A16573:565
The complaint of verity, madeThe complaynt of veritie, made
The complaint of verity, made by John Bradford. An exhortation of Matthew Rogers, unto his children. The complaint of Raufe Allerton and others, being prisoners in Lollers tower, & written with their blood, how god was their comfort. A song of Cain and Abel. The saying of master Hooper, that he wrote the night before he suffered, upon a wall with a coal, in the new In, at Gloucester, and his saying at his deathThe complaynt of veritie, made by Iohn Bradford. An exhortacion of Mathewe Rogers, vnto his children. The complaynt of Raufe Allerton and others, being prisoners in Lolers tower, & wrytten with their bloud, how god was their comforte. A songe of Caine and Abell. The saieng of maister Houper, that he wrote the night before he suffered, vppon a wall with a cole, in the newe In, at Gloceter, and his saiyng at his deathe
London: printed for Owen Rogers?, 1559
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Here we may note, first the corruption of our nature, in that to this commandment, Repent you, he addeth a cause, For the kingdom of Heaven is at hand: For by reason of the corruption & sturdiness of our nature, God unto all his commandments. commonly either addeth some promise to provoke us to obedience, or else some such sufficient cause, as cannot but tickle us up to hearty labouring for the doing of the same: as here to the commandment of doing penance, he addeth this Etymology or cause, saying: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Héere we may note, first the corruption of our nature, in that to this commaundement, Repent you, he addeth a cause, For the kingdome of Heauen is at hand: For by reason of the corruption & sturdines of our nature, God vnto al his cōmaundements. commonly eyther addeth some promise to prouoke vs to obedience, or else some such sufficient cause, as cannot but tickle vs vp to hearty labouring for ye doing of ye same: as here to the commandement of doing penance, he addeth this Aetimologe or cause, saying: For the kingdō of heauen is at hand.
Again, in that he joineth to the commandment the cause, saying: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We may learn that of the kingdom of heaven, none (to whom the ministry of preaching doth appertain) can be partaker, but such as repent and do penance. Therefore dearly beloved, if you regard the kingdom of heaven, in that you cannot enter therein, except you repent: I beseech you all of every estate, as you would your own weal, to repent and do penance. The which thing that ye may do, I will do my best now, to help you by Gods grace.
Againe, in that hée ioyneth to the commaundement the cause, saying: For the kingdome of heauen is at hand. We may learne that of the kingdome of heauen, none (to whom the ministerie of preaching doth appertaine) can be partaker, but such as repent and doe penaunce. Therefore déerely beloued, if you regard the kingdome of heauen, in that you cannot enter therein, except you repent: I beseech you all of euery estate, as you would your owne weale, to repent and doe penaunce. The which thing that ye may doe, I will doe my best now, to helpe you by Gods grace.