Lordes supper to theym that receyue the sacramente althoughe Christe hymselfe sayeth playnely Take eate thys is my bodye And why do they not beleue this verely because they dyd neuer trulye beleue thys article that God is almyghtye but they thynke that God is not able to work or do that thing which they can not compasse with their awne wit and reason But you good children folowe not suche but beleue you with all youre hearte that God is almyghtye that he is able to worke and do all thynge that he wylleth and perfourme all thing that he speaketh or promiseth And in so doyng you shall fynde great peace and quietnes in your consciences For this is an excedyng comforte for vs stedfastly to beleue this article that God is almyghty For hereby we be perswaded in all perels and aduersities to put our trust in him forasmoche as he is able to delyuer vs out of al troubles and affections although they seme to mans reason remediles Hereby also we be taught to humble oure selues before God and not to be proude neyther to dyspyse or forget hym when all thynges goeth after our owne wyll but to consyder that God is almightie and able with a becke to ouerturne kingdomes to cast downe the ryche to exalte the poore to punyshe the wicked and to destroy vs yf we prouoke him to angre Wherefore good children marke well this worde Almighty whiche is as muche to saye as this No man is so sore sycke but God is able to heale hym No man is so poore but God can make hym riche No mā is so symple or dul wytted whom he is not able to make wyse No man is so vyle or lytle regarded but he is able to promote him to highe honours No man is so greate a synner but he is able to iustifye him Wherefore in all chaunces we must put our truste in God onelye For he is able to do what soeuer he willeth and all thynge is subiecte vnder hys dominion Furthermore in this article God is called maker of heauen and earth that is to saye God made heauen and earthe and all thynge contayned therein of no thynge For God made not these thynges as a carpenter maketh an house whiche can not woorke yf he lacke hys toyles stuffe But he onelye sayde lette it be done and by and by all thinges were done And therefore he hathe a newe title whiche was neuer herde among all the Philosophers beynge called the creatour of the worlde that is to saye that by his woorde he wonderfullye made all thynges of nothynge And as soone as he did speake by and by al the worlde stode vp and was made Thus he made manne and gaue hym bodye and soule reason and wysedome and dyd sette vnder his gouernaunce the yerth and all thyng that groweth theron as all kynde of trees wyth their fruytes all kyndes of herbes and floures all fyshes of the sea foules of the ayer and al maner of beastes tame or wylde and he made man Lorde ouer all these creatures that he myghte vse theym partely to his norishement and foode and partely to hys apparell and ornament of hys bodye in so muche that he made the Sunne Moone and all y e sterres for thys ende that they shoulde serue mā And that is most comforte to vs of all he made al these creatures before he did creat mā declaryng therby that he is carefull for vs and prouydeth suche thinges as we haue nede of yea before we be borne Wherefore good children let vs be of good chere and putting our trust in God let vs reason on this fashiō For asmuch as God made heauē and earth it is euidēt therby that he is Lorde and mayster of the same and that all thynges aswell in heauen as in earthe are donne accordyng to his wil. And forasmuche as he made all thynge for vs it is also manyfest therby y t he willeth all creatures to do vs seruice let vs therfore folow y e counsel of Christ who saith Be not careful for your life what ye shall eate or drynke nor yet for your bodye what raiment ye shal put on Is not y e lyfe more worth then meat and the bodye more of value then rayment Beholde the foules of the ayer the whiche do neyther sowe nor reape nor carye into the barnes and yet your heauenly father doth feade theim Are not you much better thē thei Cōsider the lilies of the feld how they growe They labour not thei spynne not And yet I saye vnto you that Salomō himselfe when he was in his most gorgious roialtie and glorye was not apparelled lyke one of these Nowe yf God dothe so apparell a floure which althoughe it florysheth to day yet to morow it wythereth away is cast into a fournas shal he not muche more do y e same for you o ye men of litle faith These be the wordes of Christ good children by the which he exhorteth vs to put our trust and confidence in God our father and stedfastlye to beleue that he whiche hath gyuen to vs our lyfe is both able willyng also to gyue vs all thynges necessarye to the maintenaunce of our lyfe For he is the maker of al thinges all creatures obey hys wyl and commaundement and if there lacked any thinges y t shuld helpe vs he is able euery daye to make all newe agayne as euery yeare he maketh all thynges to renewe and spryng agayn Thus by these wordes we learne y t God hath made heauen and earth and all thynges conteyned therin for vs and for oure commoditie and that he is both can and wyl gyue vs our dayly foode and lyuyng Wherfore let no mā trust to his own wit reasō or cōpassinge thinking y e he is able to get his liuing or riches by hys awne carefulnes or to maynteyne hys lyfe but let vs put our trust in God oure father almightie he will feade nouryshe and mainteyne vs as long as it shall please him Neuertheles it is our parte to laboure diligentlye and euery man is bounde to do his dutie in his vocatiō and calling For God willeth not that we shoulde be idle and lye all the day on the one syde lokyng that he shuld put meat in our moughtes as the nourse dothe feade yong children but he commaundeth vs to plye our laboures and occupations and then to cast all carefulnes and put it vnto hym Thus good children I haue expounded vnto you y e first article of our belyfe conteinyng the doctryne of the creation and making of the worlde the whiche heauenly philosophie to the intent you may the more easely beare it in youre memories I wyl knit it vp in few wordes that whē you be demaunded howe vnderstande you the fyrste article of youre belyfe you maye thus shortly answere I beleue that God y e father hath made me and al creatures in heauē and earth that he hath gyuē to me and conserueth my bodye and
this fashion we ought to behaue our selues towardes our fathers and mothers and when so euer we be able to do them any pleasure we must honour them after the sayde maner and reuerently beseche thē that they wyll take well in worth suche small tokens of our deutye and loue towardes them For we can not rendre vnto oure fathers mothers any gyft or presente so weyghty y t shal be able to coūterpoyse the kyndnes which they haue deserued at our handes or can in any part recumpense the great goodnes benefites which thei haue heaped vpō vs without nūbre So good children note well I pray you what is ment by this worde honor whiche in this place comprehēdeth feare dreade reuerence obedience loue towardes our parentes and that it is oure dewtie to lade theim with all kindes of gentlenes and lyberalitie And when we haue donne all that we can do yet not to loke for thankes againe at their handes but rather to thanke them that they wolde vouchesafe so gently to accept our small benefytes For god hath appointed thē to be our maisters tutors and gouernors ouer vs wherefore of dewtye we owe vnto them this seruice and obedience And onlesse we ordre our selues to oure parentes after suche maner as is before rehersed God wil be greuously offēded with vs sore punishe vs. As it is plainly declared in Moses law in the .xxi. chapter of Deuteronomie where these wordes are writtē If a man haue a frowarde and stubburne childe whiche wil not heare his fathers mothers cōmaundemēt beyng corrected disdaines to obey them they shall take him bryng him before the iudges of the cytie and shall saye thus Thys oure sonne is stubburne disobedyent he wil not heare vs nor be ruled by vs he is a ryoter lyueth vngodly Then all the people shall stone him to death that this myscheuous wede may be weded out of y e congregation and al the people maye heare of his punishmēt and feare to committe lyke offēce Hereby you may learne good children how greatly thys synne dyspleaseth God seyng that in hys lawe he hath appoynted so payneful a punishement for dysobedient children Hitherto you haue herde what it is to honor your parētes now heare also the cause why God hathe so diligētly cōmaunded this thinge Our lorde God hath gyuen vs so many benefites by our fathers and mothers y t no tongue can worthely expresse theim For God vseth our parentes as his meanes by whome he gyueth vs lyfe breth fode and al thinges necessarie to the maintenaūce of this lyfe Therfore we oughte to wourshyp theym as the chosen instrumentes of God And forasmuche as God hymselfe is inuisible to vs here in earth whome we neyther se bodily nor heare hys voyce therfore he hathe appoynted oure fathers and mothers in hys stede to talke wyth vs and to teache vs what we ought to do and what to eschewe Euen as the scholemaster doth oftentymes commyt hys scholers to hys vscher that he in the scholemasters absence maye teache and gouerne them and hym they ought to reuerence and obey And as the scholemaster doth sharpely correcte chastiseth those schollers y t wyl not be ruled by his vscher so God wil greuously punyshe those children y t doeth not obey their fathers mothers For he hath appoynted them to be his deputies vschers in y e educatiō gouernāce of vs his children For God is the chefeste worker and maker of all thynges he is the hyghest scholemaker and our fathers mothers are the instrumentes and toyles wherby God doth worke vs make vs and fashyoneth vs. For God is the eternall and mooste maruelous creator and he daylye doeth create But when he entendeth to make mā he maketh him not now of a glod of earth as he did whē he first made Adam but he vseth our parētes to this straunge wondrefull worke maketh vs by theym And this is the firste and greatest benefite that God by oure parentes doth gyue vs bothe bodye and sowle And after that yonge chylderne be borne into this world we se how they lye certen yeres crying in their cradels not able to helpe themselues At what tyme excepte God did nouryshe vs by oure fathers and mothers ther wer no remedie but y t we muste neades peryshe And when god doth entend to feade vs in our cradels he doth not sende downe breade from heauen as he did Māna but he wonderfully fylleth our mothers dugges full of mylke wherwyth she may gyue sucke to vs and also he sendeth to oure fathers sufficiente riches wherby they maye brynge vp their children And this is the seconde benefite that God by our parentes doth nurse vs feade vs and bryng vs vp more tendrely then the henne doth her yong chekyns Furthermore God sendeth vs Christian parētes which cause vs to be baptised and grafted into Christ and to be made the children of God For yf our parentes were not christened we were lyke to be wrapped in cōtinuall blindnes and errours For you see no Iewes children come to be baptised and if we should haue heathen parentes dye without baptisme we should be dāned euerlastingly And in case we died not in our infancie yet we shoulde be vngodly brought vp in thouses of Heathē and vnchristened parentes and should be taughte euen from oure tendre age to hate and dispise the trew faith of Christ as we may see an example by Turkes Iewes children whiche vehemently hate the fayth of Christ among tenne thousād of them scase one desireth to be baptised And this is y e third great benefit y e God by our parētes doth brīg vs to baptisme to Christ his church doth plant in our hertes an ernest loue towards Christes religion that wyllynglye and gladly we become Christians Besides this when we be growē to suche age y t it is tyme for vs to go to schole then god teacheth vs by our parentes his most excellent doctrine that is to saye tharticles of our faythe the ten commaundementes the Lordes prayer Furthermore oure parentes do teache vs the nourture and ciuilitie of good maners that we maye proue gentle quiet and faire cōditioned and suche with whom honest men wyll be gladde to kepe companye From our parentes we haue oure countrey then whyche nothynge is more pleasant vnto vs and the fredome fraunchesies and lyberties of y e citie in the whiche we wer borne Our parentes also leaue vnto vs oftētimes great plentie of riches and landes for oure inherytāce They also teache vs dyuerse wayes of marchaundise mani handycraftes and all kyndes of sciences by the which we may honestly and in the waye of treuth get oure lyuyng here in this world And although they be compelled of necessitie oftentymes to vse the ayde and helpe of scholemasters and other connyng men in dyuerse kyndes of faculties yet because all these thinges be done at the commaundemente costes and charges
when we go about to marie oureselues not makynge our parentes priuie to suche contractes or bargaynes but contemnyng theyr authoritie that God wil not prosper such mariages nor giue therto his fauour and blessyng But if you wil kepe gods cōmaūdementes honoure your parents then God wyl loue you and powre hys gyftes vpon you most aboūdantly Now good childrē you haue herde what you ought to do I praye you be willing to performe that thing which your bounden dewtie requireth of you For saincte Paul saieth that this is the first or chiefe commaūdemente hauynge a promyse annexed vnto it For herin god doth promyse that he whiche doeth honour his father and mother shall lyue a long lyfe and shal abyde in his natiue countrey And he that doeth not honoure theym shalbe dryuen out of his countrey shal shortely dye And surely this we proue to be true by dayly experyence For when childerne be wanton wilde stiffenecked stubburne and refuse to be ruled by their parētes and scholemasters or do not serue their maisters truelye when thei wyl not haue in reuerēce their preachers and curates or do not obey the common rulers then God scourgeth theym some wyth one punishment some with an other Some is maymed some leaseth an eye one hathe suche a fall from an horse y t he lyeth for starke deade an other is drowned And here I wyl not speake of those vnthrifty young men whiche be pickers of quarels and in their wylfulnes thone slayeth thother But yf perchaunce these dysobedyente childerne escape punyshmente in theyr yought yet when they come to mans state and kepe howses of their awne then commonly suche children do not auoide this threat and indignation of God For then many times they runne into suche dette that they be compelled to forsake their natiue countrey and to flye into sanctuarie or elles to wandre in straunge regions lyke banyshed menne farre from their kynsfolkes acquaintaūce frendes where no man doth helpe thē trust them or hath pitie of theym And many of them whilest they go aboute to auoyde extreme pouertie by lying stelyng robbyng other ill meanes are cast in pryson and afterward hanged These and such lyke paynes men do worthely suffer in their age whiche in theyr youth dysdayned to folowe the counsell of theyr parentes Wherfore good children obey youre parentes and magistrates then you shall proue wise men able to helpe both your selues and other Then God shall blesse you that you may longe continewe in the contrey wherin you wer borne and bredde and dwell amonge your parentes brethren sisters frendes and acquayntaūce many yeares Then extreme pouertie shall not oppresse you whereby you should be compelled to leaue your countrey neyther the rages or partels of warre shal driue you out from thense So manye and so great benefites hath God promysed to obedyent chyldren And there is no doubt but that he will perfourme that thinge whiche he hath promised As we feale by experiēce y t as long as we obey oure parentes and suffer our selues to be gouerned accordynge to Gods wyll so long we be brought vp in the feare of God to our great cōmoditie and profit And thys is the true meanynge of the fourthe precept whiche I praye you depely to prynt into youre memories that when you shall be asked how you vnderstand the fourth cōmaūdemēt you may answer we ought to loue dreade our Lord God for his sake to honor our parētes teachers masters gouernours to obey thē in no wise to dispise thē The fifte sermon ¶ Thou shalt not kyll IN the former sermon it hath ben declared vnto you howe you shoulde vnderstande the fourth precept in y e which you haue learned how you muste behaue youre selues towardes youre fathers mothers all cōmen ministers in the publyke weale Now foloweth the fift commaundemente Thou shalte not kyll Whiche teacheth vs howe we oughte to ordre oure selues towardes eche of oure neighbours that we hurte theym not nether in theyr goodes nor in theyr lyfe For among al worldlye goodes and bodely gyftes there is none more precious thē healthe and lyfe Therfore God before al other damages and hurtes doeth chiefely forbydde this that we kil not our neyghbour And this commaundement dothe not onelye restrayne our handes from kyllyng with violence and force but it for byddethe also all angre enuye wrathe hatred and malyce that we be not manquellers neyther in harte wourde nor deade For the lawe is spirituall as saynt Paule sayeth and requyreth of vs obedience not onli in outward worke but also in thaffection of hart and inwarde motions and most secret senses of the same And it is an hye wysedome to looke in the botome of this commaundemente ryghtly to vnderstande the same Therfore our lorde Iesus Christ dyd expounde thys commaundement his own selfe lest we should erre and falsely vnderstande it as the Iewes dyd For the Iewes thought that as long as they had refrayned theyr handes from killyng and slayng so long they had kept this commaundement And althoughe theyr hert had ben full of hatred enuye malice towardes their neighbour with cōtumelious wordes or dedes hadde gyuen occasion of manslaughter yet thys they counted for no syn and their scribes pharises did so teache thē Therfore Christ in the fifte of Mathew sayth Uerely I saye vnto you excepte your ryghteousnes excede the righteousnes of the scribes and pharises ye can not entre into the kyngedome of heuen Ye haue heard that it was sayde vnto them of the olde tyme Thou shalt not kyll Whosoeuer kylleth shalbe worthy to be iudged But I saye vnto you y t who soeuer is angry with hys brother shalbe worthy to be iudged Here you see good children that Christ doeth as ernestly forbydde hathered angre and enuye as he doeth bloudy māslaughter For he that is angry with his neyghbour killeth hys neyghbour in harte and wyll and breketh this commaundemente of God thou shalte not kyll And marke well good children that he sayeth not thy hande shall not kyl or thy sworde spere or gunne shall not slaye But he sayeth thou shalt not kyll that is to saye thou whiche arte made of bodie and soule shalte neyther kil with any of thy bodely members neyther yet with thy inward mind or wyll neyther wyth woorde nor deede But here paraduenture some wyll saye What thinke you syr of traytors commen theues robbers and murtherers oughte not suche to be kylled I answere that they ought to be kylled but yet God saieth thou shalt not kil thou shalt kepe peace with all mē Who then shall kyll suche malefactors Leaue punishemēt to me sayeth God and I will reuenge God himself wyl do execution vpon suche open trāsgressors of hys lawes And therfore here in this world God hath ordeyned vnder him kinges princes and other magistrates and hathe gyuen theim their swordes to this vse that thei should be his deputies in kylling such
wyfe her husbande lykewyse For this withdrawynge of the one frō the other althoughe it be but for a tyme yet yf it be donne agaynste the wil of ether partie it is syn although both of thē kepe their bodies vndefyled Secondarely yf you wil kepe this cōmaundemēt you must abstayne frō all fylthye wordes vncleane cōmunicatiō you muste not craftely go aboute with flatery and louynge wordes to deceyue the simplicitie of yong women you must not with fayre promyses or gyftes entise them to foly neyther with wanton songes or vnhonest dalyance kyndle the fire of lecherie but asmoche as is possible you shall auoid all wanton lokes and vnchaste gestures to muche nysenes in trymmynge and deckynge youre bodyes and apparellyng them to gorgiously and all kyndes of craftye entycementes whiche louers do vse to please y e eyes and myndes of their peramoures whereby they maye allure them to loue and lechery Thyrdly you must eschew all vncleane myndes and thoughtes For althoughe the worlde doethe neyther see nor punishe the synnes of our thoughtes yet God which sercheth mens hertes and raynes doeth both see and punishe them Therfore Christe sayth He y t seeth a woman to lust after her hath alredye committed adultery in hys harte You must also diligently auoyde al occasions by the whiche suche vnlawfull lustes are prouoked as surfetyng dronkenes idlenes wanton daunsing such like For Christe in this sermon of adultery sayeth Yf thy ryght eye gyue the an occasion to synne pul it out and cast it from the. For it is better that one of thy members peryshe then that thy whole bodye shoulde be cast into hell Muche more then yf surfetynge banketyng or suche other lyke do giue you occasion of synne you ought diligently to eschew them lest you fal into so perrellous a daungier Fourthly you oughte not only to kepe youre owne bodyes and soules chast and pure frome all vncleanes but also you muste take heede that you gyue no occasyon ayde or counsell to anye other to committe adulterye but asmuche as lyeth in you you shall studye that honest and chast lyuyng may be obserued of all men For these thynges both please God and be moche profitable to euerye cōmenwelthe You shall therfore vnderhande this commaundemente after thys sorte that you abstayne frome all adulterye and whoredome both in hearte woorde and dede that you auoyde all euell occasion bothe by youre selues and by other that we all maye leade a godly chast and pure lyfe that the bonde or knot of wedlocke maye not be broken or loosed Wherby the commen wealthe maye haue plentye of good and vertuous children whiche maye be able in tyme to come eyther to be preachers and ministers of Goddes most holy worde or to beare commen office in thadministration of the commen wealth to the glorie of God and profit of their neighbour Wherfore good children when ye shalbe demaunded how vndrestande you the syxth commaundement ye shall answere We ought aboue all thynges to loue and dreade our Lorde God and for his sake to lyue chastly in will worde and dede and euerye man is bownde to loue and cheryshe his wife The seuenth sermon ¶ An exposition of the seuenth commaundemente Thou shalt not steale YE haue hearde in the exposition of the syxte cōmaundemente howe we shuld behaue our selfes toward our owne wifes and oure neyghbours wifes also by the which commaūdemente as God hathe fortifyed wedlocke that no man shal besyge or assaut it so by the vertue and strength of this seuenth commaūdement Thou shalt not steale he defendeth oure neyghbours goodes and riches wherby he lyueth himselfe his wife children and familie For this precepte teacheth vs howe we should ordre our selues towardes oure neyghbours goodes and cattell that by fraud or stealth we conuey nothinge frō him that by violence or extorcion we take nothynge from hym but study to defende and encrease hys riches with as good a wyll as we would do oure owne And here note good children that this worde thefte doeth not onely signifie open robberies extorcions and manyfest poollyng but also all maner of craftes and subtile wayes by the whyche we conuey our neyghbours goodes from him contrarye to his knowledge or wyll althoughe the gyle haue neuer so fayre a coloure of vertue and honesty And to thentente you maye the better vnderstande this thinge I shall declare it vnto you by certen examples And fyrste I wyll begynne wyth Magistrates or commen officers God hathe commaunded vs to paye to prynces and gouernours of the commen wealth rentes seruices tributes customes toll subsidies pensions and other yerelye reuenewes wherby they maye be the more able to susteine and beare the charges of the commen admynistration and also to punyshe theim that be yll and to defende those that be good But when the magistrates do ouercharge theyr subiectes and exacte more of them then is nedefull to the mayntenaunce of the commen charges and so empouerishe and oppresse them whome they ought from all iniury and wronge to saue and defende then thys sore exaction is a notable and haynouse kynde of thefte in the sight of God Lykewise it is whā they do wring monye out of theyr subiectes handes vniustly and agaynste theyr wylles And tributes or subsidyes yf they take none but suche onely as of ryght are due vnto them yet yf they bestowe not the same as they ought to do but wastfullye spende that monye whiche was gathered for the maintenaunce of the commē charges and consume it in riot and vnlawful pleasures than they committe thefte before God Also God shall iudge them theues when for couetuousnesse they leaue suche thinges vndone whiche be necessarie to be done for the commen profite As when thei appoynt not good and mete men to be rulers vnder them byshoppes persons curates and scholemaysters because they grudge to gyue theym an honest and sufficient lyuyng but wyll take out of the commen sort to minister suche hygh offices those that will serue for lest monie And rulers of cities be theues when they suffer the necessarie buildinges of the citie as churches yelde halles the towne walles commen brydges comductes or suche lyke to decaye or fall to ruyne For so thorow their neglygence or couetousnesse the commen money is not employed to such vses for the whiche it was gathered Also Byshoppes pastors preachers and curates be theues whē for mennes fauour and their owne lucre they hydde the truethe of Goddes woorde and teache lyes and theyr owne dreames and sell all thinges for monie As of late tyme here in Englande manye of theym had great gaynes by diriges seruices to synge for sowles trentals pylgrimages pardons and suche lyke deceytes This kynde of deceyte in vttryng false ware for good is thefte before God For menne therby be deceyued whiche woulde gyue no monye at all for suche marchandise yf they were taught and warned of theyr abuses Likewise Lawers aduocates sergeants attorneis and procters are theues before God when
haue in heauen And this doth plainly and shortly teache vnto you the Crede For in the Crede wherin we saye thus I beleue in God y e father almightye And I beleue in Iesus Christ his onely sonne and last of all we saye I beleue in y e holy gost these thre sentences be asmuche to saye as I beleue in God whiche is the father the sonne and y e holy gost Infidels and vngodly people do not knowe this nor can vnderstande the same But Christē men haue this mysterye so openlye declared vnto them in the worde of God that babes and yong childrē may heare and learne this lesson almost as soone as they be able to crepe out of their cradell Wherefore we are boūde hartely to thāke God which hath opened vnto vs so great wisedome and mysteries Hereby you perceaue good childerne that in this shorte treatice called the Crede as I said before we be taught what God is that is to saye God the father God the sonne and God the holy gost Also herby we learne what great benefytes God hath gyuen vnto vs and howe tenderly he loueth and fauoreth vs lyke a moost gentle and mercifull father In y e whiche knowlege consisteth our felicitie and blessednes For yf we did only knowe what God were dyd know nothing of his wil towarde vs whether he were our frende or foo fauourable or angrie pleased or displeased with vs then oure conscience beynge waueryng and doutful shoulde be destitute and voide of comforte Wherfore lysten to me dilygently good childerne that you maye knowe what benefites those be which god hath gyuen among you what loue he beareth towarde you and what is the hope of euerlastynge lyfe to the whiche we be called The benefites of God towarde vs be infynite and innumerable yet neuertheles as God himself is thre persons the father the sonne and the holy gost so there be thre specyall workes whereby he hath declared his singular loue towarde vs. The first is that God the father hath creat made vs of nothing and gyuen to vs bodye and soule and all thinges necessarye to the maintenaunce of our lyues and hath made vs lordes ouer al erthly creatures The seconde is that whan we were all borne in synne God y e sonne dyd redeme vs from our synnes and wicked lyfe The thirde is that the holy gooste doth renewe our hartes sanctifye vs and make vs the temples of God And in these thre benefytes gyuen vnto vs by y e thre parsons of the most blessed Trinitie consisteth the matier and effecte of the hole Crede For this is the briefe summe of the Crede to saye I beleue in God the father whiche did creat and make me I beleue in God the sonne whiche did redeme me And I beleue in the holy gost whiche hath sanctifyed and halowed me For the whiche consyderations we entende to deuyde this our exposition made vpō the Crede into thre partes of y e which the first shalbe of y e Creation the second of the Redemptiō and the third of Sanctificatiō And first we will entreat of the Creation which is expressed in these wordes I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauē earth Where note good children that this worde I beleue signifyeth asmuche in this place as I truste So that this sentence I beleue in God the father is asmuch to saye as I trust in God the father and loke assuredly to receaue all good thinges at his hande Wherefore this is the meanyng of the forsaid artycle that we ought to put oure trust in no creature but in the true and liuing god only For no creature cā do vs any good or harme without the wil of him We oure selues made not oure selues as it is writtē in the psalme nor we can nether saue ourselfes nether delyuer vs from any perrel Therfore we ought to put our trust in God only sticke fast to him hang vpon hym and to loke for al good thinges at his hande They therfore that trust in men in theyr fauour or frēdship they that trust in their owne learnyng wysedome riches power frendes or any such thing they do not truely beleue in God truly holly trust in him nor loke for al good thinges from him but rather dispise him and worship for theyr God and make an ydole of that thynge wherin they put their trust and so greuously offēd god Wherfore it must nedes be that at the length thei must be brought to confusion and ruine that they may lerne by their owne fal and decay that those wer but vaine thynges wherin they put their truste cōfidence and that onely God is the sure rocke and staye vpon whome who so euer leaneth shall not be deceyued nor confounded For it is the Lord god whiche daily pourethe vpon vs infinite benefites whiche giueth vs al thinges y t we haue nede of defendeth vs from all thinges y t may hurt vs ether in body or in soule And this is y e fatherly loue whiche he bereth toward vs to do al goodnes toward vs without our merites or deseruynges Wherefore we ought to trust in him yelde our selfes holly into his protection to loke for all good thinges at his hande with a mery harte and constant faith to cleaue to his goodnes in all thynges And this is the highest and chiefest sacrifice wher with God is pleased worshipped And whosoeuer beleueth in him after thys sort those he taketh for his welbelouyd children and in all thynges he declareth to thē that he is their louyng father Wherefore good children let vs not put our trust in any creature or in any worldly thing but at all tymes let vs fastē oure sure trust in our Lord God So we shalbe made his children and enioy lyfe euerlastinge Nowe considre good chyldren what a God he is in whome we beleue and in whome we put oure trust He is God the father the almyghtye maker of heauen and earthe And these woordes good children ought not slyghtly to be passed ouer for they be of greate weight and importaunce Wherfore I pray you as it were in balance to wey them dyligently and learne to vnderstande theym For these wordes conteine not in them worldly phylosophye or mannes sapience but heauenly and Godly wysedome Wherfore I praye you gyue good eare whiles I do declare them to you First this article teacheth vs that God is almyghtye that is to saye that he hath power to worke do all thinges whatsoeuer pleaseth hym and no creature in heauen or earth is able to let or withstande him and that no thynge is vnpossible vnto him And this is the foundacion and begynnynge of christian knowledge and faith to beleue that God is almyghtye The whiche many men do not beleue and yet neuertheles they will be counted christen men or rather great clarkes In thys number be they that do not beleue the bodye of Christ truely to be gyuen in the
soule reason senses eyes eares all my other members Also I beleue that the same almyghtye Lorde and God doeth dayly gyue to me and to vs al meat dryncke cloth wife children house lande ryches cattell and all thynges necessarye to the mayntenaunce of our lyues and y t he doth dayly defende kepe and preserue vs from al peril and delyuer vs from all euell And all thys he doethe of hys owne mere mercie and goodnes without our worthynes or deseruynges For the which benefites it is our dutie to render to hym continualll and euerlastyng thankes to obey hym in all thynges to take hede that we be not vnkynde to him y t hathe shewed so greate kyndnesse towardes vs. ¶ A generall conclusion to be rehersed at the ende of euery sermon made vpon the Crede Thus you haue heard good children the true and playne meanynge of this parte of the Crede Now it is youre parte deapely to prynte the same in youre heartes that you maye put your hole trust and confidence in the true and lyuynge God oure heauenly father And forasmuche as fayth is the worke of god and the light of our hartes whiche God putteth in vs by hys worde and holy spirite so that we can not atteyne fayth and the knowledge of Christ withoute goddes word and true preachers therfore accustome your selfes euē from youre tendre age to hear the worde of God that he by his holy spirite maye moue and sturre vp your hertes to true fayth knowledge of him And beside that you shall desier God with moste harty praiers that as he hath giuen you the gifte of fayth so he wyll contynew and increase the same in you that as you growe in age so also you may growe in the knowledge of Christ. For he that beleueth in Christ is made thereby the sonne of god heyre of lyfe euerlasting And then he gyueth vs his holye spirite to kyndle charitie in oure hartes wherby we loue God and kepe all hys commaundementes All these benefytes we receyue by faythe in the whiche who so euer contynueth vnto the ende of his lyfe shalbe saued the whiche God graunte to vs all Amen The seconde sermon of our Redemption I Declared vnto you heretofore good childrē that the Crede entreateth chiefly of thre thynges that is to saye of God the father that made the world of God the sonne that redemed the worlde and of God the holy goost that sanctifieth the worlde And in the former sermon I taught you the hygh heauenly philosophie of the creation Wherfore now I will vttre vnto you the great mistery of our redempcion whiche is conteyned in these wordes of the Crede I beleue in Iesus Christ his only begotten sonne our Lorde whiche was conceyued by the holye goost borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried He descended into hell The thirde daye he rose from death He ascēded to heauen He sytteth on the ryghte hande of God the father almyghtie From thense he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead In this seconde part of the Crede we may learne to know the secōde person in trinitie the sōne of god Iesus christ our lord And as in y e first article ye haue learned what benefytes we receyue of God the father to the sustentation maintenaūce of this temporal transitorie lyfe so in this seconde parte we shall lerne to know how great treasures and ryche gyftes we haue receyued by y e sonne of God Iesus Christ to the atteinyng of y e perfect euerlastīg lyfe And here you may cōsider good childrē how great was the miserie how horrible was the indignation of God whiche we were brought vnto by Adam So great it was that neyther golde nor syluer nor anye other thynge was able to bye vs out of the same but onely Iesus Christ y e sonne of God y t by hys death effusion of hys moost precious blod And of this great misery and indignation of God towarde vs this was the cause At what tyme God had made Adam and Eue and set thē in paradyse he intreated them lyke a most louyng and gentle father For he made theym lordes ouer al liuely creatures both beastes fyshe and fowle and did giue vnto them al trees y t bare fruit that thei might feade thereon Onely he forbad theym that they shoulde not eate of the tree of knowlege of good ylle And yet he gaue theym warnynge of y e great losse damage that they should suffer if they eat of that tree saying When soeuer you shall tast of the fruyt of that tree you shalbe made mortal and shall dye Their dutie had bene vnto so gentle a God and so mercifull a father in their hartes to haue beleued him trusted him loued him to haue obeyed hym and to kepe all his commaundemētes gladly But our most craftye enemy Satan enuying mans felicitie spake to Eue by the serpent and sayde No you shall not dye but you shall be lyke Gods knowyng both good euell And with these most poysened wordes perswaded Eue to eate of the fruyt whiche was forbydde And Eue gaue of the same to Adam who also did eat therof and so did breake gods commaundemente Nowe I praye you marke good childrē what thei lost by this their disobedience First when Adam and Eue wer thus deceyued by y e serpent and perswaded that God dyd not fauoure theym but had enuye at theim that they shoulde haue knowledge of good and yll and that for enuye he forbad thē to eate of that fruit that shoulde gyue to them so great knowlege they did no more trust God but beganne to trust themselues and did study to care prouide for thē selues Secondarily whē they no more trusted God they coulde no more finde in their hartes to loue hym but began to dote vpō them selues to thynke y t they had no better frende neither in heauē nor earth thē their awn selfes And after y t thei had thus put their trust and cōfidence in themselues and dotyngly loued all that was their awne by by folowed feare and concupiscence For by an by they beganne to hate and eschewe all thinges that wer paynful or vnpleasant to the fleshe and dotynglye to lust long for such thinges as wer delectable and pleasant to the fleshe Hereby you perceiue good children how our first parētes Adam and Eue poisened with the venome of the serpente were cast into .iiii. horrible vices or diseases The firste is that they dyd not trust in God The second that they dyd not loue God The third that they did not feare him but as a cruell tyranne The fourth that they were replenished with concupiscence and euyll desiers lustes and appetites And these be the rotes of originall synne oute of the whiche all other synnes do spryng and growe So Adam and Eue had a very great fal that fel from gods benediction
fauoure loue in to gods curse angre dyspleasure that fel from original iustyce into original syn by the which fal al the strēgth and powers both of their bodyes and soules were sore decaied corrupted And as oure firste parentes Adam Eue were infected and corrupted euen so be we that be their children For as we see by dayly experience y t commenly gowtie parentes begetteth gowtie children And yf the father and the mother be infected with the leprie we se commenly that the childrē borne betwene them haue the same dysease So lykewyse as our first parētes Adam and Eue dyd not put their trust in God no more do they y t be carnally borne of theim And as they loued not God so their childrē loue him not And as they folowed their owne concupiscence lustes and appetytes and not the wil of God euen so do all their yssue So that all their posteritie vpon earth be sinners euen in their mothers wombes For thei haue not their truste in God they loue not God they haue not a fatherly feare vnto hym they be ful of yl lustes appetites desiers as you haue herde good children in the .ix. and tenth commaundementes And for this cause the scripture dothe say that all we are conceyued and borne in synne And sainct Paule sayeth that by nature we be the children of Gods wrathe So that we all shuld euerlastingly be damned yf Christ by his death had not redemed vs. Wherfore good children marke well this parte of youre Crede that teacheth you bothe to knowe Christe and by what meanes he dyd redeme you For firste in the Crede he is called the only sonne or onely begotten sonne of God Whereof it muste nedes folowe y t he is very God by nature borne of God the father before the foūdacion of the worlde was layde He is the euerlastyng wisedome and worde of God by the whiche God the father made all thinges That he is also verye man it is euidently expressed in these wordes I beleue in Iesus Christe whiche was conceyued by the holy gooste borne of the virgyne Marye suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified deade and buried And these .ii. forsaide thinges I can not comprehende more shortely nor aptely than by these wordes Christ our Lorde is verye God and very man Secondly learne this also by what meanes Christ dyd redeme vs. For what soeuer God hath commaunded in the ten commaundementes whiche we haue not fulfylled because we be all synners y t Christe himselfe hathe fulfylled for vs. And what soeuer punishment we haue deserued to suffre of God for oure synnes and offences that Christe hath taken vpō himself suffered for vs. By this you may perceyue howe requisite it was that Christ God and man should be conceyued by the holy gooste and borne of a pure virgyn For if Christ shoulde redeme vs and satisfye for our synnes than must he nedes be holy without synne For yf he had bene gyltye and a synner then coulde not he haue holpen his owne selfe but he must nedes haue had an other Sauyor and Redemer for him aswel as we haue for vs. For what soeuer he had done or suffred shuld haue bene worthely for hys owne offences yet could he not haue satisfied for hym selfe muche lesse then he coulde haue satysfyed for other Wherfore it was necessary yf he should satisfye for vs that he should be conceyued of the holy gooste and borne of a virgyn that his natyuitie myght be pure wythout synne and not corrupte as ours is That oure corrupte and damnable natiuitie myghte be purified and made holy by the holy and pure natiuitie of Christ. Therfore we say in the Crede He was conceyued of the holy goost borne of the virgyn Marye that Christe beynge pure and cleane frome all synne mighte redeme synners and satisfye for theim Now for asmuch as the iustice of God dydde require that Christe should suffer and make satisfaction for vs and do all thynges that we were bound to do it was necessarie that he should be made man For if he had not bene a veray naturall man he coulde not haue done for vs all those thynges which we were bound to do And agayne yf he had not bene veraye God he coulde not haue bene pure and cleane from al syn and so haue made a true and perfect satisfaction for oure synnes For no man can perfectly fulfyll the wyl of God but God himself alone Wherfore in that he suffered for our synnes therby he declared that he was a verye pure and natural manne Agayne he gaue moost certayne and euydente tokens of hys Godhed in that he ouercomed and vanquyshed the deuell synne and deathe For yf he hadde not bene veraye God he coulde not haue losed the bandes of death nether haue raysed himselfe frō death to lyfe So you hear good childrē y t our lorde Iesus Christ was very God and very man not cōceyued in syn as we be but conceyued by the holye goost and borne of the moste pure virgyn Marie And as man he suffred deathe for vs and descended into hell But as naturally God he losed the bandes and paynes of hell he destroyed the kyngdome of death he rose from deathe to lyfe and so payed the raūsome for our synnes and toke away all the gylthynes of the same Therfore when we beleue in Christ and stedfastly cleuyng to the worde of God suerly perswade oure selues in oure hartes that we be thus redemed by Christe then God is no more angry or displeased with vs for our synnes but freely and mercyfullye he forgyueth vs all our offences for the deathe and passiō of his sonne Iesus Christ and he gyueth vs also the holye gooste by whose healpe we maye wythstande synne and be delyuered from the same The whiche matiers sayncte Paule doth knyt vp in one bryef sentence not so shorte as notable and weyghtye sayinge Christe was delyuered to deathe for oure synnes and dyd ryse agayne for oure iustification In the whiche sentence saynct Paule doeth not onely declare what Christe dyd but also for what ende and for whome he suffered death and rose agayne For seynge that Christe was that moost innocent lambe that neuer was blotted with any spot of syn and yet he suffered for vs as a synner it is euident hereby that he dyed not for himselfe but toke vpon him oure synnes and bore for vs the burden which we shuld haue borne Moreouer seing that Christ was not ouercome by deth but by his myghty power he dyd vanquyshe death and rose frome deathe to lyfe and sytteth at the ryght hande of the father hereby we maye euidently perceyue that the great wrath and indignation of God to vs hathe an ende and that by our liuely faith in hī our synnes be forgyuen vs and that we be reconsiled into the fauoure of God made holy and ryghtuous For than God doth no more impute vnto vs our former synnes but he doth impute
is not vnknowen to God how harde a thynge it is for vs to beleue that God frelye and for his mere mercye wyll pardon vs whan we haue offended him Wherfore he hath added to his promyse this token whereby we might be assured that he hath forgyuen vs that is to saye when we forgyue our neighbors For although it be harde to forgyue our neyghbours their offēces against vs yet more harde it is to beleue that God hath forgyuen vs. Let vs therfore lay aside al anger and dyspleasure and accustome our selues gladly to forgyue our neyghboures that thereby we maye the soner beleue that our Lorde God hath forgyuen vs. For God is muche more inclyned and redye to mercye then we mortal menne be Moreouer the forgyuyng of oure neyghboure Christe here in dothe not only stablyshe our faith y t our synnes be forgiuē of God but also it doth nouryshe peace concorde brotherly charitie For if we shuld not muche forbeare and forgyue one another but euery man shuld studye howe he mighte be reuenged of his neighboure for euerye matter eyther by force or elles by subtiltie then we shoulde neuer haue measure nor ende of chiding scoldynge layinge in watche one of an other deceauynge lawyng fightyng and suche lyke Then fare wel all quietnes peace concorde and good ordre And this reuengynge of oure selfes should greatly hurt vs both in oure bodye soule good name honore and ryches as experience dayly teacheth vs. For oftentimes we see that whyle a man goeth to lawe for two or thre crownes he spendeth twentye or thirthye And manye men be kylled themselues whyle they go aboute to stryke or woūd other Wherefore it is much better one of vs to forgyue an other then to prouoke and increace the anger and malyce one of another And although we lose part of our goodes thereby yet we shall haue this great wynnynge therby that God wil forgyue vs euen as we forgyue them that trespasse agaīst vs. And note wel good children that Christ doth not teache vs to saye forgyue vs oure grosse synnes but forgyue vs our dettes or trespaces For it is a greater benefyte to haue oure dettes and all offences forgyuen then to haue oure grosse synnes forgyuen vs. For that we proprely cal synne which we do directly agaīst gods commaundement But that is called dette or offence whē we ought to do good do it not or do good vnperfitely although dyrectly we do no hurte to no man And we Christen men althoughe by baptisme we be made the chyldren of God receiue y e holy gost which doeth healpe vs to withstande all euil to do y t is good although we cōmit no grosse sin nor breake the law by any outwarde acte yet we do not perfectely fulfyll gods commaūdementes nor do al thinges whiche we ought to do And when we do not all thinges which we oughte to do then euer we be detters synners in some thyng But God forgyueth vs these dettes for Christes sake when we praye to him therfore and forgiue our neighbours for his sake And this is the cause why we can not be iustified or deliuered from syn death and hell by oure own workes For in asmuche as oure good workes be euer vnperfecte and haue nede of pardon therefore we must nedes be redemed by the passion death resurrectiō of Christ as it hath ben taught you in that part of y e Crede which intreateth of our redemption wherfore in as much as according to oure Crede we beleue that God for Christes sake hathe forgyuen vs all oure synnes and dettes we oughte also earnestly to praye y t he wil deale with vs accordynge to our faithe and forgyue vs our trespaces as we forgyue theim that trespace agaynst vs. And this is the playne vnderstāding of this fifth petitiō whiche we dayly hourely ought to make to God And now I pray you good children that you wyll dilygentlye recorde the true meanyng of this petition And when you be asked this question howe vnderstande you the fifthe petitiō Answere and saye Herein we desyere that our heuenly father will not loke vpon oure synnes and for theim cast vs awaye For we haue not deserued those greate gyftes and grace whiche we desier at gods hādes nor we be not worthye to haue the same but we desyer God that althoughe we dayly offende him deserue greuous punyshmentes for our synnes yet he of his mere grace mercye wyl heare our prayers and frely forgyue vs oure offences And we offer our selues for his sake frō the botome of our heartes to forgyue them that haue offended vs. ¶ The syxte petition And suffer vs not to be led into temptacion NOwe you haue hearde how in the fyfte petition we desire God to giue vs all those thynges whiche oure Lord Iesus Christ hath deserued for vs by his passion deathe and glorious resurrection that is to say forgiuenes of our synnes and all therto belongynge euen as we forgyue them that haue offended vs as you haue learned in the seconde part of the Crede which intreateth of our Redemption Now therfore foloweth the syxt petitiō in the whiche we praye that God wyll gyue vs all those thinges whiche we haue learned in the .iii. parte of the Crede whiche intreateth of our Sanctification that is to saye we desyre that God will vouchesafe to sende vs the holye ghost whiche may assist vs in our continuall batell agaynste synne the fleshe the world and the deuel that in all temptations and skyrmishes with the same we may māfully withstande theim and ouercome theim For this we desyre when we say And suffer vs not to be led into temptation And to the intent that ye maye the better vnderstande this petition ye shall first dilygentlye learne this lesson that althoughe synne is forgyuen vs by Christ yet it is not whollye purged or dryuen oute of vs but synne yet sticketh fast in our flesh which doeth tempte and prouoke vs to do against Gods commaundementes For ye haue all redye lerned by the tenne commaundementes what synne is and what is very vngodlynes to y e intent ye may eschew it Also you haue herd in your Crede that God doth forgyue vs our synnes and doeth no more condempne vs for the same when we beleue in the son of God our sauiour Iesus Christe But yet neuertheles we feale the temptations of synne which cleueth to vs lyke glewe And that this is true euery one of you doth feale in your selues by dayly experience For when you grudge to do that thing whiche your parentes commaundeth you to do then synne tempteth you and prouoketh you to stoubbernes and disobedience towarde your father and mother But yelde not you to this temptacion but obey your father and mother as God hathe commaunded you Lykewise when you see other children haue any gay thing whiche pleaseth you so well that you woulde fayne haue the same then synne tempteth and
but be so deceaued blynded by y e deuel that synne is pleasant vnto vs and we see nothyng in the same but pleasure and profit and consyder not the anger of God due for synne nor the poysen that lyeth hyd in the same nor the payne that shal folow therof and so we perswade oure selues y t we haue no more nede to watche or fyght against synne but do consent to temptation and yelde oure selues into the handes of our enemies This Christ calleth to be led into temptation as in oure comen speache we are wont to saye This leadde me or this broūght me in to this myschiefe And that we be not led into temptation it is oure part ernestly to praye to God as Christ hath taught and commaūded vs. So ye perceaue good childrē the myserye of this transitorye mortal lyfe that it is full of temptations and snares But we muste not gyue place to them but withstande them and lyue godly But this we be not able to do excepte y e holy gost do sanctifye vs make vs pure and holy Wherefore we ought to praye to God that he wyll gyue vs the holy gost that he wyll vouchesaue to assiste and strengthen vs that we may withstande all temptations and keape his holy commaundementes And this is the meanyng and playne vnderstādyng of thys sixt petition Wherfore good children I praie you diligentlye learne the same that whē you be asked How vnderstande you the sixt petition you maye answere God tempteth no man But here we praye that God wil kepe and defēde vs that the deuel the world and the fleshe deceaue vs not and leadde vs not into vngodlynes ydolatrie blasphemie desperation or other horryble synnes And althoughe we be tempted with these synnes yet we desier God that at length we may ouercome thē and triumphe ouer them by the helpe and assistence of the holy ghost ¶ The seuenth petition But delyuer vs from euyl Amen YE haue hearde in the syxte petition howe we sue to God that he wyll rule gouerne and strengthen vs by his holy ghost that we maye be able to fyght against synne to w tstande al the perellous tentations of the fleshe the worlde and the deuyll and to ouercome theim so that we maye become ryghtuous and holye Nowe foloweth the seuenth laste peticion in the whiche we desire God to delyuer vs frō this perelous cōtinual battail from all other euelles that thys great daūgier may not continew for euer but y t at lēgth we mai haue some ende therof And for this Christ taught vs to pray to say Good Lorde delyuer vs frō euel And now to the intent that you may the better vnderstande thys petition you shall knowe good children that this word euel doth not sygnifie in thys place onely synne against Goddes commaundementes and vnbelefe agaynst Goddes promyse but here it betokeneth all kinde of aduersitie and affliction whiche we suffer for our synnes eyther in oure bodies soules honors or riches as ignorāce blyndnes of mynd sadnes sorow trouble of conscience fayntnes of the heart sickenes of the body pouertie sclaunders dispising reproches persecutions battayle sedition hunger pestilence al plages with the which Satā doth afflict and trouble vs either by hymself or by y e wicked world wherof he is prince and gouernoure The whiche euyls no man can numbre nor reherse for they be without numbre and encrease daylye more and more For the deuyll in this lattre tyme doeth dayly more and more rage against the true churche and people of God forasmuche as he perceyuethe that hys kyngdome draweth to an ende and a shorte tyme remayneth vntyll the day of iudgemente come and his euerlastynge damnation Furthermore the worlde waxeth dayly worse and worse and mē waxeth more wylde and vnrulye synne wickednes malice and craftines encrease aboue all measure so muche that it is not possible to numbre the great floodes of euels whiche haue almoste ouerflowed the worlde Amonge the whiche euels there is suche blyndnesse and corruption of iudgement that few therebe whiche can rightly deserue what is good and what is euell As for example Many men when they be sycke iudge bodily sicknes to be a great euell wheras in dede yf they woulde take it as they ought to do it is to theim an occasion of greate goodnes Who perchaunce yf they shoulde haue contynuall health woulde forget God and runne hedlonge into daungerous perels both of bodye and soule from the whiche euyls their bodyly diseases do staye and let theym And so their bodyly syckenes wourkethe in theym their soule health and saluation Also many menne sette al their mynde vpon riches and welth of this worlde whiche maketh them proude and hyghe mynded full of reuengynge idle and slouthful piteles to y e poore and stubburne both toward god and their neighboure to put their truste in theym selues and to folowe bodyly pleasures in ryotyng surfetynge and bancketynge whereof ensueth dyuerse diseases and sicknesses wher as if they hadde ben poore menne they woulde haue labored for their lyuynge and shoulde haue lyued muche more temperatlye healthefully quietly and Godly And manye there be whiche veraye vnpacyentelye take aduersitie and murmure againste God whan their worldly diuises come not to passe after their myndes and manye tymes they know not what daūger they shuld haue come vnto yf God had not letted theyr purpose so that we knowe full lytle what is for vs or agaynste vs what is good or yll but as we be taughte by the word of God And therefore we do not desyre God to delyuer vs frome thys or that particuler or specyall euell but we be taughte to praye to God with these shorte wordes and syghynges of the spirite that God wyll vouchesafe to healpe vs not as we shall thynke good whiche do not well knowe what is good nor what is yll for vs but as it shall please him and as he shall iudge profytable for vs not prescribyng or appoyntynge vnto hym eyther tyme place or maner of helpynge or delyueryng of vs. For as sayncte Paule sayeth we knowe not what to praye for as we ought to do but the spirite himselfe maketh intercession for vs wyth syghynges whiche can not be declared Neuertheles let not thys sayinge of saynct Paule dyscorage vs frome prayinge For God is not so ignoraunt that he nedeth that we should expresse oure particuler requestes vnto hym For he knoweth what we wante before we open our mouthes to praye to hym Wherefore Christe in the gospel teacheth vs thys lesson whan ye praye saieth Christe bable not muche as the Heythen do For they thinke that they shall be hearde for their muche bablynge But be not you lyke vnto them For your heauenly father knoweth what you lacke before you aske of hym Now forasmuche as the euelles of this myserable lyfe be so many that we can neyther noumbre them knowe theim nor rightly iudge of them as I haue
but durynge thys lyfe we fyght agaynst synne vntyl we die and so be tryed and proued whether we loue him and his commaūdementes better then oure owne wylles and pleasures Also oure mercyefull father layeth on oure backes diuerse afflictions and aduersities to pul downe our proud and hyghe stomakes and to mortifie our fleshe that we may be like oure brother Christe who by the crosse ouercame synne deathe and the deuyll and so entred into euerlastynge glorye So that in this petitiō we must lerne both wisedome and pacience wisdome to beware of synne whā it prouoketh vs and in no wise to folow the same Pacience to suffer willyngly the crosse and suche afflictions as God shall sende vnto vs to pray god with feruent desier that he suffer vs not to perishe in the same but mercifullye to defende vs vntyll suche tyme as it shall please hym clearly to delyuer vs whiche shalbe when we shal dye and by Goddes power be raised agayne from death to lyfe and be delyuered from all maner of euels Therefore when we say in the Lordes prayer delyuer vs from euyll we chiefly desyre God to send vs a good deathe that then aboue all other tymes we may be delyuered from all euels For as muche as at that houre we be in the most daunger of all euels and temtations Wherfore it is moste necessarie for vs euen from our tender age to praye to oure Lorde that at that laste houre chiefly he wyll be good and gracious vnto vs delyueryng vs from all maner of euell So that death maye be to vs none euyll but a clere acquayntaūce frome al euels And this the lordes prayer we must euer ende with this word Amen Wiche is asmuche to saye as suerly I trust it shalbe so And it is not ynough to say Amen with our tongue only but also Amen muste be in oute harte and continew and tary there that is to saye we ought to beleue suerly and constantlye that our prayer is hearde and that oure heauenly father wil graunt vs oure petitions For so Christ hath promysed that what soeuer we aske the father in hys name it shalbe gyuen to vs. And for that intente Christe confirmeth this his promise w t an othe saying Amen Nowe you haue hearde good children the true and playne exposition of the seuenth and last petition whiche I praye you to place in your memories that when you be demaunded howe vnderstande you the seuenth petition you may redely answere Herein we generally desyre our heauenly father to delyuer vs frō all euell and perell bothe of body soule lande catell and riches And that when we shall ley on oure death bed he wyll than graunt vs a good houre that we may departe oute of thys vale of miserie in hys fauoure and from thys transitorie lyfe enter into life euerlastynge The whiche God graunte vs all Amen ¶ A sermon of Baptisme OUre Lorde Iesus Christ good children ▪ in y e gospell of Iohn saith thus Except a man be borne agayne of y e water and the spret he can not enter in to the kyngdome of God Nowe we ought to direct our hole lyfe to come to the kyngedome of heauen For the Lorde sayth First seke the kyngdō of god And you haue heard heretofore that we dayly make thys petition to god thy kingdō come Wherfore it is very necessarie for vs to know how we must be borne againe what thys secōd birth is w tout the which we can not entre into the kingdōe of God But when we speake of a seconde birth you shal not so grosse lye vnderstande this sayinge as though a mā which is once borne should entre agayne into hys mothers wombe so be borne againe as he was before For it were great folyshenes so to thinke But here we meane of a seconde birthe which is spiritual wherby our inwarde man and minde is renewed by the holye ghost so that our hertes and myndes receaue newe desiers which they had not of theyr first birth or natiuitie And the seconde birth is by the water of Baptisme whiche Paule calleth the bathe of regeneration because oure synnes be forgyuen vs in Baptisme and the holy gost is powred into vs as into goddes beloued childrē so that by the power and wourkynge of the holye Ghost we be borne agayne spiritually and made newe creatures And so by baptisme we enter into the kingdome of God shalbe saued for euer yf we continewe to oure lyues ende in the faithe of Christe Wherfore good childrē cōsidre diligently y e strength of baptisme and marke wel howe greate treasures and howe excellent benefites you receaued in youre baptisme that you maye thanke God for the same and comfort youre selfes by theim in all your temptations and endeuoure youreselfes faithfully to performe al thinges which you promised in your baptisme And that you mai do this y e better hear and learne the wordes of our master Christe by the whiche he dyd ordeyne and institute baptisme And oftentymes repete the same that you maye lerne them worde for worde wythout y e boke These be the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ spoken to his dyscyples Go into the whole world and teache al nations baptise thē in the name of the father the sonne and the holi gost He that wyl beleue and be baptised shalbe saued But he that wyll not beleue shall be damned By these wordes oure Lorde Iesus Christe dyd institute baptisme wherby we be borne agayne to the kyngdom of God And you good childrē shall gyue diligence not onely to reherse these wordes but also to vnderstād what christe ment by the same That when you be demaunded any questyon herein you maye bothe make a dyrecte answere and also in tyme to come be able to teache youre children as you your selues are nowe instructed For what greater shame can ther be then a man to professe him selfe to be a Christen man because he is baptised and yet he knoweth not what baptysme is nor what strength the same hathe nor what the dyppyng in the water doth betoken wher as all oure lyfe tyme we ought to kepe those promises which there we solemply made before God and man and all oure profession and lyfe oughte to agre to our baptisme Wherefore good children to thentent you may the better know the strength power of baptisme you shall first vnderstande that our lorde Iesus Christ hath instituted and annexed to the gospel thre sacramēts or holy seales of his couenāt and lege made with vs. And by these thre gods ministers do worke with vs in the name and place of God yea God him selfe worketh with vs to confirme vs in our faith to asserten vs that we are y e lyuely membres of Gods trew churche and y e chosen people of God to whome the gospell is sent and that all those thinges belong to vs wherof the promises of the gospel make mentiō The first of
these sacramentes is baptisme by the whiche we be borne again to a new and heauenly lyfe and be receaued into gods churche and congregation whiche is the foundation and pyller of the trueth The seconde is absolution or the authoritie of y e keyes wherby we be absolued from suche synnes as we be fallen into after oure baptisme The thirde sacrament is the communion or y e Lordes supper by the whiche we be fedde and nourished and fortified in y e faith of the ghospell and knowlege of Christ that by this fode we maye growe more and more in newnes of lyfe so that we maye be no longer children but maye waxe perfecte men and ful growē in Christ. For I wolde you should wel know this good children that a Christen mās knowlege and lyfe is a more excellēt thing than vnlerned people can iudge For a christen man hathe the certen worde of God where vpon he maye grounde hys conscience that he is made a christen man and is one of Christes mēbers which he is assured of by baptisme For he that is baptysed maye assuredlye saye thus I am not now in this wauering opiniō that I only suppose my selfe to be a christiā man but I am in a sure belefe that I am made a Christen mā For I know for a suerty that I am baptised I am sure also that baptysme was ordeyned of God and that he whiche baptysed me did it by gods commission and commaundemente And the holy goste doth witnes that he whiche is baptysed hathe put vpon hym Christ. Wherfore the holy gost in my baptisme assureth me that I am a Christen man And this is a true and syncere fayth whiche is able to stande agaynste the gates of hell for asmuche as it hath for it the euydence of gods worde and leaneth not to any mans saying or opinion Furthermore good chyldren you shall dylygentlye learne the cause wherefore we are baptysed You haue alredy herde y t by baptisme we be borne agayne The cause of this our secōd birth is the synfulnes and filthynes of our first birth For by our first natiuitie whan we were borne of our fathers and mothers all we were borne in synne and whē we yssued out of oure mothers wombe we were laden with synne and Gods angre as it was at large declared vnto you in the exposition of y e ten cōmaundements and speciallye in the last cōmaundement For as Adam did synne and by sinne was so corrupted both in his body and soule that by his awne power or strēgth he was not able to do any good thinge euen so all the children ofspring of Adam be borne synners so that they can not be iustified by themselues or by their awn strength but are inclined and bent to synne at all tymes And as saynt Paul saieth by nature they be the children of Gods wrath That is to saye God is angrye w t vs for those synnes whiche by nature be as it wer a kynne to vs and we be borne with theim into this world But when we be borne againe by baptisme thē our sinnes he forgyuen vs and the holy goste is giuē vs which doth make vs al so holy doth moue vs to al goodnes Wherefore good children whē a man is baptysed it is as muche to saye as he dothe there confesse that he is a synner and that he is vnder the rule and gouernaūce of sinne so that of himselfe he can not be good or ryghtuous And therefore he commeth to baptisme and there seketh for helpe and remedy and desyreth God first to forgyue him his synnes at length to deliuer him clerely from all synne and perfectely to heale his soule from the sykenes of synne as the physitian doth perfectely heale his patient from bodely diseases And for his parte he promyseth to God againe and solemply voweth that he wyl fyght againste synne with all his strength and power that he wyll gladly beare the crosse and al suche afflictiōs as it shal please God to lay vpon him and that also he wil be contēt to dye y t he may be perfectly healed and delyuered from synne For God doth forgiue vs our synnes by faith but by afflyctions and death he dothe take theim cleane away as saint Peter witnesseth sainge He y t suffereth or is afflycted in y e fleshe doth cesse from synne And sainct Paule sayeth he that is deade is iustified or delyuered from synne These be the promyses which we make whē we are baptised And of this mind must all they be whiche shall haue any fruite by baptisme Wherfore seyng all you that be here are alredy baptysed continewe I praye you in this good mynde and purpose knowlege in your hartes before God that you be synners be sory for y e same and praye to God to heale and delyuer you frō youre sinne Beware you fal not to sinne againe haue no delite in sinne nor synne not wyllyngly But be godly and holy and suffer gladly suche afflictions as God shall lay vpon your backes And yf you do thus then your baptisme shal be auaile able vnto you God shall worke in you by his holy spirit and shall fynyshe in you all those thinges which by baptisme he hath begon Hitherto you haue herde what we promyse to God when we are baptised now learne also I pray you what God worketh in vs by baptisme what benefites he gyueth vs in the same For baptysme is not water alone and nothinge els besides but it is the water of god and hath his strength by y e worde of God and is a seale of gods promyse Wherefore it doth worke in vs all those thinges where vnto God hath ordeyned it For oure Lord Iesus Christ saieth Go and teache all nations and baptyse them in the name of y e father and the sonne and the holy gost This god commaunded his disciples to do Wherfore by the vertue of this commaūdement which came from heuen euen from the bosome of god baptisme doeth wourke in vs as the wourke of God For when we be baptised in the name of God that is as muche to saye as God him selfe shoulde baptise vs. Wherfore we oughte not to haue an eye only to the water but to God rather whiche did ordeine the baptisme of water and commaūded it to be done in his name For he is almyghtye and able to worke in vs by baptisme forgiuenes of our synnes al those wonderful effectes and operatiōs for the whiche he hathe ordeyned the same althoughe mannes reason is not able to conceyue the same Therfore consider good chyldren the greate treasures and benefytes whereof God maketh vs partakers when we are baptised whiche be these The firste is that in baptisme our synnes be forgyuen vs as sainct Peter witnesseth saiynge Let euerye one of you be baptised for the forgiuenes of his synnes The seconde is that the holy gost is gyuen vs the whiche doth sprede abrod the loue of
God in oure harte whereby we maye kepe Goddes commaundementes accordyng to this saying of saynt Peter Let euerie one of you he baptised in the name of christ and then you shall receyue the gyft of the holy ghost The thirde is that by baptisme the whole rightuousnes of Christ is gyuen vnto vs that we maye clayme the same as our owne For so saincte Paule teachethe saying As many of ye as are baptised in Christe haue putte vpon you Christ. Fourthly by baptisme we die with Christ and are buried as it were in his bloude death that we shoulde suffer afflictions and death as Christ himself hath suffered And as that man whiche is baptised doth promise to God that he wyll dye with Christ that he maye be deade to synne and to the old Adam so on the other part God doth promise againe to him that he shalbe partaker of christes death and passion And also God maketh al afflictions whiche he sufferethe to be good and profitable vnto him as was the passion of Christ and not damnable as it was to Iudas and dyuerse other vngodlye parsons By thys which I haue hetherto spoken I trust you vnderstaÌ„de good children wherfore baptisme is called the bath of regeneratioÌ„ and howe in baptisme we be borne agayne and be made new creatures in Christe The whiche doctryne you shall the better vnderstande yf you consider in what coÌ„dition you were before you were baptised and in what state you stande in after your baptisme Firste before we were baptised it is euideÌ„t that we were synners and he that is a synner can haue no peace nor quietnes of coÌ„science before he come to Christ so muche he feareth Goddes wroth and euerlastyng damnation But after that oure synnes in baptisme be forgyuen vs and we beleue the promyse of God and so by oure faith be iustified than our conscyences be quieted and we be glad and mery trustyng assuredly that God is no more angrye with vs for our former offences and that we shal not be damned for y e same And thys is a meruelous alteration and renewyng of the inward manne the whyche coulde be wrought by the power of no creature but by God alone Also before we were baptised we were slaues and boundemen to synne so that we neyther coulde do that good which we would haue done nor could kepe vs from that euil whiche we would not haue done as saint Paule complaynethe of himselfe But whan by baptysme the holy gost was gyuen vs the whiche did spread abrode the loue of god in our hartes and did also delyuer vs from y e boundage and tyrannye of synne and gaue vs new strength power to wrastle against synne and manfullye to withstande our gostly enemye the deuel thaÌ„ after a certen maner we were able to fulfyl gods commauÌ„dementes And this is a greate chaunge and renewyng of the inwarde man And this I wold you shoulde know for a suertye good childreÌ„ stedfastly beleue y e same that no child of y e Iewes or Turkes whiche is not baptysed hathe the holy ghoste neyther that anye suche can vnderstande the worde of God neyther that anye suche is holy or righteous before God Wherefore you shall thanke God with all youre harte whiche hath brought you to baptysme And when you beleue in the name of Christ and loue the ghospell and are glad dyligeÌ„t to hear y e same theÌ„ this is a suer tokeÌ„ y t by the gospel you haue receaued y e holy gost Furthermore he that is a synner not baptised althoughe he had the holy ghoste to this effecte to helpe him to fight againste synne yet oftentymes he is ouer come and falleth to synne And althoughe he doth oftentimes ouercome sinne yet this is a great vnperfectenes y t he dothe it not willingly but that this fight against sinne is tedious and greuous vnto him Wherefore he is euer in perrel lest he be ouercome of syn And in case he doth manfully w tstande synne yet he seeth that his iustyce and obedience be to weake and vnperfecte to stande before the iudgement of God as in dede no man not the holyest is able to stande before y e iudgemeÌ„t of God by his awne rightuousnes But when in baptisme the rightuousenes of Christ is gyuen and imputed to hym then he is delyuered from al those perrels For he knoweth for a suerty that he hath put vpoÌ„ him Christ and that his weakenes imperfectioÌ„ is couered hydde with the perfecte ryghtuousnes and holynes of Christ. Wherfore after baptisme he doth not trust in his awne rightuousnes but in Christ only And he is no more pensyue or doubteful coÌ„syderynge his awne weaknes but he is ioyful because he coÌ„sidereth that he is made partaker of Christes rightuousnes And this agayne is a great alteratioÌ„ and renewyng of the inwarde man These newe affections and spiritual mocions are in the soulles of suche as are borne again by baptisme but they be vnknowne to worldly men and suche as be not led by the spirite of God And wheÌ„ they that beleue and be baptysed do continewe in this their faith to â—he ende of their lyues then God shall rayse them vp from death to lyfe that they maye be immortall and lyue euerlastingly with christ And then when syn and the kingdome of death is vtterli abolished and destroied we shalbe perfectly holy and rightuous both in body and soule And for this cause our sauioure Christ doth cal in y e gospel the rysyng againe from death a regeneration or a seconde begettyng Al these thynges doth baptisme worke in vs wheÌ„ we beleue in Christe And therefore Christe sayeth He that wyll beleue and be baptysed shall be saued But he that wyl not beleue shalbe damned Wherefore good children learne dylygentlye I praye you the fruyt operation of baptisme For it worketh forgyuenes of sin it delyuereth from death power of the deuel it gyueth saluation euerlastynge lyfe to all them that beleue As the wordes of Christes promyse doth euydently witnesse But peraduenture some wil saye Howe can water worke so greate thinges To whome I answere that it is not the water that dothe these thinges but the almyghtye worde of God whiche is knyt and ioyned to the water faith which receyueth gods worde promyse For with out the worde of God water is water and not baptisme But when the worde of the liuing God is added and ioyned to the water then it is the bathe of regeneration and baptisme water and the lyuely springe of eternall saluation and a bathe that wassheth our soules by the holy ghoste as saynct Paule calleth it saying God hath saued vs thorowe hys mercy and made vs partakers of the rightuosnes of hys welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ. Now consyder depely I praie you how great benefytes these be that you maye not be vnkynde to him that hath done so much for you but stedfastlye beleue these thinges mortifye synne