daies yeres yet that not withstandyng they oughte to make this petition to god and say Giue vs this day our dayly bread for as moch as their substance thoughe it be neuer so great like as it coulde not haue ben gotten without god had sent it so it can not prospre and continue except god preserue it For how many gret riche men haue we knowen sodainly made pore some by fier some by water some by theft many other waies Was not Iob the on day the richest man that was in all the este lande the morowe after had vtterly nothinge It is therfore as nedefull to pray our lord to preserue that he hath gyuen vs as to pray him to giue it for if he giue do not preserue it we shall haue no vse of it Fourthly by this breade whiche we be taught to aske in this petitioÌ„ may be vnderstand the holy sacrament of the aultare the very fleshe and bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christe as it is write in the .vi. chapiter of saint Iohn Iohn vi I am the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen And the bread which I wyll gyue is my fleshe whiche I wyll gyue for the life of the world And in this prayer we desyre that the same may be purely mynistred distributed to the comfort and benefite of all vs the true chyldren of god And that we also may receiue the same with a right faith and perfite charitie at all tymes whan we do and ought to receiue the same so that we may be spiritually fed therwith to our saluation therby enioy the life euerlastinge Fynally by the breade which our sauiour teacheth vs to aske in this petitioÌ„ is ment also the true doctrine of the word of god which is the spirituall breade that fedeth the soule For as the body is nourished brought vp groweth feedeth with bread and meate so nedeth the soule euen from our youth to be nourished and brought vp with the word of god and to be fed with it And like as the body wol faynt and decay if it be not from tyme to tyme releued refresshed with bodily sustenance euen so the soule waxeth feble weake towardes god onlesse the same be cherished kept vp with the worde of god according to the saieng of Christe A man liueth not with meat onely 〈…〉 but with euery worde that procedeth froÌ„ the mouth of god And surely the word of god is the very coÌ„fort remedy helth of the soule For if we haue aduersity in this world as pouertie sickenes imprisonment and such other miseries where shuld we seke for comforte but at goddis worde If we thinke our selues so holy that we be without synne where shulde we fynde a glasse to se our synnes in but in the worde of god If we be so full of sinnes that we be lyke to fall into desperation where can we haue comfort and learne to knowe the mercy of god but onely in goddis worde Where shall we haue armure to fight against our thre greate ennemies the worlde the fleshe and the deuyl Where shall we haue strength power to withstande them but as Christ did in by the word of god And finally if we haue any maner of syknes or disease in our soules what medicine or remedy can we haue but that is declared in goddis word So that the word of god is the very breade of the soule and therfore as well for this breade of the soule as for the blessed sacrament of the aultare also for the breade and dayly sustenance of the bodye our sauiour Christe teacheth vs to pray in this fourthe petition The fyft petition And forgiue vs our trespasses / as we for gyue them that trespasse against vs. IN this petition we be taught a fruitefull aduertisement of mans estate in this present lyfe whiche consydered no maÌ„ ought to glory in hym selfe as though he were innocent and without synne but rather that euery good christen man without exception oughte to knowledge him self to be a sinner and that he hath nede to aske forgyuenes of god for his sinnes and to require him of his mercy for doubtles we dayly commyt sinne whiche be commaunded daily to aske remyssion for our sinnes Ioan. i. And saynt Iohn sayth in his epistle If we say that we be without sinne we deceiue our selues and truthe is not in vs. Moreouer it is to be noted that we be taught to desyre god to forgyue vs our synnes lyke as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs so that if we forgyue in harte god wyll forgyue and not otherwyse as by many places of scripture maye appere fyrst by expresse wordes Maâ—…â—i Christe saythe If you forgiue men their offences done agaynst you your heuen-father wyll forgyue you your offences and yf you wyll not forgiue them that offende you 〈◊〉 viii be you assured your father wyll not forgyue you your offences And in an other place whan Peter came to our lorde and demanded of him howe ofte he shulde forgyue his brother whiche had offended him and whether it was not suffycyent to forgyue him seuen tymes Our lord answered him sayd I tell the Peter that thou oughtest to forgiue him not only seuen tymes but seuenty tymes seuen tymes meaning therby that froÌ„ tyme to tyme we must continually forgiue our brother or neighbour although he trespasseth against vs neuer so often 〈◊〉 viii And Christ also declareth the same by a parable There was sayth Christ a king whiche calling his seruauntes vnto a compte and findinge that one of them shulde owe vnto him the summe of tenne thousande talentes bycause he hadde it not to pay coÌ„maunded that the sayd debtour his wife and his children and al that he had shuld be solde but whaÌ„ the debtour came vnto the kyng and praied him on his knees to haue pacieÌ„ce with him promising him to paye all the king had pity of him forgaue him the hole debt it fortuned afterward that this man being thus acquited mette with an other of his felowes that ought him but one huÌ„dreth pence and with violence almoste strangled him and saide vnto hym Pay that thou owest And the sayd seruant his felowe fell vpon his knees and prayed hym to haue pacience promising to pay all whiche wolde not but cast him into prison vntyll all was payde and whan the rest of his felowes seing this cruelty had tolde the king therof the king forthwith sente for this cruell felowe and saide to him O wycked man I forgaue the thy hole debt at thy sute and request it shuld therfore haue besemid the to haue shewed like coÌ„passion vnto thy felowe as I shewed to the. And the kyng sore displeased with this crueltie coÌ„mitted him to tormentours that shuld roughly streitly haÌ„dle him in prisoÌ„ til he had paid the hole det Vpon this parable Christe inferreth and saith Euen so shal your
all other euyll behauyour of our tongue agaynste our neyghbours whiche all be forbidden by this commaundemente for they be rootes and occasions of murther and other bodely hurte The contrary of all these thynges be commanded by this commandement that is to saye that we shulde with our hartes loue our neyghbours and with our tonges speake well of them and to theym and in our actes and dedes do good vnto them shewyng towardes them in harte worde and dede pacience mekenes mercy and gentylnes yea thoughe they be our aduersaryes and ennemies And that this is the true sence and meanyng of this commandement it appereth by the expositiō of our sauiour Christe in the gospell Math. ◠where he declareth that we shulde neyther hurte any man in dede nor speake of hym or vnto hym maliciousely or contemptuousely with our tounges nor beare malice or angre in our hartes But that we shulde loue them that hate vs say well by them that saye euyll by vs and do good vnto them that do euyll vnto vs. And accordynge to the same sayeng of Christ saynt Iohn sayth also That he that hateth his brother ◠Ioan. iii. is a manqueller It is not forbydden by this commaundement but that al rulers and gouernours as princes iudges fathers maisters and suche other maye for the correction of theym whyche be vnder theyr gouernance vse suche maner of punysshemente eyther by rebukefull or sharpe wordes or by bodyly chastysing as the lawes of euery realme do permitte And not onely they may do thus but also they be bound so to do onles they se reasonable cause to the contrary and offende god if they do it not as is before declared in the .v. commaundement All rulers also muste beware and take hede that in theyr corrections and punishmentes they do not procede vpon any priuate malyce of their hartes or displeasure towardes any man or for any lucre fauour or feare of any persō but that they haue theyr eye and consideration only vpon the reformation amendment of the person whom they do correct or elles vpon the good ordre and quietnes of the common weale so that styll there may remayne in theyr hartes charitie and loue towardes the person they punyshe And lyke as the father loueth his chylde euen whan he beateth him Eeuen so a good iudge whan he gyueth sentence of death vppon any gylty person although he shewe outwardly sharpenes rigour yet inwardely he ought to loue the person and to be sorye and heauy for his offences and for the death whiche he hym selfe by the lawe doth and must nedes condemne him vnto And although inferiour rulers and gouernours maye correcte and punysshe suche as he vnder their gouernaunce yet they maye not punysshe by deathe nor mutilate maime or imprison them or vse any corporall violence towardes theym otherwyse then is permitted by the hyghe gouernour that is to say by the prince and his lawes from whom al suche authoritie doth come For no man may kylle or vse suche bodily coertion but onely princes and they whiche haue authoritie frome princes ne the sayde princes nor any for them may do the same but by and accordyng to the iuste ordre of theyr lawes and ordinances Moreouer no subiectes may drawe theyr swordes agaynst theyr prynce for any cause what so euer it be nor agaynst any other sauynge for laufull defence without theyr princes lycence And it is theyr duety to draw theyr swordes for the defence of theyr prynce and realme whan soo euer the prynce shall commande theym so to do And althoughe princes whiche be the chiefe and supreme heades of theyr realmes do otherwise than they ought to do Yet god hathe assigned no iudges ouer them in this worlde but wyl haue the iugement of them reserued to himselfe and wil punyshe them whan he seeth his time And for amendement of such princes that do otherwise than they shulde do the subiectes maye not rebell but must praye to god whyche hath the hartes of princes in his handes that he so turne theyr hartes vnto him that they maye vse the sworde which he hath gyuen them vnto his pleasure Agaynste this commandement offende al they whyche do kyll mayme or hurte any man without iuste ordre of the lawe and gyueth counsayle ayde fauour prouocation or consent therto And also all they whyche maye yf they wyll by theyr authoritie or laufull meanes delyuer a man from wrongfull death mutulation hurte or iniury and wyll not do it but wyll wyncke therat and dissemble it be transgressours of this commādement And al iudges which seyng no sufficient matter or cause of death or vpon lyght triall without sufficient examination and discussion gyue sentence of death or whan the matter or cause of death is sufficient and the triall good yet delyte in the deathe of the person be transgressours of this cōmandement And lykewyse be all those whiche in causes of lyfe deathe beyng impanelled vpon inquestes do lyghtly cōdemne or endite any person without sufficient euidence examination and discussion of the informations gyuen vnto them And moreouer all those whiche either in such causes do gyue false euidence or information eyther wittyngly contrary to their owne conscience or doubtynge of the truth of those informations or without sufficient examination do promote enforce or mainteine such euidences informatiōs or inditementes do also breake this commandement So do all they whiche wyllyngly do kyll themselfe for any maner of cause for so to doo there can be no pretence of lawfulle cause ne of iust order And therfore he that so dothe kylleth at ones both body and sowle Fynally all they whiche beare hatred and malyce agaynste their neyghbours and eyther malyciousely speake wordes of contempte dyspite checkynge cursynge and suche other or elles publysshe theyr neyghbours offences to theyr sclander rather than to theyr amendemente And generally all they that liue in yre malice enuy and murmuringe at other mens welth or reioysing at other mens trouble or hurt or suche other like they offende all againste this precepte The exposition of the seuenthe commandement of god Thou shalt not cōmitte adultery ALthough this word Adultery doth signifie properly the vnlaufull commixtion of a maryed man with anye other woman than with his owne wyfe or elles of a maried woman with any other man than her owne husbande yet in this commandement it is taken not onely for that but also for all maner vnlaufull copulation betwene man and woman maried and vnmaried and all maner of vnlaufull vse of those partes whiche be ordeyned for generation whether it be by adultery fornication incest or any other meane And in laufull matrimonye a man may breake this commandement and lyue vnchaste with his owne wyfe yf he do vnmeasurably or inordinatly serue his or her fleshely appetite or lust And of such the deuyll hath power as the angel Raphael sayde vnto Thoby Tob. vi They that marrye in suche wyse that they
is of it self vnable And so likewise although there remayn a certain fredom of will in those thinges which do ê‘teyn vnto the desires workes of this present life yet to ê‘forme spirituall heuenly thinges Frewyl of it self is insufficieÌ„t and therfore the power of mans frewyl being thus wounded decayed hath nede of a phisition to heale it and an helpe to repaire it that it may receyue lyght and streÌ„gth wherby it may se and haue power to do those godly spiritual thynges which before the fall of AdaÌ„ it was able might haue done Ps Cxviii To this blyndnes and infirmitie of mans nature procedyng of original synne the prophet Dauid had regard whan he desired his eies to be lightned of almighty god that he might consider the meruaylous thinges that be in his lawe And also the prophet Hieremy saying Hele me O lord and I shal be made hole Hier. xviii Saint Augustine also playnely declareth the same saying We conclude that frewyll is in man after his fall whiche thyng who so denieth is not a catholike man but in spirituall desyres workes to please god it is so weake and feble that it can not either beginne or performe them onelesse by the grace and helpe of god it be preuented and holpen And hereby it appereth that mans strength and wyll in all thynges whiche be helthfull to the soule and shal please god â–ª hath nede of grace of the holy goste by whiche such spirituall thinges be inspired to men and strength and constance giuen to perfourme them if men do not wylfully refuse the sayde grace offered vnto them ¶ And lykewyse as many thynges be in the scripture whiche doo shewe freewylle to be in man so there be no fewer places in scripture whiche do declare the grace of god to be so necessary that if by it freewyl be not preuented and holpen it can neither do nor wyll any thyng â—…n xv good and godly Of which sorte be these scriptures folowynge without me ye can do nothing No man commeth to me Iohn vi ii Cor. iii. except it be gyuen hym of my father we be not sufficient of our selfe as of our selfe to thinke any good thing Accordyng vnto whiche scriptures and suche other like it foloweth that free wyll before it maye wyll or think any godly thing must be holpen by the grace of Christ and by his spirite be preuented and inspyred that it may be able therto And being so made able may from thensforthe worke togither with grace and by the same susteyned holpen and mainteyned may do and accomplyshe good workes auoyd synne perseuere also and encrease in grace It is surely of the grace of god onely that fyrst we be inspired and moued to any good thynge but to resyst temptations and to persyste in goodnes and go forwarde it is bothe of the grace of god and of our free wyll and endeuour And fynally after we haue perseuered to the end to be crowned with glory therfore is the gift and mercy of god who of his bountifull goodnes hath ordeyned that rewarde to be gyuen after this lyfe accordinge to suche good workes as be done in this lyfe by his grace Therfore men ought with moch diligence and gratitude of mynde to consyder and regarde the inspirations and holsome motions of the holy goste and to imbrace the grace of god whiche is offered vnto them in Christe and moueth theym to good thinges And furthermore to go about by all meanes to shew them self such as vnto whom the grace of god is not gyuen in vayne And whan they doo feele that not withstandinge their diligence yet throughe their owne infirmitie they be not able to doo that they desyre than they oughte earnestly and with a feruent deuotion and stedfast faythe to aske of hym whiche gaue the begynnynge that he wolde vouchesafe to performe it whiche thynge god woll vndoubtedly graunt accordynge to his promyse to suche as perseuere in callynge vppon hym For he is naturally good and willeth al men to be saued and careth for them and prouydeth al thyng by whiche they may be saued except by their owne malice they woll be euil and so by rightuous iudgement of god perishe and be loste For truely men be to theym selues the autours of synne and damnation God is neither autour of sinne nor the cause of damnation And yet dothe he moste ryghtuousely damne those men that do with vices corrupte their nature whyche he made good and doo abuse the same to euyll desyres agaynste his moste holy wyl Wherfore men be to be warned that they do not impute to god their vice or theyr damnatioÌ„ but to them selues whiche by freewyl haue abused the grace and benefites of god All men be also to be monisshed and chiefely preachers that in this hygh matter they lokynge on bothe sydes soo attempre and moderate theym selues that neyther they soo preache the grace of god that they take away therby freewylle Nor on the other syde so extoll free wyll that iniury be done to the grace of god The article of Iustification FOr the more clere vnderstandynge of this article folowynge it is to be noted that all men after the fall of Adam naturally descendyng and comming of him be borne in originall synne that is to saye they lacke that original iustice and innocency wherwith Adam in his creation was endued and whiche also all his posteritie shulde haue had if he throughe his disobedience and breakyng of the commandement of god had not lost the same from hym selfe all his posteritie And further also they be borne with concupiscence wherof springe vnlaufull desires repugnant and contrarye vnto the lawes of god and be giltie to euerlasting deathe and damnation from the whiche they can in no wyse be delyuered by any strength or power that is in them but rather fall daily into further displeasure of god by committyng and addyng of many actuall synnes Wherfore to the entent that man might be deliuered out of this wretched miserable state whervnto he had brought him selfe and might recouer againe the same thinges that were giuen vnto him in his fyrste creation and therby atteyne the euerlasting blisse in heauen it pleased almighty god of his great and infinite mercy and goodnes to sende his owne onely begotten sonne the seconde person in trinitie to take vpon him the nature of man and therin to worke the mistery of our redemtion that is to say to deliuer vs from the captiuitie of the deuill synne and damnation to be the very meane of our reconciliation to god of our iustification And surely this reconciliation of mortal man to the fauor of god immortal did necessarily require such a mediatour betwene them as had in hym selfe the perfect nature of them bothe which is the very propertie of a meane betwene two to be partener with bothe them betwene whom he taketh vpon hym to be a meane For if he be
take not hede he wyll returne with seuen worse spirites and possesse vs a gaine And althoughe we be illuminat and haue tastid the heauenly gift and be made partakers of the holy gost yet may we fal and displease god Wherfore as saint Paule saith He that standeth ◠Corin. x let hym take bede that he fal not And here all phantasticall imagination curyous reasoning and vain trust of predestination is to be laid apart And according to the plain maner of speaking teaching of scripture in innumerable places we ought euermore to be in dreade of our owne frailtie naturall pronitie to fall to synne not to assure our selfe that we be elected any other wyse than by feling of spiritual motiōs in our hart and by the tokens of good and vertuous liuing in folowing the grace of god and perseuerynge in the same to the ende ii Petri. ii And this sainte Peter exhorteth vs to make our vocation and election sure and stable And Christ saieth Ma. xxii He that perseuereth vnto the ende shal be saued And in reuelation of saint Iohn Be faithful vnto death Apoc. ii and I shal giue the the crown of life Wherfore whan we be ones elected and admitted vnto goddis seruice as is aforesayde and haue receyued our iustification in baptisme or be restored thervnto by true penance than muste we continually walke after Christ bearyng our crosse and encreasinge in his grate by good workes and so doing procede go forwarde and encreace in our Iustificatiō according to the saieng of saint Iohn He that is iuste let him be more iustified For as the grace of god and the giftes therof that is to saye fayth repentance dreade hope charitie with other fruites of the holy gost do encreace in vs so do we waxe and encreace in our Iustification And therfore it is playne that not onely fayth as it is a distincte vertu or gifte by it selfe is required to our iustificatiō but also the other giftes of the grace of god with a desire to do good workes proceding of the the same grace And where as in certain places of scripture our iustification is ascribed to faith without any further additiō or mētion of any other vertue or gift of god it is to be vnderstand of faith in the second acception as before is declared in the article of faith wherin the feare of god repentance hope and charitie be included and comprysed all whiche must be ioyned together in our Iustification So that no fayth is sufficient to Iustification or saluation but suche a fayth as worketh by charitie as is playnely expressed by saint Paule in his epistle to the Galathians And that also our good workes Gala. v. which we do being ones iustified by faith and charitie auaile bothe to the conseruation and perfection of the said vertues in vs and also to the encreace and ende of our Iustification and euerlastinge saluation And althoughe we can neuer be iustified without these gyftes of the holy goste faith repentance hope charitie with desyre and study to bring forthe good workes Yet it is to be vnderstande that neuerthelesse we be iustified Gratis that is to say frely for as moche as all giftes or workes whereby our iustification is wroughte and accomplyshed come of the free mercy and grace of god and not of our deseruing So that our pride and glory in our selfe and our owne worthynes is vtterly excluded For we be not able of our selues as of our selues not as moche as to thinke any good thing but our ablenes and our sufficiency is of god which giueth vs the sayd gyftes of his own inestimable goodnes and dothe also assiste vs with his holy spirite and strength vs to kepe his commandementes And further where our kepyng of them is vnperfect and euen in the beste men wanteth a greate deale of that duetye to god whiche they ought and be bound to do yet almighty god of his mere mercye and goodnes accepteth the same as a perfecte fulfillynge of them for our sauiour Christis sake which hath fulfilled the law for vs and is the ende and perfection of the lawe to all that truely beleue in him And so we haue all Gratis that is to saye of his grace and not of our worthinesse or any merite goinge before grace but receiuing all of god as saint Paule saith i. Cor. iii. what hast thou that thou hast not receiued we referre all vnto his goodnes and mercy by the whiche we both come vnto the beginnynge of our iustification and do procede and go forwarde in the same and finally atteyne the ende therof and be brought to euerlasting life vnto the which the very way appoynted by Christe whose worde no man may change is to kepe and obserue the cōmandementes of god for he saith expressely If thou wylt enter into lyfe Math. xix kepe the commandementes that is apply thy hole study and affection to walke in the law of god wherin if thou perseuere thou shalt be saued And so after thy iustification thou shalte be glorified according to the order of god whiche saynte Paule speaketh of whan he sayth Quos iustificauit Illos glorificauit ⧠The article of good workes AL preaching and learnynge of the word of god in Christis churche ought to tende to this ende that men maye be induced not onely to knowe god and to beleue and truste in hym but also to honour and serue hym with good workes wrought in faith and charitie and vtterly to forsake the workes of synne and the fleshe which who so euer do committe excepte they repent and amend by penance they shal not as saint Paul saith inherite the kingdome of god And that holy scripture goth to this pointe to persuade men to lyue well and to do good workes saint Paule testifieth saienge vnto Timothe All scripture writen by the inspiration of god 〈…〉 is profitable to teache to reproue to correcte to instructe that the seruaunte of god may be perfecte and made apt vnto euery good worke And where as we speake of good workes it is to be vnderstand that we meane not only of outwarde corporall actes and dedes but also and rather of al inwarde spiritual workes motions and desires as the loue and feare of god ioye in god godly meditations and thoughtes pacience humilitie and such lyke And also it is to be vnderstande that by good workes we meane not the superstitiouse workes of mennes owne inuention whiche be not commanded of god nor approued by his worde in whiche kynde of workes many christen men and specially of them that were lately called religious as monkes friers nunnes and suche other haue in times past put theyr great truste and confidence Nor yet we meane not of suche moral actes as be done by the power of reason and naturall will of man without fayth in Christ which albeit of their owne kinde they be good and by the lawe and light of nature man
the same whervnto sainte Peter exhorteth vs saying ii Pet. â—… Fall not frome the sure estate wherin ye be sette but increase and grow in grace in the knowlege of our lorde and sauiour Iesu Christ And to ascribe this dignitie vnto good workes it is no derogatioÌ„ to the grace of god Forasmoch as it is to be coÌ„fessed that al good workes come of the grace of god And our merites as saint Augustine sayth be but the gyftes of god and so in our selfe we may not glory nor loke backe on our owne worthines or dignity whiche is naught as of our self but of the onely acceptation of goddes mercy And therfore we must as saynt Paule sayth Phili. iii. Extende our selfe to that whiche is afore vs to the rewarde of the heauenly callynge whiche is in Christe and stille procede in good workes knowynge our selues to be euermore greatter debtours to god for his grace And whan we haue done all whiche we be bydden doo the scripture teacheth vs to say that we be vnprofitable seruantes Luc. xvii bicause that what so euer we haue done it is but our duety nor we haue done nothing but that we haue receyued of his gifte to do and that to our profite and not to his But yet must we take hede that seing we haue receyued the grace of god we be not found vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes in this wyse that is to say idell seruauntes to whome it shall be sayde Cast out the vnprofitable seruauntes Ma. xxv into the outwarde darkenes where shal be wepynge and gnashyng of tethe And saint Paule also exhorteth saying â— Cor. ii Receyue not the grace of god in vayne that is to saye worke well For the grace of god is giuen you to that entent and to that ende we are redemed by Christe and delyuered from the thraldom of synne and captiuitie of the deuyll that we shulde serue god 〈…〉 as Zachary sayth in holines and rightuousnes afore hym all our life And in an other place saincte Paule saythe The grace of god hath appered to bryng saluation vnto all men teaching vs that we renouncynge all vngodlynes and worldly desyres shulde lyue in this present worlde sobrely iustly and deuoutely loking for the blessed hope and apperance of the glory of the great god and our sauiour IESV CHRIST Which gaue hym selfe for vs to redeme vs from all wykednes and to clense vnto hym selfe a special people whiche shoulde be studious folowers of good workes In whiche godly sentence of saint Paule besides other great plenty of fruitfull lerning and edifienge he toucheth in thre wordes all the good workes of a true christen man where he saith Soberly Iustly and Deuoutly For in this worde Soberly he comprehendeth all abstinence and temperance and our duetie touchinge our body And in saieng Iustly he conteineth al workes of charitie towardes our neighbour with due obedience to our princes heades and gouernours And in this word Deuoutly he concludeth all our workes spirituall which be done immediatly vnto god as praier thinkinge of god desiringe of his glory c. And vnto all these workes ought we moste diligently with all labour and care to apply our wyl for these effectes and endes that is to saye the glorye of god the profite of our neyghbour and our owne merite that we may shewe our self thankful seruantes to our sauiour Iesu Christ and to be the very people of god and that he may be glorified in vs that his churche maye be edified by our exaumple that we maye auoyde falling into temptation and sinne that we maye scape the scourge of god that the grace of god and the giftes therof may encreace and be made perfecte in vs that we maye make our election stable and sure that we may attayne euerlastinge life being founde fruitful in the daye of iudgement where euery man shall receyue according to his workes Of prayer for soules departed FOr as moche as due ordre of charitie requyreth and the boke of Machabeis and dyuerse auncient doctours playnely shewe that it is a very good and charitable deede to pray for soules departed And for as moch as suche vsage hath continued in the churche so many yeres euen from the beginning men ought to iudge and thinke the same to be wel and profitable done And truely it standeth with the very ordre of charitie a christen man to pray for a nother bothe quycke and deade and to coÌ„mende one an other in their praiers to goddis mercy to cause other to praye for them also as wel in masses exequies as at other times and to giue almes for them according to the vsage of the churche ancient opinion of the old fathers trusting that these thinges do not only profite and auayle them but also declare vs to be charitable folke bycause we haue mynde and desire to profite them which notwithstanding they be departed this present lyfe yet remayne they stil membres of the same mystical body of Christ whervnto we pertein And here is specially to be noted that it is not in the power or knowlege of any man to limit and dispence how moch and in what space of time or to what person particularly the said masses exequies and suffrages do profite and auayle Therfore charitie requireth that who so euer causeth any suche masses exequies or suffrages to be done shuld yet though their intente be more for one then for an other cause them also to be done for the vniuersal coÌ„gregation of christen people quycke and deade for that power and knowlege afore rehersed perteineth only vnto god which alone knoweth the measures and times of his owne iudgement and mercies Furthermore bicause the place where the sowles remaine the name therof the state condition which they be in be to vs vncertaine therfore these with al other suche thinges must also be left to almighty god vnto whose mercy it is meete and conuenient for vs to coÌ„mende them trustyng that god accepteth our prayers for them reseruyng the reste holy to god vnto whome is knowen theyr estate condition And not we to take vppon vs neyther in the one part ne yet in the other to gyue any fonde and temerarious iudgement in so hyghe thynges so farre passing our knowlege Finally it is moch necessary that all such abuses as heretofore haue bene brought in by supporters and mainteners of the papacye of Rome and their complicies concerning this matter be clerely put awaye and that we therfore absteine from the name of purgatory and no more dispute or reason therof Vnder colour of whiche haue ben aduansed many fonde and great abuses to make men beleue that through the bishop of Romes pardoÌ„s soules mighte clerely be deliuered out of it released out of the bondage of synne And that masses sayde at Scala celi and other prescribed places phaÌ„tasied by meÌ„ did there in those places more profit the soules them in an other And also that a prescribed numbre of prayers soner than other thoughe as deuoutly said shuld further their petition soner yea specially if they were saide before one image more than an other which they phantasied Al these and such like abuses be necessary vtterly to be abolished and extinguished This boke bounde in paper boordes or claspes not to be solde aboue .xvi. d. ⧠IMPRINTED at London in Fletestrete by Thomas Barthelet printer to the kynges hyghnes the XXIX day of May the yere of our Lorde M.D.XLIII CVM priuilegio ad imprimendum solum