In myne opynyon, it is to be in despayre of the mercye of god. And therefore what soo euer thou haue doone or offended god, in worde, warke, thought, or dede, be [Sidenote: Isidore.] neuer in despayre for it; for Isodorus saythe, _Qui veniam 4 de peccato desperat, plus de desperatione peccat quam de culpa cadit_. He that despayreth to haue forgyuenes of his synnes, he synneth more in despayrynge than he dyd in [Sidenote: Jerome.] the synne doynge. For saynte Iherome sayth, _Magis 8 offendebat Iudas deum in hoc quod suspendebat, quam in hoc, quod eum tradidit_: Judas offended god more in that that he hanged hym-selfe, than he dydde whanne he [Sidenote: Ezek. xxxiii. 11.] betrayed god. For god sayth in his gospell, _Nolo mortem 12 peccatoris, sed magis vt conuertatur et viuat_. I wyll not the [Sidenote: [Fol. 89.]] deathe of a synner, but rather that he maye be conuerted [Sidenote: Luke v. 32.] and lyue. And also he saythe, _Non veni vocare iustos, sed peccatores ad penitentiam_. I am not comen to call 16 ryghtwyse men, but to call synners to do penaunce. For thou canste not so soone crye god mercy with thy harte, but he is as redye to chaunge his sentence, and to graunte the mercy and forgyuenes of all thy synnes. For 20 [Sidenote: Augustine.] saynte Austyne saythe, _Sicut scintilia [sic] ignis in medio maris, sic omnis impietas viri ad misericordiam dei_. As a sparke of fyer is in comparison able to drye vppe all the water in the se, noo more is all the wyckednes of man 24 vnto the me[r]cyfulnes of god. And therfore it is conuenyent that a manne shulde be penytent, contryte, and aske god mercye and forgyuenesse of his synnes and offences, [Sidenote: Chrysostom.] that he hath done; wherof speketh Chrysost[o]me, _Nemo 28 ad deum aliquando flens accessit quod non postulauerit accepit_. No man hath gone any tyme wepynge to god, but he hath taken or had that thynge that he hath asked. And [Sidenote: Bernard.] sayncte Bernarde saythe, _Plus cruciant lacrime peccatoris 32 diabolum quam omne genus tormentorum_. The teares of a synner tourmenteth the deuyll more, than all other kyndes [Sidenote: Augustine.] of turmentes. And sayncte Austyne saythe, _Acriores [Sidenote: [Fol. 89_b_.]] dolores demonibus non inferrimus, q_uam _cum peccata nostra 36 penitendo et confitendo plangimus_. We canne not doo more sharper sorowes to the dyuell, than whan we wayle or wepe in confessyon, and doynge of penaunce. And [Sidenote: Mary Magdalen.] that maye be well proued by Mary Magdaleyn, 40 whanne she kneled downe and cryed god mercye, and kyste his fete, and wasshed theym with the teares of her eyen, and wyped them with the heare of her heed, to whom our lorde sayde, as in his gospell, 44 [Sidenote: Luke vii. 48.] _Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua_. Thy synnes are forgyuen [Sidenote: Luke vii. 50.] to the; and also he sayde to her: _Fides te saluam fecit, vade in pace_. Thy faythe hath saued the, goo thou in peace. To the whiche mercy and peace I besech 48 almyghty Iesu brynge all chrysten soules. Amen.