A Homily to be Read in the Time of Pestilence

To all pastors and curates within the king's majesty's diocese of Worcester and Gloucester.

Even as we be blind and unthankful for God's favourable mercies, wherewithal he followeth us in health, wealth, and prosperity; so be we blind and unsensible for his most just plagues, wherewithal he persecuteth and punisheth us in sickness, scarcity, and troubles: and now, amongst other tokens of his displeasure and wrath, hath sent us, in divers places, one of the extremest plagues that ever he devised to punish man withal in this life — the plague of pestilence: forasmuch as he meaneth thereby not only to kill and destroy the bodies of such as by this plague he purposeth to take out of this mortal life; but also, without repentance and turning to his mercy in Christ before death, the soul of such as depart from hence must needs perish by God's just judgment. And not only this to be the end of such as it pleaseth God to strike to death by this his servant and messenger, the plague of pestilence; but also, the like danger of his displeasure remaineth to me, and to all other that have the cure and charge of the people's souls in this the king's majesty's most noble realm, over whom God and he hath made us watchmen and overseers, to admonish and warn the people of all dangers and plagues that God shall send for their punishment. In case we admonish not in time the people committed unto our charge of such plagues as for sin he purposeth to punish us withal, their loss and damnation shall be required at our hands.

For the discharge of myself, and also for the better instruction of such as have cures within this diocese of Worcester and Gloucester, and yet not best able to discharge them; and furthermore for the profit and salvation of the people, among whom it may please God to send his fearful plague of pestilence, I have thought it my bounden duty, seeing at all times I cannot comfort the sick myself, to collect or gather into some short sermon or homily a medicine and most present help for all men against the plague of pestilence; and in the same also to provide some present remedy for such as shall be infected with that disease. And for the better understanding of the medicine, I will use this order, that all physicians learned do use in their practice of physic: first, I will shew the chiefest cause of the pestilence; and then, what remedy is best to be used against it, and to heal it when it hath infected any man.

And although I will speak herein somewhat as other physicians have done; yet because they have spoken already more than I can in the matter, though it be a great deal less than the matter of the disease requireth (for none of them have shewed any ascertained remedy, be their reason never so good); I will briefly, as by the way, somewhat speak of this disease, as they do: but as a preacher of God's word, and as a physician for the soul rather than for the body, entreat of the sickness and the remedy thereof after the advice and counsel of God's word; who suppleth all things omitted and not spoken of, concerning this most dangerous plague, by such as have written, besides the scripture of God, their mind touching the same. For indeed the chiefest cause of all plagues and sickness is sin, which, remaining within all men, worketh destruction not only of the body, but also of the soul, if remedy be not found.

And whereas Galen saith that "all pestilence cometh by the corruption of the air, that both beast and man, drawing their breaths in the air corrupt, draweth the corruption thereof into themselves," he saith well, yet not enough. He saith also, very naturally, that when the air is altered from his natural equality and temperature to too much and intemperate heat and moisture, pestilence is like then to reign. For as he saith in the same place that heat and moisture distemperated be most dangerous for the creatures of the world, yet that is not enough. As Ezekiel saith, whereas God sendeth all these distemperances, and yet if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of them, they shall be safe; even so saith David also: "Though they die at the right hand ten thousand fold, and die at the left a thousand fold, the plague shall not touch him that sitteth under the protection of the Highest."

And whereas reason hath many good and probable arguments in this matter touching the cause of pestilence — that it should come sometime by reason of such humours as be in the body disposed and apt to corrupt, then is the man quickly (by drawing and breathing as well the corruption of himself as the infection of the air) infected; and that such humours as be gross and inclined to corruption riseth of evil and immoderate diet; and the infection taketh his original and beginning from such beasts, carrion, and other loathsome bodies that rot upon the face of the earth not buried, or else from moorish, standing, and dampish waters, sinks, or other such unwholesome moistures; so that, towards the fall of the leaf, both the air that man liveth in, as also man's body itself, be more apt and disposed to putrefaction more in that time than in any other time, for divers natural causes — these causes are to be considered as natural and consonant to reason; yet there be reasons and causes of pestilence of more weight, and more worthy of deep and advised considerations and advertisements than these be: and the more, because they lie within man, and be marked but of very few, and hide themselves secretly, till they have poisoned the whole man, both body and soul. For indeed physicians that write meddle with no causes that hurt man, but such as come unto man from without: as the humours, they say, take their infection from unwholesome meat and evil diet, or else from the corruption of the air, with such like: but our Saviour Christ sheweth that our corruption and sickness riseth from within us, as I will declare hereafter in the causes that the scripture teacheth of pestilence and all other diseases; requiring you diligently to look upon the same, and to read it in your churches: that the people may understand both the cause of this God's plague of pestilence, and how to use themselves in the time of this sickness, or any other that shall happen unto them by God's appointment; as God may be glorified in them, and you and I discharged of our bounden duties; and they themselves that shall happen to be infected with the plague of pestilence, and by the same be brought to death, may be assured, through true and godly doctrine, to die in the Lord, and so be eternally blessed straightway after their death, as St John saith: and in case God reserve them to longer life, they may live in truth and verity unto him, with detestation and hatred of sin, the original cause of man's misery and wretchedness, and with the love of mercy and grace, the original and only workers of man's quietness and everlasting salvation, given unto us from God the Father Almighty, through Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; to whom, with the Holy Ghost, be all honour and praise, world without end. So be it.

Containing the true cause of the same, and likewise a most present remedy for as many as be already, or hereafter shall be infected with disease. Gathered out of the Holy Scripture by John Hooper, Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester. Anno Domini 1553.

"Repent, and believe the gospel." — Mark i. 15.

It is the desire of all sick men to know what medicine and remedy hath been known most to prevail, best to remove, and soonest to cure and make whole the person diseased; and the greater and more dangerous the sickness is, the more circumspect and wise the sick man must be in knowledge and choice of the medicine, lest haply he seek a remedy inferior and too weak for the greatness and strength of his disease.

The nature and condition therefore of pestilence being so dangerous (as it is indeed), that whosoever be infected or attainted therewithal hath need to be well instructed and thoroughly persuaded of a sufficient remedy, stronger than the sickness itself; or else the disease shall more hurt the sick patient than the medicine can do him good; then must needs follow the death and the destruction of the diseased person; it behoveth therefore all men, that be mortal, to know the most general and most dangerous diseases that mortality shall be troubled withal; and then, as he seeth his great and necessary adversaries and sickness, to know also the greatest and most necessary remedy and help against his diseases. And because sin hath so prevailed in us, that truth, persuaded unto us by the examples of others, sooner instructeth and longer tarrieth than any thing taught us by doctrine or testimony; I shall, before I enter into the causes of the pestilence, shew the strength and nature of sickness from the examples of such godly persons as in the word of God are mentioned of for our instruction.

King David, amongst other diseases, fell into the pestilence; the greatness and danger whereof passed all human and worldly helps, as it appeareth by his lamentable cry and complaint unto the Lord: "My soul (saith he) is sore troubled: but how long, Lord, wilt thou defer thy help?" And the same cry and complaint he made unto the Lord, when the plague of pestilence had infected his whole realm from Dan to Beersheba, and saw the remedy thereof to be only in God, praying him to command his angel to strike the people no more.

Ezekias the king saw that, besides God, all medicines and remedies were too weak and inferior for the strength and power of the pestilence and sickness: wherefore he turned himself to the wall, and prayed God to do that for him that no physic nor medicine was able to do.

And St Paul, in his wonderful oration that he maketh concerning the resurrection of the dead, weigheth most deeply the nature and condition of man's miserable estate in this life, burdening him with such strong adversaries, sickness, and diseases, both of body and soul, that every man may see how impossible it is for man to find deliverance from the tyranny and strength of sickness, except only the mercy of God in Christ Jesus; numbering there six adversaries so strong, as the least of them, except Christ help, is able to destroy both body and soul.

The first is corruption; the second, mortality; the third, sin; the fourth, the law condemning sin; the fifth, death; the sixth, hell; necessary and indivisible plagues and sickness of man in this life: against the which he findeth no remedy, neither by Galen nor Hippocrates, neither yet by the earth of Para, that men say cureth all wounds: but with great faith and confidence marketh and weigheth the strength of diseases, though they be never so strong, to be yet inferior to the medicine and remedy that God hath provided for us only in Christ: therefore compareth the inferior strength of all those sicknesses unto the sufficient remedy of God through Christ, saying after this manner: "Thanks be unto God, which hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Whereby it is evident and plain that God is the only remedy for all plagues and diseases. Howbeit, now I shall more specially open the causes of the plague, and the nature of the same; that our sickness and the causes thereof may be more known, and the better avoided.

The principal cause of pestilence is opened by St Paul by these words: "By sin (saith he) came death into the world"; and for the cause of sin God sendeth the plague of pestilence and all other diseases that punisheth towards death; as king David saith, "Thou dost punish the children of men for sin." Moses also plainly sheweth that the principal and chief cause of pestilence is not in the corruption of the air, nor in the superfluous humours within man; but that sin and the transgression of God's law is the very cause and chief occasion of pestilence and of all other diseases. And the experience thereof was tried in the pestilence that reigned in king David's time for his sins, and the sins of the people. So that all the scripture of God manifestly declareth, that the contempt and breach of God's laws is the chief and principal cause of pestilence, and of all other plagues that he sendeth for our punishment. And from this cause proceedeth those causes that physicians speak of, the corruption of the air, which is never corrupted, nor can corrupt man or beast, except man, for whose sake and comfort both air and all other beasts were made, be first corrupted by sin and transgression of God's laws. Neither could man take any surfeit by meats, nor any evil humours could be engendered of any meats, were not the man that useth them corrupt and first infected with sin. But when the Lord doth see that the people forget or contemn his blessed commandments, and that such as be appointed to rebuke and punish such transgressors of God's laws suffer without punishment the glory of God and his holy commandments to be oppressed and set at nought, as we see daily they be indeed — from these causes, our sin and abomination, the Lord taketh occasion to turn his good creatures, made for our life, to be a means of our death; which never would be, were it not for our heinous dishonouring and contempt of God.

For the Lord's creatures be perfectly good, and made all to comfort and rejoice; wholesome, clean, and pure without all infection. But seeing that the contempt of God and the filthiness of sin is neither by the clergy declared, opened, nor detected, neither by the heads of the country and officers appointed under God and the king punished; except, therefore, there should nothing else live in this world than sin, abomination, and contempt of God, God is forced, for the taking away and destruction of filthy life and filthy livers, to appoint an extraordinary magistrate to reform and punish the mother of all mischief, sin and contempt of God's holy word: and so altereth, not by chance, nor by the influence of stars, the wholesomeness of the air into pestilent and contagious infection, and the meat and drink with their nutriment and food into poison and venom; that by their mean sin and sinners might be slain and taken out of this world, and no longer to blaspheme God.

Thus doth the word of God declare the effectuous and principal cause of pestilence to be the contempt of God's word, that should keep men in order both to God and man: the breaking whereof hath always brought these plagues into realms, as profane writers also manifestly declare. Orosius saith that the great dearth and famine that came amongst the Romans in the time of Caesar Augustus was because Caius, his nephew, contemned to honour the living God, as he was taught at Jerusalem, when he passed into Syria. Wherefore it is expedient, and before all things necessary, forasmuch as the plague is come into sundry places about us, for every one to try himself, what just causes of this pestilence each man hath within himself. Every christian man and woman must search whether their religion and Christianity be such as God by his word doth maintain to be good: for there is no greater occasion of pestilence than superstition and false religion.

The bishop, parson, vicar, and curate must examine themselves, what knowledge of God's word is in them, and what diligence they have taken to bring the people to a right knowledge and perfect honour of God: for there is no greater danger of pestilence than whereas the clergy is either ignorant of God's word, or negligent in teaching thereof.

The justices and gentlemen must look how they keep themselves and the king's majesty's people in the true knowledge and obedience of God's laws and the king's: for nothing provoketh the pestilence more dangerously than whereas such as sit and be appointed to do justice do their own affections with contempt and injuries both to God and man; and the plague of God will revenge it.

All we, therefore, that be subjects, and live under one God and one king, must (now that God hath sent us this pestilence) see that we have true, loving, faithful, trusty, and obedient hearts; with one whole mind altogether to obey, reverence, love, help, succour, defend, and uphold with all our wits, goods, riches, and strength, this our only king, the magistrates and counsellors that be appointed under his highness. For, as St Paul saith, "He that disobeyeth and resisteth the higher powers appointed by God, resisteth God" — provoketh the pestilence and vengeance of God against us. And we must take heed also that we hate not one another: if we do, the plague will not cease, and the places that yet be not infected God shall infect, whatsoever defence man maketh against it. And although Galen, of all remedies, saith, "To fly the air that is infected is best"; yet I know that Moses by the word of God saith: "Flee whither thou wilt, in case thou take with thee the contempt of God and breach of his commandment, God shall find thee out." Yea, and although many medicines be devised, and assureth the infected to be made whole; yet, notwithstanding, I know God's word saith the contrary, that he will send unto unsensible, careless, and wilful sinners such a plague and incurable a pestilence, that he shall not be delivered, but die and perish by it.

Therefore, forasmuch as sin is the occasion chiefly of pestilence, let every man eschew and avoid it both speedily and penitently; and then shall ye be preserved from the plague sufficiently, as ye shall perceive in the remedy of this dangerous plague that beginneth to reign amongst us. For doubtless, although we could fly to Locris or Crotone, where as Pliny saith the pestilence was never, yet God saith, in case we fear not him, we shall surely be infected.

Like as the scripture of God only sheweth the very cause of pestilence, so doth it the very true and only remedy against it. I do not dislike the remedies that natural physic hath prescribed; yet I do not hold them as sufficient remedies, for their imperfection's sake. I would also they were used, and the remedies prescribed in God's book not omitted; for I see all the remedies that ever was devised by man is not able to remove assuredly the pestilence from him that is infected therewithal, although they be never so excellent and good. And I find the same concerning the preservation from the pestilence devised by man also insufficient for man's preservation, yet not to be contemned; for the reason of their chiefest preservation is very good and allowable, and yet not sufficient, which is of all things chiefly to be used against the pestilence, fleeing and departure from the place whereas the air is corrupt. Wherefore, for such as may, nothing is better than to flee; and except he do, he offereth himself to a present danger of death: but yet the word of God saith plainly that, "flee whither we will, if we forsake not sin, and serve the living God, the plague shall overtake us."

And this cannot be a sufficient remedy; for there be certain persons that cannot flee, although they would; as the poorer sort of people, that have no friends nor place to flee unto, more than the poor house they dwell in. Likewise, there be such offices of trust as men for no cause may flee from it; as the bishop, parson, vicar, and curate, who hath the charge of those that God pleaseth to infect with the pestilence; and if they forsake their people in this plague-time, they be hirelings and no pastors; and they flee from God's people into God's high indignation. Such also as have places and offices of trust for the commonwealth; as the captains of soldiers in the time of war, judges and justices in the time of peace; in case they should flee their countries, or leave their wars for the plague of pestilence, they shall never be good soldiers nor good justices for the commonwealth; and they shall be accountable to Almighty God for all the hurt and detriment that hath happened unto the people in their absence.

Wherefore, seeing there is no certain remedy devised by man, neither for such as cannot flee, nor for them that may flee, we must seek another medicine and help at God's hand, who can and will preserve those that be whole, and make them whole that be sick, if it be expedient for man, and most for his own honour. The best preservative, therefore, to keep men from the pestilence is this that Moses speaketh of: "Let us do sacrifice unto the Lord, lest we be stricken with pestilence or sword." And Joshua and Caleb told the people that a faithful trust in the Lord was the best remedy for them: which if they contemned, they should find that God there threatened, speaking to Moses, "How long will this people be unfaithful? I will strike them with pestilence, and consume them." Also, David knew that the only remedy to keep Jerusalem from the plague was, that God should turn his wrath from the city for his sins and the sins of the people.

But now, to bring the remedy the better to the understanding of the people, I will shew it by this place of St Mark, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel": in the which words is contained the only medicine against the pestilence, and also all other diseases, if the text be well and advisedly considered, wherein Christ useth a very natural order to heal all diseases; for as the remedy naturally of all diseases be taken from contrary conditions and qualities to that which worketh and maintaineth the sickness, so doth Christ in these words declare that the preservation and help of sin and wickedness, the cause of pestilence, proceedeth from virtues and conditions contrary to the qualities and nature of such things as preserve and keep this wicked sin and sickness in man. As when a man is fallen into sickness by reason of too much cold and moisture, the remedy must be gathered naturally from the contrary, heat and drought; for this is a common and true principle, "Contraries be holpen by their contraries." If nature wax too cold, it must be holpen with heat: if it be too hot, it must be cooled: if it be too moist, it must be dried: if it be too dry, it must be moisted: if it be too cold and moist, it must be heated and dried: if it be cold and dry, it must be heated and moisted: if it be too hot and moist, it must be cooled and dried: if it be hot and dry, it must be cooled and moisted. These be very natural remedies, if they be well used with true proportion and convenient use after physic.

And as these be good and natural for the body wherein the pestilence dwelleth, even so is Christ's medicine in the first of St Mark a more present and certain remedy for the soul, that keepeth the body in life, to remove or to remedy the sin of man, which is the cause of all plagues and pestilence; in case to remove sin, the cause of sickness, this medicine of Christ be used, as the other is used to remove the effect of sin, which is sickness: as the body that is fallen into sickness by too much cold or moisture, either by nature, that originally was corrupted by Adam, either by our own accustomed doing of sin, it must be made whole by the heat of repentance and true faith in the merits of Christ Jesus, who died for the sins of the world.

For this is a true and most certain principle of all religion, "One contrary must remedy the other." Seeing Adam by his fault began our death by sin, it must be cured by Christ, that is without sin. And whereas our own works be sin and filthiness, wherewithal God is displeased, we must desire the works of Christ, to work the good will and favour of our heavenly Father again. And whereas by our own wits, wisdoms, religion, and learning we have committed idolatry and superstition, we must now by God's wisdom, God's word, and his most true religion amend our faults, and turn to true and godly honouring of him. Further, whereas our own inventions hath brought us from the knowledge of God, the remedy is, that God's word must bring us to him again: for against all untruths brought in by man the word of God is the only remedy.

The experience thereof we may have plainly in the scripture. Whereas, for the salvation of the world, God appointed Christ his only Son to be born, and also to be opened unto the world, that by him it might be healed of all sickness and sin, as it appeareth by St Matthew, and other of the evangelists; yet was the world so blind and so corrupted with sin, that Christ was born and opened unto them, and they of the world nothing the better, as it appeareth in St Matthew, whereas St John the Baptist in few words, which be these, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of God is at hand," sheweth the remedy of all sins and sickness, and the means how to receive and take the same remedy. The remedy was only Christ, as he saith in St John, and also in St Matthew; and the means to come by the remedy was to repent, as ye shall know further hereafter, when ye know what repentance is.

The same may you also see in St John, in the dialogue between Christ and Nicodemus, a man, after the judgment of the world, that knew life and death, sickness and health, the cause of the one, and also of the other, as well as any learned man among all the congregation and church of the Jews; yet, indeed, as ignorant of his own sickness, and also so far from the true knowledge how to come to health, as an ignorant man might be. And the cause was, that he understood not the nature of sin, as it is esteemed by the word of God, neither the remedy thereof that God hath prescribed and appointed. Wherefore Christ told him by plain words, except he were holpen and cured of his disease and sickness by contrary remedies, he could never understand nor come by his health: and no marvel; for he knew the sickness of sin no otherwise than his forefathers and the worldly men knew sin, that is to say, knew such sins as were known to reason, and done by the body and outward action of men; and the same knowledge had he, and no more, of the remedy against the sickness of sin. And as his fathers and the world thought, so did he, that the merits of their sacrifices and the well-doing of themselves was a sufficient remedy to heal them both in body and in soul. Whereupon Christ most mercifully pitieth the poor man, and with contrary knowledge both of sickness and the remedy thereof sheweth, that the disease man is infected with goeth further than reason and the outer action of the body, and occupieth the soul of man with concupiscence, rebellion, frowardness, and contumacy against God: wherefore he calleth all that man hath of himself but flesh; and sheweth that the remedy against this sickness cometh not of the worthiness of any sacrifice or merits of his, or any sinful man's works; but that the remedy thereof dependeth only upon the merits of his blood and passion, and sheweth the same by the comparison of the brasen serpent appointed by Moses; and argueth this way: as the people that were stung with the serpents in the wilderness were not made whole by their own works, or for the dignity or service of any sacrifice that they offered, but by the sight of the serpent, that represented Christ to come; even so Nicodemus, nor any other that is stung with the serpents of sin, be made whole by their own works, or any sacrifice they can offer, but only by the merits of Christ. And even as the people could not come to the knowledge of this remedy by the serpent through their fathers' or their own wisdom, no more can Nicodemus, or any man living, come to the knowledge of the remedy for sickness and sin in our Saviour Christ, except he learn it by the word of God through the instruction of the Holy Ghost.

The same remedy also useth Christ in his words before rehearsed: "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." In the which words our Saviour Christ sheweth all things to be considered in sin, and in the remedy thereof. For in the first part of his words he declareth how that men should know the causes of sickness; and in the second part the remedy and help for the same. The cause of sickness, as it appeareth by this word "Repent," is, that men have by their own folly turned themselves from the truth of God to the error and fond opinion of man; from true faith to uncertain fables; from virtuous and godly works to uncleanliness and corruption of life. Christ, therefore, seeing the world how it is in danger, by reason it hath forsaken the wisdom and rule of God's word, calleth it home again to a better way, bidding it repent: as though he had said, "Turn to a better mind, and leave the ways accustomed, and learn to be wise, and walk in the ways and wisdom appointed by God."

Here appeareth also, that the causes of all the dangers that Christ willed his audience to repent for, was their sin and iniquity. The cause of sin was infidelity and accustomed doing of evil. The cause of infidelity and accustomed doing of evil was ignorance or misunderstanding of God's word. The cause of ignorance or misunderstanding of God's word was Satan, God's and man's enemy, and man's willing consent to the devilish sophistry and false construing of God's word. And from these causes springeth all diseases and sickness, death, and everlasting damnation; from the which Christ was sent, of God's inestimable love towards us, to redeem and save us. Notwithstanding, these effects of pestilence, sickness, death, and everlasting damnation cannot be removed, except first the causes of them be eschewed.

Wherefore learn ye, and teach other to know the causes above-mentioned, and also, how they may be removed; for as long as they work their proper nature in man, so long will they bring forth their natural effects, sickness, troubles, death, and damnation. The original cause of all evil was Satan, and the ungodly consent of our forefather Adam in paradise, in crediting more the devil's sophistry and gloss than the plain and manifest word of God. And the remedy of this cause is God, that, of love against Satan's hatred, promised in the seed of a woman help again for man; and that every man that believeth the devil in evil must repent and believe God and his word in good.

Ignorance and mistaking of God's word is the second cause of evil; the remedy whereof is knowledge and right understanding of God's word.

Infidelity and accustomed doing of evil be the third cause of evil; true faith and accustomed doing of good remedieth them.

Sin and iniquity be the causes of sickness, death, and damnation; virtue and godliness healeth and removeth, that they shall not bring man to everlasting death. Although sin and sickness be not clean taken from man, yet doth God in Christ take away the damnation of sin, and suffereth death to destroy by sickness none other thing than the body of the sinner, so that he use this remedy, "Repent, and believe the gospel"; and shall at length call the body, dead by death, out of the earth, and place it alive with the soul in heaven.

But now, to use this help and remedy against the pestilence, which Christ calleth "Repent, and believe the gospel": the sick man must remember what the first word, "Repent," meaneth, and how he may come by it. Repentance, that God requireth, is the return of the sinner from sin into a new life in Christ; which return is an innovation and renovation of the mind of man by God's Spirit in Christ, with denial of the former life, to begin a new and better life. And this repentance springeth from the knowledge of sin by the law of God: from the knowledge of sin cometh the hatred of sin: from the hatred of sin proceedeth the leaving and departure from sin: from the departure from sin cometh, by faith through Christ's blood, remission of sin: from remission of sin cometh our acceptation into God's favour: from our acceptation into God's favour cometh the gifts of the Holy Ghost to do and work by virtuous life the will of God: from the doing in Christ the will of God cometh God's defence and favour, that taketh from us all plagues and pestilence: from the deliverance of plagues and pestilence cometh everlasting life, as Christ saith, and as this medicine, called, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel," declareth.

There be, also, many that be sick and in great danger and peril by reason of sin, and yet feel not the sore and grief thereof. Therefore, they pass not whether they seek for any remedy or not; and, for lack of taking heed, they fall daily to more wickedness than other. Wherefore it is every minister's office of the church diligently (and especially in the time of pestilence and plagues) to call upon the people for amendment of life, and to shew them truly, diligently, and plainly, this medicine of repentance, which consisteth of these parts: first, in knowledge of sin; then, in hatred of sin; thirdly, in forsaking of sin; fourthly, in believing the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake; and fifthly, to live in virtuous and godly life, to honour God, and to shew his obedience to God's law, that by sin is transgressed.

And these parts of penance, which be the very true and only medicines against sickness and sin, be known only by God's laws; for by the law of God sin is known, detested, and forsaken. If it be heard or read by men that pray unto God, they may understand it. Faith also, that believeth remission of sin, is shewed, opened, and offered by the gospel, wherein be contained God's merciful promises towards sinners; and those promises sinners receive by faith, that believeth whatsoever God hath promised in Christ he will perform it. Faith doth credit and receive forgiveness of sins by the operation of God's Holy Spirit in the poor sinner. The sinner studieth and liveth a virtuous life, being led by the Holy Ghost, and worketh to serve God with such works as God's holy commandment commandeth every true christian man to work and do. And for the better assurance and further stablishing of repentance and acceptation into the favour of God by believing the gospel, the poor sinner useth and receiveth the holy sacrament of Christ's precious body and blood, in remembrance that Christ died to be his medicine against sin, and the effect thereof.

Wherefore, now that it pleaseth God for our offences to shew by plagues and sickness how he is offended, let us all, that be ministers of the church, and the watchmen of the people, call upon them diligently to "repent, and believe the gospel," and to live a godly and virtuous life; that for Christ's sake he will turn mercifully his plagues from us, and give us his most gracious favour to preserve his universal church, our most godly sovereign lord and king, king Edward the Sixth, his majesty's most honourable council, and the whole realm. So be it.