A New Years Gift More Precious than Gold

C Hrist our Lord and master doth not with out a cause compare & resemble y ^e cares, riches, & pleasures of this life to thorns in his most holy gospel. For as thorns prycketh the flesh, & suffer him not to be in quiet, that is grieved & hurt w ^t them, so likewise the cares, riches, and pleasures of this world will not suffer by ony menes that man to enjoy tranquilite rest & peace that is turmoiled with them. Happy is he, that appointeth him self such kind of living, that he may be free from these great waves & rocks wherwythe the life of mortal mē is so miserably assailed, & so often put in danger. The riches & pleasures of this world, seme to y ^e flesh to be things of much pleasaūs & great delectacion, but they be nothing else thā entysyng and flattering mooremaydes, which syngyng songs pleasant to the ear, bring destruction to so many as be herers of thē Blessed is hetherfore, which after the example of Ulisses, can stop his ears with wax, & so pass by, being nothing moved withe their vain & flattering entisementes. For as S. Paul saith: They that have a pleasure to wax rich, fall into temptaciō & snares, & into many folysh and noisome lusts, which drown men into destruction & damnaciō. For covetousness is the root of all evil, which while some lusted after, they erred from the faith and entangled them selves with many sorrows. Hereto pertaineth the saying of S. John̄, Love not y ^e world, nor those things that are in y ^e world If ony mā loveth the world, y ^e love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world (as the lust of y ^e flesh, & the concupiscence of the eis, & the pride of the life) is not of y ^e father, but of the world, & the world passeth away, & the lust thereof. But he that fulfyllethe the will of God, abideth forever.

I have not spoken these things w ^t out a cause, I thank my lord God of his gift, I have been from my yought studious of y ^e holy Scripture, and very glad, whan I might either read it myself, & common of it with my neighbors, or else hear other preach and talk of it, that I might be edifyed thereby, recoūtyng that day but a little fortunate unto me, that was transacted and passed over without some repast of gods word, seeing that man liveth not w ^t bread alone, but with every word that cometh out of y ^e mouthe of God. But lo, no mā in this world is so happy, that he can have his mind satisfied in all points. For I desyrynge nothing more than to be quiet, that I might freely give my mind to the study of the holy scriptures, & sometime comō of thē with my neighbors, have ben so turmoiled & vexed with the cares & troubles of this world for y ^e space of syxe or seven months, y ^t I have had no lesure almoost ones to think of the holy scripture. O Lord what is it to live in this wretched world? ony other thing than daily more & more to be plucked away & estranged from the, & to heap sin upon sin, & provoke thine anger more fervently against us? But now seeing it hath pleased God partly to deliver me out of the troublous waves of this occean, and to bring me into an havē of some quietness, I intend to repare unto mine old studies, & to participate them with my neighbors, as I was wont to do heretofore. For I fear much unless that dissolucion & slackenes may also be found in them, that these certē months hath not wanted in me, so prone & ready are we to fall from goodness unto lewdness, if we have not y ^e spurr of gods grace to prick us forward. Syns I gave them a nosegay, I never spake unto them, but good even & good morrow. Therefore have I now sent for thē by my servant to come unto me, that I may imparte and give them some spiritual treasure for their new years gift this holy time of Christmas. I trust they will not tarry long. What do I say, tarry long? Me think I hear their voices even now at y ^e door. It are they. Neyghbours even with one word, welcome unto you all.

Brother Philemō right heartily we thank you.

Wyl it please you to take the pain, for to come with me into my parloure?

We follow you gladly.

Neybours yet once again welcome. I pray you take every man a chair & sit down quietly. For I entende to talk w ^t you.

We are all set, speak what it shall please you.

Neyghbours and brothers it is not unknown unto you, how desirous I have ever ben sins our first acquaintance to seek no less youre souls health than mine own.

we are not ignorant of this brother Philemon, and we all give you right hartye thanks for it.

I have done nothing but my duty, & I confess myself to be an unprofitable servant. Notwithstandynge neighbors this greuethe me very much, that I have ben so negligent these certain months in doing my duty toward you.

No duty brother Philemon. It commethe of your mere goodness, what so ever ye do toward us. But it is not unknown unto us, howe greatly ye have ben disquieted w ^t diverse businesses for a great space.

Ye say truth, but now hear the cause of my sendynge for you. Twelue months passed, if ye do remember neighbors at this time of the yere I made you a Christmas banckette, which, as I have sins perceived, ye have right well digested. The Lent ensewyng, I called you all to a Potaciō, whereat I trust ye tasted of y ^e wyne, which maketh the spirit merry. The May following at mine instaūce full gētylly ye resorted unto mine house, & according to season of the year, I gave you a Nosegay. All these were not for the body, but for the soul, yea rather both for body and soul.

We remember all these things well, nether have we forgottē, what you taught us in them.

It maketh me greatly to rejoice for to hear these things of you. For now I perceive full well, that ye are no forgetful hearers, but diligent fulfyllers of such things, as are taught you, & therefore are ye blessed in your act. Well neighbors, my love toward you is nothing abated. I desire your furtherauns in the knowledge of God's word even now, so much as I have done heretofore. In consideracion whereof, I intend at this present to give you a new years gift.

Can ony thing • be more welcome to us than such a gift, coming from so dere a friend and so in time & place? It is now a new year, and men use customably to give gifts one to another whereby they declare their good wy • & wysshe that all good & prosperous things may chance to their friends all the whole year longe. Therefore in giving us this gift, we do not only acknowledge your accusto • med gentylnes toward us, but also confess our selves to be more ende •• ted toward you, thā we may at any time be able to recōpēce your kind • nes.

Neighbor Philemon, th • day passethe away, let us therfo •• I pray you, se our New years gift. For there is nothing that can offer it self more welcome to these our e •• es.

Truth is this, & nothing more true.

Youre Newe years gift is red in the church on Christmas day in the morning at y ^e first mass for the Epistle, & it is written of S. Paul in the second Chapter of his Epistle to Bisshoppe Titus.

I pray you let us hear it.

Behold take your new years gift.

The gift of God that brigeth salvation unto all men / hath appeared / and teacheth us • that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts & that we should live sober • y / righteously / and godly in • his present world / looking • or that blessed hope and appearynge of the glory of the great GOD / and of • ure Savior Jesus Christ / which gave himself for us manner: A young child is 〈◊〉 for our sake, and a son is given •• to us. Also S. Paul, God hath 〈◊〉 •• red his own son, but hath gyu •• 〈◊〉 for us all, how is it thā possibl • • ut that he must give us all thing 〈◊〉 him?

Is Christ freely given 〈◊〉 to us?

Yea verily neighbor • Eusebi{us} Never was there anything so freely givē unto you, as Christ is.

The goodness than of God the father appeareth here toward us great & immeasurable.

It must needs be great & immeasurable, seeing y ^t he loved us, whan we were siners Behold, saith s. John̄, what a love the father hath given unto us, that we should be called y ^e sons of god. And that ye may well know that Christ is the free gift of God, given us without ony deserts, caull, I pray you, to remembrance y ^e fall of Adam, in whom all we have sinned, and deserved like damnation. What had he done to pacify y ^e wrath of God & to recover his favor, whē God made him this most comfortable promise, I will set emnite between the & an womā, between thy seed and her seed. And that self seed shall tread down thy head?

For sothe I think very little.

Ye might have said, nothing at all right well, except ye think this somewhat, whan he had once offended, to put his head in a bush, & not to knowledge his fault, nor once to dare to come in sight.

Ye say truth.

What had Abraham deserved, whā God made him this promise of Christ, saȳge: in thy seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed? Verily nothing at all, only he believed the promise of God, & it was rekened unto him unto righteousness. He chosed us, saith saint Paul, in Christ, before the foundacions of the world were laid, y ^t we should be holy & fautles before hī. Agē, we were by nature, the children of wrath, even as other were. But God, which is ritche in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, evē thē, whē we were dead thorough sin, quickened us with Christ (for by grace are ye sauid) & hath raised us up with him in heavenly things, thorough Christ Jesus, that in times to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace ī kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved thorough faith & that not of yourselves. For it is y ^e gift of god & cometh not of works, least an • man should boast himself. Also in another place, after y ^t the goodness & love y ^e God our savior hath toward men, did appear, not of the works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us by y ^e fountain of the new birth, & renewynge of y ^e holy Ghost, which he shed on us abūdantly thorough Jesus Christ our savior, that we being made righteous by his grace, should be heirs of eternal life according to hoope. This is a saying not to be doubted of. Christ himself also saith, God loved the world so intierly, y ^t he gave his only begotten son, that everyone that believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved by him.

Of these scriptures heretofore rehearsed, is it evident, that Christ is freely given unto us of God y ^e father yea & that without our merits or deserts. For whan we were utterly damned, & knew not howe to recover ony parte of our help, God the father of his own gracious goodness gave us his son Christ to be our Sauioure. So that as the beginnynge of youre Newe years gift is, Christ is unfeignedly the gift of God▪ freely given us for our great comfort & salvation.

It cannot be expressed howe much we are bound to God the father for this his gift seeing that he gave us not an Angel or ony other celestial creature, but his only begotten son, even the higheste and most precious treasure that he had.

Y will say so whan ye have once hear • what a treasure this youre gift 〈◊〉 unto you, & howe many pleasures & commodities ye receive by him.

I pray you let us hear.

It followeth: That bringeth salvation unto all men. Behold, youre new years gift, that God the father hath given you, bringeth salvation unto all mē. It is no idle & unprofitable gift, but commodious & necessary. For it work the us health & salvation.

The gifts of the world bring many times perdition, destrucciō & damnation, but this gift of God bringeth life, health, joy, pleasure, salvation & an whole sea of good things. It bringeth salvation, saith the scripture. Note this word bringeth. As though it should be said, whā there was no hope of health, but all things yoked in the bond of desperaciō, sin bare rule, & Satan triūphed over mankynd as his bond captive, than came the gift of God, which drove sin out of place, vanquished Satan, destroyed the powers of hell brought salvation to man, which looked only for damnation, yea & that freely, & without ony deserts, even of mere grace & pure mercy. O the inestimable excellency of this gift, which both willingly & freely bringeth salvation to mankind. Howe can it otherwise be? Is not y ^e name of this our gift, JESUS, given him of God the father, & published by his Angel & Embassadoure Gabriel? And what other thing, I pray you, soundethe JESUS, than a savior? This our gift Christ, is a savior. For he saveth his people from their sins. Fear ye not, saith the angel. For behold, I show unto you a great joy, which shall chance to all people. For this day is borne unto you a savior, which is Christ y ^e Lord of the cytye of David. Thus sewe, that Christ is a savior. Therefore may he righte well bring salvation, & save so many as believe in him.

Is there no salvation to be looked for, but only at the hand of Christ?

No verily, ye heard, that the gift of God, which is Christ bringeth salvation. It is Christ's office alone to save, & besides him is there no savior neither in heaven nor in earth. Who so ever seaketh saluaciō at y ^e hand of ony other, but at Christ's alone, he doth not only deceive him self, but also rob christ of his office, deprive him of his glory, blaspheme his blessed name, tread under foot his most precious blood, & utterly maketh of none effect y ^e whole misterye of Christ's incarnacion.

It were pite that ony mā should be of this mind.

You say truth Notwithstandyng there have been, that have sought health at other besides Christ, would God there were none at this day. S. Paul feareth not to say, if righteousness cometh by y ^e law, thā died Christ in vain. Again, ye are gone quite frō Christ so many of you as will be made righteous by the law, & are fallen from grace.

Let us hear it proved by the scriptures, that there is no salvation, but by this gift of God Christ alone.

The matter is more evident, than it neadeth ony probacion to the faithful, & as for thē that are obstinately blind, all the scriptures in the world can profit nothing at all. Notwithstōdyng to satisfy your godly desire, of many, I will rehearse a few, yea and those, that shall seme most fit for y ^e purpose.

I pra • you let it so be.

Whense shall I take my beginning, but of the Pr •• phet Isaiah, whom Christ our sau • our had so often in his mouthe? By him Christ speaketh on this manner, I am, I am the Lord, & there is no savior besides me. Agayne in tha • same chapter, I am, I am he, which putteth away thine iniquities, yea & that for mine own sake, & will remember thē no more. Put me in remembrance, & let us be judged together. Tell me if thou haste any thing, whereby thou mayeste be justified Thy first father sinned and thy Prophettes have trespassed against me. Also in another place, Am not I the Lord? Is there any other God besides me? A righteous God, & such one as saveth, there is none but I alone. Tourne unto me, and ye shall be safe, o all ye coasts of the earth, for I am God, & there is none other. Once again by y ^e same Prophet he saith, I alone have trodden down the wyne press, & there was none at all that did help me. Are not all these scriptures plain inugh to declare that Christ is the savior & that there is no salvation, but by easeth, refreshethe & conforteth the conforteles. Christ the son of man came to seek & save that, which was lost. Ergo what so ever is lost & saved agen, is saved by Christ. Christ is that true light, which lighteneth every man, that cometh into this world. Ergo they that are not lightened by Christ, remain still in darkness. Christ gave to so many as received him, power to be made the sons of God because they believed in his name. Ergo they that receive not him to be their savior, and believe that their sins are only put away by his name, are not the sons of God. Christ is that lamb 〈◊〉 God, that taketh away the fynne 〈◊〉 the world. Ergo there is none oath • sacrifice for sin, but Christ alone No man goeth up into heaven, but he that came down from heaven, y ^e son of man, which is in heaven. Ergo so many as go up into heaven, go up only by Christ. He that believeth in the son, hath everlasting life. But he that believeth not in the son, shall not se life, but y ^e wrath of GOD abideth upon him. Ergo they alone shall be saved, which w ^t a strong faith believe Christ to be their Sauioure. Everyone, saith Christ, that drynketh of the water, that I give him, shall neuermore thyrst. Ergo Christ is a sufficient savior for so many as repent and believe. Christ is that living bread, which came down from heaven, if ony mā eateth of that bread, he shall live for evermore. Ergo he that tasteth Christ aryght, need the none other savior to give hī everlasting life. Christ is that good shepeherde, which giveth his life for his sheep. Ergo so many as are saved, are saved by Christ's death. Christ is the resurrection & life. Ergo by him w • rise out of syn, & obtain lyf • eternal. Christ is the way, truth and life. No man cometh to the father but by him. Ergo by christ alone we ascend & go up unto the presence of the father. Without christ we cā do nothing. Ergo w ^t out him we cā not be saved. Christ is the vine. He y ^t abideth in him, bringeth forth much fruit. Ergo he y ^t casteth away christ, & seeketh ony other savior, is y ^e tree, which bringeth forth no fruit, & therefore shall he be hewē down & cast in to y ^e fire. Christ died for our sins & rose agen for our justification. 〈◊〉 go by Christ's death are we 〈◊〉 frō our sins, & by his resurre • cio • justified & made righteous. We being justified, by faith have peace toward god thorough our Lord ••• us christ Ergo christ it is which m • keth y ^e attonemēt between god y ^e 〈◊〉 & us. By the sin of Adā alone came dānaciō on all mē, evē so by y ^e righteousness of christ alone came y ^e iustificaciō of life vpō all mē. Ergo as we were damned by the syn of Adā alone, so are we saved, justified & preserved unto everlasting life by y ^e righteousness of christ alone. Euerlasting life is the gift of god thorough christ Jesus our Lord. Ergo so many as obtain everlasting life cometh unto it by y ^e free gift of god, yea & y ^t for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Christ is appointed of god to be our wisdom righteousness, sāctificaciō & redēciō. Ergo by Christ are we made wise, righteous, holy, & the chyldrē of redēciō. We are washed, we are sāctifyed, yea we are made righteous thorough the name of y ^e Lord Jesus & the spirit of our God. Ergo by Christ's name and the spirit of God are we made, pure, holy & righteous. Christ which know no sin, became syn for our sake, that is to say, a sacrifice for our sins. Ergo those sins that are put away, are put away by y ^e sacrifice of christ. Christ whan he was ritche, became pooore for our sake, that by his poverty he should make us rich. Ergo so many as be made ritche, are enrytched by christ. If righteousness cometh by y ^e law, than died christ in vain. Ergo they that are made rygheteous, are made righteous by the death of christ. And who so ever seeketh to be justified by ony other means than by the death of christ, he goeth about to make Christ's death of none effect, and so is he a plain Antichrist. By christ we have redemption, & by his blood remission of sins. Ergo by christ is our ransom paid, and by his blood are our sins forgiven us. Christ is our peace. Ergo by him have we tranquilite, quietness and rest in our consciences. By christ have we free entrance unto the father. Ergo so many as come unto the father, come by Christ. Christ is gone up on high, and hath led away captivity captive, and hath given gifts unto men. Ergo he it is that giveth remission of sins. Christ loved us, and gave himself for us to God an offering & sweet smellynge sacrifice. Ergo for this sweet & odoriferous sacrifice of christ, God the father pardoneth our sins. Christ is the head of the body of the congregaciō. Ergo he it is, that saveth his members. It hath plesed the father, that in christ all fullness should dwell, & that by him all things should be reconciled unto himselfe, whither they be things upon earth or in heavē, y ^t thorough the blood of his cross, he might make peace even thorough his own self. Ergo all they y ^t are reconciled & set at one w ^t God the father, have obtained this by y ^e blood of christ. This is a true saying, & by all means, worthy y ^t we should embrace it, y ^t Christ Jesus came into y ^e world to save sinners. Ergo Christ it is, y ^t saveth sinners. Ther is one God & one attonemēt maker between god & men even the man Christ Jesus, which gave him self a ransom for all mē. Ergo as there is but one God, so is there but one attonemēt maker, and this is Jesus Christ, by whome alone we are redeemed. We are sāctifyed by y ^e oblaciō of y ^e body o • Ies{us} christ, done once for all. Wyt one oblation hath christ made there perfect for evermore that are sanctified. Ergo so many as are made holy, have obtained that holiness only by the sacrifice of christ, which he once for all offered on the A • tare of the cross, so cōsumate & perfect that there remaineth none other sacrifice for syn. We are not redeemed from our vain cōuersacion (which we received thorough the tradiciō of the fathers (with corruptible silver & gold, but with the precious blood of christ, as of an innocent & undefiled lābe. Ergo by Christ's blood are we redeemed from all vain things wherewith before we were entāgled. The blood of Jesus christ maketh us clean from all syn. Ergo by Christ's blood are we made clean & purified frō all our sins. If ony mā sinneth, we have an advocate w ^t the father, Ies{us} christe y ^e righteous one, & • e it is, that obtaineth merci for our sins not for our sins only, but also for all y ^e worlds. Ergo so oft as we sin, by our advocate christ are our sins put away. There is salvation in none other but in Christ. Nether is there ony other name given unto men under heaven, wherein they must be saved, but only y ^e name of christ Jesus. Ergo who so ever is saved, receiveth his salvation only by the name of christ our Lord. As I may tarry no longer about this matter, all y ^e Prophettes, saith saint Peter, bear witness of christ, that thorough his name, everyone y ^t believeth in him, shall receive the remission of sins. If all the Prophets bear witness of this thing, who dare be bold once to opē his mouth to speak against it, except he be at defyaunce & open war with God & his son Jesus Christ our Lord & savior. But withe such I love not to meddle. God blysse me from them.

Do ye not perceive now y ^t this gift of God the father, which he hath freely givē you, I mean christ is thalone savior, and that there is no health, salvation, comfort, and remission of sins to be looked for, but only at his hand?

We were to much blind, if we did not perceive it, ye have made the matter so open w ^t plain & evident scriptures.

O Lord, what blindness was there ī the world, whan some did put their hope of saluaciō in stocks & stones, & old rotten bones, in gaddynge of pilgrimage, in gyldyng of Images in saints relics, & hallowed sticks, & popish pardons, in other men's works, in fansyes invented of men. &c. Yea there have not wanted which sought salvation in a Graye • ryers cowle, trustynge assuredly, y ^t if they were buried in y ^t , they could by no meās be damned.

Al these were greatly deceived. But that ye may know, that there can be no savior, but this gift of God Christ alone, mark a few words, that I shall now say unto you. Fyrst he y ^t shall be a savior, & save men from their sins, must be without all sin him self. Secondly he must be both God & mā. Thyrdly he must by his innocence deliver us from y ^e curse of the law, yea and fulfill the law for us, that the adversary may lay nothing against us. Fourthly he must by his puyssaunce & power, vanquysh & subdue all the power of Satan. Fyftly he must slay death, y ^t it may have no more power over y ^e faithful. Syxtly, it must be in his power to give unto his people the holy Ghost, to govern & keep them ī a right trade of living. To cōclud • he must be such one, that whā they that believe in him, do offend & provoke the heavenly father unto anger, he may at all times he both ready & able to make an atonement between God and the offenders.

If ye can find ony such, as I have here described, besides Christ, well, I will thā also grant y ^t he is a savior. Untyll that time will I say with all the Prophettes, Apostles & our Doctor Paul, that this gift of God christ Jesus is thalone savior, bringeth health, & that there is no salvation to be gotten, but only thorough hī.

This thing is now more manifest, then it may be doubted of, or called into questiō.

It followeth in your new years gift, To all men. Note that he saith not, to the wicked & damned spirits, which shall never recover their health & salvation, what so ever the Origenistes tryfle in this behalf but to all men, yea and that those only, which repent, believe, and lead a good life. For to wicked mē and ungodly persons is christ no savior, except they reap̄t, believe & amend. It is not to be passed over lyghtly, y ^t the scriptures spekethe generally and universally w ^t out ony excepciō To all men. Christ bringeth salvation to all men. These words prove manifestly, that as christ is a savior, so are all men sinners, and again, that there is no man but y ^e receiveth salvation of christ, if he be saved. Where are they now y ^t will justify them selves, and sel their merits and good deeds to other? The scriptures saith, we be all sinners. There is no difference, saith s. Paul All have sinned & want the glory • of God. What is this, saith S. Agustine, and want the glory of God, but the grace of God the father by Jesus christ, which is the glory of God the father? And what meaneth this they want or have need, saith he? but that no mā of himself, because he is borne carnally, is able to recover the life lost, no though he bringeth the works of merits, except he be spiritually borne a new by our Lord Jesus christ, which came w ^t the vndetted mercy of the father, & of his own, and of the holy ghost to save & seek that which was lost? What was lost? Unreasonable beasts? Hathe God also care for oxen? Verily mankind was lost thorough sin, in consideraciō whereof christ being without spot even of his own free will giving him self to the death & rysyng again, hath redeemed man from sin & death evenly the largeness of free grace. These are the words of S. Agustine, which • hewe evidently what we are of our selves, and what by Christ▪ But let us hear mo scriptures. Every mā is a lyare, God alone is true. The scripture hath concluded all things under sin, y ^t y ^e promise by y ^e faith of Ies{us} christ should be givē to y ^e faithful. God hath comprehended all mē under incredulite & unfaithfulness that he might have mercy on all mē Here se we that all men were found sinners & unfaithful, & that they are saved only by the great mercies of God. All our righteousnesses are as a cloth polluted with menstrue. We were conceived & borne in syn. The imaginaciōs and thoughts of man's heart are prone unto evil even from his young age. There is no man innocent before God, there is no man but that sinneth. There is not a righteous man on y ^e earth that doth good, and sinneth not. Everyone is an hypocrite & wicke • and the mouths of thē all have spokē folyshnes. All we have erred and gone astraye like sheep, everyone hath followed his own fansye. The heart of man is wicked & in • crutable. No man is pure from sin, no the stars are not clean in his sight howe much more is man filthy and unclean, which is nothing but corrupcion & a very worm in comparison of God? Who is able to say, my heart is clean, and I am pure from syn? No mā is good but God alone. We are all unprofitable servants. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to se if there were ony one, y ^t had understanding or saught after God. But all are swerved & clean gone out of the way, they are become all together unprofitable, there is▪ none that doth good, no not one. They are corrupt, & become abhominable ī their studies: Theyr throat is like a wyde mouthed grave, they work de • eat with their tongues, the poison of adders is under their lips Theyr mouthe is full of cursynge & bytternes, their feet are swyfte to shed blood. Destruccion and werynes are in their ways, the way of peace have they not known. Ther is no fear of god before their eyes. Howe like ye these scriptures? Do they not paynte out man in his native colors? What have we of our selves to rejoice & boast of.

We may perceive now right well, that we be all wretched & miserable sinners.

If god had not given us his son christ to be our savior, we had been in a damnable case.

We were so pocky & full of diseases, that if christ had not been our • Phisicion to heal our wounds 〈◊〉 his most precious woūdes, we had continued still disesed for evermore.

I am glad ye have learned that all men are sinners, & that therefore they have need of christ the gift of God, which bringeth salvation to all men. For this is the first point to know christ aryght. Nether can ony man to much deiecte and cas • e down him self. For the more man humbleth him self, the more doth he exalte y ^e glorious majesty of god. But that ye may be without dout in this matter, I will rehearse certain unto you, out of both the Testaments, which shall declare that we be all sinners. Adam, as ye know, transgressed the commandment of God in Paradise, & by his transgression made us all bond to eternal damnation. Nohe fell into the sin of drunk̄nes. Lothe was not only drunken, but also lay with his own daughters, & so committed y ^e grievous sin of inceste. Abraham denied his wife. Moses committed man • aughter. David committed both manslaughter & whoredom. Solomon was an Idolater. Matthew was a tolle gatherer. The Apostles did strive among them, who should be highest & of greatest aucthorite. Mary Magdalene was a grievous sinner. Peter denied and forsook Christ thryse. Paul persecuted the cōgregacion of christ. • hat should I make many words? So many as ever were clad with this flesh (Jesus christ alone except which was both God and man & conceued & borne without the seed of mā, by the operacion of the holy Ghoste of the most blessed & undefiled virgin Mary) were sinners, and so many as are in the same at this day, 〈◊〉 shall be unto the worlds ende, are 〈◊〉 shall be sinners, saved only by the free mercy of god thorough Ies{us} christ. We all offend in many things, saith S. James. Here are none excerted. If we say, saith S. John, that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Here S. John̄, which was so holy, virtuous & dearly beloved of god nombreth him self among sinners neither is he ashamed so to do, that all glory may be given to God, and the praise of our saluaciō to Jesus Christ our Lord & savior.

If all be sinners without excepcion, what is than to be said of y ^e most glorious & blessed virgyn Mary? Is she also to be rekened in the number of sinners?

I answer with S. Austē, whan so ever there is disputation of sin, all must needs confess them selves sinners, except y ^e holy virgyn Mary, of whom for the honor of the Lord, I will have no question at all whan we entreat of sin. For we know that there was given to her more grace than to ony other creature for to overcome • yn on every parte, for as much as she deserved to conceive & bring • orth him, whom it is evident to have had no sin. Therefore this virgyn except, if we could gather all y ^e saints both men and women, wh • they lived here, & demand of them, whither they were w ^t out sin. What do we think that they would answer, as this Pelagian saith, or as John̄ the Apostle affyrmeth? Verily ware their excellency of holiness never so great in this body, if they might be asked this thing, they would surely cry with one voice, if we should say, that we have no sin, we deceive our selves 〈◊〉 the truth is not in us.

Hytherto have I rehearsed the words of S. Agustine, which as they except the most blessed virgyn Mary from the spot of sin, so do they prove all other without excepcion to be sinners. Yet this dare I boldly affirm & say, that this most holy pure and glorious virgyn disdained not to confess Christ to be also her Lord and savior. Her words are these: My soul magnifyeth the Lord, & my spirit hath rejoiced in god my savior. Behold she bosteth not her good deeds, she crakethe not of her merits, she swelleth not with her own dignity, but humbly graūtyng herself to be the handemayde of the lord, ready to do his most godly pleasure and will in all things, she confesseth God to be her savior and not her self, nor her own good deeds. If so holy and pure a virgyne, which was replenyshed with all grace, virtue and goodness, did not bost of her own dignity, worthiness, merits, deeds & good wor • kes, but cleued to God alone and sought for salvation at his hand, howe wicked and go • les are they, which se • e health at ony other, saving a • this gift of God Jesus christ, which brī • geth salvation to all mē?

This is godly spoken. Dothe christ therefore bring salvation to all men?

To all men that repent, believe, and labor to 〈◊〉 a good life▪ were they never so grievous sinners before. For christ came not to call the righteous, that is, such as wit justify them selves by their own good deeds & merits, but sin • s unto repentance. He commanded his Apostles after his Resurreccion to preach repentance and remissio • of sins in his name unto all 〈◊〉 . For he is that savior, y ^t 〈◊〉 have almē to be saved & to come vnt • y ^e knolege of y ^e truth. In y ^e old law he was only known & preached t • be the savior of the iewes for God was known but in Iewrye▪ and in Israel was his name great. He shown his word to Jacob, his righteousness & judgments to Israel▪ He did not so to every nation, neither did he open unto them his ordinance • ▪ but now he is a savior to all kind of people. Christ before his death, said to his disciples, whā he seen them forth to preach. Go no • among y ^e Gentiles nor Sain • 〈◊〉 , but go rather to y ^e lost sheep of 〈◊〉 of Israel, but after his resurre •• ion he said▪ Go thorough out all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. For there is now no difference between the Jew and • he Gentyle. For one is Lord of all, 〈◊〉 enough for so many as call 〈…〉 . For everyone that callethe on the name of the Lord, will be saved▪ And this is it that the Prophet saith 〈◊〉 people y ^t walked in darkness, 〈…〉 lygh • , & to thē which s • t in the region and shadow of death, light is spronge & risen unto them. This is great consolacion and comfort for us, that this gift of God, Christ, bringeth saluaciō to all mē, so well Gentile as Jew, or else had we, which were Gentiles, been damned forever and ever.

Blyssed be God for the riches of his grace, wherewith he hath freely called, justified, saved and glorified us thorough Jesus Christ our Lord▪ Well neighbors, seeing that Christ is a savior & bringeth salvation to all mē, so endeuoure yourselves, y ^t ye may be found worthy to be of that number, which shall receive saluaciō & 〈◊〉 saved. Repēt ye of your old wycke • living. Beleue to have remission o • all your sins thorough the name of Christ. Have no more to do with the world, the devil and the flesh▪ but evermore garnysh youre life & conversation with the fruits of the spirit, that ye may be fit vessels, into whom God may pour his grace.

I beseech God give us grace to do this.

Now mark, what this gift of God hath done. It hath appeared.

Christ hath appeared, saith youre new years gift. In the old law he appeared by figures, types, clouds, & shadows, as by Manna, the Rock, the Paschal lamb, the brazen serpent, &c. which all prefigured Christ, and by them did he appear to the faithful, which believed and looked for his coming, but now he hath appeared personally, even in his own flesh. He that hath been so longe looked for, is now come very God and very man. He hath appeared; he hath ben seen and heard. He hath preached. He hath wrought miracles. He hath suffered & died for us. He is risen agen, and ascended up into heuē, where he sytteth now on the right hand of god his father. All this was not fantastically done but truly and unfeignedly. He appeared very man in the flesh, which he received of y ^e blessed virgins Mary, having his godhead conjoined w ^t his humanity, so that he was, and is, very God & very man.

Ther want not now a days, as I have heard, which plainly deny, that Christ toke ony flesh of the virgins Mary, and as for that body that he had, he brought down with him from heaven.

Thys is no new heresy, although it be lately renewed by the wicked and pernicious 〈◊〉 of the ungodly Anabaptists, 〈◊〉 spronge up among the old Heretykes, shortly after the ascencion of Christ. Would God I had sufficient time and convenient leisure to utter my mind fully concerning this matter. But for as much as I know and am perfectly persuaded that none of you are addicte nether to this, nor none other opiniō that they maintain & hold contrary to the rule of the catholic faith, and y ^e determinacion of Christ's church. I will not labor much in the confutation of this their damnable heresy, but only rehearse certain Scriptures unto you, that ye may in few words perceive how greatly they swerve frō the verite of gods word. Fyrst I will rehearse unto you the words of god the father spoken to the serpent shortly after the fall of man. I will set emnite between the and an woman, between thy seed and her seed. And that self seed shall • read down thy head. This seed to be Christ no man doubteth, that is faithful. Mark now that he calleth christ the seed of a woman, he meneth the most glorious virgins Mary. If christ be the seed of this woman Mary, than did he take his flesh & humanity of her. So doth it than follow right well, that they err, which affirm that christ brought his body with him from heaven, and toke no flesh of this most blessed and undefiled virgin • . For howe can he be named to be the seed of a woman, if he had no parte of her? Canne a woman truly say, this is mine own and natural son, whan she never brought him forth. 〈◊〉 Abraham also God the father said▪ In thy seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed▪ This seed is christ, as S. Paul declareth to the Galatians, which being borne of the virgins Mary, came of the seed of Abraham. Now i • christ had taken no flesh of Mary, howe could he have come of the seed of Abrahā. The Prophet Isaiah also saith, Behold a maiden shall cōceaue & bring forth a son, and his name shall be called Immanuel. Are not these words plain enough? Coulde this glorious virgins both have conceived and brought forth Christ, and yet Christ have takē no parte of her? This had been a merualous cōcepcion, and a wonderful • yrth, seeing that all the scriptures • yghte against it. But let us come •• the new Testament. S. John̄ in his Gospel saith: The word, mea • yng Christ, became flesh, & dwelte among us. As though he should say, The word, which is the son of God and the seconde parson in Trinite, toke flesh of the virgins Mary and became by that means very mā for our sake, and lived here among us on the earth, and wrought such things as was the will of his heavenly father. Mark that he saith, the word became flesh, that is, the son of God became very mā. How came this to pass, that he was not only God, but also very man. Verily in as much as he toke flesh of that most pure virgins Mary, thorough the wonderful operacion of the holy Ghoste. Saint Paul also saith, Christ also saith, Christ was begot̄ of the seed of David after y ^e fles • ▪ Here S. Paul confessethe y ^t Chri •• had flesh, and was very man and he toke this flesh of y ^e seed of David which was Mary the most pure vi •• gine. These words are open • nough for them that will • e. A like thing he writeth to Timothy, remember that Jesus Christ is risen agen frō death, of the seed of David. Behold howe he still maketh mention of the seed of David, because he would have us earnestly imprynte the humanity of Christ in our breasts, which he received of the virgins Mary. For he did afore se in y ^e spirit, that there should arise certain false Prophets which should labor to wreste out of our hearts this necessary article of Christ's humanity. To the Galatians also he writeth on this manner, whan the time was fulfilled, God sent his son borne of a woman, or rather as the Greke word • enomenon • oūdeath, begot̄ or made Christ by the wonderful and supernatural operacion of the holy Ghoste, was begotten & made man of the virgins Mary, yea and that without the seed of ony man. He only received his flesh and man he • of Mary, which God so working by his holy spirit was so pure, clean and undefiled, that there was no spot of uncleanness in her at all. And as Christ was begotten of God the father gods own son and very God from everlasting, yea and that without the company of ony womā, so was he begot̄, conceived, made, & borne very man of the most pure virgins Mary without the seed of ony mā, the holy Ghoste did so come upon her, and the power of the hyest overshadowed her. And as Christ received his godhead only of God the father, • o received he his manhed • only of the virgins Mary his mother. Wherof we may conclude the as Christ is very God of God the ••• there without a mother, so is he very man of Mary his mother without ony father. Therefore may h •• god • hed be as justly denied, as his 〈◊〉 and flesh taking of the blessed virgins Mary. But Christ abideth very God and very man, what so ever the wicked Heretykes bable in this behalf. I will rehearse another text of S. Paul to the Hebrews and make an end of this matter, He was tempted & made like to us in all things, sin alone except. If he were like unto us in all things, sin alone except, than followeth it that he had a body of flesh as we have, and that there was no difference, but that his most blessed body was without all sin, and our bodies are sinful. For he was borne wrapped in cloths, laid in a maunger, fed, circumcised, embrased in arms, grew, was made strong in y ^e spirit, profited in wisdom & age, hongred, thyrsted, wepte, was weary rejoiced, was moved w ^t wrath and indignaciō, sorowed, was heuy, sad, & at the last suffered the most spyteful death of the cross. Are not these very signs & manifest tokens of mā? Coulde he have done these things, if he had had either a fantastical body, or elles a body from heaven? Na verily, for what fantastical or heavenly thing hongreth, thyrstethe, wepeth sleepeth, rejoiceth. &c. which all Christ did. A little before his passhon was he not in such an agony, y ^t his sweat was like drops of blood tryckelynge down to the ground? Dyd he not so greatly fear death, that he desired his father to withdraw the cup of his pashon from him? Are not all these evident tokens of a very man, seeing his flesh so greatly feared death▪ Seyng than that he was very mā, whense had he this body, but of the most holy virgins Mary, thorough the meruelous operaciō of God's spirit? Cōfounded therefore be Manicheus, which deny the humani • e of Christ. Confoūded be Ualentius which affirmed that Christ brought his body withe him from heaven, & toke no flesh of the virgins Mary. Confounded be the Anabaptists, & so many as hold & maintain this wicked doctrine contrary to God's truth. For God was shown in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preched unto the Gentiles, believed on in the earth, and received up into glory.

Thus se you neyghboures, that Christ the gift of God, which bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared yea & that in the flesh, which he received of the most blessed and pure virgins Mary He appeared, say one S. John̄, that he might 〈◊〉 away our sins, & yet was there 〈…〉 in him. Agayne, for this cause appeared the sonne of God, that he might loosen the works of the devil, but of all theyse things ye have heard abundātly before, therefore will I go forth with youre new years gift. It followeth.

We heard before, that christ being borne of the virginne Mary, brought health and salvation to all men both Jew and Gentile. Here again S. Paul teachethe, what pleasure he hath done us more. He hath not only brought salvation to us, & by that means delivered us out of the miserable state, where w ^t we were detained before but he hath also taught us what we should do, that thorough our own faul •• we loose not agen y ^e dignity whi •• we have gotten thorough the free mercy of God. And in this behalf also are we much bound to this our gift. For what doth it profytte to have a treasure given us, & to loose it agen straight ways? Are we not much bound to them, which both give us treasures, and show us also, howe we may safelye keep them to our great pleasure and comfort? Howe much than are we endetted to our savior Christ, which hath not only given us the treasure of saluaciō which of all treasures is most excellent, but also taught us, howe we shall behave our selves, that we lose it not hereafter. But let us hear, what he hath taught us

I pray you speak on, for we desire greatly to hear it.

His doctrine is this That we should deny ungodliness and wordly lusts. We hear here none unwritten verites, nor the fansys of men, nor yet old wives fables and such things as edify not, but those things that have ben taught of Moses and the Prophettes many years before his coming, as we may se in the holy scriptures, therefore may they not be reject and cast a way. The old Ethnyckes harkened not more to the Oracles and answers of Apollo, than we ought to hearken & give ear to the doctrine of this gift of God Christ our sauyoure. For he is that Prophet, which God promised that he would raise up, and put his words into his mouth, so y ^t who so ever will not hear him, God will • be revenged of him. He is a master sent from God. He hath the words of everlasting life. He is the light of the world. Who so ever followeth him, walkethe not in darkness, but shall have the light of life▪ He is the way, truth, and life. He is y ^e God that cannot lie. He is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his works. We are commanded of god the father to hear him. The spirit of GOD is upon him, he is sent to preach merry tiding to the poor, that he might heal the broken in heart, preach deliverance to prysoners, and sight to the blind. He is that good shepherd, whose voice his sheep hear. And everyone that is of the truth, hearethe his voice. He is that Lord God, which techeth us profitable things, and governeth us in y ^e way, wherein we ought to walk. Seynge than that he is a Lord of such and so great authority, excellency & puyssaunce, seeing also he teacheth nothing but truth, again seeing he hath done so much for us, and tēdereth nothing more than our health and salvation, we were not only to much ingrate and unkind toward him, but also very enemies unto our selves, if we should not with all diligence apply our selves both to hear him, and also to follow & accōplysh such things as he teacheth us. Let us therefore hear, what he willeth us to do.

Whereas our English translacion hath, teacheth, the Greke word is Paideuousa.

What signifieth that I pray you?

It signifieth not only to teache, but so to instruct, inform, fashon▪ & teache, as scolemasters are wont to do their chyldrē, whom they found & received rude, gross, ignorant, and without all good knowledge both of learning & manners. Even such did our scolemaster and teacher Christ find us, all gross, all rude, all barbarous, all blind, all ignorant, all unlearned, all vnmannered and clean out of fashon. Howe could it otherwise be? We were darkness. We walked in the vanite of our mind, blinded in our understanding, being strangers from the life, which is in God thorough the ignorauns, that was in us, and the blyndenes of our hearts so that we gave over our selves unto wantonness, to work all manner of uncleanness with gredynes. For Satan the God of this world, had blinded our minds, that we should not believe, unless the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the Image of God, should shine unto us. But yet for all this our rudeness, ignorauncy & blindness, Christ that heavenly Doctor doth not disdain us. He is contented to receive us into his scole, & to become our scole master, so y ^t we will leave our wickedness and be contented to be reformed Oh what a gentle point is this of our savior Jesus christ not to disdain us for all our rudeness & ignorācy but joyfully to accept us, if we will follow y ^e trade of his scole. The comō saying is, an honest master loveth to have honest servants. Now who is more honest, pure godly, innocent and • autelesse, than this master Christ? It becometh thē his servants to practice & follow so nigh as they can, his manners. Therefore the first lessō that his scollers learn in his school, is to deny ungodliness & worldly lusts. They that entende not to do this, they are no fit scholars for such a scholemaster, though they brag never so much of his name, and call them selves Christians. For not everyone, saith unto me, Lord, Lord, saith Christ, shall enter into heaven, but he that doth the will of my father, which is in heaven. And I pray you mark, howe pretely and handsomely the Scripture speakethe.

As though it should say, although in times paste we have both followed and mayntened ungodliness, ydolatry, false worshippings of God, superstition, confidence in our own selves and works, and have lived after the lusts of the world and the flesh, yet now for as much as we are come into a new school, and have another school master & techer, which teacheth his scholars nothing but virtue, godliness, and all that ever is contrary to vice, it becomethe us to deny, forsake, yea & utterly to forswear all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and what so ever is contrary to the teaching of this our new scholemaster, and never to have to do w ^t them here after, but studiously and with all applicacion of mind to follow the doctrine of this our techer.

What is it to deny ungodliness?

To deny ungodliness is vttterly to forsake & to cast away all things, that should obscure, deface, or in ony point hynder the honor and glory of God. For who so ever will be Christ's scoler, he must first seek the glory of God above all things, as it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, & him only shalt thou serve.

which are they, that hynder the glory of God?

Ask ye which neighbor Eusebius, whan the world is altogether set on wickedness, as s. John̄ saith: They love the glory of men, more than the glory of GOD, as Christ saith. All seek their own, and not that, which is Jesus Christ's, saith S. Paul. What a sort of Idolaters are there in the world, which steal the honor from God & give it to creatures? What a number are fallen from Christ, some putting their trust in popish pardons, some in y ^e merits of other, some in their own works, some in the obseruaūces of men's traditions &c? What a company also is there, y ^t love worldly things, more then God? Howe doth the covetous man embrase and love his riches, so that it is not w ^t out a cause said of Christ, It is more easy for a cable rope to go thorough the eye of a nedle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God? How doth the glotonne make of his belly, and enfarse it with all kind of deynties? Howe doth the proud parsonne garnysh▪ himself and delight in precious ornamētes? Howe doth the ireful man set aside all charity and fear of God, & seek to be revenged? Agē, what a swarm of wicked parsons are there, which dishonor the name of our God by unlawful and abhominable oaths? What thing in earth do they leave vnsworne by? Yea what parte of y ^e most glorious body of our Sauyour Jesus Christ, whereby we received redemption and salvation, do they leave untouched with their to moche detestable oaths?

Why do not these wretches call this precept of God to their remēbrās, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy GOD in vain. For the Lord will not hold him gyltles, y ^t taketh his name in vain. The wis • man also saith, A man that vsethe much swearing, shall be filled with wickedness, and the plage, that is, y ^e vengeance of God shall not go away from his house. Furthermore what a flock is there, that hate the God's word, & so many as labor to promote and set it forth, calling them Heretykes, and fellows of the new learning? How little pleasure have these swynysh worldlings and volupteous bely gods ether to read the scriptures thē selves or to hear other? Yea I would there were not, which nether will read the most holy Bible thē selves, nor yet suffer with a glad mind other to read. Agaynst all such doth Christ thonder in the gospel, saying, Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, which have taken away y ^e key of knowledge, and speared the kingdom of heaven before men. Ye yourselves do not enter, nor yet sufferre them that come to enter. Do not all • these, think you, as I may let pass many other, greatly dishonor God and obscure his glory? These are no fytte scholars for Christ's school, except they repent and amend. Therefore, as I said unto you before, who so ever will be Christ's scholar, he must first seek the glory of God above all things. He must love god above all things ether in heaven or in earth, believe him to be his alone sauyoure, and ask and look for all good things of him alone. He must honor his name, and seek the glory thereof in all things that he doth Yea for the glory of this his God, he must be contented not only to b • stowe his goods, but his very life also, if the honor of God so requireth. He must love the word of god, as the alone treasure of his soul, study in it day and night, talk of it with other, exhor • e his christen brothers unto the reading of it, rejoice whan he se men have a pleasure in i • , and encourage them so to continue, & to follow that, which they read▪ They that do this, deny ungodliness, & unfeignedly seek the honor and glory of God.

I bes • ch god, that we all may have grace thu • to do

For as much as we walk not only before God but also before mē, therefore doth your new years gift, I mean Christ youre scholemaste • not only teache you to deny ungodliness, but also wordly lusts.

What meaneth he by that?

Even the very same that S. Paul doth writing to the Collossians▪ Mortify, saith he, youre members▪ which are on the earth, fornicacion uncleanness, unnatural lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is worshipping of Idols, for which things the wrath of God comethe on the childrē of unbelief. In which ye walked once, whē ye lived in thē. But now put ye also away from you all things, wrath, fearcenesse, malicioiusness, cursed speaking, filthy talk out of your mouths. Ly not one to another after y ^t ye hau • put of the old man with his works, and put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge after y ^e image of him that made him. Of these words may ye learn, what it is to deny worldly lusts. Verily to mortify all carnal affects, which strive against the spirit. For the flesh lustethe contrary to the spirit, and the spirit contrary to y ^e flesh. But they that pertain unto Christ, have crucified the flesh with the affects and lusts thereof. If ye live after y ^e flesh ye shall die. But if ye mortify the deeds of the body in the spirit, ye shall live. For who so ever are led with the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Here may ye se what pureness both of body & mind god requireth of us, seeing we may not so much as once noryssh a wordly & carnal lust in our hearts. How much less than, is it lawful for us to accomplysh them in deed, and to bring thē forth in external act? Hereto pertaineth the commandment, Thou shalt not couyt or lust. Our scholemaster also in the Sermon that he made in the mountain, saith, who so ever looketh on another man's wife, lustyng after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart. It is not w ^t out a cause y ^t Christ techeth us to deny worldly & fleshly lusts. For if the heart be not refrayned frō evil concupiscences, & kept clean, it is not possible, that we can either speak or do, ony thing at all that should • e good or godly. For of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. A good man out of y ^e good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that is good And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that is evil. Every tree is known by her fruit. Therefore must we above all things watch that no evil lust crepe into our hearts ether thorough the entys • meant of the flesh, or the flattering of y ^e world or yet the crafty suggestion of Satan. Be sober, saith S. Peter and watch. For your adversary the devil goeth about like a rorynge lyō, seakynge whom he may d • uoure. I • the heart be once corrupt with w • rldely lusts, than goeth all to havoc▪ as S. James saith: After y ^e lust hath conceived, she bryngethe forth • ynne, and sin whan i • is fynyshed, bryngethe forth death. Blyssed is that man, that can keep his ha •• e free from worldly lusts & unlawful desires. For he is a fytte scholar to be in Chri • tes school, yea it is an evident token that he hath learned with Christ already, & hath well profyted in godly knowledge. And that you may do this, set ever before the eyes of youre mind this saying of S. John̄: Love not the world, no • those things that 〈…〉 the world. If ony man louethe the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, as the concupiscence of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the life, is not of the father, but it is of the world. And the world passeth away, & the lust thereof. But he that doth the will of God, abydethe for evermore.

Is it not lawful for us to couytte & desire such things of y ^e world, as are necessary for our living?

To desire to have meat, drink & clothe, without y ^e which ye can not live in the world, it is lawful. Solomon and Jacob prayed for them unto God. Christ also in the Pater noster taught us to pray on this manner: Gyue us this day our daily bread. S. Paul also saith, If ony man doth not provide for his household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. Therefore is it lawful both to desire pray, and make provision for them, so that it be done in faith & of a single heart. For all the creatures of god are good, as the scripture saith God beheld all things that he had made, and they were very good. All things are pure to them y ^t are pure No thing is to be cast away, that is received with thanks giving. To desire these things, I say, yea and to have the use and possession of thē ye are not forbyddē, but to lust & desire worldly riches with a covetous and insatiable mind, that ye may join house to house, londe to lande & ferme to ferme, to desire to be revenged, when all vengeance pertaineth to God, as he saith, vengeance is mind, and I will reward, to lust after another man's wife, maid or servant, to desire and lust after deynty meats, that the flesh may be the more prone and ready to sin, this to do ye are forbydden, & if ye do it, ye are cursed of God, as y ^e Psalmograph saith, cursed be they that turn away from thy cōmaūdementes. Thus perceue ye, I trust what is meant by y ^e denying of worldly lusts.

We perceive it right well.

Seyng ye do so neyghboures, look ye be no forgetful herers, but diligent accomplyshers of such things, as ye know, unless youre knowledge turneth to your greater damnation▪ Mortify youre carnal affects and worldly lusts. Suffer none of them to crepe into your hearts▪ Ca •• to God for help without ceasynge, that ye may • e able thorough his grace to suppress all evil affects, concupiscences, lusts and de • yres▪ Kepe your heart so pure, y ^t nothing may come frō you but pureness, ve • tue, & godly innocence. Remember, that so many as are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized into his death. They are buried together w ^t him by baptism into death that as Christ was reysed up from death, thorough the glory of y ^e father, so they likewise should walk in a new life. If ye be risen again w ^t Christ, seek for those things that are above, where Christ is sitting on the right hand of GOD. Prouyde for those things y ^t are above and not upon the earth. For ye are dead, & your life is hyd with Christ in God▪ I • ye do these things, & follow the teaching of your scholemaster Christ, so that ye deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, than shall ye show yourselves to have ben good students in the school of Christ, and ye shall take forth a new less • , which here followethe.

What is that?

Even this.

Thys is a godly lesson.

Labor therefore the more diligently to remember it. Before ye herd, how ye must forsake syn, now ye are taught to practice vertu & godliness. For it is not enough to cease from doing evil, except we also do good, as the Psalmograph saith. Departe from evil, & do good Also y ^e Prophet▪ cease • to do evil, learn to do good Therefore as before we were taught to decline frō evil, so are we here monyshed to do good & to embrace virtue. And in this our lessō, which I now last rehearsed we are taught how to behave our selves both toward our selves, our neighbors & god in this world we must live soberly toward our selves, righteously toward our neighbors, & godly toward God▪ Here is y ^e hole lie • e of a christē mā, painted, described, & set forth in few words. To live so, y ^t we nether offend our selves, our neyghboures, nor God, is not this the whole sum of the christen religion? What is the duty of a christen man more to do?

what is it to live soberly?

The Greke word Sophronos soundethe on such manner, that to live soberlye, should seme to be, so purely, discretely, modestly, temperatly & lagely to institute our life, that our consciēs should never accuse us of ony evil, but testify with us, that we live & do all things godly. He that thus liveth, lyuethe soberly. For there is a certain sobriete so well in y ^e mind as in the body. There is also a certain dronckēnes so well in the mind as in the body. Lykewyse as the body is recoūted sober & in salve estate so longe as it is not distemperate w ^t the superfluite of meats and drynkes, so in like manner so long as the mind is not troubled with vicious affects but remain in her native purite, it is recounted sober. So y ^t we are here taught, not only to live soberlye, modestly and temperately concerning the body, but also the mind. For a christen mā must have a special respect to y ^e mind, which being drunken w ^t vices, what doth the sobriete of the body profytte? If I keep my body sober, & in never so good temperaunce, & my mind be drunken w ^t wrath, ire, contencion, desire of vengeance, whoredom, unclean thoughts, and such other carnal affects and worldly lusts, what doth it profit? Therefore as y ^e body is to be kept from drunk̄nes, so must the mind be from vices. Than shall we be truly sober, & live well toward our selves. But for as much as this time of Christmas men universally are most of all given to banckettyng, volupteous eating and drynkyng, so that y ^e christen sobriete & moderate temperaū • is forgotten with many, and glotony & dronckenshyp bear chief rule, therefore I desire you brothers by y ^e tender mercies of God, that ye live soberly, and beware of surfettynge and dronckeshyppe.

Use a sober and temperate dyette. Ouercharge not your stomachs w ^t to much eating and drynkynge. Let other glory in their Christmas banckettes, made for the bely, have you your whole reioysyng, pleasure, & delight in that meat, which perissheth not, but abydethe into everlasting life. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Be not drōcken with wyne, wherein is excess. Cast away the works of darkness, & put on the armoures of light. Walk honestly as in the day light, not in banckettyng and drunkenness,, not in chamburyng & wantonness, nor yet in strife & enuyeng, but put ye on y ^e Lord Jesus christ. Remēber that we live not to eat, but eat to live. And nature is contented with a little. What so ever is superfluous, is sinful and damnable. Remember that Adā and Heua did fall thorough glotony. Remēbe • that Nohe whan he was droncken, was uncovered in his Tente, & lay with his priuities bare. Remember that Loth being drunken committed incest with his own daughters Remember that whan the children of Israel had sat down to eat and drink, they fell straight weys unto Idolatry, & worshipped the gold̄ calf. Remember that Ammon the brother of Absalom was slain at a bancket, whan he was droncke. Remember y ^t Holofernes being drōke, was slain of an woman. Remēber that at a bancket, it was granted, that S. John̄ Baptist should loos • his head, & yet no cause why, but • little envy, & because he would tell y ^t king truth, wherw ^t y ^e flaterers y ^t were about hī could not away. Remēber that the rich gloton, which fared deyntely every day, was buried & thrown down into hell. Remēber that thoccasion of the wickedness of Sodom was pride, fullness of meat abundance & ydlenes. All these be terrible histories against glotony and dronckeshyp. Agayne what diseases come thereof? Howe many sorrows & troubles do they bring to man's body? Lette us hear what Solomon saith, Where is woe? Where is sorrow Where is strife? Wher is brawling? Where are wounds w ^t out a cause? Where be red eyes? Even among those, that be ever at the wyne, and seek out where the best is. Therefore keep no company with wyne bybbers and riotous eaters of flesh, for such as be dronckardes & riotous shall come to pouerte. Jesus y ^e son of Sirach also saith: Be not greedy in every eating, & be not to hastye upon all meats. For excess of meats bringeth syckenes, & glotony cometh at the last to an vnmesurabl • heat. Thorow glotony have ma •• perished, but he that die • e the him 〈◊〉 • ēpera • ely, prolongeth his life Therefore good neighbors, that w • may eschew all these great perels let us caste away all glotony & drō • kennes, live soberly, practice mod •• rate temperauns, & so embrace christen sobriete, that we may be sober both in body & mind. So shall we be the more able to do our duty toward our neighbors.

Truth it is. For he that cannot order him self well toward himself, shall evil do his duty toward his neighbor, I pray God give us grace first to look upon our selves, as we ought to do, & afterward to behave our selves toward our neighbors, a • it becometh us.

This is a godly desire. We are taught of Christ our scolemaster not only to live soberly, which concerneth our selves but also righteously, which to wecheth our neyghboures.

What is it to live right • usly?

To do to every mā as we are bound by y ^e commandment of God. For the office of righteousness is, to give everyone his own. This our lesson, that we should live righteously, comprehendethe all the seconde table of the ten commandments. For justice and righteousness requirethe, that we honor our father & mother, reverence thē, and do for them, what so ever lygheth in our power. It requirethe of us that we also have in honor all temporal magistrates & so many as be our superious. It requireth again, that we give to the ministers of God's word double honor, that is to say, both an hearty external reverence, and also all things that are necessary for their living, that their most godly exercyses may not be letted. It requireth that we slay no man, nor do no man no harm, but walk charitably toward all men, speak & report well of all men, help, comfort and socour thē, yea though they be our • extreme enemies, & seek our death. For the commandment of our scholemaster is this. Love your enemies, pray for thē that curse you, do good to them that hate you. &c. It requireth, that we commit none adultery but that every man have his own wife & every woman her own husbonde. It requirethe that we do no theafe, nor steal ony thing from our neighbor, nor brybe away his goods unjustly, nor deceue him in bargaynyng, but help him, maintain him, socour him, & do for him unto the vttrmoost of our power, y ^t he may want no good thing. It requireth that we bear no false witness against our neyghboures, nor obscure his good name, nor yet do ony thing at all, that may turn him to displeasure, but both think & speak of him gentylly, friendly & charitably, enterpretynge all things unto the best, and coueryng his faults, where there is hope of amēdmēt. It requireth of us, that we do not couyt our neyghboures house, wife, servant, handmayd, nor ony thing that is his, but that we wish well unto him & to all that he hath, being contented with that y ^e God hath given us, be it little or much. To be short, to live righteously, is to do unto other, as we would they should do unto us. He y ^t doth these things aforesaid, liveth righteously, & behaveth him self toward his neighbor, as he is bound by y ^e commandment of God.

Now have we learned our duty both toward our selves, & our neighbors Let it now be declared unto us, I pray you, how we ought to behave our selves toward God.

Christ our scholemaster techeth us not only to live soberly and righteously, but also godly.

What is it to live godly?

To live godly, is to believe that there is but one true & living God, to cleave unto him as the foūdaciō of all goodness, to look for all health & saluaciō at his hand, to love him with the whole mind, heart, power & soul, to call vpō his most blessed name, to praise him in all kind of fortune, to seek his glory above all things, & to serve him according to his word.

Blyssed is y ^e man, to whom it is given thus godly to live.

Neighbors now have ye learned y ^e whole trade of Christ's school, & what he techeth Hys doctrine is this, that ye should deny ungodliness & worldly concupiscēces, & that ye should live soberly, righteously & godly. Look therefore that ye follow this teaching & practice it in your daily cōuersacion, that ye may be found no forgetful hearers, but fervent doers of such things as ye have heard and learned. Deny ungodliness, and for sake all y ^t ever is contrary to God's honor, praise, worship and glory. Mortify youre carnal affects and wordly lusts. Become new men in your living. Awaye w ^t the works of darkness, & on with the fruits of the spirit. Put on the armoures of light, and cast away the works of darkness. Be no longer darkness, but light in the lord. Shyne in the world as great light. Glorify God in your body, & in youre spirit, which are God's. Lette youre light to shine before men, that they may se your good works, & glorify your father, which is in heaven. Lyue soberly, modestly, temperatly discretely & • agely toward yourselves. Do nothing, whereof your conscience may either condemn or accuse you. Lyue righteously toward youre neyghboure. Do none otherwise unto him, than ye would, he should do unto you. Lyue godly toward God. Seake his glory in all things, & worship him according to his word, & not after your blind fancy, & fleshly ymaginacion. Thus doing, ye shall show yourselves scholars not altogether unworthy such a scholemaster. But ye must note y ^t all these things must be done in this present world, as your new years gift hath. For this is the time of grace, favor, comfort and remissiō of sins, as God saith by the Prophet, I have heard the in a time accepted, & in y ^e day of salvation have I socoured the. Behold now is that well accepted time, behold now is y ^e day of salvation. Seake the Lord while he may be found. In this world there is time of mercy favor & grace. Here is it lawful to lament our sins. Here may we undoubted believe, trust & obtain remissiō of our sins. After this life there remaineth nothing, but ether everlasting pain or eternal glory, as S. Cyprian saith: Whā we go once out of this world, there is no more place of repentance, there is no more satisfaccion to be made. For life is here ether lost or gotten, here is provision made for eternal health with the worshipping of God and the 〈◊〉 of faith. Let no mā discorage him self because of the multitude of his sins, or by y ^e reasō y ^t he hath been so longe a sinner, thinking y ^t by this means he shall obtain health the less For so long as we are ī this world, there is no repentance to late. There is a way to obtain • auoure, and they that seek & understand the truth, shall soon come by it. Therefore in this world must we deny ungodliness & wordly lusts. In this world must we live soberly righteously and godly. So doing, we may with a good & free conscience do that which followeth.

I pray you let us hear, what it is.

A good servant needeth not to fear his masters coming. For in his absence he hath been faithful & diligent to do that thing, which his master willed him to do. Therefore may he lawfully even with joy & gladness loke for his masters return. So likewise a christen mā, that walketh in y ^e way of the Lord, & doth that, which he is appointed by the law of God, & seaketh above all things thaccomplyshment of his masters will, may with a free, glad and merry conscience look for the coming of Christ at the day of judgment, which shall be terrible to the wicked, but comfortable to the faithful. And verily so many as hope to be saved at y ^e great day, ought so to behave them selves in this world, that they may with • oye at all times look for it. And they ought to be so much the more diligent, seeing the time is vncerten whā it shall be. Of y ^e day & time, saith Christ, knoweth no man, no not the Angels, which are in heuē, nether the son himself, save only the father. Take hede, watch, & pray, for ye know not when y ^e time is. As a man, which is gone into a strange country, & hath left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to every man his work, & commanded the porter to watch. Watche therefore▪ for ye know not, whan the master of the house will come, whither at even, or at mydnyghte, whither at the cock crowyng, or in the dawninge, lease if he come suddenly should find you slepyng And that I say to you I say to all, watch.

It is to be noted, that the Scripture calleth y ^t a blessed hope, wherw ^t we hope and look for the glorious coming of our Lord & savior Jesus Christ unto the judgment. And not w ^t out a cause. For although a Christian man be never so greatly vexed in this world, yet whan he casteth the eyes of his faith upon that day, and hope the that Christ shall come & give him eternal glory according unto his faith, this maketh him blessed, joyful, quiet. & merry, and contented with a glad heart, patiently and thanckefully to bear, whatsoever cross God layeth on his back. We are saved thorough hope, saith S. Paul. Derely beloved, saith S. John̄, We are now y ^e sons of God, & it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. But we know that if he once appear, we shall be like unto him, for we shall se him, as he is. And everyone that hath this hope in him, purifieth him self, evē as he is pure. The hoope of saints is full of immortalite, saith the wise man. It followeth.

And the appearing • of the glory of the great god / and of our sauyoure Jesus Christ.

At Christ's coming into this world, he came altogether poorly. He was borne of a poor maid in a stable, wrapped in simple clowtes, and laid in a maunger among brute bestes. He was brought up homely, lived hardly, not having where once to reast his head. All the time of his life he was of such ignominy among the Bishops, Prestes, hed rulars, Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, that at the last they put him unto the most spytefull death of the cross, as a pestiferous malefa • toure, a deceyuer of the people, a techer of new learning, an enemy to our mother the holy church. &c. But whan he shall appear again, & come unto the judgment, his appearing shall be glorious, his coming shall be royal, victorious and triumphant. He shall not come humbly and simply, as a base person, but like a great and almyghty GOD, like a Lord full of all puyssaunce, mighty and power, terrible to the wicked, and amiable to the faithful. He shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, thā shall he sit upon the seat of his glory & there shall be gathered before him all nations. He shall show himself to be a great God, and such one as none is able to be compared unto him It shall well be known at that time that he was and is the true son of god & that very true Messias, which was promised of God by the Prophets, what so ever the wicked Jews say unto the contrary. Than shall it be manifest to all men, that y ^e gods of the Gentiles are dyuels, and that there is no other God, but this our God alone. Than shall they that are the adversaries of his truth, & enemies of his most holy Gospel know howe greatly they have erred, blasphemed y ^e divine verite, persecuted his faithful servants, maintained pernicious doctrine, yea than shall they receive a reward worthy their wickedness & tyranny. He shall show him self such a great God, that it shall lyghe in his power to give to y ^e faithful everlasting life, & to the wicked eternal dānaciō. Oh great is the Lord & worthy very much to be praised, & there is no ende of his greatness, saith the Psalmograph. Nedes must our Lord god be great, seeing he replenysheth both heaven and ear the withe the majesty of his glory. No place is there ony where, but that his power retchethe unto it. Heuen is my seat, & earth is my footstool, what house will ye bylde for me, saith y ^e Lord? or what place is it that I should rest in: Hath not my hand made all these thing? But it is to be noted y ^t Christ is not only called a great God, but also a savior ye & y ^e our savior. So y ^t at y ^e day of judgment he shall not only appere a great & mighty God to all men, but also a bounteous & merciful savior to the faithful, as S. Paul witnesseth, our conversation is in heaven, saith he, from whense we also look for a savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ, which shall change our vile bodies, that they may be fashoned like unto his glorious body according unto the working, whereby he is able to subdue all things unto him self. Agayne, whan Christ, which is our life, shall show him self, than shall ye also appere w ^t him in glory. Thys great god christ is our savior, and not Mary, Peter, James, Michael, Francis, Dominic, Austē, or ony other. He shall both sa • e and lede his people with • him into eternal glory. For as h • shall say to the wicked, Departe & go away frō me ye cursed into ever lastynge fire, which is prepared fo • the devil & his angels, so shall he faye to his faithful people: Come y • blessed children of my father, inherit the kingdom, which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world. O sweet saying more full of joy & comfort than it can be expressed.

Lord I beseech the for thy great mercies so to assyst us with thy holy spirit, that, we may so walk before the in this life accor • dynge to thy most holy word, y ^t w • may be found in y ^e noneber at that day of thy blessed children, to whom • of thy free grace shalt give y ^e most glorious inheritance.

Your de • syre is godly. Ye shall hear more of your new years gift, for it begynnethe to draw unto an ende.

I pray you, let us hear.

That there can be no savior for us but christ alone, these word is prove manifestly, for as much as none other but he only gave him self for us to redeem us from all unrighteousness. Was Paul crucified for us? Or were we baptized in y ^e name of Paul? What saint at ony time thought himself so pure, immaculate and without all spot of sin, that he durst presume to die for us, & to auouche his death to be an oblation & sacrifice for our sins to god the father except peradventure we will admytte for good payment these & such like blasphemies which were wont full solemly to be song in the temples unto y ^e great ignominy of y ^e glorious name of God, & the dishonoure of Christ's most precious blood. Jesus bone per Thomae merita, nostra nobis dimitte debita. Eta trina morte nos suscita. Agen, Jesus bone per Thomae uulnera, quae nos ligant, relaxas celera. Item, Thomae cedunt & parent omnia, Pestes, morbi, mors, & demonia, Ignis, aer, tellus & maria. Thomas mundū repleuit gloria. Mūdat lepra conspersos maculis, soluit mortis ligatos uinculis. I let pass many mo which are very easy to be searched & found out. What are, if these be not blasphemies? What obscure the price of Christ's death, if these wicked sentences do not? Ah Lord, what blyndenes occupied the world, whā such wicked doctrine crept in and was received into the church, and made in a manner of equal authority with the holy scripture? Oh Satan, great is thy craft, unsearchable is the suttelty of thy wicked imaginacions.

Here are some of us, which understand not the Latin tongue. English therefore the aforesaid sentences.

I will do it in order. O good Jesus, forgive us our dettes thorough the merits of Thomas. And reyse us up from the threefold death. O good Jesus, release us of our sins, which bind us, thorough Thomas wounds. All things give place and obey Thomas, Pestilences, diseses, death & dyuels, Fire, air, earth & the sees. Thomas filled the world full of glory. He maketh clean lepers. He losoneth them that are bound, from the bonds of death. Howe say ye to this gear? Is it not good stuff?

Let God be but a little merciful unto me, if I have ether heard or read more pestilent & abhominable blasphemies, thā these are. Is this ony other, thā as Lucifer said, I will clyme up in to heaven, & make my seat above the stars of God, I will sytte upon y ^e glorious mount toward the North. I will clyme up above the clouds, and will be like the hygheste of all? Is not this the office of God to forgive us our dettes for the merits of Christ? Doth it not pertain unto God to reyse us up from death? Are not our sins only released for Christ's wounds sake? Is not all power given unto Christ both in heaven and in earth? Are not all things in the hand of God, to do withe them what so ever his most godly pleasure shall be? Is it not God alone that losoneth the sinful from y ^e bonds of death? Howe than can these things be justly ascribed to a mortal creature begotten, conceived & borne in sin, yea & as some judge of him, & Tratour both to God and his Prince? Is a sinner fit to pay a sinners raūsome? Is a Traytou • a convenient parson to make meās for another Traytour unto a king whom both of them have offended? What Prince can away with the sight of thē?

Ye say truth. It therefore followeth well y ^t nether Thomas, Francis, Dominic, Austē, nor any other creature nether in heaven nor in earth, were they never so holy, & suffered they never so great pains, could be our savior, but christ alone y ^e pure & inmaculate lābe of God, which gave himself for us, as your new years gift saith, to redeem us from all unrighteousness. Marcke that he saith,

which gave him self for us. These words express the vnspeakeble kyndenes of Christ toward us, seeing that whan we had deserved no such gentylnes, he was contented to come down from the glory of his father, and to become man for our sake, yea & to give himself unto the death to reconcyle us unto God the father, and to make an atonement between hī & us. He gave him self for us. He suffered death willingly. It was not the violence of the Jews, that drew him unto his passion, but his own voluntary will. The servant & brennyng love, that he had in his breast toward mankind caused him to take the death upon him, and to suffer those most cruel pains. So that he did all things willingly, as the Prophet saith. He was offered, because it was his pleasure and he did not once opē his mouth. Christ himselfe also saith, Therefore doth my father love me, b • cause I put my life from me, that I might take it again. No man takethe it from me, but I put it away of myself. I have power to put it from me, and have power to take it again. Thus se we y ^t Christ without ony compulsion suffered death for our sake. He gave himself and no Angel, nor ony other creature nether in heaven nor in earth, for us, for us, I say, men, although never so grievous sinners, if we repent, believe & amende. O most precious & incomparable gy • te. There is one god, saith S. Paul, and one atonement maker of God and mē, even the man Christ Jesus, which gave himself a raūsome for all mē. Christ gave himselfe for us. wherefor? To redeem us frō all unrighteousness.

What is it to redeem us?

To redeem us is to bye us again, whā we are lost, to pay our ransom, to satisfy for our syn to deliver us out of captivity, to bring us home again to our true owner, to restore us to our old liberty, to set us again in that favor, wherein we were with God y ^e father, before we offended. All this hath Christ, and none other, done for us, by his most precious blood, the sheddynge of his blood, was the perfect and wholly sufficient ransom for all our sins, as S. John̄ saith: The blood of Jesus Christ maketh us clean from all sin. By his own blood, saith S. Paul, entered Christ once for all into the holy place, and found everlasting redemcion. Agayne, we are made holy by y ^e oblation of the body of Jesus christ done once for all. Itē, by christ have we redēcion, & by his blood remissiō & forgyuenes of our sins. By the blood of Christ's cross are all things pacifyed & set at a stay, y ^t ether be in earth or in heaven.

Hathe Christ by his blood redeemed us frō all vnryghteousnes?

Yea verily

Let me ask you one question, what do ye understand by unrighteousness?

Unrighteusnes is here taken for sin, and for all that we offend God w ^t . From all this hath Christ redeemed us.

I have herd some say that Christ only redeemed us frō original sin, & that as for all other sins we must make amēdes & • atisfy for them our selves by our own works and merits.

This is not far frō their opinion, which hold that there is no remission of those sins, that be committed after baptism. But as that is an heresy, so is this no godly doctrine. Of the remissiō of sin after baptism we talked the last Lent abundātly in our Potaciō, therefore leaving that, I will show & prove now unto you that Christ hath redeemed us from all unrighteousness, as your new years gift saith, and that by his blood we are delivered not only from original sin, but also actual, veneall, mortal, call thē by what name ye will, so that they which offend, repent, believe & take a new life vpō them. Only y ^e sin against the holy Ghost, which hath desperaciō & obstinate malice to her cōpagnions, is irremissible & never forgivē, for as much as it excludeth repentance, faith & amendment of life, as Christ witnessethe, Euerye sin & blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And who so ever shall speak a word against the son of man, it shall be forgiven him. But he y ^t speaketh against the holy Ghoste, it shall not be forgiven him, nether in this world, nor in y ^e world to come. Agē, Al sins shall be forgivē to mennes chyldrē, and blasphemies, wherwythe so ever they blaspheme. But he that blasphemeth the holy Ghost, shall never have forgyuenes, but is gyltye to everlasting damnation. Thys is the sin, which S. John̄ calleth the sin unto death, for the which he would that no man should pray. Of these words it is evident that all sins shall be forgiven mē if they repent, believe & amend, besides the sin against the holy ghost But now let us se by what means these sins are forgivē. Whyther for our deeds & merits, or for Christ's bloudes sake, and so shall we easily perceive, whither Christ by his death hath delivered us only from original sin, or rather from all other universally

This is it that we would gladly hear.

By the Prophet Isaiah Christ speakethe on this manner, I am he, I am he, which put away thine vnrighteousnesses yea and that for mine own sake, & I will remember thy sins no more. Mark that he saith, vnrighteousnesses and sins in the plural noneber, because no man should pycke a cauilacion and say, y ^e Christ only putteth away one offense, which is y ^e original sin. S. Paul in our new years gift saith, Christ gave him self to redeem us from all unrighteousness. And by the Prophet Christ saith, y ^t he putteth away our vnryghteousnesses and sins. Is it not all one? Do they not tell both one tale? So se we that it is no new doctrine to say, that Christ putteth away all our sins both original, actual, veneall, mortal. &c. They that affirm the contrary derogate not a little the virtue & glory of Christ's death, and are very they, whom S. Paul callethe, the enemies of y ^e cross of Christ, whole ende damnation is, whose God their belly is. &c. These are those false Prophettes & lyeng techers, which, as Peter prophesied, should come, & priuyly bring in damnable sects, denyeng y ^e Lord which bought them Are not they very enemies of Christ's cross, and do not they utterly deny Christ, which teache, that Christ by his pashyon, blood and death did only put away but one sin? And that for those, which we commyt after baptism, we our selves must satisfy & make amēdes, so that for them there is no remissiō and forgyuenes to be asked of God the father for Jesus Christis sake? What ony other thing is this than to make our selves equal with Christ, yea to exalt our selves above Christ, & to hold that our good deeds & merits be of greater price & more value, than the death & blood of christ? For this doctrine I grant teacheth that Christ is a sauyoure, but yet that he saveth only frō original sin, which we received of our first father Adā, so that by him we are delivered but from one syn. It techeth again, that we our selves are saviors, for as much as we save our selves thorough our good deeds and merits from all those sins, which we commit after baptism Now let us se, whither Christ be the better savior or we our selves & whither there is more saluaciō in the death of Christ, or in our good works. Christ by his death sauethe only from one sin, which is orig •• nal. We save our selves from ma • and innumerable sins (for seven times in a day sinneth the righteous) which we commyt after baptism. Ergo we are better saviors than Christ, and there is more virtue of salvation in our works, thā in the blood and death of Christ: So that Christ is but a quarter savior and we make up the whole. O pernicious and dyuellyshe doctrine. Who hath ever opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against the most highest, if they do it not, which maintain this wicked & damnable doctrine? But let us hear mo scriptures. Isaiah the Prophet saith, unfeignedly he, that is to say Christ, hath taken upon him our syckenesses, & borne our sorrows. Agayne, he was wounded for our wyckednesses, and broken for our mischievous and ungracious acts. Behold howe universally the scripture speaketh, our syckenesses, sorrows, wyckednesses, myscheuous and ungracious acts. Are all these but one sin? If they be many, ergo Christ delivered us from many. If he delivered us frō many, ergo not from original sin alone. To what poyn • e are the authors of this wicked doctrine become now? with what eyes do these Owls and blind Andabates look upon the holy scriptures? w ^t what spirit do they search the mysteries of God? Let us hear what y ^e Psalmograph saith: Praise ye the lord O my soul, and all that is within me, praise his holy name. Praise y ^e Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Which forgyueth all thy sins, and healeth all thine infirmities. Which saveth thy life frō destruction, & crowneth the in mercy and loving kindness. David here bosteth not him self of his good deeds, nether cleueth he unto them as the Authors of his saluaciō, but he falleth unto the praise of the Lord & magnifieth him for his benefits confessyng y ^t what so ever he hath, being ether good or godly, cometh of God and not of him self, & therefore is he worthy all praise, honor & glory. He acknowledgeth that god forgyueth him all his sins, & healeth all his infirmities. Where is ony excepcion here I pray you? God forgyueth all, what remaineth thā behind to be forgiven? Is original sin only now forgiven thorough Christ? Moreover he saith, y ^t God saveth his life from destrucciō, and crowneth him in mercy and loving kindness. Are not these words plain enough? He granteth y ^t god preserveth hī frō dāpnaciō, agen y ^t God crowneth hī y ^t is to say, giveth him eternal glory even of his own free mercy and tender goodness. What would we have more? God forgyueth us all our sins, healeth all our infirmities, saveth our life frō destruction, crowneth us in marcye and loving kyndenes, what can he do more to show himself a savior, and that there is none that sauethe from sins, be they original, actual, venial or mortal, but he alone?

He is twice unkind to God & his son Christ, that cannot broke these things.

Ye say truth, but let us come unto y ^e new Testament. Whan Gabriel came unto the most blessed virgins Mary, & shown her, that she should cōceaue thorough the operacion of y ^e holy Ghost, and bring forth Christ y ^e true Messias, and annointed king, which was so longe looked for, among all other things he said to Joseph, a •• ter that Mary was perceived to be with child, & he minded to go from her privily: Joseph the son of Da • uid, fear not to take mary thy wife unto the, for that which is cōceaued in her, cometh of the holy Ghoste. She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS. For he shall save his people from their sins. Here are two notable things to be marked. One is, that christ is called JESUS. which, as ye heard before, is by interpretation, a savior. Another is y ^t it is he y ^t saveth his people frō their sins. Hys name declareth him manifestly to be a savior. And because no man should think, that Christ is called a savior only, because he saveth us from the danger of the original sin, therefore the Angel speakethe here in the plurell noneber, and saith, that he shall save his people from their sins, and not frō their sin original alone. If Christ saveth us frō sins, ergo he sauethe us from mo sins than one. S, John̄ Baptist also appoyntynge Christ with his • ynger, said: Behold that lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of y ^e world.

This text among other have I heard rehearsed for y ^e establyshmēt of this opinion, y ^t christ redeemed us only from original syn.

There is no text that maketh more against it. But we will ponder every word of this sentence. Fyrst s. John̄ saith, Behold, whereby he declareth that he will show a new, strange & wonderful thing. Was not this a thing both strange and to be woēdered at, to se one in so vile fashō, so beggarly appareled, so of no substance, having so slender a garde to wait upon him, and so little worship, honor and reverence shown unto him, to be the savior of the world, & very him, that should reign over all nations and kyngedoms? This was a strange thy • g to the gross Jews and fy • e Pharisees, which thought that he ••• ulde come into the world w ^t great pōpe & glory, subduynge other naciōs to them by martial armoures, & even by strong hand and mighty power whan not withstanding the scripture saith, Tell ye the daughter of Syō, behold thy king cometh unto the, meek & sytting on an asse. &c. Therefore I think S. John̄ might say unto them, Behold, twice, or they would hearken unto him once in such a case, or at the leest believe him. But let us se, what S. John̄ entēdeath to show us. Behold, saith he, that lamb of God. By these words, y ^e lamb of God, he setteth forth very much the dignity of Christ, & showeth that there is a special respect to be had unto him, and that we ought to cast our eyes upon him as our alone savior, & upon none other. For he is that lamb of God, which was prefigured by the Paschal lābe, w ^t whose blood they y ^t are sprynkeled, are safe & w ^t out all ieoperdy of sleyng. The other lamb was taken out of the flock, but this lamb is the lamb of God, given us of god to be a sacrifice for our sins, to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctificacion & redēpcion. It followeth, which taketh away the syn of the world. Christ is that lamb of God, which taketh away y ^e sin of the world. The blood of Christ maketh us clean from all sin. By the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ done once for all, are we sanctified & made holy. But note, y ^t S. John̄ saith, which taketh away. He vsethe here the present tense, and not the preter nor yette the future, which he declarethe that the virtue of Christ's death abydethe everyone, and that it is of as much strength now, as ever it was, & that by it our sins are daily forgivē, no less than they were at the very hour of his death, whā our raūsome was paid. For his blood crieth not for vēgeaūce, as the blood of Abel, but for grace, mercy, favor, and y ^e dignity of it is so great, that it is never said nay, but obtayneth what so ever it askethe, so that, as s. John̄ saith, Christ that pure and immaculate lamb of God doth still daily & continually take away. What? verily the sin of the world. Now if Christ taketh away sin daily & continually, so followeth it well, that he taketh away mo sins thā the original sin.

They that allege this sentence for their purpose, stycke very much to this, y ^t S. John̄ namethe the sin of the world, and not sins, so that he seemeth to speak of one syn only, which say they, is original syn. And thus do they conclude that Christ taketh away only the sin original.

A wise conclusion & a praty. They conclude, before they have made their argument aryghte. That S. John̄ saith, sin, hynderethe nothing our purpose, if it be truly understand. For by this word, sin, doth S. John̄ understand the whole lōpe of sin, that is in the world, whither it be that, which we committed in Adam, or elles those, which after our baptism thorough the raging carnal affects, that are in us, we cōmyt in thought, word or deed. All this whole lōpe of sin, that is to say, all that ever is contained under this word, sin, or yet pertaynethe unto sin, doth Christ y ^e lābe of God at all times take away. What authority of the scripture cā be recited more open & evident against thē?

Ye say truth. But let us hear mo scriptures, that we may be thoroughly satisfied in this point

Whan Christ hanging upon y ^e cross had paid a sufficient raūsome for our sins by the sheddynge of his most precious blood, he cōmendethe his spirit into the hands of his heavenly father, and bowynge down his head, said, Tetelestai, that is to say, every thing is now consūmate, perfect and fully fynished. The sacrifice for sin is offered, & a plentefull ransom is paid, so y ^t now all sacrifices, all oblacions for sin cease. This one sacrifice, this one oblation, which I have made upon the altare of the cross, fynyssheth & maketh perfect all things, so that there remaineth after this none other sacrifice for ony kind of sin. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Paul, Christ our Bishop abideth forever, & hath an everlasting prestehode, so that he is able to save even at the full, them that come unto God by him, ever living, that he may make intercessiō for us. Agen Christ by his own blood entered into the holy place once for all, & found everlasting redemcion. Item, with one oblation hath Christ made thē consūmate & perfect for evermore, that are sāctifyed. Thus se we, that all things are thoroughly fynyshed, made consummate and perfect by Christ, so that there is no more sacrifice for sin lea • te behind to put away sin, but if we will have remissiō of our wyckednesses, we must run with the fete of our mind to that sacrifice, which Christ offered once for all vpō the altare of y ^e cross, that he might put syn to flyght for evermore. Now if Christ had put away only original sin by his death, thā had he not made all things perfect. For he had left mo sins vnforgyuen, than were forgivē by his death. Howe great and infinite is the number of those sins, which we commit after baptism in comparison of this one original syn? This were but a slender consummacion & making perfect, so to leave us in mo sins, thā we ware found. But Christ saveth at the full. He maketh thē perfect for evermore, that are sanctified. The virtue of Christ's sacrifice is so great & of so much dignity before God the father, that it lastethe ever in full strength to put away sin, yea and that not only before, but also after baptism.

Let us here, what s. Paul saith to this matter.

Paul as a good & faithful servant doth agre with his master, ye may be sure. Notw ^t standing I will give you a taste of his doctrine concerning this matter.

Lette it so be, I pray you▪ To the Romans he saith on this manner: God setteth forth his love toward us, in that Christ died for us whan we were yet sinners. Muche more than shall we be sauedde from wrath by him, seeing we are now made righteous thorough his blood. For if we were reconciled unto god by the death of his son, whan we were yet enemies, much more shall we be saved by him now that we are reconciled. Here S. Paul proveth, y ^t as we are reconciled to God the father by the death of his son Christ, so are we also by him saved from all wrath and displeasure that should fall upon us. Are not these words plain enough? At baptism we are purged thorough Christ's blood from original syn & all other, that we have committed before, so y ^t we are reconciled to God, & recoūted for righteous. Now by Christ also are we preserved from the wrath of God, which we deserve thorough the wickedness, which we do after baptism. Hereof than may we gather that Christ is not only a savior unto us before, but also after baptism. So may we conclude, that by Christ's death we are not only redeemed from original sin, but also from all other, by what so ever names they be called. Agayne he saith it is not with the gift as with the sin. For if thorough the syn of one, many be dead, yet much more plenteously came the grace and gift of God upon many by the favor that belonged unto one mā Jesus christ. And the gift is not only over one sin, as death came thorough one sin, of one that sinned. For the judgment came of one sin unto condemnacion, but the gift, to justify frō many sins. Do not these words evidently show, y ^t by Christ we are justified & made ryghteouse from many sins? If from many sins, than not from one sin alone. Agen to the Corinchians, first of all I delivered unto you y ^t , which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to y ^e scriptures. Mark that S. Paul saith, for our sins, & not for our sin, wherewith we all offended in Adā. To the Collossians also he writeth on this manner: By Christ we have redēcion & by his blood remission of sines. Note, by Christ's blood we have remissiō of sins, not only original, but also actual, mortal, veneall, &c. and not by the works, wich we do after baptism as though it lay in our power to fulfill the law, to satisfy the will of God, to apease y ^e divine wrath, & to obtain everlasting life. For all these things chance unto us by Christ, & are obtained for us by Christ's death, & not by ony works or merits of mā as S. Paul saith, if righteousness cometh by the law, thā died Christ in vain. Igen, we know that mā is not justified by the works of the law, but by y ^e faith of Jesus christ, & we believe in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, & not by the works of y ^e law because that no man shall be justified by the works of the law. Item, ye are gone quite frō Christ, as many of you as will be made righteous by the law, yea ye are fallen from grace. Again in another place, they not knowing the righteousness of God, & laboring to establysh their own righteousness, were not obedient to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the perfeccion of the law unto iustificaciō for everyone that believeth. Once again, if salvation cometh of grace, than is it not o • works, elles were grace, no grace. But if it come of works, than is grace nothing. All these sentences teache us, that we are delivered frō all our sins by Christ & his righteousness, & not by our own works and deseruynges.

Moreover S. Paul saith, whā ye were dead thorough sins, & the vncircūcision of the flesh, God quickened you with christ, & forgave us all our sins, & put out the handewrytyng, that was against us contained in the law written, & that hath he taken out of the way, and fastened it to the cross, & hath spoiled rule and power, and hath made a show of them openly, & triumphed over them in his own person. God hath forgiven us all our sins, thorough christ, saith S. Paul here. Where is ony excepcion? If there be mo sins, than the original sin as there are, them also hath God the father forgiven us thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. To the Hebrews again he wrytethe, Christ in his own parson pourged our sins, & is set on the righte hand of the majesty on high. Frō our sins hath Christ made us clean, and not from one sin only. Christ was offered once for all to take away the sin of many. All shall not be saved, for all not believe, but many shall be saved, & they have not only original sin, but also all their other sins takē away by Christ. Agē, every pressed is ready daily ministrīg, & oftentimes offereth onemāner of of • erīges, which can never take away sin. But this man Christ, whā he had offered for • ynnes one sacrifice, which is of value forever, satte him down on the right hand of God, & from hense forth taryeth till his foes be made his footstool. For with one of • ring hath he made perfect for evermore, them that are sanctified. S. Paul here compareth Christ the everlasting Bishop & priest, with the priests of the old law. He showeth that they offered sacrifices daily, & yet could they never put away sin by thē. No marvel for they were only shadows of good things to come. But this our hed priest Christ hath offered but one sacrifice, not for the original sin only, but for sins saith he, & yet is it of so great vertu and strength, that it is of value forever, the power of it never decayeth it abideth in full strength • so longe as ony sin remaineth, so that it needeth not often̄ times to be offered, as the sacrifices of y ^e old law were. For withe this one sacrifice, which was the oblation of his body, hath he made them forever so perfect, y ^e are sanctified, that they need none other sacrifice to make them holy & acceptable in the sight of God. All that have had their sins forgivē thē from the beginning of y ^e world until this day, or shall have unto the ende of the world, have had, and shall have all their sins forgivē thē thorough this one sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And that ye may know this to be true, consyther this one thing, that I shall now say unto you. Who was more faithful thā Abrahā, more dearly beloved w ^t God than David, more holy than John̄ Baptist? Yet could nether they, nor none other enter into heavē, until Christ had suffered his pashon, and offered his body a sweet smellyng sacrifice for us unto God the father

Thus have I opened unto you y ^e mind of S. Paul concerning this matter.

Hys saȳges prove manifestly, y ^t we are redeemed by Christ not only from original sin, but also from all other▪

You say truth. Well ye shall hear now y ^e minds of the other Apostles. S. Peter saith, christ his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree, that we being delivered from sins, should live unto righteousness. Note how Peter agreeth in every point with his fellow Paul. He styffely affyrmeth that christ his own self, and none other, bare our sins in his body, & not our original sin alone. By his strypes we were made so whole, that there remained not so much as a scar of all our sores, botches & wounds. S. John̄ also saith, the blood of Jesus Christ maketh us thoroughly clean, yea & tha • from all sin. Can ony thing be spokē more generally? If the blood of Jesus christ maketh us clean frō all syn, what remaineth there behind, I pray you? So followethe it that both the sin original, actual, mortal, veneall, & what not, is washed away by Christ's blood. Agayne, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to make us clean from all wickedness. This one text alone of S. John̄ is able to subuerte, ouertople and throw down all the byldynge, shores and props, wherewith these sleyghtye daubers uphold their enterprises. If we confess our sins, saith he. If which we? if we that profess the christen religiō, and yet thorough our fragilite and weakness of nature have offended God after our baptism contrary to our vow and promise made thereat, if we, I say after that we have fallen, confess our sins, God is faithful and ryghteo{us}, what to do? to forgive us our sins. Note our sins, & to make us clean from all unrighteousness: What sin is it than, I pray you from the which he doth not make us clean? This sentence must needs be vnderstonde of thē, which offend after baptism. Now saith s. John̄ although we sin after baptism, yet let us not despair, but rather repent, bewail our sinful living detest our wicked manners, turn unto God, & confess our sins unto him. If we do this, doubt we not but y ^e God, which is faithful in performyng his promise (he hath promised them that come unto him w ^t a faithful and repentaūt heart, remissiō of their sins) & righteous in forgyuyng the penitent & sorrowful sinner, & in condemnynge the wicked, which continue in his ungodliness without ony confession of his fault and amendment of life, will forgive us our sins, yea & make us clean from all unrighteousness. These words prove manifestly, that God forgyueth our sins after baptism, if we repent, confess, and amende. Wherof comethe this? of the merits of our works, or rather of the free grace & mere mercy of God, purchased for us by Jesus Christ, for whose sake the wrath of God the father is pacified, and he is well pleased & fully contented w ^t mā? Verily for Christ's sake doth God show to us this excedīg & great mercy in forgiuyng us our sins, whē so ever we call unto him, wi • h a contrite & sorrowful heart, as S. John̄ proveth by the words that follow: My little childrē, I write these things unto you, y ^t ye should not sin. And if ony man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ that righteous one. And he is that sacrifice, which apeaseth gods wrath & satisfieth (so soundethe the Greke word Hilasmos ) for our sins, not for our sins only, but for all y ^e worlds. As though he should say: My little chyldrē, I have declared unto you, that although we syn after baptism contrary to our professiō, yet that there is grace, favor, mercy, & forgyuenes of sins laid up for us in store, if that we repent, confess our faults, & intend unfeignedly to amende our lives. I have not done this to engraffe in you a vain hoope, & to encourage you to have y ^e more pleasure & to remain ī your old wickedness, but I write these things unto you, y ^t ye should not sin. I have set forth the kindness of God toward you, y ^t ye should endeavor youre selves to live worthy of it. But for as much as there liveth no man in this world, which sinneth not, & seeing we can not walk so purely, but y ^t at sometime we must needs fall, therefore because ye should not despair, but be assuredly persuaded, that there remaineth health for you with the Lord god: I certefy you, that we have one which is our advocate with the father, which pleateth our matter before the throne of the divine majesty which is ready to help us, which ceaseth not making intercession for us, until he be heard, and this is, not such one, as hath also offended, but Ies{us} christ y ^t righteo{us} one, which is godly innocent, undefiled, pure, clean, fautles, immaculate, & so w ^t out all spot of vice, that even for his own dignity, worthiness & innocency, he is worthy to obtain what so ever he asketh. And I say moreover v • to you, y ^t not our own works, nor y ^e merits of other, but that righteous one Christ, is that very sacrifice, which apeseth God's wrath whom we have provoked unto anger with the sins, which we do comitte after Baptism, and satisfieth for our sins. Yea he makteh not only a sufficient & plenteous amends for our sins, but also for all y ^e whole worlds, I mean so many as repent them of there wicked living, confess there faults, believe, desire forgyuenes, and labor to lead a new life, what will we have more? Doth not S. John̄ declare here evidently y ^t our sins, whā so ever they be committed or done are forgivē us of god thorough Ies{us} Christ, which is our advocate, and that sacrifice, which apeaseth god the fathers wrath, & plenteously satisfieth for our sins? So doth it than manifestly appear, that christ hath not only redeemed us & satisfied to God y ^e father for original syn, but also frō all other. But let us yet hear more, what he saith. I write unto you little children, that youre sins are forgiven for his names sake. Ergo our sins, and not one sin alone, are forgivē us, not for our own works & merits, but for Christ's name, that is to say, for y ^e dignity, worthiness, excellency, merits and deseruynges of Christ. Agē, In this thing appeared the love of God toward us, that he sent his only begotten son into the world that we should live thorough him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be a sacrifice both to appease his wrath and to satisfy for our sins. what do I? Paper, yncke pen, and time shall first want unto me, than I shall may be able to rehearse all the testimonies, wherewith it is euidentely proved, that Christ hath not only by his most blessed & precious blood redeemed us frō original syn, as some wickedly dream but also from all other, by what so ever name they be called, the sin of the holy Ghoste excepted, & that whan so ever we repent, believe and amende God the father forgyuethe us also those sins, which we commit after baptism, not for our own deeds, works and merits, which be more impure, than they may be able to stonde in the sight of God, which is a consumyng fire, a jealous God, great in strength, judgment and righteousness, and with whom there is none innocente, but for the sweet smellyng sacrifice, which Jesus Christ his well-beloved son offered for our sins vpō the altare of the cross once for all, whose vertu and strength abideth so perfect for evermore, that by it the sins of so many as with a truly faithful and repentaunte heart come unto God, are forgiven, forgotten, and neuermore remembered. And thus se you that Christ is a perfect Savior, which, as youre new years gift saith, hath by his blood redeemed us from all unrighteousness, that is to say, from all sin both original, actual, mortal, veneall. &c. yea and y ^t not only before but also after baptism. So that as S. Peter saith, there is saluaciō in none other, but only ī Christ Jesus. Nether is there ony other name givē to men under heaven, wherein we must be saved.

We have now heard it evidently proved by the holy scriptures, y ^t we thorough Christ are delivered frō all sin, both original, actual, mortal, venial. &c. So that all y ^e whole glory of our salvation is to be givē and ascribed unto God alone, as he saith by the Prophet, O Israel thy destrucciō cometh of thyself, but thy health and salvation cometh only of me. This thing maketh all saints and y ^e truly faithful to say, not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name give y ^e glory for thy merci & truths sake.

Well, thus have ye heard grossly and rudely, but yet faithfully and truly uttered of me, what the holy scriptures do determine concerning the remission of sins by Christ, and that by him we are not only delivered from original syn, as some wickedly dream but also from all other, by whatsoever name they be called. Now because ye shall not think y ^t I wreste the scriptures, whom all mē ought to handle reverently and incorruptly, I will rehearse a saying or two unto you of the Doctors. Hylichius saith: Not one sin only, but many are forgiven us thorough the sacrifice of Christ, which is the only begotten son of God. If not one syn only, but many are forgiven us thorough the sacrifice of Christ, it followeth than that by Christ's death we are not only redeemed from original sin, but also from all other. Hereto agreeth the saying of saint Ambrose, The grace of God thorough Christ hath justified men not from one sin alone, but from many, by giving them remission of sins. Not from one sin only, saith S. Ambrose, hath God of his grace thorough Christ justified, and made us righteous, but from many, by giving us remission of sins. Now gather who lust. The words are plain enough. But I will rehearse S. Agustine, one of the best among y ^e ancient Doctors, and most faithful expositour of y ^e holy scriptures. S. Agustine wrytyng against y ^e Pelagians & Manicheys, hath on this manner, what is this to say, of one fault unto condemnaciō, but y ^e fault wherw ^t Adā offended? And what is it to say, from many faults to justification, but that the grace of Christ hath not only loosoned that fault, wherewith infantes be bound, which had their beginning of that one man, but also many faults, which after y ^e men come to age, they add and put unto it thorough their evil manners. Here saith saint Agustine plainly, that the grace of christ hath not only losoned, delivered & made us free from original sin, wherewith we all offended in Adam, but also from all other, which we afterward commit, as we grow in age. I could rehearse many mo authorities both of this Doctor and other, which maynly fortify this matter, but because I will not be tedious unto you, I let them pass, trusting that with these aforsayd ye are fully satisfied.

Yea verily neighbor Philemon, or elles our hearts were more then twice stony.

Although this ungodly doctrine be raised up now agen in this our time of the Anabaptists, yet hath it had always fautoures and maynteners longe before our days, in so much as we rede, that a certain man called Peter Abelharde was counted for an Heretyke and compelled of saint Bernard to recant in the council of Senon▪ because he taught this & such like things. If his doctrine had been godly and agreeable to the holy scriptures, he had never ben so handled. Alas good neyghboures, what are we of our selves, y ^t we dare so depress and thrust down y ^e death of Christ, and so to exalte our selves that he by his pashon saving us frō one sin, we should presume to save our selves by our own works and merits from many? This is a presumpcion to moche to be detested. Thys is a stondyng in our own cōceate more Luciferlyke than it may be suffered of ony christen heart. To the Lord our God, saith the Prophet, be righteousness, but to us and to our fathers, confusion of face. As towchyng the righteusnes, which is in the law, no man could once rebuke me, saith S. Paul. But those things, which were vauntage unto me, I counted loss for Christ's sake Yea moreover I think all things but loss for the excellencye of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have counted all things loss, and do judge them but dounge, that I might wynne Christ, & be found in him, not having mine own ryghteousenesse, which cometh of the law, but that, which is by the faith of Christ, namely the righteousness, which cometh of god in faith, to know him and the virtue of his resurrecciō and the felowshyp of his pashon. How cleueth S. Paul unto Christ? Howe rejecteth & casteth he away his own righteousness, which he had by the outewarde keeping of the law, that he might thorough faith be made righteous in Christ? How little estemeth he his own goodness, so that he may know the virtue of Christ's resurrection, and the felowshyp of his pashon. All Paul's delectacion & pleasure is in Christ & in Christ's death, as he saith in another place, GOD forbid, that I should rejoice in onythynge, but in the cross, that is to say, the death & pashon of our Lord Jesus Christ. If so noble and worthy Apostle had all his delight in Christ, & in Christ's merits, so that for Christ's • ache and to wynne y ^e righteousness of Christ, he est • med his own righteousness so vile as y ^e dūge what shall we wretches than say? Shall we lift up our brystles and open our mouthe to speak blasphemies against the most highest? Shall we so trust to our works, y ^t we shall seek more salvation in thē, than in the Lord christ? All our ryghteousnesses, saith the Prophet are as a cloth polluted w ^t menstrue. All sort of us have err • as sheep, every • an hath followed his own • trade. Everyone is an Hypocrite, a 〈◊〉 and wicked. No man is able to say, my heart is clean, I am pure from syn. There is not a righteous man on earth, that doth good and sinneth not. All have sinned, & want the glory of God. Seynge we are all in this case, how dare ony mā auouche himself to be so pure, and his works to be so good & perfect y ^t by thē he is able to satisfy for his sins committed after baptism?

Ye say truth. My think y ^t those men, which are of this opinion, know nether God nor them selves aright.

Truth it is. For if they did know, that as god is good, righteous, holy, perfect, fau • les & without all spot of sin, so they of thē selves are evil, vnryghteous, imperfecte, sinful, and hedged round about with the fylthynes of sin, & if ony goodness they have, it commethe of God, & therefore have they nothing, whereof they may rejoice, for it is God's, and not theirs, they would not stonde so much in they • own conceate, nor crake so much o • their purite and clennes. If y ^e stars be not pure in the sight of god, and if the Angels be not clean and •• uteles before him, howe thā dare a wretched mortal creature, which synn • th daily and heapeth wickedness upon wickedness so auaūce him self, that he dare presume to stonde right up, and with an open face before GOD, which is a consumyng fire and hatethe so many as work wickedness, and to take upon him to satisfy for his sins by his own righteousness? If they would assaye to go down into thē selves, & could search y ^e botome of their heart, which is wicked & inscrutable, they should there find such hepes lopes & donge hylles of sin, that they would be redye to despair and to undo them selves, so far is it of, y ^t they would justify them selves, or take vpō thē to be their own saviors by their deeds, works, & merits. The consyderacion of the divine majesty and y ^e true knowledge of him self made David to pray on this manner, O Lord enter not into judgment w ^t thy servant, for no man y ^t lyuethe shall be justified in thy sight. Agen, O Lord, if thou shuldest mark our wyckednesses, O Lord who were able to abide it? But there is mercy with the. Lette Israel therefore trust in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy and plēteous redemcion. And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins.

God give us grace to have y ^e true knowledge of God, and of our selves. So shall we unfeignedly ascrybe & give unto God all the glory and praise of our creation, vocation, iustificaciō, redemption, salvation, glorificaciō, and what so ever goodness we have more, and freely confess that we are saved of the great and undeserved grace of God thorough Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.

I beseech God, it may so come to pass. Thus have I accomplysshed youre desire neighbors in prouynge by y ^e scriptures and the ancient Doctors, y ^t christ by his death hath not only redeemed, delivered and set us free frō original sin, but also from all other, and that the sins, which we commit after baptism, be not forgiven of God the father for the dignity and worthiness of ony works which we do, but for the excellency of y ^e sacrifice, which Christ once for all offered upon the Altare of y ^e cross, the virtue & strength whereof abideth in so full power, that i • is able to save so many as repent, b • leave. & labor to lead a good and innocent life for evermore. Neither have I spoken theyse things to discorage ony man from doing good works, but for • o set forth christ to be a perfect sauyoure against the wicked doctrine of the Anabaptists which now begin to crepe in among us unto the great dishonor of God, y ^e extreme blasphemy of Christ's most precious blood, & noisome perturbaciō of the holy catholic church. And as I may knytte up all this matter in few words, know good brothers, that in Adam all we were damned, so that thorough his wickedness we were begotten, conceived & borne in sin, yea & by nature the very sons of wrath. Now to be delivered from this miserable state whereinto we were caste by Ad • ̄ we of our own wit, polecy, wisdom • olynes, righteousness. &c. could invent no means, but so still remained in the danger of everlasting dānaciō. Therefore God moved w ^t pity toward mankind, even of his own free mercy & goodness w ^t out ony of our deserts, sent down his only begotten son Jesus christ in to • his vale of misery which for our sake toke flesh of the most holy and pure virgin Mary, thorough the operacion of the holy ghost, became mā & at the time to fore appointed, he offered voluntaryly his most blessed • ody an acceptable & sweet smellynge Sacrifice to God the father, which was & is of so great virtue & power, that by it alone all our sins are put away, not only that which we committed in Adam, but those also, which we our selves in process of time do perpetrate & commit. Now so many of us as are baptized in the name of the father, of y ^e son & of the holy Ghost, and have taken vpō us a new life forsakyng y ^e world, y ^e devil & the flesh w ^t all their pōpes & works, have at that very time of Baptism all their sins forgiven them, and are so clearly redeemed, delivered and made free from all vnryghteousnes, be they young or old, as though they had never committed ony of them at all. And this is it that S. Paul saith, christ loved the congregation, & gave himself for it, to sanctifye it, and clēsed it in y ^e fountain of water thorough the word, to make it unto himself a glorious congregation without spot or wryncle, or ony such thing, but that it should be holy and without blame. Now if whan they be once baptized and grown up in age, they thorough either fragilite or ignorancy do agen offend & break the law of God contrary to their profession & vow made at baptism, than have they an holy anchore • o fly unto, which is the holy sacrament of Penaunce, so that if they truly repent, be sory for the faults committed, bewail their sinful living, mortify their carnal affects, slay their worldly lusts, banish their dyuellysh concupiscences, confess their wycke • nes, fly unto the mercy of god, believe to have forgiveness, and take a new life upon thē. God the father will surely forgive them their sins, be they never so great or many, yea and that for the dignity of that one sacrifice which his only begot̄ son offered once for all upon the altare of the cross. So that if repentance & amendment of life come, Christ's sacrifice serveth to put away sins forever & ever. But as the blood of christ is sufficient to pacify y ^e father, although one man had committed so many offenses, as all the world hath done or shall do unto y ^e very ende of y ^e world, so likewise is there no saluaciō laid up for him in store, which will not repent nor cease to sin, although christ should suffer an hundred thousand times. For christ is a savior to penitent sinners, and not to the wicked & ungodly. And as there is no damnation to them, that are engraffed in christ Jesus, which walk not after y ^e flesh, but after y ^e spirit, so is there no health nor salvation to them, that live after y ^e flesh, though they bable never so much of christ, of Christ's passion, blood & death, of the remission of sins, of the mercy of God, of the gospel, of y ^e sweet promise • of God, & of everlasting life. God hath not called us, y ^t we should be unclean, but holy and virtuous. God saith S. Peter, sent his son to be a beneficial savior unto you, that everyone of you should turn from his wickedness. But of this we will speak more hereafter. Therefore brothers, whan so ever ye perceive y ^t ye offend God in ony thing, despair not, fly unto that blessed sacrament of Penaunce, b • sory for your sinful living, bewail your wicked manners, thyr • t after strength to do the will of God, conf • sse your sins from the very heart, call for grace, desire mercy, and pray unto God y ^t he will forgive you your faults, & he will undoubtedly remit & forgive you all the faults, sins & trespasses, that ye ever committed against him for the love that he beareth toward his son our Lord & savior Jesus christ, which as your new years gift saith, hath redeemed us from all unrighteousness, y ^t is to say, both from original sin and all other.

Brother Philemō we shall never be able to recompense this your kyndenes, which so gentylly at our request hath declared this matter unto us concerning y ^e remission of sins thorough christ. I beseech God give us all grace, so to institute & order our life, that we may be found in the number of thē whose sins are put away by this most holy sacrifice of Christ's blessed body, whose wyckednesses are washed away by Christ's most precious blood.

Amen. For than shall we be sure not only to be delivered from all our sins, but also to enjoy everlasting life, which is the gift of GOD thorough Jesus Christ our Lord.

We will go forth with your new years gift • and make an ende. It followethe.

Christ gave not himself only unto death for to redeem us from all unrighteousness, but also to pourge us a peculiare people to himself. For as he hath redeemed us by his death so hath he pourged, purified & made us clean by his blood, as S. John̄ saith, the blood of Jesus christ maketh us clean from all sin. For what intent hath he thus pourged and made us clean? Verily that we should be a peculiare people unto hī self.

What is mente by that I pray you?

To be the peculiare people of God, is to be chosen out of the company of the unfaithful and wicked people, and to be consecrated dedicated, & wholly given to serve God, to seek his glory, to magnify his most blessed name, and to do all things according to his word, as the Jews in times past were chosen away from the Gentiles to be the people of God, to serve him, and to walk in his holy ordinances. ye are a chosen generation, saith Peter, a royal prestehode, an holy nation, and a peculiare people, that ye should show forth the virtues of him, that called you out of darkness • to his marvelous light, which in times past were not a people, yet are now the people of God, which were not under mercy, but now have obtained merci. Of these words may we learn, unto what end christ hath redeemed & purified us by his blood. Verily y ^t we should be a peculiare people to him self. Thā are we here taught, that we may no more • romhense forth serve the Prince of darkness, be conversēt in his court were ony lenger his cogniscauns, fulfill ony more his pleasure and will, but wholly give our selves to serve God, which is y ^e Prince of light yea & the true light it self, which lyghteneth every man y ^t cometh in to this world. what nation wylyngly serveth a strange Prince? what faithful and honest servant forsakethe a gentle & loving master, & ronneth unto a Tyraunt? How unseemly than were it for us, which before were in so miserable a case and delivered from it only by the goodness & free heart of our Lord and master Jesus Christ, to forsake hī, & to run back agen unto the powers & rulers of darkness? we are now light in the Lrde, shall we become darkness agen? we are now the sons of God, shall we become the children of wrath, again▪ we are now the beautiful spouse of Jesus christ shall we be made the horlot of Satan again? we are now no more Ghestes & strangers, but Cytysenses of the saints, and of the house hold of God, shall we become Captines & bond seruitours to Satan's court again? we are now by christ made priests and kings, shall we fall from this dignity, and become vilious and abiectes agen? we are now y ^e peculiare people of God, sanctified unto his use, and unto y ^e working of those things y ^t make unto his glory, shall we neglect our dignity worship and honor, as I may so speak, fall away again from our Master and so behave our selves, y ^t this proverb may worthily be objected and laid against us The dog is returned unto his vomitte, and the sow after she hath washed herself is gone again unto her old wallowyng in the myer? Therefore seeing that Christ by his blood hath purified, and pourged us a peculiare people unto himself let us manfully fight under y ^e stādarde of our Captayne against Satan the Prince of darkness, let us seek the glory of our master, let us observe such precepts as he hath commanded, let us reverence, fear honor, worship & love him above all things, let us not suffer his most precious blood to be shed in vain, let us so behave our selves, y ^t it may evidently appere, y ^t we be no vnkynd nor vnthanckful persons but evermore walk worthy his kīdnes and tender compassion. This thing shall come to pass, if we be such, as the ende of your Newe years gift paynteth.

What is that.

Even such as be earnest followers of good works. If we will show our selves to pertain unto Christ, to be his people, to be wholly addycte unto him, we must be earnest followers of good works we may no lenger loytour nor play the idle lubbers, we must work earnestly, and as the Kentysh men say, a good. For Christ hath redeemed us from all vnryghteousnes, not that we should continue still in our old wickedness and ungodly conversation, but that we should be his peculiare people chosen out to serve him and to work his moste godly pleasure, again y ^t we should be earneste followers of good works. And here is answer to be made to thē, which say. If Christ hath redeemed me frō all unrighteousness, made me clean by his blood from all my sins, purchased freely by his death for me eternal life and made a perpetual agremente between God the father and me, what need I to work? what can my works profit what shall my labors avail me? Christ hath done enough for me. Christ is my sufficient Sauyoure. Christ hath made all things so perfect, that nothing cā be added thereunto. Therefore let us be merry and take no thought. O filthy swine and careless dogs. Becaus Christ hath don that for them, which they could not do for them selves, behold how willingly they caste them selves in to hell fire. who treadeth the blood of Christ under his foot, if these bellygods do it not▪ Who defaceth y ^e price of Christ's death, & the glory of his resurrection, if these filthy swine heads do it not? Who dishonoreth God's most holy word, if these Epicures do it not? But let these swyll bellies well know, that they have no part of Christ, of Christ's passhon blood & death, nor yet of none of all his merits so longe as they continue in this there wicked & to much detestable purpose, crake the never so much of Christ of Christ's blood, of faith, of the gospel, of the christen liberty. &c. They shall go to the Deuell hedlonge w ^t out ony mercy for all christ, Christ's blood, faith, Gospel, Christian liberty, and whatsoever they cā allege more, if they have time & convenient leisure to do good works, & yet will not who was ever saved without good works, having oportunite to work? Ye object and lay agay • st me the thief. Uery theuyshly done. For what lesure had he to work Nether do I know whither the way of health was ever preched unto him, or not, although he was not utterly void of good works. For he being at the point of death, bewailed his wretchedness lamented his sinful manners, confessed his wickedness, repented him of his abhominable living, turned to Christ, knoweledged him to be the son of God, & the savior of the world, and desired him to remember him; whan he came in to his kingdom. If this mā had had leisure, vndoutedlye he would have shown forth his reap̄taūce & faith by doing external good works. Therefore y ^e example of hī help the nothing your sluggish & dissolute manner of living, which have both red & hard Christ many times preched to you, & yet are ye never y ^e better. Only ye persuade yourself well of christe & Christ's merits, but all ī vain. For he is no savior to those sinners, which live w ^t out all fear of god, but to such as reap̄t, believe & labor earnestly to brīgforth good works, from y ^e noneber of y ^t which ye seme to be no les far, thā y ^e west is frō the East. Christ hath redeemed us, saith y ^e scripture, that we should be his people, and earnest followers of good works, We must be his people and earneste followers of good wockes, or else have we no redempciō by christ, as S. John̄ Chrysostom witnesseth. Nether Baptism, saith he, nor forgyuenes of sins, nor knowledge, nor y ^e communion of y ^e Sacraments, nor the holy table, nor y ^e fruicion of the body, nor y ^e partakyng of y ^e blood, nor ony of these things shall may be able to profit us, except we have a life, which is right, very pure, yea and free from all sin. What will these idle lubbers say to these words of y ^e gold̄ mouthed Doctor? Where are all their proud crakes becomme of Christ, his blood and merits? All these profit nothing at all without a good life.

It stondeth christē m • nin hand therefore to be earnest followers of good works.

Ye say truth, chefely if they entende to be saved. But let us hear the scriptures. Whan God promised Abraham that he would blysse them that did blysse him, and curse them that did curse him, and that in his seed all nations of the earth should be blessed, & that he would multiply his seed as the stars of the firmament, and make him a father of many nations, & that he would be his defender & his sufficient great reward: He made a covenant with him, because he would have him show gentylnes again, and said, I am the God omnipotent, walk before me, & be perfect. As though he should say: I am the God almyghty, omnisufficient, all good, all holy, all righteous, all wise, all liberal, all plēteous, all merciful, & have need of no thing, but freely giveth to all mē all things, what so ever are necessary ether for the body or for the soul, & so replenyshed with all things, that I am able and sufficient in all points to satisfy the lawful desires of all creatures, yea I have all things so in my power, y ^t nothing that good is, can be given to ony mā, but of me alone, & what so ever I am or have, it is for the profit of the, & of thy posterite. Alonly walk before me, and be perfect, take me alone for thy omnisufficiēt savior, fly unto no other, as though there were in me a certain insufficiency, but cleave to me alone with all thy heart, attempt no thing but that is pleasant in my sight, order thy life in all points according to my holy will, let thy conversation be innocent, blameless, pure, honest, right and all good, and so will I be thine almighty God, thy puissaunt defender, & thy sufficient great reward. This couenaūt hath God made not only with Abraham, but also with all his posterite, that is, so many as are faithful. Now if we be of the seed of Abraham (I speak of the spituall, and not of the carnal generation) than doth God require of us also, that we walk before him and be perfect that we stedfastelye cleave unto him by strong faith, as the only and sole Authore of all goodness, & so institute our life, that we may breath nothing but purite, innocence, holiness & intergrite, all the time of our life in this world. Thus doing, God will be our God, yea our almyghty God, our strong defender, and our sufficient great reward, no less than he was Abrahams. Therefore as Abraham walked before God, so let us do. By this means shall God be no less beneficial to us, than he was to Abraham. If ye were the sons of Abrahā, saith Christ, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Of all these matters and howe we ought to walk before God and be perfect, ye taught us full godly in the Nosegaye, which ye gave us.

It was our second flour, called, Pure innocence,

I remember it well, and I am glad, ye have not forgottē it. I will therefore haste unto the other scriptures Whan S. John̄ Baptist saw many of the Pharisees & Sadducees coming unto his Baptism, he said unto them, O ye generation of vipers, who hath shown you that ye should fly from the wrath to come? Bryng forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, & be not of this mind to say within youre selves, Abraham is our father. For I say unto you, that God is able to bring it to pass, that of these stones there may rise up children to Abraham, The hook is now laid at the root of y ^e trees. Therefore every tree, that bringeth forth not good fruit, shall be hewē down and cast into y ^e fire.

This is a terrible saying for all thē, that are not earnest followers of good works

Certes as it profited the Pharisees & Sadducees with the other Jews nothing at all to boast them selves of Abrahā, except they did the works of Abraham, so likewise it auaūtedgeth us nothing at all to crake of GOD, of Christ's blood, pashon, merits, faith. &c. if we do not good works. This sentence abideth alway true, Every tree, y ^t bringeth forth not good fruit, shall be hewn down & cast into the fire. If we be not like unto those trees, which are planted by the rivers side and bring forth their fruit in due season, surely we shall be •• wen up & cast into hell fire. For how dare we look for ony kindness at y ^e hand of God, & do no thing y ^t he cōmaūdeath? David saith, I being as a fruteful olyue tree ī y ^e house of God, have trusted ī y ^e mercy of God for evermore, David confesseth here y ^t he trusted in the mercy of GOD, but he addeth y ^t he was ī y ^e house of god, y ^t is to say y ^e cōgregaciō of Christ, as a fruytefull Olyue tree, which as Pliny writeth is never w ^t out grene leues & fruit.

You taught us this also in y ^e Po • aciō for Lēt, declarīg to us what the Procession on Palme sondaye signifieth, with all the ceremonies pertaynyng thereunto.

So se ye than, that if we will be holpen by the mercy of God, we must be as fruytefull Olyue trees, and bring forth plenty of good works, and never cease from doing them, or elles our hope and trust is but vain. Christ saith, not everyone y ^t saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in to the kingdom of heaven, but he y ^t doth the will of my father, which is in heaven. For many shall say unto me at that day, Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied ī thy name, & cast out dyuels by thy name, and wrought many miracles thorough thy name? But thā shall I say unto them, I know you not. ī Departe frō me ye workers of iniquity. Here are we taught, that to profess God by our mouth, to cal upon his name to talk of Christ, of faith, of y ^e gospel, and of all the divine mysteries, yea to work miracles and to caste out devils by the power of Christ's name, shall avail nothing at the day of judgment, except we lede a good life in this world, & work the good pleasure of God. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power, saith S. Paul. 〈◊〉 that hath my commandments, saith Christ, and keepeth them, he it is that louethe me. If ony man loveth me, he will keep my word, and my father shall love him, & we will come unto him, & dwell with him. He that louethe not me, keepeth not my words. Here Christ measureth our love that we hear toward him by keeping his word. If we keep his word, than love we him, but if we keep it not, than love we him nothing at all. Agen he saith, I am the vine, and ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, & I in him, bringeth forth much fruit. Let us not flatter our selves. If we a • yde in Christ, we bring forth much fruit. If we bring forth no fruit, than abide we not in Christ. If we abide not in christ, thā are we none of Christ's. So followeth it, that as withered branches we shall be gathered and cast into the fire, & there burn forever. S. Paul saith▪ not they, which hear the law are righteous before God, but they that express the law in deeds, shall be co • ted righteous. Although no man be able, so longe as he lyuethe in this world, to fulfyl the law so thoroughly, as the purite thereof requirethe▪ yet is it our office to labor unto the vttermoost of our power to fulfill the law, and where we perceive, that we are not able to bring to pass w ^t so great clennes of heart • that, which the spirit of the law requireth, to bewail our weakness▪ to desire strength, & to pray unto God that Christ, which is the ende and perfect fulfyllyng of the law, may supply that, which wantethe in us. Agayne he saith, we are buried with him by Baptism into death that as Christ is risen ag •• n from death thorough the glory of the father, so we should walk in a new life. And a little after, recount yourselves to be dead unto sin, but living unto God thorough Jesus christ our Lord. Therefore let not sin reign in youre mortal body, for to obey it thorough the lusts thereof. Neither give ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but give yourselves unto God, as they that are alive from death, and give youre members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Agayne in that same chapter, as ye have givē your members servants to uncleanness & to iniquity, even from one iniquity unto another, so now give your menbers servants unto righteousness, that ye may be sanctified. All these sentences declare unto us, howe pure, innocent and fautles our living ought to be. If it be the contrary, our professiō profyteth us nothing at all. In another place also he saith If ony man be in Christ, he is a new creature, that is to say, wholly changed frō his old manners unto new. He hath no more fellowshyp with the vnfruteful works of darkness but so composeth & appointeth his living, that he may appear to be the light of the world. Agayne, they that are of Christ, have crucified y ^e flesh with the affects & lusts thereof. If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit. For the flesh lustethe against the spirit, & the spirit against the flesh. All they therefore which live according to y ^e appetyte, lust and desire of the flesh, pertain not unto Christ. We are y ^e workemanshyppe of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Behold God is out maker, & we be made a new in Christ Jesus unto good works. So many therefore as apply not thē selves to do good works, are not engraffed in Christ, but remain still members of Satan. Item, I being presoner, exhort you in the Lord, that ye walk worthy your calling wherein ye are called, with all lowlynes, & mekenes, w ^t softenes of mind suffering one another by charity, studyeng to keep the unite of y ^e spirit thorough the bond of peace. Here se we, with what virtues we ought to garnyshe our life, that we may walk worthy our vocation & calling. Howe far than are they out of the way, which defile them selves with all kind of abhominable vice. Be ye, saith S. Paul, the followers of God, as well beloved children, & walk in love, as Christ hath loved us. If it be our duty to • e the followers of God, so must we practice his goodness & follow his innocence & purite so much as lyghethe in our power, or else we are not y ^e sonnes of God. Our celestial father is pure & holy, & shall we his chyldrē be profane & unholy? Our heuily father is good, godly, merciful, paciēt & all spirit, & shall we his sonnes be evil, wicked, rigoro{us}, impaciēt & all flesh? Be ye holy, saith he, for I am holy. Ye shall be perfect, saith Christ, as your heavenly father is perfect. Moreover S. Paul wrytethe, Be ye pure, and such as no man can be offended with you against the day of Christ, filled full of the fruit of righteousness, which chaunseth thorough Jesus Christ unto the glory & praise of God. Agayne, do all things without grutchynge and disputation being such that no man can complain of you, and pure, the sons of God fautles in the mids of a froward and crokedde nation, among whom shine ye as lyghtes in the world, holding fast the word of life. It is not without a cause, y ^t your new years gift teacheth us to be earnest followers of good works, seeing that so great purite and clēnes of life is required of us. • o worth those filthy swine, which walowe and tomble them selves in all kind of fleshly uncleanness, unto the great slander of Christ's Gospel. Itē. Mortify your earthly menbers, whoredom, uncleanness, covetousness. &c. For god hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto sanctificaciō. All ye are the sonnes of light, saith he, and the sons of the day, we are not of the night nor yet of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as other do, but let us watch and be sober. Seyng y ^t we are no more y ^e worlds, seeing also we have given over Satan and the flesh, with all their works, pomps & pleasures, it becometh us so to walk in all our life & conversation, that we be not found like Satan's servants, nor the volupteous world lynges, nor yet ony such, as live 〈◊〉 the flesh and not after the spirit, but pure, clean, honest, fauteles, godly, and as I may so speak, even like another christ. S. Peter also saith, give not yourselves to your old lusts, where with ye were led, whan ye knew not Christ, but as he that called you is holy, so be ye also holy ī all your cōuersacion, for it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy. Here are we taught to forsake our old sinful living, and to fashon our selves, like unto the manners of God, which is holy, righteous, perfect, & abundantly good in all things. Furthermore saint John̄ saith, if we say, that we have fellowshyp with Christ, & yet walk in darkness, we lie & do not y ^e truth But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have felloweshyp one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ gods own son, maketh us clean from all sin. This text prouethe manifestly that we have no feloweshyp with Christ, so long as we walk in darkness, that is, in sinful living, again, that the blood of Christ profytethe us nothing at all, except we walk in the light of God's word, & labor to fulfill his holy precepts. For, saith S. John̄, by this do we know y ^t we have known hī, if we keep his cōmaūdemētes. He y ^t saith, I know hī, & keepeth not his cōmaūdemētes is a lyare, and the truth is not in him, But he that doth his word, truly in him is the love of God perfect. By this do we know that we are in him. He that saith, he abideth in him, ought to walk, even as he walked. Of this & all the other texts, which I have hitherto rehearsed, we may easily learn, what is our duty and howe earnestly we ought to seek occasions for to do good. Seyng we are y ^e peopeople of God, yea his peculiare & out chosen people, we must needs show our selves earnest followers of good works, or elles have we no fellowshyp with Christ. God the father is not our father, nether are we Christ's brothers, nor yet fellow heirs with him, if we seek not to lead a godly and virtuous life. Let us never crake of the iustificaciō of faith, of y ^e free mercy of God, of Christ's pashō, blood, death, merits, &c. we lead a life worthy the kyndenes of God. Lette us never rejoice that we are delivered from the power of Satā, sin, death, & hell, for so long as we continue in our old sinful living and wicked manners, we pertain not unto Christ, but are y ^e bond slaves of Satan, & very fire brondes of hell. For as y ^e good priest Zacharias, father to S. John̄ Baptist saith God hath performed the oath, which he sware to our father Abraham for to give us, that we delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him w ^t out fear all the days of our life in holiness & righteousness. Hereto agreeth the saying of s. Paul, the blood of christ which thorough the everlasting spirit, hath offered himself pure to God, shall pourge youre conscience from dead works for to serve the living God. Here learn we, y ^t christ hath delivered us from the power of our enemies that we should serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Now if ony be not given to the seruyse of God, surely he is not free, but abydethe still the miserable captive & bond presoner of his enemies. Let all mē therefore take hede, & prepare thē selves to lede a godly life, y ^t they may be earnest followers of good works or elles nether their baptism, nor Christ, nor yet ony thing that ever Christ did, shall profytte them ony thing at all.

O good Lord, how greatly be many deceued, which put their trust in Christ & crake much of faith, & yet continue still abhominable lyuers, thynkyng not with stondynge, all this their great wickedness, to be saved?

To reap̄taunce, • aythe and amendment of life, mercy is never denied. But be not you deceived neighbors. For not they, which hear the law, are righteous before god, but they that express the law in deeds, shall be cōted righteous. Be ye the doers of y ^e word, and not the hearers only, deceauyng yourselves.

God give us grace thus to do, that we may garnysh the doctrine of God our savior in all things.

Amen I beseech the good Lord.

Verily there are many causes, yea & those urgent and necessary, why Christian men should bring forth good works, if they did consider their vocaciō & calling well. Fyrst because it is the will of God, & God hath commanded so by his holy word. For what child accōplysheth not his fathers will for the love that he beareth toward him? What servant fulfylleth not his masters commandment if he do but only fear him▪ Ho •• much more than ought we, w •• che have so loving a fathe • , and so puyssaūt a Lord and beneficial a master, for the love & 〈◊〉 • ear • , that we bear toward him, show our 〈◊〉 obedient to his holy will. & fulfyl it to y ^e vttermoost of our power▪ Where ether • ear • or love of God is, there must the • ulfyllynge of God's law needs follow. If so doth not, never let us confess our selves either to fear or love god truly. The son honoreth his father, and the servant his Lord. If I than be youre father, where is my honor▪ And if I be your Lord, where is my fear, saith y ^e Lord or Ho • stes? Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord Lord, shall enter into y ^e kingdom of heaven, saith Christ, but he tha • doth the will of my father, which i • in • eauen. The holy 〈…〉 bring forth fruits of repentance. And christ saith, as my father gave me commandment, so I do. Agen I have not spokē of myself, but he that sent me, that is to say, my father, he gave me commandment, what I should do, & what I should speak. A christē man therefore must do good because it is the commandment and will of God.

Secondely, we ought to do good works, that God may be glorified thorough them, as Christ saith, Let your light so shine before men, that they may se your good works, and glorify your father, which is in heaven Also S. Peter, se that ye have as honest conversation among the Hey then, that they, which back by t • you a • evil doers, may s • your good works, and praise God in the day of visitacion. For what greater dishonor •• there be done to god, thā to profess the name of God & i • nomin •• usly to deface and obscure the glory of it, thorough our wicked and ungodly conversation? Theyr rulars do unrighteously, saith y ^e lord, and by this means my name is blasphemed continually even all y ^e whole day longe. S Paul also saith, the name of GOD is evil reported for you among the Hethen. Agen, what greater honor can there be givē to God of us, thā to lede a godly life, & to express the manners and lyuysh Image of our heavenly father in all our life. By the one, God is dishonored, by the other, he is greatly honored, praised and magnified.

Thyrdely, it is our duty to do good works, that we may be certē that our faith is right, true, lyuysh and working. For as there is not a more certain argument & sure tokē that a tree is good, thā by bringing • orth good ••• te, so is there not a better probaciō, that our faith is true 〈…〉 than whan we work the will of God, and bring forth the sentes of the spirit. Whā we work the will of God, and fashon our life •••• rdynge to the rule of Christ's gospel, than may we be certain that • ur saith is right, and that we are the sons of God, & fellow enherit •• rs w ^t Jesus Christ. Nether need • e doubt of ony thing, that God hath promised in his holy scriptu ••• , but believe steadfastly, y ^t we shall • aue all things according to his promises, in as much as we bring forth the fruits of faith. But if we live 〈◊〉 carnally, and do the filthy wor ••• of the 〈◊〉 , as drōckeshyp, whore 〈◊〉 , theafte, covetousness. amp;c. than 〈◊〉 we no cause to rejoice, nor yet 〈…〉 of our faith. For the true 〈…〉 the great & marvelous things, as we may se in Abrahā, which truly believed in God, & therefore wrought many godly works. He obeyed the word of God, he left his own native country, he was contented at the commandment of God to kill & offer his own sonne & to whatsoever the spiri • e of God moved him to do. Of this nature are so many as truly believe. They y ^t thus work not, have not Abraham's faith, neither are they y ^e sons of Abraham. For Christ said to the Jews, if ye were the sons of Abraham, ye would do 〈◊〉 works of Abrahā. Therefore after that we are persuaded of the goodness of god toward us, and believe f • ythfully, y ^t god for his promises sak • , which h • hath made us in christe 〈…〉 be boūteous and merciful unto us, we must note that the scr • pture commandeth works to be dne of the faithful. For after that we be once justified by faith before GOD, we must express that faith, which is known to god alone, by external & outward works, y ^t we may appere •• ghteous both before God & man. Nether is there ony better sign, or more manifest argument, as I said before y ^t our faith is rygh • , true & liveth, than whan it produceth and bringeth for the good works, even • s there is not a more manifest probacion, that a tree is good, than by the bringing forth of good fruit. I faithful man therefore is not compared without a cause of the Psalmograph, to a tree planted by the rivers side, which bringeth forth 〈◊〉 fruit in due season. I being 〈◊〉 a frtefull Olyue tree, saith David, in the house of GOd, have trusted in the mercy of god forever 〈◊〉 ever. A christen man is compared to a grene Olyue, for he is ever full of fruit and never barren, all way grene & never sear, •• er working, and never idle. He y ^t truly believeth, hath no need of laws to compel him to do good works, as the scripture saith, the law is not given unto a righteous man, but unto the unrighteous & disobedient. &c. For of his own free will (s • lyuyshe and mighty in operacion i • faith) whan God gyuethe an occasion, he will bring forth good works, even the fruits of faith unto • he glory of God and the health of h • s neighbor. The sons of God are not content to sit idle, saith Chri • ostome, but the spirit prouokethe them to take some great and commendable work in hand. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Gregory, The love of GOD is never idle, for it worketh great things, if it be y ^e love of God in deed, but if it cease the to work, than is it no love. The unfaithful is like unto a dead stock, which bringeth forth no fruit at all, but is unprofitable altogether, and therefore shall he be hewn down and cast into hell fire. To be short in this matter, they that are fruitful & bring forth good works, pertain unto the church of God, and they which are unfruitful, and bring forth no good works, belong unto y ^e church of the Dyuell (for there is a double church) and shall be cursed as the • ygge tree was.

Fortely, we ought to do good wor • es, that we may wynne our neygh • our also unto Christ, as S. Peter • ryteth: you wives be ye obedient to our husbands, y ^t they also, which • hey not the word, may be won • y the conversation of their wives • ythout the word, while they consydre your chaste and pure conversation joined with reverence. For as christ came not into this world to wynne the favor of his eternal father for himself, but what so ever he did, was done for us, so in like manner what so ever we do, we must do it also for our neyghboures to wynne thē unto Christ, to make th / • professors of Christ's Gospel, an • the perfect chyldrē of GOD our father. Let that same affecciō be in you, saith S. Paul, that was in Christ Jesus, which being in the shape of God, thought it no robber to be equal with God. Nevertheless he made himself of no reputacion, and toke on him the shape of • servant, and became like unto in & was found in the figure as a mā He humbled him self & be • ame obe • dient unto the death, evē the death of the cross.

Fyftely we must do good works, that the mouths of y ^e ungodly may be stopped, as S. Peter saith, this is the will of God, that by well doing ye should stop the mouths of folysh and ignorant parsonnes. Do all things without murmurynge and disputing, saith S. Paul, that ye may be fautlesse and pure, and the sons of God without rebuke in the mids of a crooked & perverse nation, among whom, se y ^t ye shine as lyghtes in the world, holdynge fast the word of life. Verily if it ware ever expedient, that Christian mē should lede a godly life, it is at this time most necessary. For whā the adversaries of God's truth se them y ^t profess the Gospel of Christ live dissolutely, not fast, not pray, not give alms, not mortify the affects of the fles • he, but lead a more ungodly life, thā the other sort do, than blaspheme they the gospel, thā call they the word of God heresy, than hate they extremely, persecute presonne, condemn and utterly destroy so many as clea •• purely to y ^e doctrine of christ. And all this come to pass thorough the wickedness and ungodly conversation of the gross Gospellers, the raylyng readers of the scripture, the • aye l • ke ianglers of God's word, and br • yneles bablers of y ^e gospel, which • able much of gods truth, and yet • yue no part thereof. Oh what a great hinderaūs is this to gods moo •• holy word • God give us grace, both to love and live the gospel.

Finally we ought to do good works, seeing it is none • nprofitable service, neither shall our labor be lost in so doing, but we shall highly be rewarded for doing of them, not only in this world • , but much 〈◊〉 plēteously in y ^e world to come: Reioyse and be merry, saith Christ to all that do good works, for great is your reward in heaven. Agayne he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, he shall receive the reward of a Prophet. And he y ^t receauethe a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, he shall receive y ^e reward of a righteous mā. And who so ever shall give to one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall not loose his reward. Also in another place, who so ever shall give to you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye are of Christ • erely I say unto you, he shall not loose his reward. Every man shall bear his own burdē. Al of us must stonde openlie before y ^e judging place of Christ, y ^t everyone may receive according to that, which he did whan he was alive, whither it be good o • evil. Christ the son of mā shall come in the glory of his father with his Aungelles, and than shall he give to everyone according to their works. The hour commethe in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of Christ, & they that have done good, shall come forth into the resurrection of life, & they that have done evil into the resurrection of damnation. To them that have done the works of mercy shall everlasting glory be given at the day of judgment, & to y ^e unmerciful, eternal damnation. So that they which do good works in this world, shall receive a glorious and everlasting reward in the world to come. Of this had • . Paul a certain assuraūce, whan he said, I have • ought a good fight, and have fulfilled my course, and have kept the saith. From henseforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, y ^t is a righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, not to me only, but unto all them, that love his coming.

Thus much have I spokē cōcernynge good works, & here have ye now your new years gift cōplete & {per}fecte.

Blyssed be God for this our new years gift, which is more precious thā gold, perle, & precious stone, god mought give you an heavenly gift for this your new years gift, wherw ^t this day ye have enryched us.

The christē love & tender affecciō, wherw ^t I love you all, hath moved me to do, that I have done. If I have done you ony pleasure to the reioysyng of your spirit, I am glad. If I have not in all points satisfied your desire & expectaciō, yet accept my good will. For he is not altogether to be blamed, which intendeth well, although all things do not thorowlye answer to his intent. Well neighbors I will now knyt up in few words, that I have sponne in many, & show you breuely the whole effect of your new years gift. Ye have learned, y ^e Christ is the gift of God, freely given you of God the father for your new years gift. So that not only he, but all that ever he hath, in as much as he is man, is ours, his fasting, watchyng, prayenge, his mercy, goodness, purite, innocence, his pashon, blood, death, resurrection, and all y ^t ever he hath besides. All is • ures. God hath given us all thing with him, as S. Paul saith. This gift of God Christ our new yere • gift hath appeared no more by ty • es, figures, clouds and shadows, but in his flesh. He hath taken flesh of y ^e most holy and pure virgins Mary and is become very man for our sake, like unto us in all things, syn alone except. And y ^t we may 〈◊〉 that he is a precious gift unto us, he bringeth health unto all men, not only unto the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, so that who so ever calleth on the name of the Lord, he shall be saved, be he Ieweor Gentile, free or bond, noble or unnoble. For he is thalone savior. None saveth but he alone, nether is there ony saluaciō but in him alone, nor yet ony name givē unto men under heavē wherein they must be saved, but in his name alone. Moreover ye have learned that he is not only a savior & bringeth salvation to all men, but he is also a scholemaster unto us. For he teacheth us, y ^t first we should deny ungodliness & worldly lusts, and afterward live soberly, righteously and godly in this •• esent world. What so ever vice hath reyg • ned in us ī times past, we must now utterly put it away fr • m us, were it Idolatry, false worsh • ppynge of God, superstition, confidence in ceremonies, despisyng of God's word, swearing by his most blessed name, brekīg of y ^e sabbath d • y, &c. or else unclēnes, carnal affects, worldly lusts, dyuellysh mociōs, whoredom theafte, covetousness, dronckēshyp, glotonny, wrath, contenciō, blood sheddynge, &c. and ga • nysshe our lives with all kind of virtues, sobriete, justice, godliness, purite, innocence, patience, longe suffering, charity, peace, goodness, faith, temperaunce, mekenes, and with all the • other fruits of the spirit, that • good consciences and free hearts we may look for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of y ^e great God & our savior Jesus Christ, which wyllyngely and without ony compulsion gave, no angel nor man, but him self for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness, that is to say, from all sin, • oth original, mortal, venial, or ony other, so that we repent, believe, ask marcye and amende our sinful living, and to pourge us a peculiare people unto himself, to do him service & none other, and even such, as without any feigning or cloaked holiness should be earneste followers, not of their 〈◊〉 wylles, fansys and fleshly pleasures, but of good works, evē such works as God commandeth and ••• accepted be fore him, & not such • s dame Good intent, and herself or 〈◊〉 zeal imaginethe and 〈◊〉 of their own brains without • he authority of God's word.

Thus have ye neighbors in 〈◊〉 works, that ye received before in many. What now re •• yneth, but that, seeing God the father hath shown us so great kyndenesse by his son Jesus Christ, we do, as y ^e new years gift teacheth us, that is 〈◊〉 say, deny ungodliness and 〈◊〉 lusts, live soberly, righteously and godly in this present ••• ld, and be earnest followers of good works▪ we may with a good conscience and merry heart look for y ^e blessed hope and glorious apperyng of the great God and our savior Jesus Christ. Remēber that to be called a christ ••• man anauayleth no thing, except • we live according to our name and profession. Remember that to rede the scriptures, & to have the knowledge of them, profyteth nothing at all, except we fashon our life 〈…〉 dyng to the doctrine thereof. Remēber that to crake of saith & of our • ustificacion by it, is nothing to the purpose, except we bring forth the fruits of faith. Remember that to glory of our salvation purchased by Christ auaylethe nothing, except me change our old living and become new men. Remember that all the benefits of christ serve only for them, which repent, believe and lead a godly and innocent life. All other as they have no parte of christ, so remain they still y ^e bond captives of Satā, and shall, if they amend not, be committed unto hell fire forever more. Therefore neyghboures take bede, refuse not to walk in y ^e light of God's word. Walk while ye have light, lest darkness overwhelm you. Whyle ye have light believe in the light, that ye may be the chyldrē of light. Whyle ye have time, do good unto all men. Nyght shall come, whā no man shall be able to work. Now is the time of grace now is the time of health. Therefore neighbors stonde not idle all day, work manfully in the Lord's vine yearde. Be not like unto that unprofitable servant, which hid up the treasure of his master in the ground, unless ye be caste into the utter darkness, where weeping and gnasshyng of teth shall be, but apply the talēt, that ye have received unto the glory of god and the profit of your neighbor. Be not barren and vnfrutful as the fyg tree was, unless ye also be cursed. Be not like y ^e five • olysh virgins, which had lamps & no oil in thē, & therefore could not they enter into the marriages w ^t y ^e Brydegrōe, but were speared out. Be not like y ^e gross & vnthākful Jews, which whā they were delivered out of Egypt y ^e house of bondage, desired to be there agen among y ^e grecy •• esh pots. Be not like to Lothes wife, which looked back unto the • ylthy Sodomites, but be like unto Christ, and so many as be the followers of him, as S. Paul saith, Be ye the followers of me, as I am of Christ. Be earnest followers of good works. Walk worthy y ^e gospel of Christ, and so show yourselves faithful in all things, that ye may garnysh the doctrine of god our savior. What should I say more unto you? Be faithful unto the death, that the crown of life may be givē unto you. For he that continuethe unto the ende, he shall be safe. And here also I make an end desyryng you by the render marcyes of God, and by the precious blood of Jesus Christ our Savior, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain, but so behave yourselves in all things, as it becomethe the servants of GOD. So may ye be sure to receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to so many as love him. Amen. Now neighbors here have ye your new years gift, although homely, yet godly. If it had lyghen in my power better to have given you, better ye should have had. But I pray you accept my good will for this time. If God at another time give me better, be ye sure, that ye shall not want youre parte of it.

Neyghbour Philemon we thanke your right heartily, and we again unto the vttermoost of our power, give both our selves and all that ever we have unto you, not only to desire but also to command.

I know the good hearts of you all toward me. I pray you vouchsafe to come w ^t me into my haull, & we will drink •• d be merry together in GOD, as 〈◊〉 time of the year and the common custom require.

We follow you gladly. Blyssed be GOD for our new years gift. CHRISTOPHER AMEN.