¶ The fyrst cōmaundment.
Thow shalt not haue straunge Godis before me.

BY which we ere cōmaundyde to haue a stedfaste fayth / and tho seke all ways remydy of him that we do not geue the lau­de of ony goodnes and vertw / to a nothere Iesa. 30. &. 31. 1. Tim. 1. Deute. 6. &. 10. [Page] [...]reature / which belongyth only to hym / It be houe vs also to loue and fere him a boue all thyng / that we knowledge hym only for owre God / fyxynge all owre hope and trust in hym / thynkynge what so euer goodnes chaūse to vs to be of him / admittynge at no­time ony thinge but that in which he is worshyppyd / & honoryde. 1. Cor. 10 Nor we owt not to de­clare him thus by tonge / gesture of body & [...]y euery owtworde singnyficacion / that is [...]o be owre God / but also we must geue owr selffe lyke by mende / herte & all owre stody. 1. Pat [...]. 28 For not only owr wordis & externall dedes aer before him / but also the workis of the depe herte & cogitaciōs of the inwerde mende / er mor better & clerely opinyde to him thene owre selues. And ye shall not that ther was [...]euer / is / or shalbe ony man (Christe ony [...]cepte which is bothe God and man) that [...]er fulfillyd this cōmaundimēte / which lo­we God with all his mynd / herte and sowle. Nottywtstandynge he do geue vs this com­maundment vnpossibyl for vs to fulfyll in this mortall body / by cause he wold dreue vs to Christe / that is (as I tolde you before) to confesse owre one infirmyte / and remission of synne to be had only by his marcy & gra­te. [Page]This cōmaundment teche vs whylis we walke in this corrupte flesse that we er not ꝑfeyt / & willyth that we streche owre selues forwerdis to the marke and gole by a true fayth / where we shall resayue all parfectues / and se God face to face / owre sauyore Christ Iesu beynge owre mene and gyde. This cō ­maundmēt stope the mowghte of bosters & crakers reioysyng in workis / and dreue all men to seke owre sauyre Christ Iesu.

❧ By this cōmaundmēte we er forby­dyne to prefere ony worldly goodis or pro­mocions / as rychese / honor / dingnyte & sych othere aboue God / we may not sett owre mend so on them that we shal forgytte God. But froz tyme to tyme we must euer knowlege him / as is sayd before.

¶ The secund cōmaundment.
Thow shall make no grauene y­mage / or similytude of thos thyngis whych aer aboue in heuyne or in erthe benethe / or in waters which ere vnder the erthe / thow shalte not honore ne worshope them.

BY which is syngnifyde all honore and worshope to be lōge to on God / which whan he can not be cōprehēdyd by nomens of mans capacyte or wytt / in as mych he is incorporall inuysyble / so spirytall that he ca­ne be excludyde from no place / lett not vs flowmbere that we can comprehēde him by owre one wyttis and ymaginaciōs. Deut. 6.10. 3. Reg. 8. Ioan. 1. 1. Timo. 1. Ioan. 4. Nor lett not vs worshope an ydol▪ as it were the similytude of God which is a spryte / and wylbe worshippyd in spryte and truth. Therfor the [...]rst cōmaundement do showe one Gode to be / be syde whom ther is non othere God to be thougt or hade. This cōmaundmente do teche what maner a God he is / and by what kynde or māner of worshype he wylbe ho­noryde / lest we shuldebe bolde to fayne ony carnall thynge lyke to hym / or to caste hym vnder owre wyttis & braynes / or to be reprehendyde by ony forme / or symilytude.

A gēst ydolis of the trinyte & sayntes.

LLett them respecte hethere which intende to defende by a miserabyll pretēce execrabyll ydolitre / by which meny yers be for this tyme / true relygion haue bynue ouer­throwne / and submersyde. They say ymagis aer not reputyd as Godis. Nor the Iuys [Page]were not so obliuyus but that they remem­bryd God to be / by wose hand they were le­de owt of Egypte / befor they made the claf­fe. Nor Turkis er not to be though so dul­wyttyd / but that they do beleue God to be a nothere thynge then stone & wodde. They do chonge allways ymagys after theyre on fancy / but they hold all ways in mend theyre God / and dedycatt meny ydolis in the name of on false God / but do not beleue to haue so meny Godis / as they haue ydolis / Also they do make uwe euery day / but they do not thynke to make nwe Godis. What nowe? All ydolyters of Iuys or gentelis / had a be­leue God to be such a wone as the vanyte of theyre brayn dyd cōsayue. Therfor the men­de dyd generate an ydolle / & a hand brought it forthe / neuerthelesse the Iuys dyd thyn­ke them selues to worshope vnder such ymagys God eternall / on and very Lorde in he­uen and erthe / Also gentyls dyd so repute theyre godis (altough fallis) which also they fayned to be in heuene. To this they dyd not beleue God to be presente to them / excepte they dyd showe hym by a carnall presence / And that they myght obay this blind desey­re / they dyd erecte signys / & ydolis / by which [Page]they dyd beleue to haue God presente be­for theyr corporall eyes / Whan truly they though them selues to be hold God in them / then they worshoppyd him in them. And so beholdyng ydolis wyth mende and eyes as meny christyans do noweadays / they bege­ne to be more bestly then holy / inthinkynge holy that which is a ydoll. He that wyl de­ny this to be done before owre days and al­so nowe he denyth the truth onshamfastly. Why do they ly prostrate before them: Why do they turne themselues to them intendyn­ge to pray as to the aerys of God: Why aer they redy for such popyttis and ydollis to stryues / debatis / brawlyngis and chyding is as gentels be for theyr māmyttis? Meny nowe a days wylsoffere more wyllynge on God to be takyne a way then theyr ydolis & poppetis hauynge besydis thys meny othe­re grosse accors wyth owt nūbere / by which God grettly is dysplesyd / but shulbe grettly plesyde if they purifyde themselues / from ydolytre and such yllis. They say we do not call them Godis / no more dyd the Iuys or gentyls call them but only singnys and ymagis of Godis. Iesa. 40. Iere. 2. Ezech. 6. And truly all prophetis and holy scripture do not selfe to forbyd fornica­tions [Page]wyth wode and ston / where all Chri­styans (which er the true Iuys) er in excusa­byll as cōcernynge the carnall worshyppyn­ge of God in wode and stone / or ony othere erthely thynge. Haba. 2. Deut. 32. And ye shall not that the vt­termoste effuge & scape that all papistis haue to vpholde theyre ydolis / is to affirme them the bokis of ydiotis and lay man. And that we grante this (although it be a thinge most folysh and vayn whan they er sett vpe wyth owt dowte for non othere cause then to be worshypyde) hyt neuer the lesse I can not se what fcuttis they brynge to ydiotis and on­lernyd persons / chefly when God is caruyd to them / but to make them heritykes in beleuynge to haue God present all hole by men­bers / as they carue & paynte him. The car­nynge of God make herety kis. The car­nynge of fayntis make bawdis. And such ymagis as presente fayntis / what er they but examples of grett superfluyte / costloste and a tityll of an yll name: Fore harlottis do showe more shamfastly & moderattly / theyr horly a ray and owtwerd ostencions / then tempils do theyr picturs which they wyll to represente the ymagis of virgyns. Therfore lett them decke theyre ymagis att the lest ways / with sū shamfastnes / that they might represente sum what mor shamfastly to be [Page]bokis of sum holynes. As they be mad no­we a days / they shal prouoke a man mor to syne them vertwe. But as towchynge they re opynion ymagis to be bokis of ydiotis is not the way and reson to teche the pepell of God / whom God wyll to be instructe by a nothere techynge & by a nothere boke / then by the bockis of blockis and stokis and fo­lysh lyes / and fabyllis. To make ymagis bo­kis is nott the true w­ay teche y­diottis. He hath showde the prechynge of hys worde to be a cōmyn doc­teyn to all men / to be a bocke whych shall te­che vs only the way of truthe. Therfor to what ende do it perteyn to sett vp so meny crossis of wode / ston / if that thynge be oft tymes betynne in owre aeris / Christ to be be­trayd for owre syn̄s / & that he sofferyd owre malediction a pon the cros / and dyd wash a way owre syns / of which on worde they may lerne more then of a thowsante crossis of wode or stonne / much lesse then nede crossis of gold and syluer / which shall make a co­uyttus mend more to remenber Mammon then Christe. Not the gret ydolie of the worlde. Othere Idolis there be in the worlde which er mor grette mor abomyna­byll then thes forsayd / which ascende into the trone of God / and boste themselues to be lyke the all mighty. Agenst which who so [Page]specke the ypocritys and popysche sorte se them condempnyd to deth / which euer haue byne a geuste Gode / both in old and nowe Testament in sleynge profyttis & true disci­pyls which spake the true worde of God / in­tendyng to plucke downe them wyth theyr ydolis restynge in godis place / as men vtterly intendyng to expulsse God / ye and theyre malesse was so grett that they dyd not spare the sonne of God / whom the tēporall yugis wold haue deliueryd. Truth de­seruith euere hath. Wherfore though in spekinge the trothe deth must nedis folowe by the hādis of thes blowde suckers / hyt the truth must be prechede yet Christ must be extollyd of them that knowythe the truthe / For he that deny him (as he wyttnes him selffe) before men / he wyll deny him before his heuenly fathere / Wherfore cheryte com­pellyth ☞ me to tell truthe as consernynge ydolis contrary to this cōmaundment. And ye shall not that a monge all ydollis whiche er in this worlde wyth tryumphe in the sette & trōue of God allmighty. that is / which reste by a falsse fayth in the herte of man which herte is the sett of God / is popysche presto­de / and his grett Gode / For popysche prestode what by hypocrisy / and by the falsse pre­sence The ydoll of prestode popysch. [Page]of mastershyue which he holde vnder theyre venōmus Gode / hath so infecte by theyr desaytfull promyssis / the hertis of pe­pyll / that whare Christ was wonte to rayne with his swett promyssis / by theyre poppy­tres they haue clerely erpulsyd him / and ex­tollyde Antychriste with his marchantis ba­bylonicalle / And whan prestode popysche with his falsse god thus supplyth the place of God / what er they but ydollis: ye and so meny as beleue to be ydolaters: Lett vs sherch what an ydolle is and we shall fynde the thinge clerly verifyde of them. The defy­nischion of an ydole. An ydoll truly is nothyng in the thingis of nature / that is / altowgh it expresse ony thinge as all ydollis do. othere God / angell / saynth / deuel / sonne / mon / beste or such / lyke / it ere they but ydollis. And why: by cause they ha­ue noparte of the substaunce and properte. Not with standing hyt an ydolle is so playnly expreste by colore & byce / that a folle shall respecte it as the thynge / and hyt it haue no properte of the naturall thynge. This consy­deringe what ydolle shall you fynde mor les­se representynge the substaunce / more mysu­synge the properte of nature then popysche prestode? They clayme the substaūce of God [Page]that is to make Christe / and to remytt syn­ne / and it in all properies they er lyke the de­uell. And this false substaūce / this theyre de­testabyll ydoll of popysche prestoude / is so craftyly payntyd / and sett owt by blasynge colors / that excepte a man haue lyght of the sonne of rightwysnes / he shall neuer dister­ne theverite from falshed / the substaūce from the ydoll / Ther is no payntere so coūnynge in laynge his colers a pone an ydoll / as An­tychrist is insettinge owt of his this ydoll of popysche prestode / The growne colers that he vse be thes / oyster gatherers / I wold say Ostiares / whos offyce is to pute the kay in the dors. and dreue doggis owt of the cher­che / lectores / that is reders of lesons / Exor­ciste / cūgerers of watter sallte / Acoluti / apykker of salettis / Subdiaconus / a pystell in arrere / Diaconꝰ / a gospell glosere. [...]. boke of sē en. dist. 24. [...]. 9. And then the cheffyst colore of all / Sacerdos / a makere & geuere of Godis flesse and bonys / seuene colers he vse fore the .vii. gestis of the holy go­ste. Not withstandynge sum be not contente with thes colers / but they adde to more on be fore and a nothere be hynde / that is / Tonsurati. he that is clypte or shorne in the crowne / and Episcopi / he that slepe ouer his flo­ke / [Page]with meny othere debattis which payn­ters of this ydoll haue as I shall showe here after in his proper place if God grant melyfe. Meny othere colers they haue wherby they sett forte this theyr prestod / as amyssis albys / fanellis / stollis / & the vestimēt which couere the multitude of synne / & suche othe­re / wherby they transmutte themselues in to an angell of lighte and wyl ascende in to the hy trone and be lyke to the allmighty. But although theyre nawghtty and rottyne sub­staunce be thuse sett owt by colers / and be made as a God / hyt is it but an ydoll / lakin­ge the thinge and the propertys of the thin­ge / not hauynge the vertwe of God in remit tynge synne / and in geuynge lyffe. For we haue but on God whom we owt to fere and honore with all owre hert / mend and sowle as was sayd before. And a gēne by cause all men do declyne from righwysues / and there is non that do good but only owre Lorde Ie­su Christe. Agen by cause all men a [...]re lyers euery man is a curst which truste in men. Nowe in asmiche popischyrestode do cōfesse themselues spiritall and all gostly / sauyers and makkers of Godis / ye and very vicarys of Gode / therfor we must nedis conclude / [Page]that they er but ydollis payntyd of Anti­christ / by cause they lake the substaunce of all godly vertws / whos person they clayme by thayre payntyd ydoll of popysch prestode. This thinge herde perchance sum man wyll say / I maruyll then that owre bushops wold so playnly and purly wright of this ordere of prestode / settynge forte so euery order with a sage grauyte / in as mych owre sup­preme hede dyd commaunde them to showe that thynge which myght be to the most ho­nore of God & profyth of his cōmuns. Lett no mane meruyll thowgh they haue a snake of theyr onwyll / that is thowgh they respe­cte theyre one profyte and glory and mayn­tyne sum what popyschues / which thowgh it be nothynge fore profyte it is it good fore pastyme. [...]. Reg. 10 In as mych it is all cungerynge & lurgeredemayne / Which thinge is prefigu­ryd I thynke verily in the olde testamente / where mencion is made that Salomone dyd send his shyps one in thre yers / in to ter­sys / which brought gold and syluer / and ele­uantis tethe / and apes / & pecokis / So owre kynge Henry the .viij. whos byfe I pray god to kepe / which is a very Salomon / what is / which is paciente & quiette in conschens / re­ctifyenge [Page]hyme selfe and his accordynge to Godis worde / which is the lyf of the fowlle / he by his nobyll cōsell / hath cōmaundyde his bushops and docters / to lede his shyps in to Tharsys and to brynge of the beste / fruttis & tresurs / that is to lede his cherche of which he is suppreme hede imediattly after Christ / into the contemplacion of Godis promyssis in the sherchynge of owr stony hertis / which is signifyd by Tharsis / Tharsis whas such a plesaunte cōtre and so ryche / that is was cal­lyd the contemplacion of yoy / And what is mor yoy ful to behold / then the swette promissys of Christis blude? Tharsy▪ In to this laude owre bushops and prechers were sente to veche of the beste tresure and ryches / And they haue browte parte after his cōmaundment / parte after theyr on fancy and brayns. After his cōmaundement they haue brought gold and syluer / that is / in sum thynge they haue in­structe theyre cherches wyth the true workis of faythe / with the pure worde of god which as the profyt sayth is a chaste and an vn­defylyd speche / gold and syluer prouyd by fyre. And after theyre mendis they haue brought elephantis tethe / to make trones & resting placis / that is / they vpholde theyr on [Page]glory and dignyte ād maintyne falsse sectis of antichristis angellis / the pwysone ordere of popysche prestode / which dewouere the goodis of fatherlesse & motherlesse chyldren / Which sectis also is signifyde by the apes / which er bestis of mockege / and lawghynge more then for profyt or helpe / which shalbe garnischyd with a cott and bere the similitud of men and yt er but ydolis and apys as towchych the propertis of man / which cane not specke but moke and mowe / as owre po­pysche sorte do in all theyre actis and dydis / clayminge the similitude and substaunce of Gode / and in dedis er but apes / that is a la­winge stoke to owre Salomon and his true subiectis. Antichriste a his flocke er dewoue­rera. Popyshnes is but apy­shnes. Popyshers [...]eyoys in theyre tayll as the pecoke. Which sectis also is signifid by the pecokes / whos pride is in theyre tayll / that is in the blynde sorte of onlernyd pepyll / which hange to theme and trust to theyre popysch seremonys / which reyoyce in theyre workis and operaciōs and extoll themselues as the spectacle or onperlesse flowere of this worlde / which pekokis more reyoyce in theyre taylle / that is / in theyr workis & blin­de folowers / thēne in theyr hede / & sauyure Christ Ieswe. Therfor I pray God for the merytis of Christis blude brynge this grett [Page]ydoll downe wytt al his gynnes and propertes / and send him a scorynge of his colers / that his substaūce may a pere as it is in ded / which in ded is but fylthy / synfull & of no valure. ¶ Such thinges as Christ dyd vse ande institute to his grett glory / and owr profyth gostly. thos haue the Pope and his menbres chongyd to his grett dyshonore / and owre damnaciō / for he sent them as ministers / but they make them selues sauyers / gloryfinge themselues to make the secunde person in trinyte / whom the fathere of heuene culd ne­uer make but of him self generat by whom he is with owt beginnyng or endynge. Of theyre masse God. By the reson of the which grett ydolytre ye the most gretyst that can be is don ygnorauntly & for lake of knowlege of meny. In as mych the pepyll sett theyre holle affiaunce & truste in that God / hauynge nothynge so much in theyre herte / as that God / liuynge or lyenge a departynge by dethe / they chefly call for sere Ihon & his God / thinkynge as they er towght that wyth owt them God haue no powre to saue them / excepte as they say it be in necessyte / then they say and grante God may worke with owt them / but then you must take hyd / for so God can not do ney­there [Page]excepte you haue a wyll to haue S. Ihon and his God / if it wore possyble / Ho shame / Thus by thys mens they rauysche the hertes of all men and plucke them clene from God eternall and fyxe them in theyre workis and falsse God / affirmyng that thinge which Christ dyd institute in remēbraun­ce to be a thinge in ded of the same flesse and blude borne of the virgyne Mary / and that to be done in saynge thos wordes. This truly is / my body / Agen. Mat. 27. The wor­die makynge. This is my blude of the nwe testament / which shalbe shede for meny in remission of synne / which wordis spokynne with on wynne ouer the bred and wynne / with a stynkinge brethe at the last ende they affirme to be and wyll make vs be leue the bred and wynne to be chongyd into the very flesse and blud of Christ. They be­leue to blowe owt the holy goste owt of the fathers bosome / and to brynge with him the holl body of Christ borne of the virgyn and to consayue it a genne in the cake and wyne­as he dyd in the virgyns womme. This is theyr fayth if thes wordis be spokyn chefly with on brethe / but if they take two brethes then they er in dowte. And this they worshope as God and wyll vs also so to do / Hade [Page]Christ such a beleu whan he spake thes wor­dis? Dyd he cōmaunde his discipyls to wor­shope it? Do not they teche also the contrary? Christ dyd not so bele­ue nor teche And they synge the cōtrary dayly in thy mes­se crede / ād prime. We rede in theyr masse crede / I beleue in on Lorde Iesu Christ the sone of God / only be­gottyn and borne of the fathere before all workis / God of God / lyght of lyght / very God of very God be gottyn and not made / of substaunce euen lyke to the fathere / by whom all thyngis be made. Christ is vndemade. We rede also in the Psalme of Nuicun (que) vult / The fathere God / the son God / the holy gost is God / Vnmad is the fathere / vnmade is the sone / vn­mad is the holy goste / Ar not thes wordis theyre on songe / O wylfull blyndnes / In as myth thes wordis betrue why duste thow boste and affirme to make God and Christ in flesh and blude / with owt whom thow caūste not lyue / moue / or be. Obiection. Nowe sum wyl say / we make not Christe / it is the vertwe of his worde. Answer. We answere / If an infydell shuld speke and blowe the wordis ouer the cake & wynne / shuld the wordis chonge them into the very body and blud of Christe? I thynke they wold say nay / by cause they lake faythe. And who is faythfull / Non truly but he which trust faythfully in the meritis of Christis [Page]blude / to inherytte heuēly blyssingis for Christis sake only / whos wyll is fyxid both day and nyght in the laue of owre lorde to fulfyll it spiritally in Christ. Them if he be faythfull which do beleue thus / It must ne­dys folowe that they er infydeles whiche do the cōtrary. And so they which haue not this beleue in Christ / but vpholde Antychrist & popyschnes / truly they must nedys be infy­dels / and so nethere to make Christis body in spekinge his wordis / or to ette him. Obiection. And if this wyll not helpe / by cause they wyl ha­ue a nothere cautell sayng / as I haue herde f [...]yere preche bothe in Antuarpe and & [...]ouen / that it is not the worde of Gode that make the body of Christis flesse and blude / but the offise of Popysch prestod. Answere The insty­tucion of Christ. The we answe­re / that they cāue do more then Christ wol­de do / Christ dyd institute his supper. in re­membraunce of his dethe / to be a sygne and mystery of his swett promissis / stablisshyd and fulfyllyd in his blude / whos sygne / re­membraunce / and sacramēt / is the brekynge of brede and shedynge of wynne annexyde to his wyl & testimony of the same Christis body & blude onse shede for owre redempciō on his proper autere / and now to be vsyd of The breki­ge of bred / & shedynge of wyne is a sell annexyde to the lordis testamente. [Page]them that be faythfull (Christ cōmaūndyn­ge (for remembraunce of this his deth paste / wherby owre weke cōschience may be stren­ghtyd & stablisshyd in this fayth and promis­sis forsayd. The vse of the popisch sorte. Popysche prestode do not vse this sacrament as a remembraunce but as a thynge renwede / and made a genne by they­re wordis and blissyngis / and so whare the Iuys dyd crucify him ons / they lyke cruell tyrantis do crucify him dayly / and whare Iudas (confessinge his faute) for a lytyll lukere dyd be tray his blude / they vnrepentaūte by cause they haue grett vantege wyll euer be sellers / and trayters to Christis blude. They say after the blowynge of theyre mouthe (as I sayd before) the brede beynge brede is then chongyd and made the very body of Christe / really and substauncially. And then if he be there really (as they say) it is no thinge of remembraunce no signe or sacrament / but the self substaunce / the selfe thyng. The popi­sch Christe is Antichriste. But not well and with good cheryte / If they can make that thynge which is brede ād wynne / and shall perysch and haue an ende / to be that thynge which is Christe & euer shalbe with owt corrupcion / it must nedis folowe / this Christe mad of them in sayng the forsayd [Page]wordis / to be Antichrist and not the son̄e of God / by cause he is dayly mad and dayly pe­rysch as we may se be expedience. For lett them kepe theyre Christ longe informe of bred or wynne / & theyre God theyre Christ shal stater full of wormes and stynke / nor cā not helpe him selffe / are / or haue helpe of his makers and cungerers / but by the dayly de­wouerynge of teth & bely. Owre Christ is the sone of Gode. But owre christe in whos remembraunce we breke the brede and dryncke the wynne / dede neuer see cor­rupcion by the conseruacion of his cōsayuer the holy goste / the psalmiste saynge / He was not lefte in hell / that is / he was not lefte ded in erthe whiche is the vttermost malediccion for syn. nor his flesshe dyd not se corrupcion. Psal. 13. Act. 2. O iniquite most synfull / that they shuld thus prefere that falsse god and in haūsyt abowe al that is sayd god / or that is worshypyd / so that he syttyt in the temple of God and sho­wyth him felffe as if he were god. Nowe whothere owre clargy be gylty in this thin­ge / youge you that be lernyd. For they say whā they haue sayd / This is mi body / which ☞ they call wordis of cōsecracion / or else of makynge / which sayd they say ther is no brede lefte / but it is the body of owre lorde / and [Page]ther is nothynge lefte but a hepe of acciden­tall thyngis / as whyghtnes / rowndnes / sa­uer / touchyng & sychotere / which if it be so / then that thynge which to day is not shalbe God to morowgh / & that thynge whych is with owte spryte or lyffe / groynge in the fylde by kinde shalbe God anothere yere / which God we confesse to be with owt beginnyng or endynge / and in his manhede begottyn / and not made / as scriptur testifyth. Math. 1. Luc. 1. Ebre. 1. Psal. 19. For if his manhede were mad and incresyd dayly to the quantyte of theyre brede and wynne which they spend dayly in that vse / he shulde ☜ were in on day be cart lodis more then he dy­de in .xxxiij. yers whan he was here in erthe.

But to be shorte if ony makyt in thes wordis / This is mi body / he muste be person of Christ or else theyr is a false God / if it be the prystis body it is the body of a falsse lostell / a dronkē man / a theffe / a lecherere or of som othere synnere / and then there is vnclen bo­dy / for any man to worshope for God. If it be ony flesh and blude it must nedis be the prystis body / fore in all holy scripture from the beginnyng of Genesis to the ende of the Apocalypse / there be no wordis writtyne of the makynge of Christis body / but there be [Page]writtyne that Christ was the sonne of the fathere / consayuyd of the holy goste / toke flesh and blude of the virgin Mary & that he dyde & a rose agen from deth the therde day with owt corrupciō / & that he ascēdyd in to heuēs very God and man / and that we shulde bele­ue in all scripture that is wryttyn of him / & that he is to cum to Iuge bothe quyke & ded and that the same Iesus Christis kynge and sauyure / lord and makere of all thingis as is showde in Genesis. Gene. 1. and if popysch prestod can not make that he made visibill and inui­sibyl / with all othere thinge wordly hauinge the wordis that he made thē with / how shuld he make then Christ Iesus of a pece of brede or of a drawght of wynne / of whome they er made / & with owte whom they cane not ly­ue / moue / or be / Mor ouer you haue no worde of actorite thys to do but as you haue fur gyde of your on hedis as you haue don all othere thyngis cōtrary to Godis lawe. Obiection. Then sum mane wolde say it a pere you do specke a genste the Sacramente / which owre forne fathers wyse and well lernyd / and most excellēt kyngis / emperurs / & rulers with al other degres hath beleuyd and worshipyd as god. Answere. I answere / I hold with the ryght honore of [Page]God / which is in veryte and truth / and with the lordis supper as ye shal knowe here after in his proper place / but I specke only a genst the mysuse there of / which is to the grett dis­honor of God. Not well myn intēte. in as mych / they make an y­doll suply Godis presence which he dyd in­stitute in remembraunce / by cause they wold haue vs worshope a creature in sted of the makere. Obiection. Thē sum wyl say / it is meruyll they dyd not spy this thynge / this falsnes / if it be true. Answere. Danie. 9 We answere that it is no meruyll / that God wyl haue / and suffere to his grett honore. For we rede in the old testamēt howe ther was an ydoll a monge the Babylony this whos name was Bell / this ydoll dyd the kynge worshope dayly / in offeryng much flowere / wynne and shepe / supposyng that ydoll to ett all that dayly for the loue of hys worshyppers / ontyl Danyel dyd shoue hym it was an ydolle and no lyuyng god / & then whan the kynge had prouyd the truth by Danyels cousell / and fownd his wordis true & the prystis worke and wordis falsse / then he dyd put the ydoll to Danyelis iugmēte / and dyd sle the prystis which in numbere were lx. & .x. besyde wyues & chyldren. Therfor no meruel thowgh owr forne fathers be desay­uyd / [Page]for why they had not Danyell wyth them / that is / they had not the iugment of God printyd in theyre hertis / they had not the knowlege of his verite by which they shuld leren to humbyll them selues to his ryghtwysnes and iugment and lerne to are his mercy / they dyd worshope Bell / that is / dyd beleue olde tradicions / popystical laws and sectis / they beleuyd in ydolis / whiche as I sayd be for ar nothyng in the thingis of nature / but workyng clene a genst all natural thynge / euer folowynge theyre one fancy / which flowth & ebbeth after theyre on wyll / makynge a thynge good whan they wyll / But nowe that owre kynge Henry the .viij. whos lyffe I pray Gode longe to contynue / haue Danyell wyth him ye and printyd in his herte lett not vs dowt / but that his grace shal put this forsayd Bell to the iugemēt of Danyell that is godis worde which shal dy­stry him by the spryte of his mowght / And as for Belis prystis his grace shal sle / which do deuowere dayly innumerabyl / mell / and wyne / and shepe / that is vnder the falsse pre­tence of this falsse ydole forsayd / do deuowe­re meny simpyll sowlis spiritally / and cause meny to fare herdly corporally / by theyr sum Daniel sig­nyfyth the iugment of god / or knowlege of his verite. Bell signifyt olde tradicide and ceremonye. Owr prin­ce haue Daniell wyth him and he shall dystry false Anty­christes do Daniel the grettydolis [Page]tuus / and ydyl profeschion that they thowe owtwerdly. Wherfor as towchyng the de­struction of thes to ydolis / lett vs al dayly pray the wyl of owre lord to be fulfyllyd / & to saue his tru minyster owre suppreme hed ymmediatly vnder Christ kyng Henry the viii. & owre nobyle prince Edwerd his son / with all his nobyl counsell. But ye shall not that the lorde wherby he might declare more plainly how grettly he abhoryt al infidelyte and ydolitre / dyd ade to thes two cōmaunde mētis / him self to be owre lorde God / stron­ge and louynge / which visyth the iniquite of fathers a ponne the sonnes in the thyrd and fowrthe generacion / in thos which hate his name / neuerthelesse / he do marcy in tho­wsantis / to them which loue him & kepe his preceptis / As who say / I am your God me you shal fare and loue / to me only you shall eleue / if ye beleue and worshope ony othere God besyde me / I shall reuenge that synne from tyme to tyme / but shall show marcy & benyngnite perpetually to them which loue me / and kepe my cōmaundementis / that is in knowlingynge owre on infirmite and in­clenynge only to his mercy.

¶ The thyrde cōmaundment.
Thow shall not take the name of the lord God in vayne.

WHos sence is this. In as mych God owt to be faryd & louyd of vs (as we heue showde before) therfor we may not abuse his holyname / but must magnifyit a bowe al thingis / and also glorify it / in all thingis / as well in welght as wo / & so only seke him with al owr mende / geuyng thankis to him for all thingis which chaunce from his hand. Fordermore we must kepe owre selues be­syly from all his cōtumely and blassemy / we may not name or speke otherwich of him then becumyth his hy mayeste. Also we may not vse his holy name / in other vses / then in thos which he wyll to be borne / for that is to his grett dishonore and polutyng of his na­me. Wherfor (as meny clarkes say) by this cōmaundemēt is forbydyne / necromancy / cō geringe of deuellis / with othere sych which God for byd to be vsyd / by cause they disho­nore his blyssayd nam. But why wyll not they nūbere with the forsayd thingis / theyre sayntifyd marchauntis and congeracions / as off myghtters / ryngis / crosyersiaues / and with al othere robys / with owt which [Page]they thinge them selues no bushops / also the congeracions which they vse in makinge of popysch prystis in sharyng / puttynge on of vestmētis / and in theyre uwyntingis in ha­loynge of bellis / cherchys of stone / chapels / auters / superaltarys / with meny othere thinges wherby the honore of Godis name is more dishonoryd / then by the forsayd conge­rers / for they vse theyre arte preuily with fare lest they shuldbe courrecte gettynge theyre lyuinge contrary to Godis cōmaundemente but popyssche prestod with the holl sorte of Antichriste do not gett theyre lyuinge only falsly by theyr congeracions gretly dishone­rynge Godis name / but also they subdwe by theyre craffe the holy name of God and lyue by opyne robry / yn shedinge off innocentes blude / ye as I sayd before boste them selues as God. Popysch blyssynges is cūgery [...] ­ge. Popische [...] er worsse then cungerere. But ye shall not & welmarke that ☜ the eternalle veryte can not be dishonoryd more greuusly than whane a wyttnes of falshede is callyde to testify of his glory and name. As consernyng iuramentis / othes / and wous / howe greuuslly is the name of God dishonoryd of the selfsame linege / which promesse meny hy thingis as mene grettly re­gardynge Godis honore and hytt dyde the [Page]Iuys neuer more dishonore to his name / then they do. The Iuys were blynd / but they se & wyll not se. Fyrst lett vs begynne with owre horly fathere Pope / and so descende to sere Ihon singyl sowll / or sere Antony lakla­tyn / and take of euery on a snache for I can not towche ther as they be worthy thowgh / I had Erasmuse cloques / and Swinglius sprytt godly / I fere nothinge / but that I shal not tel the troth they ere so nawghtty and supersticyuus. Pope. Owr horly father Pope howe dewoutly do he sware and bynde him selffe by his office / to be true in confessinge the name of the trinyte / beyng crownyd with .iij. crowns which he take in tokyne of thesame othe / but how iustly do he kepe this iuramēt whan in all his actis he clayme the offyce of owre sauyure / and vse him selffe as no con­fesser / but as a sauyure to the gret dishonore of the trinyte in asmych he distry the merytis of Christis blude which is owre only salua­cion / and helthe.

Legattis also de latronibus I wold say de latere / they cleue so fast to his syd (men as the say for the Popys nose / opholders of his greciuꝰ mayeste) loke in what iugmēt he do fall they must nedys associat him in the same

Cardinalis also on whos neckis & showl­ders hang the gattis of sente Peters heuen / with a solome iurament clothyd with a re­de garment promisse to be redy always to shed theyr blud for Christis veryte / but they fulfyllyt in shedyng other mens blud telling the trothe. Cardinale

Archebushops also with theyre heuy crossis / do lykewyce sware to bere the crosse of christ in takinge payns to go & prech the gospel of Christ / & always to be redy to soffere for thesame / do wel performyt in layng the [...] on othere mens bakis and neckis / and in cru­cifynge them that precke the trute / of Chri­stis merytis. Archebus­shope.

Othere playn Bushops also with theyr forkyd caps / promisse solemly to vphold & standby the olde testament and the nwe / ye and with them a genst al herify to fyghte & in tokyn of thesame toke that cape / and by cause the old testament and nwe / wore hor­nys of humilyte / which wyll more soffere then do ingery / therfor forgyttinge theyr othe & iurament to wyne a synnere with me kenes / they haue abiecte the hornes of God / and only fyght with the hornys of the Ro­man bull and cruelly with them nowe they Bushope. [Page]fyght. But thākis be to the lorde / they haue so lōge goryd men thorowgh the rybis that a man can scase knowe the Roman bull froz Arons calfe / his hornys be so shorte and truly they lake but a lytyll stobblynge.

☞ Suffryd cranys / abbottis / with othere old fornicators fathers of dennes which make a grett woue with and othe to geue inspectiō to theyre flocke / & in tokyn therof take theyr crossyer staffe in stede of a shepperdis croke / but the syluer way so heuy at the fyrst resay­uynge / that theyre hand is euer lame after wordis to do ony good worke accordyng to ☞ theyr promisse. Crossyere stafe. What shal we say to the mis­se nons / which er maryd / ye for sothe sere Ihon say / to sente Rateren / or sanete all a hory / and in tokyng they shalbe good to theyr sere Ihon / the ware a rynge signifynge theyr ☞ peruers lyuinge. Rynges. What shal we say to all othere orders in generall / which promisse to lefte vp theyre hertis and mendis euer to he uene and to dispysse al worldly dignytis / in tokyne therof they shaue theyre crowne all bere / but they take such a cold at the fyrste shauinge that they can neuer lefte theyr hert and mend from the erth and erthly thyngis after werdis. Shauene crownes.

What thinke you by sere Antony laklate­ne / which take a pone him to prech & teche the gospell of Christ and always to attend to the stody of Godes worde / how substaun cially do he discharge his office trwe ye in haukinge and huntinge shotinge and bow­linge and such othere good hystoris and lec­turs / which cownte scripture heresy / and po­pre holines. S. Antony Ye but what say ye to sere Ihon singyl sowle / which wyll socke Christ owt of his fingers endis / ye for a peny plucke a sowle owt of purgatory if he were herd ther to / which whan he is att his masse can not rede the gospel if the candell be owt / by the Popis lawe / nor tellyt in englysh whan it is lyght / Which if he lake his fanell in holding vp his handis at the Pater noster or in ony othere lyke thinge / he is in dowght whothe­re he hath mad his Godis body or no / by cause he lakyd the vertue of his fanell / or stole / but to desyre his nayghbors wyffe or mayd in saynge Dominus vobiscū / or Pre­ceptis salutaribus moniti / that is no faute / for euery man cane do so as wel as he / with meny othere qualites innumerabyll / which er not good but detestabyll. S. Ione. Nowe all thes thingis consyderinge / we may se howe gre­nnsly [Page]the name of God is blasphemyd by theyre yuramentis & false othes / vnder the pretēce of Godis glory / whan theyre ynspeccyon is only yn thyre bely and nothynge in the glory of godis name / as theyr dedis sho­we yn all thyngis. There is noman truly ☞ which owt to vsurpe ony trwe othe or yura­ment / but that the glory of God & necessyte of owre nayghbure shal require. The cause of swaring They popi­schers do not only blaffeme the name of god by theyre othes & iuramentis / but also yn al actis & dedis they er a genst the profyth and welthe of thē that be in gret necessite / And thes forsayd causis ercepte / al kynd of othes ere forbidiue / as the wordis of Christe do te­styfy & teche vs / whych whyll that all owre sermone be / is is. no no. and that which is more he testifyth to be of yll. Math▪ 5 By this com­maundment we may not vsurpe ony othe by owre proper and priuate temeryte. And ye shall not / that the turament and othe which we geue the mayeste cōmaundinge and sen­dinge / is by no mens agenst this cōmaunde mēt / by caus in a nother place of scripture he geuyt them powre so to do and cōmaunde. Owre kyn ge co naun­dingewe er bownde to sware. 1 Reg. 7 Wherfor he that dispyse his prince / he that wyll not knowlege him his hede (as all pa­pystis [Page]wyll not) they breke this cōmaunbe­mēte / & gretly dishonore the glorius name of Gode / for kyngs truly er his true mynisters yn this cherch mylitante / and ther is nō that supplith nerte to Christe but ōly thei / al othe re powrs that be yn erth / be of them / as du­kis / bernes / lordis / knyghtis / apostels / Iug­ges / & suche lyke / where fore they that resiste there kynge / & them of hym sente / resyst the ordinance of God. Rome. [...]. Euery man is fubdude to thes hyer powrs as Peter testifyt saynge / be ye subyecte to euery humā creature for God other to the kynge as most ercellent / or to the dukis as of hym sente / to the vengaunce of ill doers / to the laude truly of God doers / A ducke properly is callyd a leder / gyde / or dyrecter. And ye shall nott that a Chrystyn kynge / may not only prouyd gydis for a polytyke order / but also for a spyrytall order / wherfor he hathe powre to ynstytute gydis of diuers vocaciōs / whych gydis then er bo­wnd to vse them selues accordynge to theyr vocaciō. The polytical rulers to vse theyr of­ficis with mercy and iustis / that is in may­tenyng the good / & correctynge the yll. The apostolicall minysters / and dyaconicall sen­te of them to vse theyre office with all truth [Page]and humylyte / so shynyng with worde and dede that all men myght glorify the heuenly fathere in heuen in folowyng theyr doctrine & good liuinge. The Pope hath byne euere agēst the Christe of Gode. And ye shal not that by thes forsayde wordis / ye may persayue the Pope and his secte hath longe dishoneryd his na­me / in kepinge true hedis vnder his fytte. If sente Peter (of whom he claym his prima­cy) dyd obay kyngis and rulers (as owre sa­uyure Christ do cōmaūd and dyde beynge a chylde and a man as it is playn in scripture) wher lerne he thys pryd & whare hath he his auctorite to clayme & hold his primacy ouer al the worlde? Luc. 2. Math. 9. Truly he hathe it of the world and deuell / This herde perchance sum papist wyll say / that I speke agenste cherite / by cau­se he toke his auctorite by counsente of the cherche / grett Constantyne beynge Empo­rore of Rome / as the scripture of the cherche do testify. Answere. Two scri­pturs. To this I answere / that there is two scripturs / that is / the scripture of God and scripture of man / the Lordis is immuta­byl / and dampnabyl to the brekers / mans is mutabyl and not dampnabyl to the brekers / the on that is Godis must nedis be. the othere if it wornet it wore the better. The scrip­ture of God is so necessary that it can not be [Page]augmentyd ne mynischede (as scripture testify) with owt dampnaciō of body and sowle / The scripture of mane is mynischyd & aug­mentyd euery day after the ymaginacion of mās brayne / whych nott kepte puryfyth the sowle / bet ofte tymes bryngeth dethe to the body / of whych scrypture Polle byd vs take hyd / callynge it the doctrine of deuels & fal­fs antichristis / wherfore to this false scriptu­re christen men ere nott bownde / but to the scripture of God ye & we must kepe al thyn­gis that er wryttne ther in with al the possi­bilite that we can / for in it is wrytting and showde althyngis necessary for owre redempciō / accordinge to the prophicy of the holy goste spekinge by the psalmiste of the spiri­tual Syon / that is of the true speculacion of God and his Christ / saynge. The Lord shall showe / vnderstande all thyngis pertayninge to his true honor of his Christe / in scripturs of pepyll and princes whiche haue byne in it in the true contemplacion of Godis worde / and that is the olde Testament and nwe / he say not / The Lorde shall showe in the scrip­turs of pepyll and princis that nowe be in Syon / but in the scripturs of them that hate byne / in it. Therfor by chause we er cōmaundyd [Page]in meny placis of scripture to obay owr princis / and can fynde in no place the Pope / therfor we may affirme al kyngis with theyre ministers to be the true electe hedis vnder God / the Pope and his secte to be very ennymes of the crose of Christ very Antichristis agenst God and name. Scripture comman̄de vs to obay owrekynge but not the Pope. Therfore lett all men be obedient to theyre princis / and we in spe­ciall to owre kynge Henry the .viij. most excelente and faythfull myke paciente and mer­cy full / beynge a moge vs (as the Lorde commaunde) as on of vs / always wyllynge and cōmaundinge that thynge in his cherche and subiectis / which is to the glory of God and Iesu Christe / always cōmaūding that which is to the commoune and not to his proper welthe / but god knoweth he hath meny a slowe workere in fulfylling this his wyll. Agene howe marcyful he is agenst his rebellers. What stody what payne do his grace take dayly to sett forte God glory? In what ieberdy & hate is he of the worlde for the loue of Godis worde? Othere kyngis take stody to incresse theyr subiectis with ryches worldly. ☞ Our kynge do not incresse his cōmoūs with worldly ryches only / but also & chefely with the worde of God which is better then gold [Page]and precyuus stons. What infideles wold rebel and be false agenst such a prince hauynge the qualitys and vertws that he hath? we owt therfore to be true and louynge to him and his / by nature and kynde / ye and much more by the laue of God / by the which lawe also he hath bowde vs / ye & we haue all sworne in the holy name of owre lorde God to be true to him & his laufull hayers / to the grett glory of Godis name & tranquilite of hys reme. Therfor to cōclud lett all men take hede ☜ vnto theyre othe / which euery man may laufully vse (as Paul dyd) in affirmyng the dignite of the gospelle and glory of Godis name / and lett them instructe theyr chyldren in tyme of youte / that they may laerne to know God and theyre Prince / and no more to be blyndly lede as they haue byne a fore this tyme / in rebelling agenst theyre Prince. Roma. 1. By this cōmaundement also we er bownde to cal a pone non othere name whan necessi­te shal compell / but a pon the name of Gode / for it pertayn only to his glorye / that he be had an vnicall wyttnes and record of verite / which is the vnical and eternall helthe & ve­rite. we er bownde to sware only by God for the trwth. Therfor a way with owre ladyse bedys­men / Augustinis / Dominickis / Benedictis [Page]Frāciscans / Basylighttis / the .v. discordis of the cherch as Tomystis do say / a way with thes and all other sectis the dropingis of the deuylis tayll / the vpholsters of Antichrist the son of perdicion / And that he myght the better inculke to vs this cōmaundement dyd adde thes wordis / that he wold reuenge him selffe agenst all them which dyd take his ho­ly name in vayne.

¶ The fowrth cōmaundment.

Remember the Sabott day / that thou sanctify thesam / sex days thoue shalte worke / and shal do all thy besynes / the .vij. day is the Sabott day of the lorde God / Thow shalt do non of they workes / thow and thy sonne / and dowghter / thy ser­uant and handmayd / thy best and pylgram whych is in thy portis / For in .vj. days thy Lord dyd make heuen and erth / the see and al thyngis gis which er in them / and the .vij. day he dyd rest / therfor he dyd blys­syt and sanctify the same.

THe obseruacion of the Sabott day do pertayn also to the honore and worshope of God / in as much it is contaynid vnder the fyrste tabyl and is nominate the sanctifi­cacion of the day / Wherfor God dyd require neuer nothynge more strayghtlye to be ke­pte / And whan he wold signify by Prophet­tis al religiō subuerst / and good lyuinge sett parte / he dyd euer say his holydays to be po­lutyd / on halowyd / vyolatyd / not kepte / not sanctifyd / as thowght this obedience omit­tyd and lefte / nothynge remaynyd be syde / in which he myght be honoryd. Exod. 31. Nume. 15. Iere. 17. Truly ther is no dowght but that this precepte was a sha­dowe / and cōmaundyd to the Iuys for the tyme of ceremonys / that it myght represente the spiritall worshype of God / vnder the ex­ternall obseruacion to them / Wherfor in the commynge of Christ / which is the ende and the lyght of shadowes / & the truth of figurs this cōmaundement was distryde / as other shadows of Moysis lawe / lyke as Paull do testify euidētly. Gala. 4. Colos. 3. But neuerthelesse we (the ceremonys distryde / & the externall coustome / by which in the berke of the lawe / that is / in the letter the Iuys fayth was excersisyd) do hold the truthe of this precepte / which te lorde [Page]wyl to be perpetuall / and cōmune to the Iuys and vs / which truthe is this. to f [...]re & loue God a boue all thynge / & to pute owre confidence and quiettnes only in him / which then shalbe doune whā we shal refrayn with owt colore from owre concupiscencys & yll deseyris / which do nothynge els / but breke the mende from God / ver and turmoyll owr spryth. The kepinge of the holy day. Also whan we selfe from the vnpro­fitabyll workis of owre fleshe / that is whicher spronge of owre concupiscence and wre­chydnes of nature / ye to be shorte whan we refrayn from all workiscōtrary to the spryte of Gode / althowgh they bere be fore them sū similitude of mans prouidens / and wytte / For thes manner of workis be all seruiall / from which the lawe byd vs to sesse in the sabotday / that God myght dwell in vs / worke that good is and gouerne vs by the mens of his holy spryt by whos mens he geuyth the rem / pece / & tranquilyte of conschiens. Iesa. 35.58. Heb. 3. q. 4. Mans in­uencions is bondage. Ihon. 14. Ephe 3. 1. Corin. 3. Roma. 1. This truly is the true Sabott day / whos forme & shadowe was thesame iudaycall. The Sa­bott day is to haue the spryt of god in owre hertes. Therfor it was assinyd to the .vij. day which numbere hath significacion of perfection in scripture / wherby we ere towght God to cōmende and geue a pertuell Sabat day to vs / which shal [Page]ende by no terme or tyme / also that lyuinge we shall not sanctifyth plentuusly and after a iuste māner / on tyll the seuenth day / which is the last and eternall day / for althowgh we haue begone to enter in to his sabott day by fayth / hyt we shall not cū to the plentuusnes ther of / tyl the resurrection of owre mortall bodys / and whan we shall se God face to fa­ce as he is. The trwe Sabot day is not yn this lyffe. Hebreo. 4. Roma. 8. 1. Ihon. 4. Nowe therfor by fayth we haue begone owre quiettnes in God / in which al­so we do dayly make progresse / that then at the laste we may profytte whan thesame of Isay is fulfyllid in which a day of reste from a day of reste is promissyde to the cherch of God / that is / wher now they se him by spe­culacion of fayth / thē they shal se him in ded / wher nowe we hold his shadowe thē we shal possesse his substaunce. Isa. 66. 1. Corin 15. Gene. 2. The sōday is not made to be halo­wid wither clamacion [...] but wyth the Lordi [...] worde. Gala. 4. Colos. 3. That which partayn to the sonday / which we do obserue nowe is not instytute therfor that we shuld sanctify the same a boue other days / and thynkyt more holy / for all holynes is the singulere prerogatyue of God only / which dyd honor all days a lyke. But that the cherche myght cō ­togethere in that day to prayers and lawdis of God / to here the worde of God / & to vse the Sacramentis in rygijt order (which as it [Page]er owt of order) in which thyngis that we myght the beter apply al owre stody / we shuld sesse from manual workis / and from al impedimēttis / which pertayn to the reson of his lyffe / that whā the worde of God is pre­chyd purly and syncerly (as it is but of fewe) then we myght resayue the same with a qui­ete mend and a faythfull hert / w erby we myght mortify / the workis of the olde Adā / sanctifynge not only that day / but also euery day in the wek e / And ye shall not that we whiche ere faythfull owt not to discerne by twyne day and day / but for the cause of com­mune polysy as is showde before. Discernin­ge of days is forbyd­dynge Therfor holy days er not ascribyd and ordainyd / that we shuld honore God by sesynge of workis whereby men gett theyre bodyly sustinans / iustly and after Godis cōmaundement / but by cause the cherich shulde cōtogether in sum day to lerne in herynge Godis worde howe to fede the sowle / Which thynge not towght men were better to kepe theyre bysynes at home accordinge to theyre vocacions / that is rulers to stody for the commune profytte poore men to labore for theyr lyuinge / then for to cum to the persons barne / and there cō myt ydolitre in mayntenynge his ambision / If Godes worde be not towght mēwere better to wor­ke thē to cū to cherch. [Page]pride / and bestly lyuinge. Nobyl statis were better to hunte the bull here / hert or ony othere thynge lyke intendinge to suckure the po­wre with the mette / thē to here sere Ihon singyl sowle stombel a payer of mattēs in latē / slynge holy water / curse holy brede / and to play a caste kyke yack an napes in a foles cotte. But I wold God all men were as redy to do / to folowe and here the worde of God / which is very Christ Iesue / accordynge to Godis cōmaundement and owre Princes / as they er to do / folowe and here the word of Antichrist which is the deuyll himselffe / cō ­maundyd by the Lord of the worde and sone of perdicion. And ye shal knowe this day or­dinyd for a godly polysy / is nowe vsyd to the grett dishonore of God / so that it were better to be vsyd neuer a dell / ye not to be had in remembraunce / wherby men myght wor­ke / then to vse it as they do for the most par­te. The body of Christ is mad the body of an hee lott for la­ke of true techynge. Nowe the worde of God is not purly & syncerly towght / but in fewe placis / nor can not be truly towght it is so snarlyd by popy­sche losels / and with theyre popysche ceremonys / Nowe meny men and women for lake of good techynge do prepare the; selues mor for to be sene then to lerne / shoynge themsel­ues [Page]in the holy cōgregacion more lykere ve­neriall persons thene true mēbers of Christ / and makytt more lykere a fayer and pray fo­re the deuell then a body sekynge the glory of theyre hede Christ Iesue / & suppose that so disgyssyd to halowe the sabot day / folowin­ge popysch prestod / & Isydis prystis which inwerdly deturpede / sanctify that day more by owtwerd garmentis folis cottis and co­kis comes / then by true doctryn. 2. Cor. 11. And thus ☞ if men wold well marke the effecte of owre sabot day and the mysuses ther of I trust the mokis of sophystryans shuld vanisch cleue a vay which hath scateryd the worlde full of iudaycall opinions / which say that the cere­mony of this cōmaundement must be abro­gate which ceremony they call in theyre ton­ge the taracion of the .vij. day / but that thyn­ge which is morall / that is that thyng which pertaynd to theyre maners do remayn styll to vs / and that is the obseruacion of on day / which day they only chonge in the contume­ly of Iuys. Markethe godly sprite of owre stolle mene. But you haue herd what profyt cum by such a doctryne. For they cleuynge only to theyre constitucion and decresse / as the Iuys to the barke of the lawe / that is the letter hath & do dishonore God more a .M. [Page]tymes thene the Iuys dyd / in brekynge the sabot day / that is in causynge meny to er frō the true fayth of owre sauyur Christ Iesue / nethere respectynge the fruifulnes & profy­te of the same towerdis owre naybours and othere creaturs laboryng for vs / nor it the effecte there of as I showd before / in resay­uynge the true worde of God.

AMEN.

The fyfthe ¶ The fyfthe cōmaundement.
Honor thy fathere and mothere.

IN thes cōmaundementis precedyn­ge is declaryd the obedience and ho­nore / the fare and loue that we must bere towerdis God and his gloryus name / and to his minysters which er ordinyd of him (as I showede you before in the .iij. cō ­maundement) to the coseruacion of thesame. which er not ordinyd to respecte & rule theyr proper howsolde only / and to se it instrute and towght accordynge to Godes lawe / but chefly they must inspecte the vniuersall cher­che of God ouere which they be institute / he­dis / duckis and bushops / euer aduertystynge that thynge to bedone which is to the glory of his name. This don he adde particulere cōmaundementis which also we er bownde to kepe. Prouer. 1. Leui. 19. Therfor in as mych we er bownde to sere and loue God we may not neglecie owre parentis / or offende them in ony thyn­ge / but we must fare and worshope them / we must obay them vnder the wyll of owre Lorde / we must stody to pacyfy & cūtente them / in all māner of thyngis that owre workis may do them good / and to thez that do thus [Page] [...] benediction is addyd / that is / to leue longe a pon thys erthe / to haue the benediction of worldly thynges a pone erthe. The which promysse declare howe acceptabyll the obe­dience of owre parentis is to God / also that it myght moue and stere owre slugysnes to be redy to this obedience / ye and to loke for malediccion if we do the contrary. And ye [...]al not this cōmaundement is a particulere [...]maundement for the carnall father & sone / and by nomens can suffere an allegory or popysche morall. Not withstandinge meny (ac­cordyng to theyr qualytes) do rowle in theyr allegorys / but to say the trothe / in allegaciōs popisticall / vpholdynge by theyr sophystical sciencis by false colers of hypocrisy the hore of Gabylon the venemysse dragone / a genst whom they haue sworne the contrary owre [...]ost nobyll Prince commaundinge. Whan t [...]ey haue declaryd the duty of the fathere & carnall son and showe howe euery father is not only bownd to brynge vpe his soone af­ter an honeste carnal māner / but also after a goodly māner / then they adde lyke true cole­rers of antichrist / howe all men owt to obay also by this cōmaundementis theyr spiritall fathers / conwtynge themselues as hedis & [Page]no minysters as geuers of grace and not as resayuers / the popys angelis / and not apo­stels sente by theyre hedde Godis tru miny­ster / as theyr one wordis do testify / They say all mene generally be bownde to obay them &c̄. as the carnall sone is his father / there is no mane cane deny but that owre Prince is a mortall man / therfore as it a pe­re by theyre wordis he is bowde to obay bushops / and sere Ihon singyll sowle / by cause they be spiritall fathers / you that haue fayth iuge thes wordis well / I confesse all christenne men to be spirituall / and chefly owre Prince in his vocaciō. Svicitalfa there er of the Dope / true miny­sters er of owre kyn­ge. For all persons electe er most spiritall in vocaciō / owre prin­ce truly is one electe / therfor he is moste spi­ritall in vocaciō. By vocociō we be al spi­ritall mem­bere / but not fathers Ihon. 10. This is prouyd by the wordes of Christ saynge. The shepe which the fathere haue goue me in my handes no man can take them a way from me / that is / the electe persons no deuell or worldly thynge cane lett them from the true resayuynge of my worde / by whych they shalbe made the chyldrene of Gode / in testimony of his na­me and vertwe / And owre Prince (as it a pere by his frutis) is not only knowe electe by thys mauner of callynge but also by his mi­nystracion Ihon. 1. No mane is a [...]oue owr Prince by [...]o [...]acion [...]. [Page]and dignyte / as it a pere by thes wordis wryttyn in the boke of wysdam / whare is sayd / Mysdam is better then stren­keth corporall / and a prouydent man is bet­ter then a stronge mane. Therfor Oye kyn­gis here and vnderstande / lerne o ye Iugis of the herth / geue are you that rule multitu­dis / and ere sustaynyd by the pepyll of na­tions / for powre is geuen to you of Gode goodnes & vertwe of the all myghty / which shal proue your actis and iuge your thowgh tis &c̄. Owre Prince therfor electe we may well affirme him to be most spiritall in voca­cion / Then why do they exclude him / wyth othere of his electe persons & subiectis from theyre spiritall nominacion. Why do mē bers extol­le them sel­ues a bone theyr hede. If there be no bushope or shulble but such as owre Prin­ce do admytt why do they members clayme syngularite a boue theyre Kyng which is theyr hed vnder Christe / which in all thyn­gis cane soffere no singularite but al that he do / thynke or speke is for the welth of the hole body / that is the holle cōmunallte / whos office is includyd in the thyrde cōmaundmēt as I showe before. And ye shal not that theyer not only howlde to name themselues spi­ritall but also they augmente this theyr spiri­tuallte [Page]with a fatherhede / whan Thrist wyl that we shuld knowelege non but only the spirituall fathere in heuen / which can saue & dampene vs / & whan Christe do call al thos which do fulfyll this heuenly fathers wyll / his mothere / sone & brothere. Therefor theyr nominacion be no mens can betrwe / excepte it be for peruers doctrine / or by theyr on chyldrē which sytt by othere mens feyrs / wher­for lett it be wypyd owt of the Lordis sede / for the Lorde can soffere no sych sede in his berne. They be no fathers [...]ut of othere [...] chyldrene. Therefor theyr nominacion be no mens can betrwe / excepte it be for peruers doctrine / or by theyr on chyldrē which sytt by othere mens feyrs / wher­for lett it be wypyd owt of the Lordis sede / for the Lorde can soffere no sych sede in his berne.

Also ye shalle nott that euery Man is bownd to brynge vp his chyldrene in lernyn of sum good doctryne wherby they may knowe God / & with sum manuall worke or occupacion / wherby they may gett theyre lyuyn­ge with the swett of theyre face. And by cause euery master owt to bringe vp theyre chyldren accordynge to the fathers wyll / therfor in this cōmaundement is the master bownd to instrute his discipyl or seruante well / and accordynge to Godis cōmaundemēte / whos duty is showd in meny placis of scripture. Timo. 2. Colo. 4.1. Petri. 2.

¶ The .vi. cōmaundment.
Thow shal not slee.

THat is / in as mych God owthe to be louyd and faryd of vs / lett vs horte no man by ony manere of mens / nor it oppres­se ony mane by violence / lett vs do noman yngery or wronge / but let vs be always / re­dy te showe benyuolence to all men / bothe feyndis and ennymes / lett vs stody to plesse bothe / iff they be yn ony necessyte.

Thys cōmandiment wyl also that myny­sters of the worde / must not folowe false doctrine in kyllinge meny a sowle / by theyre he risy / and in sleynge the body for tellynge truthe.

¶ The .vij. cōmaundemente.
Thow shall do no fornicacion.

THis commaundemente wyll that they which wyl fere and loue God / must so order themselues / that they lyue chaste and continent all the days of theyre lyffe. Also by cause vyrginyte is a singulere gyfte of God / lett euery man marke what is geuen to him. Iaco. 1. For they which take not this worde / that is / haue not the gefte of chastyte / they [Page]haue a remidy offeride of God for the impu­rite of theyre fleshe / and they that do not vse that remidy resyste Gode and resyste his or­dināce. Nor lett no man say (as meny do no­we a days) to haue powre to do all thyngis helpyd by the hāde of God / For the helpe of God is not present but only to them which walke in his ways / that is / in his vocacion / from which thes hypocritis do indeuer to drawe themselues / agenst the wyll of God / In this peuysnes and presumpcion lett not them loke for God to be a helper / but lett them rethere remembere / his saynge / thow shalte not tempte they lorde God. This tru­ly is to tempte God / to indeuer and ercersys agenst nature / which is geuen to vs of him / ye & so to dispysse his presente geftes. Math. 3. Nott what it is to tempte Gode. Thys godly gefte of nature the popysche sorte do not only dispyse / in misusynge themselues agaynste all nature abominabyll to specke / but also the losels er bowlde to call matri­mony a polucion which God whas worthy to institute / which he dyd pronownse hono­rabyll to all men / which owr sauyure Christ dyd sanctify by his presence / garnissyng the same with his fyrste miracle / but with most sotell statutis / rulis / and decrese / they do ex­toll [Page]euery, zelycall vowe / and progression / I shuld say euery celycall vowe & profeschion. As thowgh theyr scalde vowe wor not one / and virginyte a nothere / They call theyre stald vows / agelicall vertws / doynge great ingery to the angellis of God / to the which they compare lassiuyous parsons / adulteres and sum thynge moreworsse and stinkynge. Men [...] more the pes ordi [...] cis then [...] des. And truly we nede not to rehersse more to­kyns / where the thynge selffe is manifeste / we shall se truly by what grett and horribyll payns the lord shall reuenge thys arrogans and contempte of his gyftis. By this com­maundemēt also euery man is bownd to ha­ue and vse his wyffe soberly / and gentilly / & the wyffe lykewyce the man / further mor to that they shall admytt nothyng contrary to the honeste and temperance of matrimo­ny / & so doyng / they shall knowe at the laste to mary in the Lorde.

¶ The .viij. cōmaundement.
Thow shalt do no thefte.

Whych must thus be vnderstāde / whan truly we owte to fare and loue Gode / lett vs desayue no man othere be crafte or [Page]fraude / nor lett vs not take a way by handē and vyolence that which pertayne to hym / nor we may not cōpasse ony man in bergōs & cūnauntis / sellynge a more hyere pryce or in baynge a more vylde pryce of thos which knoweth not the valure of thīgis / or by ony othere acte & crafte by which we do lay owr hadis in other mens goodis. But if the fare and loue of God be in vs / we wyll indeuer more with all owr powre to helpe both owr fryndis and foes / as much as ly in vs bothe by counsell and helpe in vpholdynge & may­tynnynge theyre bodys and goodis / ye and rethere to minysch owr on goodis then to take a way a nothere mans / not only that / but if they were opprest by the misfortune of thyngis / we were bownd to cōmunicat & imparte owre goodis to the sustentaciō of theyr necessytes / and to the alleuyacion of theyre nede by owre plentuusnes. Lett all christene men respecte to this cōmaundement in hel­pynge the powre membris of Christis body to the powre threshers of the Lordis corne / to the powre creaturs which lake theyr naturall lymbys / and no more to vphold by obla­cions the grett ydolis of this worlde / that is Antichrist with his prestode / and all theyr Math. 10. Iesa. 58. [Page]grett godis / lett them no more hepe Anty­christis boxe / nor hyt is secte for all theyre gay mockis / but minister to Christ and his true floke as Christ do cōmaund promisyn­ge a rewarde to al thos that grue a cope of water to the lefte of his ministers / and disci pilis for his names sake. Roma. 1. 2. Cor. 8. Ephe. 4.

¶ The .ix. cōmaundement.
Thou shall beare no false witnesse.

THat is / whan thow owtis to fare and loue God se that thou dust oppresse no man by false accusation / nor thow shall not minysse no mans fame / by yll wordis / and raylynges / nor thou shall not geue thy aers to such brawlers / nor thou shalte not suspecte or iouge ony man to the worste parte / or in the worste sence / but if there be ony fare & loue in vs we owte allways to thynke the be­ste / and to speke honorably of euery man / & to bere the weknes of euery man / as egall as is possibyl to the honor of gode and fra­ternall cherite in concernynge thynges par­ticulere which partayne to human affectiōs and workis.

And ye shall notte that all thos which vp­in. [Page]hold antichriste and his sectes whicher parti culere and belymasters / geue false wytnesse agaynste the true body of Christ / in mainti­nynge the body of an harlotte / that is / the secte of the hore of Babylone.

¶ The .x. cōmaundement.
Thou shalte not couyt they ney­ghbours house / thou shalt not deseyre his wyfe / nor seruaunt / nor handmayd / nor oxe / nor asse nor nothynge that is his.

WHerby owr Lord do teche vs which owt to loue and fere / that we may not couyt a mans wyfe / famele / possessiōs or ony thynge els. By the which resoue he do much more forbyd that we do not intēde / by ony fraud sotylte or crafte / ye all thowgh it be vnder the pretence of houeste / by the which we shall cause the wyfe to forsake he­re husbane / or take the seruaunte from the handis of the master / or take by vyolēce ony perte of his goodis. But if ther be ony loue and fare of God in vs we owt more to no­risch the loue of the man and wyfe / cōsellin­ge euery man to kepe his one wyfe and the [Page]wyfe here man / and to exhorte seruauntis to do theyr duty to theyre masters / with reuerē ce / & to defend euery mans ryghte as much as lyth in vs.

That truly we er for bydyne to couyt a no there mās goodis thuse may be takyne / that euery man owt to vse him selfe to his ney­ghboure accordyne to the vocaciō of his-office and state / He truly couyt a nother mans good which wyll not execute & do thos thyn gis which he is bownd to do accordynge to the gefte of his callynge. Not who is couyttus.

By this reason also the pepyll owt to ha­ue in mende theyre kyngis & princis / maye­stis & othere rulers / and to suffere theyre do minacion by a quiette mend / to obay theyre laws and cōmaundementis and to slake in nothynge which is not contrary to God is cō maundement. The office of duckis & lord is. Agen they must sustayn the cure and charge of theyre pepyll / restore the ryght / conserue publyke pece and tranquily­te / they must be in helpe to good / refrayners to the yll doers and so minister all thynge / as men beynge all ways redy to geue fore theyr office an answere to God the hy kyn­ge and iuge.

Byshops and ministers of cherches lyue­ly [Page]lett them labore and ply faythfully in thē ministracion of the worde / nor lett them not defyle the doctryne of helthe / but lett them geue the pure and syncere doctryn of God / and instructe men not only by doctryne but also by exampel of lyfe / & so to geue inspectiō to theyer shype / as good shypers to theyre shype / Agene the pepyll must knowe them for massengers and apostels of God / and to geue them that honore that the lord wyl thez to haue / and geue them thos thyngis which er necessary to the sustentacion of theyr lyfe. The office of byshops. A byshope owt to ha­ue no more but met dri­ke & clothe. 1. Timo. 4. The office of parētes.

Lett parentis take theyre chyldren as cō ­mittyd to thez of the Lorde / to be norysshyd / tought & rulyde / nor lett not them vexe they re mendis by onkenùnes and strayt gouer­naūce and turne themselues from them / but with lenyte ād gentylnes / and as it pertayn to theyr persons / lett them amplecte and con forte them. Iouth age. Iunyers shall reuerently accepte old age / as God wyll it to be honoryd. Olde men also shall moderate by theyr wyll & prouidēce the imbesilyte of youth / & in that che­fly / wher in they shyne & haue knowlege by vse of thyngis / not troblynge them by herd and clameurs reproues / but tēporynge theyr seueryte with all gentylnes / and fauere. Ser­uauntes [Page]shall geue them selues as cōcernyli­ge theyr office besy and obaynge theyr ma­sters / not seruynge to the eye / but with the herte / as geuynge theyre seruys to Gode. Seruaūtes

Masters. Masters also may not be curious and in­tractabyl agaynst theyre seruaūtis / they shal not vexe them with much asperyte / ne take thē cōtumelyusly / but rethere knowledge thez to be theyre brotheren / and seruauntis vnder the same Lorde which is in heuē / whom they owte to loue and soffere in al manswetnesse. To this maner lett euery mane repute what he owthe to his neyboure in his order and place / and that he owe lett hym geue.

We haue the holle lawe explicatt in .x. cō ­maundementes / by the whych we er suffi­ciently instructe of all thos thyngis / which the lorde do othere require of vs / or forbyde to be done / as well towerdis him selfe / as owre nayghbours. Truly it is esy to persay­ue to what ende all thyngis do intende / truly to teche cherite.

But fyrste we er instrute that we shulde fare / loue & worshope God / and haue confi­dence only in him / that we shuld call and se­ke him / and shold expecte and loke for all thinges of him and shuld put owr hope only in [Page]him / shuld reste in him / which is the sum of the fyrste tabyll / by which we er instrute only to goodlynes and pyete.

Fordere more we haue cheryte with owr neyghbours for godis sake / so doynge with all men as we woldbe doune to / which is the hede of the .ij. tabyll. And thuse it apere that the obseruacion of the cōmaundementis is / to loue only God and owr neyghboure / and he lyuyth most best & holyest which as mych as is possibyll do not lyue and stody to him selfe / to his proper lukere and profyth / and a gene there is non that lyuyth more worse & wrethede thē he which stody only to his proper luckere / seke and thynke only is one profyth.

ANd ye shall nott that the lawe do not forbyd only owtwerd werkis but also the in werde affectiōs & thowgh of the herte. Ther be meny which do ordere theyr eyes / fytt / hādis and all partis of the body / in sum obseruacion of the lawe / but in the menseson they holde theyr hertis fare from all obedience / they thynke themselues goodworkers / if they haue dissimulyde craftyly before men which befor God they bore in theyr hertis / They here / thou shalt not slee / do fornicaciō / [Page]or stell / they do not drawe theyre sword / [...]ey do not myxe themselues with harlottis they do not lay theyr handis an other mens godis. Al this is wel / but they brethe striues with all theyr hertis / they burne in veneriall desyrs / they spy the goodis of allmene with schoymische eyes / and dewouere all by couyt tuousnes. Nowe they lackyd the chefyste pownte of the lawe / Agaynst thes Paulle Roma. 8. d [...] strongely try / affirmynge the lawe to be spirituall / that is / which requiryth the hole mynde / the hole sowle / and hollwyll obediente / and whan we say this to be the sum of the lawe we brynge no [...]we interpretacion / but folowe Christe the best interpreter of the la­we / which dyd adde nothynge to the lawe but only cleryt obscuryd by the lys of phari­s [...]ys / and corrupte by theyr sower dow. Mat. 5. Lyke [...]yce as the vertue of his worde / the spryte of his mowthe doth nowe also reproue An­tichrist and his secte which reyoysse onely in theyre workis / thynkynge themselues more holy thē othere by caus they haue such harde rules & orders / ceremonys wous that no christen man can ber or soffere. To whom was thes wordis spokyn̄e loue youre ennymys / do wel to them which hate you / pray for thez [Page]which persecute you / that ye may be the chydren of the heuenly fathere / Who shalbe nowe the chyldren of the heuenly fathere? The Pope and hys angels / Monkis & Chanons / freyrs and herityke &c. Then er we well at aes if the powle shorne marchantis shuld be only the sons of God / if they shuld call God only theyr fathers? Therfor the word of God do proue them onely the sons of the deuell / which do caste a way so lightly the cōmoune youke of the chyldrē of Gode. But here theyre drowsy dreme / Owre lyfe were to herd for Christen men / As thowgh they culd make a thynge more herder then to loue God with all the hert / mend & stren­ght / And aboue thys there is nothynge / that can be thowght spoke or done / which no man can performe & fulfyll (as I sayd before) in thys lyfe / Owre ymbecilite is nott abyll to performe the lest yotte of the lawe / It is the Lord in whom we do vertue / He geuet that he cōmanunde / and cōmaund that he wyllyth / Christians to be vnder the lawe of grace / is not of presumpsion to walke with owt alawe / but to be ingryffyd in Christe by whos grace we be deliueryd from the malediction of the lawe / and by whos spyght The fyrste cōmaunde­mēte is her dere thē all religiōs pa­pisticall. Roma. 9. Exod. 33. we fulfyll the lawe only by Chri­ste. [Page] [...]e haue the lawe wryttyn in owr hertis. [...]herfor in all thyngis / lett vs respecte the ende of the lawe that is Iesu Christ, which made vs of nawght / and loste / restoryd vs agene to the heuenly fathere by pryse of his precious blude / to the whych fathere / sone / & holy cōfortere be pray­ce honor & glory / as it hath byn is & shalbe for euer and euer.

AMEN.