Faith Justifies Us Before We Can Bring Forth any Good Work, Treatise · Part 25
PRayer ys amornynge a longinge & a deſyre of the ſprite to godward for yt which ſhe lacketh / as a ſick morneth & foroweth ī his hert lōgīge for health. Faith ever praieth. For after y• by faith we are recōſiled to god & have receaved merciemercy & forgivenes of god the ſprite longeth & thurſteth for ſtrēgth to do ye will of God / & yt god may be honoured / his name halowede / & his pleaſure & will fulfilled. The ſprite waiteth & watcheh on ye will of god and ever hath hir awen fragilite & weaknes bifore hir eies / and whē ſhe ſeeth tētaciō & perell drawe nie / ſhe torneth to God & to the teſtamēte yt God hath made to all that beleve & truſt … Chriſtes bloud & deſireth God for his mercy / trueth and for the love he hath to Chriſt / yt he woll fulfill his promiſe / y• he will ſoc…re & helpe & give vsus ſtrēgth / ād yt he woll ſanctifie his name in vsus & fulfill his godly will in vsus / and that he will not loke on our ſinne & īiquite / but on his mercy / on his trueth / & on ye love that he oweth to his ſone Chriſt & for his ſake to kepe vsus frō tētacion / that we be not overcōme ād that he delyver vsus frō evill / & what ſo ever moveth vsus contrary to his Godly wyll.
More over of his awne experiēce he fealeth other mēs neade / & no leſſe cōmēdeth to God y• infirmites of other thē his awne knowinge that ther ys no ſtrēgth / no helpe / no ſuccure but of God only. And as mercifull as he fealeth god in his hert to hī ſelfe warde / ſo mercyfull ys he to other / & as greatly as he fealyth his awne miſery / ſo gretre cōpaſſiō hath he on other. His neiboure ys no leſſe care to bī then hī ſelfe. He fealeth his neibours greffe no leſſe thē his awne. And whē ſo euer he ſceth occaſiō he cā not but pray for his neyboure as wel as for hī ſelfe: his nature ys to ſeke ye honore of god ī all mē / & to drawe (as moch as in hī ys) all mē vntounto god. This is y• lawe of love which ſprigeth out of Chriſtes bloude ī to ye hertes of all thē yt have ther truſt ī hī. No mā neadeth to bid a creſtē mā to pray if he ſe his neybours neade: if he ſe it not put hī in remēbraū ce only / & thē he cā not but do hys dutye.
Now as towchīge we deſire one another to pray for vsus / yt doo we to pur our neibour in remēbraūce of his dutie & not yt we truſt ī his holines. Oure truſt ys in god / in Chriſt ād in y• trueth of goddes promiſes / we have alſo a promiſe yt whē .ij. 02. iij. or moe agre together in ony thīg acordīge to ye will of god / god heareth vsus. Not withſtādīg as god heareth many ſo heareth he few / ād ſo heareth he one / if he pray after y• will of god & deſire the honour of god. He y• deſireth merciemercy / y• ſame fealeth hys▪ awne miſeri / & ſine & morneth ī his hert for to be delyverd / that he myght honour God and God for his trueth muſt heare him / which ſayeth by he mouth of Chriſt Mat. v. Belſſed ar they yt honger & thurſt after righteouſnes / for they ſhalbe fufylled. God for his truethes ſake muſt put ye righteouſnes of Chriſt in hī & waſ he his vnrighteouſnes awaie in ye bloude of Chriſte. And be ye ſinner never ſo weke / never ſo feable & frayle / ſinne he never ſo oft & ſo grevous / yet ſo longe as this luſt deſire & inorninge to be delyuerd remaineth in him. God ſeeth not his ſinnes / rekeneth thē not / for his truethes ſake & love to Chriſte. He is not a ſinner in the ſyght of God / yt wold be no ſinner. He yt wold be delyuerd hath his hert looſe all readi. His hert ſinneth not / but morneth repenteth / & cōſenteth vntounto y• law & will of God and iuſtyfieth God / yt is / beareth recorde that God which made ye lawe / is righteous & iuſt. And ſoch an hert truſtinge in Chriſtes bloud / is accepted for full righteous. And his weaknes / infirmite & fraylte is pardoned & his ſinnes not lokede apon: vntyll God put moare ſtrength in him and fulfyll his luſt.
When the weake in the fayth & vnexpert in the miſteries of Chriſt deſire vsus to pray for thē thē ought we to leade thē to the trueth & promyſes of God / and teach thē to put ther truſt in the promiſes of God / in love that God hath to Chriſte and to vsus for his ſake / ād to ſtrēgth ther weke conſcrēces / ſhewinge & proving by y• ſcripture / that as lōge as they folowe the ſprite and reſiſte ſinne it is impoſſible they ſhuld faule ſo depethat God ſhall not pulle them vp againe / if they hold faſt by ye anker of faith hauinge truſt and confidence in Chriſt. The love that God hath to Chriſt is infinite / & Chriſt dyd and ſuffered all thinges / not for hī ſelfe / to optaine favoure or ought elſe: for he had ever y• full favoure of God ād was ever lorde over all thinges / but to reconſile vsus to God & to make vsus…heyres with him of his fathers kyngdome. And God hath promiſed / y• who ſo ever calleth on his name ſhall never be cōfounded or aſhamed Ro. ij. yf y• rightwes fall (ſayth the ſcripture) he ſhall not be broyſed / y• lord ſhall put his hande vnderunder hī. Who is righteous but he yt truſteth in Chriſtes bloude / be he never ſo weke? Chriſt is oure righteouſnes and in him ought we to teach all men to truſt / and to expounde vntounto all men y• teſtamēt that God hath made to vsus ſinners ī Chriſtes bloude. This ought we to do & not make a praye of them to leade them captyve / to ſit…e in ther conſcyences and to teach them to truſt in our holynes / good deades and prayers / to the entent that we wold f…de our ydle and ſlowe belyes of ther great labour and ſweate / ād ſo to make ourſelves Chriſtes and ſaviours. For if I take ō me to ſave other bi mi merites / make I not my ſelfe a Chriſte & a ſavioure / & am in deade a falſe prophete & a true antichriſt / & exalt my ſelf and ſytt in the tēple of God / that ys to were the cōſciences of mē …
Amonge Chriſten men love maketh all thinges commune: every man ys others detter & every man is bounde to miniſter to his neighboure / & to ſupplie his neyghbours lacke / of that where with God hath endued him. As thou ſeyſt in ye world how the lordes & offycers miniſter peace in y• cōmune wealth / punnyſh murderers / theves & evyll doers / & to maynttene there ordre & eſe ate doo the cōmunes miniſter to thē againe rēt / tribute / tolle & cuſtome So in ye Goſpell the curates which in every pariſh preach y• Goſpell ought of duety to receave an honeſt living for thē & theyr howfholdes and even ſo ought y• other officers which ar neceſſarilye required in ye cōmune wealth of Chriſte. We neade not to vſe filthy lucre in the Goſpell / to chope & chaunge & to playe ye tavernars / alteringe ye word of God / as they do there mines to theyr moſt avauntage / & to faſcion Goddes worde aftyr every mās mouth / or to abuſe the name of Chriſt to obtayne thereby autorite and power / to fede our flowe belyes. Now ſeyſt thou what prayerys / the ende therof and wherfore it ſeruyth.
Iff thou give me a thouſand pownde to pray for the I am no more bounde then I was before. Mans ymaginacion can makethe cō maundemēt of god nether greater nor ſmaller nether can to ye lawe of God exther adde or miniſhe. Goddes cōmaundement is as great as him ſelf. I am bownde to love y• Turke with all my might & power / yet and above my power even from y• grounde of my hert / aftyr the enſample y• Chriſte loved me / nether to ſp… re goodes / bodye or life to win him to Chriſte. And what can I do moare for y• if thou gaveſt me all y• world? Where I ſe neade ther can I not but pray if Goddes ſprite be in me.
Almes is a greake worde & ſignifieth mercy One Chriſtē is detter to an other at his neade of all yt he is able to do for hī vntill' his neade be ſuffiſed. Every Chriſtē man ought to have Chriſt all ways before his eyes / as an enſample to counterfaite & folowe / & to do to his neyboure as Chriſt hath done to hī / as Paulteacheth in all his piſtles ād Peter in his fyrſt & John in his firſt alſo. This order vſeth Paule in all his piſtles. Firſt he preacheth ye lawe ād proveth yt the whole nature of mā is damnyd in that y• hert luſteth cōtrary to y• will of God. For if we were of God / no dowe we ſhuld ha / ve luſt in his will. Thē preacheth he Chriſt / y• Goſpel ye promiſes / & the merciemercy yt God hath ſet forth tō all men in Chriſtes bloude. Which they that beleve & take it for an erneſt thynge / turne thē ſelves to God / beginne to love God agayne / & to prepare thē ſelves to his wyll by y• working of the ſprite of God in thē. Laſt of all exorteth he to vnite / peace ād ſobernes / to avoyde beaulīges / ſectes / opiniōs / diſputinge ād arguinge abowt wordes / ād to walke ī the playne ād ſyngle fayth ād fealinge of y• ſprite / & to love one an other after y• ēſample of Chriſt / even as Chriſt loved vsus & to be thākfull / & to walke worthy of y• Goſpell ād as it becometh Chriſt and with the enſample of pure living to drawe all to Chriſte.
Chriſt is lorde over all / & every criſtē is heyre ānexed with Chriſt ād therfore lorde of all / ād every one lorde of what ſo ever an other hath. Yf thy brother on neiboure therfore neade and thou have to helpe hī ād yet ſhoweſt not mercy but with draweſt thy hādes frō hī: thē robbeſt thou hī of his owne ād art a theſe. A Chriſten mā hath Chriſtes ſprite. Now is Chriſt a mercifull thinge: if therefore thou be not mercyfull after ye ēſample of Chriſte thē haſt thou not his ſprite. Yf thou have not Chriſtes ſprite / then art thou none of his Ro. viij. nor haſt any parte with hī. More over though thou ſhewe mercye vntounto thy neibour / yet if thou do it not with ſoch burnīg love as Chriſt did vntounto y• / ſo muſt thou knowleage thy ſinne and deſyre mercy in Chriſt. A criſtē mā hath nought to reioyſe in / as cōcerninge his deades. His reioyſinge is yt Chriſt died for hī / ād yt he is waſhed ī Chriſtes bloude. Of hys deades reioyſeth he not / nether coūteth his merites / nether giveth pardone of thē / nether ſeketh ā hyer place ī evē of thē / nether maketh hī ſelf a ſavoure of other mē / thorowe his good workes. But geveth all honour to god / & ī his greatiſt deades of mercy knowleageth hī ſelf a ſinner vnfainedly / & is abū dātly cōtēt with y• place yt is prepared for hī of Chriſt. and his good deades ar to hī a ſigne ōly that Chriſtes ſprite is in him / ād he in Chriſte / and thorowe Chriſte electe to eternall lyfe.
The order of love or charite which ſome dreame / y• Goſpell of Chriſt knoweth not of / that a mā ſhuld begīne at hī ſelf & ſerve hī ſelfe fyrſte & thē deſcēde I wot not by what ſteppes. Love ſeketh not hyr own profer .ij. Cor. xij. but maketh a mā to forgette hī ſelf / & to turne his profet to ā other mā / as Chriſte ſought not hī ſelfe or hys own profet but oures. This terme my ſelf is not ī y• Goſpell / nether yet father / mother ſiſter / brother / kīſmā / yt one ſhuld be preferred ī love above ā other. But Chriſte is all ī all thīges. Every chriſtē man to an other is Chriſte hym ſelf / and thy neigbours neade hath as good ryght in thy goodes as hath chriſte hym ſelf which is heyre and lorde over all. And loke what thou oweſt to Chriſte that thou oweſt to thy neybours neade. To thy neybour oweſt thou thine herte / thy ſelfe ād all that thou haſt & canſt do. The love that ſpringeth out of Chriſt excludeth …o mā nether putteth difference betwene one ād an other. In Chriſte we ar all of one degree without reſpect of perſons. Not withſtonding though a Chriſtē mans hert be open to all men / and receaveth all men. Yet be cauſe that his abilite of goodes extendeth not ſo ferre / this proviſionis made / that every mā ſhall care for his own howſehold / as father & mother and thine elders that have holpē the / wife chyldern and ſervantes. If thou ſhuldeſt not care and provide for thine howſeholde / thē were thou an infidele / ſeinge thou haſt taken on the ſo to do / and for as moch as that is thy part committed to the of the congregacion. When thou haſt done thy dutie to thine howſehold / and yet haſt forder aboundance of the bleſſinge of God / that oweſt thou to the pore that can not labre / or wold labre and can gett no worke / ād are deſtitute of frendes / to the pore I meane which thou knoweſt / to thē of thine own paryſh. For that proviſion ought to be had in the congregacion / that every paryſh ca…e for there pore. If thy neibours which thou knoweſt be ſerved / ād thou yet have ſuperfluyte / and heareſt▪ neceſſite to be amonge the bretherne a thouſand myle of / to thē art thou detter. Yee to the very infidels we be detters / if they neade / as ferforth as we mayntene thē not agaynſt Chriſt or to blaſfeme Chriſt. Thus ys every man that neadeth thy helpe / thy father / mother / ſyſter / and brother in Chriſt: even as every man that doth the wyll of the father / is father / mother / ſiſter / ād brother vntounto Chriſte.
More over if any be an infidele and a fals Chriſten and forſake his houſhold / hys wyfe / chylder and ſoch as cā not helpe them ſelves / then art thou bound & thou have where with / evē as moch as to thine own houſhold. And they have as good right in thy goodes / as thou thy ſelfe. And if thou with drawe mercye from them / and haſt where with to helpe thē: then art thou a thefe. Yf thou ſhowe mercy / ſo doyſt thou thy dutie and art a faythfull miniſter in the houſhold of Chriſte / and of Chriſt ſhalt thou have thy rewarde and thanke. Yff the whole world were thine / yet hath every brother his right in thy goodes and is heyre with the / as we are all heyres with Chriſte. More over the rich ād they that have wiſdome with thē muſt ſe the pore ſet a worke / that as many as are able maye fede them ſelves with the laboure of there owne handes / according to the ſcripture and commaundement of God.
Now ſeyſt thou what almes deade meaneth and wherefore it ſervith. Be that ſeleth with his almes moare than to be mercyfull / to be a neybour / to ſuccour his brothers neade / to do his dutye to his brother / to give his brother that he oweth hym / the ſame is blind ād ſeeth not what it is to be a chriſten mā / and to have felowſhip in Chriſtes bloude.
As partayning to good workes / vnderſtād that all workes ar good which are done wyth in the lawe of God in fayth and with thankes gevinge to god / and vnderſtonde that thou in doinge them pleaſeſt God / what ſo ever thou doiſt with in yt lawe of God / as whē thou makeſt water. And truſt me if other wind or water were ſtopped thou ſhuldeſt feale what a preciouſe thing it were to do ether of both / and what thankes ought to be gevē God therfore. More over put no differēce betwene workes / but what ſo ever cemeth in to thy handes that do as time / place ād occaſion geveth / and as God hath put the in degre hye or lowe. For as …witching to pleaſe God / ther is no worke better then an other. God loketh not fyrſt on thy worke as y• world doth / as though the bewtyſulnes of the worke pleaſed hym / as it doeth the worlde or as though he had neade of thē. But God loketh fyrſt on thy hert / what fayth thou haſt to hys wordes / how thou beleveſt him / truſteſt hym ād how thou loveſt hym for hys merciemercy that he hath ſhowed the he loketh with what hert thou workeſt / and not what thou workeſt / how thou accepteſt the degre that he hath put the in and not of what degree thou art / whether thou be an Apoſtle or a ſhew maker. Get this enſample before thine eyes. Thou art a kehinpage and waſheſt thy maſters dyſhes / an other ys an Apoſtle and preacheth the worde of God. of this Apoſtle herfe what Paule ſaith in the ſeconde to the Corinthians .ix. If I preach (ſayeth he) I have nought to reioyſe ī / for neceſſite ys put ūto me as who ſhuld ſay / God hath made me ſoe. Woe is vntounto me if I preach not. If I do it wyllingly (ſayth he) thē have I my rewarde that ys / thē am I ſure that Goddes ſpirite ys in me and that I am electe to eternall lyfe. Yf I do it againſt my will an office is cōmitted vntounto me / yt is / if I do it not of love to God / but to gete a living ther by & for a worldly purpos & had lever other ways lyve / then do I that office which God hath put me in & yet pleaſe not God my ſelfe. No…e now if this Apoſtle preach not as many do not / which not ōly m…fe thē ſelves Apoſtles / but alſo cōpell mē to …afe thē for gretter thē apoſtles / yee for gretter thē Chriſt hī ſelfe) thē wo ys vntounto him / yt is / his damnacion is iuſt. If he preach & his hert no… right / yet mim…treth he ye office that God hath put hym in / ād they that have the ſpirite of god heare the voyce of God / yee though he ſpeake in an Aſſe. More over how ſo ever he preacheth he hath not to reioyſe / in that he preacheth. But & if he preach willyngly / with a true hert and of conſcience to God: then hath he his rewarde / that is / thē fealeth he the erneſt of eternall lyfe and the workinge of the ſprite of god in hym. And as he fealeth Gods goodnes and mercy / ſo be thou ſure he fealeth hys own infir mite / weaknes and vnworthines / and morneth & knowleageth hys ſinne / in that the hert will not arriſe to worke with that full luſt ād lone that is in Chriſt our lorde. And nevertheleſſe is yet at peace with God thorowe fayth ād truſt in Chriſt Ieſu. For the erneſt of ye ſprite that worketh in hym teſtifieth & beareth wit nes vntounto his hert that God hath choſen hī / & that his grace ſhall ſuffice hym / which grace is now not ydle in hym. In hys workes putteth he no truſt.
Now thou that miuiſtreſt in the kechen & art but a kechē age receaviſt all thinge of y• hond of God / knoweſt that God hath put the in that office / ſubmuteſt thy ſelfe to hye will and ſerveſt thy maſter / not as a man / but as Chriſte hym ſelf with a pure hert / accordinge as Panle teacheth vsus / putteſt thy truſt in God / and▪ wyth him ſeakeſt thi rewarde. More over ther ys not a good deade done / but thi hert reioyſeth therin / yee when thou heareſte that ye word of God ys preached by this Apoſtle & ſeyſt the people turne to God / thou conſenteſt vntounto the deade / thine hert breaketh out in ioye / ſprīgeth and leapeth in thi breſt / that God is honoured And in thine hert doiſt ye ſame that ye Apoſtle doth & happly wyth greater delecraciō & a moare fervent ſprite. Now he yt receaveth a prophere in the name of a prophete ſhall receave the reward of a prophet. Math. x. that is / he yt conſenteth to ye dede of a prophete & mainteneth it / the ſame hath the ſame ſprite & erneſt of everlaſting lyfe which the prophete hath & ys electe as the prophete is.
Now if thou cōpare deade to deade ther ys difference bitwixt / waſſhinge of diſches and preaching of ye worde of God. But as twitehinge to plaiſe God none at all. For nother yt nor this pleaſeth / but as ferforth as God hath choſen a man / hath put his ſprite in hī ād purifyed his hert by fayth and truſt in Chriſte.
Let every man therfore wayte on the offyce wherin Chriſt hath put him & therin ſerve his bretherne. If he be of lowe degre let him pacyently therein abide tyll God promote hī & exalte hym hier. Let kinges & hed officers ſeke Chriſte in ther offices & miniſtre peace & quietres vntounto the bretherne / punniſh ſinne / & that with mercy / even with ye ſame ſorowe & grefe of mīde as they wold cutt of a finger or ioynte a legge or harme of there own bodie / if there were ſoch dyſeaſe in thē / that ether they muſt be cutte of or elſe all the body muſt pereſhe.
Let every mā of what ſo ever craft or occupacion he be of / whether bruer baker tailer vitailer marchaūt or huſbāde mā refer his craft & occupacion vntounto ye cōmune wealth / & ſerve his bretherne as he wold do Chriſt hī ſelfe. Let hī bye & ſell truely & not ſet dice on his brether ne / & ſo ſhoweth he merci / & his occupaciō pleaſeth God. And whē thou receaveſt money for thi laboure or ware thou receaveſt thi dutie. For wherī ſo ever thou minſter to thi bretherne / thi brether are dettours to geve ye where with to maītene thi ſelfe & thi houſhold. And let your ſuperfluires ſuccoure ye pore / of which ſort ſhall ever be ſome in all townes cityes / & villages / & yt I ſuppoſe y• greayeſt nowmbre. Remēbre y• we ar mēbres of one bodie & ought to miniſter one to an other mercifully. And remēbre yt what ſo ever we have / it is gyvē vsus of God to beſtowe it on our bretherne. Let hī yt eateth eate & give God thākes / only let not thy meate poele thine hert from God. And let hī yt drinketh do like wiſe. Let hī yt hath a wife gyve God thākes for his libertie / ōly let not thi wife wyth drawe thyne hert frō god & thē pleaſeſt thou God & haſt ye worde of God for the. And in all thinges loke on the worde of God & there in put thi truſt / and not in a viſure / in a dyſgyſed garment and a cutte ſhwee.
Seke ye worde of God in all thīges / & with out ye worde of God do nothinge / though it appere never ſo gloriouſe. What ſo ever is done with out ye worde of God / yt coūt ydolatrie. The kīgdome of hevē is with in vsus. Luc. xvij. Wōder therfore at no monſtrous ſhapp ner at any outwarde thīge with out ye worde. For the world was nerver drawn frō God / but with an outwarde ſhowe & glorious apperaūce ād ſhininge of ypocryſie & of fained & viſured faſtinge / prainge / watchinge / ſinging / offeringe ſacryfycinge / halowīge of ſuperſticious ceremonies and monſtrouſe dyſgyſinge.
Take this for an ēſample. Iohn baptiſt which had teſtimonie of Chriſt & of y• Goſpel / yt there never roſe a gretter amōge wīmens childern / with his faſtīg / watchīg / praīg / raimēt & ſtraite lyuīge deceaved ye iewes & brought thē in doute / whether Iohn were very Chriſt or not & yet no ſcripture or miracle teſtifying it / ſo greatly ye blind nature of mā loketh on y• outeward ſhinīg of workes / & regardeth not ye inwarde worde which ſpeaketh to ye herte. whē thei ſent to Iohn axige hī whether he ware Chriſte / he denied it. whē thei axed hī what he was & what he ſaid of hī ſelf. he āſwared not / I am he y• watcheth / praieth / drinketh no wyne nor ſtronge drinke / eateh nother fyſh nor fleſh / but lyve with wild hony and graſſhopers and weare a cote of camels heare & a girdle of a ſtī ne: but ſaid I am a voice of a criar. My voice only pertaineth to you. thoſe outeward thīges which ye wonder at / partaine to my ſelf only vntounto y• tamīge of my bodie. To you am I a voyce ōly & y• which I preache. My preachīg (if it be receaved in to a penitēt or repērīge hert) ſhall teach you how to live & pleaſe god / accordīge as god ſhall ſhede out his grace on every mā. John preached repētaūce / ſaynge prepare y• lordes waie & make his pathes ſtraight The lordes waie ys repētaūce & not ypocriſie of mās ymaginaciō & invēciō. It is not poſſible y• y• lorde Chriſt ſhuld come to a mā / eycept he knowe hī ſelfe & his ſinne & truely repēt. Make his pathes ſtreight: y• pathes are y• lawe / if thou ūderſtōde it a right as god hath givē it. Chriſt ſaieth ī .xvij. of Mat. Helias ſhall firſt come / y• is ſhall come before Chriſt & reſtore all thīges meanīge of Io. bap. Io. ba. did reſtore y• lawe & ye ſcripture vntounto y• right ſence ād vnderſtōdīge / which ye phariſeis partly had darkned & made of none effecte / thorowe ther owne tradiciōs Matth. xv. where Chriſt rebuketh thē ſaynge: whi trāſgreſſe ye y• cōmaūdemētes of god thorou your tradicions: and partly had corrupt it with gloſes and falfe interpretacions / that no man coude vnderſtonde it. Wherefore Chriſte rebuketh thē Math. xxiij. ſainge: wo be to you phariſes ypocrites which ſhut vppe the kīgdome of hevē before mē: ye enter not your ſelves / nether ſuffer thē that come / to enter in: ād partly did begile the people & blīde ther eyes in diſgiſinge thē ſelves / as thou readeſt in y• ſame .xxiij. Cha. how they made brode & large philateries / & ded all ther workes to be ſene of mē / y• the people ſhuld wōder at ther diſgiſinges & riſurīge of them ſelves other wiſe thē god had made thē: & partly mocked thē with ypocriſie of f…lſe holines in faſtīge / praīge & almes giuīg Mat. vj. & this did they for lu…re to be ī authorite / to ſitte in y• cōſciēces of people / & to be coūted as god hī ſelfe / yt the people ſhulde truſte ī ther holines & not ī god / as thou readeſt ī y• place above reherſed Mat. xxiij. wo be to you phareſes ypocrites which devoure widowes howſes vnderunder a color of lōge praier. Counterfette therfore no thīg without ye worde of god whē thou vnderſtōdeſt yt / it ſhall teach ye all thīges how to applie outwarde thīges / & where vntounto to referre thē. Bewarre of thy good entent / good minde / good affectiō or zele as they call it. Peter of a good minde & of a good affection or zele chode Chriſt Math. xvj. be cauſe he ſayde that he muſt goe to Hieruſalē & there be ſlaine. But Chriſt called hym ſatan for hys laboure a name that belongeth to the devyll. And ſaid that he perceaved not godly thinges but worldly. Of a good entēt & of a fervent affection to Chriſt the ſonnes of Zebedei wold have had fyre to come downe from heven to cō ſune ye Samaritanes Lu. jx. But Chriſt rebuked thē ſaiēge y• they wiſt not of what ſprite thei were: yt is / that they vnderſtode not how y• they were altogedre worldly & fleſhly mynded. Peter ſmote malchus of a good zele: but Chriſt codēned his deade. y• very Jewes of a good ent…e & of a good zele ſlew Chriſt & perſecuted ye apoſtles as Paull berith thē recorde Ro. x. I beare thē recorde (ſaith he) yt they have a fervēte mīde to god warde but not accordīge to knowelege. It is a nother thīge thē / to do of a good minde & to do of knowlege: Labour for knowlege y• thou maiſt know goddes will & what he wold have y• to doe Oure mīde entēte & affection or zele are blīde & all yt we do of thē is dāned of god / & for y• cauſe hath god made a teſtamēte betwene hī & vsus where ī ī cōtayned bothe what he wold have vsus to do / & what he wold have vsus to axe of hī. Se therfore y• thou do no thinge to plaiſe god with all but y• he cōmaūdeth / nether axe any thinge of hī but y• he hath promiſed the. The Jewes alſo (as it appereth Act. vij) ſlewe Stevē of a good zele. Becauſe he proved by the ſcripture / that God dwelleth not in churches or temples made with handes. The churches at the beginnynge were ordeyned / that the people ſhulde thider reſorte to here the worde of God there preached only / & not for the vſe where in they now are. The temple wherein God wilbe worſhipped is the herte of mā. For God is a ſprite (ſayth Chriſt Io. iiij.) & will be worſheped in the ſprite & in trueth: That is / when a penitente herte conſenteth vntounto the lawe of god / & with a ſtronge fayth lōgeth for the promiſes of God. So is God honored on all ſydes in yt we counte hī righteous in all hys lawes and ordinaunces and alſo true in all his promyſes. Other worſhepinge of God is there none / excepte we make an ydole of him.