The parable of the Wicked Mammon.  
☞ Compiled in the year of our Lord. M. d. xxxvi. W. T.  ¶ Romans. three Chap. ☞ We hold that a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law. 
¶ Imprinted at Lodon by John day, dwelling in Sepulchres Paryshe at the sign of the Resurrection, a little above Holborn Conduit. M. d. xlvii.   

¶ William Tindale otherwise called Hychins to the reader.  
GRace and peace with all manner spiritual feeling and living worthy of the knidnes of Christ, be with the reader and with all that thirst the will of God Amen.  
The cause why I set my name before this little treatise & have not rather done it in the new testament is, that then I follow the council of Christ which exhorteth men Matth. vi. to do their good deeds secretly and to be content with the conscience of welldoing, and that God seeth us, and pacyent●ye to a bide the reward of the last day which Christ hath purchased for us: and now would fain have done likewise, but am compelled otherwise to do.  
¶ While I a bode a faithful companion which now hath taken another voyage upon him, to preach Christ where (I suppose) he was never yet preached (God which put in his heart thither to go send his spirit with him, comfort him, and bring his purpose to good effect) one William Roy a man sō●what crafty when he cometh unto new acquaintance and before he be thorough known and namely when all is spent, came unto me and offered his help. As long as he had no money, somewhat I could rule him, but as soon as he had gotten him money, he became like himself again.  
Nevertheless, I suffered all things till that was ended which I could not do alone without one both to write and to help me to compare the texts together. When that was ended, I took my leave and bade him farewell for our two lives, and as men say a day longer, After we were departed he went, and got him new friends which thing to do he passeth all that ever I yet knew. And there when he had stored him of money he got him to argentine where he professeth wonderful faculties and maketh boast of no small things. A year after that and now. xii. Months before the printing of this work, came one Jerome a brother of Grene which also, through Worms to argentine, saying: that he intended to be Christ's disciple another while & to keep (as nigh as God would give him grace) the profession of his baptysme, and to get his living with his hands, and to live no longer idly and of the sweat and labour of those captives which they had taught, not to believe in Christ: but in cut shows and russet coetes. Which jerom with all diligence I warned of Royes' boldness and exhorted him to be ware of him and to walk quiyetly and with all patience and long suffering according as we have Christ and his Apostles for an ensample, which thing he also promised me. Ne verthelesse when he was comen to argentine willyam Roye (whose tongue is able not only to make fools sterke mad, but also to deaceyve the wisest that is at the first sight and acquaintance) got him to him and set him a work to make rhymes, while he himself translated adyaloge out of latin in to english. In whose prologue he promiseth more a great deal than I fear me he will ever pay.  
Paul sayeth the second Epistel to Timothe the second Chapter, the servant 
With God's word ought a man to rebuke wickedness and false doctrine and not with railing times  of the Lord must not strive, but be peaceable unto all men and ready to teach, and one that can suffer the evil with meekness, & that can inform them that resist, if God at any time will give them repentance for to know the truth. It be cometh not then the lords servant to use railing rhymes, but God's words which is the right weapon to slay sine, vice and all iniquity. The scripture of God is good to teach and to improve. two. Ti. iii. two. Tes. two. Paul speaking, of Antichrist sayeth, whom the Lord shall destroy with the spirit or breath of his mouth, that is, with the word of God. And. two. Corinthians, tenth The weapons of our war are not carnal things (saith he) but mighty in God to cast down strong holds and so forth: that is, to destroy high buildings of false doctrine. The word of God is that day whereof Paul speaketh. i Cor. iii. which shall declare all things, and the fire which shall try every man's work and consume false doctrine: with that sword ought men sharp lie to fight, and not to rail with foolish rhymes. Let it not offend the that some walk inordinately, let not the wickedness of judas cause the to despise the doctrine of his fellows. No man ought to think that Steven was a false preacher because that Nicolas which was chosen fellow with him. Actu, vi. to minister unto the widows, fell after in to great heresies as histories make mention. Good and evil go always together, one can not be 
antichrist.  known with out the other. Mark this also a 'bove all things that Antichrist is not an outward thing, that is to say, a man that should suddenly appear with wonders as our fathers talked of him.  
No verily for Antichrist is a spiritual 
antichrist is as much to sai as against Chryst and is nothing but a trencher of false doctrine.  thing. And is as much to say as against Christ, that is one that preacheth ●●ls● doctrine contraty to Christ. Antichrist was in the old Testament and fought with the prophtes, he was also in the time of Christ and of the Apostles as thou rea dost in the epistles of John and of Paul to the Corinthians and Galathians, and 
Antichrist was ever.  other Epistles. Antichrist is now and shall (I doubt not) endure till the worlds end. But his nature is (when he is uttered and overcome with the word of God) 
Antichrist wh● he is spied, goeth out of the play and disguyseth himself and then cometh in again.  to go out of the play for a season and to disgyse himself and then to come in again with a new name and new raiment.  
As thou sayst how Christ rebuketh the scribes and the Pharisees in the Gospel (which were very Antichristes') saying woe be to you Pharisees for ye rob widows houses ye pray long prayers under a colour, ye shut up the kingdom of heaven and suffer not them that would to enter ●●●●e have take away the key of knowledge, ye make men break gods commandments with your traditions, ye beguile the people with hypocrisy and such like. Which things all our prelate's do: but have yet gotten them new names and other garments and weeds, and are other wise disguised. There is difference, in the names between a pope, a Cardinal, a Bishop, and so forth, and to say a scribe, a pharisee, a sen●oure and so forth: but the thing is all one. Even so now when we have uttered him, he will change him ●●lfe ones more and turn himself in to 〈◊〉 angel of light. two. Corin. xi. Reed the place I exhort thee, what so ever thou art that readest this and note it well The jews look for Christ and he is come. xv. hundred years a go and they not ware: we also have looked for Antichrist and he hath reigned as long and we not ware, and because either of us look carnally for him and not in the places where we ought to have sought. The Jews had found Christ verily if they had sought him in the law and the prophets, whither Christ sendeth them to seek John. v. We also had spied out Antichrist long 
Antychrist is a spiritual thing and cannot be seen but in the sight of god's word.  a go if we had looked in the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, where because the beast seeth himself now to be sought for, he roareth and seeketh new holes to hide himself in and changeth himself in to athousande fashions with all ma●●●r wiliness, falsehood, subtlety and craft. Because that his excommunications are come to light he maketh it treason unto the king, to be acquainted with Christ. If Christ and they may not range together, one hope we have, that Christ shall live ever. ¶ The old Antichristes' brought Christ unto pilate saying by our law he ought to die, & when pilate bade them, judge him after your law they answered it is not law full for us to kill any man: which they did to the intent that they which regarded not the shame of their fause ex 
The prelate's cavea burning ●eale to their children  communications, should yet fear to confess Christ because that the temporal sword had condemned him. They do all thing of a good zeal they say they love you so well that they had liefer burn you then that you should have fellowship with Christ. They are jealous over you a miss (as sayeth saint ●aule Gala. iiii.) They would divide you ●rom Christ and his holy testament and join you to the pope to believe his testament and promises. Some man will ask peradventure why I take the labour to make this work in as much as they will burn it saying they burned the Gospel? I answer in burning▪ the new testament they did none other thing then that I looked for, no more shall they do it they burn me also if it be Gods will it shall so be. Nevertheless in transslating the new testament I did my d●utye, and so do I now, and will do as much more as God hath ordained me to do. And as I offered that to all men to correct it, whosoever could, even so do I this. Who so ever therefore readeth this, compare it unto the 
Try all doetryne by God's word.  scripture. If God's word bear record unto it & thou also feleste in thine h●●●e that it is so, be of good comfort and geue God thanks. If gods word condemn it the● hold it accursed, and so do all other doctrines As Paul counseleth his Galathians. Believe not every sprite suddenly, but judge them by the word of God, which is the trial of all doctrine, and lastteth for ever.  
Amen   

¶ The parable of the wicked Mammon. Luke. xvi. Cham  

THere was a certain rich man, which had a steward that was acused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him and said unto him. How is it that I hear this of thee? give accounts of thy stewardship. For thou mayst be no longer my steward. The steward said with in himself: what shall I do? for my master will take away from me my stewardship. I cannot dig, and to beg I am ashamed. I wots what to do, that when I am put out of my stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.  
¶ Then called he all his master's debtors and said unto the first, how much owest thou unto my master? And he said, an. C. tons of oil, And he said unto him, take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write. l. Then said he to another, what owest thou? And he said, an. C. quarters of wheat. He said unto him. Take thy bill and write. lxxx. And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. For the children of this world, are in their kind wiser than the children of light. And I say also unto you, make you friends of the wicked Mammon, that when ye shall have need, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.   

FOr asmuch as with this and divers such other texts, many have enforced to draw the people from the true faith and from putting their trust in the truth of God's promises and in the merits and deserving of his Chryst our Lord, & have also brought it to pass, for many false prophets shall arise and deceive many, and much wickedness must also be, saith Christ. Mat. xxiiii. And Paul saith. Ti. iii. Fuyl men & deceivers shall prevail in evil while they deceive & are deceived themselves, & have taught them to put trust in their own merits, and brought them in belief that they shallbe justified in the sight of God by the goodness of their own works and have corrupt the pure word of God to confirm their Aristotle withal. For though that the philosophers and worldly wise men were enemies above all enemies to the Gospel of God, and though the worldly wisdom cannot comprehend the wisdom of God, as thou mayst see i Corin. i. &. two. And though worldly righteousness cannot be obedient unto the 
They give more faith to Aristotle then to Christ.  righteousness of God: Ro. x. Yet whatsoever they read in Aristo, that must first be true. And to maintain that, they rend and tear the scriptures with their distin ctions and expound them violently, contrary to the meaning of the text, and to the circumstances that go before and after, and to a thousand clear and evident texts. Wherefore, I have taken in hand to expound this Gospel and certain oter places of the new testament and (as farfurth as God shall lend me grace) to bring the scripture unto the right sense, and to dig again the wells of Abraham and to purdge and cleanse them of the earth of worldly wisdom, wherewith these Philistians have stopped them. Which grace grant me God, for the love that he hath unto his son Jesus our Lord, unto the glory of his name.  
Amen.   

THat faith only before alworkes and without all merits but Chri stes only, justifieth, and sets us at peace with God: is proved by Paul. Roman. i. I am not a shamed (saith he) of the Gospel, that is to say, of the glad tidings and promises which God hath made & sworn to us in Christ For it (that is the Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation, to all that believe. And it followeth in the foresaid Chapter the just or righteous must live by faith.  
¶ For in the faith which we have in 
The law is death, and the promises life  Chryst and in God's promises find we mercy, life, favour, & peace. In the law we find death, damnation, and wrath▪ moreover, the curse and vengeance of God upon us. And it (that is to say the law) is called of Paul. two. Cor. iii. the ministration of death and damnation. In the law we are proved the enemies of God, and that we hate him. For how can 
The law when it is preached giveth no power to fulfil the same.  we be at peace with God, and love him, seeing we are conceived and borne under the power of the devil and are his possession and kingdom, his captives and bondmen, and led at his will, and he holdeth our her●es, so that it is impossible for us to consent to the will of God, much more is it impossible for a man to fulfil the law, of his own strength and power seeing that we are by birth and of nature the heirs of eternal damnation. As saith s. Paul Ephe two. We (saith he) are by nature the children of wrath. Which thing the law doth but utter only and helpeth us not, yea, she requireth impossible things of us The law when it come maundeth that thou shalt not lust giveth the not power so to do, but damneth thee, because thou canst not so do.   

IF thou wilt therefore be at peace with God & love him, thou must turn to the promises of God and to the Gospel, which is called of Paul in the place before rehearsed and to the Corin. the ministration of righteousness and of the spirit. For faith bringeth pardon and forgiveness freely purchased by Christ's blood and bringeth also the spirit, the spirit loseth the bonds of the devil and setteth us at liberty. For where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty sayeth Paul in the same place to the Corinthians, that is to say, there the heart is free and hath power to love the will of God, and there the heart mourneth that he can not love enough. Now is that consent of the heart unto the law of God 
The consenting unto the law with the heart is eternal life.  eternal life, ye though there be no power yet in the membres to fulfil it. Let every man therefore (according to Paul's council in the. vi Cham to the Ephe. arm himself with the armour of God, that is to understand, with God's promises, and above all thing (sayeth he) take unto you the shield of faith, wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, that ye may be able to resist in the evil day of temptation, and namely at the hour of death.  
See therefore thou have God's promy says in thine heart and that thou believe them without wavering: & when temptation ariseth, & the devil layeth the law and thy deeds against thee, answer him with the promises and turn to God and confess thyself to him and say it is even so, or else how could he be merciful? but remember that he is the God of mercy and of truth and can not but fulfil his promises. Also remember that his sons blood is stronger than all the sins and wickednesses of the whole world and therewith quiet thyself, and there unto commit ' thy self, and bless thyself in all temptation (namely at the hour of death) with that holy candle Or else perishest thou though thou hast a thousand holy candles about thee, a hundred ton of holy water, a shipfull of pardons, aclothsacke full of freers coats and all the ceremonies in the world, and all the good works deservings, and merits of all men in the world be they or were they never so holy. God's word only lasteth for ever and that which he hath sworn doth abide, when all other things perish. So long as thou findest any con sent in thine heart unto the law of God that it is righteous and good, and also dispel sure that thou canst not fulfil it, dispayr not, neither doubt, but that God's spirit is in thee, & that thou art choose for Christ's sake, to the inheritance of eternal life.  
And again, Ro. iii. We suppose that a man is justified thorough faith without the deeds of the law. And likewise Ro. iii. We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Item Ro. v. Seeing that we are justified thorough faith, we are at one with God. Iten Ro. x. With the heart doth a man believe to be made righteous. Item Gal. iii. received ye the spirit by the deeds of the law, or by hearing of the faith? He which ministereth the spirit unto you and workeh miracles among you doth he it by the deeds of the Law or by hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God and it was tekened to him for righteousness. understand therefore (sayeth he) that the children of Abraham. For the scripture saw before, that God would justify the heathen or gentiles by faith, and showed before glad tidings unto Abraham, in thy seed shall all nacious be blessed. wherefore they which are of faith shallbe blessed, that is to say made righteous with the righteous Abraham. For as many as are of the deeds of the law are under the curse For it is written (saith he) cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to fulfil them.  
Item Gal. two. where he resisteth Peter in the face he sayeth. We which are jews by nation and not sinners of the gentiles, know that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law, but by the faith of jesus. Christ and have therefore believed on jesus Christ, that we might be iustfied by the faith of Christ, and not by the deeds of the law: for by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. Item in the same place he saith Toutching that Enough live, I leave in the faith of the son of God, which loved me and gave him ●elfe for me I despise not the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then is Christ dead in vain. And of such like ensamples are all the epistles of Paul full. Mark how Paul laboureth with himself to express the exceeding mysteries of faith in the epistle to the Ephesians, and in the Gpistle to the Collossians. By this and many such like texts are we sure that the forgiveness of sins and justifying is appropriate unto faith only with out the adding of the works. Take for the also the likeness that Christ maketh Mat. seven. A good tree bringeth forth good fruit. And a bad tree bringeth forth bad fruit. There sayst thou that the fruit maketh not the tree good, but the tree the fruit, and that the tree must afore hand be good or be made good: e● it can bring forth good fruit. As he also sayeth. Mat. xii. either make the tree good and his fruit good also, et her make the tree bad and his fruit bade also. How can ye speak well while ye yourselves are evil? So likewise is this true and nothing more true, that a man before all good works must first be good, and that it is impossible that works should make him good, if he were not good before, e● he did good works. For this is Christ's principle and (as we say) a general rule.  
How can ye speak well, while ye are evil? So likewise how can ye do good, while ye are evil?  
This is therefore a plain, and a sure couclusion not to be doubted of, that there 
A man must have some goodness in his heart before be bring forth good works  must be first in the heart of a man before he doth any good works greater and a preciouser thing than all the good works in the world to reconcile him to God to bring the love and favour of God, to him, to make him love God again to make him righteous and good in the sight of God, to do away his sin, to deliver him and lose him, out of that captivity wherein he was conce●ued & borne, in which he could neither love God nor the will of God. Or else how can he work any good work that should please God, if there were not some supernatural goodness in him given of God freely whereof the good work must spring? even as a sick man must first be healed or made whole, e● he can do the deeds of an whole man, and as the blind man must first have sight given him ere he can see: and he that hath his feet in fetters, gives, or stocks must first be loused or he can go, walk or run, and even as they which thou readest of in the Gospel, that were possessed of the devils, could not laud God till the devils were cast out.  
That precious thing which must be in the heart ere a man can work any good work is the word of God which in the Gospel preacheth, proffereth, and bringeth unto all them that repent and believe, the favour of God in Christ. Whosoever heareth the word & believeth it, that same is thereby righteous, and thereby is given him the spirit of God, which leadeth him unto all that is the will of God, and is loused from the captivity and bondage of the deucll, and his heart is free to love God, and hath lust to do the will of God. Therefore it is called the word of life, the word of grace, the word of health, the word of redemption the word of forgiveness, and the word of peace. He that heareth it not or believeth it not, can by nomeanes be made righteous before God.  
This confirmth S. Peter in the xv. chapter of the acts, saying that God though row faith doth purify the hearts For of what nature soever the word of God is, of the same nature must the hearts be which believe thereon and cleave there unto.  
Now is the word living, pure, righteous and true, and even so maketh it the hearts of them that believe thereon. If it be said that Paul (when he saith Roma. the. iii. No flesh shall be or can be justified by the deeds of the law) meaneth it of the ceremonies or sacrifices, it is a lie verily. For it followeth immediately, by the law cometh the knowledge of sin.  
Now are they not the ceremonies that utter sin, but the law of commandments. 
The law uttereth sin, & setteh us at the.  In the. iiii (he saith) the law causeth wrath which can not be understand of the ceremonies for they were given to reconcile the people to God again after they had sinned. If as they say the ceremonies which were given to purge sin and to reconcile, justify not, neither bless but temporally only, much more the law of cammaundementes justifieth not. For that which proveth a man sick healeth him not, neither doth the cause of wrath bring him to favour, neither can that which damneth, save a man When the mother commandeth her child, but even to rock the cradle, it grudgeth: this commandment doth but utter the poison that lay hid, and setteth him at debat with his mother and maketh him believe she loveth him not. These commandments also (thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not lust, desire, or wish after th● neighbours wife servant, maid, ox or ass, or what soever pertaineth unto thy neighbour) give not me power so to do, but utter that poison that is in me and damn me, because I can not so do, & prove that God is wrath with me, saying that his will and mine are so contrary. Therefore saith Paul Gala iii. If there had been given such a law that could have given life, them no doubt righteousness had come by the law: but the scripture did conclude all under sin (saith he) that the promise might be given unto them that believe thorough the faith that is in jesus Christ.  
The promises when they are believed, 
The promises justify.  are they that justify, for they bring the spirit which looseth the heart, giveth lust to the law and certyfieth us of that good will of God unto us ward. If we submit ourselves unto God and desire him to heal us, he will do it, and will in the mean time (because of the consent of the heart unto the law) count us for full whole and will no more hate us, but pity us, cherish us, be tender hearted to us, and love us as he doth Christ himself, Christ is our redeemer, saviour, peace, atonement, and satisfaction, and hath made amends or satisfaction, to God ward for all the sin which they that repent (consenting to the law and feleling the promises) do, have done, ●r shall do. So that if thorough frag●●●e we fall a thousand▪ times in a day, yet if we do repent again, we have all way laid up for us in store in jesus Christ our Lord.   

WHat shall we say then to those criptures which go so fore upon good works? As we read Math, xxv. I was as hun gred and ye gave me meat. etc.  
And such like. Which all sound as though we should be justified and accepted unto the favour of God in Christ thorough good works. This wise answer I. Many there are which when they hear or read of faith, at once they consent there unto and have a certain imagination or opinion of the faith, as when aman telleth a story or a thing done in a strange land, that pertaineth not to them at all. Which yet they believe and tell as a true thing. And this imagination or opinion they call faith. They think no farther than that faith is a thing which standeth in their own power to have, as do other natural works, which men work: but they feel no manner working of that spirit, neither the terrible sentence of the law, the fearful judgements of God, the horrible damnation and captivity under Satan. Therefore as soon as they have this opinion or imagination in their hearts: that saith: verily this doctrine seemeth true, I believe it is even so.  
Then they think that the right faith is ther. But afterward when they feel in themselves, and also see in other that there is none alteration, and that the works follow not but that they are altogether even as before, and abide in their old estate: then think they that faith is not sufficient, but that it must be some greater thing, than faith that should justify a man. So fall they away from faith again, and cry saying faith only justfieth not a man, and maketh him acceptable to God. If thou ask them wherefore They answer, see how many there are that believe and yet do no more then they did before. These are they which judas in his epistle calleth dreamers which deceive themselves with their own fantasies For what other thing is their imagination which they call faith, than a dreaming of the faith and an opinion of their own imagination wrought wout the grace of God? These must needs be worse at the later end than 
Old vesselled that 〈…〉 is put 〈…〉 Mat●…  at the beginning. These are the old vessels, that rent when new wine is powered into them, that is, they hear God's word but hold it not, and therefore wax worse than they were before. But the right faith springeth not of man's fantasy, neither is it in any man's power to obtain it, but is altogether the pure gift of god poured in to us fr●lye with out all manner doing of us▪ without deserving and merits, ye and without seeking for of us. And it is (as Paul saith. two. Eph.) even gods gift and grace purchased thorough Christ Thet for is it mighty in operation, full of virtue and ever working, which also reneweth a man and begetteth him again, altereth him, altogether in to a new nature and conversation so that a man feeleth his heart altogether altered and changed and far otherwise disposed them before, and hath power to love that which before he could not but hate, and delighteth in that which before he could not love. And it setteth the soul at liberty, and maketh her free to follow the will of God, and is to the soul evenas health is unto the body, of a man that is pined and wasted away with a long sokinge disease. The legs can not bear him, he can not life up his hands to help himself, his tayst is corrupt, sugar is bitter in his mouth, his stomach abhoreth, longing after sibbersruse at the which a whole stomach is ready to cast his gorge. When health cometh, she changeth and altereth him clean, giveth him strength in all his man bers and lust to do of his own accord that which before the could not do, neither could not sister that any man exhorted him to do, and hath now lust in whole some things, and his members are free and at liberty, and have power to do of their own accord all things which belong to an whole man to do, which afore th●● had no power to do, but were in captivity and bondage. So likewise in all thing doth right faith to the soul.  
The spirit of God a companieth faith, and bringeth with her light, where with a man be holdeth him self in the law of God, and saith his miserable hondage and captivity, and humbleth himself, and abhorreth himself: she bringeth gods promises of all good things in Christ, God worketh with his word, and in his word, And when his word is preached, faith worketh herself in the hearts of the elect: and as faith entereth and the word of God is believed, the power of God loseth the heart from the captivity and bon dage under sin, and knitte●h and coupleth him to God and to the will of God, altereth him and changeth him clean, fassioneth and forgeth him a n●w, giveth him power to love and to do that which before was unpossible for him either to love or do, and turnneth him in to a new nature: so that he loveth that which he before hated, and hateth that which he before loved, and is clean altered and changed and contrary disposed, and is knit and coupled fast to God's will, and naturally bringeth forth good works, that is to say, that which God commandeth to do and not▪ things of his own imagination. And that doth he of his own accord as a tree bringeth forth fruit of her accord. And as thou neadest not to bid a tree to hring forth fruit, so is there no law put unto him that believeth and is justified thorough faith, (as saith Paul in the first epistle to Timothe the first Chapter.) Neither is it needful. For the law of God is written and graven in his heart, and his pleasure is therein. And as without commandment and of his own nature, he eateth, drinketh, setteth, heareth, talketh, and goeth: even so of his own nature, with out coaction or come pulsion of the law, bringeth he forth good works. And as an whole man when he is a thirst, tarrieth but for drink, and when he hungereth abydeh but for meat, and then drinketh and eateth naturally: even so is the faithful ever a thrust and an hungered after the will of God, and tarrieth but for occasion. And when soever an occasion is given, he worketh naturally the will of God. For this blessing is given to all them that trust in Christ's blood, that they thirst and hunger to do Gods will He that hath not this faith, is but an unprofitable babbler of faith and works, and woteth neither what he babbleth, nor what he meaneth or where unto his words pertain. For be seleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart, but interpreteth the scriptures which speak of faith and works, after his own blind ●●a●one and foolish ●āta●ies and not of any feeling that he hath in his heart: as a man r●h●rseth a tale of an other man's mouth and woteth not▪ whether it be so or not as he saith, nor hath any experience of the thing itself. Now doth the scrip ure ascribe both faith and works not to us, but to God only, to whom they belong only, and to whom they are appropriate, who●e gift they are and the proper work of his spirit. Is it not a fr●war● and perverse blindness? they teeth how a man can do nothing of his own self, & yet presumptuously take upon them the 'gree atest & highest work of God, even to make faith in themselves of their own power and of their own false imaginary on and thoughts. Therefore I say, we must despair of ourselves, and pray God (as Christ's apostles did) do give us faith, and to increase our faith. When we have that, we need none other thing more.  
For she bringeth the spirit with her, and he, not only teacheth us all things, but worketh them also mightily in us and carrieth us thorough aduer●ite, pierce cution, death and hell, unto heaven & ever lasting life.   

Mark diligently therefore saying we are come to answer. The scripture because of such dreams and feigned faiths sake, useth such manner of speakings of works, not that a man should there by be made good to God ward or justified, but to declare unto other, and to take of other the difference between false feigned faith and right faith: for where right faith is there bringeth she forth good works, if there follow not good works, it is no doubt but a dream and an opinion or feigned faith. Where for look as A fruit maketh not the tree good, but declareth and testifis outwardly that the tree is good (as Christ sayeth/ every tree is known by his fruit: even so shall ye know the right faith by her fruit.  
Take for an ensample Mary that anointed Christ's feet, Luke. seven. When Simon which bade Christ to his house had condemned her, Christ defended her and justified her saying: Simon I have a certain thing to say unto thee▪ And he said master sa●e on. There was a certain lender which had two debtors, the one ought five hundredth pens, and the other fi●ftye. When they had nothing to pay he for gave both. Which of them tell me, will love him most? Simon answered and said: I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he to him, thou haste judged truly. And he turned him to the woman, and said unto Simon Seest thou this woman? I entered in to thine house and thou gavest me no water to mi feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hears of her head Thou gavest me no kiss, but sense the time I came in hath not she reasted to kiss my feet, Thou haste not anointed my head with oil.  
But she hath anointed my feet with costly and precious ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, many sins are forgiven her for she loved much. To whom less is forgiven, the same doth love less and here by see we that deeds and works are but outward signs of the inward grace of the bounteous and plenteous mercy of God freely received, with out all merits or deeds, yea and before all deeds. Christ teacheth to know the in ward faith and love, by the outward deeds. deeds are the fruits of love, and love is the fruit of faith. Love & also the deeds are great or small according to the proportion of faith. Where faith is mighty and strong, there is love fervent and deeds plenteous, & done with exceeding meekness: Where faith is weak, there is love clod and the deeds few and fadeth as flores and blossoms in winter. Simon believed and had faith, yet but weak lie, and according to the proportion of his faith loved coldly, and had deeds thereafter he bade Christ unto asimple and abare feast only, and received him not with any great humanity. But Mary had a strong faith, and therefore burn ning love, and notable deeds done with exceeding profound and deep meekness. On the one side she saw herself clearly in the law, both in what danger she was, and her cruel bondage under sin her horrible damnation and also the fearful sentence and judgement of God upon sinners. ¶ On the other side she heard the Gospel of Christ preached, and in the promises she saw with eagles eyes the exceeding abundant mercy of God, that paseth all utterance of speech, which is set forth in Christ for all meek sinners. Which knowledge their sins And she believed the word of God myghteli and glorifed God over his mercy and truth, and being overcome & over whelmed with the unspeakable, yea and incomprehensible abundant riches of the kindness of God, did inflame and burn in love, yea was so swollen in love, that she could not abide nor hold, but must break out, and was so drunken in love that she regarded nothing, but even to utter the fervent and burning love of her heart only. She had no respect to her self, though she was never so great and notable a sinner, neither to the curious hypocrisy of the pharisees which ever disdain weak sinners, neither to the costliness of her ointment but with all humbelnes did run unto his feet. Washed them with the tears of her eyes, and wiped them with the hears of her head, and anointed them with precious ointment, yea and would no doubt have run in to the ground under his feet to have uttered her love toward him yea would have descended down in to hell, if it had been possible. E●● as Daul in the ninth chapter of his epistle to the romans was drunk in love and over whelmed and with the plenteousness of the infinite mercy of God (which he had received in Christ unsought for) wished himself banished from Christ and dampened, to save the jews, if it might have ●en. For as a man feeleth God in himself, so is he to his neighbour.  
Mark an other thing also. We for the most part because of our grossness in all our knowledge proceed from that which is last and hindmost unto that which is first, beginning at the later end, disputing and making our arguments backward. We begin at the effect and work and proceed unto the natural cause. As because of an ensample we first see the moan dark, and then search the cause, and find that the putting of the earth between the son and the moan is the natural cause of the darkness and that the earth stoppeth the light. Then dispute we backward saying the moan is darkened, therefore is the earth directly between the son and the moan. Now yet is not the darkness of the moan the natural cause that the earth is between the son and the moan, but the effect there of and cause declaring and leading us unto the knowledge, how that the earth is between the son and the moan direct lie and causeth the darkness, stopping the light of the son from the moan. And contrary wise the being of the earth directly between the son and the moan is the natural cause of the darkness. Likewise, he hath a son therefore is he a father, and yet the son is not cause of the father, but contrary wise.  
Not withstanding the son is the cause declaratyve where by we know that the other is a father. After the same manner here, many sins are forgiven her,▪ for she loved much, thou mayst not understand by the word for, that love is the natural cause of the forgiving of sins, but declareth it only, and contrary wise the forgiveness of sins is the natural cause of love. The works declare love.  
And love declareth that there is some be nefyte and kindness showed▪ or else would there be no love. Why worketh one, and an other not? Or one more than another? Because that one loveth and the other not or that the one loveth more than the other, Why loveth one and another not, or one more than another? Because that one feeleth the exccading kindness of God in his heart and another no●, or that one feeleth it more than another. Scripture speaketh after the most grossest manner. Be diligent therefore that thou be not deceived with curiousness. For men of no small reputation have been deceived with their own sophistry.   

HEreby seist thou, that theridamas is great difference between being righteous, and good in declaring and uttering a man's own righteousness 
The office of faith.  and goodness. The faith only maketh a man safe, good, righteous and the friend of god, yea & heir of all his goodness and possesseth us with the spirit of god. The work declareth the same faith and goodness. Now useth the scripture 
The office of works.  the common manner of speaking, and the very same that is among the people. As when a father sayeth to his child, go and be loving, merciful, and good to such or such a poor man, he biddeth him not, there with to be made merciful, kind and good: but to testify and declare the goodness that is in him already with the outward deed: that it may break out to the prophet of other, & that other may feel it which have need thereof.  
After the same manner shalt thou interpret the scriptures which make mention of works: that God thereby will that we show forth the goodness which we have received by faith, and let it break forth and come to the profit of other that the false faith may be known and wedded out by the roots. For God giveth no man his grace, that he should let it lie 
The talon. Math. xxv.  still and do no good withal: but that he should increase it and multiply it with lending it to other, and with openly declaring of it with the outward works, provoke & draw other to God, As Christ saith in Matthew the fift chapter. Let your light so shine in the sight of men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.  
Or else were it as a treasure digged in the ground and hid wisdom, in the which is no prophet. Moreover therewith the goodness grace, favour, & gifts of God which a● in thee, not only shallbe known unto other, but also unto thin own self and thou shalt besure that thy faith is right, and that the true spirit of God is in thee, and that thou art called and chosen of God unto eternal life, and loosed from the bondage of Satan whose prisoner thou waste. Peter exhorteth in the first of his second epistle, thorough good works to make our calling and election (where with we are called and chosen of God) sure. For how dare a man presume to think, that his faith is right, and that god's favour is on him, and that God's spirit is in him, when he fealeth not the working of the spirit, ne● there himself disposed to any Godly thing? Thou canst never know or be sure of thy faith, but by works which works must also come of pure love with out looking after any manner reward thou mayst be sure that thy faith is but a dream and not right, and even the same that james calleth in his epistle the secon chapter dead faith and not justifying.  
Abraham thorough works Genesis. xxii. was sure of his faith to be right, and that the true fear of God was in him▪ when he had offered his son (as the scripture sayeth) Now know I that thou fearest God, that is to say▪ Now is it open and manifest that thou feareste God in as much as thou haste not spared thy only son for my sake.  
So now by this abide sure and fast that a man inwardly in the heart and before god is righteous and good thorough faith only before all works. Notwithstanding yet outwardly and openly before the people yea & before himself, is he righteous thorough the work that is, he knoweth and is sure thorough the outward work that he is a true believer and in the favour of God and righteous and good thorough the mercy of God▪ that thou may est call the one an open and an outward righteousness, and the other an inward righteousness of the heart (so yet) that thou under stand by the outward righteousness, none other thing save the fruit that followeth as a declaring of that inward justifying and righteousness of the heart, and not that it maketh a man righteous before God, but that he must first be righteous before him in the heart. Even as thou mayst call the fruit of the tree, which followeth and uttereth the inward natural goodness of the tree.  
Thus meaneth james in his epistle where he saith, faith without works is dead that is, if works follow not, it is a sure and an evident sign, that there is no faith in the heart but a dead imagination and dream which they falsely call faith.  
Of the same wise is this saying of Christ to be understand. Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that is show your faith openly & what ye are within the heart with outward giving and bestowing your goods on the poor, that ye may obtain friends, that is, that the poor on whom thou haste showed mercy may at the day of judgement testify and witness of thy good works.  
That thy faith and what thou waste within in the heart before God may there appear by thy fruits openly unto all men For unto the right beleveing shall all things be comfortable and unto consolation at that terrible day. And contrary wise unto the unbelieving, all thing shallbe unto desperation, and confusion, and every man shallbe judged openly and outwardly in the presence of all men, according to their deeds and works. So that not without a cause thou mayest call them thy friends, which testify at 
Why he called them friends.  that day of thee, that thou lovedest as a true and a right christian man and folowedest the steps of Christ in showing mercy, as no doubt he doth which feeleth God merciful in his heart. And by the works is the faith knoweth, that it was right and perfect. For the outward works can never please God nor make friend, except they springe of faith. For as much as Christ himself Matthew in the. vi. and. seven. Chapter dysaloweth and casteth away the works of the pha riseth: yea prophesyenge and working of miracles & casting out of devils, which we count and esteem for very excellent virtues. Yet make they no friends with their works, while their hearts are false and unpure and their eye double. Now without faith is no heart true or eye singel: so that we are conpelled to confess that the works make not a man righteous or good but that the heart must first be righteous and good before any good work proceed thence.   

secondarily all good works must be done freli with a single eye, with 
Good works must be done freely.  out respect of any thing, and that no profit be sought thereby.  
That commandeth Christ where he sayeth Math. x. freely have ye received, freely give again. For look as Christ with all his works did not serve heaven, for that was his all ready, but did us service therewith, & neither looked nor sought his own profit, but our profit, and the honour of God the father only: even so we with all our works may not seek our own profit, neither in this world nor in heaven, but must and ought freely to work, to honour God withal, and with out all manner respect, seek our neighbours profit, and do him service.  
That meaneth Paul Philip. two. saying Be minded as Christ was which being in the shape of God, equal unto God and even very God, laid that a part, that is to say, hid it. And took on him the form and fashion of a servant, That is, as concerning himself he had enough, that he was full, and had plenteousness of the Godhead, and in all his works sought our profit and became our servant. The cause is, for as much as faith justifieth and putteth away sin in the sight of God, bringeth, life, health and the favour of God, maketh us the heirs of God poureth the spirit of God into our souls and filleth us with all godliness in Christ, it were to great a shame, rebuke, and wrong unto the faith, yea to Christ's blood if a man would work any thing to purchase that, wherewith faith hath endued him already, and God hath given him surely. Even as Christ had done a rebuke and shame unto himself, if he would have done good works and wrought to have been made there by God's son and heir over all, which thing he was already. Now doth faith make us the sons or children of God, john. i. he gave them might or power to be the sons of God, in that they believed in his name If we be sons, so are we also heirs Roma. viii. and Gala. iiii. How can, or ought we then to work, for to purches that inheritance with all, where of we are heirs all ready by faith? What shall we say then to those scriptures which sode as though a man should do good works and live well for heavens sake or eternal reward? As these are, make you friends of the unrihgtuous mammon. And Math. seven. Ga' there you treasure together in heaven. Also Math. nineteen. If thou wilt enter in to life keep the commandments and such like. This say I, that they which under stand not, neither feel in their hearts what faith meaneth, talk and think of the reward even as they do of the work, neither suppose they that a man ought to work but in a respect to the reward.  
For they imagine that it is in the king doom of Christ, as it is in the world among men, that they must deserve heaven with their good works. How be it their thoughts are but dreams and false imaginations. Of these men speaketh Mala. Chap. i. who is it among you that shutteth a door for my pleasure for nought? that is, without respect of reward. These are servants, that seek gains and advantage, hirelings and day labourers which here on earth receive their rewards, as the pharisees with their prayers, and fastings Matth. v.  
But on this wise goeth it with heaven, with everlasting life, & eternal reward, likewise as good works naturally follow faith (as it is above rehearsed) so that thou needest not to command a true believer to work or to compel him with any law, for it is impossible that he should not work he tarrieth but for an occasion, he is ever disposed of himself, thou needest but to put him in remembrance, and that to know the false faith from the true. Even so naturally doth eternal life follow faith and good living, with out seeking for, and is impossible that it should not come, thought no man thought there on. Yet is it rehearsed in the scripture, alleged, and promised to know the difference between a false believer and a true believer, and that every man may know what followeth good living naturally and of itself without taking thought for it. Take agrosse ensampel. Hell, that is everlasting death is threatened unto sinners, and yet followeth it sin naturally without seeking for. For no man doth evil to be damned therefore, but had liefer avoid it. Yet the one followeth the other naturally, and thought no man told or warned him of it, yet should the sinner find it, and feel it. Ne verthelesse it is therefore threatened, that men may know what followeth evil living. Now then as after evil living followeth his reward unsought for even so after good living followeth his rewad naturally unsought for or unthoughte upon even as when thou drinkest wine, be it good or bad, the tayst followeth of itself, thought thou therefore drink it not. Yet testifieth the scripture, and it is true, that we are by inheritance heirs of damnation, and that before we be borne we are vessels of the wrath of God and full of that poison whence naturally all sins spring, and where with we can not but sin, which thing the deeds that follow (when we behold ourselves in the glass of the law of God) do declare and utter, kill our consciences, and show us what we were and witted not of it, and certify us that we are heirs of damnation. For if we were of God we should cleave to God and lust after the will of God. But now our deeds compared to the law declare the contrary and by our deeds, we see ourself both what we be and what our end shallbe.  
So now thou sayst that life eternal and all good things are promised unto faith and belief: so that he that believeth on Christ, shallbe safe. Christ's blood hath purchased life for us and hath made us the heirs of God: so that heaven cometh by Christ's blood. If thou wouldst obtain heaven with the merits and deservings of thine own works, than didst thou wrong, ye and shamedest the blood of Christ, and unto the were Christ dead in vain. Now is the true believer heir of God by Christ's deserving, ye and in Christ was predestinate and ordained unto eternal life, before the world began. And when the Gospel is preached unto us we believe the mercy of God, and in believing we receive the spirit of God which is the arneste of eternal life, and we are in eternal life already and feel all ready in our hearts the sweetness thereof, and are overcome with the kindness of God and Christ and therefore love the will of God, and of love are ready to work ferly, and not to obtain that which is given us freely, and whereof we are heirs already  
Now when Christ sayeth. Make you friends of unrighteous Mammon Ga' there you treasure together in heaven and such like. Thou sayst that the meaning and intent is none other, but that thou shouldest do good, and so will it follow of itself naturally, without seeking and taking of thought that thou shalt find friends & treasure in heaven and receive a reward. So let thine eye be single, and look unto good living only, & take no thought for the reward. But be content. For as much as thou knowest and art sure that the reward and all thing contained in God's promises follow good living naturally, & thy good works do but testify only and certify the that the spirit of God is in thee, whom thou hast received for an earnest of god's truth, and that thou art heir of all the goodness of God, and that all good things are thine all ready purchased by Christ blood and laid up in store against that day when every man shall receive according to his deeds, that is, according as his deeds declare and testify, what he is or was. For they that look unto the reward, are slow, false subtle and crafty workers, and love the reward more than the work, yea hate the labour▪ yea hate God which commandeth the labour and are w●ry both of the commandment and also of the commander & work with tediousness, But he that worketh of pure love without seeking of reward worketh truly. Thirdly that not that saints, but God only receiveth us in to eternal tarbernacles, is so plain and evident that I need not to declare or prove it How shall the saints receive us in to heaven, when every man hath need for himself, that God only▪ recyve him to heaven, and every man hath sk●ce for himself? As it appeareth by the five wise virgins. Mat. xxvi. which would not give of the oil unto the unwise virgins. And S. Peter saith in the iiii. of his first epistle that the righteous is with difficulty saved. So▪ seest thou that the saying of Christ (make you friends of the. etc. That they may receive you into the everlasting tabernacles) pertaineth not unto the sayn●tes which are in heaven, but is spoken of the poor and needy which are here present with us on earth, as thought he would say. What byldest thou churches, foundest abbeys, chantries, and colleges in the honour of saints, to my mother, saint Peter, Paul and saints that be dead to make of them thy friends? They need it not, yea they are not thy friends but theirs which lived then, when they lived, of whone they were holyen▪ T●● friends are the poor which are now 〈◊〉 thy time and a live with thee, thy poor● neighbours which need of thy help and succour. Them make thy friends with thy unrighteous mammon, that they may testify of thy, faith and thou mayst know & feel that thy faith is right and not feigned.   

UNto the second, such receiving into the everlasting habitations is not to be understand, that men shall do it. For many to whom we show mercy and do good shall not come there, neither skilleth it, if we meekly and lovingly do our, duty yea it is a sign of strong faith, and fervent love, and strong faith and fervent love, if we do● well to the evil, and study to draw them to christ in all that lieth in us. But the poor give us an occasion to exercyce our faith, and the deeds make us feal our faith and certify us and make us sure that we are safe, and are escaped and translated from death unto life, and that we are delivered and redeemed from the captivity and boundage of Satan, and brought in to the liberty of the sons of God in that we feel lust and strength in our heart, to work the will of God. And at that day shall our deeds appear and comfort our hearts, witnese our faith and trust which we now have in Christ, which faith shall then keep us from shame as it is written. None that believeth in him shallbe a shamed Rom. ix. So that good works help our faith, and make us sure in our consciences and make us feal the merci of God. Not withstanding heaven, everlasting life, Io●e eternal, faith the favour of God the spirit of God lust and strength unto the will of God, are given us freely, of the bounteous and pleteous riches of God purchased by Christ, with out our deservings, that no man should rejoice, but in the Lord only.   

FOr a further understanding of this Gospel, may here be made. three questions. What mamonn is, wh● it is called unrighteous, and after what manner Christ biddeth us counterfeit and follow the unjust & wicked steward which with his lords damage provided for his own profit and vantage, which thing no doubt is unrighteous and sign.  
first Mammon is an Hebrew word 
Mammon  and signifieth riches or temporal goods, and namely all superfluity and all that is above necessary that which is not reputed unto our necessari usees, where with a man may help an other, with out vndoinge or hurting himself. For hamon in the Hebrew speech, signifieth a multitude or abundaunce or many  
And therehence cometh mahamon or mammon abundance or plenteousness of goods or riches. Secundarili, it is called unrighteous mammon, not because it is gotten unrighteously or with usury. For of unrighteous gotten goods can no man do good works, but aught to restore them whom again. As it is said Isaias. lxi. I am a God that hateth offering that cometh of robbery. And Salo. pro. iii. sayeth, honour the Lord of thine own good. But therefore is it called unrighteous, because it is in unrighteous use. As Paul speaketh unto the Ephesians. v. how that the days are evil though that God hath made them, and they are a good work of Gods making. How be it they are yet called evil because that evil men use them a miss, and moche sin, occasions of evil, peril of soulis are wrought in them. Even so is riches called evil, because that evil men bestow them amiss & misuse them. For where riches is there goeth it after the comen proverb. He that hath money hath what him listeth. And they cause fighting, stealing, laying a wait, lying, flattering and all unhappiness against a man's neigh bower. For all men hold on riches part  
But singularly before God is it called. unrightuous mammon, because it is not bestowed and ministered unto our neighbours need For if my neighbour need and I give him not, neither depart liberal lie with him, of that which I have: than with hold I from him unrighteously that which is his own. For as much as I am bounden to help him by the law of nature, which is, what soever thou wouldest that another did to the that do thou also to him. And Christ Mathey. v. give to every man that desireth the. And John in his first pistle, if a man have this worlds good & see his brother need, how is the love of God in him? And this unrighteousness in our mammon se vert few men, because it is spiritual, and in those goods which at gotten most truly and justly are men much beguiled For they suppose they do no man wrong in keeping them, in that they got them not with stelinge, robbing, oppression, and usury, neither hurt any man now with them.  
Thirdly many have busied themselves 
Who is the steward  in studying what or who this unrighteous steward is, because that Christ so praiseth him. But shortly and plainly this is the answer. That Christ praiseth not the unrighteous steward, neither setteth him forth to us to counterfeit, because of his unrighteousness but because of his wisdom only in that he with unright so wisely prouldid for himself. As if I would provoke another to pray or study saying. The thieves watch all night to rob and steel: why canst not thou watch to pray and to study? Here praise not I the thief and murderer for there evil doing, but for their wisdom▪ that they so wisely and diligently wait on their unrighteousness. Like wise when I say miss women tire thiem selfes with gold & silk to please their lovers. What wilt not thou garnish thy soul with faith to please Christ? here praise I not whoredom, but the diligence which the whore mysuseth.  
Of this wise Paul also Roma. v. likeneth Adam and Christ together, saying that Adam was a figure of Christ, And yet of Adam have we but pure sin, and of Christ grace only, which are out of measure contrary. But the similitude or likeness standeth in the original birth, and not in the virtue and vice of the birth.  
So that as Adam is father of all sin, so is Christ father of all righteousness. And as all sins springe of Adam: even so all righteous men and women springe of Christ. After the same manner is here the unrightuous steward an ensample unto us in his wisdom and diligence only, in that he provided so wisely for himself, that we with righteousness should be as diligent to provide for our souls, as he with unrighteousness provided for his body Like wise mayst thou soil all other texes which sound as though it were between us and God as it is in the world where the reward is more looked upon, than the labour: yea where men hate the labour and work falsely with the body, and not with the heart and no longer than they are looked upon, that the labour may appear outward only.   

WHen Christ saith Mathe. v. Blessed are ye when they rail on you, & persecute you, and say all manner evil sayings against you, and yet lie, and that for my sake, rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. Thou mayst not imagine that our deeds deserve the Joy and glory that shallbe given unto us. For then (Paul saith Ro. xi.) favour were not favour I can not receive it of favour and of the bounteous goodness of God freely, and by deserving of deeds also. But believe as the Gospel▪ the glad tidings and promises of God say unto the that for Christ's bloods sake only thorough faith, God is at one with the and thou received to mercy and art become the son of God and heir annered with Christ of all the goodness of God the earnest where of is the spirit of god poured in to our hearts. Of which things the deeds are witnesses and certify our consciences that our faith is unfeigned and that the right spirit of God is in us. For if I patiently suffer adversity and tribulation for conscience of God only that is to say, because I know God and testify the truth. Than am I sure that God hath chosen me in Christ and for Christ's sake, and hath put in me his spirit as an earnest of his promises, whose working I feal in mine heart, the deeds bearing witness unto the same. Now is it Christ's blood only that deserved all the promises of God and that which, I suffer and do is partly the curing healing and mortifying of my members and filing of that originally poison, where with I was conceived and borne, that I might be altogether Christ, and partly the doing of my duty to my neighbour, whose detter I am of all that I have received of God, to draw him to Christ with all suffering, with all paciens and even with shedding my blood for him, not as an off ring or merit for his sins, but as an ensampel to provoke him. Christ's blood only putteth away all the sin that ever was, is or shallbe from them that are elect and repent believing the Gospel that is to say gods promises in Christ.   

Again in the same. v. Chap love your enemies, bless than that curse you do well to them that hate you and persecute you, that ye may be the sons of your father which is in heaven. For he maketh his son shine up 'pon evil and on good, and sendeth his ta'en upon Just and unjust. Not that our works make us the sons of God. but testify only and certify our consciences that we are the sons of God and that God hath chosen us and weshed us in Christ's blood, and hath put his spirit in us. And it followeth, if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not the publicans even the same? and if ye shall have favour to your friends only what singular thing do ye? do not the publicans even the same? ye shallbe perfect therefore as your father which is in heaven is perfect. That is to say if that ye do no thing but that the world doth, and they which have the spirit of the world, whereby shall ye know that ye are the sons of God and beloved of God, more than the world? But and if 
The sign of God's favour.  ye conterfecte and follow God in well doing them no doubt it is a sign that the spirit of God is in you and also the favour of God, which is not in the world and that ye are enheretours of all the pro myses of God, and elect unto the fellowship of the blood of Christ.   

Item Math. vi. Take heed to your Alms, that ye do it not in the sight of men to the intent that ye would be seen of them, or else have ye no reward with your father which is in heaven. Neither cause a trumpet to be blown afore the when thou dost thine Alms, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to be glorified of the world. But when thou dost thine Alms let not thy life hand know what thy right hand doth, that thy Alms may be in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward the openly. This putteth us in remembrance of our duty, and showeth what followeth good works, not that works deserve it, but that the reward in leayd up for us in store, and we there unto elect thorough Christ's blood, which the works testify. For if we be worldly minded and do our works as the world doth, how shall we know that God hath chosen us out of the world? But and if we work freely, without all manner world lie respect, to show mercy, and to do our duty to our neighbour, and to be unto him as God is to us, then are we sure that the favour and mercy of God is upon us and that we shall enjoy all the good promises of God thorough Christ which hath made us heirs thereof.  
Item in the same Chap. it followeth. When thou pray'st be not as the hypocrites, which love to stand and pray in the synagogues & in the corners of the streets, for to be seen of men. But when thou prayeste enter in to thy chamber and shut thy door to thee, & preaye to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward the openly. And likewise when we fast (teacheth Christ in the same place) that we should behave ourselves that it appear not unto men how that we fast, but unto our father which is in secret, and our father which seeth in secret shall reward us openly. These. two. texts do but declare what followeth good, for eternal life cometh not by the deseriunge of works but is (saith Paul in the. vi. to the romans) the gift of God thorough jesus Christ. Neither do our works justify us. For except we were justified by faith which is our righteousness 
Without we be justified we can not work freely.  and had the spirit of God in us to teach us, we could do no good work freely without respect of some profit, other in this world or in the world to come, neither could we have spiritual joy in our hearts in time of afflicition and mortyfyinge of the flesh.  
Good works are called the fruits of the 
Good works are called the fruit of the spirit and right wysnes.  spirit, Galt. v. Cham for the spirit worketh them in us, and some time fruits of right tuousnes, as in the second epistle to the Corhinthians. ix. Chapter▪ before all works therefore we must have a righteousness within in the heart, the mother of all works, and from whence they springe.  
The righteousness of the scribes and 
What is the righteousness of scribes▪ and Pharisees.  Pharisees, and of them that have the spirit of this world, is the glorious show and outward shining of works. And Christ saith to us Mat. v. except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye can not enter in to the kingdom of heaven. It is righteousness in the world, if a man kill not. But a Christian perceiveth righteousness if he love his enemy, even when he suffeth persecution and forment of him, and the pains of death, and mourneth more for his adversaries blindness than for his own pain, and prayeth God to open his eyes and to forgive him his sins, as did▪ Steven in the Acts of the Apostles the. seven. Chap. and Christ Luc. xxiii.  
A christian considereth himself in the law of God, and there putteth of him all manner righteousness. For the law suffereth no merits no deservings, no righteousness, neither any man to be justified in the sight of God. The law is spiritual 
The law must be fulfilled spiritually and with obedience as Christ, hath done  and requireth the heart and commandments to be fullfillyd with such love and obedience as was in Christ. If any fulfil all that is the will of god with such love and obedience, the same may be bold to sell pardons of his merits, and else not.  
A Christian therefore (when he beholdeth himself in the law) putteth of all manner righteousness, deseruevinges and merits and meekly & unfeignedly knoweledgeth his sin and misery, his captivity and bondage in the flesh, his trespass and guilt, and is there by blessed with the poor in spirit Math. v. Cham Then he mourneth in his heart, be cause he is in such bondage that he can not do the will of God, and is an hungered and a thrust after righteousness. For righteousness (I mean) which springeth out of Christ's 
A christian when he prayeth abideth & sticketh  blood, for strength to do the will of God. And turneth himself to the promises of God, and desireth him for his great mercy and truth, and for the blood of his son Christ to fulfil his promises, and to give him strength. And thus his 
fast to God's promises.  spirit ever prayeth within him. He fasteth also not one day for a week, or a lente for and whole year, but professeth in his heart a perpetual sobre●es, to tame the flesh & to subdue the body to the spirit, until he wax stronnge in the spirit, and grow ripe in to a full righteousness after the fullness of Christ.  
And because this fullness happeneth not till the body be slain by death, a Christian is ever a sinner in the law, and therefore fasteth and prayeth to God in the spirit, the world seeing it not. Yet in the promises he is ever righteous, thorough faith in Christ and is sure that he is heir of all god's promises, the spirit which he hath received in exnest, bearing him witness, his heart also and his deeds testifiinge the same. Mark this then. To see in wardlye that the law of God is so spiritual, that no flesh can fulfil it. And then for to morn and sorrow and to desire, ye to hunger & thirst after strength to do the will of God from the ground of the heart, and (not withstanding all the soutelty of the devils, weakness and feebleness of the flesh, and wondringe of the world) to cleave yet to the promises of god and to believe that for Christ's blood sake thou art received to the inheritance of eternal life, is a wonderful thing, and a thing that the world knoweth not of: but who so ever fealeth that (thought he fall a thousand times and is sure that the mercy of God is upon him.  
If ye forgive other men their trespasses, your heavenly father shall forgive you yours, Math. in the. vi. Chapt. If I forgive, God shall forgive me, not for my deeds sake, but for his promises sake for his mercy and truth, & for the blood of his son Christ our Lord. And my forgiving certifieth my spirit that God shall forgive me, ye that he hath forgiven me all ready For if I consent to the will 
By consenting unto the will of God & knowledging our fault meekly we be assured of the spirit of God.  of God in my heart, thought thorough infirmity and wekeanes I can not do the will of god at all times, more over though I can not do the will of God so purely as the law requireth it of me, yet if I see my fault and meekly knowledge m● sin we●inge in mine heart because I can not do the will of God, & thrust after strength, I am sure that the spirit of God is in me and his favour upon me. For the world lusteth not to do the will of God, neither sorroweth because he can not, though he sorrow some time for fear of the pain that he believeth shall follow. He that 
Wherefore the believing forgiveth  hath the spirit of this world can not forgive with out a mends making or agreater vantage, If I forgive now how cometh it? verily because I feal the mercy of God in me. For as a man fealeth God to himself, so is he to his neighbour I know by mine one experience that all flesh is in bondage under sin and can not but sin, therefore am I mere cyfull and desire God to loose the bonds of sin even in mine enemy.   

GAther not treasure together in etc. Math. vi But gather you treasure in heaven etc. Let not your hearts be glued to world lie things study not to heap treasure upon treasure and riches upon riches, but study to bestow well that which is gotten all ready, and let your abundance succore the lack and need of the poor which 
with that which aboundeth of ●ure necessary food ought 〈◊〉 to sustain the needy.  have not▪ Have an eye to good works, which if ye have lust and also power to do them, then are ye sure that the spirit of God is in you▪ and ye in Christ elect to the reward of eternal life which followeth good works.  
But look that thine, eye be single and rob not Christ of his honour ascribe not that to the deserving of thy works which is given the freely by the merits of his blood. In Christ we are sons In Christ we are heirs. In Christ God chose us and elected us before the beginning of the world, created anew by the word of the Gospel, and put his spirit in us, for because we should do good works. A Christian man worketh because it is the will of his father only. If we do no good work nor be merciful, how is our lust therein? If we have no lust to do good works, how is god's spirit in us? If the spirit of God be not in us, how are we his sons? How are we his heirs, and heirs annexed with Christ of the eternal life which is promised to all them that believe in him? Now do our works testify and witness what we are, & what treasure is lead up for us in heaven, so that our eye be single and look upon the commandment with out respect of any thing, save because it is God's will, and that God desireth it of us, and Christ hath deserved that w● do it.  
Math. seven Not all they that say unto 
Not only to speak of the Gospel is accepted before God but to live after the Gospel.  me Lord, Lord, shall enter in to the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven. Though thou canst laud God with thy lips, and call Christ Lord, and canst babble and talk of the scripture, and knowest all the stories of the bible. Yet shalt thou there by never know thine election or whether thy faith be right. But and if thou feal lust in thine heart to the will of God, and bringest forth the fruits thereof, then hast thou confidence and hope, and thy deeds and also the spirit whence thy deeds spring certify thine heart that thou shalt enter, yea art all ready entered in to the kingdom of heaven. For it followeth, he that heareth the word and doth it, bildeth his house upon a rock, and no tempest of temptations can over thorough it. For the spirit of God is in his heart and come fort him, and holdeth him fast to the rock of the merits of Christ's blood▪ in whom he is elect. Nothing is able to pluck him out of the hands of God, God is stronger than all things. And contrary wise he that heareth the word and doth it not, buildeth on sand of his own imagination and every tempest over throweth his byldinge. The cause is, he hath not God's spirit in him, and therefore under standeth it not a right neither worketh a right. For no man knoweth the things of God (sayeth Paul in the i pistle to the Corinthyans' in the second Chap (save the spirit of God: as no man knoweth what is a man, but a man's spirit which 
Where the spirit of God is not, there can not a man work according to Gods will.  is in him. So than if the spirit be not in a man, he worketh not the will of God neither understandeth it though he babble never so much of the scriptures. Nevertheless such a man may work after his own imagination, but Gods will can he not work, he may offer sacrifice, but to do mercy knoweth he not. It is easy to say unto Christ Lord, Lord: but thereby shalt thou never feal or be sure of the kingdom of heaven. But and if thou do the will of God than art thou sure that Christ is thy lord in dead, and that thou in him art also a lord, in that thou feelest thyself loosed and fere from the bondage of sin, and lusty and of power to do the will of God. Where the spirit is there is feeling. For the spirit maketh us feal all things. Where the sprite is not there is no feeling, but a vain opinion or imagination. A physician serveth but for sick men, and that for such sick men as feal their sekenese & morn therefore, and long for health. Christ like wise serveth but for such sinners only as feal their sin and that for such sinners, as sorrow and morn in their hearts for health Health is power or strength to fulfil 
What health is to say.  the law or to keep the commandments. Now he that longeth for that health that is to say, for to do the law of God is blessed in Christ, and hath a promise that his lust shallbe fulfilled and that he shallbe made hole. Math. v blessed are they which hunger & thirst for righteousness sake (that is to fulfil the law) for their lust shallbe fulfilled.  
This longing and consent of the heart unto the law of God, is the working of the spirit which God hath poured in to thine heart in earnest that thou myghtyst be sure that God will fulfil all his promises that he hath made the. It is also the seal and mark which God putteth on all men that he chooseth unto everlasting life. So long as thou seest thy sin and mornest, and consentest to the law and longest (though thou be never so weak) yet the spirit shall keep the in all temptations from desperation and certify thine heart, that God for his troth, shall deliver the and save thee, yea and by thy good deeds shalt thou be saved not which thou hast done, but which Christ hath done for the. For Christ is thine, and all his deeds are thy deeds. Christ is in the 
Christ's merits are ours  and thou in him knit together insepara bly. Neither canst thou be damned except Christ be damned with the. Neither can Christ be saved except thou be saved with him. More over thy heart is good, right, holy and just. For thy heart is no enemy to the law but a friend and a lover. The law and thy heart are agreed and at one, and therefore is God at one with the. The consent of the heart unto the law, is unite and peace between God and man. For he is not mine enemy which would fain do me pleasure and mourneth be cause he hath not where with. Now he that opened thy disease unto the and made the long for health, shall as he hath promised heal thee, and he that hath loesed thy heart shall at his Godly pleasure, loese thy man bres▪ He that hath not the spirit hath no feeling, neither lusteth or longeth after power to fulfil the law, neither abhorteth the pleasures of sin, neither hath any man more certainty of the promises of God, than I have of a tale of Robin hood, or of some jest that a man telleth me was done at Rome Another man may lightly make me doubt or believe the contrary, seeing I have no experience there of myself. So is it of them that feal not the working of the spirit, and therefore in time of temptation the buildings of their imaginations fall.   

MAthei. x. He that receiveth a pro phete in the name of a prophet, that is because he is a prophet shall receive the reward of a prophet and he that giveth one of thes li●leons a cup of cold water to drink, in the name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward. Note this, that a prophet singnifieth as well him that interpreteth the hard places of scripture, as him that pro phisies things to come. Now he that receiveth a prophet, a just man, or a disciple, shall have the same or like reward, thatto say, shall have the same eternal life, which is appointed for them in Chri stes blood and merits. For except thou were elect to the same eternal life, and hadst the same faith and trust in God, and the same spirit, thou cowldest never consent to their deeds and help them. 
No man can consent to the deeds of the law except he be chosen.   
But thy deeds testify what thou art and certify thy conscience that thou art received to mercy, & santyfied in Christ's passions and sufferings, and shalt here after with all them that follow God, receive the reward of eternal life▪ Of thy words thou shalt be justified and of thy words thou shalt be condemned.  
Math. xii. That is thy words as well as other deeds shall testify with the or against the at the day of judgement. Many there are which abstain from the utte ward deeds of fornication and adulteri, never the lass rejoice to talk there of and laugh, their words and laughter testify against them, that their heart is unpur, and they Adulterers and fornicators in the sight of God. The tongue & other signs oft times utter the malice of the heart though a man for many causes abstain his hand, from the outward dead or act.   

IF thou wilt enter in to life keep the commandments Ma●hei. nineteen. first remember that when God commandeth us to do any thing, he doth it not therefore, because that we of ourselves are able to do that he come maundeth, but that by the law we might see and know our horrible damnation and captivity under sin and should repent and come to Christ, & receive mercy and the scripture of God to loose us, strength us & to make us able to do gods will which is the law. Now when he sayeth if thou wilt enter in to life keep the 
Except a man have the spirit of life it is impossible for him to keep the commandments.  conmaundementes, is as much to say, as he that keepeth the commandments is intred in to life, for except a man have first the spirit of life in him by Christ's pourcheasinge, it is impossible for him to keep the commandments, or that his heart should be lose or at liberty to lust after them▪ for of nature we are enemies to the law of God. As touching that Christ saith after ward if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell thy substance and give it to 
The greatest perfection.  the poor he saith it not as who should say that there were any greater perfection then to keep the law of God (for that is all perfection) but to show the other his blindness which saw ●not that the law is spiritual and requireth the heart. But because he was not knowing that he had hurt any man with the outward dead, he supposed that he loved his neighbour as himself. But when he was bade to show the deeds of love, and give of his abundance to them that needed, he departed morning. Which is an evident token that he loved not his neighbour as well as himself. For if he had need himself, it would not have grieved him to have received succour of an other man. Moreduer he saw not▪ that it was morder and theft that a man should have obondaunce of riches lying by him and not succour his neiboures' need. God hath given one man riches to help an other at need. If thy neighbour need and thou help him not being able thou with holdist his duty from him and art a thief before God.  
That also that Christ saith, how that 
He that with draweth from his negboure the which is his can not come to heaven.  it is harder for a rich man (which loveth his riches so that he can not find in his heart liberally and freely to help the poor and needy) to enter in to the kingdom of heaven, than a camel to go thorough the eye of an needle, declareth that he was not intred in to the kingdom of heaven, that is to say, eternal life. But he that keepeth the commandments is intred in to life, yea hath life and the spirit of life in him.   

THis kind of devils goth not out but by prayer & fasting. Math. xxvii. Not that the devil is cast out by merits of fasting or praying. For he sayeth before that for there unbelefes' sake they could not cast him out. It is faith no doubt that casteth out the devils and faith it is that fasteth and prayeth. Faith hath the promises of 
Faith casteth out devils and doth such like miracles.  God where unto she cleaveth, and in all things thirsteth the honour of god She fasteth subdueth the body unto the spirit that the prayer be not let, and that the spirit may quietly talk with God: she also when so ever opportunity is given prayeth god to fulfil his promises unto his praise and glory. And God which is merciful in promising and true to fulfil ' them, casteth out the devils & doth all that faith desireth and satisfieth her thirst.   

COme ye blessed of my father, enherete the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was a thirst and ye gave me drink. etc. Mat. xxv. Not that a man with works deserveth eternal life as a work man or labourer his hire or 
The kingdom of heaven is prepared for the faithful▪ ergo their works do not deserve it.  wages. Thou readest in the text that the kingdom was prepared for us from the beginnge of the world. And we are blessed and sanctified. In Christ's blood are we blessed from that bitter cruse and damnable captivity under sin, where in we were borne and conceived. And Christ's spirit is poured into us, to bring forth good works, and our works are the fruits of the spirit, and the kingdom is the deserving of Christ's blood, and so is faith and the spirit and good also. Not withstanding the kingdom followeth good works, & good works testify that we are heirs thereof, and at the day of judgement shall they testify for the elect unto their comforth and glory, And to the confusion of the vngod●ie unbelieving & faithless sinners, which had not trust in the word of God's promises nor lust to the will of God: but were carried of the spirit of their father the devil unto all ab homination, to work wickedness with all lust delectation and greediness.   

MAny sins are forgiven her for she loveth moche Lu. seven. Not that love was cause of forgiveness of sins. But contrarywise wise the forgiveness of sins caused love, as it followeth, to whom less was forgiven, the same loveth less. And afore he commended the judgement of Simon, which answered that he loveth most to whom moste was forgiven: and also said at the last, thy faith hath saved the or made the safe, 
As long as we see the law we can not love Christ but when we see the gospel, then rejoice we.  go in peace. We can not love except we see some benefit and kindness. As long as we look on the law of god only where we see but sin and damnation and the wrath of God upon us, yea where we were damned afore we were borne, we can not love God: No we can not but hate him as a ryrante unrightuous and unjust, and i'll from him as did Cayn. But when the Gospel that glad tidings and io●full promises are preached how that in Christ God loveth us first, forgiveth us, and hath mercy on us, then love we again and the deeds of our love declare our faith. This is the manner of speaking, As we say. Summer is nigh, for the trees blossom. Now is the blossom 
An example for declaration of inward deeds  of the trees not the cause that summer draweth nigh, but the drawing nigh of summer cause of the blosomes, and the blosomes put us in remembrance that summer is at hand. So Christ here teacheth Simon by the ferventness of love in the outward deeds to see a strong faith within whence so great love springeth. As the manet is to say do your charity, show your charity, do a dead of charity, show your mercy do a dead of mercy, meaning there by, that our deeds declare how we love our neighbours and how much we have compastion on them at there need.  
More over it is not possible to love except we see a cause. Except we see in our hearts the love and kindness of God to us ward in Christ our Lord, it is not possible to love God a right.  
We say also he that loveth not my dog loveth not me. Not that a man should love my dog first. But if a man loved me the 
An example of love to ward our neighbour  love where with he loveth me, would compel him to love my dog, though the dog deserved it not, ye though the dog had done him a displeasure. Yet if he loved me, the same love would refrain him from venging himself, and cause him to tefet the vengeance unto me. Such speakings find we in scripture. John in the iiii. of his first Epistle saith, he that saith. I love God, and yet hateth his brother is a liar. For how can he that loveth not his brother whom he saith, love God whom he saith not? This is not spoken that a man should first love his brother and then God, but as it followeth.  
For this commandment have we of him, that he which loveth God should love his brother also. To love my neighbour is the commandment, which commandment he that loveth not, loveth not God. The keeping of the commandment 
The keeping of the commandment declareth outr love toward God.  declareth what love I have to God. If I loved God purely, no thing that my neighbour could do were able to make me neither to hate him either to take vengeance on him myself, seeing that God hath commanded me to love him, and to remit all vengeance unto him. Mark now how much I love the commandment, so much I love God how much I love God, so much believe I that he is merciful, kind and good, yea and a father unto me for Christ's sake, how much I believe that God is merciful unto me, and that he will for Christ's sake fulfil all his yromyses unto me: so much I see my sins, so moche do my sins grieve me, so moche do I repent and sorrow we that I sin, so moche displeaseth me that poison that moveth me to sin, and so great lie desire I to be healed. So now by the 
A goodly order of perfecti on.  natural order first I see my sin. Then I repent and sorrow. Then believe. I God's promises, that he is merciful unto me and forgiveth me, and will heal me at the last: then love I and then I prepare myself to the commandment.   

THis do and thou shalt live Luc. x. that is to say, love thy Lord God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, & with all thy strength and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour 
If we do but lust it is a sign that the spirit is in us.  as thyself. As who should say, if thou do this, or though thou canst not do it, yet if thou feelest lust there unto, and thy spirit sigheth mourneth, and longeth after strength to do it, take a sign and evident token thereby that the spirit of life is in thee, and that thou art elect to life everlasting by Christ's blood, whose gift and purchase is thy faith and that spirit that worketh the will of God in thee, whose gift also are thy deeds or rather the deeds of the spirit of Christ and not thine, and whose gift is the reward of eternal life which followeth good works.  
It followeth also in the same place of Luc. When he should departed, he pluked out. two. pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him Take the charge or cure of him, and what so ever thou spen dost more I will recompense it the at my coming again. Remember this is a parable, and a parable may not be expounded 
A parable can not be ex pouned in all po●●tes but the sē●● only.  word by word. But the intent of the similitude must be sought out only in the whole parable. The intent of the similitude is to show to whom a man is a neighbour or who is a man's neighbour (which is both one) and what it is to love a man's neighbour as himself. The Samaritane holp him and showed mercy as long as he was present, and he left his mony● behind him. And if that were not sufficient, he left his credens to make good the rest, and forsook him not, as long as the other had need Then said Christ go thou and do like wise, that is, without difference or respection of persons who so ever needeth thy help, him count thy neighbour, and his neighbour be thou and show mercy on him as long as he needeth thy soccour, & that is to love a man's neighbour as himself. Neighbour is a 
What neighbour signifieth.  word of love and signifieth that a man should be ever nigh and at hand and ready to help in time of need-  
They that will interpret parables word for word fall in to straits oft times, whence they can not rid themselves. And preach lies in stead of the truth. As do they which interpret by the two pence the old testament and the new, and by that which is bestowed, Opera supererogationis. How be it superarogancia were a meeter term. That is to say, deeds which are more than the law requireth, deeds of perfection and of liberality which a man is not bound to do, but of his free-will. And for them he shall have an higher place in heaven, and may give to other of his merits: or of which the pope after his death may give pardons f●ome the pains of purgatory.  
Against which exposition then I answer. 
There is no greater perfection than the law.  first a greater perfection then to love God and his will, which is the commandments, with all thine heart, with all thy mind, is there none. And to love a man's neiboure as himself, is like the same. It is a wonderful love where with a man loveth himself. As glad as I would be to receive pardon of mine own life (if I had deserved death) so glad ought I to be to defend my neighbours' life with out respect of my life, or of my good. A man aught neither to spare his goods nor yet himself for his brother's sake, after the ensampel of Christ, i. john. iii. Here in sayeth be, perceive we love, in that he (that is to say Christ) gave his life for us. We ought therefore to bestow our lives for the brethren Now saith Christ Ioha●. xv. there is no greater love than that a man bestow his life for his friend. More over no man can fulfil the law. For (John saith. i. Chapter of the 
No man fullfylleth the law.  said epistle) if we say, we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and true this not in us. If we knowledge our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins. Now if we be all sinners, none fulfyleth the law. For he that fulfileth the law is no sinner. In the law may neither Peter nor Paul ner any other creature save Christ only rejoice. In the blood of Christ which fulfilled the law for us may every parson that repenteth believeth, loveth the law and mourneth for strength to fulfil it, rejoice, be he never so weak a sinner. The two pence therefore and the credens that he 
What the two pence be ●oken.  left behind him, to bestow more if need were, signifith that he was every where merciful, both present and absent, with out feigning, cloaking, complaining, or excusing and forsook not his neighbour as long as he had need. Which example I pray God men may follow and let, opera superrogationis alone.   

Marry hath chosen a good part which shall not be taken from 
What the part was that mary had chosen.  her. Lucc. x. She was first chosen of God and called by grace both to know her sin, & also to hear, the word of faith health & gladtidiges of mercy in Christ and faith was given her to believe and the spirit of God loosed her heart from the boundage of sin.  
Then consented she to the will of God again, and again, and a 'bove all things had delectation to hear that word wherein she had obtained everlasting health, and namely of his mouth which had purchased so grate mercy for her God chooseth us first and loved us first and optneth our eyes to see his exceeding abundant love to us in Christ, and then love we again and accept his will above all things, and serve him that office where unto he hath chosen us.  
Selle that ye have and give alms. And make you bags which wax not old, and treasure which faileth not, in heaven Lu. xii. This and such like are not spoken that we should work as hirelings in respect of reward, and as though we should obtain heaven with merit. For he saith a little afore, fear not little flock for it is your father's pleasure to give you a kingdom. The kingdom cometh then of the good will of almighty God thorough Christ. And such things are 
Scripture speaketh to us dine's ways.  spoken partly to put us in remembrance of our duty to be kind again. As is that saying let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and gloryefye your father which is in heaven. As who should say, if God have given you so great gifts be not unthankful, but bestow them unto his praise.  
Some things are spoken to move us to put our trust in God, as are thes. Behold the birds of the air. If your children ask you bred will ye proffer them a stoon? and many souch like. Some are spoken to put us in remembrance to be sober, to whatche and pray, and to prepare ourselves against temptations, and that we should understand and know, how that tentations and occasion of evil come then most, when they are lest looked for: lest we should be careless and sure of ourselves, negligent, and unprepared. Some things are spoken, that we should fear the wonderful and incompre hē●ible judgements of God lest we should presume. Some to comfort us that we despair not. And for like causes are all the ensamples of the old testament▪ In conclusion the scripture speaketh many things 
where the spirit is not there is no understan ding of scripture.  as the world speaketh. But they may not be worldly understand, but ghostly and spiritually, yea the spirit of God only understandeth them, and where he is not there is not the understanding of the scripture. But unfruitful disputing and brawling about words.  
The scripture saith, God seeth, God heareth, God smelleth, God walketh, God is with them, God is not with them, God is angry, God is pleased, God sendeth his spirit, God taketh his spirit a way, and a thousand such like. And yet is none of them true after the worldly manor and as the words sown. Reed the second Chapter of Paul to the Corinthi ans, the natural man understandeth not the things of God, but the spirit of god only and we (saith he) have received the spirit which is of God, to understand the things which are given us of God.  
For without the spirit it is inpossible 
It is impossible to understand the scripture without the spirit of God.  to understand them. Reed also the. viii. to the Romans They that are led with the spirit of God, are the sons of God. Now the son knoweth his father's wil● and the servant not He that hath not the spirit of Christ (saith Paul) is none of his. Likewise he that hath not the spirit of God is none of Gods, for it is both one spirit, as thou mayst see the same place. Now he that is of God heareth the word of God Io. viii. & who is of God but he that hath the spirit of God. For their more, saith he ye here it not, because ye are not of God, that is, ye have no lust in the word of God, for ye understand it not, and that because his spirit is not in you. For as much then as the scripture is no thing else but that which the spirit of God hath spoken by the Prophets and apostles, and can not be understand 
Pray the spirit to leuse you from your natural blindness and to give you understan ding of spiritual things.  but of the same spirit: Let every man pray to God to send him his spirit to lose us from our natural blindness and ignorance, and to give us understanding and feeling of the things of God and of the speaking of the spirit of God And mark this process. First we are damned of nature, so conceived and borne, as a serpent is a serpent, and a toad a toad 
Mark the or dre of God's works.  & a snake a snake by nature. And as thou seest a young child (which hath pleasure in many things wherein is present death, as in fire, water and so forth) would sle● himself with a thousand deaths, if he were not waited upon and kept therfroe. Even so we, if we should live this thousand years could in all that time delight in no other thing nor yet seek any other thing, but that where in is death of the soul.  
Secondarily of the hole multitude of the nature of man, whom God hath elect and chosen and to whom he hath appointed mercy and grace in Christ, to them sendeth he his spirit, which openeth their eyes, showeth them, their meserye, and bringeth them unto the knowledge of themselves, so that they hate and abhor themselves, are astonied and amazed and at their wits ends, neither wot what to do or where to seek health. Then le●t they should ●●ie from God by despetation, he comforteth them again with his sweet promises in Christ and certifieth there hearts that for Christ's sake they are received to mercy & their sins for given and they elect and made the sons of God and heirs with Christ of eternal life: and this thorough faith are they set at peace with God.  
Now may not we are why God chooseth one and not another, other think that God is unjust to dam us afore we do any actual dead, seeing that god hath power over all his creatures of right, to do with them what he list or to make of every one of them as he listeth. Our darkness can not perceive his light. God willbe feared & not have his secret judgements known. More over we by the light of faith see a thousand things which are impossible to an infidle to se. So like wise no doubt in the light of the clear vision of God we shall see things which now God will not have known For pride ever accompanieth high knowledge but grace accompanieth meekness. Let us therefore give diligence rather to do the will of God, then to search his secrettes which are not profitable for us to know.  
When we are thus reconciled to God, made the friends of God and heirs of 
He that is reconciled to God  eternal life, the spirit that god hath powered in to us testifieth that we may not 
must not live after the old lusts of iogno rance.  live after our old deeds of ignorance.  
For how is it possible, that we should repent and abhor them, and yet have lust to live in them. We are sure therefore that God hath created and made us new in Christ, and put his spirit in us that we should live a new life, which is the life of good works.  
That thou mayst know what are good works, or what works are good and the end and intent of good works, or wherefore good works serve, mark this that followeth.  
The life of a Christian man is inward between him and God, and properly is the consent of▪ the spirit to the will of God, and to the honour of god. And gods 
Good works.  honour is the final end of all good works. Good works all things that are done with in the laws of God, in which God is honoured and for which thanks are given to God. 
Fasting   
fasting is to abstain from surfeiting or over much ca●inge, from drunkenness and care of the world (as thou mayst reed Lu. xxi.) and the end of fasting is to tame the body, that the spirit may have a free course to God, and may quietly talk with God. For over much eating and drinking and care of worldly business persse down the spirit, choeke her and tangle her that she can not lift up her self to God. Now he that fasteth for any 
The cause of fasting.  other intent, than to subdue the body, that the spirit may wait on God, and freely exercise her self in the things of God: the same is blind and woteth not what he doth, erreth & shooteth at a wrong mark, and his intent and imagination is abominable in the sight of God. When thou fastest from meat and drinkest all day, is that a Christian fast? either to eat at one meal that were sufficient for four.  
A man at four times may bear that he can not at ones. Some fast from meat and drink, and yet so tangle themselves in worldly business that they can not once think on God. Some abstain from butter, some from eggs, some from all manner wit meat, some this day, some that day, some in the honour of this saint, some of that, and every man for a sondr● purpose. Some for the toothache, some for the head ache, for fevers, pestilence, for sudden death, for hanging, drounding, and to be delivered from the pains of hell. Some are so mad that they fast one of the thursdays between▪ the two saint mary days in the worship of that saint whose day is hallowed betwne cristemmas and candelmas, and that to be delivered from the pestilence. All those men fast without conscience of God, and without knowledge of the true intent of fasting, and do no other than honour saints as the gentles and heathen worshipped, their idols, and are drowned in blindness and know not of the testament that God hath made to manward in Christ's blood. In God have they neither hope nor confidence, neither believe his promises neither know his will, but are yet in captivity under they prince of the darkness.   

Watch is not only to abstain from sleep, but also to be circumspect 
What watch signifieth  and to cast all peerless: as a man should watch a tour or a castle. We must remember that the snares of the devil are infinite and innumerable, and that every moment 
In all tentation we must call upon God.  arise new temptations and that in all places meet us fresh occasions. Against which we must prepare ourselves, and turn to God, and complain to him, and make our moan, and desire him of his mercy to be our shield, our tour, our castle and defence from all evil, to put his strength in us (for why thouwill him we can do nought) and above all things we must call to mind what promises God hath made, & what he hath sworn that he will do to us for Christ's sake, and with strong faith cleave unto them, and desire him of his mercy and for the love that he hath to Christ, & for his truths sake to fulfil his promises. If we thus cleave to God with strong faith, and be leave his wores: then (as saith Paul i. corinth. x.) God is faithful, that he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able or above our might that is to say, if we cleave to his promises and not to our fantasies and imaginations, he will put might and power in to us, that shall be stronger than all the tentation which he shall suffer to be against us.   

PRayer is amorninge a longing and a desire of the spirit to god 
What prayer is.  ward for that which she lacketh as a sick mourneth and sorroweth in his heart longing for health. faith ever prayeth. For after that by faith we are reconciled to God and have received mercy and forgiveness of God the spirit longeth and trusteth for strengeth to do the will of God, and that God may be honoured, his name halowede, and his 
The conditions and properties of prayer.  pleasure and will fulfilles. The spirit waiteth and watcheth on the will of god and ever hath her own fragility & weakness before her eyes, and when she seeth tentation and peril draw nigh, she turneth to God & to the testament that God hath made to all that believe and trust in Christ's blood and desireth God for his mercy, truth and for the love he hath to Christ, that he will fulfil his promise, that he shall soccur and help and give us strength, and that he will sanctify his name in us and fulfil his godly will in us, and that he will not look on our sin and iniq●ite, but on his mercy, on his truth, and on the love that he oweth to his son Christ and for his sake to keep us from tentation, that we be not overcome and that he deliver us from evil, and what so ever moveth us contrary to his Godly will. More over of his own experience 
Let the same mind be in yond that was in Ie so Christ which. etc.  he fealeth other men's need, and no less commendeth to God the infirmities of other than his own knowing that there is no strength, no help, no succure but of God only. And as merciful as he fealeth god in his heart to himself ward so merciful is he to other, and as greatly as he fealeth his own miseri, so grate compassion hath he on other. His neighbours is no less care to him then himself. He fealeth his neighbours grief no less than his own. And when so ever he seeth occa sion he can not but pray for his neighbour as well as for himself: his nature is to seek the honour of god in all men, and to draw (as much as in him is) all men unto God  
This is the law of love which springeth out of Christ's blood in to the hearts of all them that have their trust in him. No man needeth to bid a christian man to pray if he see his neighbours need: if he see it not put him in remembrance only, and then he can not but do his duty.  
Now as toutching that we desire one a 
One to pray for au other.  neither to pray for us, that do we to put our neighbour in remembrance of his duty and not that we trust in his holiness. Our trust is in God, in Christ and in the truth of god's promises, we have also a promise that when ii or▪ iii. or more agree together in any thing according to the will of God, God heareth us. Not withstanding as God heareth many: so heareth he few, ●nd so heareth he one, if he pray after the will of god and desire the honour of God. He that desireth mercy, the same fealeth his ow●e misery, and sin and mourneth in his heart for to be delivered, that he might honour God and God for his truth must hear him, which saith by the mouth of christ Mat. v. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shallbe fulfyllled. God for his truths sake must put the righteousness of Christ in him and 
In what hour the sinner sigheth I shall hear him.  wash his unrighteousness away in the blood of Christ. And be the sinner never so week, never so feeble and frail, sign he never so oft & so arevousli, yet so long as this lust desire and morning to be delivered remaineth in him, God seeth not his sins, reckoneth them not, for his truths sake and love to Christ. He is not a sinner in the sight of God, the would be no sinner. He that would be del●uered hath his heart loose already. His heart sinneth not, but mourneth repenteth, and consenteth unto the law and will of God and iustifith God, that is, beareth record that God which made the law is righteous and iustc. And such an heart trusting in Christ's blood, is accepted for full righteous. And his weakness, infirmity and frailty is pardoned and his sins not lokede upon: until God put more strength in him and fulfil his lust.  
When the weak in the faith and unexpert in the misterites of Christ desire us to pray for them, then ought we to lead then to the truth and promises of God, and teach them to put their trust in the promises of God, in the love that God hath 
The love of God to ch●●ste is inf●●t.  to Christ and to us for his sake, and to strength their week consciences, show and proving by the scripture, that as long as they follow the spirit & resist sin it is impossible they should fall so deep that God shall not pull them up again, if they hold fast by the anchor of faith having trust and confidence in Christ. The love that God hath to Christ is infinite, and Christ did and suffered all things, not for himself, to obtain favouer or aught else: for he had ever the full favour of God and was ever Lord over all things, but to reconsile us to God and to make us heirs with him of his father's kingdom. And God hath promised, that whosoever calleth on his name shall never be confunded or a shamed Ro. two, If the ryghtwis fall (saith the scripture) he shall not be broised, the Lord shall put his hand under him.  
Who is righteous but he that trusteth in Christ's blood, be he never so weak? 
Who is righteous.  Christ is our righteousness and in him ought we to teach all men to trust, and to expound unto all men the testament that God hath made to us sinners in Christ's blood. This aught we to do and not make a pray of them to lead them captive, to sit in their consciences and to teach them to trust in our holiness, good deeds and prayers, to the intent that we would feed our idle and slow belies of their great labour and sweat, and so to make ourselves Christ's & saviours.  
For if I take on me to save other by mi merits, make I not myself a Christ and a saviour, and am in dead a false prophet and a true antichrist, and exalt myself and sit in the temple of God, that is to wit the consciences of men? A 'mong Christian men love maketh all things 
Love maketh all things common.  commune: every man is others debtor and every man is bonunde minister to his neigh bower, and to supply his neighbours lack, of that where with God hath endued him. As thou seest in the world how the Lords and officers minister peace in the common wealth, punish murderers, thieves and evil doers, and to maintain there order and estate do the communes minister to them again rend, tribute, tolle and custom So in the Gospel the curates which in every parish preach the Gospel ought of duty to receive an honest living for them and their how sholdes and even so ought the other officers which are necessarily reputed in the common wealth of Christ. We need not to use filthy lucre in the Gospel, 
He that serveth the aultare oug hte to live of the aultare also  to chop and change and to play the tavernars, altering the word of God, as they do their wines to their most a vantage, and to fashion God's word after every man's mouth, or to abse the name of Christ to obtain thereby authority & power, to feed our slow bealies. Now seest thou what prayer is, the end thereof, and wherefore it serveth,  
If thou give me a thousand pound to pray for the I am no more bound than I was before. Man's imagination can 
Temporal reward neither augment thee▪ nor miny sheath Charity.  make the commandment of God neither greater nor smaller neither can it either add to the law of God or minish. ● God's commandment is as grater as himself. I am bound to love the Turk with all my might and power, yea and above my power even from the ground of my heart, after the ensample that Christ loved me, neither to spare god des, body or life to win him to Christ. And what can I do more for the if thou gavest me all the world? Where I see need there can I not but pray if Gods spirit be in me.  
Alms is a greek word and signifieth mercy One Christian is debtor to another at his need of all that he is able to do for him until his need be sufficed. E very Christian man ought to have Christ all ways before his eyes, as an ensample to counterfeit and follow, and to do to his neighbour as Christ hath done to him as Paul teacheth in all his epistles and Peter in his first and john in his first 
The order of Paul in setting forth of Christ.  also. This order useth Paul in all his epistles. first he preacheth the law and proveth that the whole nature of man is damned in that the heart lusteth contrary to the will of God.  
For if we were of God, no doubt we should have lust in his will. Then preacheth he Christ, the Gospel the promises, and the mercy that God hath set forth to all men in Christ's blood. Which they that believe and take for an erueste thing, turn themselves to God, begining to love God again, and to prepare themselves to his will by the working of the spirit of God in them. Last of all exhorteth he to unite, peace & soberness, to a void brawlings, sects, opinions, disputing and arguing a bout words, & to walk in the plain and single faith and feeling of the spirit, and to love one an other after the ensample of Christ, even as Christ loved us and to be thankful, and to walk worthy of the Gospel and as it ●e cometh Christ and with the ensampel of pure living to draw all to Christ.  
Christ is Lord over all, and every christian is heir amnered with Christ and therefore Lord of all, and every one lord of what soever another hath.  
If thy brother or neighbour therefore 
By what reason all thing is commune.  need & thou have to help him and yet showest not mercy but wythdrawest thy hands from him: then robbest thou h●m of his own and art a thief. A Christian man hath Christ's spirit. Now is Christ a merciful thing: if therefore thou be not merciful after the ensample of Christ than hast thou not his spirit. If thou have not Christ's spirit, than art thou none of his Ro. viii. nor haste any part with, him. More over though thou sh●we mercy unto thy neiboure, yet if thou do it not with such burning love as Christ did unto thee, so must thou knowledge thy sine and desire mercy in Christ. A christian man hath nought to rejoice in, as concer ninge his deeds. His rejoicing is that Christ died for him, and that he is washed in Christ's blood. Of his deeds rejoiceth he not, neither countech his merits, neither giveth pardons of them, neither seeketh an higher place in heaven of them, neither maketh himself a savour of other men, thorough his good works. But giveth all honour to God, and in his greatest deeds of mercy knowleageth himself a sinner unfaineadly, and is a bundantly content with the place that is pre pared for him of Christ. And his good deeds are to him a sign onli that Christ's spirit is in him, and he in Christ, and thorough Christ elect to eternal life.  
The order of love or charity which, some dream, the Gospel of Christ showeth not of that a man should begin at himself first and then descend I wots not by what steps. Love seeketh not her own profit. two. Cor. xii. but maketh a man 
There is no order in charity.  to forget himself, and to turn his pro fet and other man, as Christ sought not himself or is own profit but ours.  
This term myself is not in the Gospel, neither yet father, mother sister, brother, kinsman, that one should be preferred in love above another. But Christ is all in all things. Every christian man to an other is Christ himself, and thy neyg bours need hath as good right in thy goods as hath Christ himself which is heir & Lord over all. And look what thou owest to Christ that thou owest to thy neighbours need. To thy neighbour owest thou thine heart, thy self and all that thou▪ haste and canst do. The love that springeth out of Christ excludeth no man neither putteth difference between one and an other. In Christ we are all of one degree without respect of persons. Not withstanding thought a Christian man's heart be open to all men, and receiveth all men. Yet because that his ability of good des extendeth not so far, this provision is made, that every man shall care for his own howsehold, as father and mother and thine elders that have holpen thee, wife children and servants. If thou shouldest not care & provide for thine household, then, wert thou an infidel, saying thou hast taken on the so to do, & for as much as that is thy part committed to the of the congregation.  
When thou hast done thy duty to thine 
How and to whom alms ought to be given.  howescholde, and yet hast farther abundance of the blessing of God, that owest thou to the poor that can not labour or would labour & can get no work, and are des titute of friends, to the poor I mean which thou knowest, to them of thine own parish. For that provision ought to be had in the congregation, that every parish care for their poor. If thy neighbours which thou knowest be served, and thou yet have so pers●uyte, & hearest necessity to be among the brethren a thousand mile of, to them ar● thou debtor. Yea to the very infidels we be debtors, if they need, as farforth as we maintain them not against Christ or to blasfeme Christ. Thus is every man that needeth thy help, thy father, mother, sister, and brother in Christ: even as every man that doth the will of the father, is father, mother, sister, and brother unto Christ.  
More over if any be an infidel and a falls Christian and forsake his household, his wife, childer and such as can not help themselves, than art thou bound and thou have where with, even as much as to thine own household. And they have as good right in thy goods, as thou thyself. And if thou with draw mercy from them, and haste wherewith to help them: then art thou a thief. If thou show mercy, 
Who is a thief.  so dost thou thy duty & art a faithful minister in the household of Christ, and of Christ shalt thou have thy reward and thank. If the whole world were thine, yet hath every brother his right in thy goods and is heir with thee, we are all heirs with Christ. More over the rich and they that have wisdom with them must see the poor set a work, that as many as are able may feed themselves with the labour of there own hands, according to the scripture and commandment of God.  
Now se●st thou what alms deeds meaneth & wherefore it serveth. He that seeketh with his alms more than to be merciful, to be a neighbour, to succonr his brother, to give his brother that he oweth him, the same is blind and seth not what i● is to be a Christian man, and to have fellowship in Christ's blood.  
As pertaining to good works, understand that all works are good which are 
Alworkes the be done in faith are good.  done with in the law of God in faith and with thanks giving to God, and understand that thou in doing them pleasest God, what so ever thou dost with in that law of God, as when thou makest water. And trust me if other wind or were stopped thou shouldest feal what a precious thing it were to do either of both, and what thanks ought to be given to God therefore. More over put no difference between works, but what so ever cometh in to thy hands that do as time, place and occasion giveth, and as God hath put the in degree high or low.  
For as touching to please God, there is no work better than an other. God looketh not first on thy work as the world doth, as though the bewtifulnes of the work pleased him, as it doth the world or as though he had need of them. But God looketh first on thy heart, what faith thou hast to his words, how thou believest him, trustest him and how thou lovest him for his mercy that he hath showed thee, he looketh with what heart thou workest, and not what thou workest, how thou acceptest the degree that he hath put the in and not of what degree thou art, whether thou be an Apostle or a show maker.  
Set this ensample before thine eyes. 
An example of diversity of estates.  Thou art a ketchin page & washeste thy master's dishes, an other is an Apostle and preacheth the word of God. of this Apostle hark what Paul saith in the second to the Corinthians. ix. If I preach (sayeth he) I have nought to rejoice in, for necessity is put unto me as who should say, God hath made me so.  
Woe is unto me if I preach not. If I do it wylingly (saith he) then have I my reward that is, them am I sure that god's spirit is in me and that I am elect to eternal life. If I do it against my will an office is committed unto me, that is, if I do it not of love to God, but to get aliving there by and for a worldlis put pose and had, liefer other ways live, then do I that office which God hath put me in and yet please not God myself. Note now if this Apostle preach not as many do not, which only make themselves Apostles, but also compel men to take them for greater than Apostles, yea for greatter then Christ himself, than woe is unto him, that is, his damnation is just. If he preach and his heart not right, yet ministereth he the office that God hath put him in, and they that have the spirit of God here the voice of God, yea though he speak in an Ass▪ More over how so ever he preacheth he hath not to rejoice, in that he preacheth.  
But and if he preach willingly, with a true heart and of conscience to God: then hath he his reward, that is, then fealeth he the earnest of eternal life and the working of the spirit of God in him. And as he fealeth God's goodness and mercy, so be thou sure he fealeth his own infir mite, weakness and unworthiness, and mourneth and knowledgeth his sin, in that the heart will not arise to work with that full lust and love that is in Christ our Lord. And nevertheless is yet at peace with God thorough faith and trust in Christ jesu. For the earnest of the spirit that worketh in him testifieth and beareth witness unto his heart▪ that God 
The earnest of the spirit  hath chosen him, and that his grace, shall suffi●e him, which grace is now not idle in him. In his works putteth he no trust. Now thou that ministerest in the ●●tchē and art but a kechempage receivest all thing of the hand of God knowest that God hath put the in that office, submittest thyself to his will and serueste thy master, not as a man, but as Christ himself with a pure heart, according as Paul teacheth us, puttest thy trust in God, and with him seekest thy reward. More over there is not a good dead done, but thy heart rejoiceth therein, yea when thou hearest that the word of God is preached by this Apostle and seest the people trune to God, thou consentest unto the dead, thine heart breaketh out in joy, springeth and leapeth in thy breast, that God is honoured And in thine heart dost the same that the Apostle doth and haply with great delectation and a more fervent spirit. Now he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive the reward of aprophete. Math. x. that is he concenteth to the deed of a prophet & main teineth it, the same hath the same spirit and earnest of everlasting life which the prophet hath and is elect as the prophet is. Now if thou compare dead to dead there is difference betwixt, washing of dishes and preaching of the word of God.  
But as touching to plaise God none at all. For neither that nor this pleaseth, but as farforth as God hath choose a man, hath put his spirit in him and purified his heart by faith and trust in Christ.  
Let every man therefore wait on the office wherein Christ hath put him and 
Let every man wait upon the office that Christ hath put him in.  therein serve his bretherue. If he be of low degree let him patiently therein abide till God promote him and exalte him hire. Let kings & head officers seek Christ in theridamas▪ offices and ministre peace and quietness unto the brethren, punish sin, and that with mercy▪ even with the same sorrow and grief of mind as they would cut of a finger or joint a leg or arm of their own body if their were such disease in them, that either they must be cut of or else all the body must perish. Let every man of what soeur craft or occupation he be of, whether brewer baker, 
How the cra ftesman ought to live godly and according to the gospel.  tailor, vitailer, merchant, or husband man refer his craft and occupation unto the common wealth, and serve his brethren as he would do Christ him slefe. Let him buy and sell truly and not set dice on his brethren, and so showeth he mercy, & his occupation pleaseth God.  
And when thou receivest money for thy labour or ware thou receivest thy duty. For wherein so ever thou minister to thy brethren, thy brother are debtors to give the where with to maintene th● self and thy household. And let your superf●uites succour the poor, of which sort shall ever be some in all towns cities, and vil lages, and that I suppose the greatest number. Remember that we are membres of one body and ought to minister one to an other mercifully. And remember that what so ever we have, it is given us of God to bestow it on our brethren. Let him that eateth eat and give God thanks, only let not thy meat pull thine heart from God. And let him that drinketh do like wise. Let him that hath a wife give God thanks for his liberty, only let not thy wife with draw thine heart from God and then pleasest thou God and hast the word of god for the. And in all things look on the word of God and there in put thy trust, and not in a visure in a disguised garment and ● cut sho●.  
Seek the word of God in all things, and with out the word of God do nothing, though it appear never so glorious. What so ever is done with out the word of God, that count idolatry. The kingdom of heaven is with in us. Luc. xvii. Wonder therefore at no monstrous shappne● at any outward thing with 
The world was never deceived but with outward appearance.  out, that word. For the world was never drawn from God, but with an outward show and glorious appearance and shining of hypocrisy and of feigned and visured fasting, praying, watching offering sacrificing, hallowing of superstitious ceremonies and monstrous disgising. Take this for an example. john baptist which had testimony of Christ and of the Gospel, that their never rose a greater among wymennes' children, with his fasting, watching, praying, raiment and strait living deceived the jews and brought them in doubt, whether john 
john deceiveth the jews' opinion.  were very Christ or not and yet no scripture or miracle testifying it, so greatly the blind nature of man looketh on the outward shining of works, and regardeth not the inward word which speaketh to the heart. When they sent to john axinge him whether he were Christ, he denied it. When they axed him what he was and what he said of himself. He answered not. I am he that watcheth, prayeth, drinketh no wine nor strong drike, eateth ●other fish nor flesh, but live with wild honey and grashopers and wear a cote of camels hear and a girdle of a skin: but said I am a voice of a criar. My voice only pertaineth to you. Those outward things which ye wonder at, pertain to myself only unto the taming of my body To you am I a voice only 
The straightness of life pertayneth to john onli b● the voice to jews.  and that which I preach. My preaching (if it be received in to a penitent or repenting heart) shall teach you how to live and please God, according as God shall shed out his grace on every man. john preached repentance, saying prepare the lords way & make his paths strait The lords way is repentance and not 
It is impossible for Christ to come with out the sin be knoledged truly with repentance.  hypocrisy of man's imagination and in vention. It is not possible that the Lord Christ should come to a man, except he know himself and his sin and truly repent. Make his paths straight: the paths are the law, if thou understand it aright as God hath given it.  
Christ sayeth in. xvii. of Mat. Helyas shall first come, that is shall come before Christ and restore all things meaning of Io. bap. Io. bap. did restore the law and the scripture unto the right sense and understanding, which the pharyseis partli had darkened and made of none effect, thorough their own traditions Math. xv. where Christ rebuketh them saying: why transgress ye the commandments of God thorough your traditions: and partly had corrupt it with gloss & false interpretations, that no man could under stand it. Wherefore Christ rebuketh them Math xxiii. saying: woe ●e to you Pharisees hypocrites which shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: ye enter not yourselves, neither suffer them that come, to enter in: and partli did beguile the people and blind their eyes in disgisinge themselves, as thou readest in that same. xxiii. Cham how they made broad & large philatries, and did all there works to be seen of men, that the people should wonder at their disgisinges and visuringe of themselves other wise than God had made than: and partly mocked them with hypocrisy of false holiness in fasting, praying and alms giving Mat. vi. and this did they for lucre to be in authority, to sit in the consciences of the people and to be counted as God himself, that the people should trust in their holiness and not in God, as thou redeste in the place a 'bove rehearsed Mat. xxiii. woe be to you Pharisees hypocrites which devour widows houses under a colour of long prayer. Counterfeit therefore nothing without the word of God when thou understandest that, it shall teach the all things how to apply outward things, and where unto refer them. Beware of thy good enten●, good 
Beware of enterpriseynge aught of a good intent.  mind, good affection or zeal as they call it. Peter of a good mind and of a good affection or zeal chode Christ Math. xvi. because he said that he must go to High rusalem and there be slain.  
But Christ called him satan for his labour a name that belongeth to the devil. And say that he perceived not godly things but worldly. Of a good e●tent and of a fervent affection to Christ the sons of zebedei would have hade fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans Lu. ix. But Christ rebuked them saying that they witted no● 〈◊〉 what spirit they were: that is, that the● understand not how that they were altogether worldly and fleshly minded.  
Peter smo●e malchus of a good zeal: but Christ condemned his deed. The very Jews of a good intent & of a good zeal: slew Christ & persecuted the apostles as Paul vereth them record Ro. x. I bear them record (sayeth he) that they have a fervent mind to God ward but not accordnge to knowledge. It is another thing than, to do of a good mind and to do of knowledge.  
Labour for knowledge that thou mayst know god's will and what he would have the to do. Our mind, intent, and affection or zeal are blind, and all that we do of them is damned of God, and for that cause hath God made a testament between him a●d us where in is contay 
God hath made an everlasting covenant with us that we should no more go astray after our good intent  ned both what he would have us to do, and what he would have us to axe of him. See therefore that thou do no thing to please God with all but that he commandeth, neither are any thing of him but that he hath promised the.  
The jews also (as it appeareth Act. seven) show Steven of a good zeal. Because he proved by the scripture, that God dwelleth not in Churches or templs made with hands. The churches at the beginning were ordained, that the people should thither resort to here the word of God 
The use of temples or churches.  there preached only, and not for the use where in they now are. The temple where in God will be worshipped is the h●rte of man. For God is a spirit (saith Christ Io. iiii.) and willbe worshipped in the spirit and in truth: That is, when a penitent heart consenteth unto the law of God, and with a strong faith longeth for the pormyses of God. So is God ho nored on all sides in that we count him 
The honour of God.  righteous in all his laws & ordinances and also true in all his promises. Other worshipping of God is there none, except we make an yd●le of him.   

IT shallbe recompensed the at the rising a gain of the righteous Lu. xiiii. Reed the terte before and thou shalt perceive that Christ doth here that same that he doth Mathe. v. that is he putteth us in remenbrance of our duty, that we be to the poor as Christ is to us, & also he teacheth us how that we can never know weather our love be right, and whether it springe of Christ or no as long as we are but kind to them only which do as much for us a gain. But and we be merciful to the ●ore, for conscience to God and of compassion and hearty love, which compassion and love springe of the love we have to God in Christ for the pure mercy and love that he hath showed on us: then have we a sure token, that we are be loved of God and washed in Christ's blood and elect by Christ's deserving unto eternal life. The scripture speaketh as a father doth to his young son, do this or that and then will I love thee, yet the father loveth his son first and studieth with all his power and wit to overcome his child with love and with kindness to make him do that which is comely honest and good for itself, A kind father and mother love their childer even when they are evil, that they would shed there own blood to make them better, and to bring them in to the right way. And a natural child studieth not to obtain his father's love with works, but considereth with what love his father loveth him with all, and therefore loveth again, is glade to do his fathers wil And stu●ith to be thankful.  
The spirit of the world understandeth 
isaiah xxix. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And understan ding of the learned men shall perish.  not the speaking of God, neither the spirit of the wise of this world, neither the spirit of Philosophers neither the spirite of Socrates, of Plato or of Aristoles ethics, as thou mayst see in the first and second Chapter of the first to the corinth. Though that many are not ashamed to rail and blaspheme saying, how should he understand the scripture saying he is no philosopher neither hath seen his metaphisike? More over they blaspheme saying how can he be a divine and wotteth not what is subiec tum in theologia? Never the less as a man with out the spirit of aristotel or philosophy, may by the spirit of God understand scripture: Even so by the spirit of God understandeth he that God is to be sought in all the scripture, and in all things and yet wotteth not what meaneth Subiectum in theologia, because it is a term of their own making. If thou 
Love of God Love of my neighbour.  shouldest say to him that hath the spirit of God, the love of God is the keeping of the commandments, and to love a man's neighbour▪ is to show mercy, be would with out arguing or disputing understand, how that of the love of God springeth the keeping of his command mentes and of the love to thy neighbour springeth mercy. Now would aristotel deny such spaking and a Duns man would make. xx. distinctions. If thou shouldest say (as sayeth saint john in the fourth of his epistle) how can he that loveth not his neighbour whom he seeth love God whom he seeth not? aristotel would say lo a man must first love his neighbour and then God and out of the love to thy neighbour sprinketh the love to God. But he that fealeth the working of the spirit of God, & also from what vengeance the blood of Christ hath delivered him, understandeth how that it is impossible to love other father or mother, sister, brother, neighbour, or his 
The love of a man's neighbour is a sign of the love of God.  own self a rygh, except it springe out of the love to God, and perceiveth that the love to a man's neighbour is a sign of the love to God as good fruit declareth a good tree, and that the love to a man's neighbour accompanieth and followeth the love of God as heat accompaneth and followeth fire.  
Like wise when the scripture sayeth. Christ shall reward every man at the resurrection or uprising again according to his deeds, the scripture of Aristoles ethics would say, lo with the multitude of good works mayst thou, & must thou obtain everlasting life, and also a place in heaven high or low according as thou hast many or few good works, and yet wotteth not what a good work meaneth as Christ speaketh of good works as he that saith not the heart▪ but out ward things only. But he that hath gods spirit understandeth it. He fealeth that good 
What good works be.  works are no thing but, fruits of love, compassion mercifulness, and of a tenderness of heart which a Christian hath to his neiboure, and that love springeth of that love which he hath to God, to his will and commandments, and understandeth also that the love which man hath to God springeth of that infinite love and botonlesse mercy which god in Christ 
Whence spreadeth the love of God.  showed first to us, as saith john in the pistle and Chap. above rehearsed. In this sayeth he) appeared the love of God to us ward, because that God sent his only begotten son in to the world that we might live thorough him. Here in is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to make a grement for our sins. In conclusion a Christian man fealeth that that unspeakable love and mercy which God hath to us, and that spirit which worketh all things are wrought according to the will of God, and that love where wy the we love God, and that love which we have to our neighbour, and that mercy and come passion which we show on him, and also that eternalll life which is laid by in store for us in Christ are all together the gift of God thorough Christ's purchasinge. If the scripture said always Christ shall reward the according to thy faith, or accordnge to thy hope and trust thou hast in God, or according to the love thou haste to God and thy neighbour so were it true also as thou sayst. i.  
Pe. i. receiving the end or reward of your faith, the health or saluaciou of your souls. But the spiritual things could not be known save by their, as a tree can not be known, but by her fruit. How could I know that I loved my neighbour, if never occasiou were 
True faith & love be known by works  given me to show mercy unto him? how should I know that I loved God, if I never suffered for his sake? how should I know that God loved me, if there were no infirmity, temptation, peril and Ieop●rdye whence God should deliver me.   

THere is no man that forsaketh house, other father, or mother▪ other brethren or sistern, or wife, or children for the kingdom of havens sake, which shall not receive much more in this world, and in the world to come everlasting life. Luc. xviii.  
Here seest thou that a Christian man in all his works hath respect to nothing 
A christian hath respect to nothing else but the glory of God.  but unto the glory of God only and to the maynteining of the truth of God, and doth and leaveth undone all things of love to the glory and honour of God only, as Christ teacheth in the pater noster.  
More over when he sayeth he shall receive much more in this world, of a truth yea, he hath received much more all redi. For except he had felt the infinite mercy, goodness, love and kindness of God and the fellowship of the blood of Christ and the comfort of the spirit of Christ in his heart, he could never have forsaken any thing for God's sake. Not withstanding (as saith Mark in the. x. Chapter) Who soever for Christ's sake and the Gospels forsaketh house, brethren or sisters etc. He shall receive an hundred fold houses, brethren etc, That is spiritually. 
How it is to be understand He shall receive an hundred fold.  For Christ shallbe all things unto the. The angels, all Christian and who so ever doth the will of the father, shallbe father mother, sister and brother unto, the, and all theirs shall be thine. And God shall take the cure of the and minister all things unto thee▪ as long as thou ●ekyft but his honour only. More over if thou were Lord over all the world, yea of ten 
God's spirit slake the all worldly desyr  worlds before thou knewiste God: yet was not thine appetite quenched, thou thurstedeste for more. But if thou seek his honour only, then shall he slake thy thirst and thou shalt have all that thou desirest, and shall be con●ente: if thou dwell among infidels, and among the most eruelest nation of the world, yet shall he be a father unto the and shall defend thee, as he did Abraham, Isaac and jacob and all saints whose lives thou readest in the scripture. For all that are past and gone before are but ensamples to strength our faith & trust in the word of God. 
All that is written, is written to our instruction.   
It is the same God and hath sworn to us all that he swore unto them, and is as true as ever he was and therefore can not but fulfil his promises to us as well as he did to them, if we believe as thy did.  
The hour shall come when all they that are in the garues shall hear his voice, 
How it is to be understand. The dead in the grave shall hear the voice.  that is to say Christ's voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good in to the resurcection of life and they that have done evil in to the resurrection of damnation, John. v.  
This & all like texts declare what followeth good works, & that our deeds shall testify with us or against us at that day, and putteth us in remembrance to be diligent and fervent in doing good.  
Here by mayst thou not understand that we obtain the favour of God and the inheritance of life thorough the merits of good works, as hirelings their wages. For then shouldest thou rob Christ, of whose fullness we have received favour for favour, as affirmeth also Paul Ephe. i. he loved us in his beloved by whom we have (sayeth Paul) redention thorough his blood, and forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins than is our redemption in Christ▪ and not the reward of works.  
In whom (saith he in the same place) he chose us before the making of the world, that is long before we did good works. Thorough faith in Christ are we Also the sons of God, as thou readest Jo. i. in that they believed on his name he gave them power to be the sons of God. God with all his fullness and riches dwelleth in Christ, and out of Christ must we fetch all things. Thou readest also. Jo. iii. he that believeth on the son hath eternal life. And he that believeth not shall see no life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him. Here seest thou that the wrath and vengeance of God possesseth every 
faith & trust● in Christ expelleth the wrath ● bringeth favour.  man till faith come. Faith and trust in Christ expelleth the wrath of God, and bringeth favour, the spirit, power to do good, and the everlasting life. Moreover until Christ have given the light thou knowest not where in standeth the goodness of thy works, and till his spirit hath loosed thine heart thou canst not consent unto good works. All that is good in us both will and works cometh of the favour of God thorough Christ, to whom be the laud and thanks Amen.   

IF any man will do his will (he meaneth the will of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. Jo. seven. This text meaneth not that any man of his own strength power and fire will (as they call it) can do the will of God, before he hath received the spirit and strength of Christ thorough faith. But here is meant that which is spoken in the third of John when Nicodemus marveled how it were possible that a man should be borne again, Christ answered, that which is borne of the flesh, is flesh, & that which is borne of the spirit, is spirit as who should say, he that hath the spirit thorough faith, and is borne again and made a new in Christ, understandeth the things of the spirit and what he that is spiritual meaneth. But he that is flesh and as Paul sayeth. i Cor. two. a natural man and led of his blind reason only, can never ascend to the capacity of the spirit. And he giveth and ensample saying. The wind bloweth where he listeth and thou hearest his voice and wottest not whence he cometh nor whither he will. So is every man that is borne of the spirit, he that speaketh of the spirit can never be understand of the natural man which is but flesh and savoureth no more than things of the flesh. So here meaneth Christ if any man have the spirit, and consenteth unto the will of God, the same at once wotteth what I mean.   

IF ye understand thes things, happy are ye if ye do them John. xiii. A christian man's heart is with the will of God, with the law and commandments of God, and hongreth and thirsteth after strength to fulfil them and mourneth day and night desiring God according to his promises, for to give him power to fulfil the will of God with love & lust: then testifieth his dead that he is blessed & that the spirit which blesseth us in Christ is in him and ministereth such strength. The outward deed 
The works testify.  testifieth what is with in us, as thou rea dost John. v. The deeds which I do, testifieth of me saith Christ. And John. xiii. hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one an other. And John. xiiii. he that hath my commandments and keepeth them the same it is that loveth me. And again, he that loveth me keepeth my commandments, and he that loveth me not keepeth not my commandments, the outward dead testifiing of the inward heart. And John. xv. If ye shall keep my commandments ye shall continued in my love, as I keep my father's commandment▪ and continue in his love. That is, as ye see the love that I have to my father in that I keep his commandments, so shall ye see the love that, ye have to me in that ye keep my commandments. Thou mayst not think that our deeds bless us first and that we prevent God and his grace in Christ, as thought we in our natural gifts, and 
Our deeds pray vent not God des grace nor make us just  being as we were borne in Adam, looked on the law of God and of our own strength fulfilled it & so became ryghtuos & then with that righteousness obtained the favour of God. As philosophers writ of righteousness, & as the rytuousnes of temporal law is, where the law is satisfied with the hypocrisy of the outward deed. For con trary to the readest thou. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, that ye go, & bring forth fruit, and that your fruit remain. And in the same Cham I am a vine & ye the branches & without me can ye do nothing. With us therefore so goeth it. In Adam are we all as it were wild crabtres▪ 
We are all crabtres in Adam.  of which God chooseth whom he will & plucketh them out of Adam & planteth them in the garden of his mercy & stocketh them & graffeth the spirit of Christ in them which bringeth forth the fruit of the will 
During our life we are yet partly carnal.  of God, which fruit testifieth that God hath blessed us in Christ. Note this also that as long as we live we are yet partly carnal & fleshly (not withstanding that we are in Christ, & though it be not imputed unto us for Christ's sake) for there abideth & remaineth in us yet of the old Adam as it were the stock of the crabtre & ever a 'mong when occasion is given him, shooteth forth his, branches & leaves, bud, blosom & fruit. Against whom we must fight & subdue him change all his nature by a little with prayer, fasting, watching, with virtuous meditation & holy works, until we be altogether spirit. The kingdom of heaven saith Christ, is like leaven, 
Matthew. xiii.  which a woman taketh & hideth in iii pecks of meal till all be leavened. The leaven is the spirit & we the meal which must 
Romans. two. What leaven is▪ What is meal  be seasoned with the spirit a little & a little till we be throughout spiritual. Which shall reward every man according to his deed, that is according as the deeds are so shall every man's reward be, the deeds declare what we are, as the fruit the tree according to the fruit shall the tree be pray said. The reward is given of the mercy & truth of God, & by the deserving & merits of Christ. Wosoever repenteth, believeth the Gospel and putteth his trust in Christ merits, the same is heir with Christ of eternal life, for assurance where of the spirit, of God is poured into his heart as an earnest, which looseth him from the bon des of sathan, & giveth him lust & strength every day more and more according as he is diligent to axe of God for Christ's sake. And eternal life followeth good living. I suppose (sayeth Paul in the same Epistle) that the offlictions of this world are 
Romans. viii.  not worthy of the glory which shallbe showed on us, that is to say, that which we here suffer can never deserve the reward which there shallbe given us. Moreover, if the▪ reward should depend & hang of the no man should be saved. Forasmuch as our best deeds, compared to the law, are damnable sin. By the deeds of the law is no flesh justified, as it is written in the third Chap to the Rom. The law justifieth not, but uttereth the sin only and compelleth and driveth the penitent or repenting sinner to i'll unto the seyntory of mercy in the blood of Christ. Al so repent we never so much, be we never so well willing unto the law of God: yet are we so weak, and the snares and occasions so innumerable that we fall daily and hourly. So that we could not but dispere, if the reward hanged of the work. Whosoever ascribeth eternal life 
He that ascribethe eternal life unto merits is other a pharisee or else he must despair.  unto the deserving & merit of works, must fall in one of two inconveniences, either must he be a blind pharisee not seeing that the law is spiritual and he carnal, and look and reiose in the outward shining of his deeds, despising the weak, and in respect of them justify himself. Or else if he see how that the law is spiritual and he unable to ascend unto that which the law requireth he must needs despair. Let every Christian man therefore rejoice in Christ our hope, trust & righteousness, in whom we are loved, chosen & accept unto the inheritance of eternal life, neither presuming in our perfectness, neither dispering in our weakness. The perfecter a man is, the clearer is his sight, and saith a thousand things which desplease him and also perfectenes that can not be obtained in this life. And therefore desireth to be with Christ, where is no more sin. Let him that is 
Let not him that is weak despair nor him that is perfect boast himself.  weak and can not do that he would fain do not despair, but turn to him that is strong & hath promised to give strength to all that axe of him in Christ's name, and complain to God and desire him to fulfil his promises, and to God commit himself. And he shall of his mercy and truth strength him and make him feel▪ with what love he is beloved for Christ's sake, thought he be never so weak.   

THey are not righteous before God which hear the law, but they which do the law Shallbe justified. Ro. two. This text is plain ner then that it needeth to be expounded In this chapter before, Paul proveth that the law natural holp not the Gentiles. 
The law natural was written in the gentiles  For the law of God was written in the hearts of Gentiles (as it appeareth by the laws, statutes, & ordinances which they made in their cities) yet kept they then not. The great keep the small under for their own profit with the violence of the law. Every man praiseth the law as fa● forth as it is profitable and pleasant unto himself. But when his own appetites should be refrained, then grudgeth he against the law. Moreover he proveth that no knowledge holp the gentiles. For though the larned men (as the philosophers) came to the knowledge of God, by the creatures of the world, yet had they no power to worship God. In this second. Chapt. proveth he that the jews (though they had the law written) yet it holp them not: they could not keep it, but were idolaters and were also murderers, adulters and what so ever the law forbade. He concludeth therefore that the jew is as well damned as the gentle. If hearing of the law only might have justified, then had the▪ Jews been righteous. 
Not haeing but doing the law maketh ryghtuose.  But it is required that a man do the law, if he will be righteous. Which because the jew did not, he is no less damned than the gentle. The publishing and declarinnge of the law doth but utter a man's sin, and giveth neither strength nor help to fulfil the law.  
The law killeth thy conscience & giveth the no lust to fulfil the law. Faith in Christ giveth lust & power to do the law. Now is it true that he which doth the law is righteous, but that doth no man save he that believeth & putteth his trust in Christ.   

IF any man's work that he hath build upon abide, he shall receive a reward. i. Corint. two. The circumstance of the same Chapter, that is to weet, that which goeth before and that which followeth, declareth plainly what is mente. Paul talketh of learning doctrine or peachinge. He sayeth that he himself hath laid the foundation, which is jesus Christ: and that no man can lay any other. He exhorteth therefore every man to take head what he buildeth upon, and borroweth a similitude of the goldsmith which trieth his metals with fire saying that the fire (that is) the iud gement of the scripture, shall try every man's work, that is every man's preaching and doctrine. If ani build upon the 
The fire is the judgement of scripture  foundation laid of Paul, I mean jesus Christ, gold silver or precious stone which are all one thing and signify true doctrine, which when it is examinined the scripture alloweth, then shall 
Gold, silver, and precious stones, is true doctrine.  he have his reward, that is he shall be sure that his learning is of God, and that God's spirit is in him and that he shall have the reward that Christ hath purchased for him. On the other side if any man build thereon timber, hay or stubble, 
Timber, hay, stubble, are men's doctrine  which are alone and signify doctrine of man's imagination, traditions and fantasics which standeth not with Christ when they are examined and judged by the scripture, he shall suffer damage, but shallbe saved himself, yet as it were though row fire, that is, it shallbe painful unto him, that he hath lost his labour, and 
He shall be saved never the less thorough fire.  to see his byldinge perish, notwithstanding if he repent and embrace the truth in Christ, he shall obtain mercy and be saved. But if Paul were now a live and would defend his own learnige, he should be tried thorough fire, not thorough fire of the judgement of scripture (for the iyght men now utterly refuse) but by the pope's law and with fire of faggots.   

WE must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, for to receive every man according to the deeds of his body. two. Corin. v. As thy deeds testify of the so shall thy reward be. Thy deeds be evil, then is the wrath of God upon the and thine heart is evil and so shall thy reward be if thou repent not. Fear therefore and cry to god for grace, that thou mayst love his laws And when thou lovest them cease not till thou have obtained power of God to fulfil them: so shalt thou be sure that a good reward shall follow. Which reward not thy deeds, but Christ's hath purchaised for thee, whose purchasing also is that lust which thou haste to God's law, and that might where with thou fulfillest them Remember also, that a reward is rather called that which is given freely, than that which is deserved. That which is deserved, is called (if thou wilt give him his tight name) heir or wages. A reward 
What reward is & what hire.  is given freely to provoke unto love and to make friends. Remenbre that whatso ever good thing any man doth, that shall he receive of the Lord. Ephes. vi. Remembering that ye shall receive of the Lord the 
The Lord shall reward every man according to his deeds.  reward of inheritance, Collossens. iii.  
These tow texts are exceeding plain. Paul. meaneth as Peter doth. i. Peter. two. that servants should obey their masters with all their hearts and with good will though they were never so evil. Yea he will that all that are under power obey, even of heart and of conscience to God, be cause God will have it so, be the rulers never so wicked. The children must obey father and mother be they never so 
We must obe● our superioures, be they ●euer so yuill.  cruel or unkind, like wise the wife her husband, the servant his master, the subjects and communes their Lord or king. Why? For ye serve the Lord say th' he in the third to the Coll. We are Christ's and Christ hath bought us, as thou readest Ro. xiiii. i Cori. vi. i. Peter. i. Christ is our Lord and we hts possion, and his also is the commandment. Now ought not the crueluesse and churlishness of father & mother, of husboud, master, Lord or king, cause us to hate the commandment of our so kind a Lord Christ. Which spared not his blood for our sakes which also hath purchaysed for us with his blood, the reward of eternal life which life shall follow the patience of good leaving and where unto our good deeds testify that we are chosen. Forthermor we are so carnal, that if the rulers be good, we can not know whether we keep the commandment for the love that we have to Christ and to God thorough him or no. But and if thou canst find in thine heart to do good unto him that rewardeth the evil again, then art thou sure that the same spirit is in the that is in Christ. And it followeth in the same Chap to the Clolossians. He that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done. That is God shall avenge the abundantly, which seeth what wrong is doene unto the and yet suf●reth it for a time, that thou mightest feal thy patience and the working of his spirit in the▪ and be made perfect. Therefore see that thou not once desire vengeance but remit all vengeance unto God as Christ did.  
Which (Saith Peter. i Pet. two.) when he was reviled, reviled not again neither threatened when he suffered. Unto such obedience, unto such patience, unto such a poor heart, and unto such fealyuge, is Paul's meaning to bring all men, and not unto the vain disputing of them that ascribe so high a place in heaven unto 
Our spiritual tiwyl not ob●● rulers but curse them for doing right  their pilled merits. Which as they feal not the working of God's spirit, so obey they no man. If the king do unto them but right, they will interdite the hole realm, curse, excomunicate and send down far beneath the bottom of hell, as they have brought the peole out of their wits, and made them mad to believe.   

THy prayers and alms are come up in to remeraunce in the presence of God. (in the tenth Chap▪ of the Acts) That is God forgetteth the not, thought he come not at the first calling, he looketh on and beholdeth thy prayer and alms. Prayer cometh from the heart. God looketh first on 
God looketh first on the heart.  the heart. As thou readist Genesis. iiii. God beheld or looked first on Abel, and then on his offering. If the heart be unpure, the dead verily pleaseth not, as thou seest in Cain, Mark the order. In the beginning of the Chap. thou readest there was a certain man named Corn●lius which feared god, gave much alms, and prayed God alway. He feared God, that is he trembled and quaked to break 
Prayer.  the commandments of God. Then prayed he all way. Prayer is the fruit affect, dead or act of faith and is no thing but the longing of the heart for though things which a man lacketh & which god hath promised to give him. He doth also alms. Alms is the fruit, effect or 
Alms.  dead of compassiou and pity which we have to our neighbour. Oh what a glorious faith and a right is that which so trusteth God & believeth his promises, that she feareth to break his commandments and is also merciful unto her neiboure. This is that faith where of thou readest name lie in Peter, Paul and john, that we are there by booth justified and saved. And who so ever ymageneth any other faith, deceiveth himself and is a vain disputer & a brawler a bout words, and, hath no feeling in his heart.  
Thought thou consent to the law, that it is good righteous and holy, soroweste and repentest because thou haste broken it, mornest because thou hast no strength to fulfil it: yet art not thou there by at one with God. Yea thou shouldest shortlis despair and blaspheme God if the promises of forgiveness and help were not there by, and faith in thine heart to believe them. Faith therefore seateth that at one with God. faith prayeth alway. For she hath alway her infirmities and weaknesses before her eyes, and also God's promises, for which she alway longeth and in all 
The manner of prayeyuge of misbelievers.  places. But blind unbelief prayeth not alway nor in all places, but in the church only, and that in such a church, where it is not lawful to preach gods promises, neither to teach men to trust therein. Faith when she prayeth setteth not her good dea des before her saying: Lord for my good deeds do this or that. Nor bergeneth with God saying Lord grant me this or do this or that, and I will do this or that for thee, as mumble so much dayli, go 
The prayer of faith.  so far or fast this or that fast, enter in this religion or that, with such other points of infidelity, yea rather idolatry. But she setteth her infirmities and her lack before her face and Gods promises saying: Lord for thy mercy & truth which thou haste sworn be merciful unto me, out of this prison & out of this hell. And lose the bonds of Satan and give me power to glorify thy name. faith therefore 
faith justifieth.  justifieth in the heart and before God, and the deeds justify outwardly before the world, that is, testify onli before men what we are inwardly before God.  
Whosoever looketh in the perfect law of liberty and continueth there in (If he be not a forget full hearer but a doer of the work) he shallbe happy in his dead. 
The law of liberty.  james. i. The law of liberty that is, which requireth a fire heart, or (if thou fulfil it) declareth a free heart lowesed from, the bonds of satan. The preaching of the 
The preaching of the law bindeth but the preaching of the gospel openeth.  law maketh no man free, but bindeth.  
For it is the key that bindeth all consciences unto eternal damnation, when it is preached: as the promises or Gospel is the key that looseth all consciences that repent when they are bound thorough preaching of the law. He shallbe happy in his dead, that is, by his dead shall he know that he is happy and blessed of God which hath given him a good heart 
Not the hearing but the do ing of the law declareth blessedness.  and power to fulfil the law. By hearing the law thou shalt not know that thou art blessed but if thou do it, it declareth that thou art happy and blessed.   

WAs not Abraham justified of his deeds, when he offered his ●onne▪ Isaac upon the altar? james. iii. his dead justified him before the world, that is it declared and uttered the faith which both justfieth him before God, and wrought that wonderful work as james also affirmeth.  
Was not Raab the harlot justified when she received the messengers and sent them out an other way? jam. iii. that is like wise outwardlis, but before God she was justified by faith which wrought that outward dead, as thou mayst see joshua. two. She had herd what God had done in Egipte, in the red see, in the desert, and unto the two kings of the Amorreans, Zion, and Og. And she confessed saying: your Lord God, he is God in heaven, a 'bove and in earth beneath. She also believed that God as he had promised the children of Israel would give them the land where in she dwelled, and consented there unto, submitted her self unto the will of God, and holp God (as munch as in her was) and saved his spies & messengers.  
The other feared that which she believed but resisted▪ God with all there might and had no power to submit themself unto the will of God. And therefore perished they, and she was saved and that though row faith, as we read Hebre. xi. where thou mayst see how the holy fathers were saved thorou faith, & how faith wrought in them. Faith is the goodness of all the deeds that are done with in the law of God and maketh them good and glorious, 
Faith is the goodness of the deeds done in law.  seem they never so vile, and unbelief maketh them damnable seem they never so glorious.   

AS pertaninge to that which james in this. three Chapter. faith. What a 'vaileth though a man say that he hath faith, if he have no deeds? can faith save him? & again. faith without deeds is dead in itself. And the devils believe and tremble. And as the body without the spirit is dead, even so faith without deeds is dead. It is manifest & clear that he meaneth not of that faith where of Peter & Paul speak in their epistles, John in his Gospel and first Epistle, & Christ in the Gospel when he saith, thy faith hath made the safe, be it to the according to thy faith, or great is thy faith etc. and of which james himself speaketh i Cham saying. Of his own will begat he us with the word of life, that is in believing the promises where 
In beleveing the word are we made the sons of God.  in is life, at we made the sons of God.  
Which thing I also this wise prove. Paul sayeth, how shall or can they believe with out apreacher? Now I pray you when was it heard that God sent any man to preach unto the divyls, or that he made them any good promise? He threateneth them oft, but never sent ambassadors to preach any atonement betewene him and them. Take an ensample that thou mayst understand. Let there be two poor men both destitude of raiment in a 
Example of the beleveing of Devils.  winter, the one strong that he fealeth no grief the other grievously, morning for pain of the cold. I then come by and moved with pity and compassion say unto him that fealeth his disease, come to such a place and I will give the raiment sufficyente. He believeth, cometh, and obtaineth that which I have promised. That other seeth all this and knoweth it, but is partaker of nought. For he hath no faith, and that is because there is no promise made him. So is it of the devils The devils have no faith. For faith is but earnest believing of God's promises. Now are there no promises made unto the divyls, but ●ore threatenings. The old Phi losophers knew that there was one God but yet had no faith, for they had no power to seek his will neither to worship him The turks and the saresons know that have no power to worship God in spirit to seek his pleasure, & to submit them unto his will. They made an Idol of God (as we do for the most part) & worshipped him every man after his own imagination & for a sundry purpose. What we will have done, that must God do, and to do our will worship we him and pray unto him: but what God will have done that will neither turk nor saresonne nor the must part of us do. What so ever we imagine righteous, that must God admit. But God's righteousness, will not our heart admit. Take an other en 
another example.  sample Let there be to such as I speak of before and I promise both, and the one because he fealeth not his disease cometh not. So is it of God's promises. No man is holp by them but sinners that feal their sins, morn and sorrow for 
john Baptist shewe● the people their dises says by the law and then sent them to Christ to be healed,  them and repent with at there heart For john baptist went before Christ and preached repentance, that is, he preached the law of God right, and brought the people in to knowledge of themselves, and unto the fear of God, and then sent them unto Christ to be healed. For in Christ and for his sake only hath God promised to receive, us unto mercy, to forgyne us and to give us power to resist sin▪ How shall God save thee, when thou knowest not thy damnation? How shall Christ deliver the from sin, when thou wilt not knowledge thy sin? Now I pray the how many thousands are there of them that say I believe that Christ was borne of a virgin, that he died, that he rose again and so forth, and thou canst not bring them in belief, that they have any sin at all? How many are there of the same sort which thou canst not make believe that a thousand things are sin which God damneth for sin all the scripture thorough out? As to buy as good cheap as he can, and to 
sins forboden.  sell as dear as he can, to raise the market of corn & victual, for his own vaunntage, without respect of his veyboure or of the poor or of the common wealth and such like. Moreover how many him dread thousands are there which when they have sinned, and knowledge there sins: yet trust in a bald ceremony or in a lousy freris cocte and merits or in the prayers of them that devour widows houses and eat the poor out of house and herboure, in a thing of his own imagination, in a foolish dream and a false vision, and not in Christ's blood and in 
How they that are disobedient unto the righteousness of the law and the truth of God▪ are faithless.  the truth that God hath sworn? All these are faith●lesse, for they follow there own righteousness and are disobedient unto all manner righteousness of God: both unto the righteousness of god's law where with he damneth all our deeds for though some of them see there sins for fear of pain, yet had they liefer that such deeds were no sin (and also unto the righteousness of the truth of God in his promises where by he sayeth all that repent and believe them. For though they believe that Christ died, yet believe the not that he died for threir sins & that his death is a suffciente satisfation for there sins and that God for his sake willbe a father unto them and give them power to resist sin.  
Paul saith (to the Romans in the. x. Chapter.) if thou confess with thy mouth that jesus is the lord and believe with thine heart that god raised him up from death, thou shalt be safe  
That is if thou believe that he raised him 
God raised Christ for our salvation.  up again for thy salvation. Many believe that God is rich and almighty, but not unto themselves and that he welbe good to them and defend them and be their God. Phara● for pain of the plague was compelled to confess his sins, but had yet no power to submit himself unto the will of God and to let the childer of Israel go and to lose so great porfet for God's pleasure. As our prelate's confess there sins saying: though we be never so evil, yet have we the power.  
And again, the scribes and the Pharisees, say they, sat in Moses seat, do as they teach but not as they do. Thus confess they that they are abhomynnable. But to the second I answer, if they sat on Christ's seat they would preachr Christ's doctrine, now preach they their own traditions and therefore not to be heard If they preached Christ we ought to hear them thought they were never, so 
The preachars or the true aught to be herd though they live naughtyly.  abominable, as they of themselves confess and have yet no power to a mend neither to let lowese Christ's flock to serve God in the spirit which they hold captive compelling them to serve their false lies. The devils fealte the power of Christ and were compelled against th●ir wills to confess that he was the son of God, but had no power to be content therewith neither to consent unto the or dinaunce and eternal council of the everlasting God, as our prelate's feal the power of God against them but yet have no grace to give room unto Christ, because that they (as the devils nature is) will themselves sit in his only temple, that is to weet, the consciences of men. ¶ Simon magus believed, Acts. viii. with such a faith as the devils confessed Christ, 
Simon Magus.  but had no right faith, as thou sayst in the said Chapter. For he repented not consenting unto the law of God. Nether believed the promises or longed for them, but wondered only at the miracles which Philippe wrought and because that he himself, in Philip'S presence, had no power to use his wychcrafte, sorcery and art magic, where with he mocked and deluded the wytes of the people: he would have bought the gift of God to have sold it much dearer, as his successiours now do and not the succestoures of. Simon Peter.  
For were they. Simon, Peter's successors, 
Our spiritualty are the successors of Simon not Peter.  they would pre●che Christ as heeded, but they are. Simon magusses successiours, of which Simon Peter well prophesied in the second Chapter of his second Epistle saying, there were false prophets among the people (meaning of the. jeves) even as there shallbe false teachers or doctors a 'mong you which privily shall bring in sects damnable. Sects is partetaking as one holdeth of frauces another of domynyck which thing also Paul rebuketh. i. Corinthi. i▪ and▪ iii. Even denienge the Lord that bought them, for they will not be saved by Christ neither suffer any man to preach him to other. And many shall follow their damnable ways. Thou wilt say shall God suffer so many to go out of the right ways so long? I answer many must follow their damnble ways or else must Peter be a false prophet, by which the way of truth shallbe evil spoken of, as it is now at this present time. For it is heresy to preach the truth and thorough covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, of their merchandise and covetousness it needeth not to make rehearsal, for they that be blind see it evidently.  
Thus seest thou that james when he 
What faith james speaketh.  sayeth, faith without deeds is dead, and as the body with out the spirit is dead, so is faith without deeds, and the devils believe: that he meaneth not of the faith and trust that we have in the truth of God's promises and in his holy testament made unto us in Christ's blood, which faith followeth repenttaunce and the consent of the heart, unto the law of God, and maketh a man safe, and setteth him at peace with God.  
●ut speaketh of that false opinion and imagination where with some say, I believe that Christ was borne of a virgin, and that he died and so forth. That believe they verily, and so strongly that they are ready to slay whosoever would say the country.  
But they believe not that Christ died for their sins, and that his death hath pleased the wrath of God and hath obtained for them all that God hath promised in the scriptuer. For how can they believe that Christ died for their sins and that he is their only and sufficient saviour, saying that they seek other saviours of their own imagination and saying that they feal not their sins neither repent, except that some repent as I above said) for fear of pain▪ but for no love nor consent unto the law of God nor longing that they have for those good promises which he hath made them in Christ's blood.  
If they repented and loved the law of God and longed for that help which God hath promised to give to all that call on him for Christ's sake, then v●tily must Gods trieth give them power to do good works when so ever occasion were given, either must God be a falls God. But let God be true and every man a liar as scripture sayeth. For the truth of God lasteth ever, to whom only be all honour and glory for ever   
Amen.   

¶ A short rehearsal or sum of this present treatise of justification by faith  
faith the mother of all good works justifieth us, before we can bring forth any good work: as the husband marrieth his wife before he can have any lawful children by her. Further more the husband marrieth not his wife, that she should continue unfruitful as before, and as she was in the state of virginity (wherein it was impossible for hire to bear fruit) but contrary wise to make her fruitful: even so faith justifieth us not, that is to say, marrieth us not to God, that we should continue unfruitful as before, but that he should put the seed of his holy spirit in us (as saint john in his first epistle calleth it) and to make us fruitful.  
For Paul saith Ephesi. two. By grace are ye made safe thorough faith, and that not of yourselves: for it is the gift of God and cometh not of the works, lest any man should boast himself. For we are his workman ship created in Christ jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk in them (●)   

BE not offended most dear Reader that divers things are overseen thorough negligence in this little treatise. For verily the chance was such, that I marvel that it is so well as it is Moreover it becometh the book e urn so to come as a morner and in vile apparel to wait on h●s master which showeth himself now again not in honour and glory, as between Moses and H●ly as: but in rebuke and shame as between two mortherars, to try his true friends and to prove whether there by any faith on the earth.