A playne and godly exposytion or declaratio[n] of the co[m]mune crede (which in the Latin tonge is called Symbolum Apostolorum) and of the. x. co[m]maundementes of goddes law, newly made and put forth by the famouse clarke, Mayster. Erasmus of Roterdame, at the requeste of the moste honorable lorde, Thomas Erle of wyltshyre: father to the moste gratious and vertuous Quene Anne wyf to our most gracyous soueraygne lorde kynge Henry the. viii. Cum priuilegio.

The fyrste instruction.

DISCIPLE. I Am and haue [ 1] ben a great wh•• / le very desyr•••••• and sor•• lōgyn•• in my mynde: to be ascrybed and receiued into the company and fe¦lowshype of the chatholyke chur¦che / whiche is the howse of god / out of the wiche churche no man ought to ho∣pe the obtaynynge of euerlastyng helth and saluatyon. And therfore I beseche you / that of your charyte you wyll hel∣pe myn infancye: that I may be spedde of this my desyre and purpose. MA. If [ 2] thou haue ben washed in the holy bathe

of baptysme after due forme and maner than arte thou by the reason ther of / euē alredy admytted and receyued into the howseholde or company of the catholy∣ke [ 3] churche. DIS. ye but this thynge was don vnknowyng to me / by my god fathers and godmother. But nowe / in as muche as god of his goodnesse hath graūted me to come vnto this age / whi¦che as it may be easyly corrupted to vy∣ce and vngracyousnes and erroure so is it (as I suppose) apte to receyue instru∣ctyon to vertu and good lyuyng & ryght beleffe / I thynke it to be ryghte and ac∣cordynge / both that I shuld fulfylle the promysse / that my surtes haue made vp on my hede: and also that I my selfe do prouyde & see for myne owne helth and sauegarde / & do myn owne besynes also in myn owne persone / & not all by other folke / wherfore I beseche and pray you / that you wyll euen so deale with me / as yf you dyd teache and informe a person hauynge no maner learnynge or know¦lege [ 4] at all. MAG. Deare sone / that lorde / whiche hath inspyred this mynde into the: the same / of his goodnesse / shal promote and carye the forwarde vnto [ 5] this / that thou dost desyre. DIS. Do

I not nede than to haue an instructer & teacher? MAG. If ther wer no nede [ 6] of an infourmer or teacher: than sholde chryst haue sayde all in vayn these wor∣des / to his apostles. Go you & teache all natyons. But though thou haddest gotten syx hundreth teachers / to instru∣cte the / yet is it the lorde / that doth true¦ly & effectuosly teache this phylosophye and wysdom. For so it hath pleased god and hath lyked hym to geue his benefi∣tes and gyftes to one man: by another man. DI. why hath it lyked hym to [ 7] do so? MAG. Fyrst / to thentent / that [ 8] all pryde & arrogancye myght be exclu∣ded: whiche / that spyryte the louer of meke an•• myld myndes: doth hate and abhorre / and secoundaryly / that thrugh doyng benefytes and good dedes / eche to other charyte and loue myght be pur¦chaced / encreaced / and nouryshed amon¦ge chrysten folke. And yet neuer the les neither may the doctour or teacher here chalenge ony whitte prayse to hymsel∣fe / yf he doth his offyce & duety neyther the dyscyple or learner to hymself yf he doth profyght and go forwarde. All the prayse / euery whitte of it: is due to god / whiche inwardly by his spyryte / bothe

doth temper the organe / & instrumente of the ••eacher: and also doth transforme and chaunge the mynde of the learner. Let vs therefore both together beseche the lorde of his mercy / that by his inspi¦ration / both thou mayeste wisely aske & demaunde: & I also may frutefully and [ 9] holsomely make aunswere vnto the. D. [ 10] So be it. M. Go to now thā / & demaūd. [ 11] D. That vnspeakeable beaute & fayrnes of the house of god / doth (as I sayd) mer¦uaylous••y moue & styrre my mynde: and causeth me to be enamoured on it. But I pray you which is the way for a man [ 12] to entre into it? MA. who so euer wyll entre into a howse: gothe to the gate. [ 13] DI. Shew me the gate. M. Saynct [ 14] Paule sheweth it / that heuenly doctour ☞He that cometh to god (saythe he) must belyue. And in the .v. chapytre to th•• Romanes. By whome: we haue waye and entraunce thrugh fayth: into this grac••. Agayn to the Hebrues: he sayth. without fayth it is vnpossyble to please god. The dore or the gate of fayth is a very low dore or gate / but af¦ter that one is entred ones with in it / it sheweth to hym the vnspeakable maie¦••te of the power / of the wysdome / and of

the goodnesse of god. Stoupe therefore and bowe downe thyn heade / that thou mayst be worthy to entre / and go in. DI. what is this / that you do saye? [ 15] MAG. I meane Laye from the / and [ 16] sette a parte all carnall witte or iudge∣mente / and the subtyle argumen••es of mannes natural reason / that thou may¦ste symply and vndowtedly beleue / and geue credence / vnto what so euer thyng the authoryte of god hath taught vs to our helthe and saluacion / although to mannes reason and iudgemente / it doo seme neuer so muche false / folyshe: vnrea¦sonable / and vnpossyble. Mannes rea∣sonynge and argumentatyon: maye dy∣sceyue / the bodylye senses or wittes of man maye dysceyue / onely god / as he can not but be god: so can he neyther dys••eyue / nether be dysceyued. DIS. [ 17] what is faythe? MAGI. To defyne [ 18] Faythe somewhat playne and famylya¦rly / to the that arte vnlearned: There are two pryncypall powers of mannes soule: that is to witte: the vnderston∣dynge / and the wyll. By the power of vnderstondynge: we do iugde what is to be chosen / and by the wyll: we do desy¦re that thynge / whiche vnderstondynge

or reason (which are both one) hath she¦wed vs for to be desyred. Both those .ii. partes hath ben corrupted thrugh the crime & offence of them / which were the fyrst parentes of all mankynde / that is to witte / Adam and Eue. The contagy on of this euyll hath yssued from them / into all theyr posteryte and ofsprynge. And by the reason here of it is brought to passe / that both with our reason / as with a corrupte ••ye / we do wene & iudge thynges to be / which are not / or els not to be suche maner thynges / as they are in very dede / and also that with our cor∣rupted wylle (which thynge chaunceth oftentymes to sycke men) we do desyre noysome and deadly thynges / in the ste¦de of profytable and holsome thynges. Agaynst these .ii. euylls / the goodnes of god hath prouyded for vs / two remed{is} / that is to witte / Fayth / whiche puryfy∣eth and clenseth the hert that is to say / the mynde and reason / as beyng the foū¦tayne of the soule / and charyte / whiche strayghteneth & amendeth our croked & corrupte wyl. Fayth as it were a lygh•• shynynge before vs in the darke dry∣ueth away all erroure / in those thynges specyally: whiche do apertayne and be∣longe

to helth and saluacyon. Charyte putteth away croked and lewde affecty∣ons and desyrres / that we myghte desy¦re and folowe onely those thynges / whi¦che god hath prescrybed or cōmanded. Fayth iudgeth / and teacheth what is to be don. Charyte executeth the same in worke / as beynge the mynyster & ser∣uaunt of fayth. But the iye of fayth is fyxed & sette fast pryncypally vpon god. charyte hath as it were two iyes / with the ryght iye it loketh stedfastly on god and the left iye it boweth or tourneth a syde towarde thy neyghboure / whils it loueth god / as beyng the most hyghe & perfyghte goodnes / aboue all thynges / and loueth the neyghboure / as beynge naturall cosen: for goddes sake. Faythe therefore / where of we doo speake / is a gyfte infused & putte into mānes myn∣de / of god / thrugh whiche man without any dowtefulnes doth beleue all those thynges to be most true / whiche so euer god hath taughte and promysed to vs / by the bokes of both testamētes / the old and the newe. This fayth stretcheth it self to thre maner tymes / that is / to the tyme / that is passed / to the time / that is prese••t / and to the tyme that is to come

that is for to saye / fyrste it beleueth that the worlde was made by god / and what so euer thynge the holy diuine scripture maketh mētyon to haue ben don in olde tyme passed. S••condarely: that the worlde: and the churche is gouerned of the same: god euen this daye also. And laste of all / that all those thynges shall come to passe & be fulfylled: what so euer the sayde scryptures doth eyther promy¦se to good & vertuose men: or els doth thretten to wicked and vngodlye perso∣nes. All these thynges / we doo thorow the gyfte of fayth / farre more certaynly beleue: than we do those thyng{is} / whiche we do gather by argumētacyon & reaso¦nynge or els of which we haue sure per∣ceyuynge and konwleg by all our ow••∣warde sences. DIS. But in as muche as the bokes of holy scrypture haue co∣me to vs by men: where of than cometh that stedfast and sure persuasyon or be∣leffe. There is no man so wycked: as to thynke or iudge / that god may besuspe∣cted of fals••h••d and vntruth / but it may be dowted / whether all those bokes ha∣ue b••n wryten by the inspiratiō of god. MAG. Ueryly this certaynte ryseth of many causes: but pryncypally & chef∣ly

of one: fyrste of all: it ryseth of natur∣all consente / for those thynges: whiche are taughte in those bokes: are a great parte of them / agreble to the naturall iudgement of reason / a certayne sparke wherof remayneth yet styll euen in men after the falle. Secondaryly of the mer∣uaylouse wondres or myracles / by whi∣che both the olde and also the new testa∣mente hath ben geuen and taught. For neyther haue suche wondres ben done euer at ony other tyme / or in ony other thynge: neyther euer ony man eyther durste / or coulde haue fayned lyke thyn∣ges vnto them besydes this of the mer∣uaylouse and wondrefull consente and agremente of all the thynges amonge them selffe and of eche with other. DI. Of whiche thynges? MAG. Of the fygures: and the prophecyes: whiche proprely do appertayne and belonge to the olde testamente. Adde hereunto the truthe and euydence in the perfor∣mynge and fulfyllynge of those thyng{is} whiche the olde testamēte eyther hadde shadowed & signyfyed by figures: or els had promysed by the mouthe of the pro¦fetes. In the examynatyon of witnesse:

thou knowest well / that the consente & agremente of the recordes amonge thē selues / is of great wayghte and greatly to be regarded. Compare that Chryste / whiche by many darke redles and fygu¦res is sygnyfyed & shadowed in the law of Moises / & whome so many Prophet{is} dyd promyse / and that at dyuerse & son∣dry tymes / with hym / whome the hysto¦ry of the Gospell doth sette forth playn¦ly afore oure iyes / as it were in a sca∣fold: and thou shalt see all thes thynges perfyghtly agree to gether. Ouer & be¦sydes this / Prophetes do meruaylously consente and agree amonge themselues one with another / where as among the phylosofers of the world / there is great stryfe and contraryete of dyuerse & son∣dry [ 5] opynyons. Adde also to these thyn∣ges afore reherced / the constante and stedfaste consente and agremente of all tymes and of all natyons / & the faste cō¦spyration of them vnto this phylosofye hole with one mynde and accorde / for who euer wrote ony thynge / were he ne¦uer of ••o hyghe & excellente witte / whi∣che the whole world dyd so receyue / whi¦che the world dyd with so great cōstan∣cye and stedfastnes retayne & cleue vnto

that so many thousand{is} of men / of chyl¦dren / of women / and of vyrgyns / nether with dyuerse & sondry kyndes of death / nether with tormentes / more fearefull than death / coulde be plucked away frō it / whose myndes the lyghte of Fayth had puryfyed? And this thynge is by so much the more meruaylouse and won∣derfull: for that this philosofye / as it we¦re a certayne sonne / dyd sodeynly shyne and geue lyghte thrugh out the whole worlde / and dyd ouercome and gete the vyctory / nether by the helpe of myghte and power / nether of ryches / nor of ony mannes crafte or polycye / nether fynal¦ly by ony worldly helpe or ayde / & also for that it hath hetherto agaynste the power of kyng{is} / agaynste worldly wys∣dome / agaynst heretykes beyng a thow¦sand maner wayes instructed & armed to impyete / and to be short agaynste all the engynes of the Deuyll / stande faste and sure / not able to be shakē / accordyn∣ge to the promysse of Chryst. And the gates of helle shal not preuayle agaynst it. DIC. I perceyue now / some lyght [ 23] to shyne euē to myn iyes also though be¦yng half blynd. But whiche is that chef and pryncypall thynge? MAG. Uery∣ly [ 24]

thou hast touched it allredy of thyne [ 25] one accorde. DIS. Howe so? haue I [ 26] touched it vnwares? MAG. For thou fealest and perceyuest (as thou sayeste) some lyghte to haue schyned in to the iyes of thyn harte. This is doutles the spyryte of Chry••te: whiche hath now be gonne to shewe his effycacyte & strēgthe in thy harte: and as I hope and tr••ste: shall fynysche and make perfyghte tha•• whiche it hath begonne. For this is the earnest peny or pledge of the dyuyne spy¦ryte: whiche by his secrete inspyratyon doth so confyrme strengthen: and estab∣leshe mannes mynde: that neyther the power of the deuylls: neyther aungells: neyther ony creature at all: is able to de¦parte it: and plucke it awaye from the the fayth and hope: whiche are in. Chry¦ste Iesu. Suche an affectyon: can no {per}∣suasyon of men gendre in our myndes: whiche is a very sure and vndowted token: that all these thynges are don & wrought frō aboue / by god. For no ma¦ner thyng doth sette the mynde of man at quyetnesse and reste: saue onely this [ 27] phylosofye. DIS. O happy are they: whome it hathe chaunced to haue this [ 28] gyfte. MAG. Let vs praye / & desyre i••

sure truste: and we shall haue it. DI. yt [ 29] but whan you doo name the bokes of both testamentes: you do name & speake of a greatte (be cause I wyll not saye of an vnmeasurable) see / but what thynge do you aduyse me to learne: that am ye•• very ignoraūte / and more than an infaū¦te or babe in Chryst? MA. The world∣ly [ 30] scyences inuented by men: haue (as thou knowest) theyr rudymētes & pryn∣cyples. So lykewise this heuenly phylo¦sophie also / hath certayne rudymentes and pryncyples or rules and instructy∣ons whiche are fyrste taughte to hym / that is a yonge beginner and learner in [ 31] it. DIS. Whence shall I fetche these [ 32] sayde rudymentes? MAG. you maye fynde them in the Symbole or Crede / whiche partely for the auctoryte of it / & partely for a dyfference from other sym¦boles: is called the Symbole or Crede of the apostles / and the olde authores doo otherwyles calle it the Rule of the fayth or beleffe. This is a speche breflye comprehendynge in fewe wordes / the summe of those thynges: whiche are ne∣cessarely to be beleued of all men vnto eternall saluacyon. This Symbole or Crede / in the olde tyme / they that were

baptyzed wh••n they were growne in a∣ge: dyd recyte openly / euery man with his owne mouth (and ware than called Cathecumeni) afore that they were dop¦ped [ 33] in the holsome water. DIS. why is it called the rule of fayth or beleffe. [ 34] MA. Because that accordynge to this styffe and stronge inflexyble squyere or rule of veryte and trouth: all the opyny¦ons of men are dyrected and corrected / & by it also all the erroures swaruyng & goynge awrye from the trouthe / bothe of hethē paynymes / of Iewes / and of he¦retikes: are straightened and amended / for the trouth of god is single / & alway∣es contay••neth one / and vnmoueable / [ 35] whiche sayth / Heuen and erthe shall passe awaye / but my worde shall abyde and not passe awaye. DIS But what meaneth this worde Symbole? MA. [ 36] Symbolum is a Greke worde / whiche cometh of the verbe Symuallo: whiche signifieth the same that confero doth in the latyne tonge / that is / to brynge to¦gether. This worde symbolū: the Gre∣kes haue vsed many maner wayes / and in diuerse significations. For otherwhi¦les / they do calle symbolum / the seale or marke: which is emprynted on lettres / &

vessels: to thentēt that they shold not be opened of suche as were not mete & cōue¦nyent. Sometyme agayn / they do calle symbolū a gage (whether it were mony or a ryng / or ony other thyng) that they gaue from thē / as many as were appoī∣ted / & had made {pro}myse to haue a cōmu∣ne bākette or feast together: to the assur¦aunce / that euery one of thē shold kepe his appoyntemēt / & no man withdraw: or absente hym selffe. Besyd{is} this also / they do calle symbolū / the token / that is geuen betwen the spouse and the spou∣sesse / of theyr consente eche of them to other: to the ende / that neyther of them maye shrynke from theyr promysse and bargayn. And last of all / they calle sym∣bolum / that token or cognysaunce: whi¦che was geuen to the soldyers / as many as foughte vnder one and the same stan∣derde and bannere / whiche sometyme was a watcheworde / sometyme it was without wordes / and therfore of them it is called Symbolon Aphonon / id est / dumbe tokē / without ony voyce or soun¦de. And this was don to thende / that the soldyers whiche were all vnder one captayne: sholde knowe eche other / and that yf onye wolde attempte or goo a∣about

to worke ony gyle or dysceyte: by this marke and token / they myght ha∣ue perceyuyng and knowledge of hym. D. These thyng{is} haue you spoken very plainly & clerely. But I desyre & long to here the conuenyence and agremente of the nam{is} (that is to say) why the Crede is called by this name symbolū or how this name agreeth to it. MAG. Thou seest / that in baptisme / the forehede of hym that is regenerat: is merked or sea¦led with the fygure of the crosse. And saynct Paule calleth the Corinthianes whiche had professed the gospell: his epystle / not wrytē forsoth with ynke in parchemente: but in theyr hartes / with the spyryte / wiche spyryte is called the fynger of god. The mynde that is ones thus sealed and marked to god it is not lawfull to breake vp / or to open / to the deuyll. And the same Paule speaketh in this wise to the Corinthyans. We ha∣ue this treasure in earthen vessel{is}. The mynde therfore of man / thrugh baptys∣me: is made the vessell of the holy ghost whiche vessell is sealed or marked with the sygnete of fayth / ye moreouer Chry¦ste hath sealed it with his one bloode. And in the gospell. our lorde compa∣reth

the kyngdome of heuen / that is to wytte / the grace of the gospell / vnto a wytte / the grace of the gospell / vnto a feaste royall / vnto whiche / all men of all nations are called. Now who so euer hath professed Chryste in baptysme: he hath geuen a gage / to come to this no∣ble feast / so that it is not lawful for hym now to starte backe. Besyed this / we do rede oftentymes / that Chryste is called by the name of a spouse as the churche likewyse is called by the name of a spou¦se / as in the mystycall cantycle / and in the thyrde chapytour of Iohan / ye more ouer / the soule of e••he man in the profes¦syon of the Faythe: is wedded vnto Chryste her spouse / saynct Paule de∣clareth this / wrytynge to the Corin∣thyanes. ☞I haue maryed you to one husbande / that you shold shew your selues a chast virgine / to Chryst. Ther∣fore a token is geuen of bothe partyes / that it can not be lawful for either other at ony tyme to go about a dyuorcement Chryste geueth the earnest or pledge of his spirite. Man beleuynge with his harte to his iustificatyon / and confessin¦ge or knowledgyng with his mouth / to his helth and saluacyon: doth agayn of

his part / geue a tokē or pledge / to Chry¦ste. Great is the misterie (as sayncte Paule saith) of this mariage whiche is made / & knytte with a faste / & a sure vn¦lousable bonde / betwen Chryste and the churche. DI. I verely dyd wene euer vntyll this tyme / that onely vyrgins {pro}¦fessynge the religious lyfe / had ben wed¦ded to Chryste. MA. Forsoth they are agayn maried: raither than maried / & in the ordre of spouses: they are cheffe in preeminence / beynge so muche the more nere to the spouse: by howe muche they are more lyke vnto hym / but in baptis∣me: the soules euen of mariners also / & of carters / and of shomakers / are made the spousesses of Chryste. And it is all one and the same token / that is geuen to all men / as well to the vileste beggar as to the mightest kynge or prince that is. And of this thynge doutles / oughte those / that are abiectes and out castes / in the sighte of the worlde: to take a cer¦tayne godly pride: for that in such thyn∣ges whiche onely doth geue the verie true felicite / and whiche do make men truely excellēte / truly riche / truly migh∣ty and truly noble: they are egall and matches to kyng{is} and prynces / be they

neuer so ryche and great of power. DI. you shewe here the meruailouse and wō¦derfull benignite and goodnesse of god. MAG. Whome can that moste meke and gentyl Lambe refuse or reiecte / whi¦che: whan the theffe hangynge on the crosse dyd professe: forthwith dyd bydde hym to the brydall feaste / and of a synne full person and blaphemouse agaynste hymselfe: made hym parte taker with hym of his kyngdome? DIS. Forsoth all thynges agreeth meruailously well hetherto. MAG. Finally and laste of all / they whiche are newe borne agayn by the holy bathe of baptisme: they do professe the Euangelycall cheualrie or warre / and do become seruauntes and soldiers vnder the immortall captayne Iesu Chryste / and are boūden with his mylytare sacramentes / and do receyue the gyfte or rewarde of the spirite. So that it is a poynte of extreme vnfaithe∣fullnes / and also vnkyndenesse: to forsa∣ke this capitayne / and runne from hym to the tyraunte the deuille. Nowe all they do forsake hym / not onely whiche do denye Chryste / and doo runne vnto the turke or to the Iewes:

But also which with theyr hole herte & mynde are geuen to the worlde / & world¦ly cōmodytes and pleasures. For the ryghtuose man also falleth euen sēuen tymes in a daye. But he ryseth anone agayn by the quycknes and strength of fayth / whiche / lyke fyere doth alwayes laboure vpwarde vnto heuenly thyng{is}. DIS. Wolde god that spyryte wolde vouchesaffe to wryte in my herte / & to seale faste that / whiche he hath wryten: with a sure and an inuyolable Symbo∣le or seale. M. Wold god he wold vouche¦saffe to cōmytte to thy harte and myne that inestymable treasure: and that whi¦che he hath put & layde vp in our hert{is}: to make sure and defende with his seale or marke. DIS. But we must than of∣fre and geue to hym cleane parchemēte and a cleane vessell. MAG. ye & euen this thinge also shall he hymselfe graūt vnto vs / howe be it not without out owne helpe and workynge there vnto. DIS. O how happy and blessed a fea¦ste is that / whiche both in this worlde hath the ioye of a good and clerre consci¦ence: and from hence doth sende vs vnto the celestyall feaste? MAG. ye more∣ouer how happy and how blessed a ma∣ryadge

is that: whiche maketh vs one with god / whome to cleue & stycke faste vnto: is moste hyghe & syngulare felycy¦te? D. But cheualry or warre is a name of laboure & trauayle. MA. No man is crouned saue onelye he whiche hath foughte lawfully. But the paynes that are to be taken in this worlde: are tran∣sytorye / and laste but a shorte while.

The crowne or rewarde is euerlastyn¦ge / and shall neuer corrupte or fade. fur∣thermore that laboure or trauayle that is here / the spyryte doth make dulcete & swete with so many solacyes and coum¦fortes: that all the resydue may be suf∣fred and endured not onely pacyently / but also gladly & cherefully. This lyfe is a battayle: whether we wyll or not / we can not chose / but we muste warre eyther on goddes parte or els on the de∣uylles. They that warre on the deuyll{is} parte / whiche is called the prince of this world / do suffre more harde & more paynfull thynges / than do they / that warre on goddes parte. And Chrystes soldyers do ioye & reioyce no lesse / than they do / which do seche and hunte after swete and plesaunte thynges / bothe by londe and water: but they ioye after an

other maner or facion. Nay rather they onely are truly gladde and ioyfull / besy¦de this the stypende or wages / whiche these .ii. captaynes do paye to theyr sol∣dyers: are excedyngly farre vnlyke / and contrary the one to the other: that is to witte to triūphe eternally in heuē with theyr capitayne Chryste: and to be geuē to the euerlastynge fyere of helle with the tyraunte the deuille. DIS. yt is a meruailouse thynge than / that the com¦mune sorte of men do lede theyr lyfe af∣ter suche maner / as they do. MA. The cause thereof is / because manye men do pronounce the Symbole or Crede with theyr mouthe: and few doo beleue with theyr harte / or yf they doo beleue: they beleue but coldely and fayntly. D. But I haue a greatte whyle desyred to here the rudymentes and pryncyples of the heuenly philosophie. MAG. Rudimen∣tes they are in dede / but that whiche is lowest thynge here: passeth and surmoū¦teth / farre all the hygheste poyntes of worldly wisdome. But because we do be¦ter and sooner perceyue those thynges / which we are gredy & very desyrouse to learne: therfore they that do teache hu∣manye disciplines / are wonte to cōmen¦de

the sayde disciplines vnto theyr disci¦ples & hearers by dyuerse meanes / but principally because of the authoure / of the matter: of the fourme / & of the ende. D. I do not well perceyue that whiche you do saye. M. As for example / the sci∣ence of physike hath for the author••re of it: Hippocrates / & (yf we beleue poetes) Appollo / it treateth & is occupied about thynges / whiche do helpe or hurte the helthe of the body. This is the mater or material cause of it / it stōdeth by know¦ledge of naturall thynges / & by expery∣mentes. Thynke this to be the fourme / the ende of it is the helth of the body as farre forth as is graunted to man for to haue helth in this worlde. D. Thou ma¦kest here no mention of lucre. M. That peraduēture is the ende or pryck where vnto certaine physiciōs do laboure / but yet the ende of the arte or scyence: is the prosperouse helth of the body / lykewyse the Stoyke phylosophie hath for the au¦thoure of it: zeno / it treateth: what is vi¦re & what is vertue / it gathereth or con¦cludeth with Dialecticall reasons / it {pro}∣miseth trāquillite & quietnes of mynde: but in this lyfe onely / & it also false or di¦seytfull / for nothyng doth verily qete & set at reste the mynde of man: saue onely

the grace of Chryste / which they dyd ne¦uer so much as ones dreame of. But of this philosophye / of whiche thou begyn¦nest now to be a learner: the authoure is god / the matt: is vertuose lyfe / the four∣me: is the inspyratyon of the aeternall god / the ende: is the heuenly lyfe / naye rather to speake better: all these thyng{is} is god hym self. And zeno veryly in ma¦ny thynges both doth dysceyue and is dysceyued. And because he is dysceyued in the ende: it coulde not be chosen / but that he must nedes be dysceyued also in the meanes to the ende. But here where god is al in al: there can be none errour / no clowde / none ambyguyte or dowtful¦nes. He is the begynnyng: he is the pro¦gresse or myddle course / & he is the ende Seyng than / that we do fynd men / whi¦che do desyre and go about to learne hu¦mayne dyscyplynes / whithe excedynge great laboures / and great costes besto∣wed a longe tyme: with howe great fer∣uoure of mynde is it mete to learne this philosophie / which came from god / and whiche by pure & cleane lyfe / with mer∣ualouse spede bryngeth vnto that bles∣sed immortalyte? DIS. Forsoth you speake of a very precyose Margarite or

perle / wiche ought (and not vnworthy∣ly) to be purchased and bought: though a man sholde make sale of all the good{is} that euer he hath / to bye it withall. M. ye moreouer it is well bought: though a man purchase it with the losse of his lyfe / ye though it dyd coste hym a thou∣sant tymes his lyfe the purchase of it: yet sholde it be bought good chepe / and nothynge accordyng to the valure of it. But I thynke / it doth not nede me to re¦herce those thynges here / which mygh•• make the beneuolence and wellwyllyn∣ge / attente and docyle or apte to take in¦struction / it is a great spoore to prycke & prouoke a man to profyght and go fore¦ward in ony scyence or crafte: the loue of the teacher. But what thyng is more amyable or louely: than is god? nay ray¦ther / what thynge is ony whitte amya∣ble at all: besides hym? And who can be slepy / and not geue quycke attention: to here hym surely and vndowtedly promi¦synge the eternall ioyes? And he is easyly and sone made docile and apte to take instructiō: who so euer both loueth god aboue all thyng{is} / and geueth credē¦ce to hym alone in all thynges / without ony distruste or doutfulnes. DI. My

mynde is kendled & enflāmed more and more. MA. But let this cōmunication had hetherto (yf thou lyst) be the fyrst in structiō or lesson / which whā thou shalt haue well recorded and laboured ouer a¦gayn to thy self / by diligen••e considera∣tion / desyryng & callyng for the helpe of the diuine spirite / thā retourne agayne to me / and thou shalte be taught the re∣sidue. DIS. It shall be don.

Notes

• Out of the churche / whi¦che is the hou¦se of god / is no hope of sal¦uacyon.
• Mat. 16.
• why it ha•••• plesed god to geue his bene fyght•• to one man by ano∣ther .ii. caus••••
• Hebr. 11.
• Hebr. 11.
• Fayth is the dore / wherby we entre into the howse of god: that is the churche.
• The ••ii. pryn∣cipal powers of man̄es sou¦le / vnderston∣dyng & wyll.
• Thrugh the offence of A∣dā and Eue both mannes vnderstōdyn∣ge & also his wyll are vicy¦ated and cor∣rupted.
• Two reme∣dies agaynste the aforesay∣de euyll faith whiche pur∣geth the hert & charite whi¦che straighte¦neth the cro∣ked wyll & ap¦petyte.
• ¶Fayth.
• Charyte.
• Charyte is the seruaunt of fayth.
• Faythe hath one iye. Cha∣rite hath .ii.
• what faythe is.
• Fayth is the most sure kowledge / that is ī this worlde.
• The causes mouīg vs to ••eue fast and sure credence to the holy scryptures of god.
• Naturall. Consente.
• Miracles.
• The perfygh¦te argumente of the fygur∣es & prophecy¦es of the olde testamēt both among them selues & also with the new testamente.
• The wonder¦full vertue & myght of the Christiane philosophie.
• Math. xvi.
• Fayth is cau¦sed pryncypal¦lye by the in∣s••yration of the holy gho∣ste.
• why the com¦mūe Crede i•• called the sim¦bole of the A¦postles.
• why the crede is called the rule of fayth
• Math. xxiiii.
• The sygnifi∣catiōs of this greke worde symbolum.
• The fyrst sig¦nifi••ation of this worde symbolū.
• The seconde signification
• The .ii••.
• The .iiii.
• How all the .iiii. significa∣tions of sym∣bolū: do agre vnto the crede
• The sealyng of a vessell or of an epystel.
• ii. Cor. iii. Luce. xi. ii. Cori. iiii.
• Luce. xiiii.
• The gage be longyng to a cōmune feast or bankette.
• The tokē ge∣uen betwen the spouse •• the sposesse.
• ii. Cori. xi.
• Ephe. v.
• It is all one spirit that is geuen to all them that be∣leue in Chrest of what estat or degree soo euer they be. Poore & rych hygh & lowe / all are one in Christe.
• Luc. xxiii.
• The watche∣worde or the badge of sol∣diers in war∣re.
• who do forsa¦ke Christ thi•• capitayne.
• ii. Timo. ii. ii. Cori. iiii. i. Petri. v.
• Iob.vii.
• Ioan. xii.
• The cōpary∣son of the esta¦te of Christe•• sold yers and the deuy les werryes.
• i. Corintio. i.
• The authore of Phisieke.
• The matter whereof it treateth.
• The fourme. The finall cause or ende of it.

  Theauthour of the stoike philosophie. The mater. The forme. The ende,
• Nothīg quse¦teth the myn¦de of man: sa¦ue onelye the grace of Chri¦ste.

  The author The matter / The fourme / and the ende of the chrystē philosophie.
• Math. xiii.
• Beneuolēce Attention. Docilite.