falle vnto prayer for this also is in the hand of god nether is it geuē to euerie man but some haue it more some lesse for god distributeth all at his pleasure Not withstondinge there are certayne meanes and smale pathes by the which a mā maye haue as it were an entraunce in to this faith / fyrst turne thine eyes and beholde the hartye loue bounteous kindnes of chryst which so tenderlye loued the that he wold take on him self all thy synnes / louynglye enbrace the to hele thy wounded conscience / yf thou remembre and thinke on thys amitye thy harte shall somwhate be refreshed and so shall thy trust in Chryst be the more encreased and stablysshed After that thou hast perceaued this feruent fauoure that Christ had to wardes the then shalt thou sone marcke what good will the father owed the / for then shall it appeare that Chryst coude not endue the with such greate benefytes excepte it had bene before so decreed of hys heuenlye father / for vnto him did Chryst obey whē he suffered for thy trāsgressions And so shalt thou se the flamynge cheryte of god the father towardes the / and thorow crist shalt thou be so drawne to the father that thou mayst perceaue the sayinge of Chryst Ioā iij. God so loued the worlde that he gaue his ōlye sonne for thē tent that none which beleue in hym shuld perysh but shuld haue euerlastynge lyfe And thys is the true knowlege of god when we beholde / and magnefye not hys puysaunt mageste or his incomprehensible prudence for they make a man a frayde of God but rather his curteous and mercyefull beneuolence wherin he maye put hys confydence / and maye be hoellye in god renued ☞ And when thy harte is so confermed in Chryst that thou begynnest wyth full entent to hate thy synne not for feare of payne but for the loue that thou hast vnto god because thou woldest not displease hym whych is soch a mercyfull and louinge father vnto the then is it expediēt that thou take thys passyon for an ensample by the which thou maist ordre thy lyfe but this remembraunce is farre vnlike the first / for hetherto haue we recounted it as a secrete mysterye whych shuld worke in vs and renue vs thorow repentaūce / and whē we haue obtayned that profyte then let vs considre it as an ensample or rule to order oure lyffe and workes / euer comparinge them vnto Christes passion on thys maner as foloweth When thou art dyseased with anye sorow or maladye then thynke how smalle that payne is yf thou shuldest comparte it with Christes croune of thorne ād the nayles which perced his tendre flesh When thou art constrayned to doo or leaue vndone anye thinge which thou woldest not then remembre that Chryst was bounde and tossed from post to piller euen as it pleased his cruell enemyes Yf thou be tempted with pryde lordlynesse then marke how vnworthelye Crist was mocked / yee and crucyfyed betwene two theues / that he myght be reputed as one of theyr nombre Yf thou be assayled with wantonnesse or with the lust of the flesh then behold how cruellye the tendre flesh of Crist was scourged torne and most pituouslye woūded Yf thy harte boyle with hate or enuye be full sette to take auengeaunce then calle to thy remembraunce how Crist with a lamētable voyce did praye vnto hys father for the / and other his enemyes / whom he myght bi good right haue punisshed perpetuallye Yf thou be vexed with anye other afflictions whate so euer they are / whether secrete or open / take them on good worth be not disquieted / but thynke with thy selfe on this maner It were a great shame yf I shuld not suffre paciētlye this smal trouble / syth that Christ my Lorde and sauyoure suffered in the garden such panges that he swette droppes of bloude / for whate is more shame then that the seruaunte shuld take his ease and lye sluggeshlye in his bed what tyme his master stondeth in ieoperdye of his lyfe Behold / on this maner mayst thou cōforte and stablish thy harte with the passion of christ agenst all vexacyons And this is the true meditacyon and remembraunce of Chrystes passyon out of whych the a fore sayde commodityes sprynge Therfore they that exercyse them selues dilygentlye in it / are moch better occupyed then yf they harde a thousande tymes the storie of the passion / or sayet as manye masses And these onlye are the true Chrysten which on this wyse do expresse in theyr lyfe or manners the name and lyfe of Chryst as Saynte Paule sayeth they that belonge to chryst haue crucefyed theyr flesh and concupiscentes with Christ Nether it is ynough that we countre fayte him in oure outwarde be haue oure ād wordes / but we must do oure endeueraunce perfeytlye to expresse hys passion in all oune conuersacyon from the botom of oure hartes which thynge Paule exhorteth vs vnto Hebrew .xij.. Loke vnto Iesus the captayne of oure faith / which for the ioye that was sette before hym abode the crosse and dispised the shame / is sette dounne on the right hande of god Consider therfore how that he endured such speakinge agēst hym of synners / lest ye shuld be weryed or faynte in oure myndes And saynte Petre .i. Pet .iiij. sayeth for as moch as cryst hath suffered in the flesh / arme youre selues lykewyse wyth the same mynde How be it the maner of thys remembraunce is verye rare out of vse although Saint Paule Saint Petre make eftsones mention of it And we haue chaunged it al to gether into an outwarde apperaūce and haue thought it sufficient to behold the story of the passyon paynted vpon walles But there are verye fewe yee almost none that call it to theyr remēbraunce for thent to know theyr synnes by it / or to quyet theyr tremblynge consciences / or to ordre and cōpare their liffe to this ensample ¶ Thus endeth the meditacyon and frutefull remembraunce of Chrystes passyon which passeth the contemplacyon of Monkes / fryers and Nonnes yee and all other religious ¶ We purpossed Christen brother to haue annexed the Christian Libertye / how be it all thinges cōsidered we thought it most profitable for this present world to ioyne rather vnto the ende of this boke a deuoute exposicyon vppon the Psalme Miserere mei Deus ¶ An exposicyon after the maner of a contemplacyon vpon the .li. Psalme / called Misereremei Deus ALas wretch that I am / comfortlesse / and forsaken of all men / which haue offended both heauen / and erth / whother shall I turne me To whom shall If lye for socoure who shal haue pytye or cōpassion on me vnto heauen date I not lifte vppe myne eyts / for I haue greuouslye synned agenst it And in the erth can I fynde no place of defence / for I haue bene noysome vnto it whate shall I nowe do shall I
receyue my spirite in peace / for it is better for me to dye then to lyue ¶ Another prayer of Hieremie the Prophet / Hieremie te xviij Chapiter Sana me domine et sanabor HEale me good lorde / and I shall be healed / saue me I shall be saued / for my prayse arte thou Be not thou a feare vnto me my hope arte thou in the day of afliccyon / let them be confounded that perserue me / and let not me be coÌ„founded / let them feare / and let not me feare put on them the day of afflyccyon / and with double trouble / trouble them ¶ The Preface IT was neuer ordeyned without the singular prouidence of God / that the multitude of ChristeÌ„ shulde lerne be herte the tenne commaundementes / the Credo / and the Pater-noster For truely he that vnderstondeth these / hath the pythe af all those thynges / whiche holy scripture doth conteyne or what so euer may be taught necessary vnto the Christen / and that purely and copyously / bysides that so briefly clerely / that no man can complayne or excuse hym sylfe iustely / syth that whiche is required to the blyssed lyfe is nether ouer tedious / nor yet so harde but it may be perfourmed Three thinges there are necessary to be knowen to obteyne eternall lyfe ¶ The fyrst is that thou knowe whate is expedient to be done / and whate to be vndone The seconde / when thou perceauest that thou of thy nowne strenght canst nether do / nether yet auoyde that / whiche thou art bounde to do / or to eschewe / that then thou knowe of whome to seke / fynde and receyue this streyngth The thyrde is / howe thou shuldest seke / and obteyne it And herunto I wyll gyue the an ensample to thintent that thou mayst the more euydently perceaue it A man whiche is diseased with any maner of sykenesse / fyrst enquireth with what kinde of syckenesse he is infect / and then coÌ„sydereth he what streyngth he hath what he is able to do and what he can not do them sercheth he for a me dicyne to ley to his decease so that by this meanes he may get his helth / and that he may afterward be able to do and leaue vndone all thynges as the hole Finally when he hath founde this medecine he wilt take it vse it Lykewise the coÌ„maundementes of God do teache a man to knowe his infirmyte that he maye vnderstonde and seale what he can do what he can not / what he can leaue wath he caÌ„ not so that he may knowledge hiÌ„sylf a vicious ê‘son a sinner After he hath knoweleged him sylf / so that theÌ„ he may lerne by faith where to finde remedy grace wherby he may be restored iustified and so may be abyll to fulfill the coÌ„maundementes For fayth plainly declareth god and his mercy shewed gyuen in Christ But the pater noster doth teache howe we shulde desyre fayth / and obteyne this bounteous fauoure as in a well ordered meke and faythfull prayer whiche getteth al these thinges so that fulfylling the coÌ„maundementes of god we may be saued and made blessed Wherfore as I haue sayd in these thre consysteth the hole scripture Wherfore it is expedyent to begyn at the commaundementes so that we may by theÌ„ lerne to knowelege oure synne and malyce as the spirituall infirmite whiche maketh vs feable and weake so that we can nether do nether leaue that whiche we are bounde to do or to leaue ¶ The tenne commaundementes THe fyrst and most excellent table of Moyses conteyneth thre commaundementes / and doth shewe vnto vs whate we owe to God / that is to sey / whate we ought to do or to eschewe / concernyng those thinges whiche specially pertyne vnto God Therfore in the first of all the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes / we are taught what god requyreth in euery mannes hert / and what man ought to iudge thynke of hym / that is that he loke euer for the best of hiÌ„ / euen as of a father or of a special frend / that with out doutyng or any mistrust / with coÌ„stant faythe / truste / loue euer fearyng to displease hym / euen as kinde chyldren feare to displease they re naturall fathers For very nature doth teache that there is one God / of whome all oure goodnesse spryngeth whiche is our socoure in all aduersite for this dyd the hethen graunt vnto theyr ydolles ¶ The wordes of this commaundement are these ¶ Thou shalt haue no straunge goddes THe seconde precepte teacheth vs howe we ought to ordre oure selfe towardes god / as coÌ„cerning oure outwarde workes before men / or elles inwardly in oure owne coÌ„science / whiche is that we honoure the name of god / for no man can she we God as he is in his owne nature / nether to hym selfe / nether yet to any other but by his onely name ¶ The wordes of this coÌ„maundement are these Thou shalt not take the name of god in vayne THe thyrd precept doth shewe howe we ought to behaue oure self towardes god in outward workes / and in wurschippyng hym The wordes are these ¶ Thou shalt kepe holy the saboth day HEre mayst thou se how in these thre preceptes a man is taught to ordre hiÌ„ silf towardes God in his vnderstonding / thoughtes of the hart wordes and workes that is to say thorough out all his lyfe ¶ The seconde Table ¶ The second and laste Table of Moyses coÌ„teyneth .vij. preceptes folowyng and this sheweth vs how we ought to behaue oure silues vnto oure neyghboure both in doyng and leuyng vndone THe first of these doth teache vs what we are bounde to do to the hyghe of officers and suche as are in auctorite / the whiche seynge that they are sette to rule here in stede of god it is accordiÌ„g that this precept be sette next in place after those thre whiche do perteyne to god hym silft The examples of this commaundemente are father / mother / lorde / lady / master / and mastresse The wordes are these ¶ Thou shalt honoure thy father and mother IN the secoÌ„de precept of this table we lerne howe we ought to lyue with oure equalles neyghboures this doth chiefly coÌ„cerne the persone of man that we shulde hurte no man but rather with oure laboure and diligence to succour promote theÌ„ Whiche is conteyned in these wordes ¶ Thou shalt not kyll THe thyrde passith thy neyghboures person shewith whate thou shuldest do concernyng his chieffe possessions as wife chyldren and kinsmen that thou nether defile nor de fame theym but that thou do thy dyligence as moche as lyeth in the to saue theyr honoure dygnite the wordes are ¶ Thou shalt not commytte aduoutrye THe fourth treatyth of thy neyghboures other mouabyll goodes teaching that thou take no thyng from hym / nor diminyshe nor hurte any thyng that he hath / but rather to profyt / and encreace
but that of thy gracyous mercye thou makest vs promises / fulfyllest them for thy truthes sake Thou dyst promyse vnto Abraham a sonne when he was aged / thou falfylledst thy promyse in olde and baren Sara / because thou louedst truth Thou promysest vnto the children of Israell a lande that flowed with milke and honye / and at the last dydst geue it them / for thy truthes sake Thou madest a promyse to Dauid sayenge I shall set vppon thy sete regall one of the frute of thy bodye / and it came euen so to passe / because thou woldest be founde true There are other innumerable promyses in which thou hast euer bene faythfull because thou louedst truth Thou hast promysed to synners which wyll come vnto the / forgeuenesse and fauoure / and thou hast neuer defrauded man / for thou hast loued truth That vnthryftye sonne Luc. xv that toke his iorney in to a farre cōtre and wasted all his goodes with covetous lyuinge / when he came to hym self / he retouened vnto the sayenge Father I haue synned agenst heauen and before the / now am I not worthye to be called thy sonne / make me as one of thy hyred seruauntes / When he was yet a greate waye of / thou sawest hym and haddest cōpassyon on hym and rannest vnto hym / fallynge vppon his necke and kyssynge hym / thou broughtest forth the best garmenth and puttest a rynge on his fynger and showes on his fete / Thou kylledst that fatted calfe and madest all the house merye sayenge / Let vs eate be merye / for this my sonne was deed and is alyue agayne / he was lost and is now founde Why dydst thou all this Lorde God surelye because thou louedst truth Loue therfore o father of mercyes this truth in me / which retorne vnto the from a farre countre / runne towardes me geue me a kysse of thy mouth / geue me those chefe garmētes / drawe me in to thy house / kylle that fatted calfe that all which trust in the maye reioyce in me / and lette vs eate to gether in spirituall feastes Oh Lorde wilt thou exclude me alone and wilt thou not kepe this truth vnto me yf thou shuldest loke narowlye on oure wykednesse o lorde lorde who myght abyde the But Lord thou wilt not be so strayght vnto vs / for thou louest truth yee and that with a feruent incomprehensible loue Which is the truth that thou so louest is it not thy sonne that sayde Ioan .xiiij. I am the waye / truth / and lyfe he is the verye truth of whom all truth is named in heauen and in erth / this is it that thou hast loued and in it onlye hast thou delyted for thou dydest fynde it pure with out spotte and woldest that it shuld dye for synners / kepe therfore Oh God this truth / behold I am a greate synner in whom thou maist kepe it / to whom thou maist forgeue manie synnes / whom thou mayst purefye in the bloude of thy Christ / whom thou mayst redeme thorow his passyō why Oh lorde hast thou geuen me this knowlege of thy sonne / this fayth of hym Because I shuld se my redēpcyon and not to attayne it that I myght by that meanes be the more vexed with sorow God forbydde / but rather that I maye perceaue the remissyon of my synnes purchased by Christes bloude / and so by his grace maye obtayne it Purge me therfore and redeme me oh Lorde for thou hast vttered vnto me the vnknowne and secrete poyntes of thy wysdom that this knowlege maye helpe me brīge me vnto helth for trulie the philosofers neuer knew these thinges / they were vnknowne vnto hē / yee vtterlye hid frō thē and no mā knewe these thīges except a fewe whō thou lonest entyrelie before thy sonnes incarnaciō The most curyous serchers of the world / I meane the wysemen of this world lyfted vp their yies aboue heauen yet coulde not fynde this thy wysdom / for thou hast hyd these thinges from the wyse prudent / and hast opened them vnto babes / that is / to humble fishers and thy holye prophetes which also haue vttered thē vnto vs. And so hast thou vttered the vnknowne and secrete thinges of thy wysdom of thy scriptures vnto me / why do I know thē in vayne I know them surelye in vayne yf they profytte me not vnto my helth and saluacyon For the Philosophers when they knewe God by his meruelous creatures they glorifyed hym not as god nether were thākefull / but wexed full of vanityes in theyr ymaginacyons and their folish hartes were blinded / when they counted them selues wyse / they became soles / wylt thou suffer me Lorde to be of their numbre God forbyd / for thou arte euē mercye it selfe which doth neuer vtterlye forsake any man / fauoure therfore Lorde fauoure and spare thy seruaunt / and commaunde hym to be of the numbre of thy babes / that the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdom / which thou hast opened to hym maye leade hym vnto the fountayne of wysdom which is an hye / that thou mayst be praysed in the worke of thy mercye which thou dost exercyse towardes thy seruaunte Lorde which neuer forsakest them that trust in the. Sprinkle me Lorde with hysope / and so shall be clene / thou shalt wash me / and then shall I be whitther then snowe Because Lorde that thou hast loued the truth hast opened vnto me the vnknowne secretes of thy wysdome / I am well cōforted and I trust that thou wilt not cast me out of thy fauoure / but thou shalt sprinkle me with hysope and so shall I be clensed Hysope is a lowe herbe / it is hote and of a good sauoure / which sygnifyeth nothynge els / but thy onlye sonne oure lorde Iesu Christ / which humbled hym selfe vnto deeth / euen vnto the deeth of the crosse / which with the heate of his feruent charite loued vs / and washed vs from oure synnes in his bloude / which with the redolent sauoure of his beneuolence and rightuousnes replenyshed the hole worlde Therfore with this hysope shalt thou sprincle me / when thou pourest apon me the vertue of his bloude when Christ thorow fayth shal dwell in me when thorow loue I am ioyned with hym when I shall countre fayte his humylite and passyon / then shal I be clensed frō all myne vnclennesse Then shalt thou wash me with mine awne teares which flowe out of the loue of Christ / then shall I sygh vntyll I be werye I shall water my bed euerye nyght with my teares / so that it shall swymme in them and then shalt thou wash me and I shall be whyter then snowe Snowe is whyte and colde / but Lorde yf thou sprinkle me with hysope I shal be more whyte then snowe for I shall be thorowlye endued with thy splendent lyght which passeth all bodelye whytenesse And when I am enflamed
fayth doth mortefye the flesh and her workes / and the sprete of god which resteth in a faythfull man helpeth oure infirmitye and sighteth with out intermissyon agenst synne / the deuell and the worlde ¶ The power of fayth THe power of fayth is to iustefye vs that is / to dispoyle vs from all oure vices laye them on Christes backe which hath pacefyed the fathers wrath towardes vs and to endne vs with a nothers rightwysnes / that is Christes / so that I and all my synnes are Christes / and Christ with all his vertues are myne / for he was borne for vs and geuen vnto vs. Esaye ix Roma viij To obtayne this rightwisnes god the father requireth nothiÌ„ge of vs but that we beleue hym and make hym no lyar He that beleueth that God of his mercye hath made vs these promises and that for his truthes sake he will fulfylle them / he setteth to his seale that god is true But he that beleueth not or douteth of this as moch as in hym is he maketh God a lyar .i. Ioan. v. for why shuldest thou doubte in hym excepte thou thoughtest that be were a lyar and wolde not kepe his promesse which he made Now yf thou counte god which is the verye truth to be a lyar / arte thou not worthy a thousande damnacyons ¶ The worke of fayth FAyth worketh by charite / for when my raginge conscience which fealeth hâ—r synne is pacefyed and sette at one with god thorow fayth / then remembrynge the ferueÌ„t loue of god towardes me I can not but loue my neyghboure agayne / for there is no man that hartelye loueth the father can hate the sonne / and all though the sonne be naught and vnthriftye / yet for his fathers sake he will helpe to better hym and euen lameÌ„t and be sorye for the sonnes wykednesse Lykewyse yf we hartelye loue God for his infinite benefytes done vnto vs / then can we not hate that creature which he hath made after his awne lykenes / whom god the father loueth so tenderlye that he gaue his awne sonne vnto the deeth to redeme hym / yee whom he hath adopted thorow Christ to be his sonne heyre Nowe all be it we se no kindnes in this man for which we shuld loue hym / yet hath God shewed vs kindnes ynough for the which we ought to loue hym and socoure hym at all tymes Let vs therfore loue hym for the loue that god his creatoure hath shewed vs / and beare his infirmitye yf he faule let vs lyfte him vp agayne / and endue hym with oure wysdom and all oure workes / euen as Christ hath done with vs / and this is an euydent token that thou louest god / when thou louest thy brother / .i. Ioan .iiij. and seakest all meanes / to helpe hym / these are the good workes that folow fayth / and are euydent tokens that thy fayth is ryght and pure Thus seest thou how good workes / flowe out of fayth thorow cherite And cherite or loue is the fulfyllinge of the hole lawe Roma .xiij. ¶ Good workes AMong good workes the chefe are to be obedyent in all thinges vnto Kynges / Princes / Iudges / and soch other offycers as farre as they coÌ„maunde ciuyle thinges / that is to saye such thinges as are indifferent / and not contrarye vnto the coÌ„maundementes of god / for then must we rather obaye god then men / Actes in the fyfte chapter although we shuld lese both oure substaunce and lyffe therto To honoure rulers to promote peace to praye for all cominaltyes And to applye all oure studyes to profyte them The nexte are to be obedyent vnto father and mother To prouide for oure houscholde both nourishinge oure familie with bodelye sustenaunce / and also to enstruct them with the worde of God / and so to be their gouernoure carnall and spirituall Then must we loke how we ought to be haue oure selfes towardes oure neyghboures knowleginge that al the gyftes which are geuen vs of god / are not geuen vs for oure awne selfe but for the edefyinge of the congregacyon .i. Corin .xij. and yf we bestowe them not on that maner we shall surelye geue a rekenynge for then before the Lorde Emonge these ought we to haue respect vnto the preachers and mynistres of the worde / that they maye be had in honoure well prouyded for And aboue all thinges good brethren addresse youre selues vnto that necessarye worke prayer Remembre to praye for all estates / for that is a worke that Christ and his Apostles full diligentlye exhorted all men vnto / promysynge theÌ„ that they shuld obtayne their peticyons Ioan .xviii. Ioan .iij. yf they be according to the wyst of god and for his glorye .i. Ioan .v. ¶ Persecutyon AFter these and such other workes let euery man bolden and comforte his brothern to suffer the crosse that god will laye on them to proue them whether they wyll abyde in his worde or flye backe agayne And let all men cast their peniworthes before Luc .xiiij. And euerye daye that they are notvexed let them counte that woÌ„ne / and loke euerye houre when the crosse shall come / for this is a playne case / God scourgeth euerye sonne whom he receaueth Hebre .xij. and Paule sayeth .ij. Tim. iij. All that will lyue godlye in Christ Iesu must suffer persecucyon Now yf they can endure chasteninge and suffer pacyentlye / then god offereth hym selfe vnto them as vnto sonnes Hebre .xij. so that they shal be destitute in no thinge / for what can they lacke which haue god hym selfe Forgeue hartelye youre enemyes and persecutours prayenge vnto god for them that he wold vouchsaffe to open their blynde hartes and geue theÌ„ true knowlege for there is no maÌ„ so madde / cruell / furyous / and induratte / but that all other of them selues are euen as were wyde from god as he / so that euerye man which is not so wyked / maye thanke god that he kepeth hym from that impyetye / thou seest a man that is a these a whotemoÌ„gre / and a murtherar there seest thou euen thyne awne nature for yf god kepte the not out of such vices / thou shuldest be euen as euell as be / yf thou be not such glorye in god not in thy selfe Be not angrye therfore with thyne enemyes and persecutours / but the sorye for them lament their blinde ignorauÌ„cie Receaue the crosse gladly and reioyce ther in / for this fyre and tribulacyoÌ„ which is the tryinge of youre fayth bringeth for pacyence / pacyence bryngeth fealinge / fealynge bringeth hope / and hope maketh vs not ashamed Roma v. But maketh vs boldly to loke for his iudgemeÌ„t / in which the vnfaithfull shall not be able to stonde ¶ The contentes ¶ The Symbole of Athanasius ¶ The office of all Estates ¶ A prayer for wysdom ¶ The prayer of Salomon for wysdom ¶ For competency of lyuynge the prayer of Salomon ¶ A prayer of the churche of the faythfull / for the worde of God to be spoken with boldenes of herte ¶ The prayer of Christ before his passyon for his churche in this worlde ¶ The prayer of the church for synnes ¶ Another prayer of Hieremye ¶ The .x. Commaundementes of God ¶ The Credo ¶ The Pater noster ¶ The Salutacyon of the aungell ¶ A meditacyon of the passyon of Christ ¶ Confort for troubled â—â—eke coÌ„sciences ¶ An exposicyon vppon the Li. Psalme called Misere mei deus ¶ Emprented at Malborow the yeare of oure Lorde a. M. CCCCC.XXXviij yeâ— me Ioannem Philoponon
trinite may we worshypper He therfore that wyll be saued / let hym vnderstande thus of the trinite But it is necessary vnto euerlastynge health / that euery christian beleue also faythfully the incarnacyon of oure Lorde Iesu Chryste It is therfore the ryght fayth that we be leueâ— confesse that our lorde Iesu Chryste the Sone of God / is God and man He is God by the substaÌ„ce of the Father goten before all worldes / and he is man by the substance of his mother / borne in the worlde Perfyte God / perfyte man / beynge of a soule reasonable / and of flesshe humayne Equall to the Father by his godhed lesse then the Father by his manhed Whiche thoughe he be God and man / yet is there not twayne but one Chryste Truely he is one not by turnyng of his godhed in to manhed / but by assumptynge of his manhed in to godhed Beynge out to all intentes / not by confusyon of substance / but by vnite of person For as the reasonable soule the flesshely body is or maketh one man / so God and man is one Chryste Whiche suffered death for our saluacyon descended to helle / and rose from death the thyrde daye Whiche ascended to heuens / sytteth at the ryght hande of God the Father almyghty froÌ„ thense shall he come to iudge the quycke and dead At whose comynge all men muste ryse with theyr bodyes shall gyue accompt of theyr owne propre dedes And they that haue done well shall go in to euerlastyng lyfe / they that haue done euyll in to euerlastynge fyre This is the Catholyke sayth / whiche excepte euery man faythfully / and stedfastly do beleue he can not be saued ¶ Finis ¶ The offyce of all Estates i. Timothe .iij. A Bysshop muste be fautlesse / the husbande of one wyfe sober discrete honestly appareled herberous / apte to teache / not dronkeÌ„ not fyghter not gyuen to fylthy lucrebut gentyl / abhorringe fyghtynge / abhorringe couetousnesse / and one that ruleth his owne house honestly / hauynge chyldren vnder obedyence / with all honeste ¶ Rulers Sapien. i. Ye that are rulers of the earth / se that you loue ryghteousnes / and that you commyt none vnryghteousnes in iudgement Leui. ix Thou shalte not fauour the poore / nor honoure the myghty / but shalt iugge thy neyghbour ryghtteously ¶ The coÌ„mens Leui. xix Ye shall not deceyue youre brethren neither with weyght nor measure / but shall haue true balances / and true weyghtes / for I am the Lorde your God ¶ Husbandes Ephe. v ¶ Husbandes loue your wyues euen as Chryst loued the congregacyon / and gaue hym selfe for it to sanctyfy it and clensed it in the fouÌ„tayne of water thorowe the worde / to make it vnto hym selfe / a gloryous congregacyon with out spot or wrencle / or any suche thinge So ought men to loue theyr wyues / as theyr owne bodyes He that loueth his wyfe / loueth hym selfe For no man euer yet hated his owne flesshe / but norrysshed it c. ¶ Wyues Ephe. v. Wyues submit youre selues to your owne husbandes / as to the lorde For the husbande is te wyues heed / euen as Chryst is the heed of the congregacyon Therfore as the coÌ„gregacyoÌ„ is in subiection to Chryste lykewyse lette the wyues be in subiectyon to theyr husbandes in all thynges ¶ Fathers and Mothers Ephe. v. Ye fathers moue not your chyldren vnto wrath but brynge them vp with the nurture and informacyon of the lorde ¶ Chyldren Ephe. vi Chyldren obey youre fathers mothers in the Lorde for so it is ryght Honour the Father and mother that is the fyrst commaundement that hathe any promyse that thou mayste be in good estate and lyue longe on the earthe Maysters Colles .iij. Ye maysters / do to youre seruauÌ„tes that whiche is iuste and equall puttyng away all bytternisse and threatenynges knowinge that euen ye also haue a mayster in heueÌ„ Seruauntes Collos .iij. Seruauntes / be obedyent to youre bodyly maysters in all thinges not with eye seruyce as men pleasers / but in synglenesse of herte / fearynge God And what soeuer ye do / do it hertely as thoughe ye dyd it vnto the lorde / not vnto men for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receyue the rewarde of enherytaunce for ye serue the Lorde Chryst Wydowes 1. Timo. v. She that is a very wydowe frendlesse putteth heth truste in god / and contynueth in supplicasyon and prayer nyght and day ¶ The somme of all LOue thy neyghbour as thy selfe And whatsoeuer ye wolde that other shulde do to you do you euen the same to them what ye wolde not that other men shulde do to you / se that ye do it not to them ¶ A prayer for wysdom Sapien .ix. chapiter Deus patrum nostrorum / et dominus misericordie O The God of our fathers / god of mercy / whiche hast made al with thy worde / and with thy wysdome haste constytuded man / to haue dominyon vpon the creature whiche was made of the / to order the world with equyte and iustyce / and with a dyrecte herte for to iudge iudgementes / gyue me the assystent wysdome of thy seates and reproue me not from thy chyldren For thy seruaunt am I / the sone of thy haÌ„de mayde / a man weyke of lytle tyme vnsuffycyent to the vnderstandynge of thy iudgement lawes And yf any shall be of moost perfyte wysdome amoÌ„ge the sones of men / yf thy wysdome ones flye froÌ„ him he shall be counted regarded at nought Sende thy wysdome froÌ„ thy holy heuyns / froÌ„ the seate of thy myghtynes that it maye be with me / laboure with me / and that I may know what is acceptable before the. For she knoweth all / and vnderstandeth all and shall conduyt me sobrely in my workes / shall â—epe me in her power And my wordes shal be acceptable So be it ¶ The prayer of Salomon for wysdom ij Reg. iij. Chapter Tu fecisti domine cum seruo tuo THou hast done lorde with thy seruaunt Dauid my father great mercy so that he walked in thy syght in trueth and iustyce ryght herte with the. Thou sauedest vnto hym thy great mercy / and gauest hym a sone syttinge vpon his trone / as it is at this day And nowe lorde god thou hast made thy seruauÌ„t to reygne in the roume of Dauid my father I am a very babe and knowe not myne entrynge / nor my comynge out / and thy seruaunt is in the myddest of an infinite people / whiche thou hast chosen / whiche can not be nombred nor counted for the mâ— lâ—ytude Wherfore thou shalte gyue to thy seruaunt an herte apt to be taught / to the entent he maye iudge thy people / and discerne bytwyxte good and euyll For who can iudge this people this thy people so many ¶ For coÌ„petency of lyuynge the prayer of Salomon Prouer.
the .xxx. chapiter Duo rogaui te / ne deneges mihi TWo thinges lorde haue I requyred the that thou woldest not deny me vntyll I dye Vanite and wordes of lesynge make farre frō me Pouerty or ryches gyue me not Onely gyue that is necessary for my lyuinge / lest per chaunche beynge in full habundaunce I myght be prouoked to deny the / and saye who is the lorde Or cōpelled by necessyte I myght steale and for sweare the name of my God So be it ¶ A prayer of the churche of the faythfull / for the worde of God to be spoken with boldenes of herte Actes the .xiiij Chapter Dn̄e tu fecisti celum terram mare c. LOrde thou hast made heuyn earth / see / and all that be in them / whiche with thy holy spirit by the mouth of our father Dauid thy seruaunt saydest Why do the gentylles fume lyke wilde bores / and why do the people attempt thynges in vayne The kynges of the earth be assembled the princes be gathered togyther agaynst the lorde agaynst his Christe / for with out sayle there assembled in this cyte agaynst thy holy chylde Iesu whom thou dydest anoynt Herode and Ponce Pylate with the gentylles and people of Israhel to do the thynges with thy power and thy counseyl dydde determyne before to be done And nowe lorde caste thyne iye vpon their manasses / gyue to thy seruauntes with all boldenes / power to speake thy worde extendyng thy hande io healynges / and sygnes / and wonders to be wrought in the name of thy holy sone Iesu ¶ The prayer of Chryst before his passyon for his churche in this worlde Iohan .xviij. Chapiter Pater venit hora / clarifica filium FAther the houre is come / glorifye thy sone / that thy sone maye glorifye the As thou gauest hym power of euery flesshe to the entente that all that thou gauest hī he myght gyue the euerlastynge lyfe And this is euerlastyng lyfe that they knowe onely the for the true god and whome thou sendest Iesu Chryste I haue glorifyed the in earthe I haue perfourmed the worke whiche thou gauest me to do And new glorifye thou me Father with thy selfe / wyth the glory whiche I had before this worlde was made of the I haue publysshed thy name of the men / whome thou gauest me of the worlde They were thyne / and thou gauest them to me / and they kepte my worde Nowe they knowe that all that thou gauest me come from the. For the wordes which thou gauest me I haue them / they toke them / and knew verily that they came from the / and they beleued that thou sentest me For them I aske / for the worlde I aske not / but for theym whiche thou gauest me because they be thyne and all myne be thyne / and thyne myne / and I am glorifyed in them And I am nowe no longer in to worlde But they be in the worlde styll For I come to the / holy Father saue theym for thy names sake whome thou haste gyuen me / that they maye be one as we be one When I was with thē in the worlde I dyd kepe thē in thy name Whome thou gauest me I kepte and none of them peryshed / but onely the sone of perdicyon that the scrypture myght be fulfylled But nowe I come to the / and these I speke in the world that they may haue my ioy replenyshed in them I gaue them thy worde / and the world hated them bycause they be not of the worlde lyke as I am not of the worlde I asked not that thou shuldest take thē away out of the worlde but that thou kepe them from the wycked They be not of the worlde / lyke as I am not of the worlde Make thē holy in thy trueth Lyke as thou hast sent me in to the worlde / so haue I seme thē in to the worlde / and for thē I do sanctifye my selfe / that they also may be sanctifyed in the trueth And I pray not only for them / but also for them that shall beleue in me through theyr preachynges so that all they maye be one Lyke as thou father arte in me and I in the / that they also maye be in vs / that the worlde may beleue that thou hast sent me And the glorye / whiche thou hast gyuen me / I gaue it thē that they myght be one lyke as we be one / I in them / and thou in me / that they may be made perfyte in one / and that the worlde may know that thou hast sent me / and loued them as thou loued me Father / they whome thou haste gyuen me / I wyll that where I be / they maye also be with me that they maye se my glorye / whiche thou gauest me / for thou hast loued me before the makinge of the worlde Iuste father / the worlde knoweth the not but I know the these know that thou hast sent me / I haue made knowen vnto them thy name / and I wyll make it knowen to the entent / that the loue wherwith thou louest me myght be in thē and I in them ¶ The prayer of the church for synners Sapience the .xv. Chapiter Tu deus noster / suauis et verus es THou our God arte gentyll true pacyent with mercy orderyng al thynges For yf we synne / we be thyne knowinge thy greatnes / yf we synne not / we knowe that with the we be rekened For to know the is perfyt and consumate ryghtwysnes / and to knowe thy iustice and vertue is the rote of immortalite So be it ¶ The prayer and blyssynge of Iob in his moost tribulacyon takynge away of his goodes Iob .ij. Chapiter In tonso capite corruens in terram IOb his heade clypped fallynge flatte on the grounde worshipped god sayenge Naked I entred out of my mothers wōbe / and naked I shall retourne The lorde hath gyuen the goodes / and the lorde hath taken them away As it pleased the lorde so it is done Blyssed be the name of the lorde So be it ¶ When we be shorged of God eyther for our synnes / or that we may be proued by hym / the prayer of Thobie iiij Chapiter Iustus es domine / et omnia iudicia tua THou arte iuste lorde / and all thy iudgementes are true / and all thy wayes mercy truth and iustyce And now lorde remembre me / and take not vengeaunce of my synnes / nor thynke not on my offences / nor the synnes of my parentes Because we haue not obcyed thy preceptes therfore thou haste delyuered vs vp in to these euylles / in to confusyon and reproche an to be a fable to all people and the gentles And now lorde great be thy iudgementes / for we haue not done accordynge to that preceptes / we haue not walked purely before the. And now lorde accordynge to thy pleasure do with me cheyfly
doctrine whyche pretende a coloure of thy name / may sodeynly vanisshe a wey Make that all hypocrisye or fayning of truth ryghtuousnesse or holynesse deceyue no man Make that no man swere by thy name / lye / or disseyue Kepe vs from all falce hope / whiche vnder coloure of thy name offereth it selfe vnto vs. Kepe vs from spirytuall pryde / from the vaine honoure of worldly glorie and name Graunt vs that in all perylles and hurte we may call vppon this thy holy name Graunt that in the straytenesse of conscience / and ieoberdie of deth we neuer forget thy blissed name Graunt / that in oure good wordes and workes we mai onely prayse and magnifye the / so that we nether seke nor chalenge to oure selfe any name or honoure / but to the onely whose alone are all thinges kepe vs from the most dampnabill synne of vnkindnesse Graunt that by oure lyfe / and good workes all other may be mouel to good / and that they wurshyppe and prayse nor vs / but thy name Graunt that by oure euell workes and synnes no man may take occasion to slaunder thy name / or dyminysshe thy prayse Kepe vs that we desire nothing eyther corruptyble or euerlasting / whiche shulde not retourne to the honoure / and prayse of thy name And yf we are anisuche here thou not oure folysshenesse Make that oure life be suche that we may truely be founde thy chyldren / so that this thy name father be not called in vayne or falsly in vs. To this perte of prayer specially perteyn all psalmes and prayers / with whiche we prayse / wurschippe / syng / gyue thankes to god and fynally all the prayse of god ¶ The secunde peticyon Let thy kyngdome come THis wretched lyfe is the kyngdome of all synnes / myscheffe whose lorde is the euell sprete / chief author / gruÌ„de of all malice synne / But thy kingdome is the kingdome of all grace vertue / whose lorde is thy best beloued sonne Iesus crist the heede begynnyng of all grace vertue / wherfore helpe vs most dere father / come agayn in fauoure with vs. Gyue vs bifore all thinges true and constaunte faithe in Christ hope without feare in thy mercy / agaynst all infirmytes of oure weake conscyence / and pure loue towardes the / and all men Kepe vs from infydelyte / desperatyon / and malyce / whyche at the last myght be the cause of oure destructyon Make vs to auoyde the soule desyre of lechery Gyue vs loue to virgynyte / and to all clennesse Delyuer vs from dissentions bateylles / dyscorde and stryfe Make the vertues of thy kyngdome to come and reygne withyn vs. Gyue vs peace / concorde and tranquylyte so that wrathe / or any other vytternesse haue not hys kyngdome in vs / but rather through thy grace the symple swetnesse / and brotherly fayth / all kind of frendshyppe / good maner / gentylnesse and kindnesse Graunt vs that the inordinate trouble and sykenesse of minde haue no place in vs / but make the reioysyng and pleasure in thy grace and mercy rule / and haue dominion And to be shorte / that all synne may be alienate from vs / and that we replenyssed wyth thy grace / vertue and good workes may be made thy kyngdome / that all oure hert / mynde / and sence / with all oure strength inward / and outward may suffer theym selfe to be ruled by the / to serue the / thy commaundementes and thy wyll / not theym selfe or the flesshe the worlde or the deuell Make that this thy kyngdome ones in vs begonne / may be encreasid / go forwarde dayly and growe lest the subtyll malyce / or fleuthe that we haue to goodnesse oppresse vs / lest we loke backe agayne and falle in to synne Gyue vs a stable purpose and streyngth / not onely to begynne thys good lyfe / but rather to ê“cede boldly in it and to ê‘forme it / as the prophete sayeth Lighten myn ces lest I slepe or bewery iÌ„ the good lyfe ones begonne / and so myne enemye do bryng me agayn into his power Graunt / that we may so continue And that thy kyngdome whiche shall come / may fynysshe and perfourme this kyngdome whiche is begonne by the. Delyuer vs from this parylouse / synful life Make vs desyre the other lyfe to come / and to hate this present lyfe Gyue vs grace not to feare death / but rather to desire it Put from vs the loue and desyre of this lyfe / that so thy kyngdome may fully be perfect in vs. Of this peticion are al psalmes / verses / and prayers in the whiche grace and vertue is desyred of god ¶ The thirde petycion ¶ Thy wyll be fulfylleth in erth as it is in heuen IF oure will be compared with thyne it can neuer be good / but is euer euell Thy wyll is euer best specially / and muche to be loued and desyred wherfore haue compassion vppon vs most deare father / and suffer nothing to be as we wolde haue it Gyue vs / and teache vs / true and stable pacyence / when oure wyll is let and broken Graunt vs that when eny man speaketh / holdeth his peace / doth / or leueth vndone / any thyng contrary to oure will / that therfore we be not wrothe or angry / nether curse / compleyn / crye / or murmure nether iudge / nor condeÌ„pne / ye that we defend not oure selfe Graunt that we may mekely gyue place to oure aduersaryes / theym whiche let oure wyll / and so to dysanull oure will / that we may prayse / say well / and do to theym / as to chose whiche do perfourme thy godly and best will against ours Endowe vs with thy grace that we may gladly suffrer all diseases / pouertie dispysinges / persequutions / crosse / and aduersites knoweleging that it is thi wil to crucyfye oure wil. Gyue vs grace that we may suffer iniury and that gladly Kepe vs from auengement Make vs that we quyte not euyll for euyll / nether to auoyde violence / by violence But rather that we delyte in thy will whiche bryngeth vs al these thinges prayse the / and gyue the thankes Make vs that we impute it not to the deuell or euell men / when any aduersyte chaunseth but that we attrybute all vnto thy godly will / whiche ordyneth all suche thynges / that oure will may beleefe / and that blissednesse may encrease in thy kyngdome Gyue vs grace that we may be glad / meryte to dye / that for thi wyll we may take oure deth gladli so that by feare nor infirmyte we be not made disobyent vnto the Make that all oure membres eyes / tongue / herte / handes and fete / be not suffred to folowe they re desyres nether that we be at any tyme subdewed vnder theym but that we eueÌ„ as takeÌ„ and emprysoned may be brokeÌ„ in thy will pleasure
god they had byn letted And the hygher any man is in tale auctorite the more redy at hond he is to be vexed / with the deceytes / soutteltyes flaunders teÌ„ptacyons of his aduersaryes And in all these thinges we may vnderstonde and proue the honde of god most ready to delyuer vs. And whate merueyll is it though somtyme we be vexed with one of these euylles After this coÌ„syder the euylles whiche are appropryate vnto oure aduersaryes not to be glad or reioyse in theym / but rather to suffer with theym / and to be sorye for they are subiect indifferently to these euylles as well as we / as we haue shewed before ¶ But in this they are more wretched that they are separate from oure company both bodyly and spiritually This euyll whiche we suffer is nothing to theyrs / for they are in synne in vnbeleue / vnder the wrath of god vnto the power of the deuell wretched bondmen of vngodlynesse and synne in so moche that yf the hole worlde wolde curse banne theym they can desire no worse vnto theym This well coÌ„sidered / we shall loue perceyue with howe moche gretter loue we ought to suffer this lytell dysease of the body / in the fayth / in the kyngdome of Christ / and in the seruice of God / whiche in thabundaunce of these coÌ„modytees and vertues ought scant to be fealt They re mysery also so ought to be so rowed in a ChristeÌ„ and meke hart / that his sorowe seme not to be paynfull / but rather pleasure vnto hym For so commaundeth Paule in the secunde to the Philippians / let euery man coÌ„sydre not whate is in him selfe / but whate is in other men / let the same mynd be in you whiche was in Christ Iesu whiche beyng in the shape of god / toke on hym the shape of a seruaunt / that is to say with a meke and a lowe mynde put on hym oure shape / orderyng hym self none otherwise in oure euylles then yf they had byn his owne So forgettyng his godhed and other pleasures he made hym selfe of no reputacyon / that he myght be founde in euery poynt lyke man / separatyng nothing that man had from hym / but onely synne / submyttyng hym self to all other infirmytees The holy men streyngthed with this mynde and sturred vp with this ymage were wont to pray for euyll men / ye and for they re enemyes And to do all thinges accorddyng to the example of Christ forgettyng they re owne iniuryes or ryghtuousnesse / taking thought howe they shulde delyuer theym from they re euylles And with this werre mothe more trouble / then with they re owne bodyly euylles As Saynt Petre wrytteth of lot in the secunde Chapitre of the secunde Epistle he beyng ryghtuous / and dwellyng emong theym / in seyng and hearyng / vexed his ryghtuous soule from day / to day with theyr vnryghtuous deades Here thou seyst whate a depth of euylles appereth and whate occasyon is gyuen to be mercyfull and to suffer with theym / vtterly to dyspyse oure lytell incoÌ„modyte / yf the charyte of god be in ve / and howe God will let vs suffer nothing in coÌ„paryson to these that they suffer The cause that these thinges do bâ—â— tytell moue vs is this The lye of oure hart is not pure ynough wher with we shulde se howe grete shame and mysery it is for a man to lye vnder synne / that is to saye to be forsaken of God / possessed of the deuell Who is so hard harted that wyll not pytye the myserabyll coÌ„dicyon of theym whiche lye before the churche / and in the streates with deformed faces / they re noses eaten of / theyr iyes out / other of theyr membres coÌ„sumed with matter / fylthe / and corrupcyoÌ„ / in so moche that the sense can not onely abyde to beholde it / but also the mynde doth abhorre to remembre it And whate meaneth god by these lamentable moÌ„stres of our flessh lykenesse but to open the iyes of oure mynde that we may perceyue with whate en horrible facyon the soule of a synnar sheweth out his matter and corrupcyon / though he hym selfe walke in purpyll and in golde / couered with roses / and lylyes / as though he were all redy in paradise But how many synners are there in the worlde in coÌ„paryson of one of these deformed persones Truely these infynite euylles / bothe in gretnesse in noÌ„bre dispysed iÌ„ oure neyghboures doo cause ours though it be but one and that verey small to seme to vs verey grete detestable Howe be it also in bodyly tribulacyoÌ„s they are in worse coÌ„dicyon them we are For I pray ye what thing can be to theym swete and acceptable though they had myght obteyne all thinges that they desired seyng that they re coÌ„science can not be quyet is there any thing more abhominable then a grudgyng or byting coÌ„science For Esaye sayeth in the .lvij. Chaptre the wicked are as the boyling see / whiche can not be quyet and his floudes do habound into subiection and mourning And the lorde god sayeth / there is not peace whiche is the verey tranquyllite of conscience vnto the wicked Therfore thou mayst se that verefyen in theym whiche is wryten in the xxviij of Deuteronomyon The lord shall gyue the a fearefull hart / deceauyng iyes and a soule coÌ„sumed with sorowe / thy lyfe shall be hangyng before the / thou shalt feare day and nyght / thou shalt not trust thy lyfe / in the morning thou shalt say who shall geue me the euentyde And in the euenyng / who shall geue me the mornyng Bicause of the feare of thy hart / for thou walâ— be feared / for those thinges whiche thou shalt see with thyne yies Fynally he that dyd consyder with a good mynde the vttermost poynt of euylles / other of his enemyes or of his frendes / he wolde not onely forget his owne troubles thinkyng hym selfe that he suffred no thing / but wolde also with Moyses and thappostell Paule breke out and desire that it myght be leful for hym to dye for theym and to be made cursed froÌ„ Christ / to be put out of the boke of lyfe as it is wryten in the .ix. to the Romayns that they myght be delyuered and saued Christ burnyng with this syre and loue both dyed and went downe to hell for vs leuyng vs an example that we also shulde take thought for other mennes harmes / forgettyng oure owne / ye rather desyring oure owne ¶ The syxte Chapitre of the syxt ymage whiche is the euyll on the ryght honde ON oure ryghte honde are oure frendes by whose euylles and vexations oure troubles are mitygated and aswaged as Saynte Petre teachet in the fyft of the fyrst Pistle sayenge Resyst the deuell stedefast in the fayth / remembryng that ye do but fulfyll the same affliccions / whiche are appoynted to youre bretheren
frende of synne and an enemye of iustice whiche worketh in the. So that thou mayst fere lest this be also spoken to the. Thou doest loue theym that hate the / and hatest theym that loue the. Therfore eueÌ„ as thou must reioyse with al thy hart in the iustice whiche is feerse and cruell ageynst thy synne Euen so must thou be glad when it pursueth and punyssheth synners whiche are the enemyes of god and all good men Thou seest no we that principall goodes appere sumtyme in extreme euylles / not for the euylles but for the grete goodnesse of iustice / whiche doth auenge vs ¶ The .v. chapter of the fyft ymage whiche is the euyll on the lyft hond SOme aduersaryes we haue here in this lyfe bisides theym of whome we haue spoken in the Chaptre next before whiche are dampned and made lyke vnto fyndes whome we must consyder with an other mynde / we shall perceyue .ij. profites that come of theym First that they habunde with temporall goodes / in so moche that the Prophetes where almost moued vnto enuy by they re goodes / as in the Psalme .lxxvij. My fete be almost moued / my steppes be disparsed / for I haue fauoured the wyked / seyng the peace and prosperite of synners And after / Beholde the verey synners haue obteyned the abundauntry chesse in the worlde And in Hieremye .xii. Truly lorde thou art iust / yf I shulde dispute with the / howe be it I wyll speke ryghtuous thynges vnto the / why doth the wey of wyked men prosper for they are all well / whiche trangresse thy coÌ„maundementes and lyue wykydly Why doth he poure so many benefytes vppon theym for nothyng and leseth theym but to coÌ„fort vs / and shewe howe good he is to theym that are ryghteuous / as the psalme sayeth he that is so good to euil howe moche more shall he be good to the good reserued that he punissheth the euil with no vexacyon / and tempteth the good with many troubles / that they may knowelege hym to be good to theym / not onely in these present goodes / but also in the secrete goodes whiche be to come / and may saye with the same Psalme it is good for me to cleue to the lorde / and to put my hope in god As though he shulde saye / be it / that I suffer some thinges whiche I se they suffer not / yet I trust that god is moche better vnto me them vnto theym and so these visible euylles are an argumeÌ„t of inuisible goodnesse / that we shuld trust for goodes inuisible / and despise the euylles that we suffer Euen as Chryst in the gospell / biddeth vs to behold the foules of the ayre / the ly yes of the felde saying / yf god so clothe the grasse whiche is to day in the fylde to morowe shall be cast into the fornace shall he not moche more do the same vnto you / o ye of lytell fayth / wherfore by conferring the goodes with whiche the euyll abounde / vnto the euylles whiche we suffer oure fayth is exercysed / and oure comfort whiche onely is holy is stablisshed in god so that it is necessary that all thynges worke for the best vnto theym that loue god The secunde profit moche more merueylous is that all they re euilles are good vnto vs / god so prouydeht for vs / for although they re offences be euyll occasyons vnto the weake / yet to theim that be strong they be an exercyse of vertue / an occasyon of resisting of synne / and a greate meryte Blissed is that man whiche suffereth temptacyon / for when he is proued / he shall receyue a crowne of lyfe / where is a greater temptacion then the multitude of myschevous examples fynally for thys cause the world is called one of the enemyes of the elect people of god bycause that sayth hys entisementes / and wicked workes / he â—â—â—reth vs vp prouoketh vs / entysith vs froÌ„ the wey of god into his wey / As it is wryten in Gen .vi. The children of god dyd se the doughters of meÌ„ that they were fayre / and they were made carnall And in the â—xv of Numeri / The chyldren of Israell did fall with the doughters of the Moabites / so that it is holsome that we euer be suppressed by some incommodyte / lest that we as they that are weke offended by the euyll occasions of the worlde shulde fall and synne So lot is commended of S. Petre in the secunde of his secund epistell / bycause that he suffred moche euyl by the wâ—ked examples of the sodomytes / and neuerthelesse contynued in his ryghtuousnesse Necessary it is therfore that euyll occasyons be gyuen / whiche shuld be the occasysion that we shuld resist synne haue victory / howe be it wo be vnto the worlde bycause of euyll occasions Dyth then in the transgressions of other god ê“cureth for vs so greate goodes howe moche more ought we to beleue / with al oure hart that he wil turne ouer owne offenâ—â—s to oure profits / though the with fleshe iuge otherwise Nether any lesse doth the wolde profit vs by hys other euyll whiche is called aduersite / for theym that he cannot deuoure by hys entisementes / nor incorporate to hym by euyll occasions / he laboureth to dryue theym from hym by troubles and passions and to vexe and inquyet theym by paynes and punysshementes / euer entending other deceytes thorough the example of synne / or elles to auert mennes myndee by paynes aÌ„d turmeÌ„tes Thys is the monstre thy mer a whose hede is flateryng / and lyke a virgyns this belye deuouryng and lyke a lions and his taile full of deth and lyke a serpentes / for the ende of the worlde / bothe of pleasure and tyranny is venom and deth euerlastyng Therfore as in the synnes of the worlde god hath made vs to fynde profytes Euen so that hys persequucyons shuld not be ydell and in vayne they are ordeyned to vs for the encreasing of oure goodes in so moche / that in that they hurt vs / they are compelled to profit vs. As saynt Augustyne dothe saye / concernyng the lytell chyldren whiche were killed of Herode / he conde neuer haue done so greate profit good by hys benefytes / as he dyd by hys hate enuye And saint Agatha went reioysyng to the pryson as though she had gone to a dyner saying on this maner without thou make my body to be well handeled of thy turmentours / my soule can not with victory entre into Paradyse as the corne without he be thrust out of his huske / and be strongly beten in the barne floure shal not belayd vp in the garner But whate nede vs to speke so moche of this / syth the hole scripture / all the wrytinges and sayinges of the fathers / and all the deades and actes of the holy men are consenting vnto thys that those thynges whyche are
it selfe / then no doute I had offended agenst the angell But syth that thou only art to be loued for thy selfe that is to saye without any respecte other of good or euell and euerye creature is to be loued in the for thy sake / therfore haue I surelye offended onlye agenst the / for I haue loued a creature for it selfe But yet haue I worse done / for I haue synned euen in thy syght I was nothinge ashamed to synne before thy face Oh mercyfull god / how manye synnes haue I done in thy syght which I wold in no wise haue done before mortall men / yee that I wold not in any case that men shuld knowe I feared men more then the / for I was blynde and loued blyndnesse / and so dyd I nother se nor once coÌ„sydre the I had onlye fleshlye yies / therfore dyd I onlye feare loke on men which are flesh But thou lokedst on all my synnes numbred theÌ„ / therfore I can nother hyd them froÌ„ the / nether turne my backe and flye from thy face Whother shall I go from thy spryte and whother shall I flye from thy face what shall I then do whother shall I turne me whom shall I fynde to be my defender whom I praye you but the my God who is so good who is so gentle who is so mercyfull for thou passest with out coÌ„parison all creatures in gentlenesse It is one of thy chefest propertyes to forgeue be mercyfull / for thorow mercye and forgeuenesse thou dost most declare thy almyghtinesse I graunte Lorde that I haue offended onlye agenst the / and haue done that which is euell in thy syght / haue mercye therfore on me expresse thy puysaunce in me / that thou mayst be iustefyed in thy wordes for thou hast sayed that thou camest not to calle the rightwyse / but synners vnto repentaunce Iustefye me Lorde accordinge to thy wordes call me / receaue me / and geue me grace to do true workes of repentaunce For this cause wast thou crucifyed / deed and buryed Thou saydest also Ioan .iij. When I am lyfted vp from of the erth / I will drawe all vnto my selfe / verefye thy wordes / drawe me after the let vs runne to gether in the swetenesse of thyne oyntmentes Besides that thou saydest Mat. xi Come vnto me al ye that laboure / and are laden / and I will ease you Loo I come vnto the laden with synnes / labouringe daye and nyght in the sorow of myne harte refresh and ease me lorde that thou mayste be iustefyed and proued true in thy wordes / and mayst ouercome when thou art iudged for there are manye that saye he shal haue no socoure of his god God hath forsaken hym Ouercome lorde these persones wheÌ„ thou arte thus iudged of them and forsake me not at anye tyme. Geue me thy mercye and holesome socoure / then are they vaynqueshed They saye / that thou wilt haue no mercye on me / and that thou wilt cast me clene out of thy fauoure and no more receaue me / thus art thou iudged of men / thus do men speake of the / these are their determinacyons / but thou which arte meke and mercyfull haue mercye on me / and ouercome their iudgementes / shewe thy mercye on me and let thy godlye pitye be praysed in me Make me a vessell of thy mercye / that thou mayst be iustefyed in thy wordes and haue the victorye when men do iudge the for men do iudge the to be firce and inflexible Ouercome their iudgement with mekenesse and beneuolence / so that men maye lerne to haue compassyon on synners / and that malefactours maye be enflamed vnto repentaunce / seynge in me / thy pytye and mercye Loo I was fashoned in wekednes and my mother conceaued me polluted with synne Behold not Lorde the greuousnesse of my synnes / consyder not the multitude / but loke mercyfullye on me which am thy creature ☞ Remembre that I am dust / and that all flesh is as wythred haye / for Loo I am fashoned in wekednes in synne hath my mother coÌ„ceaued me My naturall mother I saye hath coÌ„ceaued me of coÌ„cupiscence / in her am I polluted with original sinne What is original synne / but the lacke of originall iustice of the ryght and pure innocencye which man had at his creacyon therfore a man coÌ„ceaued borne in suche sinne is hole croked and out of frame The flesh coueteth agenst the sprete Reason is slender / the wyll is weake / man is frayle and lyke vanite / his senses deceaue hym / his ymaginacyon fayleth hym his ignoraunce leadeth him out of the right waye / he hath infinite impedymeÌ„tes which plucke hym froÌ„ goodnes and dryue hym in to euel Therfore original synne is the roote of all synnes and the nurse of all wikednesse / for all be it that in euerye man of the awne nature it is but one synne yet in power it is all synnes Thou seyst therfore Lorde what I am / and of whence I am for in originall synne which coÌ„teyneth al synnes and iniquites in it am I fashoned / in it hath my mother conceaued me / syth then I am hole in synnes and enuyroned with snares one â—erye syde how shall I escape for what I wold that do I not / but the euell that I wold not that do I / for I fynde a nother lawe in my membres rebellinge agenst the lawe of my mynde / subduynge me vnto the lawe of synne deth Therfore the more frayle and entangled thy godlye beneuolence seeth me / so moch the more let it lyft vppe coÌ„fort me Who wold not pitye one that is syke who wold not haue coÌ„passyon on hym that is dyseased Come / come thou swete Samaritane and take vppe the wounded and halfe deed cure my woundes / poure in wyne and oyle sette me vppon thy beest / bringe me in to the hostrye / coÌ„mitte me vnto the host / take out two pence and saye vnto him what so euer thou spendest aboue this / when I come agayne I wyll recompence the. Loo thou hast loued truth / the vnknowne secrete thinges of thy wysdoÌ„ / hast thou vttered vnto me Come most swete Samaritane / for behold thou hast loued truth / the truth I saye of thy promyses which thou hast made vnto mankynde / then hast thou trulye loued for thou hast made and kepte them / so that thy loue is nothinge els but euen to do good for in thy selfe thou arte inuaryable immutable / thou vsest not now to loue and a none not to loue as men doo nether doth thy loue so come goo / but thou art such a louer as doth neuer chaunge for thy loue is verye god Thy loue therfore wherwith thou louest a creature / is to do it good / whom thou most louest / to them arte thou most beneficyall Therfore what meaneth that thou louest truth /
with that lyght / I shall for sake all my carnall coÌ„cupiscences colde vnto wordlye thinges / and enflamed vnto heuenlye Vnto my hearinge shalt thou geue ioye and gladnes and my brosed bones shall be refreshed Then Lord shall I pray vnto the / etlye that is in the begynniÌ„ge of thy light shalt thou heare my voyce I shall heare what the lorde god shall speake in me for he shalt speake peace for his people and shall geue me peace Lorde thou shalt geue me peace for I haue trusted in the / vnto my hearinge shalt thou geue ioye / and gladnesse / when I shal heare that coÌ„fortable wordes that marye herde And what herd marye I speake of that marye / whych sate at the fete of Iesus Mat. xxvi what herde she Thy faith hath saued the / goo thy wayes in peace Let me also heare that the thefe herde this daye shalt thou be with me in paradyse / then shall I haue ioye for the remission of my synnes / and gladnesse for thy bounteous and liberall promyses shall I not reioyce / and be glad / when thou shalt geue me two fold for all my synnes them shall I beginne to taste how swete the Lorde is then shall I lerne to be conuersaunte in heuenly thinges and shall saye with the Proâ—hete how greate and copious is that sweâ—enesse Lorde / which thou hast layde vppe for them that feare the / then shall I reioyse and be glad and my brosed bones shal be refresshed What are the bones which sustayne the flesh but the powers of oure soule and reason that bere vpp the fraylte of oure flesh that he runne not hedlonge in to all vyces / that a man falle not hole in to vanyte and so consume awaye These bones I saye are sore brosed / for the reason is verye weake / and the will is prone and readye to all myscheue / for euen now the the flesh obeyeth not reason / but reason must obaye the flesâ—e / so that I can not resist vice / for mi bones are brosed And why are they brosed for they haue forsaken the / the fountayne of liuynge water / and haue digged for them selues casterns ful of thynnes which can hold no waters / for they are not filled with thy grace with out wich no man can lyue well / for without the we caÌ„ do no thinge They trusted in their awâ—e power which is no power and therfore decayed they in theyr awne folyshnesses Therfore let thy power come Oh Lorde and then shall these brosed bones be refresshed let thy grace come that faith which worketh thorow loue Let thy powers giftes assiste me / theÌ„ mi brosed bones shal be refresshed for my reason shal be merye / my memorye glad my will full of ioye / thus shall they all reioyse / for aboue theyr awne naturall strength / wheÌ„ they goo aboute any good worke they shall procede prospere well / nether shall they leaue it vnperfeyte / but thorow thy helpe shall they brynge it to good passe and effecte Turne thy face from off my synnes / and wype awaye all my wykednesse Why lokest thou Lorde vppon my sinnes why numbrest thou them why consyder 〈◊〉 them so dyligentlye dost thou not knowâ— that man is euen as a floure of the feldâ— / why dost thou not rather loke in the face of thy Christ Alas wretch that I am / why se I the angrye agenst me I graunte I haue sinned / how be it for thy gentlenesse haue mercye on me Turne thy face from off my synnes Thy face is nothynge but thy knowlege turne awaye therfore thy knowlege froÌ„ my sinnes I meane not that knowlege where with thou seist and perceauest all thinges / but that wherbye thou approuest disalowest all thinges / wherbye thou alowest the workes of the ryghtwyse and condemnest the reprouable synnes of the wyked / know not my synnes on that maner that thou woldest impute them vnto me and laye them to my charge But rather turne away thy face from my synnes that thorow thy mercye they maye be quenched loke Lorde on the ceeatuere whom thou hast wrought / loke vpon thyne awne ymage For I poore wretch haue put vpon me the image of the deuell that is synne turne awaye thy face from the ymage of the deuell and be not angrye with me / and behold thyne awne ymage that thou mayst haue mercye on me O mercyfull Lorde / remembre that thou lokedst apon zacheum which dyd clym vppe in to a wilde figge tre to se the. Lu. xix and thou entredst in to his house whych thou woldest neuer haue done yf thou haddest loked on the image of the deuell which he had put on him / but because thou sauest thyne awne ymage in hym / thou haddest coÌ„passion on hym and heledst hym He promised to geue the halfe of his goodes to the poore / and yf he had falslye deceaued any man to restore it foure folde and he obtayned mercye and health And I bequeth my selfe euen hole vnto the nothynge reserued And promyse to serue the for euer wyth a pure harte / and will fulfylle my promyse all dayes of my lyfe wherfore then Lorde dost thou not loke on thyne ymage in me also why dost thou yet consider my synnes Turne I besech the thy face from my synnes wype awaye all my wykednesse / wype awaye all I pray the that none remayne / for it is writen he that kepeth the holâ— lawe offendeth in one poynte is gyltye in the hole / that is to saye / hath deserued damnacyon / whych is the payne of all synnes that lead vnto deth Put out therfore all my wykednesse / that none offeÌ„de the which shuld brynge me to condemnacion A pure harte create in me oh god and an vpright sprete make a newe within mee For my harte hath forsaken me / and goeth astraye vtterlye forgettinge his awne helth it is waÌ„dred in to straunge countres ensueth vanities his yies / are in the vtmost coostes of the world I called it againe but it answered me not It is gone / loste solde vnder synne What nv lorde what shall I saye A pure harte create iÌ„ me god / an huÌ„ble harte / a curteous harte / a peaceable harte / a gentle harte / a deuoute harte / soch an harte as wil nether do a nother man hurte / nether yet aueÌ„ge him selfe wheÌ„ he is offended but rather do god ageÌ„st euill And soch an harte as will loue the aboue all thinge which will thinke of the / speake of the and thanke the which will delyte in hymnes spretuall songes and be hole conuersaunte in heuenlye thinges Create this harte in me Oh God treate it of nothynge / that it maye be of such effiâ—acite thorow grace as nature is neuer able to make it This grace cometh onlye froÌ„ the in to the soule thorow thy creacyon it is the beautye of a pure harte