A1r

The Lamentacion
of a synner,

made by the moste vertuous
Lady quene Caterine,

bewailyng the
ignoraunce of her blind
life:

set foorth & put inn
print at the instant desire
of the right gracious
lady Caterine duchesse
of Suffolke, and
the ernest request of the
right honourable Lord
William Parre, Marquesse
of Northhampton.

A1v
A2r

Wylliam Cicill havyng
taken muche profite by the readyng
of this treatise folowyng,
wisheth unto every Christian
by the readyng thereof like
profite with increase
from God.

Most gentle and
Christian reader, if
matiers should be
rather cōonfirmed by
their reporters, thāan
the reportes warraunted by the
matiers, I might justly bewayle
our tyme wherin evil dedes be
well woorded, & good actes evil
cleped. But synce trueth is, that
thynges bee not good for theyr
prayses, but be praysed for theyr
goodnes, I doe not move the to
like this christiāan treatise, because
I have mynde to prayse it, but I A.ii.exhorte A2v
exhorte the to mynde it, and for
the goodnesse, thou shalt allowe
it, for whose likyng I laboure
not to obtaine, onely moved by
my example, theyr judgement I
regarde, chiefly confirmed by the
matier. Truely our tyme is so
disposed, to graunt good names
to evil fruites, and excellent termes
to meane workes, that neither
can good dedes enjoy theyr
due names beyng defrauded by
the evil, neither excellent workes
can possesse theyr worthy termes
beyng forstalled by the meane.

Insomuche that menne seeke rather,
how muche they can, then
how muche they ought to say: inclinyng
more to theyr pleasure,
then to theyr judgement, and to
shewe theim selves rather eloquent,
then the matier good: so that A3r
that neither the goodnesse of the
cause can move them to say more
neither the evilnesse lesse. For if
the excellencie of this christian
contēemplacion, ether for the goodnesse
herein to mervaile appearyng,
either for the profite hereupon
to the reader ensewyng
should be with due cōommendacion
folowed, I of necessitie should
either travaile to fynde out newe
wordes, the olde beyng anticipated
by evil matiers, or wishe that
the commen speache of praisyng
were spared until cōonvenient matiers
were founde to spende it:
suche is the plentie of praisyng,
and scarcenes of deservyng.

Wherefore lackyng the maner in
woordes, and not the matier in
deede of high commendacion, I
am cōompelled, to kepe in my judgementA.iii.ment A3v
with silence, trustyng whōom
my report could not have moved
to like this present treatise, the
worthynesse of the matier shall
compell to geve it honour.

Any yearthly manne would sone
be styrred to see some mistery of
Magike, or practise of Alchumy,
or perchaunce some enchauntement
of Elementes: But thou
whiche art christened, hast here a
wonderful mistery of the mercye
of God, a heavenly practise of regeneracion,
a spiritual enchaūuntment
of the grace of God. If joy
and triumphes be shewed when
a kynges chylde is borne to the
worlde, what joye is sufficient,
when Goddes childe is regenerated
from heaven. Thone is
fleshe whiche is borne of fleshe:
the other is spirit, which is borne of A4r
of spirite. The one also shall wither
like the grasse of the yearth
in shorte time, the other shal live
in heaven beyond all tyme.

If the findyng of one lost shepe,
be more joyfull, then the havyng
of nientie and nyne, what joye
is it to consyder the returne of a
straye childe of almightie God,
whose returne teacheth the nientie
and nine to come to their fold?
Even suche cause of joye is this,
that the Aungelles in heaven
take coumforte herein: be thou
therefore joyefull where a noble
childe is newly borne: shewe thy
selfe gladde where the lost shepe
hath wunne the whole flocke: be
thou not sad, wherin Aungelles
rejoyce. Here mayest thou se one,
if the kynde may move the a woman,
if degre may provoke the a woman A4v
woman of highe estate, by byrthe
made noble, by mariage mooste
noble, by wysedome godly, by a
mightie kyng, an excellēent quene,
by a famous Henry, a renoumed
Katerine, a wife to him that was
a kyng to realmes: refusyng the
worlde wherin she was loste, to
obteyne heaven wherin she may
be saved: abhoryng synne, whiche
made her bonde, to receive
grace, whereby she may bee free:
dispisyng fleshe the cause of corrupcion,
to put on the spirite, the
cause of sāanctificacion: forsakyng
ignorance wherin she was blind,
to come to knowledge, whereby
she may see: removyng supersticion,
wherwith she was smothered,
to enbrace true regilligion, wherewith
she may revive. The fruit
of this treatise (good reader) is thy A5r
thy amendement: this onely had,
the writer is satisfied. This good
lady thought no shame to detect
her synne, to obtein remission: no
vilenes, to become nothing, to be
a membre of him, whiche is all
thynges in all: no folye to forget
the wysedome of the worlde, to
lerne the simplicitie of the gospel:
at the last, no displeasauntnes to
submitte her selfe to the schole of
the crosse, the lernyng of the crucifixe,
the boke of our redempcion,
the very absolute library of
Goddes mercy and wysedome.

This way thought she her honor
encreased, and her state permanent,
to make her yearthly honor
heavenly, and neglect the transitorye
for the everlastyng. Of
this I would the warned that the
profite may ensue. These great misteries A5v
misteries, and graces be not well
perceived, excepte they be surely
studied, neither be they perfitely
studied, except they be diligently
practised: neither profitably practised,
without amendement. Se
and learne hereby what she hath
doone, then mayest thou practise,
and amend that thou canst do: so
shalt thou practise with ease havyng
a guide, & amend with profite,
havyng a zeale. It is easyer
to see these, then to learne: begyn
at the easyest to come to the harder:
see thou her confession, that
thou mayest lerne her repēentance:
practise her perseveraunce, that
thou mayest have like amendemente:
displease thy selfe, in eschewyng
vice, that thou mayest
please God in askyng grace: let
not shame hinder thy confession, whiche A6r
whiche hindred not the offence: be
thou sure if we knowelage oure
sinnes, god is faithful to forgeve
us, and to clense us from all unrighteousnes:
obey the Prophetes
saiyng: declare thy wayes to the
lorde. Thus farre thou mayest
learne to knowe thy selfe: nexte
this be thou as diligent to releve
thy self in Gods mercy, as thou hast
been to revele thy selfe in thyne
own repentaunce. For God hath
cōoncluded al thinges under synne,
because he would have mercye
upon al, who hath also borne our
synnes in his body, upōon the tree,
that we should be delivered frōom
sinne, & shuld live unto righteousnes,
by whose stripes we be healed:
here is our anker, here is our
shepherd, here we be made whole
here is our life, our redempcion, our A6v
our salvacion, and our blisse: let
us therfore now fede by this gracious
Quenes example, and be
not ashamed to become in confession
Publicanes, since this noble
lady wyll be no Pharisie.

And to all ladies of estate I wish
as earnest mynde to folowe our
Quene in vertue, as in honour:
that they might ones appeare to
preferre God before the worlde:
and be honourable in religion,
whiche now be honorable in vanities:
so shall they (as in some
vertuous ladyes of right highe
estate it is with great cōomfort seen)
tast of this fredom, of remission,
of the everlastyng blisse, whiche
excedeth all thoughtes & understandynges,
and is prepared for
the holy in spirite, for the whiche
let us with oute intercession in holynes A7rholines and purenes of life, offre
our selves to the heavenly father
an undefiled host: to whom be
eternall prayse and glorye,
through all the yearth,
without ende.
Amen.

A7v A8r A8v
2A1r

A lamentacion
or complaynt of
a Sinner.

When I considre
By knowledge
of sin, cōommeth
conessffession
in the bethinking
of myne evill, &
wreched former
lyfe, myne obstinate,
stonye, and untractable
herte, to have so muche exceded
in ivilnes, that it hath not
only neglected, yea contēemned,
and dispised gods holye preceptes
and cōommaundmentes:
But also embraced, receyved,
and estemed vayn, folish, and
feyned trifles: I am partly by
the hate I owe to sinne, who
hath reigned in me, partly by
the love I owe to all Christians,A.i.ans 2A1v
whome I am contente
to edifye, even with thexample
of myne owne shame, forced
Charitie is
not abashed.
and constrayned with my
harte and wordes, to confesse
and declare to the world, how
ingrate, negligent, unkynde,
and stubberne, I have bene
to god my Creatour: & howe
beneficial, mercyful, and gentill,
he hath been alwayes to
me his creature, beyng suche
a miserable, and wreatched
The argumēent
of the booke.
sinner. Truly I have taken
no lytle final thing upon me,
first to setfurth my whole stobernes,
The authors
sinnes.
& contempt in wordes
the whiche is incomprehensible
in thought (as it is in the
Psalm. xii. Psalme) who understandeth
his fauts: next this to declare
The goodnes
of god.
the excellent beneficence, mercy,cy, and 2A2r
and goodnes of god, whiche
is infinite, unmesurable:
neyther can all the wordes of
Angels, and men, make relacion
thereof, as apperteyneth
to his moste high goodnes.

Who is he that is not forced
to confesse the same, if he consider
what he hath receyved
of God, and doeth daylye receyve?
Luke. xix Yea if men would not
acknoweledge, & confesse the
same, the stones would crye it
out. Truly I am constrained
and forced to speak and write
therof to mine own confusion
and shame, but to the glorye
God in goodnes
meervaylous.
and praise of god. For he as a
lovyng father, of most abundant
and high goodnes, hath
heaped upon me, innumerable
benefites:

and I 2A2v

Man in evilnesse
wounderous.
And I contrary, have heaped
manyfolde sinnes, dispisyng
that whiche was good, holye,
pleasaūunt, & acceptable in his
sight, & choysing that whiche
was delicious, pleasant, & acceptable
in my sighte. And no
mervayle it was that I so dyd,
for I woulde not learne too
knowe the lorde & his wayes,
Johun. iii. but loved darknes better thāan
The jugemēent
of man is corrupt
in al thīinges.
lyght, yea darknes semed to
me light. I ēembraced ignorance
as perfect knowledge, & knowledge
semed to me superfluous
and vayne: I regarded little
gods worde, but gave myself
to vanities and shadowes of
the worlde. I forsoke hym, in
whome is al truth, & folowed
the vain folish imaginacions
of my hert. I would have coveredue- 2A3r
my sinnes with the pretence
of holynes, I called supersticion,
godly meaninge, &
true holynes, errour: the lord
did speake many plesant and
swete wordes unto me, and I
would not hear: he called me
diversly but through frowardnes
I woulde not aunswere.
Mine evils & miseries be so
Every māannes
sin accuseth hīim
selfe.
many & gret, that they accuse
me even to my face. Oh howe
miserably & wretchedly am I
confounded? When for the multitude
& greatnes of my sines
I am compelled to accuse my
self. was it not a marveilous
unkyndenes when God dyd
speake to me, & also call me, that
I woulde not answere hym?
what māan so called would not
have heard? or what man hearyng,ryng 2A3v
woulde not have aunswered?
If an earthly Prince
had spoken, eyther called him
I suppose there be none but
would willingly have dooen
bothe. Now therfore what a
wretche & Caytif am I? that
when the Prince of princes, the
king of kinges, did speak many
pleasaunt & gentle wordes
unto me, and also called me so
many & sundry times, that they
can not be numbred: And yet
notwithstanding these greate
signes and tokens of love, I
would not cum unto him, but
hid my self out of his sight, seking
many croked & by wayes
wherein I walked so long
that I had clene lost his sight
And no mervayle or wundre,
for I had a blynde gyde calledled 2A4r
A blinde gyde
for a blynde
waye.
Ignoraunce, who dymmed
so myne iyes, that I coulde
never perfectelye gette anye
sighte of the fayer, goodlye,
streyght, and right wayes of
his doctrine: but continually
travayled uncomfortably,
in foule, wicked, croked, and
The nūumber of
people maye
not be folowed,
but the
goodnes.
perverse wayes. Yea and because
they wer so muche haūunted
of manye, I coulde not
thinke but I waulked in the
perfit and right way, having
more regarde to the noumbre
of the walkers, then to the order
of the walking: beleyvyng
also moste suerlye with company
to have walked to heaven,
where as I am most sure
they woulde have broughte
me downe to hell.

I forsoke the spiritual honoringA.iiii.ryng 2A4v
A fleshly man
regardeth not
spiritual thinges,
of the true livyng God,
& wurshipped visible idoles,
& ymages made of mennes
handes, beleving by theym to
have gotten heven, yea to say
the truthe I made a great ydol
of my self: for I loved my
self better then god. And certaynly
Mark a number
of Idols.
looke how many thinges
are loved or preferred in
our hartes before god, so many
are taken and estemed for
ydoles, and false gods.

Alas howe have I violated
this holly, pure, & moste high
precept & cōommaundment of the
The sin agaīinst
the first commaundement.
love of god? whiche precepte
byndeth me to love hym with
Deut. vi. my hole hearte, minde, force,
strengthe, & understandyng.
And I lyke unto an evil wicked,ked 2A5r
disobedient chylde, have
given my wyl, power, & sences
to the contrary: makyng
almost of every earthly & carnal
thing a god: furthermore
The bloud of
Christe.
the bloud of Christe was not
reputed by me sufficiēent for to
wash me from the filth of my
The worde of
God is onelye
the doctrin of
salvacion.
sinnes: neyther suche wayes
as he hath appoynted by his
word. But I sought for suche
Bis.Bishop of Rome
is an evell vsurper
of Christes
power.
rifraf as the bishop of Rome
hath planted in his tyranny &
kīingdom, trusting with great
confidence by the vertue & holines
of them, to recyve full
remissiōon of my sinnes. And so
I dyd as much as was in me
to obfuscate & darkēen the great
benefit of Christes Passion:
then the which no thought cāan
conceyve any thyng of more va- 2A5v
The father
is honoured
in his sonne.
value: There can not be done
so great an injurie & displeasure
to almightie god our father,
as to treade under foote
Hebre. x. Christ, his only begotten and
The moste
horrible sine.
welbeloved sonne. All other
synnes in the world gathered
together in one, be not so heynous,
& detestable in the sight
of God. And no wōonder, for in
The honour
of God aboūunded
upon the
crosse.
Christ crucified, God doeth
shewe him selfe moste noble &
glorious, even an almightie
Hebre. i. God, and most lovyng father,
in his onely deare and chosen
blessed sonne. And therefore I
counte my selfe one of the most
wicked & myserable synners,
because I have been so much
contrary to Christ my savior.
i. Corin. ii. S.Saint Paule desyred to knowe
nothyng but Christ crucified after 2A6r
To knowe
Christ crucified
is the cōonningest
lesson
in divinitie.
after he had been rapt into
the thirde heaven, where he
heard suche secretes as were
not cōonvenient & mete to utter
Philip, iii, to menne: but counted all his
workes, and doynges as nothyng,
to wynne Christ.

And I most presumptuously
Luke xviii thinkyng nothyng of Christ
crucified, went about to sette
foorth myne owne righteousnes,
saiyng with the proude
Pharisey. Man of his
owne proude
nature is easely
made a Pharisey.
“‘Good Lorde I
thanke the, I am not like other
men. I am none adulterer,
nor fornicatour’”
, and so
foorth, with such like wordes
of vaineglory, extollyng my
selfe, and dispisyng others,
workyng as an hired servaūunt
for wagies, or els for reward:
and not as a lovyng childe, onely 2A6v
only for very love, withoute
respect of wagies or reward,
Children lern
to be thankeful
to your father.
as I ought to have doen, neyther
did I considre how beneficial
a father I had, who did
shew me his charitie & mercy
Rom. v. of his own mere grace & goodnes,
that when I was moste his
enemie, he sent his only begotten
& welbeloved soonne into
this worlde of wretchednes &
miserie, to suffre most cruell &
sharp death for my redēemcion.
Harde hartes
do receyve no
print.
But my harte was so stony &
hard, that this great benefite
was never truly & lively printed
in my hert, although with
my wordes it was ofte rehersed,
thinking myself to be sufficiently
instructed in the same
& beyng in dede in blind ignoraūunce.
And yet I stood so wel in 2A7r
in myne own judgement & opinion
that I thought it vayne
to seke the increace of my knowlege
therein. Paule calleth
i. Cor. ii. Christ the wisedome of god, &
even the same Christe was to
Two yoke felowes.
Blindnes
and hardnes
of harte.
me folishnes: my pryde & blīindnes
deceived me, & the hardnes
of my hart withstode the growing
of truth within it. Suche
wer the fruites of my carnall
& humayn reasōons to have roten
ignoraūunce in price for ripe
& seasonable knolege. Suche
also is the malice & wikednes
that possesseth the hertes of men
such is the wisdome & plesing
Profession in
Baptisme.
of the flesh. I professed Christ
in my baptisme when I begāan
to live, but I swarved from
hym after baptisme, in continuaūunce
of my living, even as the 2A7v
the hethen whiche never had
Christ innocent.

Esai, liii
Man sinful.
Phi, ii
Christ obedient.

Man stubberne.
begunne. Christ was innocent
and voyde of all synne,
& I wallowed in filthy sinnes
and was free from no synne,
Christ was obedient unto his
father even to the death of the
crosse, & I disobedient, & most
stubburne even to the confusion
of trueth. Christ was
Math, x,
Christ hūumble.
Man proud.
Jhon. viii
Math, iiii.
Christ heavenly.

Māan worldly
Jhon. xiii
John. vi
Ma. xviii
meke and humble in heart, &
I moste proud and vainglorious.
Christ dispised the
worlde with all the vanities
therof, and I made it my god
because of the vanities. Christ
came to serve his brethren, &
I coveted to rule over them.
Christ dispised worldly honor
and I muche delited to attain
Math. viii
ii, Cor, viii.
the same, Christ loved the base
& simple thinges of the world and 2A8r
and I estemed the moste fayre
and pleasunt thinges. Christ
Christ poore.
Man riche.
Luke, xiiii
Luke, xxiii
Jhon, viii
Math, ix
loved povertie, and I welth.
Christ was jentle, and mercyfull
to the poore, and I harde
hearted and unjentle. Christ
prayed for his enemies, and I
hated mine. Christ rejoysed in
the cōonversion of synners, & I
was not greved to se theyr revercion
to synne. By this declaracion
all creatures may
perceive how farre I was frōom
Many christians
know
not theyr patrone.

Ignoraunce.
Wysedome.
Christ, & without Christ, yea how
contrary to Christ, although
I bare the name of a christiāan.
Insomuche that if any man
had sayd I had been without
Christ, I would have stifely
withstande the same. And yet
I neither knewe Christ, nor
wherefore he came.

As 2A8v

Withoute the
cause, nothing
is rightly knowen.
As concernyng the effect and
purpose of his cūumming, I had
a certayne vain blinde knowlege,
Rom. ii. both cold & dead, whiche
may be had with al sin, as doth
playnly appere by this my cōonfession
& open declaracion.

Lamentacion. what cause now have I to lament,
sigh & wepe for my lyfe
and tyme so evyl spent? wyth
how muche humilitie & lowlines
ought I to cum & knowelege
my sinnes to god? gevīing
him thankes, that it hath plesed
hym of his aboundaunte
goodnes to geve me time of
repentaūunce: for I knowe my
sinnes in the consideracion of
thēem to be so grevous, and in the
number so excedyng, that I
have deserved very often eternal
dāamnacion. And for the deservingseruing B1r
God sheweth
goodnes in deferring
of his
wrathe.
of gods wrath, so manifoldely
due, I must uncessauntly
geve thankes to the
mercy of god, beseching also
that the same delay of punishment,
cause not his plage to
be the sorer, since myne owne
conscience condēemneth my former
doings. But his mercye
Psalm. ciii. excedeth al iniquitie: & yf I
shoulde not thus hope, Alas
what shuld I seke for refuge
& Psal. cviii. cōomfort? no mortall man is of
power to help me: & for the multitude
Luke. xviii of my sinnes, I dare
not lift up mine iyes to heaven
where the seat of jugement
Christe draweth
man from
desperacion.
is, I have so muche offended
god. what shal I fal in desperacion?
naye I will cal upon
i.Johun.i Christ the light of the worlde
the fountayn of life, the relief Bof B1v
Jhon, iiii of al careful, & the peacemaker
i. John. ii betwene god & man, & the only
health & comfort of al true
John, iii repentant synners. He can by
his almighty power save me,
& Math
xviii.
deliver me out of this miserable
The power &
will of God.
John. iii
No savior but
one.
state, & hath will by his
mercy to save even the whole
sinne of the world. I have no
hope nor confidēence in any creature,
neyther in heaven, nor
Luke. xix. earth, but in Christ my whole
& only saviour. He came into
Math. ii the world to save sīinners, & to
heale them that are sicke, for he
sayeth: the hole have no nede
Mannes humilitie.
of a phisicion. Beholde lorde
howe I cum to the, a synner,
sick, & grevously wounded, I
Math. xv. aske not bread, but the crums
that fal from the chyldrēens table.
Cast me not oute of thy syght, B2r
sight, although I have deserved
to be cast into hell fyer.

If I shoulde loke upon my
sinnes, & not upon thy mercy
I shoulde dispayer: for in my
selfe I fynde nothing to save
me, but a dunghyll of wikednesse,
to condemne me: yf I
shoulde hope by myne owne
strengthe, and power to cum
out of this mase of iniquitie,
& wikednes, wherein I have
walked so long, I shoulde be
deceyved: for I am so ignoraunt
blynde, weak, and feble
A maze of sin. that I can not bring myselfe
out of this intangled & waywarde
maze: but the more I
seeke meanes and wayes to
wynde my selfe out, the more
I am wrapped and tangled
therein.

B.ii. So B2v

So that I perceyve my striving
therin to be hinderance,
my travail to be labour spent
Psal. xviii. in going backe. It is the hand
of the lorde that can and wyl
Phil. ii. ii, Cor. iii. bring me oute of this endeles
mase of death: for without I be
prevēented by the grace of the lord,
God begīinneth
with manne.
I can not ask forgevenes nor
be repentant or sory for them.
There is no man can avow that
Math. xvi. Christe is thonly saviour of the
worlde, but by the holy goste:
yea as s.saint Paul sayeth, “no man
can say ‘the lorde Jesus,’ but by the
holy goste.” Roman. viii. i. Cor. xli.
The spirit helpeth
our infirmitie, & maketh continuall
intercession for us, with
suche sorowful gronings, as
cannot be expressed. Therfore
I wil first require & praye the
lorde, to geve me his holy spiritrit to B3r
to teache me to avow that
The teaching
of the hollye
spirit.
Christe is the saviour of the world,
and to utter these wordes: “the
lord Jesus,” Jesus.
, & finally to help mine
infirmities, & to intercede for
me. For I am most certaine &
suer, that no creature in heaven
Actes. iiii.
God is onelye
the helper.
nor earth is of power, or
can by any mean help me, but
god who is omnipotente, almighty,
beneficial & merciful
wel willing, and loving to al
those that cal & put their hole
cōonfidence & truste in hym. And
i. John. ii.
Christe is the
only mean betwene
god and
man.
Objection.
What maketh
man bolde.
therefore I wyl seke no other
meanes nor Advocate, but
christes holy spirit, who is ōonly
the advocate & mediatour
betwene god & man, to help &
relyve me. But now what maketh
me so bolde, & hardye, to
presume to cum to the lord with B.iiisuche B3v
suche audacitie & boldnes beyng
Solucion. so great a Sinner: truly
nothyng but his own worde:
for he sayth: “‘Cum to me al ye
that labour, & are burdened,
and I shal refresh you’
:” The promise
of Christe.
Math. xi.
what
gentle, merciful, and comfortable
woordes are these to all
sinners? wer he not a frantik,
mad, beastly & folyshe man, that
woulde run for ayde, helpes,
or refuge to any other creature?
What a most gracious
comfortable, and gentle, saying
was this, with suche plesant
and swete wordes, to allure
his enemies to cum unto
him? Is there anye worldlye
prince or magistrate, that would
shewe suche clemencye, and
mercie, to their disobedient &
rebellious subjectes, having offended B4r
Apocapl.xvii. offended thēem? I suppose they
would not with such wordes
allure them excepte it were to
cal theym, whom they cannot
Math. vii. take, & punishe theym beyng
taken. But even as Christe is
Prince of Princes, and lorde
of lordes, so his charitie, and
mercye excedeth & surmounteth
all others. Christ sayeth,
“if carnall fathers doo geve
good giftes to theyr children
when they aske theym, howe
muche more shall your heavenlye
father, beyng in substaunce
all holye, and moste
highly good, geve good gyftes
to al them that aske hym?”

It is no small nor litle gyfte
that I nowe requyre, neyther
thinke I my selfe woorthy to
receyve suche a noble gyfte B.iiii.beyng B4v
being so ingrate, unkinde, &
The goodnes
of god boldeneth
his chosen.
wicked a childe. But when I
behold the benignitie, liberalitie,
mercy, & goodnes of the
lord, I am encoraged, boldened,
& stired to ask such a noble
gift. The lord is so bountiful,
Zacharie. x. & liberal, that he wil not
have us satisfied & contented
with one gift, neyther to aske
simple & smal gifts. And therfore
he promiseth and bindeth
John. xvi. hym self by his word, to geve
good & beneficial giftes to al
Fayth is ever
necessarie.
them that ask him with tru faith
without whiche, nothing can be
Rom. xiii.
Rom. iii
don acceptable or pleasing to
god. For fayth is the foūundacion,
& grounde of al other giftes,
vertues and graces: and
therefore I wyll saye, Lorde
encreace my faythe.

For this B5r

i, Jhon, iiii
Learne what
true fayth
doth in man.
Ose, ii,
Ephe. ii
Roma, v
Gala, iii
For this is the life everlastyng
lorde, that I must beleve the
to be the true god, & whōom thou
diddest sende, Jesu Christ.

By this fayth I am assured:
and by this assuraunce I fele
the remission of my synnes:
this is it that maketh me bolde:
this is it that comforteth me,
this is it that quencheth all dispayre.

I know O my lorde, thy iyes
loke upon my fayth: Sainct
Paule
sayeth, we be justified
by the fayth in Christ, & not
by the dedes of the lawe. For
Justificaciōon
by a christiāan
fayth.
Roma, iii
Gala, ii
if righteousnes come by the
law, then Christ dyed in vain
Sainct Paule meaneth not
here, a dead humaine, historical
fayth, gotten by humaine
industry, but a supernal livelyB.v. ly B5v
Gala. v. fayth, whiche worketh by
charitie, as he him self plainly
Dignitie of
faith hurteth
no workes:
expresseth. This dignitie
of fayth is no derogacion to
good woorkes, for out of this
fayth springeth al good workes.
Worke diligently
with
out offence.
Yet we may not impute
to the worthynes of fayth or
workes, our justificacion before
God: but ascribe & geve
the worthines of it, wholly to
Roma. iii. the merites of Christes passion,
and referre and attribute
the knowledge & perceivyng
therof, onely to fayth: whose
very true only propertie, is to
Roma. v take, apprehend & hold fast the
promises of Gods mercy, the
which maketh us righteous:
and to cause me continually
to hope for the same mercy, &
in love, to worke all maner of wayes B6r
wayes allowed in the scripture
that I may be thankefull for
the same.

Thus I fele my selfe to cum,
as it were in a new garment,
before God, and nowe by his
mercy, to be taken just & righteous,
whiche of late without
his mercy, was sinfull & wicked;
& by fayth to obtaine his
mercy, the whiche the unfaithfull
can not enjoye. And although
Jhon, iii
Objeccion.
sainct John extolleth
charitie in his epistle saiyng
i, John, ii. that God is charitie, & he that
dwelleth in charitie, dwelleth
Solucion. in God. Truely charitie maketh
men live like Angelles.
And of the moste furious unbrydled
carnall men, maketh
meke lambes.

yea B6v

Yea with how fervent a spirit
ought I to cal, crye, and pray
to the lord, to make his great
charitie to burne, and flame
in my heart, beyng stony, and
evil affected, that it never would
cōonceive, nor regarde the great
inestimable charitye, and love
of God, in sendyng his onely
begotten and deare beloved
sonne into this vale of misery
to suffre the moste cruel and
sharpe death of the crosse for
my redempcion? Yet I never
had this unspeakable & most
high charitie, and aboundant
love of god, printed and fixed -
in my heart duely, tyl it pleased
God of his mere grace,
mercy, and pitie, to open mine
iyes, makyng me to see, and
beholde with the iye of lively fayth B7r
Charitie
knoweth not
Christ, but by
reporte of
faith.
fayth, Christ crucified to be
myne onely savior & redemer.
For than I begāanne (and not
before) to perceive & see myne
owne ignoraunce & blyndnes:
the cause therof was, that I
would not learne to knowe
Christ my saviour & redemer.
But when God of his meere
goodnes hadde thus opened
myne iyes, and made me see &
beholde Christ, the wysedome
i, Corin, i,
John, i
of God, the light of the worlde,
with a supernatural sight of
fayth. Al pleasures, vanities,
honour, riches, welth & aydes
of the worlde began to waxe
bitter unto me: than I knewe
it was no illusion of the devil
nor false, ne humaine doctrin
I had received: when suche
successe came therof, that I had B7v
had in detestacion & horrour,
that whiche I erst so much loved
& estemed: beyng of God
forbidden that we shuld love
i.John.ii, the world or the vain pleasures
& shadowes in the same. Thāan
began I to perceive that Christ
was my only saviour & redemer,
& the same doctrine to be
al divine, holy & heavēenly, infused
by grace, into the heartes
of the faithful, which never can
be attaīinned by humain doctrin
wit nor reason, although thei
shuld travaile & labour for the
Jhon. xiiii same, to thende of the worlde.
Charitie immediately
foloweth
lively
fayth.
Then began I to dwel in god
by charitie, knowyng by the
lovyng charitie of God in the
remission of my synnes, that
God is charitie as S.SaintJohn
sayeth. So that of my fayth wherby B8r
(whereby I came to knowe
God, & wherby it pleased god
even because I trusted in him
to justifie me) sprang this excellent
charitie in my heart.

Secrete objeccion.
I thinke no lesse but many
wyl wonder & mervail at this
my saiyng, that I never knew
Christ for my saviour & redemer,
untyl this tyme, for many
have this opinion, saiyng:
“who knoweth not there is a
Christ? who beyng a christian
doeth not confesse him his saviour?”
And thus belevyng
theyr dead, humain, historical
faith, & knowlage (which thei
have learned in their scholastical
bokes) to be the true infused
fayth and knowlage of
Christ, which may be had (as
I sayd before) with all synne. Thei B8v
They use to say by theyr own
experience of them selfes, that
theyr fayth doeth not justifye
them. And true it is, except
they have this fayth the whiche
I have declared here before,
they shal never be justifyed,
And yet it is not false that by
fayth onely I am sure to be
justified: even this is the cause
that so manye impugne this
office and dutie of true fayth,
because so many lacke the true
fayth. And even as the faythful
are forced to allowe true
fayth, so the unfaithful can in
nowyse probably intrete therof:
the one felyng in themselfe
that he sayth, thother havyng
not in him for to say. I have
A milde and
true solucion
certainly no curious lernyng
to defend this matter withal, but C1r
but a simple zele & ernest love
to the truth, inspired of god,
who promiseth to powre his
spirit upon al flesh, whiche I
have by the grace of god (whōom
I most humbly honor) felt in
my self to be true. Let us therfore
now I pray you by faith
behold & cōonsidre the great charitie
& goodnes of god, in sending
his sōonne to suffre deathe
for oure redemcion, when we
wer his mortal enemies, & after
what sort & maner he sent
How God sēent
his son.
hym. First it is to be considered,
yea to be undoubtedly with
a perfect fayth beleved that god
sent him to us frely, for he did
geve him & solde hym not. A
John. iii more noble and riche gifte, he
could not have geven. He sēent
not a servaunt, or a frend, but C.his C1v
his only sonne, so derely beloved:
not in delytes, riches, &
honoures, but in crosses poverties,
& slaunders: not as a
Phil. ii. lord but as a servaunt: yea, &
in most vile, & paynfull passions,
i. John. i. to wash us, not with water
but with his own precious blud,
not frōom myer, but frōom the puddle
& filthe of our iniquities.
Roman. viii. He hath gevēen hīim, not to make
us pore, but to enriche us with
his divine vertues, merites,
& graces, yea and in hym he
hath geven us al good thynges,
and finally hymselfe: &
that with suche great charitie
as can not be expressed.

Was it not a most high, and
aboundaunt charitie of god,
The charitie
of God towarde
man.
to sende Christe to sheade his
bloud, to loose honour, lyfe and C2r
& Rom. v. all, for his enemyes? Even
in the tyme when we had doen
hym mooste injurie, he firste
shewed his charitie to us,
with suche flambes of love that
greater could not be shewed.
god in Christ hath opened unto
us (although we be weake
and blynde of oure selves)
that we maye beholde in this
miserable estate, the greatte
wisdome, goodnes and truth
with all the other godly perfeccions,
whiche be in Christ.
A godly meditacion.
Therefore inwardelye to beholde
Christe crucified upon
the crosse is the best and godlyest
meditacion that can be.
The bewty of
the soule.
We maye see also in Christe
crucifyed, the bewtie of the
soule, better then in all the bokes
of the worlde.

C.ii. For C2v

For who that with lively fayth,
seeth and feleth in spirit that
Christe the sonne of God, is
dead for the satisfiyng & the
purifiyng of the soule, shal se
that his soule, is appoynted
for the very tabernacle, & māancion
John. xiiii. of the inestimable, & incomprehensible
majestie and
honour of god: we se also in
Christ crucified, how vaine &
The worlde
vayne.
folysh the worlde is, and how
that Christe beynge most wise
dispised the same. We see also
howe blynde it is, because the
Blynde.
Unkynde.
same knoweth not Christ, but
persecuteth hym. We see also
howe unkynde the worlde is
by the kyllyng of Christe, in
the tyme he dyd shew it moste
favour. Howe harde, and obstinate
was it that would not be C3r
be mollified with so manye
teares? suche sweate, and so
muche bloude shedde of the
Soonne of God, sufferinge
with so greate and high charitie?

Therefore he is nowe verye
blynde, that seeth not howe
Sinne. vayne foolysh, false, ingrate,
crewell, harde, wycked, and
evyll the worlde is, we maye
also in Christe crucified wey
our sinnes, as in a divine balaunce,
how grevous & how
weyghtye they be, seyng they
have crucified christ: for they
would never have ben counterpaysed
but with the great
and precious weyght of the
bloud of the Sonne of God.
And therfore god of his high
goodnesse, determyned that hys C3v
his blessed sonne shoulde rather
suffer bludshed, then our
sinnes shoulde have condemned
us. We shal never know
oure owne miserie and wretchednes,
but with the lyghte
of Christe crucified. Then we
shall see oure owne crueltie,
when we feele his mercy, our
owne unrightwysenes and
iniquitie, when we see his
righteousnesse and holynes.
A Christian
mans booke.
Therefore to learne to know
trulye oure owne sinnes, is
to studye in the booke of the
crucifixe, by continuall conversacion
in faythe: and to
have perfecte and plentyfull
charitie, is to learne fyrste by
faythe the charitie that is in
Lessons of the
Crucifix.
God towardes us.

We maye see also in Christe vpon C4r
Payne of hel. upon the crosse, howe greate
the paynes of hell, and howe
Joy of heven. blessed the joyes of heaven,
be: and what a sharpe, painfull
thyng it shall be to them
that from that swete, happy,
& glorious joy, Christ, shalbe
depryved. Then this crucifix
i, Corin, ii, is the boke, wherin god hath
included all thynges, & hath
moste cōompendiouslye written
therin, al truthe, profitable &
necessarye for our salvacion.
Therfore let us indevor our
selfes to study this boke, that
we being lightned with the spirit
of god, may geve him thāankes
for so great a benefit. If
we loke further in this boke,
Christes victorye.
we shal se Christs gret victory
upōon the crosse, which was so
noble & mightie, that ther never was C4v
was, neyther shal be suche.

Yf the victorie and glorye of
worldely Princes were great
because they dyd overcumme
greate hostes of menne, how
muche more was Christes
greater? whiche vanquished
not onely the Prince of thys
worlde, but all the ennemies
Collossen. ii. of God: triumphynge over
persecucion, injuries, villanies,
sclaunders, yea deathe,
the worlde, sinne, and the devill:
and brought to confusion
all carnal prudence.

The Princes of the worlde
never did fight withoute the
strengthe of the worlde.

Christe contraryly, wente to
warre, even agaynste all the
strengthe of the worlde.

He C5r

He would fight as David did
Sapi. xvii
David and
Christ cōompared
in fight.
with Golias, unarmed of all
humain wysedom, and policy
and without all worldely power
and strength. Neverthelesse
he was fully replenished
and armed with the wholle armour
of the spirite. And in
this one battail, he overcame
for ever, all his enemies.

There was never so glorious
a spoyle, neither a more riche
and noble, then Christ was
upōon the crosse: whiche delivered
all his electe, from suche
a sharpe miserable captivitie.
He had in this battaile many
stripes, yea, and lost his life,
but his victory was so muche
the greater. Therfore when
I loke upōon the sonne of God
with a supernatural fayth & C.v.light C5v
light, so unarmed, naked, geven
up, and alone with humilitie,
Spiritual
armour.
pacience, liberalitie, modestie,
gentlenes, and with al
other his divine vertues bearyng
doune to the ground all
Ephe. v Gods enemies, and makyng
the soule of man so fayre, and
beautiful, I am forced to say
that his victory and triumph
Mat. xxvii was mervailous. And therfore
Christ deserved to have
Jesus title. this noble title. Jesus of Nazareth,
kyng of the Jewes.

But if we wyll perticulerly
unfolde, & see his great victories,
let us fyrst behold how
he overcame synne, with his
innocencie: and confounded
pride, with his his humilitie:
Quenched all worldely love,
with his charitie: appeased the C6r
the wrath of his father, with
his mekenes: turned hatred
into love, with his so many
benefites, and godly zele.

Victory over
synne.
Collo. i
Christ hath not onely overcum
synne, but rather he hath
killed the same: in asmuche as
Actes. vii he hath satisfied for it himself
with the moste holy sacrifice
and oblacion of his precious
bodye, in sufferyng moste bitter
and cruel death. Also
after an other sorte, that is.
He geveth all those that love
him, somuche spirite, grace,
Rom. vi.vii vertue, and strēength, that they
may resist, impugne & overcome
sinne, & not consent, neither
suffer it to reigne in thēem.
He hath also vāanquished sinne
because he hath taken awaye
the force of the same: that is, he C6v
he hath cancelled the lawe
Collo. ii whiche was in evil menne the
Sin hurteth
not the elect.
occasion of synne. Therfore
synne hath no power against
theim, that are with the holy
ghost united to Christ. In
them there is nothing worthy
of damnacion. And although
the dregges of Adam, do remaine,
that is our concupiscēences,
whiche in dede be synnes:
Cōoncupicence
the original
sinne.
neverthelesse they be not imputed
for sinnes, if we be truly
Roma, viii
Objeccion.
planted in Christ. It is true
that Christ might have taken
Solucion. away all our immoderate affeccions,
but he hath lefte thēem
for the greater glory of his father,
and for his own greater
triumph. As for an example:
A similitude. When a prince fighteth with
his enemies, whiche somtyme had C7r
had the soveraigntie over his
people, & subdewyng theim,
may kyl theim if he wyll, yet
he preserveth & saveth theim:
And wheras they wer lordes
over his people: he maketh
them after to serve, whōom they
before had ruled. Now in
suche a case, the prince doeth
shewe him selfe a greater conqueror,
in that he hath made
theim whiche were rulers to
obey: and the subjectes to be
lordes over theim, to whom
they served, then if he had utterly
destroyed theim upōon the
conquest. For now he leaveth
continuall victorye to theim,
whom he redemed, wheras
otherwyse thoccasion of victory,
was taken away, where
none were lefte to be the subjectes.iectes C7v
Even so in like case,
Applicacion
of the similitude.
Christ hath lefte in us these
concupiscences, to the entent
they should serve us, to the exercise
of our vertues, where
fyrst they did reigne over us,
to the exercise of oure synne.
And it may be plainely seene,
that whereas fyrst they were
suche impedimentes to us,
we could not move our selfes
towardes god, now by Christ
we have so muche strength,
that notwithstāanding the force
of theim, we may assuredly
walke to heaven. And although
the children of God
sometyme do falle by frailtie
into some synne, yet that fallyng
maketh them to humble
them selves, & to reknowlage
the goodnes of God, & to cum to C8r
to him for refuge and helpe.
Lykewise Christ with his death
Victory over
the devil.
Collo, ii
hath overcome the prince of
devils with all his hoste, and
hath destroyed them all. For
as Paule sayeth, this is verified
that Christ should breake
Gene, iii the serpentes head, prophesied
by God. And although the
devil tēemte us, yet if by fayth
we be plāanted in Christ. we shal
not perishe: but rather by his
temptacion, take great force
and might. So it is evident,
that the triūumph, victory & glory
of Christ, is the greater, havyng
in suche sorte subdued
the devil, that whereas he
was prince and Lorde of the
worlde, holdyng all creatures
in captivitie, now Christ
useth him as an instrumente to C8v
to punishe the wicked, and to
exercise and make strong the
elect of God, in christian warfare.
Christ likewyse hath overcome
Victory over
death.
death in a more glorious
maner, (if it be possible)
because he hath not taken it
away, but levyng universally
all subjecte to the same. He
hath geven so muche vertue,
and spirit, that wheras afore
we passed therto with great
fear, now we be bold through
the spirite, for the sure hope of
resurreccion, that we receive
it with joy. It is now no more
bitter, but swete: no more feered,
but desyred: It is no
death, but life. And also it
hath pleased God that the infirmities
& adversities do remaine
to the sight of the world: but D1r
Philip. iiii
ii. Cor. i.
but the chyldren of God are
by Christ made so strōong, rihgghteous,
whole and sound, that
the troubles of the worlde be
All thinges profit
the chosen.
comfortes of the spirit: The
passions of the flesh, are medicines
of the soule. For al maner
Rom. viii. thinges worketh to theyr
commoditie and profite: for
they in spirit feele, that God
theyr father, doeth governe
them, & disposeth all thinges
for their benefit: therfore thei
feele themselves sure. In persecucion
they are quiete, and
peaceful: in tyme of trouble,
they are without werynes, feares,
anxieties, suspicions, miseries,
& finally al the good, &
evill of the world, wurketh to
theyr cōommoditie. Moreover
they see that the tryumphe of DChrist D1v
Christ hath ben so great, that
not onely he hath subdued &
vāanquished all our enemies &
the power of thēem, but he hath
overthrowen & vanquysshed
thēem after such a sorte, that all
things serve to our helthe, he
might & could have taken thēem
al away, but wher thēen should
have ben our victory, palme,
& crowne? For we dayly have
fightes in the flesh, & by the succour
of grace, have continual
victories, over sinne, wherby
we have cause to glorify god
that by his sōonne hath weakened
our enemy the devil, & by his
spirit, geveth us strengthe to
vanquish his ofsprings. So
doe we knowelege dayly the
great triūumph of our saviour,
& rejoice in our own fightes, the D2r
the which we can no wise impute
to any wisdome of this
world: seing sinne to encreace
by it. And where worldly wisdome
moste governeth, there
most sinne ruleth. For as the
worlde is ennemy to god, so
also the wisdome therof is adverse
to God. And therefore
The wisdome
of the world.
Christ hath declared & discovered
the same for folishnes.
i, Corin, iii, And although he could have
taken away al worldly wysedome,
yet he hath lefte it for
his greater glory, & triumph
of his chosen vesselles. For
before, where as it was oure
Ruler agaynste God, nowe
by Christe we are served of
it for God, as of a slave in
worldlye thynges.

Albeit in supernaturall thingesD.ii.ges D2v
the same is not to be understand.
And further yf any
time men woulde impugne, &
gainsay us, with the wisdom
of the worlde, yet we have by
Christe, somuche supernatutural
light of the truthe, that
we make a mocke of all those
that repugne the truth. Christe
Victorye over
the worlde.
also upon the crosse, hath triumphed
over the world. Firste
bycause he hath discovered the
John. xiiii. same to be naught, that wheras
it was covered with the vayl
of ipocrisy, and the vesture of
moral vertues, Christe hath
shewed that in goddes sight,
the righteousnes of the world
is wickednesse: and he hathe
yelded witnes, that the workes
of menne, not regenerated by
him in fayth, are evyl. And so Christe D3r
John, iii
Roman. xiii.
Christe hath judged, and condemned
the world, for naught.
Furthermore he hathe geven
to all his, so much light, & spirit,
that they know it & disprayse
How Christians
regard the
worlde.
the same: yea and trede it under
theyr feete, with al vayne
honours, dignities, & pleasures,
not taking the fayer promises
neither the offers whiche
it doeth present. Nay they
rather make a scorn of them.
And as for the threatnynges
A Conclusion
of the victories.
and force of the worlde, they
nothyng feare. Nowe therefore
we maye see howe great
the victorie and tryumphe of
John. xvii. Christe is, who hath delyvered
all those the father gave
Collossen. ii. hym, from the power of the
devyll, cancellyng upon the
crosse, the writing of our dettes:D.iii.tes, D3v
for he hath delyvered us
frōom the condemnacion of sin,
from the bondage of the law,
from the fear of death, from
the daungier of the worlde, &
from al evils in this life, & in
thother to cūum. And he hath enriched
us, made us noble, &
most highly happy, after such
a glorious & triumphāant way
as can not with tong, be expressed.
And therfore we are forced
to say his triumph is merveylous.
Christe is
Messias.
It is also seen and
knowen that Christeis the true
Meßias, for he hath delivered
man from al evils, & by hym
man hath al goodnes, so that he
is the true Messias. Therefore
all other helpers be but
vaine, & coūunnterfeyted Saviours,
seing that by this oure Messias D4r
Messias Christ, wholy & only
we be delivered frōom al evyls,
& by hīim, we have al goodnes.
And that this is true, it is evidēent
& cleare, because the very true
christiāan is a christiāan by Christ,
And the true christian feleth
inwardly by Christ, so muche
ii, Corinth. iiii goodnes of god, that even troublous
lyfe & deathe be swete
unto hym, & miseries happye,
Roman. vii. the true christian by Christ, is
disburdned frōom the servitude
of the lawe, having the lawe of
grace (graven by the spirit) inhabiting
his hart, & from sin
that reyned in hym, from the
power of thinfernal spirites,
from dampnacion, and from
The title of
Christian.
every evyl: & is made a sonne
of God, a brother of Christe,
heyre of heaven, and lorde of D.iiii.the D4v
Roman. viii. the worlde. So that in Christ
and by Christe, he possesseth
all good thinges. But let us
knowe that Christe yet fyghteth
in spirit in his elect vesselles,
and shall fyghte even
to the daye of judgement. At
whiche daye, shall that great
enemy deth, be wholy destroyed,
and shalbe no more. Then
shal the children of god rejoyce
Osee. xiii. on hym, sayng: “‘O deth where
is thy victory & sting?’”
There
shall be then no more trouble
nor sinne, naye rather none evyl:
but heaven for the good,
and hel for the wieked. Then
shal wholy be discovered the
victory & triumph of Christ:
i. Corinth. xv. who (after Paul) shal present
unto his father, the kingdome
togethers with his chosen saved
by hym.

It D5r

It was no lytle favor towardes
Salvacion
by the crosse.
Roma, iiii.
his children, that Christ
was chosen of God, to save
us his electe, so highly by the
way of the crosse. Paule calleth
it a grace, & a moste singular
grace. We may well
thynke, that he havyng been
to the worlde so valliaunte a
capitaine of God, was ful of
light, grace, vertue & spirite.
Therefore he might justly say:
Jhon. xix “‘Consummatum est.’” We seyng then
that the triumph and victory
of our capitaine Christ, is so
merveilous, glorious & noble
to the whiche warre we be appointed,
let us force our selfes
to folowe him, with bearyng
our crosse, that we may have
Roma. viii. felowshippe with him in his
kyngdome.

D.v. Truely D5v


The boke of
the crucifix.
Truely it may be most justly
verified that to behold Christ
crucified, in spirite, is the best
meditacion that can be. I certainly
never knew myne own
miseries & wretchednes so wel
by booke, admonicion, or lernyng,
as I have done by lokyng
into the spiritual boke of
A presumptuous
truaunt.
the crucifix. I lament muche
I have passed so many yeres
not regarding that divine boke,
but I judged, & thought my
selfe to be well instructed in the
same: whereas now, I am of
this opinion, that if God
woulde suffre me to lyve here
a M.1000 yere, and shoulde study
cōontinually in the same divine
A man is never
glut with
knowlage.
booke, I should not be filled
with the contemplacion therof.
Neither holde I my selfe contented D6r
contented, but alwayes have
a great desyre, to learne and
The fyrst
lesson in the
booke.
study more therin. I never
knewe myne own wickednes,
neither lamēented for my sīinnes
truely, untyll the tyme God
inspired me with his grace,
that I looked in this booke.
Then I beganne to see perfectly,
that mine own power &
strength could not helpe me,
and that I was in the lordes
Hie, xviii. hand, even as the clay is in the
potters hande: then I began
A christian
complaint.
to crye, & say: Alas lorde that
ever I have so wickedly offēended
the, beyng to me from the
beginnyng so gracious, and
so good a father, and moste
specially now hast declared, &
shewed thy goodnes unto me
whāan in the tyme I have done the D6v
the moste injurie, to call me,
and also to make me know, &
take the for my savior & redemer:
Suche be the wonderful
workes of god, to cal synners
Math, ix to repentaunce, and to make
them to take Christ his well
beloved sōonne for theyr savior:
this is the gifte of God, & of
Roma, vi, all christians to be required,
and desyred. For except this
great benefite of Christ crucified
Jhon, xv be felte, and fixed surely
in mannes heart, there can be
no good worke done, acceptable
before God. For in Christ
Christ is the
fulnes of the
godhead.
Collo, ii,
is all fulnes of the godhead,
and in him are hid al the treasures
of wisedome and knowlage:
even he is the water of
life, wherof whosoever shall
drynke, he shall nevermore thyrst D7r
thyrst, but it shalbe in him, a
Johun.iiii, well of water, springyng up
into everlastyng life. Sainct
Roma. viii Paule
sayth there is no damnacion
to theim that are in
Christ, which walke not after
the fleshe, but after the spirit.
Paules argument.

Roma, v,
Moreover he sayeth: if when
we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God, by the death
of his sōonne: much more seyng
we are reconciled, we shalbe
preserved by his death. It is
no lytle or smalle benefite we
have received by Christ, if we
cōonsider what he hath done for
us, as I have perfitely declared
Christian
praier.
heretofore. Wherfore I
pray the lorde that this great
benefite of Christ crucified,
may be stedfastly fixed and
printed in all christiāan heartes that D7v
that they may be true lovers
of God, and worke as childrēen
i, Peter, i, for love: and not as servauntes,
compelled with threatnynges,
or provoked with hyer.
True christians.
The syncere, and pure lovers
of God, do enbrace Christ, with
suche fervencie of spirite, that
Roma. xii they rejoyce in hope, be bolde
in daungier, suffre in adversitie,
continue in praier, blesse
theyr persecutours: further
they be not wise in theyr own
opinion, neither high minded
in theyr prosperitie, neither abashed
in their adversitie: but
humble and jentle alwayes to
Roma, xii all men. For they knowe by
i, Corin. xii theyr faith they are membres
all of one body, and that they
have possessed al one god, one
Ephe. iiii fayth, one baptisme, one joy, and D8r
and one salvacion. If these
pure, & sincere lovers of God
wer thicke sowen, there shuld
not be so muche contencion &
strife growyng on the fieldes
of our religion, as there is.

Praier. Well, I shal pray to the lorde
to take al cōontencion & strife away,
& that the sowers of sedicion,
may have mynd to cease
theyr labour, or to sowe it amongst
the stones, & to have
grace to sowe gracious vertues,
where they may bothe
roote and bring foorth fruite:
with sendyng also a godly unitie,
& concorde amongest al
Luke. i, christians, that we may serve
the lord in true holines of life.
The exāample of good livyng is
required of all christians, but
especially in the ecclesiastical pastours D8v
pastours, and shepherdes,
for thei be called in scripture,
i, Cor. iii.
i, Corin, iiii
Math, v
workemen with God, disbursers
of Gods secretes, the light
of the worlde, the salte of the
yearth, at whose handes all
other should take comforte,
in woorkyng, knowledge of
Gods wyll, & sight, to becum
children of light, and taste of
seasonable wysedome.

Preachyng. They have or shuld have, the
holy spirite abundauntly to
pronounce, and set foorth, the
worde of God, in veritie and
ii. Ti. iiii. trueth: if ignoraunce & blindnes
reigne among us, they
should with the trueth of Gods
worde, instructe and set us in
the trueth, and directe us in
the waye of the Lorde. But
thankes be geven unto the Lorde E1r
Lorde that hath now sent us
suche a godly & learned king
King Henrye
the eyght.
Moyses.
in these later dayes to reigne
over us that with the vertue &
force of gods worde, hath taken
away the vailes & mistes
of errors, & broughte us to the
knowlege of the truthe, by the
light of gods worde, whiche
was so long hidd & kept under,
that the people wer nigh
famished, & hungred for lack
of spiritual foode: suche was
the charitie of the spiritual curates
& shepherdes. But our
Moyses, & moste godly, wise
governer & kyng hath delivered
us oute of the captivitie &
bondage of Pharao. I mene
by this Moyses kyng Henry
the eight
, my most soverayne
favourable lorde & husband. E.one E1v
Judge Christenly.
one (If Moyses had figured
any mo then Christ) through
the excellent grace of god, mete
to be an other expressed veritie
of Moses conqueste over
Byshoppe of
Rome.
Pharao. And I mene by this
Pharao the bishop of Rome,
Pharao. who hath bene, & is a greater
persecutor of all true christians,
then ever was Pharao,
of the children of Israel. For
he is a persecutor of the gospel,
& grace, a setter furthe of
all supersticion, and counterfeit
holynes, bringing many
soules to hell, with his alchimie
and counterfeit money, deceivyng
the poore soules under
the pretence of holynes: but
so muche the greater shall be
his damnacion, because he deceyveth
& robbeth under christesstes E2r
A godly wish mantle. The lorde kepe &
defend al men frōom his jugleinges
& sleytes. But specially
the poore simple, unlearned
A sure lesson. sowles. And this lesson I
wold al men had of him, that
when they begyn to mislyke
his doyng, then onely begyn
Good preachers.
they to lyke god, & certaynly
not before. As for the spiritual
pastours, & shepherdes, I
thinke they wil cleave & stick
fast to the word of god even to
the death, to vāanquish all gods
enemies, if nede shal requyre
al respects of honor, dignitie
ryches, welth, & their private
cōommodities layed apart, folowing also the examples of Christ
& his chosen apostles, in preching
& teching sincere & holsum
doctrin, & such thīings as E.ii.make E2v
make for peace, with godlye
lessons, wherwith they maye
edifie others, that every man
may walke after his vocaciōon
i.Ti.ii in holynes of life, in unitie &
concord, which unitie is to be
desyred of all true Christiāans.
It is muche to be lamēented the
Contencions īin
Religion.
scismes, varieties, contencions
& disputaciōons, that have
ben & are in the world aboute
Christen religion, & no agrement
nor concord of the same emong
The Devill. the learned mēen. Truly the
devill hath ben the sowier of
the seed of sedicion, & shal be
the maynteyner of it, even tyl
Warre in religion.
gods wil be fulfylled. There
is no warre so cruel & evil as
this: for the warre with swerde
kylleth but the bodyes, and
thys sleyeth manye soulles, for E3r
for the poore unlearned persons
remayne confused, and
almoste every one beleveth
ii. Cor. i.
One truthe.
and worketh after hys owne
way. And yet there is but one
Psal.i truth of goddes word, by the
whiche we shalbe saved. Happy
be they that receive it, and
most unhappy are they, whiche
neglect and persecute the
Persecutours
of the worde.
Math. x,
same. For it shalbe more easy
for Sodome & Gomor at the
daye of judgement, then for
them: & not without just cause,
yf we considre the benevolence,
goodnes, & merci of god, who
hath declared his charitie towardes
us, greater, & more
inestimable, then ever he dyd
to the Hebrues.

Heb. x. For they lyved under shadowes
and fygures, and were E.iiibound E3v
Gallath. iiii. bound to the law. And Christe
(we beyng his greatest ennemies)
hath delivered us frōom
the bondage of the lawe, and
Math. xi. hath fulfilled al that was figured
in theyr lawe, & also in
their prophecies, sheding his
own precious blud, to make
us the children of his father,
and his bretherne, and hath
II. Corinth. iii. made us free, settyng us in
Christen libertie.
a godly libertie: I mene not
licence to sinne, as manye be
glad to interprete the same,
when as Christien libertie is
godly intreated of.

Trulye it is no good spirite
that moveth menne to fynde
faulte at everye thynge, and
when thinges may be wel taken,
to perverte them into an
evil sence and mening. There be E4r
be in the world, many spekers
of holynes, & good workes,
but very rare and seldome is
declared whiche be the good
Holy workes. and holy workes. The workes
of the spirite be never almost
spoken of. And therfore
very fewe knowe what they
be. I am able to justifie the
Fewe knowe
the true holynes.
ignoraunce of the people to
be greate, not in this matter
alone, but in many other, the
whiche were moste necessarye
for Christians to knowe.

Because I have hadde juste
proofe of the same, it maketh
me thus muche to saye wyth
no little sorowe and gryefe in
my harte for suche a miserable
ignoraunce, and blyndenes
emongest the people.

Mathewe. xi I dout not but we can say al E.iiii.Lord, E4v
Lorde, Lord: but I feare god,
may saye unto us, this people
Math, xv. honoreth me with theyr lippes
but theyr hartes be farre
frōom me. God desireth nothing
but the hart, & sayeth he wyll
Jhon, iiii be wurshipped in spirite and
truth. Christe condemned all
hipocrisie & fayned holynes,
and taught sincere, pure, and
true godlynes: but we wurse
Tradicions
of men.
then frantike or blynde, wyll
not folow Christes doctrine,
but trust to mens doctrines,
judgementes, and sayinges,
Math. xv. whiche dimmeth oure iyes,
and so the blynde leadeth the
blynde, and bothe falle into
the dyche. Truly in my simple,
and unlearned judgemēent
no mannes doctryne is too
be estemed or preferred lyke vnto E5r
unto Christes & the Apostles,
The worde
of God is the
onely sure
doctrine.
nor to be taught as a perfite
and true doctrin, but even as
it doeth accorde & agree with
the doctrine of the gospel.

But yet those that be called
spiritual pastours, although
The cause of
thestimacion
of tradicions
they be most carnal, as it doth
very evidently and plainely
appeare by theyr fruites, are
so blynded with the love of
them selves, and the worlde,
that they extolle mens invencions
and doctrines, before the
doctrine of the gospel. And
whēen they be not able to maintaine
theyr owne invencions
and doctrine with any jote of
the scripture, then they moste
cruelly persecute them that be
contrary to the same. Be such
the lovers of Christ? nay, nay E.v. they E5v
thei be the lovers of the wicked
Māammon, neither regardyng
God, nor his honor. For filthy
lucre hath made them almost
madde, but frantike they be
doubtles. Is not this miserable
state of spiritual men in the
worlde, muche to be lamēented
of all good christians? But
yet I can not allowe, neither
praise al kynd of lamentaciōon,
but suche as may stand with
i. Corin. xiii
Charitie.
Christian charitie. Charitie
suffereth long, and is jentel,
enveyeth not, upbraydeth no
man, casteth frowardely no
faultes in mens teethe, but referreth
all thynges to God:
Ephe. iiii beyng angry without synne,
refourmyng others without
their sclaūunders, carriyng ever
a storehouse of milde wordes to E6r
to perce the stony hearted mēen.
A godly wish I would all christians, that
like as they have professed
Christ, would so endevoure
themselves to folowe him, in
godly livyng. For we have
not put on Christ to live any
Ephe. iiii, more to our selves, in the vanities,
delites, and pleasures
of the worlde, and the fleshe,
sufferyng the concupiscences &
carnalitie of the flesh to have
Gala, v. his full swynge: For we must
walke after the spirite, & not
after the fleshe, for the spirite
is spiritual, and coveteth spiritual
thynges: and the fleshe
Roma. viii, carnal; and desireth carnall
thinges: the men regenerate
Christēen men. by Christ, dispise the worlde,
and al the vanities and pleasures
therof.

They E6v

They be no lovers of theimselves,
Selfe love. for they feele how evil
& infirme they be, not beyng
hable to do any good thyng
without the helpe of God frōom
whōom they knowlage al goodnes
Jaco. i, to procede. They flatter
worldes love not them selves, with thynkyng
every thyng which shyneth
to the worlde, to be good
and holy, for they know al externe
and outward workes be
thei never so glorious & fayre
to the worlde, may be done of
the evil, aswel as of the goode;
and therfore thei have in very
lytle estimacion, the outward
shew of holynes, because they
be all spiritual, castyng uppe
theyr iyes upōon heavenly thinges:
neither lookyng nor regardyng
the yerthly thinges for E7r
for they be to theim vile, and
Simple wisedome
in men.
Mat. x.
abjecte. They have also the
simplicitie of the dove, & the
policie of the serpent: for by
simplicitie, they have a desire
to do good to all men, and to
hurte no man, no though thei
have occasion geven. And by
policie they geve not, nor ministre
any juste cause to any
Christian cōonstantnes.

Math, xi,
man, whereby theyr doctrine
might be reproved. They be
not also as a rede shakēen with
everye wynde, when they be
blasted with the tempestes, &
stormes of the world, then remaine
they most firme, stable
and quiet, felyng in spirite,
i, Corin, iiii that god (as theyr best father)
doeth send & suffre al thinges
for theyr benefite and cōommoditie.
i, Peter, ii, Christ is to them a rule, a line E7v
Example of
a Christen
man.
a line, an example of christian
life. They be never offended
Christen contentacion.
at any thyng, although occasion
be ministred unto them
for like as Christ when Peter
would have withdrawen him
from death, aunswered, and
Math, xvi sayd: “‘goe backe from me Sa
than
, for thou offendest me’”
, that
is: “asmuche as lyeth in thee
thou gevest me occasion with
thy wordes, to make me withdraw
my selfe from death, although
I yelded not therto,
for this thy procurement can
not extynguish the brennyng
desyre I have, to shedde my
bloud for my chosen:”
Even so
the perfite menne are never
offēended at any thyng. For although
the worlde were full
of synne, they would not with draw E8r
drawe them selves frōom doyng
of good, nor waxe colde in the
love of the lorde. And muche
lesse they would be moved to
be evil: yea rather they be so
muche the more moved to do
The workes
of God offende
not the
christian.
good. The regenerated by
Christ, are never offended at
the workes of God, because
they know by fayth, that god
doeth all thynges well. And
that he cannot erre neither for
want of power, nor by ignoraunce
nor malice: for they
Hebre. iiii, knowe him to be almightie,
and that he seeth all thynges
and is moste aboundauntly
good: they see & fele in spirite
that of that wil, moste highly
perfite, can not but procede
moste perfite workes.

Lykewyse they be not offendedded E8v
The workes
of men offēend
not the Christiāan
at the workes of men: for
if they be good, they are moved
by them to take occasion
to folowe them, & to reknowlage
the goodnes of God, with
gevyng of thēankes, & praisyng
his name dayly the more: but
if they be indifferent, & suche
as may be done with good &
and evil intentes, they judge
the best parte, thinkyng they
Math. vii may be done to a good purpose,
& so they be edified: but
if they be so evil, that the can
not be taken in good part, by
any meanes, yet they be not
offended although occasion
be geven, nay rather they be
edifyed, inasmuche as they
take occasion to be better although
Ephe, v the contrary be ministred
unto them.

They F1r

Then begyn they to thinke &
The Christiāan
profiteth by
sinne.
say thus: “if god had not preserved
me with his grace, I
shoulde have cōommitted thys
Psal. cxlv. sinne, & wurse. O how muche
am I bounde to confesse and
knowlege the goodnes of god.”

They go also thinking & saying
further: “He that hath sinned,
may be one of gods elect
peradventure the lorde hath
suffered him to fal, to thentēent
he may the better know hym
self. I knowe he is one of thēem
that Christe hath sheade hys
blud for, and one of my Christen
brethren. Truly I wil admonish
and rebuke hym, and
in case I fynde hym desperat
I wyll coumforte hym, and
shewe hym the greate goodnesse
and mercye of God, in F Christe F1v
Christ: & with godly consolacions
I wyll see, yf I can lift
hym up.”
And thus ye may see
how the men regenerated by
Christ, of every thyng, winne
& Weakelinges
mislyke all
thynges.
receyve frute. And contrary
the younglynges and unperfect,
are offended at small
tryfles, taking every thing in
evil part, grudgyng and murmuryng
agaynst theyr neighbour:
Actes. xiii. & so muche the more as
they shew themselves fervēent
in their so doing, they are juged
of the blynde world, and
of theym selves, great zealebearers
to god. If this were
the greatest evil of these yūunglinges,
it wer not the moste evyll:
but I feare they be so
blynde and ignoraunte, that
they are offēended also at good thynges F2r
thinges: and judge nothing
good but suche as they enbrace
and esteme to be good,
with murmuryng agaynst al
such as folow not their wayes.
If there be anye of thys
Godly. sorte, the lorde geve them the
lyght of his truthe, that they
maye encrese & grow in godly
strengthe. I suppose yf suche
yonglynges & unperfect, had
Mathewe. xv seen christ & his disciples eat
meat with unwashed handes
Math. ix, or not to have fasted with the
Phariseis, they would have
ben offended, seing him a breaker
of mennes tradicions:
Their affecciōons dispose theyr
iyes too see thorough other
men, and they see nothing in
themselves: where Charitie
(although it be moste full of F.ii. iyes F2v
i. Corinth. xlii. iyes to see the faultes of others
whome it coveteth to amend)
thīinketh none evil, but discretly
& ryghtlye interpreteth all
thinges: by the which more justly
& truly, everye thing is taken.
Now these supersticious
weaklinges, yf they had bene
conversant with Christe, and
seen hym lede his lyfe sūumtyme
with womēen, sumtyme with Samaritanes,
with Publicanes,
sinners, & with the pharisies
they would have murmured
at hym. Also yf they had seen
Math, xxvi. Marie powre upon Christe,
the precious oyntment, they
would have said with Judas
this ointment might have be
Math. xxi. sold, & geven to the poore. If
thei also had seen Christ with
with whippes dryve out of the tem- F3r
temple those that bought & sold,
they woulde furthwith have
judged Christe to have bene
troubled & moved with angre,
& John. vii. not by zele of charitie. How
woulde they have bene offended,
Mat. xii. yf they had seen hym goe
Jhon, iiii to the Jewes feaste, heale a
sickeman upon the Saboth
daye, practise with the womāan
of Samary, ye & shewe unto
her, of his moste divine doctrine
& life? Thei would have
taken occasion to have hated
& persecuted hym, as the Scribes
& Phariseis dyd. And even
so should Christ the Saviour
of the worlde, have ben
to them an offence and ruine.
Rom. ix
A second sorte
of weaklings.
Ther be an other kynde of litleones
unperfect, which are
offended after this sort & maner:F.iii. ner: F3v
as when they see one that
is reputed and estemed holye
to commyt sinne, furthewith
they learne to dooe that, and
wurse, and waxe colde in doyng
of good, and confyrme
themselves in evyll: and then
they excuse their wicked lyfe,
publishing the same, with the
sclaunder of their neybour.
If any manne reprove them,
they saye: suche a man dyd
this, and wurse. So it is evident
that suche persons wold
deny Christ, yf they saw other
menne doe the same. If they
went to Rome and saw the enormities
of the prelates whiche
is sayed to reigne there emonge
them, I doubt not yf
they saw one of thēem sin which
were reputed & taken for holy theyr F4r
theyr faythe shoulde be loste,
but not the faythe of Christe,
whiche they never possessed,
but they shoulde lese that humain
opinion, which they had
of the goodnes of the prelates.
Ephe. i. For yf they had the fayth of
Christ, the holy ghost should
be a wytnesse unto them, the
whiche shoulde be mightie in
them, that in case al the worlde
would deny Christe, yet they
woulde remayne firme and
stable in the true faythe. The
Phariseis. Phariseis also toke occasion
of the evil of others, to waxe
hautie & proud, taking them
selves to be men of greatter
perfection then any other, because
of their vertue, even as
Luke. xvii. the pharisie did, when he saw
the Publicanes submission: F.iiii. And F4v
And so they be offended with
every litle thing, judging yll
murmuring agaīinst their neybour,
& for the same, they are
of many, reputed & taken for
the more holy & good: whereas
in deed they be the more wiked.
The most wiked persons
are offended even at themselves:
for at their litle stabilitie
in goodnes, & of their detestable
& evil lyfe, they take occasion
to despayre, where they
ought the more to cōommit themselves
to god, asking mercye
for theyr offences: And furthwith
to geve thankes that it
hath pleased him of his goodnes
to suffre thēem so lōong a time
But what nedeth it anymore
Wicked men
mislyke good
thinges.
to say: the evil men are offended
even at the workes of god. They F5r
They see God suffre synners,
therfore thinke they, sinne displeaseth
him not: And because
thei see not the good rewarded
with riches, oftentymes
Psal. xxxvii. they imagine, that God
loveth them not: it semeth to
them God is parcial, because
Offence of
gods eleccion
Roma. ix,,
Roma, xi,,
he hath elected sum, and sum
reproved. And therfore they
say, that the elected be sure of
salvacion, takyng by that, occasion
Psal xxxiii. to dooe evil ynough,
saiyng: “‘whatsoever God hath
determined, shalbe perfourmed.’”
If also they see the good
menne oppressed, and the evil
men exalted, they judge God
unjuste, takyng occasion to
live evilly, saiyng: “inasmuche
as God favoureth the naughty
men, let us doe evil inough F.v. to F5v
to thentent, he do us good”
.

Roma, iii, If then the wicked be offēended
even at God, it is no wonder
if they be offended at those that
folow, & walke in his pathes
Vayne gospellers.
and wayes. Now I wyll
speake with great doloure, &
hevines in my heart, of a sort
of people, whiche be in the
worlde that be called professours
of the gospel, & by their
wordes do declare and shew,
they be muche affected to the
same. But I am afrayde, sum
of them doe builde upon the
Actes, xiii sand, as Simon Magus did,
makyng a weake foundacion.
I meane, they make not
Christ their chiefest foundacion,
professyng his doctrine
of a sincere, pure, and zelous
mynde, but either for because thei F6r
they would be called gospellers
to procure some credite,
and good opinions, of the
true and very favourers of
Gala, v. Christes doctrine, either to
finde out some carnal libertie
either to be contencious disputers,
fynders, or rebukers
of other mennes faultes, or
ils finally to please & flatter
Roma. ii the worlde: suche gospellers
are an offence, and a slaunder
to the worde of God, & make
the wicked to rejoyce, & laugh
at them, saiyng: “beholde I
pray you theyr fayre fruites.”

What charitie? what discrecion?
what godlines? holynes,
or puritie of life is amōongest
theim? Be not they great
avengears, foule glottons, slaunderers F6v
slaunderers, backebyters, advouterers,
fornicators, swearers,
and blasphemers? yea &
wallow, & tūumble in all synnes:
These be the fruites of theyr
Evil livyng
slaundereth
the best profession.

Psal. xii
doctrine. And thus it may be
seen how the worde of god is
evil spoken of through licencious
and evil livyng: & yet
the worde of God is all holy,
pure, sincere, & godly, beyng
the doctrine and occasion of
al holy and pure livyng: It
is the wicked that perverteth
Math, vii. al good thinges, into evil, for
an evil tree can not bryng
A similitude
Math. xiii.
foorth good fruit. And when
good seede is sowen in a barrein
& evil grounde, it yeldeth
no good corne: and so it fareth
by the woorde of God: for
Applicacion. when it is heard and knowen of F7r
of wicked men, it bringeth no
good fruite: but when it is
sowen in good grounde, I
meane the heartes of good
people, it bringeth furth good
fruite aboundantly: so that the
want and faut is in men, and
not in the woorde of God. I
Praier. pray God al men and women
may have grace to become
mete tillage for the fruites of
the gospel, and to leave onely
Jhon. i. the janglyng of it: for onely
speakyng of the gospel, maketh
not men good christians
but good talkers, except their
factes and workes agre with
the same: so then theyr speach
Math xii is good, because their heartes
be good. And even as muche
talk of the woorde of God,
Psal, l, without practisyng the same in F7v
in our livyng is evil and detestable
in the sight of God, so
it is a lamentable thyng to
heare how there be manye in
the worlde, that do not well
digest the readyng of scripture,
Readyng of
the scripture.
and do commende and prayse
ignoraunce, & say that muche
knowlage of Gods worde, is
the original of all discencion,
scismes, and contencion, and
maketh men haute, proude,
& presumptuous by readyng
of the same. This manere of
saiyng is no lesse then a plain
blaspheme against the holy
gost. For the spirite of God is
The worde
of God.
the authour of his worde, and
so the holy ghost is made the
authour of evill, whiche is a
Jhon. xvi. moste great blasphemye and
(as the scripture sayeth) a sinne that F8r
that shall not be forgeven in
this worlde, neither in the other
Math. xii to come. It were all our partes
and dueties, to procure &
seke all the wayes & meanes
possible, to have more knowleage
of Goddes woorde, set
foorth abrode in the worlde, &
not allowe ignoraunce, and
Knowlage
wished against
ignoraunce
discommende knowelage of
Goddes worde, stoppyng the
mouthes of the unlearned,
with subtle & craftie persuacions
of Philosophie, & Sophistrie,
whereof commeth no
fruite, but a great perturbacion
of the mynde, to the simple
and ignoraunt, not knowyng
whiche waye to turne them.

For howe is it not extreme
wickednes, to charge the holy
sanctified worde of God, with thoffences F8v
thoffences of man? To allege the
scriptures to be perilous lernyng,
because certain readers
thereof, fall into heresies?
These men might be inforced
by this kynde of argumente,
Lyke reason,
like cōonclusion
to forsake the use of fyer because
fier burned theyr neighbors
house, or to abstaine frōom
meate or drynke, because they
see many surfeyte. O blynde
hate, they slaunder God for
mans offences, and excuse the
man whom they see offende, &
blame the scripture, whiche
they cannot improve: yea I
have heard of some that have
very wel understand the Latyne
Good Latinists
1 characterobscured evil
divines.
toungue, that when thei
have heard learned men, persuade
to the credite & belief
of certain unwritten verities (as G1r
(as they call them) whiche be
not in Scripture expressed, &
yet taughte as doctrine apostolike,
& necessarie to be beleved:
they have ben of this opinion,
that the learned men
forged wrytynges.
have mo Epistles written by
thapostles of Christ, then we
have abrode in the Canon of
the olde & newe testament, or
knowen of anye but onely to
them of the Clergie. Whiche
belief I did not a litle lament
in my hart to heare that any creature
shoulde have suche a
blinde ignoraunt opinion.

Sum kinde of simplicitie is
to be praised, but this simplicitie
without the veritie, I
can neither prayse nor allow.
And thus it may be seen how
we that be unlettred, remain Gconfused G1v
The unlerned
be taughte by
grace.
confused, without god of his
grace lighten oure hartes &
mīindes with a heavenly light
and knowlege of his will, for
we be geven of oure selves to
beleve men better then god.
I pray god sende all learned
menne the spirite of god aboundantly,
that their doctrine
This age requireth
learnyng.
maye bring furth the fruites
thereof. I suppose there was
never more nede of good doctrine
to be set furth in the world
than nowe in this age: for the
Worldly chyldren.
carnall children of Adam be
so wise in theyr generacion,
that if it wer possible they would
deceyve the children of light.
The worlde loveth his owne
Math, xxiiii. and therfore theyr factes and
doinges be highly estemed of
the world: but the childrēen of god are G2r
John. xvii.
Gods chyldrēen
are hated, because they be not
of the worlde, for theyr habitacion
ii. Corinth. v. is in heaven, and they
do dispise the world as a most
vile slave. The fleshlye chyldren
of Adam be so politike,
subtil, craftie, & wise in theyr
kynde, that the electe should
be illuded, yf it were possible:
for they are clothed with
Christes garmente, in utter
apperaunce, with a fayer shewe
of al godlynes, & holynes in
theyr wordes, but they have
so shorne, nopped, and turned
Christes garmente, and have
so disguised them selves, that
the chyldren of lyghte beholding
theym with a spirituall
iye, dooe accounte, and take
theym for menne which have
solde theyr masters garment, G.ii.and G2v
Lyke garmēent
lyke man.
and have stollen a piece of every
mans garment: yet by
theyr subtill arte, and craftie
wittes, they have so set those
patches and pieces together,
Craftye Taylours.
that they do make the blinde
world, & carnal men to beleve
it is Christes very māantle: but
the children of light, knowe the
Gods children
be wise.
contrarye, for they are led by
the spirit of god to the knowlege
of the truthe, & therfore
they discerne & judge al thinges
right, & know frōom whence
they cūum even frōom the bishop of
B.Bishop of Rome. Rome, & his membres, the head
spring of al pryde, vainglorie,
ambicion, hipocrisie & fained
holines. The chyldren of
god be not abashed, although
the world hate them they beleve
they are in the grace and fauour G3r
favour of god, & that he as a
best father, doeth govern thēem
in al thinges, putting awaye
frōom them all vayn confidence
& trust in their own doinges:
for they know they can do no
Roman. vii. thyng but sin of themselves:
they be not so folyshe & chyldish,
not to geve god thāankes
for their eleccion, which was
before the beginnyng of the
Ephe. i.
Sure faythe.
worlde: for they beleve moste
surely they be of the chosen, for
Roman. viii. the holy goste doeth witnesse
to their spirit, that they be the
childrēen of god, & therfore they
beleve god better than man.
Rom. viii. They saye with saint Paule:
“who shall seperate us from the
love of god? shal tribulacion
anguish, persecucion, hunger
nakednes, peril or swearde?”
G.iii.as G3v
as it is written: “for thy sake
are we kylled all day long, &
are counted as shepe appoynted
to be slayne”
. Nevertheles
in al these thinges we overcūum
thorow hym that loveth us:
For I am sure that neyther
death nor lyfe, nether angels
nor rule, neyther power, neyther
thinges present, neyther
things to cum neither quāantitie
or qualitie, neyther any
creture shalbe able to depart
us from the love of god whiche
is in Christ Jesu our lord
They are not by this godlye
Of godly faythe
none evyll
cummeth.
faythe presumptiously inflamed,
nor by the same becum
they leuse, ydle or slowe in doing
of godly workes as carnall
men dreame of them, so
muche the more fervent they be in G4r
be in doing most holy & pure
wurkes, which god hath commaunded
them to walke in:
They wandre not in mennes
tradicions & invencions, leaving
the moste holy and pure
precepts of god undone, whiche
they know they be boūunde
to observe & kepe. Also they
Mathewe. xv wurke not lyke hyerlynges
for meede, wagies or reward
but as lovyng children, with
oute respecte of lucre, gayne,
i. Petre. i. or hyer. They be in suche libertie
of spirite, and joye somuche
in God, that theyr inwarde
consolacion cannot be
expressed with toungue: all
feare of dampnacion is goen
from theym, for they have
putte their whole hope of salvacion
in hys handes whiche wyll G4v
wil & can performe it, neither
have thei any post or piller to
lean to, but god & his smothe
and unwrynkled churche.

For he is to them al in al thinges,
and to him they lean, as
a moste sure square piller, in
prosperitie & adversitie, nothyng
doubtyng of his promises
& covenaūuntes, for they
beleve moste surely they shal
be fulfilled. Also the children
Gods secrets. of god be not curious in serchyng
the highe misteries of
god, whiche be not meete for
them to know: nether do go about
Eccle. iii with humaine & carnal
reasōons to interpret scripture,
perswading men by their subtyll
wyttes and carnall doctrine,
that muche knowlege
of Scrypture, maketh men heretikes G5r
heretikes, without they tēempre
it with humaine doctrin, Sophistrie,
Philosophie, & Logicke:
wherwith to be seduced
accordyng to the tradicions
Collo, ii, of men, after the ordinaunces
of the worlde, and not after
Christ. Sainct Paule doeth
i, Timo, vi,
Prerogative
of the scripture
mooste diligently admonishe
us, whiche artes are not convenient
and mete to be made
checkmate with scripture: for
the scriptures be so pure and
holy, that no perfeccion can
be added unto them. For even
A similitude. as fine golde doeth excell all
other mettalles, so dooeth the
Applicacion. woorde of God, all mennes
doctrines. I beseche the lorde
to sende the learned and unlerned
suche aboundaunce of
his holy spirite, that thei may G.v.obey G5v
obeye and observe the moste
sincere & holy worde of God,
and shewe the fruites thereof,
whiche consisteth chiefely in
charitie & godly unitie: that
as we have professed one God,
one fayth, and one baptisme:
so we may be al of one minde
& one accorde, puttyng away
al bityng and gnawyng: for
in backbityng, slaunderyng,
and misreportyng our christēen
brethren, we shewe not our
selves the disciples of Christ,
whōom we professe. In him was
Christ is our
example.
most high charitie, humilitie,
and pacience, suffering most
paciently al ignominie, rebukes
and slaunders, praiying
Prayes. to his eternal father for his
enemies, with moste fervent
charitie: & in all thinges did remit G6r
remit his wyl to his fathers,
as the scripture doeth witnes
Math, vii when he praied in the mount:
A goodly example and lesson
for us to folowe at all tymes
and seasons: as well in prosperitie,
Psa, xxxvii as in adversitie, to have
no wyl but Gods wyl, cōommittyng
and leavyng to him, all
our cares and griefes, and to
abandon all our policies and
invencions, for they be moste
vain, and folishe, and in dede
very shadowes & dreames.

But we be yet so carnal and
fleshly, that we rūunne hedling
like unbridled coltes, without
snafle or bit.

The love of
God.
If we had the love of God
prīinted in our hartes, it would
kepe us backe from runnyng
astray.

And G6v

And untyll suche tyme as it
please God to sende us this
bitte to holde us in, we shall
never runne the right way, although
we speake and talke
never so muche of God & his
Every man
attende his
vocacion.
worde. The true folowers of
Christes doctrine, hath alwayes
a respect, and an iye to
Preachers, theyr vocacion. If they be
called to the ministery of Gods
worde, they preache and teach
ii, Cor, iiii it sincerely, to the edifiying of
others, and shewe them selfes
in their livyng, folowers of
Lay men.
Ephe, vi
the same. If they be maried
menne, havyng children and
familie, they norishe & bryng
them up, without al bitternes
and fiercenes, in the doctrine
of the lorde, in all godlynes &
vertue, cōommittyng the instruccioncion G7r
of others, whiche apperteineth
not to theyr charge, to
the reformacion of God, and
his ministers, whiche chiefely
be kynges & princes, bearyng
the sweard even for that purpose,
to punishe evil doers.

If they be childrēen, they honor
Roma. xiii,
Children.
theyr father & mother, knowyng
it to be Gods cōommaundement,
and that he hath therto
annexed a promise of long life.
Deut. v
Servauntes
If they be servauntes, they
obey and serve theyr masters
with all feare and reverence,
even for the lordes sake, neither
with murmuryng nor
grudgyng, but with a free
heart and mynde. If they be
Ephe. vi,
husbandes.
Ephe. v,
housebandes, they love theyr
wyves, as theyr own bodies,
after the example as Christ loued G7v
loved the congregacion, and
gave him selfe for it, to make
it to him a spouse, without spot
Wyves
obedience.
or wrinkle. If they be women
maried, they learne of sainct
Paule
, to be obedient to their
i. Timo. ii
Silence.
housbandes, & to kepe silence
in the congregacion, and to
learne of theyr husbandes, at
Apparel
ii, Timo. ii,
i, Peter. iii
home. Also they weare suche
apparel as becommeth holynes,
and comly usage, with
sobernes: not beyng accusars
or detractours, not geven to
much eating of delicate meates,
& drinkyng of wyne, but
they teache honest thinges, to
make the yong women sobre
mynded, to love theyr husbandes,
to love theyr children, to
be discrete, chast, houswyfely,
good, obediente, unto theyr housbandes G8r
housbāandes: that the worde of
God be not evil spoken of.

Verely if all sortes of people
would loke to theyr owne vocacion,
and ordeine the same
accordyng to Christes doctrin
we should not have so many
iyes & eares to other mennes
Overmuche
iye sight.
fautes as we have. For we be
so busye & glad to fynde and
espy out other mens doinges
that we forget, and can have
no tyme to weye and ponder
oure owne, whiche after the
worde of God, we ought first
Math. vii to refourme: and then we shal
the better helpe an other with
the strawe out of his iyes.

But alas we be so muche geven
Selfe love. to love and to flatter our
selves, & so blinded with carnall
affeccions, that we can se and perceiue G8v
perceive no faut in our selfes
And therfore it is a thyng
verye requisite and necessarie
for us to pray al with one heart
and mynd to God, to geve us
an heavēenly light & knowlage
of our owne miseries, & calamities
that we may se them &
acknowlage thēem truly before
A conclucion
with an answere
to objeccion.
him. If any man shalbe offended
at this my lamenting the
fautes of men, whiche be in the
worlde fantasyng with them
selfes, that I do it either of hatred,
or of malice, to any sorte
or kind of people: verely in so
doing they shall do me great
wrong, for I thanke God by
his grace, I hate no creature:
yea, I wold say more to geve
witnes of my conscience, that
neither life, honour, riches, neither H1r
nether whatsoever I possesse
here, which apperteyneth unto
mine own private cōommoditie,
be it never so deerly beloved
of me but moste willingly
& gladly I woulde leave it
to winne any man to Christe,
of what degre or sort, soever
he were. And yet is this nothing
in comparison to the charity
that god hath shewed me
in sendyng Christe to dye for
me: no yf I had all the charitie
of angelles and apostles,
it should be but like a sparke
of fyre compared to a greate
heape of burning coles. God
knoweth of what intent and
mynde I have lamēented myne
owne sinnes & faultes to the
worlde. I trust no bodye wyll
judge that I have doen it for Hprayse H1v
prayse, or thanke of any creature,
since rather I myght be
ashamed then rejoice in rehersal
thereof. For yf they knowe
howe litle I esteme and weye
the prayse of the world, that
It is lawefull
to bost in god.
opinion were soone removed
& taken awaye: for I thanke
god (by his grace) I know the
world to be a blynde Judge,
& the prayses thereof vayne, &
of litle moment: and therfore
I seeke not the praises of the
same, nether to satisfy it, none
otherwise, then I am taught
by Christ to doe, according to
Godly wysh. Christen charitie. I would to
god we would al (when occasion
doeth serve) confesse our
faultes to the world, al respectes
to our owne commoditie
layed aparte. But alas, selfe loue H2r
love doeth so muche reigne amongest
Shame hyndreth
confessiōon.
us, that as I have
sayed before, we can not espie
oure owne faultes. And although
sumtime we find our
owne gilt, either we be favourable
to interpret it no sinne,
orels we be ashamed to confesse
our selves thereof. Yea &
we be sore offended & grieved
to heare our faultes charitably
& godly told us of other,
putting no differēence betwene
charitable warnyng, and malicious
i. Corinth. vi. accusing. Truly if we
sought goddes glorye as we
shoulde do in all thynges, we
should not be ashamed to confesse
our selfes to digresse frōom
Goddes preceptes and ordinaunces,
when it is manifest
we have doen, and dayly do. I pray H2v
I pray god our own faultes
and dedes condemne us not,
Math. xxv. at the last daye, when everye
man shal be rewarded according
A true threatnyng.
to his doinges. Trulye
yf we dooe not redresse and amende
our living, accordyng
to the doctrine of the gospel,
we shal receyve a terrible sentence
Domesday cōom
pred to a law
daye.
of Christe the son of god
when he shall cum to judge &
condemne all trannsgressours
and brekers of his preceptes
and commaundementes, and
to rewarde all his obediente
and loving children, we shall
have no man of law to make
oure plea for us, neyther can
we have the day deferred, neither
wil the just judge be corrupted
with affeccion, bribes, or H3r
or rewarde, neither wyll he
heare any excuse or delay, neither
shall this sainct, or that
Martier helpe us, be they never
so holy, neither shall our
ignoraunce save us from dāamnacion.
Wylful syn
is the greatest.
But yet wylful blindnes,
& obstinate ignoraunce,
shal receive greater punishemēent,
& not without just cause.
Then shall it be knowen who
hath walked in the darke, for
al thinges shal appere manifest,
before him. No mannes
Apoca xxii. deedes shal be hidden, no, neither
wordes, nor thoughtes:
the poore & simple observers
of Goddes cōommaundementes
shalbe rewarded with everlastyng
life, as obedient childrēen
to the heavenly father. And
Rewarde of
synnres.
the transgressours adders, & diminishers H3v
diminishers of the law of God,
shall receive eternal damnacion,
for theyr just rewarde.

Praier. I beseche god we may escape
this feareful sentence, and be
found suche faythful servaūuntes,
and lovyng children, that
we may heare the happye, comfortable,
and most joyful sentence,
ordeined for the childrēen
of God, whiche is: “‘Come hither
ye blessed of my father,
and receive the kyngdome of
heaven, prepared for you before
the beginnyng of the
worlde’
:” Math, xxv,
Unto the Father, the
Sonne, and the holy Gost
be all honor & glory world
without ende.

Amen.

Finis.

Imprinted at London
in Fletestrete at the signe of the
Sunne over agaynst the conduyte
by Edwarde Whitchurche
1548-03-28The xxviii.day of Marche
the yere of our lorde.
M.D.XLVIII.

Cum privilegio ad imprimendum
solum.