and giue vnto vs the iustice and ryghtuousnes of his sonne Iesus Christ whiche suffered for vs. These are but fewe wordes but surely they be of greate importaunce For in this sentence saynct Paule includeth the summe and effecte of the holy ghospell when he sayeth Christ was deliuered to death for our synnes and rose agayne for oure ryghtuousnes For lykewise as when an other man doeth pay my raunsome and satisfye or suffre for me I my selfe am iudged to paye the same and no man after can accuse me therof And whē an other is bounde for me yf he be by any lawful meanes discharged I my selfe am counted to be dyscharged also euen so forasmuche as Christe hymselfe toke vpon him the bande of death for vs and to satisfye for vs so did in deede by hys death we our selues for whō he was thus bounde iustely be delyuered and dyscharged from death and damnation And so we be counted righteous for asmuche as no man dare accuse vs for that syn for the which satisfaction is made by our Sauiour Christ. And when oure sauiour Iesus Christ had thus satisfied for our synne and so ouercame deathe and hell than lyke a most valiant conquerer he ascended into heauen where God hys father receyued him with a moost gloriouse triumphe and placed hym on hys ryghte hande and made him Lorde ouer all creatures and therefore he is called in y e crede also our Lorde For yf he had not raunsomed and redemed vs we had bene cast downe to hel for euer But seynge y t he redemed and bought vs therfore bewe his he is our Lorde and mayster hym we must loue obey and serue And this is oure moste hye and euerlastynge comforte that Iesus Christ is our Lorde and we his seruauntes For because he is oure Lorde therefore he wyll defende vs and delyuer vs from all daungers And althoughe we be synners yet he wil forgiue vs our synnes because he hathe payed y e raūsome and det due for thesame And althoughe we dye yet he wil rayse vs vp agayne because he hathe ouercome and conquered death And althoughe we be neuer so muche afrayed of the sorowes and paynes of hell yet they shall not be able to holde vs bycause that to theym that be hys seruauntes he hathe broken hell and set open the gates thereof Wherfore seynge that we haue so myghtye a Lorde and maister we be out of all peryll and daunger But we agayne aboue all thynges we muste studye to obey oure lord mayster and do those thinges whiche he commaundeth For he hath redemed and bought vs for thys entente and purpose that we shoulde be iust and holy as he hymselfe is holy And he that is not obediēt vnto Christes commaundementes shall be sore punyshed for oure Lorde Iesus Christ shal come agayne to iudge both the quicke and the dead Wherefore good children laboure wyth all diligence and studye that when Christe shall come againe to iudge the world he may finde you holy and obedient For then he wyll rewarde you wyth euerlastyng lyfe After thys maner Christ redemed vs frō synne and from the horryble offence of Adam by whome we were al condemned For by Christes passyon death by hys ghospell we haue obteined thus much that we may beleue and trust in god And trustyng in God we haue his holy spirite whereby we maye also loue God And thys holy gooste renueth vs and clemeth vs from all euell lustes and desires that we beynge thus made holye and rightuouse maye kepe Goddes commaundemētes and serue our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherfore good chyldren beleue ye with al your heart in thys Iesus Christ the onelye sonne of God oure Lord and doubte not but that he hath suffered for our synnes and contented the iustyce of his father for y e same and hath brought vs agayne vnto his fauour made vs his wel beloued children and heyres of hys kyngdome And when you be asked howe vnderstande you the second parte of the Crede you shall answer I beleue that Iesus Christ veray God begotten of God the father and verye manne borne of the virgin Marie is my Lorde whiche by hys precyouse bloode and holy passyon hathe redemed me a myserable damned wretch from all my synnes frome death eternall and from the tyrannie of the Deuell that I should be his owne true subiect and lyue within his kyngdome and serue hym in a newe and euerlastynge lyfe and iustice euen as oure Lorde Christe after he rose from deathe to lyfe lyueth and raygneth euerlastyngly Or elles if you wyl answere more shortely you may say thus I beleue that Christe was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification The thirde sermon of our Sanctification NOwe remayneth the third parte of the Crede to be declared whiche entreateth of our sanctificatiō how we be made holy And it is spokē in these wordes ¶ I beleue in the holy gost the holy catholicke churche the communion of saynctes the forgyuenes of synnes the risyng agayne of the bodye and lyfe euerlastyng Amen IN the seconde parte of the Crede which treateth of our Redemption and pryce giuen for vs you haue bene taughte good children to knowe the seconde persone in Trinitie Iesus Christe what he is and what he hath done for vs that he was made man for our sakes that he toke vpon him our synnes and suffered for vs y e feare and panges of deathe hel and had victory ouer them by hys passiō and death And after by his godly and victorious power he arose again from death to lyfe And after this most glorious conquest he ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the ryghte hande of his father is our Lorde and we his seruantes derely boughte All this you haue learned in the last sermon but now good childrē in this thirde parte of the Crede you shall lerne to knowe the thirde person in trinitie y e holy gost and also his benefites and giftes that we maye knowe what we haue receyued of God after our redēption wherby we may be made mete to come to euerlastynge lyfe thorough the merites of Christ. For althoughe our Lord Iesus Christ hath redemed vs from y e captiuitie of synne death and hel and hath set vs agayne in the fauor of God yet we should haue no knowledge of these great benefites we should feale in our cōsciences no comforte ioy or peace by the same yf they were not declared vnto vs by the preachīg of gods most holy word And our consciences should styl remaine troubled and the feare of eternal death and all noughty desiers and concupiscences of the frayle fleshe shoulde euer remaine in vs euē as frō Adams time thei be in vs as sone as we be borne and so we shuld be vtterly vnapte to the kyngdō of God lyfe euerlasting yf we shulde stil remayne as we be borne For yf we wyl be the heyres of god euerlastynge
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
but durynge thys lyfe we fyght agaynst synne vntyl we die and so be tryed and proued whether we loue him and his commaūdementes better then oure owne wylles and pleasures Also oure mercyefull father layeth on oure backes diuerse afflictions and aduersities to pul downe our proud and hyghe stomakes and to mortifie our fleshe that we may be like oure brother Christe who by the crosse ouercame synne deathe and the deuyll and so entred into euerlastynge glorye So that in this petitiō we must lerne both wisedome and pacience wisdome to beware of synne whā it prouoketh vs and in no wise to folow the same Pacience to suffer willyngly the crosse and suche afflictions as God shall sende vnto vs to pray god with feruent desier that he suffer vs not to perishe in the same but mercifullye to defende vs vntyll suche tyme as it shall please hym clearly to delyuer vs whiche shalbe when we shal dye and by Goddes power be raised agayne from death to lyfe and be delyuered from all maner of euels Therefore when we say in the Lordes prayer delyuer vs from euyll we chiefly desyre God to send vs a good deathe that then aboue all other tymes we may be delyuered from all euels For as muche as at that houre we be in the most daunger of all euels and temtations Wherfore it is moste necessarie for vs euen from our tender age to praye to oure Lorde that at that laste houre chiefly he wyll be good and gracious vnto vs delyueryng vs from all maner of euell So that death maye be to vs none euyll but a clere acquayntaūce frome al euels And this the lordes prayer we must euer ende with this word Amen Wiche is asmuche to saye as suerly I trust it shalbe so And it is not ynough to say Amen with our tongue only but also Amen muste be in oute harte and continew and tary there that is to saye we ought to beleue suerly and constantlye that our prayer is hearde and that oure heauenly father wil graunt vs oure petitions For so Christ hath promysed that what soeuer we aske the father in hys name it shalbe gyuen to vs. And for that intente Christe confirmeth this his promise w t an othe saying Amen Nowe you haue hearde good children the true and playne exposition of the seuenth and last petition whiche I praye you to place in your memories that when you be demaunded howe vnderstande you the seuenth petition you may redely answere Herein we generally desyre our heauenly father to delyuer vs frō all euell and perell bothe of body soule lande catell and riches And that when we shall ley on oure death bed he wyll than graunt vs a good houre that we may departe oute of thys vale of miserie in hys fauoure and from thys transitorie lyfe enter into life euerlastynge The whiche God graunte vs all Amen ¶ A sermon of Baptisme OUre Lorde Iesus Christ good children ▪ in y e gospell of Iohn saith thus Except a man be borne agayne of y e water and the spret he can not enter in to the kyngdome of God Nowe we ought to direct our hole lyfe to come to the kyngedome of heauen For the Lorde sayth First seke the kyngdō of god And you haue heard heretofore that we dayly make thys petition to god thy kingdō come Wherfore it is very necessarie for vs to know how we must be borne againe what thys secōd birth is w tout the which we can not entre into the kingdōe of God But when we speake of a seconde birth you shal not so grosse lye vnderstande this sayinge as though a mā which is once borne should entre agayne into hys mothers wombe so be borne againe as he was before For it were great folyshenes so to thinke But here we meane of a seconde birthe which is spiritual wherby our inwarde man and minde is renewed by the holye ghost so that our hertes and myndes receaue newe desiers which they had not of theyr first birth or natiuitie And the seconde birth is by the water of Baptisme whiche Paule calleth the bathe of regeneration because oure synnes be forgyuen vs in Baptisme and the holy gost is powred into vs as into goddes beloued childrē so that by the power and wourkynge of the holye Ghost we be borne agayne spiritually and made newe creatures And so by baptisme we enter into the kingdome of God shalbe saued for euer yf we continewe to oure lyues ende in the faithe of Christe Wherfore good childrē cōsidre diligently y e strength of baptisme and marke wel howe greate treasures and howe excellent benefites you receaued in youre baptisme that you maye thanke God for the same and comfort youre selfes by theim in all your temptations and endeuoure youreselfes faithfully to performe al thinges which you promised in your baptisme And that you mai do this y e better hear and learne the wordes of our master Christe by the whiche he dyd ordeyne and institute baptisme And oftentymes repete the same that you maye lerne them worde for worde wythout y e boke These be the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ spoken to his dyscyples Go into the whole world and teache al nations baptise thē in the name of the father the sonne and the holi gost He that wyl beleue and be baptised shalbe saued But he that wyll not beleue shall be damned By these wordes oure Lorde Iesus Christe dyd institute baptisme wherby we be borne agayne to the kyngdom of God And you good childrē shall gyue diligence not onely to reherse these wordes but also to vnderstād what christe ment by the same That when you be demaunded any questyon herein you maye bothe make a dyrecte answere and also in tyme to come be able to teache youre children as you your selues are nowe instructed For what greater shame can ther be then a man to professe him selfe to be a Christen man because he is baptised and yet he knoweth not what baptysme is nor what strength the same hathe nor what the dyppyng in the water doth betoken wher as all oure lyfe tyme we ought to kepe those promises which there we solemply made before God and man and all oure profession and lyfe oughte to agre to our baptisme Wherefore good children to thentent you may the better know the strength power of baptisme you shall first vnderstande that our lorde Iesus Christ hath instituted and annexed to the gospel thre sacramēts or holy seales of his couenāt and lege made with vs. And by these thre gods ministers do worke with vs in the name and place of God yea God him selfe worketh with vs to confirme vs in our faith to asserten vs that we are y e lyuely membres of Gods trew churche and y e chosen people of God to whome the gospell is sent and that all those thinges belong to vs wherof the promises of the gospel make mentiō The first of
when we go about to marie oureselues not makynge our parentes priuie to suche contractes or bargaynes but contemnyng theyr authoritie that God wil not prosper such mariages nor giue therto his fauour and blessyng But if you wil kepe gods cōmaūdementes honoure your parents then God wyl loue you and powre hys gyftes vpon you most aboūdantly Now good childrē you haue herde what you ought to do I praye you be willing to performe that thing which your bounden dewtie requireth of you For saincte Paul saieth that this is the first or chiefe commaūdemente hauynge a promyse annexed vnto it For herin god doth promyse that he whiche doeth honour his father and mother shall lyue a long lyfe and shal abyde in his natiue countrey And he that doeth not honoure theym shalbe dryuen out of his countrey shal shortely dye And surely this we proue to be true by dayly experyence For when childerne be wanton wilde stiffenecked stubburne and refuse to be ruled by their parētes and scholemasters or do not serue their maisters truelye when thei wyl not haue in reuerēce their preachers and curates or do not obey the common rulers then God scourgeth theym some wyth one punishment some with an other Some is maymed some leaseth an eye one hathe suche a fall from an horse y t he lyeth for starke deade an other is drowned And here I wyl not speake of those vnthrifty young men whiche be pickers of quarels and in their wylfulnes thone slayeth thother But yf perchaunce these dysobedyente childerne escape punyshmente in theyr yought yet when they come to mans state and kepe howses of their awne then commonly suche children do not auoide this threat and indignation of God For then many times they runne into suche dette that they be compelled to forsake their natiue countrey and to flye into sanctuarie or elles to wandre in straunge regions lyke banyshed menne farre from their kynsfolkes acquaintaūce frendes where no man doth helpe thē trust them or hath pitie of theym And many of them whilest they go aboute to auoyde extreme pouertie by lying stelyng robbyng other ill meanes are cast in pryson and afterward hanged These and such lyke paynes men do worthely suffer in their age whiche in theyr youth dysdayned to folowe the counsell of theyr parentes Wherfore good children obey youre parentes and magistrates then you shall proue wise men able to helpe both your selues and other Then God shall blesse you that you may longe continewe in the contrey wherin you wer borne and bredde and dwell amonge your parentes brethren sisters frendes and acquayntaūce many yeares Then extreme pouertie shall not oppresse you whereby you should be compelled to leaue your countrey neyther the rages or partels of warre shal driue you out from thense So manye and so great benefites hath God promysed to obedyent chyldren And there is no doubt but that he will perfourme that thinge whiche he hath promised As we feale by experiēce y t as long as we obey oure parentes and suffer our selues to be gouerned accordynge to Gods wyll so long we be brought vp in the feare of God to our great cōmoditie and profit And thys is the true meanynge of the fourthe precept whiche I praye you depely to prynt into youre memories that when you shall be asked how you vnderstand the fourth cōmaūdemēt you may answer we ought to loue dreade our Lord God for his sake to honor our parētes teachers masters gouernours to obey thē in no wise to dispise thē The fifte sermon ¶ Thou shalt not kyll IN the former sermon it hath ben declared vnto you howe you shoulde vnderstande the fourth precept in y e which you haue learned how you muste behaue youre selues towardes youre fathers mothers all cōmen ministers in the publyke weale Now foloweth the fift commaundemente Thou shalte not kyll Whiche teacheth vs howe we oughte to ordre oure selues towardes eche of oure neighbours that we hurte theym not nether in theyr goodes nor in theyr lyfe For among al worldlye goodes and bodely gyftes there is none more precious thē healthe and lyfe Therfore God before al other damages and hurtes doeth chiefely forbydde this that we kil not our neyghbour And this commaundement dothe not onelye restrayne our handes from kyllyng with violence and force but it for byddethe also all angre enuye wrathe hatred and malyce that we be not manquellers neyther in harte wourde nor deade For the lawe is spirituall as saynt Paule sayeth and requyreth of vs obedience not onli in outward worke but also in thaffection of hart and inwarde motions and most secret senses of the same And it is an hye wysedome to looke in the botome of this commaundemente ryghtly to vnderstande the same Therfore our lorde Iesus Christ dyd expounde thys commaundement his own selfe lest we should erre and falsely vnderstande it as the Iewes dyd For the Iewes thought that as long as they had refrayned theyr handes from killyng and slayng so long they had kept this commaundement And althoughe theyr hert had ben full of hatred enuye malice towardes their neighbour with cōtumelious wordes or dedes hadde gyuen occasion of manslaughter yet thys they counted for no syn and their scribes pharises did so teache thē Therfore Christ in the fifte of Mathew sayth Uerely I saye vnto you excepte your ryghteousnes excede the righteousnes of the scribes and pharises ye can not entre into the kyngedome of heuen Ye haue heard that it was sayde vnto them of the olde tyme Thou shalt not kyll Whosoeuer kylleth shalbe worthy to be iudged But I saye vnto you y t who soeuer is angry with hys brother shalbe worthy to be iudged Here you see good children that Christ doeth as ernestly forbydde hathered angre and enuye as he doeth bloudy māslaughter For he that is angry with his neyghbour killeth hys neyghbour in harte and wyll and breketh this commaundemente of God thou shalte not kyll And marke well good children that he sayeth not thy hande shall not kyl or thy sworde spere or gunne shall not slaye But he sayeth thou shalt not kyll that is to saye thou whiche arte made of bodie and soule shalte neyther kil with any of thy bodely members neyther yet with thy inward mind or wyll neyther wyth woorde nor deede But here paraduenture some wyll saye What thinke you syr of traytors commen theues robbers and murtherers oughte not suche to be kylled I answere that they ought to be kylled but yet God saieth thou shalt not kil thou shalt kepe peace with all mē Who then shall kyll suche malefactors Leaue punishemēt to me sayeth God and I will reuenge God himself wyl do execution vpon suche open trāsgressors of hys lawes And therfore here in this world God hath ordeyned vnder him kinges princes and other magistrates and hathe gyuen theim their swordes to this vse that thei should be his deputies in kylling such