Secondly We Sing: Vita, Dulcedo et Spes Nostra Salve, That Is: Hail, Our Life, Our Sweetness and Our Hope
The contrary to this witnesses Christ himself (John 14), saying: I am the way, the truth and the life, etc. And Isaiah says likewise in the 45th chapter in the person of God: Turn you to me all you ends of the world, and you shall be saved: for I am God, and there is else none. To this agrees also Paul (1 Corinthians 3), saying: Other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid already, which is Christ Jesus. These comfortable words do we neither keep nor believe, seeing we confess with our mouths, and with the deed seek another life or salvation than the true and only life and salvation, namely Jesus Christ. Indeed thus doing we make not God true in his promise, that he either can not or will not do for us as he says everywhere in the scripture: or else do not we believe the saying of the book of Wisdom the 15th chapter, where it is thus written: You (our God) are sweet, long suffering, and true, and in mercy you order all things, and so forth. And Christ speaking of himself (John 6) says: Whoever comes to me, I will not cast him out. And again in the 10th chapter he says: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them everlasting life, and they shall never perish. Where is any such word of comfort, life, hope or sweetness spoken of in the scriptures of God of the blessed virgin Mary or any creature? And if there be not, what madness is it of us either to call or to take them for our hope and refuge, which do so lowly always submit themselves both to God and his creatures? If we would a little ponder these words of the salutation of Mary, conferring them with the saying of David (Psalm 102), where he says: Like as a father pities his own children, even so is the LORD merciful to them that fear him: we should easily see how far and [reconstructed: straying] we be both from God and his true word. We see then well-beloved brethren and sisters, that if we believed these foresaid words aright, we should need none other salvation, hope nor life save only Christ, which is given us of the father to be a mediator between him and us, as you shall hear hereafter. But alas it is come to the point with us, that we ask life of them, that do not live themselves, as Solomon says in his book called the book of Wisdom, the 13th chapter.
God says in the 51st chapter of Isaiah: I am he that in all things gives you consolation. What are you then that fear a mortal man, the child of man, which goes away as does the floor? And forgets the LORD that made you? In the book of Wisdom the 16th chapter it is thus written: It is you O LORD that have the power of life and death, you lead to death's door, and bring up again. This is he in whom only you ought to hope, and to have confidence, him only shall you fear, to him only must you sigh and sob: for there is but one only that is most highest creator of all things, most powerful and mighty, that is greatly to be feared and dreaded, as Jesus Sirach exhorts us to do, in the first chapter of Ecclesiasticus, saying: There is one, even the Highest, the maker of all things, the Almighty, the king of power (of whom men ought to stand greatly in awe,) which sits upon his throne, being a God of dominion, and so forth. Thank therefore and praise him only, fear and dread him, and then shall not you be deceived. For if you trust in men, or any creature, calling upon them, then truly shall you be deceived, unhappy and accursed as testify both Jeremiah in the 17th chapter and David in Psalm 113 saying: Cursed be the man, that puts his trust in man. Let therefore then that fear the LORD, put their trust in him: for he is their help and defense, and think, indeed be assured, this kind of worship to be nothing but a device and imagination of men only, the which are idle and vain as says Jeremiah in the 10th chapter. And Christ also says (Matthew 15) that he is worshipped in vain, while they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the commandments of men. Though they approach near to me with the Pater noster, calling me father, LORD and God: yet do they run to other fathers, gods and saviors in this vale of tears. Draw therefore back, good brethren and sisters your straying steps and turn them in the ways of the LORD, yielding you rather to him and his word: for you have more assurance to be heard when you call to him, if you so do, than you have of following man's voice. David says (Psalm 49) in the person of God: Call upon me in the time of trouble, so will I hear you, that you shall thank me. Where is there any such promise or comfortable word in all the scripture of the blessed virgin, or any other [2 pages missing] name, he shall give it you. If you therefore believe these words steadfastly, then need you none other mean. Or think you that he will lie either for you, or for your sins, which only is the truth himself, and has taken away the sins of the world, as Isaiah does expressly write of him in the 53rd chapter, and John the Baptist does by mouth?
