¶ The names of the two speakers.

❧ Phylype.

❧ Nathanaell.

I can not inoughe maruayle when I do consi­dre the nature and condition of men.

Where­fore saiest thou that?

Because that I do se that all mē haue one desire & one selfe will and mind, yet neuertheles there is nothynge more con­trarie then the desyres and wylles of menne after suche sorte that wyth greate difficultie may be found two that be of one selfe accord.

Howe can that be possible to be founde amonge men as thou doest saye? for thou haste holden me two argumētes the Contrarietie and vnitie of humayne affections. whiche be cōtrarye and repungnaunt the one to the other, for howe can menne be all of one selfe wyll and of a contrary wyll, and all of one accord being al in discorde.

I thynke thou doest not doubte of the diuersitie & cōtrarietie of affectiōs willes & humayne opiniōs, for ther is nothyng more euidente, wherfore it suffiseth me to shewe vnto the the vnitie of the desyres and wylles that is betwen them.

When thou haste proued me that, I shal holde the other for all togyther proued, [Page] for the daylye experience doeth beare wytnes hereof.

I wyl that thy selfe be Iudge of the cause, wherfore I do aske the if there be a­nye man vpon the earth whyche doeth not desyre and hath not a greate wyll to be ryche The cōmune desire of alm [...] to come to honour to lyue in pleasure & reste and to be verie happy.

in that there is no doubte.

Myne entente is alredy pro­ued for thou doeste se the vnitie of the hertes that is betwe [...] them.

It is true but from whense then commeth that contrarietie: or howe can that procede of that vnitie?

Al the faute doth come of this, that although al do pretende vnto one selfe ende, neuerthe­les they can not learne the cunnynge nor the waye to come vnto it.

Thou wylte then saye that the wyll is in all men, but the power and the meane doth fayle them.

We se the thynge at oure eye.

And what is the cause.

The hardnes and ig­noraunce of the humayne vnderstādynge for one estemeth him rich & veri happy that hath great treasures of gold, siluer, perles, & preci­ous Mens opini­ons of the so­uerning goodnes. stones, & that hath his garners houses & sellers wel filled, which hath goodli clothing & may be veri sumptuous & pōpiously appareled which is possessor of great cōtreys lādes & lordshipes,

There is nothyng in al the world that mē esteme so much as that whych thou speakest of. And that after suche sorte [Page] that euerye one woulde haue that.

And therfore of thys accorde cometh thys greate discorde that is amonge men for The rote of [...]issencion a­ [...]onge men. bycause that all woulde haue it, and do not care howe so they maye obteyne it, one take­yng one way & meanes, & an other taketh an other waye cleane contrarye, wherefore it is impossible that one shoulde not de wronge & Iniurye to an other, and frome thense doeth sprynge no small enuious hatredes, enmites and dissentions.

The thynge is euen as thou sayest.

Admytte that a man hadde obteyned all thys, myght he therefore thynke hym selfe very happy.

None can be truli takē for happi in this mortal life, which is altogither ful of miseries, and in the which the moste ryche be the moste miserable & wreched for they haue more thought care, trouble, and anoyaunces, and be in more greater dangers thē any other, & it is most oftē sene that, that whyche they haue, is no more theyrs, thē that whyche they haue not, for bycause them sel­ues most often eyther dare not, or can not vse them but let vs take the case that they should receyue certayne cōmodities of them in thys lyfe. Yet be they assured that all theyr ryches shall fayle them at theyr neade and greatest necessitie, for they shall not beare them wyth them, nor yet shal they deliuer thē from death nor frome the Iudgmente of God but shall [Page] leaue them to suche as shall neuer run them thanke, but shall brynge them vnto ruyne & shall haue as moche payne and miserie in the spendynge, as they had in the gatherynge.

That thou haste sayed is verye cōmon and cleare, but I do consydre an other thynge that is, that man for all these thynges hathe not here so muche occasion to glorye in hym selfe, or to thynke hym selfe verye happye as The beastes are more hap­pie thē carnal men. the bruite beastes, for they haue all thys bet­ter then man, and haue mo voluptuous plea­sures in thys worlde then he, if we do esteme voluptuous pleasures the carnall pleasures of thys world, the philosophors estemed hym ryche whyche was contente.

Then accordynge to thys diffinition the bea­stes be rycher then men, for they be contente wyth that they haue. But man is neuer con­tente, no thoughe he had the heauen and the earth, to what purpose serueth hym then hys golde and syluer? the beastes haue none nor care not for it, nor yet haue no nede of it And if we muste esteme hym ryche & happye that hathe abundaunce we muste gyue that honor vnto the earth the whyche hath more then all men in the worlde. And to the whyche they muste come to begge it makynge it courtlye courtelye wyth longe trauayle and greate diligence in tyllage who then oughte to be este­med mooste ryche? The earth that gyueth all [Page] or the men that receiue of hyr.

He that gyueth is more happy and ryche thē he that taketh for the one apperteyneth vnto greate prynces and Lordes, and the other vn­to wreches and fylbelyes. But nowe adayes we haue no regarde vnto that rule but do es­teme it more happy to take then to gyue. And therefore they be estemed moste riche and happy that most receiueth of the earth.

And yet by thys rekeninge shall the be­astes be rycher then men, for take the mooste ryches that thou wylt & gyue vnto him med­dowes, pastours, and vines, Castels, houses, and palaces, and al that hys herte can desyre. What hath he yet more then the beastes? For if thou wylte saye lodgynges they haue all theyr repayres, some to Caues other to bus­shes, & other to theyr [...]eastes, where they take all slepe and reste in muche more quietnes thē men, and muche better contented then menne be wyth theyr habitations, And it we muste speake of landes and possessions the beastes haue it without limities or borders, for they haue the hylles, & valeis forestes, & plaines, the ayre & waters, at theyr commaundemēte, wyth lesse trouble payne and laboure then man, for thoughe man haue greate medowes yet easeth he no hey, and thoughe he haue greate fyldes and viniyardes, yet can he eate but hys fylle, and can haue but hys lyfe, no [Page] more then the beastes of the fylde, whyche surmounteth manne in felicitie, in asmuche as they get theyr lynynges wyth more cor­porall pleasures. If we shall come to appa­rell there is no comparison, for of necessitie the Beastes muste clothe men, whych should be all naked, excepte they dyd borowe theyr apparell of them, and dyd clothe them silues wyth theyr skynes heare, and woolles there is no difference but that menne haue more trauayle to clothe them selues bycause they be not contente wyth the gyftes and worckes of nature, as the beastes be, but wyll be dis­guysed & counterfayte newes by theyr artes and occupations, but not wythout greate sweate.

And whē they haue done al that they cā possi­ble do, yet can they not exceade or surmounte the workes of nature that be in the beastes and floures in the fylde, for there is ney­ther courtyer nor ladye, nor damsell that is better paynted, nor so well dressed or appa­reled, as a rose, a lylye, or as the lest flower that the earth bringeth forthe, nor as the mar­ternes, Ostriges, Pecokes, & other suche like Beastes and foules, and yet do they muche glorye when they maye be decked and trim­ned wyth theyr heare skinnes and fethers.

Yea and yet bye them verye deare.

Thou maist thē wel know what is the miserie of man, euen in the the same wherein he doeth esteme hys moste greatest felicitie to lye. Thou mayest also vnderstande how that of thys euyll opinion doth sprynge so many other, the whyche do put suche troubles be­twen men and doth bring them in such frani­seis that they can not holde them selues with in the limites of nature, but do rather worse then the brute beastes, and yet wyth all theyr trauayle can not haue so muche reste and vo­luptuous pleasures as they. Wherefore I do conclude that if man were not borne vnto o­ther Beatitude and Felicitie then doeth lye in riches and worldly pleasures, that he were in far worsse condition then the brute beastes and that he shoulde be much more happy to be a swyne, a snayle, a fyshe, a byrde, or some other kynde of beastes then to be a man.

I am of thyne opinion and am muche abashed that the christians do not well know and considre thys, and howe that they runne so madde after these goodes of the earth and worldely lustes: seynge that the panymes and heathen euen by the naturall lyghte ge­uen them of God haue well knowen & haue condemned the Epicures, whyche put the soueraine goodnesse of man in voluptuousnes.

And yet they whyche dyd condemne the Epicures albeit they hadde a better opi­nion [Page] then they, yet coulde not they them sel­ues Epicures. fynde the pathe and ryghte waye for to come vnto thys soueraine goodnes, vnto the whyche they dyd pretende to conducte and leade other for some of them dyd Iudge that thys souerayne goodnes coulde not be but in hym that was fullye endued wyth the good­des of fortune of the bodye and of the soule, whyche to fynde in anye one man it were ve­rye harde. And by thys doctrine the prophet­tes Thre kyndes of godnesse. Apostles, and true childrē of God should not be verye happye and blessed, and the doc­trine of Iesu Christ should not be true, which doth pronounce happy and blessed, the poore in spirite, the aflicted and persecuted for ryghtuousnes sake, and they whyche haue honger thriste, and whych wepe and morne.

Therefore there be other that haue put Math. v. Luke. vi. the souerayne goodnes of man in vertu.

Those haue well perceyued and felte the inconueniences whych I haue before touched, but for all that they coulde not hytt the whytte, for they dyd neuer well vnderstand what was the true vertu that might leade vnto that soueraigne goodnesse, and wyth great paine did they onely atteine vnto the shadow and coulde not fynde the verye ryghte waye The soue­raine good­nesse of men. to leade them for they dyd alwaye leaue a mā vnto hym selfe, the whyche can in no wyse fynde that same soueraygne goodnes, except [Page] he go out of hym selfe.

where wylte thou then that he shall seke it.

Out of hym selfe and of al creatures.

Thou wilt thē that he go seke it in God.

In whom shoulde he fynde it but in him, in whō not only it is but is him selfe that same soue­raygne goodnes, for thou doest knowe well that man is infasiable and that he can neuer be contente and satisfied excepte he haue all And thoughe he had the heauen and the earth the sea, and all that is conteyned in them, yet shoulde he not be satisfied and fylled. For he should not therby haue al, for he can not haue al except he haue God to whō al thinges perteyne and be hys owne, in the whyche onely he may be satisfied and perfecte accordynge to the testimonie of the prophete saying, then Psal. xvi. shal I be filled whē thy glorye appeareth for without hym what maye we fynde, but vn­happines, synne, Death, malediction, dānati­on & hell.

I beleue that nowe thou hast hyt the whyte, but the hardeste is yet to do for it doth not suffice to know vnto what plac & ende we ought to go, nor yet in what hauen or port we desire to arriue, excepte we knowe the meane waie to come vnto it, wherefore I desire muche that if thou knowe it that thou wilt teache it me.

It is necessarie that he knowe it that should teach it vnto other, and there is none that can knowe it but he that [Page] hath bene there and gone the Iorney.

There is thē no liuynge man that can know it,

And therfore muste we haue recourse The waye to come to soue­raynge good­nes. vnto God, whyche wyll gyue vs a guide to leade vs and hathe all readye gyuen vs one whyche can neuer go out of the waye, that is Iesus Christe hys sunne oure Soueraygne maister whyche is come downe from heauen for to learne vs the waye, and brynge vs thi­ther, Mat. xxiii. xi. for as he hym selfe wytnesseth that none can ascend vp into heauen, but he that is come Iohn. iii. Iohn. ix. Iohn. i. The lader of Iacob. Gene. xxviii. down from heauen, namely the sonne of mā that is in heauen, none can come vnto my fa­ther but b [...]me, I am the gate the dore, the wai the trueth and the lyte, he is the true ladder that Iacob sawe standynge vpon the earth & reached vp to heauen. The angelles of God goinge vp & downe vpō it, and the Lord god leaninge vpon it, but for to make vs the waie shorter, playner, & more esie he hath brought Deut. iii. Rom. i. vs the heauens with hym selfe, and that same soueraygne goodnes in suche sorte, that we nede not to pas the seas nor the mountaines, nor to go any longe waye or Iorney to come vnto it, & neade not to go out of oure selues, Ephe. iiii. Colo. iii. Math. iii. Luke. xvii. but of oure olde adam, for the kyngdome of heauē is at hande, and the kingdome of God is within vs, we haue the worde neare vs & in our mouthes if we can know it.

How [...]hē

The maister whyche is descended from [Page] heauen, and that souerayne doctor whych the celestiall father hath sente vnto vs doth teach vs thys sciēce in two wordes sayinge. Thys is the lyfe euerlastynge. That they do knowledge the one onely true God, and hym whōe he hath sente Iesus Christe.

Then wylte [...]noledge of God. then by that conclud that the souerayne goodnes of manne, and his true felicitie and beati­tude, and the meane to vnite and knyte all mē in one selfe herte, and one verye wyll is to knowe God by Iesus Christe hys sonne.

Thou concludest verye well.

If there neede none other thynge at the leste, all the christians should be verye happie for they do all knowe God and Iesus Christe theyr Sauiour, but it is neuertheles maruayle that there is so lyttle vnitie amonge them, seynge they haue all that knoweledge.

If they had that knoweledge wythout doubt thei should be al of one accord & should be verye happye and blessed, but there be ve­ry fewe that hath that knowledge as it shuld be had.

Is there thē. ii. sortes, to know God?

Euen as there is two sortes to beleue. Two sortes to knowe and beleue God. For to beleue in God, and knowe God, cometh all to one. Saynte Iames doeth saye that the Deuyles beleue and tremble before the maiestie of God. But they beleue not in [...]mes. ii. suche sorte, as the faythfull children of God do. They beleue there is a God, and do feare [Page] hym, but not as the good chylde feareth hys father, but as an euyl doer [...] Iudge Notwithstandynge also they do beleue ther is one God, yet beleue they not God is their God, that is to saye, that he is theyr Saui­oure and father, readye, benigne fauorable and mercifull, and that he wyll shewe vnto them hys grace and mercy thorow his sonne Iesus Christe, for so is the nature of God, & hys propre office. And he that knoweth hym not so, knoweth hym not to be hys God, but doeth hold him as a cruel tyraunte the which he doeth more feare then loue, for we can not knowe him to be other without Iesu Christ, because that the euil cōsciēce which doth fele it selfe culpable of hys Iudgm [...]t causeth him so to repute hym, wherefore it is impossible that any shoulde haue the true knowledge of God, suche as is required to come vnto thys soueraygne goodnes, but he that hathe hym in cōtemplation, not in hym selfe nor in him The true knowledg of God to be cōsidered barely, & in his maiestie, nor in anye other habite then in this humaine fleshe whyche he hath put on by hys soone Iesus Christe, in the whyche he hathe declared hys goodnes, loue, mercie, and tauoure, towards man, and it is not possible that he that know­eth hym otherwise shoulde loue hym, if he loue him not, he cā not willingly honour him [...]or yet promp [...]lye and redelye obey hym by­cause [Page] the knowledge that he hath is to muche vnperfecte, for this is the true knowledg that doeth moue and enduce man to honour hym.

And what is the true waye and ma­ner to honour God, wyll he that we offre vnto hym, breade, wyne, candels, or money, cal­ues, sheepe, rammes, or other suche lyke thyn­ges?

That were a greate blasphemie & sacrilege to haue suche an opinion of God as to thynke that he whych hath made all thyn­ges of whose hande we receyue all, whyche is immortall, incorruptible, and in hym selfe whole and perfecte, should neade or take pleasure i. Timo. ii. in these corruptible thynges whyche he hath giuen vs for the sustinaunce of our pore mortall bodyes.

Howe wylt thou then that man shall psal. Cxxxv. Gene. i. Psal. xv serue God? And wyth what offering wil he that we present him?

God which hath made the sun, the moone, and the sters, what neede hath he of our light, he which onely is rich and perfect, what nede hath he of our ry­chesse, the which he him selfe hath gyuen vnto vs, is he as a litle chylde, whych must be ap­peased wyth an apple, or as a mortall or cor­ruptilbe man taking pleasure in caducte and transitorie thynges as mē do?

What is it thē that mā may giue vnto him?

He requireth not that man shoulde gyue hym a­ny thyng, but that he shoulde receiue of hym [Page] for the nature of God is) which our soueraine Lord is) not to take but for to gyue, & do good vnto all.

Wherewith shall man then serue him.

He can do no other seruice vnto God, then doeth the pore begger, blind, soore, lame, and lazer, and beynge all togyther vn­profitable, askinge hys almes at the gate of a kynge, or as an euyl doer, thefe, traytour, and robber, askynge hys pardon.

Manne then hath no greate occasion to glorye in hys owne merittes.

And yet lesse.

Can man do nothynge els?

He neyther can nor may do that without the grace of god and his holy spirite do leade and cōducte him to the ende he shoulde haue no matter where­in to glorye, but in God onely.

That is not verye vneasye to do, nor ther is no man vnto whome it shoulde not be easye ynoughe to serue hym, seynge we muste but aske and begge.

It is more harde then it seme the for albeit that the wordes seme verye playne and easy, neuertheles they comprehēde great thynges, the whych surmounte the humayne power

Expound me then those thyn­ges.

Fyrst they do conteyne the inuouca­tion, & callyng vpon the name of God, which is the moste greateste and moste singuler ho­nour that we can do vnto him.

What is there more.

We can not vnderstād this inuocation wythout fayth [Page] for it is wrytten, who so euer calleth vpō the name of the Lorde shalbe saued. But howe shall he call vpon hym, in whom he hath not beleued, it doeth then followe, that man can not call vpon God ryghtly wythout truste­yng in him, & be fully assured of his goodnes & good wyll towardes hym,

That is verye certayne.

Then as thys same truste in God incite the and enduce the Gyuynge of thankes. man to call vpon hys name, and praye vnto hym in al necessities, euē so of the other parte doth it moue and enduce by the same to gyue thankes for all the benifites whyche he recey­ueth of hym, knowlegynge that all goodnes proceadeth of him, and that without hym mā is nothynge. Here is thē an other parte of the inuocation and callynge vpon the name of God the whyche conteyneth the obeysaunce or obeydience, whyche we owe vnto hys holy wyll, whyche is a maner of action of graces or geuyng of thankes, for from whence doth procede suche obeysaunce, and all the good workes whyche the fayethfull can do in the honour of God, then from the loue whyche he doth beare vnto him, and it can not be loue without the knowledg of him that is beloued this loue then proceadeth of the knowledge the whyche he hath of God, & of hys graces and benefites whych doth incite vs patiently to put our truste al wholly in hym to abide & [Page] looke for al at hys hand and to serue and ho­noure hym in all that we maye know [...] to be pleasynge and acceptable vnto hym.

True seruing of God lieth in fayth By all that I can comprehende and vnder­stand al the seruice of God thē lyeth in fayth

She is the fundation and sprynge for wythout hyr it is impossible to please God, & so can oure workes not please God, excepte Hebr. xi. that fyrste we be pleasaunte and agreable vnto hym, for he doeth not accepte the worke bi­cause of it selfe, but bicause of the persone [...]hat doeth present it, and it is not vnto hym accep­table, but as the persone is vnto hym acceptable.

He hathe then a respecte and is an acceptor of persones, & yet it semeth that the holy scripture saieth the cōtrarie.

That whiche I do say is not cōtrarie vnto the pla­ces whch thou so vnderstādest, but thou shouldest vnderstande that amonges the sonnes of men there is none, whyche of hym selfe is ac­ceptable Rom. ii [...]. Act. x. vnto the celestial father, but only he of whom he hath saied. This is my welbelo­ued sonne in whome I am well pleased. Se­ynge then that he onelye is pleasaunte, vnto hym it is not to be thought, that anye worck [...] Math. xiii. can please hym, but that whyche is done by hym, for if we hated any persone he could do nothynge that mighte please vs, and of the cō trarye parte if we loued hym, he could do no­thyng that might displease vs but we would [Page] take all that he dyd in good parte, if we wyll then please our celestiall father, we must nei­ther off [...]e our selues, nor none other thynge to hym, before we haue made appoyntmente wyth h [...]m, and he receiued vs into hys grace fauour & loue, & that cā we not obteine except we take awaye the cause whyche hath put the hate and dissention betwen vs and hym that is to saye, the synne whyche can not be defa­ced Esaie. iiii. Iustification Act. xv. Rom. vi. xii. i Cor. xii. Ephe. v. Iohn. vi. xii. and taken awaye, but by the meane of Ie­sus Christe. And therefore it is necessarie for vs to go vnto hym to be purged and made cleane, and the meane to obteine thys by him is the fayeth by the whyche our hert [...]s be pu­rified and we Iustified, that is to say absol­ued, and declared and pronounced Iuste be­fore the iudgemente of God, bycause that by the same fayeth we be vnite and conioyned wyth Iesus Christe beynge all membres of hys bodye, vnto the whyche hys membres he doeth communicate all hys goodes, and i. Cor. i. Ephe. ii. Gala. ii. The rote of [...] good workes Iohn. v. Rom. xi maketh vs partakers of hys obeydience and ryghtuousnes, so that it serueth nother more nor lesse, then if it were oure owne propre, Inasmuche then as Iesus Christe is in vs and we in hym, & that hys rightuousnes is ours and liueth in vs and dwelleth in oure hertes by fayeth, and by hys holye spirite, it is very certayne that, that fayth can not be idle with­out bryngynge forthe good fruite, seyng thē [Page] that he is the true vyne, and good olyue tree, vpon the whyche we be planted and graffed it is impossible, but the fruite which we beare or bryng forth, and the worke whyche we do shoulde not be to hym acceptable because of the good rote out of the whyche they spryng, and bicause the celestiall father reknowledgeth the worke of hys sonne in vs for whose loue he doeth beare the imperfection, whyche abydeth al wayes in oure fleshe durynge thys mortal life, but it is cleane cōtrarie of the In­fidels and reproued whyche can not be acceptable vnto God, nor no workes that they can do bycause they be wythout Iesus Christe, without whō non cā be beloued of the father.

I do vnderstande nowe the cause whye the holye scripture doeth attribute the Iustification of man vnto fayeth, and giue it so great prayses, and who so euer vnderstode thys poynte as thou haste declared it, should haue no occasion to be so much offended with thys doctrine, as some be, for they saye, when the Iustification of fayeth is preached wyth­out Sclaunder o [...] Iustification by fayth. the workes of the lawe, that they wyll a­bolish and put awaye good workes.

They vnderstande verye euyl, but that sclaunder doeth come of the doctryne of the Sophysters and hypocrites whyche hath learned menne to put the wayne before the oxē, (as y ^e prouerbe goeth) & to builde without [Page] fundation, wherefore when they shoulde be reformed and otherwyse taught they do find it a newe and strange doctrine bycause they haue bene norished in suche a contrarye way.

Tell me thys some thyng more clearlye. The tre can not beare good fruite except Math. xii. it be fyrste a good tre. And therfore the good fruite doeth not make the tre good, but the good tree makethe the fruite good, but they wyll haue the fruite before the tre, and wyll make the tre good by the fruite, which is im­possible Natha. Thou speakest yet somthyng darkely.

Thou shalt haue it more clear­lye. They wyll haue rightuousnes in a man before it be in hym, and wyll that he doeth workes of Iustice and ryghtuousnes, and by the same to be Iustified. But howe shal he do the workes of Iustice, excepte he hym selfe be fyrste iuste, and that can he not be but by the Iustice and ryghtuousnes of Iesus Christe, and that can not he obteine but by fayth wherfore wyth good ryght is the honour of Iusti­fication gyuen vnto fayth, seynge that she is the rote and fundation of the same, and of all good workes, the whiche proceadeth of the same rote.

I vnderstād this now wely­noughe, but in as muche as fayeth hath such vertue, declare vnto me what fayeth is.

Fayeth is a certayne and assured knowledge and a fyrme perswation and truste of the loue [Page] and mercy of God towardes vs for the loue of Iesus Christe hys sonne.

A manne whych wyll haue thys faieth whole and per­fitte, what is he bounde to beleue.

Al that is conteyned in the holye scriptures, but The summe of fayth because that thys doctrine of fayeth is ample and large it is drawen into a briefe and shorte summe for the healpe & sucoure of the weake­nes and infirmitie of the humaine vnderstan­dynge, and the memorie of the pore and sim­ple people.

What vnderstandest thou by that shorte summe, is it the crede of the A­postles?

It is the verye same.

Wherfore is it called the Crede of the Apo­stles.

Bycause it is a short summe of the doctrine Apostolyke, and a whole some con­teynynge in fewe wordes the principal poyn­tes and articles of the fayth and christian re­ligion.

I desyre muche that thou wol­dest declare it vnto me poynte by poynte, for it doeth not suffice to can saye it by herte and confesse it wyth the mouthe, speakynge as the pies wyth out vnderstandynge what we do saye.

It is verye certayne that the con­fessiō of the mouth profiteth litle except it pro­cede of faith frō the herte.

That vnder­stand I well, and therfore do I desyre to haue a more playne vnderstandynge, for howe can I perfectly beleue that which is cōteined ther­in without the vnderstāding of it, for it is not [Page] possible that in those fewe wordes shoulde be comprehended al the apostolyke doctrine, but it conteyneth greate matters, and many goodly poyntes worthy to be well expounded and opened.

Thou takeste it not a misse, and seynge the good desyre that thou haste, I am verye well contente to satisfie the same, but nowe I haue no conueniente leysure, for it cā not be so shortely done, wherefore thou shalte haue a litle patience vnto anone, when I shall haue a more conueniente leysure, the better to satisfie thy desyre.

That is very resonable, & reasō doeth require that I which would be taughte take the tyme whyche seameth to the moste mete, but if thou [...]arye longe I will come & put the in remembraunce.

Thou shalt do well, and fare thou wel to oure nexte meatynge, God conducte and brynge the a­gayne shortlye.

I trust thou hast not for­gotten the promise thou made vnto me, & therfore I am come to put the in remembraunce.

If thou had­deste not come I determined to haue come to the, but thou hast preuented me.

The greate desire that I haue to here & vnderstāde the thinges that we haue communed of togi­ther, hath enflamed and steared me forward.

If thou haue a greate desire to heare. I haue no lesse to expounde, and confarre wyth the, for what communication maye we deuise more honest and profitable, or for better recre­ation then to common of oure fayth & religiō and of the goodnes & mercie of God toward vs.

There is no doubte and therfore I praye the begyn to enter into the matter.

The better to reduce al thinge by ordre, recite firste the Crede to the ende that wyth freshe memorye we maye well considre that whyche it doeth conteyne in generall, and af­ter we shal expound it by particulers.

I beleue in God the father al­myghtye maker of heauen and earth. And in Iesu Christ hys onely sonne our Lord, which was cōceiued by the holie goste, borne of the virgin marie, suffred vnder ponce pilate, was cruc [...]fied, dead, buried, & descēded into hel, the thyrd day he rose againe frō death, he ascēded into heauē, & sitteth on the right hād of God [Page] the father almighty, from thense he shal come to Iudge the quycke and the deade. I beleue in the holye Gost, the holy Catholike church the communion of sayntes, the forgyuenes of synnes. The resurrection of the bodye and the lyfe euerlastynge. Amē.

The better to deuide these matters for the healpe of the memory we wil deuide the crede al generally in foure principal partes, & thei of the .iiii. par­tes that shalbe most tedious & lōge we mai de­uide wher it shal seme vnto vs most mete for the playner vnderstandyng, and the better to kepe all thynges in memorie. And in the first shalbe spoken of God in generall of the per­son of the father, & of the creation of all thyn­ges. In the seconde of Iesus Christ our Lord and of oure redemption. In the thyrde of the holye Goste. In the fourthe of the churche, & of the thynges vnto hyr apperteyning.

Thys ordre shalbe very good, let vs therfore come vnto the fyrste parte, what vnderstan­dest thou whē thou saiest I beleue.

That I do put my whole confidence truste & hope What it is to b [...]ue. to hym, in whom I beleue, trustynge in hym wyth all my herte, abydynge and lokinge to receyue of hym onely, ayde, succour, saluatiō, lyfe, and al good thynges.

Thou do­este Psal. xiiii. then confesse that thou trusteste al whol­l [...] in hym, and in none other.

It is so, for it is tru, that who so euer trusteth in him shal [Page] not be deceuyed nor confounded, and I say I beleue, because that none other can beleue for me.

It semeth bi thy words that thou wylt affyrme that faith doth not serue but to him that hath it, & that it profiteth not to ano­ther but vnto hym whose it is.

I denye In what the fayth of other may profitte not but the fayth of other may serue for prayer vnto God for me for my conuercion and my sinnes, and for to presente me vnto hym & aske of hym my saluation, as we haue exam­ple in the sicke of the palseye, but if I haue not fayth also in my selfe, I can not receyue it.

What sayest thou then of thē whiche forseth not to vnderstand and knowe the doc­trine of fayth but doeth suffice them to saye I beleue in the holye mother church, I beleue that whych the holye churche beleueth, albeit they knowe not what she beleueth, and doth truste more in the fayth of other, then in theyr owne.

The prophet hath learned me to speake and fele otherwise when he hath sayd, the Iuste shall lyue by hys fayeth, wherefore I do conclude, that euen as I can not lyue by the soule and life an other, but of mine owne, that also my soule can not lyue by the fayeth of other but by hys own faith, whych giueth hym lyfe as the soule to the bodye.

Seynge then that the faith doth vinifie man, it muste then be lyuelye, and that the fayeth whyche is deade is no fayeth.

Yes it is [Page] fayth as a deade man is a man, wythout ha­uynge lyfe, mouynge nor felynge, wythout whych thynges man can not be man, but a deade carion, or els it is fayeth as a paynted fyre is a fyre wythout heate clearnes or light whyche be thynges impossible, and contrary to theyr nature.

They their whyche doeth saye they beleue, wythout knoweynge what they do beleue, and se [...]tel them selues at all auēture vpon the fayth of other, haue not the ryght fayeth.

What fayth may that be, whyche hath no fundation, nor ground v­pon The fundati­on of fayeth the promises of God, beynge ignoraunt of thē, for the tru faieth hath for his ground & fundation the promise of God, and his word wythout the whiche it can not be fayth.

What is it then?

If thou wylte call it fayth, and abuse the worde we may cal it fayned, paynted, historicall or deade faieth. For faith can we not rightlye call it, in suche sorte as the holye scripture doeth take and vnderstand the worde fayeth, wherefore if thou wilt cal it by more propre names, thou maiste call it fantasie, or foleish opinion, or els teme­rite and presumption.

I am inoughe satisfied in thys poynte, tell me then nowe what is that God in whōe thou beleuest, for I haue determined thus to examine the, point by poynte, not as an inquirar of thy fayeth to examine thy fayth and thy conscience, but for [Page] to learne and to be taught of the.

Thou demaundeste of me a thynge the whyche no vnderstanding can comprehend nor any tong open accordynge to hys dignitie.

Wherefore thē callest thou hym God, if ther be no tongue that can setforth his name.

The name of God It is very certaine that mani names be attri­buted vnto him of al people, tonges & natiōs but there is none that maye perfectlye diffine and declare hys hature, hys essence, hys dig­nitie vertue and maiestie.

To what purpose serueth then those names?

For to healpe and succoure the humayne infirmi­tie, vnto the whyche muste be set forth and de­scribed suche thynges as it may comprehend and knowe for hys saluation.

Seyng ther is no name in heauē nor in the earth worthy nor sufficient vnto hys maiestie, at the lest declare vnto me what thou vnderstandest by the name whyche thou gyuest vnto hym, and other lyke.

I vnderstande not a creature mor­tall, visible, and corruptible: but a spirite whyche is not created, but eternall wythout What god is Iohn, iiii. Esaie [...]l. xx, Psal. xv. ende or beginnynge, a maiestie, essence, diui­nite, power, wisdō, goodnes, mirable & infinit a soueraine goodnes hauing all in him selfe, hauynge no neade of anye maner of thynge beynge sufficiente vnto hym selfe, and to all creatures, of the whyche he is onelye the [Page] author, creatour, gouernour, cōseruator.

Wherefore doest that call hym like­wyse father almyghtye.

The better to declare and open that whyche I haue sayed.

The name of father howe is it semi [...]g or appropried vnto God.

It is semynge vnto hym for dyuers causes and reasons, the firste for asmuche as Wherfore god is called father. Ephe. i. he is father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe. And after bycause that he is author of all thynges and of the whyche deffendeth all fatherheade as well in heauen as in earth, and singularlye bycause that he is of a moste fatherly affectiō toward hys elected, vnto whō he doeth shewe hym selfe as a moste louynge father toward hys chyldren, and doeth holde and take them for hys, for the loue he beareth vnto Iesus Christe hys natural sonne.

Expounde me al these poyntes by perticulers, and tell me fyrste howe he is fa­ther of oure Lorde Iesus Christe, and howe Iesus Christe is the sone of God

This place shoulde be better intreated in his place in the seconde parte of the crede in the whych Iesus Christe is clearlye called the sonne of God, but in as muche as thou requirest now the exposition of it, I am content to satisfye thy desyre for the matters be after suche sorte conioyned togyther that it is verye harde to seperate them, and it is almoste all one to de­clare [Page] it here in the fyrste parte, and in the se­conde, so that whyche shall be here towchede hath no neade to be here resited, but shal serue for the one & the other, & if there be any more in this matter to be opened for to obteine the more vnderstandinge, we may passe the more lyghtlie ouer, and neede not to tarye so longe vpon it, for there shalbe mough of other mat­ters to be treated of. And for to answer vnto thy question Iesus Christe is the sonne of The eternall generation of Iesus Christe Iohn. i. God, accordynge to hys diuinitie, bycause that he is begotten of the father eternallye, & is one selfe essence and substaunce wyth hym, and accordynge to hys humanitie, forasmuch as wythout seede of corruptible, man & synne he was conceiued in the wombe of the virgin by the operation of the holye Goste.

Thou openest vnto me secreted, very darke and harde to be vnderstande, for if Ie­sus Christe be God, howe can he be begottē Deu. vi. Psal. xvi. Rom. i. of the father, & howe is it possible that God shoulde beget God, seynge he is not but one immutable and incorruptible,

I do well confesse that these misteries surmoun­teth oure vnderstandynge, and be incompre­hensible vnto the humayne fragilitie, & there­fore be they called misteries that is to say se­cretes hidden and darke, but we may not conceiue here a carnall opinion, vnworthy of the maiestie of God by these wordes as thoughe [Page] we spake of mortall men.

Wherfore spake we so then?

Because that for lache of words & more proper and meete vocables, The manour of speakynge of the scrip­ture. we becōstrained to borowe these of the com­mon language of men, to thende that by hu­mayne and easy similitudes we may declare the thynges celestiall and deuine whyche do excede the capacitie of oure rude vnderstan­dynge whiche can not cōprehende any higher lāguage.

What similitude and com­parison hath the begettynge or generation of the sonne of God wyth that of the carual fa­ther, and of his sonne.

We must fyrst in thys consideration and application cast away and reiecte all absurde, straunge and carnall cogitations, & thoughtes. And we muste not here dreame of suche begettynge or generati­on, as the poetes attribute vnto their Gods.

Opē vnto me that similitude as thou vnderstandest it.

Euen as the chylde is be­gotten of the father, & of his proper substance vnto his Image and lykenes of suche sub­stance Ieremi. xxxii. Collos. i. Hebre. i Ihon. xiiii. and nature, as he is, and doth take his name of him, being called man, as he is: euē so Iesus Christe is trulie called God, beinge the Image of the father, of his substance and nature, representynge the father as the true and naturall chylde, after suche sorte, that he that seeth the sonne, seeth the father.

There is then generation & corruption in the [Page] diuine nature.

In this there is a great difference betwene the generation of God, & of mē. And we must not stretehe the similitude & comparison to make it answer to al pointes, & to applie it in all thinges wyth the humayne generation.

Howe muste we then vnder­stande this?

Māengēdreth his childe of corruptible seed, because he is corruptible. And of necessitie the father must be before the child But in God it is al otherwise.

Shew me the difference.

It is not possible for me to cōprehende this, nor vnto any creature liuing, nor to cā open that whiche I do vnderstande, feele & beleue herein. But I shal assay to make the thing sumthing more open by humaine si­militudes: albeit there is no cōparison of the creature vnto the creatour.

I desire much to haue a more cleare vnderstandinge of this place, of the which many do speake wythout vnderstanding it.

There is no creature whiche doeth not represent his creatoure, and Creatures I­mages of the creator. the worde & vertue of the same, by the which all thynges be made. Wherfore we wyll take the sunne, whiche is a cleare Image, and ma­nifest vnto all men, for to make vs thys the more easie, folowing the example of the aun­cient wryters, whyche haue wyllyngly v­sed thys comparison.

The thynge A similitude of the sunne. pleaseth me veri well. Folowe thy purpose.

As the sunne casteth hys beames, [Page] whych be engendre [...] [...] forthe of him by the which he syghteth, is [...] [...]nifest vnto men, he gyueth clearnes and syght vpon the earth, he doeth norishe and vinifie all thyn­ges, & yet neuer was nor neuer shall be with­out the same his beames, albeit they be engē ­dered Hebr. ii. Colo. i. Ephe. i. of hym, nor they wythout hym lyke­wyse. Euen so Iesus Christe is the beames, splendor, glorye, and Image of the father, af­ter suche sorte begotten of him, that neuer the father hath bene wythout hym, nor he wyth­out the father, and by hym w [...]se and knowe the father, as we know the sonne by hys bea­mes, by him the father doeth illuminate, saue norishe, and vinifie vs, and by the holye gost proceadynge of hym, and of the sonne, as the heate and vertue of the sunne.

Notwythstandynge that no simili­tude nor comparison can be hygh inough, propre nor worthye, to discriue suche a maiestie, neuertheles thys same doeth not seeme verye vnpropre?

But we must alwaies vnder­stād that in god ther is neither accidēt norqualitie, but al that is in him is god & thing most substācial & conuement vnto hys nature, and diuine essence, in the whyche we haue to con­sidre the father whyche is as the roote origi­nall the fountayne beginnynge, and the fyrste cause of all, and after hys sonne whych is his worde and hys eternal wisdome, not that we [Page] shoulde vnderstāde tha [...]; [...] Christ should be only [...] [...]orde spoken in the a [...]re, whyche Iohn. i. Prouer. viii. vanisheth and sodaynly is gone, or wryten in any corruptible boke or storye. But bycause that man doth gyue knowlege of that, which is in hys herte and opē hys thoughtes by his worde, whyche is the Image of hys vnderstā dynge and mynde for to represente and open the same vnto other: the scripture also doeth call Iesus Christe the eternall worde of God bycause that by hym God doeth open hym selfe vnto men, as we do open and make ma­nifeste oure hertes by oure wordes. But thys worde is not a voice or sounde, or a corporall or corruptible thynge, whyche may perishe in God, as it is in vs, but doeth abyde alwayes in God, and is substancial, and of suche a na­ture as he whyche hathe begotten hym is, he is also the holye Goste, whiche is hys vertue and power, and is after suche sorte extended ouer all the worlde, and shede forthe vpon all thynges that yet he doth not leaue nor is sepe­rated but doeth abyde alwayes in hym selfe which doth fulfil the heauen and in the earth.

Euen so do I vnderstande but let vs come vnto the other reason, wherfor thou cal­lest How God is father of all creatures. him father.

Because that as the sonne doth take his being, his begining his life, his norishment, and all that he hath of his father beinge also afterwarde brought vp & gouer­ned [Page] of hym: euen so al creatures take their be­inge and conseruation of God, whyche by his prouidence and fatherly goodnes doeth conducte and gouerne, nourishe & vpholde all the creatures, whiche by his inestimable po­wer he hath created, and speciallye Man, for whom he hath created al thynges, and whom he hath adopted and chosen for his chyldren and heires by Iesus Christe oure Lorde.

Doth it not suffice to call hym creatour of al thynges

The name of the father doeth beare and conteyne muche more For al be it, that God is creatour of al thynges, yet doth he not cal hym selfe father of al creatures, but of mā. And not of al men generally, as of his chosen and elected. For he doeth not call hym selfe properly father of al men. Of the which he is creatoure: but of them onely, whyche he hath elected, loued, boughte and saued in his sonne Iesus Christ, whyche he doth holde for his chyldren and gyueth vnto thē his immor­tal inheritance. As the father maketh his sōne his heyre, whyche he doth not vnto the repro­ued and euyll. Yet neuerthelesse he doth nou­rishe, keepe and defende them, as he doeth the beastes and other creatures. And that princi­pally for two reasons. The fyrste is the bet­ter to declar hys inestimable goodnes, which is so greate, that there is no creature, what soeuer it be, howe vyle abiecte and lytle so euer [Page] it can be vnto the whyche he woulde not the same hys goodnes should extende, and shuld feele of it. Yea, euen hys enemies whyche do blaspheme hym, of the whyche neuerthelesse taketh he yet the care and charges, pursuyng and folowynge them wyth hys fauourable goodnesse, for to ouercome the malice of their hertes.

The other reason is because of hys elec­ted, vnto the whyche he maketh all thynges to serue. And for the whyche he doeth vp­holde all other creatures, and doeth spare e­uen the euyl, to the ende his chyldren shoulde haue no hurte, nor perishe wyth them. But he hath an other maner of care of hys elected and chosen, and hath called them vnto a more greater blessynge and benediction, then vn­to that whyche is commune vnto vs wyth the brute beastes. And therefore wyll he not onelie be called and holden of vs, as oure creatoure: but also for father to the ende that we maye be assured that not onelie we holde Math. v. i. Timo. iiii. oure lyfe and byrth of hym, but also that he hath a singuler loue towardes vs, and more then a fatherlie affection, whyche neuer doth forgette, forsake, refuse, nor reiecte hys chyl­dren, but hathe a perpetnall care for to keepe and saue, for to healpe and succoure them in all theyr necessities and in all daungers and peryles.

Accordynge to thyne exposition the name of father attributed vnto God doeth not onelye comprehende the creation, but al­so The prouidence of God hys prouidence, and the infinite goodnes whyche is in hym, of the which doeth folowe that they whyche denye the prouidence of God makynge hym careles takynge frome hym the thought, care, and charg of hys creatures, beleueth hym not to be a father.

They beleue not God, to be God, but do make hym more in humayne & cruell, then the pore queane that came to Solomōs iudg­mente, yea then the Dogges, wolues, Lions, and all other wylde beastes.

Howe so

The pore queane hath care for hyr childe beyng moued of pity and cōpassiō towarde it the wylde beastes norishe and defende theyr litle yonge ons, & take such care and thought for thē, that many times ther suffere them sel­ues to be slayne to saue them, and shall God then forget the worke of hys owne makynge and not care for hys owne propre chyldrene, which he doth more loue thē euer any mother loued hirs, wher should be thē that soueraign goodnes, what God or father shoulde he be if he shoulde forsake hys chyldren after they were borne, and suffre thē to perish, the true christians knoweth no suche God, but doeth leaue hym to the Epicures.

Certaynely we be maruelously blyn­ded [Page] if we can not cōsidre that, but wherefore puttest thou to it almyghtye.

For to Esaie. xl. xlix. shew that he differeth far from our carnal fa­thers which cā do nothing of them selues, but he may do al that he wil both in heauē and in earth.

And to what purpose doeth it serue vs to knowe that he is almightye.

That knowledge doeth beare & bringe a greate assuraunce into oure consciences for beyng assured that he is oure father that hath adopted and chosen vs by hys sonne Iesus Christ, we nede not doubt of hys good wyll and fatherlye affection, towarde vs, seynge then that we be assured of hys good wyll, we neade not feare but that he wyll put it in execution, seynge he is almyghtye and hathe the power.

It is very hard and difficile for a mā to do anye thynge excepte he haue these two thynges togyther that is to saye, the wil and the power, for the wyll wythout the power what can it profitte and to what purpose shal the power be enployed if the wyl be not ther.

And therfore when we call hym fa­ther, we cōfes alredi the assurāce that we haue of hys wyll towarde vs, and to the ende we shoulde abyde, and knowe that hys wyll is not vayne wythout puttynge anye thyng in affecte we attribute vnto hym almyghtye, the whych thynges do teach vs that he is not as [Page] a mortal man, whyche often woulde and can not. Or like vnto a tyraunt, or some rych man of power, whych might do much, if he would but his wyll not answerynge or agreing vn­to his power.

It foloweth then of that whych thou sayst, that God doth not keepe hys power in hym selfe, as the coue­tous man or vsurar doeth his ryches in hys treasurie or coffers wythout distributinge a­ny to any man. But doth continually exersice hys power and goodnes amonge hys crea­tures.

So would I haue sayed, & that al creatures be vnto hym subiectes & at his dis­position. And doeth cōducte & gouerne them as it pleaseth hym. And none cā hinder hym.

Seinge it is so thou mayest well Psal. viii Ephe. i. Hebre. ii. Psal. Cxiii saye, that, that knowledge doth brynge great reste vnto our consciences. For if we could so sirmelie beleue thys wyth oure hertes, as we do easelie confesse it wyth oure mouthes, we shoulde neuer be in feare of any thynge, for in asmuch as we be assured that God hath al in hys hande, and that he is alwayes so do­ing, that nothyng can be done, neither in hea­uen nor in earth wythout hys councel & ordinaunce, and that there is no creature that can do any thing, not so much as to make tof al a leafe from a tre, or to make an hed hear whyt or black, without his wil. And hauyng leaue Math. x Math. v of him & beyng suer of the other part that nether [Page] he wylleth or doth any thynge, but it is good, and ther is nothynge good but he wil­leth it: what ought we then to feare? Is ther any creature that may noy vs?

In that it Genes. i doeth appeare, that we be al hypocrites, and that we do not beleue God to be the father almyghtie. Seing we be so fearfull.

When I do consyder well these thyn­ges, it doeth seeme vnto me, that they whiche do praye vnto the angelles, or holy sayntes, Inuocation of sayntes. or put their truste in any creature, whatsoe­uer it be, hath not truly that fayeth, whyche thou confessist.

They be as farre of, as from the heauē vnto the earth. For if they dyd beleue that God were their father, as they do confesse hym wyth their mouthe, thei shoulde rather haue their recourse, hope and refuge, in hym then in any other.

But they saye they haue their re­course vnto hym, and put in hym their truste But they do it the better to obteyne hys fauoure, fearynge leste because of their syn­nes he wyll not heare them. Wherefore thei do truste that when thei do ioyne the saintes wyth hym that they shall be soner succou­red. And that they shall be soner exalted or lyfte vp by their intercession.

What other thynge is thys, then to denie that he is God, nor oure father?

Where­fore?

If he be God, father almightie, we [Page] muste not doubte but he maye do all what he wyll as wel in heauē as in earth, for he hath the power, and if we doubt not in his power no more oughte we not to mistruste in hys wyll hys wisdome and goodnes. If then we beleue that he is oure God & father, not car­nal, mortal, and weake lacking power but al­mighty, & eternal, in whō may or do we trust, that maye better or soner healpe vs, then he whyche is allmyghtye, who shall haue more affection to do it then he that is oure father, who can do it better or in time for vs most re­quisite, then he whyche is the fountayne and sprynge of all power wysdome and goodnes

Thy reasons be so open and mani­feste that none can say agayuste them, by the whiche I do clarly knowe that al they which haue recourse and confidence, and do make prayer or inuocation vnto anye other but to God, be hypocrites & lyers when they wyth mouthe do saye the prayer of oure Lorde Ie­sus Christe, & thys crede callynge God their father, whyche they do not beleue seyng they denye hym by theyr workes, the whyche do opē and beare witnes, what is in theyr hertes

They be suche as the prophet speaketh of, they drawe nere vnto God wyth theyr lyppes, & honour hym wyth theyr mouthes, but theyr hertes be verie farre from hym.

All thys is well expounded but tell [Page] me yet further wherfore thou putteste to thinges goynge before, creator of heauen & earth

For to declare that he is the author, the begynnynge, and the originall of all thynges whyche he hathe all made, and hath not bene made as the Goddes of the panymes, which they haue taken and chosen amongest men, & haue not made one so excelēt a work as the artificers, whyche be mortall men, and can do nothynge of thē selues, excepte they haue the matter and the instrumentes, propre, and con­ueniente for the purpose, but he hath made all of nothynge wythout healpe, councel, or assi­stence of anye maner creature by hym selfe, & hys eternall worde, as all the scriptures do gyue cleare testimonie, and principally Moyses whyche doeth largly discryue the historie Psal. Cxiii. Esai. iiii. Gene. i. ii. of the makynge of the worlde, thys addition then doeth not onelye deliuer vs from the er­rour of the Epicures whyche denye the pro­uidence of God, but also from that of the pe­ripatticiens, and other made philosophers, whyche haue holden and affirmed that the worlde was eternall, and that it was not cre­ated, whych is a doctrine to tu [...]ie vpsedown al the order of God, al religion, and al good­nes, & furthermore thys worde admonisheth vs howe we oughte to learne to knowe God Gods crea­tures be hys Images by hys caeatures and to beholde hym in thē seynge that he is inuisible, and incomprehen­sible [Page] in hys essence and maiestie, for all thys presente worlde is as a shope, in the whyche God this souerayne workmaster dothe open This worlde is the shop & temple of God. & set abrode hys workes, to the ende that by the same the worker be knowen. Thys world is also a churche or a temple in the whyche there is not so lytle a creature, but it is an I­mage of his creatour, & a mirrour or glasse to shewe and manifeste hym vnto vs, wherefore it doeth followe that they whyche wyl repre­sente God by Image made wyth handes of men, do hym greate wronge, and do not well vnderstande thys article, for what similitude hath the worke of manne wyth the worke of God? Or whych shal better represēt the great workeman, hys owne workes or the workes of men, whyche be nothynge lyke or in com­parison to hys, excepte we wyl compare in li­ynge and vnstablenes?

I do well vnderstand all thys, but se­ynge that he is father and creatour of al thynges, wherefore calleste thou him onelye crea­tour of heauen and earth?

Bicause that those two creatures which be the most excel­lente and manifest vnto man, do conprehend all the other whyche be in them comprised or that be neighbour or nerer vnto theyr nature

What wylte thou vnderstande Diuers sig­nifications of the firmamēt by the heauen.

As the heauen is taken in diuers significations in the holy scriptures [Page] so I do vnderstande diuers thynges, accor­dynge to the significations whyche be to him appropried.

What be those sig­nifications.

The fyrste and moste vulgar and com­mune signification is, when we vnderstande the firmamente, whyche couereth all, and the speres celestiall in the whyche bee conteyned as well the sterres as the plannettes, for to serue vnto man.

Signifieth it anye more.

Thys name is also vsurped very The troue of God. often, for the ayre, and for the regions nere the celestial speres bicause they do approch more nere vnto hys nature, and that they bee ele­mentes more pure.

Is ther any more or other signification?

Forasmuche also as man can not suffici­entlye distriue the maiestie of God but by humayne thynges, and ther is no fayrer, more noble, more excellente, more hyghe, nor more magnificall creature, that doeth appeare vnto the eye of man: and bicause also that God declareth better hys maiestie and power of heauen, Esa. lxiiii. Ierem. xvil. then of any other place: the heauen is ta­ken for the throue, the seate, the glorye and maiestie of God, and for the place: wher ray­neth the blessed and happye wyth hym.

Whan thou sayest then that he is Creatour of heauen, what doest thou com­prehende accordyng to hys fyrst significatiō

The celestial bodies the sunne, the moone and all the sterres, and planettes con­teyned in the same.

What profiteth it to knowe and be­leue all that?

To kepe me from Idola­trie to the end I should not honour the sunne, 4. King. xiiii. the moune, and the sterres, whych be called in the scripture the celestiall armye, as the phy­losophers, and olde Idolatouros haue done, and to the ende also that I shoulde not gyne fayth vnto the plannettes and folish sayinges and supersticious prognostications of the a­stronomers, and that I shoulde not feare the sygnes of heauē, as the prophete admonisheth vs, and that I do not honour thē, seynge they Iari. x. be creaturs to serue me, & not I to serue them but to knowe by them theyr creatour, whych doeth conducte and gouern them, whom on­lye we muste feare, honoure, adour.

What vnderstandeste thou more by the se­conde signification?

The elementes of the ayre, and fyre, and all thynges engendred in them, as inpressions, cometes, thundres, lyghtenynges, hayles, cloudes, windes, tem­pestes, raynes, dewes, snowe, and other lyke wyth those that be conuersaunte in the ayre, as the foules, and al steynge thyng [...]s, whiche for that cause be called byrdes of the heauen.

what fruite maye we take of thys.

verye greate for we be assured that al [Page] these thynges be in the power of oure father, whych is the creatour, and that they be al cre­ated for oure weale, and not for oure hurte & perdition, and after we do learne by the same to feare & loue him onelye, & not to feare nor loue nothynge but in and for hym, and fur­ther we be deliuered from the errour of them whyche haue theyr recours vnto the holye Idolatrie towarde the sayntes. sayntes, for to obtayne fayre wether, and to haue rayne, or for to dryue awaye the windes and tempestes, or for to haue plentye & d [...]yue awaye scarsitie, and lacke, & for to gyue helth and deliuer from pestilence and sickenes that rayneth amonge men, for it is an Idolatrie, & a blasphemie, whyche greatly dispeaseth god reprouyng the Israelites greatlye by his prophetes, Osee. ii. x. whyche dyd gyue the honoure vnto theyr Idolles for the benifites whyche they had receyued of God, as thoughe they recey­ued them of theyr straunge Goddes.

And what thynkest thou of them that wene that the magissiens, Inchaunters, and Sorcerers, do moue the tempestes and make the hayles, and other lyke ev [...]lles?

I wyll not denye that the euyle and vn­happye spirites haue greate power, nor that they may not meddle them selues among the tempestes to do the more anoyaunce vnto mē Ephe. ii. for the holye Apostle hym selfe doeth attri­bute vnto them greate power in the ayre, but [Page] neuertheles, al theyr power is alwayes limi­ted that they can do no more, then God doth permite, as we do se it clearlye in the exem­ple of Iob. And he doeth not permit vnto thē but asmuche as he doeth knowe to be expedi­ente for to exercise the patiēce of hys seruants or asmuche as oure synnes and vnfaythful­nes doeth merite and deserue, to be chastised & punished. Towchynge the sorcerers, it is a greate abuse to thynke that they maye make the hayle and moue the elementes the vertue and efficatie of Sathan is greate ynoughe to trouble theyr vnderstandinges in asmuche as they haue forsaken God, to make and men to beleue suche thynges, & saye that they haue done that whyche they haue, but done by the onelye permission of God, or els is done na­turally by hys diuine ordinaunce.

We oughte not then to feare anye o­ther but the one onlye God, & if we feare him there is neyther Deuyll nor sorcerer, that can [...]oye vs, & they shal not feare vs more then we them.

I am very glade that thou felest so well the vertue and fruite of thys fayeth.

Thou haste alreadye gyuen me manie goodly doctrines, in fewe wordes but tell me yet what thou vnderstandeste by the Inuisible thynges laste signification of heauen whiche thou hast towched.

All thynges inuisible and spiritual, [Page] as Angelles soulles, and blessed and happye Psal. xiii. Math. xviii. Hebre. i. spirites, whyche all be creatures, subiectes vnto God to serue at hys wyll, wherfore we do learne to holde our selues alwayes vnto him onelye whyche is the maister and to take the other, as the seruantes of God, and of his e­lected.

And what vnderstādeste thou by the earth.

The earthlye elemente and the foote or The earth & waters. loweste of all worldelye thynges. And the sea lykewyse beynge neare vnto it, and al lakes, pondes, fountaynes, ryuers, and all waters, and all that is conteyned in these elementes, and all that doeth receyue lyfe, and norishmēt that is to saye, menne, beastes, and all foules, fishes and all that hath lyuyng soule, togither wyth the plantes, trees herbes, and al frui­tes which be created for their nourishmētes. The metalles, mines, stones, & all other thin­ges, whych the earth and the water bryngeth forthe for the vse of men and beastes.

Thys same ought wel also to nourish i. Petre. v. oure fayeth and truste in God, and teach vs to whome we oughte to gyue the honoure of these thynges, of whome to demaunde them, Benefites of God tow [...]d men. and to whome to gyue thankes for them.

We be verye blynde, and vnproui­ded of witte and vnderstandynge, if we haue oure recourse, and put oure truste in anye o­ther then in the onelye God, and if we knowe Gene. i. ii. [Page] not hys greate prouidence, wysdome, & good­nes, whyche he doeth vse towarde vs, and the mynde and care that he hath ouer vs, & howe tenderlye, and fatherlye he doeth intreate v [...]. For before he had created man, he would prepare hys lodgynge, the whiche he dyd adorne and garnishe wyth all beautye and rychesse, and hath put him in this world as in a moste delectable paleis, & hathe constitute hym mai­ster Psal. viii. Hebre. ii. & Lorde ouer all hys creatures, the which he hath prouided in suche abundaunce, and so manye sortes, that it is impossible to compre­hend them nor to desyre more.

Trulye if we considre diligently this largenes and goodnes of God, the whych he doth vse towardes vs, and the honour which he hath done vnto man: we shal haue to mar­ueile, and to crie and saie. O Lorde our God, howe admirable is thy name in the vniuersal earth? And what is it of man that thou haste mynd of him, & what is it of the sonne of mā that thou shewest to him so greate benefites, as to visit & take y ^e care, & charg of him? Thou haste made hym litle lesse then the Angelles thou haste almoste made him as a God, thou haste crowned hym wyth honour and glorye and haste constitute hym ouer the workes of thy handes. The synne & ingratitude of man.

It is impossible, inough to cōsidre this. But man, hauing bene lifted vp of God into [Page] suche honour, woulde neither vnderstand nor Psal. xlviii, know it. Wherfore he hath bene made like vnto mares & brute beastes. But yet more ingrat and vnthankefull, misknowynge, and miserable: for the oxe knoweth hys maister, and the asse hys maisters cribbe, but man wyll not Esaie. i. knowe God hys creatour, of whom he recei­ueth and holdeth boeth bodie, and soule, and goodes. Is not thys a greate errour, that the oxe and the asse, whych be beastes so vile and of litle vnderstandynge, shoulde gyue more honour and obeysaunce vnto man, of whom they receiue but onely theyr pasture, and that man shoulde haue so litle respecte vnto God, of whom he hath receyued and doeth receiue euerye daye so manye and infinite benifites. Rom. iiii.

I am greatly ashamed when I thinke of it, and can not tell howe we shoulde be so hardye as to lyfte vp oure eyes to heauen, & how the earth may beare so greate misknow­legynge, ingratitude and vnthankefullnesse. For I do considre when we woulde outragi­ouslye rebuke anye man as an Infidele, and an enemy of God, we cal hym dogge, as we often do the Iewes and turkes. And yet ne­uertheles we do al thynges worsse then dog­ges. Mē more vn­thankeful thē Dogges. For if a dogge haue bene brought vp in a house, he wyl alwayes knowe hys maister and followe hym, and is in all thynges true and faythful vnto hym. And though he beate [Page] him yet wil he come alwayes agayne, & neuer forsake him.

But manne, albeit that almghty God neuer ceaseth to drawe hym vnto hym by hys ma­nifolde benefites: yet he of the contrarie part is euer turnynge him selfe from him, & draweeth bakwarde (suche is hys weakenes corrupted nature & miserable condition in the fleshe) wythout kepinge vnto hym other trueth, promise, or fidelitie. But doeth dishonour hym in all the wayes that he can.

In hearing the speke, I do remēbre altorie that I haue hearde told of a poore shepherde. Ther were two cardinals, that went togither to the councell of constaunce, & as they rode by the waye, they mette a pore shepherde verye ten­der [...]ye weapyng. The one of them passed on the way wythout carynge any thyng of him The other beynge more pitifull did stay his hors [...]e, taried and asked the shepherd wherfore he wepte so sor [...], who answered hym, I wepe for the greate shame that I haue for the mis­knowlegynge, Ingratitude, and vnthankful­nes towardes God. For I do beholde here a toode, whyche is a verye foule & vile beaste, whiche hathe monished me of my greate mis­knowledge that so hath blinded my vnderstā ding, that I had neuer the though nor remembraunce to giue thankes vnto my god which hath made & formed me a mā, and not a toode [Page] as he might right wel haue don if it had plea­sed him.

I assure the that this cōsideratiō and answer is wel worthye of memorie. And this same pore shepherd may wel arise at the day of Iudgmēt for to cōdēne vs of our great vnkyndnes, and ingratitude. For if we had neuer receiued other benifite of God thē that he hath made vs men, & hath gyuen vs forme & humain reason, yet could we neuer reknowledge & thanke him inough for it.

Thou sayest trueth. But he hath done muche more, The resto­rynge and re­demption of man. for as he hath created man vnto his Image & likenes, and al thynges for him by Iesu christ his sonne, euen so woulde he by the same hys sonne, raise vp & repayre againe mā after hys fall, and restore all thinges with him aswel in heauen as in earth, in the whych he hathe no les declared his power, wisdome, & goodnes then in the creatiō of the worlde, for the one of these workes is no les then the other, & doeth not appertaine but vnto one onlye workemā.

And therefore desyre I greately in as­much as we haue gone thorowe the first arti­cle, & haue sufficientlie treated of the creatiō & of the prouidence of God towarde his crea­tures, that we shoulde come vnto the secōde parte, in the whiche thou hast promised me to expounde vnto me the misterie, and the hi­storie of the redemption of mankynde, made by oure Lorde Iesus Christe.

I am well contente that we enter into it. And to followe it bi particulars, but bycause there is manye greate secretes and goodlye poyntes well worthye to be noted, vnderstanded and kepte in memorye: myne aduice is to put of the reste tyl a nother tyme, for we haue alreadie treated of mattier inoughe for out tyme. And it is better to take a lytle, and a li­tle at once, then by ouer manie wordes and of to muche doctrine, to traueile the vnderstan­dynge whyche doeth require alwayes some reste & recreation. And also to learne againe and the better to examyne and thynke vpon that whiche he hathe heard.

Albeit that, thys doeth serue me for a greate recreation: yet neuertheles I am of thyne accorde, vpon the condition we depar­ted before.

So do I meane, God be with the.

That same good God haue the alwayes in hys holye kepynge.

Haue I not kept my promise Nathanael.

I do se it well, & I was in mind to haue come vnto the for to haue kept the from thys laboure, but thou haste bene more diligent then I. Wherfore I do well perceiue that thou takest no lesse ple­asure to teach then I do to learne. Wherfore I pray the bicause we haue great matters to treate of in thys seconde parte, that we begyn be tyme to the ende we lose or lacke no tyme.

I desyre non other thinge, neuerthe­les, bycause that peraduenture we myghte be ouer shorte, in case we shoulde go thorowe al the pointes conteyned in this second parte at once, and it shoulde be verie harde for to re­tayne in memory so much at once. Wherfore it semeth vnto me to be more expediente to deuide it in foure, & in the fyrste we shall speake of the diuinitie & humanitie of Iesus Christe and of hys offices. In the second of his incar­nation. And of that he hathe done for vs du­rynge the tyme of hys infirmitie, and vnto hys death and glorification. In the thyrd we shall set forth the fruite whyche of these thynges cometh vnto vs. In the forthe we shall speake of hys bodye glorified, and of hys last commynge, tell me then what foloweth, and [Page] shewe vpō what poyntes thou desierest most large and easye declaration.

It doeth followe. I beleue in Iesus Christe hys onely Beleue in Christe sonne oure Lorde. etc. how vnderstandest thou thys, and what is the sence of these wordes?

They signifie that I do truste all holye in Iesus Christe the true sonne of God, and that I beleue in hun as in the father, & that bi hym the father hath deliuered me from death and eternall damnation, and hathe reconsiled me vnto hym selfe, receyued me vnto hys fa­uour, by hys welbeloued sonne, whyche hath satisfied for me vnto hys Iustice, and hath obteyned me eternall lyfe.

Thou confes­seste then that Iesus Christe is God, seynge thou beleueste in hym, for thou haste already sayed that we muste not put our truste but in one only God.

If I dyd not beleue, that he were trulye God of one selfe essence, power and equalitie with the father, I shoulde be vnhappye to beleue or truste in hym, seyng that the prophet doeth pronounce & Iudge. Cur­sed Ieremi. xvii. be he that doeth truste in man, and taketh flesh for hys arme.

And Iesus Christ is he not man?

He is verye man and in all thynges hathe been lyke vnto vs excepte synne, but he is not simplie man as we be but beyng made manne, is neuertheles alwayes verye God, [Page] and the verye sonne of God, as alreadye it hathe bene expounded, wherefore when I do say in the begynning of the Crede, I beleue in God, I do speake & say ingeneral, that which afterwarde I do more playnlye expresse and opē declaryng howe that in the essence of one God, & in one deitie, I do recognise and con­fesse the father the sonne and the holy Goste, thre personnes in one selfe substaunce & diuinitie.

Thys same is meruelouse hye and difficullte to be comprehended. For howe can I perceyue and vnderstande them to be thre, and yet neuertheles they be but one.

Wee muste not be abasshed if these mistiries surmounte the capacitie of oure vnderstandynges for if we can not knowe oure selues, nor the lest creature that is in y ^e world perfectly, and such as he is in hys nature, no not so muche as a litle mouse, or a litle grasse or herbe, whyche we do euerye daye se: howe is it possible that we shoulde perfectlye know the creatour of all the worlde, and is not able to be comprehended but is incomprehensible vnto all creatures, yea vnto the Angels themselues.

I do confesse it, but canste thou not by summe maner of speakyng more clearly gyue lyght vnto these thyngs so profound and darcke?

I can not, but by the printes & impressi­ons Images of God whyche God hath put of hys Image in hys creatures, I wyll shewe as it were a sha­dowe, but as for to paint him liuelye, it is not possible vnto mā, & we can not better remēbre nor knowe hym, then in thē portreture which he hathe made vs of hym selfe in hys holye scriptures, and in the lyuely Images, whyche he hath portretured wyth hys hande, and imprinted in hys creatures as I haue all readye declared vnto the an example of the sunne.

I take greate pleasure in suche simi­litudes and comparisous, and principally bi­cause thou hast shewed me that the aunciēt doctours of the church haue willinglye vsed the same & could not find am other more cōueniēt.

Wythout goynge or sekynge anye fur­ther let vs abide in the sunne, fyrst when thou beholdest it, thou seeste there is but one in all the worlde, whyche neuertheles is sufficiente vnto all creatures, and notwythstandynge that, it is but one creature of God and one I­mage of that greate fountayne, of al lyghte, which is in the father of lyght.

Neuertheles it is not possible vnto the hu­mayne eyes to comprehende it, and caste hys loke st [...]ay [...]e into hym, for if he do loke ryghte into hym, hys greate clearnes and lyght wyl take hys syght frome hym, and make hym in maner all blyude bycause that the littlenes, [Page] weaknes and infirmitie can not beare it, then if the eye whyche is created of God for to receiue lyght can not beholde the sunne in his substaunce, nor beare hys lyghte, how should the humayne vnderstandynge whyche is so streite and weake cōprehend the great kynge of glorye and maiestie whyche comprehēdeth in hym selfe al creatures and can not be com­prehended of them all togither suche as he is in hys maiesty?

Here is all readie ma­nye goodlye properties to gyue vnderstan­dynge what we maye knowe of God.

There is yet other considerations, for all be it thou seeste but one sunne in hys sub­staunce, yet neuertheles thou canste not se nor considre it, but thou shalt se thre thynges, the whyche can not be seperated the one from the other, & cā not be the one without the other & yet neuertheles the one is that the other is, & yet alwayes the same is but one selfe sunne.

It is verye true that when I considre the sonne, I do se it an original grounde and fountayne of lyght, the whyche neuertheles I can not se but by hys beames, and by hys clearnes, nor feele it but by his heate & vertu.

Thou doest experiment in thys s [...]dane contemplation, and apprehendyng one sunne doest fal into an vnitie, & after incontinēt out of that vnitie thou falleste agayne into a tri­nitie, in suche sorte that it doeth seme vnto the [Page] that there is three thynges, and after conside­ringe thre, thou cōmest agayne in the ende al­waye to one, and further if one shoulde aske the of the bodye of the sunne what it is what, wouldest thou answer.

That it is the sunne.

And if one shoulde aske the also of hys beames and of hys heate, wouldeste thou not call it also the sunne?

That is certayne for whē his beames or hys heate, or hys clearnes, do enter into a­ny place we do saye the sunne is entered, and if by the heate of the sunne anye thyng be dōe we do say the sunne hath done it.

Thou doeste se thē how it semeth that thou makeste thre sunnes, and yet thou knowest, nor doeste not confesse alwaies but one.

It is true but maye we saye so of God the father, the sonne, and the holye Goste?

As well may we when we speake of the sonne, and of the holy Goste, cal them God­des, as we maye the heate and clearnes of the sunne, the sunne. But there is in this a greate differēce, for that which is a qualitie, & a thing accidental in the sunne, is in God essence, and a thynge essentiall and substanciall, abyding & alwayes resident in hym. And euen as we do take a similitude and comparison of the sunne, so may we do lykewyse of the humain Comparison taken of the soule soule, for in euerye one man there is but one onely soule, and yet neuertheles in that onely [Page] soule we fynde thre distincte thynges, & with­out confusion, that is to say reason, memorie▪ and wyll, and not wythstandynge that these thynges be distincted, & haue some difference betwen them, in suche sorte that, that is reasō is not memorye, nor wyll, nor memorie is not reason. And to be shorte, that whyche the one is, the other is not, and yet there is allwayes but one selfe soule, and one simple substaūce. But that we may cal in the soule affectes and operations of the same, in God is allwayes propre substaunce of hym selfe.

I knowr well in hearynge of the that thys is a matter, the whyche we do fynde al­waye the more hyghe and incomprehensible the more we do thynke of them, and the more we do searche of thē, the more do we fynd thē misteries & secretes, the whch we ought rather to honour then curiously to searche in thē, & it is muche better to holde vs vnto the simplici­tie of the holye scriptures, and vnto that the whyche by them we maye vnderstande.

There is no doubte, that if the humayn vnderstandynge, can not comprehende these misteries, muche lesse can the tongue open & declare them, for it is impossible vnto a faith­full man, to fynde propre wordes to opē and declare that whyche he maye vnderstande & feele in hym selfe, and if we might by our vn­derstandyng cōprehend God, and by words [Page] open and declare hym he coulde not be God, but we shoulde he Goddes, for then were he not Infinite, if he were comprehēsible, or and if there be anye creature that were capable or receiuable, for it is he, the whyche comprehen­deth all in hym selfe, and can not be compre­hended of anye creature, wherefore we ought to contente oure selues to se and knowe hym as in a glasse here in this mortal life, as much as to vs is necessarie vnto saluation, and to ii. Cor. xiii. find the wai to go vnto him, wher as we shal se hym face to face, and there shall know him as we haue bene knowen of hym, and there­fore do we trauel to know hym in Iesu christ whyche is the waye to leade and conuey vs. Iohn. xvi.

That do I greatly desyre, & that we do followe thys article, whyche we haue al­readye begon, and the reste whyche as I do thynke shall not be so darke nor difficulte to vnderstande, I praye the then that thou wilt declare vnto me worde by worde, the other propreties and offices attributed vnto the person of our Lord Iesus Christe & that thou do The name of Iesus. expounde the name of Iesus vnto me what it doeth signifie.

It signifieth sauioure.

Wherfore hath he bene so named.

Bycause that God hathe so ordeyned Luke. i. ii. Math. i. hym a sauiour, as the Angel sent vnto the virgyn Marie, and vnto Ioseph hadde sayed of hym before hys natiuitie interpretynge by & [Page] by the misterie of this diuine appellation and name.

It is verye lykly to be true that thys name was not gyuen vnto hym by the prouidence of God, wythout misterie, wher­fore I desyre the to open it vnto me.

He shall be called Iesus sayed the An­gell, bycause he shall saue hys people frome theyr synnes, wherefore the Angell declareth what hys office represented by his name. And in callynge him sauioure, he doeth wytnesse hym to be truely God, whiche doeth saye by hys prophet I am God, and there is no saui­oure besyde me.

The consequence is good, for if there Deitie of Ie­sus sauiour. Esai. xl. iii. Osee. xiii. be no Sauioure but God, and Iesus Christe is sauioure (as hys name and the Angell by interpretation wytnesseth) it doth follow ne­cessarilye that he is not man onlye but God also.

We se by this that there is not one worde in the holye scriptures, whyche is not wel worthye to be weighed & to examine hys signification and that the places whyche do name Iesus Christe to be God, expreslye do not onelye proue and wytnes hys deitie, and his diuinitie, but also al those places do proue the same whyche do attribute vnto hym the offices which onely do apperteyne vnto God and the honour whyche vnto hym onelye is dewe, whyche be shede abrode thorowe al the holye scriptures wythout numbre.

And therfore thē let vs come vnto the exposi­tion of the other name whyche is also attri­buted vnto our Lorde Iesus. Wherfore is he called Christe?

Bycause he is anointed of God, beynge by him ordeyned a true pro­phete The signifi­cation of Christe. kynge and chiefe soueraygne sacrifice, maker of all hys elected.

Doeth the name of Christ beare all that.

Yea al­beit that fewe people do considre it, thought they oftentymes haue these wordes in theyr mouthes.

Is it a name of the Hebrew Greke, or lati [...]?

Iesus is taken of the Hebrewes, Christe of the Grekes, for to expounde the name of Messias, by the which the Hebrewes did vn­derstand hym, whych oughte or should come to saue them accordyng to the promises made vnto theyr fathers.

It is then all one Messias and Christe.

It is all one, con­ceruynge hys signification, there is no diffe­rence but in the tongue, and boeth signifie as­much as anointed, in oure language.

Thou sayede vnto me alreadye that he is cal­led Christe bycause of the same oyntment, by the whyche he hathe ordeyned hym prophete, The prophe­ticall office of Christe. kynge, and sacrificatour, and therefore let vs speake of these thre offices, and fyrste of hys propheticall office, what vnderstandeste thou by prophete.

Him vnto whō God hathe reueiled & opened his wyll, for to declare and [Page] manifest it vnto men, and we can not say that this office was euermore appropried vnto a­nye person then vnto oure Lorde Iesus christe nor that anye person hathe better exercised it then he for who did euer better know the will Iohn. i. Colo. ii. of God then he sonne which is in the bosom of the father, in the whyche be hidden all the treasures, of the science and wysdome of god, and who m [...]ght better reueile and open hys wyl then he [...] wytnesseth, that he hath ma­ni [...]ested and opened vnto his disciples al that Iohn. viiii. he had hearde of hys father, it was not then wythout cause that Moyses hath called him prophet, prounsynge vnto the people, that the Lorde shoulde sende them a prophete lyke vnto hym, in whose mouthe he woulde put hys Deut. xviii. wordes the Lorde dyd gyue vnto hys peo­ple manie prophetes after Moyses, but there was neuer noue worthye to be compared vn­to hym, nor vnto the whyche thys prophecye dyd properlye agree, but vnto Iesus Christe whyche was not onelye lyke vnto Moyses but as muche greater and more excellente thē Hebre. ii. he, as the Maister and the Lorde doeth sur­mounte the seruaunte, as it was well vnder­stād of his holy Apostles & disciples, & specially. S. Petre, & S. Stephā which did expoūde this place to the Iewes, & did shew thē how it did agre, & belōge to Iesu Christ, & Iesu christ him selfe in the sinagog of Nazareth shewed bi [Page] workes, bi wordes, & by the testimonie of the Prophet Esai, howe that he was anoynted wyth the holye Gooste, to open & preache the Luke. iiii. Esai. i. Math. xi. gospell vnto the pore, deliueraunce vnto the prisoners, and the yere of grace.

It is then good reason to attribute vnto hym the office of a prophete, seynge he is not onelye a prophet, but a prynce of the prophetes.

There is yet, wel other causes. He hath The differēce betwen christ and the pro­phetes. not onelye exercised the office of predication as Moyses and the other prophetes, but hath consummate all prophecie, & fulfylled al that the prophetes had before spokē, therfore saied he that the lawe and the prophetes, dyd laste vnto the commynge of Iohn baptiste, and that more is, he hathe not onelye opened and Math. xi. pronounced vnto men the lawe and wyll of god, as the other prophetes, but hath Imprinted it in the hertes, and gyuen the holy Goste Ieremi. xxxi. Hebre. viiii. Iohn. xiiii. xv. xvi. Math. iii. and bi the same the vertue and efficatie both to vnderstande and to perfourme, wythout the which the ministratiō or misterie of al y ^e other cā be but the dead letter.

And what profit cometh vnto me to know thys.

Fyrst thou arte assured of the wyll of God, and knowest which is the assured & certayne doc­trine of saluatiō, vnto the whiche thou ough­teste to holde the, and after thou mayst learne by this what thou oughtest to iudg of al doc­trine, & howe thou maist & oughtest to reiecte the [Page] traditions, of men. For if Iesus Christ be the true prophete, the whych onely the father wil to be herde, it doeth folowe then that he hath Deut. xviii. Math xvii. taughte vs all that is necessarie vnto saluati­on, and that we haue no neade of anye other doctrine but of hys, and that we neade not to loke nor abyde for any other prophecie nor reuelation, but that whyche by hym vnto vs is reueyled, & opened, but ought to hold & Iudge all other doctrines beynge contrarie to be de­uellishe doctrines.

Seynge it is so it doeth seme vnto me that we maye well conclude that they be not true christianes nor do not beleue that Iesus Christe is that greate and soueraygue, & true prophete, whyche do saye that he nor hys A­postles haue not spoken & taught that whych is necessarie for the doctrine of the church, but that we muste haue recourse vnto councelles tradions and humayne doctrines.

There is nothynge more certayne, and I am verye glade that thou vnderstandeste the matter so well, for suche people denye Ie­sus to be Christe, seynge they robbe or take from hym the offices for the whiche he is cal­led Christe, though with theyr mouthes they confesse hym to be Christe, and euen as they do hym iniuey in takynge from him hys pro­pheticall office, euen so do they vnto hym as towchynge hys kyngdome & hys priesthode [Page] whyche be the other two offices, whych be al­so cōprised & signified in the name of Christe.

In asmuche then as we haue spoken of the fyrste, let vs come vnto the other, what sayest thou of hys kyngdome?

That it is not carnal [...]or of this worlde Christes kingdome. Iohn. xviii. as he did wytnes before Pilate, that is to saye a caducte, tra [...]nsitorie, and mortall ministerie, after the maner of terrenall kyngdomes, as the Iewes [...] for and thought, but spirituall, eternall, and immortall, as the Angell de­claryn [...]e hys conception hadde before sayed, wherefore he administreth, [...]aygneth and go­uerneth, by hys holy spirite, and the cepter of Luke. i. hys worde

Wee muste not then vnderstande to raygne here in thys lowe earth, in voluptu­ousnes, and carnal trihumph [...]s, as the Iewes dyd vnderstande, seynge that the kyngdome of Christe is spiritual.

It is conueniente and necessarie that the citizens and subiectes of thys kyngdome, be as the kynge fightinge with a spiritual armonie against the flesh, the Iohn, xvi. world, synne & death, Sathā, & hel, [...]he which he alreadye hathe vayuquished & ouercome.

Wherfore is it that by the vnction hys kyngedome and hys propheticall and A [...]tynge of Christe. priestlye office be Signified.

For to declare that he is the true kynge, prophete and the Soueraygne sacri­fice [Page] maker, whyche was figured by the kynges, and prophetes of Israell, and by the sa­crificers of the Leuites whyche hath perfourmed and accommpleshed that, whyche they neuer could do

What was that whych they coulde not do.

The kynges beynge mortall and syn­ners as wel as theyr subiectes coulde not de­liuer theyr people from the tyranye and vio­lence of synne, Death, Sathan, and hell, nor lykewyse the priestes by all theyr sacrificies, as Iesus onelie hath done by hys, and by his vertue and power.

Our Lorde Iesus Christe hath he bene anoynted as the kinges, prophetes, and aunciente Sacrificers, as Da­uid by Samnell, and Aaron and hys chyldrē by Mo [...]ses,

Those were anointed with oyle mynglyd wyth diuers precious odours & swete thinges for to declare that it was thei which God had elected, & ordemed vnto that office, but Iesus was anointed wyth the ho­lie gost, which was figured by the same vnc­tiō as doth appeare by Esai, & the testimonie of. S. Iohn, for he hathe the spirite wythout measure.

If Iesus christ be god, as I Esai. lx. i. Iohn. iii. do beleue it how hath he giuē vnto him the holy gost, seing that he doeth promise and gyue it to other.

Accordynge to hys di­uine nature he doeth not receyue it, for it is in hys almyghty power, but in asmuch as he [Page] hathe bene made man, he hathe receyued thys vnction, to the ende that in him we myght be all partakers of that vnction, for the whyche The name of Christians we be called christians.

It is not thē bicause of the creme that is giuen vnto vs in oure baptisme, that we be called christians, or for the oyle, that the pre­stes do brynge vnto the sycke in their extreme vnction?

The christiās do know neither creme nor Iewishe oyntmente, materiall and corruptible, for theyr saluation, but that only of the holye Goste, of the whyche we muste all by Iesus Christe be anoynted and bapti­sed as Saynt Iohn doeth wytnes.

Seynge we be partakers of the vnction of Christe, of the whych we beare the name, we Math. iii. be then kynges, prophetes, and offerers of sa­crifices as he is.

So doeth Saynte Peter call vs and ge­ueth that honoure vnto all true christians, I Petre. ii. woulde if it were Goddes wyll, that we vn­derstode well all that whyche is signified by the name whyche we beare, the whych in An­tioche was gyuen vnto the disciples of Iesus Act. xiii. Christ.

In what maner be we kings, & what is oure kyngdome, seynge we be so pore and miserable?

We be kynges in asmuch, as we be fre by Iesu Christ the which hath made vs fre, & deliuered vs from al our enemies, the whych he hath made subiecte vn Iohn. viii. [Page] to vs, and hath made vs Lordes of the heauen and earth, for to raygne wyth hym, receiuing vs as hys brethren into the communiō of his Ephe. i. inheritaunce and of hys kyngdome.

Howe hath he made all subiecte vnto vs seynge we be yet subiecte vnto synne, and haue so muche vnhappynes, and haue yet so manye enemies, that we can not enioye that whych God hath gyuen vs.

Notwith­standynge that synne and the deuell do make vs war, & that it doeth vnto vs that we haue neede of many thynges, yet neuertheles ther is nothynge neyther in heauen nor in earth, that may anoye or damne vs, nor there is no­thynge whyche shall not be subiecte vnto vs to serue vnto oure saluation, and be turned to oure benifite, for all thynges be ours, and we be Christes, and Christe is Goddes, and all thynges happen, and be turned to the profitte of the elected.

I vnderstand now this point, expounde vnto me nowe, howe we be prophetes and priestes.

In asmuche as he hath geuen vnto vs, hys holy spirite for to leade vs into the know How christiā men be prophetes. Iohn. xiiii. xi [...] xvi. ledge of all trueth, and hath opened vnto vs by the same, the wyl of God his father, there is no doubte, but we be all prophetes, & that the leste of the fayethfull may not speake, and open more clearelye and hyghlye the misteri­es of Iesus Christe, and declare more largly [Page] his death & resurrectiō, thē the greatest prophet which was before his comming, in the whych is well fulfilled & accomplished that, whyche Ioel. ii, Act. ii.. S. Peter alledgeth of Ioel sayinge, I shal shede forthe my spirite vpon you and your sonnes and daughters shal prophecie, but yet not wythstandynge that all be prophetes, as conceruynge the knowledge of God, yet ne­uertheles it doeth not followe that it is or shoulde be laweful to al or euery man, to take the office of a prophet in the churche, and chri­stian assembles, but onely for them whych be called of God and chosen and elected by his churche vnto that office for to opē and declare hys worde, and minister hys sacramentes, al­beit that it is euerye one of oure offices to do the office of a prephet, in our houses towards oure families and also our neighboures whē occasion is gyuen vnto vs, but that muste be so done, and in such sorte, that the ordre which God hath put in hys churche be not violated nor conuerted or cōfounded

There re­steth now no more but of our priesthod.

We be priestes and true sacrificers, in Christian priesthod. Rom. xii asmuche as by the spirite of Iesus Christ we offre oure bodies, hertes & soules, vnto God as a quicke & liuely holy spiritual and accep­table sacrifice wyth all that we haue to serue vnto hys honour and glory.

By that thou haste expounded vnto [Page] me of the kyngdome of Iesus Christe of hys propheticall office and sacerdorall dignitie I vnderstande not onelye what prophet, kyng, and prieste he hath bene, and what is the ver­tue and excellentie of hys sacrifice, but also howe that al hys offices, and titles doeth ap­perteyne vnto vs, and yet neuertheles there abideth in me a certayne scrupulositie.

Towchyuge what?

Tow­chyngethe sacrifice of Iesus Christe, for thou doest saye, that by hys sacrifice he hath ful­filled that whyche all the Leuites coulde ne­uer do, and if it so be that the sacrifice of Ie­sus Christe onely be perfecte, we muste then haue non other but holde our selues vnto the same.

Euē so ought we to vnderstand it

Haue the christiās thē no mo sacrifices.

Not materiall and visible but onelye those of the whyche we haue spoken and the sacrifices of prayses, whyche be the prayers of the fayethfull, and the almes of the faieth full whyche be the offerynges a [...]ceptable vn­to God, and all good workes done vnto his prayse, but for the redemption of soules, & re­mission of sinnes, there is none but that of Ie­sus Christe.

Then they whyche offer and synge for the redemption of the soules as well of lyuyng as of the deade, and whyche doo offre for the redemption, and re­missiō of theyr synnes, be no christ [...]us, nor do [Page] not beleue Iesus to be Christe, thoughe they confesse hym wyth the mouthe.

They be christians, as the Iewes whyche dyd per­secute Rom. ii. ix. Christe, be true Israelites, and chyldrē of Abraham by name onelye, for if Iesus be that Christe, he is the true sacrificator, if he be the true sacrificator whyche saueth the syn­ners, it muste needes be that hys sacrifice be perfecte, for otherwyse he shoulde nothynge differ frome the sacrificatours of the Leuites whyche were synners, nor yet hys sacrifice frome the calues, shepe, and rammes, offered in the olde testament, & so should he not be the Christ.

It semeth vnto me that which thou sayest, is not out of reason.

By this we maye well Iudge that the greateste parte of christians do not vnderstād what is signified by the name whyche they beare, nor yet what they cōfesse, whē they saye they beleue in Iesus christe, for if they vnder­stode that they, should be deliuered from ma­nie errours, superstitions Idolatries, and blasphemies which they cōmit, nor they shoulde not dispend somuche monye, to cause masses to be song for the deade, nor should not make so greate expences aboute the outwarde and material sacrifices, nor shoulde not be in such dissention as they be for the masse, and for the ceremonies and traditions of men.

Wherefore sayest thou that?

Bycause they shoulde be all contē ­ted with the sacrifice of Iesus Christe, and of the saluation whyche they haue receyued by hym, and shoulde offre vnto the poore, that wepe, that whych they offre vnto the priestes that synge, and vnto the quicke and liuely I­mages of God, that whyche they offre vnto dombe and deade Idols and shoulde succure the lyuynge wyth the goodes they spende a­boute the dead.

Howe vnderstandeste thou that.

Thou wylte not denye me but that the Hebr. ix. i. sacrifice of Iesus Christe is perfecte, seynge saynt Paule doeth wytnes it.

God forbyde.

If it be perfecte it is then suffi­ciente, & we must make no mo, nor take awai nor put to anye other wyth hym, for God hath no neade of anye humaine healpe, & nea­deth not that man should put to his hande af­ter him in that which he hath fully made and cōsumate.

I do confesse it.

And if thou wouldest not confesse that, that of Iesus Christe were perfecte and suffi­ciente, for to gyue place vnto them whyche be made by men? I wyll reproue by the same all the other sacrificies that euer myght be made for whych of thē myght we fynd that might do and accomplishe that, whyche that of Iesus Christ might not. And if al they which haue bene offered, according to the law might [Page] neuer sanctifie and make cleane the synners, notwythstandynge they were ordeyned and commaunded of god, but hath bene necessarie that Iesus Christe the soueraygne bishope & hygh prieste, according to the ordre of Melchi­ledecke, should come & offre his propre body & Psal. Cx. bloude in sacrifice for the redemption of our soules, what may we hope of thē whyche the priestes do at th [...]se dayes in theyr masses, of the whyche they haue no commaundemente of God?

I donot wel vnderstand to what pur­pose thou speakest this.

Thou oughtest to vnderstand that the priestes do glory that in theyr masses they offre vnto God sacrifices for the redemption of oure soules, and do auaunce them selues that, that sacrifice which they offre is the pro­pre bodie and bloude of Iesus Christe, and if it so be, thē Iesus Christ is no more the christ that is to saye the anoynted of God, and the eternal priest, after the ordre of Melchisedech but they be it thē selues, seynge they attribute vnto them selues the office whych onely vnto hym apperteyneth, and is propre vnto the Christe of God, for it is not in the power of anye person to offre the sacrifice of reconsilia­tion Sacrifice of redemption. and of redemption, and to sacrifice Ie­sus Christe, but vnto hym selfe, whyche is the Christe of God whyche is offered hym [Page] selfe by the eternall spirite.

Howe agreeth this then, the priestes synge the Crede in theyr Masse, and confesse in the same that they beleue in Iesus Christ, but if it be as thou sayeste they do all cleane contrarye to that whyche they synge, and de­nye by worckes Iesus Christe to be the very Christe, the whyche they confesse wyth theyr mouthes.

There is nothynge more true, and not they onelye, but also all they that gyue fayeth vnto theyr doctrine, and that haue re­course vnto theyr sacrifices and Masses for the remission of theyr synnes, whether it be for the lyuynge, or for the dead.

They be then christians wythout Christe

They be not christians wythout Christ, for a Christe they haue, but wythout the true Christ they be.

They haue thē a false Christ.

That is true, and yet not contente wyth one, but haue as manye as they haue priestes, whych do cal them selues Chrystes attributynge vnto them selues onelye that whyche the prophete dyd vnderstande of all Psal. Cv. the people of God sayinge, touche not my Christes, or myne anoynted, they maye well be Christes but of the numbre of them of the whyche Christe dyd prophesye saying, there Math xiiii. shal come mani false prophets & false christes

I woulde not haue thought that, that onelye name of Christe hadde comprehended so manye thynges, and had drawen such con­sequence after it, I knowe well nowe by experience that manye do saye theyr crede whych vnderstande nothynge, and do all contrarie & lye them selues.

Thou mayste Iudge thy selfe, and ther fore it is neadful that al these poyntes be wel diffined to be clearly vnderstande.

It semeth me that thys poynte is wel inoughe diffined and largely Inoughe decla­red for thys tyme, wherefore lette vs passe o­uer forward. Wherfore saiest thou, his onlye sonne or hys sonne vnited, it doeth seeme that thou wylt denye by thys particuler exclusiue that ther is no sonne of God but Iesus christ

I do not denye but that all the elected, be the chyldren of God, but there is but one that is to saye Iesus, whyche is hys true and natural chyld, as we haue before expoun­ded.

How be we thē chyldren of god.

By adoption, and not by nature.

What doest thou call adoption?

I call adoption, when one doeth take a chylde, whyche is not hys owne propre child procreate of hys owne bodie for hys own propre & legitimate chylde geuinge vnto him al rightes & titles, as though he were trulie & naturallie his childe, not as thoughe he were [Page] bounde vnto it but doeth it of hys owne free goodnes, and of the loue that he beareth vnto hym, and euen so be we sonnes of God by Iesus Christe, in whom God doeth loue vs, ad­opte, chose and receiue vs for hys chyldren, & therfore is the spirite of God called the spi­rite Rom. viii. of adoption.

Wherefore gyueste thou yet vnto hym thys title, callynge hym oure Lorde.

Bycause he hath bought vs, & that we Cor. vi. be hys and his subiectes and seruauntes, and that full power is gyuen hym as well in hea­uen as in earth, and that he is kynge & prince Math ii. xiii. and Lorde of all creatures, and the onely go­uernour and maister, & the head of his church & hathe power to gyue lawes, & ordinaunces Colo. i. ii. vnto men for theyr saluation, vnto the which all men muste be subiectes.

I vnder­stande wel nowe the sence of thys article, and the principall poyntes, whyche it doeth con­teyne, let vs therfore folowe the rest.

In asmuche as we haue determined to deuide thys parte, as I dyd set it forthe in the begynnynge, it shal be good as semeth me, to make here oure fyrst reste & diuision & after let vs entre into the matter of the incarnation of Iesus Christe, as I haue promised the.

I am of accorde in al that thou wylte albeit that me thynketh the tyme not longe, & that I am ready of myne own parte to heare [Page] al the daye longe, if it were not to thine nuer greate payne and werines, notwytstandinge I do not beleue by all that I cā perceyue that thys laboure and payne to be greuous vnto the, but rather that thou doest it hauyng more regarde vnto me then vnto thy selfe, for thou knoweste well that I am to small and little a vessell to receyue at once so muche of thys di­uine licoure, & lyuelye water, poured forth of the fountayne of the worde of God.

I woulde it were the pleasure of God, that I myght fynde manye suche vessels that were so receiuable of thys worde of lyfe, nor I do not this bycause I mistrust thy capacitie but to the ende that both the one and the other of vs may the better gather and sauour this breade of life which here is ministered to vs.

Thy reason is verye good, lette vs therefore boeth go aboute our other busines that we may returne agayne the more fresh & wyth the better courage.

THou wouldest not beleue Phyllype how long I haue thoughte the time sens oure departynge, for I haue taken so greate a taste and sauoure, in that I haue herde of the heretofore, that I thought I shoulde neuer se the time Inoughe to heare of the, the reste, for the more I herken vnto the, the greater pleasure I do take, and the more I eate of thys meate, whyche thou doeste minister vnto me, the more I am hun­grie.

Such is the nature of the chyl­d [...]en of God, and of hys worde, also, whyche is so pleasaunte vnto the soule and conscience that of the greate pleasure they take in it, they can neuer be satisfied and fylled. Seyng ther­fore that thou arte in so good appetite to the ende I make the no longer langoure, lette vs returne vnto oure matter, and aske me questi­ons as thou haste begone.

It doeth followe after thys fyrste ar­ticle that we haue begone and treated of oure The conception Iesu christ Timo. iii. Gene. xxii. Iohn. i. Lorde Iesus Christe, that he was conceyued by the holy Gost, borne of the virgin Marie. What vnderstādest thou bi these wordes?

I confesse that Iesus Christ is tru­lye and verye man, in the whyche God hathe bene opened & shewed in the flesh accordynge to the promises made vnto Abraham, and Dauid, and accordynge to that whyche the Pro­phetes had before sayed.

In this cōceptiō wherin god, & this e­ternall & diuine worde, hath bene made fleshe hathe it bene turned and conuerted from the diuine substaunce into humain flesh?

That shoulde be a greate absurdi­tie, but in takynge the humayne flesh, he hath vuited the diuine nature, wyth oure humaine nature, man wyth God, the heauen wyth the earth, wythout conuertynge the diuinitie in­to fleshe, nor yet flesh into deitie, wythout cō ­foundynge or minglynge the one wyth the other, but conioynyng two natures wythout conuertion, confusion, or of anye maner of permutation in the person of oure Lord Iesus Christ being very god of the diuine substaūce & very manne of oure flesh, bloud and bones.

There is then two natures in oure Lordes Iesus Christe, the one diuine and the other humayne.

Otherwyse shoulde he The deuine & humayne na­ture in Iesus Christe. not be Christe, and the sauiour of men.

Wherfore?

Bycause that if he were not God, he should not haue power to saue, & if he had not bene mā, he had not borne oure infirmities, synnes and langoures, nor we shoulde not haue suche assuraunce of the remission of oure synnes, excepte oure fleshe in hym had borne it.

What nede was it that he was made man?

For to confound Sathan hys aduersa­rie, and the better to open the greate vertue, [Page] and power of God, & hys charite, & inestima­ble loue toward mē.

How hath Satā bene confounded, by the humanitie of Iesus i. Cor. i. Christ?

In that that Sathā had thought by the in firmitie of the flesh to haue destroied the worke of God, & God by the same weake flesh, woulde restore that whyche was loste declaryng therby, that his weaknes is stron­ger then all the power of Sathā, & of al men, and yet is there other reasons.

What be they?

In as muche as the worlde, coulde not knowe God, by the wisdome of the same he woulde by the foleishnes of the crosse saue the beleuers.

What is that for to saye.

That in asmuche as men coulde not knowe God in hys greatenes and wis­dome, and by the creation of all thynges: he woulde by thys meane, beynge nearer vnto oure humaine infirmitie, whyche the wise mē of thys world did esteme but for follye or fo­lyshnes gyue saluation vnto his.

And was there no other meane more propre and conueniente?

It pleased hym to chose & electe thys as moste conueniente.

Wherefore.

Bycause that consideringe the humayne infirmitie, and fraylues of oure corrupte nature, it was not possible, better to declare hys goodnes, charite, and mercye to­wardes men, nor no waye to giue hym grea­ter [Page] consolation and assuraunce of hys saluati­on.

Make me wel to vnderstand this.

Man was by hys sinne condemned vn­to death, maledictiō, & eternal dānatiō and had thē nede to be boughte againe & deliuered, or els he muste haue bene lost.

I do cōfesse it.

Then for to be bought and deliuered, it muste neades be, that some one muste haue satisfied for hym, and payed his raunsome.

And myght not that haue bene doue but by Iesus Christe?

No.

Wherefore.

Bycause that all men were in one selfe necessitie, subiection and bondage so that there was none that coulde satifie for hym selfe, wherefore they had all neede of an other to paye that raunsome.

But seynge that God is all merci­full, myght he not haue pardoned man, with­out anye maner of satisfaction?

He myght do all that pleased hym, but he would so declare hys Iustice wyth hys mercye, for as he is mercifull, so is he also Iuste.

Howe hathe he by that meane, declared hys Iustice & mercie?

In that, that wher A solution worthye to be noted of al mē man had sinned the iustice of god did remaine that he were punished, & of the other part his mercie did moue him to haue pitie of him, & to take hym to hys mercie.

These be two thynges whyche seme verye repug­naunte and contrarie.

And therefore the [Page] Lorde hath satisfied his iustice in punishynge the synne of man in his sonne Iesus Christe, which hath suffered the death, & borne the Ice and furie and maledictiō of God, whiche mā Gala, iii by his synne had merited & deserued.

And if he had punished man, mighte not man also haue satisfied?

No, for in asmuch as all men were synners and subiectes vnto the cursse and malediction, of the lawe, the which malediction, and vengeaunce of God had vt­terly destroied, consumed, and brought hym downe into hell, for it is so terrible & heauye that no man myght haue borne it, no not the Angels thē selues.

Yet hathe it not for al that cōsumed & brought down Iesu Christ.

No for seynge that he was wythout sinne or spotte, the death, synne, hell, nor Satā y ^e prince of y ^e world, could do nothing against him.

And how hath he satisfied by his death?

In that, that he was not detter, be­holdynge nor bounde, & yet neuertheles hath paied as a detter in that, that he hath satisfied vnto the Iustice of god, wherfore seynge that he, not being by anie maner of meanes detter nor boūde, & yet hath paied & satisfied his sa­tisfactiō, of the which he him selfe had no nede had serued for them that beleue for the which he hath answered, and fully satisfied.

That is then the cause, wherefore he hath taken the humayne fleshe.

Yea certaynlye, for in asmuch as it must neades haue bene that the fleshe whyche had synned & al mē also should make satisfactiō, & that none could nor might do it, but the sonne of God, nor the sonne of God in his diuinitie coulde not suffre nor die, therefore hath he ta­ken hys bodye, lyke vnto ours, by the which he hath redemed vs, and hathe borne oure in­firmities.

Certaynlye thou haste not wythout good cause sayed that by thys meane God hath declared his charitie, towarde the world gyuynge hys propre sonne for to saue it, for if he haue not spared his own propre sonne, but Iohn. iii. Rom. viii. hathe deliuered hym vnto death for vs we ought in no wyse to mistruste hys great mercie towarde vs, but to be ryght well assured that he wyll gyue vnto vs all other thynges.

Thys is also a greate consolation and assuraunce vnto vs, in that we haue the sonne of God to be our brother, truly man of oure fleshe, bloude and bones, and in that same fe­lynge oure infirmities, he hath pitie vpon vs Hebre. iiii. Ephe. ii Hebr. ix. Rom. viii. makyng our peace towardes the father, and maketh intercession for vs. Wherfore we be fyrst certified, that for the loue of hym we be pleasyng and acceptable vnto the father, and that by hym we haue conquired & ouercome death, and be reisen againe, and shall raigne wyth him in heauen, and therfore hath he not [Page] taken the Angelicall nature, but the seede of Abraham, for to assure vs, that all that hathe Hebr. ii. bene done in hym shalbe in vs, & towchynge oure saluation.

These be misteries and secretes of God well worthye to be knowne, and full of greate consolation, so that when thou doeste saye that he was conceyued by the holy gost, thou wylte saye that he hath taken humayne fleshe, & hath bene conceyued in the wombe of a woman, and that he hathe the substaunce of hys bodye of the woman whyche hath con­ceiued him,

I confesse that he is truly mā of oure substaunce fleshe, bloude, and bones, but hys conception differeth farre from ours

I do not doubte that, but I desyre muche that thou wylte declare it vnto me more playnlye.

He is not conceiued by the operation of synfull man as we be, but by or of the holye gost, in the wombe of the virgin, as the angel did opē & pronounce.

And yet neuerthe­les Hebr. ii. iiii. he hath a true humayne body as ours is.

It is true, but yet wythout synne for if in hym, had bene any maner of spotte of sinne howe shoulde he haue washed & made cleane other, he hym selfe beynge defiled,

And therefore woulde he be concey­ued Psal. li. by the holye Goste, and not in sinne and wyckednes as other men be, of the whyche [Page] the generation is all togyther corrupted.

He would be cōceyned of celestial seede, for to make vs celestiall, & to vnite mā wyth God the heauen wyth the earth, as it shall be againe declared more largly in this article fo­lowing, wher it is sayed that he is borne of the virgin Marie.

What meanest thou by that.

That as he was conceiued by the holy Goste, & hath takē the very nature, & hu­maine The natiuitie of Iesu christ. Psal. vii. Math. i ii. Luke. ii. flesh in the wombe of the virgin, accordynge as Esaie had before sayed: euē so was he borne of the virgin wythout corruption, in Betheleem, according to the prophecie of Michee.

Wherefore doest thou make mētiō of the virgin mari.

For to shew that he is Gene. xxii. i. Samu. vii. Psal. Cxxxii. the true Christ of the seede of Abrahā, of Iuda & of Dauid, in the which be accomplished the promises of God.

And what nede was it to make mention of the mother?

Bicause that he was promised to be borne of the seede Esai. vii Math. i. of Abrahā, & of Dauid, of the whiche the vir­gin Marye came, as the euangelistes do wit­nes.

In asmuch as thou hast alreadye expounded to me thy fayeth, towchynge the misterie of the incarnatiō of the sonne of god. Luke. i. ii. iii. Let vs followe nowe the other articles.

It doeth folow. He hath suffered vnder ponce Pilate, crucified, deade, and buried, what vn­derstandest The passion and death of Christe. thou by thys article?

That oure Lorde Iesus Christe hath suffered deathe [Page] and passiō for oure synnes, & by the same hath perfourmed the misterie of oure redemption, for the which he becam mā, and did take oure nature vpō him, for to no purpose should hys cōceptiō & byrth haue serued vs, if that by his death he had not satisfied for vs.

Wher fore makest thou mētiō of ponce Pilate?

For to shew in what time he hath suffered, by whō he was cōdempned, & howe that he was Math. xvi. Luke. xviii. deliuered into the hādes of the gētyles & hea­thens, euē as he had before spokē.

What was he that ponce Pilate?

The prouoste Pilate. or Iudge, which held the place, & was deputie Math. xxvii. for y ^e Emperour of Rome, vndre whō the Ie­wes at that tyme were subiectes bycause of their sinnes, & for to declare that the time was come that the Christ ought to come, seing the capture was takē awai frō the liue of Dauid, & frō the house of Iuda, & that stran̄gers had ouer it dominiō, according to the prophecie of Iacobe.

What hath he then sustered vndre ponce Pilate?

Dyuers iniuries outragies and woundes, as the Euangelistes do wytnes, and so finallye by him condempned to death.

What hadde he done for to be condempned?

Nothinge but the worcke of god his father, for the which he was come.

He was then vniustlye and wronge­fullye cōdempned and put to innocente death

If it had bene other wyse hys death could not haue profited vs.

Wherfore?

Because that if he had deserued his death, he shoulde haue died for hys own sin­nes, and not for ours, but in asmuche as he was vniustly condempned, by that condemption are we, whyche iustlye haue deserued to be condemned, deliuered and absolued before the Iudgemēt of God, & by the death, which he hath suffered haue we lyfe & oure death by hys is aboleshed and taken awaye.

Wherefore do we saye twise one thynge, for crucified and dead, is it not al one? and woulde not one of them haue sufficed?

we confesse that he was crucified, for to signifie that hys death hath not bene simple & commune as the death of malefactours, but the moste cruell ignominious, and shamfull, that was possible to be thought or Imagined that is to saye the death of the crosse.

Wherefore was it more cruel and ignomini­ous, thē the other maners of death.

Fyrste thou knowest wel that al maner of deathes whyche man doeth suffre by the sentence of the Iudge, and vndre the title of Iustice is more shamfull sclaunderous, and more terrible then if a man shoulde dye natu­turallye in hys bodye, and yet did it not suf­fice vnto the Iewes nor satisfie the madnes & furor that dyd inflame them, againste Iesus [Page] Christe to cause him to be put to execution by Iustice, as he had bene an euel doer, but dyd expresly demaunde of Pilate, that he shoulde be crucified, because that y ^e death of the crosse was asorte of gallowes the moste detestable & hateful that was to be Iudged, or thoughte to be amonge men, for it was not vsed that e­uyll doers shoulde be hanged vpon the crosse but onely they which were estemed, the most execrable and abhominable offēders, among the gentyls and panims.

And dyd not the Iewes of custome punishe theyr malefactours by the crosse.

That fa­shion was onely vsed amonge the Panims, and bycause that Pilate theyr prouoste and Iudge was a panime, they prayed and earne­stly moued hym to cause Iesus to be hanged vpon the crosse for to cause hym the more to be in the shame and sclaunder and hatred of the worlde.

And in what maner dyd the Iewes cause theyr malefactours to dye.

As farre as we can Iudge by the scrip­tures, they had foure maners of executiō, that is to saye, stonnynge, burnynge, stranglinge, and wythe the sworde.

And who dyd purchasse for Iesus Christe thys so shamfull & ignominious a death.

The enuye and hatred of the Iewes but pryncipallye the Scribes and Phariseis, priestes, bishopes and princes, of Hierusalem.

Was it not in their power to chose, & e­lecte the hynde of death, of the whyche they desiered that he shoulde dye.

It was neither in theyr power, nor yet in the power of Pilate, to cause him to die, neither of that dea­th, nor of anye other but in hys onelye, which was offered and sacrificed, bycause he would and hath gyuen his lyfe, when he would and hathe taken it agayne when it pleased hym, Iohn. [...]. wherefore it is not to be thoughte, that anye thynge of al thys hath be done by aduenture fortune or chaunce, or after the fantasies or appetites of men, but all by the prouidence and councell of God, for if the Iewes might haue Luke. iiii. kylled hym whē they woulde, they had done it longe before it was done, for they had often tymes enterprised it, and done all that they coulde, and yet could not bryng it to passe by­cause that the houre determined of the father was not come, & of the cōtrarie part, whē they would haue deferred his death, vnto an other day, they could not. For thei did desyre to put Math. xxvi. it of to after the feast of Ester, & had so cōclu­ded in theyr councell, fearynge the multitude and vprore of the people, and yet they coulde not so brynge it to passe, but he was cruci­fied, euen at the tyme when they shoulde cele­brate theyr Ester, but that was not dōe with­out misterye, & a greate prouidence of God for that is a great testimonie vnto vs that did [Page] open & pronounce vnto the Iewes that theyr Ester and all theyr cerrmonies were aboli­shed, and that Iesus Christ is the true paschal The true pas­chall. Exodi. xiii. Iohn. i. ix. Lambe whyche was wythout spotte and sa­crificed, for to deliuer vs frō the tirānie of the greate Pharao, which is the Deuyll.

Seynge that it was in the power of Iesus Christ to gyue hys lyfe, and to take it againe when he would, wherfore did he rather chose and electe, that sorte & kynde of deathe, then anye other?

For many reasons. Fyrste for to ac­complishe the wyll of God hys father & the scriptures and prophecies whyche were pro­phecied of hym, he was figured by the redde hefkere, the whyche muste and was then vsed The red hef­ker. Hebr. xii. to be burned wythout the hooste, in the same maner, was Iesus Christe dryuen out of the towne of Hierusalem, and was led vnto the mounte of Caluerie, in the whych place was the gibbet or gallowhouse for the punishmēt of the euyle doers, and there was put to exe­cutiō, as an euil doer bicause of our sinnes the whiche he toke vpō him, & were signified by the rednes of the hefker, notwithstāding that he was pure & innocēt, without euer hauyng borne the yoke of the Deuel, nor of synne the which was represēted by that, that the hefker was yonge without hauinge borne euer anie yoke.

I should many times haue read that [Page] ceremonie, before I shoulde haue vnderstand what it did signifie.

It should haue bene verye harde to haue bene vnderstand, if Iesus Hebr. xii. Christe by hys deedes had not expounded it, & if also the Apostle had not opened vnto vs the vnderstandinge and shewed how it must be applied vnto Iesus Christ.

It is the same also that Iesus Christ spake of hym selfe, in the parable of the euyle kepers of the viniyarde, whiche dyd caste out the sonne of the owner of the viniyarde, and Math. xxii. kylled hym, bycause they woulde haue his enheritaunce. But thou hast not yet expounded vnto me what scripture had before sayed, that he shoulde be hāged vpon the crosse.

Thou haste fyrste the figure of the ser­pent of brasse, the whyche Iesus Christ hath expounded of hym selfe. For as that serpente of brasse was lyfted vp in the deserte for to The serpente of brasse. Nume. xxi. Iohn. iii. heale all them that dyd beholde hym: euen so was it necessarie, that Iesus Christ should be hanged vpon the tre, and be lifted vp vpō the crosse for to heale all them that were mortal­lye stryken and hurte, by the bytinge and ve­nym of the olde serpente, and as that serpente of brasse had the verye fygure and shape of a serpente, and for all that was no serpente, nor had no venym, and yet by hys meanes, they whyche were hytten with serpētes were hea­led, althoughe the medicine semed very strāge [Page] and incōueniēt, euen so Iesus Christ, hath ta­ken the fourme of a synner, and yet was no synner, but hathe bene the onelye medicine of all pore synners whych loke, and behold him by fayeth, and putteth theyr saluation in hys onelye death and passion. And notwythstan­dyng that thys same meane to saue menne se­meth verye vyle, abiecte and straunge vnto mannes reason, vnderstandynge, and knowe­ledge, whyche doeth Iudge thys wisdome of God, and preachyng of the crosse folishnes: i. Cor. i. yet for all that as there was neyther physike, surgerye, medicine, nor remedye, that myghte heale them that were bitten wyth serpentes, but the beholdynge of the serpente of brasse, whych had bene made & sette vp by the com­maundement of God: Euen so haue we ney­ther phisike, surgeri, medicine, nor other reme­dy against sin & death, to get vs saluatiō but Iesus Christe crucified, whych is gyuē vs of God, for it doeth not appertayne vnto vs, to electe or chose the medicine, but vnto God the soueraygne medicine, whiche only may heale vs of that mortall sykenes, and onelye know­eth the remedie that to vs is effectuall, and geueth it vnto such as it pleaseth hym, and such as he geueth, is onelye sufficiente and meete, and there is none other that is anye thynge worth, and whych bryngeth not rather death then lyfe.

Who woulde euer haue [Page] thought, and that vndre the historie of the ser­pente of brasse, we shoulde haue found so ma­ny & goodli secretes, couered, and hidden, and therfore I am not nowe abashede, thoughe the worde of God, seeme follye vnto carnal men, whyche can not Iudge spirituallye, nor be receiuable of so hygh a doctrine, the which surmounteth and passeth all mennes vnder­standynge. But is there yet anye other scrip­ture whyche hathe signified thys same crosse of Iesus? De [...]. xxvii. Gala. iii

There is lykewise wryten in the lawe. Vnhappy or accursed be he that is hanged on the tree, and bicause that we were mooste vnhappy, and accurssed by our sinnes, he would beare that cursse and malediction, hangynge vpō the tree of the crosse, for to deliuer vs, and to make vs partakers of the blessing and be­nediction promised in the seede of Abraham, whyche is oure Lord Iesus Christe. And fur­thermore Gene. xxii. Esai. lv. Psal xxii. Luke. xxiii. it muste neades haue bene, that he should so haue bene humiliated, beneth or vn­dre all men, and that he shoulde be the oppro­brie & the laste, or the leste of all men, and re­puted as a worme and not as a man, he must also haue bene hanged amonge theues, and reputed amonge sinners, fastened vnto a tre, and appoynted and ordeyned vnto all hynde of vituperie, sclaunder, and outrage according to the prophecie principally of Dauid & Esai.

I beleue well by thys, that there was a greate prouidence, of God, in all these thynges for the tyme, the place, the persones, and all the doynges, whyche be wryten in the hystorie of hys death and passion, agree mer­ [...]eylouslye well wyth that whyche the Pro­phetes hadde before sayed, but in asmuche as thou hast expounded vnto me, the cause wher fore we do make mētiō, that he was crucified: tell me also for what purpose doeth it serue, to put to that he is dead? The death of Iesus.

The moore playnlye to wytnes that he was not onelye tormented, and sette aboute wyth the doloures, and cruel tormen­tes of death, but accordynge to hys humayne nature, is trulye and verilye deade as manne Math. xxvii. Luke. xxiii. Iohn. xix. wythout anye maner of cauteill or doubte. And tooke his ende vpon the crosse, and gaue vp hys humayne spirite, the whyche he dyd recommende vnto his father, for in hys death doeth lye the pryncipall poynte of oure sal­uation, for in asmuche as it was necessarye that he shoulde dye, for oure synnes, if he had not been trulye and very lye deade, we should be yet subiectes vnto eternall Deathe and damnation.

For what cause do we make mē ­cīon of hys Sepulchre, sayinge that he was buried?

For the more greater confirmation of hys death, and to signifie the misterie of Io­nas The sepulcre of Christ. The signe of Ionas. Iohn. ii. Math. xii. in hym accomplished, as he hym selfe did opēly declare vnto the Iewes.

What sygue was that?

As Ionas was caste into the sea, for to appeise the rage and tempeste, whyche was moued by the Ire of God, and was receyued by the whale, abydynge thre dayes, and three nightes, in the deepe & rage of the sea, within the bealy of the whale, & the thyrd daye was caste vp vpon the shore alyue, wythout anye hurte or damage. Euen so was it necessarie that Iesus Christe was caste into the deepe and botome of death, whych had thought to haue swallowed hym vp, for to appease the Ire of God, and that he should be in the bea­lie of the earth, as Ionas was in the bealy of the whale, and that he shoulde rise the thyrde daye as anon shallbe sayed.

Beholde here is a goodlye misterie, and well opened whē it is examined nearly.

Yea certaynlye, for who woulde euer haue thought or beleued, that Ionas beynge so in the deape, should haue escaped the death & that our Lord Iesus Christ in death shoulde haue founde vs lyfe, and that after such a cō ­fuciō vpō the crosse, hauyng bene caste down euē vnto the gates of hell, which had thought to haue deuoured him, he was raysed vp into [Page] suche glorye, power, and maiestie, and that by hys death, the furie of God was abated & pacified, as the tempeste of the sea, and quiet­nes was geuē vnto men, and the peace made betwen God and them.

Had he not wel inoughe risen a­gaine wythout beynge buried?

Yes well inough if he had woulde, but he woulde thus accomplishe thys misterie, and gyue a more euidente, and irreprouable signe of hys resurrection.

Towchinge what?

Towchinge that, that he was buried by two Math. xxvii. Luke. xxiii. Iohn. xix. honeste persons, Nichodemus, and Iosephe of Aromathia, by the wyl and consent of Pi­late, whyche did deliuer vnto them the body, and they dyd honestly burye it in a tombe, all newe cut out of stone, wherin neuer none be­fore had bene put. To y ^e end, that none might aledg, that some other lyuyng had bene there hidden, to counterfayte hys resurrection, or that some other dead before hym, were risen and not he, or that he was not risen again, by hys owne power, and vertue, but rather by the vertue of some other holye person, which myghte haue bene there before buried, as he that did ryse agayne when he was caste into the Sepulchre of Elizee, or that he had tow­ched 4. Kings. xiii. hys bodye.

And what doth signifie the article fo­lowing, which sayth He is descēded into hell.

That is a poynte, whych hath not bene of aunciente in the crede, as it doeth appeare Discendynge of Christ into helles, by the same whyche Saynt Ciprian doth vse but hathe bene sence put to, for the declarati­on of the thynges goynge before.

How sayest thou that thys hath bene putte to? Hathe not the Apostles made thys Crede, euerye one of them puttynge to hys article, vnto the numbre of. xii, as it is cōmonlye taken?

Wee reade not in the holye scriptures, nor in anye hystorye worthye of fayeth, that the apostles haue so broughte the christian fayeth into. xii. articles, nor that eue­rye one of them hathe put to hys parte in a­nye suche maner.

Is not there. xii. ar­ticles of the fayeth?

The fayth is single and one, and accor­dynge to the declaration that we make, we maye comprehend it in moo, or in fewer arti­cles, wherefore if is all one, to accompte. xii. or moo, or lesse, so that it be wel declared and vnderstande.

Wherefore do we cal those. xii. articles, the crede of the Apostles, if the a­postles made them not?

We maye well say the Apostles made them, in asmuch as they haue opende the doc­trine, wholy comprised in the same, cōteinyng the summe of the apostolyke & christian faieth the whyche they haue preached as that which we also oughte to beleue, as it hath alreadye [Page] bene saied.

How so euer it be I pray the let vs com vnto the declaratiō of this matter.

We must firste knowe what hell is, and then it shall be easie to vnderstand howe he is discended.

What callest thou hel thē.

It is in thys necessarie to considre in what signification the holye scripture doeth vse it.

That is that, whych I do aske.

We do fynde hel in the vsage of the ho­lye Gene. xliiii. Esai. xxiiii scriptures, and principally in the old testa­ment, for the death, for the graue, and for the state and condition of them that be departed of the which al the scripture doth beare wyt­nes, & therfor do we cal it hel, which is a word takē of latin, & doth signifie as much as a low & inferior place, bicause we do put the bodie in the graue within the earth lower thē our ha­bitatiō.

Is that the propre significatiō?

That is the fyrste, that it doeth signi­fie in the scriptures.

Is there thē other?

Yea, but they do hange vpon the same, For as the death, and the graue is the ende & cōsummation of man, as concernynge thys worlde: euen so hell is taken for the extreme daungers, miseries, dolors, & anguishes, that man may suffer, and by the which he is dark­ned or brought vnto death.

Vnderstādeste thou none other thynge by hell?

It is also likewise takē sūtime for the paine dew for sinne for the [Page] Iudgemente and wrathe of God, and for the bottome and mischiefe of all euyll thynges, & of all miseries, and vnhappines, and bycause [...]. xvi. Math. xvi. that in the death, and in the graue, there is no thynge but stynkynge infection, darknes, and perpetuall horror, it is somtyme taken for to siguifie the state, cōdicion, and the place of the damned, otherwyse called Gehenue, bycause that theyr death is not vnto lyfe, & that they Luke. xvi. Marc. v do abyde in the same in perpetuall darkenes, of the whyche the graue is theyr beginnyng.

Accordynge to whyche of these signi­fications, ought we to vnderstāde that Iesus Christe is descended into hell?

Accordynge vnto all.

Howe so.

Fyrste thou muste note that he doth not saye in the singuler numbre. He is discended into hell, as thoughe he dyd speake of a place certayne, wherunto he was goone. But in the plurell. He is descended to the helles, compre­hendynge all that which he had sayed before. He hath suffred vndre ponce Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried.

And did it not suffice, to haue already sayed the same by other wordes, for if discen­dyd into hels doeth signifie no further, what nede was it to put to this article?

Albeit that it do comprehende al that whyche alrea­dye hath bene sayed, yet is it not put to with­out cause, for it doeth better open and declare [Page] that whiche hath bene sayed, & doeth also bet­ter declare vnto vs, the vertue, and efficatie of the death and passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ & doeth gyue vs to vnderstād what condem­nation he hath borne, & how farre the vertue of hys death hath extēded.

Expounde the same alitle better vnto me by particulers.

When oure Lord Ie­sus Christe had suffered, and endured so ma­ny outrages, & blasphemies, as when he dyd sweate bloude, and was ful of anguish in his Luke. xxii Math. xvi. soule, euen vnto the death, and was shamful­lie hāged betwene theues, as forsakē of God & of al creaturs, without helpe, fauour, or cō ­solatiō, and dyd yelde vp his spirite vpon the tree of the crosse, where he was hanged, bea­ring the curse, Ire, and furore, of God, which is the verye hell, felynge in hym selfe the con­dempnation, paines, and sorowes, which we had deserued for oure synnes, then was he truly descended into hels, whych had wened to haue deuoured him, but they coulde not bi­cause he was wythout sinne.

Is he no otherwise discended into hel?

He was also discended, whē he was put Ephe. iiii. into the sepulchre, & is discended into the lowe partes of the earth, as the Apostle doth saye.

Dyd not hys soule, and hys spirite discend to the sayntes & fathers, whych were dead before hys commynge?

Yes,

Where were they?

In the bosom of Abraham.

What place was that?

The place of reste and blessednes, wher all they were receyned, whiche were deade in that fayeth of Abraham, whiche is the fayeth in oure Lorde Iesus Christe.

Is that limbo, wher they be depriued of all the Ioyes of Paradise?

I haue not reade in any place in all the holye scripture that maketh mention of anye such limbo.

was it thē in purgatorie?

Iesus Christ descended wel into purga­torie when he dyd humble & caste down hym selfe, euen vnto the mooste bitter death of the crosse sheadynge hys precious bloude, for to washe, & purge our synnes, & for the same dyd obteine remission and grace, other purgatory doeth not the scripture knowe, but that same whyche hath efficatie in vs by fayth, whyche purifieth the hertes.

Howe is he then descended to the fathers, and where was the bosome of Abraham?

I haue sayed that hell signifieth also the estate and cōditiō of thē that be dead & depar­ted, wherfore when Iesus Christe was deade and buried, he was discēded to them that be dead and departed that is to saye, that he is dead for them, and hathe borne the paine that they hadde merited and deserued, after suche sorte, that the vertue force, and efficatie of the [Page] deathe of Iesus, is extended not onelye vnto them whyche were alyue, but also vnto al thē whyche haue bene sēce Adam, and were dead Gene. iii. in the fayeth of that promised seede, vnto the whyche Iesus Christ hath bene made felow dyeinge as they, and descendynge into the graue as they, to the ende that they should be partakers of the resurrection and glorye of hym, whyche is sauiour of the liuyng & dead.

It seameth by thy wordes that thou doeste abolyshe boeth limbo and purgatorie.

God furbide that I should aboleish purgatorie, for it is the same in the whych I haue all my hope, & wythout the whych I shoulde wholli dispaire of my saluatiō, for I do know well that no poluted and vncleane thynge cā Cor. xv. entre into the kyngdome of heauen, except it be purged & made cleane, but in dede I know no other purgatorie, but the bloude of Iesus The true purgatorie. Christe, nor yet ani fyre whiche hath power & vertue to pourge our sinnes, but that of hys holie spirite, & as for limbo I could neuer find anie in al the holie scripture, I could neuer see so mani diuers estates of thē that be departed as y ^e priests & mōkes fain, lodging some in paradice, & other in hell, & other in purgatorie, & other in limbo, I do not find in y ^e holi scriptur but of. ii. estates, & cōdicions, the whiche oure Lorde Iesus Christ, hath represēted and sette forthe vnto vs, in the exemple of the Ryche [Page] man, and Lazarus, there is but one estate of the happie and blessed, and another of the re­proued.

Vnto whych of those dyd Ie­sus Christe descende.

Vnto boeth but in diuers sorties he is discended to the dampned & vnhappye which be dead in vnbeleue, when they haue felt that they were depriued of the merite of his death and passion, and of the grace, and saluation, whyche he brought vnto hys elected, & when they felte the yre, malediction & curse of God agrauated and augmented, alwaye more and more vpon them, but he is discended vn­to hys elected, when that by hys diuine ver­tue, he hathe made them, to fele the vertue and efficatie of the death, whyche he suffered for them, and the fruite of hys passion, where­fore I do conclude, that they whych do beleue that there is a Limbo, for the litle childrē that be dead borne, and a purgatorye other then the bloud of Iesus, for to purge the soules of the fayethfull departed: do not beleue that Iesus Christe, discended into hell, and that hys vertu should be of such efficatie, that it might come and extēd vnto the dead, to theyr salua­tion, for if they did perfectly beleue that, they would haue no further care for the dead, but would leaue them in the hādes of Iesu christe whych is sauioure, of the lyttle and greate, of the lyuyng and deade, and woulde not thinke [Page] that the dead had any more nede of them.

We haue taried inoughe vpō this article, but in dede it was necessarie to make it somthyng more cleare, for the matter was verye darke, but thou hast now so wel opened it, that I am satisfied, wherefore let vs come vnto thys ar­ticle folowynge whych sayeth. The thyrde daye he rose from the dead. What is the sence The resurrection. of that article?

The same whyche we haue all readye towched, speakynge of the sepulchre of Iesus Christe, and of the sygne of Ionas.

Hath he abidden thre dayes and thre nightes in the earth as Ionas dyd in the bealye of the whale?

It was not neadful, that he shuld be in the sepulchre thre nyghtes holly, it was inoughe that he did rise agayne the thyrd day after he was dead, as he hath done in dede.

Was that the thyrde daye, when he did aryse?

Yea trulye, for the daye that he did giue Math. xxvii Marc. xv. Luke. xxiii. Iohn. xvi. Math. xxviii. Iohn. xx vp the spirite, whych was the euenyng of the nyght before the Iewes Ester, he was buri­ed, and that was the fyrste daye of the mor­rowe, whyche was the daye of the feaste, he was all the daye in the sepulchre. Then vpon the daye foloweynge in the breake of the day verye tymelye he dyd aryse, and that was the thyrde day, as it doeth appeare by the Euan­gelistes.

Wherfore is this article put to?

Bycause that all the other coulde lyttle serue vs wythout thys.

Howe so?

Bycause that if Iesus Christe had not risen, it shoulde haue bene an euident testimo­nie, that death had vaynquished hym, & that hell shoulde haue swalowed hym, as it byd the chyldren of Adam. Then if he had bene vainquished, and had not ouercome, vaynqui­shed i. Cor. xv. and gotten the victorye, he had not satis­fied for vs, but we shoulde haue bidden stil in our synnes and in death.

The resurrection of Iesus Christe is then a certayne testimonie of hys vertue, and a sure trust & hope that we shal aryse agayne wyth hym.

That is the cause wherfore we beleue his resurrectiō, & wherefore he would testifie Math. xxviii. Marc. xvi. Luke. xxiii. Iohn. xix. oy so many sygnes & apparitions, beyng af­ter hys resurrection. xl. dayes conuersa [...]nte wyth hys disciples shewynge hym selfe vnto thē in drinkinge, eatinge, speakinge, and suffe­ryng to touch hys bodye, and hys woundes the more plainly, and assuredly to proue vnto thē the resurrection of hys bodye.

We haue then inough of oure resur­rection in hys, but wherefore do we saye yet more. He is gone vp into heauen, when is he gone vp, and in what fourme and maner? [...] ascētiō. [...] Math. xxviii.

Fortye dayes after hys resurrecti­on, when he hadde well approued hys sa [...]ed [Page] resurrection he dyd brynge hys disciples vn­to Marc. xvi. the mountaygne of Oliues, and frōthense dyd mounte and go vp visiblye, before them whyche dyd beholde hym, goynge vp vnto a cloude dyd come betwexte hym and them, whyche dyd cause them to loose the syghte of hym. They had also the testimonie of the Angelles sayinge that he was goone vp into heauen.

Into what heauē vnderstandest thou that he is goone vp? for thou haste shew t [...] in the first article, that ther be diuers ma­ners Ephe. iiii. of heauens.

The Apostle doeth saye, that he is goone vp aboue all heauenes, for to fulfyll and accomplyshe all thynges, wherfore I do vnderstand that he is gone vp into the celestiall Timo. vi. glory, hygher then the visible heauen, and hygher then all creatures into the inaccessi­ble lyghte, where is the habitation and seate of God, out of all and all maner of corrupti­on and mortalitie.

In what sence ought we then proprelye to vnderstand this ascention?

I vnderstande by the same, that he hath taken hys corporall presence, from here Iohn. xvi. beneth, as he hadde before sayed vnto hys disciples, and that he is goone vp verylye in bodye aboue all heauenes into the glorye & maiesty of God his father, as it shalbe more [Page] declared anoue, when we shall saye. He is set downe vpon the ryght hande of God the fa­ther almyghty. The ryghte hand of God

What vnderstādeste thou by the right hand of God?

I do not vnderstand that God the father is set in a feate or throne that is visible and materiall, as a terrenal kynge. And Iesus Christ in another by hym, as his sonne, or as one of hys princes.

Howe then?

It is a similitude taken of humaine thynges, for to gyue vs to vnderstande, that as a kyng or a prynce doeth make sitte down by hym, and on hys ryght hande, him whom he wyll moste honour, and vnto the which he wyll gyue moste power and authoritie: euen so we vnderstande by these wordes, that Ie­sus Christe is set vp aboue all creatures, and that he hathe power, as well in heauen as in earth, and doeth raygne wyth the father, ha­uynge Math. xxviii. equall power & Lordship.

And what doeth it serue vs to beleue, & knowe al these thynges, and in howe many wayes maye we vse thē to oure furtheraunce and profitte?

In diuers, but to the ende I maye the better shew the by ordre, bycause there be ma­nye goodlye poyntes, worthy to be towched, lett vs here make an ende of thys parte, and in the other nexte, we shall not treate of anye other matter, but of thys, whyche thou haste [Page] now set forth nor shal not declare any othere article before I shall haue declared vnto the what fruites thou maiest beare of these thyn­ges whereof we haue spoken at thys presente and howe these thynges may be vsed and ap­plied to oure profit.

That wyll be a day that I hope shall not be euyl employed, and to the whyche I haue greate desyre.

Thou shalte not be deceyued of thy hope.

THe great desyre that I haue sene the haue in these dayes paste, Nathana­el, In the declaration of the articles of oure fayeth and religion: hath gi­uen me greate courage to declare them vnto the.

There is no double but as the good maister doeth make a good disciple, soo a good disciple causeth the maister to be bet­ter and the more diligente, for it is vnto hym as vnto a good husbande man, whyche wyl­lynglye ploweth the ground, whyche he kno­weth to be good and fertyle, and wyl wel an­swer him his laboure, & to the end thy labour maye be alwayes more profitable towar­des [Page] me: begin to shewe vnto me the vtilitie & profitie that may come vnto me of these thinges I haue learned of the.

We haue two poyntes the whyche we muste principally considre, in the death and resurrection The maner to hauein cōtē placion the historye of Iesus Christ of oure Lorde Iesus Christe, the fyrst is that cometh vnto vs bi the satisfactiō, redemptiō, and saluation that we receyue, and the other or the secōd, is the exemple we ought to take for to conforme our selues vnto Iesus Christe oure heade, and so to learne patience of hym wherein to nourishe oure fayeth hope and loue.

Expounde thys vnto me more larg­lye, for I vnderstande not well what thou woldeste saye.

For to make the thynge more easye vnto the, I shal sette it forthe by examples, by the whiche I shal shew the the practise of that whyche I vnderstande herein. Fyrste when I do considre that Iesus Christe hathe suffe­red, Math. xxvi Luke. xxii. howe he hathe prayed vnto God hys fa­ther in the garden, and hathe swette bloude, howe he was taken, bound, mocked, and lede Mar. xv. Iuhn. xviii vnto Annas, Cayphas, Herode, and Pilace, howe he was Iudged, condempned, nayled, and hanged, vpō the crosse, how he was scrat­ched, buffeted, whypped, beaten, owtraged, & blasphemed, howe there was gyuen hym to drynk vineger gal, & myrre, how that he was Psal. xxii [Page] forsaken of all creatures, & abimed vnto the helles, howe he dyd crye my God, my God whye haste thou forsaken me, howe he was deade, gaue vp the spirite, and shede all hys bloude, nayled and hanged vpon the crosse betwene theues and euyle doers.

When I do diligentelye considre al these thinges, I do learne by the same to knowe howe Knowlege of the Iugment of God & of sinne by the death of Iesu muche the Iudgemente of God is horrible, fearefull and importable, and howe muche that displeaseth hym, and in what errour and abhourmation wee ought to haue it, For whē I do see the propre sonne of God, in suche an­guishe and distresse, and do see that welbelo­ued sonne sweate bloude of the onelye feare and reprehension, whyche he had of the death prepared for hym, and of the Ire, furour, and malediction of God, whyche he shoulde suf­fre and beare, not for hys owne synnes, from the whyche he was pure and cleane but for mine, haue I not thē good occasiō, to be trou­blede, and in feare maye I not saye well that whyche Iesus Christe sayed vnto the poore women that folowed hym weepynge, when he was ledde to be putte to execution, and crucified vpon the mounte of Caluerie? If this Luke. xxiii. be doone vnto the grene tree, what shall be donne vnto the drye? If the good tree be after thys soorte reiected and caste awaye, what [Page] shall be come of the euel, if God haue not spa­red hys owne propre sonne, beynge Iuste, ryghtuouse, and innocente, bycause of the sin­nes of other, the whych he would beare: how shall he pardone me, whych am couered with mine own propre synnes, frō the toppe of my heade, vnto the soole of my foote, maye I not well esteme what ought to be the payne and torment of the damned the whych God hath whollye forsaken, cursed, and reiected, wyth­out leauynge vnto them anye maner of hope of saluation, when I do cal to remembraunce Iesus Christ forsaken of God, caste into such feare and deepnes of all euells, and cursinges but for that lytle tyme that the father and his diuinitie hadde wythdrawen theyr fauoure ayde, and assistence from hym as thoughe he hadde all togyther bene lefte and forsaken as they whyche be in the eternall Ire of God.

Thou putteste me in feare and horror to here the speake, for certaynlye thys consideration oughte to make vs to deteste & haue sinne in a merueylouse abhomination & more to hate it then the pestilence, or anye o­ther vnhappynes that can be in the world se­ynge it doeth make men so detestable before God, castinge them downe into such depnes of malediction, and hathe bene the cause that the propre sonne of God, hath suffred a death so cruell, terrible and fearefull.

The remembraunce and cōtempla­cion of thys oughte well to gyue vs occasion to humble oure selues, for it doeth gyue vs knoweledge of the greatenes of oure synnes seynge they be such that none coulde remedy nor satisfye for them but the propre sonne of God, it doeth ministre also vnto vs, occasion to accuse and condempne oure selues, and not rigoriouslye to accuse Iudas the whyche be­traied him, and the Iewes whyche persecuted Who hath betrayed & crucified Iesus. Hebre. vi. and crucified hym, for it is we which haue be­trayed, cratched, buffeted, and deliuered hym vnto deathe, and doo daylye crucifie hym by our sinnes, wythout the whych he had neuer suffered, nor they shoulde haue hadde no such power ouer hym. We haue then good occasi­on to be displeased wyth oure selues and to flee from synne, and so to keepe vs euer from crucifiynge of hym.

Thou sayest true, but we thynke lytle thereon, and doo but smallye esteme the tor­mentes that he hathe suffered for vs and the precious bloude whyche he shede, & the price wherewyth we be bought.

And yet neuertheles is that the waye and maner howe we ought to saye and vnderstand our Crede, and yet is there more for as the knowledge of my sinnes, and Iudgmente Gene. iiii. Math. xxviii of God, is inoughe to caste me downe into dispayre, as Cayn and Iudas, and to o­uerthrow [Page] & cast me downe lower then the hel­les. Act. i. Euen so of the contrarye parte, when I am assured by the worde of God that Iesus Christe hathe indured and suffered all thys for me to the ende that I shoulde be deliuered and shoulde not be subiecte vnto that same terrible Iudgemente of God, I do receyue a greate consolation, and do feele a meruey­louse Ioye and ease in my herte, the whyche doeth incite moue and steare me vp, more thē can be beleued, to gyue thākes vnto that same oure most good and celestial father, the which hath so muche loued me, that he hath not spa­red hys owne propre sonne, but hathe gyuen Iohn. iii. Rom. viii. hym for me, and vnto that same good Saui­oure likewise, whych hadde so feruent a loue, and charitie towardes me that he woulde not refuse the death, nor to gyue hys lyfe for me, poore misirable synner, albeit that I was his enemye as towchynge my parte, and vnwor­thy to behold the sunne, and go vpō the earth.

Without doubte this cōsideratiō oughte well to enflame vs in the loue of that good god, & of the same our sauiour Iesus Christ.

For this cause hath he instituted his The institutiō of [...]he supper. Math. xxvi. i. Cor. x. xi. holye ceane or supper, to the ende that the re­membraunce of thys greate benifite shoulde of [...]en be hadde and refreshede amonge vs, & thereby the better imprinted in oure hertes, and to make vs the better to feele the vertue [Page] and efficatie to growe in fayeth charitie, and all good worckes, and so to holde and keepe vs in the office of true christians (for by these visible sygnes of the whyche the significati­on is declared vs by his word, & by his holye spirite, of the which sacramētes do take they [...] efficatye) the liuelye Image of hys death and passion is cepresented vnto vs. And therefore The memory of Christe to be celebrate in the supper. when thys breade dedicated vnto the Sacra­mente representeth vnto me the bodye of Ie­sus deliuered vnto death for me, and the w [...] the bloude whyche hath bene shede to washe my sinnes: I do codsi [...]re howe Iesus Christe hath bene bounde, ledde vnto Pilate, Iudged, condempned, and deliuered into the haudes of the hangemen, crucified, dead, and buried, and after rysen from the deade, and ascended into heauē, & this may [...] not onlie cōsidre as a cloude, or as a simple historie, or as the legēde lyfe or death of some martire, or some holye sainte, but I muste cōsidre that Iesus beynge bound for me as a strōg Sāsō, hath brokē the bōdes of death, & dāpnatiō, & hathe vnbounde me with him selfe. Whē I cōsidre him before the iudg, & here the sētēce giuē against him, I do thē here mine own absolutiō, & deliueranc for he was led before y ^e Iudg, I of him cōdemned & again deliuered into the hāds of the ex­ecutioners, to the end that I should not be co­demned at the Iudgmēt of God, & deli [...]red [Page] into the handes of he deuylles, and sente into euerlasting fyre, but that I mighte pleade for me hys ryghtuousnes, & so to winne my cause & fynde fauoure before the great eternal Iudg and that I may saye with the apostle. Whoe Rom. viii. shal lay accusation agaynst the electe of god, for God is he that Iustifieth, and Iesu christe is oure leader, aduocate and intercessour, goo we then vnto the throne of grace, and we shal Timo. ii. i. Iohn. ii. Hebr. ii. iiii. fynde fauoure and saluation in tyme conue­niente.

I do find thys maner of remēbraunce of the death and passion of oure Lorde Iesus Christe muche better and more consolation in it, then in that whyche the monkes do teache vs in preachynge the passion on good friday for they preache it vs after suche sorte that we Monkish medita [...]io [...] of the passion of Christe. learne nothynge but to despise and be angrie wyth Iudas and the Iewes, and do not considre that it is we oure selues, whych be the Iudas and the Iewes, whyche by ours synnes haue so outragiouslye intreated hym, against whom we ought not to be angrie.

And further they shew vnto vs Images and crucifixes for to learn vs to wepe, as the pore women did weepe whiche folowed him whē Luke. xxiii. he was ledde to be crucified, after suche sorte as we weepe for an euyll doer, or some other good man which were innocētly put to death where as we ought rather to wepe ouer, and [Page] for oure selues and for oure owne chyldrene and so to lamente langoure, and sighe for our owne fautes, and synnes, & so farre as I can conceyue or vnderstande by thy wordes, there is a greate difference betwen the death of Ie­sus Christ and that of the martyrs, for that of the martyrs can not serue vs for any satisfac­tion and redemption for oure synnes as that Difference betwene the suf­fering of martyrs & Christ. of Iesus Christe, but onely for an example of fayth strengthe and conscience, but that of Ie­sus Christe doeth serue vs for boeth.

It is verye well vnderstande of the and thou couldest haue saied no better. I would to God that euerye one dyd vnderstande it so well as thou, and then the Sophisters should not haue Ioyned the death and sufferynge of the martyres wyth that of Iesus Christe, for to make it meritorious vnto saluation, and remission of synnes for vs as though that of Iesus Christe were not sufficitiente, and but ly­tle dyfference frō that of the martires. They woulde not also haue corrupted the sence of the wordes of Saynt Paul, for to recompēce by the tribulation and sufferynge of sayntes, Colo. i. that whyche seameth vnto them to wante in that of Iesus Christe, nor woulde not haue forged the workes of superogatiō, and of su­peraboundaunce, and theyr treasure of the church into the whyche they gather togyther all the merites of sayntes, and make them sel­ues [Page] distributers of them by theyr kepes, and by the applyinge of theyr ceremonies, sacrifi­cies, bulles, & pardons, as thoughe there were other meritte, then that of Iesus Christe, and other maner to appli it, then by the preaching of hys Gospel and administration of hys sa­cramentes, & to receiue and communicate thē by the true lyuelye fayeth the whiche onlye is receyuable of thē. And further if al did vn­derstand this matter well, not onely the mon­kes shoulde learne otherwyse to preache the passion, but the priestes also should be content to represent them vnto vs, by the preachynge of his worde, and the true vsage of hys sacra­mentes, The true re­presentatiō of the passion. they woulde holde them selues vnto the ordinaunce of hys holy Ceane, & woulde vnloode them selues of so manye folish vayn and chyldishe ceremonies whyche they haue in theyr masse, by the whyche they wyl repre­sente them vnto vs, as one should plai a Iug­lyng caste, or as it were a playe of litle chyl­drene.

They take a kerchiefe in stead of a crown of throns, they haue theyr maniple, theyr stole & a gyrdle of a corde, in steade of the cordes, bondes, and crosse, whyche Iesus Christ dyd beare, they haue theyr albe and greate shurte in stead of hys gown that Herode gaue him. And to be short it doeth seme perfectelye that they wylbe disguised for to playe or daunce a bet-morres [Page] or to make litle childrē ferd, were it not much better to be cōtēt wyth the simple ordi­naunce of Iesu Christ, & to hold thē vnto that holye ceane that he hath instituted, as Saynt Paule hathe sette it forthe vnto the Corinthi­ans, and as the Apostles, and the primatyue churche did, and to remembre and haue in cō ­tēplation the death and passiō of Iesus christ in oure hertes, and to reste oure selues in the fruite & consolation, that it bryngeth vnto vs then to playe suche castes, and to disguyse thē selues in suche sorte before the simple people, and to seeke to draw them onely into the ad­miration, and extollynge of outwarde cere­monies, and so to drawe them altogyther frō the true and healthfull contemplation of the death and passion of Iesus Christe, and to de­pryue theym of the fruite, the whyche they oughte to receyue by the same?

For when I do remembre Iesus Christ vpon the crosse: I doo see hym wyth the eyes of my fayeth gyue vp the spirite, I do see hym putte into the Sepulchre, rysen, and ascended into heauen.

What neede haue I then of suche illusi­ons and paynted conueyaunce for to drawe me from thys holy and profounde considera­tion for my fayeth doeth make Iesus Christe present vnto me, euē as though he were payned and crucified euē before my owne eyes. I [Page] doeth sette hym forthe before me as a stronge Samson, whyche breaketh the gattes of hys enemyes, and beareth them vpon hys shoul­ders, and doeth kyll and distroye more in di­yng thē in lyuyng, I do see howe Iesu Christ beyng crucified doeth crucifie the Deuyl, be­ynge nayled doeth nayle, sheading hys bloud i. Cor. xv. Math. xxvii Iohn. xiiii. Roma. v taketh awaye the bonde of death, whyche he had agaynst vs, in dying, kylleth death, sinne and brouseth, and treadeth down the head of the olde serpente, he openeth the Sepulchres, and gyueth lyfe vnto the dead, when he ente­reth into the Sepulchre, and descendeth into helles as we haue sayed he entereth into the house of death, & into the strengthe of the ar­med man, and of the prynce of thys worlde, & doeth dispoyle & breake downe all theyr force strēgth and power.

If hys death be so stroung what oughte then to be hys resurrection and lyfe.

I leaue that to thy selfe to considre and therefore when I do see hym rysen, I do Colo. ii. The fruit of the resurrecti­on & ascentiō. se my fleshe rysen wyth hys, I do see hym as victoriouse, leadynge synne, the worlde, death hell, and Sathan, in shewe and triumphe, all ouercome and caste downe, in suche sorte that they haue no more powre vpon all the elected whyche beleue in hym, then they haue hadde vpon Iesus Christ. Whē I see hym ascended into heauen, and am certayne that he is sette [Page] vpon the ryghte hande of God, and that he doth raygne wyth the father eternally. This fayeth also doeth brynge assuraunce and cer­tifieth me, that when he is goone vp, he hathe borne and lyfte vp my fleshe and my bodye, & hath opened me the waye vnto the celestial glorye, and that he beynge oure heade hath taken possession for vs.

Then hys resurrection and hys assention be vnto vs certaine testimonies, seales, & confirmation of ours.

There is nothynge more certayne, and we oughte no lesse to be assured, that we shall aryse and raygne wyth hym, then that we be of hym, for in asmuche as he hathe taken oure fleshe euen as it in hym hathe suffered, & hath borne the Iudgmente and maledicion of god and is deade, euen so it is rysen in hym and exalted into the glory of God, aboue al the hea­uenes, & therfore he is called the fyrst fruit of thē that slepe & fyrst borne of the dead not bicause he is fyrst risē amōg mē, for other were risen before hym, that is to saye they whych were raysed as well by hym as by the pro­phetes, but bycause that thys is the fyrst, and he onelye whyche is rysen by hys owne de­uine vertue and power, and is the beginning, originall and fountayne of the resurrection & lyfe of all the other, whyche dye, and ryse in hym, and by hym, and the better to confyrme [Page] and seale thys hope in oure hertes, he hath gi­uen vs a gage and hathe takē of vs, to the end he woulde not leaue vs in doubte, he hathe ta­ken Iesus hath taken pledge of vs, & hath left vs of hys. Ephe. i. Roma. viii, Iohn. i. i. Petre. i oure fleshe the whyche he hath borne in­to heauen, by the whyche we be alreadye put into possession, and be sette in the celestial pla­ces wyth hym, and of the other parte he hath gyuen vs hys holye spirite to confyrme and seale the promises in oure hertes which doeth testifie vnto oure spirite that wee be the chyl­drē of God. Seinge thē that we be the childrē of God, and haue hys diuine seede in vs, wee oughte not to doubte but that Iesus Christe hathe made vs partakers of his diuine nature euen as he woulde communicate vnto ours, and woulde be made manne, for to make vs Goddes that is to say Godly, holy, & spiritu­all. Then euen as the wheate whych is sow­en in the earth dieth in the same, & doth sprout Iohn. xii. Cor. xv. sprynge and take roote, and after cometh out groweth and bringeth forth good fruite: euen so lykewyse shall we be assured that when we dye, & be putte into the earth, we be sowen & shal take agayne & aryse immortall, & incor­ruptible, in as much as we beare wyth vs the sproute or springe of the spirite of God which can not dye, though the flesh be corrupte, but shall deliuer thys bodye frō corruptiō whych shal be raised vp by the vertue of him, whych hathe raysed vp Iesus Christe, from the dead [Page] and shall vinifie, and rayse vp oure mortall membres.

Here is a goodlye exercise of fayeth and a goodlye practise of christian doctrine of the whyche we oughte not onelye to be lear­ners, and doctours in contemplation, but also good practicians for to bryng it in dayly vre.

There is yet an other poynte whych is no lesse worthye to be noted, that is, when we beleue that Iesus rayneth in heauen, sette v­pon the ryght hand of God, that doeth assure Consolation agaynst al tē ­tations. & gyue vs a merueylouse consolation against all tentations and daungers, for it is no smal thynge, to haue in the celestiall courte, and be­fore the face of that greate eternall God, such a frende as Iesus Christe, whyche is verye God, & verye man, whyche also hathe power in heauen, and is inheritour of the kyngdome of God, for we can not doubte, in asmuche as he alwayes appeareth before the face of God but he is intercessoure for vs, and is oure me­diatoure, and aduocate, leader, conductoure, and gubernatoure, wherefore wee haue none occasion to be aferde of anye thynge in heauē or in earth, if we firmely and assuredlye trust in hym.

For in asmuche as he is verye God, we can in no wyse doubte but that he hathe al power asmuche as he is one substāce & power with y ^e father, we ought not to doubt but that al that [Page] the father hath is hys, and for as muche as he hath bene obedient euen vnto the death of the crosse, and that he is hys welbeloued sonne, we haue no cause to fear that y ^e father should denye anye thyng that he asketh of hym, nor Phil. ii. Math. xxvii. Iohn xiiii. Ephe. v. Hebr. ii. Colo. i. ii. Ephe. i. that we shall aske, and demaunde of hym in hys name, of the othere parte in asmuche as Iesus Christe is verye man, our spouse, & our brother of oure fleshe, of oure bloude and of oure bones, and that he is oure heade and we hys membres, wee oughte not to doubte but that he loueth vs, and hath pitie and compassion of vs, and wyll not renye hys fleshe & hys bloude, sufferinge to perishe, hys espouse and hys membres, for thys cause hathe he put v­pon hym oure fleshe and hath taken al our in­firmities, and hathe bene tempted in all thyn­ges wythout synne, to the ende we shoulde be certayne, that we haue a bishope that is not Esai. xiii. Hebr. i. iiii. v ignoraunte of oure infirmities, not wythout hauynge anye compassion of them, nor that he fealethe them lesse then wee, nor that there cometh anye thynge vnto hys membres, but it towcheth him, which is the heade as it doth appeare well by the wordes whyche he spake vnto Saule, persecutynge hym in hys mem­bres, and that as heade he is readie to deliuer vs from al euylles, as he hath bene deliuered.

If we beleue then firmelye, thys arti­cle, it seameth vnto me, wee haue no neede to [Page] runne vnto the holye sayntes whyche are de­parted frome thys worlde, nor to praye vnto them to be oure aduocates, intercessours, and Inuocatiō of sayntes leaders vnto God.

It is verye certayne that suche inuocati­on of saintes doeth procede but of errour and infidelitie, and for lacke of the knoweledge of Iesus Christe, and we can not denye but they that seeke any other aduocate thē Iesus christ be verye farre from the fayeth, whyche we cō fesse in these two articles, of the ascention of Iesus Christe, and of hys celestiall raygne, and that yet more is, they do declare manife­stlye that they do not vnderstand the misterie of the incarnatiō of the sonne of god, for wherfore was it necessarie that the sonne of God should be made man, but for to conioyne and knytte manne to God. Then if we wyll well Deut. iiii. conioyne two thynges togyther that differ & bee of diuers natures it is requisite to haue a thyrde that shoulde approche, & holde of boeth natures, for to conioyne and, vnite them, or o­ther wyse there can be no verye perfecte and true communion, and pryncipallye if the na­tures be contrary and repungnauntes one to an other, then what agrement coulde there be betwen God and man. The fyre cōsumynge the thrones, the lyght the darkenes, Iustice & Hebr. ii. ii. Cor▪ xv. iniustice, blessynge and cursynge, lyfe & death heauen, and hell, there is no more betwen god [Page] & man, if we cōsidre mā in his nature, it was thē much more thē necessarie that we shoulde haue a mediator for to make thys agremēte & cōiunction which should be partaker of boeth y ^e natures & yet without sinne, & that he shuld be verie God & verie mā, for to cōioyne man vnto God, and then is there none suche but Iesus Christe, wherefore it doeth necessarily and infalbly folowe that none other myghte be oure mediatoure, aduocace, & patrone, but Iesus Christe onelye, as the holy Apostle te­stifieth, for when he sayed, there is one God and one mediatoure of God, and of men, the 1. Timo. ii man Iesus Christe, and the same hathe bene the price of oure raunsome, these wordes be Deut. vi as muche as thoughe he shoulde haue sayed, as there is but one God, the whyche neuer­thelesse is sufficiente to all creatures, as one sunne to shine ouer all the worlde: euen so is there but one mediatoure whyche is Iesus Christe, whyche onely hath payed our raun­some beynge onelye suffitiente, deputed, and appoynted properly vnto that office. S. Iohn doth saie no lesse, whē he doth write. My childrē, i. Iohn. ii, I do not sai this vnto the ende ye should sinne, but if we haue sinned we haue an aduocate towarde the father, euē Iesus Christ be­ynge iuste which is the propitiō not onelie for our sinnes, but also for al that be in the world & therfore did. S, Iohn Baptist, cal hym the Iohn. i. Lambe of god, that taketh awaye the sins of [Page] the worlde, &. S. Paule calleth him our peace Ephe. ii. Colo. i. which pacifieth all thinges as wel in heauen as in earth, by the bloude of his crosse, saynt Iohn doth not say, whē ye haue sinned, come vnto me the welbeloued disciple, which haue slepte in the bosome of Iesus christe, & in hys lappe, & I shalbe your aduocate to the virgin Marie his mother, the which by him was recōmended vnto me, & hath loued & taken me as hir child, he doth not saie also turne and a­dresse Iohn. xvi. your selues vnto the virgin Marie, or vnto the Apostles mi fellowes, or to the pro­phets & patriarkes that be dead, but doth put him selfe in the cōpanie & role of sinners, saie­inge if we haue sinned, we haue an aduocate towardes the father, by the which wordes he doth giue vs manifestli to know, that he doth confesse hym selfe to be a synner by nature & hath nede as wel as other, of our sauiour Ie­su christe, to be his aduocat toward the father celestiall without whō he shoulde haue bene lost & dāpned, he had not forgottē that which he heard of his maister, & that which him self put in writing, the which ha [...]h not said, what soeuer ye aske of my father in the name of mi mother, or of the prophetes, or diciples shalbe giuen vnto you: but hathe sayed, that whiche ye shall aske & demaunde of my father in my Math. xi. Hebr. v. name. For as he doeth saye in an other place, None canne come vnto the father but by me [Page] and the Apostle doeth testifie, not onelye, that he hath prayed for vs wyth greate cryes, tea­res, Roma, viii, and wepynges, and was herde, but doeth also testifie that he is nowe vpon the ryghte hande of God, wher he incessauntly maketh intercession for vs.

It is not possible that I can resiste or agayne saye, that whyche thou haste sayed, excepte I would go, and withstand the cleare worde of God, but they whych do mayntain the inuocation of saintes, do confesse that they take Iesus Christ, for theyr meane and aduo­cate, but yet they wyll neuertheles haue the sayntes with hym.

That is euen as muche to saye, as they holde hym not for sufficiente alone, and do attribute vnto hym no more then vnto e­uerye of the other sayntes, and so wyl wynne or gette theyr cause before God, by the multi­tude and force of aduocates, for other Iesus Christe is sufficiente, or he is not, and if he be sufficiente, he hathe no neade of fellowes, and if he be not suffitiente, he is not Iesus Christ nor is not sette at the ryghte hande of God hys father.

They wyll replye wellynough vnto al that, for they wil cōfesse the, of Iesus Christ all that thou wylte, wyth theyr mouthes, but they saye that notwythstandynge that Iesus Christe is oure aduocate towarde the father [Page] yet neuertheles, as we haue neade of hym for to be oure aduocate towards the father: euen so it is necessari for vs to haue other aduoca­tes Intercessours to Christe. Iohn. xvi. toward him, for inasmuch as he is god, & we be sinners, & god doth not exalt, and heare synners, we haue neade of the sayntes, which be more perfecte then we, to be oure interces­sours towarde hym.

We muste haue then a greate traine of intercessours, and aduocates, and in the ende we must haue intercessours, towarde the sain­tes, bycause we shall not be worthye inoughe for to addresse oure prayers vnto them.

We haue them alreadye, for the prie­stes, monkes, friers, and nunes, maketh vs beleue Intercessours to sayntes. that they be oure aduocates, and inter­cessours towardes the saintes, and towardes God, and therefore brynge we them money, frome all partes and offre vnto them euerye daye gyftes and presentes, as the clientes do to theyr counceylers of the lawe.

Thou maiste se nowe wel, that the coue­tuousnes of priestes is the mother and nursse Intercession of lyuinge. of thys Idolatrie, and superstition, I denye not but we haue commaundemente to praye the one for the other, whyle we be in this pre­sente lyfe, but wee oughte not for all that to Timo. ii Iames. i. make marchādise of our prayers, nor to think they haue any efficatie, but by the intercession of Iesus Christe, nor that we muste addresse [Page] them vnto any other then hym onelye, for to present them vnto the father, for we haue nei­ther commaundemēte nor exemple in the scri­pture, to adresse our prayers vnto the saintes departed, for we maye praye vnto diuers the which we knowe not whether they be saintes or no, nor whether they be in heauen or hell, but we be very certaine that Iesus Christ is in heauen, and if we were assured they were in heauen yet we can not tell whether they know what we do here, nor whether they heare vs or not, nor whether they may healpe vs or no, the scriptures witnes rather the cōtrari but of Iesus Christe we doubte not. And yet further. Wherefore shoulde we not wythout feare go vnto Iesus Christe rather then vnto ani other? Is there any that hath more power wisdome, and goodnes, or that is more merciful? Should our sinnes withdraw vs frō go­yng vnto him.

That is the cause they do aledge?

But that cause is against thē Christ calleth the s [...]nners selues, for if I were no sinner, I shoulde haue no neede of Iesus Christe, if I were whole I had no nede of the phisitiā, but bicause I am Math. vi. a sinner & sicke, haue I neede to go vnto hym, whiche hath sayed. Come vnto me al ye that laboure & are laden, & I shal ease you, & doeth testifie hym selfe that he is not come for the iust but for the sinners, nor for the whole but for the sicke. They then which withdrawe vs Math. v. [Page] from hym, be lyke vnto the scribes and pha­riseis, whyche were offended and dyd mur­mure agaynste hym bycause he was conuer­saunte wyth synners, & publicanes, and they whyche make difficultie, to go to hym, haue suche a foleishe shame, as they whyche haue some secrete sikenes, and had rather ieobarde lyfe, then open and shewe theyr discease vnto Iohn. xiii. the phisitian, or as Saynt Petre had, whyche would not haue suffered Iesus Christ to haue washed hys feete, wythout the whyche wa­shynge, he myghte not haue bene anye parta­ker of hys kyngdome. Or els it is wyth thē Luke. v. as it was wyth the same Peter, after he had fished al the nyght & gate nothing til he had raste hys nettes into the sea by the cōmaun­demente of Iesus Christe, & drue vp so much fishe that the shyppe was full and sanke, in suche sorte that they were constrayned to call for healpe of theyr fellowes, and haueynge greate meruayle, he sayed vnto Iesus, gooe from me, for I a [...] a synfull manne, he would that Iesus christe shoulde go from hym, by­cause he did knowe the vertue, & holines to be hys, and dyd knowe the synnes and imper­fections to be hys owne, and dyd repute and thynke hym selfe vnworthye to be in hys cōpani, wher as he ought rather to haue sought hym to the ende that by hym he mighte haue [Page] bene fanctified and made worthye.

I am muche aferde it wyll be wyth suche menne, as it was wyth Saynte Petre, whyche gatte nothynge wyth all nyghte fys­shynge tyl he had caste in hys nette by the cō ­maundemente Fishinge by nyghte of Iesus Christe, and so I be­leue that we fyshe by nyghte in al that we do and go aboute, in darkenes and ignoraunce wythout the word of God and hys cōmaun­demente and wythout directynge oure selues vnto Iesus Christe, and he beynge out of our companye, but I beleue also, that when we haue hym wyth vs and gouerne oure selues by hys commaundemente that we shal neuer fayle to take plentye and haue good fisshing.

If we do otherwyse it shall come vnto Math. vi. Mar. xv. Luke. viii. vs as it dyd vnto the woman beynge syke of the bloudye flyxe, we shal spende all our goo­des vpon such phisike, surgery, & medicines, & oure sykenes shall alwayes appayre and be worsse vnto suche tyme as we come vnto Ie­sus Christe, the whych maye onely heape vs.

I nowe well vnderstande all thys, and do knowe that they whyche seeke any other aduocate then Iesus Christ, do not perfectlye beleue that he is deade for thē, rysē and ascēded into heauen, for if they beleued it perfectely, they shoulde know the greate loue he hathe borne them, & the good wyll he hath towardes them, and the power that he hathe [Page] in heauen & in earth, and woulde sticke, cleane and content them selues better wyth hym, thē they do. But in asmuch as thou haste expounded vnto me the fyrste maner and waye, how I oughte to haue in remembraunce, and con­templation the death, resurrection and ascen­tion of Iesus Christe, for to knowe the fruite that cometh vnto me, and the efficatie of the same, declare vnto me nowe, the other maner and howe it serueth vs for an example.

We shal come to it but fyrste I wyl admonishe the of one poynte, towechyng the as­cention of Iesus Christe that is, that thys ar­ticle Colo. i. ii. Ephe. ii. doeth serue to shewe vs that Iesus christ is the onelye head of hys triumphāte churche and that there is neyther Pope nor lyuynge manne vpon the earth, nor any creature what soeuer he be vnto whom that office maye ap­pertayne, for the heade can not be wythout hys membres, & hys office is to vinifie, leade, gouerne, healpe, & assiste vnto all the bodye & al the mēbres. Then in asmuch as the church is vniuersall, and sparkled thorowe al the & worlde, there is no creature, nor liuynge man, that can be the heade, seynge there is not that can be in all places where she is, nor that can gyue hyr ayde and assistence, suche as to hyr is requisite, but the onelye Iesus Christe the whyche by hys diuine power, and by hys ho­lye spirite, fulfilleth the heauen and the earth [Page] and is present vnto all hys elected, the whiche he doeth leade conducte, gouerne, and vinifie whyche non other can or maye do, wherefore what so euer he be that wyll make hym selfe heade of thys churche, whereof he oughte to be but a membre, he is neyther heade nor mē ­bre, but doeth make hym selfe a mēbre of An­tichriste, and hathe chosen Satan for his head in asmuche as he setteth him selfe in the place of Iesus Christe, settyng vp hym selfe aboue hym not knowledgynge him for his head vnto whom boeth Angelles and men oughte to be subiectes, for. S. Paul shewyng the frui­tes of the resurrection and ascention of Iesus Ephe. i. iiii Colo. i. ii. Christe, wryteth howe that God hath exal­ted and set hym vp aboue all heauens, and a­boue all the thrones, powers, Lordeshyppes, and dominions, and hathe gyuen hym to be heade of hys churche.

I vnderstande wel what thou wouldeste saye, I shall holde me then vnto hym, and wyll neuer acknowe­ledge other head, of that triumphant churche but shall holde for hys ministers the true mi­nisters and pastours of his churche and the other whyche wyll attribute vnto them sel­ues that dignitie, for verye Antichristes. But lette vs come nowe vnto that thou haste pro­mised me, and declare vnto me what example we maye take of all the historie of oure lorde Iesus Christ.

That were very longe to be recounted and tolde, for ther is nothynge so litle whiche cōteineth not greate sacramēts & misterie, but I wyll onelye sette forth the thynge vnto the in two wordes by the which thou maist iudg of al the reste. The historie of our lord Iesus Christe serueth vs for an example in two maners, and fyrste howe we oughte to confirme How the hi­storie of Iesu christ serueth for exemple. oure selues vnto hym, as concernynge oure regeneration and spirituall lyfe, whyche is hidden in him, the other howe we oughte to confirme oure selues vnto hym in oure out­warde lyuynge & cōuersatiō.

The more thou wouldeste make the thynges shorte, the more they seme darke vn­to me, wherfore I pray the thynke not muche nor spare me, nother tyme nor wordes, but expounde me the thynges so largly, that I may haue cleare vnderstandynge of them, and tell me the fyrste poynte, what vnderstan­deste thou by the spirituall lyfe, of the whych the historie of Iesus Christ serueth vs for an example.

I vnderstande that all the lyfe of Iesus Christe oughte fyrste to serue vs as an allegorye, by the whyche we oughte spiri­tuallye, to yelde oure selues to be conforma­ble vnto Iesus Christe, in that whyche vere­lye, & riallye hathe bene accomplished in hys bodie, the which can not be in ours.

Thou speakest not much clearlier thē thou dydeste, therefore declare vnto me that whych thou wouldeste say by exemple.

I am contente. Iesus Christe hath beene conceiued by the holy Gost borne of the vir­gyn Marye, he hath bene crucified, dead, bu­ried, is rysen agayne, and gone vp into heauē all whyche thynges can not be accomplished in oure bodies as they haue bene in hys. But lette vs take payne, that oure spirite maye in the same be conformable vnto hym, oure bo­dies be conceyued and borne in synne, and in­iquitie, & not of the holy Goste in the wombe of a vyrgin, but of corruptible seede, and then for to be conformable vnto hym in thys, lette vs nowe come vnto hys church beleue in hys Gospell, and in the same whyche is oure mo­ther, and a virgin pure and chast, we shalbe conceyued and begotten by the incorruptible seede of the word of God, our father, and by Spiritual cō ­ceptiō & birth, Gala. iiii. i. Petre. ii. Iohn. xxxi. Ephe. iiii. the vertue of hys holye spirite, & shalbe borne agayne chyldrene of God, and shall be newe creatures, and put of the olde manne and put on the newe, bearynge the Image of the newe Adam whyche is Iesus Christe, as wee haue borne that of the olde and of the synfull man.

Beholde, for thys is a holye concep­tion and happye byrth.

Then in asmuche as we be all ready so conceyued of the holye Goste, and borne of [Page] that pure virgin the churche, whyche is the spouse of Iesus, it muste followe also that the Eph. v. reste of oure lyfe be conformable vnto that of Iesus Christe accordynge to our spirituall conception, natiuitie and byrthe.

We be not crucified nor put vnto death as he was but learne we of him to beare our crosse To be crucified with christ. wyth him to be crucified vnto y ^e worlde, & the worlde vnto vs, as saynte Paule doeth write of hym selfe.

And howe can we be crucified vnto the worlde and the worlde vnto vs?

When we dye vnto the world: likewise dieth the world vnto vs.

These maner of spea­kynges To die to the worlde. be verye darke.

They be darke vnto them whyche be not acquaynted, or accustomed wyth the ma­ner of speaking of the Apostles. But I do vse [...] wyllynglye boeth to accustome the, and by­cause I do take pleasure in the stile of the spi­rite of God, and of his Apostles. To be cru­cified and dead vnto the worlde, that is to be crucified & dead vnto sinne, and that is to for­sake Rom. vi. synne, & to haue no more acquayntaunce wyth hym, and to do him no more seruice, thē the dead do vnto the lyuynge, for as the dead haue nothynge in commune wyth the liuinge but be seperated the one frome the other, and haue no more acquayntaunce togyther, euen so be they deade vnto the world, which haue [Page] forsaken it to serue God, and wyl no more be conformable vnto it, that is to saye vnto the fleshe, nor vnto hys concupiscences, & so is it impossible, but they whiche be thus dead, vn­to the worlde liue vnto God, and the worlde To liue vnto the worlde. lykewise dead vnto them, & by the contrarye they whyche lyue vnto the worlde, and vnto whom the worlde lyueth, be dead vnto God as the Apostle doeth wryte, of the voluptu­ous wydowe sayinge, the wydowe whyche i Timo. ii. doeth lyue in lustes & pleasures, in so lyuyng is dead, and bicause that she lyueth vnto the worlde, she is dead vnto God, so then when we dye vnto the worlde we ryse vnto God, and do practise in oure selues the exemple of the death and passiō of Iesus Christ spiritually whē we mortify our earthlye mēbres & of­fer our bodies as lyuyng sacrifices vnto god Roma. xii. Colo. iii. and do kil by the swerd of the worde, and do burne vp by the fyre of his spirite oure cōcu­piscence & carnall affectiōs & lustes whiche be the bruite beastes, that we sacrifice vnto him. We dye thē with Iesus Christ whē we mor­tifie and crucifie oure olde Adam, we ryse a­gaine also, & go vp into heauē with him, whē we put on Iesus Christ, & serue vnto ryghtu­ousnes, forsakynge thys worlde & all that is Phi. iii. Eph. i. ii. in it or of it hauynge our hertes and cōuersa­tion in heauen sekynge Iesus Christe whyche is vpon the ryghte hande of God hys father.

Trueli that is a commodious setting forth of the historie of Iesus Christe vnto vs.

So doeth the Apostles teache vs and specially Saynte Paule setteth forth vn­to vs the death and resurrectiō of Iesu Christ as an Image mirrour and glasse of the christi an and spirituall lyfe, and doeth expound vn­to vs, howe the baptisme doeth conteyne the The signi­ficacion of baptisme Rom. vi. Gala. ii. Coll. ii. Iohn. iii. vii. Sacramente and signification of these thyn­ges, for the water which is poured vpon our heade is fyrste vnto vs an assured and a cer­tayne testimonie signe & seate of the remission of oure synnes by the holye Goste, whych is the water of lyfe, that doeth washe and make cleane oure consciences from synne, as the vi­sible water doeth washe the filthe frome the bodye.

And further it is also a Sacramente of pe­naunce whych doeth teach vs that as the water is caste vpon vs, so muste we drowne our olde man wyth Pharao, and the Egyptians in the redde sea, and muste be buried wyth Iesus Christe, but by that, that thys water aby­deth not alwaies vpon oure heades, nor doth not drowne vs, is signified vnto vs that the penaunce & mortification whyche God doeth require of vs, is not vnto death but vnto lyfe Exo. xiii. Luke. xxiiii. makinge vs by the death, to entre into lyfe, as the childrene of Israell passynge thorowe the myddeste of the deepe of the redde Sea, [Page] weare broughte vnto libertie, and as Iesus Christe by the death of the crosse is entred in­to the glorye of God hys father, and so in baptisme is not onelye presented vnto vs the grace and mercie of God, and be not onelye by the same receyued into hys alliaunce, and into hys churche, but wee haue also the sacra­mente of the death, burial, and resurrection of Iesus Christ, and of ours wyth hym, and the Sacramente of repentaunce, and of remission of synnes, and the summe of all the Euange­licall doctrine, and the Image or patrone of all the christian lyfe.

I nowe vnderstande thys parte, but there resteth yet to knowe the other maner to take example of the historye of Iesus Christe for the rulynge of oure outwarde lyfe and cō uersation.

I shal declare it the by exemples in so­muche as thou desireste to haue the thinges playnlye expounded. Fyrste in the lyfe of Ie­sus Christe, there be diuers worckes whyche Example of Christ for the outward life. Math. iiii. Marc. i. be propre to hym selfe, the whyche noone can do but him selfe, as his fasting fourty dayes & hys miracles workes, which he dyd. Then must not we vndertake to do suche thynges, excepte we wyll as mockers make a mocke of hym, and after the maner of apes counter­fayte hys worckes as thynges to laughe at, as manye priestes, and religious, & hipocrites [Page] do in diuers thynges, not regardynge those thynges in the whyche Christe woulde vs to folowe hym, for there be other thynges done and sette forth by Christe for vs to followe, as hys innocentie, ryghtuousnes, holines, zeale Worckes of Christ for vs to folowe. and feruentnes, whyche he had for to ad­uaunce the glorye of God hys father, and in settynge forthe hys trueth and hys Gospell. Hys sobernes softnes, benignitie, patiēce, cō ­stancie, temperaunce, the paynes, trauels, and labours whyche he toke as a true pastour for hys churche, for the saluation, and consolatiō of menne, and for the solace and conforte of theyr bodies and soules, nor neuer fayled persone, when it was expedient, and conueniente for hys office, or for anye other that had nede, and hadde to do wyth hym: all pastours, and ministers of the churche, & all true christians haue in him a goodly mirrour or glasse, and a very plaine rule for to learne vs how to leade conducte, and vse our selues in thys humayn lyfe, and therefore we oughte to traueile and drawe as neare vnto him as to vs shalbe po­ssible by holie life & cōuersatiō, to the end that the lighte of his image maye be sene to shine Ephes. v. Colo. iii. Phil. ii. Tessalo. i. ii. in vs in suche sorte, that we may be the lyght of the worlde, and that we maye shewe lighte euē in the middest of the darkenes of the same as goodly lightes folowyng, principally his inestimable humilitie, patiēce, and charitie, to [Page] the ende that wee maye saye as the Apostle dyd. Be ye folowers of me, as I am of Iesu Christe, and in doynge after thys sort it shall [...] Cor. x. well suffice vs to haue Iesus for oure patron and leader, and if we wyll haue the Sayntes for oure patrones, we ought not to take them for suche otherwyse, but as that holye Apo­stle doeth teach vs, and not in electyng them for oure mediatours and aduocates, for there is no suche patrone but Iesus Christe, but in folowing theyr holye life & cōuersatiō as they haue folowed that of Iesu Christ whom they haue taken for theyr true patrone, for patrone is to be vnderstand the thyng, vpō the which wee do take example, and then can we fynde none more apte, meete or conueniente then Ie­sus Christe.

I do vnderstande well this matter.

I wyll yet shewe the howe thys passi­on doeth serue me for a remedye and a medi­cine The suffering of Christe a remedie a­gaynste all euyll agaynste all the temptations, combraūce sykenes, aduersities, and perelles that maye come vnto me into thys worlde, for if anye mā haue done me a displeasure or iniuri whe­ther it be wyth right or wronge, I haue in cō ­solation, if I do suffre wyth good ryght, and i. Petre. iii. Luke. xxiii. that I haue deserued it, I do considre Iesus Christe which hath suffered innocētly and do thynke in my selfe, if Iesu Christ which hath [Page] suffered innocently, hath borne patientlye all the iniuries and outragies done vnto hym, & hath prayed for hys enemies, the whych had persecuted and pursued hym euen vnto the death of the crosse, haue I not then a good oc­casion patiently to suffre the euil, which I do suffre for my synnes, & to condemne my selfe and to pray for them, whyche persecute me & be sente to me of God for my chasticement, & not to curse and aske vengeaunce vpon them, and if I do suffer wrongefullye wythout ha­uynge deserued towardes men, I do reioyce and take consolation in my tribulations and gyue thankes vnto God the whyche hathe made me not onelye a fellowe partaker of Math. v. i. Petre. iiii. hys prophetes and Apostles, but also of him selfe, also in that, that he wyl as a membre of hys bodye, I do followe my heade beyng as­sured that as I suffre wyth hym, shall I also Rom. viii. be glorified wyth hym, I do gyue hym than­kes of the greate grace that he hath gyuē me that is to saye, by hys goodnes he hath kepte me frō fallinge into anye crime for the whych men myght haue anie iust occasion to hate or persecute me, but hath so ledde me by his ho­lye spirite, that the euyle cā fynd in me nother coloure, nor reasone to afflicte me except one­lie bicause I desire and offre my selfe to be an honest mā, & to folow trueth & ryghtuousnes the whiche thinge cometh not of my selfe, but [Page] of God, the whyche hath so kept me wythout the ayde of whome I should be the moste miserable and greatest sinner of the world.

Certaynely the consideration of this is no smal cōsolation.

There is yet other thynges to folowe for I con [...]idre that howe innocent or irrepre­hensible so euer I be, or can be before menne, yet neuertheles I can not be before God, but a greate offender and culpable of eternal damnatiō, if he would entre into iudgmente wyth Psalm. Cxlii. me, and punishe me in hys rigour, wherefore I doo thynke that thoughe I haue not deser­ued the euil [...]hat I do suffre by suche occasion for whyche menne do persecute me, I am not yet for al that so innocente before God, but I haue deserued that and muche more before God, and therfore I do receiue that as at the hande of God, as Dauid dyd suffre the ou­tragies ii. Reg. xvi. of Seme [...], and haue pittie and com­passion of myne owne enemies, considerynge that they are my brethren, not knowing what they doe, and do more anoyaunce and hurt to them selues then to me, and therfore am I moued to pray vnto God for them, that he wyll pardone them theyr faultes, for they can not hurte me, but in my bodye, but they hurte and sle [...] theyr owne soules, and if I se my carnall brother in the hand of the hangeman leading hym to the gollowes, howe euill or vntrue [...]o [Page] euer he were, or what displeasure he myghte or should haue done me, yet shall I haue pitie and compassion of hym, and should bye hym frō the gallowes it I might, and deliuer hym from the handes of the hangman, haue I not then much greater occasion to haue pitie and compassion of my pore blynde and ignorante brethern, the whyche I do see by theyr infide­litie and synnes to be in the handes of the Deuil, whych is the greate hangeman of hel, for to lead them vnto eternal dampnation, ought we not well here to followe the example of Iesus Christe whyche is come to saue & not Luke. ix. to lose, and to aske of God pardon for them, and further when I do considre that which I do suffre and do compare it wyth the afflicti­ons and tormentes of Iesus Christe, & that I do knowe the difference betwene my tribu­lations and hys, I shall be ashamed greatlye of mine impatience, or to missaye them which do me iniurie, when I do remembre the praier that Iesus Christ made vpō the crosse for his enemies, but shall rather be moued to pray to Act. vii. God for thē as. S. Stephan did. And further when I do considre the innocencie of Iesus Christe, and the multitude of synnes, whyche be in my self, and in what numbre God doth pardon theim euerye daye, I shall haue good occasion to pardon my brethern of a small of­fence or iniurye done vnto me, seyng that my [Page] celestial father doth pardon me myne offēces beynge so greate and manye in numbre and wythout hauynge deserued anye suche for­gyuenes.

We shew oure selues verye vnthāk­ful and ingrate, if that when other haue for­gyuē vnto vs a myllion of crownes, we wyll nor can fynde in oure hertes to forgyue oure detters one halfpenye, and surely I do fynde these considerations, whyche thou haste resi­ted verye fruitful and do perceiue and know euerye daye more in hearynge of the speake the greate consolation, and Godlye doctrine and fruite, that we may receyue and beare of thys crede, if we considre and examine it near lye as thou doeste at all tymes that thou re­sueste it.

Lykewyse muste I do in al the tribulations and sykenes that may come vn­to Remedies a­ [...]ynste al [...]. to me, for if I haue payne in my heade, I shall call to remembraūce the crowne of thrones whyche dyd perce the braynes of Iesu Christ and the tre of the crosse whyche he hadde for hys boulster, wher as I haue my head wrap­ped and bound in softe and swete kerchiues, and my heade layed vpō a suf [...]e pelowe. Or it I do fele my bodye werye, and ouer for traueled, and all myne other membres so weake that with great pame I may turne me frome one side to an other: yet shal I perceiue mi self much better intreated thē Iesu Christ my sa­uioure [Page] remembryng hym spred vpon the tre, hangynge vpon the crosse, hauynge hys han­des and fete nayled, and myght not stirre nor remoue anye membre, yea, and that after that he had bene all the nyght, and almost all the daye scrached, beaten, whypped, & hys bodye all to broken and almoste shed all hys blond where as I am layed in a good softe bedde, & tenderlye intreated, and haue seruauntes and healpe to take me vp, & laye me downe and to conforte and to gyue me all thynges that I aske, or that cā be deuised to be good for me.

Alas that we can not thynke of thys, for if we could we should be muche more pa­cient in al our sikenes & aduersities thē we be.

Yea, and we should not be so muche nor so sone moued when we heare anye euyll or outragragious wordes spoken against vs for that our good sauiour hath suffered much greater, yea & euen in the same houre that he was most oppressed with tormēts, for he was left & forsakē of al creatures, without hauing any maner of ayd, confort or cōsolatiō, no not so much as an euil doer that is lead to execution, for he herde none other thynge, but iniuries, outragies and blasphemies agaynste hym selfe, the whyche dyd no lesse per [...]e hys herte then the thornes & nailes did pear [...]e hys head Esai, liii hys hades and hys fete, & yet for al that came there neuer out of hys mouth one euile word [Page] but was alwayes meeke as a lambe that is in the handes of the sherer or bocher, where­fore if I do see my selfe forsaken of all menne and of all my speciall frendes, yet shall I re­comfort my selfe in Iesus Christe seyng that I am not yet in suche extremitie as he was, knowynge also that I am not forsakē of god, but that he is alwayes wyth me, as he was wyth hys sonne Iesus Christ, notwythstan­dynge it dyd seme that he was altogyther, & vtterly forsaken of hym the whych he would in dede feele in hym selfe, to the ende that we shoulde not feele it in oure selues, but should receiue cōsolation by hym.

Certaynely the consolation is greate principallie for the poore people, which sum­tyme be extremly oppressed in al maners, as well with sykenes as wyth extreme pouertie wythout hauyng anye ayde or healpe of any persō, there is none so sore sike, but it is greate pitie, howe wel so euer they be kepte and treated. But lette vs thē behold and thinke what it is or maye be in them that haue extreme pouertie toyned with theyr sicknes, and haue nothynge to healpe theim selues wyth nor no bodye for to keepe them as it is mooste often sene principallye in the tyme of the plage, in the whyche the mooste richeste theim selues haue manye tymes muche adoe to fynd anye that wyll serue & keepe them, happye be they [Page] then that in suche anguishes and distres haue remembraunce of Iesus Christe, and haue the consideration that thou speakeste of.

Also lykewyse when I am in anye ma­ner of burnynge and extreme heate, that doth so alter me that it doeth seme vnto me as fire were in my bodye, impossible to stacke my thyrste, and that my mouth is so brought out of taste, that I can awaye wyth no maner of meates nor drynkes what so euer they be.

Then I do thynke of two thynges, the firste is, I considre the paynes of the poore, vnhap­pye and dampned, and perceiue in my selfe, that if a lytle pece of an humour, and a litle excessiue, and extra ordinarie heate hathe engeu­dred in me such payne and griefe that I haue almooste loste all patience, alas maye I then thynke, howe shoulde I endure or suffre that whyche Iesus Christe hathe suffered for me, or howe should I do if I should be caste into that ardent eternall fyre, and beare all the ire, iudgmente, and malediction of God, whyche the vnfayethfull reprobate do beare, as Iesus Christe hathe borne for me, I fynde my selfe then muche bounde to gyne hym thankes se­yng he hath deliuered me frō such tormentes and ought to esteme thys worldly paynes verye lyghte, and as thynges to learne me the feare of God, to flee from synne and to putte my whole trust in Iesus Christ, for the auoi­dynge [Page] of that horible and fearful iudgmente of God, of the whych the sicknesses and al o­ther aduersities be but as small aduertismen­tes, the better to learne vs to know his grace & the better to withdraw vs from this world. And of y ^e other part whē I do cōsidre & thinke vpon the thirste & alteration that Iesu Christ myght haue after his greate tormētes which he suffered a [...]l the nyght, and al the daye after he had almoste shed all hys bloude, and was hangded vpō the crosse all moste thre houres and yet coulde not haue so much as one drop of water to quenche hys thyrste wyth al, but hadde gyuen hym in the stede of good drinke bitter gall, vunger and myrre, I maye then thynke in my selfe to haue greate cause of cō ­plaint, seing that I maye haue the good mal­uesey & all other thynges that I can aske, for the comfortynge of my herte, and my sauiour Iesus Christe myghte not haue so muche as one sope of water to quench hys thyrste, whē I haue well considered all thys, and haue a lytle mingled, and steped wyth my meates, poreges, and suppynges of thys vineger gal and myrre, whyche Iesus Christ dyd taste & feele, I do fynd it more swete then huny. And yet is ther one thinge that I do learne by the same to kepe miself frō doing wrōg or imurie Ephe. v. to anie creature, nor to hate my christian bro­ther, knowing that whē I so do, I do giue vnto [Page] Iesus Christe to drynke viniger gall and myrre, & am a braunch of that vnhappie iudi­call vine, whiche in the stede of good grapes, hrynge forth thornes & sloes, which be so excedynge bytter, for to make drinke for hys saui­oure, which hath made planted and dreste it.

Thys is not euil taken for so farre as I cause the death and passion of Iesus Christ is a consolation, medicine, & remedye against all sikenesses & deseases both of bodie & soule.

But yet where it doeth mooste chieflye serue me, is whē I do fele the temtation & as­sautes of death. I do thē cal vnto remēbrance Remedye a­gainst the as­saultes of howe Iesus Christe is dead for me, how that he is risē, & hath triumphed ouer death. This remembraunce & consideration doth mitigate the feare of death which al mē haue natural­ly, & doth assure & cōfirme me agaynste al the assaultes of death, of synne, and of Sathan and of hell, knowinge that he which beleueth Iohn. v. vi. in Iesus dyeth not, nor entreth not into iudg­mente, but is already passed from death vnto lyfe, for this same corporal death, is not death but onely a passage frō miserie into pleasure and felicitie, and awaye by the whych we entre into eternal glorye, wherefore I reioyce in my hert, & do say with the holi Apostle, death Ose. v. i. Cor. xv wher is thy sting, hel wher is thivictorie?

This is a verifearful assault wherfor it is veri necessari & nedeful a mā to shew him self at [Page] that houre to be a true champion, and a christian knyghte.

It is the same houre by the whych it shall be plainly knowen whether we haue beene hypocrites or true christians & whether we beleue wyth oure hertes that whythe we confesle with oure mouthes, for there be such whyche haue so greate feare of death, & haue hadde so little experience of the death and re­surrection of Iesus Christ, that when they be syke, if a man aduise them to loke on their cō ­sciences, and dispose theyr houses, and make theyr wylles they before greued, & somtime angrie wyth theim that moue theim, and be merueylouslye greued, where as they ought to returne vnto God, wyth all theyr hertes & folowe the exemple of the good patriarkes whyche dyd not leaue theyr busines vndone, & theyr goodes vndisposed til they felt death Gen. xl. readye to stop theyr throtes, but dyd it while they hadde tyme, and theyr wyttes and vn­derstandyng perfecte. Of the whych also Iesus Christe hathe gyuen vs an exemple, and hathe shewed vs in the same what care wee oughte to haue for theim the whyche be gy­uen vs in charge when that he dyd recōmend hys mother, vnto. S. Iohn, but they whych be so fearde of death do she we that the death and resurrection of Iesus Christe is not well printed in theyr hertes, for that is the Soue­rayngne [Page] remedie & the true armore to strenthē vs in thys battell, & ther is no other true con­solatiō, they that be syke or in other aduersitie haue manye tymes conforters, but manye be suche as came vnto Iobe, more lyke to bringe hym to desolation and dispayre then to consolatiō. Some sette before them theyr good workes, or as a man myght better saye, theyr su­persticitions & hypocrisies, & do learne thē to put theyr trust, & other which shal in the same be done by them after their death, do promisse them heauen. But what maner of proceading is thys for whan the conscience doeth feele it selfe loden wyth the burthen of hys sinnes, & the eyes open and seeth hym selfe personally before the iudgment of God, whyche can re­ceiue nothynge but that whych is iuste & per­fecte, what consolation maye the conscience receyue of hys worckes, the whyche at that tyme she shall knowe to be al vnperfecte and be nothynge but synne, and vnworthye to be presēted before the maiestie of God? what terrour and feare ought she to haue, when she seeth that horryble mouthe of hell wyde open readye to swalowe hyr, except she haue other ayde and succoures then of hyr selfe, yea, and if she haue not truste and confidence that she is deliuered and saued, not by hyr owne righ­tuousnes, but by that of Iesus Christe, or if she be so blynded that she haue some truste of [Page] hyr workes and leaue vpon the same, and not the promises of God, and the grace in Iesus Christe, what maye come of hyr, but fall into the depe pytte of hell, seyng the forsaketh Ie­sus Christe and hys satisfaction toward god whyche can not be ioyned, or haue anye place wyth oure satisfaction, whyche of it selfe is nothynge.

There be which doe comfort them of a better sorte shewynge them the miseries of thys presente lyfe and howe that death is vnto them the ende of al euiles, and an entrie vnto reste and the begynnynge of felicite.

That same semeth to haue some coloure and to be mete to bringe consolation, but the phylosophers haue done s [...] muche & theyr bokes doe conteigne no lesse, but there muste be an other consolation for to appease the conscience pressed wyth the iudgmente of God, the whych is not found, but in the chri­stian doctrine, and in the death and resurrectiō of Iesus christ, for valiantly to entre into the battell of death, & boldly to present hym selfe before the iudgmente of God, there is no bet­ter waye or meane then for to dispayre of hys own vertue & power, & to put hys onlye trust & hope in Iesus Christe, & to condemne hym selfe and all hys workes, & to iudge thē wor­thye of eternall death, & dampnation and to present him selfe before God in the onlye cō ­fidēce [Page] that he hath in Iesus Christe beyng as­sured of hys saluation by the onelye fauoure, grace, and mercie of the same.

I beleue well that thys is the beste of all other, & that there is none other, for trulye thou haste ope­ned vnto me a goodly shope full of all maner of medicines againste al maner of sikenesses & aduersities boeth of soule and bodie, in the which I am determined to fetch all the medi­cines whych shalbe necessarie for my saluati­on.

It there cam a poticarie or phisitian which would promise medicines and remedies for to heale all sikenesses, and for to kepe a mā alwaies in health, ther is none but would runne to hym, yea, and bestowe al hys good­des to bye that health, howe poore so euer he were, what desyre oughte wee then to haue and to runne vnto Iesus Christe, whiche is the soueraigne & true medicine which healeth not onelye the bodyes, but also the soules from al infirmities & sikenesses, and doth not onelye keepe theim in healthe durynge thys mortall lyfe, but that more is, it doeth keepe theim frome euer diynge, and maketh menne immortall, and to lyue eternallie, which none Iohn. iii. vi. other medicine can do.

And that wee myghte the better loue hys medicines, and that he myghte the better in­site vs the better to come vnto hym, he doeth Esai. i. ii. lv. gyue the vnto vs frely without demaūdinge [Page] other golde or syluer, and therefore we be ve­rye miserable to forsake hym for to haue re­course vnto the popes priestes and monkes, whyche so dearlye sell theyr medicines vnto vs, the whyche can in nowise profit vs, but rather venim and poysen our soules and con­sciences.

I intende neuer frome hence forthe to haue recourse to other but to hym, and to the ende I maye the better knowe hym, I praye the let vs come vnto the article folowinge, the whyche alreadye hathe bene expounded, for by that thou haste taught me thys daye thou haste inough opened the vnderstandynge for to learne me to knowe, how I ought to prac­tise all the christian doctrine, and howe to vse it to my profitte.

I wyll also doe that whyche thou desi­reste, but to kepe the ordre wee haue begon & holdē hitherto, we may of thys mattier make here a stoppe, and so go forwarde wyth that that foloweth, as we haue done before. And we haue also commoned lōge mongh for one.

I shall alwayes agre to all that thou wylte.

VVe haue all readie treated largly of the historie and misterie of oure re­demption, and that whyche doeth concerne the fyrste commynge of oure Lord Iesus Christ in the fleshe the cau­ses of the same what he hath done for vs and the fruites we oughte to abyde and loke for, There resteth now to speake of hys secōdcō ­mynge, in the whyche he shall appeare not in humilitie, and infirmitie, as he dyd at the fyrste, but in glorye and maiestie, not for to o­pen and pronounce the grace and mercye of God vnto sinners as he hath done before but for to glorifie wyth hym selfe, them whyche receyued hys grace and mercie in the tyme that he presēted and offered it vnto them, and for to condemne & iudge them whych woulde not knoweledge hym for theyr sauiour. And for to reenter into the matter, resite that which foloweth.

There foloweth after that whych we haue sayed. That he is set vpon the ryghte hande of God, and from thense shall come to The second commynge of Christe. iudge the quike and the deade. I do fyrste de­maunde of the if the bodye of Iesus Christe glorified be in some certrine place, or whether it be in diuers places, or in al places?

It ought to suffice vs to knowe & beleue that whyche we haue al readye sayed of hys [Page] ascention, and of hys seate vpon the ryghte hande of God, I denye not but Iesus Christ is in al places by his diuinitie, and by his ho­lie How Christ is in al places spirite, in asmuche as he is God, but in as­muche as he is trulie man, hys bodie can not be a true and verie bodie without occupiyng some place. To be in al places as hys diuini­tie is, it can not be of hys nature, for nothyng can be ouer all but God, wherfore if hys bo­dye were ouer all and in all places, it shoulde folowe necessarilie that it shoulde be God. If it weare God it shoulde then not be a bodye but a spirite, and Iesus Christe should not be verie God, and verye man, but God onelye and the body which he did take in the wombe of the virgyn should be a newe God, whiche had some beginnynge the whyche is a thinge repugnaunt vnto the nature of God.

But mai not God do what so euer he wyll, & in asmuche as the diuinitie of Iesus Christe can not be seperated from hys humanitie, is not hys bodye in all places wher his diuinitie is?

Nothinge is impossible vnto God, and albeit he may do al, yet neuertheles his pow­er is aswayes conioyned wyth hys wisdome and vseth it not disordinatly, but alwayes in suche sorte that hys worckes be not confused, but that hys creature abideth alwayes a cre­ature, gyuing him suche propreties as he will [Page] and yet foloweth it not, that the diuinitie and humanitie of oure Lorde Iesus Christe be so inseperable that hys humanitie fulfilleth the heauen, and the earth as hys diuinitie doeth for my body and my spirite be conioyned to­gyther, and yet it foloweth not therefore that my bodye shoulde be in all places where my spirite maye be, for my spirite maye be raui­shed euen vp into heauen, and yet my bodye neuertheles shal be in the earth, or and if thou loueste better the cōparison of Saynt Austen God dwelleth in vs by hys holy spirite, and yet neuertheles we be not in all places, and e­nerye where, where God is, albeit he dwel­leth in Iesus Christe otherwyse then in vs, but thys ioyninge togither or comunction of two natures doeth not take from the natures theyr propreties.

But is there no difference betwen the bodies glorified and the mortall and corrup­tible bodies?

Yes verye greate, and I denye not but The glorious body of chirst that the gloriousse bodie of Iesus Christe is now farre other then it was before his death and resurrectiō, & yet hathe he not for all that chaūged his body, but hath alwaies kept the same he had before, & hathe not chaunged his substaūce, except that he hath put of the qualities of imperfectiōs & miseres which he toke for vs, & is immortal & glorious or otherwise [Page] he shoulde not be trulie rysen, nor we shoulde not call the resurrection, resurrection, excepte that same propre bodie, and that same propre flesh, whych is fallen by death were rysen vp agayne, nor shoulde not receyue lyfe by the same, & so myght it be rather called mutation or chaunging, thē resurrectiō, & thē to dispute subtellye & curiouslye of the properties of the bodye glorified, & of the place where the bo­dye of Iesus Christe is, shoulde be a thynge not onelye vnseamynge, but also vnworthye of the simplicitie and of the euangelicall doc­triue we ought to contēt our selues, to knowe Luke. xxiiii Iohn. xxi. that Iesus Christe is in the celestiall glorye, and that he hath a verie true body such as he shewed it vnto hys disciples, hauyng fleshe & bones, and that it is not chaunged into spirite but doeth holde alwayes the properties of a verye true bodye, suche as appertayneth vn­to a verye and true glorified bodye, whyche not wythstādynge it hath put of al humaine infirmities, yet followeth it not for all that, that it is in al places, nor in diuers or manye places al at one tyme & instante. We oughte to beleue that he is in heauen, sette vpon the ryghte hande of God hys father, where as Act. vii. saynte Stephan dyd see hym. For to dispute and diffine what is thys heauen, & that ryght hande of God, is here no neade, but is more sure to putte it of and leaue oure disputation [Page] vnto the tyme we came there, and maye se it by experience, and that we maye vse suche di­ligence to folowe Iesus Christe in the tyme we be in thys lyfe, that we may come thether and beholde hym.

And if it be thus as thou sayest howe can we make it agree, wyth that whyche the priestes make vs beleue that the body of Iesu Christ is in the hoste, betwene theyr handes, The corporal presence. or in the pixkes, euen as greate and large, as he was vpō the crosse.

They whyche beleue that, beleue not that he is sette vpon the ryghte hand of God And shall come frō thense to iudge the quicke and the dead.

Wherefore not? Maye he not as well come downe and goe vp, by the vertue of the sacramentall wordes, as he is goue vp.

To what purpose or what neade is it that he should come downe, descend, or ascende, seing he fulfilled all by hys vertue and power? If it were neadful that hys bodie should be pre­sented vnto vs carnallye, wherefore is not he taried wyth vs, or wherefore is he not retur­ned to be cōuersaunte, as he was before with hys disciples, wherefore did he saye vnto his disciples. It is expediente for yo [...] that I de­part, for excepte I depart, that conforter shall not come? If the corporal presēce he Iesu christ dyd wyth holde the hertes of the Apostles [Page] here in this lowe earth, and dyd hyndre them to knowe hym spirituallye, howe shoulde he haue wylled vs to sette oure spirites to seeke hym in almorsell of breade in the handes of a synner, or in a pixce or boxe, hathe he not say­ed, he woulde be prayed vnto of them whiche shoulde honoure and seeke hym in spirite and in trueth, and that suche be the true honorers, and howe shall wee honoure hym in spirite & trueth, if we goe aboute to seeke and honoure hym in visible and corruptible thynges, and Ihon. iiii. in houses made wyth the handes of menne, and to muse vpon a morsell of breade, or vpō a pyxe or boxe, howe maye thys agree wyth that whyche Saynte Paule commaundeth vs sayinge. If ye be rysen agayne wyth Ie­sus Christe, seeke not the thynges whyche be Colo. iii. on the earth, but those that be aboue wher Ie­sus Christe is vpon the ryght hande of God the father, or wherefore do the priestes synge in theyr masses, Sursum corda, haue your hertes on hye, and wherfore do the other answer We haue thē to God? Why wyll they rote them here in thys lowe earth, and holde them in the Imagination of corporall and carnall presence, rather then to learne them to know Iesus Christe spirituallye, makynge theim to fele the fruite of hys bitter death & passiō? For thys cause hath he instituted hys holye Institucion of the supper supper, not for to make vs seke a corporal pre­sence, [Page] but for to represent hym self vnto vs by these visible sygnes, & for to learne vs by the same to go vp into heauen to hym, for he wyl not that we drawe hym from heauen by wordes, as coniurars and enchaunters, but will drawe vs vnto hym self, by hys holy spiritte and wylleth that oure hertes be lyfted by vnto hym, and that we there be traunslated and traunsported by hys vertue, to receiue repast & nouryshmente of hys fleshe & of hys bloud wherefore it is no neade that he shoulde des­cend or go vp, for if he myght not communi­cate hys fleshe and hys bloude vnto vs other wyse then by hys corporall and carnall pre­sence, and wythout descendynge corporallye frome heauen, the vertue and power of hym selfe and of hys holye spirite, were not great and shoulde not haue so muche power as the sunne, the which without cōming down from heauē doth veri wel cōmunicate his light and heate to mē, wherfore may not thē Iesu christ cōmunicate him selfe to oure spitites soules & bodies, by the vertu of his spirite, & cōioyne & vnite vs wyth him selfe, as the mēbres wyth their head? We haue not thē ani caus to make a god of the bodie of Iesus, or a mōstruousse bodie which shold fulfil al places, or to gyue hym manye bodyes, as we muste neades be cōstrained to do, if we will folow the doctrin of the priestes, seynge that they wyll that all in one hours, one selfe minute, momente and [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] instante, he shoulde be in so manye places all at a time, it is much more sure to holde our selues vnto the testimonie of the Angels, whiche haue testified vnto hys disciples the daye of hys ascention, that as they sawe hym goe vp visiblye, so shoulde he be seene descend, whych Act. i. he him self also before had affirmed. Sayinge that he should come as a lyght whych should be seene from the Oriente vnto the occidente, Math. xxiiii wherefore he doeth declare that he shall not come inuisible, and that there where hys bo­dye shall be, there shall be hys elected.

These wordes be vnderstand of hys The sacramē tal commyng of Christe. corporall commynge vnto the iudgement, but there is an other whiche is sacramental.

I deny not but Iesu Christ cometh eueri day vnto vs and is in the middeste amonge vs, & wyth vs vnto the ende of thys worlde, & pre­sente vnto vs, but that is by his diuine vertue and by hys power and hys holye spirite, but of commynge and presence corporall and car­nall, the scripture promiseth vs no other thē that: whyche shall be at the laste daye, I deny not but he is present vnto vs by hys worde & by hys sacramentes, but that is in the maner that I haue alreadye shewed.

Thou wylt then saye, that he descen­deth not corporallye vnto the laste daye.

It is the scripture that so sayeth and not I.

Howe shall he come then and in [Page] what fourme?

He shall come accompa­nied wyth Angelles wyth the cloudes in the Math xxv. glory of God his father, in the propre fourme that he ascended.

Wherefore shall he come then in hys propre bodye, then visiblie rather then nowe?

Bycause that then shal be the tyme that he muste make accompte, and make them pertakers of hys glorye and immortalitie whych haue suffered wyth hym, and beleued in hym and shall make them the fote stole of hys fe [...]e whyche haue resisted hym, to the ende they may feele hym theyr iugde and Lord in theyr greate confusion, in the daye of the ire of god in asmuche as they woulde not knowe hym nor receiue hym for theyr sauioure in the time of grace and mercie.

Wherfore sayest thou the quicke and i. Cor. xv. i. Tessa. iiii. the dead, shal there be then some lyuynge?

Accordynge to the sayinge of Saynte Paule, it is manifeste that there shall be then when he shall come, the whyche neuertheles shalbe chaunged and hydden sodaynlye and shall mete Iesus Christe in the ayre.

And shall they come before thē that be dead?

No. For fyrste the trumpet shall blowe and the dead shal aryse and then all togyther shalbe found in a momēte wyth the Lorde.

And shall not the same dye?

Saynte Paul calleth not that chaunge death [Page] because it shalbe more shorte and sodayne thē the twynkelynge of an eye, but neuertheles they shall be all togyther chaunged, euen as they whyche shall haue slepte in the pouder of the earth, and shall put of mortalitie, for to put on immortalitie.

Thou vnderstandest then by the ly­uynge, & the deade, them whyche at that time shalbe lyuyng, and them whyche before that time shalbe dead.

I saye that the article maye verye well be so vnderstande, and that the doctrine of. S Paule is conformable vnto the same vnder­standynge, but we maye also well vnderstād it otherwyse, wythout contradiction of the scripture.

Declare it vnto me.

We may take thys copulation for one vniuersall, signifiynge as muche as thoughe we would say, he shal come to iudg the quicke and the dead, that is to saye, al humayne crea­tures for the same two wordes doeth comprehende all sortes of people, or he shall come to iudge the quike, whyche yet at thys presente tyme be alyue, whyche shall dye neuertheles at theyr tyme, and the dead, that is to saye, all them whyche haue bene, before vs, whyche is as muche as thoughe he shoulde saye, all them whyche haue bene be & shal be, of what estate or condicion so euer they be.

Declare vnto me yet in how manye [Page] maner of wayes I maye vse these thyngs vnto my profit.

In verye manye, but I shall touche one or two of the pryncipal. Thys iudgment of God oughte to learne and admonishe vs to walke in thys same mortall pilgrimage in simplicitie of herte and to putte a sure brydle vpon oure carnall concupiscences, and to re­dresse and refourme oure selues to the ryghte waye of the wyll of God, beyng assured that we must make accompt, & that not vnto a mortall manne as we be, but vnto hym that kno­weth not onelye all oure worckes, but also al our wordes and thoughtes knowynge that Math. xii. Math. i. there is nothynge so secrete, but at that tyme it shall be discouered before God, before hys Angelles, and before all menne that euer shal haue bene vpon the earth.

We ought then to be verye ware to doe any thynge in secrete, whyche wee woulde not do openlye, but we oughte to walke in thys lyfe, as thoughe wee sawe God alwayes before oure eyes.

And after the abydynge and lokynge for this Iudgemente oughte to wythdrawe oure sel­ues frome doynge anye wronge or iniurye vnto anye persone, and oughte well to keepe oure selues frome goynge out of the ryghte waye of trueth other for anye prayse, or for anye disprayses, or for sclaunders, or for [Page] the good or euyll wyll of menne, nother yet for anye profitte or dammage that myghte come vnto vs, nother for prosperitie nor ad­uersitie that myghte come, for we are certaine that then shall be holden the greate and laste appellation, and all causes shall be broughte forthe and iudged, but not accordynge to the iudgement of men, but accordynge to the iust iudgmente of God, by the whyche euery one shal receiue praise or shame, & vituperie, accor­dynge as he shall haue deserued.

Thys article as thou expoundeste it ought to brynge greate consolation vnto all the true fayethful whyche suffer persecution in thys worlde knowynge that, at that tyme theyr sorrowe shall be turned into ioye, and theyr shame into glorye, and of the contrarie it oughte to gyue greate feare vnto the infi­deles and hypocrites, for they maye wel hold them selues for assured that theyr infidelitie & hypocrisie shall be distroyed, and theyr glory shalbe turned into shame and confusion. And in asmuche as we be cōmen thus far forth, it doeth seme vnto me that these mattiers haue bene sufficientlye declared, and al the misterie of our redemption after such sort that I hold my selfe verye well satisfied for my part, and bicause I feare to make the werye wyth ta­kynge ouer muche of the at once, let vs here make a reste, to an other tyme.

Thou canste not make me werye in suche mattiers, yet neuertheles I am cōtente to folowe thyne aduice? Farewell.

To God I commende the vnto whō I praye to gyue vs suche grace that we maye at that greate daye of Iudgmente be found blameles and irreprehensible by the fauour & merites of Iesus Christe.

So be it.

IN as muche as we haue done the greatest parte Phylype, I shall desyre the to haue pacience, and to take the paine to expound vnto me the reste, that we maye se the end of thys mattier.

It is reason, and I wyll not deuye the my payne, seynge it bryngeth [...]o lesse conso­lation vnto me then to the.

It semeth vnto me that there be yet two partes to be declared, the one of the holye Goste and the o­ther of the churche.

It is true, but we maye well conioyne that of the holye Goste [Page] wyth that of the churche, go forth as we haue begonne.

It doeth folowe. I beleue in the holye Beleue in the holy gost Goste, it is no further neade that I shoulde aske howe thou vnderstandeste thys, for by that thou haste alreadie declared vnto me the fayeth thou haste in the father and in the son I vnderstande wel thou confesseste that thou putteste all thy truste in the holye Gooste.

And that thou beleueste, that by the same, the father and the sonne doeth sanctifie the as by Iesus Christe, thou art iustified by the vertu of the same holye spirite.

It is true.

Notwythstandynge I vnderstande that, yet woulde I verye gladlye thou woul­deste expounde me more largelye, what thou vnderstandest properly by thys holy spirite,

The same vertue, power, mouynge and efficatie of God, by the which the father and The holy gost the sonne worketh in vs, nourisheth & viuefi­eth as we haue all readye sayed, in declaryng oure fayeth of the father and the sonne.

In asmuche as thou beleueste in him thou holdeste hym for a God, as wel as thou doeste the father & the sonne.

Yea wythout doubte, for I vnderstande not by thys anye maner of thyng, out of god or besyde God but in God, & of hys propre substaunce.

Wherefore callest thou hym spirite, the father & the sonne be they not also [Page] spirite seinge thou confesseste they be God, & that Iesus Christe doeth openlye testifie that Ihon. iiii. God is a spirite, the whyche muste be hono­red in spirite and trueth?

I deme not but God is a spirite, and so by consequence, the father, & the sonne, but we must first considre The signifi­cation of the word spirite. what is the signification of thys sayinge spi­rite, and whether we speake of the essence and vnitie of God, or of the distinctions which be in the same, which the auncient fathers haue called the persones of the trinitie.

And what is the propre signification of thys same vocable spirite?

I haue saied before that mā cā not find propre wordes as to speake of diuine thinges, but muste borowe them of humayne thynges & by similitude of the same declare the thynges celestiall and spirituall.

I remēbre it well, but tel me thē what is the natural significatiō of this same word, and howe it agreeth wyth God.

Spirite, signifieth properlie inspiration blowing, & wynd, & bycause ther is nothinge more subtille amonge corporall thynges, nor that lesse can be perceiued by vewe or syghte thē the wind, and the spirite, it is oftē tastē in the scriptur for to signifie the things inuisible & diuine.

Therefore I thinke we call the soule & vnderstāding spirit, not that it should be taken but for a wind, but bicause it is inui­sible sodaynd & lyght as the wynd.

Euē so likewise God is called a spirite, not that we shuld thinke that he were nothing eles but a wynde whych passeth, but to make vs vnderstand that we ought not to Imagin that he shoulde be anye maner of thynge vi­sible, materiall or mortall, but one nature es­sence, perfecte inuisible, incorruptible, and im­mortall whyche wyll also be serued with the herte, and thē soule, of the spirite and vnder­standynge whyche be immortall, & not wyth ceremonies & corruptible thinges.

Accordynge to thys signification the father, the sonne, and the holye Gooste be then al called spirite, and all for one cause, but expounde vnto me wherefore thou calleste more perticularlye, the holye Gooste spirite then thou doest the father and the sonne.

Whē I behold the diuine essēce & vnitie of god, I call them al spirites, but when I cō ­sidre the personal distinction of the whych we haue spoken here before I do then principally call the thyrde personne, spirite, bycause that worde doeth better open hys propertie then anye other we can fynde. Thou muste also vnderstand that often tymes in the scripture The holie spirite for hys gyftes and graces. Esai. xi. i. Cor. xii. the holye Goste is taken not for the essence & substaunce of hym selfe, but also for hys gif­tes and graces.

Wherfore callest thou hym holye?

For to deserue hym from creatures, and [Page] for to declare that I speake of that vertue po­wer, and mouynge of God, whych is in God by the whych the father, by his sonne Iesus doeth sanctif [...]e saue and vinifie vs.

What callest thou holy?

A thynge pure and ferme, seperated frō all corruption, & pollution, and from all pro­phane & carnal vsage, & a thing whole & entier, and inuiolate, and all togyther dedicate vnto God, I [...]al thē the holy gost, because he is such in dede, and that by hym God in Iesu Christ sanctifieth ma [...]ne, that is to saye, he purgeth, maketh cleane, consecrateth, and dedicateth hym whollye to hym lelfe, seperatynge hym from all vyle and prophane vsages, to serue The christian sayutes. onelye vnto hym, Therfore also be the christians called sayntes, because they be anoynted wyth that oyntemente, and wythdrawen frō the seruitude of the deuyll, cōsecrate by Iesus Christe for to serue the onelye God.

I vnderstande nowe wherfore Iesus Christe dyd sende a greate myghtye wynde when he gaue hys holye spirite vnto hys A­postles.

There is no doubte, but he dyd it to The holye spirite shewe [...] in wynde. signifie, that as the winde suffereth the Roci­ers, the litle and small trees, and ouerthrow­eth by the rootes, breaketh down, broseth and maketh ruinous, the greate & myghtye trees, So the vertue of thys holy spirite is to bring [Page] consolation to the hertes aflicted to purge the consciences, to iudge the euile, to ouerthrowe and sette downe the proude, and to vpholde & beare vp the weake and humble.

If we wyll then haue anye thynge of God, we muste obteygne it by Iesus Christe workynge in vs by hys holie spirite.

It is euen so, for by hym all the bele­uers, be vnite in one self body with their head Iesus Christe, and be nourished and vinified in hym, as by the soule and spirite all the mē ­bres whyche be in one bodye, be partakers of the goodnes which is in the same body.

I beleue for that cause we put to, by & by after thys article, the which appertayneth nyghe vnto the churche, the whych is the bo­dye of Iesus Christ, of the whyche thou speakeste of vinifiynge & sanctifiynge by the same holy Gooste, for we do saye, by and by after the catholyke churche.

There is no doubte.

In asmuch thē as we haue treated the other three partes The church of the crede, & that we be come to the fourth, whyche concerneth the churche, daughter of the celestiall father, spouse of Iesus Christe, tell me fyrste what thou callest the church.

Churche signifieth congregation and assemble, Eph. v, but I do take it and vnderstād it here, for the assēble of the true and faythful christi­ans, whyche be vnite & cōioyned by one selfe [Page] spirite and one selfe fayeth.

Is there anye other church then the churche of the faith­full?

As we do cal the bodye and mem­bres of Iesu Christe the churche, so hath An­tichriste hys body and membres, whyche to­gyther make the malignaunt churche, but for asmuche as that toucheth vs in nothynge, we leaue it aparte, and speake only here of the tru The maly­gnant church church of Iesu Christe & therfore do we cal it holy.

For what cause?

To put difference betwene hyr and the church of Antichriste, and for asmuche as she is sanctified by the holye Goste, for to be the temple and habitatiō of God.

Wher fore doest thou also call it catholike, what sig­nifieth that worde catholyke? Catholike

It doeth signifie vniuersal, and therfore do I saye, I beleue the vniuersall churche, by­cause the churche doeth signifie all assembles, and congregation, where the fayethfull be as­sembled, as is the church of Cho [...]hi of Rome Galathiens and othere lyke, I wyll declare that there is one catholyke churche, that is to saye, vniuersall and generall, comprehending all the other, the whyche is generallye sowen thorowe all the worlde, onelye knowen of the onelye God whiche knoweth the hertes.

If she be sowen thorowe all the world how is she a church, seing that church signifi­eth cōgregatiō & assēble, & so as thou sayeste, [Page] it should seeme rather to disperation, seperati­on, and confution?

Therefore muste we considre thys The churche inuisible. churche spirituallye, and muste not thynke it to be a visible and local assemble, sette and li­mited in a certaine place.

Howe vnderstandest thou thys, or howe can the churche be inuisible, seyng it is the assemble of the fayethful, whyche be visi­ble menne,

I denye not but that the men whyche be of the churche be visible, but thys ioynynge togyther of the churche oughte not to be con­sidered of the coniunction of the bodies, but of the hertes, spirits, that be inuisible which none cause, and therefore notwythstandinge I see the menne that be of thys churche whē they be presente wyth me, yet neuertheles I The churche mingeled thorowe all the worlde. can not see them all because they be sparkeled abrode thorowe all the worlde, and thoughe they myght be assembled all in one place, yet coulde I not knowe them perfectlye, because that the elected shal neuer be so wel seperated in thys worlde, frome the infidels and repro­ued, but there shall be alwayes manye hypo­crites mingled amonge them, the whyche we can not wel deserue nor iudge, vnto such time as Iesus Christe shall make seperation of the Math. xxv. go [...]es from the lambes, and of the wheate frō the tares, therfore do I saye that thys church [Page] is inuisible, because the eye cā not se it, nor the humayne iudgmēt wel deserue it, therfore do we saye we beleue it, for if we did se it at our eye, wee beleued not, but notwythstandynge we can not se it at our eye, yet we beleue that the Lorde hathe hys elected, whyche notwithstandynge they be sparkeled aboute thorowe all the worlde as touchynge theyr bodies, be yet neuertheles so ioyned togither by the spi­rite of God, that they be but one selfe bodye one selfe herte, and one selfe soule. Act. ii. iiii.

Thou wylt then saye that the vniuersall churche is a spirituall and inuisible assē ­ble of all the elected and chyldrene of God, whyche be vpon the earth, in what place so e­uer they be, whyche notwythstandinge they be seperated and farre distaunte one frome a nother, as concerninge theyr bodyes, yet they be all vnite by one selfe spirite into one body misticall, of the whyche Christe is the head, Col. i. ii. whyche dyed for to assemble the chyldrene of God, that were sparkeled, but if thys church be inuisible howe canste thou saye, thou bele­ueste in hyr and that thou holdeste hyr fayth, howe canste thou knowe what she is, & what she beleueth if thou know hir not?

I saye not that I beleue in hyr.

Doeste not thou confesse, I beleue in the holye Gost, the holye vniuersal churche?

I do saye and confesse openlye. I beleue [Page] in God the father, and in Iesu Christ, and in the holye Gooste, but of the churche I do not saye, I beleue in the holye churche, but I be­leue the holye churche.

Is it not all one, what difference is there?

Verye greate. For if I sayed I be­leue in the holye church, I should cōfesse that I put my trust in hyr, as I haue sayed before to beleue in God, and the churche is not god but is an assēble of men, & cursed is man that trusteth in man, wherfore if I sayed, I beleue Iere. xvii in hyr, I should speake agaynste my self, and should reuerse the fayeth, which I haue cōfes­sed hytherto

Declare vnto me the differēce.

By expositiōs going befor it is opē inough, what sēce mi words should haue, if I sayed, I beleue in the church. But when I do saye, I beleue the holie churche, that is to saye, I beleue and confesse that ther is an assemble by the whyche I haue diffined the churche, and that in the same I wyll lyue and dye.

Howe wylt thou lyue and dye in hyr when thou knowest not where she is.

Although I can not perceiue, nor know al that be cōprised in it, yet neuertheles I haue certayne sygnes by the whyche I know & am assured what she is.

What be those sygnes?.

In all places & cōpanies Syngnes to knowe the church by [...] where as the worde of God is purelye ope­ned & receyued the sacramētes of Iesu Christ [Page] obserued and kept, I am certaine that there is of the shepe of Iesus Christe, & of the elected, or otherwyse hys voyce should not be opened nor yet receyued.

Thou wylt then saye, that the worde of god, & the sacramētes of Iesu Christ be in­dubitable signes of the same, but manie speak of Iesus Christe, and make semblant to heare hys worde whych be hypocrites, & beleue not in hym as Iudas was and suche [...]yke. And cō trariewyse there be many vnknowē which be estemed vnhappy & damned & yet haue faith & shall atteyne to the kyngdome of heauen, be fore them that shewe greate apparant, as Ie­sus Christe dyd saye, the harlottes & publicās Math. xxii. shoulde obteigne it before the scribes & phari­seis.

Therefore haue I sayed, that thys churche is inuisible, & vnknowen vnto me not bicause we se not with the bodily eyes, the mē whyche be of it, but because that man can not se the hertes nor can not deserue nor knowe whether the man that he seeth beleueth or no Ephe. ii. how holie soeuer he seme, nor none cā know it but the onlie God, which gyueth the fayth, & knoweth the herte that receyueth it.

Thou art then oftē begiled thinking that the church is wher the gospel is preached & the in stitutiō of Iesus obserued, seing that they that be ther & do such thyngs may be such as Iu­das, Act. i. v. viii. Simō magus, Ananias, & Saphira we [...].

Albeit that suche hypocrites maye be mingled in greate numbre amonge the faith­ful, which be alwayes the lytle flocke, yet ne­uertheles it is certayne that amonge them be some of Christes shepe, for els God woulde not permit nor suffer, that the preciouse pear­les, and margarites of hys holye Gospell shoulde be caste before dogges & swine only.

What if the wolues swine and dogs call theim selues shepe, and in stede of the go­spell sette forthe theyr owne dreames and hu­mayne traditious, howe causte thou knowe & deserue the churche. [...]. Cor. xii.

The Lorde hathe lefte vs hys holye scriptures, for to iudge and deserue by the a­nalogie of the fayeth, and the rule of charitie, whether the spirites be of God or not, & whether the spirit in the which I beleue do raigne the whyche is gyuen vnto the elected, for to iudge all thynges, for the spirituall man iud­geth all thynges, and is iudged of no man. Th [...] roman churche.

And is not the romayne churche that holie catholyke church, which thou beleueste and must be folowed?

If the romayne churche do abyde and perseuer in the apostolyke doctrine, I wyl re­knowledge hyr a churche of Iesus Christ in­asmuche as she declareth hir selfe to be the spouse of Iesus Christe, in obeying vnto him as vnto hyr heade, and for to lyue vndre hys [Page] lawes and ordinaunces, but yet maye I not take it for thys vniuersal church, of the which we haue spoken, for she can be but a mēbre of that churche, no more then other congregati­ons, and other christian churches that be a­brode in the uniuersall world seperated both in places and bodies, and yet ioyned in spirite and soule, makynge all togyther one vniuer­sall churche.

But is not the Romayne church the heade of all the other, vnto the whyche all the other oughte to obeye as subiectes?

If she be head, she is no more thē, nother spouse nor membre of hys body, suche as the faythfull ought to be, if she wyll haue domi­nion & gyue lawes vnto other, she is no more a churche of Iesus, but is the churche of An­techriste, whyche attributeth vnto hyr self the office appertayninge vnto Christe, for the of­fice of the churche is not to gyue lawes vnto hyr but receiue them of hym, and to make hyr selfe subiecte vndre the same.

The churche then whych wyll exar­cise power ouer the other, & gyue theim other lawes then the Gospell of Iesu, is no churche of Christe, bycause hys spirite reygneth not ther, but to what purpose serueth it to beleue the vniuersal churche?

Without that article, al the reste goyng before shoulde serue me for nothyng. For all [Page] that we haue sayed of God, & that we beleue of the father, & of the sonne, and of the holye Goste, hath regarde vnto thys churche with­out the whyche all oure faith should be vaine for in this crede we do not considre what god is in hym selfe, but what he is towardes vs, whyche be hys churche, and by what meanes he hath willed hyr to be deliuered, conserued ruled & gouerned, wherefore al that we haue treated here before pretendeth to thys end, for we muste nedes haue layed thys fundatiō to buylde after thereupon thys edifice, wythout the whythe the fundation shoulde profitte vs in nothynge if we were not surelye builded there vpon.

I vnderstande well that thou haste sayed of the vniuersall churche, but I desyre yet much to knowe what thou vnderstandest by the communion of sayntes.

I vnderstande here no other thyng but that whyche I haue alreadye sayed, that is to saye, the holye vniuersall churche, but this we put to, the better to declare the vnite that is a­mōge the faithful, for as in one towne, in one cōmon wealth, & in one cōmunaltie & cōmuniō amōge the inhabitaūces citizens, & membres that be within it, so likewise in the churche of Iesu christ ther is one vnite, aliaūce, burgelie & brotherhede, whyche after such sort conioy­neth the bodie with hys head Iesus Christe, & [Page] all the membres the one wyth the other, that they haue no goods that is not cōmune amōg thē, nor that the one doth not cōmunicate vnto the other, for Iesu Christ cōmunicateth al his goodes to his membres, & al the goodes that he doth cōmunicate to his churche, returneth or cōmeth to euerie one of his mēbres in perti­culer, & euerye one receyueth his parte as the mēbres, the which the head doth cōmunicate vnto them, & as the soule whyche is shed tho­rowe all the bodye, & giueth life vnto all the mēbres of the same.

It is then no small benifite to be in the churche of Iesus Christe-nor no smal euil to be out of that churche.

It is with thē that be without, as wyth the braunche that is cut of the vine, or as the bowgh or twigge cut of the tre, the which frō thēse forth can haue nother nourishmente nor life but must neades drie away, & is good for nothing but to be cast in the fyre.

They which be excommunicate be they out of thys cōmuniō?

The word of excommuni­cation should gyue the vnderstādyng inough for excommunication signifieth none othere thynge, but to be cast out of a communaltye.

It is then as muche to be excommmnicate out of the church as to be banished frome some certayne places

It is almooste lyke, for as a towne Cōparison of the churche hath hys ciuell policye, and hys magistrates [Page] the whyche do conduce and gouerne it accor­dynge to the lawes and ordinaunces conueni­ente with the com­mon wealthe. for it, euen so hathe the churche hys spiri­tuall policie and ecclesiasticall discipline and hys pastures, ministers, and senatoures to entertayne and gouerne hyr accordyng to the lawes and ordinaunces that she hathe recey­ued of Iesus christe.

Euen so then, as in the ciuell cōmune wealthe that whyche is done by theim whyche haue the charge, beynge lawefullye thereunto elec­ted, and go not out of the limites of theyr of­fices, and of the lawes and ordinaunces, by the whyche the towne oughte to be ruled and gouerned, is approued & cōfirmed of al men. Euen so in the churche of Iesus Christe, all that is done accordynge to hys worde by thē vnto whom she is committed: is ratified, not Math. xvi. Iohn. xx. onelye by all the churche, but also by Iesus Christe, in the name and vertue of whom the thynge is done.

And if a manne for his euyle behauour or de­meanoure, be lawfully banished frō a towne he is depriued of the cōmunaltye of the same & is no lenger pertaker of the liberties fraun­chises, and priuileges, nor of the commune goodes no more then a straunger, which hath there nothynge to do. Euē so is it of him that is excommunicate by the church.

And who hath the power to excommunicate?

Iesu Christe hathe gyuen that power to al hys church vnto the whych he hath cōmit­ted The ecclesia­cal power the keyes of hys kyngdome, by the which this excōmunication is exercised.

Is it then required that when a man shalbe excommunicate, to assemble the whole churche, and that euerye one shoulde saye hys opinion, & gyue his sentence? M [...] semeth that were verye harde & should engendre a greate confusion.

Oure Lorde Iesus Christe hathe well prouided, for he teacheth vs the meane & way Math. xviii. that we oughte to hold, and by what degrees we muste procede, he teacheth vs fyrste, howe we ought to admonish the offendre aparte, & how we should cal him before witnesses, & if he wyll not heare those and receiue theyr bro­therly admonission and correction, and be cō ­uerted and chastice hym self, and if hys offēce do so deserue, thē to report it vnto the church and congregation, whych is the laste remedy we muste come vnto, & yet it is not necessarie to assemble all the churche for thys, but suffi­seth to haue the ecclesiastical councell, whych haue the charge of the ecclesiasticall dicipli [...]e.

What vnderstandeste thou by thys eccesiastical councell?

I vnderstand the priestes and ministers of the church wyth other good & honest per­sons of the people whyche be lawfullye elec­ted [Page] & chosē for to wache ouer the maners and sclaunders of the churche, and for the vphol­dynge of discipline in the same euē as the coū celers and magistrates be elected and chosē for the conseruation & maintenaunce of iustice in the commune wealth, and for the entertey­nynge of peace and vnite amonge the Cyty­zens, and these be they whyche the scripture calleth priestes, whyche sygnifieth as muche Priestes as elders and senatoures, bycause they haue lyke office in the church as the senatours haue in the cōmōe welth saying ther is a grat diffe­rence in the administratiō, for the one is ciuile & temporal & hath the materiall swerde, for to vphold mainteigne & defēde hyr the other is Difference of the ciuill & ec­clesiastical Rule Rom. xiii. Ephe. vi. ecclesiasticall & spirituall, and hath the swerd of the spirite, whyche is the worde of God to conserue hyr.

By all that I can cōpre­hēd by thy wordes, thou wilt saie that as in a towne, we do say, that the towne hathe done that which hath be done by the councel & ma­gistrate of the same. Euē so in the church we ought to vndrestand that, that whych is done by them that haue charge of the same, and vnto the which Iesus Christe and she also haue giuen the power and the administratiō of the keys is done by the churche,

So vnder­stand I it. For those be but seruauntes & ministers of the churche by whō she doeth exercise the power that Iesus Christe hath gyuen hir [Page] and doeth declare the authoritie of the key [...], whyche she hathe receyued of hym.

What nede is there of excommunication seynge ther is a magistrate in the church for the punishment of the offenders.

What nede is there of any euangelical pastour, when ther is a magistrate, or of preachynge when there is ciuell iustice, wherfore doeth not the magistrate boeth the one & the other?

Bicause the matters be diuers and is necessarie that the offices shoulde be distincte & seperated in the commune wealth or other­wise ther should be cōfusion to mingle the tē ­poral thinges & spiritual togither, and is not possible that those self persōs myght well ex­ercises both to acquite them selues wel but in takyng vpon them to do both should do no­ther but marre al.

Thou saiest wel. And therfor as it is requisit that the ciuil & tēporal administratiō should be seperated frōe the ec­clesiasticall, and the temporall frome the spi­ritual. Euē so likewise must the correctiōs of the one & the other after a sorte be seperated, for otherwyse the churche should not haue hir whole ryghte, nor spirituall iurisdiction the whyche is gyuen vnto hyr of our Lord Iesus Christe, the whyche the cyuylle magistrate cannot take frome hyr, wythout doynge hyr greate wronge and Iniurye, nor wythout [Page] doynge greate dishonoure vnto Iesus Christ hyr head, whyche hath gyuen her that authorite, for the magistrate is not ordeined of god for to vsurpe by power or tyrannye ouer the churche of oure Lorde Iesus Christe, as the papisticall churche, and the Antechrist hir head hathe vsurped ouer the maiestrate, and ouer the temporall sworde, but it is ordeyned of God for to vphold the churche, & to healpe to conserue hyr, and to mayntaygne hir righ­tes. Therefore sayeth the prophete, that the kynges and quenes shalbe hir nourishers. Esai. xxvi.

But when the magistate hathe cha­sticed & punished the traunsgressours oughte it not to suffice the churche.

Thou oughteste to vnderstande that ther be diuers faultes, which be sclanders vnto the churche, of whyche the ciuyll lawes do not greatlye force, for they haue not so muche respecte vnto conscience, as to the outwarde Correction bi the church. peace and tranquilitie, but the churche hathe hir respecte to edify the conscience, and to re­concile the manne vnto God, and further, al­beit that a manne haue bene punished corpo­rallye, and hathe made satisfaction vnto the lawe, yet hathe he not for all that satisfied the churche, whyche was offendyd by hym, for notwythstandynge he hathe bene punishede in hys bodye or by hys purse, or by boeth, yet doeth it not for al that folow that he is an ho­nest [Page] manne, for in that he hathe bene puni­shed, hathe bene agaynste hys wyll, and the payne that he hathe suffered hathe not for all that chaunged hys hert, except the Lord with hys holye spirite haue touched hym, & there­fore as the churche leueth vnto the punishmēt of the magistrate, such as by him be punisha­ble to be punished wyth such punishmente as they haue deserued, wythout medelynge hyr selfe wyth the temporall swerde: euen so ought the temporall magistrate not onely to suffer the church to procede in hyr office after he hath done hys, but also to healpe hyr in the execution of hyr office if nead require, as and if ther be any rebelliō against the same, which requireth more greuouse punishment thē she maye gyue or put in execution, for what other thynge is the ecclesiasticall councell or senate but a membre or parte of the magistrate, and of them whyche partly be ordeyned by hym sauyng ther is an other maner of proceading for suche as haue bene moued to repentaunce but rather hardened by the punishmēte of the temporal swerde, whych shalbe conuerted by that whych shal be opened vnto theim, of the worde of God, for God hathe not cōstituted the ministration of hys Gospel in his church wythout gyuynge hyr vertue and efficatie by hys holye spirite, by the whych he doth strike the soules more lyuely thē the material swerd [Page] stryketh the bodye, and further when a man hathe made suche amendes as he hathe bene ioyned vnto by the lawe, thē is the ciuilitie of the lawe satisfied, whyche forceth not muche wyth what herte it be done, but the church requireth the testimonie of the herte, and cānot admitte them into hyr communion, whyche be sclaunderous vnto hyr, and whyche haue by the workes declared that they be no mem­bres of hyr bodye, excepte that fyrste she shall haue sene theyr repentaunce, & that they shall haue gyuen certayne sygnes and testimonies of the same, for it is defended hyr to giue that Math. vii. which is holy vnto Dogges, and to caste hyr margarittes & precious stones before swyne.

But in asmuch as the churche is con­stitute of menne, howe can she better iudge of the herte then the ciuyle magistrate, and fur­ther what satisfaction wylte thou haue other thē that of Iesu Christ, for thy self hath sayed that none othere can satisfie vnto the Iustice of God.

As towchynge the herte, the churche leaueth it vnto the iudgmente of God, which only knoweth it, but yet neuertheles she hath more care thē the ciuyle magistrate, & can not admit, nor receyue a manne into hyr cōpanie whyche at the leaste wyll not confesse wyth hys mouthe by the whyche he doeth testifie the christen herte that he hathe, it may wel be [Page] that often tymes the herte doth not agre with the confession of the mouthe, and that the cō ­fession be fayned as it was in Simon Ma­gus Ananias, & Saphyra, but it sufficeth vn­to the churche that a man shewe hyr outward testimonie of the herte, for she can not iudge whether it be fained & hypocriteth or faithful wherefore she can not caste out hym whyche commeth vnto hyr wyth anye testimonie of fayeth, for if hys testimonie be fayned she lea­ueth the iudgmente vnto God whyche shall discouer it in hys time, but to receyue any person wythout open testimonie of repētaunce & faieth, she cā not without doynge againste the word of god, for whē the dogs & swine do opē lie shewe thē selfe, such by theyr workes, and be not couered with shepe skines, why should she not iudg thē? She hath none excuse nor re­sonable cause for to receiue thē seing that god hath giuē hir the iudgmētes of such things, & that she hath the mean so to do, & therfor whē a mā declareth hym self manifestlie sclaunde­rous, & a rebell vnto the ecclesiasticall correc­tiō & discipline, the last remedi that the church hath is to excōmunicate, that is to saye to opē vnto him that she taketh him not for any mē ­bre of Christ, nor worthi to be in the cōpani of the faithful, nor to cōmunicate the Sacramentes, whych Iesus Christ hath gyuen hir vnto the which ought none to be admitted but hir Math. xviii. [Page] disciples but oughte to be reiected, and depri­ued of them as a publican, and a panim, or as a Iewe or turke, whyche the fayethfull wyll nor receyue, into theyr communion, but doeth hold him as an Apostata, & enemy of christiā religiō, & whē he is so reiected frō the church, i. Corin. v. ii. Corin. ii. i. Timot. i. he is in the handes of Sathan for to afflicte him, & is seperated frō Iesu Christ after such sorte that if he do not reknowledge hys faultes, amend him selfe, and laboure to recōcyle hym selfe, vnto the churche, he is vtterly loste and dampned, for in as muche as the churche hathe bounde hym he is bounde, seynge that Iesus Christe hathe gyuen it that power, by the ministration of hys worde, by the whiche also he is vnbounde, if he reknoweledge hys Math xvi. & xviii. faultes, & be receyued agayne into the church by penaunce.

The churche is then verye rigorouse and hathe a power muche moore to be feared then the swerd, of the magistrate for it cā pu­nish but the body, but that of the church slea­eth the soules, how doth this thē agre wyth that whyche Iesus Christe hathe sayed, that he was not come for to destroye or lose, but to saue, is the church of anye other nature thē Luke, ix. Iesus Christ hir head?

No. But the euell do kyll and da [...]ne them selues in reiectynge the blissinge of Ie­sus Christe, whyche is presented and offered [Page] vnto hym by his churche, & therfore the church doeth not dampne hym, but onelye declareth vnto hym his dānation & reiecteth him as dā ­ned, not to the intente that he should so be, but to the intēt he should not be, but he knowing hys damnation, and seynge hym selfe depri­ued and shytte out of the companye of Iesus Christe of the Angels and of all sayntes, and forsaken of all the fayethfull, myghte be the more ashamed and confounded, and the better feele the iudgemēte of God vpon hym, to the ende that by thys meane he myghte he mo­ued to repentaunce that he should not perishe eternallye, for thys same oughte wel to asto­ny hym, seyng hym self bound by the churche whych hath suche power by the keyes which Iesus Christe hathe gyuen hyr, that whatso­euer Math. xvi. xviii. is bound or vnboūde in the earth by hyr, is boūd or vnbounde in heauen.

Then is the excommunication rather a medicine and a remedie, then a death & damnation.

Accordynge as euerye man doeth vse it to hys profit, for it is the last remedy of the churche the whyche she doeth vse as a corsey towardes synners, that can not be holpen by other remedies, if the synner perceiue the ver­tue of thys excommunicatiō, and amend hym ii. Corin. i. selfe as the poore Corynthien dyd, it shall thē serue hym for a medicine of health, but if he [Page] perseyuer obstinate in his malice, wythout reconcilynge hym selfe, vnto the churche, he abideth bounde and dead in hys synnes, and not wy [...]hstandynge that if he woulde reconcile hym selfe vnto the churche, yet she wyll not receyue hym by & by before that he shal haue Ecclesiasticall satisfaccion shewed open testimonie of hys repentaunce forto take away the sclaundre he hath made, and for to gyue example vnto other, & ther­fore accordynge to the deseruynge of the offē ­der, the church doeth enioyne them some ma­ner of penaunce for to testifie theyr repētaūce & for to proue whether it be fayned or true, & also to gyue terror vnto the synners that the ecclesiastical discipline come not into sclaūder if she shoulde ouer lyghtly receyue the sclaunderours, and so thys payne is not lyke vnto that whyche is imposed by the ciuyle magi­strate but is rather an open testimonie of re­pentaunce for to satisfie vnto the churche and not vnto God, for towarde God there is no other satisfaction sufficiente but that of Iesus as it hath bene sayed manye tymes alreadye but as I am bounde to satisfie vnto my neighboure that whyche I owe hym: euen so am I to the church, if I haue made offēce, & as the satisfaction that I make vnto my neyghbour is not sufficiente to take awaye my synnes to­wardes God, if God by hys mercye do not pardon me: euen so of the satisfaction that I [Page] make vnto the churche whyche serueth not but to entertayne hyr discipline, and to auoide sclaunders, and yet neuertheles he that would refuse to make suche satisfaction for the edifi­ynge of hys neyghboure whō he hath sclaundered or offended, when he hathe the meane and occasion so to do: doeth declare hym selfe vnworthye to obteygne pardon of God for so doynge is a certaine testimonie of the infi­delitie and the rebellion of the herte.

I vnderstand nowe thys matter and do not doubte but if thys excommunication were practised in the churche as it was in the primatiue churche, there should be fewer and lesse sclaunders, & the worde of God in much greater reuerence then it is,

Thinke not that Iesu Christ hath insti­tuted it without cause, as for myne own part I do not doubte but if it were practised in the vertue of God, as it was in the Apostolyke churche, but it shoulde haue muche more effi­catie to refrayne suche synners as were not all togythere reproued of God, then the pu­nyshmentes of the cyuylle magistrates the whyche neuerthelesse she taketh not awaye but leaueth it alwayes whole in it selfe.

I haue an other scrupulositie towchyng thys excōmunication, for as much as he that is excommunicate is seperated frō [Page] the churche of Iesus Christe, and depriued of hys sacramentes whyche is no small thynge it doeth therfore seme vnto me that we ought not temerariouslye and lyghtlye to excōmunicate a manne wythout good and iuste, cause & some greate crime and faulte that shoulde cō ­strayne vs so to do, wherfore I haue merueil of the priestes whyche do excommunicate the power people for smal thynges, sometime for dettes, yea somtyme for thre halpenies & that suche as haue not wher with to bye theyr chil­dren breade. Excōmunica­tion for dets

In that haue they well shewed, howe they esteeme but lyttle the communion of Ie­sus Christe, and of all hys Sayntes, and the saluation of the poore people whych they did shewe to esteme lesse then thre halpens, but in asmuche as they haue not the true churche of Iesus Christe I do esteeme theim as happye that be excommunicate by them, and special­lye for the Gospelles sake, as the poore blind man that was excommunicate by the scribes and phariseis, and as they whyche were excō ­municat Pharisaicall excōmunication. Iohn. vi. by the sinagoge of the I [...]es, bycause they hadde confessed Iesus Christ, for the ex­cōmunication is but a very tyrannye, & theyr churche is the churche of Antichriste, out of the whyche we muste be excommunicate, if we wyll be receyued into that of Iesu Christ in the which the true pastours, and ministers [Page] do not vsurpe tyranny ouer the people, nor do not attribute vnto them selues onelye the au­thoritie of excommunication whyche is gyuē vnto all the churche, but doeth exercise it with them, the whyche the churche hathe chosen & i. Corin. v. ii. Cori. ii. elected vnto suche offices as the Apostle hath practised among the Corinthians.

There resteth yet in me an other scrupul in as muche as excommunicate doeth signifie to be banished and caste out of the communiō Excōmunica­tion agaynste beastes. of the christians, howe maye the bishoppes & priestes excōmunicate the snayles, myle, new­tes, snakes and suche othere lyke beastes, for they be not of the cōmunalty of the christiās nor be not accustomed to come vnto the ceane howe can we then depriue, and caste them out yet neuertheles it is sayed of certentye, and I haue also seene it in wrytyng, that the bishop of Lusane did once excommunicate the newes and snaks out of the lake or stagne of Lusane and that neuer after ther was found nor sene none ther. And as I haue bene infourmed the priestes in some place doe excommunicate for al intētes, the beastes that hurte the fruites, & goodes of the earth.

They coulde not better shewe theyr assyshnes, nor better declare that they bee sorcerers and enchaun­ters, nor that thei neuer vnderstode the insti­tutiō, of excōmunication nor the cause of the same. Be thei aferde that the beastes shoulde [Page] go into heauen seynge they chasse and caste them out of the communion of Sayntes, of the which they were neuer nor can not be?

But what othere thynge is thys but playne sorceries, charmes and enchauntemētes vnto whyche they haue theyr recours as magici­ēs, wher as they ought to haue their recourse vnto prayer and orisons, vnto the which they ought also to moue and insite the people and vnto true repentaunce for to appeise the yre▪ & God, and so take awaye those woundes that God hathe sente vnto menne for theyr sinnes Beholde, these be the excommunications the whyche the Prophetes and the true seruaun­tes of God haue vsed agaynst suche beastes, and not to vse charmes as the magiciens of Pharao did.

Thou haste contented me, & I thinke these beastes do more obey vnto theyr excom­munications, then vnto the charmes and sor­series of the enchauntors. But we haue taried longe inough vpon this poynte, and haue yet thre other vpon thys article whyche I wyll aske of the one after an other?

Thou haste sayed vnto me that in thys com­munion of Sayntes all was commune, is it then necessary that al the christians haue their goodes in commune one wyth an other.

Thys communaltye of goodes haue two considerations if thou vnderstandest spirituallye: [Page] there is no doubte as all the spiritu­all goodes, whyche be in Iesus Christe the husbande, be commune vnto the churche hys spowse, and also vnto al the membres of the same, whyche is hys mistical body, and haue all hys gyftes and graces in commune one with an other. But if thou meane of the earthlye goodes that is an other matter, for seyng that the churche is the kyngedome of Iesus Christe and hys kyngedome is not of thys worlde, wee muste not therefore seeke in hys churche a carnall communion, but a spiritu­all, for as the spirituall kyngedome of Iesus Christ doth not aboleyshe nor take away the ciuile pollytie but doeth approue & confyrme it: euen so the spirituall communion of sain­tes doeth not aboleyshe the diuision of the earthlye goodes that is amonge menne, but that it is lawefull for euerye one to possesse that whych is assigned hym accordyng to the humaine lawes.

Thou wylte then saye, that thys cō ­muniō ought not to be vnderstand but of the spirituall goodes.

I denye not but there is also a com­munion of the corporall and earthlye goodes amonge the fayethfull, not that it is lawefull for euerye man to laye hys handes vpon the goodes of his neyghbour as it were his own & so to make it his, of his own authorite, for if [Page] it were so it shoulde not bee a communion of Saintes, but of robberye, and a comminaltie of beastes and Dogges, and not of christiās for so all ryghtes boeth diuine and humayne shoulde be violated, and the commaundemē ­tes Cōmuniō of beastes. of God shoulde haue no place amonge menne, for then thefte should be no more theft if it were lawefull for euerye manne to laye hys handes and take where soeuer he myght fynde, and adultrie shoulde be no more adul­trie, if it were admitted that euery one might abuse the doughter and wyfe of hys neygh­boure after the maner of the bruite beastes, whyche haue no maner of reuerēce nother vnto cōsanguinitie nor matrimonie.

I am of thine opinion, for Iesu Christ is not come to make of menne beastes, but to make of beastes menne, and of men Goddes for the man that knoweth not Iesu Christe is worsse then a beaste, but howe vnderstandest thou this communion of the earthly goodes.

The practise of the primatiue church declareth inoughe vnto vs, for that same chari­tie dyd make theyr goddes all commune a­monge Act. ii. iiii. v. the fayethfull, and yet for all that dyd euerye man possesse hys owne goodes, and enheritaunce, the whyche wyth out con­straynte of theyr owne liberalitie they them selues dyd bringe vnto the Apostles to be di­stributed vnto the power neady brethren, but [Page] it was not laweful for other to take it at their pleasure, but as it was distributed vnto them by them, vnto whome it dyd appertaygne as it doeth well appeare by the wordes whyche saint Petre had vnto Ananias, & Saphira. Act [...], v.

I vnderstande wel nowe what cōmu­niō this ought to be, for the gospel doth leaue vnto euery one that whych appertayneth vn­to hym, but the charitie whyche the Gospell aboue all thynges doeth sette forthe vnto vs, doth teach vs how we ought to vse, and how we ought to communicate the goods that we haue receyued of God vnto the poore mem­bres of Iesus Christ, but tell me nowe which be the sayntes amonge the whyche thys communion is.

Vnderstandeste thou not by that I haue answered to the before, that they be the faith­full christiens?

I vnderstande that well, but bycause we do commonlye call them Sayntes which be in heauen, and that thei whych be in thys worlde be all poore synners: I haue here a li­tle Who be saintes. doubte, for I vnderstande not well howe we maye call synfull men Sayntes, whyche be yet enuironed wyth thys fleshe of synne, nor knoweth not whether we ought to vnderstand thys communion of Sayntes, of them onely which be alreadie in heauē, or onlye of thē which be yet in this world, or of both to­gither.

As to the first I knowe wel whē we speake cōmonly of saintes, the pore simple people vnderstande no othere thynge but of them that be departed, and that they hold for saued, but that cometh of ignoraunce and for lacke of vnderstandynge of the Apostolike doctrine, which doth customably cal the faith ful christien saintes, & there is no incōuenience to call them saintes, notwithstanding they be synners, for as the churche is called holy, euē so be the fayethfull called Sayntes, of the whych she is cōposed bycause that God hath iustified, pourged made cleane, and sanctified them whyche he hathe elected for to serue vn­to al holines, and innocencie, and for to make shyne in vs the Image of hys glorye, & ther­fore the church is called the spowse of Iesus Christ gloryousse wythout spotte or wryncle notwythstandynge that all we the membres of the same praye euerye daye vnto God and he pardoneth our synnes.

It foloweth then that all the true christians be Saintes & synners all togyther, but Math. vi. Luc. ii. howe maye these thinges agre, beynge so re­pugnaunte?

They be not repugnaunte if they be well vnderstande: for ech man if we Eph. ii. Rom. iii. Gal. ii. i. Co. i. considre hym in hym selfe, and in hys nature: is the child of ire naturalli a sinner execrable worthi of death & eternal dānatiō, but if we cō sidre hym in Iesu Christ he is holy, for by the [Page] fayth which he hath in him, he is iustified and sanctified, not that he is altogither wythout synne, but bycause that Iesus Christe doeth make hym partaker of hys ryghtuousnesse & satisfaction after suche sorte that notwythstā ­dynge he be a pore synner yet is it not impu­ted Psal. v. Rom. iiii. vnto him, but is couered and defaced, and he reputed iuste before God, by the meane of Iesus Christe nother more nor lesse, then if he had not sinned at all?

Thys holines of the churche is not yet then perfecte?

No not tyl it be altogither deliuered frō thys worlde, and perfectly conioyned & vnite wyth hyr head Iesus Christe, for duryng the tyme she shall be in thys worlde, she shall haue alwayes battell agaynste the fleshe and synne, and shall neuer be fullye and deliue­red frome the spottes and imperfections of the same vnto the daye of hyr redemptiō, whē Iesus Christe shall appeare in glorye, & ther­fore sayed Iesus Christe that he that is cleane and washede, hath yet nede to washe his fete, and therefore saye wee after thys article, that we beleue the remission of synnes.

Before we come vnto that article thou must first declare vnto me the pointes I haue demanded of the vpon thys, the whyche we haue alreadye treated on.

Towchyng that thou haste demaunded [Page] me of the Sayntes, wee maye vnderstande thys communion generallye of al the elected that euer hathe bene, be, or shalbe, but there is some difference, as touching the practise. Tru it is that all the goodes of Iesus Christe, by­cause they be spiritual, be commune vnt [...]l, but there is an othere cōmunion betwen [...] [...] Sayntes that yet be lyuynge, & them whiche be departed for eyther of theim haue theyr e­states aparte. And therefore is there no suche Cōmuniō be­twene saintes lyueinge and them that bee dead. communion betwen the Sayntes that be de­parted and vs as there hathe bene betwene them, in the time that they lyued, and thē that lyued wyth them, & at the leaste we haue no testimonye of the holye scriptures for they serue not nowe vnto the church wyth the gif­tes and graces whyche they in theyr tyme re­ceyued of God for the edification of the same for they haue fulfilled and ended theyr course and theyr ministration whyche nowe is com­mitted vnto others, and of the other part thei haue no more nead of vs nor of oure goodes for they be out of al necessitie.

Oughte we not then to honour them?

We may not honoure them, as though they were present wyth vs, nor do vnto them reuerence nor salute them, nor speake to them nor presente vnto them of oure goodes nor a­nye maner of seruice for othere honour [...] nor seruice can we not do vnto them but in folowynge [Page] theyr holye doctrine and holye lyfe, and conuersation as they haue folowed Iesus Christe, for those be the reliquies that they haue lefte vs, in the whych they would be ho­nored by vs and so then when wee haue the [...]lye scriptures in reuerence the whych god hathe geuen vnto vs by them, then do we ho­noure theyr reliquies.

It is then greate folye to offre vn­to Offerynge to sayntes them breade, wyne, candels, golde and sil­uer and other thynges lyke, seynge they haue no maner of nede.

That is a furye or follye more then pa [...]imrie, it weare muche better for to offre vnto the lyuynge Images and Sayntes, for to accomplishe that whyche the Apostle ex­horteth vs to admonishynge vs to communi­cate vnto the necessitie of the sayntes, it is ve­rye cleare that he speaketh not there of the Sayntes departed, but of the lyuynge and of the pore membres of Iesus Christe beinge a­mong vs languisshyng and ouer preste, with pouertie and necessitie.

I doubte not but those offerynges were more pleasynge vnto God.

Such were they of the primatiue church for the gatherynge spendynge and distribu­tynge of the whiche, the churche at that tyme hadd [...] hyr deacons to serue at the tables, and At. vi. Rom. xvi. vnto the necessitie of the pore, we can no here [Page] fynde chapell churche or Image more meete for the practisynge of thys excommunicatiō and to offre vnto the Sayntes, then in visi­tynge the hospitales, pore wydowes, orphās fatherles, sycke, lame, neadie, and indigēt. V­pon suche Sayntes ought the goodes of the churche to be employed and spente, and vpon them that serueth hyr and haue nede.

That same were a goodlye thynge, but tel me yet what seameth it the, of brother­heades and monkerye, for seynge there is but Deut. vi. i Timo. ii. Ephe. iiii. one christian church, one communion of lain­tes, one God, one mediatour of God & man, one spirite as we haue cōfessed hytherto, and that all is but one gospell, one Baptisme, one Ceane one fayeth, and that all the christians ought to be in one selfe bodye one selfe herte, and one selfe soule, it seameth to me, that ther oughte to be but one religiō, and one brother­heade, seyng that al the christians be brothers & haue all receyued one selfe spirite of fayeth and christiā religion.

There is no doubt but they which haue bene the authours of the monasticall lectes, and that foloweth theim, suche as they be at thys presente tyme, and those brotherheades lykewyse taken of the folowynge of the pa­nyms, be Apostatase from the true church of Iesus Christe, for as Sismatykes they do deuide, breake and teare the communion of saintes, [Page] for as there is but one God, so can there be but one religion, The whyche. S. Iames doeth diffine in thys maner, the religion that is pure and without spot towardes God the father is thys. Viset the fatherles, & widowes in theyr neades and tribulations and be not spotted & defiled wyth thys worlde, he doeth not saye that the true religion is to shute thy selfe in a cloister, or to dwell in the deserte to be disguised in diuers habites, to eate, and de­uour the pore widowes & fatherles vndre the colour of long praiynge, for suche religion is to much pharisaicall, but the christian religiō doth lye in fayeth, whyche maketh vs studye vnto all puritie and innocentie, & to exercise our charitie towarde our neyghboure whych is the true marke of the true christians & disciples of Iesus Christe, & the Abbot of that re­ligion is God the father, and the gardian is Iesus Christe, and the religious brethrene be al true christians and faythfull, for as the A­postle testifieth the spirite of God witnesseth vnto oure spirite, that we be the chyldrene of God, by the whyche we crie Abba, that is to saye father, then in as muche as Abba, doeth signifie father, and that wee take God so to be, and call hym father, there is thē no doubt but he is the Abbot and founder of oure reli­gion, Act. ii. Ephe. ii. the whyche he doeth conserue, mayn­teyne, and gouerne, by Iesu Christ hys sonne [Page] whom he hath giuen to be head of the church Ihon. vi. x. and into whose handes he hathe putte vs all to be vinified, sanctified, vnite and conioyned wyth hym by hys holy spirite, and the habite that we muste put on, in thys religion is oure Lorde Iesus Christ the newe manne, whiche we muste put on, and of the olde Adam for Ephe. iiii. we muste chaunge the skynne, and the herte and not the ayer, and the coote or clothes.

In asmuche then as God is the fa­ther of vs all and that wee make inuocation vnto hym by that name, it doeth folowe also that we be all bretherne, and so wyll Iesus Christe that we call oure selues, and then if we be all brethrene, wee be then one brother­head. I can not then vnderstande that here is anye other brotherhead but that of the holye Gooste, by the whyche the churche is assem­bled and all the sayntes vnite and conioyned in one communion.

Thou concludeste verye well, therefore Brotherhed Math. xiii confesse we fyrst in this crede the faith which we haue in the father, whyche saueth vs by Iesus Christe hys sonne, and doeth sanctifie vs by hys holye spirite, whych be of one selfe essence and diuinitie wyth the father, in the whyche we beleue and put al oure truste, we laye fyrst the fundation and the cause, and af­ter we come vnto the churche whiche vpō the l [...]me is founded & builded. Howe can we thē [Page] saye, that we be of the brotherhead of Saynt Bernarde, and of Saynte Sebastian and of The brotherhed of saynts suche othere lyke, or of Saynte Barbara or saynt Katheryn, or of oure Ladye, or of anye other of the holye Sayntes what soeuer they be for we can nother call thē fathers nor mo­nor we be not b [...]etherne, by the reason of thē nor vnite and conioyned by theyr spirites, but if they haue bene true and fayethfull, they be oure bretherne, and haue beene lede wyth one­selfe spirite.

And lykewyse maye we also saye of all the monasticall sectes and diuersitie of religi­ons. For if Saynt Paule haue called the Co­rinthyans S [...]smatikes whyche sayed I am of Paule, and I of Cephas, and I of Appollo what title or name shall I gyue them whyche saye, I am of the religion of Saynte Fraun­ces, and I of Saynte Dominike, and I of S Benet, & other suche like, which be in greater numbre amonge the christians then euer they were amonge the panims, maye we not well saye vnto them wyth the Apostle, is Christe deuided? hathe Frauncys or Dominike dyed for you? or are ye baptised in theyr names?

In as muche then as wee are baptised in the name of the father, of the sonne, and of the holye Goste, what haue we neede of anye o­ther religion but of that, in the whyche thys holye spirite doth raygne, which doeth learne [Page] vs to make innocatiō vnto the fathers, in the name of Iesus Christ hys sonne, whych hath taken vs all into theyr sauegarde and prote­ction, what haue we nede of anye othere rule, but of that the whyche Iesus Christe hathe The Rule of the Religion of Ch [...]ist Gal. vi. broughte vs from heauen? Of the whych the Apostle doeth speake in thys maner, all they whyche walke after thys rule, peace and mercye be vpon them, and vpon Israel of God.

I haue learned manye goodlye poyn­tes by the occasion of thys cōmunion of sain­tes, for thou haste not onelye taught me what it is, but also what is the true excommunica­tion, religion and christian brotherheade, and what is the honour dene vnto Sayntes, therfore nowe expounde vnto me the reste.

Because we haue abyden solonge vpon these two articles of the church & the commu­nion of Sayntes, wee maye here deuide oure matter and kepe the reste tyll an other tyme the which shalbe shortly done.

At thyne own pleasure be it.

VVe haue done so muche by our Ior­neis that we be al moste come to the ende of the crede, seyng therfore we [Page] be arriued thus farre fourth, our hertes must not faile vs for the litle waye we haue to go.

I haue better courage then euer I had, tell me therefore what foloweth?

The remission of synnes, what is the vnderstandynge of thys article.

I cōfesse by these wordes that I beleue that as there is one churche assemble, and v­nite by the holye spirite, & in the same o [...]e cō ­munion of all goodes, that the synnes lyke­wyse and the faultes be pardoned, vnto the fayethfull by the grace, goodnes, and mercye of God, whyche doeth quitte theim all theyr dettes, to the ende they should not be rekened vnto theim at hys Iudgemente, nor that they should not beare the payne whych they haue merited and deserued. Humayn Satisfacion & merets

Seynge there is remission and for­giuenes it doth appeare & folowe that ther is nothynge of our satisfaction, for wher ther is pardone, there can be nothyng of our merites.

There is nothynge more certayne for the dete is not forgiuen to hym that satis­fieth and payeth wherfore it doeth folowe, in as muche as there is remission and forgyue­nes for vs that the satisfactiō is of sum other then of oure selues, and that we can pres [...]t no other recōpence vnto god, but the satisfaction of his sonne Iesus Christe, for whose loue we obteine of the father pardon of al our sinnes.

And this pardon and remission cā we not obteygne but in the churche.

No for as at the time of the floude, none coulde be saued whyche were wythout the shipe or arke of Noe: so none can auoyde the Gen. viii. P [...]r. iii. No s [...]luacion ou [...] of the church iudgement of God, and obteygne grace and pardon of hys misdedes, excepte he be a true membre of the church, incorporated in the bo­dye of Iesus Christe, persenerynge wyth the people of God in the vnitie of the fayeth.

It foloweth then that all cismatykes heritikes, infidels, excommunicate, and al au­thors of sectes, whych be deuided and sepera­ted frome the churche: can haue no pardon of theyr synnes, but abyde in death and damna­tion vnto suche tyme they be recouciled wyth hyr.

It is euen so.

Tell me then by what meanes we obteyne pardon in the churche. Is it necessa­rie to confesse, oure synnes vnto the priestes, and to haue theyr absolution for to obteyne this remission.

It is verye requisite that if we will, that God pardon vs that we reknoweledge oure faultes, but not to the priestes, for it is not a­gaynste thē that we haue synned but againste God, whyche onelye as mooste soueraygne kynge maye gyue vs gr [...]ce and pardon, and th [...]refore as we haue synned agaynste hym, euen so muste we conteste vnto hym our syn­nes, [Page] and aske of him pardon accordyng to the example of Dauid, of Daniell, and of othere holye prophetes & seruauntes of God. For as Saynce Iohn sayeth (if we confesse oure sin­nes) he is faithfull and wyll heare vs.

I vnderstande well, we must confesse oure selues vnto God fyrste, but is it not re-requisite that we confesse our selues vnto mē.

We maie confesse vs vnto menne in di­uers sortes, as fyrst. If we haue offēded anye we oughte to reknoweledge oure faultes to­wardes hym, and aske hym pardon, and en­force oure selues to returne into fauour wyth hym, for we can not obteygne pardon of god so long as the iniury we haue done vnto one neyghboure doeth accuse vs before hym, as­kynge vengeaunce agaynste vs, excepte wee studie to reconcile our selues, vn [...]o him whō we haue offended, and thys confession maye be called brotherlye recōsiliation the whyche Iesus Christe doth greatlie recommend vnto vs. Ther is yet another maner of recōsiliatiō towardes men, the whych may be boeth pub­lyke and particuler, for when we haue beene Open cōfes [...] on in errour, and abused in Idolatrie and super­stition, and haue offēded God, we ought not to be ashamed to reknoweledge our faultes opēlie, and to gyue thankes vnto God, as did i timo. i. Math. i. Act. ii. iii. saint Paul, writinge vnto Timothe, and they whyche dyd come vnto the baptisme of Iohn [Page] Baptiste, and they whych were conuerted by the p [...]eachynge of Saynte Petre, and also of the Ephesians whyche dyd burne the bokes of sorcerie: euen so thē, as I may reknowledg and confesse my faultes openlye in thys ma­ner, [...]efore the church of God: euen so may I do in perticuler or secret vnto my neyghbour & for to haue councell and consolation of him or for to reconcile my selfe vnto him if I haue Perticuler cō fession offended hym or to the ende he praye to God for me, vnto suche confession doeth Saynte Iames exhorte vs sayinge, Confesse your sel­ues one to an other, and praye eche one for o­ther, he doth not say, confesse the vnto the prie­stes, for as we oughte to praye the one for the other, & not the priestes onelye, euen so ought we to reknowledge oure faultes one to an o­ther, & cōfesse our infirmities for to giue prai­ses vnto God, for the entertayning of amitie amōge vs & euerie one to seke the quietnes of other, but I haue not founde in all the holye scripture that God hath cōm [...]unded vs to go to tell all our synnes in the eate of a priest, for that is impossible, & God doeth not so muche desire the reliting of our sinnes by perticuler, Math. xvi. as the cōtrition, sighes, & sorowes of the herte & the teares, as we haue exemple in. S. Petre which did much better cōfesse his sinnes with his hert & his eyes thē with mouth.

I find that, that thou saiest is very good, but I [Page] woulde yet fayne knowe howe thys remissiō is practised in the church, and howe we be partakers of it, is it not by the bulles, indulgence and pardons gyuen by the Pope?

It is by pardon and indulgence but not of paper and perchemente sealed wyth waxe or lead, as those whych the Pope gyueth, but by the indulgence and bulles that the celesti­all father hath sente vs frome heauen by hys sonne Iesus Christe wryten in oure hertes wyth hys owne propre finger, and by hys holy spirite sealed with his precious bloud, & ratified, and confirmed by his death & passion.

The bulles and pardons of the pope be then nothynge worth.

Yes they profit them that gyueth them, as towchyng theyr bodies bycause they take money for them, but they brynge greate do­mage and hurte vnto theyr soules, & also vnto the bodyes and soules and goodes of theim that receyue them, for in as much as they seke remission of synnes by anie other meane then by the bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ they do not beleue the remissiō of sinnes the which they confesse, the whych is in the church of Iesu christ, wherfore they abide alwaies in their sinne & dānatiō, & subiectes to the cu [...]sse & ma­ledictiō that S. Petre dyd gyue vnto Simon Magus & his monei.

Thou wilte then saye ther [...] no other true pope that maie giue [Page] vs indulgence and pardon, for to deface and take awaye ours sinnes but Iesu Christ, but by what meanes doth he make vs partakers of hys pardons and indulgences?

By the ministeri of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, that is to say, by the predication & preaching o [...] hys worde whiche is the true keye of knowledge.

And who then hath these keyes [...]uc. xi. Math. xxiii Math. xvi.

The church to whom Christe hathe gy­uen them, and be put in vre, and practise by al true euangelicall Apostles, pastours, mini­sters & priestes.

Haue they thē authori­tie and power to pardon synnes, & to absolue men?

Not of them selues, but by the mi­nistration of the keyes, and preachynge of the gospell.

Speake thys more clearlye.

There is but the onelye God that may pardon and forgyue synnes, and that maye gyue grace, but whē by his ministers he doth offre vnto vs Iesu Christe hys sonne, by his worde, and in hym remission of oure sinnes, he that beleueth is saued, vnbounde and deli­uered frome his synnes, and he that beleueth not, abydeth bound and damned as the mini­ster openeth vnto hym by the worde.

Then the ministers be but seruauntes & am­bassadours, & haue no authoritie nor power▪ but so much as the [...] take of the word, & in that they do faithfullie set forth theyr message and [Page] ambassade.

No for none can pardon the synnes but God, & when man doth open the word of god, it is not mā that speaketh, but it is the spirite of God that speaketh in hym, by the whyche the bearer is bounde, or losed, ac­cordyng to hys fayeth or vnbeleue. Therfore dyd Iesus Christ blow toward his disciples & gaue them the holie gost before he sayed vnto them, whose synnes soeuer ye forgiue shal be forgiuē, & whose synnes soeuer ye retayne shalbe retayned, he woulde by that shewe that it was the holye Goste that dyd pardon them, and not they whyche he dyd vse as hys instrumentes and messengers.

I vnderstād wel, it is as an ambassa­doure, whyche if he fayethfullye execute hys Math. x. Ihon. x. cha [...]ge the prince confirmeth it that he doeth if he do othe [...]wyse he wyll not cōfirme it, but punish hym greuouslye.

It is as a man that will open a gate, it he haue no keye or if the keye that he hath be not mete for the locke, he cā not opē it, and therfore in asmuche as Iesus Christ [...] is the dore and the waye, by the whyche onelye wee maye go vnto the fa­ther Rom. x. Luc. xi. and wee can not goe vnto Iesus Christe but by fayeth, whyche openeth vnto vs the dore and all the treasures that be in him, and fayeth cometh by hearynge of the worde of God, whych is the key of knowledge, it doth wel folowe that al the power of the Apostles [Page] & of theyr successours is there limited, & that he that hath not this key, is no minister of christ.

I may thē well vnderstande by thys that the power of the pope, of byshopes, and priestes doeth extende so farre as they folowe the worde of God, and God doeth approue and confirme that whych they do by it, & that whyche they do wythout it, or agaynste it he doeth condemne all.

If thou wylt se the practise of thys, considre howe. S. Peter dyd vse at Hierusalem, he dyd open Iesus Christ, penaunce, and remission of sinnes in his name Practies of the keys Act. ii. iii. vnto the Iewes, they whyche the worde dyd touche at the herte, and beleued in it were lo­sed by hys ministerie accordynge to the pro­mise of Iesu christ, saing that he that beleueth Mark. xvi. & is baptised shall be saued, & cōtrarye wise he that beleueth not shalbe cōdemned, it folow­eth thē that al the infidels abide bound as by the open preachyng, all the hearers be bound or vnbounde, accordynge to theyr fayeth or vnbeleue, euen so be wee by all the perticuler admonicions of the Gospell, opened, & shew­ed forthe vnto vs by the seruauntes of God visitynge, correckynge, admonishynge, or cō ­solatyng of vs other in health or sikcenes.

Thys poynte is inoughe o­pened Resureccion of the fleshe & declared, let vs come nowe vnto that whych foloweth of the resurrectiō of the flesh and the lyfe eternall, whych shalbe for the end [Page] & cōclusiō, wherfore be these two last articles put in?

For manye causes, for wythout them al the religion were nothynge, for if we beleue not the resurrection of the flesh, & that oure bodyes shoulde ryse agayne after thys i Cor. xv. mortall lyfe, we should be moste miserable of all mē, & should reuerse al the euāgelical preachyng whych shoulde also be faulse & [...]ame if it were otherwyse.

What vnderstan­deste thou then by the resurrectiō of the flesh?

I vnderstāde that euerie one shall aryse trulie in hys propre body, & that the same bo­dye, & the same flesh which shal haue slepte, & shal haue bene corrupted, and cōsumed in the earth vnto powdre, shalbe fullie restored, & a­gayne cōioyned wyth his soule after she shall haue put of al infirmitie, & corruptiō for to be lyke vnto the glorious bodie of Iesus.

How maye it be done that the bodye whyche Ihon. xix. hath be turned into pondre & earth, should be restored into greater dignitie then euer i [...] was & to be immortal.

We may not aske how that may be done which god hathe promised for that is most sure, he that hath made mā of nothing, is he not stronge inoughe to restore him againe, we se euerie daye the experiēce of this in the corne whē it is sowen, it semeth to be loste, & doeth corrupt in the earth but after it cōmeth forth much fayrer and fruitful.

Then when a man is put in the [Page] earth accordynge to the ordinaunce of God, he is sowen as the wheate in the earth, and a­bideth the time ordeined of god, at the which tyme he doeth aryse come, forth of the earth, & is all togyther perfecte.

Euen so it is, for as the wheate bicause of the sproute that he doeth beare doeth take agayne and is reuined: euen so the fayethfull whyche dye and go to reste wyth the sproute of Iesus Christe whyche is the spirite of god is raised againe by the self same spirite which raysed vp Iesu Christe from the dead.

There ryseth none then, but the true christians,

All shall aryse both good and euyll.

But in asmuche as the vnfaythful de parte not from thys worlde, wyth the sproute or spryng of Christe, howe be they partakers of his resurrection?

They are not partakers of hys resurrection, seynge they ryse in condemnatiō, for to go vnto the second death but as they be dead wyth the sproute of Sa­thā whiche is mortal: euen so shal they aryse for to be punished eternally with hym.

Ther is thē a life eternal and a death eternal.

We must not doubt, the one is comune­to the good, the othere vnto the reproued, and therefore do we conclude the articles of oure faith, by the eternal lyfe, whyche is the ende & cōsūmation of al thynges.

Dyd it not suffise to say, I beleue the resurrectiō? Wherfore put we to, Of the flesh Or wherfore say we not aswel the resurrecti­on of the bodye, as of the fleshe?

We say fyrst. The resurrection, for to declare that the same selfe man whyche dyd fal by death shal arise and be raysed, and to the ende that none should thynke that the resurrection shalbe only of the soule wythout the bodye, & in the immortalitie of the same as the philosophers haue thought, or that the same propre bodyes whiche we haue should not aryse agayne but should be chaūged into other, or should be cō ­uerted into spirite, we do say notabli, the resurrection of the flesh for to declare that the selfe same body, and the selfe same flesh whych we haue borne frome the wombe of oure mother shall arise in glory, in incorruption, & immor­talitie.

And dyd it not suffice to con­fesse the resurrection of the flesh, wythout put tynge to of the eternal life? Is it not al one?

We declare by that, that we do not rise for to dye agayne, as they dyd whyche were raysed agayne miraculously by Iesu Christ, by the Apostles and prophetes, but shal arise into a lyfe farre differing frō this which shall be immortall and perdurable for euer, for we shalbe out of all miseries, and shalbe no more subiectes to pouertie, hungre, thyrste, sicke­nes, death, sinne, nor hell, but shalbe lyke vn­to Math. xxii. [Page] the Angels of God wyth the whyche we The fode of eternal lyfe. shall raygne eternally.

Thys shall be then a lyfe wythout eatyng or drinkynge.

No, but the meat that we shall eate, and the pleasures that we shall haue, shall not be suche as Mahumite doeth promise to them that kepe hys lawes, but al shall be sateled, & satisfied of the tre & bread of life, of the good­nes and glorye of God, for of meates, and o­ther i. Cor. xv. corruptible thinges there shal be no nede whē the cause for the which we vse them shal be taken away, that is to saye, whē that death shall be abolished, and that oure corruption & mortalitie shall be turned into incorruption & immortalitie, and that the laste enemye, synne death, Sathan, and hell, shall be ouerthrowē and that God shalbe all in all.

Seynge the euyl and reproued shall as well aryse as the fayethfull, and that there is as well an eternall death for them, as a life eternal for the faythfull Wherefore makeste thou no mention but of the one, and speakeste no worde of the other?

Bycause the fayethfull haue nothynge adoe wyth the vnfayethful. And therefore do we leaue aparte and do not touch in this sum of oure fayeth, but that whyche serueth vnto the consolation of the elected, for to shewe vn­to thē the goodes that be gyuen thē of God.

In what maner may we vse thys [Page] article to oure profit?

It doth teach The soue­raigne goodnes of man. vs that whyche we haue all readye treated in the begynnynge of oure matter, that is to say in what doeth lye the Soueraygne goodnes and the felisitie of manne, wee maye well by thys knowe that we muste not seeke it in thys earth, nor in thys presente lyfe, and if we well vnderstande this, we shall also knowe that al thys mortall lyfe is but a pilgrimage, & that we muste not seeke here anye permanente ci­tie or dwelling, nor to rote our hertes in these Hebr. xiii. corruptible thynges, but to seke an other, and to repute oure selues as straungers in thys worlde, accordynge to the exemple of the ho­lye patriarkes.

Thys fayeth also teacheth vs not to be disco­raged thoughe we fele our selues ouerwhel­med wyth so manye euiles in the meane time whyleste oure lyfe is as yet hydden in Iesus Christe, and that we can not as yet fullye fele Colo. iii. the fruite nor the grace that God hathe done to vs in him, and for to redres vs in hope, and to susteyne and suffer by patience vnto suche tyme that Iesus Christe shalbe reueiled from heauen, and that we shall haue full reioysyng of the glorie and felicitie, that wee abyde and looke for.

Thou haste so well satisfied me in all thinges that I can aske nor require any more, but to gyue the thankes for the payne [Page] thou haste taken wyth me, and yelde graces & thankes vnto God, whoe hathe doone vs so muche good. To whom I praye that it wyll please hym so well to imprinte in oure hertes thys fayeth, of the whyche we haue so muche spoken that it may haue efficatie in vs by charitie in suche sorte, that the Image of Iesus Christe may be sene in vs to shyue. And that by hym wee may come vnto the same so­ueraigne goodnes & eternal beatitude vnto the which we be borne & called.

God giue vs that grace as I hope he wil do vnto whō I also pray to haue the alwais in his keping.

So be it of the FINIS.