as teacheth saynt Paule saying 1. Ti. 2 whiche hath gyven him silf a price and raunsome for all men Then when I beleve nede I not to do nothing Nede I not to do no good shall I not kepe the commaundementes of God Herken whate saint Paule answereth The faith saith he worketh by loue Ga. 5 Then when thou thus beleuest without doutiÌ„g that is to sey that thou art the sonne of god and that god hath so made the grete and riche thou shalt thinke thus in thy â—ilf Behold nowe god hath made me his childe enheritour of his glory brother of Iesus christ hath giveÌ„ me pardoÌ„ of al my sinnes aÌ„d I shall shortly be with hiÌ„ in the euerlasting life which he hath gyveÌ„ me without deserving it 〈◊〉 thiÌ„g shall I do agein to god by love and kindenesse for all this that he hath gyven to me Psal. 115 As saith the prophete David whate shall I yeld to god ageyn for all that he hath gyven to me when eny parson speaketh thus in him silf considering and beholding the greate goodnesse and mercy of god then comith and entreaseth the loue of god in him by the fayth bicause that he beleveth surely that God hath thus made him grete and riche And after that the loue is thus entred and enchauffed in the hert of the parson it maketh him to suffre and bere all thiÌ„ges maketh him to laboure to thinke and to do all that he thinketh wold please god without regarding â—ny thing but the loue of god Cor. 13. as sayeth saint Paule Loue suffreth all thinges loue doth nothing in vaine and he that hath suche a loue toward god all that he doth is agreable to god Ye when he gyveth but a drop of water for goddis sake as writeth saint Mathewe for loue iÌ„ god can not sinne all that he doth is well done For the holy goost that hath put this charite in vs can not do evill Aâ—d if of aduenture by suche a good entent one did any evell by errour this evell shul be pardoned incontinent and reputed for good by the good entent and loue that he hath towardes god Mat. 6. For Christ saieth in the gospell If thyne yie that is to sey thyne entencion be simple and applying to good all thy body that is to sey all thyne operacion shall be lightened and good And saint Paule saieth Ro. 8 we knowe that vnto theym that loue god al thinges worke for the best All they that are constant in this faith and charite be the children of god aÌ„d please god As witnessith saint Petre where he speaketh in thactes of thappostles Of a truth I perceyve that god is not percyall but in all people he that feareth hym and worketh rightuousnesse is accepted with him for god nedeth not oure works when he thus hath oure hertes albeit that suche a loue can not be ydell This loue comith in vs as I haue seid by faith when the parson beleveth surely that he is the childe of God It nedeth not that suche a parsone be constreyned to doo good workes by any commaundementes For the love of god dwelling yn him can not be ydell For loue as sayeth saint Paule suffreth long and is courteys 1. Cor. 13. loue eÌ„vyeth not love is not craving swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seketh not her owne is not provoked to angre thinketh not evell reioyseth not in iÌ„iquite but reioyseth in the truth suffreth al thing beleveth all thinges hopeth all thinges Suche a love or charyte bryngeth a parson to good workes and not good works a parsone vnto suche a love or to suche a faith trust in god These workes spring out of feith and not feith out of these workes for as I haue seid feith bringeth loue and loue bringeth good workes Lyke as though there were a riche maÌ„ with out children or heyres which might take a poore beggar out of the strete and make hym his heyre of his goodes This poore man beyng this made greate and ryche if he wold be thankefull as becomith hym to be shuld serve hys lorde or master whiche had thus exalted hym made him ryche truely and with greate loue Ye and if he ones might knowe the wil of his master he wold not deferre the doing therof till he were commaunded But he wold do all thinges by and by of his owne courage for the charyte or loue that he hath toward his master without commaundement Behold this poore man so exalted hath not deserved by hys workes nor by hys service that this riche man shuld so make him his heyre but the riche man hath made him his heyre of hys owne goodnesse without that the poore maÌ„ had in eny maner wyse deserved it And the service that this poore man doth afterward comith of loue and kyndnesse For he knoweth and beleveth surely that he is heyre of the godes of his lord bifore that he do any service And for bicause that he beleveth that the ryche man will kepe promyse wyth hym he beginneth to love him by the meane of this faith And so when he loveth hym he doth to him willingly and wyth good hert all the service he can and fulfil â—â—leth ioyfully his commaundementes and all by love And the more laboure service that he can do for his good master the more grete pleasure he taketh So is it of a good ChristeÌ„ for wheÌ„ he was yet enemye of god by the sinne of Adam he was accepted of God byfore he â—esyred it and byfore that he had yn eny maner wise deserved it Thus hath god made vs his children and heyres without oure deserving Then when we beleve this stedfastly this faith bringeth loue into oure hertes so that we beginne to love God by cause that he hath made vs so greate and excellent And when we so love him we kepe his commaundemeÌ„tes by loue and do all thinges with good wil As saieth Christ in saint Iohn Iohn 14. He that loveth me kepeth my commaundementes And so kepe we all thinges and suffre all thinges which we thinke agreable to god and nothing is to hevy for vs and as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 5 we reioyce in tribulacioÌ„ for we knowe that tribulacion bringeth pacience pacieÌ„ce bringeth feling feling briÌ„geth hope and hope maketh vs not a shamed bicause the love that God hath vnto vs is shed abrode in oure hertes by the holy goost whiche is gyven vnto vs whiche love maketh all thinges light vnto vs plesaunt and easy to bere so that after the word of Christ in the gospell his yoke ys easy and his burthen is light Mat. 11. Act. 5 This faith and love had thappostles as wryteth saint Luke when they departed from before the iudges they reioysed that they were made worthy and able to suffre shame and dishonoure byfore the worlde for the love of Iesu christ Thys charâ—te had saint Paule when he seid vnto the Romayns Ro. 8. Who
¶ The summe of the holye scripture and ordinarye of the Christen teachyng the true Christen faithe by the which we be all iustified And of the vertue of baptesme after the teaching of the Gospell and of the Apostles with an informacyon howe all estates shulde lyve accordynge to the Gospell Anno. M. CCCCC.XXIX Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber SEing that all persones can not rede or vnderstonde all bokes to th eÌ„tent that every man may knowe whate ys the foundacyon of all the scriptures and whate thinge they do teache vs. I haue shortly compyled in this present boke the foundacyon and the somme of the holy scripture of the which the hede and princypall is the faith â—from whome procede hope and charite To thintent that euery maÌ„ may knowe whate he shall beleve whate he shall hope whye he shall love god and howe god is oure father and we hys children and howe that we be enheriters of the kingdome of god as shewith vnto vs saint Paul in all his epistles in divers chaptersâ— whiche be many tymes alleged and recyted in this present boke Also howe that without oure merites we be iustified to thintent that we shuld not put oure trust in oure good workes as dyd the Iues. Neverthelesse albeit that I wryte in this boke that God iustifieth vs wyth out oure good workes and merites it ys not myne entent to discounsell eny maÌ„ to do good werkes but myne euient is to teche all persones howe they shall do the werkes and that they shall not trust vpoÌ„ theire good werkes nor in theym to seke theire helâ—â—â— â–ª but all only in the feith of Iesu Christ and in the grace of god This faith had Abraham as writeth saint Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 4. For Abraham beleved agaynst hope in hope That is to saye that whiche by mannes nature and vertue was impossible he beleved alwayes hit shulde come to passe evyn as god had promysed them So must every christen lyve ageinste hope in hope that is to sey hit behoveth that he repute all his good workes for sinne and thinke that if god wolde iudge him accordinge to his workes he might not be saved For if I haue done eny good hit is of God and not of me for I haue done it by the grace of God and therby I deserve no reward And if I haue done eny thinge of my silfe without the grace of god hit is ypochrisye and greate sinne and therby I deserve euerlastinge deth wherfore then shall I trust in my good workes for I haue no good workes all my goodnesse belongeth to god So shulde a christeÌ„ huÌ„ble him silfe and repute all his good workes for sinne as truely they be As sheweth vnto vs Esaye saying all oure rightuousnes be as a clothe polluted with the floures af a woman Esa. 64 â–ª And when the person so distrusteth of him silfe and of his good workes he shall hope agayn ageinst hope and shall trust in the mercy of God and shall beleve forth on certaynly that he shal be saved bycause of the worde of God For god hath promysed to vs his realme to all theym that trust in him and god is faithfull and veritable in his wordes wherfore seyng that god hath promysed it vnto vs â–ª let vs beleve it stebfastly and haue ferme fayth that we shal be saved not by oure deserving but by the promyses of god And so it behoveth that euery christen dispere aÌ„d hope as dyd Abraham dispeyre of him silfe and then a newe to trust in the worde of god And these be the two thinges which the lawe and the gospell doth The lawe maketh vs to dispeyre because that we never fulfill the coÌ„maundementes of god â–ª These gospell that is to say the grace of the newe testament maketh vs agayn certeynly to hope and to trust And for to teache these two thynges be wrytten all the criptâ—res The parson shall alweyes abideâ—â— humylyte and alweyes thynke that if god wolde iudge hym according to hys workes he shulde never come vnto helth As sheweth vnto vs Iesus christe in Lu. 17 S. Kuke sayng when ye haue done all the thinges whiche to you are commauded say ye we be vnprousitable servauntes we haue done but oure dutye And thys is the verey Christen humylite as in this present boke shal be more pleynly declared And if we can thus repute all oure good workes for sinne aÌ„d in theym to have no maner of trust and then ageyn beleve that we shal be saved by the promyses of god we be the children of Abraham of whome all the scriptures bere witnesse that by his faith he was iustified and gat helth And for that cause he is called the father of belevers and of the feithfull And this ys the fayth wherof I wryte here iÌ„ this boke to thintent that all parsones myght come to knowledge and knowe whate ys the Christen sayth Of the whyche all the scriptures do speake and namely the Gospell after S. Iohn and the epistles of S. Paule for heryn do these two apostles coÌ„prehend all other scripture And for bicause that it behoueth that the parson beleve that his faith iustifieth him and not his workes I haue shortly compyled here and declared howe the fayth doth iustifie vs and howe we be the children of God and howe we must serve oure father by charite and howe that we shalt nothyng doubt of oure helth bycause of the wordes of God And when a parson getteth thys hope he learneth to bere pacyenly all tribulacyon and adversite For he knoweth that this lyfe ys not hys lyfe and hath greate desyre aftrr the other lyfe and holdeth not this lyfe for hys And this maketh the fayth the whiche ys alwayes affectuously attendaunte after Christ oure espouse But he that hath not this fayth is all desolate when he hath mysfortune and yf to hym yt happon well he gyveth hym silfe to voluptuosite and sinne And for bicause he hath no hope of the everlasting life he thinkes in him silf I will vse this life as long as it is leÌ„t me And that he doth bicause he knoweth not whate oure feith is whate our hope is howe that we be the children of God To thintent therfore that none gyue him silfe to sinne by desperacion I have shortly compyled in this present boke howe that we be iustified with out oure merites For when eny parson hath done his best with all his power as I haue seyd then let him say yet that he is an vnproufitable servaunt And the humble her te wherby he knowlegith his imperfection maketh that his sinnes his evell thoughtes and the fragilite of his flesshe to him be pardoned of god and that lytell that he hath god gyveth it him of him silfe and god is his iustice that is to saye god maketh him rightuous for Iesu christ hath satisfied for vs vnto his heveÌ„ly father for to come in socoure to oure infirmite And this describeth
is he that shall separate vs from the love of god shall tribulacion or anguisshe or persecucion or hunger or nakydnesseâ— other parell orswerd we be sure that neither deth nor life nether aungell nether rule nor thiÌ„ges present nor thinges to come nether height nor depnesse nether eny other creature shal be abyll to separat vs from goddis love which is in Iesu christ our lord But I axe you nowe wherby ys it that thou knowest that thou are the childe of god by the service that thou hast done hi Nay Wherby then by the faith wher by thou belevest the worde of god whiche sayth that thou art the childe of god before thou begynnest to serve hym as wryteth saint Paule in all his epistles Thy service and thy workes haue not gyveÌ„ the the faith and trust wherby thou belevest that thou art the childe of god and his heyre for thou haddest that or thou dydest hiÌ„ any service but bicause that thou belevest stedfastly that god hath made the so grete by this faith beginnest thou to loue hym And when thou lovest him so thou doest him all the service that thou knowest ys agreable vnto hiÌ„ Thou â—beyst his coÌ„maundementes alweyes humbly knoweleging thyne ymperfection ascribing all that thou doest vnto God for els as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 4 If oure heretage came of the lawe the feith were but in vayne and the promyse of none effect Behold nowe seest thou that we do not deserve the euerlasting life by oure good workes for God hath promysed it vnto vs all surely bifore that we began to do good wherfore thou must knowe and beleve that good workes make none sure that he shal be the childe of God and hys heyre But contrary wise the feith trust that thou hast in god wherby thou belevest stedfastly that he haâ—h made the hys sonne maketh the to serve god and to kepe his commaundementes by love â–ª wherfore all they are abused Theologyans and doctours that sey that certeynte or hope procedeth out froÌ„ good workes â–ª For contraryly out from the certeynte from the feith wherby thou belevest the goodnesse that god hath done vnto the comith the good works That is to sey wheÌ„ thou belevest thou begynnest to love and when thou lovest thou doest that God wold haue done ¶ Howe that we shall not serve God for hyres or wages Chaptre ix THe workes done in suche fayth and charyte be allonely plesauÌ„t vnto god and worthy to be called good workes for they be the workes of the holy gost that dwelleth in vs by this faith But they that are done by tediousnesse evill will for fere of hell or for desire of paradise be none other thiÌ„g but shadowes of workes makiÌ„g ypochrytes The ende of oure good workes may seÌ„ke nought but to please god knowlegiÌ„g that if we do never so moche we caÌ„ neuer do our duety for they that for feare of hell or for the ioyes of heveÌ„ do serve god do a coÌ„streined service which god will not Suche people do not serve God bicause he is theire god theire father but bicause he is riche for to haue part of his richesse they not god but his wayes and richesse that is to sey they serue for none other purpose but to haue they re rewardes and for to avoide his punissions And suche people be as it were hyred men and waged servauntes and are not children for the service they do is but for wages and hyres But the children of god serve they re father for loue for they knowe the goodnesse that god hath done to theym alredy in that they beleue that god hath made theym hys children and heyres Gala. 3 For saint Paule seith ye are all the children of god by the feith which is in Iesu Christ And ageyn forasmoche as ye be childreÌ„ god hath sent the sprit of his sonne in to your hartes crying Ga. 4 father father Thou art then nowe no servaunt but a sonne And if thou be the sonne thou art also heyre of god by christ as saieth saint Paule ye are all the children of â—ight and children of god Tessa 5 Then the children of god that is the true christen do not desyre to get the heretage by theire service for they knowe by the sure promyses of god whiche they do beleve that God of hym self hath purely and liberally gyueÌ„ it vnto theym alredy Is when a burgoys hath a servaunt and a sonne The servaunt serueth his master and dare not offend hym for feare of losing of his wages whiche he attendeth for for he serveth for wages and after that he hath receyved theym he levith his master axeth no more of him for he demaunded nothing els but his money which he hath receyved alredy The sonne of the house serveth hys father and kepeth his commaundementes not to haue wages but for loue that he hath vnto hys father For he knoweth the goodnesse that his father hath done to him and that he is heyre of the goodes of hys father And knoweth that he shall ever dwelle in his fathers house as saieth saint Iohn Iohn And therfore doth he liberally the will of his father by cause he will not anger him So must euery christen serve god and kepe hys commaundementes by true loue and not by hope to get for his service everlasting life or the heritage of his heveÌ„ly father but knowleging alonly that god hath gyven him that alredy and that he hath made him hys heyre â—yfore he requyred him So shall he serve him by love declaring that god is all good and to shewe that ageynst his goodnesse he wyll not be vnkynd ¶ Howe that we disheret oursilves by oure disobedience Chaptre x. NOwe must euery maÌ„ know that alonly they that by suche love serue God be the children of god his heyres and shal be saved For he that gyveth not thankes to God and loveth hym not of this facyon for the goodnesse that god of hym silf hath willingly done vnto him is cause that he is not the child of god and maketh him silf vnworthye of all the promyses of God Lyke as though there were a maâ— that had gotten some grete rychesse by his laboure that he had .ij. sonnes The. ij sonnes be here egally like nighe vnto the goodes of they re father the herytage of they re father beloÌ„geth egalâ—iâ— vnto theÌ„ for thei be both sonnes But if the one be rebell disobedient vnto his father do to him dishonour after that he come to thage of discretion by suche meanes may hâ— be cause of dishereting of him silf â— he is naturelly sonâ—nd heyre to the goodes as well as his other brother but he disheriteth him silf by his evill life So are all parsones the childreÌ„ of god bought ageyn by Iesu Christ but they that rebell ageinst god and obey not vnto his commaundementes disheryt theym silves aÌ„d theym silves because of they re daÌ„pnacyon God wold
making obeysaunce with the hede kneling or in eny other outward thing semblable As testifieth saint Paule vnto the Romains saying The kingdome of god is nother mete nor drinke but it is rightuousnesse peace and ioy in the holy goost If thy hart and entent seche none other thing but the honour and will of God if thou reioyse that thou maist do and suffer all thing for the love of god then art thou sure that thou lovest God and that he loveth the. This let every religious kâ—owe that he may not thinke that he shal be iustified by his outward workes or that he is eny thing better then the seculer man As at this day god amend it we se that many religious esteme theym silves so holye as though they alone were christen And herof many tymes the seculers are cause whiche playne they re life when they behold the life of the religious They prayse the state of religion bicause they regard onely the outward workes and pleyne that god hath not called theym to suche a life wheÌ„ the religious here this they glorifie heryn trust in they re workes and thinke that it is even so and that they be more holy theÌ„ the other This is the most daungerous temptacyon that a religious may haue for by this temptacyon they beginne many tymes to trust and abyde vppoÌ„ they re good workes notwithstonding that they be often done ageynst they re will whiche can never be good As at this day we se howe many monkes and nonnes lyve in they re cloysters ageynst their will And all that they do procedeth from an hart constreyned and not voluntary And out dare thâ—y not go for shame bicause they haue otherwâ—se promysed And they curse oftymes all evill to theym that haue counceyled theym and brought theym into that religyon aud wolde fayne that they re cloyster were buâ—ned And so be they never content in they re hart nether can finde eny rest of conscience and be then moche ferther from god then they were wheÌ„ they were seculers Suche people oftymes do many evelles toward theym silves by impacience and rebellion ageinst god They do nothing by love that they haue to god or bycause that they beleve theym silves to be the childreÌ„ of god but onely by constreynt and ageynst they re will And when they must dye they trust and stikke vppon suche workes by theim done ageynst they re hartes and by constraynt of they re ordre and thinke even thus Behold dere lord my life hath byn to me hard and bitter I haue oftymes had evill will I haue alweyes abiden in my Cloyster I haue kept myn ordre I haue valiantly fought vnto the ende gyve me nowe the crowne of glorye and the everlasting lyfe In all the worlde ys there not a more daungerous synne then this perversyte and ypochrisye It were better for suche people to voyde from they re cloyster For synners knowyng they re synnes and requyryng pardone and grace be receyved vnto grace where as suche ypochrites are reproved of god As we may sein the gospell where god received vnto grace Marye Magdaleine saint Mathew the good theef and meny other open sinnars But he hath lest the scribes and phariseys in they re blyndnesse whiche trusted on they re workes Ye fathers and mothers behold well whate ye do when ye put your children in to religion For ye are causes of all they re sinnes And it suffiseth theim not to lyve alone in suche abusion bâ—t they teache it theim silves vnto other whome they write in theire confraynes and make theÌ„ participant of theire good workes which procede often from an evill willed sprite whiche can never be good bifore god for God will no constreined service Nether is there any worke agreable vnto god but suche as procede from faith charite and out of a willing hart And if God wold haue suche a constreyned service he wold constreyne the devels to pray moche to syng moche to watche moche and to do suche other thinges But god will none of oure workes when he hath not oure hertes And all the workes that we do daily be agreabill vnto god if with all oure hartes we love hiÌ„ beleve and trust in him And all the workes done without suche faith and loue be sinne and dampnabill bifore god aÌ„d if we sâ—ikke vppon theim as though they were good workes And so were it better for the to go out of thy cloyster and to be an open sinnar and to knowlege thy misdoing bifore god as did the publican then so for to trust vnto thy workes as though god for theim did owe vnto the the kingdome of heven But thou saiest I haue promysed it I must abide Iudi. 11. Mar. 6 I sey ageyne None is boâ—nde to hold a promyse whiche is contrarie vnto his helth as did Iepte and Herode whiche had byn better to breke they re othes then to holde theire promyses For none may promise nor holde a thing that is coÌ„trary vnto hys helth S. Fraunceis and saint Dominike had lever that thou were saved in keping the gospel then daÌ„pned trusting vppon thy workes And it is better to be shamed here bifore the worlde then bifore god But whate is it that thou hast promysed when thou madest thy profession hast thou promised that thou wilt not live after the promise that thou hast made at thy baptesme Thoâ— saiest nay But therfore saiest thou I am entred into religion for the better to fulfill the promyse made at baptesme Then whan thou perceyvest that thou livest worse in the monasterye then thou didest when thou were seculer whiâ— darest thou not take ageyn the life astate wherin thou maist worke better for thy helth without offending any parsone but rather amend other Or if thou be entred into religion for to seche the helth of thy soule and findest there more noise envye drinking bankettes diuisions hatredes then from whens thou camest thou maist alweyes sey I am come hyther to amend my lyfe And I finde that I waxe daily worse therfore I will goo there I may amend my life and serve God with more grete rest of conscience Therfore I tell the that it is better to live well in the world then yll in the monasterie to trust vppon thy good workes But thou must thinke not to leve the cloister to haue libertie and carnall pleasure but onely to serve God more frely as saieth Saint Paule Give not youre libertie an occasion vnto the flesshe And none can give the better knowlege herof Ga. 5. then thine ownr conscience when thou axest it counceil for it deceyveth none but saith alwey manifestly the trouth The world hath likewise his daungiers and his perilles and it is impossible to live in the world without sinne Therfore when the religious seith that he may be saved in his cloister â—er hym abide there although he haue there moche to suffre But when thou percey vest that in thy
cloister thou workest ageinst thy helth thou maist then retourne into the world without synne and lyve according to the Gospell although that it be grete shame bifore the worlde For it is better to obey vnto god then vnto men as sayd Saint Peter in thactes of thappostles Act. 5 ¶ Howe it is that the Monkes go not forward in spirituaâ—l life but waxe often worse Chaptre .xviij. WIlt thou knowe whie they live nowe sloughtfully in the monasteries and wherfore that there be so many that wold faine thei were out This happeth for none other cause but that they never entred for that entent that they shuld have entred One entreth there of necessite to haue his expences An other to become a greate prelate The thirde to live Idelly to haue good tymes Many for vaine glory to be reputed holy aÌ„d devout to be honoured of the comon people or so in preching to shewe theym silves that they be wise None taketh that astate with suche a sprite and courage as sometyme did saint Fraunceis or saint Benet And therfore they proufâ—t nothing But the longer they be there the more sloughtfull they waxe to do good For to be ydell and to be nourisshed delicatly dulleth vs and maketh the flesshe rebell so that they are the more enclined vnto lubricite vncleÌ„nesse hatred envye and slought then the seculers that labour with they re hondes Some se the religious rede moche praysing watche goo wolwared and were meke clothiÌ„g And this pleaseth them They get a pleasure to serve god in suche a sort They here sey that euery body promiseth the kingdome of heven vnto the observauntes so that they kepe well theire rule and by this meane conceive they sprite aÌ„d courage to lerne this life bicause they consider not what thing is promised theim if they kepe well the promises made at they re baptâ—sme And after that they be thus entred into the cloister they here of none other thing they lerne none other thing but outward workes as reding singing watching fasting and other like ceremonies Thei know none other thing but that the summe of all perfection and helth resteth in these thinges So think they that they haue the principall part of all perfection that they are sure to be saved when with grete vnlust and tediousnesse they haue accomplisshed and observed these outward thinges And bicause they thinke thus thei abide hanging and trusting in suche thinges And so come they never vnto the holy and blissed sprite of saint Fraunceys or of sâ—int Beneâ— They haue never experieÌ„ce howe it stoÌ„deth with a spirituall hart for they know not whate thing they shuld do with inforth They thinke that all lyeth in outward workes and bicause they come not vnto the sprite therfore abide they so coide weâ—y and sloughtâ—ull And so recule they more bakward then they goo ferward in goodnesse And comonly when they haue lived in they re religion twenty or thirty yere they are lesse worth as vnto the purpose of helth then they were at they re entre For they haue nought gotten there but a good estimacyon of theym silf of theyr good workes supersticion and ypochrisye They haue not yet ones tasted the sobriete and lytell estymacyon that the spirituall parson bereth in his hert of him silf for they abide alweys in the flesshe and in the lettre of they re rule and of the commaundementes And they do nought by love nor with good hert And as long as they kepe thus they re ordre they are reproved of God with the Pharesey yn the .xviij. Chaptre of Saint Luke Lu. 18 For if the lawe of Moyses and the Ceremonyes whiche God him silfe did ordeyne might iustifie nor save none as wryteth Saint Paule the Apostle yn all his epistles howe moche lesse may a monke be iustified by his rule and ceremonyes whiche be institute by men wherfore we must serche all in the hert and in the sprite wherby we may be iustified For the outward workes whiche we do without the sprite be sumtyme called flesshe by Christ in the Gospell Iohn â— Suche flesshe proufiteth nothing it is the sprite that quykeneth as Christ saieth That is to sey All outward and forayne thinges seme they never so holy yf yt procede not from the sprite fulfylled with fayth and love That is to sey if it be not done by Charyte and love ioyfully by the mocyon of fayth and trust that we have to God All suche thing seme it never so holy or haue it never so goodly apparaunce proufyteth nothing but rather hurteth and maketh an ypochryte For seing that god is a sprite he lovith nothing but that whiche procedeth from the sprite as he him silf saieth in the gospell Saint Paule ostymes calleth suche outward workes elementes that is to sey Ga. 4 Commencementes and entrees into christendome as though he wold sey that suche thinges are ordined and institute for theym that begyn to take vppon them the christianite As the children of the scole lerne first they re Col. 2 A. B. C. He warneth vs also that we suffer not oure silves to be deceyved that we serve not nor abide subiectes to suche elementes but willeth that we shuld procede vnto the sprite For whate proufit shuld a scoler hane to abide all his life in his A. B. C. lerne no ferther No more proufit bring the workes without the sprite and feith Moreover oure saviour Christ calleth theym mannes constitucions saying Mat. 15 They honour me in vayne teching doctrines and commaundementes of men 1. Tim. 4 Saint Paule also calleth them bodily exercitacion that is to sey thinges wherby oure body is onely exercised busyed and letted to do worse They of theÌ„ silves proufit nothing vnto oure soules For he saieth exercitacioÌ„ or bodily labour is litell thing proufitable but mekenesse proufiteth to all thâ—nges And this is bicause that we do it with the body onely that therby oure hert and sprite is not tourned to god Suche outward workes are moche mocked of the prophete Esaye where he speketh in the parsone of god in this maner Esa. â— Offre me no more sacrifice Sence to me is abhominacion I will no more suffre the festes of the newe mone nor of the sabbat nor other festes My soule hath hated youre calendes and solempnitees And ageyn Heven is my seate the erthe is the fotestole of my fete Esa. 66 whate is the house that thou caÌ„st bild to me And whiche is the place of my rest My hond hath made all these thinges saieth the lord God But wherunto shall I take regarde but vnto the pore and contrite sprite and vnto the fearer of my wordes He that maketh sacrifice of an oxe as he that slewe a man He that killeth a shepe as he that brayned a dogge he that offreth oblacion as he that offered the bloude of a hogge He that remembreth the eusence as he that blissed an ydoll They haue chosen all
beholde oure sigâ—ne and gage whiche we haue receyved 〈◊〉 god wherby he hath promysed vs 〈◊〉 we be his children and that he wil not 〈◊〉 vs. So say I then that by pure faith atâ— oure sinnes be to vs pardoned aÌ„d that 〈◊〉 be the children of god and that we belonâ— to god and that god shall shewe ouer 〈◊〉 his mercy Here vpon receave we a 〈◊〉 that is the signe of baptesme to thiÌ„teÌ„t thaâ— as oâ—ten as we haue regard vnto this signe we shuld be myndefull of the grace 〈◊〉 mercy that god hath done vnto vs thaâ— we belong to god and that we be the chilâ—ren of god Beholde nowe thou seest well whaâ— thinge the baptesme betokeneth it is 〈◊〉 one byfore god yf thou be .lxxx. yere oldâ— or twenty yere olde when thou receavâ— the baptesme for god regardeth not houâ— thou art but with whate purpose aÌ„d â—tencyon and with whate feith thou reâ—avest this baptesme and grace He regarâ—â—th not whether thou be Iue or paynyâ—e man or woman noble or vnnoble bisâ—â—ope or cytezyn But alonly he that with 〈◊〉 parfait faith and trust comyth vnto god 〈◊〉 maketh violence vnto the euerlastynge 〈◊〉 Mat. 26. getteth it as promyseth Iesu christ 〈◊〉 the gospell ¶ Whate thinge we promyse at the Baptesme and whate professyon we make Chaptre iij. WHen one warneth these worldly people to do any good they say let the monkes and religious do it whiche haue promyâ—ed it as though they were not bounde to 〈◊〉 the doctrine of Iesu christ or as thoâ—gh they had nothing promysed All be it â—hat no monke can promyse more then he â—ath promysed at the baptesme And we be moche more bounde vnto 〈◊〉 promyse made at the baptesme then 〈◊〉 eny religious vnto his professyon For we make no promyse vnto man but vnto god and we promyse not to kept the rule of a man but of the gospell Thinke ye noâ— therfore that it is a small thiÌ„g to be a christen when thou hast promysed to Iesuâ— christ to amend thy life ad that thou 〈◊〉 not live according to the worlde nor acoâ—ding to the flesshe It is a greate thing 〈◊〉 enterpryse the Christen faith whiche 〈◊〉 fewe people do knowe whate thing it coÌ„teyneth namely suche as here after 〈◊〉 world do seme to be verey wise lettered But one might say I have nothing promysed to God I was a child let him kepe it that hath promysed for me For this cause to thintent that no man shulde so say it was sumtyme ordeyned that none shulde be baptysed before that he camâ— to vnderstanding and knowlege to thintent that he might promyse him â—ilfe and forsake the devell and that he might knowe what thing he had promysed If it were not that the children were feble in perill of deth theÌ„ thei must haue bin baptized Nowe alweyes albeit that we oure silfe haue not promysed we be allegally bounde to observe it For if thou haddest dyed wheÌ„ thou were but a yere old thou had dest also be saved thou wilt saye ye by the â—aith of my godfathers godmothers aÌ„d 〈◊〉 holy churche I say ageyn doest thou â—fesse that the faith of thy godfathers aÌ„d â—odmothers is so mighty that thou mayst â—erby be saved The same feith is likewiâ—â— mighty to subiect the binde the to that 〈◊〉 that they haue promysed for the 〈◊〉 paine of thi daÌ„pnacioÌ„ losse of thy 〈◊〉 wherfore thou must as well kepe this â—hat thy pareÌ„tes haue promysed for the as â—hough thou haddest promised it thy silfe The godfathers godmothers be bouÌ„d 〈◊〉 warne the childreÌ„ to helpe them that â—hey be put to stole to thintent that they â—ay vnderstoÌ„d the gospell the ioyfull mesâ—age of god with the epistles of S. Paule For the vnlettered simple people be as â—ell bouÌ„de to knowe theÌ„ as the lettered 〈◊〉 And god hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded for to pubâ—â—she to shewe the gospell not allonly to â—restes but also vnto euery creature Go â—e saith Christ vnto his disciples into the â—niuersal world preche the gospell to euery creature Mar. 16 for we be all egally bouÌ„d to â—now the gospell the doctrine of the newe testameÌ„t saint Paule hath not alloÌ„ly â—â—riteÌ„ his pistles vnto the prestes but also Citezyns and housholders And this witnessith saint Paule him silfe wryting vnto the Corinthians and vnto the Galathians â—Cor 1 where he confesseth that he sendeth his epistles to all the church that is to sey to all thassemble of Christen men and to all theym that call on the name of Iesus And vnto the Romayns he saith To you all that be at Rome the frendes of god Ro. 1. And Iesus Christ hath aswell suffered deth for the comon housholder as for the prestes God shall alwayes requyre the scriptures of the prestes for they be ydell and do not study nor make no diligence to declare theym vnto the simple Therfore it is very nedefull that the common people shulde vnderstond the gospell and the doctrine of the apostles according to the lettre aÌ„d that they knowe theÌ„ by hart with the other storyes of the olde testament for so shulde they more lightly vnderstond the preachers It were also very necessary that every one dyd lerne his children to rede as men were wont to do afore tyme. The Iues had they re lawe in Hebrue the whiche euery one myght vnderstond accordynge to the lettre After this the paynems were converted by saint Paule to whome he wrote-in greke whiche they all dyd vndstond After that was Italy and affryque converted where as well the wymen as the men spake latyn for this cause was the byble translated into latyn to thintent that euery one might vnderstond it and they preached in latyn and the prophetes were redde in the Italien churches in latyn And in that tyme there were many ladyes and wymen whiche vnderstode verey well the scriptures as was Paulâ— aÌ„d Eustochium Demetrias and Marcella â— many other of whome wâ—iteth saint Iherome and the comune housholders redde the bible in they re houses with they re children So is it nowe of greate necessite that the holy scripture be translated into all langages or that all the children lerne the latyn tongue Some man wolde sey euery maÌ„ may not set his children to sâ—ole bicause they be poore wherfore I wolde well that the children of the pore were holde to scole at thexpences of the comynaltye or that folkes shulde take the money whiche they spende so outragioâ—â—ly in making and gilding of ymages aÌ„d in dressing the aultres of the churches and in buylding of Monasteris Chanonryes and chapels and founding of Obites and prebendes Or of the money that men offer in churches and of the whiche men make vessels of golde and silver and other precious ornamentes They might enploy this money a thousand folde better if ther with they dyd holde these yong children to scole till suche tyme that
it behoveth that thou beleve him stedfastly without ony maner waveringe to thinten that thou knowe that it is all grace and not deserving and that the wordes and promyses of god be verey certein and true for god hath called vs his children as saint Paule saieth Because that ye are sonnes god hath sent the sprite of hys sonne into oure hertes crying Abba father Then arte thou nowe no servaunt but a sonne Gala. 4 and if thou be a sonne then art thou also heyre of god by christ aÌ„d so be we delyvered from oure sinnes and from the bondage of the devell and made heyres of the kingdome of heven by the benefit of Iesu christ He beleveth in god that putteth all his trust and hope in god and in the iustice of god living after his power accordinge to the rule of charite having no maner hope nor trust in the world in his good works or good life but alonly in the goodnesse of god and in the merites of Iesu christ beleving certeynly that god will hold to hym that he hath promysed remission of sinnes and certeynte of everlasting life He that doth so is a true christen and beleveth stedfastly that the wordes of god must nedes be true Notwithstanding that according to his workes he thinketh it a thing ympossible Neverthelesse he beleveth that he shal be saved without deservinge of any good workes rather then the wordes of god and all thinges that they do promyse shuld not come to passe As writeth saynt Paule of Abraham which beleved rather that his wife whiche was bareyne out of thage of generacyon shuld conceyve a childe rather theÌ„ the promyse of god shuld not be fulfilled And by this fayth was Abraham reputed iuste byfore God not by his good workes So behoveth it that euery christen do albeit that it seme to him ympossible to be saved bycause he hath done no good he shall neverthelesse stykke stedfastly vnto the goodnesse and mercy of God and vnto hys worde yn suche maner that he doubt not yn nothyng Lu. 2â— For Christ sayeth in Saynt Luke Heven and erth shall passe but my worde shall never passe Of this sayth wryteth Saynt Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 10. whosoever shall call on the name of the lord God shal be saved He therfore that calleth vppon hym on whome he beleveth not that he may helpe hym loseth but his laboure Therfore thou must first beleve in hym And then if thou call vppon hym with suche a fayth as we haue spoken of thou shalt be saved Of this fayth speaketh also the prophete Esaie as recyâ—eth Saynt Paule the apostle yn the forseyd Chaptre All they that beleue yn hymshall not be ashamed And ageyn saint Paule Ro. 10 If thou confesse with thy mouth that Iesus is the lord and that thou beleue with a perfaict herte that God hath reised christ froÌ„ deth thou shalt be saved And the word that Christ preched first as recyteth Saint Marke was The tyme is full come and the kingdome of god is evyn at honde repent and beleve the gospell Mar. 1 Of this faith writeth lyke wise saint Iohn and they be the wordes of Christ vnto Nicodemus as Moyses lift vp the serpent in wildernesse even so must the sonne of man be lift vp that no man that beleveth in him perisshe but haue eternall life Iohn 3 God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely sonne for the entent that none that beleve in him shuld perisshe but shuld haue everlasting life And a lytell after he that beleveth in him shall not be coÌ„dempned and ageyn in the same chaptre He that beleveth on the sonne hath everlasting life and he that beleveth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrathe of god abideth vppon him By all these escriptures here maist thou see that we be all the children of God alonly thorowe faith and this had God lever promyse vnto vs bicause of oure faith then bicause of oure good workes to thintent that we shuld be so moche the more certeyn of oure helth And therfore saith saint Paule by faith is the enheritaunce gyven that it might come of grace that the Ro. 4. promyse be sure and stedfast to all the seade for if god had said whosoever will do suche or suche workes shal be saved we shuld ever haue byn iÌ„certeyn whether we shuld haue byn saved or not for we shuld never haue knowen whether we had dogood ynough to haue deserved the lyfe eternall But nowe god hath promysed it vnto vs bicause of oure faith by hys favoure not by oure workes to thintent that we be the more sure therof For let vs beleve stedfastly and we may knowe for certeyn that we be the childreÌ„ of god Not that we haue deserved it but bycause he hath promysed it And it must nedes be that the word of god be true for this cause if we haue perfeit trust in god and beleve perfeitly in him we shal be sure that we shal be saved It was suche a feith that saint Paule had when he seid 2. Ti. â— I knowe and am sure that he to whome I haue coÌ„mitted and gyven my gage to kepe ys mighty ynough to kepe it for me tyll that day And ageyn I haue fought a good batayl 2. Ti. 4. I haue fulfilled my course and haue kept the faith from hensforth is leyd vp for me a crowne of rightuousnesse whiche the lord that is a rightuous iudge shall give me at that day Not vnto me onely but vnto all theym whiche love hys coming 1. Ioh. 3 And saint Iohn saieth Derely beloved nowe are we the sonnes of God And yet it hath not appered whate we shal be we knew that wheÌ„ he shal appere we shal be like hiÌ„ for we shal see hiÌ„ as he is This faith had also saynt Martine at the houre of his deth when he saide vnto the devell whye art thou here thou bloudy beest thou hast nought in me the seed of Abraham shall receyve me This suertye had likewise saint Imbrose when one axed hym if he feared not the deth he answered whye shuld I feare seyng that we haue one so good a lordâ— For this cause must we love the deth and more desyre to dye aÌ„d to be with god as dyd saint Paule then to feare the deth Phi. 1 for Iesu christ is deede for vs to thintent that we shuld not feare to dye And he hath flayne the deth and hath destroyed the streynght of deth as writeth saint Paule saying 1. Cor. 15 O deth where is thy victory It is swalowed and brought to nought by victory Phi. 1 And vnto the Philippyans Christ is my life and deth is to me advauntage ¶ Howe that feith bryngeth Charyte and Charyte good workes Chaptre .viij. NOwe might one axe when I beleve certeynly that I am the childe of god that Iesu christ hath satisfied for me vnto hys hevenly father
yn the holye scripture that ys to sey we be the childern of the fayth For by the meane of oure fayth we be saved as Abraham was iustified by his fayth and hath gotten by hys fayth that all they that shall haue suche fayth may lyke wyse be iustyfyed For this cause whosoever hath not the fayth of Abraham nothing can come vnto hym of that whiche Abraham beleved That ys to say when God ys not thy hope and thy comforte when thou abydest not wyth a stedfast trust vppon God when thou art not redy to suffer and endure all thinges namely also the deth for the loue and honour of god And also to lose all that thou hast in the world thou art not the childe of Abraham For Abraham was redy to all thinges wherunto god wold send hym Suche was Iob when he sayed Iob. 13 Albeit that he kill me I will put my trust in him And the wise saieth Pro. 12 Whatsoever thing come to the rightuous let him not sorowe And saint Paâ—le saieth who shall separat vs from the love of Iesu Christ Ro .8 shall tribulacion persecucion â—werd or deth And as saint Petre saieth 1. Pet. 3. who is he that may hurte you if ye be haunters and folowers of goodnesse For all that ever comyth vnto the when thou hast this feith be it of maÌ„ or of the devell all comyth to thy proufit As saieth saint Paule vnto the Romains To theym that love God all thinges be helping and avauncement to good Ro. 8. And therfore pray we alweyes that the will of god be done For as he is not here come as he seyd him silf to do his will Mat. 6. but the will of his hevenly father So shall Iohn 5 not the good Christen desyre that hys owne will be done but the will of God And therfore shalt thou bere al thinges paciently as did Abraham with a stedfast feyth knowing surely that god will not forsake the for god is thy father and thou art his childe And it behoveth that he do with the what him pleaseth For seyng that he is all good he will nothing but thine helth None can have suche a feyth if he haue not therwith the love of god And he that hath the loue of god hath fulfilled the lawe for all the scriptures teache vs none other thing but that we loue god with all oure hartes and oure neyghbour as oure silf as it is writen in saint Mathewe Mat. 22. None is a true christen but he that hath this loue All other be rather ypochrites then Christen For all good workes which be not done by charyte and of good will are all synne byfore God as saieth saint Austyn He that doth good ageynst his will he doth evill albeit that that that he doth be good For all that I do ageynst my will I hate it And when I hate the commaundement I hate also him that hath coÌ„maunded it And as long as the parsone ys suche he may not be rightuous â–ª for none may be rightuous but he that kepeth fulfilleth the commaundementes of God by charyte and with a ioyfull hart And this is a singular grace of god And therfore may none be proude of it for he caÌ„ not haue it of him silf So hath a man nothing of him silf wherwith he may exalt him silf For without God can we do nothing Iohn 15 As Christ him silf sayeth wit out me caÌ„ ye do nothing No not ones haue of your silf one good thought as sayeth saint Paule 1. Cor. 4 whate hast thou that thou hast nor receyved wherfore there is no wey more sure to come to everlasting life then to humble him silf byfore God and to pray hym humbly of mercy nothing trusting in hys good workes but with a ferme trust forsaking him silf to knowlege alweyes to god his imperfection For we can come to nothing by oure good workes if we put eny trust in theym For they are nothing eis but sinne and stinking byfore God when God helpeth vs not by hys grace Esai 64 As saieth the prophete Esaie We are all made vnclene and all oure iustice is as yt were a clothe of a womaÌ„ that suffreth the fluxe of bloude And therfore I can never merveyle ynough that many of the religyous parsones wolde make other parttakers of thyre good workes by bretheryeldes and fraternytees seyng that Christ saieth yn the Gospell After that ye haue done all that to you ys commaunded say ye we be vnproufitable servauntes we haue done but oure duetye For none can do to moche None doth more then he ys bound to do but onely Iesu Christ whyche 1. Pet. 2. onely as sayeth Saynt Petre the apostle yn his .ij. epistle Never dyd synne nether was there deceyte found yn hys mouth hath done that he was not bound to do And as sayeth the Prophete Esaye hath taken vppon hum all oure languores Csa 53 And all oure sorowes dyd he beare he was wounded for oure inyquytees he was beten for oure offences and by hys strype spottes were we made hole His iustice was onely parfait iustice for he hath done that he was not bouÌ„d to do But we of our silves wheÌ„ we do our best yet can not oure iustice be parfeyt when after oure advice we do more then we are bounde to do yet be we vnrightuous and if we will be rightuous so must goddes rightuousnes make vs rightuous for as sayeth saint Paâ—le Christ of god to vs is made wisdome iustice sanctificacyon and redempcion to thintent that as it is wryten He that reiâ—yseth shuld reioyce in the lord 1. Cor. 1 Saint Paule also teacheth vs yn all his epistles that Iesus Christ is oure iustice and that by him we shal be saved aÌ„d by none other Nowe seest thou well that none can do to moche For of him silf none can do ynough and that we must take oure comfort of the satisfaction of Iesus Christ. Then whye will some sell vnto vs they re merytes aud good workes and make vs parttakers of theym And if it be not that suche ypochristes forsake they re trusting vppon there good workes and that they lerne for to trust vppon the iustice aÌ„d satisfaction of Christ they theym sylves shall never be saved For the Pharesey had done many good workes but bycause that he stode well yn hys owne conceyte gloryfyed and bosted hym sylf therof therfore he was forsaken of God ¶ In whate thing lyeth the Christendome Chaptre .xiiij. TKen lyeth the verey Christianyte in this thing that thou do all thing that Charyte proceding from thy faith iudgeth to be agreable vnto god And wheÌ„ thou hast all done with the lest evill that thou canst that thou iudge thy silfe yet an vnproufitable servaunt and that by all thy good workes thou hast yet deserved nothing or yf there be eny thing well done that it apartayneth to god albeit that by his goodnesse he will
these thinges in they re wayes and theire soules haue takeÌ„ pleasure in theire abhommacions wherfore I will also reherce they re illusions and deceites And I will bring vnto theym the thinges that they feared bicâ—use I haue called and there was none that answered I haue spoken and they haue not herd Thinke well on these wordes you all that make suche estimacion of your Ceremonies festes oblacions sensinges and all other outward workes for albeit that ye will sey that all these wordes be spoken of Iâ—es that abode obstinate in the lawe of Moyses shall they not ye ought they not Likewise to be vnderstond of all theym that folowe the Iâ—es in suche rites As do all they that thinke to do grete pleasure to god by they re ceremonies sumptuous bildinges singinges pleying at the organs sensinges diversitees of abites and a thousand other dreames whiche thinges may be done by any envious parson proude parsonye verely also by a murtherer or a theâ—e as well as by a verey christen But to love god with good hert to recognise his imperfection to pray for his enemies to socoure by verey loue his christen brother to â—ere paciently and with a ioyfull hart all that god sendeth these thinges can none do but he that is all holly given vnto god They that be suche be onely verey religious byfore god For onely suche do fulfill there rule For they do observe it and kepe it ioyfully and with a will fre good But otherwyse when one doth all by constreynt and tediousnesse it is but a small comfort But that there be nowe so fewe religious having the verey feling of the sprite this is for none other cause but as I haue seid bifore forbicause that they eÌ„tre not with suche a courage entent as they shuld do and that they be not enstructed as it aperteyneth Therfore whosoever will entre yntâ— religion let him be ware aboue all thinges that he entre not vppon thintencion to deserve the kingdome of heven by his watchinges fastinges abstinences prayers singinges redinges and other thinges lyke For if thintent be suche he trusteth yn hys workes and becometh an ypochrite And the more he doth of suche workes the more great ypochriste he becomyth And so abideth he alweyes a merchaunte with god for he serveth for wages But if thou wilt entre into religion thou must do it for the love of God bicause god hath made vs his children for to thanke him ageyn and to fle the synne whiche reyneth emong the worldly For he that doeth thus he thinketh that he can never do service ynough vnto god for that he hath receyved alredy for loue knoweth no measure He laboureth not for to get the eternall lyfe as the merchaunt for his wages but onely to give thankes of the goodnesse that god hath done vnto him alredy bycause that he beleveth and knoweth of trouth that he is the childe of God and his heyre And therfore when eny hath the feith wherof we haue bifore spoken he is to be praysed that by thankfulnesse doth separate him silf from the worlde for to fle the daungyers therof For the worlde hath a thousand occasyons to synne principally for yong people Wherfore this is not a thing to be dispraysed that a parson yelde him in a good religion to amend his lyfe But if one fynde nowe in the Monasteryes more debates drinkinges banquettes pompes hatred envye and ypochrysye then in the worlde it were moche better to abyde out ye or if one be entred to voyde out rather then to lerne there to haunt suche life For one must go thider to amend his life not to waxe worse But thou mayst saye I haue made profession and promesse I must abide I haue seid bifore that none is bounde to holde ye that none ought to hold eny promyse that is contrary vnto his helth Herken to this that saint Paule sayeth 2. Tessa 3 We commaunde you bretheren by the name of Iesu Christ that ye withdrawe your silves from every brother that walketh inordinatly and not after the institucion whiche ye receyved of vs. And ageyn If he that is called a brother emong you be a fornicatour or covitous or a worshippper of images 1. Cor. 5 or a rayler or a dronkard or an extorcyonar wyth hym that ys suche see that ye eate not And in an other place God hath not called vs to lyve in strife and discencion but in peace and love ¶ Osparentes that will put they re children into religion Chaptre .xix. HEre must we warne the parentes that they be ware to put theire children into religion without advice whiche they do often bicause they seche more they re owne proufit then the helth of they re children For some do it bicause they haue many children and to thintent that they may mary the other the more richely they put one or .ij. hauing some bodily imperfection into religioÌ„ Some also do it to haue honour by they re children bicause they be made monkes prestes or prelates Other do it by hope to be holpe and socoured of they re children Behold howe that by suche meanes there be so fewe that entre into relygyon with suche intâ—ncion as I haue seid aboue Hit is not to be preysed but gretely to be dispreysed when by suche occasion eny entreth into religion Therfore shulde the parentes se first whether they re children were enclyned therunto or not and whether they dyd desire it or notâ— and for whate cause they desired it for if they be not enclined therunto whye wilt thou lese theÌ„ as though none mought be saved yn the worlde Howe dyd men bifore that monkes came into the world And why were not thappostles moÌ„kes Ye why were ye not monkes your silves that wolde so haue your children God as sayeth Saint Paule the apostle loketh on no mannes parson whether he be monke or seculer man or woman nobill or ignobill But he onely is agreabill vnto God that loveth him with all his hert be he housholder or preste religious or lay yt ys all one to him And as Saynt Peter saieth in thactes of thappostles Acto 10 There is no respect of parsones bifore God And in these thinges are manye tymes moche giltye the religious that with fayre wordes drawe yought vnto they re cloysters Some tymes the children theym silves because when they se the religyous syng rede pray watche knele avale they re hedes and do suche lyke thynges they esteme that to do suche thinges ys an holy life And get a will to do likewise And when they haue byn there a yere they repent that ever they there entred for they haue not the sprite that may comfort theym and to avoyde they are asshamed and so make they re profession ageynst theire will And even as they began with a cold courage so abode they comunely cold and chaunged fâ—om god Wherfore it were well done to absteyne him silfe from making of suche
and the man without For suche a life is moche plesaunt vnto god as it is wryten in Ecclesâ—astes in this maner In thre hath my sprite had pleasure whiche are approved bifore god and man Eccle. â—5 The concord of bretheren the love of thy neyghboure and the man and wife well agreing togither emong theym silves Suche a life in mariage is pleasaunt vnto god for he hym silf did institute mariage in paradise The man shall alweyes attribute somewhate vnto the woman for she is a frayle vessell They shall live sumtyme also in chastite with one purpose and accord to thintent they may fast and pray It is also alweyes best that in mariage the like take the like For if a poore maÌ„ take a riche or nobill woman she wold be the hede and that is ageynst the teaching of saint Paule And if the poore maydon take a riche and nobill husbond she is not felowe to hâ—m norlsady of the house but a servaunt for he knowelegith her not for his wife but holdeth her as his servaunt and drugge And this is like wise ageynst the theching of saint Paule For by suche meane the woman hath not gotten an husbond but a tyraunt and a violent lord Nether was Eve made of the fete of Adam but of his syde Neverthelesse when the riche is ioyned in maryage with the poore and love well the one the other after such maner as I have seyd so that the man be alweyes the hede and that he dispyse not his wife it is a christen life be they riche or poore nobill or vnnoble For in this mater the will of god is more to be considered then povertye or richesse ¶ Howe the parentes shall teache and governe they re children after the Gospell Chaptre .xxiij. NOthing in all Christendome ys so necessary as to teache and governe the children as it apperteyneth For for defaâ—te of governaunce of theym comyth all evilles into the worlde And oftymes it is the faute of the parentes that the childreÌ„ be nought bicause that they kepe not them silves froÌ„ gyving theym evill ensample whiche is a grete and daungerous sinne This is the cause of the moste part of the synnes that be done in the worlde wherfore it behoveth that the parentes take good hede that they governe they re children well and â—rafiely from the begynnyng of they re yought â–ª For heryn may they do service moche acceptable vnto God Then first â–ª shall the parentes do they re diligence to make they re children to lerne good maners And for to kepe theym from stameryng lysping and pronounsyng they re wordes by half whiche vyce comyth oftymes by they re nouryces whiche speke so to the children and whiche speche those children lerne and folowe And this that they lerne so yn youth can they scarcely leve Ye must also take good hede that no body make theym a frayed of eny thyng yn they re yought For they be sumtyme ferefull all theyr lyfe after And when they become to thage of .vi. or .vij. yeres at the vttermost let one send theym to the scole to some good man that feareth God They re parentes shall often enstruct theym of God howe that Iesus Chryst verey god and verey man died for vs on the crosse and howe that we shall haue another better life after this life here and howe that god hath made and created all thinges and that all that is in the worlde belongeth to him and howe that he lendeth it vs for to lyve with all and to vse it well And howe that it is he that nourissheth and entreteyneth vs And how that we must trust and stikke vppon him and that he will kepe vs well from all evilles And so shall they enstruct theym by lytell and lytell vnto the fâ—ith and trust in God And howe that God ys they re father and they hys â—hyldren as we have shewed bifore Wherfore is moche to be playned the evell custume that is emong the Christen that they ronne into so ferre contreyes on pilgremages and leve they re children and meynye at home without hede and governour It were a thousand tymes better that they abode at home and lerned they re children in the lawes of god For God requyreth not that we shulde go on pilgremages he never commaunded nor preâ—sed theym for it is nothing but all incredulite and lakke of feith that maketh vs to ronne here and there and to â—â—che God in one certeyn place whiche is like mighty in all places But god hath commaunded al his people to governe and teache they re children and they re maynye as writeth saynt Paule vnto Tymoâ—he saying 1. Tim. 5 If eny one take not charge and care for his owne aÌ„d principally for his manye he hath renyed the feith and is worse then an infidele or paynyme Who is he that wold not treÌ„ble hering these wordes of this holy apostell O ye fathers mothers masters mastresses take these wordes into your hartes for it is grete perill to be worse then a paynime and to renye the feith Take good hede what servauntes ye take into your house For your children oftymes will become like vnto theym Take also good hede that your manye tel no vile taâ—es singe no vile songes nor speke no foule wordes for that doth moche corrupt the children ye must also be ware that ye do not aray or clothe your childreÌ„ pompously to flater theym or to make to moche of theym shewing theym to moche folisshe loue For when ye gyve theym to moche of the brydell ye can not afterward chastise or reprove theym It is expedient also that ye take hede that ye clothe not your silves to sumptuously for if the parentes do it It proufiteth nothing to kepe the children from it For the children will lerne it of theym silves by the evill ensample of they re parentes For when they see they re â–ª parentes do it they thinke it is no sinne notwithstonding that they re comyth of hit grete sinne and moche evill Let not your childe â—onne where he will but knowe alwey where he is and who is with him or in his cuâ—â—pany and whate thing he doth Se that your childe hanut honest games I say not rythe or nobill games but of good maners and that they be therto well instructed Suffer not your children to go to weddinges or banquettes for nowe a dayes one can lerne nothing there but rybaâ—drye aÌ„d foule wordes For if it be so that thou wilt nat suffer thy childe to come ynto a place where he may be in daunger to take hurt of his body How mâ—che more art thou bounde to kepe hym from comyng there where he shuld flee or hurt his soule Thou sendest him to the weddinges where thou knowest well as the worlde goeth nowe a dayes that it is likely that he shal be hurt in his soule by hering of suche wordes that he shall with grete difficultye be made hole and yet thou
bifore seyde Fourthly all they that be not yet christen belong vnto the kingdome of the worlde and be vnder the lawe In this nombre are all the evill christen whiche seke nought elles but all worldly pleasure and are called christen but they are not so Seyng then that there be so fewe good Christen and so many evill people god hath gyven vnto the same evill out of the Christen astate and out of his kingdome an other regyment and governaunce and hath put theym vnder the swerde that is to sey vnder the seculer power and cyvill ryght to thintent that they may not accoÌ„plisshe they re malice when they wolde As a myschevous wylde best is tyed with chaynes and bondes that he may nether bite nor stryke after his nature albeit that he wolde saine accoÌ„plisshe hys evel nature whiche is not nedefull vnto a gentill tame best for without the cheynes and without bondes he doth noue evill to no man If it were not thus bicause that there be many mâ— evill persones yn the worlde theÌ„ good aÌ„d that the good do not resist evill the one wolde devoure and put the other to destruction yn suche facyon that none shulde be abill to kepe nether wife nor children nether yet be abill to maynteyn hym silf And by suche meane shulde the worlde yn contynuaunce become wast aÌ„d with out inhabitauntes For this cause hath god ordyned these .ij. governemeÌ„tes The spirituall the whiche maketh christen and good persones by the holy gost vnder the king of that kingdome Iesus christ And the seculer gouernaunce the whiche â—â—ostreyneth the evell parsones to kepe outward peace and to be tame ageynst they re will Rom. Thus teacheth vs saint Paule to vnderstond the swerd and seculer instice saying the prynces are not to be feared to theym that be good but vnto theym that be evill Nowe if eny man wold governe the world that is to sey the evill only after the gospell and cause to cease all worldly lawe and iustice saying that they are baptised and christen to whome the swerde of iustice nedeth not Unto theym may be answered Hit is of a truth that the true christen haue no nede of ryght nor of the swerde for they re iustifying But do your dyligence to fulfill the worlde with true christen bifore that you governe theym christenly aÌ„d after the gospell whiche shal be verey hard for you to do For the worlde is all gyven to synne and starcely can they abide good christen They are not all christen that are baptised and called christen Therfore it is not possible vnto the worlde to observe and kepe a comon christen governaunce namely also yn the iuddes of a grete comonte for the evill are alweys more yn nombre then the good feithfull For this cause to governe a cuntrey after the gospell without the swerde of iustice is as though a man wolde put togyther yn a stable heries wolves lyons shepe and other lyke and to suffre all these bestes to be conversaunt togyther the one with the other howe long I pray you shuld they haue peace to gyther the one with the other Ye howe long shuld the poore shepe lyve we therfore must nedes haue here bothe these governementes The spirituall or evaâ—gelye all bicause it iustifieth aÌ„d bryngeth helth The other bicause it entreteyneth and holdeth peace The one is not sufficient in the worlde without the other For without the spirituall governement of Iesus christ can none be saved nor iustified bifore god by the worldly regyment So may ye perceyve that the rule or governemeÌ„t of christ hath not lordship over all persones For the true christeÌ„ be alweys lesse yn nombre aÌ„d be yn the middes among the not christen as a rose emong the thornes Then where as the worldly governaunce reyneth every where alone there can be none other thiÌ„g but ypocrysye For without having the holy goost yn the hert can none be made ryghtuous nor saved Lykewyse where the spirituall governaunce reyneth every where alone there is perversite vnbrydeled aÌ„d vnbound redy for to accoÌ„plisshe all malice for the worlde caÌ„ not vnderstoÌ„d the spirituall governaunce bicause that it fyghteth onely by the swerde of the spryte whiche is the worde of god And vseth none other swerde Nowe seest thou well whate the wordes of onre savioure christ meane whiche we haue recyted bifore where he sayeth that the christeÌ„ shall drawe nomaÌ„ yn to iustice and that they shall not resist evill He speketh that onely of hys dere christeÌ„ the whiche alone take it ynto they re hartes aÌ„d also do it alone for so are thy enolyned aÌ„d disposed by vertue of the holy gost workiÌ„g yn they re hartes that they do harme to nomaÌ„ but suffer williÌ„gliÌ„ evell wrong of every maÌ„ Then if all the worlde were suche christeÌ„ all persones wolde kepe egally this peassible coÌ„maâ—n demeÌ„tes all thing wold they do accordiÌ„g theruÌ„to But nowe because thy be not christen the word of god entreth not ynto they re hertes nor they do not according ther vnto and therfore they apperteyne vnto the other seculer governaunce wher by the not christen be constreyned to kepe peace outwardly and to do none evill For this cause hath not Iesus christ â—orne the swerde nor ordined it yn hys spirituall kingdome for he is king over all the true christen ad governeth without swerde and without ony outward lawe onely by the holy goost working inwardly yn the hert of man And albeit that god hath ordeâ—ned the seculer swerde for the correction of the evill yet he hath not vsed it for iâ— belongeth not vnto hys kingdome yn the whiche kingdome there are none but suche as be good aÌ„d iust And for this cause mought not david bilde the tempel of god bicause he had shed moche blode aÌ„d vsed the swerde not that he had done evill or vnryghtuousnesse but bicause he myght not yn this thing be a figure of Ephe. 5. Christ whiche shuld haue a kingdome peasible and without swerde But god commaunded to solomon whiche had a peasible kingdome to bilde the temple for Salomon is as moche to saye as peasible by the whiche kingdome of the verey Salomon Iesu christ mought be figured and signified Moreover yn all the edificatioÌ„ of the temple of god was never herd stroke of Iron nor of hamer nor of Axe nor king 6. of none other lyke thing as it is writen yn the therd boke of kinges yn the .vi. chaptre All these thinges here sigrufied that Iesus Christ shulde haue yn his kingdome a people willing to serve hym without constreynt without commaundementes without swerde Esa. 1â— This was also bifore prophesied by Esaie saying They shall not hurt and shall not sle yn all my holy mountaigne Asâ—o yn his secunde chapitre They shall tourne they re swordes ynto cultres and they re speres ynto sythes The one shall not lyst vp a swerde ageiÌ„st the other and they shal be
subiectes for therof they shall yeld a streyte accompt bifore God ¶ Of men of warre and of the warre whether the Christen may warre without synne an informacyon after the Gospell Chaptre .xxix. THe men of warre haue nothing in the gospell for the gospell knoweth no meÌ„ of warre nor the warre but onely peace Albeit that many doctoures sey that the men of warre is a thing resonable good bicause of the wordes of saint Iohn baptist who as writeth saint Luke in the gospell answered vnto the men of warre axâ—ing him whate thing they shulde do to be saved that they shuld hurte nomaÌ„ but shulde be contented with theire wages By these wordes will the doctours and Theologyens saye that the men of warre may warre pill and do evill without synne But they vnderstond not the wordes of saint Iohn ye must vnderstond that the teching of saint Iohn brought noman vnto full perfectioÌ„ It did but onely make redy the hert of man vnto god and vnto the teaching oâ— Iesu christ He rebuked the most grettesâ— euilles by his preaching He did but onely teche the beginning of rightuousnesse aâ— though he wolde haue seyed If I shuld all arâ—once forbid you to warre ye mighâ— not yet for your wekenesse suffer it â— nor yeâ— might not leveâ—t all sodeynly But beginne first to â—eue the most grettest evill as to do hurt and outrage vnto other as to burne to kill to pill and so forth And be alweyes content with your wages So was saint Iohn Baptist none other thing but as a man that abateth and cutteth of from a pece of timber the most gretest knotres He doth it not to thintent that it shulde abide so But wheÌ„ the knottes and warres be cut of then comith a better master carpenter that planeth it maketh it more smothe with a large fine rabot Likewise did saint Iohn by his preaching he did but onely abate and cut of the grete knottes that is to sey the grete sinnes And yet they were not clene taken away â—nd cut of till an other better master workman came after and â—ut them of with his fine rabot And therfore was he nothing els but a voyte crying in the deserte whiche cryed Esa. 40 Make redy the wey of the lorde make â—â—reyght his fete pathes He was not the light as saieth saint Iohn the Evaungelist He coude not pardone oure sinnes for he was not Christ. Iohn 1 He was but onely a voyce a foregoar and a shewer whiche made redy the wey ageinst the coming of Christ. And for this cause did Saint Iohn sende his disciples to Iesu Christ when he shulde die to thintent that they might lerne the full perfection of him For he had but onely made them redy for to come vnto christ for this cause reason it is al manifest that saint Iohn hath not preised the warre by these wordes but hath rather forboden it As teacheth all the gospell for as it is a thing evill agreing that the hoÌ„de fight ageinst the hede So is it a thing as evell agreing and grete sinne that one Christen warre ageinst the other Ro. 12 For we are all bretheren and membres of one body the body is Christe whiche in all his life preached peace and concorde to all theim that he taught Saynt Iohn in his fyrst epistle saieth 1. Ioh. 4 He that hateth his brother is an homicide We may hate noman we must love oure enemyes we must pray for theym and do good vnto theym that persecute vs. How can it then be possible after the gospell that we may warre without sinne wherin so many people lose they re livis and wherby so many parsones come to wildenesse ryot and evill life There be textes in the canon lawe that suffre some warres But the reehing of Christ forbiddeth all warres It is a thing horrible and daungerous for body and soule to enterpryse move a warre For all malice reyneth in tyme of warre Neverthelesse when a cuntrey is invaded or a towne beseged wheÌ„ the comon peace is troubled and grete violence is done vnto the subiectes the lord of that cuntrey ys bounde by brotherly love to helpe hys subiectes and to defende theym to punysshe the evyll and to put hys lyfe yn ieoperdy for hys subiectes But he must alweyes beware that he do it not to revenge his owne wronge or for to enlarge his londe and lordship but onely to defende his subiectes And so may he vse the horrible businesse of the warre charitably and christenly But if it were possible to agre for golde or silver he is bounde to do it For the life of a chrilren is more worth then all the richesse of the worlde A lorde shall thinke alweyes that there is a king aboue him in heve bifore who me all parsones shall yeld accompte at the last day of iugement ye of the lest workes and thoughtes that he shall do be he king or Emperour 〈…〉 nobill or ignoble yong or olde We rede that the people of Israell did warre many tymes but theire warres were 1. Co. 10 but all figures As saieth saint Paule wherfore it betokeneth to vs that we shal likewise fight not the one ageynst the other but ageynst oure silves that is to sey ageynst oure synnes ageynst pryde wrath covitize lechery hatred envye and suche other ¶ Howe servauntes shulde lyve a doctrine after the Gospell Chaptre .xxx. SErvauntes that serve theyr lordes mastres ladyes and mastresses shal be true vnto theym as vnto theym silves and shall alweyes do the proufit of they re lordes and mastres as though it touched theym silves They shall nor do they re service onely for temporall rewardes For thou mayst by the service that thou doest vnto thy master please god as wele as though thou were no servaunt and as though thou were in the churche â—prayng on thy knees Therfore thou shalt do thy service by faith and love in god thus thinking in thy silf Behold dere lorde God I thanke the that thou hast not made me riche I am well content with the state that I am yn I will with a good wilâ— for the love of the serve all the worlde And I thanke the that thou hast made me worthy to suffereny thing for thy love and that I may in this worlde be one of the lest and leâ—t estemed when thou serveâ—â— thy lorde in suche a faith with a good will thou receivest not onely the rewarde or wages of men towhome thou servest bnt that more is of God Therfore thou shalt do thy laboure diligently and ioyfully not as though thou didest sarve a man but as though thou didest serve God as truely thou doest For so doeth saint Paul teche the writing to the Ephesians where he saieth Ephe. Servauntes obey vnto youre carnall mastres with feare and trembling in ynnocency of your hartes as vnto Iesu christ not with service in the yie â—ight as men pleasers but as the servauntes