A Synner.
WHen I considre,By knowelege of sin cō
meth confession. in the bethinking of myne euill, & wretched former life, myne obstynate, stony, and vntractable herte, to haue so much exceded in euilnes, yt it hath not only neglected, yea cōtemned, & dispised goddes holy preceptes & cōmaundementes: But also enbrased, receyued, and estemed vayne, folish, and feyned tryfles: I am, partely by the hate I owe to sinne, who hathe reygned
in me, partely by the loue I owe to all Christians, whom I am contente to edifye, euen with thexample of mine owne shame, forced and constrayned with my harte and wordes, to cōfesse, and declare to the worlde,Charitie is not abashed. howe ingrate, negligent, vnkynde, and stubberne, I haue bene to god my Creatour: and howe beneficiall, mercyfull, and gentill, he hath ben alwayes to me his creature, beyng suche a miserable, wretched sinner. Truly I haue taken no lytle small thing vpō me,The argument of the booke. firste to set furth my whole stubbernes, and contempt in wordes, the which is incomprehensible in thought (as it is in the Psalme) who vnderstandeth hys faultes?The authors sinnes.
Psal. ii
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. next this to declare the excellente beneficence,The goodnes of god. mercy, & goodnes of
god which is infinite, vnmeasurable: neyther can all the wordes of Angelles, & men, make relaciō therof, as apperteyneth to hys moste high goodnes. Who is he that is not forced to confesse the same, if he consyder what he hath receyued of god, and dothe dayly receyue? Yea if men woulde not acknowledge, & confesse the same,Lu. xix. the stones would crie it out. Trulye I am constrayned & forced to speake & write therof to mine own cōfusiō & shame: but to the great glorye, and prayse of god.God ī goodne
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maruelouse. For he as a louyng father, of moste habundant and high goodnes, hath heaped vpon me, innumerable benefites: and I contrary, haue heaped manifolde sinnes,Mā in euilnes wonderouse. dispysing that whiche was good, holy, pleasant, and acceptable in hys
sight, and choysing that whiche was delicious, pleasant, and acceptable, in my sight. And no meruayle it was that I so dyd, for I would not learne to knowe ye lord and hys wayes. But loued darkenes better then light:Ihon. iii. Yea darknes semed to me,The iugemēt of man is corrupt in all thing
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. light. I enbraced ignorance, as perfect knowlege, & knowelege seamed to me superfluous & vayne: I regarded little goddes worde, but gaue my selfe to vanities and shadowes of the worlde. I forsooke him, in whom is all truth, & folowed the vayne folishe imaginacions of my hert. I would haue couered my sinnes with the pretence of holynes, I called supersticion, godly meaning, and true holynes, erroure, The lord did speake many pleasant and swete wordes vnto me,
and I woulde not heare: he called me diuersly, but throughe frowardnes I woulde not answere. Mine euilles, and miseries be so many and great, that they accuse me euen to my face.Euery man
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syn accuseth hym selfe. Oh howe miserably & wretchedly am I confounded? when for the multitude and greatnes of my sinnes, I am cōpelled to accuse my selfe. Was it not a merueylous vnkyndnes when god dyd speake to me, and also call me, that I woulde not answer him? what man so called, woulde not heaue harde? or what man hearyng, woulde not haue answered? Yf an earthlye Prince had spoken, eyther called him, I suppose there be none but would willingly haue done bothe. Now therfore what a wretche & Caytife am I? that when the Prince
of princes, ye king of kinges, did speake many pleasant, and gentle woordes vnto me, & also called me so many & sundry times, that they canne not be numbred: And yet notwithstandyng these greate signes & tokens of loue, I woulde not cum vnto him, but hyd my selfe out of his sight, seking many crooked & bye wayes, wherin I walked so longe, that I had cleane loste his sight. And noo maruayle or woundre, for I had a blinde guyde called Ignoraūce,A blind guide
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or a blind way. who dimmed so mine eyes, that I could neuer perfectlye get any sighte of the fayre, goodly, streight, and ryght wayes of hys doctrine: but cōtinually trauayled vncomfortablie, in the foule, wicked, croked, & peruerce wayes, Yea, & bicause they were so much
haunted of many, I coulde not thinke,The number of people may not be folowed, but the goodnes. but I walked in the perfect & right way: hauing more regarde to the numbre of the walkers, then to the order of the walking: beleuing also moste surely with company to haue walked to heauen, wheras I am most sure, they woulde haue brought me downe to hell. I forsoke the spirituall honoring of ye true liuyng god, & worshipped visible idoles,A fleshly man r
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gardeth not spirituall thinges. and ymages made of mennes handes, beleuing by them to haue gotten heauē, yea to say ye truthe, I made a great ydol of my selfe: For I loued my selfe better then god. And certaynely looke howe many thinges are loued or preferred in our hartes before god,Marke a nōber of Idoles. so many are taken and estemed for ydolles, and false goddes.
Alas howe haue I violated this holy, pure, & moste high precepte and commaundement of the loue of god?The sinne against ye. i. cō
maūdement. whiche precepte byndeth me to loue hym wt my hole harte,Deut. vi. minde, force, strength, & vnderstā
ding. And I, like vnto an euyll, wicked, disobedient childe, haue gyuen my wil, power, and sences, to the contrary: making almoste of euery earthly & carnall thing, a god.The blood of Christ. Furthermore the bloud of Christe was not reputed by me, sufficient for to wassh me frō the fylth of my sinnes:The word of god is onely y• doctryne of saluation. neyther suche wayes as he hath appoynted by his word. But I sought for such rifraf as the bisshoppe of Rome hath planted in his tyranny and kingdom,B. of Rome, is an euyll vsurpou
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of Christes powe
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. trusting with greate confidence by the vertue & holynes of thē, to receyue full remission
of my sinnes. And so I did as much as was in me, to obfuscate and darken the great benefite of Christes passion: then the whiche no thought cā cōceyue any thing of more value: There can not be dooen so great an iniury and displeasure to almighthy god our father,The father is honored ī hi
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sonne. as to treade vnder foote Christ,Hebre. x. his only begotten & wel-beloued Sonne. All other sinnes in the worlde gathered together in one, be not so heynous,The most horrible sī. and detestable in the sight of god. And no wonder, for in Christe crucified,The hono
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of God aboūded vpon ye cross
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god doth shewe him selfe most noble and gloryouse, euen an almighty god, and most louing father,Hebre. i. in his onlye deere and chosen blessed sonne. And therfore I counte my selfe one of the moste wicked & myserable sinners, bycause
I haue ben so much cōtrary to Christ my sauiour. Sainct Paule desired to knowe nothing but Christ crucified,
i. Cor. ii.
To knowe Christ crucif
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ed is ye conningest lessō in diuinitie,
after he had ben rapt into the thirde heauen, where he hearde suche secretes as were not cōuenient & mete to vtter to men: but counted all hys workes,Philip. iii. & doinges as nothing, to winne Christ. And I most presūptuously thinking nothing of Christ crucified, went about to set furth mine owne righteousnes,Lit. xviii. saying wt the proude Pharisey. Good lord I thanke ye,Man of hys owne proud nature is easely made a Pharisey. I am not like other mē. I am none adulterer, nor fornicatour, & so furth, wt suche like wordes of vaynglory, extollyng my self, & dispising others, working as an hired seruaunt, for wagies, orels for reward: & not as a louing childe, ō
ly
for very loue, wtout respect of wagies or reward, as I ought to haue done:Child
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ē l
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rne to be thankeful to your father neyther did I cōsidre howe beneficiall a father I had, who dyd shewe me his charitie & mercie, of his owne mere grace & goodnes, ye when I was most his ennemie,Rom. v. he sent his only begottē & welbeloued Sonne into thys world of wretchednes & misery, to suffre most cruel & sharpe deathe for my redempcion. But my hart was so stony & hard,Harde hartes receyue no print. yt this great benefite, was neuer truly & liuely printed in my hart, although wt my wordes it was oftē rehearsed: thinking my selfe to be sufficiently instructed in ye same, and being in dede, in blind ignorance. And yet I stoode so wel in mine owne iudgement & opiniō, yt I thought it vayne to seke ye encreace of my knowlege therin.
Paule, calleth Christe the wisedome of god,i. Cor. ii. and euen the same Christe was to me folishnes: my pryde & blindnes disceyued me,Two yoke fellowes. Blīdn
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s & hardnes of harte. & the hardnes of my hart withstode the growing of truthe within it. Suche were the fruites of my carnall and humane reasons, to haue rotten ignoraunce in pryce, for rype and seasonable knowlege. Suche also is the malice & wickednes, that possesseth the hertes of men: suche is the wisedome, and pleasing of the fleshe. I professed Christe in my baptisme whē I beganne to liue,Profession ī baptisme. but I swarued from him after baptisme, in continuaunce of my lyuing, euen as the heithen whiche neuer had begunne.
Christ innocent.
Esa. liii. mā sinful.
Christe was innocent and voyde of all sinne, and I wallowed in fylthie sinne:
& was free from no sinne,
Philip. ii Christ obedient.
Man stubburne.
Math. ix. Christ humble
Mā proud. Iohn, viii Math. iiii
Christe was obedient vnto his father euē to the death of the crosse, & I disobedient, and most stubburne euen to the confusion of truthe.
Christ was meke and humble in harte, and I moste proude and vaynegloryous. Christe dispised the worlde with all the vanities therof,
Christe heuenly.
Mā wordly.
Iohn. xiii Iohn. vi. Ma. xviii Ma. viii. ii. Cor viii
and I made it my god bicause of ye vanities. Christ came to serue his bretheren, & I coueted to rewle ouer thē. Christe dispysed worldlye honor, and I much delited to attayne the same, Christ loued the base and simple thinges of the world, and I estemed the moste fayre and pleasant thinges. Christe loued pouertie, and I welth. Christ was gentle,Christ pore Man riche Luk. xiiii Lu. xxiii. and merciful to the poore, and I hard harted & vngentle. Christe
prayed for his enemies,Iohn. viii. Math. ix. & I hated mine. Christ reioysed in ye conuercion of sinners, & I was not greued to see their reuerciō to sinne. By this declaraciō all creatures may perceyue howe farre I was from Christ, & wtout Christe, yea how cōtrary to Christ, although I bare ye name of a Christian.
Many chr
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stians know
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not theyr patrone
Ignorant wisdome.
In so muche yt if any mā had sayde I had ben wtout Christe, I woulde haue stifly withstande the same. And yet I neyther knewe Christ, nor wherfore he came. As concernyng the effecte and pourpose of his comming,
W
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thout the cause, nothīg is rightly k
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owen.
Rom. ii.
I had a certayne vayne, blind knowlege, both cold & dead, which may
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e had with al sinne, as it doth playnly appere, by this my confession & open declaraciō.Lamētacion. What cause nowe haue I to lament, mourne, sigh & wepe for my life, & time so euil spent? wt
howe much humilitie & lowlines ought I to cum & knowlege my sinnes to god? geuing hī thākes, yt it hath pleased hym of his haboundaunt goodnes, to geue me time of repentaunce: for I know my sinnes in ye consideracion of thē, to be so greuouse, & in ye number so exceding, yt I haue deserued very oftē, eternal damnaciō. And for the deseruing of goddes wrath, so manifoldlie due,God sheweth goodnes in differring his wrath. I must vncessantly, geue thankes to the mercy of god, beseching also that ye same delay of punishment, cause not his plage to be the sorer, since mine own cōscience condēneth my former doinges. But his mercy excedeth al iniquitie:Psal. ciii. and if I shuld not thus hope: Alas what should I seke for refuge & cōfort?Psal. cviii no mortal man is of power to help me: & for the multitude of my sinnes,
I dare not lyft vp myne eyes to heauen where the seate of iudgement is,Lu. xviii. I haue so muche offended god.Christ draweth man from desperacyon What, shal I fal in desperacion? nay I wyll call vpon Christ the light of the worlde,i. Ihon. i. the fountayne of life, the releife of al carefull,Iohn. iiii and the peacemaker betwene god and man,i. Iohn. ii and the only health and comforte of al true repentant sinners.Iohn. iii. He can by his almighty power,Math. xxviii. The power & will of god. saue me, & delyuer me out of this miserable state, and hath will by his mercy to saue euen the whole sinne of ye world.Iohn. iii. No sauior but one. Lu. xix. I haue no hope nor confidence in any creature, neyther in heauen, nor earth, but in Christe my whole and only Sauiour. He came into the worlde to saue sinners, and to heale them that are sicke,Math. ii. for he sayeth: the whole,
haue no nede of a Phisicion. Beholde lord howe I come to the, a sinner, sycke,Mans humilitie & greuously wounded: I aske not breade, but the crummes that fall from the childrens table.Math. xv▪
Cast me not oute of thy sight, although I haue deserued to be cast in to hell fier.
If I shoulde looke vpon my sinnes, and not vpō thy mercy, I shoulde dispayre: for in my selfe I fynde nothing to saue me, but a donghill of wyckednes, to condemne me: if I shoulde hope by myne owne strength, and power, to cum oute of thys mase of iniquitie, and wickednes, wherin I haue walked so long, I shoulde be disceyued: For I am so ignorant blinde, weake & feble, that I cannot bring my selfe out of this intangled & weyward mase:A mase o
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synne, but ye
more I seke meanes & wayes to wind my selfe out, the more I am wrapped & tangled therin. So yt I perceyue my striuing therin, to be hynderance: my trauayle to be labour spent in going backe. It is the hand of ye lord,Psal. xviii. that can & will bring me, out of this endles mase of death:Phil. ii. ii. Cor.
•
ii. for without I be preuented by the grace of the lorde,God beginneth wt man. I can not aske forgeuenes nor be repentante or sory for thē. There is no man can auowe that Christe is the only Sauiour of the world:Math. xvi. but by the holy ghost: yea, as Saynt Paule sayeth, no man can say the lorde Iesus,i. Cor
•
ii. Rom. viii. but by the holy ghost. The spirit helpeth our infirmities, and maketh continuall intercession for vs, with suche soroful groninges, as can not be expressed. Therfore
I wyll first require and pray the lorde, to geue me his holy spirit, to teache me to auowe that Christ is the sauiour of the worlde:The teching of the holy spirite. and to vtter these wordes, the lorde Iesus: and finally to helpe myne infirmities,IESUS. and to intercede for me. For I am mooste certayne & suer, that no creature in heauen nor earth, is of power:Actes. iiii. or can by any meane helpe me, but god,God is onely the helper. who is omnipotent, almighty, beneficyall, and mercyfull, wel willing, and louing to all those that call, and put their whole confidence and trust in hym. And therfore I wil seke non other meanes nor aduocate,i. Iohn. ii. but Christes holy spirite, who is only the Aduocat,
Christ is the onely meane betwene god and man.
Obiection.
What maketh mā bold
and mediatour betwene god and man to helpe and relyue me. But nowe what maketh me so bolde, &
hardy, to presume to cum to the lord with suche audacitie & boldnes,Solucion. beyng so greate a Sinner: trulye nothinge, but hys owne woorde:The promise of Ch
•
ist. for he sayeth. Cum to me al ye that labour, and ar burdened, and I shall refresshe you. What gentle,Math. xi. mercyfull, & cōfortable wordes ar
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hese, to all sinners? were he not a frantick, mad beastly & folysh man, that would runne for ayde, helpes, or refuge, to any other creature? What a most gracious, comfortable, and ge
•
tle saying was this, wt suche pleasant and swete wordes, to allure his enemies to cū vnto him? Is there any worldlie prince or magistrate, that woulde shewe suche clemencie & mercie, to their disobedient and rebellious subiectes, hauyng offended theym?
I suppose they woulde not with suche woordes allure thē, excepte it were to calle theym, whom they can not take, & punishe theym beyng takē. But euen as Christe is Prince of Princes,Apoc. xvii. and lorde of lordes, so his charitie, & mercy excedeth & surmounteth all others. Christ saith,Math vii. if carnall fathers do geue good giftes to their childrē whē they aske them,The giuer. howe muche more shall your heauenly father, being in substance al holie, & most highly good, geue good giftes to all them that aske hym?The gifte. It is no smal nor litle gift that I require,The taker. neyther thinke I my selfe worthy to receyue suche a noble gift, being so ingrate, vnkinde and wicked a chylde.Th
•
goodnes of God boldeneth his Chosen. But when I behold the benignitie, liberalitie, mercy, and goodnes, of the lorde, I
I am encoraged, boldened, and stirred to aske suche a noble gift. The lorde is so bountefull,Zacha. x. and lyberall, that he will not haue vs satisfyed, and contented with one gyft, neyther to aske simple and small giftes. And therfore he promiseth, and bindeth him selfe by hys worde, to geue good and beneficiall giftes,Iohn. xvi. to all them that aske hym with true fayth:Fayth is euer ne
••
ssary. without whiche, nothing can be doen acceptable or pleasing to god.Rom.
•
iii. For fayth is the foundacion, and grounde of all other giftes,Rom. iii. vertues and graces: and therfore I wil saye, Lord encreace my fayth. For this is the life euerlastynge lord,
i. Iohn. iiii.
•
erne wha
•
true fayth doth i
•
man.
Ose. ii.
•
phe. ii. Rom. v.
that I must beleue the to be the true god, & whom thou didest sende, Iesu Christ. By this fayth I am assured: and by thys assurance,
I fele the remission of my sinnes:Galat. iii. this is it that maketh me bold, this is it that cōforteth me, this is it that quencheth all dispayre. I knowe O my lorde, thy eyes looke vpō my fayth: Saynt Paule sayeth, we be iustified by the fayth in Christe, & not by the deades of the lawe.Iustification b
•
a Christiā faythe. For if rightwisenes cum by the lawe, then Christ died in vayne.Roma. iii. Galat. ii. S. Paule meaneth not here, a dead humain, historical fayth, gottē by humain industrie, but a supernall liuelye fayth, which worketh by charitie, as he him selfe plainly expresseth.Galat. v. This dignitie of fayth is no dirogaciō to good workes,Dignitie of fayth hurteth no w
•
rkes. for oute of this fayth springeth all good workes. Yet we may not impute to the worthines of fayth or workes, our Iustificaciō before god:Marke dililigently with out offence.
but ascribe and geue the worthynes of it, wholy to the merites of Christes passion,Rom. iii. and referre and attrybute the knowlege and perceyuyng therof, onely to fayth: whose very true only propertie, is to take,Rom. v. apprehende and holde fast the promyses of goddes mercie, the whiche maketh vs rightwise: and to cause me continually to hope for the same mercy, and in loue, to worke all manner of wayes allowed in the scripture, that I may be thankfull for the same. Thus I feele my selfe to cū, as it were in a newe garment, before god, and nowe by his mercye, to be taken iuste, and rightwise, whiche of late without hys mercy, was sinfull and wicked: and by fayth to obteyne his mercy, the whiche the vnfaythfull
can not enioye.Iohn. iii. And although Saint Iohn extolleth charitie in hys Epistle,Obiection. saying that god is charitie,i. Iohn. ii. and he that dwelleth in charitie, dwelleth in god, Truly charitie maketh menne liue lyke aungelles.Solucion. And of the most furious vnbrydled carnall men, maketh meke lambes. Yea wt howe feruent a spirite, ought I to call, crye, & pray to the lorde, to make his greate charitie to burne, and flame in my harte, being so stonye, and euyll affected, that it neuer woulde conceyue, nor regard, the greate inestimable charitie, and loue of god, in sending hys only begotten and dere beloued Sonne into this vale of miserie, to suffre the moste cruell & sharpe death of the crosse, for my redē
cion? Yet I neuer had this vnspeakable
speakeable and most high charitie, and abundant loue of god, printed & fixed in my hart dulye, tyll it pleased god of hys mere grace, mercy, & pitie, to opē myne eyes, makyng me to see, and beholde with the eye of liuely fayth, Christ crucified to be myne only sauiour and redemer.Charitie knoweth not Christ, but by reporte of fayth. For then I beganne (and not before) to perceyue and see myne owne Ignoraunce and blindnes: the cause therof was, that I woulde not learne to knowe Christ, my Sauiour and redemer. But when god of hys meere goodnes had thus opened myne eyes, & made me see and behold Christ,i. Cor. i. the wisdome of GOD,Iohn. i. the light of the world, with a supernatural sight of fayth. All pleasures, vanities, honour, riches, welth, and aydes
of the world beganne to waxe bitter vnto me: thā I knewe it was no illusion of the deuill, nor false, ne humain doctrine I had receyued: whē suche successe came therof, that I had in detestaciō & horrour, yt which I erste so muche loued & estemed: being of god forbidden that we shoulde loue the worlde or the vayne pleasures & shadowes in the same.i. Iohn. ii. Thā begā I to perceyue yt Christe was my only Sauiour & redemer, & the same doctrine to be al diuine, holy, & heauēly, infused by grace, into the hartes of ye faythful, which neuer cā be atteyned by humayne doctrine, wit nor reasō, although they should trauayle and labour for the same, to thend of ye world.Iohn. xiiii. Then began I to dwel in god by charitie,Charitie immediately foloweth liuely fayth. knowing by the louyng
charitie of god in the remission of my sinnes, that god is charitie as Saint Iohn sayth. So that of my faythe (wherby I came to knowe god, and wherby it pleased god euen because I trusted in hym, to iustifie me) sprang this excellent charitie in my harte. I thinke no lesse but many wil wō
der and maruell at this my saying,Secret obiec
•
ion. that I neuer knewe Christe for my Sauioure and redemer, vntil this tyme, for many haue this opiniō, saying: who knoweth not there is a Christ? who being a Christian, doth not confesse hym hys Sauioure? And thus beleuing their dead, humayn, historicall fayth, & knowlege (whiche they haue learned in their scholasticall bookes) to be the true infused fayth and knowelege of
Christe, whiche may be had (as I sayde before) with all sinne. They vse to saye by their owne, experience of thē self
•
s, that their fayth doth not iustifie them. And true it is, excepte they haue thys fayth the which I haue declared here before, they shall neuer be iustifyed. And yet it is not false that by fayth only I am sure to be iustified: euen this is the cause that so many empugn this office and dutie of true fayth, bycause so many lacke the true fayth. And euen as the faythfull are forced to allowe true fayth, so the vnfaythful can in no wise probably intrete therof: ye one feling in him selfe that he sayth, the other hauing not in him for to say. I haue certeynly no curious learning to defende this matter withall,A mylde and true solutiō.
but a simple zele, and earnest loue to the truth, inspired of god, who promiseth to powre his spirite vpō all flesshe: which I haue by the grace of god (whō I moste humblie honour) felt in my selfe to be true. Let vs therfore nowe I pray you, by fayth, beholde & considre the greate charitie, and goodnes of god, in sending hys Sonne to suffer death for our redemcion, when we were his mortal enemies, and after what sort & maner he sent him. First it is to be considered,How god sent his son. yea, to be vndoubtedly wt a perfect fayth beleued, that god sent him to vs freely, for he dyd geue him, and solde him not. A more noble and ryche gift,Iohn. iii. he coulde not haue geuen. He sente not a seruaunte, or a frende, but
his only Sonne, so deerlye beloued: not in delytes, riches, and honours, but in crosses, poouerties, & slaunders: not as a lorde, but as a seruaunt. Yea,Philip. ii. & in most vyle, and paynfull passions, to wassh vs, not with water,i. Iohn. i. but wt his owne precious bloud: not frō myer, but from the puddle and fylthe of our iniquities. He hath geuē him, not to make vs poore, but to enryche vs with his diuine vertues, merites,Roma. viii. and graces, yea and in hym, he hath geuen vs all good thynges, and fynally hym selfe: and that with suche greate charitie as can not be expressed. Was it not a moste high, and aboundaunt charitie of GOD, to sende Christe to shead his bloud, to loose honour,The charitie of GOD toward man. lyfe, and all, for hys ennemyes?
Euen in the tyme when we had doen him moste iniurie,Rom. v. he first shewed his charitie to vs, with such flambes of loue, that greater coulde not be shewed. God in Christ hath opened vnto vs (although we be weake, and blinde of our selues) yt we may beholde in this miserable state, the great wisdom, goodnes, and truthe, with all the other godly perfeccions,A godly med
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acion. whiche be in Christ. Therfore inwardlye to behold Christ crucified vpon the crosse, is the best and godliest meditacion that cā be. We may see also in Christe crucified,The beautie of the soule. the bewtie of the soule, better then in all the bookes of ye worlde. For who that with liuely fayth, seeth and feleth in spirite, that Christe the sonne of god, is dead for the satisfiyng and the
purifiyng of the soule, shall see that his soule, is appoynted for the very tabernacle, and mansion of the inestimable and incomprehensible maiestie and honour of god.Iohn. xi
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ii. We see also in Christ crucifyed,The wor
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te Uayne. howe vayne and folyshe the worlde is, & howe that Christ beyng moste wise, dispised the same. We see also how blynde it is,B
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ynde. bicause the same knoweth not Christ, but persecuteth hym.Unkynde We see also how vnkynde the worlde is, by the kylling of Christe, in the tyme he did shewe it most fauour. Howe harde, and obstinate was it that would not be mollified with so many teares? suche sweat, and so muche bloud shed of the Sonne of God, suffering with so greate and high chariti
•
? Therfore he is nowe very blinde
that seeth not howe vayne, foolish, false, ingrate, crewell, harde, wicked,Sina
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. and euill the world is: we may also in Christe crucified,
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eye our sinnes, as in a diuine ballance, howe greuous & howe weyghty they be, seyng they haue crucified Christ: for they woulde neuer haue ben coūterpaysed but wt the great & precious weyght of the bloud of the Sonne of God. And therfore God of hys high goodnes, determined that hys blessed sonne shoulde rather suffer bloudeshead, then our sinnes should haue condemned vs. We shall neuer knowe our owne miserye and wretchednes, but with the light of Christ crucif
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ed. Thē we shall see our owne crueltie, when we feele hys mercy: our owne vnrightwisenes and Iniquitie,
when we see his rightwisenes and holynes. Therfore to learne to knowe truly our owne sinnes,A christian mans boke. is to study in the booke of the crucifixe, by continuall conuersacion in fayth: and to haue perfect and plentifull charitie, is to learne first by fayth the charitie that is in god, towardes vs.
We may see also in Christe, vpon the crosse,
Lessons of ye Crucifi
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e.
Pa
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ne of hel Ioye of Heauen.
howe greate the paynes of hell, and howe blessed the Ioyes of heauē be: and what a sharpe, paynfull thyng it shalbe to theim that from that swete, happye, & glorious Ioye, Christ, shalbe depriued. Then this crucifix is the booke,i. Cor. ii. wherin God hath included all thinges, & hath most cōpendiously written therein, all truth, profitable and necessary for our saluacion. Therfore
let vs indeuour our selfes to studye thys booke, that we (beyng lightened with the spirite of god) maye geue hym thankes for so great a benefite. Yf we looke further in thys booke,Christes victory. we shall see Christes greate victory vpon the crosse, whiche was so noble and mighty: that there neuer was, neyther shalbe, suche. Yf the victory & glory of worldly princes were great, bycause they dyd ouercū great hostes of men, howe muche more was Christes greater? whiche vanquished not onlye the prince of the worlde, but all the ennemies of god: triumphing ouer persecucion,Collo. ii. Iniuries, villanies, sclaunders, yea death, the worlde, synne, and the deuil: and brought to confusion, all carnal prudence. The princes
of the worlde, neuer did fight wt
out the strengthe of the worlde. Christe contrary, went to warre euen agaynste all the strength of ye world. He would fight as Dauid did with Golias,Sapi.
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vii. vnarmed of all humaine wisdom, and policy, and withoute all worldlie power and strength.Dau
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d and Christ compared in fight.
Neuertheles he was fully replenished & armed wt the whole armour of ye spirite And in this one battayle, he ouercame for euer, al his enemies. There was neuer so glorious a spoyle, neyther a more riche and noble, then Christ was vpon the crosse: whiche deliuered al hys electe, from suche a sharpe miserable captiuitie. He had in this battayle many strypes, yea, and loste hys life, but his victory was so muche the greater. Therfore
when I loke vpon the sonne of god with a supernatural fayth and light, so vnarmed, naked, geuen vp, and alone with humilitie pacience, liberalitie, modestie gentlenes, and with all other hys diuine vertues,Spirituall Armure, beating downe to the grounde al goddes enemies,Ephe. v. and making the soule of man so fayre, and beautyfull, I am forced to say that his victory and triumphe, was merueylouse. And therfore Christ deserued to haue this noble title.Mat. xxvii.
Iesus stile.Iesus of Nazareth, king of the Iewes. But if we will perticulerlie vnfold, and see hys great victories, let vs firste beholde howe he ouercame sinne, wt his Innocencie: and confounded pride, with his humilitie: Quenched
all worldlie loue, with hys charitie: appeysed the wrath of his father, with his mekenes: turned hatred into loue, with hys so many benyfites, and godlie zele. Christe hath not only ouercum sinne,
Uictory ouer sinne
Collo. i.
but rather he hath kylled the same: in asmuche as he hath satisfied for it him selfe, with the most holy sacrifice and oblacion of hys precious bodye,Actes. vii· in suffering most bitter and cruel death. Also after an other sorte: that is. He geueth to al those that loue hym, so muche spirit, grace, vertue, and strength,Rom. vi. vii that they may resiste, impugne, and ouercome sinne, & not consent, neyther suffer it to reigne in them. He hath also vanquished sinne, bicause he hath taken away the force of the same: that is, he hathe cancelled
the lawe,C
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llo. ii. whiche was in euil men, the occasion of sinne. Therfore sinne hath no power agaynste theym,S
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n hurteth not the electe. that are with ye holy ghost vnited to Christ. In theim there is nothing worthy of damnaciō. And although the dregges of Adam, doe remayne, that is our concupiscences, which in dede be sinnes:Cōcup
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scēce the ori
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inall sinne, neuertheles they be not Imputed for sinnes, yf we be truly planted in Christe. It is true that Christe might haue taken away all our immoderate affeccions,Rom. viii.
Obiec
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ion. Solucion. but he hath left them for the greater glory of hys father, and for his owne greater triūph. As for an example: When a prince fyghting wt his ennemyes,A similitude. which sōtime had ye soueraintie ouer his people, & subdewing thē, may kil them yf he will, yet he preserueth
and saueth theym: And wheras they were lordes ouer his people: he maketh theym after to serue, whom they before had rewled.
Nowe in suche a case, the prince doth shewe hym selfe a greater conquerour, in that he hath made theym whiche were rewlers to obey: & the subiectes to be lordes ouer them, to whom they serued, then yf he had vtterly distroyed theim vpon the conquest. For nowe he leaueth continuall victory to theym, whom he redeamed, wheras otherwise thoccasion of victory, was taken away, where none were left to be the subiectes. Euen so in lyke case, Christe hath left in vs these concupiscences,Applicacion of the similitude. to thintente they should serue vs, to the exercise of our vertues, where first they did
reigne ouer vs, to thexercice of oure sinne. And it may be plainly sene, that wheras first they were suche impedimentes to vs, yt we coulde not moue our selues towardes god, nowe by Christ we haue so muche strength, that not withstanding the force of theym, we may assuredly walke to heauen. And although the chyldren of god sūtime doo falle by frailtie, into sum sinne, yet that falling maketh them to humble thē selues, and to reknowelege the goodnes of god, and to cum to hym for refuge and helpe.Uictory ouer the deuell. Lykewise Christ with hys death, hath ouercum the prince of deuilles with all hys hoste,Collo. ii. and hath distroyed them all. For as Paule sayeth, this is verefied yt Christe should breake ye serpentes heade,Genue. iii.
prophesied by GOD. And although the deuil tempte vs, yet if by fayth we be planted in Christ, we shall not perish: but rather by his temptacion, take greate force and might. So it is euident, that the triumph, victory and glory of Christe, is the greater, hauing in suche sorte subdewed the deuyll, that wheras he was prince and lorde of the worlde, holding all creatures in captiuitie, nowe Christe vseth him as an Instrument to punish the wicked, & to exercise & make strong the electe of god, in christian warre fare.
Christe likewise hath ouercum death in a more glorious manner,Uictory oue
•
death. (yf it be possible) because he hath not takē it away, but leuing vniuersally al subiect to the same. He hath geuen so muche vertue,
and spirite, that wheras afore we passed therto with great feare, nowe we be bolde through the spirite, for the sure hope of resurrecciō, that we receyue it wt Ioie. It is nowe no more bitter, but swete: no more feared, but desired: It is no death, but life. And also it hath pleased god that the infirmities and aduersities doo remayne to the sight of the world: but the children of God are by Christ made so strong,Phil. iiii. ii. Cor. i. rightwise, whole, and sounde, that the troubles of the worlde, be comfortes of the spirite: The passions of the fleshe,All thinges proffit the chosen. are medicines of the soule. For al maner thinges worketh to their commoditie and profite: for they in spirite feele,Roma. viii. that god, their father, doth gouerne theym, and disposeth all thinges for their benefite:
therfore they feele theym selues sure. In persecucion, they are quiet, and peacefull: in tyme of trouble, they ar without werynes, feares, anxcieties, suspicions, miseries: and finally all the good, and euil of the world, worketh to their commoditie. Moreouer they see that the triumph of Christ hath ben so great, that not only he hath subdewed and vanquished all our enemies, and the power of theym, but he hath ouerthrowne & vanquished them, after suche a sorte, that al thinges serue to our helth: he might, and coulde haue taken theym all away, but where then should haue bē our victorye, palme, & crowne? For wee dayly haue fightes, in the flesshe, and by the succour of grace, haue continuall victories,
ouer sinne, wherby we haue cause to glorifie god, that by his sonne, hath weakened our enemy the deuil: and by hys spiryte, geuith vs strength to vanquishe hys ofspringes. So doe we knowelege daylie the great tryumphe of our Sauiour, & reioyce in our owne fightes, the which we can no wise impute to any wisedome of thys worlde: seing sinne to encrease by it. And where worldlie wisedome most gouerneth, there most sinne ruleth: For as the world is enemy to god, so also the wisedome therof,The wisedō of the world. is aduerse to god. And therfore Christ hath declared & discouered the same for folishnes.i. Cor. ii.iii. And although he could haue taken awaye all worldlye wisedome, yet he hath left it for his greater glorye, and tryumphe of hys chosen
vesselles. For before, wheras it was our ruler against god, nowe by Christe we are serued of it for God, as of a slaue in worldlye thinges. Albeit in supernaturall thinges the same is not to be vnderstand. And further, if any time men would impugne, & gaynsaye vs, wt the wisedome of the world, yet we haue by Christe, so muche supernatural light of the trut
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e, that we make a mocke of al those that repugne the truthe.Uictory ouer the worlde. Christe also vpon the c
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osse, hath triumphed ouer the worlde. Firste bycause he hath discouered the same to be naught,Iohn. xiiii. that wheras it was couered with the vayle of Ipocrisie, and the vesture of morall vertues, Christ hath shewed that in goddes sight, the r
•
ghteousnes of the worlde, is wickednesse:
and he hath yelded witnes, that the workes of men, not regenerated by him in fayth, are euel.Iohn. iii. Rom. xiiii. And so Christe hath iudged, and condemned the worlde, for naught. Furthermore he hath geuen to al hys, so muche light, and spirite, that they knowe it,How Christians regarde the worlde. and disprayse the same: yea and treade it vnder their feete, wt al vayne honours, dignities, and pleasures: not taking the fayre promises, neyther the offers, whiche it doth present. Nay, they rather make a scorne of theym. And as for the threatnynges and force of the worlde, they nothing feare.A conclusion of the victories. Nowe therfore we may see howe great the victorye and tryumphe of Christ is, who hathe deliuered all those the father gaue him,Iohn. xvii. frō ye power of the deuill,Collo. ii. cancellynge vpon
the Crosse, the wrytyng of our dertes: For he hath delyuered vs, frō the condemnacion of sinne, from the bondage of the lawe, from the feare of death, from the daungier of the world, and from all euylles: in this life, and in thother to cum. And he hath enriched vs, made vs noble, & most highlie happie, after suche a glorious, and tryumphant waye, as can not wt tongue, be expressed. And therfore we are forced to say his triūphe is merueylous.Christ is Messias.
It is also sene & knowen, ye Christ is the true Messias, for he hath delyuered man from all euylles, and by hym, man hath all goodnes: so that he is the true Messias. Therfore al other helpers be but vaine, and counterfeyted Sauiours, seing that by this oure Messias, Christ, wholie and onely, we be delyuered
from all euylles: and by hym, we haue all goodnes. And that this is true, it is euidente and cleare, because the very true christian, is a christian by Christ. And the true christian fealeth inwardly by Christe, so muche goodnes of god, that euen troublouse lyfe and death be swete vnto hym,ii. Cor. iiii. and miseries happie: the true christian by Christe,Ro. vii. is disburdened frō the seruitude of the lawe, hauing the law of grace (grauen by the spirite) inhabiting his hart, and from sinne, that reygned in him, from the power of the infernal spirites, from dā
nacion, and from euery euyll: And is made a sonne of God,The title of a christian. a brother of Christ, heyre of heauen, and lord of the worlde. So that in Christe, and by Christ,Rom. viii. he possesseth al good thynges. But let vs knowe, that
Christ yet fighteth in spirite, in his elect vesselles, and shall fight euen to the daye of iudgemēt. At which daye, shal that great enemy death, be wholie distroyed, and shalbe no more. Then shall the children of god reioyce on him, saying: O death where is thy victory & sting?Osee. xiii. There shalbe thē no more trouble, nor sinne, naye, rather none euyll: but heauen for the good, and hell for the wicked. Then shall wholie be discouered the victorie and triumphe of Christ:i. Cor. xv. who (after Paul) shall present vnto his father, the kyngdome togithers with his chosen, saued by him. It was no lytle fauour towardes his chyldren, y• Christ was chosē of god, to saue vs his elect, so highlie,
Saluacion by ye Crosse.
Ro. iiii.
by the waye of the crosse. Paul calleth it a grace, and a moste singuler grace. We
maye well thinke, that he hauinge ben to the worlde so valiaunte a Capitayne of God, was full of light, grace, vertue and spirite.
Therfore he myght iustelie saye: Consūmatum e
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t. We seing then yt the tryumphe and victory of oure capitaine Christ,
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o. xix. is so merueilous, glorious and noble, to the whiche warre we be appoynted, lette vs force our selues to folowe him, wt bearyng our crosse, that we maye haue felowshyppe with him in his kyngdome.Ro. viii. Truly it maye be most iustely verified yt to behold Christ crucified,
•
he booke
•
f the cruci
•
ix. in spirite, is the best meditacion that can be. I certeynlye neuer knewe myne owne miseries; and wretchednes so wel, by booke, admonicion, or learnyng, as I haue doen by lokyng into the spirituall booke of the crucifix. I
lamente muche I haue passed so many yeares,A presumtuous trewād not regardyng that diuine booke, but I iudged, and thought my self to be well instructed in the same: whereas nowe, I am of this opinion, that yf God would suffer me to lyue here a .M. yeare, and should studye continually in the same diuine booke,A man is neuer glut with knowledge. I should not be fylled with the contemplacion therof. Neyther holde I my self contented, but alwayes haue a great desier, to learne and study more therin. I neuer knewe myne owne wickednes,The first lesson in the booke. neyther lamented for my synnes truly, vntill the tyme god inspired me with his grace, that I looked in this booke. Then I beganne to see perfectly, that mine owne power and strēgth could not helpe me, & that I was in the Lordes hande, euen as the
cleye,Hie. xviii. is in the potters hand: thē I began to crye, and saye: Alas lorde that euer I haue so wickedlie offē
ded the,A christien complaynt. beyng to me frō the beginnyng so gracious, & so good a father, & most specially now hast declared, and shewed thy goodnes vnto me, whan in the time I haue doen the mooste iniurie, to call me, and also to make me know, & take the for my sauioure and redemer: Suche be the wōderful workes of god, to cal sinners to repentaunce, and to make them to take Christe his welbeloued sonne,Math. ix. for theyr sauiour: this is the gift of god, & of all christians to be required,Rom. vi. and desiered. For except this great benefite of Christe crucified be felte, and fixed surely in mannes harte,Io. xv. there cā be no good work doen, acceptable before god. For in Christ
is al fulnes of ye godhead,
Christ is
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fulnes of the god head.
Col. ii.
& in him are hid al the treasures of wisedōe and knowledge: euen he is the water of life, wherof whosoeuer shall drynke, shal neuer more thyrst, but it shalbe in hym, a well of water,Io. iiii. springinge vp into euerlastynge life. Saynct Paule sayeth there is no damnacion to them, that are in Christ,Ro. viii. whiche walke not after the fleshe, but after the spirite. Moreouer he sayth: yf when we were ennemies, we were reconciled to god,Paules argumēt Rom. v. by the death of his sonne: muche more seyng we are reconcyled, we shalbe preserued by his death. It is no lytle or smal benefit we haue receyued by Christ, yf we consydre what he hathe doen for vs, as I haue perfectly declared heretofore. Wherfore I praye the lord yt this great benefite of Christ crucified,Christian prayer.
maye be stedfastly fixed and printed in al christian hartes, that they maye be trewe louers of God, and worke as chyldren, for loue: and not as seruauntes compelled with threatnynges,i. Pet. i. or prouoked with hyer.True christians The syncere, and pure louers of god, do enbrace Christ, wt suche feruēcie of spirite, that they reioyce in hope,Ro. xii. be bolde in daungier, suffer in aduersitie, cōtinew in praier, blesse theyr persecutours: further they be not wise in their owne opinion, neyther high mynded in their prosperitie, neyther abasshed in their aduersitie: but humble and gentle alwayes, to all men. For they knowe by their fayth they are members all of one body,Ro. xii. i. Cor. xii. and that they haue possessed all one God, one fayth,Eph. iiii. one baptysme, one ioye, and one saluacion. If these pure,
and syncere louers of God, were thicke sowen, there shoulde not be so muche contēcion & strife growing on the fieldes of our religion, as there is. Well, I shall praye to the lorde to take all contencion,Prayer. & strife away, and that the sowers of sedicion, may haue mynde to cease their labour, or to sowe it amongst the stones, & to haue grace, to sowe gracious vertues, where they may both roote and bring furth fruite: with sending also a godlie vnitie, and concorde amongest all christians, that we maye serue the lorde,Luke. i. in true holynes of life. The exāple of good liuinge, is required of all christians, but especially in the ecclesiastical pastoures, and shepeherdes,The clergy for they be called in Scripture, workemen with god, disbursers of goddes secretes,i. Cor. iii. the light of
the worlde,i. Cor. iiii. Math. v. the salte of the earthe, at whose handes all other shoulde take comforte, in workyng, knowlege of gods will, and sight, to becum children of the light, and taste of seasonable wisedōe.Preachyng. They haue or shoulde haue, the holye spirite habundauntlie to pronounce, and set furth, the worde of God, in veritie and truth: yf ygnoraunce and blyndnes reygne among vs, they should with the truthe of goddes worde,
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i. Ti. iiii. instructe, and set vs in the truth, and directe vs in the way of the lord. But thankes be geuē vnto the lorde, that hath now sent vs suche a godlie & learned kynge in these latter dayes, to reygne ouer vs,Kyng Henrye the .viii. Moyses. yt with ye vertue & force of goddes worde, hath taken awaye the vayles, & mistes of erroures, and brought vs to the knowledge of ye
truthe, by the lyghte of Goddes worde, which was so long hydden and kepte vnder, that the people wer nigh famished, & hungred for lacke of spiritual foode: suche was the charitie of ye spiritual curates, & shepherdes. But our Moyses, & moste godlye, wise gouernour, and king hath delyuered vs out of the captiuitie and bondage of Pharao. I meane by this Moyses, king Henry the eight, my most soraigne fauourable lord & husbād, one (If Moyses had figured any mo then Christ) through ye excellēt grace of god,Iudge Christēly. mete to be an other expressed veritie of Moses cōquest ouer Pharao. And I mene by this Pharao the bishop of Rome,Bishop of Rome. who hathe bene, and is a greater persecutor of al true christians, thē euer was Pharao,Pharao. of the children
of Israel. For he is a persecutor of the gospel, and grace, a setter furth of all supersticion, and counterfeit holynes, brynging many soules to hell, with his alchimye and counterfeit money, deceyuing the poore soules vnder ye pretēce of holines: but so muche the greater shalbe his damnacion, because he disceyueth & robbeth vnder Christes mā
tle.A Godly wishe. The Lorde kepe and defend all mē from his iugglinges & sleyghtes. But specially the poore simple vnlearned sowles.A sure lesson. And this lesson I woulde all men had of hym, that when they begyn to mislike his doyng, then onely begyn they to lyke god,Good prechers and certeynlye not before. As for the spiritual pastoures, & shepherdes, I thynke they wyl cleaue and stycke fast to the worde of god euen to the death, to vanquishe all
goddes enemies, yf nede shall require, all respectes of honour, dignitie, ryches, welth, and theyr priuate commodit
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es layde apart, folowing also the examples of Christ & his chosen apostles in preaching and teaching sincere, pure, & holsum doctryne, and such thinges as make for peace, with godlye lessons, wherwith they may edifie others, that euery man may walke after his vocation, in holynes of life, in vnitie and concorde, which vnitie is to be desyred of all true Christiās.i. Ti. ii. It is muche to be lamē
ted the Scismes, varieties,Contencions in Religion contē
cions, and disputacions, that haue ben, and are in the worlde aboute Christen religion, & no agremente, nor concord of the same, amongest the learned men.The deuil, Treuly the deuill hath ben the sowier of the seede of
sedicion, and shalbe the maynteyner of it, euen tyl gods wyl be fulfylled.Warre ī religion. There is no warre so cruell and euell, as this: for the warre with the sweorde, kylleth but the bodies, and this sleyeth many soules: for the poore vnlearned personnes, remayne confused, and almoste euery one beleueth and worketh,
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i. Cor. i. One truthe. after his owne waye. And yet there is but one truthe of goddes worde, by the whiche we shalbe saued.Psal. i. Happye be they that receyue it, and moste vnhappye are they, whiche neglecte and persecute the same.Persecutours of the word Math. x. For it shalbe more easie for Sodome and Gommor at the day of iudgement, then for them: and not without iuste cause, yf we consydre the beneuolence, goodnes, & mercy of god: who hath declared
his charitie towardes vs, greater, and more inestimable, then euer he dyd to the Hebrues.Heb. x. For they lyued vnder shadowes and figures, and were bound to the law. And Christe (we being his greatest ennemies) hathe deliuered vs from the bondage of the lawe,Ga. liiii. and hath fulfilled all that was figured in their lawe,Math. xi. and also in their prophesies, sheadyng his owne precious bloode, to make vs the chyldren of his father, and his brethren, and hathe made vs free,ii. Cor. iii. settynge vs in a godlye libertie: I meane not licence to synne, as manye bee glad to interprete the same,Chris
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en libertie. when Christien libertie is godlye entreated of. Trewlie it is no good spirite that moueth men to fynde fault, at euery thing,
and when thinges may be wel taken, to peruert them into an euell sence and meanyng. There bein the world, many speakers of holines, & good workes, but very rare and and seeldome is declared, which be the good and holy workes.Holy workes. The workes of the spirite be neuer almost spoken of. And therfore very fewe knowe what they be. I am able to iustifie the ignorance of the people to be great,Few know the true holynes. not in this matter alone, but in many other, which were most necessary for christians to know. Bicause I haue had iust profe of ye same, it maketh me thus muche to say with no lytle sorowe and griefe in my harte, for suche a miserable ignoraunce, and blyndnes amongest the people.Math. xii. I doubte not but wee can saye al, Lorde, Lorde: but I feare god may saye
vnto vs, this people honoreth me with their lippes but their hartes be far from me.Mat. xv. God desyreth nothing but the harte, and sayeth he will be worshipped in spirit and truthe. Christ condemned all Hipocrisie and feyned holynes,Io. iiii. and taught sincere, pure, and true godlynes: But we worse thē frantike, or blind, will not folowe Christes doctrine, but trust to mennes doctrines,Tradiciōs of men. iudgementes, and sayinges, which dimineth our eyes: and so the blinde leadeth the blinde,Math. xv. and both fal into the dyche. Trulye in my simple, and vnlearned iudgement, no mannes doctrine is to be estemed or preferred lyke vnto Christes and the Apostles, nor to be taught as a perfect and true doctrine,The worde of god is ye onelye sure doctrine. but euen as it doth accorde and agree with the doctrine
of the gospell. But yet those that he called spiritual pastours, although they be moste carnall, as it doth very euidently & plainlye appere,The cause of thestimacion of tradicions. by their fruites, are so blynded with the loue of them selues, and the worlde, that they extoll mennes inuencions and doctrines, before the doctrine of the gospel. And whē they be not able to maynteyne their owne inuencions, and doctrine with any iote of the scripture, then they most cruellye persecute them that be contrary to ye same. Be suche ye louers of Christ? naye, nay: they be the louers of the wicked Mammō, neither regardyng God nor his honor. For fylthy lucre hath made them almoste mad, but frantyke they be doubteles. Is not this miserable state of spirituall men
in the world, muche to be lamēted of al good christiās? But yet I cā
not allow, neyther prayse al kynd of lamētacion, but suche as maye stande wt Christiā charitie. Charitie suffereth long, and is gentle, enuyeth not, vpbraydeth no man,i. Cor. xiii. casteth frowardely no faultes in mēnes teath,Charitie. but referreth al thinges to god: beyng angry without sinne, reformyng others withoute their sclaunders,Ephe. iiii. carrieng euer a storehouse of mylde woordes to perce the stony herted menne. I would all christians,A godly wishe. that like as they haue professed Christ, would so endeuoure themselues to folowe him, in godly lyuing. For we haue not put on Christ to liue anye more to oure selues,Ephe. iiii. in the vanities, delites, and pleasures of the worlde, and the flesshe,
suffrynge the concupiscence and carnalitie of the flesshe, to haue his full swinge: For we muste walke after the spirite,Gala. v. and not after the fleshe, for the spirite is spirituall, and coueteth spirituall thinges:Ro. viii. and the flesshe carnall, and desireth carnall thinges: the menne regenerate by Christe, disspise the worlde,Christened men. and all the vanities and pleasures therof. They be no louers of themselues, for they fele howe euill and infirme they be,Self loue. not beyng able to do any good thyng without the helpe of God, from whome they knowlege all goodnes to procede.Iaco. i. They flatter not themselues, with thinkyng euery thing whiche shyneth to the worlde,Worldes loue. to be good and holye, for they knowe all externe & outward workes be they neuer so
glorious & fayre to ye world, may be doen of the euill, aswell as of the good: and therfore they haue in very litle estimacion, the outewarde shewe of holynes, because they be all spirituall, castyng vp their eyes vpon heauēly thinges: neyther lokyng nor regardynge the earthly thinges, for they be to them vyle, and abiect. They haue also the simplicitie of the doue,Simple wisdō in men. & the policie of the Serpent: for by simplicitie, they haue a desire to do good to all men,Mat. x. and to hurte no man, no though they haue occasion geuen. And by policie they gyue not, nor minister anye iuste cause to anye man, whereby their doctrine might be reproued.
They be not also as a reede shaken with euery wynde,Christen constātues. Math. xi. when they be blasted with the tempestes, &
stormes of the world, thē remaine they most firme, stable, and quiet, feling in spirit, that god (as their best father) doeth sende and suffer all thynges for theyr benefitte,ii. Cor. iiii. and commoditie.i. Pet. ii. Christe is to thē a rule,Example of a christen man. a line, an example of Christien life. They be neuer offended at anye thyng, althoughe occasion be ministred vnto them:Christen cō
tentacion. for like as Christ when Peter would haue withdrawē hym from death, aunswered, and sayde: goe backe from me Sathan, for thou offendest me,Math. xvi. that is: asmuche as lieth in the, thou gyuest me occasion with thy woordes, to make me withdrawe my selfe from death, althoughe I yelded not therto, for this thy procuremente canne not extinguisshe the brennynge desier I haue, to shead my blood
for my chosen: Euen so the perfect men are neuer offended at anye thyng. For although the worlde were full of sinne, they would not withdrawe themselues from doing of good, nor waxe colde in the loue of the lorde. And muche lesse they would be moued to be euyll: yea rather they be so muche the more moued to do good. The regenerated by Christ,The workes of god offende not the christiā. are neuer offended at the workes of god, because they knowe by faythe, that God doeth all thinges well. And that he can not erre neyther for want of power, nor by ygnoraūce nor malice: for they knowe hym to be almightie,Heb. iiii. and that he seeth all thynges, and is moste habundauntlye good: they see and feele in spirite, that of that wyll, moste highl
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e perfect, can not but
proceade moste perfecte workes. Likewise they be not offended at the workes of men:The workes of mē offend not the Christian. for if they be good, they are moued by them to take occasion to folowe them, and to reknowledge the goodnes of god, with geuing of thankes, and praising his name, dayly ye more: but yf they be indifferent, & suche as maye be done with good and euill ententes, they iudge the best parte,Mat. vii. thinking they may be doen to a good purpose, and so they be edified: but yf they be so euil, that they canne not be taken in good parte, by anye meanes, yet they be not offended althoughe occasion be geuen, nay rather they be edyfied, in asmuche as they take occasion to be better althoughe the contrary be ministred vnto them.Eph. v. Then begynne they to thinke and
saye thus:The christian profiteth by synne. yf god had not preserued me with his grace, I shoulde haue committed this sinne, and worse. O howe muche am I boūd to cōfesse,Ps. cxlv. and knowlege the goodnes of god. They go also thinking and saying further. He that hath synned, maye be one of gods electe: peraduenture the lord hath suffered him to fall, to the entente he maye the better know himselfe. I knowe he is one of them that Christ hath shead his bloude for, and one of my christen brethren. Truely I wyll admonyshe, and rebuke hym, and in case I fynde him desperate, I wyll comforte hym, and shewe hym the greate goodnes and mercye of God, in Christ: and with godly consolacions I will see, yf I can lifte him vp. And thus ye maye see howe ye
men regenerated by Christe, of euery thynge, winne, and receyue fruite.weaklynges mislike al thī
ges. And contrarye the younglinges and vnperfect, are offended at small tryfles, takyng euery thing in euyll parte, grudging and murmuryng agaynste their neyghboure: & so muche the more as they shew them selues feruent in their so doyng,Act. xiii. they are iudged of the blynde worlde, and of them selues, great zealebearers to god. Yf this were the greatest euill of these younglinges, it were not the moste euyl: but I feare they be so blynde and ignoraunte, that they are offended also at good thinges: and iudge nothing good but suche as they enbrace & esteme to be good, with murmuringe against al suche, as folow not their wayes. Yf there be any of this
sort,Godly. the lord geue thē light of his truth yt they may encrease & grow in godly strength. I suppose if suche yōglinges & vnperfect, had sene Christ, and his disciples, eate meate wt vnwashed hādes,Mat. xv. or not to haue fasted with ye Phariseis,Mat. ix. they would haue ben offēded, seīg him a breaker of mēnes tradiciōs: their affections dispose their eies to se through other men, & they se nothing in thēselues: where charitie (although it be moste fullest of eyes to see the faultes of others, whome it coueteth to amēde) thinketh none euil,i. Cor. xiii. but discretely and rightly interpreteth all thynges: by ye which more iustly & truly, euery thing is takē. Now these supersticious weaklinges, yf they had ben cōuersaūt with Christ, & seen him leade his liefe sumtime
with wemē, sumtime with Samaritanes, wt Publicanes, sinners, & with the phariseis, they woulde haue murmured at him. Also yf they had sene Mary powre vpon Christ, the preciouse oyntmente, they would haue sayde with Iudas,mat. xxvi. this oyntmente might haue bene solde, and geuē to the poore. Yf they also had sene Christ with whippes driue out of the temple,Mat. xxi. those that bought and sould, they woulde furthwith haue iudged Christ to haue ben troubled and moued with angre, and not by zeale of charitie. How would they haue bene offended,Io. vii. yf they had seen him gooen to the Iewes feast,Mat. xii. heale a syckeman vpon the Saboth daye,Io. iiii. practyse with the woman of Samary, ye and shew vnto her, of his moste diuine doctrine
and life? They woulde haue taken occasion to haue hated and persecuted hym, as the Scribes and Phariseis dyd. And euen so shoulde Christe the Sauioure of the worlde, haue bene to them an offence and ruine.Rom. ix. There be an other kynde of litleones vnperfect, which are offēded after this sorte and maner:A second sorte of weaklynges. as when they see one that is reputed and estemed holy, to commit synne, furthwith they learne to doe that, and worse, and waxe colde in doing of good, and confirme thēselues in euil: & then they excuse their wicked lyfe, publishyng the same, with the sclaū
der of theyr neyghbor. If eny mā reproue them, they saye: suche a man dyd this, and worse. So it is euident that suche persōs would denye Christe, yf they sawe other
men do the same. If they went to Rome, and saw the enormities of the prelates whiche is sayde to reigne there emonges: I doubte not yf they sawe one of them sinne which were reputed and takē for holy, theyr fayth shoulde be loste, but not the fayth of Christ, which they neuer possessed: but they should lease that humayne opinion, whiche they had of the goodnes of prelates. For yf they had the faythe of Christe, the holye ghoste shoulde be a witnes vnto them,Ephe. i. which should be mighty in them, that in case all the world would denye Christ, they woulde remayne firme & stable in the true faith. The phariseis also, toke occasion of ye euil of others,Phariseis. to waxe hautie & proude, taking thēselues
to be men of greater perfection thē any other, bicause of their vertue, euen as the Pharisei did, whē he sawe the publicanes submission:Lu. xviii. and so they be offended, with euerye litle thinge, iudging euill, murmuring agaynst their neyghbour, and for the same, they are of manye, reputed and taken for the more holy and good: wheras in deade, they be the more wicked.
The most wicked persons are offended euen at themselues: for at their litle stabilitie in goodnes, and of their detestable and euill lyfe, they take occasion to despayre: Where they oughte the more to commit themselues to god, asking mercye for theyr offences. And furthwith to gyue thankes, yt it hath pleased him of his goodnes, to suffer them so lōg
a tyme.Wicked men mislike good thinges. But what neadeth it any more to saye, the euyll men are offended euē at the workes of god. They see god suffer synners, therfore thinke they, sinne displeaseth him not: And because they se not the good rewarded with riches, oftentymes they imagin, that god loueth them not: it seameth to them god is parciall,Ps. xxxvii because he hath elected sum, and sum reproued.Offēce of Gods election. And therfore they saye, that the elected be sure of saluacion,Rom. ix. Rom. xi. takyng by yt, occasion to do euyl ynough, saying: whatsoeuer god hath determined,Ps. xxxiii. shalbe perfourmed. Yf also they see the good men oppressed, and the euill men exalted, they iudge god vniust, taking occasion to lyue euelly, saying: inasmuche as god fauoureth the naughty men, let vs doe euyll
ynough, to thentent, he dooe vs good. Yf then the wicked be offended euen at god,Roma. iii. it is no wondre yf they be offended at those that folow, & walke in his pathes and wayes. Nowe I will speake with greate dolour,Uayne gospellers. and heuynes in my harte, of a sorte of people, whiche be in the worlde that be called professors of the gospell, & by theyr wordes doe declare and shewe, they be muche affected to the same. But I am afrayed, sum of them do builde vpon the sand, as Simon Magus did,Actes. xiii. making a weake foundacion. I meane, they make not Christe their chiefest foundacion, professing hys doctryne of a sincere, pure, and zelous mynde, but eyther for bycause they woulde be called gospellers to procure sum credit, &
good opinions, of the true and very fauourers of Christes doctrine, eyther to finde out sum carnall libertie,Gal. v. eyther to be contencious disputers, fynders, or rebukers of other mennes fautes, orelles finally to please and flatter the worlde: suche gospellers are an offence,Roma. ii. and a
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klaunder to the worde of God, and make the wicked to reioyce, and laugh at theym, saying: behold I praye you theyr fayre frutes. What charitie? what discrecion? what godlynes? holynes, or puritie of life is amongst thē? Be they not great auēgears, foule glottons, slaunderers, backbyters, aduouterers, fornicatours, swearers, and blasphemers? yea, and wallow, and tumble in al sinnes: These be ye fruites of theyr doctrine.
And thus it may be seene how the worde of GOD is euill spokē of through licencious and euil liuing:Euil lyuing
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laundereth t
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e best profession. and yet the worde of God is all holye, pure, sincere,Psal. xii. and godlye, beyng the doctryne and occasion of al holie and pure liuing: It is the wicked that peruerteth all good thinges, into euill,
Math. vii.
A similitude.
Math. xiii.
for an euil tree cannot bring furth good fruite. And whē good seed is sowen in a barreyne and euill grounde, it yeldeth no good corne and so it fareth by the word of god: For when it is heard and knowē of wicked mē,Applicaciō
it bringeth furth no good fruit: but when it is sowē in good ground, I meane the hartes of good people, it bringeth furthe good fruit aboundantly: so that the want & faute is in men, and not in the worde of
god. I praye god all men & women may haue grace to becum meete tillage for the fruites of the gospell,Prayer. and to leaue onelye the iangling of it: for only speaking of ye gospel,Iohn. i. maketh not men good christians, but good talkers, excepte theyr factes and workes agre with the same: so then theyr speache is good,Math. xii. because theyre hertes be good. And euē as much talke of the worde of God, without practising the same in our lyuing is euill and detestable in the sight of god,Psal. i. so it is a lamentable thing to heare howe there be many in ye worlde, that do not wel digest the reading of scripture,Readyng of the scripture. & doo commende and prayse Ignoraunce, and saye that muche knowlege of gods worde, is the original of al discencion, scismes,
and contencion, and maketh mē hawte, proud and presumptuous by readynge of the same. Thys maner of saying is no lesse than a playne blasphemie agaynst the holy gost.The worde of God. For the spirite of God is the authour of his worde, and so the holy goste is made the authour of euill,Iohn. xvi. whiche is almoste great blasphemie & (as the scripture sayeth) a synne that shal not be forgeuen in this worlde, neyther in the other to cum. It were al our partes and duties,Math. xii. to procure and seeke all the wayes and meanes possible, to haue more knowledge of goddes wordes, set furthe abrode in the worlde, and not allowe Ignoraunce, and discommende knowledge of gods woorde,Knowlege wished against ignoraunce. stopping the mouthes of the vnlearned, with suttle and
crafty perswasions of Philosophie, and Sophistrie, wherof cō
meth no
•
ruite, but a greate perturbacion of the mynde, to the simple & ignoraunt, not knowing whiche way to turne theym. For howe is it not extreame wickednes, to charge the holy sanctified woord of God, with thoffences of man? To allege the scriptures to be perillous learnyng, because certayne readers therof, fall into heresies? These menne might be forced by thys kynde of argumente, to forsake thuse of fyer,Like reason lyke conclusion. because fyer burned theyr neighboures house, or to absteine from meate or drynke, bicause they see many surfeyte.
O blynde hate, they sklaunder God for mans offence, and excuse the man whom they see offende, &
blame the scripture, whiche they cannot improue: Yea I haue heard of sum that haue very well vnderstande the latin tong, that when they haue hearde learned men,Good latinistes and euil diuines. perswade to the credite and beliefe of certeyne vnwritten verities (as they call theym) whiche be not in scripture expressed, and yet taught as doctryne apostolike, and necessary to be beleued: they haue ben of thys opinion, that the learned menne, haue mo Epistles written by thappostes of Christ,Forged wrytinges. then we haue abrode in the Cannon of tholde and newe Testament, or knowen of any, but only to them of the Clergie. Whiche beliefe I did not a lytle lament in my harte, to heare that any creature should haue suche a blinde ignoraunte opiniō. Some
kinde of simplicitie is to be praysed, but this simplicitie without the veritie, I can neyther prayse nor allowe. And thus it may be seen, howe we that be vnlettered, remayne confused, withoute god of his grace,The vnlerned be taught by grace. lightē our hartes wt a heauenly light, and knowledge of hys wil, for we be geuen of our selues to beleue men better then god. I pray god sende all lerned menne the spirite of god aboundantly, that theyr doctryne may bryng furthe the fruites therof. I suppose there was neuer more nede of good doctryne to be setfurth in the worlde,This age requyreth lernyng. than nowe in thys age:Wordly children. for the carnall children of Adam be so wise in theyr generacion, that if it wer possible, they woulde deceyue the children of light.Mat. xxiiii The worlde loueth hys
owne, and therfore theyr factes & doynges be highly estemed of the world: but the children of god ar hated,
Iohn. xvii. Gods children.
ii. Cor. v,
because they be not of the worlde, for theyre habitacion is in heauen, and they do dispise the worlde as a most vile slaue. The fleshly children of Adam bee so politicke, subtil, craftie, and wise, in theyre kynde, that the electe should be illuded if it were possible: for they are clothed with Christes garment, in vtter apperaunce, with a fayer shewe of all godlines, and holines in theyre wordes, but they haue so shorne, nopped, & turned Christes garmente, & haue so disguysed theym selues, that the children of light, beholdyng theym with a spirituall eye, accounte and toke theym for men whiche haue solde theyre
masters garment, & haue stolne a pece of euery mans garmēt:Like garmēt l
••
e men. yet by theyr subtill arte, and craftie wittes, t
•
ey haue so sette those patches and pieces together, that they do make the blind worlde,Crafty taylors. & carnal mē, to beleue it is Christes very mantle: but the children of light, knowe the cōtrary, for they are led by the spirite of god to the knowledge of the truthe,Godes childrē be wise. & therefore they di
•
cerne and iudge all thinges right, and knowe from whence they cū, euen fro the bishop of Rome, & his membres, the head spring of al pride,B. of Rome: vain
•
glorie, ambicion, hipocrisie, and fayned holynes. The children of god be not abashed, although the worlde hate theym, they beleue they are in the grace and fauour of God, and that he as abest
father, doeth gouerne theym in all thynges, putting away frō theym al vayne cōfidence, & trust in theyr owne doinges: for they knowe, they can doe nothing but sinne of theym selues:Roma. vii· they be not so folish & childish, not to geue God thankes for theyr eleccion, which was before ye beginning of the worlde:Ephe. i. Sure fayth for they beleue moste surely, they be of ye chosen, for the holy gooste doeth witnes to their spirite,Roma. viii: that they be the childrē of god, and therfore they beleue god better than man. They say with saynt Paule: who shall seperate vs from the loue of god?Roma. viii. shal tribulacion? anguish, persecucion, hunger, nakednes, peryll, or swearde? as it is written: for thy sake are wee kylled all day long, & are counted as shepe appoynted
to be slayne. Neuertheles in al these thinges we ouercum, thorowe hym that loueth vs: for I am sure, yt neyther death, neyther life, neyther aungelles, nor rule, neyther power, neyther thinges present, neyther thinges to cum, neither quantitie or qualitie, neyther any creature, shalbe able to departe vs from the loue of god, whiche is in Christ Iesu our lord They are not by this godly fayth presumptuously enflamed,Of Godly faythe no euil comm
•
th. nor by the same becum they leuse, idell or slowe in doinge of godly workes, as carnall men dreame of them: so much the more feruent they be in doing moste holy and pure workes, whiche god hath commaunded theym to walke in: They wandre not in mennes tradicions and inuencions, leauing
the moste holye and pure preceptes of god vndone, whiche they knowe they be bounde to obserue & kepe.Math. xv. Also they worke not like hierlinges for meede, wagies, or rewarde, but as louyng children without respect of lucre,i. Pe. i. gayne or hyer. They be in suche libertie of spirit, and ioye somuche in god, that theyr inwarde consolacion can not be expressed with tongue: all feare of dampnacion is gone frō theim, for they haue put their whole hope of saluacion in hys handes, that will & can performe it, neyther haue they any poste or piller to leane to, but god and his smothe and vnwrinkled churche.
For he is to theym all in all thinges, and to him they leaue, as a most sure square piller, in prosperitie and aduersitie, nothyng
doubting of hys promises and couenaūtes, for they b
•
leue most surelye they shalbe fulfilled. Also the childrē of god be not curiouse in searching the highe misteries of god,Gods s
•
cretes.
Eccle. iii. whiche be not mete for thē to knowe: neither do go aboute wt humayne and carnall reasons, to interpret scripture, perswading men by theyr subtill wittes and carnall doctrine, yt muche knowl
•
dge of scripture maketh menne her
••
ikes, without they tempre it with humayne doctryne, Sophistrie, Philosophie, and Logicke: wherwith to be seduced according to the tradicions of menne,Collo, ii. after ye ordenaunces of the world, & not after Christ.i. Timo. vi. Saynt Paule doeth moste diligently admonish vs,Prerogatiue of the s
•
ripture. which artes are not conuenient & meete to be made chekmate
with scripture: for the scriptures be so pure and holy, that no perfeccion can be added vnto them.
For euen as fine golde doeth excell all other mettals,Similitud.
Applicaciō. so doeth the woorde of god, all mens doctrines. I beseche the lord to sende the learned and vnlearned suche aboundaunce of hys holy spirit, that they may obey and obserue the most sincere and holye worde of god, & shewe the fruites therof, whiche consisteth chieflye in charitie and godly vnitie: that as we haue professed one god, one faith, and one Baptisme: So we may be all of one minde, and one accorde, putting away all biting & gnawing: for in bacbiting, slaū
deringe, and misreporting oure christen brethren, wee shewe not our selues the disciples of Christ,
whom we professe.Christ is our
•
xample. In hym was most high charitie, humilitie, and pacience, suffering most paciently al ignominie, rebukes, & slaū
ders, praying to hys eternall father for his enemyes,Prayer. with moste feruent charitie: and in al thinges did remit his wil, to hys fathers, as the Scripture doeth witnes, whan he prayed in the mounte:Math, A goodly example and lession for vs to folowe at al times and seasons: aswell in prosperitie, as in aduersitie,Psal. xxxvii to haue no will but goddes wil, committing and leauing to hym, all our cares & griefes, and to abandon al oure policies and inuencions, for they be moste vayne, and folish, and in dede very shadowes & dreames. But we be yet so carnall & fleshly, that wee cum hedlyng, lyke
vnbridelled coltes, wtout snaffle or bit. Yf we had the loue of god printed in oure hartes,The loue of God. it woulde kepe vs backe from runnyng astray. And vntill suche tyme as it please god to sende vs thys bit to holde vs in, we shall neuer runne ye right way, although we speake and talke neuer somuche of god and hys worde.Euery man attende to his vocaciō
The true followers of Christes doctryne, hathe alwayes a respecte, and an eye to theyr vocacion. If they be called to ye ministerie of Goddes word,Preachers. they preache & teache it sincerely,ii. Cor. iiii. to the edifiyng of others, & shewe theym selfes in their liuing,Lay men. Ephe. vi. folowers of the same. If they be maried men, hauing children and familie, they norish & bring them vp, without all bytternes, and fiercenes, in the doctryne of the
lorde, in al godlynes and vertue, committ
•
ng the instruccion of others, which apperteyneth not to theyr charge, to the reformacion of god, and hys ministers, whiche chiefly be kinges, & princes, bearing the swerde euen for that porpose, to punishe euyll doers. If they be childrē they honour theyr father & mother,Roma. xiii. Children. knowing it to be goddes commaundement, & that he hath therto annexed a promise of long life. If they be seruaūtes, they obey and serue theyr masters with al feare and reuerence,Deut. v. Seruaūtes euen for the lordes sake, neyther with murmuring nor grudgyng,Ephe. vi. husbandes but with a free herte and minde. If they be husbandes, they loue their wifes,Ephe. v. as theyr owne bodies, after the example as Christe loued the congregacion, and gaue hym
for it, to make it to hym a spouse, without spot or wrinkle. Yf they be women maryed, they lerne of Saynt Paule,Wyues. Obedience. to be obedient to theyr husbandes, and to keepe silence in the congregaciō,i. Timo. ii. Silence. & to learne of theyr housbandes, at home. Also they weare suche appare
•
l as becummeth holines,Apparell. ii.
•
imo. ii. i. Petri. iii. and comly vsage, with sobernes: not beyng accusers, or d
•
tractours, not g
•
u
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n to muche eating of dilicate meates, and drynking of wyne, but they teache honest thinges, to make the youg womē sobre minded, to loue theyr housbandes, to loue theyr children, to be discrete, chast, huswiflie, good, obedient vnto theyr husbandes: that the worde of god be not euil spoken of. Uerely yf all sortes of people would loke to theyr owne
vocacion, and ordeyne the same according to Christes doctrine we should not haue so many eyes & eares to other mennes fautes as we haue. For we be so busye & glad to finde & espie out other mennes doinges,Ouermuch
•
ie sight. that we forget, & can haue no time to weye & ponder oure owne, whiche after the woorde of god,Math. vii. we ought first to refourme: and then we shall the better help an other wt the strawe out of hys eyes. But alas we be so muche geuen to loue and to flatter our selfes,Selfe loue. and so blinded with carnall affeccions, that we can see and perceyue no faute in our selfes. And therfore it is a thing very requisite & necessarie for vs to pray all with one herte, and mynde to god, to geue vs an heuenly light & knowlege of our our owne mis
•
ries, & calamities ye
we maye see them & acknowledge them trulye before hym.A conclusion with an answere to obiections. Yf any man shalbe offended, at thys my lamenting ye fautes of mē, which be in the worlde, fantasiyng with theym selues, that I do it eyther of hatred, or of malice, to any sort or kynde of people: verely in so doing they shall dooe me greate wrong, for I thanke God by hys grace. I hate no creature: yea, I woulde saye more to geue witnes of my conscience, ye nether life, honour, riches, neyther what soeuer I possesse here, whiche apperteyneth vnto myne owne priuate commoditie, be it neuer so deerlie beloued of me, but moste willinglie and gladly I woulde leaue it to winne any manne to Christ, of what degre or sorte, soeuer he were. And yet is this nothing
in comparison to the charitie that God hath shewed me, in sending Christe to dye for me: no yf I had all the charitie of Aungelles and apostles, it shoulde be but like a sparke of fyer compared to a greate heape of burning cooles. God knoweth of what intent and minde I haue lamented mine owne sinnes, & fautes, to the worlde. I trust no bodye will iudge I haue doon it for prayse, or thanke of any creature, since rather I might be ashamed then reioyce, in rehersall therof. For yf they knowe howe little I esteme, and wey the prayse of the worlde, that opinion were soone remoued & taken away:It is lawef
••
to bost in god for I thanke God (by his g
•
ac
•
) I knowe the world to be a blinde Iudge, & the prayses therof, vayne, & of little moment:
And therfore I seeke not the prayses of the same, neither to satisfie it, none other wise, then I am taught by Christ to dooe, according to Christen charitie. I woulde to god wee would al (whē occasion do
•
h serue) confesse oure faultes to the world,Godly wish. al respectes to our owne commoditie, laied aparte. But alas, selfe loue doeth so muche reigne among
•
st vs, that as I haue sayde before, wee can not espie our owne fautes.Shame hindereth confesc
•
on.
And although sometime we finde our owne gilte, eyther wee be fauourable to interpret it no sinne, orelles we be ashamed to confesse our selfes therof. Yea and we before offended & grieued to heare our fautes charitablie, & godly colde vs of other, putting no difference betwene charitable warning,
and malicious accusinge. Trulie if we sought goddes glory,i. Cor. vi. as we should do in al thinges, we shoulde not be ashamed to cō
fesse our selfes, to digresse from goddes preceptes and ordinaunces, when it is manifest we haue doon and dayly doo. I pray god our owne fautes and deades cō
demne vs not, at ye last day, when euery māshalbe rewarded,Math. xxv. according to hys doinges.A trewe
•
h
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eruing. Truly yf we dooe not redresse and amende our liuing, according to the doctrine of the gospell, we shall receiue a terrible sentence, of Christ the son of god,Domesdaye compared to a lawedaye. whē he shal cum to iudge & condemne al transgressours and breakers of hys preceptes, & cōmaundementes, & to rewarde al his obedient & louing children, we shall haue no manne
of lawe to make our plea for vs, neyther can wee haue the day deferred, neyther will the iust iudge be corrupted wt affeccion, bribes, or rewarde, neyther will he heare any excuse or delaye, neyther shal this Saynt, or that martir, helpe vs, be they neuer so holie, neyther shal oure ignoraunce saue vs frō damnacion.W
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lfull syn is ye greatest. But yet wilful blindnes, & obstinate ignoraunce, shal receyue greater punishment, and not without iust cause. Thē shall it be knowen who hath walked in the darke, for all thinges shall appere manifest, before him. Noo mannes deades shalbe hiddē, no,Apo. xxii. neyther woordes, nor thoughtes: the poore & simple obseruers of goddes cōmaundementes, shalbe rewarded with euerlastyng life, as obedient children to the heuē
ly
father. And ye transgressours, adders,Rewarde of sinners. and diminishers of the lawe of god, shall receyue eternal damnaciō, for theyr iust reward. I beseche god we may escape this fearfull sentence,Prayer: and be founde suche faythfull seruauntes, and louing children, that wee maye heare the happy, comfortable, & moste ioyfull sentence, ordeyned for the children of God, which is: Come hither ye blessed of my father,Math. xxv. and receyue the kingdom of heauen, prepared for you before the beginning of ye world: Unto the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy goste, be all honour & glory worlde without ende. Amen.
Finis.
¶ Imprinted at London, in Flete strete, at the signe of the Sunne, ouer agaynste the Conduyte, by Edwarde Whitchurche, the .v. daye of Nouember, in the yeare of oure Lord. 1547.
Cum priu
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legio ad imprimendum solum.