But you good children folowe not suche, but beleue you, with all youre hearte, that God is almyghtye, that he is able to worke and do all thynge that he wylleth, and perfourme all thing that he speaketh or promiseth. And in so doyng you shall fynde great peace and quietnes in your consciences. For this is an excedyng comforte for vs, stedfastly to beleue this article that God is almyghtye. For hereby we be perswaded, in all perels and aduersities to put our trust in him, forasmoche as he is able to delyuer vs out of al troubles and affections, although they seme to mans reason remediles. Hereby also we be taught, to humble oure selues before God, and not to be proude, neyther to dyspyse or forget hym when all thinges goeth after our owne wyll, but to consyder that God is almightie, and able wyth a beck to ouerturne kingdomes, to cast downe the ryche, to exalte the poore, to punyshe the wicked, and to destroye vs yf we prouoke him to angre. Wherefore good chyldren marke well thys wourd, almyghty, whiche is as muche to saye as this. No man is so sore sycke, but God is able to heale hym. No man is so poore but God can make hym riche. No man is so symple or dul wytted, whom he is not able to make wyse. No man is so vyle or lytle regarded, but he is able to promote him to highe honours. No man is so greate a synner but he is able to iustifye hym. Wherefore in all chaunces we must put our truste in God onelye. For he is able to do what soeuer he wylleth, and all thynge is subiecte vnder hys dominion.

Furthermore in thys artycle God is called maker of heauen and earthe, that is to saye, God made heauen and earthe and all thynge contayned therein of nothynge. For God made not these thynges as a carpenter maketh an house, (whiche can not woorke yf he lacke hys toyles and stuffe.) But he onelye sayde, lette it be done, and by and by all thinges were done. And therefore he

hathe a newe title whiche was neuer herde among al the phylosophers, beynge called the creator of the worlde, that is to saye, that by hys woorde he wonderfullye made all thynges of nothynge. And as soone as he dyd speake, by and by all the worlde stode vp and was made.

Thus he made manne, and gaue hym bodye and soule, reason and wysedome, and dyd sette vnder his gouernaunce the yerth and all thynge that groweth theron, as all kynde of trees wyth theyr fruytes, all kyndes of herbes and floures, all fyshes of the sea, foules of the ayer and all maner of beastes tame or wylde, and he made man Lorde ouer all these creatures, that he myghte vse theym partely to his norishement and foode, and partely to hys apparell and ornament of hys bodye, in so muche that he made the sunne, moone and al the sterres for thys ende, that they shoulde serue man. And (that is most comforte to vs of all) he made al these creatures before he did creat man, declaryng therby, that he is carefull for vs and prouideth suche thinges as we haue nede of, yea before we be borne.

Wherefore good children let vs be of good chere, and puttyng our trust in God let vs reason on this fashion. For asmuch as God made heauen and earth, it is euident thereby, that he is Lorde and Mayster of the same, and that all thynges aswell in heauen as in earth are donne accordyng to his wil. And forasmuche as he made all thynge for vs, it is also manyfest therby, that he willeth all creatures to do vs seruice, let vs therfore folow the Math. vi. counsel of Christ who saith. Be not careful for your lyfe what ye shall eate or drynke, nor yet for your bodye what rayment ye shal put on. Is not the life more worth then meat? and the bodye, more of value then rayment? Beholde the foules of the ayer, the whiche do neyther sowe nor reape nor carye into the barnes, and yet your heauenly Father doth feade theim. Are not you much better then thei? Consider the lilies of the feld, how they

growe. They labour not, thei spynne not. And yet I saye vnto you, that Salomon himselfe (when he was in his most gorgious royaltie and glorye) was not apparelled lyke one of these. Now yf God dothe so apparell a floure (which althoughe it flourisheth to day, yet to morow it wythereth away and is cast into a fournas) shall he not muche more do the same for you, ye men of lytle faith? These be the wordes of Christ good children, by the which he exhorteth vs to put our trust and confidence in God our Father, and stedfastly to beleue, that he whiche hath gyuen to vs our lyfe, is both able and wyllyng also to gyue vs all thynges necessarye to the maintenaunce of our lyfe. For he is the maker of al thinges, and all creatures obey his wyll and commaundement, and if there lacked any thinges that should helpe vs, he is able euery daye to make all newe agayne, as euery yeare he maketh all thynges to renewe and spryng again. Thus by these wordes we learne that God hath made heauen and earth and all thynges conteyned therein for vs, and for oure commoditie, and that he is both can and wil gyue vs our dayly fode and lyuynge. Wherfore let no man trust to his own wit, reason or compassyng, thynking that he is able to get his liuing or riches by his awne carefulnes or to maynteyne his lyfe, but let vs put our trust in God our Father Almightie, he will feade nourishe and mainteyne vs, as longe as it shall please him. Neuertheles it is our parte to labour dilygentlye, and euery man is bound to do his dutie in his vocation and calling. For God willeth not, that we shoulde be idle, and lye all the day on the one syde, lokynge that he shuld put meat in our moughtes, as the nourse doth feade yong children, but he commaundeth vs to plye our laboures and occupations and then to cast all carefulnes, and put it vnto hym, Thus good childerne I haue expounded vnto you the first article of our belyfe, conteynyng the doctryne of the creation and makyng of the

worlde, the which heauenly philosophie (to thentent you maye the more easely beare it in youre memories) I wil knit it vp in few wordes, that when you be demaunded, how vnderstande you the first article of youre belife? you may thus shortly answere. I beleue that God the Father hath made me, and al creatures in heauen and earth, that he hath gyuen to me and conserueth my bodye and soule, reason, senses, eyes, eares, and all my other members. Also I beleue that the same almightye Lorde and God doth dayly gyue to me and to vs all, meat, dryncke, cloth, wife, children, house, lande, riches, cattell, and all thynges necessarye to the mayntenaunce of our lyues and that he doth dayly defende kepe and preserue vs from all perell, and delyuer vs from all euel. And all thys he dooth of hys awne mere mercie and goodnes, without our worthynes or deseruynges. For the which benefites it is our dutie to render to him continuall and euerlastyng thankes to obey hym in all thynges, and to take hede that we be not vnkynde to hym, that hath shewed so greate kyndnes towardes vs.

A general conclusion to be rehersed at the ende of euery sermon made vpon the Crede.

that

Thus you haue hearde good children, the true and playn meanyng of this parte of the Crede. Now it is youre parte deapely to prynte the same in youre hartes, you maye put your hole trust and confidence in the true and lyuyng God our heauenly Father. And forasmuche as faith is the worke of God, and the light of our hartes, whiche God putteth in vs by his worde and holy Spirite, (so that we can not atteyne faith and the knowledge of Christ without Goddes word and true preachers) therfore accustome yourselfes euen from youre tendre age to heare the worde of God, that he by his holy Spirite maye moue and sturre vp your hartes to true faith and knowledge of hym. And besyde that you shall de

sier God with most hartye praiers, that as he hath gyuen you the gyft of faith, so he wyll contynew and increase the same in you, that as you growe in age, so also you may growe in the knowledge of Christ. For he that beleueth in Christ, is made thereby the sonne of God, and heyre of lyfe euerlasting. And then he gyueth vs hys holy Spirite to kyndle charitie in our hartes, wherby we loue God and kepe all his commaundementes. All these benefites we receaue by faith in the whiche whosoeuer contynueth vnto the ende of his life, shalbe saued, the which God graunte to vs all. Amen.

I DECLARED vnto you heretofore good children, that the Crede entreateth chiefly of thre thynges, that is to saye, of God the Father that made the world, of God the Sonne that redemed the worlde, and of God the Holy Goost that sanctifieth the worlde. And in the former sermon I taught you the hygh and heauenly philosophie, of the creation. Wherfore now I will vttre vnto you the great mistery of our redempcion, whiche is conteyned in these wordes of the Crede.

I beleue in Jesus Christ his only begotten Sonne, our

Mat. xxvii. Mark xv. Luke xxiii. John xix.