fortune and euel endes. Wherefore good children let this commaundement deapely synke' into youre hartes, and considre wel, that it is no man, nor creature, but God himselfe, that saith vnto you, Thou shalt not desier thy neyghbours wyfe, his man seruant, woman seruant, oxe, asse, or any other thing that is hys. For to desier these thinges, is a very heynous synne, and God will not suffre it to escape vnpunished. And althoughe men now a dayes take it but for a trifle whan a man hath a true and diligent seruant, to entice him awaye by all craftes and meanes, yet surely God wyl punishe the same sharpely. For as they entice their neyghbours seruaunts from theim, so God suffreth other men to alure their seruantes awaye lykewise. And moreouer this inconuenience commeth herby, that when seruantes perceaue men to sue for them, they waxe so hawte and stubburne, that they wyll be content with no meane wages, and be so proude, that they regarde not their maysters, nor stande in awe of theim, but whan so euer theyr olde maysters, do displease theim, by and by they wil seke for a newe. And when they be not content with their olde wages, they desier more. And this complaint of seruantes is now a dayes al most in euery mans mouthe, and yet it is not redressed, because it is the iust punyshment of God, wherewith he scourgeth theim, that allure their neyghbors seruantes from them. And God doth not punyshe onely suche as entice other mennes seruantes from them but also all those that go about to gette anye other parte of their neyghbours goodes or cattel. For yf thou take thy neyghbors house ouer his hed, or put him out of his house by any crafty conueyance, then manye tymes God taketh vengeance with syckenes or losse of thy goodes. Yf thou conuey awaye his cattell, commonly they prosper not, but dye of some kynd of moirrein. And whatsoeuer thinge we thus purchase and possesse, contrarie to Godds commaundement, it lacketh the blessynge of God,

wherfore it can not long endure or prosper.

Therfore I pray you good childen, frame your affections and lyues accordyng to this rule. Be content that euery man may enioy and kepe to hymselfe, that thing which God hath giuen him. When Gods pleasure shall so be, he wyll also sende to you, that whiche you desier. And he is able so to gyue it you, that your neighboure therby shal suffre no losse or damage. Couet not youre neyghbours wife, house, seruaunt or any thynge that is his, except it be by his wil and consent. And yf it shal chaunce any of you, to be couenant seruaunts with any man, then let no craftye or malicious felowes persuade you, to forsake youre maysters, but do them faythfull seruice (as youre dutie is.) And trust not suche flateryng or slaunderous tongues, as go aboute to entice you from your maysters. For suche men are the Dyuels messengers, which entende nothing elles but to allure you to synne, and to brynge you into miserie. And beleue this good children, as a moost sure article of your faith, that our God is the true Lorde of all thing, he is the gouerner and maister of all the worlde, and all is but his owne householde. He first made vs, and from tyme to tyme doth daylye nouryshe VS. He doth set all thinges in ordre in his familie, he it is, that doth cal euery man to that office, state, ordre, degre and kynde of lyuyng, in the whiche it pleaseth hym to set theim. He wyll gyue to euery man, that thing which he hath nede of, so that we with all our hartes obey him. Wherefore ther is no cause why thou shuldest couet thy neighbors goods, or by any subtyl conueyance get them into thy handes. For this thinge wanteth the blessyng of God, yea it deserueth his curse and maledyccion. For scripture saith. Cursed is he, that doth not abide in all thinges, that be written in the lawe.

And nowe ye haue hearde good chylderne, a plaine brief and true exposition of the tenth commaundement, the whiche although it be last in number, yet I pray you

let it not haue the last place in youre memorye, but one of the first and chefest seates of the same. That as sone as you be demaunded thys question, how vnderstande you the tenth commaundement? you may be prompte and redie to answere, we ought to feare and loue our Lord God aboue al thinges, and for his sake willyngly to absteyne from our neighbours wife, familie, goodes and cattel, and to helpe hym as muche as lyeth in vs, that he may kepe and possesse the same.

The ende of the Ten Commaundementes.

A generall preface, to be rehersed in the begynnyng of euery sermon made vpon the articles of oure fayth, commonly called the Crede.

THE holy apostle saynct Paule (good chyldern) writt- Heb. xi. eth expressely, that withoute faith it is vnpossible to please God. Also Christe himselfe sayeth. He that be- Mar. xvi. leueth, and is baptised, shall be saued. Nowe I trust ther is none among you, but he is desirous to please God, and to enioye euerlastynge lyfe. Then yf you wyll attayne therto, you must chiefely and most diligently, applye youre myndes to learne the Christian faythe and the articles of the same. For you haue hearde that without it there is nothing able to reconcile vs to God the Father, to pacifie his wrath and to brynge vs to the life euerlastyng. For althoughe the Tenne Commaundementes are an excellent godly and heauenly doctrine, yet we can not be saued or iustifyed by theym. For we be not able of oure owne strength and power to fulfyll the lawe and Goddes holy commaundementes. But by theym, we onelye do learne what God requireth of vs, and so be brought to the knowledge of our synne. For this is the office of the lawe (as sayncte Paule sayeth) to teache vs Rom. iii. our offences, and to set before our eyes the great feare of

H

God and the indignation whiche we haue deserued by breakynge his commaundementes, to the intent, that we acknowledging our owne weakenesse, shoulde flye to Goddes grace and mercie.

This feare of God is learned in the Ten Commaundementes, and it is the begynnyng of wysedome. But the holy Christian fayth is a muche more hyghe and excellente knowledge and wysedome, as sayncte Paule wytI Cor. i. nesseth saying. We speake wysedome amonge theym that are perfecte, such wisdome as is not of thys worlde, nor of the rulers of thys worlde, whiche be mortall, but we teache the wysedome of God, whiche is secret and hyd, which God ordeined before the worlde vnto oure glorye, whiche wysedome none of the rulers of thys worlde dyd knowe. These be the wordes of sayncte Paule, whereby he declareth that the science of fayth passeth al other sciences and teacheth heauenly and eternall wysedome that excedeth all mennes philosophye. For by faythe we learne to know God, what he is, and what loue he beareth towarde vs, and howe great benefites he hath heaped vpon vs. For by fayth we be made the children of God, and he giueth vnto vs the Holy Goost, whiche doeth lyghten and kendle our hartes, that we maye begynne to kepe hys lawe, whiche els of our owne strengthe we were not able to kepe and fulfyll. Wherfore good children it is necessarie for you to learne the doctrine of faithe, for without it we can not be iustified, or brought agayn into Gods fauour. For no man is iust or rightuous before God, that hath not the Holy Gost, and he that will receyue the Holy Gooste, muste beleue in Christe (for by faith we receyue the Holy Goost) therefore by fayth we be iustified. Agayne yf we wyll be saued, we must knowe God and our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is John xvii. wrytten John the. xvii. But we can not knowe God and hys sonne Jesus Christ but by fayth, therfore fayth iustifieth vs and bringeth lyfe euerlastynge. Wherfore good

children applye your selfes dilygently to learne the Christian faythe the whiche nowe I wyl shortely reherse vnto

you.

The Apostles Crede.

I beleue in God the Father Almighty, maker of heauen and erth. And in Jesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceiued by the Holy Goost, borne of the Virgin Mary. Suffred vnder Ponce Pylat, was crucified dead and buried, he descended into hel. And the third dai, he rose againe from death. He ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the Father Almightye. From thence he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead.

I beleue in the Holy Gost. The holy catholike churche. The communion of saintes the forgiuenes of sinnes. The resurrection of the body. And lyfe euerlastynge. Amen.

This is the summe of oure Christian faith wherin God hath shewed vnto vs what he is, and how great benefites he hath gyuen and daily doth gyue vnto vs, to thentent that we should cast the anchore of our faith vpon him, and take sure holde of his mercie and goodnes, and comforte our selues with the same both in oure lyfe tyme and also at our death. Wherfore good childerne be dilygent, not onely to say by rote the wourdes of youre Crede, but also to vnderstande what is ment by the same, so that when you be asked any question therof, you may be able to make a directe answere, and also in tyme to come to teache the same to your children. For what thing can be more shame to a Christen man, then to professe the relygion of Christ, and yet to be ignorant in the chief pointes of Christes faith, and his doctrine? Consideryng that euery Christen man is bounde openly to declare his faith, when nede shal so require, and to