¶ except a man haue the profession of his baptism in his heart, he can not vnderstonde the scripture.  
AS a man can by no means red, except he be taught the letters of the crosserowe, even so it is unpossible for a man of whatsoever degree or name he be to vnderstonde ought in the scripture unto the honour of God, and health of his soul, except he be first taught the profession of his baptism, and haue it also written in his heart.  
which profession standeth in .ii. things: 
The profession of our baptism what it i●  The one is the knowledge of the law of God, understanding it spiritually, as Christ expoundeth it matthew in the .v. vi. and .vii. chapter: so that the roote and life of all laws is this: love thy lord God with al thine hart, all thy soul, and all thy might, and thy neighbour as thyself for his sake: and that love only, be the fulfyllynge of the law( as paul teacheth,) and that what soever dede we do, and not of that love, that same fulfylleth no lawe in the sight of God.  
And the other is to know the promises 
gospel.  of mercy, which are in our saueoure Christ, understanding them also purely without all leaven, after the mercyfullest fashion as scripture expresseth them, and after all fatherlye love and kindness of God unto al that repent toward the saw and believe in christ.  
And to haue this profession written in thine heart, is to consent unto the law that it is righteous, and good, and to love it in thine heart& to submyt thyself thereunto for to learn it, and to rule and square all thy deeds thereby,& thē to believe in Christ that for his sake, all thy sins which thou didst before the knowledge of this profession, are forgiven the clearly, both pena& culpa( to use the romish terms,) and that for none other satisfaction to godward, then Christes blood, and even so, that all the sin which we do after this knowledge either of chance, ignorance, infirmity, negligence, or provoked and overcome of the flesh, is forgiven us lykwyse both pena and culpa thorough repentance and faith in christ without our satisfaction of works to godward.  
Not wythstondynge we being all sons of one God,& servants of one Christ must agree among ourselves,& he that hath offended, must meekly knowledge his fault, and offer himself to make amendes unto the utmost of his power, and yf he haue not where with, and axe forgiveness for Christes sake, the other is bound to forgive him. neither without reconcylinge himself unto his brother may ony man be at the first received unto the profession of Christes faith, nor continue therein, nor be received in again yf he be for his open offences put therout. For how can a man love his neighbour as well as himself,& be sorry that he hath hurt him, except he should offer himself to make amendes?  
And we must from hence forth walk in the life of penance( yf ye will haue it so called) and after the doctrine of Christ every man tame his flesh with prayer fasting, and the continual meditacyons of Christes penance and passions for us, and of the holy sayntes: and with such abstinence, and kind of living as every man thinketh most meet for his complexion, the younger confessing their infirmities to the elder, discreter,& better learned and axynge their aduyce and wholesome counsel for the repressing of their diseases, but all to tame the flesh, and to serve thy neighbour, without ony superstitious mind.  
But to godward is ther no satisfaction save faith in Christes blood out of a repenting heart. For our outward deeds can not be referred unto God to do him service in his own person, and to help him or make him better there with. We can do no more with thē, were they never so perfect, and done with all love, then satisfy the lawe for the present time, and do our duty unto our neghboures, and tame our own flesh, but not to make satisfaction to God for sin that is once past. The sin that is once committed must God forgive freely of a fatherly love for Christes sake.  
When God visiteth us with sickness, poverty, or what so ever adversity it be, he doth it not of a tyrannous mind to satisfy his lust in our sufferrynge of evil, to make satisfaction for the sin that is paste, of the which we repent and be sorry: But of a fatherly love, to make us know ourself, and feel his mercy, and to tame the flesh, and to keep us from synnynge again. As no natural father punyssheth his child because he delighteth in tormentynge of him, to take satisfaction for the sin that is paste. But first teacheth kindly and sufferreth and forgiveth once or twice, and then at the last, when he seyeth the body so wanton that the child can not continue in the right way, for the rage of wild lusts, he beateth him, to subdue the flesh only and to tame it, that the doctrine of the father may haue hyr due course in the heart of the child,& should not be choked with sustes, and concucupiscences of our wicked nature.  
even so is it of God, yf ony of his children that haue professed his law, and the faith of our saueoure, be negligent to tame his flesh, with prayer, fasting, and gooddedes after the doctrine of christ, he will surely scourge him to bring him in to the right way again, and to keep him that the doctrine of his souls health perish not in him. But he taketh not his mercy from us, nor thinketh on the sin that is paste, after that we repent and be full converted, but absolveth us both a pena and culpa for Christes sake, and is as mighty and as merciful to do it for Christes sake, as the B. of Rome for money, besides that he hath promised mercifully so to do.  

¶ The knowledge of our baptism is the key and the light of the scripture.  
ANd again as he which knoweth his letters well, and can spell perfectly, can not but read( yf he be diligent:) and as he which hath clear eyes without impediment or let, and walketh thereto in the light and open day can not but se, yf he attend and take hede: even so who so ever hath the profession of baptism written in his heart, can not but vnderstonde the scripture, yf he exercise himself therein, and compare one place to another, and mark the maner of speech,& axe here and there the meaning of a sentence of them that be better exercised than he is.  
For as the doctrine which we should 
The key& light of the Scripture.  be taught before we were baptized, and for lack of age is deferred unto the yeares of discretion is the key, that bindeth& looseth, locketh and vnlocketh the conscience of all synners: even so that lesson, where it is understand, is onely the key that openeth all the scripture, and even the whole scripture in itself gathered together in a narrow compass and brought in to a compendiousnesse, and till thou be taught that lesson, that thyn hart feel the sweetness of it, the scripture is locked and shut up from thee, and so dark, that thou couldst not understand it, though Peter, Paul or Christ himself did expound it unto the, nomore than a blind man can se, though thou set a candle before him, or showest him the son, or poyntest with thy finger unto that thou wouldest haue him to look vpon.  
Now be we all baptized: But alas 
How the scripture is locked up from our understanding.  not one from the highest unto the lowest ever taught the profession or meaning therof. And therfore we remain all blind generally, as well our great Rabynes for all their high learning, which they seem to haue, as the lay people: ye and so much the more blind are our great clerkes, that where the lay people for a great nombre of them are taught nothing at all, they be al wrong taught and the doctrine of their baptism is all corrupt unto them, with the levem of false gloses, yer they come to read the scripture. So that the light which they bring with them to understand the scripture with all, is utter darkness and as contrary unto the scripture, as the level unto Christ.  
By reason whereof the scripture is locked up, and become so darcke unto them, that they grope for the door, and can finde no way in, and is become a maze unto thē, in the which they wandre as in a gat, or( as we say) lead of Robbyn goodfellow that they can not come to the right way no though they turn their caps: and the blindness therof hath blinded their eyes with malice, so that though they believe not the scripture to be false, yet they persecute the right understanding therof, and can not believe it true in the plain sense, which it speaketh to them in. It is become a turn again lane unto them, which they can not go thorough, nor make three lines agree together. And finally the sentences of the scripture are nothing but very rydels unto them, at the which they cast as the blind man doth at the crow, and expound by guess, an hundreth doctors an hundreth ways, and one man in .xx. sermons allegynge one text after .xx. fashions, having no sure doctrine to cleue unto, and all for sack of the right knowledge of the profession of our baptism.   

¶ He that hath the profession of baptism written in his heart can be no heretic.  
ANother conclusion is this: As he which ever creepeth along by the ground and never clymmeth, cannot fall from an high: even so no man that hath the profession of his baptism written in his heart can stomble in the scripture, and fall unto heresies, or become a maker of division and sects, and a defender of wild and vain opinions. For the whole and only cause of heresies and sects is pride. Now the lawe of God truly interpnted robbeth al them, in whose hartes it is written, and maketh them as bare as job of all things, where of a man can or may be moved to pride. And on the other side they haue utterly forsaken themselves with all their high learning and wisdom, and are become the servants of christ onely, which hath bought them with his blood, and haue promised in their hartes vnfaynedlye to follow him, and to take him onely for the author of their religion, and his doctrine onely for their wisdom and learning, and to maintain it in word and dede, and to keep it pure, and to build no strange doctrine there vpon, and never to be highest, but fellow with their brethren, and in that fellowship to wax ever lower and lower, and every day more servant than another, unto his weaker brethren, after the ensample and image of christ, and after his commandment and ordinance, and not in feigned words of the bishop of Rome.  
this be said because of them that 
The scripture maketh no heretics.  say that the scripture maketh men heretics, and corruppeth with false opinions contrary to the profession of their baptism, and the light where with they should expound the scripture is turned into darkness in their hartes, and the door of the scripture locked, and the wells stopped up yer they come at it.  
And therfore because their darkness can not comprehend the light of scripture, as it is written johan. i. The light shined in darkness, but the darkness could not comprehend it, they turn it into blind rydles, and read it without understanding, as lay men do our Lady matins, or as it were Marlynes prophecies, having ever their minds upon their heresies. And when they come to a place that soundeth like, there they rest& wring out wonderful expositions to stablish their heresies withal. Is it not a great blindness to say in the beginning of all together, that the whole scripture is false in the lytterall sense, and killeth the soul? which pestilent heresy to prove they abuse the text of paul, saying: The letter killeth, because that text was become a rydle unto them, and they understood it not. when paul by this word letter understood the lawe given by Moses to condemn all consciences and to rob them of all righteousness, to compel them unto the promises of mercy that are in Christ.  
heresy springeth not of the scripture no more than darkness of the son, but it is a dark cloud that springeth out of the blind hartes of hypocrites, and covereth the face of the scripture, and blindeth their eyes, that they can not behold the bright beams of the scripture.  
The whole sum than of altogether is this: Yf our hartes were taught the appointment made between God& us in Christes blood, when we were baptized, we had the key to open the scripture, and light to se and perceive the true meaning of it, and the scripture should be easy to understand. And because we be not taught that profession, it is the cause why the scripture is so dark, and so far passing our capacite. And the cause why our expositions are heresies, is because we be wrong taught, and corrupt with false opinions before hand,& made here tykes yer we come at the scripture, and haue corrupt it, and it not us: as the tayste of the sick maketh wholesome and well seasoned meate bitter, weerysh and unsavoury. nevertheless yet the scripture abideth pure in herself and bright, so that he which is sound in the faith, shal atonce perceive that the iudgement of the heretics is corrupt in their exposytions, as an whole man doth feel at once even with smelling to the meate that the tayste of the sick is infected. And with the scripture shal they ever improve heresies and false exposytions, for the scripture purgeth herself, even as the water once in the year casteth al filthy nesse unto the sides of it. which to be true, ye se by the authority of paul .ii. Timothe the .iii. Chapter, saying: All the scripture was given of God by inspiracyon, and is good to teach with all, to improve: and so forth. And by the ensample of Christ and the Apostles, howe they confounded the Iewes with the same scripture which they had corrupt,& understood them amiss after their own darkness: and as ye se by the ensample of us now also, how we haue manifestly improved the hypocrites in an hundreth texts, which they had corrupt to prove their false opinions, brought in besides the scripture, and haue driven them of. And they be fled and openly confess unto their shane, that they haue no scripture, and sing another song, and say they received them by the mouth of the Apostles. unto the which stopping of theirs I answer here grossly, seeing they are answered before: That as he were a fool which wolde trust him to tell his money in his absence, that hath pycked his purse before his face: even so sith ye haue corrupt the open scripture before our eyes, and are taken with the maner, that ye can not deny: we were mad to believe that it, which hath lain .xv. c. year as you say in your rotten maws, should now be wholesome for us, ye haue chewed and mingled it with your poison spatle. Can ye bear us in hand and persuade us think ye with your sophistrye to believe that ye should minister your secret traditions without ground truly, when we se you minister the open scripture falsely? Can ye bewytch our wits with your poetry, to believe, that ye should minister your secret traditions for our profit, when we se you corruppe the open scripture to the loss of our souls for your profit? Nay it is an hundreth times more likely that ye should be falser in secret things than in open. And therfore in the very sacramentes which the scripture testifieth, that christ himself ordained them, we must haue an eye unto your hand, how ye minister them. And as we restore the scripture unto hyr right understanding from your false gloses: even so deliver we the sacramentes and ceremonies unto their right use from your abuse. And that must we do with the scripture, which can corrupt no man that cometh thereto with a meek spirit, seeking there only to fashion himself like Christ, according to the profession and vow of our baptism. But contrariwise, he shall there finde the mighty power of God, to alter him, and change him in the inner man a little and little in process, until he be full shapen after the image of our savour, in knowlekege and love of all truth and power to work there after.  
Finally then for as much as the scripture is the light and life of Gods elect, and that mighty power, where with God treateth them and shapeth them, after the similitude, likeness and very fashion of Christ, and therfore sustenance, comfort, and strength to courage them, that they may grind fast, and endure and merylye bear their souls health, wherewith the lusts of the flesh are subdued, and killed, and the spirit mollifyed and made soft, to receive the print of the image of our saueoure Iesu. And for as much as the scripture is so pure of itself that it can corrupt no man, but the wicked only, which are infect before hand, and yer they come at it, corruppe it with the heresies that they bring with them. And for as much as the complaint of the hypocrytes that the scripture maketh heretics is vain and feigned, and the reasons where with they would prove that the lay people ought not to read the scripture is false, wicked, and the fruit of rotten trees: therfore are they faithful servants of Christ and faithful ministres and dispensers of his doctrine, and true hearted toward their bretheren, which haue given themselves up in to the hand of God, and put themselves in jeopardy of all persecution, their very life despised, and haue translated the scripture purely and with good conscience, submyttyng themselves and desiring them that can, to amend their translation, or( yf it please them) to translate it themselves, after their beste maner, ye and let them sow to their gloses, as many as they think they can make cleue thereto,& then put other mens translation out of the way.  
Howe be it though God hath so wrought with them, that a great part is translated, yet as it is not enough that the father and the mother haue both begotten the child, and brought it into this world, except they care for it, and bring it up till it can help itself: even so it is not enough to haue translated, though it were the whole scripture in to the vulgar and commune tongue, except we also brought again the light to vnderstonde it by, and expel that dark cloud, which the hypocrites haue spread over the face of the scripture, to blind the right sense and true meaning therof. And therefore are ther diverse introductions ordained for you, to teach you the profession of your baptism, the only light of the scripture: one vpon the epistle of Paul to the romans, and another called: The pathway into the scripture. And for the same cause, haue I taken in hand to enterpret this epistle of saint john the evangelist, to edifye the lay man,& to teach him how to red the scripture,& what to seek therein,& that he may haue to answer the hypocrites, and to stop their mouths withal.  
And first understand that all the epistles that the Apostles wrote, are the gospel of christ, though all that is the gospel be not an Epistle. It is called a gospel, that is to say glad tidings, because it is an open preaching of christ: and an Epistle, because it is sent as a letter or a bill to them that are absent.( ❧)  
   

¶ Here beginneth the first Epistle of saint john.  

The .i. Chapter.  
THat which was from the beginning declare we unto you, which we haue sene with out eyes, which we looked vpon, and our hands haue handled of the word of life. For the life appeared, and we haue sene, and bear witness,& show unto you that everlasting life, which was with the father& appeared unto vs.  
In that saint john saith. The thing which was from the beginning, and the everlasting life that was with the father, he witnesseth that Christ is very God, as he doth in the beginning of his gospel, saying: The word or the thing was at the beginning, and the thing was with God, and that thing was God, and all things were made by it.  
And when he saith: Which we herd,& saw with our eyes, and our hands handled him, he testifieth that Christ is very man also, as he doth in the beginning of his gospel, saying: The word or that thing was made flesh, that is, became man. And thus we haue in plain& open words a manifest article of our faith, that our savour Christ is very god& very man.  
which article who so ever not only believeth, but also believeth in it, the same is the son of God, and hath everlasting life in him, and shall never come into condemnacion, as it is written john the .i. He gave them power to be the sons of God, in that they believed is his name. And john .iii. he that believeth in the son, hath euerlastyngelyfe. And a little before in the said chapter: He that believeth in him shall not be condemned. And to believe in the words of this article, is that eating of Christes flesh and drinking his blood, of the which is spoken john .vi. The words which I speak are spirit and life and the flesh profiteth not at all, meaning of the fleshly eating of his body,& of the fleshly drinking of his blood. Ther is therfore great difference between 
To believe in christ.  believing that ther is a God& that Christ is God and man, and to believe in God and Christ God and man, and in the promises of mercy that are in him. The first is commune to good and bad, and unto the revels also,& is called ●n historical faith and belief. The second is proper unto the sons of God, and is their life, as it is written: The righteous liveth by faith, that is, in putting his trust, confidence and whole hope in the goodness, mercy,& help of God, in all adversities, bodily and ghostly, and all temptations, and even in sin and hell, howe deep soever he be fallen therein.  
But as he which feeleth not his disease, can long for no health: even so it is impossible for ony man to believe in Christes blood except Moses haue had him first in cure, and with his lawe haue robbed him of his righteousness, and condemned him unto everlasting death and haue shewed him under what damnation they are in by birth in Adam. And howe all their deeds( appear they never so holy) are yet but damnable sin because they can refer nothing unto the glory of God, but seek themselves, their own profit, honour and glory. So that repentance toward the lawe must go before this belief, and he which repenteth not, but consenteth unto the life of sin, hath no parte in this faith.  
And when john calleth Christ the everlasting life that was with the father, he signifieth that Christ is our life, 
christ is our life.  as after in the pistol, and in the first also of his gospel, saying: In him was life. For until we receive life of Christ by faith, we are dead, and can be but deade, as saith john in the .iii. He that believeth not in the son, can se no life: but the wrath of God abideth vpon him. Of the which wrath we are heirs by birth saith Paul, Ephe .ii. Of the which wrath we are ignorant, until the lawe be published, and walk quietly after our lusts and love God wickedly, that he should be content therewith and maintain us therein, contrary unto his Godly and righteous nature. But as soon as the lawe( whose nature is to utter sin. Rom. and to set man at variance, with God) is preached, then we first awake out of our dream, and se our damnation,& hate the lawe, which is so contrary unto our nature, and grudge against God thereto ●s young children do against their elders when they first command, and count God a cruel tyrant because of his lawe in that he condemneth us for that thing which we can not love, nor of love fulfil.  
But when christ is preached, howe that God for his sake receiveth us to mercy, and forgiveth us all that is paste, and hence forth reckoneth not unto us our corrupt and poisoned nature, and taketh us as his sons, and putteth us under grace and mercy,& promiseth that he will not judge us by the righteousness of the law but nourture us with all mercy and patience, as a father most merciful, only yf we will submit ourselves unto his doctrine and learn to keep his laws: ye and he will thereto consider our meekness, and what so ever chanceth never taketh away his mercy, till we cast of the yoke of our profession first, and run away with utter defiance, that we will never come more at school. Than our stubborn and hard hartes mollify and wax soft, and in the confidence and hope that we haue in christ and his kindness we go to God boldly as unto our father and receauelyfe, that is to say love unto God and unto the lawe also.  
That which we haue sene& herd, we declare unto you, that ye may haue fellowship with us, and that our fellowship may be with the father, and with his son Iesus Christ. And these things we wryte unto you that your joy may be full.  
To bring unto the fellowship of God 
The touch ston of all true doctrine and preachers.  and Christ,& of them that believe in christ, is the final intent of all the scripture, why it was given of God unto man, and the only thing which all true preachers seek, and whereby ye shall ever know and discern the true word of God from all false& counterfeited doctrine of vain traditions: and the true preacher from the wily vpocrites. We preach unto you( saith saint john) that everlasting life which we haue herde, and in hearing received thorough faith, and are sure of it, to draw you to us out of the fellowship that ye haue with the damned revels in sinful lusts and ignorance of God, for we seek you, and not yours, as saith saint paul the ii. to the Corinthians the .xii. Chapter. We love you as ourselves in God,& therfore wolde we haue you fellowes, and equal with us, and build you vpon the fundacyon laid of the Apostles and Prophetes, which is Christ Iesu,& make you of the household of God for ever, that ye& we, fellowes& brethren, and coupled together in one spirit, in one faith,& in one hope, might haue our fellowship thereby with god, and become his sons and heirs, and with Iesus Christ, being his brethren& coheyres, and to make your joy full thorough that glad tydynge, as the angel said unto the shepherdes. luke .ii. behold I show you great joy that shal be unto al people, how that ther is a Saueoure born unto you this day, which is christ the LORD. And this tidings we bring you with the word of God only, which we received of his spirit, and out of the mouth of his son as true messaungers.  
We preach not ourselves, but Christ our lord,& us your servants for his sake, we do not love ourselves, to seek yours unto us, that after we had with wiles robbed you of all ye haue, we should exalt ourselves over you,& separate ourselves from you, and make ourselves a several kingdom, fre and frank, raynyng over you as heathen tyrants,& holding you in bondage to serve for our lucre and lusts, tanglynge your conscience with doctrine of man, which draweth from God and christ, and frayenge you with the budge of excommunication against gods word. Or yf that served not shaking a sword at you.  
And this is the tidings whych we haue herde of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darcknesse at al. Yf we say that we haue fellowship with him, and yet walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But and yf we skulk in light, as he is in light, than haue we fellowship together, and the blood of Christ his son, cleanseth us from al sin.  
As the devil is darkness and lies, so is God light and truth onely, and ther is no darkness of falsehood and consenting to wickedness in him. And the brightness of his light is his word& doctrine 
Christ and his word▪ are the light  as the .c. and .xviii. psalm saith: Thy word is a lantern unto my feet and a light to my paths. And Christ is the light that lyghteneth all men. And the Apostles are called the light of the world, because of the doctrine. And al that know the truth are light. Ye were once darkness( saith paul Ephesi. v.) but now light in the LORDS: walk therfore as the children of light. And good works are called the fruits of light. And al that live in ignorance are called darkness, as he saith afterward He that hateth his brother walketh in darkness. For yf the light of the glorious gospel of christ did shine in his heart, he could not hate his brother.  
By walking understand, consenting, 
walking in darkness or in light  doing,& working. Yf we walk than in darkness, that is, consent& work wickedness, and say we haue fellowship with God, welye. For, to haue fellowship with him, is to know and consent and profess his doctrine in our hartes. Now yf the commandments of God be written in our hartes, our membres can not but practise them, and show the fruit of thē. So whether light or darkness be in the heart, it will appear in the walking. For though our membres be never so deade unto virtue, yet yf our souls knowledge the truth, and consent unto righteousness, we haue the spirit of life in vs. And therfore saith paul Roma. viii. Yf the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from death be in you, than will he that raised up Iesus from death, quicken your mortal bodies, by the reason of the spirit that dwelleth in you. So that it is not possible for him that knoweth the truth, and consenteth thereto to continue in sin. And than finally yf we haue the light in our hartes and walk therein, than we haue fellowship with God, and are his sons and heirs, and are purged from all sin thorough Christes blood.  
Yf we say we haue no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in vs.  
Yf we think ther is no sin in us, we are beguiled and blind, and the light of Gods word is not in us, and either follow sin as beasts without conscience at all. Or yf we se the gross fynnes, as murder, theft, and adultrye, yet we haue hanged a veil of false gloses vpon Moses face,& do not se nor perceive the brightness of the lawe, how that it requireth of us as pure an heart to God, and as great love unto our neighbours, as was in our saueoure Iesus, and ceaseth not before to condemn us as synners.  
Yf we knowlege our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all our vnryghteousnesse.  
Yf we confess our sins, not in the priests ear,( though that tradicion restored unto the right use were not damnable) but in our hartes to God with true repentance and fast belief. Than is he faithful to forgive and to purge us, because of his merciful truth and promise. For he promised Abraham that in his seed all the world should be blessed from the curse of sin. And hath abundantly renewed his everlasting mercy unto us in the new testament, promising that our sins shalbe forgiven us in Christes blood, yf we repent and trust thereto.  
Yf we say we haue not sinned, we make him a liar, and his worde is not in vs.  
For his word testifieth against us, that we are all synners, ye& else christ dyed in vain. Salomon saith .iii. Reg. viii. That ther is nomam that sinneth not against God. And paul proveth by the authority of the scripture unto the Romayns that we are al synners without excepcion. And the scripture witnesseth that we are damnable synners, and that our nature is to sin. which corrupt and poisoned nature, though it be begun to be cured and healed, yet is it never thorough whole until the hour of death. For the which cause with al our best fruits, ther grow weeds among. neither can ther be ony dede so perfect that could not be amended. when a blind bongler wondereth at his glorious works, a conny●● workman that hath a clear judgement perceiveth that it is impossible to make a work that could not be made better. Now the lawe requireth works of us in the highest degree of perfection and ceaseth not to accuse us, until our works flow naturally as glorious in perfection as the works of christ. And Christ teacheth us to pray in our Pater noster: forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive our trespassers. Where by ye may easily understand that we sin daily one against another, and all against God. Christ taught also to pray that our father should not let us slip into temptation: sygnifyenge that our nature can not but sin, yf occasions be given, except that God of his especial grace keep us back. Which pronyte to sin is dānabe sin in the lawe of God. david prayed in the .lxviii. psalm. Let not the tempest drown me, let me not fall in to the bottom, and let not the put shut hyr mouth vpon me, as who should say. first keep me God from synnynge, then yf I shall chance to fall as no flesh can escape, one time or other, then call me shortly back again, and let me not sink to deep ther in: and though I yet fall never so deep, yet LORD let not the wait of mercy be stopped, sygnifyenge that it is impossible to stand of ourselves, and much less to rise again. which impotency and feebleness is damnable in the law of God, except that we saw it, and repented, and were fled to Christ for mercy: which he giveth abundantly unto thē that require it with a faithful heart, and not wavering faith.   

¶ The .ii. Chapter.  
MY little children, I wryte these things unto you that ye sin not. And though ony man sin, yet we haue an advocate with the father, even Iesus Christ, which is righteous.  
I write unto you on the one side, that God is light, and therfore that no man which wyllinglye walketh in the vnfruteful works of darkness, hath ony fellowshyp with that light, or parte in the blood of his son. And this I write and testify unto you my dear children, that ye sin not, that is, that ye consent not unto sin,& should sin of lust and purpose maliciously: but contrariwise that ye fear god and resist sin with all your might and power, according as ye haue promised. For whosoever sinneth of purpose after the knowlge of the truth, the same sinneth against the holy ghost remediless. Hebre. vi. and also .x.  
And on the other side, I testify unto you that we be alway synners, though not of purpose& malice, after the natur of damned revels, but of infirmity and frayltye of our flesh, which flesh not only letteth us that our works can not be perfect, but also now and then thorough manifold occasions and temptations carrieth us clene out of the right way, spite of our hartes. How be it( I say) yf when the rage is past, we turn unto the right way again, and confess our sins unto our father with a repenting heart, he hath promised us mercy, and is true to fulfil it. So that yf we sin not diuellyshlye against the holy ghost, refusing the doctrine which we can not improve that it should not be true, but after the frayltye of man, ther is no cause to despair: For we haue an advocate and an intercessor with the father, even Iesus Christ that is righteous.  
The name of our advocate is Iesus, 
advocate.  that is to say, a saueoure. Call his name Iesus said the angel to joseph, for he shall save his people from their sins. Math. i. And this advocate and our Iesus to save us from our sins, continueth ever, as it is written▪ Hebre. vii. and hath Sempiternum sacerdotium. an everlasting office to make an atonement for sin. By the reason whereof saith the text, he is able ever to save thē that come to God thorough him, with repentance and faith, and liveth ever, to speak for vs. And beside that, our Iesus is God and almighty. He took our nature vpon him, and felt all our infyrmyties and syknesses, and in feeling learned to haue compassion on us,& for compassion cried mightily in prayers to God the father for us, and was herd. And the voice of the same blood that once cried,( not for vengeance as Abels, but for mercy only) and was herd, crieth now and ever, and is ever herd, as oft as we call unto remembrance with repenting faith howe that it was  shed for our sins. He is also called Christus, 
Christus.  that is to say king anointed with all might and power over sin, death,& hel, and over all sins, so that none that flieth unto him, shall ever come into iudgement of damnation. He is anointed with all fullness of grace and hath al the treasure and riches of the spirit of God in his hand, with the which he blesseth al men, according to the promise made to Abraham, and is thereto merciful to give unto all that call on him. And how much he loveth us, I report me unto the ensample of his deeds.  
And he is righteous, both toward God in that he never sinned, and therefore hath obtained al his favour and grace, and also toward us, in that he is true to fulfil all the mercy that he hath promised us, even unto the vttermoost iote.  
And he is the satisfaction for our sins,& not for oures only, but also for al the worldes.  
That I call satisfaction, the greek calleth 
Satisfaction what it is.  Ilasmos, and the hebrew Copar. And it is first taken for the swagynge of wounds, sores, and swellings, and the taking away of pain and smart of thē And thence is borrowed for the pacifyeng and swagynge of wrath and anger, and for an amendes making, a contentyng, satisfaction, a raimsome, and making at one, as it is to se abundatlye in the bible. So that christ is a full contentynge, satisfaction and raunsone for our sins. And not for oures only which are Apostles and disciples of Christ while he was yethere, or for oures which are Iewes or israelites and the seed of Abraham, or for ours that now believe at this present time: but for all mens sins, both for their sins which went before and believed the promises to come, and for oures which haue sene them fulfilled, and also for all them which shall afterward believe unto the worlds end, of whatsoever nation or degree they be. For paul commandeth .i. Timothe .ii. to pray for all men& all degrees, saying that to be acceptable unto our saueoure God, which will haue all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, that is some of all nations and al degrees, and not the Iewes only. For( saith he) ther is one God, and one mediatoure between God and man, the man christ Iesus, which gave himself a redemption and full satisfaction for all men. david also said in the xviii. psalm: their sound is gone throughout all the earth. So that the benefit stretched on all men.  
Let this therfore be an undoubted article of thy faith, not of an history faith as thou believest a yeste of Alexandre, or of the old romans, but of a lively faith and belief, to put thy trust and confidence in, and to bye and sell thereon, as we say,& to haue thy sins taken away,& thy soul saved thereby, yf thou hold it fast: and to continue ever in sin,& to haue thy soul damned yf thou let it slip, that our Iesus, our saueoure that saveth his people from their sins,& our Christ, that is our king over all sin, death, and hell, anointed with fullness of all grace, and with the spirit of God, to distribut unto all men, hath according unto the Epistle to the hebrews and all the scripture, in the dayes of his mortal flesh, with fasting, praying, suffering and crying to God mightily for us,& with sheddynge his blood made full satisfaction both a pena and a culpa( with our holy fathers leave) for all the sins of the world, both of theirs that went before, and of theirs that come after in the faith, whether it be original sin or actual. And not only the sins committed with consent to evil in time of ignorance before the knowledge of the truth: but also the sins done of fcaylte after we haue forsaken evil, and consented to the laws of God in our hartes, and walk in the light of his doctrine.  
He saveth his people from their sins 
Christ only is our Saueoure.  Math. i. and that he only. So that ther is none other name to be saved by. Actu. iiii. And unto him bear all the Prophetes record, that al that believe in him, shall receive remission of their sins, in his name. Actu the .x. chap. And by him only we haue an entering in unto the father and unto all grace. Ephe. ii. and .iii. and. Ro. v. And as many as come before him are thieves and murtherers. joh. x. that is, who so ever preacheth ony other forgiveness of sin then thorough faith in his name, the same slayeth the soul.  
this to be true, not onely of original but also of actual, and as well of that we commit after our profession, as before, mayest thou evidently se by the ensamples of the scripture. christ forgave the woman taken in adultery. joh. viii. and an other whom he healed joh. v. And he forgave publycanes and open synners, and put none to do penance as they call it, for to make satisfaction for the sin: which he forgave thorough repentance& saith, but enjoined them the life of penance, the profession of their baptism, to tame the flesh in keeping the commandments, and that they should sin no more. And those synners were for the most parte Iewes,& had their original sin forgiven them before thorough faith in the testament of God. Christ forgave his Apostles their actual sins after their profession which they committed in denying him, and put none to do penance for satisfaction. Peter Actu. ii. absolveth the Iewes thorough repentance and faith from their actual sins, which they did in consenting unto Christes death, and enjoined them no penance to make satisfaction. paul also had his actual sins forgiven him freely thorough repentance and faith, without mention of satisfaction. Actu. ix. So that according unto this present text of john, yf it chance us to sin of frailty, let us not despair, for we haue an abuocate and intercessor, a true attorney with the father Iesus christ righteous toward God and man, and is the reconcilynge& satisfaction for our sins.  
For Christes works are perfect, so that he hath obtained us all mercy& hath set us in the full state of grace& favour of God, and hath made us as well-beloved as the angels of heaven, though we be yet weak. As the young children though they can do no good at all, are yet as tenderly beloved as the old. And God for Christes sake hath promised that what so ever evil we shall do, yet yf we turn& repent, he will never more think on our● sins.  
Thou wilt say, God forgiveth the 
popish forgiveness.  displaysure but we must suffer pain to satisfy the righteousness of God. A than God hath a righteousness which may not forgive pain and all, that the poor sinner might go skot fre without ought at all. God was vnryghteous to forgive the thief his pain, and all thorough repentance and faith, unto whom for lack of leisure was no penance enjoined. And my faith is, that what so ever ensample of mercy God hath shewed one, that same he hath promised all. Yf I owe you .xx. li. ye will forgive me, that is, ye will nomore be angry, but I shall pay you the twenty pounds: O popyshe forgiveness, with whom it goeth after the commune proverb, no penny no pardon. his fatherhead giveth pardon freely, but we must pay money abundantly.  
Paules doctrine is. Roma. iiii. Yf a man work, it ought not to be said, that his hire was given him of grace or favour, but of duty: But to him that worketh not, but believeth in him that belieth the ungodly, his faith( he saith not his works although he commandeth us deligentlye to work, and despiseth none that God commandeth,) his faith( saith he) is reckoned him for righteousness. confirming his saying with the testimony of the prophet david in the .xxxi. psalm, saying: Blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth or reckoneth not his sin: that is to say, which man although he be a sinner, yet God laid it not unto his charge for his faiths sake. And in the .xi. he saith. Yf it come of grace than it cometh not of works. For than were grace no grace saith he. For it was a very strange speaking in Paules ears to call that grace that came of deserving of works: Or that deserving of works, which came by grace. For he reckoned works and grace to be contrary in such maner of speech. But our holy father hath coupled them together of pure lyberalite I dare say, and not for covetousness. For as his holiness, yf he haue a cause against ony man, immediately breatheth out an excommunication vpon him, and will haue satisfaction for the vttermoost farthynge and somewhat above, to teach them to beware against another time, yer he will bless again from the terrible sentence of his heavy curse: even so of that blessed complexion he describeth the nature of the mercy of God, that God will remit his anger to us upon the appointment of our satisfaction. Where as the scripture saith: christ is our righteousness, iustifyenge, our redemption, our attonemente, that hath appeased God, and cleansed us from our sins,& all in his blood, so that his blood is the satisfaction only.  
And that thou mayest the better perceive 
works can be no satisfaction for sins to godward.  the falsehood of our holy fathers flesh ly ymagiuacion, call to mind howe that the scripture saith, johan. iiii. God is a spirit,& must be worshipped in the sprites that is, repentance, faith, hope, and love toward his lawe and our neighbour for his sake, is his worship in the spirit. And therfore who so ever worshippeth God with works, and referreth his works to God, to be asacrifice unto him, to appear him, as though he delighted in the work for the works sake, the same maketh of God an image or idol, and is an image secuer, and as wicked an ydolatrer, as ever was ony blind heathen,& serveth God after the imagination of his own heart,& is abominable unto God, as thou sayst in how many places God defyeth the sacrifice of the children of Israel, for the said ymaginacyon. So that who so ever supposeth that his candle stickynge before the image, his putting a penny in the bore, his going a pilgrimage his fasting, his wolwarde going, bare foot going, his crouchynge, kneeling, and pain taking, be sacrifice unto god as though he delighted in them, as we in the gestures of Iacknapes, is as blind, as he that gropeth for his way at noon.  
Gods worship is to love him for his 
Gods wor 〈…〉 p.  mercy, and of love bestow all our works vpon our neighbour for his sake, and vpon the taming of our flesh, that we sin not again, which should be the chiefest care of a christen man: while Christ careth for that, that is once past and committed already, whether before our profession or after. For the conditions of the peace that is made between God and us in Christes blood are these: The lawe is set before us, unto the which yf we consent and submyt ourselves, to be scholars therof, than are not only all our foresynnes forgiven, both pena and culpa( with our fathers licence ever) but also of our infirmities, weakness, pronite, readiness& motions unto sin are pardonned and taken aworth, and we translated from under the damnation of the lawe, which dampneth as well those infirmities as the sin that springeth of them, and putteth us under grace, Ro. vii. So that we shall not hence forth, as long as we forsake not our profession be judged by the righteousness of the lawe, but chastised yf we do amiss, as children that are under no lawe. Now than yf God in Christ pardon our infirmities, by reason of which we can not escape but that we shall now and than sin: it followeth that he must likewise pardon the actual sin which we do, compelled of those infyrmities in spite of our hartes and against the will of the spirit. For yf thou pardon the sickness of the sick, than must thou pardon the deeds which he doth or leaveth vndon by the reason of his sickness. Yf the madness of a mad man be pardonned, and under no lawe, than yf he murder in his madness, he may not be slain again. Yf children within a certain age are not under the lawe that flayeth thieves, than can ye not of right hang thē, though they steal. What popish pardonynge were that? this doth paul Roma. the vii. chap. so confirm, that all the world can not quytch against it, saying: I consent unto the lawe of God that it is good, and fain wolde I do it, and yet haue I not always power so to do, but finde another thing in my flesh, rebellynge against the will of my mind, and leading me captive into sin, so that I can not do that I wolde do, but I am compelled to do that I wolde not. Yf( saith he) I do that I wolde not, than I do it not, but the sin that dwelleth in me doth it, and than saith he: Who shall deliver me from this body of death, in the which I am bound prisoner against my will? Thankes 
Christes victory.  be to God( saith he) thorough Iesus Christ our lord, which hath conquered& overcome sin, death, and hel,& hath put the damnation of the lawe out of the way, unto all that profess the lawe& believe in him. We be under the law to learn it, and to fashion our deeds as like as we can: but not under the damnation of the lawe, that we should be damned though our deeds were not as perfect as the law requireth, or though of frailty we at a time broke it. As children are under the lawe that they steal not, but not under the damnation though they steal. So that all they that are grafted into christ to follow his doctrine, are under the lawe to learn it only, but are delivered from fear of everlasting death and hell, and all the threatenynges of the lawe, and from conscience of sin, which feared us from God. And we are come in to God thorough the confidence that we haue in Iesus christ,& are as familiar and bold with him, as young innocent children which haue no conscience of sin, are with their fathers and mothers, or them that norysh them. which were impossible yf God now( as the B. of Ro. painteth him) did shake a rod at us of .vii. yeares punishment, as sharp as the pains of hel for every trespass we do, which trespasses for the nombre of them were like to make our purgatory almost as long as hel, seeing we haue no gods word that we shalbe delivered thence, until we haue paid the last farthynge. And therfore could our conscience never be at rest nor be bold and familiar with God.  
Yf ye say the B. of R. can deliver my conscience from fear of purgatory( as his poetry onely putteth me in fear)& that by this text: what so ever thou byndest 
bind and ●owse.  on earth. &c. Yf thou this way understand the text, what so ever thou being in earth, lousest ouy where, than might he louse in hel& bind in heaven. But why 
Note this text,  may not I take the text of Christ, john xvi. what so ever ye axe my father in my name he will give it you, and desire forgiveness of altogether in Christes name both a pena& culpa, and than remaineth no such purgatory at all. How be it the text of binding and lousynge is but borrowed speech, howe that after the similitude of worldly binding& lousynge, lockyng& vnlockyng, the word of God truly preached doth bind& louse the conscience.  
God saith to Hieremy the prophet in his .i. Chap. Behold I give the power over nations and kyngdoms, to pluck up by the roots and to sheuer in pieces, to destroy and cast down,& to build and plant. How did he destroy nations and kingdoms, and how did he build thē? verily by preaching and prophecieng. What nation kingdom or city he prophesied to be overthrown, was so. And what city he prophesied to be built again, was so: and what nation, after they were brought into captivity he prophesied to be restored again, were so: and whom he prophesied to perish, perished: and whom he prophesied to be saved, was saved.  
even so whom so ever a true preacher of Gods word saith shal be damned for his sin, because he will not repent and believe in Christ, the same is damned: and whom so ever a true preacher of gods word saith shal be saved, because he repenteth& believeth in Christes blood, the same is saved. And this is the binding and losing that Christ ment  
Not withstondyng ye must vnderstonde that when we haue sinned, though our hartes were not to sin,& though we repentyer the dede be done, yet the body in synnynge hath overcome the spirit, and hath gotten the mastery. So that the spirit is now weaker and febler to virtue and to follow the lawe of God& doctrine of Christ, and the flesh stronger to follow 'vice& sin. wherefore as when an old sore is broken forth again, we begin as it were a new cure with greater diligence and more care thē before: even so here we must renew our old battle against the flesh,& more strongly go to work, to subdue it, according to the profession of our baptism which is the very sacrament or sign of repentance, or yf they will so haue it called penance, by the interpretation of paul Ro. vi. For the plungyng in to the water, as it betokeneth on the one parte that Christ hath washed our souls with his blood, even so on the other parte it signifieth that we haue promised to quench and slay the lusts of the flesh, with prayer fasting, and holy meditation, after the doctrine of Christ,& with al godly exercise that tame the flesh and kill not the man.  
where vpon the bishops that succeeded 
Howe penance came up& purgatory.  the Apostles,( when men had don ony open sins) enjoined them penance as they call it, by the authority of the congregation and governors therof, and advise of the most wise and discrete, and with the willing consent of the trespassers, to tame the flesh, as to go wolward, to wear shyrtes of here, to go bare foot and bare head, to pray, to fast bread and water, some once in the weke, some twice or all the weke, an whole year .ii. yeares .iii. yeares vii. yeares .xx. yeares, and some all their lives long, and to go on pilgrimage, to byset the memorial of saints, to strength them the better to follow their ensample and such like,& all to slay the worldly mind of the flesh. which maner when it was once received of the people by costume, it became a lawe. And the byshops by little and little got it whole into their own hands.  
When byshoppes saw that, how they had gotten the simple people under them in such humble obedience, they keganne to set up their crestes, and to reign over them as princes, and to enoyne sore penance for small trifles, namely yf ought were done against their pleasure and some they bet sore, and spared other,& sold their penance to the rich, and ouerladed the poor, until the tyranny was waren so grievous, that the people wolde bear it no longer. For by this time what with the multitude of ceremonies and heap of mens constitutions, whose right use was thereto clene forgotten: and partly because our foresees were busied to seek themselves and their hye authority, and exalted every man his throne,& were become wolves unto the flock. The cause why the people were disobedient unto wholesome counsel was, that the word of God was sore darkened and no where purely preached. And therfore the prelates loth to lose their high authority& to let the people go fre out of their yoke began to turn their tale and sing a new song, howe that this penance was enjoined to make satisfaction to God for the sin that was committed, robbing our souls of the fruit of Christes blood and making us image servants, referrynge our deeds unto the person of God and worshipping him as an image of 
Here was purgatory kindled.  our own ymagination with bodily work asking morouer: Yf we would not do such penance here at their injunctions, we must do it in another world, and feigned purgatory where we must suffer .vii. yeares for every sin. And when the kingdom of Antichrist was so enlarged, that it must haue an head, they set up our holy father of Rome, or he rather usurped the room with violence,& to him was given this prerogative to sell whom he wolde from purgatory.  
And the sacrament of penance they thus describe: Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction. Contrition, sorrow for thy sins: Confession, not to God and them whom thou hast offended: but tel thy sins in the priests ear: Satisfaction to do certain deeds enjoined of them to bye out thy sins. And in their description they haue clene excluded the faith in the satisfaction of Christes blood, which only bringeth life and the spirit of life,& righteousness, and without the which it is unpossible to please God. Hebr. xi. In whose stead they haue put in the presumption of our own works. And for lack of trust in Christes blood, our contrition is but a fruitless sorrow in the respect of hell, which maketh us hate the lawe still, and consequently God that made it, where true contrition annexed with faith is sorrow in respect of the lawe, unto the which we consent that it is good, and love it,& therefore mourn partly because we haue offended it, and partly because we lack power to fulfil it as we wolde.  
These things to be true our prelates know by open histories, as well, as that it is noon when the son is flatsowth: but it delighteth them to resist the holy ghost, and to persecute the preachers of the things, which yf they as well loved them as they know them to be true, they wolde preach the same themselves, and live thereafter. Hereby ye may se that our works are but to tame the flesh only, and can be no satisfaction to God, except we make him an image, and ourself image servants. And hereby ye may se how out of this open penance came the ear confession, satisfaction of works, purgatory and pardons. For when they had put the satisfaction of Christes blood out of the way, then as they compelled men to confess open sins, and to take open penance, even so they compelled them to confess secret sins and to take secret penance. And as they made merchandise of open penance, so did they of secret. And for them that would not receive such pardon, feigned they purgatory: and for thē that received them, feigned they pardon: turning binding and losing with preaching Gods word unto buying and selling sin for money. And sense that time hitherto, the worse the people were, the better were the prelates content, ever resisting that they should be made better thorough their blessed covetousness and proud desire of honour.  
And out of this false presumption of works, sprang the wicked vows of religion, which they vow to make satisfaction for sin, and to be higher in heaven, in stead of the life of penance which Christ taught us in the gospel to tame the flesh and to crucifye the membres with all, that we hence forth should walk in the ways of Gods law, and sin nomore.  
And to speak of worshipping of sayntes& praying, unto thē& of that we make thē our advocates well nigh above christ, or altogether, though it require a long disputacyon, yet it is as bright as the day to all that know the truth, how that our fasting of their euens,& keeping their holy dayes, going bare foot, styckynge up of candles in the bright day in the worship of them, to obtain their favour, or giving them so costly yewels, offering into their boxes, clothing their images, shuynge them with silver shues, with an ouch of crystal in the mids, to struck the ●●ppes and eyes of the ygnoraunt, as a man wolde struck young chyldrens heads, to entyce thē& bring them in, and rock them asleep in ygnoraunce: are with all like service plain ydolatrye, that is in english image service. For the sayntes are sprites, and can haue no delectation in bodily things. And because those bodelye deeds can be no service unto the spiritual sayntes, and we do them not to be a service to ourselves or our neighbours: we serve the work and the false imagination of our fleshly wit, after the doctrine of man, and not of God, and are image servants. And this is it that paul calleth servire elements mundi, to be in captivity under dumb ceremonies and vain traditions of mens doctrine, and to do the work for the work itself, as though God delighted therein for the dede itself, without all other respect.  
But and ye will know the true worshipping of sayntes, hearken unto paul Philip. ii. where he saith: Ye shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life unto my glory or worship, against the day of Iesu christ, that I haue not run nor laboured in vain. That is to wete, the worship which all true sayntes now seek, and the worship, that all the true messaungers of God seek this day, or ever shal seek, is to draw all to christ with preaching the true word of God, and with the ensample of pure living fashioned thereafter. will ye therfore worship sayntes truly? than axe what they preached, and believe their doctrine. And as they followed that doctrine, so conform your living like unto theirs. And that shal be unto their high worship in the coming again of Christ( when all mens deeds shall appear,& every man shalbe judged and receive his reward according unto his deeds) howe that they not onely while they here lived, but also after their death with the ensample of their doctrine and living left behind in writing and other memorials, unto the ensample of them that should follow, wanne unto Christ them that were born. v hundreth, ye a thousand yeares after their death. this was their worship in the spret at the beginning as they were sprites,& 
The styckynge up of candles before images.  lights were stycked before their memorials at the beginning to be a ceremony to put us in remembrance that we so praised the sayntes and boasted their livings that we followed their ensamples in our deeds, as christ saith Math. v. Let your light so shine before men, that they se your good works, and glorify your father that is in heaven. For preaching of the doctrine, which is light, hath but small effect to move the heart, yf the ensample of living do disagree.  
And that we worship sayntes for fear lest they should be displeased and angry with us,& plague us or hurt us,( as who is not afraid of saint Laurence? who dare deny saint Anthonye a flese of woll for fear of his terrible fire, or leste he send the pocks among our sheep?) is heathen image service, and clene against the first commandment, which is: hear Israel the lord thy God is one God. Now God in the Hebrwe is called Elor: Elohim in the plurel nombre, strength or might. So that the commandment is: hear Israel he that is thy power& might 
Note this for the first commandment.  thy sword and shield is but one, that is, ther is none of might to help or hurt the save one, which is altogether thine at thy commandment, yf thou wilt hear his voice only. And all other might in the world, is borrowed of him. And he will lend no might against the contrary to his promises: keep therfore his commandments, and he shall keep the. And yf thou haue broken them, and he haue lent of his power against the, repent& come again unto thy profession, and he will return again unto his mercy and fetch his power home again, which he lent to vex thee, because thou forsokest him and brakest his commandments. And fear none other creature: for false fear is the cause of all idolatry.  
moreover all we that are baptized in Christ haue professed to do good for evil, and not to avenge ourselves. And many of us come to such perfection that we can be provoked by no temptation to desire vengeance, but haue compassion, and meekly pray for them that slay vs.  
How wicked a thing than is it to think that the sayntes trouble and plague us, because we do them not such superstitious honour, which is their dishonour and our shane? It is verily a popish imagination, and even to describe the sayntes after the nature of our prelates, which be meek and lowly till they be where they wolde be: But when they be once aloft, they play the tormentors yf we will not honour them,& do what soever they command more earnestly, than that which God himself hath commanded,& fear them above God himself.  
And it can be but like abominacion also, that we choose of a fleshly mind every man his several saint, or rather several God, to be our advocates, attorneys mediators,( when ther is but one .i. Tim. ii) and intercessors, and call them our aduouryes, when we might better call them 
Aduouryes  our adulterers, and serve them, or rather a painted post in their stead, with our image service, therewith to bind them for to help us, when soever and for whatsoever we call unto them, and to save our souls thereto with their prayers and merites& will yet neither hear the doctrine or follow the ensample of living( which is their onely honour in the spirit) of ony saint, whose doctrine& living is autentyk  
For first, God which alone hath power to help or hurt, hath made appointment betwixt him& us in Christes blood& hath bound himself to give us what so ever we axe in his name, testifyeng thereto that ther is none other name to besaved by, and that he willbe a father unto us and save us both in this life, and in the life to come, and take us from under the damnation of the lawe, and set us under grace& mercy, to be scholars only to learn the law and that our unperfect deeds shalbe taken in worth: ye and though at a time we mar all thorough our infirmity, yet yf we turn again, that shalbe forgiven us mercifully, so that we shal be under no damnation: which testament is confirmed with signs and wonders wrought thorough the holy ghost. Now this indented obligacion laid apart, we make another of our own imagination between the sayntes& us, in their merits for our image service which can be but a false faith, seeing it hath not Gods word( unto which alone we ought to clene) but it is also clene contrary thereto.  
And again the sayntes were not saved thorough their own merits, but thorough 
Of the merytynge of sayntes.  Christes. neither were their deeds, which they did after they were received under grace, sufficient in themselves to fulfil the lawe for the present time, save as Christes merits did supply the imperfectnesse of them, and that which was lacking on their parte thorough their infirmytyes. And therfore as the sayntes holy works made no satisfaction for the sin that they did before they were received under mercy: even so made they none for the deadly sins, which they did under mercy: seeing the deeds were unperfect and had sin annexed unto them by reason of the flesh, and were insufficient to excuse their own masters. What merits haue they in store for us than, seeing by all mens confession they now merit not? Yf the most obedient child in the world disobey his fathers commandments, his fore good deeds can not make that disobedience to be no sin, or to be a satisfaction, that the child should presume in the confidence of his old deeds& think his father should do him wrong to punish him. But he must knowledge his fault, and that he hath deserved punishment, and desire forgiveness unto the glory of his fathers mercyfulnesse, and not of his old deeds, though his old obedience be a great presumpcion that he sinneth of frayltye and not of purpose. even so yf I being as holy as ever was paul in his most holiness, sin this day thorough frailty of my flesh, mine old good deeds can be no satisfaction, but I must knowledge my sin unto my father and grant that I haue deserved damnation,& meekly desire forgiveness, and challenge it by the obligation where in God hath bound himself to me, unto the glory of the mercy of God, and not to the glory of my holy deeds. For yf my deeds save me, it is my glory. But yf he forgive freely without respect of my deeds, then it is the glory of his mercy by Paules doctrine unto the romans.  
moreover yf the sayntes be in heaven, then can they be there in none other case thē the angels, in which state Christ testifieth they shal be in the resurrecion. Now the angels are ministers sent of 
Theangels serve vs.  God to do service unto the elect which shal be saved. Hebr. i. And hath bound himself yf I come in the right way by the door of Christes blood, and are help, that he will send me( yf need be,) an hundreth legions of angels or sayntes. But when God hath bound himself to send me angels or sayntes, or an angel or saint, he hath not promised to send this angel or that, or this or that saint. And therfore when I appoint God whom he shal sand, and bind him where he hath not bound himself, to send me what saint I will, I tempt God. And thus this choosing of several sayntes is but temptynge of God. And yet we do worse then this: for we leave the way of Christes blood and go not to God thorough him, but run to the sayntes in a testament of our own making, & will that they either save us themselves for our image service, or compel God for their merits sakes to save vs. Why goest thou not unto thy father thyn owneselfe? I am a sinner will they say& dare not. Yf thou go in the right way, thou hast no sin. christ hath taken all thy sins from thee, and God hath no rod in his hand, nor looketh four, but merely, that it is a lust to behold his cherfull countenance, and offereth thee his hand. But this way is stopped up thorough unbelief, and therfore we seek another which is no way to life, but unto everlasting death. We will not look on the lawe with open eyes, and therfore haue we no due repentance, and so no lust to hearken unto the gospel of glad tidings in Christes blood. And where the right way is set before us,& we of malice will not walk therein, God can not but let the devil play with us, and juggle our eyes to confirm us in blindness.  
But after what maner doth christ 
How christ prayeth for vs.  pray for us? verily Christ in the dayes of his mortal flesh suffered and prayed for al that shal be saved, and obtained, and was herde, and had his petitions granted. And he made satisfaction, and purged, and purchased forgiveness, even then for al the sins that ever shal be forgiven: And his praying for us, and being a mediator now, is, that the remembrance of all that he did for us, is present in the sight of god the father as fresh, as in the hour he did them, ye the same hour is yet present and not past in the sight of God. And Christ is now a king and reigneth and hath received power of all that he prayed for, to do it himself, and that when so ever the elect call for ought in his name, he sendeth help even of the power, which he hath received: ye yer they axe, he sendeth his spirit in to their hartes, to move them to axe. So that it is his gift that we desire ought in his name. And in all that we do or think well, he preventeth us with his grace: ye he careth for us yer we care for ourselves, and when we be yet evil, he sendeth to call us, and draweth us with such power, that our hart is can not but consent and come. And the angels stand by and behold the testament of the elect, how we shal be received into their fellowship, and se all the grace that Christ shall poure out vpon vs. And they rejoice and praise God for his infinite mercy, and are glad and long for us, and of very love are ready against all houres when we shall call for help in Christes name, to come and help. And Christ sendeth them when we call in his name, and yer we call, even while we be yet evil& happily whereout the truth of ignorance( as Paul did) the angels wait vpon us to keep that the revels slay us not, before the time of our calling be come.  
Now yf an angel should appear unto the, what wouldest thou say unto him? Yf thou praydest him to help, he wolde answer: I do. christ hath sent me to help the, and believe that the angels be ever about y● to help. Yf thou desyredest him to pray for the to obtain this or that, he wolde say: Christ hath prayed,& his prayer is herde, or what so ever thou axest in his name, he will show the al that God wolde do to thee, and what he wolde also haue the to do. And yf thou beleuedest so, then werest thou safe. Yf thou desyredest him to save the with his merits. He wolde answer that he had no merits( but that Christ only is lord of all merits) nor salvation, but that Christ is lord of salvation. wilt thou therfore be saved by merits would the angel say, then pray to God in Christes name and thou shalt be saved by the merits of him, and haue me or some other thy servant immediately to help the unto the vttermoost of our power, and to keep thee, and bring the unto the reward of his merits. Yf thou wouldest promise him to worship him with image service, that is to stick up a candle before his image, or such an image as he appeared to the in, he wolde answer that he were a spirit, and delighted in no candle light, but would bid the give a candle unto thy neighbour that lacketh, yf thou hadst to many. And so wolde he answer the, yf thou wouldest put money in a box for him, or cloth his image in cloth of gold, or put golden shues vpon his images foot. Yf thou least that thou wouldest build a chapel in his name, he wolde answer that he dwelled in no house made with stones, but wolde bid the go to the churches that are made already, and learn of the preacher there howe to believe, and howe to live, and honour God in the spirit, for the which cause churches were chefelye builded, and for quietness to pray. And yf ther be no church, then to give of it that thou mayest spare to help that one were builded, to be a preaching, and a praying house, and of worshipping God in spirit, and not of image service.  
And yf paul appeared unto the, what other thing could he answer also then that he were a spirit, and wolde refuse all thy image service? And yf thou speak to paul of his merits, he can none otherwise answer the, then he answered his Corinthians, that he dyed for no mans sins,& that no man was baptized in his name, to trust in his merites. He wolde say, I builded all men vpon Christes merits, preaching that all that repented and believed in his name, should be saved, and taken from under the wrath, vengeance, and damnation of the lawe, and be put under mercy and grace. And by this faith was I saved from damnation, and put under mercy and grace and made one with christ to haue my parte with him, and he with me, or rather to make a change: that he should haue all my sins, and I his mercy& the gifts of his grace, and become glorious with the ornaments of his riches. And of my saueoure Christ I received this lawe, that I should love my brethren, all Gods elect as tenderly as he loved them. And I consented unto this lawe, for it seemed right, and became a scholar to learn it. And as I profited in the knowledge, faith and love of Christ, so I grew in the love of my brethren, and suffered all things for their sakes, and at the last waxed so perfect, that I wished myself damned( yf it might haue ben) to save my brethren. And all my brethren that received Christ received the same commandment, and grew therein. And they that were perfect loved me and all their other brethren, no less then I loved them. And look with what love I ministered the gifts of grace which I received of Christ for the edifying of his congregation, vpon my brethren, with the same love did they minister their gifts again on me, which they had, and I lacked. And so love made all commune. And moreover yf they call my works my merits, I bestowed all my works vpon my brethren to teach them,& reaped the feute therof, even my brethrens edifying and souls health, ye& reap daily, in that I left my doctrine and ensample of living behind me, by the which many are converted unto Christ daily. Yf thou desire therfore to enjoy parte of my merits, go and read in my gospel, and thou shalt finde the fruit of my labour, the knowledge of Christ, the health of thy soul, and everlasting life.  
And as I loved my brethren when I lived, so I love them still, and now more perfectly. How be it my love then was painful: for the more I loved, the more I sorrowed, feared, and cared for them, to bring them in to the knowledge of the truth, and to keep them in unite of faith, lest the false Prophetes should deceive them, or their own infirmytyes should break peace and unite, or cause them to fall into ony sin.  
But now my love is without pain. For I se the will and providence of God, and howe the end of all things shalbe unto his glory and profit of the elect. And though I se the elect shall sometime fall, yet I se how they shall arise again, and how that their fall shalbe unto the glory of God& their own profit. And we that are in heaven, love you all alike neither love we one more& another less. And therfore yf ye love us more one thē another, that is fleshly, as mine old Corinthians once loved, and I rebuked thē. neither can we be moved to come more to help one then another. But we wait when God will send ony of us unto the elect that call for help in Christes name. wherefore yf thou wilt be holpen of ony of us, pray in Christes name, and God shall send one of us, an angel or a saint, to keep the power of the revels from you: but not whom thou wouldest choose, temptynge God, but whom it pleaseth God to send.  
And yf your preachers love you not after the same maner, to edify you with the true doctrine of christ, and ensample of living ther after, and to keep you in unity of faith& charity, they be not of Christes disciples, but Antichrist, which under the name of christ, seek to reign over you as temporal tyrants. And in like maner: Yf this be not wryttē in your hartes that ye ought to love one another as christ loved you, and as ye had ensample of us his Apostles, ye go astray in vanities and are not in the right way.  
And thereby are we sure that we grow him, yf we keep his commandments.  
This is clean against the doctrine 
The state of grace.  of them which say that we can not know whether we be in the state of grace or no. john saith yf we keep his commandments, then we be sure that we know christ is everlasting life john .xvii. Thē contrary to the bishop of Ro. Christen men haue doctrine to know whether they be in grace or no.  
The keeping of Gods commandments certifieth us that we be in the state of grace But the pharisaycall doctors haue no doctrine to know when a man is in the state of grace, wherefore it is manifest that they keep not Gods commandments, nor be in state of grace, but of all vngratiousnesse.  
neither know such doctors whether they be in state of grace, but keep mens commandments, ergo mens commandments certify not that we be in state of grace. though thou haue a devotion to styck up a candle before a post, and so forth, yet thou canst never be sure thereby that thou arte in the favour of God. But yf thou haue devotion to help thy brother in all his mysfortunes, because he is the image of God, and price of Christes blood, then thy devotion certifieth the, that thou arte in the favour of God or state of grace.  
He that saith I know him,& yet keepeth not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.  
when our pharisees say, do as we 
A sure argument to know fals prophetes ●y.  did you, and not as we do, they testify that they keep not Gods commandments, unto which testimony our eyes also bear record,& they that keep not Gods commandments be liars, and haue no truth in them. And than when they preach, they can not but preach lies. And than though they preach christ, they preach him falsely unto their fleshly vantage,& not our souls health. And for as much as we may haue no fellowship with thē that keep not Gods commandments, i. Cor. v. and in as much as all such are false prophetes, void of all truth, it followeth that we ought to give our doctors no audience, though their defenders stood by them with their sweardes drawn, but rather to lay down our heads and stretch forth our necks, to be slain.  
He that keepeth his worde, in him verily is the love of God perfect: and hereby know we that we are in him  
That is, he that keepeth his commandments, loveth vnfaynedly, and is thereby sure that he is in God. For to be in God, is to believe in the mercy of God. And to believe in mercy, is cause of love, and love cause of working. And therfore he that worketh for Gods sake, is sure that he loveth, and that he trusteth in God: which is to be in God or Christ. And as by wilful keeping of the commandment 
A rule to know whether we love God or love him not.  we be sure that we love God, and believe in God, even so thorough wilful breaking of them we may be sure that we neither love nor believe in him, and therfore that we be not in him.  
He that saith he abideth in him, ought to walk as he walked.  
All that be baptized in christ, are washē in him, to put of pride, wrath, hate and envy, with all their old conversation: by the which they oppressed their neighbours, and haue promised to become every man even as christ himself unto his brethren in love and kindness, both in word and dede. They therfore which resist Christes testament, and will not let it be known, and walk in the testament of antichrist of Rome, with unions, pluralities, and tot quots, some one of them, robbing ten parishes of the tenth 
look vpon the B. Ro. own decrees Causa xii. quest. ii. and other places.  of all their yearly increase, and wythdrawynge from them Gods word, the food of their souls, and from the poor, their daily sustenance, which ought to haue their parte in the tithes and other rents, when the preacher and other necessary ministers haue out their partes, a due and lawful stipend: are not in christ. For Christ neither so walked, nor taught.  
Brethren I wryte no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, whych ye had at the beginning. For an old commandment is the worde, whych ye herde from the beginning.  
I write no new precept, but onely put you in remembrance of that old, which was taught you when ye were first baptized in christ, to love each other, as he did you. which is an old commandment, and was given at the beginning of the world, and hath ever sense been written in the heart of all that put their hope in God.  
again, a new commandment I wryte unto you, whyche is true in him, and also in you: for the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.  
The devil hath sown his darkness in the field, where this commandment should grow,& the weeds of mens traditions had overgrown the corn of this old commandment: so that it was waxed old,& clene out of knowledge▪ But christ the light of all true doctrine now shineth,& hath scattered the darkness, and plucked up the weeds by the roots, and restored this old commandment again. And in him it is a true commandment, for he loved truly. And in you it is a true commandment, for ye for his sake love one another truly also. And by the reason of this renewing, it is called a new commandment, as it is now called new learning, and may well so be: for it hath lain long in darkness, and that in such darkness, that many be shrined for holy sayntes, whose deeds and living when thou lokest vpon them, conferring them to the light of this old doctrine that now shineth again out of darkness, they are abomynable blasphemies to Gods doctrine, the which they haue sworn to teach and follow.  
He that saith he is in the light,& yet hateth his brother, is in darkness.  
For who so ever feeleth his own damnation under the lawe,& believeth in the mercy that is in Christ, the same can not but love Christ, and his neighbour for his sake. And therfore he that hateth his brother for ony offence done to him, the same with not what Christ hath done for him, but is in darkness still.  
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light: and ther is none offending in him.  
abideth in the light, that is, continueth in the knowledge of Christ. And ther is none offending in him, that is: first he will willingly do nothing, either in word or in dede that shall offend his brother. For love will not let him. And secondarely, yf ought be done or said, that may be well done or said, he taketh it to the best, and is not offended. And thus ye se that the knowledge of Christ is cause of al goodness, and the ignorance of Christ is cause of all evil. And so the doctrine of them is not false, which say, that faith in christ is the roote of all godly virtue, and the cause of keeping the commandments:& where faith is, there to be no sin, nor damnation: and that say, unbelief to be the mother of al vice,& cause of breaking the commandments, and to keep men in sin and damnation only, as faith only looseth us thence.  
And he that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness,& knoweth not vuhether he goeth : for darkness hath blinded his eyes  
He that hateth his brother, is in the ignorance of christ, and of his own sin, and without repentance& faith, that his sins be forgiven him in Christ, and therfore is merciless unto his brother, whom Christ commandeth him to pity and love. And in that ignorance he walketh: that is, worketh evil, and loveth the things of the world, and seeketh in thē the lusts of the flesh, which are the quenching of the spirit and death of the soul and for love of them hateth his brother. And this ignorance of christ, which is unbelief, is cause of all the wickedness that we do unto our brethren.  
I wryte unto you little children that your sins are forgiven you for his names sake. I wryte unto you fathers, that ye know him that was from the beginning. I wryte unto you young men, how that ye haue overcome the wycked.  
I write unto you that are young in the faith and yet weak, and therfore fall now and than, how that your sins are forgiven you, as soon as ye repent and reconcile yourselves unto your brethren, whom ye haue offended, even for his names sake only, and not for our own deeds, whether afore or after, or for ony other mans deeds or satisfaction, save for his only.  
I write unto you that are fathers in the doctrine of God, to teach other, how that ye know him that was from the beginning, and is no new thing, though he newly received our nature. And thorough knowledge of him( which is the only light and the door unto the knowledge of God) ye are become fathers in the scriptures, or else ye had never understand it, though ye had studied never so much, as it appeareth by the indurate Iewes, and also by our new pharisees, which persecute the scripture and the true sense therof, because they be drowned in the ignorance of Christ, as their deeds and contrary living well testify.  
I write unto you young men that are strong in suffering persecucions,& fight for your profession, not with the sweard, but with suffering, how that ye haue overcome that wicked, which poysonned the world at the beginning, and yet worketh in the children of darkness and unbelief: and that in beleuynge the word of truth, as it followeth anon after.  
I wryte unto you young children how that ye grow the father. I wryte unto you fathers how that ye grow him that was from the beginning. I wryte unto you young men that ye be strong, and the word of God dwelleth in you, and that ye haue overcome the wycked.  
I write to you young children home that ye know the father, whom ye love thorough knowledge of the son, or else ye had never known him as a father, but as a judge& a tyrant, and had hated him. I write unto you fathers as before, how ye are fathers of al truth in knowing the son, or else ye had ever continued in darkness remediless.  
I write unto you young men, howe that ye are strong, and that your strength is the word of God which dwelleth in your breasts thorough faith, in the which ye haue overcome the wicked devil and all his pomp, as it followeth in the .v. Chap. this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  
love not the worlde, nor the things that are in the worlde. Yf a man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of good, are not of the father but are of the world: and the worlde vanysheth away,& the lust therof. But he that doth the behoveful of God, abideth ever.  
The love of the world quencheth the 
avarice or covetousness.  love of God. Balaam for the love of the world closed his eyes at the clear light which he well saw. For love of the world the old pharisees blasphemed the holy ghost and persecuted the manifest truth, which they could not improve. For love of the world many are this day fallen away. And many which stood on the truths side and defended it a while for love of the world, haue gotten them unto the contrary parte, and are be come the Antichristes of Romes mamelukes, and are waxed the most wicked enemies unto the truth and most cruel against it. They know the truth, but they love the world. And when they espied that the truth could not stand with the honours which they sought in the world, they hated it deadly& both wyttynge and willing persecuted it, synnynge against the holy ghost. which sin shall not escape here unpunished, as it shall not be without damnation in the world to come, but shall haue an end here with confusion and shane, as had Iudas Iscarioth the traitor.  
By the lust of the flesh is understand 
The lust of the flesh& of the eyes.  lechery, which maketh a man altogether aswyne: and by the lust of the eyes, is vnderstonde covetousness, which is the roote of al evil, and maketh to err from the faith. i. Timoth. the last And then followeth pride: which .iii. are the world and captains over all other vices, and occasions of all mischief.  
And yf pride, covetousness,& lechery be the world as saint john saith, then turn your eyes unto the spiritualty, vn to the roman bishop, Cardinals, bishops, abbots, and al other prelates, and se whether such dignities be not the world, and whether the way to them be not also the world. To get the old abbots treasure, I think it the redyest way to be the new. Howe few come by promotion, except they bye it, or serve long for it, or both? To beskylled in war and in pollynge, to mayntayn war and lusts: and to be a good ambassyadoure, is the only way to a bysshopryke, or to pay truly for it. Se whether pluralyties, unions, tot quots, and changing the less benefice and bysshopryke for the greater( for the contrary change I trow was never sene) may be without covetousness and pride. And then yf such things be the world, and the world not of God, howe is our spiritualty of God? Yf pride be seeking of glory, and they that seek glory can not believe john .v. howe can our spiritualty believe in christ? Yf covetousness turn men from the faith, how are our spiritualty in the faith? Yf Christ( when the level proffered him the kingdoms of the world and the glory therof) refused them as things unpossible to stand with his kingdom, which is not of the world: of whom are our spiritualty, which haue received them? Yf 
covetousness.  covetousness be a traitor, and taught Iudas to sell his Master: howe should he not in so long time teach our spiritualty the same craft? namely, when they be of all kings secrets, and the ambassiadours of their secrets, and haue thereto thorowt all christendom a secret counsel of their own, of the which never lay man was partaker, and with the which they turn the end of all appoyntementes unto their own honour and profit. covetousness hath taught thē to bring in damnable sects according unto the gladly of Peter, and to corruppe the scripture with false gloses, and to turn every good ordinance that had a virtuous beginning unto a vicious end. The promotions of the spiritualty corrupt their minds, wyle they be yet in the shell and vnhatched. For they come thither but for covetousness, and to avoyde the cross of christ in the world: except thē that be compelled of their friends, or be so simple that they mark not their falsehood beforhande. Who knowing the truth& loving it, would put his head in the romish byshops haltre that so moseleth mens mouths, that they can not open them to defend ony truth at all? When temporal kings were in their high authority, then the general council repressed the enormytes of the spiritualty. But sense the antichrist of Rome, cardinals, and bishops were exlated, and the emperor and kings became their servants, they wolde suffer nought to be determined in their councils that should reform the world of their deuellysh pride, insatiable covetousness, and stinking lechery, which may grind with no godly virtue. But the world which is not of God, shall at the last haue an end with confusion, and they only abide, that do the will of the father: which will is that we believe in the son, and love one another. Let thē therfore that haue the worlds good( I might say the worlds god) use it, but not love it, that they may be ready to bestow it at the pleasure of God. And let them which haue it not, desire it not: for it blindeth the eyes of the seeing. Deu. xvii. But let them put their trust in God, which shall not fail them, nor leave them destitute of raiment and food, which paul counseleth to be content with. The rich( as james saith) persecute the true believers. The rich will never grind forth openly for the word of God. Yf of .x. thousand ther spring one Nicodemus, it is a great thing.  
little children it is now the last hour and as ye haue herde that Anthichrist should come, even so now are many Antichristes come already. Whereby we know, that it is the last hour. They went out of us, but were none of vs. For had they been of us, they had continued with vs. But that fortuned that it might appear how they were not all of vs.  
hour is here taken for time. The last 
What the last hour is.  hour is as much to say, as the last time. Though the Apostles might not know when the last day shall be, and how long the world should endure, yet this was shewed them, and us by them, that Antichrist should first come: and not only come but also prevail and be received after a worldly maner and reign over all,& set up a long continuing kingdom with damnable sects& wonderful kinds of hypocrisy, that is to say, falsehood cloaked under a contrary pretence, as testifieth paul and also Peter. Which Antichrist began with the Apostles,& did sow his doctrine 
Antichrist.  among the doctrine of the Apostles, preaching many things as the Apostles did, and adding ever somewhat of his own, that the weeds might ever grow up together with the corn. Of the which john gathered a sign, that the last day drew nigh, though he could not be sure how long it were thereto.  
Antichrist is one of the first that with the light, and cometh& preacheth christ a while and seeketh his glory in Christes gospel. But when he espieth that ther will no glory cleue unto that preaching, then he getteth him to the contrary parte, and professeth himself an open enemy, yf he can not disgyse himself, and hide the angle of his poisoned heresy under a bait of true doctrine.  
The Apostles were clear eyed, and espied Antichrist at once, and put him to flight,& weded out his doctrine quickly. But when charity waxed cold, and the preachers began to seek themselves, and to admit glory and honour of riches, then Antichrist disgysed himself after the fashion of a true Apostle,& preached Christ wylyly, bringing in now this tradicion, and now that, to darken the doctrine of christ, and set up innumerable ceremonies, sacramentes and ymagery, giving them sygnifycacions at the first: but at the last the sygnifycacions laid apart, preached the work as an holy dede, to justify and to put away sin, and to save the soul, that men should put their trust in works and in what so ever was unto his glory and profit, and under the name of Christ, mustered christ out of altogether, and became head of the congregation himself.  
The bishop of Rome made a lawe of his own to rule his church by, and put Christes out of the way. All the byshoppes swear unto the bishop of Rome, and all curates unto the byshoppes, but all forswear Christ and his doctrine.  
But seeing john took a sign of the last day, that he saw Antichrist begin, how nigh ought we to think that it is, which after .viii. hundreth yeares raygnyng in prosperity, se it decay again, and his falsehood to be disclosed,& him to be slain with the spirit of the mouth of christ, that is, with that old doctrine that proceeded out of Christes mouth? For paul saith: when antichrist is uttered, then cometh the end.  
But ye haue the anointing of that holy, and grow all thing. I wryte not unto you as though ye knewe not the truth, but as unto them that grow it, and how that no lie is of the truth.  
Christ in the scripture is called the holy, 
The holy.  because he onely sanctifieth and halloweth vs. And he is called Christ: that is to say, anointed, because he anoynteth our souls with the holy ghost, and with all the gifts of the same. Ye are not anointed 
anointed.  with oil in your bodies, but with the spirit of Christ in your souls: which spirit teacheth you all truth in Christ,& maketh you to judge what is a lie, and what truth, and to know christ from Antichrist. For except he taught your souls within, the pourynge in of words at your ears were in vain.  
For they must al be taught of God. jo. vi. And the things of God noman knoweth, save the spirit of God: and the carnal man knoweth not the things of the spirit of God, when contrary, the spiritual that is anointed with the spirit, iudgeth all things .i. Cor. ii. And therfore we are forbidden to call us ony master vpon earth. Math. xxiii. seeing we haue all one master now in heaven, which only teacheth us with his spirit, though by the admynistracyon and office of a faith full preacher. Which preacher yet can not make his preaching spring in the heart, nomore thē a sour can make his corn grow, nor can say this man shal receive the word, and this not: but soweth the word only, and commytteth the growing to God, whose spirit breatheth where he listeth, and maketh the ground of whose heart he listeth frutfull,& chooseth whom he will at his own pleasure, and for none other cause known unto ony man.  
Who is a lyare, but he that denieth that IESVS is christ? The same is Antichrist, that denieth the father and the son.  
For as much as Antichrist& Christ are two contraries, and the study of Antichrist is to quench the name of Christ, how can the romish bishop and his sects be Antichrist, when they all preach christ? How was( say I again to thee) Pelagius, whose doctrine the bishop of Rome defendeth in the highest degree Antichrist, and all other heretics also? verily sir the bishop of Rome seeketh himself as al heretics did, and abuseth the name of Christ, to gather the offerings, tithes and rents in his name, to bestow them unto his own honour and not Christes, and to bring the conscience of the people into captivity under him, thorough superstitious fear, as though he had such authority given him of christ. And every syllable that hath a sound as though it made for his purpose, that he expoundeth falsely and fleshly, and therewith iugleth and bewytcheth he the ears of the people, and maketh them his own possession, to believe what him listeth, as though it made no matter to them whether he preached true or false, so far as they believe& do as he biddeth them. But all the texts that show him to do his duty, he putteth out of the way, and all the texts thereto that set the consciences at liberty in Christ and prove our salvation to be in christ onely. And with Pelagius he preacheth 
The B. of R. and Pelagius agree  the iustifienge of works, which is the denying of christ. He preacheth a false binding and lousynge with ear confession, which is not in the trust and confidence of Christes bloudsheddynge. He preacheth the false penance of deeds, not to tame the flesh, that we sin nomore, but to make satisfaction and to redeem the sin that is past. which what other can it be save the denying of christ, which is onely redemption of sin? He maketh of the works, of the ceremonies,( which were wont to be signs and remembrance of things to be believed or done) image service unto God and his sayntes, which are sprites, to purchase with the merits of thē what so ever the blind soul ymagineth: which all are the denying of Christ. For yf thou wilt receive ony anointing of grace or mercy ony whence save of him, he is no longer Christ unto the. Christ is called Iesus, a saueoure: he is 
Iesus. Christus.  called Christus, king anointed over all men, of whom they must hold,& of whose benefit must all they haue. He is called Emanuel, God is with vs. For he onely 
Emanuel.  maketh God our God, our strength, power, sword and shield, and shortly our father. He is called Sanctus, that is, holy 
Sanctus.  that halloweth, sanctifieth, and blesseth all nations. And these be his names for ever, and be no names of hypocrisy, as we sometime call him Thomas Curtesye, which is but a churl: and as we call them curates, which care for their parishes as the wolf for the flock: and them byshoppes, that is overseers, which will so over se, that they will suffer nought to be prosperous save their own commune wealth: and as some call themselves deade, which 
Deade men  live in all voluptuousness: and as some call themselves poor without having 
poor men  ony thing proper, and yet live in all abundance: and as they shave and disgyse themselves with garments and ornamentes to signify ever a contrary thing than that they be.  
nay Christ is no hypocrite or disgysed, that playeth a parte in a play and presenteth a person or state which he is not: But is alway that his name signifieth. He is ever a savour and our anointed with grace, and ever maketh God with us, and ever sanctifieth. neither is ther ony other to save& sanctify from sin, or anoint with grace, or to set God at one with men. And these things which his name signify, doth he ever unto al that haue trust& confidence in his blood, as soon as they repent of the sin, which they desire to be saved and sanctified from  
Now though the bishop of Rome& his sects give christ these names, yet in that they rob him of the effects,& take the significations of his names unto themselves, and make of him but an hypocrite, as they themselves be, they be the right Antichristes, and deny both the father& son For they deny the witness that the father bare unto his son and deprive the son of all the power and glory that his father gave him.  
Who so ever denieth the son, the same hath not the father.  
For noman knoweth the father but the son and to whom the son sheweth him. Math. xi. moreover yf thou know not the mercy that God hath shewed thee in christ, thou canst not know him as a father. Thou mayest well beside Christ know him as a tyrant. And thou mayest know him by his works, as the old Philosophers did, that ther is a God, but thou canst neither believe in his mercy, nor love his laws,( which is his only worship in the spirit,) save by Christ.  
Let therfore abide in you that whych ye herde at the beginning. Yf that, whych ye herde at the beginning shal remain in you, than shal ye continue in the son& in the father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, everlasting life.  
Yf we abide in the old doctrine, which the Apostles taught, and herken to no new 
The Apostles doctrine ought we to abide by  learning: than abide we in the son( for vpon the son build they us) and in the father thorough confidence in the son,& are heirs of everlasting life.  
These things haue I wryttē unto you, because of them that deceive you. And the anointing that ye received of him dwelleth in you, and ye need not that ony man teach you, but as that anointing teacheth you of all things, and is true, and is no lie. even as it hath taught you so abide therein.  
when a true preacher preacheth, the spirit entereth the hartes of the elect, and maketh them feel the righteousness of the lawe of God, and by the lawe the poison of their corrupt nature,& thence lea●eth thē thorough repentance, unto the mercy that is in Christes blood. And as an ointment 
Anoyntyng  healeth the body, even so the spirit, thorough confidence and trust in Christes blood, healeth the soul, and maketh her love the law of God, and therfore is it called anoyntyng or ointment, and may well be signifieth by the oil of our sacrament. But outward oil can neither heal the soul nor make her feel, save as a sign, or as a bush at a tavern door quencheth a mans thirst, neither is it a thing to put trust in, let us therfore follow the teaching of the spirit, which we haue received( as paul saith) in earneste to certify our hartes& to make us feel the things of God,& not cleue unto the traditions of men, in the which is no feeling, but the one saith so& another thus, confyrmynge their assercions with glorious persuasions of wisdom, but not after the wysedom of God. which reasons another denieth with contrary sophisms:& so riseth brawling about vain words without certente.  
And now little children abide in him, that whan he shal appear, we may haue confidence,& not be made ashamed of him at his coming.  
Here are two things to be marked: one yf we cleue unto Christ after the doctrine of the Apostles and as they built us vpon him, we shalbe bold and sure of ourselves at his coming, as a servant, which in his masters absence doth onely his masters commandments, can not be confounded at his coming home again. But and yf we follow mens doctrine, how can we be bold? ye how should we not be ashamed with our teachers? unto whom he shall than say( when they boast themselves, how that they haue been his vycares) I know you not, depart from me ye that haue wrought wickedness, and under my name haue brought in damnable sects, and haue taught your disciples to believe in other things than in me. Now the sum of al that the Apostles taught, and how they built us vpon Christ, is the new testament. But the bishop of Romes doctrine is not there founded, but even improved. Confounded therfore shal he be which wyttynge and willing shutteth his eyes at the true light, and openeth thē to believe his lies.  
Another thing is this, al the scripture maketh mention of the resurrection and coming again of Christ: and that all men, both they that go before, and they that come after shall then receive their rewards together, and we are commanded to look every hour for that day. And what is done with the souls from the departing of their bodies unto that day, doth the scripture make no mention, save only that they rest in the LORD and in their faith. wherefore he that determyneth ought of the state of them that be departed, doth but teach the presumptuouse ymaginations of his own brain: neither can his doctrine be ony article of our faith. What God doth with them, is a secret, laid up in the treasury of God. And we ought to be patient, being certified of the scripture, that they which die in the faith, are at rest, and ought no more to search that secret, thē to search the hour of the resurrection, which God hath put only in his own power. But this remembre, that the whole natur of man is poisoned and infect with sin: And the whole life of sin must be mortified. now the roote of all sin and first 'vice that we were infect with, is, that we would be wise, where God hath not taught us, as ye se how eve wolde haue been as God in knowledge of good and bad. And therfore hath God hid many things in his power, and commanded that we shal search none of his secrets farther, then he hath openned them in his scripture, to mortifye this poison of all poisons, the desire to appear wife,& that we be ashamed to be ignorant in ony thing at all. wherefore they that violently make articles of the faith without Gods word are yet alive in the roote of sin; and 'vice, and grow out of the level, and not out of christ. And their articles are of the blindness of the level, and not of the light of christ for Christes light hath testimony of the scripture every where.  
Yf ye grow that he is righteous, grow that all that work righteousness are born of him.  
our nature is to work wickedness and so blind thereto, that it can se no righteousness. And then it followeth that we must be born a new in Christ, yer we be or can either do or yet know what is righteous. And in him we must first be made righteous ourselves, yer we can work righteous works, which conclusion is contrary unto the B. of Rome. For he saith that the works do make the man righteous, and Christes doctrine saith: that the man maketh the works righteous. A righteous man springeth out of righteous works saith the B. of Romes doctrine, righteous works spring out of a righteous man,& a righteous man springeth out of Christ, saith Christes doctrine. The works make the man righteous that before was wicked saith the B. of Rome, the works declare that the man is righteous saith Christes doctrine, but the man was first made righteous in Christ and the spirit of christ taught him what righteousness was, and healed his heart, and made him consent thereto, and to haue his lust in righteousness, and to work ryghteously.   

¶ The .iii. Chapter.  
BEhold what love the father hath showed us, that we should be called the sons of God. For this cause the worlde knoweth you not, because it knoweth not him. Dearly beloved, now we are the sons of god though yet it appeareth not what we shal be, but we know that whan he shal appear, we shal be like him: for we shall se him as he is.  
The love of God to us ward is exceeding grace, in that he hath made us his sons without all deserving of us, and hath given us his spirit thorough christ, to certify our hartes thereof, in that we feel that our trust is in God,& that our souls haue received health and power to love the lawe of God, which is a sure testimony that we are sons and under no damnation. neither ought it to discourage us, or to make us think we were less beloved, because the world hateth us,& persecuteth us, for the world knoweth us not. neither let ony marvel 
The world could not know christ.  for the world could not know christ himself for all his glorious coming with miracles and benefits in healynge the sick and raysynge the deade. But for all the oppression of the world we are yet sure that we are Goddes sons. And in like maner though the glory that we shal be in appear not: yet we are sure that we shal be like him, when he appearethe. As darkness vanysheth away at the coming of the son,& the world receiveth a new fashion, and it turneth into light, and is suddenly made glorious: even so when he appeareth, and we shall 
The world shal know christ.  se him as he is, we shall with the light of him be changed into the glory of his image and made like him. And then shall the world know both him and us unto their shane and confusion.  
And all that haue this hope in him purge themselves, as he is pure.  
The faith and hope of a christen man, are no dead, idle, or barren things: but lively, working and fruitful. For when the law thorough conscience of sin hath slain the soul, then hope and trust in Christes blood thorough certifyenge of the conscience that the damnation of the lawe is taken away, quicken her again, and make her to love the lawe, which is the purifyenge of the soul and hyr life, and serving the lawe in the inner man. And then the said gifts of hope and faith stretch themselves forth unto the membres, dead with natural lust, consent, and custom to sin, and quicken them, and purge them, with the wholesome penance of Christes doctrine, and make thē serve the lawe outward, and bear wholesome fruit of love, unto the profit of their neighbours, according to Christes love unto vs. For yf the spirit of christ 
The faith of a Christen man. ( with the which God anoynteth us, and maketh us kings, and sealeth us, and maketh us his sure and several kingdom which he giveth us in earnest .ii. Cor. i. and with the which he changeth us in to the image of Christ .ii. Cor. iiii.) dwell in our souls thorough faith, the same spirit can not but quicken the membres also, and make them fruitful. Roma. viii. wherefore the faith and hope of the roman bishop, which by their own comfession may stand with all wickedness, and consent unto all evil, and be without repentance toward Gods lawe( as it appeareth by their three capital sins, touched of john a little above: pride, covetousness and lechery) are no true faith and hope, but vain words and vysures only, according to his other disgysynge and names of hypocrisy.  
All that commit sin, commit unrighteousness, for sin is vnryghousnesse.  
That the english calleth here vnryghteousnesse the greek calleth Anomia, 
What syn is.  vnlawfulnesse, or breaking the law. So that all sin is breaking of Gods law, and only the transgression of Gods lawe is sin. now all Gods laws are 
The sum of Gods lawe.  contained in these two poyntes: believe in Christ, and love thy neighbour. And these two poyntes are the interpretynge and expoundyng of all laws, so that what so ever edifieth in faith and love, is to be kept, as long as it so doth. And what so ever hurteth faith or love, is to be broken immediately, though bishop, king, emperour or an angel command it. And all indifferent things y● neither help nor hurt faith and love, are whole in the hands of father, mother, master, lord and prince. So that yf they will sin against God, and ouerlade our backs, we may well run away, yf we can escape, but not avenge ourselves. But and yf they will break into thy conscience, as the bishop of Rome doth with his dumb traditions,& saith, to do this saveth thy soul, and to leave it undone loseth thy soul, then defy them as the works of Antichrist, for they make the sin against the faith that is in Christes blood, by the which only thy soul is saved,& for lack of that only, damned. And how love breaketh the lawe, take an ensample: It is a good 
love breaketh the law.  lawe that men come to the church on the sundays to hear Gods word, and to receive the sacrament of the body& blood of Christ, in a remembrance of his benefits and so to strengthen thy soul, for to walk in his love& in the love of our neighbour for his sake. &c. yet yf my father mother, or ony other that requireth my help be sick, I break that good commandment, to do my duty to mine elders or my neighbour. And thus all laws are under love and give rowm to love. And love interpreteth thē: ye and breaketh them at a time, though God himself command them. For love is lord over al laws, and the thing that Christ commanded above all other.  
And ye know that he appeared to take away our sins,& ther is no sin in him.  
christ dyed not alone to purchase pardon for our foresynnes, but also to slay all sin, and the life of sin in our membres. For all we that are baptized in the name of christ saith paul. Ro. vi. are baptized to die with him concerning 
The signification of our baptism.  sin, and that as he after his resurrection dieth nomore, so we after our baptism should walk in a new life, and sin nomore. Our membres are crucified with him, in all that pertaineth unto the life of sin. And yf in Christ be no syn, thē how can ther be wilful sin in the faith that is in him, or in the quick membres that thorough faith grow out of him? every man therfore that hath the true faith of christ, purgeth himself, as he is pure.  
All that abide in him sin not. And all that sin, haue neither sene him nor knowen him.  
As ther is no sin in Christ the stock, so can ther be none in the quick membres that live and grow in him by faith. And they that give themselves to sin haue neither sene, known, or felt by faith the mercy that is in him. Our holy father then which forbiddeth matrimony, and giveth his disciples licences with his holy blessing to keep whores, and pluralytyes, unions, and tot-quots, to rob the parishes, hath neither sene nor known Christ, nomore haue his disciples that consent unto this iniquity. And yf they know him not, they can not truly describe him unto vs. It followeth thē that their preaching is but hypocrisy.  
little children let no man beguile you. He that worketh righteousness, is righteous, as he is righteous.  
judge men by their deeds. For who so ever hath the light of God in his soul, he will let his light shine, that men shall se his good works. And therfore where ye se not the righteousness of works in the membres outward, there be sure, is no righteousness of faith in the heart inward. Let no man mock you with vain words. Who so ever preacheth the Christ in word and dede, him take for Christes 
Christes vycare.  vicar. And them that wolde prove themselves his vycares with sophistry, and when it is come to the point make a sweard only of their mighty arguments,& live contrary to all his doctrine, and in all their preachings blaspheme and rail on his blessed blood, take for the vycares of Antichrist.  
He that sinneth is of the level, for the devil sinneth from the beginning But for this cause appeared the son of God. even to destroy the works of the level. Al that are born of God do no sin, for his seed abideth in them, and they can not sin, because they be born of God. And here by are the sons of God knowen, and also the sons of the devil.  
God and the devil are two contrary fathers, two contrary fountains, an two contrary causes: the one of all goodness, the other of all evil. And they that do evil, are born of the devil, and first evil by that birth, yer they be evil. For 
The man is first evil.  yer a man do evil outward of purpose, he conceived that evil first in his mind,& consented unto it, and so was evil in his heart yer he wrought evil: and yer he conceived evil in his heart, he was born of the level, and had received of his seed and nature: By the reason of which nature, seed and birth, he worketh evil naturally, and can do none other. As Christ saith joh. viii. Ye are of the father the level, and therfore will do the lusts of your father, for it is a commune proverb: The child followeth his fathers nature.  
And on the other side, they that do 
The man is first good.  good, are first born of God, and receive of his nature& seed, and by the reason of that nature and seed, are first good yer they do good by the same rule. And christ which is contrary to the devil came to destroy the works of the level in us, and to give us a new birth, a new nature, and to sow new seed in us, that we should by the reason of that birth, sin nomore. For the seed of that birth, that is to wete the spirit of God, and the lively seed of his word, sown in our hartes, keepeth our hartes that we can not consent to sin, as the seed of the devil holdeth the hartes of his, that they can not consent to God. this is contrary unto the B. of Rome in two poyntes: In the one that he saith, that our good deeds make us first good, and teacheth us not to believe in Christes blood, there to be washed& made first good. And in another, that he saith, God chooseth us first for our good qualities and properties, and for the enforcemente and good endeavour of our frewyll. What good endeavour is there where the devil possesseth the whole heart, that it can consent to no good?  
And finally ther is great difference between the sin of them that believe in 
The faithful and unfaithful sin diversly.  Christ vnfaynedly, and the sin of them that believe not. For they that believe, syn not of purpose& consent to wickedness that it is good, casting and compassyng aforehand without grudge of conscience to bring their purpose about. their fathers conceived mischief these eight hundreth yeares ago, and the sons consent unto the same, and haue no power to depart there from. And therfore their sin is deuelysh and under the damnation of the lawe. But yf he that believeth sin, he doth it not of purpose, or that he consenteth unto the life of sin, but of infirmytie, chance, and some great temptation that hath overcome him. And therfore his sin is venial and under mercy and grace, though it be murder, theft, or adultery, and not under the damnation of the lawe. So that his father shall scourge him, but not cast him away or damn him. mark the sin of Saul and of david. Saul ever excused his sin, and could not but persecute the will of God: And david confessed his sin, with great repentance at the first warning, when soever he forgot himself.  
All that work not righteousness are not of God, nor he that loveth not his brother. For this is the tidings which ye herde at the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be as Cayn, which was of the devil, and slewe his brother. And wherfore slewe he him? for his deeds were evil, and his brothers righteous. marvel not my brethren though the worlde hate you.  
The lawe of righteousness is, the we love one another as christ loved us, and he that hath not this love living in his heart, and when the time is, bringeth not forth the fruits therof, the same is not of God, but of the devil, whose birth and property of the same ye se described in Cayn, how he resisted God and persecuted the children of God for their belief and works therof. And as ye se in Cayn& his brother Abell, so shall it ever continue between the children of God and of the devil unto the worlds end. Wondre not therfore though the world hate you.  
We grow that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. Al that hate their brethren are murthurers:& ye grow that no murthurer hath eternal life abiding in him.  
Yf thou love thy brother in christ,& arte ready to do and to suffer for him as christ did for the, than thou arte sure thereby that thou arte the son of God, and heir of life, and delivered from death and damnation. So haue Christen men signs to know whether they be in the state of grace or no. And on the other side he that hath no power to love his brethren may be sure that he is in the state of death and damnation. Another is this: Let every man look vpon his heart,& be sure that he which hateth his brother, hath slain him before God, and is a murderer,& murtherers shall not obtain the kingdom of God. Gala. v. but are Cayns brethren, and the revels children, and are heirs of death and ever under damnation. Compare the regiment of the spiritualte which haue had the temporal sword in their hands now above .viii. hundreth yeares unto this doctrine of john,& judge whether they haue lead us truly after the steps of Christes doctrine or no.  
Hereby we are assured of love, because he left his life for us, and therfore oughtewe to leave our lives for our brethren. He thē that hath the substance of the world, and with his brother haue need, and shutteth up his compasson from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  
Yf we felt the love of Christes death, it wolde sure set our heart on fire to love him again, and our brethren for his sake,& should never cease to slay our resystynge membres, until we could not only be well content, that our brethren were in prosperouser state than we: but also until we could bless them when they curse us, and pray for them when they persecute us, and to suffer death for them, to testify the word of their souls health unto them, and with love to overcome them, and to win them unto christ. Yf now every christen man ought to haue this rule of his profession before his eyes to learn it, that he should love his brother as christ did him, to depart with his life for his brothers ensample, how far are they of from good scholars, that can not finde in their hartes to depart with a little of the abundance and superfluity of their temporal goods, to help their neighbours need?  
My little children let us not love in word nor with the tongue, but with dede and of a truth. For thereby we grow that we be of the truth, and so shal we certify our hartes in his sight  
Yf we haue power to work, then doth the work certify our hartes, that our faith in christ, and love to God and our neighbour for his sake are unfeigned, and that we are true children& no hypocrites. And then are we bold in our conscience before God. And this is it that Peter meaneth .ii. Peter .i. where he biddeth us minister in our faith virtue, Godly living, and al maner of good works, and there with to make our vocation and election, or our calling and choosing sure. For the sight of the work doth certify us that God hath called us, and chosen us unto grace and mercy.  
But and yf when the time of working is come, we fly and haue no power to work, then will our conscience accuse us of sin and transgression with in the heart before God, and so for fear of the rod we dare not be bold, but draw back and stand a loof.  
Let a child haue never so merciful a father, yet yf be break his fathers commandments, though he be not under damnation, yet he is ever chyd and rebuked, and now and then lasshed with the rod: by the reason whereof he is never bold in his fathers presence. But the child that keepeth his fathers commandments, is sure of himself, and bold in his fathers presence, to speak and axe what he will. They that minister well, get them good degree and great confidence in the faith that is in christ Iesu, saith paul .i. Timo. iii. He that worketh, is bold before God and man. For his conscience accuseth him not within, neither haue we ought to wyte him with all, or to cast in his teth. And as without sight of the works james the Apostle can not se thy faith jaco. ii. nomore shal thou ever be sure or bold before God or man.  
But yf our heart condemn us, God is greater then our heart,& knoweth all thing.  
Yf our conscience accuse us of sin, God is so great and so mighty, that it cannot be hid.  
Dearly beloved yf our hartes condemn us not, then we trust to godward. And what so ever we axe, that shall we receive of him because we keep his commandments& do the things which are pleasant in his sight.  
keeping of the commandments maketh a man se his faith, and to be bold therein. And faith when it is without conscience of sin, goeth into God boldly, and is strong and mighty in prayer to conjure God by all his mercies, and therwith opteyneth what so ever he asketh, of all his promises. And the text saith because we keep his commandments. ye verily his commandments make us bold. But the keeping of mens traditions and dumb ceremonies make not bold before God, nor certify our conscience that our faith is unfeigned. Thou shalt not know by sprynkelyng thyself with holy water, nor kyssyng the pax, nor with taking ashes, or though thou were anointed with al the oil in teames street, that thy faith is sure. But and yf thou couldst finde in thine heart to bestow both life and goods vpon thy neighbour in a just cause, and hast proved it: then art thou sure, that thou lovest christ, and feelest that thou hast thy trust in his blood.  
And this is his commandment, that we believe in his son Iesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave commandment.  
faith is the first& also the roote of al 
faith is ● roote of all commandments.  commandments. And out of faith springeth love,& out of love, works. And when I break ony commandment, I syn against love. For had I loved, I had not done it. And when I sin against love, I sin against faith. For had I earnestly and with a full trust remembered the mercy that christ hath shewed me, I must haue loved wherefore when we haue broken ony commandment, ther is none other way to be restored again, then to go through repeutaunce unto our faith again, and axe mercy for Christes sake. And assoon as we haue received faith that our sin is forgiven, we shall immediately love the commandment again, and thorough love receive power to work.  
And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him,& he in him. And hereby we grow that ther dwelleth in us of his sprite, whyche he gave vs.  
thorough the works we are sure that we continue in christ, and Christ in us, and that his spirit dwelleth in vs. For his sprite it is that keepeth us in faith, and thorough faith in love, and thorough love in works.   

¶ The .iiii. Chapter.  
DEarly beloved believe not every spirit, but prove the sprites whether they be of God. For many false Prophetes are gone out in the worlde.  
sprites are taken here for preachers, because of the preaching or doctrine, 
sprites.  which yf it be good, then is it of the spirit of God: and yf it be evil, of the spirit of the devil. now ought we not to believe every mans doctrine vnaduysedly, or condemn ony mans preaching yer it be herd and sene what it is. But a christen mans parte is to examen, judge, and try it, whether it be true or no. Quench not the spirit saith paul .i. Thessalo. the last, neither despise prophecyenges, but prove all thing, and keep that which is good. destroy not the gifts of the spirit of God, but try whether they be of God, and good for the edifying of his congregation: and keep that which is good, and refuse that which is evil. And suffer every person that hath ony gift of God, to serve god therein, in his degree and estate, after a christen maner and a due order. Why shall we try the doctrines? verily for ther be many false Prophetes abroad already. We told you before that Antichrist should come, as our master Christ told us that he should come But now I certify you that Antichristes kingdom is begon already. And his disciples are gone out to preach. try therfore all doctrine. wherewith shal we try 
The trial of all doctrine.  it? With the doctrine of the Apostles, and with the scripture, which is the touch ston: ye and because ye love compendiousnes, ye shall haue a short rule, to try them withall.  
Here by grow ye the spirit of God. every spirit that confesseth that Iesus christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. And the same is the spirit of Antichrist, of whom ye haue herde that he should come: And even now he is in the worlde already.  
What soever opinion ony member of antichrist holdeth, the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our faith, that Christ is come in the flesh. For though the most parte of all heretics confess that christ is come in the flesh after their maner, yet they deny that he is come as the scripture testifieth, and the Apostles preached him to be come. The whole study of the devil and all his membres is, to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christes flesh, and in those things which he suffered for us in his flesh, and in the testament and promises of mercy, which are made us in his flesh. For the scripture testifieth, that christ hath taken away the sin of the world in his flesh, and that at the same hour that he yielded up his spirit into the hands of his father, he had full purged and made full satisfaction for all the sins of the world. So that all the sin of the world, both before his passion and after, must be put away thorough repentance toward the law,& faith and trust in his blood, without respect of ony other satisfaction, sacrifice or work. For yf I once sin, the lawe rebuketh my conscience, and setteth variance between God and me. And I shall never be at peace with God again until I haue herde the voice of his mouth, howe that my sin is forgiven me for Christes blood sake: And as soon as I believe that, I am at peace with God. Roma v. and love his lawe again,& of love work.  
And that christ hath done this service in his flesh, deny all the membres of Antichrist. And hereby thou shalt know them. All doctrine that buyldeth the vpon 
The doctrine that is of God.  Christ, to put thy trust and confidence in his blood, is of God, and true doctrine And all doctrine that withdraweth thyn hope and trust from Christ, is of the devil, 
The doctrine that is of the level.  and the doctrine of antichrist. examine the romish bishop by this rule,& thou shalt finde that all that he doth, is to the destruction of this article. He wresteth all the scriptures, and setteth thē clean against the woll, to destroy this article. He mynystreth the very sacramentes of Christ unto the destruction of this article: and so doth he all other ceremonies, and his absolution, penance, purgatory, dispensations, vows, with al disgysynges. The romish bishop preacheth that 
The B. of Romes doctrine of christ.  christ is come to do away sins, yet not in the flesh, but in water, salt, oil candles, ashes, freres coats, and monks coules, and in the vows of them that forswear matrimony, to keep whores, and swear beggerye, to possess all the treasure, riches, wealth and pleasures of the world, and haue vowed obedience, to disobey with authority all the laws, both of God and man. For in these ypocritysh& false sacrifices, teacheth he us to trust for the forgiveness of sins,& not in Christes flesh.  
Ye are of God little children, and haue overcome them. For greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the worlde.  
He that dwelleth in you, and worketh in you thorough faith, is greater then he which dwelleth& worketh in them thorough unbelief. And in his strength, ye abide by your profession, and confess your lord Iesus, how that he is come in the flesh and hath purged the sin of all that believe in his flesh. And thorough that faith ye overcome them in the very torments of death. So that neither their iuglynges, neither their pleasures, neither their threatenynges, or torments, or the very death, wherewith they slay your bodies, can prevail against you.  
They be of the worlde, and therfore they speak of the worlde, and the worlde attendeth unto them. We be of God, and he that knoweth God, heareth vs. And he that is not of God, heareth us not. And hereby we grow the spirit of truth& the spret of error.  
Ther be and ever shal be two generacions 
Two generacions in the world.  in the world. The one of the devil, which naturally hearken unto the false Apostles of the devil, because they speak so agreeable unto their natural complexion. And another of God, which hearken unto true Apostles of God, and consent unto their doctrine. And this is a sure rule to judge sprites by, that we judge thē to haue the spirit of truth, which hearken unto the true doctrine of Christes Apostles:& thē to haue the spirit of error, which hearken unto worldly and deuelysh doctrine, abhorring the preaching of the Apostles. And look whether the romish Byshops doctrine be worldly or no, yf pride and covetousness be worldly, ye and lechery to. For 
The B. of R. doctrine is worldly.  what other is al his doctrine, than of benefices, promotions, dignities, byshoprykes, cardinalships, vicareges, parsonages, prebends, change of byshoprykes, and resignynge of benefices, of unions, pluralities, tot-quots, and that which cometh once into their hands, may not out again: ye and of whores and concubines and of captiuynge of consciences for covetousness: and all that hearken to that doctrine abhor the Apostles, and persecute it and them that preach the it.  
Dearly beloved let us love one an other, for love is of God. And all that love are born of God, and know God And he that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is love.  
john singeth his old song again, and teacheth an unfallible and sure token which we may se and feel at our fingers end, and thereby be out of all doubt, that our faith is unfeigned, and that we know God and be born of God, and that we hearken unto the doctrine of the Apostles purely and godly,& not of ony curiosity, to seek glory and honour therein to ourselves,& to make a cloak therof to cover our covetousness, and filthy lusts. which token is, yf we love one another. For the love of a mans neighbour vnfaynedly springeth out of the unfeigned knowledge of god in Christes blood. By the which knowledge we be born of God, and love God,& our neighbours for his sake. And so he that loveth his neighbour vnfaynedly, is sure of himself that he knoweth God, and is of God vnfaynedly. And contrary wise, he that loveth not, knoweth not God. For God 
The funtayne of love.  in Christes blood is such a love, that yf a man saw it, it were impossible that he should not break out into the love of God again and of his neighbour for his sake.  
Here in appeared the love of God unto us warde, because God sent his onely son in the worlde, that we should live thorowe him. Here in is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son, a satisfaction for our sins.  
Yf a man had once felt within in his conscience the fierce wrath of God toward synners, and the terrible& most cruel damnation that the lawe threateneth, and than beheld with the eyes of a strong faith, the mercy, favour& grace the taking away of the damnation of the law, and restorynge again of life freely offered us in Christes blood: he should perceive love, and so much the more, that it was shewed us, when we were synners& enemies to God. Rom. v. and that with out al descruynges, without our endeuourynge, enforcynge and preparing ourselves, and without all good motions, qualities, and properties of our fre will. But when our hartes were as deade unto all good working, as the membres of him, whose soul is departed, which thing to prove, and to stop the blasphemous mouths of all our aduersaries, I will of innumerable texts rehearse one in the beginning of the second chapter to the Ephesians, where paul saith thus: Ye were deade in trespass and sin, in the which ye walked according to the course of the world, and after the governor that ruleth in the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of unbelief, among which we also had our conversation in time past, in the lusts of our flesh, and fulfilled the lusts of the flesh& of the mind so that the flesh and the mind were agreed both to sin, and the mind consented as well as the flesh) and were by nature the children of wrath, as well as other. But God being rich in mercy, thorough the great love where with he loved us, even when we were deade in sin, hath quickened us with Christ: for by grace are ye saved: and with him hath raised us up, and with him hath made us sit in heavenly things thorough Iesus christ, for to show in time to come the exceadynge riches of his grace, in kindness to us ward in Iesus christ. For by grace are ye saved thorough faith, and that not of yourselves: for it is the gift of God, and cometh not of works, lest ony man should boast himself. But we are his workmanship, created in christ Iesu unto good works, unto the which God ordained us before that we should walk in them. The text is plain. We were ston deade and without life or power to do or consent to good. The whole nature of us was captive under the level, and lead at his will. And we were as wicked as the devil now is,( except that be now sinneth against the holy ghost,) and we consented unto sin, with soul and body, and hated the lawe of God. But god of his grace only quickened us in Christ, and raised us out of that death, and made us sit with Christ in heavenly things. That is: he set our hartes at rest& made us sit fast in the life of Christes doctrine and vnmoueable from the love of christ. And finally, we are in this our second birth Gods workmanship and creacion in Christ: so that as he which is yet unmade, hath no life nor power to work, no more had we till we were made again in Christ. The preaching of mercy in Christ quickened our hartes thorough faith wrought by the spirit of Christ, which God poured into our hartes, yer we wist.  
Dearly beloved yf God so loved us, then ought we to love one another.  
Yf we felt the love of God in Christes blood, we could not but love again, not only God and Christ, but also al that are bought with Christes blood. Yf we love God for the pleasures that we receive, than love we ourselves. But yf we love him to do him pleasure again: that can we none otherwise do, than in loving 
The use of love.  our neghboures for his sake: thē that are good, to continue them in their goodness,& them that are evil, to draw thē to good. love is the instrument wherewith faith maketh us Gods sons, and fashioneth us like the image of God, and certifieth us that we so are. And therfore commandeth christ matthew the fift. love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that persecute you, that ye may be the sons of your heavenly father, which maketh his son rise over good and bad, and sendeth his rain vpon just and vniusteryee which made the son of his mercy shine vpon us, and sent the rain of the blood of his dear and onely child vpon our souls▪ to quicken us, and to make us se love to love again.  
No man hath at ony time sene God. Yf we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in vs.  
Though we can not se God, yet yf we 
Nomā hath sene God.  love one another, we be sure that he abideth in us, and that his love is perfect in us: that is, that we love him vnfaynedly. For to love God truly, and to give him thankes, is only to love our neighbour for his sake. For vpon his person thou canst bestow no benefit. And for so much as we never saw God, let us make no image of him, nor do him ony image service after our own imagynation, but let us go to the scripture that hath sene 
The scrip-hath sene God.  him, and there were what fashion he is of,& what service he will be served with. blind reason saith: god is a kerued post and will be served with a Candle. But scripture saith: God is love, and will be served with love. Yf thou love thy neighbour, then art thou the image of God thyself, and he dwelleth in the living temple of thine heart. And thy loving of thy neighbour for his sake, is his service and worship in the spirit, and a candle that burneth before him in thine heart,& casteth out the light of good works before the world, and draweth all to God, and maketh his enemies leave their evil,& come and worship him also.  
Here by we know that we abide in him, and he in vs. For he hath given us of his spirit.  
He that hath not Christes sprite, the same is none of his. Rom. viii. Yf we haue the spirit of God, then are we sure. But howe shall we know whether we haue the spirit? Axe john and he will say yf we love one another.  
And we haue sene and do testify that the father hath sent his son, the saueoure of the worlde. Who so ever confesseth that Iesus is the son of God, in him dwelleth God, and he in God. And we haue knowen& believed the love that God hath to vs.  
first the Apostles taught no fables, but that they saw and received of God, by the witness of his spirit. Secondaryly john ascendeth up one step higher, from love to faith, and saith: He that believeth that Iesus is Gods son, hath God in him. And I doubt not but the B. of Rome and his defenders will answer john, and say: Thē the level hath God in him, and is also in God. For other faith, thē such as the level hath, felt they never ony. But john preventeth thē saying: we haue known and believed the love that God hath to vs. That is, we believe not only with story faith, as men believe old chronicles, but we believe the love and mercy that God shewed us, and put our trust and confidence ther in:( and so taketh scripture belief) We believe that Iesus is the son of God, became man, and was slain for our sins, which is a token of great love. And that love believe we, and trust thereto. Where paul saith .i. corinth. xii No man can call Iesus lord( except the holy ghost haue taught him,) but thorough the holy ghost. He meaneth not with the mouth only, but in the heart with unfeigned faith, putting his hope and trust in the lordship which he hath ouersynne, dannacion hel and death. For so could no man call Iesus lord, except the holy ghost had taught him, as christ saith Math. xvi. flesh and blood shewed thee not that.  
But yet how shal I se my faith? I must come down to love again, and thence to the works of love, yer I can se my faith. Not alway, but sometime thou shalt feel thy faith without the outward dede, as in great adversity& persecution, when the level assaulteth thee with desperation,& layeth thy sins before the,& wolde bear thee in hand that God had cast the away,& left the succurrelesse, for thy sins sake, then cometh faith forth with hyr shyld, and turneth back again the darts of the level, and answereth: Nay, for Iesus is the son of God: ye and my very God,& my very LORD, and hath taken away my sins& all damnation. And this trouble& adversity which is come vpon me, by setting on of thee& of thy limbs, is only to make me feel the mercy of my father& his power, and help within in my soul, and to slay the rest of the poysen which remaineth in the flesh.  
God is love, and he that abideth in love, abideth in God, and God in him.  
this haue we herde above, and it is easy to be vnderstonde.  
Herefore is love perfect with us, that we should haue confidence in the day of judgement.  
How so ever this text doth sound, this me thinketh should be the meaning: that we should provoke each other to love, and ever haue those ensamples of edyfyenge before our eyes that should most move us to love. For perfect love serveth to make a man bold, because it is the keeping of the commandments. And therfore he that is perfect in love, when he with himself( yet in this world) to be unto his neighbour as God is unto him,& to be like his heavenly father in all ensamples of kindness, is bold in the presence of God: ye though he come to judge synners. When on the other side, they that continue ever in their wickedness,& grow not in love, fall often. And therfore their conscience ever accuseth them, and putteth them in fear, by the reason of the fresh memory of the offence, that they can not attonce be bold, though they haue never so great promise of mercy.  
Ther is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: For fear hath paynfulnesse. He therfore that feareth, is not perfect in love.  
love is not painful, but maketh all thing easy& pleasant. fear of punishment for the trespass newly committed, is painful: Therfore where love is perfect, there is no such fear. love is the fulfyllynge 
love.  of the commandments, and therfore where love is perfect, there is no sin. And where the conscience doth not accuse of sin, there is faith bold to go in to God, and to stand before him, and look him in the face, and to conjure him by all his mercies, and to axe the petitions of his desire. lack of love is the breaking of the commandments,& cause of sin. And where the conscience accuseth of sin, there faith is abashed, dismade, ashamed, and afraid to go in, for fear of rebuk. love therfore serveth to make a man bold in the day of iudgement, and in all temptations.  
john speaketh not generally of all 
fear.  maner fear, but of that only, which the conscience of sin putteth a man in. For diverse fears ther be that accompany love, and grow as she doth. The more a woman loveth hir child, the more she careth for it, and feareth lest ought should chance unto it amiss. even so the more we love our brethren, the more we care for them, and fear lest ony temtacion should trouble them. As paul saith .ii. Corin. xi Who is sick, and I am not sick? who is offended or hurt,& mine heart burneth not? How cared he for Timothe, for Titus, and for all that were weak, and for the Corinthians, Galathians, and for all congregacions? and how diligently wrote he to them in his absence?& the more we love God, the more diligent and circunspecte are we, that we offend him not. And tel me I pray the, who so ever hath had experience, what a pain and grief, ye and what a freting corrosefe is it unto the heart of a true lover of God, to hear the poison generation of vypers, the pestilent sect of ypocritish pharisees, wittingly& willingly to blaspheme and rail on the open and manifest truth of the holy ghost?  
Yf ye will se how bold love is, go to Moses, Exodi. the .xxxii. Chapter, and Numeri the .xiiii. Chapter, and there behold how he coniureth God, and among all saith: forgive this people, or put me out of the book that thou hast written. As who should say, they be thy people,& thou commandest me to love them, and for thy sake I love them, and teach them, and care for them as a mother that had born them, and love them no less then myself. wherefore yf thou love me as thou promysest me, then save them with me: or yf not, then cast me away with them, and let me haue such parte as they take. And paul said as much Roma. ix. look vpon worldly love, and se what pagientes she playeth now& then, and how drunken a thing it is:& be sure where the love of God is perfect, she will not onely go between bodily death and hyr lover, but also between him and hell. Yf a man wolde take of this, that a man might be so perfect in this life, that he might not be perfyter, it would not follow. For though the spirit at a time get the vpperhande of the flesh, and wynneth herself so to God, that she can not tell whether she be in the body or no: yet the flesh will pull her down again,& not let her continue, and now& then pluck of some of hyr feathers, for mountynge so hye again e. For Moses fell well enough thorough unbelief after that ferventnes.  
we love him, because he loved us first.  
We deserve not the love of God first, but he deserveth our love, and loveth us first, to win us, and to make us his friends of his enemies. And as soon as we believe his love, we love again. And 
faith is the mother of love.  so faith is mother of all love. And as great as my faith is, so great is love, though faith can not be perfectly sene, but thorough the works of love, and in the fire of temptation.  
Yf a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother: he is a liar. For howe can he that loveth not his brother whom he with, love God whom he with not? And this commandment haue we of him: that he which loveth God, love his brother also.  
To love a mans neighbour in God is a sure rule to know that we love God: and not to love him is a sure token that we love not God: and to hate our neighbour is to hate God. For to love God is to do his commandments, as christ saith joh. xv. Ye are my louers yf ye do those thing 〈…〉 hich I haue commanded you: and the commandment is to love our neghboures: then he that loveth not his neighbour, loveth not God. And likewise to hate the commandment, is to hate God that commanded it: and the commandment is to love our neghboures: he then that hateth his brother, whom our God biddeth him love, hateth God.   

¶ The .v. Chapter.  
AL that believe that Iesus is Christ are born of God. And all that love him which begot, love him that is begotten of him. In this we know that we love God,& keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.  
this is a sure conclusion that we be 
faith maketh us Gods sons  born of God thorough faith,& that faith maketh us Gods sons, in that we believe that Iesus is christ, as the first chapter of john also testifieth: He gane thē power to be the sons of God, in that they believed in his name.  
What it is to believe that Iesus is 
What is to believe that Iesus is christ.  Christ, may be understand by that which is above rehearsed. It is a far other thing than as the devil bel●●ed it against his will, and to his great pain, or as they believe it, which to fulfil their sin, envy the glory of Christ, and persecute his gospel, forbyddynge to preach it, or to read in it. To believe that Iesus is christ, is to believe in christ: that is, to believe earnestly, and to put al thy trust therein, and to lay the price of thy soul thereupon, that the son of Maria, whom the angel commanded to be called Iesus, because he should save his people from their sins, is that christ, that messiah, and that anointed. which God promised the fathers should come and bless all nations, and anoint them with the oil of his spirit, and with mercy and grace, and to deliver them from death of their souls, which is the consenting to sin, and to make them alive with consenting unto the lawe of God, and in certifyeuge them that they be the sons of God. And to put the whole trust in all that he suffered in his flesh for thy sake, and in al promises of mercy that are in him, and that thou be fully persuaded that ther is none other name under heaven given unto men, to be saved from sin by, or to purchase forgiveness of the masspriest sin that ever was committed or ever shal be in this world.  
Another conclusion is this: Who so ever loveth God, loveth all that believe in God. For al that love him that begetteth, love them that are begotten of him: and all that believe in God, are begotten of God thorough that belief, and made his sons: than all that love God, love all that believe in God.  
Another conclusion is this: when we love God and his lawe, than we love the sons of God. which is this wise proved: The love of God is to keep the lawe of God, by the text before and after: the lawe of God is to love our neghboures, and therfore yf we love God in keeping his laws, we must needs love the sons of God.  
But john should seem to be a very negligent disputer to many men in that he here certifieth us of the love of our neghboures by the love of God, when above he certifieth us that we love God because we love our neghboures. He seemeth to do as I herde once a great clerk in oxford stand half an hour in a pulpit, to prove that christ was a true prophet by the testimony of john baptyste, and another half hour to prove john the baptiste a true prophet by the authority of Christ, as we say, claw me, claw the: and as every thief might lightly prove himself a true man, in bearing record to another as false as he, and taking record of the same again. Which kind of disputyng, scoolemen call petitio princip●i the proving of .ii. certain things, each by the other, and is no prouynge at al. As our holy father proveth the authority of scripture by his decrees( for the scripture is not authentic, but as his decrees admit it) and to make his decrees shine and appear glorious, and to obtain authority, he allegeth the scripture after his juggling maner, to make fools stark mad.  
But it is not so here, for both the demonstrations are certain, doth the proof of the love of God,& his lawe by love of my neighbour, and the proof of the love of my neighbour by the love of God and his lawe. For when .ii. things are so joined together, that they can not be separated, then the presence of the one uttereth the presence of the other, whether soever thou first sayst. As yf I se fire, I am sure that some thing doth burn. And yf I smell burning, I am certified of fire: even so the love of God is the cause why I love my 
The love of God is cause of my neighbours love.  neighbour:& my love toward my neighbour is the effect of the love of God. And these .ii. loues are ever inseparable, so that whether so ever I feel first, the same certifieth me of the other.  
john calleth the love of a mans neighbour the deeds of love, after the Hebrew speech, as to help at need, though he were even an enemy to me, to give the best counsel I can, to visit and relyue him yf he be sick and needy, ye yf need were, to bestow even my life also for him. For the dede declareth what the man is within. neither can my love to God, and saith be sene to the world, save thorough the works. And by the works doth christ command us to judge. So that yf a man haue evil works, and continueth therein, he loveth not God, nor knoweth God, no though he call himself master doctor, or Gods vycare. neither understandeth he Gods word, for all his hye divinity: but is in all his preaching an hypocrite, a false prophet, and a liar, though his preaching please the world never so well. nevertheless a man is certified that he loveth God yer he come at the work, by the testimony of the spirit, which is given him i● earnest. The spret saith paul. Roma. viii. testifieth unto our spirit, that we be the sons of God: and than it testifieth that we believe in God: for thorough faith are we sons. And than it certifieth me that I love God. For faith and love are inseparable. The spirit thorough faith certifieth my conscience that my sins are forgiven, and I received under grace, and made the very son of God, and beloved of God. And than naturally mine heart breaketh out into the love of God again, and I seek how to utter my love, and to do God some pleasure. And because I can neither do service or pleasure unto his own person, my neighbour is before me, to do God service and pleasure in him, and to be to him as Christ is to me, because he is my brother, bought with Christes blood as I am. And I consent unto that lawe, and love it yer I come at the dede, and long after the dede. And than when I love my neighbour in the dede according to this lawe, I am sure that I love him truly. Or else yf I examined not my love by this lawe, I might be deceived. For some love their neghboures for pleasure, profit, glory and for their doing service only, as our spiritualty love us, and of that blessed love, do their busy cure to keep us in darkness: which love is a sign that a man hateth God and his neighbour thereto and loveth himself only. But Gods lawe is, that I should abstain from mine own pleasure and profit, and become my neghboures servant, and bestow life and goods upon him, after the ensample of christ. wherefore yf I love mine neighbour out of the love of christ, and after the ensample of his lawe, I am sure that I love him truly.  
And his commandments are not grievous. For all that is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  
To love is not painful: the commandments are but love: therfore they be not grievous, because love maketh the commandments easy. The service that a 
A goodly similitude of love.  mother doth unto hyr child is not grenous, because she loveth it. But yf she should do the tenth parte unto one that she loved not, hyr heart wolde braste for impatience. unto a man that feeleth not the love of christ, it is as impossible to keep the commandments, as for a camel to entre thorough the eye of a nedle. But impossible is possible and easy to where the love of christ is believed. For it followeth, all that are born of God, overcome the world: that is to wete, the level which is the ruler of the world, and his disciples which haue their lust in his governance and consent to sin, both in body and soul, and give themselves to follow their lusts without resystaunce: and their own flesh, which also consenteth to sin, do they overcome, with al that moveth to sin. By what victory? verily thorough faith. For yf our souls be truly vnderset with sure hope and trust, and continual meditacions of Christes love, shewed already,& of succurre, help& assistance that is promised in his name,& with the continual memory of their ensamples which in times past haue fought thorough faith and overcome: than were it impossible for the worldewyth al his chyualry, to overthrow us with ony assault or with ony ordinance that he could shute against vs. For yf that faith and meditation were ever present in us, than love thorough that faith, should easily overcome what so ever peril thou couldst ymagyne. read in the bible, and se what conquests faith hath made, both in doing and also suffering. The .xi. Chapter unto the hebrews mynistreth unto the ensamples abundantly. How mighty was david when he came to fight, and how overcame he thorough faith? And how myghtyer was he when he came to suffering, as in the persecution of king Saul? In so much that when he had his most mortal enemy king Saul, that .xii. yeares persecuted him against al right,( that when he had gotten him in his hands to haue done what he wolde with him) thorough faith he touched him not, nor suffered ony man else to do, though he was yet all his life a man of war and accostumed to murder and sheddynge of blood. For he believed that God should avenge him on his vnryghteous king, vpon whom it was not lawful to avenge himself.  
Who is it that overcometh the worlde, but he that believeth that Iesus is the son of God?  
Yf to believe that Iesus is Gods son be to overcome the world, than our prelates understand not what belief is, which affirm that the best belief, and the worst man in the world, may stand together.  
this is he that came by water and blood Iesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit that testifieth, because the spirit is truth. For ther are three that bear wytnesse in heaven. The father, the word& the holy ghost. And these iii. are one. And ther are .iii. whyche bear record in earth: the spirit, water, and blood, and these .iii. are one.  
christ came with .iii. witnesses, water, blood, and spirit. He ordained the sacrament of baptism to be his witness unto vs. And he ordained the sacrament of his blood, to be his witness unto vs. And poureth his spirit into the hartes of his, to testify and to make them feel, that the testimony of those .ii. sacramentes are true. And the testimony of these iii. is, as it after followeth, that we haue everlasting life in the son of God. And these .iii. are one full witness, sufficient at the most that the law requireth, which saith .ii. or .iii. at the most is one full sufficient witness. But alas, we are not taught to take the sacramentes for witness, but for image service, and to offer the work of them to God, with such a mind, as the old heathen offered sacrifices of beasts unto their Gods. So that what so ever testifieth unto us, that we haue everlasting life in christ, that mouth haue they stopped with a leuended maunchet of their pharisaycall gloses.  
Yf we receive the wytnesse of men, the wytnesse of God is greater. For this is the wytnesse that God hath born of his son.  
Yf the witness of men, when they be iii. is to be received, much more is the witness of God to be received. now the witness that these .iii. water, blood, and spirit bear, is the witness of God,& therfore the more to be believed.  
He that believeth in the son of God hath witness in himself. And he that believeth not God, maketh him a liar, because he doth not believe the wytnesse that God hath testified of his son. And this is the wytnesse, that God hath given us eternal life: and this life is in his son. He that hath the son, hath life. And he that hath not the son of God, hath not life.  
The true believers haue the testimony of God in their hartes, and they glorify God, wytnessynge that he is true. They haue the kingdom of God with in them, and the temple of God within them, and God in that temple, and haue the son of God, and life thorough him. And in that temple they seek God, and offer for their sins the sacrifice of Christes blood, and the fat of his mercies in the fire of their prayers, and in the confidence of that sacrifice go in boldly to God their father.  
But the vnbeleuers blaspheme God, and make him false, describynge him after the complerion of their lyenge nature. And because they be so full stuffed with lies, that they can receive nothing else, they look for the kingdom of God in outward things, and seek God in the temple of ston, where they offer their image service and the fat of their holy deeds: in confidence whereof they go into God, and trust to haue everlasting life. And though the text testifieth that this life is only in the son, yet they will come at no son nor son shining, but as unclean birds, hate the light.  
These things haue I wrytten unto you that believe in the name of the son of God, that ye may know that ye haue everlasting life, and that ye may believe in the son of God.  
They that haue the faith of Christes Apostles, know that they haue eternal life. For the spirit testifieth unto their sprites that they are the sons of God. Rom. viii. and received under grace. our doctors say, they can not know whither they be in the state of Grace: therfore they haue not the faith of the Apostles. And that they know it not, is the cause why they rail on it.  
this is the confidence that we haue in him, that yf we axe ought according to his behoveful, he heareth vs. And yf we grow that he heareth us, what so ever we axe, we grow that we haue the petitions that we axe of him.  
Christ saith Math. vii. Axe and it shalbe given you. And joh. in the .xvi. cha What so ever ye axe in my name, he shal give it you. To axe in the name of Iesu 
To axe in Christes name.  Christ and according to his will, be both one, and are nothing else, but to axe the things contained in the promises and testament of God to us ward, that God will be our father, and care for us, both in body and in soul:& yf we sin offraylte and repent, forgive us, and minister all things necessary unto this life, and keep us that we be not overcome of evil. &c. Now yf they which believe in Christ are bold with God that he heareth them, and sure that he granteth their petitions, it followeth that they which are not bold that he heareth thē, nor sure that he granteth their petitions, do not believe in Christ. They that go to dead sayntes, with which they never spake, nor wote where they be, be not bold that God will hear them, nor sure that he will grant thē their peticyons, therfore they believe not in Christ. That they be neither bold nor sure, that appeareth first by their deeds, and secondarely by their own confession, for they say: What, should God hear them or grant them ought, seeing they be unworthy? ye and they confirm it with a similitude of worldly wisdom, that they should be put back for their malapertness, and fare the worse. As yf a rude fellow should break up into the kings prive chambre, and press unto his own person without knocking or speaking to ony other officer: so that they believe it an augmentynge of sin, to go to God themselves in the confidence of Christes blood as he bad them.  
Yf a man se his brother sin a sin not unto death, let him axe, and he shall give him life, for them that sin not unto death. Ther is a sin unto death, and for it I lay not that thou shouldest pray. All vnryghteousnesse is sin. And ther is a sin not to death.  
What soever sin we se in the world, let us pray, and not despair. For God is the God of mercy. But for the sin 
The sin to death.  to death, which is resystyng grace,& fighting against mercy, and open blasphemynge of the holy ghost, affirming that Christes miracles are done in Beelsebub, and his doctrine to be of the devil, I think that no Christen man yf he perceive it, can otherwise pray, then as paul prayed for Alexander the coppersinyth the .ii. Tim. the last: that God wolde reward him according to his works. They that go back again after they know the truth,& give themselves willingly to sin, for to follow it and persecute the doctrine of truth by profession, to maintain falsehood for their glory and vantage, are remediless: as ye may se. Heb. vi. and .x. Balaam sinned so, the false Prophetes in the old testament sinned so, the pharisees sinned so, Alexander sinned so, and now many sin so, followynge their pride and covetousness.  
We grow that all that are born of God, sin not: But he that is born of God keepeth himself, and the wycked toucheth him not.  
As thou readest in the thyrde chapter, they that are born of God can not sin, for the seed of God keepeth them. They can not cast of the yoke of Christ and consent to continue in sin, nor defy his doctrine, nor persecute it, for to quench it, or to maintain ony thing contrary unto it. But in what so ever captivity they be in the flesh, their hartes yield not, but imagine to break louse and to escape, and fly away, unto the party& standard of their LORD Christ. And as men of war they ever keep watch and prepare themselves unto war, and put on the armour of God, the which is Gods word, the shield of faith, the helmet of hope, and harness themselves with the meditation of those things which Christ suffered for us, and with the ensamples of all the sayntes that followed him,& think earnestly that it is their parte to live as purely as the best,& come after as fast as they can. And yet in all their works they knowledge themselves synners vnfaynedly, as long as one iotte of their perfectenesse that was in the deeds of christ, is lacking in theirs. So that the devil can not touch the hartes of them, neither with pride, or vain glory of pure living, neither to make thē consenting unto the flesh in gross sins, yf at a time they be taken tardy and catch a fall. What so ever chance them, the devil can catch no hold on them, to keep them still in captivity: but they will break louse again, and repent, and do penance, to chastise their flesh that they come no more under the revels claws.  
We grow that we be of God, and that the whole worlde is set on mischief  
They that believe: that is to say, put their trust in christ, se both their own glorious state in God, and also the wretched estate of the world in their wickedness. But the world as they know not God, nor the glory of the sons of God: even so they se not their own miserable estate in wickedness and damnation under the lawe of God, but the worse they are, the bolder they be, and the surer of themselves, the farther from repentance, and the more standing in their own conceates, for the darkness that is in them. And therfore say our doctors, a man cannot know whether he be in the state of grace or no, nor needeth to care therfore. And they be therfore the blind leaders of the blind.  
We grow that the son of God is come, and hath given us understanding to grow him that is true: and we be in the truth thorowe Iesus christ. He is very God and eternal life.  
Christ is al, and the fountain of al, and of his fullness receive we all. And as he poureth the gifts of his grace vpon them that believe in him, so he giveth thē understanding to know the very God, and that they be in the very God, and that they haue obtained that thorough his purchasynge:& leaveth not his sheep in darkness. And the same Iesu christ is very God, and eternal life. God and eternal life was he from the beginning, and became man for the great love he had to us, for to bring us unto his eternal life. And he that hath ony other way thither, whether they be his own works, or other mens, or works of ceremonies, or sacramentes, or merits of sayntes, or of ought save Iesu christ onely: shall never come thither. The world with the bishop of Rome, and with that they which be in him, be lords in this world,& therfore they care to be in the B. of Rome: but whether they be in God or not they say, it is not necessary to know.  
little children beware of images.  
serve none image in your hartes. Idolatry is greek, and the english is image service. And an Idolatrer is also greek, and the english an image servant. 
idolatry: Idolatrer.  Be not Idolatrers, nor commyte idolatry, that is, be none image servants, nor do ony image service, but beware of serving all maner images. And think it not enough to haue put all the images of false Gods out of the way, yf ye now set up the image of the very God and of his true sayntes in their rooms, to do the same service unto them, which ye did to the other. For ye may do as strong image service unto the image of God and his saints, as unto the image of false goddes: ye thou mayest commytte as great idolatry to God,& yet before none outward image, but before the image which thou hast feigned of God in thine hart, as thou mayest before an outward image of the devil. The Iewes in the temple of God, where was none image of God, did as great image service to God, as the heathen unto their false Gods: ye the Iewes in doing to God the things which god commanded them, did commit worse Idolatry,& sinned greuouslyer against God, than the heathen did in offering unto their false Gods, which thing to be true, the prophetes testify. For when the Iewes did their ceremonies and sacrifices( the meaning and signification lost, and the cause forgotten which God ordained them for) to flatter and please God with the gloriousness of the dede in itself, and to purchase ought of him for the costlynesse or propernesse of the present, what other made they of God in their imagination, than a child? whom yf he cry or be displeased, men still with a popet, or yf we will haue him to do ought, make him an horse of a stick, or such like.  
Yf thou bring a bole of blood, and set it before God, to flatter him, to stroke him, and to corye and claw him, as he were an horse, and ymaginest that he hath pleasure and delectation therein, what better makest thou of God, than a bochers dog? Yf thou bring the fat of thy beasts of God, for the same imagination, what makest thou of God, than one that had need of grease to grease shues or sinere bootes? Yf thou burnest blood and fat together to please God, what other thing dost thou make of God, than one that had lust to smell to burnt flotesse?  
God commanded a curtefye of all first ripe fruits to be offered: not to be an image service, but a witness and testymony that he had made them grow, that the people should not forget God, but think on his benefits,& love him, and of love, keep his commandments. And likewise yf ony had sinned against Gods lawe, God commanded that they should repent, and than bring a beast, and slay it, and offer the blood and the fat of the cowards: not to make satisfaction, but to testify only that God was appeased, and had of his mercy at the repentance of the heart forgiven the sin. The sacrifices of blood were ordained partly to be a secret prophecyenge of Christes bloudesheddynge, and partly to be a testimony and certifyeng of our hartes, that the sin was forgiven, and peace made between us and God, and not to be a satisfaction. For that were ymageseruice, and to make an image of God.  
We read in the histories that when a love day, or a truce was made between man and man, the conuenauntes were rehearsed: and vpon that, they slew beasts in a memorial and remembrance of the appointment only. And so were the sacrifices signs and memorials only, that God was at one with vs. For the Iewes 
It is Iowyshnesse not to believe wyth-sygnes and miracles.  could believe no words though an angel had spoken without a token, as we hold up our fingers and clap hands. And likewise what so ever they were bydden to do, they must haue had a token of remembrance, though it had ben but a ring of a rush, as it is to se in the bible.  
even so our images, relyques, ceremonies, and sacramentes were our memorials and signs of remembrance only. And he that giveth in his heart more to them than that, is an image servant. But when God is a spirit and worshipped in the spirit, we for lack of faith, being spretlesse, and having no power to desire of God ony spiritual thing, serve God in the body, with imagined service for such worldly things, as our profession is to defy. Who kysseth a relyque, or beholdeth an image for love of the sayntes living, to follow their ensample? nay we will fast the sayntes euens, and go barefoot unto their images, and take pain, to obtain greater pleasure in the world, and to purchase worldly things as maintain the body in lusts, that the soul cannot once wish for power to live as the sayntes lived, or to long for the life to come. Yf we went a pilgrimage to keep the remembrance of the sayntes living in mind for our ensample, and fasted& went bare foot to tame the flesh that it should not lust after such worldly things, which we now desire of the sayntes, than did our fasting and pilgrimage going serve us, ye and the saint were yet our servant to edifye us in christ with the remembrance of his life left behind, to preach and to provoke us to follow his ensample. For our bodily service can be no service unto the saint which is a spirit, except we imagine him to be an image.  
saint white must haue a cheese 
S. white must haue yearly a cheese.  once in a year, and that of the greatest sort, which yet eateth no cheese. It shalbe given unto the poor in hyr name say they first that to be false, we se with our eyes. Secondarely, Christ commandeth to care for the poor,& give them al that we may spare in his name, saying that what is given them, is given him, and what is denied them, is denied him. Yf the lawe of christ be written in thine heart, why distributest thou not unto thy brethren with thine own hands in the name of thy savour Iesu Christ, which dyed both for thē and the, as thou hast vowed and promised to him in the baptism?  
moreover they say: It is given unto saint Whytes chappellayne. saint Whytes chappellayne hath a stipend already sufficient for a Christen man, and ought to receive nomore, but there with to be content, and to be an ensample of despising covetousness. moreover, that prest that wolde follow the living of Iesu christ as saint white did, and teach his parishians to do so, were a right chappellayne of christ. And they haue a promise to be fed and clothed, as well as ever was their master in the name of christ. And so be they and ever were, so that they need not to beg in the name of saint white.  
What shall saint white do for the again for that great cheese?( for I wote well it is not given for eight) shall she give abundance of milk to make butter and cheese? All we that believe in Christ, are the sons of God,& God hath promised to care for us, for as much as we care for the keeping of his commandments, and hath promised that we shall receive what so ever we axe to his honour and our need, of his hand. Yf we than be the natural sons of God, why run we from our father, a begging to saint white? saint white sendeth no rain vpon earth, nor maketh the son shine thereon, nor maketh the grass grow. neither is ther ony Gods word that he will now do so much for us at hyr request. But god hath promised yf we will keep his laws to do so much for us at our own request, for the blood of his son Iesu. What other thing than is thy serving of S. white, than lack of saith and trust to Godward in Christes name,& a false faith of thine own, feigning to saint white ward for thine ymageseruice, or serving her with cheese, as though she were a bodily thing? ● like disputation is it of al other saints.  
And as we worship the sayntes with ymageseruyce to obtain temporal things: even so worship we God. And as the Iewes turned their sacrifices unto image service, which were given them of God to be signs to move them to serve God in the spirit: even so haue we our sacramentes. And for an ensample let us take the mass, which after the B. of 
mass is made an image service.  Romes abuse, is the most damnable ymageseruice that ever was sense it began. christ according to the testimony of the scripture, made in the dayes of his flesh, satisfaction for all the sin of them that had believed or should believe in his name,& obtained that they should be the sons of God, and taken from under the damnation of the lawe, and put under geace& mercy, and that God should hence forth deal with them as a merciful father dealeth with his children that run not away from him, no though ought be at a time chanced amiss: but tarry ever still by their father and by his doctrine, and confess their trespass, and promise henceforth to enforce themselves unto the utmost of their power that they do no more so neglygentlye. And this purchase made he with the things which he suffered in his flesh, and with the strong prayers which he prayed. And to keep this testament, ever fresh in mind, that it were not forgotten, he left with us the sacrament of his body& blood, to strengthen, our faith, and to certify our conscience, that our sins were forgiven assoon as we repented and had reconciled ourselves unto our brethren, and to arm our souls, thorough the continual remembrance of Christes death, unto the despising of the world, mortifyeng of the flesh, and quenching of the lusts and thirst of worldly things. As they which haue daily conversation with the sick and miserable,& are present at the deaths of men, are moved to defy the world, and the lusts therof.  
And as Christ had instute the sacrament of his body and blood, so the bishops in the process of time, set signs of all the rest of Christes passion, in the ornaments and gestures of the mass: so that the whole passion was daily describe before our eyes, as though we had presently looked vpon it.  
And mark also for what cause they 
Ta● right use of the mass.  came unto the sacrament: they reconciled themselves each one to other, yf ony man had offended his brother, yer they were admitted into the congregation or body of Christ to be membres of each other, knit together in one faith& love to eat the lords supper( as paul calleth 
i. Cor. xi. i. Cor. x. Ephesi. i.  it) for the congregation thus gathered is called Christes body, and christ their head. And likewise yf a man had ben taken in open sin, against the profession of his baptism, he was rebuked openly. And he confessed his sin openly, and asked forgiveness of God and of the congregation, whom he had offended with the ensample of his evil dede: and took penance as they call it, of the congregation, that is certain discrete injunctions how he should live and order himself in time to come and tame his flesh, for the avoiding of the said vice: because his confession and repentance which he seemed to haue, should be none hypocrisy, but an earnest thing. For yf an open sinner be found among us, we must immediately amend him, or cast him out of the congregation with defiance and detestacyon of his sin, as thou sayst how quickly paul cast out the Corinthian, y● kept his fathers wife, and when he was warned wolde not amend. Or else yf we suffer such to be among us vnrebuked, we can not but attonce fall from the constauncye of our profession, and laugh and haue delectation and consent unto their sin, as it is come to pass thorough out all christendom. which is ten thousand times more abominable then yf we sinned ourselves. For the best man in the world that hateth sin, might at a time thorough frailty of the flesh be drawn to sin. But it is altogether devilish and a sure token that the spirit of christ is not in us nor the profession of our baptism written in the heart, yf we laugh at another mans sins, though ourselves abstain for shane or fear of hell, or for what so ever ymagynacion it be: or that we be so blind that we se none other sin in us, then our outward deeds. And the penance enjoined frail persons, that could not rule themselves was under the authority of the curate and the fadde and discrete men of the parish, to releasse parte, or al at a time, yf necessity required, or when they saw the person so grown in perfectness that he needed it not. But se whereto it is now come, and after what maner our holy father that is at Rome dispenseth with altogether. And se what our byshoppes officers do, where the authority of the curate and of the parishes is become. Yf in .x. parishes round ther be not one learned and discrete to help the other, then the devil hath a great swynge among us, that the byshops officers that dwell so far of, must abuse us as they do. And yf within a diocese or an whole land we can finde no shyfte, but that the bishop of Rome that dwelleth at the devil in hell, must thus mock us, what a stroke think ye hath Satan among us? And all is because we be hypocrites, and love not the way of truth, for all our pretending the contrary.  
And to begin withal, they said Confiteor, and knowledged themselves to be synners. And then the prest prayed in general for al estates and degrees and for increase of grace, and in especial, yf need required: unto which prayers the people herkened and said. Amen. And then the gospel and glad tidings of forgiveness of sins was preached, to steer up our faith. And then the sacrament was ministered for the confyrmacion of the faith of the Gospel, and of the testament made between God and us of forgiveness of sins in Christes blood, for our repentance and faith: as ye se how after all bargens ther is a sign therof made, either clapping of hands, or vowynge a penny or a groat, or a piece of gold or giving some earnest, and as I shewed you, howe after a truce made they slew beasts, for a confirmation. And then men departed, every man to his business, full certified that their sins were forgiven, and armed with the remembrance of Christes passion and death for the mortyfyenge of the flesh all the day after. And in all these was neither the sacrament, neither other ceremonies of the mass ymageseruyce unto God, and holy deeds to make satisfaction for our sins, or to purchase such worldly things as the gospel teacheth us to despise. And now compare this use of the mass to oures, and se whether the mass be not become the most damnable ydolatrye and ymageseruice that ever was in the world.  
We never reconcile ourselves unto our brethren which: we haue offended: we receive unto our mass the open synners, the covetous, the extorcyoner, the adulterer, the bakbyter, the commune whore and the whorekeper, which haue no parte in christ by the scripture, ye such are suffered to say the mass, as the use is now to speak: ye such are we compelled with the swarde to take for our pastores and curates of our souls, and not so hardy as to rebuk them. neither do they repent and confess their sins, and promise amendment, or submit themselves to wholesome injunctions for the avoiding of such sins, and taming of their flesh. We say confiteo●, and knowledge ourselves to be synners in latin, but never repent in english. The pressed prayeth in latin, and saith evermore a still mass, as we say. For though he sing and strain his throat to cry loud unto them that be by him, yet as long as no man woteth what he prayeth, or whether he bless or curse, he is doom& spechlesse. And so in that parte we abide frutlesse, and untaught how to pray to God. And the gospel is song or said in latin only, and no preaching of repentance toward the lawe, and faith toward christ had. And therfore abide we ever faithless and without studying to amend our livings. And of the ceremonies of the mass we haue none other ymagynacion, then that they be an holy service unto god which he receiveth of our hands, and hath great delectation in them, and that we purchase great favour of God with thē, as we do of great men here in the world with gifts and presentes. In so much that yf the prest said mass without those vestiments, or left the other ceremonies undone, we should all quake for fear, and think that ther were a sin committed enough to sink us all, and that the prest for his labour were worthy to be put in the bishop of Romes purgatory, and there to be brent to ashes  
And of the very sacrament itself we know none other thing, then that we come thither to se an invisible miracle, Neuerthelater it were somewhat yet, yf they had been as loving, kind, careful and diligent to teach the people to repent,& to believe in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, unto the glory of the mercy of god, and of his exceadynge love to us, and unto the profit of our souls,& vpon that preaching to haue ministered the sacrament as a memorial, remembrance, sign, token, earnest, the seal of an obligation, and clapping of hands toghether for the assuraunce of the promise of God, to quiet, stablish and certify our conscyences, and to put us out of al wavering and doubt, that our sins were forgiven us,& God become our father and at one with us, for which cause onely Christ ordained it: as they were zealous and fervent to maintain the ceremonies of the mass in all poyntes. For now they haue taken away the signification and very intent of the sacrament to stablish the ear confession, their merits, deservings, iustifyenge of works, and like invention unto their own glory and profit: what doth the sacrament admonysh us of reconcilynge us to God? But now they haue destroyed for the nonce that faith which profited,& haue set up with wiles, sotylty, falsehood, guile and with violence, that faith which profiteth not: we haue good cause to judge and examine the doctrine of the sprites, whether it be grounded vpon Gods word or no. We take pains to come thether to se strange holy gestures, whereof, say they to their shane who knoweth the meaning? and to hear strange holy voices, whereof, say I also that no man knoweth the understanding, and to look vpon the sacrament, and all to obtain worldly things, for that service. Why, may not all men desire worldly things of God? Yes, we ought to ask of God onely sufficiency of all worldly things, as we do spiritual things, yet not for bodily service, seeing God is a sprete● but for the goodness and mercy of our father, and for the truth of his promise and deservings of his son. And so when we do men bodily service, we ought to look for our wages of God: lest yf he move not the hartes of our masters, we be shrewedlye payed: and likewise when we lend or bargene, we ought to desire God for payment, lest thorough our negligence he forget us, and the appoyntmentes be not truly kept. Some ther be yet that ask heaven for bodily service, which is like abomination.  
But who cometh thither with repentance and faith, for to obtain forgiveness of his sins, and with purpose to walk in the life of penance, for the taming of the flesh, that he sin nomore? and to stablish his heart in that purpose, and to arm his soul against al that moveth to the contrary, and when he goeth home, is certified in his conscience, thorough that sign and token, that his sins are forgiven him? As Noe was certified by the sign of the raynebow that the world should nomore be overrun with water, and as Abraham was certified by the sign of circumcision, that God wolde fulfil to him and his ofspringe al the mercies that he had promised: and as Abraham Gene. xv. when he asked a sign to be sure that he should possess the land of Canaan, was certified thorough the sign that God gave him therof,& of the four hundreth yeares that his posterity should be in thraldom in egypt, and of their deliverance: and as Gedion was certified by the sign of his flese, of the victory that God had promised him: and as many other that believed in God were certified by the signs that God gave thē, of the promises which God made them? verily no man. For our prelates which lay for themselves, compelle intrare, compel not us to entre into ony such feast, nor will suffer ony such meate to be set before us: for fear of ouerthrowynge the foundation of their false building, whereof springeth so great glory and profit unto thē, which fundacion to build their lies vpon, they could never haue laid, except they had first thrust this doctrine of our souls health clean out of knowledge. And as soon as they had blinded that light, they became leaders in darkness, and made of that mass imageservice: so that the strange holy gestures, must be meritorius works to deserve long life, health, riches, honour, favour, dignity, and abundaunce of all that we haue, forsaking our baptism,& to arm us from bearing of the cross with christ. And they haue made of it a pyll of two contrary operacions: so that the same medicine that preserveth our souls from purgatory, doth purge the body of house, lands, retes, goods and money. And the light that rebuketh thē, they call seditious, that it maketh the subiectes to rise against their princes. which thing the hypocrites laid sometime unto the prophetes, as ye may se in the old testament And at last they laid it unto Christes charge, as ye may se in the Gospel, and to the charge of the Apostles, as ye may se in their acts. But at all such times, the hypocrites themselves steared up such a sword to maintain their falsehood, that evermore a great parte of the world perished thorough their own mischievous provoking princes to battle.  
¶ Thus much I haue said because of thē that deceive you, to give you an occasion to judge the sprites.    

¶ Here beginneth the .ii. Epistle of S. john.  
THe Elder unto the elect lady and hyr children, which I love in the truth: and not I only, but also al that haue known the truth, for the truths sake, which remaineth in us, and shal be in us for ever: with you be grace, mercy and peace, from God the father and from the lord IESVS CHRIST the son of the father, in truth and love.  
this all is the title and superscripcion of the Epistle or letter, wherein( to confirm it the more) he setteth his name, office, to whom he writeth it, and an apostolical salutation or wysshynge. And is as much to say: as I john the Elder writ this Epistle unto the faithful congregation, and unto the same I wish grace and peace, and that they persever or continue in the truth and love. The cause why he calleth himself the Elder and not john I reckon be, that it was most used of every man and commune, and full of apostolical sweetness and authority: not only because of the worship of age, but also by reason of the holy calling and office. moreover he calleth the church or congregation a lady, because she is the bride of the lord Iesus: and the membres of the church he calleth children, remaining so still in comparynge and aludynge. As for his wyshynge is plain enough, for it is so rife in other Epistles. But john addeth Truth& love, as his maner is to drive it, desiring them to be and continue therein. The truth doth he set against hypocrisy and error and lies, that it be nothing, but a true faith. charity containeth al exercise of godliness. beside this he mengleth among such things as may procure unto him favour of the hearers& somthynges of the truth, to make the hearers minds to give hede, and to confirm and stablish thē: saying: which I love in the truth, that is, truly, heartily and sincerely. For Christen charity ought to be without al simulacion& hypocrisy. I love them for the truths sake, that is: because they exercise the truth, do I love thē. And not only do I love thē, but also all they that know the truth, where by he raiseth up their hartes and corages, and entyseth them to farther endeavour of godliness. To this also pertaineth it that he saith, that the truth shall abide with us for ever: by the which comfortable sayings we can not but be confirmed and stablished in godliness.  
I reioyced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth, as we haue received a commandment of the father.  
He beginneth his matter with rejoicing, being glad that ther be found among them such as refusing errors and deceivers, haue laid hands on the truth. And that not every truth,( for though they be sometime never so far from it, yet do they think to hold fast the clear truth) but that truth that is given of the father by the very evangelical doctrine. neither can ther be ony other truth. Thus se we than and learn wherefore we ought to rejoice: We se which be the rule of the true and godly truth. For an earnest& true faith can not but braste out in working and declaring the inward treasure that God hath committed unto our fidelity and trust.  
this reiocynge had paul also of his Philippians, colossians and Thessalonians that( like faithful stewards) gave out the manifold grace committed unto them by Paules preaching: so that they received it again with vantage: that is, heavenly and spiritual for worldly and temporal, and a uncorruptible crown, for despising worldly goods.  
And now I beseek the Lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that same which we had from the beginning: that we should love one another. And this is the love, that we should walk after his commandments.  
He exhorteth them to procede constantly in the evangelical truthē,& to love each other. And in commending this to them he alleged two poyntes, namely: the author therof, and his auncientnesse. It is not I( saith he) that command you to continue in the truth, but the LORD himself, which saith in the gospel: He that continueth unto the end, shalbe saved. neither do I write a new commandment, or lately sprung up among us, but the most ancient, the which was also commanded in the lawe, where it is written on this wise: love thy lord God above all, and thy neighbour as the self. That( I say) that Christ restored,& that floryshed from the beginning of true religion, namely: that we love each other; that do I write unto you. Lo howe commendable this be, and not to be refused. And for farther declaration he saith: And that is the love, that we should walk after his commandments. this( namely) is the pyth of love or Christen charity, to keep the commandments. For our lord in the gospel( from whence these words seem to be taken) saith: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. And again: abide in my love. Yf ye keep me commandments, ye shall abide in my love. That is my commandment, that ye love each other ●● I loved you. neither let ony man marvel at these words of our Saueoure: For all the commandments are referred every where to love: ye and of paul also Rom. xiii.  
this commandment is, that( as ye haue herde from the beginning) ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entred into the world, which confess not that Iesus christ is come in the flesh. This i● a deceiver, and an antichrist.  
He rehearseth and beateth in charity or love as his maner is to do: and here to he allegeth a cause, the which steareth the church to a readiness, and watchynge,& to an earnest endeavour of godliness. For this cause saith he do I so earnestly beate in love, for this cause ought you be diligent namely: because ther are many deceivers come into the world, that are busy to draw you into error from the way of truth. From such endeavour to withdraw youreselues, going forth& proceeding in true religion, truth& love. beside this he painteth and describeth such deceivers with certain notes or marks, saying: They confess or grant not that christ Iesus the messiah very God& man, of whom the prophetes prophesied aforehand, should come in the world. Of such he giveth verdyte contynently, saying: This is a deceiver or withdrawer& Antichrist. The true sygnifycacion of the word Antichrist is as much, 
What Antichrist is to say.  as against Christ or contrary to Christer Now try all learnynges& confer thē to the true doctrine of Christ, either in the old or new testament,& yf thou finde them disagreynge to the foresaid true doctrine, count both the doctrine,& him that uttereth it even Antichrist,& the doctrine damnable: even as unlawful merchandise is. Of this look farther in the .i. epistle the .ii. and iiii. chapters, where it is farther declared.  
look on yourselves, that ye lose not that we haue wrought, but that we may haue a full reward.  
He reasoneth of the harm or danger, and these words seem to be taken out of ezechiel the .xviii. Chap. where he saith: Yf the righteous turn away from his righteousness,& do iniquity, according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he live? all the righteousness that he hath done shall not be thought vpon.  
It is a short& pythy sentence to move or admonish where he saith: look on yourselves,& is as much to say, as: Let every one beware, left he being rechelesse in that he hath well begun, lese all the fruit of such good deeds as he hath hitherto well accomplished: But rather passing by all Antichristes doctors let us so run, that we may receive a full reward: the which none do receive, but such as endure unto the end  
who so ever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of christ, hath not God. He that endureth in the doctrine of christ, hath both the father& the son.  
Here doth he now add greater things. For it is a very great thing to want God, and to haue neither the father nor the son. But he that abideth not in the truth& love, he hath neither the father nor the son. wherefore we ought to endeavour and busily to labour that we procede in the way of truth. Of this read more in the .ii. Chapter of the .i. epistle of S. john. Christ saith joh .xv. Without me can ye do nothing. For as the branch cut from the tre can bring no fruit: so likewise he that is cut from the vynestocke, which is Christ can not but abide vnfruteful,& transgress the commandments of god, wherefore also he hath not God, nor no parte with him, but shal be cast in the utter darkness, where shalbe wailing and gnasshynge of teth.  
Contrary wise he that abideth in the stock or tre, is partaker both of the sap and goodness of it, and is ever working the will of the father, the fruit of Christes merits, and the gifts of the holy ghost: so that al things do serve him for the best Roma. viii.  
Yf ther come ony man unto you,& bring not this learning, him receive not in to the house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his eueldede●  
with plain words commandeth he to avoyde and fiye the company of heretics, and to cleue constantly to Christes doctrine. They that bring their doctrine and not Christes, or they that preach or follow doctrines contrary to Christes doctrine they be Antichristes. Now the doctrine of Christ is comprehended in the writings of the Prophetes and Apostles. wherefore, what soever he 
Who be heretics.  be that bringeth not the scriptures, or teacheth ought against the scripture, is in no wise to be admitted unto thy company, or ony of thine, neither use ony communication with such. For evil communicacions infect good manners. And the dwelling near of such, doth pervert even the best also. By the house he meaneth al maner dwelling by of such: and by bidding God speed, he meaneth familiar communication.  
Erasmus enlargynge the words of faint john saith featly on this wise: Yf ony come to you that bringeth a doctrine contrary to this, that thereby he might lead you from the truth of the gospel, unto him ought ye give so little hearing, that ye receive him not into your house, yf he do require lodging: neither salutynge wish him health, yf perchance he do meet you in the way. For it is to be doubted lest he infect the household with his seyournynge by thee, and render the evil for the benefit that thou showest him in permyttynge him the use of thy house, which greeting, communication,& reasoning be cause therof. For evil communicacions corruppt good manners as one of the old sages saith. Morouer he that useth familiarite with such deceivers or saluteth them, is taken as partner with them. For he giveth the wicked a courage, and an occasion to think that he is of some estimation among thē, whom he goeth about to subvert:& unto other he giveth a semblaunce of evil, as though he did favour his wickedness, whose company he doth not refrain. The saying of Iesus mirach in his book Ecclesiasti. the .xiii. Cha. is like to this, where he saith: He that toucheth the pytch, shalbe stained of it,& he the useth the proud mans company, shal wax proud.  
I had many things to write unto you, nevertheless I wolde not write with paper and ink, but I trust to come unto you, and speak with you mouth to mouth, that our joy may be full. The sons of thy elect sister grete thee. Amen.  
In concludynge his epistle he promiseth to come unto thē▪& presently to declare these& other things more largely:& that for this purpose, not to take them with gyles& craftynesse, to use dominion over them,& poll them of their money: but that their Christen joy may be complete. And 
when joy is complete.  it is complete when we all perceive the business of the faith aright, and exercise it by charity. In ●●● end also he setteth the salutation of that church, fro whence he writeth, making all congregacyons sister brydes of one spouse. the lord Iesu Christ, and the membres, that is, the Christians endowed with grace, he calleth children. That also that he rather will due their mind spiritually with words and by mouth, then by writing and with pen, is also graciously said. For it is no profit unto us to se, hear, or read the doctrine of the Apostles written on paper with ink, without we write it also in our mind, redressynge our life and manners after it.  
This epistle in all thing savoureth and is conformable unto the spirit of S. john the Apostle, though some will say it to be of one john a prest, elder, or senioure. nevertheless how so ever mens judgements do vary, surely ther is nought written in this, that is not to be read in the first epistle: wherefore it is of like spirit, so that noman can refuse it without he do wickedly. For this then, and for opening his truth so clearly, be praise and glory unto God.  
AMEN.  
¶ The end of the .ii. epistle of S. john.   

¶ Here beginneth the .iii. Epistle of S. john.  
THe Elder unto the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. well-beloved I wish in all things that thou prosperest and farest well, even as thy soul prospereth.  
this beginning and salutation is plain, nevertheless some what varyenge from the commune use of the Apostles. It may be applied to Gaius household and may be understand thus▪ I wish& desire that as thy soul prospereth, and is endowed with all maner of spiritual gifts: even so all thy friends and household 〈◇〉, or so prosper God all that belongeth unto the. For it is the most felicity that can be to haue a sound mind in a sound body. Here is to be noted the nature of true love, which rejoiceth at dure neghboures health: ye can suffer his enemy to prosper, howe the more his friend?  
I reioyced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in the, how thou walkest in truth. I haue no greater joy than for to hear that my sons walk in verity.  
S. john rejoiceth that first he hath received the truth, and that he walketh therein with great praise of the brethren. To walk in the truth is to live a godly 
To walk in the truth  life according to the rule of truth, without guile or simulacion. neither is it enough to know the truth, without we walk also therein: that is to reform our words, deeds& all our living thereby. moreover the greatest joy that sayntes haue, is, that they hear us walk in truth wherefore they covet not to be worshipped superstitiously. For the labour they took to inform us was not to be rewarded again of us with ceremonious service, ● therein to delight: but to delight in declaring the fruit of their labour, by our conversation according to the will of God ●s they taught. even as the plowm●n bestowynge great labour vpon his fields, hath no greater delight& joy, thē to se his fields give plenty of corn: to the which intent he bestowed al his labour.  
Dearly beloved thou dost faithfully whatsoever thou dost to the brethren and to strangers, which bare witness of thy love before al the congregation. Which brethren when thou bryngest forwards on their journey,( as it pleaseth God) thou shalt do well, because that for his names sake they went forth,& took nothing of the gentiles, we therfore ought to receive such, that we also might be helpers of the truth.  
first it is required that we receive the truth, and remain sound in the faith,& secondarely that we be thankful: wherefore the Apostle rejoiceth with Gaius of the hospitalite and benefit, which they unto whom he had shewed it testified openly before all the congregation. this place teacheth thankfulnesse,& that no man is to be deprived of his due reward. And because we be bound to do well ●o every man,& chiefly to the ministers of gods word: therfore doth john praise that in Gaius,& in him al other faithful, using thereto arguments of courtesy& profitablenes. For it is courtesy( saith he) yf thou bring thē forwards on their journey( as it pleaseth god) that is: yf thou stuff thē with food by the way,& entreat thē well while they are by the. For thou knowest to whom thou givest it, namely God, which said: He that receiveth you, receiveth me. And to this belongeth also the reason followynge: For they went forth for the name of christ. That is: they go about to preach the gospel, and not to be enryched and to do their own business. And therfore do they take nothing of the gentiles, unto whom they preach, that so they might win the more unto christ, because they be far from suspicion of seeking advantage among the gentiles. It is therfore our duty,( which do know that the labourer is worthy of his wages) to receive such good men and succurre thē with our substance. To the end doth he also join the reward saying: that we also might be helpers of the truth, namely that seeing we may not preach, and we be bound to further the truth; we may do it with our substance, helping& aiding them so, to whom the office is committed and are apt thereto▪ M●● .x. saith Christ: He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet, and he that giveth one of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward. By this place it appeareth that ther were many good men at that time, whyth followynge the ensample of paul preached the gospel freely unto the gentiles. For the men of the primityse church did so earnestly covet the glory of the lord Christ to be promoted and set forth, that for his sake they did suffer and took great pain for it. But they that were not ordyned to that office, gave thereto al their substance, that the labourers in the gospel should want nothing. And among such was Gaius the chiefest a rich man as it seemeth, whom paul also Roma. xvi. calleth his ooste and the ooste of all the congregation. beside these also did many good men of the mean sort help to promote the gospel likewise. And we( unto whom the ends of the world be come) lie snorkynge like sloggardes. They that are apt to teach,& to whom God hath given grace in preaching and facunde or welspeakynge, will not put themselves, nor their substance in hazard: either will not take the labour vpon thē, without they be well anointed with some fat benefice or stipend, and because few or none obtain them, that be meet for it, therfore is that office so slackely executed. And again the Patrons will admit none that be poor& haue nought, though they be meet for it. ye so far we be from mynistrynge our substance to such, that we envy and withdraw from them such stipend, as of long time haue ben given of other to such use: and thus we se that the doctrine of godliness,& the glory of Christes name do perish. But I pray God give us that spirit that we se to haue occupied their hartes of whom john speaketh here, and praiseth them.  
I wrote unto the congregation, but Diotrephes which loveth to haue the pre-eminence among them, received us not. Wherfore yt I come, I will peclare his deeds which he doth yea sting on us with malicious words, neither is there with content. Not only he himself receiveth not the brethren but also he forbiddeth thē that wolde and thrusteth them out of the congregation.  
It is not plain of what writing john doth speak, nevertheless, it seemeth that he wrote unto that congregation wherein Gaius was, in the which writing he exhorted them to do it that they saw Gaius do. But one Diotrephes, wythstode these holy admonicions, whom he here rebuketh, blaming his heresy, reuylynges, wantonness of tongue,& his study in pride& ambition:& besides this he blameth his vncurteousnesse, despising cruelness& tyranny against the brethren. He is even an ensample of al heretics and wicked men which also resist the gospel. nevertheless at this time he writeth not bitterly against him, but keepeth it until he come& be present with him: for than doth he threaten he will pull away his vysure. And that is the duty of true hyrdemen, to forgive nought, nor to spare wicked deceivers. What think ye wolde john say now adays yf he came again in those churches that will seem evangelical,& finde not only one Diotrephes, coveting the primacye but innumerable Cardinals, Patriarkes Byshops& other prelates of the church? I passeouer that some of them chatter I wote not what against the doctrine of truth, that they receive not the pure doctrine of Christ& his Apostles,& that they condemn& excommunicate such as wolde receive it. God draw us out of the lions mouth.  
Dearly beloved follow not that which is evil, but that which is good He that doth well, is of God, but he that doth evil, with not God.  
He addeth to preserve Gaius from offending, as though he wolde say: Thou knowest what Diotrephes goeth about, wherefore I wolde not haue the to follow the maner of men,& therfore setteth he a general rule and sentence, namely: that it is to be followed that is good, and not that which is evil. The which sentence may be alleged against them that bring forth to stablish their opinions, long times, the manners& costumes of the fathers, willing rather to be ruled thereby, than by Gods holy word, which nevertheless shall testify against us at the great day, or with us,& not the fathers costumes,& manners. He joineth also another sentence to this, saying: He that doth well, is of God: but he that doth evil, perceiveth not Gods business, neither shall he se him after this life. wherefore that which is is good, and God hath commanded, that is to be done, and not other mens manners, ensamples, and costumes, which sometime were institute for some cause, than nedyge a reformation.  
Demetrius hath a good report of all men, and of the truth: ye and we ourselves also bear record, and ye know that our record is true.  
To a wicked ensample he joineth, setteth and conferreth the ensample of Demetrius a good man, that ther be nought left behind to confirm Gaius mind. For the minds of good men be greatly moved with the ensamples of evil men, wherefore we se scripture oftentimes heal this grief. It must undoubtedly haue ben a man of marvelous integrity and vnblameable this Demetrius, unto whom all the congregation of good men, ye and the truth also, beside that the Apostle john a man without guile, and that had not learned to flattre gave such verdyte. wherefore we passing by Diotrephes, let us rather follow Gaius& Demetrius For such be set for our ensample to follow, and the other to eschew.  
I haue many things to write, but I will not with pen and ink write unto the. For I trust I shall shortly se thee, and we shal speak mouth to mouth. Peace be with the. The louers salute the. Grete the louers by name.  
As he concluded the second epistle, so concludeth he this last also. And here in are many fair ensamples of love and charity, which be rather to be followed than to be disputed vpon. S. jerome seemeth to attribute these two epistles, the .ii. and .iii. unto one john a divine or pressed. But I can not se what be contained herein that is unworthy of S. john. For the shortness hath also a wondrous favour. And the brefnesse hath also mysteries: wherefore it is not to be refused.  
¶ The end of the iii. Epistle. ❧   

A table for to find the notable places treated vpon in this exposition of the epistles of S. john.  
Angels serve vs. xxxii. Aduouryes. xxx. anointing. ❧ ❧ xlviii. Antichrist. xliii. What Antichrist is to say. xci. binding and losynge xxiiii. 
baptism.  The profession of our baptism what it is. ii. The knowledge of our baptism is the key of the scripture. iiii. He that hath the profession of his baptism written in his heart can be no heretic. vi The signification of baptism. lii. 
christ.  Christ is our life. xii. Christ and his word are the light. xv. Christus. xix. xlvi. Christ only is our saueoure. xx. Christes victory. xxiii. Howe Christ prayeth for vs. xxxii. Christ is called holy and anointed. xliiii. The world could not know Christ. L. The world shall know christ. L. Christes vicar. liii. What it is to believe that Iesus is christ. lxviii. To axe in Christes name. lxxv. The church is a lady. xci. covetousness or avarice quencheth the love of God. xli. xlii. 
Doctrine.  The tuychstone of all true doctrine and preachers. xiiii. A sure argument to know false. prophetes by. xxxvii. The B. of Rome& Pelagius agree. xlvi. The Apostles doctrine ought we to abide by. xlvii. The trial of all doctrine. lix. Doctrine that is of God or the devil. lx. The B. of Romes doctrine of Christ. lx. The B. of Ro. doctrine is worldly. lxi. Dead men xlvi. Emanuel. xlvi. 
faith.  To believe in christ xi. faith is cause of al goodness. xli. The faith of a Christen man. li. The B. of Romes faith. li. faith is the roote of all commandments. lviii. faith is the mother of love. lxviii. faith maketh us Gods sons. lxviii. The faithful and unfaithful sin diversly. liv. fear. lxvi. popish forgiveness. xxi. gospel. ii. 
God.  A rule to know whither we love God or not. xxxvii. To be in God. xxxviii. To know God. xlviii The sum of Gods lawe. li. No man hath sene God. lxiiii. The scripture hath sene God. lxiiii. Who be heretics. xci. 
Iesus.  Iesus is our advocate. xviii. Iesus. xlvi. What it is to believe that Iesus is.   Christ. xviii. lxviii. Idolatry. lxxviii. Idolatrer. lxxviii. ignorance is cause of wickedness. lxi. when joy is complete. xcii. The lust of the flesh& of the eyes. xli. 
love.  love breaketh the lawe. lii. The fountain of love. lxii. The use of love. lxiii. The pyth of love. lxiiii. love. lxvi. The love of God is cause of my neighbours love. lxx. A goodly similitude of love. lxxi. Last hour. xliii. The man is first evil or good. liv. Merytynge of sayntes. xxxi. mass is made an ymageseruice. lxxxi. The right use of mass. lxxxi. 
Purgatory.  How penance and Purgatory came up. xxv. How purgatory was kindled. xxvi. poor men. xlvi. 
Scripture.  How the scripture is locked up from our understanding. v. The scripture maketh no heretics. vi. They key and light of the scripture. iiii. Christ and his word are the light. xv. The scripture hath sene God. lxiiii. satisfaction what it is. xix. State of grace. xxxvi. Sanctus. xlvi. sprites. lxii. sin what it is. li. The sin to death. lxxvi. 
sign.  It is Iewyshnesse not to believe without signs and miracles. lxxx. Two generacions in the world. lxi. walking in darkness or in light. xv. 
works.  works can be no satisfaction for sins to godward. xxii. Worshippyng of sayntes with styckyng up candles before them. xxix. Gods worship. xxii. Worldly goods. xliiii. S. white must haue yearly a cheese. lxxx. To walk in the truth. xciii.