coÌ„mite with God the father to whome be all hâ—ue iâ— and glory worlde without ende ¶ Our loue toward God LEt vs loue God for he hath loued vs first and redemed vs from all euill if we diligently follow his preceptes and commaundementes he was before all things he created all thinges by his only power and might and none but he without him was made nothing y t was made In him is life light and verity a God without beginning and without ending he came among his owne and his owne receiued hym not but as many as receyued hym to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God Therefore harken vnto me O ye children blessed are they that keepe my wayes O geue eare vnto nurture be wyse and refuse it not blessed is the man that heareth me waiting dayly at my gate and geuing attendaunce at at the postes of my doores for who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtaine fauour of the Lorde but who so offendeth against me saith God hurteth his owne soule all they that hate me is the workers of death and deadly louers Harken also be stedfast in beliefe and seeke for none other helper and mediatoâ—r but onely Iesus Christs which is the mediatour for all mankinde to God his father and he it is the which is the preseruer none but he In the fourth of Saint Iohn it is euidently shewed in the â—â—uing communication the which our Sauiour Christ had with the woman of Samariâ— by the well side declaring plainly that he himelfe was the sonne of God and sauiour of the worlde who so therefore thatseeketh to any other mediatour redemer or preseruer then the onely god and Christ is vtterly deceiued and except speedy returne voyde from all ioye felicitie I am the Lord God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt that thou shouldest not knowe no God but me onely and y t thou shouldest haue no sauiour but only me I haue loued you sayth the lord and yet ye say where in hast thou loued vs was not Esau Iacobs brother saith the lorde yet haue I loued Iacob and hated Esau. Thou wilt saye vnto me why then blameth he vs yet for who hath benne able to resiste his will But O â—an what art thou which disputeth with God shall the worke say to the workeman why hast thou made me on this fashion hath not the potter power ouer the claye euen of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour and an other to dishonour Euen so God wilâ—inge to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffreth with long patience the vessels of wrath ordayned to damnatioÌ„ and to declare the riches of his glory on y e vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorye They that feare the Lord wil not mistrust his word and they that loue him will â—eepe his commaundementes they that feare the Lord will seeke out the thinges that are pleasaunt vnto him and they that loue him shall fulfill his lawe They that feare the Lord will prepare their hartes humble their soules in his sight they that feare the Lord keepe his commaundements and wilbe pacient til they se himselfe saying better it is for vs to falle into the hands of the Lorde then into the handes of men for his mercy is as great as himselfe Shoulde not a sonne honour his father a seruitant his maister if I be now a father wher is now mine honor if I be y e Lord where then am I feared saith the Lord of hostes Now to you priestes that depise my name and if ye say where in haue we despised thy name In thys that ye offer vncleane bread vppon mine alter And when thy son asketh thee intime to come saying what meaneth these witnesses ordinaunces and lawes which the Lord our God hath commaunded you theÌ„ thou shalt saye vnto thy sonne â–ª we were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt and the Lord brought vs out of Egipt wyth a mighty hand and the Lord shewed signes wonners great and euill vppon Egipt vnto Pharao and all his housholde before our eyes and brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to geue vs the land which he sware vnto our forefathers Maruailous thinges did he in the sight of our forefathers in the land of Egipt euen in the fielde of Zoan he deuided the sea and let them goe through he made the waters to stand on an heape he rayned downe Manna also vppon them for to eate and gaue them foode froÌ„ heauen But for all this they sinned more and more and beleued not his wondrous workes therefore did he consume their dayes in vanity their yeares in trouble but he remembred his mercy towardes vs that he forgaue their misdeedes and destroyed not them vtterlly Yet for all that they greeued him with their hil alters and prouoked him to displeasure with their Images WheÌ„ God heard this he was wrouth and tooke sore displeasure at Israel While y e phariseyes were gathered together Iesus asked them saying What thinke ye of Christ whose son is he They said vnto him the son of Dauid He saide vnto them How then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying the Lord sayde to my Lord sitte on my right hand till I make thyne ennemies thy foote stoole If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne and none coulde aunswere him agayne one worde neither durste any from that day forth aske him any moe questions notwythstanding that Christ in y t he was man was the sonne of Dauid that is desended of the stocke of Dauid yet Dauid seing in spirit that he was God called him Lord but the Phariseyes who were all flesly coulde not perseiue so much of y e spirit Beholde a certaine lawyer stoode vp teÌ„pted him saying maister what shal I do to enherit eternall life He sayde vnto him what is writteÌ„ in y e law how readest thou And he answered said loue thy lord thy God with al thy hart and with all thy soule and with all thy streÌ„gth and with all thy mynde thy neighbour as thy selfe And he sayde vnto him thou hast aunswered right this do and thou shalt liue he willing to iustifie himselfe saide vnto Iesus Who is then my neighbour Iesus answered and sayde A certayne man desended from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell into the hands of theues which robbed him by the way and wounded him and left him halfe deade and by chaunce there came a certaine priest that same way which saw him and passed by and likewise a Leuit which also loked vppon him and passed by Then a certayne Samaritan as he iornied by came nigh vnto him wheÌ„ he saw him he had compassion on him and went to and bound vp his wounds and set him on his own beast and brought him to a common Inne and made prouision for him and on the morrow wheÌ„ he departed
He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall finde it Men can better suffer to be denied then to be deceiued Where wrōg is committed by two manner of wayes either by force or by fraud fraud belongeth to a foxe force to a Lion both the one and the other is to the nature of man wonderfull contrary for that I thinke very necessary some history to be spoken of concerning brotherly loue the which ought to be and also the misery the which eftsons happeneth to malicious myndes and seekers of others harmes I finde that in the dayes of Darius the sonne of Ahasuerues king of Caldey there rayned also one Phalaris a tyraunt ouer Scicilia the which vsed to punish euill offenders very cruelly and it fortuned that on a tyme there came vnto him one Palarius a craftes man of brasse or as it may be more plainlier spokē a brasier such a workman as was very politike in his occupacion The sayde Palarius desiring to please Phalaris not onely to get vnto himselfe some great praise but also hoping to haue had some large reward made a Bull of brasse being hollow wyth a doore to open in the one side whereas all those men that were condempned shoulde go in to be tormented and when they were within the doore to be closed fier to be made vnder the Bull so that the crye the which the offenders made sounded through the sayde Bull in such hidious sort as if there had bene a great number of Bulles because of certaine ingens that were within enclosed Whē Phalaris saw the crueltie of the crafts man against those mē condemned among the which there were some of his natiue countrey as also strangers forthwith he caused Palarius to be tormented in that sort the which he had ordayned for others it is therfore necessary that among Christiās there should be christian gouernment the one to loue the other not the one to hate the other For by such meanes the worst end of the staffe happeneth to the beginner Yf thy neighbour be an offender and such a one as will not be reformed then let the lawes prouided serue for his punishment but be thou no imaginer of euill also let not there be too whot loue the one with the other least there happē as sodaine a colde but liue and loue by measure I reade of one Candalus king of Lidus the which loued his wife so much because of her beutie and fayrenes that on a time he shewed her vnto one Gigy the which to fore had bene his companion and fellow all naked to the end that he should thereby praise her beutie and fairenes reporting her to be one of the personablest women that then were liuing in so much that shortly after his fellow Gigy committed adultery with the wife of Candalus and so the sayde Candalus thereby lost both his wife and kingdome In this Candalus time was liuing the prophet Daniell Let vs loue therefore effecteously supporting one an other and looke that thou neuer do vnto an other man the thing that thou wouldest not an other man should do vnto thee eate thy bread with the hungry and poore and couer the naked with thy clothes set thy bread and wine vpon the buriall of the righteous and do not thou eate and drinke thereof wyth the sinners aske euer coūsayle of the wise be alwayes thankfull vnto God and beseech him y t he will order thy wayes and that whatsoeuer thou deuisest or tahest in hand it may remayne in him Haue we not all one father hath not one God made vs why doth euery one of vs then despise his owne brother and so breake the couenaunt of our fathers Thou shalte not beare false witnes against thy neighbour We which are strōg ought to beare the frailenes of them which are weake and not to stand in our owne conceite but euery man please his neighbour vnto his wealth and edifiyng for Christ pleased not himselfe but as it is written the rebukes of them which rebuke thee fell on me Brethren if any man be fallen by chaunce into any fault ye which are spiritual helpe to amend him in the spirit of meekenes considering thy selfe leaste thou also be tempted Beare ye one an others burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ. I therefore which am in bandes for the Lordes sake exhorte you that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherewith ye are called in all humblenes of mynde and meekenes and long suffring forbearing one an other through loue and that ye be diligent to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bonds of peace being one body and one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your calling let there be but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all through al and in you all If there be among you any consolation in Christ if there be any comfortable loue if there be any felowship in spirit if there be any compassion or mercy fulfil my ioy that ye draw one way hauing one loue being of one accord and of one mynde that nothing be done through strife or vayne glory but that in meekenes of mynde euery man esteme other better then himselfe and that no man consider hys owne but what is meete for others Aske and it shalbe geuen you seeke you shall finde knocke it shalbe opened vnto you for whosoeuer axeth receiueth and he that seketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shalbe opened Be ye therefore discrete and sober that ye may be apte to prayers but aboue all thinges haue feruent loue amonge you for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes be ye harborus one towardes an other and that without grudging as euery mā hath receiued the gift minister the same one towardes an other as good ministers of the manifolde grace of God whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother A newe commaundement geue I vnto you that ye loue together as I haue loued you that euē so ye loue one an other by this shall all men know that ye are my desciples This is my commaundement that ye loue together as I haue loued you greater loue then this hath no man then that a man bestow his life for his frendes Thou shalt not fauour the pore nor honour the mighty but in righteousnes shalt thou iudge thy neighbour Thou shalt not go vp and downe as a priuy accuser among the people neither shalt thou stand against the bloude of thy neighbour I am the Lorde thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine hart but shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour that thou beare not sinne for his sake thou shalt not auenge thy selfe nor be mindefull of wrong against the children of my people but shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord ye
where in Howe stedfast are thy woordes of truthe and whiche of you can rebuke or reproue them Be thou my Iudge O Lorde c. For thy louyng kindnes is euer before mine eyes and I will walke in thy truth c O shut not vp my soule with the sinners nor my life with the bloud thirsty in whose handes is wickednes and theyr right hands are full of gifts Good lucke haue thou with thine honoure ride on because of the worde of truth of mekenes and righteousnes and thy righte hand shall teache the terrible thinges But loe thou requiredst truth in the inwarde parts and shalt make me to vnderstand wisdome secretly Mercy and truth are met together righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other truth shall florish out of the earth and righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen But thou o lord art full of compassion and mercy long suffering plenteous in goodnes truth My song shall be alwayes of the louing kindnes of the lord with my mouth will I euer be showing thy truth from generation to generation thy truth shalt thou stablish in the heauens O Lord y e very heauens shall prayse thy wonderous workes and thy truth in the congregation of saintes O Lord who is like vnto thee thy truth most mighty lord is on euery side righteousnes and equitie is the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shal go before thy face my truth and my mercy also shal be with him and in my name shal his horne be exalted neuerthelesse my louing kindnes will not I vtterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fayle Lord where are thine olde louing kindnes which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth hys faythfullnes and truth shall be thy shilde and buckler It is a good thinge to geue thankes vnto the Lord and to sing prayses vnto thy name O moste hiest to tell of thy louing kindnes early in the morning and of thy truth in the night season the workes of his handes are veritie and iudgement all his commaundementes are true they stand fast for euer and euer and are done in truth and equitie O prayse the Lord all ye heathen praise him all ye nations for his mercifull kindnes is euer more and more toward vs and the truth of the Lord endureth for euer O take not the worde of truth vtterly out of my mouth for my hope is in thy iudgementes all thy commaundementes are true Thy truth also remayneth from one generation to an other thy righteousnes is an euerlasting righteousnes and thy lawe is the truth Be thou nigh at hand O Lorde for all thy commaundementes are true Thy word is true and is from euerlasting all thy iudgementes of thy righteousnes endureth for euer Doth not wisdome cry doth not vnderstanding put forth her voyce and say my throate shall be talking of thy truth and my lippes abhorre vngodlines A Iust man will tell the truth and show the thing that is right but a false witnesse deseueth A true mouth is euer cōstant but a dissembling tong is euer chaungeable the lord abhorreth lying lippes but they that labour for truth please him A false witnesse shall perish but he that is a true man boldely speaketh that he hath hard Haue I not warned thee very oft with counsaile and learnyng that I myght shew thee the truth and that thou with the veritie mightest aunswer them that send vnto thee Wo be vnto them that make vnrighteous lawes and deuise thinges which be to hard for to keepe where through my people are oppressed and the Innocentes of my people robbed of iudgement that wisdome may be theyr pray that they may rob the fatherlesse What will you do in time of visitation and when destruction shall come from farre To whom will ye runne for helpe and to whom will you geue your honoure that he may kepe it that when I with drawe my hande ye come not among the prisoners or lye among the dead c But faythfulnesse and truth shall they trust vnto yea vnto the lord the holy one of Israel And in mercy shall thy seate be prepared and he shal sit vpon it in the truth in the tabernacle of Dauid iudging and seking iudgement and making hast vnto righteousnes In that day shall this song be soung In the land of Iuda we haue a strong citie saluation shall God appoynt in steade of walles and bulwarkes open ye the gates that the righteous people which kepeth the truth may enter in there minde is set vppon thee because thou preseruest them in peace yea in peace because they put theyr trust in thee put ye your trust alwayes in the Lord for in the Lord God there is strength for euermore let all christians ioye in this heauenly comfort the which the holy prophet of God speaketh for although it be long agone since he spake it yet is it as fruitfull to al faythful christians now in these our dayes as euer it was before God graunt that the harts of al faythful christians may be thankfull for these his inestimable benefites and mercyes shewed vnto vs in these our dayes and therefore let vs reioyce with the Israelites and say God is oure righteousnes and truth and God hath deliuered vs from the fiery and cruell malice of sathan and al papistical doctrine wherby now hauing no let nor foes to disturbe vs may so diligently shew ourselues in ech vocation that thereby Gods name may be glorified and our soules refreshed with y e heauenly foode of immortall ioyes to the which eternall and liuing God be all honour and glory for euer and euer He that feareth God will do good and who so keepeth the law shall obtayne wisdome men that go about with lies will not remember her but men of truth shalbe found in her and shall prosper euen vnto the beholding of God And aboue all things pray the hyest that he wil lead thy way in faithfulnes truth The arrogant and stifnecked Phariseyes although they beleued not y e preaching of our Sauiour Christ yet they confessed him to be the truth saying maister we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God truely neither carest thou for any mā for thou regardest not the outward appearaunce of men tell vs therefore how thinkest thou is it lawfull that tribute be geuen vnto Cesar or not But Iesus perceaued theyr wickednes sayde why tempte ye me ye hipocrites shewe me the tribute money and they tooke him a penny and he sayde vnto them whose is thys Image and superscription they sayde vnto hym Cesars Then sayde he vnto them geue therefore vnto Cesar the thinges which are Cesars and vnto God those thynges that are Gods By thys Cesar is ment all temporall rulers to whome we ought to geue all thinges that the lawe of the countrey we be in bindeth vs to geue whether it be our goodes our life our childrē or