News out of heaven both pleasant & joyful, lately set forth to the great consolation▪ & comfort of all christian men. By Theodore Basille. ✚  Roma. 10. 
¶ O how beautiful are the feet of them, which bring the glad tidings of peace & show good and merry news?   
joan. 7. 
¶ My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself▪ He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own praise. But whosoever seeketh his praise that sent him, he is true, & no unrighteousness is in him.  joan. 8. 
〈◊〉 that is of God, heareth the words of God.  joan. 18. 
Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.   

¶ To the right worshipful Master George Pierpount. Theodore Basille wisheth continual health and prosperous felicity.  
IF with studious & attended minds we read the most sacred scriptures marking well such things as make to our information, learning, erudition, & ●n●●ease of divine knowledge, we shall easily & without any difficult perceive that among all other virtues & fruits of the spirit, Christ ●ur LORD & Saviour exhorteth ●s unto none so much as to love & ●harite. 
Love is the cognisaunc● & ●age where by christis servants a●● known.  In this thing sayeth he, ●hal all men know that ye are my dys●iples, if one of you love another: ●s though he should say, 
johan. xiii.  other men's servants are known by their masters cognisaunces, I will also that you which are my disciples be known by my cognisance in like manner, which is love coming out of a pure heart, 
i. Timoth. i.  and a good conscience, and a faith not feigned.  
And as Christ himself did inculke & beat in nothing so moche, as pure love and fervent charity, so did the Prophets & Apostles in all their sermons & writings, above all things exhort men to mutual love, yea & that unfeigned as we may see in their prophecies & Epistles, in somuch that S. Paul saith, 
●. Cor. xiii.  that though he could speak with the tongues of men & aungles, & yet had no love, he were even as sounding brass or as a tingling cymbal. And though he could prophecy & vnde●stond all secrets & all knowledge, and had all faith so that he could move mountains out of their places & had not love, he were nothing, And though he bestowed all his goods to feed the poor, yea & though he gave his body even to be burnt, & yet had no love it profiteth him nothing. 
without charity nothing pleaseth God.  The excellency of this christian love must needs be great & inestimable, saying that without it no thing is acceptable in the sight of God, though it be judged of the world to be a work of never so high and singular merit.  
Of this love christ did prophecy that it should wax cold in the hearts of many now these last days, 
Mat. xxiiii.  & that wickedness should abound & 〈◊〉 plenteous. Certes according to his prophecy, which ever is true. ●n asmuch as he is the self truth ● can not lie, 
joan. xiiii.  is it come to pass. For ●f we consyther well the manners of ●●en at this present, 
Titum. i.  we shall without doubt easily perceive that this christen love toward God and our neighbour reigneth but in the hearts of a few. And that they have no thing less than that true & working faith, which the holy scriptures commend so highly in every place. For the christian faith worketh by charity, 
●●ll●. v.  sayeth saint Paul. Now in asmuch as the faith, where of so many host now a days, worketh not this charity or love in them, it is manifest & an evident argument, that their faith, 
〈◊〉. two.  as S. james calleth it, is a dead faith, the is, a faith in name but not in deed. If there were true & livish faith, than would it work love in their hearts, both toward God & their neighbours. Again, 
Roma. xv.  if there were such a law as is the fulfilling of the love, 
i Timo. i.  than would it when time requireth, 
Psal. i.  and an occasion is given, show forth itself by eternal operation. Who can justly affirm that he loveth God, & yet worketh not his will, nor yet walketh not in the way of his most godly commandments, he that saith I know him, & keepeth not his commandment sayeth saint John, 
i joh. two.  is a liar, & the truth is not in him. But he that keepeth his word, truly in him is the love of God perfect. Again this is the love of God that we keep his commandments. Behold S. John saith, 
〈…〉  that the love of God is in none, but in them only which do his will. Neither do Christ's sayings differ from this: If ye love me, 
joh. xliii.  sayeth he, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments & keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. If any man loveth me, 
joh. xv  he will keep my word. He that loveth not me, keepeth not my words. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love. Ye are my friends, if ye do these things that I command you. Christ sayeth here plainly, 
He loveth Christ that keepeth his word.  that whosoever hath an hearty & precordial love toward him, keepeth his commandments: but if any do the contrary, surely he loveth not christ. How than may these men be recounted & judged to love Christ, when they go not about to fulfil one point of his word?  
His word is that they should love him with all their heart, 
Exod xx. Deut. vi. Mat. xxii. Philip. iii.  mind, soul & strength but in the stead of him they love themselves, their carnal pleasures & wordly vanities, the end whereof is damnation. 
Deut. v.   
His word is that they should honour & reverence Gods most holy & blessed name, 
Of swearing ●ote.  but they omitting the just honour of it, blaspheme it, rail on it, & wickedly swear by it to the great defasing of god's glory, so much as lieth in their power. For thorough their wickedness the name of god is still blasphemed, 
Esai. vi.  railed upon, 
Eze. xxxvi.  & evil spoken of, 
Roma. two.  as the holy scriptures say. If christian princes do not shortly find some remedy to exile & banish this most detestable, heinous, 
Would god ● it might once come to pass.  & abominable manner of swearing out of their realms. Certes it is to be feared, yea we may be certain, that God will power out upon us his vengeance & plague us grievously, although we have not wanted, nor yet daily do, divers tokens of his fierce anger toward us, & yet do we not repent & amend. 
Psal. seven.  God is a righteous judge, & God is ever threatening. If men will not turn, he will whet his sword, bend his bow and make it ready. He will prepare him the weapons o●●ath, & orden his arrows to 〈◊〉.  
Again his word is, 
Deut. v. What it is to sunctify the sabbothe day.  that they should sanctify the Sabbath day, that is, so to temperate themselves & abstain from wicked lusts, that they may quietly mediate in gods law, read the holy scriptures, give themselves to divine contemplation, talk of serious matters, pray to God for grace, give him thanks for his benefits, visit the sick & comfortless, & continually be given to the works of the spirit. But what do they less? the most sacred & holy Bible (thanks be to God which hath brought these things to pass, by his dearly beloved servant & our king Henry the eight, a prince of famous renown & mortal glory, whose graces highness I most humbly beseech almighty God, in whose hands the heart of ●uerye king is, like as are the rivers of water, to turn it whither so ever it shall be his pleasure, to beutyfye with the benefit of perpetual health, that his most excellent majesty living here among us his faithful subjects the years of ancient Nestor or sage Tythonus, may still continually advance, promote, & let up Christ's most blessed gospel, to the glory of God, the salvation of his subjects souls, the immortality of his graces most noble renown, & the utter confusion of Antichrist and his kingdom) the most sacred & holy Bible, 
The holy bible freely permitted to be ●eade in the english tongue.  I say, is now had among us in our vulgar tongue, & freely permitted to be read of all men universally, at times convenient without any let or perturbation, even in the churches, but how many read it? verily a man may come into some churches & see the Bible so enclosed and wrapped about with dust, even as the Pulpit in like manner is both with dust & cop webs, that with his finger he may write upon the Bible this Epitaphe. 
job. seven.  Ecce nunc in pulvere dor mio. 
Deut. viii.  So little pleasure have these filthy swine & currish dogs in that most sweat & singular treasure, 
Math. iiii.  which is the meat of the soul, 
Ephe. vi.  the sword of the spirit, 
Prover. iii.  the tree of life, the lantern to our feet, 
psal. ●xviii.  & the light to our paths, 
Psal. xviii.  which also turneth souls, 
jacob. i.  giveth wisdom, even unto babes, rejoiceth the heart, giveth light unto the eyes, & is able to save the souls either of the readers or hearers, if they seriously follow it. O cruel murderers of their own souls. 
joan. iii.  verily this is the condemnation that the light is come into the world, & men love the darkness more than the light, for their works are evil. Who so ever doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his deeds should not be reproved: but he that doth the truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be known that they are done by God. 
be ware therefore betimes  verily I think the wrath of god to be so hot against us, that except we shortly repent, & receive this glorious light of Christ's most blessed gospel which now is come among us, with more thankful hearts than we have done hitherto, God will surely take it away again from us, & throw us into more blind darkness than ever we were involved & wrapped in before. He loved cursing, 
Psa. lcviii.  saith the Psalmographe, & it shall come unto him He would not have the blessing, & therefore shall it be far from him. 
Math. xx●.  The kingdom of god shallbe taken from you sayeth Christ, & shallbe given to such as shall bring forth the fruits of it. Such as thus wickedly despise God's word, are like to the old idolaters & ungodly rebellyons the jews, 
Num. xxi.  which had rather be in Egypt among the gresy flesh pots, than to be in the service of god eating Manna the celestial & Angels food. 
Psal. cv.  But as they for their disobedient & unthankful hearts were extremely punished, so shall these wicked Hypocrites except with all hast they repent & turn.  
And as they are negligent in re●dyng the holy scriptures, so are they also in devout meditation & fervent prayer. 
Math. vi.  They are commanded they say, to pray in secret verily, many of them pray so secretly, that neither God nor man know any thing at all of their prayer, o new kind of praying.  
How they visit the poor & comfortless according to God's precept, 
Mat. xxv. I●cob. i.  their daily manners do show: for to the ale house & taverns run they as flocks of sheep upon the Sundays and other holy days, so soon as service is done, yea many before it is begun, because they are loath for to come to late, where they eat, drink, swyl, gul, banquet, lie & swear till they be more like bruit beasts than men. If they have a ghostly & learned curate, 
O unthankful persons.  which according to his office would be glad to teach them the will of God, him do they hate, they wish the pulpit a colepyt. They think it a hundredth year, if he preachethe but half an hour, so little pleasure have these ass heads in hearing the glorious & blessed word of god.  
And where as they should spend all their talk on godliness, 
Ephe. iiii. Col●●. iiii.  & suffer no filthy comunication to proceed out of their mouths, their whole talk is nothing else than lascivious, wanton, & uncleanly words, hurting greatly the chaste ears of other.  
And as for their pastimes, they are such as rather move & entice to dishonesty than honesty. What shall we now say? 
Mat. xxiii.  Is not the love of many cold, according to Christ's prophecy? All seek their own & not that which is jesus Christ's. 
Philip. i●.  They love the glory of men, 
joan. xii.  more than the glory of God. Thus see we that they have no love toward GOD. For though they say that they know god, yet with their deeds they deny him, for so much as they are abominable & disobedient, 
Titum. i.  and unmeet to all good works.  
Now saying that their love is so cold toward God, what is to be thought of their love toward their neighbour? which necessarily followeth of the love of God. 
Note.  Can floods of water continually flow out of a place, where there is no head spring? Neither can the true & christian love toward our neighbour be in that heart, which is without all love of God. 
i joh. v.  S. Iho●̄ sayeth, whoso ever loveth him that begat, love him also which was begotten of him. It followeth therefore that for asmuch as they love not god, as we have heard before, neither do they love his creature. For if they did love the creature of God. I mean their neighbour surely, they would express it by external operation & outward deeds. Cold is that fire, yea rather there is no fire, which containeth not in it the vertu & strength of burning. Semblably cold is that love, yea rather it is no love which containeth not in it the virtue and strength of working. The priest & levity (as we read in the gospel of Luke) saw a man which was rob & wounded so grievously that he was left half dead, 
Luke. x.  yet they moved with no compassion toward him. passed by, & helped nothing his miserable state. But a Samaritane coming that way, & saying the wounded man in so great misery, sorrow & pain, was straight ways moved with pity, & coming unto him, bound up his wounds tenderly, powered in oil & wine, & laid him upon his beast, brought him into an Inn, and made provyson for him. Now chanced it. that all they three saying this man in such miserable case, were not alike moved to help this man? 
To lo●e that we have toward god, maketh us to love our neighbour  The priest & Levite were merciless, the samaritan was merciful. verily in the Samaritane was the love of god, which excited & moved him again to show love toward his neighbour. But in the priest & Levite was there no love toward god, therefore had they no pity & compassion upon their neighbour. So that where the love of God wanteth, there can the love of our neighbour have no place. And to say the truth, I think surely that according to Christ's prophecy, the love of many was never so cold, For when was there ever so many fair words, 
Mat. xxliii. Of dissimulation. Psa. xi.  & so much dissimulacioon? who can at this day unfeignedly know his friend from his 〈◊〉? all truth is utterly decayed among the children of men. Every one speaketh lies to their neighbour, their lips are deceitful, they speak one thing & think an other. 
jere. 〈◊〉.  In their mouth they speak peace with their friend, & yet secretly they lay in wait for him, 
jere. 〈◊〉.  They stretch out their tongue as a bow of lying, and not of truth. As the followers lay snares to take birds, so do they lay snares & traps to take men. And as the trap is full of birds so are their houses full of disobeyed. Now is the time come that Christ speaketh of in the holy gospel. The brother (sayeth he) shall betray the brother unto the death, 
Math. x.  the father the son, & the children shall arise again their fathers & mothers, & shall put them to death. 
Mat. xxvi.  Many are become right judasies, that is friends in pretence, & extreme enemies in their works, so that almost no man knoweth whom he may trust & take for his friend. It shall therefore become all men to follow the admonition of the Prophet jeremy, 
jere. ix.  which sayeth: Let every man be ware of his neighbour, & put his affiance & trust in none of all his brothers. For every brother will supplant & deceive, & every friend will walk deceitfully, so that one brother shall mock another, and not speak truth: For they have taught their tongue to speak lies, & studied very earnestly to do wickedly. Here to pertaineth the saying of the Prophet Miche: 
Miche. seven.  Keep the secrets of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom, for the son shall work the father displeasure, & the daughter shall rise against her mother, & the daughter in law against her mother in law, & a man's own household and familyars shallbe his most enemies. Thus see we what love there is now a days among men.  
Again what unmercifulness reigneth among men at this time? 
Of vnmer●●fulnes.  How slenderly are the poor members of Christ provided for now a days? How do they go about from door to door lamenting & expressing with dolorous & sorrowful words, their to much wretched & miserable state, & yet no man pitieth them? ter, theft & whoredom have overflowed the world, & blood hath touched blood. But to be short in this behalf, 
Ia●ob. two.  let us know that the judgement shallbe without mercy to him that will show no mercy. 
Math. v. Math. xxv  Let us also be assured that as the merciful shall obtain mercy, so shall the unmerciful receive everlasting damnation.  
Moreover what covetousness reigneth among men at this present time? 
Of covetousness.  How join they house to house, 
Esai. v  land to land, farm unto ferme, pasture to pasture, so long as any is to be gotten, as though they should dwell upon the earth alone. 
jeremy. vi &. viii.  From the least to the most, they hang all upon covetousness, & from the Prophet to the priest, they go all about with falsehood & lies. They are shameless dogs that be never satisfied. 
Esai. lvi.  Every one followeth his own covetous appetite, even from the highest to the lowest. They receive gifts to shed blood. 
Eze. xxii. Sopho. iii  They take usury & increase. They oppress their poor neighbours by extortion. They are like ravening wolves to shed blood & to destroy souls for their covetous lucre. They heap up other men's goods. 
Aba●uck. two  They lad themselves with thick clay. They covetously gather together evil gotten goods into their houses, that they may set their nest on high to escape from the power of misfortune.  
The are rycthe, 
Mark. x.  not to God, but to the world. 
Psal. xxxviii  They heap up treasure and yet know they not for whom they gather it. They do so abound in all kind of richeses, that their goods be corrupt. 
jacob. v.  Their garments are moth-eaten, their gold & their silver are cankered, & the rust of them shallbe a witness against them, & shall eat their flesh as it were fire. And yet for all their great aboundans, mercy show they none to the poor people, but the more they have, the more they covet. 
i Timo. vi  For they are proud, they put their hope in uncertain richeses, & not in the living God, which giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy them. They do no good, they be not rich in good works, they do not distribute and give with a good will, they gather not up treasures for themselves, which should be a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hand on eternal life.  
Therefore to all such it is not with out a cause said. 
Amos. vi Luke. vi  Woe be unto you rich men, which have your consolation. Woe be to you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe be to you that laugh now, for he shall weep and wail.  
Again. 
Math. nineteen. Mark. x. Luke. xviii  It is more easy for a Camel, to go thorough the eye of a needle, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. What love. I pray you, can there be to a man's neighbour, where such covetous affects & insatiable lusts do reign? God turn away this pestilence out of the earth.  
Furthermore what detestable, 
Of whore● & unclean living.  filthy, stinking, and abominable whoredom reygnethe in the world now a days, yea and that so freely and without punishment, that it is accounted no sin at all among many, but rather a sport, a good fellowlike dalliance, a token of love, 
Ephe. v.  & a touch of lusty youth. The holy scripture commandeth the fornication, adultery, whoredom, & all uncleanness should not once be named among us, much less perpetrated & done. 
O abomination.  Yet to deflower maidens, to corrupt wives, to defile widows is now judged and taken but for a play & trifling matter. Yea many are grown into such unshamefastenes, that they use to enterlase their talk at the time of their repast with such filthy communication, nothing fearing to declare before other how valeant champions they have showed themselves in Venus' court. 
Prover. i.  Thus do they rejoice when they have done evil, & make a sport ●t unfytting things. O detestable abomination. This maketh, as the Prophet sayeth, 
It. v. ●. ix. Eze. xxii.  that there are so many adulterers. This maketh that they fall to whoredom, & haunt harlots houses This maketh them like stoned & wild horses to neigh at their neighbour's wives. Yea this maketh chaste matrimony to be despised, and whores to be set more by than honest wives. 
Beware betimes.  Oh the fierce wrath of God that hangeth over our heads, if this high abomination be not shortly exiled from among us. How greatly this uncleanness, 
Deut. xxii.  was punished in the old law at god's commandment, it is not unknown to them, that with attended minds read the holy scryytures. Yea God himself oftentimes took vengeance of the fornicators & adulterers for their uncleanness. 
Goe vi. &. seven. two. Pet. two. Gen. nineteen.  What caused all the world saving eight persons to be drowned, but uncleanness? what made Sodom & Gomorme with certain other cities to be burnt with fire & brinstone from heaven, but uncleanness? 
Num. xxv: i Cor. x.  What moved god to slay in one day xxiiij M. of the israelites, but uncleanness? If God at that time did so cruelly punish this uncleanness, let us not think that we shall escape unpunished now. 
Psal. v.  For he is still that God, that rejoiceth not in wickedness. Neither can any ungodly person dwell with him, nor the unrighteous before his eyes, for he hateth all that work iniquity. More over this word abideth ever true: Neither fornicators, 
i Cor. vi. Ephe. v.  nor adulterers, nor weaklings, nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall in heryte the kingdom of God. Again wedlock is honourable among all men, 
Heb. xiii.  & the bed undefiled. But fornicators & adulterers God shall judge, Therefore can not we escape, except we repent, & leave this great abomination of filthy & unclean living.  
Thus see we evidently that the love of our neighbour is cold in the hearts of many, even as we heard before of the love of God. For who can love his neighbour & dissemble with him, be unmerciful unto him, covyt his goods, & abuse his wife, daughter or maid. These be manifest tokens, not of love, but of hatred. So that we may perceive the prophecy of Christ to be true, which saith, 
Mat. xxii●  that in the last days, iniquity shall abound or be plenteous, and the love of many shall wax cold.  
Some men will marvel peradventure how it cometh to pass that the love both toward God & our neighbour should thus decay in these last days, seeing that God is now no less beneficial, gentle, bounteous, and merciful to us, than he hath been in times passed to our predecessors. And like gentleness, they say, deserveth like love. 
The 〈◊〉 why the christian 〈◊〉 decayeth.  Certes so oft as I consyther with myself the great decay of christian religion, & the better subuercion almost of all godly living, me think that two things are the chief & principal causes. The first is, the want of that knowledge of ourselves. The second, the want of the knowledge of God. For the first point of wisdom by the common consent of all learned men, is the knowledge of ourselves. 
Nosce te ipsum.  Now if we do not know what we are of our selves, verily we can never know god aright, nor yette have any delectation or pleasure in him. And if we do not delight in him, 
〈◊〉  how can we love him? For who loveth that thing wherein he hath no pleasure? Therefore the next & most ready way to make us for to love GOD, is to learn to know ourselves. 
Math, ix.  Who feeling himself sick & set in great danger of his health, desireth not the help of a Physician? If we did know that so many of us as be borne of the seed of Adam, 
joh. iii. Ephe. two.  be borne very flesh of flesh, unpure, unhallowed, abominable before GOD, the sons of wrath, wrapped in infinite errors, set round about with corrupt affections, not able to think a good thought of ourselves, 
two. Cor. iii. Roma. seven.  much les of power to work any goodness breathing nothing but the fruits of sin, unable either to think, lust or employ ourselves to any good thing, 
The knowledge of ourselves maketh us to fly to god.  but that is ungodly, crooked unequal, & unpure, so that we see nothing but the fierce wrath, the grievous judgement, the extreme vengeance of God, sin, death, hell, desperation, laid out & prepared for us according to our deserts, if we had this knowledge, I say, of our selves, than would we most humbly fall down before our LORD God, comfessing how beggarly & miserable we are of ourselves, seeking at his goodness, grace, favour, peace, remission of sin, tranquillity of conscience, & all comfortable things that should make unto our salvation, yea than would we confess that our destruction cometh of ourselves and that all our help cometh of God only. 
●z●. xi.  Now in asmuch as the most part of men want this knowledge of themselves, therefore stand they well in their own conceit, please themselves well, make much of their own acts, be they never so unpure. These justiciaries think themselves righteous, as the proud & arrogant Pharisee did in the gospel of Luke, 
Luk. xviii.  & therefore have they no part of Christ's death. 
Mat. ix  For Chryst sayeth: I came not to call the righteous, that is, such as justify themselves, & think that they be made sufficiently righteous by their own good deeds, merits and deserts, but sinners to repentance. And this want of the knowledge of themselves, maketh that they can not feal the goodness of God, nor perceive wherefore christ serveth, wherefore he was borne, why he died, for what cause he rose again. 
mark what the knowledge of ourselves doth.  And therefore is the love of God cold in them. For if they did know them selves perfectly, & were persuaded that their whole salvation dependeth altogether of the goodness of God the father thorough jesus Christ our LORD & saviour, than would they with all their heart love God, please God, delight in God, & seek the glory of god above all thing. Yea than should this their love toward God be so fervent & mighty in operation, that even of very love again, & with a willing spirit, they should love their neighbour even as them selves, & employ all their diligence to accomplish Gods most holy will, & that not of fear, 
i joh. i●●●  but of love. For perfect love casteth out fear.  
And would God that all preachers would use this trade & manner in their sermons, that is to say, first teach men to know themselves, that they may perceive their own misery, wretchedness and damnation. Secondly declare unto them that there is no way to escape this great danger, but only to fly to God's mercy, & there to seek remedy thorough jesus christ. If they did thus surely it would kindle in men's hearts a marvelous fervent love toward God, & an unspeakable readiness to walk in the lords path ways, and so heartily to love their neighbour, that they would wish no less kindness to their neighbours than to themselves, & in all things do for them, 
The goodness of god deeply pondered, maketh us to love him again and freely to work his will.  what soever lieth in their power. They would undoubtedly do all things for love.  
For when they consithered the great bounty of God toward us, & perceived that when we were in a damnable state, he freely of his own mere goodness saved us, & made us heirs of eternal glory, they could none otherwise do but love him again, & employ themselves to accomplish that things that he commandeth, which is to love our neighbour, and to walk in a new life. For what natural man showeth unkindness for kindness? Who hateth, where he is loved? Men therefore hearing this unspeakable love of God toward them, must needs love him again, & out of this love orderly, bring forth a true & unfeigned love toward their neighbour, and an hearty desire to walk wythou●e spot in the sight of so gentle and loving a father. If we mark well the Epistles of the blessed Apostle saint Paul, we shall easily perceive that he in like manner useth this trade aforesaid almost in all his Epistles, but chiefly to the Romans, Galathians, and Ephestans'.  
I therefore pondering with myself but lately the great decay of the christian religion, 
The occasion of making this treatise,  & the utter destruction almost of all godly living, thought with myself that I could not at this present bestow the small talon, that God hath credited and lent unto me, better & more aptly to the advancement of god's glory, & edification of his church, than to compile some ly●●e treatise out of the holy scriptures, which should contain in it these things aforesaid, & paint out as it were in a certain table, first the knowledge of ourselves, and afterward the benefits of God the father toward us by jesus Christ, that men perceyuy●ge their own abomination, may make the more haste to God's goodness, & when they have once tasted of that, endeavour themselves to walk worthy the kindness of god.  
This thing have I done in this work following, according as I trust, to the pure vain of the holy scriptures.  
I have entyteled the book, 
News ou● of heaven,  Ne. was of heaven, because it showeth to us the pleasant, joyful & comfortable news of Christ. It openeth to us abundantly the singular & incomparable benefits, that we receive of God thorough Christ.  
The Ebuccinatour, shower, & declarer of these news, I have made Gabriel the angel & Ambassador of God, 
Luk. i.  because that he first of all brought tidings of Christ's incarnation, to the most pure & clean virgin mary.  
I will not praise the book, unless I should seem to hunt after vainglory, neither will I dispraise it, unless I might seem rashly & without a cause to condemn that, which is worthy praise & commendation of itself. I leave it therefore to the judgement of other, that be ghostly learned & taught of God. 
The profit of this book  This I dare boast that it contaynethe more true and christian learning, than a great sort of volumes, that we have highly esteemed in times passed. He that shall make this book his companion, shall here find in few leaves, that the whole Bible & commentaries of the ancient doctors do teach of christ in many, so that it might well be called the treasure house of christian knowledge. 
The treasure house of christian knowledge.  Neither can any man justly condemn or reject this book, except he also will cotenne & set at nought the most sacred and holy Bible, with the authorities where of this little treatise is sufficiently & plenteously fortressed & defensed against the boryshe tethe & serpentlyke tongues of these craking calunniatours, & subtile sycophants, which after the manner of Momus are ready to carp, reprehend, & condemn every man's work & enterprise, be it never so godly, when they themselves bring for the nothing at all, that is worthy either the reading or the hearing, except men have pleasure to read or hear blasphemes.  
If any man shall think that I set out Christ & Christ's benefits to largely (which I am sure, no man will do, except he be a very Antichrist and a wicked Papist) let him know that I set for the Christ no more than the holy Scriptures do bear. The argument also of my matter requireth no less than I have written. Christ must be declared otherwise then Moses. For Christ is a saviour. 
Math. i.  And he bringeth joy, peace, favour, tranquillity of conscience, & free remission of sins. Therefore as a saviour must he be declared, and not as an extreme revenger.  
At Christ's birth the Angel said to the shepherds: 
Luk. two.  Fear not, for behold I show unto you great joy, which shallbe to all people For this day is a saviour borne, which is Christ the LORD, in the city of David. And Christ himself after his resurrection said to his Apostles: 
Mat. xvi. What this word gospel signifieth.  Go ye into the universal world & preach the Gospel, that is to say, good & merry tidings to every creature. He that shall believe & be baptized, shallbe saved But he that shall not believe shallbe condemned. Here may all men see, that both the angel and Christ are on my side, & agree with me in fact. Neither is the preaching of christ & his benefits, 
The prechtl of christis benefits, is a provacation to live well for the faithful.  a window to all kind of carnal liberty & dissolute living (as the ungodly Papists with unshamefaced foreheads dolye) but rather a provocation & steering up of men unto true godliness, which when they see the exceeding goodness of God toward them, take straight ways an occasion to love God again, & a valcaunt courage to do his most godly will. He that readeth this my work to the end, shall easily perceive that I go not about to pluck men from good works, but rather animite & encourage them unto the doing of good works, proving with manifest & evident scriptures that christ is no saviour, 
Psal. l. To whom Christ is a Saviour  but to such as with a contrite heart and an humble spirit confess their sin, repent them of their wickedness, call to God for grace, amend their wicked conversation sation, 
Romn. vi.  correct their sinful manners, 
psal. lxxxiii  walk in a new life, 
Luke. i.  go from virtue to virtue, and serve God their maker all the days of their life, in holiness, in righteousness. For god did chose us in christ, 
Ephe. two.  as S. Paul sayeth, thorough love, before the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be saints & without blame in his sight. And although by grace we are made safe thorough faith, and that not of ourselves, for it is the gift of God, & cometh not of works, unless any man should boast himself, yet are we his workmanship created in Christ jesus to good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.  
But I will make an end, unless the preface of the work, may seem to be longer than the work itself.  
Now for asmuch as in the beginning of a new year, men use customably to send one to another gifts & tokens, whereby they declare the benevolences and good will that is between them: I for my part, knowing how greatly I am bound to your right worshipful mastership, coveting by some meanness to declare again my good will & obse quious heart to your most bounteous gentleness, do send unto you this little treatise at this time for a new years gift, most humbly desiring your right worshipful mastership to accept and take in good worth this my little gift, although not worthy your grand munificence, yet as a memosynon & memorial of my studious mind toward your mastership. At another time (God furthering me in my studies) I shall with no less diligence compile either works no less serious, weighty & grave, dedicating them to your maystershyppes name, as I trust to the glory of God, the edification of his church, and the immortality of your renown. In the mean season I shall most heartily desire God the author of every year, that this new year with many other, may ever begin unto you with good fortune, proceed with better, end with the which is best, and alway be prosperous and fortunate so long as they last. God preserve your right worshipful mastership, with the good, gentle woman your wife, in continual health and prosperous felicity. Amen.  
¶ Yours at will & commandment, Theodore Basille.   

The news out of Heaven.  

¶ Gabriel the angel and Ambassador of god speaketh.  
Wherefore are ye sad o ye men mortal? Wherefore do ye walk as persons desolate dismayed & altogether conforteles? Wherefore do ye sigh, weep, sob and take thought. Wherefore do ye wring your hands, & tear your here? Why rather do ye not rejoice? Why do ye not elevate and lift up your heads, walking plesauntly? Why do ye not look with smiling countenances? Why do ye not put out of your hearts all thought & care? Why do ye not so compose & set yourselves, that all the gesture of your body may frankly & with a lusty courage, declare your joy, mirth, gladness, felicity and pleasance? There is, believe me, not one cause of sadness: but of gladness many ye & innumerable. For God is now no more an enemy unto you, 
The great love of god toward us  but a dear friend. He is become of a cruel judge, a merciful saviour, & of an austere and fierce LORD, a bounteous and gentle father, of an extreme revenger, a tender forgiver, to be short, he is now become the very same unto you, that a most tender, most gentle, most loving, most bounteous, most kind, most benefycial, most liberal, most benign father is to that his natural son, whom he most int●erlye loveth, and tenderly inhalseth above all the other. How therefore can ye be sad? How can ye any otherwise than rejoice and be merry, saying that all dolour, all so row, all care, all grief, all pain, all peril, all trouble, all danger, all disquietness, all hatred, all malice, all emnite, all malivolence, all evil will, all wrath, all displeasure, all desire of vengeance, and all that ever is contrary to your joy & pleasance, to your health and comfort, to your rest and tranquillity, is utterly extinguysshed & so put away for ever and ever, that you which are of God's faithful congregation, obedient to his word, & ready to accomplish his most holy and divine will, 
joh. iii.  shall never after this perish & fall out of favour, but have eternal life. And all this is come to pass thorough God'S grand mercies by the glorious nativity & 
Miche. v.  most blessed birth of his well-beloved son jesus Christ, 
Math. two.  which this day is borne of a pure & clean virgin in Bethleem a city of david, 
Luke. two.  thorough the marvelous and wonderful operation of the holy Ghost, 
Math. i.  the he should be a saviour, yea and an omnisulficient saviour to save his people, that is to say, so many as believe in him, from their sins, and from the danger of Sattan, that they may be made inheritors of eternal glory.  
These news out of heaven 
Luke. i.  am I Gabriel the Angel and Ambassador of God sent for to declare unto you, 
two. Cor. x.  that ye may unfeignedly rejoice not in vain & worldly things, 
Phil. iiii.  but first in the LORD GOD your saviour, & afterward in celestial and heavenly things, 
Collos. iiii  & ever more be thankful for them, 
i Thes. two.  following worthy this inestimable benignity & unspeakable goodness of God the father thorough jesus Christ, that these singular benefits may not at any time seem to be showed unto ingrate and unthankful persons.  
Me think I see you now begin to rejoice and skip for joy, yea and seriously to triumph as personnes full of frank courage at the hearing of these most pleasant and joyful news, which thing certes to me is no vulgar delectation & small pleasure.  
But that you may rejoice unfeignedly, & know that ye in deed have an urgent & weighty cause to be glad, yea and that with a continual mirth, and such a joy as aught to be immortal & never die: I will rehearse to you in what damnable state ye were in, 
The knowledge of our selves maketh us to i'll unto christ for succour.  before these most comfortable news were sent unto you from the most glorious and imperial seat of the most blessed trinity, that you perceiving your own miserable condition, may the more seriously rejoice in those sweet and delectable news.  
God in the beginning, 
The ereation on of man  as the holy scriptures testify, 
Gene. i.  created man according to his own similitude, 
Sop. two.  likeness & image, 
i Cor. xi.  that is to say, 
two. Cor. iii.  he in dued him with immortality, 
●ol. iii.  wit, 
Ephe. iiii.  reason, 
Psal. viii.  sapience, justice, free will, mercy, goodness, holiness, truth, & all perfection, and gave him empery and rule over all living creatures, constituting him in joyful Paradyse a garden full of pleasure, that he should work in it & keep it, giving him also authority, power & liberty to eat of every tree in the garden, save only of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 
Gen. i.  if man did eat of that never so soon, 
The death ● Adam and what it is.  god told him before, that he should die the death that is, fall from the glorious state wherein than he stood, become mortal, wretched, sinful, miserable, servile, thraull, captive, & a very bond slave to Satan, hated of god, void of all goodness, bend to all mischief, the son of perdition, a fire brand of hell, a vessel of ire and wrath. All these things did God tell before to Adam, 
Rom. two.  that he might be prudent, 
Ephe. vi,  wise & circumspect, and the better inarme himself with courageous valeaunce to fight against the crafty and subtile assaults of his enemy,  
Not long after Satan, 
Esay. xiiii.  whom God before had thrown out of heaven for his arrogancy and pride, 
two. Pet. two.  envying man that blessed & glorious state wherein he did remain, desiring also his like perdition, full craftily and like a wily serpent, 
i Pet. iii.  attempted the woman as the more frail vessel, & ready to be devycte & over come, so that at the last thorough his subtle and crafty persuasions, she gave place to the tortuous & wily serpent, 
joan. seven.  the father of lying, 
i Tim. two.  & wickedly transgressed Gods most holy commandment. 
Gen. iii.  For Satan told her plainly, 
The crafty assaults of Satan.  that there was no danger in eating of that fruit, which was forbidden, neither should they die the death, though they so did, yea rather their eyes should be opened, and they should be as gods knowing good and evil. The woman being inflamed with these honylycke and sweet enticements, saying also that the tree was good to eat of, fair to the eye, and pleasant to behold, 
All is not gold that shinethe.  took the fruit of it, did eat, and afterward gave of it to her husband, which did eat in like manner, so that straight ways both their eyes were opened, & they saw that they were naked, that is, perceived right well, that they were now become miserable wretched, sinful, redacte to extreme calamity, 
behold what syn●e doth.  and utterly fallen from the favour of God for the transgression of his most blessed precept, which thing made them to be very much ashamed, and to hide themselves from the face of God. O miserable & pitiful change. O chance more perryllous than it can be expressed. 
The miserable ●al of man  Now is a man become of immortal mortal, of good evil, of righteous wicked, of wise foolish, of holy profane of virtuous ill disposed, of free bond, of merciful cruel, of godly devilish of faithful unfaithful, of spiritual, carnal, of true false, of a vessel of mercy the vessel of wrath, of the son of God the son of the devil, of the heir of glory the heir of damnation. 
Psal. xlviii.  Alas when man was in honour he perceived it not, and therefore is he now become even like unto a brute beast. 
Gone, vi.  He is altogether without the spirit of God, he is all carnal and fleshly, therefore can not gods spirit abide in him, 
i Cor. two.  neither can he perceive those things that pertain to the spirit of God, yea & that is more to be lamented, not Adam alone is fallen into this damnable state, 
Rom. v.  but also all his posterity. For thorough this his fault & wicked sin, 
Gene. iii.  all the earth with the inhabitants thereof are accursed. 
All we are dampened in Adam.  So that so many as come of this old Adam, are dampened, cursed & thrown from the favour of God. This one transgression of God's commandment hath made you all subject to the yoke & tyranny of Satan, 
two. Cor. v.  and bond to everlasting damnation. Adam is your father, and you are his children. Look therefore in what case he is, in the very same are you. Adam is carnal, 
joh. iii.  therefore are ye carnal. Adam is wicked, 
Ephe. two..  therefore are ye wicked. Adam is the son of wrath, therefore are ye the sons of wrath. Adam is a liar & nothing but vanity, 
Psal. xv.  therefore are ye liars and no thing but vanity. Adam is captive & bond prisoner to Satan, sin, death & hell, therefore are ye captives and bond prisoners to Satan, sin, death and hell. How can it otherwise be? 
john. iii.  That which is borne of flesh is flesh. 
Math seven,  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of briars? So likewise every good tree bringeth for the good fruit: but a corrupt tree bringeth forth ill fruit. A good tree can not bring forth yil fruit, neither a corrupt tree good fruit. Even as it is impossible for a sour crab tree to bring forth savoury and sweet apples, so is it impossible for a sinful man drowned and buried all in sin, I mean Adam, to beget any other than sinful, ungodly and wicked children. 
Luke. vi  A good tree out of the good treasure of his heart, 
Math. xii.  bringeth forth that which is good. And an ill man out of the ill treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is ill. Now was Adam evil, therefore whatsoever he brought forth, must needs be evil. 
Rom. v.  Yea verily by the sin of this one man Adam, evil was brought forth upon all men unto damnation. By the disobedience of him were ye all made sinners, 
Ephe. two.  and by nature the sons of wrath. For this one man's fault did sin enter into the world, & thorough sin, death, and so came death upon all men, 
Rom. v.  in so much as all ye have sinned. 
Psal. l.  Ye were therefore begotten in sin, conceived in sin, & brought forth in sin. None of you all are pure, but every one is polluted with ungodliness. 
Rom. iii.  There is no difference, all have sinned, and want the glory of god. Ye are corrupt and become abominable in your studies, 
Psal. xiii.  there is not one that doth good, no not one for the LORD hath looked from heaven upon the children of men, for to see if there were any that hath understanding or seakethe after God. But all are fallen from the true way, they are become all together unprofitable, 
Rom. iii.  there is not one that doth good no not one. Their throat is like a wide mouthed grave, they work deceit with their tongues, the poison of adders is under their lips. 
The fruits which we bring forth by Adam.  Their mouth is full of cursing & bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction & wretchedness are in their ways, they know not the way of peace, neither is there any fear of God before their eyes. these are the sinful, wicked, and damnable fruits which you full of sin, wickedness and damnation bring forth. 
Gen. ix.  Your minds & thoughts also are prone to evil at all times. Ye are not able once to think a good thought of yourselves. 
two. Cor. iii.  Who being borne of a woman can appear pure and clean in the sight of God, 
job. xxv.  before whom the stars are not pure?  
What is than to be thought of man, which is nothing but dust and a very worm? 
〈◊〉. xx.  Who is able to sai, my heart is clean, and I am pure from sin? Ye have all sinned, ye are all become unclean, 
Esai. xlvi.  all your righteousness are like a cloth polluted with menstrue. Ye are fallen as a leaf, and your iniquities have carried you away as the wind. 
i joan. i.  If ye say, that ye have no sin, ye deceive yourselves, 
jere. xvii.  & the truth is not in you. For your heart is wicked and inserutable. Ye are unprofitable seruasites. 
Luk. xvii  Yea ye are Hypocrites and wicked, 
Esa. ix. and. liii.  and the mouths of you all have spoken foolishness. Al the sort of you have gone astray as sheep, every one have walked after his own fantasy. 
Psa. iiii.  Ye all are of stuburne heart, 
jere. iiii.  ye love vanities & seek after lies. To be short, ye are foolish people, unwise children and mad. To do mischief ye are wise enough, but to do good ye are very fools.  
Here may ye see as in a clear mirror your deformity, your botches, your sores, your grievous wounds. 
What we are of ourselves.  Now may ye learn what ye are of yourselves, certes very flesh, that is to say, all that ever nought is, enemies to God, lovers of yourselves, captives to Satan, and fiery brands of hell. What remedy? What shift will ye find: Whither will ye go? to what coast will ye turn you? 
Ps. cxxxviii.  How will ye escape the fierce wrath of God? Whither will ye go from his spirit. Whither will ye fly from his face? If ye go up into heaven, he is there, if ye go down to hell, there is he ready also. If ye take your flight in the morning, & dwell in the furthest part of the see, verily his hand will retch you there, yea and his right hand shall catch you. What will ye do now? to fly profiteth nothing, to abide also bringeth damnation. Thus see you that y● can not escape by no means. To demulse, mitigate & suage the divine ire & God's wrath ye are not able. Your sin hath made God angry with you. What have ye now I pray you, wherewith ye may please him? yourselves as ye have heard here tofore, 
Ephe. two.  are the children of wrath be gotten in sin, 
Psal. l.  conceived in sin, borne in sin, 
joan. iii.  carnal, wicked and ungodly, your heart is corrupt, 
jere. xvii.  unclean, stinking, flowing with iniquity, arrogant, puffed up, proud hating God, loving itself, full of hypocrisy and all evil. 
Esai. xxxiiii●  Your fruits are like unto yourselves, that is, detestable in the sight of God. What virtue then can there come out of such corrupt and polluted place? 
jacob. iii.  What pureness can there flow out of a puddle so filthy, so dirty, so unclean, so stinking, so unsavoury? Thus see ye that ye have no way to pacify God's wrath, which ye have stirred up against yourselves thorough your own wickedness. 
O dolorous calamity, ● miserable wretched●nesse.  What therefore remaineth, but only that you look for all cruel and grievous things. Helles mouth is open & ready to swallow you up. The fire of hell which shall never be quenched, tarrieth you. everlasting torments, Intolerable punishments, perpetual turmoylynges abide you. Ye are appointed to the place, 
Math. xxii.  where weeping & gnashing of teeth is, 
Act. xxv  where the fire is inextinguible, 
Psal. xxxvi  where the worm of them that be there, never die. What will ye do now? What shift will ye find? 
Of the law.  Will ye fulfil the law which God gave you by Moses, 
johan. iii.  and so pacify his wrath? 
Gene. vi.  But this to do ye are not able. 
i Cor. xv.  For of yourselves ye are nothing but flesh and clean without God. 
Rom. viii.   
Flesh and blood can not possess the kingdom of God. They that are fleshly, regard those things that pertain to the flesh. And the desire of the flesh is death. Yea the desire of the flesh is emnite against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be by any means. They that are in the flesh, can not please God. Yea they that live after the flesh, shall die▪ And he that hath not God's spirit, 
Gene. 〈◊〉  pertaineth not to God. Now have not ye the spirit of god, 
Gala. v  in asmuch as by Adam ye be all flesh (for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, & the spirit against the flesh) how then will ye fulfil the law to appease God's wrath.  
Moreover the law is spiritual that is, 
The law is spiritual.  it requireth not only politic & cyuple works, 
Rom●. seven  but also the pure affects, and clean motions of the spirit, and must be fulfilled not with the external work only, but also with a frank and free heart, 
i joh. iii●  doing the works of the law, not of constraint & for fear of punishment, but of love. For perfect charity or love casteth out fear.  
But as the law is spiritual, so are ye carnal, that is, prone and ready to all naughtiness, buried in sin and no less bond to Satan, than a bought slave is obstricte & bond unto his master. Now is the law & you of a contrary nature. When then shall ye agree? 
Rom. seven  The law, I confess, is holy, 
i Timo. i  & the precept is holy, righteous & good, but ye are unholy, wicked & evil. How will ye then accomplish the law, that ye may pacify God's wrath, & deserve remission of your sins thorough your own merits and deserts? Can he that is dead erect & lift up himself? Can he resume & take again his armonies? Can he recover new strengths? Can flesh teach flesh no more to sin? Can the Eagle command herself no more to fly? Can the Dolphynne cease to swim? 
jere. xiii  Can the man of Ind change his skin? and the cat of the mountain her spots? Nether can ye of yourselves cease to be that ye are, nor yet work good, which so long have been exercised in evil The law killeth, 
two. Cor. iii.  it giveth not life. 
Rom. iiii.  The law worketh wrath, displeasure & damnation, it purchaseth not grace, favour, mercy, remission of sins, peace and tranquillity of conscience. For cursed is every one that abideth 
Deu. xxvii.  not in all things that are written in the book of the law that he may do them. 
Gal. iiii.  No man fulfyllethe the whole law, ergo no man is justified by the law, but rather cursed and brought to damnation. 
jacob. two.   
For he that keepeth the whole law, and yet offend the in one, is made guilty of them all. 
joan. seven.  Moses gave you a law, 
Act. xv.  and yet none of you all do fulfil it. Neither ye nor your fathers were ever able to bear the yoke of the law. Who ever entered into the glory by the fulfilling of the law? 
Gal. v●  Will ye therefore seek to be justified by the law, ye are utterly fallen from that which ye sought. You not knowing the righteousness of God, and seeking to stablish your own righteousness, 
Rom. ●.  can not be made subject to the righteousness of God. 
Why the law was given.  The law was given you by Moses from God, not that you should seek to be made righteous by it, which is a thing impossible, but that it should declare to you the will of God, prove the obedience of your her●e, keep you in an honest and godly trade of living, 
〈…〉  refrain you from wicked doing, repress idolatry, swearing, ungodliness, disobedience, theft, manslaugter, adultery, false witness. etc. set before your eyes your abominable wickedness and sinful living, that you may learn to know your selves, and make the more hast to approach unto God's mercy. 
Romo. two.  For by the law cometh the knowledge of sin: 
〈◊〉. xx.  Ye should not have known sin but by the law. 
Deut. v.  For ye had not known concupiscence except the law had said, 
Gala. iii.  thou shalt not co●ytte. 
Rom. iii.  The law is a school master to teach you what ye ought to do. Whose admonitions, warning and instructions, saying ye follow not nor obey as it teacheth, and as ye ought, it rather condemn than save you, kill then quicken you. For no flesh shallbe justified by the works of the law in the sight of god. 
Rom. iii●  Your labour therefore in this behalf is vain, 
Gala. v.  saying that ye seek God's favour, remission of sin, justification, salvation, and eternal glory by the works of the law only. 
The 〈◊〉 of the old law.  Whither will ye now fly? will ye pacify God's wrath by offering up the sacrifices of the ceremonial law?  
This also is in vain. For if the works of the moral law, 
〈◊〉 seven.  I mean the. x. commandments, bring no man to perfection, and are nothing less than able to pease y● divine wrath by cause of their uncleanness which do the commandments, yea rather which do than not, how than can this be brought to pass by external ceremonies which are nothing but types figures, 
〈◊〉 x.  clouds, & shadows of good things to come? Here therefore do ye no thing else than as the common Proverb is, go about to make an Ethiop white. For as touching your sacrifices, it is manifest by divers places of the scriptures, that God hath no pleasure in them. 
〈◊〉 vi.  Wherefore, sayeth he, do ye bring unto me enlence out of Saba, and sweet smelling Calamus out of far countries? your burnt offerings are not accepted, and your sacrifices have not pleased me. 
〈◊〉 seven.  Again, put your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, & eat the flesh, for I did not speak with your fathers, neither did I command them on the day, when I brought them out of the land of Egypte, any thing at all of burnie offerings and sacrifices, but I command them this word, saying: Hear you my voice, & I shallbe your god, and ye shall be my people, walk in every way that I have commanded you, that ye may prosper. But they would not once hear me, nor give attendance to me, but they followed their own pleasures, and walked in the lewdness of their malicious hearts, so that they fell clean from me. 
Esai. i.  To what purpose do ye offer unto me the multitude of your sacrifices, 
A●mos. v.  sayeth the LORD? I am full of them. 
Mala. i.  The burnt offerings of your wethers, and the fat of your fatlings, and the blood of your calves, of your lambs & goats would not I have. When ye come before my sight, who requireth these things of your hands? Offer I pray you, no more Sacrifice to me thus in vain. Your incense is abomination to me. Your sabbaths and holy days by no means can I away with. He that offereth an ox, is like to him that killeth a man. He that slayeth a beast, is like unto him that braynethe a dog. 
●sal. lxvi.  He that offereth an oblation, is like unto him that offereth swines blood. Here le ye that God hath no pleasure in these external sacrifices, but rather abhorreth them.  
Then perceive you full well, that this is no way to deliver your selves out of captivity, & to obtain the favour of God. 
Things of a good in●ent.  What will ye now do? Will ye invent new things of your own fantasy, & offer them to God of a good intent, that by this means he may be the more merciful to you? This also is yet most vain. For if things prescribed & commanded of God himself, can not ●btaynē for you remission of your sins, what shall than your dreams, your fantasies, your inventions, your good intents, your godly zeles, 
Deut. iiii  do in this behalf? 
Prover. xx●  verily ye are in a miserable case. 
Apoca. xxii.  For ye may not put any thing to the word of God, nor yet pluck aught from it. Ye must walk in the way that God hath appointed you, neither may ye decline on the right hand nor on the lift hand. 
Deut. xii ●. xiii.  Yea ye may not do to your LORD god y●, which ye think best in your own eyes, but that only which he commandeth you. Here therefore is no evasion, nor way to escape the fierce plagues of God. Certes the longer ye wrestle and entangle yourselves in this behalf, the worse ye are, so far as I can perceive, so unable are ye of yourselves in any point to satisfy God's wrath, & to make him your friend.  
What refuge then can ye now invent? 
Our deserving is everlasting damnation  yet is there nothing before your eyes set, but only desperation & eternal death, for ye have deserved no other, & the reward of sin is death. 
Rom. vi.  Certes the hook is laid at the root of the tree that every tree that bringeth forth not good fruit, shallbe hewn down & cast into the fire. 
Math. iii.  How now will ye escape from the wrath that is to come? 
●ii●. Es. xv  Woe be unto them that sin and keepeth not my commandments, sayeth the LORD, surely I will not spare them. Sinners shallbe turned into hell, 
Psal. ix.  ye and all those people that forget God. For God shall reign snares upon sinners, 
Psal. xi.  fire & brymestone, 
Psa. lxvii.  storm and tempest shall be part of their cup. As smoke decayeth, so shall the wicked decay, and as wax meltethe before the face of the fire, so shall sinners perish before the face of God. 
Eccl. xii.  The most highest hateth sinners, & he will be revenged of the wicked. 
Ecc. xviii.  The soul that hath sinned, 
psa. xxxiii.  shall die. 
i Pet. iii.  The countenance of the LORD is upon them that do evil, 
i joan. iiii  that he may root the remembrance of them out of the earth. 
Deut. iiii.   
He that committeth sin, 
Heb. xiii.  is of the devil. 
Eccl. xli.  For the devil sinneth from the beginning God is a consuming fire. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living god. Woe be to you therefore O ye ungodly men, which have forsaken the law of the LORD that most high god. If that ye be borne, in cursing shall ye be borne, & if ye die, in cursing also shallbe your part, 
The miserable captiui●● of man.  what will ye now do? Here ye see nothing but malediction, cursing, wrath, vengeance, destruction, perdition, damnation. Here perceive ye no way to escape the great displeasure of god, but only to precipitate & cast yourself headlong into hell pit to be burnt with the continual flames of that most terrible and grievous fire. Remedy is there none, all comfort is gone, besides sorrow and mourning, nothing here doth appear, o the miserable case, wherein ye stand.  
Me think I see you now again very sorry, much lamenting, wringing your hands, tearing your here, cursing the time of your birth, having pleasure in nothing walking as persons indistresse, void of all consolation and comfort, verily I have brought you into this case that your joy afterward should be the greater, 
The knowledge of ourselves leadeth us to christ.  and that you should have the more pleasant and joyful news, which I now bring to you out of heaven. For no man knoweth what a precious thing a Physician is, except first of all he sealeth himself diseased, & perceiveth that he hath need of a Physician, if he intend to enjoy the benefit of health. 
Mat. i●  They that are strong have no need of a Physician, but they that are sick. Now therefore hear again your most pleasant news, 
joan. xv. and. ●vi.  that your sadness may be turned into joy, & that your joy may be full and perfect.  
God, perceiving in what miserable case Adam and all his posterity 
Gen. iii.  was set thorough the breaking of his most blessed and holy commandment, 
●ap. two.  again that by the envy of Satan, death was come over all the world, 
●it. iii.  willing of his own free mercy without any of your merits or deserts, to show himself of no less puissance, to save man, that the devil was to condemn him, said at that present to Satan, when Adam had offended: 
●en. iii.  I will set emnite between the and an woman, between thy seed and her seed, and that self seed shall tread down thy head. 
The beginning of our salvation is Christ here●●● Promy●●●.  O most sweet and comfortable promise. O most heavenvly word of grace. Here is the beginning of your joy & gladness. In Adam were ye all lost, but in this seed of a woman are ye all saved But who is this seed? Not Abel, ●●oche, Abraham, Isaac jacob, nor David. Who then? verily even the son of God, even jesus christ, 
Esay. seven.  which without the seed of man by the wonderful operation of the holy ghost, 
Mat. i.  did take very flesh of the most pure virgin Mary, 
Luke. i Gene. iii Christ overcometh Satan for us.  & is this day borne into the world. He is this seed of a woman, which shall tread down the head of this serpent, that is to say, destroy his power, deliver you out of captivity, set you again at liberty, reconcile you to God the father, purchase remission of your sins, obtain the holy Ghost for you, & make you fellow heirs with him of eternal glory. Satan, sin, death & hell, with all their army shall now no more against you prevail. 
i Cor. x●  For by this seed of a woman jesus Christ your LORD, hath God given you the victory. So that now with triumphant hearts and rejoicing spirits, 
Dse●. xiii.  ye may say, O death where is thy sting? O hell where is thy victory? For now is he borne, which shall ●●aye death, & deliver you from the power of death, yea from death itself shall he redeem you. And hell shall he swallow up, so that Satan shall have no more dominion over you.  
Moreover in this seed alone jesus Christ shall all nations be blessed. 
In christ we are blessed.  In Adam ye all were cursed, 
Gene. xi. i.  but in Christ ye be all blessed. 
Gala. iii.  Adam brought to you wrath and displeasure, but Christ bringeth love and ●auour. 
Mark what we are by Adam, & what by Christ.  Adam is the author of sin, death and damnation, but Christ is the author of goodness, life and salvation. Adam casteth you down into hell, but Christ lifteth you up to heaven. Adam maketh you fire brands of hell, but Christ maketh you inheritors of eternal glory. By the sin of Adam many were dead, but by the goodness of Christ, grace hath come upon many. 
Rom●. v.  By the wickedness of Adam sin came upon all men unto damnation, but by the righteousness of Christ salvation is come upon all men unto the justification of life. By the disobedience of Adam, many were made sinners, but by the obedience of Christ many are made rygtheous. Thus see you that in christ ye are blessed, that is, pardoned of your sins & received into favour. Furthermore this is he, 
Gen. xiix.  of whom jacob did prophecy that he should come being looked for & desired of all nations. 
Deut. xvii.  This is that Prophet whom God promised to Moses that he would raise up among his brothers, 
〈◊〉. xvii.  & put his words in his mouth, so that whoso ever will not hear him, shall perish & utterly be destroyed. 
Exo. xii.  This is he which was figured in the 
Nu. xxi.  old law by so many types, 
Ex. xvi. seven.  ceremonies and shadows. 
i Pa. xvii.  This is that king whose kingdom God promised unto David to corroborate & establish for evermore. This is that everlasting priest, 
Psal. thirty. Psal. cix. Esa. lxiiii. Psa. cxliiii Luk. x.  after the order of Melchisedech. This is he, whom so many kings and Prophets have desired to se. And now is he come which so long hath been desired. How much blessed & fortunate are ye therefore, unto whom it hath chanced to see this day? ye may well rejoice, 
Psa. xlvi.  & clap your hands for joy. 
Io. iii. xii.  For he is not borne to be unto you a tyrant, a fierce LORD, a cruel judge, an extreme revenger, but a sweet saviour, a gentle LORD, a bountyous favourer, a merciful forgiver. 
Mat. i.  Which thing ye may well perceive by his name, for his name is JESUS, 
jesus by interpretation is 〈…〉  given unto him of God his father by the Angel, which by true interpretation, is a SAVIOUR. For he it is that shall save his people from their sins. Mark he shall save them and not condemn them. If he had had a rigorous name ye might well have been afeard of him, but his name is full of sweetness, pleasare, delectation & comfort. And because ye should not fear to come unto him, 
Christ became poor for to make us rich. Luke. i. Psal. viii Heb. two. joan. xvii Mat. viii. two. Cor. viii  behold he is not borne royally after the manner of the worldly Princes set out with gallant pomp, but humbly, meekly & lowly. For he lieth simply, in a manger wrapped in vile clouts, when not withstanding he is LORD over all things both in heaven and in earth. But his kingdom is not of this world. For he hath not so much as a place where he may lay his head. Thus is he become poor, that by his poverty ye should become rich. O how much are ye bound to this pour new king & saviour, which when he was in the form of God, 
Philip. two  ye very God himself took upon him the shape of a servant, and became very man for your sake. If she had not done thus, 
Christ alone saveth, and maketh us clean from all sin.  certes ye had been damned for ever and ever. For your sin was so heinous & great, that it could not otherwise be taken away but only by him.  
By him, yea by him alone are all your sins put away. He it is, yea he it is alone, which putteth away your iniquities for his own sake, & will remember them no more. A righteous God, 
isaiah. xliii isaiah. xlv  & such a one as saveth, is there none but he alone. He is that lamb of God, 
johan. i.  which taketh away the sin of the world. He is that saviour, which is come into the world for to save sinners. He it is, 
Tim●. li Actum. iiii.  in whose name and in none others under heaven, men must be saved.  
Moreover divers grave, 
The urgent cause of Christ's birth.  weighty & serious causes are there, why it was convenient that this your saviour should be borne. first, that in asmuch as ye all are grievous sinners & have broken all the commandments of God, he should fulfil the law for you, 
Christ delivereth us from the curse of the law.  delivering you from the curse of the law, wherun to ye are bound, or else saved could ye be by no means. And this shall this child, which is now borne, do for you: I mean, satisfy the law before he ascend again unto his father, & set you free from the malediction and curse of the law. 
Rome. x.  For Christ is the perfect fulfilling of the law unto justification for every one that believeth. 
Gala. iii.  Christ shall redeem you from the curse of the law, while he is made accursed for your sake. 
Deut xxi  For it is written, cursed be every one that hangeth upon a tree. O what joyful trdinges are these unto you for to hear, that christ shall deliver you from the curse of the law, and restore you unto life, which before were dead?  
Secondly seeing that the world is without all knowledge of god, 
Christ teacheth truly the will of his Father.  corrupt with idolatry, poisoned with their own imaginations, drowened with hypocrisy, and altogether s●t on wickedness (the head priests Bishops, layers, Scribes & Pharisees corrupting the holy scriptures on such manner with their pestilent gloss) it is necessary that this Christ the wisdomme of the father come down, & redress these great absurdities, reducing & bringing the divine Scriptures again to their true sense, that men may for sake all idolatry, all ungodly doctrine, all wicked customs, & learn to know the true God. 
●●an. iii.  And surely as he is come from God to be a master & teacher, so will he undoubtedly teach godly things. For he that cometh from heaven, is above all men: And that he hath seen and heard, that will he testify. For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not him the spirit, 
Esay. lxi. Luke. iiii.  to a measure. But the spirit of God is plenteously upon him, because he hath an nointed him, to preach glad tidings, to the poor hath he sent him, that he should heal the broken in heart, preach deliverance to prisoners, sight to the blind, and freely set at liberty them that are bruised, and declare the acceptable year of the LORD. 
Esa. xi. Esa. two.  The earth shallbe full of the knowledge of the LORD. All nations shall resort unto him. They shall say one to another, come, let us go up to the mount of the LORD, & to the house of the God of jacob, & he shall teach us his ways, that we may walk in his paths. The people that walk now in darkness, shall see a great light, 
Esa. ix. Mat. iiii.  & they that dwell in the land of the vadowe of death, shall have the light shine upon them Christ shall multiply the people and increase their joy also. He shall make them to rejoice, even as men that make merry in harvest, & as men that have gotten the victory, when they deal the spoil. For he shall break the yoke of that people's burden. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, 
Esa. xi.  & the cat of the mountain shall lie with the goat. The calf the lion, & the sheep shall dwell together, & the young child shall not once be afeard of them. The calf and the bear shall feed one with another, & their youngelynges shall take their rest together. And the lion like as the ore shall eat chaff. And the in fant so soon as it is weaned, shall lie playing upon the hooles of adders and the child that is weaned shall put his hand into a cokeatrycesnest. They shall not hurt, nor they shall not kill in all Gods holy mountain. For the earth shallbe full of the knowledge of the LORD, even as though the water of the see flowed over the earth. O what a singular pleasure is this for you, which hitherto of blind gides have blindly be led in all kind of idolatry & wickedness to the great danger & peril of your soul's health (for if the blind lead the blind, 
Math xv.  both fall into the ditch) to have such an heavenly teacher coming down from the bosom of god the father, 
joan. iii. Tit. i.  which can not lie, but will purely & sincerely teach you all truth, 
joan. xvi● Sap. xv.  that ye may undoubtedly know the true God, which thing is everlasting life, & consummate or perfect righteousness. Can any news be brought unto you mor● joyful than these? He is truly to much brutal, that rejoiceth not at the hearing of them. 
Christ confirmeth his doctrine with miracles.   
Thirdly he shall not only with all syncerite inform you of the denyne will of his celestial father, but he shall also work many strange & wonderful miracles among you, 
mat. seven i. mat. ●x. ●u. xi. mat. xii. Luk. xii. joan. xi. mat. ix. Luk. v.  to confirm his doctrine, & to show that he is unfeignedly the true Messiah, which so many years was promised before to come. For he shall restore the sick to their health, the blind to their sight, the death to they hearing, the dumb to their speaking, the halt to their going the mad to their whole mind, the possessed of the devil to their perfect state, the dead to their life, the sinful to grace & virtue. Then as the Prophet sayeth, shall the eyes of the blind be made to see, and the ears of the deaf shallbe opened. Then shall the halt skip as the heart, & the tongue of the dumb shallbe loosened. They shall wa●ke as persons delivered & set at liberty of the LORD. They shall turn and come into Zion with praise, & everlasting gladness shallbe upon their head. joy & mirth shall they have, sorrow and mourning shall fly from them. Whose heart rejoiceth not to hear these most pleasant & comfortable news?  
Fourthly he shall watch, 
Christ is ours & all Christ's good deeds are our good deeds. Luke. ix. Math. iiii.  pray & fast exercising all kind of benefycence and virtue, yea & that not for himself shall he do these things, but for you, for your health, for your commodity, profit & salvation. All that ever he shall do, shallbe done for your sake. 
i Cor. i.  His watching, fasting, praying, alms deeds, & all that ever he doth, shall be done for you. All his good deeds shallbe yours. His righteousness, holiness & godly life shall be yours. Christ's deeds must needs be yours, 
Esai. ix Christ is our new years gift.  for Christ himself is yours. This Child is borne for your sake, & this son is given unto you. He is your new years gift. He that hath not spared his own son, 
joh. iii. Esai. ●iii Rom. viii.  but hath given him for all you, how is it possible but that with this his son he must needs give you all things. Who shall now therefore attempt any sin against you that be the elect and chosen people of God? It is God that justifieth & maketh you righteous, who then is he that can condemn you? O most blessed & joyful tidings.  
fifthly when he hath full godly on this manner both lived virtuously, 
Of the death of Christ.  and also preached purely the divine will of his celestial father, 
johan. seven  the bishops, the head Preestes, the Scribes & Pharisees,) which thorough their obstinate blindness & pretenced malice shall ever hate him, ●aye in wait to snare him in his sermons calummate his most godly doctrine, 
Mat. xxii. Math. xi. john. viii. john. xii. Math, xi Math. xii.  obscure his most pure & irreprehensible name) shall at the last grow into so great a malice & fury against Christ, that they shall never cease until they have cruelly slain him. 
john. vii● john. ●. Iho●. seven. john. two. Luke. xxiii Mat. xxvi Luke. xxiii john. nineteen.  For they shall report him to be a glutton, a wynebybber, a friend of Publicans & sinners, one that casteth out devils by the help of Beelzebull prince of the devils, a Samaritane, one possessed with a devil, one all together set a madding, a seductour and deceiver of the people, a destroyer of God's temple, an heretic, a traitor, & one that forbiddeth to pay tribute to Cesar. They shall make his own disciple to betray him thorough gifts & rewards. They shall bring in false wy●nes against him for to condemn him to death, They shall bring him before the temporal judges. 
Mark. xv. Behold the payn●s that Christ suffered for us.  They shall lay many things to his charge unjustly. They shall mock him, they shall rail on him, they shall spit on him, they shall buffet him, they shall scourge him, they shall put a crown of thorn on his head, they shall nail him on a cross, they shall prick him even to the heart with a spear, they shall for very despite hang him between two thieves, and cruel murderers, as though he were the chief & principal. No kind of torment or villainy can be invented. but the very same shall they exercise upon him. 
〈…〉  For from the sole of the foot, to the top of the head, shall there be no whole place in his most blessed body. O cruel fury & furious cruelness. All these things shall he suffer not for his own, but for your sake, for your health & salvation, 
〈…〉  yea & that willingly. H● shall give his body to them that strike, & his cheeks to them that pluck them. His face shall not he turn away from them that rail & spit on him. 
Esay. l●iii.  Like as a sheep shall he be led to be slain, and like a lamb before the clypper shall he hold his peace, neither shall he once open his mouth. Thus because it is his pleasure, shall he offer himself upon the altar of the cross, 
Colo. i.  & by his most precious blood pay our ransom. 
Mat. vi●●. Esay. lii.  By this his glorious passion shall he take upon him your infirmities, & bear away your sins. By his most blessed wounds shall all your iniquities be put away. Al your sins shallbe laid on his back. His blood shall make you clean from all your sin. By his blood shall ye have remission of your sins. 
i joan. i. Col●. i i. Pet. i. Tit. two.  By the precious blood of this Christ, as of an immaculate and pure lamb shall ye be redeemed from the tyranny of Satan. By the oblation of Christ shall ye be made free from all wickedness, 
Col. i.  delivered from the power of darkness, & carried into the glorious kingdom of God. 
joan. i.  For he is the lamb of GOD which taketh away the sin of the world. 
Mat. xviii Luke. nineteen.  This is that son of man, which is come to save that which was lost, & not to destroy the souls of men, but to save them. And all this shall come to pass by the oblation & offering of his own most precious & blessed body. For he shall by your bishop, 
Heb. x.  not such one as also shall have need to offer for his own sins, but for yours only, neither shall he be like the bishops of the old law, which offer daily for the sins of the people such sacrifices, as can never take away sin, nor yet make men perfect. 
Heb. seven.  But this your bishop shallbe godly, innocent, faultless, segregated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens, which shall not need, as the other bishops do, daily to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, & afterward for the sins of the people. 
The one sacrifice of Christ's death serveth for ever to put away sins.  For he being without all sin shall once for all offer himself. And this one sacrifice or oblation of his most blessed body shall be able to save so many as believe in him, even to the uttermost Christ being the bishop of good things to come shall enter into the holy place by his own blood, & find everlasting redemption. He thorough the holy Ghost shall offer himself immaculate to God, 
Heb. ix.  & purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hen once for all offering up himself shall take away the sins of many. 
Hob. x●  By the oblation of the body of jesus Christ done once for all, shall you be sanctified. With one oblation shall he make perfect for evermore them that are sanctified. Here see you of what inestimable price the sacrifice of Christ your bishop is. The virtue of it never ceaseth, 
The virtue of Christ's sacrifice never ceaseth, but endureth in perfect strength for ever and ●uer.  but endurethe in perfect strength for ever & ever, that the sins of the faithful repentant may be forgiven at all times by it. Christ's blood shall not cry for vengeance, as the blood of Abel did, but for mercy, grace & favour. 
Gen. iiii.  Yea by Christ's blood shall all things both in heaven & e●the be pacified, appeased, set at a stay, 
Colos. i.  & reconciled to God the father abundantly. 
Heb. x.  So that now ye shallbe purged of all your sins by this one & omnisufficiente oblation of jesus Christ your Bishop. 
Esa. lxiii.  For he alone shall tread down the winepress, & take upon his back the great & importible burden of your sins all. He by his death shall slay death & overcome Satan, 
Ozee. xii.  sin, hell, desperation, & all that ever may be against you. So that now ye shall be made so clear, as though ye had never offended. Ye shall now be so set at liberty as though before ye had never been in captivity. And all this shall come to pass by the death alone of this young child now borne, whose body shall be the alone sacrifice of all your sins, 
Augustinus in Manual, Cap. xxii.  unto the which as unto an holy anchor ye must alway run for aid, refuge & succour, trusting assuredly, that his death ●s your whole hope, your merit, your refuge, health, life & resurrection. 
Mark 〈◊〉  For your merit is the compassion & exceeding mercy of Christ your LODRE, ye are not without merit, so long as the LORD of mercies doth not fail, And if the merits of the LORD be many, than are ye plenteous in merits. The more able that he is to save, the more safe and without danger are ye. Thus see you what a great occasion ye have to rejoice in the death of the LORD Christ your alone saviour, whereby so many singular & great commodities shall chance unto you. 
〈◊〉. vi.  God forbid therefore that ye should rejoice in any thing at all, save only in the cross & death of your LORD jesus Christ.  
Syrtely but in asmuch as it is not sufficient that this your new kynge jesus Christ do die for your sins, 
Of the resurrection of Christ. Roma. iiii.  except he also riseth again for your justification, therefore do I also declare unto you these most joyful & comfortable news, that after he be once dead & buried he by the power of his deite shall gloriously rise again the third day from death to life for your justification according to the holy scriptures. 
Ozee. vi  For God his father shall make him alive after two days, & upon the third day he shall raise him up, & he shall live in his sight. As jonas was in the belly of a whale three days & three nights, 
jonas. two &. iii  so shall the son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. And as jonas by the power of God came out of the whales belly the third day, 
Math. xii  so in semblable wise shall this Christ by the puissance of God his father rise again the third day from death to life. 
i Cor. xv  By this glorious resurrection of jesus Christ, shall ye get the victory of Satan, sin, death, 
Roma. iiii  hell, desperation. etc. By this glorious resurrection of jesus christ shall ye be made righteous in God the father's sight. 
joan. ●  By this glorious resurrection of jesus Christ shall heaven gates be opened for you, which so long have been sparred. 
joan. v.  By this glorious resurrection of jesus christ shall ye also rise again, & enter into everlasting life. 
i Petre. i.  By this glorious resurrection of jesus christ, shall god of his exceeding mercy beget you a new into everlasting hope, & an immortal heritage, which is kept for you in heaven. 
joan. two.  For Christ is the resurrection & life, he that believeth in him, all though he be dead, yet shall he live, & every one that liveth & believeth in him, shall never die. Here see you in how joyful and merry a state ye shall be set by Christ's most glorious resurrection. What is here but that moveth & stirreth us to joy & gladness? To much brutal is he which at the hearing of these most sweet & delectable news doth not seriously rejoice.  
Furthermore after that this LORD jesus Christ is risen again from death to life, 
Of Christ'S ascension.  & hath continued here upon the earth certain days 
mat. xxviii.  showing himself unfeignedly to 
mat. xvi.  have risen unto his disciples & 
Luke. xxiiii.  certain other, 
joan. xx.  than shall he by the wonderful power of his Godhead ascend up into heaven very God & 
Act. i.  very man in the presence of his disciples, 
Heb. i.  that they may be faithful witnesses hereof to other, & sit down on the right hand of God his father, as equal God concerning his debt with his father in all virtue, puissance strength & power. 
joan. xiiii.  By this his marvelous ascension shall he go & prepare places for you in the house of his eternal father. For he is the way, the truth & the life. 
joan. xii.  No man cometh to the father but by him. 
Ephe. iiii.  But this his marvelous ascension shall he draw you all unto him. 
Psa. ixvii.  By this his marvelous ascension shall he give divers spiritual gifts unto you thorough the sending of the holy ghost the sweet comforter, 
jon. xiiii. and xvi  which shall lead you into all truth. Although he ascend unto his father, yet will not he leave you comfortless. 
mat. xxiiii.  For by his divine spirit he will be with you even to the very consummacion & end of the world. 
Ios●e. i.  He will not leave & forsake you. 
Heb. xiii.  For he is called Emanual, 
math. i.  which is by interpretation, 
Esa. vi.  God is with us. 
joan. xiiii.  For he is that God which will ever accompany you so long as ye abide in his word. Yea he will come & dwell with you. He will offer himself to you, even as a gentle & loving father doth to his most tender children. 
〈◊〉. xxvi.  For this his promise, I will, 
●●. Cor. vi.  sayeth he, dwell among them, & be conversant among them, I will be their God, & they shall be my people, yea I will be their father, & they shallbe my sons and daughters.  
Again though Christ shall sit on the right hand of God the father almighty, 
Christ alone is our mediator and advocate.  yet shall he not be there idle & utterly fallen from seeking your profit. 
Rom. ix.  For he shall there continually pray & make intercession to God his father for you. 
Herald seven. &. ix.  This man Christ jesus is your alone mediator, 
i Tim. two.  so that if onye of you doth sin, ye have him to be your advocate, 
i joan. two.  even jesus Christ the righteous. And he it is that obtaineth mercy for your sins. 
joan. xiiii. and xvi  Whatsoever also ye ask of the father in his name, he will surely give it you. What will ye desire more? Are not these comfortable & sweet news to hear, 
Esa. ix.  that you have this day so precious a jewel borne among you, yea & given you freely? verily your joy ought to be so great, that it could not be expressed. B●t let us hear more joyful tidings.  
When the time is one's come that this world shall have an end, 
Of Christ's coming to the judgement▪ Mat. xxv.  then shall this your LORD and king jesus Christ come full gloryo●●y from the right hand of his father in his majesty, 
i Cor. xv. i.  & before him shall be gathered all nations. 
Thes. iiii.  For at the voice of the archangel & trump of God shall all people rise out of the earth, 
Esa. xxvi.  with their bodies both faithful & unfaithful. 
joan. v.  They that have done good, 
Rom. xiiii.  shall come forth into the resurrection of life, 
two. Cor. v.  but they that have done evil, 
Rom. two. i.  into the resurrection of damnation. 
Cor. xv.  All shall be present before the judging place of Christ. 
〈◊〉. iii.  Every man shall receive according to their deeds. Than shall you which are his faithful people receive for your corruptible body, an incorruptible body, for your mortal body an immortal body, & even such one as shall be like to his own glorious body. It hath not yet appeared that ye shall be. 
i joan. iii.  But know ye that if he once appear, ye shall be like unto him, for ye shall see h●m as he is, This day of judgement shallbe to the wicked & unfaithful, 
Sop●● 〈◊〉 joel. ●i.  a day of wrath, a day of trouble & heaviness, a day of calamity & misery, a day of darkness & mist. 
Amos. v.  They shall walk as men being blind, because they have of fended the LORD, & their blood shallbe shed as the dust, & their bodies as dung hills. Neither shall their silver & gold be able to deliver them in that day of the lords wrath. For to them it shallbe said. 
Mat. xxv.  Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil & his Angels. But the day to you, which are his faithful people, and obedient to his word, shallbe a day of consolation, comfort, joy & mirth with all gladness. For to you it shall be said: 
Mat. xxv.  Come ye blessed children of my father, inheryte the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. 
i Thes. iiii.  For ye shall be taken up in the clouds for to meet y● LORD in the air, and so shall ye ever he with the LORD in glory. But who is able to express what joy, what pleasure, what mirth, what gladness ye shall have in heaven. 
Esai. xliiii  The eye hath not seen, & the ear hath not herd, neither hath it entered into the heart of man that God hath prepared for them that love him. Ye shall see him face to face, upon whom Angels desire to look. 
Esai. ●xv  With sorrow, care, thought▪ pain or death shall ye no more be entangled. 
Apo. v●●. & x●i.  God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes. 
isaiah. li.  Your joy, your gladness, your mirth shall be perpetual. All the pleasure of this world compared to the least joy of heaven is nothing. 
Apo. xxi  For this celestial city is of pure gold, like unto clear glass, & the foundations of the walls of this city are garnished with all manner of precious stones, the gates are of fine pearl. Yea the streres of this heavenly city are pure gold. It hath no need of the son neither of the Moon to lighten it. For the brightness of God doth lighten it, 
isaiah. ix.  & the lamb is the light of it. 
Dani. xii.  In this city shall ye glister as the shining of heaven, & shallbe as the stars, 
Mat. xii.  world without end. Ye shallbe as the angels of God that are in heaven, Ye shall be pillars in the temple of god. 
Apoc. iii.  Ye shall be clothed with white garments, ye shall sit with Christ upon his seat, ye shall eat Mamna that is hid. ye shall ear of the tree of life, which is in the mids of the Paradise of God. 
Apo●●. two.  Ye shall have a white stone, & in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 
jacob. i.  Ye shall receive the crown of life, which the LORD hath promised to them that love him Ye shall receive the vncorrupty●●● crown of glory. 
i Pet. v.  Ye shall receive the crown of righteousness, which the LORD a righteous judge in the day shall give to all them that love his coming. 
i Tim. iiii.  To conclude, ye shall according to his promise receive everlasting life, 
i joh. two.  in the which ye shall live with god the father, and this his son jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour, with the holy Ghost one very God worlds without end, to whom alone be all honour & glory for ever and ever. 
i. Tim●. i.  Amen.   

¶ A brief rehearsal of all those things that go before.  
THus have I declared unto you the most sweet, most comfortable, most pleasant, & most meri news out of heave at the commandment of the highest & puissant God. 
Roma. v  Ye see in how miserable a case ye are redacted and fallen by the sin of Adam, 
Ephe. two.  & how that by him ye are all damned and made the sons of wrath. Ye see that of yourselves because of your imperfection, ye are not able to do any good thing, that may satisfy the divine will & appease God's wrath. Ye see that the works of the law can not make you free in the sight of god, 
two. Cor. iii.  neither are ye able of your own strength & free will so purely, so spiritually to do them as the law requireth, 
Rom. ii●.  that you may obtain remission of your sins by doing of them. 
Heb. x.  Ye see also that the sacrifices of the old law can never put away sin, 
Dent. iii●▪ xii. xiii.  & as for works of your own invention are most of all imꝑfecte, & most unapt to purchase grace & favour. Thus see you that of your own selves, of your own policy, of your own righteousness ye are not able to escape the danger of damnation, yea rather damnation itself, Therefore did I declare unto you the comfortable news out of heaven, showing you that God, not for the works of righteousness that ye have done, 
Tit. iii.  which in deed are none, but of his own free & great mercy hath vouchedsaufe to preserve and keep you from the danger of Satan sin, death & hell, 
●uk. two.  yea and that by this his well-beloved son jesus Christ which this day is borne in the city of David to be the saviour of the world. 
mat. iii.  So that for jesus Christ's sake God is well pleased with you.  
Ye have heard that the law hath condemned you, 
Den. xxvi●  in asmuch as ye are transgressors of it, 
Gel. iii.  and hath made you accursed. Fron this curse of the law shall christ deliver you, not from the law itself, that you should live ungodly, 
Ephe. v.  & after a remiss and dissolute manner (for such have no in heritaunce in the kingdom of Christ & of God) but from the curse, servitude, bondage, damnation of the law. For he shall fulfil the whole law even to the uttermost. 
math. i.  And his fulfilling shall be accepted before God the father for the fulfilling of so many as believe in him. 
Rom. ●.  And he setting you at liberty from the curse of the law, 
Eze. xxxvi.  shall give you a new heart, & put in you a new spirit, & he shall take away your stony heart & give you a fleshly, 
jere. xxxi.  that is, a soft & gentle heart, ready to incline to the accomplishment of God's will. 
Heb. viii.  He shall give his laws into your minds, & write them in your hearts, that you may ever after frankly and with a free spirit fulfil them.  
Ye have heard how this Christ shall bring you out of the darkness into the light of truth by the sincere declaring of his father's will. 
joan. viii.  For he is the light of the world, & God hath given him to be a witness unto the people, 
Esay. ix.  a captain & a master among the heathen. 
Mat. iiii.  And this his doctrine shall he confirm with such miracles, 
Esay. iv.  as shall evidently show & prove that he is that true Messiah, which was promised to come. 
Dan. ix.   
Again ye have heard that all his good deeds are yours. 
Rom. viii.  For with him hath God the father also given you all things, 
i Cor. i.  so that he is your wisdom, your righteousness, your sanctification and redemption.  
Ye have herd also that he shall offer himself for you to God the father an oblation & sweet swelling sacrifice upon the Altar of the cross & that by this one oblation & sacrifice of his most blessed body done once for all, 
Ephe. v.  all your sins shall be put away, ye shall be made perfect, and washed from all deformity so clean by Christ's blood, 
Ephe. v.  as though ye had never offended heretofore.  
Ye have heard again that as christ shall die for your sins, 
Rom. iiii.  so shall he rise again for your justification, 
Hebre. two. i.  obtaining for you the victory of sin, 
Cor. xv.  death and hell, 
Ozee. xiii.  y● that his most glorious resurrection.  
Ye have heard that after he is once risen again, he shall here remain certain days, & than ascend corporally into heaven, 
Mat. xvi.  & sit down on the right hand of God the father 
Actum. i.  sending down the holy Ghost, 
Hebre. i.  which shall lead you into all truth. 
joan. xvi.   
Ye have heard also that Christ sitting on the right hand of God the father shall not be idle, 
i Timo. two.  but still provide & seek your health. 
i joan. two.  He shall be your mediator & advocate. 
Roma▪ seven.  He shall make continual intercession for you. 
Hebre. seven.  He shall pleat your cause before God his father. He shall advance your matter before the divine presence. 
i. john. two.  If ye at any time excite or stir up gods wrath against you thorough your iniquity, he shall straight ways appease it, and make God the father, still your loving father, which else would be to you an extreme revenger.  
Ye have herd again that christ at the last day shall come gloriously from the right hand of his father to judge the quick & the dead, 
Math. xxv  & how that after the judgement is once done, 
Esai. lxiiii.  ye shall enter into glory with him, 
i Cor. two.  living for ever after in such joy, pleasure & gladness, as can not by any means either be expressed by tongue, or conceived in heart. All these commodities, 
Math. ●.  pleasures & profits shall ye have by this your new king & saviour jesus Christ, 
●uke. two.  which this day is borne in Bethleem a city of David. What more pleasant and thankworthy news could be brought to you then these? What could have set such a joy in your hearts, as the hearing of these news? Can any thing like unto these chance unto you, so great, so welcome, so acceptable, so joyful? verily if ye seriously consider the misery wherewith ye were obruted & overwhelmed before, ye shall easily perceive that ye have an earnest cause to rejoice. No prisoner, no captive, no bond slave was ever in so great captivity & thraldom, as ye were, before these news were brought to you. I● a prisoner rejoiceth for his deliverance out of prison, which once must needs have an end, if none otherwise, yet at the least by death, how great a cause them have you to rejoice for your deliverance which were captives & prisoners to that horrible monster and pestiserous serpent even Satan himself, yea and that not for certain years, but for ever worlds without end. Neither was it your body alone, that was in captivity and bondage but your soul also, both your body & soul were captive to him, so that if this your new king, redeemer & saviour should not help you, it could none otherwise be but that you must needs have been damned, cast into hell fire, there to burn to weep, to lament▪ for ever & ever remediless. But from this most grievous destruction shall this child jesus Christ deliver you, & make you heirs of everlasting glory. What a cause have ye now to rejoice? Your joy can not be expressed, your gladness is unmeasurable.  
Therefore saying ye shall receive of this your new king so many, so great, so inestimable benefits, look that ye be not unthankful. receive this your saviour with enbrasing arms. 
Psal. two.  Run unto him, if not with the feet of your body, yet with the feet of your mind. Knowledge him to be your alone & omnisufficient saviour, 
Act. iiii.  & that there is none other name given unto men under heaven, 
Mat. xvi.  wherein they must be saved, 
Esa. seven.  but only this name of jesus Christ. 
Ephe. two.  Confess him to be the true son of the living God, 
joan. xiiii.  which hath now taken flesh of the most pure and clean virgin mary for your sake. 
i Cor. i.  Confess him alone to be your peace, 
Eze. xxxiiii.  life, 
Colos. i.  health, 
i Tim. two.  defence, goodness, wisdom, righteousness, sanctyfication, redemption, pastor, shepherd, bishop and head. In all your trouble resort to him as unto a strong Bulwark, that you may ease you of your miserable burdens Pour out your hearts before this LORD. 
i joan. i.  Know him to be your alone mediator & advocate. 
joan. xvi.  Ask all things in his name. 
Esay. xlix.  Doubt nothing of his great goodness & exceeding mercy toward you. Can a woman forget the child of her womb, and the son whom she hath borne? And though she doth forget him, yet will not he forget you. For behold he hath written you up upon his hands, 
math. xi.  so that ever ye are in his sight. He will undoubtedly ease you of your burdens, 
Esa. xliiii.  be they never so great. 
Apo. xii.  If ye thirst, 
joan. vi.  he will give you of the well of the water of life freely. If ye hunger he is that bread of life, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of that bread, he shall live for ever. If ye be sick, 
mat. ix.  he is a Physician, ready to cure & heal all your diseases. If ye be bond and in servitude, 
joan. viii.  he will make you free, & set you at lyberite. If ye be dead in sin, 
joan. xi.  he is the resurrection & life. 
joan. viii.  If ye walk in darkness, he is the light of the world. He that followeth him, walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 
Rom. x.  If ye be poor, he is rich unto all them that call upon him. If ye be wicked, prophhane & foolish he is righteous, 
i Cor. i.  holy & wise. If ye be oppressed with syn●e, 
Ose●. xiii,  death of hell, 
i Cor. xv.  he hath subdued them al. If ye fear the wrath of God the father, 
i Tim. two.  he is your mediator, advocate & atonement maker. 
i joan. two.  If ye have condemned yourself thorough sin, 
Mat. i.  he is a saviour, 
Rom. x.  & will save his people from their sins. What will ye have more? Ye want nothing, but he will supply it for you abundantly, & to the uttermost. Fear not therefore to come to this your new king jesus Christ. 
Luke. 〈◊〉.  For the very cause of his coming is not to destroy, but to save the souls of men.  
Receive him therefore with joyful hearts. 
An exhortation to the diligent doing of good works.  Forsake all idolatry & vain superstition. Believe in him alone. Put your affiance & trust in none other but in him only. And let not this your faith be dead, but agile, quick, lyvysshe, & mighty in operation. Let it be such a faith, as worketh by love. first let your faith bring forth an earnest love toward God, 
Gala. v.  and out of this love toward god, let such a love proceed toward your neighbour, that out of that love there may spring plenty of good works. 
Psal. i.  Be like unto a good tree, 
Mat. xxi.  which bringeth forth her fruit in due time. 
Gala. vi.  Be no barren & unfruytful fig tree unless the malediction & curse of God fall on you. While ye have time, work good to all men. For God hath not delivered you from the power of your enemies, & of all such as hate you, that you should still continued evil, or return to your old wickedness, but that ye set at liberty and void of all fear, should serve him in holiness & 
Luke. i.  righteousness before him all the days of our life. 
Rom. viii.  The law of the spirit of life throw Christ jesus hath made you free from the law of sin & death. 
Gala. v.  notwithstanding though ye be called into liberty, yet let not your liberty be an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve ye one another. 
i. Pet two.  Be as free not having the liberty for a cloak of wickedness, but even as the servants of god. For Christ hath not of his own mere bounty delivered you from the miserable servitude of Satan, that ye should run again to that your enemy, but that ye should serve him, which hath showed you such great kindness. Ye are now Christ's all together, 
Make●well.  therefore must ye look what he will have you do. For if he be punished, which disdaynethe to fulfil the commandment of a terrestial & earthly Prince, in what case than are ye, if ye do either cast away or despise the commandment of an heavenly governor? Certes ye ought so to institute & order your life, that it should serve Christ your captain on such manner, that Satan should have nothing to do with you, nor ye with him. For he that doth sin, is the servant of sin. 
johan. viii.  Therefore ought you to cast away all sin from you, & give your mind to purity & holiness of life, & ever study to maintain mutual love. 
Math. seven.  For not every one that sayeth, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of God which is in heaven. He that pertaineth to Christ, 
two. Cor. v.  is a new creature. 
Gala. v.  And they that belong unto him, have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof. Therefore if ye be soldiers of Christ, declare it in outward works, For it is a point of notable unshamefastness to boast yourselves that ye pertain to Christ's army, & yet do nothing at all that he commandeth. He that sayeth that he dwelleth in him, 
i joh. two.  aught to walk as he hath walked. 
i joh. i●.  If ye say, that ye have fel●owshyp with Christ, and yet walk in darkness, ye lie & do not the truth. But if ye walk in light, as he is light, than have ye fellowship together, & the blood of this your saviour jesus Christ Gods own son maketh you clean from all sin.  
Wherefore if ye will enjoy these most comfortable & pleasant news, which I have brought from heaven and have now declared unto you, forsake all wickedness, and enhaulse all godliness, reject all idolatry, and practise the true worshipping of God, 
Gala. v.  cast away the works of the flesh and put on the fruits of the spirit, mortify old Adam. and become new men, to be short, 
Math. v.  let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works & glorify your father which is in heaven, to whom with this your new king and omnisufficient saviour jesus Christ Gods own son, and the holy ghost that most sweet confortoure, be all honour and glory worlds without end. AMEN.  
¶ give the glory to God alone.