The Parable of the Wicked Mammon

If thy brother or neighbour therefore¹ need & thou have to help him and yet showest not mercy but withdrawest thy hands from him: then robbest thou h•m of his own and art a these. A Christen man hath Christs spirit. Now is Christ a merciful thing: if therefore thou be not merciful after the ensample of Christ then hast thou not his spirit. If thou have not Christs spirit, then art thou none of his Ro. viii. nor haste any part with, him. More over though thou show mercy unto thy neighbour, yet if thou do it not with such burning love as Christ did unto thee, so must thou knowledge thy sine and desire mercy in Christ. A christen man hath nought to rejoice in, as concerning his deeds. His rejoicing is that ⟨image 47⟩Christ died for him, and that he is washed in Christs blood. Of his deeds rejoiceth he not, nether counteth his merits, nether giveth pardons of them, nether seeketh an higher place in heaven of them, nether maketh him self a savour of other men, through his good works. But giveth all honour to God, and in his great tist deeds of mercy knowledgeth him self a sinner unfeignedly, and is a bundantly content with the place that is pre pared for him of Christ. And his good deeds are to him a sign only that Christs spirit is in him, and he in Christ, and through Christ elect to eternal life.

Yf thy brother or neyboure therfore¹ neade & thou haue to healpe hym and yet showest not mercy but wythdrawest thy handes from hym: then robbest thou h•m of hys owne and art a thefe. A Christen mā hath Christes spirite. Now is Christ a mercyful thinge: if therfore thou be not mercyfull after the ensample of Christe then hast thou not hys spirite. Yf thou haue not Christes spirite, then art thou none of hys Ro. viii. nor haste any parte with, him. More ouer though thou sh•we mercye vnto thy neiboure, yet if thou do it not with such burning loue as Christe dyd vnto ye, so must thou knowledge thy sine and desyre mercy in Christ. A christē man hath nought to reioyse in, as concer ninge hys deades. Hys reioysinge is that ⟨image 47⟩