may in no wise be done to get money but alonely by loue yn praying one for an other Behold nowe seest thou well howe grete occasyon thou hast to do good For thou hast alweyes occasion to mortyfie thine evill desires to serve thyne neyghboure to comfort hym to helpe hym with worke with worde with counceyl with exhortacyon and by other semblable meanes In suche loue towardes oure neyghboure for the loue of God lyeth all the lawe and the prophetes as sayeth Christ Ye and all the verey Christente and nat in fasting keping of halydayes watching praying and synging long prayers dayly and all day hering of masses setting vp of candels runnyng on pilgremages and other suche thinges whiche aswell the ypochrites proude people envious and subiectes to all wikked affections doo Ye aÌ„d many tymes enforce theym silf more there vnto then the good christen But so to serve and socoure the one the other by verey love can none do but they that haue true faith and the verey love of god And whosoever so loveth his christen brother he is alweyes ioyfull in his conscience For he knoweth surely that he is the child of god and that God is his good father and is well content in his courage of all that god sendeth vnto him But he that hath not this love is alweyes sory full of anguisshe and woteth not whate to do to deserve more he fasteth he kepeth halydayes nowe of one saint nowe of an other He seyth his prayers nowe bifore one altre nowe bifore an other He renneth on pilgremage nowe here nowe there and can never come vnto the rest and quyet of his coÌ„science For suche workes make no man sure but make rather ypochrites trustyng in they re workes But the verey faithfull cleveth to god for he knoweth that he may never satisfie nor do ynough to deserve the everlasting life And therfore he putteth hys trust yn god beleveth stedfastly that he hath satisfied for vs that he hath iustifyed vs. And therfore it is all one to hiÌ„ whate thiÌ„g he do so that he please him exercyse charyte to his neyghbour for the love of god for he knoweth that God demaundeth nothing but the hert aÌ„d that he regardeth not howe we doo the worke so that yt be according to the teachiÌ„g of the gospell whiche commaundeth but charyte And so comith he by feyth and trust in God vnto rest and quyet of hert and conscience and is well coÌ„tent to dye wheÌ„ it pleaseth god ¶ Of .iiij. maner of feythes after the holy scripture and whiche is the Christen feyth Chaptre .xiij. THis present Chapitre bycause I haue moche spoken of faith that scarcely of a thousand one knoweth not this feith teacheth of how many maner feithes there is made meÌ„cioÌ„ in the holy scripture not as do now the doctours whiche have founde many maner of feythes I will onely speke of iiij maner of feithes whiche are most comunely fouÌ„de in the holy scripture The first faith is this whiche the marchauntes hold one to an other and feithfull frendes wherby they kepe promyse and fidelite the one to the other Eccle. 2â—â—nd 27 wherof speketh the wise saying possesse or kepe feith with thy frende in his povertye to thintent that in his welth thou mayst be ioyfull And ageyn he that discloseth the secret of his frende loseth his faith And in the Proverbes He that gyveth his faith for a straunger shall be vexed with evell And this is the faith wherof the worldly people complaine seying there is no feith in the worlde The seconde feith is when we beleve that a thing is to come and suche thinges as we here or rede as we beleve that Rome is a Cytie in Italye or that Cartage was destroyed of the Romayns and this we beleve although we haue not sene yt Also we beleve that Iesu Christ hath he relyved on erth and that he hath preached and that he is dâ—ed for vs and that he hath done many other thinges when we beleve these thinges after the story we beleve that this is oure christen faith The simple people aloneli doth not beleve this but also many doctours in Theologye which are taken for wise Ye the devell hath also this faith as sayeth saint Iames The devels beleve and tremble Ia. 2. for as we haue seyd byfore the devell beleveth that god is god and that Iesus Christ hath here preached that he was deed buryed rysen This must we also beleve but yet this is not the faith wherof speaketh the gospell and saint Paule The third faith is that we beleve that god may all thinges and that he is rightuous good and holye This faith haue also the devels and Iudas had it also aÌ„d other disciples that did miracles in the name of Iesus but they were therfore never the better for when they bosted theym silves and were ioyfull that by they re faith they expulsed the devils in the name of Iesus Lu. 10 Iesus Christ hath reproved them saying Ioy not you that the spretes be vnder your power but reioyce bicause youre names be writen in heven 1. Cor. 1â— Of this fayth writeth saint Paule vnto the Corinthians saying If that I had all feith so that I coude move mountaignes oute of they re places and yet had no love I were nothing The .iiij. faith is oure Christen fayth wherof so moche speake Iesu christ saynt Paule and saint Iohn and sey that it ys the foundacion of christendome And this is the feith wherof I speake in this boke None hath this faith but they that put all they re trust hope comfort refuge and fynally all theire helth in god alone serching all these thinges in him and loking for theÌ„ of him and not of they re deservinges or good workes Of this feith speaketh saint Paul saying whosoever call on the name of god shal be saved Ro. 10 And the prophete Ieremye Blessed is that man that trusteth in the lord god Iere. 17 And Christ in the Gospell To thinient that none that beleve in him shuld periss he but shuld haue everlasting life Iohn 3 And in the boke called ParalipomenoÌ„ Beleve in your lord God and you shal be assured and without thought Pa. 20 Beleve his Prophetes and all happy thinges shal come vnto you And almost all the Psalmes all the prophetes and all the leves of the holy Byble teache vs that we must beleve and hope in God by a sted fast fayth wherof speaketh so moche Saynt Paule the apostle and whiche he prayseth so moche in all hys epistles And as we haue abundauntly sayd in the Chaptres byfore none may comprehend thys fayth but he that considereth whate was the fayth of Abraham As wryteth saynt Paule vnto the Galathyans saying Abraham beleved God and yt ys rekened to hym for ryghtuousnesse Ga. â— For by hys fayth hath he obteyned that he ys called oure father and we be called hys children
yn the holye scripture that ys to sey we be the childern of the fayth For by the meane of oure fayth we be saved as Abraham was iustified by his fayth and hath gotten by hys fayth that all they that shall haue suche fayth may lyke wyse be iustyfyed For this cause whosoever hath not the fayth of Abraham nothing can come vnto hym of that whiche Abraham beleved That ys to say when God ys not thy hope and thy comforte when thou abydest not wyth a stedfast trust vppon God when thou art not redy to suffer and endure all thinges namely also the deth for the loue and honour of god And also to lose all that thou hast in the world thou art not the childe of Abraham For Abraham was redy to all thinges wherunto god wold send hym Suche was Iob when he sayed Iob. 13 Albeit that he kill me I will put my trust in him And the wise saieth Pro. 12 Whatsoever thing come to the rightuous let him not sorowe And saint Paâ—le saieth who shall separat vs from the love of Iesu Christ Ro .8 shall tribulacion persecucion â—werd or deth And as saint Petre saieth 1. Pet. 3. who is he that may hurte you if ye be haunters and folowers of goodnesse For all that ever comyth vnto the when thou hast this feith be it of maÌ„ or of the devell all comyth to thy proufit As saieth saint Paule vnto the Romains To theym that love God all thinges be helping and avauncement to good Ro. 8. And therfore pray we alweyes that the will of god be done For as he is not here come as he seyd him silf to do his will Mat. 6. but the will of his hevenly father So shall Iohn 5 not the good Christen desyre that hys owne will be done but the will of God And therfore shalt thou bere al thinges paciently as did Abraham with a stedfast feyth knowing surely that god will not forsake the for god is thy father and thou art his childe And it behoveth that he do with the what him pleaseth For seyng that he is all good he will nothing but thine helth None can have suche a feyth if he haue not therwith the love of god And he that hath the loue of god hath fulfilled the lawe for all the scriptures teache vs none other thing but that we loue god with all oure hartes and oure neyghbour as oure silf as it is writen in saint Mathewe Mat. 22. None is a true christen but he that hath this loue All other be rather ypochrites then Christen For all good workes which be not done by charyte and of good will are all synne byfore God as saieth saint Austyn He that doth good ageynst his will he doth evill albeit that that that he doth be good For all that I do ageynst my will I hate it And when I hate the commaundement I hate also him that hath coÌ„maunded it And as long as the parsone ys suche he may not be rightuous â–ª for none may be rightuous but he that kepeth fulfilleth the commaundementes of God by charyte and with a ioyfull hart And this is a singular grace of god And therfore may none be proude of it for he caÌ„ not haue it of him silf So hath a man nothing of him silf wherwith he may exalt him silf For without God can we do nothing Iohn 15 As Christ him silf sayeth wit out me caÌ„ ye do nothing No not ones haue of your silf one good thought as sayeth saint Paule 1. Cor. 4 whate hast thou that thou hast nor receyved wherfore there is no wey more sure to come to everlasting life then to humble him silf byfore God and to pray hym humbly of mercy nothing trusting in hys good workes but with a ferme trust forsaking him silf to knowlege alweyes to god his imperfection For we can come to nothing by oure good workes if we put eny trust in theym For they are nothing eis but sinne and stinking byfore God when God helpeth vs not by hys grace Esai 64 As saieth the prophete Esaie We are all made vnclene and all oure iustice is as yt were a clothe of a womaÌ„ that suffreth the fluxe of bloude And therfore I can never merveyle ynough that many of the religyous parsones wolde make other parttakers of thyre good workes by bretheryeldes and fraternytees seyng that Christ saieth yn the Gospell After that ye haue done all that to you ys commaunded say ye we be vnproufitable servauntes we haue done but oure duetye For none can do to moche None doth more then he ys bound to do but onely Iesu Christ whyche 1. Pet. 2. onely as sayeth Saynt Petre the apostle yn his .ij. epistle Never dyd synne nether was there deceyte found yn hys mouth hath done that he was not bound to do And as sayeth the Prophete Esaye hath taken vppon hum all oure languores Csa 53 And all oure sorowes dyd he beare he was wounded for oure inyquytees he was beten for oure offences and by hys strype spottes were we made hole His iustice was onely parfait iustice for he hath done that he was not bouÌ„d to do But we of our silves wheÌ„ we do our best yet can not oure iustice be parfeyt when after oure advice we do more then we are bounde to do yet be we vnrightuous and if we will be rightuous so must goddes rightuousnes make vs rightuous for as sayeth saint Paâ—le Christ of god to vs is made wisdome iustice sanctificacyon and redempcion to thintent that as it is wryten He that reiâ—yseth shuld reioyce in the lord 1. Cor. 1 Saint Paule also teacheth vs yn all his epistles that Iesus Christ is oure iustice and that by him we shal be saved aÌ„d by none other Nowe seest thou well that none can do to moche For of him silf none can do ynough and that we must take oure comfort of the satisfaction of Iesus Christ. Then whye will some sell vnto vs they re merytes aud good workes and make vs parttakers of theym And if it be not that suche ypochristes forsake they re trusting vppon there good workes and that they lerne for to trust vppon the iustice aÌ„d satisfaction of Christ they theym sylves shall never be saved For the Pharesey had done many good workes but bycause that he stode well yn hys owne conceyte gloryfyed and bosted hym sylf therof therfore he was forsaken of God ¶ In whate thing lyeth the Christendome Chaptre .xiiij. TKen lyeth the verey Christianyte in this thing that thou do all thing that Charyte proceding from thy faith iudgeth to be agreable vnto god And wheÌ„ thou hast all done with the lest evill that thou canst that thou iudge thy silfe yet an vnproufitable servaunt and that by all thy good workes thou hast yet deserved nothing or yf there be eny thing well done that it apartayneth to god albeit that by his goodnesse he will
slepe from the whyche Iesu Christ shall wake vs at the day of iudgement And yf we haue suche a feith as is that wherof I haue nowe spoken of we shall be nothing sory but rather ioyfull when eny dyeth Whosoever is sory for suche thing he synneth For he is sory that the will of god is done Then let none be sory therfore for it is but all folye and infidelite Thou shalt not ordeyne where thou wilt be buryed or whate stone thou wylt haue on thy tombe for it is all pryde and vaynglory and proufiteth nothing ye yt is grete synne bifore god For it is all one bifore god if thou be buryed in the churche or in the churcheyard or yn any other place And all the pompes and ceremonyes wherwith the deed are buryed is more institute for the proufyt and advauntage of the lyving then to help the deed For they proufit or helpe nothing at all vnto the deed The best preparacyon vnto deth ys to love nothing in this world to set his hert on none erthly thing but so to entreate aÌ„d vse all temporall thinges that one may be alweyes redy to forsake theym aÌ„d to loue better to be with god then here wilt thou nowe knowe who dyeth helthfully as ferre as man may haue knowlege Me semyth after the scripture that when a man or a woman hath loving coÌ„versacion with his neyghboure or if they be maryed to gyther in an holy love glad to here talke of god giving willingli after they re power for goddis sake and are not sory or discomforted for the losse of they re goodes or of any other adversite willingly comforting the desolate and dieth in a stedfast faith and with good will it is to be thought that suche a parsonne shuld be saved Nowe forbicause I haue moche spoken of the faith and howe we be the children of god I will write howe all estates shuld lyve and of every estate alone a doctryne after the Gospell and epistles of S. Paule And first of monkes aÌ„d nonnes ¶ Of the life of Monkes whate it was yn tymes passed Chaptre .xvi. IN tymes passed there were no holyer parsones then monkes And all they that wold lyve according to the gospell were wont to gyve theym silves vnto that life bycause they had a more gretter occasyon aÌ„d help to leade a good lyfe then with theym of the world A parsone mought better kepe his symplicite chastyte sobryete humilyte and other vertues in such assemble of holy parsones then he coud do among the seculers and worldly whiche sought but thinges carnall So was then the lyfe of monkes the fontaygne of christendome But thou must know that the monkes of that tyme were all other then they of this present tyme. They made no vowes noâ— promyses as they do nowe None was then constreyned to chastite or to other vertues ageynst his will They were subiect and obeysaunt vnto the commaundement of they re Abbot willingly as though god had commaunded theym For they re superyours commaunded theym nothing but the commaundementes of God and of the Gospell And bycause I may not reherse the lyfe of all Monkes I wyll speke here of .iiij. maner of Monkes to thyntent that ye may knowe how the life of monkes is chaunged The first monkes was Helyas Helizeus the sonnes of Ionadab the sonnes of the prophetes saynt Iohn Baptist other lyke They were parsones lyvyng yn abstynence yn wyldernesse But the lyfe of theym hath no maner similytude vnto the life of oure monkes nowe a dayes Not long after that oure savioure christ is ascended vnto heven ys there come an other sect of Monkes of whome wryteth Piâ—â—lo and Eusebius These monkes had they re begynning of the disciples of saynt Marke with theym dwelled wymen aÌ„d lyued to gyther separat from the people yn sobryete chastyte and love And they lauded God with reding of the psalmes with fastinges and prayers And lyved hoelly after the life whiche thappostles had first enterprysed emong whome all thinges were comon Acto 4 As wryteth Saynt Luke yn thactes of thappostles Many have folowed the life of these moâ—kes here as saint Effrem saint Machayre saint Hierome saint Heliodore and many other holy parsones that then were in the world as a man may perceyve in the bokes of saint Iohn Chrysostome Of suche life was also saynt Martyne with his bretheren They were not ydell but writing of bokes and labouring with they re hondes for to get they re expences They made no vowes nor profession Every one mought eate fast reade wheÌ„ he wolde like as did the seculers They came many tymes to gyther to communyon and prayer They had no certeyn masses nor houres to syng dayly And when yt was noyous vnto theym they mought avoyde out of the company for they were not constreyned there to abyde by any professyon And when a Bisshop or an herdman dyed they toke custumably one of these monkes for a newe Bisshop and herdman for they were then holy and lettered parsones After theym came the thyrde secte of monkes of the whiche was saint Benet Montanus Gregory and other monkes of the ordre of saint Benet In that tyme was the life of monkes sum whate charged with a certeyn nombre of Psalmes with certeyn prayers with one certeyn habite and ordre and with other ceremonyes Neverthelesse saint Benet dyd not so charge his ordre but submitted all vnto the discrecyon of the Abbot to dispence chaunge and do all thinges accordinge as he shuld thinke it best convenient after the tyme And bicause they were men of holye life the â—ytesins toke of theym to they re pastores bisshopes So came it afterward to passe that the princes and grete parsonages haue had favoure aÌ„d love vnto the cloysters and haue gyven theym moche goodes and possessions and haue founded newe monasteryes so that they be thus multiplied in the worlde as thou mayst see And bicause that to moche goodes aÌ„d possessions haue be gyven vnto theÌ„ they re good discipline and life is by lytell and lytel brought to nought and corrupted by rychesse So that they have enterprysed to make sumpluous bnyldinges costly vestmentes and haue begonne to eate and drynke delycaâ—ly haue bought precyous vessels chalices and other ornamentes in they re churches So haue they enterprysed to lyve not as monkes but as lordes By these thinges here is coled the spryte and love of God Thus loving the sprite they haue taken the flesshe ordeyning all they re holynesse yn foreyn and outward thinges and ceremonyes as in reding they re houres in singing in kneâ—â—g in habytes and many other ceremonyes But humilite contemptibilite sobriete pacyens and povertie they haue forgetten And by suche meanes is the life of monkes come vnto voluptuousnesse and vnto all vanyte by thabundaunce of richesse Thus haue they begonne to be ydell and wold not get they re expences by laboure of they re hondes as it was ordeyned
as he hath shewed in all hys conuersacion and doctrine And this knowe ye my dere sisters aÌ„d ye also my relygious brethereÌ„ that ye robbe from the poore all the goodes that ye dispose and spende vppon suche pompous buyldinges and ornamentes of your chapelles for wheÌ„ one entreth ynto your monasteryes one can se nothing like vnto the povertie of Iesu Christ whiche had not where he mought rest hys heed But contraryly your monasteries seme rather the palaces of kinges or princes then houses Luce. 9. of hospitalite to harbour your silues and your â–ª poore nedy bretheren Remember ye not that good will requyre the bloude of the poore of your hondes bicause they dye for hunger by your outrage There is nothing that planteth covytyse yn the hertes of the religious and that maketh theym begge but this superfluyte and outrage for without these thinges hereit were no nede to begge thei myght get honestly they re expences yn the laboure of they re hondes and myght do almesse holsomly of that that they shuld haue superfluous for they shuld fynde worke yâ—oâ—gh And vnhappy were he that could not get hys expenses for al the worlde wolde take pleasure to helpe theym to get it and to se they re holynesse peaâ—ible symplicite and conuersacyon So truly shuld they live pleasing god and accordiÌ„g to the doctrine of the gospell But one might saye whate shuld they do if â—ny misfortune happened vnto theym as of pestilence or of other thing I answere you that it is a demaund of vnbeleve Thinke you that God wold leve theym in daunger I certifie you that in suche a case he shulde not thinke him silf happy that mought not assist and ayde theym for the lord wold move the hertes to do it For he never leveth his true servauntes and children in daunger if they trust in him But nowe when one seith there sumptuous edifices so manyfold garnisshinges of aulters and ymages courteyâ—s of silke and gold and many other costly thinges whiche truely represent nothing but vanyte vnto spiritull hartes one can in no wyse take pleasure theriÌ„ albeit that the worldly make moche therof and prayse it moche bycause they knowe but the flesshe aÌ„d lettre whiche sleyth ¶ Howe man and wife shall lyve togyther a doctrine after the Gospell Chaptre xxij OUre savioure Christ hath commaunded nothing so streytly as to love one another ye also to love oure enemyes as it is writen in saint Mathewe where he sayeth Mar. 5 Love youre enemyes Then how moche the more shuld the man and wif love the one the other whiche are but one body Ephe. 5 Saint Paule teacheth that the meÌ„ shall love they re wives But alas there ar but fewe that knowe howe they shall love the one the other For if thou love thy wife onely bicause she is thy wife and bicause she serveth and pleaseth the after sensuall appetite of the flesshe in beautye noblesse richesse â–ª and suche like this is no love bifore god Of suche love speaketh not saint Paule for suche love is among harlottes ye among brute bestes But thou shalt love her bicause that she is thy sister in the christen feith and that she is enheriter togyther with the of the glory of god and bicause ye serve togyther one god bycause that ye have receyved togither all one baptesme and semblable sacramentes Thou shalt also love her for her vertues as shamefastnesse chastite diligeÌ„ce sadnesse pacyence attemperaunce secresye obedience and other gostly vertues albeit that she be poore of a small lynage and foule For ye may not love the woman bâ—t that is in her that is sey vertues aÌ„d the grace of god Also thou maist not hate her but thou must hate the imperfection that is yn her as her vices detraction lakke of shame lak of chastite vayne and ydell woordes gloutony dishoneste sloughtfulnesse wrath pryde and other vices Lykewise shall the woman love or hate that that is yn the man The man shall reprove his wise by good maner when she shall make eny faute without hating of her having alweis pacyence with her as with a frayle vessell as teacheth saint Petre. When suche a good and holye love is bytwene the man and wife then shall the man be â— Peti 3. the hede and the woman the lesse The wife shall willingly serve her husbond as her lorde Ephe. 5. The man shal love hys wife and honour her as his owne body For although the man be the hede he may not therfore suppresse and dispise his wife but he must dyligently defend her and kept her from ewill as his owne body he shall more enforce hym silf that his wife love hym theÌ„ that she feare hym He must love her as god hath loved vs while we were yet hys enemyes and yet enfect with oure synnes So shal the husbond love his wife albeit that she be foule or difforme he shal not be hard or cruel vnto her but shal support her pacyentli and shall warne her swetely For if thou be hede whye wilt thou hurt or dispise thy body that is to sey thy wife The man shall defende warne teache and conduyte his wife taking hede that she clothe not her silf to sumptuously and poÌ„pousely and that she were no Ievelles for veyne glory For wymen be naturally gyven vnto suche folyes vnto braguery and pryde It is not expedient that a christen woman shuld appareill her outwardly as do the paymems for scarcely is she the wife of one man alone that so costly doth appareil her silf outwardly aboue her astate Also they that do so gyve vnto many occasion of evill desires And seing thou hast a husbond whye wilt thou go so to please other Herin shall the man be the hede and lorde over the woman and shall defende suche superfluite and vaine glory in his wife He shall teche her and exhort her that she do her diligence to please by vertue and holy conversacion and not by Iewelles and costly appareil For with suche thinges do the most folisshe wymeÌ„ of all garnisshe theym silves Therfore shall the husbond take hede that the wife kepe measure herm Then shall the wife obey vnto her husbond as vnto her so vereygne and shall love hym as her owne body shall honour and feare him as her lord For so was Sara subiect vnto her husbond Abraham and she called him her lordâ— 1. Pe. 3. as writeth saint Petre. So did Monyca the mother of saint Austyn honour her husbond And when he was wrothe or dronken she tempted him not but after that it was passed she warned hym of yt by swete wordes So shuld all good wymen do vnto they re husbondes Thus shall there be no sensuall or carnall love in the state of mariage but a godly and a spirituall Then shall both man wife helpe the one other for to get theire expences The woman shall take care for that that must be done within the house
of Christ doing the will of god with all your hartes with good will even as though ye served the lord and not men Remembre also that whatesoever good eny man doth that shall he receyve ageyn Col. 3 of the lorde whether he be bonde or fre and ageyn vnto the Colossians Servauntes saieth he obey vnto your bodily mastres in all thinges not with yie service as meÌ„ plesers but in simplicite or ynnocency of hert fearing the lord god Do all that ye do with a good will as though ye dyd it vnto the lorde God and not as vnto men knowing that ye shall receive of the lord the reward of enherifaunce for ye vo serve the lord Christ. But he that doth wrong shall receyve for the wrong that he hath done for there is no respect of parsones 1. Pe. â— And also saint Petre saieth in hys first epistle Servauntes be subiect in all feare vnto your lordes not onely vnto the good and courteys but also though they be froward For it comith of grace if a maÌ„ for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully For whate preyse is it if when ye be beten for your fautes ye take it paciently But and if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it paciently then are ye grete thank worthy byfore god Therfore thou shalt in all thinges haue god alweyes bifore thyne yies and not the men whome thou servest outwardly As did Paule the bisshoppe whiche put hiÌ„silf into the service of the lordes for the sonne of a widowe And bicause that he had given all his goodes for the will of God He gaue also him silf into service for the love of God for to deliver the sonne of the wydowe Be not sory that thy mastre both not suffre the to go to the churche to here masse For thou mayst please god aswell in doyng thy worke by suche a good intent as though thou were in the churche wheÌ„ thou belevest but thou must do thy laboure in suche a faith as is bifore sayd God regardeth not whate thing we do or in whate place we be but of whate courage aÌ„d in whate feith we do it The servauntes shall take good hede that they anger not they re maystre or mastresse And when it shall so happon that then incontinent they axe theym forgy venesse He shall alweys honoure his mastre bering his hasty wordes keping him silfe that he do not rebell and answer spitefully vnto his master Gen For thou art bounde to support him and to gyve place vnto hym As the aungell taught vnto Agar the servaunt of Saraâ— the whiche fled from her mastresse as it is writen in the .xvi. chaptre of GeneuÌ„s where the aungell came vnto her and sayde Go and tourne toward thy lady and humble thy silf vnder her honde So shulde the servaunt humble him stife vnder his lord and when he hath angred him to appayse him ageyn with humble demeanure and obedience So did Saint Paule make agremeÌ„t bitwixt Onesimus and Philemon from whome he was fled awey 〈◊〉 Phile â—oneÌ„ The lordes mastres shall vse they re servauntes as meÌ„ not as asses They shal entreate theym lovingly and softly not as tirauntes for they be they re christeÌ„ bretheren and membres of one body that is of Iesus Christ wherfore thou shalt not overcharge theym with thinges not convenient or vnreasonable but thou shalt vse theym as membres of thine owne body For Christ is oure hede and we all to gyther be his body every one of vs by him silf is a membre of his body be he man or woman lord or servaunt riche or pore as writeth saint Paule vnto the Corinthâ—eÌ„s For this cause as no maÌ„ hateth his owne Cor. 12 membres but kepeth theym aâ— well as he can So shall we loue the one the other shall serve by charite and socoure the one the other as one membre socoureth an other It was sometyme the custume that all parsones did call the one the other bretheren and sisters This did â—â—appostles institute to thintent that the hethen might knowe whate love there was emong the Christen we may finde many mastres nowe a dayes that vse they re servauntes like asses not like men nor like they re owne membres wherof they shall yelde vnto god a full streyte accompt Ephe. Saint Paule exhorteth you to entrete your servauntes with all swetenesse Ye masters saieth he shewe the same love dilection vnto your servauntes that they shewe vnto you absteyning your silf from threteninges remeÌ„bring that theire mastre and yours is in heven And there is no respect of persones bifore him And vnto the Colossians ye masters do vnto your servauntes that whiche Col. 1 is iust aÌ„d egall remembring that ye haue also a master in heven Neverthelesse although the mastres be rigorous hard yet I counceile with Saint Petre in his first epistle all servauntes that they take all that theire masters mastresses ley vnto theire charge paciently that for the love of god if it be not so that they commaunde to do a thing that is ageinst the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of god for in suche a case they must rather obey god then men As saieth saint Peâ—er in the actes of thappostles Act. ¶ Of the widowes life a shorte informacion after the Gospell Chaptre .xxxi. THappostle saint Paule teacheth vs writiÌ„g vnto his disciple Timothe that the widowe shall vse her libertye vnto the honoure of god and that she shall serve willingly the pore wesshing they re fete and socouring theym after her power And to thintent that she shulde haue wherof to socoure the poore she shall not runne aboute ydell from house to house clatering but shall get her expences in her owne house by her laboure And she must kepe her silfe from ydelnesse and from delicate eating drinking for by suche meanes they fâ—ll into evill desires and foule sinnes Suche widowes so living in carnall pleasure lyving be dede alredy As saint Paule sayeth in the seyde place They lyve in a daungerous estate it were moche better that suche widowes dyd marye ageyn then so to lyve in idelnesse and pleasure But the widowe so taking her pleasures desireth not the everlasting life bicause she hath no travayle here and this is the grettest blyndnesse that eny parsone may fall in to And therfore it were moche better that she were maryed ageyn for the carefulnesse and rule of house keping and the obedience that the maryed woman to vnder her husbonde dely vereth the parsone froÌ„ evill desires aÌ„d for this cause counceyleth saâ—nt Paule that the yong wydowes mary ageyn ¶ Laude and honoure be onely vnto God AMEN FINIS
as teacheth saynt Paule saying 1. Ti. 2 whiche hath gyven him silf a price and raunsome for all men Then when I beleve nede I not to do nothing Nede I not to do no good shall I not kepe the commaundementes of God Herken whate saint Paule answereth The faith saith he worketh by loue Ga. 5 Then when thou thus beleuest without doutiÌ„g that is to sey that thou art the sonne of god and that god hath so made the grete and riche thou shalt thinke thus in thy â—ilf Behold nowe god hath made me his childe enheritour of his glory brother of Iesus christ hath giveÌ„ me pardoÌ„ of al my sinnes aÌ„d I shall shortly be with hiÌ„ in the euerlasting life which he hath gyveÌ„ me without deserving it 〈◊〉 thiÌ„g shall I do agein to god by love and kindenesse for all this that he hath gyven to me Psal. 115 As saith the prophete David whate shall I yeld to god ageyn for all that he hath gyven to me when eny parson speaketh thus in him silf considering and beholding the greate goodnesse and mercy of god then comith and entreaseth the loue of god in him by the fayth bicause that he beleveth surely that God hath thus made him grete and riche And after that the loue is thus entred and enchauffed in the hert of the parson it maketh him to suffre and bere all thiÌ„ges maketh him to laboure to thinke and to do all that he thinketh wold please god without regarding â—ny thing but the loue of god Cor. 13. as sayeth saint Paule Loue suffreth all thinges loue doth nothing in vaine and he that hath suche a loue toward god all that he doth is agreable to god Ye when he gyveth but a drop of water for goddis sake as writeth saint Mathewe for loue iÌ„ god can not sinne all that he doth is well done For the holy goost that hath put this charite in vs can not do evill Aâ—d if of aduenture by suche a good entent one did any evell by errour this evell shul be pardoned incontinent and reputed for good by the good entent and loue that he hath towardes god Mat. 6. For Christ saieth in the gospell If thyne yie that is to sey thyne entencion be simple and applying to good all thy body that is to sey all thyne operacion shall be lightened and good And saint Paule saieth Ro. 8 we knowe that vnto theym that loue god al thinges worke for the best All they that are constant in this faith and charite be the children of god aÌ„d please god As witnessith saint Petre where he speaketh in thactes of thappostles Of a truth I perceyve that god is not percyall but in all people he that feareth hym and worketh rightuousnesse is accepted with him for god nedeth not oure works when he thus hath oure hertes albeit that suche a loue can not be ydell This loue comith in vs as I haue seid by faith when the parson beleveth surely that he is the childe of God It nedeth not that suche a parsone be constreyned to doo good workes by any commaundementes For the love of god dwelling yn him can not be ydell For loue as sayeth saint Paule suffreth long and is courteys 1. Cor. 13. loue eÌ„vyeth not love is not craving swelleth not dealeth not dishonestly seketh not her owne is not provoked to angre thinketh not evell reioyseth not in iÌ„iquite but reioyseth in the truth suffreth al thing beleveth all thinges hopeth all thinges Suche a love or charyte bryngeth a parson to good workes and not good works a parsone vnto suche a love or to suche a faith trust in god These workes spring out of feith and not feith out of these workes for as I haue seid feith bringeth loue and loue bringeth good workes Lyke as though there were a riche maÌ„ with out children or heyres which might take a poore beggar out of the strete and make hym his heyre of his goodes This poore man beyng this made greate and ryche if he wold be thankefull as becomith hym to be shuld serve hys lorde or master whiche had thus exalted hym made him ryche truely and with greate loue Ye and if he ones might knowe the wil of his master he wold not deferre the doing therof till he were commaunded But he wold do all thinges by and by of his owne courage for the charyte or loue that he hath toward his master without commaundement Behold this poore man so exalted hath not deserved by hys workes nor by hys service that this riche man shuld so make him his heyre but the riche man hath made him his heyre of hys owne goodnesse without that the poore maÌ„ had in eny maner wyse deserved it And the service that this poore man doth afterward comith of loue and kyndnesse For he knoweth and beleveth surely that he is heyre of the godes of his lord bifore that he do any service And for bicause that he beleveth that the ryche man will kepe promyse wyth hym he beginneth to love him by the meane of this faith And so when he loveth hym he doth to him willingly and wyth good hert all the service he can and fulfil â—â—leth ioyfully his commaundementes and all by love And the more laboure service that he can do for his good master the more grete pleasure he taketh So is it of a good ChristeÌ„ for wheÌ„ he was yet enemye of god by the sinne of Adam he was accepted of God byfore he â—esyred it and byfore that he had yn eny maner wise deserved it Thus hath god made vs his children and heyres without oure deserving Then when we beleve this stedfastly this faith bringeth loue into oure hertes so that we beginne to love God by cause that he hath made vs so greate and excellent And when we so love him we kepe his commaundemeÌ„tes by loue and do all thinges with good wil As saieth Christ in saint Iohn Iohn 14. He that loveth me kepeth my commaundementes And so kepe we all thinges and suffre all thinges which we thinke agreable to god and nothing is to hevy for vs and as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 5 we reioyce in tribulacioÌ„ for we knowe that tribulacion bringeth pacience pacieÌ„ce bringeth feling feling briÌ„geth hope and hope maketh vs not a shamed bicause the love that God hath vnto vs is shed abrode in oure hertes by the holy goost whiche is gyven vnto vs whiche love maketh all thinges light vnto vs plesaunt and easy to bere so that after the word of Christ in the gospell his yoke ys easy and his burthen is light Mat. 11. Act. 5 This faith and love had thappostles as wryteth saint Luke when they departed from before the iudges they reioysed that they were made worthy and able to suffre shame and dishonoure byfore the worlde for the love of Iesu christ Thys charâ—te had saint Paule when he seid vnto the Romayns Ro. 8. Who
is he that shall separate vs from the love of god shall tribulacion or anguisshe or persecucion or hunger or nakydnesseâ— other parell orswerd we be sure that neither deth nor life nether aungell nether rule nor thiÌ„ges present nor thinges to come nether height nor depnesse nether eny other creature shal be abyll to separat vs from goddis love which is in Iesu christ our lord But I axe you nowe wherby ys it that thou knowest that thou are the childe of god by the service that thou hast done hi Nay Wherby then by the faith wher by thou belevest the worde of god whiche sayth that thou art the childe of god before thou begynnest to serve hym as wryteth saint Paule in all his epistles Thy service and thy workes haue not gyveÌ„ the the faith and trust wherby thou belevest that thou art the childe of god and his heyre for thou haddest that or thou dydest hiÌ„ any service but bicause that thou belevest stedfastly that god hath made the so grete by this faith beginnest thou to loue hym And when thou lovest him so thou doest him all the service that thou knowest ys agreable vnto hiÌ„ Thou â—beyst his coÌ„maundementes alweyes humbly knoweleging thyne ymperfection ascribing all that thou doest vnto God for els as sayeth saint Paule Ro. 4 If oure heretage came of the lawe the feith were but in vayne and the promyse of none effect Behold nowe seest thou that we do not deserve the euerlasting life by oure good workes for God hath promysed it vnto vs all surely bifore that we began to do good wherfore thou must knowe and beleve that good workes make none sure that he shal be the childe of God and hys heyre But contrary wise the feith trust that thou hast in god wherby thou belevest stedfastly that he haâ—h made the hys sonne maketh the to serve god and to kepe his commaundementes by love â–ª wherfore all they are abused Theologyans and doctours that sey that certeynte or hope procedeth out froÌ„ good workes â–ª For contraryly out from the certeynte from the feith wherby thou belevest the goodnesse that god hath done vnto the comith the good works That is to sey wheÌ„ thou belevest thou begynnest to love and when thou lovest thou doest that God wold haue done ¶ Howe that we shall not serve God for hyres or wages Chaptre ix THe workes done in suche fayth and charyte be allonely plesauÌ„t vnto god and worthy to be called good workes for they be the workes of the holy gost that dwelleth in vs by this faith But they that are done by tediousnesse evill will for fere of hell or for desire of paradise be none other thiÌ„g but shadowes of workes makiÌ„g ypochrytes The ende of oure good workes may seÌ„ke nought but to please god knowlegiÌ„g that if we do never so moche we caÌ„ neuer do our duety for they that for feare of hell or for the ioyes of heveÌ„ do serve god do a coÌ„streined service which god will not Suche people do not serve God bicause he is theire god theire father but bicause he is riche for to haue part of his richesse they not god but his wayes and richesse that is to sey they serue for none other purpose but to haue they re rewardes and for to avoide his punissions And suche people be as it were hyred men and waged servauntes and are not children for the service they do is but for wages and hyres But the children of god serve they re father for loue for they knowe the goodnesse that god hath done to theym alredy in that they beleue that god hath made theym hys children and heyres Gala. 3 For saint Paule seith ye are all the children of god by the feith which is in Iesu Christ And ageyn forasmoche as ye be childreÌ„ god hath sent the sprit of his sonne in to your hartes crying Ga. 4 father father Thou art then nowe no servaunt but a sonne And if thou be the sonne thou art also heyre of god by christ as saieth saint Paule ye are all the children of â—ight and children of god Tessa 5 Then the children of god that is the true christen do not desyre to get the heretage by theire service for they knowe by the sure promyses of god whiche they do beleve that God of hym self hath purely and liberally gyueÌ„ it vnto theym alredy Is when a burgoys hath a servaunt and a sonne The servaunt serueth his master and dare not offend hym for feare of losing of his wages whiche he attendeth for for he serveth for wages and after that he hath receyved theym he levith his master axeth no more of him for he demaunded nothing els but his money which he hath receyved alredy The sonne of the house serveth hys father and kepeth his commaundementes not to haue wages but for loue that he hath vnto hys father For he knoweth the goodnesse that his father hath done to him and that he is heyre of the goodes of hys father And knoweth that he shall ever dwelle in his fathers house as saieth saint Iohn Iohn And therfore doth he liberally the will of his father by cause he will not anger him So must euery christen serve god and kepe hys commaundementes by true loue and not by hope to get for his service everlasting life or the heritage of his heveÌ„ly father but knowleging alonly that god hath gyven him that alredy and that he hath made him hys heyre â—yfore he requyred him So shall he serve him by love declaring that god is all good and to shewe that ageynst his goodnesse he wyll not be vnkynd ¶ Howe that we disheret oursilves by oure disobedience Chaptre x. NOwe must euery maÌ„ know that alonly they that by suche love serue God be the children of god his heyres and shal be saved For he that gyveth not thankes to God and loveth hym not of this facyon for the goodnesse that god of hym silf hath willingly done vnto him is cause that he is not the child of god and maketh him silf vnworthye of all the promyses of God Lyke as though there were a maâ— that had gotten some grete rychesse by his laboure that he had .ij. sonnes The. ij sonnes be here egally like nighe vnto the goodes of they re father the herytage of they re father beloÌ„geth egalâ—iâ— vnto theÌ„ for thei be both sonnes But if the one be rebell disobedient vnto his father do to him dishonour after that he come to thage of discretion by suche meanes may hâ— be cause of dishereting of him silf â— he is naturelly sonâ—nd heyre to the goodes as well as his other brother but he disheriteth him silf by his evill life So are all parsones the childreÌ„ of god bought ageyn by Iesu Christ but they that rebell ageinst god and obey not vnto his commaundementes disheryt theym silves aÌ„d theym silves because of they re daÌ„pnacyon God wold
willingly haue saved theym for he did promyse to theym emong other the heritage of his kingdome and had made theim his children but they dampne theym silves They are the children of God as concerning goddis behalf but they are alweyes dampned bicause of they re disobedience Ye some tyme god calleth suche people his freÌ„des not that they be so but bicause thei mought haue bin so Mat. 2 As he said vnto Iudas My freÌ„d whie art thou come hither Mat. 2 And vnto hiÌ„ that came vnto the wediÌ„ges my freÌ„de how art thou entred here not hauiÌ„g the weddiÌ„g garmeÌ„t Behold he is called freÌ„de yet neverthelesse he suffreth hiÌ„ to be cast into darknesse he had biÌ„ the freÌ„d of god if he wold haue coÌ„sented to the wil of god 1 Iohn Saint Iohn saieth There is now mani anÌ„christes thei weÌ„t out froÌ„ vs were not of vs for if they had byn of vs they had bydden with vs. So be all people the children of god but there be many that make theym silves vnworthy aÌ„d depart theym silves from god The other sonne that abideth with his father is a sonne and abydeth a sonne and heyre bicause he is obeisaunt vnto his father He hath not deserved by his good lyfe and obedience the possessyon aÌ„d goodes of his father but he hath onely byn well ware that he hath not lost theym by disobedieÌ„ce For the father may sey Dere son it is true that thou hast kept to the best of thy power my commaundementes notwithstâ—nding thy goodnesse had never made the riche yf I had not gotten it Then lyke wise all though that we kepe the coÌ„maundementes of god never so streytly it shuld profit vs nothing if it were not that Iesu christ had obteyned for vs the lyfe eternall byfore of his hevynly father by his deth Oure goodnesse or iustice shulde profit vs nothing if Iesus christ had not laboured for vs. For as saieth saint Paule The lawe hath brought nothing vnto perfection Hebr. 7 The Iues kept the coÌ„maundementes and the lawe of god yet they coâ—de not come vnto heven It was nedeful that Iesu Christ must first dye for theym Lykewyse can we not be saved by oure workes Oure helth is come to vs of god For if by oure workes we may got helth â—hen must we nedes say that Christ is dede in vayne As saieth saint Paule Ye if workes mought haue saved Abraham Isaac Iacob David and many other Iuâ—s had byn saved as we haue seyd byfore the natiuyte of Iesu Christ for they kept better the commaundementes of god then we do But god will do it alone to thintent that none glorifie or bost him silf therof and that to him alone and to none other he gyven all honour and glory for ever Amen For as wryteth saynt Paule The scripture concludeth al thinges vnder sinne that the promys by the feyth of Iesus Christ shuld be gyven vnto theym that beleve Ga. 3 For this cause when the parsone knoweth surely that god hath made hym childe of the everlasting lyfe by hys deth byfore he had deserved it he will do agayne to god all the service that he can thinke and all by love aud kindnesse shewing that he will not be vnkind not to get eny thing of godbut bycause he is his good father and that he hath receyved al thinges of him For we haue nowe alredy al that wherfore we must serve god For he hath made vs his children and his heyres while we were his enimyes and byfore that we knewe him as we haue many tymes byfore saied And hereyn lyeth the deserving of the christen faith that thou beleve certeynly that thou art the child of god and that thou kepest his commaundementes bicause thou knowest and belevest stedfastly that he hath so made the riche greate and that thou servest him by this faith as a good childe his father For the childe douâ—teth not but beleveth stedfastly that he shall haue the substaunce of his father and bycause he beleveth it stedfastly he laboureth for to entreteyne it So shalt thou beleve without doubting eny thing that thou art enheryter of heven And therfore shalt thou do thy diligence to kepe that herytage to the honour of thy father Thou shalt be ware that thou anger him not but thou shalt thanke him oft bycause he hath gyven the thys hevenly herytage Behold nowe seist thou well bifore thine yien howe moche we are bound to thaÌ„ke prayse and serve god and to kepe hys commaundementes and to kepe vs from sinne and to do many good workes of faith by verey love ¶ Of two maner people lyving in this world Chaptre xi THere are iÌ„the world ij sortes of people good evill be coÌ„pared vnto the two theves that suffred on the crosse with Iesu christ â–ª the good are berokened by the theef on the right side which axed pardoÌ„ thei be thei that knowlege theÌ„ silves pore sinners fele mekely of them silves Lu. 18 as did the poore publican that durst not lyft vp hys yies toward heven for they knowe that they haue not kept the commauÌ„demeÌ„tes of god so streytly as thei were bound They perceyue also that though thei thiÌ„ke to kepe theÌ„ never so well they fele theim silves failing alweyes in detraction â—n hastinesse in anger in idell wordes in infidelite aÌ„d in lakke of loue albeit that suche folke do moche goodyet they re conscience is not content and in rest but as coÌ„cerning theym silves euer in sorowe For they knowe that they must appere byfore the rightuous iudge bifore whose face as sayeth the Psalmist shall none lyving be iustified if we shuld be iudged after oure deservinges Psal. 142 And therfore come they and cast theym silves prostrate byfore the mercy of god and sey with the thefe on the right syde Lu. 23 Lorde haue mynd on me when thou comest into thy kiÌ„gdome Thou hast commaÌ„unded me many thinges and I perceyue in my silf that I am frayle and caÌ„not entierly kepe thy commaundementes though I loke never so well therto Neverthelesse I knowe that thou nedest not my good workes Seing it is so that thou hast so moche loved me that thou woldest suffer deth for me when I dyd not yet knowe the and was yet thyne enemye I haue trust vnto the my most mercyfull god that thou wilt not suffre hym to periss he for whome thou hast shed thy bloude For I knowe that thou art a lord almightye that mayest all thinges in heven and in erth And I knowlege and worship the am certeyn that thou wilt not dampne me Albeit that I haue not deserved heven by my good workes I knowe and beleve that thou hast satisfied for me wheÌ„ thou dydest suffre deth on the crosse Thou hast bought me agayn with thy precyous bloude and I am thyne the devell hath no ryght in me Neverthelesse yf thou wylt dampne me o mercyfull god thou mayest well do it
sinnes then he doth a worker of good workes proudely bosting him silf truâ—ling in theym For as it is said God hath loved better the publicaÌ„ then the pharesey hath shewed more love vnto the poore opeÌ„ sinners then to the phareseys ypochristes to whome it semed that they had fulfilled the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god that god coude nothyng demaund of theym For they reproved Iesu christ that he was frende of the sinners that he ete amoÌ„g theim Mat. 9. Oure lord demauÌ„deth nothing but the hert and when he hath the herte he regardeth not whether we fast pray or here masse or whether we bere blewe or gray For all suche outward thiÌ„ges be indifferent bifore god When oure hartes be ruled in God according to the doctrine of the gospell it is all one whate thing we do for we haue alweyes love whiche teacheth vs whate thing we must do or leve vndone for love doth nothing in vayne For this cause an humble hart not abyding vppon his good workes though he do theym but putting all his hope and trust in god and founding him silf vppon his goodnesse grace and mercy belevyng stedfastly that god hath all satisfied for vs and that of him silf he hath iustified vs gyuen vs helth doth purely and liberally without demaunding eny wages all the service and all the good he can alweyes knowleging him silfe to be dettour vnto god and axing grace Suche an hert is onely plesaunt vnto god Some might nowe sey I beleve wel all this that I am the childe of God and I must serve god by love and kindnesse in knowleging onely by my service the godnesse that he hath done vnto me but whate shall I do for the better how shall I shewe vnto god my kyndnesse and loue Albeit that we have oft touched thys mater byfore yet we will declare yn the Chaptre folowing more pleynly the thinges that shall be nedefull to thys purpose ¶ Of good workes and by whate meane they be most pleasing to God Chaptre .xij. FOrasmoche as I haue moche spoken of the feith and trust yn god to thintent that the evill aÌ„d perverse whiche interprete and take all thinges to the worse and corrupt theym shall not sey that I do lerne and counceyle you to do no good workes I will nowe shewe you whate thinges ye shall do I haue many tymes seyd that fayth bringeth Charyte and charite good workes For if thy feith induce the not to do good workes then hast thou not the right fayth Thou doest but onely thinke that thou hast it For saint Iames sayeth that faith without workes is dede in it silf Ia. 2 He feith not that it is lytell or feble but that it is deed And that that is deed is not Therore when thou art not moved by feith vnto the love of god and by the love of god vnto good workes thou hast not the feyth but the feith is deed in the. for the sprite of god that by feyth comith into our hertes to styre vp loue can not be ydell Euery one doth as moche as he beleveth and loveth as moche as he hopeth Iohn 3 As wryteth Saint Iohn he that hath this hope that he is the sonne of god purifyeth hym silf as he is pure He seith not he that purifyeth him silf hath this hope for the hope must come byfore proceding from the feith as it behoveth that the tre must first be good whiche must bring forth good frute TheÌ„ it behoveth to know first that ye are the children of God and afterward to laboure But whate shall we do we shall do and lyve so with oure christen bretheren as Christ hath lived and done with vs that is to sey as Iesu christ hath offred him silf to vs and for vs so must we present give oure silves as it were a Christ for to serve theym and to socoure vnto theire nede Phi. 2. As saieth Saint Paule Let the same mynde be in you the which was in Christ Iesu which being in the shape of god aÌ„d thought it no robberi to be equal with god Neuerthelesse he made him silf of no reputacioÌ„ toke on him the shape of a servauÌ„t aÌ„d all for our proufit And so must we helpe serve comfort one an other as Iesu christ hath done with vs. we may not seke oure owne proufit avauÌ„tage or honoure but al thiÌ„ges profitable vnto our neighbour alweyes miÌ„dfull to procure the honoure of god that in al thiÌ„ges we helpe oure christeÌ„ brother for so warneth vs. S. paule that none seke his owne profit but his neyghboures that all that we do be vnto the honoure of God we must set byfore vs the lyfe of Iesu Christ as a rule of all thing that is expedient for vs to do or to leve vndone we must take payne to folowe hym in mekenesse in love in swetnesse and in compassyon And to lyve so with oure neyghboure as Iesus christ hath lyved with vs. For Iesu Christ was not borne for hym silf nor hath not lived here for hiÌ„ silf but for vs. He sought not his owne honoure but his heveÌ„ly fathers Likewise shalt thou not seke that is proufitable vnto the but â—ovenable vnto thi neighbour As teacheth vs saint Paul in al his epistles namely in the first vnto the CoriÌ„thieÌ„s I seke â—or 10 not saieth he that that is necessary proufitable vnto me but that that is proufitable to many to thintent that they shuld be saved Ephe. 4 And vnto the Ephesians He that robbed let him robbe no more but laboure rather with his hondes and that is good to thintent that he haue wherof to gyve to him that hath nede Ga. 6 And vnto the Gaiathiens Bere sayeth he eyther of you others charges and burdons so shall yon fulfill the lawe of god And for bicause that we speke nowe of good workes It must be knowen that we must do some workes for our silves some for oure christen bretheren but all for the love and honour of god Theym that we shall do for oure silves teacheth vs Eol 3 saint Paule seying that we must mortyfie in vs all evill desires and all carnall operacyons as vnclennesse covityze wrathe blasphemye detraction pryde and other lyke vices Ro. 6 And vnto the Romayns That sinne reygne not in your mortall bâ—dy that is to sey albeit that we caÌ„ not lyve without the mocyon of suche evill desyres we shall not suffre theÌ„ to rule in vs but shall mortyfie theym in resisting theym Whate we shuld do for oure Christen bretheren teacheth vs like wise saint Paule sayng Serve ye one an other by love bere ye one an others burthen For christ commaundeth vs to exercyse the workes of mercy wherof he shall hold his iudgement All other workes that men do at this day in the churches be rather found by auarice then commaunded of god except the prayers whiche
reward it and that he so reward the goodnesse that he hath done himsilf by his holy sprite beyng in vs. And therfore haue we nothing but that that comyth of god vppon whome we must abyde for I haue often sayed Christ is oure iustice that is to sey Christ hath satisfied for vs not to thintent that we shuld not satisfye but bycause we can not satisfye And wheÌ„ one vnderstondeth this he seeth well howe he shuld humble him silf byfore God and in whome he shal seke his helth And when we thus distrust in ur silves of oure good workes we shall forsake our silf and stikke all holly to god with a stedfast faith and parfait trust And so doyng we make force vnto the kingdome of heven And this is it that God requyreth of vs and then he holdeth to vs hys promyse and he iustifieth vs when we dye with suche a trust not for oure workes but for hys holy name For he hath promysed vs that we shall be his children So brought he the children of Israell into the lond of promission not by they re meryte for they were many tyme rebelles and murmured ageynst hym but to fulfyll hys promyse For he had promysed it to AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob So shall not the Christen distrust albeit he fynde no good in hym sylf nor yn his owne vertue but he shall yeld hym sylf hoelly to the mercy of god and axe pardon of his imperfection wyth a perfayt trust consydering howe grete love Christ hath shewed vnto hym And thus doyng he geâ—â—eâ—h an hope and trust yn the goodnesse of God and beleveth stedfastly that his synnes are forgyven not by his good workes for when they be compared vnto the goodnesse requyred of God there ys no comparyson but by Iesu Christ to whome he putteth his trust For Iesu Christ possessith the kingdome of heven by double ryght First for bycause he is the sonne of God and verey enheryter of his Royalme Secundly bycause he hath gotten hyt by his passyon and deth Of this secunde right he hath no nede and therfore he gyveth it to all theym that beleve and trust yn hym and yn hys promyses For as God the father loveth Christ he loveth likewise all theym that love him beleve in him So there shall none discomfort hiÌ„ silfe when he shall dye but he must beleve surely that he shal be saved And albeit that one have not deserved by his good works yet neverthelesse he must beleve it bicause of the promyse of god for god hath promysed it to all theym that beleve it And if we beleve it he owith hyt vnto vs bycause of hys promesse and bycause that he ys true But if God had promysed heven vnto vs bycause of oure workes we shuld ever be vnsure of oure helth for we shuld never knowe howe moche nor howe loÌ„g we must laboure to be saved and shuld be ever in thought that we had done to litell and that more is we shuld never dye ioyfully But god wold assure vs of heven by his promesse to thintent we shuld be certeyn and sure For he is the truthe that can not lye And also to thintent that we shuld haue trust aÌ„d hope in him Notwithstonding that after the gretnesse and multitude of oure synnes it seme to vs a thing impossible yet alweyes we shall beleve it without ony doubt bicause of his sure promesse And whosoever knowyth thys he may ioyfully dye and abyde the iudgement of God whyche els were yntollerabill ¶ Howe that we shall not sorowe for feare of deth Chaptre .xv. THe helth of a Christen lyeth not in this life or in that that one lyveth longe yn this world but rather yn the deth For we can not be saved but by deth Therfore the deth in him silf is not yvill but is rather to be desyred As did saint Paule saint Martyne saint Austyn and many other saintes whiche desired al the deth for in this lyfe there is no proufit but alwey to sinne more and more and alweyes vnredy to dye Therfore thou shalt diligently studye and exercise thy silf in this present boke aÌ„d in the faith wherof I haue moche spoken of aÌ„d then forsaking thy silf entyerly thou shalt trust vnto the grace mercy and good will of god alweyes rather desiring to dye and to be with god then to lyve here ony longer This shall thy sprite desyre for the flesshe can not desyre suche thinges And so shalt thou holde thy silf stedfastly vnto god beleving that thou art his childe and that he is thy father that thou belongest to him For God hath bought the ageyn and hath made the his child and his heyre wheÌ„ thou were yet hys enymye And if he haue bought the when thou knewest hym not howe moche more will he nowe take the to mercy when thou knowest hym and when thou axest mercy with a stedfast fayth and trust in hym And bycause a man can not lyve here without synne therfore he can never satisfye vnto God for hys synnes And for this cause shall the Christen willingly yeld hym silf vnto the deth for the love of God As Iesus Christ hath done for vs. And by suche a willing deth which is taken with a good will by suche fayth and trust and also by the love that we have to God all synnes are clerely defeated and put awey For none can do more greate penaunce then to dye wyllingly for to fulfill the will of God Therfore thou shalt not be sory for deth but thou shalt forsake willingly and with a ioyfull hert all thy goodes and all thy frendes for to obey god They that die with suche a courage and suche a trust yn god it is a certeyn signe that they be saved And to thintent that none shuld feare or be discomfort by deth Christ is first deed him silf and hath takeÌ„ awey the power of deth None shall haue horror of the deth if he haue this feith for it is nowe none other thing but a dore and entre wherby one goith from this lyfe teÌ„porall vnto the life eternall For christ saieth by the mouth of the prophete Osee. Osee. 13 1. Cor. 15 O deth I wil be thy deth And saint Paule saieth Deth where is thy victory Wherfore yt is moche to be rebuked the folisshe custume and maner of wepyng bewaylyng and takyng of sorowe for the deed as though we had no maner of hope or beleve on the other lyfe Let the paynems wepe and wayle which haue no hope of the euerlastyng lyfe I mervayle that we be so moche ynfideles seyng that seint Paul teacheth vs not to be sory for oure frendes deed saying vnto the Thessalonyans My bretheren we wyll not that ye be ignoraunt of theym that slepe that ys to sey of theym that be deed to 1. Tessa 4 thintent ye shulde not be sory as are other that have no hope Behold Saynt Paule calleth the deth none other thyng but a
their old sinnes But the children that feare they re parentes by dilection abide alweyes obedient by that same dilection The parentes must be well ware that they strive not the one ageinst the other that they swere not and that they speke none inordinate or dishonest wordes principally bifore they re children for when they lerne eny vnhappinesse in youthe they shall with grete difficultie leve it in theire age Ye may never shewe your silf sorowfull waile nor make compleynt bifore your children for losse of erthly goodes or bicause ye haue not good gaines For when they here you plaine for suche thinges thei get a desire and a love of temporall thinges so that they take pleasure in nothing els but in temporall richesse and have sorowe of nothing but for the losse of suche thinges for they lerne it of they re pareÌ„tes The childe foloweth nothing so moche as that whiche he seeth his father mother aÌ„d other frendes do Finally thou must marke verey diligently whether they haue desire or will to be maryed at the state of mariage or not And as ye perceive it so must you incontynent helpe theym and care for theym that they may make a good manage As AbrahaÌ„ was carefull for his sonne Isaac And forbicause that the parentes be many tymes not carefull in suche case it comyth to passe that so fewe come chast to the state of maryage that they re children be often deceyved and that they haue shame dishonour and sorowe of they re children And this is most the faute of the parentes whiche be more carefull for the bodyes of theire children then for they re soules And therfore they will in no wise that they re children be poore but seke rather to mary theym richely then helthfully aÌ„d axe more for temporall goodes then after vertue good maners and goodes spirituall And for to make theym haue good tymes they make theym many tymes prestes or relygious And so for to provide theym of the case of they re bodyes they are oftymes cause of the everlasting payne of they re soules For none ought to be brought in vnto the state of prysthod except he be first chosen to some office in the congregacyon and that bycause that we mought se whate lyfe that he ledith This thyng compleyneth saint Austyne in the boke of his confessions in the secunde Chaptre that hys parentes were not carefull for him in this mater ¶ Of the lyfe of the comune Cyteuns or housholders Chaptre .xxiiij. IN all the worlde there is not a more Christen life nether more accordaunt vnto the Gospell then is the life of comune Citesins or housholders whiche by the labour of they re hondes in the swette of they re visage get they re brede expences 1. Tessa and. 4 for saint Paule reioyseth that he gayned his brede in the labour of his hondes And he rebuketh the idell wâ—dowes that ronne about pleying from house to house Wherfore it were moche better emong the christen that euery one were set to some occupacion and that we shulde not suffer so many yong and strong parsones to begge theire brede but rather cause theim to lerne some occupacion And if that all yong prestes monkes and religious did likewise it were nether sinne nor shame wil thei be better then saint Paule was the other appostles we se nowe a dayes that thei be forboden to worke whiche is Ga .1 manifestly appostasie and ageinst the christen faith It becometh none to forbid theÌ„ to laboure although he were an angell of heven moche lesse man The monkes also were wont to laboure in olde tyme. It is plaine that there be to many prestes and religious in the world by half And seing prestes will not laboure then if all the world were prestes who shulde laboure the erth I can not tell whate holinesse there is now a dayes in the life of prestes or moÌ„kes aboue the life of the housbondman The husbondes life is betrer nowe after the Gospell then the life of a grete parte of prestes monkes or freres For all prestes monkes and freres whiche haue none office that is necessary vnto the christenâ—e do â—ate vnrightuously the goodes of the poore and are called of Christ in the Gospell Iohn 10 murtherars and theves But let vs shewe vnto the housholders howe they shall live holsomely For it behoveth that they also knowe howe they shulde live The housholder shall first whether he be husbond craftes man or marchauÌ„t kepe the rule that God hath given in the gospell that Mat. 7 is to sey that in all his marchaundise and in all his businesse he do to another as he wolde be done vnto not seking his owne proufit to the hurt or dammage of an other He shall never dispreyse his neighbours goodnesse but wisshe him as moche good as he wolde haue him silfe Thus commaundeth vs saint Paule that 1. Tessa 4 none oppresse or disceyve his brother in any maner bicause the lord god is vengear of all suche for we be all bretheren and meÌ„bres of one body Therfore thou shalt be ware to striveo and to move eny maner of dissention with thy neighbour be he riche or poore noble or ignoble for we be all like nobill bifore God bicause we have all togyther one father Ga .3 For saint Paule saieth ye are all one in Christ. And therfore shall none dispise the poore nor cast hys povertye in his teth but shall socoure him with his goodes and comfort him alweyes in his povertye If thy neyghboure or christen brother be sike and poore thou shalt oft go to him and comfort him distributing to him of thy goodes according to thy power Thou shalt be redy to serve him and to gyve thy life for him as saieth saint Iohn Hereâ—y knowe we the love bicause he hath given his life for vs. â— Iohn 3 And we ought also to gyve oure lyves for oâ—re bretheren And if thou haue nothing to gyve vnto him thou shalt gyve knowlege therof vnto theim that haue and shall exhort theym to socoure this pore parson Biforetymes it was accustumed to gyve knowlege to the pastor or curate of the churche whiche did socoure the poore wyth the treasure of the churche wherof was made mencyon in the life of saint Laurence of saint Gregory wheÌ„ there was nomore the bisshop toke the chalices the other vessels of gold silver brake theÌ„ distributed the price therof vnto the pore The bisshoppes also were wont to warne the â—ytesins that they shuld gyve him knowlege when eny were diseased or syke But nowe God amend it it is all otherwise the Bisshoppes take care of no suche thinges the treasure of the churcheis speÌ„t â—gilding of ymages in founding of greâ— prevendes in bilding of tabernacles in â—ostly auter tables and suche superfluous â—rodigalite And thus are the poore memâ—res of Christ deprived of that that to theÌ„â—pperteyneth O world blynd
vnto the Romayns where he saieth Ro. â— Every soule shall be subiect vnto the highe powers for there is no power but of god Then he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God Moreâ—ver saint Peter saieth 1. Pe. â— Be ye subiectes to euery humayne creature be it vnto the kinge as vnto the sovereyne be it vnto the hede rulers as by him sent for veÌ„geaunce vnto the offeÌ„ders but for preyse to theym that be good Moreover the right of the seculer power of the ciuile iustice hath bin froÌ„ the begiÌ„niÌ„g of the world for wheÌ„ Cain had slayne his brother Abell he feared moche that he shuld be kild ageyn Likewise after the floude god coÌ„firmed it agein Gene. 9 saying whosoever shede maÌ„nes bloud his bloude shal be shed agein The same ryght was coÌ„fermed agein in the lawe of Moses where he sayde in Exode Exo. 2â— whosoever strike a man willing to kill hiÌ„shall dye of deth And ageyn if any with dede advised iying in a wayte kill his neighboure thou shalt drawe him out of my house and that he dye And in the same lawe it was coÌ„mauÌ„ded to take awaye life for life yie for yie to the for to the hand for hand wauÌ„de for wounde so of other Likewise hath our savioure Christ in the gospell confirmed Mat. 25 it saying to saint Petre in the gardeyn of Olivete He that streketh with the swerd with the swerde shall perisshe Then is it all certeyn manifest that it is the will of god that there shulde be a swerd iustice teÌ„porall for the punycion of the evill coÌ„â—â—vacioÌ„ of the good for theÌ„terteyniÌ„g of the publique peace christen comune brotherly love ¶ SecuÌ„dly it semeth to be moche coÌ„trary heruÌ„to that whiche Christ saieth in the gospell in this maner Ye haue herde whate hath byn sayed Mat. 5 In yie for anyie a toth for a toth but I sey vnto you ye shall not resist evill But whosoever strike the on the right cheke touâ—â—e to him the other And to him that will go to lawe with the by force take awey thy core gyve to him also thy gowne And he that will constreyne the to go a myle with him go with him twayne And a litell after Love your enemyes say well of theÌ„ that â—urse you do good to theym that persecuâ—e you with hatred praye for theym that hurt you persecute you And over besides this there are yet many places in the holy scripture for be doing all maner of veÌ„geaunce As in saint Paule vnto the Romayns Ro. 1â— 1. Pe. â— and. 3. Saint Petre in his first epistle and in many other places Wherfore it seâ—â—eth that the swerd of iustice shuld be for bodeÌ„ in the new testameÌ„t emoÌ„g the christeÌ„ Then thirdly for to vnderstond thys well we must fyrst knowe that there are â—wo sortes of people in the worlde The first belong vnto the kingdome of god The other to the kingdome of the worlde They that belong vnto the kingdome of God be all true faythfull people in Iesus Christ and vnder him For Christ is king and lord in the kingdome of God As techeth vs the secunde Psalme and also all the olde and newe testameÌ„t He came also in to the worlde to begyn and to lest vp the kingdome of god in the worlde Therfore saide he to Pylate My kingdome is not of this worlde And whosoever is of the trouth hereth my voice Iohn 18 And in saint Marke sayeth he that the tyme is fulfilled and the kingdome of God shall approche Mar. 1. And in Saynt Mathewe sayeth he Mat. 16. Seche first the kingdome of God He calleth the Gospell a gospell of the kingdome of god bycause the Gospell teacheth governeth and kepeth the same kingdome Then they that are stedfast in the faithe in the love of god yf they obey vnto his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes have nought to do with the swerd of iustice nor of the seculer power to make theym rightuous And yf all the worlde were true and verey Christen that is to sey veri feithfull there nede no governoure king lord sworde nor iustice For wherto shulde they sarve seyng that all true christeÌ„ shulde haue the holy goost whiche governeth and teacheth theym to do no wronge to love all the world to suffre and endure the evell and iniurye of all the worlde willingly and ioyfully ye also the deth And where as all persones are content willingly to suffre wrong and iniurye And where as there is none that doth wronge nor iniurye but where as all persones do ryght there is no dyscord hatred envie nor other discencion And there nedeth no ryght nor punycyon Wherfore it were iÌ„possible that the swerd of iustice shuld haue ought to do emong the verey true christen seyng they do moche more of theym silves then eny man caÌ„commaunde theym or then eny lawe or worldly doctrine can teche theym As sayth saiÌ„t Paule vnto Timoth. vnto the ryghtuous there is no lawe sette but vnto the vnryghtuous 1. Tim. â— And this is thus bicause that the iugement and ryght of a verey true christen fordereth and avaunceth more then all other ryghtes aÌ„d lawes for it procedeth from the holy goost whiche possesseth and inhabiteth the hart of a verey christen But the vnryghtuous do ryght to no man therfore they haue nede of ryght and of lawes wherby they be taught and constreyned to do well A good tree nedeth not that one teche hym to bryng forth good frute for his nature gyveth it without ony reching Likewise are all the verey true christen natured by the holy goost and saith that they do all thinges well and as it aperteyneth more then eny man can commaunde theym by all the coÌ„maundementes in the worlde And for theym silves haue they no nede nether of lawe nether of ryght But some man myght axe whye then hath god gyveÌ„ vnto men so many commaundementes yn the olde and newe testament I answerethe Saint Paule seith as it is sayde byfore vnto the ryghtuous there is set no lawe but to the vnrightuous that is to sey to theym that are not yet true christeÌ„ And forbicause that none is true and verey christeÌ„ or good of nature but be all synnars and evill As witnesseth the prophete sayng God hath loked from heven vppon the children of meÌ„ that he mought se if there be eny vnderstonding Psat. â—3 Rom. 3. or seching god All are fallen and are become abhominable there is none that doeth good no not one Therfore god refreyneth the malice of the people by the lawe that they dare not accomplisshe hit outwardly by worke and dede according to they re evill will Mereover saint Paule gyveth vnto the lawe an other office that is that it letneth vs to knowe oure synnes by the whiche knowelege a man is made meke and yeldeth hym silf to the faith and vnto the mercy and grace of god as is