A16573:667
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.
Trow you, that such a one, knowing this gear by faith, will willingly welter and wallow in his wilful lusts, pleasures and fantasies? Will such a one, as knoweth by faith, Christ Jesus to have given his blood to wash him from his sins, play the Sow, to welter in his puddle of filthy sin and vice again? Nay, rather then ⟨image 57⟩he will be defiled again by wilful sinning, he will wash often the feet of his affections, watching over the vice still sticking in him, which as a spring, continually sendeth out poison enough, to drown and defile him, if the sweet water of Christs passion in Gods sight, did not wash it, and his blood satisfy the rigour of Gods justice, due for the same.
Trow you, that such a one, knowing this geare by faith, will willingly welter and wallow in his wilfull lusts, pleasures and fantasies? Will such a one, as knoweth by faith, Christ Iesus to haue giuen his bloud to wash him from his sinnes, play the Sow, to welter in his puddle of filthie sinne and vice againe? Nay, rather then ⟨image 57⟩he will be defiled againe by wilful sinning, he will wash often the féet of his affections, watching ouer the vice still sticking in him, which as a spring, continually sendeth out poyson enough, to drowne and defile him, if the swéete water of Christes passion in Gods sight, did not wash it, and his bloud satisfie the rigour of Gods iustice, due for the same.
This blood of Christ shed for our sins, is so dear in the sight of him that believeth, that he will abhor in his heart, to stamp it, and tread it under his feet. He knoweth now by his belief, that it is too much, that hitherto he hath set too little by it, and is ashamed thereof. Therefore, for the residue of his life, he purposeth to take better heed to himself, then before he did. Because he seeeth by his faith, the grievousness of GODS anger, the foulness of sin, the greatness of Gods mercy, and of Christs love towards him, he will now be heedy to pray to GOD to give him his grace accordingly, that as with his eyes, tongue, hands, feet, &c. he hath displeased God, doing his own will: even so now with the same eyes, tongue, ears, hands, feet, &c. he may displease