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1    The fyrste instruccyon is offerd vnto vs of these
2fyrst wordes of the gospell. Quum venerit
3paracletus quem ego mittam vobis. spiritum
4veritatis qui a patre procedit. In the whiche
5wordes is promest vnto vs the spyryte of trouthe. to be
6our comforte in all doutefull opinyons that may ryse in
7chrystes chirche.
8    Touchynge this instruccyon thre
9thynges I wold do. First I wold shewe that the instruccyons
10of this holy gospell perteyneth to the vniuersal
11chirche of chryst. Secondly that the heed of the
12vnyuersall chirche iure diuino is the pope. Thyrdly
13that Martyn luther (whiche deuydeth hymselfe from this
14heed) hath not in him the spiryte of trouth.
15    For the
16fyrst martyn luther can not denye. but this promesse is
17made vnto the vnyuersall chyrche. & ther vnto we shall
18bynde hym by his owne reason. he sayth in the booke de
19captiuitate babilonica . Quod si demus vnam aliquam
20epistolam Pauli. aut vnum alicuius epistole
21locum. non ad vniuersalem ecclesiam pertinere.
22iam euacuata est tota Pauli authoritas. that is to
23say yf we wyll afferme that any one epistle of saynt
24Paule. or any one place of his epistoles. perteyneth not
25vnto the vnyuersall chirche of chryst. we take away all
26saynt Paules authoryte.
27    Now yf it be thus of the
28wordes of saynt Paule. moche rather this is a trouthe
29of the gospels of christ. & of eury place wryten in the
30same gospels. In the vniuersall chyrche than this holy
31spyryte of trouthe resteth. & shal contynue vnto the
32worldes ende. vt maneat vobiscum ineternum.
33he shall abyde in the vnyuersall chyrche for euer. et

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34docebit vos omnem veritatem. And he shall in
35euery doute teche vs the trouthe. Thus moche for the
36fyrst.
37    Now for the seconde where I sayd that the pope
38iure diuino is the heed of the vnyuersall chyrche of
39christ. whan ye se a tree stande vpright vpon the ground
40& his braunches spred a brode. full of leues. & fruyte.
41yf the sonne shyne clere. this tree maketh a shadowe.
42in the whiche shadowe ye may perceyue a fygure of the
43braunches. of the leues. & of the fruyte. Euery thynge
44that is in the tree. hathe somwhat answerynge vnto it
45in the shadowe. And contrary wyse. euery parte of the
46shadowe hath some thynge answerynge vnto it in the
47tree. A mans eye may leade hym from euery part of
48the tree. tyll euery parte of the shadowe. & agayne.
49from euery parte of the shadowe tyll euery parte of the
50tree. answerynge ther vnto. Euery man may poynt any
51certayne parte of the shadowe. & say this is the shadowe
52of suche a braunche. & this is the shadowe of suche a
53lefe. & this is the shadowe of the bole of the tree. & this
54is the shadowe of the top of the tre.
55    But so it is
56that the lawe of Moyses. & the gouernaunce of the
57synagoge of the Iewes. was but a shadowe of the
58gouernaunce of the vnyuersall chirche of christ. So sayth
59saynt Paule. vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum.
60that is to say the lawe had but a shadowe of
61thynges for to come. And ad corinthios. omnia in
62figura contingebant illis . All theyr gouernaunce
63was but a fygure & shadowe of the chirche.
64    Now than
65to my purpose. In the gouernaunce was twayne hedes
66appoynted. one vnder another. Moyses & Aaron. to condyth
67that people thurgh the deserte. vnto the controy
68that was promysed vnto them. we woot that that people

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69of the Iewes was a shadow of the chrysten people. & that
70theyr Iorney by the desert. toward the countre promysed
71vnto them was a shadow of our iourney. thrugh this
72wretched world vnto the countre of heuen. But Moyses
73& Aaron whiche were the hedes of that people. wherof
74than be they shadow? withouten doute they must be
75the shadowe of chryste & of his vycare saynt Peter
76whiche vnder christ was also the heed of chrysten
77people.
78    And wyll ye se this more manyfestly by .iij. lykenesses.
79Fyrste Moyses & Aaron bothe of them were
80preestes. Moyses was made by god. & Aaron made by
81Moyses at the commaundement of god. to whom was
82commytted the cure of the Iewes in the absence of
83Moyses. So christ & saynt Peter bothe were preestes
84of the new lawe. Chryst made by his father all myghty
85god as it is wrytten of hym. Tu es sacerdos ineternum
86secundum ordinem Melchisedech. that is to
87saye thou art a preest for euer accordyng to the ordre of
88Melchesidech. And Peter was made by christ. to whom
89he commysed in his absence the cure of the christen
90people sayenge. pasce oues meas pasce. pasce. pasce.
91The second likenes is this. Moyses was meane bytwene
92almyghty god and Aaron for the causes of the people.
93& Aaron was meane bytwene Moyses & the people
94touchynge the causes of god. So scrypture techeth
95Exodi .iiij. Almighty god sayd vnto Moyses spekynge
96of Aaron. Ipse loquetur pro te ad populum. &
97erit os tuum. Tu autem eris ei in iis que ad
98deum pertinent. that is to saye. he shall speke in thy
99stede vnto the people. & thou shalt be for hym agayn.
100in thoo causes that perteyne vnto god. wyll ye se how
101christ was the mouthe of Peter towardes almighty god.
102he sayd to saynt peter. Simon Simon ecce sathanas

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103expetiuit vos, vt cribraret sicut triticum. Ego
104autem rogaui pro te vt non deficiat fides tua.
105et tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratres tuos.
106that is to saye. Simon Simon lo Sathanas hath coueyted
107gretly to syft you as a man syfteth his whete. But I
108haue prayed for the to thentent that thy faythe do not
109fayle. And thou ones tourned to the stabyll waye conferme
110thy brethren. Se now here wheder chryst was
111not the mouthe of Peter whan he promoted his cause.
112before almyghty god the father. & prayed for hym that
113his faythe sholde not fynally perysshe. And contrary
114wyse was not Peter the mouthe of christ. whan he to the
115true waye conuerted dyd conferme his brethren. here note
116well what authoryte was gyuen to Peter vpon them to
117conferme all the other of his bretheren in the stabyll
118waye.
119    The thyrde lykenes is this. Moyses ascended
120vnto the mounte to speke with almyghty god. and Aaron
121remayned behynde to instructe the people. Dyd not
122christ lykewyse ascend vnto his father vnto the grete
123mounte of heuen? And to what entent I praye you?
124Saynt Poule telleth. vt appareat vultui dei pro
125nobis. to appere before the face of almyghty god for
126vs. & there to be our aduocate as sayth saynt Iohan.
127And dyd not Peter remayne behynde to teche the people.
128the whiche our sauyour commytted vnto his charge.
129lyke as Aaron was lefte for to do the people of the Iewes.
130whan Moyses was aboue in the mount with god.
131    Thus
132euery man maye se how that shadowe & this thynge
133agreeth & answereth one tyll another fully & clerly. But
134now let vs pause here a whyle. I wyll construe this
135fygure yet by another dede of christ in the gospel. So it
136was. that the Iewes were tributaryes vnto the romaynes.
137& for that tribute the heed of euery housholde dyd paye
138a certayne coyne called didrachma . So whan they that

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139were the gaderers of this trybute came to saynt Peter.
140our sauyour bad hym go vnto the see. And tolde hym
141that in a fysshes bely there he shold fynde staterem .
142whiche was a double didrachma . and bad hym paye that
143vnto the gaderers. bothe for hymselfe and for christ.
144Marke here that this trybute was heed money payed for
145them that were heedes and gouernours of housholdes. &
146christ commaunded this to be payed for no moo. but
147onely for hym & for saint Peter. & therby quyted all
148the resydue. Ioyne this facte of the gospell vnto that
149fygure byfore. & what can be more euydent to shewe
150that Peter vnder christ was the heed of al the houshold
151of christ. But yet thyrdly let vs here the testymony of
152some father of the chyrche that this is the veray meanynge
153of the gospell. Saynt Austyn in the boke of
154questyons of the newe & of the olde testament the .lxxv.
155questyon sayth in this maner. didrachma capitum
156solutio intelligitur. the payment of this money was
157heed money payde for the heedes. And after foloweth.
158Saluator quum pro se et Petro dari iubet. pro
159omnibus exoluisse videtur. quia sicut in saluatore
160erant omnes causa magisterii. ita & post saluatorem
161in Petro omnes continentur. ipsum enim
162constituit caput eorum. that is to saye. whan our
163sauyour commaunded this double trybute. to be payed
164for hymselfe & for Peter. & in so commaundynge he
165dyd quyte all the resydue of the apostles. for all they
166were conteyned in hym. bycause he was theyr mayster.
167And as al they were conteyned in our sauyour. So after
168our sauyour all they were conteyned in Peter. For
169christ made hym the heed of them all. Here note
170of saynt Austyn that saynt Peter bycause he was heed
171of theym all. & all they were conteyned in hym. therfore
172this trybute that was payed for hym was payed for them
173al. But yet by an other scrypture whiche I rehersed

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174before. Saynt Austyn proueth that all the other apostles
175were conteyned in saynt Peter. Simon Simon. ecce
176sathanas expetiuit vos. vt cribraret sicut triticum.
177Ego autem oraui pro te. vt non deficiat fides
178tua. et tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratres
179tuos. that is to say. Symon Symon. loo sathanas hath
180coueyted to syft you as a man syfteth whete. but I
181haue prayed for the that thy faythe shall not fayle. &
182thou ones conuerted to the stable waye. do conferme thy
183brethren. Upon the whiche wordes saint Austin saythe.
184Christ dyd not praye for Iames and Iohan & for the other.
185but he prayed for saynt Peter in whome the resydue
186was conteyned.
187    Consyder now how eche of these testymonyes
188conferme & strengthe one another. Fyrste the fygure
189& shadow of the olde lawe. Secondly the testymony of
190the gospels answerynge vnto the same. Thirdly the
191declaracyon of saynt Austyn vpon the same. And here I
192brynge but one doctour. whose testymony in the balaunce
193on any trewe christen mans herte. me thynketh sholde
194weye downe Martyn Luther. But saynt Ambrose spekynge
195de didrachmate calleth it also capitum solutionem .
196that is to say heed money. And of saynt Peter he
197saythe. Petra enim dicitur. eo quod primus in
198nationibus fidei fundamentum posuerit. & tanquam
199saxum immobile totius operis christiani
200compagem. molemque contineat. that is to saye.
201Peter is called petra. bycause that he fyrste amonge the
202gentyles dyd establysshe the grounde of our fayth. & as a
203stone not easy to be remoued. he conteyneth in hym &
204stayeth all the frame & gretnes of the worke of christ.
205And saynt Gregory saythe. Certe Petrus apostolus
206primum membrum sancte et vniuersalis ecclesie
207est. Paulus. Andreas. Ioannes quid aliud quam

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208singularium plebium sunt capita. that is to saye.
209Peter is the chefe membre of the vnyuersall chirche.
210Paule & Andrew. & Iohan what els be they. but heedes
211of certayne & synguler people. wherby it appereth that
212as they were chefe euery man of the people that they
213had cure of. So saynt Peter was chefe of the vnyuersall
214chyrche. Saynt Hierome also sayth spekynge
215of Peter. Propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur.
216vt capite constituto. schismatis tolleretur occasio.
217that is to say that Peter was one chosen out
218amongest twelfe to thentent that he beynge theyr
219heed al occasyons of schysmatyke dyuysyon sholde be
220take away. Saynt Cypriane forthermore sayth. spekyng
221of Peter whan he dyd confesse cryst Iesu to be the sone
222of god. Loquitur illic Petrus super quem edificanda
223fuerat ecclesia. that is to saye there speketh
224Peter vpon whome the chirche was for to be buylded.
225But how shold the chirche be buylded vpon hym yf he
226were not the heed and chefe membre of the chyrche.
227    All these be of the latyn chyrche. holy fathers.
228all men of grete lernynge. all men of synguler holynes.
229whose vertuous lyuynges be confirmed by myracles
230bothe done in theyr lyfes & after theyr dethe. Of grekes
231lyke wyse. Chrysostome after that he hath praysed
232saynt Paule speketh of saynt Peter sayenge. quod ipse
233qui fuit apostolorum caput talis fuit. that is to
234saye that saynt Peter whiche was the heed of the apostles
235was suche another and often he called saynt Peter
236eximium apostolorum. et os discipulorum ac
237verticem collegii. that is to saye the chefe of the
238apostles and mouthe of the dyscyples & the top and heed
239of all the college. And Orygene saythe. Magno illi
240ecclesie fundamento petreque solidissime super

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241quam christus fundauit ecclesiam suam. vide
242quid dicatur a domino. Modice fidei quare
243dubitasti. that is to say. Se what was sayd of our lorde
244to that grete foundament of the chirche and moost
245stable stone. O man of lytle faythe why dydest thou
246doute.
247    Yf all these so many testymonyes bothe of
248grekes and latyns shall not counterpease agaynst one
249frere. what reason is this? I trust there is no true
250crysten man but that he wyll be moued with the testimonye
251of all these. specyally whan they be grounded
252of so playne & euydent a fygure of the olde lawe. and
253of so clere a lyght of the holy gospels.
254    But here
255Luther wyll saye that he can not conceyue duos summos .
256Of the whiche I meruayle gretly. Sithen it is manyfest
257that Aaron was called summus in scrypture. & yf he
258were summus sacerdos & Moyses was no whit benethe
259hym. than must they two eyther of them be summus .
260one of them vnder another in comparyson of the other
261people. So as saynt Paule maketh many hedes sayenge.
262Caput mulieris vir. caput viri christus. christi
263vero deus. Se here be thre heedes vnto a woman. god,
264chryst, & hyr husbande. & yet besyde al these she hath
265an heed of hyr owne. It were a monstrous syght to se
266a woman withouten an heed. what comforte sholde hyr
267housbande haue vpon hyr. Yf than one woman not
268withstandynge she hathe an heed of hyr owne to gouerne
269hyr accordynge to the wyll & pleasure of hyr housband.
270yet she hath hyr housbande to be hyr heed & chryst
271to be hyr heed. and god to be hyr heed. How moche
272rather our mother holy chyrche which is the spouse of
273christ. hath an heed of her owne. that is to saye the
274pope. and yet neuerthelesse chryst Iesu hyr housbande
275is her heed. & almyghty god is hyr heed also.
276    But now let vs retourne to our instruccyon.
277Thus than ye vnderstande how that in the vnyuersall

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278chyrche of chryste remayneth the spyryte of trouthe
279for euer. and that the heed of this chyrche the
280pope is vnder chryst. By this breuely it may appeere
281that the spyryte of chryst is not in Martyn luther. The
282spyryte of euery naturall body gyueth lyfe noo forther.
283but to the members & partes of the same body. whiche
284be naturally ioyned vnto the heed. And so lykewyse
285it must be in the mystycall body of our mother holy
286chirche.
287    For asmoche than as this wretched man
288hath deuyded hymselfe from the heed of this body.
289whiche is the vycare of chryst. how can he haue in hym
290the spyryte of this body whiche is the spyryte of
291trouthe. & specyally whan he hath deuyded hymselfe
292with suche pryde, arrogancye. & presumpcyon. whiche
293is moost odyous vnto this holy spyryte. and so dyspytyously.
294so presumsttuously. so malycyously contemneth
295& setteth at nought. & all to raggeth the heed of
296chrystes chyrche. to whome as to his chefe spyrytuall
297father. by the reason of his relygyon he hath vowed and
298promest obedyence. How can this man haue in hym
299the spyryte of god this holy spyryte of trouthe. And
300here I make an ende of the first instruccyon.
301
302    Here foloweth the seconde instruccyon
303agaynst the pernycyous doctryne
304of Martyn luther.

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305    These fyue great woundes were ingraued with
306sharpe & vyolent pennes, that is to say, the sharpe
307nayles, and the speare. And they doe represent vnto
308vs the fyue capytall Letters of thys booke. Thus then
309you maye perceyue what bee the boardes of this booke,
310and what be the leaues, how it is written within, and
311without, howe it is lyned and leathered, and what bee
312the Letters, as well the small as the great. Now wee
313shall heare what maner of wryting is contayned in thys
314booke. But first heere, let vs make our prayer for
315grace, beseechyng almyghtie God, to gyue vnto our
316hartes the gracyous lyght of his beames, whereby wee
317may the more clearely perceiue the writings of this
318booke, and that they may bring foorth some good fruite
319to our soules health.
320    Now you shall heare what wrytings be contayned
321in thys booke, in the booke which Ezechiel did see,
322was written three maner of things, Lamentationes,
323Carmen, et vae , which is to say, Lamentations, songes,
324and woe. And the same three things, in lyke maner
325be wrytten in thys booke on the Crucifixe. Fyrst is
326lamentation, and this verie conuenientlye is written in
327thys booke of the Crucyfixe. For whosoeuer will ioye

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328with Christ, must first sorow with him. And by sorowe
329and lamentation hee may come vnto ioye: But hee
330that will not sorrowe and lament wyth Christ heere in
331thys lyfe, hee shall come fynallye to the place where
332is euerlasting woe, I saye woe that shall neuer haue
333ende. Heere therfore is written all these three, lamentation,
334songe, and woe.
335    Fyrste then wee will speake of lamentation.
336    Lamentation aryseth of foure affections, eyther of a
337great feare, or dreade, or of a great shame, or of some
338sorrowe, or els of some hatred. When Holophernes
339with a mightie power was entred into the countrey of
340Iurie, & terribly threatned to distroy all before hym,
341the people were in a greate feare and dreade to be
342oppressed, and so fell downe before almyghtie God,
343and with great lamentation, dyd call for hys helpe,
344omnis populus cecidit in faciem, adorantes
345dominum cum lamentatione et fletu , all the
346people fell on theyr faces, worshyppyng our Lorde with
347weepyng and lamentation.
348    The cause of this lamentation, was the great dreade
349whych they were in. Heere first then let vs learne to
350dread, and doubtlesse thou Christian soule, thou mayest
351heere learne greater matter of dread, then the Iewes
352then were in. For the Iewes then were onelye in
353perill of temporall death, thou arte in perill of euerlastyng
354death.
355    Consider man how greeuouslie thou hast sinned:
356And also behold how greeuously sinne was reuenged,
357and punished in the blessed bodye of Christ. And
358thou shalt anon fynde here great cause and matter of
359dread. The storyes telleth of Cambises the King of
360Persia, that where one of hys Iudges had giuen a false
361and a wrong iudgement, he depriued him of hys offyce,
362and made an other in his place their Iudge after him.

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363Furthermore bicause of hys falsehoode he caused him
364to be slayne, and his skinne to be hanged vp before the
365place of the commen iudgement, to the entent that this
366newe Iudge beholdyng the greeuous punishment of his
367predecessor, might be ware of falshood, and alway dread
368to giue any wrong iudgement. In like maner the
369Image of the Crucifix is hunge vp in euery Church, to
370the entent that we may see how greeuouslie sinne was
371punyshed in that most blessed bodye of our Sauyour
372Christ Iesu, not for him self, nor for hys owne sinne,
373but for ours was he thus cruellye intreated, wee were
374the cause, wee committed the sinne. But yet neuerthelesse
375he bare the paynes, and burthens of our sinnes
376vpon his backe.
377    As wryteth Sainct Peter, Peccata nostra ipse
378pertulit in corpore suo super lignum crucis .
379And therefore when we behold the Image of the Crucifixe
380in anye place set vp, we should thynke howe
381greeuously sinne was punyshed in the body of our
382sauiour Christ.
383    And there by learne to dreade the greeuous punishment
384of sinne. (Alas) man thynkest thou not, that thys
385was matter of dreade. This I say, that the verie sonne
386of God, was for thy sinne put vnto thys cruell death of
387the Crosse: If thou beleeue not thys, thou arte worse
388then the dyuylles. For as Sainct Iames sayeth, demones
389credunt et contremiscunt , the diuilles doe beleeue,
390and tremble. And if thou verely beleeue it, thou
391mayest thereby thynke and learne howe muche our
392sauyour and hys father both doeth hate sinne. For
393sith almightie God the father woulde gyue hys moste
394dearely beloued sonne vnto suche an horrible death,
395onely for to quenche and to extincte sinne, thou mayest
396bee sure that he hateth sinne very much.
397    Our Sauyour also must needes hate sinne when hee

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398rather would suffer thys moste vyllanous death, then
399that sinne shoulde haue domynion vpon our soules,
400seeyng then that thow knowest that bothe they hate
401sinne? Howe shouldest thou dreade to receue any
402sinne into thy soule. If sinne were so displeasant to
403almighty God the father, that rather then hee would
404suffer it, he would giue his owne sonne vnto death for
405the expulsion of it. How much rather now doth it
406displease him, when his sonne hath suffered death therfore,
407and yet sinne rayneth neuerthelesse, and more
408generally then euer it dyd before.
409    Furthermore, if sinne was so greuously punished in
410him that neuer did sinne, how bytterly shall it be
411punished in thee O sinfull creature, the which haste
412done so many great outragious sinnes. Surely wher he
413hath one nayle in his handes & feete, thou sinfull
414creature hast deserued one hundreth. And for euery
415one thorne, that he suffred in his head, thou hast
416deserued a thousande. And for euery one lash that
417he felt of the scourges, thou art worthy to haue
418innumerable.
419    Who that deepely considerith this that I haue sayde,
420and with an earnest study resorteth often to looke vppon
421this booke I maruell if he doo not fynde here in, great
422cause and earnest matter of dread.
423    Here also may euery sinner quicken his sinne, if
424any lie within his breast, for it is maruell that a sinner
425can without shame beholde this blessed Image? If a
426sinner call to remembrance his great vnkyndnesse, &
427repute the same vnkyndenes any maner of vice, I trow
428that he wylbe much ashamed of his moste vnkynde
429and vngentle dealing against so louing a Lorde.
430    Say to me thou sinful creature, wilt thou not looke
431that other men, when thou haste beene vnto them in
432anye thinge beneficiall, I saye, wylt thou not looke that

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433they shall be kynde and louing vnto thee againe? And
434if any person be vnkynde vnto thee, wylt thou not
435rebuke him fully, and lay it vnto his reproofe to make
436him ashamed thereof? I am suer that thou wylt. Now
437then let me see, wher is thy shame? beholde and vew
438euery part of this blessed body, what payne it endured
439for thy sake?
440    Seest thou not his eyes, how they bee fylled with
441blood and bytter teares?
442    Seest thou not his eares, how they be filled with
443blasphemous rebukes, and obprobrious words?
444    His cheeke & necke with buffets, his shoulders with
445the burthen of the crosse?
446    Seest thou not his mouth, how in his dryghnesse
447they would haue filled it with Asell and Gaule?
448    Seest thou not, how his backe is payned against the
449hard Crosse?
450    Seest thou not his sydes, how they were skourged
451with sharpe whyps?
452    Seest thou not his armes, how they were strayned
453by the violence of the ropes?
454    Seest thou not his handes, how they be nailed iust
455vnto the crosse? Seest thou not his legges, how they
456be wearyed with labour?
457    Seest thou not his feete, how paynefully they stay
458and bere vp the wight of his whole body?
459    O most vnkinde sinner, all this he suffred for thy
460sake. No greater kyndes euer was, or could be shewed
461to thee by any creature, then this which sweete Iesus
462dyd shewe for thee and for thy sake, & wher is now
463thy kindenes againe?
464    No kyndnesse thou canst shewe, but much vnkyndnesse
465thou haste often shewed vnto him, and yet thou
466art not ashamed. Alas man where is thy shame?
467Thincke with thy selfe how many abhominable sinnes
468thou hast done against his pleasure. I doo acertayne

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469thee that the least of them stryketh him more paynefully
470vnto the hart then any vnkyndnesse that euer was
471done vnto thee in all thy lyfe.
472    For as Sainct Barnerd sayth in the person of Christ,
473when he hath rehersed all the greeuous paynes of his
474passion, he putteth vnto these wordes, Extat interius
475planctus pregrauior, quum te ingratum experior ,
476that is to say, but inwardly mourning is much
477more greuous bicause I perceue thou arte to me so
478much vnkynd. So many sinnes so much vnkyndnesse.
479And the more haynous, and the more accustomable
480that they bee, the more abhominable is thyne vnkyndenesse.
481    If the least of many of thy sinnes had come to lyght,
482and to the knowledge of men, thou wouldest haue
483beene sore ashamed of them, Christ knoweth them,
484and saw thee doo them, for Omnia nuda et aperta
485sunt oculis eius , All thinges be naked and open
486before his eyes: and yet thou art not ashamed of all
487thy vnkindnes.
488    Alas man, heare what the King and Prophet sayth,
489Tota die verecundia mea contra me est, et confusio
490faciei meae cooperuit me , All the day long
491my shame is before mee, and my face is couered with
492confusion. Thus sayd this holy Kinge, when our sauiour
493as yet had not suffered his passion for him.
494    This high poynte of kindenesse was not as yet
495shewed vnto this man by our sauiour Christ, and he
496neuerthelesse was ashamed of his sinne. Thou hast
497peraduenture done much more outragious sinne, and
498hast been much more vnkynde after this his moste
499wonderfull passion suffered for thy sake, then euer that
500king was, & that also maketh thy sinne much more
501horryble. Thou hast after thy promise made vnto him,
502falsified the same promise and vntruely broken it, by

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503multiplying of many foule and abhominable sinz, &
504by often renewing of the same. Thou dyddest promise
505once at the sacrament of baptisme to keepe thy fayth &
506trueth vnto thy sauiour, & to forsake the diuel & all
507his works? An honest man, or an honest woman would
508be much ashamed to brek their promise, & specially to
509theyr friend? Albeit the worlde is now full of such
510lorrells, that doo no more regard to break their promise,
511then to drink when they be drye. How often hast
512thou broken thy promise? Alas man learn to be ashamed
513and saye with the Prophet Esdras, Deus meus, confundor
514et erubesco leuare faciem meam quoniam
515iniquitates nostrae leuatae sunt super caput nostrum ,
516that is to say, O my god I am confounden and
517ashamed to lyft vp my face vnto thee, for our sinnes be
518rysen far aboue our heads. Ye women when there is
519any black spot in your faces, or any moole in your kerchiues,
520or any myer vpon your clothes, be you not
521ashamed? yes forsooth syr? But I shall tell you, where
522of you ought to be ashamed. Surely if your sowls haue
523any spots of deadly sinne in them, for when our sauiour
524so dearely with his most precious bloud, & with all these
525greeuous paynes dyd wash and wype, & clense our soules
526from euery spot of deadly sinne, ye should be much
527ashamed to defyle them againe? If you be ashamed for
528a foule myrie shoo, and not of a foule stincking soule, ye
529make more dearer your shooes, then your soules. If ye
530be ashamed of a spot in your clothes & haue no shame for
531many great blots in your soules. What shal I say but
532Frons meretricis facta est tibi; noluisti erubescere ,
533that is to say, thou hast taken vpon thee the face
534of a brothell, thou wylt not be ashamed. If thou then
535depely consider how many shameful blots of sinne be in
536thy soule, before the eyes of almightie God, & all the
537glorious court of heauen, & how by them thou hast

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538vtterly broken thy promise vnto god, & committed so
539great vnkindnes against this moste louing charitie, that
540was shewed vnto thee for thy loue & for thy sake by
541our sauiour on the crosse I suppose thou shalt fynde
542matter, & cause of great shame, if any sparkle of honesty
543be yet left in thy soule?