A Christmas Banket

This is a disshe little pleasūt for the beginning of our bancket.

Content youre selves. it is necessary that this dysshe hath y ^• first place, y ^t the other that follow may savor y ^• more deliciously to your mouths. The acrimony and tartenes o • this dysshe shall so pierce youre stomachs that it shall minister to you an appetyte & lust to devour y ^• other y ^• more gredely. For I do not ī this behalf follow the manner of Satā, which promised first to Eve sweet & delectable things, & afterward paid her w ^t things most sower & displeasaunt, but rather of the Prophet Isaiah & of John̄ Baptist, which first of all grievously rebuked y ^• wicked in their sermons, & afterward comforted thē again most swetelye. Neither differed Christ and his Apostles from this manner of preaching. Tak • therefore this dysshe in good worth, & hear me now patiently. Whan thorough y ^• suggestion of the old wily serpent Adā & Eve had trāgressed God's commandment, God according to their deserts e • pulsed them out of Paradyse, & sent them into this vale of misery, saying unto Adam among all other things this aforesaid text: Cursed is y ^e erth in thy work. It shall bring for the unto thorns & brymbles. Here do we learn y ^t for the sin of Adā all the earth, that is to say, all the creatures are cursed & made subject to vanite. They now bring forth no more goodly & pleasant fruits, but thorns & brēbless, that is, sin, wickedness, vice, & all other abhominac • on. This one sin of our first father Adā hath condemned us all that ever have ben borne sins, or shall be here after.

Me thinketh that though he offended, yet his offense should not turn to our dānation, seeing we were not then borne.

Yies in good faith brother Eusebius. For his sin was our sin. His dānation was our damnation. His death was our death. I will read unto you the mind of the famous Doctor Origen, concerning this matter: If Leuy, saith he, which was borne the fourth generation after Abraham, was than counted to be in the loins of Abraham, much more all men that are borne or have ben borne in this world, were in the loins of Ad • m, when he was yet in Paradise. And all men w ^t him & in him were expulsed out of Paradise, when he was put out from thence, & by him death, which came unto him by the enterpretacion, came also consequently upon thē, whom he had in his loins.

I pray you let us hear what the holy scriptures say in this behalf.

We read in the fourth boke of Es • ras y ^• third chap. on this wise. The first Adam bearing a wicked heart did sin, & was overcome, & not only be, but all that were borne of him. Also Ose the Prophet saith: They even as Adam have transgressed the covenant & therein have they sinned against me, that is, saith S. Jerome, upon this text, in Paradyse all have sinned against me, evē like unto the sin of Adā For it is no marvel, saith he, if that which went before in the father, be also condemned in y ^• children. But I will rehearse to you more scriptures: Of a woman came the beginning of sin, saith the wise man, & by her all w • dy. Christ also saith, y ^• which is borne of flesh is • leshe. Agayne, how can ye speak good things, • hen ye youre selves are evil? Also in another place, everyone that doth sin, is y ^e servant of sin. S. Paul also saith: By one mā sin entered into this world & by sin death, & so went death though row all men, in as much as all we have sinned. Agayne, in Adā all are dead. In another place also he saith all have sinned, & want the glory o • God. Therefore David confesseth that he was begot̄ in sin, & borne in sin. And saynte Paul affyrmeth playnelye, y ^t we are borne by nature the children of wrath. What say ye now my friends, do ye not now at the last perceive that the sin of Adā hath condemned us all, so y ^• his sin is our sin.

We perceive it well & believe it also.

I will rehearse unto you a saying of S. Bernard. In the fall of y ^e first man, saith he, did we all fall. We fell upon an heap of stones & in the myer, so that we are not only inquinated, spotted and defiled, but also wounded & grievously shaken, bruised & broken. Agayne he saith: Verily we are begotten in sinful pleasure, therefore although it be against our will, yet do we fele certain unlawful & beastlyke mociōs of concupiscences in our selves. Hereto agreeth S. Agustine saying, mark brothers behold that mankind came forth from the first death of the first mā. For sin from the first man entered into the world, & by sin death, & so went death thorough all men. Mark this word went thorough. Cōsither that ye have heard, loke what this is, went thorough. It went thorough. Hereby is y ^e young child gilty. Syn he hath not done, but drawn. For y ^t syn did not remain in y ^e fountain, but went thorough, not hī or hī but went thorough all mē. The first siner, y ^t first preuaricatour begat sinners bond to death. Thus se you y ^t both the holy scriptures & also y ^• ancient Doctors do conclude that all we are damned righteouslye for Adams offense. So that every mā naturally, as S. John & Chrysostom saith, is not only a sinner, but also every whytte sin, as the Apostle saith: we were by nature y ^e sonnes of wrath And this is it, that God the father said to Adā: Cursed is the earth in thy work, as I rehearsed to you before.

Than have we learned here, that all we are cursed & damned in Adams work, that is, for y ^e sin which he he committed in breaking God's most holy cōmaūdementes.

Ye say truth.

This is a thing necessary to be known.

Withoute y ^• knowledge of our selves, we cā never truly know god nor understand his holy scriptures. Therefore will I go fo • th to minister unto you the residue of youre first dysshe. It followeth: It shall bring forth unto the thorns & brābless, I pray you what other thing doth your corrupt nature bring forth unto us than thorns & brambles, y ^t is to say, sin, wickedness, ungodliness, & all that ever is contrary to the will of God? And in deed sin may well be compared to a thorn or bramble. For as the thorn & brēble prycketh the body & woūdeath it greuouslye, yea and bringeth many times destruction vpō it, except other wise it be holpen, so likewise sin most grievously prycketh, woūdeath and utterly destroyeth the soul, except it be redeemed by God's mercy thorough Jesus Christ.

I think this to be true.

It therefore followeth y ^t ī as much as all we are dead in Adam, we are not able of our selves to rise again from death unto life. And seeing that we are sinners all that ever we do, must needs be sin, yea it is sin in deed, & deserveth everlasting death. For as the scripture saith. The disposiciō and thought of mannes heart is prone to evil from his young age. We are wicked children, & a wicked seed. We are that seed, which was cursed frō the beginning. We are like bruyte beasts. We are carnal & flesshely, sold under sin. We are unprofitable servants. We all have gone astray like sheep. We all are Hypocrites & wicked. We are all liars. We all are unclean, & all our ryghteousnesses as a cloth polluted with mensture. All have sinned. There is not one y ^• doth good, no not one. There is no man clean from fylthynes, no not the young child. Ther is no man able to say, my hert is clean, & I am pure from sin. For our hearts are wicked and in • crutable. We are not able to think a good thought. All that ever we bring forth is thorns & brābless, that is to say, sin, ungodliness, & all abomination. What are we now of our selves I pray you tell me.

Very sinners.

Yea and all that ever we do in Adā, & of our own strength, is plain sin and wickedness.

I am glad that we have learned what ye are of yourselves by Adam. I pray you what are ye able now to do for to save yourselves from this perel, whereunto ye are fallen by Adam?

Verily I cannot tell.

Forsoth I think very little.

Ye might right well have said, nothing at all. For I ensure you that ye being left unto yourselves can do none otherwise but sin, & fall headlyng into all kind of mischefe Your wit strength, polecy, imaginacion, reason, & free will availeth here nothing, to deliver you from the captivity of Satan, He leadeth you as the master doth his bond slave, whither soever it pleseth him as Christ witnesseth: everyone that doth sin, is the servant of sin. Ye remember, I am sure, the story of the wounded man, in the Gospel of Luke, which being despoiled and robbed of all his clothes & grievously wounded, lay still half dead.

I remember it very well.

This wounded mā signi • ieth every child of Adam. The clothes signify faith charïte, justice, mercy, & such other virtues. The thieves are Satā and his angels. The wounds are sins. Haulfe dead is to be alive in the flesh, & slain in the soul thorough sin. All this are we by Adā. And as this wounded man could not be holpen of the Preste nor Leuyte, until the Samarytane came, no more can we be holpen by ony creature or work, till christ cometh the true Samaritan. We cannot certes, we cannot help our seues, but even lie still the stinking puddle of sin. Loke in what case Satan leaveth us, in the very same do we remain, except God of his mercy thorough Christ helpeth us. Neither canfre e will nor all the wit & polecye that we have, profit here any thing, till God indueth us w ^t strength from above. For as S. Agustine saith: The nature of man all though it did remain & continue in that integryte & pureness, wherein it was made, yet could it keep it self by no means, if the creator & maker of it did not help. Therefore seeing that w ^t out the grace of god it could not keep the health that it received, howe is it able to repare and get again that which it hath lost, without y ^e grace of God? Again he saith free will sufficethe unto evil, but unto good it availeth little, except it be holpen of that almyghty God. Therefore is it well said of the Apostle, God worketh in us • oth the will & the deed. Hereto agreeth the saying of • hrist. As the vine branch cannot bear fruit, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine & ye are y ^• branches. He that abideth in me, & I in him, the same bryngethe for the much fruit. For without me ye cā do no • hyng. If any mā abideth not in me, he is cast out as a branch, & is wythered, & men gather thē & cast thē into y ^• fire, & there burn. Thus se ye what • e are of youre selves by Adam, & that no strength ye have ones to aspire or breath toward ony goodness, much less to do or work any good thing, except ye be holpen of God. Ye se also howe full of sins, diseases, wounds, sores, botches, canckers, & all y ^• ever naught is ye are. Ye se again, how ye are not able of yourselves to recover youre innocency, that ye lost by Adā.

Alas what is now to be done?

The rehersyng of these things maketh me very sad.

It should rather make you very glad. For as S. Jerome saith: This is y ^• true wisdom of a man to know him self to be inperfecte, & as I may so speak, the perfecciō of all righteous men in the flesh is imperfecte. Agayne he saith: Than are ye righteous, when we confess our selves sinners, & our righteousness consisteth not of our own merit, but of the mercy of God, as the holy scripture saith, the righteous mā is the accuser of himself in y ^• beginning of his speech. Therefore must ye confess yourselves to be that in deed, which ye are, y ^• is, very sinners, if ye will be set free from this miserable captivity, where w ^t ye are now to much wrapped and ouerwhemled.

We confess y ^e same.

We now knowledge y ^t of oureselues by Adā, we are nothing but sinners, & all that ever we do without the spiryt • of god is plain sin, as S. Paul saith: What soever is not of faith is sin.

Well seeing that ye have so fruytfully digested the first dysshe of your Banket, now have I a fit place, a convenient time, & a good occasion to bring unto you the seconde dysshe, as it followeth in order.

I pray you let us taste of it.

That thing also do I desire.

Very pleasaūtly forsooth: but we do not perceive what it meneth.

Hear therefore: These were the words of God the father to the serpent whan by his craft & sut • elty he had made Adā to offend, & in thē is comprehended an whole See of treasures. For they declare both our free deliverance from captivity, & also the victory over Satan and all his army. When Satan had thought y ^t he had got̄ the ouerhand of man, and brought him into the same case whereinto he was thrown for his to much arrogancy & pride, thynking by this menes to deceive God of his purpose, which had made man for to supply y ^e noneber of Aungelles, which perysshed when Lucifer fell from heaven: God willing to show himself of no less puissaunce to save mā thorough his mercy, than Satā was to condemn him thorough his craft, pytied straight way the miserable fall of mā, & afterward spake these comfortable words to the great confusion of Satan, & the exceeding consolacion of man. I will set enimite between the & an womā, between thy seed and her seed, that self seed shall tread down thy head. Thys woman is the most blessed and pure virgyn Mary, which was here promised to bring forth y ^t seed, which should tread down Satan's head. This seed is Jesus christ which toke s • e • sh unfeignedly of that most pure virgyn, & became man for our sake. And he it is, which was promised of God the father to tread down the head of the Serpent.

I per • eyue that by the serpent ye mean Satan. But what is mente by the treadyng down of his head.

The destruction of his power. For y ^e these strength & power of a serpent cōsysteth ī his head. Though his tail or body be stryken or wounded, he forceth not much. For he will put them both in perrel for the safeguard of his head, but if his head be once stricken or wosided, thā loseth he his power, than dieth he shortelye. Therefore is Christ promised here, not to tread down the tail or body of the serpent, but his head, whereby is sygnified the destruction of his whole power. So that now Satan shall never more triumph against God's elect Do ye now perceive this matter?

Yea forsooth.

I never heard so much before.

Well, now behold the great & exceeding mercy of God toward you, that ye may learn that to be true, which God speaketh by his Prophet Ose: Thy destruction, oh Israel, cometh of it self, but thy salvation cometh only of me. Ye have heard that Adā sinned, & that thorough his sin all we were dā • ed.

I remember it well.

The scripture testifieth y ^• so sone as Adam had offended, he hyd himself, & fled from the face of god, he was so gretly ashamed of y ^• sin that he had committed. For after his offense he came not to GOD as he ought to have done, neither sought he grace & remission of his sin at the goodness of God, by confessing his sin with a faithful repentaunto heart, but streyghtway after y ^• trā • gressiō of y ^e precept he fled from God & hyd himself frō y ^• face of god, & as they use to say, put his head in a busshe like a cowarde for fear? Oh where are the powers of free will, y • man be once without the spirit of God? Man hath now no power to seek for salvation, but rather continueth still in his old wickedness, & seeketh to be far from the face of god, couetynge rather to be damned thā he would once approach unto y ^• sight of God, sin hath so slain his courage. Satā in him hath so great dominion, yea whan he cōsidereth his wickedness, he is angry w ^t GOD, hateth God, and wyssheth that there were no God, that he might escape vnpunysshed, even as an enemy of y ^• publigue weal wyssheth that there were no king, no Emperor, no ruler, no governor, no magistrate, but all like himself, that freely & w ^t out punysshement he might deform, ren • e tear, despoyle y ^• publigue we • e at his own pleasure. Now behold the unspeakable benygnite of God. When Adam had fled from him, and hyd himself, so that he had no hoope of health, but utterly despayred of all consolaciō, looking for extreme tyranny, to be exercysed upon him at every hour according to his deserts. God like a merciful father sought hī up, & spake before hī y ^e sweet words heretofore rehearsed to Satan, y ^t by this means he might receive cōsolaciō, & so be saved by giving earnest faith to that most comfortable promise. O the immeasurable goodness of this celestial father: he is that sheep heard, which never leaveth seeking until he hath found the sheep that was lost. He is y ^t father, which ioyefully receiveth again into his house that son, which prodigally had spente all his substance. He is y ^• Samaritan, which healeth y ^• wounded man. He is that LORDE, which maketh of a blasphemer an Apostle, of a {pro}secutor a preacher. And whence cometh this his goodness? of us: of our good deeds? of our merits? Naverely, but of his bounteous mercy and great goodness. Frely and without desert worketh he this thing. We are saved by grace thorough faith & that not of our selves, for it is the gift of God, & cometh not of works, because no mā should bost himself. We being justified by his grace are made heirs, according to hope of everlasting life. Not for the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us. We are iustyfyed freely by his grace. By grace are we saved, & not by works. If by grace thē not of works, or else grace were not grace. He did chose us by his grace, & not we him by our works, as christ witnesseth, ye have not chosē me, but I have chosē you. Paul also saith, God did chose us in Christ before the foundacions of the world were laid. Hereto pertaineth y ^t saying of the Psalmograph: Blessed is he o Lord, whom thou haste chosen and taken unto the, for he shall dwell in thy inner courts. That God of his free mercy did chose us without our deserts, whan we were sinful & poor w ^t out onye goodness or godliness, he himself testifieth by his Prophet, saying: I have chosen the in the fire of poverty.

So far as I can perceive now, God alone is y ^• author of our salvation, & he of his free mercy and aboūdant grace did chose us to be his heirs, before the foundacions of the world were laid.

Yea and that before we wrought ony goodness, or shown ony point of kindness toward him,

Ye say truth. And that ye may know that I wraste not the scriptures, I will read unto you the layeng of S Agustine: He was givē saith he, for our sines, & rose again for our justification. Thy justification, thy circumsicion is not of thyself. By grace are ye saved thorough saith, & that not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God, not of works unless {per}aduēture y ^u wouldest say, I have deserved it, & therefore have I received it. Think not y ^t y ^u dydest receive it by deseruīg, which couldest not have deserved except y ^u haddest received it. Grace went before thi meryte, grace is not of meryte, but me rite of grace For if grace were of merit so haddest y ^u boght it, & not received it freely. Thou shalt save thē saith he, for nothing: What is this, thou shalt have them for nothing? Thou fyndest in thē nothing whereby thou mayst save them, & yet dost thou save them. Freely thou gyuest freely thou sauest. Thou goest before all merits, that thy gifts may o • tayne thy merits. Vtter • ye doeste thou give freely, save freely, which findest nothing, whereof thou mayeste save, & fyndest much whereby thou mayest condemn. Agayne he saith, thou haste done no good, & yet is remission of sins given unto the. Let thy works be looked upon, and they be all found evil, If god should give the y ^e which is due to thy works, he should surely condemn the. But God doth not give unto the y ^t pain which is due, but giveth the grace, which is not due. Also upon this text, to all that are at Rome beloved of God, saints by cyllynge: Here also, saith he, he showeth that it is the exceeding mercy of God rather then thy meryte. For he saith not, to them that love God, but to thē that are loved of God. For he loved us first, that we being loved should also love him. S. Bernard also saith: Grace maketh me justified freely, & likewise delivered from the bondage of sin. Hereto agreeth Fulgētius, saying: God giveth grace to the unworthy freely wherew ^t the wicked being justified may be lyghtened w ^t the gift of good will, & with the power of good working, that mercy preuentyng and going before he may begin to will good, & mercy subsequent and following, he may be able to do the good that he willeth. Thus perceive you, y ^t whenthere was nothing in us, wherefor God should love us, yet he freely loved us ▪ chosed us by his grace to be his chyldrē, as S. John saith: Behold, what a love the father hath given to us, that we should be called y ^e sons of God. Agayne he saith: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, & sent his sonne to make agrement for our sins. And a little after: We love him, because he first loved us.

What moved God to be so beneficial unto us, seeing we had offended so grievously, & were than by no means able to pacify his wrath w ^t ony good work?

This would I also gladdely know.

His own mere goodness was the occasion of his love toward us for his sonne Jesus Christ's sake. In him, by him, & for him, is God the father merciful unto us, & freely saveth us w ^t out ony respect of our good works. For as s. Paul saith: If righteousness came by the law, thā died Christ in vain. And God himself saith by the Prophet I am, I am he, which putteth away thine ī • iquittes, yea & that for mine own sake, & will remember thy sins no more. Put me in remembrance & let us judged together: Declare if thou haste any thing, that thou mayest he justified. And this is it, y ^t we speak of before, that self seed shall tread down thy head. Furthermore God said to Abraham: In thy seed shall all naciōs of y ^• earth be blessed. This seed, saith S. Paul is Christ by whom all are we blessed, that is to say, received into favor, forgiven of our sins, freelye justified and made heirs of eternal glory?

Now cometh this to pass by Christ I pray you.

Verily on this wise, when all we were dampened in Adā, God of his mere mercy and exceadyng grace promised to Adam & his posterite, that there should be one borne, which should deliver thē out of their servitude and restore them again to grace. This did God the father in the old law not only many times promise, but also obsibrate & shadow by divers mysteries, figures, clouds and ceremonies that by them y ^e saythfull might receive consolaciō. And at the time appointed of GOD the father this mā Jesus Christ came into the world. He was conceived by the holy ghost, & • orne of the virgyn Mary, according to the holy scriptures: He was begot̄ of the seed of David as pertaining to the flesh.

Yea & that without the seed of man.

Ye say truth. He received very flesh by y ^• wonderful operaciō of g • ds spirit of Mary, the still remaining a pure and clean virgyne. It was necessary that he should be borne of a virgyn, in as much as the nature of mā is full of carnal concupiscence, & de • yled by Adam, or else could not he have ben a pure & sufficient sacrifice before God for us. For by nature all we are borne the children of wrath, saith S. Paul. Therefore without the seed of ony man, which is corrupted in Adā, was he borne of y ^e most pure and undefiled virgyn Mary, being conformable to us in all things, sin alone except. For our syn was so great, that it could be put a way neither by any child of Adā nor yet by aungel, but only by such one, as being of our flesh, should be borne without the seed of man, & without ony carnal concupiscence. And for as much as this could not be brought to pass by any carnal man, therefore was it necessary that the son of god should come down from the right hand of God the father, and be made very man for our sake, that he being both God & man might by his most precious blood pacify god the fathers wrath, & recō cycle us again to him. God so loved the world, saith Christ, that he gave his only begotten son, that everyone that believeth in him, may not perysshe, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world for to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved by him. He that believeth in him, is not condemned. But he that believeth not, is already condemned, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten son of god. GOD spared not his own sonne, s • yth S. Paul, but gave him for us all.

Agayne, God setteth out his love y ^• he hath to us, seeing that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us much more than now, seeing we are justified this blood, shall we be preserve • from wrath thorough him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled • o God by the death of his son, much more s • ynge we are reconciled, we shall be preserved by his life. Not only so, but we also joy in god by the means of our LORD • Jesus Christ, by whom we have received this attonemente. Also S. John saith: For this purpose appeared the son of God, for to loose the works of the evil. Agayne, t • this appeared y ^• love of God to vswar • ▪ because that God sent his only begot̄ son into the world, that we might live thorough him. Thus se you y ^t whan there was no hope of saluaciō • or us in ony creature God of his own free goodness sent d • wne h • s only begotten son to be a Sauyour unto us.

This do we perceive right well.

Now mark • again, howe that by him alone we are saved. His name is JESUS, that is to say, a savior, for he it is that saveth his people frō their sins, neither 〈◊〉 there any other name given unto men under heavē, wherein they must be saved, but only by this name JESUS. To him giveth all the Prophets wit • eg▪, that thorough his name, • ll shall receive remission of sins, that believe in hī. Be it known unto you, ye men & brothers, y ^e by this Jesus Christ remissiō of sins is preached unto you, & from all things, from the which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses by him is eueri one that believeth • ustified. He is y ^• Lābe of God, which taketh away the sin of y ^• world. He is our resurrection & life. He is the way, truth & life. No man cometh to the father but by him. He is the good shepherd, by whom we be saved from the wolf. He is the door, by whom we must enter into grace. He is the vine, in whom we being ingrassed must needs bring forth much fruit. He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctificacion & redēciō. He is our peace. He is our mediator & advocate. He is alpha & omega, that is, both the beginning and ending of our salvation. Moreover by him are we at peace with God. By him have we a way in thorough saith unto this favor, wherein we stond, & rejoice in hope of the praise that shall be given of God. By him is the favor of God plenteous toward us. By him & his righteousness are we made righteous By him hath the law of the Spirit of life made us free from the law of • ynne & death. By him hath god the father blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly things. By him did God chose us, before the foundaciōs of the world were laid, y ^t we should be saints & fautles before him. By him are we made dere to god the father. By him have we redemption, by his blood remission of sins. By him are all things both in heaven & earth gathered together. By him we, which in times paste were far of, are made nigh thorough his blood. By him we have and open way unto the father. By him are all our sins forgiven us. By him are we delivered from the wrath to come. By him and by his blood are we made clean from all sin. By him & by the oblation of his most blessed body done once for all, are we sanctified. Yea by that one oblation hath he made perfect for eu • rmore thē that are sanctified. To conclude, by him is everlasting life given unto us. Thus se you that by Christ all good things chaūse unto us, & that god the father is well pleased & set at one w ^t us for his sake, as he himself witnesseth. This is my well-beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased, or for whose sake I am fully contented w ^t man. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Agustine: All y ^• ever receive everlasting life, receive it not but by Christ. Therefore saith he in another place: All my hope is in the death of my LORDE. His death is my meryte my refuge, succor, health, • ife, & my resurrection. My merit is the compasssiō of the LORDE I am not w ^t out meryte, so long as y ^t LORDE of mercies shall not want. And if y ^t mercies of y ^• LORD be many, I am plenteous in merits. The stronger is to save, the more without iopardy am I, let us therefore give thankes, saith he, to the LORDE & our savior, which no merits going before, hath heled us that were wounded, reconciled us his enemies, redeemed us frō captivity, brought us again out of darkness into light, called us again from death to life, & let us humbly confessyng our fragilite & wekenes desire his mercy, & in as much as he hath prevented us, as the Psalmograph saith, w ^t his mercy he may vouch • a • e not only to preserve and keep in us, but also to augment and encrese his gifts or benefits, w • iche he hath vouchedsafe to give us.

Amen.

So be it.

LORDE let it so come to pass.

Home doth this seconde service of your Bācket please you?

We never ī our lives tasted a dysh more pleasant & comfortable to our souls health.

We have now learned what we are of oureselues, and where remedy is to be gotten, but by what means shall we come by it? What thing may be the occasion whereby we may receive so many & • o great benefits at y ^e hand of god the father for Jesus Christ's sake? I pray you a good fellowshyppe dec • are this unto us.

I never heard a questionared in better time for the answer to it is your third dysshe, which before you proponed this question, I was fully determined to set before you. And now here it is.

I pray you what saith he?

Ther is not, saith he, there is not, believe me, ony sin in y ^• world, that doth not give place to the virtue of reap̄tance, yea rather to y ^e grace of God, which when we turn to better thiges, doth straight ways work w ^t us.

This is a comfortable saying for sinners.

Yea and in all pointes agreeable to the holy scriptures. For Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance. Now mark for your health and consolacion. David committed both manslaughter & adultrye, & therefore was he threatened many euels of God by his Prophet Nathā. Not withstanding he had not so sone repented him of his act, & confessed his faute, saying: I have offended the LORDE, but the Prophet said: The LORDE hath turned away thy syn, thou shalt not die. Kynge Ahab also did slay his subject Nabotch, y ^t he might enjoy his vyneyeard. And God therefore sent his Prophet Heli as unto him for to tell him that the dogs should lycke his blood olso even there, where they lycked the blonde of Na • oath, and that everyone of the house of Achabbe that maketh water against y ^• w • ull, should be slain. &c. Ahab streyghte way was ashamed of his fault, reap̄ted, cut his clothes, covered his flesh with garments of here, fasted slept in sack cloth, & walked with a heuy countenance, & therefore god seeing his repentaunte heart, said that he would not bring in that evil in his days, but ī his sonnes time. Agayne king Manasseh, in as much as he repented, for all the abhominaciō that he committed against god & his glory, was forgivē, & afterward nonebred among y ^e fredes of god. The Ninevites were threatened withī forty days to be subverted for their dissolute & wicked living. But they being stricken with repentance in y ^e mean season, & mendynge their life, received favor & were saved. As I may come nearer home, as they say, who was more famous in sin thā Mary Magdalene, yet in as much as she faithfully repented, & bewailed her sinful living, her sins were forgynen her. Peter denied Christ, yet seeing he repented & wepte bytterly for his offense, he was favorably received to grace: The prodigal son although he had consumed all his goods, was joyfully received in as much as he repented & knowledged his offense. The thief called never for grace till y ^e hour of death, yet seeing, y ^t he bewailed than his misery, & axed merci, he was herd, & went w ^t Christ ī to Paradyse. Do not these histories besides other, show of what great strength repentance is.

Certes they be very comfortable for poor afflicte sinners.

Thus se you that repentance is a great cause of the mitigacion of gods wrath, yea & an acceptable Sacrifice to God as David saith, a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit, a contryte & humble heart god will not despise. Thus repentance maketh a man to die unto lynne, & to syne to righteousness. It maketh us so long as we ī this world valeantly to enarme our selves, and to enter battle with Satā & his army, & continually to fight against our enemies. It maketh us to hate all wickedness, & enbrace all virtue, so y ^• daily we proceed more & more from faith to faith & frō vertu to virtue. It maketh us to hunger & thyrst after righteousness. It maketh us to desire to be dissolved from this mortal body, & to be with Christ. No mā is able to express sufficiently y ^e excellency & vertu of this true and faithful repentance. And this is it, which maketh Chrysostom to cry out on this manner: O repentance, which thorough gods mercy forgyuest sin, & openest Paradise, which healest a man contryte & brokē, & makest merye him that is sad, callest again life frō death, restorest the state, renuest the honor, gyuest boldenes, reformest strēgthes, & powrest ī again grace more aboundāt. O repetaūce, what new thing shall I tell of the? Thou dost losē althynges that are bound. All things losened dost thou set at liberty. All troublous things dost y ^u mit • gate. All things broken dost thou make whole. All confused things dost thou make clear. Al desperate things dost y ^u encourage O repentance more rutulante than gold, more bright than the son, whom sin doth not overcome, nor, defeccion suppress, nor desperaciō put away. Repentaunce refuseth covetousness, abhorrethe lecherye, excheweth furour & madness, maketh love strong, treadethe down pride, refrayneth the tongue, fasshyoneth manners, hateth malice, excludeth envy Perfecte repentance compelleth a sinner to suffer all things gladly. If a violente persō seek that that he hath, he forbiddeth him not. If he taketh away his garment, he stryueth not against him. To him that striketh the one cheke, he profereth y ^e other. If ony man will compel him to go a mile with him, he will of his own free will go two. If he be chastised he giveth him than • kes. If he be provoked, he holdeth his peace. If he be sharp • ye spoken unto, he speaketh gentely again. To his superior he giveth reverence. To his inferior, he is lowlye, In his heart is contricion, in his mouth confession, in his work all humility. This is y ^• perfect and fruytful repentance. To him that repenteth so, God is at hand, a noryssher to him that is hungry, a gyuer of drink to him that is thyrstye. O repentance the mother of mercy, the maystres of virtues, thy works are great, where w ^t thou dost loosen the gylty, refressheth thē that offend, reuelest them that slyde, • ecreatest y ^e desperate. By y ^e Christ, appointeth us that y ^• kīgdom of heaven is at hand, saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at han • . Nither to have I rehearsed unto you the mind of Chrysostom concerning repentance, whereby ye may perceive, as I said before, that repentance is one of the principal means, whereby we obtain remissiō of sins & the kingdom of heaven.

God giveth us all grace truly to repent.

But howe shall we know, whā we truly repent on such manner, that it provoketh God to be merciful to us.

In deed this is a thing necessary to be known.

To this youre question shall S. Agustine answer, which saith: Whan thou dost so repent, y ^t y ^t thing sauoereth to the bitter ī thy mind, which before was sweet in thy life: & that, which did delight the before in thy body, doth trouble the in thy heart, than dost thou repent well, & say to God, to the alone have I sinned, & evil have I done before the. So that the whole sum of repentance is this, to die unto sin, & to live unto righteousness, which is signified by our plonginge in y ^• font when we are baptized, & by • ure • a • yng out again, as S. Paul saith, we are buried together w ^t him by baptism into death, y ^t as Christ is raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father, so we in like manner should walk in a new life.

If we repent, be sory for our sins, confess our wickedness, amende our life, is this enough?

This is much certes, but not all. For repent is not only contained in your dysh, but also, Beleue the Gospel. Thys pour repentance must be joined w ^t saith, & lyncked with a sure persuasion, that God the father according to his promise will undoubtedly for give you your sins for his son Jesus Christ's sake. For Caym, Esau, Pharaoh, Saul, Antiochus, Judas & many other repented & granted their offenses, yet were they not forgiven. Many also among the very Neithen & gentiles glystered out wardely with a meruaylous godly conversation, & sorowed very greatly if at any time t • ey did defile their innocencye with ony spot •• uncleanness, yet were they not made hey • es of eternal glory. And why? Verily they tasted after a certain manner of y ^e first parte of your dysh, b •• not of the last. They repented, but they believed not y ^e gospel, that is, they sought for no help of their wickedness at gods exceadyng mercy thorough Jesus Christ. They had not the christen faith in thē, wh • che coming from a repentant & sorrowful heart, maketh haste to God, and approacheth boldly to the throne of his grace, that it may obtain •• uour and remission of sins. Repētaunce without faith bringeth desperacion, but repentance accompanieth faith, bringeth remissiō of sins, tranquilite of conscience, & ever lastinge life, as we may easily perceive by two of Christ's Disciples. Judas sold Christ, & Peter denied & forswore Christ. Here both sinned, both repented, both confessed their offense. One by manifest it words, & the other by tears. Yet was Peter saved, and Judas damned. Now so? Because that the repentance of Peter was joined with faith & hope of forgyuenes, & the repentance of Judas was not so. Mary Magdalene did not only repent of her synfullyuynge, but also believed to have remission of her sins. And therefore did not Christ only say of her unto Simon the Pharisee, many sins are forgiven her, because she loved much, but he also said unto her w ^t a lively voice, thy faith hath save • the, go • thy way in peace. Hear what Chrisostowe saith: If thou be wythered & worn away of sin, renew thyself by reap̄taunce. Why, may he that repenteth be saved? yea undoubtedly? Wherof of cometh it to pass? of y ^• LORDES favorable mercy. Truste not to thy repentance. For thy repentance can never put away so great sins. If it were thy repentance alone, thou myghteste well fear, but seeing that the mercy of God is accompanied with repentance, be on a good comfort, for it overcometh thy wickedness, & god is exceeding merciful, & so full of gentleness, that he did not spare his own sonne for to redeem the unkind servants. Saye not unto me, I have sinned to much, howe can I be saved? Thou canst not in deed save thyself, but thy LORDE can. And he so putteth away thy sins, y ^t therneth no prynte, syghe or to • ē of thē. Here ye se also by Chrysostom that repentance w ^t out an earnest faith had & reposed in the mercy of God, can by no means put away sin. This your dyshe therefore teacheth you both to repent & also to believe. For what so ever is not of faith, is sin saith S. Paul: The word of the LORDE is right, saith David and all his works are in faith.

A work without faith, saith Chrysostom, is nothing. Agayne he saith: we must have faith every where I mean that faith, which is the mother of all good things, y ^e medicine of health, without the which a man cannot perceive the doctrine of great & excellent things, but is like unto them, which taking in hand for to swymme over y ^e see without a shyp, whan they are a little forward, they • hands & their fete beying once • ery, are utterly overwhelmed with the waves of y ^e see. Also in another place All our elders are reported y ^t they pleased God by faith, therefore without that, all things come to naught. Hereto agreeth S. Agustine, saying: The medicyne of the soul and of all wounds, & the alone sacrifice to appea • e God's wrath for the sins of all men, is to believe in Christ. Neither can any man at all be made clean, either from original sin, which he hath drawn of Adam, in whom all have sinned, & be made naturally the children of wrath, or frō the sins, which they, by not resistynge the carnal concupi • cēce, but by following it & serving it by vngraciousnes & wicked living have added & put thereto, except by faith they be enunied & joined together ī the body of him, which without ony carnal entysemente & mortiferous delectacion was conceived. Thus se you that repentance without faith anayleth nothing, but enun • ed & joined with faith is a singular and high treasure, For by faith doth God hear us. By faith are we blessed. By faith doth God appere unto us. By faith do we vnderstond the truth. By faith do we keep the commaundemētes of God. By faith are we married to God. By faith have we eternal life. By faith are we purified. By faith are our hearts made clean. By faith are we made the sons of God. By faith are we justified. By faith we please God. By faith we be borne of God. By faith we subdue Satan. By faith do we overcome the world To conclude, by faith all goodness chaūse unto us, and without faith all evil things fall upon us. No meruiale, for as Chrysostom saith: Faith is the foundaciō of the most holy religiō, the bond of charity, the subsidy of love. This faith confyrmeth holiness, corrob • ratethe & maketh strong pure living, garnissheth dig • ities. In chyldrē it shyneth, in young men it storyssheth, in old mē it is a godly spectacle, it confirmeth all kindness, it exalteth degrees, it keepeth all offices, in the poor man it is pleasant, in the mean man merry, in the rytch honest. Faith preserveth frendeshyypes, gathereth together assemblies, reporteth ever well, it despyseth no man, it contenmeth no man, it fail the no man, except perchaūse he first faileth her. Faith understandeth the commandments, keepeth the precepts, fulfylleth promises. Faith maketh us acquainted with God, & constituteth us friends with Christ. Thus have I declared unto you in this your third service, that the only means to obtain remission of our sins, & to be made heirs of eternal glory, is unfeignedly to repent, & faythfullye to believe, that is to say, to forsake our old living & to become new men, garnisshyng our lives with all the fruits of the spirit, and to believe earnestly, that thorough this repentance and faith, God will undoubtedly for Jesus Christ's sake for give us all our sins, receive us again into favor, & make us heirs of his eternal glory.

This is the most pleasant dysshe that ever I tasted.

These thi • ges that you have spoken unto us are so comfortable y ^e me think I am now enflamed & more set on fire thā ever I was before.

As I may vn • ain • dly report unto you the affect of my heart, verily since that ye declared to us the goodness of God y ^e father toward v • thorough Jesus christ I have felt in my heart such an earnest faith & burning love toward God and his word, that me think a thousand fyres could not pluck me away from the love of him. I be gynne now utterly to contemn, despise, reject, cast away, & set at naught all y ^e pleasures of this world, • herein I have • o greatly rejoiced in times past. All the thretes of god, all the displeasures of God, all y ^e fyres & pains of hell could never before this day so allure me to the love of God, as you have now done by expressynge unto me the exceeding mercy & unspeakable kyndeses of God toward us wretched sinners, insomuch that now from the very heart I desire to know what I may do, that by some means I may show again my heart to be full fyred on the seeking of his glory. For I now desire nothing more thē the auaūce ment of his name.

It rejoiceth me to hear these things of you.

Therefore now will I, as due order requireth bring forth your fourth yea & last dyshe, that ye may know what ye ought to do again toward God for his immeasurable bounty, & infinite benefits toward you, that yelyuynge in this world worthy of his kindness, may after this life receive the crown of glory.

I pray you bring it forth streyghte ways, for we much desire to taste of it.

There is nothing that I wysshe more than continually to be fed with the meat of such an heavenly bancket. Therefore I pray you go forth to minister unto us the residue of our most delicious feast.

Agreed, but mark well, for here it is.

Methinke than by your words, y ^• good works necessarely follow the christen faith.

Yea even as necessarelye as the shadow followeth the body, & death the life.

They than which live dissolute, & without doing of good works have not the christen faith.

No verily, no more than a dead cole hath in it the virtue and strength of burning.

Therefore ought all men not to quench y ^e spirit, but with all main & frācke courage to apply themselves to y ^• diligent practice of good works.

Ye say truth, for as ye herd before we are the workemāshyp of God created hath prepared that we should walk in thē. But I pray you note a few things, which I will now declare unto you concerning this our dyshe & last service, Fyrste S. Paul saith: We are the workemāshyp of God,. This showeth that god made us, and not we our selves. He wrought us by his divine power. But by this workemanshyp not we only are made th •• believe ī god, but also the unfaithful, yea the very brute beasts, & worms, with all thiges contained in heaven and earth. Therefore of this making have the faithful no more cau • e to rejoice, thā the unfaithful have. Therefore it doth follow: Created in christ Ies • s. Behold here is a new creaciō. Here is another birth. Here is regeneracion, which far differeth frō the old natiuite. Here are we made new creatures. In whom, in Moses by the law? Nay verily, but in christ by faith. By faith are we regenerate, 〈1 page inserted from a different book〉 〈1 page inserted from a different book〉 borne a new, created agen in Christ Jesus. Wherunto? Unto wicked manners? Nay certes, but unto good works. Note that he saith, unto good works. They that are borne anewe in Christ thorough faith are created in him to good works. If ony mā therefore be not studious of good works: he is not created in christ, but remaineth still in y ^e creation of Adam. But unto what good works is the faithful created in Christ? unto Rome runnynge? gad • ynge of pylgrimage? setting up of candles? gyidynge of your images? payntyng of tabernacles? building of monasteries? purchasynge of pardons? & such other trifelyng fantasies invented of the idle brains of the Papists for lucres sake? na berely. For these are no good works ī deed before god, but only so called to blind the eyes of carnal men with such goodly and godly titles, Unto what good works thā are they created? In good faith, to those good works which God hath prepared y ^• we should walk in thē. Mark that he saith, which God hath prepared, & not that man invented. In them should we walk, y ^t is to say, labor daily more and more to fu • fill thē, & never to cease until we were ancient & perfect in the accomplysshement of God's will.

Me thanke you right hertely for the declaraciō of this terte. For we perceive now our duty better than ever we did before.

But what are those good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in thē?

His commandments. We read that the Jews said to Christ, what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Christ answered & said to thē: This is y ^• work of God that ye believe in him, whom he hath sent. This is the greatest & most principal work of God, y ^t ye believe in his only begot̄ sonne Jesus Christ. He that truly fulfylleth this work, doth very easily accōplyshe y ^e residue. For out of this work, as out of y ^• head foūtayne, do all other works of God spring & proceed. If y ^u canst believe, saith Christ, all things are possible to him y ^t believeth. He y ^t believeth truly in Christ, abuseth not the name of God, profaneth not y ^e Sabbath day, dishonoreth not the magistrates of the publygue weal, contēneth not the ministers of gods word, despyseth not his parents & superiors, kyllethe not, cōmytteth not adultrye, iteleth not, beareth no false witness, covereth not his neighbors goods, but rather doth y ^e contrary, hatyng y ^• vice, & en • alsyng y ^e virtue. He mortyfyeth old Adā. He maketh the body subject to the spirit w ^t the moderate use of eating & drynkyng. He exercyseth himself in godly meditacions, in reading the holy scriptures, in offryng up prayers & thanks continually to God. He socoureth the poor members of christ. He leueth no man confortles. He goeth about to hurt no mā, but studieth to profytte all men. He wissheth & procureth no less goodness to other, than he doth to him self. To be short all his whole life time, he doth nothing else thā die to sin, & live unto righteousness. These are the works of God, wherein so many as are created ī Christ, ought unfeignedly to walk. Theise are y ^e works of God, which ledeth to heuē, which thorough christ we deserve y ^e reward of everlasting life. In these works therefore (most dere brethrē) exercise yourselves both day & night. Beleue in god, love God, fear God. Cōfesse hī frō y ^e very heart to be y ^• alone & true God. Knowledge him to be your only & oīsufficient savior. In all aduersite fly unto his most blessed name as unto a strong Bulwark. Have youre hearts at peace with God. Study day and night in the LORDES law. Exercyse faithful & continual prayer. Procure in all things the glory of God. Honor youre most victorious Prince, & redoubted king. Be faithful to him both in heart, word & deed. Do nothing that may in any point derogate his graces honor. Knowe that he that resisteth him, resisteth y ^e ordinance of God, & getteth to himselfe dānaciō. Honor also at the magistrates that are sent & appointed of him. Youre parents & superious have ye in reverence. Manslaughter, adultrye, theft, false witness, carnal concupiscence, & all the works of y ^e flesh hate ye, & utterly cast thē from you. To conclude, loke for those things that are above, & not for those that are upon the earth. Lyue no more to yourself, but to him that died for your sins, & rose again for your justification.

We will to the vttermoost of our power labor to accomplysshe youre most godly admonicions.

Laboure and God will help. And to say the truth to you, it was never more needful for christen men to bring forth good & christen works, than it is at this time. You se (thanks be to God) y ^t the divine scripture is come now among us more plenteouslye than ever it was before, insomuch y ^t now it is lawful for all men to read it, hear it, talk of it, so that it be done reverently. This hath God unfeignedly brought to pass by his well-beloved servant & our king Henry the eyght a Prince of most noble fame & immortal glory. Ye se again that this word of God hath many enemies, which both labor to suppress that▪ & also so many syncerly profess it. Ye se that theyse adversaries of God's word have no other pleasure than to have an occasion both to blaspheme the word, and also the earneste favorers of it. Behold, say they, are these Gospellers? Are these professors of gods word? Are theyse they y ^t maintain God's truth? Perysshe mought they with their Gospel. For they will not fast nor pray, nor give alms, nor use any kind of virtue. Theyse, whom they cal Pharisees, do much excel thē in every degree of godly living. They will show themselves conformable to no poletyke ordinance. They hunt carnal liberty. They seek to sin freely and without punysshemente. Theyr whole religion consisteth in breaking men's laws and ancient customs. Farewell they therefore with their gospel. We will follow our forefathers. This and such like talk is heard daily among the enemies of God's word. Therefore ought they y ^t love God's truth to walk circūspectly, seeing the days are evil, as S. Paul saith, & to have an honest conuersaciō among Goddess enemies, that they which backbyte them as evil doers, may se their good works, & praise God in the day of visitacion. For so is the will of God, saith S. Peter that with well doing ye should stop the mouths of ygnoraunt men, as free, & not as though ye toke lyberty for a cloke of malicioiusness, but even as the servants of God. Which thing (most dere brothers) would God ye would do, that by your virtuous conversation ye might not pluck men from, but unto the Gospel, not dishonor but honor god, not hynder but provoke the Evangelical truth, that with one mind, heart, will, tongue & deed we all might together profess one God and one truth. Than should God be glorified among us. Thā should his most blessed word be enhalsed of all men. Than should we under one king live ī an unite, peace & concord of christen religion, without ony schism, he resy or dissencion. Than might we well say, that the true repentance and syncer faith, whereby a christen man is justified in the sight of God were in us. For so longe as we continue ī our old wickedness, & amend not our manners, certes neither true repentance, nor christen faith is in us, and to say the truth, neither have we ony parte of Christ or Christ's merits, but pertain still to Satan & his sinful synagoge. For as S. John saith: If we say, that we have fellowshyp with God, & yet walk in darkness, we lie & perform not the truth. But & if we walk in light, even as he is in light, than have we fellowship w ^t him, & y ^e blood of Jesus Christ his sonne, maketh us clean frō all sin. Therefore (dearly beloved) let us cast away the works of darkness, walk in the light of God's truth, live according to our vocation, garnysh the doctrine of christ our savior with godly manners, & so in all pointes institute and order our life according to God's will, that we may be that same in life & deed, that we desire to be reported, that is to say, perfect & true christen men both in heart, word, & deed. So may we be certain in this life to have God a merciful father unto us thorough Jesus Christ his son, & after the departing out of this world to enjoy the glorious sight of the most blessed Godhead, & there to remain in joy & glory, worlds without ende. Amē. Thus endeth your bancket.

Praised be the LORDE for it.

Both now & evermore.

For he alone is worthy all honor & glory.

If it shall please you, I will now gather together in few words that which hitherto I have dispersed in many, that they may the more easily remain in your breast.

I pray you let it be so.

In youre first disshe I ministered unto you y ^• knowledge of yourselves, & declared what ye are by Adā, that is to say, chyldrē of wrath, all carnal, & w ^t out the spirit of God, as S. Agustine saith, let no man stond in his own conceit. For of his own, he is very Satan, but of God's, he is blessed. What is this to say, of his own, but of his sin? Take away the sin, which is thine, & the righteouses, saith god, is of mine. Fore what hast thou, that thou hast not taken? In youre seconde dysshe ye received the knowledge of God's favor toward you freely thorough Jesus Christ. In your third dysshe, ye perceived by what means ye may obtayn this favor of God, verily by true repentance & syncer faith. In your fourth dish I proved unto you that of this your repentance & faith, works must needs follow, yea & that those works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Here is in few words concluded y ^• whole sum of your banckette. I pray you loke that ye both remember these things well, & also exercise them in your living.

We will labor to the vttermooste of our power. And because we can do nothing without the help of God, we shall at all hours with fyrme and sure faith most instantly desire God to work that things in us his holy spirit, y ^t he commanndethe us to do, that we may neither think, breath, speak or do ony thing, but that may turn to his glory.

It is godly spoken. This one thing than remaineth that we give God thanks for this our bancket.

I pray you, let it be so.

Amen.

So be it.

LORD let it so come to pass.

Seynge that according to the commaundemēte of Christ, we have now first sought the kyngedom of god, & the righteousness thereof, & have fed our souls with this celestial bancket of God's word, I pray you now vouchsafe to come with me, and take such poor repast for the sustenance of your body, as it hath pleased God to prepare for us.

We give you right hearty thankes.

I pray God y ^t we may once recōpense your kindness.

My power is small, but my will is much, follow me I beseech you.

Praised be the LORD for this our most comfortable bancket.

AMEN.