the Lorde and complayned vnto my God So he herde my voyce out of hys holy temple Learne to take your flyght to the Lorde with Christ whiche beynge man and proued in all thinges that he myght succour them that be teÌ„pted hath done so before Learne to defende youre selues with the weapons of Gods worde for as Christ hath ouercome the deuell so maye you ouercome hym also with all hys suttel wyles To this exhorteth you Paul sayenge to the EphesiaÌ„s the .vi. Put on the armoure of God that ye maye stoÌ„de stedfast agaynst the crafty assaultes of the deuell For we wrestle not agaynst fleshe bloude but agaynst rule agaynst power namely agaynst y e rulers of the world of y e darcknesses of this worlde agaynst the sprite of wykednes vnder heaueÌ„ For this cause take ye y e armour of God that ye maye be able to resyst in the euel daye stonde ê‘fecte in all thynges As these enmyes are spirttuall and inuisible euen so haue we no nede of fleshly weapons but the weapons of the spirite which be myghty in God to destroye al stroÌ„ge fenses and holdes of the deuell pearsynge vnto the partynge of body and soule Wherfore put on the shylde of fayth wherwith ye shall queÌ„che the fyrie dartes of the wycked enmy and take y e helmet of saluation and the swearde of the spyrite whiche is the worde of God And praye vnto the Lorde callynge alwaye vpon hys name in the spyrite that ye maye ouercome Sathan the tempter and enmy whiche seketh all aboute euen as a roarynge lyoÌ„ whou he maye deuoure but you must withstonde hym manly in fayth Lazarus You haue opened now the case and shewed me the weapons therwith I maye ouercome myn a foresayed enmyes But seyng I am an vnexpert souldyer y t hath not ben vsed greatly to haÌ„dell such weapon I praye you to seperate my the dartes and arowes of Goddes worde that I may shute euery enmy seuerally namely synne death hell And fyrst shewe my howe to defende my selfe whan my synfull lyfe coÌ„meth to my remeÌ„braunce Tobias I wyll do it gladly but I feare lest I be to tedious for you The sicke ought not to be ouerlonge taried withall I wil rather returne agayne another tyme and procede in thys matter Lazarus No good Toby it is not to tedious for me me thinketh ye be come but now Timothe was .iiii. houres with me yesterday yet semed it me not to be one houre Tobias In the name of God Neuerthelesse yf I be ouerloÌ„ge with you warne me hardely Or yf ye desyre ought I wyll reache it you Lazarus No no go on with youre matter where ye lefte for ye can do me no greater pleasure Tobias As concernynge the fyrst assault that ye shal be assayed with namely youre forepast synnes which shall procure to bringe you in despayre Agaynst them arme you with such scriptures that shewe you how the innocency and rightwysnes of Christ hath put awaye al youre vnrightwesnesse and wyckednesse Euen as God sayeth Esay liii of his sonne Christ thorowe out the whole chap. Cast y e multitude of youre synnes vpon the lambe of God which putteth awaye y e synnes of y e worlde RemeÌ„bre y t God hath closed all vnder vnbeleue that he myght haue mercy on all Take holde vpon the good Samaritane whiche taketh cure of the soule Take your flyght w t the prodigall soÌ„ne vnto your merciful farther though ye be naked seabby ragged for he shal receaue you fatherly w t spred out armes and put on you the garment of innoceÌ„ty Though you be lost by reason of synne the Lorde hym selfe seketh after you Though ye go astraye with y e straynge shepe yâ—t doth the good shepehearde take you vpon hys shulder and bringeth you to y e shepetolde HerkeÌ„ how swetely and louengly God calleth you vnto him sayenge Math. xi Come to me al ye that laboure and are laden and I shall ease you of your synnes Remember y e Christ is become oure wysdome ryghtwysnes redemption and sanctification .i. Cor. i. Remember that he is a trew phisicion of oure soules Yf ye were no synner what were Christ nedefull to you yf ye were not wounded ye shulde nede no surgeon A phisicion or surgeoÌ„ is praysed because he doth an excellent cure The kynde naturall worke of Christ is to saue hys people and heale theÌ„ of al their synnes for that is his profession yee he doth yt in dede so y t our vnrightwysnes maketh gods right wysnes be praysed as wytnesseth paul Ro. v. Neuerthelesse wher abuÌ„dauÌ„ce of syn was there was yet more pleÌ„teousnes of grace In that hath god declared hys loue that we whan we were synners Chryst dyed for vs. We shal be so much the more accepted before God in that we be clensed by hys bloude and iustified Happy is that man not he that hath no synne for he that sayeth he hath no synne deceaueth hymselfe and the treuth is not in hym But he is happy to whom synne is rekened no synne The lawe that is the knowledge of oure synne is geuen by Moses but grace and trewe Saluation by Iesus Chryst For he hath anulled the handwrytinge that was contrary to vs and fastened it vpoÌ„ the crosse wherby he hath taken awaye all power of the princes of darknesse Coloss ii and hath triumphed ouer them in hys own personne The hye prest of the olde lawe myght not offre ony offerynge for the peoples synne wythout he had first offred an offeringe for hymselfe and wythout bloudsheddynge was no forgeuenesse But Chryst oure trewe bysshoppe which hath an euerlastyng presthode after the ordynaunce of Melchysedech had no nede to offer for hys synnes for he neuer synned nor he hath not procured forgeuenesse of synnes by the father by ony straunge bloude of oreÌ„ or calues but with hys owne bloude Thus was he vnspotted that hath clensed vs from all vnclennes And seynge we haue thys Iesu that passed the heauens let vs holde oure profession and go boldely vnto the seate of hys grace that we maye receaue mercy and fynde grace to helpe in the tyme of nede Hebr. v Al the waies of the Lorde are mercy and treuth He promyseth it mercyfully that which he shall geue vs treuly Of thys mercy hath God left and geuen vs the worde of atonemeÌ„t Iesu Chryst Yf ye knowe the same promyser and geuer of mercy treuly then maye ye trust welynough that ye shall optayne forgeuenge and remyssion of synnes Which forgeuenesse you shal also optayne that he be founde trew in his wordes of promyse and that he maye ouercome your synne whan he is iudged of the vngodly to be no Saueour The manheade of Chryst shal couer your mysdedes so that the deuel your accuser shal fynd nothiÌ„g in you blameable Forget w t Paul that which is behinde you couet to that which is before namely to the token of this victory of synne death tocome To
lesse vntyl the body of death be whole and clene put awaye Be not moued at the small Babylonyans that is the worldly thoughtes or hys pleasures but knocke them agaynst the trew corner stone Chryst wherby ye shal be saued What do we loke for after thys lyfe What pleasaunt thynge perceaue ye in it that myght cause you to desyre a longe lyfe What is thys lyfe saue a contynuall battayll and crosse a deadly enemyte and continuall hatred What is it but a preson of synne For the euell that we hate that we do and the good that loue that we do not The grace and mercy through Iesu Chryst must delyuer vs orels shall we styck fast by the fete We haue here no abydynge cyte but seke and longe for another that is commynge For we know yf at the least we be beleuynge that yf the earthy dwellynge place of oure body be corrupte and destroyed we haue a buyldynge ordeyned of God an house not made with handes but euerlastynge in heauen ii Corinth v. That we now therfore sygh and grone lokynge about before we can be ryd of this body that is because we wolde faynese and couet to be clothed with the heauenly duellynge place wythout puttynge of and auoydynge of thys earthy cloth and dwellynge place We wolde fayne retayne thys fylthy sack because of the company that we haue had wyth it so that it which is mortall myght be swaloued vp of the lyfe immortall wythout assayeÌ„ge of death But that can not be Seynge it is ordened for man once for to dye And that we shulde leaue herein earth by partynge of the soule that which we haue receaued of the earth And well is vs that God seynge oure mysery hath pytyeth vs makynge our death safe through his death For he is become a death vnto death so that death hath no fearfulnesse in her saue onely hyr vysure to fray them that be chyldysshe in fayth and vnderstondynge But vnto the faythful and them that haue vnderstondynge is she depryued of hyr stynge and venyme Yf ye auoyde youre mynde of the grymnesse and vtter appearaunce of her than shall ye fynde no death more in her Go boldli to death breake open hys yawes loke what is in hym Yow shall fynde no lyfe no power or strength in hym to byte you Prouoke hym boldely to mete you in the fyghtynge place and he shall flye from you Defye death with all them that can holde wyth hym for they can not harme you they can not mynysshe one heer of you Saye hardely wyth the prophet Ose O death where is thy stynge O hell where is thy gloriation or reioycenge The death is swalowed vp in Christes victory And therfore is death called in scripture a slepynge more thaÌ„ death Of this haue you a goodly fygure The brasen serpent that Moses made Numeri xxi semed afarre of to haue ben a serpeÌ„t in dede but yf ye dyd aproche vnto yt than might ye perceaue welynough that it was a dead serpent and that it had no venym that it coulde nother byte nor stynge Euen so is it w t death outwarde it hath a fearfull visage but the power of it is take awaye by Christ For he hath ouercome him y t had power of death y e deuyll as ye shall heare more herafter Lazaarus Youre declaration that ye haue shewed here is very spirituall I beleue it be all as ye saye yee I am well pleased there with Yet do I perceaue that goodmen which haue such felynge and knoledge in themselues that is to wete that the death of Christ is death vnto y e natural death as well as the euell and bad do shrenke wrenche at y e poynt of death as though death had yet power vpoÌ„ them Tobias Treuth it is that the waye which bryngeth vs to lyfe is strayght the porte of death narowe Wherfore we caÌ„ not passe vnto death by sufferinge wtout strayghtnesse pearsynge but what is y t vnto the lyfe health The body must fulfyll hys naturall course it ought not nor can do otherwyse it caÌ„ but wrenche pinche shouer kyke Let y e asse beare y e trushe hardely it maketh no matter yet for all this wyl not we feare death Yf death can do nought more what awayleth much repinynge wrenchynge it is light to be ouercome thys wreÌ„chinge may be permitted him welinough al is for one euell houre Let y e fleshe ê‘ceaue in it self y e testameÌ„t of AdaÌ„ vnto y e last houre We haue nought now to walke in saue hope this hope abydiÌ„g of y e life tocome shal cause vs rightwel to ouercome y e sorow wo of death haystely to forget it It is but y t bytiÌ„ge of a fle y t hurteth not y e soul The death is better for vs thaÌ„ we can thynke she loseth vs of al misery she ioyneth vs to god sendeth vs forth to euerlastynge lyfe Let HeytheÌ„ and Turkes feare death which haue no fayth of the lyfe tocome But oure conuersacion and thoughtes are in heauen for from thence do we abyde our Lorde Iesu Christ which shall restore oure castawaye body agayne makynge it coÌ„formable vnto his glorifyed body Yf we hadde not this hope of the partynge of the body trustinge no lenger in Christ than durynge thys lyfe than ware we as sayeth Paul i. Corint xv the moost abiecte and refuse of al meÌ„ But now is Christ dead rysen agayne y t we shuld also ryse again in hiÌ„ in a new life Death is oure last enmy y t holdeth vs froÌ„ the lyfe thys must once be ouercome me in vs also Christ dyed for nought yf he hath not anulled the power lawe of death Christ is not rysen from death yf we must abyde in death Yf Christ be not rysen than is oure fayth vayne than abyde we damned in oure synnes than is scripture a lye than be the apostles also and y e prophetes false wytnesses of God That be farre For Christ dyed and is rysen agayne that he shulde haue dominion ouer quycke and dead Wherfore as we all dye in Adam so shal we be relyued agayne in Christ of which relyuyng agayne Christ hath made a profe in him selfe Therfore sayeth Paul If the sprete that hath raysed vp Chryst from the dead dwell in you thaÌ„ shal y e same sprete relyue youre mortall body by the spirite that dwelleth therin Lazarus Than wyll not I be moued though the fleshe do somtyme sygh and mone because of death and the fayntnesse of payne but wyll abyde alwaye the redemption tocome with a lyfted vp heade that is w t a mery spirite For yf I shulde consydre all thynges what els is in this valley of teares saue payne and anguishe synne and wyckednesse Tobias The poetes and Phylosophers estymed death to be a good thynge because yt is the ende of all wrechednesse and a rest of all euell Many Heythen haue beÌ„ lesse abassed for the death
carnall desyres nor to the seruyce of oure brother But shal I tell you what you ought to haue done Timothe I praye you what Tobias You shulde haue strenghted the deuocioÌ„ of oure vicar with a groat so might you haue optayned him best Timothe It is sure so And that appeared wel last daye by the aldermannes wedowe wheare as it was no nede to bid hym come whan she laye syke for wyth her was he dayly yee vnbydden waytinge for the soull as a carmeraunte doth for the carien and all was to optayne somwhat by testament Be these feders be these pastores Tobias No but rather wolues wherof Ezechiel speketh saynge They haue eateÌ„ the mylke of their floke and with the woll they be clothed but they kepe them not from the wolues My thynketh they be dissemblynge Hypocrites and paynted graues which wyth longe bablinge or seruyce saynge deuoure wedows housen wherfore they shall receaue the greater damnation I thynke also these be the falfe prophetes semynge outwardly shepe But inwardly they be rauenous wolues Timothe Yf these prestes and as they call theÌ„felf religiousmen knewe what a christen dedeyt is to comfort the sorowfull to visite the syke to helpe the poore They shuld preferre the helpynge of them before all other workes For God shall esteme yt which is done to y e least of his as tough it were done to hymselfe But prestes do not regarde yt for they saye they haue ben longe ynough wyth the syke whan they haue ministred the sacramentes Tobias Yf they yett ministred the supper of oure Lorde to the syke dewly teachynge the Christians what Christ hath optayned for vs than myght the pacient geue thankes to God of the victory wherin he hath ouercome death to the beleuynge For that is the saynge of Christ whaÌ„ he sayth As oft as ye do ytt ye shall do ytt in the remembraunce of me which is acordynge to Pauls saynge Whan the death of oure Lorde is shewed But alas they do nought now but onely rehearse y e xii artikles of the fayth sleghtly to the syke And so mynister the sacrament wythout farther instruccioÌ„ of yt thynkynge all thynges to be very well dispached I praye God they haue not of tymes more mynde on the yewel which lyeth perchaunce in the syght than on the necessite of the poore Or that they mynde not more a good testament Tobyas They must be very blynde seynge they make lesse conscience of leauynge the breade of the poore that is Gods worke onbroken than of leauynge theyr masse matins and other seruyce onsayâ—â—e seynge it is hongred so soore for The ChristeÌ„man which is the lyuinge tempel of God must stonde by and abyde tyll the prest hath dispached his matyns or vysited the dead mens graues hath he neuer so great nede Yf Christ had the yongeman which wolde be his disciple to luffre the dead bury the dead and y t he shulde not leaue Goddes worde ondeclared for burieng what shal he saye theÌ„ thinke yow to them which excuse them selfs with theyr rummelynge and mummelynge of matyns euensonge and such lyke popyshenesse that they visyte not the syke or shewe the kyngdome of God where troubell and anguyshe is Tobyas Yt hath not auayleth the yonge man surely that he wolde haue buried y t dead much lesse shal it auayle theÌ„ y t be marked with the beastes marke to leaue theyr neghboure onserued and onregarded Yee Chryst hymself and that with the dedes of charyte which must be preferred before all the works of the lawe and promes acordynge as Chryst sayth that he is Lorde of the Sabbath We also shal be iudged after the declarynge of the dedes of charyte towarde oure neghboure Tymotheus Yt is well sayde surely and accordynge to the gospel Christ also rebuked the scribes iustly for theyr opinion of ceremonies commaundynge them to go and learne what that saynge of God is I wyll mercy and not sacrifyce Tobyas How vnderstonde you that saynge will God haue no sacrifice then which he him self commaunded so earnestly to de obserued here semeth Christ to be contrary to the wyll of hys father Tymotheus I wyll tel yow All sacryfices and burnt offerynges of the lawe were ordeyned and institute vnto the Iewes for none other intent saue onely for theyr sygnifycacions They dyd sygnifie the trew offerynge of Christ to come which out of very pury heate of loue dyd offer hymself vnto death by sheddynge of hys owne bloude for vs poore synners and thus is he become oure trewe and euerlastinge prest Seynge then we haue Christ al other offerynges ceasse and now we are come to the lyght all other shadowes vanishe For Christ is the ende and fulfillinge of the lawe wherfore we nede nomor the lawe with hyr ceremonies and ryghtwesnes as a teacher leadynge vs to Christ yee he onely commeth to the father which hath herd him and is taught of hym For so much then as the Pharises dyd regarde and had confydence more in sacrifyces and workes of y e lawe than they hadde respecte to hym y t was sygnyfyed therby whose dedes of charite also they counted lesse then the ryghtwysnes of the lawe therfore warneth Christ them to learne that God wyll haue mercy and no sacrifyce which he dyd lothe as Esay doth clearly expresse Tobyas You haue declared that very well But what saye ye to this worde of Christ These ought to haue bene done and not leaue the other vndone for oure prestes and lawers vnderstonde hereby that they may rather leaue the workes of mercy vndone than to leaue their mattens pattens masses diriges and such other muÌ„blinges vnsayde Tymotheus With this saynge rebuked Christ the Scribes and Pharises which at that tyme estymed theyr sacryfices feastes tythes and offeringes as hygly as oure Papistes counte masses saynge of seruice worshippinge of sayntes for the moost acceptable workes The tythes were lymited vnto the prestes of the olde lawe and graunted of God in the lawe but seynge they sought theyr deuty so narowly not wyllynge to transgresse the lawe in the same tythinge of mynt comin and anyse they declared theyr couetousnes and fayned loue of the lawe For in that parte of the lawe wherin theyr auauntage dyd consiste they wolde haue no breache but in other chefe pointes of the lawe namely where they were commanÌ„ded by the lawe to offer them selues to the seruyce of theyr neghboure they were as negligent as though it had not pertayned to them Therfore sayeth Chryst Wo vnto yow Scrybes and Pharises ye ypocrytes which tyth mynte anyse and comyn and leaue the wayghtyer matters of the law behynde namely iudgment mercy and fayth These ought to haue bene done and not to leaue the other behynde that is So longe as the lawe hath her course as yet she hath so longe ye maye receaue your dewty of y e tythes yee of anyse mynte and comyn but the dedes of fayth loue and mercy which y e lawe requyreth of you as chefest maye you not leaue vndone but
example vnto you for as God hath delyuered them euen so shall he delyuer you also Lazarus I maye not cōpare my sufferynge wyth theyr passyons They dyd suffre for their innocency but I suffre for my synnes Timotheus Thynke you the sayntes were no synners also before God is no fleshe founde ryghtuous Saye not that ye suffre with the wyked murtherer whan ye suffre paciently and whan faythfully ye knowledge to haue well deserued such castygacion which the good murtherer dyd also The knowledgynge of youre synne doth iustifye you yf it be done faythfully and trewly Ther can no trew knowlegynge be wythout the sprete of treuth and youre punyshment is cause of iustifycacion yf ye confesse to haue deserued yt well for youre synnes The martyrdome of martyrs was not meritorious vnto them to to optayne the lyfe euerlastynge thereby for Paul sayth that the paynes of thys worlde be not sufficient for y e glory which shal be shewed vpon vs. For the transytory and faydinge thynges can not optayne durabell rewarde But Christ hath suffred onely for his innocency by the which innocent sufferinge he hath rydde vs from all oure wykednesse Christes death hath deserued lyfe eternall for vs this haue the marters beleued cōstantly testyfyenge it vntyl y e death conqueryng by fayth so that their fayth wherby they were iustified before God appeared lyuely in knoleginge the name of Iesus from the which they dyd not shrynke euē at y e poynte of death For this cause dyd all sayntes euer praye with the prophet Not oure Lorde not oure but vnto thy name be glory Lazarus You ouercome me which so many stronge and euident scriptures that I wote not what to answere Neuerthelesse I wolde desyre God once to ceasse scourgynge lyke as many sayntes haue done And I remēbre I haue herde preached that there was a kynge whose lyfe was prolonged fyftene yeares thorowe hys prayer Timothe We shall not folowe saintes so curiously in al their wordes dedes for we be not sure how wel they haue ben accepted alway of god In y t they also haue ben mē we may be deceaued in their fotesteppes Therfore in sayntes we ought only to be hold their strōge faith y e giftes y t God had geuē thē But christ is set to be our sāple copie after whose lyf wordes doctrīe we maye lyue speake for he could not erre nor cause other to erre whiche sayntes haue done ryghtwell Paul sayeth Be ye y e folowers of my as I am a folower of Iesu Christ Now shall ye heare how Christ is oure sampel in thys prayenge or wysshinge that ye speake of Whan he prayed in his agony he sayde Father yf this cuppe cā not be taken frome but y e I drynke of yt not my will but thyne be fulfylled Praye ye lykwyse w t Christ and ye shal be strenghted also no doubte from heauen in youre battayll And now to answere you vnto youre example of Ezechias which beynge dead syke optayned by his prayer of God to be delyuered of his syknesse you must vnderstande y t God doth punisshe vs diuersly with the rodde of correctiō in oure body Somtyme he doth it to punisshe our synnes wykednesses y t our faith be strenghted therby as Christ sayde to the sykemā y t had lyē .xxxviii. yeares syke at Ierusalē by y e slaughterhouse pole Behold thou art made whole sinne nomore lest a worse thīge happē vnto ye. By these wordes he dyd geue him knoledge that for his synnes he suffered this longe and greuous syknesse for the wich he shulde suffreyt more greueously yf he left not synninge Sōtyme sendeth God syknesse and troubel to hys electe whiche not withstondynge be in his fauours that y e glory and honoure of God maye be declared therby as Christ sayeth Ioh. xi that Lazarus syknesse was not vnto death but for the glory of God y t the sonne of God might be praysed therby Christ say be also Ioh. ix that the blynde was so borne that the worke of God might be shewed vpon hym Euen so daylye doth yet the glory honoure of God appeare in many places by sufferinge paciently and dyenge gladly of many vertuous honest men whiche occasion other men to prayse and to thāke God that sendeth such grace and mercy vnto men so that they haue cause to reoiyce yee euen in y e myddes of death Somtymes God visiteth y e trespasses of the rulers parētes vnto the thirde or fourth generatiō vpō their subiectes and kynreddes For whā Dauid had nombred the people formere vanite and misbeleue there were fayne to dye .lxx. thousande of his people w t in thre dayes .ii. Regū xxiiii Hely also because he castised not his childrē knowynge them to do euell God sware vnto the house of Hely that hys wykednes shulde not be put awaye foreuer by no maner of offerynge and afterwarde was he punished by the death of his sonnes .i. Reg. ii All this is done accordynge iustice and dewly for the ryghtwose God cā do no wronge Vvhan God suffreth such as is sayde afore to chaunce vnto vs than semeth he and is sayde to be angry with vs where as he neuerthelesse is immutable Now whan we rede of some holy mē which in their sufferinge haue prayed to be ridde of their crosse anguishe it is not to be thought that they haue done it of ony hatered that they hadde to yt because yt is oneasy and paynfull but y t they by this prayenge myght once come to y e perfecte punisshynge of synne which they hated and persewed And so prayed kynge Ezechias whan he was admonisshed by the prophet Esaye the .xxxviii. chap. that he shulde dye sayenge What shall I speake or saye that he maye do thys that I maye lyue out al my yeares yee in the bitternesse of my lyfe Lo the bitternesse that came of y e hatered of his synnes Verely Lorde men must lyue in bitternesse and all my lyfe must I passe ouer therin for thou raysest me vp wakest me But lo I wylbe cōtent with this bitternesse marke that God by punisshinge of synne relyueth a mā Marke y e fayth causeth Ezechie to haue peace and to be at rest in the middes of his bitter sufferynge Neuerthelesse my cōuersacion hath so pleased the that thou woldest not make an ende of my lyfe but y t thou hast cast al my synnes behynde thy bake Beholde how royaly the good kynge setteth forth the mercy of God in his sufferaunce that is that Esaye sayeth in his xxx chapter With styll syttinge and rest shall ye be healed In quietnesse and hope shall youre strength be That is in the silence rest of youre owne wyl in Gods wil and the hope of mercy of God which is promised you yee in all sufferinge shal youre strenght be so that ye shal be able to suffre all grefe Euen so is that peticion of our prayer to be vnderstōde where we desyre not to
there is scarce a vyllage of .viii. or .ix houses but there is ether one Idoll or other Wherto is Christendom come what do ye make of the blessed company of electes which be planted and gathered in y e loue of God with all faythfull and beleuynge which were pacient here in theyr troubel and haue receaued a louely sprete of God despysynge all honour prayse goodes worldly preemynence be they I saye now so vnpacient wykedly dysposed and couetous of honour that they must be appeased and reconcyled againe with gaddynge a pelgrymage with offerynge of candels or egges Is the saluation of sayntes become now a house of plages wherout all mysery floweth All the diseases wherof ye make you sondery patrons are naturall and were in the worlde before youre saintes were borne Oure mysbeleue and great infydelite is the cause that we haue fayned vs so many Idols Because we haue not knowne the onely eternal and trewe god but be enclyned to blynde ceremonies though we shulde worshippe a calfe ther with as the chyldren of Israel dyd therfore is it come to pas that we haue oure purpose in that we haue done worshippe vnto the calfskynne the popyshe bulles stickynge candels to it O Lorde loke vpon the afflyction and punyshment of the doughter Syon and haue pytie vpō the destruccion of Iosephs heretage Lazarus Frō hensforth wyll I set vp not one lytel candell to ony ymage what so euer it be I haue hetherto lyghted thre candels to saynte Anne euery tewsdaye and on the thyrsdaye haue I worshypped the holy sacrament with half a pounde of waxe but I am now so enfourmed of you that hensforth I wyll do it nomore but rather geue it to the poore and lyghten so the lyuynge temple of god wherin he dwelleth no doubte with hys mercy Is not that beste brother Tymothe Tymotheus Yee it is a thousande tymes better for Christes saynge is Loke what ye haue done vnto the least of mine that haue ye done vnto me He sayeth not what ye haue done vnto my picture or ymage or vnto the picture of my sayntes which I haue forbidden to make or to honoure Wherfore whan these sayntes spechmē come to persuade you to your olde superstition than answer you them Is it not a great blyndnesse of you to seke the sayntes in woode and stone contrary to the fyrst commaundement Is it not a great foly to lyght the Sonne at brode day with a candell The sayntes wyll say to this Lorde in thy lyght shall we beholde the lyght The lyght of the Godly vysage lyghteth the electes alwaye how wyl ye then lyghten them with your lyght that is made for the solace of darknesse Thynke ye they be in darknesse that are lyghtened of the sonne of ryghtwysnesse Yf ye wyll nedes set candels before them than geue them eyes also that they maye se them than maye ye optayne thākes of them els do ye but lese your laboure and cost Baruch also y e prophete doth greatly rebuke this vngodly honoure worshippe of ymages Now whan ye haue thus rebuked them of this Idolatry thā shew them where they ought to bestowe theyr candels offeringes other almes that they be acceptable vnto God Also yf they wyl go on pelgrimage thē shewe them a nearer way which they maye go with lesse cost say Seynge you be mynded to visyte the sayntes it is no nede to runne to Rome or to Ierusalē or to saynte Iannes in Spayne for that were losse both of expences and tyme. Seke Chryst in the graue of scrypture seke hym in the chamber of youre harte there shall ye be moost surest of hym Seke the sprete of Peter and Paul in theyr wrytynges and Epystles Seke Iames in his stronge fayth that he continued in vntyll hys death Morouer God is no bodely thynge and therfore wyll not he be worshipped with bodely thynges he is a sprete and regardeth no persone place candell or such good workes But his desyre is onely that we put awaye the wycked thoughtes from oure harte as namely mysbeleue despayre vnclennesse hate enuye couetousnesse and pryde For they that haue a clene harte from these and a lowely sprete shal se God and be called the children of God where as all these holynesse sekers shall remayne wythout For God which is a sprete wyll not be worshypped but in the sprete and treuth where as these hypocrytes seke hym in outchosen places in seuerall dayes with certayne oyntment boxes to declare theyr good intent towarde hym in bodely workes but they shall not touche hym for he is rysen and lyfted aboue all that is outwarde and in mans syght Lazarus I shall kepe well youre declarynge and as I can But I knowe what shall be theyr answere here vnto Timotheus What I praye you Lazarus Why than do they myracles more in one place than in another but onely that they wylbe worshypped and sought there Tymotheus To that shall ye answere where a sure fayth is there nede no tokens but onely the token of Ionas the prophet In the which token the lyfe and death of Christ and also the death and resurrecciō of euery Christen man is featly fygured For with Ionas and Christ must we descende in to the whal fyshe see of tribulacion and death before we can ryse agayne in to the lyfe euerlastynge Lyke as Ionas dyd not remayn in the see nor Christ in the graue but were relyued agayne euen so shall not God suffre vs to be ouercome with no grefe nor death but shall rayse vs out of this mysery vnto the resurreccion of lyfe Therfore ought we to voyde oure mynde of all myracles all patrons and beholde this token of Ionas onely settynge oure confydence vpō yt onely sayenge with the prophet Psal lxi My soule wayteth onely vpon God for of hym commeth my help He onely is my strength my saluation my defence so that I shall not greatly fall Lo to thys Ionas shall ye sende all these myrakel gasers as Christ hath sent thē awaye which of curiosyte desyred to se tokens from heauen As for the myracles which sayntes be sayde to shewe by theyr ymages they be but a mockage and gabbynge of the dyuell There can no myrakles be done of God agaynst hys holy worde Treuth it is that Moses hath comfyrmed the then commaundementes and lawe and hath made them autenticall with wonders and tokens It is treuth also that the Apostles after the passion and ascendynge of Chryst to heauen haue comfyrmed theyr wordes and preachynges with some myrakles in the name of Iesu for that name beynge despysed as a malefactor and condemned had great nede of these But these myracles of sayntes or ymages can not confyrme the worde of God nor they happen not to that intent but rather to a false Gods seruyce They cause nothynge els saue a decyuerynge of Gods worde Idolatry which beynge vsed and had in pryce amonge the Christians hath presoned theyr blyndnesse and mysbelefe For by the