' William Roye's Dialogue between a Christian Father and bis stubborn Son. 439
all. which thynge causeth vs to meke oure selves, and ko. vij.
sendeth vs to god, thorowe Christ. And that specially because
that in oure flesshe is nothynge to be founde savynge only
vnstablenes of herte, and desperacion of mynde. But contrary
wyse in tbe promeses of god, throwe tbe merettes of Christ,
is all surenes of mynde, and stedfastnes of herte. And he that
diligently remembreth 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 inaner mat. vij.
a tre [fol. 17“.] thou arte. For this purpose sayth the lorde
by Ezechiel the prophet. Halowe ye my saboth daye, Ezee. 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 soffre all maner of aduersities paciently.
thou mayst surely knowe that god is witli the. and that through
his mercy he liath chaunged thyne herte. and thus by the
workes be assuered of thy faythe. 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 Pons 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 p S ai. 1.
by oure mothers in sinfull 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, [fol. 17 b .] 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
29*
