A16573:585
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.
Merciful Father of our Saviour Jesus Christ, because I have sinned & done wickedly, and through thy goodness have received a desire of Repentance, whereto this thy long sufferance doth draw my hard heart, I beseech thee for thy mercies sake in Christ, to work the same Repentance in me, and by thy spirit, power, and grace so to humble, mortify, and fear my conscience ⟨image 34⟩for my sins to salvation, that in thy good time thou mayst comfort and quicken me again, through Jesus Christ thy dearly beloved Sonne. Amen.
Merciful Father of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, because I haue sinned & done wickedly, and through thy goodnesse haue receyued a desire of Repentance, whereto this thy long sufferance doth draw my hard heart, I beséech thée for thy mercies sake in Christ, to worke the same Repentance in me, and by thy spirite, power, and grace so to humble, mortifie, and feare my conscience ⟨image 34⟩for my sinnes to saluation, that in thy good time thou mayst comfort and quicken me againe, through Iesus Christ thy déerely beloued Sonne. Amen.
After this sort, I say, or otherwise, as thou thinkest good, if thou wilt have this first part, Contrition, or sorrow for thy sins, do thou beg it of God through Christ. And when thou hast asked it, as I have laboured to drive thee from trusting in thy self, so now I go about to move thee from flattering of thy self, from sluggishness & negligence, to be diligent to use these means following. Unto prayer, which I would thou shouldest first use as thou canst: secondly, get thee Gods Law as a glass to toot in: for in it, and by it, cometh the true knowledge of sin, without which knowledge, there can be no sorrow. For how can a man sorrow for his sins, which knoweth not his sins? As when a man is sick, the first step to health, is to know his sickness: even so to salvation, the first step, is to know thy damnation due for thy sins.
After this sort, I say, or otherwise, as thou thinkest good, if thou wilt haue this first part, Contrition, or sorrow for thy sins, do thou beg it of God through Christ. And when thou hast asked it, as I haue laboured to driue thée frō trusting in thy selfe, so now I go about to moue thée from flattering of thy selfe, from sluggishnes & negligence, to be diligent to vse these meanes following. Vnto prayer, which I would thou shouldest first vse as thou canst: secondly, get thée Gods Law as a glasse to toot in: for in it, and by it, commeth the true knowledge of sinne, without which knowledge, there can be no sorrow. For how can a man sorrow for his sins, which knoweth not his sinnes? As when a man is sicke, the first step to health, is to know his sicknesse: euen so to saluation, the first step, is to know thy damnation due for thy sinnes.