BRetheren beloued in oure Sauyoure Iesus Chryste, i. Cor. xv. Consyder (I Pray you) the greate good­nes of God, ī that he hath called you by hys grace to the knowledg of him self / throwghe the worde whyche is greate mercye towarde you in Chryste Iesu. for fleashe and bloude (sayth. Sayncte paule) can not enherite the kyngdome of i God / neyther can Corrupcyon inheryte pncorrupcyon. Nichodemus beynge A aharysey and a man lerned, Ye knowe, dfter the iudgementes of men, and en­wued also with the gyftes of nature / as wytte, reson, knoledge and vnderstāding naturall: yet coulde not he of hys owne powre and strēgth comprehend the heauenly doctryne of oure Saueour christ, nor perceyue the celestyal mynde therof [Page] tyll he was holpen by grace from God aboue, and borne a new, Not of mortall sede / but of immortall, whyche, endu­reth & lasteth for euer. Ihon. iii. For that whych is born of the fleshe is fleshe (saith christ) But that whych is borne of the spyryte is spryte. Therfore sayde Chryste Ex­cepte thou be borne of water, and of the holy spiryte, thou canst not se the kyng­dome of God. For al thought god synce the begynnynge hath appropryated cer­tayne gyftes of grace to y ^e nature of mā by reason wherof he dothe excell in hys creacyon, all other creatures not only in shape of body, statute and contenaunce also in the aforsayde spyrytuall gyftes of grace annexed to nature as wytt reason, knoledge and vnderstandynge. for when god made man at the begynnyng he gaue hym a Reasonable soule, from the whych procedeth so God withdraw it not a mynde of vnderstandynge in all mankynde, aboue all other creaturs w ^c the lorde hathe created vpon the face of the whole earthe: yet trulye withoute the especyall grace of the lord GOD, [Page] and gyfte from heauen aboue (although a man he neuer so wyse and excellente) Yet can he not obtaygne of hys owne strenght (whych commethe, of oure first byrthe) the trewe knowledge, feare and loue of god, which fell from vs in adam

But by grace are ye saued through faythe / (sayth paule) and not of youre selfes nor throught workes, Roma. iii. leaste any man shuld boast hymselfe: but by chryst are we saued and made the beloued son­nes of the hyghestt: As Wytnesse the sayncte Iohn sayinge: He gaue them power to be the Sonnes of GOD, as many as beleue in hys name whych are not born of fleashe nor of bloud, nor of the wyll of man / but of GOD. Iohan. i. Roma. viij And through hym (my bretherne) ye haue obtayned not only knowledge and Iudgemente to dyscerne and iudge betwyxt the good & y ^e euyl: but also ye are made able through the spyryte whyche a by­deth in you whyche ye haue of God to chose y ^e good & to leaue y ^e euyll. Galla. 4. a i. Cor. ij. b for the lord no doubte, is a spirite, sayth paule and wher y ^e spirite of y ^e lord is, ther is lybertye [Page] and throughe hym ye are made stronge / so y ^t ye obey, ij. Cor. iij. for through Chryste (saith he) I can doo al thyngs, whych he hath made me able. Bretheren, yf ye obeye & be now sedde by the holy spyrit of God, Roma vjij then trulye are ye made the fre sonnes of God, then shal ye also be made perfet and obteyne vyctory agaynst syn, death and hell, whych is the whole power of Sathan our mortall ennemye. Brethe­ren, deceaue not your selues / for loke to whome ye do obey / truly hys seruaūts ye are, to whome ye doo obeye, whether it be by obedience vnto rightuousnes or synne vnto death. In Adam trulye we were all deade / but in Chryste we are al made alyue, as manye as beleue in hys name as perteynyng to the flesh (as. s. Paule sayth we wer all naturally born y ^e chyldren of wrath, Roma vi. as wel as al other because of orygynall Synne, that reyg­neth in all fleshe.

Reason was blynd and nature cor­rupte, therfore coulde it not obeye to the wyll of GOD / but vyolentlye stroue agaynste hym / desyrynge that he hated, [Page] and hatyng that he loued▪ i. Corin. iij For the naturall manne (sayth Saynct Paul) perceyueth not the thynges of Goode / that belonge to the spyryte, i. Corin. iij. for they are but folyshnes vnto hym.

Neyther can he perceue them (sayth he) for they are Spyrytuallye examyned: but he that is spyrytuall, dyscusseth all thynges.

Brethern, youre mindes are now lightned by grace, and ye haue now receyued the spyryte of God / whych bryngethe. knowledge and a perfecte willinge obe­dyent mynde to do the wyll of God:

But whosoeuer hath not the Spyryte, the same is none of hys.

For asmuche as ye are partakers of the holy spyryte, and are borne a new, yeare not now (my bretherne) vnder the lawe but vnder grace.

Obey vnto the fourme of doctryne (I praye you) wherunto ye are called. for trulye God hathe pleasure in a louelye harte. And an obedyente Mynde is all wayes at peace wyth hym.

The naturall mā not renued, knoweth [Page] not God / neyther is he obedyente to y ^e ryghteowsenes, which is of value be for hym, neyther can be / sayethe paule / For delectacyon and costome in euyll / blyn­deth there vnderstandinge that they are not obedyente / no not to that goodnes that naturall reasone teacheth them / & they saye they know God, loue hym and kepe all hys commaundementes. They deceyue themselues vtterlye thynkynge them ryche, when the world fauoureth them, when indede they are blynde and poore▪ for though they possesse muche yet indeyd they haue no thynge. Ther­for the hope of the vngodly is as the dry thystle flower. Luke. xij. For theyre faythe is vayne and of none effecte. When they heare the woorde of God, whiche is the trwth they are not obedyente to do ther­after▪ they delyghte in euyll / and haue no desyre, to folowe ryghteousnes therfore / when they come to the knowledge of the scrypture they fall sodenlye into many daungerous erroures. Some because they Wolde be hydde from Gods wynde them selfes in a folyshe cloke of [Page] myar necessyty / sayng in thē selfes / y ^t if can not otherwyse be: When in dede they stryue not at all to make resystaūce but doo lette the fleshelye mynde runne whether it lusteth, So for lacke of obe­dyence they fall into wyllfull synne, de­ceauyng them selfes in their owne ymagynacyōs. To do yuell thei haue power because they wyll / but to doo well they haue none at al, for they wyl not. Thus the vngodly abyde styll in theyre owne lustes, and wyll not leaue of. But as Sayncte paule saythe they heape toge­ther the treasure of wrathe agaynst the daye of vengeaunce: when shalbe ope­ned the righteous Iudgemente of God w ^c wil reward eueri mā / acording to his dedes y ^t is to say / prayse, honour / & immortalytye to them whych contynue in good doing and seke eternall lyfe.

But vnto them that are rebellyous / ād doo dysobeye the truethe and followe Inyquytye / shall come Indygnatyon / Wrathe / Trybulatyon / and anguysshe vppon the Soule of euerye manne that dothe euell / forwyth GOD trulye / there [Page] is no Respecte of Parsonnes / for he wyll rewarde euerye manne after their dedes.

Neuertheles the multytude of the vngodlye wyll not repente, for they ha­ue pleasure to lyue in Synne, and some that were escaped from the fylthines of the woorlde (as Saynte Peter sayth) through the knowledge of the Lorde, ij. Petr. ij. and of the Sauyoure and Redeamer IESVS CHRISTE are yet entangled agayne therin and are ouer­come.

Soo is the latter ende woorse then the begynnynge. For of whome a man­ne is ouercome, to the same he is in bon­dage.

Therfore theyr myndes are vnsta­ble and are to fled to and froo, as a shyp in the sea, wyth ragynge wyndes wyth euerye perswasyon and blaste that commeth.

Some haue erred / and (as Sayncte paul sayth) are turned to vayne ianglīg (as yf they thoughte the holy Relygyon of Chryste oure sauyoure and Redea­mer [Page] to stand in speakyng & hearynge only, and not rather in obeyng to the wyl of the Lorde GOD to do the same (bycause they wold be teachers) in the most holy scrypture. And (as Paule sayth) vnderstādyng not what they speak, j Tymo. j. nor wherof they affyrme.

But the Lorde God hath called you dearelye beloued by hys Grace, that ye shulde obeye to the truethe, and be lyke fasshyoned to hys sonne.

Caste not awaye your confydence whyche hath so great reward to recompence / for trulye to be in oure sauyoure Chryste is to be a newe Creature.

A wyllynge mynd maketh an obedyent harte and a dylygent hande: Therfore as the holye Prophet, sayeth plowe vp your fresshe ground lyke dylygent hus­bandmen / and sow no more amongest the thornes: So shall ye brynge forthe the frutes of ryghtuousnes, and reape the rewarde of wel doyng, the husband man laboureth the grounde dylygentlye in due season, as ye knowe, that the lord maye prospere the worke of hys hands

[Page]Consyder your tyme lykwyse and refuse not the grace of God whyles it ys offred you, Math. xv. Hebre. xij. least at another tyme when ye wolde gladdelye ye be not heard, for as muche as yeare called by grace to be chylderen of lyght / and heyres of eter­nal lyfe, for ye haue receyued of hys holy spyrite in earneste of your saluacyon in that ye haue consented already wyth youre whoale hartes to the Truthe of God.

I beseche you by the mercyfulnes of God, obey to the forme of doctryn, wherevnto ye are called. Roma. xiij And facyon not youre selues lyke vnto thys Woorlde. but beye chaūged / & as saynt paul sayth in youre shape by the renuynge of your Wyttes / that ye maye fele what that good & acceptable wyl of god is. Ther­fore as it is wrytten: Psal. xciiij To daye yf yow heare hys voyce / harden not your har­tes for trulye dysobedyence is hateful, yea and often tymes doth the lorde pu­nysh it. Nume. xiij i. Reg. xv. ij. Re. xvij. What was sayd to kyng Saul by Samuell the prophet / whan he dys­obeyed the lordes commaundement, ye [Page] know / hath the Lord (sayd he) as great pleasure in brent sacryfyces and offe­rynges as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed? Behold sayd Samuell, to obeye is better then sacryfyce, & to harkē is better thē the fatte of rāmes, for re­bellyon or dysobedyēce is as the syn of wytchcraft, & stoubburnes as the wyc­kednes of ydolatrye &c.

For an obedyente harte truly is muche accepted wyth God, and a lowely trou­bled spryte wyl he not despyce, it is a very plesaunt grounde prepared ād made ready (as it were by the Industrye and laboure of a dylygent husband man) for the lorde to plante all vertu and grace in. Brethern / obey to the wyll of God and shewe a wyllynge mynde. By your deydes be no lenger slouthefull, nether ouer muche afrayed / neyther to hastye wythowte measure, wantynge dyscre­cyon. But kepe measure in all youre wayes: and wysely consyder place and time, for ye are now no more your own, but are dearelye bought wythe y ^e moste precyous bloude of Iesu. Yf the lorde [Page] fynde you faythfull in lytle, know for a suertye, Eccle. j. that he wyll make you rulers ouer much. 2. Peter. 1. Therfor (as Saynct peter saythe) in your faythe mynyster vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge, tē ­perauncye intemperauncye, pacyence, in pacynece / godlynes in godlynes, brother lye kyndnes in brotherlye kindnes, loue &c.

Remembre the mater is wayghty, therfor be not deceyued. Surely yf ye wyll walke by thys rule, ye can not fall, neyther shall ye be ledde a wronge way. Go not from the worde of God, declyne neyther to y ^e ryght hand neyther to y ^e left / leafte ye peryssshe from the ryghte way, for as the braunche can beare no fruyte of hym selfe excepte he abyde in y ^e Vyne (sayth chryste) no more can ye excepte yea byde in me. Iohn. xv. Se that your faythe be lyuely cleauynge suer to the holy word of god, which is already grafted in you Trewlye (except you haue beleued in vayne) it is of powre to saue your sou­les, for it is quyck and myghty in ope­racyon, & sharper / then any two edged [Page] sword▪ ye knowe brethern / the ende of the commaundements, is loue that com­meth of a puer hart, of a good conscyē ­ce, and of fayth vnfayned: whose fruts can not be hydde. But as for suche as turne backe vnto ther own wyckednes the lorde shall lead them furth with the eueldoers / but peace shalbe vppon Israell. Truly knowledge is daungerous / where loue and obedyence is lackynge / for it tyckelyth the mynde of foles, and lefteth them vp w ^t vanyty: But such as seke to encrease in vertu walke surely. Therfore searche not vnreuerently the sacred worde of god▪ least ye stumbel in your way / and take asodeyn fal▪ knowledge is a gyfte of the spryte, and in the hand of god ād he measureth hys gyfts to hys creatures at hys owne pleasure and wyll, Therfor, whether ye obtayne at hys hand ether much or lytyll, praise him for it / and be concent w ^t his doyng. Search not the gronde of such thinges / (sayth the wyse man) as are to myghty for the: But loke what god commaun­deth and thynke apon that alwayes: ād [Page] be not curyous in many of hys works for he that louethe pereyll shall peryshe therin. Grudge not agaynste the good manne of the house / though he do wyth hys owne as he leyst, leaste thou be re­prouyd and sent awaie with rebuke.

Be ye therfor dyscret and sobre▪ settell youre Hartes in the true feare of God, and arme youre soules to temptacyon. Turne your eares to the truth, my bretheren, and vse the gyftes that ye haue receaued wyth a lowly ād an obedyent harte faythfully / that your frutes maye appeare and receue not the grace of god in vayn, for it is writē. I haue hard the in a tyme accepted, and in the day of saluatyon haue I succoured the. ij. Cor. v. Beholde now in that well accepted tyme / sayth paule / now is the day of health / lett vs geue none occasyon of euyll / that in our mynystryng, or offyce ther be found no faulte, But in al thynges / let vs behaue oure selfes / as mynysters of God: In much pacyence / in afflycyons, in necessyties, in āguysshes / in stryfes / in labours in watchynges, in fastynges / and in purenes. [Page] &c. many do heare rede & speak the holye scryptures, (praysed be God) and many desyre to know muche. But blessed and happye are ye, whych obeye to the truthe / So that ye doo therafter for the kyngdome of God, standeth not in words (as ye wel know) but in powr & workynge the wycked synners haue God, and hys holy worde many tymes in their mouthes: but they walke styll in ther oun corrupt ways▪ truly they are the bounde seruaunts of synne y ^t be subdued to lustes & ouercō of sinne. ij. Pet. iij. For of whome a manne is ouercomed Saythe Sayncte peter to the same he is in bondage. The vngodly manne hath not the feare of God, before hys eyes: Nether doth he regarde the law of the hyghest. Therfore shall he not be preserued, for God regardeth hym not, neyther wyll he defend him ī the tyme of trouble▪ can suche prosper / as take parte agaynst y ^e hyghest, & prouok y ^e lorde to anger, Apoca. xix continually w ^t ther vnlawful dedes? & fyght ageynst the holy spryte of our God: ād yet they say in ther hartes Tushe, God [Page] seeth it not, the God of Iacob regardeth it not they do euell / and they say they do wel ye althogh they know / mary tymes the contrary because they delyte in euell theyr folysh hartes are blynded. Ther­fore must they reape the frutes of theyre labours when they thynke them selues wyse they become foles, bycause theyr vn­derstādyng is blynded. When they think they knowe God loue hym, An ydoll is that whych hathe the loue of the harte and is placed in the towme [...] God. Euery mā [...] trea­sureis ther w ^c he l [...] ­eth beste▪ and serue hȳ most truly they serue an ydoll and a false God / in hys steade and place / fayned of theyr own fleshly lustes and carnall affectyons and of the eternal God saue the na­me onely) they knowe nothing / for where a mans treasure is, sayth Chryste / there wyll hys harte be also. In wordes truly many say they know god▪ but wyth their dedes they shamfullye deny him▪ in that they refuse to lyue accordyng to hys commaundements & wyl they haue forsakē y ^e liuely testamēt of god made in the precyous bloude and death of our sauyoure Chryste Iesu / to all that beleue in hym / (y ^t is to say) whych wyth a free harte, do put themselues vnder the couenaunt of God to do hys wyll. And after theyr owne [Page] Imagynacyon fayne themselues an other waye to the kyngdome of heauen / as easy and broade to the flesshe as they lust: they refused the narrowe waye, Thys way is na­rowe, and strayte / to the fleashe / but breade and ca [...]ye to a wyl [...]īg mynde [...] and strayght gate that leadeth vnto lyfe and haue chosen that broode easy waye to lyue after theyre lustes whych leadeth al y ^t walke in it, into euerlastynge cōdempnacyon on wysely do they forsake the word of the lord whyche he ordeyned a lantern and a sure lyghte vnto theyr fete / to walk in extreme darknes, of theyr owne blynd Imagynacyons neuertheles, thus sayth the lord our mercyfull God / vnto the vngodly synners. Eze. 33. If I saye to the wycked he shall dye sayth the lorde yet yf he turne from his wyckednes and do the thyn­ges w ^c is equall and ryght he shall surelye lyue, & not dye & again, O / turnt you turne you sayth y ^e lord / O why wyl ye dye? As truly as I lyue, sayth y ^e lord, I haue no pleasuri [...] the death of a sīner but wyl rather y ^t he cōuert & lyue. &c. Brethrē / I beseche you for the dere mercy of God, esteme your saluatyō and health w ^c is precyous & is now so frely offred vnto you in y ^e p̄cious bloud of Iesu: haue cōpassiō [Page] youre owne soules, and shewe loue and charyte to the poure opressed / the lame blynde and nedye loke vpon your selfes wyth an inwarde eye / and see that your soules be refreashed, that they may liue O / why wyll ye dye, conuerte and turne to the lorde, wyth youre whole hartes / from your wycked and synfull wayes, & trulye your synnes are forgeuen you▪ whye esteme ye so much the vayne plea­sures of thys worlde? Whych are the delyghtes of the carnall and earthelye mynd seyng they are so vayne and tran­sytorye. Remember Esau: Sell not your enheretaunce whyche is precyous for soo vyle [...] a pryce / leaste after when ye wolde gladlye obtayne, ye be put by. Bretheren, Consyder ye are not nowe vnder the law / but vnder grace▪ because ye are grafte / into Iesuchryste by faith O, therfore I besy [...]h you / doo no more wyllfully euyll: Soo can fynne nowe doo ye no harme. My lytell chyldryne▪ these [...]yre [...]s w [...]yt I vnto you saythe Saynct Iohn that ye synne not. But if any man synne: yet haue we an Aduo­cate [Page] with the father (sayth he) Iesus christ whych is ryghtuous. &c. For the lord ordereth a good mans goyng (sayth holye Dauyd) and hathe pleasure in hys waye. Though he fail, he shall not be hurt, for the lord vpholdeth hym, Allthough y ^e rightous happen to fall sometyme into synne: yet they haue an aduoca­te for it w ^t the father, bicause thei wolde not synne. Psa. 36 and .90 with hys hande. &c. O, that ye wolde nowe obeye to the voyce of God, conteyned in hys sacred word, that ye myght receyue Chryste into your soules.

Bretheren beloued in our sauyour Chryst Iesu, I besech you for the dear loue of Chryst Iesu (whyche refused not to suffer reproue of the worldde, & to geue hys lyfe for oure sakes that we might lyue by hym) be warned in time leaste Sathan beguyle you, and brynge you a slepe wyth the world through in ordynate desyre of vayne ryches, sory ād pleasur therof, couetyng after mery and ioyfull dayes here relyghtyng the mynd in wantonnes or worldly lusts, whych is the playne waye to vtter des­tructyon. Know ye not, how the enne­my seketh busuly by these thynges to betray you? And how he layeth carnal [Page] fleashelye and worldlye pleasures as a bayte, wherin venym / yeth hydde before your eyes to catche your myndes / that he may so carrye you awaye▪ For as the fowlers bayt betrayeth y ^e fowles. Soo doth the vayne pleasures of thys world begylde the myndes of fowles: For through the desyre of it the enemy ouer­cometh them▪ leadynge the synner from one vanytye to an other tyll he haue so broughte hym in woofull bondage, and moste myserable captyuytye. But thys ye knowe my brethern. I meane the sea sone, how it is tyme (as Sayncte paule sayth) that we shulde nowe a wake owt of slepe, Rom. xiii. for nowe is oure saluacyon ne­rer, then when we beleued. The nyghte is paste, and the day is come nygh. Lett vs therfore Caste a waye the dedes of darekenes, and put on the Armoure of lyghte. Lett vs nowe walke honestelye (saythe he) as in the daye lyghte: not in eatynge and drynkynge, chambrynge, & wantones nether in strife & enuyeng but put ye on the lord Iesus Chryst, & make not prouisiō for y ^e flesh to fulfyll the lustes of it. Truly we are called (as [Page] ye know to suffer wyth Chryst, that we myght be made partakers w ^t hym in glory for yf we were grafted lyke hī in death Then shall we be lyke hym also in the resurrectyon, Iesus au­tem dixit illis. Amē dico, vobis quod vos qui sequuti estis me, in regeneraci­one cum sederit fi­sius homi­nis in se [...]e maiestatis fue. &c Math. xix the rych man lyueth here in al pleasures and fared delycyously. And Lazarus lyued in trouble ād payne. But after this lyfe Lazarus receued ioye saith Chryste and the rych man payne for Abraham sayde vnto hym: sonne remem­bre that thou in thy lyfe tyme receyuedst thy good and contrary wise Lazarus paine, now therfore is he cōforted, ād y ^e art punysshed. Our sauiour, Chryste trulye being y ^e lord of our glory (during y ^t time of thys lyfe (walked here through many trybulacyons. He refused y ^e scepter and crown of a worldly kingdō w ^t al y ^e vayn frēd shyp & glory y ^t the world could geue hī / & receued w ^t mournīg deares on hys head a crowne of sharpe thornes & a rede for a sceptre in his right hād, Mat xxvi y ^t he might so for our sakes acōplysh y ^e wyll of his heuenly father, & gette vyctory against y ^t whole powre of y ^e enemy. Chryst suffred for vs sayth. s. peter leauȳg vs an exāmple y ^t we shuld follow hys fotsteppes / w ^c dyd [Page] no synne / neyther was ther guyle found in his mouthe. &c. Chryste had no fely­cytye in thys presente worlde whych is now corrupte, but hys reioysyng was in the wylle of hys father, and he had a great respecte to the rewarde at the end Yf the sonne of God takyng oure na­ture vpon hym, myghte not escape / but muste drynke of thys Cuppe, who saied The seruaūte is not aboue the master, neyther the messynger greater then he that sendethe hym. Thynke not ye to escape / my Brethern, yf ye intende to be made partakers with hȳ of his fathers heauenlye kyngdome. Therfore wyth pacyence possesse your sowles, and lyke faytheful Sowldiours of Iesus christ, take vp youre Crosse / and folowe hym, for trulye he hathe promysed, that yf ye be partakers with hym in sufferyng / ye shall be partakers wyth hym in glorye. But yf you lyue after the fleash & haue your pleasure amongest the wycked: ye must dye: But if ye mortify the dedes of y ^e flesh / throughe the spyryte, then shall ye lyue. Brethern / ye are called of God y ^t [Page] ye shuld be holy. Therfor I wolde not that ye shulde now be partakers in the dedes of the wycked, i. Corin. x. and haue fellow­shyppe wyth deuels, for truly (as saīt paul sayth) ye can not be partakers of the lordes table, and of the table of de­uels, neyther drynke of the lordes cup and of the cup of deuels, Eyther shall we prouoke the lorde (saythe he) or are we stronger then he? ye can not serue God and mammon, how agreeth light wyth darkenes? ryghtousnes wyth vnryghtousnes? or Chryst wyth Belyas? The hart that goeth two ways truly is hated, and such as are dobble tounged / are accursed of God.

What can it proffite a man to wynne all the world / wyth the losse and dā mage of hys owne sowle? yea what shal he geue to redeme it agayn with al he that seketh to saue hys lyfe shall lose it (saythe chryste): But he that wyl lose hys lyfe for my sake, shal saue it. yea blessed and happye are those, (Sayth the spyryte) that loue not ther lyues vnto the deathe: Truly they shall receaue a [Page] Crowne of life. And although ye know the truth already (my Bretherē dearely beloued in our Sauioure Iesu chryste yet I thynke it not vayne by these let­ters / to styrre vpp your remembraunce for trulye it is my dylyee that ye shulde not peryshe wyth y ^e worlde. but that ye shulde turne from your synnes, and liue Therfore / seynge God hath called you wyth an holye callynge, for he hath sup­plyed your harts with the oyle of grace & opened your vnderstandynge, by hys holy spyryte: Soo that ye haue nowe sene hys holy wyll declared vnto vs in Chryste Iesu And haue consented, y ^t it is the truthe of God I beseche you by the mercyfullnes of God / make your bodyes, a quycke and lyuelye sacryfyce / holy & acceptable to God / w ^c as sayncte Paule sayth is your resonable seruynge of God, And fascyon not youre selues lyke vnto thys woorlde, but be ye chaun­ged in youre shappe by the Renuynge of youre wyttes. Seynge ye are nowe rysen wyth Chryste, se [...]te youre myndes aboue on heauenly thynges where Christ syttethe on the ryghte hande of God the [Page] father and not on the thinges y ^t art on y ^e earth. Brethern deceue not your selues brynge furthe the perfecte frutes belon­gynge to repentan̄ce / which is amende­ment of lyfe. Let it appere I praye you that yeare of chryste / & haue harde the woorde in dede. Trulye it is good y ^t the harte be establisshed with grace and not w ^t so vanyces, Yf vertu encrese, ye cā not be yole, nor yet vnfruteful ī y ^e knowledge of chryste. But he that wanteth thys / as saynte Peter sayth, is blyndes gropynge for the way w ^c hys hand and hath forgottē / y ^t he was purged frō his olde synnes for true fayth is lyuely / & cā not be hydde neyther may she ī any wise dwell or abide alone for she hath a great desyre to many vertues. She accōpa­nye the her selfe w ^t gods wysedō & loue She is nouryshed daylye w ^t the bryght sonne of ryghteousnes / & y ^e highest wa­tereth her plantes w ^t y ^e swete showres of grace. Through perfecte obedyence to the wall of god, she spredeth furthe her braūches in due season whereby she obtayneth a suer hope her fruyctes pro­seade from the tree of lyfe / For trulye [Page] truly they are the workes of the spirite of God, as loue, ioye / peace, long suffe­ryng, g [...]ntelnes, goodnes / faythefullnes meknes / temperancy. for hee eye wayteh vnto the commaundementes of the lord to kepe them: for in the mis her lyfe, Dearly beloued ye are called and chosē ye are washed from an euyll concyence: ye are sanctyfyed by the bloude of Iesu, through the eternalle spyryte / whyche dwelleth in you: By whom / ye are able throught chryste. whych (as saynct paule sayeth hath made vs able to be myny­sters of the new testamente. Therfore worke owe your saluacion, And (as the Apostle peter sayth) make your callynge and electyon suer / through good works. Mortyfye therfore youre membres w ^c are earthly. And walke not from hense­fourth / as other hethen people walke in vanytye of theyre myndes, blynded in theyr vnderstandyng / beyng straungers from the lyfe that is in God / throwghe the yngnoraunce that is in them▪ because of the blyndnes of there hartes / whych beynge paste repentaunce, Haue geuen [Page] themselues vnto wantonnes, to worke almaner of vncleannes / euen wyth g [...] dynes. But ye haue not so lerned Chryste as sayncte paule saythe. yf so be ye haue hard of hym and are tawght of hī. Euen as the truth is in Iesus so then as concernynge the conuersacyō in tymes paste, laye from you the olde man whyche is corrupt▪ (through deceauea­ble lustes, and be ye renued in the spyrite of your vnderstandynge myndes: And put on that newe man whych is shapen after the ymag of god, in ryghteousnes and trew holynes, nowe therfore as e­lecte of God holy and beloued, put on tē der mercy kīdnes hūblenes of mīd, mekenes, Longe sufferynge, forbering one another / and forgeuyng one another. Colloss. iij▪ yf anye man haue a quarell to an other (saythe Sayncte paule) euen as Chryst forgaue you, euen so do ye▪ ye are called to be chyldren of lyhgt that ye shulde be holy and wyth owte blame. yf ye put to a wyllyng mynde ye shall fynd the lorde read ye wyth hys grace at youre hande. for God loueth you and therfor wyll be [Page] all wayes defende you and delyuer you in the howle of temptacyon (whych as Chryste saythe shall come to tempte thē that sytt vpon the face of the earth. But ye haue not receyued the spyryte of the world, that your felycytye shulde be in y ^e thynges therof: Neyther that ye seke God all way owtewardely, and to serue hym in the letter. But ye haue receyued the spyryte of God, whyche lowsed in your hartes the woorkes of synne, and opened the inwarde eyes of your mynd that ye shulde nowe haue no more plea­sure in them. For y ^e vayle is takē away for your hartes / and yeare turned to y ^e lorde that ye maye nowe see the bryghte face of God / whyche is hys loue, and mercyfull wyll towardes vs in Chryste Iesu. Therfore truly we are called and taughte of God / to serue hym in a new conuersacyon, in spyryte and verytye and not in the olde conuersacyon of the letter. For the letter kylleth (sayth sainct paule). But the spyryte geueth lyfe. Yf the fyrste testament had bene fautelesse saythe he, Hebr. viij / thē shuld there no place haue [Page] bene soughte for the second. For in rebukyng them he sayth, Beholde the dayes wyll come (sayth the Lorde) and I wyll fynyshe vppon the house of Israell and vpon the house of Iuda a new testamēt not lyke the testament that I made with theyr fathers at that tyme when I toke them by the hande and ledde them out of the lande of Egypte for they contynued not in my testement and I regarded thē not sayeth the lorde, But thys is the tes­tament and I regarded them not saythe the lord / But thys is the testamente, that I wyll make wyth the house of Israell After those daies (sayth the lorde) I wil put milawes in their mindes ād in theyr harts I wil wryte thē: & I wyl be their God, & they shall be my people. This is y ^e new testamēt, y ^t the lord hath now made w ^t hys people▪ trulye he wryteth hys lawe by hys spyryte in theyr hartes / y ^t they maye doo it accordyng to hys wyll. Saincte Paule testifieth, Rom▪ xv. y ^t Iesus christ was a mynister of the cyrcūcysyō, for y ^e truth of God, to cōfyrme the promesses made vnto y ^e fathers, by whō ye are called & made ministers ī y ^e new testamēt / [Page] and pertakers of the true circumsysyō w ^c is inspryt & not in letter / y ^t ye might receue of hys holynes through the sprit that he hath geuen vs. Therfore (my brethrē) be ye holy, be ye holy in al your conuersatyon, for it is wrytē. Be ye holy for I am holy / ād surely, the things that ye haue in hand be very holy / knowe ye not how that ye ar partakers of the nature of God, by partycipacyon of hys holy spyryte whych ye haue recea­ued? And how that ye are made the temple of God, because hys holy spryt dwelleth in you defile not thē this holy place least the lord be angry; and so ye perysh from the ryght way. Thys holy cytye new Ierusalē, Apoca. xxi. Ihon sawe com down from God out of heauen prepared as a bryde garnysshed for her husbande. And he harde a great voyce out of heauen saying, Beholde the tabernacle of God is with men, and he wyll dwelle wyth them. &c.

Thys holy tabernacle ād dwelling house / hath god pyght among you / and not man, after whyche moyses was cō maunded [Page] to make all the worke whych wece but shadowes (sayth saint Paul) of true thynges to come: And were or­deyned vntyll the tyme of reformacyō w ^t hath God now in thys laste tyme by Chryst opened vnto vs, for by hys bloude haue we an open waye in into the holy place, and moost holye by the newe ād lyuing way, whych he hath prepared for vs though the vayle, that is to saye / by hys fleshe. And by Chryste are ye belo­ued, and made mynysters in the newe testamente and pryestes vnto the hygh god to offer in the holy place in holy vessels of pure golde that acceptable sacryfyce of prayse and thankesgeuyng, Vessels of pure golde are the har­tes and conscyences of mē purged from the fylthe of synne, and Corrupcyō that is to saye, the frutes of those lyppes / w ^t do confesse hys mooste holy name / attende therfore to y ^t thing, that ye haue now harde (my deare bretheren) and as dea­re chylderen, labour earnestly by the helpe of the spyryt to kepe your selues vnspotted of the worlde, that ye may be saued and be made the parfecte sonnes of God / and coheyres wyth our sauyoure Iesus Chryste of hys euerlastyng hea­uenly [Page] kyngdome. Amen.

The god of all patience and consolatiō geue to eueryone of you grace so to labore and trauayle in youre callynge after the example of Chryste / that your gyfte maye encrease, least you also be plucked away in the erourre of the wycked, and fall from your stedfastnes / But growe in grace and the lorde wyll delyuer you from all euell doyng, and kepe you to hys heauenly kyngdome: to whom be all prayse / honour and glory for euer and euer. Amen.

The grace of God be wyth your spyryt. Amen