55.
rather seuerall God / to be oure aduocates / attorneys /
mediatours (when ther is but one .i. Tim. ij.) & inter-
cessours / & cal them oure aduouryes / when we might better
cal them oure adulterers / & serue them or rather a
painted poste in their stede / with oure imageseruice / 	    5
therwith to binde them for to healpe vs when so euer &
for whatso euer we call vnto them / & to saue oure soules
ther to with their prayers & merites / & will yet nether
heare the doctrine or folowe thensample of lyuinge (which
is their only honoure in the sprite) of eny saint whose	   10
doctrine & liuinge is autentike.
	For first / God which alone hath powere to helpe or
hurte / hath made apoyntment betwixt hym & vs in Christes
bloude & hath bounde hym self to giue vs what so euer we axe in
his name / testifiynge therto that ther is no nother name	   15
to be sauyd by / & that he wilbe a father vnto vs & saue
vs bothe in this life & in the lyfe to come / & take vs
from vnder the damnation of the lawe / & set vs vnder
grace and mercie / to be scholers only to learne the lawe /
and that oure vnperfect dedes shalbe taken in worth / ye	   20
and thoughe at a tyme we marre al thoroue oure infirmitie /
yet if we turne agayne / that shalbe forgeuen vs merci-




												56.
fully / so that we shalbe vnder no damnation: which testa-
ment is confirmed with signes and wondres wrought thorowe
the holy gost.  Nowe this indentyd obligation layde aparte /
we make a nother of oure owne imagination betwen the [C6]
sainctes and vs / in their merites for oure image seruice.	    5
Which can be but a false faith / seinge it hath not Gods
worde (vnto which alone we ought to cleue) but is also
cleane contrarie therto.
	And againe the saincts were not sauyde thoroue their
awne merites / but thorou Christes.  Netheir were their	   10
dedes which they dyd after they were receauyd vnder grace
sufficient in them selues to fulfill the lawe for the
present tyme / saue as Christes merites did supplie thim-
perfectnes of them and that whiche was lacking on their
parte thoroue their infirmities.  And therfore as the		   15
sainctes holy workes made no satisfaction for the synne
they dyd before they were receaued vnder mercie / euen so
made they none for the dedely synnes which they dyd vnder
mercie: seynge the dedes were vnparfecte and had synne
annexed vnto them by reason of the flesh & were insuf-		   20
ficient to excuse their awne mastres.  What merites haue
they in store for vs then seyng by al mennys confession




												57.
they nowe merite not?  If the most obedient childe in the
worlde disobey his fathers commaundementes / his fore good
dedes can not make that disobedience no synne or to be a
satisfaction / that the childe shulde presume in the con-
fidence of his olde dedes and think his father shuld do	    5
hym wronge to punyshe hym.  But he must knowlege his fault /
& that he hath deseruyd punyshement / & desire forgiuenes
vnto the glorie of his fathers mercifulnes and not of his
olde dedes thoughe his olde obedience be a greate pre-
sumption that he synned of frailtie and not of purpose.	   10
Euen so if I being as holie as euer was Paule in his most
holynese / synne this day throwe frailte of my fleshe /
myne olde dedes can be no satisfaction.  [C6v]  But I must
knowlege my sinne vnto my father and graunte that I haue
deseruyde domnation and mekely desire forgivenes / and		   15
calenge it by the obligation wherin God hathe bounde hym
selfe to me / vnto the glorie of the mercie of God and not
to the glorie of my holy dedes.  For if my dedes saue me
it is my glorie.  But if he forgive frely with out respect
of my dedes then it is the glorie of his mercie by Paules	   20
doctrine vnto the Romaynes.
	Morover if the sainctes be in heauen then can they be




												58.
ther in no nother case then the aungels / in which state
Christ testifieth they shalbe in the resurrection.  Nowe
the aungels are ministres sente of God to do seruice vnto
the electe which shalbe saued.  Hebre. 1.  And God hath
bounde hym self that if I come in the right waye by the	    5
dore of Christes bloude & axe helpe / that he wil sende
me if nede be / an hundreth legiones of Aungels or
sainctes.  But when God hath bounde hym self to sende me
Angels or sainctes / or an angel or saincte / he hath not
promised to send this angel or that / or this or that		   10
saincte.  And therfore when I apoynte God whom he shal
sende and bynde hym wher he hathe not bounde him self /
to send me what saincte I wil / I tempte God.  And thus
this chosing of seueral sainctes is but temptyng of God.
And yet we do worse then this: for we leave the waye of	   15
Christes bloude and go not to God thorowe hym.  But run
to the sainctes in a testament of owre owne makinge and
wil that they ether saue vs them selues for our image-
seruice / or compel God for their merites sakes to saue
vs.  Why goist thow not vnto thy father thyne owne self?	   20
I am a sinner wil they saye and dare not.  If thow go in
[C7] the right waye / thou hast no sinne.  Christe hathe




												59.
taken al thy sinnes from the / and God hathe no rodde
in his hand nor lokyth sowre but merely / that it is a 
lust to beholde his cherful countenaunce / and offerith
the his hande.  But this waye is stopped vp thoroue vnbe-
lefe / and therfor we seke a nother which is no waye to	    5
life / but vnto everlastinge dethe.  We wil not loke on
the law with open eyes / and therfore haue we no due
repentance / and so no lust to harken vnto the gospel of
glad tidinges in Christes bloude.  And where the right
waye is set befor vs and we of malice wil not walke ther-	   10
in / God cannot but let the devel playe with vs and iugle
oure eyes to confirme vs in blyndnes.
	But after what maner dothe Christ praye for vs?
verily Christ in the dayes of his mortall fleshe soffred
and prayed for al that shalbe saued and optayned and was	   15
herd and had his peticions graunted.  And he made satis-
faction and purged and purchassed forgivnes / euen then
for all the sinne that ever shalbe forgiuen: And his praynge
for vs and beyng a mediatour nowe / ys that the remembrance
of al that he dyd for vs / is present in the sight of God	   20
the father as fresh as the houre he did them / ye the same
houre is yet present and not past in the sight of god.  And




												60.
Christ is nowe a kinge and raigneth and hathe receavyd
powre of al that he prayed for / to do it hym self.  And
that when so ever thelect cal for ought in his name / he
sendeth helpe even of the powre whiche he hathe receauyd:
ye yer they axe / he sendith his sprite in to their hertes /    5
to moue them to axe.  So that it is his gifte that we
desire ought in his name.  And in al that we do or thinke
wel / he preuentyth vs with his grace.  [C7v]  Ye he careth
for vs yer we care for ourselues / & when we be yet euel
he sendith to cal vs / & draweth vs with suche powre that	   10
our hertes cannot but consent & come.  And the angels stond
by and beholde the testament of thelecte / howe we shalbe
receauyd in to their feloweship & se al the grace that
Christ shal powre out vpon vs.  And they reioyse and prayse
God for his infenite mercye and are glad and longe for vs /	   15
and of very loue ar ready agaynst al houres when we shal
cal for helpe in Christes name / to come and helpe.  And
Christ sendith them when we cal in his name.  And yer we
cal / euen while we be yet euel and hapely persecute the
truthe of ignorance (as Paule did) the Angels wayte vpon	   20
vs to kepe that the deuels sleye vs not before the tyme of
oure callinge be come.




												61.
	Nowe if an Angell shulde appere vnto the what weldest
thow saye vnto hym?  If thou pradest him to helpe / he wold
aunswer.  I do.  Christ hathe sent me to healpe / and be-
leue that thaungels be euer aboute the to helpe.  If thou
desyredest him to pray for the to optayne this or that.	    5
He wold saye.  Christ hath prayed & his prayer is herd for
what so euer thow axest in his name & wold shew the all
that God wold do to the / & what he wold also haue the to
do.  And if thow belevest / so were thou safe.  If thou
desyerdest hym to saue the with his merites.  He wold		   10
aunswer that he had no merites: but that Christe only is
lorde of al merites: ner saluation / but that Christ is
lorde of saluation.  Wilt thou therfor be saued by merites
wold the Angel saye: then prai to God in Christes name
and thou shalt be saued by the merites of hym / & haue me	   15
or some other thy seruant immediatly to helpe the vnto
the vtt[C8]ermost of our power / & to kepe the & bringe
the vnto the rewarde of his merites.  If thou woldest
promyse hym to worshipe hym with image seruice / that is
to stycke vp a candle before his image or suche an image	   20
as he apperyd to the in He wold aunswer that he were a
sprite & delited in no candle light / but wold bid the




											62.
giue a candle vnto thy neyboure that lacked / if thou
haddest to many.  And so wold he answer the if thou
woldest put money in a boxe for hym or clothe his image
in clothe of gold or put golden shoose vpon his images
foote.  If thow saidest that thou woldest bylde a chap-	    5
pel in his name / he wolde answer that he dwelt in no
howse made with stones / but wolde byd the go to the
churches that ar made al readye and learne of the preacher
there how to beleue and how to liue and honoure god in the
sprite / for the which cause chyrches were chefelye		   10
bylded / and for quietnes to praye.  And if there be no
churche then to giue of that thou maist spare to helpe
that one were buylded to be a preachinge & a prayinge
house & of worsheping god in the spret & not of image-
seruice.											   15
	And if Paule apperyde vnto the / what other thinge
coulde he answer also then that he were a sprite and wold
refuse al thy imageseruice.  And if thou speake to Paule
of his merites / he can no nother wise answere the / then
he answered his Corinthians: that he dyed for no manes		   20
synnes and that no man was baptised in his name to trust
in his merites.  He wold say I buyldyd all men vpon




												63.
Christes merites: preachinge that al that repented and
beleuyd in his name shulde be sauyd and taken frome vnder
the wrathe / vengeaunce and damnation of the lawe and be
put vnder mercye and grace.  [C8v]  And by this faith was
I saued from damnation and put vndre mercie & grace and	    5
made one with Christ to haue my parte with hym and he withe
me / or rather to make a chaunge that he shuld haue al my
synnes and I his mercie and the giftes of his grace / and
become gloriouse with the ornamentes of his riches.  And
of my sauioure Christ I receaued this lawe / that I shulde	   10
loue my brethren / all goddes electe as tendrely as he
louyd them.  And I consentyd vnto this lawe / for it semyd
right / and became a scolar to learne it.  And as I pro-
feted in the knowlege / faithe & loue of Christ / so I
grewe in the loue of my brethren and sofferyd al thinges	   15
for their sakes and at the last wexed so perfecte that I
wyshed my self damned (if it might haue ben) to saue my
brethren.  And all my brethren that receauyd Christ
receauyd the same commaundement and grewe therin.  And they
that were perfecte loued me and al their other brethren no	   20
lesse then I loued them.  And loke with what loue I minis-
tred the giftes of grace which I receaued of Christ for the




												64.
edifieng of his congregation / vpon my brethren / with
the same loue dyd they ministre their giftes againe on me
which thei had & I lackyd.  And so loue made al comen.
And morouer if they cal my workes my merites / I bestowed
al my workes vpon my brethren to teache them / and reped	    5
the frute ther of / euen my brethrens edifienge & soules
healthe / ye and reape dayly / in that I left my doctrine
and ensample of liuinge behynd me by which many are con-
uertyd vnto Christ daily.  If thou desire therfore to
enioy parte of my merite / go & reade in my gospel & thou	   10
shalt fynde the fruyte of my labour / the knowlege of 
christ / the healthe of thy soule / & euerlastinge life.
	[D1] And as I louyd my brethern when I lyued so I loue
them styll / and nowe more perfectlie.  How be it my loue
then was painfull: for the moare I loued the moare I		   15
sorowed / feared & caryd for them to bringe them in to the
knowlege of the trueth / and to kepe them in vnitie of
faith lest the false Prophetes shulde deceaue them / or
their awne infirmities shulde breake peace and vnitie / or
cause them to fall in to any synne.					   20
	But now my loue is without payne.  For I se the will
and prouidence of God / and how the ende of al thinges




												65.
shalbe vnto his glorie & profecte of thelecte.  And thoughe
I se thelecte shall somtyme fall / yet I se how they shall
arise agayne and how that their fall shalbe vnto the glorie
of God and their awne profecte.  And we that are in heauen /
loue you al a lyke: nether we loue one moare and a nother	    5
lesse.  And therfore if ye loue vs moare one then a nother /
that is fleshely as myne olde Corinthians once loued / &
I rebukyd them.  Nether can we be moued to come moare to
helpe one then a nother.  But we wayte when God will sende
any of vs vnto thelecte that call for helpe in Christes	   10
name.  Wherfore if thou wilt be holpe of eny of vs praye
in Christes name.  And God shal sende one of vs / an angell
or a saincte / to kepe the power of the deuells from youe:
but not whom thou woldest chose temptinge God: but whome
it pleasithe God to sende.							   15
	And if youre preachers loue you not after the same
maner / to edifie youe with the true doctrine of Christ
& ensample of liuinge therafter / & to kepe youe in vnitie
of faithe & charitie / they be not of Christes Disciples /
but Antichristes which vnder the name of Christ / seke to 	   20
raigne ouer youe as temperall tyrauntes.  And in lyke
[D1v] maner if this be not writen in your hertes / that




												66.
ye ought to loue one a nother as Christe loued youe / &
as ye had ensample of vs his apostles / ye go astraye in
vanities & are not in the right way.
	And herby ar we sure that we know hym / if we kepe
his commandementes.
	This is cleane against the doctrine of them which
saye that we cannot know whether we be in the state of
grace or no.  Iohn saithe if we kepe his commaundementes /
then we be sure that we knowe Christe is euerlastinge
life Iohn .xvij.  Then contrarie to the pope: christen		   10
men haue doctrine to know whether they be in grace or no.
	The keping of gods commaundementes certifieth vs
that we be in the state of grace.  But oure doctors haue
no doctrine to knowe when a man is in the state of grace /
wherfore it is manifest that they kepe not gods commaunde-	   15
mentes / nor be in state of grace / but of al vngratious-
nes.
	Oure doctours know not whether they be in state of
grace.  Oure doctors kepe mens commaundementes / ergo mens
commaundementes certifie not that we be in state of grace.	   20
Thoughe thou haue a deuotion to steke vp a candle before
a poste / and so forthe / yet thou canst neuer be sure




												67.
therby that thou arte in the fauoure of God.  But if thou
haue deuotion to helpe thy brother in al his misfortunes /
because he is thimage of God and price of Christes bloude /
then thy deuotion certifieth the that thou arte in the
fauoure of God or state of grace.						    5
	He that saith I knowe hym & yet kepeth not his com-
maundementes / is a lyer / and the truthe is not in hym.
[D2]  When our pharisaes say / do as we byd you & not as
we doo / thei testifie that they kepe not Gods commaunde-
mentes / vnto which testimonie our eyes also beare		   10
recorde:  And they that kepe not Gods commaundementes / be
lyers & haue no truth in them.  And then when they preache /
they cannot but preache lyes.  And then thoughe they
preache Christ / they preache hym falslye / vnto their
fleasly vauntage & not our soules healthe.  And for as 	   15
moche as we may haue no felowship with them that kepe not
Gods commaundementes .i. Cor. v. and in as moche as al
such ar falseprophetes voyde of al truthe / it foloweth
that we owght to geue our doctors none audience / thoughe
their defenders stoode by them with their swerdes drawne /	   20
but rather to lay downe oure hedes & stretch forth our
neckes / to be slayn.




												68.
	He that kepithe his worde: in him verilye is the
loue of God perfecte / & herbie knowe we that ar in
hym.
	That is / he that kepeth his commaundementes /
loueth vnfaynedlye / and is therby sure that he is in		    5
god.  For to be in God is to beleue in the mercie of god:
And to beleue in mercie is cause of loue / and loue cause
of working.  And therfor he that workyth for gods sake /
is sure that he loueth and that he trusteth in God: which
is to be in God or in Christ.  And as by wilful kepinge of	   10
the commaundement we be sure that we loue god & beleue in
god / euen so thorowe wilful breaking of them we may be
sure that we nether loue ner beleue in him / & therfor
that we be not in him.
	He that saythe he abidethe in him ought to walke as 	   15
he walked.
[D2v]  All that be baptised in Christ / are washed in hym /
to put of pride / wrathe / hate and enuie / with all their
old conuersation by which they oppressyd their neybours /
and haue promysed to become euery man euen as Christ hym	   20
self vnto his brethern in loue and kyndenes bothe in
worde and dede.  They therfore which resiste Christes




												69.
testament and will not let it be knowen / and walke in
the testament of the pope / with vnions pluralities / and
totquots / some one of them robbynge .x. parishes of the
tenth of all their yerely encrease / and withdrawing
frome them Godes worde / the foode of their soules / and	    5
frome the poore their daily sustenance / which ought to
haue their parte in the tythes and other rentes / when the
preacher and other necessarie ministres haue oute their
partes / a due and lawfull stipend: are not in Christe.
For Christ nether so walkyd ner so taughte.				   10
	Brethern I write no newe commaundement vnto youe /
but an olde commaundement which ye had at the begynnynge.
For an olde commaundement is the worde whiche ye harde from
the begynnynge.
	I write no newe precepte / but only put youe in remem-	   15
braunce of that olde which was taught youe when ye were
first baptised in Christe / to loue eche other as he dyd
youe.  Which is an olde commaundement and was giuen at the
begynnynge of the worlde / and hath euer sence ben writen
in the herte of all that put their hope in God.			   20
[D3]  Agayne / a newe commaundemente I write vnto youe /
whiche is true in him and also in youe: for the darknese




												70.
is past & the true light nowe shyneth.
	The devel hath sowen his darkenese in the feld where
this commaundemente shold growe and the wedes of mens tra-
ditions had ouer growen the corn of this old commaunde-
ment: so that it was antiquate and clene out of knowlege.	    5
But Christe the light of al true doctrine nowe shyneth /
and hath scateryde the darknese & pluckyd vp the wedes
by the rootes and restoryd this old commaundement agayne.
And in hym it is a true commaundement / for he loued
truely.  And in you it is a true commaundement for ye for	   10
his sake / loue one a nother truely also.  And by the rea-
son of this reneweng / it is called a newe commandement /
as it is nowe called newe lerning / and may wel so be: for
it hath lien longe in darkese / and that in suche darknes /
that many be shryned for holie sainctes / whose dedes and	   15
livinge / when thou lokest vpon them in the light of this
olde doctrine that nowe shyneth agayne out of darknes /
ar more abominable then the dedes and liuinge of hym whiche
of late for al his exaltinge his throne and sweringe by
his hie honoure / and for al the worship of his hat and	   20
glorie of his precious shoes when he was payned with the
colicke of an euel conscience hauynge no nother shift /




												71.
bycause his soule coulde fynde in nother issue / toke
hym selfe a medicine / vt emitteret spiritum per posteri-
ora.
	He that saythe he is in the light: & [D3v] yet 
hateth his brother: is in darknese.					    5
	For who so euer fealeth his awne damnation vnder
the lawe / and beleueth in the mercie that is in Christ /
the same cannot but loue christ and his neyboure for his
sake.  And therfore he that hateth his brother for any of-
fence done to hym the same seith not what christ hath		   10
done for him but is in darkenes stil.
	He yt loueth his brother: abideth in ye light: & there
is none offending in hym.
	Abydeth in the light / that is continueth in the
knowlege of Christ.  And ther is none offending in hym /	   15
that is.  First he wil willingly do no thinge ether in
worde or in dede that shal offende his brother.  For loue
wil not let hym.  And secondarilie if ought be done or
sayde / that may be well done or saide / he takyth it to
the best and is not offendyd.  And thus ye se that the		   20
knowelege of Christ is cause of al goodnese / & the igno-
rance of Christ cause of al euel.  And so the doctrine of




												72.
them is not false which say that faithe in Christ is
roote of all godly vertue and the cause of kepinge the
commaundementes: & where faith ys / ther to be no synne /
nor damnation: & that saye / vnbelefe to be the mother of
all vice / & cause of breaking the commaundementes / & to	    5
kepe men in sinne & damnation only / as faith only loseth
vs thence.
	And he that hateth his brother is in darknese: and
walketh in darknese & knoweth not whither he goeth.  For
darknes hathe blynded his eyes.						   10
	He that hateth his brother / is in the ignorance of
Christe and of his awne synne / & withe [D4] out repen-
tance & faith that his synnes be forgiuen him in christ /
and therfore is mercilese vnto his brother whom christ
commaundeth him to pytie & loue.  And in that ignorance	   15
he walketh: that is worketh euel / & loueth the thinges of
the world & seketh in them the lustes of the fleashe /
which are the quenchinge of the sprite and dethe of the
soule / and for loue of them hatethe his brother.  And
thys ignorance of Christe which is vnbelefe is cause of	   20
al the wickednes that we do vnto oure brethern.
	I write vnto youe litle children / yt youre synnes




												73.
ar forgiuen youe for his names sake.  I write vnto youe
fathers / that ye knowe hym that was frome the begynnynge.
I write vnto youe young men / howe that ye haue ouercome
the wekyd.
	I write vnto youe that are younge in the faith & yet	    5
weake & therfore falle nowe and then howe that youre
synnes are forgiuen youe / as sone as ye repent and recon-
syle youre selues vnto your brethren whom ye haue offen-
ded / euen for his names sake only / and not for our awne
dedes whether afore or after / or for any other mans dedes	   10
or satisfaction / saue for his only.
	I write vnto youe that ar fathers in the doctrine of
God / to teache other / howe that ye knowe hym that was
from the beginninge & is no newe thinge / thoughe he newly
receaued our nature.  And thorowe knowlege of him which is 	   15
the only light and the dore vnto the knowlege of God / ye
are become fathers in the scriptures.  [D4v]  Or eles ye
had neuer vnderstonde it / though ye had studied never so
moch / as it apperith by the indurat Iues / and also by
oure newe pharisies which persecute the scripture and the 	   20
true sence therof / because they be drowenyd in thignorance
of Christ / as their dedes and contrarie liuinge wel testi-




												74.
fie.
	I write vnto youe younge men that are stronge in
sufferinge persecutions and fight for youre profession /
not withe the swerde / but withe sofferinge / howe that
ye haue ouercome that wicked which poisonned the world at	    5
the begynnynge and yet worketh in the children of darknes
and vnbeleife: & that in beleuinge the worde of trueth /
as it foloweth anone after.
	I write vnto youe yoinge children how that ye knowe
the father.  I write vnto youe fathers how that ye knowe 	   10
hym that was from the beginninge.  I write vnto youe
younge men / that ye be stronge / & the worde of god dwel-
leth in youe and that ye haue ouercom the wickyd.
	I write to you young children how that ye knowe the
father / whome ye loue thorou knowlege of the sonne /		   15
or elles ye had neuer knowen hym as a father / but as a 
Iudge and a tyrante / and had hated hym.  I write vnto
youe fathers as before / howe ye are fathers of al trueth
in knowynge the sonne.  Or else ye had ever continued in
darknese remedelese.								   20
	I write vnto youe younge men / how that [D5] ye ar
stronge & that youre strengthe is the word of God which