' 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 
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