BEcause all men be synners, and offendors against GOD, and breakers of his law and commaundementes, therfore can no manne by his awne actes, woorkes, and deedes, (seme thei neuer so good) be iustified, and made righteous before God: but euery man of necessitie, is constrayned to seke for another righteousnesse, or iustificacion, to be receiued at Gods awne handes, that is to saie, the remission, pardon, and forgeuenesse of his synnes and trespasses, in suche thynges as he hath offended. And this iustificacion or righteousnesse, whiche we so receiue by Gods mercie, & Christes merites, embraced by faithe, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God, for our perfect and full iustificacion. For the more ful vnderstandyng hereof, it is our partes and duetie, euer to remembre the greate mercie of God, how that (al the worlde beyng wrapped in synne, by breakyng of the lawe) God sent his onely sonne, our sauior Chrste into this worlde, to fulfill the lawe for vs: and by shedyng of his moste precious bloud, to make a sacrifice and satisfaccion or (as it maie bee called) amendes, to his father for our synnes: to asswage his wrathe and indignacion conceiued against vs,The efficacie of 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 . for thesame. In so much that infantes, beyng baptised, and diyng in their infancie▪ are by this sacrifice, wasshed from their synnes, brought to Gods fauor, and made his children, and inheritors of his kyngdome of heauen. And thei whiche actually do synne after their baptisme, whē thei conuerte and turne again to God vnfainedly, thei are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their synnes, in suche sorte, that there remaineth not any spotte of synne, that shalbe imputed to their dampnacion. This is that iustificacion, or righteousnes, whiche sainct Paule speaketh of, when he saieth:Roma▪ iii▪ no man is iustified, by the workes of the law, but frely by faith in Iesus Christ. And again he saieth: we beleue in Christ Iesu, that we be iustified frely,Roma. viii. by the faith of Christe, & not by the workes of the lawe, because that no man shalbe iustified by the workes of the law. And although this iustificaciō, be fre vnto vs, yet it commeth not so frely vnto vs, that there is no raunsome paied therfore at all.Obiection. But here maie mannes reason be astonied, reasonyng after this fashion: if a raunsome bee paied for our redempcion, then is it not geuen vs freely: For a prisoner that paieth his raunsome, is not let go frely, for if he go frely, then he goeth without raunsome: for what is it els to go freely, then to bee set at libertie, without paiment of raunsome.

This reason is satisfied by the greate wisedome of God, in this mistery of our redempciō,An answere▪ who hath so tempered his iustice and mercie together, that he would neither, by his iustice condempne vs, vnto the perpetuall captiuitie of the deuill, and his prison of hel, remediles for euer, without mercie: nor by his mercy, deliuer vs clerely, without iustice, or paiment of a iust raunsome: but with his endlesse mercie, he ioyned his moste vpright and equall iustice. His greate mercy he shewed vnto vs, in deliueryng vs from our former captiuitie, without requiryng of any raunsom to be paied, or amēdes to be made, vpon our partes: whiche thyng, by vs had been impossible to bee doen. And where as it laie not in vs, that to do, he prouided a raunsome for vs, that was the moste precious body & bloud of his awne moste dere and best beloued sonne Iesu Christe: who besides his raunsom, fulfilled the lawe for vs perfectly. And so the iustice of God, & his mercie did embrace together, and fulfilled the mistery of our redempcion. And of this iustice and mercie of God knit together, speaketh saincte Paule, in the .iii. Chapiter to the Romans: 〈◊〉 iii. al haue offended, and haue nede of the glory of God, iustified frely by his grace, by redempcion, whiche is in Iesu Christ, whom God hath set furth to vs, for a reconciler, & peace maker, through faith in his bloud, to shewe his righteousnesse. And in the .x. Chapiter: 〈◊〉 Christ is the ende of the law, vnto righteousnes, to euery man that beleueth. And in the .viii. Chapi: 〈◊〉 . viii. that whiche was impossible by the lawe, in asmuche as it was weake by the flesh, God sendyng his awne sonne, in the similitude of synfull fleshe, by synne dampned synne in the fleshe, that the righteousnesse of the lawe, might be fulfilled in vs, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite.

Three thynges muste go tog • ther ī our •• stificacion.In these foresaied places, the Apostle toucheth specially three thynges, whiche muste concurre and go together, in our iustificacion. Upon Gods part, his greate mercie and grace: vpon Christes parte, iustice, that is, the satisfaccion of gods iustice, or the price of our redempcion, by the offryng of his body and shedyng of his bloud, with fulfillyng of ye law, perfectly & throughly: and vpon our part, true and liuely faithe in the merites of Iesu Christe, whiche yet is not oures, but by Gods workyng in vs. So that in our iustificacion, is not onely Gods mercie and grace, but also his iustice, whiche the Apostle calleth the iustice of God, and it cōsisteth in paiyng our raunsome, and fulfillyng of the lawe: and so the grace of God, doth not exclude ye iustice of God, in oure iustificacion, but onely excludeth the iustice of man, that is to saie, the iustice of our woorkes, as to be merites of deseruyng our iustificaciō. And therefore sainct Paule declareth here nothyng, vpon the behalf of man, concernyng his iustificaciō, but onely a true and liuely faith, whiche neuertheles is the gift of God, and not mannes onely worke without God. And yet that faithe,Howe it is to be vnderstand that faith iustifieth, without woorkes dooth not exclude repentaunce, hope, loue, dread, and the feare of God, to be ioyned with faithe, in euery mā that is iustified: but it excludeth thē frō the office of iustifiyng. So that although thei be all present together in hym that is iustified, yet thei iustifie not all together. Nor that faithe also, doth not exclude the iustice of oure good workes, necessarily to bee doen afterward of duetie, towardes God (for wee are moste bounden to serue God, in doyng good deedes, commaunded by hym in his holy scripture, all the daies of oure life): But it excludeth theim, so that we maie not doo theim, to this intent, to be made good by doyng of them. For all the good workes that we can do, bee vnperfecte, and therfore not able to deserue our iustificaciō: but our iustificacion dooth come frely, by the mere mer • ie of GOD, and of so greate and free mercie, that whereas all the worlde was not able of their selfes, to paye any parte towardes their raunsome, it pleased our heauenly father, of his infinite mercie, without any our deserte, or deseruyng, to prepare for vs the mooste precious iewelles of Christes body and bloud, wherby our raunsome might be fully paied, the lawe fulfilled, and his iustice fully satisfied. So that Christe is nowe the righteousnesse of all them, that truely doo beleue in hym. He for theim paied their raunsome, by his death. He for theim, fulfilled the lawe in his life. So that nowe, in hym, and by hym, euery true Christian man maie be called a fulfiller of the lawe, forasmuche as that, whiche their infirmitie lacketh, Christes iustice hath supplied,

Before was declared at large, that no manne can be iustified by his awne good workes, because that no manne fulfilleth the lawe, accordyng to the full request of the lawe. And saincte Paule, in his Epistle to the Galathiās,Galath. • ii. proueth thesame, saiyng thus If there had been any lawe geuen, whiche coulde haue iustified, verely, righteousnesse should haue been by the lawe. And again he saieth: if righteousnesse bee by the lawe, then Christe died in vain. And again he saieth: you that are iustified by the lawe, are fallen awaie from grace. And furthermore, he writeth to the Ephesians,Ephes ii. on this wise: by grace are ye saued through faithe, and that not of your selfes: for it is the gift of God, and not of workes, lest any man should glorie. And to bee shorte, the summe of all Paules disputacion, is this: that if iustice come of woorkes, then it commeth not of grace: And if it come of grace, then it commeth not of woorkes. And to this ende,Actes. x. tēdeth al the Prophetes as saincte Peter saieth, in the tenthe of the Actes: Of Christe, all the Prophetes (saieth saincte Peter) do witnes, that through his name, al they that beleue in him, shal receiue the remission of synnes.Faithe onely iustifieth, is the doctrine of old doctors. And after this wyse to be iustifyed, onely by this true and liuely faithe in Christ, speaketh all the olde and auncient aucthors, bothe Grekes & Latyns. Of whom I will specially reherse thre: Hillary, Basill, & Ambrose. Sainct Hillary sayeth these wordes plainly, in the ninth Canon, vpon Matthewe: Faithe onely iustifyeth. And saincte Basill, a Greke aucthor writeth thus: This is a perfect and a whole reioysyng in God, when a man auaunteth not hymselfe, for hys awne righteousnes, but knowledgeth hymself, to lacke true iustice and righteousnes, and to be iustifyed by the onely faithe in Christ: And Paul (saieth he) doeth glory in the contempte of hys awne righteousnes,Philip. iii. and that he loketh for his righteousnes of God, by faythe.

These be the verye woordes of sainct Basill. And sainct Ambrose, a Latyn aucthor, sayeth these wordes: This is the ordinaunce of God, that he, whiche beleueth in Christ, should be saued, without workes, by faithe onely, freely receiuyng remission of his synnes. Consyder diligently these woordes: without woorkes, by faythe onely, freely, we receyue remissyon of oure synnes. What can be spoken more plainlye, then to saye: that freely, withoute woorkes, by fayth onely, we obteyne remission of oure synnes? These and other lyke sentences, that we be iustifyed by fayth onelye, frelye, and without workes, we do reade oftymes in the moste best and aūcient writers. As beside Hillarye, Basill, & sainct Ambrose, before rehersed: we read thesame in Origene, saincte Chrisostome, saincte Cypriane, saincte Augustine, Prosper, Oecomenius, Phocius, Bernardus, Anselme, and many other aucthors, Greke and Latine. Neuertheles, this sentence: that we be iustified by fayth onely: is not so meāt of them, that the sayed iustifiyng fayth is alone in man, without true repentaunce, hope, charitie, dread and feare of God, at any tyme or ceason. Nor when they say: that we be iustified frely:Faithe alone 〈◊〉 it is to 〈◊〉 • nderstande. they meane not, that we should or might afterwarde be idle, & that nothyng should be required on oure partes afterward. Neither thei meane not so to be iustified without our good workes, that we shoulde do no good workes at all, lyke as shalbe more expressed at large hereafter. But this proposicion, that we be iustifyed, by faith onely, frely, and without workes: is spoken, for to take away clerely all merite of oure workes, as beyng insufficient, to deserue our iustificacion at Gods handes, and thereby moste plainly to expresse the weakenes of man, and the goodnes of God, the great infirmitie of oure selfes, and the myght and power of God, the imperfectnes of oure awne workes, and the moste aboundaunt grace of our sauior Christe. And thereby whoey to ascribe the meryte and deseruing of our iustificaciō, vnto Christe onely, and his moste precious bludshedyng. This faythe the holy scripture teacheth: this is the strong rocke & foundacion of Christian religion: this doctryne all olde and auncient aucthors of Christes churche do approue: this doctrine,The profit of the doctrine of faithe onely iustifieth. What thei be that impugne the doctrine of faith only iustifieth. aduaūceth & setteth furthe the true glory of Christ, and suppresseth the vayne glory of man: This, whosoeuer denieth, is not to be reputed for a true christian man, not for a setter furth of Christes glory, but for an aduersarye of Christe and his Gospell, & for a setter furth of mēnes vainglory. And although this doctrine be neuer so true, (as it is most true in dede) that we be iustified freely,A declaracion of this doctryne: faythe without workes iustifieth without al merite of our awne good workes (as S. Paule doth expresse it) and freely, by this liuely and perfect fayth in Christe onely, as the auncient aucthors vse to speke it: yet this true doctrine must be also truely vnderstande, and moste plainly declared, lest carnall men should take vniustly occasyon thereby, to lyue carnally after the appetite and will of the world, the flesh, and the deuil. And because no man should erre, by mistakyng of this doctrine, I shall plainely & shortely so declare the right vnderstandyng of the same, that no man shall iustly thinke, that he maye therby take any occasion of carnall libertie, to folowe ye desires of the flesh, or that therby, any kind of synne shalbe committed, or any vngodly liuyng the more vsed.

First, you shall vnderstande, that in our iustificacion by Christ, it is not all one thinge, the office of God vnto man, and the office of man vnto God. Iustificacion is not the offyce of man, but of God: For man cannot iustifye himselfe by his awne workes, neither in parte nor in the whole, for that were the greatest arrogancie & presumpciō of man, that Antechrist could erect agaynst God, to affirme, that a man might, by his awne workes, take awaye and purge his awne synnes, and so iustifie himself. But iustificacion,Iustificaciō is the office of G • d onely. is the office of God onely, and is not a thyng, whiche we rendre vnto hym, but whiche we receiue of him, not whiche we geue to him, but whiche we take of him, by his free mercie, & by the onely merites, of his moste derely beloued sonne, our onely redemer, sauiour, and iustifier, Iesus Christ. So that the true vnderstandyng of this doctrine: We be iustified freely by faith, without workes: or that we be iustified by faithe in Christ onely, is not, that this our awne acte to beleue in Christe, or this oure faithe in Christe, which is within vs, dooth iustifie vs, and merite oure iustificacion vnto vs (for that were to cōpte our selfes, to be iustified by some acte or vertue, that is within oure selfes): But the true vnderstandynge and meanynge thereof is, that although we heare Gods woorde, and beleue it: although we haue faith, hope, charitie, repentaunce, dread, and feare of God within vs, and do neuer so many good woorkes thereunto: yet we must renounce the mertte of all our saied vertues, of faith, hope, charitie, and all our other vertues, and good dedes, which we either haue doen, shal do, or can do, as thynges that be farre to weake, and insufficient and vnperfecte, to deserue remission of our synnes, and oure iustification, and therefore we must trust, onely in Gods mercie, and in that sacrifyce, whiche our high prieste, and sauior Christ Iesus, the sonne of God, once offered for vs vpon the crosse, to obtein therby Gods grace, and remission, aswel of our originall synne in baptisme, as of all actuall synne, cōmitted by vs after oure baptisme, if we truely repente and conuerte vnfainedly to hym agayn. So that as sainct Ihon Baptiste, although he were neuer so vertuous and Godly a man, yet in this matter of forgeuyng of synne, he did put the people frō hym, and appoynted them vnto Christ, saiyng thus vnto them: Behold, yonder is the lambe of GOD,Ihon. i. whiche taketh awaye the synnes of the world: Euen so, as greate and as Godly a vertue as the liuely fayth is, yet it putteth vs from it self, & remitteth or appointeth vs vnto Christ, for to haue only by him remission of oure synnes, or iustification. So that our fayth in Christ (as it were) saieth vnto vs thus: It is not I, that take awaye your synnes, but it is Christ onely, and to him onely, I send your for that purpose, renoūcyng therein all your good vertues, woordes, thoughtes, and woorkes, and onely puttyng your trust in Christe.

Thus you do se, that the very true sense of thys proposicion: We be iustifyed by faythe in Christe onely: (accordyng to the meanyng of the old auncient aucthors) is this: we put oure faithe in Christe, that we be iustifyed by hym onely, that we be iustified by Gods free mercie, and the merites of our sauior Christe onely, and by no vertue or good worke of our awne, that is in vs, or that we can be able to haue or to do, for to deserue thesame, Christ hymself onely, beyng the cause meritorious thereof.

Here you perceiue many woordes to be vsed, to auoyd cōtencion in wordes with them, that delighte to braule aboute woordes, and also to shewe the true meaning, to auoyde euill talking & misunderstandyng: And yet peraduenture all wyll not serue with theim, that be contencious: but cōtenders will euer forge matter of contencion, euen when thei haue none occasiō thereto. Notwithstandyng, such be the lesse to be passed vpon, so that the rest maye profite, which wil be more desirous to know the truth, then (when it is playn enough) to contende aboute it, and with cōtencious, and capcious cauillacions, to obscure and darkē it. Truthe it is, that out awne woorkes, doo not iustifye vs, to speake properly of our iustificacion (that is to saie) our workes do not merite or deserue remissiō of our synnes, and make vs of vniust, iuste before God: But God of his mere mercie, through the onely merites and deseruynges of his sonne Iesus Christ, doth iustifie vs. Neuerthelesse, because fayth doth directely sende vs to Christe for remission of our synnes, & that by faithe geuen vs of God, we embrace the promise of Gods mercie, and of the remission of oure synnes, (whiche thyng, none other of oure vertues or woorkes properly doth) therfore scripture vseth to say, that faith without workes doth iustifie. And for asmuch, that it is al one sentēce in effecte to saye: Faithe without woorkes, & onely fayth doth iustifie vs, therfore the olde auncient fathers of the Churche, from tyme to tyme, haue vttered our iustificacion with this speache: Onelye faythe iustifieth vs: meanyng none other thing, then sainct Paule meant, whē he sayd: faith without workes iustifieth vs. And because, al this is brought to passe, through the onely merites and deseruinges of our sauior christ, & not through our merites, or through the merite of any vertue, yt we haue within vs, or of any worke that cōmeth frō vs: therfore, in that respecte of merite & deseruyng, we renoūce (as it wer) altogether agayn, faith, workes, and all other vertues. For our awne imperfeccion, is so greate through the corrupciō of original synne, that al is imperfect, that is within vs: faithe, charitie, hope, dreade, thoughtes, wordes & workes, and therefore, not apte to meryte and deserue, any parte of our iustificacion for vs: And this forme of speakyng we vse, in the humblyng of oure selfes to God, and to geue all the glory to our sauior Christ, whiche is best worthy to haue it.

Here you haue heard the office of God in oure iustificacion, and how we receyue it of him, frely, by his mercie, without our desertes, through true and lyuely faythe. Now you shall heare the offyce and duetie of a christian man vnto God, what we ought on oure parte, to rendre vnto God agayne, for his greate mercye and goodnes. Oure offyce is,Thei that preache, faith onelye iustyfieth, doo not teache carnall libertie, or yt we should do no good workes. not to passe the tyme of his present lyfe vnfruictfully and idlely, after that we are baptised or iustified, not caryng howe fewe good workes we do, to the glory of God, and proffite of our neighbors: much lesse it is oure office, after that we be once made Christes mē bres, to lyue cōtrary to thesame, makyng our selfes membres of the deuil, walking after his inticementes, and after the suggestions of the world and the fleshe, wherby we know, that we do serue the world, and the deuill, and not God. For that faythe, which bryngeth furth, (without repentaunce) either euyll workes, or no good workes, is not a right, pure, and liuely faithe, but a ded, Deuilishe, counterfeit, and feyned fayth, as sainct Paul, & sainct Iames cal it. For euen the deuilles know and beleue,The deuils haue fayth, but not the true faithe. that Christ was borne of a virgyn, that he fasted forty dayes, & fortye nightes, without meate and drynke, that he wrought all kynde of myracles, declaryng hymself very God: They beleue also, that Christe for oure sakes, suffered moste paynfull death, to redeme vs from eternal death, & that he rose agayn from death the thyrde daye: They beleue, that he ascended into heauen, and that he sitteth on the right hand of the father, and at the laste ende of this world, shal come agayne, and iudge bothe the quicke and the deade. These articles of our faith, the deuilles beleue, and so they beleue all thinges that be writtē, in the new and old Testamēt to be true, & yet for all this faith, they be but deuilles, remainyng styll in their dampnable estate, lackyng the very true christian fayth. For the right and true christiā faith is, 〈1 line〉 not onely to beleue that holy scripture, & all the forsaied articles of our fayth are true, but also to haue a sure trust & confidence in Gods mercifull promises, to be saued from euerlastynge dampnacion by Christe: 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 haue not true faith wherof doeth folowe a louyng harte, to obey his cōmaundementes. And this true Christian faythe, neyther any deuyll hath, nor yet any man, which, in the outwarde profession of his mouth, and in his outward receiuyng of the Sacramentes, in commyng to the churche, and in all other outward apparaunces, semeth to be a Christian man, & yet in his liuyng and deedes, sheweth the cōtrary. For how can a man haue this true faith, this sure truste and confidence in God: That by the merites of Christe, his synnes be remitted, and he reconciled to the fauor of God, and to be partaker of the kyngdom of heauen by Christ when he liueth vngodly, and denieth Christe in his dedes. Surely, no suche vngodly man, can haue this faith & trust in God. For as they know Christe to bee the onely sauior of the worlde, so they knowe also, that wicked men, shall not possesse the kyngdō of God. Thei know,Psalm v. yt God hateth vnrighteousnes that he will destroye all those, that speake vntruly, that those that haue doen good workes (whiche can not be doen without a liuely faythe in Christe) shall come forth into the resurrection of lyfe, & those that haue doen euill, shall come vnto resurrectiō of iudgement: and very well they know also, that to them that be contencious, & to them that will not be obedient vnto the truth, but wil obey vnrighteousnes, shall come indignacion, wrathe, and affliccion. &c. Therfore, to conclude, considerynge the infinite benefites of God, shewed and exhibited vnto vs, mercifully withoute oure desertes, who hath not onely created vs of nothyng, & from a pece of vile clay, of his infinite goodnes hath exalted vs (as touchyng our soule) vnto hys awne similitude and lykenesse: but also, wheras we were cōdempned to hel, & death eternall, hath geuen his awne natural sonne, beyng God eternall, immortall, and equal vnto himselfe, in power & glory, to bee incarnated, and to take our mortall nature vpō oim, with the infirmities of the same: and in the same nature▪ to suffre moste shamefull and paynful death, for our offences, to thintent to iustifye vs, & to restore vs to lyfe euerlastyng, so makyng vs also his dere beloued chyldrē, brethren vnto his only sonne, our sauior Christ, & inheritors for euer with him, of his eternall kyngdō of heauē.

These greate and mercifull benefites of God (if they be well considered) do neither minister vnto vs occasiō to be idle, & to liue without doyng any good workes, neither yet stirreth vs▪ by any meanes to do euill thinges▪ but contrarywise, if we be not desperate persones, and oure hartes harder then stones, they moue vs to rendre our selfes vnto God wholy, with all our wil▪ hartes▪ might and power, to serue him in all good dedes, obeyng his commaundementes, during our lifes: to seke in al thinges, his glory and honor, not our sensuall pleasures & vaynglory, euermore dreadynge, willingly to offende suche a merciful God & louyng redemer, in worde, thought, or dede. And the sayde benefites of God depely considered, do moue vs, for his sake also, to be euer redy to geue our selfes to our neighbors, and asmuch as lyeth in vs▪ to study with all oure indeuour, to doo good to euery man. These be the fruites of the true faythe, to do good (asmuche as lieth in vs) to euery man. And aboue all thynges, and in all thinges, to auaunce the glory of God; of whom only we haue our sanctificacion, iustificacion, saluacion, and redempcion▪ To whome be euer glory, prayse, and honor▪ worlde without ende. AMEN.

THE firste entrie vnto God,Faithe. (good christian people) is through faith: whereby, (as it is declared in the laste Sermon) we be iustifyed before God. And least any mā should be deceyued, for lacke of right vnderstanding thereof, it is diligently to be noted, that faythe is taken in the scripture, two manes of wayes. There is one fayth,A deed faith. whiche in scripture is called a dead faythe, whiche bryngeth furth no good workes, but is idle, barrain, and vnfruitefull. And this faith, by the holy Apostle sainct Iames, is compared to the fayth of deuilles,Iames. ii. which beleue, God to be true, and iuste, and tremble for feare, yet they do nothynge well, but al euill. And suche a maner of fayth, haue the wicked and naughtie thristian people, whiche confesse God (as saincte Paule sayeth) in their mouthe,Tit • . but denye hym in their deedes, beynge abhominable, and withoute the righte fayth, and to all good workes reproueable. And this faith is a persuasiō and belief in mā nes harte, wherby he knoweth that there is a God, and assenteth vnto all trueth of Gods moste holye worde, conteyned in holy scripture. So that it consisteth onely, in beleuing of the woorde of God, that it is true. And thys is not properlye called faythe: But as he, that readeth Cesars Commentaries, beleuyng thesame to be true, hath thereby a knowledge of Cesars lyfe, and noble actes, because he beleueth the history of Cesar: yet it is not properly saied, that he beleueth in Cesar, of whome he loketh for no helpe, nor benefite: Euen so, he that beleueth, that all that is spoken of God in the Bible, is true, and yet liueth so vngodly, that he cānot loke to enioy the promises and benefites of God: although it maye be saide, that such a man hath a faith & belief to ye wordes of God, yet it is not properly saied, that he beleueth in God, or hath suche a fayth & truste in God, wherby he may surely loke for grace, mercy, & eternall lyfe at Gods hand, but rather for indignacion & punishment, according to the merites of hys wicked life. For as it is written in a boke, entituled to be of Didimus Alexādrinus: forasmuch as faith without workes is ded, it is not now faith: as a ded man, is not a man. This ded faith therfore, is not yt sure and substancial faith, which saueth synners.

A liuely faith.Another fayth there is in scripture, whiche is not (as the foresayde faith) idle, vnfruitfull, and dead, but worketh by charitie (as S. Paule declareth.) Gal. v.Galat v. Whiche, as the other vayn faith, is called a ded faithe, so maye thys be called a quicke or liuely faith. And this is not onely the cōmon belefe of the Articles of our faith, but it is also a sure truste and confidence of the mercy of God, through our lorde Iesus Christ, and a stedfast hope of all good thynges to be receiued at Gods hande: & that although we, through infirmitie, or temptaciō of our ghostly enemie, do fall from him by synne, yet if we returne agayn vnto hym, by true repentaunce, that he wyll forgeue & forget oure offences, for hys sonnes sake our sauior Iesus Christ, & will make vs inheritors with him, of his euerlastyng kyngdom, and that in the meane tyme, vntyll that kyngdom come, he will • e our protector and defendor in all perils & daungers, whatsoeuer do chaunce: and that, though somtyme he doth sende vs sharpe aduersitie, yet yt euermore he wilbe a louyng father vnto vs, correctyng vs for our synne, but not withdrawyng hys mercy finally from vs, if we trust in hym, and commit our selfes wholy vnto hym, hang onely vpon hym, and call vpon hym, ready to obey and serue hym. Thys is the true, liuely, and vnfayned christian faith, and is not in the mouthe and outward profession onely: but it liueth, and stirreth inwardly in the hart. And this faythe, is not without hope and truste in God, nor without the loue of God and of our neyghbors nor without the feare of God, nor without ye desyre to heare Gods worde, and to folowe thesame, in eschewyng euill, and doyng gladly all good workes.

Thys faith,Hebre. xi. (as sainct Paule describeth it) is the sure ground and foundaciō of the benefites, whiche we ought to loke for, and trust to receyue of God: a certificat & sure expectacion of them, although they yet sensiblie appere not vnto vs. And after he saith: he that cōmeth to God, must beleue, both that he is, & that he is a mercifull rewarder of wel doers. And nothyng cōmendeth good men vnto God so muche as this assured faith, & trust in him. Of this faithe, iij. thinges are specially to be noted. First,Thre thynges are to bee noted of faith that this faithe, doth not lye ded in the hart, but is liuely and fruitful in bringing furth good workes. Second, y• without it, cā no good workes be doen, yt shalbe acceptable, & pleasaūt to God. Thirde, what maner of good workes thei be, yt this faith doth bryng furth.

Faithe is full of good workes.For the first, as the light cannot be hid, but will shewe furthe it self, at one place or other: So a true faith cannot be kept secret, but when occasion is offered, it will breake out, & shew it self by good workes. And as the liuyng body of a mā euer exerciseth suche thinges, as belongeth to a naturall & liuyng body, for nourishement & preseruacion of thesame, as it hath nede, opportunitie and occasion: euen so the soule, that hath a liuely faith in it, wyl be doyng alwaye some good worke, whiche shall declare that it is liuyng, and will not be vnoccupied. Therfore, when men heare in the scriptures, so high cōmendacions of faythe, that it maketh vs to please God, to liue with God, and to be the children of God: if then they phantasie▪ that thei be set at libertie, frō doyng all good workes, and may liue as thei liste, thei trifle with God, & deceyue themselfes. And it is a manifest token that thei be farre from hauing the true and liuely faith, & also farre from knowledge, what true faith meaneth. For the very sure & liuelye christian faith is, not only to beleue al thinges of God, whiche are conteyned in holy scripture: but also, is an earnest trust, and cōfidence in God, that he doth regarde vs, and hath cure of vs, as the father of the child, whom he doth loue, and that he will be mercifull vnto vs, for his onely sonnes sake: and that we haue our sauior Christ, oure perpetuall aduocate & priest, in whose onely merites, oblacion, & sufferyng we do trust, that oure offences be continually wasshed and purged, whensoeuer we, (repentyng truly) do returne to hym, with our whole harte, stedfastly determinyng with our selfes, through his grace, to obey and serue him, in kepyng his commaundemē tes, and neuer to turne backe again to synne. Such is the true faythe, that the scripture doeth somuche cōmende, the whiche, when it seeth and considereth, what God hath doen for vs, is also moued through continual assistence of the spirite of God, to serue & please hym, to kepe hys fauor, to feare hys displeasure, to continue his obedient childrē, shewing thā kefulnes agayn, by obseruyng his cōmaundementes, and that frely, for true loue chiefly, and not for dread of punishement, or loue of temporall reward: cōsideryng how clerely, without our deseruynges, we haue receyued his mercy and pardon frely.

Thys true faythe will shewe furthe it selfe,Abac. ii. and cannot longe be idle. For as it is written: The iuste man doth liue by his fayth. He neither sleapeth, nor is idle, when he should wake and be well occupyed. And God by his prophete Hieremie sayeth:Hiere. xvii. that he is a happy and blessed man, whiche hath fayth and confidence in God. For he is lyke a tree, sette by the water syde, that spreedeth hys rootes abroode towarde the moysture, and feareth not heate when it commeth: his leafe will be grene, and will not cease, to brynge furth his fruite: Euen so faithefull men, (puttyng awaye all feare of aduersitie) wyll shewe furthe the fruite of their good workes, as occasion is offered to do them.

The Wisemā saieth: he that beleueth in God,Eccl. xxxii. wil harken vnto his commaundementes. For if we doo not shewe our selfes faithfull in oure conuersacion, the faith which we pretend to haue, is but a fayned faith: because the true Christian faith, is manifestly shewed by good liuyng, and not by woordes onely as sainct Augustine saith,Lib • o, de fide et operibus. Capit. ii. Sermo. de lege et fide. good liuyng cānot be separated frō true faith: which worketh by loue. And S. Chrisostome saith, faith of it self, is full of good workes, as sone as a mā doth beleue, he shalbe garnished with thē. How plētifull this faith is of good workes, and how it maketh the woorke of one man, more acceptable to God then of another, S. Paule teacheth at large in the .xj. chap. to the Hebr. saiyng:Hebre xi that faith made the oblacion of Abell better, then ye oblaciō of Cain.Gene. iiii. Gene. vi. Eccle. xliii. Gene. xi. This made Noe to buyld ye arcke. This made Abraham to forsake his countrey, and all his frendes, and to go vnto a far countrey, there to dwel emong straungers. So did also Isaac and Iacob, dependyng onely of the helpe and trust, that they had in God. And when they came to the countrey, which God promysed them, they would buylde no cities, townes, nor houses, but liued like straungers in tentes, that might euery daye be remoued. Their trust was so muche in God, that they set but litle by any worldly thyng, for that god had prepared for them, better dwelling places in heauē, of hys awne foundacion and buylding. This faithe made Abraham ready at Gods commaundement,Gene. xii. Eccle. xiiii. to offre hys awne sonne and heire Isaac, whom he loued so well, & by whom he was promysed to haue innumerable issue, emong the whiche, one shoulde be borne, in whom all nacions should be blessed: trustynge so muche in God, that though he were slain, yet ye God was able by his omnipotent power, to raise him frō death, & perfourme his promyse. He mistrusted not the promise of god, although vnto hys reason euery thyng semed contrary. He beleued verely, that God woulde not forsake hym in dearthe, and famyne, yt was in the countrey. And in al other daungers that he was brought vnto, he trusted euer yt God would be hys God, and his protector, whatsoeuer he sawe to the contrary.Exod. ii. Thys faithe wrought so in the hart of Moses, that he refused to be takē for Kyng Pharao hys daughters sonne, and to haue great inheritaunce in Egypt, thinkyng it better with the people of God, to haue affliction, and sorowe, then with naughtie men, in synne to lyue pleasauntly for a tyme. By faith, he cared not for the threatenynge of kyng Pharao: for his trust was so in God, that he passed not of the felicitie of this worlde, but loked for the rewarde, to come in heauen, settyng hys hart vpon the inuisible God, as if he had seen hym euer present before hys eyes.Exod. xiiii. Iosue. vi. By faith the children of Israel passed through the redde sea. By fayth, the walles of Hiericho, fell doune without stroke, and many other wonderfull miracles haue been wrought. In al good men, that heretofore haue been, faithe hath brought furth their good woorkes, and obteyned the promises of God.

Faith, hath stopped the Lions mouthes:Daniel. vi. Daniel. iii. faithe hath quenched the force of fire: faith hath escaped the swordes edges: faithe hath geuen weake men strength, victorie in battaill, ouerthrowen the armies of infidels, raised ye dedde to lyfe: faith hath made good men to take aduersitie, in good parte: some haue been mocked and whipped, bounde and caste in prison: some haue loste all their goodes and liued in great pouertye: some haue wādered in moū taines, hilles and wildernesse: some haue been racked, some slayn, some stoned, some sawē, some rent in peces, some hedded, some brent without mercy, and would not be deliuered, because they loked to rise agayne, to a better state.

All these fathers, martyrs, and other holy men, (whom sainct Paul spake of) had theyr fayth surely fired in God, when all the worlde was agaynst thē. They did not onely knowe God to be the Lord, maker and gouernor of all men in the worlde: but also they had a special confidence and trust, that he was, and would be their God, their comfortor, aider, helper, mainteyner, and defendor. This is the Christiā faythe, whiche these holy men had, and we also ought to haue. And although thei were not named christian mē, yet was it a christian faithe that they had, for they looked for all benefites of God the father, throughe the merites of hys sonne Iesu Christe, as we now do. This difference is betwene thē and vs, for they looked, when Christ should come, and we be in the tyme: when he is come. Therfore saieth sainct Augustyne:In Iho. • ra. • lv. ii. Cor. iiii. the tyme is altered, but not the faythe. For we haue both one fayth in one Christ. Thesame holy Ghost also, that we haue, had they, saieth sainct Paule. For as the holy Ghoste doeth teache vs to trust in God, and to call vpon hym as our father: so did he teache them to saye,Esaie. xliii. (as it is wrytten): Thou Lord; arte our father and redemer, and thy name is without beginnyng and euerlastyng. God gaue thē then grace to be hys chyldren, as he doeth vs now. But now by the cōming of our sauior Christ, we haue receyued more abūdātly the spirite of god in our hartes, wherby we maye cōceyue a greater faithe, & a surer truste, then many of them had. But in effect they & we be al one: we haue thesame faith, that they had in God, & thei thesame, yt we haue. And .s. Paul so muche extolleth their faith, because we should no lesse, but rather more, geue oure selfes wholy vnto Christ, both in profession & liuing now, when Christ is come, then ye olde fathers did before his cōmyng. And by all the declaraciō of .s. Paule, it is euident, that the true, liuely, and christian fayth, is no dead, vain, or vnfruictfull thyng, but a thyng of perfecte vertue, of wonderful operacion and strength, bryngyng furth all good mocions & good workes.

All holye scripture agreably beareth witnesse, that a true liuely faith in Christ, doeth bryng furth good workes, and therfore euery mā must examine himself diligētly, to know, whether he haue thesame true liuely faythe in hys harte vnfaynedly or not, whiche he shall know by the fruictes therof. Many that professed the faith of Christ, were in this error, that they thoughte they knewe God and beleued in hym, when in their lyfe they declared the contrarye: whiche error,i. Ihon. ii. sainct Ihon in his first Epistle confutynge, writeth in this wyse: Hereby we are certified, that we know god, if we obserue his cōmaundemē tes: he that saieth, he knoweth god, & obserueth not his cōmaundemētes, is a liar, & the trueth is not in him. And again he saieth, whosoeuer synneth,i. Ihon. iii. doeth not se God, nor knowe him: let no man deceiue you welbeloued childrē. And moreouer he saieth:i. Ihon. iii▪ hereby we know yt we be of the truth, & so we shal perswade our hartes before hym: For if our awne hartes reproue vs,i. Ihon. iii. God is aboue our hartes, and knoweth al thinges. Welbeloued, if our hartes reproue vs not, the • haue we confidence in God, and shall haue of hym whatsoeuer we aske, because we kepe hys commaundementes, and do those thynges, that please hym.i. Ihon. v And yet further he saieth: euery man that beleueth that Iesus is Christe, is borne of God: & we knowe, that whosoeuer is borne of God, doeth not synne: but the generacion of God, purgeth him, and the deuill doth not touche hym. And finally he concludeth: & shewing the cause, why he wrote this epistle sayth:i. Ihon. v. For this cause haue I thus written vnto you, that you maye knowe, that you haue euerlastyng lyfe, whiche do beleue in the sonne of God. And in hys thirde Epistle, • ii Ihon. i. he confirmeth the whole matter of faith and workes, in fewe wordes, saiyng: he that doth well, is of God, and he that doeth euill, knoweth not God. And as s. Ihō saieth: that as the liuely knowledge, and faith of God, bryngeth furth good workes: so saieth he likewise of hope & Charitie,i. Ihon. iii. that they cannot stande with euill liuynge. Of hope, he writeth thus: we knowe that when God shall appere, we shalbe lyke vnto hym, for we shall se hym, euen as he is. And who soeuer hath this hope in hym, doth purifie himself, like as God is pure. And of charitie he saieth these woordes: He that doeth kepe Gods woorde, or commaundemente, in hym is truely the perfecte loue of God,i. Ihon. ii. And agayne he saieth:i. Ihon. v. this is the loue of God, that we should kepe hys commaundementes. And s. Ihon wrote not this, as a subtile proposicion, deuised of hys awne phantasie, but as a moste certain & necessarie truth, taught vnto him by Christ himself, the eternall & in fallible veritie, who in many places doth moste clerely affirme, that fayth, hope, & charitie, cannot consist without good & godly workes. Of faith, he saith He that beleueth in the sonne, hath euerlastyng life,Ihon iii. i. Ihon v. but he that beleueth not in the sōne, shal not se that life, but the wrath of God remayneth vpō him. And thesame he confirmeth with a double othe, saiyng:Ihon. vi. Forsothe & forsothe, I saye vnto you, he yt beleueth in me, hath euerlastyng lyfe▪ Now, for asmuch as he that beleueth in Christ, hath euerlastīg lyfe, it must nedes consequently folow, that he yt hath this faith, must haue also good workes, & be studious to obserue Gods cōmaundemetes obediently. For to thē that haue euill workes, & leade their lyfe in disobedience, & transgression of Gods commaundemētes, without repentaūce, perteineth not euerlasting life, but euerlastyng death, as Christ himself saieth:Matth. xv. they that do wel, shal go into life eternal, but thei that do euill, shal go into ye eternal fire. And again he saith, I am the first lettre & the last,Apoc. xxi. the beginnyng & the endyng: to him yt is a thirste, I wil geue of the welle of the water of lyfe frely: He that hath the victorye, shal haue all thynges, & I will be his God, and he shalbe my sonne: But thei yt be fearfull, mistrusting God, & lacking faith, thei yt be cursed people & murderers, & fornicators, & sorserers, & Idolaters,Charitie bringeth furth good woorkes. Ihon. xiiii. & all liars, shall haue their porciō in ye lake, that burneth with fire & brimstone, which is the secōd death. And as Christe vndoubtedly affirmeth, that true faythe bringeth furth good workes: so doth he say likewyse of charitie.Ihon. xiiii. Whosoeuer hath my cōmaūdementes & kepeth thē, yt is he, yt loueth me. And after he saieth: he that loueth me, will kepe my worde, & he yt loueth me not, kepeth not my woordes. And as the loue of God is tried by good workes, so is the feare of God also, as the Wisemā saieth: ye dread of God putteth awaye synne. And also he saieth: he that feareth god wil do good workes.Eccle. i. Ecc • e. xv. A man may sone deceiue hym self, & thinke in hys awne phātasie, that he by fayth knoweth God, loueth him, feareth him, & belongeth to him, whē in very dede he doth nothyng lesse. For the triall of all these thinges, is a very godly & christian lyfe. He that feleth hys harte set to seke Gods honor & studieth to know the wil & cōmaundemētes of God, & to cōforme himself therunto, & leadeth not hys life after the desire of hys awne fleshe, to serue ye deuill by synne, but setteth hys minde to serue God, for gods awn sake, & for his sake also to loue al hys neighbors, whether they be frēdes or aduersaryes, doyng good to euery mā (as opportunitie serueth) & willingly hurtyng no mā: Such a mā maye wel reioyce in God, perceiuinge by the trade of his life, yt he vnfamedly hath ye right knowledge of God, a liuely fayth, a constant hope, a true, & vnfeined loue & feare of god▪ But he yt casteth awaie ye yoke of gods cōmaundemētes frō hys necke, & geueth hymself to liue without true repētaūce, after hys awne sensual mynde & pleasure, not regardynge to knowe Gods worde, & much lesse to liue according therunto: such a man clerely deceiueth himself, & seeth not hys awn harte, if he thinketh, yt he either knoweth god, loueth him, feareth him, or trusteth in him. Some peraduē ture phātasie in themselfes, yt thei belōg to God, althouh they lyue in synne, & so they come to ye Church & shewe thēselfes as Gods dere childrē.i. Ihon. i. But .s. Ihō sayth plaīly: if we saie, yt we haue any company with God, and walke in darkenesse, we do lye. Other doo vainly thīke, that thei know & loue God, although they passe not of his cōmaundementes.i. Ihon. ii▪ But s. Ihon saieth clerely: he yt saieth I know God, & kepeth not hys cōmaūdementes, he is a liar. Some falsly perswade thēselfes, yt thei loue God, whē they hate their neighbors. But s. Ihon saieth manifestly: if any mā say, I loue god, & yet hateth his brother, he is a liar.i. Ihon. iiii. i. Ihon. ii. He that saieth, yt he is in the light, & hateth his brother, he is stil ī darkenesse. He yt loueth his brother, dwelleth in the light, but he yt hateth hys brother, is in darkenesse, & walketh in darkenesse, and knoweth not whether he goeth: for darkenesse hath blynded hys eyes. And moreouer he saieth: hereby we manifestly knowe the childrē of God,i. Ihon. iii. from the children of the deuill: He that doeth not righteously, is not the childe of God, nor he that hateth hys brother.

Deceiue not your selfes therfore, thinkynge that you haue faith in God, or that you loue God, or do truste in hym, or do feare hym, when you lyue in sinne: for then your vngodly & sinfull life, declareth ye contrary, whatsoeuer ye saye or thinke. It perteineth to a christian man, to haue this true christian fayth, and to trye himself, whether he hath it or no, & to knowe what belongeth to it, & how it doeth worke in hym. It is not the worlde, that we can trust to▪ the world, and all that is therin, is but vanitie. It is God that muste be oure defence and protection, against all tēptacion of wickednesse, & sinne, errors, supersticiō, ydolatrie, & al euill. If al the world were on our side, & God agaīst vs, what could y• worlde auaile vs? Therfore let vs set our whole fayth, and trust in God, & neither the worlde, the deuil, nor al ye power of thē, shal preuayle agaynst vs. Let vs therfore, (good christiā people) trie & examyne our faith what it is: let vs not flatter our selfes, but loke vpō our woorkes, and so iudge of our fayth, what it is. Christe hīself speaketh of this matter, & saieth: The tree is knowen by the fruicte. 〈◊〉 . Therefore let vs doo good workes, & therby declare our faythe, to be ye liuely christian faith. Let vs by suche vertues as ought to spryng out of fayth, shew our elecciō to be sure & stable,i P •• er. • . as s. Peter teacheth. Endeuor your selfs to make your calling & electiō certain by good workes. And also he saieth: minister or declare in youre faith, vertue, in vertue, knowledge, in knowledge, tē peraunce, in tēperaunce, paciēce, again in pacience, Godlinesse, in Godlinesse, brotherly charitie, in brotherly charitie, loue. So shall we shew in dede, yt we haue ye very liuely christiā faith: & may so both certefie our cōscience the better, that we be in the righte faith, & also by these meanes cōfirme other men. If these fruictes do not folowe, we do but mocke with God, deceiue our selfes, & also other mē. Wel maye we beare ye name of Christiā mē, but we do lacke the true faith, that doeth belonge thereunto. For true faithe doeth euer brynge furthe good workes, as s. Iames saieth:Iames. ii. shewe me thy faythe by thy deedes. Thy deedes & workes, must be an opē testimonial of thy fayth: otherwise, thy fayth beyng without good workes, is but the deuils faith, ye faith of ye wicked, a phantasy of faith, & not a true christian faith. And like as the deuils & euil people, be nothyng the better for their counterfet faith, but it is vnto them the more cause of dāpnacion: so thei yt be christened, and haue receiued knowledge of God, & of Christes merites, and yet of a set purpose do liue idlely, without good workes, thinkyng ye name of a naked faith, to be either sufficiēt for thē, or els settyng their mindes vpō vain pleasures of this world, do liue in syn wt out repentaūce, not vtteryng the fruites, yt do belōg to suche an high profession, vpon suche presūpteous persōs, & wilful synners, must nedes remain ye great vengeaunce of God, & eternal punishmēt in hel prepared for ye deuil & wicked liuers. Therfore, as you professe ye name of Christ, (good christian people) let no suche phantasy and imaginacion of faith, at any time beguile you, but be sure of your faith, trie it by your liuyng, loke vpon the fruites yt commeth of it, marke the increase of loue & charitie by it, towades God and your neighbor, & so shal you perceiue it to be a true liuely faith. If you fele & perceiue suche a faith in you, reioyce in it, & be diligēt to maintein it, and kepe it stil in you: let it be daily increasing, and more & more, by wel workyng, & so shal ye be sure, yt you shal pleace god by this faith: & at the length (as other faithful mē haue doen before) so shal you (whē his wil is) come to him, & receiue thēde and final reward of your faith (as s. Peter nameth it) the saluacion of your soules: the which, God graunt vs,i. Peter. i. that hath promised thesame vnto his faithfull. To whō, be al honor and glory, worlde without ende. Amen.

IN the last Sermon was declared vnto you, what the liuely and true faithe of a christiā man is: that it causeth not a man to be idle, but to be occupied in bringyng furthe good workes, as occasion serueth.

No good worke can bee dooen withoute faithe.Now by Gods grace shalbe declared the seconde thyng, that before was noted of faith, that without it can no good worke be doen, acceptable and pleasaunt vnto God. For as a braunche cannot beare fruit of it self (saith our sauior Christ) except it abide in the vine, so cannot you, except you abide in me: I am the vine,Ihon. xv. and you be the braunches: he that abydeth in me, and I in hym, he bringeth furthe muche fruit: for without me, you can do nothyng. And S. Paule proueth, that Enoche had faithe, because he pleased God.Hebre. xi. For without faithe (saieth he) it is not possible to please God.Roma xiiii. And again to the Romay. he saith: whatsoeuer worke is doen without faith, it is sinne. Faith geueth life to the soule, and thei bee asmuche ded to God that lacke faith, as thei be to the world, whose bodies lacke soules. Without faith al that is doen of vs, is but ded before God, although the woorke seme neuer so gaie and glorious before man. Euen as the picture grauen or painted, is but a ded representacion of the thyng it self, and is with out life, or any maner of mouyng: so be the workes of all vnfaithfull persones before God. Thei do appere to be liuely workes, & in deede thei be but ded▪ not auailyng to the eternall life. Thei bee but shadowes and shewes of liuely and good thynges, and not good and liuely thynges in dede. For true faith doth geue life to the workes, and out of suche faith come good woorkes, that be very good woorkes in dede, and without it, no worke is good before God: as saieth saincte Augustine:In prefati. Psalme. xxxi. wee muste set not good workes before faithe, nor thynke that before faithe, a man maie do any good worke: for suche workes, although thei seme vnto men, to bee praise worthy, yet in deede thei bee but vain, and not allowed before God. Thei bee as the course of a horse, that rū neth out of the waie, whiche taketh great labor, but to no purpose. Let no man therefore (saieth he) reckē vpon his good workes before his faithe. Whereas faithe was not, good woorkes were not: the intent (saieth he) maketh the good workes, but faith must guide and order thintent of man. And Christ saith:Matth. vi. if thine iye be naught, thy whole body is ful of darkenesse. The iye doth signifie the intent (saith sainct Augustine) wherwith a man doth a thyng.In prefati. Psalme. xxxi. So that he, whiche doth not his good workes with a Godly intent and a true faithe, that woorketh by loue, the whole body beside, (that is to saie) all the whole nū bre of his workes) is darke, and there is no light in it. For good deedes bee not measured by the factes theimselfes, and so disseuered from vices, but by the endes and intentes, for the whiche thei bee doen. If a Heathen man clothe the naked, fede the hongerie, and do suche other like workes: yet because he doth theim not in faithe, for the honor and loue of God, thei • e but ded, vain and fruitles workes to hym.

Faithe is it, that dooth commende the woorke to god: (for as s. Augustine saith) whether thou wilt or no, that worke that cōmeth not of faithe, is naught: where the faith of Christ is not the foūdacion, there is no good worke, what buildyng soeuer we make. There is one worke, in yt which be al good workes, that is, faithe, whiche worketh by charitie: If thou haue it, thou hast the ground of all good woorkes. For the vertues of strength, wisedom, temperaunce, & iustice, be al referred vnto this same faith. Without this faith, we haue not thē, but onely the names and shadowes of them, (as s. Augustine saieth.) All the life of them that lacke the true faithe, is syn: and nothyng is good without hym, that is the aucthor of goodnes: where he is not, there is but feined vertue, although it be in the best workes. And s. Augu. declaryng this verse of the psalme: the Turtle hath found a nest where she may kepe her young birdes: saith, that Iewes, heretiques, and pagans, do good workes: thei clothe the naked, fede the poore, and do other workes of mercy, but because thei be not doen in the true faithe, therfore the birdes be loste. But if thei remain in faith, then faith is the nest and sauegard of their birdes, that is to say, safegard of their good workes, that the reward of them be not vtterly lost.De vocati Gentium. Lib. i. capi. iii. And this matter (whiche s. Augustin at large in many bokes disputeth) s. Ambrose concludeth in fewe wordes, saiyng: he that by nature would withstand vice, either by naturall will or reason, he doth in vain garnishe the tyme of this life, and atteineth not the very true vertues: for without the worshippyng of the true God, that whiche semeth to be vertue, is vice. And yet moste plainly to this purpose, writeth s. Ihon Chriso. in this wise: you shall finde many, which haue not the true faith,In sermons de fide, lege & spiritu sctō ▪ and be not of ye flocke of Christ, and yet (as it appereth) thei florishe in good workes of mercy. You shall finde them full of pitie, compassion, and geuen to iustice, and yet for all that, thei haue no fruite of their workes, because the chief worke lacketh. For when the Iewes asked of Christ,Ihon. vi. what thei should do to worke good workes, he aunswered: this is ye worke of God, to beleue in hym whom he sente. So that he called faithe the worke of god. And assone as a mā hath faith, anone he shall florish in good workes: for faith of it self is full of good workes, and nothyng is good without faith. And for a similitude, he saith, that thei whiche glister and shine in good workes, without faithe in God, be like dead men, whiche haue goodly & precious tōbes, and yet it auaileth them nothyng. Faith may not be naked without good workes: for then it is no true faith: and when it is adioyned to workes yet is it aboue the workes. For as men that be very men in dede, first haue life, and after be norished: so must our faithe in Christe go before, & after be norished with good woorkes. And life maie be without norishment, but norishment cannot be without life. A man must nedes be norished by good workes, but first he must haue faithe: he that doth good deedes, yet without faith, he hath no life. I can shew a man that by faith without workes liued, & cam to heauē but without faithe, neuer man had life. The thiefe that was hanged when Christe suffered, did beleue onely, and the moste mercifull God did iustify hym. And because no manne shall obiecte, that he lacked tyme to doo good woorkes, for els he would haue doen them: truthe it is, and I will not contend therin: but this I will surely affirme, that faithe onely saued hym. If he had liued, and not regarded faith, and the workes thereof, he should haue lost his saluacion again. But this the effecte that I saie, that faithe by it self saued hym, but workes by theim selfes neuer iustified any man. Here ye haue heard the minde of sainct Chrisostome, wherby you maie perceiue, that neither faith is without workes (hauyng opportunitie therto) nor workes can auaile to eternall life without faithe.

What workes thei are that sprīg of faith▪ Now to procede to the third parte (whiche in the former Sermon was noted of faithe) that is to say, what maner of workes thei be, whiche spring out of true faithe, and leade faithfull menne vnto eternall life: this cannot bee knowen so well, as by our sauior Christe hymself,Matthe xix. who was asked of a certain greate man thesame question. What woorkes shall I do (said a Prince) to come to euerlastyng life? To whom Iesus aunswered:Matth. xix. If thou wilte come to the eternall life, kepe the commaundementes. But the Prince not satisfied herewith, asked farther, whiche commaundementes? The Scribes and Phariseis had made so many of their awne lawes and tradicions, to bryng men to heauen, besides Gods cōmaū dementes, that this man was in doubte, whether he should come to heauen by those lawes & tradicions or by the lawes of God: & therfore he asked Christe, whiche commaundementes he meante? Whereunto Christe made hym a plain aunswere, rehersyng the commaundementes of GOD, saiyng:Matth. xix. Thou shalte not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steale, thou shalte not beare false witnesse, honor thy father and mother,The workes yt leade to heauē, be the workes of Gods commaundementes. and loue thy neighboure as thy self. By whiche woordes, Christe declared, that the lawes of GOD, bee the very waie that do lead to eternall life, and not the tradicions, and lawes of men.Man frō his firste fallyng from Godes commaundementes, hath euer been redy to do the like, and to deuise workes of his awne phantasye to please God withall. So that this is to bee taked for a moste true lessō taught by Christes awne mouth, that the workes of the moral commaundementes of God, be the very true workes of faithe, whiche leade to the blessed life to come. But the blyndenesse and malice of man, euen from the beginnyng, hath euer been redy to fal from Gods commaundementes. As Adam the firste man, hauyng but one commaundement, that he should not eate of the fruite forbidden, notwithstandyng Gods commaundement, he gaue credite vnto the woman, seduced by the subtile perswasion of the Serpent, and so folowed his awne will, and lefte Gods commaundement. And euer synce that tyme, al his succession hath been so blinded through original sinne, that thei haue been euer ready to decline from God and his lawe, and to inuent a newe waie vnto saluaciō, by workes of their awne deuise: so muche, that almoste all the worlde forsakyng the true honor of the onely eternall, liuyng God, wandered aboute their awne phantasies, worshippyng some the Sunne, the Moone, the sterres: some Iupiter, Iuno, Diana, Saturnus, Apollo,The deuises & Idolatrye of the Gentiles. Neptunus Ceres, Bacchus, and other dedde men and women: Some therewith not satisfied, worshipped diuerse kyndes of beastes, birdes, fishe, foule, and serpentes euery Region, toune, and house, in maner beyng diuided, and settyng vp Images of suche thynges as thei liked, and worshippyng thesame. Suche was the rudenes of ye people, after thei fell to their awne phantasies, and left the eternall liuyng GOD and his commaundementes, that thei deuised innumerable Images, & Gods. In whiche error and blindnes thei did reamain, vntill suche time as almighty GOD, pitiyng the blindnesse of man, sent his true prophet Moses into the worlde, to reprehende this extreme madnes, and to teache the people to knowe the onely liuyng God, and his true honor and worshippe. But the corrupt inclinacion of man, was so muche geuen to folowe his awne phātasies, and (as you would saie) to fauoure his awne birde, that he brought vp hymself, that al the admonicions, exhortacions, benefites, and threatnynges of God, could not kepe hym from suche his inuencions. For notwithstandyng al the benefites of God,The deuises & Idolatrye of the Gentiles. shewed vnto the people of Israell, yet when Moses went vp into the mountain, to speake with almighty God: he had taried there but a few daies, when the people began to inuent new gods. And as it cam in their heddes, thei made a calfe of golde,Exod xxxii. and kneled doune & worshipped it. And after that, thei folowed the Moabites, & worshipped Beelphegor the Moabites God. Read the boke of Iudges, the bokes of the Kynges and the Prophetes, and there shal you find, how inconstant the people wer, how ful of inuencions, and more ready to runne after their awne phantasies, then Gods moste holy cōmaundementes. Ther shal you reade of Baall, Moloche, Chamos, Mechom, Baalpeor, Astaroth, Beel the dragon, Priapus, the brasen serpente, the twelue signes, and many other: vnto whose images, the people with greate deuocion, inuented Pilgrimages, preciously deckyng and censyng them, kneling doune and offering to them, thinking that, an high merite before God, and to be estemed aboue the preceptes and commaundementes of god. And where at that tyme, god commaunded no sacrifyce to be made, but in Ierusalem onely, they did cleane cōtrary, makyng aulters and sacrifyces euery where, in hylles, in wooddes, and in houses, not regardyng Gods cōmaundemētes, but estemynge theyr awne phantasyes and deuocion, to be better then theim. And the error hereof was so spred abrode, that not onely the vnlearned people, but also the priestes & teachers of the people, partly by glory and auarice were corrupted, and partly by ignoraunce blindly seduced wyth thesame abhominacions: So muche, that Kyng Achab, hauyng but onely Helyas a true teacher & minister of god, there were eight hundred and fiftie priestes, that perswaded hym to honor Baal, and to do sacrifyce in the woddes or groues. And so continued that horrible error, vntyll the three noble Kynges, as Iosaphat, Ezechias & Iosias, Gods elect ministers, destroyed the same clerely, and reduced the people from suche theyr fayned inuencions, vnto the very commaundementes of GOD: for the whiche thyng, their immortall rewarde and glory, doeth and shall remayn with GOD for euer.

And beside the foresayed inuencions,Religiōs and sectes emong the Iewes. the inclinacion of man to haue hys awne holy deuocions, deuised newe sectes and religiōs, called Phariseis, Sadduces, and Scribes, with many holy & godly tradicions and ordinaūces (as it feined, by the outward apparaūce and goodly glisteryng of the workes,) but in very deede, all tendynge to Idolatrye, Supersticion and Hipocrisye: theyr hartes within, beynge full of malice, pride, coueteousnesse, and all iniquitie. Against which sectes, and their pretensed holynes, Christe cryed out more vehemently, then he did against any other persones, saiyng and often repetyng these wordes:Matth. xxiii. Wo be to you Scribes and Phariseis, ye Hypocrites, for you make cleane the vessell without, but within you be ful of rauyn and fylthinesse: thou blynd Pharisei, & Hypocrite, firste make the inwarde parte cleane. For notwithstanding all the goodly tradiciōs, and outward shewes of good workes, deuised of their awne imaginaciō, whereby they appered to the world, moste religious and holy of all men: yet Christ, (who sawe their hartes) knewe that they were inwardly in the sight of GOD, moste vnholy, moste abhominable, and farthest from God of all men. Therefore sayed he vnto theim:Matth xv. Esai. xxix. Hypocrites, the Prophete Esaie spake full truely of you, when he sayed: This people honor me with their lippes, but their harte is farre from me: they worshyppe me in vayne, that teache doctrines and commaundementes of men: For you leaue the commaundementes of God, to kepe your awne tradicions.

Mans lawes must be obserued and kept, but not as Gods lawes.And though Christe sayed, they worshypped GOD in vain, that teache doctrines and cōmaundementes of men: yet he meant not therby to ouerthrowe all mennes cōmaundementes, for he himself was euer obedient to the Princes and their lawes, made for good ordre and gouernaunce of the people: but he reproued the lawes and tradicions, made by the Scribes and Phariseis, whiche were not made onely for good ordre of the people (as the Ciuil lawes were) but they wer so highly extolled, that they were made to be a ryght and syncere worshippinge of God, as they had been equall with Gods lawes or aboue thē: for many of Gods lawes could not be kept, but were fayn to geue place vnto them. This arrogancie God detested, that man shoulde so aduaunce his lawes, to make theim equall with Gods lawes, wherein the true honoryng and ryght worshippyng of God standeth, and to make his lawes for theim to be omitted. God hath appoynted his lawes, whereby hys pleasure is to be honored. His pleasure is also, that all mannes lawes, beyng not contrary to his lawes, shalbe obeied, and kepte, as good as necessarye for euery common weale, but not as thynges, wherein principally his honor resteth. And all Ciuil and mannes lawes, either be, or shulde be made, to induce men the better to obserue Gods lawes, that consequently, God shoulde be the better honored by them. Howbeit, the Scribes and Phariseis were not content, that theyr lawes should be no higher estemed, then other positiue & ciuil lawes, nor would not haue them called by the name of other temporall lawes, but called them holy & godly tradicions,Holy tradicions wer estemed as Gods lawes. and would haue them estemed, not onely for a right and true worshippyng of God (as Gods lawes be in deede) but also to be the moste high honoryng of God, to the which, the commaundementes of God should geue place.

Luke xvi • oly tradicions 〈…〉 .

〈…〉 of 〈…〉 is commonly occasion that GOD 〈◊〉 offended.

OF all thynges that be good to bee taught vnto christian people, there is nothynge more necessarye to bee spokē of, and dayely called vpon, then charitie: aswell, for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it, as also, that the decay therof, is the ruyne of the worlde, the banishmēt of vertue, and the cause of all vice. And for so muche as almoste euery mā, maketh and frameth to hymself charitie after hys awne appetite, & howe detestable soeuer his lyfe be, both vnto God & man, yet he perswadeth hymself stil that he hath charitie: therfore you shall heare now a true & playn descripcion of Charitie, not of mennes imaginaciō, but of the very woordes and example of our sauior Iesus Christ. In which descripcion, euery mā, (as it were in a glasse) maye considre himself & se plainly without error, whether he be in the true Charitie or not.What Charitie is.

Charitie is to loue God with al our harte, al our lyfe, and all our powers and strength: With all our harte, that is to say, that our hartes,The loue of GOD. mynd and studye, be set to beleue his worde, to trust in him, and to loue hym aboue al other thynges that we loue best, in heauen or in yearth: With al your lyfe, that is to saye, that our chief ioye & delight be set vpon him, & his honor, & our whole lyfe geuē vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges, with hym to lyue & dye, and to forsake all other thynges, rather then hym. For he that loueth hys father or mother, sonne or daughter,Math. x. house or lāde, more then me (sayeth Christ) is not worthy to haue me: With all our powers, that is to saye, that with our handes & fete, with our eyes and eares, our mouthes & tongues, and with all other partes & powers, both of body & soule, we should be geuen to the kepyng & fulfillyng of his cōmaundementes. This is the fyrste & principall parte of charitie,The loue of thy neighbor. but it is not the whole: for charitie is also, to loue euery man, good & euil, frende & foo, and whatsoeuer cause be geuē to the cōtrary, yet neuertheles to beare good wil and harte vnto euery man, to vse our selfes wel vnto them, aswell in woordes & countenaunce, as in all our outwarde actes and deedes: For so Christ himself taught, & so also he performed in dede. Of the loue of God, he taught in thys wyse, vnto a doctor of the law, that asked hym, which was the great and chiefe commaundemente in the lawe? Loue thy Lord God (saied Christ) with all thy hart,Matt. xxii. with all thy lyfe, and with al thy mynde. And of the loue that we ought to haue emōg our selfes eche to other, he teacheth vs thus: you haue heard it taught in tymes paste, thou shalt loue thy frende, and hate thy foe,Math. v. but I tell you, loue youre enemyes, speake wel of them that diffame you, & speake euill of you, do well to theim that hate you, praye for them that vexe and persetute you, that you maye be the chyldren of your father that is in heauē. For he maketh hys sunne to ryse both vpon the euyl and good, and sendeth rayne to iuste and vniuste.Math. v For yf you loue them that loue you, what rewarde shall you haue? Do not the Publicans likewyse? And if you speake well onely of them, that be your brethren and derebeloued frendes, what great matter is that? Do not the Heathen thesame also? These be the very woordes of our sauior Christ himself, touchyng the loue of our neighbor. And for asmuche as the Phariseis (with their moste pestilente tradicions, false interpretacions & gloses) had corrupted, and almost clerely stopped vp, this pure wel of Gods liuely worde, teachyng, that this loue and charitie perteyned onely to a mannes frendes, & that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them, which do loue hym, & to hate his fooes: therfore Christ opened thys welle agayn, pourged it, & scoured it, by geuyng vnto his Godly lawe of charitie, a true & clere interpretacion, which is this: that we ought to loue euery mā, both frende and fooe, addyng thereto, what commoditie we shal haue thereby, and what incōmoditie by doynge the contrary. What thyng can we wishe so good for vs, as the eternall heauenly father to repute & take vs for hys chyldren? And this shal we be sure of (sayeth Christe) if we loue euery man withoute exception. And if we doo otherwyse (saieth he) we be no better then the Phariseis, Publicans, & Heathen, and shal haue our rewarde with them, that is, to be excluded from the number of Gods electe chyldren, and from hys euerlastynge inheritaunce in heauen.

Thus of true Charitie, Christ taught, that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue all thynges, and to loue euery man, frend & fooe. And thus likewyse he did vse hymselfe, exhortynge hys aduersaries, rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes, and when he coulde not amende them, yet he prayed for them. Firste he loued God hys father abouee all thinges: so muche that he soughte not hys awne glory & wil, but the glory and wyl of hys father.Ihon. v. I seke not (said he) myne awne wyl, but the wyl of hym that sent me. Nor he refused not to dye, to satisfie his fathers wil saiyng:Mat. xxvi. if it maye be, let this cuppe of death go frō me, if not, thy wyll be doen, and not myne. He loued not onely hys frendes, but also hys enemyes, which (in their hartes) bare exceeding great hatred agaīst hym, & in their tongues spake all euill of hym, and in their actes and dedes pursued hym, with all their might and power, euen vnto death. Yet al this notwithstandynge, he withdrewe not hys fauor from them, but styll loued them, preached vnto theim, of loue, rebuked theyr false doctryne, theyr wycked liuyng, and did good vnto them, paciently accepting whatsoeuer they spake, or did agaynst hym. When they gaue hym euill woordes, he gaue none euyll agayn: when they did stryke hym, he did not smyte agayne: & when he suffered death, he dyd not sle them, nor threaten them, but prayed for them, and referred all thinges to hys fathers wyl. And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slayn,Esai. iiii. Acte • . viii and as a lambe yt is shorne of hys fleese, make no noyse nor resistēce: euē so wente he vnto his death, without any repugnaunce, or openynge of his mouth, to saye any euil.

Thus haue I described vnto you, what charitie is, aswel by ye doctryne, as by the exāple of Christ himself. Wherby also euery man maye, without error, know hymself, what state and condiciō he standeth in, whether he be in Charitie, (& so the chyld of the father in heauen) or not. For, althoughe almoste euery man perswadeth hymself to be in charitie, yet let hym examine none other man, but his awne hart his life & conuersacion, and he shal not be deceiued, but truly decerne & iudge, whether he be in perfecte charitie or not. For he that foloweth not hys awne appetite & wil, but geueth hymself earnestly to God to do al his wil & cōmaundementes, he may be sure that he loueth God aboue all thinges, & els surely he loueth him not, whatsoeuer he pretend: as Christ said, if ye loue me, kepe my cōmaundemētes. For he that knoweth my commaundementes,Ihon. xliii. & kepeth thē he it is (said Christ) yt loueth me. And again he saith, he that loueth me, will kepe my worde, & my father will loue him, & we will both come to him, and dwel with hym. And he that loueth me not, will not kepe my wordes. And likewise, he that beareth good hart and mynde, & vseth wel his tōgue & dedes vnto euery man, frend & foo, he may knowe therby, yt he hath charitie. And then he is sure also, yt almightie God taketh hym for hys dere beloued sonne, as s. Ihon saith:i. Ihon. iiii. hereby manifestly are knowen the children of God, from the chyldren of the deuill: for whosoeuer doth not loue hys brother, belongeth not vnto god.

But the peruerse nature of man, corrupt with sin, and destitute of Gods worde & grace,Againste carnall men, that will not forg • ue their enemies. thinketh it against al reason, that a man should loue his enemy, and hath many perswasions, whiche induce hym to the contrary. Agaynst all whiche reasons, we ought aswel to set the teachyng, as the liuyng of our sauior Christ, who louing vs (whē we wer his enemies) doth teache vs to loue our enemies. He did pacientely take for vs, many reproches, suffered beatyng, and most cruell death. Therfore we be no membres of hym, if we will not folowe hym. Christe (sayeth s. Peter) suffered for vs, • . Pet. ii. leauyng an example, that we should folowe hym.

Furthermore, we muste consider, that to loue our frendes, is no more but that, whiche thiefes, adulterers, homicides, & al wicked persons do: in so much that Iewes, Turkes, Infidels, & all brute beastes, do loue them that be their frendes, of whō thei haue their liuyng, or any other benefites. But to loue enemies, is the proper condicion onely of thē, that be the chyldren of God, the disciples and folowers of Christe. Notwithstandyng, mannes froward & corrupt nature, weigheth ouer depely many tymes, the offence and displeasure doen vnto hym by enemies, and thinketh it a burden intollerable, to be bounde to loue them, that hate hym. But the burden should be easy enough, if (on the otherside) euery mā would consider, what displeasure he hath doen to hys enemye agayn, & what pleasure he hath receiued of his enemy. And if we find no equal recōpense, neither in receiuing pleasures of our enemy, nor in renderyng displeasures vnto hym agayn: then let vs pōdre the displeasures, whiche we haue doen against almightye God, how often, and how greuously we haue offended hym. Wherof, if we will haue of God forgeuenesse, there is none other remedye, but to forgeue the offences doen vnto vs, whiche be very small in comparison of our offences doen against God.

And if we considre, that he, whiche hath offended vs, deserueth not to be forgeuen of vs, let vs consider again, that we muche lesse deserue to be forgeuē of God. And although our enemy deserue not to be forgeuen for his awne sake, yet we ought to forgeue hym for Gods loue, consideryng how great & many benefites we haue receiued of hym, wtout our desertes, & that Christ hath deserued of vs▪ yt for his sake we should forgeue thē their trespasses cōmitted against vs.A question. But here may ryse a necessary questiō to be dissolued: if charitie require to thynke, speake, & do well vnto euery man, bothe good and euill: how can magistrates execute iustice vpon malefactors with charitie? How can they cast euill men in prison, take away their gooddes, and somtyme their lifes, accordyng to lawes, if charitie wil not suffre thē so to do.

Hereunto is a plain & a breif aunswere:An aunswere that plagues and punishmentes be not euill of them selfes, if they be wel taken of innocētes. And to an euil mā thei are bothe good & necessary, & maye be executed, accordyng to charitie,Charity hath two offices. & with charitie should be executed. For declaracion wherof, you shal vnderstād, ye charitie hath .ii. offices: thone cōtrary to ye other, & yet both necessary to be vsed vpō mē of cōtrary sort, & disposiciō. The one office of charitie is, to cherish good & innocēt mē, not to oppresse thē with false accusaciōs, but to encorage thē wt rewardes to do wel and to perseuer in wel doyng, defendyng them with the swourd from their aduersaries. And the office of Bishops & Pastors, is to prayse good men for well doynge, that they maye perseuer therein, and to rebuke and correct by the worde of God, the offences and crimes of all euill disposed persones. For the other office of charitie is, to rebuke, correct, & punish vice, without acceptacion of persones, and thys to be vsed against thē onely, that be euil men and malefactors. And that it is aswell the office of charitie, to rebuke, punysh, and correct them that be euill, as it is, to cherishe and reward them that be good and innocent: S. Paule declareth, (writyng to the Ro.) saiyng:Roma. xiii. that the hygh powers are ordeyned of God, not to be dreadful to them that do wel, but vnto malefactors, to draw the swourd, to take vengeaūce of him that committeth the sinne. And S. Paule biddeth Timothe, • ▪ Timo. v. cōstantly and vehemētly, to rebuke synne, by the woorde of God. So that bothe offices should be diligētly executed, to impugne the kyngdom of the deuill: the preacher with the worde, and the gouernor with ye swourde: Els they loue neither God, nor thē whom thei gouerne, if (for lacke of correccion) thei wilfully suffre God to be offended, and thē whom thei gouerne, to perishe. For as euery louyng father correcteth hys naturall sonne, when he doth amisse, or els he loueth hym not: so all gouernors of realmes, coūtreis, townes, & houses, should louingly correcte theim, whiche be offendors vnder their gouernaunce, & cherish them, which liue innocently, if they haue any respect, either vnto God and their office, or loue vnto them, of whō thei haue gouernaunce. And suche rebukes & punishementes of them that offend, must be doen in due tyme, least by delay, the offendors fal hedlynges into al maner of mischief, and not onely be euill themselfes, but also do hurt vnto many mē, drawyng other by their euil example, to sinne & outrage after them. As one thief may both robbe many men, & also make many thefes, & one sedicious person may allure many, & noye a whole towne or countrey. And suche euil persons that be so great offendors of God, & the cōmō weale charitie requireth to be cut of frō the body of the cō mō weale, lest thei corrupt other good & honest persōs: like as a good surgiō cutteth away a putrified, and festered membre, for loue he hath to the whoole body, least it infect other membres adioyning to it. Thus it is declared vnto you, what true charitie or christiā loue is, so plainly yt no mā nede to be deceiued. Which loue, whosoeuer kepeth, not only towardes God (whō he is boūd to loue aboue al thinges) but also towardes his neighbor, aswel frēd as foe, it shal surely kepe him frō al offence of God, & iust offēce of mā. Therfore beare well awai this one short lessō, yt by true christiā charitie, God ought to be loued aboue all thinges, & all men ought to be loued, good & euill, frend and foo, & to all suche, we ought (as we maye) to do good: those that be good, of loue to encourage and cherish, because they be good, and those that be euill, of loue, to procure their correctiō and due punishment, that thei may therby, either be brought to goodnes, or at the leaste, yt God and the common wealth may be the lesse hurt and offended. And if we thus direct our life, by christian loue and charitie, then Christ doth promise, & assure vs, that he loueth vs, that we be the children of our heauenly father, reconciled to hys fauor, very membres of Christ, and that after this short time of this present and mortall life, we shal haue with hym eternal lyfe in his euerlastynge kyngdom of heauen: therfore to hym with the father and the holy ghost, be al honor and glory, now and euer. Amen.

ALmightie God to the intēt his moste holy name should be had in honor, & euermore be magnified of the people, commaundeth that no man shoulde take hys name vainly in his mouth, threatenyng punishmente vnto hym that vnreuerently abuseth it, by swearyng, forswearyng, and blasphemy. To the intent therfore, that thys commaundemente maye be the better knowen and kepte: it shalbe declared vnto you, bothe howe it is lawfull for christian people to sweare, and also what perill and daunger it is, vainly to sweare, or to be forsworne. Firste, whē Iudges require othes of the people,Howe and in what causes it is lawefull▪ to sweare for declaracion of the truth, or for execucion of iustice, thys maner of swearynge is lawfull. Also when men make faythfull promises with attestacion of the name of God, to obserue couenaū tes, honest promises, statutes, lawes, and good customes: as Christian princes do in their conclusiōs of peace, for conseruacion of common wealthes: & priuate persones, promyse their fidelitie in Matrimonie, or one to another in honeste and true frendshippe: and al men, when they do sweare to kepe cō mon lawes, or locall statutes and good customes, for due ordre to be had and contynued emōg men: when subiectes do sweare to be true and faythefull to their Kynge and souereygne Lorde: and when Iudges, Magistrates, and officers sweare, truely to execute their offices: and when a man woulde affirme the trueth, to the settynge furthe of Gods glory (for the saluacion of the people) in open preachynge of the Gospell, or in geuyng of good counsayll, priuately for their soules health. All these maner of swearynges, for causes necessary and honest, be lawfull. But when men do sweare of custome, in reasonynge, biyng, and sellynge, or other daily communicacion (as many be common and greate swearers) suche kynde of swearyng is vngodly, vnlawefull, and prohibited by the cōmaundement of God. For suche swearyng is nothyng els, but takynge of Gods holy name in vayn. And here is to be noted, that lawfull swearynge is not forbidden, but commaunded of almightie God. For we haue examples of Christ, and Godly men in holy scripture, that did sweare themselfes, and required othes of other likewise. And Gods commaundement is:Deuter. vi. Thou shalte dreade thy Lorde God, and shalt sweare by hys name.Psal. lxii. And almighty God by his prophet Dauid sayeth: all men shalbe praysed, that sweare by hym.

Thus did oure sauior Christe sweare diuerse tymes, saiyng: verely verely.Ihon. iii. ii. Cor. i. Gene. xxiii • . And S. Paule sweareth thus: I call God to witnesse. And Abraham (waxyng olde) required an othe of hys seruaunt, that he shoulde procure a wyfe for his sonne Isaac, whiche should come of his awne kyndred: and the seruaunt did sweare that he would perfourme hys Masters will. Abraham also beynge required,Gene. xxi. dyd sweare vnto Abimelech, the king of Geraris, that he should not hurte hym, nor his posteritie. And so likewyse did Abimelech sweare vnto Abraham. And Dauid did sweare, to be, and continue a faithfull frende to Ionathas: and Ionathas did sweare to become a faithfull frende vnto Dauid.

Also, God once commaunded, that if a thynge were laied to pledge to any man, or left with him to kepe, if thesame thing wer stolne, or lost, that the keper therof, should be sworne before Iudges, that he did not cōuey it away, nor vsed any deceipt, in causyng thesame to be conueyed away, by hys cōsent or knowledge.Hebre. vi. And s. Paule saieth: that in al matters of controuersy betwene two persones, whereas one saieth yea, and the other nay, so as no due profe can be had of the truthe, the ende of euery suche controuersy muste be an othe ministered by a Iudge. And moreouer,Hier. iiii. God by the prophet Ieremy saieth: thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth, in truth, in iudgemēt, in righteousnesse. So that whosoeuer sweareth whē he is required of a Iudge, let hym be sure in his cō science, that hys othe haue these thre condicions, & he shall neuer nede to be afraied of periurie.

What cōdicions a lawful oth ought to haue.

The • irste.

OF our goyng from God, the Wyseman sayeth,Eccle. x. that pryde was the first beginning: for by it mās harte was turned frō god hys maker. For pryde (saieth he) is the foūtain of all synne, he yt hath it, shalbe ful of cursynges, & at the ende, it shall ouerthrow hym. And, as by Pride & sinne, we go frō God, so shall God & al goodnes with hym, go from vs. And the prophet Ozee doeth plainlye affirme:Ozee. v that they which go awaye still frō God, by vicious liuyng, & yet would go about to pacifye him otherwise, by sacrifice, & enterteigne him thereby, they laboure in vayn. For, notwithstandyng al their sacrifice, yet he goeth styll away from them. For so much (saieth ye Prophete) as they do no applye their myndes, to returne to god, although thei go about with whole flockes and herdes, to seke the Lord: yet they shall not fynde hym, for he is gone away from thē. But as touchyng our turnyng to god, or from god: you shall vnderstande, that it maye be doen diuerse wayes. Some tymes directly by Idolatrye, as Israel and Iuda then dyd: some tymes men go from God, by lacke of fayth, & mistrustyng of God, wherof Esaie speaketh in this wyse: Wo to them that go doune into Egypt, to seke for healp,Esaie. xxxi. trustyng in horses, and hauyng confidence in the numbre of chariottes, and puissaunce of horsemē. They haue no cō fidence in the holy God of Israell, nor seeke for the Lorde: But what foloweth? The Lorde shall let his hande fall vpon them, and doune shall come, bothe the healper, and he that is holpen. They shalbe destroyed altogether.

Some tyme men go frō God, by the neglectyng of hys commaundementes, concerning their neighbours, whiche cōmaundeth them to expresse hartye loue towardes euery man,Zacha. vii. as Zachary sayde vnto the people in gods behalfe: Geue true iudgement, shewe mercye and compassion euery one to hys brother: Ymagen to deceipt towardes widowes, or children fatherles & motherles, towardes straunger or the poore: let no mā forge euill in hys harte, against his brother. But these thinges they passed not of, thei turned their backes, and went their waie, thei stopped their eares, that they might not heare, they hardened their hartes, as an Adamant stone, yt they might not lysten, to the lawe and the woordes, that the Lorde had sent through his holy spirite, by hys auncient Prophetes. Wherfore the Lorde shewed his great indignacion vpon them: It came to passe (sayeth the Prophet) euen as I tolde them:Hier. vii. as they woulde not heare, so when they cryed, they were not heard, but wer dispersed into all kingdomes, which they neuer knewe: & their lande was made desolate. And to be short, all they, that may not abyde ye word of God, but folowyng the perswasiōs, and stubbernes of their awne hattes, go backewarde, & not forward (as it is sayd in Ieremy) they go & turne away frō God.Hiere. vii. Orige. super Exodi. homi. xii. In so muche that Origene saieth: He that with mynde, with study, with dedes, with thought & care, applieth himself to Gods worde, and thinketh vpon his lawes, day & night, geueth himself wholy to God, and in hys preceptes and cōmaundementes is exercised: this is he, that is turned to God. And on the other part (he saith): Whosoeuer is occupied with fables & tales, when ye word of god is rehersed: he is turned frō God. Whosoeuer in time of readīg Gods worde, is careful in his mynd, of worldly busines, of money, or of lucre: he is turned from God. Whosoeuer is entāgled with ye cares of possessiōs, filled with coueteousnes of ryches: whosoeuer studieth, for the glory & honor of this worlde, he is turned from God. So that after hys mynd, whosoeuer hath not a speciall mynde to that thynge that is cō maunded, or taught of God: he that doth not listen vnto it, embrace & print it in hys hart, to the intent, that he may duely fashion hys lyfe thereafter, he is plainly turned from god, although he do other thī ges of hys awne deuocion and mynde, which to him seme better, & more to gods honor. Whiche thyng to be true, we be taught and admonyshed in ye holye scripture, by ye example of Kyng Saul, who beyng cōmaunded of god by Samuel,i. Regum. xv. that he should kyll all the Amalechites, and destroye them clerely with their goodes, & cattals: Yet, he beynge moued, partely with pitie, and partely (as be thought) with deuocion vnto god, saued Agag their Kyng, & all the cheif of their cattail, therwith to make sacrifice vnto god. Wherwithal god beynge displeased highly, sayd vnto the prophete Samuel: I repente, that euer I made Saul a kyng, for he hath forsaken me, and not folowed my wordes: and so he cōmaunded Samuel to shewe hym. And when Samuel asked, wherfore (contrary to Gods woorde) he had saued the cattail: he excused the matter, partely by feare, saiynge he durst do none other, for that the people would haue it so: partely, for that they were goodly beastes, he thought God would be content, seynge it was done of a good intent and deuocion, to honor God, with the sacrifice of them.

But Samuel, reprouyng all suche intentes and deuocions (seme they neuer so muche to Gods honor, if they stande not with his woorde, whereby we maye be assured of hys pleasure) sayde in this wyse: Would God haue sacrifices and offeringes? or rather that hys word should be obeyed? To obey him, is better then offerynges, & to listen to hym, is better then to offre the fatte of Rammes: Yea, to repine agaynst hys voice, is as euil as the sinne of diuinacion, and not to agre to it, is like abhominable ydolatry. And now, forasmuche as thou hast cast awaye the worde of the Lorde, he hath cast awaye the, that thou shouldest not be Kynge.

By all these examples of holy scripture, we maye knowe, that as we forsake God: so shall he euer forsake vs.The turnyng of God from man. And what miserable state doth cōsequently and necessariely folow therupon, a man maye easely consider, by the terrible threatenynges of God. And although, he considre not al the sayde miserie, to the vttermost, beyng so great, that it passeth any mans capacitie, in this lyfe sufficiētly to cōsydre thesame: yet he shal soone perceyue somuch therof, that if his hart be not more then stony, or harder then the Adamant, he shall feare, tremble and quake, to call thesame to hys remembraunce.

Fyrste the displeasure of God towardes vs, is commonly expressed in the scripture, by these twoo thinges: by shewynge hys fearefull countenaunce vpon vs, and by turnyng his face, or hiding it from vs. By shewyng his dreadful countenaunce, is signifyed his great wrath, but by turnynge hys face or hidinge therof, is many tymes more signified, that is to saye: that he clerely forsaketh vs, & geueth vs ouer. The whiche significacions be taken of ye properties of mens maners: For men towardes them, whome they fauour, commōly beare, a good, a chearefull, and a louing countenaūce: so that by the face or countenaūce of a man, it doth commonly appere, what wyl or minde he beareth towardes other. So, when God doeth shew hys dreadfull countenaunce towardes vs; that is to say, doeth send dreadful plagues, of sword, famyne, or pestilence vpon vs, it appereth; that he is greatly wroth with vs. But when he withdraweth from vs hys woorde, the righte doctryne of Christe, hys gracious assistence and ayde, (which is euer ioyned to hys worde) and leaueth vs to our awne wit, our awne wyll and strength: he declareth then, that he beginneth to forsake vs. For where as God hath shewed to all them, that truely beleue his Gospel, his face of mercy in Iesus christ, whiche doeth so lighten theyr hartes, that they (if they beholde it, as they ought to do) be transformed to hys Image, bee made partakers of the heauenly light, and of hys holy spirite, and bee fashioned to him, in all goodnes, requisite to the childrē of God: so, if they after do neglecte thesame, if they bee vnthankefull vnto hym, if they ordre not their lyfes, accordynge to hys example and doctryne, and to the settyng furth of hys glory, he wyll take awaye from them hys kyngdō, his holy word, wherby he should reigne in thē, because they bryng not furth the fruit therof, that he loketh for. Neuertheles, he is so mercifull, & of so long sufferaūce, that he doth not shewe vpon vs, that great wrathe sodainly. But when we beginne to shrinke from his worde, not beleuing it, or not expressing it in oure liuinges: firste he doeth send hys messengers, ye true preachers of his worde, to admonish vs of our dutie, that as he for hys part for ye great loue he bare vnto vs, deliuered his awn sonne to suffre death, that we, by hys death, myghte be deliuered frō death, & be restored to the lyfe eternall, euermore to dwel with hym, & to be partakers, and inheritors with hym, of hys euerlastyng glory, and kingdome of heauen: so agayn, that we for our partes, shoulde walke in a godly lyfe, as becōmeth hys chyldrē to do. And if thys wyl not serue, but stil we remayne disobedient to hys worde and wyll, not knowyng him, not louing him, not fearing him, not puttyng our whole trust & confidēce in him: and on the otherside, to our neighbors behauing vs vncharitably, by disdayne, enuye, malice, or by cōmittyng murther, robbery, adultry, gluttony, deceipt, liyng, swearyng, or other like detestable workes, & vngodly behauioure: then he threateneth vs by terryble cōminacions,Hebre iiii. Psal. xcv. swearynge in great angree, that whosoeuer doeth these workes, shall neuer entre into his reste, whiche is the kyngdome of heauen.

Now, if this gentle monicion and comminacion together, do not serue, then god will shewe his terrible countenaūce vpō vs, he will powre intollerable plagues vpon our hedes, & after, he wyll take away frō vs, all hys ayde & assistence, wherwith before he did defend vs, from all such maner of calamitie. As the Euāgelical prophet Esaye,Esaie. v. agreyng with Christes parable, doth teache vs, saiyng:Matth. xxi. That God had made a goodly vineyarde, for hys beloued children: he hedged it, he walled it rounde about, he plāted it with chosen vynes, & made a Turret in the myddes therof, & therein also a wine presse. And when he loked, that it should bryng hym furth good grapes, it brought furth wylde grapes: and after it foloweth: Now shall I shew you, (saieth God) what I will do with my vyneyarde. I wil pluck doune the hedges, that it may perysh: I will breake downe the walles, that it may be trodē vnder fote: I wil let it lie wast, it shall not be cutte, it shall not be didged, but briers and thornes shall ouergrowe it, & I shall cōmaunde the cloudes, that they shall no more rayne vpon it.

By these threatenynges we ar monyshed, yt if we, whiche are the chosen vyneyarde of God, bryng not furth good grapes, yt is to say, good workes, yt may be delectable, & pleasaūt in hys sight, whē he loketh for thē, when he sendeth his messengers, to cal vpon vs for thē, but rather bring furth wyld grapes, yt is to say, sower workes, vnswete, vnsauery & vnfruictfull: thē wil he plucke away all defence, & suffre greuous plagues of famyne, & battaile, dearth & death, to light vpō vs. Finally, if these do not yet serue, he wil let vs lie wast, he wil geue vs ouer, he wyl turne away frō vs, he will dygge & delue no more aboute vs, he wil let vs alone, & suffre vs to brynge furthe, euen such fruite as we wyl, to bryng furth, brābles, bryers, and thornes, all naughtynes, all vice, & that so abundantlye, that they shal cleane ouergrow vs, suffocate, strangle, & vtterly destroye vs. But they, that in thys worlde, lyue not after god (but after theyr awne carnal libertie) perceyue not thys greate wrath of god towardes them, that he wyll not dygge, nor delue any more about them, that he doeth let them alone euen to them selfes. But they take thys for a great benefite of god, to haue all theyr awne libertye: & so they liue, as carnall libertye were the true libertye of the Gospel. But god forbidde (good people) that euer we should desyre such libertie. For although, god suffre sometymes ye wicked, to haue their pleasure in thys world: yet the end of vngodly liuyng, is at length eternall destruction.

Nume. x • .The murmuryng Israelites, had that they longed for: they had quayles enough, yea, til they were wery of thē. But what was ye end therof: their swete meate had soure sauce: euē whiles the meat was in theyr mouthes, ye plague of God lighted vpō thē, & sodainely they died. So, if we liue vngodly, & God suffreth vs to folowe our awne wylles, to haue our awne delightes & pleasures, & correcteth vs not wt some plague, it is no doubt, but he is almost vtterly displeased wt vs. And although it be long or he strike, yet many tymes, whē he striketh such persons, he striketh thē at once, for euer. So, yt when he doth not stryke vs, when he ceaseth to afflict vs, to punysh or beate vs, & suffreth vs to rūne hedlinges into al vngodlines, & pleasures of thys world, yt we delight in wtout punyshmēt & aduersitie, it is a dreadfull tokē loueth vs no lēger, that he careth no lenger for vs, but hath geuen vs ouer, to our awne selfes.

As long as a man doeth proyne his vines, doeth digge at the rootes, and doeh laye freashe yearth to theim, he hath a mynde to theim, he perceiueth some tokē of fruitfulnes that may be recouered in them: but when he wil bestowe no more suche cost and labor aboute them, then it is a signe that he thinketh, they will neuer bee good. And the father, as lōg as he loueth his chyld, he loketh angrely, he correcteth hym when he doeth amisse: but when that serueth not, and vpon that he ceaseth frō correction of hym and suffereth hym to do what he liste himself, it is a signe, that he intendeth to disinherite hym, & to cast him away for euer. So surely, nothyng should perce our hart so sore, & put vs in suche horrible feare, as when we knowe in our conscience, that wee haue greuously offended God, and do so continue, & that yet he striketh not, but quietely suffereth vs in the naughtines that we haue delight in. Then specially it is tyme to crye, and to crye agayne, as Dauid did: Caste me not awaie from thy face, and take not away thy holy spirit frō me.Psal. i. Psal. xxvi. Lorde turne not away thy face from me, cast not thy seruaunt away in displeasure. Hide not thy face from me, least I be lyke vnto them, that go doune to hel.Psal. cxlii. The whiche lamē table praiers of him, as they do certify vs, what horrible daūger thei be in, frō whom God turneth his face, (for that time, & as lōg as he so doth) so should thei moue vs, to crye vpon God, with all our harte, that we maie not be brought into that state, whiche doubtles, is so sorowful, so miserable, & so dreadfull as no toungue can sufficiently expresse or any hart can thynke.

For what deadly greif may a mā suppose it is, to be vnder the wrath of God, to be forsakē of hym, to haue his holy spirit, the aucthor of all goodnesse, to be taken from hym, to be brought to so vile a condicion, that he shalbe left mete for no better purpose, then to be for euer, condempned to hel. For not onely such places of Dauid do shewe, that vpon ye turnyng of Gods face frō any persons, thei shalbe left bare from al goodnesse, & far from hope of remedy: but also the place, recited last before of Esaie, doeth meane thesame, which sheweth, that God at length doth so forsake his vnfruitful vineyard, that he wil not only suffre it, to bryng furth wedes, breirs, and thornes, but also, further to punish the vnfruitfulnesse of it, he saith: he wil not cut it, he wil not delue it, and he will cōmaunde the cloudes, that they shal not rain vpon it, wherby is signified, the teachyng of his holy worde: whiche sainct Paule, after a like maner, expresseth by plantyng and wateryng, meanyng, that he will take that awaye from theim. So that thei shalbe no lenger of his kyngdō, they shalbe no lenger gouerned by his holy spirite: thei shalbe frustrated of the grace & benefites, that thei had, and euer might haue enioyed through Christ. Thei shalbe depriued of the heauenly light, and life, whiche they had in Christe, whiles they abode in hym. They shalbe,i. Reg. xv. (as thei wer once) as mē without God in this worlde, or rather in worse takyng. And to be short, they shalbe geuen into the power of the deuil, which beareth the rule in al them, that be cast awaie from God, as he did in Saule and Iudas, and generally, in all suche, as worke after their awne willes, the children of diffidence and infidelitie.

Let vs beware therfore (good christian people) least that we, reiecting Gods worde, (by the whiche we obteyn and retin, true faith in GOD) be not at length cast of so farre, that we become as ye children of infidelitie, whiche be of two sortes, farre diuerse, yea, almoste cleane contrary, and yet bothe bee very far, frō returnyng to God. The one sort, onely waiyng their sinful, & detestable liuyng, with the right iudgemēt and strayghtnes of Gods ryghteousnes, be so destitute of counsail, and be so comfortles, (as all they must nedes be, frō whom the spirit of counsaill and comfort is gone) that they will not be perswaded in theyr hartes, but that either God cannot, or els that he will not take them again to his fauor and mercy. The other, hearyng the louynge & large promises of Gods mercye, and so not conceiuyng a right faith therof, make those promises larger, then euer God did: trusting, that although thei continue in their synful and detestable liuyng neuer so long, yet that God at the ende of their life, will shewe his mercie vpon theim, and that then, they wil returne. And bothe these two sortes of men, be in a dampnable state: & yet neuerthelesse, God,Eze. xviii. And .xxxiii. (who willeth not the death of ye wicked) hath shewed meanes, wherby both thesame (if thei take hede in ceasō) may escape. The first,Against desperacion. as they do dread gods rightfull iustice in punishing sinners, (wherby they should be dismaid and should dispaire in dede, as touchyng any hope that may be in themselfes) so if thei would cōstantly beleue, that Gods mercie is the remedy appoynted against such dispaire & distrust, not onely for them, but generally for all that bee sory and truely repē taunt, and will therewithall sticke to Gods mercie, they maie be sure thei shal obtein mercie, and entre into the porte or hauen of sauegarde, into the whiche, whosoeuer doth come, be thei before tyme neuer so wicked, thei shalbe out of daūger of euerlastyng dampnacion,Eze. xxxiii. as God by Ezechiel saieth: what tyme soeuer the wicked doeth returne, & take earnest and true repentaunce, I will forget all his wickednesse.

Against presumpcion.The other, as they be redy to beleue Gods promises, so they should be as redy to beleue the threatenynges of god: aswel thei should beleue the lawe as the Gospel: aswel that there is an hell and euerlastyng fyre, as that there is an heauen, and euerlasting ioye: aswel they should beleue dampnacion, to be threatened to the wicked and euyll doers, as saluacion to be promised to the faithfull in worde and workes: aswel they should beleue, God to bee true, in the one, as in the other. And the synners, that cō tinue in their wycked • iuyng, ought to thynke, that the promises of Gods mercie and the Gospell, perteyn not vnto theim, beynge in that state, but onely the lawe, and those scriptures, whiche conteyne the wrathe, and indignacion of God, and his threatenynges, which should certifye them, that as thei do ouer boldely presume of gods mercy, and liue dissolutely, so doeth God still more and more withdrawe his mercie from theim, and he is so prouoked thereby to wrathe at lenght, that he destroyeth suche presumers many tymes sodainly. For of suche, saincte Paule sayed thus: when they shall saye, it is peace,i. Thessa. v. there is no daunger, then shall sodayn destruction come vpon theim. Let vs beware therfore, of suche naughtie boldenesse to synne: for God, whiche hath promised his mercie to them, that bee truely repentaunte, (although it bee at the latter ende) hath not promised to the presumpteous synner, either that he shall haue long life, or that he shal haue true repentaunce at the laste ende. But for that purpose, hath he made euery mannes deathe vncertayne, that he should not put his hope in thend, and in the meane season (to Gods highe displeasure) lyue vngodly. Wherfore, let vs folowe the counsaill of the Wisemā: let vs make no tariyng, to turne vnto the lord: let vs not put of, from daie to day, for sodainly shal his wrath come, and in tyme of vengeaunce, he shal destroye the wycked. Let vs therefore turne betymes, and when we turne, let vs praye to GOD, as Ozee teacheth, saiyng: Forgeue vs all oure synnes,Ozee. xiiii. receyue vs graciously. And if we turne to him, with an humble and a very penitent harte, he wil receiue vs to his fauor and grace, for his holy names sake, for his promise sake, for his truthe and mercies sake, promysed to all faithefull beleuers in Iesus Christ, his onely naturall sonne. To whō the onely sauiour of the world, with the father and the holy ghost, bee all honor, glory, and power, world without end. Amen.

IT is not to be marueyled, that worldly men do feare to dye: For death depriueth them of all worldly honors, riches, and possessions: in the fruition whereof, the worldely man compteth hymself happie, so long as he maye enioye theim at hys awne pleasure: and other wyse, if he be dispossessed of thesame, without hope of recouery, then he can none other thinke of himself, but that he is vnhappie, because he hath loste hys worldely ioye and pleasure. Alas thinketh this carnall man, shall I now depart for euer, frō all my honors, all my treasures, from my countrey, frendes, riches, possessiōs, and worldly pleasures, whiche are my ioy and hartes delight? Alas that euer that daie shal come, whē all these I muste bid farewell at once, and neuer to enioye any of thē after. Wherfore, it is not without greate cause spoken of the wiseman:Eccle▪ xli. O death, how bitter and sower is the remembraunce of thee, to a man that liueth in peace, and prosperitie in his substaunce, to a man liuyng at ease, leading his life after his awne mind, without trouble, & is therwithal well pampered and fed? There be other men, whom this world doth not so greatly laugh vpon, but rather vexe and oppresse with pouertye, sickenesse, or some other aduersitie: Yet thei do fear death, partly because the fleashe abhorreth naturally his awne sorowful dissolucion, whiche death doth threaten vnto theim, and partely, by reason of sickenesses, and paynfull diseases, whiche be moste strong pangues and agonies in the fleshe, and vse commōly to come to sicke men, before death, or at the leaste, accompany death, whensoeuer it commeth.

Although these twoo causes s • me great & weightie to a worldly man, wherupō he is moued to feare death, yet there is another cause much greater then any of these afore rehersed, for whiche in dede, he hath iuste cause to feare death: and that is, the state and cōdicion, wherunto at the last ende, death bryngeth all them that haue their hartes fixed vpō this world, without repentaunce and amendemēt. This state & condicion, is called the second death, whiche, vnto all suche, shall insue after this bodily deathe. And this is that death, whiche in deede ought to be dread & feared: for it is an euerlasting losse without remedy, of the grace & fauor of God, and of euerlastyng ioy, pleasure, and felicitie. And it is not onely the losse for euer of all these eternall pleasures, but also it is the condempnacion, both of body & soule, (without either appellaciō, or hope of redempcion) vnto euerlastynge paynes in hell. Unto this state death sent the vnmercyfull and vngodly richeman,Luke. xvi, (that Luke speaketh of, in his Gospell) who liuyng in all wealthe and pleasure in this worlde, and cherishyng himself daily with daintie fare, and gorgeous apparel, despiced poore Lazarus, that lay pitifully at his gate, miserably plagued, and full of sores, and also greuously pined with hunger.

Bothe these twoo, were arrested of deathe, whiche sent Lazarus the poore miserable man by aungels anone vnto Abrahams bosome: a place of rest, pleasure and consolacion. But the vnmerciful richman, descended doune into hel, and beyng in tormē tes, he cried for comforte, complainyng of the intollerable payn that he suffered in that flamme of fire, but it was to late. So vnto this place, bodily death sendeth all them, that in this world, haue their ioye and felicite: all them, that in this world, be vnfaithfull vnto God, and vncharitable vnto their neighbors, so diyng without repentaūce, & hope of Gods mercie. Wherfore it is no maruaile, that the worldly man feareth death, for he hath muche more cause so to do, then he himself doeth considre.

The firste.Thus we se thre causes, why worldly men feare death. One, because thei shal lose therby, their worldely honors, riches, possessions, and all their hartes desires:The seconde Another, because of the painfull diseases, & bitter pangues, which commonly men suffre, either before, or at the tyme of death: but the chiefe cause, aboue al other,The thirde is the dread of the miserable state, of eternall dampnacion bothe of body and soule, whiche they feare, shal folow, after their departyng out of the worldly pleasures of this present life.

For these causes, be all mortall men, (whiche be geuē to the loue of this world) both in feare, & state of death,Hebre. ii. through syn (as ye holy apostle saith) so lōg as thei liue here in this world. But (euerlasting thā kes be to almighty God for euer) there is neuer one of al these causes, no, nor yet thei altogether, that cā make a true Christian man afraied to dye, (whiche is the very membre of Christe,i. Corin. iii. the temple of the holy Ghoste, the sonne of God▪ and the very inheritor of the euerlastyng kyngdom of heauen) but plainly contrary, he conceiueth great and many causes, vndoubtedly grounded vpon the infallyble and euerlastynge truth of the woorde of God, whiche moue hym, not onely to put away the feare of bodiely death, but also for the manifolde benefites and singuler commodities, whiche ensue vnto euery faithfull person, by reason of thesame, to wish, desire, & longe hartely for it. For death shall be to hym no death at all, but a very deliueraunce from death, frō all paynes, cares, and sorowes, miseries, and wretchednes of this world, and the very entry into rest, and a beginnyng of euerlastyng ioye, a tastyng of heauenly pleasures, so great, that neither toungue is able to expresse, neither eye to se, nor eare to heare them, no, nor for anye earthly mans hart to conceyue them. So excedinge greate benefites thei be, whiche God our heauenly father by his mere mercye, and for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christe, hathe layed vp in store, and prepared for theim, that humbly submitte themselfes to Gods wil, and euermore vnfainedly, loue him, from the botome of their hartes. And we oughte to beleue, that death beyng slayne by Christe, cannot kepe any man, that stedfastly trusteth in Christ, vnder his perpetuall tirāny and subiection, but that he shall ryse from death agayne vnto glory, at the last daye, appoynted by almighty God, lyke as Christ oure head, did ryse agayne, accordinge to Gods appoyntement, the thyrde daye. For sainct Augustine saieth: The head goynge before, the mē bres trust to folowe, & come after. And sainct Paule saieth: if Christe be rysen from the dead, we shall ryse also from thesame. And to comforte all Christen persons herein, holye scripture calleth this bodiely death a slepe, wherin mās senses be (as it were) takē, from hym, for a ceason, and yet when he awaketh, he is more freash, then he was when he went to bed. So, althoughe we haue our soules seperated from our bodyes for a ceason, yet at the general resurreccion, we shalbe more freash, beautifull and perfite, then we be now. For now we be mortall, then we shal be immortall, now infect with diuers infirmities, then clerely voyde of all mortall infirmities: now we be subiect to all carnall desyres, then we shalbe al spirituall, desiryng nothynge but Gods glory, & thinges eternal. Thus is this bodiely death, a doore, or entrynge vnto lyfe, and therfore not so muche dreadfull, (if it be rightly considered) as it is comfortable, not a mischief, but a remedy of all mischief, no enemy, but a frende, not a cruel tyraūt, but a gētle guide, leadyng vs, not to mortalitie, but to immortalitie, not to sorow and payne, but to ioye and pleasure, and that to endure for euer, if it be thankefully taken and accepted, as Gods messenger, and paciently borne of vs, for Christes loue, that suffered most paynfull death, for oure loue, to redeme vs from death eternall.Roma. viii. Accordynge hereunto, saincte Paule saieth: our lyfe is hidde with Christ in God, but when our lyfe shall appere, then shall we also appere with hym in glorye. Why then shall we feare to dye? consideryng the manifolde, and comfortable promises of the Gospell, and of holy scriptures? God the father hath geuen vs euerlastynge lyfe, (saieth S. Ihon) & thys lyfe in is hys sonne:Ihon. v • . he that hath the sonne, hath lyfe, & he that hath not ye sonne, hath not lyfe.Ihon. vi. And this I wrote (saieth S. Ihon) to you, that beleue in ye name of the sonne of God, that you maye knowe, that you haue euerlastynge lyfe, and that you do beleue vpō the name of the sonne of God. And our sauior Christ sayeth:Ihon. vi▪ he that beleueth in me, hath lyfe euerlastynge, and I wyll rayse him frō death to lyfe, at the last day.i. Corin. • . Sainct Paule also sayeth: that Christe is ordeyned and made of God, oure righteousnes, our holynes and redemption, to the entent that he, which wyll glory, should glory in the Lorde. Sainct Paule did contemne, and set litle by all other thynges, estemynge them as dunge, whiche before he had in very greate pryce, that he might be found in Christ, to haue euerlasting lyfe, true holynes, righteousnes and redēpcion. Finally,Collos. iii. S. Paule maketh a playne argument in this wise: If our heauenly father woulde not spare his awne naturall sonne, but dyd geue hym to death for vs, how can it be, that with him he shoulde not geue vs all thynges? Therfore, if we haue Christ, then haue we with him, and by him, all good thinges, whatsoeuer we can in our hartes wish or desire: as victorie ouer death, sinne and hel: we haue the fauor of God, peace wyth hym, holynes, wysedome, iustice, power, lyfe, and redempcion: we haue by hym, perpetuall health, wealth, ioye, and blysse euerlastynge.

All those therefore, haue great cause to be full of ioye, that be ioyned to Christ with true faythe, stedfast hope, and perfyt charitie, and not to feare death nor euerlastynge dampnacion. For deathe cānot depriue them of Iesu Christ, nor any sinne can cōdempne them, yt are graffed surely in him, which is their onely ioy, treasure, and lyfe. Let vs repent our synnes, amend our lyfes, trust in hys mercy and satisfaction, and death can neyther take hym from vs, nor vs from hym. For then, (as s. Paul saieth) whether we lyue or dye,Roma. xiiii. we be the Lordes awne. And agayne he sayeth: Christ did dye, and rose agayne, because he should be Lord, both of the dead & quicke. Then if we be the Lordes awne, when we be dead, it must nedes folowe, that suche temporall deathe, not onely cānot harme vs, but also, that it shall muche be to our profit, and ioyne vs vnto God, more perfectly: And thereof the christian hart may surely be certified by the infallible truth of holye scripture. It is God (sayeth sainct Paule) which hath prepared vs vnto immortalitie, and thesame is he, which hath geuen vs an earnest of the spirite. Therfore let vs be alwaies of good comforte, for we knowe, that so longe as we be in the body, we be (as it were) farre from God in a straunge countrey, subiect to many perils, walkyng without perfite sighte, and knowledge of almighty God, onely seynge hym by faythe, in holy scriptures. But we haue a courage & desire, rather to be at home with God and oure sauior Christe, farre from the body, where we maye behold hys Godhead, as he is, face to face, to oure euerlastyng comfort. These be saincte Paules wordes in effecte, wherby we may perceyue, that the lyfe in this world, is resembled to a pilgrimage, in a straunge countrie far frome God:Hebre. xiii. and that death, deliuerynge vs from our bodyes, doth sende vs straight home, into our awne countrey, and maketh vs to dwell presently with God for euer, in perpetuall rest and quietnesse. So that to dye is no losse, but profite and winnynge to all true christē people.

What lost the thefe, that hanged on the crosse with Christ by hys bodiely death? Yea, how much dyd he gayne by it?Luke. xxiii. Did not our sauiour say vnto hym, thys daye thou shalt be with me in Paradyse? And Lazarus, that pitifull person,Luke. xvi. that lay before ye richemans gate, payned with sores, and pined with hungre, did not death highlye profite and promote hym? Which by the ministery of Aungels, sent hym vnto Abrahās bosome, a place of rest, ioye and heauenly consolacion? Let vs thinke none other, (good christen people) but Christ hath prepared thesame ioye, and felicitie for vs, that he prepared for Lazarus & the thefe. Wherfore, let vs sticke vnto his saluacion, and gracious redempcion: and beleue hys worde, serue hym frō our hartes, loue & obeye hym, and whatsoeuer we haue done heretofore contrarye to hys moste holy wyll, now let vs repent in tyme, and hereafter study to correct our lyfe, & doubt not, but we shall finde hym as mercifull vnto vs, as he was either to Lazarus, or to ye thefe: whose exāples are written in holy scripture, for the comfort of thē, that be sinners, and subiecte to sorowes, miseries, & calamities in this worlde, that thei shoulde not despayre in Gods mercy, but euer truste, therby to haue forgiuenesse of their synnes, & lyfe euerlastinge, as Lazarus and the thefe had. Thus I trust euery christen man, perceyueth by the infallible woorde of God, that bodiely death cannot harme nor hinder theim, that truly beleue in Christ, but contrary shal profit & promote the christen soules, whiche beynge truly penitēt for their offences, departe hēce in perfect charitie, and in sure truste, that God is mercifull to thē, forgiuinge theyr synnes, for the merites of Iesus Christe, hys onely naturall sonne.

The seconde cause, why some do feare death.The seconde cause, why some do feare death, is sore sickenesse, and greuous paynes, whiche partly, come before death, and partely, accompayneth deathe, whensoeuer it cometh. This feare, is the feare of the frayle fleashe, and a naturall passion, belonginge vnto the nature of a mortall man. But true fayth, in Gods promyses, and regarde of the paynes and pangues, whiche Christe vpon the crosse suffered for vs miserable synners, with consideracion of the ioye, and euerlastyng lyfe to come in heauen, wil mitigate those paynes, and moderate thys feare, yt it shall neuer be able to ouerthrowe the hartie desire, and gladnesse, that the christian soule hath to be seperated from thys corrupt body, that it maye come to the gracious presence, of our sauiour Iesus Christ. If we beleue stedfastly the woorde of god, we shal perceyue, that suche bodiely sickenesse, pangues of death, or whatsoeuer dolorous paynes we suffre, either before or with death, be nothynge els in Christē mē, but the rodde of our heauenly and louynge father, wherwith he mercifully correcteth vs, either to trie and declare the faythe of hys pacient chyldren, that they maye be founde laudable, glorious, and honorable in hys sight, when Iesus Christ shalbe openly shewed, to be the Iudge of al the worlde: or els to chastise, and amende in them, whatsoeuer offendeth hys fatherly and gracious goodnesse, lest they shoulde peryshe euerlastingly. And this hys correctynge rodde, is common to all them, that be truly hys. Therfore let vs caste away the burden of synne, that lyeth so heuye in our neckes, and returne vnto God, by true penaunce, and amendemente of our lyfes. Let vs with paciēce runne thys course that is appoynted, sufferyng (for hys sake that dyed for our saluacion) al sorowes and pangues of death, and death it selfe ioyfully, when God sendeth it to vs, hauynge our eyes fixed euer vpon the heade, and capitayn of our fayth, Iesus Christe: Who (considerynge the ioye, that he shoulde come vnto) cared neyther for the shame, nor payne of deathe, but willingly, conformyng hys wyll to hys fathers wyll, moste paciently suffered the moste shamefull and paynefull deathe of the crosse, beyng innocent.Philip. ii▪ And now therfore, he is exalted in heauen, and euerlastingly sitteth on the rigtht hande of the throne of God the father. Let vs call to our remembraunce therfore, the lyfe and ioyes of heauen, that are kepte for al them, that paciently doo suffre here with Christe: and cō sider, that Christe suffered all hys paynfull passion, by synners, and for synners, and then we shall with pacience, and the more easyly, suffre suche sorowes and paynes, when they come. Let vs not set at light, the chastisinge of the Lorde, nor grudge at hym, nor fall from hym, when of hym we be corrected: for the Lorde loueth them, whom he doth correcte, and beateth euery one, whom he taketh to be hys chylde. What chylde is that, (saieth saincte Paule) whome the father loueth,Hebre. xii. and doth not chastice? If ye be without Gods correctiō (which al hys welbeloued and true children haue) then be you but bastardes, finally regarded of God, & not hys true chyldren.

Therfore, seynge that whē we haue in earth our carnall fathers to be our correctors, we do feare them, and reuerently take their correction, shall we not much more be in subieccion to God our spirituall father, by whome we shall haue eternal lyfe? And our carnall fathers some tyme correct vs, euen as pleaseth thē, without cause: but this father, iustely correcteth vs, either for our synne, to the intēt we should amende, or for our commoditie & wealthe, to make vs therby partakers of his holynesse. Furthermore, all correction, whiche God sendeth vs in thys present tyme, semeth to haue no ioye and comforte, but sorowe and payne: Yet it bringeth with it a taste of Gods mercye and goodnes towardes thē, that be so corrected, & a sure hope of Godes euerlastyng consolacion in heauē. If then these sorowes, diseases, and sickenesses, and also death it selfe, be nothyng els, but our heauenly fathers rod, wherby he certifieth vs of hys loue & gracious fauor, wherby he trieth and purifieth vs, wherby he geueth vnto vs holynesse, & certifieth vs, that we be hys children, and he our mercifull father: shall not we then, with all humilitie, as obedyent & louyng chyldren, ioyfully kysse our heauenly fathers rod, and euer saye in oure harte, with oure sauior Iesus Christe: Father, if this āguishe and sorowe wich I fele, and death,Mat. xxvi. which I se approche, maye not passe, but that thy wyll is, that I muste suffre them, thy wyll be done.

Now the thirde and speciall cause,The thyrde cause why death is to be feared. why death in deede is too be feared, is the miserable state of the worldly and vngodly people, after their death: But this is no cause at all, why the godly and faytheful people should feare death, but rather contrariwise, their godly conuersacion in thys lyfe, and beliefe in Christ, cleauing continually to hys merites, should make them to longe sore after that lyfe, that remayneth for them vndoubtedly after this bodely death. Of this immortall state, after thys transitory lyfe, where we shal liue euermore, in the presence of god, in ioye and reste, after victory ouer all sickenes, sorowes, sinne, and death: there be many, bothe playn places of holy scripture, which confirme the weake conscience agaynst the feare of al suche dolours, sickenesses, synne and death corporal, to asswage such trembling and vngodly feare, and to encourage vs with comforte and hope, of a blessed state after thys life. Sainct Paule wissheth vnto the Ephesians,Ephe. i. yt God the father of glory, woulde geue vnto theim, ye spirite of wisedome and reuelacion, that the eyes of their hartes might haue light to knowe him, and to perceyue, how great thinges he had called thē vnto, and how riche inheritaunce, he hath prepared after this life, for thē that perteyne vnto hym.Phil. i. And sainct Paul himself, declareth the desire of his hart, which was to be dissolued and losed frō hys body, and to be with Christ, which (as he sayde) was much better for him, althoughe to them, it was more necessary, yt he should liue, which he refused not, for their sakes. Euen like as sainct Martyn sayde: good Lorde, if I be necessary for thy people to do good vnto them I will refuse no labor, but els for myne awne selfe, I beseche the to take my soule.

Now, the holy fathers of the olde lawe, and all faythful and righteous men, which departed before our sauior Christes ascencion into heauen, dyd by death, departe from troubles vnto rest, frō the handes of theyr enemies into ye hādes of God, frō sorowes & sickenesses vnto ioyful refreashing into Abrahās bosome, a place of al cōfort & cōsolaciō, as scriptures do plainly by manifest wordes testifie. The boke of Wisedō saith:Sapien. iii. yt the righteous mens soules be in the hand of God, & no torment shal touche thē. They semed to the eyes of folishe men to dye, and their death was cōpted miserable, and theyr departing out of this worlde, wretched, but thei be in rest. And another place saieth: that the righteous shall liue for euer, and their rewarde is with the Lorde, & their myndes be with God, who is aboue al. Therfore they shall receyue a glorious kyngdome, and a beautifull croune, at the Lordes hand. And in another place,Sapien. iiii. thesame boke saieth: ye righteous, though he be preuented with sodain death, neuerthelesse he shalbe there, where he shalbe refreshed. Of Abrahās bosome, Christes wordes be so playne, that a christē man nedeth no more profe of it. Now then, if thys were ye state of ye holy fathers & righteous mē, before the cōminge of our sauior, and before he was glorified, how much more then, oughte all wee to haue a stedfast faith, & a sure hope of this blessed state & cō dicion, after our death? Seynge that oure sauior, now hath perfourmed the whole worke of oure redempcion, and is gloriously ascended into heauen, to prepare oure dwellinge places with hym, & saied vnto hys father: Father, I will that where I am,Ihon. xvii. my seruauntes shalbe with me. And we knowe, that whatsoeuer Christe wyll, hys father will the same: wherfore it cannot be, but if we be his faythfull seruauntes, our soules shalbe with hym, after oure departynge out of this present life. Sainct Stephin,Actes. vii. when he was stoned to death, euen in the middest of hys tormentes, what was hys mynde moste vpon? When he was full of the holy Ghoste, (sayeth holye scripture) hauynge hys eyes lifted vp into heauen, he sawe the glory of God, and Iesus standinge on the righte hande of God. The which truth, after he had confessed boldely before the enemies of Christ, they drewe hym oute of the citie, and there they stoned hym, who cried vnto God saiynge: Lorde Iesu Christe, take my spirite. And doeth not oure sauior saye playnely in saincte Ihons Gospel? Uerely,Ihon▪ v▪ verely, I saye vnto you, he that heareth my woorde & beleueth on hym yt sente me, hath euerlastynge lyfe, and commeth not into iudgemēt, but shall passe frō death to lyfe. Shall we not then thinke that death to be precious, by the whiche we passe vnto lyfe? Therfore it is a true saiynge of the Prophete:Psalm. • xvi. the death of the holy and righteous mē, is precious in the Lordes sighte. Holy Simeon, after that he had hys hartes desire, in seynge oure sauior that he euer longed for all hys lyfe, he embraced hym in his armes, and sayde: Now Lord, let me departe in peace,Luke. ii. for myne eyes haue beholdē that sauior, which thou haste prepared for all nacions.

It is truthe therefore, that the death of the righteous, is called peace, and the benefite of the Lord, as the Church saieth in ye name of the righteousnes departed out of this world:Psalm. cxiiii. My soule turne the to thy rest, for the Lorde hath bene good to the, and rewarded the. And we se by holy scripture, and other auncient Histories of Martyrs, that the holy faithfull, and righteous, euer syns Christes ascencion, in their death did not doubte, but that they went to be with Christe in spirite, whiche is oure lyfe, healthe, wealth and saluacion.Apoc. xiiii. Ihon in his holy Reuelaciō, saw a .C.xl. and .iiij.M. virgins and innocentes, of whome he saide: These folow the Lābe Iesu Christ wheresoeuer he goeth. And shortly after, in thesame place he saieth: I heard a voyce frō heauen, saiyng vnto me: Write, happye and blessed are the dead, whiche dye in the Lorde: from hencefurthe (surelye saieth the syirite) they shall reste from theyr paynes and labours, for their woorkes do folow them. So that then they shall reape with ioye and comforte that, whiche they sowed with labors and paynes. They that sowe in the spirit, of the spirit shall reape euerlastynge lyfe. Let vs therefore neuer be wery of well doynge, for when the tyme of reapynge, or reward commeth, we shal reape without any werines, euerlastynge ioye. Therfore, whyle we haue time (as saincte Paule exhorteth vs) let vs doo good to all men,Galat vi. Matth. vi. & not lay vp our treasurers in earth, where ruste and mothes corrupt it, whiche ruste (as sainct Iames saieth) shall beare witnes against vs,Iames. v. at the great daye, condempne vs, and shal (like most brennynge fyre) tormente oure fleashe. Let vs beware therefore, (as we tendre oure awne wealthe) that we be not in the numbre of those miserable coueteous men, whiche, sainct Iames biddeth mourne and lament, for their gredy gatherynge, and vngodly kepynge of goodes. Let vs be wise in time, and learne to folowe the wise example of the wicked Stuarde. Let vs so prudently dispose oure goodes and possessions, committed vnto vs here by God for a ceason, that we maye truely heare and obeye this commaundement of oure sauior Christes: I saye vnto you, (sayeth he) make you frendes of the wicked Mammon, that they maye receiue you, into euerlastynge tabernacles. Ryches, he calleth wicked,Luke. xvi. because the worlde abuseth them vnto all wickednes, which are otherwise the good gifte of God, and the instrumentes, whereby Gods seruauntes do truely serue hym, in vsynge of thesame. He commaunded them not, to make them ryche frendes, to get hyghe dignities, and worldly possessiōs, to geue great giftes to ryche men, that haue no neede thereof, but to make theim frendes of poore and miserable men: vnto whome, whatsoeuer they geue, Christe accepteth it, as geuen to hymselfe. And to these frendes, Christe in the Gospell geueth so greate honor and preeminence, that he sayeth: they shall receyue theyr benefactors, into euerlastynge houses: Not that men shalbe oure rewarders, for our well doyng, but that Christ will rewarde vs, and take it to be done vnto hymselfe, whatsoeuer is doone to suche frendes.

Thus makynge poore wretches oure frendes, we make oure sauioure Christe oure frende, whose membres they are, whose miserie, as he taketh for hys awne misery, so theyr reliefe, succour and helpe, he taketh for hys succoure, reliefe, and helpe, and will asmuche thanke vs and rewarde vs for oure goodnes shewed to them, as if he him selfe had receyued lyke benefite at oure handes, as he witnesseth in the Gospell, saiynge: Whatsoeuer ye haue done to any of these symple persones,Matth. xxv. whiche do beleue in me, that haue ye doen to my selfe. Therfore let vs diligently forese, that our fayth and hope, whiche we haue conceyued in almightie God, and in oure sauioure Christe, waxe not faynte, nor that the loue whiche we pretende to beare to hym, waxe not coulde: but let vs studye dayly and diligently to shewe oure selfes to be the true honorers and louers of God, by kepynge of his commaundemētes, by doyng of good dedes vnto our nedy neighbors, releuynge by all meanes that we can, their pouertye with our abundaunce, their ignoraunce with oure wisedome and learnynge, and comforte their weakenesse, with oure strength and aucthoritie: calling all men backe from euill doynge, by Godly counsayll and good example, perseuerynge styll in well doynge so longe as we lyue. So shall we not nede to feare death, for any of those three causes afore mencioned, nor yet for any other cause that can be imagined. But contrary, consideryng the manifold sickenesses, troubles & sorowes of this present lyfe, the daungers of this perilous pilgrimage, and the greate encombraunce, whiche oure spirite hath by thys synful fleshe and frayle body subiect to death: considerynge also the manifolde sorowes and daū gerous deceiptes of this world on euery side, the intollerable pride, coueteousnes, and lechery in tyme of prosperitie, the impacient murmurynge of them that be worldly in tyme of aduersitie, whiche cease not to withdrawe and plucke vs from God oure sauioure Christe, from oure life, wealth, or eternal ioy and saluacion: considerynge also the innumerable assaultes, of oure Ghostly enemy the deuill, with al his fiery dartes of ambicion, pryde, lechery, vainglory, enuie, malice, detractiō, with other hys innumerable deceiptes, engines and snares, whereby he goeth busely aboute to catche al men vnder his dominion, euer lyke a roreynge Lyon,i. Pet. v. by all meanes searchynge whome he maye deuoure: the faythfull Christian man, which considereth al these miseries, perilles and incommodities, (whereunto he is subiecte, so longe as he here liueth vpon earthe) and on the other part, considereth that blessed and comfortable state of the heauēly lyfe to come, and the swete condicion of them, that departe in the Lorde, howe they are deliuered from the continuall encombraū ces of their mortall and synfull bodye, from all the malice, craftes and deceiptes of this world, from al the assaultes of their ghostly enemy the deuil, to liue in peace, reste and perpetuall quietnes, to liue in the felowship of innumerable Aungelles, and with the congregacion of perfecte iuste mē, as Patriarches, Prophetes, Martyrs and Confessors: and finally, vnto the presence of almighty God, and oure sauior Iesus Christe. He that doeth consider all these thinges, and beleueth theim assuredly, as they are to be beleued, euen from the botome of his harte, beynge established in God, in thys true faythe, hauynge a quiete conscience in Christe, a firme hope, and assured trust in Gods mercy, through the merites of Iesu Christe, to obteyne thys quietnes, reste and eternall ioye: shal not onely be without feare of bodiely deathe, when it commeth, but certainlye (as saincte Paule did) so shall he gladly (accordynge to Gods will,Phil. i. and when it pleaseth God to call hym oute of thys lyfe) greately desyre in hys harte, that he maye be rid from al these occasions of euil, and liue euer to Gods pleasure, in perfecte obedience of hys will, with our sauior Iesus Christe: to whose gracious presence, the Lorde of hys infinitie mercye and grace, brynge vs to reigne with hym, in lyfe euerlastynge. To whome, with oure heauenly father, and the holy Ghoste, be glorye in worldes without ende. AMEN.