Pathway into the Holy Scripture

A Pathway into the Holy Scripture

I Do ma•ueyle greatly / derely beloued in Christ / that euer any man shulde repugne or speke agaynst the scrypture to be hadde in euery language / and that of euery man. For I thought that no man had ben so blynd to aske why lyght shuld be shewed to them that walke in darknes / where they can nat but stomble / & where to stomble is the daunger of eternall dampnacion: either so dispytefull that he wolde enuy any man (I speake nat his brother) so necessary a thing: or so bedlem mad to afferme that good is the naturall cause of euyll / & darkenesse to procede out of lyght / & that lyeng shulde be grounded in trouth & verytie / and nat rather clene contrary that lyght distroyeth darkenes / and veritye reproueth all maner lyenge.

Neuerthelesse / seyng that it hath pleased god to sende vnto oure Englysshe men / euen to as many as vnfaynedly desyre it / the scrypture in their mother tonge / consyderynge that there be in euery place false techers & blynde leders / that ye shuld be disceyued of no man. I supposed it very necessarye to prepayre this Path way into the scripture for you that ye myght walke surely & euer know the trewe from the false. And aboue al to put you in remembraunce of certayne pointes which ar: That ye well vnderstande what these wordes meane. The olde Testament / the newe Testament / the lawe / the gospell / Moses / Christ / nature / grace / workyng & beleuyng / dedes and fayth. L••t we ascrybe to the one / that whiche belongeth to the other / and make of Christ / Moses / of the gospell / the law: dispyse grace and robbe fayth: and fall from meke lernynge in to ydle dispicyons / braulynge and scoldinge about wordes. The olde testament is a boke wherin is written the lawe of god / & the dedes of them which fulfyll them / & of them also which fulfyll them nat.

The newe Testament is a boke / wherin are conteyned the promyses of god / & the dedes of them whiche beleue them / or beleue them nat.

Euangelion (that we call the gospel) is a greke worde / & sygnifyeth good mery / glad / & ioyfull tidynges / that maketh a mannes herte glad / & maketh him synge / daunce / & leape for ioye. As whan Dauid had killed Go lyath the giaunt / came glad tidinges vnto the iewes / that their fearfull & cruell enemy was slayne / & they delyuered out of all danger: for gladnes wherof they songe / daunsed & wer ioyfull. In lyke maner is the euangelion of god (which we cal gospel & the new testament) ioyfull tidynges and as some saye: A good herynge publysshed by the apostels through oute all the worlde / of Christe the righte Dauyd / howe that he hathe fought with synne / with dethe / and the deuyll / and ouercome them.

Whereby all men that were in bondage to synne wounded with dethe / ouercome of the Deuyll / are withoute their owne meryttes or deseruynges / losed / iustifyed / restored to lyfe / and saued / brought to lybertie and reconsyled vnto the fauoure of god and set at one with him agayne which tidynges as many as beleue laude / prayse / and thanke god / are glad / synge / daunce for ioye.

This Euangelyon or Gospell (that is to saye / suche ioyfull tidynges) is called the newe Testament. Because that as a man whan he shal dye / appoynteth his goodes to be delte and distributed after his deth amonge them whiche he nameth to be his heyres. Euyn so Christ before his deth commaunded and appoynted that suche Euangelyon / Gospell or tidynges / shulde be declared throughoute all the worlde / and therwith to gyue vnto all that repent and beleue / all his goodes: that is to saye / his lyfe / wherewith he swalowed and deuoured vp deth his rightwysnesse / wherwith he banysshed synne: his saluacion / wherwith he ouercame eternall dampnacyon. Now can the wretched man (that knoweth him selfe to be wrapped in syn / and in daunger to dethe and Hell) here no more ioyouse a thynge / than suche gladde and comfortable tidynges of Christ / so that he can nat but be gladde and laugh from the lowe bottome of his hert / if he beleue that the tidynges are trewe.

To strength such fayth with all / god promysed this his euangelyon in the olde testameut by the prophetes (as Paule sayth in the fyrst chapiter vnto the Romayns) Howe that he was chosen out to preche goddes Euangelion / whiche he before had promysed by the prophetes in the holy scriptures that treate of his sonne which was borne of the sede of Dauyd. In the thirde chapiter of Genesis / god sayth to the serpente: I wyll put hatered betwene the & the woman / betwene thy seede and her sede: that selfe sede shall treade thy heed vnder fote, Christ is the womans sede / he it is that hath troden vnder fote the deuyls heede / that is to saye: synne / dethe / hell / and all his power. For without this sede can no man auoyde synne / deth / hell / and euerlastynge dampnacion. Agayne / Gene. xxii. God promysed Abraham / sayeng. In thy sede shall all the generacyons of the erthe be blessed. Christ is that sede of Abraham / saith s. Paul in the third to the Galathyans. He hath blessed al the worlde throughe the Gospell. For where Christe is nat / there remayneth the curse that fell on Adam / as sone as he had synned / so that they are in bondage vnder the dampnacyon of synne / deth / & hell. Against this curse blesseth nowe the gospell all the worlde / in as moch as it cryeth openly vnto all that knowledge their synnes and repent / sayenge: Who so euer beleueth on the sede of Abraham shalbe blessed / that is / he shall be delyuered from synne / deth and hell / and shall hence forthe contynewe •ightwyse & saued for euer / as Christ him selfe sayth (in the. xi. of Johan.) He that beleued on me shall neuer more dye.

The lawe (sayth Jo. in the fyrst •ha) was gyuen by Moses: but grace and vertue by Jesus Christ. The lawe (whose minyster is Moses) was gyuen to bringe vs vnto the knowledge of oure selues / that we myght thereby fele & perceyue what we are of nature, The law condemneth vs & all oure dedes / & is called of Paule (in the third cha. of the. ii. pistle vnto the corinthians) the mynistracyon of dethe. For it kylleth oure conscyences and drweth vs to disperacyon / in as moche as it requyreth of vs / that which is vnpossyble for our nature to do. It requyreth of vs the dedes of an hole man. It requyreth perfet loue from the low bottom and grounde of the hert / as well in all thynges which we suffre as in tho thiges which we do. But sayth Johnn in the same place. grace and veritye is gyuen vs by Christ / so that wha• the lawe hathe passed vpon vs / & condempned vs to dethe (which is his nature to do) than haue we in Christ grace / that is to say fauour / promyses of lyfe / of mercy / of pardone / frely by the merytes of Christ / & in Christ haue we veritye and trouth / in that god for his sake fulfylleth all his promyses to them that beleue. Therfore is the gospell the ministracion of lyfe. Paule calleth it in the fore rehersed place of the seconde ••ap. to the Corinthians. the ministracion of the spirit.& of rightwysnes. In the gospell whan we be leue the promyses / we receyue the spirite of lyfe / and are iustifyed in the blode of Christ from all thinges whereof the lawe condempneth vs. And we receyue loue vnto the lawe and power to fulfyll it / & grow therin dayly. Of Christ it is written in the fore ••hersed fyrste chapiter of John: this is he of whose abundance or fulnes / all we haue receyued grace for grace / or fauour for fauoure. That is to saye / for the fauour that god hath to his son christ / he giueth vnto vs his fauour & good wyl / & al gyftes of his grace / as a fader to his sonnes. As affermeth Paule / sayeng: whiche loued vs in his beloued before the creatyon of the world. So that Christ bringeth the loue of god vnto vs / and nat oure owne holye workes. Christ is made lorde ouer all / & is called in scripture / goddes mercy stole. whosoeuer therfore flyeth to christ / can neither here nor receyue of god any other thynge saue In the olde testament (mercy. ar many promises / which ar nothyng els but this euangelyon or gospell / to saue those that beleued them / from the vengeaunce of the lawe. And in the new testament is oft made mencion of the lawe / to condempne them / which beleue nat the promyses.

Moreouer the lawe & gospell maye neuer be seperate: for the gospel and promyses serue but for troubled couscyences whiche are brought to disperacion and fele the paynes of hell and deth vnder the lawe / and are in captiuyte & bondage vnder the law. In all my dedes I muste haue the lawe before me to condempne myne vnperfytnes. For all that I do (be I neuer so parfyte) is yet dampnable synne / whan it is compared to the lawe / which requyreth the grounde and bottome of myne herte. I must therefore haue alwayes the lawe in my syght / that I may be meke in the spirit / & gyue god all the laude and prayse / ascribinge to him all rightwysnes / & to my selfe all vnright wysenes & synne. I must also haue the promyses before myne eyes / that I dispeyre nat / in which promyse I se the mercy / fauour / and good wyl of god vpon me in the blode of his sonne christ / which hath made satisfaction for myne vnparfytenes / & fulfylled for me / that which I coulde nat do, Here maye ye perceyue that two maner of people are sore disceyued. Fyrst they which iustifye them selfe with outwarde dedes / in that they absteyne outwardly from that whiche the lawe forbyddeth / and do outwardly that whiche the lawe commaundeth. They compare themselues to open synners / and in respecte of them iustify them selues / condempnynge the open synners. They set a vayle on Moses face / & se nat howe the lawe requyreth loue from the botthom of the hert / & that loue only is the fulfyllynge of the lawe. If they dyd they wolde nat condemne their neybours. Loue hydeth the multy tude of synnes sayth saynt Peter in his fyrst Pistle. For whom I loue from the depe bothom & grounde of myne herte / him condempne I nat / neither reken his synnes / but suffre his wekenesse & infyrmyte / as a mother the wekenesse of her sonne / vntyll he grow vp into a parfyte man. Those also are disceyued which without all feare of god gyue them selues vnto all manner vyces with full consent / & full delectacion / hauynge no respect to the lawe of god (vnder whose vengeaunce they are locked vp in captiuytie) but saye: God is mercyfull / & Christ dyed for vs / supposynge that such dremynge and ymaginacion is that fayth whiche is so greatly commended in holy scripture. Naye / that is nat fayth but rather a folysshe blynde opinyon / springynge of their owne corrupt nature / and is nat gyuen them of the spirit of god / but rather of the spirit of the deuyl / whose faith now a dayes / the popysshe compare and make equall vnto the best trust / confidence and beleue / that a repenting soule can haue in the blode of oure sauyour Jesus / vnto their owne confusyon / shame / & vttrynge what they are within. But trewe fayth is (as sayth the apostle Paule) the gyft of god / & is gyuen to synners after the lawe hath passed vpon them / & hath brought their conseyences vnto the brim of disperacion & sorowes of hell.

They that haue this right fayth consente to the lawe that it is right wyse & good / and iustifye god whiche made the lawe / and haue delectacyon in the lawe (natwithstanding that they can nat fulfyll it as they wolde for their wekenes) & they abhorre what so euer the lawe forbyddeth / though they can nat alwayes auoyde it. And their great sorowe is / bycause they can nat fulfyll the wyll of god in the lawe / & the spirit that is in them / cryeth to god night & day for strength & helpe with teres (as saith Paul) that can nat be expressed with tonge / of which thinges the be lefe of our popish or of their father / whom they so magnify for his stron ge faith hath none experience at all.

The first• that is to say / he whiche iustifyeth himselfe with his outward dedes / consenteth nat to the law inward / nether hath delectation their in: ye / he wolde rather that no such lawe wer. So iustifieth he nat god but hateth him as a tyrant / neither careth he for the promyses / but wyll with his own strength be sauyour of himselfe / no wise glorifyeth he god though he seme outwarde to do.

The second / that is to say / the sensuall person / as a voluptuous swyne / neither fereth god in his lawe / neither is thankefull to him for his promises & mercy / which is set forthe in Christ to all them that beleue.

The right christen man consenteth to the lawe that it is rightwyse / & iustifyeth god in the lawe: for he affermeth that god is rightwyse and iust / which is author of the lawe / he beleueth the promyses of god / & iustifyeth god• iugynge him true and beleuing that he wyl fulfyll his promyses. With the lawe he condempneth him selfe & all his dedes / & gyueth all the prayse to god. He beleueth the promyses / and ascrybeth all trauth to god. Thus euery where iustifieth he god & prayseth god.

By nature through the fall of Adam are we the chyldren of wrath / heyres of the vengeaunce of god by byrth / ye / & from our conception. And we haue our felowship with the dampned deuels vnder the power of derknes & rule of Sathan / whyle we ar yet in our moders wombes / & though we shewe nat forth the frutes of syn as sone as we be borne / yet are we full of the naturall poyson wherof all synfull dedes springe / & can nat but syn outwardes (be we neuer so yonge / as sone as we be able to worke if occasyon be gyuen / for our nature is to do syn / as is the nature of a serpent to stynge. And as a serpent yet yonge / or yet vnbrought forthe is full of poyson / and can nat afterwarde (whan the tyme is come and occasyon gyuen) but bringe forthe the frutes therof. And as an edder / a tode / or a snake / is hated of man (nat for the euyll that it hathe done but for the poyson that is in it / and hurte whiche it can nat but do) so are we hated of god for that naturall poyson which is conceiued and borne with vs / before we do any outward euyll. And as the euyll which a venomouse worme dothe / maketh it nat a serpente: but bycause it is a venomouse worme / dothe it euyll and poysoneth: and as the frute maketh nat the tree euyll / but bycause it is an euyll tree / therfore bringeth it forth euyll frute / whan the season of frute is. Euen so do nat our euyl dedes make vs fyrst euyll throughe ignorance & blyndnes thorow euyll workynge / harde•eth vs in euyll & maketh vs worse and worse: but bycause that of nature we ar euyl therfore we both thinke & do euyll / and ar vnder vengeance / vnder the law conuycte to eternall dampnation by the lawe / and ar contrary to the wil of god in all our wyll / & in all thinges consent to the wyl of the fende.

By grace / that is to saye / by fauour / we ar plucked out of Adam / the grounde of all euyll / and graffed in Christ the rote of all goodnesse. In Christ god loued vs his elect & chosen / before the worlde beganne / and reserued vs vnto the knowlege of his sonne & of his holy gospell / and whan the gospell is preached to vs / openeth oure hertes / and gyueth vs grace to beleue / and putteth the spiryte of Christ in vs / and we know him as our father moste mercyfull / and consent to the lawe / and loue it inwardly in our hert / and desyre to fulfyll it / and sorowe bycause we can nat / which wyll (syn we of frayltie neuer so moch) is suffycient tyll more strengthe be gyuen vs / the blode of Christ hath made satisfaction for the rest / the blode of Christ hath opteyned all thynges for vs of god. Christ is our satisfactyon / redemer delyuered / sauyour from vengeance and wrath. Obserue and marke in Paules / Peters / & Jhons pistels / & in the gospell what christ is vnto vs,

By faith ar we saued only in beleuynge the promises. & though faith be neuer without loue & good workes / yet is our sauinge imputed nether to loue nor vnto good workes but vnto faith only. For loue & workes ar vnder the lawe which requyreth perfection / & the grounde & fountayne of the hert / & damneth all imperfytues. Now is faith vnder the promyses which damne nat: but giue perdon / grace / mercy / fauour / & whatsoeuer is conteyned in the promises.

Rightwisnes is dyuers / for blide reason imagyneth many maners of rightwisnesses. There is the rightwisnes of workes (as I sayd before) whan the hert is away & is nat felte how the lawe is spunall & can nat be fulfylled but from the botom of the herte. As the iust ministracyon. of al maner of lawes / & the obseruing of them / for a worldly purpose & for our owne profyte & nat of loue vnto our neyboure without / all other respecte & morall vertues / wherin philosophers put their felicite & blessednes / which all ar nothynge in the syght of god in respect of the lyfe to come. There is in lyke maner the iustifye•g of ceremonies which sone imagyn their own selues / some coun terfey•e other / sayeng in their blide reason: such holy persons dyd thus and thus / and they were holy men / therfore if I do so lykewyse / I shal please god: but they haue none answere of god / that y• pleaseth. The iewes seke rightwisnes in their ceremonies which god gaue vnto them nat for to iustifye / but to discribe & paynt christ vnto them / of which iues testifyeth Paule / sayeng / how that they haue affectyon to god: but nat after knowlege / for they go aboute to stablyssh their owne iustyce / & ar nat obedyent to the iustyce or rightwysnes that cometh of god / which is the forgyuenes of syn in christes blode / vnto all that repent & beleue. The cause is verily / that excepte a man cast away his owne imagynacyons & reason / he can nat perceyue god / & vnderstande the vertue and power of the blode of Christ. Ther is a full rightwisnes / whan the lawe is fulfylled from the grounde of the hert. This had nat Peter nor paul in this lyfe parfytly: vnto the vtter most / that they coulde nat be parfyter but syghed after it. They were so farforth blessed in christ / that thei hungred & thyrsted after it. Paule had this thirst / he consented to the law of god / that it ought so to be / but he founde another lust in his membres contrarye to the lust & desyre of his mynde that letted him / and therfore cryed out sayeng: Oh wretched man that I am: who shal delyuer me from this body of deth / thankes be to god thorowe Jesus Christ. The ryghtwysnes that before god is of value is to beleue the promyses of god / after the lawe hath confounded the conscyence. As whan the temporall lawe ofte tymes condempneth the thefe or morderer / & bringeth him to execusyon / so that he seeth no thynge before him but present deth / & than cometh good tydynges / a charter from the kinge and deliuereth him. Lykewyse whan goddes lawe hath brought the synner in a knowlege of him selfe / & hath confounded his conscyence / & opened vnto him the wrath and vengeance of god / than cometh good tydynges / the Euangelyon sheweth vnto him the promyses of god in Christ / & howe that Christ hath purchased pardon for him hath satisfyed the lawe for him / and pesed the wrath of god. And the pore sinner beleueth / laudeth & thanketh god / thorowe Christ / and breaketh out into excedynge inwarde ioye / & gladnes / for that he hathe escaped so gret wrath / so heuy vengeaunce / so ferfull and so euerlastyng a deth And he hence forthe is an hungred and a thirst after more rightwisnes that he myght fulfyll the lawe / and mourneth contynually commendyng his wekenes vnto god in the blode of our sauyoure Christ Jesu.

Here shall ye se compendiously & playnly set out / the ordre & practyse of euery thynge afore rehersed.

The fall of Adam hath made vs heyres of the vengeance & wrath of god & heyres af eternall dampnation And hath brought vs into captiuyte & bondage vnder the deuyll. And the deuyll is our lorde & our ruler / our heed / our gouernour / our prince / ye and our god: and our wyl is locked and knyt faster vnto the wyll of the deuyll / than coude an hundreth thousande chaynes bynde a man vnto a post. Unto the deuyls wyll consent we with all our hertes / with al our myndes / with all our might / power strength / wyl & lust: so that the law & wyll of the deuyl is written as wel in our hertes as in our membres / & we ronne hedlonge after the deuyll with full seale / & the hole swynge of al the power we haue / as a ston cast vp into the ayre cometh downe naturally of his owne selfe / with all the vyolence and swynge of his owne weyght. With what poyson dedly / and venomouse hate / hateth a man his enemyes? With howe great malyce of mynde inwardlye doo we sleye & murther. With what vyolence & rage / ye / and with how feruent lust commyt we aduoutrye / fornication / & such lyke vnclennesse with what pleasure & dylectacyon inwardly serueth a glotton his bely? With what dilygence disceyue we? Howe busely seke we the thinges of this worlde? Whatsoeuer we do thynke / or ymagin / is abhomynable in the syght of god. For we can referre nothinge vnto the honour of god: neither is his law or wyl written in our membres or in our hertes / neither is there any more power in vs to folowe the wyll of god / than in a stone to ascende vpwarde of his owne selfe. And besyde that we are as it were a slepe in so depe blidnes that we can nether se nor fele i what misery / thraldom & wretchednes we ar in / tyll Moses come & wake vs / and publysshe the lawe. Whan we here the lawe truly preached / howe that we ought to loue & honor god with all our strength & might from the lowe bothom of the hert / bycause he hath created vs / & both heuen and erthe for our sakes / & made vs lorde therof: and oure neyghbours (ye our enemyes) as our selues inwardly from the grounde of the hert bycause god hathe made them after the lykenes of his owne image / and they ar his sonnes as well as we / & Christ hathe bought them with his blode / & made them heyres of euerlastynge lyfe as well as we: & how we ought to do what so euer God biddeth / & absteyne from whatso euer god forbyddeth with all loue & mekenes / with a feruent & a burnynge lust from the center of the hert: than beginneth the conscyence to rage agaynst the lawe & agaynst god, No see / be it neuer so great a tempest is so vnquyet / for it is nat possyble for a naturall man to consent to the lawe that it shulde be good / or that god shulde be rightwise / which maketh the lawe in asmoch as it is contrary vnto his nature & dampneth him / & all that he can do / & neither sheweth hi where to fetch helpe / nor precheth any mercy / but onely setteth man at varyance with god / as wytnesseth Paul. Ro. iiii. and prouoketh him and styrreth him to rayle on god / & to blaspheme him as a cruel tyrant. For it is nat possyble for a man tyll he be borne agayne / to thynke that god is rightwyse to make hi of so poison a nature / either for his owne pleasure or for the synne of another man / and to gyue him a law that is impossyble for him to do / or to consent to his wytte / reason and wyll / beynge so fast glued / ye / nayled and cheyned vnto the wyll of the deuyll Neither can any creatures lose the bondes / saue the blode of christ only. This is captiuyte and bondage whence christ delyuered vs / redemed and losed vs. His blode / his deth / his pacience in suffrynge rebukes & wronges / his prayers & fastynges / his mekenes & fulfyllyng of the vtmost poynte of the lawe / peased the wrath of god / brought the fauoure of god to vs again / opteined that god shulde loue vs first / & be our father and that a merciful father / that wyl consydre our infirmites & wekenes and wyll gyue vs his spirit againe (whiche was taken awaye in the fall of Adam) to rule / gouerne / and strengthe vs / & to breke the bondes of Satan / wherin we were so streit bounde. Whan Christ is thus wyse preched / and the promyses rehersed which ar conteyned in the prophettes in the Psal. & in dyuers places of the fyue bokes of Moses / whiche preachynge is called the gospell or glad t•dynges: than the hertes of them which are electe and chose / begyn to waxe softe & to melte at the bountuous mercy of god / and kyndnes shewed of Christ. For whan the Euangelion is preched / the spirite of god entreth into them / which god hath ordeyned and appoynted vnto eternall lyfe / and openeth their inwarde eyes / and worketh such bele•e in them, whan the wofull conscyences fele & cast howe swete a thige the bytter deth of Christ is / & howe mercyfull & louyng god is through Christes purchasynge & merytes / they begyn to loue agayn / & to consent to the lawe of god / howe that it is good & oughte so to be / and that god is ryghtwyse whiche made it / and desyre to fulfyll the lawe / euen as a sycke man desyreth to be hole / and ar an hongred and thirst after more rightwysnes / & aft more strength to fulfyll the lawe more parfytly.

And in all that they do or omyt & leue vndon, they seke goddes honour / & his wil with mekenes / euer condemning the vnperfytnes of their dedes by the law. Nowe Christe standeth vs in double steede / and vs serueth two maner wyse. Fyrst he is our redemer / delyuerer / reconsyler / medyator / intercessor / aduocate or turney / solyciter / our hope / conforte / shelde / protection / defender / strength / helth / satisfaction / & saluacion. His blode / his deth / all that he euer dyd / is ours. And Christ himselfe with all that he is or can do / is ours. His blode shedynge and all that he dyd doth me as good seruyce as though I my selfe had done it. And god (as gret as he is) is myne with all that he hath as an husbande is his wiues thorowe Christ & his purchasynge. Secondarily / after that we be ouercome with loue & kyndnes / and now seke to do the wyl of god (whiche is a christenmans nature) Than haue we christ an example to counter feyt / as sayth Christ hi selfe in Joh. I haue gyuen you an example. And in another Euangelist / he sayth: He that wyl be gret amonge you shalbe your seruaunt & minister / as the son of man •ame to minister & •at to be ministred vnto, & Paul saith: coun terfet Christ. And peter saith / christ dyed for you / & left you an ensample to folowe his steppes. What so euer therfore faith hath receyued of god thorow christes blode & deseruyng / that same must loue shede out euery whyt / & bestowe it on our neybours vnto their profyt / ye / & that though they be our enemys. By faith we receyue of god / & by loue we shede out again. And that must we do frely after the ensample of Christ with out any other respecte / saue oure neybours welth only / & neither loke for rewarde in erth nor yet in heuen for the deseruinge & merytes of oure dedes as freres prech / though we knowe that good dedes are rewarded. bothe in this lyfe & in the lyfe to come: but of pure loue must we bestow our selues al that we haue / & al that we ar able to do / euyn on our enemyes to bringe them to god / consyderige nothinge but their welth as christ did ours. christ •yd nat his dedes to obteyne heuen •herby (that had ben a madnes) heuen •as his alredy / he was heyre ther•f / it was his by inherytaunce / but •yd them frely for our sakes / consyde••nge nothinge but our welthe / & to •ringe the fauoure of god to vs a•ayne / & vs to god. As no naturall ••e that is his fathers heyre / doth •s fathers wyll bycause he wolde be heyre / that he is alredy by byrth: his father gaue him that are he was borne / and is lother that he shulde go without it / than he him self hath wytte to be: but of pure loue dothe he that he doth. And aske him why he doth any thynge that he doth: he answereth: My father bad / it is my fathers wyll / it pleaseth my father. Bonde seruauntes worke for hyre. Chyldren for loue. For their father with all he hath is theirs alredy.

So doth a cristen man frely all that he doth / consydereth nothynge but the wyll of god & his neyghbours welth only: if I lyue chast / I do it nat to opteyne heuen thereby: For than shuld I do wronge to the blod of christ. Christes blode hath opteyned me that / Christes merites hath made me heyre therof. He is bothe dore & way thitherwardes, Neither that I loke for an hier roume in heuen than they shall haue which lyue in wedlocke / either than a hore in the stewes (if she repent) for that were the pryde of Lucyfere. But frely to wayte on the euangelion: and to auoyde the trouble of the world / and occasyons that myghte plucke me ther from / and to serue my brother withall / euen as one hande helpeth another / or one membre another / bycause one feleth anothers grefe / and the payne of the one is the payne of the other. Whatsoeuer is done to the lest of vs (wheder it be good or bad it is done to Christ / & what so euer is done to my brother (if I be a christen man) the same is done to me.

Neither doth my broders paine greue me lesse than myne own / neither reioyse. I les at his welth than at myne owne / if I loue him as well and as moche as my selfe / as the law commaundeth me if it were nat so: how sayth Paule? Let him that reioyseth reioyse in the lorde / that is to saye Christ / which is lorde ouer all creatures / if my merites obteined me heuen or a hier place there than had I. wheri I might reioyse besydes the lorde Here se ye the nature of the lawe and the nature of the Euangelion. Howe the lawe is the key that byndeth & dampneth all men / and the Euangelion is the key that looseth them agayne. The lawe goth before and the euangelion foloweth. Where a precher precheth the lawe / he byndeth all consciences / & whan he precheth the gospell / he loseth them agayne. These two salues (I meane the lawe & the gospell) vseth god & his precher to heale & cure synners with all. The lawe driueth out the disease / & maketh it appere / & is a sharpe salue / & a fretynge corsey / & kylleth the deed flesshe / & loseth and draweth the sores out by the rotes / and all corruption. It pulleth from a man the trust & confydence that he hath in him selfe & in his owne workes / merytes / deseruynges / & cerimonyes / & ro•beth him of all his rightwisnes and maketh him pore. It kylleth him / sendeth him downe to hell / & bringeth him to vtter disperacion / and prepayreth the waye of the lorde / as it is written of Joh. the Baptiste. For it is nat possyble that Christ shulde come to a man as longe as he trusteth in him selfe / or in any worldly thinge / or hath any rightwysnesse of his owne / or ryches of holy workes. Than cometh the Euangelyon / a more gentle plaster / whiche soupleth and swageth the woundes of the conscyence / and bringeth helth. It bringeth the spirite of god / which loseth the bondes of Satan / and coupleth vs to god and his wyll thorowe stronge faith and •eruent loue / with bondes to stronge for the deuyll / the worlde or any creature to lose them, And the poore and wretched synner feleth so gret mercy / loue / & kyndnes in god that he is sure in him selfe how that it is nat possyble that god shuld for sake him / or withdrawe his mercy & loue from him. And boldly crieth out with Paul / sayeng: Who shall seperate vs from the loue that god loueth vs with all? That is to saye / what shall make me beleue that God loueth me nat? shall tribulation? anguysshe? persecution? shall hungre nakednes? shall swerde? Naye / I am sure that neither dethe nor lyfe / neither angell / neither rule nor power / neither present thinges nor thinges to come / neither hye nor lowe / neither any creature is able to seperate vs from the loue of god which is in Christ Jesus our lorde. In al suche tribulacyons a Christen man perceyueth that god is his father / and loueth him / euyn as he loued Christe whan he shed his blode on the crosse. Fynally / as before whan I was bounde to the Deuyll & his wyll / I wrought all maner euyll & wickednes / nat for helles sake whiche is the rewarde of synne / but bycause I was heyre of hell by byrthe and bondage to the deuyll / dyd I euyll. For I coulde non otherwyse do / to do syn was my nature. Euen so now / syth I am coupled to god by christes blode / do I well / nat for heuens sake / which is yet the reward of well doynge: but bycause I am heire of heuen bi grace & christes purchasynge / & haue the spirit of god / I do good frely / for so is my nature As a good tree bringeth forthe good frute / & an euyll tree euyll fute. By the frutes shal ye know what the treis. A mannes dedes declare what he is within / but make him neither good nor bad / though after we be created a newe by the spirite and doctryne of Christ / we wa•e parfyter alway with workynge accordynge to the doctrine / & nat with blynde workes of our owne imagining. We must be first euyl ere we do euyl / as a serpent is first poysoned ere he poison. We must be also good ere we do good. as the fyre must be fyrst ho•e / ere it hete another thinge. Take an ensan ple / as those blynd & deffe which ar cured in the gospel could nat se nor here / tyl Christ had gyuen them syght and herynge / & those sycke could nat do the dedes of an hole man / tyll Christ had gyuen them helth: So can no man do good in his soule / tyll Christ haue losed him out of the bondes of Satan / and haue gyuen him wherwith to do good / ye / and fyrste haue powred in to him that selfe good thinge whiche he shewed forth afterwarde on other. What so euer is our owne is synne. What so euer is aboue that / is Christes gi•t purches / doynge / and workynge. He bought it of his fader derely with his bloude / ye / with his most bytter deth and gaue his lyfe for it.

What so euer good thinge is in vs / that is gyuen vs frely withoute our deseruynge or merytes for Christes blodes sake. That we desyre to folowe the wyll of god / it is the gyfte of Christes blode. That we nowe hate the deuylles wyll (wherevnto we were so faste locked / and coulde nat but loue it) is also the gyfte of Christes blode / vnto whom belongeth the prayse and honoure of our good dedes / and nat vnto vs.

Our dedes do vs thre maner ser uyce. Fyrst they certify vs that wear heyres of euerlastynge lyfe. And that the spirite of god / which is the ernest therof is in vs / in that oure hertes consent vnto the law of god and we haue power in oure membres to do it / though imparfytly. And secondarily we tame the flesshe ther with / and kyll the synne that remayneth yet in vs / & waxe dayly parfyter & parfyter in the spirit therwith and kepe that the lustes choke nat the worde of God that is sowen in vs / nor quence the giftes or working of the spirite / and that we lose nat the spirite agayne. And thirdly we do our duty vnto our neybour ther with & help their necessite vnto our owne confort also / & drawe al men vnto the honoringe & praisynge of god. And who so euer exelleth in the gyftes of grace / let the same thinke that they be gyuen him / as moche to do his broders seruyce as for his owne selfe / and as moch for the loue which god hath to the weke as vnto him / vnto whom god gyueth suche gyftes. And he that withdraweth ought that he hath from his neibours nede / robbeth his neybours & is a thefe. And he that is proude of the gyftes of god & thynketh him selfe / by the reason of them better than his feble neyboure / & nat rather as the •ruth is / knowlegeth him selfe a seruaunte vnto his poore neybour / by y• reason of them the same hath lucyfers spirite in him and nat christes. These thynges to knowe: fyrst the lawe / howe that it is naturall right & equite / that we haue but one god to put our hope & trust in / and hun to loue with all the hert / al the soule / and all oure myght & power and neither to moue hert nor hande but at his commaundement / bycause he hathe fyrste created vs of nought and heuen and erthe for oure sakes. And afterward whan we had marred our selfe thorowe synne / he forgaue vs and created vs agayne in the blode of his beloued sonne.

And that we haue the name of our one god in feare & reuerence / & that we dishonoure it nat in swearynge therby about lyght trysles or vanite or call it to recorde for the confyrming of wickednes or falshed / or ought / that is to the dyshonoure of God / which is the brekynge of his lawes or vnto the hurte of our neighbour.

And inasmoch as he is our lorde and god / and we his double possessyon by creacion & redemption / and therfore ought / as I said / neither to moue hert or hande without his con maundement / it is right that we haue nedefull holyedayes to come togyther & lerne his wyll / both the lawe which he wyl haue vs ruled by / & also the promyses of mercy which he wyll haue vs trust vnto / & to gyue god thankes togyther of his mercy / and commytte our infyrmities to him thorow our sauyour Jesus / & to reconsyle our selues vnto him / & eche to other / if ought be betwene brother & brother that requyreth it. And for this purpose & suche lyke / as to vyset the sycke & nedy / and redresse peace & vnyt•e / were the holydayes ordeyned only / & so farforth ar they to be kepte holy from al maner workes that may be conuenyently spared for the tyme tyll this be done and no further / but than laufully to worke.

And that it is right that we obey father and mother / mayster / lorde / prince / & kynge / & all the ordynaunces of the worlde bodily and gostly by whiche god ruleth vs and ministreth frely his benefytes vnto vs al. And that we loue them for the benefytes that we receyue by them / & fere them for the power they haue ouer vs / to punyssh vs if we trespace the lawe and good ordre. So farre yet ar the worldly powers or rulers to be obeyed onely / as their commaundementes repugne nat agaynst the con maundement of god / and than ho. Wherfore we must haue goddes con maundement euer in our hertes / & by the hyer lawe interprete the inferyor: that we obey nothinge against the belefe of our god / or agaynst the faith / hope and trust that is in him only / or agaist the loue of god wher by we do or leaue vndone all thing for his sake / & that we do nothinge for any mans commaundement against the reuerence of the name of god / to make it dispysed and the lesse fered and set by / & that we obeye nothinge to the hynderaunce of the know lege of the blessed doctryne of god / whose seruaunt the holye daye is.

Nat withstandynge though the rulers whiche god hath set ouer vs commaunde vs against god / or do vs open wronge / & oppresse vs with cruell tyranny / yet bycause they are in goddes rowme / we maye nat auenge our selues / but by the proces and ordre of goods law / & lawes of man made by the auctorite of goddes law / which is also goddes lawe / euer by an hier power & remyttinge y• vengeance vnto god / & in the meane season suffre vntyll y• hour be come.

And on the other syde to know that a man ought to loue his neibour equally & fully / as well as him selfe / bicause his neibour (be he neuer so siple) is equally created of god & as full redemed by the blode of our sauyour Jesu Christ. Out of whiche commaundement of loue springe these. Kyll nat thy neibour / defyle nat his wyfe / bere no false witnes agaynst him / & fynally / nat only do nat these thynges in dede / but coueyt nat in thyne herte / his house / his wyfe / his manseruant / maydseruant / oxe / asse or whatsoeuer is his. So that these lawes perteynyng vnto our neyboure are nat fulfylled in the syght of god saue with loue. He that loueth nat his neyboure / kepeth nat this commaundement: defyle nat thy neighbours wyfe / though he neuer touche her or neuer se her / or thinke vpon her. For the commaundement is / thoughe thy neybours wyfe be neuer so fayre / & thou haue neuer so great oportunytie gyuen the / and she content or haply prouoke the / as Putiphers wyfe dyd Joseph / yet se thou loue thy neibour so well / that for very loue thou can nat fynde in thyne herte to do that wyckednesse. And euen so he that trusteth in any thinge saue in god onely and in his sonne Jesus Christe / kepeth no comm•undement at al in the syght of god.

For he that hath trust in any creature / wherther in heuen or in erth / faue in god & his sonne Jesus / ca• se no cause to loue god with all his herte. &c. Neither to abstayne •rom dishonourynge his name / nor to kepe the holy daye for the loue of his doctryne / nor to obey louyngly the rulers of the worlde / nor any cause to loue his neyghboure as him selfe / and to abstayne frome hurtynge him / where he maye get profyte by him / and saue him selfe harmles. And in lyke wyse agaynst this law / loue thy neibour as thy self. I may obey no worldly power to do ought at any mans commaundement vnto the hurte of my neybour that hath nat •eserued it / though he be a turke.

And to knowe howe contrarye this law is vnto our nature / & how it is dampnation / •at to haue this lawe written in our hertes / though we neuer commytte the dedes: & how there is none other meanes to be saued from the dampnacion / than thorowe repentance toward the law & fayth in Christes blode / which ar the very inward baptim of our soules / and the wasshynge & the dippynge of our bodyes in the water / is the outwarde sygne. The plungyng of the body vnder the water signifieth that we repent & professe to fyght agaynst synne & lustes / & to kyll them euery daye more & more / with the helpe of god & oure dilygence in folowynge the doctrine of Christ and the ledynge of his spirite / & that we beleue to be wasshed from oure naturall dampnation in which we are borne / and from all the wrath of the lawe / & from all the infyrmytes and weknesse that remayne in vs / after we haue gyuen our consente vnto the law / & yelded ourselfe to be scolers therof / & from all the imperfytnesse of all our dedes done with colde loue / & from all actuall synne whiche shal chaunce on vs whyle we enforce the contrary and euer fyght there against & hope to sine no more. And thus / repentaunce & faith begynne at our baptyme & first professynge the lawes of god / & contynue vnto our lyues ende / & growe as we growe in the spirite. For the perfyter we be the gretter is our repentaunce / & the stronger our faith. And thus as the spirit & doctryne on goddes perte and repentaunce and fayth on oure parte beget vs a new in Christ: euen so they make vs grow & waxe parfeyt & saue vs vnto the ende & neuer leue vs vntyll all syn be put of and we clene purifyed and full fourmed and facyoned after the symilytude and lykenes of the perfytnes of our sauyour Jesus / whose gyfte all is.

And fynally to know that what so euer good th•ge is in vs / that same is the gyfte of grace / & therfore nat of deseruyng / though many thinges be giuen of god / thorow our dilygen ce in working his lawes & chastesige our bodyes & in prayenge for them and beleu•ge his promyses / whiche els shulde nat be gyuen vs / yet our workinge deserueth nat the giftes / no more than the dilygence of a marchaunte in sekynge a good shippe / bringeth the goodes safe to lande / though suche dilygence doth nowe and than helpe therin. But whan we beleue in god / & than do all that is in our might and nat tempt him / than is god tr•we to abyde by his promise and to helpe vs and performe alone whan our strength is past These thynges I say to knowe / is to haue al the scripture vnlocked & opened before the / so that if thou wylt go in & rede / thou cannest nat but vnderstande. And in these thinges to be ignoraunt / is to haue all the scrypture locked vp / so that the more thou redest it the blinder thou arte / & the more contrary thou fyndest in it / and the more tangled art thou therin & canst nowher thorow For if thou adde a glose in one place / in another it wyll nat serue. And therfore / bycause we be neuer taught the professyon of our baptim / we remayne alwayes vnlerned / as wel the spiritualte for all their gret clergy & hye scoles / as we saye / as the laye people. And nowe bycause the laye & vnlerned peple ar taught these first princyples of our profession therfore they rede the scripture and vnderstande and delyte therin: And our great pyller of holy churche / whiche haue nayled a vayle of false gloses on Moses face / to corrupte the trewe vnderstandynge of his law / can nat come in. And therfore barke and saye / the scripture maketh heritykes and it is nat possykle for theym to vnderstande it in Englysshe / bycause they them selues do nat in latyne. And of pure malyce that they can nat haue their wyll / they sley their brethrene for their faith they haue in our sauiour and therwith vtter their blody woluysshe tyrannye / and what they be within and whose dyscyples. Here with reder / be commytted vnto the grace of our sauyour Jesus / vnto whome and god oure father thorow him be prayse from euer and for euer.

Amen.