A16573:754
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.
Again, in hearing that this which we take and eat, is Christs body broken for our sins, and his blood shed for our iniquities, we are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatness of Gods mercy and trueth, and of Christs love towards us. For what a mercy is this, that God would for man, being lost through his wilful sins, be content, yea, desirous to give his own only Son, The Image of his substance, the brightness of his glory, being in his own bosom, to be made man for us, that we men by him, might be, as it were, made Gods? What a mercy is this, that GOD the Father should so tender us, that he would make this his Son, being equal with him in divinity, a mortal man for us, that we might be made immortal by him? What a kindness is this, that the almighty Lord should send to us his enemies, his dear darling to be made poor, that we by him might be made rich? What bowels of compassion ⟨image 81⟩was this, that the omnipotent Creator of Heaven and earth, would deliver his own only beloved Son for us creatures, to be not only flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones, that we might by him through the holy Ghost, be made one with him, and so with the Father, by communicating the merits of his flesh, that is, righteousness, holiness, innocency, and immortality: but also to be a slain Sacrifice for our sins, to satisfy his justice, to convert or turn death into life, our sin into righteousness, hell into Heaven, misery into felicity for us? What a mercy is this, that GOD will raise up this his Son Christ, not only to justify and regenerate us? but also in his person, to demonstrate unto us our state, which we shall have: for in his coming we shall be like unto him.
Againe, in hearing that this which wee take and eate, is Christs body broken for our sinnes, and his bloud shedde for our iniquities, wée are occasioned to call to mind the infinite greatnes of Gods mercie and trueth, and of Christs loue towards vs. For what a mercie is this, that God would for man, béeing lost through his wilfull sinnes, be content, yea, desirous to giue his owne onely Sonne, The Image of his substance, the brightnesse of his glorie, béeing in his owne bosome, to bée made man for vs, that wee men by him, might be, as it were, made Gods? What a mercie is this, that GOD the Father should so tender vs, that hee would make this his Sonne, béeing equall with him in diuinitie, a mortall man for vs, that wée might be made immortall by him? What a kindnesse is this, that the almightie Lord should send to vs his enemies, his deare darling to bee made poore, that wee by him might be made rich? What bowels of compassion