Two Notable Sermons

TO THE CHRIstian Reader Tho. Sampson wisheth the felicity of speedy and full conversion to the Lord.

GOdly learned men do write and publish books to profit the age in which they do live, and the posterity. This desire was in the Author of this treatise Master John Bradford, who was the Preacher and publisher of this Sermon of repentance. And now, to the ende that we which do live in earth after him, and are the posterity, may take as much or more profit by it then they did, to and for whom in his life time he did both preach and publish it, the same his labor is by new emprintyng published again. Nothing is added to toys Sermon, or altered in it: only to the sermon of repentance before printed, is added another Sermon of the Lord's supper, which he also made, and was never printed before. And aptly shalt thou see, good Reader, these two Sermons joined together. For in diligent perusing of the last, thou shalt see how necessarely he draweth the doctrine of repentance to them all, which do with due preparation receive the holy Sacrament of Christ. I do not know which of the Sermons I should most praise. I wish that by reading both, thou mayest make thy great profit. In both these Sermons thou shalt read Bradford preaching repentance with his own pen.

They are counted the most profitable Teachers, which have themselves good experiance by practice in themselves, of that which they do teach to others: such as may safely say, Brethren be ye followers of me, and look on them which walk so as ye have us for an example. And surely such a pattern was Master Bradford in his life time, of this doctrine of repentance which in both these Sermons he teacheth, that I which did know him familiartye, must needs give to God this praise for him, that among men I have scarcely known • oue like unto him. I did know when, and partly howe it pleased God by effectual calling to turn his heart unto the true knowledge and obedience of the most holy Gospel of Christ our Savior. Of which God did give him such an heavenly hold and lively seeling, that as he did then know that many sins were forgiven him: so surely he declared by deeds that he loved much. For where he had both gifts and calling to have employed himself in civil and worldly affairs profitably, such was his love of Christ, and zeal to the promoting of his glorious Gospel, that he changed not only the course of his former, life, as the woman did. Luke. 7. but even his former study, as Paul did change his forprofession and study.

Touching the first, after that God touched his heart with that holy and effectual calling, he sold his chains, rings, brooches, and iuels of gold which before he used to wear, and did bestow the price of this his former vanity in the necessary relief of Christ's poor members, which he could hear of or find lying sick or pining in poverty. Touching the second, he so declared his great zeal and love to promote the glory of the lord Jesus, whose goodness and saving health he had tasted, that to do the same more pithely, he changed his study, and being in the inner Temple in London at the study of the common laws, he went to Cambridge to study Divinity, where he heard D. Martin Bucer diligently, and was right familyar and dear unto him. In this godly course he did by God's blessing so profit, that that blessed Martyr D. Ridley then Bishop of London did as it were invite him and his godly Companion Master Thomas Horton to become fellows of Penbrake hall in Cambrydge: And afterwards the said D. Ridley called our Bradford to London, gave him a Prebend in Paul's church, lodged him in his own house there, and set him on work in preaching. And besides often preaching in London, and at Paul's cross, and sundry places in the country, and speacially in Lankeshire, he preached before King Edward the sixth, in the Lent the last year of his reign, upon the second Psalm, and there in one Sermon, showing the tokens of God's judgment at hand for the contempt of the Gospel, as that certain Gentlemen upon the Sabbath day, going in a whirry to Paris garden to the Barebayting, were drowned: and that a Dog was met at Ludg • te carping a piece of a dead child in his mouth, he with a mighty and prophetical spirit: said: I summon you all, even every mothers child of you, to the indegement of God, for it is at hand as it followed shortly after in the death of King Edward. In which state and labor of preaching he continued till the cruelty of the Papists • ut him of: so an thou mayest read in the history of his life and death, compiled by that faithful servant of the Lord Jesus M. John Fox.

In deed he had many pulbackes, but God still helped forward his chosen servant in that trade of life to y ^• which he had called him: in which he ran forward so happily, that he did outrunne me & other his companions. For it pleased God with great speed • s make him ready and ripe to martyrdom: in which through Christ he hath now gained the crown of life. But in all stops and stays he was much helped forward by a continual meditation, and practice of repentance and • ayth in Christ, in which he was kept by God's grace, notable exercised all the days of his life. Even in this mean time he heard a Sermon which that noble Preather Master Latimer made before King Edward the sixth, in which he did earnestly speak of restitution to be made of things falsely gotten: which did so strike Bradford to the heart for one dash with a pen which he had made without the knowledge of his Master (as full often I have heard him confess with plenty of tears) being Clarke of the Treasurer of the Kynges campe beyond the teas, & was to the deceiving of the King, hat he could never be quiet till by the advise of the same Master Latimer a restitution was made. Which thing to bring to pass he did willingly forbear and forgo all the private and certain patrimony which he had in earth. Let all bribers & polyng offi • ers, which get to them selves great revenues in earth by such slibbery shifts, follow this example, lest in taking a contraryecourse, they take a contrary way, and never come where Bradford now is.

But besides this, our Bradford had his daily exercises and practices of repentance, His manner was to make to him self a Cataloge of all the grossest & most enorme sins which in his life of ignorance he had committed, and to lay the same before his eyes when hes went to private prayer, that by the sight and remembrance of them, he might be stirred up to offer to God the sacrifice of a contrite heart, seek assurance of salvation in Christ by faith, thank God for his calling from the ways of wickedness, and pray for increase of grace to be conducted in holy life acceptable and pleasing to God. Such a continual exercise of conscience he had in private prayer, that he did not count himself to have prayed to his contentacion, unless in it he had felt inwardly some smyting of heart for sin, and some healing of that wound by faith, feeling y ^• saving health of Christ, with some change of mind into the detestation of sin and love of obeying the good will of God. Which things do require that inward entering into the sacret parler of our hearts, of which Christ speaketh, and is that smiting of the breast which is noted in the Publican Math. 7 and is the same to the which the Psal mist exhorteth those men loose in sin. Psalm. 4. 5. Tremble ye and sin not: speak in yourselves, that is, enter into an accompt with yourselves, when you are on your couches, that is, when ye are solitary and alone, and be quiet or silent, that is, when ye have thus secretly and deepelye considereth of your case and dealing. ye shall cease to think, speak, and do wickedly. Without such an inward excerise of prayer our Bradford did not pray to his full contentacion, as appeared by this: He used in the morning to go to the common prayer in the College where he was, and after that he used to make some prayer with his Puplls in his chameer. But not content with this, he then repaired to his own secretd prayer, and exercise in prayer by himself, as one that had not yet prayed to his own mind. For he was wont to say to his familiars: I have prayed with my Pupils, but I have not yet prayed with myself. Let those secure men mark this well, which pray without touch of breast, as th • Pharisey did: and so that they have said an ordinary prayer, or heard a common course of prayer, they think they have prayed well, and as the term is, they have served God well, though they never feel styng for sin, taste of groaning or broken heart, nor of the sweet saving health of Christ, thereby to be moved to offer the sacrifice of thanks giving: nor change or renewing of mind, but as they came secure in sin & senseless, so they do depart without any change or affecting of the heart: Which is even the cradle in which Satan rocketh the sins of this age a sleep, who think they do serve God in these cursory prayers made only of custom, when their heart is as far from God as was the heart of the Pharisey. Let us learn by Bradfordes example to pray better, that is, with the heart, and not with ihe lyps aloue: Quia Deus uon vocis sed cardis auditor est, as Cyprin saith, that is, because God is the hearer of the heart, and not of the voice, that is to say, not of the voice alone without the heart, for that is but lyb labor. This conscience of syn and exercise in prayer had Bradford, clean contrary to that cursed custom of those graceless men, which do joy to make large and long accounts of their lewdness and glory therein, so feeling their delights with their lives passed, as the Dog returneth to smell to his cast gorge, and the horse to his dung: such as the Prophet • say 39. saith: They declare their sins as Sodom, they hide them not, woe be to their souls. It goeth with them as in the days of Jeremiah it went with those. Jer. 3. 3 Thou haddest a whores forehead: Thon wouldest not be ashamed. God give these men better grace, else let them be assured they shall find woe woe to their very souls.

An other of his exercises was this: He used to make unto him self an Ephemeris or a Iournal, in which he used to write all such notable things as either he did see or hear eche day that passed. But what so ever he did hear or see, he did so pen it, that a man might see, in that book the signs of his smitten heart. For if he did see or hear any good in any man, by that sight he found & noted the want thereof in him self, and added a short prayer, craving mercy and grace to amende. If he did heara or see any plague or misery▪ he noted it as a thing procured by his own sins; and still added: Domine miserere me • , Lord have mercy upon me. He used in the same book to note such evil thoughts as did rise in him, as of envying the good of other men, thoughts of unthankfulness, of not considering God in his works, of hardness and vnsensiblenes of heart when he did see other moved and affected. And thus he made to him self and of himself a book of daily practices of repentance.

Besydes this, they which were familiar with him, might see how he being in their company, used to fall often into a sudden and deep meditation, in which he would sit with fixed countenance and spirit moved, yet speaking nothing a good space. And sometimes in this silent sytting, plenty of tears should trickle down his cheeks. Sometime he would sytinit, and come out of it with a smyling countenance. Often times have I sytten at dinner and supper with him in the house of that godly harbourer of many Preachers and Seruauntes of the Lord Jesus, I mean Master▪ Elsyng, when either by occasion of talk had, or of some view of God's benefits present, or some inward cogitation and thought of his own, he hath fallen into these deep cogitacions, and he would tell me in the ende such discourses of them, that I eyd perceive that sometimes his tears trickled out of his eyes, as well for joy as for sorrow. Neither was he only such a practiser of repentance in himself, but a continual prouoker of others thereunto, not only in public preaching, but also in private conference and company. For in all companies where he did come, he would freely reprove any sin and mysbehauiour which appeared in any parson, especially swearers, filthy talkers, and popish praters. Such never departed out of his company unreproved. And this he did with such a divine grace and Christian majesty, that ever he stopped the mouths of the gaynsayers: For he spake with power, and yet so sweetly, that they might see their evil to be evil and hurtful unto them, and understand that it was good in deed to the which he labored to draw them in God.

To be short, as his life was, such was his death. His life was a practice, and example, a provocation to repentance. At his death, as the foresaid history witnesseth, when he was burned in Smitefield, and the flames of fire did sly about his • ares, his last speech publiklye noted and heard was this: Repent England, Thus was our Bradford a Preacher and an example of that repentance which he did preach. Jonah preached to Nineveh repentance, and all Nineveh, the King, Princes, people, old and young repented, To England Bradford did peeache and yet doth preach repentance, and surely England hath now much more cause to repent then it had when Bradford lived & preached repentance. For all states & sortes of parsons in England are now more corrupt shen they were then.

Let therefore now Bradfordes sermon, his life, his death move thee O England, to repent all thy peril. I wish & warn, that as in Nineveh so in England, all from the highest to the lowest do unfeignedly repent: They which are of the Lourt, they which are of the Church, they whi • a are of the Citye, they which are of the cuntrey, Princes, Prelates, and people: let all and everyone repent and depart from that evil which he hath in hand, and turn wholly to the Lord. And I do humbly beseech thy Majesty, oh glorious Lord Jesus, which diddest come to bless Israel, turniug everyone of them from their sins, to work now by thy spirit in our hearts the same sound repentance which the holiness did preach to men when thou saidest? Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. This work in us, O gracious God our Savior. Amen. And uow Reader I leave thee to the reading and practicing of that repentance which Bradford hear teacheth.

TO THE CHRIstian Reader John Bradford wisheth the true knowlsdge and peace of Jesus Christ, our alone and omni sufficient Savior.

G Reat and heavy, is God's anger against us, as the most grievous plague of the death of our late King (a Prince of all that ever was sithē Christ's ascension into heavē, in any Region peereles) now fallen vpō us, doth prognosticate For when God's judgment hath begun with his Child this our dear dearlyng, let other men think as they can, I surely cannot be persuaded otherwise, but that a grievous and bitter cup of God's vengeaneis ready to be poured out for ve English men to drink of. The whelp God hath beaten to fray the bandeg. Judgment is begun at Gode house, In God's mercy to himwardes he is taken away that his eyes should not see the miseries which we shall feel. He was to good to tarry with us so wicked, so froward, so peruers, so obstinate, so malicious, so hipocriticall, fo covetous, unclean, untrue, proud, and carnal a generation. I will not go about to paint us out in our colors. All the world which never saw England, by hearsay seeth England. God by his plagues and vengeance, I fear me, will paint us out, and point us out. We have so mocked with him and his Gospel, that we shall feel it is no bourding with him.

Of long time we have covered our covetousness and carnality under the cloke of his Gospel, so that all men shall see us to our shame when he shall take his Gospel away & give it to a people y ^• will bring forth y ^• fruits of it: then shall we appear as we be. To let his Gospel tarry with us, he cannot, for we despise it, contemn it, are giu • ted with it. We disdain his Manna: it is but a vile meat, think we. We would be again in Egypt, and s • t by the greasy steshpots, to eute again our Garlike Onions, and Leekes. • ithens God's Gospel came amongst us, we say now he had never plenty, therefore again let us go and woyrship the Queen of heaven. Chyldren begin to gather sticks, the Fathers kindle the fire, and the women make the cakes to offer to the Queen of heaven, & to provoke the Lord to anger. The earth cannot abide now the words & Sermons of Anios: the cause of all rebelliou is Amos & his preaching. It is Paul and his fellows that makes all out of order. Sumnia, the Gospel is now 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the out cast & eursse of the Realm, & so are the Preachers: therefore out of the doors with them. So that I say, God cannot let his Gospel tarry with us, but must needs take it away to do us some pleasure therein: for so shall we think for a time. as the Sodomitanes thought when Lot departed frō them: as the ol • world thought when Noah crept into his Ark: as the Ierosolomitanes thought whē the Apostles went thence to P •• tis. Then w • r they merry, then was at pastime. When Moses was absent, then went they to eating and drinking, and rose again •• play. Then was all peace, all was well, nothing amiss. But alas, sodainlye came the flood and drowned them. God's wrath wared hot against them. Then was weal away, mourning and woe, then was crying out, wringing of hands, renting of clothes, sobbing and fighyng for the miseries fallen, out of the which they could not scape. But oh ye mourners and cryers out, ye renters of clothes, why mourn ye? What is the cause of your misery? The Gospel is gone, God's word is little preached, you were not disquieted with it: Noah troubleth you not, Lot is departed, the Apostles are gone. What uow is the cause of these your miseries? Wyl you at the length confess it is your syunes? Nay now it is to late, God called upon you, and you would not hear him, therefore yell and cry out now, for he will not hear you. You bowed your ears from hearing of God's law, therefore your prayer is execrable.

But to come again to us Englishmen, I fear me I say, for our vnthaukfulues sake, for our impiety and wyeednes, as God hath taken away our King, so will he take away his Gospel: yea so we would have it, then should all be well, think many. Well, if he take that away, for a time perchance we shall be qutel, but at length we shall feel the want to our we, at length he will have at us, as at Sodeme, at Jerusalem, and other places. And now he beginneth to brue such a bruing, wherein one of us is like to destroy another, and so make an open gap for foreign enemies to devour us, and destroy us. The father is against the son, the brother against the brother, and Lord with what conscience? Oh be thou merciful unto us, and in thine anger remember thy mercy, suffer thyself to be entreated, be reconciled unto us, nay reconcile us unto thee. Oh thou God of justice, judge justly, oh thou Son of God which camest to destroy the works of Satan, destroy his furours now smoking, and almost set on fire in this Realm. We have syuned, we have sinned, and therefore art thou angry, O be not angry forever. Geue us peace, peace peace in the Lord: set us to w •• against sin, against Satan, against our carnal desires, and give us the victory this way. Thys victory we obtain by faith. This faith is not without repentance, as her Gentlemau Ussher before her. Before her, I say, in disceruing true faith from false faith, • yp faith, Englishmens faith: for else if springs out of true faith.

Thys Ussher then Repentaunce if we truly possessed, we should be certain of true faith, and so assured of the victory our death, hell, and Satan. Hys works then which he hath styred up would quail, God would restore us politic peace, right should be right and have right, God's Gospel should tarry with us, religion should be cherished, superstition suppressed, and so we yet something happy, notwithstanding the great loss of our most gracious Liege sovereign Lord. All these would come to pass you sae, if the Gentleman vssher I speak of, I mean Repentance, were at Inn with us. As if he be absent, we may be certain that Lady Faith is absent. Wherefore we cannot but be van quished of the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and so will Satan's works prosper, though not in all things to blear our eles, yet in that thing which he most of all desireth. Therefore to repentance for our selves privately, and for the Realm & Church publicly, everyone should labor to stir up both our selves and others. This, to the end that for my part I might help, I have presently put forth a sermon of Repentance, which hath lien by me half a year at the least for the most part of it. For the last summer as I was abroad preaching in the country, my chance was to make a Sermon of repentance, the which was earnestly of diverse desired of me, that I should give it them written, or else put it forth in print. The which thing to grant, as I could not (for I had not written it) so I told them that had so earnestly desired it. But when no nay would serve, but I must promise them to write it as I could: I consented to there request, that they should have it at my leisure. This leisure I prolonged so long, that as (I ween) & offended them: so did I please myself, as one more glad to read other men's writings, then in such sort to publish mine own for other men to read: not that I would others not to profit by me, but that I knowing how sclender my score is, would be loath for the enemies to have just occasion of evil speaking and wresting that which simply is spoken. But when I considered this present time, to occasion men now to look upon althinges in such sort as might move them to godliness, rather then to any curious questioning, I for the satisfying of my promise, and profyting of the simple ignorant and rude, have now caused this Sermon to be printed: the which I beseech God for his Christ's sake, to use as a mean whereby of his mercy it may please him to work in me and many others true hartye repentance for our sins, to the glory of his name.

A fruitful Sermon of Repentaunce, made by the constant Martyr of Christ M. John Bradford. 1553.

THe life we have at this present, is the gift of God, in whom we live, move and are, and therefore he is called Jehovah. For the which life as we should be thankful, so we may not in any wise use it after our own fantasy, but to the ende for the which it is givē and lent us, that is, to the setting forth of God's praise and glory by repentance, conversion, and obedience to his good will and holy laws whereunto his long suffering doth (as it were) even draw us if our harts by impenitency were not hard even. And therefore our life in y ^e scripture is called a walking, for that as the body daily drawech more and more near his ende, that is the earth: even so our soul draweth daily more and more near unto death, that is, salvation or damnation, heaven or hell.

Of which thing, in that we are most careless and very fools (for we alas, are the same today we were yesterday, and not better or nearer to God, hut rather nearer to hell, Satan, and perdition, being covetous, idle, carnal, secure. negligent, proud. &c.) I think my labor cannot be better bestowed, then with the Baptist, Christ Jesus, and his Apostles, to harp on this string which of all other is most necessary, and that in these days most specially. What stryng is that, saith one? Forsoth brother the string of Repentance, the which Christ our Savior did use first in his ministry, and as his Minister at this present I will use unto you all: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

This sentence thus pronounced & preached by our Savior Jesus Christ, as it doth cōmaūd us to repent, so to the doing of the same it showeth us a sufficient cause to stir us up thereunto, namely for that the kingdom of heaven (which is a kingdom of all joy, peace, riches, power, and pleasure) is at hand, to all such as do so, that is, as do repent. So that the meaning hereof is, as though our savior might thus speak presently: Syrs, for that I see you all walking the wrong way, even to Satan & unto hell fire, by following the kingdom of Satan which now is coloured under the vain pleasures of this life, & foolishness of the flesh most subtelly, to your utter undoing and destruction: behold anō ma • ke well what I say unto you The kingdom of heaven, that is, another manner of joy and felicity, honor and riches, power and pleasure then you now perceive or enjoy, is even at hand, and at your backs, as if you will turn again, that is, repent you, you shall most truly and pleasauntly feel, see, & inherit. Turn again therefore I say, that is, Repent, for this joy I speak of, evē the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Here we may note first the corruption of our nature in that to this commandment, Repent you, he addeth a cause, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, For by reason of the corruption and sturdines of our nature. God unto all his commandments commonly eithrr addeth some promise to provoke us to obedience, or else some such sufficient cause as cannot but tickle us up to hearty inbouryng for the doing of the same: as here to the commandment of doing penance he addeth this aetiologe or cause, saying: For the kingdom of heanen is at hand.

Again, in that he joineth to the commandment the cause, saying: For the kingdom of heaven is at haud, we may learn that of the kiugdome of heaven, none (to whō the ministry. of preaching doth appertain) can be partaker, but such as repent & do penance. Therefore dearly beloved, if you regard the kingdom of heaven, in that you cannot enter therein except you repent, I beseech you all of every estate, as you would your own weal, to repent and do penance. The which thing that ye may do, I will do my best now to help you by God's grace.

But first, because we cannot well tell what repentance is, through ignorance and for lack of knowledge and false teaching: I will (to begin withal) show you what repentance is. Repentance or penante is no English word, but we borrow it of the Latinistes, to whom penance is a forethinking in English, in Greek a being wise afterwards, in Hebrew a conversion or turning, the which conversion or turning, in that it cannot be true & hearty, unto God especially, without some good hope or trust of pardon for that which is already done and past, I may well in this sort define it namely, that penance is a sorowing or forethinking of our sins past, an earnest purpose to amend, or turning to God with a trust of pardon.

This definition may be divided into three partes: First a sorowing for our sins: Secondly a trust of pardon, which otherwise may be called a persuasion of God's mercy by the merits of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins: And thirdly, a purpose to amend, or conversion to a new life The which third or last part cannot be called properly a part, for it is but an effect of penance, as towards the end ye shall see by God's grace. But least such as seek for occasion to speak evil, should have any occasion, though they tarry not out the end of this Sermon: I therefore divide penauce into the three foresaid partes: of sorrowing for our syn of good hope or trust of pardon, and of a new life. Thus you now see what penance is: a sorowing for syn, a purpose to amend, with a good hope or trust of pardon.

This penance not only differeth from that which men commonly have taken to be penance, in saying & doing our enjoined Lady Psalters, seven Psalms, fastynges, pylgrimages, alms deeds, and such like things but also from that which the more learned have declared to consist of three partes, namely Contrition, Confession, & Satisfaction.

Contrition they cal a just & a full sorrow for their sin. For this word just & full, in one of the differences between contritiō and attrition.

Confession they cal a numbering of all their sins in the ear of their ghostly father; for as (say they) a Judge cannot absolve without knowledge of y ^e cause or matter, so cannot the Priest or ghostly father absolve from other sins, then those which he doth hear.

Satisfaction they calamendes making unto God for their sins by their undue works, opera indebita, works more then they need to do, as they term them. This is their penance which they preach, write, & alow. But how true this gear is, how it agreeth with God's word, how it is to be allowed, taught, preached, and writ̄, let us a little consider. If a man repent not until he have a just and full sorrowing for his sins (dearly beloved) when shall he repent? For in as much as hell fire, & the punishment of the Devils, is a just punishment for syn: In as much as in all syn there is a contempt of God, which is all goodness, and therefore there is acontempt desert or all ylnes: alas who can bear or feel this just sorrow, this full sorrow for our sins, this their contricion, which they do so discern frō their attrition? Shall not man by this doctrine rather despair, then come by repentance? If a mā repent not until he have made confession of all his sins in the ear of his ghostly father: if a man cannot have absolution of his sins until his sins be told by tale and number in the Priests ear (in that, as David sa •• h non can understand, much less. then utter all his sins, Delicta quis intelliget: who can understand his sins in that David of him self complaineth else where, how that his sins are overflowed his head, & as a heavy burden do oppress him, alas shall not a man by this doctrine be utterly drivē from repentance? Though they have gone about something to make plaster for their sores, of confession or attrition to aswage this gear, bidding a man to hope well of his cōtrition, though it be not so full as is required, and of his confession though he have not numbered all his sins, if so be y ^e he do so much as in him lieth: dearly beloved in that there is none but y ^• herein he is gilty (for who doth as much as he may) trow ye that this plaster is not like salt for sore eyes? Yes undoubtedly, when they have done all they can for y ^e appeasing of consciences in these points, this is the sum that we yet should hope well, but yet so hope, that we must hand in a manmering & douting, whether our sins be forgiven. For to believe remission̄ pecca tornm, that is, to be certain of for geuenes of sins, as our Crede teacheth us, they count it a presumption. Oh abomination, and that not only herein, but in all their penance as they paint it.

As concerning Satisfaction by their opera indebita, vndne works that is, by such works as they need not to do, but of their own voluntarines & wylfulnes (wylfulnes in deed, who seeth not monstrous abomination, blasphemy, and even open fighting against God? For if satisfction cann be done by man, then Christ died in vain for him that so satisfieth, & so reigneth he in vain, so is he a Bishop & a Priest in vain. God's law requireth love to God with all our heart, soul, power, might, & strength, to that there is nothing can be done to •• dward which is not contained in this commandment: nothing can ve don over & above this. Again, christ requireth to manwarde, that we should love one another, as he loved us. And trow we y ^e we can do any good thing to our neighborwar • which is not herein comprised?

Yea, let them tell me when they do anything so in the love of god & their neighbor, but that they had need to cry, Remit nobis debita nostra: Forgeue us our sins. So far are we of frō satisfying. Doth not Christ say: When you have done all things that I have commanded you, say that you be but unprofitable feruantes? Put nothing to my word saith God. Yes works of supererogation (yea superabomination) say they. What soever things are true (saith the Apostle saint Paul) whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things pertain to love, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, or if there be any praise, have you them in your mind, and do them, and the God of peace shall be with you. I wene this well looked on, will pull us from popish satisfactory works, which do deface Christ's treasures & satisfaction.

In heaven and in earth was there none found that could satisfy God's anger for our sins, or get heavē for man, but only the son of God Jesus Christ, the Lyon of the tribe of Judah, who by his blood hath wrought the work of satisfactiō, and alonely is worthy all honor, glory, and praise, for he hath opened the book with the seven seals.

Dearely beloved, therefore abhor this abomination, even to think that there is any other satisfaction to Godward for sin, then Christ's blood only. Blasphem it is, and that horrible, to think otherwise. The blood of Christ purifieth (saith saint John) from all sin, and therefore he is called the Lamb slaiue from the beginning of the world, because there was never syn forgiven of God, nor shall be from the beginning unto the ende of the world, but only thorough Christ's death: prate the Pope and his prelates as please them, with their pardous, Purgatory, Purgacious, Placeboes, Trentals, Dirigies, works of supererogation, superabomination. &c.

I am he (saith y ^e Lord) which putteth away thine offenses, and that for mine own sake, and will no more remember thine iniquities. Put me in remembrance (for we will reason together) and tell me what thou hast for thee, to make the righteous. Thy first father offended sore. &c. And thus writeth S. John: If any man syn, we have an Advocate (saith he with the father, even Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitation or satisfaction for our sins. As in the. 4. chapter he saith, that God hath sent his Son to be a propiciation or satisfaction for our sins, according to that which Paul writeth, where he calleth Christ a merciful and faithful Priest, to purge the people's sins: So that blind bussards & peruers Papists they be which yet will prate our merits or works to satisfy for our sins in part or in whole, before Baptism or after. For to omit the testimonies I brought out of John & Paul, which the blind cannot but se • : I pray you remember the text out of Isaiah, which even now I rehearsed, being spoken to such as wer then y ^• people of God & had been a long time, but yet were fallen into grenous sins after their adoption into the number of God's childrē It is for mine own sake (saith God) that I put away thy sins. Where is your parting of the stake now? If it be for God's own sake, if Christ be the propiciation, then recant, except you will become Idolaters, making your works God and Christ. Say as David teacheth: Not to us Lord not to us, but to • hy name be the glory.

And it is to be noted, that God doth cast in their teeth even the syn of their first father, lest they should think that yet perchaūce, for the righteousness & goodness of their good fathers, their sins might be the sooner pardoned, & so God except their works.

If they had taken satisfaction for that which is done to y ^e Congregation publicly by some notable punishment, as in the primative Church was used to open offenders, sparkles whereof and some traces yet remain, when such as have synued in adultery go about the church with a Taper in their shiertes: Or if they had made satisfaction for restitution to manward of such goods as wrongfully are gotten, the which true penance cannot be without: Or if by satisfaction they had meant a new life to make amends to the Congregation thereby, as by their evil life they did offend the Congregatiō, in which sense the Apostle seemeth to take that which he writeth in. 2. Corin. 7. where the old Interpretour calleth Apologian, satisfactiō, which rather signifieth a defense or answering again: If I say, they had taken satisfactiō any of these ways, then they had done well, so that the satisfaction to God had been left all only to Christ.

Again, if they had made confession either for that which is to God priuatelye, either for that which is to the Congregation publicly, either for that which is a free consulation with someone learned in God's book & appointed thereunto, as first it was used and I wish were now used amongst us, either for that which is a reconciliation of one to another, it had been something: yea if they had made it for faith, because it is a true demonstratiō of faith, as in Paul we may see, when he calleth Christ the captain of our confession, that is of one faith (& so Confessors were called in the primative Church, such as manfully did wttnes. their faith with the peril of their lives: if I say, they had taken it thus, then had they done rightwell.

And so Coutrition, if they had left out their • nblil dstinction between it & attrition by this word just or full, making it a hearty sorrow for their sins, then we would never have cried out against them therefore. For we say penance hath three partes, Contrition, if you understand it for a hearty sorowing for syn, Confession, if you vuderstand it for faith of free pardon in God's mercy by Jesus Christ. and Satisfaction, if you understand it not to Godwardes) for that only to Christ must be left alone) but to mauwarde in restitution of gods wrongfully or fraudulently got̄, of name hindered by our slaūders and in newness of life: although, as I said before, and anou will show more plainly by gods grace that this last is no part of penance in deed, but a plain effect or fruit of true penance.

I might here being in examples of their penauce, how perilous it is to be embraced: but let the example of their ground Sire Judas serve, in whom we see all the parts of their penance, as they describe it, & yet no withstanding he was damned. He was sory enough as the effect shown: he had their contricion fully, out of the which he confessed his fault saying: I have betrayed innocent blood, and thereunto he made satisfaction, restoring the money he had received. But yet all was but lost, he hanged up himself, his bowels burst out, & he remaineth a child of perdition forever. I would wish that this example of Judas in whom ye see the parts of their penance, contrition, confession, & satisfaction, would move them to penance, & to describe it a little better, making hope or trust of God's free mercy a piece thereof, or else with Judas they will mar all

Perchaunce these words, contrition, confession, and satisfactiō were used as I have expounded them at the first. But in that we see so much danger and hurt by using them without expositions either let us join to them open expositions always, or else let us not use them at all, but say as I write. that penānce is a hearty sorrow for our sins a good hope on trust of pardon through Christ, which is not without an earnest purpose to amend, or a new life. This penance is the thing where to all y ^e scripture calleth us. This penance do I now cal you all unto: this must be continually in us and not for a Lent season, as we have thought: this must increase daily more and more in us: without this we cannot be saved.

Search therefore your harts all, all swearers, blasphemers, hers, flatterers, baudy or idle talkers, jesters, bribers, covetous, persons, droukards, gluttons, who • mongers, thieves, murderers, slanderers, idle livers, negligent in their vocation. &c. All such and all other as lament not their sins, as hope not in God's mercy for pardon, & purpose not heartily to amende, to leave their swearing, drunkenness, whoredom, covetousness, idleness. &c. all such, I say, shall not nor cannot enter into God's kingdom, but hell fire is prepared for them, weeping and gnashing of teeth, whereunto, alas, I fear me, very many will needs go, in that very many will be as they have been, let us even to the wearing of our tongue to the stumps, preach and pray never so much to the contrary, and that even in the bowels of Jesus Christ, as now I beseech you all, all, all, and every mothers child, to repent and lament your sin, to trust in God's mercy, and to amende your lives.

Now me thinks ye are somewhat astonied: whereby I gather that presently you desire this repentance, that is, this sorrow, good hope, and newness of life. The which that you may the rather attain and get to your comforts as I have gone about to be a mean to stir up in you (by God's grace) this desire of repentance, so through the same grace of God will I go about now to show you how you may have your desire in this behalf.

And first concerning this part, namely sorrow for your sins, and hearty lamenting of the same: For this if you desire the having of it you must beware y ^• you think not that of yourselves or of your own freewyl, by any means you can get it. You may easily deceive yourselves and mock yourselves, thinking more of yourselves then is seemly. All good things, and not pieces of good things, but all good things, saith S. James, come from God the father of light. If therefore penance be good (as it is good) then the partes of it be good. Frō God therefore do they come, and not of our free will. It is the Lord that mortifieth, that bringeth down, that humbleth, saith the scriptur in sundry places, After thou haddest stricken my thigh (saith Jeremiah) I was ashamed. Loe he saith, after thou hadst stricken me: and therefore prayeth he, even in the last words almost he written: Turn us Lord and we shall be turned. The which thing David useth very often. Wherefore first of all, if thou wouldest have this part of penance, as for the whole, because it is God's gift, so for this part go thou unto God, & make some little prayer, as thou canst, unto his mercy for the same, in this or like sort.

Merciful father of our Savior Jesus Christ, because I have sinned and done wickedly, & thorough thy goodness have received a desire of repentance, whereto this thy long sufferance doth draw my hard heart. I beseech thee for thy mercies sake in CHRIST, to work the same repentance in me and by thy spirit, power, & grace so to humble, mortify, and tear my concsience for my sins to saluatiō, that in thy good time thou mayest comfort and quicken me again through Jesus Christ thy dearly beloved Son. Amen.

After this sort I say, or otherwise, as thou thinckest good, if thou wilt have this first part contrition or sorrow for thy sins, do y ^e beg it of God thorough Christ. And when thou hast asked it, as I have labored to drive thee from trusting in thyself, so now I go about to move thee from flattering of thyself, from sluggishness and negligence, to be diligent to use these means following.

Unto prayer, which I would thou shouldest first use as thou canst, secondly get thee God's law as a glas to toote in, for in it and by it cometh the true knowledge of sin, without which knowledge there can be no sorrow. For how can a man sorrow for his sins, which knoweth not his sins? As when a man is sick, the first step to health, is to know his sycknes: even so to salvation, the first step is to know thy damnation due for thy sins.

The law of God therefore must be gotten and well tooted in, that is, we must look in it spiritually, & not corporally or carnally, as y ^e outward word or letter doth declare and utter: and so our Savior teacheth us in Matthew, expounding the sixth & seventh commaūdements, not only after the outward deed, but also after the heart, making there the anger of the heart, a kind of murder, lusting after another man's wife, a kind of adultery,

And this is one of the differences between God's law and mans law, that of this (man's law I mean I am not contemnable, so long as I observe outwardli the same. But gods law goeth to the root & to the heart, condemning me for the inward motion, although outwardlye I live most holyly. As for example: If I kill no mā, though in my heart I hate man's law condemneth me not: but otherwise doth God's law. And why? for it seeth the fountain whence the evil doth spring. If hatred were taken out of the heart, then loftynes in looks, detraction in tongue, and murder by hand could never ensue. If lusting wer out of the heart, curiosity in countenance, wantonness in words, baudy boldness in body would not appear,

In that therefore this outward evil springes out of the inward corruption: seeing God's law also is a law of liberty, as saith saint James: and spiritual, as saith s. Paul: perfectly & spiritually it is to be understand, if we will truly come to the knowledge of our sins. For of this inward corruption, reason knoweth but little or nothing. I had not known (saith Paul) that lusting (which to reason, and to them which are guided only by reasō, is thought but a triste) I had not known saith he, this lusting to have ben syn, if the law had not said, Non concupisces, Thou shalt not lust.

To the knowledge therefore of our syn (without which we cannot repent or be sory for our syn) let us secondly get us God's law as a glass to toote in: and that not only literally, outwardly, or partly, but also spiritually, inwardly, and thoroughly. Let us consider the heart, and so shall we see the foul spots we are stained withal, at lest inwardly, whereby we the rather may be moved to hearty sorrow and sighing. For as s. Agustine saith, it is a glass which feareth nobody: but even look what a one thou art, so it paynteth thee out.

In the law we see it is a foul spot, not to love the lord our God withal) all I say) our heart, soul, power, might and strength and that continually.

In the law it is a foul spot, not only to make to our selves any graven Image or similitude, to bow thereto. &c. but also not to frame our selves wholly after the image whereto we are made, not to bow to it, to worship it.

In the law we see that it is a foul spot, not only to take God's name in vain, but also not earnestly, heartily, and even continually to call upon his name only, to give thanks unto him, to believe, to publish, and live his holy word.

In God's law we see it is a foul spot to our souls, not only to be an open profaner of the Saboth day, but also not to rest from our own words & works, that the Lord might both speak and work in us and by us, not to hear his holy word, not to communicate his Sacraments, not to give occasion to others to holiness by our example in godly works and reverent esteming of the ministry of his word.

In God's law we see it a foul spot to our souls, not only to be an opē disobeyer of our Parents Magistrates, Masters, & such as be in any authority over us, but also not to honor such even in our harts, not to give thanks to God for them, not to pray for thē to aid, to help, or relieve thē, to hear with their infirmities. &c. In God's law we see it is a foul spot in our souls, not only to be a manqueller in hatred, malice, proud lokes, brags, backbiting, railing, or bodily slaughter: but also not to love our neighbors, yea our enemies, even in our harts, & to declare the same in all our • estures, words, & works.

In God's law we see it a foul spot to our souls, not only to be a whore monger in lusting in our harts, in wanton looking, in unclean and wanton talking, in actual doing dishonestly with our neighbors wife, daughter, servant. &c. but also not to be chaste, sober, temperate in heart, looks, tongue, apparel, deeds, & to help others thereunto accordyngly. &c.

In gods law we see it is a foul spot to our souls, not only in heart to covet, in look or word to flatter, lie, color. &c. in deed to take away anything which pertaineth to another: but also in heart, countenance, word & deed, not to keep, save, & defend that which pertaineth to thy neighbor, as thou wouldest thine own

In God's law we may see it a foul spot, not only to lie or bear false witness against any man, but also not to have as great care over thy neighbors name, as over thine own.

Synne in God's law it is we may see and a foul spot, not only to consent to evil lust, or carnal desires, but even the very natural or carnal lusts and desires themselves for so I may cal thē, nature it self being now so corrupted are sin, and self love, and many such like. By reason whereof I trow there is none that tooteth well herein, but though he be blameless to the world, and fair to the show, yet certainly inwardly his face is foul arrayed, and so shameful, saucy, maungy, pocky and scabbed, that he cannot but be sory at the contemplation thereof, & that so much more, by how much he continueth to loke in this glass accordingly.

And thus much concerning the second mean to the stirring up of sorrow for our sin, that next unto prayer, we should toote in God's law spiritually. The which tooting if we use with prayer as I said let us not doubt but at the length God's spirit will work as now to such as believe, for to the unbelievers all is in vain, there eyes are stark blind, they can see nothing) to such as believe (I say) I trust something is done even all ready. But if neither by prayer nor by tooting in God's law spiritually, as yet thy hard unbelieving heart feeleth no sorrow nor lamenting for thy syn, thirdly, look upon the tag tied to God's law: for as to man's law there is a tag tied, that is a penalty, so is there to God's law a tag tied, that is a penalty, and that no small one, but such a great one as cannot but make us to cast our currysh tales between our legs, if we believe it, for all is in vain if we be faythles, not to believe before we feel.

This tag is God's malediction or curse. Maledictus omnis (saith it) qui non permanet in omnibus quae scripta sūt in libro legis, vt faeiat • am, • oe, accursed (saith he is all, no exception, all, saith God, which continueth not in all things (for he that is gilty of one, is gilty of the whole, saith s. James:) in all things therefore, (saith the holy Ghost) which are written in the book of the law to do them. He saith not to hear them, to talk of them, to dispute of them, but to do them.

Who is he now that doth these? Rara auis, few such Byrdes, yea none at all. For all are gone out of the way, though not outwardly by word or deed, yet inwardly at the least by default and wanting of that which is required: so that a child of one nights age is not pure, but (by reason of birth syn in danger of God's malediction: much more then we, which alas have droonken in iniquity as it were water, as Job saith, But yet alas we quake not,

Tell me now, good brother, why dooyou so lyghtly consider God's curse, that for your sins past you are so careless as though you had made a covenant with death and damnatiō, as the wicked did in Isaiah’s time? What is God's curse? At the Popes curse with book, bel & candle, oh how trembled we, which heard it but only though the same was not directed unto us, but unto others For this God's curse which is in comparable more sel and importable, and is directed to us, yea hanging over us all by reason of our sins, alas, how careless are we? Oh faithless hard harts. Oh I • zab • ls gestes, rocked and laid a sleep in her bed. Oh wicked wretches, which being come into the depth of syn, do contemn the same. O sorrowles sinners and shame les shrinking harlots.

Is not the anger of a Kyng death? and is the anger of the Kyng of all kings a matter to be so lyghtely regarded as we do regard it, which for our sins are so retchles, that we slug and sleep it out? As wax melteth a way at the heat of the fire (saith David) so do the wicked perish at the face or countenance of the Lord. If, dearly beloved, his face be so terrible & intolerable for sinners and the wicked, what trow we his hand is? At the face or appearing of God's anger, the earth trembleth: but we earth, earth, yea stones, iron, flyntes, tremble nothing at all. If we will not tremble in hearing, woe unto us, for then shall we be crashed in pieces in feeling, If a Lion roar the beasts quake: but we are worse then beasts, which quake nothing at the roaring of the Liō I mean the Lord of hosts. And why? because the curse of God, hardness of heart is already fallen upon us, or else we could not but lament and tremble for our sins. if not for the shame and foulnes thereof, yet at the least, for the malediction and curse of God, which hangeth over us for our sins.

Lord be merciful unto us for thy Christ's sake and spare us, in thine anger remember thy mercy towards us. Amen.

And thus much for the third thing, to the moving of us to sorrow for our sins, that is, for the tag tied to God's law. I meant for the malediction and curse of God. But if our harts be so hard that thorough these we yet fele not hearty sorrow for our sins, let us fourthly set before us examples past and present, old & new, that thereby the holy spirit may be effectual to work in his time this work of sorowing for our syn.

Look upon God's anger for syn in Adam and Eve, for eating a piece of an apple. Wer not they the dearest creatures of God, cast out of Paradise? Were not they subject to mortalitye, travail, labor. &c? Was not the earth accursed for their sins? Do not we all, men in labor, women in traueling with child, & all in death, mortality & misery, even in this life feel the same? And was God so angry for their syn, and he being the same God, will he say nothing to us for ours (alas) much more horrible then the eating once of one piece of an apple?

In the time of Noah and Lot God destroyed the whole world with water, and the cities of So doma and Gomorrhah. Seboim & Adamah with • ire and brimstone from heaven for their sins, namely for their whooredomes, pride ydlenes, vnmercyfulnes to the poor, tyranny. &c. In which wrath of God even the very Babes, Birds, fowls, fishes, heroes, trees, and gras perished: & think we that nothing will be spoken to us, much worse & more abominable then they? For all men may see if they will, that the whoredoms, pride, unmercifulness, tyranny. &c. of England, far passeth in this age, any age y ^t ever was before. Lots wife looking back, was turned into a salt stone: and will our looking back again, yea our running back again to our wickedness do us no hurt, If we wer not already more blnid then beetels, we would blush. Pharae his heart was hardened so that no miracle could convert him: if ours were any thing soft, we would begin to sob.

Of six hundred thousand men alonely but twain entered into the land of promise, because they had ten times sinned against the Lord, as he him self saith: and trow we that God will not swear in his wrath, that we shall never enter into his rest, which have sinned so many ten times as we have toes & fingers, yea hears of our heads and beardes (I fear me) and yet we pass not.

The man that sware, & he that gathered styckes on the Saboth day, were stoned to death: but we think our swearing is no syn, our bidding, rioting, yea whorehunting on the Saboth day pleaseth god, or else we would something amend our manners.

Helias negligence in correcting his sons, nypped his neck in two: but ours which pamper up our children like puppets, will put us to no plounge. Helias sons for disobeying their Fathers admonition, brought over them God's vengeance: and will our stubbornness do nothing.

Saul's malice to David, Acabs displeasure against Naboth brought their blood to the ground for Dogs to eat, yea their children were hanged up and slain for this gear: but we continue in malice, envy and murder, as though we were able to wage war with the Lord.

David's adultery with Bethsa be was visited on the child born, on David's daughter defiled by her brother, and on his children one staying another his wives defiled by his own son, on him self driven out of his Realm in his old age, and otherwise also, although he must heartily repented his sin: but we are more dere unto God thē David, which yet was a man after God's own heart, or else we could not but tr •• ble, and begin to repent.

The rich gluttons gay paunch fylling: what did it? It brought him to hell: & have we a plackard that God will do nothing to us?

Achams subtyl theft provoked God's anger aganist all Israel: and one subtlety, yea open extortion is so fine and political, that God cannot espy it.

Eiezi his covetousness, brought it not the leprosy upon him, & on all his see • e? Judas also hanged himself But the covetousness of England is of another cloth and color. Well, if it were so the same Tailor will cut it accordingly.

Anania and Sapphira by lying, linked to them sudden death: but ours now prolongeth out life the longer, to last in eternal death.

The false witnesses of the two Judges against Susanna, lyghted on their own pates, and so will ours do at length,

But what go I about to avouch ancient examples, where daily experience doth teach. The sweat the other year, the storms the winter following, will us to way them in the same balances. The hanging and killing of men them selves, which are (alas) to ryfe in all places, require us to register them in the same roles. At the least in Children, Infantes, and such like, which yet cannot utter syn by word or deed, we see God's anger against sin in punishing them by syckenes, death, my shape or otherwise, so plainly that we cannot but groan and groont again, in that: we have • ushed out this gear more abundantly in word and deed.

And here with me a little look on God's anger, yet so fresh, that we cannot but smell it, although we stop our noses never so much I pray God we smell it not more fresh hereafter, I mene it forsooth (for I know you look for it) in out dear late sovereign Lord the kings Majesty. You all know he was but a child in years: defiled he was not with notorious offenses. Defiled quoth he? nay rather adorned with so many goodly gifts & wonderful qualities, as never Prince was from the beginning of the world, Should I speak of his wisdom, of his ripeness in judgment, of his learning, of his godly zeal, heroycall heart, fatherly care for his Commons, nurcely solicitude for religion? &c. Nay so many things are to be spoken in commendation of God's exceeding graces in this child, that as Salust writeth of Carthage, I had rather speak nothing, then to little, in that to much is to little, this gift God gave unto us English men before all nations under the sun, & that of his exceeding love towards us. But alas and welaway: for our unthankfulness sake, for our sins sake, for our carnality and profane living, God's anger hath touched not only the body, but also the mind of our Kyng by a long sycknes, and at length hath taken him away by death, death, cruel death, fearful death.

Oh, if God's judgment be begun on him, which as he was the chiefest, so I think the holiest, and godlyeft in the Realm of England, (alas) what will it be on us, whose sins are ouergrowen so our heads, that they are climbed up into heaven. I pray you my good brethren, know that God's anger for our syn towards us, cannot but be great, yea to fell, in that we see it was so great, that our good King could not bear it What followed to Jewry after the death of Josiah? God save England, & give us repentances my heart will not suffer me to carry longer herein. I trow this will thrust out some tears of repeutance.

If therefore to prayer for God's fear, the tooting in God's glas, & the tag thereto will not burst open thy blockish heart, yet, I trow the tos • ing to and fro of these examples, and specially of oue late Kyng, and this troublesome time will tumble some tears our of thine heart, if thou still pray for gods spirit accordingly. For who art thou (think always with thyself) that God should spare thee more then them whose examples y ^u hast heard? What friends hast thou? Were not of these Kings, Prophets, Apostles, learned, and come of holy stocks? I deceive myself (think thou with thyself) if I believe that God being the same God y ^• he was, will spare me, whose wickedness is no sesse, but much more then some of theirs. He hateth sin now as much as ever he did. The longer he spareth, the greater vengeance • il fall: the deper he draweth his dow, the sorer will y ^e shaft pierce.

But if yet thy heart be so hardened that all this gear will not move thee, surely thou art in a very evil estate, and remedy now know I none. What said I none know I none: Yes, there is one which is suresby, as they say, to serve, if any thing will serve. You look to know what this is. Forsoth the passion and death of Jesus Chri •• You know the cause why Christ became man and suffered as he suffered, was the sins of his people, that he might save them frō the same. Consider the greatness of the sore, I mean syn by the greatness of the Surgeon and of the salve, Who was the Surgeon: No Angel, no Saint, no Archangel, no power, no creature in heaven nor in earth, but only he by whom all things wer made, all things are ruled also even God's own dearling & only beloved son, becoming man.

Oh what a great thing is this that could not be done by the Angels, Archāgels, Potestates, powers, or all the creatures of God, without his own son, who yet must needs be thrust out of heaven, as a man would say, to take our nature & become man: Here have ye the Surgeon: great was the cure that this mighty Lord took in hand.

Now, what was the salve. For soth dear gear, & of many compositions: I cannot recite all, but rather must leave it to your hearty con • idetations. Three and thirty years was he curyng our sore. He sought it earnestly by fasting, watching, praying. &c. The same night that he was betrayed, I read how busy he was about a plaster in the garden, when he liing s • at on the ground, praying with tears, & that of blood not a few, but so many as did flow down on the ground again, criing on this sort: Father? saith he) if it be possible, let this cup depart fr • me, that is, if it be possyble that else the sins of mankind can be taken a way, grant that it may be so. Thou heardest Moses criyng for the idolaters: Thou hear dest Lot for the Zoarites: Samuel. David, and many other for the Israelites, and dear, father, I only am thine own so • ne, as thou hast said, in whom thou art well pleased, wilt thou not hear me? I have by the space of three & thirty years done always thy will: I have so humbled myself that I would become an abject a mongest men to obey thee. Therefore, dear father, if it be possible, grant my request, save mankind now without any further labor salves, or plasters, But yet (saith he) not as I will, but as thou wilt.

But sir, what herd he? Though he sweet blood & water in making his plaster for our sore of syn, yet it framed not. Twyse he cried without comfort: yea though to comfort him God sent an Angel, we yet know y ^• this plaster was not allowed for sufficient, until hereunto Christ Jesus was betrayed, forsaken of all his Disciples, for worn of his dearly beloved bound like a thief, belied on, buffered, whipped, scourged, crowned with thorns, derided, crucified, racked, nailed, hanged up between two thieves, cursed and railed upon, mocked in misery, and had given up the ghost: then bowed dowue the head of Christ, that is, God the Father, which is the head of Christ, then allowed he the plaster to be sufficient & good for the healing of our sore, which is syn. Now would God abide our breth, because the stinck, that is, damuation or giltynes was taken away by the sweet saver of the breth of this Lam • e, thus offered once for all.

So that here, dearly beloved we as in a glass may see, to the broosyng of our blockyshe hard hearts, God's great judgment and anger against sin. The Lord of Lord's, y ^e King of Kings the brightness of God's glory, the son of God, the dearling of his Father, in whom he is well pleased, hāgeth between two thieves, crying for thee & me, and for us all: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Oh hard harts that we have, which make tuts for syn. Look on this: toote in the very heart of Christ p • arced with a spear; wherein thou mayest see and read God's horrible anger for sin. Woe to thy hard heart that pearred it.

And thus much for the first part of repentance, I mean for the means of working contricion. First use prayer: then look on God's law: thirdly, see his curse: fourthly set examples of his anger before thee: and last of all set before thee the death of Christ. From this and prayer cease not, till thou fecle some hearty sorrow for thy syn. The which whē thou feelest, then labor for the other part, that is, faith on this sort.

As first in contrition I willed she not to trust to thy free will for the assayning of it, so do I will thee in this. Faith is so far from the reach of man's free will, that to reason it is plain foolishness. Therefore thou must first go to God, whose gift it is: thou must I say, get thee to the father of mercy whose work it is, that as he hath brought thee down by contrition and humbled thee, so he would give thee faith, raise thee up, and exalt thee.

On this manner therefore, with the Apostles and the pore man in the Gospel that cried: Lord increase our faith: Lord help my unbelief, pray thou and say: O merciful God and dear Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whom as thou art well pleased, so hast thou commanded us to hear him, for as much as he often byddeth us to ask of thee, and thereto promiseth that thou wilt hear us and grant us that which in his name we shall ask of there: loe gracious Father, I am bold to beg of thy mercy thorough thy son Jesus Christ, one sparkle of true faith and certain perswasiō of thy goodness & love towards me in Christ, wherethrough I being assured of the pardon of all my sins, by the mercies of Christ, thy son, may be thankful to thee, love thee and serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my lyte.

On this sort I say, or otherwise as God shalmoue thee, pray thou first of all, & look for thy request at God's hand without any doubting, though forthwith thou feelest not y ^e same: for oftentimes we have things of God given us long before we feel them as we would do. Now unto this prayer use thou these means following.

After prayer for faith, which I would should be first: secondly, because the same springeth out of the hearing, not of Masses, Mattins, Cannons, Councils, Docttors, Decrees, but out of the hearing of God's word: get thee God's word, but not that part which serveth spetially to contrition, that is the law: but y ^• other part, which serveth specially to consolation and certain persuasion of God's love towards thee, that is, the Gospel or publication of God's mercy in Christ, I mean the free promises,

But here thou must know, that there is two kinds of promises: one, which are property of the law, another which are properly of y ^e Gospel. In the promises of the law we may in deed behold God's mercy, but so that it hangeth upon the condition rfour worthiness, as if thou love the Lord with all thy heart. &c. thou shalt find mercy. This kind of promises, though it declare unto us God's love, which promyseth where he needeth not, yet unto him that feeleth not christ, which is the ende of the law, they are so far from comforting, that utterly with the law they bring man to great despair: so greatly we are corrupt, for none so loveth God as he ought to do. From these therefore get thee to the other promises of the Gospel, in which we may see such plenty and frank lideralitie of God's goodness, that we cannot but be much comforted, though we have very deeply sinned.

For these promises of the Gospel do not hang on the condition of our worthiness, as the promises of the law do: but they depend and hang on God's truth, that as God is true, so they cannot but be performed to all them which lay hold on them by faith, I had almost said, which cast them not away by unbelief:

Mark in them therefore two things, namely, that as well they are free promises without any condition of our worthiness, as also that they are universal, offered to all, all (I say) which are not so stubborn as to keep still their hands whereby they should receive this alms in their bosoms by unbelief. As concerning Infantes and children, you know I now speak not, but concerning such as be of years of discretiou And now you look that I should give you a fast of these promises which are both free & universal excepting none but such as excepe themselves. Well, you shall have one or two for a say.

In the third of John saith our Savior: So God the Father loved rhe world, that he would give his dear lyng, his own only son, that all that believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Loe syr, he saith not that some might have life: but all, saith he. And what all: Al that love him with all their harts: all that have lived a godly life Nay all that believe in him Although thou hast lived a most wicked and horrible life, if now thou believe in him, thou shalt be saved. Is not this sweet gear?

Again saith Christ: Come unto me all ye that labor and are laden, and I will refresh you, Let us a little look on this letter: Come vn to me. Who should come? Lord's, Priests, Holy men, Moonkes, Friers? Yea Cobblers, Tinkers, whores, thieves, murderers also, if they lament their sins. Come unto me (saith he) all ye that labor and are laden, that is, which are afraid of your sins, And what wilt thou do Lord? And I will refresh you, saith he.

Oh what a thing is this: And I will refresh you. Wot you who spake this? He that never told lie: He is the truth, there was never guile found in his mouth: and now will he be untrue to thee good brother, which art sory for thy grievous sins: no forsooth Heaven and earth shall pass & perish, but his word shall never fail

Saint Paul saith? God would have all men saved, Loe, he excepteth none. And to Titus: The grace of God bringeth salvation to all men. As from Adam all have received sin to damnation: so by Christ all have grace offered to salvation, if they reject not the same. I speak not now of infantes, I say: nor I need not to enter into the matter of predes • inatiō. In preaching of reap̄ • auce, I would gather where I could with Christ

As surely as I live (saith God) I will not the death of a sinner. Are y ^• a sinner? Yea. Lo, God sweareth he will not thy death. How canst thou now perish? Consider with thyself what profit thou shouldest have to believe this to be true to others, if not to thyself also. Satan doth so. Rather consider with Peter, that the promise of salvation pertaineth not only to them which are nye, that is to such as are fallen a little: but also to all whom the Lord hath called, be they never so far of.

Loe, now by me the Lord calleth thee thou man thou woman that art very far of. The promise therefore pertaineth to thee: needs must thou be saved, except thou with Satan say, God is false: and yet if thou do so, God is faith full, and cannot deny him self: as thou shalt feel by his plagues in hell, for so dishonoring God, to think that he is not true. Wyl he be found false now? The matter hangeth not on thy worthiness, but it hangeth on God's truth. Clap hold on it, and I warrant thee Christ is the propitiatiō for our sins, yea, for the sins of the whole world: believe this man, I know thou believed it: say therefore in thy heart still, Domine adauge mihi sidē: Lord increase my faith: Lord help my unbelief. Blessed are they which see not (by reasō) this gear, but yet believe. Hope man, past all hope, as Abraham did.

And thus much for a taste of these promises, which are every where, not only in the new testament, but also in the old. Read the last ende of Leviticus. 26. The Prophet Isaiah. 30. where he saith: God tarrieth looking for thee to show thee mer • y. Also the. 40. and so fourth to the. 60. Read also the 2. Regum, 24. Psal, 33. Joel, 2. &c.

How be it, if this gear will not serve, if yet thou feelest no faith, no certain persuasion of God's love: then unto prayer and diligent considering of the free and universal promises of the Gospel thirdly set before thee those benefits which God hath • ofore given thee, & presently giveth thee Consider how he hath made thee a man or a woman, which might have made thee a Toade, a Dog And why did he this? Verily because he loved thee. And trowest thou, that if he loved thee when thou wast not, to make thee such a one as he most graciously hath made thee: will he not now love thee being his handy work? Doth he hate anything that he made? Is there vnablenes with him. Doth he love for a day, and so farewell: No forsooth, he loveth to the end, his mercy endureth forever. Say therefore with Job Operi manum tuarum, porridge dexteram, that is, To the work of thy hands put thy helping hand.

Again, hath he not made thee a Christian man or womā, where if he would, he might have made thee a Turk or Payn •• ? Thys thou knowest he did of love. And doest thou think his love is lessoned if thou lament thy sin? Is his hand shortened for helping thee? Can a woman forget the child of her womb? and though she should do it, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord He hath given thee lyms, to see, hear, go &c He hath given thee 〈◊〉 , r • ason, discretion. &c. He hath long spared thee and borne with thee when thou never purposedst to repent, and now then repenting, will he not give thee mercy? Wherefore doth he give thee to live at this present to hear me to speak this, and me to speak this, but of love to us all? Oh therefore let us pray him, that he would add to this, that we might believe these love tokens that he loveth us, and in deed he will do it. Lord open our eyes, in thy gifts to see thy gracious goodness, Amen.

But to carry in this I will not. Let every man consider God's benefits past and present, publyke and private, spiritual and corporal, to the confirming of his faith concerning the promises of the Gospel for the pardon of his sins. I will now go about to show you a fourth mean to confirm your faith in this gear, even by examples. Of these there are in the scriptures very many, as also daily experienc • both diversely teach the same, if we were diligent to observe things accordingly: wherefor I will be more brief herein, having respect to time, which stealeth fast away.

Adam in Paradise transgressed grievously, as the painful punishment which we all as yet do feel proveth, if nothing else. Though by reason of his syn he displeased God sore, and ran away from God, (for he would have hid him self, yea he would have made God the caus •• of his syn in that he gave him such a • ate, • o far was he from asking mercy) yet all • his notwithstanding, God turned his f • ar •• wrath neither upon him nor Eve, which also required not mercy, but upon the the serpent Satan: promising unto them a seen Jesus Christ by whom they at the length should • e delivered. In token whereof, though they were cast out of Paradise for their nurture, so serve in sorrow which would not serve in joy; yet he made them apparel to cover their bodies, a visible Sacrament and token of his invisible love and grace concerning their souls. If God was so merciful to Adam which so fore brake his commandment, & rather blamed God then asked mercy, trow est thou, oh man, that he will not be merciful to thee, which blamest thyself, and desirest pardon?

To Cain he offered mercy, if he would have asked it. What ha • t thou done, saith God? The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me out of the earth. Oh mercifu • Lord (should Cain have said) I confess it▪ But alas, he did not so, and therefore said God: Now, that is, in that thou desyrest not mercy, now, I say, be thou accursed. &c. Loto the reprobate he offered mercy, and will he deny it thee which art his child.

Noah, did not he syn and was drunk? Good Lot also both in Sodom dissembled a little with the Angels, prolonging the time, and out of Sodom he fell very foul: as did Judas, and the Patriarchs against Joseph, but yet I ween they found mercy. Moses, Myriam, Aaron, though they stumbled a little, yet received they mercy: yea the people in the wilderness often sinned & displeased God, so that he was purposed to have destroyed them. Let me alone, saith he to Moses, that I may destroy them: but Moses did not let him alone, for he prayed still for them, and therefore God spared them. If the people were spared through Moses prayer, they not praying with him, but rather worshipping their golden calse, eating, drinking, & making • olly good there, why shouldest thou doubt whether God will be merciful to thee? having, as in deed thou hast, one much better then Moses to pray for thee and with thee, even Jesus Christ, who sytteth on the • ight hand of his father, & prayeth for us, being no less faithful in his fathers house the Church then Moses was in the Synagogue. David y ^• good Kyng, had a foul foil when he committed whoredom with his faithful servants wife Bethsabe: whereunto he added also a mischievous murder, causing her husband his most faithful soldier Ury to be slain, w ^t an honest company o • his most valiant men of war, & that with the sword of the v • circumcised.

In this his syn, though a great while he lay a sleep (as many do now a days, God give them good waking) thinking y ^• by the sacrifices he offered all was well, God was content: yea at length when the Prophet by aparable had opened the poke, & brought him in remembrance of his own sin in such sort, that he gave judgment against himself: then quaked he, his sacri • ices had no more taken away his sins, then our syr John's • rentals and wag ging of his fi • gers over y ^e heads of such as lie asleep in their sins (out of the which when they are awaked, they will well see that it is neither Mass nor Mattins • bless • ng nor crossyng will serve) •• en I say, he cried out saying: Peccaui Domino, I have sinned layth he against my Lord & good God which hath don so much for me. I caused in deed Ury to be killed. I have sinned, I have sinned. What shall I do? I have sinned and am worthy of eternal damnation. But what saith God by his Prophet: Dominus (saith he) transtulit peccatum tuū, non morieris: The Lord hath taken away thy sins, thou shalt not die. Oh good God, he aid but Peccaui, I have sinned out yet from his heart and not from the lyps only, as Pharaoh and Saul did, & incontinētly he he • reth: Thou shalt not die, the Lord hath taken away thy fyns, or rather hath laid thē upon another, yea translated thē upon the back of his son Jesus Christ, who bare them, & not only them, but thine & mine also, if that we will now cry but from our harts, Peccauimus, we have sinned good Lord, we have done wyckedly, enter not into judgment with us, but be merciful unto us after thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of thy compassions do away our iniquities &c. • or in deed God is not the God of David only: Idem deus omnium, he is the God of all. So that Quicuuque inuocauerit nomen domini, saluus erit: He or she whosoever they be that call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. In confirmation whereof this history is written, as are also the other which I have recited, and many mo which I might recite: As of Manasseh y ^• wicked king; which slew Isaiah y ^e Prophet, & wrought very much wickedness; yet the Lord shown mercy upon him being in prison, as his prayer doth teach us. Nabuchodonozer though for a time he bare God's anger, yet at the length he found mercy. The City of Nineveh also found favor with God, as did many other, which I will omyt for times sake, & will bring forth one or two out of the New Testament, that we may see God to be the same God in the new testament, that he was in the old.

I might tell you of many, if I should speak of the lunatike such as were possessed with devils. lame, blind, dumb, deaf, lepers, &c. but time will not suffice me: one or two therefore shall serve. Mary Magdalene had .vii. devils, but yet they were cast out of her, & of all others she was the first that Christ appeared unto after his resurre •• ton. Thomas would not believe Christ's resurrection, though many told him which had seen and felt him: by reason whero • a man might have thought that his sins would have cast him away. Except I should see and feel (saith he) I will not believe. Ah willful Thomas: I will not, saith he. But Christ appeared unto him, & would not leese him, as he will not do thee good brother, if that with Thomas y ^u wilt keep company with the Disciples as Thomas did. Peters fall was ugly, he accursed him self if ever he knew Christ and that for fear of a gyrle, and this not once, but even three divers times, and that in the hearing of Christ his Mayster: but yet the third time Christ looked back, & cast on him his eye of grace, so that he went out and wept vitterly: and after Christ's resurrectiō not only did the Angels will the woman to tell Peter that Christ was risen, but Christ himself appeared unto him severally: such a good Lord is he.

The thief hanging on y ^e cross said but this: Lord when thou cōmest into thy kingdom remember me, & what answer had he? This day saith Christ, shalt thou be with me in Paradise, What a comfort is this, in that he is now the same Christ to thee & me and us all, if we will run unto him: for he is the same Christ today & tomorrow until he come to judgment Then in deed he will be inexorable: but now is he more ready to give then thou to ask. If thou cry, he heareth thee, yea before thou cry. Cry therefore, be bold man, he is not parciall. Call, saith he, and I will hear thee: Ask and thou shalt have. Seek and thou shalt find, though not at the first, yet at the length. If he tarry a white, it is but to try thee. Nam veniens veniet, & non tardabit. He is coming and will not be long.

Thus have you four means which you must use to the attaining of faith or certain perswasiō of God's mercy towards you, which is the secoud part of penance, namely prayer, the free & universal promises of God's grace the recordation of the benefits of God past & present, the examples of God's mercy. Which although thei might suffice, yet will I put one mo • to them, which alonely of it self is full sufficient, I mean the death of the son of God Jesus Christ, which if thou set before the eyes of thy mind, it will confirm thy plackard, for it is the great seal of England, as they say, yea of all the world, for the coufirmation of all patents & perpetui • ies of the everlasting life whereunto we are all called.

If I thought these which I have before recited, were not sufficient to confirm your faith of God's love towards such as do repent, I would tarry longer here in. But because both I have ben long, and also I trust you have some exercise of conscience in this daily (or else you are to blame) I will but touch and go. Consider with yourselves what we are, mysers, wretches, and enemies to God. Cousider what God is, even he which hath all power, Majesty, might, glory, riches. &c perfectly of himself & needeth nothing, but hath althinges. Consider what Christ is: concerning his god head coequal with his father, even he by whom althinges wer made, are ruled & governed: concerning his manhod the only dearlyng of his father, in whō is all his joy. Now syr, what a love is this that this God which needeth nothing, would give wholly his own self to thee his enemy, wreaking his wrath upon him self in this his son, as a man may say, to spear thee, to save thee, to wyn thee, to buy thee, to have thee, to enjoy thee forever. Because thy sin had separated the • from him, to the ende thou mightest come e • tsones into his company again, and therein remain, he himself became, as a man would say, a sinner, or rather syn it self, even a maledictiō or curse: that we sinners, we accur • ed by our syn, might by his oblation or offering for our sins, by his curse, be delivered from sin and from malediction. For by syn he destroyed sin, kylling death, Satan, & syn by rheir own weapons and that for thee & me (man) it we cast it not away by unbelief. Oh wonderful love of God. Who ever heard of such a love, the Father of heaven for us his enemies to give his own dear son Jesus Christ, and that not only to be our brother, to dwell among us, but also to the death of the cross for us? Oh wonderful love of Christ to us all, that was content and wylling to work this seat for us. Was there any love like to this love?

God in deed hath commended his charity & love to us herein, that when we wer very enemies unto him, he would give his own son for us. That we being men might become, as you would say, God's, God would become man That we being mortal might be come immortal, y ^• immortal God would become mortal man. That we earthly wretches might be Citizens of heaven, the Lord of heaven would become, as a man would say, earthly, That we being accursed might be blessed God would be accursed. That we by our father Adam being brought out of Paradise into the puddle of all pain, might be redeemed and brought into Paradise • gain, God would be our father, and an Adam thereunto. That we having nothing might have all things, God having all things would have nothing. That we being vassails & slaves to all, even to Satan the feend, might be Lord's of all, & of Satan, the Lord of all would become a vassal and a • laue to us all, and in danger of Satan. Oh love imcomprehensible. Who can otherwise think now, but if the gracions good Lord disdained not to give his own son, his own hearts joy for us his very enemies, before we thought to beg any such thing at his hands, yea before we were: who I say, can think otherwise, but that with him he will give us all good things? If when we hated him & • led away from him, he sent his son to seek us, who can think otherwise, then that now we loving him, and lamenting because we love him no more, but that he will forever love us? He that giveth the more to his enemies, will not he give the less trow you to his friends? God hath given his own son, then which thing nothing is greater to us his enemies: & we now being become his friends, will he deny us faith & pardon of our sins, which though they be great yet in comparison they are nothing at all? Christ Jesus would give his own self for us, when we willed it not, & will he now deny us faith if we will it? This will is his earnest, that he hath given us truly to look in deed for the thing willed. And look thou for it in deed, for as he hath given thee to will, so will he give thee to do.

Jesus Christ gave his life for our euyls, & by his death delivered us: Oh then, in that he liveth now and cannot die, will he forsake us▪ His heart blood was not to dear for us when we asked it not: what can then be now to dear for us asking it? Is he a chaungeling? Is he inutable as mā is? Can he repent him of his gif • es? Dyd he not foresee our falls: Payd not he therefore the price? Because he saw we should fall sore, therefore would he suffer sore. Yea if his suffering had not been enough, he would yet once more come again. God the father I am sure, if y ^e death of his son incarnate would not serve, would himself & the holy ghost also become incarnate & die for us. This death of Christ therefore look on as the very pledge of God's love towards thee, whosoever thou art, how deep soever thou hast sinned. See God's hands are nailed they cannot strike thee, his feet also he cannot run trō thee, his arms are wyde open to embrace thee, his head hangs down so kiss thee, his very heart is opē, so that therein see, to • te, look, spy pe • pe, and thou shalt see nothing therein but love, love, love, love to thee: hyde thee therefore, lay thy head there with the Evangelist.

This is the clyft of the rock wherein Helias stood. This is the pillow of down for all akyng heads. Anoynt thy head with this oil: let this ointment enbaulme thy head, & wash thy face Tary thou here, & cock sure thou art, I warrant thee. Say with Paul: what can separate me from the love of God? Can death, can poverty, sycknes, hunger, or any misery persuade thee now, that God loveth thee not? Nay, nothing can separate thee from the love where with God hath loved thee in Christ Jesus: whom he ioueth, he loveth to y ^e end. So that • ow where abundance of syn hath • en in thee, the more is the aboudance of grace. But to what end▪ Forsoth that as syn hath raigued to death, as the • sees • , to the kylling of God's son, so now grace must reign to life, to the honoring of God's son, who is now a live, and cannot die anymore.

So that they which by • ayth feel this, cannot anymore die to God, •• t: o syn, whereto they are dead and buried with Christ. As Christ therefore liveth, so do they and that to God, to righteous •• s and holiness. The life which they live, is In fide filii bei, in the faith of the son of God, Whereby you see that now I am slipped into that which I made the third part of penance, namely newness of life, which I could not so have done, if that it were a part of it self in deed, as it is au effect or fruit of the second part, that is, of faith or trust in God's mercy. For he that believeth, that is, is certainly persuaded sin to be such a thing, that it is the cause of all misery, and of it selfso greatly angereth God, that in heaven nor in earth nothing could appease his wrath, save alonely the death and precious blood shedding of the son of God, in whom is all the delight and pleasure of the father he I say, that is persuaded thus of syn, the same cannot but in heart abhor & quake to do or say, yea to think anything willingly which God's law teacheth him to be syn.

Agayne, he that believeth, that is, is certainly persuaded God's love to be so much to wards him, that where through syn he was lost & made a firebrād of hell, the eternal father of mercy, which is the omnisufficient God, & needeth nothing to us or of anithing that we can do to deliver us out of hell and to bring us into heaven, did send even his own most dear son out of his bosom, out of heaven into hell, as a man would say to bring us, as I said, from thence into his own bosom & mercy, we being his very enemies: he, I say that is thus persuaded of God's love towards him, & of the price of his redemptiō, by the dear blood of the Lamb imaculate Jesus Christ, the same man cannot but love God again, & of love do that, & heartily desire to do better, the which might please God. Trow you that such a one, knowing this gear by faith, will willingly walter & wallow in his willful lusts, pleasures & fātasies Wyll such a one as knoweth by faith Christ Jesus i • have given his blood to wash him from his sins, play the Sow to walter in his puddle of filthy syn & vice again? Nay rather then he will be defiled again • ▪ by willful synning he will wash often the feet of his affections, watching over y ^• vice still sticking in him, which as a spring continually sendeth out poison enough to drown & defile him, if the sweet water of Christ's passiō in God's sight did not wash it, & his blood satisfy the rigor of God's justice due for the same. Thys blood of Christ shed for our sins, is so dear in y ^e sight of him that believeth, that he wy • l abhor in his heart to stamp it & tread it under his feet. He knoweth now by his belief that it is to much that he thereto he hath set to little by it, and is ashamed thereof, Therefore for the residue of his life he purposeth to take better beede to himself then before he did. Because he seeth by his faith y ^e greuousnes of God's anger, y ^e foulnes of syn, the greatness of God's mercy, & of Christ's love towards him, he will now be heedye to pray to God to give him his grace accordingly, that as with his eyes, tongue, hands feet. &c. he hath displeased God, doing his own will: even so now with the same eyes, tongue, ears hands, feet. &c. he may displease his own self, and do God's will. Willingly will he not do that which might renew the death of the son of God He knoweth he hath to much sin vnwyllingly in him, so that thereto he will not add willing offenses.

This willing & witting offending & synning, whosoever doth flatter him self therein, doth evidently demōstrate & show that he never yet in deed tasted of Christ truly. He was never truly persuaded or beloved how soul a thing sin is, how grievous a thing God's anger is, how joyful and precious a thing God's mercy in Christ is, how exeeding broad, wyde, hye & d • eepe Christ's love is, Perchance he can write prate, talk & preach of this gear: but yet he in part by faith never felt this gear. For if he did once feel this gear in deed, then would he be so far from continuing in syn willingly & wittingly, that wholly and heartily he would give over himself to that which is contrary I mean to a new life, renewing his youth even as the Egle doth

For as we being in y ^e servitude of syn, demōstrate our service by giving over our members to the obeying of syn from iniquity to iniquity: even so we being made free from sin by faith in Jesus Christ, & endued with God's spirit, a spirit of liberty, must needs demonstrate this freedom & liberty by giving over our members to the obedience of the spir it: by the which we are lead & guided from virtue to virtue, & all kind of holiness. As the unbelievers declare their unbelief by the working of the evil spirit in them out wardly the fruits of y ^• , •• esh: even so the believers declare their faith by the working of God's good spirit in them outwardly the fruits of the spirit. For as the devil is not dead in those which are his but worketh still to their damnation: so is not God dead in them which be his, but worketh still to their salvation. The which working is not the cause of the one or the other being in any, but only a demonstration, a sign, a fruit of the same: as the Apple is not the cause of the Apple tree, but a fruit of it.

Thus then you see briefly that newness of life is not in deed a part of penance, but a fruit of it, a demonstration of the justifying faith, a sign of God's good spirit possessing the heart of the penitent: as the old life is a fruit of impenitence, a demonstration of a lip faith or unbelief, a sign of Satan's spirit possessing the heart of the impenitent, which all those be that be not penitent. For mean I know none. He that is not penitent, the same is impenitent: he that is not governed by God's spirit, the same is governed by Satan's spirit. For all that the Christ's are governed with the spirit of Christ, which spirit hath his fruits. Al other y ^• be not Christ's are the devils. He that gathereth not •• Christ, scattereth abroad.

Therefore dearly beloved, I befech you to consider this grace, & deceive not yourselves. If you be not Christ's, then pertain you to the devil, of which thing y ^e fruits of the flesh doth assure you, as whoredom, adultecy, uncleanness, wantonnes, idolatry, witchcraft, envy strife, contention, wrath, sedition, murder, drunk̄nes, glut tony, blasphemy, slothfulness, idleness, baudy talking, sc • andering, &c If these apples grow out of the appletrees of your haries, surely surely the deuel is at Inn with you, you are his birds: whom when he hath well fed, he will broth you & eat you, chaw you and champ you world without end in eternal woe and misery. But I am otherwise persuaded of you all. I trust you be all Christ Jesus his people and children yea brethren by faith.

As ye see your sins in God's law and tremble, sigh, sorrow and sob for the same, even so you see his great mercies in his Gospel and free promises, & therefore ar glad, merry & joyful, for that you are accepted into God's favor, have your sins pardoned, & are endued with the good spirit of God, even the seal & sign manual of your election in Christ before the beginuing of the world. The which spirit, for that he is the spirit of life given to you to work in you, with you, & by you here in this life, sāctification & holiness, where unto you are called that ye might be holy, even as your heavenly father is holy: I beseech you all by admonition and warning of you that you would styr up the gifts of God given to you generally & particularly, to y ^e edifying of his Church: that is, I pray you that you would not molest the good spirit of God by rebelling against it when it provoketh and calleth you to go on forwards, that the which is holy, might yet be more holy, he which is righteous, might be more righteous, as the evil spirit moveth and stirreth up the filthy to be yet more filthy, y ^e covetous to be more couetons, the wicked to be more wicked.

Decclare you now your repentance by works of repentance Bryng fouth frutis, and worthy fruits, Let your sorowing for your euyls demonstratine it self departing frō the euyls you have used, Let your certainty of pardon of your sins through Christ and your ioyin him be demōstrated by pursuing of y ^e good things which God's word teacheth you. You are now in Christ Jesus God's workmanship, to do good works which God hath prepared for you to walk in. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men, hath appeared & teacheth us that we should deny ungodliness & worldly lusts and that we should live soberly, righteously, & godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope & glorious appearing of the mighty God, & of our savior Jesus Christ, which gave him self for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness, & to purge us a peculiar people unto himself, fervently givē unto good works. Again Titus. 3. for we our selves also wer in times past unwise, disobedient, deceived, serving iustes & diverse pleasures, living in malicioiusness and envy, full of hate & hating one another. But after, that the kindness and love of God our Savior to manward appeared, not by y ^e deeds of righteousness which we wrought, but of his mercy he saved us by the foū • aine of the new birth, & with the renning of the holy Ghost, which he shed on us abnudantly thorough Jesus Christ our Savior, that we once justified by his grace, should be heirs of eternal life through hope. This is a true saying. But I will make an end, for I am to tedious,

Dearely beloved, repent your sins, that is, be sory for y ^• which is past, believe in God's mercy for pardon, how deeply soever you have sinued, & both purpuse & ear nestly pernse a new life, bringing forth worthy & true fruits of repentance. As you have givē over your members from syn so syn, to serve the devil, your tongues to swear, to lie, to slaiter, to scold, to jest, to scost, to baudy talk, to vain ianglyng, to boasting. &c. your hands to picking, groping, ydlenes, fighting. &c your feet to skipping, going to evil, to daūsing. &c your ears to hear fables, lies, fanities & evil things. &c: so now give over your members to godliness, your toūgs to speak, your ears to hear, your eyes to see, your mouths to last your hands to work, your feet to go about such thiuges as may make to gods glory, sobrie • y of life, & love to your brethrē, & that daily more and more diligently: for in a stay to stand you cannot, either better or worse you are today then you wer yesterday. But better I trust you be & will be, if you mark well my theme, y ^t is, Repent you. The which thing that you would do, as before. I have humbly besought yon: evē so now yet once more I do again beseech you, & that for y ^e tender mercies of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, Repent you, repent you, for the kingdom of heaven (y ^t is, a kingdom full o • all riches, pleasures, mirth, beauty, swetenes, & eternal felicity) is at hand. The eye hath not seen the like, y ^e ear, hath not heard y ^e like, y ^e heart of man cannot conceive the treasures & pleasures of this kingdō, which now is at hand to such as repent, that is, to such as are sory for their sins, believe God's mercy through Christ, & earnestly purpose to lead a new life. The God of mercy through Christ his sonne grant us his holy spirit, & work in our hearts this sorrow, faith, & new life, which through his grace I have spoken of, both now & forever.

An other Sermon made also by the said Master John Bradford, upon the Supper of the Lord.

THere are two Sacraments in Christ's Church: the one of initiation, that is, wherewith we be enraled as it were, in to the household & family of God, which Sacrament we call Baptism: the other wherewith we be conserved, fed, kept & nourished, to continue in the same Familye, which is called the Lord's supper or the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ, broken for our sins, and shed for our trausgressions.

Of the former Sacrament, that is, of Baptism, to speak now I am not purposed, because occasiō and time serve not so thereto. Of the second therefore will I speak something by God's grace, if that first you remember this, that Baptism in Christ's Church now sithen Christ's death, is come in place of Circumcisiō, which was in the same church afore Christ's coming. Whereby we may see that Christian Parents seem to be no loss bound to offer their Infants and Sabes to be baptized, that they may be takē and accōpted of us as menbers of Christ's mystical body, whereunto thei are received and sealed: then wer the Hebrews their children to be taken as pertaining to the coue naunt & league with God wherein they were enroled, alonely the circumstance of the eight day, not necessary to be observed being now abrogated.

But to come again, of the Lord's Supper I am purposed presently to speak, through the help of God, because we are assembled in Christ (I hope) to celebrate the same. Now that the things which I shall speak may be better observed and carried away of you, I will tell you how & in what sort I will speak of it. Three things would I have marked, as the principals and scopes whereto I will refer all y ^t I shall at this time speak thereof. They be these: Who, what, and wherefore. That is, (to make it more plain) who did institute this thing which we are about to celebrate, this is the first. The second is, what y ^• thing is which is instituted. And the last is, wherefor and to what end it was instituted: whereby we shall be taught how to use it.

For the first, who did institute this Sacrament and Supper: you all do know that things are more esteemed sometime for the dignity and authority of the person: sometime for the wisdom of the person, sometime for the power and magnificence of the persou, and sometime for the tender love and kindness of the person. If need were I could by examples set forth everyone of these, but I hope it is not necessary. Now then, how can the thing which we be about to celebrate, but be esteemed of everyone highlye, in that the Auth or of it doth want no dignity, no authority, no wisdom, no power, no magnificence, no holmes, no tender love and kindness, but hath all dignity authority, wisdom, power magnificence, holiness, tender lone, mercy, glory, and all that can be wished absolutely? He is God eteruall, coequal, and substantial with the Father & with the holy Ghost, the image of the substance of God, the wisdom of the Father, the brightness of his glory, by whom all things were made, are ruled and governed. He is the Kyng of all Kyngs, and the Lord of all Lord's, He is the Messias of the world, our most dear and loving brother, Savior, Mediator, Advocate, Intercessor, Husbaud, Priest. So that the thing which cometh from him, cannot but be esteemed, loved, and embraced, if dignity, authority, wisdom power, glory, goodness, & mercy like us. Yea, if auy thing that can be wished like us, theu cannot this which our Lord did institute, but like us, and that so much the more, by how much it is oue of the last things which he did institute & command. God open our eyes to see these things accordingly: so shall we come with more reverence to this Table of the Lord, which thing he grant for his mercies sake, Amen. And thus much for the first, who did institute this Sacrament.

Now to the second, what the Sacrament is. If we shall ask our eyes, our nose, our mouth, our taste, our hands, and the reason of man, they will all make a consonant answer, that it is bread & wyne. And verily herein they speak the truth and lie not, as by many things may be proved, although the Papists prate their pleasure to the coutrary.

And here, my dearly beloved, I think I shall not be either tedious or unprofitable unto you, if that I tarry a little in showing this verity, that the substance of bread and wine remain in the Sacrament after the words of consecration (as they call them) be spoken. Whereby we may learn how shameless beasts they be, which would enforce men to believe transubstantiation, which is an error whereupon in a manner dependeth all popery. For it is the stay of their Priesthood, which is neither after the order of Aaron, nor after the order of Melchizedek, but after the order of Baal, which thing is somthyng seen by their number. For the false prophets & Priests of Baal were always many moe in number, when the wicked were in authority, then the true Priests and Prophets of the Lord, as the holy histories of the Bible do teach. Read the third of the Kings the. 18, chap.

That in the supper of the Lord or in the Sacrament of Christ's body (which the Papists call the sacrament of the Aulter, as though that were Christ's Sacrament, which thing they cā never prove: For it being perverted & used to a contrary ende, as of sacrifieyng propitiatorily for the sins of the quick and of the dead, of idolatry by adorning or worshipping it by godly honor. &c. is no more Christ's Sacrament, but an horrible profanation of it, and therefore as Christ called God's Temple, which was, called au house of prayer, for the abusing and prophanyng of it by the Priests, a den of the eues: so this which the Papists call the sacrament of the Aultar, full truly may we call au abominable Idol: And therefore I would all men should know that the sacrament of the Aultar as the Papists now do abuse it, omittyng certain substantial points of the Lord's iustitution and putting in the steed thereof their own dregs and dreaues, is not the sacrament of Christ's body, nor the Lord's supper: whereof when we speak reverently as our duty is, we would not that men should think we speak it of the popish Mass: (that I say in the Supper of the Lord, or in the sacrament of Christ's body there remaineth the substance of bread and wine, as our senses and reason to teach, these many things also do teach the same.

First the holy Christ doth plainly tell us, by calling it often bread aftrr the words of consecration, as 1. Cornith. 10. Is not the bread which we break a partakyng of the body of Christ, saith Paul? Loe, plainly he saith: the bread which we break, not only calling it bread, but adding thereto breaking, which cannot be attributed either to Christ's body, whereof no bone was brokē, either to any accident, but must needs be of a substance, which substance if it be not Christ's body, cannot be but bread. As in the .xi. chapter four times he plainly calleth it: He that eateth of this bread: He that receiveth this bread. &c, And in the Acts of the Apostles we read, how that (in speaking of the Communion) they met together to break bread. &c So that it is plain that the substance of bread and wyne do remain in the Supper after the words of consecration: as also may appear plainly by Christ's own words, which calleth that which he gave them in the Cup, wyne or the fruit of the vine, as both Matthew and Matke do write. Whereby we set that there is no transubstantiation of the wyne, and therefore may we also see, that there is no transubstantiation of the bread.

As for the Panistes cauillyng, how that it hath y ^e name of bread because it was bread, as Simon the leper was called stylle prous, though he was healed: or as Moses rod, being turned into a serpent, was called a Rod still, it proveth nothing. For there was in the one a plain sight, and the senses certified that Simō was no leper: and in the other plain mention that the rod was turned into a Serpent. But concerning the Sacrament, neither the senses see any other thiug thē bread, neither is there auy mentiō made of turning. And therefore their • auill is plainlye seen to be but a cauyll and of no force. But to come a gain to bring moe reasons against Transubstantiatiē:

Secondly, that the substance of bread remaineth still, the very text doth teach. For the Evangelists and the Apostle Saint Paul do witness, that Christ gave that to his Disciples, and called it his body which he took, on which he gave thanks, and which he brake: but he took bread, gave thanks on bread, & broke bread Ergo he gane bread, & called bred his body, as he called the cup the new testament. So that it followeth by this, that there is no transubstantiation. And this reason I myself have promised in writing to prove by the authority of the Fathers, namely Irenaeus, Tertullian, Orgine, Ciprin, Epiphanius, Hierommus, Augustinus, Theodorete, Cirill, Bede, it so be I may have the use of my books,

Thirdly, that in the Sacrament there is no transub stantiation of the bread, by this reason I do prove: Lyke as by our Savior Christ the spirit of truth spake of the bread, This is my body, so saith the sa • spirit of truth of the same bread: That we many are one body and one bread. &c. So that as it appeareth the Sacrament not to be the Church by transubstantiation, even so is it not Christ's natural body by trausubstanciation

Fourthly, I prove that there is no transubstantiation by Luke & Paul's words spoken over the Cup. For no Less are they effi • tuall to transubstantiate the cup, then their words spoken of the bread are operatorius & mighty to transubstātiate the bread. For as they say of the bread, Thys is my body, so say they of the Cup, This cup is the new testament: which thing is absurd to be spoken or thought, either of the cup or of the thing in the cup by transubstanti ation. Yea rather in saying these words, This cup is the New Testament, we are taught by their coupling this word Cup to the demonstrative This, how we should in these words, This is my body know that this word This doth there demonstrate bread.

Fifthly, that the substance of bread remaineth in the Sacrament, as y ^e reasons before brought forth do prove, so doth the definition of a Sacrament. For the Fathers do affirm it to consist of an earthly thing and of an heavenly thing, of the word and of the element, of sensible things and of things which be perceived by the mind. But transubstantiatiō taketh clean away the earthly thing, the element, the sensible thing, and so maketh it no Sacrament. And therefore the definition of a Sacramētful well teacheth, that bread which is the earthly thing, the sensible thing, and the element, remaineth still, as Saint Augustine saith: The word cometh to the Element, (he saith not, taketh away the Element,) and so it is made a Sacrament.

Sixthly, the nature, and propertion of a Sacrament teacheth this also which I have affirmed. For as Cipriane writeth that Sacraments bear the names of the things which they signify: so doth saint Augustine teach that if Sacraments have not some signification with the things wherofthey be Sacraments, then are they no sacraments. Now, in the Lord's supper this similitude is first in nourishing, that as bread nourisheth the body: so Christ's body broken feedeth y ^e soul. Secondly in bringing together many into our, that as in the sacrament many graynes of corn are made on bread, many grapes ar made one liquor and wine: so the multitude which worthelye receive the Sacrament, are made one body with Christ and his Church. Last of all, in one vnlykelr lykelynes or similitude: that as bread eaten turneth into our nature: so we rightly eating the sacrament by faith, turn into the nature of Christ. So that it is plain to them that will see, that to take the substance of bread away, is clean against the nature and property of a sacrament.

I will speak nothing how that this their doctrine of transubstatiation, beside the manyfold absurdities it hath in it (which to rehearse I omyt,) it utterly overthroweth the use of the Sacrament, and is clean contrary to the end wherefore it was instituted, and so is no longer a scrament, but an Idole, & is the cause of much Idolatry, converting the people's harts from an heavenly conversation to an earthly, and turning the Communion into a private action, and a matter of gasyng and piping of adoring & worshipping the work of men's hands for the living God, which dwelleth not in▪ Temples made with men's hands, much less lieth he in pixes and chests, whose true worship is in spirit & verity, which God grant us all to render unto him continually. Amen.

The Sacrament of Baptism doth also teach us, that as y ^e substance of the water remaineth there: so in the Lord's supper remaineth the substance of bread after consecration. For as by Baptism we ar engraffed into Christ so by the Supper we ar fed with Christ. These two sacraments the Apostle gladly coupleth together. 1. Corinth. 10. and. 1. Corint. 12. Wear baptsed into one body (saith he) and have drunk all of one spirit, meaning it by the Cup, as Chrysostom and other great learned men do well interpret it. As therefore in Baptism is given unto us the holy Ghost, and pardon of our sins, which yet • ye not lurking in the water: so in y ^e , Lord's supper is given unto us the communion of Christ's body & blood that is, grace, forgiveness of sins innocence, life, immortality, without any transubstantiation or including of the same in the bread. By Baptism the old man is put of, and the new man put on, yea Christ is put on, but without trāsubstantiating the water. And even so it is in the Lord's supper. We up saith spirituallye in our souls do feed ou Christee body broken: do eat his flesh and drink his blood: do dwell in him and he in us, but without trausubstantiation.

As for the tauill they make that we are baptized into one • ody, meaning thereby y ^e mystical body, & not the natural body of Christ, whereby they would enforce that we are fed with the natural body of Christ, but we are not engraffed into it, but into the mystical body, and so put away the reason aforesaid: as for this cavil, I say, we may soon avoid it, if so he that we will consider how that Christ which is the head of the mystical body, is not separate frō the body, and therefore to be engraffed to the mystical body, is to be engraffed into the natural body of Christ, to be a member of his flesh, and bone of his bones as Pope Leo full well doth witness in saying, that Corpus regenerati fit caro crucifixi: The body (saith he) of the regenerate is made the flesh of Christ crucified. And here to I could add some reasons for the excellency of Baptism. I trow it be more to be begotten, then to be nourished. As for the excellent miracle of the pa • efaction of the Trinifie, and the descending of the holy Ghost in Baptism in a visible form, the like whereto was not seen in the Lord's supper, I will omyt to speak of further then that I would you should know how it were no mastery to set forth the excellency of this sacrament, as well as of the supper.

It is a plain sign of Antichrist, to deny the substance of bread & wyne to be in the Lord's supper after consecration. For in so doing and granting transubstantiation, the propertye of the human nature of Christ is denied. For it is not of the human nature, but of the divine nature to be in many places at once. As Didimus de spiritu sācto doth prove there by the divinity of the holy Ghost. Now grant transubstantiation, and then Christ's natural body must needs be in many places, which is nothing else but to confound the two natures in Christ, or to deny Christ's human nature, which is the selie same that saint John saith, to deny Christ to be come in the flesh And this who so doth, by the testimony of saint John in an Antichrist in his so doing, whatsoever otherwise he do prate. Read saint Augustine in his Epistle to Dardanus, and his .l. and .xxx. treatise upon S. John, and easily you shall see how that Christ's body must needs be in one place. Oportet in vno loco esse: but his truth is in all places.

If there be no substance of bread in the Sacrament, but transubstantiation, then Christ's body is received of the ungodly, and eaten with their teeth, which is not only against saint Augustine, calling this speech, except you eat the flesh of the son of man &c. a figurative speech: but also against the plain scriptures, which affirm them to dwell in Christ & Christ in them, and they to have everlasting life that eat him, which the wicked have not, although they eat the sacrament. He that eateth of this bread (saith Christ (shall live for evermore. Therefore they eat not Christ's body, but (as Paul saith) they eat in judgment and damnation, which I trow be another manner of thing then Christ's body. And this doth saint Augustine affirm, saying: none do eat Christ's body which is not in y ^e body of Christ, that is (as he expoundeth it) in whom Christ dwelleth not, and he in Christ. Which thing the wicked do not, because they want faith and the holy spirit, which be the means whereby Christ is received.

To the things which I have brought herefoorth to improve transubstantiation, I could bring in the fathers to confyrme the same, which succeeded continually many hundredth years after Christ. Also I could show that transubstantiation is but a new doctrine, not established, before Satan (which was tied for a thousand years) was letten lose. Also I could show that ever hitherto since it was established, in all times it hath been resisted and spoken against. Yea, before this doctrine the church was nothing so endowed with goods, lands, and possessions, as it hath been since. It hath brought no small gain, no small honor, no small ease t the Clergy, and therefore no marvel though they strive and fight for it. It is their Maozim, it is their Helena, God destroy it with the breath of his mouth, as shortly he wylfor his names sake Amen.

If time would serve, I could & would here tell you of the absurdities which come by this doctrine, but for times sake I must omyt it. Only for God's sake see this, that this their doctrine of transubstantiation is an untruth, already I have proved, & forget not that it is y ^e whole stay of all Popery, and the pillar of their Priesthood: whereby Christ's Priesthood, Sacrifice, Ministry and truth is letted, yea perverted and utterly overthrown, God our Father, in the blood of his son Christ, open the eyes and minds of all our Magistrates, and all other that bear the name of Christ, to see it in time, to God's glory and their own salvation. Amen.

Now to return to the second matter what the Sacrament is, you see that to the senses and reason of man it is bread and wyne. which is most true, as by the scriptures and other wise I have allreadye proved, and therefore away with transubstantiation,

But here lest we should make it no Sacrament, for a sacrament consisteth of two things, & lest a man should by this gather; 〈◊〉 we make it none other thing 〈◊〉 bare bread and a naked sign, and so rail at their pleasure on us, saying: How can a man be giltre of the body and blood of Christ by unworthy receiving of it, if it be but bare bread, and so forth? For this purpose I will now speak a little more hereabout, by gods grace, to stop their mouths and to styre up your good harts more to the worthy estimation & perception of this holy mystery. When a loving friend giveth to thee a thing, or sendeth to thee a token (as for an example a napkyn, or such like) I think thou doest not as thou shouldest do, if that with the thing thou considerest not the mind of thy friend that sendeth or giveth the thing, and according the runto, estemest and receyuest it: And so of this bread think I, that if thou do not rather consider the mind of thy lover Christ, then the thing which thou seest: yea if thou do not altogether consider Christ's mind, thon dealest dishonestly & strumpetlike with him. For it is the propertye of strumpets to consider the things given and sent them, rather then the love & mind of the giver and sender: whereas the true lovers do not consider in any point the things given or sent, but the mind of the party. So we, if we be true lovers of Christ, must not consider barely the outward thing which we see, and our senses perceive, but rather altogether we must & should see and consider the mind of Christ, and thereafter and according to it, to esteem the sacrament.

But how shall we know the mind of Christ? For sooth as a man's mind is best known by his word: so by Christ's word shall we know his mind. How his words be manifest and most plain: This (saith he) is my dody: therefore accordingly should we esteem, take, and receive it. If he had spoken nothing, or if he had spoken doubtfully, then might we have been in some doubt. But in that he speaketh so plainly, saying, This is my body; who can, may, or dare be so bold as to doubt of it? He is the truth and cannot lie, he is omnipotent and can do all things: therefore it is his body. This I believe, this I confess, and pray you all heartily to beware of these and such like words, that it is but a sign or a figure of his body: Except you will discern betwixt signs which fignify ouely, and signs which also do represent, confirm and seal up (or as a mā may say) give with their signification. As for an example: An Iuye bush is a sign of wine to be sold: the buddyng of Aarous rod did sygnifye Aaron's Priesthood allowed of the Lord: the reservation of Moses rod did signify the rebellion of the children of Israel: the stones takē out of Jordan, Gideon's fleese of wool. &c. such as these, be sign significative, and show no gift, But in the other signs, which some call exhibitiue, is there not only a signification of the thing but also a declaration of a gift, yea in a certain manner a giving also. As Baptism signifieth not only the cleansing of the conscience from syn by the merits of Christ's blood, but also is a very clensyng from sin. And therefore it was said to Paul that he should arise and wash away his sins, & not that he should arise and take only a sign of washyng away his sins. In the Lord's supper the bread is called a partaking of the Lord's body, and not only a bare sign of the Lord's body.

This I speak not as though the elements of these sacraments were trausubstantiate) which I have already impugned either as though Christ's body wer in the bread or wyne, either were • yed to the elements, otherwise then sacramentally and spiritually, either that the bread and wine may not and must not be called sacramental and external signs: but that they might be discerned frō significative and bare signs only, and be taken for signs exhibitiue and representative.

By this means a Christian comcience will call and esteem the bread of the Lord as the body of Christ. For it will never esteem the Sacraments of Christ after their exterior appearance, but after the words of Christ. Wherof it cometh that the Fathers, as Chrysostom and others do speak with so full a mouth when they speak of the Sacrament, for their respect was to Christ's words, If the Schoolmen which followed them, had had the same spirit which they had, then would they never have consented to transubstantiation. For with great admiration some of the Fathers do say, that the bread is changed or turned into the body of Christ and the wyne into his blood: meaning it of amutation or change not corporal, but spiritual, figurative, sacramental, or mystical. For now it is no common bread nor common wyne, being ordained to serve for the foods of the soul. The scolemen have understood it as the Papists now preach of a substautial chaūging, as though it were no great miracle that common bread should now be assumed into that dignity that it should be called Christ's body, and serve for a celestial food and be made a Sacrament of his body and blood.

As before therefore I have spoken, I would with that this Sacrament should be esteemed & called of us Christiā men, after Christ's words, namely Christ's body, and the wyne Christ's blood, rather then otherwy e. Not that I mean any other presence of Christ's body. then a presence of grace, a presence to faith, a presence spiritually, & not corporally, really, naturally, and carnally, as the Papists do mean. For in such sort Christ's body is only in heaven on the right hand of God the father almighty, whether our faith in the use of the Sacrament asceudeth and receiveth whole Christ accordingly.

Yea, but one will say, that to cal the Sacrament on that sort, is to give an occasion of idolatry to the people, which will take the Sacrament which thei see, simply for Christ's body, as by experience we are well taught, and therefore it were better to call it bread, and so less harm should be, especially in this age.

In this objection I answer, that in deed great idolatry is committed to and about this Sacrament, and therefore men ought, as much as they can, to avoid from occasioning or contirming it. But in as much as the holy Ghost is wiser then man, & had foresight of the evils that might be, and yet notwithstanding doth cal it Christ's body: I think we should do evil, if we should take upon us to reform his speech. If Ministers did their duties in Catechisyng & preaching, then doubtless to call the Sacrament Christ's body, & to esteem it accordingly, cold not give occasion to idolatry, and cōtirme it: Therefore woe unto them that preach not.

There be two euyls about the Sacraments, which to avoid the holy Ghost hath taught us. For lest we should with the Papists think Christ's body present in or with the bread really, naturally, and corporally to be received without bodelye mouth (where there is no other presence of Christ's body then spiritual, and to the faith) in many places he keepeth still the name of bread, as in the epistle to the Corinthians the tenth and eleventh chapters. And lest we should make to light of it, making it but a bare sign, & no better then common bread, the holy Ghost calleth it Christ's body whose speech I wish we would follow, and that not only as well to avoid the evil which is now a days most to be feared concerning the Sacrament, I mean of contemnyng it, as also for that no faithful man cometh to the Sacrament to receive bread simply, but rather, yea altogether to communicate with Christ's body and blood. For else to eat and drink (as Paul saith) they have houses of their own. The contempt of the Sacrament in the days of Kyng Edward hath caused these plagues upon us presentlye, the Lord be merciful unto us, Amen. And thus much for the objection of easlyng the Sacrament by the name of Christ's body.

Why (saith one) to call the Sacrament Christ's body, and to make none other presence then by grace or spiritually to faith, which is of things hoped for, & of things which to the bodily senses do not appear, is to make no presence at all, or to make him none otherwise present, then he is in his word when it is preached, and therefore what need we to receive the Sacrament, in as much as by this doctrine, a man may receive him daily in the fi •• d as well & as much as in the church, in the celebration and use of the Sacrament.

To this objection I first answer, that in deed neither the scripture nor Christian faith will give us leave to make any carnal, real, natural, corporal, or any such gross presence of Christ's natural body in the Sacrament For it is in heaven, and the heavens must have it (as saith Peter) till Christ's coming to judgment, except we would deny the humanity of Christ, & the veritye of man's nature in him. The presence therefore which we believe and confess, is such a presence as reason knoweth not, & the world cannot learn, nor any that looketh in this matter with our eyes, or heareth with other ears, then wyththe ears and eyes of the spirit and of faith. Whych faith though it be of things hoped for, & so of things absent to the corporal senses, yet this absence is not an absence in deed, but to reason and the old man, the nature of faith being a possession of things hoped for. Therefore to grant a presence to faith, is not to make no presence at all but to such as know not faith. And this the Fathers taught, affirming Christ to be present by grace, and therefore not only a signification, but also an exhibition and giving of the grace of Christ's body, that is, of life and of the seed of immortality, as Cypriane writeth. We eat life and drink life saith S. Augustine. • efecle a presence of y ^e Lord by grace or in grace saith Chrysostom. We receive the celestial food that cometh from above, saith Athanasius. We receive the property of the natural conjunction and knitting together saith Hylerius. We perceive the nature of flesh, the blessing that geuethlyfe in bread and wyne, saith Cyrillus. And else where he saith, that with the bread and wyne we eat the virtue of Christ's proper flesh, life, grace, and the property of the body of the only begotten Son of God, which thing behimselfe expoundeth to be life. Basilius saith, that we by the Sacrament receive the mystical Advent of Christ, grace; and the very virtue of his very nature. Ambrose saith, that we receive the Sacrament of y ^e true body. Epiphanius saith, we receive the body or grace. And Jerome saith, that we receive spiritual flesh, which he calleth other flesh then that which was crucified. Chrysostom saith, that we receive in • uence of grace, & the grace of the holy Ghost. Saint Augustine saith, that we receive grare and veritye, the innisible grace and holiness of the members of Christ's body. All the which layings of the Fathers do confirm this our faith and doctrine of the Sacrament, we graūting in all things herein unto them, and they in like manner unto us. And therefore the lying lyps which both be lie the Doctors as though they granted a carnal & a re •• presence of Christ's holy naturally and corporally after the Papists declaration and meaning: and which bely us also, as though we d • yed all presence of Christ, and so made it but a bare sign. These lying lips the Lord will destroy if they repent not, and with us believe and teach the truth, that the Sacrament is a food of the soul a matter of faith, and therefore spiritually and by saith to be talked of and vederstanded, which faith they want, and therefore they err so grossly in that they would have such a presence of Christ as is contrary to all the scriptures, & to our Christian religion: whereby cometh no such commodity to the receiver, as by the spiritual presence which we teach, and according to God's word do affirm.

For we teach these benefits to be had by the worthy receiving of this Sacrament, namely that we abide in Christ and Christ in us. Agayne, that we attain by it a celestial life, or a life with God: more over that by faith and in spirit we receive not only Christ's body and vioud, but also whole Christ God and man. Besydes these we grant that by the worthy receiving of this Sacrament, we receive remission of our sins, and confirmation of the new Testament. Last of all by worthy receiving, we get an increase of incorporation w ^t Christ and amongst our selves which be his members: then which things what more can be desired? Alas, that men consider nothing at all how that the couplyng of Christ's body and blood to the Sacrament, is a spiritual thing, and therefore there needs no such carnal presence as the Papists imagine. Who will deuye a man's wife to be with her husband one body and flesh, although he be at London, and she at York? But the Papists are carnal men, guided by carnal reason only, or else would they know how that the holy Ghost because of our infirmitye useth metaphorically the words of abiding, dwelling, eating & drinking of Christ, that the unspeakable conjunction of Christ with us might something be known. God open their eyes to see it. And thus much for this.

Now to that part of the objection which saith, that we teache Christ to be none otherwise present in the Sacrament then in his word, I would that the obiectors would well consider what a presence of Christ is in his word. I remember that sayut Augustine writeth how that Christ's body is received sometime visibly, and sometime invisibly. The visible receypt he calleth that which is by the Sacrament: the invisible receypt he calleth that which by the exercise of our faith with ourselves we receive. And S. Jerome in the third book upon Ecclesiastes, affirmeth that we are fed w ^t the body of Christ, and we drink his blood not only in mystery, but also in knowledge of bolye scripture. Wherein he playnlye showeth that the same meat is offered in the words of the scriptures, which is offered in the sacrament, so that no less is Christ's body and blood offered by the scriptures, then by the Sacraments. Upon the 147. Psalm he writeth also, that though these words, He that careth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, may be understand in mistery, yet he saith it is more true to take Christ's body and his blood for the word of the scriptures, and the doctrine of God. Yea upon y ^e same Psalm he saith plainly, that Christ's flesh & blood is poured into our ears by hearing the word, and therefore great is the peril if we yield to other cogitations whilst we hear it. And therefore, I trow, S. Augustine saith, that it is no les peril to hear God's word negligently, then so to use the sacrament. But hereof may no man gather, that therefore it needeth not to receive the Sacrament, or to affirm that a man may as much by himself, mediating the word in the field, receive Christ's body, as in the Church in y ^e right use of the Sacrament. For Christ ordayneth nothing in vain or superfluously, he ordayneth nothing whereof we have not need. Although his authority is such that without any questonyng his ordinances are to be obeyed.

Agayne, though in the field a man may receive Christ's body by faith in the meditation of the word, yet deny I that a mā doth ordinarely receive Christ's body by y ^e only meditation of Christ's death, or hearing of his word, with so much sight and by such sensible assurance) whereof God knoweth our infirmity hath no small need) as by the receipt of the sacrament, not that Christ is not so much present in his word preached, as he is in or with his sacrament: but because there are in the perception of the Sacrament more windows open for Christ to enter into us, then by his word preached or heard. For there, I mean in the word, he har • an entrance into out harts but only by the ears, through the voice and sound of the words: but here in the Sacrament he hath an entrance by all our senses, by our eyes, by our nose, by our taste, & by our handling also. And therefore the Sacrament full well may be called, seeable, sensible, tastable, & touchable words. As therefore when many windows be opened in an house the more light may come in, then when there is but one opened: even so by the perception of the Sacraments a chrystian mans conscience hath more help to receive Christ, then simply by the word preached, heard or meditated. And therefore he thinketh the Apostle full well calleth the sacraments obsignations or sealings of God's promise. Read Roma. the. 4. of Circumcision. And thus much for the answer to the objectionn aforesaid.

Now to return from whence we came, namely to the consideration of the second thing what the Sacrament is: I have told you that it is not simply bread & wyne, but rather Christ's body, so called of Christ, and so to be called and esteemed of us. But here let us mark what body & what blood Christ called it. The Papists still babble. Thys is my body: This is my blood, but what body it is, what blood it is, they show not. Look therefore my dearly beloved, on Christ's own words, and you shall see that Christ calleth it his body broken▪ and his blood shed. Mark, I say, that Christ calleth it his body which is broken, his blood which is shed presently, and not which was broken or shall be broken, which was shed or shall be shed, as the Greek texts do plainl • show: thereby teaching us that as God would have the Passover called, not which was the Passeourr, or which shall be the Passover, but playnlye the Passover, to the end that in the use of it, the passyng over of the striking Angel should be set before their eyes as present: so in the celebration of the Lord's supper the very Passion of Christ should be as present, behold a with the eyes of faith. For which end Christ our Savior did specially institute this Supper, saying: Do ye this in remembrance of me, or as Paul saith: Shew you thr Lord's death till he come.

The Supper of the Lord then is not simply Christ's body and blood, but Christ's body broken and his blood shed. Wherefore broken? Wherefore shed? Forseth that tencheth Christ himself saying: Broken for you, Shed for your sins, and for the sins of many. Here now then we have occasion in the use of the Sacrament to call to mind the greatness and greuousnes of syn, which could not be taken away by any other means then by the shedding of the most precious blood, and breaking of the most pure body of the only begotten Son of God Jesus Christ, by whom all things were made, all things are ruled & governed. &c. Who considering this gear shall not be touched to repent? Who in receipt of this Sacrament, thinking that Christ saith to him: Take, eat, this is my body wyich is broken for thee: This is my blood which is shed for thy sins, can but tremble at the greevousnes of his sins, for the which such a price was paid? If there were no plague at all else to admonish man of syn, how grievous a thing it is in God's sight, surely that one were enough. But, alas, how are our hearts bewitched through Satan's subtleties & the custom of syn, that we make syn a thing of nothing. God open our eyes in time, and give us repentance, which we see this Sacrament doth, as it were, enforce us unto in the reverence and true use of the same.

Again, in hearing that this which we take and eat is Christ's body broken for our sins, & his blood shed for our iniquities, me are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatness of God's mercy and truth, and of Christ's love towards us. For what a mercy is this, that God would for man, being lost through his willful sins, be content, yea desirous to give his own only son, The image of his substance, the brightness of his glory, being in his own bosom, to be made man for us, that we mē by him might be, as it were, made God's? What a mercy is this, that God the Father should so tender us, that he would make this his son, being coequal with him in divinity, a mortal man for us, that we might be made immortal by him What a kindness is this, that the almighty Lord should send to us his enemies, his dear darlyng to be made poor, that we by him might be made rich? What bowels of compassiō was this, that the omnipotent Creator of heaven and earth would deliver his own only beloved son for us creatures, to be not only flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones, that we might by him through the holy Ghost be made one with him, and so with the Father by communicatyng the merits of his flesh, that is righteousness, holiness, innocence, and immortality: but also to be a stain sacrifice for our sins, to satisfy his justice, to convert or turue death in to life, our syn into righteousness, hell into heaven, misery into felicitye for us? What a mercy is this, that God will raise up this his son Christ, not only to: justify and regenerate us, but also in his person to demōstrate unto us our state which we shall have▪ for in his coming we shall be like unto him. Oh wonderful mercy of God, which would assume this his Christ, even in human body into the heavens, to take and keep there possession for us, to lead our captivity captive, to appear before him always praying for us, to make y ^e throne of Justice a throne of mercy, the seat of glory a seat of grace, so that with boldness we may come and appear before God to ask and find grace in time convenient. Again, what a verity and constant truth in God is this, that he would, according to his promise made first to Adam, and so to Abraham and others in his time, accomplish it by sending his son so graciously? Who would doubt hereafter of anything that he hath promised? And as for Christ's love, oh whose heart can be able to think of it anything as it deserveth? He being God would become mā: he being rich would become poor: he being Lord of all the world, became a servant to us all: he being immortal, would become mortal, miserable, and fast of all God's curses, yea even of hell it seife for us. His blood was nothing to dear, his life he nothing considered to bring us from death to life. But this his love needeth more hearty waying, then many words speaking, and therefore I omit and leave it to your considerations. So that in the receiving of this supper, as I would you would tremble at God's wrath for syn, so would I have you to couple to that terror and fear, true faith, by which ye might be assured lie persuaded of God's mercy towards you, & Christ's love, though all things else preached the contrary.

Do every of you surely think when you hear these words. Take, eat, this is my body broken for your sins: Drink, this is my blood shed for your sins, that God the eternal father embracing you, Christ calleth and cleppeth you most lovingly, making himself one with you, and you one with him, and one with another amongst yourselves: You ought no less to be certain now that God loveth you, pardoneth your sins, and that Christ is all yours, then if you did hear an Angel out of heaven speaking so unto you. And therefore rejoice and be glad, and make this Supper Eutharichiam, a thanks giving, as the Fathers named it. Be no less certain that Christ and you now are all one, then you are certain the bread and wyne is one with your nature and substance, after you have eaten and drunken it. Howbeit in this it differeth, that you by faith are, as it were, changed into Christ, and not Christ into you, as the bread is: for by faith he dwelleth in us & we in him. God give us faith in the use of this Sacrament to receive Christ, as he giveth us hands to receive the element, symbol, and visible Sacrament, God grant us not to prepare our teeth and belly (as S, Augustine saith) but rather of his mercy he prepare and give us true and lively faith to use this and all other his ordinances to his glory & our comforts. He sweep the houses of our hearts, & make them clean, that they may be a worthy harborough and lodging for the Lord. Amen.

Now let us come and look on the third and last thing, namely wherefore the Lord did institute this Sacrament. Our nature is very obliuious of God and of all his benefits. And again, it is very full of dubitation and doubting of God's love & of his kindness. Therefore to the end these two things might be something reformed and holpen in us, the Lord hath institute this Sacrament: I mean that we might have in memory the principal benefits of all benefits, that is, Christ's death, & that we might be on all partes assured of communion with Christ, of all kindness the greatest that ever God did give unto man. The former to be the end wherefor Christ did institute this Sacrament, he him self doth teache us, saying: Do ye this in remembrance of me. The latter the Apostle doth uo iesse set forth in saying: The bread which we brake, is it not the partaking or communion of the body of Christ? Is not the cup of blessing which we bless, the partaking or communion of the blood of Christ? So that it appeareth the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted, was and is for the reformacion and help of our oblivion of that which we should never forget, and of our dubitation of that whereof we ought to be most certain.

Concerning the former, namely of the memory of Christ's dear what commodity it bringeth with it, I will purposely for times sake omit. Only a lirle will I speak of the commodities coming unto us by the partaking and communion we have with Christ, First it teacheth us that no man can communicate with Christ, but the same must needs communicate with God's grace & favor, where thorough sins are forgiven. Ther fore this cōmoditye cometh herethorow, namely that we should ve certain of the remission & pardon of our sins. The which thing we may also perceue by the cup, in that it is called the cup of the New Testament: to which Testament is properly attributed on God's behalf oblivion or remission of our sins. First I say therefore the supper is instituted to this ende, that he which worthily receiveth, should be certain of the remission & pardon of his sins and iniquities, how many and great soever they be. Now great a benefit this is, only they know which have felt the burthē of syn, which of all heavy things is the most heavy. Agayne, no man can communicate with Christ's body and blood, but the same must communicate with his spirit for Christ's body is no dead carcase. Now he that communicateth with Christ's spirit, communicateth as with holiness, righteousness, innocence, & immortality, and with all the merits of Christ's body: so doth he with God and all his glory, & with the Church, & all the good that ever it or any member of it had, hath, or shall have: This is the communion of Sainctus which we believe in our Creed, which hath waiting on it remission of sins, resurrection of the flesh, and life enerlasting.

To the end that we should be most assured and certain of all these, Christ our Savior did institute this his Supper, & therefore would have us to use it. So that there is no man, I trow, which seeth not great cause of giving thanks to God for this holy Sacrament of the Lord, whereby if we worthily receine it, we ought to be certain that all our sins whatsoever they be, are pardoned clearly: that we are regenerate and borne again into a lively hope, into an inheritance immortal, vnderiled, and which can never wither away: that be are in the fellow shyp of God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost: that we are God's Tenples, at one with God, and God at one with us: that we are menbers of Christ's Church and fellows with the Saints in all felicity: that we are certain of immortality in soul and body, & so of eternal life, then which thing what can be more demanded? Christ is ours, and we are Christ's, he dwelleth in us, and we in him. Oh happy eyes that see these things, and most happy hearts that feel them. My dear brethren, let us pray unto y ^e Lord to open our eyes to see these wonderful things, to give us faith to feel them. Surely we ought no less to be assured of them now in the worthy receiving of this Sacrament, then we are assured of the exterior symbols and Sacraments. If an Angel from heaven should come and tell you these things, then would you rejoice & be glad: And my dear hearts in the Lord, I even now, though most vnwyrthy, am sent of the Lord to tell you no less, but that you worthily receiving this Sacrament, shall receive remission of all your sins, or rather certainty that they are remitted, and that you are even now God's darlinges, Temples, and fellow inheritors of all the good that ever he hath, Wherefore see that you give thanks unto the Lord for this his great goodness, & praise his name forever.

Oh, saith one, I cold be glad in very deed, and give thanks from my very heart, if that I did worthily receive this sacrament But (alas) I am a very grievous sinner, & I feel in myself very little repentance and faith, and therefore I am a frayde that I am unworthy.

To the answering of this objection I think it necessary to speak something of the worthy receiving in this Sacrament, in as great brevity and playnes as I can. The Apostle willeth all men to prove and examine themselves before they eat of the bread, and drink of the cup: for they that eat and drink unworthily, eat and drink damnation. Therefore this probacion and examination is necessary. If men will try their gold and silver, whether they be coper or no, is it not more necessary • that men should try their consciences? Now howe this should be, the Papists teach amiss in sending us to their auriculer confession, which is impos sible. The true probacion and trial of a Christian con • cience consisteth altogether in faith and repentance. Faith hath respect to the doctrine and articles of our belief, repentance hath respect to manners & conversation. Concerning the former, I mean of faith, we may see the Apostle teacheth us. 2. Corint 11. Concerning the latter for our conversation, those sins which are called commonly mortal or deadly are to be removed. These sins are discerned from other sins by the Apostle, Rom. 6. in saying: Let not syn reign and bear aswynge in your mortal bodies. For truly then we sin deadly, when we give over to sin, and let it have the bridle at his liberty, when we strive not agaynstie, but allow it and consent to it. How be it, if we strive against it, if it displease us, then truly though sin be in us (for we ought to obey God without all resistance or vnwillyngnes) yet our sins be not of those sins which separate us from God, but for Christ's sake shall not be imputed unto us believing.

Therefore my dearly beloved, if that your sins do now displease you, if you purpose unfeignedly to be enemies to iyn in yourselves and in others, as you may, during your whole life, if you hope in Christ for pardon, if you believe according to the holy scriptures and articles of the Christiā faith set forth in your Creed, if I say, you now trust in God's mercy through Christ's merits, if you repent, and earnestly purpose vefore God to amende your life, and to give over yourselves to serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness all the days of your life, although before this present you have most grievously sinned. I publish unto you that you are worthy gestes for this table, you shall be welcome to Christ, your sins shall be pardoned, you shall be endned with his spirit, and so with communion with him and the Father, & the whole Church of God, Christ will dwell in you, & you shall dwell in him for evermore. Wherefore behave yourselves accordinglye with joyfulness and thanks giving. Do you now appear before the Lord: make clean your houses, & open the doors of your hearts by repentance and faith, that the Lord of hosts, the king of glory may enter in: and forever hereafter beware of all such things as might displease the eyes of his Majesty. Fly from syn as from a Toade, come away from popery and all Antichristian religion, be diligent in your vocations, be diligent & earnest in prayer, hearken to the voice of God in his word with reverence, live worthys your profession. Let your light in your life so shine, that men may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven. As you have been darkness, & followed the works of darkness, so now henceforth be light in the Lord, & have society with the works of light. Now hath God renew • his covenant with you, in God's sight now are you as clean, and healed frō all your sores of sins. Go your ways, syn no more, lest a worse thing happen unto you. See that your house being new swept, be furnished with godliness and virtue, and beware of idleness, lest the devil come with seven spirits worse then himself, and so take his lodging, and then your latter end will be worse then the first.

God our Father, for the tender mercy and merits of his soune, be merciful unto us, forgive us all our sins, and give us his holy spirit, to purge, cleanse, & sanetify us, that we may be holy in his sight through Christ, & that we now may be made ready & worthy to receive this holy Sacrament, with the fruits of the same to the full reioyning & strengthening of our harts in the Lord. To whom be all honor & glory, world without ende.

Imprinted at London by John Awdeley, and John Wyght. The .xxx. of September. Anno Domini. 1574.