CONSIDERING how necessary it is that the word of God, which is the only food of the soul, and that most excellent light that we must walk by in this our most dangerous pilgrimage, should at all convenient times be preached unto the people, that thereby they may both learn their duty towards God, their Prince, and their neighbours, according to the mind of the Holy Ghost expressed in the Scriptures, and also to avoid the manifold enormities which heretofore by false doctrine have crept into the Church of God;

The Holy Ghost, in writing the holy Scripture, is in nothing more diligent than to pull down man's vainglory and pride ; which of all vices is most universally grafted in all mankind, even from the first infection of our first father Adam. And therefore we read in many places of Scripture many notable lessons against this old rooted vice, to teach us the most commendable virtue of humility, how to know ourselves, and to remember what we be of ourselves.

BECAUSE all men be sinners and offenders against God, and breakers of his law and commandments, therefore can no man by his own acts, works, and deeds, seem they never so good, be justified and made righteous before God ; but every man of necessity is constrained to seek for another righteousness or justification, to be received at God's own hands, that is to say, the remission, pardon, and forgiveness of his sins and trespasses in such things as he hath offended. And this justification or righteousness, which we so receive by God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God for our perfect and full justification.

THE first coming unto God, good Christian people, is through faith; whereby, as it is declared in the last Sermon, we be justified before God. And, lest any man should be deceived for lack of right understanding hereof, it is diligently to be noted that faith is taken in the Scripture two manner of ways.

In the last Sermon was declared unto you what the lively and true faith of a Christian man is, that it causeth not a man to be idle, but to be occupied in bringing forth good works, as occasion serveth. Now, by God's grace, shall be declared the second thing that before was noted of faith, that without it can no good work be done, acceptable and pleasant unto God.

Of all things that be good to be taught unto Christian people, there is nothing more necessary to be spoken of and daily called upon than charity; as well for that all manner of works of righteousness be contained in it, as also that the decay thereof is the ruin (or fall) of the world, the banishment of virtue, and the cause of all vice.

OF our going from God, the Wise Man saith that pride was the first beginning : for by it man's heart was turned from God his Maker. For pride, saith he, is the fountain of all sin : he that hath it shall be full of cursings, and at the end it shall overthrow him.

It is not to be marvelled that worldly men do fear to die. For death depriveth them of all worldly honours, riches, and possessions: in the fruition whereof the worldly man counteth himself happy, so long as he may enjoy them at his own pleasure; and otherwise, if he be dispossessed of the same without hope of recovery, then he can none other think of himself but that he is unhappy, because he hath lost his worldly joy and pleasure.

Almighty God hath created and appointed all things, in heaven, earth, and waters, in a most excellent and perfect order. in heaven he hath appointed distinct (or several) orders and states of archangels and angels. In earth he hath assigned and appointed kings and princes with other governors under them, all in good and necessary order. The water above is kept, and raineth down in due time and season. The sun, moon, stars, rainbow, thunder, lightning, clouds, and all birds of the air, do keep their order.

Although there want not, good Christian people, great swarms of vices worthy to be rebuked, unto such decay is true godliness and virtuous living now come, yet above other vices the outrageous seas of adultery (or breaking of wedlock), whoredom, fornication, and uncleanness have not only brast in, but also overflowed almost the whole world, unto the great dishonour of God, the exceeding infamy of the name of Christ, the notable decay of true religion, and the utter destruction of the public wealth ; and that so abundantly that, through the customable use thereof, this vice is grown into such an height, that in a manner among many it is counted no sin at all, but rather a pastime, a dalliance, and but a touch of youth ; not rebuked, but winked at ; not punished, but laughed at.

THIS day, good Christian people, shall be declared unto you the unprofitableness and shameful unhonesty of contention, strife, and debate ; to the intent that, when you shall see, as it were in a table painted before your eyes, the evilfavouredness and deformity of this most detestable vice, your stomachs may be moved to rise against it, and to detest and abhor that sin, which is so much to be hated and so pernicious and hurtful to all men.