the euerlastynge glorye and kyngdome of God shalbe reueled whan at the laste daye we shalbe raysed from death to lyfe and be receyued into the kyngdome of heauen where we shalbe made perfytely iuste holy and safe for euer whiche thynge so long as we be here in this worlde is hyde from vs and appereth not clerlye vnto vs but at that last daye shal appere to all men that excedynge ioye which no tonge is able to expresse As saith saint Iohn in hys Canonical epistle Yet it appereth not what we shalbe but we know that whan it shall appere we shalbe lyke vnto hym and we shall see hym euen as he is All these thynges oure Lorde God causeth to be preached in the hole worlde of his mere goodnes and most abundāt mercie not for our workes or merites but before we desiered him But although it be preached through y e world yet it should not auayle vs if we beleued not that is to say if he came not into oure hartes yf the kyngdome of God wer not within vs. Therefore must we with all dilygence praye that God not onely may make this to be preched but also y t he wil gyue faith not onely to other but also to our selfes And shortly this is the summe of this petition that God by his syncere preachers wil sende his worde and gospel of Christ and by his holy spirite brynge vs to the faith and obedience to God and daily to encreace the same And than vtterly to abolyshe and take awaye from vs the rest of the worlde whiche is wicked and disobediēt withal their sinne and wickednes and to receiue vs in to his eternall kyngdome and glorye This is the meanyng plaine vnderstanding of this secōde petition The kyngdome of god cōmeth of it selfe w tout our prayer but here we pray that it may com to vs. Whiche commeth to passe whan the heauenly father gyueth vs his spirite to beleue his holy word to lyue wel and godly here in his churche for a tyme and after in heauen for euer The thirde petition Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen YE haue herde how in the former petycions we require of our Lord God to gyue vs al thinges that perteyne to his glorye and to the kyngdom of heauen whereof he hath gyuen vs commaundemente in the three preceptes written in the first table Nowe foloweth the thirde peticyon wherin we praye God to graūt vs that we maye fulfyll the other seuen commaūdementes also the whiche intreat of matiers concernyng this worldly kingdome and transitorye lyfe that is to saye to honoure our parentes and gouernours to kyl no man to committe none adulterye to absteyne from thefte and lyinge and to behaue our selfes in all thinges obedyentlye honestlye peaceably and godly And these be the wordes of this petitiō Thy wil be don in erth as it is in heauen And to the intent that you maye the better vnderstande this petition you shall knowe that there be two maner of kingdomes The first is the kingdome of God or of heauen wherof we spake in the second petition The other is an earthly or worldly kyngdome of the whiche you shall nowe heare Nowe our Lord God is the chiefe ruler and gouernoure in bothe these kyngdomes In the kyngdome of heauen he doth so raygne that he begynneth in vs here in this world the kingdome of euerlastyng lyfe and saluation And the worldlye kingedomes he doeth so gouerne that here he gyueth vs peace and quietnes that we may heare and learne the kyngdome of God and so atteyne the kyngdom of heuen And God hath ordeined in this erthlye kyngdome commen officers and rulers vnder him whiche he hath appoynted for thys purpose that they shoulde in his name gouerne the commen people and laboure with all dyligence that peace and quietnes maye be maynteyned in the same And he hath gyuen them the authoritie of the sworde that they shoulde not onely therewyth defende the godlye but also punishe malefactours and breakers of the commen peace and quietnes as traytours rebellions māquellers adulterers theues and false wytnesse bearers and all wronge doers to other men accordynge to the sayinge of sayncte Paule in the .xiii. chapiter to the Romayns Let euery soule saieth he submit himself vnto the higher powers For there is no power but that commeth of God And the powers that be are ordeyned of God Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the superiour powers resisteth the ordinaunce of God And they that resist do purchase to thēselues damnation For the rulers are not fearefull to theym that do good but to theym that do euell wylte thou be withoute feare of the powers do well then and so shalte thou be praised of the same For he is the minister of God for thy wealth But yf thou do euell then feare for he beareth not the sworde in vayne For he is y e mynister of God to punishe him that doeth euell Wherefore you muste nedes obey not onely for feare of punyshement but also for veraye conscience By these wordes you may well perceyue good children that it is Gods will and pleasure that we shoulde leade here in this worlde an honest and quyet lyfe and that they whiche be sedytyous and full of trouble and vnquietnes in the commen wealthe shoulde be punyshed And vpon these considerations he hath gyuē vs these commaundementes Honour thy father and mother Thou shalt not kyll Thou shalt not commytte adulterye Thou shalte not steale Thou shalte beare no false witnesse against thy neyghboure Thou shalt not desier anye thynge that is thy neyghbours And God hath commaunded the gouerners of commen welthes to punyshe suche as do not obey these commaundementes and he himselfe wyll punyshe theym also wherefore lette suche as be disobedient loke for punyshment not onely of the gouerners here in the sight of the worlde but also of God hymselfe And the gouernours whiche accordyng to gods commaundement do correcte and punyshe offenders they do wourshyppe God highly and do to him a pleasaunt and acceptable sacryfice And God hathe ordeyned the higher powers and quietnes to be in commen welthes that thereby we might heare and learne the gospell more easely and quietly For where as warre and sedycion is there is not the place to preach the worde of god with fruyt profit For the whiche cause saynt Paul wrytynge to Tymothye sayeth on this wyse I charge you that prayers and supplications be made for all men for kinges and for al that are in authoritie that we may lyue a quiet and a peaseable lyfe with all godlynesse and honestye For this is good and accepted in the syght of God our sauiour whiche wylleth all men to be saued and to come to the knowlege of the truth Nowe therefore forasmuche as we know by Goddes holy commaundementes what his wyll is it is our part to confirme our willes to his wyll and to desier him to giue vs his grace and ayde to accomplyshe his most holy
may y e more assuredly beleue this both Christ himself rose from death and many saintes also w t hym Fourthely we must beleue euerlastyng lyfe Wherefore it foloweth in the Crede I beleue euerlastynge lyfe that is to saye I beleue that whā we shall ryse from death then we shall lyue euer with Christe in parfite holynes and iustice and in suche a gloriouse ioy as no toung can tell nor hart thincke And this treatise of the Crede we must end with this wourde Amen which is asmuche to saye as I beleue that al the articles of our beliefe before rehersed be very true and thereof I haue a sure faithe trust and confidence Therefore good children from the bottome of your hartes you must beleue in the holy gost whiche doth promyse vnto vs remission of our synnes by al y e true preachers ministers of goddes worde And he dothe also geue light to our hartes and myndes and moueth vs to beleue goddes worde and to put our faith and trust in hym And the same holy goost dothe dayly purifye sanctifye vs purge and clense vs from sinne and after this bodily death shall rayse vs agayne to euerlasting life And take this for a sure conclusion and doubt nothynge thereof that the holy goost as he hath begonne these thīges in vs so he will fynyshe thesame in vs yf we obey him and continue in faith vnto thēde of our liues For he y t cōtinueth vnto y e ende shal be saued And this is the summe and also the most plaine vnderstāding of this thirde parte of the Crede entreatyng of our sanctificatiō or halowing Wherefore good children marke well this lesson that when ye be demaunded howe vnderstande you the thirde parte of the Crede yee may answer thus I beleue y t neither by mās strength power or wysedome neyther by myne awne endeuour nor cōpasse of myn awne reason I am able to beleue in Iesus Christ or to come vnto hym But the holy goost did call me by the worde of y e gospell and with y e giftes of his grace he hath hitherto endowed me halowed me and in the true faith he hathe hitherto preserued and confirmed me this he hath not done only to me but also he calleth and gathereth togyther in the vnitye of one faith and one baptisme all the vniuersal churche that is here in earth and he halloweth kepeth and preserueth thesame in the true knowledge of Christ and faith in his promyses And in this churche he geueth free and general pardō to me and to al that beleue in him of al our synnes offences and trespasses and at the last day he shall rayse me and all other y t be deade and al that dyed in the true faithe of Iesus Christ he shall glorifye in the lyfe euerlastyng Therefore to the sayde holy gost that sanctefyeth vs with y e father that made and created vs and the sonne that redemed vs be geuen all honour and glorye world without ende Amen ¶ A generall preface to be rehersed in the begynnynge of euery sermon made vpon the Lordes prayer YE haue learned heretofore good childrē in y e Crede what we ought to beleue and in the ten cōmaūdemētes what we ought to do but we can neyther beleue nor do as we ought to do excepte the holy gost worke with in vs bothe a true faith also a dewe obedyence towardes God and his lawe For faith is the gyfte of God and all good thinges commeth from the father of lightes Therefore we must nedes aske and craue these benefites at his hande whiche only is the gyuer of theim For so Christ saieth that God the father wyll gyue to vs his children all thinges so that we sue to hym for theim And the prophet Dauyd saieth Cal vpon me in the daye of thy trouble and I shal deliuer the and thou shalt glorifye me Also our Sauioure Christ commaūdeth vs to do y e same sayng Aske and you shal haue seke and you shall fynde knocke and the dore shall be opened vnto you Now therfore seyng that we haue learned what we shoulde beleue and do it is most necessary for vs to cal for gods grace with most feruēt and ernest prayers that we may be able to performe y e thinge whiche we are bounde to do For our sauiour Christ hath promised vs that what soeuer we aske the father in his name he wyll gyue it vs. Also he saieth that what soeuer we aske yf we beleue we shal receaue y e same Wher is to be noted that yf we wyll obteyne oure requestes we must aske in y e name of Christ and also trust assuredly that for Christes sake our praiers shal be heard To aske in Christes name is to aske accordynge to his wil that is to say to aske y t which he hath commaunded Therefore when we praye we may saye thus O God our father and the father of our Lorde Iesu Christ which art in heuē I durst not of myne awn head be so bold to come vnto thy most highe and excellent maiestye to desyer any thyng of the but thy welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ hath commaūded me so to do and only in his name and at his commaūdemente am so bolde Therfore yf thou hear me y u hearest thy dearly beloued sonne oure Lorde Iesus Christ. And yf thou heare me not thē thou hearest not Iesus Christ him selfe who hath sent me to the and hath commaunded me to aske in his name Of this prayer made in fayth speaketh saincte Iohn in his epistle saying This trust we haue in God y t when we aske any thynge accordinge to his will he doth heare vs. Therefore we shoulde stedfastly beleue that God doth heare our prayer For he that beleueth not he shall obtayne nothynge And therefore Christe saith If you beleue you shall obtayne And to thentent that we should beleue surely thynke that we be herde he hath promysed to graunt what soeuer we aske in his name And agayne to thentent that we shuld knowe and be suer that we praye accordyng to his wil he hymselfe hath taught vs howe what we should praye and aske Therfore it is not in our lybertye whether we wil praie or not but by goddes commaundement we be boūde to praye as you haue hearde in the seconde commaundement Now therefore with all dilygence lerne good children y e holy prayer of y e Lord which y e greate doctour and our Lorde Iesus Christ taught vs hymselfe saying to his disciples Ye shall praye after this maner OUre father which art in heauē halowed be thy name Thy kyngdome come Thy wil be don in earth as it is in heauē Geue vs this day our daily bread And forgeue vs our trespaces as we forgeue them that trespace against vs. And suffre vs not to be led into temptacion But delyuer vs from euyl Amen This good children is the prayer of the Lorde
oure selfes and prouoke other to do the lyke whiche we shall do yf we preache and teache the worde of God purelye and agree vnto the same in pure innocent lyuynge so that no man can reprehende vs yf we beleue Gods word ▪ and professe thesame in all necessities call vpon hys name and gyue hym thankes for all his benefites But whan false doctrine is taughte than the name of God is defiled and false doctrine is honored and taken for the holy worde of God which in dede is not holy but wicked and the false inuentiō of the deuyll the inuentour of all lyes and falsehode And howe can the holy name of god be more horribly abused thā whan the deuyls lyes and false inuentions be sette out and honoured vnder the pretence and coloure of Gods holye name that by that meanes the people maye the sonner be deceyued Moreouer the name of God is not halowed but blasphemed and dispised whan the true woorde of god is cruelly persecuted as Cain persecuted his brother Abell For whan the vngodly hypocrites do call the gospell and true doctrine of Christe heresy and errore than is God as it were accused of heresy which gaue the sayde doctrine whiche is an horrible blasphemie of Gods name Also whan we beleue not the worde of God than we violate and do iniurie to y e name of God not takynge hym to be true The name of God is halowed also but lytle regarded and contemned whan the gospel worde of God is not boldely professed before the worlde For he that denyeth y e gospel and doth not constantly stāde vnto it but for feare of men doth shrynke from it and reuoketh those thinges which before he hath truly godly taught he counteth not Iesus Christ the sonne of the lyuing God nor hys holy worde and gospell to be of that value and estimation that he wil for their sakes speake boldely or suffer any thynge before the kynges and powers of the worlde Also we do not halowe y e name of God whan we cal God our father and bost our selfes to be his childrē and yet that thing whiche we professe we do not parforme by holy and godly liuing For an vnthristy wicked child is a dishonour to his father Herof complayneth God by the Prophet Ezechiel the .xxvi. Chapter saying By you my name is blasphemed amonge people nations And he also regardeth not the holy name of God that doth not cal vpon God and gyue thankes to god as though he wer not the very true God which hath holpen hym and both can and wyll helpe him in all his nedes For he that knowlegeth himselfe that he is holpē of God he of dewty must nedes gyue hym thankes therefore and he y t trusteth to be holpē must lykewyse cal vpon hym for the same Therefore briefly to conclude he y t teacheth any other thā goddes true doctrine that beleueth not in the name of Christe that doth not boldely confesse y e worde of God that doth not leade hys lyfe accordyng to the gospel that doth not cal vpō God in al necessitie that doth not willyngly and gladly gyue thankes to God for al his benefites he dispiseth God and his holy name gyueth occasion to other to do y e lyke which of al other is the greatest offence to God Therefore we ought to praye that God kepe and defende vs from this synne This is the meanynge plaine vnderstandynge of this petition The name of God is of it selfe holy but in this petitiō we desier that we may also halow it which we do whan the worde of God is purely sīcerely taught whā we walke and lyue accordynge to the gospel This graunt vs O heuēly father For he that teacheth other doctrine than the pure word of God he dyshonoreth and defyleth the worde of God Wherfore from this synne good Lorde defende vs. Lerne these thinges dilygentlye good children and whan you be asked how vnderstande you this first petition you shall aunswer The name of God of it selfe is holy but here we do aske that it may be halowed of vs. And whā you be asked how is it halowed of vs Answere whan the worde of God is puerly and syncerelye taught whan we leade our lyfe in this worlde holyly and godly as it becommeth the veray true children of God Here in this point succour vs good Lorde helpe vs O heauenly father For he that either teacheth or liueth otherwise than the worde of God requireth he dyshonoreth and polluteth the worde of God The generall conclusion in all sermons of the Lordes praier Thus you haue herde good children the summe and mynd of this firste seconde thirde c. peticion kepe this in your memorye cease not to make your prayers vnto the Lorde nothyng dowting but he wil heare you make you holy and veray godly as the true children of God without faulte whiche haue their father in heauen For he hath promysed to graunt vs what soeuer we aske in his name And in his name we aske when so euer we say his prayer and vse the same forme of praier whiche he prescribed vnto vs and commaūded vs so to praye Therefore we ought to beleue in our hartes that God doth heare for so muche as he is oure father For whan we giue faithe vnto hys promyses than surelye he hearethe vs and by our prayer we trust to obteyne that thynge which we aske and to obey and parforme such thinges as he hath commaunded which thing God graunte vs all Amen Thy kyngdome come BEfore you herd in the first petytion howe we praye in it that God wyll graūt vs that we may fulfyll the seconde commaundemente that is to saye that we take not the name of God in vaine but that it maye be sanctified and honored by vs. Nowe foloweth the seconde petitiō wherin we pray y t God wil graunt vs strength to fulfyll the thirde commaundement whyche is reuerently to vse and to halow y ◠sabboth day whiche is not done by easynge only from all outward bodely laboures but it is chieflye done whan we mortifye the desyers of the fleshe dilygentlye heare the worde of God and obeye the same in our hartes whiche we can not do without a special and synguler grace and fauoure of God Therefore we haue nede feruently to praye euyn as Christe hath caught vs in this secōde petition Thy kingdome come That you maye vnderstande these wordes rightly iustly take good dilygent hede that you may lerne what y t kingdome is whiche you do aske The kyngedome of God as saynt Paule saieth Rom. xiiii is iustice peace and ioye in the holy gost And although these wordes paraduenture seme vnto you harde and darke yet you shal vnderstande theym yf you take good hede You knowe that Emperours kinges in this worlde haue their realmes kyngdomes and those people that be within their landes and dominions and dewly obey their lawes and commaundemētes those
sente to me one of hys ministers he in the name and place of God hathe declared to me the forgyuenes of my synnes and hath baptised me in the assurance of the same Wherfore I doubte not but that my synnes be forgyuen and that I am made the sonne heire of God Thus good children you ought generally in all temptations to fortifie youre fayth and to comforte your selfes with the authoritie of Goddes word but specially you shall learne this also that oure Lorde Iesus Christe dyd entende by this authoritie of the Kayes to comforte the troubled consciences of them that after their baptisme do fall in to haynous offences For it is not so easye a thyng to rise agayn from synne as the mad and blynde worlde doeth thynke but when the deuel and oure faith shall skyrmishe together then in those straites and troubles of cōscience we haue nede of the helpe of some trewe minister of y e churche whych as it were in our swonynge maye lyft vs vp wyth the wourde of God comforte and refreshe vs. As the wyse kyng Salomon doth declare by thys sentence Wo to that man whyche is alone for when he falleth he hath no mā to lyft hym vp agayn And oure Lorde Iesus Christe doeth speake so often tymes in the gospel of the authoritie of the kayes and hathe added so great promyses to the same that it may wel appere by the earnestnes of Christes wourdes how careful he was for troubled consciences and how fatherly an effection he had to comforte thesame Wherof it vndoutedly foloweth y t we haue great nede of thys comforte and that it is moche to be estemed and set by For first of al our sauiour Christ before he gaue these kayes ī dede he promysed to Peter y t he would gyue them saying I wyl gyue to the the kayes of the kyngdome of heauen What so euer thou shalt bynde vpon earth shalbe bounde in heauen and what so euer thou shall louse vpon earth shalbe also loused in heauen Secondarelye Christe doeth teache vs howe we shall vse these kayes both in open and in secrete synnes Of the vse of the kayes in opē synnes Christ speaketh these wourdes Yf thy brother trespace agaynst the go and tell hym hys faulte betwene him and the alone Yf he hear the thou hast wonne thy brother But yf he heare the not then take yet wyth the one or two that vpō the mouthe of two or thre wytnesses euery worde maye stande Yf he heare not them tell it vnto the cōgregacion Yf he heare not the cōgregation let hym be vnto the as an hethen and publican Uerely I saye vnto you what so euerye bynde on earth shalbe bounde in heauen And what so euer ye lose on earth shalbe loused in heauen And of the vse of the kayes in priuye and secrete synnes oure sauiour Christ hath taught vs by his awne dede and example For the mā that was sycke of the palsey Christ said thus Sonne cōceaue a stedfast fayth thy synnes be forgyuen the. And as touching byndyng of synnes he sayd to y e hard herted and stubburne Iewes Yf you were blinde you shulde haue no synne But nowe bycause you saye you see your synne abydeth styll that is to saye it is not forgyuen Thyrdlye oure Sauioure Christe after his resurrectiō gaue the kaies to his apostles as before he had promysed breathynge vpon theim and saying Receaue the holy gost whose synnes ye shall forgyue they are for gyuen Now forasmuche as oure sauioure Christe in gyuynge the keyes did promise vs so great cōforte dyd so dylygentlye teache the vse of them and dyd so faythfully and louyngly ordeyne and commende them and put theim as it wer into the handes of his apostles their successors we ought in no wyse to dyspyse this greate authoritie whiche God hath gyuen vnto men but thankefully to vse it For knowe this for a suertye good children that it is a very great offence against God lytle to care for hys great gyftes and benefites Therefore when we fal agayne to great synnes after that we are ones baptysed we oughte not to walke in a certē rechelesnes thynkyng that our synnes be forgyuen vs onely because God is merciful For this opinion or wauering imaginatiō is more weake and feble thē that in the feare and battaile of the conscience it is able to stande against the violent force and craftye assaultes of the deuel But in this fight betwene our cōscience the deuel our great trust and comforte is y e sure worde and worke of God whiche maye asserteyne vs that our synnes are forgyuen that is to say whan we obteyne forgyuenes of oure synnes and absolutiō of the ministers of the churche to whome Christ hath deliuered the kaies and hath promysed saying Whose synnes ye shall forgyue in earthe their synnes be forgyuen in heauen also And this also is to be reproued that some men whiche continue in manyfest and open synne and go not about to amende their lyfes yet they wil be counted christē mē and interpryse to receaue the same sacramētes that other do to come to y e churche to worship God and to praye with other Suche muste be warned of their fautes and yf they refuse to heare and amende then they ought to be excommunicate and put out of the christen cōgregation vntil they repente and amende their lyfes Lest by suche manifest sinne and euel examples other men might be prouoked to do the lyke and so at length many might be infected and the Christē religyon dispysed and euel spoken of as thoughe it wer the worst relygyon forasmuche as Christian men shoulde thā leade a shameful and vngodly lyfe And so by this meanes y e name of God and God himselfe might be blasphemed amonge the heathen people And althoughe those canons ordynances and rites whiche be agreable to the gospel and were ordeyned in tyme past to punyshe suche opē trāsgressors and malefactors are nowe in oure tyme almost vtterly abolyshed and taken awaye yet for this cause we ought not to dispise or cast awaye the authoritye vse of the kayes For they which presumptuously do cast away all pokes of ecclesiasticall discipline or chasticement do let that such kynde of correction whiche is agreable to the gospel maye not be restored againe shall haue without doubte God for their iudge But let vs praye our Lord Iesus Christ that as it hath pleased him to restore vnto vs his moste blessed worde and the true vnderstādyng of the same so also he wyll vouchesaue to rendre and sende agayne to vs these and suche lyke good and holsome ordinances agreable to his worde Now when a man after baptisme hath greuously synned and doubteth in his conscience whether he be in the fauour of God or no as oftentymes yt happeneth then it is harde for hym to trust to his awn bare imaginations thinking on this fashion I know y t I haue synned but yet I
am in this opinion that God is not so cruel a reuenger But that he hath forgyuen me For suche an opinion without goddes worde is not a trew faith nor is able to stande in the daūgerous skirmyshes of tēptation But trewe faith must euer be stayed vpon the certen worde wourke of God Now God dothe not speake to vs with a voyce soundynge out of heauen But he hath giuen the kayes of the kingdom of heauen and the authoritie to forgyue synne to the ministers of the churche Wherefore let him that is a sinner go to one of theim let him knowlege and confesse his synne and praye him that accordyng to gods commaundemente he wyll gyue him absolution and cōfort him with y e worde of grace and forgyuenes of his synnes And when the minister dothe so then I ought stedfastly to beleue that my synnes are truly forgyuē me in heauen And suche a faythe is able to stande stronge in all skyrmyshes and assautes of oure mortal enemy y e deuel forasmuche as it is buylded vpō a sure rocke that is to say vpō the certen word and worke of God For he that is absolued knoweth for a suertye that his synnes be forgyuen him by the minister And he knoweth assuredlye also that the minister hath autoritie from God himselfe so to do And thirdely he knoweth that God hath made this promise to his ministers sayed to them To whom ye forgyue synnes vpon earth to him also they shall be forgyuen in heauen Wherefore good children gyue good eare to this doctrine when your synnes do make you afrayed and sadde then seke and desyer absolution forgyuenes of your synnes of the ministers whiche haue receaued a commission and commaundement from Christ hymselfe to forgyue men their synnes and then youre conferences shal haue peace tranquillitie quietnes But he that dothe not obey this counsell but beyng ether blynd or proude doth dispyse the same he shal not fynde forgyuenes of his synnes neither in hys awne good wourkes nor yet in paineful chastysementes of his bodye or any other thynge whereto God hath not promysed remission of sinnes Wherfore dispyse not absolution for it is the commaundemente and ordinance of God and the holy spirit of God is present and causeth these thinto take effect in vs to worke our saluatiō And this is the meaning and playne vnderstandynge of these wordes of Christ which you hearde heretofore rehersed whiche are writen to thentēt y t we shoulde beleue that whatsoeuer goddes ministers do to vs by Gods commaūdement are as muche auaileable as yf God hymselfe shoulde do the same For whether y e minysters do excommunicate opē malefactors and vnrepentant persons or do gyue absolution to those which be truly repentant for their synnes and amende their lyues these actes of the ministers haue as great power authoritie and be cōfirmed and ratified in heauē as thoughe oure Lorde Iesus Christ himselfe had done the same Wherefore good children learne these thinges dilygentlye And whē you be asked how vndrestāde you the wordes before rehersed ye shall answer I do beleue that what soeuer y e ministers of Christ do to vs by gods commaūdemēt either in excommunicatinge open and vnrepentante synners or in absoluyng repentant persons all these their actes be of as greate authoritie and as suerly cōfirmed in heauen as yf Christe shoulde speake the wordes out of heauen So ye haue good children the begynnynge and foundation of the ministers of gods worde and of the authoritie of the kayes as our lord Iesus Christ did first ordeyne and institute the same The whiche our sauiour Christ did institute and appointe for this purpose that our consciences myghte thereby be comforted and assured of the forgyuenes of synnes and to haue the inestimable thresures of the gospel as often as we haue nede thereof That we thereby being made stronge in oure faith might so continewe to thende of our life And he that continueth to the ende shal be saued The which graunt vs the most merciful God Amen ¶ A sermon of the Communiō or the Lordes supper OUr Lorde Iesus Christ good children in the .xv. chapter of Iohn speketh these wordes I am the true vyne and my father is the husbande man Euerye braunche that beareth not fruyte in me he wyll take awaye And euerye braunche that beareth fruyt he wyll prune that it maye bring forth more fruit Now are ye cleane thorowe the wourdes whych I haue spoken to you Dwell in me and I wyll dwel in you As the braunche can not beare fruit of it selfe excepte it growe in the vyne no more can ye excepte ye abid in me I am the vine ye are the braunches He that abideth in me I in hym bryngeth forthe muche fruite For wythout me ye can do nothīg By these wordes our Lord Iesus Christe doeth teache vs veraye plainlye how we be iustified saued before god For as y e braunch of a vyne brīgeth forth no fruyt except it abyde in the vyne so we can not be rightuous excepte we abyd in Christ. And as y e braūche of a vine doeth not flouriche nor kepe lōg his sappe but withereth away is cast into the fier when it is cut from the vyne euen so be we damned and can not be saued whē we forsake our master Christ Nowe ye haue heard good children howe by baptisme we are so plāted in Christ y t by him we haue forgyuenes of our sinnes and are grafted in hym as the braunche is in the vyne And as the braunches haue sappe and lyfe of the vyne that they maye bryng forth fruyte so we also which beleue in Christe and are baptised haue receyued of hym the holy goste that we maye be iustified And yf it chaunce vs to fall from Christe thorowe synne or vnbelefe or to be put out of the Christen congregation for our open and manifest synnes yet ye haue hearde howe we are receyued agayne in to the bosome of the churche and ioyned to Christes bodye by the authoritie of the Kaies and absolution But yf we wil be iustified and saued it is not ynoughe to be planted in Christ but we must also abide and continue in hym Wherfore nowe foloweth that doctrine which teacheth vs how we ought to ordre our selues that we maye styll abyde and growe in Christe after that we are grafted in hym And this doctrine is conteyned in the institution and receauynge of the supper of oure Lorde Iesus Christ. For as by baptisme we are borne agayne and as by the authoritie of the Kaies and penance we are lifted vp agayne when we are fallen in to synne after baptisme so by the commuinion of the holy supper of the Lorde we are preserued and strengthened that we maye be able stedfastly to stād fyght against the violent inuasiōs of sin the power of y e deuel Wherefore good children forasmuche as ye be alredye planted in Christ by baptisme learne also I praye you
sore although I see nothinge before myne eyes but present deathe or daūger yet wyl I not despaire yet will I not mystrust God yet wyl I not hurt my soule w t sinne For I am sure that this creature whiche so sore persecuteth vexeth or troubleth me is no God but is vnder the hand power of y e trew lyuinge God I knowe that one heere of my heade can not be takē away from me without the wil of hym that is onelye and alone the trew liuing god He is my maker my lord my god him wil I feare more then the mighty power of any man more then the crafty imaginations of myne enemyes yea more then any creature in heauen or in earthe Yf I be wrongfully entreated and do suffer iniustli he can easely delyuer me ▪ and so preserue me that no parrel shal touch me The second way is whē men put their hole confidence in other thinges than in God and haue these or suche lyke thoughtes wythin themselfes I woulde I hadde suche riches or landes I woulde suche a man were my frende then shoulde I be ryche happye and blessed thē should I be sufficiently defended and armed agaynste all chaunces that maye happen vnto me in thys worlde They that thinke thus haue such riches landes and creatures for a God ▪ although with their tongue they say not so yea althoughe thys affection lye hidde in our hearte so secretly that we our selfes shoulde scantly knowe of it But the godly maye not suffer any such thoughtes to entre in to their heartes but ought thus to reason with theimselues Althoughe I haue veraye great aboundance of frendes and riches although I flowe in pleasures honor and glorye and in all worldely thynges whyche a man can desire yet by these thynges I haue not true saluation For these creatures are not God wherfore they can not saue me neither delyuer me from the tyrannie of the deuyll or the wrath of God But the lorde is God alone Yf I shal displease him he is able to take al my frendes and riches away from me or elles otherwayes to brynge to passe that all these thynges shall worke my distructiō Wherfore he alone is to be feared and in hym alone we must fasten the anker of our trust and confidence The thirde way is when a man so hartly loueth and delighteth in any thyng besydes God that for it he doeth and suffereth willingly all thynges that are to be done or suffered not greatly regardynge whether it pleaseth or dyspleaseth God then this man maketh thys creature whiche he so feruently loueth his god although in wordes he doth not vtter it But let Christian people weede out from the botome of their hartes the rootes of suche inordinate loue of any creature And let them thinke after thys sorte wherefore shoulde I offende God for this or that thing I know that this lucre or this honor vpon the whiche I am tempted and do somuch set my harte is not God it is but a creature which can not saue me nether delyuer me from death or any other aduersite Wherefore I wyll loue only my God wyth all myne harte I wyll do all thynges for his sake chiefly and I wyll onely aboue all thynges obey him Hytherto you haue herde how by these thre waies by fearing by trustyng and by louyng we maie easely make a God of a creature whiche in dede is no God but rather an ydoll set vp by oure awne phantasie But this is an horrible sinne against the first commaundement of God and so muche the more parrellous because it lurketh in the corners of mannes hart most secretly The worlde is ful of this synne and specially they that haue hypocrite hartes for all their paynted holynes are infected with the rustenes of these vices And to thentent that you maye the better knowe these haynous offenses against the first commaundemente and the soner eschewe them I will declare them vnto you by a fewe and shorte examples Some ther be y t do so greatly feare the cōiūctions and influencis of the heauenly planettes and bodies aboue that when they iudge by their lernynge in Astronomye or heare say of other men that the signes in heauen do threaten commen plages or calamities by and by they tremble for feare and not castynge theyre hope and trust in God they be soo amased that they can not tel whether to runne to auoyde the daunger Other ther be that thinke that when the Sonne Moone or any other planetes is in this or y t signe it is an vnlucky thinge to enterpryse this or that and vpon suche dismolde daies as they call them they wyll begyn no new enterprise because they thinke y t it shulde not haue good successe or prosperous ende And many lyke kyndes of ydolatrye is vsed euen among christen people But y e prophet Hieremie doth expressely forbyd this in the .x. chapter sayng Feare not the signes of the skie as the hethen do Furthermore manye there be that stande in suche awe to tyrannes that for feare of them they denye the trew word of God These mē take tyrannes and rulers of this worlde for goddes For they imagyne that yf suche men fauoure them thē thei shalbe safe for euer But the prophete Dauid in the .cxlvi. psalme doth gyue contrarie counsel sayng thus Put not your cōfidence in princes in the sonnes of men in y e which is no saluatiō Some men also put their hole affiaunce in money and phantesie that they whiche haue plentye of money can lacke nothing Therfore they gyue themselfes holye to couetusnes to the desier to hurd vp riches they set their minde vpon filthy lucre they scratche what they can not regardynge whether they get by right or by wrong Suche men wurship their riches for their God But saint Paule in the .iii. chapter to the Colossians saieth Forsake couetusnes whiche is a seruice to ydolles Some set their trust in their owne wourkes thinkyng that by them they may be deliuered from synne reconcyled to the fauour of God iustified before him and by them also to atteyne eternal saluacion These haue their merites wourkes in the steade of God This is the greatest ydolatrie that can be vnder the sunne and a playne denyall of the fayth in christ as here after it shall be declared vnto you at large in the treatise of fayth Other ther be that be seruaūtes to their owne belyes gyuynge theim selues holly to eatynge and drynking bodely pleasures somuch y t in cōparisō of bodily pleasures they eyther dispise or elles forget God Such men make their belie their God as saint Paule writeth of thē saying Some therbe which sellyng the wourde of God do teache peruersely whose God is their belye But that thinge where in they do nowe glorye shalbe their confusion By these examples you maye easelye perceaue howe by to muche fearing trusting and louyng we make a God of a creature which in dede is not God
broughte in of later yeres whiche bryngeth vs not vnto the true knowledge of god but leadeth vs into errors and ignoraunce of God But if you wil lyfte vp your mindes to god good children to know his diuine maiestye hys infinite power wysedome goodnes and other his godlye perfections loke not vpon a deafe domme blynde lame and deade ymage made by a painter or caruers handes but loke vpon heauen and other creatures made by goddes awne handy worke loke vpon man who cā speake see smell heare feale and go and hath lyfe wyl and reason and whome no man but God himselfe made to be his lyuely image and similitude We haue also y e holy scriptures whiche declare vnto vs the wonderful workes of God by which thynges wee maye be ledde to the knowledge of God without painted or carued ymages Now paraduēture some wil say that Christ hathe a bodye and lykewyse haue saintes therfore of them we may haue ymages althoughe of God there can be made no ymage And further they wil say that the cause why ymages wer forbid was perryl of ydolatry and worshipping of theym So that where there is no suche peril we may haue ymages Yet as I will not vtterly deny but they may be had so I thincke it more cōuenient for christē religion that they shuld be taken out of Christen mens churches then that they shoulde be placed in the temple of God And of this my opinion I wil shewe you certaine good groundes to thintente that whan you be demaunded why we Englyshe men haue no ymages in our churches you maye be able to make therunto a reasonable aunswer and that also in time to come you may declare to your children what abuses haue crepte into the church by the occasion of ymages That if anye man shall hereafter god about craftily to brynge in ymages agayne for hys owne lucre sake they maye the soner perceyue hys Iuglynge and so the better auoide the perill and daunger Fyrst it is certaine that we neither haue commaundement counsell nor example of the scripture nor of the primatiue churche in thapostilles time nor many yeres after to set vp ymages in our churches As it maye appeare by the holy mā Epiphanius Bishop of Cypres a man of great estimation an .xi. hundreth yeres passed for his great lernyng and vertue and by whom not only in his lyfe tyme but also after his death god wrought many miracles He in an epistle which he wrote to the Bysshoppe of Hierusalem whiche epistle saint Hierome did translate out of Greke into Latine writeth that as he passed y e contrey about Hierusalem he founde in a church a cloth painted hauing the image of Christ or of a saynte And whā I saw saied he an ymage of a mā hang in the church of Christe contrarie to the authoritie of the scripture I cut it in peces counseled thē to buri some pore dead mā therin And after he wrote to the Bysshop of Hierusalem that he shuld commaunde al the priestes not to suffer suche images beynge contrary to our religion to hange in the church of christ Wherby it appeareth y t in those dayes ymages were not alowed to be sette vp in churches amonge christen menne yea al thoughe it were the ymage of Christe or any sayncte but that the vsage of ymages beganne after that tyme. And yf we wyl beleue aūcient Histories ymages wer brought into churches by the pollicye and force of the Byshoppes of Rome many good christian Emperors withstanding the same to their power But Idolatrie by the byshoppes of Rome preuailed and seduced many Christen Realmes Moreouer many images teache nothyng elles but erronious and supersticiouse doctrine For what reachethe the picture of sayncte Mychael waying soules and our lady putting her beades in the balaunce Forsoth nothing els but superstitiousnes of beades and cōfidence in oure owne merites and the merites of saincts nothynge in the merites of Christe For wheras oure good workes be not able to way against the deuel our lady muste laye her beades in balaūce that is to say wil workes diuised of oure awne braynes not commaūded of God and by them to saue vs. Which doctrine is very false and iniuriouse to Christe What did y e ymage of saint Sondaye teache But that Sondaye was an holye man accordynge to the which teaching beggers asked their almes for saynct Sondayes sake But I wyll leaue to speake of the euell doctrine whiche was taught by Images and I wyll declare vnto you y e ymages haue bene so abused that all the goodnes whiche myght come by theym was neuer cōparable to the great ignoraunce and blyndnes the superstition and idolatrie whiche haue been brought in and cōmitted by meanes of thē The whiche abuses good children your owne fathers yf you aske theym can well declare vnto you For they themselfes wer greatly seduced by certayne famouse and notoriouse ymages as by our lady of walsingham oure ladye of Ippeswiche Saynt Thomas of Canterbury Sainct Anne of Buckestone the roode of Grace and suche lyke whom many of your parentes vilitide yerely leauinge their owne houses and familyes To thē they made vowes pilgrimages thinkyng that God would heare their prayers in that place rather than in another place They kissed their feete deuoutrly and to theim they offred candles and ymages of waxe rynges beades gold and syluer aboundantly And because they that so taught them had ther by great cōmoditie they mainteined the same with fayned myracles and erroniouse doctrine teaching the people that God would heare their prayers made before this image rather than before another ymage or in another place wheras the Prophete Esay sayth that God doeth heare those that be truely penitent in euery place a lyke But peraduenture some wyl saye they dyd neuer teache vs to kneele to y e ymage but before the image But who I pray you gaue them commission to teache you to kneele before the ymage yf you make youre praiers to God why lyfte you not bothe your eyes and handes to heauen where God is why loke you rather vpon the walles vpon stockes and stones then thitherward where you knowe he is to whome you make your prayers What nedest thou which arte the ymage of God to kneele before the ymage of man Again they that be greued with takyng downe of ymages out of the churches will parchaunce say We worshipped not y e image but the sainct whome the ymage dyd signifye And who I praye you commaundeth you after this fashion to worship any sainct why shoulde wee geue that honoure to sainctes nowe after their deathe whiche they themselfes whan they were on lyue dyd vtterly refuse Yf a Christen man althoughe in dede he were a very holy man and a lyuing saint should set himself vpon an aulter in the church you would say to him come down syr that is no place for you to stande in And why shoulde than dōme ymages stande there whan they be
any office in the commen wealth beware that you gyue no cause nor occasion to othes not necessarie For whatsoeuer sinne is committed by suche othes that God doethe impute to thofficer whiche exactethe the same and not to the subiectes whiche are bownde to obey not onelye for feare of punyshemente but also for conscience sake Thirdely we abuse the name of God not onely in vayne but also very vngodly when with horrible cursyng bannynge by the name of God we wyshe to other the vēgeaunce of God The whiche syn now in our time is moche vsed Insomuche that now a dayes you shall heare not onely men but also womē and childrē outragiouslye curse and banne bothe themselfes and other sayinge after this wise By goddes soule I woulde I hadde neuer been borne or I woulde the grounde shoulde open and swalowe me vp By Goddes body I woulde thou wert hanged by goddes passion I woulde the deuell had the by goddes woundes I woulde it were on a wylde fire or suche other lyke deuylyshe cursiges wishīges which offence is not onelye abominable before god but also so shamefull before the worlde that it abhorreth good christen eares to heare suche haynous blasphemie For sainct Paul in the seconde chapter of thepistle to the Philippians writeth thus In the name of God all knees do bowe downe bothe in heauen in earthe and vnder the yearth that is to saye Not onelye Aungelles and men do wourship oure Lorde and God Iesus Christe but also the damned spirites and deuelles in hell do quake at his name and by their trēblyng do declare that they most reuerently acknowlege the name of hys maiestye But these more then deuylishe swerers banners and cursers without reuerence to the mooste honorable name of God without curtesye or bowing to him who with a becke maketh all the worlde to shake do blowe bluster oute of theyr vngodly mouthes suche blasphemies as by the same they do not onelye hyghly dishonour God but also do wyshe to their neighbours all kinde of miseries plages and aduersities that can be imagined whereas oure dutye is to loue our neyghbour wishe wel to him as to ourselfes Nowe consyder what a great wickednesse it is to wyshe euyll thinges to men by the name of God seyng that by thys name we ought to desier and praye for all good thinges bothe to oure selues and to oure neyghbours Wherfore when ye heare ani man vsing suche spytefull curses and blasphemies of gods name doute not but y t he in y t deede is wurse then the deuyll himselfe For the deuil when he heareth god named trembleth therat and dateth not so vnreuerently behaue hymselfe to that moste holy mane where as these wretched and most vngodly persones do shewe no feare nor reuerence thereto at all But ye good children take hede for gods sake that you accustome not your selfes to suche kynde of blasphemies And when you shall heare other outragyng with suche horrible curses flye frome theym as frome pestilence and thynke this with youre selfe I wyll conuey me out of this naughtie companye leste peraduenture I also maye be infected with this contagious custome of swearynge and cursing and so maye be made at the lengthe more abhominable in this poynt than is the deuill hym selfe Fourthly the name of God is taken in vayne when men do abuse the worde of God purposelye makynge false expositions vpon holy scripture and wrestynge the same frō the true sense to their euil purpose or whan men make a trifle or a lawghynge sporte of the wordes of holy scripture as these papistes do whiche say that thys verse of y e Psalme He shall drinke of the broke by the way and therfore he shall lyft vp his hedde is verefied of the gose and the gaundre This abuse doth brede a contempte of the worde of God and it doeth corrupt or mynishe the authoritie of Gods doctrine Fyftly they do misuse the name of God whiche do abuse it to charmes witchcraft sorceries nicromācies inchaūtemētes cōiuringes And this is not onely a great syn but a thynge of hys owne nature moste vayne and folishe For perswade your selfes this thynge for a suertie good chyldren that all kynd of witchecraft is of hys own nature nothing elles but lies gyles and subtilenes to deceaue ygnoraunt and simple mē as manye haue proued by experiēce to theyr great losse and vtter vndowynge Wherfore beware of them beleue them not do not learne them neyther feare that an nother mans inchauntementes are hable to hurte you For they be nothing els but the deuils instrumentes by the whiche he doeth prouoke men to horrible synnes that the name of God may be blasphemed dyuerse wayes y t we may defile our soules with detestable ydolatrie that one man may suspecte an other that anger enuy and hatred myght be sowen amonge men and that out of thys roote myght sprynge vp backbytyng slaūderyng al myschief This vice pleaseth well the deuyll but God hath forbid it and cōmaūded in y e olde lawe that whitches sorcerers and cōiurers should suffre punishmēt of death Wherfore good childeren feare the Lorde and take not hys holy name in vayne beware of ydolatrye forsware not absteine from othes and curses refrayne your tongues from al vntruthes raylynges skoffes and iestes whē you talke of holy scripture or matiers concernyng religion flye frō all kynde of wytchecrafte and inchauntementes For to this commaūdemēt god hath added a speciall threatenynge saynige thus He shall not be giltles before the lord that taketh his name in vayne Beleue surely good children that these be veray weyghty wourdes and of great importaunce and thinke not thus with your selfes what is this so great a mater I spake not these wourdes in ernest but in borde I pray you for Christes sake do not defende your fault with such excuses but beware that you take not in vaine the name of God ▪ nether in ernest nor in sport For the holy name of God is to be wourshipped with all honor and religion and he that doth not obey thys commaundemente hym the lorde shall not count gyltles but shall punishe him greuously And when God punisheth he sendeth amonge vs sycknesses pestilence hungre derth battel robberies sedition manslaughter suche lyke with these plages he taketh vēgeance on oure sinnes Therfore we ought to feare his wrath and not to take his name in vayne Hither to you haue hearde fyue wayes wherby we may take the name of God in vaine nowe it shall be declared vnto you howe you shoulde rightly and duely vse the name of God Considre that we be professed in to our religion and baptised by y e name of God wherfore good childerne listen diligently to this lesson and lerne that we ought to vse the name of God thre wayes by inuocation and callynge vpon him by cōfession of his name and his wourd by thankes gyuyng As touchinge the firste we be bounde in all our necessities and parrels to
offenders And whē such commen gouernours do their office in punishyng open malefactors thē they do a true honour and seruice to god ar his ministers as saint Paul sayth to y e Romaynes The magistrate is Gods officer And when the publike minister doethe kil an opē transgressor we oughte to thinke y t God kylleth hym for asmuche as the officer doethe the same by the commaundement and ordynance of God Wherfore good children althoughe menne do neuer so greate wronge vnto you and hurte you ether in your bodies or goodes yet take it paciently refrayne your handes from bloudshedyng strike no man violently but committe the matier to God For he hath saied leaue vengeance to me and I wil reuenge But ye in no wise shall kil nether in will worde nor dede For there be diuerse wayes to commit murther The first is when with any kynde of weapon or violence we slay our neyghbour as theues do be the hyghe wayes Also yf we gyue any commaundement or counsell that oure neyghboure shoulde be slayne by other or yf we spreade abrode any euel brute or slaunder of any man by occasyon of y e which he is put to death Furthermore we kill when ether with worde or dede we maye and do not delyuer hym whome other men entende to kyll And when we see our neyghbour in perryll of lyfe and do not helpe him but suffer hym to dye for hunger to be drowned or burned Besides this we be manquellers when we beare angre hatred and malyce agaynste oure neyghbours and when with greate angre and furye we do rayle on him curse him and wishe vengeaunce to lyghte vpō him For whersoeuer angre hatred enuye and malycyousnes reygneth there is manslaughter whiche althoughe it be not performed in dede with the hande sword yet it is done in hart mind and wyll For as fyre kyndled with a litle sparke doeth oftentymes greate hurte and damage can not easely be quēched so whā the sparkes of angre hatred and enuye do set on fyre mans hearte they do oftentimes prouoke more hurte than euer a man thoughte and some time they styrre to committe suche offences as in all his lyfe he neuer thought vpon and for the whiche afterwarde he soroweth all the dayes of his lyfe So that the wel spring of manslaughter is malice and enuye And therfore sayncte Iohn in his Epistle sayeth He that hateth his brother is a manqueller And Christ saieth He that is angrye wyth his brother is worthy to be iudged For to be angrye is with the herte to kyll Wherfore that commaundemēt that sayeth thou shalt not kyll doeth also forbyd to be angry Furthermore Christ sayeth he that sayeth to his brother Racha that is to saye he that with voice or gesture sheweth anye token of an angry herte is worthye the sessyons but he that sayeth thou foole is worthy the fyre of hel In these sentences our master Christ teacheth vs that in wordes is manslaughter committed when we vtter the poyson of our herte with any suche wordes wherby the venome of our herte is perceyued But when we burst out into suche raylynge slaunderouse and contumelious wordes agaynst any man that he maye lese therby his estimation or good name then we be more heynous murtherers And here also Christ teacheth vs how greuouslye we shall be punished both in this life and in the life to come yf we dyspise this commaundemēt of god For he doeth not only say he that kylleth but he also that is angrye with his brother is worthy iudgement that is to saye is gyltye before God of so great a cryme that he hath deserued to be arrested violentlye to be drawen in to the place of iudgement and there opēly to be accused and arrayned of the same But he y t with voyce or gesture dothe vtter the malice of his hert is worthy the sessions that is to saye he hath committed so greuous an offence in the sight of God y t it is not nowe necessarie to empanel a quest to inquire whether he hath deserued punishment or no forasmuche as his offence is manyfest but the greatnes of the synne hath onely neede of a sessiō or a numbre of iudges to determine how greuously such an offēder ought to be punished But he whiche inflamed with angre calleth his neighbour by such approbrius wordes that his estimacion and good nameis hurte and decayed he is worthye hell fyre that is to saye he hath synned so heynously that he hathe deserued tormentes both in this world and in an other worlde except he repent in tyme and obteyne hym pardone by the passion of Chrste But most of all kyllyng with the hande and effusion of bloud shall be punished wyth moste greuous paynes bothe in this lyfe and in the lyfe to come As oure Lorde God declared to Noe saynge I wyll requyre youre bloode of the handes of all beastes and of the handes of man For who so euer shedeth mans bloode his bloode shall be shed agayne And in case the manqueller escape mans handes and punishment of the commen offycer or yf they that haue Goddes sworde in theyr handes be neglygent in doynge theyr office or wyl be blynded with affections and corrupted wyth monye yet God wyll not let manslaughter to escape vnpunished For he hath sayde that he hymselfe wyll inquire of bloodshedynge and syt in iudgement vpon manquellers As it is playnly declared vnto vs by the horryble example of Cain who kylled his brother Abell For not onelye in this lyfe God dyd so sore punyshe hym that hys conscience was vexed with suche vnquietnes and horryble feare that all hys bodye shooke and trembled mooste pitifully and he coulde abid or rest in no place but lyke a banyshed man or runne agate wandered euerne where but also now after this lyfe he is cursed of God and damned for euer This fearfull payne good chyldren ought to warne vs to be diligent in kepyng this commaundement that we kyll not neyther in wil worde nor dede but contrarywyse to endeuour oure selfes to practise Christes lessons who hath taught vs gentylnes mildnes long sufferance and pacience For he saith Blessed ar they that suffer persecutiō for rightousnes for theyrs is y e kyngdō of heauen Wherfore good children marke ernestly what God here commaūdeth Ye shal not saieth he be angrye but loue your enemies ye shal not slaūdre or backbite other but speake wel euen of those that hate you accordyng to y e cōmaūdemēt of Christ. Yf a mā strike y t on the cheke resist not but whosoeuer shall gyue the a blow on the ryght cheke turne to hym the other also And if any man wil sue y t at y e law take away thy coat let him haue thy clooke also And whosoeuer will compell the to go one myle go with him twayne Do good to them that hate you pray for them that hurte and persecute you that ye maye be the children of your father whiche is
godly men be common to vs all For whan soeuer anye Godly man requireth any good thynge of God he also requireth the same for vs alone for no man oughte to praye for him selfe And this is a greate consolation for all Christian people For the scripture sayeth that the prayer of one iust man may do muche wyth God And therfore whan manye iust and godlye men do make their supplications vnto God with one accorde we may be sure that their prayers are herde And thys is the playne sense and exposition of this fourth petition Now good children I pray you diligently to remember these thynges that when you be asked thys question howe vnderstande you the fourth petition you may answere God doeth sufficientlye prouide for vs meate and lyuyng with out our desire neuerthelesse we desyre him to graunt vs that we maye knowe that we haue all thynges at his handes and that we may gyue to him due thankes for the same And yf further anye man wyll aske you what is mente by thys worde our dayly breade aunswere that by daylye breade is vnderstande all thynges necessarie for oure lyuynge as meate drynke clothe house lande cattel monye housholde stuffe a good wyfe obedyente chyldren trustye seruaūtes good gouerners a wel ordered commen wealth commen peace and tranquilitie seasenable wether holsome aier health of body constant frendes honest neighboures and suche lyke thynges whereby we maye leade in this worlde a Godly and quiet lyfe ¶ And forgyue vs oure trespaces as we forgyue them that trespace agaynst vs. YOu haue hearde howe we desyer of God oure father that for asmuche as he is the onelye and true maker of heauen and earth he wyll vouchsafe to preserue and nouryshe vs his children and that we ought to trust for this thing of no creature but of God only as you haue lerned in the firste article of oure Crede which intreateth of the creatiō Now foloweth the fifth petitiō in y t whiche we desyer God to giue vs al those thīges y t we haue lerned in the seconde parte of oure Crede whiche speaketh of our redemption and teacheth vs howe by the passion death and resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christe we be delyuered from synne death and hel that with ioye and myrthe we maye loke for that daye in the which he shal iudge both y e quicke and the dead The wordes of this peticion be these Forgyue vs our trespaces as we forgyue theym that trespace agaynste vs. To the intent good childrē that you maye the better vnderstande this petition you shal call to your remembraunce that lesson whiche you lerned a lytle before that is to saye that Christ hath promysed that he wyll gyue vs all thinges whiche we aske in faithe and true belefe Nowe true faith is grounded vpon the promyse of god and it is not buylded but vpon the foūdacion of his word Wherfore yf we wyll aske any thing in true belefe we must aske as the worde of God teacheth vs and we muste take suer holde of Gods promise declared in the scripture For it is not faithe to beleue oure owne phantasies or dreames of the whiche God hath nothynge spoken or taught As yf a man would beleue that by Goddes healpe he shoulde not be drouned although he leapte into the sea this were no faith but a tēptaciō of god a very heynous sinne commyng dowtles of the deuel who on this wise tēpted our master Christ when he set him vpon the pinnacle of the temple in the holy cytie and said vnto him If thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe But Christe refused so to do answered thus Yt is written Thou shalte not tempte thy Lorde God Nowe there is not in the whole scripture anye one promyse that God wyll helpe me yf I do any suche acte but yf we do suche thynges as God hathe commaunded vs he hathe made vs manye promyses that he wyll ayde and succour vs in al our necessities and troubles By the whiche promyses he hath declared his fatherly loue towardes vs intendyng therby to stirre and prouoke vs to runne vnto him in all oure cares and nedes Wherefore it is our bounden dutye to cal vpon his name in al our necessities to trust vpon hys promyses to put him as it were in remembraunce of them and ernestly to desier hym to performe y e same But amonge al other promyses this promyse is speciallye to be remembred where Christ promyseth thus Yf ye will forgyue men their trespaces my heauenly father also wyll forgyue you youre trespaces But yf you wyl not forgyue men their trespaces thē wyl not my heuēly father forgiue you In the whiche promyse Christe dothe not onely offer vnto vs remission of our synnes and suche thynges as apperteyne to euerlastyng lyfe but also he promiseth vs hereby peace and quietnes in this transitorye lyfe with concord and a louyng harte towarde our neyghboure And accordynge to this promyse Christe our master hath taught vs to pray after this sort Forgiue vs our trespaces as we forgiue them that trespace agaynst vs. For it were not reasonable nor agreyng to iustyce that we should require God to forgiue vs our trespaces agaīst him whē we are not minded to forgyue our neighbours their offēces against vs. Nor God would neuer heare vs yf we shoulde so praye For yf we haue causes why we wyll not forgyue our neighbors thē suerly God hath both mo more weightie causes wherfore he wil not forgyue vs. So that yf God were mynded to forgyue vs oure synnes yet yf we be not mynded to forgyue our neyghbors he wold stay and as it wer cal againe this his purpose by the reason of oure vncharitablenes and dissobediēce as Christe hymselfe doth playnly teache vs by the example of the seruaunt whyche after he had hys dette forgyuen him was compelled to paye all the monye wherof before he was dyscharged by hys maysters pardon because he wold not forgyue his felow Wherefore good childrē accustome your selfs euē from your tendre age gladly to forgyue them that haue offended you Be not desyrous to reuenge your awn quarels and thē youre heuenly father wil also forgyue you Yf you be angry synne not nor let not the sunne set vpon your anger For it is not possible that any man can trewlye beleue that God hath forgyuen him hys synnes when he hymselfe is not willyng to forgiue his neighbore Wherfore God our heuēly father dyd not entende to hurte or hindre vs when he sayde that he woulde not forgyue vs except we dyd forgyue other and yf we forgyue our neyghbors their offēces that then he wil also forgyue vs. But God dyd knyt thys condytion to this promyse for our great welth and benefyte For vnder these wourdes ther lyeth hyde great cōforte for troubled conscyences where vnto yf you wil lysten dilygently ye shal knowe the synguler goodnes of God and his fatherly loue towardes you It