god to vs aâ—ayne vs to god As no naturall â—â—e that is his fathers heyre doth â—s fathers wyll bycause he wolde be heyre that he is alredy by byrth his father gaue hiÌ„ that are he was borne and is lother that he shulde go without it than he him self hath wytte to be but of pure loue dothe he that he doth And aske him why he doth any thynge that he doth he answereth My father bad it is my fathers wyll it pleaseth my father â–ª Bonde seruauntes worke for hyre Chyldren for loue For their father with all he hath is theirs alredy So doth a cristen maÌ„ frely all that he doth consydereth nothynge but the wyll of god his neyghbours welth only if I lyue chast I do it nat to opteyne heuen thereby For than shuld I do wronge to the blod of christ Christes blode hath opteyned me that Christes merites hath made me heyre therof He is bothe dore way thitherwardes Neither that I loke for an hier roume in heuen than they shall haue which lyue in wedlocke either than a hore in the stewes if she repent for that were the pryde of Lucyfere But frely to wayte on the euangelion and to auoyde the trouble of the world and occasyons that myghte plucke me ther from and to serue my brother withall euen as one hande helpeth another or one meÌ„bre another bycause one feleth anothers grefe and the payne of the one is the payne of the other Whatsoeuer is done to the lest of vs wheder it be good or bad it is done to Christ what so euer is done to my brother if I be a christen man the same is done to me Neither doth my broders paine greue me lesse thaÌ„ myne own neither reioyse I les at his welth thaÌ„ at myne owne if I loue him as well and as moche as my selfe as the law commaundeth me if it were nat so how sayth Paule Let him that reioyseth reioyse in the lorde that is to saye Christ which is lorde ouer all creatures if my merites obteined me heueÌ„ or a hier place there than had I â–ª wheri I miÈt reioyse besydê the lorde ¶ Here se ye the nature of the lawe and the nature of the Euangelion Howe the lawe is the key that byndeth dampneth all men and the Euangelion is the key that looseth theÌ„ agayne The lawe goth before and the euaÌ„gelion foloweth Where a precher precheth the lawe he byndeth all consciences whan he precheth the gospell he loseth them agayne These two salues I meane the lawe the gospell vseth god his precher to heale cure synners with all The lawe driueth out the disease maketh it appere is a sharpe salue a fretynge corsey kylleth the deed flesshe loseth and draweth the sores out by the rotes and all corruption It pulleth from a man the trust confydence that he hath in him selfe in his owne workes merytes deseruynges cerimonyes roâ—beth him of all his rightwisnes and maketh him pore It kylleth him sendeth him downe to hell bringeth him to vtter disperacion and prepayreth the waye of the lorde as it is written of Joh. the Baptiste For it is nat possyble that Christ shulde come to a maÌ„ as longe as he trusteth in him selfe or in any worldly thinge or hath any rightwysnesse of his owne or ryches of holy workes Than cometh the Euangelyon a more gentle plaster whiche soupleth and swageth the woundes of the conscyence and bringeth helth It bringeth the spirite of god which loseth the bondes of Satan and coupleth vs to god and his wyll thorowe stronge faith and â—eruent loue with bondes to stronge for the deuyll the worlde or any creature to lose theÌ„ And the poore and wretched synner feleth so gret mercy loue kyndnes in god that he is sure in him selfe how that it is nat possyble that god shuld for sake hiÌ„ or withdrawe his mercy loue froÌ„ him And boldly crieth out with Paul sayeng Who shall seperate vs froÌ„ the loue that god loueth vs with all That is to saye what shall make me beleue that God loueth me nat shall tribulation anguysshe persecution shall hungre nakednes shall swerde Naye I am sure that neither dethe nor lyfe neither angell neither rule nor power neither present thiÌ„ges nor thinges to come neither hye nor lowe neither any creature is able to seperate vs from the loue of god which is in Christ Jesus our lorde In al suche tribulacyons a Christen man perceyueth that god is his father and loueth him euyn as he loued Christe whan he shed his blode on the crosse Fynally as before whan I was bounde to the Deuyll his wyll I wrought all maner euyll wickednes nat for helles sake whiche is the rewarde of synne but bycause I was heyre of hell by byrthe and bondage to the deuyll dyd I euyll For I coulde non otherwyse do to do syn was my nature Euen so now syth I am coupled to god by christes blode do I well nat for heuens sake which is yet the reward of well doynge but bycause I am heire of heueÌ„ bi grace christes purchasynge haue the spirit of god I do good frely for so is my nature As a good tree briÌ„geth forthe good frute an euyll tree euyll fute By the frutes shal ye know what the treis A maÌ„nes dedes declare what he is within but make hiÌ„ neither good nor bad though after we be created a newe by the spirite and doctryne of Christ we waâ—e parfyter alway with workynge accordynge to the doctrine nat with blynde workes of our owne imaginiÌ„g We must be first euyl ere we do euyl as a serpeÌ„t is first poysoned ere he poison We must be also good ere we do good â–ª as the fyre must be fyrst hoâ—e ere it hete another thiÌ„ge Take an ensaÌ„ple as those blynd deffe which ar cured in the gospel could nat se nor here tyl Christ had gyuen theÌ„ syght and herynge those sycke could nat do the dedes of an hole man tyll Christ had gyuen them helth So can no man do good in his soule tyll Christ haue losed him out of the bondes of Satan and haue gyuen him wherwith to do good ye and fyrste haue powred in to him that selfe good thinge whiche he shewed forth afterwarde on other What so euer is our owne is synne What so euer is aboue that is Christes giâ—t purches doynge and workynge He bought it of his fader derely with his bloude ye with his most bytter deth and gaue his lyfe for it What so euer good thinge is in vs that is gyuen vs frely withoute our deseruynge or merytes for Christes blodes sake That we desyre to folowe the wyll of god it is the gyfte of Christes blode That we nowe hate the deuylles wyll wherevnto we were so faste locked and coulde nat but loue it is also the gyfte of Christes blode vnto whom belongeth the prayse and honoure of
¶ A path way iÌ„to the holy scripture ⧠⧠⧠A pathwaye into holy c. I Do maâ—ueyle greatly derely beloued in Christ that euer any man shulde repugne or speke agaynst the scrypture to be hadde in euery language and that of euery man For I thought that no man had ben so blynd to aske why lyght shuld be shewed to them that walke in darknes where they can nat but stomble where to stomble is the dauÌ„ger of eternall dampnacion either so dispytefull that he wolde enuy any man I speake nat his brother so necessary a thing or so bedlem mad to afferme that good is the naturall cause of euyll darkenesse to procede out of lyght that lyeng shulde be grounded in trouth verytie and nat rather clene contrary that lyght distroyeth darkenes and veritye reproueth all maner lyenge Neuerthelesse seyng that it hath pleased god to sende vnto oure Englysshe men euen to as many as vnfaynedly desyre it the scrypture in their mother tonge consyderynge that there be in euery place false techers blynde leders that ye shuld be disceyued of no man I supposed it very necessarye to prepayre this Path way into the scripture for you that ye myght walke surely euer know the trewe from the false And aboue al to put you in remeÌ„braunce of certayne pointes which ar That ye well vnderstande what these wordes meane The olde Testament the newe Testament the lawe the gospell Moses Christ nature grace workyng beleuyng dedes and fayth Lâ—â—t we ascrybe to the one that whiche belongeth to the other and make of Christ Moses of the gospell the law dispyse grace and robbe fayth and fall from meke lernynge in to ydle dispicyons braulynge and scoldinge about wordes The olde testament is a boke wherin is written the lawe of god the dedes of them which fulfyll them of them also which fulfyll them nat ¶ The newe Testament is a boke wherin are conteyned the promyses of god the dedes of them whiche beleue them or beleue them nat EuaÌ„gelion that we call the gospel is a greke worde sygnifyeth good mery glad ioyfull tidynges that maketh a mannes herte glad maketh him synge daunce leape for ioye As whaÌ„ Dauid had killed Go lyath the giauÌ„t came glad tidinges vnto the iewes that their fearfull cruell enemy was slayne they delyuered out of all danger for gladnes wherof they soÌ„ge dauÌ„sed wer ioyfull In lyke maner is the euangelion of god which we cal gospel the new testameÌ„t ioyfull tidyngê and as some saye A good herynge publysshed by the apostels through oute all the worlde of Christe the righte Dauyd howe that he hathe fought with synne with dethe and the deuyll and ouercome them Whereby all men that were in bondage to synne wounded with dethe ouercome of the Deuyll are withoute their owne meryttes or deseruynges losed iustifyed restored to lyfe and saued brought to lybertie and reconsyled vnto the fauoure of god and set at one with him agayne which tidynges as many as beleue laude prayse and thanke god are glad synge daunce for ioye ¶ This Euangelyon or Gospell that is to saye suche ioyfull tidynges is called the newe Testament Because that as a maÌ„ whan he shal dye appoynteth his goodes to be delte and distributed after his deth amonge them whiche he nameth to be his heyres Euyn so Christ before his deth commaunded and appoynted that suche Euangelyon Gospell or tidynges shulde be declared throughoute all the worlde and therwith to gyue vnto all that repent and beleue all his goodes that is to saye his lyfe wherewith he swalowed and deuoured vp deth his rightwysnesse wherwith he banysshed synne his saluacion wherwith he ouercame eternall dampnacyon Now can the wretched man that knoweth him selfe to be wrapped in syn and in daunger to dethe and Hell here no more ioyouse a thynge than suche gladde and comfortable tidynges of Christ so that he can nat but be gladde and laugh from the lowe bottome of his hert if he beleue that the tidynges are trewe ¶ To strength such fayth with all god promysed this his euangelyon in the olde testameut by the prophetes as Paule sayth in the fyrst chapiter vnto the Romayns Howe that he was chosen out to preche goddes Euangelion whiche he before had promysed by the prophetê in the holy scriptures that treate of his soÌ„ne which was borne of the sede of Dauyd In the thirde chapiter of Genesis god sayth to the serpente I wyll put hatered betwene the the woman betwene thy seede and her sede that selfe sede shall treade thy heed vnder fote Christ is the womans sede he it is that hath troden vnder fote the deuyls heede that is to saye synne dethe hell and all his power For without this sede can no maÌ„ auoyde synne deth hell and euerlastynge dampnacion Agayne Gene. xxii God promysed Abraham sayeng In thy sede shall all the generacyons of the erthe be blessed Christ is that sede of Abraham saith s Paul in the third to the Galathyans He hath blessed al the worlde throughe the Gospell For where Christe is nat there remayneth the curse that fell on Adam as sone as he had synned so that they are in bondage vnder the dampnacyon of synne deth hell Against this curse blesseth nowe the gospell all the worlde in as moch as it cryeth openly vnto all that knowledge their synnes and repent sayenge Who so euer beleueth on the sede of Abraham shal be blessed that is he shall be delyuered from synne deth and hell and shall hence forthe contynewe â—ightwyse saued for euer as Christ him selfe sayth in the. xi of Johan He that beleued on me shall neuer more dye ¶ The lawe sayth Jo. in the fyrst â—ha was gyuen by Moses but grace and vertue by Jesus Christ The lawe whose minyster is Moses was gyuen to bringe vs vnto the knowledge of oure selues that we myght thereby fele perceyue what we are of nature The law condemneth vs all oure dedes is called of Paule in the third cha of the. ii pistle vnto the corinthians the mynistracyon of dethe For it kylleth oure conscyences and drweth vs to disperacyon in as moche as it requyreth of vs that which is vnpossyble for our nature to do It requyreth of vs the dedes of an hole man It requyreth ê‘fet loue from the low bottom and grounde of the hert as well in all thynges which we suffre as in tho thiges which we do But sayth JohnÌ„ in the same place â–ª grace and veritye is gyuen vs by Christ so that whaâ— the lawe hathe passed vpon vs condempned vs to dethe which is his nature to do than haue we in Christ grace that is to say fauour promyses of lyfe of mercy of pardone frely by the merytes of Christ in Christ haue we veritye and trouth in that god for his sake fulfylleth all his promyses to them that beleue Therfore is the gospell the
him selfe aboue god and the power of god And therfore these maters of decrees and other tradityons as offerynges tythes and other inuentyons with the whiche â—aynt Augustyne in his tyme sayd That they were more charged and â—den than the Jewes But nowe â—hat wolde he saye if he sawe the abhominable sorte of lawes and coÌ„â—ttucyons the which they haue maâ—e to take the symple people in their â—ettes And yet they coloure theym â—ith holy scripture wrastiÌ„ge and â—rithynge it at their own pleasure â—s it appereth by their decrees For â—heir lawes had neuer be receyued â—ad they nat clokyd theym with hoâ—e scripture Nowe bycause the faythefull Christen in lokynge on the scrypture shulde nat know what holy horisons they be the effecte of their lawes as be these that prestes shulde nat haue wyues by laufull maryage that men shulde nat eate of suche meate as god sendeth with gyuynge thankes clene contrary to the coÌ„maundement of god And to the ende that these thynges shuld nat be knowen they haue forbydden that any of the laye people dispute of the faith either openly or pryuely For whan one reasoneth with them of suche maters he must holde his peace or say as they saye orels they wyll curse him and make an herityke on him sayeng that he speaketh more than becometh him or to him beloÌ„geth And one of that sorte checked me ones bycause I redde the Byble hauyng nat redde before my Philosophye with the whiche they bringe oute of the right course all them that be newly planted in the faythe in all vniuersyties in christendome But this thiÌ„ge bassheth me but lytell seynge that this ordynaunce is made cleane repugnaunt vnto god to the susteyninge of all vngracyouse scyences ¶ Therefore welbeloued brother take no regarde vnto the wordes of these outraged dogges but take vnto you the worde of god which only can saue youre soule Studye in â—hat daye nyght and in all places goynge and commynge let that neuer slyde out of your hert nor mynd â—ll your studye to rede vnderstanâ—e these holye wordes in all humyâ—ytie of hert For god sayth whom shall I regarde but him that hathe â— meke herte a contryte spirite ferynge my wordes Therfore sette â—l your confydeÌ„ce in god lokyng of him onely the grace to vnderstande his right worthy wordes gyuynge dilygence to be obedyente to the holye mocyons of the spiryte so that at the last thou maist do those thynges that those holye wordes commaunde settynge no regarde by any thinge in the worlde ye though the Angels in heuen shulde tell the moche lesse than if that men full of vanytie shulde go about to perswade the excepte that it be grounded vpon the worde of god which can neither disceyue nor be disceyued wherefore it muste be receyued purely withoute addynge any thynge of maÌ„nes therto For the worde of god is so pure so net â–ª so cleane and so parfyte that it can suffre nothinge to be mengled therto And for this cause remembre the rule which I haue so often tymes inculcate vnto you Do that onely to the Lorde whiche he coÌ„maundeth you Thou shalte adde nothyng therto neither diminysshe any thinge therfro Remembre also that by faith we be made the membres of Jesu Christ and that is the thynge whiche ioyneth vs vnto him and oure conscyences By faythe we be made his espouses and by the reason of this maryage he gyueth vs all his good â—edes merytes all his rightuousnesse and holynesse and taketh vpon him all our synnes which can nat noy him seynge that he bare theÌ„ on the crosse and with the trybulacyon of this worlde made full satisfactyon for all And so the soule hathe fyrme â—nd stable fayth and charitie whiâ—he is gyuen vs whan we be vned â—nd made one with Jesus whan he gyueth vs his holye spirite whiche â—oth conduyte and guyde vs in the â—ight waye all the lawe is accomplysshed and fulfylled as ye maye more largely vnderstande if ye dilygently rede the scripture as ye do full well In the whiche god gyue you grace to contynue with the encrease of fayth and spirituall vnderstandynge The whiche gyue you he whiche hange on the crosse dyd cancell the oblygacyon of faythe in whiche we were dettours and rose the thyrde daye to iustifye vs that hauynge this vnderstandynge ye maye edifye youre housholde in the fere of god and your neighbours to the edifyenge of the verye bodye of Jesu Christ of the whiche we hope to be very membres whan his glorye shal appere euen as we be now in this mortall lyfe by trew quick fayth the which we must praye him to augmente to the ende that worthely we maye offre vp our body by â—rew â—ortifyeng of this olde Adam and euermore studyenge to be newe borne and so to be made a new creature after the shappe of god a man spirituall and interyor man The grace of the almighty father the peace of the mercyful Jesus the consolation of the most holy spirite be alwayes with you Amen I praye you haue remembraunce of me in your prayers that I maye worthely walke in the holye worde of god to the glory of god Amen ¶ Finis ¶ Of gouernours as Judges baylyfes other lyke An information after the gospell THe gospell is written for all persones for all estates of the worlde And there is noâ—e estate in the worlde but that he may fynde in the gospell howe that he shuld lyue if that he wyll folowe it Let none thinke that he is nat bouÌ„de to lyue after the gospell though he be neuer so great a person be he duke priÌ„ce emê‘our or bysshop For god hath coÌ„maunded that the gospell be preached to euery creature that is to saye to all mankynde Before god there is no dyfferynge neither distynction whether thou be a commen husbande man or a gouernour of a towne or of a contrey noble or vnnoble we haue al promysed at oure baptysme the one as moche as the other we haue al taken one rule that is the teachyng of the Gospell after the whiche we must lede gonerne our lyfe We maye nat saye let the monkes and preestes kepe it for we haue all promysed at our baptysme yâ— one as moche as the other Wherfore whan the lordes wyll lyue as they shulde do after the Gospell they must fyrst obserue and kepe two thigê that is to say mercy iustice And also that they knowe whan they muste be mercyfull and whan they must vse iustyce Than first it behoueth that thyne inteÌ„t be to defende the rightuouse innocent so with the seculer ryght to come in ayde vnto the right of the Gospell reprouynge and rebukyng openly without any fauoure all vnrightousnesse to th entent that the people may liue frely vnder thy protection preserued from theues murtherers and from all maner oppressyon and iniurye as farreforth as is possyble vnto the whan thou dost so thou art goddes seruaunt But it be houeth that
ministracion of lyfe Paule calleth it in the fore rehersed place of the seconde â—â—ap to the CorinthiaÌ„s the ministracion of the spirit â–ª of rightwysnes In the gospell whan we be leue the promyses we receyue the spirite of lyfe and are iustifyed in the blode of Christ from all thinges whereof the lawe condempneth vs. And we receyue loue vnto the lawe and power to fulfyll it grow therin dayly Of Christ it is written in the fore â—â—hersed fyrste chapiter of John this is he of whose abuÌ„dance or fulnes all we haue receyued grace for grace or fauour for fauoure That is to saye for the fauour that god hath to his son christ he giueth vnto vs his fauour good wyl al gyftes of his grace as a fader to his soÌ„nes As affermeth Paule sayeng whiche loued vs in his beloued before the creatyon of the world So that Christ bringeth the loue of god vnto vs and nat oure owne holye workes Christ is made lorde ouer all is called in scripture goddes mercy stole whosoeuer therfore flyeth to christ can neither here nor receyue of god any other thynge saue ¶ In the olde testament mercy ar many ê“mises which ar nothyng els but this euangelyon or gospell to saue those that beleued theÌ„ from the vengeaunce of the lawe And in the new testament is oft made mencion of the lawe to condempne theÌ„ which beleue nat the promyses Moreouer the lawe gospell maye neuer be seperate for the gospel and promyses serue but for troubled couscyences whiche are brought to disperacion and fele the paynes of hell and deth vnder the lawe and are in captiuyte bondage vnder the law In all my dedes I muste haue the lawe before me to condempne myne vnê‘fytnes For all that I do be I neuer so parfyte is yet dampnable synne whan it is compared to the lawe which requyreth the grounde and bottome of myne herte I must therefore haue alwayes the lawe in my syght that I may be meke iÌ„ the spirit gyue god all the laude and prayse ascribiÌ„ge to hiÌ„ all rightwysnes to my selfe all vnright wysenes synne I must also haue the promyses before myne eyes that I dispeyre nat in which promyse I se the mercy fauour and good wyl of god vpoÌ„ me in the blode of his soÌ„ne christ which hath made satisfaction for myne vnparfytenes fulfylled for me that which I coulde nat do ¶ Here maye ye perceyue that two maner of people are sore disceyued Fyrst they which iustifye them selfe with outwarde dedes in that they absteyne outwardly from that whiche the lawe forbyddeth and do outwardly that whiche the lawe commaundeth They compare themselues to open synners and in respecte of them iustify theÌ„ selues condempnynge the open synners They set a vayle on Moses face se nat howe the lawe requyreth loue froÌ„ the botthom of the hert that loue only is the fulfyllynge of the lawe If they dyd they wolde nat condemne their neybours Loue hydeth the multy tude of synnes sayth saynt Peter in his fyrst Pistle For whom I loue from the depe bothom grounde of myne herte him condempne I nat neither reken his synnes but suffre his wekenesse infyrmyte as a mother the wekenesse of her sonne vntyll he grow vp into a parfyte man ¶ Those also are disceyued which without all feare of god gyue them selues vnto all manner vyces with full consent full delectacion hauynge no respect to the lawe of god vnder whose vengeaunce they are locked vp in captiuytie but saye God is mercyfull Christ dyed for vs supposynge that such dremynge and ymaginacion is that fayth whiche is so greatly commended in holy scripture Naye that is nat fayth but rather a folysshe blynde opinyon springynge of their owne corrupt nature and is nat gyuen them of the spirit of god but rather of the spirit of the deuyl whose faith now a dayes the popysshe compare and make equall vnto the best trust confidence and beleue that a repenting soule can haue in the blode of oure sauyour Jesus vnto their owne confusyon shame vttrynge what they are within But trewe fayth is as sayth the apostle Paule the gyft of god is gyuen to synners after the lawe hath passed vpon them hath brought their conseyences vnto the brim of disê‘acion sorowes of hell ¶ They that haue this right fayth consente to the lawe that it is right wyse good and iustifye god whiche made the lawe and haue delectacyon in the lawe natwithstaÌ„ding that they can nat fulfyll it as they wolde for their wekenes they abhorre what so euer the lawe forbyddeth though they can nat alwayes auoyde it And their great sorowe is bycause they can nat fulfyll the wyll of god in the lawe the spirit that is in theÌ„ cryeth to god night day for strength helpe with teres as saith Paul that can nat be expressed with tonge of which thingê the be lefe of our popish or of their father whom they so magnify for his stroÌ„ge faith hath none experience at all ¶ The firstâ— that is to say he whiche iustifyeth himselfe with his outward dedê consenteth nat to the law inward nether hath delectatioÌ„ their in ye he wolde rather that no such lawe wer So iustifieth he nat god but hateth hiÌ„ as a tyraÌ„t neither careth he for the promyses but wyll with his own streÌ„gth be sauyour of himselfe no wise glorifyeth he god though he seme outwarde to do ¶ The secoÌ„d that is to say the sensuall person as a voluptuous swyne neither fereth god in his lawe neither is thankefull to him for his ê“mises mercy which is set forthe in Christ to all them that beleue ¶ The right christeÌ„ man coÌ„senteth to the lawe that it is rightwyse iustifyeth god in the lawe for he affermeth that god is rightwyse and iust which is author of the lawe he beleueth the promyses of god iustifyeth godâ— iugynge him true and beleuing that he wyl fulfyll his promyses With the lawe he condempneth him selfe all his dedes gyueth all the prayse to god He beleueth the promyses and ascrybeth all trauth to god Thus euery where iustifieth he god prayseth god ¶ By nature through the fall of Adam are we the chyldren of wrath heyres of the vengeauÌ„ce of god by byrth ye from our coÌ„ception And we haue our felowship with the dampned deuels vnder the power of derknes rule of Sathan whyle we ar yet in our moders woÌ„bes though we shewe nat forth the frutes of syn as sone as we be borne yet are we full of the naturall poyson wherof all synfull dedes springe can nat but syn outwardes be we neuer so yonge as sone as we be able to worke if occasyon be gyueÌ„ for our nature is to do syn as is the nature of a serpent to stynge And as a serpent yet yonge or yet vnbrought forthe is full of poyson and can nat afterwarde