FOr as muche as we knowe thee, Lorde, by workes brou­ght to passe thorowe thy po­wer: then do we say that thou art bente to dispose and ordre thinges, when as thou doste brynge them to their ful ende and parfytnes. Contrarywyse yf thou sufferest them to fall from their parfyt ende, then do we playnly pronounce that thy gouernement is withdrawen.

Consideryng therfore howe that all the worlde is (as touchynge true & ghostly worshipping of thee) in great daunger, both bycause the moste parte [Page] [Page] [...] [Page]lyeth in darcknes of mystrust or infi­delitie, or also bycause y ^e faythful forte is almost holly corrupted: so that now a dayes this maye be truely spoken. They haue al swarued out of the right waye, they are all become vnprofita­ble, none there is that doth good, no not so muche as one: Flee to thee for so cour, not doutyng, but maruelynge, & humbly besechyng that thou wilt not be lyke as men whych when they are earnestly set on thinges that they loue wel, they take no hede or very lytle vp on other whome they haue not in so great store. Thou therfore, O Lorde, whiche arte ruler of Israel, that is to saye, of them that beholdeth the in lyfe euerlastyng, to whose gouernaunce thou semest muche to gyue thy selfe: take also regarde vnto oure ayde and mayntenaunce. For in that heauenly region where as thy blysfull sayntes doth se thee after a maruelous ordre & excedynge glorie of the inhabitaun­tes, it appeareth vnto them as yf thou were so occupied in preseruynge and kepynge them: that thou myghte be thought to haue vtterly forgotten vs, amongest whome all thynges are troubled, confoūded, and putte out of [Page]ryght ordre. For whiche cause we her­telye praye thee, that haste dominion ouer heauen and earth in quyetnesse: do not so attende onely to the blessed company there aboue, that thou wilt leaue dysamayde and comfortlesse thy faythfull assembly here beneth.

Wherfore haue regarde vnto oure helpe and furtheraunce, O Lorde, that haste Israel in thy gouernaunce: haue regarde, good Lorde, that leadest Io­seph euen lyke as a shepe is ledde.

For by Ioseph whiche betokeneth in­crease, what is mente but thy fayth­full and deuoute people? Albeit a yonge forte of people, whome thou begotte in thyne olde age, that is, in thys oure laste and unfortunable ty­me: whych abydeth haynous persew­ynges and reuengynges of hys bre­therne, and is nyrnamed of them a dreamer. Thys Ioseph as he grow­eth from day to daye in more greuous combraūce and trouble, so doest thou leade hym thorough fyre and water, euen as a meke or gentle shepe vnto the shambles beyng continuallye ta­med & brought lowe: so that by fetters and prisons he maye passe forth vnto [Page]that kyngdome, and those pastures whiche are freshe and floryshyng for euer and euer. Wherupon thou that in these wyse leadest lyke a shepe Io­seph, arte mysdemed of the vnfaythful to passe nothynge of oure matters: and therfore be present, Lorde, and re­dy to reliefe and defende vs, that the wycked ianglers mouthes maye be stopped. For we do not craue golde, nor ryches, nor yet prontotions of this worlde: but we couet thy lyght, we earnestly desyre to knowe thee.

Therubim betokeneth plenteous­nesse of knowledge, Ephraim bring­ynge for the frute, Beniamin the sonne of thy ryghte hande, Manas­se forgytfulnesse. Thou therfore that syttest and arte at reste in thy selfe frō eche worke that thou haste ordeyned, and arte fastened in the seate of thy [Page]euerlastynge mansyon, and doest cō ­tinue in the heyghte of thy Maiesties trone: as the Kynge, as the Lorde, as the Iudge and mayster of all: thou (I saye) that syttest vpon Therubim, that is, vpon the plenteousnes of knowle­ge, farre surmountynge and passyng all knowledge and all vnderstanding, for that thou arte vndoutedly a secrete God and vnsearcheable: be opened and appeare (I beseche thee hartelye) vnto Ephraim, that is to saye, vnto thy people whyche nowe bryngeth for the frute to thy honoure, so that they maye knowe the fully and par­fectlye. For who so knoweth thee: he loueth thee, he forgetteth his owne selfe, he loueth thee better then hym­selfe, and dothe wonderfully profyte the congregacion. Be reueyled also afore Beniamin, that is, afore all thy chosen and marked forte abydynge here, or elles where, whyche no doute euen for thy verye choyse and appoyntement are made worthye to be called the chyldren of thy ryghte hande: so that thy people maye en­crease, and that thy chyldreu spar­sed abrode maye comme together, and [Page]that there maye be one shepe house and one shepeherde.

Open thy selfe also to Manasse, to all the Infidelles, whome thou se­mest to haue caste out of remembraū ­ce, bycause they haue forgotten thee, for so muche as thou haste so longe wythdrawen from them the foode of lyfe. Shewe thy selfe at the laste vnto all the worlde, that menne may comme out of darkenes and the sha­dowe of deathe into lyghte, and maye sette strayghte theyr steppes into the waye of peace. But yf the stubbourne secte wyll vnnethes be amended, and yf the nombre of those fooles be excedyng great.

Lo, the ryche oppresseth the poo­re, the rulers despoyleth the symple flocke, the vngodlye perseweth the ryghteous wythout anye petie: thy faythfull fyndeth fewe fatherlye hel­pers [Page]they haue no maynteyners.

Full manye a one (alasse) is drawne to hell, thorough the euell ensamples of priestes and the cleargye, whyche is cleane wythout hope of recouerye towarde amendement. There are a passynge meany of noysome Phari­seis, a great rable of harmefull hypo­crites, wyth whose poysoned exhorta­cions and lessons the whole worlde is infected. They wyll not heare the wordes of trouthe, no man maye cor­rect them: wherby thy faythfull dare not ones lyfte vp theyr heade.

What doest thou, O Lorde? Why sleapest thou? Wherfore doest thou wytholde thy myght? Styrre vp thy power, I humblye beseche thee, and comme. Thou that arte euery where, wyth thy scourges and wyth thy strength stryke these false and mys­chieuous deprauers of thy worde, de­stroye these craftye and malicious ac­cusers of thy seruauntes, condempne these obstinate and deuelyshe despy­sers of thy grace. I do not saye thys, I do not wyshe it, I do not aske thys, as and I were delyted to se them punyshed: but that thou maye saue [Page]vs thyne elected and chosen, seruyng thee continually, louynge thee aboue all these thynges, euermore obeynge thy decrees and commaundementes. Thou aunswerest me perchaunce in thys wyse. Yt I shall caste in my swearde of vengeaunce, yf I shall sende pestilence amonge them, yf I shall pyne them wyth honger: thyn­kest thou then, that thou thy selfe canst continue in so muche and so greuous trouble?

For why, we are frayle and feble, nor we truste not in oure owne vertue or power: for that we are not sufficient so moche as to y­magine any thinge of oure selfe, as of oure owne abylytie, but oure suffi­saunce is of God. For thys mortall fleshe is bourdenouse vnto the minde, and thys earthlye dwellynge holdeth downe the witte couetynge to con­tēplate sondry matters. Wherfore do thou [Page]conuerte vs o God. Tourne vs to the frō earthly thoughtes to heauēly thynges, tourne vnto the our dyssobedient & rebellious wil and arbytrymēt: and to vs ones tourned shewe thi counte­naunce, y ^t we maye know the: declare thy powre, that we maye feare the: vt­ter thy wisdome, that we maye honour the: shewe forthe thy goodenesse, that we maye loue the: shewe thy selfe ones shewe thy selue agayne, sheue thy selfe contynually, that we maye passe tho­rough trouble with a gladsome chere: and so shal we be saffe. For if thou pre­serue vs, we shal be in sauegarde: if y ^u takest awaye thy hande, we can not be saued. Why taryest thou Lorde? Why doste thou not fauourably heare my request?

Ful oftē haue I asked the, ryght lon­ge haue I desyred the, many a tyme haue I beseched the. Wherfore thē doste thou not lysten vnto me gracyously? Wherfore dost thou make suche de­laye? Why? arte thou yet to dyspleased? [Page]Wyth me for my synnes? If y ^u doest at counte & reken my fautes Lorde, Lorde who shal be able to abyde the? Therfore o Lorde that haste power to do al thynges, o God that rulest all thynges vnto whom they which vpholdeth the worlde done obeysaunce, whome high poures, whome the heuens & theyr dominiōs do reuerētly feare: Lorde God of myght, how longe wilte thou be an­grye with thy seruaunt prayeng vnto thee? where is thy entyre loue? Where is thi strength? Where is thy manifolde mercye? What? Ar they refrayned & kepte awaye ouer vs? We wil crie vnto the both nyght & daye, knowing verely that if so be thou wilte make a cariaunce, yet wol thou at the laste gē ­tylly heare our importunate sute.

I hope (I saye) that I shal be herde, for that thou haste euermore loued trouth. Denye thy selfe thou canst not. For thou haste promysed: Aske, & it shal be gyuen ye: seke, & ye shal fynde: knock & it shal be opened vnto you. Albeit fir­ste [Page]thou shalt fede vs with breade of teares, with bitter breade, with plea­saunt breade. For teares ar both sow­re, & swete. Sowre, for the absence of goodnesse: swete, for y ^e certaynte of fyndyng out goodnesse. Bytter they be­ne, for bycause that truste whyche is dryuen of & delayed greueth the poore soule: pleasaūte they ar, for the presen­ce of thi swetenesse, which stirrest vs vp to praye, & causest vs to cal vpō the w ^e vnspeakable sighes. And thou salt giue vs drynke of the cuppe that is in thi hande ful of the swetenesse of pu­re wyne. For why, thy comforting shal reuiue our spyrites & quicken our myndes, euen according to the heape of the greafes & anguyues in our hert Drynk therfore shalt thou gyue vs in the teares of troubles, which washeth the face of our conscience, which clea­rith our vnderstanding, which moy­stureth our herte with deuotion, & yel­deth vs the sauour of loue & charyte. Than thy good teares ar swete tears Doutlesse, which hathe bene foode to vs daye and nyght. Heare vs therfore thou shalt, but afore that shalt thou fe­de vs & gyue vs drynk in trears: not more the we cā bear, but in measure, [Page]after the lymytyng of the trouth. For thou wylte not let vs be tempted more then we can beare, but thou wilte make also this profyte to cōme of thy pro­uinge, that we shal be the better able to suffre. Thou shalte fede vs, I saye, with teares, not alwayes, but a certayne tyme which thou haste putte in thine owne powre, Now lo, when that same tyme apoynted is ones comme: then shal our weping & waylyng haue ane ende, then shal thy angre cease, then shal our prayers be accepted. Thou shalte tourne vs to the, thou shalte shewe the lyghte of thy countenaunce, thou shalte rayse thy myghte, thou shalt make vs saffe and sounde, and thou shalt be reueled & opened before Efraim, Beniamin, and Manasse: & thou shalte enlarge thi churche, and take regarde to the gouernaunce ther of. The meane whyle, we shal posse­de our soules in our sufferaunce. For why,

In the meane season as thy chyldren [Page]doest thow chastyse vs: that we maye be clensed, that we laye not our harte vnto riches, that we folowe not worl­dely prayse, that thy trouthe maye the more comme to lyght: and for these causes haste thou set our neyghbours to replye & speake agaynst vs. And who beene our neyghbours, but theys dissēblers: whiche ar nether hotte nor colde, whiche in their outward behauy our done appere as they wer Christiās Lord (they wil say) I thāke y ^e for y ^t I am not as the commen sort of men ar vn­ryghteous, rauyshers lecherouse, yea euen as this Publicane is: I faste twyse in a weke, I gyue in almes the tenth parte of al that I haue: & yet for al this, they be not inwardly true Christians. They ar therfore our neyghbours, bycause they seme to be lyke vs in theyr works: but they ar not of our house­holde, bycause they haue not lowly­nesse, they haue not loue & charyte.

Why thē after what facyon hast thou set these neutralles to wythsaye and stryue agaynste vs: but for bycause thou haste lightened vs in the waye of trouthe, and haste shewed vs thy countenaūce. By that lyght haue we espied then & perceyued that they be paynted [Page]graues which wythout appeareth ga­ye & gorgyous, but within they be ful of deade mennes bones & al vncleanlynesse. Wherfore leste symple folke & other Christyans shoulde perysh, tho­rough theyr sayengs and ensamples: we haue toide them boldely, & gyuen them this warnyng: beware of the Pharises leuyn, which is hypocrisye or a fayned pretence of holynesse. Ce­rymonyes, customes, or vsages shal not saue yow: we haue disclosed & play­nely set oute to euery mans syghte theyr scrupulous conscience. We haue reproued & rebuked them, sayeng: yow be they, that make your selfe parfecte & ryghteous before men, but God kno­weth your hartes: for what so euer is loftye afore men, is abomynatiō afore God. Hereupon ryseth ragyng enuye, herupon groweth greate malyce he reupon springeth & encreaseth debate and controuersye. For they set more by mennes glorye, thē Goddes glory. Therfore go they romyng vp & downe the cyte, they runne hyther & thyther, they haūte womēs howses, they grud­ge at vs, they sclaunder vs, they spea­ke agaynst vs, they persewe vs. And so it is comme to passe, that our ene­myes [Page]hathe mocked vs. Our enemyes ar manifeste & open synners, the frendes & louers of this world, proude, couetous, ryattous, cursyng, man quay­lers, and aduersaryes of Christe his crosse. These (I say) not willing to hear our wordes, yea rather thy wordes o lorde, but fleyng away from them persuaded & brought in to a wronge beleff by those hypocrites, hath scorned vs, & disdaynefully despysed vs, as and we wer idyoths or fooles. And what is the cause, that our neyghbours hath contraryed & wythsayed vs, & that our enemyes hath deryed vs? wherfore done our neybours more thē our enemyes? Why? Ar not the Pharises our enemyes? yes truly they bene our ene­myes, & y ^t our deadly enemyes: yet ar they wyly & crafty, yet ar they secrete & verye close. For they do bear vs in hād that they be our frendes, they saye that they loue vs wel, they falsely pretende that they speake for the trouthe sake, and not for hatered of vs: so that these hypocrytes hurte vs more, than open ennemyes. They ar called therfore neyghbours, bycause they make them selfe our frendes, and yet neuer­thelesse are mutteryng agaynst vs. [Page]Wheras oure enemyes dothe [...]emye laugh at vs. yea & our enemyes wolde not scorne vs, if these felows wer not busye in talking agaynst vs. yea our enemyes myght be tourned to repen­taunce, if these medlers did not let them. To be breue our enemyes wol­de becomme our frendes, & defenders of the trouthe, if thy churche had no suche Pharisaical wythsayers. Great is the battayl, daungerous is the stryfe, douteful is the vyctorie. Wherfore,

God that gyuest strength vnto the power aboue to fyght wyth out dre­de agaynst the olde dragon, and boldely to achiue all harde enterprises: God of myght tourne vs frō the fonde loue of our self vnto the parfyt loue of y ^e wherby we maye be knytte vnto the, and stycke to the: for so shal we be afrayed of nothyng, but fyghte oute thy battayle wyth a full confidence. For thou art our strength and our staye, our succoure, & our defence. Therfor [Page]Therfore shewe the light of thy countenaunce, set out thy trouthe. Make thi lyghte euident & playne: that these hypocrites do not deceyue vs, that they wrappe not our hartes in darkenesse, that we maye auoyde & escape theyr snares, & maye walke in the waye of trouthe. And so if thou delyuer vs, if thou lyghten vs, if thou fyght for vs, we shal be saffe. Go to Lorde, do so Lorde: aryse, awake, comme, & tarye no lē ­ger. Where be thy manyfolde mercyes shewed in olde tyme, Lorde? Remem­bre thyne owne labours, do not set lyghte by thyne owne paynes, do not despyse the workes of thyne owne handes.

Thy vyneyarde is thy church. Wherfore is it cleped a vineyard? Bicause it yeldeth wyne which dothe make men­nes myndes in a maner dronkē with loue of heuenly thynges, which dothe refresh and make gladde our hartes. A good vineyarde, a vyneyarde of the beste, that turneth into wyne what so [Page]euer is layed aboute the rote therof.

If a man wil putte vnto the roote he­re of water, doūge, or any other thing: it chaungeth into wyne al to gyther, what soeuer it be that it draweth vnto it selfe. For it neuer bringeth forthe o­ther water or dunge, or any thynge, but wyne. So al that is offered vnto the Churche, that is to saye, vnto the faythful soule of mā: be it mockage, or persecutyon, or golde, or commenda­tion, or cursyng: it turneth al to chary­te, to pacience, to lowlynesse, & other vertues. This vineyarde, these fayth­ful menne nothyng coueting, nothing fearing in this worlde haste thou re­moued out of Egypte, that is to wete, out of darkenesse. For they wer in lac­ke of lyght for ignoraūce, & in the dar­kenesse of synne: they knewe not theyr ende, they coulde not tel whither to go. Thy lyght haste thou sente them, and out of darkenesse haste thou broughte them. But the heathen (that is) wycked soules & frowarde men, without rea­son, wythout lawe, wythout lernyng did malycyously persue them, and did destroye thy vineyard. They were euē lyke stoones very harde strykers, hurting the fete of them that walked therin, [Page]marring the braunches, & vtterly letting the frute of the vineyarde.

Thou haste therfore caste owre the heathen: thou haste kylled the bloodesuc­kars & murderers of thy wytnesses: thou haste brought to confusyon the maumettes and idolles, thou haste gy­uen to the deuil heretikes & them that bē obstinate in theyr owne fantasies: thou haste gathered the stones togy­ther, and caste them for the, and made them to be farre from thy vineyarde, and they ar sonke downe into the dep­the. Thou haste grafted it in thy holy mownte, in thy faythe, in the parfec­tnesse of thy iustice, in thy Christe. It hath passed thorough the redde see, it hath passed thorough fyre and water: for dyuerse troubles hath it not gyuen ouer, it is saffe ynough.

A stronge, a wyse, a gentle, a great guyde. For why, God is a myghty Lorde, & a myghty King aboue al Kinges. Who than wolde not folowe suche a guy­de? [Page]But after what maner haste thou ben her leader? Thou haste come downe, thou haste apeared in flesh & the facyon of a man: for her, haste thou suffered persecutions, wythsayenges, cur­synges, scorninges tormentrie, yea & deathe of the crosse. To thy father did­dest thou passe forthe by the waye of thy passion, and thou madest a procla­mation: Who so wil comme after me, muste denye hym selfe, and muste take his crosse, & folowe me. A graunde ca­pitayne, a difficulte waye. But who wil be afrayed, hauing such a guyde that wil not lyngar behynde a man, but go before hym? Thou therfor (o Lorde) haste ben not a lurking capitayne, but open and manifeste: al men myght beholde the. Guyde of her ior­ney haste thou ben en her eye syght.

For openly werte thou nayled vpon the crosse betwyexte two theues. And bycause the vyneyarde is but feble, for that the vynetre it self is but a weake maner of woode: thou haste streng­thened it, & haste sette the rootes ther­of. No fleshly man, nor aungel hath planted it: but thou with thyne han­des, with thy wysdome, with thy pow­er, with thy bounteousnes haste sette [Page]the rootes of her loue, of her charite, of her good affection. Thou haste plā ­ted this vineyarde (I saye) in a good grounde, in the grounde of lyuing creatures, in thy woundes, in thy cros­se, in thy godhed: and therfore hathe it yelded frute, it hathe brought forthe pleasaunte wyne, wyne of the best, such wyne as wol rauish a mans minde: with manifolde braunches is it encreaseth, so that it hath fylled the holle earth. It hath fylled (I say) the earth with vertues, wyth heuenly gyftes, with grace, lyghte, & the knowledge of God. Not with the Philosophers cunninge, whiche when as they knewe God, they did not esteme him & glori­fie hym as God, nor yet rendred than­kes vnto hym: but they vanished a­wayne in theyr conceytes & thoughtes, theyr folysh hartes was darkned and blynded. For they naming & counting them selfe to be wyse men, becamme very idyotes & fooles. So is it not with thy vineyarde, o Lorde. And why? Mary,

Which is the shadowe? The olde testament goyng afore the trouthe of the Gospel, euen as our shadou goeth before our bodye, when the sunne commeth after: but whan the sunne com­meth before our face, thā dothe not the shadowe go afore but commeth after, and we se it not. Semblably the Law (as it were a shadowe) went before the trouthe and grace whyche is by Iesus Chryst, because the sunne of ryghteousnes did then folow, that he myght af­terward come, and apeare, and shewe his face to vs. Wherfore he came, and opened the trouthe, and sette it before our eyes: now, lo the shadow foloweth and cōmeth after our back. We ther­fore do flee awaye from it, and do go towarde the sunne. The shadowe of the Lawe, and of sacrifyses is ouerpas­sed, because the sunne of ryghtousnes Christe our God is come. The shado­we of it therfore, that is to saye, the Lawe & the darke teaching of the Prophetes couered the mowntaynes. Who ar the mountaynes? Men stedfaste in faythe, high in parfectnes of iustice & contemplacyon of heuenly thynges. Certesse, the Patriarches and Prophetes, not the Philosophers and Ora­tours, which ben the mountaynes of [Page]pryde. This vineyarde than proceded from the vnsearchable & heuenly lyghte of the Patriarches & Prophetes.

And the shadowe herof hath couered the hylles, that is to saye, Bisshoppes, Patriarches, and prophetes: which hauing plentieth of knowlege in the La­we, & beyng replenyshed with spirit of Prophecye did couer thy vineyarde, & mayntayn it. Thou diddest come (Lord) vnto thy tyllers of thys yard, & they killed y ^t, & dyd cast y ^e out of it. Houbeit y ^u thē worthely destroyēg those naughty occupyars, haste lette forthe thy vineyarde to be hyred of other husbandes which hathe done the frutes therof (that is to saye) hath turned y ^e shadow of the Lawe into lyght. The carnal sense haue they drawne vnto a spiritual vnderstan­dyng, that when they be wery they might sytte vnder the shadow therof, & be cooled from feruent heate: yea the shadow of it is becomme lyghte, for that the very Lawe it selfe spiritually taken and vnderstanded is made the Gospel: vnder whose shadowe which is the lyghte the wery soule resting thus doth singe and saye: Vnder his shade haue I syt whome I lōged for, his frute is swete and pleasaunt to my throte, And agayne. The breathe of our [Page]mouthe, is Christe. The Lorde was ta­ken in our treaspace, vnto whome we sayde, In thy couerte shal we lyue a­mong the gentiles. Then did he multiplye the vinebraunches emōg the Heathen. For the Gentiles camme to Christe, to the tyller, to the vinetre, to the vineyarde: the braunches wer multiply­ed, they did growe for the a greate nombre, and not wythout a cause wer ma­de euen as vyneyardes, and the vines therof wer lifted vp on hygh. Yea they couered the Cedre trees of God. Which ar the Cedre trees of God? Vndouted­ly his Apostles, his Euangelistes, the teachers of his congregatiō. Wherfore the chosen children out of the Gentiles camme to them, they tooke them by the hande, and sayde: Wyth you will we go, for we haue herd that God is with you. Than wer the Cedre trees gladde, they bowed downe themselues, & say­de: Clyme vp, clymme vp ouer vs, ta­ke vs: for we wil heare, we wil holde you vp, we wil lyfte you frō the grounde. So the Gentiles wente vp by fay­the, and wer buylded vpon the foūda­cion of the Apostles and Prophetes, euen Christe Iesus hymselfe being the hygh corner fronne. These vines ther­fore [Page]hath ouerspredde the Cedre trees of God. O happie vineyarde, o blessed braūches, which haue not folowed the wysdome of folish Philosophers: but that heuenly sapience of the mountay­nes & Cedre trees (that is) of the Pro­phetes & Apostles, the lyght vnspeaka­ble, the waye of trouthe that leadeth you truely vnto your ryght countrey. But how large is this vineyarde? Is it the lande of Iewry alone? Is God onely the Iewes theyr God? Doute­lesse from the sunne rysyng vnto the sunne settyng, Lorde, greate is thy na­me emong the people.

The Cedre trees of Libane reioysed, they cried & lyfted vp theyr voyce.

Theyr sounde went forth in to al the worlde, and theyr wordes vnto the vt­termost borders of the whole worlde. The see herde, and swelled, & the ear­the was troubled. The floodes of the see roose. Maruelous ar the surges of the see, maruelons is the Lorde in high places. Troubled wer the moūtaynes: [Page]proude princes, presses, scrybes & Pha­rises. The kinges of the earthe stoode by, & the rulers camme to gyther a­gaynst the Lord, & agaynst his Christe. But God thundered from heuen, & the hyghest gaue his voyce. The voyce of the Lorde in a power, the voyce of the Lorde in a magnificence. Stones did listen, and forthwyth trembled trees of the woodes: the harde harted & vn­fruteful Heathens did lysten, & forth­with wer they turned into braunches of the vinetre. The see behelde, and ranne a waye, Iordane the ryuer tur­ned backeward agayne. But the Gen­tiles euerywhere camme vnto the vi­ne, they fastened themselfe to it by faythe and loue: they encreased greately euen to the ende of the worlde, to the mountaynes & the see: wheras tyrauntes and frowarde people wer stryken, caste downe into hel, and ouerwhel­med wyth the sea. Contrarywyse our vineyard hath spredde forthe her braū ches euen vnto the see, that is, vnto the fardest parte of lande. The see therfo­re compasseth thys vineyarde, beateth vpon it, but the whaues be broken a­gaynst it.

But what worthed of the countreye [Page]of Iewes? It was hardened, it was dryed vp, it yelded no frute. Thou ha­ste cutte of therfore suche braunches (oheuēly tyller) & haste throwne them in to the fyre. Why, ar al the braūches de­stroyed & loste? God for bidde. For yet the leauinges bene saued. Many braū ches of Iewes accordyng to thy wyll and appoyntment, hath continued in y ^e vinetre, & hath yelded parfecte frute The vineyarde growed, ane stretched forth her vynes euen vnto the ryuer. What meaneth this, Lorde vnto the ryuer? Why, is ther in al the worlde but one flode? Is the worlde shutte vp or enclosed by some see, or any ryuer? No veryly: but lyke as when the Prophete is named, Dauid is mente therby for his excellence, and Paule whan the A­postle is named: so in this place wher­as is mencioned a ryuer generally, vnderstand thou it of Iordane, whiche was hallowed and sanctifyed of my sonne: for it alone hath that preemynence.

What meaneth then vnto the ryuer, but vnto the ryuer Iordane? That is, vnto the people of the Hebrues did she spredde forthe her braunches. Thynke not than the people of the Hebrues to [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]be al to gyther expelled. For that ston­ne whiche they in theyr buyldyng re­fused, is made the hedde corner stōne. Therfore bygge was the church then o Lorde, bygge (I saye) in worthynes­se: greate in trouthe, greate in parfecte nesse of vertues, greate in charite, gre­ate in the nombre of wonderful wor­kes, large also in spreading forth, greate it was: for bycause a greate Lorde arte thou that diddest grafte it, that diddest gyue it encrease: bycause thou diddest enlarge it, bycause thou (Lorde Iesu) werte the guyde of her iourney. Thou diddest labour in it, thou diddest trauayle, thou diddest watche: thou did dest consecrate her with thine owne blode, & with the bloode of thy martyrs or witnesses. Where than ar thy pay­nes becomme? where is the sweate? where is thy bloode? What haste thou done Lorde God? what haste thou do­ne, o my sauyour?

Why haste thou done this, goode Lorde? what is the effecte? The custo­die [Page]of Aungels haste thou put from it: they did kepe awaye theues, they did defende it. Where is that sure warde now a dayes? Where ar the Prophetes? Where ar the Apostles? the tea­chers, the heardemen compassing this vineyarde, dryuing out wicked spyri­tes, banyshing heretikes, correctīg vn gracious persones, and preseruing the weake and vnparfecte? Which is the wal? The custodye of Aungels, the defence of shepardes, the holy doctrine of preachers. Where is this wal? It is destroyd? Why, who hath pulled it downe? Thou Lorde, whiche haste ta­ken awaye thy good preachers, whi­che haste gathered thy shepardes in to heuen, whiche haste taken awaye thy messengers. Wherfore haste thou throwne downe the wal of this vine­yarde? Haste thou so done, for that she maye fulfyl her naughtynes, for that her wickednes maye be accomplyshed to the entent to punysh her, & so to re­newe her? But what hath she lefte vn­done? What synne is ther that maye not be founde in her? Verely (Lorde) loke how that her wickednes is brought to the ful swynge. And now dothe eche body that goeth by the way plucke her [Page]grapes. Not the true orderers of the vineyarde, not the true tyllars gathereth her frutes: not al good, nor yet a fewe good, nor yet some good and some euil, no not so muche as one good, but eueryche one that commeth by the wa­ye plucketh her grapes. None but they which kepeth not thy ordinaunce, yea whiche knoweth not the waye of God, open synners, of an euil reporte ar cho­sen vnto the ministerie of the aulter: to those ar benefices gyuē: they do gather the frutes of the vineyarde for them selfe, and not for the: they do not regarde thy poore people: they do not fede the hungrye: they clothe not the naked, they harber not the straunger: they defend not the wydow and the fatherles childe: they done eate the lambe out of the floc­ke, and the calfe from the middest of the hearde: they do singe after the noy­se of shaulmes & organes: they supposed they hadde the instrumentes of songe euen lyke Dauid: chaunting in quiers, praysyng God w ^t theyr lyppes, & beyng farre from God in theyr harte: dryn­kyng wyne in cuppes of golde and syl­uer, & dressed with very swete & sauery oyntemētes: and yet hathe no cōpassion vpō y ^e rough punishmēt of Ioseph, they [Page]take no maner pyte vpō the nedy & poore bodye. These therfore that passeth by thy waye, gathereth vp the grapes of thy vineyarde. But what shal I saye, o Lorde? For al they also whiche passeth by theyr owne waye, doth plucke the frute of the vineyarde. For they wal­king by theyr owne waye, & seyng the wal of the vineyarde destroyed, hath ouerpassed theyr waye. They made not a streyght iourney, but leauing theyr owne waye torned theyr feete into thy vineyard, that they myght plucke her grapes & take awaye her frutes: not spiritual, but temporal frutes. What is it, that thou tellest me? This I saye, o Lor­de. The riche robbes of this worlde walking by y ^e waye of theyr sinnes, seking by ryght & wronge for riches, dignytes promotions & pleasures of this worlde hath gon asyde out of theyr waye. They ceased to folowe these worldely goodes, for suche substāce & honour did they la­bour nomore: they turned themselfe to thy vineyarde, to ecclesiastical auaūce­ment, to the ryches of the churche: that wal which did put backe the vnworthie is broken downe & destroyed, yea & they haue entred in that passeth by their ow­ne waye, & haue takē awaye the frutes. [Page]What sayest thou? This, I meane: To daye in the commen route of men, & to morowe in the roume of a Bishop:

To daye in a tolebothe, & to morow a chanon in the quier: To daye a soul­dier, & to morow a preste. They passed by theyr owne waye, & wente a syde to thy vineyarde: not to the entente to til it for the, but to gather the grapes ther of for themselfe. This also I speake with teares: Ther haue entered in euil spyrites, and fyue naughty men (that is to saye) the hedde, & the membres: & plucking the gostely frutes of this vi­neyarde haue caste them forthe, trod­de them vnder feete, hidde them, destroyed thē: the tyllars and workers haue they stryke with the swerde, & throwne them out of the vineyarde: the beste braunches haue they cutte of: fynally with mischeuous perswasyons, threa­teninges, persecutyōs, and euyl ensamples they go aboute to bring to nought what so euer goodnes is founde in the vineiarde. Wherfore then haste thou, Lorde, destroyed the wal of it?

What profyte, what frute therof ensu­eth? For bicause of that doth euery mā that passeth by the waye pull the gra­pes of yt. But wolde God onely men, [Page]or wycked spyrites goyng by the wa­ye did gather the grapes of it, and not also very beastes did entre in to it. But lo a naughty beaste hath gone in to it, & hath destroyed it euen from the rote.

This boore is a swyn, a fylthie swyn, a proud swyn, a cruel swyn: not tamed at home, but wilde out of y ^t wood: an ex­ceding wātō clarke, a lecherous preste, whiche is no man, but a beaste, but an vnclēly swyn: he aprocheth to thy altar, he hath layn y ^e hole nyght in his beastlynes, indirt, in dōge, & in y ^e mornyng presumeth to touche thy sacramēts. This proude swyne can not be tamed, wil not be corrected, & letteth scorn to hear y ^e wordes of trouthe: he speaketh arrogātly, he aryseth agaynst who so rebuketh hym, he byteth, he teareth fiersly, he spareth no wordes, he curseth, he blasphe­meth in the despite of God. He is a hogge, he is cruel, he is a beaste, not a man: he persecuteth men: he is no domestical nor of the householde, no not so moche as newly grafted in: he commeth not out of the Lordes house, but from the [Page]woode, from the company of beastes, from the multitude of wylde beastes, from the wildernesse of synners. He knoweth not God, he is ignoraunte in the sacramentes, he vnderstandeth not his owne offyce: he onely loueth dyrth, he embraceth donge, he is delyted with bloode. Why then what hathe this boore done o Lorde God? He hath rooted vp thy vineyarde, he hath put it out of thy bondes, out of thy preceptes and cō ­mandementes, out of thy instructyons & teachinges of the primatiue fathers, out of thy lawes hath he set it: he hath replenyshed it with dirthe and dō ­ge, with excessiue pleasures and vnclea nelynes, with gluttonie & dronckardye. The tyllars hath he slayne, the yonge children hath he killed, the women hath he desloured, the braunches hath he drawē to the grounde, the vynes hath he plucked vp by the roote, & hath torne alto gyther wyth his tethe: with his pride hath he trode the trees vnder his feete, and caste them forthe of the vineyarde. This boore comming out of the woode hath broken the bondes of it, and a sin­gulare wilde beaste hath deuoured it. Lo what pryde is here? He wil nedes be singular, he wil haue no superior, he [Page]wil haue no peas, he loketh not to ha­ue felowes, but seruauntes & subiectes: he coueteth to possesse al singularly, he seketh euermore to ascende, he is dely­ted with a singularite, he regardeth not Christe his charyte: he wil not be a mi­nistre, nor sheparde, nor father, nor mother, nor partaker of tribulacyon, nor euery mannes seruaunte to the enten­te for to winne euery man: but a lorde, but a wolfe, but a cruel & a sturdye ru­ler to destroye the vineyarde, to plucke vp the rootes, vtterly to waste it, holly to eate it, & bring it to noughte. Is not also this wilde boore and syngulare be­aste an euil Prince, a proude tyraunte, al togyther vncleane, al togyther cruel? Whiche commeth out of the wilde woode of beastes, from ministers lyke himfelfe, fylthye, ryottous, arrogāte, cruel that ar beastes and no men. Whiche hateth the worshypping of God, bany­sheth holy men out of the cyte, persecu­teth the goode, punysheth the wyse, de­testeth and can not abyde the trouthe, reioyceth in lyes, is delyted with flate­ring tales, driueth awaye concorde, no­risheth debate, breaketh matrimonie, putteth vertues to exyle, cōmendeth vr­ces, chaseth awaye chastyte, enhaunseth [Page]vngracious persones, fynally causeth al noughtynes to be at the ful flynge. He hath burste the bandes of the vine­yarde, for that he hath stande by euery waye that is not good, & hath not beha­ted the contrary trade to vertue & hone­stye. Is not this boore percase & singu­lar wilde beaste also the deuil? A fowle spyrite, a cruel mankyller, puffed vp with pryde, that sayde: Into heuen wil I clyme, aboue the sterres of the firma­ment wil I exalte my scate, I wil be ly­ke vnto the hyest. He also hath fed de v­pon the vineyarde, hath eaten the braū ­ches, hath swalowed the vines & hath incorporat it wyth hymselfe: he is becō me y ^e head of myschief, & they his mem­bres: and Christe his vineyarde, is be­comme the deuylls vineyard, for that a syngular wyld beast hath deuoured it, Alas alas alas Lorde God, wher is the vineyarde whiche thou diddest transla­te out of Egypte, out of which thou did­dest caste the Heathen, which thou did­dest set with thyne owne handes, who­se iourney thou diddest guyde, which replenished the earthe with vertues, whose shadow couered the moūtaynes, and the vines, & the cedre trees of God, whiche did stretche oute her braunches [Page]euē vnto y ^e see, & her spredding boughes vnto y ^e riuer. Where bene her vertues? where are y ^e gyftes of y ^e holy goste? where ar the graces frely bestowed? where is her loue? where is her hope? where is her fayth? Arte not thou God, with whome ther is no chaunge? Arte not thou he, that is to saye. God which did dest worke mercy with our fathers? Ar not we the workemnashyp of thy han­des? Doth not Christe cōtinew for euer­more? Haste not thou also suffred for vs? Haste thou forgotten vs o Lorde? Thou Lorde arte our father, and Abra­ham knewe vs not, nor yet Israel.

Thou Lorde arte our father, and our re demer, thy name hath bene from the be gynnyng. Wherfore then haste thou turned thy face from vs? We haue syn­ned, we haue done amysse, we haue cō ­mitted naughtynes. Lorde deale not with vs after our synnes, nother re­warde vs according to our iniquyties. Lorde remembre not our olde fautes, lette thy mercye preuente vs anonne, for we ar very nedy & poore. No, nor yet our fathers wer founde ryghteous: but synners, worshippers of idoles, murderers, cursers, couetous, proude & [Page]hye mindes not obedient to theyr parē tes, folysh, & blasphemyng thy name.

Yet haste thou delte with them euen ac­cordyng to thy greate mercye. For they posseded not the earthe in theyr swerde, nether theyr owne powre saued them: but thy ryght hande, & thy powre, & the lyghtenyng of thy countenaunce, bicause thou werte pleased in them. Go to therfore, & deale with vs after thy greate mercy, & turne not awaye thy face from vs.

God of powers that arte a pu­re acte, a power infynyte, the pow­er of powers, gouerning al thyn­ges, doyng al thynges, quickening al thinges, creating the poures of al thynges, ges, gyuyng them strength, drawing them to theyr worke, goyng afore them turne vs (o Lorde) vnto the, & we shal be turned: go thou before vs, drawe vs after the, gyue strength to our ver­tues, and make vs lyuely. Why doest thou not loke vpon vs? Why haste thou turned thy backe? Shewe vs thy coū tenaunce. [Page]Be turned God of poures vnto vs, and then shal we be turned vnto the. For to be conuerted vnto the, to thynke vpon the, to loue the, it is thy gyfte. Loke backe from heuen: for thou arte gone farre hense, thou haste ascen­ded euen vp in to heauen: thou arte de­parted from vs, yet loke vpon vs from heuen, although thou wilte not comme doune to y ^e earth, although our synnes doth otherwyse deserue: regarde vs, sende vs thy lyght from aboue, from the deserte of compassions, from the Christe, frō the place where as thy bles­sed sayntes prayeth for vs. See how we ar made desolate & comfortles, beholde & take pyte vpon our shame and repro­che: our herytage is traunslated vnto straungers, our houses vnto forynars. Where is Hierusalem? Where is the holy lande, wherin thou diddest worke so many myracles? Where is thy gra­ue? Ar thy not in the handes of infy­dels? Beholde Lorde with the eyes of thy mercye the hole worlde, & the ful­nesse therof: not the fulnesse of graces, but plentyeth of synnes, plentieth of ignoraunce, plentieth of wretchednes. Beholde thy vineyarde, thy churche, the common welthe, thy Christian people, [Page]beholde and haue pyte vpon them. And visyt this vineyarde. For yet to hath it rootes, yet ther lyueth some braūches: it beganne from the begynnyng of the worlde, & neuer fayled, nor neuer shal fayle. For thou haste promysed: Lo with you am I al dayes euen vnto the worl­des ende. Then wel maye it be dimi­nyshed, but vtterly fayle it can not.

Now this vineyarde is the selfe same, that thou diddest plante. Ther is one spirit, one fayth, one baptime or fullenīg, one God & Lorde of all, which is al to­gyther in al thinges. Visyte therfore this vineyarde, for thy visitatyon shal kepe her spyryte: visyte herwith thy grace, with thy presence, with thy holy spy­rite. Visyte it also with thy wande, and with thy staffe. For thy wāde & thy staf­fe shal comforte it. Visyte it with a scourge, that she may be chastised and pur­ged: for the season of pluckyng awaye thinges superfluous wil comme. Thro­we forthe the stones, make fagottes of the wythered braunches and drie sticks to be burned. Rayse her vp, cutte of the refuse, set vnder stayes & proppes, ma­ke the grounde ranke & plētiful, buylde the wal, & vysyte this vineyarde, lyke as thou haste al redy visyted the earth, [Page]and inebryate it. Visyt her, I saye:

Do not onely visyt her, but also ma­ke her parfecte. For she is very vnpar­fecte. She wolde luye wel, but she nolde suffre euil. She hath ensamples set be­fore her eyes, she hath the Prophetes, the Apostles, the Martyres, & al the saintes of God: yea she hath the very onely begotten sonne: them wolde she folowe, wel wolde she do for to get theyr glory, but aduersytes wold she not abyde. She is very vnparfyte. Make her parfecte, o Lorde: Sende for the thy spirite, and then shal she be made parfecte. Peter before the comming of the holy goste say­de: yea if I muste nedes be put to death w ^t the, I will not denye the. Neuerthe­lesse for as moche as he was vnparfec­te, at the voyce of one poore mayde he denyed the Christe. The holy Goste cam­me, & fulfylled him with grace: & then he feared not kynges of the earth, for that thou madest hym parfecte: thā did he bring forthe frute, than did he turne [Page]an exceding sorte of people to the fayth, than did he buylde churches and tem­ples for the holy goste to dwel in.

Wherfore make her parfect: and then wil she bryng forth frute, and wil stret­che out her braunches thorough y ^e worlde. For yet is she afrayde, yet dare she not speake, yet she feareth prynces & rulers. Make her parfecte, whome thy ryght hande hath planted: not her, whō me thy lefte hande hath plāted. For ther ar some Christianes, as certayne pri­stes by name, not in very dede: vnto whome thou haste gyuen the ryches of this worlde, and multiplyed theyr tem­poral goodes, but of thy spiritual Goo­des haue they none. These therfore ar the vineyard, which thy lefte hande hath planted. I desyre the not to encrease this vineyarde, or to make it parfecte: but that whiche thy ryght hād hath planted, which beareth braunches (that is to saye) the faythful, to whome thou hast gyuen thy grace, and thy gostly gyftes: whych ar thyne elected. A­monge whome euery one sayeth: His lefte hande vnder my hedde, and hys ryght hande shal embrace me. Make therfore this vineyarde parfecte, make her parfecte (I saye) vpon the sonne of [Page]man, whome thou hast cōfirmed for thy selfe. Who is this sonne of man? For we ar the sonnes of men, bicause we haue a father & a mother here in the worlde. But Christe is the sonne of mā, for y ^t he is the sonne of a mayde: which in heauē hath a father w ^t out a mother, & in earthe a mother without a father. This sonne of man therfore haste thou made stedfaste in the hartes of mēne: & haste also confirmed hym for thyselfe (y ^t is) to thy honour & glory. The lande of Iewrye fought agaynst hym, and thou madest hym sure vnto the: tyrauntes hath foughte agaynste hym, & thou madest hym sure vnto the: heretykes hath foughte agaynst hym, and thou madest hym sure vnto the: Philosophers, logi­tians, & the wyse me of this worlde hath foughte agaynste hym, and thou made hym sure vnto y ^e: false bretherne hath foughte agaynst hym, and thou madest hym sure vnto the: the deuyl, & the hole worlde foughte agaynst hym, & preuay­led not, but thou haste made y ^e sonne of mā faste & sure in mēnes hartes to thy honour & glory. Therfore make parfecte this vineyard vpō hym: so y ^t she by fay­the & loue planted & rooted vpō Christe maye cōme to parfectnesse, & out of that [Page]redde earthe, out of that entyer zeale of Christe his charyte, out of the merites of his passyon maye bringe forthe very good wyne rauyshyng mannes har­tes. Albeit for that she is vnparfecte, for that she is fallen, for that the worlde is agaynst her, this semeth vnpossible in the eyes of menne: yet Lorde nothyng is impossible, nor nothyng harde vnto the. Thou openest thy hande, & fyllest euery lyuely creature with blessing. Al thynges loketh that thou shouldest gy­ue them food in season. When thou gyuest them, they wil gather: whē thou openest thy hand, al thinges shal be fylled with goodnesse. But whan thou turnest awaye thy coūtenaunce, they shal be troubled: thou shalte take awaye theyr spirite, and they shal faynte, and be retourned into theyr duste. How moche more then, whan thou rebukest, shal al stoppes be taken awaye, and al destroyers be destroyed?

For the kindled and halfe burned stycks, and vynes dygged vp, and vn­fruteful [Page]trees disparsed thorough the vineyarde, & the younge braunches coū ­founded, doth marre the lyuyng vynes & letteth them to bringe forthe frute.

Them therfore kindled and dygged vp rebuke with thy countenaunce, with that countenaunce wherof is spoken: But the Lordes countenaūce is ouer al euil doers: and forthwith the vnfrute­ful trees shal perish: they (I meane) which nether entereth themselfe in to the kingdome of heauen, nor yet suffe­ret other to enter. So that these kinled trees ar vncleane synners, fyred with the heate of carnal luste, & turned in to coles: walking in darkenesse, & kno­wing not whyther they go. For the fy­re hath sytte ouer them, & they haue not soene thy sonne. This woode kindled with fyre ar couetouse men & gredy in the desyre of monye, inflamed with the inordinat fyre of auaryce, which neuer sayeth ynough ynough, or whoe whoe. These trees kindled with fyre are men prowde, desyrons of honour, and enui­ous men: which burneth lyke as fyre brandes, & ar incended with couetyng of al thinges. This fyre hath wasted al vertues, hath raysed al wanton lustes, is the cause of al vngraciousnes. For [Page]pryde is the foundacion of al naughty­nes, and vehement desyre of wilful ap­petite is the roote of al vnhappynes: y ^t for the turning awaye from God, thys for the turning vnto creatures. Now who ar the trees dygged vp. but Hypo­crites nohter hote nor colde, which out­wardly certesse semeth not to be burned with the fyre of luste, or pryde, or coue­tyse: yet inwardely ar they drye bicause they ar dygged vp, they haue no rootes in the earth of the lyung trees, in the charite of Christe, in the grace of God. Wherfor euen as a tree, if it hath rootes in the earth, it bryngeth forth frutes at the heate of the sunne: but if it hath no rootes in the earth, but in the ayer, it wythereth awaye at the heate of the sunne. Semblably a man if he hath the rootes of fayth and loue in Christe, comyng to the auitre, to the sa­cramentes of the churche and godly dutyes, to hear Goddes worde, to the rea­ding of scriptures, to prayer: bringeth forth maruelous and wonderful frute and profyte. But if his onely studye be for thynges apparteynyng to his owne selfe, and is rooted in his owne loue, in the ayre, in the spyrite of arrogance: al­waye about what so euer he goeth he [Page]wythereth more and more, and is ma­de worse and worse. Hypocrytes therfore ar trees dygged vp, ar drye trees, ar fyrewoode: but certesse the very trees that ar dygged vp bene also kindled, & the trees kindled ar also as the trees dygged vp. For manyfest and open sy­ners ar dygged vp, and plucked awa­ye, and rooted out from the grace of God: and those Hypocrytes ar kind­led with the fyre of the loue of them sel­fe, of pryde, of ambytyon, of couetyse, of pryuye or secrete luste or pleasure.

Thus al theyse Lorde God dysparsed thorough the vineyarde, and heaped to gyther wil not suffre it to bring for­the frutes: bicause the yonglynges and simple folke ar ceduced and ouerthrowen with theyr euil ensamples and ex­hortatiōs. Rebuke thē therfore rebuke them roughly, for that they ar styffe-necked: rebuke thē with the swerde, pestylence, and hongre. Thoroughe the reprofe of thy countenaunce shal they perysh, and shal be caste out of the vineyarde: the braunches shal be lyf­ted vp, other vynes shal be put therto: they shal growe and fructyfye: they shal extend theyr ofspryng euen vn­to the see, and shal reache vnto the [Page]ryuer. Why sleapest thou Lorde? Aryse Lorde, and

Comme Lorde, do not thou tarye. O God gyue thy iudgement to the Kinge, and thy iustyce to the Kynges sonne. For he is the man of thy ryght hande, which sytteth at thy ryght han­de. But which is thy ryght hande? For thou arte inuisyble and with out any body. Where is then thy ryght, or thy lefte hande? Thy glory is thy ryght hā ­de. Namely therfore of Christe was it spoken, that he sytteth at thy ryght han­de, bicause he reioyseth in better felicite aboue al domynyon, and power, and strength, and aboue euery name that is recyted not onely in this worlde, but also in the worlde to comme. And what is thy hande, but thy power? If thou then haste a ryght hāde, why haste thou not lykewysse a lefte hand? For power haste thou to punish, and to gloryfye. For the Lorde doth quicken and morti­fye, doth cōuey to hel and recarye, doth [Page]bring lowe and exalte. Powre ther­fore to punish is thy lefte hande, pow­re to gloryfye is thy ryght hande. Let thy hande therfore, let thy powre com­me vpon thy man of the right hande. How so? Hath not he had powre gyuen hym from the begynnyng? For euen he sayde to his dyscyples. Al powre in heauen and in earth is gyuē vnto me. How canst thou then saye: let thy han­de comme vpon the man of the ryght hande? Gyuen hym it is, but it appea­reth not: bring to passe therfore that it maye appeare. Beastely & carnal men doth perceyue & see how that thy ser­uauntes ar mocked, despysed, sclaun­dered, and ar euermore in trouble and aduersyte, and then do they saye.

Fayth is not true, purueyaūce of God is ther none, deceyued ar the Christi­ans, and so doe they blaspheme thy name. To be breue they see proude men, vnryghteous, couetous, blasphemers, lecherous, and vngracious men to go forwarde, & to haue no aduerse chaun­ce: so that they saye. Other ther is no God, or elles he doth not regarde mortal mennes matters, other els he is in­iuste and vnequal. Thou then haste powre, and doste contynually exercyse [Page]thy iudgementes, but they do not apeare alwaye, and for that cause doth mē speake in thy despite and reproche. Let thy hande therfore be made to apeare vpon the man of thy right hande.

Graunte hym iudgement that maye apeare. Bidde hym exercyse the power that he hath in the syght of menne.

For thou haste ordeyned hym iudge of the quicke and the deade. Let thy hā ­de therfore comme vpon hym. Which hande? the righte, or the lefte hande? Let thy lefte, and also the ryght hand comme vpon hym: The lefte vpon the euil, the ryght hande vpon the good. Let thy iudgement apeare, and let thy mercye apeare, that men maye leaue of cursynge and blasphemynge. Dout­lesse thy lefte hande is weaker than the ryght, bycause thou doste execute iud­gement with mercye, and art lothe for to punishe. But thy ryght hand is strō ge, for that thou art a large and a lyberal gyuer. Thou openest thy hande, euen thy ryght hāde, and fyllest euery lyuing creature w ^t blessing. Let it come therfore vpō y ^e mā of thy ryght hād Let thy left hāde be to punish the wicked, that they maye be scourged, and so conuerted. And if they wil not be tur­ned vnto the, that they maye be cleane [Page]putte out of thy vineyarde, and maye be punished in the fyre of hel for euer. For why do they occupye the earth in vayne? But let thy ryght hand be v­pon the man of thy ryght hande to co­neforte thy faythful, that in a plente­ous blessing they maye be fylled with the grace of the holy goste, that the wal of the vineyarde maye be buylded vp to holde out them that passeth by the waye: and not to suffre the boore of the woode, and a syngular wylde beaste to entre in: to the entente that the vinebraunches maye growe and bring forth frute. Yea is it not (trowe ye) profytable, that both thy handes al­so be vpon the man of thy ryght han­de for thy faythful? Yes vndoutedly.

For thy lefte hande, thy hande holding the scourge, thy hande that is wonte to stryke wil cause them to tary at the ryght hande. For the rodde in the scholes kepeth the chylde in awe, the wāde maketh hym to lerne. For as yet are we yong chyldren: bicause as longe as we ar in thys mortal lyffe, we ar in­fantes, we had nede of the rodde, we ar fedde wyth mylke. But when that shal cōme, whyche is parfecte, the preper­tyes of a yonglyng shal we laye apart [Page]for al togyther: & thā shal the scourge leaue of. Thy scourge therfore is good and holsome, let thy scourge therfore comme, let it comme soone, let the powre quickly comme vpon the sonne of thy ryght hande: that the goode maye be purged, y ^t y ^e iust maye be made parfecte, that the euil maye be expelled, that the destroyers of the vineyarde maye perysh. And vpon the sonne of man let the vinebraunches be grafted, whom thou hast made sure to thy self, whome thou haste confyrmed in the congregacion to thy honour. For yet is he not hollye gone frō the churche. Yet haste thou many seruauntes, algates they be pryuye and secret, in whose hartes thou haste confirmed thy Chri­ste to thy glorye: and let them, when as the destroyers of the vineyarde ar dryuen out, go forth to theyr worke euen vntyll nyght. Comme therfore, o Lord, & couple vs to thy tyllars, who­me thou haste prepared vnto thy wor­ke. We ar thy seruauntes.

We can not be withoute the. For in the haue we our lyuing, our mouyng, and our beyng. And therfore do not we departe from the, seyng that thou haste the wordes of euerlasting lyffe. To whom shal we go? Ther is no God besyd the Lorde. For who hath worked such wonderful maruayles, as thou haste done? Al thynges that thou lysted haste thou made in heauen & in earth, in the see and in al places be they ne­uer so depe or bottomlesse. Although the worlde crie out, men grudge, and the wicked persecute vs: although the elementes euery one make insurrec­tion, yea although hel wolde breake lose and be reysed agaynst vs: yet depar­te we not from the, no creature can se­questre vs frō the loue of God, which is in Christe Iesus our Lorde. We do not truste in our owne strenght, we go not forth in our owne vertues: but thou shalt make vslyuely. Plenteously shalte thou graunte vs thy grace, thou shalt gyue vs vertues, in our trouble shalte thou sende vs a specyal ayde wherby we shal be prouoked to the feruentnesse of charyte. And vpon thy na­me wil we cal. Thy name is thy good­nesse: For none is goode, but God alo­ne. [Page]Thou alone therfore art goode, to y ^t alone this name doth wel accorde. So then thy name (y ^t is to saye) y ^e matter of thy name, the thyng sygnifyed by thy name: thy goodnesse (I meane) and thy mercy shal we cal vpon, that it maye helpe vs and socoure vs. Orels surely to cal vpon thy name is to frame and facyon in our mynde a conceyte or apprehensyon of thy goodnesse: for it is a name onely conceyued in myn­de: so that the conceyuing of thy goode­nesse is thy name. Not euery cōceyt or thoucht is thy name, which called vpō saueth a man, as it is written: Who so euer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde, shal be saffe: but the concey­uyng of thy goodnes, which thorough fayeth brasteth forth in to loue, and that by the gyfte of grace farre beyond the course of nature: this, I saye, is thy name. What is it then to cal vpon thy name, but inwardlye by fayth to conceyue thy goodenesse, and to loue it aboue al thinges. For a name is a voyce sumwhat betokenyng. What is it then to cal vpon any mans na­me, but to pronounce a voyce that be­tokeneth hym? So that to cal vpon the name of God with our lyppes and [Page]tounge, is to bryng forth a voyce that sygnifieth hym. Lykewyse where ther is also a name onely comprysed in mynd and vnderstandyng: to cal vpon thy name with our hart and mynde, is to frame a thought or conceyte re­presentyng and layeng the before our eyes. Yet not euery manner thynking of the is ynough, but that apprehen­dyng of thee saueth: which is formed by the vertue of fayth, that worketh by loue. Wherfore we wil cal vpon thy name w ^t our hert, we wil cal wyth our lippes and tunge: that from thy bounteousnes called vpon the ayde maye descende vnto vs wel disposed and prepared, which haue thorough thy grace inwardly receyued thy na­me. Gyue vs therfore strenght and vertue, wherby al earthly desyre vt­terly layed awaye we maye be tur­ned vnto the euen with al our very harte, that in our troubles we fayle not for feblenesse.

Certesse thou arte God of myght, whiche haste chosen the vyle & weake thynges of the world, & therwyth hast confounded all stoute & stronge thyn­ges. For what is weaker thē y ^e crosse? What is more folysh? What is more cursed? Lo thorough thy infynyte powre & myghte thys gretest infirmyte is made for vs the gretest strenght & defence. This most vnskylful folyshnes is made for menne moste profounds wysdome. This hygh & extreme cur­syng is made for vs an heuenly bles­syng & moste parfecte iustyce. O the wonderfull depenesse of the ryches of God his myght, & his wysdome, & his bonteousnes. For that which is y ^e we­ake thyng of God, is stronger thā mē & y ^t which is the folysh thyng of God, is wyser than men. Make vs (o Lorde) to vnderstande thys thy infynyte powre thy vnsearchable wysdome, thy in estymable goodnesse: that we maye knowe ther is no other God besyde the Lorde, and maye be turned vn­to the. Conuerte vs God of myght, & shewe thy countenaunce. Shewe thy Christe, thy crucyfied: by whome we haue knowne thy powre, thy wysdo­me, and thy bonyte. What God hath [Page]at any tyme don such thynges, as hath thy sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe crucified for vs? He conquered the hole worlde w ^tout swerde, he hath throwen downe al the other Goddes, tyrauntes hath he destroyed, euery where in heuen & in earth hath he triumphed for vaynquissyng his enemys, he hath lyghtened the worlde by his crosse, he hath taughte how to lyue wel, he hath gyuen and prescrybed the doctryne or waye to lyue verteously, so as no better can be ymagyned. He hath drawne to his loue al kyndes of men, which renouncyng & leauyng golde, syluer, & al the vanytes of thys worlde, yea and themselues to: hath also gladly for hys sake and cherefully suffered kindes of tormentryes moste spytefully deuy­sed euen tyl they wer martyred and cruelly done to death.

Who euer herde of such thynges? Or who hath seene the lyke? In very dede Lorde Iesus, thou arte a greate God, the sonne of the hyest God, the kynge of glory, the God of myght: and ther is no God but thou Lorde, which with the father and holy goste arte one God blessed aboue al thinges. Shewe vs therfore thy face. In thy syghte was [Page]the earth moued, in the syghte, of the God of Iacob: which turned a stonne in to a standyng poole, and a rocke in to sprynges of waters. Lorde shewe thy face, and we shal be saffe. For our fathers also were made saffe, bicause thou diddest shewe them thy counte­naunce, wherfore they prayse the and saye: Not vnto vs Lorde, not vnto vs Lorde, not vnto vs, but vnto thy name gyue the glory, for thy mercye and thy trouthes sake. Shewe thy coūtenaun­ce therfore o Lorde, that the reiected or wicked maye perysh, for as much as death shal go before thy face. Shewe thy countenaunce that thyne elected or chosen maye serue the in loue: and thē shal we be saffe and whole, then shal the worlde be renewed and adorned with vertues and with thy grace. Thē shal the goode be gladde and reioyce excedyngly, then shal thy people dwel in peas, and continually daye and nyght gyue prayse vnto the. Which with thy sonne, and the holy goste lyuest and reygnest blessed God for euer and euer worlde with­out ende. A­men.