Williarn Roye's Dialogue between a Christian Father aml Ins Btubliorn Son. 439 



all. which thynge causeth vs to meke oure selves, and ro. vij. 

 sendeth vs to god, thorowe Christ. And that specially because 

 that in oure flesshe is uothynge to be fnunde savynge only 

 vnstablenes of herte, and desperacion of niynde. But contrary 

 wyse in the promeses of god, throwe the merettes of Christ, 

 is all surenes of mvnde, and stedfastnes of herte. And he that 

 diligently remenibreth this, dieth gladly from all that he is of 

 hym seife, putynge his only trust and confidence in god his 

 most mercifull father. Sonne. By what meanes myght I be 

 assuered here of? Fa. This suerteshyppe is so wrapped in 

 fayth, that the ferventer thy fayth is, the suerer thou mayst 

 be there of. For yf thou sett abacke all worldely hope and 

 trust, and ernestly indever thy silfe, to folowe Christ, and in 

 hym to settle thyne herte, and to have thy solace only, thou 

 sone shalt perceave by thyne owen frute, what maner mat. vij. 

 a tre [fol. 17*.] thou arte. For this purpose sayth the lorde 

 by Ezechiel the prophet. Halowe ye my saboth daye, Ezoe. xx. 

 that it maye be a token bitwene you and me, wherby ye maye 

 knowe that I am youre lorde god. Wherfore yf thou feie thy 

 silfe prompte and redy to do the workes of mercy vnto thy 

 neghbours, and to soflfre all maner of aduersities paciently. 

 thou mayst surely knowe that god is with the. and that through 

 his mercy he hath ehaunged thyne herte. and thus by the 

 workes be assuered of thy fayth e. Son. Forthe on declare the 

 wother poyntes of thy belefe. Fat. Which is conceaved by 

 the wholy gooste borne of Mary the virgen, which also soffered 

 under Pens Pilate. was crucified, ded, and buried. Son. What 

 betoken these sayinges? Fat. Seynge (as apereth by the 

 gospell of S. Luke) that he is conceaved by the opera- Luce. j. 

 cion of the wholy gooste, I suerly afferme, that he is with out 

 spot of synne. and nott as we are conceaved and borne psai. i. 

 by oure mothers in sinfall iniquite. And that of the virgyn 

 mary. to fulfill that whiche longe before was profecyed by the 

 prophet Esaias, sayinge. A virgyn shall conceave and brynge 

 forthe a sonne etc. And because his whole life was Esa. vij. 

 but a continuall sufferinge of grett paynes, [t"i»l. 17''.] laboures, 

 and thrauldoms for owre synnes only. I saye whiche jo. x. vj. 

 soffered vnder Pons Pilate. etc. For he cam into the worlde 

 to fulfill his fathers will, and so to delyver hyme silfe to death 



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