Certain Sermons or Homilies (First Book of Homilies)

he worthily extolleth and glorifieth his Lord and master Christ,¹ and humbleth himself, as unworthy to unbuckle his shows, and giveth all honour and glory to God. So doth s. Paul, both oft and evidently confess himself, what he was of himself, ever giving (as a most faithful servant) all praise to his master and saviour. So doth blessed s. John the Evangelist,² in the name of himself, and of all other holy men (be they never so just) make this open confession: if we say, we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us: if we knowledge our since, God is faithful and just, to forgive us ⟨image 11⟩our since, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: if we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Wherefore the Wiseman in the book called Ecclesiastes,³ maketh this true & general confession: there is not one just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. And s. David is ashamed of his sin, but not to confess his sin. How oft, how earnestly,⁴ & lamentably doth he desire gods great mercy, for his great offences, & that God should not enter into judgement with him.⁵ And again, how well weigheth this holy man his since, when he confesseth, that they be so many in number, and so hid, and hard to understand, that it is in manner unpossible, to know, utter,⁶ or number them. Wherefore, he having, a true, earnest, and deep contemplation and consideration of his sins, and yet not coming to the bottom of them, he maketh supplication to God, to forgive him, his privy, secret his sins: to the knowledge of the which, he can not attain unto. He weigheth rightly his sins, from the original root, & spring head, perceiving inclinations provocations, stirrings, stingings, buds, bran ches, dregs, infections, tastes, feelings, and scents of them, to continue in him still. Wherefore he saith: mark & behold, I was conceived in since: