trinite may we worshypper He therfore that wyll be saued / let hym vnderstande thus of the trinite But it is necessary vnto euerlastynge health / that euery christian beleue also faythfully the incarnacyon of oure Lorde Iesu Chryste It is therfore the ryght fayth that we be leueâ— confesse that our lorde Iesu Chryste the Sone of God / is God and man He is God by the substaÌ„ce of the Father goten before all worldes / and he is man by the substance of his mother / borne in the worlde Perfyte God / perfyte man / beynge of a soule reasonable / and of flesshe humayne Equall to the Father by his godhed lesse then the Father by his manhed Whiche thoughe he be God and man / yet is there not twayne but one Chryste Truely he is one not by turnyng of his godhed in to manhed / but by assumptynge of his manhed in to godhed Beynge out to all intentes / not by confusyon of substance / but by vnite of person For as the reasonable soule the flesshely body is or maketh one man / so God and man is one Chryste Whiche suffered death for our saluacyon descended to helle / and rose from death the thyrde daye Whiche ascended to heuens / sytteth at the ryght hande of God the Father almyghty froÌ„ thense shall he come to iudge the quycke and dead At whose comynge all men muste ryse with theyr bodyes shall gyue accompt of theyr owne propre dedes And they that haue done well shall go in to euerlastyng lyfe / they that haue done euyll in to euerlastynge fyre This is the Catholyke sayth / whiche excepte euery man faythfully / and stedfastly do beleue he can not be saued ¶ Finis ¶ The offyce of all Estates i. Timothe .iij. A Bysshop muste be fautlesse / the husbande of one wyfe sober discrete honestly appareled herberous / apte to teache / not dronkeÌ„ not fyghter not gyuen to fylthy lucrebut gentyl / abhorringe fyghtynge / abhorringe couetousnesse / and one that ruleth his owne house honestly / hauynge chyldren vnder obedyence / with all honeste ¶ Rulers Sapien. i. Ye that are rulers of the earth / se that you loue ryghteousnes / and that you commyt none vnryghteousnes in iudgement Leui. ix Thou shalte not fauour the poore / nor honoure the myghty / but shalt iugge thy neyghbour ryghtteously ¶ The coÌ„mens Leui. xix Ye shall not deceyue youre brethren neither with weyght nor measure / but shall haue true balances / and true weyghtes / for I am the Lorde your God ¶ Husbandes Ephe. v ¶ Husbandes loue your wyues euen as Chryst loued the congregacyon / and gaue hym selfe for it to sanctyfy it and clensed it in the fouÌ„tayne of water thorowe the worde / to make it vnto hym selfe / a gloryous congregacyon with out spot or wrencle / or any suche thinge So ought men to loue theyr wyues / as theyr owne bodyes He that loueth his wyfe / loueth hym selfe For no man euer yet hated his owne flesshe / but norrysshed it c. ¶ Wyues Ephe. v. Wyues submit youre selues to your owne husbandes / as to the lorde For the husbande is te wyues heed / euen as Chryst is the heed of the congregacyon Therfore as the coÌ„gregacyoÌ„ is in subiection to Chryste lykewyse lette the wyues be in subiectyon to theyr husbandes in all thynges ¶ Fathers and Mothers Ephe. v. Ye fathers moue not your chyldren vnto wrath but brynge them vp with the nurture and informacyon of the lorde ¶ Chyldren Ephe. vi Chyldren obey youre fathers mothers in the Lorde for so it is ryght Honour the Father and mother that is the fyrst commaundement that hathe any promyse that thou mayste be in good estate and lyue longe on the earthe Maysters Colles .iij. Ye maysters / do to youre seruauÌ„tes that whiche is iuste and equall puttyng away all bytternisse and threatenynges knowinge that euen ye also haue a mayster in heueÌ„ Seruauntes Collos .iij. Seruauntes / be obedyent to youre bodyly maysters in all thinges not with eye seruyce as men pleasers / but in synglenesse of herte / fearynge God And what soeuer ye do / do it hertely as thoughe ye dyd it vnto the lorde / not vnto men for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receyue the rewarde of enherytaunce for ye serue the Lorde Chryst Wydowes 1. Timo. v. She that is a very wydowe frendlesse putteth heth truste in god / and contynueth in supplicasyon and prayer nyght and day ¶ The somme of all LOue thy neyghbour as thy selfe And whatsoeuer ye wolde that other shulde do to you do you euen the same to them what ye wolde not that other men shulde do to you / se that ye do it not to them ¶ A prayer for wysdom Sapien .ix. chapiter Deus patrum nostrorum / et dominus misericordie O The God of our fathers / god of mercy / whiche hast made al with thy worde / and with thy wysdome haste constytuded man / to haue dominyon vpon the creature whiche was made of the / to order the world with equyte and iustyce / and with a dyrecte herte for to iudge iudgementes / gyue me the assystent wysdome of thy seates and reproue me not from thy chyldren For thy seruaunt am I / the sone of thy haÌ„de mayde / a man weyke of lytle tyme vnsuffycyent to the vnderstandynge of thy iudgement lawes And yf any shall be of moost perfyte wysdome amoÌ„ge the sones of men / yf thy wysdome ones flye froÌ„ him he shall be counted regarded at nought Sende thy wysdome froÌ„ thy holy heuyns / froÌ„ the seate of thy myghtynes that it maye be with me / laboure with me / and that I may know what is acceptable before the. For she knoweth all / and vnderstandeth all and shall conduyt me sobrely in my workes / shall â—epe me in her power And my wordes shal be acceptable So be it ¶ The prayer of Salomon for wysdom ij Reg. iij. Chapter Tu fecisti domine cum seruo tuo THou hast done lorde with thy seruaunt Dauid my father great mercy so that he walked in thy syght in trueth and iustyce ryght herte with the. Thou sauedest vnto hym thy great mercy / and gauest hym a sone syttinge vpon his trone / as it is at this day And nowe lorde god thou hast made thy seruauÌ„t to reygne in the roume of Dauid my father I am a very babe and knowe not myne entrynge / nor my comynge out / and thy seruaunt is in the myddest of an infinite people / whiche thou hast chosen / whiche can not be nombred nor counted for the mâ— lâ—ytude Wherfore thou shalte gyue to thy seruaunt an herte apt to be taught / to the entent he maye iudge thy people / and discerne bytwyxte good and euyll For who can iudge this people this thy people so many ¶ For coÌ„petency of lyuynge the prayer of Salomon Prouer.
the father / for it is he / whiche with the father / bi christ in christ workith and quyckenyth all thinges I beleue that in all the we â—ide / be hit neuer so greate / there is but one comune christen church whiche is none other thing but the coÌ„gregacyon coÌ„munyon of holy men that is of ryghtuous faithfull men on the erth And that this churche by this holy sprete is gathered maintened Thorough whome also it is gouerned and encreased dayly by the sacramentes and worde of god I beleue that no man can euer be saued / whiche is not fouÌ„de agreable consenting with this congregacioÌ„ / in one faith in one worde / in one sacrament / hope and charyte And that none of the Iewes or gentyles can be saued with this cherche except they reconcyle theym self vnto it / and come in fauoure wich it / confirmyng theym selues in all poyntes therunto I beleue that in this communion or Christen te all the prayers and good workes of this congregation do necessarily helpe me / waye om my syde and comfort me in all tymes of lyfe and deth I beleue that in this congregation comeÌ„welth and in none other place is gorgeuenesse of synnes And that without this all greate and good workes / how many so euer there are of theym do nothyng profyt to forgeuenesse of synne And contrarywyse in thys congregatyon / the multytute / greatnesse / and often commyttyng of synnes / do nothyng hurte / nether lette the forgheuenesse of synne / but that this forgyuenesse doth contynue whersoeuer / and howe song / thys excellent churche doth endure To whome alsoo Cryst ghyueth hys keyes / and sayeth in the xviij of Mathewe what soeuer ye lose vppon erthe / it shal be losed in heuen lykewise he saith to Peter alone / in the name and stede of this onely one churche in the xvi of Mat. Whatsoeuer thou lose vppon erthe it shall losed in heuen I beleue that there shal be arrysing of theym that are deade / in the whiche rysing the holy gost shall sturre vppe all fleshe / that is all men concernyng the body and flesshe good onell / so that the very flesshe whyche was dead buryed and consumed or by other wayes destroyed shal retourne / and lyue agayn I beleue that after this resurrectioÌ„ shal be eternall lyfe of good men / and eternall deth of synners Of all these thinges I doubt not but euery one of theym shal come vnto me froÌ„ the father bi the sonne Iesu chryst oure lord with and in the holy goost Amen that signifieth that in good fayth wythout doubt all these thinges are trewe ¶ The prayer of the lorde called the Pater noster wheryn are conteyned .vij. peticions ¶ The preface and introduccion to arâ— these .vij. peticions is conteyned in these wordes Oure father whiche art in heuen The vnderstonding of the wordes ALmyghty god sith thou of thyne intynyte beneuolence and mercy hast not onely admytted vs / but also taught / ye and commauÌ„ded by the onely / and dere son oure lorde Iesu christ that we trusting in his meryâ—es and protection / he beyng oure intercessor shulde beleue that thou were a louig father vnto vs. And that we shulde also call the father / though worthyly and bi great ryghte thou mightest haue byn a cruell iuge agaynst vs sinners whiche so oft and abhominably haue done agaynst thy godly and most holi will / and haue gyuen the occasion of displeasure agaynst vs. Gyue vs we beseche the / by the fame beniuolence and mercy / that we may haue in oure hertes sure trust without feare of thy fatherly loue And make vs feare this acceptable smelle swetnesse / whiche the most sure / and chyldly trust doth gete vnto vs / that we may with glad mynde call the father / knowlege / loue / and crye on the in al leoperdyes kepe vs I desire the that we may contynue thy louynge chyldren / and not deserue to make the most mekest father oure horrible iudge nor suffer vs not to be thyne enemyes / whyche ought to be thy chyldren and heyres Thou wilt also / not onely symply / be called a father / but that we with a comeÌ„ voyce shuld call the oure father And so with a speciall prayer of vnyte pray for euery man Wherfore gyue vnto vs anagreyng / and brotherly loue / so that we may perceyue euery one of vs that we are truely brothers / and sisters / and may pray to the as to oure comen and mercyfull father / euery on for other / euen as kynd chyldren entreate they re father one for another Graunte / that none of vs seke that whiche is his owne or els forget other / in thy sight but that auoyding all hete / enuye / disceÌ„tion / as it becomith the trewe childreÌ„ of god we may loue to gyther with dewe fauoure so that we may say with a faithfull harte not my father but oure father Syth truely thou arte no bodyly nor erthly father / whome we may se in erthe / but art iÌ„ hauyn oure spiritual father which dyeth not / nether are vncerteyn or doubtfull / or such which art not able to helpe thy selfe as is an erthly bodyly father wherby it is euideÌ„t vnto vs howe moche thow art a better father / whiche reachist this teÌ„porall father odes cuÌ„trey / freÌ„des / rychesse / flesshe / blode / to be dispysed for the. Graunt vs dere father that we may be thy heuynly chyldren Teach vs to regard none other thing then oure foule helith / and the euerlasting heritage / so that this teÌ„porall coÌ„trey worldli heritage whiche coÌ„passeth noyeth vs / labouring to make vs erthly lyke vnto it selfe deceyue vs not so that we maye saye truely with a faithful here O oure heuynly father gyue vs thy grace that we may be thy heuynly children ¶ The first peticion Thy name be halowed O God almyghty / oure most dere heuen the father / thy godly name / euen now in this tyme / in thys vale of mysery Alas for shame so many wayes is slaundered / with checkes / and iniuryes myserably rebuked / applyed to many thynges wheryn stondyth not thy honour and glorie ye and manye abuse it / to they re greate confusion / whyche thyng is so comen often vsed / that this fylthy life may well be called a slaunder and dishonesting of thy most gloryouse name Therfore endowe vs with thy godli grace / that we may auoyde suche thinges as are agaynst the honoure prayse of thy most holy name Make thou all witther aftes and falce charmes shortly to decaye Cause all coniuringes by the whiche satan or other creatures / are enchaunced to cease by thy blyssed name Make that all false fayth by the whyche other we distrust the / or put more confydence in other then is nedefull / may quyckly be distroyed Make that all heresies and false
may bryng hym in to bondage and subiectyon / with fasting / temperate dyete / clothing / slepe / rest / watche laboure / so that he may be mete / and apte to good workes Make that with Chryst we may fastyn on the crosse and mortifye his euell desires to lechery / all his affectioÌ„s and instigations so that we neuer consent or folowe any his temtations ☞ Make that yf by chaunce we loke on a well made or fayre man or woman / or any other beutyfull ymage or creature / that they be not to vs a cause of temptacyon But that the rather of theym we may take occasyon to loue chastite / and to prayse the in thy creatures Make that wheÌ„ we heare any glad or plesaunt thinge / or feale any swete thiÌ„g that we seke not theryn oure delyte and pleasure / but thy prayse and glory Kepe vs from this greate synne of couetousnesse / desyre to worldly rychesse Gyue vs grace that we syke not the rule and honoure of this worlde / or coÌ„sent to suche desyres Kepe vs that the false subtiltie of this worlde the counterfayt bryghtnesse / entisementes of the same persuade vs not to folowe it Kepe vs that we be not drawen by the euylles and myseries of this worlde to impatience / auengement / wrathe / or to other suche vices Gyue vs grace that we may despyse the lyes of the worlde / coloures / deceytes / promyses / and falshod And to be shorte / that we may forsake all that belongyth to hym good euell / as we haue promysed in baptesme / and that we may continue in this purpose goynge forward dayly more and more Kepe vs from the entysementes of the deuyll / that we coÌ„sent not to â—ryde / whiche wolde cause vs to sette moâ—he by oure selfe and despyse other for ryâ—hesse kynne power / science lernyng / beuty or any other gyftes or goodnesse Kepe vs that we fall not in the synne of hate / and â—nuye / whate occasyon so euer we haue gyâ—en vnto vs. Kepe vs that we doubte not â—n thy fayth / nether falle in desperation / no we / nor in the poynt of deth Put thy helping hade oure best heuenly father to theim that fyght and laboure ageynst this harde and manyfolde temptacyon CoÌ„fort theim that nowe do stoÌ„de / and lyfte theym vppe that lye and are fallen Finally fulfyll vs all with thy grace / that in this miserabyll and perilous lyfe whiche is coÌ„passed with so many coÌ„tinuell enemyes that neuer cease we may fyght boldly with stable and noble fayth / obteyn the euerlasting crowne ¶ The seuenth peticyon But delyuer vs from euell ¶ This peticyon prayeth for all the euylles of paynes and punysshemeÌ„tes as doth the churche in the letany O Father delyuer vs from thy euer lasting wrathe and punishe mences of helle Delyuer vs from thy strayte iugement in dethe / and 〈◊〉 the last day of iudgement Delyuer vs froÌ„ sondayne dethe Kepe vs from the violence of water and fyre from lyghtnyng and hayle Kepe vs from hunger and derthe / kepe vs from warre and manslaughter Kepe vs from thy most greuous strokes / the pestilence / frenche pockes / and suche other diseases Kepe vs from all euyll and perilles of the body Reserued that in all these thinges / be the glory of thy name / encreace of thy kingdome / and fulfylling of thy will ¶ Amen ¶ Graunt vs good lorde that all these prayers may be obteyned of vs with outeÌ„ douthe Nether suffer that we my strust any thing / but that in all these thinges we shal be herde / ye be herd all redy And let all these thinges be sure and with oute any doute So may we with glad here say / amen / that is to say stable / constant / trewe and sâ—er ¶ The salutacyon of our Lady called Aue Maria. HEre take hede no man put his sure trust and hope in the mother of god or her merytes / for this sure trust is dewe to god onely / as the chiefe onely worship with whiche we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to honoure onely god The fauoure whiche was gyuen to her of god / gyueth vs an occasyon to prayse god / gyue hym thaÌ„kes We ought none otherwise to prayse loue her / theÌ„ one whiche hath receyued suche goodnesse without her owne deseruyng of the pure liberalyte fauoure of God / euen as she her selfe doth knowelege in the songe Magnificat For as I am moued by the syght of heuen / the sonne / or other creatures to coÌ„mende and preyse the maker / and put theym in to my prayse / and prayer / saying O good lord whiche hast made suche a bryght and goodly creature gyue I pray the. c. ¶ So in this place in oure prayer we fette the mother of god / and say O gloriouse god what a noble virgyn haste thou made / blessed and preysed be she And thou lorde whiche haste so glorifyed and exalted her / graunte I desyre the also to me c. So that oure herte consyst not in her / but maye go forth by her to Chryst and to god hiÌ„ selfe Wherfore the prayer is also made on this maner that it gyuer all to god wheÌ„ we say / hayle Mary full of grace / the lorde is with the / blyssed art thou among wymeÌ„ and blyssed is the trute of thy woÌ„be Iesus Christ Here thou seyst that in these wordes no peticyon but pure prayses and honoures are coÌ„teyned / lyke as in the begynnynge first wordes of the Pater noster is no peticyon / but onely prase and declaring of the godly fauour and maiestye that he is oure father and in heuen Therfore we can not call this salutacion a peticyon or any prayer / because it is not laufull for vs / to expounde these wordes for ther then they sounde / and then the holy gost dyd make theym Howe be it we may entreate of this salutacyon dyuers maner of wayes First as a meditacyoÌ„ / that we may in this remembre the grace whiche god gaue / her Secundly that we may desyre also that she may be knowen and exalted of al men / for she was full of grace / wherby it is knoweÌ„ that she had no synne imputed to her / and this was a speciall fauoure of God / to be full of all goodnesse and voyde of al euell Thirdly / that she is blyssed emong all wymen / not for that alone that she brought forth her chylde without laboure and payne / otherwyse then Eua / and other wymeÌ„ but also bycause she coÌ„ceyued frute without synne / and that bodyly frute by the holy ghost / whiche was gyuen to none other woman ¶ Fourthly that her frute was blyssed and preserued ageynst the curse whiche dyd fall vppon all the chyldren of Eue bycause they were all coÌ„ceyued in synne / borne gylty of deth and dampnacyon But this onely frute of her woÌ„be alone be
despayre God forbid full mercyfull is god / and my souyoure is meake / and louynge / therfore onlye god is my refuge he will not despise his creature nother forsake his awne ymage vnto the therfore most meke and mercifull good come I all sad and sorowfull for thou onlye arte my hope / and thou arte on lye the toure of my defēce But whate shall I saye vnto the fyth I dare not lyfte vppe mine yies I wyll poure out the wordes of sorow / I will hartelye besech the for mercye and wyll saye Haue mercye apon me oh god accordinge to thy grace mercye God which dwellest in light that no man can attayne / God whych are hid and canst not be sene with bodelye yies / nor comprehended with any vnderstondinge that euer was made nether expressed with the tōgues of mē or angels My god the / whych arte incomprehēsible do I seke the / which cāst not be expressed do I call vppon what tinge so euer thou arte / which arte in euerye place I knowe that thou arte the most hye and excellēt thinge / yf thou be a thinge and not rather the cause of all thinge / yf I maye so calle the / for I finde no name by the which I maye name or expresse thyne inenarrable magestye God I saye which arte all thinges that are in the / for thou arte euen thyne awne wysdom / thy power and thy most gloryouse felycyte Seynge therfore that thou arte mercyfull / what arte thou but euen the verye mercye it selfe And what am I / but verye miserye Behold therfore o god which arte mercye / behold myserye is before the / what shalt thou do mercye truelye thy worke canst thou do otherwise then thy nature is And whāte is thy worke verelye to take awaye myserye / and to lifte vpp them that are in wretched condicyon / therfore haue mercye on me oh god God I saye which arte mercye take a waye my miserye / take a waye my synnes / for they are myne extreme myserye Lift vppe me which am so miserable shew thy worke in me / and exercyse thy power apon me One depth requyreth another / the depth of myserye requyreth the depth of mercye The depth of synne areth the depth of grace and fauoure Greater is the depth of mercye then the depth of myserye Let therfore the one depth swalow vppe the other Let the bottomlesse depth of mercye swalow vp the profounde depth of myserye Haue mercye on me oh god accordynge to thy greate mercye Not after the mercye of men whych is but smalle / but after thyne awne mercye which is greate / which is vnmesurable / which is incomprehensible / which passeth all synnes without comparison Accordynge to that thy greate mercye wyth the whych thou hast so loued the world / that thou woldest geue thyne onlye sonne / what mercie cā be greater what loue cā be more / who cā despayre who shuld not haue good confidence god was made man / crucefied for mē therfore haue mercye on me oh God accordynge to this thy greate mercye bi the which thou hast geuen thy sonne for vs by whych thorow hym thou hast takē awaie the synne of the worlde bi which thorow his crosse thou hast lyghtened all mē by whē thorow hī thou hast redressed all thinges in heauē and erth wash me oh Lorde in his bloude / lighten me in his humilite / redresse me in his resurreccion Haue mercie on me oh God not after thy smal mercie for that is but thy smal mercie in cōparison whē thou helpest mē of their bodelie euylles but it is great whē thou forgeuest synnes dost eleuate mē by thy fauoure aboue the toppe of the erth Euē so Lord haue mercie on me accordīge to this thi greate mercie that thou turne me vnto the that thou put out my synnes and that thou iustefie me bi thi grace fauoure And accordinge to the mustitude of thy compassiōs wype awaye myne iniquyte Thy mercye Lorde is the habundaūce of thy pytye / by the which thou lokest gentlye on the poore and wretched Thy compassyons are the workes ād processes of thy mercye Marye magdalene came vnto thy fete good Iesu she wasshed them wither teares / and wyped them with her here / thou forgauest her and sentest her a waye in peace / this was Lorde one of thy compassions / Petre denyed the ād forsoke the with an oth / thou lokedst apon him and he wepte bitterlye / thou forgauest him and madest hym one of the chefe amonge thyne Apostles this was lorde another of thy compassyons The these on the crosse was saued with one worde Paule in the furious wodnes of his persecution was called ād by and by fulfylled wyth the holye goste / these are Lorde thy compassyons The tyme shuld faile me yf I shuld enumbre all thy merciable compassyons / for loke how manye ryghtwyse men there be / ād so manye are thy godlye compassions / There is none that can glorye in hym selfe Let them all come that are ryghtwyse other in erth or in heauen and let vs axe them before the whether they be saued by theyr awne power and vertue And surelye all they will answere with one harte / and one mouth sayenge Not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs / but vnto thi name geue all the prayse / for thy mercye for thy truthes sake for they in theyr awneswerde possessed not the lande / and theyr awne arme or power saued them not but thy right hande and thyne arme ād the lighteninge of thy councenaunce for thou delitedst in the / that is / they are not saued for their awne deseruynges lest any man shuld boste him selfe / but because it pleased the so to be whych thynge the Prophete doth also more expresselye witnesse of the whē he sayeth he saued me because he wold haue me Sith therfore that thou arth the me god wyth whome is no alteracyon or variablenesse nether art thou chaūged vnto darknesse and we thy creatures as wel as oute fathers whych were borne vnder concupyscence synners as well as we and sith there is but one mediatore and a tonement betwene god and man that is chryst Iesus whych endureth for euer / why dost thou not poure on thy plentuous compassions vppon vs / as well as thou didest vppon oure fathers hast thou forgotē vs or are we onelye synners did not crist die for vs Are all thy mercyes spent none lefte Lorde oure god I desyre hartelye besech the / to put out myne iniquite accordinge vnto the multitude of thy compassions for manye yee infinite are thy compassiōs that accordynge I saye to the multytude of thy cōpassions thou vouchsafe to quēch my synne that as thouhast draune receaued innumerable synners / hast made thē rightuous euen so that thou wilt drawe take me make me rightwyse thorow thy grace fauoure / therfore accordinge to the multitude of thy compassions wype
whiche made heuē erth / and alone ruleth all creatures To hym hoelly I submytte my sylfe Nothing fearyng / nor regardyng the malice of the deuell / his felawes / for my god is aboue theym all Nether wolde I put thelesse cōfidence in god / though all men did forsake me and persecute me Nether will I trust hym thelesse / bycause I am wretched and poore / bycause I am rude and vnlerned / bycause I am dispised and lacke possessions Nether yet the lesse bicause I am a synner for this my faith doth sarre passe / al thīges as it is necessary ought to do what soeuer eyther be / or be not / bothe synnes and vertues to be short / all thinges So that she doth purely hoely fixe her self in God onely / as the first cōmaundement teachith and compellith me Nether desire I any signe to tempt hym I trust faythfully vnto hym / all though he differre tary at his pleasure I will not sette or prescribe to hym any ende / any tyme / measure or reason but I commit all to his will / with a pure faith and a stable For he is almyghty / what can I lacke that he can not gyue and do vnto me For he is the maker of heuen erth and lorde of all thinges / what thing can hyndre me or hurte me Howe may it be that all thinges shall not turne to myn vse and profit / when he to whome all these thynges ar subiect and obedyent fauoureth me and loueth me Nowe syth he is god he knoweth wherunto he hath ordyned me / and howe euery thinge shal be best for me and that whiche he knoweth / he may do Yf he be my father / it is sure that he wil se the best for me and that with a good will When I doubt not herof and haue suche trust in hym / then no doubt I on his seruaunt his sonne / his heyre for euer And euen as I beleue se shall it be vnto me ¶ The secunde parte of the belefe ANd in Iesu Christ / his onely sonne oure lorde Whiche was cōceyued by the holy goost / borne of Mary the virgyn Suffred vnder Pontius Pylatus / crucyfyed / deede / and buryed / descended to helle / the thyrd day rose ageyn from deth Ascended to heuen / syttith on the ryght hand of God the father almyghty / from thens he shall come to iudge quycke and deade That is / I do not only beleue / that Iesu Christ is the true only sonne of God / by euerlasting godly nature / beyng frō the begynnyng euer begotten but also that all thinges are subdued vnder hym / that he is my lorde / and the lorde of all creatures / made ruler of theym beyng man / whiche he hym self with the father in his diuynite dyd make I beleue that no man may beleue in god the father or may come vnto the father / nether by science and lernyng nether by workes / nether by they re owne reason and witte or by what thing so euer may be named in heuen or erthe / but by this and in this Iesu Chryst his onely sonne / that is to say by the sayth in the name and power of Iesu Chryst I beleue vnfaynedly / and surely / that he was conceyued for my proufit by the holy goost without all mannes and carnal worke / without a bodyly father / or mannes sede / and that to purifye / and make spirituall my synfull / flesshely / vnclene / and dampnabill conception / and all theyrs that beleue in hym moued to his mercy of his owne and fre will and the will of the almyghty father ¶ I beleue that he was begotten of the virgyn Mary without the losse of her pure and vncorrupt virgynite / so that accordyng to the prouidence of the mercyfull father he shulde blysse and clense the synnes dāpnabill byrth of all that beleue in hym that after / it myght do no hurte I beleue that he suffred passyon deth for my synnes / and all theyrs that beleue in him / that he therby blyssed all passyons / crosses deathes / so that after they myght not hurte / but be bothe holsome and merytorious I beleue that he was deade and buryed to mortifye bury all my synnes / theyrs that beleue Finally that all bodely deth bi his deth was distroyed / so that it is of no power to hurte but is rather made holesome and profitable I belefe that he went downe to hell to subdewe and make captyue / to me to all that beleue / the deuyll with all his impery / subtilite and malice / to delyuer me frō helle / takyng awey all his power that he myght not hurte me / but shulde rather be profitable vnto me I beleue that on the thyrde day he rose ageyn from deth / to bryng me and all that beleue in to a newe lyfe / and that by this dede he reysed me with hym / in grace and spryte / not to synne after / but that I endowed with all kindes of grace and vertue / myght serue hym / and so fulfull his commaundementes I beleue that he ascended vnto heuen / and that he hath receyued of the father / rule / honoure aboue all aungelles / and creatures And that he nowe sittith on the ryght honde of the father / that is / that he is king and lorde ouer all the goodes of godyn heuen hell and erthe Wherfore he may helpe me and theym that bileue / yn all maner of aduersitees against all oure aduersares and ennemyes I beleue that from thens he shal retourne the last day / to iudge quycke / whome he them shall finde alyue / and deed whyche before were buried And that he shall compell all men and aungelles good and euel to come before the seate of his iudgement whome they shal se bodyly to delyuer me and all faithfull / from bodyly deth / from all euyl / and synnes And to punysshe with eternall iudgement his enemyes / and aduersaryes / so that we shal be delyuered frō they re power for euer ¶ The thirde parte of the belefe I Beleue in the holy ghoost / the holy Christen churche / the communyon of saintes / the forgeuenesse of synne / the rysing / of flesshe / and euerlasting life Amen That is to sey / I do not onely beleue that the holy goost is verey god with the father the sonne But also that no man can come to the father by ceist / by his lyfe / passiō / deth what so euer who spokē of christ or opteyne any of these thinges / without the worke of this sprete with the whiche sprece I desire the father the son / to touch me and all faithfull to sturre me vp / to call / to drawe / and by Chryst and in christ to quycken me to make me holy and spirituall and so to brynge me to
doctrine whyche pretende a coloure of thy name / may sodeynly vanisshe a wey Make that all hypocrisye or fayning of truth ryghtuousnesse or holynesse deceyue no man Make that no man swere by thy name / lye / or disseyue Kepe vs from all falce hope / whiche vnder coloure of thy name offereth it selfe vnto vs. Kepe vs from spirytuall pryde / from the vaine honoure of worldly glorie and name Graunt vs that in all perylles and hurte we may call vppon this thy holy name Graunt that in the straytenesse of conscience / and ieoberdie of deth we neuer forget thy blissed name Graunt / that in oure good wordes and workes we mai onely prayse and magnifye the / so that we nether seke nor chalenge to oure selfe any name or honoure / but to the onely whose alone are all thinges kepe vs from the most dampnabill synne of vnkindnesse Graunt that by oure lyfe / and good workes all other may be mouel to good / and that they wurshyppe and prayse nor vs / but thy name Graunt that by oure euell workes and synnes no man may take occasion to slaunder thy name / or dyminysshe thy prayse Kepe vs that we desire nothing eyther corruptyble or euerlasting / whiche shulde not retourne to the honoure / and prayse of thy name And yf we are anisuche here thou not oure folysshenesse Make that oure life be suche that we may truely be founde thy chyldren / so that this thy name father be not called in vayne or falsly in vs. To this perte of prayer specially perteyn all psalmes and prayers / with whiche we prayse / wurschippe / syng / gyue thankes to god and fynally all the prayse of god ¶ The secunde peticyon Let thy kyngdome come THis wretched lyfe is the kyngdome of all synnes / myscheffe whose lorde is the euell sprete / chief author / gruÌ„de of all malice synne / But thy kingdome is the kingdome of all grace vertue / whose lorde is thy best beloued sonne Iesus crist the heede begynnyng of all grace vertue / wherfore helpe vs most dere father / come agayn in fauoure with vs. Gyue vs bifore all thinges true and constaunte faithe in Christ hope without feare in thy mercy / agaynst all infirmytes of oure weake conscyence / and pure loue towardes the / and all men Kepe vs from infydelyte / desperatyon / and malyce / whyche at the last myght be the cause of oure destructyon Make vs to auoyde the soule desyre of lechery Gyue vs loue to virgynyte / and to all clennesse Delyuer vs from dissentions bateylles / dyscorde and stryfe Make the vertues of thy kyngdome to come and reygne withyn vs. Gyue vs peace / concorde and tranquylyte so that wrathe / or any other vytternesse haue not hys kyngdome in vs / but rather through thy grace the symple swetnesse / and brotherly fayth / all kind of frendshyppe / good maner / gentylnesse and kindnesse Graunt vs that the inordinate trouble and sykenesse of minde haue no place in vs / but make the reioysyng and pleasure in thy grace and mercy rule / and haue dominion And to be shorte / that all synne may be alienate from vs / and that we replenyssed wyth thy grace / vertue and good workes may be made thy kyngdome / that all oure hert / mynde / and sence / with all oure strength inward / and outward may suffer theym selfe to be ruled by the / to serue the / thy commaundementes and thy wyll / not theym selfe or the flesshe the worlde or the deuell Make that this thy kyngdome ones in vs begonne / may be encreasid / go forwarde dayly and growe lest the subtyll malyce / or fleuthe that we haue to goodnesse oppresse vs / lest we loke backe agayne and falle in to synne Gyue vs a stable purpose and streyngth / not onely to begynne thys good lyfe / but rather to ê“cede boldly in it and to ê‘forme it / as the prophete sayeth Lighten myn ces lest I slepe or bewery iÌ„ the good lyfe ones begonne / and so myne enemye do bryng me agayn into his power Graunt / that we may so continue And that thy kyngdome whiche shall come / may fynysshe and perfourme this kyngdome whiche is begonne by the. Delyuer vs from this parylouse / synful life Make vs desyre the other lyfe to come / and to hate this present lyfe Gyue vs grace not to feare death / but rather to desire it Put from vs the loue and desyre of this lyfe / that so thy kyngdome may fully be perfect in vs. Of this peticion are al psalmes / verses / and prayers in the whiche grace and vertue is desyred of god ¶ The thirde petycion ¶ Thy wyll be fulfylleth in erth as it is in heuen IF oure will be compared with thyne it can neuer be good / but is euer euell Thy wyll is euer best specially / and muche to be loued and desyred wherfore haue compassion vppon vs most deare father / and suffer nothing to be as we wolde haue it Gyue vs / and teache vs / true and stable pacyence / when oure wyll is let and broken Graunt vs that when eny man speaketh / holdeth his peace / doth / or leueth vndone / any thyng contrary to oure will / that therfore we be not wrothe or angry / nether curse / compleyn / crye / or murmure nether iudge / nor condeÌ„pne / ye that we defend not oure selfe Graunt that we may mekely gyue place to oure aduersaryes / theym whiche let oure wyll / and so to dysanull oure will / that we may prayse / say well / and do to theym / as to chose whiche do perfourme thy godly and best will against ours Endowe vs with thy grace that we may gladly suffrer all diseases / pouertie dispysinges / persequutions / crosse / and aduersites knoweleging that it is thi wil to crucyfye oure wil. Gyue vs grace that we may suffer iniury and that gladly Kepe vs from auengement Make vs that we quyte not euyll for euyll / nether to auoyde violence / by violence But rather that we delyte in thy will whiche bryngeth vs al these thinges prayse the / and gyue the thankes Make vs that we impute it not to the deuell or euell men / when any aduersyte chaunseth but that we attrybute all vnto thy godly will / whiche ordyneth all suche thynges / that oure will may beleefe / and that blissednesse may encrease in thy kyngdome Gyue vs grace that we may be glad / meryte to dye / that for thi wyll we may take oure deth gladli so that by feare nor infirmyte we be not made disobyent vnto the Make that all oure membres eyes / tongue / herte / handes and fete / be not suffred to folowe they re desyres nether that we be at any tyme subdewed vnder theym but that we eueÌ„ as takeÌ„ and emprysoned may be brokeÌ„ in thy will pleasure
falle vnto prayer for this also is in the hand of god nether is it geuē to euerie man but some haue it more some lesse for god distributeth all at his pleasure Not withstondinge there are certayne meanes and smale pathes by the which a mā maye haue as it were an entraunce in to this faith / fyrst turne thine eyes and beholde the hartye loue bounteous kindnes of chryst which so tenderlye loued the that he wold take on him self all thy synnes / louynglye enbrace the to hele thy wounded conscience / yf thou remembre and thinke on thys amitye thy harte shall somwhate be refreshed and so shall thy trust in Chryst be the more encreased and stablysshed After that thou hast perceaued this feruent fauoure that Christ had to wardes the then shalt thou sone marcke what good will the father owed the / for then shall it appeare that Chryst coude not endue the with such greate benefytes excepte it had bene before so decreed of hys heuenlye father / for vnto him did Chryst obey whē he suffered for thy trāsgressions And so shalt thou se the flamynge cheryte of god the father towardes the / and thorow crist shalt thou be so drawne to the father that thou mayst perceaue the sayinge of Chryst Ioā iij. God so loued the worlde that he gaue his ōlye sonne for thē tent that none which beleue in hym shuld perysh but shuld haue euerlastynge lyfe And thys is the true knowlege of god when we beholde / and magnefye not hys puysaunt mageste or his incomprehensible prudence for they make a man a frayde of God but rather his curteous and mercyefull beneuolence wherin he maye put hys confydence / and maye be hoellye in god renued ☞ And when thy harte is so confermed in Chryst that thou begynnest wyth full entent to hate thy synne not for feare of payne but for the loue that thou hast vnto god because thou woldest not displease hym whych is soch a mercyfull and louinge father vnto the then is it expediēt that thou take thys passyon for an ensample by the which thou maist ordre thy lyfe but this remembraunce is farre vnlike the first / for hetherto haue we recounted it as a secrete mysterye whych shuld worke in vs and renue vs thorow repentaūce / and whē we haue obtayned that profyte then let vs considre it as an ensample or rule to order oure lyffe and workes / euer comparinge them vnto Christes passion on thys maner as foloweth When thou art dyseased with anye sorow or maladye then thynke how smalle that payne is yf thou shuldest comparte it with Christes croune of thorne ād the nayles which perced his tendre flesh When thou art constrayned to doo or leaue vndone anye thinge which thou woldest not then remembre that Chryst was bounde and tossed from post to piller euen as it pleased his cruell enemyes Yf thou be tempted with pryde lordlynesse then marke how vnworthelye Crist was mocked / yee and crucyfyed betwene two theues / that he myght be reputed as one of theyr nombre Yf thou be assayled with wantonnesse or with the lust of the flesh then behold how cruellye the tendre flesh of Crist was scourged torne and most pituouslye woūded Yf thy harte boyle with hate or enuye be full sette to take auengeaunce then calle to thy remembraunce how Crist with a lamētable voyce did praye vnto hys father for the / and other his enemyes / whom he myght bi good right haue punisshed perpetuallye Yf thou be vexed with anye other afflictions whate so euer they are / whether secrete or open / take them on good worth be not disquieted / but thynke with thy selfe on this maner It were a great shame yf I shuld not suffre paciētlye this smal trouble / syth that Christ my Lorde and sauyoure suffered in the garden such panges that he swette droppes of bloude / for whate is more shame then that the seruaunte shuld take his ease and lye sluggeshlye in his bed what tyme his master stondeth in ieoperdye of his lyfe Behold / on this maner mayst thou cōforte and stablish thy harte with the passion of christ agenst all vexacyons And this is the true meditacyon and remembraunce of Chrystes passyon out of whych the a fore sayde commodityes sprynge Therfore they that exercyse them selues dilygentlye in it / are moch better occupyed then yf they harde a thousande tymes the storie of the passion / or sayet as manye masses And these onlye are the true Chrysten which on this wyse do expresse in theyr lyfe or manners the name and lyfe of Chryst as Saynte Paule sayeth they that belonge to chryst haue crucefyed theyr flesh and concupiscentes with Christ Nether it is ynough that we countre fayte him in oure outwarde be haue oure ād wordes / but we must do oure endeueraunce perfeytlye to expresse hys passion in all oune conuersacyon from the botom of oure hartes which thynge Paule exhorteth vs vnto Hebrew .xij.. Loke vnto Iesus the captayne of oure faith / which for the ioye that was sette before hym abode the crosse and dispised the shame / is sette dounne on the right hande of god Consider therfore how that he endured such speakinge agēst hym of synners / lest ye shuld be weryed or faynte in oure myndes And saynte Petre .i. Pet .iiij. sayeth for as moch as cryst hath suffered in the flesh / arme youre selues lykewyse wyth the same mynde How be it the maner of thys remembraunce is verye rare out of vse although Saint Paule Saint Petre make eftsones mention of it And we haue chaunged it al to gether into an outwarde apperaūce and haue thought it sufficient to behold the story of the passyon paynted vpon walles But there are verye fewe yee almost none that call it to theyr remēbraunce for thent to know theyr synnes by it / or to quyet theyr tremblynge consciences / or to ordre and cōpare their liffe to this ensample ¶ Thus endeth the meditacyon and frutefull remembraunce of Chrystes passyon which passeth the contemplacyon of Monkes / fryers and Nonnes yee and all other religious ¶ We purpossed Christen brother to haue annexed the Christian Libertye / how be it all thinges cōsidered we thought it most profitable for this present world to ioyne rather vnto the ende of this boke a deuoute exposicyon vppon the Psalme Miserere mei Deus ¶ An exposicyon after the maner of a contemplacyon vpon the .li. Psalme / called Misereremei Deus ALas wretch that I am / comfortlesse / and forsaken of all men / which haue offended both heauen / and erth / whother shall I turne me To whom shall If lye for socoure who shal haue pytye or cōpassion on me vnto heauen date I not lifte vppe myne eyts / for I haue greuouslye synned agenst it And in the erth can I fynde no place of defence / for I haue bene noysome vnto it whate shall I nowe do shall I
/ it draweth vnto hym all vertue and expelleth all vyce / therfore create iÌ„ me Oh god a pure harte thorow thy grace / make a newe an vpryght sprete in mi bowels For thy sprete shall leade me in to a right waye / which shal purge me from all erthy affectes and shall lyfte me vpp vnto heueÌ„lie thynges The louer the thynge that is loued are both of one nature He that loueth bodelie thinges is wordlye but he that loueth spretuall thiÌ„ges is spretuall Geue me a sprete that maye loue the worshyppe the / the most hye sprete / for god is a sprete they whych worshyppe hym / must worshyppe hym in the sprete verite Geue me an vpright sprete not schinge his awne profyte and glorye / but the will and glorie of god renewe an vpryght sprete wyth in me renewe it For my synnes haue qwenched the fyrst that thou gauest me Geue me now a new sprete that it maye redresse that thinge whych is inueterate my soule is also a sprete so made of the that of her selfe she is ryght for of her awne nature she loueth the aboue her selfe and desyreth all thynges for thy glorye / so that her awne naturall loue is ryght / for it cometh of the / but of her awne frowarde will is it iÌ„ueterate polluted causinge her natural loue to decaye Make new therfore this sâ—te this loue thorow thy grace that it maye walke iÌ„ the right waye accordiÌ„ge to his nature renue it I saye that it maye euer enflame me with heueÌ„lye loue that it maye euer cause me to sighe vnto the / to enbrace the continuallye and neuer to forsake the. Cast me not awaye from thy face / and thy holye goste take not from me Behold Lorde I stande before thy face that I maye fynde mercye I stonde before thy benigne goodnes lokinge for thy fauourable aÌ„swere cast me not coÌ„fused froÌ„ thy face who came euer Lorde vnto the and went awaye confused Who euer desyred thy fauoure / and went wyth out it Surelye thou passest in thy aboundant pytye both the deseruinges and also the desires of theÌ„ that praye vnto the / for thou geuest more then men can desyre yee or vnderstonde wheÌ„ they haue it It was neuer harde that thou dydst cast awaye from they face any man that euer came vnto the Shall I Oh Lorde be the first that shall be cast awaye from thy face and vtterlye confouÌ„ded wilt thou beginne at me to confounde them that come vnto the wilt thou neuer more haue mercye and coÌ„passion God forbidde The woman of Canane folowed the / she cryed and made a pytuous noyse / she moued thy dysciples / vnto compassion / and thou hyldest thy peace / she contynued knockynge / she worshipped the and sayd Lorde helpe me / nether yet woldest thou answere Thy dyscyples entreated for her sayenge let her goo for she cryeth after vs. But what was thyne answere Lorde I praye the / what dydst thou answere for south that she wepte in vayne / and laboured for nought / for thou saydst that thou wast not sent but vnto the shepe that were perysshed of the house of Israel What shuld this woman do when she hade these wordes verelye euen despayre as concerninge the grace that she requyred yet despayred she not / but trustynge in thy mercye prayed agayne sayenge Lorde helpe me / vnto wose importunite Lorde thou answeredst / it is not good to take the chyldrens brede and cast it to hondes as though thou shuldest haue sayed departe from me you Canaanites are dogges / ye are Idolatres / the precyous gyftes of he venâ—ye fauoure partayne not vnto you I ought not to take them a waye from the Iues whych worshyppe the true and liuynge god / and to geue theÌ„ to soch dogges as ye are which worshuppe ydolles and deuels what shalt thou now doo thou woman of Canaan thou mayst now be a shamed and gette the awaye / for the Lorde is angrye not wyth the alone / but also thy hole nacyon Oh Lorde god / who wold not haue bene confounded and haue pyked hym awaye at these thy wordes who wold not haue mumbled and grugged agenst the who wolde not haue iudged the to be cruell And yet did thys woman contynue stille in prayer She cast not away her confidence / she toke not these harde wordes heuelye / she was nâ—â— angrye / but she humbled her selfe the more and abode stylle in her petycion and sayde with good fyaunce It is truth Lorde that thou sayest / but I axe nobrred / I axe not the fauoure that thchyldren shuld haue I am a litle whe elpe and desyre the tromes whyth falle from thy chyldrens table Let them storysâ— and abounde with miracles / and other gracyous fauours / but let not me be destytute of thys trumme of grace / that my douhter maye be delyuered from the fendes possession for the whelpes do rate of the trummes whych faile from theyr masters tables Behold wat fayth / whate trust / and what humylyte was in thys women therfore thou / not dyspleased with her ymportunate instaunce but reioysinge in her excelleÌ„t constauncie dydst saye O woman greate is thy fayth / be it vnto the as thou wilt Why are these thynges wryten Lord god that we maye lerne to trust in the / that me maye humblye and deuoutlye continue in prayer / for thou wilâ— geue it yf men be greadye But the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence / and they that make violence vnto is catche it / for what thinges so euer are writen are writen for oure lerninge that thorow pacience and comforte of the scriptures we maye haue hope Cast me not therfore lorde froÌ„ thy face which stond wepinge and way linge daye night before thy face / not that thou shuldest deliuer me froÌ„ the bodelye oppression of deuyls / but that thou wilt delyuer my soule froÌ„ his spirituall power dominion Let me not be shamed O swete Iesu for in the onlye haue I trusted I haue no helth or comforte but in the o Lorde / for al haue forsakeÌ„ me / eueÌ„ my brothreÌ„ children haue cast me of and myne awne bowels abhorre me I haue no nother helper / but onlye the. Cast me not therfore awaye from thy face / take noâ— thy holye sprete for me There is nomaÌ„ which can saye that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holye gost therfore yf I call vppon the lord Iesu / that do I in the holye gost / yf I be sorye for my synnes which are passed / yf I are forgeuenesse / this do I verelye by the holye gost Therfore I besech the take not fro me thy holye gost / but that it maye be with me / and laboure wyth me / for we wote not what to desyre as we ough to do But the sprete helpeth oure infirmityes and maketh intercession for vs / that is / maketh vs to praie with such sorowfull
the holye gost beholdeth a farre off the glorye of God accordynge to the capacite of this lifte / and therfore sayed the Apostle .ij. Corinth .iij. all we with an vncouered face beholdynge as in a glasse the glorye of the Lorde / after the same ymage are transformed from glorye to glorye as by the sprete of the Lorde Lord god how small is thy church at thys daye almost the hole world is fallen from the there are many mo myscreauntes then christen And yet emonge the chrysten how many are there which forsake worldlie thīges seke the glorie of the Lorde Surulye ye shal finde fewe / in comparyson of them which are addicte to wordlye thīges whose god is theyr belye glorye to theyr shame and confusyon / Deale gentlye Lorde of thy fauourable beneuolence wyth zyon that it maye be encreased both in multitude in good lyuynge Beholde frō heauē deale gentlye as thou arte wont to do that thou wilt send emonge vs the fyre of thy cheryte / whych maye consume all oure sunnes Deale Lorde accordynge to thy fauourable beneuolence / and do not with vs after oure deseruinge / nether yelde thou vs agayne accordynge to oure iniquytyes but ordre vs accordinge to thy greate mercye Thou arte Lorde oure father and redemer / thou arte oure hope / and euerlastynge helth Euerye man desyreth goodnes of he / yf thou geue it them / then shall they gather it yf thou open thy hande all shal be fylled wyth plentye / when thou turnest awaye thy face / then are they astōnyed whē thou gatherest in theyr breth then are they deed and returne in to erth And agayne when thou brethest on them / then are they created a new and thus renuest thou the face of the erth Psalme .ciiij. Lorde I praye the whate profyte is there in the damnacyon of so manye thousande men Hell is fylled and thy church doth daylye decrease Aryse Lorde / why slepest thou so longe Aryse / and differe not vnto the ende / Deale gentlye of thy fauourable beneuolence with zyon / that the walles of Hierusalem maye be buylded agayne / what is Hierusalem whych by interpretacyon signifieth the vysion of peace but the holye congregacion and citye of the blessed whych is oure mother Her walles were decayed whē Lucifer with his aungels fell / in to whose places are the rightwyse men receaued Deale therfore gentlye oh Lorde with zyon / that he numbre of thy chosen maye shortlye be fulfylled / that the walles of Hyerusalē maye be edefyed and finyshed with newe stones whych shall euer prayse the and endure euerlastinglye Then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of ryghtwysnes / obsaeions burnt offeringes them shal they laye vppon thyne altare wanton casues When thou hast delt gentlye of thy fauourable will beneuolence with zyon / then shalt thou accepte the sacrifice of rightwisnes / for thou shalt consume it with burninge fyre of thy loue cheryte / so acceptedst thou the sacryfyces of Moses and Helias And then acceptest thou the sacrifyces of rightwysnes / whē thou fattenest with thy grace the soules which endeuoure them selues to lyue ryghtwyslye / what profiteth to offer sacrifices vnto the whē thou acceptest thē not oh Lorde How many sacryfices offer we now a dayes whych are not pleasaunte vnto the but rather abhominable for we offer not the sacrifices of ryght wysnes / but oure awne ceremonyes and therfore are they not accepted Where is now the glorye of the Apostlee where is the valyaunte perseueraunce of martyrs where is the frute of preachers where is that holye simplycyte of them that vsed to lyue solitarye where are the vertues and workes of the Chrysten which were in olde tyme Then shalt thou accepte theyr sacrifyces / when thou shalt decke and garnish them with thy grace and vertues Also yf thou deale gentlye with zyon of thy fauourable beneuolēce / then shalt thou delight in sacrifices of ryghtwysnes / for the people shall beginne to lyue well / to kepe thy cōmaundemētes to deale iustlye so shall thy people be endued wyth thy benefyted blessinge Thē shall the oblacious of the preastes of the clergye be acceptable vnto the / for they shal forsake their carnall affeccyon endeuoure thē selues vnto a more perfeyte liffe / so shall the oyntmēt of thy blyssinge descende vppon theyr heddes Then shall the burnt offerynges of the relygious be pleasaunt to the / for they shall cast out all drousye sluggeshnes and false confidence / and be hoellye enflamed and made perfayte with the burninge fyre of goddes loue Thē shall the bisshoppes and preachers put calues vppon thyne altare / for after they are consummate in all kynde of vertue and replenysshed wyth thy holye sprete / they shall not feare to geue theyr lyues for theyr shepe what is thyne altare swete Iesu but thy crosse where vppō thou wast offered what sygnifyeth a wanton calfe / but oure bodye Therfore thē shall they put calues on thyne altare / whē thei shal offer theyr awne bodies vnto the crosse / that is vnto all afflictions euē vnto the verye deeth for thy names sake Then shall the church florish and dilate her coostes / then shall thy prayse be noysed from the last ende of the worlde / then shall ioye / and gladnesse fulfyll the hole worlde Then shall thy sayntes reioyce in glorye shall make mirth in their māciōs waytinge for vs in the loude of the lyuynge Accōplish in me euē now Lorde that thē / which I so ofte name / that thou maist haue compassiō on me accordinge to thy greate mercye / that thou mayst receaue me for aburnt sacrifice of rightwisnes for a holie oblaciō for a sacrifice of good lyuinge / and for a calfe to be offered on thyne altare or crosse / by the which I maye passe from thy vale of miserye vnto that ioye which thou hast prepared for them that loue the. Amen ¶ To fyll vp the leffe we haue touched certayne places which we thou most necessarye to edefie the congregacion of Christ ¶ Of fayth FIrst dere brethren ye ought to geue diligent hede that you maye purelye vnderstonde what fayth is and what frutes procede out of her / And to cōclude the summe in fewe wordes / fayth is a sure persuasyon full knowlege that God for his truth and ryghtwysnes sake wyll fulfyll such promyses / as he hath made vnto vs of his mercye and sauoure / which sure persuasyon must be geuen from god .i. Corin. xij For it can nother be goien by mannes power / nether yet retayned Therfore with feare and tremblinge performe that helth which is begōne in you / for it is God that worketh in you both the wyll and also the deed / euē at his awne pleasure And se that with all mekenes ye submitte youre selues vnto the vocacyon of god / not sekynge the libertye of the flesh / nether yet despysinge good workes / for
and indifferently to all men Hyther conferre all the instructyons of pacyence / gentilnesse / peace and vnite ¶ The fulfylling of the syxt is CHaslite sobernes shame fastnesse not of dedes onely but of wordes and maners / ye of thoughtes Besydes that attemperaunce / of meate / drynke / slepe / and what so euer doth helpe chastite / hether applye al places of holy scrypture cōcernyng chastite / fastyng / sobriete / attemperaunce / prayer watching / laboures / and in cōclusyon all thinges that mainteyn chastite ¶ The fulfylling of the seuenth is POuerte of spryte / kyndenesse / liberalyte / wasting of oure owne goodes to profit oure neyghboures / to lyue without couetousnesse and desyre of rychesse Here gather all that is wryten of couetousnesse of goodes vniustly gotten and possessed / of vsury / so tylte / euyll deceyte / of iniury and hurte done / of lettyng thy neyghboures profyt / or dispysing hym ¶ The fulfylling of the eyght is A Peasable and hole tongue whiche hurteth no man / but profyteth all men whiche setteth enemyes at one / whiche excuseth and defendeth theym that are noted viciose parsons and synners Suche simplicite profit is in speakyng Hereto perteyne all thinges whiche are spoken of sylence speakyng / and whate so euer toucheth the good name / honoure / ryght causes / and profyttes / of thy neyghbour ¶ The fulfilling of the last is THe perfyt and absolute purenesse dispysing in the hert of all temporal rychesse pleasures / whiche thing shal be done perfectly in the lyfe to come In all these thinges seest thou none other thinges but to loue other / that is to loue god and thy neyghbour whiche loue seketh not his owne profyt / but onely those thinges whiche belong to god / and to his neyghbour / whiche loue yeldeth gyueth hym sylf playnly to euery man grauntyng theym full rule and auctorite / to vse they re pleasure his goodes and profyttes NOwe seyst thou that in all these tenne cōmaundementes / in a good ordre and briefly are cōteyned / all kyndes of in formacions / that are expedient for mānes lyfe / whiche yf any man will do his diligence to kepe truely he shall neuer be ydel no / not an houre / but shall haue occasyon to do good deades / so that truely he shall neuer haue nede to chose to hym other straunge workes of mannys inuention / as are to runne hyther and thyder / and to be occupied in suche thinges / whiche in no place are cōmaunded / and whiche shal be profitable for no thing Hit is euydent that in all these preceptes there is nothing wryten / whiche teacheth vs to serue oure silues / eyther to do / leue / or require of any man / that whiche cōcernyth oure owne proufit / but onely what we are bounde to do to other / that is to sey / to god and to oure neyboure So that euen blynde men may well perceyue that the fulfylling of the commaundementes stondeth in loue towardes other / not towardes oure sylfe For man of his owne nature seketh and auoydeth sufficiently / that whiche is for or ageynst his profit / so that it nedith not to moue hym to it / but muche rather to bringe hym frō hit Ther fore he lyueth best whiche lyueth not to hym sylfe And contrary he lyueth worst whiche lyueth to hym sylf This is theffect that the tenne cōmaundementes teache Wherby it is manifest that there are but fewe that lyue well it / in that we are men / none of vs lyeuth well This knowen / we must lerne of whome to axe this excellent gyfte / to lyue well / so that we may fulfyll these cōmaundemētes ¶ The Crede or Belefe THe effect of oure fayth stondith in thre partes / as in hit are rehersed thre parsonnes of the godly trynyte The first is of the father The secunde of the sonne The thyrd of the holy goost / and to euery one of these persones is applyed his operation This is the chief article of the fayth / on the whiche all the other depend Here note .ij. maner of belefes First some there be whiche beleue that those thinges be true / whiche are spoken of god / euen as a man doth beleue those thinges to be true whiche he heareth of the Turke / of the deuyll / and of hell This fayth is rather a science / or a vayne opinyon / then a sure trust or belefe There is an other faythe towardes god / that thou do not onely beleue these thynges to be true whiche thou hearest of god / but also trust to hym / and be take cōmytte thy selfe wholy vnto hym / besydes that / to presume vppon hym / beleuyng / without doubt that thou shalt obteyn and receyue of hym / that whiche thou hardest spoken of hym / and that with suche fayth and confidence as thou wooldest gyue to no man Be it in case that the Turke or any other man be gretely preysed vnto the / and that thou beleue faythfully that some man is discrete / and wurthy prayse / yet for all that thou wilt not cōmytte thy selfe vnto hym puttyng all thy trust and confidence in hym But this fayth whiche boldly betaketh hym selfe to god / both in ieoperdye of lyfe and deth / knowelegyng that he is such as he is spoken of maketh only a Chrysten / obteyneth of god what so euer she desyreth nether is there any false herte that receyueth this faith For this is the quycke faith whiche is requyred in the first commaundement whiche sayeth thus I am thy god take no straunge goddes Wherfore this / in / is not put in vayne / but it is to be obserued with a notable sygnificacyon For we do not say / I beleue to god the father or of god the father / but I beleue in god the Father / in Iesu Christ / and in the holy goost Wherfore this fayth ought to be had in none but in one god / so that by this we cōfesse also the godhed of Christ and of the holy goost / bycause we beleue none other wise in the sonne / and the holy goost / then we do in the father hym selfe For euen as we haue one faythe in all the thre persones / so all the thre persones are onely one god ¶ The fyrst parte of the belefe I Beleue in God the father almyghty / maker of heuē erthe That is / I forsake Satan and all ydolatrye / all charmes witchecraftes false hope I put my trust in no man of all the worlde / nether yet in my sylfe / not in my power / lernyng / scyence rychesse / wysdome / or what thyng so euer it be / that I haue or possesse I put no cōfidence in any creature whether it be in heuen or in erthe But I put my suer trust onely in one god whiche can not be sene with mannes eye / whiche cannot be cōprehendend with mannes witte /