¶A compendyous treatyse of the sowdyour of Chryst / called Enchiridion / whiche Erasmus of Roterdame wrote vnto a certayne courtyer / a frende of his.
THou hast desyred me with feruent study syngular beloued brother in Chryst / that I sholde descrybe for the compendyously / a certeyn craft of vertuous lyuīg / by whose helpe thou myghtest attayne a vertuous mynde / accordyng to a true chrysten man. For thou sayest that thou are & hast ben a greate whyle wery of the pastyme of the courte. And doest cōpasse in thy mynde by what meanes thou myghtest escape egipt with all her bothe vyces & pleasures / and be prepared happyly with the captayne Moyses vnto the iourney of vertue.Egypt [...]et of keneth synfull lyuyng. The more I loue the / the gladder I am of this thyne so holy a purpose / which I trust (ye without our helpe) he that hath vouched safe to styre it vp in the / shall make ꝓsperous / & bryng to good effect.The lande of promyss syon signyfyeth pure lyfe. Notwithstā dyng yet haue I very gladly & wyllyngly accomplysshed thy desyre / partly bycause [Page] thou art so great a frende of myne / partly also bycause thou requyrest so charytable thynges. Now enforce thyself & do thyne endeuoyre / that neyther thou mayst seme to haue desyred my seruyce & duty īvayne or els I to haue satisfyed thy mynde with out any fruyte. ye let vs bothe indifferētly beseche the benygne spiryte of Iesu / that he bothe put holsom thynges ī my mynde whyle I wryte and make the same to the of strengthe and effycacye.
¶we must watche & loke aboute vs euer more whyle we be in this lyfe. Caplo .j.
THe first poynt is / we must nedes haue in mynde cōtynually / that the lyfe of mortal men is nothīg but a certayne ꝑpetuall exercyse of warre: as Iob wytnesseth.The lyfe of man is but a warfare / sayth Iob vi [...]. A warry our ꝓued to the vttermost & neuer ouercōme. And y• the moste ꝑte of men be ouermoche deceyued / whose myndes this worlde as a iugler holdeth occupyed with delicyous &The cōparaciō of the worlde to a iugler. flaterīg pleasures / whiche also as though they had conquered all theyr ennemyes / make holydaye out of season / none otherwyse veryly than in a very assured peace.Peace peace / and yet is there no peace at all It is a meruaylous thing to behold how without care and circūspeccyon we lyue / [Page] how ydelly we slepe / now vpon the one syde / & now vpon the other / whan without ceasyng we are beseged with so great a nōbre of armed vices / sought & hūted for with so great craft / inuaded dayly with so greate lyenge awayte.Dyuerse ennemyes from aboue. Beholde ouer thy heed wycked deuyls that neuer slepe / but kepe watche for our destruccion / armed agaynst vs with a thousand deceytes / with a thousande craftes of noysaūces / whiche enforce frō on hygh to woūde our myndes with wepons brēnyng & dipped in deedly poyson / than the whiche wepons neyther Hercules nor Cephalus had euer a surer darte / excepte they be receyued the sure & impenetrable shelde of faith.Ennemye [...] at hande. Thā agayne on the ryght hāde & on the left hāde / afore and behynde this worlde stryueth agaynst vs / whiche after the saying of saynt Iohn is set all on vyce & myschefe. And therfore to Chryst bothe cōtrary & hated. Neyther is it one maner of fyght / for sōtyme with gōnes of aduersite ragyng / as with open warre he shaketh the walles of the soule Somtyme with great promesses(but yet most vayne) he ꝓuoketh to treason: & somtyme by vndermynynge he steleth on vs vnware to catche vs among the ydle and careles men. Last of all vndernethe / the [...]ypper serpent the fyrst breker of peace / [...] [Page] ther of vnquietnes / otherwhiles hydde in the grene grasse / lurkynge in his caues / wrapped togyder in a hōdred roūde rolles ceaseth not to watche and lye in a wayte bynethe in the heleEnnemyes of hell [...] of our womā / whome he ones poysoned. By the womā is vnder stande the carnall parte of a man / otherwyse called Sensualite.Eue signyfyeth affeccyons. This is our Eue by whom the most crafty serpēt dothe entyce & drawe our myndes to mortal & deedly pleasures. And forthermore as though it were but a tryfle that so great a cōpany of ennemyes sholde assawte vs on euery syde. we beare aboute with vs where so euer we go in the very secrete partes of y• mynde an ennemye nerer than one of acqueyntaunce / or one of housholde. And as nothyng is more inwarde / so nothyng is more peryllous.Olde erthly Adā berokeneth appetytes or affeccyons This is the olde & erthly Adam / whiche by acqueyntaunce & customable familiarite / is more nere to vs than a citezyn / and is in all maner studyes and pastymes to vs more contrary than ony mortall ennemy / whome thou canst kepe of with no bulwarke / neyther is it lawful to expell hym out of thy pauylyon. This felowe must be watched with an hondred eyes / lest ꝑauenture he set open the castell or cite of god for deuils to entre in. Seyng therfore we be vexed with so ferefull and [Page] cruel warre / & that we haue to do or stryue with so many ennemyes / whiche haue cō spyred and sworne our deth / whiche be so besy / so apoynted / so false & expert. Ought not we mad men on y• other syde to arme our selfe & take our wepons in our hādes to kepe watche & haue all thyngꝭ suspect. But we as though al thyngꝭ were at rest & peace slepe so fast that we rowte agayn & gyue our selfe to ydelnes / to pleasure / & as the cōmue ꝓuerbe is / gyue our myndes to reuelynge and makyng good chere / as though our lyfe were a festyng or backettyng / suche as the grekes vsed / & not warfare. For in the stede of rentes & pauylyōs we tumble & walter in our beddes. And in in the stede of salle [...]tes & harde armure we be crowned with roses & fresshe floures. Bathed in damaske and rose waters / smoked in pomaunders & with muske balles / chaungyng poyntes of warre with ryot & ydelnes. And in ye stede of wepōs belōgyng to ye warre / we handle & take vnto vs the vnhardy harpe / as this peace were not of all warres the moost shamefull. For who so euer is at one with vyces / hath broken truce made bytwene him & god in tyme of baptym. And thou oh madde man cryest peace peace / whā thou hast god thyne ennemy / whiche onely is peace & the author [Page] of peace / & he hymselfe with open mouth cryeth the contrary by the mouthe of his prophete / saying there is no peace to synners or wicked persones whiche loue not god.There is no peace to wicked ꝑsones. And there is none other condicion of peace with hym except that we (as longe as we warre in the fortresse of this body) with deedly hate and with all our myght sholde fyght agaynst vyces. For yf we be at one with thē / we shall haue him twyse our ennemy / which onely beyng our frēde may make vs blissed. And yf he be our foo may destroye vs / bothe bycause that we stande on theyr syde whiche onely can neuer agre with god / for how can lyght and darknes agree / & also that bycause we as men moost vnkynde abyde not by the promesse that we made to hym / but vniustly haue brokē thappoyntmēt made bytwene hym & vs with ꝓtestacion & holy ceremonyes.In tyme of baptym we professe with protestacion [...]o fight euer vnder the standarde of Chryst. Oh thou chrysten man remembrest thou not whan thou were professed & consecrate with the holy mysteryes of ye fountayne of lyfe / how thou boundest thy selfe to be a faythfull sowdyour vnto thy captayne Chryst / to whome thou owest thy lyfe twyse / bothe bycause he gaue it the / & also bycause he restored it agayne to the / to whom thou owest more than thou art able to paye. Cōmeth it not to thy mynde [Page] how whan thou were bounde with his sacramentes as with holy gyftes / thou were sworne with wordes for the nones to take the parte of so curteys an Emperoure / and that thou dydest curse & banne thyne owne heed / desyrynge vengeaunce to fall vpon thyne owne selfe / yf thou dydest not abyde by thy promesse.Badges & sygnes of baptym. For what entent was the sygne of the crosse prynted in thy foreheed / but that as long as thou lyuest thou sholdest fyght vnder his standarde. For what entēt were thou anoynted with his holy oyle / but that thou for euer sholdest wrastle and fyght agaynst vyces. what shame & how greate abomynacyon is it accoūted with al men yf a man forsake his kynge or chefe lorde. why settest thou so lyght than by thy capytayne Chryste / neyther kepte downe with the feare of hym / seynge he is god / nor refraynynge for loue / seynge for thy sake he was made man / ye & seynge thou vsurpest his name thou oughtest to remembre what thou hast promysed hym.The name of Chryst ought to put vs in remembraunce. why departest thou awaye from hym lyke a false forsworne man / and goest vnto thyne ennemy / from whens he ones redemed the with the raūsom of his precyous blode. why doest thou so ofte a renegate warre & fyght vnder the standarde of his [Page] aduersary. with what face sumest thou to set vp cōtrary baners against thy king whiche for thy sake bestowed his owne lyfe. who so euer is not on his part / as he sayth hymselfe Luce. xj. standeth agaynst hym. And he that gadereth not with hym scatereth abrode. Thou warrest not onely with fylthy tytle or quarell / but also for a myserable rewarde. wylt thou heare who so euer thou be y• art seruaūt or sowdyour to the worlde / what shall be thy mede / Paule the standarde bearer in the warre of Chryst answereth the. The rewarde (sayth he) of synne is deth.The guerdon of [...]. And who wolde take vpon hym to fyght in a iust & an honest cause: yf he were sure to dye but bodily onely / & thou fyghtest in a wrong & also a filthy quarel to obtayne for thy rewarde the deth of thy soule. In these mad warres that man maketh agaynst mā / eyther through beestly fury / or for myserable necessite. Seest thou not yf at any tyme the greatnes of y• praye ꝓmysed or hoped for / or cōforte of the captayne / or the cruelnes of the ennemyes / or shame of cowardnes cast in theyr tethes / or in cōclusyon yf desyre of prayse hath prycked & stered vp the sowdyours myndes: with what courage & with what lusty stomackes fynysshe they what so euer labour remayneth / how lytell [Page] they regarde theyr lyues / with how great fyersnes ronne they vpon theyr ennemyes / wel is hym that may go formest. And I beseche the now small is y• rewardeComparacyon of rewardes. whiche those wretched men go aboure to gete with so great ieopardyes & diligence Ueryly but to haue prayse of a wretched man theyr captayn / & that they myght be praysed with a rude & homely song / suche as are vsed to be made in ye tyme of warre to haue happely theyr names wryten in a harpers bederoll / to gete a garlande of grasse or oken leues / or at y• most to bryng home a lytell more vaūtage or wynnyng with them. we on the other syde clene cō trary be kendled neyther with shame nor hope of reward / and yet he beholdeth vs whyle we fight that shal quyte our payne yf we wynne the felde. But what rewarde setteth forth the chefe ruler of our game for them that wynne the maystry / not mules as Achylles dyd in Homere / not tripodas / that is to say / meate bordes with. iij. fete / as Eneas dyd in Uirgil: but suche as the eye neuer sawe / ne ye eare neuer herde / neyther coude synke in to the hert of man. And these rewardes he gyueth in y• meane seasō to his (whyles they be yet fyghting) as solaces and thynges to cōforte them in theyr labours & trauayles. And what here [Page] after? certes blessed īmortalite. But in games of sporte / as rennyng / wrastlyng / lepyng / in whiche ye chefest parte of rewarde is prayse. They which be ouercōme / haue lykewyse theyr rewardes assygned vnto them. But our mater is tryed with great and doutfull peryll / neyther we fyght for prayse / but for lyfe / & as rewarde of moost valure is ꝓfred to hym that quyteth hym selfe most manfully. So payne most terryble is appoynted for hym y• gyueth backe. Heuen is promysed to hym that fyghteth lustely. And why is not the quick courage of a gentyll stomacke enflamed with the hope of so blessed a rewarde / namely whā he promyseth / whiche as he can not dye / euen so he can not deceyue. All thynges be done in the syght of god whiche al thyngꝭ beholdeth.God beholdeth vs. we haue al the company of heuen beholders of our cōflict. And how are we not moued at the lestway euen for very shame? He shall prayse our vertue & diligēce / of whome to be landed is very felicite. why seke we not this prayse / ye with the losse of our lyues. It is a cowardfull mynde that wyl be quickened with no maner of reward. The veryest hertles cowarde in the worlde / for feare of peryls oft tyme taketh courage to hym. And in worldly bataylles though thyne aduersary be [Page] neuer so cruell / yet rageth he but on thy goodes & body onely. what more thā that coude cruell Achylles do to Hector.Achilles slewe hector. But here the imortall parte of the is assawted and thy carkas is not drawen aboute the sepulcre as Hectors / but thy body & soule is cast downe in to hell: there the greatest calamite or hurt is / that a sworde shall separate the soule frō the body. Here is taken from thy soule the lyfe / whiche is god hym self. It is natural for the body to dye whiche yf no man kyll / yet must it nedely dye. But thy soule to dye / is extreme mysery. with how greate cawtell voyde we the woūdes of the body / with how great diligence cure we them / & set we so lytell of the woūdes of the soule.The deth of the body semeth terryble / the deth of the soule is not perceyued. Our hertes aryseth & grudgeth at the remembraūce of deth of the body as a terrible or outragyous thyng / bycause it is seen with bodyly eyes. The soule to dye bycause no man seeth & sewe byleueth / therfore very fewe feare it. And is this dethe more cruell yet than the other. Euen as moche as the soule dothe passe the body / & god excelleth the soule. Wylt thou that I shewe the cerceyn coniectures / exāples or tokens wherby thou mayst perceyue the sicknes & deth of the soule?The token of a sycke soule. Thy stomacke dygesteth yll / it kepeth no meate / thou ꝑceyuest by & by [Page] thy body to be out of temper. And breade is not so naturall meate to thy body / as the worde of god is meate for thy soule. yf that seme bitter / yf thy mynde ryse against it / why dourest thou yet but yt the mouth of thy soule is out of taste / & infected with some disease. yf thy memory the stomacke of thy soule kepe not the lernynge of god. yf by cōtynual meditacyon thou digestest not. yf whan it is dygested / thou sendest it not to all partes by operacyon / thou hast an euydēt token that thy soule is acrased. whan thy knees for weyknes bow vnder the / & moche worke to drawe thy lymmes after the / thou ꝑceyuest playnly thy body to be euyll at ease. And doest thou not perceyue the sycknes of thy soule whan he grudgeth and is weyke and faynte to all dedes of pite / whan he hath no strengthe to suffre pacyently the leest rebuke in the worlde / and is troubled & angry with the losse of a halfpeny. After that the syght is departed fro the eyes / & the eares cease to heare. After that all the body hath lost his felyng: no man douteth than but the soule is departed. whan the eyes of thy herte be waxen dym / in so moche that thou canst not se the most clerest lyght / which is vertue or trouth. whā thou hearest not with thy inwarde eares the voyce of god. whan [Page] thou lackest all thy inwarde felynge and ꝑceyuynge of the knowlege of god / thynkest thou that thy soule is alyue. Thou seest thy brother vngoodly entreated / thy mynde is nothyng moued so thy mater be in good case. why feleth thy soule nothīg here? Certaynly bycause he is deed. why deed? bycause her lyf is away / that is god For veryly where godGod is lyfe of the soule. is / there is charite / loue & cōpassyō of thy neyghbour / for god is that charite. For yf thou were a quycke membre / how coude any part of thy body ake / thou not sorowynge / no not ones felyng or ꝑceyuyng it.Felyng is a token of lyfe. Take a more euydēt tokē. Thou hast deceyued thy frende / thou hast commytted adultery / thy soule hath [...]aught a deedly wounde / & yet it greueth the not / in so moche that thou ioyest as it it were of great wynnyng / and bostest thy selfe of that thou shamefully hast cōmytted. beleue surely that thy soule lyeth deed Thy body is not alyue yf he fele not the pryckyng of a pyn. And is thy soule alyue whiche lacketh the felynge of so greate a woūde. Thou hearest some man vse lewde & presumptuous cōmuny cacyon / wordes of backbytyng / vnchaste & fylthy / ragyng furyously agaynst his neyghbour: thynke not the soule of yt man to be alyue. There lyeth a rotten carkas in ye sepulcre of that [Page] stomacke fro whens suche stenche aryseth & infecteth euery man that cōmeth nygh. Chryst called the pharisees paynted sepulcres. why so? bycause they bare deed soules aboute with them. And kynge Dauid the ꝓphete saith / theyr throte is a sepulcre wyde open / they spake deceytfully with theyr tonges. The bodyes of holy people be the tēples of the holy goost.The bodyes of good men be the tēples of the holy goost. And lewde mennes bodyes be the sepulcres of deed corses / that the interpretacions of the grā maryens to them myght well be applyed Soma quasi Sima.The body is the buryal or graue. it is called a body bycause it is the buryall / that is to saye / the graue of the soule. The brest is ye sepulcre / the mouth & the throte is the gapynge of the sepulcre / and the body destytute of the soule / is not so deed as is the soule whan she is forsaken of almyghty god / neyther any corse stynketh īthe nose of mā so sore as the stenche of a soule buryed. iiij. dayes offendeth the nose of god and all sayntes. Therfore cōclude whan so euer deed wordes procede out of thy hert / it must nedes be that a deed corse lyeth buryed within. For whan (accordyng to the gospell) the mouth speketh of the aboundaunce of the hert / no doubte he wolde speke the lyuely wordes of god / yf there were lyfe present / that is to wyte god. In an other place of [Page] the gospell the dyscyples saye to Chryst. Mayster whether shall we go / thou hast the wordes of lyfe? why so I praye the the wordes of lyfe? Certeynly for bycause they spronge out of the soule from whome the godhede whiche restored vs agayn to lyfe immortal neuer departed not yet one momēt. The phisicyan easeth thy body somtyme whā thou art diseased. Good & holy men somtymes haue called the body deed to lyfe agayne. But a deed soule nothyng but god onely of his fre & syngular power restoreth to lyfe agayne / ye & he restoreth her not agayne yf she beynge deed haue ones forsaken the body. More ouer of the bodyly deth is the felyng lytell or none at all. But of the soule / is the felyng eternal And though also the soule in that case be more thā deed / yet as touching the felyng of eternall deth / she is euer īmortal. Therfore seynge we must nedes fyght with so straunge & meruayllous ieopardye / what dulnes / what necligence / what folyshnes is that of our mynde / whome feare of so great myschef sharpeneth not.Many causes why a chrystē man ought to be of good conforte / and to haue confydence. And agayn on the cōtrary ꝑte there is no cause wherfore eyther the greatnes of peryll / or else the multitude / the violence / the subtilte of thyne aduersaryes sholde abate the courage of ye mynde. It cōmeth to thy mynde [Page] how greuous an aduersary thou hast. Remembre also on the other syde how p̄sent how redy at hande thou hast helpe & socour. Agaynst the be innumerable / ye but he that taketh thy parte / himself alone is more of power than all they. yf god be on our syde / what mater is it who be against vs. yf he stay the / who shall cast y• downe. But thou must be enflamed in al thy hert and brenne in feruēt desyre of victory. Let it cōme to thy remēbrance that thou stryuest not / nor hast not to do with a fresshe sowdyour & a newe aduersary / but with hym that was many yeres agoOur ennemy was ouercom many yeres ago [...]e. discōfyted ouerthrowen / spoyled and ledde captyue in triumphe of vs / but than in Chryst our heed / by whose myght no doubte he shall be subdued agayne in vs also. Take hede therfore that thou be a mēbre of the body and thou shalt be able to do all thyngꝭ in the power of ye heed.No man is stronge in his owne strengthe. In thy selfe thou art very weyke / in hym thou art valyaunt / & nothynge is there that thou art not able to do. wherfore the ende of our warre is not doutfull / bycause the victory depēdeth not of fortune / but is put holly in ye hādes of god / & by hym in our handes. No mā is here that hath not ouercōme / but he that wold not. The benignite of our ꝓtectour neuer fayled man. If thou take hede to [Page] answere and to do thy parte agayn / thou art sure of the victory / for he shal fyght for the / and his liberalite shall be imputed to the for meryte. Thou must thāke hym all togyder for the victory / whiche fyrst of all hymselfe alone beyng immaculate / pure & clene from synne / oppressed the tyranny of synne. But this victori shal not com with out thyne owne diligence also / for he that sayd / haue confydence. I haue ouercōmen the worlde / wold haue the to be of a good cōfort / but not careles & necligēt. On this maner in conclusyon in his strength / & by hym we shall ouercōme. yf by his ensample we shall fyght as he fought / wherfore thou must so kepe a meane course / as it were bytwene ScillaScilla is a [...] pardons place in the see of ce [...] cyle. and CharibdisCharibdis is a swalowe or why [...]lepole i [...] the same see. / y• neyther trustyng to moche & bearyng the ouer bolde vpon the grace of god thou be careles and recheles / neyther yet so mystrustyng in thy selfe / feared with the difficulti [...]s of the warre / do cast from the courage / boldnes / or cōfydence of mynde togyder with harneys and wepons also.
¶Of the wepons to be vsed in the warre of a chrysten man. Ca .ij.
ANd I suppose that nothynge ꝑteyneth so moche to the dyscyplyne of [Page] this warre than that thou surely knowe and presently haue recorded & exercysed in thy mynde alway with what kynde of armure or wepōs thou oughtest to fyght / & agaynst what ennemyes thou must encoūter & iust. More ouer that thy wepōs be alway redy at hande / lest thyne so subtyle an ennemy shold take the sleper & vnarmed. In these worldly warres a man may be often tymes at rest / as in the depe of the wynter / or in tyme of truce: but we as longe as we kepe warre in this body / may departe from our harneys & wepons no season / no not as the saying is one fynger brede.A chrysten man sholde neuer cease frō warre. we must euer stande afore the tentes & make watche / for our aduersary is neuer ydle: but whā he is most calme & styll / whan he fayneth to flee or to make truce / euen than most of al he ymagineth gyle: & thou hast neuer more nede to kepe watche than whā he maketh coūtenaūce or semblaunce of peace. Thou hast neuer lesse nede to feare than whā he assaulteth the with opē warre. Therfore let thy fyrst care be that thy mynde be not vnarmed. we arme our body bicause we wold haue no nede to feare the dagger or preuy murderer of the thefe. Shall we not arme our mynde lykewyse / that he might be in saue garde? Our ennemyes be armed to destroy [Page] [...]s / dothe it greue vs to take out wepons of defence yt we perysh not? They watche to kyll / shall not we watche to be out of daūger? But of the armure & wepons of a chrysten man we shall make specyal mencyon whan we cōme to the places conuenyēt. In the meane seasō to speke breuely who so euer wyl assayle with batayle the seuen nacyōsThe. [...]. nacyons inhabyted the lande of behest or promission promysed to Abraham and his ofspring. that be called / Cananei / Cethei / Amorrei / Pherezei / Gergezei / Euei / & Iebuzei / that is to say / who so euer wyl take vpon hym to fyght agaynst the hole hoost of vices / of the which seuen be counted as chefe captaynes / must ꝓuyde hym of two specyall wepons. Prayer & knowlegePrayer and knowlege be the chefe armure of a chrysten man. / otherwyse called lernynge. Paule wolde we sholde be euer armed / whiche byddeth vs pray cōtinually without stop. Prayer pure and perfyte lyfteth vp thyne affeccyon to heuen / a toure beyonde thyne ennemyes reche. Lernynge or knowlege fenseth or armeth the mynde with holsom preceptes & honest opinyons / and putteth the euer in remēbraunce of vertue / so that neyther can be lackyng to ye other. These twayne cleueth so togyder lyke frendes / the one euer requyryng the others helpe. The one maketh intercessyon & prayeth. The other sheweth what is to be desyred & what thou oughtest to praye. To praye [Page] [...]eruētly / & (as Iames exhorteth vs) without doutyng or mystrustyng fayth & hope bryngeth to passe. To pray in the name of Iesu / whiche is nothing else but to desyre thinges holsom for thy soule helth onely / lernyng or doctryne techeth the. Said not Chryst to the sones of zebedei.The sones of zebedei be Iames the more and Iohn̄ the euangelist. ye knowe not what ye aske? But prayer verily is the more excellēt / as she that cōmeth and talketh familiarly with almyghty god. yet for all that is doctryne no lesse necessary. And I can not tell whether that thou fled from Egypt myghtest without great ieopardy cōmyt thyselfe to so long a iourney so harde and full of diffyculte / without the capteyns Aarō & Moyses.Aaron signyfyeth prayer Moyses betokeneth knowlege. Aaron whiche was charged with thyngꝭ dedycate to the seruyce of gods tēple / betokeneth prayer. By Moyses is fygured the knowlege of the lawe of god. And as knowlege of god ought not to be vnꝑfyte / so prayer sholde not be faynt / slacke / without courage or quycknes. Moyses with the wepons of prayer fought agaynst his ennemyes / but had his hādes lyfted vp to heuen / whiche whan he let downe / the israelites had the worse. Thou happely whan thou prayest [...]syderest onely how moche of thy psalmes thou hast mombled vp / & thynkest moche bablyng to be the strength and vertue of [Page] prayer: whiche is chefely the vyce of them whiche (as infantes) cleue to the lytterall sence / & are not yet growen vp to the rypenes of the spiryte. But heare what Chryst techeth vs in Mathewe / saying. whan ye praye speke not moche / as the ethneys & gentyles do / for they thynke theyr prayers to be accepted bycause of moche bablyng. Counterfayte them not therfore / for your father knoweth wherof ye haue nede before ye desyre it of hym. And Paule to the Corynthes despyseth. x. thousande wordes babled with mouthe in cōparyson of fyue spoken in knowlege. Moyses opened not his lyppes / and yet god sayd to hym. why cryest thou so to me. It is not the noyse of thy lyppes / but the feruent desyre of thy mynde / whiche (as it were a very shyrle voyce) beateth the eares of god. Let this therfore be a customable thynge with the that as soone as thyne ennemye aryseth agaynst the / and the vyces whiche thou hast forsaken trouble the / thou than with out tarying with sure cōfydence and trust lyfte vp thy mynde to heuen / from whens helpe shall cōme to the / & thyder also lyfte vp thy handes. The surest thynge of all is to be occupyed in dedes of pitePite is not takē for cōpassyō but for the honouryng & worshyppynge of god with charite or loue ordynate / as Chryst taught vs to loue. / that thy dedes may be referred and applyed / not to worldly busynes / but vnto Chryst. yet lest [Page] thou sholdest despyse the helpe of knowlege / consyder one thynge. Before tyme it was ynough for the israelytes to flee and escape frō theyr ennemyes / but they were neuer so bolde as to prouoke the Amalachytes / and to trye with them hande for hāde before they were refresshed with mā na frō heuen / and water rennynge out of the harde rocke.Manns is a hony dewe wherwith the chyldren of israel were fed. xl. yeres / and it is sygnyfyed knowledge / & also by water lykewyse The noble warryour Dauid refresshed and made strong with these cates / set nought by the hole hoost of his aduersaryes / saying. Oh good lorde thou hast set a table of meate before me to defende me agaynst all men that trouble me Byleue me well brother syngularly beloued in my hert / there is none so great violence of thy foes / that is to saye / none so great temptacion whiche feruent study or meditacyō of holy scripture is not able to put abacke / nor any so greuous aduersite which it maketh not easy. And lest I sholde seme to be somwhat to bolde an interpretour (though I coude defende my selfe with great authorite) what thyng I pray the coude more ꝓperly haue signifyed the knowlege of the secrete lawe of god than dyd māna. For fyrst in that it sprange not out of ye erth / but rayned downe frō heuē. By this properte thou perceyuest the differēce bytwene the doctryne of god and the [Page] doctryne of mā. For al holy scripture came by dyuyne inspiracyon and from god the author. In that it is smal or lytel in quantite / is signified the humilite / lowlynes or homelynes of the style vnder rude wordes includīg great mystery. That it is whyte by this properte is signyfyed the puryte & clennes of gods lawe. For there is no doctryne of man whiche is not defyled with some blacke spot of errour / onely the doctryne of Chryst euery where bryght / euery where pure and clene. That it is somwhat harde & some deale rough & sharpe / betokeneth secrete mysteryes hydde in the litteral sence. yf thou handle the vtter syde and yf I may so call it the codde / what is more harde or vnsauery. They tasted but the vtter rynde of manna / whiche sayd to Chryst / this is a harde saying / & who may abyde ye hearyng therof. But gete out the spirituall sence / & nothyng is more sweter nor more full of pleasure and swete iuce. More ouer manna is in the ebrewe tong as moche to saye as what is this? whiche questyon agreeth well to holy scripture / whiche hath nothyng ī it ydle or in vayne no not one tytle or pricke / vnworthy to be serched / vnworthy to be pondered / vnworthy of this saying / what is this? It is a cō mune vse vnto the holy goost to signyfye [Page] by water the knowlege of the lawe of god Thou redest of y• water of cōfort by whose bankes Dauid reioyseth to haue be nourysshed vp: thou redest of y• waters whiche wysdom cōueyeth in to the toppes of euery waye: thou redest of the mystical ryuer in to the whiche Ezechiel entred / & coude not wade ouer: thou redest of the welles that Abraham digged / whiche whan they were stopped of the philistiens ysaac repared agayne. Thou redest of .xij. foūtaynes at whiche ye israelytes after they had walked thrugh. xl. mansions / and began than to be wery and faynt / rested and refresshed themselfe & made them strong to the long iourney of desert. Thou also redest in the gospell of the well whervpon Chryst sate weryed in his iourney. Thou redest of the water of SiloeSiloe is a poole with in Ierusalē at the fote of the moūt Syon. / whether he sendeth the blynde to recouer his syght. Thou redest of y• water poured ī to the basen to wasshe the apostles fete. And bicause it nedeth not to reherse all places in this significacyon / ofte mēcion is made in scripture of welles fountaynes & ryuers / by whiche is signyfied nothyng else but that we ought to enquyre & serche diligently for the mysteryes hydde in scripture. what signyfyeth water hydde in y• vaynes of the erth but mystery couered or hyd in the litterall sence. what [Page] meaneth the same conueyed abrode bu [...] mystery opened & expouned. which beyng spred & dilated bothe wyde & brode / to the edyfying of y• hearers / what cause is there why it myght not be called a ryuer. wherfore yf thou dedycate thy selfe holly to the study of scripture & exercyse thy mynde day and nyght in y• lawe of god / no feare shall trouble the / neyther by day nor night: but thou shalte agaynst all assawtes of thyne ennemyes he armed & exercysed also. And I disalowe it not vtterly yf a mā for a sea son (to begyn withall) do exercyse & sporte hymselfe in werkes of poetes and philosophers whiche were gētyles / as ī his A b c. or introductory to a more perfyte thynge / so that he taste of them measurably / and whyles youth shal gyue hym leue / & euen as though a man toke them in his waye / but not abyde and tary vpon them styll / & to wexe olde and dye in them / as he were bounde to the rockes of SyrenesSirenes were iij. ladies dwelling in an ylād whiche with swetnes of songe drewe vnto them who so euer sailed by / & after killed thē But Ulixes returning fro the siege of Troye hauynge that waye a necessari iourney stopped his maryners eres with wexe / & boside hymself to the mast / so herde he theyr songe auoydyng all ieoperdye / / that is to put his hole delectacyon in them / & neuer go farther. For holy Basilius to suche pastyme exhorteth yong men / whome he hymselfe had induced to the conuersacion of christen men. And our Augustyn calleth backe agayne his frende Licētius to passe the tyme with the muses / neyther Ierom repenteth hym selfe that he hath loued a [Page] woman taken prisoner in warre. Cyprian is commended bycause he garnysshed the temple of god with the spoyles of the Egipciās. But in no case wolde I that thou with the gentyles lernynge sholdest also souke the gentyles vyces & conuersacyon. For yf thou do not / thou shalte fynde many thyngꝭ helpyng to honest lyuyng / neyther is it to be refused what so euer an author (ye though he be a gentyle) techeth well. For Moyses veryly though he were neuer so famylyar with god / yet despysed he not the counseyle of his father in lawe Ietro. Those scyences fascyon & quycken a chyldes wytte / & maketh hym apte afore hande meruaylously to the vnderstādyng of holy scripture. whervnto sodeynly and irreuerētly to presume with handes & fete vnwasshed / is in maner a certayne kynde of sacrilege. And Ierom checketh ye shameles pertnes of them whiche streyghtwaye from secular or worldly seyence dare take in hande to medle or interprete holy scripture. But how moche shamefuller do they whiche neuer tasted other science / & yet at the fyrst dare do the same thynge. But as the scripture is not moche fruitful yf thou stande & stycke styll in the lettre. In lyke maner the poetry of Homere and Uirgyl shall not ꝓfyte a lytell / yf thou remembre [Page] that it must be vnderstande in the sence allegory / whiche thyng no man wyll denye that hath assayed or tasted of the lernyng of olde antiquitees neuer so lytell / ye with the typ of his tonge / or vttermost parte of his lyppes. As for the poetes which wryte vnclenly / I wolde counseyle the not ones to touche them / or at the leest way not to loke farre in them: except thou can the better abhorre vices whan they be descrybed to the / & in cōparacions of fylthy thynges the more feruently loue thyngꝭ honest. Of the philosophers my mynde is that thou folowe them that were of Platoes secte / bycause bothe in very many sentences / & moche more in theyr style & maner of spekynge / they cōme very nygh to the fygure and ꝓpertye of speche vsed of the ꝓphetes and ī the gospelles. And to make an ende shortly / it shall be profytable to taste of al maner of lernynge of the gentyles / yf it so be done as I shewed before / bothe ī yeres accordyng & measurably / more ouer with cautele & iudgemēt discretly / farthermore with spede & after the maner of a mā that entendeth but to passe ouer ye coūtre onely and not to dwell or inhabyte in cōclusyon (whiche thynge is chefest of all) yf euery thynge be applyed and referred to Chryst For so all shall be clene to them yt be clene [Page] whan on the other syde to them that be vnclene nothynge is clene. And it shall be no rebuke to the / yf after the ensample of Salomon thou nourysshe vp at home in thy hous. lx. quenes. lxxx. souereyn ladyes & damoysels innumerable of secular wysdome.As Salomon had lx. quenes lxxx. cōcubines & damoyselles innumerable / yet one chefe quene / whome all the rest honoured. so may we of all sciences haue authours inumerable / yf holy scripture be chefe of all other for the honesting of her. So that the wysdome of god be aboue al other / thy best beloued / thy doue / thy swete hert / which onely semeth beautefull. And an israelyte loueth a straunger and a barbarous damsell / ouercōme with her beaute: but fyrst he shaueth of her heare & pareth her nayles / & maketh her of an alyen an israelyte.The israelyte myght take to wife a straūger taken in warre so that her nayles were fyrste pared and her heare sha [...]en: So may chrystē men honour god with gētyles lernyng / yf we cut of that is suꝑfluous. And the prophete Ozee maryed an harlot / and of her had children not for hymselfe / but for y• lorde of sabaoth and the holy fornycacyon of the prophete augmented the housholde of god. The ebrewes after they had forsaken Egypt lyued with lyght & pure whyte breadeThe light & pure whyte breed betokeneth the gētiles lyuing. Māna betokeneth the wysdom of god. for a season / but it was not sufficyēt to so great a iourney. Therfore that breade lothed at ones / thou must make as good spede as can be vnto manna of celestiall wysdome the whiche shal nourysshe the haboūdaūtly and strengthe the vntyll thou obtayne thy purpose / and wynne by victory the reward that neuer shal cease: but thou must euer remembre in the meane season yt holy scripture may not be touched but with [Page] clene & wasshen handes / that is to vnderstande / but with hygh purenes of mynde / lest that whiche of it selfe is a p̄seruatyue or tryacle / by thyne owne faute turne to y• in to poyson / and lest manna to the begyn to putryfye / except yt thou conuey or sende it in to the inwarde partes of thy mynde & affeccyon / & leest happyly it sholde fortune to the as it dyd to Oza / whiche feared not to set to his prophane & vnclene handes to the Arke of god enclynynge on ye one syde and with sodeyn deth was punysshed for his lewde seruyce.Dauid ent [...] ded to trāslate the ark of god out of the hous of Amynadab whiche was in Gaboa / they put the ark vpon a carte / Oza with his bretherne wayted on it on eyther syde / a [...] the arke enclyned & bowed Oza set his hande to stay it & was s [...]ytten with sodeyne dethe for his presumpcyon. The fyrst poynt is that thou haue good opinyon of the holy scriptures / & that thou esteme them of no lesse valure & dignite than they are worthy to be estemed / and that they came out of the secrete closet of the mynde of god.Scriptur must be had in great reuerence. Thou shalt ꝑceyue that thou art inspired of god moued inwardly / rapt & in an vnspekable maner altered & chaunged to an other maner fygure or shappe / yf thou shalte cōme religiously / yf with reuerence and mekely thou shalte se the pleasures / delycates / or deynties of the blessed spouse. Thou shalt se the precyous iowels of ryche Salomō / thou shalt se ye secrete treasure of eternall wysdom: but beware that thou breke not malepertly in to the secrete closet / the dore is lowe / beware leest thou stryke the dore [Page] with thy heed / & be fayne to lepe backe agayn. Thynke on this wyse nothing that thou seest with thyne eyes / nothyng that thou hādlest with thy fyngers to be īdede the same thing which it appereth / so surely as these thyngꝭ be true ī holy scripture:Fayth must be gyuen to holy scripture. so yt yf heuen & erth shold perysshe / yet of y• wordes of god not one iote or tytle shal perysh / but al shal be fulfilled. Though men lye / though men erre / yet the verite of god neyther deceyueth nor is deceyued. Of the īterp̄tours of scriptureThe chefe interp̄tours of holy scripture. / chose them aboue al other yt go farthest frō the lettre / which chefely next after Paule be Origene / Ambrose / Ierom & Augustyne. For I se the diuines of later tyme slycke very moche in ye lettre / & with good wyll gyue more study to subtyle & deceytfull argumētes / than to serche out y• mysteryes / as though Paule hath not sayd truly our lawe to be spūall. I haue herd some men my self which stode so greatly in theyr owne cōceyte with the fantasticall tradicyōs / ymaginacyōs & inuencyons of man / y• they despysed y• interpretaciō of olde doctours that were nygh to Chryst & his apostles bothe ī tyme & lyuyng also / & accompte them as dremes / ye & mayster dunceMayster doctour dunce. gaue them suche cōfydēce that notwithstādīg they neuer ones redde the holy scripture / yet thought they them [Page] selfe to be perfyte diuynes / whiche ꝑsones though they speke thyngꝭ neuer so crafty & subtile / yet whether they speke thynges worthy of y• holy goost & the meke spiryte of Chryst or not / let other men iudge. But yf thou haddest leuer to be somwhat lusty & quicke of spiryte / thā to be armed to contenciō / that is to say / to brawlyng or scolding. yf thou seke rather to haue thy soule made fatte / thā thy wyt to be vaynly delyted: study & rede ouer chiefly y• old doctours & expositours / whose godlynes & holy lyfe is more proued & knowen / whose religion to god is more to be pōdered & loked vpon whose lernīg is more plēteous & sage also whose style is neyther bare ne rude & īterp̄taciō more agreable to y• holy mysteryes And I say not this bycause I despise these newe diuynes / but bycause I set more by thynges more ꝓfytable & more apt for the purpose.The sp [...] kynge of scripture. And also the spiryt of god hath a certeyn tong or speche appropriate to him selfe / he hath his fygures similitudes / parables / cōparisōs / ꝓuerbes & redils which thou must obserue & marke dilygently / yf thou sholdest vndstāde thē. The wisdom of god stutteth & lyspeth as it were a diligēt mother fascioneth her wordes accordīg to our īfancye & feblenes. She giueth mylke to them that be infantes in Chryst / weyke [Page] meate to feble stomackes. Thou therfore make spede thou were a man / make haste to perfyte & stronge meate / and prepare a mannes stomacke. She stoupeth downe & boweth her self to thy humilite & lownes. Aryse than vpon the other syde & ascēde to her heyght & excellencye. It is lyke a monstre and vnnatural to be euer a chylde. He is to hertles that neuer seaseth to be feble & weyke. [...]edynge without vnderstā dynge. The recording of one verse shall be more sauery in thy mouth / & shall nourysshe the better yf thou breke the codde & taste of the swetnes which is within / thā y [...] thou sholdest syng the hole psalter / vnderstande onely after the litterall sence / wherof veryly I gyue admonicyō a great deale the rather / bycause I knowe by experyence that this errour hath not īfected the lay people onely / but also the myndes of them whiche ꝓfesse & shewe outwarde in theyr habyte & name or rytle / ꝑfyte religion / in so moche that they thynke the very seruyce of god to be put chefely in this one thynge / yf they shall saye ouer euery daye as moche as they can of the psalmes scarse vnderstande ye in the litterall sence Neyther I thynke any other thyng to be the cause why we se the charitable lyuing of our monkes &The charitable lyuynge of monkes. cloysterers to fayle euery where / to be so colde / so slacked / so faynt & [Page] so to vanysshe away / but that they contynue all theyr lyfe & wexe olde in the lettre and neuer enforce to cōme to the spiritual knowlege of scripture / neyther heare they Chryst cryeng in ye gospel / the flesshe / that is to say / the lettre / or that ye se outwarde ꝓfyteth not at al.The flesshe is called in scripture what so euer is visible or perceyued outward with any sensyble power. It is the spiryte within that quickeneth or giueth lyf. They heare not Paule affermyng with his mayster / yt the lettre kylleth / and it is the spiryte gyueth lyfe. And agayn we knowe (saith he) that the lawe is spiritual / and not carnal. Spiritual thynges must be cōpared with spirituall thynges.The spiryt is called what so euer is pceyued inwardly with the eye of the soule. In tyme passed the father of al spiritual gyftes wolde be honoured in the mounteyn / but now he wyll be honoured in the spiryte. How be it I despyse not the feblenes of them / whiche for lacke of knowlege & vnderstandyng doth y• they onely be able to do / ꝓnouncing the mystical psalmes with pure faith without dissimulacyon or ypocrysye / but rather as in charmes and enchauntementes of magyke certeyn wordes not vnderstande / no not of them whiche pronoūce them yet be byleued to be of vertue & strengthe.A similitude of mekenes of them whiche lacke capaci [...]te. Euen so the wordes of god / though they be not ꝑfytly vnderstande / neuerthelesse we must trust that they be profytable to them that eyther saye them or heare them with perfyte [Page] fayth / with pure affection and mynde And that the aungels whiche are present and doth vnderstande be prouoked to helpe them. And Paule despyseth not them whiche saye psalmes with theyr mouthe whiche speketh with tonges that thynge they vnderstande not: but he exhorteth them to leue theyr infancy / and to folowe more ꝑfyte gyftes / vnto whiche yf a man can not attayne / not through the defaute of a corrupte mynde / but for lacke of capacite: let hym not barke agaynst them whiche enforce better thynges. And after the precept of Paule / let not hym whiche eateth / despise him which eateth not / neyther he that eateth not / iudge hym that eateth. Neuerthelesse I wyl not haue the whiche art endewed with so happy a wyt to be slowe & to tary longe in the bareyn lettre / but to make spede vnto more secret mysteryes / and to helpe the cōtynuall endeuoyre & enforcement of thyne industrye & wyll with often prayers vntyll he open to the the booke clapsed with .vij. claspes whiche hath the key of Dauid / the which also shytteth and no man openeth the preuytees of the father / whiche neuer man knewe but his sone / and he to whome his sone hath vouched saufe to disclose them. But whether gothe our style asyde / myne [Page] entēt was to descrybe the forme of lyuyng not of lernynge: but I turned out of the way thus far whyle I laboured to shewe the a mete shop frō whens thou oughtest to fetche thy newe armure & wepons belongyng to the newe warre. Therfore to cōme to our purpose agayn / yf thou shalt pyke and chose out of the bookes of the gentyles of euery thynge the best. And also yf thou by thexample of the bee / fleyng rounde aboute by the gardynes of olde authours shalte sucke out onely the holsome and swete iuce (the poyson refused & lefte behynde) thy mynde shall be better apparayled a greate deale / and armed vnto the commune lyfe or conuersacyon / in whiche we lyue one with an other in honest maner. For the philosophers & lerned men of the gentyles in theyr warre vse certeyn wepons & armure not to be despysed Neuerthelesse what so euer thynge of honestye or trouth thou fyndest any where / thynke that to be Chrystes. But that dyuyne armure & (to speke as the poetes do) that harneys of UulcanꝰThe Artyllery of Uulcanus. makyng / which with no wepōs can be persed / is fet onely out of the armory of holy scripture / where our noble capteyn Dauid layde vp all his ordynaunce of warre for his sowdyours with whiche they sholde fyght afarre and [Page] at hāde agaynst the incircūcised philis [...]i [...]s. with this harneys was clothed neyther AchillesAchilles ouercome with Ire Encas ouercome with loue / of whom Homere wryteth / neyther Encas / of whome Uirgyll speketh / though they be so fayned. Of whiche the one with tre / ye other with loue was ouer cōme shamefully. And it is not spokē with out reason that those wepons be not forged in the werkhouse of man / but in the werkhouse or forge yt is cōmen to Uulcan and Pallas / otherwyse called Mynerue.Poetes the fainers of goddes For poetes the fayners of goddes maketh Uulcan lorde of fyre / and Mynerua lady of wytte / facultyes / scyences and craftes / whiche thynge I iudge to be done in very dede (as thou maist easely ꝑceyue) whā the fyre of loue of god hath armed thy wytte / endued with honest facultyes so strongly / that yf all ye worlde sholde fall on thy heed yet sholde not the stroke put the to feate.Kyng Saul armed Dauid to fyght agaynst Golyas with heuy a comberous harneys putt [...]g on him a [...]al [...] of bias [...]co [...]e of [...] but Dauid put it of a gatherd v. stones out of a broke [...] with a slyng hyr Golyas [...] the forehed with a stone & slewe hym But fyrst thou must cast away the harnes of proude Saule / whiche rather ladeth a man than be any thynge necessary or ꝓfytable. And combred Dauyd redy to fyght with Golias & holpe him not at al. More ouer from the banke of the broke of holy scripture thou must gather fyue stones / whiche ꝑaduenture be the fyue wordes of Paule / whiche he speketh in knowlege. Than take a slynge in thy ryght hande / [Page] with these wepons is ouerthrowen our onely ennemy the father of pryde Sathanwhan Sathan wold haue had chryst to turne stones ī to bred Christ āswerd with scripture sayeng mā lyueth not onely b [...] bred / but by euery worde that procedeth of the mouthe of god / then he wold haue had christ to fal fro the pynacle. whome at the last with what wepōs dyd our heed Chryst Iesu ouercōme? dyd not he smyte the foreheed of our aduersary as it had ben with stones fette out of ye broke whan he answered hym in tyme of tēptacyon with wordes of scripture. Wylt thou heare the instrumētes or artillary of chrysten mens warre? And ye zele of hym (sayth scripture) shall take harneys & shall harneys his creature to auenge his enemyes he wyll put on iustyce for his brest plate / &Christ answerd with scripture sayenge a man shold not attēpte his lord god then the deuyl bad christ honor hym. christ answered a mā must honor his lorde god & serue hym onely. take for his helmet sure & true iudgement he wyll take a shelde of equite īpenetrable or that can not be persed / ye and he wyll sharpe or fascyon cruel wrath in to a spere Thou redest also in Isai he is armed with iustyce / as with an habergy on and a salet of helth vpon his heed / he is clothed with the vestures of vengeaunce & couered as it were with a cloke of zele. Now if thou list to go to,If zeale be in knowlege it is good & if not it is euyl / As the pharysees for zeale of theyr tradytiōs Persecuted Chryst & [...]hapostelles. the storehouse of Paule that valyaunt capteyn / certeynly thou shalt also fynde there the armure of warre / not carnal thyngꝭ / but valyaūt in god to destroye fortresses & coūseyles / & euery hygh thyng that exalteth himself agaynst the doctryne of god. Thou shalte fynde there ye armure of god / by the whiche thou mayst resyst in [Page] a wofull daye. Thou shalt fynde the harneys of iustyce on the ryght hande / and on the lefte thou shalte fynde the defence of thy sydes verite / and the hawbergyon of iustyce the bukler of fayth / wherwith thou mayst quenche al the hote and fyery wepons of thy cruell aduersarye. Thou shalte fynde also the helmet of helthe and the sworde of the spiryte / whiche is the worde of god / with the whiche al yf a man shall be dilygently couered and fensed / he may boldly without feare brynge forthe the bolde sayinge of Paule. who shall separate vs from the loue of god? shall tribulacyon? shal straytnes or difficulty? shal hunger? shall nakednes? shall peryll? shall persecucyon? shall a sworde. Beholde how myghty ennemyes and how moche feared of all men he setteth at nought. But heare also a certayne greater thynge / for it foloweth. But in all thynges we haue ouercōme by his helpe whiche loued vs. And I am assured (sayth he) that neyther deth nor lyfe / nor aungels / neyther principates / neyther virtutes / neyther present thynges / neyther thynges to cōme / neyther strengthe / neyther hyghnes / neyther lownes / nor none other creature shall or may separate vs frō the loue of god whiche is in Chryst Iesu. O happy trust and [Page] confydence whiche the wepons or armure of lyght gyueth to Paule / that is by interpretacyon a lytell man / whiche calleth hymselfe the refuse or outcast of the worlde. Of suche armure therfore haboundaūtly shall holy scripture mynyster to the / yf thou wylte occupye thy tyme in it with all thy myght: so that thou shalt not nede our counseyle or admonycyons. Neuerthelesse seyng it is thy mynde / leest I sholde seme not to haue obeyed thy request / I haue forged for the this lytell treatyse called Enchiridion / that is to saye / a certayn lytell dagger / whome neuer laye out of thy hande / no not whan thou art at meate / or in thy chaumbre. In so moche that yf at ony tyme thou shalte be compelled to make a pylgrymage in these worldly occupacyons / and shalte be accombred to beare aboute with the the hole and complete armure and harneys of holy scripture / yet cōmytte not that the suttellyer in wayte at ony season sholde cōme vpon the and fynde the vtterly vnarmed / but at the leest lette it not greue the to haue with the this lytell hanger / whiche shall not be heuy to beare / nor vnprofytable for thy defence / for it is very lytell / yet yf thou vse it wysely / and couple with it [Page] the bukler of fayth / thou shalte be able to withstande the fyerse & ragyng assawte of thyne ennemy: so that thou shalt haue no deedly wounde. But now it is tyme that I begyn to gyue the a certeyn rule of the vse of these wepons / whiche yf thou shalt put in execucyō or practyse / I trust it wyll cōme to passe that our capytayne Iesus Chryst shal trāslate the a cōquerour out of this lytel castel or garryson in to his great cite Ierusalē with triumphe / where is no rage at al of any batayle / but eternal quietnes / perfyte peace / assured tranquillite: but where as in the meane season al hope and confydence of saufgarde is put in armure and wepon.
¶That the fyrst poynt of wysdome is to knowe thy selfe / and of two maner wysdomes / the true wysdome / & the apparēt. Ca .iij.
THat excellent good thynge desyred and sought for of all men / is peace or quietnes: vnto whiche ye louers of this worlde also referre all theyr study / but they seke a false peace / and shote at a wronge marke. The same peace the philosophers also ꝓmysed vnto the folowers of theyr conclusions / but yet [Page] falsly / for Chryst onely gyueth it / the worlde gyueth it not.A man must fyght agynst hymselfe. To cōme to this quietnes / the onely waye or meanes is (yf we make warre) agaynst our self / yf we fyght strongly against our owne vices / for with these ennemyes god whiche is our peaceGod is our peace & felicite is at varyaūce with deedly hate / seyng he is naturally vertue it selfe & father & lorde of al vertue.Stoici were phylosofers as Socrates & Plato / with theyr folowers which put felicyte in trewe plesure in vertue onely and within the cō sciēce without any outwarde pleasure or ryches. And where as a filthy puddle or a synke gathered togider of al kynde of vices / is named of the stoikes whiche are the moost feruent deferders of vertue folyshnes / & in our scripture the same is called malyce / in lyke maner vertue or goodnes lackyng in no poynt / of bothe partes is called wysdom. But after the saying of the wyse man doth not wysdom ouercōme malyce? The father and heed of malyce is the ruler of darknes belial: whose steppes who so euer foloweth walketh in ye night and shall cōme to eternall nyght.Folyshnes is myserye. wysdome is felycyte. Fooles also be wretches and vnhappy. wyse men also be happy and fortunate. Fylthynes is folyshnes vertu is wisdō. On the other syde ye grounde of wysdom & in dede wysdome it selfe is Chryst Iesus / whiche is very lyght & the bryghtnes of the glory of his father / putrynge away by hymselfe onely ye nyght of y• folyshnes of the world The whiche (wytnessynge Paule) as he was made redempcyon & iustificacyon to vs that be borne agayn in him. Euen lyke wise was made also our wisdom. we (saith [Page] Paule) preche Chryst crucified / whiche to the iewes is an occasion of vnite / & to the gētyles folyshnes. But to ye elected bothe of the iewes & also of ye gentiles we preche Chryst the vertue or strength of god / & the wysdom of god / by whose wysdom thrugh his ensample we may beare away the victory of our ennemy malyce / yf we shal be wyse in him in whom also we shal be conquerours. Make moche of this wysdom & take her in thyne armes worldly wysdomworldly wysedome is very folysshnes set at nought / which with false tytle & vnder a fayned colour of honeste bosteth and sheweth her selfe gay to fooles / whā after Paule there is no greater folyshnes with god than worldly wysdom / a thynge that must be forgete in dede agayn of hym that wyll be wyse in dede. [...]e must be a foole in this worlde that wyll be wyse in god. If any man (saythe Paule) amonge you semeth to be wyse in this worlde / let hym be a foole yt he may be wyse / for the wysdome of this worlde is folyshnes with god. And a lytell afore Paule sayth it is wryten? I wyll destroy the wysdom of wyse men / & the prudence of prudent men I wyll reproue. where is the wyse man / where is ye subtile lawyer / where is the sercherThe serchers were the phylosofers which serched for worldly wysdō yet coude they attayn no wysdome to saue the soule of mā vntyll Chryste came. of this worlde. Hath not god made the wysdom of this worlde folyshnes. And I doute not but euen now with greate hate these folysshe wyse men [Page] [...]arke against the / & these blynde capteyns or guydes of blynde men crye out and rore agaynst the / sayinge that thou art deceyued / that thou dotest and art madde as a bedlem man / bycause thou entēdest to departe vnto Chrystwarde.Many be chrysten men in name onely but the very chrysten mē be they whiche kepe & ob [...]ue īwardly Chrystes preceptes. These be in name onely chrysten men / but in very dede they are bothe mockers & also ennemyes of Chrystes doctryne.A true chrystē mā must despyse the folishnes of worldly mē. Take hede and beware that theyr folysshe bablynge moue the not / whose miserable blyndnes ought rather to be wept / sorowed and mourned than to be counterfeyted or folowed.he is good for nothyng sayth hesiodꝰ which neyther hathe wysdō / nor yet wyll lerne it. Oh what folysshe kynde of wysdom and clene out of ordre is this in tryfles and thynges of no value / ye to fylthynes onely to be clere wytted / ware and experte:To haue knolege is best of all. To be wyllynge to lerne & obedyente to the truth is also a good thīge To lacke knolege is a very euyll thynge. but in those thynges whiche onely make for our sauegarde or helthe:To disdayn to lerne is worse but to withstō de & repugne agaynste the truthe to them whiche teache the truthe is worst of al & fardest frō grace. not to haue moche more vnderstandynge than a brute beest. Paule wolde we sholde be wyse but in goodnes / & chyldren in euyll. These men be wyse to all iniquite: but they haue no lernynge to do good. And for as moche as that facoūdyous and greke poete Hesiodus counteth hym good for nothynge whiche neyther is wyse of hymselfe / neyther yet wyll folowe and do after hym that gyueth hym good coūseyle. Of what degre than shall they be counted whiche [Page] whan they themselfe be moost shamefully deceyued / yet neuer seace to trouble / to laugh / to scorne and put in feare them whiche all redy be cōme to theyr wyttes agayn? But shall not the mocker be mocked? He that dwelleth in heuē shal mocke them agayn / & our lorde shall laugh them to scorne. Thou redest in the boke of Sapyence / they shall se veryly & shall despyse hym / but god shal mocke thē. To be mocked of lewde men / is as it were a prayse. And no doubte it is a blessed thynge to folow our heed Chryst & his apostles / and a fearfull thyng truly to be mocked of god. I also (saith the wysdom) wyl laugh whā ye perysshe / & mocke you whā that thyng hath hapned to you which ye feared / that is to say / whan they awaked out of theyr dreame & cōme agayn to themself whan it is to late / shall say.E [...]yl [...] men say ye good mē as ye lyue now so lyued such & suche pope holy fooles / & this came of them & so we trust to se happen of you. These be they whome we haue had in derysyon and reprofe / we for lacke of vnderstandynge haue counted theyr lyues to be madnes / & theyr ende to be without honour. This wisdom is beestly / and as Iames sayth diabolyke & of the deuyll / & is an ennemy to god / whose ende is destruction.Note how one vyce bryngeth in an other. For always after this wysdom foloweth as a waytyng seruaunt or handmayde myscheuous p̄sumpcion / after p̄sumpcyon foloweth blyndnes of mynde [Page] after blyndnes of mynde foloweth feruent rage & tyrannye of affections & appetytes / after the tyrannye of affections foloweth the hole hepe of al vices and libertye to do what he lysteth Than foloweth custome / after foloweth moost wretched dulnes or insencibilitye of mynde / a dasynge of the wyttes for lacke of capacitye. By which it is caused that euyll men ꝑceyue not them self to synne. And whyles they be in suche insencibilitye without any fealyng or perceyuyng of themselfe / bodyly deth cōmeth sodeynly on them / & after it foloweth the seconde deth / whiche is deth euerlastyng. Thou seest how the mother of thextreme myschefe is worldly wysdom / but of the wysdom of ChrystThe wysdome of Chryste. whiche ye worlde thynketh folyshnes / this wyse thou redest. All good thyngꝭ came to men by hepes with her / & ine [...]ymable honestye by the handes of her. And I reioysed ī al thyngꝭ bycause this wysdom went before me / and I was not ware that she was mother of al good thyngꝭ. This wysdom bryngeth with her as companyons sobrenes and mekenes. Mekenes disposeth & maketh vs apte to receyue the spiryte of god. For in the lowly / humble & meke persone he reioyseth to rest. And whan ye spiryt hath replenysshed our myndes with his seuēfolde grace / than [Page] forthwithal spryngeth that plenteous erbage of al vertue with those blessed fruytes of whiche y• chefe is the secrete ioye of a clere conscience / whiche ioye is knowen of none but onely of suche to whome it hath chaunced to taste of it. Ioye that neuer vanyssheth away / nor fadeth with the ioyes of this worlde / but encreaseth and groweth to eternall gladnes and myrth. This wysdom my brother (after the counseyle of Iames) must thou requyre of god with feruent & brennyng desyre. And after the counseyle of the wyse man dygge her out of the veynes of holy scripture / as it were treasure hyd in the erthe. The chefe parte of this wysdom is that thou sholdest knowe thy selfe / whiche worde to haue descended frō heuen the antiquite byleued & so moche hath that saying pleased great auctours / yt they iudged al plenty of wysdom to be shortly cōprehēded in this lyrel sentence / that is to wyte / yf a man knowe himselfe. But let the weyght or authorite of this conclusyon & doctryne be of no valure with vs / excepte it agre with our lernyng. The mystical louer in canticis thretneth his spouse / & byddeth her to gete her selfe out of ye dores / excepte she knowe her selfe / saying. O thou beautefull among al women / yf thou knowe not thy selfe / go [Page] out of the dores & walke after the steppes of thy flocke & sorte. Therfore let no man p̄sumptuously take vpō him this so great a thyng / to thynke that he knoweth hym selfe wel ynough. I am not sure whether any man knoweth his body vnto ye vttermost / & thā how can a man knowe ye state of his mynde surely ynough? Paule whome god so loued that he sawe ye mysteryes of the thyrde heuen / yet durst he not iudge hymselfe whiche thyng doutles he wolde haue ben bolde to do / yf he had knowen hymselfe surely ynough. If so spirituall a man whiche discerneth al thingꝭ & is hym self to be iudged of no mā / was not surely ynough knowen to hymselfe. How shold we carnall men presume? In cōclusion let him seme to be a very vnprofitable sowdy our / which surely ynough neyther knewe his owne cōpany / neyther his ennemyes hoost.Thou mayst rede of Iason & diuers other how they sowed serpentes tethe & how of them sprange Gyantꝭ which fought amōge them selfe [...] and slewe eche other. But so it is that one chrysten man hath not warre with an other but with hymselfe / & veryly a great hoost of aduersaryes spryng out of our owne flesshe / out of the very bowels & inwarde parte of vs Lykewyse as it is redde in certeyn poetes tales of the bretherne gendred of the erth. And there is so lytell dyfference bytwene our ennemy & our frende / and so harde to knowe the one fro the other / that there is [Page] great ieopardy leest we somwhat recheles or neclygent defende our ennemy in stede of our frende / or hurte our frende in stede of our ennemy. The noble capteyn Iosue was in doute of an aūgell of lyght / saying Art thou on our parte / or of our enemyes parte. Therfore seyng that thou hast takē vpon the warre agaynst thy selfe / and the chefe hope and cōfort of victory is yf thou knowe thy selfe to the vttermost / I wyll paynte a certayne ymage of thy selfe / as it were in a table / & set it before thyne eyes that thou mayst ꝑfytly knowe what thou art inwarde and within thy skynne.
¶Of the outward & inward man. Ca .iiij
A ManA man is a certeyn mōstrous beest. is than a certeyn monstrous beest cōparte togyder of partes two or thre of great dyuersite. Of a soule as of a certeyn goodly thynge / & of a body as it were a brute or dombe beest. For certeynly we so greatly excell not al other kyndes of brute beestes in perfytnes of body / but that we in al his natural gyftes are foūde to them inferyours. In our myndes veryly we be so celestial and of godly capacite that we may surmount aboue the nature of aungels / and be vnyt / knyt & made one with god. yf thy body had not ben added [Page] to the / thou haddest ben a celestial or godly thyng.God is thautour of peace. yf this mynde had not ben graffed in ye / playnly thou haddest ben a brute beest.The serpente is the maker of debate. These two natures bytwene them selfe so dyuerse / that excellēt werkmā had coupled togyder with blessed cōcorde: but the serpent the ennemy of peace put them asonder agayn with vnhappy discorde:He holdeth the wolfe by the eares / this prouerbe we vse ō thē whiche be in such cōbrāce fro whēs they can in no wyse ryd them selfe The prouerbe this wise sprōg A certen man walked in a forest vpō whom came a wolfe [...] he coude make no other shyf [...] but toke hī by the eares whiche were so shorte that it was harde to hold them: yet durst he not let thē go nor laye hande on his wepōs for fere of bytyng / but held fast & cryed for helpe. so yt now they neyther can be seꝑate without very great turment & payne / neyther lyue ioyned togyder without contynual warre And playnly after the cōmun saying eche [...]n the other holdeth the wolfe by ye eares / & eyther may saye very well & accordingly to the other that proper & pleasaunt verse of Catullus. I neyther can lyue with the nor without the. Suche ruffeling wranglynge & trouble they make bytwene them selfe with comberous debate as thynges dyuerse / whiche in dede are but one. The body veryly as he hymselfe is vysyble / so delyteth he in thynges vysyble. As he is mortall / so foloweth he thynges tēporall. As he is heuy / so synketh he downwarde. On the other party the soule myndeful of her celestyall nature enforceth vpwarde with great violence & with a terrible hest stryueth & wrastleth with the heuy burthē of ye erthly body. She despiseth these thinges that are seen / for she knoweth them to [Page] be trāsitory / she seketh true thyngꝭ of substaūce which be ꝑmanent & euer abydyng & bycause she is imortal & also celestial she loueth thyngꝭ imortal & celestial / & reioyseth with thingꝭ of lyke nature / except she be vtterly drowned in the fylth of ye body & by contagiousnes of hym hath gone out of kynde from her natyue gentylnes. And verily neyther Prometheus so moche spoken of among poetes sowed this discorde in vs a porcyō of euery beest myxed to our mynde / neyther our prymatyue & fyrst makyng gaue it / that is to say / it spronge not in vs naturally / or nature gaue it not to vs ī our first creaciō or natiuite:Poetes fayne ꝓmethens to haue made mē of claye and th [...]ugh helpe of [...] to put lyfe in thē & a porcyon of euery bee [...] as the fy [...]rsnes of the lyon the wylynes of the for the ferefulnes of the ha [...]e and so of other beestes. but synne hath euyl corrupte & decayed that whiche was well created / sowynge the poyson of dissenciō bytwene thē that were honestly agreed / for before ye tyme bothe the mynde ruled ye body without besynes / & the body obeyed without grudgīg. Now is it clene cōtrary. The ordre bytwene thē is so troubled / the affections or appetytes of the body stryue to go before reason / & reason is in a maner compelled to enclyne & folowe the iudgement of the body.Man is cōpared to a comen welthe or realme / where is a kynge / lordes / and the comen people. Thou mayst compare therfore a man properly to a cō munaltie / where is debate & parte takyng among them selfe. whiche cōmunaltie for as moche as it is made of sondry kyndes [Page] of men gathered togyder / whiche be of dyuerse and contrary appetytes. It can not be auoyded but that moche stryfe shal ryse therin / and partes taken oftentymes / one les the chefe rule and authorite be in one. And he hym selfe be suche a felowe that wyll cōmaūde nothynge but that whiche shall be holsome and profytable for the cō mune welthe. And for that cause it must nedes be that he whiche is moost wyse sholde most beare rule. And he nedes must obey that leest perceyueth or vnderstandeth. Now there is nothing more folysshe than the rascall or vyle cōmunaltye. And therfore ought they to obey the offycers and rulers / and beare no rule nor offyce them self. The noble estates or suche men whiche be moost auncyent of age / ought to be herde: but so that it lye onely in the kynges ar [...]ytremēt to make statutes and lawes / whome it is mete to be aduertised to be put in remembraunce or counseyled now and than. But it is not mete that he sholde be cōpelled / or that any man sholde maystrye or rule hym. And fynally the kyng obeyeth no man but the laweThe kynge obeyeth the lawe onely. onely The lawe must be correspondent to the orygynall decree of nature or the fyrst example of honestye. wherfore yf this ordre subuerted the vnruly cōmunes / and that [Page] ragynge dregges of the cite shall stryue to go before the senyours: or yf y• chefe lordes shall despyse the cōmaūdement of ye kyng / than aryseth perylous sedicyō or diuisyon in our cōmune welth / ye & except the ꝓuisyon / decree or auctorite of god socour / all the mater weyeth & enclyneth to extreme mischefe and to vtter destruction.Reasō is kyng in a man. In man reason beareth ye rowme of a kyng. Thou mayst accompt for the chefe lordes certeyn affections & them of the body:The lordes be certaine gentle affections. but yet not all thyngꝭ so beestly. Of the whiche kynde is natural reuerence towarde the father & mother / loue to thy brethern / a benyuolēt mynde towarde thy frendes & louers. Cō passyō vpon them that be vexed with aduersite or combred with sycknes. Feare of infamy / sclaūder or losse of thy good name Desyre of honest reputacyō / & suche other lyke.The com [...]ners be v [...] le appetytes. But suche affectiōs or passiōs which be very greatly disagreyng frō the decrees of reason / & whiche be cast downe & must bow euen to the vylenes of brute beestes. Thynke & reken those to be as it were the most raskal & vile sorte of ye cōmun people Of which kynde & sort be lechery / ryot / enuy / & such lyke diseases / which al without excepciō must be kept vnder ī pson / & with punyshmēt as vile & bonde seruaūtes that they rendre to theyr mayster theyr taske & [Page] worke apoynted to them yf they can: but yf not at y• leest yt they do no harme. which thyngꝭ Plato perceyuyng by inspiracyon of god / wrote in his booke called Timens how ye sones of goddes had forged in man to theyr owne lykenes two kyndes of soules / the one kynde spirituall & īmortal / the other as it were mortall / in daunger to dyuerse ꝑturbacions or mocyons of vnquietnes.Foure affections of the mynde Ioye sorowe hope and feare. Of whiche the fyrst is voluptuousnes (as he sayth) the bayte wherby men are allured and brought to vngracyousnes or mischefe. The next is sorowe or grefe whiche letteth men / & dryueth them from vertue or goodnes. After that feare & presumptuous boldnes / two madde coūseylours: whome accōpanyeth indurate wroth / the desyre of vengeaūce. More ouer flateryng hope with beestly ymaginacyon & knowlege not gouerned of reason / and worldly loue that layeth handes violently on all thynges. These be almoost the wordes of Plato / and it was not vnknowen to hym the felicitie of this lyfe to be put in refraynyng of suche ꝑturbacyōs / for he wryteth in the same worke them for to lyue iustly & blessedly / whiche sholde haue ouercōme these appetytes / & them for to lyue vniustly & myserably that sholde be ouercōme of the same. And to that soule whiche is lyke [Page] vnto the nature of god / that is to say / vnto reason / as vnto a kyng he appoynted a place in the brayne / as in the chefe toure of our cite:Reason dwelleth in the brayne as in the palays. & as thou mayst se the hyghest parte of our body / & nexte to heuen / & most farre fro the nature of a beest / as a thynge veryly whiche is bothe of a very thynne bone / & neyther lade with grosse synewes nor flesshe / but surely furnysshed & apoynted within & also without / with powers of knowlege / that thrugh the shewyng of them no debate sholde ryse in our cōmune welthe / whiche he sholde not immediatly ꝑceyue: but as touchyng the partes of the mortal soule / that is to wyte / the affectiōs or appetytes as euery one of them is / eyther obedyent / or elles grudgeth agaynst reason. So he remoued them fro hym / for bytwene the necke and the mydriffe he set that parte of the soule / wherin is conteyned boldnes / wrath or anger / a sedicyous affection veryly and ful of debate / whiche nedes must be refrayned:The power wherin is contayned wrath and [...]ate. but he is not very brutysshe or beestly / & therfore he separate hym in a meane space frō the hyghest and lowest / leest yf he had ben to nygh to eyther of them / he wold eyther haue troubled the kynges quietnes / or else corrupte with the contagyousnes of them of the lowest sortes sholde with them also conspyre [Page] agaynst hym. Last of all that power whiche desyreth the voluptuous pleasure of meate and drynke / wherby also we be moued to bodyly lust / he banysshed vtterly awaye far fro the kyngꝭ palays downe alowe bynethe the mydrys [...]e in to the lyuer and the paunche / that as it were a certeyn wylde beest vntamed / he sholde there stable and dwell at the racke / for bycause that power is accustomed to reyse vp mocyons moost violent / & to be disobedyent to the commaundementes of the kynge.The power wherin is contayned desyre. what beestlynesse ye and what rebellyon is in the lowest porcyon of this power / at the leestwaye the preuy partes of thy body may teche the in whiche parte chefely this power of concupiscence rageth and tyranny reygneth / which also of all membres onely euer among maketh rebellyon with vnclenly mocions / the kyng cryenge the contrary / & that in vayne. Thou seest than euydently how that this noble beest man / so goodly a thynge aboue playnly & without any excepcyon endeth in an vnreasonable or brute beest. But that noble coūseylour whiche sytteth lyke a kyng or a ruler in his hygh toure / hauynge alway in remembraunce his owne begynnynge thynketh no fylthy nor lowe thynge.The ornamentes of a kynge. And he hath wherby he may be knowen from [Page] other a scepter of yuorye / bycause he doth cōmaunde nothyng but yt whiche is ryght and good / in whose top wryteth Homere to set an egle / bycause that reason mountyng vp to celestial thyngꝭ / beholdeth frō aboue those thyngꝭ that be on the groūde disdeynfully / as it were with egles eyes. In cōclusiō he is crowned with a crowne of golde / for golde in the mystycall lettres moost cōmunly betokeneth wysdom. And the circle betokeneth that the wysdom of the kyng sholde be perfyte & pure in euery parte. These be the very giftes or vertues properly belongyng to kynges. Fyrst that they be very wyse that they do not amysse by reason of errour & lacke of true knowlege. And thā suche thyngꝭ as they knowe to be good & ryght / those onely to wyll & purpose to do that they do nothīg agaynst the decree or iudgement of reason inordynatly / frowardly & corruptly. And who so euer lacketh any of these two poyntꝭ / coū te hym to be not a kynge / that is to saye a ruler / but a robber.
¶Of the diuersite of affections. Ca .v.
OUr kyng Reason may be oppressed veryly / yet bycause of y• eternal lawe which god hath grauen in him he can not [Page] be corrupted but that he shal grudge & cal backe.we ought to lyue after reasō & not after affections. To whome yf the resydue of the cō munaltie wyll obey / he shall neuer cōmyt any thynge at all eyther to be repented or of any ieopardye: but all thynges shall be admynystred with great moderacyon discretly / with moche quietnes & tranquilite But as touching affections / veryly Stoici & PeripoteticiPerypoteticy wyll that affec [...]ions shold be reframed only thynkyng th [...] necessary to ꝓuoke & to styrre a mā to vertue varye somwhat / though bothe agree in this that we ought to lyue after reason / and not after affections. But StoiciStoici be the folowers of plato which put filicite & blessednes ī the īward cōstācye of the mynde onely / yf a man were so armed with all vtues that he myght be wounded with no darte of aduersite or fortune sayeng also no outwarde goodꝭ of fortsie nor outwarde gyftꝭ of nature be reqred necessaryly vnto felycyte but the testimony of cō sciēce inwarde to be sufficiēt. wyll whan we haue vsed for a season (as it were a scholemaister to teche vs our fyrst principles) the affections whiche immedyatly are stered vp of the sensuall powers / & now be cōme to iudgemēt and true examinacion what is to be ensued or chosen / & what to be eschewed or forsaken that than we vtterly dampne and forsake them. For than are they (as they saye) not onely no ꝓfyte to veray wysdom / but also hurtfull & noyous. And therfore they wyll that a ꝑfyte wyse mā shold lacke all suche mocyons / as diseases or sycknesses of the mynde / ye & scarsely they graūte to a wyse man these fyrst mocions / more gentyl preuētyng reason whiche they call fantasyes or ymaginacyons. Peripotetici teche the affections not to be destroyed vtterly / but to be refrayned / & that the vse of them is [Page] not vtterly to be refused / for bycause they thynke them to be gyuen of nature / as a prycke or a spurre to styre a man to vertue As wrath maketh a man bolde & hardy / & is a mater of fortytude.Perypotetici be Arystoteles folowers whiche saye a man apayled with all kīde of vtue & with a pure cōsciēce to be a good man / yet not happy or blessed / for thei wyll beatitude to rest in the acte & outward practise of vertue in ꝓfyting the cōenwelth Therfore saye they / ryches / frēdes / strēgth of body / helth / eloquence and such like to be required necessarily without whiche a man cannot ꝓfyte another / yet wolde they not suche thynges to be desyr [...] for loue of the thingꝭ thē selfe but to profyte the comēwelth & for the cōuersacyon of mankynde. Enuy is a greate cause of polycy / & in lykewyse of the other Socrates in a certeyn booke that Plato made called Phedo / semeth to agree with Stoici / where he thynketh philosophy to be nothyng else but a meditaciō or practisyng of deth / that is to say / that the mynde withdrawe her selfe as moche as she can frō corporal & sensyble thyngꝭ / & cōuey her selfe to those thyngꝭ whiche be perceyued with reason onely / and not of the sensible powers. Fyrst of al therfore thou must beholde & cōsyder diligently all the mocions mouyngꝭ or steryng of thy mynde / & haue them surely knowen. Farthermore thou must vnderstāde no mocyons to be so violent but they may be eyther refrayned of reason / or else turned to vertue. Notwithstanding I heare euerywhere this contagrous opinyon / that some sholde say they be cōstrayned to vices: & on the other syde many for lacke of knowlege of them selfe folowe suche mocyons as the sayinges or decrees of reason: in so moch that what so euer wrath or enuy doth coūseyle or moue them to do / that they call the zele of god: & [Page] as thou seest one cōmun welth to be more vnquiet than another:Some man is more prone to vtue then some so is one man more enclyned or prone to vertue than another whiche differēce cōmeth not of y• diuersite of myndes / but eyther of the īfluence of celestial bodyes / or els of our ꝓgenitours / or els of the bryngyng vp in youth / or of ye cō plectiō of the body. The fable of Socrates of carters & horses good & bad is none olde wyues tale: for thou mayst se some to be borne of so moderate / softe / quiet & gentyl disposicyon / so easy to be hādled / to be turned & wynded / that without besynes they may be enduced to vertue / & renneth forward by theyr own courage without any spurrynge.The rebellion of nature is to be imputed to no man. To some clene contrary thou mayst ꝑceyue to haue happened: a body rebellyous as a wylde & kyckyng horse: in so moche yt he whiche tameth him shal haue ynough to do & swete apace / and yet scarse with a very rough bytte / scarse with a waster & with sharpe spurres can subdue his fyersnes. If any suche one hath hapned to the / let neuer ye rather thy hert fayle ye / but so moche the more feruently set vpon it / thynkyng on this wyse: not that the way of vertue is stopped or shutte vp from the: but a larger mater of vertue to be offred vnto the. But and yf so be that nature hath endued the with a gentyll mynde / [Page] thou art. not therfore streyghtway better than an other man / but happyer / and yet agayn on that maner wyse art thou more happy / so that thou art also more bounde. How be it what is he yt is endued with so happy gyftes of nature / whiche hath not haboūdaūtly thynges ynough to wrestle withal. Therfore in what parte shal be ꝑceyued most rage or rebellyō to be / in that parte reason our kynge must watche diligētly.Some vyces folowe the countres. There be certeyn vices appropriate to euery coūtree / as to breake promesse is famylyar to some: to some ryot or ꝓdigalite: to some bodyly lust or pleasure of the flesshe / & this happeneth to them by ye disposycyon of theyr countrees. Some vices accōpany the complexion of the bodySome vyces folowe the cō plexcion of the body / as appetite & lust for the company of women & the desyre of pleasures & wanton sportes accōpany the sanguyne men. wrath / fyersnes / cursed speking foloweth the coleryke men. Grosnes of mynde / lacke of actiuite / sluggishnes of body / & to be gyuē to moch slepe / foloweth the flumatike man. Enuy inwarde heuynes / bytternes / to be solytary / selfe mynded / soleyn and chorlysshe foloweth the melancolyke ꝑson.vyces folowīg the age. Some vices abate & encreace after the age of man / as in youth lust of y• body / wastfull exspences and rashnes / or folysshe hardynes. In [Page] olde age nyggyshnes or to moche sauyng / waywardnes & auarice.vyces appropryed to kynde. Some vices ther be which shold seme appropriate to kynde as fyersnes to the man / vanite to the woman & desyre of wreke / or to be reuenged. It fortuneth now & thā that nature as it were to make amēdes / recompenseth one disease or sycknes of the mynde / with an other certeyn cōtrary good gyfte or ꝓpertye.An euyll dy [...] ease of the mynde is somtyme recōpensed with an other good gyfte ī ꝓperte. One man is somwhat prone or enclyned to pleasure of worldly pastymes / but nothyng angry / nothyng enuyous at all. An other is chaste / but somwhat proude or hygh mynded / somwhat hasty / somwhat to gredy vpon the worlde. And there be whiche be vexed with certeyn wonderfull & fatall vices / with thefte / sacrylege & homicyde: whiche truly thou must withstāde with al thy might / against whose assaulte must be cast a certeyn brasen wall of sure purpose. On the other syde some affectiōs be so nygh neyghbours to vertue / that it is ieopardous leest we sholde be deceyued the diuersitye is so daūgerous & doutfull.Let the vyces wh [...]che drawe nere vnto vertue be corrected. These affectiōs are to be corrected & amended / & may be turned very wel to that vertue whiche they most nygh resēble. There is some man (bycause of example) whiche is soone set a fyre / is hote / at ones ꝓuoked to anger with the leest thyng in ye worlde / [Page] let hym refrayne & sobre his mynde / & he shal be bolde & couragious / nothyng faynt herted or fearfull / he shall be free of speche without dissimulacion. There is another mā somwhat holdīg / or to moche sauyng let hym put to reason / & he shall be called thryfty & a good husband. He that is somwhat flateryng shal be with moderacyon curteys & pleasaunt. He that is obstynate may be constant. Solempnes may be turned to grauite. And that hath to moche of folysshe toys / may be a good companyon. And after ye same maner of other sōwhat easyer diseases of the mynde / we must beware of this onely yt we cloke not y• vice of nature with the name of vertue / callynge heuynes of mynde grauite / crudelite iustice enuy zele / fylthy nyggyshnes thryfte / flatering good felowshyp / knauery or rybaldry vrbanue or mery spekyng.Put not the name of [...] to ony maner of vyce. The onely waye therfore to felicite is fyrst that thou knowe thy selfe:knowe thy self. more ouer that thou do nothyng after affections / but in al thyngꝭ after the iudgemēt of reason:Do all thyngꝭ after the Iugement of reason let reason be soūde & pure & without corrupcion: let not his mouth be out of taste / that is to saye / let hym beholde honest thyngꝭ. But thou wylie say: it is an harde thynge that thou cōmaundest: who sayth naye? And veryly the saying of Plato is true: what so euer [Page] [...]hynges be fayre and honest / the same be harde & trauaylfull to obteyne. Nothyng is more harde than that a man shold ouer cōme hymselfe.The sayeng of saynt Ierome. But than is there no greater rewarde than is felicite. Iheronymus spake that thynge excellently as he dothe al other thynges: nothyng is more happy than a chrysten man / to whom is ꝓmysed the kyngdom of heuē: nothyng is in greater peryll than he which euery houre is in ieopardye of his lyfe: nothynge is more stronge than he yt ouercōmeth the deuyll: nothynge is more weyke than he that is ouercōme of the flesshe. If thou ponder thyne owne strengthe onely / nothynge is harder than to subdue the flesshe vnto the spiryte. If thou shalte loke on god thy helper / nothynge is more easye. Than now therfore cōceyue with all thy myght and with a feruent mynde the purpose & professyon of the perfyte lyfe. And whan thou hast groūded thy self vpon a sure purpose / set vpon it & go to it lustely: mannes mynde neuer purposed any thyng feruētly that he was not able to bryng to passe.To be willyng to be a chrystē man is a grete parte of chrystendome. It is a greate parte of a chrysten lyfe to desyre with full purpose and with all his herte to be a chrysten man / that thynge whiche at the fyrst syght or metynge / at the fyrst acqueyntaunce or commynge to [Page] shall seme impossyble to be conquered or wonne / in proces of tyme shall be gentyll ynough & with vse easy: in cōclusion with custome it shall be very pleasaunt. It is a very ꝓper saying of Hesiodus.The waye of vertue in proces wereth easye The waye of vertue is harde at the begynnynge / but after thou hast crept vp to the toppe there remayneth for the very sure quietnes. No beest is so wylde whiche wexeth not tame by the crafte of man. And is there no craft to tame the mynde of hym that is ye tamer of all thynges. That thou myght be hole in thy body / thou canst stedfastly purpose and cōmaunde thy selfe for certeyn yeres to abstayne frō drynkyng of wyne / to forbeare the flesshe and company of women: whiche thyngꝭ the phisician beyng a man p̄scribed to the. And to lyue quietly al thy lyfe canst thou not rule thyne affectiōs / no not a fewe monethes? whiche thyng god that is thy creatour & maker cōmaundeth the to do? To saue thy body from sycknes there is nothyng which thou doest not: to delyuer thy body & thy soule also frō eternall deth doest thou not these thyngꝭ whiche infideles ethnici & gentyles haue done.
¶Of the inwarde & outwarde man and of the two partes of man / proued by holy scripture. Caplo .vj.
[Page]CErteynly I am ashamed in chrysten mens behalfe / of whome the moost parte folowe as they were brute beestes theyr affections & sensuall appetytes / & in this kynde of warre are so rude & vnexercised / that they do not as moche as knowe the diuersitie bytwene reason & affections or passyons.Cryst in mathsayth he came to make not peace but de [...]isyon to set the father agaynst the sone / the sone agaynste his father / the wyfe agaynste her husbonde the husbonde agaīst his wife and so forthe. The hystorye meaneth that at somtyme & in some places the husbonde sholde accepte the faythe of christ only & folowe his holsō doctryne & the wyfe sholde ꝑsecute hym / sō tyme the wyfe sholde folowe christe and the husbonde ꝑsecute her / &in lykewise the son his father and the father the sone. They suppose yt thyng onely to be y• man whiche they se & fele / ye & they thynke nothyng to be besyde the thynges which offre them self to ye sensyble wyttes whan it is nothyng lesse than so. what so euer they greatly coueyte / that they thynke to be ryght: they call peace / certeyn and assured bōdage / whyle reason oppressed & blynded foloweth whether so euer ye appetyte or affection calleth without resistence This is yt myserable peace whiche Chryst the authour of very peace that knyt two in one came to breke / styryng vp a holsom warre bytwene the father & the sone / bytwene the husbande & the wyfe / bytwene those thynges whiche fylthy concorde had euyll coupled togyther. Now than let the authoritie of the philosophers be of lytell weyght / excepte those same thyngꝭ be all taught in holy scripture / though not with the same wordes. That the philosophers call reason / that calleth Paule somtyme ye spiryt / somtyme ye inner man / otherwhyle [Page] the lawe of the mynde.Reason / the spyryte / the inner man / the lawe of the mynde / be one thīg with paul That they call affectiō / he calleth somtyme the flesshe: somtyme ye body: an other tyme the vtter man and the lawe of the m [...]res. walke (sayth Paule) in the spiryte / & ye shall not accomplysshe the desyres & lustes of the flesshe / for the flesshe desyreth contrary to the spiryte / & the spiryte contrary to the flesshe / that ye can not do what so euer thyngꝭ ye wolde.Affection / the flesh / the body the vtter man / the lawe of the membres / be one thynge with paule. And in an other place. yf ye shall lyue after the flesshe / ye shal dye. yf ye shal walkyng in the spiryte mortifye the dedes of the flesshe / ye shall lyue.Peace / lyfe / lyberte of soule / is the warre / deth / bondage of the body. Certeyn this is a newe chaūge of thyngꝭ / that peace shold be sought in warre / and warre in peace: in deth lyfe / & in lyfe deth: in bondage liberty in liberty bondage. For Paule wryteth in an other place. I chastise my body & bryng hym in to seruitude. Heare also the liberty If ye be led with the spiryt / ye be not subiect to ye lawe. And we haue not (sayth he) receyued agayn the spiryte of bondage in feare / but the spiryte whiche hath elected vs to be ye chyldren of god. He sayth in an other place. I se an other lawe in my mē bres repugnynge agaynst the lawe of my mynde / subduyng me to the lawe of synne whiche lawe is in my membres. Thou redest with hym also of ye vtter man whiche is corrupte / and of the inner man whiche [Page] is renewed daye by daye. Plato put two soules to be in one man. Paule in one mā maketh two men so coupled togyder / that neyther without other can be outher in heuen or hell:A double man. & agayn so separate that the deth of the one sholde be lyfe of the other. To the same (as I suppose) perteyn those thyngꝭ whiche he wrote to the Chorintes The fyrst man was made in to a lyuynge soule. The laste Adam was made in to a spiryte quyckenynge:The last ad [...]m is Chryste. but that is not fyrst whiche is spirituall / but that whiche is lyuynge: than foloweth that whiche is spirituall. The fyrst man came of the erthe hym selfe terrestryall. The seconde came from heuen and he hymselfe celestial. And bycause it sholde more euydently appere these thynges to pertayne not onely to Chryst and Adam / but to vs all / he added saying. As was the man of the erth / suche are terrestryall & erthly persons. As is the celestial man / suche are the celestial ꝑsons Therfore as we haue borne the ymage of the erthly man: euen so now let vs beare the ymage of the celestyall man. For this I saye bretherne that flesshe & blode shall not possesse the kyngdom of heuē / nor corrupcion shall possesse incorrupcion. Thou ꝑceyuest playnly how in this place he calleth Adam made of erth that thyng which [Page] in an other place he calleth the flesshe and the vtter mā whiche is corrupte.Iacob fygureth the spiryt Esau the fleshe. And this same thynge certaynly is also the body of deth / wherwith Paule agreued cryed out Oh wretche that I am / who shall delyuer me from this body of deth.Iacob & Esau the sōes of Isac & Rebekca foughte in theyr mothers b [...]ly she [...] with god / & he answerd of thē shall sprynge two [...] people which sholde euer be at wa [...]re but the [...] shold [...] the yonger Esau was fyrst borne & Iacob folowed hold [...]ge Esau fast by the [...]. Afterwarde [...] a [...] solde to Iacob his [...] for [...] of [...]. when Isac was olde he hade Esau to ky [...] some ve [...] that I mygnt [...] of it & [...]ysse the or I dye. In conclusion Paule declaryng the moost dyuerse fruyte of the flesshe & of the spiryte wryteth in an other place / saying. He that soweth in his flesshe shal repe or mowe of his flesshe corrupcyon: but he that soweth in the spiryte shall repe or mowe of the spiryte lyfe eternal. This is ye olde debate of two twynnes Iacob & Esau / whiche before they were brought forth in to lyght wrastled within the cloysters of the mothers belly / & Esau veryly caught frō Iacob the preemynence of byrth / & was fyrst borne: but Iacob preuented him agayn of his fathers blessing. That whiche is carnall cōmeth fyrst / but the spiritual thynge is euer best. The one was reed / hygh coloured and rough with heare [...] the other smothe. The one vnquiet and a hunter: the other reioysed in domesticall quietnes. And the one also for hunger solde the right that ꝑteyned to hym by inherytaunce / in yt he was the elder brother / whyle he en [...]ced with a vyle prest and rewarde of voluptuousnes / fell from his natyue libertye in to the bondage of synne. [Page] The other procured by craft of grace that whiche belonged not to hym by ryght of law.But by the deuyce & meanes of the mother Iacob stale awaye his fathers blessyng and was made lorde of his brother. Bitwene these two brethern though bothe were borne of one bely / & at one tyme / yet was there neuer ioyned ꝑfyte concorde / for Esau hateth Iacob / Iacob for his parte though he quyteth not hate for hate / yet he fleeth & hath euer Esau suspected / neyther dare cōme within his daunger.Then came Esau waylyng to haue a blessynge / then answered the father. I haue made hym thy lorde. To the lykewyse what so euer thyng affection counseyleth or ꝑsuadeth / let it be suspected. For the doutfull credence of the counseylour Iacob onely sawe the lorde.After that Iacob sawe our lorde face to face. Esau as one delytyng in blode lyueth by the sworde. To cōclude whan the mother asked counseyle of the lorde he answered: the elder shall be seruaunt to y• yonger: but the father Isaac added:in good mē the spirite whiche is fygured by Iacob ruleth / & the body obeyeth. In euyll men the flesshe whiche is sygnyf [...]ed by Esau ruleth of hym the em [...]yre of down y [...]n of the spyryte. thou Esau shalt do seruyce to thy brother: and the tyme shall cōme whan thou shalt shake of & loose his yoke from thy necke. The lord ꝓphecyeth of good & obedyent persones / the father of euyl & disobedyent ꝑsones. The one declareth what ought to be done of al men: the other tolde afore hande what y• most parte wolde do. Paule wylleth that the wyfe be obedyēt to her husbāde: for better is / sayth scripture) the iniquite of the man [...] thā the goodnes of y• woman. Our Eue is carnal affection / whose eyes y• subtyle & crafty serpent [Page] dayly troubleth & vexeth with tēptacyon / & she is ones corrupte gothe forth & seaseth not to ꝓuoke & entyce the man also thrugh consent to be parte taker of the iniquitye or myscheuous dede.The woman here signyfyeth a carnall person whiche chaunged by grace of fayth foloweth the bidding of the spyryte in euery thynge. But what redest thou of the newe woman / of her I meane that is obedyent to her husbande / I wyl put hatred bytwene the (meanyng the serpēt & the woman) and bytwene her generacion & thyne / she shall trede downe thy heed / & thou shalte laye awayte to her hele.The woman sygureth affectiō The mā reson. The serpent was cast downe on his brest / the dethe of Chryst weyked his violence / he now onely lyeth awayte to her hele pryuely.Abraham had [...] son by his seruaūte Agar whose name was Ismaell & an other b [...] his wyse Sara whōe he ca [...]led Isaac. Ismael was moche elder then Isac & in playeng togyther mysentreated Isac wherwith sara displeased bad Abraham put away thy seruaunt Agar with her son also which Abraham was loth to do / but god cōman̄ded him to obey his wyues request. But the womā thrugh grace of fayth chaunged as it were in to a man boldly tredeth down his venymous heed Grace is encreased and the tyranny of the flesshe is dymynysshed. whan Sara was mynysshed & decayed / than dyd Abraham (god beynge the authour) growe and encrease. And than she calleth hym not husbande but lorde / neyther yet coude she opteyn to haue a chylde before she was dryed vp & bareyn. what I pray the brought she forth at the last to her lord Abraham now in her olde days / ye & past chylde bearyng. Ueryly Isaac yt is to say ioye / for as soone as affectiōs haue wexed olde & are weyked in a man / than at the last springeth vp the [Page] blissed trāquilite of an īnocēt mynde / with sure quietnes of ye spiryt / as it were a cōtinual feest. And as y• father let not his wyfe haue her pleasure without aduisemēt: euē so hath the sportyng of y• chyldren togyder suspecte / I meane of Isaac with Ismaell. Sara wolde not ye chylde of a bondwomā & the chylde of a free womā sholde haue cō uersacyon togyder at yt age: but yt Ismael (whyle as yet youth is feruēt) shold be banisshed out of p̄sence / lest vnder a colour of pastyme he might entice & drawe vnto his owne maners Isaac yet yonge & tender of age.Let youth [...]ee the occasyon of synne. Now was Sara an olde wyfe & now had brought forth Isaac / yet mystrusteth Abrahā except the answere of god had approued his wyues coūseyle / he is not sure of the woman vntyll he herde of god. In all thyngꝭ yt Sara hath sayd to the / heare her voyce. O happy olde age of them in whome so mortyfyed is the carnall man made of the erth / that he in nothynge besyeth the spiryte / which agremēt whether in al thyngꝭ ꝑfyte may happē to any man in this lyfe or no / veryly I dare not afferme / ꝑaduenture it were not expedient / for euen vnto Paule was gyuē vnquietnes & trouble of the flessh yt messenger of sathan to vex him withal.Trouble of the flesh is expedyent to the exercyse of vertue & custody of humylyte. And at ye thyrde tyme he despred to haue yt messenger taken frō him [Page] Than had he none other answere of god but onely this. Paule my grace is sufficiēt for the. For strengthe is wrought & made ꝑfyte in weyknes. In dede this is a newe kynde of remedy. Paule leest he sholde be proude is tempted with pryde / yt he myght be stronge in Chryst: he is compelled to be weyke in hymselfe: he bare the treasure of celestial reuelaciōs in a vessel of erth / that the excellencye sholde depende of ye myght of god / & not of hymself / whiche one example of thapostle putteth vs in remēbraūce & warneth vs of many thyngꝭ.when thou art tempted fall to prayer. Fyrst of all that whan we be assaulted of vyces / īmediatly. we must gyue our selfe to prayer agayne / and desyre helpe of god.Hydra was a serpente with many heddes of whiche one was immortall with her foughte hercules & whē he smo [...]e of one heed. [...] [...]range for it / At the laste he fought with a bournīg sword and so sered he theyr neckes that they [...] no more [...]rynge. More ouer that temptacions to ꝑfyte men are not perylous: but also are very expedyent to the contynuaūce & preseruyng of vertue. Last of al whan al other thyngꝭ are full tamed than the vice of vaynglory euen in ye chefe tyme of vertues layeth awaite: & this vice to be as it were Hidra / whome Hercules fought withall a quycke monstre longe of lyfe & fruytful / by reason of her own woū des / which at ye last ende whan all labours be ouercōme can scarse be destroyed. Neuertheles contynuall & īportunate labour ouercōmeth al thyng. In the meane tyme whyle thy mynde rageth & is vexed with [Page] vehemēt ꝑturbacyons / by all maner meanes thrust togyder / drawe downe / holde & bynde this ProtheusProtheus that is to say affection must be holde downe. with tough bandes whyle he goth aboute to chaūge hymselfe in to all maner monstres and affections of thyngꝭ / in to fyre / in to the shappe of some terrible wylde beest & in to a r [...]nyng ryuer vntyll he cōme agayne in to his owne natural lykenes and shappe. what is so lyke ProtheusProtheus is a god whiche chaūgeth hym to all maner facyons / he is a grete ꝓphesier but he wyl tell nothyng without cōpul [...]yon. as is the affections & appetites of fooles whiche drawe them somtyme in to beestly and bodyly lust / somtyme in to mad ire or wrath / otherwhyle ī to poyson enuy & straunge fascions of vices. Agreeth it not well that ye excellent connyng poete Uirgil sayd:Uyrgyll reherseth of arestew which had lost his beestꝭ & cō selled with his mother [...]rene a goddes how he myght restore thē agayne she sent him to ꝓthe [...] & taught [...] craft to bind hym vntyll he had tolde the trouthe / then taught ꝓtheus how of a deed & puerified oxe they myght be restored again there shal dyuerse similitudes and fascyons of wylde beestes delude and mocke / for sodeynly he wyll be a fearfull swyne & foule tygre / & a dragon full of seales / & a lyonesse with a reed mane / or shall counterfeyte the quycke sounde of ye slame of fyre: but here haue in remēbraūce what foloweth. The more he chaungeth hym self in to al maner of similitudes / the more my sone (sayth Uirgil) strayne thy tough bādes. And also bycause we shall not nede to returne agayne to fables of poetꝭ / thou shalt by thensample of the holy patriarke Iacob lerne to endure & to wrastle lustely all nyght vnto the mornynge of the helpe [Page] of god begin to giue light.Iacob wrastled with an aūgell all nyght. whō in the morning he wolde not let go vntyll he had blyssed hym in the same place / the aungell smote his thygh and the synewes shranke so that Iacob halted on the one leg after that. And thou shalt say / I wyll not let the departe except thou shalt haue gyuē me thy blessyng fyrst. But what rewarde of his victory & greate vertue that myghty & excellent stronge wrastler obteyned / it is certaynly very ꝓfytable to heare. Fyrst of al god blessed hym ī that same place. For euermore after that the temptacyon is ouercōme / a certeyn synguler encrease of diuyne grace is added vnto a man / wherby he shold be an other tyme moche more surely armed thā he was before agaynst the assaulte of his ennemye. Farthermore thrugh touchyng of ye thigh the synewe of the cōquerour wexed wyddred & shronke / & he began to halte on the one fote. God curseth them by the mouth of his ꝓphete whiche halt on bothe theyr fete / that is to say / them which wyl bothe lyue carnally / & please god also. But they be happy in whom carnal affections be so mortifyed / that they beare & leue moost of all to the ryght fote / that is / to the spiryte Fynally his name was chaunged: of Iacob he was made Israel / & of a besy wrastler a quiet ꝑsone. After that thou hast chastysed thy flesshe or thy body / & crucyfyed hym with vices and concupiscences / than shall trāquillite and quietnes without all trouble cōme vnto the / that thou mayst [Page] be at ley [...]er to beholde the lorde / that thou mayst taste & fele yt the lorde is pleasaūt & swete / for yt thynge is signified by Israell.God appere [...] after a grete tempest. God is not seen ī fyre / neyther in the horle wynde & troublous rage of temptacyon / but after the tempest of the deuyl (yf so be that thou shalt endure perseueraūtly) foloweth the hyssynge of a thynne ayre or wynde of spirituall cōsolacyon.He hath walked .xl. dayes & xl. nyghtes vnto the mounte of Or [...]ll where he prayed in a caue / A voyce had hym come forth & stande afore god / and then came a grete wynde then a quakīge then fyre / & god not in the fyre [...] then folowed the hyssynge of a thynne ayre / and then appered god to Elyas. After that ayre hath brethed quietly vpon the / than applye thyne inwarde eyes / & thou shalte be Israel / and shalt say with hym. I haue seen my lorde / and my soule ys made hole. Thou shalte se hym that sayd: no flesshe shall se me / that is to say / no carnall man. Consyder thy selfe dylygently / yf thou be flesshe / thou shalte not se god: yf thou se hym not / thy soule shall not be made hole Take hede therfore that thou be a spirite.
¶Of thre partes of man / the spiryte / the soule / and the flesshe. Caplo .vij.
THese thynges afore writen had ben and that a greate deale more than suffycyent:Origene in his fyrst boke vpō the epystle of paule to the romains maketh this diuysion. neuerthelesse that thou mayst be somwhat more sensybly knowen vnto thy selfe / I wyll reherse compendyously the dyuysyon of a man / after the descripcyon of Orygene / for he foloweth Paule [Page] maketh thre partes / the spiryte / the soule and the flesshe / whiche thre partes Paule ioyned togyder / wrytyng to the Thessalo [...]icēces. That your spiryte (sayth he) your soule & your body may be kepte clene and vncorrupte / that ye be not blamed or accused at the cōmyng of our lord Iesu Chryst And Esaias (leuing out the lowest parte) maketh mencyon of two / saying my soule shall desyre & longe for the in the nyght / ye & in my spiryte & my hert strynges I wyll wake in the mornynges for to please the. Also Daniell sayth / let the spirytꝭ & soules of good men laude god. Out of the which places of scripture Origene gathereth not agaynst reason the thre peticions of man / that is to wite / the body / otherwise called the flessheThe fleshe. / the most vile parte of vs / wher in the malycyous serpent thrugh original trespace hath wryten the lawe of synne / wherwithall we be ꝓuoked to fylthynes. And also yf we be ouercom we be coupled and made one with the deuyll. Than the spirytThe spyryte. wherin we represent ye similitude of the nature of god / in which also our most blessed maker after the original paterne & example of his owne mynde hath grauen the eternal lawe of honestie with his fynger / that is with his spiryte ye holy goost. By this parte we be knyt to god / & made [Page] one with him. In the thyrde place & in the myddes bytwene these two he putteth the soule / whiche is part taker of the sensyble wyttes & natural mocions.Thou must remēbre the soul & the spirite to be one substaūce / but in the soule be many powers as wit wyll / memory: but the spyrite is the moost pure & fardest fro corruption the moost high & diuine portiō of our soule. She is in a sedicious & wranglyng cōmune welth must nedely ioyne her selfe to ye one parte or the other / she is troubled of bothe partes / she is at her libertie to whether parte she wyl enclyne. If she forsake the flesshe & conuey her selfe to the partes of the spiryt / she her selfe shal be spiritual also. But & yf she cast her selfe downe to ye appetites of the body she shall growe out of kynde in to the maner of ye body. This is it that Paule ment wrytyng to the Chorintes. Remembre ye not that he yt ioyneth hymselfe to an harlot is made one body with her:Capar of god imediatly wherein god hath grauē the law of honesty that is to saye the lawe naturall after the similitude of the eternal lawe of his owne mynde. but he that cleueth to the lord / is one spiryt with him He calleth the harlot the frayle & weyke parte of the man. This is that pleasaūt & flateryng womā of whome thou redest in the seconde chapiter of prouerbes on this wyse. That thou mayst be delyuered from a straunge woman & from a woman of an other coūtree / whiche maketh her wordes swete & pleasaūt / & forsaketh her husbande to whome she was maryed in her youth / & hath forgete the ꝓmesse she made to her lorde god: her house boweth downe to deth and her path is to hell. who so euer gothe [Page] in to hell / shall neuer returne: nor shall attayne the path of lyfe. And in the .vj. chap. That thou mayst kepe the frō an euyl woman / & frō the flateryng tong of a straūge woman / let not thy hert melt on her beauty / be not thou deceyued with her beckes / for the pryce of an harlot is scarse worth a pece of breed: but the womā taketh away the precious soule of the man. Dyd he not whan he made mencyon of the harlot / the herte & the soule expresse by name thre partes of the man. Agayne in the .ix. chapiter. A folysshe woman euer bablynge & full of wordes / swīmyng in pleasures / & hath no lernynge at all / sytteth in the dores of her house vpon a stole in an hygh place of the cite to call them that passe by the waye & be goyng in theyr iourney / who so euer is a chylde / let hym turne in to me: & she sayd vnto a foole & an hertles ꝑson: water that is stolen is pleasaūter / & breed that is hyd pryuely is sweter. And he was not ware that there be gyaūtes / & theyr gestes be in the bottom of hell. For who so euer shall be coupled to her / he shall descēde in to hell And who so euer shal departe frō her / shal be saued. I besech the with what colours coude more workmanly haue be paynted and set out eyther the venymous entycementes and wanton pleasures of the poysoned [Page] flesshe / prouokyng & temptynge the soule to fylthynes of synne / or else the importunytye of the same cryenge and stryuyng agaynst the spiryte / or the wretched ende that foloweth whan she dothe ouercōme the spiryte. To conclude therfore / the spiryte maketh vs goddes / the flesshe maketh vs beestes: the soule maketh vs men: the spiryte maketh vs relygyous / obedyent to god / kynde and mercyfull. The flesshe maketh vs despysers of god / disobedyent to god / vnkynde and cruell. The soule maketh vs indifferent / that is to saye / neyther good nor badde. The spiryte desyreth celestyal thynges: the flesshe desyreth delycate and pleasaunt thynges. The soule desyreth necessary thynges: the spiryte caryeth vs vp to heuen: the flesshe thrusteth vs downe to hell. To the soule nothynge is imputed / that is to saye / it dothe neyther good nor harme: what so euer is carnall or spryngeth of the flesshe that is fylthy: what so euer is spirytuall procedyng of the spiryte / that is pure / perfyte & godly: what so euer is naturall & ꝓcedeth of the soule / is a meane & indifferēt thynge / neyther good nor bad. wylt thou more playnly haue the diuersytye of these thre ꝑtes shewed vnto the as it were with [...] mannes fynger? certeynly I wyll assay. [Page] Thou doest reuerence to thy father & mother:That which is naturall deserueth no rewarde. thou louest thy brother / thy chyldren & thy frende: it is not of so great vertue to do these thyngꝭ / as it is abhomynable not to do them. For why sholdest thou not beyng a chrysten man do that thyng whiche the gentyles by the techyng of nature do / ye whiche brute beestes do? That thynge that is natural shall not be imputed vnto meryte. But thou art cōme in to suche a strayte case that eyther ye reuerēce toward thy father must be despised / ye inward loue toward thy children must be subdued / the benyuolēce to thy frende set at nought / or god must be off [...]ded. what wilt thou now do? The soule standeth in the myddes bytwene two wayes: the flesshe cryeth vpon her on ye one syde / the spiryte on the other syde. The spiryte sayth / god is aboue thy father: thou ar [...] boūde to thy father but for thy body onely. To god thou art bounde for all thynge that thou hast. The flesshe [...] the in remembraunce / saying. Excepte thou obey thy father / he wyll disheryte the / thou shalt be called of euery man an vnkynde & vnnaturall chylde / loke to thy ꝓfyte haue respecte to thy good name and fame. [...]d eyther dothe not se / or else dissimuleth & wyttyngly loketh besyde it / or at ye leest wyll be soone pacifyed agayn. [Page] Now thy soule doubteth / now she wauereth hyther and thyther / to whether of eyther parte she turne her selfe.The soule doubteth. That same shall she be / that that thynge is she went vnto. yf she obey the harlot / that is to say the flesshe (the spirite despised) she shall be one body with the flesshe. But & yf she lyft vp her selfe and ascende to the spiryte (the flesshe set at nought) she shal be trāsposed & chaūged to the nature of the spiryte. After this maner accustome to examyne thy selfe prudētly. The errour of those men is exceding great whiche oftētymes weneth that thynge to be ꝑfyte vertue & goodnes whiche is but of nature & no vertue at al.Some affections be dysgysed with visers of vertue. Certeyn affections somwhat honest in apperance / & as they were disguised with visers of vertue / deceyueth neclygēt ꝑsones. The iudge is hasty and cruell agaynst the felon:An example of the Iudge. or him that hath trespaced the lawe he semeth to hymselfe cōstant & of grauite vncorrupte and a man of good cōscyence / wylt thou haue this man discussed? If he fauour his owne mynde to moche and folow a certeyn natural rygorousnes without any grefe of mynde / ꝑaduenture with some pleasure or delectacyon: yet not lenyng from the offyce & duty of a iudge / let hym not forthwith stande to moche in his owne conceyte: it is an indifferent thynge [Page] that he dothe. But yf he abuse the lawe for pryuate hate or lucre / now it is carnall that he dothe / and he cōmytteth murder: but & yf he fele great sorowe in his mynde bycause he is compelled to destroye and kyll hym / whom he had leuer amended and saued. Also yf he enioyne punysshmēt accordynge to the trespace with suche a mynde / with suche sorowe of herte / as the father cōmaūdeth his syngulerly beloued sone to be cutte / launced or seared: of this maner shall it be spirituall that he dothe. The moost parte of men thrugh pronesse of nature and some specyall propertye / eyther reioyse or abhorre certayne thynges.Some men reioyce naturally with some certeyne thynges. Some there be whom bodyly lust tikleth not at al: let not them by & by ascrybe that vnto vertue which is an indifferēt thyng / for not to lacke bodyly lust / but to ouercōme bodyly lust is the office of vertue. An other man hath a pleasure to fast / a pleasure to be at masse / a pleasure to be moche at chyrche & to say a great deale of psalmodye:The rule of [...]rue pyte. examyne after this rule that thynge whiche he dothe: yf he regarde the cōmune fame or aduaūtage / it smelleth of ye flesshe and not of the spiryte: yf he do folowe but his owne inclynacyon (for he dothe that whiche pleaseth his owne mynde) than he hathe not wherof he so ought greatly [Page] to reioyce / but rather wherof he ought to feare.Let a christen man marke this well. Beholde a ieopardous thynge vnto thy self. Thou prayest and iudgest hym that prayeth not. Thou fastest / and condempnest hym that fasteth not. who so euer dothe not that thou doest / thou thynkest thy selfe better than he: beware leest thy falle perteyne to thy flesshe. Thy brother hathe nede of thy helpe / thou in the meane space mumblest in thy prayers vnto god / & wylt not be knowen of thy brothers necessite. God shall abhorre these prayers: for how shall god heare ye whyle thou prayest / whā thou whiche art a man caust [...] not fynde in thy herte to heare an other man. Perceyue also an other thyng Thou louest thy wyse for this cause onely that she is thy wyfe: Thou doest no greate thynge / for this thynge is cōmune as well to infydeles as to the: Or elles thou louest her for none other thynge but bycause she is to the pleasaunt and delectable. Thy loue nowe draweth to thy flesshwarde. But thou louest her for this thynge chefely / bycause thou hast perceyued in her the ymage of Chryst / whiche is godly reuerence / modestye / sobrenes / chastite:The chaste loue towarde thy wyfe. and now louest not her in her selfe but in Chryste: yea rather Chryste in her. After this maner louest spirytually. Notwithstandyng [Page] we shall saye more of these thynges in theyr places.
¶Certayne generall rules of true chrysten lyuynge. Ca .viij.
NOw for bicause we haue opened as me semeth ye waye (how so euer we haue done it) and haue p̄pared as it were certeyn stuffe and mater vnto the thynge whiche was purposed. we must haste to that whiche remayneth / leest it sholde not be an Enchiridion [...]ridion. / that is to saye / a lytell treatise hansom to be caryed in a mannes hāde / but rather a great volume / we wyll enforce to gyue certeyn rules / as they were certeyn poyntes of wrastling / by whose guyding & conueyaunce / as it were by the guydyng of ye threde of Dedalus men may easely plunge vp out of the blynde errours of this worlde / as out of Labirinthꝰ / whiche is a certeyn comberous maze / & cōme vnto the pure and clere lyght of spirituall lyuyng. None other scyence is there whiche hath not her rules. And shal the crafte of blessed lyuynge onely / be without the helpe of all maner p̄ceptꝭ? [...] the crafte of vertue. There is without fayle a certeyn crafte of vertuous lyuynge and a discyplyne / in whiche who so euer exercyse themselfe manfully / them [Page] shall fauour that holy spiryte / whiche is the promoter and brynger forwarde of all holy enforcemēt and godly purposes. But who so euer sayth / departe frō vs we wyll not haue ye knowlege of thy wayes: these men the mercy of god refuseth / bycause they fyrst haue refused knowlege. These rulers shall be taken partly of the persone of god / of the persone of the deuyll / and of our persone / partly of thynges / that is to saye / of vertues and vices / and of thynges to them annexed / partely of the mater or stuffe wherof vertues or vices be wrought They shall profyte synglerly agaynst thre euyl thyngꝭ remaynyng of original synne For though baptym haue wyped awaye the spotte / yet there cleueth styll in vs a certeyn thynge of the olde disease lefte behynde / bothe partly for the custody of humylytye / and also for the mater & encrease of vertue. These be blyndnes / the flesshe and infyrmytye or weykenes. Blyndnes with the myst of ignoraūce dymmeth the iudgemēt of reason. For partly the synne of our fyrst progenytours hath not a lytel dusked that so pure a lyght of the countenaunce / resemblaūce or similitude of god / which our creatour hath shewed vpon vsNota. And moche more corrupte bryngynge vp lewde cōpany / frowarde affections / darknes [Page] of vices / custome of synne hath so [...]ancred it / that of ye lawe grauen in vs of god scarse any sygnes or tokens dothe appere. Than as I began / blyndnes causeth that we in the election of thyngꝭ be as good as halfe blynded & deceyued with errour / in the stede of the best / folowyng the worste / preferrynge thynges of lesse valure before thynges of greater pryce. The flesshe troubleth ye affection so moche / yt euen though we knowe what is best / yet loue we ye contrary. Infirmytye & weyknes maketh vs that we beyng ouercōme eyther with tedyousnes or with temptacion / forsake the vertue whiche we had ones gotten & attayned. Blyndnes hurteth the iudgemēt the flesshe corrupteth the wyll / infirmytie weyketh constancye.Euyll must be knowen & had [...]. The fyrst poynt therfore is that thou can discerne thyngꝭ to be refused from thynges to be accepte: & therfore blyndnes must be take away leest we stumble or stager in the election of thyngꝭ The nexte is / that thou hate the euyll as soone as it is ones knowen / & loue that whiche is honest and good: and in this thynge the flesshe must be ouercōme / leest contrary to ye iudgement of the mynde we sholde loue swete and delectable thynges in the stede of holsom thyngꝭ. The thyrde is / that we cōtynue in these thyngꝭ which [Page] we began well:Perseyuerāce must be had. and therfore the weyknes must be vnderset / leest we forsake the way of vertue with greater shame than yf we had ben neuer aboute to walke or entre therin. Ignoraūce must be remedied / that thou mayst se which way to go. The flesh must be tamed / leest she lede the asyde out of the hygh waye / ones knowen in to bypathes. weyknes must be conforted / leest whan thou hast entred in to the strayte way thou sholdest eyther faynte or stoppe or turne backe agayne / or leest after thou hast ones set thy hande to ye plowe sholdest loke backwarde / but sholdest reioyce as a strong gyaūt to haste the way / euer stretchyng forth thy self to those thingꝭ which be afore the without remēbraūce of those thyngꝭ which be behynde the / vntyll thou mayst lay hande on the reward apoynted & on ye crowne ꝓmysed to them yt cōtynue vnto these thre thingꝭ: therfore we shal applye certeyn rules accordyng to our lytell power.
¶Agaynst the euyll of ignoraunce the fyrst rule. Caplo .ix.
BUt in asmoche as fayth is the onely gate vnto Chryst / the fyrst rule must be that thou iudge very wel bothe of hym and also of scripturewe must Iudge wel of scripture gyuen by his spiryt / & [Page] that thou byleue not with mouth onely / not fayntly / not neclygently / not doutfully / as the cōmune raskall of chrysten men do: but let it be set fast & īmouable thrugh out all thy brest / not one iote to be conteyned in them that apperteyneth not greatly vnto thy helth. [...] Let it moue y• nothyng at all that thou seest a great parte of men so lyue / as though heuen & hell were but some maner of tales of olde wyues / to feare or flater yong chyldren withal: [...] but byleue thou surely & make no haste / though the hole worlde sholde be madde at ones / though the elementes sholde be chaūged / though the aūgels sholde rebell: yet verite can not lye / it can not but cōme whiche god told before shold cōme. yf thou bileue he is god / thou must byleue nedes that he is true also / & on this wyse thynke without waueryng / nothyng to be so true / nothynge to be so sure / & without doubte of the thingꝭ which thou hearest with thyne cares / which thou p̄sently beholdest with thyne eyes / which thou handlest with thy handes / as those thynges be true whiche thou redest in the scriptures / that god of heuen / that is to saye verite gaue by inspiracyon whiche the holy ꝓphetes brought forth / and the blode of so many martyrs hath approued: vnto whiche now so many [Page] hondreth yeres the consent of all good men hathe agreed and set theyr seales: whiche Chryst here beyng in flesshe bothe taught in his doctryne and expresly represented or coūterfeyted in his maners and lyuyng. Unto which also myracles beare wytnes / the deuylles confesse & so moche byleue / that they quake and tremble for feare. Last of al whiche be so agreable vnto the equite of nature / whiche so agree bytwene themselfe / & be euery where lyke themselfe / whiche so rauyssheth the myndes of them that attende / so moueth and chaungeth them. If these so great tokens agre vnto them alone / what the deuylles madnes is it to doubte in the fayth? ye of those thyngꝭ passed thou mayst easely coniecte what shall folowe: how many and great thynges also / how incredyble to be spoken dyd the prophetes tell before of Chryst: whiche of these thynges came not to passe? shall he in other thynges deceyue whiche in them deceyued not? In conclusyon the ꝓphetes lyed not / & shall Chryst the lorde of prophetes lye? If with this & suche other lyke cogytacyons thou often stere vp the flame of fayth / and than feruently desyre of god to encrease thy fayth I shall meruayle yf thou canst be any longe tyme an euyll man. For who is all togyder [Page] so vnhappy & full of myschefe that wolde not departe frō vices / yf so be he vtterly beleued that with these momentany pleasures / besyde the vnhappy vexariō of conseyence & mynde is purchased also eternall punyshmentes. On the other syde / yf he surely byleued for this temporall & lytell worldly vexacyon to be rewarded or recompensed to good men an hondreth folde ioye of pure cōscyence presently: and at the last lyfe immortall.
¶The seconde rule. Caplo .x.
LEt the fyrste poynt be therfore that thou doubte in no wyse of ye ꝓmyses of god. The nexte yt thou go vnto ye waye of lyfe / not slouthfully / not feerfully:we must entre in to the wave of helthe or sal [...]acion boldly. and with a [...]ocōde courage. but with sure purpose / with all thy hert / with a cōfident mynde / & (yf I may so say) with suche mynde as he hath that wolde rather fyght than drynke: so that thou be redy at all houres for Chrystes sake to lese bothe lyfe & goodes. A slouthfull man wyl & wyl not. The kyngdom of heuen is not goten of necligent & recheles ꝑsones / but playnly reioyseth to suffre violence: And violent ꝑsones violētly obteyne it. Suffre not the affection of them whome thou louest syngularly to holde the backe hastyng thyder [Page] warde:Egypte sygnyfyeth bōdage / afflyccion / vyces & blyndnes let not the pleasures of this worlde call the backe agayne: let not the care of thy housholde be any hyndraunce to the. The cheyne of worldly besynesse must be cut asonder / for surely it can not otherwise be losed.The Israel yt [...] being a hōg [...] in desert wysshed to go back agayn to Egipte / sayenge to Moy [...]es / howe happy were we when we sate there by the pottes of fleshe Egypt must be forsaken in suche a maner that thou turne not agayn in thy mynde at any tyme vnto the pottes of the flesshe. Sodoma must be forsaken vtterly hastely yea & at ones: it is not lawfull to loke backe. The woman loked backe she was turned in to yt ymage of a stone. The man had no leyser any where to abyde in any region / but was cōmaunded to haste in to the mountayne / oneles that he had leuer to haue perysshed.Lot was cōmā ded to departe hastely out of Sodoma & not to loke backe / his wyse loked back & was toned in to a sa [...]ston / so we may neyther with the Israelyte [...] desyre to goo backe agayne to the pleasure of Egypt of vyces & synne: neyther with the wyfe of Lotte may loke ba [...]k again to our olde cōuersaciō. The ꝓphete cryeth out yt we sholde flee out of the myddes of babylon. The departyng of the israelytes frō Egypt is called flyght or ronnyng away. we be cōmaunded to flee out of babylon hastely / & not to remoue a lytel and a lytell slowly. Thou mayst se the moost parte of men prolong the tyme / and with very slowe purpose go about to flee from vices. whan I haue ones ryd my selfe out of suche and suche maters / saye they / yea whan I haue brought that & that besynes to passe. Oh foole what & yf god this same daye take agayne thy soule frō the? perceyuest thou not one besynes to ryse of [Page] an other / and one vice to call in an other. why rather doest thou not to daye that thynge whiche the sooner thou doest / the easyer shall it be done / be dylygent some other where. [...] In this mater to do rashly to ronne heedlong & sodeynly is chefest of all and moost ꝓfytable. Regarde not nor ponder how moche thou forsakest / but be sure Chryst onely shall be sufficyent for all thyngꝭ: onely be bolde to cōmyt thy selfe to hym with all thyne hert:Confydence in god. set thou mystruste in thyne owne selfe / aduenture to put vnto hym all the gouernaunce of thy selfe: trust to thy selfe no longer / but with full confydence cast thy selfe from thy selfe to hym / and he shall receyue the: cōmytte thy care & thought to the lorde / & he shall nourysshe the vp / that thou mayst synge the songe of the same prophete.Serue Chryst all togyder / & no man elles. The lorde is my gouernour / & I shall lacke nothyng. In a place of pasture he hath set me / by the water syde of cōforte he hath brought vp me: he hath conuerted my soule: be not mynded to parte thy selfe in to two / to the world & to chryst: thou canst not serue two maysters: there is no felawshyp bytwene god and belial. God can not awaye with them whiche halte on bothe theyr legges: his stomacke abhorreth them whiche be neyther hote nor colde / but luke warme. [Page] God is a very ialouse louer of soules: he wyll possesse onely and all togyder that thyng whiche he redemed with his blode: he can not suffre the felawshyp of the deuyll whome he ones ouercame with deth. There be but two wayes onelyTwo wayes onely / the one of sainatiō / the other of ꝑditiō. / the one whiche by obedyence of the affections ledeth to ꝑdicyon: the other whiche thrugh mortyfyenge of the flesshe ledeth to lyfe. why doubtest thou in thy selfe / there is no thyrde waye / in to one of these two thou must nedes entre / wylt thou or wylt thou not / what so euer thou arte / or of what degree / thou must nedes entre in to this strayte waye / in whiche fewe mortal men walke.Ad [...]asta nemesis or Rhānus [...]a is a goddes whiche punyssheth insolency she forbiddeth that ony man loke to hyghe yf ony so do he escapeth not vnpunysshed though it be neuer so late: yf ony be to ful of insolency we say / take hede Rhamnusya seeth the well ynoughe. But this waye Chryst hym selfe hath trode / & haue troden synce the worlde began who so euer pleased god. This is doubtles the ineuitable necessite of ye goddes Adrasta / otherwyse called Nemesis or Rhānus [...]a / that is to say / it can not be chosen but that thou be crucified with Chryst as touchyng the worlde / yf thou purpose to lyue with Chryst. why lyke fooles flater we our selfe / why in so weyghty a mater deceyue we our selfe. One sayth / I am not of the clergye or a spūal man / I am of the worlde / I can not but vse the worlde. An other thynketh / though I be a preest yet am I no monke / let hym loke vpon it. [Page] And the monke also hath foūde a thyng to flater hīselfe withal / though I be a moke yet am I not of so strayte an ordre as such & suche. An other sayth.Euery mā putteth to an other the lyfe of Chryst and [...]ayingꝭ of his [...]postelles. I am a yong man I am a gentyll man / I am ryche / I am a courtyer / & to be short a prīce / those thingꝭ perteyn not to me whiche were spoken to thapostles. Oh wretche then aꝑteyneth it nothyng to the that thou sholdest lyue in Chryst? If thou be in the world / in Chryst thou art not: yf thou cal the skye / the erth the see & this cōmun ayre the worlde:The worlde. so is there no man whiche is not in the worlde: but & yf thou call ye worlde ambicyon / yt is to say / desyre of honour / ꝓmociō / or authorite: yf thou call ye worlde pleasures / couetousnes / bodyly lust: certeynly yf thou be worldly thou art not a chrystē mā. Chryst spake indifferently to al men: who so euer wolde not take his crosse & folowe hym / coude be no mete man for hym / or be his disciple:The reward is gyuen to hym that laboreth. to dye with Chryst as touchynge the flesshe is nothyng to the / yf to lyue by his spiryte ꝑteyneth nothyng to the: to be crucified as touching the worlde ꝑteyneth nothyng to the / yf to lyue godly or in god ꝑteyne nothyng to the: to be buryed togyder with Chryst belongeth nothing to the yf to aryse agayn to eternal glory belonge nothyng to the: the humilite / pouerte / tribulacy [Page] on / vyle reputacyon / the laborous agonyes & sorowes of Chryst perteyne no thyng at all vnto the / yf the kyngdome of hym ꝑteyne nothyng vnto the. what can be more lewde than to thynke ye rewarde to be cōmune as well to the as to other: and yet neuerthelesse to put the labours wherby the rewarde is obteyned / frō the / to a certeyn fewe ꝑsons. what can be more a wanton thyng thā to desyre to reygne with ye hed / & yet wilt thou take no payne with hym. Therfore my brother loke not so greatly what other men do / & in cōparyson of them flater or please thy self. To dye as touchynge synne: to dye as touchyng carnall desyres: to dye as touchyng the worlde is a certayne harde thyng and knowen to very fewe / yea though they be mōkes / & yet is this the cōmun or general ꝑfessyon of all chrysten men.Monkes. This thynge a greate whyle agone thou hast sworne & holyly ꝓmysed in ye tyme of baptym: than which vow what other thyng can ther be eyther more holy / or religyous? eyther we must perysshe / or else without excepciō we must go this way to helth whether we be knyghtes or plowe men. Notwithstāding though it fortune not to al men to atteyn the perfyte coūterfeytyng or folowyng of the heed / yet al must enforce with fete and [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] handes to cōme therto. He hath a greate parte of a chrysten mans lyuynge / whiche with al his hert with a sure & stedfast purpose hath determyned to be a christē man.
¶The thyrde rule. Caplo .xj.
BUt leest that thyng feare the frō the waye of vtue bycause it semeth sharpe and greuous / partly bicause thou must forsake worldly cōmoditees / partly bycause thou must fyght cōtinually against thre very cruell enemyes / the flesshe / the deuyl & the worlde. Set this thyrde rule before the alway / beare thy selfe in hande that al the feerful thyngꝭ & fantasies which apere forthwith vnto the as it were in ye first entring of hel ought to be coūted for a thing of nought / by thexāple of Uirgiliꝭ EncasE [...]eas ī the .vi. booke of virgil went downe in to hell accompanyed with the ꝓphe [...]esse [...]ybyll in the fyrst en [...]rye appered many fantasyes and wonderful mō stres not so perylious in dede as they apered. For certeynly yf thou shalt consider ye very thynge somwhat groūdly & stedfastly (settīg at nought these apparēt thingꝭ which begiled thine eyes) thou shalt ꝑceyue that none other way is more cōmodious than the way of Chryst. Though thou account this thyng not at al that this waye onely ledeth to eternall lyfe / yea & though thou haue no respecte vnto the rewarde. For I beleche the what kynde of lyuynge after the cōmune course of the worlde is there [Page] that thou canst chose in whiche thou shal not beare / and suffre thynges ynough haboundantly bothe carefull and greuous. Who is he that knoweth not the lyfe of courtyers to be full of greuous laboure and wretched mysery / excepte it be eyther he that neuer proued it or certainly a very naturall foole. Oh immortall god what bondage / howe longe and how vngoodly muste there be suffred euen vnto the lyues ende [...] what a comberous besynesse is there in sekyng in purchasyng the princes loue and grace. A man must flatter to obtayne the fauoure of all suche as may eyther hynder or further one. The countenaunces must nowe & than be feyned and newe fassyoned. The iniuries of the gretter men muste be whyspered or muttered with sylence secretly.The lyfe of warryours. Consequently what kynde of yuell lyfe can be ymagyned wher of ye lyfe of warryours is not full? Of eyther lyfe than mayste thou be a very good witnesse / which hast lerned bothe at thyn owne peryll.The lyfe of marchautes. And as touchynge the merchaunt man what is that he eyther dothe not or suffreth not fleyng pouertye by see / by lands / throughe fire & water? In matrimony what a mountayne of housholde [...]ares be there?The mesery of matrymony. what mysery fele not they there whiche proueth and hath experpēce [Page] of it. In bearyng of offyces howe moche vexacyon / howe moche laboure / & howe moche peryll is there / whiche way so euer thou tourne thy selfe an huge company of incommodytes meteth the.In bearynge of offyces. The very lyfe of mortal mē of it selfe without addycion of any other thynge is combred and tangled with a thousande myseryes whiche be comen and indifferent as well to good as bad.A christen mā obteyneth meryte in euery thynge. They all shall growe into a great heape of merytes vnto the if they shall fynde the in the way of Christ / if not they shalbe the more greuous / more ouer frutlesse / and yet must neuer ye lesse be suffred. who so euer be souldyers of this worlde / fyrste howe many yeres do they pante / blowe / sweate / and canuasse the worlde tourmentynge them selfe with thought and care / more ouer for howe transytorye and thynges of naught? Laste of all in howe doubtfull hope. Adde to this that there is no rest or easement of myseries / in so moche that the more they haue laboured the greuouser is the payne. And whan all is paste what shall the ende be of so tedyous and laborous a lyfe / verily eternall punysshement. Go nowe and with this lyfe compare the waye of vertue / whiche at the fyrste seaseth to be tedyous / in processe is made easyer / is made [Page] plesaunt and delectable / by whiche waye also we go with very sure hope to eternall felycite. were it not the vttermoste madnesse to haue leuer with equall laboure to purchace eternall dethe rather than lyfe immortall? yet are these worldly men moche madder than so / that they whiche chose with ex [...]reme laboure to go to laboure euerlastynge / rather than with meane labours to go to immortall quyetnesse.Tic [...]ꝭ because he wolde haue ioyned with appollos mother was cast of apollo down to hell where vulters gnawe his herte eue [...] encre [...]synge agayne. More ouer if the way of pytie or obedyence to god were so moche more laborous than the way of the worlde / yet here ye greuousnesse of the labour is swaged with hope of rewarde / and the comforte of god is not lackynge whiche tourneth the bytternesse of the gall in to the swetnesse of hony.The meanyng of the fable is this / he was a grete man a [...] co [...]de not be cō tēted but wold haue more and aduaūced hym selfe to more honour & wold haue put apollo out of his cō tree which signyfied by his mother / but apollo subdued hym and spoyled hym. There one care calleth in an other / of one sorowe springeth another / no quyetnesse is there at all. The laboure and affllyctyon withoutforthe / the greuous cares and thoughtes withinforthe cause the very easementes to be sharpe and bytter. These thynges so to be was not vnknowen to the poetes of the gentyles whiche by the punysshment of Ticius / Ixion / Tantalus / Sisiphus / and of Pentheus / paynted and discryued the myserable and greuous lyfe of leude and wretched persones: of whome [Page] is also the late confessyon in the booke of Sapyence. [...]f his possessyo [...]s so that afterwarde he lyued in care & mysery among the lowest sorte & coude not obtayne any forther honor. we be weryed in the waye of inyquite and perdycion / we haue walked harde wayes / but y• way of god we knowe not. what coude be either fylthyer or more laborous than the seruytude of Egypte?yrion was cast of Iuno lady of honour in to hell where he [...]onneth [...]oside & cōtynually cō passeth for honor but he coude not obtayn. what coulde be greuouser than the captyuyte of Babylon? what more intollerable than the yoke of Pharao and of Nabugodonosor? But what sayth Christ? take my yoke vpon your neckes and ye shall fynde rest vnto your soules: my yoke sayth he is plesaunt and my burthen lyght. To speake breuely / no pleasure is lackynge where is not lackyng a quyet conscience.Syfyphus rolleth a stone frō the hyll fote to the top / thā slydeth the stone & he discendeth to fetche hym vp agayne. No mysery is there lacking where an vnhappy conscyence crucyfyeth the mynde. These thynges must be taken as of moste certaynty / but and if thou yet doubte go aske of them whiche in tyme passed haue ben cōuerted out of the myddle of Babylon vnto the lorde:Ambytion is euer at the hyll fote he is [...]e [...]er so hyghe but that he hathe one hyl more to clymbe / he seeth one thynge more whiche he couereth. & by experyence of them at ye leest way byleue nothyng to be more troubelous and greuous than vyces / nothyng to be more easy or of quycker spede than not to be drowned in besynesse / no thyng more cherefull & more comfortable than is vertue. Neuer the lesse go to let it be that the wagꝭ be lyke / and that the labours be lyke also / yet for all that howe [Page] greatly ought a man to desyre to warre vnder the standerde of Christ / rather than vnder the baners of the dyuell.Iantalus stondeth styl in hel in a ryuer of wyne euer a thurst / & almaner of fruytes aboute hym & yet he is euer hungry nether is suffred to drynke or eate. ye howe moche lefer were it to be vexed or to suffre afflictyon with Christe / than to swymme in pleasures with the dyuell. More ouer ought not a man with wynde and wether with shyp sayle and swyftnesse of horses to flye from a lorde not very fylthy onely but very cruell and disceytfull / whiche requyreth so cruell seruyce and so strayte a taske / whiche promyseth agayne thynges so vncertayne / so caduke / so transytorye / whiche so sone fade and vanysshe awaye / of the whiche very same thynges yet disceyueth he the wretches and that not seldome.Couctous men dare not vse theyr gooddes but be hungry and thyrsty for more. Or thoughe he perfourme his promesse ones / yet another tyme whā it pleaseth hym he taketh them awaye agayne / so that the sorowe & thought for.Pentheus was torned in to an harte & eeten of his owne dogges & he dyd non other thinge all his lyfe but hunte & folowe dogges: so he consumed hymselfe & his substaunce lyke a foole wretchedly & bestly the losse of thynges ones possessed is moche more than was the greuous labour in purchasyng them. After that the merchaunt man hath myngled togyther bothe ryght and wronge for the entent of encreasynge his goodes / after he hath put his honest reputacyon of good reporte that is spronge of hym / his lyfe / his soule in a thousande ieopardyes / if it so be than that ye chaunce of fortune happe aryght at the later ende [Page] with all his trauayle what other thynge hath he prepared for hym selfe more than the mater of myserable care if he kepe his goodes / if he lese them a perpetuall tourment.The troublous care of a marchauntes. If fortune chaūce a mysse what remayneth but yt he shulde be made twyse a wretche wrapped in double mysery / partly bycause he is disapoynted of the thyng wheron his hope hanged / besyde that bycause he can not remēbre so great labour spent in waste without moche bothe sorowe of hert and grefe of mynde. No man enforseth with sure purpose to come to good lyuyng or cōuersacyon whiche hath not attayned it. Christe as he is not mocked / so neyther he mocketh any man.
Remembre an other thynge / whan thou flyest out of the worlde vnto Christe / if the worlde haue any cōmodytyes or pleasures that thou forsakest them not / but chaūgest tryfles with thyngꝭ of more value. who wyll not be very glad to chaūge syluer for golde / flynte for precyous stone? Thy frendes be displeased? what than / thou shalte fynde more plesaunt and better companyons. Thou shalte lacke outwarde pleasures of thy body / but thou shalte enioye the inwarde pleasures of the mynde / whiche be better / purer / and [Page] more certayne. Thy good muste be demynisshed / neuer ye lesse these richesse encrease whiche neyther the mouthes distroy northeues take awaye. Thou ceasest to be of pryce in the worlde / but thou for all that arte well beloued of Christe: Thou pleasest the fewer / but yet the better.
Thy body waxeth leane / but thy mynde waxeth fatte. The beautye of thy skynne vanyssheth away / but the beautye of thy mynde apereth bright. And in lyke maner if thou shalte reken all other thynges thou shalte perceyue nothynge not of all these apparant good thynges to be forsaken in this worlde / that is not recompensed largely with greater aduauntage and more excellent a great waye.Many thyng may be reseyued & possessed but not desired. But if there be any thyngꝭ which though they can not be desyred without vyce / yet without vyce maye be possessed: Of whiche kynde of thynges is the good estymacyon of the people / fauoure of the cōmunaltie / loue or to be in conceyte / authoryte / frendes / honoure due to vertue. For the most parte it chaunseth yt al these thingꝭ be gyuen without serchyng for / to them that aboue all thyng seke the kyngdome of heuen / whiche selfe thyng Christ ꝓmysed & god perfourmed to Salomon. [Page] Fortune for y• moste parte foloweth them that flyeth from her / and flyeth from th [...] that folowe her. Certaynly what so euer shall happen to them that loue / nothyng can be but prosperous vnto whom losse is turned to aduaūtage / tourment / vexacyon or aduersite to solace / rebukes to laude punysshment to pleasure / bytter thynges to swetnesse / yuell thyngꝭ to good. Doutest thou than to enter in to this way and forsake that other way / seynge there is so vnequall comparyson / ye none at all of god vnto the dyuell / of hope to hope / of rewarde to rewarde / of labour to labour / of solace to solace.
¶The fourth rule. cap .xij.
BUt that thou mayste haste & make spede vnto felycite with a more sure course / let this be vnto y• the fourth rule / that thou haue ChristLet Christ be thy marke & en [...]āple of lyuing alway in thy syght as the onely marke of all thy lyuyng and cōuersacyon / vnto whom only thou shuldest dyrecte all thyn enforcementꝭ / all thy pastymes and purposes / all thy rest and quyetnesse / and also thy besynesse.What christ is. And thynke thou not Christe to be a voyce or soūde without signifycasyon / but thynke hym to be nothyng els saue charyte symplycite / [Page] or innocency / pacyence / clennesse / and shortly what soeuer Christe taught. Understande well also that the dyuell is none other thing but what soeuer calleth away from such thyngꝭ as Christ taught.what the dyuell is. He directeth his iourney to Christ whiche is caryed to vertue onely. And he becometh bonde to the dyuell whiche gyueth hym selfe to vyces. Let thyne eye therfore be pure / and all thy body shall be bryght and full of lyght. Let thyne eye loke vnto Christ alonely as vnto onely and very felycyte / so that thou loue nothynge / meruayle at nothyng / desyre nothyng but eyther Christe or els for Christe. Also that thou hate nothynge / abhorre nothynge / flye nothyng / nothyng auoyde but onely synne or els for synnes sake. By this meanes it wyll come to passe yt what so euer thou shalte do / whether thou slepe / whether thou wake / whether thou eate / whether thou drinke / and to conclude that thy very spor [...]es & pastymes / ye (I wyll speke more boldly) that some vyces of ye lyghter sor [...]e in to which we fall now & thā whyle we haste to vertue / all ye hole shall growe and tourne in the vnto a great heape of rewardes. But and if thyne eye shall not be pure / but loke any other warde than vnto Christ / ye though thou do certayne [Page] thyngꝭ whiche be good or honest of them selfe / yet shal they be vnfrutefull or peraduenture very peryllous and hurtfull. For it is a great faute to do a good thyng not well. And therfore that man that hasteth the streyght way vnto the marke of very felycite / what so euer thynges shall come and mete him by ye way / so farforth ought he eyther refuse or receyue thē as they eyther further or hynder his iourney:Howe ferforth thinges ꝓsered vnsought for ought to be refused. of whiche thyngꝭ there be thre orders or thre degrees. Certayne thyngꝭ verily be of suche maner fylthe that they can not be honest / as to auenge wronge / to wysshe yuell to another. [...] These thingꝭ ought alway to be had in hate / ye though thou shuldest haue neuer so gret aduaūtage to cōmyt thē / or neuer so great punysshmēt if thou dyddest thē not / for nothing can hurt a good man but fylthynesse only. Certayne thyngꝭ on thother syde be in such maner honest that they can not be fylthy / of whiche kynde be to wyll or wisshe al mē good / to helpe thy frendꝭ with honest menes / to hate vicꝭ / to reioyce with vertuous comunycaion.Thynges honest. Certayn thingꝭ verily be indifferēt or bytwene bothe / of their own nature neyther good nor bad / honest nor filthy: as helth / beutie / strength / facūdyousnesse / cōnynge / & suche other. Of this last kynde of thingꝭ therfore [Page] nothīg ought to be desired / for it selfe neyther ought to be vsurped more or lesse / but as ferforthe as they make & be necessarye to y• chefe marke / I meane to folow Christes lyuyng. The very philosophers haue certayn markꝭ also vnꝑfyt & indifferēt / in which a mā ought not to stāde styl nor tary / whiche also a man may cōuenyētly vse referryng thē to a better purpose / & not to enioy them & tary vpon them putting his hole felycite in them: not withstandynge those meane & indifferent thingꝭ do not al after one maner & equally eyther further or hynder them yt be goynge vnto Christ / therfore they muste be receyued or refused after as eche of thē is more or lesse of value vnto thy purpose.Pytie [...] fyeth ser [...] honour / reuerence / obedyence due to god Knowlege helpeth more vnto pytie than beauty or strēgth of body or ryches: & though al lernīg may be applyed to Christ / yet some helpeth more cōpendyously thā some.Science must be loued for christes sake. Of this ende and purposele thou measure the ꝓfytablenes or vnprofytablenes of al meane thynges. Thou louest lernīg / it is very well if thou do it for Christes sake: but if thou loue it therfore only bycause thou woldest know it / than makest thou a stop & taryeng ther from whēce thou oughtest to haue made a step to clymbe further. But if thou desyre scyen [...]ꝭ that thou by their helpe myghtest [Page] more clerely beholde Christe hydde in the secretes of scripture / and whan thou knowest hym loue hym / whan thou knowest and louest hym teache / declare / and open hym to other men / and in thy selfe enioye hym. Than prepare thyselfe vnto study of seyēces but no further than thou mayste / thynke them profytable to good lyuyng. If thou haue confydence in thy selfe and trust to haue great aduauntage in Christ / go forthe boldly as an aduenterous merchaunt to walke as a straunger somwhat further / ye in the lernyng of gentyles / and apply the rychesse or treasure of the egyp [...]iens vnto the honestyng of the temple of god.how ferforthe the letters of the gētyles be to be red [...]loke in the seconde chap [...]tre what this meaneth. But & if thou feare greater losse than thou hopest of aduauntage / than returne agayne to our fyrste rule: knowe thy selfe and passe not thy bo [...]des / kepe the within thy lystes. It is better to haue lesse knolege and more of loue / than to haue more of knowlege and not to loue. Knowlege therfore hath the maistrye or chefe roume amongest meane thynges. After that is helthe / the gyftes of nature / eloquence, beautye / strengthe / dignyte / fauoure / authorite / ꝓsperyte / good reputacion / kynne frendes / stuffe of housholde. Euery one of these thinges as it helpeth most & nyghest way vnto vertue / so shall it moste chefely [Page] be applyed in case they be offred vnto vs hastynge in our way / if not than may we not for cause of them tourne a syde from our iourney purposed.Mony suhlde this wyse beloued. Money chaunsed vnto the / if it let nothyng to good lyuyng mynister it / make frēdes with the wycked māmon: but if thou feare losse of vertue and good mynde / dispyse that aduaūtage full of domage and losse / and folowe thou euen Crates of Thebes flyeng thy greuous and comberous packe in to the see / rather than it shulde holde the backe from Christe.Crates of the cite of Thebes cast a grete sōe of golde in to the see / sayeng hēce ye mische [...] us rychesse / better it is that I drowne you than you me he supposed that he coude not poscesse rychesse & vertue bothe togyther. That thynge mayste thou do the easylyer / if as I haue sayde / thou shalte custome thy selfe to meruayle at none of those thyngꝭ whiche be without the / that is to say / whiche pertayne not vnto ye inner man / for by that meanes it wyll come to passe y• thou canst neyther waxe proude or forget thy selfe. If these thyngꝭ fortune vnto the neyther thou shalte be vexed in thy mynde if they shulde eyther be denyed the or taken from y• / for as moche as thou puttest thy hole felicyte in Christe onely. But & if it chaūce they come vnto ye besydꝭ thyne owne laboure / be more dylygent & cyrcūspect hauyng no lesse care than thou haddest before: haue in mynde that a mater to exercyse thy selfe vertuously on is gyuen to the of god / but yet not without [Page] ieopardy & daunger.Bycause Prometheus had made a ma [...] of cley & with fire stolen from heuen put lyfe in to hym / Iupyter sent p [...]nd [...] a woman with a boxe full of al kindꝭ of diseses to hi [...] but ꝓmetheus was ꝓuided & refused it but his broder Epymetheꝰ receiued it & opened it & than al maner of sycknesses [...]lewe abrode. But if thou haue the benignyte of fortune suspected coūterfayt Prometheus / do not receyue ye disceytfull boxe / and go lyght and naked vnto that whiche is onely very felycite. Certaynly who soeuer with great thought & care desyre money as a precyous thyng / & counte the chefe socour of lyfe to be therin / thynkynge them selfe happy as longe as it is safe / callyng them selfe wretches whan it is lost: Those men no doute haue made or feyned vnto thēselfe many goddes. Thou hast set vp thy money and made it equall vnto Christ / if it can make ye happy or vnhappy. That I haue spoken of money vnderstande the same lykewyse of honours / voluptuousnesse / helth / ye & of ye very lyfe of the body.Prometheus taught rude mē ciuyle & honest maner / yet wolde he be [...]e no rule amongest them but fledde to soli [...]arynce / thynki [...]g all kyndꝭ of mysery to be in berynge rule / but his brother Epymetheus toke the misery vpon hym. we muste enforce to come to our onely marke whiche is Christ / so fe [...] uently y• we shulde haue no layser to care for any of these thyngꝭ / eyther whan they be gyuē vs / or eis whā they be takē from vs / for the tyme is shorte as sayth Paule: Hēce forwarde sayth he they that vse the worlde / muste be as they vsed it not. This mynde I know well ye worlde laugheth to scorne as folysshe & madde: neuer ye lesse it pleaseth god by this folysshnesse to saue them yt byleue. And ye folisshnesse of god is wyser thā man. After this rule thou shalt [Page] examyn / ye what soeuer thou doest. Thou exercysest a crafte?whan labor is profytable. it is very well done if thou do it without fraude: but whervnto lokest thou to fynde thy houshold? but for what entēt to fynde thy housholde / to wyn thy housholde to Christ? thou rōnest well. Thou fastest / verily a good werke as it apereth outwarde:whan fastyng [...] is suꝑstycious. but vnto what ende referrest thou thy selfe / to spare thy vitayles or that thou mayste be counted the more holy? Thyne eye is wanton / corrupt / and not pure. Peraduenture thou fastest leest thou shulde fall in to some disease or sycknesse. why fearest thou sycknesse? leest it wolde take the from y• vse of voluptuous pleasures: thyne eye is corrupt. But thou desyrest helth bycause thou mayst be able to study. To what purpose I beseche the referrest thou thy study to get the a benefyce withall? with what mynde desyrest thou a benefyce? verily to lyue at thyne owne pleasure / not at Christꝭ. Thou hast missed y• marke which a christen mā ought to haue euerywher p̄fixed before his eyes. Thou takest meate that thou myghtest be stronge in thy body / & thou wylt haue thy body stronge that thou myghtest be suffycient vnto holy exercyses & watche. thou hast hyt ye marke. But thou ꝓuydest for helth & good lyuing leest thou shuldest [Page] be more yuell fauoured or deformed / leest thou shuldest not be stronge ynough vnto bodily luste / thou hast fallen from Christe makyng vnto the another god.The supersticious honouring of sayntes. There be whiche honour certayne sayntes with certayne cyremonyes. One saluteth ChristoferChristofer. euery day / but not excepte he beholde his ymage. whyther loketh he? verily to this poynte / he hath borne hym selfe in hande that he shall be all yt day sure from yuel dethe. Another worshypeth one RochusRochus. / but why? bycause he byleueth that he wyll kepe away ye pestylence from his body. Another mōbleth certayne prayers to Barbara or GeorgeBarbara [...] George. / leest he shulde fall in to his enemyes handes. This man fasteth to saint ApolyneAppolyne [...] leest his tethe shuld a [...]e. That man visyteth ye ymage of holy IobIob. / bycause he shulde be without scabbes. Some assygne & name certayne porci [...]n of their wynnyng to poore men / leest their merchaūdyse shulde perysshe by shyp wrake. A taper is lyght before saynt HieromIherom. to thentent that thing whiche is lost may be had agayne. In conclusyon after this same maner loke howe many thyngꝭ be whiche we eyther fauour or els loue / so many sayntes haue we made gouernours of the same thinges / whiche same sayntes be dyuers in dyuers natures: so yt Paule [Page] dothe the same thing amonge the frenche men that Hieron dothe with our coūtrey men ye almayns / and neyther Iames nor Iohan can do that thyng in euery where whiche they do in this or yt place: whiche honouryng of sayntes trewly / except it be referred from ye respect of corporall cōmodytes or incōmodytes vnto Christ / is not for a christen man / in so moche yt it is not farre from ye superstyciousnesse of thē whiche in tyme passed vowed ye tenth parte of their goodes to Hercules / to thentēt they might waxe riche / or a cocke to EsculapiusA cocke to Esculapius. that they myght be recouered of their diseases: or which sacrifyced a bull to NeptunusA bull to Neptunus. that they might haue good passage by see and prosperous saylynge. The names be chaunged / but veryly they haue bothe one ende and entent. Thou prayestThou prayest for longe lyfe. god that thou mayste not dye to soone / or whyle thou arte yonge / and prayest not rather that he wolde gyue to the a good mynde that in what so euer place dethe shulde come vpon the he shulde not fynde the vnprepared. Thou thynkest not of chaungyng thy lyfe / and prayest god thou myghtest not dye. what prayest thou for than? certaynly that thou mightest synne as longe as is possyble. Thou desyrest rychesse and can not vse rychesse / doest not [Page] thou than desyre thyne owne confusyon. Thou desyrest helthe and canste not vse helth / is not nowe thy honouryng of god dishonouryng of god. In this place I am sure some of our holy men wyll crye out agaynst me with open mouthes / whiche thynke lucre to be to ye honouring of god / and as ye same Paule sayth with certayne swete benedictyons disceyue the myndes of innocent persons whyle they obey and serue their bely / & not Iesu Christe. Than wyll they saye / forbyddest thou worshypof sayntes in whom god is honoured?They accōpte the honouryng of sayntes for absolute pyte. I verely disprayse not thē so greatly whiche do those thingꝭ with certayne symple and childysshe superstycion for lacke of instructyon or capacite of wyt / as I do thē whiche sekyng their own aduaūtage prayseth and magnifieth those thingꝭ for most gret and perfyte holynesse / whiche thyngꝭ peraduenture be tollerable & may be suffred [...] & for their owne profyte & aduaūtage cherisshe & maintayne ye ignorance of the people whiche neyther I my selfe do dispyse / but I can not suffre yt they shulde accōpte thingꝭ to be highest & most chefe / which of thē selfe be neyther good nor bad / & those thynged to be greatest and of most value whiche be smallest & of leest value. I wyll prayse it & be contēt that they desyre helth [Page] of Rochus whom they so gretly honour / if they cōsecrate it vnto Christ. But I wyl prayse it more if they wolde praye for nothing els but yt with the hate of vyces the loue of vertues myght be encreased: and as touching to lyue or to dye let thē put it into the handꝭ of god / & let them say with Paule / whether we lyue wheder we dye / to god & at goddꝭ pleasure we lyue or dye. It shalbe a perfyte thyng if they desyre to be dissolued from ye body and to be with Christ: if they put their glory & ioy in diseases or sycknesse / in losse or other domages of fortune / yt they might be accompted worthy whiche euen in this worlde shulde be lyke or confyrmable vnto their heed. To do therfore suche maner of thynges is not so moche to be rebuked as it is peryllous to abyde styll and cleane to them. I suffre infyrmyte and weaknesse / but with Paule I shew a more excellēt way. If thou shalte examyne thy studyes and all thy actes by this rule / and shalte not stande any where in meane thynges tyll thou come euen vnto Christe / thou shalte neyther go out of thy waye at any tyme / neyther shalte do or suffre any thynge in all thy lyfe whiche shall not tourne and be vnto the a mater of seruynge and honourynge god.
¶The fyfth rule. capi .xiij.
LEt vs adde also the fyfth rule as an ayder vnto this forsayd fourth rule [...]yte. / that thou put perfyte pity / that is to saye the honouryng of god in this thyng only / if thou shalt enforce alway from thynges visyble whiche almoste euery one be imperfyte or els indifferēt to ascende to thynges inuysible after the diuysyon of a man aboue rehersed. This precept is apertaynyng to y• mater so necessarily / that whether it be through neglygence or for lacke of knowlege of it / the moste parte of christen men in stede of trewe honourers of god are but playne superstycious / and in al other thynges saue in the name of christen men onely vary not greatly from the superstycion of the gentyles. [...]. Let vs ymagyne therfore two worldes / the one intelligyble ye other visyble. The intellygible whiche also we maye call the angelycall worlde / wherin god is with blessed myndes. The visyble worlde / ye cyrcle of heuen / the planettes / & sterres / with all that included is in them as the foure elementes. Than let vs ymagyne man as a certayne thirde worlde / parte taker of bothe ye other: of ye visyble worlde if thou beholde his body / of the inuysible worlde if thou cōsyder [Page] his soule. In y• visyble worlde bycause we be but straūgers we ought neuer rest / but what thynge so euer offreth it selfe to the sencyble powers / that is to say to the fyue wyttes / yt must we vnder a certayne apte comparyson or simylitude aply to the angelycall worlde / or els (whiche is most profytable) vnto maners and to that parte of man whiche is corespōdent to ye angelyke worlde / that is to say to the soule of man. what this visyble sonne is in the visyble worlde yt is the diuyne myndeThe so [...] the di [...] mynde [...] / that is to say god in y• intelligyble worlde / & in that parte of the which is of that same nature / that is to say in the spyrit. Loke what the moone is in the visyble worlde / that in the inuysible worlde is ye congregacion of angels & of blessed soules called the tryumphant churche / and that in the is the spyryte. what so euer heuens aboue worketh in the erthe vnder them / that same dothe god in the soule. The sonne gothe downe aryseth / rageth in heate / is temperate / quyckneth / bringeth forthe / maketh rype / draweth to hym / maketh subtyle and thynne / purgeth / hardeneth / mollyfyeth / illumyneth / clereth / cheryssheth and comforteth. Therfore what so euer thou beholdest in hym / ye what so euer thou seest in the grosse parte of this worlde of the [Page] elementes whiche many haue seperated from the heuens aboue and cyrcles of the fyrmament. In conclusyon what so euer thou consydrest in the grosser parte of thy selfe / accustome to applye it to god and to the inuysible porcyon of thy selfe. So shal it come to passe that what so euer thynge shall any where offer it selfe to any of the sensyble wyttes / that same thyng shall be to the an occasyon of pityThe occasion of pyte. / to honour god. whan it delyteth thy corporall eyes as oft as this visyble sōne spredeth hym selfe on the erthe with newe lyght / by and by call to remembraunce howe great the pleasure is of the inhabytauntes of heuen / vnto whome the eternall sonne euer springeth and aryseth / but neuer goth downe. Howe great are the ioyes of that pure mynde whervpon ye light of god alwayes shyneth and casteth his beames. Thus by occasion of the visyble creature pray with the wordes of Paule / that he whiche cō maunded lyght to shyne out of darknesse may shyne in thy herte / to gyue lyght and knowlege of the glorye of god in the face of Iesu Christ.The glory of god appered in the face of moyses / but we beholde the glory of god ī the face of Iesus Chryste. Repete such lyke places of holy scripture in whiche here & there the grace of the spyrite of god is compared to lyght.The grace of god is called lyght / & nyght is compared to synne. The night semeth tedyous to the & darke / thynke on a soule destytute of the [Page] light of god & darke with vyces: ye and i [...] thou canst ꝑceyue any derknesse of nyght in the / pray that the sonne of iustyce maye aryse vnto the. This wyse thinke & surely byleue that thingꝭ inuysible whiche thou seest not are so excellēt / so pure / so perfyt / that thinges whiche be sene in cōparyson of them are scarse very shadowes represē tyng to the eyes a small & a thynne simylytude of thē. Therfore in this outwarde corporall thingꝭ what so euer thy sensyble wyttes eyther desyre or abhorre / it shalbe a gret deale meter yt the spyrit loue or hate thesame thynge in inwarde & incorporall thyngꝭ. The goodly beautye of thy body pleaseth thyne eyes / thinke than how honest a thing is the beauty of ye soule.what soeuer is perceyued in the body that same is to be vndersto [...]de in the [...]ynde. A deformed vysage semeth an vnplesaūt thīg. remēbre howe odyous a thing is a mynde defyled with vyces: and of all other thyndo likewyse. For as ye soule hath certayne beauty wherwith one whyle she pleaseth god / & a defourmyte wherwith an other whyle she pleaseth ye dyuell / as lyke vnto lyke: so hath she also her youthe / her age / sicknes / helth / dethe / lyfe / pouerty / riches / ioye / sorowe / werre / peace / colde / heate / thurst / drinke / hunger / meate. To cōclude shortly what soeuer is fylthy in the body / that same is to be vnderstāde in the soule. [Page] Therfore in this thynge [...]esteth the iourney to the spyrituall and pure lyfe / if by a lytle and lytle we shal accustome to withdrawe our selfe from these thyngꝭ whiche be not trewly in very dede / but partely apere to be that they be not: [...] as fylthy & voluptuous pleasure / honour of this worlde partely vanysshe awaye and haste to retourne to naught / and shall be rauysshed and caryed to these thyngꝭ whiche indede are eternall immutable and pure: whiche thynge Socrates sawe full well / a philosopher not so moche in tonge and wordes as in lyuing and dedes / for he saythe that so onely shall the soule departe happely from her body at the last ende / if aforehad she haue dyligently through true knowlege recorded & practysed dethe / and also haue longe tyme before by the dispysynge of thynges corporall / and by the contemplacyon and louyng of thynges spyrituall vsed her selfe to be as it were in a maner absent from the body. [...] to the [...] of chryst. Neyther the crosse vnto whiche Christ calleth and exhorteth vs / neyther that dethe in whiche Paule wylleth vs to dye with our heed / as also the prophete saythe: for thy sake we be slayne all the daye longe / we be accompted as shepe appoynted to be kylled / neyther that whiche the apostle wryteth in [Page] other termes [...]ayeng / seke those thynges that be aboue / not which be on the erthe. Taste and haue perceyuaunce of thynges aboue / meaneth it any other thynge than that we vnto thynges corporall shulde be dull and made as thoughe we were insensyble and vtterly without capacyte. So that the lesse felyng we haue in thynges of the body / so moche the more swetnesse we myght fynde in thynges pertaynynge to the spyrite / and myght begynne to lyue so moche the trewlyer inwardely in the spyrite / the lesse we lyued outwardly in the body. In conclusyon to speake more playnly / so moche the lesse shulde moue vs thynges caduke and trausytory / the more acquaynted we were with thinges eternall. So moche the lesse shulde we regarde the shadowes of thyngꝭ the more we haue begonne to loke vp vpon the the very trewe thynges. This rule therfore muste be had euer redy at hande / that we in no wyse stande styll any where in temperall thynges / but that we ryse thence makyng as it were a steppe vnto the loue of spyrituall thyngꝭ by matchyng the one with the other / or els in comparyson of thynges whiche are inuysible that we begynne to dispyse that whiche is visyble. The disease of thy body wyll be the easier [Page] if thou woldest thynke it to be a remedye for thy soule. Thou shuldest care the lesse for the helthe of thy body if thou woldest tourne all thy care to defende and mayntayne the helthe of the mynde. The dethe of the body putteth the in feare / the dethe of the soule is moche more to be feared. Thou abhorrest the poyson whiche thou seest with thyne eyes / bycause it bringeth myschefe to the body / moche more is the poyson to be abhorred whiche s [...]eeth the soule. Cicuta is poysonCycuta is a poyson e [...]be. of ye body / but voluptuousnesse is moche more & redy poyson to the soule. Thou quakest and tremblest for feare / thy heere standeth vpright / thou arte spechelesse / thy spyrites forsaken the and thou waxest pale / fearynge leest the lyghtnynge whiche apereth out of the cloudes shulde smyte the / but howe moche more is it to be feared leest there shulde come on the / the inuysybe lyghtnyng of the wrathe of god / whiche sayth: Go ye cursed persones in to eternall fyre. The beautie of the bodye rauyssheth the / why rather louest thou not feruētly that fayrnesse yt is not sene? Trāslate thy loue in to that beautye that is perpetuall / that is celestyall / that is without corrupcyon / and the discretelyer shalte thou loue the [...]aduke and trāsytory shappe of the body. [Page] Thou prayest that thy felde maye be watred with rayne leest it drie vp / praye rather that god wyll vouchesaffe to water thy mynde leest it waxe barayne from the [...]ute of vertues.The mystery in all thynges must be loked vpon. Thou restorest and encreasest agayne with great care the waste of thy money:Holy scrypture is sylenus of Alcybyades. Sylenus be ymages made with [...]oyntes so that they may be opened contayny [...]ge outwarde the symylitude of a [...] or an ape or [...]che lyke try [...]els: & whan they [...] opened sodenly appereth some excellent or m [...]ruaylous thynge / vnto such thynges [...]biades a noble man of At [...]e [...]es compared the phylosopher Soerates for socrates was so symple outwarde / and so excellente inwarde. the greatest care of al oughtest thou haue to restore agayne the losse of the mynde. Thou hast a respecte longe afore hande to age / leest any thyng shulde be lackyng to thy body: and shuldest thou not prouyde that nothynge be lackynge to the mynde. And this veryly ought to be done in those thynges whiche dayly meteth our sensyble wyttes / and as euery thynge is of a dyuers kynde / euen so dyuersly dothe moue vs with hope / feare / loue / hate / sorowe & ioy. The same thyng muste be obserued and kepte in all maner of lernyng whiche include in them selfe a playne sence and a mystery / euen as they were made of a body and a soule / that the lyterall sence lytle regarded thou shuldest loke chefly to y• mistery: Of whiche maner are the letters of al poetes & philosophers chefly the folowers of Plato. But most of al holy scripture / which beyng in a maner lyke to S [...]lenꝰ of Alcibiades / vnder a rude and folysshe couering include pure diuyne and godly thingꝭ: for els if thou shalt rede [Page] without the allegory the ymage of Adam formed of moyst cley and the soule brethed into hym / & Eue plucked out of the rybbe / howe they were forbyd the tree of knowlege of good and yuell / the serpent entysynge to eate / god walkynge at the ayre: whan they knewe they had synned / howe they hydde them selfe / the aungell set at the doores with a turnynge sworde leest after they were eiecte / the waye to them shulde be open to come agayne shortly. If thou shuldest rede the hole hystorie of the makynge of the worlde / if thou rede (I say) superfycially these thinges / seking no further than apereth outwardly / I can not perceyue what other gret thyng thou shalt do than if thou shuldest synge of the ymage of cley made by Prometheus / or of fyre stolen from heuen by subtyltie and put in to the ymage to gyue lyfe to ye cley.The fable of the gyauntes / A greate nōbre of gyauntes buylded moū tayne vpō moū tayne to pluck Iupyter out of heuen / but Iupiter vnder myned theyr moū taynes & slewe them with lyghtnynge. ye peraduenture a poetes fable in the allegory shall be redde with somwhat more frute than a narracyon of holy bookes / if thou rest in y• rynde or vtter parte. If whā thou redest the fable of the gyauntes / it warneth and putteth the in remembraūce that thou stryue not with god and thynges more mighty than thou / or that thou oughtest to abstayne from suche studyes as nature abhorreth / and that thou shuldest [Page] set thy mynde vnto these thynges (if so be they be honest) whervnto thou arte moste apte naturally: That thou tangle not thy selfe with matrymony / if chastyte be more agreable to thy maners. Agayne that thou bynde not thy selfe to chastyte if thou seme more apte to maryage. For moste comenly those thynges come yuell to passe whiche thou prouest agaynst nature. If the cuppe of CyrcesCirces was a woman which by enchantmēt turned men to dyuers fasciōs of beestes with poysons or drē ches. teache yt men with voluptuousnesse as with wytchecraft fall out of their mynde and be chaū ged vtterly fro mē vnto beestes. If thristy TantalusTantalus. teache the that it is a very myserable thynge for a man to sytte gapyng vpon his rychesse heaped togyther & dare not vse them. The stone of SiciphusSysyphus. that ambycion is laborous and myserable. If the labours of HerculesThe labours of hercules. putteth the in remembraūce that heuen must be obtayned with honest labours and enforcementes infatygable / lernest thou not that thynge in the fable whiche ye philosophers [...]eache and also diuynes / maisters of good lyuīg? But if (without allegorywithout allegory s [...]rypture is baren.) thou shalte [...]ede the infauntes wrestlyng in their mothers bely / thenherytaunce of the elder brother solde for a messe of potage / the blyssyng of the father preuented and taken away by fraude. Goly smytten with the slynge of [Page] Dauyd / and the heere of Sampson shauen: it is not of so great valure as if thou shuldest rede the feynynge of some poete.Many vngoodly thynges in scrypture as they appere outwarde. what differēce is there whether thou rede the boke of kynges or of the iudges in the olde testament / or els the history of Titus Liuyus / so thou haue respecte to the allegorye in nere nother? For in the one / that is to say Titus Liuyus / be many thyngꝭ whiche wolde amende the comen maners: in the other be some thinges / ye vngoodly as they seme at ye fyrst lokyng on / whiche also if they be vnderstande superstycially shulde hurte good maners: As the thefte of DauydDauyd commytted adultery with Barsabe / and caused Urye her husbande to be slayne. / and adultery bought with homycide / howe the doughters of Lot laye with their father by stelthe / and conceyued / and a thousande other lyke maters. Therfore the flesshe of the scripture dispy [...]ed chefely of the olde testament / it shall be mete and cōuenient to serche out the mystery of the spyrite. [...]anna to the shall haue suche taste as thou bringest with the in thy mouthe. But in openyng of mysteries thou mayst not folow the cōiectures of thyne own myndeThe mysteries must be handeled with crafte / but the rule must be knowen and a certayne craft / whiche one Dion [...]sius reacheth in a boke entytled De diuinis nominibus / that is to say / of the names of god: and saynte Augustyne in a [Page] certayne warke called Doctrina christiana / that is to say / the doctryne of a christen man. The apostle Paule after Christe opened certayne fountaynes of allegoryeAllegory. / whome Origene folowed / & in that parte of diuynite obtayned doutlesse the chefe roume and maystry. But our diuynesOur diuynes. eyther set naught by the allegory / or handle it very dremyngly and vnfrutefully: yet are they in subtylty of disputacyon equall or rather superyours to olde diuynes.
But in treatynge of this crafte that is to saye in pure / apte / and frutefull handlyng the allegorye not ones to be compared with them / and that specyally as I gesse for two caused. The one that the mysterye canne be but weake and barayne that is not fortyfyed with strengthe of cloquence / and tempred with certayne swetnesse of speakynge / in whiche our elders were passyng excellent / and we not ones taste of it. An other cause is / for they content with Arystotle onlyArystotle only is redde nowe adayes. / expell from scholes the secte of Plato & Pic [...]agoras / and yet saynt Augustyn preferreth these later / not only bycause they haue many sentences moche agreable to our relygyon / but also bycause the very maner of open and clere speche / whiche they vse (as I haue sayde before) full of allegoryes / draweth [Page] very nygh to y• style of holy scripture. No [...]erua [...]le therfore though they haue more cōmodyously hādled the allegor [...]es of the worde of god / whiche with plētuous oracyon were able to encrease &Olde di [...]y [...]e [...] with helpe of eloquence handeled the Allegoryes wel fauourdly delate to colour & garnysshe any maner thyng neuer so baren / symple / or homely / whiche men also beyng most expert & cōnyng of all antiquite had practysed & exercysed longe before in poetes & bokes of Plato / y• thynge whiche they shulde do after in diuyne mysteryes. I had leuer that thou shuldest rede the cōmentaries of those men / for I wolde instructe and induce the not vnto cōtencion of argumentes / but rather vnto a pure mynde. But & if thou can not attayne the mistery / remēbre yet that some thīg lyeth hyd whiche though it be not knowen / yet verely to haue trust to obtayne it shall be better than to rest in the letter which kylleth. And that se thou do not onely in the olde testament / but also in the newe. The gospell hath her flessheThe gospell hath her fleshe and spyryte. / she hath also her spyrite: for thoughe the vayle be pulled from y• face of Moyses / neuerthelesse yet vnto this daye Paule saythe per speculum in enigmate / not the thynge selfe and clerely / but the ymage or symylitude of the very thynge as it were in a glasse vnper [...]ytely & obscurely: and as Christ hym selfe [Page] sayth in his gospell of Iohan. The flesshe profyteth nothynge at all / it is the spiryte that gyueth lyfe. I veryly wolde haue ben afrayde to haue sayd it ꝓfyteth not at all / it shold haue ben ynough to saye the flesh profyteth somwhat / but moche more the spiryte: but now verite hymself hath sayd it ꝓfyteth not at all. And so greatly it profyteth not / that after the mynde of Paule it is but deth / excepte it be referred to the spiryte: yet at the leest way in this thynge is the flesshe profytable for that she ledeth our infirmyty as it were with certeyn greces or steppes vnto the spiryte. The body without the spiryte can haue no beynge: the spiryt of the body hath no nede. wherfore yf after the doctryne of Chryst the spiryte be so great & excellent a thynge / that he onely gyueth lyfe: hyther to this poynt must our iourney be / that in al maner let [...]res / in al our actes we haue respect to the spiryte / & not to the flesshe. And yf a man wolde take hede / he sholde soone perceyue that this thynge onely is it whervnto exhorteth vs amonge the ꝓphetes specially Esaias: among thapostles Paule / whiche almost in euery epystle playeth this parte and cryeth that we sholde haue no confydence in the flesshe / & that in the spiryte is lyfe / liberty / lyght / adopcion: & those noble [Page] [...] so greatly to be desyred whiche [...]he [...].Adopcyon is inherytaunce / not by byrthe but by eleccyō. The [...] euery [...] coūseyleth from her. Take hede [...] thou shalt perceyue that our mayster Chryst doth the same [...] and there / whyles in pullyng the asse out of the py [...] / in restorynge the syght to the blynde / in rubbynge the eares of [...] / in vnwasshe [...] handes / in the feest [...]s of synners / in the parable of the pharysee & the publycane / in fastynges / in the carnal bretherne in the reioysyng of the [...]ewes that they were the chyldren of Abraham / in offryng of gyftes in the temple / in praying / in delatyng of theyr philateirs / & in many lyke places he despyseth the flesshe of the lawe / & suꝑsticyon of them whiche had leuer be iewes openly in the syght of man than pryuely in yt syght of god.Phy [...]arey [...]s were [...] apers which the pharysees ware on hye in theyr foreheddes / hauynge the ten cōmaūdmētes writen in them And whan he said to the woman of Samary / by leue me that y• houre shall cōme whan ye shall honour the father neyther in this mountayne / neyther in Ierusalē: but the houre shall be & now is whan the very true worshyppers shall worshyp the father in spyryte & verite: for surely ye father requyreth suche to honour hym. The father is a spiryte / & they whiche honour hym must honour in spiryte & verite. He signyfyed the same thyng in dede whan at the maryage [Page] he [...] the water of the colde & vn [...] ty let them to wyne of the spiryte / ma [...]yng dronke the spiritu [...] soules / euen unto the conie [...]p [...]e & despysyngse of theyr lyfe and leest thou sholdest thynke it a great thyng that [...] despysed these thyngꝭ whiche now I haue rehersed / yea he despysed the eatynge of his owne fle [...]he & drynkyng of his owne blode / excepte it were done spiritually. To whome thinkest thou spake he these thyngꝭ: the flesshe ꝓfyteth nothyng at all / it is the spiryt that quyckneth & gyueth lyfe? veryly not to them whiche with saynt Iohns gospellSaynt Iohās gospel [...]gyn [...] at their [...] / or an agnus de [...] hangyng about theyr neckes thynke themself sure frō al maner of harme / & suppose that thyng to be y• very ꝑfyte religion of a chrysten mā: but to them to wh [...]me he opened the hygh mistery of eating his owne body yf so great a thing be of no valure / yea if it be per [...]ycyous or perylous: what cause is there wherfore we sholde haue cōfidēce in any other carnal thyngꝭ / except y• spiryt be present? Thou ꝑaduētu [...]e sayst masse dayly and lyuest at thyne owne pleasure / and art not ones moued with thy neighbours hurtes / no no more thā yf they perteyned nothynge at all to the: thou art yet in the flesshe of the sacrament [...] but and yf whyle thou sayest / thou enforcest to be the very [Page] same thynge whiche is signifyed by receyuyng that sacrament / that is to saye / to be one spiryt with the spiryt of Chryst / to be one body with the body of Chryst / to be a quycke mēbre of the chyrche: yf thou loue nothyng but in Chryst / yf thou thynke all thy goodes to be cōmun to all men / yf the incōmoditees of al men greue the euen as thyne owne: Than no doubte thou sayest masse with great fruyte / and that bycause thou doest it spiritually. If thou perceyue that thou art in a maner trāsfygured and chaunged in to Chryst / & that thou lyuest now lesse & lesse in thyne owne selfe / gyue thankes to y• spiryte whiche onely quyckeneth and gyueth lyfe. Many ben wont to nombre how many masses they haue ben at euery day / & hauyng confydence in this thynge as of most valure (as though now they were no farther boūde to Chryst) as soone as they be departed out of y• chyrche returne to theyr olde maners agayn / that they enbrace y• flesshe of pite / that is to say of pure lyfe or seruyce of god I disprayse not: that they there stop I prayse not: let that be ꝑformed in the whiche is there represented to thyne eyes. There is rep̄sented to theLet it be performed in th [...] that is repr [...] sented in the masse. / the deth of thy heed: discusse thy selfe withinforth / and (as the saying is) in thy bosom how nygh thou art deed to the [Page] world. For yf thou be possessed ho [...]y with wrath / ambicyon / couerousnes / enuy / yea though thou touche y• aulter: yet art thou farre frō masse. Chryst was slayne for the / [...]lee thou therfore these beestꝭ / sacrifise thy selfe to hym whiche for thy sake sacrifysed hymself to his father: yf thou ones thynke not on these thyngꝭ / & hast cōfidence in the other: god hateth thy carnall & grosse religion. Thou art baptised / thynke not forth with y• thou art a christen man / thy mynde all togyder sauoureth nothynge but this worlde: thou art in ye syght of the worlde a chrystē man / but secrete & before god thou art more hethen thā any hethen mā. why so? for thou hast the body of the sacrament & art without the spiryt whiche onely profiteth. Thy body is wasshed / what mater maketh that whyle thy mynde remayneth styll defyled & inquinate. Thy body is touched with salte / what thā whā thy mynde is yet vnsauery. Thy body is anoynted / but thy mynde is vnanoynted. But if thou be buryed with Chryst withinforth / & studyest to walke with hym in the newe lyfe I than knowe the for a chrystē mā. Thou art sprincled with holy waterSprynclynge of holy water. / what good dothe that / yf so be thou wype not awaye the inwarde fylth from thy mynde. Thou honourest sayntes / & art ioyous & glad to [Page] tostche theyr relykesTouchyng of relykes. / but thou despysest the these relykes which they left behynde th [...]m / that is to be vnderstandeThe true honoryng of saintes / the examples of pure lyuynge. There is no honour more pleasaūt to Mary than yf thou sholdest coūterfayte her humilite. No religion is more acceptable to sayntes or more appropryate than yf thou woldest labour to rep̄sent & folowe theyr dercues wylt thou deserue the loue and fauour of Peter or of Paule / counterfayte the ones fayth / & the others charite / & thou shalte do a greater thyng than yf thou sholdest [...] to Rome x. tymes. wylt thou worshyp saynt Fraunces singularly? thou art hye mynded / thou art a great lou [...]s of money / thou art stubburne and selfe wylled / full of cōtencyon / wyse in thyne owne opinion / gyue this to the saynt / swage thy mynde / & by the example of saynt Fraunces be more sobre / humble or meke / despyse fylthy [...] / & be desyrous of ryches of the mynde / put away stryuyng & debates with thy neyghbours and with goodnes ouercōme euyll. The saynt setteth more by this honour than yf thou sholdest set before hym a thousande breunynge tapers. Thou thynkest it a specyall thynge to be put in thy graue wrapped in the cowle or habyte of say [...] Fraū ces? Trust me lyke vesture shall ꝓfyte the [Page] nothynge at all whan thou arte deed / yf thy lyuynge and maners be founde vnlyke whan thou were alyue. And though the s [...]e example of all true vertue & pure lyfe / shewynge how thou sholdest honour god in euery thynge is fette of Chryste moost [...] ̄modyously in suche maner / that in no [...]yse thou canst be deceyued. Neuerthelesse yf the worshyppynge of Chryst in his sayntes delyte the so greatly / se that thou counterfayte Chryste in his sayntesLet vs counterfeyt Chryste in his sayntes. / and for the honoure of euery saynt loke thou p [...]t awaye all vyces / vyce by vyce / so that thou sacryfyse to euery saynt syngularly some one vyce syngularly / or else study to enbrace and counterfayte some one syngular vertue in euery saynt / suche as thou perceyuest to haue reigned moost chefely in euery saynt / syngularly of them whiche thou worshyppest so specyally. If this shall cōme to passe / than wyll I not reproue those thyngꝭ whiche be done outwardly [...] Thou hast in great reuerence the asshes of Paule / I damyne it not / yf thy relygyon be perfyte in euery poynte / but yf thou haue in reueren [...] the deed asshes or [...] of his body / and settest no store by his quycke ymage yet spekynge / and [...]s it there brethynge / whiche remayneth [Page] in his doctryne: is not thy religyon preposterous & out of ordreLet vs honour the quycke ymage of Paule. / & accordynge to the cōmune prouerbe / the carte set before the horse? Honourest thou the bones of Paule hyd in the shryne / & honourest thou not the mynde of Paule hyd in his wrytyngꝭ? Magnifiest thou a pece of his carkas shynyng thrugh a glasse / & regardest not thou the hole mynde of Paule shynyng thrugh his lettres? Thou worshyppest the asshes in whose p̄sence now & than the deformytees & diseases of bodyes be taken away / why rather honourest thou not his doctryne / wherwith the deformytees & diseases of soules are cured and remedyed? Let the vnfaythfull meruayle at these myracles & sygnes for whome they be wrought: but thou that art a faythfull man enbrace his bokes / that as thou doutest not / but that god can do all thyngꝭ / euen so thou myghtest lerne to loue hym aboue all thynges. Thou honourest the ymage of the bodyly countenaūce of Chryst formed in stone o [...] treeThe very ymage of Chryst is expresly paynted in the gospell. / or else portrayed with colours: with moche greater reuerēce is to be honoured the ymage of his myndeApelles was the moost connyng paynter that euer was / whiche by workmanshyp of the holy goost is figured & expressed in the gospels. Neuer any Apelles so expresly fascyoned with pensell the proporciōs & fygure of the body as in the oracyon [Page] & doctryne of euery mā appereth the ymage of the mynde / namely in Chryste / whiche whan he was very simplicite and pure verit [...] / no discorde / no vnlyke thynge at all coude be bytwene ye fyrst & chefe paterne of his diuyne mynde & the ymage of his doctryne & [...]ernynge frō thens deducte & deryuate / as nothynge is more lyke the father of heuen than his sone / whiche is y• worde / the wysdom & knowlege of the father / spryngyng forth of his moost secrete hert: so is nothyng more lyke vnto Chryst than the worde / the doctryne & [...]echyng of Chryst / gyuen forth out of ye preuy partes of his most holy brest: and ponderest thou not this ymage? honourest it not? lokest thou not substancially with deuoute eyes vpon it? enbrasest it not in thy herte? hast thou of thy lorde & mayster relykes so holy / so full of vertue & strengthe / & settynge them at nought? sekest thou thingꝭ moche more altena [...]e / straūger & farder of? Thou beholdest a cote or a sudorye / that is sayd to haue ben Chrystes / astonyed therat as though thy wyttes were rapte: & art thou in a dreme or a slumber whan thou redest the diuyne oracles or answeres of Chryst? Thou byleuest it to be a great thyng / ye a greater than the greatest that thou possessest at home / a lytell pece of the crosse:The honourynge of the crosse. but [Page] y• [...] nothing to be cōpared to this / yf tho [...] [...]ce shryne [...] [...] thy hert y• n [...]story / of the crosse. Or else yf suche thyngꝭ ma [...] a man religyous & deuou [...] / what can be more religious than y• iewes [...] of whiche very many (though they [...]re neuer so wycked [...] yet with theyr eyes sawe Iesu Chryst lyuyng bodyly / herde hym with theyr [...]ares / with theyr handes handled hym what i [...] more happy thā Iudas which with his mouth kyssed ye diuyne mouth of Chryst. So moche doth y• flesshe without the spiryt ꝓfyte nothīg at all / that it sholde not / ones haue ꝓfyted the holy virgin his mothe [...] y• she of her owne flesshe begate hym / except she in her spiryt had recyued his spiryt also: this is a very great thyng / but heare [...] greater The apostles enioye [...] the corporal p̄sence & felyshyp of Chryst (redest thou not) how weykeThe very apostelles as longe as Chryst was presēt wa [...]ered in the faythe. / how chyldysshe they were / how grosse & without capacite / wh [...] w [...]lde desyre any other thynge vnto the most ꝑfyte helth of his soule / thā so longe familiarite & conuersacyon togyder with hym y• was bothe god & manꝭ yet after so many myracles shewed / after ye doctryne of his owne mouth taught & declared to thē / after sure & euydent tokens y• he was rysen agayne dyd he not at y• last houre whā he shold be receyued vp in to heuē cast in theyr tethes [Page] theyr vnstabylite in the [...]ayth. what was than the cause [...] veryly the flesshe of Chryst dyd [...]et: & thens is it yt he saith: except I go away / the holy goost wyll not cōme / it is expedye [...]t for you y• I departe. The corporall p̄sence of Chryst is vnprofitable vnto he [...]h. And da [...] we in any corporal thyng [...] besyde y• put ꝑfyte pite / y• is to say / y• loue & honour of god? Paule saw Christ ī his [...] / what supposest thou to be a greater thing than y• / yet set [...]eth he nought by it / saying. Though (saith he) we haue knowen Chryst [...]arnally / now we do not so. why knewe he hī not carnally / for he had ꝓfited & ascēded vnto more ꝑfyt gyftꝭ of y• spiryt. I vse ꝑaduēture mo wordes ī disputyng these thyngꝭ than sholde be mete for him which giueth rules: neuertheles I do it y• more diligētly (& not without a great cause) for yt in very dede I do ꝑceyue this errour to be the cōmun pestilēce of al chrystē dom: whiche brīgeth & occasioneth yea for this causeth y• greter mischefe: for asmoche as ī sem [...]aūce & apparence it is next vnto godly loue or holynes. For there are no [...] ces more perylous than they which counterfayte vertue: for besydes this that good men may lyghtly fall in to them: none are with [...]ore difficulty cured / bycause the cō mun [...] vnlerned thynketh our religiō [Page] to be violate whan suche thyngꝭ are rebuked / let incōtynent all y• worlde crye out agaynst me / let certeyn p̄chers / suche as are wont to crye out in theyr pulpittes / barke whiche with ryght good wyll synge these thyngꝭ inwardly in theyr own stomackes lokyng veryly not vnto Chryst / but vnto theyr owne aduaūtage / thrugh whose eyther suꝑsticyon without lernynge / or fayned holynes I am compelled oftentymes to shewe and declare that I in no wyse rebuke or checke the corporall ceremonyes of chrystē men & deuout myndes of symple ꝑsones: namely in suche thynges that are approued by authorite of the chyrche. For they are now & than partly sygnes of pite and partly helpers thervnto. And bycause they are somwhat necessary to yonge infantes in Chryst / tyll they waxe elder and growe vp vnto a ꝑfyt man.The vse of ceremonyes. Therfore it is not mete they sholde be disdeyned of them whiche are perfyte / leest by theyr example the weyke ꝑsone sholde take harme. That thou doest I approue / so the ende be not amysse. More ouer yf thou stop not there whense thou oughtest to ascēde to thyngꝭ more nere to helth. But to worship Christ with visible thynges in stede of inuysible & in them to put the hyghest poynt of religyon / & for them to stande in thyne owne [Page] conceyte / to condempne other men / to set thy hole mynde vpon them / & also to dye in them / and to speke shortly that thou be withdrawen from Chryste with the very same thynges whiche be ordeyned for the entent onely that they sholde helpe vnto Chryst: this is veryly to departe from the lawe of the gospell whiche is spirituall / & fall in to certeyn suꝑsticion of ceremonyes lyke vnto the iewes: whiche thynge ꝑaduēture is of no lesse ieopardy thā yf without suche suꝑsticion thou sholdest be infect with great & manyfest vices of the mynde: this is forsothe the more deedly disease Be it / but ye other is worse to be cured. How moche euery where sweteth the chefe defender of the spiryte Paule to call awaye the iewes frō the confidence of dedes & ceremonyes / & to promote them vnto those thynges whiche are spirituall; & now I se the cōmunalteThe cōmunaltie is turned to the cōfidence of ceremonyes. of chrysten men to be returned hyther agayne. But what sayd I the cōmunalte? that myght be yet suffred had not this errour inuaded & caught a greate parte bothe of preestes & doctours: & to be shorte the flockes of them almoost thrugh out whiche ꝓfesse in tytle & habyte a spirituall lyfe. If they whiche sholde be the very salte be vnsauery: wherwithall shall other be seasoned? I am ashamed to reherse [Page] with what suꝑsticion the most parte of them obserue certayne ceremonyes of men [...]es inuencyonsSuperstycio [...]s persones are [...]hed. / yet not institute for such purpose. How [...]diously they requyre them of other men: what cōfidence without mystrust they haue in them [...] how indiscretly they iudge other [...] how ernestly they defende them. To these theyr dedes they thynke heuen to be due / in whiche yf they be ones roted at ones they thynke thēselfe Paules & Antonyes.Paule & Antony were hermytes of passyng holy conuersacyon. They begyn O good lorde / with what gra [...]ytye / with how great authorite to correct other mens lyues / after the rule of fooles & vndi [...]crete persones (as sayth Ierens) So that they thynke nothynge well done but y• they do them selfe.The de [...]enders of ceremonyes But for all that whan they be wexen olde syres in theyr maner of lyuyng thou shalte se y• as yet they sauour or [...]ast [...] of Chryst nothyng at all: but to be beestly swymmyng in certeyn chorlysshe vyces in theyr lyuyng & pastyme frowarde / & scarse can suffre and forbeare theyr owne selfe: in charite colde: in wrath feruent: in hate as [...]ough as whyte lether: in theyr tonges be nymous & full of poyson: in exercysynge & purtyng forth of theyr malyce cōquerours & not able to be ouercōme: redy to stryue for euery lytell tryste: & so farre from the ꝑfection of Chryste / that they be not ones [Page] [...] with these cōmune vertues / whiche the [...] or hethen men haue lerned / eyther by reason gyuen [...] them of nature / [...] by vse of [...] / or by the preceptes of philosophers. Thou shalt also se them in spirytuall thynges clene without capacite / fyerse that no man shall knowe how to [...]eate or handell them / full of stryfe and contencyon / gredy vpon volup [...]ous pleasure / at the worde of god redy to s [...]ewe / kynde to no man / mysdemynge other men / flaterynge theyr owne selues. It is cōme to this poynt now at last with the labours of so many yeres / that thou sholdest be of all men the worste / and yet thynke thy selfe the best: that in stede of a chrystē man thou sholdest be but a playne [...]ewe / obseruyng onely vnfruytfull tradicyons and ceremonyes of the inuencyons of man / that thou sholdest haue thy glory & ioye / no [...] in secrete before god / but openly afore the worlde? But and yf thou hast walked in the spiryte & no [...] in the flesshe: where be the fruytes of the spiryte? where is charite? where is that cherefulnesse or ioyous myrthe of a pure mynde? where is tranquillite and peace towardes all men? where is pacyence? where is perseueraūce of softe mynde / wherwith thou lokest day by daye contynually for the amendement [Page] euen of thyne ennemyes: where is curtesy or gentylnesse / where is frenesse of herte / where is mekenes / fidelite / discreciō / measure or sobrenesse / temperaunce & chastite / where is the ymage of Chryste in thy maners? I am sayst thou no keper of hores / no these / no violatour of holy thynges / I kepe my ꝓfessyon. But what other thyng is this to saye than I am not lyke other menThe ypocrysye of relygyous persone [...]. / extorcioners / adulterers / ye & I fast twyse in a weke: I had leuer haue a publicane humble & lowly askynge mercy than this kynde of pharysees rehersynge theyr good dedes. But what is thy ꝓfessyon? is it I praye the that thou sholdest not performe that thyng thou ꝓmysed longe ago whan thou were baptysed / whiche was that thou woldest be a chrysten man / that is to saye / a spiritual ꝑsone / & not a carnal [...]ewe? whiche for ye tradicyons of man sholdest transgresse the cōmaūdementꝭ of god Is not the lyfe of a chrystē man spiritual? Here Paule spekyng to ye Romayns. No [...]ampnacion is to them that are graffed in Chryst Iesu / which walke not carnally or after the flesshe: for the lawe of the spiryte of lyfe in Chryste Iesu hath delyuered me from the lawe of synne & deth: for yt which the lawe weyked by reason of the flesshe coude not performe or make good / yt same [Page] god made good / sendynge his sone in the similitude of flesshe prone to synne / and of synne condēpned synne in the flesshe / that the iustyfyeng of the lawe myght be fulfylled in vs whiche walke not after ye flesshe but after the spiryt: for they that be in the flesshe / be wyse in thynges perteynyng to the flesshe: but they which be in the spiryt perceyue those thinges that ꝑteyne to the spiryte: for wysdom of the flesshe is deth / & wysdom of the spiryt is lyfe & peace: for the wysdom of the flesshe is an ennemy to god bycause she is not obedient to the lawe of god / nor yet can be. They yt be ī the flesshe they can not please god: what coude be spoken more largely? what more playnly: neuerthelesse many men subtyle & crafty to flater or fauour theyr owne vices: but ꝓne and redy without aduysement to checke other mensThe exposyciō and mynde of some clerkes. / thynke these thynges to perteyne to themselfe nothynge at all: & that Paule spake of walkyng carnally or after the flesshe / they referre to adulters onely & kepers of quenes: that he spake of wisdom of the flesshe which is enemy to god / they turned it to them whiche haue lerned humanite / or that they call secular scyences: in eyther other they set vp theyr creestes / & clap theyr handes for ioye / bothe that they neyther be adulters / & in al sciences stark [...] [Page] fooles. More ouer to lyue in the spyryte they dreme to be none other thyng thā to do as they them selues do:The flesshe & the spyryte after Poule. whiche ꝑsones yf they wolde as diligētly obserue y• [...]onge of Paule as they maliciously despyse Tullys / they sholde soone ꝑceyue y• the apostle calleth the flesshe that thynge y• is visyble & the spyryte that thyng that is inuisyble: for he techeth euery where that thingꝭ visyble ought to serue to thynges inuisyble: & not contrary wyse inuysyble thynges to serue thynges vysyble: thou of a preposterous ordre applyest Chryst to those thynges whiche were mete to be applied vnto Chryst: requyrest thou of me recorde that this worde flesshe perteyneth not onely to fylthy and superfluous lust of the body? holde & vnderstand that thyng whiche the sayd apostle (doynge that same whiche he in al places doth) wryteth to the Colocenses. Let no man mysleade you for ye nones in the humilite and religyon of aungelles whiche thynges he neuer sawe walkyng in vayne / inflate with the ymaginacion of the flesshe / & not holdyng the heed / that is to saye Chryste / of whome all the body by couples & ioyntes mynystred vp & cōpacte groweth in to the encrease of god / & leest thou sholdest doute any thynge y• he spake of them which hauyng cōfidēce in certeyn [Page] corporal ceremonies [...]arke agaynst y• spū al purposes of other men [...] take hede what foloweth: yf ye be deed with Chryst / ab e [...]e me [...]s huiꝰ mūdi / frō tradicyons / ceremonyes & inuēcions of men: why haue ye yet suche decrees among you / as though ye lyued vnto the worlde. And anone after callyng vs frō the same thyngꝭ saith: yf ye be rysen vp agayne with Chryste / seke those thyngꝭ yt are aboue where Chryste sytteth on ye ryght hande of god. Be expert & wyse in those thingꝭ that be aboue / & not on the erth. More ouer gyuyng p̄ceptes of ye spū all lyfe / what exhorteth he vs to do at the last / whether yt we shold vse suche or suche ceremonies: whether yt we shold be this or that wise arayed / that we shold lyue with this or yt meates / that we sholde say customably any certeyn nombre of psalmes: he made mencion of no suche thynges: what than?Mortyfy the membres on the erthe. Mortifye (said he) your mēbres whiche be on ye erth / fornicacyon / vnclēnes / bodyly lust / euyl cōcupiscence / & auaryce whiche is y• seruyce of ydols: & a lytel after that now put frō you al suche thyngꝭ / wrathe / indignacyon / malyce: & agayne / spoylyng your selfe of the olde mā with al his actes puttyng on you the newe man whiche is renewed ī knowlege of god after ye ymage of hym which made hym. But who is the [Page] olde man?The olde man veryly Adam / he that was made of the erth / whose cōuersacyon is in erth / not in heuen. By the erth vnderstād what so euer is vysyble / and therfore temporall & transytory. who is that newe man? veryly the celestyall man that descended frō heuen Chryste. And by heuen vnderstande what so euer is inuysyble / & therfore eternall and euerlastynge. At the last leest we sholde be mynded to purchace the fauour of god after the maner of the iewes with certeyn obseruaunces / as ceremonyes magicall / he techeth that our dedes are pleasaunt and alowed of god / so long as they are referred vnto charite / and also sprynge therof / sayinge. Aboue all these thynges kepe charite the bonde of perfection / & let the peas of god reioyse as a victor in your hertes / in whiche also ye be called in one body. I wyll gyue the a more playne token & euydent probacyon that this worde flesshe signyfyeth not the lust of the body onely. Paule nameth often the flesshe / often the spiryte / wrytyng to a certeyn people named Galatas / whiche he called not onely frō lust of the body to chaste lyuyng but enforceth to withdrawe them frō the secte of of the iewes & confydence of worke in to whiche they were enduced by false apostles. In this place therfore nōbrynge [Page] the dedes of the flesshe / marke what vices he reherseth. The dedes of ye flesshe (sayth he) be manyfest / whiche are fornycacyon / vnclenlynes / to be shameles / lechery / worshyppynge of ydolles / wytchcrafte / preuy hate / discorde / otherwyse called cōtencion or stryfe / emulacyon that may be called in dignacyon or disdayne / ire otherwyse called wrathe / scoldynge discencyon / that is to say / dyuersite in maynteynynge of opinyons / sectes / or maynteynynge of quarelles / enuy / homycyde / dronkennesse / excesse in eatynge / and suche lyke. And not longe after he sayth:Uayne glorye is a pestylence cōtrary to the spyryte. yf we lyue in the spiryte / let vs walke in the spirite. After that as declarynge and vtterynge a pestylence contrary to the spyryte / he addeth: let vs not be made desyrous of vayne glory / prouokyng one the other / & enuyenge one an other. The tree is knowen by the fruyte. That thou omyttest not watche / fastyng / sylence / orysons / and suche other lyke obseruaūces / I passe not theron / I wyll not byleue that thou art in the spiryte excepte I may se the fruytes of the spiryte. why may I not affyrme the to be in the flesshe whan after almoost a hondreth yeres exercyse of these thynges / yet in the I fynde the dedes of the flesshe / enuyousnes more than is in any woman / contynuall wrath [Page] & fyersnes: as in a man of warre / scolding / [...] & pleasure insaciable / malycyous cursyng / backbytyng with tong more venyi [...] ous than the poyson of a serpent / an hygh mynde / stubburnes / lyght of thy ꝓmesse / vanite / faynyng / flaterynge? thou iudgest thy brother ī his meate / drynke or raymēt but Paule iudgeth the of thy dedes: dothe that separate the from worldly & carnall men / that thou art ī lyghter causes veryly but yet with the same vices infected? is he more fylthy / whiche for his inheritaūce taken from hym or it came to his hādes: for his doughter defyled / for hurte done to his father / for some offyce / for his prynces fauour: cōceyueth wrath / hatred: emulacion (whiche may be called indignacion or disdayne) thā thou which (I am ashamed to tell) for how lytel a tryfle / yea for nothing doest al the same thyngꝭ moche more malycyously / the lyghter occasyon to synne lyghteth not / but aggrauateth the synne / neyther it maketh mater in how lytell or greate a thynge thou synne / so it be done with lyke affection: & yet is there differēce veryly: for so moche the greuouser dothe euery man trespace / the lesse ye occasyon is wherwith he is pulled away frō honeste. I speke not now of those monkesMonkes. or relygious ꝑsons whose maners euen the hole [Page] worlde abhorteth / but of thē whom the cō mun people honoureth not as mē / but as aūgels / whiche self same notwithstādyng ought not to be displeased with these wordes / whiche rebuketh ye vices & noteth not the ꝑsones: but & yf they be good men / let them also be glad to be warned of what so euer man it be / in those thyngꝭ whiche ꝑteyneth to helth: neyther it is vnknowē to me that amonges them are very many which holpen with lernyng & wytte haue tasted the mysteryes of the spiryte (but as Liuius sayth) it fortuneth almoost euery where: that the greater parte ouercōmeth the better. Notwithstandyng (yf it be law full to cōfesse the trouth) se we not all the moste strayte kynde of monkes to put the chefe poynte of relygyon eyther in ceremonyes or in a certayne maner or forme of saying / that they call theyr dyuyne seruyce / or in a labour of the body / whiche monkes yf a man sholde examyne and appose of spirituall thynges / he sholde scarse fynde any at all that walked not in the flesshe. And here of cōmeth this so greate infyrmytye of myndes / tremblynge for feare where is no feare / and therin suertye and careles where is moost peryll of all: here of commeth the perpetuall infancye in Chryst (to speke no greuouslyer) [Page] that we preposterousPreposterous is settynge behynd that that shold be before estemers of thinges make moost of suche thynges whiche by them selfe are of no value: those sette at nought whiche onely are suffycyent / euer lyuynge vnder tuters or scholemaysters / euer in bondage / neuer aduaunsynge our selfe vp to the lyberty of the spiryte / neuer growynge vp to the large stature of charite: whan Paule cryeth to a certeyn people called Galathas / stande fast / be not ye locked agayn vnder the yoke of bondage. And in an other place the lawe was our tutor or scholemayster in Chryste / that of fayth we sholde be iustyfyed. But seynge that faith is cōme / now we be no more vnder a tutor or scholemayster: for euery one of you (sayth he) is the veray sone of god through fayth whiche he hath in Chryste Iesu. And not moche after he sayth / & we also whan we were lytel ones were in seruice and bondage vnder the ceremonyes & lawe of this worlde. But whan the tyme was fully expyred / god sent his sone made of a woman / made vnder the lawe to redeme them whiche were vnder the lawe / that we by adopcyon sholde be his sones. And for bycause ye be the sones of god / god hath sent the spiryte of his sone in to your hertes / cryeng Abba pater (as a man wolde saye dade father) And so is he not [Page] now a seruaunt / but a sone to god. And agayne in an other place. Bretherne ye be called in to lybertye / let not your lybertye be an occasyon vnto you to lyue in the flesshe / but in charite of the spiryte serue one an other: for all the lawe is fulfylled in one sayinge. Loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe / but and yf ye byte and eate one the other / take hede leest ye be consumed one of an other. And agayne to the Romaynes. ye haue not receyued the spiryte of bondage agayne in feare / but the spiryte that maketh you the sones of god by adopcion / in whome we crye dade father. Unto the same also ꝑteyneth that he wryteth to Timothe / sayenge. Exercyse thy selfe vnder the dedes of pite: for bodyly exercyse is good but for a small thynge / pite is good vnto all maner thynges. And to the Corynthes. God is a spiryte / and where the spiryte is / there is lyberty. But why reherse I one or two places / whan Paule is all togyder at this poynte / that the flesshe whiche is full of contencyon sholde be despysed / & that he myght settle vs in the spiryte whiche is the authour of charite & lybertye. For these companyons be euer inseparable on the one syde / the flesshe / bondage / vnquietnes / contencyon or stryfe. And on the other syde the spyryte / [Page] peace / loue / lybertye. These thynges euery where Paule mengleth with other sayinges. And seke we a better mayster of our relygyon / namely whan all dyuyne scripture agreeth to hym? This was the greatest cōmaūdemēt in the lawe of Moyses. This Chryst iterateth and fynyssheth in the gospell: & for this cause chefely was he borne:To loue is the gretest cōmaū dement. for this cause dyed he to teche vs not to coūterfayte the iewes / but to loue. After the last souper made the euen before his passyon / how diligently / how tenderly / & how affectuously gaue he charge to his discyples / not of meate / not of drynke / but of charite to be kepte one towardes an other:Chryste last of all warneth vs of charyte. what other thynge techeth he / what other thynge desyreth his discyple. Iohan than that we loue one an other. Paule euery where (as I haue sayd) commendeth charite / but specyally wrytynge vnto the Corynthes he preferreth charite bothe before myracles & prophecyes / and also before the tonges of aūgels. And say not thou by and by that charite is / to be oft at the churche / to croche downe before the ymages of sayntes / to lyght tapers or wax candels / to say many lady psalters or saynt Katherynes knottes. God hath no nede of these thynges.what is true charyte. Paule calleth charite to edyfye thy neyghbour / to compte [Page] that we all be membres of one body / to thynke that we al are but one in Cryst / to reioyse in god of thy neyghbours welthe euen as thou doest of thyne owne. To remedy his incōmoditees or losses as [...]hyne owne. yf any brother erre or go out of the ryght waye / to warne hym / to monysshe hym / to tell him his faute mekely / sobrely & curteysly / to teche the ignoraūt: to lyfte vp hym that is fallen: to cōforte & courage hym that is in heuynes: to helpe him that laboureth / to socour ye nedy. In cōclusyon to referre all ryches & substaūce / al thy study / all thy cares to this poynte / that thou in Chryste sholdest helpe as moche as thy power extendeth to. That as he neyther was borne for hymselfe / nor lyued to his owne pleasure / neyther dyed for hymselfe but dedycate hym selfe hoolly to our profytes. Euen so sholde we apply our selfe / and awayte vpon the cōmodytees of our bretherne / & not our owne: whiche thyng yf it were vsed / nothyng sholde be eyther more pleasaunt or elles easy than the lyfe of religyous persones / whiche we se now clene contraryeThe lyfe of relygyous mē is greuous and tedyous. / greuous almoost euery where and laboryous / and also full of superstycyon / lyke vnto the iewes / neyther pure from any vyces of the laye people / and in many sondry thynges moche more [Page] defyled / whiche kynde of men saynt AugustyneSaynt Augustyne wolde [...] knowe monkes & [...] of his owne relygyon yf he were now [...]lyue. (of whome many glorye & reioyce as of the authour and founder of theyr lyuynge [...] yf he now myght lyue agayn / certaynly wolde not ones knowe / and wolde crye out / sayinge that he wolde approue nothyng lesse than this kynde of lyfe / and that he had instytuted an ordre and maner of lyuynge / not after the supersticyon of the iewes / but after the rule of the apostles. But I heare euen now what certeyne men (whiche are somwhat well aduised) wyll answere vnto me. A man must take hede in lytel and small thynges / leest a lytell & a lytell he sholde fall in to greater vyces / I heare it ryght well / and I alowe the saying / neuertheles thou oughtest to take hede a greate deale more that thou so cleue not to these lytell and small thynges that thou sholdest fall clene from the moost chefe & greatest thynges.How farforth we ought to clene to the small thynges. There is the ieopardye more euydent / but here more greuouse. So flee Scilla that thou fall not into Charibdis.Scilla & charibdys loke what they meane at the ende of the fyrst chapytre. To obserue these lytell thynges is holsome veryly: but to cleue vtterly vnto them is veray ieopardous. Paule forbiddeth not the to vse the lawe and ceremonyes / but he wyll not hym to be bounde to the lawe and ceremonyes whiche is free in Chryste: he condempneth [Page] not the lawe of dedes / yf a man vse it lawfully / without these thynges ꝑaduenture thou shalte not be a chryste [...] man / but they make the not a chrystē mā [...] / they wyll helpe vnto pite and godlynes / euen so yet yf thou vse them for that purpose. But and yf thou shalte begyn to enioye them / to put thy trust and confidence in them / at ones they vtterly destroye all the lyuyng of a christen man.Uyctym [...] was the sacryfyce of a beest wher of he that offered dydcate parte / & parte wente to thuse of the preestes the cal the kydneis & the fatte aboute them was burned to god / that same sacryfyce for certeyn cōsyde racyons is also called hostia. The apostle setteth nought by the dedes of Abraham / whiche to haue ben veray perfyte no man doubteth: & hast thou confidence in thyne. God disdeyneth certayne sacrifices called victime / the sabbottes and certayne holy dayes called Neomenye of his people the iewes / of whiche thyngꝭ he hymselfe was authour and cōmau [...]der / and darest thou cōpare thyne owne obseruaūces with the preceptes of the lawe of god? yet here god redy to spue at them & agreued with them For what entent (sayth he) offre ye to me the multytude of victimes / I am full. As for holocaustes of wethersHolocaustes that is the hole beest sacryfysed to god [...] no man hauynge parte therof / talowe or inwarde suet and fatte of beestes / blode of calues / of lambes and gotes I wolde not haue / whan ye cōme before my presence who hath requyred these thynges of your hādes that ye myght walke in my houses Offre ye no more sacryfyce in vayne / your [Page] ensence is abhomynacyon to meSabbot day was euery seuenth day as our sondaye. / I wyll not suffre any more the feest of the Neomenye and sabbot daye / with other feest dayes.Neomenye were holidays at the new of the mone. The companies of you are infected with iniquite / my soule hathe hated your kalendas & your solempne feestes.Kalendas that same that neomenyes be. These thyngꝭ be greuous vnto me / I was euen sycke to abyde them. And whan ye put forth your hādes / I wyl turne myne eyes from you: whan he reherseth the obseruaunces and maners of holy feestes and sacrifyce: more ouer the multyplyenge of prayers / noteth he not them as though he poynted them with his fynger / whiche measure theyr relygyon with a certayne nombre of psalmes and prayers / whiche they call dayly seruyce. Marke also an other thynge how meruaylously the facundyous ꝓphete expresseth hepyng togyder the disdayne or īdignacion of god:Esayas. so that he now coude suffre neyther with eares neyther eyes. what thynges (I beseche the)? veryly tho thyngꝭ which he himselfe had ordeyned to be kepte so religyously / whiche also were obserued so reuerētly so many yeres of holy kyngꝭ & ꝓphetes. And these thyngꝭ abhorreth he as yet in ye carnall lawe. And trustest thou ī ceremonyes made at home in thyne owne house / now in the lawe of the spiryt? God in an other [Page] place byddeth the same ꝓphete to crye incessantly and to put out his brest after the maner of a trumpe / as in an ernest mater & worthy to be rebuked sharply / & suche a ma [...] as vnneth coude be opteyned of these men but with moche ado. Me (sayth he) they seke from day to daye / & knowe they wyl my ways / as a people that hath done iustyce / & hath not forsaken ye iudgemēt of theyr god. They aske me for ye iudgemētes of iustyce / & desyre to drawe nygh to god: why haue we fasted (say they) & thou hast not loked vpon vs & meked our soules / & thou woldest not knowe it: lo in ye daye of your faste (answereth the prophete) your owne wyll is founde in you / and ye seke out all your detters / loo vnto stryfe and contencyon ye faste / & ye smyte with your fyst cruelly / faste ye not as ye haue fasted vnto this daye / that your crye myght be herde on hygh. Is this the faste that I haue chosen / that a man sholde vexe and trouble hymselfe for one daye / eyther that a man sholde bowe downe his heed as a hoke or cyrcle / and to strawe vndernethe hym sacke cloth & asshes: wylte thou call this a faste or a daye acceptable vnto god? But what shall we saye this to be: dothe god condempne that thynge / whiche he hym selfe commaunded? Naye forsothe. [Page] what than? But to cleue and stycke fast in the flesshe of the lawe / & to haue cōfidence of a thynge of nothynge that is it veryly whiche he hateth deedly. Therfore he sheweth that he wolde haue added in eyther place. Be ye wasshed (sayd he) and made clene / take away your euyl cogitacyons & thoughtes out of my syght: whan thou hearest the euyl thoughtes rehersed / toucheth he not euydētly the spiryte & the inwarde mā. The eyes of god seeth not outwarde / but in secrete / neyther he iudgeth after the syght of the eyes / neyther rebuketh after the hearyng of the eares. God knoweth not y• folysshe virgyns smothe & gay outwarde / empty of good workes inwarde: he knoweth not them whiche saye with lyppes Maister maister. More ouer he putteth vs in remēbraūce yt the vse of y• spūall lyfe standeth not so greatly in ceremonyes as in ye charite of thy neyghbour.The vse of spirytuall lyfe. Seke (saith he) iudgemēt or iustice / socour him that is oppressed / gyue true iudgemēt and ryght to hym that is fatherles & motherles or frendles / defende the wydowe / suche lyke thingꝭ dyd he knyt to the other place / where he speketh of fastyng. Is not this rather (saythe he) that faste I haue chosenEsayas. / loose or cancell cruell oblygacyons / vnbynde the burthens whiche make [Page] them stowpe to the grounde that be [...] them: let them that be brused go free [...] breake a sondre all burthen: Breake [...] breed to hūgry. The nedy & them whi [...] hath no place of habytacion / lede in to [...] house. whan thou seest a naked mā clo [...] hym / and dispyse not thyne owne fles [...] [...] what shall a christen man do than? [...] he dyspyse the cōmaundementes of [...] churche? Shall he set at naught y• ho [...] tradycions of fore fathers? Shall he [...] dempne godly and holy customes? Na [...] he be weake and as a begynner he sh [...] obserue them as thingꝭ necessary / but and if he be stronge and perfyte so moche the rather shall he obserue them / leest with his knowlege he shulde hurte his brother whiche is yet weake / leest he also shulde kyll hym for whome Christ dyed: we may not omytte these thynges / but of necessyte we must do other thynges. Corporall dedes be not condempned / but spyrituall are preferred. This visyble honouryng of god is not condempned / but god is not pleased sauyng with inuysible pytie & seruyce. God is a spyrit & is moued & styrred with inuysible sacryfyce. It is a great shame for christen men not to knowe that thyng whiche a certayne poete beyng a gentyle knewe ryght well / whiche gyuyng a pre [...]pt [Page] of dewe seruynge god saythe: If god [...] a mynde as scrypture sheweth vs / se [...] at thou honour him chefely with a pure [...]ynde. Let vs not dispyse the auctour be [...]g eyther an hethen man or without de [...]e of schole / the sentence becometh ye a [...]ght great diuyne: and (as I very well [...]ue perceyued) is lykewyse vnderstande [...] fewe / as it is redde of many. The intel [...]ctyon of the sentence veryly is this / lyke [...]ioysen with lyke. Thou thynkest god to [...] moued greatly with an oxe kylled and [...]cryfyced / or with the vapoure or smoke of frankensence / as though he were a body. God is a mynde / and veryly mynde most pure / most subtyle and perfyte / therfore ought he to be honoured most chefely with a pure mynde. Thou thynkest that a [...]a [...]re lyghted is sacrifyce / but a sacryfyce to god (saythe Dauid) is a wofull or a sorowfull spyrite. [...] And though he hath dispysed the bloode of gotes and calues / yet wyll not he dispyse a herte contryte and humble. If thou do that thyng whiche is gyuen to the eyen of men / moche rather take hede y• thyng not to be away whiche the eyen of god requyre. Thy body is couered with a coule or habyte / what is that to the purpose if thy mynde beare a seculer [...] If thy vtter man be cloked in [Page] a cloke whyte as snowe / let the [...]este mē tes of thy inner maner be white as snowe also agreable to the same. Thou kepest sylence outwarde / moche more procu [...]e that thy mynde be quyet within. In ye visyble temple thou bowest downe the knees of thy body: that is nothynge worthy if in the temple of thy brest thou stande vpright agaynst god. Thou honourest the tree of the crosse / moche more folowe the mistery of the crosse. Thou kepest the fastyng day and abs [...]eynest from those thyngꝭ whiche defyle not a man: & why absteynest thou not from fytthy talkyng / which polluteth thyne own conseyence & other mens also. Meate is withdrawen from ye body / but why glutteth thy soule her selfe with coddes of beenes / peson / & suche lyke whiche are meate mete for swyne. Thou makest the church of stone gay with goodly ornamētes / thou honourest holy places: what is yt to the purpose if the tēple of thy hert / whose walles ye prophete. Ezechyell bored through be ꝓpha [...]at or polluted with the abhomynaciōs of Egipt. Thou kepest the sabbot day outwarde / & within all thingꝭ be vnquier thrugh ye rage & tōbling of vicꝭ togider.The sabot day the day of rest. Thy body cōmytteth no adultry / but thou art couerous: now is thy mynde a fornycatour. Thou syngest or prayest [Page] with thy bodily tonge / but take hede with in what thy mynde sayth. with thy mouth thou blyssest / and with thy hert thou cursest. In thy body thou arte closed within a strayte celle / and in thy cogytacion thou wādrest throughout all the worlde. Thou herest the worde of god with thy corporall eares / rather here it within. what saythe the prophete? Except ye here within / your soule shall mourne and wepe. ye & what redest thou in the gospell: that whan they se they shulde not se / and whan they here they shulde not here. And agayne the prophete saythe / with your eare ye shall here and ye shall not perceyue: blyssed be they therfore whiche here the worde of god within. Happy are they to whome god speaketh within / and their soules shall be saued. This eare to enclyne is cōmaūded / that noble doughter of the kynge whose beaurye and goodlynesse is all togyther within in golden hemmes. Fynally what auayleth it if thou do not those yuell thinges outwarde / whiche with affection thou desyrest & coueytest inwarde. what auayleth it to do good dedes outwarde / vnto whiche within are cōmytted thyngꝭ clene contrary. Is it so great a thyng if thou go to Hierusalem in thy body / whan within thyne own selfe is both Sodome / Egipt / [Page] and Babylon. It is no great thynge to haue troden ye steppes of Christ with thy bodyly helesPylgrymages vnto holy plac [...] / but it is a great thynge to folowe the steppes of Christ in affectyon. If it be a very great thyng to haue touched the sepulcre of Christe / shall it not be also a very great thyng to haue expressed the mistery of his buryeng. Thou accusest & vtterest thy synnes to a preestConfessyon. / whiche is a man: take hede howe thou accusest & vtterest them before god / for to accuse them afore hym is to hate thē inwardly. Thou byleuest perchaūce all thy synnes and offences to be wasshed awaye at ones with a lytell paper or parchement sealed with wexe / with a lytle money or ymages of wexe offred / with a lytle pylgrymage goyng. Thou arte vtterly disceyued & cleane out of the way. The wounde is receyued inwardly / the medycyne therfore must nedes be layde to within: thyne affectyon is corrupt / thou hast loued that whiche was worthy of hate / and hated yt which ought to haue ben beloued. Swete was to the sower / and bytter was swete. I regarde not what thou shewe outwarde: but and if cleane contrary thou shalte begynne to hate / to flye / to abhorre that whiche thou lately louedest / if y• waxe swete to thyne appetyte whiche lately had the taste of [Page] [...]all: of this wyse at y• last I perceyue and take a token of helth. Magdalayne loued moche / & many synnꝭ were forgyuen her. The more thou louest Christ / y• more thou shalte hate vyces: for y• hate of fynne foloweth the loue of pytie as y• shadowe foloweth the body. I had leuer haue the hate ones thy vycious maners within and in dede / than to defye thē before a preest ten tymes ī worde. Therfore (as I haue rehersed certayne thyngꝭ for loue of ensāple) in the hole spectacle & syght of this vysyble worldeIn all besynes the spyryte is within. / in the olde lawe / in y• newe lawe / in all the cōmaundemētes of the churche / fynally in thy selfe & in all besynesse apertayning to man without forthe / is there a certayn flessh / & within a spyrit. In which thyngꝭ if we shall not make a p̄posterous ordre / neyther in thynges whiche are sene shal put very great cōfydencewhat thynges folow cheryte. / but euen as they do helpe to better thynges / and shall alwayes haue respect to ye spyrit to thingꝭ of charyte: than shal we waxe not heuy as men in sorowe & payne (as those men be) not feble / euer chyldren (as it is a ꝓuerbe) not beestly and drye bones (as saythe the prophete) without lyfe / drousye and forgetfull as men diseased of ye lethargy / not dull hauyng no quycknesse / not brawlers and scolders / not enuyous & whyspera [...]s [Page] or dackbyters / but excellent in Chryste / large in charyte / stronge and stable bothe in prosperyte and aduersyteProsperyte [...] aduersyte / loking besyde small thynges and enforsyng vp to thynges of most profyte / full of myrthe / full also of knowlege: whiche knowlege who so euer refuseth them dothe that noble lorde of all knowlege refuse. For veryly ignoraunce or lacke of experyence / whome for the moste parte accompanyeth dulnesse of lernyng / & that gentle woman whom the grekes call Philancia / yt is to saye loue of thy selfe / only brīgeth to passe (as Esayas sayth) that we put confydēce in thyngꝭ of nothing / & speake vanytes / yt we conceyue labour & bring forth iniquyte / and that we always be fearfull & vyle bonde seruaūtes vnto the cyremones of ye iewes. Of which maner persons Paule spekyng saythe / I beare thē recorde that the zele of god they haue / but not after knowlege.Chryste is the ende of the law But what knew they not? verily y• thende of the lawe is Christ / and Christ veryly is a spyrite / he is also charyte. But Esayas more playnly discrybeth the myserable and vnprofytable bondage of these men in the flesshe: Therfore saythe he my people be ledde in captiuyte bycause they had no knowlege / and the nobles of them perisshed for hunger / and the moultytude of them dryed [Page] away for thurste. It is no meruayle that the comen people be seruantꝭ to the lawe and princyples of this worlde / as they whiche are vnlerned / neyther haue wysdome more than they borow of other mē nes heedꝭ: it is more to be meruayled that they whiche are as chefe of Christes relygyon / in the same captyuyte perysshe for hunger / and wydder away for thurst. why perysshe they for hunger? Bycause they haue not lerned of Christ to breake barly loues / they only lycke rounde aboute the rough & sharpe codde or huske / they sucke out no mary or swete lycoure. And whye wydder they so awaye for thurst? for bycause they haue not lerned of Moyses to [...]ette water out of the spyrituall rocke of stone / neyther haue drunke of the ryuers of the water of lyfe whiche floweth / issueth / or springeth out of the bely of Christ: and that was spoken verely of the spyrit / not of the flesshe. Thou therfore my brother / leest with sorowfull laboures thou shuldest not moche p̄uayle / but that with meane exercyse myghtest shortely waxe bygge in Christe and lusty / dyligently enbrace this rule / & crepe not alwaye on the groūde with the vncleane beestes / but always sustayned with those wyngꝭ which Plato beleueth to springe euer a fresshe / [Page] through the heate of loue in the mynde of men.By the wyn [...]ges of loue we must flye vp to the spyryte Lyfte vp thy selfe as it were with certayne steppes of the ladder of Iacob / from the body to the spyrit / from ye visyble worlde vnto the inuysible / from the letter to the mystery / from thynges sencyble to thynges intellygible / frō thyngꝭ grosse and compounde vnto thynges syngle and pure. who so euer after this maner shall approche and drawe nere to the lorde / the lorde of his parte shall agayne approche and drawe nyghe to hym. And if thou for thy parte shalte endeuoyre to aryse out of the darknesse and troubles of the sensuall powers / he wyll come agaynste the plesauntly & for thy profyte / out of his lyght inaccessyble / and out of that noble scylēce incogytable:Incessable / is to vnderstonde that no man can attayne. Incogytable that can not be comprehended with mannes reason. In whiche not only all rage of sensuall powers / but also simylytudes or ymagynacions of all the intellygyble powers dothe cease and kepe scylence.
¶The syxth rule. capi .xiiij.
ANd for as moche as in sodayn writyng / one thyng calleth another to remēbraunce / I wyll now adde the syxth rule / whiche is in a maner of kynrede to them that go before: a rule for all men as necessary vnto helthe as it is of fewe regarded. [Page] That rule is thus / that the mynde of hym whiche enforseth and laboureth to Christ wardeThou must vary from the cōmen people / vary as moche as is possyble bothe from the dedes and also opynyons of the comen ley people / and that thensample of pyte be not fet of any other saue of Christe onely:The ensample of pyte. for he is the onely chefe patron / the only and chefe ensample or fourme of lyuyng / from whom who so euer wrieth one ynche or nayle brede / goth besydes the ryght pathe and rometh out of the way. wherfore Plato with grauyte veryly as he dothe many thynges in his bokes of the gouernaunce of a cyte or comen welthe / denyeth any man to be able to defende vertue constantly whiche hath not instructed his mynde with sure & vndouted opinyons of filthynesse and of honesty. But howe moche more peryllous is it if false opinyons of the thynges whiche pertayne to helthe shulde synke in to the depe botome of thy mynde. For that consyderacion therfore he thynketh that this thyng shulde be cared for and loked vpon chefely / that the gouernours them selfe whome it behoueth to lacke all maner of vnclenlynesse / graue in their owne myndes very good opinyons of thynges to be ensued & eschewed / that is to say of good and yuell / of vyces and of vertues / and [Page] that they haue thē very assured / all doute layde aparte as certayne lawes very holy and goodly: for what so euer thynge clea [...]eth in the mynde surely roted with stedfaste byleue / that euery man declareth in his maners and conuersacyon. Therfore the chefe care of christen men ought to be applyed to this poynteThe bringyng vp of chrysten mens chyldren / that their children streyght waye from the cradle / amongest the very flatterynges of the norises / whyles the father and mother kysse thē / maye receyue and sucke vnder the handes of them whiche are lerned / opynyons and perswasyons mete and worthy of Christ: bycause that nothynge eyther synketh deper or cleaueth faster in the mynde than that whiche (as Fabyus saythe) in the yonge and tendre yeres is poured in. Let be a farre of from y• eares of lytle bodyes wanton songes of loue / whiche christen men synge at whom & where soeuer they ryde or go / moche more fylthy than euer the comen people of y• hethen men wolde suffre to be had in vse. Let them not here their mother wayle & wring her handꝭ for a lytle losse of worldly goodes / nor for the losse of her suster let thē here her crye out alas that euer she was borne / seyng that she is but a wretche a woman loste or cast awaye / lefte alone desolate and destytute. [Page] Let not them here their father rebukynge and vpbraydyng hym of cowarnesse whiche hath not recōpensed iniury or wronge with double: neyther yet laudynge them whiche haue gathered togyder great habundaūce of worldly substaunce / by what soeuer maner it were. The disposycion of man is frayle and prone to vyces / he catcheth mischeuous ensample at ones: none otherwyse than thou catchest fyre if it be put to. Howe be it this selfe same thynge is to be done in euery age / that all the errours of the ley people myght be plucked out agayne from the mynde by the harde rootes / and in their places myght be planted holsome opinyons / and so myght be roborate yt with no vyolence they coulde be shakē or plucked a sondre / which thing who soeuer hath done shall easely & without besynesse by his owne accorde folowe vertueUertue is the knowlege of thynges to be auoyded and of thinges to be desyred and loued. / and shall accompte them that do otherwyse worthy to be lamented and pityed / & not to be counterfayte or folowed. Unto this thyng pertayneth that not vndiscrete sayeng of Socrates (thoughe it were rebuked of Arystotle) that vertue was nothynge els but the knowlege of thinges to be ensued and folowed / and of thynges to be eschewed or fledde: not but that Socrates sawe y• difference bytwene [Page] knowlege of honesty and the loue of the same. But as Demosthenes answered pronuncy a [...]ion to be the first / the seconde / and also the thyrde poynte of eloquēce / signyfyeng that to be y• chefe parte / in so moche that he thought eloquence to rest al togyther in that thynge onely. In lykewyse Socrates disputyng with Prothagoras / proueth by argumentes knowlege in all vertue to beare suche roume / that vyces can no other whence procede than of false opinyons.Synne spryngeth of false opynyons. For certaynly brother bothe he that loueth Christe / & he also that loueth voluptuousnesse / many false honour doth folowe that thyng whiche is to eyther of them swere / good / and beautyfull / but the one slydeth through ignoraunce / in stede of a swete thyng enbrasyng a thynge out of measure sowre / flyeng as a sowre thing that which is swetest of all: also folowing that thyng for good and for lucre whiche is naught els but domage and losse / and fearynge that thynge for losse / whiche is chefe gaynes or aduaūtage: and iudgyng that thynge to be fayre whiche is foule / and wenyng or trowyng that to be shamfull whiche onely is glorious and praysefull. In conclusyon if a man were surely and inwardly brought in byleue / and if also it were dygested in to the substaunce [Page] of his mynde as meate in to the substaūce of the body / that onely vertue were best / most swete / most fayre / moste honest / most profytable. And on the other syde fylthynesse only to be an yuell thyng / a paynfull tourment or punysshment / a foule thyng / shamfull / full of domage or losse: and dyd measure these thyngꝭ not by the opinyon of the comen people / but by the very nature of the thynges / it coulde not be (suche perswasyon or byleue endurynge) that he shulde stycke faste and cleaue longe tyme in yuell thynges. For nowe longe ago the comen people is founde to be the moste myscheuous auctoure or capitayne bothe of lyuyng and also of iudgement:The comē people is the worst [...]ctor or insti [...]utor of lyuyng neyther was the worlde euer in so good state and condycion / but that the worste hath pleased the moste parte. Beware leest thou this wyse thynke / no man is there that dothe not this / myne elders before me haue walked in these steppes / of this oppynyon is suche a man / so great a phylosopher / so great a diuyne. This is the custome and maner of lyuynge of kynges / this wyse lyue great men / this done bothe bysshoppes and popes / these veryly ben no comen people. Let not these great names moue the one ynche. I measure or iudge not the comen or rascall sorte by the [Page] roume / estate / or degree / but by the mynde and stomacke.Plato wylleth that we sholde ymagen a certen nombre of mē to be boūde with theyr heedes vpryght so that they coud not ones stirre / before them a wall / a caue at theyr backes hygher than theyr heedes / without that a fyre and that all thynges sholde come to & fro bytwene the fyre & the caues mouthe / that the shadowes of all thīgꝭ myght appere vpon the wall before them / so shold they se no this but shadowes / so be the ignorāt & vnlerned peple boūd with the bondꝭ of affections that thei neuer se the trouthe with eyes of reason. who so euer in the famous caue of Plato bounde with the bondes of their owne affectyons / wonder at the vayne ymages and shadowes of thynges in stede of very true thynges / they be the comen people. Shulde he not do preposterously or out of ordre if a man wolde go aboute to trye not the stone by the ruler or squyre / but the ruler by the stone? And were it not moche more vnreasonable if a man wolde go about to bowe and tourne / not the maners of men to Christ / but Christ to the lyuyng of men. Thynke it not therfore well or aright bycause that great men or bycause that the moste men do it / but this wyse onely shall it be well and ryght what so euer is done / if it agre to the rule of Christ: ye and therfore ought a thynge to be suspected bycause it pleaseth the moste parte. It is a small flocke and euer shalbe to whom is plesaunt the symplycite or playnesse / the pouertye / the veryte of Christe. It is a small flocke veryly but a blyssed / as vnto whome doutlesie is due onely the kyngdome of heuen. Strayte is the way of vertue and of very iewe troden on / but none other leadeth to lyfe. To cōcludeThe flocke of good [...]men is but small. / wheder doth a wise buylder fetche his ensample of the most comen [Page] and vsed or of the best werke. Paynters set afore them none but the best tables or patrons of ymagerye. Our ensample is Christ / in whom onely be all rules of blyssed lyuing / him may we coūterfayte without excepcion. But in good and vertuous men it shall be mete that thou call to ensample euery thynge / so farre forthe as it shall agre with y• fyrst ensample of Christ. As touchynge the comen sorte of christen men thynke thus yt they were neuer more corrupte / The comē people of chrysten men be moost corr [...]p [...]e. no not amongest the gentyles / as appertaynyng to the opynions of their maners. More ouer as touchynge their faythe what opinyous they ha [...]e aduyse them. This surely is doutlesse and to be abydden by / fayth without maners worthy of faythe preuayleth nothynge / in so muche also that it groweth to a heape of dampnacyon.The maner of the worlde [...] a [...]yes. Serche the hystories of antyquite / to them compare ye maners that be nowe adayes. whan was vertue and trewe honesty more dispysed? whan was so had in price richesse goten not regarded whēce? In what worlde at any tyme was trewer yt sayeng of Horacius:Horace the po [...]te. veryly that lady money gyueth a wyfe with dowery / credence / frendshyppe / noblenesse / noble kynne and also beautye. And agayne this sayeng of the same Horace / noblenes and [Page] vertue except a man haue good withall / is vyler than a russhe or a strawe. who redeth not in good ernest that byting mocke of the same poete: Oh cytezyns cytezyns / fyrst seke money / after seke vertue. whan was ryot or excesse more immoderat than nowe? whan was adultery and all other kyndꝭ of vnchaste lyuyng eyther more appert in the syght of euery man / or more vnpunisshed / or els lesse had in shame / rebuke or abhomynacion? whyle princes fauoure their owne vyces / in other men suffrynge them vnpunysshed / & euery man accompteth that moste comly and beautyfull to be done what soeuer is vsed and take vp amonge courtyers. To whom semeth not pouertye extreme yuell / and vttermoste shame and rebuke?The lybert [...] of olde tyme. In tyme paste against kepers of queenes / fylthy [...]ygardes / gloryous or gorgyous persons / louers and regarders of money were caste in the tethe with rebukful & slaundrous scoffyngꝭ and [...]estynges / ye with authoryte. And also in comedyes / tragydes / & other comē playes of the gentyles a great clappynge of handes and a showte was made for ioy of the ley people / whan vyces were craftyly and properly rebuked & checked: at the whiche same vycꝭ now a dayes beyng yuell praysed there is made a showte & clappyng of [Page] handes for ioye euen of y• nobles & estates of christen men.when the [...]mbasadors of kyng philyp had of fred to phosyō grete gyftes & had exhorted him to receyue them sayenge thoughe you may spare thē well ynonghe yet shall they be necessari for your chylderne to whōe it shal be harde to opteyne to come to suche honor as you are in / phosyō āswerd yf my children shal be like me this same possessiō shal fy [...]d thē which hath brought me to [...]e grete ho [...]our yf they sholde be vnlike me / I wyll not that theyrryot be norysshed and augmented at my coste. The athenes in their comen house apoynted for disgysinges & enterludes / coulde not forbeare ne suffre a iester in playeng a certayne tragedy of Euripides / to syng ye wordes of a certayne couetous man whiche p̄ferred money onely before all other cōmodytes & pleasure of mans lyfe: and they wolde playnly haue clapped out of the play / ye & violently cast out of the house the player with al y• fable except the poete by and by arysing vp had desired them to tary a lytle and beholde to what poynte that so great a wonderer at money shulde come. Howe many ensamples be there in the hystories of gentyles of them whiche of the comen welthe well gouerned & mynistred / brought nothynge in to their poore housholde but an honest opinyon or reputacion: whiche set more by fidelyte than mony / by chastyte thā by lyfe / whom neyther ꝓsperyte coulde make proude / wilde & wanton / neyther aduersite coulde ouercome and make heuy herted / whiche regarded honest ieoperdies & daū gers before voluptuousnesse & pleasures / whiche cōtented only with ye consciens of pure life / desyred neyther honours neither rychesse / nor any other cōmodytes of fortune. And to ouerhyp & make no rehersall [Page] of the holynesse of Phocion / of pouerty of Fabricius more excellēt than riches:Fabriciꝰ was a noble man of Rome whome no man coude make to posses rychesse or ryceyue gyftes or to vse crafte or fraude against his enemies in tyme of mortall warre. of the stronge & coragyous mynde of Camyllus / of ye strayte & indifferēt iustyce of Brutus / of the chastyte of Pithagoras / of the tēperaūce of Socrates / of the soūde & constant vertue of Cato: & a thousāde most goodly beames of al sortes of vertues whiche are red euery where in thy stories of ye lacedemones / of y• perces / of the athenesCamyllꝰ was so constaunt of mynde that no tortune coude moue hym nor no iniury coud make hym vnkynde to the comen welthe. / & of the romaynes to our great shame verily. Holy Aure [...]ius Augustyne as he of hym selfe wytnesseth in ye cōmentaryes of his owne cōfessions / longe tyme before he put christ on hym dispysed money / coūted honours for naught / was not moued with glory / prayseBrute slew his own sonnes by cause they conspyred agaynst the cōen welth / or fame / & to voluptuousnesse kept the bridell so strayte that he than a yonge man was content with one lytle wenche / to whom he kept also promesse & fayth of maryage. Suche ensamples amonge courtyers / amonge men of the churche:Pyctagoras was the auctor of chast lyuing I wyll also saye amongest relygyous persones shal not a man lyghtly fynde:Socrates sayd that he knewe well hym selfe to be vnlerned and he neuer laughed & yet was he mery, or els if any suche shall be / by and by he shall be poynted / wondred / or mocked at as it were an asse amonge apes / he shall be called with one voyce of al mē a dotyng foole / a grosse heed / an ypocrite in nothing expert / malē coly mad / & shal not be iuged to be a man. [Page] So we christen men honour the doctryne of Christ:The contynēce of saynte Augustyne. so coūtrefayte we it that euery where now adayes nothing is accompted more folysshe / more vyle / more to be ashamed of thā to be a christē mā in dede / with all the mynde & herte: as though yt eyther Christe in vayne had ben conuersaunt in erthe / or that christēdom were some other thyng nowe than in tyme past / or as it indyfferently ꝑtayned not to al men. I wyll therfore that thou frome these men vary with al thy mynde / and esteme the valure of euery thing by the cōmunyon or felowshyp of Christ onely.To be a very christen man is accompted euery where a very vyse thynge who thynketh it not euery where to be an excellent thyng / and to be nombred amonge y• chefe of all good thynges / if a man discende of a worshypfull stocke and of honourable ancestours / whiche thyng they call noblenesse.The va [...]yte of noble men. Let it not moue the one whyt whan thou herest the wyse men of this worlde / men of sadnesse endued with great authorite / so ernestly disputyng of the degrees of their genelogyes or lynage / hauyng their forheed and vpper browes drawen togyder with very gret grauyte / as it were a mater of a meruaylous diffyculte / ye & with great enforcement bringyng forthe playne tryfles. Nor let it moue the whan thou seest other so hygh mynded for ye noble actes of their [Page] grantfathers or great grantfathers / that thynke other in comparyson of them selfe scarse to be men: but thou laughyng at the errour of these men after ye maner of DemocrytusDemocrytus laughed at what soeuer thynge was done in the lyfe of mortall men: it semyd to hi so folishe a thyng shalte compte (as trewe it is in dede) that the onely & moste perfyte noblenesse is to be regenerate in Christ / & to be graffed and planted in the body of him / to be one body and one spyrit with god. Let other men be kyngꝭ sonnes: to the let it be greatest honour that can be that thou art called / and arte so in dede / ye sonne of god.The cheefest noblenesse is to be the sonne of god. Let them stande in their owne conceytes / bycause they are daily conuersaūt in great princes courtes: chose thou rather to be with Dauid vyle abiect in ye house of god. Take hede what maner felowes Christe choseth / feble persons / fooles / vile as touchynge this worlde. In Adam we all are borne of lowe degre. In Christ we are all one thyng neyther hygh ne lowe of degre one more thā another. Uery noblenesse is to dispyse this vayne noblenesse: very noblenesse is to be seruāt to Christ. Thynke thē to be thyne ancestours whose vertues thou bothe louest and coūtrefaytest. Also harke what the true estymer of noblenesse said in the gospell agaynst the iewes whiche bosted themselfe to be of the generacion of Abraham: a man verily not excellent [Page] only / not ryche only / not the conquerour of kyngꝭ onely / but also for his diuyne vertues lauded of god hym selfe. who wolde not thynke this to be a noble thyng & worthy wherof a man might reioyce? Herke yet what they herde: ye are (said Christ) of your father the dyuell / & the dedes of your father ye do.You [...]ay se here how Paule estemeth noble blodde. And here also Paule how he estymeth gentle bloode / acordynge to his maisters rule: Not al they (sayth he) whiche be of cyrcūcisyon of Israell be israelites / neyther all they that be of the sede of Abraham be the sonnes of Abraham. It is a low degre and shamfull to serue fylthynesse / and to haue no kynred with Christ / whiche knowlegeth kynred with no man but with suche as fulfylleth y• wyll of his father in heuen. He is with moche shame a bastarde whiche hath the dyuell to his father / and veryly who so euer dothe the dedes of the dyuell hath the dyuell to his father / except Christe lyed: but the truthe can not lye. The hyghest degree that can be is to be the sonne and heyre of god / the brother and coheyre with Christe: what their badges and cognisaunces meane let them take hede.The badges of true noblenes. The badges of Christ be comen to all men / & the most honourable whiche be y• crosse / the crowne of thorne / the nayles / the spere / the signes or tokens [Page] whiche Paule reioyseth to beare in his bodye. Of noblenesse therfore thou seest howe moche otherwyse I wolde haue the to iudge and thynke than the ley people ymagyne. who calleth not hym blyssed / ryche / & happy amonge the comen people whiche hath heaped togyther at home a great deale of golde? But iudge thou hym to be blyssed ynougheRyche men be not blessed. / ye that he onely is blyssed whiche possesseth Christ / very felycyte / & of all thynges the best. Iudge him happy whiche hath bought y• noble and precyous margaryte of pure mynde with the losse eyther of al his goodes or his body also / whiche hath founde the treasour of wysdome precyouser than all rychesse / whiche to be made ryche hath bought of Christ yt is moste ryche golde purifyed and ꝓued with fyre. what thyngꝭ thā be these whiche the comen people wondreth at / as golde / p̄cious stones / lyuelode: in a wrōge name they be rycheswhat is ryches. / in ye true name they be very thornes / which choke ye sede of the worde of god / acording to ye parable of the gospell. They be packes or fardels with whiche who soeuer be ladē neyther can folow poore Christ by strayte waye neyther enter by ye lowe dore into the kingdom of heuen. Thynke not thyselfe better by one heere if thou shuldest passe ī riches eyther [Page] Mydas or Cresus / but thynke thy selfe more boūde / more tangled / more ladē.Mydas & Cresus were two ryche kynges. He hath habūdantly ynough that can vtterly dispyse suche thynges. He is prouyded for suffyciently to whom Christ promysed nothing shulde be lackyng. He shal not be an hungred to whose mouthe manna of the worde of god semeth plesaūt. He shall not be naked which hath put Christ vpon hym.There is no d [...]mage in the losse of ryches. Thinke this only to be a losse as oft as any thyng of godlynesse is mynisshed / & any thing of vyces is encreased. Thinke it a great lucre or aduauntage whan thy mynde through encrease of vertue is waxē better. Thynke thou lackest nothyng as longe as thou possessest hym in whom is al thyngꝭ. But what is this whiche wretches call plesure? surely it is nothing lesse than y• it is called. what is it than? Pure madnesse it is / and playnly (as grekes be wont to say) the laughter of Ayax / swete poyson / plesaunt mischefe.Ayax in his madnee hanged vp two grete swyne supposynge the one [...]o haue bene Agamenō the other vlyxes his two mor [...]all [...]nemyes chā with moch laughter he raged against thē castynge many iniuryes in theyr teth / but whan he was com to his wyttes agayne he kylled hym self for shame and sorow / so bicause of voluptuous pleasure foloweth myschefe / it maye be well called the laughter of Aya [...]. Trewe & onely pleasure is the inwarde ioy of a pure conscience. The moste noble & deyntest dysshe that can be is the study of holy scrypture. The most delectable songes be ye psalmes endyted of the holy ghost. The most pleasaūt felowshyp is ye cōmunyon of al sayntes. The hyest deyntes of all is ye fruycion and enioyeng of the very truthe. Pourge [Page] nowe thy eyen / pourge thy eares / pourge thy mouthe / & Christ shall begyn to waxe swete & plesant to the whiche tasted ones sauerly: ye if / milesij sibarite / if all incontynent ryottours & epicuryens / shortly if the vniuersyte of ymagyners and deuysers of plesures shulde heape togyder al their flateryng subtyltes & deynty disshes / in comparyson of him only they shal seme to prouoke ye to spue. That is not by & by swete whiche is sauery / but that which is sauery to a hole man: if water haue the taste of wyne to hym whiche burneth in a hote feuer no / man wyll call that a plesure but a disease.Melosij Siber to were people whiche lyued dylycately Epycure put felycyte in voluptuousnes. Thou art disceyued if thou byleue not yt the very teeres be moche more pleasaunt to deuout and holy men than be to wicked men laughyngꝭ / mockynges / gestynges or scoffynges: if thou also byleue not fasting to be sweterThat is swete whiche sauoureth to a hole man. to ye one thā to the other plouers / quayles / fesantes / ꝑtriches pyke / troute / porpas / or the fresshe strugē. And the moderate bordes of thone apoynted with herbes & frutes to be moch more delycate than the costly & disdaynful feestꝭ of thother. Fynally the true plesure is / for the loue of Christe not to be ones moued with false apparaunt pleasures. Beholde nowe howe moche the worlde abuseth the names of loue and hate. whan a folysshe [Page] yonge man is clere out of his wytte and madde for a wenches sake / that the comen people calleth loue / and yet is there no veryer hate in the worlde.Folysshe loue. Trewe loue euen with his owne losse desyreth to se vnto another mans profite. whervnto loketh he saue vnto his owne pleasure / therfore he loueth not her but hymselfe: yet loueth he not hym selfe verily / for no man can loue another except he loue hym selfe fyrst / ye & except he loue hym selfe aryght. No man can hate any man atall except he first hate hym selfe. Neuerthelesse somtyme to loue well is to hate well / and to hate well is to loue well. who soeuer therfore for his lytle pleasure (as he supposeth it) layeth a wayte & gothe aboute to begyle a mayden with flateryng and gyftes / with fayre promesses / to plucke from her the best thynge she hath / that is to wete her perfytnesse / her chastyte / her symplycite / her innocēcy / her good mynde / & her good name / whether semeth this man to hate or to loue? Certaynely there is no hate more cruell than is this hate / whan the folyssh father and mother fauour the vyces of their chyldren:Tendernes towardes theyr chylderne. the comen sayeng is / howe tenderly loue they their chyldren. But I praye the howe crewelly hate they their chyldren whiche (whyle they folowe their owne [Page] affectyons) regarde not at all the welthe of their chyldren. what other wyssheth to vs our moste hatefull enemye the dyuell / than that we here synnynge vnpunysshed shulde fall in to eternall punysshment. They cal him an easy mayster and a mercyfull prince / whiche at certayne greuous offenses eyther wynke or fauoure them / that the more vnpunisshed men sinne / the more boldely & at large they might synne. But what other thynge thretneth god by his prophete to them whome he iudgeth vnworthy of his mercy: I wyll not (sayth he) vysyte their doughters whan they cō myt fornycacyon / nor their doughters inlawe whan they cōmytte adultery. Unto Dauyd what promysed he. I wyll (saythe he) with a rodde loke vpō their inyquites / and with whyppes their synnes / but I wyl not take my mercy from them. Thou seest howe all thynges are renewed in Christe / and howe the names of thynges are chaunged. who soeuer loue hym selfe otherwise thā well / hateth himselfe deedly. who soeuer be yuell mercyfull towarde hym selfe is a tyrant moste cruell. To care well is not to regarde. To hurte well is to do good. To distroye well is to saue. Thou shalte care well for thy selfe if thou shalte dispyse the desyres of the flesshe / [Page] if in good maner thou shalt rage agaynst vyces / thou shalte do to the man a good tourne. If thou shalt kyll the synner thou shalte saue the man. If thou shalt distroy that man hath made / thou shalte restore that god hath made. Come of nowe and let vs go further: what thynketh the erroure of the people power / wyckednesse / manhode / & cowardnesse to be? Call they not hym mighty whiche can lyghtly hurt whom hym lyst: though it be a very odyous power to be able to hurte / for in that are they resembled to noysome wormes and scorpyons / and to to the dyuell hym selfe / yt is to wete in doyng harme. Onely god is myghty in dede / whiche neyther can hurte if he wolde / neyther yet wolde if he coulde / for his nature is to do good. But this myghty felowe howe dothe he I beseche the hurte a man? He shall take away thy money? he shal beate thy body? he shall robbe the of thy lyfe? If he do it to hym that serueth god well / he hath done a good dede in stede of an yuell: but and if he haue done it to an yuell man / the one hath mynystred an occasyon veryly / but the other hath hurte hym selfe: for no man is hurte but of hym selfe. No man gothe aboute to hurte another except the same man hathe moche more greuously [Page] hurte hym selfe aforehande. Thou enforsest to hurte me in my money or goodes. Nowe hast thou through the losse of charyte hurte thy selfe most greuously. Thou canste nat fasten a wounde in me / but if thou haue receyued a woūde moche more greuous. Thou canste not take from me the lyfe of my body / onelesse thou haue slayn thyne own soule before. But Paule whiche to doo wronge was a man very weake and feble / to suffre wronge moste valyaunt and stronge / reioyseth that he coulde do all thynge in Christe. They call hym euery wher manly and bolde whiche beyng fyerse and of impotent mynde / for the leest displeasure that can be rageth setheth / or boyleth in wrathe / and acquiteth a shrewde worde with a shrewde worde / a checke with a checke / one yuel turne with another. On the other syde who so euer whan he hath receyued wronge maketh nothing a do / but dissymuleth as no suche thing were done / him thy call a cowarde / a dastarde hertlesse mete for nothynge: ye but what is more cōtrary to ye greatnesse of the mynde than with a lytell worde to be put asyde from the quyet and constācy of the spyrite / and to be so vnable to set at naught another mans folysshnesse / that thou shuldest thinke thyselfe to be no man [Page] except thou shuldest ouercome one shreude tourne with another. But howe moche more manfull is it with / an excellent and large mynde to be able to dispyse al maner iniuryes / and more ouer for an yuell dede to recompence a good? I wolde not call hym a bolde man whiche durste ieoparde on his enemy / whiche scale castell or town walles / whiche (his lyfe not regarded) put teth hym selfe in all maner ieoperdyes / a thing comen almost to al warryours / but who so euer coulde ouercome his owne mynde / who soeuer coulde wyll thē good whiche dothe hym harme / praye for them whiche curse him. To this man is due the propre name of a bolde and stronge man and of excellent mynde.A bolde man and a stronge in dede. Lette vs also dis [...]cusse another thyng / what the worlde calleth prayse / rebuke / and shame. Thou art praysed / for what cause and of whome? [...]nie prayse. [...] for fylthy thynges and of fylthy persons / this veryly is a false prayse and a trewe rebuke. Thou art dispraysed / thou art mocked or laughed at / for what cause and of whom? for godlynesse & innocency / & that of yuell men: this is not a rebuke / no ther is no trewer prayse. Be it y• all the worlde repreue / refuse / & disalowe it / yet can it not be but glorious & of great prayse y• Christ approueth. And though what soeuer is in [Page] the worlde agre / consent / & alowe / cryeng with a shoute y• is a noble dede / yet can it not be but shamfull that displeaseth god. They call wysdomewysdome of the worlde. euery where to gette good stoutly / whan it is goten to mayntayne it lustely / & to prouyde longe before for ye tyme to come: for so we here thē saye euerywher & in good ernest of thē whiche in shorte tyme gate substaunce somwhat habundantly / he is a thrifty man / ware and wise / cyrcumspect & prouydent. Thus saythe the worlde whiche is bothe a lyer hym selfe and also his father. But what saythe veryte: Foole saythe he / I wyll fet agayne this nyght thy soule from the. He had fylled his barnes with corne / he [...] siuf [...]ed his store houses with prouysyon of all vytayles / and had layde vp at home ha [...]oundauntly of money ynough: he thought nothynge was to be doone more. Thus had he doone / not bycause he entended as a nedy keper to sytte abrode on his rychesse heaped togyther / as the poetes fayne the dragon to haue kept the golden flece (whiche thing men do almost euerywhere) but he enteded to haue spente ioyously / & yet dothe y• gospell call this mā a foole. For what is more folissh / what is more grosse ymaginacion or more fondnesse than to gape at the snadowes [Page] and lose the very thinges / a thing whiche we be wonte to laughe at in the famous dogge of ysope:whyle we gape at snadowes we lose the very thynges / as the dogge of ysope whiche whil he gaped at the shadow lost his bone in the water. and in the maners of christen men is it not more to be laughed at / or rather to be wept at. He may be compted a rude and vnexperte merchaunt that knewe not this sayeng of Therence: To refuse money at a seasone is somtyme a great aduauntage / or who so euer wolde receyue a lytle aduaūtage in hande whan he knewe great losse shulde folowe. How moche more folysshnesse and vnaduysednesse is it to make ꝓuysion with so great care for this presente lyfe whiche is but a shadow / euery hour redy to fayle: namely whā god (if we byleue y• gospel) wyll minyster althing necessary for this lyfe / if we haue confydence in hym / & for the lyfe to come to make no prouysion atall whiche we must lede away full of mysery & wretchydnesse / if ꝓuisyon be not made nowe a forhāde with great dyligēce. Here another errour / they cal him perelesse polityke & in all thyngꝭ expert / whiche herknyng for all maner tydyngesTo herken for tydynges out of all contryes is rebuked. knoweth what is done throughout all the worlde / what is the chaunce of merchaundyse / what the kyng of Englande entendeth / what newe thyng is doone at Rome / what is chaunsed in Fraūce / howe the danes & the sytes lyue / [Page] what maters great prynces haue in counseyle: to make an ende shortly / who euer can babble with all kyndes of men of all maner busynes / hym they say to be wyse. But what can be farder from the thought of a wise mā / or nere to y• nature of a foole than to serche for those thynges which be done aferre of & ꝑteyne to the nothyng at al / & not so moch as ones veryly to thinke on those thyngꝭ whiche are done in thyne owne brest & perteyne to the onely. Thou tellest me of the trouble & busynes of england / tell me rather what trouble maketh in thy brest / wrath / enuy / bodyly lust / ambycyon / how nygh these be brought in to subiection / what hope is of victory / how moche of this hoost is put to flyght / how reason is decked or appoynted. In these thyngꝭ yf thou shalt be watchyng & haue a quycke eare & also an eye / yf thou shalte smell / yf thou shalt be circūspecte / I wyll call the polytyke & peerles: & that thynge whiche the world is wont to cast agaynst vs / I wyll horle agayne at hym: he is not wise at al / which is not wise for his owne ꝓfyte. After this maner yf thou shalt examyne all the cares of mortall men / theyr ioyes hopes feares studyes / theyr myndes or iudgemētes / thou shalt fynde all thyng full of errour whyle they call good euyl / & [Page] euyll good / whyle they make swete soure and soure swete: make light darknes / and darknes lyght. And this sort of men is the more parte by a great deale. Notwithstā dyng thou must euen at ones bothe defye them and set no store of them / leest thou sholdest be mynded to be lyke them: and also pite them so that thou woldest fayne haue them lyke vnto the. And to vse the wordes of saynt Augustyn: than is it mete bothe to wepe for them whiche are worthy to be laughed at / & to laugh at them which are worthy to be wepte for. Be not in euyll thyngꝭ cōfirmable to this worlde but be reformed in the newe wytte / that thou mayst approue not tho thyngꝭ whiche men wonder at / but what is the wyll of god / whiche is good / well pleasynge & ꝑfyte. Thou art very nygh ieopardy & no doute fallest sodeynly from the true waye yf thou shalte begyn to loke aboute the what y• moste parte of men do / & to herken what they thynke or ymagyn: but suffre thou whiche art the chylde of lyfe and of lyght also that deed men bury theyr deed bodies: & let the blynde capteyns of blynde men go away togyder in to the dyche: se thou ones moue not the eyes of thy herte any whether from the fyrst patron & chefe ensample of Chryste. Thou shalte not go [Page] out of the waye / yf thou folowe the guydynge of verite. Thou shalte not stumble in darknes / yf thou walke after lyght / the lyght shynynge before the:Eurypus is a certayne place in the [...]ee wher the flood chasigeth seuen tymes in a day & as ofte a night so that no shyp cā sayle agaist the streme. yf thou shalte separate coloured good thinges / frō good thyngꝭ in dede: and euyll thynges in dede from apparaunt euyll thynges thou shalt abhorre and not coūterfeyte the blyndnes of the cōmune people ragynge & chafynge them selfe after the maner of the ebbynge and flowyng of the see at the moste vayne illusyons and worldly thynges / with certeyn cortesyes of affections of wrathe / enuye / loue / hate / hope / feare / ioye / sorowe / ragyng more vnquietly than any Euripꝰ.Bragmanyes were people of a certayne Ile in Indea with whom al thi [...]ꝭ were comune & they lyued per f [...]ly despisyng riches possessions & all worldly thynges. The Bragmanyes / Cynikes / Stoikes be wonte to defende theyr pryncyples styfly with tothe & nayle: & euen the hole worlde repugnynge / all men cryenge & barkynge agaynst them / yet holde they styfly thar thynge whervnto they ones haue gyuen sure credence. Be thou bolde lykewyse to fasten surely in thy mynde the decrees of thy secte.Cinikes be the folowers of [...]y [...]genes the phlosopher which chorlishly checketh the vyces of men. Be bolde without mystrust / and with all that thou canst make to folowe the mynde of thyne authour / departynge from all contrary opynyons & sectes.
¶Here folowen opynyons mete for a chrysten man. Capl .xv.
[Page]LEt this excellent lernyng and paradoxes of the true chrysten fayth be sure and stedfast with the / that no christen man may thynke that he is borne for him selfe: neyther ought to haue the mynde to lyue to himselfe: but what so euer he hath what so euer he is / that all togyther lette hym ascribe not to hym self / but vnto god the authour therof / & of whome it came / all his goodes let hym thynke to be commune to all men.A chrysten mā is not borne for hym selfe eyther to folowe his owne pleasure. The charite of a christen man knoweth no properte: let hym loue good men in Chryst / euyll men for Chrystes sake / whiche so loued vs fyrst whan we were yet his ennemyes / that he bestowed hymselfe on vs all togyder for our redempcyon: let hym enbrace the one bycause they be good: the other neuertheles to make them good: he shall hate no man at all / no more veryly than a faithful phisicyan hateth a sycke man: let hym be an ennemy onely vnto vices: the greater the disease is / the greater cure wyll pure charite put therto: he is an adulter / he hath cōmytted sacrilege / he is a turke: let a christen man desye the adulter / not the man: let hym despyse the cōmytter of sacrilege / not the man:we must desye [...] abhorre the vices / but not the man. let hym kyll the turlie / not the man: let hym fynde the meanes that the euyll man perysshe suche as he hathe [Page] made hym selfe to be / but let the man be saued whom god made: let hym wyll well wysshe well / and do well to all men vnfaynedly: neyther hurte them whiche haue deserued it / but do good to them whiche haue not deserued it: let hym be glad of all mens cōmodytees as well as of his owne / & also be sory for all mens harmes none otherwyse than for his owne. For veryly this is that whiche thapostle commaūdeth: to wepe with them that wepe / to ioye with them that ioyen / yea let hym rather take an other mans harme greuouser thā his owne: & of his brothers welthe be gladder than of his owne. It is not a christe mans parte to thynke on this wise what haue I to do with this felowe / I knowe not whether he be blacke or white he is vnknowen to me / he is a straūger to me / he neuer dyd ought for me / he hathe hurt me somtyme / but dyd me neuer good Thynke none of these thinges: remembre onely for what beseruyng can those thynges whiche Chryst hath done / for y• which wolde his kyndnes done to the / sholde be recompensed / not in hym selfe / but in thy neyghbour. Onely se of what thynges he hath nede / & what thou art able to do for hym. Thynke this thynge onely / he is my brother in our lorde coheyre in Chryste / a [Page] membre of the same body / redemed with one blode / a felowe in y• cōmune fayth / called vnto y• very same grace & felicite of the lyfe to cōme / euen as the apostle sayd one body and one spiryt as ye be called in one hope of your callyng one lorde & one faith one baptisme / one god / & father of al whiche is aboue all & euerywhere / & in all vs / how can he be a straūger to whome thou art coupled with so many folde bondes of vnite? Among the gentyles let those circū staunces of rethoricyens be of no lytel valure & weyght / eyther vnto beniuolence or vnto maliuolēce / he is a citezī of y• same cite / he is of aliaūce / he is my cosin / he is my familiar frende / he is my fathers frende / he hath wel deserued / he is kynde / borne of an honest stock / riche or otherwise. In Christ all these thynges eyther be nothyng / or after the mynde of Paule be al one / & the very selfe same thynge: let this be euer p̄sent before thyne eyes / & let this suffyse the / he is my flesshe / he is my brother in Chryste. what soeuer is bestowed vpon any mēbre reboūdeth it not to all y• body / & frō thens in to the heed? we al be membres eche one of an other / mēbres cleuyng togyder make a body. The heed of y• body is Iesu Christ the heed of Christ is god. It is done to the it is done to euery one / it is done to Christ [Page] it is done to god: what so euer is done to any one membre which so euer it be / whether it be well done or euyll: Alle these thynges are one / God / Chryst / the body / and the membres / that sayinge hathe no place iōuenyently amonge chrysten men / lyke with lyke. And the other sayinge dyuersite is mother of hate: for vnto what purpose perteynen wordes of discencyon wher so great vnite is / it sauoureth not of chrysten fayth that cōmunly a courtyer to at owne dweller: one of the countree to ar inhabyter of the cite: a man of hygh degree / to an other of lowe degree: an offycer / to hym that is offycelesse: the ryche to the poore: a man of honour / to a vyle ꝑso [...]e: the myghty to the weyke: the italyen to the germayne: the frensshe man to the englysshman: the englysshe to ye scotte: the gramaryen to the dyuyne: the logycyne [...] to the gramaryen: the phisician to the man of lawe: the lerned to the vnlerned: the eloquent to hym that is not facounde and lacketh vtteraunce: the syngle to the maryed: the yonge to the olde: the clarke to the laye man: the preest to the monke: the Carmelytes to the Iacobytes: & that (leest I reherse all dyuersytees) in a very tryfle vnlyke to vnlyke / is somwhat parcial & vnkynde: where is charite which loueth [Page] euen his ennemy: whā the surname chaunged / whan the colour of the vesture a lytel altered / whā the gyrdle or the shoo and lyke fantasies of men make me hated vnto the?Charyte is not in them which hate another man bycause his vesture or garmente is a lytell altered and chaunged. why rather leaue we not these childysshe tryfles / & accustome to haue before our eyes that whiche ꝑteyneth to the very thyng: wherof Paule warneth vs in many placꝭ / that al we in Chryst our heed be membres of one body / endued with life by one spiryte (yf so be we lyue in hym) so that we sholde neyther enuy the ha [...]pyer mēbres / & sholde gladly socour & ayde the weyke membres: that we myght ꝑceiue y• we our selfe haue receyued a good tu [...]ne / whan we haue done any benefyte to our neyghbour: & that we our selfe be hurte / whan hurte is done to our brother / & that we myght vnderstande how no mā ou [...]ht to study pryuately for hymselfe / but eu [...]ry man for his owne parte sholde bestowe in cōmune that thing whiche he hath rec [...]yued of god / that all thyngꝭ myght redoūde & reboūde thyder agayne / frō whens they spronge / that is to wyte / frō ye heed.Let euery mā bestowe in comen what soeuer he receyued of god. This veryly is the thynge whiche Paule wryteth to the Corynthes / saying. As y• body is one & hath many mēbres / & all the membres of the body though they be many / yet be they but one body. Euen so lykewise is [Page] Chryst / for in one spiryt we be all baptised to make one body / whether we be iewes or gentyles / whether we be bonde or free / and all we haue dronke of one spiryte (for the body sayth Paule) is not one membre but many: yf the fote shall say / I am not y• hand / I am not of the body: is he therfore not of the body? yf the eare shall say / I am not the eye / I am not of ye body: is he therfore not of the body? yf all the body sholde be the eye / where is than the hearynge: yf all the body were y• hearyng / where than shold be the smellyng. But now god hath put the membres euery one of them in the body / as it pleased hym: for yf all were but one mēbre / where were y• body: but now veryly ben there many membres / yet but one body. The eye can not say to the hand I haue no nede of thy helpe / or agayn the heed to the fete / ye be not to me necessary: but those mēbres of the body whiche seme to be y• weyker are moche more necessary: & to those whiche we thynke to be the viler membres of the body we gyue more haboundaunt honour: & those whiche be our vnhonest mēbres haue more haboūdaunt honesty / for our honest mēbres haue nede of nothyng. But god hath tempered & ordred the body / gyuyng plenteous honour to that parte whiche lacked / bicause there [Page] shold be no diuision / debate or stryfe in the body / but that the mēbres sholde care one for an other indifferently. But it is ye whiche are the body of Chryst & membres one dependynge of an other. He wryteth lyke thyngꝭ to the Romayns / saying in one body we haue many membres / & all mēbres haue not one offyce. Euen so we beynge many are but one body in Chryst:Euery membre hath his [...] pacyon necessarye to the profite of the soule but syn gularly we be mēbres eche one of another hauing gyftes dyuers after the grace whiche is giuen to vs. And agayn to ye Ephe [...]. workyng verite (saith he) in charite / let vs in al maner thyngꝭ growe in hym whiche is the heed / y• is to wyte Chryst in whome all the body cōpacte & knyt by euery ioynt wherby one parte mynystreth to another accordyng to the operacion & vertue whiche spryngeth of the heed & capacite of euery membre / in receyuynge maketh the encrease of the body for the edifyeng of hym self in charite. And in another place he biddeth euery mā to beare one anothers burden / bicause we be mēbres one of another. Loke than whether they ꝑteyn vnto this body whome thou hearest spekyng euery where after this maner / it is my good / it came to me by inheritaūce / I possesse it by ryght & not by fraude / why shall not I vse it and abuse it after myne owne mynde / [Page] why sholde I gyue them of it any deale at all to whome I owe nothyng / I spyll / I waste / I destroye / that whiche peryssheth is myne owne / it maketh no mater to other men. Thy membre complayneth and grenneth for hunger / and thou spewest vp partryges. Thy naked brogher shyuereth for colde / & with the so great plenty of ray mēt is corrupte with mothes & long lyeng One nyghtes dicing hath lost the a thousande peces of golde / whyle in the meane season some wretched wenche (nede compellynge her) hath set forth her chastite to sell / & is becōme a cōmune harlot / & thus peryssheth ye soule for whome Christ hath bestowed his lyf. Thou sayst agayn: what is that to me / I entreate y• which is myne owne after myne owne fascion: & after all this with this so corrupte mynde thynkest thou thy selfe to be a chrystē man / whiche art not ones a man veryly? Thou hearest in the presence of a greate multytude the good name or fame of this or y• man to be hurt / thou holdest thy peace / or ꝑaduēture reioysest & art well cōtent with y• backbyter. Thou sayst I wolde haue reproued hī yf those thinges whiche were spoken had ꝑteyned to me / but I haue nothynge ado with hym whiche was there sclaundered. Than to conclude / thou hast nothynge [Page] ado with the body / yf thou haue nothyng ado with the membre / neyther hast thou ought ado with the heed / veryly yf y• body nothynge aꝑteyne to the. A man (say they now a dayes) with violence may defende & put abacke violēce? what the Emperours lawes ꝑniyt I passe not theron. This I meruaile how these boyces came in to the maners of chrysten men / I hurt hym / but I was ꝓuoked / I had leuer hurt than be hurt. Be it mans lawes punisshe not that which they haue ꝑmytted. But what wyl the Emperour Chryste do / yf thou begyle his lawe whiche is wryten in Mathewe. I cōmaunde you (sayth Chryst there) not ones to withstāde harme:Desyre not vengeasice. but yf a mā shall gyue the a blowe on the ryght cheke / offre to him also ye other. And who so euer wyll stryue with the in the lawe / & take frō the thy cote / yelde vp to hym also thy cloke or mātell. And who so euer shall compell the to go with hī one myle / go with hī two mo other. Loue your enemyes / & do good to them whiche hate you / & pray for them which ꝑsecute you & pyke maters agaynst you / that ye may be ye sones of your father which is in heuen / which maketh ye sonne to ryse vpon good & euyll / & sendeth rayne vpon iust and iniust. Thou answerest / he spake not this to me / he spake it to his apostles / [Page] he spake it to ꝑfyte ꝑsons. Herdest thou not how he sayd that ye may be the sones of your father: yf thou care not to be the sone of god / that lawe ꝑteineth not to the.This is spokē to all chrysten men. Neuerthelesse he is not good veryly whiche wolde not be ꝑfyte. Harke also an other thynge: yf thou desyre no rewarde / the cōmaūdemēt belongeth not to the: for it foloweth. If ye loue them whiche loue you / what rewarde shall ye haue: as who shold say none: for veryly / to do these thinges (yt is to saye / to loue them that loueth the) is not vertue: but not to do it / is an euyll thynge: there is dette of neyther syde where is iust recōpence made of bothe sydes. Here Paule bothe a great wyse man & conuynge & an interpretour also of Christes lawe. Blesse (sayth he) them yt ꝑsecute you / blesse them / & curse them in no wyse / rendrynge to no man euyll for euyll / yf it may be almoche as in you is / hauyng rest & peace with all men / not defendyng your selfe my best beloued bretherne / but gyue place & withstande ye not wrathe: for it is writen. Uengeaūce shal be reserued to me & I wyll quyte them sayth our lorde. But yf thyne ennemy shall be hungry / gyue to hym meate: yf he be athurst / gyue to hym drynke: for yf thou do this / thou shalt hepe coles of fyre vpon his heed / that is to say / [Page] thou shalt make hym to loue feruētly. Be not ouercōme of euyll / but ouer cōme euyl in goodnes. what shall than folowe sayst thou / yf I shal with my softnes nourysshe vp the knappyshnes or malyce & frowarde audacite of an other man / & in suff [...]yng an olde iniury prouoke a newe? If thou can without thyne owne euyll eyther auoyde or put by euyll / no man forbyddeth the to do it: but yf not / loke thou say not it is better to do thā to suffre.To a chrysten man / it is bet to suffre than to doo. Amende thyne enne my yf thou can / eyther ladynge hym with benefites / or ouercōmyng him with mekenes: yf that helpe not / it is better that the one perysshe thā bothe: it is better yt thou waxe ryche with the lucre & aduaūtage of pacyence than that whyle eyther to other rendreth euyll / bothe be made euyll. Let this therfore be a decree amonge chrysten menThe decree of chrysten men. / to compare with all men in loue / in mekenes & in benefytes / or doynge good: but in siryuyng hate or backbytyng / in rebukes & iniury / to gyue place euē to them that be of lowest degre / & that with good wyll. But he is vnworthy to whome a good turne sholde be done / or an euyl forgyuen / yet is it mete for the to do it / and Chryst is worthy for whose sake it is done I wyll neyther (saye they) hurte any man neyther suffre my self to be hurt: yet whan [Page] thou art hurt / se thou forgyue the trespace with all thy herte / prouydynge alwayes that nothynge be whiche any man sholde remytte or forgyue vnto the. Be as ware & diligent in auoydynge that none offence or trespace procede from the / as thou art easy and redy to remytte an other mans.Offences must be forgyuen. The greater man thou art / so moche the more submytte thy selfe / that thou in charite aplly thy self to al men. If thou cōme of a noble stock / maners worthy of Chryst shall not dishonour / but honour ye noblenes of thy byrth.A gentylman. If thou be cōnyng & wel lerned / so moche the more soberly suffre & amende the ignoraūce of ye vnlerned.A cōnyng man. The more is cōmytted & lent to ye / the more art thou bounde to thy brother.A ryche man. Thou art ryche / remēbre thou art the dispēser / not the lorde: take hede circūspectly how thou entreatest the cōmune good. Byleuest thou that ꝓprete or īpropriacyon was ꝓhybyte & voluntary pouerte emoyned to monkes onely?Pouerte is not emoyned to monstes onely. Thou art deceyued / bothe ꝑteyne indifferētly to all chrysten men. The lawe punissheth y• yf thou take away any thing of an other mans: it punissheth not if thou withdrawe thyne owne frō thy nedy brother: but Chryst wyl punysh both. yf thou be an offycer / let not the honour make the more fyerse / but let the charge make the [Page] more diligent & fuller of care. I beare not (sayst thou) no offyce of the chyrche / I am not a shepherd or a bysshop. Let vs graūt you that / but also art thou not a chrysten man / consyder thou of whens thou art / yf thou be not of y• chyrche. So gretly Chryst is cōmen in to contempte to the worlde / that they thynke it a goodly and excellēt thynge to haue nothyng to do with hym: & that so moche the more euery mā sholde be despysed the more coupled he were to hym. Hearest thou not dayly of the lay ꝑsones in theyr fury the names of a clarke / of a preest / of a monke / to be cast in our tethes / in stede of a sharpe and cruell rebuke saying thou clarke / thou preest / thou monke / that thou art: & y• is done / vtterly with none other mynde / with none other voyce or ꝓnouncynge / than yf they sholde cast in our tethes incest or sacrilege.Incest is to me dell with theyr owne kynne I verily mernayle why they also cast not in our tethes baptym / why also obiect they not agaynst vs with the sarazyns the name of Chryst as an obprobrious thyng.Sacrylege is to violate persones sacred to god / or to rob churches. If they sayd an euyl clarke / an vnworthy preest / or an vnreligyous monke / in y• they myght be suffred as men which note the maners of the ꝑsones / & not despyse the ꝓfessyon of vertue. But who so euer counteth prayse in them self the deflouryng of virgyns / good [Page] taken away in warre / money eyther won or lost at dyce or other chaunce / and haue nothing to lay against another man more spytefull or obprobrious or more to be ashamed of / than the names of a monke or a preest. Certaynly it is easy to coniecture what these / in name onely christen men iudge of Christ. There is not one lorde of the bysshops and another of the temporall offycers / but bothe be vnder one / and to the same bothe muste gyue accomptes: If thou toke any otherwhere saue vnto hym onely / eyther whan thou receyuest thoffye [...] or whan thou mynistrest it / it maketh no mater though the worlde call the not a symonyake / he surely wyll punysshe the as a symonyake.A symonyake. If thou labour and make meanes to obtayne a comen offyce / not to profite in comen / but to prouyde for thyne owne welthe priuatly / and to aduenge thy selfe of them to whome thou owest a grudge / thy office is bribery or robery afore god. Thou hūtest after theues not that he shulde receyue his owne that is robbed / but leest it shulde not be with the whiche is with y• theues. How moche difference I pray the is there bytwene the theues & the / excepte peraduenture yt they be the robbers of merchaūtes / & thou the robber of robbours.A prety note for shrenes [...] other offyce [...]. In conclusyon except [Page] thou beare thyne offyce with this mynde / that thou be redy / & that with the losse I wyll not say of thy goodes / but of thy lyfe to defende that whiche is ryght / Christe wyll not approue thy adminystracyon. I wyll adde also another thyng of ye mynde or iudgemēt of Plato: No man is worthy of an offyce whiche is gladly in an offyce. If thou be a prince / beware leest these perylous wytches the voyces of flaterers do enchaunt or bewytche the.He is worthy to be an officer whiche is in offyce agaynst his wyll. Thou arte a lorde / ouer the lawes thou arte fre / what soeuer thou doest is honest / to the is laufull what soeuer thou lyst. Those thinges pertayne not to the whiche are preached dayly of preestes to the comen people: ye but thynke thou rather whiche is trewe / that there is one mayster ouer all men / and he is Christe Iesus / to whome thou oughtest to be as lyke as is possyble / to whom thou oughtest to confyrme thyselfe in all thynges / as vnto hym certaynely whose authorite or roume thou bearest.Chryst is lorde bothe of laye men & also of preestes. No man ought to folowe his doctryne more straytely than thou / of whome he wyl aske accomptes more straytly than of other. Thynke not streyghtwaye that to be ryght that thou wylte / but onely wyll thou whiche is ryght. what so euer maye be fylthy to any man in the worlde / se that [Page] thou thynke not that an honest thynge to the / but se thou in no wyse permytte to thy selfe any thynge whiche is vsed to be forgyuen and pardoned amonge the comen sorte.Desyrē but that whichis ryght. That whiche in other men is but a small trespace / thynke in thy selfe to be a great outrage or excesse. Lette not thy rychesse greater than the comen peoples bringe vnto the honoure / reuerence / and dignyte / fauoure / and authorite: but lette thy maners better than the comen peoples vtterly deserue them. Suffre not the commen people to wonder at those thynges in the / wherwith are prouoked and entised the very same mischeuous dedes whiche thou punysshest dayly.The honesty [...] of good maners. Take away this wondryng & prayse of rychesse / & where be theues / where be oppressours of the comen welthe / where be cōmytters of sacrylege / where be errāt theues & robbers or reuers: take away wōdring at voluptuousnes / & wher be rauysshers of women / where be adulters. As often as thou wylt apere sōwhat acordyng after thy degre amōge thy frendes & subiectes or them ouer whom thou bearest offyce / roume or authorite / set not opē thy ryches & tresure to ye eyen of folysshe persons. whan thou wilt seme somwhat welthy / shewe not in bost the ryottous example of expence and [Page] boluptuousnesse. First of al let them lerne in the to dispyse suche thynges / let them lerne to honoure vertue to haue measure in pryce / to reioyce in temperaūce / to gyue honour to sobre lowlynesse or mekenesse. Let none of those thynges be sene in thy maners and conuersacyon / whiche thyne authorite punyssheth in the maners and conuersacyon of the people. Thou shalte banysshe yuell dedes in the beste wyse / if men shall not se tychesse and voluptuousnesse / the mater and groūde of yuell dedes to be magnyfyed in the. Thou shalte not dispyse in cōparyson of thy selfe any man / no not the vylest of the lowest degree / for comen and indyfferent is the price wherwith ye bothe were redemed. Let not the noyse of ambycion / neyther fiersnesse / neyther wepons / nor men of the garde defēde the from cōtempt but purenesse of lyuyng grauyte / maners vncorrupte and sounde from al maner vyces of the comen people. Nothyng forbyddeth (in bearyng rule) to kepe ye chefe roume / & yet in charyte to discerne no roume.The rule of chrysten prynces. Thynke bearīg of roume or rule to be this / not to excell & go before other men in habundaūce of rychesse / but to profyte al men as moche as is possyble. Tourne not to thyne owne profyte thynges whiche are comen / but bestowe those [Page] thynges whiche be thyne owne / & thyne owne selfe all togyther vpon the comen welthe. The comen people oweth very many thynges to the / but thou owest all thynges to them. Though thyne eares be compelled to suffre names of ambycion / as moste myghty / moste christened / holynesse / & maiesty / yet let thy mynde not be a knowen of thē / but referre al these thingꝭ vnto Christ to whom only they agre. Let the cryme of treson agaynst thyne own ꝑson (whiche other with great wordꝭ make an haynous offēce) be counted of y• a very tryfle.The maieste of a Prynce. He vyolateth the maiesty of a prīce in dede / whiche in the princes name dothe any thyng cruelly / vyolētly / mischeuously contrary to ryght. Let no mannes iniury moue the lesse than y• whiche pertayneth to the priuatly: remembre thou arte a publyke person / and that thou oughtest not to thynke but of comen maters. If thou haue any corage with the and redynesse of wytte / consydre with thy selfe not howe great a man thou arte / but howe great a charge thou bearest on thy backe: and the more in ieoperdy thou arte so moche the lesse fauour thyselfe / fetchyng ensample of mynistryng thyne offyce not of thy predecessours or els of flaterers / but of Christe:The ma [...]er & forme of berynge rule must be set of chryste. for what is more vnreasonable than that [Page] a christen prince shulde set before hym for an ensample Hanyball / great Alexandre / Cesar / or Pompey / in ye whiche same persons whan he can not attayne some certayne vertues / he shall counterfayte those thynges moste chefely whiche onely were to be refused and auoyded. Let it not forth withall be taken for an ensample if Cesar haue done any thyng lauded in histories / but if he haue done any thyng whiche varyeth not from the doctryne of our lorde Iesu Christ / or be suche that though it be not worthy to be coūtrefayted yet may it be applyed to the study or exercyse of vertue. Let not an hole empyre be of so great valure to the that thou wollest wetyngly ones bowe from the ryght: put of that rather than thou shuldest put of Christe. Doute not Christ hath to make the amendes for thempyre refused / ferre better than the empyre.what is comly for prynces. Nothing is so comly / so excellent / so glorious vnto kynges as to drawe as nygh as is possyble vnto the simylitude of the hyest kyng Iesu / whiche as he was the greatest so was he also the best.Chryst is the gretest / he is also the best. But that he was the greatest that dissymuled he and hydde secrete here in erthe: that he was the best / that had he leuer we shulde perceyue and fele / bycause he had leauer we shulde countrefayte that. He denyed [Page] his kyngdome to be of this worlde / whan he was lorde of heuen and erthe also. But the princes of the gentyles vse domynion vpon them. A christen man exercyseth no power ouer his but charyte / & he whiche is the chefest thynketh hymselfe to be mynyster vnto all men / not mayster or lorde. wherfore I meruayle y• more a great dele howe these ambycyous namesThe clergy is touched of ambycyō & vayne tytelles of names. of power and domynyon were brought in / euen vnto the very popes and bysshops / and that our diuynes be not ashamed no lesse vndiscretly than ambyciously to be called euerywhere our maysters / whā Christ forbade his discyples that they shulde not suffre to be called eyther lordes or maysters: for we must remēbre that one is in heuen both lorde & mayster Christ Iesus / whiche is also heed vnto vs al. Apostle / a sheparde a bysshop / be names of offyce or seruyce / The names of offyce. not of domynion & rule: A pope / an abbot be names of loue / not of power. But why entre I in to ye great see of the cōmune errours? vnto what soeuer kynde of men he shal turne himselfe / a very spūall mā shall se many thingꝭ whiche he may laugh at / & mo whiche he ought to wepe at / he shall se very many opynyons to farre corrupte and varyeng from the doctryne of Christe bothe farre & wyde: of the whiche a great [Page] parte springeth there hence / that we haue brought euen into christendom a certayne worlde / and that whiche is redde of the worlde amonge the olde diuynes / men of small lernyng nowe adayes referre to thē whiche be not monkes. The worlde in the gospell with the apostels / with saynt Augustyne / Ambrose / and Hierome be called infydels straungers from the faythe / the enemyes of the crosse of Christe. Blasfemers of god / they that are suche care for to morow and for the tyme to come / for who soeuer mistrusteth Christe neyther byleue on hym: they be they whiche fyght and stryue for richesse / for rule / for worldly plesure as men whiche blynded with delyces of sencyble thynges / set their myndes and hole affectyons vpon apparēt good thynges / in stede of very good thynges. This worlde hath not knowen Christ the very and trewe lyght. This worlde is altogyther set on myschefe / loueth hym selfe / lyueth to hym selfe / studyeth for hym selfe and for his owne pleasure / & all for lacke he hath not put vpon hym Christ whiche is very & true charyte. From this worlde separated Christe not his apostels onely / but all men who soeuer and as many as he iudged worthy of him. After what maner than and fassyon I praye you do we [Page] myngle with christēdom this worlde euery where in holy scrypture condempned? and with the vayne name of the worlde fauour / flatter / and mayntayne our owne vyces. Many doctours and teachers augment this pestylence / whiche corruptyng the worde of god (as Paule saythe) wresten and fassyonen his holy scrypture according to ye maners of euery tyme / whan it were more cōuenyent that the maners shulde be adressed & amended by the rule of his scrypture. And no myscheuouser kynde of flatterynge veryly is there / than whan with the wordes of the gospell and of the ꝓphtes we flatter y• diseases of the mynde and cure thē not. A prince hereth al power is of god:All power is of god. forthwith (as ye prouerbe sayth) his combe ryseth. why hath the scrypture made the hygh or swellyng in mynde rather than circumspecte & carefull. Thynkest thou that god hath cōmytted to the an empyre to be gouerned / and thynkest thou not that the same wyl requyre of the a strayte rekenyng of the ordringe therof? The couetous man hereth it to be forbyd vnto christen men to haue two cotesThou shalt not haue two cotes. at ones. The diuyne interpreteth the seconde cote to be what soeuer shulde be superfluous & more than ynough for the necessyre of nature / & shulde apertayne to the disease [Page] of couetousnesse: that is very well (saythe the grosse felowe) for I yet lacke very many thynges. The naturall wyse man and colde from charyte hereth this to be ye ordre of charyteA new ordre of charyte. / that thou shuldest regarde and set more of thyne own money than of another mans / of thyne owne lyfe than of another mans / of thyne own fame thā of another mans. I wyll therfore saythe he gyue nothyng leest peraduenture I shulde lacke myselfe. I wyll not defende another mannes good fame or good name / leest myne owne be spotted therby. I wyll forsake my brother in ieopardye / leest I my selfe shulde fall in peryll also. To speake shortly I wyll lyue altogyther to my selfe that no incommodyte come to me for any other mans cause. we haue also lerned if holy men haue done any thynge not to be counterfayted or folowed / ye onely to take of them & drawe in to the ensample of lyuyng. Adulterers & murdrers flateren and clawen them selues with the example of Dauyd. Suche as gapeth after worldly ryches lay against vs for their excuse riche Abraham. Princes whiche counte it but a sporte or pastyme euery where to corrupte and defyle virgyns / nombre & reken vp to cloke their vyce the queenes cōcubynes of Salomon. They whose bely is their god / [Page] [...]ayeth for their excuse the dronkennesse of Noe. Incestes whiche pollute their owne kynswomen / cloke & couer their fylthynes with thēsample of Loth / whiche lay with his owne doughters. why tourne we our eyen from Christ to these men? I dare be bolde to say that it ought not to be countrefayted and folowed / no not so moche as in ye prophetes or Christes apostels veryly / if any thyng swarue or wrie from the docttryne of Christe.Nothynge oughte to be counterfeyted whiche varye from chryste. But if it delyte men so greatly to countrefayte holy synners / I do not agaynst saye them / so that they countrefayte them hole and altogyther. Thou hast folowed Dauyd in adulterye / moche more folowe hym in repentaunce. Thou hast coūtrefayted Mary Magdalayne a synner / coūtefrayt her also louyng moche / countrefayte her wepyng / coūtrefayte her castynge her selfe downe at y• the fete of Iesu. Thou hast ꝑsecuted ye churche of god as Paule dyd / thou hast forsworne thy selfe as Peter dyd: Se lykewyse that thou stretche forthe thy necke for ye faythe and relygyon of Christe after the ensample of Paule / and that thou feare not the crosse no more than Peter. For this cause god suffreth euen great and ryght excellent men also to falle in to certayne vyces / that we whan we haue fallen shulde [Page] not dispayre / but with this condycion / [...] that we as we haue ben their felowes in synnyng & doyng amysse / euen so wyll be their companyons and parteners in the amendynge of our synnes and mysdedes. Nowe do we greatly prayse and magnify that same thynge whiche was not to be countrefayted and folowed / and certayne thyngeswe turne good thyngꝭ to euyll whiche were well done of them / we do depraue and corrupt / after the maner of spyders suckynge out the poyson onely / if any be therin / or els tournynge euen the holsome ioyce also in to poyson to our selues. what dothe AbrahamesA con [...]ytous man foloweth not Abraham. ensample belonge to the / whiche makest of thy money thy god? Bycause he was enryched with encrease of catell (god makynge his substaunce and goodes prosperouslye to multiplye) and that in the olde lawe whiche was but carnall: shal it therfore be lawfull to the whiche arte a christen man / by ryght or wronge / by hoke or croke / from whence soeuer it be / to heape togyther rychesse as moche as euer kyng CresusCresus. had (whose exceding great ryches is come into a comen prouerbe) whiche rychesse ones gotten thou myghtest eyther yuell spende & leudly waste / or els (whiche is a great deale worse) hyde & bury moste couetously depe in the groūde. How lytle [Page] Abrahā dyd set his mynde vpon his goodꝭ and ryches / whiche came to hym habundātly by their owne acorde / euen this thīg may be an euydēt token & profe that with out delay at ye voyce of god cōmaundyng him / he brought forthe his onely sonne to be slayne. Howe moche thinkest thou disspysed he his droues of oxen whiche dispysed euen his owne sonne? And thynkest thou whiche dreamest nothyng els but of fylthy lucre & aduaūtage / whiche praysest and settest by nothynge but only money / whiche art redy as sone as there chaunce any hope of lucre / be it neuer so lytle / eyther to disceyue thy brotherRedy to deceyue thy brother for mony. / or to set christ at naught / yt there is any simylitude or like thing bytwene the & Abrahā? The simple and innocent wenches the doughters of Loth whan they behelde al ye region roūde aboute on euery parte brēnyng & flamyng with fyre / and supposed yt it whiche was than in syght afore their eyen had ben all the hole worlde / & that no man was preserued from that so large & wastfull fyre but onely their selues / lay priuely & by stelthe with their owne father / not of a fylthye but vertuous and holy purpose / that is to wete / leest none issue of mankynde shulde haue remayned after them / & that whan this precept of god (growe and multyply) [Page] was as yet in full vygoure and strength. And darest thou compare thy filthy & prodigyous voluptuousnesse & lechery with the dede of these wenches? Nay I wolde not doute to counte thy matrymony not so good as their inceste commytted with their father / if in matrymonye thou doest not studye for issue / but to satysfye thyne owne voluptuous apetyte or lust.The wedlocke of some men is worse then the incest of lothes doughters. Dauyd after so many excellent and noble ensamples of vertue and good lyuynge shewed / The mysdedes or [...]ynnes of holy mē we passe farre nowe a dayes / [...] that many wayes. fell ones in to adulterye by occasyon and oportunyte gyuen him: and shal it be laufull therfore to the streyght way at thy lybertye / to roll / walter / and tomble from house to house in other mens beddes all thy lyfe lōge? Peter ones for feare of deth denyed his mayster Christ / for whose sake afterwarde he dyed with good wyll: Shal it be laufull thynkest thou than to the for that cause / to forsweare thy selfe for euery tryfle? Paule synned not purposely and for the nones / but fell through ignoraūce: whan he was warned and taught / he repented forthwith and came into the right waye. Thou bothe ware and wyse / and seynge what thou doest / wetyngly and wyllyngly cōtynuest from youthe to age in vyces and synnes / and yet by the ensample of Paule strokest thou thyne own [Page] heed. Mathewe beyng commaunded but with one worde / without any taryeng / at ones vtterly forsoke all his offyce of receyuynge custome or tollage: but thou arte so sworne and maryed to thy money that neyther so many ensamples of holy men / neyther the gospels of often herde / nor so many preachynges can deuorce or plucke the from it.Saynt Auste [...] is excused he had but one at ones. The bysshoppes say vnto me / saynte Augustyne (as it is red) had two soueraygne ladyes or concubynes: ye but he than was an hethen man / and we be nourisshed vp in christendome: he was yonge / and our heedes be hore for age. A worshypfull comparyson / bycause that he beyng yonge / and also an hethen man to auoyde the snares of matrymony / had a lytle wenche in stede of a wyfe / and yet to her whiche was not his wyfe kept he the ꝓmes of wedlocke. Shal it be therfore ye lesse shame for vs christē men beyng olde / beyng preestes / ye beyng bysshops to be altogyther spotted & fyled in euery podell one after another of bodily lustꝭ. Farwele good maners whan we haue gyuen to vices y• names of vertues / & haue begon to be more wily & subtyle in defēdyng our vyces than dilygēt to amende them / most specyally whan we haue lerned to nourysshe / to vnderset / and to strengthe our [Page] frowarde opinyons / with the helpe & ayde of holy scrypture. Thou therfore my most swete brother (the comē people altogyder set at naught with their bothe opynyons and dedes) purely & holly hasten the vnto the chisten seccte. what soeuer in this lyfe apereth to thy sensyble powers eyther to be hated or loued / al yt for the loue of pytie and vertuous lyfe indyfferently dispysed / let Christe onely to the be suffycient / the onely auctour bothe of true iudgyng and also of blissed lyuyng. And this veryly the worlde thynketh to be pure folysshnesse & madnesse: neuer the lesse by this folysshnesse it pleaseth god to saue them whiche on hym byleue. And he is happely a foole that is wyse ī Christ: & he is wofully wise that is folisshe in Christ. But herest thou / as I wolde haue y• to vary strongly frō the comen people / so I wolde not y• thou shewyng a poynt of curryshnes / shuldest euery where barke against y• opinyons & dedꝭ of other men / & with authorite cōdempne thē / pratle odiously against all men / furyously preche agaīst y• liuyng of euery ꝑson leest thou purchace to thy selfe two yuels togyther.A mā may not barke euery where agaynst the dedes of other men. The one yt thou shuldest fal into hate of all men: thother that whan thou arte hated thou shuldest do good to no man. But be thou all thynges to all men / [Page] to wynne all men to Chryste as moche as may be (pite not offēded) so shape & fascion thy self to al men outwardly / that within thy purpose remayne sure / stedfast & vnmoued / withoutforth let gentylnes / curteys language / softnes / profytablenes allure & entyce thy brother / whom it is mete with fayre meanes to be īduced to Chryst / & not to be feared with cruelnes. In conclusion that whiche is in thy brest is not so greatly to be rored forth with cruell wordes / as to be declared and vttred with honest maners. And agayne thou oughtest not so to fauour the infyrmite of the cōmun people that thou durst not at a tyme strongly defende the verite: with humanite men must be amended / and not deceyued.
¶The seuenth rule. Caplo .xvj.
MOre ouer yf thrugh infancye & feblenes of mynde we can not as yet attayne to these spiritual thyngꝭ / we ought neuerthelesse to study not the sluggyssher one deale / yt at the leest we drawe as nygh as is possyble.we must styll be clymmynge ye thoughe we dispeyre to atteyn to the top. How be it the very & compendyous way to felicite is / yf at ones we shall turne our hole mynde to the contemplacyon & beholdyng of celestial thyngꝭ so feruently / that as the body bringeth with [Page] hym his shadow / euē so the loue of Christ the loue of eternal thingꝭ & honest brīgeth with hym naturally the lothsomnes of caduke & transytory thyngꝭ & the hate of fylthy thynges. For eyther other necessaryly foloweth the other: & the one with y• other eyther augmēteth or mynyssheth. As moche as thou shalt ꝓfyte in y• loue of Chryst so moche shalt thou hate the worlde. The more thou shalt loue & set by thynges inuisyble / the more vyle shall waxe thynges vayne & momentany. we must therfore do euen that same in the discyplyne of vertue whiche Fabius counseyleth to be done in scyences or facultees of lernynge / that we at ones prece vp to the best / whiche thyng yet yf through our owne faute wyll not cōme to passe. The nexte of all is that we at the leest may by certayne naturall prudence abstayne frō great vices / & kepe our [...]selfe (as moche as may be) hole & soūde to the benefycence of god. For as that body is nere vnto helthe / whiche (though it be wasted) is free yet & out of the daunger of noysome humours / euen so is that mynde more capaxCapax apte to receyue. of the benefyte of god / whiche is not yet inquynate or defyled with greuous offences / though she lacke yet true and perfyte vertue. If we be to weyke to folowe the apostles / to folowe the martyrs / [Page] to folowe the virgynes / at the leest waye let vs not comyt [...]e that the Ethnykes or hethen men sholde seme to ouerronne vs in this playne or lystes.If thou cā not counterfet holy sayntes / be not yet inferior to hethen men. Of the whiche very many whan they neyther knewe god whome they shold drede / neyther by leued any hell whome they sholde feare: yet determyned they that a man ought by all craftes to auoyde & eschewe fylthynesse for the thynge it selfe. In so moche that many of them chose rather to suffre the losse of fame / losse of goodes / in conclusyon to suffre losse of lyfe / than to departe from honeste. If synne it selfe be suche a maner thynge / that for no cōmodytees or incōmodytees proffered to man it ought to be commytted. Certaynly yf neyther the iustyce of god feare vs / neyther his benefycence dyscourage vs and moue vs to the contrary / yf no hope of immortalite or feare of eternall payne call vs abacke / or elles yf the very naturall fylthynesse of synne withdrawe vs not / whiche coude withdrawe the myndes of the very gentyles. At the leest waye let a thousande incōmodytees whiche accompanye the synner in this lyfe put a chrysten man in feare:Ponder in thy mynde the incōmodytees of synne. as infamye / losse or waste of goodes / pouertye / the contempte and hate of good men / grefe of mynde / [Page] vnquietnes & furment of conscyence most myserable of al / whiche though many fele not now presently / eyther bycause they be blynded with dulnesse of youthe / or made drōke with the voluptuousnes & pleasure of synne / yet shall they feale it here after: & playnly the later it hapneth / so moche the more vnhappely shall they feale it: wherfore yonge men moost specyally sholde be warned & exhorted that they wolde rather byleue so many authors that the very nature & properte of synne were thus in dede than with myserable & wofull experyence lerne it in them selfe / & that they wold not cōtaminate nor defyle theyr lyf before they knewe surely what lyfe ment. yf Chryst be to the vyle / to whom thou art so costly / at the leestway for thine owne sake refrayne thy self frō fylthy thynges. And though it be very perylous to tary anywhile in this state / as bitwene thre wayes (as it is ī the prouerbe) neuertheles vnto them whiche can not as yet clym vp to the pure / ꝑfyte & excellent vertue / it shall not be a lytel ꝓfitable to be in the ciuyle or morall vertues rather than to [...]on hedlong in to all kynde of vices and vnclenlynes.heare that is [...]n cyuyl or morall vertues. Here is not the restyng place & quiet hauen of felicite / but from hens is a shorter iourney & an easyer stayre vp to felicite. In the meane season [Page] for all that / we must pray god that he wyl vouchsafe to plucke vs vp to bettthyngꝭ.
¶The eyght rule. Caplo .xvij.
IF the storme of temptacion shal ryse agaynst the somwhat thycke & greuously / begyn not forthwithal to be discō tent with thy selfe / as though for y• cause god eyther cared not for the / or fauoured the not / or y• thou sholdest be but an easye christen man / or else the lesse ꝑfyte: but rather gyue thākes to god bycause he instructeth the as one whiche shall be his heyre in time to cōme / bicause he beteth or scourgeth y• as his moste singular beloued sone and ꝓueth the as his assured frende. It is a very great token a man to be reiect from the mercy of god whā he is vexed with no temptacyons. Let cōme to thy mynde the apostle Paule whiche obteyned to be admitted or let in euen in to the mysteries of the thyrde heuen / yet was he beaten of the aūgell of sathan. Let cōme to remēbraūce the frende of god Iob:Temptacyon is a sygne that god loueth vs. remembre Ierom / Benedict / Frauncys / & with these innume rable other holy fathers vexed & troubled of very great vices: yf that which thou suffrest be cōmen to so greate men / be cōmen to so many men as well as to the / what [Page] cause is there wherfore thou sholdest be smyt [...]e out of countenaūce / sholdest be abasshed or fall in to despayre? enforce rather & stryue that thou mayst ouercōme as they dyd / god shall not forsake the / but with temptacion shal make encrease / that thou mayst be able to endure.
¶The nynth rule. Caplo .xviij.
AS expert capteyns are wōt to cause whan all thinges are quiet at rest & at peace / that the watchewe must euer kepe watche. neuerthelesse be dewly kepte: lykewyse se thou that thou haue alway thy mynde watchyng & circū specte agaynst the sodeyn assaute of thyne enemy (for he euer cōpasseth roūde abouteLet temptaciō be holdē down at the begynnynge whyle it is freshe. sekynge whome he myght deuoure) that thou mayst be the more redy as soone as he assauteth the to put hym backe manfully / to confoūde hym & forthwith to trede vnderfote the heed of y• pestyferous & poyson serpēt: for he is neuer ouercōme eyther more easely or more surely & ꝑfytly / thā by that meanes.The chyldren or babylon sygnyf eth subgestyon or tēptacyō or the fyrst inociōs to syn. Therfore it is a very wyse poynt to dasshe the yonge chyldren of babylon (as soone as they be borne) agaynst the stone whiche is Chryst / or they growe stronge & greate.
¶The tenth rule. Caplo .xix.
[Page]BUt the tēpterRemedyes against tēptaciō is put backe most of al by this meanes / yf thou shalt eyther vehemētly hate / abhorre & defye / & in a maner spyt at hym streyghtway whā so euer he entyceth & moueth the with any tēptacyon / or else yf thou pray feruently or gete thy selfe to some holy occupacion / settyng thyne hole mynde ther vnto: or yf thou make answere to the tempter with wordes fette out of holy scripture / as I haue warned the before. In whiche thynge veryly it shall not ꝓfyte meanly agaynst al kynde of temptacyon to haue some certayne sentences prepared and redy / specyally those with whiche thou hast felte thy mynde to be moued and stered vehemently.
¶The .xj. rule. Caplo .xx.
Two daungers chefely folowe good men / one leest in temptacyon they gyue vp theyr holde.The nyght feare: is fearelest we sholde be ouercome. An other leest after the victory in theyr consolacyon and spyrytuall ioye they waxe wanton and stande in theyr owne conceyte / or elles please themselfe.The deuyll of myddaye is pryde. Therfore that thou mayst be sure not onely from the nyght feare / but also from the deuyll of myddaye:Remēbre thou arte able to do all thynges in Chryste. loke whan thyne ennemy stereth the vnto fylthy thynges that thou beholde not thyne [Page] owne feblenes or weyknes / but remēbre onely that thou canst do all thynges in Chryst / which said not to his apostles onely / but to the also & to al his mēbres / euen vnto the very lowest. Haue confidence for I haue ouercōme ye worlde. Agayn whan so euer eyther after thyne ennemy is ouer cōme / or in doyng some holy worke / thou shalt fele thy mynde inwardly to be cōforted with certeyn preuy delectacyōs. Than beware diligently y• thou ascrybe nothing therof vnto thyne owne meritꝭ / but thāke onely the free beneficence of god for all to gyder / & holde downe & refraynethy selfe with the wordes of Paule / sayinge. what hast thou / that thou hast not receyued? yf thou haue receyued it / why reioyiest thou as though thou haddest not receyued it? And so agaynst this double myschefe shall there be a double remedy / yf thou in the conflict mystrustyng thyne owne strength doest flee for socour vnto thy heed Chryst / puttynge the hole trust of conquerynge in the benyuolence of hym onely. And yf also in the spirytuall conforte and consolacyon thou immedyatly gyue thankes to hym for his benefyte / humbly knowynge and confessynge thyne vnworthynes.
¶The .xij. rule. Caplo .xxj.
[Page]WHan thou fyghtest with thyne ennemyes / thynke it not ynough for the to auoyde his stroke / or put it backe / excepte thou also take ye wepon frō hym manfully / & laye therwith agayne at the owner / kyllynge hym with his owne sworde. That shall cōme to passe on this wyse. yf whā thou art ꝓuoked vnto euyll thou do not onely abstayne frō synne / but therof doest take vnto the an occasyon of vertue:Of temptacion take euer an occasiō of vertue. & as poetes elegantly fayne y• Hercules dyd growe & was also hardened in courage thrugh the daungers that Iuno put vnto hym of displeasure. Thou lyke wyse gyue also attendaūce that by the instigacions of thyne enemy not onely thou be not y• worse but rather be made moche better. Thou art stered vnto bodyly lust / knowe thy weyknes / & also lay apart somwhat the more of lawfull plesures / & adde some encrease vnto chaste & holy occupaciōs. Thou art prycked vnto couetousnes & nyggysshe kepyng: encreace almes dedes Thou art moued vnto vayne glory: so moche the more humble thy selfe in al thyngꝭ And thus shall it be brought aboute that euery temptacyon may be a certeyn renewing of thy holy purpose / & an encreace of pite & vertuous lyuyng.Let tēptacyōs be euer the renewyng of thy holy purpose. And veryly other meanes is there none at al of so great vertue [Page] & strength to vaynquish & ouerthrowe our ennemy: for he shall be afrayde to prouoke the a fresshe / leest he which reidyseth to be the begynner and chefe capyteyne of wyckednes sholde mynyster an occasyon of pite / vertue and godlynes.
¶The .xiij. rule. Caplo .xxij.
BUt alway take hede that thou fyght with this mynde & hope / as though that shold be the last fyght that euer thou shalt haue / yf thou gete the ouer hande [...]for it may be veryly that the benignite of god wyll gyue & graūte this rewarde vnto thy vertue and noble acte: that thyne ennemy ones ouercōme to his shame / shall neuer afterward cōme vpon the agayn. A thyng whiche we rede to haue happened to dyuerse holy men: neyther bileueth Origene agaynst reason / that whan chrysten men ouercōme / than is y• power of theyr ennemyes minisshed / whiles ye aduersary ones put backe manfully / is neuer suffred to returne agayn to make a fresshe batayle. Be bolde therfore in the conflycte to hope for ꝑpetual peace.After one batayle we must loke for another. But agayn after thou hast ouercōme / so behaue thy selfe as though thou sholdest go agayne to fyght strayght waye / for after one temptacyon / we must [Page] loke euer for an other: we may neuer departe frō our harneys & wepons: we may neuer forsake our stādyng: we may neuer leue of watche as longe as we warre in the garryson of this body. Euery mā must haue alway that sayinge of the ꝓphete in his herte / I wyll kepe my standynge.
¶The .xiiij. rule. Caplo .xxiij.
WE must take very good hede that we despyse not any vyce as lyght for no enemy ouercōmeth oftener thā he which is not set of: in which thyng I ꝑceyue not a fewe men to be greatly deceyued: for they deceyue thēself whyle they fauour thēself in one or two vices / Som mē fauer theyr own vicꝭ whiche euery mā af [...] his owne appetyte thinketh to be venial / & al other greuously abhorre A great parte of thē which the cōmun people calleth ꝑfyte & vncorrupte / greatly defyeth theft / extorciō / murder / adultery / incest: but single fornicacyon & moderate vse of voluptuous plesures as a smal trespas they refuse not all. Some one man beyng vnto all other thyngꝭ vncorrupte ynough is somwhat a good drynker / is in riot and expenses somwhat wastefull. An other is somwhat lyberall of his tonge. An other is combred with vanite / vayne glory and [Page] bosting. At the last what vice shal we lack yf euery man after this maner shal fauour his owne vice?The Images of vertue. It is an euydē [...] token that those men whiche fauour any vyce at all sholde not truly possesse the other vertues but rather some ymagꝭ of vertues whiche eyther nature or bryngyng vp / fynally very custome hath graffed in the myndes of the very gētiles. But he whiche with chrysten hatred abhorreth any one vyce / must nedes abhorre al: for he whose mynde true charite hath ones possessed hateth indifferently the hole host of euyll thynges / & flatereth not hymselfe so moche as in venyal synnes / leest he myght fall a lytel & a lytel from the smallest to the greatest: & whyle he is necligent in lyght thyngꝭ myght fall from the chefest thyngꝭ of al.Dayely must somwhat of our euylles be [...]ake awaye / [...] of good thingꝭ be added. And though thou as yet canst not plucke vp by ye rotes the hole generacyon of vyces: neuertheles somwhat of our euyll propertees must be plucked away day by day / & sōthing added to good maners: af [...] y• maner diminissheth or augmenteth y• great hepe of Hesiodus.
¶The .xv. rule. Caplo .xxiiij.
IF the labour whiche thou must take in the cōflict of tēptacyon shall feare the / this shall be a remedy.The bitternes of the fyght must be compared with the payne whiche foloweth the synne. Se thou compare [Page] not the grefe of the fight with the plesure of the synne: but matche me the p̄sent bytternes of the fyght with y• bytternes of the synne hereafter which foloweth him yt is ouerthrowen: & than set the p̄sent swetnes of the synne which entyseth the / with the plesure of the victory hereafter / & with the tranquillite of mynde which foloweth him y• fighteth lustely: & anone thou shalt ꝑceyue how vnequall a comparyson there shal be. But in this thyng they whiche be but lytell circūspect are deceyued / bycause they compare the displeasure of the fyght with the pleasure of the synne / & consyder not what foloweth the one and the other For there foloweth hym whiche is ouercōme grefe bothe more paynfull a greate deale & also of longer cōtynuaūce than he shold haue had in tyme of fyght / yf he had wonne the victory. And lykewyse there foloweth the cōquerours more pleasure by a greate deale & of longer enduraūce than was the pleasure which caryed hym in to synne that was ouercōme. whiche thyng he shall lyghtly iudge / that hathe had the profe of bothe.Proue [...]otyme what it shal be to ouercome. But noman that is christened ought to be so outryght a cowarde though he were dayly subdued of temptacyon / but that he shold ones at the leest do his endeuoyre to proue what thynge it is [Page] to ouercōme temptacyon / whiche thynge the oftener he shall do / the pleasaunter shall the victory be made vnto hym.
¶The .xvj. rule. Caplo .xxv.
BUt yf at any tyme it shal fortune the to receyue a deedly wounde / beware leest by & by (thy shelde cast away and wepons forsaken) thou yelde thy self to thyne ennemyes handes / whiche thynge. I haue perceyued to happen vnto many / whose myndes naturally are somwhat feble and softe without resistence / Dyspayre not thoughe thou be ouer come. y• after they were ones ouerthrowen / they seaced to wrastle any more / but permitted & gaue themselfe altogyder vnto affectiōs / neuer thynkyng any more to recouer theyr liberty agayne. To to moche perilous is this weyknes of spiryte / which now & thā though it be not coupled with y• worst wyttes in y• worlde / yet is it wonte to brynge to y• poynt whiche is worste of all / to desperacion veryly. Agaynst this weyknes therfore thy mynde must be aforehande armed with this rule / that after we haue fallen in to synne not onely we sholde not despayre / but coūterfeyte bolde men of warre / whome not seldom shame of rebuke & grefe of the woūde receyued not onely putteth not to flyght [Page] but sharpeneth and refressheth agayne to fyght more fyersly thā they dyd before.A fal somtyme courageth a mā to wrastell more strongly. In lyke case also after yt we haue ben brought in to deedly synne / let vs haste anone to cōme agayne to our selfe & to take a good herte to vs / & to repayre agayn y• rebuke & shame of the fall with newe courage & lustynes of strengthe. Thou shalt heale one woūde sooner thā many: thou shalt easlier cure a fresshe woūde than that whiche is now olde and putrifyed. Cōforte thy selfe with that famous verse whiche Demostenes is said to haue vsed. A man that fleeth wyll yet fyght agayn. Call to remēbraūce Dauid the ꝓphete / Salomō the kyng / Peter a capteyn of the churche / Paule the apostle / so great lyghtes of holynesse: in to what great sinnes for al yt fell they? Which all ꝑaduenture euen for this cause god suffred to fall / leest thou whan thou haddest fallen sholdest despeyre: ryse vp agayn therfore vpon thy fete but that quickly & with a lusty courage / & go to it a fresshe / bothe fyerser & also more circumspect. It happeneth somtyme that deedly offences growe to good men in to a heape of vertuous lyuynge / whyle they loue more feruently whiche erred moost shamefully.
¶The .xvij. rule. Caplo .xxvj.
[Page]BUt agaynst sondry & dyuerse assautꝭ of the tempter thine ennemy / sondry and dyuerse remedyes are very mete & cō uenyent.The crosse of Chryste. Neuertheles the onely & chefe remedy whiche of all remedyes is of moost effycacye & strength agaynst all kyndes eyther of aduersite or else temptacyon is the crosse of Chryst. The whiche selfe same is bothe an ensample to them that go out of the waye / & a refresshyng to them that labour / & also armure or harneys to them y• fyght. This is a thynge to be cast agaynst all maner wepons & barres of our moost wycked enemy. And therfore it is necessary to be exercised diligently therin / not after the cōmun maner / as some men repete dayly the hystory of the passion of Chryst / or honour the ymage of the crosse / or with a thousande signes of it arme all theyr body rounde on euery syde / or kepe some pece of that holy tree layde vp at home in theyr house / or at certeyn houres so call to remē braunce Chrystes punysshment / that they may haue cōpassyon & wepe for hym with natural affection / as they wolde for a man that is very iuste & suffreth great wronge vnworthily.The very [...]rnte of the crosse is mortifyenge of our mēbres that is to saye of our passyons and affeccions bodyly. This is not the true fruite of that tree: neuerthelesse let it in the meane season be the mylke of y• soules whiche be yonglynges & weyke in Christ. But clyme [Page] thou vp in to the date tree / that is to saye the tre of vyctorie / that thou mayest take holde of the trewe fruytes therof. These be the chefe if we whiche be membres shal endeuoyre our selfe to be semblable vnto our heed in mortifyenge our affectyons / whiche be our membres vpon the erthe / whiche thyng vnto vs ought onely to be nothyng bytter / but also very plesaūt and feruently to be desyred / if so be the spyrite of Christ lyue in vs. For who loueth truly and hertyly that person to whome he reioyseth to be as vnlyke as may be / and in lyuyng and conuersacyon cleane cōtrary? Not withstandynge that thou mayest the more profyte / in thy mynde recorde the mistery of the crosse. It shalbe houefull that euery mā prepare vnto him selfe a certayn way and godly craft of fyghtyng & therin dyligently exercyse / that as soone as nede shall requyre it may be redy at hāde. Such may y• crafte be / that in certifyeng of euery thyne affectyous thou mayest applye that parte of the crosse whiche moste specially therto agreeth: for there is not at all any eyther tēptacion eyther aduersyte whiche hath not his propre remedy in the crosse. As whan thou art tyckled with ambycion of this worlde / whan thou arte ashamed to be had in derisyon & to be set at naught:Affeccions are this wyse crucyfyed. [Page] consydre thou than moste vyle membre howe great Christe thy heed is / and vnto what vylenesse he humbled hym selfe for thy sake.Nota. whan the yuell of enuy inuadeth thy mynde / remembre howe kyndly / howe louingly he bestowed himselfe euery whyt vnto our vse and profyte / how good he is euen vnto the worste. whan thou art moued with glutteny / haue in mynde howe hedranke gall with eysell. whan thou art tēpted with filthy pleasure / call to remembraūce howe farre from al maner of pleasure the hole lyfe of thy heed was / & howe full of incōmodytes / vexacyon / and grefe. whan yre prouoketh the / lette hym come immedyatly to thy mynde / whiche lyke a lambe before the shearer helde his peace and opened not his mouthe. If pouertye wring the yuell / or couetousnesse disquyet the / anone let hym be rolled in thy mynde that is the lorde of all thynges / & yet was made so poore & nedy for thy sake that he had not whervpon to rest his heed. And after the same maner if thou shalt do in alother temptacions also / not onely it shall not be greuous to haue oppressed thyn affectyons but surely plesaunt & delectable / for bycause thou shalt perceyue that thou by this meanes art cōformed and shapen like vnto thy heed / and that thou doest as [Page] it were recompence hym for his infynyte sorowes / whiche for thy sake he suffred vnto the vttermoste.
¶The .xviij. rule. capi .xxvij.
ANd veryly this maner of remedye / though it alone of all remedyes be most present & redy / moste sure and quicke in werkynge to thē whiche be meanly entred in the waye of lyuyng / neuer the lesse to the weaker sorte these thyngꝭ also shall somwhat profyte:Consydre the fylthynes of synne [...] the dignyte of man. if whan affectyon moueth vnto iniquyte / than atones they call before the eyen of the mynde howe fylthy / howe abhomynable / howe mischeuous a thynge synne is: on the other syde howe great is the dignyte of man. In tryfles and maters suche as skylleth not if al the worlde knewe / we take some delyberacyon and aduysement with our selfe. In this mater of all maters moste weyghty and worthy to be pondred / before y• with consent as with our owne hande writyng we bynde our selfe to the fende / shall we not reken and accompte with our mynde of howe noble a craftes man we were made / in howe excellent estate we are set / with howe excedynge great price we are bought / vnto howe great felycyte we are [Page] called / and that man is that gentle & noble creature for whose sake only god hath forged the meruaylous buyldyng of this worlde / that he is of the company of aungels / the sonne of god / the heyre of immortalyte / a membre of Christe / a membre of the churche / that our bodyes be ye temple of the holy ghost / our myndes the ymages and also y• secret habytacions of the deite. And on thother syde that synne is the most fylthy pestylence and consumpcyon bothe of the mynde & of the body also / for bothe of them through innocencye springeth anewe into their owne naturall kynde / and through cōtagyon of synne bothe putrifye and rotte euen in this worlde. Synne is that deedly poyson of the moste filthy serpent / the prest wagest of the dyuell / and of that seruyce whiche is not most fylthy only / but also moste myserable. After thou hast consydred this & suche lyke with thy selfe / pondre wysely and take sure aduysement and delyberacion whether it shulde be wysely doone or no for an apparaunt momentanye and poysoned lytell shorte pleasure of synne / to fall from so great dignyte in to so vyle and wretched estate / from whence thou cannest not rydde and delyuer thy selfe by thyne owne power and helpe.
¶The nyntenth rule. capi .xxviij.
EUethermore cōpare togyther those two capitaynes by them selfe moste contrary and vnlyke / god and the dyuell / of whiche the one thou makest thyne enemy whan thou synnest / and the other thy lorde and mayster. Throughe innocency and grace thou arte called in to y• nombre of the frendes of god / arte electe vnto the ryght tytle & inherytaunce of the sonnes of god. By synne veryly thou arte made bothe the bonde seruaunt and sonne of the dyuell.we must haue [...] mynde the benefycens of god & the maly fr [...]ens or noysaunce of the deuyll. The one of them is that eternall fountayne and origynall patron & trewe ensample of very and sure beauty / of very trewe pleasure / of most perfyte goodnesse mynistryng hym selfe to all thynges. The other is father of all mischefe / of extreme fylthynesse / of vttermost infelycite. Remē bre the benefytes and goodnesse of thone done to the / & the yuell dedes of the other. with what goodnesse hath the one made the? with what mercy redemed the? with what lybertie & fredom endued the? with what tendernesse dayly suffreth he and sustayneth the a wretched synner / paciently abydyng & lokyng for amendement? with what ioy & gladnesse dothe he receyue the amēded / and whan thou art come agayne [Page] to thyselfe? Contrary to all these thynges with howe naturall hate and enuy longe ago dyd y• dyuell laye wayte to thy helth? Into what greuous and combrous vexacion hath he cast the / and also what other thyng ymagyneth he dayly but to drawe all mākynde with hym in to eternall mischefe. All these thynges on this syde and that syde well and substancyally wayed and pondred / thus thynke with thy selfe: shal I vnmyndfull of myne origynall begynnyng from whence I came / vnmyndfull of so great and manyfolde benefytes / for so small a morsell of fayned and false pleasure / vnkyndely departe from so noble from so louynge / from so benefyciall a father / and shall mancypate and make myselfe bonde wyllyngly vnto a most fylthy and a moste cruell mayster. Shall I not at the leest waye make good to the one that thynge whiche I wolde perfourme to a byle man / whiche had shewde kyndenesse / or done me any good? Shall I not flye from ye other / whiche wolde flye from a man that coueyted or were aboute to do me hurte?
¶The twenteth rule. capitulo. xxix.
[Page] ANd veryly the rewardesThe rewarde of vertue is heuen. be no lesse vnegall than the capytaynes and gyuers of them be contrary and vnlyke. For what is more vnegall than eternall dethe and immortall lyfe? than without ende to enioy euerlastynge felycite and blyssednesse / in the company and felowwip of the heuenly cytezyns / and without ende to be tourmented and punysshed with extreme vengeaunce / in the moste vnhappy and wretched companye of dampned soules? And who soeuer douteth of this thynge he is not so moche as a man veryly / and therfore he is no christē man. And who soeuer thynketh not on this / nor hath it in remē braunce / is euen madder than madnesse itselfe. Moreouer & besydes all this / vertue and wickydnesse hath in the meane seasonThe fruytes of pyte in this worlde. euen in this lyfe their frutes very moche vnlike / for of ye one is reaped assured tranquyllyte and quyetnesse of mynde / & that blyssed ioye of pure and cleane conscience / whiche ioye who so euer shall ones haue tasted / there is nothyng in all this worlde so precyous nor nothynge so plesaunt / wherwith he wolde be gladde or desyrous to chaunge it. Contrarywyse there foloweth the other / y• is to say wickednesse / a thousande other yuels / but most specially [Page] that moste wretched tourment and vexacyon of vncleane conscyence. That is that hundredfolde rewarde of spyrituall ioye whiche Christ promysed in the gospell / as a certayne ernest or taste of eternall felycyte. These be those meruaylous rewardes that thapostle speaketh of whiche eyt neyther sawe nor eare hath herde / neyther hath sonke into the herte of any man whiche god hath prepared for them that loue hym / and verily in this lyfe / whan in the meane season the worme of wycked men dyeth not / and they suffre their hell paynes here euen in this worlde.The frute of synne in this worlde. Neyther any other thyng is that flambe in whiche is turmented the ryche glutton of whom is made mencyon in the gospell: neyther any other thyngꝭ be those punysshmentes of them in hell of whom the poetes write so many thynges / saue a perpetuall grefe / vnquyetnesse or gnawynge of the mynde whiche acompanyeth ye custome of synne. He y• wyll therfore let him set asyde the rewardꝭ of ye lyfe to cōe / which be so dyuers & vnlike: y [...]t i this lyfe vertue hath anexed to her wherfore she habūdantly ought to be desyred / & vyce hath copled vnto hym for whose sake he ought to be abhorred.
¶The .xxi. rule. capi .xxx.
[Page]MOre ouer cōsyder howe full of grefe and mysery how shorte & transitory is this presente lyfe / howe on euery syde dethe lyeth in awayte agaynste vs howe euerywhere he catcheth vs sodaynly and vnware. And whan no man is sure no not of one moment of lyfe / howe great peryll it is to prolonge and contynue that kynde of lyfe in whiche (as it often fortuneth) if sodayne dethe shulde take the thou were but loste and vndone for euer.
¶The .xxij. rule. capi .xxxj.
BEsydes all this impenytency or obduracyon of mynde is to be feared of all myschefes the extreme and worste: namely if a man wolde pondre this one thynge of so many / howe fewe there be whiche trewly and with all their hertes come to them selfe agayne / and be cleane conuerted from synne / & with due repentaūce reconsyled to god agayne: specially of them whiche haue drawen alonge the lyues of iniquyte euen vnto the last ende of their lyfe. Slypper veryly and easy is the fall or discente in to fylthynesse / but to retourne backe agayne therhence / and to scape vp vnto spyrituall lyght / this is a worke / this is a laboure. Therfore at the [Page] leestway thou being monisshed & warned by the chaūce of Esop [...]s gote / before thou discēde in to the pyt of synne / remebre that ther is not so easy comyng backe agayne.The foxe & the gote discended bothe in to a pyt to drynke / whā they had broke they coude not get oute agayn / the fox bad the gote to stōde vp agaist the wall / & the foxe lept vpon his backe & so vp / ꝓmysynge afore to pul vp the gote after / the gote desyred the foxe to fulfyll his promes & to helpe him vp / the fox answerd a gote gote yf thou haddest had as moche wyt in thy hed as thou hast heere in thy berde thou woldest not haue ētred in excepte thou haddest knowē how to come out.
¶Remedyes agaynst certayne synnes and specyall vyces / & first agaynst bodyly luste. capi .xxxij.
HItherto haue we verily opened and declared (howe soeuer it be doone) comen remedyes agaynst all kynde of vyces. Nowe we shal assay to gyue also certayne specyall and pertyculer remedyes / how and by what meanes thou oughtest withstande euery vyce & synne / and fyrste of all howe thou mayste resyst the luste of the body. Than the whiche yuell there is none other yt soner inuadeth vs / neyther sharper assayleth or vexeth vs / nor extendeth larger nor draweth mo vnto their vtter distructyon. If at any tyme therfore filthy lust shal styrre thy mynde / with these wepons & armoure remembre forthwith to me [...]e hym / fyrst thynke howe vnclenly / howe filthy / how vnworthy for any man what soeuer he be ye plesure is whiche assimuleth & maketh vs yt be a diuyne worke / egall not to beestꝭ only / but also vnto fylthy swyne / to gotes / to dogges / and of all brute beestes / vnto ye most brute / ye which [Page] [...]atderforth casteth downe farre vnder the condycion & state of beestes vs whiche be apoynted vnto y• company of angels & feloushyp of ye deite.wepōs against bodyly lust. Let come to thy mynde also howe momentany the same is / howe vnpure / how euer hauīg more aloes than of hony.Aloes is a bytter thynge and is putte for bytternes. And on ye cōtrary syde how noble a thing the soule is / howe worshypfull a thing y• body of a man is / as I haue rehersed in the rules aboue. What y• deuyls peuysshnesse is it thā for so lytle / so vnclenly tyclyng of momētany pleasures to defyle at one tyme bothe soule & body with vngoodly maners? to ꝓphane & pollute that tēple whiche Christ hath cō [...]ecrate to him selfe with his bloode? Cōsydre y• also what an hepe of mischeuous incōmodytes that flatryng pleasant pestylēce brinketh with him.The incōmodites of bodyly [...]uste. First of al it pulleth from ye thy good fame / a possession faraway most precious / for y• [...]umour of no vyce stynketh more carenly that y• name of lechery: it cōsumeth thy patrimony / it kylleth atones both the strength & also the beautie of y• body / it decayeth & gretly hurteth helth / it engēdreth diseases innumerable & thē filthy / it disfygureth y• flour of youth long before y• day / it hasteth or accelerateth ryueled & yuell fauoured age / it taketh away the quycknesse and strength of the wytte / it dulleth [Page] [...]he syght of the mynde / and graffeth in a man as it were a beestly mynde / it withdraweth atones from all honest / studyes and pastymes / and plungeth and sowseth a man euerywhyt in the podle and myre be he neuer so excellēt / that nowe he hath lust to thynke on nothynge but yt whiche is sluttysshe / vyle / and filthy: and it taketh awaye the vse of reason whiche was the natyue ꝓperty of man / it maketh youthe madde / peuysshe / and sclaūdrous / and age odyous / fylthy / & wretched. Bewyse therfore and on this wyse reken with thyselfe name by name / this & that pleasure came so yuel to passe / brought with her so moch losse / so moche disworshyp / dishonour and dishonesty / so moche tedyousnesse / labour and disease: and shal I nowe a foole most naturall deuowre y• hoke wetyngly? shall I agayne cōmytte that thynge wherof I shulde repent of fresshe? And lykewyse refrayne thy selfe by the ensample of other men / whiche thou haste knowen to haue folowed voluptuous pleasures fylthely and vnfortunatly.Refrayne thy self by the ensā ple of other mē On thother syde corage and bolde thy selfe vnto chastyte by thensamples of so many yonge men / of so many yonge and tendre virgynes norisshed vp delycately & in pleasures: And (the cyrcūstances compared togyther) lay agaynst [Page] thyselfe thy sluggyshnesse / whye thou at the last shulde not be able to do that thing whiche suche and suche / of that kynde or sexe / of that age / so borne / so brought vp were & yet be able to do? Loue as moche as they dyd / and thou shalte be able to do no lesse than they dyd. Thynke howe honest / howe plesaunt / howe lusty and florysshyng a thyng is purenesse of body and of mynde / she moste of all maketh vs acquaynted and famylyer with angels / and apte to receyue the holy ghost: for veryly that noble spyrite the louer of purenesse / so greatly fleeth backe from no vyce at all as from vnclenlynes / he resteth & sporteth hym nowhere so moche as īpure virgyns myndes. Set before thyne eyen howe vngoodly it is / howe altogyder a mad thing to loue / to waxe pale / to be made leane / toThe vngoodly office of louers wepe / to flatter / and shamfully to submyt thy selfe vnto a stynkyng harlot most fylthy and rotten / to gape & synge all nyght at her chambre wyndowe / to be made to the lure & be obedyent at a becke / nor dare do any thing except she nod or wagge her heed / to suffre a folysshe woman to reigne ouer the / to chyde the: to lay vnkyndnesse one agaynst y• other to fall out / to be made at one agayne / to gyue thy selfe wyllynge vnto a queene / that she myght mocke / [Page] kocke / mangle and spoyle the [...] where is [...] beseche the amonge all these thynges the name of a man? where is thy berde? where is that noble mynde created vnto moste beautyfull and noble thynges? Consydre also another thynge with thy selfe / howe great a flocke of myscheues voluptuousnesse (if she be let in) is wonte to bringe with her. Other vyces peraduēture haue some acquayntaunce with certayne vertues / fylthy lust hath none at all / but is anexed and alway coupled with those synnes that be greatest and most in nombre. Let it be but a tryfle or a lyght ma [...]er to folowe queenes / yet is it a greuous thing not to regarde thy father and mother / to set at naught thy frendes / to consume thy fathers good in waste / to plucke awaye from other men / to forsweare thy selfe / to drinke all nyght / to robbe / to vse wytchcraft / to [...]yght / to cōmyt murdre / to blaspheme. In to whiche al & greuouser than these y• lady pleasure wyl drawe the heedlonge / after thou ones haste ceas [...]e [...] to be thyne owne man / and haste put thy wreched heed vnder her gyrdle. Pondre more ouer howe this lyfe vanissheth awaye faster than smoke / lesse of substaunce than a shadowe / and howe many snares dethe pytcheth for vs / layeng awayte in euery [Page] place, and at all seasons. Here and on this poynte it shall profyte syngularly / to call to remembraunce: and that name by name / if that sodayne detheSodayn deth [...]. hath taken awaye any sometyme of thyne acquayntaunce / of thy famylyer frendes / of thy company ons / or els of them whiche were yonger than thou: and moste specially of them whiche in tyme passed thou hast had felowes of fylthy pastyme. And lerne of another mans peryll to be more ware and cyrcumspecte. Remembre howe delycyously they lyued / but howe bytterly they departed: howe late they waxed wyse / howe late they beganne to hate their mortyferous and deedly pleasures.The straytnes of the extreme iudgement. Lette come to remembraunce the sharpnesse of the extreme iudgement / and the terryble lyghtenynge of that fearfull sentence neuer to be reuoked / sendyng wycked men in to eternall fyre / and that this pleasure of an hour / shorte and lytle / must be punysshed with eternall tourmentes. In this place wey dylygently in a payre of balaunces / howe vnegall a chaunge it is for the moste fylthy & very shorte delectacyon of lust / bothe to lose in this lyfe the ioy of the mynde beyng moche sweterThe ioyes of pure mynde is moche sweter than is the plesure of synne. and more excellent / and in the lyfe to come [Page] to be spoyled of ioyes euerlastyng. Moreouer with so shadowlyke and lytle vayne pleasure to purchace sorowes neuer to be ended. Fynally if it seme a harde thyng to dispyse yt so small delectacion for Christes sake / remēbre what paynes he toke vpon hym for y• tendre loue he bare to the. And besyde the comen iniuryes of mans lyfe / howe moche of his holy bloode shedde he / howe shamfull / howe bytter dethe suffred he / and all for the. And thou of all those thyngꝭ vnmyndfull crucifyest agayne the sonne of god / iterating a fressh those mad pleasures whiche caused & compelled thy heed and lorde vnto so cruell tourmentes.The benefites of god. Than acordyng to ye rule aboue rehersed / call to mynde howe moche of benefytes he heaped on the / whan as yet thou haddest deserued nothyng at all: for the whiche althoughe no suffycient or lyke recompence can be made of thy parte for the leest / yet desyreth he agayn none other thanke but that thou after his ensample shuldest refrayne thy mynde from deedly and m [...]rtall pleasures / and tourne the vnto the loueUenus is the goddes of loue & she is put [...]or loue. of infynyte goodnesse and of infynyte pleasures and beautye.Cupydo is the god of loue / & is also put for loue. Compare togyther these two / Uenus and two Cupydes of Plato / that is to saye honest loue and fylthy loue / holy pleasure and [Page] vnclenly pastyme / cōpare togyder the vnlyke mater of eyther other.Here is a good note for euery chrysten man. Cōpare the natures / cōpare the rewardes: & in all tēptacyons / but namely whan thou art stered to fylthy lust / set to the before thyne eyes thy good aungell whiche is thy keper and cōtynuall beholder & wytnes of al thyngꝭ thou doest or thynkest / & god euer lokyng on / vnto whose eyes all thynges are open whiche sytteth aboue the heuens & beholdeth the secrete places of the erth: & wylte not thou be afrayde before the aūgell present & euen harde by the / before god / & all the company of heuen loking on & abhorryng to cōmytte a thyng so abhomynable and fylthy that it wolde shame y• to do the same in the p̄sence of one vyle man? This thynge I woldest thou sholdest thynke as it is in dede. And yf it were so y• thou haddest eyes moche sharper of syght thā hath a beest called lynxeLynxe is a bes [...] of most puryst syght amonge all beestes. / or moche clerer than hath y• egle / yet with these eyes in ye moste clerest lyght y• coude be / coudest thou not beholde more surely that thynge whiche a man dothe before the than all the preuy & secrete partes of thy mynde be open vnto the syght of god and of his aungels.Obstynacy of a froward minde springeth o [...] bodyly lust. This also counte in thy mynde whan thou art ouercōme of bodyly lust / of two thynges the one must folowe / eyther that volupt [...] [Page] ousnes ones tasted so shall enchaūt & darken thy mynde / that thou must go frō fylthines to filthines / vntyl thou clene blynded shalt be brought in sensū reprobū / that is to saye / in to a lewde & reproued iudgement: & so made obstynate & sturdy in euyll cannest not / no truly not than yelde vp filthy pleasure whan she hath forsaken the / whiche thynge we se to haue happened to very many / that whā the body is wasted / whan beauty is wythered and vanisshed / whan the blode is colde / whā strength fayleth / & the eyes waxe dym / yet styll contynually they ytche without seassynge. And with greater mischefe are now fylthy spekers than before tyme / they haue ben vnshameful lyuers / than which thyng what can be more abhomynable & monstrous? The other is yf ꝑaduēture it shall happen the by the specyall fauoure of god to cōme agayn to thy self. Than must that shorte & fugityue plesure be purged with very gret sorowe of mynde / with myghty & stronge labour / with cōtynuall stremes of teares: how moche more wysdome therfore is it not to receyue at all the poyson of carnall pleasure / than eyther to be brought in to so vncurable blyndnes / or elles to recompence so lytell / and that also false pleasure with so great greuaūce & dolorous payne [Page] More ouer thou mayst take many thynges of the circumstaunce of thyne owne ꝑsone / whiche myght call the backe from voluptuous pleasure.A preest. Thou art a preest remembre that thou art all togyder consecrate to thinges perteynynge vnto god: what a myscheuous dede / how vngoodly / how vnmete / and how vnworthy it sholde be to touche the rotten and stynkynge flesshe of an hore with that mouth wherwith thou receyuest that precyous body soo greately to be honoured / and to handell lothsome and abhomynable fylth with the same handes wherwithall (euen the aungelles mynystrynge to the and assystynge the) thou executest that ineffable and incomprehensyble mysterye.If thou b [...] lerned. How these thynges agree not to be mabe one body and one spiryte with god / and to be made one body with an hore. If thou be lerned / so moche the nobler and lyker vnto god is thy mynde / and so moche the more vnworthy of this shame and rebuke. If thou be a gentylmanA gentylman. / yf thou be a prynce / the more aperte and open the abhomynacyon is: the greuouser occasyon gyueth it vnto other inferyours to folowe the same. If thou be maryedA maryed man. / remembre what an honest thynge is a vedde vndefyled. And gyue dylygence [Page] (as moche as īfirmite shall suffre) that thy wedlocke may counterfayte the moost holy mariage of Chryst & his churche / whose ymage it beareth: that is to wite / that thy mariage may be clene bareyn in vnclenlynes / & plenteous in procreacyon: for in no kynde of lyuyng can it be but very fylthy to serue & be bounde to vnclenly lustes. If thou be a yong manA yonge man. / take good hede besyly that thou pollute not vnaduysedly the floure of thy youthe / whiche wyll neuer sprynge agayn: & that thou cast not away vpon a thyng moost fylthy thy best & very golden yeres / whiche fle away most swyftly / and neuer returne agayn: beware also leest now thrugh the ignoraunce & neclygence of youth / thou cōmytte that thynge whiche sholde grudge the here after by all thy hole lyfe / the cōscience of thy misdedes euer ꝑsecutynge the with those his moost bytter / moost greuous & sharpe stynges / whiche whā pleasure departeth she leueth behynde her in our myndes.Fylthy plesure leueth behinde her stynge in our myndes. If thou be a womanA woman. this kynde nothynge more becō meth than chastite / than shame / & feare of dishoneste. yf thou be a manA man. / so moche the more arte thou mete & worthy of greater thynges / & vnmete & vnworthy of these so lewde thingꝭ. yf thou be oldeAn olde man / wysshe thou haddest some other mans eyes to beholde [Page] thy selfe with all / that thou myghtest se how euyll voluptuousnes sholde becōme the / which in youth veryly is myserable & to be brydeled: but in an olde foole veryly wonderfull & monstrous: & also euen vnto the very folowers of pleasure / a iestyng & mockyng stocke. Among all mōsters none is more wonderfull thā fylthy lust in age.Agaynst the [...]e chery of olde men & women. Oh dotypol / oh to moche forgetful of thy selfe: at the leestway behold at a glasse the hoore heares & whyte snowe of thy heed / thy forehed forowed with wryncles / & thy careyn face moost lyke vnto a deed corps: & now at the last ende whan thou art cōme euen vnto the pittes brynke care for other thynges more agreable vnto thy yeres:Dauyd was so olde that he coude gete no heate in his lymmes / than brought the Israelytes vnto Dauyd Abisac a fayre yonge mayde whiche lay with hym & kepte hym warme / he knewe her not / she remayned a pure mayde. By her is sygnyfyed wysdō / a thing moost mete for age: all fylthynes & vndēnes layde aparte. at the leestway yt whiche became the to haue done before tyme (reason mouyng the) do now / thy yeres putting them remēbraūce or rather compellyng the. Euen now pleasure her selfe casteth the of / saying neyther I now am comly vnto the / neyther yet thou mete or apte vnto me. Thou hast playde ynough / thou hast eaten ynough / thou hast dronk ynough / it is tyme for the to departe / why holdest thou yet so fast & art so gredy on pleasures of this lyfe / whā very lyfe her selfe forsaketh the. Now it is tyme for that mystycall concubyne Abysac that ones she may begin to rest in thy bosome / [Page] let her with holy rage of loue heate thy mynde / & with the enbrasynges of her kepe the warme & cōfort thy colde mēbres.
¶A shorte recapitulacyon of remedyes agaynst the flame of lust. Capi .xxxiij.
FInally to make a shorte & compendious conclusyon / these be the most special thyngꝭ whiche wyll make the sure from pleasures & entyfyngꝭ of the flesshe / fyrst of all circūspecte / and diligent auoydynge of all occasyonsAuoydyng occasyons. / whiche precepte though it be mete to be obserued also in other thinges / bycause that he whiche loueth perylles is worthy to perisshe therin yet these be moost chefely those SyrenesSyrenes be [...]ere maydēs. which almoost neuer man at all hath escaped / saue he whiche hathe kepte farre of. Secondly moderacyon of eatyng & drynkyng and of slepe / temperaunce and abstynence from pleasures / ye from suche as be lawfull & permytted: the regarde of thyne owne deth / & the contemplacyon of ye deth of Chryst / & those thinges also wyll helpe yf thou shalt lyue with suche as be chaste and vncorrupted: yf thou shalte eschewe as a certeyn pestylence the cōmunycacion of corrupte and wanton persones: yf thou shalte flee ydle solytarynesse & sluggysshe [Page] ydlenes: yf thou shalte exercyse thy mynde strongly in the medytacyon of celestyall thynges / and in honest studyes. But specyally yf thou shalte consecrate thy selfe with all thy myght vnto the inuestygacyon or serchynge of mysteryes of holy scripture: yf thou shalte praye bothe ofte and purely / most of all whan temptacyon inuadeth and assawteth the.
¶Agaynst the entysynges and prouokynges vnto auaryce. Capi .xxxiiij.
IF thou shalt perceyue that thou art eyther by nature any thynge enclyned to the vice of auaryceAuaryce. / or stered by the deuyll: call to remembraunce (accordynge to the rules aboue rehersed) the dignite of thy condycyon or state / whiche for this thynge onely wast created / for this redemed / that thou euer sholdest enioye that infynyte good thynge god / for god hathe forged all ye hole buyldyng of this worlde that all thynges sholde obey vnto thy vse and necessite. How fylthy than & of how strayte & narowe a mynde is it not to vse but so greatly to wonder at thyngꝭ dombe and moost vyle: take awaye the errour of men / what shall golde & syluer be but reed [...]th & whyte? Shalte thou be the discyple [Page] of poore Chryst & called to a better possessyon / wonder at that as a certeyn great & excellent thyng whiche no philosopher of the gentyles dyd not set at nought? not to possesse ryches / but to despyse ryches is a noble thynge.To dyspyse ryches is a noble thynge. But the cōmunalte of chrysten men by name onely crye out agaynst me / & be glad to deceyue them selfe moost craftely: very necessite (say they) cōpelleth vs to gader good togyder / wherof yf there sholde be none at all / than coude we not ones lyue veryly: yf it sholde be thynne & poore / than sholde we lyue in moche mysery without pleasure. But & yf it be somwhat clene & honest / & somwhat plēteous withall / it bryngeth many cōmodytees to mā.Chryst in the gospell of Mathewe leest his discyples shold care for meete drynke or clothes / bad them to beholde the lyiys how they were dothed & the byrdꝭ how they were fed sayēs / yf your father of heuē make prouysyō for so vile thīgꝭ moche more ye can not lacke whome he loueth so syngulerly. The good lyking of body is well seen vnto / prouysyon is made for our chyldren / we lende & profyte our frendes / we are delyuered frō cōtempte & be the more set by: in cōclusion also a man shal haue ye better name whan he is somwhat welthy. Of a greate many thousandes of chrysten men thou canst scarce fynde one or two yt dothe not bothe saye & thynke the same. Neuerthelesse to answere these men vnto bothe partes. First of al bycause they cloke their couetousnes with the name of necessite / I wyll lay agaynst them the parable rehersed in the gospell of the lylies & of ye byrdes [Page] lyuynge [...] from day to day without farther prouysion / whose ensample Chryst exhorteth vs to coūterfeyte. I wyll lay agaynst them that the same Chryst wold not ones suffre so moche as a scrippe to be caryed aboute of his discyples. I wyll lay agaynst them / yt he cōmaūdeth vs (all other thingꝭ layde aparte) before all thyngꝭ to seke the kyngdome of heuen / & promyseth that all thyngꝭ shal be cast & gyuen to vs. whan at any tyme had not they thingꝭ necessary to maynteyn lyfe withal sufficiently / whiche with all their hertes haue gyuen themself to vertue & to the true lyf of a christē man? And how small a thyng is that whiche nature requireth of vs? but thou measurest necessite not by ye nedes of nature / but by ye boundes of couetousnes. But vnto good men euen that is ynough that scarsely cō tenteth nature.Fryers. How be it veryly I do not so greatly set of these which forsake at one choppe theyr hole substaunce euery whyt that they myght ye more shamefully begge of other. It is none offence to possesse money / but to loue & set store by money that is a vice & cosyn to synne. If ryches flowe vnto the / vse the offyce of a good dispēser: but & yf it ebbe & go away / be not cōsumed with thought / as though thou were robbed of a greate thynge / but rather reioyce [Page] that thou art delyuered of a perylous fardell. Notwithstandyng he whiche consumeth the chefe study & pastyme of his lyfe in heapyng vp ryches togyder / whiche gapeth at them as a certeyn excellēt or noble thynge / & hyghly to be desyred / and layeth them vp ī store / that he may haue ynough to serue hym for longe tyme / ye though he sholde lyue euen to the age of Nestor:Nestor lyued thre hundred yeres. this man peraduenture may well be called a good marchaunt / but veryly I wolde not say that he were a very good christē man / that hangeth all togyder of hymselfe / and hath dystruste of the promesses of Chryst / whose goodnes / it is easy to wyte / shall not fayle a good man puttyng his trust in hym / seynge that he so liberally bothe fedeth & clotheth the poore sparowes. But let vs now cast a comptes of the cōmodytees / whiche ryches is byleued to brynge with hym. Fyrst of al euen by the cōmune cōsent of ye gentyle philosophers:Ryches amōg ꝓfytable thīgꝭ obtayne the lowest rowme. amonge the good thynges whiche are called Bona vtilia / that is to saye / good profytable thyngꝭ / ryches hath the lowest place. And whan all other thynges (after the dyuysyon of Epictetus) are without man / excepte onely vertue of the mynde: yet nothynge is so moche without vs as money is / nothynge bryngeth so lytell cōmodite. [Page] For what so euer there is anywhere of golde / what so euer there is of precyous stones / yf thou alone haddest it euery deale in thy possessyon / shall thy mynde be therfore the better by the valure of one heare?Ryches helpeth nothyng to vertue. shalt thou be the wyser? shalt thou be the connynger? shalte thou be anywhyt the more in good helth of body? shall it make the more strong and lusty? more fayre and beauteous? more yonge? No trewly. But you wyl say that it purchaseth pleasures / trewth it is: but they be deedly pleasuresTo false pleasures & vayne honours they helpe somwhat / it geteth a man honour: but what honour I praye you? veryly false honour / whiche they gyue / that prayseth nothynge / setteth by nothynge but onely folysshe thynges / and of whome to be praysed / is well nere to be dispraysed. True honour is / to be lauded of them whiche are commendable and prayse worthy theym selues. The hyghest honourehonour is the rewarde of vertue / and not of ryches. that can be / is to haue pleased Chryste. True honoure is / the rewarde / not of ryches / but of vertue. The folysshe people gyueth the rowme and place / gaseth vpon the / and gyueth the honoure and reuerence. O foole / they wonder at thyne apparayle / and honoureth it / and not the: why doest thou not descende in to thyne owne cōscience / & consyder [Page] the myserable pouerte of thy mynde? whiche yf the cōmune people sawe / than wolde they iudge the as myserable & wretched / as they now call the happy & blessed But good geteth frendes. I graunte / but yet fayned & false frendes: neyther geteth it frendes to the but to it selfe. And certeynly the riche man is in this poynt of al men moste vnfortunate & wretched / bycause he can not so moche as discerne or knowe his true frendes & louers from other. One hateth hym priuely & secretly in hert & mynde as an harde nyggarde.Ryches geteth frēdꝭ but those false & fayned. An other hath enuy at hym / bycause he passeth hym in ryches. An other lokyng to his owne profyte and auaūtage / flatereth hym / & holdeth vp his ye & his nay / & smyleth vpon hym / to the ende that he may scrape & gete some thing from hym. He that before his face is most louyng & kynde / wyssheth and prayeth for his quycke and hasty deth. There is none that loueth hym so hertely & entyerly / but that he had leuer haue hym deed than alyue. No man is so famylyar with hym / y• he wyll tell hym the trewth. But be it in case there were one special frende amonge a thousande that loued a ryche mā hertely without any maner of faynynge / yet can not the ryche man but haue in suspicion & mystrust euery mā. He iudgeth all men to [Page] be vultures & rauenous vyrdes gaping for careyn: he thynketh all men to be flyes flyng to him / to sucke out some ꝓfyt of him for thēselues. what so euer cōmodite therfore ryches semeth to brynge / it for ye most parte / or else all togyder is but coloured & deceytfull / it is shadowe lyke & full of del [...] syon / apperyng otherwyse than it is in very dede. But they bryng very many thingꝭ which are euyll in dede / & taketh away very many of these thynges which are good in very dede. Therfore yf thou wylte laye accomptes well & perfytly of that whiche is wonne / & that whiche is lost: doubtles thou shalt fynde that they neuer do bryng so moche of cōmoditees / but yt they drawe with them to to moche more of incōmodytees & displeasures. with how paynfull & sore labours are they goten / & with how great ieopardies? with how gret thought & care be they kepte? with how gret heuynes & sorowe are they lost? for whiche causes Chryste calleth them yea thorneswherfor Christ compareth ryches to thor [...] / bycause they rent / teare & plucke in sonder al the tranquillite & quietnes of the mynde / with a thousande cares / than the whiche tranquillite of mynde / nothyng is to man more swete & pleasaūt / & they neuer quenche thurst & desyre of thēselfe / but kendleth & encreaseth it more & more. They dryue [...] [Page] man hedlonge in to all mischefe. Neyther flatter thy selfe in vayne / saying nothyng forbyddeth but that a man at one tyme may be bothe ryche and good. Remembre what verite sayth / that it is more easy for a camell to crepe thrugh the eye of a nedle than a ryche man to entre in to the kyngdome of heuen.It is harde for a ryche man to be a good man And playnly without excepciō true is that saying of saint Ierome A ryche man to be eyther vniust hym selfe or the heyre of an vniust mā: great ryches can neuer be eyther goten or elles kepte without synne. Remembre of how moche better riches they robbe the / for he hateth the very taste and smell of vertue / he hateth al honest craftes / who so euer setteth his [...] vpō golde. [...] More ouer the vyce of auaryce onely is called ydolatry of Paule. [...] Neyther with any other vice at all Christ hath lesse aqueintaūce / neyther ye self same ꝑsone can please god and maminon also.
¶The recapitulacyon of the remedyes agaynst the vyce of auarice. Ca .xxxv.
THou shalt lyghtly therfore seace to wonder at money yf thou wylt ponder and wey diligently very good thinges with those that be false & apparant good / yf paynted & coloured commoditees with those that be very cōmodytees in dede / yf [Page] thou wylt lerne with thyne inner eyen to beholde & to loue that noble good thynge which is infynyte / whiche onely whā it is p [...]sent / ye though all other thyngꝭ shold be lackyng / haboundantly dothe satisfye the mynde of man / which is wyder & larger of capacite thā that it can be suffysed with al the good thynges of this worlde.The mynde of m [...] [...] of grete cap [...] [...]re / god onely fylleth it If thou shalt ofte call agayn before thyne eyen in what cōdicyon & state thou were whā the erth first receyued ye whan thou were first borne:Naked we came and naked we s [...]all go. lykewyse in what state ye same shall receyue y• agayn whan thou dyest. If euer shall be p [...]sent in thy memory that famous foole of whom is made mēcion in y• gospel To whome it is sayd. This nyght I wyll fet agayn thy soule frō the: & these thyngꝭ whiche thou hast gadered togyder / whose shal they than be? If thou shalt turne thy mynde frō the corrupt maners of y• cōmen sorte vnto the pouerte of Mary Chrystes mother / vnto the pouerte of the apostles / of the martyrs / and moost of all of Chryst thy heed. And sette before the that feerfull worde We / that is interpretate / woo be to you: whiche Chryst so menasseth & threteneth vnto the ryche men of this worlde.
¶Agaynst ambicyon or desyre of honour and authorite. Capi .xxxvj.
[Page]IF at any tyme ambiciō shall combre & vexe thy mynde thrugh her enchaū tementes / with these remedies thou shalt arme thyself before hand without tarying (accordīg to y• rules which I gaue before) take & holde this with toth & nayle / yt to be honourhonoure spryngeth of vertue onely. onely which springeth of true vertue / whiche self same neuerthelesse a man must somtyme refuse / euen as taught vs bothe with doctryne & ensāple our maister Iesus Chryst. And this to be the chefe honour & onely honour which a chrystē man sholde desyre and wysshe for / to be praysed not of men / but of god / for whome he commēdeth (as sayth the apostle) that man is perfyte & worthy of honour in dede.It is an honest thynge to be l [...]nded of god. But yf honour be gyuen of mā for an vngoodly & vnhonest thynge / & so of vngoodly ꝑsons. This is not honour but great dishoneste / shame & rebuke. yf for any meane & indifferēt thyng / as for beauty / strength / ryches / kynne:Honour gyu [...] of vnhonest persones. yet veryly shall it not be called truly honoure / for no man deserueth honour with y• thynge wherof he deserueth not to be praysed. If for an honest thynge in dede it shal be honour: yet he whiche deserueth it shall not desyre it / but veryly shal be content with y• very vertue & cōscyence of his good dede. Beholde therfore how folysshe & how worthy to be laughed at these honours [Page] be / for whose desyre the comen people so greatly burne & rage. First of all of whom are they gyuen?honour gyuen of comē people Trewly of them with whom is no difference bytwene honesty & dishonesty. wherfore are they gyuen? very oft for meane thyngꝭ / now and than for fylthy thyngꝭ. To whom? to him whiche is vnworthy. who soeuer therfore gyueth honour eyther he doth it sor feare / and than is he to be feared agayne / or bycause thou woldest do hym a good turne / and than he mocketh the: or bycause he is astonyed at thynges of naught & worthy of no honour / & than he is to be pityed: or bycause he supposed the to be moued with suche thingꝭ as honour is gyuen of duty / wherin if he be disceyued / gyue dilygence that thou mayest be that he supposeth the [...] to be. But & if he hyt aright / referre all the honour y• is offred the vnto him to whom thou arte bounde / ye for all those thinges whervnto the honour is gyuen. As thou oughtest not ascrybe to thyne owne selfe the vertue / so is it vnsyttyng to take vpon the the honour therof. Besydes this what is greater madnesse than to esteme the valure of thyselfe by thopinyo [...]s of folyssheTo whome honour cha [...]iceth to moost comēly. mē / in whose handꝭ it lyeth to take away agayne whan so euer they lyste the very same honour which they gyue / & dishonest [Page] the which was euen now honested. Therfore nothynge can be more folysshe than eyther to reioyce for suche honours whan they happē / or to be sory or mourne whan they be taken away / whiche not to be true honours thou shalte perceyue at the leest way by this probacion and argument / for so moche as they be comen to the worste and leudest persons of all: ye they chaunce almost to none more plentuously than to them whiche of trewe honours be moste vnworthy.The quyetnes of a pryuate lyfe. Remembre how blyssed is the quyetnesse of a meane lyfe bothe priuate / that is to say / charged with no comen besynesse / and seperate & remoued out of the way from al noyse / haunte / or preasse. On the other syde cōsyder howe full of prickes howe full of cares / of peryls / of sorowes / is the lyfe of great men / & what diffycultie it is not to forget thy selfe in prosperyte / howe harde it is for a man standynge in a slypper place not to fall / how greuous the fall is from an hyghe. And remembre that all honour is coupled with great charge / and howe strayte the iugement of ye hygh iudge shalbe agaynst them whiche here in vsurpyng of honours / preferre them selfe afore other men. For surely who so euer shall humble & submyt hym selfe / hym as an innocēt or harmlesse person mercy shal [Page] socour: but who soeuer exalteth hymselfe as a perfyte man / y• same person excludeth from hymselfe the helpe & socour of grace.Let it not exalt thy mynde by cause thou b [...] re [...]t rule ouer other men. Let euer the ensample of Christe thy heed stycke faste in thy mynde. what thynge as touchynge to the worlde was more vyle / more dispysed or lesse honoured than he? How forsoke he honours whā they were profred hym / whiche was greater than any honoure? Howe set he no store of honours whan he rode vpon an asse? Howe condempned he thē whan he was clothed in pall and crowned with thorne? Howe vnglorious or vyle a dethe chose he? But whom the worlde dispysed him the father glorifyed. Let thy glory be in the crosse of Christ / in whom also is thy helth / welthe / sauynge / defence & protectyon. what good shal worldly honours do to the if god cast the awaye and dispyse the / and the aungels lothe / abhorre / and defye the.
¶Agaynst elacyon otherwyse called pride or swellyng of the mynde. capi .xxxvij.
THou shalte not swell in thy mynde if (acordyng to the comen prouerbe vsed of euery man) thou woldest knowe thyselfe:Knowe thyselfe. that is what so euer great thyng / what soeuer goodly or beautyfull thyng / [Page] what soeuer excellēt thyng is in the / thou accompt that to be the gyfte of god / & not thy good. On the othersyde / if what soeuer is lowe or vile / what soeuer is foule or filthy / what soeuer is shreude or yuell thou ascrybe that altogyther vnto thyne owne selfe: if thou remēbre in how moche fylthe thou were cōceyued / in how moche borne howe naked / howe nedy / howe brutisshe / howe wretched / howe miserably thou crepest in to this lyght. If thou remembre in to how many diseases or sicknesse on euery syde / vnto howe many chaunses / vnto howe many encombraunces / greues / and troubles this wretched body is daūgered. And agayne howe lytle a thing were able shortly to consume & bring to naught this cruell & vnruly gyaunt / swellyng with so myghty a spyrite.Perceiue wherof thou stōdest so grere [...]y in thyne owne conc [...]yte. Pondre also this / what maner thynge that is wherof thou takest vpon the: if it be a meane or an indifferent thyng / it is folyshnesse: if a fylthy thing / it is madnesse: if an an honest thynge / it is vnkyndnesse. Remembre also nothyng to be a more sure document or profe of starke folysshnesse and lacke of vnderstandynge / than if a man stande greatly in his owne cōceyte. And agayne that no kynde of foly is more vncurable / if thy mynde begyn to aryse and waxe great bycause a vyle man [Page] submytteth himselfe to the. Thinke howe moche greater and myghtyer god hāgeth ouer thyne heed / whiche crussheth downe euery proude necke erecte streyght vp / and bringeth euery hyll vnto a playne / whiche spared not / no verily not so moche as the aungell whan he was fallen in to pryde. And these thingꝭ also shalbe good though they seme somwhat as they were tryfles / if thou woldest compare thy selfe alwaye with excellenter persons. Thou lykest thy selfe bycause of a lytle beauty of thy body: compare thy selfe to thē whiche in beauty be farre before the. A lytle cōnyng maketh the to set vp thy fethers / turne thyne eyen vnto them in comparyson of whom thou mayst seme to haue lerned nothyng at all. Moreouer if thou wylt acompt not howe moche of good thyngꝭ thou hast / but how moche thou lackest: And with Paule forgetfull of those thingꝭ whiche be behynde the woldest stretche forthe thy selfe to tho thynges whiche remayne afore the. Furthermore that also shal not be an vnwyse thyng / if whan the wynde of pride dothe blowe / by and by we turne our very yuell thingꝭ into a remedy / as it were expelling one poyson with another.Consydre thyn owne vyces & deformytes. That thynge shall this wise come to passe / if whan any great vyce or defourmyte of body / whan [Page] any notable domage eyther fortune hath gyuen / or foly hath brought to vs whiche myght gnawe vs vehemently by the stomake / we set that before our eyen / and by thensample of the pecocke we beholde our selfe chefely in that parte of vs in whiche we be most defourmed / and so shal thy fethers fall forthwith and thy pride abate. [...]rrogācy / presumpcyon or pertynacy / is [...] hated vyce. Beyonde all these (besydes yt none other vyce is more hated vnto god) remembre also that arrogancye / pride / and presumpcion is notably hated and had in derisyon euery where amonge men: whan cōtrarywyse lowlynesse & mekenesse / bothe purchaseth the fauour of god / and kutteth vnto the the benyuolence of man. Therfore to speake compendyously / two thynges chefly shal refrayne the from pride / if thou consydre what thou art in thyselfe / fylthy in thy byrthe / a burble (suche as ryseth in the water) throughout all thy lyfe / wormes meate in thy dethe / and what Christ was made for the.
¶Agaynst wrathe and desyre of vengeaunce. capi .xxxviij.
WHan feruent sorowe of the myndewrathe is a chyldyshe [...]hynge. styrreth the vp vnto vengeaunce / remembre wrathe to be nothynge lesse than [Page] that whiche it falsely coūtrefayteth / that is to wete fortytude or manfulnesse: for nothynge is so chyldysshe / so weake / nothing so feble and of so vyle a mynde as to reioyce in vengeaunce. Thou woldest be counted a man of great stomacke / & therfore thou sufferest not iniurye to be vnauenged: but in conclusyon by this meanes thou vtterest thy chyldysshnesse / seynge thou cannest not rule thyne owne mynde whiche is the very property and offyce of a man. Howe moche mālyer / how moche excellenter is it to set another mans foly at naught than to coūtrefayte it?Regarde lyt [...]ll another mans foly. But he hath hurte the / he is proude and fierse / he scorneth the. The fylthyer he is so moche the more beware leest thou be made lyke hym. what the dyuelles madnesse is it that thou to auenge an other mans leudnesse woldest be made the leuder thy selfe. If thou dispyse the rebuke / all men shall perceyue y• it was done to one vnworthy therof: but & if thou be moued thou shalte make his quarell whiche dyd the wronge moche ye better. Furdermore take the thīg as it is / if any wronge be receyued / that is not eased one whyt with vengeaunce but augmented. For in conclusyon what ende shall there be of iniuryes on bothe sydes if euery man go forthe & procede to reuenge [Page] his own grefe? Enemyes encreace on both partes / the sorowe waxeth fresshe & rawe agayne / and the longer it endureth ye more vncurable it is: but with softnesse & with sufferaunce is healed nowe and than / ye euen he whiche dyd the wronge / and after he is comen to hymselfe agayne / of an enemye is made a very trusty and faythfull frende. But the very same hurt whiche by vengeaūce thou coueytest to put frō the / reboundeth backe agayne vpon the / and not without encreace of harme. And that also shall be a souerayne remedy agaynst wrathe (if accordynge to the diuysyon of thinges aboue rehersed) thou shuldest cō syder y• one man can not hurt another onlesse he wyll hym selfe / saue in those thynges onely whiche be outwarde goodes / whiche so greatly prayne not vnto man: for the very good thynges of the mynde god onely is able to take awaye / whiche he is not wonte to do but vnto vnkynde persons / & only he can gyue them / whiche he hath not vsed to do vnto cruell & furyous persons. No christen man therfore is hurte but of hym selfe: Iniury hurteth no man but the worker therof. These thyngꝭ also helpe (though they be not weyghty) that thou shalt not folowe the sorowe of thy mynde. If the cyrcumstaūces of retho [...]iens [Page] well gathered togyder thou bothe make lyght of thyne owne harmes / & also mynysshe y• wronge done of an other man cōmunly af [...] this maner. He hurt me / but it wyl be soone amended. More ouer he is a chylde / he is of thynges vnexpert / he is a yonge man / it is a woman / he dyd it through an other mans mocyon or counseyle / he dyd it vnware / or whan he had wel droke / it is mete that I forgyue hym. And on the other syde he hath hurt me greuously. Certayne but he is my father / my brother / my mayster / my frende / my wyfe / it is accordynge that this grefe sholde be forgyuen / eyther for the loue / or els for the authorite of the ꝑsone. Or els thou shalte set one thynge agaynst an other / & recompence y• iniury with other good benefytes done of hym vnto the. Or with thyne offences done to hym afore season shalt accoūte it euen / & so make quyte. This man hathe hurte me veryly / but other tymes how oft hath he done me good. It cōmeth of an vnliberal mynde to forgete y• good benefytes and onely to remembre a lytell wronge or displeasure. Now he hath offēded me / but how ofte offended of me. I wyll forgyue hym / that he in lykewyse by myne ensample may pardon me / yf I an other tyme trespace agaynst hym. Fynally it shal be a [Page] remedy of moche greater [...]tue & of stronge operacyon / yf in the mysdoyng of an other man agaynst the thou dydest thinke in thy selfe / what thynges / how greuous / & how ofte thou hast synned agaynst god / how many maner of wayes thou art in dette to hym:Forgyue thy [...]ettour. as moche as thou shalt remyt vnto thy brother which is in thy dette / so moche shall god forgyue vnto the. This waye of forgyuynge other mennes dettes hath he taught vs whiche is hym self a creditour / he wyll not refuse the lawe which he hym selfe made. To be absolued or losed from thy synnes thou rennest to Rome / saylest to saynt Iames / byest ꝑdons moste large. I disprayse not veryly that thyng whiche thou doest: but whan all is done / there is no redyer waye / no surer meanes wherby (yf thou haue offēded) thou mightest cōme to fauour / agayne & be reconsyled to god / than yf thou whan thou art offended / be reconsyled agayne vnto thy brother / forgyue a lytel trespace vnto thy neyghbour (for it is but small what so euer one man trespaceth agaynst an other) that Chryste may forgyue the so many thousande offences.By the ensāple of chryste swa [...] th [...] mynde. But it is harde (thou sayst) to subdue the mynde whan he begynneth to waxe hote. Remembrest thou not / how moche harder thynges Chryste suffered for the / [Page] what were thou whan he for thy sake bestowed his precyous lyfe? were thou not his ennemy? with what softnes suffereth he the dayly repetyng thyne olde synnes? Last of all how mekely suffered he the vttermost rebukes / bondes / strypes / fynally deth moost shamefull? why? why? boostest thou thy selfe of the heed / yf thou care not to be in the body? Thou shalt not be a mē bre of Chryst except thou folowe ye steppes of Chryste.we must ꝑdon the vnworthy. But he is vnworthy to be forgyuen. Euen so were not thou vnworthy whom god shold forgyue? In thyne owne selfe thou wylt haue mercy exercised / & agaynst thy brother wylt thou vse extreme and cruell iustyce? is it so great a thyng yf thou beyng a synner thy selfe sholdest forgyue a synner / whan Chryst prayed his father for them whiche crucifyed hym? is it an harde thynge not to stryke thy brother whom thou art also cōmaūded to loue? is it an hard thing not to pay agayn an euyl dede / for whiche excepte thou woldest recō pence a good: thou shalt not be yt towarde thy felowe y• Chryst was towarde his seruaūt? Fynally yf this mā be vnworthy to whome for an euyll turne a good shold be recōpenced / yet art thou worthy to do it / Chryst is worthy for whose sake it is done But in suffryng an olde displeasure I call [Page] in a newe / he wyll do iniury agayne yf he sholde escape vnpunysshed for this: yf with out offence thou canst auoyde / auoyde it: if thou canst ease or remedy it / ease it: if thou canst heale a mad man / heale hym / yf not let hym perysshe hymself alone rather thā with the. This mā whiche thynketh hym self to haue done harme / thynke thou worthy to be pytyed / and not to be punysshed. wylt thou be angry to thy cōmendacion & laude?Be angry and agre [...]ed with the vyce. be angry with y• vice / not with ye mā But the more thou art enclined by nature to this kynde of vice / so moche ye more diligently arme thy selfe longe before hande / & ones for altogyder prynt sure in thy mynde this decre or purpose: that thou neither say nor do any thyng at any tyme while thou art angry: bileue not thyself whā thou art moued: haue suspected what so euer yt sodeyn mociō or rage of y• mynde diffineth or iudgeth / ye though it be honest.Saye nor do any thynge yf thou be angry Remēbre none other differēce to be bitwene a frātik ꝑson & hym yt rageth in ire thā is bytwene a short madnes that dureth but a season & a cōtinual ꝑseuerāt madnes. Cal to minde how many thyngꝭ in angre thou hast sayd or done worthy to be repēted / which now though in vayne thou woldest fayne were chaūged. Therfore whan y• wrath waxeth hote & boyleth: yf thou cā not streightway [Page] [...] delyuer thy selfe altogyder from anger [...] at the leest way come thus ferforth to thy selfe & sobrenesse that thou remembre thy selfe not to be well aduysed or in thy ryght mynde: To remembre this is a great parte of helth. On this wyse reason with thy selfe / nowe verily so am I mynded / but anone herafter I shall be of another mynde moche contrary / why shulde I in the meane season say agaynst my frende (whyle I am moued) that thynge whiche herafter whan I am peased & my malyce ceassed I coulde not chaūge: why shulde I nowe do in my malyce or anger yt thynge whiche whan I am sobred & come to my selfe agayne I shulde greatly sorowe and repent. why rather shulde not reason / why shulde not pytie / at the last why shulde not Christe optayne that of me nowe / whiche a lytle pause of tyme shal shortly herafter optayne.The mynde must be hardned agaynst wrath [...]. To no man (I suppose) hath nature gyuen so moche of blacke colour but at the leest way he myght so ferforthe rule hymselfe. But it shalbe a very good thing for y• thus instructed to harden thy mynde with reason / with cōtynuaunce & custome that thou couldest not be moued at all: it shall be a perfyte thynge / if thou hauynge indignacyon only at y• vyce / for a displeasure or rebuke done to the / shalt rendre agayne [Page] a dede of charyte. To conclude / euen naturall temperaūce whiche ought to be in euery man / requyreth that thou shuldest not suffre affectyons to rule the vtterly. Not to be wrothe atall / is a thing moste lyke vnto god / and therfore moste comly and beautyfull. To ouercome yuel with goodnesse / malyce with kyndnesse / is to counterfayte the perfyte charyte of Chryst Iesu. To holde wrathe vnder and kepe hym backe with a brydell / is the propertie of a wyse man. To folowe the appetyte of wrathe / is not a poynt of a man veryly / but playnly of beestes / and that of wylde beesies. But yf thou woldest knowe how moche vncomly it were to a man to be ouercome with wrathe / loke whan thou art sobre that thou marke the countenaunce of an angry persone / or els whan thou thy selfe art angry / go vnto a glasse.Beholde thyn own coūtenāce whan thou art angrye. whā thyne eyen so burne flamyng in fyre / whan thy chekes be pale / whan thy mouthe is drawen awrye / thy lyppes fome / all thy membres quake / whan thy voyce soundeth so malycyously / neyther thy gestures be of one fassyon / who wolde iudge the to be a man? Thou perceyuest nowe my most swetest frende howe large a see is open all abrode to dispute of other vyces after this same maner. But we in [Page] the myddes of our course wyll stryke sayle leauynge the rest to thy discrecyon. Neyther certayne was it my mynde / purpose / or intencyon (for that shulde be an infynyte worke) as I began / euen so to disswade the from euery vyce / vyce by vyce / as it were with sondry declamacionsDeclamacions [...] / and to bolde and courage the to the contraryeSermons. vertues.Orations. This onely was my desyre (whiche I thought suffycient for the) toPrechynges. shewe a certayne maner and crafte of a newe kynde of warre / howe thou myghtest arme thy selfe agaynst the yuels of the olde lyfe burgynge for the agayne & spryngyng a fresshe. Therfore as we haue done in one or two thynges (bycause of ensample) soo must thou thy selfe do partely in euery thyng / one by one: but most of all in the thyngꝭ whervnto thou shalt perceyue thy selfe to be styrred or instygate peculyarly / whether it be through vyce of nature / custome / or yuell bryngynge vp / agaynst these thinges some certeyn decrees must be written in the table of thy myn [...]e / & they must be remeued now & than / leest they sholde fayle or be forgoten through disuse / as agaynst y• vyces of backbytyng / fylthy spekynge / enuy / gule / & other lyke:Certen decrees m [...]st be writtē in our myndes these be y• onely enemyes of Christes sowdiours / against whose assawte the mynde [Page] muste be armed longe aforehande with prayer / with noble sayengꝭ of wyse men / with ye doctryne of holy scripture / with ensample of deuoute & holy men / and specyally of Christe. Thoughe I doute not but that the redyng of holy scripture shal mynister al these thyngꝭ to the habundaūtly / neuerthelesse charyte whiche one brother oweth to another hath moued & exhorted me that at y• leest way with this sodayne and hasty writynges / I shulde further and helpe thy holy purpose as moche as lyeth in me:why he wrote this boke somwhat quicklier and with more [...]pede. a thynge whiche I haue done somwhat the rather bycause I somwhat feared leest thou shuldest fall in to that superstycyous kynde of religyous men / whiche partely awaytyng on their owne aduaū tage / partly with great zele / but not acordyng to knowlege / walke rounde aboute bothe by see & lande / and if anywhere they gette a man recoueryng from vyces vnto vertue / hym streyght way with moste importune & leude exhortacyons / thretenynges / and flateryngꝭ they enfore to thruste into the ordre of monkes / euen as though without a cowle there were no christendome.Relygyous men. Furthermore whan they haue fylled his brest with pure scripulosyte & doutes insoluble / than they bynde hym to certayne tradycions foūde by man / & plainly [Page] thruste the wretched person heedlonge in to a certayne bondage of cyremonyes lyke vnto the maner of the iewes / & teache him to tremble and feare / but not to loue. The ordreThe ordre of monkes. of mōkeship is not pytie / but a kynde of lyuyng to euery man after the disposycion of his body & his mynde / also eyther profytable or vnprofytable / whervnto verily as I do not corage the / so lykewyse I cousayle not from it. This thyng onely I warne the of / that thou put pytie neyther in meate nor in rayment or habyte / nor in any visyble thynge / but in those thynges whiche haue ben declared & shewed the afore: & in what soeuer persons thou shalte fynde or perceyue ye true ymage of Christe / with thē cople thyselfe. Moreouer whan suche men be lacking whose conuersacion shulde make ye better / withdrawe thyselfe as moche as thou mayst from ye companywhat cōpany [...] one a mā shold [...] chose to lyue withall. of man / and call the holy prophete / Christ and the apostels vnto cōmunycacion / but specially make Paule of famylier acquayntaūce with the. This felowe must be had euer in thy bosome to be redde & studyed bothe nyght and daye: fynally & to be lerned without the booke worde by worde / vpon whom we haue now a good whyle enforced with gret dilygēce to make a cō ment or a enarracyon / a bolde dede truly. [Page] But not withstandynge we trustynge in the helpe of god / wyll endeuoyre our selfe besyly leest after Origene / Ambrose / and Augustyne / leest after so many newe interpretours we shulde seme to haue taken this labour vpon vs / vtterly eyther without a cause or without fruyte: and also that certayne besy and vnquyet pyckquarelles / whiche thynken it perfyte relygion to knowe nothing at all of good lernyng / maye vnderstande and well perceyue that where as we in youthe haue embrased and made moche of the pure lernynge of olde auctours / and also haue goten / and that not without great swette & watche / a meane vnderstandyng of bothe the tonges greke and latyn.Good lernyng profyteth [...]nto pyte. we haue not in so doynge loked vnto a vayne and folysshe fame / or vnto the chyldysshe pastyme and pleasure of our mynde / but that we were mynded longe before to adorne and garnysshe the lordes temple with the richesse of other straunge nacyons and countreys to the vttermoste of our power. whiche temple some men with their ignoraunce and barbarousnesse hath ouermoche dishonested / that by the reason of suche rychesse excellent wyttes myght also be inflamed vnto the loue of holy scrypture.
But this so great a thynge a fewe dayes [Page] layde a parte / we haue taken vpon vs this laboure for thy sake / that vnto the (as it were with a fynger) we myght shewe the way whiche ledeth streyght vnto Christ. And I beseche Iesu y• father of this holy purpose (as I hope) that he wolde vouchsafe benyngly to fauour thy holsome enforcementes / ye that he wolde in chaungyng of the encrease his grace / and make the perfyte / that thou myghtest quyckly waxe bygge & stronge in hym / and springe vp vnto a perfyte man. In whom also fare thou well brother & frende / always verily beloued in my hert / but nowe moche more than before bothe dere and plesaūt. At the towne of saynte Andomers / the yere of Christes byrthe. 1501.