The thirde Reason

FOR a thirde reason, it shall marueylously moue vs, if we do cal to our remembraūce that we bee putt in mynde and cōmaunded by the mouth of Chryste hym selfe, to be alwayes redye and wyllyng to pray, in these his wordes Oportet semper orare. For who was better able directly to instruct vs in those thynges that shoulde further our saluation, than God the sonne of almyghtie God the father, in whom the same God the father hath reposed the treasures of his wysedome and knowledge, & whom he sent downe into this worlde, to this ende, to shewe the same whole worlde a ryght waye to heauen? Or who coulde with greater zeale and more earnest affection, studye to teache vs the same waye, than he that for the vnspeakable loue whiche he dyd beare vnto vs, wyllyngly susteyned the most bytter, shamefull, and horrible death of the crosse? And he dyd not onlye admonyshe vs of the necessitie of continuall prayer, but he dyd also promyse that we shoulde obteyne any thing that by true and earnest prayer we should require,¹ saying: Petite & accipietis, querite & inuenietis, pulsate & aperietur vobis: Aske and ye shall haue, seeke and ye shall fynde, knocke & it shalbe opened vnto you. This promyse was made by the mouth of Iesus Christ the sonne of God, who is trueth it selfe & seduceth no man: Let vs therfore with an assured confidence approch vnto the throne of his great clemencie, where we may both dayly praye for the grace to lyue and do well, and also for a constant vnmoueable perseueraunce in good workes, nothyng doubtyng but he wyll muche more liberally imparte the same vnto vs, than we can be able eyther to require or thynke of. Wherefore forasmuche as he hath taught vs the necessitie of prayer, and that we must alwayes continue in the same, no man ought to doubte, but that accordyng to his lesson, the same is for vs moste necessary, and expedient. And therefore it is so requisite for vs Christian men that wander amongste the miseries of this worlde, farre from the face of our Lorde God, to obey, folowe, and practise this healthfull and profitable commaundement of our Sauiour Christ, that whosoeuer determineth with hym selfe, that he wyll not pray, or maketh an obiecte and let in his owne minde against prayer, synneth damnablye and to death: yea and he that is ouer negligent to frequent prayer, hauyng often oportunitie, and specially seyng the peryll of his saluation to depende thereon, that negligence may be deadly, albeit negligence in his owne sense and vnderstandyng, is no mortall crime, but lesse or greater accordyng to the qualitie thereof. But yf we woulde somewhat more diligentlye search forth and discusse the perfect meanyng of the aforesaide wordes of Christ, we shoulde playnelye see howe greate the necessitie of prayer is. Doubtlesse, the health of euery Christian dependeth principally of God, of whom of necessitie (as hath ben sayde) euery man must require the same. And because this our health may be euery moment in daunger, and that there is no man whiche is not bounde to prouide and take care for his owne health: It foloweth necessarylye, that euery moment we haue present neede to pray and call to God. For inasmuch as our health can neyther be obteyned nor continued, at any other hand than by GOD hym selfe, it appeareth what neede we haue continuallye to exalte our eyes to heauen▪ and alwayes our hartes to God, and that not only for our selues, but also for the health and well doyng of our neyghbours, whiche we are also bounde to doe· For lyke as euery man is bound to succour his neybour when he seeth hym trauayled with pouertie and miserie, and suche other wantes in his body: Euen so is he much more bounde, when he seeth any peryl & losse lyke to fall to his soule, and the imminent & manyfest daunger of the losse of the spirituall health, and comfort therof. But nowe specially there lyeth vppon vs a much greater necessitie of prayer then euer before, seyng the time so full of daungers, the number of sinners so wonderfully increased vppon the earth, and so great an increase of sinne and wickednes, in our age, as hath not heretofore ben seene. For nowe in this wretched tyme and age we liue in, sinnes be reioysed at, as though they were good deedes, and honest workes are esteemed for great sinnes and enormities, nowe is it well done and commendable to sinne, and contrary great sinne and shame to do well. Wo be vnto vs, that be borne and lyue in this wretched tyme, in the whiche (I speake it not without sorowe and teares) whosoeuer (beyng indued with any zeale towardes the honour of God) shall caste his eyes on those men and women, whiche nowe lyue and remayne, shall easyly be moued to lamentation and mournyng, beholdyng euery thyng tourned and turmoyled vpsyde downe. The moste beautifull order of vertue and honestie, vtterly destroyed and confounded, and the lyuely lyght and example of honest lyuyng, clerely extinquished, banyshed, and put out of memory and all knowledge: And almoste none other thyng nowe lefte in the Churche of Christ, but eyther manyfest iniquitie, or counterfeit holynes. For now amongest the ministers of the same Churche, the great lyght of theyr example, in vertuous and holy liuing, is almoste vtterly extinct, who were wont, and in deede ought styll, lyke lyghtes to the worlde, to shine in vertue and godlynes, and should shewe them selues to all men, as spectacles worthy the beholding, and set to the shewe vppon an high hill, and lyke the bright candle set vppon and aboue the busshell, and not hydden and vnworthy of sight. And now there commeth no light from them, but rather an horrible mistie cloude or darke ignoraunce, and a pestilent infection therein, with the which innumerable being deadly infected, are dayly drawen to their destruction. O miserable estate of ours, O time most worthy bewaylyng, into the which most vnfortunately our deare and holy mother the Churche, the spouse of Christ, is fallen, whiche doth nowe so little esteeme the moste precious bloud of her moste louyng spouse, Iesus Christ: Yea, and lyke an inchaunted woman, nothyng regardeth nor reputeth of any moment, that moste excellent pryce, wherewith she was so excedyng louynglye and dearely redeemed. If this consideration dyd sometyme fall into mens hartes, it woulde and ought of ryght to compell vs, beyng humbled in mynde, and truely penitent in hart and soule, to knocke and beate with violent and continuall faithfull prayers, the gates of the mercy of God, not for our selues alone, but to recouer both our owne health, and our neyghbours, whom we maye nowe see standyng in a moste miserable condition and state, brought to extreme necessitie, and beyng nowe in the present perill, and almost vnavoydable daunger of the losse of theyr soules, and recouerye thereof is none at all, but onlye by continuall and effectuall prayer, sorowefully and har[…]yly requyryng the present pardon, succour, and comfort of almightie God.