But the cursed infidelity doth alway withstand & let, that God can not work these things in us, & that we can not perceive & have experience of it. We will be full & have plenty of all, before hunger & necessity do con strain us, providing us aforehand, that we be not grieved with the need & poverty to come that so we need none of Gods works or grace. What faith is that whereby thou trustest in God, when thou fellest & knowest store enough, wherewith thou mayest help thyself? Infidelity is the cause that we see the word of God, ⟨image 60⟩the truth, & right to lye under, and injury to have the upperhande, & that in the mean season we keep our peace, punish nothing, say nothing to it, nor forbid ought: but let every man have the bridle & run at large, suffering him to do as it pleaseth him. But what is the cause: Even because we fear to be attached also, & brought to poverty, & so finally dye for hunger, & remain ever an underling And it is said to set more by temporal goods, then by the fear of God, & to worship them as Idols in his stead: whereby we are unworthy to hear or to understand this promise of God, full of comfort, namely: that he exalteth the oppressed and of low degree, and putteth down the proud: that he filleth the poor with good things, and letteth the rich go empty. And so come never to that knowledge of his works, without the which nevertheless there is no bless, but must be damned for ever, as the .xxvii psal. doth testify, saying: For they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands: therefore shall he break them down, & not build them up. And that rightfully, for they believe not his so many promises, counting him a light & failing God, upon whose word they dare begin nought: so little feeling ⟨image 60⟩have they of his truth. Ye must adventure & put your selves in hazard upon his word. For he sayeth not: He hath filled the full, and set up the high: but he hath filled the hungry, & hath exalted the lowly & underlings. Ye must first come by hunger in the midst of need, & know what hunger & need do mean, so that ye have nought to trust unto, or that ye may use hereafter, or whereby ye may be holpen hereafter, neither by yourself, nor of other, but only of God: so that the work that is impossible unto other, be only Gods.
But the cursed infidelite doth alwaye wythstand & let, yt God can not worke these thynges in vs, & that we can not perceaue & haue experience of it. We wyl be ful & haue plenty of al, before honger & necessite do cō strayne vs, prouydynge vs aforehande, yt we be not greued wt the nede & pouerte to come that so we nede none of Gods workes or grace. What fayth is yt wherby thou trustest in God, whan yu felest & knowest stoare ynough, wherwyth yu mayest helpe thyselfe? Infidelite is ye cause yt we se ye word of God, ⟨image 60⟩the truth, & ryght to lye vnder, and iniury to haue ye vpperhāde, & yt in the meane seasō we kepe our peace, punyshe nothynge, saye nothynge to it, nor forbyd ought: but let euery man haue ye brydel & rūne at large, suffryng hym to do as it pleaseth hym. But what is the cause: Euen because we feare to be attached also, & brought to pouerte, & so finally dye for hōger, & remayne euer an vnderlyng And yt is sayd to set more by tēporal goodes, then by ye feare of God, & to worship thē as Idols in his steade: whereby we are vnworthy to heare or to vnderstande this promyse of God, full of cōforte, namely: that he exalteth the oppressed and of lovve degre, and putteth dovvne the proude: that he fylleth the poore vvyth good thynges, and letteth the rych go empty. And so come neuer to yt knowlege of hys workes, wythout ye whyche neuerthelesse ther is no blesse, but must be dāned for euer, as ye .xxvii psal. doth testifye, sayenge: For they regarde not ye workes of ye LORD, nor ye operaciō of hys hādes: therfore shal he breake thē down, & not buyld thē vp. And yt ryghtfully, for they beleue not hys so many promyses, coūtynge hym a lyght & faylyng God, vpō whose word they darre begynne nought: so lytle felynge ⟨image 60⟩haue they of hys truth. Ye must aduenture & put your selues in hasarde vpon hys worde. For he sayeth not: He hath fylled the ful, and set vp the hygh: but he hath fylled the hōgry, & hath exalted the lowly & vnderlynges. Ye muste fyrste come by honger in the myddes of nede, & know what hōger & nede do meane, so yt ye haue nought to trust vnto, or yt ye may vse hereafter, or whereby ye may be holpen hereafter, nother by yourselfe, nor of other, but only of God: so that the worke yt is impossible vnto other, be only Gods.
