An exposicion vpon the songe of the blessed virgine Mary, called Magnificat Where vnto are added the songes of Salue regina, Benedictus and Nu[n]c dimittis. Translated out of latine into Englysh by Ihon Hollybush.

¶The songe of Zachary called Benedictus, vsual∣ly songe at Mattins, brefely declared.

Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, for he hath redemed and visited hys people. And hath set vp an horne of saluacyon in the house of hys seruaunt Dauid. Euen as he promysed afore tyme by the mouth of hys holy prophetes. That he vvolde delyuer vs from oure enemyes, and from the hande of all such as hate vs. And that he vvolde shevve mercy vn∣to our fathers, and thinke vpon his holy conuenaunte. Euen the oth that he svvare vnto oure father Abraham, for to geue vs. That vve delyuered out of the hande of oure enemyes, myght serue him vvith∣out feare all the dayes of oure lyfe, in suche holynesse and ryghteousnesse as is accepte before hym.

And thou chylde shalte be called a pro¦phete of the hyghest: for thou shalt go be¦fore the LORDE to prepare hys vvayes. And to geue knovvlege of saluaciō vn¦to hys people, for the remissiō of synnes. Thorovv the tender mercy of our God vvhereby the daye sprynge frō on hygh hath visited vs. That he myght geue lyght vnto them that syt in darkenesse and shadovve of death, & to gyde our fete in to the vvaye of peace.

THys songe of Zacharye the pro∣phete, the father of Ihon baptiste washe occasioned to syng for ioy that he was restored agayne to hys speche, the whych he lost, because he dyd not beleue the angell shewynge hym of hys sonne Ihon baptiste that shulde be borne of hym: so that (as the angell sayde vnto hym) the token whereby he shulde be assured ther of was, that he shulde be domme, vntyll the tyme of the chyldes natiuite. Wherfore at hys natiuite beynge restored agayne vn¦to hys speche, he is forthwyth fylled also wyth the holy gooste, and prophecyeth: not that he was not fylled afore wyth the

sprete of Gods chyldren, wherby he walked vnblameably in the commaūdementes and ryghteousnesses of God: but that than he was euē rauyshed and specially fylled with the sprete, so that Luke the Euangelist (who doth describe these wordes in his .i. chapter) sayeth: that he was fylled with y^e holy gooste and prophecyed. Now is to prophecy, to vt∣ter thynges, ether to come, or that he paste already, or els to open the scriptures and pro¦phecyes, the whiche all thys songe doth con∣teyne, and is diuided in .xii. verses and two partes. In the fyrste doth Zachary cōmende and prayse the truth of Gods promyses, that God doth kepe & fulfyll those thynges, which he dyd promyse by hys prophetes of Christe. In the seconde doth he declare the office and seruice of Ihon baptiste. Let vs therfore kepe and handle thys songe of Zachary, not only as a rehearsall and abrygmente of all suche promyses as are spoken of Christe, but also as a large commentary and vtteraunce of y^e gospell of Iesu Christe. But alas thys songe is haynously abused, euen as is also y^e songe of prayse that Mary the blessed virgine dyd syng, called Magnificat, seynge it is roared out dayly rather than songe wythout faythe or deuocion. God auenge hys worde from

the blasphemyes of the wycked. Now let vs go to the songe:

Blessed be the LORDE God of Israel.

Zachary doth blesse and thanke God, which (accordynge to the promyse made vn∣to the holy mē in olde tyme) dyd send Christ the Saueoure of Israel, whereby he doth al∣so strenghten the weaklynges in fayth and feble harted. And with thys syngynge & opē∣ly confessynge of his name is he wellapayed yf the harte and mouth do accorde. Though he do call God the God of Israel, it is not therfore to be vnderstande that he is not the God of the Gētyles, but he is so called, fyrst because of the promyse made vnto Abraham in the .xvii. chapter of Genesis, where God sayde vnto hym: I wyll make wy cōuenaunt betwene me and the, and thy sede after the, thorowe out theyr posterites, that it may be an euerlastynge conuenaunte, so that I wyl be the God of y^e, and of thy sede after the. &c. Secondly, because he gaue them, Patriar∣kes, Prophetes, the lawe, the Gods seruice, and the promyses of Christe that was to∣come. Thyrdly, because that of thys people shulde Christe be borne after the flesh: But after that Christe was come, he was no∣more

called Israell truely, that was borne of that kynred, and of the flesh of Israel: but he that is borne by the fayth of Iesu Christe. Wherfore, though the LORDE by hys po¦wer and rule be the LORDE of all nacions yet is he properly called the God of thē that beleue in Iesus Christe, because that them only be knowlegeth for y^e heyres of hys kyng∣dome.

Blessed is than the God of Israel. But wherfore?

Euē because he hath visited and redimed hys people.

And hath set vp an horne of saluaciō in the house of hys seruaunte Dauid. Euen as he promysed afore tyme by the mouth of hys holy prophetes.

Thys pertayneth vnto the fyrste parte of the songe, wherin God is commended for hys faythfulnesse and fulfyllynge of hys pro¦myse. He hath visited and redimed hys people, sayeth Zachary, the whiche be both one thynge, and be as much to saye as: he is come vnto vs, to brynge and to set afore vs the wholsome worde, whereby we are saued For to visite is, to be myndefull, to care for, or to make an ende of trauyll and thraldom, as God dyd whā he delyuered y^e chyldrē of Is¦rael out of Egipte, though it be sōtyme takē for

euell, as to punysh or to chastise. Now is ther is no visitacion to be cōpared vnto thys that Zachary speaketh of here. For by it he hath redemed vs from the daunger of y^e De¦uell, Death and Hell, and made vs fre Israe¦lites and a peculiare people to hymselfe

and hath set vp an horne of saluacion in the house of hys seruaunte Dauid

.

A horne in scripture is taken for vic∣tory, doughtynesse, a rodde, a kyngdome, greatnesse, power, maiestye or excellencye, ether because that fourefooted beastes haue theyr chefe strength in theyr hornes, orels be cause that kynges beynge consecrate in olde tyme were anoynted wyth the oyle that the prophetes had in hornes, as we reade of Sa¦muel .i. Reg. xvi. Therfore sayeth Zachary, that God hath raysed and set vp an horne, that is, a sauynge power, namely by Iesus Christe, the Saueoure of all thē that beleue in hym, vnto whome is geuen power of all thynges, both in heauē and earth. Yf I shulde brynge sorth the scriptures bearynge wyt∣nesse of thys, I feare me to be cloyde with y^e abundaunce of thesame. The horne than is set vp in the house of Dauid, for Christe is borne of the posterite of Dauid, not only af∣ter the sprete, (as the swaruynge spretes of

the Anabaptistes do saye) but also after the flesh, the which he toke of the virgine Mary. Yf thys Dauid (of whose flesh and bloude Christe was borne after the manhode) had ben no man, than had not Zachary mēt him whan he sayde: In the house of Dauid hys seruaunte. For Christe is equall wyth hys father after the Godheade, and the sede or posterite of Dauid after y^e manheade which he toke of the virgine Mary, that was of Da¦uids kynred, & that by the ouershadowynge of the holy goost. Yf they therfore wyl swage theyr rashnesse and malepartnesse, and con¦fesse the truth accordynge to the scriptures, than surely shall they se, that scripture vseth somtyme to speake mystically of hym, and so is he the true Salomon, that is: the kynge of peace, whose dominion shalbe augmented, and ther shalbe no ende of hys peace. Esa. ix. And sometyme after the flesh, as we maye se in the .lii. and .liii. chapters of Esay. More ouer, Yf they wyl vnderstande the prophecy of Ieremy in hys .xxii. chapter, where he pro¦myseth to rayse vp the ryghteous braūche of Dauid only spritualy, than must they denye the article of oure belefe that we cōfesse in, that he is borne of the virgine Mary, and a∣gayne that hys manhode glorifyed is not in

heauen, the whiche God forsende ony man shulde beleue, seynge the whole scripture is contrary to it, though all the worlde dyd affirme it. Thys is than the very Christe God and mā, (of whome the prophetes and the euangelystes haue spoken) that Zachary or the holy gooste in hym meaneth whan he calleth hym the horne of saluacion in the house of Dauid hys seruaunte. How bewty¦full are these fete of Zachary, bryngynge so good tydynge, preachyng so peaceable Christ by whose horne of saluacion all they that sat in y^e region of Deathes shadowe were de¦lyuered. But though Zachary in the thre fyrste verses dyd comprehende the summe of those promyses that were fulfylled in Christ Iesu, yet is he not contente to haue brefely runne ouer them, but of a feruent sprete he doth now dilate and declare them more lar∣gelyer in the other fore verses followynge, and sayeth:

That he vvolde delyuer vs from oure enemyes and from the hande of all suche as hate vs.

And that he vvolde shevv mercy vn∣to oure fathers, and thynke vpon hys ho∣ly conuenaunte.

Euen the oth that he svvare vnto our

father Abraham, for to geue vs.

That vve delyuered out of the hande of oure enemyes, myght serue hym vvyth oute feare all the dayes of oure lyfe, in such holynesse and ryghteousnesse as is ac¦cepte before hym.

What tyme as the chylderen of Israell were come into the lande of promyse, & had taken possession of it, they had no kynges, but were ruled by rulers. Now as they for∣soke the LORDE theyr God, and fell to Idolatry God dyd punyshe them, and sente straunge nacions vpon them, the which vex¦ed them: wherfore they called vpō God, and he delyuered them, sendynge them a ruler or captayne that discōfited the enemyes, as the boke of iudges doth specyfy. On lyke maner prophecyeth here Zachary that God will do, in sendynge hys sonne Iesus Christe, of the sede of Dauid, to delyuer the true Israelites and to rydde them frō the hande of such ene∣myes, as oppressed them. Lo (sayeth he) howe true is God, and how well abydeth he by his promyses. For he kepeth not only these pro∣myses that he made by the prophetes, but also the testamentes and cōuenauntes that he made vnto the Patriarkes, namelye:

Abraham and Dauid, y^e which he dyd bynde wyth an oth. The oth that he made wyth A∣braham is thys: I wyll blesse thē that blesse the, and curse them that curse the: and in the shall all generacions of the earth be blessed. And agayne: Thy sede shall possesse the ga∣tes of hys enemyes, and in thy sede shall all nacions on earth be blessed. Gene. xxii. And of Dauid is wrytten in the .lxxxviii. psalme: I haue sworne once by my holynesse, that I wyll not fayle Dauid. Hys sede shall endure for euer, and hys seate also lyke as the Sōne before me. &c. These and such lyke promyses made vnto Abraham and Dauid of the vic∣tory of theyr enemyes, of the surenesse and quyetnesse of theyr lyfe, of the cōtinuance of theyr happy kyngdome, sounde to be spoken only of outwarde blessynges, and shulde be fulfylled after the meanynge of thys worlde: But by thys songe of Zachary, whiche is an vtteraunce of the promyses made vnto Abra¦ham and Dauid, it is euidente, that these blessynges concerne moost chefely the spiri∣tuall blessynges. For he sayeth that the pro∣myses made vnto the Patriarkes, and con∣firmed wyth an oth concernyng the victory of theyr enemyes, of y^e peceablenesse of lyfe, of the happy state of the kyngdome, are to

be vnderstande of these enemyes, whych are vanquyshed by Iesus Christe, and of y^e tran∣quillite, of that happy and peaceable lyfe, y^e whych is purchased for vs by Christ. Christ hath not subdued or ouercome the Egipci∣ans, or Babiloniās, or y^e Romanes, (though the Iewes had ben partely oppressed, & par∣tely were yet so oppressed of them, that they coulde not quietly vse the seruice of God cō¦maunded in the lawe in theyr owne lande, although they shulde not haue obtayned the true health nor ryghteousnesse thereby, had they ben delyuered of theyr enemyes,) but he ouercame and delyuered hys people frō these enemyes, wherof Paul speaketh Eph. vi. sayenge: We wrestle not agaynst fleshe & bloude, but agaynst rule, agaynst power, na∣mely: agaynst the rulers of the world, of the darknesse of thys worlde, agaynst the spretes of wyckednesse vnder y^e heauē. Amōge these enemyes is the chefest of al Satan, y^e which as he is a murthurer▪ euē so goeth he euer a¦boute roarynge lyke a Lion, sekynge whom he maye deuoure. The seconde is Synne, wherin Adam, by the enticynge of the deuel dyd fall, the whych is cropen in al mākynde from Adam, whereby also they be prouoked vnto all maner of wyckednesse. The thyrde

enemye are: Affliccions, Death, and Hell. These are the mooste haynouse enemyes y^t can be. Nother is it to be thought that these enemyes although they do enuy mē in dede, yet are they farre from them, but it is to be marked that these enemyes haue mē wholy in theyr clawes. For naturally are we the chyldren of wrath, that is, the deuels owne, borne in synne, and by reason of synne, we be in daunger of troubles of thys worlde, bo¦dyly death & also hell. These enemyes hath Christ so ouercome (though they somtime do repyne and gnash, threatnynge men many thynges) that they can in no wyse hurt them that beleue in Christe Iesu. Moreouer Christe hath not restored hys people vnto such surenesse and tranquillite, wherin they myght vse at Ierusalem theyr seruyce, pre∣scribed vnto them in the thyrde boke of Mo∣ses called Leuiticus, (for that seruyce, as it was to be obserued and kept for a season on∣ly, as the lawe wytnesseth: euen so was it on¦ly an introduccion and ciuile holynesse to Christwarde,) but he forgaue them theyr sin¦nes. By the which knowlege, the conscience is so quieted by fayth, that she nowe feareth nother the deuell, death, nor hel. And because that the holy goost is geuen by faythe, ther∣fore,

whosoeuer hath the forgeuenesse of syn¦nes by fayth, the same serueth the LORDE quyetly at all tymes in suche holynesse and ryghteousnesse as he can, wythout ony fear of the cruell enemyes death or hell. Wher∣fore as the promyses made vnto Abraham and Dauid are to be vnderstande of the spi∣rituall enemyes, and of the true and spiritu∣all holynesse, the whych we haue by Christ: euen so is thys songe of Zachary also to be vnderstande spiritually, and of the inwarde victory by the fayth of Iesus Christe oure LORDE. For to possesse the gates of the enemyes, is, to be lorde of all thynges wyth Christ, the whych shall begyn by fayth, & shal finysh whan Christes kyngdome shall ende, the whych shal neuer be, for seynge Christes kyngdome is euerlastynge, and he eternall, therfore shall we raygne and reioyce euerla¦styngly wyth hym in hys kyngdome.

That God than dyd promyse vnto Abra¦ham and Dauid, that he dyd confirme & sta∣blyshe wyth an oth, namely: to remēbre hys cōuenaūt, to shewe y^e mercy promysed vnto the fathers, y^e we shulde be delyuered of our enemyes, & from the hāde of all such as hate vs, & so we delyuered from the hādes of our enemyes, maye serue hym wythout feare:

that sayeth Zachary that God hath done ve¦ry wel, whan he sent Christ hys sonne in the flesh. The whych as he shall clense vs from all our synnes, and reconcyle vs agayne to God the father, euē so shall he also cōmaūde that we do becomme holy and ryghteous be¦fore God by the fayth in hym, and be endued wyth the holy goost, that so we do obeye hys callynge by fayth, wyth great rest and peace of conscience.

Holynesse signifyeth the clennesse from al synne, ryghteousnesse, a cōlynesse of all y^e lyfe, & a seruiable loue vnto all men. Wyth these is God truly serued, so doynge, we do him an hygh pleasure, representyng hys ima¦ge & lykenesse, the whyche is moost cleanest from all euell, and the moost beneficial and weldoynge vnto all thynges. Thys seruice & worship only doeth he alowe, therfore say¦eth he: As is accept before hym. For he dyd requyre it of hys people, whā he brought thē out of Egipte: sayenge: Be ye holy, for I am holy. Moreouer, because it is not truly good that taketh an ende, therfore sayeth he al∣so: All the dayes of our lyfe. For it is no godlynesse y^e hath an ende. God is eternall & is not chaunged, whom who so knoweth tru¦ly can neuer be drawen from hys seruice:

for he shall fynde nothynge better than him. Thys is now the fyrste parte of the songe, wherin the truth of God is cōmended, wher¦by the promyses of Christe are kepte, where by also we be admonished of those benefytes that are happened vnto vs by Christ. Now followeth the other parte:

And thou chylde shalt be called a pro∣phete of the Hyghest: for thou shalte go before the LORD to prepare hys vvayes

And to geue knovvlege of saluacion vnto hys people, for the remissiō of theyr synnes.

Thorovv the tēder mercy of our God, vvherby the daye sprynge from on hygh hath visited vs.

That he myght geue lyght vnto them that sytte in darkenesse and shadovve of death, and to gyde our fete in to the vvay of peace.

In thys other parte of the songe is decla¦red and set forth the offyce of Ihon baptiste. Nother is it declared wyth vayne dreames, but wyth the wordes that the prophete Ma¦lachy, and the angell that appeared vnto Za¦chary dyd testifye of hym. Thou (sayeth he) chylde shalte be called a prophete of the Hyghest? That is, thou shalte be the chefe

preacher in Gods church or congregacion, for of the hath Malachy prophecyed on this wyse: Beholde, I sende my messaunger be∣fore thy face, whych shall prepare thy waye before the. And agayne: He shall turne y^e har¦tes of the fathers vnto the chyldren, and the harte of the chyldren vnto the fathers: & for thys cause shalt thou go before the LOR∣DE, that is, before that Christ do openly be∣gyn hys offyce, thou shalte do thyne appoin¦ted busynesse. For what intent? Fyrst, that thou prepare the waye vnto Christ. Nowe hath Ihon prepared the waye vnto Christe, as is sayd aboue, not only in that he rebuked the people of theyr synnes, but rather be∣cause he declared opēly that thys is the true Christe, and sente hys disciples vnto the same Christe, sayenge: Beholde the lambe of God, whych taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde. Secondely, that thou geue knovvlege of saluacion vnto hys people, for the remission of theyr synnes. That is, that thou wyth thy doctrine shewe vnto the people the true waye and maner, where by they maye obtayne saluacion, the whych consysteth not in the delyueraunce from the tyranny of the Romanes, nother in the feli∣cite or happynesse of thys worlde, but in the

remyssion of synnes. Though thou warest rydde of all tyrauntes and enemyes in this worlde, and hast obtayned all the felicite of thys worlde: yet arte thou in the deuels daū¦ger, an enemye moost cruell, and not onely hys, but also of Death and Hell, whyche are vtter destructions: Thou arte in daun∣ger of them by reason of synne, for Paule sayeth vnto the Romaynes the .v. Chapter: that by one man synne entred in to y^e world and death by the meanes of synne: euen so wente death also ouer all men, in so muche as they all haue synned. Wherfore, that we maye be delyuered from the cruelte of the deuel, and from the power of death and hel, it is requyred that we be delyuered fyrste of all from synne. Ihon was the fyrst that preached Iesus Christe, that we for hym onely haue the forgeuenesse of synnes, by the fayth in hym. Nother is there ony o∣ther waye to obtayne the true saluacion, thā by the fayth in Christe Iesu, nor yet also is ther geuen vnto men ony other name, wher in we be saued. Actu. iiii. For the glory of God is to saue as many as are ordined ther to, and that glory geueth he to none other Seynge than Ihon dyd opē, shewe, & declare Iesus Christ, the doer away of our synnes▪

he is ryghtfully sayd to haue geuē or to haue taught the people suche knowlege, whereby they obtayne the remission of theyr synnes, that is, ryghteousnesse and lyfe euerlastyng. But for what deseruynges or merites sake hath y^e people obtayned such benefites, that they shulde learne the waye of saluacion, & get the remission of theyr synnes? Veryly, not for the circumcision, nor sacrifices, nor ciuile honesty, the whych though they haue a worthynesse in theyr kynde, yet were they not such thynges before God, that therfore he shulde bestowe on vs the benefyte of for∣geuenesse of synne. What are then the thyn¦ges wherfore we haue such benefyte bestow¦ed on vs? Thorovv the the tender mercy (sayeth he) of our God. He sayeth not onely by the mercy▪ but by the tender mercy, that is thorowe the great and vnsearcheable mer¦cy: for thorow the same, and for none of mās merites dyd the daye sprynge frō on hygh visite vs. For as the remissiō of synnes hap¦pened vnto vs for none of our merites, but only of the mere grace and tender mercy of God, euen so doth thys fayth also. The day sprynge doth Zachary call here Christe, as thoughe he were buddynge and spryngynge, lyke a braunch of a tre, alludynge to the say∣enge

of Ieremy in hys .xxiii. chap. sayenge: I wyll rayse vp the ryghteous braunch of Da∣uid, which shall beare rule, & discusse mat∣ters with wysedom, & shal set vp equite and ryghteousnesse agayne in the earth. And also to the prophecy of Zachary in hys .vi. chap. sayenge: Beholde, the man whose name is y^e braunch, and he that shall sprynge after him, shall buylde vp the temple of the LORDE.

Thys braunch than or daye sprynge is ry¦sen from aboue, and hath visited vs, whā Ie¦sus Christ came into thys world, & sente Ihō baptiste before, to beare opē wytnes of him. To what intente? That he myght geue lyghte vnto thē that syt in darknesse, and shadovve of death, and to gyde oure fete into the vvaye of peace. These wordes of Zachary concerne the prophecy of Esaye in his .ix. chap. sayenge. The people that haue dwelte in darknesse, shall se a great lyght: & to thē that dwell in the lande of the shadowe of death, to thē shall the lyght shyne. And a∣gayne in y^e .lx. chap. And therfore get y^e vp by tymes, for thy lyght cōmeth, and the glory of the LORD shall ryse vpon y^e. In the darknes and shadovv of death do they syt, whiche are so wrapped in wretchednesses, y^t they se nought saue euē euerlastyng dānaciō. That

is done whan the synnes are vttered, and y^e conscience knoweth the iudgement of synne. Therfore whan Ihon dyd shew Christe ta∣kynge awaye the synnes of the worlde, sure∣ly he shewed vs such a lyghte, whereby we maye not only auoyde the darkenesse of in∣felicite or wretchednesse and the shadowe of death, but also to gyde our fete into y^e way of peace, so to obtayne y^e true saluaciō & felicite For ther is none other way of peace or feli∣cite, saue Iesus Christ our LORD, by whose faythe we beynge iustifyed haue peace to Godwarde.

A foote in scripture is takē oftymes for y^e affection, desyre & wyll of the harte, as in y^e .xxxv. Psal. Let not the foote of pryde ouer∣take me. That is, the affections & thoughtes of pryde, lest I conceaue a proude opinion of meselfe in my mynde, of my ryghteousnesse, wysdom, strength & wyll: lest I coūte meselfe somewhat, where I ame nothynge, seynge I fynde no good thynge in my flesh.

The clause wherwith Zachary doth ende hys songe is veryly a pythy one, namely: in∣to the vvay of peace. For yf we walke not in the wayes of God, in hys commaundemē¦tes, in the lyfe that is blessed and happy be∣cause of the assuraunce of Gods goodnesse,

wherby such tranquillite & rest of conscience is procured, y^t we take all thynges in worth, and (as neare as we can) haue peace wyth al men: than veryly do we wander in darknes goynge astraye as shepe hauyng no sheperd. He doth worthely cal the ignoraunce of god the shadowe of death, wherwith are holdē all those, into whose hartes Christe the true Sonne of ryghteousnesse hath not spred hys beames, seynge y^e true knowlege of God is lyfe euerlastynge. What tunge cā expresse y^e misery of thē that want y^e knowlege of God? For in thys lyfe they haue a cōscience capti∣uate, restlesse & marked wyth a whote yron, sekynge now thys waye to be saued, thā put∣tynge y^e body to such payne to deserue heauē so y^t it can nomore reste, thā Euripus the ry∣uer, which ebbeth and floweth .vii. tymes in a daye and nyghte. And agayne what tunge can vtter the felicite & happinesse of such as haue thys knowlege, that Ihon is come to geue? for they beynge suffysed y^e God is theyr God, that he careth for thē, that he forgeueth thē theyr synnes thorow the tēder mercy of theyr God, wherewyth the daye sprynge [or braūch] frō on hygh hath visited vs, they kepe an euerlastyng Sabbat, cōmyttyng al y^e care ether of lyuelode, of clothyng, or of ryddaūce and

delyuerynge frō al theyr enemyes, both body¦ly and goostly, to hym only that hath created and gouerneth all thynges, trustyng in him, that as he is only good, so cā not he do other wyse but good vnto them. Thys veryly is a peace passynge the peace of y^e worlde. Thys peace maye be felte inwardly, but can be vt¦tered sufficiently with no tunge outwardly: Yee noman can synge nother thys nor lyke songes worthely & frutefully, wythout he be contrite of harte, & endued w^t the holy goost. Therfore is it a haynous iniury vnto God, to synge thys & lyke wholsome songes only for auauntage, wythout ony consyderaciō of the benefites that God hath shewed vs, as it testifyeth. God graunte that abuses may be redressed by the breth of hys holy worde. ¶Thys is the songe of prayse that Zachary dyd synge at hys chyldes natiuite, whereby (seynge the truth & mercy of God and the be¦nefites, which we haue gottē thorow Christ whome Ihon by by hys preachyng & testimo∣ny doth auaūce, are chefely praysed,) let vs stablysh our fayth, & declare our thankfulnes towarde God, that we maye kepe & retayne with thankfulnesse y^e godly benefites, which of liberalite we haue receaued by Iesus Christe. AMEN.