follow, as Paul saith, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." He that hath obtained the remission of sin must diligently pray for the preservation of God's favour, as David giveth example unto the holy church, saying, "Create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit." (Psalm li.)

This prayer containeth a wonderful doctrine, and necessary to be daily repeated with great attention and heed. First, he desireth to have a heart pure and neat, judging aright of God, to fear his justice against sin, and to believe steadfastly his promised mercy unto the penitent; and that this light and knowledge be not taken from him by the devil or vanity of the world, as daily we see such as have the knowledge of God's word live more worldly than he that knoweth not what God is. Then he prayeth to have the help of God to govern all his counsels, and all the motions of his heart, that they may be agreeable unto the law of God, full of faith, fear, and charity; that for sin he be no more cast out from the face and favour of God; he prayeth to have strength in adversity, and to rejoice under the cross of affliction; not to murmur or grudge at any trouble, but to obey willingly the pleasure of God; not to leave him or mistrust his mercy for any punishment, but to suffer what God pleaseth, as much as God pleaseth, and when God pleaseth.

These virtues must man practise and use, after he is justified, as well as to obtain remission of his sin, or else he is not justified at all: he is but a speaker of justification, and hath no justice within him. As he maketh Christ only his Saviour, so must he follow such as were of Christ's family; the patriarchs, prophets, and the apostles, in the life prescribed by Christ, as they did, or else they shall be no disciples

of the prophets, who were the doers as well as the speakers of virtue, but rather the disciples of the poets, that only commended virtue and followed it not, as Ovid saith: "There is a god within us! we are warmed by his influences: he comes from the ethereal mansions." These holy words availed nothing.

Such as cannot understand the Epistle of Paul to the Romans concerning justification, and what life is required of him that is justified, let him read diligently the First Epistle of John, and then he shall right well perceive another life to be required of the justified man than the gospellers lead now-a-days, that have words without facts, who slander the Gospel, and promote it not; as it is to be seen (the more pity!) in such men and such counties, as the truth hath been preached a long time in. For the receiving of it unworthily the Lord will doubtless take from them his word, and leave them unto their own lusts. For this is certain and too true, let the whole Gospel be preached unto the world as it ought to be; penitence and a virtuous life with faith, as God preached the Gospel unto Adam in Paradise, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, saying, "Woe to the sinful genera tion;" John, the Baptist, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" as Christ did, "Repent and believe the Gospel" (Mark, i.); and then of an hundred that come to the Gospel, there would not come one. When they hear sole faith and the mercy of God to justify, and that they may eat all meats at all times with thanksgiving, they embrace that Gospel with all joy and willing heart. And what is he that would not receive this Gospel? The flesh itself, were there no immortal soul in it, would receive this Gospel, because it promiseth aid, help, and consolation, without works, and when it heareth that it may as well eat a pasty of venison upon the

Friday as a herring, what is he that would not be such a gospeller? But now speak of the other part of the Gospel as Paul teacheth to the Romans (chap. viii.)," If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die;" and as he prescribeth the life of a justified man in the same Epistle (xii. xiii. xiv. xv. xvi, chap.); Christ (Matt. x.); Peter (2 Peter): he that is justified, let him study those canons to live by,

St. Paul writeth to a justified church of the Corinthians, and to such as had received the knowledge of the Gospel, and saith, "If any that is called a brother, be a whoremonger or covetous, or a worshipper of idols, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such an one eat not." (1 Cor. v.) This part of the Gospel is not so pleasant as the other; therefore men take the first liberty, and neglect the fruits that should follow the Gospel, and think themselves to be rich in the Gospel, as the church of the Laodiceans judged of themselves (Rev. iii.), when they be indeed miserable, and wretched, poor, and naked of all godliness. Paul declareth (Rom. viii.) what it is to be justified, and to be in Christ, to walk after the spirit; he saith, " There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk after the spirit."

For a conclusion, justification is a free remission of sin, and acceptance into the favour of God, for Christ's merits: the which remission of sin must follow necessarily amendment of life, or else we receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Cor. vi. Rom. viii, 2 Peter, i.)

CHAPTER VIII.

Of the Lord's Supper.

Of this infallible verity, " Only the death of Christ to be the sacrifice for the expiation of sin,"

may be necessarily taught the right and true use of the Lord's Supper, which men call the mass.

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First, it is manifest, that it is not a sacrifice for sin, as men teach, contrary unto the word of God, that saith, Christ, by one sacrifice, made perfect all things" (Heb. vii. viii. ix. x.); and, as John saith, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from sins" and there remaineth no more after it, as Paul saith, "Where is remission of sins, there is no more sacrifice for sin;" and, to take away all doubt that remission of sin cannot be obtained for the merits of the mass, Paul saith plainly, that without bloodshedding no sacrifice can merit remission of sin,

Although Christ now sitteth at the right hand of God and prayeth for his church, and likewise doth offer the prayers and complaints of us that believe, yet it is only for the merits of his death that we obtain the mercy of God's promise; in the which he sustained such pain, that the remembrance thereof, and the greatness of God's ire against sin, put his precious body and soul into such an agony and fear, that his passion of sorrow surmounted the passion of all men, that ever travailed or were burdened with the weight of God's insufferable ire against man for sin; insomuch that he wept not only tears of blood, but so abundantly pain forced them to descend, that they trickled upon the ground. Sore troubled and overcome with sorrow was David (Psalm vi.) when he washed his bed with tears for sin, but it was joy and mirth, if his pains be compared to these dolours of Christ; they wanted no augmentation. This sacrifice was killed a little and a little; from one place of judgment sent unto another; and always from the flames into the ardent coals. His death upon the cross so differed, that although he was very God, and the dearly beloved Son of the Father, his abjection was so contemptible and vile, that he cried

out as a man most destitute of God's favour and love, and said, My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?" And until such time as he offered his most holy soul unto the Father, and his blessed side was pierced with the spear, his pains and sorrows increased. Lo! thus was the manner to offer Christ for sin! after this sort and cruel handling of Christ was the wrath of God appeased.

If they sacrifice Christ in the mass, let them hang him as tyrants again upon the cross, and thrust a spear into his blessed heart, that they may shed his blood; for without shedding of blood is no remission. The Scripture damneth this abuse of the Lord's Supper, which is the conculcation of his precious blood.

As concerning the use of this sacrament and all other the rites and ceremonies that be godly, they should be so kept and used in the church, as they were delivered unto us of the high Bishop, Christ, the author of all sacraments. For this is true, that he most godlily, most religiously, and most perfectly instituted and celebrated the supper, and none otherwise than the Evangelist doth record. The best manner and most godly way to celebrate this supper is to preach the death of Christ unto the church, and the redemption of man, as Christ did at his supper, and there to have common prayers, as Christ prayed with his disciples; then to repeat the last word of the supper, and with the same to break the bread, and distribute the wine to the whole church: then, giving thanks to God, depart in peace.

Those ceremonies that God instituted not, but repugn God's institution, be not necessary, but rather in any case ought to be left, because they abrogate the institution of Christ. It seemeth sufficient unto me, if the church do as Christ commanded it to do. St. Paul to the Corinthians, after the ascension of