the deuyll and from his power and tyranny so that he shuld not by his malyce and gyles intice vs and draw vs into synne wherby we myghte fynally be broughte vnto euerlastynge damnation From the whiche also we pray here to be delyuered ¶ The salutation of the angell to the blessed virgine Mary HAyle Mary full of grace / the lorde is with the blessed arte thou emonge women And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe FOr the better vnderstanding of this salutation of the angel made to the blessed virgine Mary ye shall fyrst consyder how it was decreed of the hole trinitie That after the falle of our firste father Adam by which mankinde was so long in the great indignation of god and exiled out of heauen the seconde person the euerlastynge sōnne of the father euerlastyng shulde take vppon him the nature of mā and so as he was perfect god shuld be perfect man to redeme mankynd from the power of the deuill Luc. i. and to reconcile the same again to his lord god And for this purpose as saint Luce in his gospel declareth in the .vi. moneth after saint Elizabeth was conceiued with saint Iohn the Baptist the aungell Gabriel was sent from god into a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin which was despoused or ensured to a mā whose name was Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the virgines name was Mary And whan this angell came vnto this said virgin he said these wordes Hayle ful of grace the lord is with the blessed art thou emong women And whan the virgine hearing these wordes was troubled with theym and mused with her selfe what maner of salutation ti shuld be The angell sayd to her Feare not Mary be not abasshed for thou haste founde fauour in the syght of god Lo thou shalte conceyue in thy wombe and shalte bryng forthe a sonne and thou shalt call his name IESVS he shall be great and shall be called the sonne of the hyghest And the lorde god shall gyue vnto hym the seat of Dauid his father And he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer And his kyngdome shal haue no ende Than sayd Mary to the aungelle Howe can this be done for I haue not knowlege of man And the aungelle answerynge saide vnto her The holy gost shall come from aboue in to the and the power of the hyghest shall ouershadowe the. And therfore that holy one that shal be borne of the shall be called the sonne of god And lo thy cousyn Elyzabeth hathe also conceyued a sonne in her olde age and this is the syxte moneth sythe she conceyued whiche was called the bareyn woman for there is nothyng vnpossible to god To this Mary answered Lo I am the handmayde of our lorde be it done vnto me as thou hast spoken And than forthwith vpon the departure of the angell Mary beyng newly conceyued with the most blessed childe IESVS went vp into the mountaynes with speede in to a citie of Iuda and came to the house of Zacharye and saluted Elyzabeth And as soone as Elyzabeth hearde the salutation of Mary the chylde sprange in her wombe and furthwith Elyzabeth was replenyshed with the holy goste and cried with a greate voyce and sayde Blessed arte thou emonge women and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe And wherof cometh this that the mother of my lorde commeth to me For lo as soone as the voyce of thy salutation was in my eares the chylde in my wombe lept for ioy And blessed arte thou that dyddest beleeue for all thynges that haue ben spoken to the from our lorde shall be performed Secondly it is to be noted that the angel Gabriell which spake to the virgine was an high angel and an high messanger And truely it was conuenient that he shoulde be so for he came with the highest message that euer was sente whiche was the entreaty and leage of peace betweene god and man And therfore the fyrst word of his salutation that is to ssye Hayle or be ioyfull was very conuenient for the same For he came with the message of ioy and so sayde the other aungell whiche at the byrth of our sauiour appered to the shepherdes Luc. ii I shewe to you said he great ioye that shall be to all the people And surely consyderyng the effectes that ensued vpon his highe message all mankynde hadde great cause to ioy For man beinge in the indignation and displeasure of god was hereby reconciled Man beinge in the bondes of the deuyll was hereby delyuered Man beinge exiled and banyshed out of heauen was hereby restored thither againe These be suche matters of ioy and comforte to vs that there neuer was or shall be nor can be any lyke And not onely for this purpose he began with this high worde of comforte but also for he perceyued that the virgine being alone wolde be moche abashed and astonied at his maruailous and sodeine commyng vnto her And therfore he thought it expedient fyrst of all to vtter the worde of ioye and comfort whiche might put away all feare from the blessed virgine And he called her Full of grace by god endued so plentuously bycause she shulde conceyue and beare hym that was the very plenytude and fulnes of grace the lorde of grace by whom is all grace without whome is no grace And this is the syngular grace by which she is called not only the mother of man but also the mother of god Thirdly by these wordes The lord is with the is declared why the angell called her full of grace for surely our lorde is not with them that be not in grace nor tarieth with them that be voyd of grace and be in synne For there is a separation and dyuorce betwene the synfull soule and our lord as the wyse man saythe 〈…〉 Peruerse thoughtes make a separation and a diuorce from god Fourthly by these wordes Blessed arte thou emonge women was ment that there was neuer woman so blessed And truely she may wel be called so moste blessed emong all women for she had greate and high prerogatiues whiche none other woman euer had hathe or shall haue Is not this an high prerogatiue that of all women she was chosen to be mother to the sonne of god And what excellent honour was she put to whan not withstandinge the decree was made of his natiuitie by the hole trinitie yet the thyng was not done and accomplished without or before her consent was granted For the whiche so solemne a messanger was sent And also howe highe grace was this that after the defaute made through the perswasion of the firste woman our mother Eue by whom Adam was brought into disobedience this blessed virgin was electe to be the instrument of our reparation in that she was chosen to beare the sauiour redemer of the world And is not this a wonderfull prerogatiue to see a virgine to be a mother conceyue her chylde without synne we may worthily say
iugement whan Christ shall come as in the seuēth article of this Crede is conteyned and syt to iudge both quycke and dead almighty god shall stirre and raise vp againe the very fleshe and bodies of all men women and children bothe good and bad christened heathen that euer lyued here in this world from the beginning of the same and died before that day And althoughe the sayd fleshe and bodies were dead and buryed yea and consumed or by any meanes destroyed yet god shall of his infinite power make them all at that daye hole and perfite again And so euery man generally shal resume and take againe the verye selfe same body and fleshe whiche he had whiles he liued here on earthe and so shall ryse from deathe lyue againe in the very selfe same body and soule which he had before At whiche tyme man beyng thus made perfit in coniunction of body and soule shall at that day appere before the highe iudge our sauiour IESV CHRIST and there shall make an accompte of his workes and his dedes suche as he dyd good or euyll while he liued here in this worlde And suche as haue ledde theyr liues in obedience and obseruation of goddis commandementes and die in true faith and charitie shal than be perfitely sanctified purified and deliuered from al contagion of sinne and from all corruption and mortalitie of the flesh and shall be perpetually glorified receyue bothe in body and soule together euerlastyng lyfe Whiche lyfe euerlastynge thoughe it passeth al mennes wittes to expresse how pleasant and ioyful it is nor yet mannes capacitie can compryse and vnderstande the same as saynte Paule wytnesseth saieng That which the eie hath not sene nor the eare hath not herde nor hath not entred in to mans harte i. Cor. ◠God hath ordeyned for them that loue him Yet holy scripture speketh of it after our capacitie and intelligence but farre vnder the worthynes and excellency therof The prophet Esaie saith Esa xxxv Euerlasting gladnes shall be ouer their heades they shall haue ioy and gladnes sorowe wayling shall forsake them Apoc. vii And saynte Iohn saythe God that sytteth on his throne shall dwell ouer them They shall not hunger or thyrst any more neyther sonne nor heare shal hurte them for the lambe that is in the myddes of the throne shall feede them and brynge them to the fountaines of the water of life And god shal wipe away all wepyng and teares from theyr eyes death shall endure no longer There shall be no waylyng nor cryenge nor sorowe any more Yea there is no ioy or comfort that can be wished for but it is there most plentifully There is true glory where prayse shall be without errour or flatterye There is true honour whiche shall be giuen to none onles he be worthy There is true peace where no man shal be molested or greued neyther by hym selfe nor by others There is true and pleasant felowship where is the company of blessed angels and the elect and chosen saintes of god There is true and perfecte loue that neuer shall fayle For all the heauenly company is linked and fastened together by the bond of perfecte charitie wherby also they be vnyted and knytte to almyghty god euerlastyngly Fynally there is the true rewarde of al godlynesse God hym selfe The syghte and fruition of whom is the ende and rewarde of all our beliefe and all our good workes and of all those thinges whiche were purchased for vs by CHRISTE he shall be our sacietie our fulnesse and desyre he shal be our life our helth our glory our honour our peace our euerlasting reste and ioye He is the ende of all our desyres whom we shall see continually whom we shall loue moste feruently whom we shall prayse and magnify world with out ende ¶ The sacrament of Baptisme AS touchyng the holy sacrament of Baptisme it is to be noted Fyrst that this sacrament was instituted and ordeyned by our sauiour IESV CHRISTE in the newe testament as it doth appeere by Christis owne wordes vnto his apostles where he sayeth Go ye abrode through out all the world Math. xxviii and preache the gospel vnto al people and baptise them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy goste Furthermore that the effecte and vertue of this sacramente is forgyuenes of synne and grace of the holy goste as is manifestely declared in the seconde chapiter of the actes of the apostles where it is sayde Do penance and be baptised euery one of you and ye shall haue forgyuenes of synne and shall receiue the gyfte of the holy goste Whiche effecte of grace and forgyuenes of synne thys sacramente hath by vertue and force of the workyng of almighty god accordyng to his promyse annexed and conioyned vnto this sacrament as is manifestly declared by the worde of Christe sayeng who so euer beleueth and is baptised shall be saued Marc. xvi Whiche sayeng of our sauiour Christe is to be vnderstande of all suche persons which die in the grace conferred and gyuen to them in baptisme and do not fynally fall from the same by synne Moreouer bycause all men be borne synners throughe the transgression of our father Adam in whom as the apostle sayeth Rom. v. All haue synned and can not be saued without remission of their synne whiche is gyuen in baptisme by the workyng of the holy gost Therfore the sacrament of baptisme is necessary for the atteyning of saluation and euerlasting lyfe Iohn iiii accordinge to the wordes of Christe sayinge No man can entre into the kyngedome of god excepte he be borne agayne of water and the holy gooste For whiche causes also it is offered and pertayneth to all men not onely such as haue the vse of reason in whom the same duely receyued taketh awaye and purgeth all kynde of synnes both originall and actuall commytted and done before theyr baptisme but also it apperteyneth and is offered vnto infantes whiche bicause they be borne in original synne haue nede and ought to be christened Wherby they being offred in the faith of the churche receyue forgiuenes of their synne and suche grace of the holy goste that if they dye in the state of theyr infancye they shall therby vndoutedly be saued ¶ And here we must knowe that as touchynge originall synne in infantes lyke as they take of theyr parentes theyr originall and naturall qualities euen so they receiue from them original sinne by whiche they are made the children of they re of god and by the same haue a naturall inclination to synne by lustes and desires whiche in further age and tyme sensibly moue and styrre them to wickednes For although the parentes be neuer so cleane purged and pardoned of theyr origynall synne by baptisme and grace gyuen in the same◠yet neuertheles the chyldren of them begotten be conceyued and borne in original synne Example we may take of corne whiche thoughe it
bounde to loue theyr wyues euen as they loue theyr owne selfe and theyr owne bodies and euen as Christe loueth the churche his espouse He bringeth in the first institution of matrimonye as it was ordeyned by god in Paradise and alledgeth the wordes of god as they be before rehersed vpon whiche wordes the apostle inferreth and saythe This coniunction of man and woman togither in mariage wherby they are knytted vnited and made al one fleshe and one body Is the sacrament that is to saye a mystery and signification of that great and meruaylous coniunction whiche is betwene Christe and his churche For lyke as by vertue and efficacy of the fyrst institution of matrimony the husbande and the wyfe be made to be but one body wherof the husbaÌ„d is hed Euen so Christ doth knytte and vnite conglutinate and make his churche to be one body with hym wherof he is the very head By the whiche wordes of saint Paule it appereth not onely what is the vertue and efficacy of matrimony in the vnitinge and incorporatynge of two bodies in one but also that it dothe signifye this other coniuÌ„ction which is betwene Christ and his churche And that this coniunction betweene Christ and the churche is the very selfe thing whiche is signified and represented by the other coniunction of man and woman in mariage For thoughe saynt Paule vsed in this place other argumentes persuasions taken of the lawe of nature to enduce maried ê‘sons the one to loue the other saying that men naturally do loue and nourishe their owne bodies and their owne flesshe Yet he vseth this as a reason of great efficacye to persuade his purpose that is to say that all husbandes and wiues ought so to vse them selues the one to the other that their matrimony and all their workes and affections in the same myght and shuld corresponde and be coÌ„formable and like vnto that moste holy thyng whiche is signified and represented thereby that is to say vnto that spirituall coniunction whiche is betwene Christ and his espouse the churche And that therefore especially the man ought and is bound to loue his wife and the wyfe to loue and obeye her husbande in all thinges lest by doinge the contrary they shuld make their matrimony vnlike to the thing that is signified therby And thus was matrimony not onely instituted by god sanctified by his word and dignified by his lawes euen from the beginning of the world But also Christ him selfe did accept approue and allow the same in the newe testament aswel by his worde as also by his sundry workes and dedes testifienge the same In so moch that he being inuited to a certain mariage made in Cana a towne of Galile Ioan iâ— did vouchesafe not onely to come thyther there to honour the said mariage with his corporall presence and with the preseÌ„ce also of his blessed mother and his holy apostles but there he began also by tournyng of water in to wyne first to worke myracles to manyfeste his glory vnto the worlde Matt. xix And afterwarde in one other place whan the pharisees came vnto hym demanded whether a man might laufully be diuorced from his wife for euery cause Christ puttyng the said pharisees in remeÌ„brance of the first institution of matrimony sayd vnto them Haue you not red how that god whiche created all thynges in the beginning did also forme and create man and woman said these wordes Therfore the man shal leaue his father and mother and shal adhere and cleaue vnto his wyfe they shal be two in one fleshe one body Wherfore vnderstand you saith he that sith man woman conioyned in matrimony be by goddis ordinance but one fleshe and one body they shuld not afterward be separated or diuorced one from the other And vnderstande you also that it is not laufull for any man to separate and diuide those persons a sunder whiche by goddis worde and his wyl and power be conioyned togither And whan the pharisees replying thervnto sayde Why than dyd Moyses commande vs to make a lybell of diuorce and so to departe and separate our selues from our wyues Christe answered them and sayd Moises consydering the hardenes and obstynacy of your hartes dyd permyt and suffre you so to do Howe be it I say vnto you that it was not so at the beginnynge that is to say it is cleane contrary to the godly institution and naturall order of the lawes of matrimony as it was instituted by god at the beginning that any maÌ„ married shulde be diuorced from his lawfull wyfe and be set at libertie to marry And therfore I say again vnto you that who so euer doth forsake his laufull wyfe onles it be for adultery commytted by her and mary an other I say he commytteth adulterye in so doinge And lykewise what woman soo euer doth forsake her laufull husbande and marrieth an other she also committeth adultery and the man also that marrieth her offendeth in like maner These wordes of Christe euydently declare his sentence in the approbation of the instytution of matrimony made at the beginning of the worlde and that it is Christes wyll and commaundement that the people of god shulde folowe and conforme theyr doinges vnto the lawes of matrimonye than made shuld obserue the same in such purity santimony as it was fyrst ordeyned without separatioÌ„ or diuorce that vnder the peyne of damnation And here also is one thing specially to be noted that in these wordes of Christe That whiche god hath conioined man may not separate is declared the infinite benignitie and goodnes of god towardes vs in that he hathe not onely conioyned our fyrste progenitours Adam and Eue togyther in maryage wherby he gaue vnto vs the originall beginnynge of our procreation but that he dothe also euer syth that tyme continually assiste man and woman and worketh with them in this coÌ„iunction of mariage and is the very authour of all matrimonies which be laufully made betwene man and woman And therfore saint Paule saith Hebr. xiii Honorabile coniugium in omnibus thorus immaculatus that is to say Matrimony is honourable in all and the bedde vndefiled An other thyng also is to be noted that not only the act and procreation whiche els of it self were vnlawfull is by this sacrament made lawfull but also that the good bryngyng vp of chyldren borne in matrimony is so wel accepted of god that vnto it as vnto other good workes doone in faythe by grace is promysed life euerlasting accordynge to the wordes of saint Paule where he saith i. Tim. ii The woman was seduced and blynded by the serpent and soo synned dayly but she shal be saued by procreation and bringing forthe of children if the same doo perseuere and continue in faith and loue towardes god and in holynes and temperance in their actes and dedes And as this is spoken of the woman so it is also veryfied
asshes on ashwednesday doth put vs in remembrance that euery christen manne shulde considre that he is but ashes and earth and thervnto he shall retourne Bearyng of palmes on palme sonday dothe put vs in remembrance of the receiuynge of Christe in to Hierusalem a lyttell before his deathe and that we must haue the same desyre to receyue him in our hartes Crepynge to the crosse on good friday there offeryng vnto Christ before the same and kyssynge of it declareth our humble submission and thankes giuynge to Christ for our redemption whiche he hath wroughte for vs vpon the crosse And so finally the settyng vp of the sepulchre of Christe whose body after his death was buried And al other like laudable customes rites and ceremonies do put vs in remembrance of some spiritual thyng And therfore they be not to be contemned and caste away but obediently to be vsed and continued as thynges good and laudable for the purposes abouesaid The exposition of the .v. commaundement of god Honour thy father and thy mother IN this commandement / by these wordes Father and mother is vnderstande not onely the naturall father and mother whiche dyd carnally begette vs and broughte vs vp but also princes and all other gouernours rulers and pastours vnder whom we be nourished and brought vp ordred guiged And by this worde Honour in this commandement is not onely ment a reuerence and lowlines in wordes and outwarde gesture whyche chyldren and inferiours ought to exhibite vnto their parentes and superiours but also a prompt and a redy obedience to theyr lawfull commandementes a regarde to theyr wordes a forbearyng and sufferinge of them an inward loue and veneration towardes them a reuerence feare and lothenes to dysplease or offende them and a good wyll or gladnes to assiste them ayde them succour them and helpe them with theyr counsayle with their goodes and substance and by all other meanes to theyr power as hereafter is declared This is the very honour and duetie whiche not onely the chyldren do owe vnto theyr parentes but also all subiectes inferiours to theyr heades and rulers And that children owe this duetye to theyr fathers it appereth in many places of scripture in the prouerbes it is written Prou i. Obey my sonne the chastisement of thy father be not negligent in thy mothers commandementes Deu xxvi In the boke of Deutronomie it is also written Accursed be he that doth not honour his father and his mother And in the boke of Leuiticus it is sayde Leuit. xix Let euery man stande in awe of his father mother 〈◊〉 xxi And yf any man haue a stubburne and a disobedient sonne whiche wyll not heare the voyce of his father and mother and for correction wyll not amende and folowe them Than shall his father and mother take him and brynge hym to the iudge of the citie and saye This our sonne is stubburne disobedient and dispiseth our admonitioÌ„s and is a riotour and a drunkerde Than shal al the people stone him to death and thou shalt put away the euill from the that all Israell may here therof and be afrayde Exod. xxi And in the boke of Exody it is also writteÌ„ He that striketh his father or mother he shall be put to deathe And lykewise be that curseth his father or mother shall be put to death And in the boke of prouerbes Prouer. xxviii the wise man also saith He that stealeth any thyng froÌ„ his father or mother is to be taken as a murtherer And although these great punysshementes of disobedient children by death be not now in the newe lawe in force strength but lefte to the ordre of princes gouernours and their lawes yet it euidently appereth how sore god is agreued dipleased with such disobedieÌ„ce of children towardes their parentes for as moche as in the olde lawe he did appointe thervnto so greuouse punishementes And as almyghty god doth threaten these punishementes vnto those children whiche do breake this commandement so he doth promise great rewardes to them that kepe it For he that honoureth his father saythe the wyseman Eccle. iii. his synnes shall be forgyuen hym And he that honoureth his mother is as one that gathereth treasures who so euer honoureth his father shall haue ioy in his owne children and whan he maketh his prayer vnto god he is herde He that honoureth his father shall haue a long and a prosperous lyfe And as the chyldren by this commaundement be bounde to honour and obey theyr parentes accordinge as is afore expressed so it is implied in the same precepte that the parentes shulde nourysshe and godly brynge vp their chyldren that is to say that they muste not onely fynde them meate and drinke in youth and also set them forwarde in learnynge labour and some other good exercise that they maye eschue idlenes and haue some crafte or occupation or some other lauful meane to get their lyuynge but also they muste learne them to beleue and truste in god to loue him to feare him to loue their neighbours to hate no man to hurte no man to wisshe well to euery man so moch as they may do good to euery man not to curse not to sweare not to be riotous but to be sobre and temperate in al thinges not to be worldly but to set their mindes vpon the loue of god heaueÌ„ly thinges more than vpon teÌ„porall thinges of the worlde And generally to do all that is good to eschue all that is euill and this the parentes ought to do not by cruell entreatinge of theyr children wherby they might discourage them and prouoke them to hate theyr parentes but by charitable rebuking threatning and charitable chastising and correcting of them whan they do euyll and cherishynge mainteyninge and commending them whan they do well This office and duetie of the parentes towardes theyr chyldren is witnessed in many places of scripture First saint Paule writeth thus Epâ—e vi Fathers prouoke not your children vnto angre but bringe them vp in the correction and doctrine of god Deut. vi And in Deutronomy al myghty god saythe Pro. xxix Teache my lawes and commandementes to thy children And the wise man saith The rod of correction giueth wisedome The chylde that is left to his owne will Prou. xiii shal be confusion to his mother And in an other place he saith He that spareth the rod hateth his sonne and he that loueth hym will se hym corrected Pro. xxiii And in an other place he saythe Se thou withdrawe not from thy childe discipline and chastysynge if thou strike hym with the rodde he shall not die thou shalte strike him with a rodde and shalt therby deliuer his soule from hell 〈…〉 And on the other syde it is written The sonne vntaught and vnchastised is the confusion of his father And for this cause we fynde in the boke of the kinges how that our
be it by goddis grace mercy it raigneth not nor is of god accompted for synne nor is hurtful but only to them that by consent yeld vnto it It wyl neuer cesse but one way or an other it wyll euer assaut vs if we do not fight with it and resist it continually it will ouercome vs and brynge vs into bondage so that the deuyll by this our concupiscence and our consent all vice and synnes be ingendred lyke as betwene man and woman children be ingendred accordinge to the sayinge of saynte Iames where he sayth Iacob i. Concupiscence whan she doth conceyue she bringeth forth synne and that of all sortes that is to say first actes and dedes contrary to the lawes of god and after that vse and custome of the same deedes and at length blyndnes and contempt For so the wise man sayth Pro. xviii The wycked man whan he cometh to the bottome of sinne setteth nought therby but blinded with euyl custome either thinketh the sinne that he vseth to be no sinne orels if he take it for syn yet he carith not for it but either vpon vain trust of the mercy of god which is in dede no right trust but a very presumptiō he wil cōtinue stil in purpose to syn orels vpon vain hope of long lyfe he wyll prolonge differre delay to do penance for the same vntyll the last ende of his life And so ofttimes preuented with sodaine death dieth without repentance Wherfore considering how daungerous it is to fal into sinne and how harde it is to arise the chief and the best way is to resist with goddis helpe the firste suggestion vnto synne not to suffre it to preuayle with vs but as soone as may be to putte it out of our myndes For if we suffre it to tary any whyle in our hartes it is great perill lest that consent and dede wyll folowe shortly after Secondly that our sauiour Iesus Christe teacheth not vs in this syxt petition to pray vnto god our father that we shuld be clerely without al temptation but that he wol not suffre vs to be ledde into temptation that is to say that whan we be tempted he woll giue vs grace to withstand it and not suffre vs to be ouercome therwith according whervnto saint Paule saith God is true and faithful i. Cor. ii and wyll not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we maye beare but he wyl so moderate the temptation that we may susteyne ouercome it And saint Iames sayth Iacob i. Thinke that you haue a great cause to ioye whan you be troubled with diuerse temptations For the trienge of your faith bringeth pacience and pacience maketh perfect workes so that you may be perfect and sound lackynge in nothyng And almighty god also exhorteth vs and calleth vpon vs to fyght against temptations Iaco. i. saying He that getteth the victory agaynste them I shall gyue hym to eate of the tree of lyfe And againe he sayeth Apo. ii He that ouercometh them shall not be burte with the seconde deathe And saynte Paule saith ii Tim. ii No man shall be crowned excepte be fight laufully that is to say excepte he defende him selfe and resist his enemies at all pointes to his power And our sauiour giueth vs a good courage to fyght in this battaile Iohn xvi where he saieth Be of good comforte for I haue ouercome the world that is to say I haue had the victory of all synnes and temptations and so shall you haue if the faute be not in your selues For ye fyght with an aduersary whiche is already vanquyshed and ouercome The seuenth petition But delyuer vs from euyll IT is firste to be noted that lyke as in the syxte petition Christe taught vs to desyre of our heauenly father that we shuld not be ouercome with temptation ne broughte into synne so nowe in this seuenth and laste petition he teacheth vs to pray hym that if by frailenes we fall in to the captiuitie of the deuyll by synne he wyll soone delyuer vs from it not to lette vs contynue in it not to lette it take roote in vs not to suffre synne to raigne vpon vs but to delyuer vs free from it Synne is the exceding euyll from the whiche in this petytion we desyre to be delyuered And though in this petitō be also cōprehended all euils in the worlde as syckenes pouertie derth with other lyke aduersities yet chiefly it is to be vnderstande of synne whiche onely of it selfe is euyl and ought euer without condition to be eschued And as for other aduersyties neither we can ne ought to refuse whan god shall sende them neither we ought to pray for the eschuyng of them otherwyse than with this condition yf goddis pleasure so be Many thynges we suffre in this worlde and take theym for euyll but they be not euyll of them selfe All affections dyseases punysshementes and tormentes of the bodye all the troubles of this worlde and all aduersities be good and necessarye instrumentes of god for our saluation For god hym selfe who can not saye other than truthe sayeth Those that I loue I chastise Apoc i◠Hebr. xii And agayne the apostle sayeth He receyueth none but whom he scourgeth This is tyme of scourgynge and the tyme to come is the tyme of reste ease and blysse And surely it is a great token that we be in the fauour of god whan he dothe scourge vs and trieth and fyneth vs lyke golde in the fyre whyles we be in this worlde As contrary it is a greate token of his indignation towardes vs to suffre vs lyuyng euyll to continue in prosperitie and to haue all thynges after our wylle and pleasure and neuer to trouble vs or punyshe vs with aduersitie Therfore our sauiour Christ Iesus who knoweth what is best for vs teacheth vs to praye and desyre to be deliuered not chiefly from worldly afflictiōs trouble and aduersitie whiche god sendeth abundantly euen to them whom he best loueth and with whome he is best pleased But the euyll which we moste chiefely shulde pray to be delyuered from is Synne whych of it selfe is so euyll that in no wyse god can be pleased therwith And bycause our ancient enemy the deuyl who is the well and sprynge of iniquitie and is not onely hym selfe an homicide a lyer and an hater of the truth from the beginning but also is the very rote and occasion of all synne and the common prouoker and styrer of man to the same and the letter and hinderer of all vertue and goodnes bycause this ennemy neuer ceasseth but continually sercheth by all craftes and wyles to enduce vs to synne and so to deuoure vs and to bryng vs therby to euerlasting damnation Therfore lyke as we desyre here to be deliuered from synne so also we desyre that our heauenly father wyll saue vs and defend vs from this euyll the causer of synne that is to say