An exposition upon the song of the blessed virgin Mary, called Magnificat.  
Where unto are▪ added the songs of Salue regina, Benedictus and Nunc dimittis.  
¶ Translated out of latin into English by John Hollybush.  
1538.   

To the renowned and most noble prince & lord John frederic, duke of Saxony, county of During and marquis of Mysen my gracious lord and defender.  
I Have (most doughty prince) received your grace's letters at the last, the which (according to my duty) I have humbly taken in my hands, and cheerfully and with entire consideration thought upon their argument and meaning. But saying I have long sense promised unto your highness the declaration of the virgin's song of praise called Magnificat, (from that which purpose of mine, the wicked enterprises of many mine adversaries have oft withdrawn me,) I have thought now at the last to answer your highness letters with this treatise, (fearing jest the farther delay thereof might be to my reproof, and that farther excusation should be of no value) that your hyghnesses' noble young courage were steered to the love of scripture, & by farther exercise in the same might be more feruenter & stablished, to the which thing I pray God to send his grace & to help, for it is greatly necessary: saying that in the person of so great a prince, the which being withdrawn from himself, is governed by God's grace, the salvation of many one consisteth: & again the perdition and damnation of many one if he being permitted to himself, is gyded with out grace. For though it be said of all men's hearts: that the kings heart is in the hand of God, which can wend it where it pleaseth him: yet is it not for naught said of kings and princes▪ Where by God will beat his fear in the superiors, that so they may learn and be sure, that they can not once think aught in their mind, without God do give it severally in their minds. The deed of other men doth either hurt or profit only them, or a few beside: but princes and superiors only be set in that room, that they either profit or hinder so many more, as their dominion doth reach farther. For the which cause doth scripture call the godly and fearing God princes, angels of God, ye gods also, as in the vii chap. of Exo: I have made the a God over Pharaoh. And in the xxii Chapter: Thou shalt not speak evil of the Gods. And again, the wicked & ungodly princes she calleth Lions, Dragons and furious beasts: whom God also calleth one of his four plagues when he rehearseth them, namely: pestilence, dearth, war and furious beasts. Because then that the heart of man, being natural, flesh and blood doth presume every thing lightly, & coveteth thereby dominion, riches & honour, he is steered out of reason by such occasion to a rash tranquillity and rest, so that he forgetteth God, and careth nothing for his subjects, and using the bridle to his pleasure in sinning, he becometh a wood & furious beast. It chanceth also, that a prince taking his pleasure only, and using his affections, by name he is a lord, but in deed he is a beast, so that it was well said of Bias one of the seven sages of Grece: Magistratus virum ostendit, that is: authority or rule of a commonalty declareth what a man is. For dominion doth utter a man what he is, saying also that the common people dare not withstand for fear of punishment the commandments of their heads, though they were wicked and ungodly. For this cause aught the superiors greatly to dread God, saying they need to fear men so little, and to know him & his works perfectly, and with great care and diligence to walk and exercise himself therein, as Paul doth exhort in the xii chapter to the Romans, saying: Let him that ruleth, be diligent.  
Moreover there is nothing in all the scripture that doth so greatly concern the superiority, as this most holy song of the blessed virgin & mother of God, the which aught to be well learned and exercised of all them that will rule well and be good governors. For the mother of God singeth here most pleasantly of the fear of God, what LORD our God be, & what his works be in high and low estates. Let other give ear to their paramours, singing some wanton worldly song: but unto this so mannered virgin becometh a prince & lord to give ear, that which singeth a spiritual, chaste and wholesome song. Nother is it a custom reprovable, that in all churches this song is daily song at evensong, & that with a sundry & honest tune (if the understanding thereof were also so earnestly declared) Now would God the spirit of the same beautiful mother of God were given me, which may so pythfully & profitably declare her song, that your princely grace, & all we may suck thereout a healthful understanding, a laudable life, & after this life, to sing the everlasting Magnificat in the life to come. Amen   


¶ The song of Mary called Magnificat.  
My soul magnifieth the LORD.  
And my spirit rejoiceth in God my saviour.  
For he hath looked upon the low degree of his handmaiden.  
Behold, from hence forth shall all generations call me blessed.  
For he that is mighty hath done great things unto me, and Holy is his name.  
And his mercy endureth thorough out all generations, upon them that fear him.  
He showeth strength with his arm, and scattereth them that be proud in the imagination of their heart.  
He putteth down the mighty from the seat, and exalteth them of low degree.  
He filleth the hungry with good things, and letteth the rich go empty.  
He remembreth mercy, and helpeth up his servant Israel.  
Even as he promised unto our fathers, Abraham, and to his seed for ever.   

¶ The prologue.  
THat we may the better understand this song of praise, it is to be marked that the laudable virgin Mary speaketh by her own experience, where by she is taught & illumined of the holy ghost. For no man may perfectly understand the word of God, without he have it of the holy ghost without any means. And no man can have it of the holy ghost, without he prove and search it: and in the same trying and searching doth the holy ghost teach, as in his school. Without the which there is naught taught save only a shadow, words and multiplyenge of words. Even so likewise (when the blessed virgin had proved by herself that God had wrought so great things in her, which not withstanding was vile, poor and despised,) did the holy ghost teach her this rich doctrine and wisdom, namely: that God is such a LORD which hath naught to do save to exalt it that is low, to depress & to put down that is exalted, to break it that is made, and to make it that is broken. For as in the beginning of all creatures God did created the world of naught: (whereof he is called a creature and almighty) even so abideth the same nature in him still unchanged. And all his works have been, & shallbe done so unto the worlds end, that he shall make of the which is nothing, vile, despised, small, miserable and dead in comparison, some special, costly, honourable, healthful and living thing. And again all that is somewhat, costly, honourable, lively, to make it naught, small despised, miserable, mortal and transitory. After which fashion and manner no creature can nor may work, that is, of naught to make aught, so that his eyen are toward the depth, and not to the height as the iii children said, Daniel the third Chapter. Blessed be thou that lookest thorough the deep, and sittest upon the Cherubins. And also David Psalm. C.xxxvii. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: as for the proud he beholdeth him afar of. Item Psalm. C.xi Who is like unto the LORD our God, that hath his dwelling so high, which humbleth himself to behold that is in heaven and earth? For saying he is the supreme and most highest of all, and nothing above him, therefore may he not look above him: nother may he look besides him, saying none is to be compared with him. Thus must he needs behold himself, & look under him. And even so the deeper a man looketh under him, the better he seyeth himself.  
But the world & man's eyen do the contrary, they look only above themselves, they will mount on high as Solomon sayeth: Pro. thirty. There are people which have high looks, & cast up their eyelyddes. Thus we see daily that every one looketh only upward to riches, honour, authority, science, easy life and to all that is great and high in this world. And where such are, to them doth every man cleave, to them runneth every man, them is every man glad to please and to serve, with them will every man join himself and be partaker of their exaltation & high estate: so that it is not said for naught in the scripture that few kings and princes have been good and virtuous.  
Again noman will look downward, where are poverty, despising, anguish, misery and sorrow, from thence doth every man wend his eyen. And where such people is, from thence doth every man run, they be shunned, nother doth any man assist nor help than, and provide so for them, that they may be able also: but must abide still in the depth and low estate. For there will noman be such a creature among men, that will make any thing of that nothing, according to the lesson of S. Paul Ro. twelve. saying: Be of one mind among yourselves. Be not proud in your own conceits, but make yourselves equal with them of the low sort.  
And for this cause doth the sight of God continued of one fashion, which beholdeth the depth, need, and misery, & is near unto all such as are in that depth & anguish, and (as sayeth S. Peter) withstandeth the highminded, but giveth mercy unto the lowly.  
Out of this ground now springeth love and the praise of God: for noman can thank and praise God, without he first love him: nother may any man love him without he confess & knowledge him in the best & sincerest manner he can. Nother may he so be confessed and uttered, save by his work, which is remembered, felt & tried in us. Wherefore now when he proveth & knoweth God to be such one which looketh toward the depth, and helpeth only the poor, despised, wretched, miserable, forsaken & them that are nothing, than is he so inflamed in love, that his heart even floweth over in joy, leapeth and for delight that he hath got in God. And even there is than the holy ghost that teacheth such unspeakable cunning and lust at the twinkling of an eye, when a man is so tried.  
For this cause also hath God charged us all with death, and the cross of Christ, and with innumerable pains and sufferynges, charged his right well-beloved children the Christians, suffering them sometime to fall in sin, that he may see so much the deeper, that he may help many, work much, showing himself a true creature thereby, that he may know himself thereby, and may 'cause himself to be loving and most laudable. Where contrary wise the world (God amend it) with his high and overseeing eyes is alway repining without ceasing, and letteth the sight, works, help, knowledge, love and praise of God, robbing itself of such honour, fruit, joy and salvation. After this manner hath he also thrown his only beloved son jesus Christ in the depth of all misery, and evidently declared his saying, work, help, nature, counsel and will, that it might 〈…〉 to what intent he suffereth it to 〈◊〉. Therefore remaineth in Christ such notable proving, full knowledge, love and praise of God forever, as sayeth the xu Psalm: Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. (that is,) That he saith and knowlegeth the. Of this speaketh David also in the xliiii Psalm, saying: that all saints shall do nothing but praise God in heaven, for looking upon them in their depth, and hath made them thankful, loving and praising in the same.  
Likewise also doth here the beloved mother of Christ, which with the ensample of her proving, and with her words, teacheth us how we should knowledge, love and praise God. For saying she rejoiceth and thanketh God here with a joyful and leaping spirit, that he hath looked upon her, though she were lowly and nothing in her own and men's sight: therefore is it to be believed that she hath had simple friends poor, and rather of the lowest sort. And this will we now so say, because of them that be simple and of the lowest sort themselves. At jerusalem doubtless were the daughters of the high priests, and of the counsellors, fair, young and beautiful virgins taught and brought up after the most honest manner before all the country, as now are also the daughters of many kings princes and other noble and rich men. Nothersemeth she to have been the daughter of the chief ruler of Nazareth her native country, but rather of a mean poor cytesins, where unto was not given great heed or force. Ye she was reckoned among her neghboures and their children for none other save a serving maid, unto whom the charge of houswyfery and the cattle was committed: as poor maidens do, whom like charge is commit to be faithfully executed.  
For thus prophesied Isaiah in his xi chapter: There shall a rod come forth of the kindred of jesse, and a blossom out of his rod, and the spirit of the LORD shall light upon it. The stock and root of the kindred of jesse or David is the virgin Mary, the rod and blossom is Christ. Now like as it is not seen, ye incredible that out of a sere and rotten stock or root should grow a fair rod or blossom: even so was it not to be looked for nor likely, that Mary the virgin should be the mother of such a child. For I think Mary was not called a stock and a root therefore only, because that above nature & unstained floor of her maidenhead she become a mother, as it is also above nature the a rod should springe of a dead block: But also because that she was of a kingly stock and of David's kindred, which was sometime budding, flourishing, honourable, puissant, rich and happy, both in his and Salomon'S time, and a thing greatly set by among men. But at the last, when Christ should come, did the high priests usurp and take to themselves that dignity, having the rule alone, and the kingly progeny or kindred was fallen to extreme proverte, and despised as a dead block, so that there was no hope nor looking for more, that any king of great worship and renown should spring of it. And when it was in this state, and even come to the lowest, than doth Christ come of a small stock, born of a simple and poor virgin, and so the rod and blossom of such a person, as the daughters of my lord Annas & Caiphas would not have wytesafe to have done the vilest service of their handmaiden. Thus go the works of God and his sight in the depths, and the works and looks of men only in the height. And this is the cause of her loud song of praise, which we will now hear from verse to verse.   

My soul magnifieth the LORD. 
That word brusteth out of a vehement heat and overflowing joy, wherewith her mind and conversation heave itself wholly in spirit inwardly: Wherefore she sayeth not: I do magnify the LORD, but my soul. As if she would say: My life and all my thoughts drive, compel and overflow in the love and praise of God and exceeding gladness, so that I (even besides my selues) am rather heaved than do heave to praise God. Even as it chanceth also unto them that be endued with godly sweetness and spirit: so that they feel more, than they can utter and express with words. For it not man's work to give thanks unto God with joy. It is rather a joyful mind, and the only work of God, the which is not perceived by utterance, but by experience, as sayeth David in the xxxiii Psalm: taste and see how good the LORD is, happy is the man that trusteth in him. He sayeth first: taste, and than see, because he can not be known without a man's own experience: where unto nevertheless noman cometh, without he do wholly and fully trust in God, when he is into the depth and anguish: and for this cause doth he add continently and sayeth: Happy is the man that trusteth in him. For such one shall perceive the work of God in himself, and by this way he shall come to the perceaveable sweetness, and thereby come to all understanding, and knowledge.  
Now let us mark & weigh every word in order: The first is, My soul. Scripture dealeth man in three parts, as Paul the first to the Tessalonians the last Chapter sayeth: The very God of peace, sanctify you thorough out. And I pray God that your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless unto the coming of our LORD. And every one of these three, with all the man, is again dealt another way in two, namely: the flesh, and the spirit. The which partition is not of the nature, but of the being or properness. That is to say: Nature path iii parts, namely: the spirit, the soul, and the body, and all three may altogether, be either good or bad, and is than called the spirit and the flesh, whereof we will not speak at this tyme.  
The first part (that is) the spirit, is the most excellent, the deepest and the most noblest part of man, wherewith he is apt to understand incomprehensible, invisible and eternal things: and to be short, it is the house wherein faith and the word of God are contained, whereof David speaketh in the L. psalm saying: LORD renew a right spirit in mine entrails, that is, a straight and not bowed faith. And again in the lxxvii psal. speaking of the unfaithful, he sayeth: A froward & overthwart generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, & whose spirit was not true toward God.  
The second part, the soul; is even the same spirit after the nature, but after another operation. Namely, in that it quickeneth the body and worketh by the same, and is oftentimes taken in scripture for life. For the spirit may live well enough without the body, but so may not the body. This part see we also that even as we sleep it doth live and work without any ceasing. And his condition or property is not to perceive things that be incomprehensible, but such, as reason can have knowledge of and measure: And reason is the chief light in this house. Ye without the spirit being lightened with faith, or a greater light do rule & guide this light of reason, it can not be without error: for it is to vile, to bear any swinging in godly business. Unto these two parts doth scripture attribute much: but chefelye wisdom and knowledge: wisdom unto the spirit, and knowledge unto the soul. Besides these attributeth it also, hate, love, pleasure, loathsomeness, and such like.  
The third is the body with his members, whose works are mere exercise & use of such things as the soul knoweth, and the spirit doth believe. And to confirm this by a witness of the scripture: Moses made a Tabernacle with a threefold and several mansion: The first was called Sanctum sanctorum, in the which God dwelled, and this had no light. The second was called Sanctum, wherein was the candlestick with the seven shafts and lamps. The third was called the forecourte, which was under the open sky, and bore to the Son beams. In this figure is every Christian man featly described: For his spirit is the Sanctum sanctorum, the is, the most holy, the dwelling of God in a secret & (as a man might say) in a dark faith: for he believeth it that he can not perceive with his eyesyght, nother feeleth, nor yet doth comprehend. The Soul is the Sanctum, (that is the holy) there be the vii lamps, that is, all manner of understanding, the difference and knowledge of corporal & visible things. The body is the forecourte, which is bore to every man, so that they may see what he doth, and how he liveth.  
Therefore now prayeth Paul & sayeth: The very God of peace sanctify you throughout. Not only in one part; but thorough out, that the spirit, soul, body, and altogether be holy. Here were many things to be spoken, of the cause of this prayer, but I will briefly rehearse some of them: If the spirit be not holy, there shall nothing else be holy. Than is the most jeopardy and business in the holiness of the spirit, which consisteth only in a pure faith: that is, if the spirit be not cumbered with comprehensible things, as it is said. In the mean time than come false teachers, which entice the spirit forth of it, when the one seeketh to be righteous by these works, another by that way and manner. If the spirit be not here well provided and wise, then falls it out and followeth, and cometh to lean upon outward works & costumes, whereby it imagineth to be saved. Lo so soon is faith lost, & the spirit dead before God.  
Upon this grew sects and orders, so that the one becometh a Charterhouse monk, another a Grayfrere: the one endeavoureth to be saved with fasting, the other with praying, & another by this manner & fashion: one by this & another by the work procure to fly everlasting damnation. And yet are they all even but men's inventions, even such as one man's choosing hath founded. Read thereof the treatise of orders & sects. Nother are they commanded by God, but invented by men: about the which the vain janglers have no respect of faith, but teach alway the confidence of works, so long till they be at variance within themselves: Every man will be nearest the mark, & despise the other, as our observants do now a days swell and heave themselves. Against these workers and good men in sight, or rather hypocrites doth Paul pray, saying: that God is the God of peace, of whom these varienge hypocrites, & haters of peace are not partakers, nor having him, can hold the same, without they bid farewell their statutes, rules & ceremonies, & be all one minded in faith & spirit, knowledging that works cause variance, sin & dissension, & only faith maketh honest, one minded & peaceable men, as witnesseth the lxvii Psal, saying: He is the God that maketh men to be of one mind in the house. And again in the. C.xxxii. Psalm: Behold Even so showeth Mary whereof her song of praise shall sing and treat, namely: of the renowned & excellent works of God, the comfort of our faith, to comfort the lowly and to fray all the highest of the earth. And to these three uses or commodities is it necessary for me to direct this virgins song of praise, that she have not song it only to herself, but to us all, that we should counterfeit her. Nother is it possible that any man either should be afraid, or receive consolation out of so great works of God, without he not only believe that God can & knoweth to do great things, but also he must believe that he will do them, and hath pleasure in doing them. Nother is it enough to believe that God will do great things with other, and not with you, and by this means to avoid yourselves from the works of God. Even as they do, which being in prosperity or set in authority, fear not God: and they that be feblemynded tremble and be abashed of him in their adversity. For such faith is no thing and even dead, like unto an opinion conceived of some tale. But you must set his will surely & steadfastly afore your eyes, thinking within your mind that he both will now & hereafter also do great things with you. This faith is lively, growing, piercing through and changing a man, and making him even a new creature: and compelleth him to fear, if he be high: and conceive consolation, if he be lowly. Ye the higher he is, the more aught he to fear: and the lower he is, to have the more consolation, the which none other faith doth. But what must he do in extreme necessity, or danger of death? Surely than must he not only believe that God can, and knoweth how to help him, but also that he will help him: where a strange and an unspeakable thing must be done, namely, that he delivered from the death everlasting, do become the child of salvation, & the son and heir of God. This faith (as witnesseth Christ himself) is able to do all things. This faith doth abide, and cometh to the knowledge of the godly works, from thence into the love of God, and forth from thence into the praising and thanking of God: so that a man doth than make much of God, and conceive a good opinion of him.  
For God in his nature is not magnified of us, saying he is immutable, but in our knowledge and mind: that is, if we hold much of him, or set much by him, specially for his goodness and mercy. For this cause doth not the blessed mother say: My voice, my mouth, mine hands, my thoughts, nor my reason and will do magnify the LORD, (for there are many one, that praise God with loud voice, praising and preaching him with precious and godly words, speaking, disputing, writing and painting much of him, and also many that have great meditations, and by the guide of reason have great searchynges of him: finally there are some that with feigned religion and intent make much of him.) but she sayeth of this wise: My soul magnifieth God, (that is) my whole life, senses, and powers have a great opinion of God: so that as though she were ravished up to him, she felt some raising and ravishing in his goodness, the which the verse following doth declare. Of this wise see we also, that if any man doth us good, that even all our wits be moved and bended to him, so that we say O how great and good opinion do I conceive of this man? And even this is the very signification of the saying: My soul magnifieth the Lord. How much more shall such lively steering be caused, what time as we perceive the goodness of God, the which is very great in his works, so that even words and thoughts shall fail, and the whole life and soul shall be necessarily steered, and even as though all that is quick and lively in us would sing and praise God.  
Now are there two false sprites, which can not sing the Magnificat aright: The first that praise not God before he have first done them good, as David sayeth: They shall praise the when then hast done good unto them. These seem to praise God very earnestly, but saying they never will suffer the depth, the making low,, and subduing, they can never feel and perceive the right ways of the LORD, and so consequently nother love nor praise God truly. Hereby cometh it that the world now a days is full of divine services (as they call them) and laudes, with singing, preaching, playing on the organs and other instruments of music: Ye and this song of praise called Magnificat also. But this is to be pitied, namely, that so precious a song is handled so unfruitfully & without pith of us, the which we do not sing, without all things go well with us: for if any mischance do happen unto us, than hath our singing an end, nother is there any regard or estimation more of God, thinking that nother he can nor will work with us, and therefore have both singing, and the Magnificat also done with us.  
The other be yet more perilous, which lean to the other side, the which be proud of the gifts of God, and do not thank the pure will of God for it, willing part both of the praise and high estimation to be ascribed unto themselves. Such will be seen above other, and beholding the great good that God hath done with them, stumble thereat, using it as their own, advancing and heaving themselves above such as have not those gifts, as though they were some strange or peculiar thing. This verily is a brykle and yeoperdous haven for ships, it is a dangerous estate. The gifts of God be such that they make men proud & to stand in their own conceit and opinion: and therefore it is required that the last word be considered, namely, the Lord. For Mary sayeth not: My soul magnifieth herself, or setteth great price by hersefe, ye she would have nothing to be held of her: but she doth exalt and lift up God only, unto him she giveth glory, robbing herself thereof, and ascribeth and referreth all things unto him. And though she perceived the most plenteous works of God in herself, yet was she of that mind and abode therein, that she did not exalt herself above the most vilest and poorest man on earth: and if she had done so, than had she fallen with Lucifer into the lowest bottom of hell.  
Nother hath she thought otherwise than if such goodness of God had happened unto another handmaiden, she would have been even as well content, & wish it her so well, as herself: ye she hath counted herself unworthy, & all other worthy of such honour, nother would she finally have been miscontent if God taking again from her such gifts, had given them unto another in her presence. So little did she draw all this to herself, and left God's gifts free, whole and proper to himself, using herself as a glad hospital and a glad oostesse of such a geste: and therefore hath she also kept it forever. Lo this is said to magnify God, of this wise to have a great opinion and high estimation of him, and of us nothing.  
Hereby now is it evident in what great yeopardy of falling and sinning she was, so that it is no less marvel how she did so refrain herself that she did not pride and swell for the exceeding plenty of goods, nother did ascribe aught to herself: than that she did receive them. thinkest thou not that to be a wondrous heart? She seyeth herself a mother of God, excited far above all men: yet nevertheless doth she remain in that lowliness, simplicity, uprightness and courteousy that she hath not counted the least handmaiden to be under her. O we most wretches, whom if a few goods, a little authority or honour, or a little more beauty than another do befall can not count us equal with them of the lower sort: nother can we make an end of such opinion and standing in our own conceit: what would we do if we had great and high gifts?  
Wherefore God letteth us remain still in poverty and wanting, because we keep not his beautiful goods undefiled, & can use us as we did before we did receive them. But we let our minds increase or decrease, as the goods either grow or minish. But the heart of the virgin Mary remaineth ever steadfast in one mind and equality, she letteth God work in her according to his will and pleasure, taking thereby no more save an earnest consolation, joy and trust to Godward, and even so aught we to do also: for that were truly to sing the Magnificat.   
And my spirit rejoiceth in God my saviour. 
What the spirit be, have we showed a little before, namely, it that perceiveth things incomprehensible by faith. And therefore she calleth God her saviour or saving health, the which faith she had conceived by the work that God declared to her. And verily she beginneth after a comely order in that she calleth God first her LORD, and than her saviour, and first her saviour before she rehearse his works. Where with she teacheth us, how after a right order we ought to love and to thank God only and purely, nother seek aught of our own. Now doth he love and thank God purely, sincerely and truly, which praiseth him for none other cause, save that he is good: either beholdeth nought in him, but only his bore goodness, and in the same only he hath his joy and delight. And this is the highest and most fairest manner to love & praise God, which agreeth very well unto such an excellent and demure spirit, as the holy virgins is.  
The unclean and froward lovers, which are nothing but usurers, seeking in God that is their own, such nother love nor praise his bore goodness. For they do behold themselves, counting only how good God be to them, that is, how much he doth declare his goodness toward them and doth well by them, even that they do feel it: the which do also conceive great and high things in their minds of him, and joyfully do sing of him and praise him, as long as they feel the benefits of God. But when God doth hide himself, or withdraweth a little the beams of his goodness, so that they seem bore and banished, than hath the love and praise an end, nother can they love or praise the bore and unfeleable goodness hid in God: whereby they declare, that their spirit did not rejoice in God their saviour, & that there was no true love, no praise of the bore goodness of God, but that they delighted more in the saving health, than in the saviour, in the gifts than in the giver, in the creatures more than in the creature. Nother can they remain of one mind in plentyfulnesse and in scarceness, in abundance of goods and in wanting the same, in riches and poverty: contrary to saint Paul, which said to the Philippians the four Chapter: I have learned in whatsoever estate I am, therewith to be content. I can be low and I can be high. Every where and in all things I am meet, both to be full, & to be hungry: to have plenty, and to suffer need. I can do all things thorough Christ, which strengtheth me. Of this thing speaketh the xlviii Psalm on this wise: He shall speak good of thee, so long as thou dost him good. As though he would say: He seeketh his, and not thine. If they had received pleasure and riches of thine hand, thou shouldest be little set by of them, they would make little of the. As Christ also said joh. vi. unto them that sought him Verily, verily I say unto you: You seek me not because you saw the tokens, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled. Such unclean false sprites stain and defile all God's gifts, letting him to give more, and to work more luckily with them. Whereof let us hear a proper ensample:  
A certain honest woman and fearing God did see iii virgins sitting by an altar, and at massing time, a goodly boy leapt from the altar unto the first virgin, using her very friendly, clasping her about the neck, and smiling upon her. After that went he to the second, but he did not behave himself so familiarly to her, nevertheless he lift up her veil, and smiled upon her. Unto the third he showed no sign of love at all, but bet her on the face, haled her by the here, trod her with his feet, & used her very uncourteously: and suddenly leapt again upon the altar, & vanished away.  
Then was the interpretation of that sight showed unto the woman. The first virgin signifieth the uncleanly sprites, seeking their own, unto whom God must give many good things, and rather accomplish their mind and will, than his own, which will want nothing, and ever have comfort and pleasure of God, not being sufficed with the goodness of God. The second signifieth those sprites, which have begun to serve God, and can suffer some scarcenesss, yet nevertheless are not without love of themselves and their profit. Unto them must he sometime show a smiling countenance, letting them assay his goodness, that thereby they might learn to love his bore goodness, and highly to praise it. The third virgin, poor, wretched and clean forsaken hath nothing but misery & smart, she seeketh no profit she is content therewith that God is good, though she should never assay it (the which nevertheless can not be) the same abideth of one fashion and of both the sides, either to love or to praise the goodness of God, as well when it is felt, as when it is not felt: nother doth she fall upon the goods when they fall to her, nor falls from them when they fail. And this is the true spouse of Christ, which sayeth to him: I will not it that thine is, but thyself: I love the no better while all things go prosperously, than I do hate the while it goeth contrary with me.  
With such manner of sprites is it fulfilled that is written: Thou shalt not turn from the right way of God, nother to the right, nor to the left hand. That is, You shall love & praise god aright & straightly, nother bended to yourselves, nor your profits. Such spirit had David, when he being driven from jerusalem by his son Absalon, was of that mind▪ that he being cast away for ever, would never look for to come again, nother in the kingdom, nor in the favour of God, so that he said (as it is written in the second book of Samuel the fifteenth Chapter:) If I shall find grace before the LORD, he shall fetch me again, and let me see it (meaning the Ark) and the house of it. But if he say thus: I have no pleasure to thee, behold, here am I, let him do with me as it pleaseth him. O what a pure spirit was that, which did not cease to love, praise and to obey the pleasure of God, not not in extreme necessity. Such spirit also doth the holy mother and virgin mary show, when she ebbing and flowing in the midst of all overflowing and excellent goods did not stumble nor fall at them, nother seeketh her own, but keepeth her spirit pure and without blame in the love and praise of the mere goodness of God, glad and willing to take in good worth, if God will spoil her of the same again, and leave her a poor, naked and failing spirit.  
Moreover as it is more jeopardous to refrain himself in wealth, riches & great worships, than in poverty, shame and wretchedness, saying riches minister great occasion to wickedness: even so is this pure and wonderful spirit of Mary so much more to be allowed, that she being endued with so exceeding high honours, doth not for all them set up her comb, behaving herself as though she saw it not, remaining straight & right in the high way, leaning to the goodness of God only, the which she nother feeleth nor saith, setting little store by such goods as she feeleth, nor taking pleasure in them, nother seeking it that is her own, so that out of a true and right fundament she doth sing: My spirit rejoiceth in God my savour. It is truly a spirit that springeth of faith only, and rejoiceth not for the goods of God which the blessed virgin did feel, but for God only, whom she felt not, and is glad of her salvation, which she now knew by faith. These lo are the true, lowly, empty, and hungry sprites, of the which we shall shortly speak.  
By this now may we know & judge how full this present world is of false preachers, and saints, which do beat in much of good works unto the simple people. And though there be few that preach earnestly the very thing, namely, how good works aught to be done, (for many one do preach man's traditions and works, that they themselves have invented & set up) yet are many of them (& that alas of the best of them) so far wide out of the straight and right way, that they drive the common people always upon the right hand. For they teach good works and the wholesome living, not for the mere goodness of God, but for their advantage. For if there were no heaven nor no hell, and if they looked for no grace of the goodness of God, they should soon leave the goods of God unloved and unpraysed. Those are sekers of themselves, hirelings, bondmen, strangers and not heirs, which make an Idol of themselves, and ask love and praise of God, willing God to do that unto them, that they necessarily should do unto him. They have no spirit. Nother is God their saviour, but God's gifts save them, where with he must serve them as a servant. They be the children of Israel, unto whom it sufficed not to be fed with heavenly Manna, but lusted also after flesh, onions and garlic: and as they perished, and attained not the land of promise, so shall such false sprites do also.  
Now (God amend it) is all the world, all cloisters and temples full of such kind of men, which all through false, wicked and crooked sprites do walk, drive, chase and heave good works so high, that finally they imagine to deserve heaven by them: where before all things the goodness of God should have been declared. And it become us to know, that like as God saved us and made us happy, without any of our merit or working: so likewise should we seek to work without respect of all profit or reward, working good only for the goodness of God, seeking nothing but that is pleasing to him: not having an eye to the reward, which of his own swinging shall befall unto us, though we do not seek nor look for it. For it can not be but the reward must follow us if we do work of pure and upright spirit, without looking for reward or profit. God refuseth a spirit that seeketh his own profit, nother will he ever give him any reward. Moreover, as a child serveth his father gladly and freely as an heir, only for the father's will: (for if he serveth him only for the goods and heritage, he is unkind, and worthy to be dishereted:) even so must they do that knowledge Christ to be their father and brother.   
For he hath looked upon the low degree of his handmaiden. Behold, from hence forth shall all generations call me blessed. 
The word low degree have some drawn to humility, as though the holy virgin had referred aught to herself, of her honest behaviour, justice and work, and did rejoice therein: Whereby it is come that some prelate's, and specially the Antichristes' do call themselves humiles or lowly, which is far wide from the truth. For in the sight of God can no man boast of any good thing without sin and damnation. Before him must a man rejoice only of his pure goodness and grace showed unto us unworthy, that not ours, but God's love and praise remain in us, & keep us: which thing Solomon doth also teach Pro. twenty-five. saying: Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, & press not in the place of great men. Better it is that it be said unto thee: Come up hither, than thou to be set down in the presence of the prince. How should than such boast & presumption be ascribed unto this chaste virgin, that she should advance her humility in the sight of God, which is the most worthiest of all virtue? Nother doth any man think or boast himself to be lowly, without he be the most proudest. Only God doth know, judge and open the low degree or lowliness, so that man never knoweth less of it, than when he is most lowly.  
The use of scripture is to call Humiliare to cast down, to press down and to bring to naught: wherefore Christian men also in some place of the scripture are called poor, vile and brought low, as in the. C.xiiii. Psalm: I was brought down, & he helped me. humility than is nothing save a despised, vile, depressed or cast down thing or estate: of the which kind are the needy, sick, hungry, thirsty, prisoners, troubled & dying creatures: as job when he was proved, David as he was chased & driven out of his realm, and Christ with all the true Christians in their need. And this is the depth, whereof we have spoken before, namely: that the eyes of the LORD behold the depths, but man's eyen look only in the height: that is, the outward appearance and shining estate or condition. And for this cause is jerusalem called a city where upon God's eyen do behold. After this manner lieth the Christian congregation or church in the depth, and is of no reputation before the world: wherefore God doth look upon it, and wendeth his sight always upon the same, as David witnesseth in the xxxi. Psalm, speaking in the person of God: I will inform the and show the the way wherein thou shalt go, I will fasten mine eyes upon the.  
Of like fashion speaketh. Paul i Corin. i saying: That foolish is before the world hath God choose, that he might confound the wise: and that weak is before the world hath God choose, that he might confound the mighty: and the vile and despised before the world hath God choose, ye and that which is nothing, that he might destroy that, which is aught, that no flesh should rejoice in his presence. By this means maketh God the world foolish, with all his wisdom and strength, and giveth another wisdom and power. Seeing than that this is the mind of God, to look downward, and to the things that are nothing therefore have I englyshed the word Humilitas for a thing of no price or regard, so that this be the mind of Mary: God hath wended his eyen upon me that am a poor, vile and a maiden of no regard, which might easily have found rich, renowned, noble queens and of great lineage, either might he have choose the daughters of princes & great estates, ye he might have choose the daughters of Annas or Cayphas rulers of this country: But he hath fastened upon me the eyes of his mere goodness, and used me that am so vile and despised an handmaiden, because none should boast herself to have been worthy of such an office: & I also must needs grant that it is only of pure grace and goodness that such doth hap unto me and not for my merits or worthiness, whereof I am bore.  
Thus have we now sufficiently showed here above, how the holy virgin unlooked for is come to this honour, out of a despised estate: and how God hath so graciously looked upon her. And for this chance she doth not boast & advance her worthiness or unworthiness: but only she rejoiceth of the sight of God, which is so bounteous & gracious, that he hath looked upon so slender a maiden, & that so greatly, honorously and worshypfully. Wherefore they that say she did not advance her virginity, but her lowliness, do her injury. For she nother did advance her virginity, nor lowliness, but the only, the godly and gracious sight of God. Wherefore there is no pith or weight in the word low degree, but in the word he hath looked. For her surrendering is not to be praised and commended, but the looking of God upon her. Even as if a noble prince should reach his hand unto a wretched beggar, the beggars hand is not to be allowed therefore, but the princes gentlynesse and familiarity.  
But that the wrong opinion may be avoided, and the true lowliness may be known from the feigned, we will make a little digression, and treat of humility or lowliness: for many one have erred not a little therein.  
humility do we call commonly a will to small and despised things. Now are there many that bring water to the well, namely they, that alway cumber their minds with vile clothing, people outward gestures, towns, words and places, upon them do they think, in them is their conversation, but to that intent, that by the same they might be counted and esteemed great, rich, learned, holy, ye also God, as such that love to be conversant in lowly things. But if they knew, men did not set thereby, they would right soone leave them. This is a feigned lowliness, for their wicked eye beholdeth naught save the reward, avail and praise of humility. Nother behold they the vile things, not looking for reward and profit, no more than a cook doth to roost meat that doth not drop: wherefore when the reward and praise do no more appear, than hath humility done with them. Such have no affection to the vileness, because they be not of one heart and mind in vile things, they have only the thoughts, hands, mouth, clothing and outward behaviour in vileness, but their heart looketh to high things, to the which they do imagine to come: and such are they that count themselves lowly holy saints.  
They that be lowly in deed, turn not their eyen to the reward and praise of humility, but with a simpel heart do they behold the vile things, being glad to be occupied in the same, nother do they at any time perceive their lowliness. Here springeth the water out of the fountain, here followeth it of his own swinging, wherefore they do use vile vestures, gestures, words, places and persons, though they do every where shone gorgeous and high things: which thing David also witnesseth in the. C.xxix. Psal. saying: LORD I am not high minded, I have no proud looks. etc. And job in the xxii chapter: Whoso humbleth himself, shallbe set up: and whoso looketh meekly, shallbe healed. Hereby cometh that unto such doth honour befall unwares, and their heaving up without foreknowledge or deliberation. For they were content with their low estate and simple condition, nother thought they once upon high things. But the feigned lowly marvel greatly that their exaltation & honour tarrieth so long, nother is their false and feigned pride content with their vile condition, but secretly considereth higher estates in their minds.  
Therefore did I say that true humility or lowliness doth not at any time perceive that she is lowly, (for if she did know it, she would be proud with the sight of so great a virtue) but with heart, mind and all her wits is she pight upon sleghte and lowly things, which alway present themselves to her sight. These are her images, wherein she hath her conversation and pastime: and as long as she hath them in sight, so long can not she behold herself nor be cumbered with herself: much less be ravished and have pleasure in the contemplation and sight of high and great things, or give her mind thereto. For this cause than must the honour and dignity be fall unto her unwares, & find her in thoughts cleave contrary to honours and dignities: for after this manner doth Luke say, that the Angels greeting was strange unto the virgin, for it came suddenly and unlooked for. If the same greeting had chanced unto Cayphas daughter, she would not have thought: What manner of greeting is this, but would soon have accepted it, and would have said within herself: Ah how well and happily doth this befall?  
And again feigned lowliness doth never know that she is proud: for if she did, she should quickly be refrained with the sight of the heinous fault, but she fasteneth her heart, mind and thought upon high things, the which she hath in sight without ceasing. These are her images, wherewith she is alway cumbered, and as long as she setteth her mind on them, she can nother behold nor consider herself. Wherefore the honour cometh nother unwares nor unthought upon, for it findeth thoughts thereto agreeing: but shame and enpoveryshing come unlooked for unto such: for they were minded to sail with another & more luckelyer wind.  
For this cause is it not good to learn lowliness after this manner, that he have in sight and imagine vile and despised things or people. Nother contrariwise waxeth any man proud because he seyeth high and great things. The images are not to be avoided, but the eyen▪ must be weened therefrom. As long as we live upon earth, we must live both with the high and low things or estates: but (as Christ sayeth) the eye must be put out. Genesis the iii chapter sayeth not Moses, that Adam and Eve saw other things after the prevarication, than they did see before it, but that their eyen were opened, that they might see their nakedness, where as they were naked before also, and yet did not consider it. The queen Hester did wear a very costly crown upon her head, yet did it seem but a stained clot in her sight. Here were not the high images taken away from her, but rather were set before her, as unto a most puissant queen, and no sleight or vile things were before her: but the sight was wended therefrom, and her heart and mind did not behold the high things and glorious: Wherefore God wrought also strangely with her. After this fashion must not the outward things be altered, but we must be altered in our mind and wits: for than shall we easily learn to despise and fly high things, to set much by and to seek sleight & lowly things. For there is humility or lowliness found and steadfast for all chances, & yet never are ware of it. This is done with delight and the heart remaineth alway one and of one fashion, howsoever other things do befall or change, either to the height or depth.  
But (LORD God) what pride skoulketh under the vileness of clothing, words and behaviour? whereof the world now a days is full. The which visures and dissemblers do so submit themselves, that they will be despised of no man: they do so fly honours, that they notwithstanding will be chased therewith: they do so shone high things, that nevertheless they be not myspraised, nor their possessions minished, the which they covet always to have of the best and picked out. But this virgin uttereth nothing but her vileness, wherein she lived & abode willingly, she never coveted nor thought upon honour and height, nother did she consider and behold her lowliness. This humility is so fair and precious, that she can not abide her own countenance but that image is reserved unto the face of God, as witnesseth thee. C.xii Psalm, saying: Who is like unto the LORD our God that hath his dwelling so high, which humbleth himself to behold that is heaven and earth. For he that can behold his lowliness, the same can judge himself worthy of eternal bliss, & so were God's judgement at an end, seeing we know surely that God doth save the lowlyones. Therefore must God reserve and keep the same for himself to know and to judge, and hide them from us with the fence of exercise in lowly things, by beholding of the which we also do forget ourselves. To this now serve many persecutions, deaths & all kind of trouble on earth, in the which is travail & pain, the with thenwe may put out the false & deceitful eye.  
Thus is it evident unto us by this word humility or lowliness, that Mary the virgin was a despised, vile, and a maiden of no estimation, & in this low degree to have served God, and not to have known, that her low estate was much worth before God Whereby we are taught and comforted, that though we aught willingly be despised and brought low, yet should we not despair therefore, as though God did hate us: but rather trust that he shallbe merciful unto us. Only this shall we beware, jest we be not willing enough in this subduing & casting down, jest our wicked eye be to much open, and so deceive us with privy looking upon high things, or searching out of our pleasures, wherewith the humility or lowliness do perish. For what helpeth it the damned to be cast down to the nedermost & lowest, seeing they do not suffer the adversity gladly and with a good will? And again what hurteth it the angels to be highly exalted, seeing they conceive no false lust and presumption thereby?  
Finally, to be short, this verse doth teach us to know God truly, saying it witnesseth that God doth behold lowly things and people. And he knoweth God aright, that knoweth that he bendeth his eyen to the lowly, as we have sufficiently declared: & of the same knowledge followeth the love & trust to Godward, so that a man do yield himself and follow him willingly. Of this have we a goodly place in the ix Chapter of jeremy, saying: Let not the wiseman rejoice in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nother the rich man in his riches: But who so will rejoice, let him rejoice in this, that he knoweth and understandeth me. This doth Paul confirm in the ii epistle to the Corinthians the xi Chapter, saying: Let him that rejoiceth, rejoice in the LORD  
After than that the mother of God had in such wise praised her God and savour with a bore pure spirit, & ascribed none of the goods to herself, and therefore had song truly unto him of his goodness: now doth she finally and orderly go to the praise of his works & goods. For (as we have said before) we aught not to run headlings to the goods of God, nother aught we to ascribe and draw them to us: but by them as by steps we must pierce unto the author & cause of all goodness, we must cleave unto him only, and make much of him. And after that praise and thank him in his works, wherein he hath showed us such goodness, that we may trust, love and praise him: so that his works are nothing save a great occasion to love and to thank the mere goodness that reigneth over us.  
She beginneth first with herself, and singeth what God hath done for her, wherein she teacheth us two things: first, must every man mark diligently what God worketh with him, more than all the works that he doth with other. For thy bliss consisteth not in that he worketh with other, but with the. As (John the xxi Chapter) when Peter said of S. John: LORD, but what shall he do? Christ said unto him: If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. As though he would say: Ihons' works shall not avail thee, thou must go to thyself, and take heed what I will do with the. nevertheless a great misuse of selling good works doth reign in the world now a days. For some presumptuous sprites will help other, chiefly such as live and die without Gods own working: even as though they had to many good works. Where Paul i Corin. iii sayeth: that every man shallbe rewarded according to his works: ergo not after another man's works.  
It might be suffered if they did pray for other, or brought their works as means & intercessions to god. But seeing they come to God therewith, as with some gift or present it is a wicked and heinous intent. And (that most abominable is) they deal and give their works unto other, the which nevertheless they know not how acceptable they be unto God. For God doth not behold the works, but the heart and faith, by the which he worketh with us. Whereof they do not force, leaning upon the works only, with the which they do deceive themselves and other also. And so far is the matter come, that they persuade men that be at the point of death, to put on a freres raiment, saying: that if any man die in so holy an habit, all his sins shallbe forgiven him, and get eternal bless. Thus do they not only save men with strange good works, but also with strange garments. I think (if there were no heed taken thereto) that the devil would bring such men so far, that they would think to bring the people to heaven with religious meats, dwelling, and burying. Good LORD how feleable is this darkness, namely: that a cool or religious habit may justify and save a man? for what needeth faith then? Let us than become all freres, let us all die in frerely abites: & by that means shall clothe want to make freres. Beware, beware of wolves, walking in such sheep's clothing, for they do beguile the & tear thee, & think that God doth work with thee, & thy salvation, & that by the work that he worketh in thee: nother put thy trust in any other as thou sayst the holy virgin Mary do here. And though thou dost use to this the intercession of other, thou dost not evil: for we all aught to pray the one for the other. And no man shall trust unto other men's works, without the own & proper works of God: but with great diligence take heed to thyself & Gods works, even as though God & thou were one in heaven & earth, and though God did work with noman but with thee, and so forth look upon other men's works also.  
The second that Mary teacheth, is, that every man will be the first in the praising of God, & to recite the works done to him, & after the yrayse him also in other works. After this manner do we read the Paul & Barnabas did show unto the apostles the acts that God wrought by them: & again the apostles showed them what God had wrought by them also. Like unto this did they (in the last Chap. of Luke) showing each other of the resurrection of the LORD & appearing to them. Even there doth finally begin a common joy and praise of God, where every one praiseth the grace of another, and his most of all, though he be viler than another: nother doth he covet to be the chief in the goods, but in the love and praise of God. For every man hath enough of God, & his mere goodness, how slender that ever his gift be, so simple an heart hath he. But the hypocrites, seeking their own avail look a squynte and play the luskes: which when they see they be not the chiefest nor best in the goods, they murmur in stead of praise, and say: that they be either like or under other, like as they did whereof we read Math. xx. that murmured against the husbandman, not that he did them wrong, but that he counted the last like worthy of the days hire with them.  
After this manner are there many found that do not praise the goodness of God, if they see that they have not received so much as Peter, or any of the other saints, either this or that holy man alive on earth: thinking that if God had given them so many good gifts also as he hath given to other, they would praise and laud him likewise, setting it light to be endued of God with such goods, as they do not perceive, as be: the body, life, reason, substance, honours, friends, the service of the Son, with all other creatures. The which people, if they had all the goods that Mary had, yet would not they knowledge nor praise God in them, For as sayeth Christ Luke xvi He that is faithful in the least, is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in the least, is unrighteous also in much. Therefore are not they worthy of the great and much, because they despise the small or little. If they did praise God in the least, they should have abundantly the great: whereof the cause is they have their sight above them, and not under them. For if they had their sight bowed downward, they should see some, which perchance have not half so many goods and gifts, and yet be at rest and content, praising God. A bird hoppeth for joy and singeth if it can, being content with it that it possesseth, and murmureth not because it can not speak. A dog leapeth and waggeth his tail, showing a joyful countenance, nother is he myscontente that he wanteth reason. All manner of beasts are content with their goods, & serve God with their endeavour & praise. But the only wicked and loving itself eye of man is unsatiable, nother doth it endeavour itself to be satiate by reason of his unkindness and pride, saying it coveteth ever to be the chiefest & best, preferred above other: nother will it praise and glorify God but rather look for honour of him.  
Of this manner do we read that in the time of the council held at constance in Germany, two Cardinals riding upon costly mules over the fields by the way, did see a shepherd stand weeping. The one of them a more meeker man and moved with pity, would not pass by him that was so sorrowful, approached to comfort him, and asked first what him ailed. The shepherd after he had wept bitterly, and held his peace a great while, so that the Cardinal was grieved and sorrowful also. At the last he showed him a toad and said: For this cause do I weep, namely, that God hath shapen and created me so fair a creature, and not like this evil favoured worm, and that I did never consider this by myself, nor thanked him therefore. Of this was the Cardinal so abashed, that he fallen from his mule, and was born in the council house, where he cried and said: O Austin how truly was it said of thee: The unlearned rise up and take in the kingdom of heaven, but we with our learning do wander in flesh and blood. Now do I think that the shepherd was not so rich nor fair, yet did he so highly & earnestly consider the gifts of God in him, and render thanks therefore, that he did find more in himself, than he could well attain & perceive with his sight.  
The first work of God toward the holy virgin doth she confess to be the looking upon her, the which also is the chiefest, of the which all the rest hang & flow. For if it be come so far that God wend his sight to any man to behold him, that is nothing but grace and mercy, and there must needs follow all gifts and works. As we read Gene. iiii. that God did look upon Abel and his gifts, and not so upon cain nor his offering. Of this come the prayers commonly in the psalter, that God will lighten his countenance upon us, and not hide his sight, but direct it upon us, and such like. And that she doth think this to be the chiefest, she doth sufficiently show, saying: Lo, for this beholding of me shall all chyldes' children call me blessed.  
Mark the words, she sayeth not the her praises shall be spread abroad, the her virtues shallbe commended, that her virginity or humility shallbe extolled, or that her excellent deeds shallbe song and uttered with some song or ballad, but she doth only often repeat and say: that God hath looked upon her, and that thereby she shallbe called blessed. And that is to give the honour and praise to God so holily and purely, that there is no thing more holy nor pure. And therefore pointing upon the beholding or looking upon of God, as with a finger she sayeth: Behold from hence forth now shall they call me blessed. That is, from the time that God hath beholden my vileness, I shallbe called happy. Wherein not she, but the grace of God in her is praised: ye she is made little, and maketh herself little, when she sayeth that her vileness is looked upon of God. And for this cause doth she first advance her salvation, before she recite the works of God declared toward her, and attributeth the looking upon her vileness all together unto the sight of God.  
By this now is it evident, & we may guess by this which be the true honour, wherewith she must be honoured, if she perchance hath need of it. But how shall we say to her▪ Look upon her words, and they shall teach the to say thus: O thou blessed virgin and mother of God, how vile and despised werest thou? yet not withstanding God did wend so mercifully and richly his sight toward thee, and hath wrought great things in thee, whereof thou werest never one worthy: and the overflowing grace of God in the is far above thy deservings. Happy art thou & blessed art thou from that time forth for ever, the which hast found such a God. Nother needeth any man to think that she will not be pleased, if she be said to be unworthy of so great favour: verily she failed not, when she granted of her own mind that she was vile and unworthy, that God did look upon her for none of her merits or deserving, but of his mere and only grace.  
She hath no delight to hear such vain janglers, as both preach and write many things of her merits, wherewith they crack and advance their great learning: not considering how greatly they derogate the Magnificat accuse the mother of God of dying, and minish the grace of God. For so much worthy merit as is given unto Mary, so much is the grace of God rob of, and the virgins song is rob of truth. The angel did only great her on the grace of God's behalf, and that the LORD was with her, wherefore she is blessed among women. Wherefore they that attribute her so many praises and honours, and let them so stick and cleave upon her, they be not far from making an idol of her: even as though she aught be worthily worshipped and trusted unto, where as she doth reject and tender all unto God, & will have God to be praised in her, labouring and endeavouring finally to cause every man to have trust and confidence in God's favour by her ensample.  
Whosoever therefore will honour the virgin Mary aright, the same must not set her next his heart, and by God, but far beneath him, making her bore and naked, and so (as she sayeth herself) behold her nakedness. After that must he marvel of the unspeakable and abundant grace of God, which so richly and bountyfully both look upon, love, and bless so vile, unworthy and despised a person: that so beholding he be moved to praise & love God in like gifts, and so he be occasioned ever to trust & to hope some great goodness of God, and that of such a God, as doth not despise the poor, despised & vile, but wyteth them safe of his own sight, that so his heart be stablished in faith, hope and charity. What more acceptable thing suppose you can befall unto her, than that you come to God by her after this manner, and learn to trust and hope in God by her ensample, when you likewise are despised and set at naught, what manner of way that ever it be, either in life or death: She will not have the to come to her, but by her to God.  
Again, that you learn to eschew all high east and condition, the which every man environeth to obtain, saying that God nother found nor did will the same in his mother. But those painters and counterfayters, the which do so paint and set out the blessed virgin unto us, that there be no vile thing seen in her, but all excellent things, what do they else but teach us to set our sight on the mother of God, & not her in the sight of God: Whereby they do fray us, & nearehande do cause us to despair, & darken unto us the image full of consolation, even as they do stop the saints in Lente. For seeing she is drawn above all ensamples & patrons, there is nothing left whereof we may take any coosolation or cmnforte, where she aught and with a good will would be a principal ensample of grace, to steer all the world to the grace, love and praise of God, that the hearts of all men might conceive such an opinion of her toward God, which with all confidence might say: Ah blessed virgin and mother of God, what great comfort did God give us by thee, because he did with so gracious a countenance behold thine unworthiness and low degree, whereby we are admonished henceforth to trust, that after thine ensample he will also look upon us wretches.  
thinkest thou not that if David, S. Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene and such like for the great grace that they unworthily did obtain, are become ensamples to comfirme the Godly faith and hope, that the blessed mother of God doth not covet likewise gladly and worthily to be an ensample and patron unto all the world? But now can not that be for the superfluous blowers out of her praise and vain janglers, which do not declare by this verse how the abundant riches of God were unied and made one with her slender poverty, the godly worship with her humility, the Godly worthiness with her vileness, the Godly power with her feebleness, the Godly goodness, with her merit of no value, the Godly favour with her unworthiness: where of lust, delight and love toward God with all confidence do grow. To the which intent the lives and sayings of all saints be written also. But there are now a days some that seek help and comfort at her, as at some God, so that I fear me there reign more Idolatry in the world in our days, than ever did. Let this suffice at this tyme.  
These two words: All generations do signify as much as: Chyldes children, and it is so darkly spoken, and so profoundly, that some have busily cumbered themselves, thinking which way this should be true, saying that the jews, Turks, Saracens, and other heathen, beside no small number of false Christians do not only refuse to call her blessed, but despise and curse her. The cause of this is that they understand the word Generations of the congregation of men, where as it stretcheth farther in this place. As namely: the degrees or members of the natural issue, where the one ever followeth or succeedeth another: the father, the son, the cousin, and so forth, whereof every member is called a Generation. So that the mind of the holy virgin, when senior sayeth that her praise shall last from generation to generation, is, that there shallbe no time, wherein her praises shall not be published. And that doth she mean when she sayeth: Lo from henceforth shall all generations, that is, it beginneth now and shall endure in all generations or kindreds that shall succeed hereafter.  
Moreover the word to call blessed hath a larger signification in the Greek than that it can so be expressed. For it signifieth also to make happy or blessed, so that it is not done with tongue only, or words, or making courtesy, or bowing of the head, or vailing of the bonnet, or setting up of images or pictures, with building of temples or chapels, the which wicked men can do also: but with all thy strength, truly and heartily. And that is done, when the heart (as it said before) with beholding of her lowliness, and looking of the Godly grace upon her doth conceive an inward joy and delight toward God, and say or think thus from the very entrails and bottom of the heart: O how happy is this virgin? Such blessing is her true honour and worship, as we have said before.   
For he that is Mighty hath done great things unto me, and Holy is his name. 
Here doth the blessed virgin sing at once and in a seemly order all the works that God hath wrought in her. In the last verse hath she song of the looking graciously of God and his bounteous and merciful will toward her: the which is the chief and principal part of mercy and grace (as is said:) and here she singeth of gifts and works. For God though he give many one great gifts, and strow his goods in common, yet doth not he therefore straight way look upon and behold them. The worldly and temporal goods are good: but the grace, favour and sight of God, are the heritage that doth last ever: as saith Paul Ro. vi. The gift of God is everlasting life in our LORD jesus Christ. In the goods giveth he that is his, but in the sight and grace doth he give himself. In the goods is his hand received, but in the sight of grace upon the heart, his spirit, mind and will are received there in. Wherefore the holy virgin doth give the most thanks unto the sight of God. Nother sayeth she first: All chyldes' children shall call me blessed, because he hath done so great things unto me, whereof this verse maketh mention: But because he hath looked upon me that am vile and of no reputation, and to my low degree, whereof the first verse doth specify. Where a gracious beholding is, there are gifts also, but not contrary wise is there a gracious sight, where gifts are. For this cause doth this verse or part of this song duly follow the first verse. After this manner do we read Genesis xxv that Abraham gave gifts unto the children of the concubines, but unto Isaac his true and lawful son by Sara his lawful wife, he gave the whole heritage. After this manner is it the mind of God, that his children take no consolation of the gifts, either spiritual or temporal, be they never so great, but of him and his goods, yet not despising the gifts.  
Nother doth the mother of God rehearse any goodness severally, but with one word doth she comprehend them all, saying: He hath done great things unto me, that is, all that he hath done unto me is great. Whereby she teacheth us, that the higher the contemplation in spirit be, the less words aught we to make. For she feeleth well enough that she can not utter with words the thing, that she thinketh in her mind, and would fain express. Wherefore such few words of the spirit are sometime so weighty and profound, that no man can understand them, without he somedeal feel the same spirit. But unto them that be void of the spirit do such words seem very sleght and clean without sweetness or tayst, which dispatch their tax with many words and great noise. Christ in the vi Chapter of Matthew, teacheth us to eschew the multiplyenge of words in our prayer, saying the heathen men do even the same, which thereby do think to be herd. As now a days also in many churches there is plenty of ringing of bells, playing on organs and other instruments of music, of singing, crying, and reading: but scarcenesss of praising of God, the which is to worship God in spirit and truth. joh. iiii.  
Solomon saith in the xxvii chap. of the Pro. He that is to haysty to praise his neighbour above measure, shallbe taken as one that giveth him an evil report. For he causeth the matter to be suspect, so that every man doth think it a feigned matter, which he busieth so earnestly to stuff with his gorgeous praises, and maketh nevertheless the matter worse therewith. And contrariwise he that lacketh his neighbour, and riseth early, (that is, is not slack, and speedily doth rid the matter) the same is to be taken for a praiser. For men do think: it is not as he doth say, and he doth it of an hating and evelwylling heart, so that he doth make his cause worse, and his neghboures better. On this wise do they that endeavour to praise God with multiplyenge of words, with crying and jangling. They do as though he were deaf, or knew nothing, and that we must wake or teach him. Such opinion of God is rather a dispraising of him, than a praising. But he that thinketh upon the works of God aright even from the bottom of his heart, and beholdeth the same with wondering and giving of thanks, so that for very ferventness he bruste out, and sigh rather than speak, and the words that flow by themselves, not feigned nor connynglye devised do so roll out, that even the spirit do also come out: Ye that the words have even hands, feet and life, so that finally the whole body, the whole life and all the members do long to speak, that is, to praise God truly in spirit and verity. There are the words very fire, light and life, as witnesseth David in the. C.xviii. Psalm, saying: LORD thy words are fiery. And again: My lips shall set forth thy praise: even as water in a seething pot runneth over and foameth, so that it can not retain itself therein, for the vehement heat in the pot. Of this kind be all the words of the virgin Mary in this song, the which be few, yet both great and high. Such praisers of God doth saint Paul unto the Romans the xii chapter call: fervent of spirit, the which chafe and burn in spirit, teaching us to be of the same sort: and such were the fiery tongues, that the holy ghost descended in upon the disciples.  
The great things be nothing else save that she is become the mother of God, by the which thing so great goods and so excellent are given unto her, that pass all the understanding of any man. For from hence floweth all honour and bless, so that among all mankind she be even one person, exceeding all other and peerless: because she hath only the heavenly father with the son common with her. And hereby cometh that she herself can not name these great things, for the abundaunte excellency of them: but must rest there, and breast out in praising with a fervent affection, saying: He that is mighty, hath done great things unto me. For this cause is all her honour comprehended in one word, namely if she be called the mother of God: for no man can say greater things by her, nor to her, though he had as many tongues, as the earth hath herbs and flowers, the sky hath stars, or the see sondes. Moreover it must be considered with a deep heart, what it means to be the mother of God.  
She doth also featly ascribe and attribute this thing unto the grace of God, and not her merit. For though she was without sin, yet was that grace so great, that she was in no wise worthy of it. For how could a creature be worthy to be the mother of God? Although some vain janglers, and not writers, do babble very much of her worthiness and deserving of this office. But I give more credence unto the blessed virgin, than unto those vain writers and babblers. She sayeth that her low degree was looked upon, and that God hath not rewarded her therefore, but that he hath done great and mighty things unto her. He hath done great things unto me (sayeth she) not for my deservings: For such a thing did the holy virgin never think upon, much less than did she prepare herself to it, that she might be the mother of God. The message came suddenly and unwares unto her, (as sayeth Luke the evangelist.) As for a deserving abideth and looketh not for the reward to come suddenly, but of a readiness and set purpose.  
Now it that is in the song called, Regina coeli letare. etc. (namely: Whom thou deservedest to bear. And in another song: Whom thou werest worthy to bear) is nothing to purpose. For the same words are also song of the holy cross, the which not withstanding was a tree, and could deserve nothing. And even so is this also to be understand. If it than of necessity must have been the mother of God it was required again, that it should have been a woman kin, a virgin, of the tribe or kindred of juda, and to believe the message of the angel, that judged her apt to the same, as the scripture had witnessed of her. The preciousness or worthiness of the wood was none other, save that it was meet to be a cross, & was ordyned of God to the same use: Even so had the holy virgin none other worthiness to be the mother of God, save that she was comely and ordyned thereto: that so it might be a mere grace and no deserving or duty, that in no case it were prejudicial and minishing either the favour or the glory of God. It is more seemly to abayte to much from her, than from the glory of God. Ye there can not be abayted to much from her, saying that she (as all other creatures) is created of naught. But unto the grace of God is to much derogated, the which is dangerous, nother is the mother well apaid therewith. It is needful also, that we pass not the marks that God's glory doth admit, in usurping of calling her: as when we great her a queen of heaven, yet is she not an idol thereby, that either she may give or help, as they do, which call upon her, desire her to be gracious, and finally fly unto her rather than unto the rich treasures of God. She giveth nothing, only God giveth all as it followeth: He that is mighty, wherewith she robbeth all creatures of their strength & power. O what great hardiness is this, and what spoils of so tender and young maiden? which can make destistute all mighty and strong men of their strength, all puissant men of their power, all wise men of their wit, and all boasting and glorious men can she bring to shame, attributing all strength, noble acts, wisdom and glory unto God only. For the saying: He that is mighty, is so much to say, as there is noman that can do aught, save only God, as witnesseth S. Paul saying in the i chapter to the Ephesians: that God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, and that the works of all creatures, are the works of God: the which thing we also acknowledge in our Crede, saying that we believe in God almighty. He is so almighty, that in all things, by all things, and above all things, nothing doth work, save only his strength and puissance. After this manner said Anna the mother of Samuel, in the i book of Regum, the ii chapter: There is noman that can do aught of his own power. And Paul saith also in the ii Epistle to the Corinth. the iii chapter: Such trust have we thorough Christ to Godward, not that we are able of ourselves to think any thing, as of ourselves, but our ableness cometh of God. This is an high & worthy article, containing very much, alayenge at once all pride, curiosity, presumption, rashness, boasting, false confidence, & exalteth only God: ye and showeth the cause also why he ought to be exalted, even because he worketh all things. It is easy to be spoken, but to reform and redress our life according to it, that is laborious, and full of pain. For they that lead their life in such things, are lovers of peace, given to God, and simple men, attributing nothing to themselves, certified that God hath all things, and they nothing.  
This is than the meaning of God's mother in these words: Of all these great goods is nothing mine, but he that worketh all things alone, and whose power alone worketh in all things, he it is that hath done so great things unto me. For the word Mighty signifieth not a workelesse, idle, and resting power, (as we say of a worldly king that he is mighty, which nevertheless is still, and worketh not) but a working power and continually doing, which without intermission doth proceed & work. For God doth not hold up, but proceedeth in working, as witnesseth Christ joh. u My father worketh hitherto, and I work also. Of this wise also sayeth Paul Ephes. iii that God is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we axe or understand according to the power that worketh in us. That is: He ever giveth greater things than we require, as his nature is to do, so doth his power work. For this cause did I say, that Mary would be no Idol, and that God doth all, & she nothing.  
For this cause doth she add and say: And holy is his name. That is: As I do not take the work to me, even so do not I ascribe the honour thereof unto me nother. For he only aught to have the praise & name, that fulfilleth the work. It is unseemly the one shall do the work, and another shall draw the name and praise thereof unto himself. As for me, I am the workhouse only, where in he worketh, and therefore is no praise nor honour due unto me, that I am the mother of God, but God and his excellent work are to be praised and honoured in me. It is enough for me that I rejoice with him, and say: Happy am I, that God hath separate me, in whom it hath plased him to accomplish such his works.  
Lo how purely doth she wend all to Godward, how wholly doth she draw no honour, no work, no glory to herself, and behaveth herself as before when no such thing had happened unto her, setting no more ●●●are, or making more search for honour, than she did before: nother doth she swell, advance, or cry out that she is become the mother of God: nother doth she finally require any worship therefore, but goeth her way, and doth her business as before, mylketh the kine, dyghteth the meat, washeth the dishes, sweepeth the house, and doth all that a handmaiden or housewife becometh to do in such vile works, as though such plenteous gifts of grace did not pertain unto her Among women & her neghbures was she estymed no greater, than she was afore, she required no more nother, and remained a poor cytesin among the common people. O what a simple & poor heart is that? O what wonderful virgin? what great things are hid under a lowly behaviour? How many have felt her, spoken to her, eaten and drunken with her, which perchance have counted her to be despised, of the common sort, a poor and simple cytesin, which would have be nabasshed and marveled, if they had been ware of such in estimable gifts in her: and that is his name to be holy. For holy is it called, that is sundered and appropriate to God, which noman may touch nor defile, but worship it. And name is called a good fame or renown, glory, praise and worship. Now must every man than abstain from the name of God, so that he nother touch it, nor draw it to himself, the which is also meant Exod. thirty: where Moses was commanded by God to make precious ointment, & it was straightly forbidden any man to anoint his body therewith. That is: Noman shall be so hardy as to appropriate the name of God to himself, for that is said to unhallow and to despise it, if we rejoice in ourselves, or take any honour upon us, either have pleasure in ourselves, or advance our goods or works, as the world doth unhallow and defile the name of God with out ceasing. For as the works are only Gods, so is the name left him only also. Moreover as many as hallow so his name making themselves void of praise and honour, worship it aright, wherefore they also be hallowed of it: which the precious ointment that is spoken of in the thirtieth chapter of Exodus doth signify with the which all that was touched, was cleansed. This ointment is the word of God, hallowed of us. For when we do attribute unto us no works, no ●oastynge, nor love of ourselves thereof, than is it honoured aright, than doth it touch and hollow us.  
For this cause aught we to beware, saying that we can not be on earth without the goods, name and honour of God, that if we be praised of any man, or get a name, that than we use this example of the mother of God, being ready to answer them with this verse, using the honour & praise aright, confessing openly, or at the least thinking thus in our mind: LORD God, it is thy work that is praised & advanced, I beseek the let it be thine name also. Not I LORD, but thou hast wrought it, which workest all things mightily, and holy is thy name. After this manner ought noman to refuse the praise and honour as wrong, nor to dispraise them as nothing worth: but he aught not to ascribe it to himself, as a thing to percious and noble, referring them to him, whose they be truly in heaven. This lo teacheth this noble verse, wherewith he is answered also that demandeth, whether one do not own reverence unto another. Ye Paul sayeth, Ro. twelve. In giving honour let one go before another. Nevertheless noman shall take the honour upon him, as though it did befall unto him: nother shall he suffer it to remain upon himself. But he shall hallow and restore it unto God, unto whom it belongeth, with all the good and work, from whence the honour floweth. Nother shall any man lead an unhonest life. If he live honestly, than must honour be there. But as an honest life is the gift and work of God, so let his name also be holy and undefiled from delighting and having delectation in himself. This do we also desire in the pater noster, when we say: Hallowed be thy name▪   
And his mercy endureth throughout all generations, upon them that fear him. 
It is needful for us to know the manner of the scripture, which calleth the natural lineage or issue a progeny or generation by the which one man is ever successively born of another. Wherefore this english word generation or progeny doth not suffice to express the meaning thereof, yet do I know none better than it. For a progeny do we call the company that belongeth unto us, either by reason of blood or marriage. But in this place it signifieth the natural issue and succession from father, till chyldes' child, and every member of the same is called a progeny, and I think it be not wrong Englyshed of this fashion: namely, and his mercy endureth from child to child upon them that fear him. And this phrase of the scripture is very rife, having his beginning and original of the words that God spoke unto Moses and all the people upon mount Syna, saying Exo. xx. I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the sin of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation, of them that hate me: and do mercy upon many thousands, that love me, and keep my commandments.  
After that Mary the mother of God had finished the praise of God, and of his goodness toward her, she wandereth now all among the works, which God worketh generally in all men, and singeth of them also, teaching us featly to know the works, kind, nature and will of God. Many ingenious and witty philosophers have attempted the same also, that they might know what God were, writing much of the same, the one thus, another so. But they were all blind in that behalf, and could not perceive the true shining. And verily the greatest thing, both in heaven and earth, is to know God aright, if it do befall unto any man. And that doth the blessed virgin teach very properly by her own ensample, as is showed above. But how can he be known more easier or better than by his works? for he that perceiveth this duly, the same must needs know his nature, will, heart & mind: Wherefore it is cunning to know his works. And that we might mark it the better, she rehearseth orderly in these four verses six godly works in six kinds of men, and parteth the world in two, setting on each side three manner of works, and three kinds of men so, that a continual debate doth remain among the parties, by reason of the feat opposition one against the other: whereby she doth describe him so goodly, as can not be amended.  
Moreover, this partition is duly and orderly comprehended in sundry places of the scripture, as namely jeremy the ninth Chapter, where he sayeth: Let not the wise man rejoice in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nother the rich man in his riches: But who so will rejoice, let him rejoice in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me: for I am the LORD which do mercy, equity and righteousness upon earth: Therefore have I pleasure in such things, sayeth the LORD. This is a noble text, and agreeable to this song of the blessed virgin. By this place also do we see that the spirit of the prophet dealeth the world in three, as namely: in wisdom Power and riches, the which he doth overthrow when he sayeth that noman should rejoice in them: for God is not found in them, nother can he have pleasure in them. Moreover he setteth three other against these, namely: Mercy, judgement and righteousness. In these is mine endeavour (sayeth he,) ye● I myself do all these. So near am I, that I do these things, not in heaven, but upon earth, there am I found. He that knoweth me of this manner, the same may rejoice truly and make his boast boldly thereof. For if he be not wise, but poor spreted, than is my mercy with him: If he be not mighty, but vile & lowly, than is my judgement ready for him: If he be not rich, but poor and needy, than is my righteousness so much the more reigning with him.  
By wisdom he understandeth all high spiritual goods, whereby man may get a delight, rejoicing and a good opinion, (as the verse following doth specify,) as be: understanding, reason, prudence, knowledge, virtuousness, an honest conversation: finally, all that is called in the soul holy or spiritual, how great gifts that ever they be, so that none of them be God himself.  
By power he understandeth all power, nobleness of birth, friends, dignities, worship, whether they concern temporal or spiritual goods or men (though in scripture there be no spiritual superiority, but only a service and occupying of a low room) with all his right, liberty and privilege. etc  
By riches are ●●●●te health, beauty, pleasure and all that may chance unto the body outwardly. Against these are three other set of the prophet, namely: the poorespreted, the oppressed, and the needy. But we will look orderly upon the six works and parts.   

The first work of God is Mercy.  
Of this work speaketh this present verse, saying: His mercy endureth from child to chyldes' child, or from progeny to progeny upon them that fear him.  
She beginneth at the greatest, namely, at the spiritual or inward goods, which make men here upon earth the most proudest, highminded and hardnecked. There is no rich man, no mighty lord so proud or high minded, that is not overcome of such a wise man: the which perceiveth and doubteth not at all that he doth pleat or defend a just cause, understand the matter well, and that he is wiser than other folk. Specially, when it is come so far that either he must avoid, or else knowledge his cause to be unjust, than becometh he so rash and void of the fear of God, that he will not be ashamed to boast and say, that he can not err, that God is with him, and other be accursed, ye he is not ashamed to call the judgement and day of doom to witness: and if occasion be joined to his power, than breaketh he forth with his malapartness where it pleaseth him, he pursueth, judgeth, vexeth, slayeth, driveth away and waisteth all them that withstand him, and this affirmeth he to be done to the praise, glory and service of God. And is so sure of a great deserving and plenteous grace by God, that the angels of heaven be scarce so sure. O what a great burble is this? O how much doth the scripture treat of such kind of men? how dreadful things doth she threaten them? but they feel it less than the anuylt doth the hammer strokes. And this thing is rife and plenteous of matter.  
Of such speaketh Christ in the xvi of John, saying: The time cometh, that who so ever putteth you to death, shall think that he hath done service to God. And David sayeth likewise of such on this wise: He doth prevail against all his enemies, saying: There shall no evil approach me. As though he would say: I defend a right quarrel, I do well, God shall reward me highly Such do Esay in the xvi Chapter, and jeremy in the xlvii say● that the Moabites were, writing on this wise: As for Moabs' pride, we have herd of it, she is very high minded. I know her stoutness, her boasting, her arrogancy, and the pride of her stomach, sayeth the LORD. For her furiousness may nother uphold her with strength, nor deed. We see such men take things upon them passing their power, for the great pride. Such were the jews against Christ and his apostles. Such were Job'S friends, which reasoned above measure wisely against him, and commended and praised God vehemently. But such kind of men hear no man, they can be persuaded of no man, nother can any man bring them thereto, that if their cause be wrong, they will grant it, or to give place, but stick to it that they have begun and proceed therein, though the world should perish therefore. Nother can the scripture sufficiently reprehend such naughty packs, calling them sometime an adder, stopping his ear, jest he hear the charmers voice, sometime a roaring lion, sometime an unmovable rock, sometime a dragon, & so forth other names.  
But this kind of men is no where better set forth in his colours, than in the xl and xli chapters of job, where they be called Behemoth. Now Behema in Hebrew is as much to say as a beast, and Behemoth the plural number signifieth beasts, that is: a umbrement or multitude of men, leading a beastly life, and not permitting themselves to be guided by the spirit of God. This kind doth God in the same place say to have eyen like the morning shine: for there is no end of his wisdom. His skin also is so hard, that no wapen can pierce thorough it, either shot or sticked at, that is: if the word of God be preached against them to their reproof, they laugh it to scorn: for they judge their matter sure enough: The scales also do shycke so fast together, that the least air can not enter, that is: they agree so, and be so one minded, that they will not admit the leeste breath of God's spirit. As for his heart (sayeth God) is hardened like an anuylte. It is the Devils body, and therefore doth he in this place attribute it all unto the same. Such a people above all other is the bishop of Rome, with all his umbrement, and hath been a great season. For they do likewise, and that of such a fashion, as is evident that never was seen: they hear no body, there is no redressing and amending of life: Not persuading, no praying, no threatening will help. shortly, they nother say nor sing, save: We defend a good quarrel, thus must it be, avaunt they whom this doth not please, ye though it were the whole world.  
Here might some body say: How shall this agree? shall we not keep the laws? shall we let go the truth? Is it not commanded us even to die in the truths quarrel & righteousness? have not the holy martyrs of God suffered much for the Gospel? Would not Christ himself have right? For it chanceth oft-times, that such men defend a just quarrel, (ye and before God also, as they do boast,) and that they handle themselves ryghteously and truly. I Answer: Here is it due to have the eyes opened, and also necessary, here is the knot: It rests only in that, that a man have the true learning in the law. It is true verily that we must suffer much for the truth and righteousness, & not to deny the same, how slender soever she be. Moreover, it may be that the other part have right, but they do amiss in that they execute the law unjustly, and handle not the matter with fear, nother have they God before their eyen, but think it to be enough that the matter is right, and therefore he both will and must proceed by his power, and make an end of the game: where by they make of their right, wrong, though it were true in deed and unblamable. But it is most perilous, when they think themselves to be in the right way, and yet be not sure what ought to be done in matters that concern God and his judgements. But we will first speak grossly and set forth a common and blonte ensample:  
Are not money, goods, the body, honour, a wife, children, friends and such like good creatures, created and given of God▪ Now that they are the gifts of God, and not thine, and God will prove thee, whether thou canst find in thine heart to loose them to advance his glory, and hang more upon him only, than upon these creatures: and therefore should raise one that either should take part of them from thee, or altogether, either hurt the or by bodily death would 'cause the to loose them: thinkest thou not here were a just cause to be witless, to rage, to recover the same again by force and strong hand, or to be unpatient until thou hadst recovered them again, laying for the that they be good creatures of god? And because that all the scripture judgeth the things to be good, therefore thou also wilt keep the word of God, and defend or require again the same goods both with body and life, orels to forbear them or let them go against thy will: Were not this a jolly visor? If thou wilt therefore do well in this behalf, thou mayest not run headlings after thine own brain. But how shall I do than? you shall fear God, and say on this wise: LORD they be good things and thy gifts, as thine own word and the scripture do witness. Nevertheless I dove whether thou dost envy me them. If I knew I should not use them, I would not bestow one hear upon the having again of them: but if I knew thou wouldest them to be in my power, I would (obeying thy will) bestow both body and goods to have them again. But saying now I stand in doubt of either of these thy wills, and I see what now is done, namely, that thou sufferest them to be taken from me, I commit the matter unto thee, and will wait upon thy pleasure in this behalf, ready either to keep them, or to forego them.  
This (lo) is a faithful soul, and fearing God, by whom is mercy, as the mother of God singeth of. And here by may it be evident, of what fundament and spirit Abraham, David, and all Israel did war and slay so many in times past. For they took the matter in hand at the commandment and will of God, and with fear: not fighting for riches, but because God did require it of them, showing otherwiles the commandment of God in that behalf, as the holy scripture maketh mention sometime. Now may you see that the truth is not denied, which sayeth that these be good creatures: Ye the same truth also doth say and teach that thou do forsake, and ready at all time to forego the same goods, if it please God, and so hang only upon God, The truth doth not compel the to require the goods again, in that she sayeth they be good: nother doth she constrain the to say they be not good, but renouncing the same say that they be not evil.  
Likewise must be done with the law, and all manner of goods either of wit or reason. justice is a good thing, given of God, who doubteth therein? God's word itself doth confess that the law is good. Nother may any man say that his righteous cause is evil, but shall rather die the death, and forego all that is not God. For that were to deny God and his word, the which testifieth that the law is not evil, but good. wilt thou therefore cry out, rage, play the mad man, and kill all the world, because such right or law is taken from thee? As some do which lift up their voice until heaven, causing great misery, wasting people and countries, filling the world with war and bloodshedding. What knowest thou whether God will leave those gifts and right to thy governance? they be his, he can take them from thee, either to day or to morrow, he can deprive the of them, and restore the to the same again when it shall please him by friends or enemies, even as it pleaseth him. He doth prove, whether thou wilt loose thy right for his love, suffer wrong and injury, suffer rebuke for his name, and cleave only to him. If thou than art dreading God, and sayest thus within thee: LORD, it is thine, I will not have it in my power & subjection, without I know that thou do wish it me, than shall this verse have room: And his mercy endureth thorough out all generations, upon them that fear him, which will work naught, but it be according to his will.  
Here (lo) is the word of God kept on both parts: first, that thou grantest thy right, reason, understanding, wisdom, and all thine opinion to be good and just, the which even the word of God doth also say. secondly, that thou art content to forbear such gift for the love of God, to be wrongfully condemned, ye to be a mockage and a gazing stock to the world, the which Gods word also doth teach. There be ii things: to confess the thing that is just and good, and to obtain or overcome. It is enough for the to knowledge and confess that thou hast a good cause. If thou canst not overcome, commit the matter unto God. It is thy part to knowledge, to overcome hath God reserved unto himself. If he will have the to overcome, he shall do it, either shall he so bring the thing to pass, without thy counsel or thought, that thou must needs take the matter in hand and overcome, and that after such fashion, as thou never wouldst have thought or desired. If he will not, let his mercy suffice the. If the victory of thy righteousness be taken from thee, yet can not the knowledging of the same be taken from the. Lo, here must we stand back, not from the goods of God, but from the wicked and evil giving of to much mind to the same, that we can right well both use and forego them, so that in all chances that befall, we cleave only to God. Would God all princes and powers (as their duty is) were not ignorant of this, which be not content to confess that they have right, but will needs overcome and win, setting aside all fear of God, and filling the world with blood and misery thinking they do right therein saying they have a rightful cause, a true matter and a righteous quarrel, or at the least suppose it to be so. What is that else save the proud and highminded Moab? which counteth and maketh himself worthy of the noble and beautiful possession of God's gift, namely, the Law: where as he (if he behold himself well in the sight of God) is not worthy that the ground do bear him, and that he do eat the crusts of bread, because of the uncleanness of his sins. O blindness, blindness, who is worthy of the leeste creature of God? yet will we not only have the chief creatures, as justice and wisdom and their honour, but also with outrageous shedding of blood and with all misfortune do procure & endeavour to keep the same: and forthwith we go pray, fast hear mass, found churches, with so bloody and raging mind, that it were no wonder though the stones should leap in our faces.  
Her● riseth now again a question, namely: Shall not a prince than defend his land and people from injury? Shall he sitting still and resting, suffer all things be taken from him? What should become in the world of this at the last? Here upon will I briefly show my mind: The power of the sword or superiority must & needeth to defend his subjects, as I have oft-times said. For that cause beareth he the sword, that such as receive the word and admonition of God, and do not obey the same, be retained in fear, that so they may let other be in rest and peace. And here in aught he not to seek his own advantage, but of other, and the honour of God, being content to be at rest, and to lay up the sword, had not God ordained the same to the punishing of the wicked, and defence of the good: so that such protection and defence be not done with farther damage, as namely, for taking up a spowne, a platter be broken. It is but a slender protection, if an whole city be brought in danger for one person: or if for one village or castle, all the province be disquieted: without God doth command it severally, as sometime he was was wont to do. A soldier doth rob some cytesyn, and for to avenge the same, thou raisest an host, and gatherest a tax of the whole country: who hath the most harm, the lord or the soldier? David did wink oft-times, when he could not punish without the great damage and harm of other. Even so must all powers order themselves, and again the indweller must forbear and suffer somewhat for the community, & not wish, that for his sake, all other suffer great loss and hurt. Equalite can not be had alway. Christ would not that the taxes should be plucked up, lest the wheat were plucked up also. If men should war for every assault, and wink at nothing, there should never be peace, but continual waisting. Therefore is righteousness or unrighteousness never a sufficient cause to punish or to war without discretion: nevertheresse it is cause sufficient to punish in season, without the undoing of another For a lord or prince must specially see what is expedient rather unto a commonalty, than unto one or other. To speak of war is here no convenient tyme.  
Of this wise must be done in godly matters, namely: Faith and the Gospel, which are the best goods, nother may any man leave them. But the righteousness, favour, and honour befalling & belonging to the same must be weighed, & committed to God. The care is to be taken not for the victory, but for the confessing & knowledging, & to suffer willingly though a man were reviled as a wicked deceiver, an heretic, an erroneous or rash fellow, though a man were persecuted, driven away, burned or killed, or any other means: for the mercy of God is nigh unto such. For the faith and truth can not be taken from him, though he be deprived of his life. Yet nevertheless aught noman to run of his own accord, & to bring or keep such right of the gospel by force or unlawful means: but to submit himself in the sight of God, as one the perchance is unworthy, the such exceeding goodness should hap thorough him, & with complaining and praying to commend the matter unto his mercy.  
Behold this is the first work of God, namely: that he is merciful unto them, that with a good will forego their intent, righteousness, wisdom & what soever spiritual goods there be & gladly remain poor of spirit. Those are the true fearers of God, that judge themselves worthy of nothing, be it never so little, & be naked with a good will both before God & men. And the goods, which they have unworthily received of the pure grace, do they use with praise, thanksgiving & fear, even as though they were other folks go●des, not seeking their own will, pleasure, praise, or glory but his whose they be. Whereof the blessed virgin taketh occasion to show how God delighteth more in exercising this his bewtyful work, namely mercy, than strength: when she sayeth, that this work of God shall last continually, from child to chyldes' child, upon them that fear him, where as the other work lasteth only until the third or fourth generation, and in this verse following is nother stint nor time set.   

The second spiritual work, is to subdue the proud.  He showeth strength with his arm and scattereth them that are proud in the imagination of their heart. 
Let no man be moved with this my true translation, in that I have translated above worketh mightily, but here I say: he showeth strength. For the cause why I so do, is that the words might be the plainer & easier to understand, which ought not to be bound either to time or place: but that the nature and works may be more frelyer uttered, the which he alway hath done, doth, and shall do, so that it is as much as though I had said: God doth so play the LORD, that his works prosper so mightily, that he scattereth the proud, and giveth mercy unto them that fear him.  
The arm of God is taken in scripture for his own power, by the which he worketh without any mean of the creatures: the which is done privily and unlooked for, so that noman is ware of it, before it be dispatched: and that no man can know the same arm or power, save only by faith. Wherefore, few do give faith thereunto, as Isaiah doth complain in the liii Chapter, saying: Who giveth credence unto our preaching? Or to whom is the arm of the LORD known? All this is done (as it followeth in the same place) because the all things are wrought privily under an unequal appearance of such power. Abac. the prophet sayeth also in his iii Chapter that God hath horns in his hands, meaning thereby his great strength: yet notwithstanding doth he say that the same power is hid. But how is this done? namely after this manner:  
When God worketh by the mean of creatures, than is it evidently seen where strength or feebleness is: whereof is risen this proverb: God doth aid the stronger part. Whatso ever prince therefore vanquisheth the other, the same is he, thorough whom God doth strike the other. If a wolf tear any man, or he get any damage otherwise, that same is done by the creatures. Of this wise doth God make or destroy one creature by another. He that overcometh, overcometh: he that abideth, abideth. But where as he himself worketh with his arm, there goeth it otherwise to work: for there is the matter destroyed or made again, contrary to our opinion, no man perceiving it. This kind of working doth he use in two sorts of men, namely good and wicked: for the good he suffereth to be so feeble, strengthless and oppressed, that every man would think it were all done with them, and that they were at their latter meace, & at the very same time is he strongly by them, and that so secretly, that they themselves that suffer can not tell thereof, but believe it. There is the full strength and arm of God. For when the strength of man faileth, than cometh the power of God in: if faith only be there, waiting for the same. Now when the trouble is come to an end, then doth it appear what strength lay hid under the feebleness. Of this wise (lo) was Christ destitute of strength on the cross and even than wrought he exceeding great things, vanquyssing sin, death, the world, hell and all evil. After this manner were all martyrs strong and overcame: and after this manner do all such as be troubled now a days overcome. For the which cause joel sayeth in the iii Chap. Let the weak man say, I am strong, but in faith, not in feeling, until it be nearhand come to an end.  
Again, the other part suffereth God to heave and exalt itself, withdrawing his power from them, and letteth them be puffed up by reason of their own strength. For when man's power cometh in, than goeth the power of God out. But when the bladder is full, & every man thinketh to have the better hand, then cometh God suddenly, and pricketh the bladder, whereby all is dashed. Those fools know not, that even when they rise and prosper, they are forsaken of God, & that God's arm is not with them. Therefore doth their endeavour last an appointed season, and after that doth it said and vanish, like a burble, and becometh as though it never had been, whereof David (marveling in the lxxvii Psalm how it happened that the wicked and ungodly become so rich, careless and mighty) at the last doth say: I could not know this, until I went into the Sanctuary of God, & considered the end of these men, namely: how thou hast set them in a slippery place, that thou mayest cast them down headlings, & destroy them O how suddenly do they consume, perish, and come to a fearful end? Ye even as a dream when one awaketh, so makest thou their image to vanish out of the city. And again in the xxxvi Psal. he sayeth: I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, & flourishing like a green Bay tree: but when I went by, lo, he was go: I sought him, but he could no where be found.  
Lack of faith is only the cause that we can not also abide a little, or else should we see seatly how the mercy of God is with them that fear him, and the arm of God also against the proud with all force & strength. We faithless grope blyndfeld with our fist after the mercy of God and his arm. The which if we do not continently feel, than do we even think all be lost of our part, and our enemies to have got the field: as though both God's mercy and grace were withdrawn from us, and his arm to be against us. And that cometh thereby, because we know not his works, wherefore we know not him, his mercy, nor his arm. It is necessary, and he will be known by faith Therefore must the wit & reason be shut up, their eye offendeth us, we must therefore pluck it out, and cast it away.  
Lo these are the two works of God repugnant each to other, wherein we are taught that to be the mind of God, that he be far from the wise and prudent, but be near unto the foolish, which must suffer wrong. This maketh God to be loved and praised, and comforteth the soul, body and all powers.  
Now consider the words: He scattereth them that are proud in the imagination of their heart. This scattering or wasting is done (as it is said) when they are wisest of all, and most fullest of their own wisdom, for than surely is the wisdom of God go. But what way can he scatter them better, than with depriving them of his eternal wisdom? and by permitting them to be filled with worldly & transitory wisdom. It is pithy that she sayeth: them that are proud in the imagination of their heart, that is, such as their own mind, understanding (the which not God, but their heart doth minister) doth greatly please, as though they only were the most justest, wisest and best: whereby they advance themselves above such as fear God, myspraysing their opinion and right, reviling & persecuting them to the utermooste, so that their cause only must be just and abide. The which when they have obtained, they heave them selves unto the clouds, as the jews 〈◊〉, that withstood Christ, and yet perceived not that their matter came to naught thereby, and was despised, and Christ contrariwise to be exalted and set up unto an exceeding glory. Thus do we see than that this verse speaketh of spiritual goods, and teacheth by what means the works of God are known on both parts, and teacheth us also to embrace willingly the poverty of spirit, and to suffer injury, to permit unto our adversaries their request, for they shall not long rejoice. Herein is a strong and sure promise that the proud shall not escape God's arm, they must be thrown down, though they heave themselves never so sore, if we at the least be fully so persuaded. For where such faith is not, there doth God not work such great works, but leaving them he worketh openly by creatures as is declared before. But these are not true works whereby he may be known, for the powers of the creatures are joined to them also: Nother are they the bore works of God, which aught be to such, as he worketh alone, without any foreign help, which is done when we are oppressed for our opinion and right, and suffer the power of God to use her will in us. These are his noble works.  
Moreover, Mary doth connyngly check the ungodly hypocrites here, and looketh nother to their hands nor eyen, but to the heart, and sayeth: them that are proud in the imagination of their heart, where with she doth specially mean the enemies of the truth, even as the jews were sometime against Christ, and as some are now a days like unto them. For such holy and learned men are not proud in clothing and behaviour, they pray, fast, preach, study, say mass often, they go douking with their heads, and think noman to be a greater enemy unto pride, covetousness, or hypocrisy than themselves, and that noman be a greater friend of God than they themselves. How could they hinder and hurt the truth, were not they so holy, honest & learned men? For such their utter appearance, glystereth, shineth and bleareth the eyes of the common people. Good LORD how well are they persuaded, calling upon God, and take pity upon poor jesus that doth so evil, is proud, and finally not like unto them in righteousness & honesty▪ Of them sayeth Christ in the xi of Matthew: that wisdom is justified of her children, that is, they are wiser and more righteous than I myself, which am the godly wisdom. Whatsoever I do that is naught, and must be checked and correct of them.  
These are the most wicked and poysonest men on earth, whose pride of heart is so deep and devilish, that she can brook no medicine nor wholesome counsel. For they hear not what is said, ye they reckon it not to be spoken unto them, but unto the wretched sinner, which hath need of it, they need it not. John baptist doth call them the generation of vipers Matthew iii and Luke the third: and even so doth Christ also Matthew the xii and xvi These are they that do not truly fear God, do & serve to be destroyed of God with their pride and arrogancy. But saying there is noman that so pursueth the truth & righteousness as these do, (though they think it be ongods behalf as we have said before) therefore among the three enemies of God must they go before and bear the standard, the second & least are the rich, whom the great men and rulers, the third enemies do pass in executing power. But these learned men excel either of the other far beyond the neck, for they do hurt on both parties with their bloody enticing. The rich men quench the truth by themselves only: The men of authority chase her from other: But these learned men quench her clean out in themselves, & in stead thereof they bring forth the imagination of their own heart, so that she can never rise again. Now as the truth is better in herself than men, in whom she hath her dwelling, so much are the learned men worse than the great men, or rich men. O how doth God abhor and hate such, as they be worthy?   

The third work is to subdue the proud.  He putteth down the mighty from the seat. 
This work with the other following may easily be perceived by the two works above rehearsed. For like as he destroyeth the wise and subtle in their imaginations and good meanings: (where unto they stick, and use their pride against such as fear God, which must suffer wrong, and their wit and righteousness must be condemned, the which all is chiefly done for the love of God's word.) Even so he destroyeth and putteth down the mighty & great men with all their power and dominion, where upon they leaning, used their cruelty and pride upon their inferiors, and on the good lowlyones, the which must suffer punishment, death and all evil of them. And as he comforteth them that must suffer wrong and shame for righteousness, the truth, and his words sake, even so strengtheth he them, that suffer hurt and wrong: but the more he comforteth those that must suffer wrong, so much the more frayeth he the other. But this all must be perceived and looked for in faith. For he destroyeth not the mighty, as soon as they have deserved it, suffering them sometime until their power or authority be finished: for than doth God keep them no more, nother can they keep themselves, but do vanish & said of their own swing without any rumour or sedition: and than such as are oppressed come forth and rejoice without any uproar or noise. For the power of God is in them, which only abideth.  
Mark that she sayeth not, he destoyeth the syes or trones, but he putteth the mighty down out of the seats: nother sayeth she, that he leaveth the oppressed under foot, but setteth them up. For as long as this world doth endure, so long must superiority, Rule, Power & the Trones continued. But that they are evil used, contrary to the will of God, in doing injury and wrong unto such as are good, and that they do also delight therein, and exalt themselves therein, and use it not with the fear of God, to his praise, and defence of justice: that can he not suffer long. As experience here of may be seen in all stories, how that God setteth up one kingdom and putteth down another: how he raiseth one province, and putteth down another how he multiplieth one nation, and destroyeth another: as may be seen in the Assyrians, Babylonians, Perses, Greeks and Romans, which nevertheless imagined their reinss to endure ever. Even so likewise doth he not destroy reason, wisdom and laws, for they must be had, if the world shallbe maintained: but pride, & the highminded, which serve themselves with these gifts, fear not God, persecute the good and gods law, & abuse such bewtyful gifts of god against him.  
God's business is in that case now, that the wise and proud meaners, (if I may so call them) do most commonly join themselves with men of authority, and steer them against the truth, as David witnesseth in the ii Psalm, saying: The kings of the earth stand up, & the rulers are come together, against the LORD and against his anointed. Because the law and right have alway the wise, mighty and rich against them, that is: the world, with his great and valiant powers: therefore doth the holy ghost comfort them by the mouth of his mother, that they be not abashed nor doubt, but let these wise, mighty and rich alone, saying they shall not long endure. If the holy ones and learned, taking to them the mighty, wise, rulers, governors and the rich should all not stand against the truth, but be of her side, where should unrighteousness remain? who should suffer wrong or evil? Not so. For the holy ones, mighty, superious, the rich and the best of the world, must fight against God and his righteousness, and be the Devils darlynges, as witnesseth the prophet Abacuc in the first chapter, saying: His meat is picked and dainty. That is: the wicked spirit hath a denty tooth, he loveth to eat of the sweetest, most deyntyeste and costliest dishes, as the Beer also doth honey. Therefore are the learned, the holy Pharisees, the Herodes and the rich even the devils dainties. Again what so ever the world doth refuse, as the poor, lowly, simple, vile, and despised, that doth God choose, (as witnesseth S. Paul i Cor. i) that he may suffer the vilest of the world to be myshandled of the best of the same: that so it be evidently known, that our salvation doth not stand in man's power, but only in the power & hands of God, as Paul doth also testify. Hereof cometh that these by words are commonly used: They that be learned, are perverted. And a ruler is venison in heaven. And here rich, there poor. For the learned alaye not their hearts pride: the mighty their oppressing: nother do the rich despise their pleasures, and finally is it done that may be done.   

The fourth work, is to exalt them of low degree.  And exalteth them of low degree. 
They of low degree are not to be taken here for those that be lowly, but such as be underlings, and of no reputation before the world. For it is even the same word the she meant, when she said: For he hath looked upon the low degree of his handmaiden. Nevertheless, they that of their free will are naught & abject of heart, not seeking high things, they are lowly in deed. Moreover this exalting is not to be understand, as that he should set them in the thrones & places of them that be put down, as he doth not set them that fear him in the room of the learned that is proud, another when he showeth mercy upon them: but he giveth them such gifts as do far pass those, namely: that they being exalted in God spiritually, are set as judges above all thrones, powers and knowledge, both here in this world, and in the world to come: for they are better learned than all the learned and rulers. But how this cometh to pass have I showed above in the first work of God, nother needeth it to be rehearsed here. But it is all said to the comfort of them that suffer, and to the frayenge of the tyrants, if we had so much faith as to consider it well.   

The fift and sixth works.  He filleth the hungry with good things, and letteth the rich go empty. 
It is said above that they of low degree are not to be called those that are of a vile & lowly estate, but such as are content to be so taken, specially when they are compelled thereto for maintaining the word, right, & law of God. Even so aught to be called hungry, not they that have little or no meat, but they that willingly do want it, specially if they be compelled thereto of other for Gods or his truths sake. What is more abject, vile, vain or miserable than the devil, them that be damned, or them the be racked, famished & hanged for their misdeeds, or what so ever they be the are brought low against their will? Yet doth not God help them, but rather augmenteth their misery. Of such doth not the mother of God speak, but of them that agree with God, which are one with God, & God is one with them.  
Again, what hindered Abraham, Isaac & jacob the they were rich? What hindered David his kingly seat? either Daniel the power of Babylon? or who soever was or is in high degree & wealth, if their heart doth not set store by them, or standeth in his own conceit? Solomon sayeth in the xvi Chap. of the proverbs: It is the LORD that weigheth the sprites or minds, that is: he judgeth not after the utter appearance, whether he be rich, poor, in authority or abject: but after the spirit and his behaviour in the aforesaid estates. The difference of states, manners & persons must remain in earth, as long as we live: but the heart may not cleave unto nor fly: not cleave unto them of high estate and rich, nor fly the abject▪ despised and needy. After this manner sayeth David also in the vii psalm: Maintain the just thou righteous God, that triest the very hearts and the reins. But men judge after the utter appearance, wherefore they err oft.  
And these works are wrought secretly also (as is said above of other) so that no man feeleth them until they be ended. The rich man doth not perceive his vanity & misery before he die, or perish otherwise, as testifieth the lxxu psal. on this wise: The proud shallbe rob & sleep their sleep, & the mighty shallbe able to do nothing with their hands. contrariwise that hungry can not tell how full they be, before they come unto the end of hunger, for than do they find the word of Christ in the vi of Luke: Blessed are you that hunger here for you shallbe satisfied, & this comfortable promise of God's mother: He filleth the hungry with good things. It is so impossible that God should suffer any hungry man to perish by famine which trusteth in him, that even the angels must come & feed him. Helias the prophet did a raven fede, & with so much meal as could be held in one hand was he sustained a great while by the widow of Sarepta. For he can not forsake them that put their trust in him, as witnesseth David in the xxxvi psal. saying: I was young, & now am old: yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed to seek their bread. Who so trusteth in God, is righteous. And in the xxxiii psal. sayeth David also: The rich shall want and suffer hunger: but they which seek the LORD, shall want no manner of thing that is good. Likewise also said Anna the mother of the prophet Samuel. i Reg. two. They that were filled afore, are sold for bread: and they that were hungry, are satisfied.  
But the cursed infidelity doth alway withstand & let, that God can not work these things in us, & that we can not perceive & have experience of it. We will be full & have plenty of all, before hunger & necessity do constrain us, providing us aforehand, that we be not grieved with the need & poverty to come that so we need none of God's works or grace. What faith is that whereby thou trustest in God, when thou feelest & knowest store enough, wherewith thou mayest help thyself? infidelity is the cause that we se the word of God, the truth, & right to lie under, and injury to have the vpperhande, & that in the mean season we keep our peace, punish nothing, say nothing to it, nor forbid aught: but let every man have the bridal & run at large, suffering him to do as it pleaseth him. But what is the cause: Even because we fear to be attached also, & brought to poverty, & so finally die for hunger, & remain ever an underling And that is said to set more by temporal goods, then by the fear of God, & to worship them as Idols in his stead: whereby we are unworthy to hear or to understand this promise of God, full of comfort, namely: that he exalteth the oppressed and of low degree, and putteth down the proud: that he filleth the poor with good things, and letteth the rich go empty. And so come never to that knowledge of his works, without the which nevertheless there is no bliss, but must be damned for ever, as the xxvii psal. doth testify, saying: For they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands: therefore shall he break them down, & not build them up. And that rightfully, for they believe not his so many promises, counting him a light & failing God, upon whose word they dare begin naught: so little feeling have they of his truth. You must adventure & put yourselves in hazard upon his word. For he sayeth not: He hath filled the full, and set up the high: but he hath filled the hungry, & hath exalted the lowly & underlings. You must first come by hunger in the mids of need, & know what hunger & need do mean, so that you have naught to trust unto, or that you may use hereafter, or whereby you may be helped hereafter, nother by yourself, nor of other, but only of God: so that the work that is impossible unto other, be only Gods. Thus must you not only think & speak of lowliness, but also come thereto, stick fast therein, be helpless & destitute and forsaken of every man, that God only may work there: or at the least to desire such and not sho●e it if we can attain it with the deed. And for this cause are we called Christians, and have the Gospel (which the devil and men can not bear) that thereby we being come to anguish and lowliness, God may enter in to his works. Think you by your selves, if he should fill you, before you were hungry or exalt you before you were brought low, he should be fain to play the juggler, not being able to fulfil his promise, & so should his work be nothing save a mockage, when the nevertheless doth say in the. C.x. Psalm▪ The works of his hands are verity and judgement, all his commandments are true If he should be fain to help you at the entrance of your anguish & lowliness, either in every small suppression & need, than should his works be slenderer than becometh his majesty: Where as it is said in the same psal. that the works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them the have pleasure therein  
Let us now look upon the contrary part also. If he should destroy and put down the high & rich before they become high & rich how should he behave himself therein? They must first come so high & so passing in riches, that every man, & they themselves also must be persuaded, (ye & that it be so in deed) that no man can destroy, withstand, or root them out, & be so sure of their cause, the they say it the Isaiah did prophecy in his xlvii chap. of the Babylonians, saying: Hear now therefore thou wylfyl, that sittest so careless, & speakest thus in thine heart: I am alone, and with out me is there none: I shall never be widow nor desolate again, (that is without strength and aid.) And yet both these things shall come unto the in one day, in the the twynckeling of an eye. etc. There hath God than an occasion to work his work. Of this wise did he suffer Pharaoh to heave himself above the children of Israel, and to oppres●e them, as God doth testify of him in the ix chapter of Exodus, saying: I have ●●ered the up for this cause, even to show my power upon thee, and that my name might be declared in all lands. Of such ensamples is the Bible even full, which teach nothing else save God wor●es and works, and refuse both the works and doctrines of men.  
Behold now this strong comfort, that is, that not man, but God himself, giveth not only somewhat, but filleth and satisfieth. And in that she addeth withgood things, she signifieth that such filling shall not be hurtful, but profitable and wholesome, so that it shall do good both to body & soul. By this is showed moreover that they were empty, and full of all need. For (as is said before) by riches are understand all fading and transitory things, that concern the body, wherewith the soul is also rejoiced. Even so also by hunger aught to be understand in this place, not only want of meat but of all transitory things: for sometime may a man forbear all things save meat so that for the most part all transitory go●des and occupyenges are for the same. With out meat can noman live, though they may live without clothing, house, money goods and men, therefore doth scripture here comprehend the temporal goods for the most necessariest, profitablest and most usuallest, that can least be forborn, insomuch that she calleth covetous men and them that be so greedy upon the unstable riches, belly servants, and Paul doth call the belly their God. How could then any body entice us so earnestly and with more comfort to will full hunger and poverty, than these vehement words of God's mother, namely that God will feed every hungry soul with good things? Whom such comfortable words, such honour and praise of poverty doth not persuade and entice thereto, he is surely without faith and confidence as an heathen.  
Again, how can any man blame riches more, and fray the rich more, than with this one clause, that God letteth the rich go empty? O what great and plentiful things are these both: the filling of God and the letting go empty? how little can any creature help or give counsel therein? A man is abashed when he heareth his father's defiance, or his masters displeasure, and we high & rich are not dismade when God doth defy us. And not only proclaimeth war, but threateneth also destruction, abjection and rooting out: Contrary wise is it a joy when the father is meek, and the master mild, so that many adventure their life & all that they have there upon. And we having such promise, and such strong consolation, cannot use and brook it, we can not give thanks for it, nor yet rejoice therein. O thou lamentable unbelief, which passest the serenesse of a block, and the hardness of a stone, that thou canst not perceive such great things. Let this now be sufficiently spoken of the six works of God.   
He remembreth mercy, and helpeth up his servant Israel. 
After the rehearsing of God's works both in her and in other, doth Mary now come again to the beginning and first, and closeth the Magnificat with the greatest and chief of all the godly works, which is the incarnation of the son of God, and confesseth here freely that she is a handmaiden & servant of all the world, seeing the work is accomplished in her, the which is profitable not only to her, but unto all Israel. Yet dealeth she Israel in two, and bringeth that part only that serveth God. Nother doth any man serve God, save he that letteth him be his God, and suffereth him to work his work in him whereof we have spoken before: Although that word God's service (alas for pity) is brought into so strange understanding and use, that whoso heareth it, doth think nothing, upon such works, but rather upon ringing, upon the stone work and timber of the temple, upon the censor, upon the burning of the lights, upon the blaring, the gold, the silver, the white clotheses, the pearls, the vestiments and surplyses, the chalice, the pyre, the organs & tables, the procession and stations, and that most of all is, upon the babbling and taling with God upon bead stones. Foo (alas) God's service is come hitherto, whereof he knoweth nothing. And we also know none other save this. We sing the Magnificat daily, and the with great solemnite and loud, and yet keep secret the true understanding thereof more and more. But yet doth this text stand stiffly: If we do not learn these works of God, and suffer them in us, than shall there be no God's service, no Israel, no grace, no mercy, nor no God, though we cry out in temples, and ring till we burst and gave thereto all the goods of the world. For God hath given no commandment concerning that, & therefore doubtless can he have no pleasure therein.  
The incarnation therefore of Christ doth avail unto such an Israel, that serveth God. Such one is his own and beloved people, for whose sake also he is become man, to deliver them from the thraldom of the Devil, sin, death and hell, and to bring them unto righteousness and everlasting life and bliss: that is the helping up that she singeth of here. And Paul doth also proclaim this, saying in the ii chapter unto Titus, that Christ gave himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness & to purge us, to be a peculiar people unto himself. And Peter also in his first epistle the ii chapter, sayeth: You are that choose generation, that kingly prestholde, that holy nation, that peculiar people. etc. These are the godly riches, and the great mercies of God, the which we have obtained by none of our deserving, but of the only mercy and grace. Wherefore she sayeth also: He remembreth mercy. She sayeth not: He remebreth our merit and worthiness, for we were in necessity and unworthy. Of this than doth his praise and honour springe, & our boast and presumption is suaged. He had nothing at whose sight he might be moved, save only his own mercy, the which also was therefore to be showed on all nations.  
But wherefore sayeth she more: He remembreth mercy, than he looked upon his mercy? Even because he had promised the same, as the verse following doth declare. Moreover, he wytheld the same mercy so long, that he seemed nearhand to have forgotten it: (even as all his works do seem to have no care for us) nevertheless when he came, it was evidently known that he had not forgotten us, but that he was ever minded to fulfil his promises.  
Truth it is, that by Israel the jews only are meant, and not the Gentiles: but seeing they refused him, he chose a few of them, and satisfied the name of Israel therewith, and made a spiritual Israel. This is figured Gen. xxxvii. by the patriarch jacob wrestling with the angel, whose thigh the angel touched, and made him to halt. For thereby was signified that the children of Israel should not from thenceforth boast their carnal birth, (as the jews do) where he also obtained the name Israel, that he thenceforth should so be called, as a Patriarch, which were not only jacob, the father of carnal children, but also Israel the father of spiritual children. To this doth agree also the name Israel, the which is as much to say, as, the LORD of God. That is surely a very holy & high name, containing in itself that great mirakle, that a man by the Godly favour, hath in a manner brought God in his power, so that God do accomplish all man's requests: as we see also that the church is made one with God thorough Christ, even as a bride unto the bridegroom, which hath power of her bridegroom's body and all that he hath. All this is done by faith, whereby a man obeyeth the will of God, and God again agreeth unto man's will, so that Israel be so conformable to God, and of such power over him, that in God, with God & by God he do all things, & be able to do all things  
This (lo) signifieth Israel. For Schar in Hebrew is as much to say, as a lord or a prince, and El signifieth God, & joining them together, maketh Israel. Such an Israel will God have, wherefore when jacob had wrestled with the angel & overcome him, the angel said: Thou shalt no more be called jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven with God and with men, & hast prevailed. Many things more were to be said hereof, for Israel is a high mystery.   
Even as he promised unto our fathers, Abraham and to his seed for ever. 
Here are all merits and presumption overthrown, and the grace and mercy of God are lift up. For God hath not helped up Israel for his own merits, but for his own promise. Of only and mere grace hath he promised, and of mere grace also hath he fulfilled it. Therefore sayeth Paul in the iii chapter to the Galathians that God did bind himself to Abraham four hundredth year before he gave the law by Moses, jest any man might say or boast that he had deserved or obtained so great grace and promise by the law or the works of the same: This same promise doth the mother of God laud and praise above all things, attributing the most clear work of the incarnation unto the pure, undeserved, godly and free promise made unto Abraham.  
This promise of God unto Abraham is specially written in the xii and xxii chapters of Genesis, and diverse other plades, sounding on this manner: In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. The which words of God, S. Paul and all Prophets (as they be worthy) lift up unto the clouds, for in those words both Abraham and all his posterity are saved, because that Christ is comprehended in the same, and promised to be the saviour of all the world. Moreover this is Abraham's bosom, wherein all they that were saved before Christ's nativity, did remain. Nother was any man ever saved without these words, though he had done all the good deeds that ever were done, the which we will look upon continently.  
first doth it fellow by these words, that all the world, except Christ, was in thraldom and danger of sin, damnation and curse with all his works and cunning. For when he sayeth, that not some, but all nations shallbe blessed in Abraham's seed, it is manifest, that without the same seed; there shallbe no bliss. What needed God to promise the bless with so earnest, so great and so precious, an oath, if the bless and not rather the curse had been in the world? Out of this place have the Prophets sucked and concluded many things as namely: that all men are evil, vain, liars, fayners, blind and briefly Godless or without Godliness: so that it be no worship in scripture to be called a man. For that name is no more worth by God, than if a man were called before the world a liar or perjured. So wholly did he perish by Adam's fall, that the curse being born with him, was nearehande become one nature with him.  
secondly it followeth, that that seed of Abraham needed not to be born by natural seed of man and wife: For such birth is cursed, and bringeth forth cursed fruits, as is said even now. If now all the world was to be delivered from this curse by Abraham's seed and to be blessed, it was required that the sede were blessed before, and untouched or undefiled of such a curse, and to be a mere bless, full of grace and truth. Again, if God that is no liar doth promise (and that with an oath) a natural sede unto Abraham, that is a natural and lawful child, which shallbe born of his flesh and blood: it was necessary that such one should be a true natural man, born of the flesh and blood of Abraham. Now do these two things strive together: To be the natural flesh and blood of Abraham, and yet not to be born by man and wife after the course of nature. And therefore useth he this word, thy seed, and not thy child or thy son: that so it were clear and evident, that it must be his natural flesh and blood, as it is also his seed.  
Who will now here attain a mean, that the word and oath of God be true, wherein things so contrary do meet? That shall God surely do, which can accomplish that he hath promised, though noman covet it before it be done. Therefore do his words and deeds require no natural wit, but a fire and pure faith. Lo how he hath unied these two things: He giveth unto Abraham a natural sede, of one of his daughters, the pure and chaste virgin Mary, by the holy ghost, without the working of man. There was not the natural conception and generation with her curse, nother could it stain the seed: and yet nevertheless is this the natural seed of Abraham as well, as all other Abraham's issue. Behold than, this is the blessed seed of Abraham, whereby all the world is delivered of his curse. For from him that believeth on this seed, calleth upon it, confesseth it, and cleaveth there unto, is the curse taken away and forgiven as a crime, and all bless is given him, for the sound of the word and oath of God, namely: In thy seed shall all nations be blessed. That is, Look what is to be blessed, that shall be blessed, by this seed and none other. Lo this is the sede of Abraham, the which is born of none of his children, (as the jews have alway looked for to have been) but of his only daughter the virgin Mary.  
That same means here the bewtyful mother of God when she sayeth that God hath taken up Israel, according to the promise made unto Abraham: unto Abraham (I say) and all his seed. verily she saw that the promise was than fulfilled in her, and therefore said she: It is now fulfilled, he hath now taken him up, he hath accomplished his word by the only calling to mind his mercy. Here do we behold the fundament of the gospel, wherefore all doctrines & preachings of him do drive unto Christ's faith and Abraham's bosom. For there is no counsel, nor help if this faith is wanting, whereby the blessed seed may be understand. And verily ❧ all the scripture hangs upon this oath. For all that is written in the whole Bible, doth behold and concern Christ. Besides this do we see that all the fathers of the old testament, and all Prophets also had the same faith, and the same gospel that we have, as Paul doth testify i Corinth. x. For in this testament of God & Abraham's bosom did they all remain by steadfast faith, and therefore are saved: saving that they believed in the sede that was promised and for to come, but we believe in the sede that hath appeared and is given. Nevertheless the truth of the promise remaineth on both parts, it is all one faith, one spirit, one Christ, one LORD that was at that time and is now, and shall be for ever, as the xiii chapter to the Hebrews doth bear witness.  
But that the jews had a law given them afterward, that is not like unto this promise, for it was done therefore, that by the light of the law they might know their cursed nature, and that they should more fervently and with more whoter desire sigh and long for this promised seed of blessing in the which they had a prerogative before all nations on earth. But they have turned the prerogative into hurt and damage, & have thought to accomplish and fulfil the law by their own strength, and therefore have not they seen their wretched misery. And after this manner have they shut the door to themselves, so that the sede promised must needs go by them, in the which opinion they remain yet, God give it be not long. Amen. This hath been the debate that all the Prophets have had with them, for saying the Prophets known well enough the meaning of the law, namely: that thereby the wickedness of our nature should be known, and to learn how Christ should be called upon, therefore refused they all the works & lives of the jews, that went not in that way: for the which cause the jews conceived an anger against them, & slay them, as those that refused the gods service, good works, and the good living, as the hypocrites and graceless saints d● sometime. Of whom there were not a little to be spoken.  
That she saith: and to his seed forever, is to be understand, the such grace shall last in Abraham's blood (which are the jews) from that time forth, thorough all times, until the last day. For though the most part be hardened, yet are there sometime part of them (though but a few) that turn unto Christ, & believe in him, saying this promise of God both not fail, namely: the the promise was made unto Abraham & his seed, not for one, nor for a thousand years, but for ever, that is: from one man's time until another without ceasing. And for this cause aught not we to entreat the jews' so uncourteously, for among them are yet some that shallbe Christians and daily do some of them turn to Christ. Moreover, they only, and not we Gentiles have the promise made unto them, that there shallbe ever some Christians in the sede of Abraham, that shall knowledge the blessed sede. Our matter is founded upon the mere grace with out the promise of God, who knoweth how and when? If we lived godly & Christenly, and with meekness brought them to Christ, that verily were the best manner and way.  
Who would become a Christian, when he seyeth Christian men deal so cruelly with men? Not so you well-beloved Christians. Let the truth be showed them after a good manner, the which if they refuse, leave them alone. How many Christians are there now adays, that regard not Christ, nother hear his word? being worse than the Gentiles or jews, whom nevertheless they do let be in rest, ye do them reverence, making nearhand an Idol of them.  
Here will we rest at this time, praying god for the true understanding of this virgin's song of praise called Magnificat, the which not only do shine and speak, but also inflame & live in the body and soul: the which our saviour Christ grant us. Amen.  
Now do I return unto you most bounteous prince, desiring your highness to take my boldness in worth. Though I know that your goodnesses youth hath many instructors and daily admonitions, yet could I not repress the care of my subjection and due faithfulness, and besides this the charge of my conscience, and the exhortation of your highness. saying we all do hope, that in times to come, the rule of the common wealth (the which our merciful god give to prospero) shall come to your highness hands: the which is a great thing, if it do well befall: and again a perilous and miserable thing, if it do befall otherwise. But unto us it becometh to look and pray for the best, nevertheless carefully to fear is the worst of all.  
Let your highness call this to mind, namely: That God never suffered one Gentle king or prince in all the scripture to be commended, not not sense the world was created, but caused them alway to be rebuked: the which is a dreadful ensample unto all superiorites. Nother did he find moreover any laudable and blameless king among his peculyare people of Israel. Besides all this among the jews, which were the chief and head of all mankind, lifted up and beloved above all creatures, were but a few, nother above six kings praised. Finally that dear part and precious prince David, which left none nother behind nor by him that was like him in worldly policy: the which though he being full of the fear & wisdom of God, did rule and judge all things by the only commandment of God, and not by his reason, yet nevertheless stumbled sometime. So the scripture also, because she could not blame his governance, and yet must recite the hurt of the people, where by David was cloyed, did not impute it unto David, but unto the people, saying: That God was wroth with the people, and suffered David the holy man to be steered of Satan, which gave him in his mind to number the people, for the which deed lxx thousand men did die of the pestilence.  
All this hath God so brought to pass to fray the superiority, to retain them in fear and to admonish them of their dangers. For great riches, great honours, great power, great favour, and beside this many flatterers, (from whom no lord is free) do so of all parts besiege and assault the heart of a prince, and drive him so to pride, to the forgetfulness of God, to not caring either for the people or common wealth, to pleasure, to rashness, to curiosity, to idleness: briefly to all unrighteous things and vices, that no city nor strong hold can so be besieged & assaulted. Now he that being warned by the aforesaid ensamples will not annoyed, and use the fear of God for a bank or fence, where (I pray you) shall he become? For if any lord or superior do not love his people, & do not apply thereto his mind, not how he live deyntely, but how by his ensample his subjects may be steered to goodness, all is done with him, and the state of his dominion shall thence forth be only to the loss of his soul: nother shall it avail him that he doth found great moneth-means, trentals, diriges, and year tides, build great monasteries, altars, or this or that. God shall require of him an account of his estate and office, nother shall he care for any thing else.  
Wherefore most bounteous lord and prince I commend this Magnificat unto your highness, but specially the fift & sixth verses, about the which I have comprehended it, praying & requiring your highness to dread nothing so sore all your life time on earth, (no not hell) as it that the blessed mother of God callth here the imagination of the mind. For the same is the greatest, the fearcest, the mightiest and the most hurtfullest enemy of all kind of men, specially of superiors. His names are: Reason, good opinion or intent, whereof must come all counsels and governances. Nother can your highness be in safeguard, if you have not this alway suspect, and with the fear of God follow not only the reasons, not only of your peers and senators, but also of all them that be of your highness counsel. Not man's counsel is to be despised, nother again is it only to be trusted unto.  
But what must be done then? This verily: that your highness do not send away your prayer in cloisters under monks, canons and freres cools, either under chalices as it is a wicked manner now a days to do, to build upon other men's prayers & to trust therein, & to set little store by their own. But your highness must take a fire, hardy & a merry courage, & setting aside the feeble mind call upon God, either in your heart or else where secretly, laying at his feet the keys, and constraining him with his own ordinance, on this wise: Behold my God and father, this is thy work, this is thine ordinance that I should be born and gendered to rule in this state, the which noman will deny, and thou thyself knowest whether I be worthy or unworthy of it, nevertheless here am I ready as thou sayst, and as every man knoweth. Grant therefore my father and LORD, that I may rule this people to thy praise and their wealth: and I beseek the suffer me not to stand in mine own conceit and to mine own reason, but be thou my reason and appointed mark.  
Let him begin upon like sentence and proceed in what thing so ever he have in hand, commending it to God. Moreover, how well God be appayed with such a prayer and mind, doth Solomon, (that in like manner did pray) declare: that which prayer I have also joined hereto, the your highness may be steered gladly to trust in the grace of God, that both his fear & mercy may bide with you. And herewith I commend me unto your highness, the which I pray God to preserve unto a lucky governance. Amen.     

The prayer that king Solomon prayed, a patron for all princes, taken out of the iii chapter of the three book of the kings.  
THe LORD appeared unto Solomon at Gibeon in a dream of the night, & God said: Are what I shall give the. Solomon said: Thou hast done great mercy unto my father David thy servant, so that he walked before the in faithfulness & righteousness, and in a true heart with thee, and this mercy hast thou laid up for him, and given him a son to sit upon his seat, as it is now come to pass.  
Now LORD my God, thou haste made thy servant king in my father David's stead: As for me, I am but a small young man, knowing nother mine outgoing nor ingoing. And thy servant is among the people whom thou hast choose, which is so great, that no man can number them nor describe them for multitude. give thy servant therefore an obedient heart, that he may judge thy people, and understand that what is good or bad: for who is able to judge this thy mighty people?  
This pleased the LORD well, that Solomon axed such a petition. And God said unto Solomon: For so much as thou axest this, and desirest not long life, nother riches, nother the souls of thine enemies, but understanding to hear judgement, behold therefore have I done according to thy words. Behold I have given the an heart of wisdom and understanding, so that such one as thou, hath not been before thee, nother shall rise up after the. Ye and that thou hast not prayed for, have I given the also, namely: riches and honour, so that among the kings of thy time there is not such one as thou. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, so that thou keep mine ordinances and laws, as David thy father hath walked, than will I give the a long life.  
FINIS.   

¶ A confutation of the song called Salue Regina, proving by scriptures laid thereto, that it is rather Idolatry, than lawful to be song of true Christian men.  

¶ Grace, mercy and strength of spirit that cometh of God the father and our LORD jesus Christ do I wish unto the gentle reader.  
saying well-beloved brethren and sisters that now by the bounteous goodness & mercy of God, the most clear and shining light of the Gospel is declared unto us again in this present world, therefore may we right well thank & praise God that he hath vouchsafe us to come unto the right understanding & knowledge by the power of his living word: Namely, that we know perfectly now how and after what fashion we aught to praise and to thank God, & how to utter & declare thankfully our faith, (which nother can, nor aught be sloggysh) not only inwardly, but also outwardly, (as David the prophet did) thanking and praising the LORD jesus with songs and melody: as Paul exhorteth his Coll. iii to do. For if a man believe from the heart, he shallbe made righteous: and if a man knowledge with the mouth, he shallbe saved. Rom. x.  
By this is it likely that the songs which are now used in churches every where were first institute of the fathers for this intent: namely, so to declare & boldly to exercise openly the inward faith. For it is manifest that we have no commandment concerning this in all the new testament. And for this cause aught we Christians to have such songs and ballads now also, wherewith the name of God be advanced and magnified, and not dishonoured nor blasphemed.  
But alas this custom is not only come to such misuse, that Christ's honour is not uttered therein, but also that Lucifer the prince of this world hath thereby confirmed and fortified his kingdom: so that theridamas is nought used therein now save only the bishop of Rome's fairs: and the thing wherein the service and honour of God was supposed to have consisted, have been occupied with nothing save buying and selling, chopping and changing, ye plain usury. Even as Esay doth featly prophesy of them, speaking in the person of almighty God on this wise: It is you that have burnt up my vineyard, the robbery of the poor is in your house etc. upon whom Christ also giveth a fearful sentence full of dreadful curses, saying: Woe unto you scribes & Pharisees, you hypocrites, that devour wedowes houses, and that under the colour of praying long prayers: therefore shall you receive the greater damnation. As though he would say: with your great howling do you deceive the poor innocentes, of whose sweat and blood you fill your paunches, so full that one would think you had eaten even the poor innocentes houses also. But saying they study nothing so earnestly as to serve their God the belly, therefore do not they care for the word of God, but do ruffle it upon an heap: ye & cell Christ and his word, as it may be well perceived of them that take diligent heed unto it. But what need more words hereof, seeing we see daily one bait▪ after the other put at the angle to catch and to seduce the simple people the more, which now is partly delivered from the Babylonical captivity. For the pardons (where by they were wont to scrape a good sum of pens) that once were refused begin now to press in again in an other hue & vysoure, namely that they shall be had freely. Nevertheless the end will declare to what intent this be institute.  
I counsel therefore every Christian brother and sister, that desireth to be a member of Christ, to abide by their head jesus Christ looking for the true pardons of his merits, sucking the pardoning and forgiving of their sins out of his passion & wounds only. I will pass over to speak of this matter at this time, for it is not now mine ●ntent so to do, jest I go to far fro my purpose: that is, the I would have every man to give diligent heed unto the songs that be usually song in our churches or temples, and specially of one, the which by the inspiration of the devil is so rife and so corrupped, the God is thereby deprived of his honour, (contrary to the first commandment) and it is given unto a creature. This may be proved in the song of praise that is song to the blessed virgin Mary the mother of Christ, wherein we imagine to do her high service and worship, which notwithstanding is pytefully dishonoured & mocked therewith: for therein is great idolatry, so that no greater spite can be done to her, than to sing such songs of praise unto her, wherein her son jesus Christ, by whom she received all mercy▪ grace, virtue, goodness and holiness, according to her own confession Luke in the first chapter, saying▪ 
My soul magnifieth the LORD.  
And my spirit rejoiceth in God my saviour.  
For he hath looked upon the low degree of his handmaiden.  
Behold, from hence forth shall all generations call me blessed.  
For he that is mighty hath done great things unto me, and Holy is his name.  etc.  
In the which words she confesseth God to be her saviour, which must save us all also, or else we shall be damned for ever. We aught therefore to go to him asking mercy and grace of him, for he is our hope, advocate and salvation.  
Will you therefore worship Mary aright, worship her in jesus Christ her son, thanking and praising him for working so wonderful power (which he tofore had promised unto the fathers) in that vessel. Now if thy contemplation or inward devotion doth chance upon the maiden, (which thorough her constant faith did bring forth our saviour the son of God, with out any spot of nature, only by the overshadowing of the holy ghost, remaining pure virgin & mother as the scripture doth plainly bear witness) than may you salute her with the same salutation, that the angel Gabriel saluted her: but you shall worship God only in the trine of people, namely the father the son and holy ghost. This doing, you shall do the highest worship unto Mary that can be done, according to the judgement of the scripture.  
And that we may be the more assured and certified of this, we will confer this song of Salue regina with the scripture, & see how they accord. But if it doth not agree with God's word, I require you for the honour of God to leave it, and cleave unto the word of God: & so doing you shallbe the brethren and sisters of Christ, according to his own witness. Luke viii And what so ever is not his, that is against him, and venom of the soul, for the which we ought earnestly to beware, jest after this transitory life we be rob of the eternal glory, the which God omnipotent reigning for ever grant us all. Amen.   

¶ A refutation of the song called Salue regina.  
BLessed be God and the father of our LORD, jesus Christ, which according to his great mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the rising again of jesus Christ from the dead unto an uncorruptible and undefiled inheritance, which never shall fayde away. etc. Thus writeth Peter in his first canonical epistle the first chapter, willing us to thank, praise and bless God alway, for delivering us from death everlasting thorough his only son jesus Christ. This high and most laudable benefit as no tongue can express it, so can no tongue also praise it enough. And therefore doth Paul exhort & warn us of the abuse of this benefit, saying i Corin. seven. You are dearly bought (namely, with the blood of jesus Christ) be not you servants of men. etc. Now to sing, cense, pray and to do like reverence unto a creature, or an image of wood or stone, and unto that image to attribute such praise, thank and worship as belongeth unto God only, what is that else save a service of men, whereby God & his word are blasphemed, denied and set at naught? as it shallbe briefly declared hereafter.  

¶ first we sing Salve regina misericordiae, that is to say: Hail queen of mercy.  
Here is first denied the saying of Esay recited of S. Paul Rom. xiiii. As truly as I live (sayeth the LORD) all knees shall bow unto me, and all tongues shall knowledge unto God. And again the saying of Moses Deuteronomy the vi Chapter. Hear O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD only. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, with all thy might. The saying also of the prophet Isaiah in the xlii Chapter is here denied, where God sayeth: I myself, whose name is the LORD, which give my power to none other, nother mine honour to the gods. etc.  
Mark now earnestly how featly & well these sayings agre with this salutation or greeting of Mary: verily as well as day & night Mark how our carnal devotion and good meaning accordeth with God & his word: even so well, that God sayeth by the prophet Esay in the lu chapter: My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways: But as far as the heavens are higher than the earth, so far do my ways exceed yours, & my thoughts, yours. Hereby may it be seen what this salvation is, namely that God doth not give his honour to none of the gods. Now consisteth his honour in nothing so greatly, as in thankfulness and praising him for his infinite mercy & goodness showed unto us in suffering for us that were in thraldom and the devils danger, and so delivered us thereout: which nother the blessed virgin Mary, Peter, nor Paul, nor none of all the saints hath done. It followeth than that she is not the queen of mercy.   

¶ secondarily we sing: Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra salve▪ that is: Hay●e our life, our sweetness and our hope.  
The contrary to this witnesseth Christ himself joh. xiiii. saying: I am the way, the truth and the life. etc. And Isaiah sayeth like wise in the xlv Chapter in the person of God: Turn you unto me all you ends of the world, and you shallbe saved: for I am God, and there is else none. To this agreeth also Paul i Cor. three saying: Other fundament can no man say, than that which is laid already, which is Christ jesus. These comfortable words do we nother keep nor believe, saying we confess with our mouths, and with the deed seek another life or salvation than the true and only life and salvation, namely jesus Christ. Ye thus doing we make not God true in his promise, that he either can not or will not do for us as he sayeth every where in the scripture: or else do not we believe the saying of the book of wisdom the xu Chapter, where it is thus written: Thou (our God) art sweet, long suffering, & true, & in mercy ordrest thou all things, & so forth. And Christ speaking of himself joh. vi. sayeth: Who so cometh unto me, him will not I cast out. And again in the x. chapter he sayeth: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them everlasting life, & they shall never perish. Where is any such word of comfort, life, hope or sweetness spoken of in the scriptures of God of the blessed virgin Mary or any creature? and if there be not, what madness is it of us either to call or to take them for our hope and refuge, which do so lowly always submit themselves both to God and his creatures? If we would a little ponder these words of the salutation of Mary, conferring them with the saying of David Psalm. C.ii where he sayeth: Like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the LORD merciful unto them that fear him: we should easily see how far & abtrunning we be both from God and his true word. We see than well-beloved brethren and sisters, that if we believed these foresaid words aright, we should need none other salvation, hope nor live save only Christ, which is given us of the father to be a mediator between him & us, as you shall hear hereafter. But alas it is come to the point with us, that we ask life of them, that do not live themselves, as Solomon sayeth in his book called the book of Wisdom, the xiii Chapter.   

God sayeth in the li chapter of Esay: I am he that in all things giveth you consolation. What art thou than that fearest a mortal man, the child of man, which goeth away as doth the floor? and forgettest the LORD that made thee? In the book of wisdom the xuj. chapter it is thus written: It is thou O LORD that haste the power of life and death, thou leadest unto deaths door, and bringest up again. This is he in whom only you aught to hope, & to have confidence, him only shall you fear, to him only must you sigh & sob: for there is but one only that is most highest creature of all things, most puissant and mighty, that is greatly to be feared and dread, as jesus Sirak exhorteth us to do, in the first chapter of Ecclesiasticus, saying: There is one, even the highest, the maker of all things, the almighty, the king of power (of whom men aught to stand greatly in awe,) which sitteth upon his throne, being a God of dominion, and so forth. Thank therefore & praise him only, fear and dread him, and than shall not you be deceived. For if you trust in men, or any creature, calling upon them, than verily shall you be deceived, unhappy & accursed as testify both jeremy in the xvii chap. and David in the. C.xiii Psalm saying: Cursed be the man, that putteth his trust in man. Let therefore them that fear the LORD, put their trust in him: for he is their succour and defence, and think, ye be assured, this kind of worship to be naught but a device and imagination of men only, the which are idle and vain as sayeth jeremy in the ten chapter. And Christ also sayeth Mathe. xv. that he is worshipped in vain, while they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the commandments of men. Though they approach near unto me with the Pater noster, calling me father, LORD and God: yet do they run to other fathers, gods and saveoures in this vale of tears. Draw therefore backegood brethren and sisters your strayenge steps & wend them in the ways of the LORD, yielding you rather to him and his word: for you have more assurance to be herd when you call to him, if you so do, than you have of following man's voice. David sayeth Psalm. xlix. in the person of God: Call upon me in the time of trouble, so will I hear thee, that thou shalt thank me. Where is there any such promise or comfortable word in all the scripture of the blessed virgin, or any other name, he shall give it you. If you therefore believe these words steadfastly, than need you none other mean. Or think you that he will lie either for you, or for your sins, which only is the truth himself, and hath taken a way the sins of the world, as Isaiah doth expressly write of him in the liii chapter, and John baptist doth by mouth?   

¶ Syxtly it followeth in the song Et jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui nobis post hoc exilium ostend. that is: And show us jesus the blessed fruit of thy womb after this exiling & banishing.  
If you will have her to show you jesus, than must you first let him show you her in this misery and hear what she said Luke in the first chapter, where it is written: He remembreth mercy, and helpeth up his servant Israel. Even as he promised unto our fathers, Abraham and to his seed for ever. Here sayeth Mary that unto Abraham and his seed was promised salvation thorough Christ jesus, which thing is plainly declared in Genesis the xxii Chap. where God said to Abraham: In thy seed shall all nations be blessed: and Abraham believing this was saved thereby. And Genesis. xvii. was Isaac promised unto Abraham and Abraham believing the same likewise was saved thereby. Unto David was like promise made ii Regum the vii chapter on this wise: When the time is fulfilled that thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise thy seed after the. I will be his father, and he shallbe my son, and will stablish the seat of his kingdom for ever. This did David believe, and was also saved. Behold, thus hath now Abraham received his child sayeth Mary, as it was promised unto Abraham and his posterity. Will you now therefore be also saved, then must you let jesus be showed unto you, as Mary doth show him here in the Magnificat: namely that he is the blessing of all nations, and so to believe & faithfully to trust in jesus Christ only: for by this faith only shall you be saved. Ye must have this faith only in him in this veil of tears, and so see him here: and not let him be showed unto you by other means after this miserable exiling, as it is sung in this song of praise. Thus must we have him showed unto us in this veil of tears, as he was showed unto the patriarchs, and prophets, that we may know him in this mortal life & believe in him, as they have done: and than surely shall he show himself well enough after this exiling and banishment. If else his words be true that he hath spoken. joh. xi. I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, shall live, though he were dead already. And joh. iii He that believeth on me shall not be condemned. Thus must thou than know jesus Christ as one that taketh away thy sins, dying the bitter death for them. But if you know him not here, than may he not be showed you after this parting of body and soul, nother of Marry, nor of any body else.   

¶ Seventhly we sing in this song, O clemens, O pia, O dulcis virgo Maria, that is: O bounteous, O good, O sweet virgin Mary.  
These words were wont to be cried out loud, but Baal's priests cried out louder, whereof it is written in the third book of the kings the xviii Chapter of this manner: And they cried loud and provoked them selves with knives and ●otkens (as their manner was) till the blood followed, but no answer was herd. Wherefore the prophet Elias mocking them said: Cry loud. For he is a God, peradventure he is musing, or hath somewhat to do, or is go some journey, or haply he sleepeth, so that he would be waked up. etc. They cried farther yet: ye that even their throat seemed to have brasten asunder, but what they obtained thereby, that may you read there. And much less shall you obtain with your loud blaring. For God giveth no ear to loud crying, but to love and mercy. Besides this ascrybest thou sweetness, goodness, and righteousness unto a creature which is to be referred unto none but unto God only. Of this sweetness sayeth scripture in the book of wisdom the xii Chap. on this wise: O LORD how gracious and sweet is thy spirit in all things. And joel in the ii Chapter: Turn you unto the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful long suffering and of great compassion, and ready to pardon wickedness and to forgive sins. etc. David doth likewise exhort us in the xxxiii Psalm, saying: taste and see how friendly the LORD is, happy is the man that trusteth in him. Mark well now that you must seek and look for all goodness, sweetness, mercy and virtue at him only, if you shall obtain aught, and that you can do naught without him. This confirmeth the prayer of Anna the wife of Helcana in the first doke of the kings, the second chapter, where she sayeth: There is no man holy as the LORD, for without the is nothing and there is no comfort like unto our God. And even so noman can, nor may be holy or come to the father, but thorough the son Christ jesus as he witnesseth himself.  
To conclude good brethren and sisters I beseek you for the unspeakable mercy of God to remember and to think that God is wiser than you: and so doing give your wit and wisdom captive unto the word of God, and than shall happen unto you both health and salvation. But alas it is happened unto us (God amend it) that is spoken of in the xiiii Chapter of the book of wisdom, namely that thorough the beauty of the work, the common people was deceived, insomuch, that they took him now for God which a little afore was but honoured as man. Like unto this may you read Deuteronomy the vi Baruch the last, and in the book of wisdom the xiii and xiiii chapters besides other places innumerable more in the bible. If you look upon these places, you shall easily see what idolatry is used daily in Christendom before the painted blocks & stocks. Which I trust shall once be redressed by the power of the word of God, though to some it seem to be unpossible by the reason of the deep rooting of it in some superstitious hearts. But let such call to mind the power of God specified in these words of God by his prophet Isaiah in the l chapter Why would no man receive me when I came? and when I called, no man gave answer. Was my hand clean smitten of, that it might not help? Or had I not power to deliver? Send therefore the pure & plain understanding of thy Godly word into our hearts, that the light of the clear understanding of thy word may drive out the darkness of Idolatry and so thine honour be restored unto the again. AMEN.    

¶ The true Salue Regina, grounded upon the scripture.  
Hail jesus Christ king of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope, hail. Unto the do we call the wretched children of Eva: unto the do we call and sigh, weeping & wailing in this valley of tears. Turn therefore thy merciful eyen to us ward thou spechman and advocate of ours, and show us the visage of thy blessed father in the everlasting glory, as thou hast promised us, O gracious, O sweet Christ and son of the virgin Mary.    


¶ The song of Zachary called Benedictus, usually song at Matins, briefly declared.  
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, for he hath redeemed and visited his people.  
And hath set up an horn of salvation in the house of his servant David.  
Even as he promised afore time by the mouth of his holy prophets.  
That he would deliver us from our enemies, and from the hand of all such as hate us.  
And that he would show mercy unto our fathers, and think upon his holy convenant.  
Even the oath that he swore unto our father Abraham, for to give us.  
That we delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear all the days of our life, in such holiness and righteousness as is accept before him.  
And thou child shalt be called a prophet of the highest: for thou shalt go before the LORD to prepare his ways.  
And to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of sins.  
Thorough the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from on high hath visited us.  
That he might give light unto them that sit in darkness and shadow of death, & to guide our feet in to the way of peace.   

This song of Zacharye the prophet, the father of John baptiste wash occasioned to sing for joy that he was restored again to his speech, the which he lost, because he did not believe the angel showing him of his son John baptiste that should be born of him: so that (as the angel said unto him) the token whereby he should be assured there of was, that he should be dumb, until the time of the chyldes nativity. Wherefore at his nativity being restored again unto his speech, he is forthwith filled also with the holy ghost, and prophecyeth: not that he was not filled afore with the spirit of God's children, whereby he walked unblamably in the commandments and righteousnesses of God: but that than he was even ravished and specially filled with the spirit, so that Luke the Evangelist (who doth describe these words in his i chapter) sayeth: that he was filled with the holy ghost and prophesied. Now is to prophecy, to utter things, either to come, or that he passed already, or else to open the scriptures and prophecies, the which all this song doth contain, and is divided in xii verses and two parts. In the first doth Zachary commend and praise the truth of God's promises, that God doth keep & fulfil those things, which he did promise by his prophets of Christ. In the second doth he declare the office and service of John baptist. Let us therefore keep and handle this song of Zachary, not only as a rehearsal and abrygment of all such promises as are spoken of Christ, but also as a large commentary and utterance of the gospel of jesus Christ. But alas this song is heinously abused, even as is also the song of praise that Mary the blessed virgin did sing, called Magnificat, saying it is roared out daily rather than song without faith or devotion. God avenge his word from the blasphemies of the wicked. Now let us go to the song:  Blessed be the LORD God of Israel. 
Zachary doth bless and thank God, which (according to the promise made unto the holy men in old time) did sand Christ the saviour of Israel, whereby he doth also strengthen the weaklynges in faith and feeble hearted. And with this singing & openly confessing of his name is he wellapayed if the heart and mouth do accord. Though he do call God the God of Israel, it is not therefore to be understand that he is not the God of the gentiles, but he is so called, first because of the promise made unto Abraham in the xvii chapter of Genesis, where God said unto him: I will make my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, throughout their posterities, that it may be an everlasting convenant, so that I will be the God of thee, and of thy seed after the. etc. Secondly, because he gave them, patriarchs, Prophets, the law, the God's service, and the promises of Christ that was to-come. thirdly, because that of this people should Christ be born after the flesh: But after that Christ was come, he was no more called Israel truly, that was born of that kindred, and of the flesh of Israel: but he that is born by the faith of jesus Christ. Wherefore, though the LORD by his power and rule be the LORD of all nations yet is he properly called the God of them that believe in jesus Christ, because that them only be knowlegeth for the heirs of his kingdom.  
Blessed is than the God of Israel. But wherefore? Even because he hath visited and redimed his people.  
And hath set up an horn of salvation in the house of his servant David.  
Even as he promised afore time by the mouth of his holy prophets.  
This pertaineth unto the first part of the song, wherein God is commended for his faithfulness and fulfilling of his promise. He hath visited and redimed his people, sayeth Zachary, the which be both one thing, and be as much to say as: he is come unto us, to bring and to set afore us the wholesome word, whereby we are saved For to visit is, to be mindful, to care for, or to make an end of travyll and thraldom, as God did when he delivered the children of Israel out of Egipte, though it be sometime taken for evil, as to punish or to chastise. Now is there is no visitation to be compared unto this that Zachary speaketh of here. For by it he hath redeemed us from the danger of the Devil, Death and Hell, and made us free Israelites and a peculiar people to himself and hath set up an horn of salvation in the house of his servant David.  
A horn in scripture is taken for victory, doughtiness, a rod, a kingdom, greatness, power, majesty or excellency, either because that fourfooted beasts have their chief strength in their horns, orels be 'cause that kings being consecrated in old time were anointed with the oil that the prophets had in horns, as we read of Samuel i Reg. xuj. Therefore sayeth Zachary, that God hath raised and set up an horn, that is, a saving power, namely by jesus Christ, the saviour of all them that believe in him, unto whom is given power of all things, both in heaven and earth. If I should bring forth the scriptures bearing witness of this, I fear me to be cloyed with the abundance of the same. The horn than is set up in the house of David, for Christ is born of the posterity of David, not only after the spirit, (as the swerving sprites of the Anabaptistes do say) but also after the flesh, the which he took of the virgin Mary. If this David (of whose flesh and blood Christ was born after the manhood) had been no man, than had not Zachary meant him when he said: In the house of David his servant. For Christ is equal with his father after the godhead, and the seed or posterity of David after the manhood which he took of the virgin Mary, that was of David's kindred, & that by the overshadowing of the holy ghost. If they therefore will suage their rashness and malapartness, and confess the truth according to the scriptures, than surely shall they see, that scripture useth sometime to speak mystically of him, and so is he the true Solomon, that is: the king of peace, whose dominion shallbe augmented, and there shallbe no end of his peace. Esa. ix. And sometime after the flesh, as we may see in the lii and liii chapters of Esay. Moore over, If they will understand the prophecy of jeremy in his xxii chapter, where he promiseth to raise up the righteous branch of David only spritualy, than must they deny the article of our belief that we confess in, that he is born of the virgin Mary, and again that his manhood glorified is not in heaven, the which God forsende any man should believe, saying the whole scripture is contrary to it, though all the world did affirm it. This is than the very Christ God and man, (of whom the prophets and the evangelists have spoken) that Zachary or the holy ghost in him means when he calleth him the horn of salvation in the house of David his servant. How beautiful are these feet of Zachary, bringing so good tiding, preaching so peaceable Christ by whose horn of salvation all they that sat in the region of deaths shadow were delivered. But though Zachary in the three first verses did comprehend the sum of those promises that were fulfilled in Christ jesus, yet is he not content to have briefly run over them, but of a fervent spirit he doth now dilate and declare them more largelyer in the other fore verses following, and sayeth: 
That he would deliver us from our enemies and from the hand of all such as hate us.  
And that he would show mercy unto our fathers, and think upon his holy convenant.  
Even the oath that he swore unto our father Abraham, for to give us.  
That we delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him with out fear all the days of our life, in such holiness and righteousness as is accept before him.   
What time as the children of Israel were come into the land of promise, & had taken possession of it, they had no kings, but were ruled by rulers. Now as they forsook the LORD their God, and fallen to Idolatry God did punish them, and sent strange nations upon them, the which vexed them: wherefore they called upon God, and he delivered them, sending them a ruler or captain that discomfited the enemies, as the book of judges doth specyfy. On like manner prophecyeth here Zachary that God will do, in sending his son jesus Christ, of the seed of David, to deliver the true Israelites and to rid them from the hand of such enemies, as oppressed them. Lo (sayeth he) how true is God, and how well abideth he by his promises. For he keepeth not only these promises that he made by the prophets, but also the testaments and covenants that he made unto the patriarchs, namely: Abraham and David, the which he did bind with an oath. The oath that he made with Abraham is this: I will bless than that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee: and in the shall all generations of the earth be blessed. And again: Thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all nations on earth be blessed. Gene. xxii. And of David is written in the lxxxviii psalm: I have sworn once by my holiness, that I will not fail David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his seat also like as the Son before me. etc. These and such like promises made unto Abraham and David of the victory of their enemies, of the sureness and quietness of their life, of the continuance of their happy kingdom, sound to be spoken only of outward blessings, and should be fulfilled after the meaning of this world: But by this song of Zachary, which is an utterance of the promises made unto Abraham and David, it is evident, that these blessings concern most chiefly the spiritual blessings. For he sayeth that the promises made unto the patriarchs, and confirmed with an oath concerning the victory of their enemies, of the peceablenesse of life, of the happy state of the kingdom, are to be understand of these enemies, which are vanquished by jesus Christ, and of the tranquillity, of that happy and peaceable life, the which is purchased for us by Christ. Christ hath not subdued or overcome the Egipcians, or Babylonians, or the Romans, (though the jews had been partly oppressed, & partly were yet so oppressed of them, that they could not quietly use the service of God commanded in the law in their own land, although they should not have obtained the true health nor righteousness thereby, had they been delivered of their enemies,) but he overcame and delivered his people from these enemies, whereof Paul speaketh Eph. vi. saying: We wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against rule, against power, namely: against the rulers of the world, of the darkness of this world, against the sprites of wickedness under the heaven. Among these enemies is the chiefest of all Satan, the which as he is a murderer▪ even so goeth he ever about roaring like a Lion, seeking whom he may devour. The second is Sin, wherein Adam, by the enticing of the devil did fall, the which is cropen in all mankind from Adam, whereby also they be provoked unto all manner of wickedness. The third enemy are: Afflictions, Death, and Hell. These are the most heinous enemies that can be. Nother is it to be thought that these enemies although they do envy men in deed, yet are they far from them, but it is to be marked that these enemies have men wholly in their claws. For naturally are we the children of wrath, that is, the devils own, born in sin, and by reason of sin, we be in danger of troubles of this world, bodily death & also hell. These enemies hath Christ so overcome (though they sometime do repine and gnash, threatening men many things) that they can in no wise hurt them that believe in Christ jesus. Moreover Christ hath not restored his people unto such sureness and tranquillity, wherein they might use at jerusalem their service, prescribed unto them in the third book of Moses called Leviticus, (for that service, as it was to be observed and kept for a season only, as the law witnesseth: even so was it only an introduction and civil holiness to Christwarde,) but he forgave them their sins. By the which knowledge, the conscience is so quieted by faith, that she now fears nother the devil, death, nor hell. And because that the holy ghost is given by faith, therefore, whosoever hath the forgiveness of sins by faith, the same serveth the LORD quietly at all times in such holiness and righteousness as he can, without any fear of the cruel enemies death or hell. Wherefore as the promises made unto Abraham and David are to be understand of the spiritual enemies, and of the true and spiritual holiness, the which we have by Christ: even so is this song of Zachary also to be understand spiritually, and of the inward victory by the faith of jesus Christ our LORD. For to possess the gates of the enemies, is, to be lord of all things with Christ, the which shall begin by faith, & shall finysh when Christ's kingdom shall end, the which shall never be, for saying Christ's kingdom is everlasting, and he eternal, therefore shall we reign and rejoice everlastingly with him in his kingdom.  
That God than did promise unto Abraham and David, that he did confirm & stablish with an oath, namely: to remember his covenant, to show the mercy promised unto the fathers, the we should be delivered of our enemies, & from the hand of all such as hate us, & so we delivered from the hands of our enemies, may serve him without fear: that sayeth Zachary that God hath done very well, when he sent Christ his son in the flesh. The which as he shall cleanse us from all our sins, and reconcile us again to God the father, even so shall he also command that we do become holy and righteous before God by the faith in him, and be endued with the holy ghost, that so we do obey his calling by faith, with great rest and peace of conscience.  
Holiness signifieth the cleanness from all sin, righteousness, a comeliness of all the life, & a serviable love unto all men. With these is God truly served, so doing, we do him an high pleasure, representing his image & likeness, the which is most cleanest from all evil, and the most beneficial and well-doing unto all things. This service & worship only doth he allow, therefore sayeth he: As is accept before him. For he did require it of his people, when he brought them out of Egipte: saying: Be you holy, for I am holy. Moreover, because it is not truly good that taketh an end, therefore sayeth he also: All the days of our life. For it is no godliness the hath an end. God is eternal & is not changed, whom who so knoweth truly can never be drawn from his service: for he shall find nothing better than him. This is now the first part of the song, wherein the truth of God is commended, whereby the promises of Christ are kept, where by also we be admonished of those benefits that are happened unto us by Christ. Now followeth the other part: 
And thou child shalt be called a prophet of the highest: for thou shalt go before the LORD to prepare his ways  
And to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of their sins.  
Thorough the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day spring from on high hath visited us.  
That he might give light unto them that sit in darkness and shadow of death, and to guide our feet in to the way of peace.   
In this other part of the song is declared and set forth the office of John baptist. Nother is it declared with vain dreams, but with the words that the prophet Malachy, and the angel that appeared unto Zachary did testify of him. Thou (sayeth he) child shalt be called a prophet of the highest? That is, thou shalt be the chief preacher in God's church or congregation, for of the hath Malachy prophesied on this wise: Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before the. And again: He shall turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the heart of the children unto the fathers: & for this cause shalt thou go before the LORD, that is, before that Christ do openly begin his office, thou shalt do thine appointed business. For what intent? first, that thou prepare the way unto Christ. Now hath John prepared the way unto Christ, as is said above, not only in that he rebuked the people of their sins, but rather because he declared openly that this is the true Christ, and sent his disciples unto the same Christ, saying: Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. secondly, that thou give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of their sins. That is, that thou with thy doctrine show unto the people the true way and manner, where by they may obtain salvation, the which consisteth not in the deliverance from the tyranny of the Romans, nother in the felicity or happiness of this world, but in the remission of sins. Though thou warest rid of all tyrants and enemies in this world, and hast obtained all the felicity of this world: yet art thou in the devils danger, an enemy most cruel, and not only his, but also of Death and Hell, which are utter destructions: Thou art in danger of them by reason of sin, for Paul sayeth unto the Romans the u Chapter: that by one man sin entered in to the world and death by the means of sin: even so went death also over all men, in so much as they all have sinned. Wherefore, that we may be delivered from the cruelty of the devil, and from the power of death and hell, it is required that we be delivered first of all from sin. John was the first that preached jesus Christ, that we for him only have the forgiveness of sins, by the faith in him. Nother is there any other way to obtain the true salvation, than by the faith in Christ jesus, nor yet also is there given unto men any other name, where in we be saved. Actu. iiii. For the glory of God is to save as many as are ordained there to, and that glory giveth he to none other saying than John did open, show, & declare jesus Christ, the doer away of our sins▪ he is rightfully said to have given or to have taught the people such knowledge, whereby they obtain the remission of their sins, that is, righteousness and life everlasting. But for what deservings or merits sake hath the people obtained such benefits, that they should learn the way of salvation, & get the remission of their sins? verily, not for the circumcision, nor sacrifices, nor civil honesty, the which though they have a worthiness in their kind, yet were they not such things before God, that therefore he should bestow on us the benefit of forgiveness of sin. What are then the things wherefore we have such benefit bestowed on us? Thorough the the tender mercy (sayeth he) of our God. He sayeth not only by the mercy▪ but by the tender mercy, that is thorough the great and unsearchable mercy: for thorough the same, and for none of man's merits did the day spring from on high visit us. For as the remission of sins happened unto us for none of our merits, but only of the mere grace and tender mercy of God, even so doth this faith also. The day spring doth Zachary call here Christ, as though he were budding and springing, like a branch of a tree, alluding to the saying of jeremy in his xxiii chap. saying: I will raise up the righteous branch of David, which shall bear rule, & discuss matters with wisdom, & shall set up equity and righteousness again in the earth. And also to the prophecy of Zachary in his vi chap. saying: Behold, the man whose name is the branch, and he that shall spring after him, shall build up the temple of the LORD.  
This branch then or day spring is risen from above, and hath visited us, when jesus Christ came into this world, & sent John baptiste before, to bear open witness of him. To what intent? That he might give light unto them that sit in darkness, and shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. These words of Zachary concern the prophecy of Isaiah in his ix chap. saying. The people that have dwelt in darkness, shall see a great light: & to them that devil in the land of the shadow of death, to them shall the light shine. And again in the lx chap. And therefore get the up by times, for thy light cometh, and the glory of the LORD shall rise upon thee. In the darkness and shadow of death do they sit, which are so wrapped in wretchednesses, that they see naught save even everlasting damnation. That is done when the sins are uttered, and the conscience knoweth the judgement of sin. Therefore when John did show Christ taking away the sins of the world, surely he showed us such a light, whereby we may not only avoid the darkness of infelicite or wretchedness and the shadow of death, but also to guide our feet into the way of peace, so to obtain the true salvation & felicity For there is none other way of peace or felicity, save jesus Christ our LORD, by whose faith we being justified have peace to Godward.  
A foot in scripture is taken oft-times for the affection, desire & will of the heart, as in the xxxv Psal. Let not the foot of pride overtake me. That is, the affections & thoughts of pride, jest I conceive a proud opinion of myself in my mind, of my righteousness, wisdom, strength & will: jest I count myself somewhat, where I am nothing, saying I find no good thing in my flesh.  
The clause wherewith Zachary doth end his song is verily a pithy one, namely: into the way of peace. For if we walk not in the ways of God, in his commandments, in the life that is blessed and happy because of the assurance of God's goodness, whereby such tranquillity & rest of conscience is procured, that we take all things in worth, and (as near as we can) have peace with all men: than verily do we wander in darkness going astray as sheep having no shepherd. He doth worthily call the ignorance of god the shadow of death, wherewith are held all those, into whose hearts Christ the true Son of righteousness hath not spread his beams, saying the true knowledge of God is life everlasting. What tongue can express the misery of them that want the knowledge of God? For in this life they have a conscience captivate, restless & marked with a hot iron, seeking now this way to be saved, than putting the body to such pain to deserve heaven so that it can no more rest, than Euripus the river, which ebbeth and floweth vii times in a day and night. And again what tongue can utter the felicity & happiness of such as have this knowledge, that John is come to give? for they being sufficed the God is their God, that he careth for them, that he forgiveth them their sins thorough the tender mercy of their God, wherewith the day spring [or branch] from on high hath visited us, they keep an everlasting Sabbat, committing all the care either of livelihood, of clothing, or of ryddaunce and delivering from all their enemies, both bodily and ghostly, to him only that hath created and governeth all things, trusting in him, that as he is only good, so can not he do other wise but good unto them. This verily is a peace passing the peace of the world. This peace may be felt inwardly, but can be uttered sufficiently with no tongue outwardly: Ye noman can sing nother this nor like songs worthily & fruitfully, without he be contrite of heart, & endued with the holy ghost. Therefore is it a heinous injury unto God, to sing this & like wholesome songs only for advantage, without any consideration of the benefits that God hath showed us, as it testifieth. God grant that abuses may be redressed by the breath of his holy word. ¶ This is the song of praise that Zachary did sing at his chyldes nativity, whereby (saying the truth & mercy of God and the benefits, which we have gotten thorough Christ whom John by by his preaching & testimony doth advance, are chiefly praised,) let us stablish our faith, & declare our thankfulness toward God, that we may keep & retain with thankfulness the godly benefits, which of liberality we have received by jesus Christ. AMEN.    


¶ The song of the ancient father Simeon, called: Nunc dimittis, the which he did sing when Mary was purified.  
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy promise.  
For mine eyes have seen thy saviour, whom thou hast prepared before all people.  
A light for the lightening of the heathen, and for the praise of the people of Israel.   

THis song hath iii verses, & it was song what time Christ was born, to the consolation of Mary and joseph, with diverse other elect. Moreover, like as Zachary and Mary, and before them Moses, Deborah, Anna the mother of Samuel, David & diverse other did utter their thankfulness toward God with songs, nor could find more pleasing thing to thank him for his benefits, than such open praises, wherein the glory of God's name is recited: Even so doth here Simeon by the holy ghost burst out in a song, wherewith he declareth his thank full mind toward the goodness of God. He setteth forth Christ in this song, & decketh him with great praises goodly tytels. He teacheth also by his own ensample whereof the true peace of conscience doh come, and whereby it cometh that we look readily and gladly for death, ye even overcome death. Now (sayeth he) LORD lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy promise. That is, I have naught in me, whereof I may boast at thy judgement, save only this, that thou art my LORD, & I thy servant: not such one that have done all thy will, but such one, as saying I have not done thy will, & aught therefore worthily to have been condemned, yet nevertheless am graciously saved of the. It was verily a fervent prayer and desire that the righteous & dreading God sage Simeon praised God with as he saw the LORD in the temple, and took him in his arms. The heart of the aged man rejoiced so sore at that time, that he could keep the praise of God no longer hid in his heart: ye if it had been possible, the heart would have brusten for joy, saying: LORD, now lettest thy servant depart in peace according to thy promise. As though he would say: Let me now depart, I am now glad to die, death shallbe now acceptable unto me for it is fulfilled, that was promised unto me. It might also be understand, that Simeons' desire was not only to be delivered of the bodily death, but also from all pining and unquietness of conscience, the which can be apeaced with no works, before we have seen the anointed of the LORD, that is: before that our conscience knoweth Christ aright. For than waxeth a man first merry, than dieth a man gladly, and than driveth the holy ghost away all grief of conscience also, which maketh a man restless. God giveth some men a great peace inwardly at the first, as Mary brought forth her son with great joy But such must suffer greatly afterward as Mary did also afterward. Some suffereth God to have grief and pining of conscience until their bodily death, as he did this Simeon, but than are they contented with advantage for all that they did forego so long: the which is a painful life, but very precious. Nother were it possible for a man to endure (if God's word did not sustain him, whereupon he waiteth) until that time, that God hath choose to the same. Now when God verifieth the promise, than is it above measure sweet unto man, and so thanketh & praiseth God for it. For he learneth than by true experience, that God doth veryfy his promise, myses, how long so ever he differreth it. Than is the goodness of the LORD, (ye the LORD himself) very sweet, and he himself is very willing to die. In that Simeon calleth himself the servant of the LORD, he first praiseth the goodness of God, that seeing he might have destroyed him for his wickednesses, yet hath he wite safe to spare him mercifully. Secondly he confesseth his extreme vileness and lowliness, so that he have naught in himself that is aught worth in the sight of God, but that God hath all power over him, either to slay or save, and that he be unworthy to be counted for a man before God. Theridamas is nothing more stronger to steer God to mercy, than so to knowledge before God, and to submit themselves to him, calling upon him by faith. Wherefore David steering God to show mercy, doth so oft repeat the name servant: as though he would say: Like as he that is taken in battle or in time of war, and so being sold is a bondman and servant unto him, that bought him: Even so I also being redymed by thy precious blood from the danger of the devil, death and hell, am even altogether thine own, thy servant, thy bondman, having no right to myself.  
Moreover that Simeon sayeth: according to thy promise, therein doth he praise and commend the truth of God's promises. For the word or promise made unto Simeon was, that he should not see death, before he had seen the LORDS Christ. Now though there appeared many things contrary to this word or promise, and though it seemed to have been a vain and feigned tail nevertheless, saying all men are liars, but thou LORD my God art true, thou fulfyllest it at the fullest that thou hast promised, and lettest me now go in peace. Hither to have I carefully abiden thy coming, and that this many years, and what mistrusting did not the flesh in the mean season steer me unto? What infidelity did not Satan inspire me with? And because thou didst differre thy promise of saying Christ, therefore was I nearhand caused to think that all thy promises were vain. And (good LORD) what rumour or uproar did than rise in my conscience? With what engines did Satan assault my mind? laying now my sins before me, than she wing me an hougle image of death, sometime kindling the horrible fire of hell in mine entrails, wherewith I was so dismade, that I was nearhande in despair. But now thou makest me an happy aged man LORD, and lettest thy servant depart in peace, according to thy promise. Now dost thou set my conscience at rest, now shall I careless wait for the bodily death, I will now die gladly.  
But what is happened unto the good father, that thou art so suddenly changed, and where afore thou werest so sorrowful, that thou art now even filled with so great joy? For what cause dost thou now so leap for joy, as though thou werest revived, which afore semedest to have been more than dead? Surely his joy is not for naught. Let us therefore hear himself. For this sayeth he to be the cause of his mirth, and gladness, namely: For mine eyen have seen thy saviour, whom thou hast prepared before all people.  
This is the treasure the rejoiceth me & maketh death acceptable to me, namely: That I see him that was under the law, & know him for such one as helpeth me, it can not be, but I must rejoice and not be afeared for death Behold now what is hid in the heart of the old gray-headed father, that he will now die, and will depart in peace. To depart with joy or die in peace is a goodly word in the ears of him that can so do. But where of hath he such a pleasant death? Even of the child. Who hath ever seen such like death? But all they that put their trust in any other save in this child the saviour when they shall die, they tremble and quake and are very sorrowful at the heart, & change their colour, their wit, reason, understanding and all their strength fadeth even away, death overcometh them: Ye though all the kings, princes & powers of the world were by with their horses & arms to help them, and the fear of death came upon them, they should stand as stiff as a stake before death. But the good Simeon rejoiceth that he will depart in peace, as though there were no death. He calleth not the passing a death, he disdaineth to honour it so much. He sayeth: LORD now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, & not, thou lettest me die. He calleth the passing a sweet & easy sleep.  
From whence hath he the cunning that he fears not death, but counteth it a sweet sleep, for the which not withstanding all the world is afraid? Even from thence that sin, the law and death were banished out of his heart, he did not regard them. For where the law is, there is also a conscience of sin: but where she is not, there is nothing save righteousness, and Moses is exiled, and so wholly out of sight, that his sepulture is not seen nor known where it is. Where Moses is go, from thence is sin taken away also, and so becometh death a lovely sleep.  
But whereby getteth he that? verily not by his deservings & works, but only by the beholding of the saviour. For he sayeth: Mine eyen have seen thy savour He maketh no mention, nor is once thinking that he hath done or procured it with his hands, but hath seen it with his eyen, though the outward sight without the inward do avail so little as the hands.  
They are two points, to see and the saviour. To see Christ pertaineth unto a quiet and peaceable death. If we see him, than can we die merely: but if we see him not, than is he there in vain unto us. Many have seen him in the temple, but not aright. joseph, mary, Anna, and Simeon have seen him aright, but all the other that beheld him not likewise, they have not seen Christ nor the saviour. Caiphas, Annas, Pilate & Herode, did behold him in deed, but they saw not that he was the saviour. But where in is the fault, that they can not see him? In the eyen of the heart, they must be clear, that they may behold the young LORD that is entered in to the winepress for us, and hath suffered wrong for us, setting us at liberty, not for our merits or deservings, but for his truth and loves sake. Who so beholdeth him after this manner, the same hath overcome the law, sin, & death, despising all their assaults.  
The true saying consists not in the bodily eyen, for many have seen him after that manner, which were never the better for it: but in faith in the heart. It may well be that they have seen him with bodily eyen, but yet not believed that he was the saviour, thinking on this wise: Should this child be he? it is scarce six weeks old, nother can it lift up the head. The true saviour (thought they) shall come with an army, with horses and all manner of weapons. But the good Simeon hath seen him other wise. He was warned in his heart & a word was given him, saying: The same is he▪ He had another light and another sight. Even so must we also not only hear at Christ's mouth, but also believe in the heart thorough the holy ghost, and so must the heart be illumined by the holy ghost: for it is naturally stony, hardened and darkened so sore, that it can not knowledge such salvation and see such light. Nother is it enough that Mary, joseph, Simeon and other have seen him, I must see him also, I must knowledge him also, I must know also that he is the true Messiah.  
Simeon might with few words have uttered the cause of his joy, and said: Therefore lettest thou me departed in peace, because I have seen Christ. But that he might declare the majesty of Christ more clearly, he leaveth the name of Christ, and in stead thereof he setteth three titles, wherewith Christ is set forth most plainly, and his use is showed most manifestly. The first title that Christ is declared with, is, saviour, saying: Mine eyen have seen thy saviour, whom thou hast prepared before all people. This saying seemeth Simeon to have taken out of the lii Chapter of Isaiah where he sayeth: The LORD will make bore his holy arm, & show it forth in the sight of all the gentiles, and all the ends of the earth shall see the saving health of our God. That Isaiah doth prophecy for to come, that sayeth Simeon to be now fulfilling. That is, that our LORD Christ which as the true saviour is showed in the flesh, and set up therefore, that he might be showed unto all nations, both the jews and gentiles. If the sins do rack our consciences, and cast them to the everlasting damnation, than is Christ our saviour, the wholesome plaster, which laid to the sores of our sins, doth so dry up, cleanse & heal the etter of them, that although he feel himself grieved with sins, and yet do believe in Christ, yielding himself wholly to his cure, yet is he for all that reckoned clean from all sin, righteous and holy. And if Christ be wholesome to cleanse and heal sins, it followeth also that he is wholesome in all adversities, troubles, griefs and pains of death and hell. For if any man be pained, or grieved, than is Christ wholesome unto him. For in forgeving sins, he maketh the same grief to be no instrument or occasion of misery unto him. If any man be cast before death and hell in his conscience, Christ is a Seveoure unto him, the which saying he hath satisfied his father for our sins, he changeth the fear of death and hell in a way, not unto perdition, but unto life & ever lasting salvation. Let us therefore embrace this saviour of God, the which Simeon did bear in his arms, and let us likewise bear him by faith, that we may be let go in peace likewise.  
The second title that Simeon decketh Christ with, is, the light. For he sayeth: A light for the lightening of the heathen, he shall not only be a saviour, but also a light to lighten the heathen, that is: He is a light that shall not only shine among the jews, but also, among the gentiles, and lighten them, that they also may come to the eternal bless out of the darkness of death and hell. This part of the song seemeth to be taken out of the xlii Chapter of Esay, where he prophesieth of Christ on this wise I will give the for a covenant of the people, and to be the light of the gentiles, that thou mayest open the eyes of the blind, and let out the prisoners, and them that sit in darkness out of the dungeon house. And Christ sayeth thus of himself, in the viii. chapter of John: I am the light of the world, He that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. What are than those darknesses that Christ the light doth drive out? The darkness are first all man's power, wisdom, and righteousness, the which, though they glister and shine before men, yet to obtain the grace of God thereby, to appease gods wrath to make satisfaction for our sins, and to get the true bless with them, they are but even darkness. Secondly are the darkness all doctrines of philosophers, all laws, either of the heathen, or of Moses. For those though they be profitable, and be necessary to redress manners by them, and to repress the wicked, yet to put away sin with them and to get the true righteousness before God, they are even darkness. Only Christ is the light, because that whoso believeth his gospel, hath the cleansing and remission of sins thorough him, the which is our righteousness, consisting in the judgement of God. Finally are our sins, death and hell darkness, but Christ is the true light, For if God hath not spared the natural branches, let us beware, jest he spare not us also. God refused the jews for their wickedness, how much more shall he refuse us Gentiles, if we be like unto them in wickedness? He refused the jews, not because they crucified Christ, but because they believed not in him whom they crucified, nother repent at the preaching of the gospel of jesus Christ: Even so shall not God refuse us, because we have sinned, (orels had we been long sense refused,) but we shallbe refused, because we will not believe his Gospel against whom we have sinned, nother have done penance by faith, but partly persecute the gospel with tyranny, partly with despising and loathsomeness. Therefore let us be diligent by obedience unto the gospel, that the same glory of Christ that is come and translated unto us, do abide with us for ever, and not be sklaundered by our misbehaveoure and ungodly living. For better were it that a millstone were hanged about our necks and we cast into the see, than any slander unto God and his holy word should come by us.  
¶ Here is now (good reader) the song of the sage gray-headed Simeon, the which he being full of the holy ghost did sing, to declare his mind to Godward. Wherein first by his own ensample he showeth where by the true peace and tranquillity of conscience doth come, and whereby we become willing to die, namely thereby, that we know Christ to be the overcomer and vanquisher of sin and Death. For if we do behold the Death in us and in herself, there is nothing more heinous or dreadful. But if we take Christ in our arms of saith, and behold the death in him, than do we so little despair with beholding the death, that we rather do say, either with Simeon: LORD, Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: Orels with Paul: I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ.  
Moreover doth Simeon set forth Christ with three goodly titles, calling him the saviour of all people, the light of the gentiles, and the glory of Israel: that with these titles he might so set forth the majesty of Christ, that either he might provoke the unbelieving to the faith, or stablish the weak in faith, or keep them that be strong