The poisonful corruption of our nature, which we have sucked out of our first parents Adam and Eve, worketh so strongly in us, O Lord and so mightily striveth against the motions of thy holy spirit,1 that we can not do that we would, nor accomplish that y• requirest of us. Thou hast commanded us to love, not only our friends, but also our very enemies to forgive them y• offend us to bless them that curse us,2 to do good to them that hate us, to pray for them that do us wrong and persecute us, if our enemy hunger to feed him▪ if he thirst,3 to give him drink, but our corrupt ⟨image 81⟩nature,4 which ever striveth against thy blessed will, seeketh all means possible to be revenged, to requite tooth for tooth, and eye for eye, to render evil for evil, when vengeance is thine,5 and thou wilt reward and by this means we grievously offend thee and break the order of charity, & the bond of peace, which seeketh not to be revenged,6 but to forgive one another, even as Christ forgave us. It may p•ese the therefore (O most merciful Lord) of thy bountiful goodness to forgive our enemies, and not to lay to their charge those things, that they have unjustly committed against us, & so to slay in us our old corrupt and cankered nature, by taking away from us our stony heart, and by giving us a fleshy heart,7 that we through the operation of thy holy spirit may be content according ⟨p. lxvi⟩to thy blessed will & commandment,8 and after the example of thy son Jesus Christ our Lord, & of that blessed martyr. S. Stephan, freely, and even from the very heart to forgive our enemies, to speak well of them, to love them, and to do for them what so ever lieth in our power, & by this means unfeignedly show our selves to be thy sons,9 which causest the sun to arise on the evil, & on the good, and sendest the rain on the righteous & on the unrighteous, giving us example, that we, if we will be thy true sons, should do likewise & show our selves beneficial, not only to the good and godly, but also to the wicked and ungodly, that by this means we may allure even the very adversaries of thy truth to speak well of the professors of thy blessed name, and to glorify the our heavenly father, ⟨image 82⟩which fashionest us according to thy manners through the mighty working of thy holy spirit, to whom with thee, and thy only begotten son, be all glory and honour AMEN.
THe poisōful corrupciō of our nature, whiche we haue sucked out of our fyrst parentes Adam and Eue, worketh so strōgly in vs, O Lord and so myghtely striueth againste the mocyons of thy holy spirit,1 that we can not do that we wold, nor accomplysh that y• requirest of vs. Thou hast cōmaunded vs to loue, not onlye our frends, but also our very enemyes to forgeue them y• offēd vs to blesse thē that cursse vs,2 to do good to them that hate vs, to prai for theim that do vs wronge and persecute vs, if oure enemy honger to feede him▪ if he thyrste,3 to geue him drinke, but our corrupt ⟨image 81⟩nature,4 which euer striueth agaīst thy blessed wyl, seketh al meanes possible to be reuēged, to requite toothe for toothe, and eye for eye, to render euyl for euyl, when vē gaunce is thyne,5 and thou wylte reward and by thys meanes we greuously offende the and breke the order of charity, & the bond of peace, which seketh not to be reuē ged,6 but to forgeue one another, euen as Christ forgaue vs. It mai p•ese the therfore (O most merciful Lord) of thy bountyful goodnes to forgiue our enemyes, and not to laye to their charge those thynges, that they haue vniustly committed against vs, & so to sle in vs oure old corrupte and cankard nature, by takyng away frō vs oure stonye hearte, and by geuynge vs a fleshye heart,7 that we thorow the opperacyon of thy holye spirite maye bee contente according ⟨p. lxvi⟩to thy blessed wyl & commaūdement,8 and after the exāple of thy son Iesu Christ our Lord, & of that blessed martyr. S. Stephan, frely, and euen frō the veri hert to forgeue our ennemyes, to speake wel of them, to loue them, and to do for thē what so euer lyeth in oure power, & by this meanes vnfainedli shew our selfs to be thy sōnes,
- 1Galathi. v. Roma. vii.
- 2Math v. Luke. vi.
- 3Pro. xxv. Roma. xii.
- 4Exodu. xxi. Math. v.
- 5Deu. xxxii. Hebru. x. Roma. xii.
- 6i. Cor. xiii. Colloss. iii,
- 7E••chi. xi. an• .xxxvi.
- 8Mathe vi. and .xviii. Mark. xi. uke. vi. Luke xxiii. Acte•. vii.Mathe vi. and .xviii. Marke. xi. uke. vi. Luke xxiii. Acte•. vii.
- 9Mathe. •.
