A Christmas bankette garnished with many pleasant and dainty dishes, newly prepared by Theodore Basille.  
Luce. 14. ¶ Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God.   

¶ To the right honourable Sir Thomas Neuelle knight, Theodore Basille wisheth long life, continual health, and prosperous felicity. ✚  
I fear unless some men will accuse me of temerite & rasshnes, saying the so boldly I dare offer to your right honourable maystershyp this little lucubration & work, which I made now of late, & entitled a Christmas banquet, in asmuch as I have been so seldom in your company, & have not attempted nor proved at any time perfectly by mutual confabulation how your mind is affected toward me. To this I answer, that I sitting at your table before six months past where it pleased you very benignly to talk with me, perceived in your maystershyp at that time, as at all other so great humanity, comite, gentleness & affabilite toward all men, that it hath sins that time greatly animated and encouraged me to excogitate & invent somewhat that I might dedicated to your name, trusting by this means that your benevolence toward me should not only be increased, but also made consummate & perfect. While I sought diligently an argumennt fit & worthy your benignity, among all other it came to my remembrance that this time of the year men use customab●ye to make feasts & banckettes, and there unto for to call their friends, lovers & neighbours. When I considered this manner & custom, it did so much please me, seeing that mutual love is maintained thereby, that hereof I took an occasion also to make a Christmas banquet. For I thought although I were poor & not of ability to make such a feast or banquet, as the custom requireth, yet I would according to that kind of riches, which God hath endued me, prepare some banquet, & call unto it, not twenty or forty, but even so many as will come, the all men might commend Ba●ille having no house of his own, for his household keeping & large maintenance of hospitalite. And for as much as there shall not want universally, which shall make feasts for the body at this time, I thought it best, to make my banquet, a banquet for the soul, that men having their bodies fed of other, might also have their souls fed at my hand. I have therefore prepared a Banquet, not such a banquet, 
joan. vi.  as the meat whereof perissheth, corrupteth, and cometh to naught, but that abideth into everlasting life. And because it may be a Christmas banquet in deed, & worthy whereat Christ should be present I have garnished it with many delicious, pleasant, daint, yea & heavenly dishes of the most holy scriptures. So that whosoever eateth of this banquet, shall find in it much comfortable noryshment for his soul & be occasioned thereby, I doubt not to give God hertye thanks, which hath vouchedsafe of his divine clemency, & unmeasurable goodness, freely to call him to his celestial banquet. Would God that by this my banquet making, I might excyte & move other to use like communication at their table, as they shall find here, or at the leesse that they would enterlase in some part of their repast their talk with such honest & godly words as they shall here read, & utterly reject & cast away all filthy and unclean communication, all jesting & railing, all blaspheming & cursing. So should they have Christ more present with them at their feasts, than many have now a days, at whose table such kind of talk is used, as may justly seem not to be worthy of God & his son jesus, but of Bacchus and Venus. These be no Christmas banckettes, but christless & devilish banquets. They be no feasts fit for christian men, but for Gentiles & Ethuyckes. God banish once this great absurdite from the tables of them that profess Christ. Now in as much as at the beginning of a new year the vniuersa●● custom is to give gi●tes one to another, whereby the protest their mutual good will, love & favour. I because I will not seem to be estranged from this point of humanity, do here hubly offer to your right honourable maystershyp this my Christmas banquet for a new years gift, most instantly desiring you favourably to accept it, as the gift of him, which wisheth to you from God the father, long life, continual velth & prosperous felicity. Hereafter God prospering me in my studies, & directing my pen in the travail of his word, I trust to compyle unto the glory of God, & the immortality of your name other works no less godly & profitable to the readers. In the mean season that god, whose blessed word you must entirely favour and follow, might preserve in safe estate, your good mastership to the advancement of his glory, & the great quietness of us all in this country, by executing on your behalf, according to your of●yce committed worthily unto you by th● kings most gracious highness, such justice & equity in your judgements, as shall may turn to the utter expulsion of all vice, & the high promotion & furtherance of all virtue. In the travail whereof that LORD might assist you, by whom king sraygne, & the maker's of laws ●●scerne righteous things, by whom also, 
〈…〉  as Solomon sayeth: Princes bear rule, & the head officers give judgement according to justice.  
AMEN.   

The Christmas Banckette. ¶ Philemon the maker of the Banckette, Theophyle, Eusebius, and Christopher the gests. PHILEMON.  
I Think it very l●ng until my neighbour's whom I have bidden to this my Christmas Banquet do come. For I would be glad, that before we feed our hungry bodies, we should sustain and feed also our hungry souls, which do no less hunger for the word of God being the only norysshement thereof▪ than the bodies do for corporal meat as Christ witnesseth: 
De●t. viii Math. iiii  I man, sayeth he, shall not live with bread alone, but with every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Therefore that it might be a Christmas Banquet in deed, that is to say, such a feast, as whereby Christ may be glorified, & our souls no less refreshed than the bodies: I desire very much to see my neighbours here shortly, that fyr●t we may taste, as it is coveniente & right, of the celestial table ●f God's word of the consolation of our soul's health, and afterward refresh our mortal bodies, with such alementes and noryshynges, as we have received this day of God's great liberality. And behold I pray you where they come. Brothers & neighbours welcome unto me.  THEO. 
Brother Philemon we thank you hertelye.  EUSE. 
We are come hither this day to put you both to pain and cofte.  PHIL. 
I pray you think not so, it is to me neither pain nor cost, but rather comfort and pleasure, to see you thus friendly come & visit your neighbour. And I thank you right heartily that you have not disdayened to come at my request. I beseech you, that you will take the pains to come hither into my parlour.  CHRISTO. 
I am loath to go so soon out of this your haull, which feedeth mine eyes with so many godly and goodly spectacles.  PHIL. 
Why, is here any thing that you think worthy to be looked upon?  CHRI. 
Every thing is here so pleasant & comfortable to the eye of a christian man, that he being in this haull may justly seem to be in a delectable Paradyfe, I had allmooste said, in another heaven. For here is nothing dumb, all thing speak.  THEO. 
I pray you what is there written upon your parclose door?  PHIL: 
The saying of Christ. 
joan. x●  I am the door By me if any man entereth in, he shall be safe, and shall go in & out, & shall find pasture. This is done to put me and my household in remembrance, that Christ is the door, by whom we must enter into the favour of God, & obtain the glory of heaven, as he himself witnesseth, 
joan, xiiii  saying, I am the way, the truth, & the life. No man cometh to the father, but by me.  EUSE. 
This is christenly done. What is this, that is written upon your chiney?  PHIL. 
The saying of the Prophet Esaye. 
〈◊〉. ixvi.  The fire of them shall not be quenched.  CHRI. 
This is a terrible and hard saying.  PHIL. 
I have painted this sentence in the place, y● as the other fixed upon the doremaketh me to rejoice and to put my whole affiance in Christ, so this in like manner should abstere & fear me and mine from doing evil, when by looking on this text we consider with ourselves the inextinquible flames of hell fire, & most grievous pains, which are there prepared for the wicked transgressors & breakers of God's law. This doth incute & bete into our hearts the fear of GOD, which expelleth sin, and is the beginning of wisdom. 
Psal. c●. Pro. ●●x. 〈◊〉. Psa. ●●●  For he that▪ feareth God, shall do good things, sayeth the Scripture, & shall have all his pleasures in y● lords commandments.  EUSE. 
What have you there written in your window?  PHIL. 
Christ's saying in the Gospel of. 
joan. v●●●.  S. I●o●. I am the light of the world. He that followeth me, wa●keth not in darkness, but shall have the light of life. This teacheth us, that as by this material window we receive light into our house, so by Christ are our souls & senses lightened with the divine intelligence and godly understanding of his blessed word, which else should continue in darkness & ignorancy, 
〈…〉  in as much as a natural man understandeth not these things that pertain to the spirit of God. 
joan. i  For Christ is that true light, which doth lyghten every man that cometh into this world.  THEO. 
Your table also, me think speaketh.  PHIL. 
Herein is grown the saying of Christ: 
Luke. xiiii.  Blessed is he that eat the bread in the kingdom of God. This is to admonish us that we should not have all our pleasure in eating drinking, & bancketting after the manner of the Epicures, but rather desire so to live in this world, that after this life we may be fed in the joyful kingdom of God by enjoyenge the most glorious sight of the divine majesty.  EUSE. 
What have you painted over your table?  PHIL. 
The saying of the Prophet Esaye, yea rather the commandment of God by his Prophet. 
●sal. ●viii  Break thy bread to the hungry, & lede in the needy & way ●arynge into thy house. When thou shalt see a naked man, cover him, and ●●halte not despise thy flesh.  CHRI. 
Do you according to this commandment.  PHIL. 
I would be loath brother Christo. to profess one thing by mouth, & to practise another in my living. 
Luke. xiao  For that servant that knoweth his lords will, & doth it not▪ shallbe beaten with many stripes. But in as much as we all are to much slothful in doing our duty, & chesely in this one point, therefore I have caused this text to be here painted, that it may always put me in remembrance of doing my office to that poor members of Christ. 
Mark 〈…〉 well.  For I tell you truth, I think him no good christian man, which receiving many benefits at the hand of God, & can not vouchsafe to impart & give some of them to the indigent & needy. You remember, 
Luke. xuj.  I am sure, the story of the rich man in the Gospel of Luke, which sared dentely every day at his table, & yet would have no pity and mercy upon the po●re Lazar when he came to his door, but suffered him to die for want of succour, & therefore was he cast in to hell fire, and there grievously punys●hed.  EUSE. 
I remember it well.  PHILLIP 
This one story aught to move us for to have compassion & pity upon the poor people, except we be minded in this world to far well, & after this life with the rytch man to be tormented in hell fire. 
〈◊〉. xxxiiii.  For the wise man sayeth: The bread of the needy is the life of the poor, he that defraudeth him of it is a manssear.  THEO. 
Would ●od that all men would remember this, thā●hould the poor people find more gentleness at men's ha●des, than they do now a days. But what have you written just by the foresaid text. 
〈…〉   PHIL. 
The saying of S. Paul● to the Collos. Be you thankful. This sentence is placed there for to put me in remembrance, that I should at all times give God thanks for all things that I receive of him, meat, drink, clot, health, etc. But chiefly when I have dined or supped, to be thanckeful for his bounteous gifts wherewith he hath fed both me and my household. 
●om. l●xi●. D● 〈…〉  For Chrisostome saith it is convenient that we both when we go to the table, and come from it, give God thanks. For he that employeth himself to do this, shall never fault into dronkenshyp or lewdness, he shall not be diseased with surfeiting but having the expectation of prayer put upon his senses in the stead of a bridle, he shall eat of all things set on the table with a decent modesty & honest temperance, & shall replenish both his soul and body with much blessing. For that table which beginneth and endeth of prayer, shall never want, but shall bring to us all good things more plenteously than any fountain. These are the words of Chrisostome.  CHRI. 
Godly forsooth, and worthy to be followed.  EUSE. 
Neither is this cup dumb & spechles.  PHIL. 
Upon this is written Christ's saying: 
joan. seven.  If any man thirsteth, let him come to me & drink. This is not done to provoke men to super fluous dryncking, but to put them in remembrance that if they thirst, that is to say, desire remission of their sins, increase of virtue, perfection of a spiritual life, quietness of mind, pureness of heart, 
Esa. lv. Ipo. xxii.  or any other good thing, they should haste to Christ, which giveth to him that thirst the of the water of life freely. For who so ever drinketh of the water that Christ gyvethe him, 
joan. iiii.  he shall never thirst more, but the water which is given him, shall be made in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.  THEO. 
Uerye godly forsooth. You're dishes also want not speech.  PHIL. 
They rehearse the saying of christ in the god's. of Iohn: Verily, verily I say unto you, 
joan. v●.  except you eat the flesh of the son of man, & drink his blood, you have no life in you. But he that eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, & I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is very meat, and my blood very drink, he that eateth my flesh, & drinketh my blood, he dwelleth in me, and I in him. This putteth us in remembrance when we eat our meat of the breaking of Christ's most blessed body and the shedding of his most precious blood & by the remembrance of it, & the believing of the same, our souls at that very present, are no l●sse fed & sustained, than our bodies are with the meat that is brought unto us in these dishes. 
Behold what ●he remembrance of Christ's death do●h.  And this remembrance of Christ's death, maketh us to be thankful unto God the father, & to endeavour ourselves to live worthy his inestimable kindness, & in all points to do our diligence that God may dwell in us by his spirit, & we in him thorough that faith, which worketh by charity.  EUSE. 
Here is every thing so godly & pleasant, that it overcommech all praise. But saying that we have begun to demand of you these questions concerning the scriptures in your house, we will go forth so to do, trusting that you would not be grieved with us for so doing.  PHIL. 
Brother Eusebius I am not only not grieved with you, but also very glad that these my devices have in any point pleased your mind.  EUSE. 
I pray you what is it that your chairs & stools have carved on them.  PHIL. 
A saying of Christ in the Revelation of john: 
●po●. i●●.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.  CHRI. 
A very sweet saying. But what mean you by this?  PHIL. 
It it not unknown to you, I am sure, how comfortable a thing it is for a weary body to sit & to have a resting place.  CHRI. 
Truth, what than?  PHIL. 
Certes it is a thousand times more comfortable to have a place whe● body and soul after so many great & dangerous conflicts in this miserable world, may quietly rest. Therefore have I written this te●t● on my chairs & stools, to put me & mine in remembrance, that if we will find rest after this life, we must seriously not dally, 
●. Pet. ●. Ephe. v●.  but fight with Satan our enemy. We may never give place to the world, the devil, nor the flesh, but mainly resist them, being clothed with the armature of God and never leave until we have got the victory of them all. So shall we rest in the kingdom of God, or else not. For the Scripture sayeth: To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me ● my throne.  THEO. 
What scripture, I pray you, have you written here over your laver?  PHIL. 
The saying of Esaye: Be you washed, be you clean, 
Esai. ●.  take away the evil of your thoughts from my eyes. Here so often as we wash our hands, we are moved to remember with ourselves, 
●●he. iiii.  if any malice or hate be in our hearts toward our neighbour. If there be any at all, we suffer not the Son to fall down upon our anger, but according to Christ's precept we go straight and reconcile ourselves to such as with whom we are at debate or they with us. 
Math. u.  Moreover if there be any other uncleanness or notable vice in us, we straight put it ware out of our hearts by true & unfeigned repentance, & not only banish the vice from us, but also embrace the virtue contrary unto the vice, 
Psa. xxxiii i Pet. three ●sa●. i  as the scripture sayeth. Decline from evil, & do good. I gain, cease to do evil, and learn to do good. By this means hath sin no dominion in us, but virtue very much.  EUSE. 
I would wish sooner to come into this house, them into any place either of Emperor or king, I count him to devil in a fortunate isle, that dwelleth in a house so adorned & garnished with the most odiferous, redolent, & sweet smelling flowers of the holy scriptures.  THEO. 
It seemeth unto me also, that your vyrginalles speak, although no man playeth on them. 
Esa. xx●●ii●, i Lor. two.   PHIL. 
They say thus: The eye hath not seen, nor the ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, that God hath prepared for them that love him: It maketh that though the sound of that instrument which is but vain and feedeth the ear for a little while, seemeth pleasant & joyful to the hearers for the time, yet is that nothing in comparison of the celestial melody & heavenly joy, that God hath prepared for them that love him. Therefore are we here admonished not to delight in fantastical instruments the pleasure where of is more vain, than the smoke, but in that melody & joy, which is perpetual & never decayeth, & so to institute our life that we may be partakers of that unspeakable pleasance & joy.  CHRI. 
The longer I behold the parts of your house, the more I am moved to marvel, seeing so rare spectacles full of all virtue & godliness. Your posts also salute your gests, so far as I can perceive.  PHIL. 
They express this sentence of S. Paul, 
●. Lor. iii vi. ●i, Lor, vi.  the temple of God is holy, which you are. This putteth us in remembrance in what soever part of the house we go, that we should so keep our hearts clean from the infection of mortal sin, that God in them by his holy spirit might dwell perpetually.  EUSE. 
I pray you what two great tables have you hanging there openly.  PHIL. 
This is the table of the. x●commaundementes, which teacheth us what we ought to do, & what to erchew. The other is a table also which containeth in it the offices of all degrees and estates. It teacheth us whatte we own to our most noble Prince, to our parents, & to all superiors. In this table every man from the highest degree to the lowest may learn his offyce & duty. Therefore are these two tables red every day openly in my house, my wife, & children, with all my servants, being called thereunto, & giving attendance diligently to the reading of the same. If any of my household transgress any percel of god's law, he is brought straight way to these tables, and by them is his fault declared unto h●m. So that here by he taketh an occasion to amend his life, & to be the more circumspect & aware, that he falls not again into that sin afterward. This is the order of my house. Other correction than this use I none. Yet withstanding, I thank my LORD God, all do their duty so well that I can not wish it to be done better.  THEO. 
O merciful God, what have I heard and seen this day? so christian a house, so godly an order never saw I in my life. All householders may take an example of you. Would God that many saying this your act, would in like manner follow it in every condition, garnishing their houses with holy scriptures, & training their ly●es according to the same. O what a floryshing realm than should we have? With how syncer faith should we serve God. With how fervent charity should we procure the commodite of our neighbour? With how ready minds endued with all humbly submission should we faith fully obey our most christen Emperor, most redoubted King, and most excellent ruler? With how fervent heart should we profligate and chase away sin: With how vale aunt courage should we amplecte & enhance virtue? It can not be expressed with how many & great commodities this most prosperous realm should flourish to the glory of God, the a●auncement of the kings most excellent majesty, to the great pleasure & contentation of all your minds, if this thing were brought to pass▪  PHIL. 
I am here under God and my Prince a ruler over this my little household, & I think myself to be so much bound in conscience to bring them up virtuously, that if any of them should perish, 
Eze. xxxi●●  their blood should be required of my hand at the dreadful day of judgement,  CHRI. 
Would God that all householders, yea all bishops & Curates would wait & attended upon their parysshes with no less diligence than you do on your flock.  EUSE. 
The very ●ame would I wish.  THEO. 
Than should christen men know Christ & his laws better than they do now a days, and serve their Prince with a more faithful and obedient heart.  PHIL. 
Well thus have you seen my simple wit in divising these aforesaid things for the right institution of myself & family. And it pleaseth me well, seeing that it doth not displease you.  EUSE. 
The light hereof hath so delighted us, that nothing heretofore hath fed our eyes with so great delectation & pleasure. Neither have we been here vain & idle spectators but have reposed all these things in our breasts, that every one of us intend to gyrnysshe his house and order his family in like manner, giving you right herty thanks for the calling of us hither this day.  ●HIL. 
Seeing that you have now seen the most principal pleasures of my haull, I pray you vouchsafe to take the pain for to come into my parlou●.  THEO. 
We follow you gladly.  PHIL. 
Now are you welcome hither.  CHRI. 
I pray you neighbour Philemon, what have we here to do? I am now more ravished than I was before. Here is every thing so godly, pleasant that it seemeth unto me to be a figure of the new & celestial jerusalem, 
Apoc. xx●.  which is so gorgeously decked & garnished with all kind o● heavenly treasures. But I pray you, what do you mean by your table spread with a fair white & fine clot? Again what four books have you laid upon the table, clad & covered most preciously with clot of gold.  PHIL. 
It is not unknown to you neighbours that I did bid you unto a Christmas Banquet, & very friendly you are come to me. Now that it might be a Christmas Banquet indeed, I was minded not only to provide meat for your bodies, as the common fashion of the world is, but also for your souls, or else how could it be a Christmas Banquet? These ●oure books that lie here, are thus named. The first is the five books of Moses with certain other volumes of the old Testament. The second is the Prophets. The third the new Testament. The fourth, the Doctors of the church. For every one of us here is a book of like number, & for every one of us, all. These are the masters of the Christmas Banquet. These are they which shall feast you. These are they, that have in store so many godly & goodli dishes most comfortable for our soul's health. When we have once taken our repast of these most delicious dishes, than by God's favour will we repair to the feast of th● body, which the common fort only celebrated, neglecting that, which is principal & most precious.  CHRI. 
We desire very much to taste of these pleasant and dainty dys●hes.  THEO. 
My heart rejoiceth to hear these things.  EUSE. 
Me think it a hundred year till we begin our banquet.  PHIL. 
saying that year so desirous to taste of this most godly banquet, come of, & that it may be done among us with the more fruit, let us all with one consent kneel down & pray to God for the assistance of his spirit.  EUSE. 
Agreed.  PHIL. 
If it will please you to give audience, & quietelye to hear, I will pray in the name of you all.  THEO. 
Let it be so.  EUSE. 
Yea I pray you.  CHRI. 
That is best  PHIL. 
Hear now.  
¶ The prayer.  
O Good God & mercyefull father the author & giver of all wisdom, 
jacob. ●.  which at the intercession of thy well-beloved son jesus Christ our LORD and saviour didst send down according to thy promise thy holy spirit to lyghten the hearts & senses of the apostles before they could syncerly understand the high mysteries of thy divine will: 
Act. two.  We most humbly beseech thee, that all clouds of ignorancy & darkness dispelled & put away, we being here gathered together in thy name, may thorough that same thy spirit enjoy the light of thy eternal verity, & so reverently read & talk of thy most blessed word at this present, that we understanding the same being inflamed with the love & reding thereof, may in all points fashion our life according unto thy holy word, & seriously provide, that the light of all our acts & manners may so shine before men, 
Ma●. ●.  that they seeing our good works, may glorify the our father which art in heaven, to whom with thy well-beloved son jesus Christ & the holy ghost three distincte persons in deite, and yet one very true & perfect God in essence, be all honour, praise, & glory for evermore  THEO. 
Amen.  EUSE. 
So be it.  CHRI. 
LORD let it so come to pass.  PHIL. 
Now let us fall in hand with our Christmas banquet. I beseech God so to temper our tongue thorough the influence of the holy Ghost, that we speak here this day nothing dissonant from the verity of God's word, but altogether to the glory of his most blessed name, and the comfort of all our souls,  THEO. 
The very same thing we also wish.  PHIL. 
Now will I bring forth unto you the banquet, & because I will not onerate & overcharge your stomachs with to much meat at one's (although th●r aught not to be any sufficiency, much less any nimiete in spiritual things, so desirous of them should we be) I have at this present only prepared according to the number of us four dishes, that we tasting of them, yea rather eating, devouring & digesting them with greedy stomachs, may have the more lust & desire to return to them shortly, I pray you sit down every man in a chair. Now will I serve you with your first dish, contained in the fyrstboke of Moses. Fail not you therefore to whet your stomachs, & greedily to devour whatsoever I bring forth unto you.  

¶ The first dish.  

G●ne. iii  CUrsed is the earth in their work. It shall bring forth unto the thorns & brambles.  THEO. 
This is a disshe little pleasant for the beginning of our banquet.  PHIL. 
Content yourselves. it is necessary that this dish hath the first place, that the other that follow may savour the more deliciously to your mouths. The acrimony and tartenes o● this dish shall so pierce your stomachs that it shall minister to you an appetite & lust to devour that other the more greedily. For I do not in this behalf follow the manner of Satan, which promised first to Eve sweet & delectable things, & afterward paid her with things most sour & displeasant, 
Esay. i Mat. iii  but rather of the Prophet Esay & of Iohn Baptist, which first of all grievously rebuked the wicked in their sermons, & afterward comforted them again most swetelye. Neither differed Christ and his Apostles from this manner of preaching. Tak● therefore this dish in good worth, & hear me now patiently. When thorough the suggestion of the old wily serpent Adam & Eve had trangressed God's commandment, God according to their deserts expulsed them out of Paradyse, & sent them into this vale of misery, saying unto Adam among all other things this aforesaid text: Cursed is the earth in thy work. 
Gen. ●●  It shall bring for the unto thorns & brymbles. Here do we learn that for the sin of Adam all the earth, that is to say, all the creatures are cursed & made subject to vanity. They now bring forth no more goodly & pleasant fruits, but thorns & brambles, that is, sin, wickedness, vice, & all other abhominac●on. This one sin of our first father Adam hath condenned us all that ever have been born sins, or shall be here after.  EUSE. 
Me thinketh that though he offended, yet his offence should not turn to our damnation, saying we were not then born.  PHIL. 
Yies in good faith brother Eusebius. For his sin was our sin. His damnation was our damnation. His death was our death. I will read unto you the mind of the famous Doctor Origen, 
In epistle. ad Rom. lib. ●. ●apit. u  concerning this matter: If Levy, sayeth he, which was born the fourth generation after Abraham, was than counted to be in the loins of Abraham, much more all men that are born or have been born in this world, were in the loins of Ad●m, when he was yet in Paradise. And all men with him & in him were expulsed out of Paradise, when he was put out from thence, & by him death, which came unto him by the enterpretation, came also consequently upon them, whom he had in his loins.  PHIL. 
I pray you let us hear what the holy scriptures say in this behalf.  THEO. 
We read in the fourth book of Es●ras the third chap. on this wise. The first Adam bearing a wicked heart did sin, & was overcome, & not only be, but all that were born of him. 
●se●. ●  Also Ose the Prophet sayeth: They even as Adam have transgressed the covenant & therein have they sinned against me, 
T●m. ●●.  that is, saith S. jerome, upon this text, in Paradyse all have sinned against me, even like unto the sin of Adam For it is no marvel, sayeth he, if that which went before in the father, be also condemned in the children. 
〈◊〉. ●x●.  But I will rehearse to you more scriptures: Of a woman came the beginning of sin, 
●oan. three Mat. twelve.  sayeth the wise man, & by her all w● dy. Christ also sayeth, the which is born of flesh is ●leshe. Again, how can you speak good things, 
●oan. ●iii.  ●hen you yourselves are evil? Also in an other place, every one that doth sin, 
Rom. u i Lor. vi. Rom. iii ●s●l. ●.  is the servant of sin. S. Paul also sayeth: By one man sin entered into this world & by sin death, & so went death though row all men, in as much as all we have sinned. Again, in Adam all are dead. In another place also he saith all have sinned, & want the glory o● God. Therefore David confesseth that he was begotten in sin, & born in sin. And saint Paul affirmeth plainly, that we are born by nature the children of wrath. What say you now my friends, do you not now at the last perceive that the sin of Adam hath condemned us all, so that his sin is our sin.  CHRI. 
We perceive it well & believe it also.  PHIL. 
I will rehearse unto you a saying of S. Bernarde. 
Sermo. in ●ena Domini.  In the fall of the first man, sayeth he, did we all fall. We fallen upon an heap of stones & in the mire, so that we are not only inquinated, spotted and defiled, but also wounded & grievously shaken, bruised & broken. 
Ibidem.  Again he sayeth: Verily we are begotten in sinful pleasure, therefore although it be against our will, yet do we feel certain unlawful & beastlike motions of concupiscences in ourselves. Hereto agreeth S. Austen saying, 
De ver●i● apost. S●. iiii.  mark brothers behold that mankind came forth from the first death of the first man. For sin from the first man entered into the world, & by sin death, & so went death thorough all men. Mark this word went thorough. 
Roma. u  Consither that you have herd, look what this is, went thorough. It went thorough. Hereby is the young child guilty. Synon he hath not done, but drawn. For that sin did not remain in the fountain, but went thorough, not him or him but went thorough all men. The first siner, that first prevaricator begat sinners bond to death. Thus see you that both the holy scriptures & also the ancient Doctors do conclude that all we are damned righteously for Adam's offence. 
●o. xxxvi. ●e ad●en. Domini. Ephe. two. G●n●. iii  So that every man naturally, as S. john & Chrisostome saith, is not only a sinner, but also every whit sin, as the Apostle sayeth: we were by nature the sons of wrath And this is it, that God the father said to Adam: Cursed is the earth in thy work, as I rehearsed to you before.  THEO. 
Than have we learned here, that all we are cursed & damned in Adam's work, that is, for the sin which he he committed in breaking Gods most holy commandments.  PHIL. 
You say truth.  EUSE. 
This is a thing necessary to be known. 
M●r●r this thing well,   PHIL. 
Without the knowledge of ourselves, we can never truly know god nor understand his holy scriptures. Therefore will I go fo●th to minister unto you the residue of your first dish. It followeth: It shall bring forth unto the thorns & brambles, I pray you what other thing doth your corrupt nature bring forth unto us than thorns & brambles, that is to say, sin, wickedness, ungodliness, & all that ever is contrary to the will of God? 
Sin conjured like to ● thorn.  And in deed sin may well be compared to a thorn or bramble. For as the thorn & bremble pricketh the body & woundeth it grievously, yea and bringeth many times destruction upon it, except other wise it be helped, so likewise sin most grievously pricketh, woundeth and utterly destroyeth the soul, except it be redeemed by God's mercy thorough jesus Christ.  THEO. 
I think this to be true.  PHIL. 
It therefore followeth that in as much as all we are dead in Adam, we are not able of our selves to rise again from death unto life. And seeing that we are sinners all that ever we do, must needs be sin, yea it is sin in deed, & deserveth everlasting death. For as the scripture saith. 
e'en. viii. ●sa●: lvii.  The disposition and thought of man's heart is prove to evil from his young age. 
●api. twelve. Psa. xiviii Roma. seven Luke. xvii ●saie. liii. ●saie. i●. Psal. cxv. ●sai●. liii.  We are wicked children, & a wicked seed. We are that seed, which was cursed from the beginning. We are like bruyte beasts. We are carnal & fleshly, sold under sin. We are unprofitable servants. We all have go astray like sheep. We all are Hypocrites & wicked. We are all liars. We all are unclean, & all our righteousnesses as a clot polluted with mensture. All have sinned. 
Rom. i●i. Psa. xiii. ●o●. twenty-five. P●o. xx. Hie. xv i ii.● or. three Gen. iii  There is not one that doth good, not not one. There is no man clean from filthiness, not not the young child. There is no man able to say, my heart is clean, & I am pure from sin. For our hearts are wicked and inscrutable. We are not able to think a good thought. All that ever we bring forth is thorns & brambles, that is to say, sin, ungodliness, & all abomination. 
Note.  What are we now of ourselves I pray you tell me.  CHRI. 
Very sinners.  EUSE. 
Yea and all that ever we do in Adam, & of our own strength, is plain sin and wickedness.  PHIL. 
I am glad that we have learned what you are of yourselves by Adam. I pray you what are you able now to do for to save yourselves from this perel, whereunto you are fallen by Adam?  THEO. 
Verily I can not tell.  EUSE. 
Forsooth I think very little. 
The captivity of man thorough sy●.   PHIL. 
You might right well have said, nothing at all. For I ensure you that you being left unto yourselves can do none otherwise but sin, & fall headlong into all kind of mischief Your wit strength, polecy, imagination, reason, & free will availeth here nothing, to deliver you from the captivity of Satan, He leadeth you as the master doth his bond slave, 
joan. viii.  whither soever it pleaseth him as Christ witnesseth: every one that doth sin, is the servant of sin. You remember, I am sure, the story of the wounded man, in the Gospel of Luke, 
Luke. x.  which being despoiled and rob of all his clotheses & grievously wounded, 
●●rk here  say still half dead.  THEO. 
I remember it very well.  PHIL. 
This wounded man signifies every child of Adam. The clotheses signify faith charïte, justice, mercy, & such other virtues. The thieves are Satan and his angels. The wounds are sins. Half dead is to be alive in the flesh, & slain in the soul thorough sin. All this are we by Adam. And as this wounded man could not be helped of the Pressed nor Levite, until the Samarytane came, no more can we be helped by any creature or work, till christ cometh the true Samaritane. We can not certes, we can not help selues, but even lie still the stinking puddle of sin. Look in what case Satan leaveth us, in the very same do we remain, except God of his mercy thorough Christ helpeth us. Neither canfre e will nor all the wit & polecye that we have, profit here any thing, 
Epist. c●i. ad Paul  till God endueth us with strength from above. For as S. Austen sayeth: The nature of man all though it did remain & continued in that integryte & pureness, wherein it was made, yet could it keep itself by no means, if the creator & maker of it did not help. Therefore saying that without the grace of god it could not keep the health that it received, how is it able to repair and get again that which it hath lost, without the grace of God? 
●ib. ●e vocant. ● a. viii 〈◊〉. ●e cor●● g●a●● two. Phil. two. joan. xv.  Again he says free will sufficeth unto evil, but unto good it availeth little, except it be helped of that almighty God. Therefore is it well said of the Apostle, God worketh in us ●oth the will & the deed. Hereto agreeth the saying of ●hrist. As the vine branch can not bear fruit, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine & you are the branches. He that abideth in me, & I in him, the same bringeth for the much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. If any man abideth not in me, he is cast out as a branch, & is withered, & men gather them & cast them into the fire, & there burn. Thus see you what ●e are of yourselves by Adam, & that no strength you have once to aspire or breathe toward any goodness, much less to do or work any good thing, except you be helped of God. You see also how full of sins, diseases, wounds, sores, botches, cankers, & all that ever naught is you are. You see again, how you are not able of yourselves to recover your innocency, that you lost by Adam.  CHRI. 
Alas what is now to be done?  THEO 
The rehearsing of these things maketh me very sad.  PHIL. 
It should rather make you very glad. 
In di●l. 〈…〉  For as S. Hierome sayeth: This is the true wisdom of a man to know himself to be inperfecte, & as I may so speak, the perfection of all righteous men in the flesh is imperfect. Again he sayeth: 
〈…〉 ●ag. li●. ●.  Than are you righteous, when we confess ourselves sinners, & our righteousness consists not of our own merit, but of the mercy of God, as the holy scripture saith, 
Pr●u. 〈…〉  the righteous man is the accuser of himself in the beginning of his speech. Therefore must you confess yourselves to be that in deed, which you are, that is, very sinners, if you will be set free from this miserable captivity, where with you are now to much wrapped and overwhemled.  EUSE. 
We confess the same.  THEO. 
We now knowledge that of ourselves by Adam, we are nothing but sinners, & all that ever we do without the spiryt● of god is plain sin, 
Rom. xiiii.  as S. Paul sayeth: What soever is not of faith is sin.  PHIL. 
Well saying that you have so fruitfully digested the first dish of your Banquet, now have I a fit place, a convenient time, & a good occasion to bring unto you the second dish, as it followeth in order.  CHRI. 
I pray you let us taste of it.  THEO. 
That thing also do I desire.   

¶ The second dish.  
YOur second dish is contained in that same chap. where in the first is recited. Therefore devour this with no less greedy appetite than you have done that other. For this dish is much delicious & very wholesome forth virtuous preservation of the soul. I now bring it for the unto you. Behold here it is. 
Gene. iii  I will set ennemyt● between the & an woman, between thy seed & her seed, & that self seed shall tread down thy head. Now doth this favour in your mouth?  THEO. 
Very pleasantly forsooth: but we do not perceive what it meaneth.  PHIL. 
Hear therefore: These were the words of God the father to the serpent when by his craft & sut●elty he had made Adam to offend, & in them is comprehended an whole See of treasures. For they declare both our free deliverance from captivity, & also the victory over Satan and all his army. When Satan had thought that he had gotten the overhand of man, and brought him into the same case wherinto he was thrown for his to much arrogancy & pride, thinking by this means to deceive God of his purpose, which had made man for to supply the number of Angels, which perished when Lucifer fell from heaven: God willing to show himself of no less puissance to save man thorough his mercy, than Satan was to condemn him thorough his craft, pytied straight way the miserable fall of man, & afterward spoke these comfortable words to the great confusion of Satan, & the exceeding consolation of man. I will set enimite between the & an woman, between thy seed and her seed, that self seed shall tread down thy head. 
The woman:  This woman is the most blessed and pure virgin Mary, which was here promised to bring forth that seed, which should tread down Satan's head. 
The see●●  This seed is jesus christ which took s●e●sh unfeignedly of that most pure virgin, & become man for our sake. And he it is, which was promised of God the father to tread down the head of the Serpent.  THEO. 
I per●eyue that by the serpent you mean Satan. 
The tredī● down of the Serpent's head,  But what is meant by the treading down of his head.  PHIL. 
The destruction of his power. For the these strength & power of a serpent consisteth in his head. Though his tail or body be stricken or wounded, he forceth not much. For he will put them both in perrel for the safeguard of his head, but if his head be once stricken or wosided, than loseth he his power, than dieth he shortly. Therefore is Christ promised here, not to tread down the tail or body of the serpent, but his head, whereby is sygnified the destruction of his whole power. So that now Satan shall never more triumph against Gods elect Do you now perceive this matter?  EUSE. 
Yea forsooth.  CHRI. 
I never heard so much before.  PHIL. 
Well, now behold the great & exceeding mercy of God toward you, that you may learn that to be true, which God speaketh by his Prophet Ose: 
●●e. xiii.  Thy destruction, o Israel, cometh of itself, but thy salvation cometh only of me. You have herded that Adam sinned, & that thorough his sin all we were danced.  THEO. 
I remember it well. 
Gen●. iii   PHIL. 
The scripture testifieth that so soon as Adam had offended, he hid himself, & fled from the face of god, he was so greatly ashamed of the sin that he had committed. 
The misery of Adam.  For after his offence he came not to GOD as he aught to have done, neither sought he grace & remission of his sin at the goodness of God, by confessing his sin with a faithful repentaunto heart, but streyghtway after the transgression of the precept he fled from God & hid himself from the face of god, & as they use to say, put his head in a bush like a coward for fear? O where are the powers of free will, y● man be once without the spirit of God? Man hath now no power to seek for salvation, but rather continueth still in his old wickedness, & seeketh to be far from the face of god, coveting rather to be damned than he would once approach unto the sight of God, sin hath so slain his courage. Satan in him hath so great dominion, yea when he considereth his wickedness, he is angry with GOD, hateth God, and wisheth that there were no God, that he might escape unpunished, even as an enemy of the publigue weal wisheth that there were no king, no Emperor, no ruler, no governor, no magistrate, but all like himself, that freely & without punishment he might deform, ren●e tear, despoil the publigue we●e at his own pleasure. 
The goodness o● god  Now behold the unspeakable benygnite of God. When Adam had fled from him, and hid himself, so that he had no hoop of health, but utterly despaired of all consolation, looking for extreme tyranny, to be exercised upon him at every hour according to his deserts. God like a merciful father sought him up, & spoke before him the sweet words heretofore rehearsed to Satan, that by this means he might receive consolation, & so be saved by giving earnest faith to that most comfortable promise. O the unmeasurable goodness of this celestial father: he is that sheep heard, 
Luke. xv.  which never leaveth seeking until he hath found the sheep that was lost. He is that father, which joyfully receiveth again into his house that son, which prodigally had spent all his substance. He is the Samaritane, 
Luke. x. Mat. xxvi. Act. ix.  which heals the wounded man. He is that LORD, which maketh of a blasphemer an Apostle, of a prosecutor a preacher. And whence cometh this his goodness? of us: of our good deeds? of our merits? Naverely, but of his bounteous mercy and great goodness. Freely and with out desert worketh he this thing. We are saved by grace thorough faith & that not of ourselves, 
Ephe. two.  for it is the gift of God, & cometh not of works, because no man should boast himself. 
Tit. iii  We being justified by his grace are made heirs, according to hope of everlasting life. Not for the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us. 
Rom. iii  We are justified freely by his grace. By grace are we saved, & not by works. If by grace then not of works, 
Rom. xi.  or else grace were not grace. 
joan. xv.  He did choose us by his grace, & not we him by our works, as christ witnesseth, you have not choose me, 
●phe. ●.  but I have choose you. Paul also saith, God did choose us in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid. Hereto pertaineth that saying of the Psalmograph: 
Psa. lxiiii.  Blessed is he oh Lord, whom thou haste choose and taken unto thee, for he shall dwell in thy inner courts. That God of his free mercy did choose us without our deserts, when we were sinful & poor without any goodness or godliness, he himself testifieth by his Prophet, 
Esa. x●viii  saying: I have choose the in the fire of poverty.  EUSE. 
So far as I can perceive now, God alone is the author of our salvation, & he of his free mercy and abundant grace did choose us to be his heirs, 
●phe. ●.  before the foundations of the world were laid.  CHRI. 
Yea and that before we wrought any goodness, or showed any point of kindness toward him,  PHIL. 
You say truth. And that you may know that I wrest not the scriptures, I will read unto you the laying of S Austen: 
De ver. ●●● Sc●. xv.  He was given saith he, for our sins, & rose again for our justification. Thy justification, thy circumcision is not of thyself. By grace are you saved thorough saith, & that not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God, not of works unless ꝑaduenture thou wouldst say, I have deserved it, & therefore have I received it. Think not that thou didst receive it by deserving, which couldst not have deserved except thou hadst received it. Grace went before thy merit, grace is not of merit, but me rite of grace For if grace were of merit so hadst thou boght it, & not received it freely. Thou shalt save them sayeth he, for nothing: What is this, thou shalt have them for nothing? Thou findest in them nothing whereby thou mayst save them, & yet dost thou save them. Freely thou givest freely thou savest. Thou goest before all merits, that thy gifts may optayne thy merits. Utterly dost thou give freely, save freely, which findest nothing, whereof thou mayest save, & findest much whereby thou mayest condemn. 
In p●o. Psa. xxxi.  Again he sayeth, thou haste done no good, & yet is remission of sins given unto the. Let thy works be looked upon, and they be all found evil, If god should give the the which is due to thy works, he should surely condemn the. But God doth not give unto the that pain which is due, but giveth the grace, which is not due. Also upon this text, 
●a ●p. a● Roma.  to all that are at Rome beloved of God, saints by cylling: Here also, sayeth he, he showeth that it is the exceeding mercy of God rather than thy merit. For he sayeth not, to them that love God, but to them that are loved of God. For he loved us first, that we being loved should also love him. 
In ●ant. ●er. lxvi●.  S. Bernarde also saith: Grace maketh me justified freely, & likewise delivered from the bondage of sin. Hereto agreeth Fulgentius, 
Lib. i a● men●mū.  saying: God giveth grace to the unworthy freely wherewith the wicked being justified may be lightened with the gift of good will, & with the power of good working, that mercy preventing and going before he may begin to will good, & mercy subsequent and following, he may be able to do the good that he willeth. Thus perceive you, that whenther was nothing in us, wherefore God should love us, yet he freely loved us▪ choosed us by his grace to be his children, 
l. joan. i●●●  as S. john sayeth: Behold, what a love the father hath given to us, that we should be called the sons of God. Again he saith: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, 
l. joan. 〈◊〉  & sent his son to make agreement for our sins. And a little after: We love him, because he first loved us.  THEO. 
What moved God to be so beneficial unto us, seeing we had offended so grievously, & were than by no means able to pacify his wrath with any good work?  EUSE. 
This would I also gladly know.  PHIL. 
His own mere goodness was the occasion of his love toward us for his son jesus Christ's sake. In him, by him, & for him, is God the father merciful unto us, & freely saveth us without any respect of our good works. 
Gala. iii  For as s. Paul sayeth: If righteousness came by the law, than died Christ in vain. And God himself saith by the Prophet I am, 
Esa●e. xliii  I am he, which putteth away thine ī●iquittes, yea & that for mine own sake, & will remember thy sins no more. Put me in remembrance & let us judged together: Declare if thou haste any thing, that thou mayest he justified. 
e'en. iii  And this is it, that we speak of before, that self seed shall tread down thy head. Furthermore God said to Abraham: 
Gene. xxi●.  In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed. This seed, 
Gala. ii●.  saith S. Paul is Christ by whom all are we blessed, that is to say, received into favour, forgiven of our sins, freely justified and made heirs of eternal glory?  CHRI. 
Now cometh this to pass by Christ I pray you.  PHIL. 
verily on this wise, when all we were dampened in Adam, God of his mere mercy and exceeding grace promised to Adam & his posterity, that there should be one born, which should deliver them out of their servitude and restore them again to grace. 
G●ne. lii. and. xxii. Deut. xvii●. Exod. twelve. and. xuj. Num xx●.  This did God the father in the old law not only many times promise', but also obsibrate & shadow by divers mysteries, figures, clouds and ceremonies that by them the faithful might receive consolation. And at the time appointed of GOD the father this man jesus Christ came into the world. 
Esa●e. seven. Roma. i  He was conceived by the holy ghost, & ●orne of the virgin Marry, according to the holy scriptures: He was begotten of the seed of David as pertaining to the flesh.  THEO. 
Yea & that without the seed of man.  PHIL. 
You say truth. 
Luke. ●.  He received very flesh by the wonderful operation of g●ds spirit of Mary, the still remaining a pure and clean virgin. It was necessary that he should be born of a virgin, in as much as the nature of man is full of carnal concupiscence, & defiled by Adam, or else could not he have been a pure & sufficient sacrifice before God for us. For by nature all we are born the children of wrath, 
Ephe. two.  saith S. Paul. Therefore without the seed of any man, 
●e●. two. iiii.  which is corrupted in Adam, was he born of the most pure and undefiled virgin Marye, being conformable to us in all things, sin alone except. For our sin was so great, that it could be put a way neither by any child of Adam nor yet by angel, but only by such one, as being of our flesh, should be born without the seed of man, & without any carnal concupiscence. And for asmuch as this could not be brought to pass by any carnal man, therefore was it necessary that the son of god should come down from the right hand of God the father, 
●olo. ●.  and be made very man for our sake, that he being both God & man might by his most precious blood pacify god the father's wrath, & reckon cycle us again to him. God so loved the world, 
joan. ●●●.  saith Christ, that he gave his only begotten son, that every one that believeth in him, may not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world for to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved by him. He that believeth in him, is not condenned. But he that believeth not, is already condemned, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten son of god. 
Rom. viii.  GOD spared not his own son, s●yth S. Paul, but gave him for us all.  

Rome ●.  Again, God setteth out his love that he hath to us, saying that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us much more than now, seeing we are justified this blood, shall we be preserved from wrath thorough him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled ●o God by the death of his son, much more s●ynge we are reconciled, we shall be preserved by his life. Not only so, but we also joy in god by the means of our LORD● jesus Christ, by whom we have received this atonement. 
●. joan. i●i. ●. joan. iiii  Also S. john sayeth: For this purpose appeared the son of God, for to lose the works of the evil. Again, t● this appeared the love of God to usward▪ because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live thorough him. Thus see you that when there was no hope of saluaciō●or us in any creature God of his own free goodness sent d●wne h●s only begotten son to be a saviour unto us.  EUSE. 
This do we perceive right well.  PHIL. 
Now mark● again, 
Math. ●.  how that by him alone we are saved. His name is JESUS, that is to say, a saviour, for he it is that saveth his people from their sins, neither 〈◊〉 there any other name given unto men under heaven, wherein they must be saved, but only by this name JESUS. 
Act. ii●. ●c●●.  To him giveth all the Prophets wit●eg▪, that thorough his name, ●ll shall receive remission of sins, that believe in him. Be it known unto you, 
Act. xiii.  you men & brothers, the by this jesus Christ remission of sins is preached unto you, & from all things, from the which you could not be justified by the law of Moses by him is every one that believeth justified. He is the Lamb of God, 
Ioa●. l.  which taketh away the sin of the world. 
joan. xi.  He is our resurrection & life. He is the way, 
joan. xiiii.  truth & life. No man cometh to the father but by him. He is the good shepherd, by whom we be saved from the wolf. He is the door, by whom we must enter into grace. He is the vine, 
joan. xv:  in whom we being ingrassed must needs bring forth much fruit. 
●. Lor. i●  He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification & redemption. He is our peace. 
Ephe. two. ●. Timo. two. ●. joan. two. ●● oca. xxi. Roma. u  He is our mediator & advocate. He is alpha & omega, that is, both the beginning and ending of our salvation. Moreover by him are we at peace with God. By him have we a way in thorough saith unto this favour, wherein we stand, & rejoice in hope of the praise that shall be given of God. By him is the favour of God plenteous toward us. 
Rom. vi●●.  By him & his righteousness are we made righteous By him hath the law of the Spirit of life made us free from the law of ●ynne & death. By him hath god the father blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly things. 
Ephe. ●.  By him did God chose us, before the foundations of the world were laid, that we should be saints & fautles before him. By him are we made dear to god the father. 
Ephe. ●●.  By him have we redemption, by his blood remission of sins. By him are all things both in heaven & earth gathered together. By him we, which in times paste were far of, are made nigh thorough his blood. By him we have and open way unto the father. By him are all our sins forgiven us. 
Lol. ●●. l. Th●. ●.  By him are we delivered from the wrath to come. By him and by his blood are we made clean from all sin. 
●. joan. ●●.  By him & by the oblation of his most blessed body done once for all, 
Heb. x.  are we sanctified. Yea by that one oblation hath he made perfect for evermore them that are sanctified. To conclude, by him is everlasting life given unto us. 
Rom. v●.  Thus see you that by Christ all good things chance unto us, & that god the father is well pleased & set at one with us for his sake, as he himself witnesseth. This is my well-beloved son in whom I am well pleased, 
Mat iii  or for whose sake I am fully contented with man. Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Austen: 
In vital. ●p. cv●.  All that ever receive everlasting life, receive it not but by Christ. 
In manu. ●l cap. ●●●●.  Therefore saith he in another place: All my hope is in the death of my LORD. His death is my merit my refuge, succour, health, ●ife, & my resurrection. My merit is the compasssion of the LORD I am not without merit, so long as that LORD of mercies shall not want. And if that mercies of y● LORD be many, I am plenteous in merits. The stronger is to save, the more without iopardy am I, 
Lib. l. ●om. xiiil.  let us therefore give thanks, sayeth he, to the LORD & our saviour, which no merit's going before, hath healed us that were wounded, reconciled us his enemies, redeemed us from captivity, brought us again out of darkness into light, called us again from death to life, & let us humbly confessing our fragilite & weakness desire his mercy, & in as much as he hath prevented us, as the Psalmographe saith, with his mercy he may vouchsafe not only to preserve and keep in us, but also to augment and increase his gifts or benefits, which he hath vouchedsafe to give us.  CHRI. 
Amen.  THEO. 
So be it.  EUSE. 
LORD let it so come to pass.  PHIL. 
Home doth this second service of your Banquet please you?  THEO. 
We never in our lives tasted a dish more pleasant & comfortable to our soul's health.  EUSE. 
We have now learned what we are of ourselves, and where remedy is to be got, but by what means shall we come by it? What thing may be the occasion whereby we may receive so many & ●o great benefits at the hand of god the father for jesus Christ's sake? I pray you a good fellowshyppe dec●are this unto us.  PHIL. 
I never herded a questionared in better time for the answer to it is your third dish, which before you proponed this question, I was fully determined to set before you. And now here it is.   

¶ The third dish. PHILEMON.  
REpent, & believe the gospel. These were the words that our saviour christ as mark testifieth, 
Mark. i  used when be begun to preach. In the which he declareth by what means we may obtain remission of our sins, & the cel●●ial heritage of god's glory. 
Hom. lrr●. ●e penitentia  Repent, sayeth he, & believe the gospel. Fryrste he exorteth us to repentance, which is, as Chrisostome saith, not only to cease from the oldewithour evils, but also to follow better offices, & such things as aught of duty to be done, as David sayeth: 
Psal. xxxiii  Decline from 〈◊〉 evil, & do good. S. Iohn the Baptys●e in like manner in the beginning of his preaching said: 
Math. iii Luke. xxiiii.  Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Christ also after his resurrection commanded his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins in his name unto all nations. Likewise we read in the Acts of the Apostles then when Peter preached to the jews much of christ, 
Act. ●●.  & showed that he was the same LORD jesus, whom they had crucified, they were pricked in their hearts & said: You men & brothers what shall we do? Peter said unto them: Repent, & be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus Christ for the remission of sins, & you shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost. Here see you that Christ and his Apostles declared Repentance to be a mean whereby we may obtain remission of our sins & everlasting life. And that you may perceive the matter that more plainly. I will lively paint in most evident colours and set it out before your eyes with certain other histories of both Testaments that you may learn to be true, which Chrisostome sayeth. 
I● Ma●h. 〈◊〉 xiii.   THEO. 
I pray you what saith he?  PHIL. 
There is not, sayeth he, there is not, believe me, any sin in the world, that doth not give place to the virtue of repentance, yea rather to the grace of God, which when we turn to better thiges, doth straight ways work with us.  EUSE. 
This is a comfortable saying for sinners.  PHIL. 
Yea and in all points agreeable to the holy scriptures. 
Math. ●●.  For Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance. Now mark for your health and consolation. 
●. ●eg. xi●.  David committed both manslaughter & adultery, & therefore was he threatened many evils of God by his Prophet Nathan. Not withstanding he had not so soon repent him of his act, & confessed his fault, saying: I have offended the LORD, but the Prophet said: The LORD hath turned away thy sin, thou shalt not die. 
three Reg. ●●.  King Achab also did slay his subject Nabotch, that he might enjoy his vyneyeard. And God therefore sent his Prophet Heli as unto him for to tell him that the dogs should lick his blood also even there, where they licked the blonde of Na●othe, and that every one of the house of Achabbe that maketh water against the w●ull, should be slain. etc. Achab straight way was ashamed of his fault, repent, cut his clotheses, covered his flesh with garments of here, fasted slept in sack clot, & walked with a heavy countenance, & therefore god seeing his repentant heart, said that he would not bring in that evil in his days, but in his sons time. Again king Manasses, 
i●●●. Reg. xxi. ●●. Pa●. x●xiii  in as much as he repented, for all the abomination that he committed against god & his glory, was forgiven, & afterward numbered among the fredes of god. 
jonas. ii●.  The ninivites were threatened within forty days to be subverted for their dissolute & wicked living. But they being stricken with repentance in the mean season, & mending their life, received favour & were saved. As I may come nearer home, 
Luke. vi●.  as they say, who was more famous in sin than Mary Magdalene, yet in as much as she faithfully repent, & bewailed her sinful living, her sins were forgynen her. Peter denied Christ, 
Mat. x●●●  yet saying he repented & wept bitterly for his offence, 
Luk. xv:  he was favourably received to grace: The prodigal son although he had consumed all his goods, was joyfully received in as much as he repented & knowledged his offence. 
Luk. xxiii.  The thief called never for grace till the hour of death, yet seeing, that he bewailed than his misery, & axed merci, he was herd, & went with Christ in to Paradyse. Do not these histories besides other, show of what great strength repentance is.  CHRI. 
Certes they be very comfortable for poor afflict sinners.  PHIL. 
Thus see you that repentance is a great cause of the mitigation of god's wrath, 
Psal. ●.  yea & an acceptable Sacrifice to God as David says, a sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit, 
Beholds what true repetaū●e works in ma●.  a contrite & humble heart god will not despise. Thus repentance maketh a man to die unto sin, & to sign to righteousness. It maketh us so long as we in this world valeantly to enarme our selves, and to enter battle with Satan & his army, & continually to fight against our enemies. It maketh us to hate all wickedness, & embrace all virtue, so that daily we proceed more & more from faith to faith & from virtue to virtue. 
Rom. ●. 〈…〉 Mat. u Ph●l. ●.  It maketh us to hunger & thirst after righteousness. It maketh us to desire to be dissolved from this mortal body, & to be with Christ. No man is able to express sufficiently the excellency & virtue of this true and faithful repentance. And this is it, which maketh Chrisostom to cry out on this manner: 
●e●. xxix. De penitetia.  O repentance, which thorough god's mercy forgivest sin, & openest Paradise, which healest a man contrite & broken, & makest merry him that is sad, callest again life from death, restorest the state, renuest the honour, givest boldness, reformest strengths, & pourest in again grace more abundant. O repetaunce, what new thing shall I tell of thee? Thou dost loosen all things that are bound. All things losened dost thou set at liberty. All troublous things dost thou mitigate. All things broken dost thou make whole. All confused things dost thou make clear. All desperate things dost thou encourage O repentance more rutulante than gold, more bright than the son, whom sin doth not overcome, nor, defection suppress, nor desperation put away. Repentance refuseth covetousness, abhorreth lechery, excheweth furor & madness, maketh love strong, treadeth down pride, refraineth the tongue, fasshyoneth manners, hateth malice, excludeth envy Perfect repentance compelleth a sinner to suffer all things gladly. If a violente person seek that that he hath, he forbiddeth him not. If he taketh away his garment, he striveth not against him. To him that striketh the one cheek, he proffereth the other. If any man will compel him to go a mile with him, he will of his own free will go two. If he be chastised he giveth him than●kes. If he be provoked, he holdeth his peace. If he be sharply spoken unto, he speaketh gently again. To his superior he giveth reverence. To his inferior, he is lowly, In his heart is contrition, in his mouth confession, in his work all humility. This is the perfect and fruitful repentance. To him that repenteth so, God is at hand, a noryssher to him that is hungry, a giver of drink to him that is thyrstye. O repentance the mother of mercy, the maystres of virtues, thy works are great, where with thou dost loosen the guilty, refressheth them that offend, revelest them that slide, ●ecreatest the desperate. By the Christ, appointeth us that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at han●. Nither to have I rehearsed unto you the mind of Chrisostome concerning repentance, whereby you may perceive, as I said before, that repentance is one of the principal means, whereby we obtain remission of sins & the kingdom of heaven.  EUSE. 
God giveth us all grace truly to repent.  THEO. 
But how shall we know, when we truly repent on such manner, that it provoketh God to be merciful to us.  CHRI. 
In deed this is a thing necessary to be known.  PHIL. 
To this your question shall S. Austen answer, 
Ser. ter. ●e Na●●, do.  which sayeth: When thou dost so repent, that that thing savoereth to the bitter in thy mind, which before was sweet in thy life: & that, which did delight the before in thy body, doth trouble the in thy heart, than dost thou repent well, & say to God, to the alone have I sinned, & evil have I done before the. So that the whole sum of repentance is this, 
Mark● well.  to die unto sin, & to live unto righteousness, which is signified by our plonginge in the font when we are baptized, & by ●ure ●a●yng out again, as S. Paul sayeth, we are buried together with him by baptism into death, that as Christ is raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father, 
Roma. vi.  so we in like manner should walk in a new life.  THEO. 
If we repent, be sorry for our sins, confess our wickedness, amend our life, is this enough?  PHIL. 
This is much certes, but not all. For repent is not only contained in your dish, but also, 
Repentance a●● Faith must be joined together.  Believe the Gospel. This pour repentance must be joined with saith, & lyncked with a sure persuasion, that God the father according to his promise will undoubtedly for give you your sins for his son jesus Christ's sake. For Cain, Esau, Pharaoh, Saul, Antiochus, judas & many other repent & granted their offences, yet were they not forgiven. Many also among the very Neithen & gentiles glystered outwardly with a marvelous godly conversation, & sorrowed very greatly if at any time t●ey did defile their innocency with any spot ●● uncleanness, yet were they not made heirs of eternal glory. And why? verily they tasted after a certain manner of the first part of your dish, b●● not of the last. They repented, but they believed not the gospel, that is, they sought for no help of their wickedness at gods exceeding mercy thorough jesus Christ. They had not the christian faith in them, which coming from a repentant & sorrowful heart, maketh haste to God, and approacheth boldly to the throne of his grace, 
●●bre. ●●●●  that it may obtain ●●uour and remission of sins. 
Mark this well.  Repentance without faith bringeth desperation, but repentance accompanieth faith, bringeth remission of sins, tranquilite of conscience, & ever lasting life, as we may easily perceive by two of Christ's Disciples. judas sold Christ, 
Math. xxvi.  & Peter denied & forswore Christ. Here both sinned, both repent, both confessed their offence. One by manifest it words, & the other by tears. Yet was Peter saved, and judas damned. Now so? Because that the repentance of Peter was joined with faith & hope of forgiveness, & the repentance of judas was not so. 
Luke. seven.  Marry Magdalene did not only repent of her synfullyving, but also believed to have remission of her sins. And therefore did not Christ only say of her unto Simon the Pharisee, many sins are forgiven her, because she loved much, but he also said unto her with a lively voice, thy faith hath saved thee, go● thy way in peace. Hear what Chrisostowe saith: If thou be withered & worn away of sin, renew thyself by repentance. 
●om. l●●●. Dep●nit●●i●  Why, may he that repenteth be saved? yea undoubtedly? Whereof of cometh it to pass? of y● lords favourable mercy. Trust not to thy repentance. For thy repentance can never put away so great sins. If it were thy repentance alone, thou mightest well fear, but seeing that the mercy of God is accompanied with repentance, be on a good comfort, for it overcometh thy wickedness, & god is exceeding merciful, & so full of gentleness, 
Roma. v●●●  that he did not spare his own son for to redeem the unkind servants. say not unto me, I have sinned to much, how can I be saved? Thou canst not in deed save thyself, but thy LORD can. And he so putteth away thy sins, that therneth no print, sigh or to●ē of them. Here you see also by Chrisostome that repentance without an earnest faith had & reposed in the mercy of God, can by no means put away sin. This your dish therefore teacheth you both to repent & also to believe. For what so ever is not of faith, is sin sayeth S. Paul: 
Rom. xiiii  The word of the LORD is right, 
Psal. xxxii  saith David and all his works are in faith.  

In Math. Rom. nineteeen.  A work without faith, sayeth Chrisostome, is nothing. Again he sayeth: we must have faith every where I mean that faith, which is the mother of all good things, 
In Ioar. ●om. xxxii  the medicine of health, without the which a man cannot perceive the doctrine of great & excellent things, but is like unto them, which taking in hand for to swim over the see without a ship, when they are a little forward, 
In. i ●●. ●om. i  they● hands & their feet being once ●ery, are utterly overwhelmed with the waves of the see. Also in another place All our elders are reported that they pleased God by faith, therefore with out that, all things come to naught. Hereto agreeth S. Austen, saying: The medicine of the soul and of all wounds, 
De ve●. do. Sermo. xl.  & the alone sacrifice to appease God's wrath for the sins of all men, is to believe in Christ. Neither can any man at all be made clean, either from original sin, which he hath drawn of Adam, in whom all have sinned, & be made naturally the children of wrath, or from the sins, which they, by not resisting the carnal concupiscence, but by following it & serving it by ungraciousnes & wicked living have added & put thereto, except by faith they be enunied & joined together in the body of him, which without any carnal entysement & mortiferous delectation was conceived. Thus see you that repentance without faith anayleth nothing, but enun●ed & joined with faith is a singular and high treasure, 
●. ●ata. vi. Psal. two. Sap. i Sap. three Eccl. xxxiii. ●s●e. two. joan. iii Gal. three Act. xv. joan. i Gala. iii Roma. u Gala. iii iiii. ●ebre. xi. ●. ●oan, u.  For by faith doth God hear us. By faith are we blessed. By faith doth God appear unto us. By faith do we understand the truth. By faith do we keep the commandments of God. By faith are we married to God. By faith have we eternal life. By faith are we purified. By faith are our hearts made clean. By faith are we made the sons of God. By faith are we justified. By faith we please God. By faith we be born of God. By faith we subdue Satan. By faith do we overcome the world To conclude, by faith all goodness chaunse unto us, and without faith all evil things fall upon us. No meruiale, for as Chrisostome saith: Faith is the foundation of the most holy religion, the bond of charity, the subsidy of love. This faith confirmeth holiness, 
Ephe. v●●. 1. Pet. ●. 1. ●oan. ●.  corrob●ratethe & maketh strong pure living, garnissheth dignities. In children it shineth, in young men it storyssheth, in old men it is a godly spectacle, it confirmeth all kindness, 
De ●ile Ab●●●●●. 〈◊〉. xxxiii.  it exalteth degrees, it keepeth all offices, in the poor man it is pleasant, in the mean man merry, in the rytch honest. Faith preserveth frendeshyypes, gathereth together assemblies, reporteth ever well, it despiseth no man, it contenmeth no man, it fail the no man, except perchaunse he first faileth her. Faith understandeth the commandments, keepeth the precepts, fulfilleth promises. 
Repentance and Faith are the only mene●, to obtain to remission of sins.  Faith maketh us acquainted with God, & constituteth us friends with Christ. Thus have I declared unto you in this your third service, that the only means to obtain remission of our sins, & to be made heirs of eternal glory, is unfeignedly to repent, & faithfully to believe, that is to say, to forsake our old living & to become new men, garnishing our lives with all the fruits of the spirit, and to believe earnestly, that thorough this repentance and faith, God will undoubtedly for jesus Christ's sake for give us all our sins, receive us again into favour, & make us heirs of his eternal glory.  EUSE. 
This is the most pleasant dish that ever I tasted.  THEO. 
These thilges that you have spoken unto us are so comfortable the me think I am now inflamed & more set on fire than ever I was before. 
The preaching of ●od●●●n●nes make the mē● 〈…〉 to love God. and 〈…〉 for to fulfil his will   CHRI. 
As I may unfeignedly report unto you the affect of my heart, verily since that you declared to us the goodness of God the father toward v● thorough jesus christ I have felt in my heart such an earnest faith & burning love toward God and his word, that me think a thousand fires could not pluck me away from the love of him. I begin now utterly to contemn, despise, reject, cast away, & set at naught all the pleasures of this world, ●herein I have ●o greatly rejoiced in times past. All the thretes of god, all the displeasures of God, all the fires & pains of hell could never before this day so allure me to the love of God, as you have now done by expressing unto me the exceeding mercy & unspeakable kyndeses of God toward us wretched sinners, insomuch that now from the very heart I desire to know what I may do, that by some means I may show again my heart to be full fired on the seeking of his glory. For I now desire nothing more than the advance meant of his name.  PHIL. 
It rejoiceth me to hear these things of you.  
Therefore now will I, as due order requireth bring forth your fourth yea & last dish, that you may know what you aught to do again toward God for his unmeasurable bounty, & infinite benefits toward you, that yelyving in this world worthy of his kindness, may after this life receive the crown of glory.  THEO. 
I pray you bring it forth straight ways, for we much desire to taste of it.  EUSE. 
There is nothing that I wish more than continually to be fed with the meat of such an heavenvly banquet. Therefore I pray you go forth to minister unto us the residue of our most delicious feast.  PHIL. 
Agreed, but mark well, for here it is.   

¶ The fourth dish.  

Ephe. two.  WE are the workemanshyp of God, created in christ jesus unto good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. This is the say●nge of S. Paul, which a little before this sentence in his Epistle to the Ephe, declareth, as I have hitherto taught you, that by nature we are the children of wrath, & are saved only by grace thorough faith, & that not of ourselves, for it is the gift of god, & cometh not of works, because no man should boast himself. And when he hath this done, immediately he exorteth us to good works, saienge that we are the workmanship of God, created in Christ jesu unto good works, which God hath prepared the we should walk in them. Here may you learn, what is your duty to do unto God again, sing that he freely thorough saith hath saved you without any merits, deservings or good deeds on your behalf. 
What the duty of the faith ●ul●a.  Your duty is to live well, to practise good works, to exercise all godly acts, to lede a virtuous conversation, and in all your life thorough the study of innocency to seek the glory of God. Now shall your conversation declare and show by external works whether your repentance be unfeigned or not, whether your faith & love toward God be sincere, true, & proceeding from a godly heart or not. 
In. ●. ●in●. ●om. two.  For if your repentance, faith & love be christian & unfeigned, than shall good works ensue & follow agreeable to the same. For faith, sayeth Chrisostome, showeth that, which is true. And out of syncer faith cometh charity, in so much that he, which believeth truly in God, can never be with out it. 
Be ●o●at● Gen. ●a. v●. ●. ib.i.  S. Ambrose also saith: faith is the mother & bringer for the both of good will & righteous working. Again he sayeth: 
Ibidem.  A new creature hath this property by grace, the they which are the workemanshyp of god which are made in Christ by an heavenly nativity, be no more sluggish nother given to live dissolutely, 
D● vo. ●e. cap. vi●i. ●ib. two.  but they go forth & profit from virtue to virtue, in walking by the way of good works. Also in another place he sayeth, God giveth to them whom he chooseth without merits, whereof they may be garnished with merits also. 
Mark this well.  And it is not truly said, that the intent and determination of well working is not in the elect. For the gifts of virtues can not beydle. Thus see you that lynysh faith whereby you are ingrassed in Christ, bring the forth good works. Neither is true repentance, syncer faith, unfeigned love in you, if good & christian works do not follow your conversion. Yea they that boast of faith and bring not forth the works of faith, derogate much the glory of faith, & 'cause the true and christian faith to be slandered & ill reported among them which never tasted, nor yet at any time in their hearts felt what a precious thing, and of how great strength effycacy & power, the sincere faith is. Therefore if your faith be not accompanied with good works, your faith is dead, as S. ja. fayeth, 
●ap. two.  that is to say, it is a true & christen faith no more, than a dead corpse is a man. 
Gala. u.  For that faith, which is approved before God, worketh by charity, & charity can not be idle, but brasteth out into good works, wh● so ever it seethe an occasion given, who can love his neighbour, & suffer him to perish for want of his help?  
Therefore is a faithful man compared in the first Psalm to a tree, which is planted by the water's side, & bringeth forth her fruits in due time. I am the true vine, 
joan. xv.  sayeth Christ, & you are the branches. He that abideth in me, & I in him, bringeth forth much fruit. Again he sayeth: He that believeth in me, floods of lyvish water should flow out of his belly. Here see you that he which dwelleth in Christ by faith, 
joan. seven.  & believeth in him bringeth for the plenty of good works. He therefore that is an vn●ruytfull tree, & bringeth forth no good fruit, surely he belevethe not aright in Christ, neither hath he the Christian faith, boast and crack he never so much of it.  EUSE. 
Methinke than by your words, the good works necessarily follow the christian faith.  PHIL. 
Yea even as necessarelye as the shadow followeth the body, & death the life. 
Ma●●e.   THEO. 
They than which live dissolute, & without doing of good works have not the christian faith.  PHIL. 
Not verily, no more than a dead coal hath in it the virtue and strength of burning. 
●●et. ●.   CHRI. 
Therefore aught all men not to quench the spirit, but with all main & frank courage to apply themselves to the diligent practise of good works.  PHIL. 
You say truth, 
Ephe. two.  for as you herd before we are the workemanshyp of God created hath prepared that we should walk in them. But I pray you note a few things, which I will now declare unto you concerning this our dish & last service, first S. Paul sayeth: We are the workemanshyp of God,. This showeth that god made us, 
Psal. xcliii  and not we ourselves. He wrought us by his divine power. But by this workemanshyp not we only are made th●● believe in god, 
A double-●reatiō one ī●dā, an● 〈…〉  but also the unfaithful, yea the very brute beasts, & worms, with all things contained in heaven and earth. Therefore of this making have the faithful no more cau●e to rejoice, than the unfaithful have. Therefore it doth follow: Created in christ Ies●s. Behold here is a new creation. Here is another birth. Here is regeneration, which far differeth from the old nativity. Here are we made new creatures. In whom, in Moses by the law? Nay verily, but in christ by faith. By faith are we regenerate, born a new, created again in Christ jesus. 
Good works declare ● man to be created anewe● christ jesus.  Whereunto? Unto wicked manners? Nay certes, but unto good works. Note that he says, unto good works. They that are born anew in Christ thorough faith are created in him to good works. If any man therefore be not studious of good works: he is not created in christ, but remaineth still in the creation of Adam. 
Good works are not the fantasie● of mā● but ● commandments of God.  But unto what good works is the faithful created in Christ? unto Rome running? gad●ynge of pilgrimage? setting up of candles? gyiding of your images? painting of tabernacles? building of monasteries? purchasing of pardons? & such other trifling fantasies invented of the idle brains of the Papists for lucre's sake? na berely. For these are no good works in deed before god, but only so called to blind the eyes of carnal men with such goodly and godly titles, Unto what good works than are they created? In good faith, to those good works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Mark that he saith, which God hath prepared, & not that man invented. In them should we walk, that is to say, labour daily more and more to fulfil than, & never to cease until we were ancient & perfect in the accomplishment of God's will.  THEO. 
Me thank you right heartily for the declaration of this terte. For we perceive now our duty better than ever we did before.  EUSE. 
But what are those good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them?  PHIL. 
His commandments. We read that the jews said to Christ, what shall we do, that we may work the works of God? Christ answered & said to them: 
joan. vi.  This is the work of God that you believe in him, whom he hath sent. This is the greatest & most principal work of God, that you believe in his only begotten son jesus Christ. He that truly fulfilleth this work, 
True faith in christ is the mother of all goo● works.  doth very easily accomplish the residue. For out of this work, as out of the head fountain, do all other works of God spring & proceed. If thou canst believe, saith Christ, all things are possible to him that believeth. 
Mat. i●.  He that believeth truly in Christ, abuseth not the name of God, profaneth not the Sabbath day, dishonoureth not the magistrates of the publygue weal, contemneth not the ministers of gods word, despiseth not his parents & superiors, killeth not, committeth not adultery, 
Learn her● the christ● and true good works.  iteleth not, beareth no false witness, covereth not his neighbour's goods, but rather doth the contrary, hating the vice, & en●alsyng the virtue. He mortifieth old Adam. He maketh the body subject to the spirit with the moderate use of eating & drinking. He exerciseth himself in godly meditations, in reading the holy scriptures, in offering up prayers & thanks continually to God. He socoureth the poor members of christ. He leaveth no man confortles. He goeth about to hurt no man, but studieth to profit all men. He wisheth & procureth no less goodness to other, than he doth to himself. To be short all his whole life time, he doth nothing else than die to sin, & live unto righteousness. These are the works of God, wherein so many as are created in Christ, aught unfeignedly to walk. These are the works of God, which leadeth to heaven, which thorough christ we deserve the reward of everlasting life. In these works therefore (most dear brethren) exercise yourselves both day & night. Believe in god, love God, fear God. Confess him from the very heart to be the alone & true God. Knowledge him to be your only & omnisufficient saviour. In all adversity fly unto his most blessed name as unto a strong Bulwark. Have your hearts at peace with God. Study day and night in the lords law. 
Psal. i  Exercise faithful & continual prayer. Procure in all things the glory of God. Honour your most victorious Prince, 
Admoniciō● for true obedience toward the kings grace.  & redoubted king. Be faithful to him both in heart, word & deed. Do nothing that may in any point derogate his grace's honour. 
Rom. xiii.  Know that he that resisteth him, resisteth the ordinance of God, 
i Pet. two.  & getteth to himself damnation. Honour also at the magistrates that are sent & appointed of him. You're parents & superious have you in reverence. Manslaughter, adultery, theft, false witness, carnal concupiscence, & all the works of the flesh hate you, 
col. iii  & utterly cast them from you. To conclude, look for those things that are above, & not for those that are upon the earth. Live no more to yourself, 
Rom. iiii.  but to him that died for your sins, & rose again for your justification.  CHRI. 
We will to the uttermoost of our power labour to accomplish your most godly admonitions. 
This time hath great need of good works.   PHIL. 
Labour and God will help. And to say the truth to you, it was never more needful for christian men to bring forth good & christian works, than it is at this time. You see (thanks be to God) that the divine scripture is come now among us more plenteously than ever it was before, insomuch that now it is lawful for all men to read it, hear it, talk of it, so that it be done reverently. This hath God unfeignedly brought to pass by his well-beloved servant & our king Henrye the eight a Prince of most noble fame & immortal glory. You see again that this word of God hath many enemies, which both labour to suppress that▪ & also so many syncerly profess it. 
The enemi ●● of god's words.  You see that theyse adversaries of God's word have no other pleasure than to have an occasion both to blaspheme the word, and also the earnest favourers of it. Behold, say they, are these Gospelers? Are these professors of gods word? Are theyse they that maintain God's truth? perish might they with their Gospel. For they will not fast nor pray, nor give alms, nor use any kind of virtue. These, whom they call Pharisees, do much excel then in every degree of godly living. They will show themselves conformable to no poletyke ordinance. They hunt carnal liberty. They seek to sin freely and without punishment. Their whole religion consists in breaking man's laws and ancient customs. Farewell they therefore with their gospel. We will follow our forefathers. This and such like talk is heard daily among the enemies of God's word. Therefore ought they that love God's truth to walk circumspectly, seeing the days are evil, 
Ephe. u.  as S. Paul saith, & to have an honest conversation among Goddess enemies, that they which backbyte them as evil doers, may see their good works, & praise God in the day of visitation. For so is the will of God, 
i Petre. two.  sayeth S. Peter that with well doing you should stop the mouths of ygnoraunt men, as free, & not as though you took liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but even as the servants of God. Which thing (most dear brothers) would God you would do, that by your virtuous conversation you might not pluck men from, but unto the Gospel, not dishonour but honour god, not hinder but provoke the evangelical truth, that with one mind, heart, will, tongue & deed we all might together profess one God and one truth. Than should God be glorified among us. Than should his most blessed word be enhalsed of all men. Than should we under one king live in an unite, peace & concord of christian religion, without any schism, he resy or dissension. 
Roma. u Gala. two.  Than might we well say, that the true repentance and syncer faith, whereby a christian man is justified in the sight of God were in us. For so long as we continued in our old wickedness, & amend not our manners, certes neither true repentance, nor christian faith is in us, and to say the truth, neither have we any part of Christ or Christ's merits, but pertain still to Satan & his sinful synagogue. For as S. john sayeth: 
i joan. ●.  If we say, that we have fellowship with God, & yet walk in darkness, we lie & perform not the truth. But & if we walk in light, even as he is in light, than have we fellowship with him, & the blood of jesus Christ his son, maketh us clean from all sin. 
Roma. xiii. ●itum. two.  Therefore (dearly beloved) let us cast away the works of darkness, walk in the light of God's truth, live according to our vocation, garnysh the doctrine of christ our saviour with godly manners, & so in all points institute and order our life according to God's will, that we may be that same in life & deed, that we desire to be reported, that is to say, perfect & true christian men both in heart, word, & deed. So may we be certain in this life to have God a merciful father unto us thorough jesus Christ his son, & after the departing out of this world to enjoy the glorious sight of the most blessed Godhead, & there to remain in joy & glory, worlds without end. Amen. Thus endeth your banquet.  EUSE. 
Praised be the LORD for it.  THEO. 
Both now & evermore.  CHRI. 
For he alone is worthy all honour & glory.  PHIL. 
If it shall please you, I will now gather together in few words that which hitherto I have dispersed in many, that they may the more easily remain in your breast. 
A brief rehearsal of all thilges spoken of before.   THEO. 
I pray you let it be so.  PHIL. 
In your first disshe I ministered unto you the knowledge of yourselves, & declared what you are by Adam, that is to say, children of wrath, all carnal, & without the spirit of God, 
In joan ●rat. ●●● Cap. xi.  as S. Austen sayeth, let no man stand in his own conceit. For of his own, he is very Satan, but of Gods, he is blessed. What is this to say, of his own, but of his sin? Take away the sin, which is thine, & the righteouses, sayeth god, 
i Cor. ●ii●.  is of mine. Before what hast thou, that thou hast not taken? In your second dish you received the knowledge of God's favour toward you freely thorough jesus Christ. In your third dish, you perceived by what means you may obtain this favour of God, verily by true repentance & syncer faith. In your fourth dish I proved unto you that of this your repentance & faith, works must needs follow, yea & that those works, 
Ephe. two.  which God hath prepared that we should walk in them. Here is in few words concluded the whole sum of your banckette. I pray you look that you both remember these things well, & also exercise them in your living.  EUSE. 
We will labour to the uttermooste of our power. 
joan. xv.  And because we can do nothing without the help of God, we shall at all hours with firm and sure faith most instantly desire God to work that things in us his holy spirit, that he commanndethe us to do, that we may neither think, breath, speak or do any thing, but that may turn to his glory.  PHIL. 
It is godly spoken. This one thing than remaineth that we give God thanks for this our banquet.  CHRI. 
I pray you, let it be so.   

¶ The thanks giving. PHILEMON.  
Praise, 
joan. v●  honour and glory be unto thee (O heavenly father) which at this time hast fed us with meat not the perisheth but that abideth into everlasting life. Grant (O good God) that we having the knowledge of thy word, may also practise the same in our conversation, that we both entirely loving and unfeignedly living thy holy word, may after this life live with the in that life, which is immortal.  THEO. 
Amen.  EUSE. 
So be it.  CHRI. 
LORD let it so come to pass.  PHIL. 
saying that according to the commandment of Christ, 
Mat. vi.  we have now first sought the kyngedom of god, & the righteousness thereof, & have fed our souls with this celestial banquet of God's word, I pray you now vouchsafe to come with me, and take such poor repast for the sustenance of your body, as it hath pleased God to prepare for us.  THEO. 
We give you right herty thanks.  EUSE. 
I pray God that we may once recompense your kindness.  PHIL. 
My power is small, but my will is much, follow me I beseech you.  CHRI. 
Praised be the LORD for this our most comfortable banquet.  THEO. PHIL. 
AMEN.  
¶ give the glory to God alone.    

¶ Imprinted at London in Botulphe lane at the sign of the white Bear, by me Iohn Mayler for Iohn Gough. Anno Dni. 1542.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.