News Out of Heaven, Title page – Prologue
Newes out of heauen both pleasaunt & ioyfull, lately set forth to the great cōsolacion▪ & cōforte of all christen mē. By Theodore Basille. ✚
Roma. 10.
¶O how beautyful are the feete of thē, which brīg ye glad tydīges of peace & shewe good and mery newes?
Ioan. 7.
¶My doctryne is not myne, but his that sent me. If any man wyll do his wyll, he shall knowe of the doctryne, whether it be of God, or whether I speke of my selfe▪ He that speaketh of him selfe, seaketh his owne prayse. But whosoeuer seketh his prayse yt sent hym, he is true, & no vnryghteousnes is in hym.
Ioan. 8.
… that is of God, heareth the wordes of God.
Ioan. 18.
EueryEvery one that is of the truth, heareth my voyce.
¶To the ryght worshypful Maister George Pierpount. Theodore Basille wissheth continual health and prosperous felycite.
IF wyth studious & attēt myndes we reade y• moost sacred scriptures markyng wel such thī ges as make to our informacion, learnynge, erudicion, & …n…ease of deuyne knowledge, we shal easely & without any difficulte perceaue that among al other vertues & fruytes of ye spirite, Christe …ur LORDE & Sauiour exhortethe …s vntounto none so moche as to louelove & …harite.LoueLove is the cognisaunc… & …age where by christꝭ seruauntes a… knowen. In thys thynge sayeth he, …hal al mē know that ye are my dys…iples, yf one of you louelove another: …s though he should say,Iohan. xiii. other mēs …eruaūtes are knowē by theyr maysters cognisaūces, I wil also y• you whych are my disciples be knowne by my cognisaunce in lyke maner, whych is louelove comminge oute of a pure herte,i. Timoth. i. and a good cōsiēce, and a fayth not fayned.
And as Christ hym selfe dyd inculke & beate in nothyng so moche, as pure louelove and feruēt charite, so dyd the Prophetes & Apostles in al theyr sermons & wrytinges, aboue all thinges exhorte men to mutual louelove, yea & yt vnfayned as we maye se in theyr prophecies & Epistles, in somoch that S. Paule sayth,…. Cor. xiii. that though he could speake wt the tonges of mē & aungles, & yet had no louelove, he were euē as soūdyng brasse or as a tinglyng cymbal. And though he could prophecie & vnde… stond al secretes & al knowledge, and had al fayth so that he coulde moue moūtaynes oute of theyr places & had not louelove, he were nothīg, And though he bestowed al his goodes to fede the poore, yea & though he gaue his body euen to be burnt, & yet had no louelove it profyteth hym nothynge.wtout charite nothīg pleasethe God. The excellencye of thys christen louelove muste nedes be great & inestimable, seynge that wtout it no thing is acceptable in the syght of God, though it be iudged of the world to be a worke of neuer so hye and singulare meryte.
Of this louelove christ dyd prophecy that it shoulde waxe colde in y• hartes of many nowe these last dayes,Mat. xxiiii. & that wickednes should abound & … plentuous. Certes accordyng to hys prophecy, whyche euer is true. …n asmoche as he is the selfe trueth … cā not lye,Ioan. xiiii. is it come to passe. For …f we consyther wel the maners of …en at thys present,Titum. i. we shal wtout …oubte easely perceaue that thys chrystē louelove towarde God and our neyghbour reygneth but in the hertes of a few. And that they hauehave no thynge lesse than that true & workyng fayth, which the holy scriptures cōmēd so hyghly in eueryevery place. For the christen fayth worketh by charite,…ll…. v. sayeth saynt Paule. Nowe in asmuch as the fayth, wher of so many hoste nowe a dayes, worketh not this charite or louelove in them, it is manifest & an euident argumēt, that theyr fayth,…. ii. as S. Iames calleth it, is a dead fayth, ye is, a fayth in name but not in dede. Yf there were true & liuish fayth, thā would it worke louelove in theyr hertes, both toward God & theyr neighboures. Agayne,Roma. xv. if ther were such a law as is the fulfyllynge of the louelove,i. Timo. i. than wold it whan tyme requireth,Psal. i. and an occasyon is gyuen, shewe forth it selfe by eternall operacyon. Who can iustly affyrme y• he loueth God, & yet worketh not his wyll, nor yet walketh not in ye waye of hys moost godly cōmaundementes, he y• sayth I knowe hym, & kepeth not his cō maundement sayeth saynte Ihon,i. Ioh. ii. is a lier, & the trueth is not in him. But he that kepeth his worde, truly in him is ye louelove of God perfecte. Agayne thys is ye louelove of God that we kepe his cōmaundementes. Beholde S. Ihon sayth,… that the louelove of God is in none, but in them only whiche do his wyll. Neyther do Christes sayenges dyffer from this: If ye louelove me,Ioh. xliii. sayeth he, kepe my cō maundemētes. He that hath my cō maundementes & kepeth thē, he it is that louethe me. If ony man loueth me,Ioh. xv he wyll kepe my word. He that loueth not me, kepethe not my wordes. If ye kepe my commaūdementes, ye shall abyde in my louelove. Ye are my freendes, yf ye do theyse thynges y• I cōmaunde you. Christ sayeth here playnely,He louethe Christ that kepeth hys worde. that whosoeuer hath an herty & precordial louelove toward hym, kepeth his cōmaundementes: but yf any do the contrary, surely he loueth not christ. How than may theyse men be recounted & iudged to louelove Christ, whan they go not about to fulfyll one poynte of his worde?
Hys worde is that they shoulde louelove him wt all theyr herte,Exod xx. Deut. vi. Mat. xxii. Philip. iii. mynde, soule & strēgth but in ye stede of him they louelove them selues, theyr carnall pleasures & wordely vanyties, the ende wherof is dampnacion.Deut. v.
His word is that they should honour & reuerence Gods moost holy & blessed name,Of swerīg …ote. but they omittynge the iuste honour of it, blaspheme it, rayle on it, & wickedly sweare by it to ye great defasynge of gods glory, so muche as lyeth in theyr power. For thorowe theyr wickednesse the name of god is styl blasphemed,Esai. vi. railed vponupon,Eze. xxxvi. & euel spoken of,Roma. ii. as the holy scriptures saye. Yf christen princes do not shortely fynde some remedy to exyle & banysh thys moost detestable, haynous,Would god … it myghte once come to passe. & abhomynable maner of swearyng out of theyr realmes. Certes it is to be feared, yea we may be certayne, that God wyl powre out vponupon vsus his vengeaūce & plage vsus greuously, although we hauehave not wanted, nor yet dayly do, dyuers tokens of hys fearce anger toward vsus, & yet do we not repēt & amend.Psal. vii. God is a ryghteous iudge, & God is euer threatenyng. Yf mē wyll not turne, he wyll whette hys sweard, bend his bowe and make it redy. He wyll prepare him the weapons o… …ath, & orden his arrowes to ….
Agayne his worde is,Deut. v. What it is to sunctify y• sabbothe daye. that they shoulde sanctify the Sabboth day, that is, so to temperate thēselues & abstayne from wycked lustes, that they maye quietly mediate in gods lawe, read the holy scriptures, giuegive them selues to deuyne contēplaciō, talke of serious matters, praye to God for grace, gyue hym thanckes for his benefytes, visyte the sycke & cōfortles, & continually be gyuē to the workes of y• spiryte. But what do they lesse? the moost sacred & holy Byble (thankes be to God which hath brought these thīges to passe, by hys dearely beloued seruaunt & our kynge Hēry the eyght, a prince of famous renowne & mortall glory, whose graces hyghnes I mooste humbly beseche almyghtye God, in whose handes the harte of …uerye kyng is, lyke as are y• ryuers of water, to turne it whyther so euer it shall be his pleasure, to beutyfye wt the benefyte of ꝑpetuall helth, that his moost excellent maiesty liuing here among vsus his faythfull subiectes the yeares of auncient Nestor or sage Tythonus, maye styl continually auaunce, promote, & let vp Christes moste blessed gospel, to the glorye of God, the saluacion of hys subiectes soules, the immortalytye of hys graces mooste noble renowne, & the vtter confusyon of Antechrist and his kyngdome) the moost sacred & holy Byble,The holy bible frely permitted to be …eade in the Englyshe tonge. I saye, is nowe had amonge vsus in our vulgare tonge, & frely permytted to be read of all men vniuersallye, at tymes conueniēt wythout any let or perturbacion, euē in the churches, but howe many reade it? Uerely a man may come into some churches & se y• Byble so enclosed and wrapped about with dust, euē as y• Pulpet in lyke maner is bothe wt duste & coppe webbes, that with his fynger he maye wryte vponupon the Byble this Epitaphe.Iob. vii. Ecce nunc in puluere dor mio. Deut. viii.So lytle plesure hauehave these fylthy swyne & currish dogges in that mooste sweate & synguler treasure,Math. iiii. which is the meate of the soule,Ephe. vi. the swearde of y• spirite,Prouer. iii. the tree of lyfe, the lanterne to our fete,psal. …xviii. & the lyght to our pathes,Psal. xviii. whiche also turneth soules,Iacob. i. gyuethe wisdome, euen vntounto babes, reioysethe the herte, gyueth lyght vntounto the eyes, & is able to saue the soules eyther of the readers or hearers, yf they seriouslye folowe it. O cruell murtherers of theyr owne soules.Ioan. iii. Uerely this is the cōdēnaciō that ye lyght is come into the world, & mē louelove the darkenes more then the lyghte, for theyr workes are euell. Who so euer doth euell hatethe the lyghte, and commeth not to the lyghte, y• his dedes should not be reproued: but he that doth y• trueth, cōmeth to y• lyghte, y• his workes maye be knowen y• they are done by God.be ware therfore betimes Uerely I thynke the wrathe of god to be so whot agaynst vsus, y• excepte we shortely repent, & receyue this glorious lyght of christes most blessed gospel which nowe is come amonge vsus, wt more thākefull hertes thā we hauehave done hytherto, God wyll surely take it away againe frō vsus, & throw vsus īto more blynd darkenes than euer we were inuolued & wrapped ī before. He loued cursyng,Psa. lcviii. sayth y• Psalmographe, & it shal come vntounto him He would not hauehave the blessing, & therfore shal it be farre from hym.Math. xx…. The kyngdom of god shalbe taken from you sayeth Christ, & shalbe gyuē to such as shal brynge forth the fruytes of it. Suche as thus wyckedly despyse Gods word, are lyke to the old ydolaters & vngodly rebellyōs the Iewes,Num. xxi. whiche had rather be in Egypt among y• gresy flesh pottes, than to be in the seruyce of god eatyng Manna y• celestial & Aungels foode.Psal. cv. But as they for theyr disobedient & vnthākeful hertes were extremelye punyshed, so shall theyse wycked Hypocrites except with al hast they repent & turne.
And as they are necligēt in re… dyng y• holy scriptures, so are they also in deuout meditacion & feruēt prayer.Math. vi. They are cōmaunded they say, to pray ī secret verely, many of thē pray so secretly, y• neyther God nor mā knowe any thynge at all of theyr prayer, o new kind of prayēg.
Howe they vysite the poore & cō fortles according to Gods precept,Mat. xxv. I…cob. i▪ theyr dayly maners do shew: for to the ale house & tauernes rōne they as flockes of shepe vpō y• Sōdayes and other holy dayes, so sone as seruyce is done, yea many before it is begone, because they are loth for to come to late, wher they eate, drīke, swyl, gul, bāket, ly & swere tyl they be more lyke bruite beastes thē mē. Yf they hauehave a ghostly & learned curate,O vnthākeful ꝑsons. which accordynge to his office would be glad to teach thē ye wyl of God, hym do they hate, they wysshe the pulpyt a colepyt. They thynke it a hūdreth yeare, yf he preachethe but halfe an houre, so litle pleasure hauehave these asse heades in hearynge the gloryous & blessed word of god.
And wher as they should spēd al theyr talke on godlynes,Ephe. iiii. Col…. iiii. & suffer no fylthy comunicaciō to procede out of theyr mouthes, theyr whole talk is nothīg els thā lasciuious, wātō, & vncleanly wordes, hurting greatly the chaste eares of other.
And as for theyr pastymes, they are such as rather moue & entise to dishonesty than honesty. What shal we nowe saye?Mat. xxiii. Is not the louelove of many colde, accordinge to Christes prophecy? All seke theyr owne & not that which is Iesus christes.Philip. i…. They louelove the glory of men,Ioan. xii. more thē the glory of God. Thus se we that they hauehave no louelove towarde GOD. For though they say y• they knowe god, yet wt theyr dedes they denye hym, for so much as they are abhominable & disobedient,Titum. i. and vnmete to all good workes.
Nowe seynge that theyr louelove is so colde toward God, what is to be thought of theyr louelove toward their neyghbour? which necessarely folowethe of the louelove of God.Note. Can floudes of water cōtinually flowe oute of a place, where there is no heade sprynge? Neyther can ye true & christen louelove towarde our neyghboure be in that herte, whiche is wtout all louelove of God.i. Ioh. v▪ S. Iho… ̄ sayeth, whoso euer loueth hym that begat, louelove hym also whyche was begotten of hym. It foloweth therfore that for asmuch as they louelove not god, as we hauehave heard before, neyther do they louelove his creature. For yf they dyd louelove the creature of God. I meane theyr neighbour surely, they would expresse it by externall operacion & outward dedes. Colde is that fyre, yea rather there is no fyre, which cō tayneth not in it y• vertu & strēgth of burnyng. Sēblably cold is that louelove, yea rather it is no louelove whiche contayneth not in it the vertu and strength of workynge. The preest & Leuyte (as we read in the gospel of Luke) sawe a man which was robbed & woūded so greuously that he was left half dead,Luke. x. yet they moued with no cōpassion toward him. passed by, & helped nothyng his miserable state. But a Samaritane commyng that waye, & seynge the woū ded mā in so great misery, sorowe & payne, was streyght wayes moued with pitie, & commynge vntounto hym, bounde vp hys woundes tenderly, powred in oyle & wyne, & layd hym vponupon his beaste, brought hym into an Inne, and made prouyson for hym. Nowe chaunsed it. y• all they thre seynge this man in suche miserable case, were not alyke moued to helpe this mā?To lo…e y• we hauehave toward god, maketh vsus to louelove our neyghbour The preest & Leuite were mercylesse, the Samarytane was mercyfull. Uerely in the Samaritane was y• louelove of god, whiche excited & moued him agayn to shew louelove towarde his neyghbour. But in the preest & Leuyte was ther no louelove toward god, therfore had they no pytie & cōpassiō vpō theyr neighbour. So y• where the louelove of God wanteth, ther can the louelove of oure neyghboure hauehave no place. And to saye y• trueth, I thynke surely that accordinge to Christes prophecy, y• louelove of manye was neuer so colde, For whan was there euer so many fayre wordes,Mat. xxliii. Of dissimulacion. Psa. xi. & so much dissimulacioon? who can at this daye vnfaynedly know his frende frō his …? al trueth is vtterly decayd among the chyldren of mē. EueryEvery one speaketh lyes to theyre neyghbour, theyr lyppes are deceytfull, they speake one thynge & thynke an other.Iere. …. In theyr mouthe they speake peace wt theyr frend, & yet secretely they lay in wayte for him,Iere. …. They stretch out theyr tonge as a bowe of lying, and not of trueth. As the folowers lay snares to take byrdes, so do they laye snares & trappes to take men. And as the trappe is full of byrdes so are theyr houses full of disceyte. Nowe is the tyme come that Christ speaketh of in the holy gospel. The brother (sayeth he) shall betray the brother vntounto the deathe,Math. x. y• father y• sonne, & the chyldren shall aryse aagaynst theyr fathers & mothers, & shal putte them to deathe.Mat. xxvi. Manye are become ryght Iudasies, that is frendes in pretence, & extreme enemyes in theyr workes, so y• almoost no man knowethe whome he maye truste & take for his frende. It shall therfore become al mē to folow the admonicion of the Prophete Ieremy,Iere. ix. which sayeth: Let eueryevery mā be ware of his neyghboure, & put hys affyance & trust ī none of al his brothers. For eueryevery brother wyll supplant & deceyue, & eueryevery frend wyll walke deceytfully, so yt one brother shal mocke another, and not speake trueth: For they hauehave taught their tonge to speake lyes, & studyed very ernestly to do wyckedly. Here to pertayneth the sayeng of the Prophete Miche:Miche. vii. Kepe the secretes of thy mouth from her that slepeth in thy bosome, for ye sonne shall worke the father displeasure, & the doughter shall ryse agaynst her mother, & the doughter in lawe agaynste her mother in lawe, & a mannes owne houshold and familyars shalbe his mooste enemyes. Thus se we what louelove ther is nowe a dayes amonge men.
Agayne what vnmercyfulnesse reygneth amōg men at this tyme?Of vnmer… fulnes. Howe slenderly are the poore members of Christ prouyded for nowe a dayes? Howe do they go about frō dore to dore lamētyng & expressyng with dolorous & sorowful wordes, theyr to muche wretched & miserable state, & yet no man pitieth thē? page missing ter, thefte & whoredome hauehave ouerflowed the world, & bloud hath towched bloud. But to be shorte in this behalfe,Ia…ob. ii. let vsus knowe that the iugement shalbe wtout mercy to hym yt wyll shew no mercy.Math. v. Math. xxv Let vsus also be assured that as the mercyefull shall obtayne mercy, so shall the vnmercifull receyue euerlastyng dānacion.
Moreouer what couetousnesse raygneth amonge men at this present tyme?Of couetousnes. Howe ioyne they house to house,Esai. v londe to londe, ferme vntounto ferme, pasture to pasture, so longe as any is to be gotten, as thoughe they shoulde dwell vponupon the earthe alone.Ieremy. vi &. viii. From the leest to the mooste, they hange all vpō couetousnesse, & frō the Prophete to the preest, they go all about with falsehode & lyes. They are shameles dogges that be neuer satified.Esai. lvi. EueryEvery one foloweth his owne couetous appetyte, euen frō the hyghest to the lowest. They receyue gyftes to shed bloud.Eze. xxii. Sopho. iii They take vsury & encrese. They oppresse theyr poore neyghbours by extorcion. They are lyke rauenīg wolues to shed bloud & to destroy soules for theyr couetous lucre. They heape vp other mens goodes.Aba…uck. ii They lade thē selues with thycke claye. They couetouslye gather togyther euell gotten goodes into theyr houses, yt they maye set theyr neste on hye to escape frō ye power of mysfortune.
The are rycthe,Marke. x. not to God, but to the world.Psal. xxxviii They heape vp treasure and yet knowe they not for whome they gather it. They do so abound in all kynde of rytches, yt theyr goodes be corrupte.Iacob. v. Theyr garmentes are motheaten, theyr golde & theyr syluer are cāckred, & the rust of thē shalbe a wytnes agaynst thē, & shal eate theyr flesshe as it were fyre. And yet for all theyr greate aboundans, mercy shewe they none to the poore people, but y• more they hauehave, the more they couyte.i. Timo. vi For they are proud, they put theyr hope in vncertayne rytches, & not in y• lyuing God, which gyueth vsus aboundantly all thynges to enioye thē. They do no good, they be not rich in good workes, they do not distribute and gyue with a good wyll, they gather not vp treasures for them selues, which should be a good foundacion agaynste the tyme to come, yt they maye laye hande on eternall lyfe.
Therfore to all suche it is not with out a cause sayde.Amos. vi Luke. vi Wo be vntounto you rytch men, which hauehave your consolacion. Wo be to you yt are full, for ye shal hūger. Wo be to you yt laugh nowe, for he shall wepe and wayle.
Agayne.Math. xix. Marke. x. Luke. xviii It is more easye for a Cammell, to go thorowe the eye of a nedle, than a rytch man to enter into the kyngedome of God. What louelove. I praye you, can there be to a mans neyghbour, where such couetous affectes & insatiable lustes do reygne? God turne awaye this pestilence out of the earth.
Furthermore what detestable,Of whore… & vnclean… lyuynge. fylthye, stynkynge, and abhominable whoredome reygnethe in the worlde nowe a dayes, yea and that so frely and wythout punisshment, that it is accounted no synne at all among many, but rather a sporte, a good felowlike dalyaūce, a tokē of louelove,Ephe. v. & a touch of lusty youth. The holy scripture cōmaundeth ye fornicaciō, adultry, whoredome, & al vncleanes shoulde not once be named among vsus, muche lesse perpetrated & done.O abhominacion. Yet to deflour maydens, to corrupt wyues, to defyle wydowes is now iudged and taken but for a playe & tryfelynge matter. Yea many are growen into such vnshamefastenes, that they vse to enterlase theyr talke at the tyme of theyr repast wt such fylthy cōmunicacion, nothyng fearyng to declare before other how valeant champiōs they hauehave shewed thē selues in Uenus court.Prouer. i. Thus do they reioyce whan they hauehave done euel, & make a sport …t vnfyttynge thynges. O detestable abhominaciō. This maketh, as the Prophet sayeth,It. v. ….ix. Eze. xxii. that there are so many adulterers. This maketh that they fal to whoredome, & haūt harlottes houses This maketh thē lyke stoned & wyld horses to ney at theyr neighbours wiues. Yea thys maketh chast matrimony to be despysed, and whores to be set more by than honest wyues.Beware betymes. Oh the fearce wrathe of God that hangethe ouer our heades, yf this hygh abhominacion be not shortly exiled frō amōg vsus. Howe greatlye this vncleanes,Deut. xxii. was punisshed in y• old law at gods cōmaundement, it is not vnknowē to thē, that wt attent myndes read the holy scryytures. Yea God hym selfe oftentymes toke vengeaunce of ye fornicatours & adulterers for theyr vncleanes.Ge. vi. &. vii. ii. Pet. ii. Gen. xix. What caused all the world sauynge eyght persones to be drowned, but vnclenes? what made Sodome & Gomorme wt certayne other cytyes to be burnte wt fyre & brīstone frō heauē, but vnclenes?Num. xxv: i. Cor. x. What moued god to sley ī one day .xxiiij. M. of y• Israelytes, but vncleanes? Yf God at yt tyme dyd so cruelly punyssh this vncleanes, let vsus not thynke that we shall escape vnpunysshed nowe.Psal. v. For he is styll that God, that reioyseth not in wickednes. Neyther can any vngodly person dwell wt hym, nor the vnryghteous before his eies, for he hatethe al yt worke iniquite. More ouer this word abydeth euer true: Neyther fornicatours,i. Cor. vi. Ephe. v. nor adulterers, nor weakelynges, nor abusers of them selues wt mankynd shal in heryte y• kyngdom of God. Agayne wedlocke is honorable amonge all mē,Heb. xiii. & the bed vndefyled. But fornicators & adulterers God shal iuge, Therfore can not we escape, except we repent, & leaue this great abhomynacion of fylthye & vncleane lyuynge.
Thus se we euydentlye that the louelove of oure neyghbour is colde in y• hertes of many, euē as we hearde before of the louelove of God. For who can louelove his neyghbour & dissemble with him, be vnmercyful vntounto him, couyt his goodes, & abuse his wife, doughter or mayd. These be manyfeste tokens, not of louelove, but of hatred. So yt we maye perceyue y• prophecye of Christe to be true, whiche sayth,Mat. xxii… that in the last dayes, iniquite shal abound or be plenteous, and the louelove of many shall waxe colde.
Some men wyll meruayle peraduenture howe it cōmeth to passe yt the louelove both towarde God & our neyghboure shoulde thus decaye in these last dayes, seyng that God is nowe no lesse beneficial, gentle, boū teous, and mercyfull to vsus, than he hath ben in tymes paste to our predecessors. And lyke gentlenes, they saye, deserueth lyke louelove.The … why y• christen … decayeth. Certes so ofte as I consyther with my selfe ye great decaye of christen religion, & ye better subuerciō almoost of al godly lyuīg, me thīke yt two thīges are the chiefe & principall causes. The fyrst is, the want of yt knowledge of our selues. The second, the want of the knowledge of God. For the first poynte of wisdom by the cōmon cō sent of all learned men, is ye knowledge of our selues.Nosce te ipsum. Nowe yf we do not knowe what we are of our selues, verely we can neuer know god arighte, nor yette hauehave anye delectacion or pleasure in hym. And yf we do not delyght in hym,… how can we louelove hym? For who loueth that thyng wherin he hath no pleasure? Therfore ye next & moost redy way to make vsus for to louelove GOD, is to lerne to knowe our selues.Math, ix. Who felyng hymselfe sycke & sette in great daunger of his helth, desyrethe not the helpe of a Phisicion? Yf we dyd knowe y• so many of vsus as be borne of the seed of Adam,Ioh. iii. Ephe. ii. be borne verye flesshe of flesshe, vnpure, vnhalowed, abominable before GOD, the sonnes of wrath, wrapped in infynite errours, set round about with corrupt affecciōs, not able to thīke a good thought of our selues,ii. Cor. iii. Roma. vii. moch les of power to worke any goodnes breathing nothing but the fruytes of synne, vnable eyther to thynke, lust or employe oure selues to any good thynge,The knowlege of our selues maketh vsus to fly to god▪ but that is vngodly, croked vnequall, & vnpure, so that we se nothyng but ye fearce wrath, the greuous iudgement, ye extreme vēgeaūce of God, sinne, deth, hel, desperaciō, laid out & prepared for vsus accordīg to our desertes, yf we had this knowledge, I saye, of oure selues, thā would we moost hūbly fal downe before our LORDE God, comfessyng how beggerly & miserable we are of our selues, sekynge at his goodnes, grace, fauoure, peace, remission of synne, tranquilite of conscience, & all confortable thynges yt shoulde make vntounto oure saluacion, yea than would we cōfesse that our destruccion commeth of our selues and that all our helpe commethe of God only.…z…. xi. Nowe in asmuch as the moost parte of mē wāt this knowledge of them selues, therfore stand they well in theyr owne conceyte, please them selues well, make much of theyr owne actes, be they neuer so vnpure. These Iusticiaries thīk themselues ryghteous, as y• proude & arrogant Pharise dyd in the gospell of Luke,Luk. xviii. & therfore hauehave they no part of christes deth.Mat. ix For Chryst sayeth: I came not to call the ryghteous, that is, such as iustify them selues, & thīke yt they be made sufficientlye ryghteous by theyr owne good dedes, merytes and desertes, but synners to repentaunce. And this want of the knowledge of thē selues, makethe that they can not feale the goodnes of God, nor perceaue wherfore christ serueth, wherfore he was borne, why he dyed, for what cause he rose agayne.marke what y• knowledge of our selues doth. And therfore is the louelove of God colde in thē. For yf they dyd knowe thē selues perfectely, & were perswaded yt theyr whole saluacion dependeth altogither of the goodnes of God the father thorowe Iesus Christe oure LORDE & sauiour, thā woulde they with all theyr herte louelove God, plese God, delyte ī God, & seke ye glory of god aboue al thing. Yea thā should this theyr louelove towarde God be so feruent & mighty in operaciō, that euen of very louelove agayne, & with a wyllynge spirite, they shoulde louelove theyr neyghbour euen as them selues, & employe al theyr diligence to accōplysshe Gods moost holy wyll, & that not of feare,i. Ioh. i… but of louelove. For perfecte louelove casteth out feare.
And would God that al prechers woulde vse this trade & maner in theyr sermons, that is to saye, fyrst teach men to know thēselues, that they maye perceyue theyr owne misery, wretchednes and damnacion. Secondly declare vntounto them that ther is no way to escape this great daunger, but only to flye to Gods mercye, & there to seke remedy thorow Iesus christ. Yf they dyd thus surely it would kyndle in mens hertes a meruaylous feruente louelove towarde God, & an vnspekable redynes to walke in the LORDES pathe wayes, and so hertely to louelove theyr neyghbour, that they would wyshe no lesse kyndenesse to theyr neyghbours thā to thē selues, & in al thinges do for them,The goodnes of god depely pō dred, maketh vsus to louelove him agayn and freelye to worke hys wyll. what soeuer lyeth in theyr power. They woulde vndoutedly do all thynges for louelove.
For whan they consithered y• great boūty of God toward vsus, & perceyued that whan we were in a dampnable state, he freelye of hys owne mere goodnes saued vsus, & made vsus heyres of eternall glory, they could none otherwyse do but louelove hym agayne, & employ them selues to accomplysshe that thinges that he cō maundeth, whiche is to louelove oure neyghboure, and to walke in a new lyfe. For what naturall man sheweth vnkyndnes for kyndnes? Who hateth, where he is loued? Mē therfore hearynge this vnspekable louelove of God towarde them, muste nedes louelove him agayne, & out of this louelove orderly, bryng forth a true & vnfayned louelove toward theyr neyghbour, and an herty desyre to walke wythou…e spotte in the syght of so gentle and louynge a father. Yf we marke wel the Epistles of the blessed Apostle saynt Paule, we shall esely perceyue that he in lyke maner vsethe this trade aforesayde almoost in all his Epistles, but chefely to the Romaynes, Galathians, and Ephestans.
I therfore ponderyng with my selfe but latelye ye great decaye of y• christen religiō,The occasion of makynge thys treatyse, & the vtter destruccion almooste of all godly lyuynge, thoughte wt my selfe that I coulde not at this present bestowe ye smale talent, that God hath credited and lent vntounto me, better & more aptely to the auauncement of gods glory, & edi…icacion of his church, than to compyle some ly…e treatyse oute of the holy scriptures, whiche shoulde contayne in it these thynges aforesayd, & paint out as it were in a certayne table, fyrst the knowledge of our selues, and afterward the benefytes of God the father toward vsus by Iesus Christ, that men perceyuy…ge theyr owne abhominacion, maye make the more haste to Gods goodnes, & whan they hauehave once tasted of that, endeuour thē selues to walke worthy the kyndnes of god.
Thys thynge hauehave I done in thys worke folowynge, accordynge as I trust, to the pure vayne of the holy scryptures.
I hauehave entyteled the boke,Newes ou… of heauen, Ne. wes of heauen, because it shewethe to vsus the plesaunte, ioyful & confortable newes of Christe. It openeth to vsus aboundantly the syngular & incomperable benefytes, that we receyue of God thorowe Christ.
The Ebuccinatour, shewer, & declarer of these newes, I hauehave made Gabriel the aūgell & Embassadour of God,Luk. i. because that he fyrste of all brought tydinges of Christes incarnacion, to the mooste pure & cleane virgyne Marye.
I wyll not prayse the boke, vnlesse I shoulde seme to hunte after vaynglory, neither wyl I dispraise it, vnlesse I myght seme rasshely & without a cause to condēpne that, which is worthy prayse & cōmendaciō of it selfe. I leaue it therfore to ye iudgemēt of other, that be ghostly learned & taught of God.The profite of this boke Thys I dare boste y• it contaynethe more true and christen learnyng, than a great sorte of volumes, yt we hauehave hyghly estemed in tymes paste. He that shall make this boke his cōpagnion, shal here fynd in fewe leaues, that the whole Byble & cōmētaries of the auncient doctors do teach of christ in many, so y• it might well be called ye treasure house of christē knowledge.The tresure house of christen knoweledge. Neyther can any man iustely condempne or reiecte thys boke, excepte he also wyl cotēne & set at nought the moost sacred and holy Byble, with the aucthorities wher of this lytle treatyse is sufficiently & plenteously fortressed & defensed agaynste the boryshe tethe & serpētlyke tonges of these crakyng calūniatours, & subtyle Sycophā tes, which after the maner of Momus are redy to carpe, reprehēde, & cōdempne eueryevery mans worke & enterprise, be it neuer so godlye, whā they themselues brynge for the nothyng at all, that is worthy eyther the redyng or the hearynge, except men hauehave pleasure to read or heare blasphemes.
Yf any man shal thynke that I set out Christ & Christes benefytes to largely (which I am sure, no mā wyll do, excepte he be a very Antechrist and a wicked Papist) let hym knowe that I set for the Christe no more than the holy Scriptures do beare. The argumente also of my matter requyrethe no lesse than I hauehave wrytten. Christ must be declared otherwyse then Moyses. For Christe is a sauyoure.Math. i. And he bryngeth ioye, peace, fauour, tranquilite of conscience, & free remission of synnes. Therfore as a Sauyoure must he be declared, and not as an extreme reuenger.
At Christes byrthe the Aungell sayd to the shepeherdes:Luk. ii. Feare not, for beholde I shewe vntounto you great ioye, which shalbe to all people For this day is a sauyour borne, which is Christ the LORDE, in the cytie of Dauid. And Christ hymselfe after his resurreccion sayde to his Apostles:Mat. xvi. What this word gospel signifyeth. Go ye into ye vniuersal world & preach the Gospel, that is to say, good & mery tydinges to eueryevery creature. He that shal beleue & be baptised, shalbe saued But he y• shal not beleue shalbe condēpned. Here may all men se, that both the aūgell and Christ are on my syde, & agree with me in facte. Neyther is ye preching of christ & his benefytes,The prech… of christis benefites, is a prouacacion to lyue well for y• faythefull. a wyndow to all kynd of carnal liberte & dissolute lyuyng (as the vngodly Papistes with vnshamefaced forheades dolye) but rather a prouocacion & sterynge vp of men vntounto true godlynes, which when they se the exceadyng goodnes of God toward thē, take streyght wayes an occasion to louelove God agayne, & a valcaunt courage to do his moost godly wyll. He that readeth this my worke to the ende, shall easelye perceyue that I go not aboute to plucke men from good workes, but rather animite & encourage them vntounto the doyng of good workes, prouynge with manifest & euydent scryptures y• Christe is no sauyour,Psal. l. To whom Christ is a Sauiour but to such as wyth a contryte herte and an hūble spyrite confesse theyr sinne, repent thē of theyr wyckednes, call to God for grace, amend theyr wycked conuer saciō,Romn. vi. correcte theyr synful maners,psal. lxxxiii walke in a newe lyfe,Luke. i. go from vertue to vertue, and serue God theyr maker all the dayes of theyr lyfe, in holinesse, in righteousnes. For god dyd chose vsus in christ,Ephe. ii. as S. Paule sayeth, thorowe louelove, before ye foū dacion of y• worlde was layde, y• we should be sayntes & wtout blame in his sighte. And although by grace we are made safe thorow fayth, and that not of oure selues, for it is the gyfte of God, & cōmeth not of workes, vnlesse any man shoulde boast hymselfe, yet are we his workemā shyp created in Christ Iesu to good workes, which God hath prepared that we should walke in them.
But I wyl make an end, vnlesse the preface of the worke, maye seme to be longer then the worke it selfe.
Nowe for asmuch as in the begynnyng of a new yeare, men vse customably to sende one to another gyftes & tokens, whereby they declare the beneuolens and good wyll that is betwene them: I for my parte, knowyng howe greatly I am boūd to your ryght worshypfull maystershyp, couetynge by some meannes to declare agayne my good wyl & obse quious herte to youre moost bounteous gentlenes, do send vntounto you this lytle treatyse at this tyme for a newe yeares gyfte, moost humbly desyrynge youre ryght worshypfull maystershyp to accepte and take in good worth this my lytle gyfte, although not worthy youre graunde munificence, yet as a memosynon & memoriall of my studious mynde towarde your maystershyp. At another tyme (God furtherynge me in my studies) I shall wyth no lesse dilygence compyle ether workes no lesse serious, weyghtye & graue, dedicatynge thē to your maystershyppes name, as I truste to the glorye of God, ye edificacion of his churche, and the immortalytye of youre renowne. In the meane season I shal moost hertely desyre God ye author of eueryevery yeare, that this new yeare with many other, maye euer begyn vntounto you wyth good fortune, procede wt better, ende wyth y• whiche is beste, and alwaye be prosperous and fortunate so long as they last. God preserue your ryght worshypful maystershyp, with the good, gentle woman your wyfe, in cōtinual helth and prosperous felicite. Amen.
¶Yours at wyll & cōmaūdement, Theodore Basille.