A pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered by Theodore Basille.

A pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered by Theodore Basille.

Table of contents

Title page

¶The Nosegaye speaketh.

¶ To the right worshypful mayster George Whetenhall Esquyer, Thodore Basille wissheth continuall health and prosperous felicite.

The Nosegaye, Philemon, Eusebius, Theophyle, & Christopher talke togyther.

¶The fyrste Floure / called / vnfayned Humilite.

¶The second floure / named Pure Innocency.

¶ The thyrde floure / called / Faythfull Obedience.

¶The fourth floure / called / Redy assistence.

¶The fyfte floure / called / Christen Charite.

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¶A pleasaunt newe Nosegaye, full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered by Theodore Basille.

Eccle. 24.

¶ As the Uyne haue I broughte forthe fruyte of a swete sauoure, and my floures are as the fruytes of honour & rytches.

¶The Nosegaye speaketh.

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What meanest thou my frende to gather

Floures, which sone perysh and decaye,

Theyr sauours wyll not laste eue [...]

As by experience se thou maye.

For a lytle tyme they seme pleasaunt

But streyght do they vanysh awaye,

Lyke thynges, which to vanite graunt

As by experience se thou maye

Leaue therfore thynges transitory

And enhalse godly thynges alwaye,

Which shall auaunce the vnto glory

As by experience se thou maye.

Receaue me into thy bosome

If thou doste desyre a nosegaye,

My floures are full of delectacion

As by experience se thou maye.

To knowe thy selfe thou mayst learne here

God and thy kynge truely to obeye▪

And to thy neyghbour to be dere

As by experience se thou maye.

Take me nowd vnto the therfore

Beare me in thy bosome alwaye,

Much pleasure haue I for the in store

As by experience se thou maye▪

¶ To the right worshypful mayster George Whetenhall Esquyer, Thodore Basille wissheth continuall health and prosperous felicite.

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ALthough we haue mooste vrgent & weyghty causes, yea & those īnumerable to extoll, magnify, commend & prayse the exceadynge goodnes & bounteous liberalite of our moost mercifull father, yf we perpend, pē sitate, weyghe, ponder & cōsider his inestimable benefites, which he frely & without our deseruynge dayely giueth vnto vs miserable creatures, yet if we weyghe all thinges in a iust balaunce, we shall easely and withoute ony difficulte perceaue, y• we are moost bounde to celebrate & prayse his moost blyssed name for ye restorynge of his holy word at this [Page] tyme, brought to passe by his true annoynted Hēry our moost redoubted Kynge, as by another Iosias, whose graces moste excellent maieste that LORDE of powers mought prosper in all his diuine affayres & godly enterprises. For before God restored to the world the Gospell & ioyfull tydynges of his derely beloued sonne our LORDE & Sauioure Iesus Christe, incredulite as chefe rulare reygned in oure hertes, Hypocrisye as a vayne gloryous Empresse, bare dominion, Supersticiō, Idolatry, false sectes, mennes tradicions, confidence reposed in humayne inuencions, Pylgrimages, Offringes, Bulles, Pardonnes, dispensacions, Masses of Scala celi, marchaundyse for merytes & workes, byenge & sellynge of the diuine misteries, with an whole sea of euelles mo, had creapte in, vnto ye great perturbacion & disquietnes of ye holy [Page] catholyke chyrch, as I may passe ouer the blynde ignorancy & ygnorant blyndenes, into the whiche by this meanes we were cast and tombled. Howe can it otherwyse be? If the lyght of Gods word be obscured extincte or quenched,Psal. cxviii which only is the lanterne to our feete, & a lyghte to our pathwayes, what meruayle is it, though the fearce & outerageous floudes of Idolatry & all kinde of supersticiō breake in and inuade the boundes of christianite, yea and ouerflowe thē. For as Fayth, Hope Charite, Peace, Mercy, Pacience, longe sufferynge, humilite, sobriete iustice, spirituall liberte, obedience towarde the hyghe powers, and all goodnes reygneth, where the LORDES word bereth rule, so in lyke mā ner, where yt is expulsed, banysshed & exiled, Incredulite, hatred, enuy couetousnes, vēgeāce, contencion, Glotony, dronckēnes, rapacite, immoderate [Page] lustes, vncleane affectes, carnal liberte, disobediēce īsurreccion, arrogācy, pryde, ambiciō, crudelite, māslaughter, thefte, false witnes, hypocrisy, ignorāce, blyndnes, sectes, Heresye, and all that is contrary to the commaundeme nt and wyll of God, beareth dominiō, and hath preeminence, as Salomō sayeth,Prouer. xix Where knowledge is not, there is no goodnes for y• soule. Agayne, whan the preachyng of Gods word [...]ayleth,Prou. xxix the people peryshe & runne cleane oute of order. Therfore it is wryten by the Prophet,Esaie. viii. make hast to the lawe & witnes. If they speke not accordynge to this word, they shall not haue the mornynge lyght, that is to saye, the true knowledge of God.Marke. xii. Rebuked not Christ ye Saduces, bycause they were ignorant in the holy Scriptures, affyrming that they were deceaued for lacke of the knoweledge of them? Ye are [Page] deceaued, sayth he, bicause ye know not ye scriptures. Therfore in ye gospel of Iohn,Ioan. v. he exhorteth al men to serch ye scriptures, sayēg, serch ye ye scriptures, for they are they ye beare witnes of me. And ye Psalmograph calleth thē blissed,Psal. cxviii and .i. which search ye testimonies of the LORDE & meditate in his lawe both both daye & nyght The worde of God muste nedes be an excellent & precious treasure, seinge it is the power of GOD vnto saluacion for so many as beleue,Roma. i. i. Tim. iiii. seinge also it is profitable to teache, to īproue, to amend, & to instructe, in ryghteousnesse, that the man of God may be perfecte & prepared to all good workes. Who is able to expresse, what a precious relique and high treasure the worde of God is? Uerely it is that treasure, wherof Christ speaketh in the Gospell,Math. xii [...] that lygheth hydden in the felde, which, whan a man once fyndethe, for ioye [Page] therof he goeth & selleth all that he hathe, & byethe that felde. And it is no lesse treasure to the soule, than the corporall eyes are to the bodye, as ye Psalmographe testifieth: Thy worde,Psal. cxviii O LORDE, is a lanterne to my fete, & a lyght to my pathewayes. For as that man, that is depryued of his corporal syght, knoweth not how nor wher to walke, so lyke wyse, hē that wanteth the lyght of Goddes worde seeth nothynge, and therfore walketh he not aright but wādreth abrode lyke a shepe dispersed & destitute of a shepparde.Mathew. ix But as he that hath the true & perfecte syght of the eyes stōblethe not, but walketh at all times without daū ger, so in lyke māner he ye is endued by Christes spirite wt the light of y• holy Scriptures wādreth not frō that true way, which sayth of him selfe,Ioan. xiiii. I am the waye, the truethe & the lyfe, but alwaye is preserued, [Page] that he walketh continually in the kynges hygh waye, declynyng neither on the right hand or on ye lyfte hand. He is not caryed about with straūg doctryne.Deut. xii. Hebre. xiii. Math. xvi. Math. vii. Luke. vi. His fayth is bylte on a sure rocke, therfore abideth he fyrme, immutable, stedfaste, sure & constant, what so euer kynde of tē peste assaylethe hym. The gates of hell can not preuayle agaynst him. Satan with all his army are not able once to abduce & remoue hym from the true waye.ii. Petre. i. For the lyghte of Goddes worde is continually before his eies, wher vnto he gyueth diligent attendance, which also he followeth earnestly in all his iourneyes, and therfore muste he nedes walke the true waye, & neuer erre. Yf he be blyssed, fortunate & happy that hath the naturall lyght of his body, howe much more blyssed & heuēly at ease is he, that is illumined with ye lyght of the LORDES word? [Page] wherof ye holy king Dauid hauīge experience prayeth on this māner, open myne eyes,Psal. cxviii & I shall consyder ye meruelous thynges of thy lawe. To walke in this lyght, Christe exhorteth vs, sayeng, walke whyle ye haue lyght,Ioan. xii. vnles ye darkenes come on you. He that walkethe in darkenes, wotteth not whither he gothe. Whyle ye haue lyght, beleue on the lyghte, that ye maye be the chyldrē of lyghte. So many as be of God, loue this lyght of y• LORDES word, and desyre with all theyr herte to walke ī it. But they that be of Satan, hate it, & refuse to walke in it. Why so?Actum. vii. Uerely for they are beast lyke mynded, styffe necked, & in all thynges resist the holy Ghost. The lyght they hate, be it neuer so pleasaunt & wholesome, but the darkenes they enhalse, loue, kysse & kull, be it neuer so tedious and horrible. Therfore shall they receaue y• greater [Page] dānacion, as Christ wytnesseth sayeng [...], thys is the condemnacion that lyght came into the worlde, & men loued darkenes rather then lyght. For theyr workes were euel.Ioan. iii. Euery one that doth euell, hate the the lyght, neyther commeth he to ye lyght, vnles his workes shoulde be reproued. O howe blessed are they, to whome it is gyuen to walke in thys lyght. Agayne, howe miserable, wretched & vnhappy are they, y• speare theyr eyes at the commynge of this confortable light, & wyl not only not walke in it thē selues, but also laboure to the vttermooste of theyr power to obscure & quenche it, that it maye appeare & shyne to none at all. These are those people,Esaie. xxx. whiche, as the Prophet saythe, prouoke God to anger. Theise are the lyenge and vnfaythefull chyldren. Theyse are the chyldren that wyll not heare the lawe of the LORDE. [Page] These are they, which say to them that se, se not, & to them that looke, looke not for vs those thinges that are right. Speke vnto vs pleasaūt thīges, preach vnto vs tales of Robyn hood, take awaye from vs the right way, go out of the pathe, and away with that holy one of Israel frō our face. Theise are they, which hate hym,Amos. v. that reproueth thē openly, and abhore hym that telleth the truethe playnely. Theise are they, which call euell good,Esaie. v. & good euell, darkenes lyght, & lyght darkenes. bytter swete, & swete bitter. These are they whiche are wyse in theyr owne eyes, and stonde wel in theyr owne cōceate. But agaynst all such as contemne the holy scriptures & cast awaye the law of theyr LORDE God, wyllynge neither to enter thē selues, nor yet suffryng other, christ intonateth and thōderethe on this māner,Luke. xii. wo be to you lawers, for ye [Page] haue taken awaye the key of knowledge, ye haue not onlye not entred in, but ye haue also forbidden them that entend to enter. But without doubte they shal no lēger preuayle.Iob. xv. Esaie. xi. Daniel. viii ii. Thess. ii. For ye daye of the LORDE is at hand whan he shall breake Satans head & destroye bothe him & all his ministers with the breath of his mouth For he wyll no lenger sufferre thys great wickednes & hygh abhominacion. He wyll be knowne for ye God & Sauiour alone. He is that LORD which alone wyll be exalted,Esaie. ii. and all Idolles shall be vtterlye broken on peces. He is that God, whiche wyll no lenger suffer his glorye to be attributed & gyuen to other.Esaie. xiii. Iacob. ii. He is ye lawer, which wyl expulse the darkenesses of mennes tradicions, that fyghte with his infallible verite, & brynge in the glorious lyght of his moost holye worde. To be shorte, he wyll detecte and ouerthrowe all the [Page] Idols, that obscure his glory, and set vp his blyssed name to be praysed and magnyefyed for euer and euer. So be it.

Of this thynge haue we experience euen at this tyme, in ye whiche that LORDE of puissāce hath moost puissantly by his derely beloued seruant Henry our moost vertuous & godlye Kynge, subuerted, topledde downe, and ouerthrowne a great parte of Antechristes kyngedome, so that by his diuine polecy & godlye enterpryse,Apoca. xvii. that great whore of Babylon, the mother of all whore dome & abhominacions of the erth, hath loste her chefe glory & renome, & is nowe become so vile, that she is euen made the habitacion of diuelles, & the holde of all fowle spirites & a cage of all vncleane & hatefull byrdes.Apoca. xviii So that no man nowe wyl once by ony of her m [...]rchaundyse. And wythoute doubte the tyme is [Page] at hande,Esaie. xii. Iere. xv. Apoca. xiiii. Psal. cx [...]iiii▪ Psal. cxvi. that Babylon shall haue such a faull, that it shall not be able after this at onye tyme to be repared. For the mouthe of the LORDE hath spoken it, whiche is faythfull in all his wordes, & whose trueth abydeth for euer & euer. Neyther cā this prophecy of Christ be made frustrate by ony humayne polecy:Math. xv. Euery plante, that my heauenly father hath not planted, shall be plucked vp by ye rootes. Who reioysethe not to heare these thinges? yea who triumpheth not to se thē? Blyssed are we to whome it hath chaunsed not only to heare these thinges ioyefully, but also to se them pleasauntly, & which hereafter shall vndoubtedly se such thynges mo, as shall may be able to prouoke onye faythefull herte seriouslye to reioyse. Uerelye althoughe we be occasioned dyuers wayes to gyue God immortal thā kes for dyuers gyftes, yet me thīke [Page] we are most highly boūd to be thākefull for ye re [...]uciō of his moste holy worde in these our dayes. And wo worth them, that be vnthanckefull in this behalfe, excepte they repent and amende.

iii. Reg. iii. ii. Para. ix.The Scriptures shewe howe yt in ye tyme of kyng Salomon, there was so great plēte of syluer at Ierusalem, as there was of stones in the stretes. What carnall manne would not haue delyghted to inhabite hymselfe there? Yet verely in my iudgement we do farre excell ye glorious abundans of Salomon & all hys in mundane treasures, to whome it is gyuen not only to florysh with worldely goodes, but also wyth the incomparable treasures of the spirite. So that our condicion at this present doth not a lytle excede & passe the state of those Israelites, which lyued so gloriously vnder the empyre and dominion of [Page] Salomon. Certes as concernynge my selfe, let God be but a lytle mercifull vnto me, yf I had not rather chose to lyue vnder this our moost Christen kynge withe that lytle nothinge that I haue, & to enioye the benefyte of Goddes worde, than to li [...]e vnder Salomō, if he were now alyue, & there to abunde with all affluence & plente of all worldly rytches. I am sufficiētly rytch, so lōge as I haue ye rytches of Gods word wt me. And I doubte not, but that of this opinion are so many as tender the glory of God & the helthe of theyr owne soules. Nowe seynge ye this incōparable treasure & inestimable benefite of Gods word, is so bounteously gyuen vnto vs, let vs all togyther consent wt one mynde to cōserue & mayntayne this moste precious Iewel, that we lose it not hereafter thorowe our owne necligence. Let vs not hynder thē that [Page] go about to repare & byld agen th [...] Tēple of our LORD god, but rather praye for thē, that they maye hau [...] prosperous successe, & brynge theyr labours to a fortunate end. Yea let vs euery one helpe to ye edificacion & byldyng of gods house. If we can not make the waulles, yet lette vs fetche morter & stones to the Masōnes for to make it wt. Let vs further the buyldynge so muche as we maye, and not hynder it by ony meanes, vnlesse we be cursed of God. Let vs cast our mony togyther euerye man for hys porcion to the makinge of this glorious temple, that the name of God may be praysed in it of the faythfull for euermore.Luke. xii. Yf we be not able with the rytche man to cast great abūdans of goodes in to the treasure house, yet let vs wt the poore widowe of the Gospell at the leest gyue two minutes, & God wyll surely approue & accepte oure [Page] good wyll. Only let vs not hynder the workemāshyp of it, but further it to the vttermoost of oure power, so shall the blessyng of God be amōg vs,Esaie. xii. & we shall dwell safely in his holy mountayne, & the earthe shall be replenisshed with the knowledge of the LORDE, euē as the water of the sea that ouerfloweth the londe.

And although there maye be inuented diuers wayes to reedifye & bylde agayne this house of ye LORD, yet me thynke to speake generally, the nexte & moost redy waye to further it, & to brynge it vnto a good ende, is to lyue vertuously, & euery man studiously to do that vnto the which God hath called hym.i. Cor. vii. For wt out doubte this oure dissolute & remisse manner of lyuynge hathe hytherto very much hyndred the byl [...]ynge of Gods temple, I wyll not saye, that it hath driuen awaye many, which woulde haue ben strennuous [Page] and valeante labourers in the worke of the LORDE, if our sluggishnes had not perswaded the contrary. In cōsideraciō wherof, althoghe I am no fytte person to be a worke man in this behalfe, yet verely I desyre with all my herte that this byldynge of the LORDES Temple may go forward, & I wyshe to the labourers therof all prosperous & fortunate thynges, that they may bring theyr worke vnto a glorious & ioyefull ende. And although I can not greatly further theyr godly laboures, yet wyll I not hynder thē, but helpe them to the vttermoste of my possebilite in al thynges. Let other brynge Ceder trees, syluer, Golde, Pearle & precious stones vnto the byldynge & garnysshynge of this tē ple, I wyll agayne for my parte gather stones, fetche the tymber, and make the morter or do suche smal [...] thynges, as my lytle strēgthes shal [Page] be able to beare and suffer.

And that all men maye haue an experimēt of my good wyll toward the byldynge of this temple,Eccle. xiiii. Esaie. xi. i Pet. i. Iob. v. Iacob. i. behold at this tyme I brynge forth a nosegaye for to adourne & garnyshe the Temple wt all, hauyng in it. v. floures, yea & those not such as wyl wy ther awaye at ye heate of the Sōne but rather such as the beauty wherof wyll neuer decaye, nor be obscured with the fearce asperite of onye tempest. The fyrst floure is called, vnfayned Humilite. The seconde,☜ pure innocency, The thyrd, faythful obedience. The fourth, Redy assistence. The fyfte, Chri sten Charite. These be such floures, as who so euer smelleth well vnto them, and replenyssheth his senses wt ye odoriferous sauoures of them, surely he shal ryght sone perceaue, that there can no fl [...]ures be gathered, yt shall make more vnto the adournemente [Page] of Gods Temple, than these aforesayd. For of the fyrst he shall smell y• ryght knowlege of hymselfe, which after the censure of all learned mē is the begynnynge of all wisdome, & learne to be humble, meke, & lowely, without the which how can ony man fortunately aspire & come vnto ony progresse or furtherance in vertues. Of the seconde, he shall sauour howe he ought to behaue him selfe vnto God, that he maye walke innocently, as it becommeth hym. Of the thyrde he shal learne true obedience towarde his Prynce. Of the fourth, he shall smell, what hys duety is towarde his christen brother. Of ye fyft, how al these thīges ought to be done. Cā ony thīge be foūd more precious for the garnysshyng of gods Tēple, thā thys nosegay which brīgeth to al ye faythful such delectable, swete, mel [...]fluous, & cōfortable sauours? Who so smelleth [Page] well on this Nosegay, shall neyther offende hym selfe, nor God, nor the Kynges grace, nor yet his neygheboure, but shall worke all thynges according to the wyll and pleasure both of God & mā. Uerely I would wysh it not only to be borne in the handes or bosoms of all christen mē but also to be prynted and fast rooted in theyr hertes, so myghte they be sure to lyue in this worlde a quiet godly lyfe, & after the departure to enioye that glorye, whiche is immortall. God graunt it maye come to passe.

This my Nosegaye gathered of me ī the space of thre dayes at such houres, as I coulde conuenientlye suffurate & steale awaye from ye institucion & teachynge of my Schollers, I nowe offer and dedicate to youre ryghte worshypfull maystershyp, as a testimony & memorial of my right harty good wyll towarde [Page] you, moost instantly desyrynge you to accepte it with such good mynd, as you are alwayes accustumed of your naturall humanite and gētlenes to receaue the gyftes & presentes of them which desyre frendly & wyssh well vnto you. The gyfte is lytle I confesse, & vnworthy youre boūteous liberalite shewed toward me at all tymes. No meruayle. For what shoulde an herbe bryng forth but floures, pleasaūt for the tyme, but sone perysshyng? Yet your Basille at this time hath broght forth to you such floures, as heuē & earth shal soner perysh, thā ye leest leafe of thē shal so much as ōce wither awai or loose the beaty therof. Wherof I do not doubte, but that this my ly tyll gyfte shall be acceptable vnto you, if not for the price of it, yet for the longe continuaunce of ye same, and so muche the more bycause at this tyme, you are partely occupied [Page] in the adournynge and garnysshynge of that your new garden wt moost swete herbes & pleasant floures. So that ye herbes of that your garden, & the floures of youre Basille put togyther, wyll vndoubtedly make goodly and swete sauours, the one for the body, the other both for body & soule, which thinge that LORDE myght graunt,Iacob. i. from whom descendeth euery good and perfecte gyfte.

God preserue youre good mastershyp longe in helth, with the right worshypfull & vertuous Gētyl woman your wy [...]e, and al your familye. So be it.

The Nosegaye, Philemon, Eusebius, Theophyle, & Christopher talke togyther.

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Philemon.

THere wanteth not at this presente tyme, which not only thē selues are but litle studious, vigilant and laborous for the prosperous propagacion & settinge forth of diuine litterature & godly knowlege, wherby the faythfull are inserted, planted & engraffed in our LORDE & Sauioure Christ Iesus, but they also vituperate & discōmend ye serious & payneful endeuours of other, which wt al mayne labour to dilate & enlarge ye kingedome of God, & the glory ther of, yea and that not without great daunger of theyr helthe, as I maye adde nothynge hereto. With what [Page] spirite such personnes be inflated & puffed vp, I wyll not here define. But certes they very much aberre dissent & are estraunged from my sē tence, iudgement & perswasiō. For I desyre & wysh wyth all my herte, that all menne lyuinge were in the bowelles of Christ,Colos. iii. & that the word of Christ myght opulently, rytchly & abundantly dwell in them withe all wisdome, & knoweledge, be they Turkes, Iewes, Saracēnes,Roma. [...]. Ioan. iiii. or onye other, seynge that there is one LORDE of all, sufficiently rytche for so many as call on him in spiryte & verite: We rede that Moses desired [...]o greatly the health & saluaciō euē of the grosse Idolaters the Iewes, that he estemed his owne wealth & fauoure of no price withoute theyr health & prosperite,Exo. xxxii. yea he wysshed to be blotted out of the boke of lyfe, if the people of Israel were not also saued with hym. O feruent charite [Page] & burnynge loue. Howe many wayes sought our moost gētle sauiour [...] Christe also to brynge his enemies to repētaunce? Would not he haue gathered them togither,Mat. xxiii. Luke. xiii. as a henne doth her chyckēs, & yet they would not? Dyd not he deplore & lamente euē with profuse & moost large teares theyr obstinate blynd [...]nes and blynd obstinacy,Luke. xix. whā he tofore saw the perelles imminent & that were redy to faule vpon them? Dyd not he praye for them,Mat. xxvii. Luke. xxiii. euen whan they had hanged hym on the crosse? Dyd not he suffer his moost blyssed body to be brokē, and his moost precious bloud to be shed for theyr redēpciō, If they would conuerte & amende, yea & at the last gyue his owne lyfe for theyr saluacion?Rom. ix. O loue incōparable. O charite without measure. What nede I rehearse S. Paule, which so intierly thyrsted the helth of his kynnesmen the Israelites, [Page] that for theyr saluacion he wysshed not only to be secluded & banysshed but also vtterly accursed frō christ. He rather desyred hīselfe to be depriued of eternal saluaciō, thā that so many should be cōiect & cast into euerlasting dānaciō. O true Apostle O spectacle moost worthy to be looked on of all Prelates, Bisshoppes & Curates. Here se we, howe feruēt our desyre shoulde be towarde ye sauyng helth of our christē brothers. Uerely we oughte not to seake all meanes possible for to brynge them vnto consummate, absolute & perfecte knoweledge of Christes moost wholesome doctryne, but also euen to gyue oure lyues to brynge them vnto Christ, as S. Iohn sayth.i. Ioan. iii. By this we haue knowne loue, bycause he hath gyuen his lyfe for vs, & we are bounde agen to gyue our lyues for the brothers. Therfore neyghbours accordynge to the commaundement [Page] of that moost noble māne, which sayd,Luke. xix. laboure vntyll I come, for the right herty zele that I bare towarde your soules, I thyncke it my bounden dutye, so longe as we dwell togither to talke with you of the worde of lyfe,ii. Pet. i. whiche is able to saue your soules.

The Banckette.Ye know that at Christmasse last paste, I made you a Bancket, wher in I proponed & set before you four dysshes. The fyrste contayned, into what great misery we were cast by Adam. The seconde, howe we ware freely saued by the mercy of God ye Father thorowe Iesus Christe. In your thyrde dysh, I declared howe we mighte obtayne & come by this vnmeasurable boūtie & great goodnes of god. In the fourth I shewed you, what is your duety, after we haue receyued these inestimable benefites of God the father thorowe Christ Iesus,Co [...]os. iii. verely to put of oure [Page] conuersacion, to become new mē,Ephe. v. Rom. vi. to be plenteous in good workes, to dye vnto synne, to lyue vnto ryghteousnes, & dayly more and more to waxe grande & auncient in Christ, that at the laste we maye attayne & come vnto the very perfeccion of christianite. These thinges ye haue not forgotten, I am sure neyghebours.

Euse.

God forbid brother Philemon, yt we shouldebe negligent in theyse thynges that pertayne vnto the helthe of our soules. So might we worthely seme to be moost ennemies of oure owne saluacion.The potacion.

Phile.

I reioyse very muche at it. Moreouer syns that tyme, ye knowe that not many wekes paste I made you a Potacion for Lent, wherin I set before you manye godlye thynges moost worthy to be knowne concerning that tyme of lent. Of the holy Sacrament of Penance & the partes therof I talked much with you [Page] I taught you also howe ye shoulde [...]aste accordyng to the wyll of God. I also openned vnto you the misteries & significicacions of certayne Ceremonies vsed in the Tēples for the tyme of Lent. Last of all I dedeclared vnto you, howe ye shoulde prepare your selues worthely to receue at ye time of Easter ye most blyssed sacramēt of the Altare. Al these thynges haue I taught you, yea & that not in vayne, as your quotid [...] ane fruytes do manifestlye shewe. For ye seme vnto me dayely more & more to expresse manners worthye your profession, so that I perceaue the word of God is not sent to you in vayne,Esay. lv. but that it brīgeth for the much fruyte in you vnto the glory of God, the conforte of the faythful & the saluaciō of your owne soules If all men vnto theyr vttermooste possibilite wold likewyse endeuour them selues to bryng forth fruytes [Page] accordynge to theyr knowledge, verely it should be an occasion that ye Gospell of Christ should excite and store vp meruaylous loues, so that it should haue in short space mo frē des & fewer enemies; yea and they yt studye to haue Christes doctryne both truely knowne & earnestly followed, shoulde also no more be blasphemed, detracted, rayled vpō and yll spoken of, but rather animated & encouraged to proceade in theyr mooste godly and vertuous enterprises.

Nowe neyghbours seynge that hyther to ye haue ben no forgetful hearers, but obsequious followers and diligente doers of the thynges taught you, I thought it not vnfyttyng to caull you once agen vnto me, and accordynge to the tyme of the yere to gyue you a Nosegay full of moost redolēt & odoriferous floures,A nosegay [...]. which maye both expell all [Page] pernicious & hurtefull sauours, & also conserue & kepe your incolum [...] te & valeaūce both of body & mynd.

Theo.

Nothynge can be gyuen to vs more grate, acceptable & pleasaūt, than this your gyfte nowe promised, neyther can any thyng at this present beatify vs on suche sorte.

Chri.

No verely, this is wtout dout.

Phil.

I shall be the gladder to īpart [...] it to you. But neyghbours knowe this one thyng, that euen as your Banket & Potaciō were not made of corruptible meate,Ioan. vi. but of suche as permayneth, continueth & abydeth vnto eternall lyfe, so lykewyse thys youre Nosegaye shall not be made of suche Herbes, as the floures wherof, wyll wyther awaye & drye vp with the heate of the sonne but puissantly abyde for euer and euer so valeaunt, that no heate, no tempest, no troublous wether, shal maye be able at ony tyme to obfuscitate [Page] or blemysh the natiue beautye therof. For oute of the diuine scirptures shall your Nosegaye be selected, & it shall cōtayne in it fiue floures. But nowe wyll I declare vnto you, what the names of ye floures, and of what vertue, efficacye, strength and power they be.

Euse.

I praye you lette vs heare.The names of the floures contayned in the Nosegaye, & the vertue of them.

Phil.

Your fyrst floure is called, Vnfayned humilite. & it is good to expell all arrogancy, pryde, hawtynes and elacion of mynde. It is of all vertues easelye the Base & foundament, & without the which none consisteth in theyr germayne & naturall place. Youre seconde floure shalbe, Pure Innocency. beynge profitable to make you for to behaue youre selues deuoutly & vertuously toward God, workyng that thinge that shalbe acceptable & thanckefull in his syght,Luke. i. that ye maye walke innocently, before him all the dayes of youre lyfe. Youre [Page] thyrde floure is called, Faythfull Obedience. & shal aspire and breath vnto you suche redolent & swete odoure that ye shal therby receaue strēgth & knowledge to do your duty vnto our moost victorious & moost vertuous Prince withe all submission & lowlynes of herte. Youre fourthe flowre is named, Redy assistence, and it auaylethe very muche to teache you, how ye ought to behaue your selues towarde youre christen brothers,Phil. ii. that that affecte maye be in you, that was ī Christ Iesus. Your fyft floure, which is the laste, is called Christen Charite, & it is of so great strength & vertue, that without it al the other be not much approued nor allowed before God.Rom. xiii. i. Tim. i. For it is the perfecte fulfyllyng of the lawe, and the ende of the precepte, as the Apostle writeth. Of these fyue floures shall youre Nosegaye be made, whiche I desyre you, that ye wyll [Page] not disdayne ioyfully to accepte & frendely receaue at my hande, as y• gyfte of hym, which moost intierly wysshethe well vnto you.

Theo.

We ware more than twyse ingrate, yf we woulde not thanckefully, yea & wt enbrasīg armes receaue yt, which is cōducible & profitable to so mani necessarye causes, and matters of graue importans.

Chri.

Who hathe euer had so precious a Nosegay, as this shall be, which shall teach vs to be humble, lowly, gentle, meke, and replete with all submission, whiche also shal aspire and breath vnto vs suche sauours, as wherby we shall maye learne to do our duties both toward God, our kynge, & our christen brothers, which thynge is the very whole summe of all christianite. Who so euer shal haue this nosegaye continually in his hande, and smell well of it, he maye be sure to be preserued frō all pestiferous ayres, [Page] so y• he shall neyther offend god, nor his Prince, nor yet his neyghebour, but worke all thynges accordynge to Gods moost holy plesure.

Phil.

Well, I praye you be diligent. For nowe I entende to gather euery floure of your Nosegay in order & to delyuer them vnto you.

Euse.

I praye you let it so be.

¶The fyrste Floure / called / vnfayned Humilite.

Philemon.

YOure fyrste floure is plucked out of the fyrste Epistle of S. Peter,i. Pet. v. & it is this, Haue Humilite and loulynes of mynde engraffed in you. For God resisteth the proude, but to the humble he gyueth grace.

Theo.

This is a godly swete floure, & garnysshethe the lyfe of a christen man very muche.

Phil.

The holy Apostle S. Peter ī this place exorteth all christen mē vnto humilite [Page] & lowlynes of mynde. And this is your flour that I call, Vnfayned humilite., euen that lowelynes whiche procedeth from a pure mynde with out ony Hypocrisye or doublenes.Pryde is [...] heade spring of all euyll And ī gyuīg vs exhortacion to enbrase humylyte, he also absterreth & frayethe vs from all arrogancy, pride, & elaciō of mīd, which is y• hed sprynge of all euel, & he sheweth the cause why we ought to enhalse Humilite, and reiecte pryde. For God, sayth he, resisteth the proud, but to the humble he gyueth grace.What humilite is. I shal make this more euidente anone by examples and Histories of the holy Scriptures.

Chri.

But I pray you before ye procede in this matter declare vnto vs, what Humilite is.De grad. Humilit.

Phile.

Humilite, after the mynde of S. Bernarde, is a vertue, wherby euery one brought into the k [...]eledge of hymselfe, waxeth vyle and lothesome to hymselfe.

Euse.

He that [Page] on this wyse is humble, can not norysh ony pryde in his herte.

Phil.

Ye saye trueth.Why so much pryde reygnethe nowe a dayes.

Theo.

I meruayle than how it cōmethe to passe, y• so muche pryde reygneth now a dayes amōg vs.

Phil.

Uerely bycause the people are not brought īto ye true knowlege of thē selues. If they were, they would not stōd so much ī theyr own cōceate as they do, but rather be hū ble, lowly, gentle, & meke toward al men, euen the moost simple & inferiour. But in asmch as this knoweledge wanteth, therfore are they inflated & puffed vp withe pryde lyke vnto Lucifer, which so exalted himselfe, that he would haue bene lyke vnto the moost hygh God:Esa. xiiii. The mā of honour is proude of his promocion, the rytch man of his rytches, the stronge man of his strengthe, ye learned man of his learnynge, the beautiful of theyr beauty. [...]. Cor. iiii. Iacob. i. &c. This cōmeth to passe, bycause they know [Page] not, what they are of them selues, & that all that they haue is the gyfte of God, as S. Paule & Iames testifye.

Chri.

I praye you declare to vs, by what meanes we maye obtayne this celestiall gyfte of humllite.

Phil.

That ye maye haue the more courage to desyre this moost precious vertue, & to practyse it in your lyuynge, I wyl fyrst declare to you the excellency of it, and shew what great profyt ensuethe of it, & afterwarde declare to you, by what meanes ye maye come by it.

Euse.

Let it be so▪

Phil.

The scripture shewethe ye whan Adam & Eue had transgressed the commaundement of God in Paradyse thorowe the subtyle perswasion of Satan,Gen. iii. & perceaued thē selues naked,Beholde what synne [...] doth. they ranne away frō the face of God & hyd themselues, that they myghte not be sene.

Euse.

We remēber this well.

Phil.

Behold nowe the Humilite of God, conioyned [Page] with vnmesurable mercye.The goodnes of God toward mā. He beyng God & such a LORDE, as at y• presence of whome al thynges both in heauen, earth & hell trēble, shake & do reuerence, hūbly & lowly came & sought thē vp, sayeng, where arte thou Adā? And not onlye this, but whan they were ashamed of theyr nakednes, he made them garmentes of skynnes, & put them on them to couer theyr filthynes. Must not Humilite nowe be a vertue of wonderfull excellency, seyng that God hymselfe dyd fyrst of al practyse it? [...]ote wel. Who dare boste hym selfe to be the sonne of this celestiall father ▪ & yet not endewedde withe Humilite? GOD myghte haue suffered them to haue perysshedde, or elles taken vengeaunce on them streyghtwayes accordyng to theyr desertes but he woulde not, but rather gentylly and lowly sought them vp, apparelled them, & by this meanes preserued [Page] them. O example worthy to be followed of all the faythfull.

Moreouer what Humilite and lowlynes was ther also ī his derely beloued sōne our lord & sauiour Iesus Christ? Who is able to expresse his humilite, lowlynes & mekenes? It is not without a cause sayde of hym, learne of me,Math. xi. for I am meke & lowly in herte. For what doth hys whole lyfe shew but humilite?Esay. ix. Was he not borne of a poore mayde, euen that blyssed virgyne Marye?Math. i. Dyd he not suffer his moost precious body to be wrapped ī vyle and simple cloutes?Luke. i.ii. Esay. i. Dydde he disdayne to be borne in a stable,Luke. ii. & to lye in a maū ger among brute bestes?Math. viii. Was not he subiecte & obedient to Ioseph & Mary his mother?Luke. ix. Math. ix. Was not he circūcysed and baptized for our sake? Was not he so poore,Marke. ii. that he hadde not where to reste his heade? Dyd not he kepe company wyth Publicans, [Page] synners and harlottes,Luke. v. that he myghte brynge them to grace?Math. viii. whome other so greatly dyd abhorre?Mark. i. Dyd not he touche the Lepers, whome other would scasely vouchsafe once to looke vpō?Luke. v. Math. iiii. Dyd not he frequent and vse the companye of al diseased,Math. ix. that he might heale thē? Dyd not he go,Mark. v. whyther so euer he was desyred?Math. xv. Dyd not he graunt ye peticions of the faythful?Math. xxi Dyd not he come rydynge mekely into Ierusalem vpon an Asse withoute onye pompe or pryde?Marke. xi. Luke. xix. Dyd not he washe his Disciples feete?Ioan. xiii. Dyd not he beyng in the shape of God and equall with God make hym selfe of no reputacion,Phil. ii. Mat. xxvii. & toke vpon hym ye shape of a seruaunt,Mark. xv. became lyke another man, & was founde in his apparell as a manne? Dyd not he so humble hymselfe, that he became obediente vnto the deathe, euen the deathe of the Crosse? Dyd not he suffer hys [Page] moost spytefull enemies to renne & teare his moost blyssed body so cruelly,Mar [...]. [...]v. Luk. xxiii. Ioan. xviii. so vnmercyfully, so without al pytie, that they also dyd shedde the moost precious bloud of his herte? O vnspeakable humilite. O lowlynes rather to be wondred at, than able of ony man to be followed. Neither wanteth this humilite in hym at this present.Roma. viii. Heb. vii. i. Tim. ii. i. Ioan. ii. Is he not euē nowe also content, althoughe glorified, & receaued īto ye moost blyssed throne of hys celestiall father, to becomme our intercessoure, mediatour & aduocate?Ioan. vi. Mat. xxv. Acti [...]. i. i. Thes. iiii. At the daye of iudgemente also is not he contente to come and featche vnto glory both the bodyes & soules of so many as ī this world haue vnfaynedly beleued in hym, & studiously wroght his diuine wyl?

Chri▪

Al these thinges are true that ye haue spokē.

Phil.

Were it not thā a thynge of much absurdite & very vnsyttynge for vs, whiche professe [Page] this our LORDE Christ to be moost alienated & estraunged from that vertue, which he in his quotidiane conuersacion moost principally exercised?

Theo.

Yies verelye. For S. Iohn̄ saythe, he that sayth, that he abydeth in Christ, [...]. Ioan. ii. ought to walke, euē as he hath walked.

Euse.

Trueth it is, and Christ hymselfe saythe, I haue gyuē you an example, that as I haue done to you,Ioan. xiii. so ye lykewyse shoulde do.

Phil.

Ryght well neyghbours. Looke ye do nowe therfore accordynge to your knoweledge.

Act [...]m. ii.Furthermore what Humilite was this in y• holy Ghoste, to come downe so manifestly vpon the Apostles of Christ at the feast of Pentechoste? to replenyshe them with all gyftes of grace & to enspire īto thē the knowledge of so many tonges? was not this a wonderful token of Humilite? Doth not that moost holy spirite, euen at this daye vouchesafe [Page] also to dwell in the hertes of ye faythfull,i. Cor. iii. ii. Cor. vi. as S. Paule witnesseth Do not ye knowe, sayth he, that ye are the Tēple of God, & the spiryte of God dwelleth in you? Agayne do ye not knowe that youre members are the Temple of the holy Ghoste, whiche is in you, whome ye haue of god, and ye are not of your selues? Seynge than that this vertue Humilite was fyrst vsed & practised of God, & so styl remayneth, howe can it otherwise thā be a thīge of great excellency?

Euse

it is trueth. GOD graunt vs to remember these thinges, that we maye not only professe God by mouthe, but also lyuely expresse hym in our actes & dayly conuersacion.

Phil.

Well as concernyng the vertue & strength of this youre floure, called, Vnfayned humilite, it shal appeare euidently vnto you by declaring what great profyt ensueth therof.

Chri.

This thyng is very necessary [Page] to be knowne. Let vs therfore heare it,The vertue & strēgth of humilite. I praye you.

Phil.

Humilite maketh vs to be humble and lowly both ī herte & body. It expellethe the fowle vice of pryde, & causeth that Philantia, that is to say, the loue of our selues or the stōding in our owne conceate, reygneth not in vs. It maketh vs to abstaine frō dissolute laughing. It causeth that we speke nothyng vnaduisedly. It prouoketh vs to graūt that we are more vile than ony other, & vnworthy or vnprofitable vnto ony good thynge. It makethe vs lytyll to esteme our selues, & all our enterprises, & hyghly to auaunce & set forth other. It makethe vs not to haue ony delectacion to fulfyll our owne wyll. It gyuethe vs an occasion to feare God, and to endeuour our selues to do that, which he requirethe of vs. It causeth vs to be obedient to our superiours, & to gyue them [Page] all reuerence & honour. It maketh vs paciently to sustayne all iniuries & wronges, that are done vnto vs. It engraffeth in vs all kynde of vertues. So that it maye ryghte well be named, the mother & nurse of al goodnes & honeste. Moreouer Humilite bringethe the grace & fauour of God to vs, as ye hearde before of S. Peter, which sayth,i. Petre. v. God resistethe the proude, but to the hū ble he gyuethe grace. It causethe ye God hath a respecte vnto vs, as he sayth by the Prophet,Esaie. lxvi. vnto whome shall I looke, but to the hūble & broken in spirite, & vnto hym that feareth my wordes? It makethe that GOD heareth our prayers, as the Psalmograph sayth,Psal. [...]i. God doth beholde the supplicacions of the humble, and he hathe not despised theyr prayers. Also the wise mā,Eccle. xxxv. the prayer of hym that humbleth himselfe, shall pearse the cloudes. It causeth [Page] vs to be exalted,Luke. i. as the moost blyssed virgin syngeth, He hathe putte downe the mighty frō theyr seate, & exalted the humble. And Christe sayth:Luke. xiiii. euery one that exalteth himselfe, shall be made low. And he that humbleth hymselfe, shall be exalted S▪ Peter also sayth, humble youre selues before God,i. Pet. v. that he maye exalte you.Mat. xviii. To be shorte, it bryngethe vs vnto the kyngedome of heauen. For Christ sayth:Marke. x. Luke. viii. Excepte ye turne & become as litle chyldrē ye shal not enter into the kyngedom of heauē, Who so euer therfore shall humble hymselfe, as this lytyl chylde, he is greatest in the kyngdome of heauē.

Chri.

This vndoubtedly is an excellent vertue, and a floure of muche strength, & bryngethe to them that haue it, manye goodly pleasures & godly cōmodities.Gene. iiii.

Phil.

Agen marke I praye you, what made the oblacion of Abel to be so acceptable in the [Page] syght of God, but Humilite? Agen, what was the cause, that ye Sacrifice of Caim was abhorred of God, but his arrogante & proude herte, stuffed full of rancour & malice towarde his brother? What was the occasiō that Nohe wyth fewe other were saued from drowenynge,Gen. vii. but that they were humble in herte and feared god? Agayne, what was the cause,i. Petre. ii. that all the whole worlde besydes thē were drowned, but theyr pryde & volupteous manner of lyuynge?Gen. xii.xv xvii xviii xxii what prouoked God so ofte to walke with Abrahā, but his Humilite & lowlynes of mynde? What moued God to saue Lothe and certayne other for hys sake from that most greuous & terrible plage,Gen. ix ii. Pet. ii. that fell on Sodome & Gomorre, but ye Humilite of him, conioyned with a reuerent feare toward god? Agen, what caused God to take vengeāce [Page] on the Sodomites and to consume them with fyre & brymstone frō heauen, but only theyr pryde coupled wyth all kynd of volupteous, beast lyke, yea vnnaturall pleasure? What preserued Abraham fromme sleaynge his Sonne Isaac,Gene. xxii. but his humble & obedient herte, redy to accomplysh the wyll of God in al thinges? What made Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph, with al the holy Patriarches to be so gētylly dealte wt al & fauoured both of god & mā, but theyr Humilite? What was ye cause that Dauid was made of a Sheppard a kynge▪ i. Reg. xvi. but Humilite. Agen, what abiected Saul frō his kingedome,i. Reg. xv. empire & dominiō, but his arrogant & proude herte, cōioyned wt disobedience towarde the commaū dement of God? What caused kinge Asa,iii. Reg. xv. iii. Reg. xxii. Iosaphat, Ezechias, Iosias to worke that which was good in the sight of God, but theyr humilite, bicause [Page] they preferred ye wyll of God before theyr owne carnall iudgemē tes? Agayne,iiii. Re. xviii [...]ix.xx. what was the cause yt many kynges, as Roboam, Ieroboam, Abia, Nadab,iiii. Reg. xxi Eccl [...]. xlix. iii. Reg. xii. iii. Reg. xv. iii. Reg. xvi. iiii. Reg. i. iiii. Reg. xvi iiii. Reg. xxi. Daniel iiii. Luke. i. Achab Ochozias Achas, Manasses, Amō, Ioiachim, Sedechias, Nabuchodonosor. &c. dyd yt which was euell before God, but theyr puffed vp hertes & proud myndes, castyng awaye all feare of God from theyr eyes? What exalted the moost glorious virgin Mary so hygh, that she became the mother of Christe, & was alone founde worthy to beare the sonne of God, but her humilite, as she herselfe witnesseth: My soule magnifiethe the LORDE, sayth she. And my spirite, hath reioysed in GOD my Sauiour. For he hath looked vpon ye Humilite of his hande mayd, beholde, bycause of this all generations shal call me blessed. Agayne,Esaie. xiiii. what dyd caste downe Lucifer from Heauen [Page] into hell,Mat. iiii. Iaco. ii. Math. xi. Luke. x. E [...]ai. xxix Abdō. i. Esa. xxxiii. [...]. Cor. i. from ioye into payne, but pryde? What prouoked Christe to chose poore fyssher mē & the vile people of this world to set forth the glory of his father, but theyr humilite? How came it to passe, that those simple men, yea & euen the fooles of the worlde were replete with godly knowlege, & the proud Pharises the galant Bysshops, the huffe nosed prestes, the lusty lawers, ye sawsy Scribes, with all the glisteryng sorte of Hypocrites, whiche lyued at that tyme, coulde not attayne vnto this science of the diuine misteries, whan not withestandynge they chalēged to them selues alone the knowlege of Gods lawe, and ye true vnderstandynge of the same? Was not theyr pryde & arrogancy the cause of this theyr blyndenes? What is the cause in these our dayes,Mark wel. that the proude papisticall Romanistes can not perceyue ye verite [Page] of Gods worde, & here in Englond & suche other lyke places euen ye verye poore & base sorte of people are godly learned & espy the truethe of Gods wyl? Is not pryde cause of ye one, & Humilite occasiō of ye other? As I maye returne vnto the holye Scriptures & make an ende,Luk. xviii what was the cause, that the Publicane went home more iustified than the Pharise, but that the one was hū ble, & the other proud? Ifwe marke diligently, we shall easely perceaue yt all good thynges haue euer come to passe thorowe Humilite, & that pryde hath alway ben ye original begynnynge of all wickednes & myschefe.

Euse.

Uerelye this is easye to perceaue.

Phil.

The excellency and vertue of this flour is so great, that it causethe S. Austen to crye oute on this manner,Ser. de super. O holye and worshypfull Humilite, thou madest the sonne of God to come downe into [Page] the wombe of holy Marye the virgine. Thou madest hym to be inuolued & wrapped in vile cloutes, that he myght clothe vs wyth the ornamentes of vertues. Thou dyddest circumcyse hym in the flesh, that he shoulde circūcyse vs in the mynde. Thou dydest scourge hym corporally, that he myghte delyuer vs from the scourge of synne. Thou dyddest crowne hym with thornes, that he should crowne vs with his eternal Roses. Thou madest hī to be sycke which was the Phisicion of all mē, healyng all thynges with his word alone, that he myght heale thē that are sycke. Humilite, sayth Saynte Bernarde,De Cōsyd. Lib. v. is the stedfast foundaciō of vertues, whiche if it be omitted & let passe, the cōgregacion & gatherynge togither of vertues, is none other thynge, than a very ruine or decay of them.Epist. ad sororem. For it debelleth and valeauntly ouercōmeth the enemy [Page] of all grace, I meane pryde, whiche is the begynninge of all synne. S. Gregory sayth also,Lib. xvii. Moral. that Humilite is the beginnyng of vertues in vs, & that they which know not Humilite, that is the mother of vertues, loose ye vse & profyt of theyr labour Agayne he sayth,Ibidem. he that gathereth togyther vertues without Humilite, maye well be compared to hym, that bringeth dust into the wynde. Thus haue I declared vnto you y• excellency & great vertue of youre fyrst floure, & what cōmodities ensue of it.

Chri.

If these thynges hers taught were knowne vnto al men, it woulde vndoubtedly encourage them to reiecte P [...]ide & enbrase Humilite.

Phil.

Alas dere neyghbours, wherfore or wherof shoulde we be proude? Of oure wisdome or rytches?iii. Reg. x. Who amonge mortall menne was euer able to cōpare with Salomō eyther in wisdome or rytches [Page] Yet for all that vnto what poynte came he?iii. Reg. xi. Dyd not he faull vnto all kynde of dissolute & volupteous lyuynge? Dyd he not forsake y• God of Israell, & fell vnto Idolatry? It is not withoute a cause sayde,Iere. xi. Let not the rytche mā glory in his ritches, nor the wyse man in his wysdome. For what are rytches & wysdome,Of rytches and wysdō Note. yf they be not godly & iustely vsed, but only instrumentes of tyrāny & vnrighteousnes? The wyse man is indued wythe wyt for thys purpose, that with his wisdome he shoulde healpe the simple & playne people, which want the perfecte experience of thynges, or elles that haue no capacite to attayne vnto the knoweledge of suche trauayeles, as are expediente for them, and not to deceaue them, to crafte with them, to poll & pyll them, & to make hauoke of them. The ritche man also hath rytches gyuē vnto him vnto [Page] to this ende, that he should ye more franckely noryshe the pouerte, and distribute them to the indigēt, and not that he shoulde hourd them vp in corners, glory in them, boast and crake of them, and thynke hymselfe better thā any other, bycause he excelleth in thaboundance of worldly goodes.Mark. Bothe rytches & wisdome encrease dampnacion to the possessours of them, yf they be not vsed, as God hath commaunded, that is, vnto the profyt of our neyghbour▪ What cause haue we than for to be prowde of them? If we vse thē wel, we do but our duty, yf we do other wyse, the greater is our damnaciō. Agen,Ofholynes & vertuous lyuyng. maye we be proud of our holynes and vertuous lyuyng? Who was more holye thē Dauid? yet for all his holynes commytted he both manslaughter & whoredome.ii. Reg. [...]. Christ wyllethe vs to recount oure selues vnprofitable seruauntes,Luk. xvii. whan we [Page] haue done all that euer we canne. Shoulde we reioyse of worldly honour,Ofworldly honour. Dani. iiii. & be proud of that? Who may be compared to Kynge Nabuchodonosor, whose glory & renowme retched vp euen vnto Heauen for the fame of it? was not he deiected and caste downe so lowe, that he beynge expulsed from his empyre, became a brute beaste, & dyd eate grasse wt the beastes of the felde? Rede the history.Of martial affaires. Maye we be proude of martiall affayres, as of stronge Castelles sure holdes, myghtye Bulwarkes, greate Gunnes, sharpe Speares, swyfte arrowes, two edged sweardes, innumerable thousādes of valeaūte Souldiours? Howe vnapte theise thinges are to haue ony perfecte affiaunce or truste reposed in them, who so readeth the Histories of the holy Scripture, shall easelye perceaue.Iudith. xiii. Let this one History of ye proud Tyraunt Holofernes suffice [Page] for this present, which conqueryng all the world, was at the laste moo [...]t miserably slayne of a woman, & all his men put to flyght. A kynge shal not be saued, saythe Dauid,Psal. xxxii. by hys owne great hoost, neyther shal a gyaunt be holpen in the abundans of his owne strength. A horse is but a deceauable thyng to saue a man, it is not y• power of his strength, that can delyuer hym. Beholde, the eies of the LORDE are vpō them yt feare hym, & put theyr trust in his mercy Uerely excepte the LORDE byld the house,Psal. cxxvi. he labourethe in vayne that bildeth it. Excepte the LORDE kepe the citie he watcheth in vayne that kepeth it.Of the fauour of gret menne. Hester. vii. What shall we saye of the fauour of great men? May we glory, boste, & be proud of that? Rede ye History of Amon, which was so hye in his kynges fauoure, yt he mighte do, what he lyst, kyll, saue, exalte, depresse, lyfte vp, plucke downe, and [Page] as we saye commonlye,Omnium rerum vicis situdo est. bynde beares, & yet was not he shortely after caste oute of fauoure on suche sorte that he was immediately hāged on ye same gallowes, which he had newly prepared for another? Maye sūptuous mansions and delicate fare cause vs to be proude?Of sumptuous mansions, & delicate fare. Na verely. For what other thyng is costly byldynge, than a great heape of stones gathered togyther,Note. pleasaunt for ye tyme, but shortely returnyng agen vnto duste? As for the moost delicious meates that can be gotten, after they be once chawed & digested, what is more vyle, more stynkyng, more vnsauery, lesse pleasaunt to ye eyes,Of gorgious apparel & goodly beutye. and more odious to the nose? shall I speake of gorgious apparel and goodly beuty? wherof so many nowe a dayes very vaynely and no lesse folyshly bost and glory? Is ony thynge in them, wherfore we maye lyft vp our brystles, & auaunce our [Page] selues before other, euen the moost vile & deformed? I praye you what other thynge is gaye and gorgious rayment than a very instrumēt of pryde, as a certen lerned mā sayth. They were gyuen vs of God to couer our fylthy nakednes,Lodouicus viues. and we abuse them vnto pleasure & volupteousnes. O preposterous iudgemēt. O extreme blyndnes. Glory not in thyne apparell at ony tyme,Eccl. xi. saythe the wyse mā. As for the vanite and beautye, what nede I make many wordes?Mark well It is more britle thā glasse more transitorye than the floure, more inconstante than the wynde, more vayne then the smoke, & more flyttynge awaye then the tyme, to conclude, it is as the Poetes cal it, Fragile bonum, that is,Lib. ii. de arte amādi. Pro. xxxi. a frayle good thynge, so that it is not wythout a cause sayde of Salomon, fauour is deceytful, & beauty is a vayne thīg Howe doth one lytyll feuer, make ye [Page] woman of the worlde, the fowlest & moost vnpleasaunt in aspecte? And to saye the trueth, is beauty any other thynge,In Introd. adSap. than as Lodouicus Viues sayth, as lytyll thynne skynne well coloured. If the inwarde partes sayth he, coulde be sene, howe great fylthynes would there appeare, euē in the moost beautyful person. Neither is the fayreste body in ye worlde any other thyng, than a donge hyll couered with a clothe of whyte and purple coloure.Menander. For this cause the wyse men of ye Grekes were wonte to call a fayre & beautyfull woman Hyperiphainon cacon, that is, a plesaūt or glysterynge euell. What shall I saye vnto the Nobilite and gentyll bloude,Of nobilite and gentyll bloude. as they call it? Maye this be an occasion of exaltynge our selues?Psal. xxix Kyng Dauid sayth: what profyt is there in my bloud, seyng I go downe vnto corrupcion? And the wyse man sayth, why arte yu proude [Page] O thou earthe & asshes?Eccle. x. Gen. iii. we are all earth & asshes. We shall returne vnto corrupcion, & be so consumed, as concernyng our bodyes as though we had neuer ben. The Prophet also sayth, all flesshe is grasse,Esa. xl. Iacob. i. & all his glory is lyke a floure of the felde. O LORDE GOD, what cause haue we nowe to be proude of ony thyng in this worlde, seyng that all thynges are so vayne & transitory, nothing durable & perpetuall? Certes yf we cōsyder well the gyftes,Of ye gyftes of god. wherwith God hath indewed vs, what soeuer they be, pertaynynge eyther to the body or to the soule, we shall easely fynde that we haue no cause to be proude of them, but rather ye more hūble, takynge euer thought, howe we maye spende well the talent commytted vnto vs,Mat. xxv. vnlesse we be caste with that vnprofitable seruaunt of the Gospell into vtter darkenesse, where wepynge and gnasshynge oftethe [Page] shall be. The more that we do excell other in gyftes, the more daū gerous is oure state, and the more diligence ought we to gyue for the ryght bestowyng of thē. To whom muche is gyuē, much shallbe required of hym.

Euse.

O ye vanite of this world. O ye blīd iugemētes of ye people, which so much glory ī vayn fraile & trāsitory thīges.

Theo.

It is not wt out a cause sayde of s. Iohn̄, loue not the worlde, [...]. Ioan. ii. nor those thynges y• are in the world. If ony mā loueth theworlde, the loue of the father is not in hym. For all that is in the worlde, as the concupiscense of the flessh, and the luste of the eyes, & the the pryde of the lyfe, is not of the father, but it is of the worlde. And ye worlde passeth awaye, and the concupiscēce therof. But he yt doth the wyll of God, abydeth for euermore.

Chri.

Nowe accordynge to your promyse, let vs heare I pray you, how [Page] we may come by this vertue Humilite, that we may enioye the commodities therof eniuing, & exchew the inconueniences that ryse of the cō trary.

Phil.

I wyll do it, and that in fewe wordes.How humilite maye be obtayned.

Fyrst that ye maye vnfaynedly haue Humilite engraffed in youre breastes, it is expedient that we cō syder, what ye are of your selues. As towching your body, ye are mē. Nowe what other thyng is man cō cernyng his body, but only,Of ye bodye as S. Bernard sayth,Libro de Mediat. What man is. a stynkyng sperme or seed, a sacke of dunge, & the meat of wormes. Consider this depely wt youre selues, and it shall cause you to delyght but lytyll in your body, be it neuer so strōge, valeaūt, fayre, goodly, pleasaūt in aspecte, procere & tau [...]l. It is, sayth S. Bernarde, nothynge but a stynckynge sperme or seed, a sacke of donge, & the meat of wormes. What meane we than [Page] to be sumptuous in the adourning & garnysshyng of the body?Gen. iii. God to couer our nakednes at the begynnynge gaue vs cotes of Lether. S. Iohn̄ Baptiste also accordynge to the fyrst appoyntmēt of God,Mat. iii. Mark. i. went clad in a Camels skinne with a gyrdle of lether about his loynes,Agaynst vayne and sumptuous apparell. But lether & cloth both cā not suffice vs at thys tyme, be it neuer so fyne & costious, excepte we adde therto al kyndes of sylkes & veluettes. But what do I speke of these thinges? Golde, Syluer, Pearle, precious stones, Ouches & what not is now and dayes worne euen of inferiour persons, whan the poore members of Christ haue neyther wherwythe they may cloth themselues, nor yet conforte theyr hungry and thyrsty bodyes. O lamentable case. And what shall I saye of the manifold & straunge fasshions of the garmentes, that are vsed nowe a dayes? I [Page] thīke Satan studieth not so much to inuent newe fasshyons to bryng christen men into his snare,Mark wel. as the Taylours nowe a dayes are cōpelled to excogitate, inuēt & ymagyne diuersities of fasshyōs for apparel, that they maye satisfy the foolyshe desyre of certayne lyghte braynes & wylde Otes, which are all togither gyuen to newe fanglenes. O moost vayne vanite. Some tyme we followe the fasshyō of the Frenche mē. Another time we wil haue a tricke of the Spanyyardes.Noua p [...]acent. Shortely after that begīneth to waxe nought, we must therfore nowe haue ye Italyon fasshyon. Within fewe dayes after we are werye of all the fasshyons that are vsed in Christendome, we wyll therfore nowe & God wyll, practyse the manner of goynge among the Turkes & Saracennes, would God that with the Turkes apparell, we ware not also ryghte [Page] Turkes & Infidels ī our lyfe, cōuersaciō & māners. O ye Englōd would once lerne to be ashamed of this vanite, & remember this saynge of the Apostle, hauinge meate & dryncke, and wherwith we maye be couered let vs be cōtented.i. Timo. vi. But surely this Hethenysh & vayne garnysshyng of our body engraffeth high Pryde in vs, wherby it cōmethe to passe, that Humilite is clene exiled & putte to-flyght. That ye may not be accombred with this Pestilence,Note thys councell. remember the vtilite of your body, marke what fruytes it bryngeth forth, cō syder ye state of it, ponder frō whēce it came, whyther it shall, and what shall become of it. If ye do this, it shall moue you not to glory, nor to be proud of ony external thing, but gladly to embrase Humilite & lowlynes of mynde.

Of ye souleSecondly cōsyder also what ye are of your selues cōcerninge your [Page] inward man, I meane your soule.Roma. v. Ephe. ii. Ioan. iii. Gen. vi. ii. Cor. iii. Hathe not that thorowe Adam, be [...]fore it is regenerate by Christ, lost the fauour of God? Is it not a fyre brande of hell, bonde to eternal dā nacion, the chylde of wrath, all carnall, breathynge wickednes, ymaginyng mischefe, bent vnto euell, and not able once for to thyncke a good thought?

Thyrdly after we be renewed by the mooste blyssed Sacramente of Baptisme & the holy Ghost,Of synne after Baptysme remember howe sone ye loose agayne that benefites thorow your owne sinne & wickednes, which before ye freely obtayned by Christ. This shall also moue you to cast awaye all pryde & to be humble, lowely & meke, in the syght of God, euer lamētynge your misery, & flyenge continually vnto God with youre feruēt prayers for grace, mercy, fauour & remission of your synnes, vnlesse ye be dampned [Page] for your iniquitie accordīg to your desertes.Of ye paynes of hel. It shal also not a lytyl profyt, to remember the paynes of hel, whiche are prepared for them that are proud & disobedient to the wyll of God.Of vertues & qualities. Fourthly yf at ony tyme ye desyre of vayne glory shall crepe in to your bosome for the excellencye of vertues and qualities wherewt ye are endewedde, call streyght vnto youre remembraunce thys sayenge of the Apostle, what hast thou that thou haste not taken? If thou haste taken it,i. Cor. iiii. why doste yu reioyse, as though thou haddest not taken it? & this shall plucke downe youre combe, as they vse to saye. For who is so madde,Note. excepte he be lyke vnto the Crow of Esope, to bost himselfe of other mennes fethers? The gyftes that we haue, be they neuer so excellente, are not ours but Gods. He maye take them awaye agayne whā it pleseth hym. Thefore ought [Page] we not to be proud of them, but vse them vnto that ende, for the which they were gyuē vs, euer remēbring that yf we vse them well, there is a rewarde layde vp for vs in heauen yf we do not, we shall receaue ye greter damnacion. So that we haue no cause to be proude of them, but rather the more humble, and lowly in herte.

Finally in all your workes, seme they neuer so good and perfecte, yet thyncke you, yt they are nowe done wt so much purite & clennes of hert as they ought, & therfore ye muste humbly graunt your imperfecciō, & desyre god to fulfil that which lackethe in you for hys Sonne Iesus Christes sake.

If on this wyse ye behaue your selues neyghbours in all your workes, ye muste nedes despyse pryde & enbrase humilite Yea if on this mā ner ye iudge of youre selues, as I [Page] haue here taught you, ye shal with out doubte be made vnfaynedly hū ble, meke and lowly. But withoute this knoledge of your selues, know that ye can do none otherwyse, but stond in your owne cōceate, bragge of your qualities, glory in your actes, be proud of your gyftes, & euer vnthanckefull in the sight of God. S. Bernarde sayth,In Cant. Ser. iii.vii. I knowe that no man is saued without the knowledge of him selfe, wherof doubtles Humilite the mother of helth springeth, and the feare of the LORDE. For as the one is the begynnynge of wisdome▪ so is the other of helth.

Euse.

I pray God we may so knowe our selues, that we may deserue to haue this moost excellent vertu engraffed in our brestes.

Phil.

Neyghbours one worde wyth you, & than an ende of this your fyrst flour. Remember that your floure is called, Vnfayned humilite, bycause ye may not [Page] outwardely pretend humilite, and inwardely be inflated wythe Pharasaicall arrogancy, & puffed vp after the manner of the proud Hypocrites, and supercibious Pharises,Mat. xxiii. whom Christ & his Apostles rebuke so oft in ye holy scriptures for theyr fayned holynes. Be no paynted sepulchres, outwardely fayre, and inwardly full of rotten bones, and al fylthynes. For many,Ep. xxvii. as saynt Ierome sayth, followe the shadowe of Humilite, but fewe the trueth. Let all glosyng wordes be taken away, let all faynynge gestures cease. Pacience sheweth a mā to be truly hū ble. Let your humilite therfore not only be expressed wyth gesture and voyce, but also let it procede from ye pure affecte of the herte. So maye ye be sure to haue God gracious & fauourable vnto you, & euer to prosper in all your honest trauayles & godlye affayres. Hytherto haue I [Page] spoken sufficientely of youre fyrste floure called,Wythoute humilite nothīg cōmeth wel to passe Vnfayned humilite, and I haue bene the longer aboute it, bycause I would be glad to expell the poisonof Pryde out of your hertes which raygneth almoost vniuersally beyond al measure at this daye, and to engraffe in you this goodly herbe, which is so swete and wholesome, that wythout it no medicine can ryghtly be ministred. This beynge digested, all other are y• more easye to receyue.

Theo.

Neyghboure Philemon, thyncke not, but ye your wordes are reposed euen in ye lowest parte of our hertes, & we trust that ye haue not sowen this seed of Goddes worde in ony stony groūd,Math. xiii. Mar. iiii. Luk. viii. but in suche good earth, as shall brynge forth, some an hūdrethe folde, some syxty folde, and some thyrtye folde.

Phil.

It doth me good to heare this, & to knowe your redy wyll vnto all goodnes & vertu. For in dede neighbours [Page] we had neuer more nede to worcke well, and to do good dedes,This tyme hath greate nede of good workes. than at this tyme. The christen religion begynneth vtterly to decay. Alas we speke much of Christe, but manye lyue no part of Christ. Uice styl reygneth, vertu hath no place. Well, I wyl gyue you your second floure.

Christo.

I praye you lette vs haue it.

¶The second floure / named Pure Innocency.

Philemon.

BEhold here is the second floure of your Nosegay.Gen. xvii. I am the almighty GOD. VValke before me and be perfecte. And I vvyll make my couenaunte betvvene me and the, and vvyll multiplye the beyonde all measure.

Euse.

Was not this the sayenge of God the father vnto Abrahā?

Phil.

Yies verely, & pertaynethe now vnto vs no lesse than it dyd at [Page] yt tyme to hym.Rom. xv. For what so euer thynges are wrytten, are wrytten for our learnynge. Ye shall receaue moche pleasure of this your floure, yf ye marke the vertue of it well. Fyrst ye shall note that God calleth hymselfe the almyghty God, wherby we maye easely discerne hym frō those gods,Psa. lxxxxv yea rather Idolles and dyuels, whome the Hethen dyd worshyp & call vpō. For our God is omnipotent, that is to say, almyghty, plenteous in power, aboundant, o [...] sufficient, ful of all good, nedy of nothynge. [...]iii. Reg. xix The Gods of the Gentiles are of no power, puissaūce & strēgth full of all imbecillite, weakenesse & misery. Our God made all thinges of nothing by ye power of his word. The Gods of the Hethē make not,Baru [...]. vi. Psa. cxiiii. but they are made of other and are none other thynge than wood, stonnes, syluer, gold, or wicked spirites.Ioan. iiii. Oure God is able to helpe so many [Page] as call on hym in spirite & truethe. The Gods of the Gentiles are not able for to helpe thēselues, neyther do they heare ony man, that cal on them, as we maye perceaue by the prestes of Baal. Oure God lastethe for euer & euer euen worldes worldes withoute ende.iii. Re. xviii Psal. [...]i. The Gods of ye Hethen perysh and are more vayne than the smoke. Thus se ye, what a God we haue. None eyther in heauen,Note here well of god. earth or hel is able to compare wt this our God. He alone is good, mercifull. gentle, pacient, long sufferynge, almyghty, ryghteous, omnisufficient, plenteous of power, & full of all good. In him all thinges abunde, nothinge wanteth. He is ye omnisufficient protectour & valeāt defender for all them, that repose theyr affiaunce and truste in hym. Who therfore wyll not haue a pleasure to serue this God? Who is so madde to forsake this God, & to folowe [Page] ony other? Who beynge godly mynded wyll not seake the glory of this God? euen frō the very harte? Who hauyng but a carnell of Christen salte in his brest, wyl not hāge wholy on thys God, as alone altogyther sufficient for the faythefull abundantly in all thynges wherof they haue nede, eyther pertaynyng to the soule or to the bodye?Iere. xvii. Cursed be that mā, that putteth his truste in man, & that takethe fleshe for his arme, & he, whose herte departe the from the LORDE. For he shal be lyke the Heath, that groweth in the wildernes. As for the good thyng that is for to come, he shall not se it, but dwell in a drye place of the wyldernes, euen in a salte & vnoccupyed londe. O but blyssed is the mā that putteth his truste in the LORDE, & whose hope the LORDE is hymselfe. For he shallbe as a tree that is plā ted by the waters syde, which spreadeth [Page] oute the roote vnto moystnes whom the heate can not hurte whē it cōmeth,Psal. i. but his leaues are grene & in the tyme of drowte shall he not be carefull, neyther shall he cease at ony tyme to bring forth his [...]ruite.

Secondely ye shall note, that after God hath described him selfe to be almyghtye, that is, passynge all other in power, it is so greate, infinite, & vnmeasurable, he expresseth the duety of so many as wyll serue hym, as they ought. VValKe before me, Our dutye toward god saythe he, and be perfecte. Loo here is your flour Pure Innocency. He that obserueth this precepte of god, canne not displease, erre or offende, butte worke pure innnocency before god. WalKe before me, sayth he, & be perfecte.What it is to walke be before God

Theo.

What meanethe God by that I praye you?

Phil.

To walke before God is to serue hym according to his worde, so purely and innocētly, as though GOD hymselfe were [Page] euer present before oure eyes.

Chri.

This is a hard thīge.

Phil.

The yoke of Christ is swete, ye burdē is lyght, neyther are his preceptes heauy.Math. xi. i. Ioan. v. Roma. viii. Ioan. viii. For where the spirite of the LORDE is, there is liberte. And if the sonne hath made you free, than are ye truly free. And yf ye be endewed wyth strēgth frō aboue, than is nothyng harde, but all thynges easy thorow the spirite, that worketh in you.

Theo.

I praye you declare vnto vs, howe we may walke purely & innocētly before God. [...]ote

Phil.

To walke before God is on such sort to īstitute our lyfe, as he hath appointed ī his holy scripture, & not as carnal reasō imaginethe,Rom. x. or good zeale wtoute knowlege deuiseth cōtrary to ye prescripte of Gods worde, as we haue sene here to fore in our mōstruous Mōckes, which laborīg to establish theyr own ryghteousnes, were not made obedient to ye iustice of God. [Page] That ye may walke before god,Offayth certayn thīges are to be obserued, first yt ye haue a sure, cōstāt, stedfast, tru & lyuysh fayth, to beleue yt, whiche ye holy scriptures tech of god, & of his workes. Ye herd ye God is oīpotēt, almighty, plenteous in power, abū dāt, o [...] sufficiēt, full of all good:Psal. xv. nedy of nothing. This must ye beleue vndoubtedlye, yf ye wyll walke before God. Ye herd also, yt as God is able, so wyll he healpe so many as call on him in spirite & truethe. Thisalso must ye beleue wtoute ony hesitaciō or doutyng.Ioan. iiii. Heb. li. For wtoute thys fayth no man can please god, nor come vnto hym aryght. For this fayth is ye foūdacion and grounde of the christen religion. This fayth maketh a christen man.Ioan. xii. Thys fayth makethe vs the sonnes of lyght. This fayth prouoketh and callethe vnto God. This Faythe trustethe not in her owne ryghteousnes and good workes, [Page] but on the promyses of God.i. Ioan. iiii. Thys fayth maketh vs to be borne of God. This fayth mitigatethe y• wrath of God. Thys faythe obtayneth al good thynges of God,Ioan. iii. as it is wryttē,Ioel. ii. Act. ii. Rom. x. he that beleueth on him hath euerlastynge lyfe. Beleue in y• Lord, sayth the scripture, & ye shall be safe, & wtoute ony daunger. Agē, Euery one yt calleth on ye name of ye lord, shalbe safe For ther is but one, LORDE of all,Gal. iii. Rom. vi. Ioan. i. sufficiently rytche for so many as call on him. This fayth maketh vs the sonnes of God, as ye Apostle sayth, all ye are the sonnes of God, bycause ye haue beleued in Christ Iesus. Agayne So many as receaue hym, he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God, in as much as they beleued in his name.Oze. ii. This fayth maryeth vs to God, as he hym selfe testifyethe, I wyll marye the vnto me in faythe, and thou shalt knowe that I am the LORDE, Act. xiii. i. Pet. v. [Page] Thys fayth purifyeth our hartes. This fayth ouercommeth Satan.i. Ioan. v. This fayth vanquissheth ye worlde.i. Cor. iii. This fayth makethe vs the Tēples of the lyuyng God.Esa. xxviii. This fayth wyl not suffer vs to be confounded.Rom. x. This fayth bringeth to vs the mercy of God in al our aduersite.Esa. lvii. This fayth is the fulfyllynge of Gods cō maūdemētes.Mat. xvi. Rom. v. This fayth makethe vs the enheritours of the earthe, & possessours of Goddes holy mountayne This fayth maketh vs to vnderstonde the truethe.Gal. ii. This faythe causeth that hell gates can not preuayle agaynst vs. This fayth iustifyeth vs. This Fayth bryngeth all good thynges vnto vs.De fide ad Petrum. This fayth as S. Austen saythe, is the begynnynge of mans helth,Libri. De caim et Abel. without this no man can reach or come vnto the nomber of the sonnes of God wyth out this all the labour of manne is frustrate & voyde. This Faythe, as [Page] S. Ambrose saythe, is the roote of all vertues, and that thou byldeste on this foundacion, that alone profyteth vnto ye reward, of thy worke fruyte & vertue. This fayth, sayth he, is rytcher thā all treasures, strō ger thē all corporall power,Libro de virginitate. & more healthful than all Phisicions. This faythe, as Chrisostome saythe, is a lampe. For a lampe lyghteneth the house,In mat. xxv In illū simb Credo in deum. so doth fayth the soule. This faythe of the Catholyke religion, is the lyght of ye soule, the dore of lyfe the foundaciō of euerlastyng helth. Thus se ye, what an excellent treasure this christen fayth is, without the whyche by no meanes ye canne walke worthely before the LORDE our God.

Moreouer thys your fayth must be conioyned wyth a reuerēt feare towarde God.Of feare Prouer. i. Eccle. i. Prouer. ix. Psal. xiii. For the feare of the LORDE, saythe the wyse man, is the begynnynge of wisdome, and expelleth [Page] synne.Note Psal. cxi. Psal. xxxii [...] Withoute this feare no man can purely walke before God. For he that feareth God truely, feareth also to displease hym, yea he sekethe all meanes possible to accomplysh the wyl of god, as the Psalmo graph sayth, blyssed is that man, yt feareth ye LORDE, for all his delight & pleasure shal be in his cōmaundementes. Unto this feare of GOD dothe Dauid exhorte vs, sayenge, feare ye the LORDE all ye that are his seruauntes. For they shall neuer wante ye feare hym. The sonne honoreth the father,Ma [...]a. i. & the seruaūte his Lord, yf I be your father,What feare we ought to haue toward god. wher is my honoure? And yf I be youre LORDE, where is my feare, saythe ye LORDE of Hoostes? But this feare ought not to be a seruile and bonde feare, procedynge from an vnwyllynge harte, but a reuerent & gētle feare flowynge oute of loue.Of loue. Therfore wyth this your faythe & feare, [Page] must ye also haue a syncere & pure loue towarde God cōbyned, so that ye shall both truely beleue in God, reuerently feare hym, & vnfaynedly loue hī.Deut. x. And this is it, that Moses wryghteth, and now O Israel, sayth he, what doth the LORDE thy god require of the, but that yu shouldest feare the LORDE thy God, and walke in his wayes, & loue hym, & serue the LORDE thy God in all thy herte & in all thy soule. Nowe haue ye herd partely what it is to walke before God.

Euse.

I praye you, what remayneth there behynde?

Phil.

After that ye haue conceaued in your hertes this faythe,We muste-e [...]presse our fayth, feare & loue towarde God by external good workes. feare & loue toward God thorow the operacion of the holy Ghoste, so that ye haue entred the pathe waye of oure LORDE god, nowe doth conueniēt tyme require, that ye walke not only secretly but also openly before God, tha [...] is, that ye do not only inwardly in [Page] your hertes beleue in God, feare& loue god, but also that ye outwardly shew forth this your fayth, feare & loue buryed wythin you by externall workes,Math. v. that men seynge your godly conuersacion, maye then glorify your father, which is in heauē For this is to walke before god,Mark well euē to beleue ī god, to feare god, to loue God, and to lede an innocēt lyfe accordynge to his holy worde. Without thys innocēcy & purite of lyfe,Deut. xiii. I se not what al fayth, fear or loue profyt. Followe your LORDE God, sayth Moses, feare hym & kepe hys cōmaūdementes, & heare his voyce,Miche. vi. ye shall serue hym and cleaue vnto hī. The Prophet Miche also sayth, I wyll shewe the, O man, what is good, & what the LORDE requireth, of the, euen to do iudgement and to loue mercy, & studiously to walk wt thy God. Here se you, yt yf ye wyll walke before God, ye muste do good [Page] dedes, leade a pure & innocent lyfe, study to accomplyshe Gods wyll, & in all poyntes laboure to fasshyon your manners after the rule of goddes worde. Farewel they that bost so much of faythe,Agenste the vayne bosters of fayth. & yet are wicked in all theyr workes. They professe to knowe god, as the Apostle sayth but wythe theyr dedes they denye hym, seynge they are abhominable, disobedient and vnapte to all good workes.Tit. i. Such bosters of fayth do not only slaunder the true & christē fayth, whiche worketh by Charite, but also they deceaue them selues,Gal. v. seynge they hope frely & only to be iustified by thatfayth, which is barren, vnfruytfull & voyd of all good workes.Note here. Let them crake so muche as they lyste of theyr faythe & loue towarde God, yet are they wicked gosp [...]llers. For ye loue of god, sayth saynt Gregory, is neuer ydle. For it worketh great thynges,Gregory. if it be the [Page] loue of god in dede, but if it ceaseth to worke, than it is no loue.Chrisostom Chrysostome also saythe. The sonnes of GOD are not content to syt ydle, but the spirite prouokethe them to take some great and commendable worke in hand. Uerely as impossible as it is for a good tre tobe wtout a good fruyte, whā the tyme of the yeare cometh,Note thys similitude. so impossible is it for true fayth to be wythout good and christen workes. And as the spirite of God can none otherwyse but do those thynges, that are pleasaūt before God, so in lyke māner a faythful mā, which is the son of god, can not cease frō workyng ye wyl of god. Let these rude raylynge readers of the Gospell therfore be once ashamed of theyr fayth & spirite, wherof so greatly they crake, seynge they are altogyther vnfruytfull and wt oute all good workes.ii. Cor. v. Ioan. xv. If ony man be in Christe, he is a newe creature. [Page] He that abydeth in me,Esa. xii. Ioan. vii. Math. vii. Luke. vi. & I in hym sayth Christ, bryngeth forth moche fruyte. And he that beleueth in me, as the scripture sayth, floudes of lyuysh water shall flow out of his bely. Euery good tree bryngeth forth good fruyte. He yt hath not a lust & feruent desyre to worke the wyll of God, and to fasshon his lyfe in all partyes accordyng to the holy law of God, vndoubtedly he hath not y• christen fayth, neyther pertayneth he vnto Christe, though he bablethe neuer so muche of faythe,i. Cor. iiii. of God, of Christ, & of all the diuine misteries. For the kyngdome of God is not in word,Mat. vii. Luke. vi. Luke. xiii. but in power. Not euery one that sayth vnto me, LORDE, LORDE sayth Christ, shall enter into ye kingdome of heauen, but he that doth y• wyll of my father, whiche is in heauen. Many shall saye vnto me, at y• daye, LORDE, LORDE, haue not we prophecyed in thy name, & cast out [Page] dyuels by thy name,Psal. vi. Luke. vi. Ioan. xiiii. and wrought miracles by thy name? But than shal I saye vnto them I know you not. Departe from me ye workers of iniquite. He that hathe my commaundementes & kepethe them, he it is yt loueth me. If ony mā loueth me, he wyl kepe my worde, & my father wyll loue hym, & we wyl come vnto hym, & dwell with hym. But he that loueth me not, kepethe not my wordes. God hathe not shewed to vs his manifolde kyndnes, that we should lyue dissolutely and with oute all good order (for so were we vnworthy ony kyndenes at all) but that we should earnestly & wyth all diligence ēploy our selues to worke his wyl, to satisfy so much as lyeth in our power his godly mynd,i. Ioan. ii. Rom. viii. and to walke in all our conuersacion & lyuynge, as his derely beloued son w alked. If he dyd not spare his only begotten Sonne, but gaue hym [Page] for vs all euen vnto the death, how vnkynde creatures myght we righteously be recounted, if we shoulde not study with herty myndes to accomplysshe his holy preceptes? Are they worthye to be called chyldren,Ioan. iii. which neglecte theyr fathers wyll, & so greatly dissent from theyr Fathers manners?Chyldren oughte to follow ye mā ners of ther father. Oure celestiall father is holy, & shall we his chyldren be prophane and vnholy? Our celestiall father is good, godlye, mercyfull, pacient, & all spirite, & shall we his chyldren be euell, wycked, rygorous, impacient, & all flesshe? Be ye holy, saythe he, for I am holy. Certes god hath not called vs vnto vncleannes,Leuit. ix. i. Thes. iiii. but vnto sanctificacion. Nether hath he delyuered vs from Satan & his army, that we should lyue wyckedly, but practyse pure ī nocency & true godlynes in all oure lyfe, as Zachary the Preste father to S. Iohn̄ Baptist sayth:Luke. i. He hath [Page] performed the othe, which he sware to our father Abraham, for to giue that we delyuered oute of the handes of our enemies, myght serue hī without feare all the dayes of oure lyfe in such holines & righteousnes as are acceptable before hym.

Thus se ye that if we wyl walke before God,Tit. iii. we maye not onlye beleue in God, feare & loue God, but also lead a pure & innocent lyfe, be plēteous in good workes, & altogither studious of tru godlines.

Chri.

But I pray you,Why the scripture vseth thys worde walk why doth ye scripture vse thys terme, VValKe, rather than ony other?

Phil.

It is not with out a cause: Ye knowe, he that stondeth styl, moueth nothing forward nor hasteth not vnto the end of his iourney. But he that walketh is euer goynge, & draweth alwaye nerer and nerer vnto hys iourneyes ende. In consideracion wherof, the holy Scripture vsethe this worde, [Page] VValKe, Psa. lxxxiii Rom. ii. to put vs in remembraunce, that if we haue begun well, in oure professiō, we should not there cease & stonde styll, but go forthe frō vertue to vertue, from fayth to fayth, vntyll at the laste we attayne vnto ye perfecciō of pure innocēcy.Mat. xxiiii. For he yt cōtinueth vnto ende, sayth christ, shalbe saued. Agē, be faythfull vnto the death, and I shall gyue the the crowne of lyfe.Apoc. ii. This word we read in diuers places of the holy Scriptures, Christ sayth, walke whyle ye haue lyght,Ioan. xii. that the darkenes doth not ouerwhelme you. For he that walketh in darkenes, knoweth not whyther he goethe. S. Paule also sayth,Ephe. v. walke as the childrē of light, prouyng what is acceptable to the LORDE. Agayne, loke that ye walke circumspectly, not as vnwyse, but as wyse,Colos. iiii. redemynge the tyme, for y• dayes are euell. Hytherto pertayneth ye sayenge of S. Iohn,i. Ioan. ii. he that sayeth [Page] leth in Christ, ought to walke euen as he hath walked. These places wt all other suche lyke declare to vs yt we ought so to walke in our profession by encreasynge dayely in vertues, that at the last we may be perfecte, & as S. Paule sayth,Colos. i. make euery man perfecte in Christ Iesus. And this is it, that followeth ī the latter ende of the sentēce. And be perfecte. For we ought so to walk,Gen. xvii. that is, encrease in all godlynes, vertu & honeste, that we might be perfecte, as Christe saythe, be ye perfecte,Mat. v. as youre heauenly father is perfecte. Also Saynte Paule,ii. Cor. xiii. Reioyse and be perfect.Degrees of perfeccion. It is one degre of vertu to loue my neyghbour, but it is an higher degre to loue myne enemy, but the moost excellēt degre aboue all, is so to loue oure verye enemyes, that we can be contented not only to do them good, but also euē to gyue our lyues to wynne them vnto [Page] Christ. It is a poynte of mercy [...] to helpe my poore neyghbour with my superfluous goodes, but it is a poynte of perfeccion to sel all that euer I haue, & to gyue it to ye poore as Christe sayde to the rytche man, If thou wylte be perfecte,Mat. ix. Luke. xii. go, and sell all that thou haste, and gyue it to the poore, & thou shalte haue treasure in Heauen, and come on thy waye & followe me. It is a poynt of godlynes to beare an honeste herte towarde the worde of God, yet it is much more, openly to cōfesse it boldly before men, but the very perfecte poynte of godlynes is, not only to loue & confesse it,Mat. x. Mark. viii. Lu [...]e. xii. but also manly to abyde by it, euē vnto ye very death, if nede so requireth. Nowe therfore euē vnto ye moost & greatest perfeccion in all thynges ought we to contend & labour, that we maye walke before God, and be perfecte.

Euse.

I thyncke there be but fewe, that attayne [Page] & come vnto this perfeccion.

Phil.

This youre floure is in dede to the carnall man of a bytter and vnpleasaunt sauour,i. Cor. ii. but to the spirituall & truly regenerate, it smelleth sweter thā ony rose.

Theo.

God graunt, that we maye once be auncient in Christ.

Phile.

Labour & God wyl helpe. Enter in at the streyght gate. For wyde is the gate,Math. vii. Luke. xiii. & broad is the waye, that leadethe vnto destrucion, and many there be, which go in therat. But streyghte is the gate, & narowe is the waye, whiche leadethe vnto lyfe, & fewe there be, that fynde it.ii. Tim. ii. Mat. x.xvi. Luke. xiiii. i. Ioan. ii. Gala. v. If ye wyll lyue and reygne in glory with christ, ye must suffer with Christe, ye muste take y• Crosse of Christ & followe hym. Ye must cast awaye all the vayne pleasures and pompes of the world, the concupiscences & lustes of the fleshe ye must mortifye, Satan & all hys subtile suggestiōs ye must māfully [Page] resist. [...]. Petre. v. Iacob. iiii. Luke. xxiiii. Ye must dye vnto synne, and lyue vnto ryghteousnes. For christ dyd not enter into glory, before he had suffered, & thyncke ye the gates of heauen to be opēned for you, if ye lyue in this world in ioy, pleasure & after ye flesh? Na verely ye maye be sure. For ye Apostle sayth yf ye lyue after the flesh,Rom. viii. ye shal dy. But if ye mortify the dedes of ye body in ye spirite ye shal liue. And this is it, that remayneth of your flour.Gen. xvii. And I vvyll make my couenaunte betvvene me and the, and vvyll multiplye the beyonde all measure. God commaundynge Abraham to walke before hym, and to be perfect addeth this promyse aforefayde, & hath vndoutedly accōplyshed it. Let vs also work before God & be perfecte, and ye promyse also shalbe fulfylled in vs. God wyll multiply vs beyond all measure both in this worlde, and in ye worlde to come, as Christ sayth, ther is no man y• hath [Page] forsaken house, or father & mother,Mat. xxix. Luke. xviii or brothers, or wyfe, or children for the kyngdome of heauē, but y• shall receaue moche more in thys tyme, and in ye world to come euerlastyng lyfe.

Chri.

GOD graunte vs so to walke, that we maye be founde worthy this eternal lyfe.A brefe rehersal of this floure.

Phil.

wel neighbours, seynge that God is almyghty, plenteous in power, abundant, omnisufficient, ful of all good, nedy of nothynge, liberall, gentle, mercifull, redy to helpe at euery houre, & wholly bente to beatifye and make welthye so many as call on hym in spirite and verite,Ioan. iiii. whome would it not delyght to do seruyse vnto such a LORDE, & to walke before him and to be perfecte, seynge that for oure seruyse doynge he wyl encrease and multiplye vs, that is to saye, gyue vs in thys worlde abundans of all thynges necessary for this our lyfe, & in the worlde to come euerlastyng [Page] glorye?

Euse.

This is a swete floure, that ye haue nowe gyuen vs.

Theo.

I beseche God, that we maye smell well of it.

Chri.

Yea and that the sauour maye longe continue in vs.

Phil.

To that I say Amē. For if this cōe to passe, ye maye be sure to haue the fauour bothe of God and man, whiche of all treasures is the greatest. And of this shall ye not fayle, if ye labour to walke before God and be perfect, which I cal, Pure Innocēcy, He that is pure from synne, and innocent or harmeles in his conuersaciō, he muste nedes fynde grace and fauour in the eyes both of god and of all men. Therfore dere brothers cleaue stedfastlye to this one verye God almyghty by true faythe,An exhorta [...]ion vnto true fayth & good workes. as ye onlye Author of all good thynges, feare him reuerently as a beneficiall LORDE, loue hym tenderlye as a gentle Father, and so walke accordynge to his moost diuine pleasure [Page] in clennes of lyfe and pure innocē cy without ony faynynge, dissimulacion or Hypocrisye, that ye maye in this worlde be gouerned of hym in al your Actes thorow his moost holy spirite, & in the worlde to come enioye the glory eternall.

Euse.

Amē good LORDE.

Phil.

Your duties learned towarde youre selues & god, I wil now declare how ye ought to be haue your selues toward our moost Christen & excelente Kynge, and all other rulers that are sent of hym. And this shall be the thyrde floure of your Nosegay.

Theo.

Neuer in better tyme. It commeth wel in place. Let vs se it, I praye you.

¶ The thyrde floure / called / Faythfull Obedience.

[Page]Philemon.

YE remēber, I am sure, y• name of your thyrde floure.

Theo.

Ye named it, Faythfull Obedience.

Phil.

Wel remembred. Hold here it is. Let euery soule be obediēt to the pouers that beare rule For ther is no povver but of God. Rom. xiii. Sap. vi. The povvers that be, are ordened of GOD. Therfore vvho so euer resistethe the povver, resistethe the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist, shall gette to them selues damnacion. &c. Howe doth the aspecte of this flour please your eies?

Chri.

It is not only pleasaunte to the eye, but it also gyueth a goodly odoriferous & confortable sauour to so many as smel on it with purged noses. For it sheweth howe we ought to behaue our selues bothe towarde our moost redoubted Kynge, & all other rulers, which are sēt of hym vnto ye prayse of them that do well, [...]. Pet. ii. but vnto the punishement of them that do euell. They therfore yt are faythful subiectes [Page] must nedes reioyse ī this flour vnfaynedly.

Phil.

Wel sayd. Althogh neighbours I do not doubte, but that in your conscience, ye are assuredly perswaded, that the christen magistrates and hyghe powers do reygne, rule, & haue dominion, euery one in theyr kyngedome, not of theyr owne tyrannye, cruell violence and extorte power, butte of the authorite of Gods worde, & the iust appoyntment of the hygh celestiall kyng for the great consolacion and cōforte of his people, and for the innumerable cōmodities of the Christen publique weale, which of theyr no lesse vertuous than ryghteous regiment & gouernaunce do ensue, yet for asmuch as in these our dayes there haue rysen vp wicked & vngodly spirites which deny the office of the magistrates & hyghe powers to be the ordinance of God,The Anabaptistes. and affirme yt it can by no meanes stonde [Page] with the Gospell of Christe. I wyll fyrst declare vnto you & proue by ye holy scriptures, that the hygh powers are ordined of GOD,The contentes of thys floure. and that theyr office agre and in all poyntes consent with the moost holy worde of God, yea and that it is so necessary that withoute this regimēt and gouernaunce of the hyghe powers, no publique weale can remayne in safe estate, no frendshyppe canne be mayntayned,Mark well. no fayth can be regarded, no order cā be kepte, no propriete of goodes can be saued, no vertu can reigne, no tranquilite cā cō sist, nor ony goodnes continue, but all must nedes growe out of order, and, as they saye, go to hauocke, vnto the great disquietnes and vtter destruccion of so many as dwell in suche wyld, rustical, brutall & beast lyke realme, wher no ciuilite of publique order in mundayne thynges is obserued. This once done, I wyll [Page] declare, what your duty is toward oure moost soueraygne LORDE the kyng, and all the other rulers that gouerne vnder his dominion, that ye maye lyue in thys mooste florysshynge Realme lyke true and faythfull subiectes with obedient hertes and that not onlye for feare but for cōsciēce sake, that by this meanes ye maye both acquyre & get to your selues quietnes & rest, leadynge an honeste and peasable lyfe withoute ony disturbance, and also be an exā ple to other, that they wt lyke obedience maye be subiecte & serue our moost christen Prince accordyng to the wyll of God.

To shewe that the authorite of ye magistrates & common officers is the ordinaūce of God, wherof maye I rather take a begynnynge, than of the publique weale of the Israelites? Whan God by his extent puissaunce & stretched oute power had [Page] delyuered the people of Israel oute of theyr miserable seruitude, wherwith they were greuously oppressed of the cruel and lyonlyke Tyraunt Pharao, dyd he not appoynte Moses to be theyr ruler,Exo. xiii. gyde, captaine & gouernour, that he hauynge the preeminence & rule ouer thē, should safe cōduite thē, rule & gouerne thē after the wyll of God? Woulde he haue done this, if it had bene a thīg vniust, vnmete & vnlawful? Would he not rather haue suffered his people to runne astraye as masterlesse hoūdes and as sheepe destitute of a sheppard or herdman without ony order? Dyd not Ietro also, a mā of great vertu,Exo. xviii. and replete with ye holy Ghoste, whan he sawe Moses alone take all the paynes in hearing the causes of the Israelites from mornynge vntyll euen, saye to hym these wordes? Looke out among al thy people suche as be wyse men, & [Page] that feare GOD, and suche as are true, and hate couetousnesse. Make these rulars ouer thē, some ouer thousandes, some ouer hūdredes, ouer fyftye, and ouer ten, that they maye alway iudge the people. Moses so dyd, & God approued his acte. Here se we other magistrates & rulers appoynted also to serue in the publique weale besydes ye heade officer, which they also beynge lawfully chosen and set in office, are approued before God.Deu. xxviii After Moses were not Iosue, Othoniel, Aioth, Sāgar, Delbora, Gedeon, Abimelech, Thola, Iayr, Iepte, Samson, & at the last Samuel, Iudges and rulers ouer the Israelites? Ware not all these approued to be ye iuste and lawful ministers of God. Dyd not Moyses also before his deathe shewe to the people of Israell, that afterwarde God should gyue them a kinge of the nomber of theyr brothers, [Page] which should be theyr rulers as all nacions haue thorowe out al the worlde? Do we not here learne that all Nacions at that tyme had kynges, & that kynges are appoynted & chosen by the eleccion of god? This is sufficient for ony faythful harte to proue, establysh, & corroborate the authoritie of Kynges and other ciuile magistrates. But lette vs harken more to the Scripture.

1. Reg. viii.Whan Samuel waxed olde and coulde no more iudge the people for his age, he commēded that office to hys sonnes Ioel and Abia, whiche answered nothing to ye godly disposicions of theyr father, nether ordered the publique weale aryght, but lyued dissolutely, volupteously and wickedly, receauynge gyftes, & peruertinge iudgement, which caused the Elders & aunciēt of the people to assemble, & come vnto Samuel, that he myght appoynt thē a kinge [Page] to rule ouer thē as all naciōs had. And dyd not Samuel shortely after at the appoyntment of God an noynte Saul kynge ouer▪ Israel?1. Reg. [...]. And frō that tyme in a manner vntyll the commynge of Christe were there not Kynges amonge the Israelites of theyr owne nacion accordynge to the prophecye of Iacob?Gen. xlix. & at Christes cōminge ded not kynge Herode although a straunger, reygne among ye Iewes? Do not al thes histories manifestly proue & approue ye offyce of kynges & other magistrates to be ye ordinaunce of God?

Euse.

Thos thynges are clerer than ye lyghte.

Phil.

I wyll nowe reherse vnto you certen manifest sētences & open textes of the holy Scripture, which shall euidently establysshe ye authoryte of ye hygh powers, that Satan hymselfe shal not be able to preuayle agaynst it, moch lesse hys impes, which now of late are sprōg [Page] oute of his diabolicall syde.

Christo.

I pray you let vs heare them.

Phil.

Salomon speakynge in the person of God,Pro. viii. sayth on this manner, thorowe me Kynges reygne, thorowe me Princes make iust lawes. Thorowe me Lordes beare rule, and all Iudges of the earth execute iudgement. Agayne the wyse man sayth, heare O ye Kynges & vnderstond,Sap. vi. gyue eare ye that rule the multitudes. For the power is gyuen you of the LORDE, & the strength from the moost hygh god. Are not these wordes playne ynoughe, to shewe that the power, whiche the ciuile magistrates & head Officers haue, is of God? as that noble kyng Iosaphat sayde to thē, whome he appoynted iudges of the londe in all the cities of Iuda.ii. Par. ix. Take hede, sayth he, what ye do. For ye execute not the iudgement of man, but of the Lord, and he is with you in iudgement. Therfore [Page] lette the feare of the LORDE be wt you, and do al thynge diligently For with the Lorde our God there is no vnryghteousnes, nor respecte of personnes, nor desyre of gyftes. god hī selfe also sayth by the mouth of Dauid, ye are Gods,Psal. lxxxi. ye are al the sonnes ot the moost hyghest. Dothe not god here playnly saye, that the magistrates are gods, that is, such as beare the offices of GOD, as to mayntayne peace, iustice and good order, to punysh synne & to defende the innocentes. If they be the officers of God, & exercyse his offyce, so that he approueth & alloweth their state and manner of lyuinge, howe can any man righteously cōdemne & reiecte theyr autho [...]ite & power Cursed be they, that knowlege not frō the very herte the hygh powers to be ordened of God, and that ther fore they oughte to be obeyed & had in perpetual reuerence & honoure.

[Page]Chri.

They graunt that in the olde lawe it was ye ordinaunce of God to haue ciuile magistrates, as Iudges, Kynges, and other rulers, but nowe, saye they, in the newe Testament it is not lawfull to haue ony preeminēce or superiorite For christ sayth,Mat. xxiii. be not ye called mayster. For ye haue but one master euē Christe. All ye are brothers.Luke. xxii. Agayne, ye kynges of the Hethen haue dominiō on thē, and they that beare rule ouer them, are called gracious Lordes. But ye shal not be so.The obiec [...]ions of ye Anabaptistes. But the greatest among you, shall be as the yongest, and the cheffest as a seruaunt, Lo, saye they, here is all dominion and temporall power forbyddenne amonge Christen people, and equalitie of power proponed & set forthe to all men.

And that we shoulde doubte no thynge hereof, we haue, saye they a manifest exāple of Christe the teacher [Page] of all verite, whiche, whan the people would haue made him king. fled awaye from them,Ioan. vi. & by no meanes would enioy ye offyce, although beynge the very Messias and true annoynted kynge of ye Lord Moreouer he sayde to Pylate,Ioan. xviii. my kyngedome is not of this worlde.

Phil.

O blynde ignorancye, and ignorante blyndnes, with what eyes do those Owles loke on ye holy scripture? wt what spirite dothe that generacion of vipers searche and iudge ye moost sacred word of God?The confutacion. With how fylthy & vnwasshed feete do those swynysh and beastlike parsonnes enter into the swete and pleasaunt fountaynes of y• moost pure scriptures? O Lorde GOD, what dareth not blynde Bayard attempte & take in hande?Mark well. Christe came not into thys worlde to reygne, but to serue, not to be a tēporall, but spiritual king, not to rule with the swerde, but wt [Page] the breath of his mouth, not to execute iudgemente on other, but to be iudged hī selfe, not to lyue as an erthly Prynce, but as a ghostly minister of Goddes worde, not to [...]lea, but to be slayne. Therfore was it conuenient, that he shoulde fulfyll his Fathers wyll, for the whiche he came downe, & that once done to ascende & go vp agayne vnto the glory of his father. Which all these thī ges he dyd: lyuynge all the tyme yt he was in this worlde humbly and mekely, shewynge euer obedience, reuerence & honour to the magistrates although Hethen, euen vnto ye very deth. And as he came to serue and not to be serued, to obeye & not to be obeyed, so taught he his disciples whan they began to contende of superiorite, to be humble, lowly, meke, gentle, obediente, and not to go aboute ony temporall primacye, which only pertaineth to the ciuile [Page] magistrates, but to be contente wt theyr offyce,The office of christes Apos [...]les. whiche was to preache Gods worde, to open the misteries of Christes kyngedome, to reproue the world of synne and vnfaythfulnes, to fyght with the swerd of goddes word, to vse not carnal but spirituall armours, to bryng a gayne suche as were gone astraye. To be shorte, wholly to be bent to enlarge the kyngedome of God, and the glory of Christes Gospel. This destroyeth not, but rather magnifieth the authorite of ye hygh powers, seinge Christ wylled them not to take vpō them the office of temporal regimēt cōtrary to equite,i. Cor. iiii. but only to be as seruauntes & dispensatours of the misteries of GOD. And come of a good felawshyp, dyd Christe at ony tyme shewe hym selfe disobediente to the publique magistrates & head officers? Dyd not he confesse that ye power, which Pylate ye Iudge had [Page] ouer hym,Ioan. xix. was gyuen hym from aboue. Note that well, I praye you, and beare it away.Math. xxii. Mark. xii. Luke. xx. Dyd not he also pay tribute to Cesar, & willed other to do so lykewyse? Dyd not ye Apostles also shew themselues obedient to the hygh powers in all poyntes, yea and taught other mē so to do? Ther is no power,Rom. xiii. sayth S. Paule but of god. The powres that be, are ordenned of God. Therfore who so resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist,i. Pet. ii. get to thē selues dānaciō. s. Peter also cōmaundeth vs to honour the kyng & to be subiecte to hym as supreme head, & to the other rulers that are sent of him. For this is the wyll of ye Lord,The newe testament also approue the authorite of ye Magistrates. sayth he. Are not al these authorities alleged out of the newe Testamēt? Haue we not here both manifest textes & also euident examples to approue the office and state of the hygh powers, so that it [Page] is nowe of no lesse authoritie, than euer it was before, but rather greater and stronger, seynge it is nowe also confirmed and establysshed by Christ & his Apostles? Let ye aduersaries of this ordinaunce of GOD learne to be ashamed, confesse theyr disobedience, become subiecte and giue reuerence & honour to all head officers as to the ministers of god, euen from the greatest to the least. For so is the wyll of God, sayth the scripture.

Theo.

It wyll be obiected of these order destroyers: we wulde gladly heare by the scripture, if ony christē man, that had receaued the fayth of Christ, dyd euer beare rule & exercyse tēporall dominion ouer his Brothers.

Phil.

What is this? What do I heare? May not a christen man execute that offyce, wherby vertue is mayntayned & vice exiled? Is he not more fitte to be a ruler that beleuethe in the true God, [Page] feareth him, seketh his glory, embraseth vertue, hateth vice, loueth his neyghbour, tendereth the common wealth, & seketh in al poyntes to be a father amonge his subiectes, thā suche one as beleueth in Idolles, feareth them, seketh th [...]yr glory, despyseth the alone true God, hate the vertue, embraceth vice, oppressethe his neyghbour, tearethe the cōmon welth ī peses, & sheweth hīselfe ī all thīges a cruel Tyraunt among his subiectes? What furious Erinnys hath inuaded and troubled ye braynes of these vnresonable creatures to resist the publique Magistrates and to condemne theyr authoritie, which they haue receaued of God? But let these honest men, & GOD wyll, tell me, was not Abraham, Iosephe, Iudas, Moses, Iosue, Gedeō Samuel, Dauid, Ezechias, Iosaphat, Iosias, wt many other Christen & faythfull men? Yet dyd they [Page] execute the office of Magistrates & were hygh powers, in dede allowed before God, workynge that, which was good in his syghte?

Euse.

They were faythfull, [...]aye they we g [...]aūt, but not christen.

Phile.

O monstures as though it were one thynge to be faythfull, and another to be christē. Difference is there none betwene them & vs, but this only, that they beleued in Christe to come, and we beleue that Christe is come, & hathe fulfylled the prophecies of the holy mē ghostly enspired. All, sayth S. Paule (he speketh of the fathers of the olde Testament) dyd eate al one spirituall meate,i. Cor. [...]. that is to saye wt vs, & all dyd dryncke the very same drinke of the spiritual rocke, which accompanied them, & Christ was y• rocke. It is a good cōsequence therfore, that it is all one chyrche bothe of them that beleued than in Christ & of them, whiche are nowe, whiche [Page] chyrch is gathered togyther ī one & the very same spirite, so yt they be a lyke faythfull & christē, hauyng one fayth, one professiō, one religiō, one God, one Lorde, one sauioure, & one hope. But I wyl come to ye new Testamēt. Was not Nichodemus, Ioseph, & ye noble mā which was Chā berlayne & of great authorite wtCā dace yt quene of ye lōde of ye Moriās, which was baptized of Philip, & receaued into Christes flocke, christē & faythful mē? Yet were they magistrates. Was not Cornelius which called Peter vnto him, & was baptized of hym, a christē mā? Yet dyd he vse publique offices. Was not Sergius Paulus, Erastus, wt dyuers other christē mē? And yet officers in ye cōmōwelth?

Chri.

All these thīges are true.

Phil.

Wel thā let vs cōclude if it were lawful at ye time for a christēmāto bear rule ī ye cōmō wele hou is it now become vnlawful, Is ony [Page] mā more fyt to reigne & rule amōg christē mē, thā he which is of ye same profession, fayth & religiō? Is it cō ueniēt for the wicked & vnfaythful to haue dominiō ouer ye ryghteous & christē, rather thā they, whiche desyre nothyng more thā the glory of god, & the helth of theyr Christē brothers? O extreme blindnes. If that should come to passe, who wuld not wish rather to be an vnfaythful painim thā a faythful christiā? Behold to what poynte these wycked order breakers bryng the Christen religion, whyle they wyll seme to fyghte moost chefelye for the glorious furtheraunce of it? O foxysh Hypocrites. Who perceyueth not theyr subtylite? Who smellethe not theyre crafte? Who espyeth not theyr false hode? Whyle they go aboute to syn without punishmēt, to haue al thinges in cōmon, to lyue of the sweate of other mēnes browes, to lyue frely [Page] in al kynde of beastlike pleasure, to defyle other mēnes wyues, maydens, doughters & seruauntes. &c. beholde to what poynte these gross [...] Gospellers, these shamelesse Schismatykes, these brutall bely Gods, brynge the publique wea [...]e of Christendome. God moughte once root [...] suche Pestilences out of the earth, that we maye according to our duty withe all submission of mynde, & faythefull obedience, honoure and magnify y• pyblique Magistrates.

Thus haue I neighbours, grossely but faythfully, rudely but truely proued to you by the īfallible verite of Gods worde, that the hyghe powers are ordeyned of God, and yt theyr office pleaseth God, & is agreable in all poyntes wt the holy scriptures both of the olde & new Testastament.

Now accordyng to my promyse wyl I in thre wordes, as they saye, [Page] declare howe necessarye the office o [...] the publique magistrates is for the ryght institucion & prosperous preseruacion of the common weale.

Euse.

I praye you lette vs heare.

Phil.

The office of the hyghe powers euidently declareth, what innumerable cōmodities & pleasures y• christē publique weale receueth by thē. Moses, whan he appoynted certen rulers ouer the Israelites,Deut. i. cōmaū ded thē that they should iudge righteouslye, & that they shoulde not be parciall in theyr iudgementes, but heare all indifferētly, not estemyng nor preferrynge the man of power and nobilite before the poore & base per [...]on, nor yet feare the persōne of ony man, for it is the iudgement o [...] GOD, sayth he. Agayne, that they should receaue no gyftes (for giftes do blynde the eies of the wyse,Deut. xvii. & depraue the causes of the ryghteous) but alwaye pursewe & follow that, [Page] which is accordyng to iustice, hau [...] euer wyth them the boke of ye lawe of the LORDE, reade it all the dayes of theyr lyfe, that they maye learne to feare the LORDE theyr God, and to kepe all the wordes of hys lawe, & ordinaūces therof, that they may do them.Ie xxi. xxii. Esa. i. za [...]ha. vii. The Prophet Ieremy also commaūdeth kynges & other rulers to minister righteousnes, to deliuer the oppressed from violent power, to kepe equite not to greue nor oppresse the straunger, the fatherles nor the wydowe, nor yet to shed innocent bloud. Here maye ye se in fewe wordes,Howe necessary ye office of the ciuile Magistrates is. how necessary the office of the publique magistrates is for the ryghte institucion & prosperous preseruacion of the common weale. Howe expedient is it, thinke you, in matters of cōtrauersy, that all thynges be iudged & reconciled accordyng to equite & iustice? How necessary is it, that ye poore oppressed [Page] be delyuered frō y• violent bloud soupers? How cōuenient is it, that the straunger, wydowe & fatherles be holpen & prouided for? How profitable is it, that vnite, cōcord, loue beneuolence, frendshyppe, amite be mayntayned? and debate, discorde, stryfe, maleuolence, ire, wrath, contencion, hatred, emnite be exiled? How necessary is it, ye vertue reygneth, & vice be banyshed? How semely is it, that an order be kepte, & confusion dryuen oute of the publique weale▪ By the godly office & authorite of y• hygh powers al these good thynges are broughte to passe, and wythoute that, what can there remayne in ony publique weale ī safe estate & comely order?Prouer. x [...] As Salomō sayth, where ther is no gouernour, there the people must nedes decay. But wher as are many that canne gyue councell, there is wealthe, as Chrisostome sayth, If thou takeste [Page] awaye the iudicial seates & the offices of the lawe,Hom. vi. ad Pop. de eo quod vtilis sit principū terror. so hast thou vtterly destroyed all the order of oure lyfe. And as if thou seperatest & pluckest away from the shyppe the mayster & stereman of it, thou hast drowned the shyp, & as if thou leadest awaye the captayne from the armye, thou haste made the Souldiours to be ouercome of theyr enemies. So like wyse if thou takest awaye ye rulers oute of the Cyties, we shall leade a lyfe more vnreasonable thā the very brute bestes, euer snatchyng on [...] at another, bytynge & deuourynge one another, so that the man of the greater power shal subdue the poorer, & the bolder shall ouercome the meker spirited. They therfore that go about to take awaye the publique magistrates, maye iustely seme to be ye moost exstreme pestilēces of ye cōmō weale, & to destroy yt, which is no lesse profitable for our preseruacion, [Page] safegarde and health, than the sonne, fyre, or water is, or what so euer can be rekened moost necessary for this oure nedy lyfe.Behold what cōmodities we receaue by the high power▪ For by them is publique innocency, honest behauour, godly learnynge, vertuous knoweledge, syncer erudicion, necessary artes, fruytfull occupacions, mayntayned. By thē we lyue in tranquilite & peace. By them we enioye our owne possessions wtoute ony disturbaunce. By them we are preserued from all iniuries & cruell oppressiōs. By them oure Realmes are defended frō the īuasion of cruell Tyrauntes. By them the glory of God floryssheth. By thē the Gospell of Christ triumpheth, & all sectes & heresies are extyrped & plucked vp by the rootes. To conclude, by them God worketh his moost diuine pleasure in his electe & faythfull people, & all good thīges chaūse vnto vs. For theyr iudgynge place [Page] is the throne of God.Pro. xvi. Theyr mouth & sentence is the organ and instrumēt of Gods trueth. They are the vicars of God. They are the lyuish Image of God. They are the ministers of God for oure wealth.Rom. xiii. Psal. xviii. Deut. i. They represent the parson of God. They exercyse the iudgemēt ofye LORDE. They are the fathers of the contre. They are the pastors of the people. They are the maynteners of peace. They are the rulers of iustice, and patrons of all true innocēcy. They therfore, whiche wyll not approue, commende and allowe the imperye, rule and dominion of the publique magistrates & heade officers, maye worthely be iudged twyse frātyke, & to much estraunged frō all kynde of humanite. Thus haue ye hearde in fewe wordes, howe necessary the hygh powers are for the right institucion & godly administracion of ye publique weale.

Theo.

We se nowe [Page] ryght well, that wythoute they regiment & gouernaunce, nothyng yt is godly & vertuous can stond, but all wicked thīges must nedes sprīg vp & aryse in those Realmes, where the publique Magistrates wante.

Phil.

Trueth it is, that ye saye, well, nowe for the iust & perfecte accomplysshement of my promyse heretofore made, I wyll declare cōsequētly vnto you, what your duety is [...]owarde the hygh powers, I meane, our moost soueraygne Lord ye king & all the other rulers, that gouerne vnder his mooste noble empyre and dominion.

Chri.

I praye you hertely let it so be.

Phil.

Ye remember wel, I am sure, that your flour, whiche I I gaue you laste, is this.Rom. xiii. Lette euery soule be obediente to the povvers, that beare rule. &c.

Euse.

We remember it well.

Phil.

Here is Faythfull obedience required of you toward the high powers and rulers of the common weale.Of faythful obedience. [Page] For as it is theyr office to rule, so is it our duety to obey, & that not faynedly but with sincerite of cōsciēce & purenes of mynde wythoute ony dissimulacion or Hypocrysy.Note. For ther is no povver but of God. Rom. xiii. The povvers that be are ordined of God. Therfore VVho so euer resisteth the povver, resisteth the ordinaunce of God. And they that resist, shall gette tothē selues damnacion. Butte I praye you marke, what your floure sayth, Let euery soule be obedience to the povvers that beare rule. Note that it is sayd, Let euery soule be obediēt. Here se you, that no parson, be he spiritual or temporal, as they vse to call them, is excepted from obedience towarde the hyghe powers.No parson is excepted from obedience vnto ye powers. All are vnder subieccion. All owe obedience, feare, honoure & tribute to the rulers of the commō weale. None is free from this subieccion. For euery soule is here takē after the Hebrew phrase for all mē, & for so many as are reasonable creatures, [Page] borne & appoynted to lyue vnder a law. So that the scripture here cōmaundeth all men both spirituall & temporall, both godly and vngodly, both wicked & righteous, both perfecte & imperfecte, to obey the magistrates & all such ordinaū ces & lawes, as are made of thē for the glorye of God, & the commodite of the publique weale, or els they accumulate & heape vp to thē selues great dānaciō, as S. Austen sayth,De correct. Donatist. ad bonifa [...]. capi. vi. who soeuer wyl not obey the lawes of the temporal gouernours, which are made for the establyshemen [...] of Goddes truethe, he getteth greate damnacion.The spiritu alte also must obeye.

Theo.

Are the spirituall persons bounde to be obedient also to the hygh powers by the word of God?

Phil.

Yea verelye, there is not one Bysshop nor preste within this Realme of Englonde, which oweth not so muche obedience to the kynges graces maieste, as the moost inferiour [Page] subiecte and vile temporall man doth. Neither doth this name spirituall, Archbishop, Patriarche, Cardinall, Bysshop, Archedeacon, Suffragane, Preste, Decon, &c. delyuer them from subiecciō & obedience, no more than this word, Tayloure, Shoomaker, Draper, Marchaunt, Innekeper, water tākerde bearer, Dawber, Cobler▪ &c. dothe Let euery soule, saythe the Scripture [...] be obediente to the poVVers that beare rule, Here is none excepted, no not that Romyshe Porke, which chalengeth so great authorite ouer all parsons in the worlde,O abhominacion. that he is not ashamed to suffer kinges & Emperours to kysse and lycke hys pockye feete. O shameles Antechriste. Theophilacte vpon the aforesayde place of Paule wrytethe on thys manner:Theophilacte. Here he teacheth all men, sayth he, that whyther he be Preste or mōke, or Apostle, they should be obedient [Page] to the Prynces and hyghe powers: Where is onye excepcion nowe, I praye you? where are the pryuyledges, immunities, fredoms, & liberties nowe become, which the Butcher of Rome was wonte to giue so bounteouslye to hys dere spirituall chyldren, that they might synne wt out punyshment, be free from payenge tribute, exempte from all temporal iurisdiccion, [...]e Lordes & kinges within them selues, hange and drawe at theyr owne pleasure, and do what so euer theyr beastlyke lustes coueted? Howe well followed they this doctrine of ye holy Ghost? Of what spirite, were they named spiritual, which so manifestly fight with the spirite of god? With what forheade durste they be bolde to cal thē selues the successours of ye Apostles, seynge that contrary to ye teachynge & practyse of all true Apostles, they were disobediente to the [Page] hygh powers, robbed them of theyr authorite, led them captiue & made thē to serue theyr voluptuous and beastlyke pleasures.

Euse.

Undoubtedly there hath ben great abusion in the Clergy concernyng the temporall rulars.

Phil.

It can not be denyed but thankes be to our LORDE God, whiche hath in these our dayes brought it to passe by the reuelacion of his diuine verite, that oure moost christen Kynge, wyth certen other Prynces, hathe very tryumphātely gotten agayne & recouered theyr authorite gyuē them of God, wherof so many yeres they haue vniustly be depriued by the furious tyranny of that moost cruel Romysh Bysshop and his bloudye whelpes.

Theo.

The holy scripture, I am sure taught them no such disobedience.

Phil.

No verely. It rather teachethe them obedience, as ye hearde before. For it is wrytten, the kynge beareth [Page] rule ouer all,iii. Esd. iiii. & he hath dominion ouer them, so that what so euer he sayth to thē, they do it. Was not Aharon the hygh Preste obediēt to Moses,Exo. xxxii. whom God appoynted rulare ouer his people, & dyd what soeuer he commaūded hym. Wasnot the hygh Preste Achimelech and al the other Prestes obedient to kyng Saul,i. Reg. xxii. & called them selues his seruauntes, and him theyr Lorde, not once resistyng the fury of the king, but rather chosyng to suffer death paciently vnder so great a tyraūt, than once to resiste hym disobediētly? What nede I speake of Dauid, Salamō, Ezechias, Iosaphat,ii. Pa. viii. ii. Pa. xix. ii. Par. xxix xxx.xxxi. Iosias, Alexāder, Demetrius, Antiochus. &c. whiche euerhad the Bysshoppes, Prestes, Leuites, & other spirituall ministers in subiecion wt oute ony resistence? Howe can oure spiritualte than be free from obedience & subiecciō?

Chri.

Ye say trueth [Page] But all these hystories hytherto alledged,i. Math. x. xiiii. vii. you haue borowed of ye olde Testamente. We woulde be glad to heare this thyng proued by the authorite of the newe Testament. For there haue bene,The Anabaptistes. neyther yet want, which thyncke it a matter of absurdite and a thynge very vnsittyng, that tēporall rulars should reygne ouer the spiritualte.

Phil.

O disobedient hertes.Luke. ii. Dyd not Mary ye mother of Christ & Ioseph obey the cō maundement of Augustus the Emperour, when ye whole world should be taxed and went into theyr Cyte Bethleē?Math. xvii. Math. xxii. Mar. xiiii. Luke. xxii. Ioan. xviii. Act. xxiii. xxv. Dyd not Christe hymselfe teache obedience towarde the hygh powers? Dyd not he paye tribute? Was not he content to dye vnder ye temporall rulers, & confesse yt theyr power was gyuen them frō aboue? Dyd not the Apostles so in lyke mā ner both teache and do? Dydde not Paule wyllyngly euer obey ye publique [Page] magistrates Flestus & Faelix. &c? Dyd not all the Bysshops and ministers of Gods word so lykewyse do & teach ī ye primatiue Chirch,Dan. ix. Esa. xi. ii. Thes. ii. vntyl yt wycked man ye son of perdiciō came, which exalted him selfe aboue all that is called God, in so muche yt he syttethe in the Temple of God, bostynge hym selfe to be God? But the LORDE shall slaye hym with the breath of his mouth, & shal put him to flyght wythe the clerenes of hys commynge. Let it come to passe, O LORDE, yea and that shortely.

Furthermore was not this the Commaūdement of Christ:Math. xxii. Paye yt to the Emperour that is due to the Emperour, what is due to the Emperour, that is, to the temporal gouernoure, but obedience, feare, honour, tribute. &c. Howe than cann [...] any man be excepted from the obedience of the temporal power,Rom. xiii. be he called spirituall or otherwyse? Let [Page] euery soule, saythe S. Paule, as ye heard before, be obedient to the powers ye beare rule. Agayne he sayth warne them that they submyt thē selues vnto Prynces & to the hygher authorite,Titus. ii. to obeye the Officers, S. Peter also sayth, submyt youre selues to all manner of ordinaunce of mē for the LORDES sake,i. Pet. ii. whyther it be vnto the kyng as vnto ye chefe head, or vnto rulers, as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punyshment of euel doers, but for ye prayse of thē that do wel. For so is the wyl of God. Are not all these authorities selected oute of the newe Testament sufficiēt to declare what obedience all kynd of people owe to the hygher powers?

Euse.

Yies in good fayth, & that no man frō this true & faythfull obedience is excepted.

Phil.

Uery well sayde. So here do ye nowe learne▪ what is one poynte of your dutye towarde oure moost redoubted [Page] kyng,What oure dutye is toward ye high powers. & other head officers

Chri.

This is truely & faythfully wt all humilite & submission of mynde to be obedient vnto them, & gladlye to execute, perfourme & do, ye which they commaūde and requyre of vs.

Phil.

Than do ye perceyue right wel that as it is the office of the publique magistrates for to rule, so is it your duetye to obeye.

Theo.

We perceyue that righte well, and that we maye by no meanes resiste the high powers, in asmuche as they are ordened of GOD.Rom. xiii▪ For who so euer resistethe the power, resistethe the ordinaunce of GOD. And they that resiste, shall get to thē selues damnacion.

Phil.

It is wel sayd. But I wyll nowe go forthe to declare vnto you, what your dutye is more toward the high powers.

Chri.

I praye you lette it so be.

Phil.

It is not only required of vs by ye worde of God,Offea [...] ▪ that we should be obedient [Page] to the head rulers, but also that we feare them. For Sayncte Paule amonge all other thynges, whiche we of very duty owe to the hygher powers, rehearseth feare. So that it is our dutye also to feare, vnlesse we attēpte ony thynge, that should derogate theyr pryncelyke authorite, or in ony poynte displease them. For the rulers are not feare,Rom. xiii sayth he, to them that do well, but to thē that do euell. Wilte thou not feare the power? Do that is good, & thou shalte receyue prayse of it. For he is the minister of god vnto thy welth. But if thou dost that which is euel than feare. For he bearet he not the swearde in vayne. He is ye minister of God, a taker of vengeaūce to punysh hym that doth euell. Wherfor [...] ye must nedes obey, not only for punyshmēt but also for cōscience sake.Pro. xx And this is it that Salomon sayth the Kynge ought to be feared as y• [Page] roryng of a Lyō. Whoso prouoketh hym vnto anger, offendeth agenste hys owne soule. Agen he saythe, my sonne feare thou the LORDE & the kynge. Beholde how he ioyneth the feare of God & of the King togither bycause we shuld walke euer wyth a reuerēt feare toward hym,Pro. xxiiii Mark well. alway beynge afearde eyther to thyncke, breath, speake or do, that should be cōtrary to the Kinges graces pleasure. Howe greuously they haue be punyshed that walked as sedicious parsons wythoute ony godly feare toward the publique magistrates,Numer. vi. iii. Reg. xvi. the Histories of Dathan & Abyron, of Zambry & Baasa shewe manifestly. Neyther haue we wāted experience of thys thynge nowe a dayes. For what, I praye you,Experience of our time. hathe euer ben muttered or secretly conspired agaynst the kynges graces maieste at ony tyme eyther amonge men of nobilite, or yet of the baser sorte, yt [Page] hath not come to lyght, & wrought destruccion to the Authors therof? This is vndoubtedly the prouision of God.God watcheth vpon hys ministers, yt no euyl chaunce vnto thē. GOD defendeth his ministers, as a good master doth his seruauntes. God waytethe vpon the Kynges graces helth. He defendeth hym from his enemies. He kepethe all his bones,Psal. xxxiii. Math. x. Luke. xii. as the Psalmograhe sayth, that not one of them shall be broken. He hath nōbred the heares of his head, so that not one of them shall perysh wythout the good wyll of our heauenly father. He hath wt oute doubte hytherto, & shall continually preserue his moost gracious maieste from all the craftye conspiraciōs & subtyle assaultes of all his enemies, so that they shal neuer preuayle agaynste hym, but hys grace shal euer be preserued in safe estate, & haue perpetually the tryūphant victory ouer all his enemies vnto y• great glorye of God, the fruytefull [Page] promocion of Christes Gospell,Note this s [...]militude. and the prosperous tranquilite & welth of al vs his moost louing subiectes. For as it is impossible to hynder or let the course of ye Sonne or moone so is it impossible for thē to escape, whiche imagyne or worke ony violence or treason agaynst his grace. Certes there is no euasion nor way to escape, as the wyse manne sayth. For God alwaye preserueth his ministers,Eccl. vii. and wyll not suffer them to escape vnpunysshed, that cōtēne disobey, or laboure to destroye hys ordinaunce, Woulde God therfore that all men would remember this sayenge of the preacher: Wysshe the kynge no euell in thy thought,Eccl. x. and speake no hurte of the rytch in thy priuye chamber. For a byrde of the ayer shall betraye thy voyce, and wt her fethers shal she bewray thy wordes. There is nothynge hyd, y• shall not come to lyght, neyther is there [Page] ony secret,Math. x. Luke. xii. that shall not come to reuelacion.

Euse.

If they would set before the eyes of theyre mynde thys moost godlye & wyse sentence, than shoulde they neuer offend, but euer feare once to thinke ony thing that shoulde be preiudiciall to ye kinges graces honour.

Phil.

Ye saye trueth. Prouyde therfore that ye your selues remember it well,What feare we ought to haue toward ye high powers. & euer set before your eyes this feare, and that not constraynte, seruyle, bonde or churlysh, but reuerent, gentle, obsequious, wyllynge, yea & euen suche a louynge feare, as a deare Sonne hath toward his moost hertely beloued father, so that ye woulde feare to offend though ther were no law nor punyshment at all, euen for the loue that ye heare towarde vertue, true innocencye & purite of lyfe. If ye haue this fear, ye shal easly haue the true obedience & all other thinges, which moost of al become faythfull [Page] & louynge subiectes. And with out this feare knowe that ye canne none otherwyse but precipitate & throwe headlonge your selues into all kynde of mischefe, parell, daūger & destruccion.

Chri.

God mought en grasfe in oure hertes thys reuerent feare towarde our moost excellente Prīce, that we by no meanes maye offende hī neither in thought, word nor dede.

Theo.

Amen,Ofhonour. good LORD I beseche the.

Phile.

Moreouer besydes this obedience and feare, we owe also to the hygh powers, honoure, as S. Paule wytnessethe in the aforsayd texte.Rom. xiii▪ And S. Peter sayth,i. Pet. ii. honour all men, loue the brotherhead, feare God, honour the kynge. Here are we also commaūded to honoure the kynge.What it is to honoure the kynge.

Euse.

What meaneth the scripture by that, I pray you?

Phil.

To honoure the kynge, is not only to pretende & shewe an outward humilite & hūble obeysaunce towarde [Page] him, as by puttyng of our cappe to hym, reuerently to speake to hym, to knele vnto hym, to graunte hym freely & wyllyngly what so euer he requireth of vs, but also with herte & mynde to wysh well vnto hym, to desyre all good & prosperous thynges vnto hym, to praye for hym, to desyre longe lyfe vnto hym, to pray that God maye rule & gouerne all his councelles, enterprises & affayres, to watch diligētly yt no harme, disturbance or incommodite chaūse vnto hym, and in all oure actes eyther publique or priuate, open or secret, to seake the honour of hym, as of oure mooste soueraygne LORDE. This honor shewed Dauid to kyng Saul,i. Reg. xxvi. which knowyng Saul to be his vtter enemy, & one that sought his lyfe, woulde notwithstondynge so much as once hurte hym, nor yet suffer ony other to do it, althoughe he had sufficiēt oportunite & occasiō [Page] dyuers tymes to haue slayne hī, if he had bene so minded. The Lord forbyd me, sayth he, y• I should laye mynhand on hym. Agen, kyl hī not. For who sayth he, shall laye handes on the LORDES annoynted, and be not gyltye? The LORDE lyuethe, he dyeth not, excepte the LORDE smite him, or that his day be come to dye,ii. Reg. i. or els go to battayle, & there perysh He also afterwarde commaunded ye younge manne to be slayne, whiche came & tolde him, that he had kylled kynge Saul, thynckynge by thys menes to haue picked a great thāke or obtained some beneficial reward at Dauids hand.Note. Here was true honor. For it is not lawfull for any mā beynge a subiecte to aryse agēst hys Prynce, & to auenge hys owne quarell, be he neuer so muche a Tyraunt, or sustayneth he at his hand neuer so great iniuries & wronges, but paciently to suffer all thynges, [Page] yea rather death,Deut. xxxii. Rom. xii. Heb. x. Rom. xiii. thā he should once resist, leauynge the vengeaunce vnto hym, which sayth, vengeaunce is myne, & I wyl reward. For he that resisteth the ordinaunce of God, getteth to hym selfe dampnacion. And they that dishonour the hygh powers, shal fall into ignobilite, & proue a miserable end.

Chri.

They therfore dishonour greatly the magistrates, which e [...]cite & store vppe sedicions, make cōmotions, & trouble the trā quilite of the common weale, wysshing that there were no temporall gouernour ouer thē, but that they myght licēciously do what so thē lusteth.

P.

Such sekers of carnal & best lyke liberte hitherto haue, & stil shal receaue a reward worthy theyr labour. But learne you (moost deare brothers) vtterly to reny & forsake the pestiferous & wicked māners of such sedicious Scismatykes & disobedient Rebellions, and study vnfaynedly [Page] to giue that true obediēce feare & honour to our moost christē & boūteous Prynce, yt the scripture requireth of vs, as I haue taughte you before, and to so manye also as are appoynted of him to rule vnder his graces dominion. So shall ye both please God, and also leade a good and quiet lyfe in this worlde.

Euse.

God forbyd that the contrarye shoulde be founde in vs.

Phil.

Nowe remayneth the fourth thynge to be declared vnto you,Of tribute which all we subiectes from the hyghest to the lowest owe to our moost excellēt kynge.

Theo.

What is that I pray you?

Phil.

Uerely, trybute. For this causealso, sayth S. Paule,Rom. xiii. must ye pay tribute. For they are Gods ministers which mayntayne the same defēce. Gyue therfore to euery man his duty, trybute to whome tribute belō geth, custome to whome custome is due, feare to whom feare belōgeth, [Page] honoure to whome honour pertayneth.

Chri.

I pray you, what meane ye by this worde, tribute?

PHIL.

By tribute I vnderstand all paymentes that are due to the ciuile magistrates,What is ment by this worde tribute. as tenthes, fyftenes, rētes, taskes, subsidies, customes. &c. All these are we bounde by Gods commaundement to paye without ony tumulte or grudgynge, & that not wythout a cause.Note why we ought to paye tribute For seynge that y• hygh powers take so great paynes for to defēde vs & to kepe al that we haue in safegarde agaynst the violence of our enemies, agen to mayntayn vertu & to expulse vice, which thynge can not be brought to passe without prudēt, wyse & learned gouernours, it is expedient that we, whiche receaue these cōmodities of them, do minister agayne vnto thē freely, aboundantly, and liberally, what soeuer they require of vs for y• preseruacion of y• publique weale [Page] and mayntenaunce of theyr dignite. Neyther can we denye thē thys excepte we wyl transgresse Goddes precepte and fall into the daunger of damnacion, and shew that we be moost extreme enemies to oure selues.Math. xvii. Math. xxii. For Christe wyllynge to gyue vs an example of this thyng, payd tribute hym selfe, and commaūded other so to do, sayenge: Paye that whiche is due to Cesar vnto Cesar, vnderstandynge by the name of Cesar euery magistrate and temporal power generally.

And that the kynges grace may lawefully withoute onye scruple or grudge of cōscience take such charges of vs as I rehearsed before, and that we oughte not once to mutter agaynst his graces pleasure & wyll ī this behalf, it is manifest by these wordes,i. Reg. viii. which god spake vnto Samuell: This shall be ye lawe or right of y• kyng, sayth he, that shall reigne [Page] ouer you. Your sonnes shall he take for his charettes & for horsemen to ronne before his Charettes, and to be rulers & Captaynes, to be plowe men to tyll his londe, & to be repers in his haruest, & to make hys harnesse, & such thynges as belong to hys Charettes As for your doughters, he shal take them to be Apoticaries Cookes & Bakers. Your best londe & vyneyardes, and oylegardēs shall he take, & gyue vnto his seruaūtes. Of youre seedes also & vineyardes shal he take the tythes, & gyue vnto his Chamberlaynes & seruauntes. And your seruauntes & your maydes & your best yonge men, & youre Asses shall he take, & do his busines wt all. Of your flockes shall he take the tythes, & ye shal be his seruauntes. Are not theise wordes manifest and playne inough to declare what ryght, tytle, & power by the worde of God, our moost excellent Prynce [Page] hath to chalenge and require of vs suche costes & charges, as he sustaynethe for the common weale, & that all that euer we haue, is at his commaundement, & that we oughte by no meanes to resist or say him nay.

Chri.

They are more clere than the Sonne, & more open thē the lyght.

Theo.

Yet haue I hearde some saye,An obiec [...]iō that we are made free by Christe, & ought to serue no manne, nor to be charged with paymētes to ony parson, but all thynges ought to be cō mon amonge christen men.

Phil.

To aunswere vnto euery parte of thys your sentence,Theanswer requireth many wordes, & asketh much tyme. But to be short, know that who so euer mayntayneth that kynde of doctrine, dissenteth muche from the christen religion, corrupteth the word of God, soweth false teachynge,Our libert [...] is spirituall & not carnal huntethe a carnal liberte, and desyreth to lyue in al kynd of synne without punishmente. [Page] Trueth it is, y• we are made free by Christ, but this oure liberte is spirituall and not temporal. By Christ we are delyuered from ye dā nacion of the law,Rom. x. Gala. iii. i. Cor. xv. Ose. xiii. Heb. ii. Act. x. Ioan. viii. Gala. v. i. Pet. ii. but not from the obseruaūce ofit. By Christe we are made free from the power of Satā synne, deathe, desperacion and hell, but not from the power of y• ciuile magistrates. By Christ haue we receaued our manumission & fredom [...] from the condemnacion of all those thinges, īto the which we were cast by the sīne of our fyrste father Adā. So that by Christ we are spiritually made free, if we abyde in his wordes, as we rede ī ye Gospel of Iohn̄ & ī diuers other places of y• holy scripture. But this spiritual liberte maketh vs not free from our obediēce & dutye towarde the temporal power, to whome we owe both oure selues and al that euer we haue, as ye [...]eard before. For this were a thing [Page] of to much absurdite & contrary to all good order, & the teachyng both of Christe & of his Apostles. Yea so should God be the Author of confusion & not of order, of dissension and not of concorde. S. Austen saythe,In li [...]. ad Rom. prop [...] sit. lxxii. if ony man thyncketh, that because he is a christen mā, he ought to pay no custome or tribute, nor shew ony honour to the hygh powers, he falleth into a great erroure, & is very muche deceaued.Contra aux entium. xi. Quest. i. Canon, sitributi [...]n. S, Ambrose also sayth, yf the temporall gouernoure asketh tribute, we deny it not, lette the londes of the Chyrche paye tribute. If the rulare desireth the londes, he hath power to chalenge thē, let him therfore take thē, yf he wyl, I gyue them not to the Emperour but nether do I deny them. Agayn he sayth, it is a great & special document or poynt of teachyng, wherby christen men are taught to be subiecte to the higher powers, bycause [Page] that no man should thyncke that y• constituciō or ordinaūce of an erthly kynge ought to be losoned or broken.Ibidem. Cā magnū. Math. xvii. For yf the sonne of God payde Tribute, of what greate authorite arte thou, whiche thīkest that thou oughtest not to pay? Theophilacte also sayth,In Lucam. cap. xx. that we corporally obey hym, that hath power on our bodies, whyther he be kyng or Tyraūt, it hyndrethe vs no thynge, that we shoulde spirituallye well please the God of spirites.Math. xxii. For Christ saythe, paye vnto the Emperour, ye whiche is the Emperours, & pay vnto god that, whiche is Gods. Marke that he sayth not, gyue, but paye. It is, saythe he, dette. Paye therfore thy dette. Thy Prynce kepethe the frō thyne enemies, & he causethe that yu lyueste in quiet. Thou therfore for these thinges owest tribute to him.

Thus se you proued both by the holy Scripture & the aūcient Doctors, [Page] yt they, which professe Christe,Mark well. are not so made free, but that they are bounde to be subiecte & obediēt to the high powers in al godly and decent matters. Agen, that al thinges ought not to be commō among them, or that they be excepted from such corporall charges, as ye rulers require of thē, but that they ought to paye tribute, custome, taske, subsidye, or ony thynge els, that is required of them by the temporal gouernours, seyng chefely it make [...]he so greatly vnto theyr owne auaūcement, profit & cōmodite. They therfore, yt denye these thīges or grudge to paye them, whan time requireth & occasion is gyuen, verely they are farre from true Christen men, and shall for theyr disobedience receaue damnaciō, excepte they repent and amende.

Euse.

God forbyd, but that euery man should paye with a wyllynge harte, what so euer is required [Page] of hym for the mayntaynaūce and conseruacion of the publique weale.

Theo.

Certes we were vnworthy to lyue vnder the dominion of so puissaunte a Gouernoure, yf we should not in all poyntes satisfy euen vnto the vttermoost his godly and reasonable requestes, seyng we haue & styll dayly do receaue innumerable cōmodities & pleasures at his graces hande.

Phil.

The charges whiche the Kynges graces maieste sustayneth dayly for the welth of al vs his subiectes,The charges, whyche the kynges grace fu [...]tayneth for ye comon weale. are infinite, & far exceade ye vnexperte capacite of the rude simple people, as we may se before oure eyes, & learne by the constant fame & common reporte of all men (as I may leaue of to spea [...]e of y• byldyng of many Castels, Blocke houses, strong holdes, Bulwarkes, fortresses. &c. & of men appoynted vnto the defence of the same, wythe all thynges pertaynyng thervnto, [Page] agayne of the common Scholes & the techers of thē, of sendyng forth Preachers into euery parte of hys Realme, of procurynge learned magistrates, of gyuynge exhibicion to many vertuous & lerned men, & of a thousande thynges mo, which his moost gracious maieste dothe for ye wealth of vs, & for the conseruaciō of this his mooste florysshynge Realme) therfore ought we to suppeditate and minister agayne vnto him abundantly what so euer his grace requireth of vs at ony tyme, or els we greuously offende God, & walke not accordinge to the order of Charite, but are manifest trāsgressours of Gods moost holy wyll, which cō maundeth vs & all that we haue to be subiecte to ye Kinges graces pleasure.

Chri.

This is trueth, & nothīg more tru

Phil.

I beleue verely, that what soeuer the subiectes haue, are the goodes of such a righteous and [Page] godly Prynce,Note. as we haue now reynynge amonge vs. Yea if the highe powers were very Tyrauntes, and altogyther vnmercifull, yet myght we deny them no thyng at al of our goodes if they required them of vs,Iob. xxxiiii. Pro. xxviii. but delyuer them vp into theyr hā des frely, to be vsed as it shal please them, beynge perswaded that it is for our synnes, that God suffereth such Tyrauntes to reygne ouer vs & therfore oughte they to be obeyed in all thynges,Esa. iii. Act. iiii.v. that fyght not with the worde of God, nor obscure the diuine glorye, thoughe they seme to be neuer so full of tyranny & vnmercifulnes. But seing we haue such a prīce as loueth his faythful subiectes nolesse, than a gētle father doth his natural sonne, cherisheth thē no lesse, than a nourse doth her chylde, preserueth them without daunger no lesse than a trusty shepparde seakethe to kepe his shepe from the rauenynge [Page] teth of the wolfe, & vtterly gyueth hym selfe altogyther vnto vs & vnto our commodite & profyt, what shoulde be the cause, that we myght deny any thynge to this our Emperour so mercyful, so gentle, so boūteous, so prudent, so wise, and so circumspecte in all thynges, that pertayne vnto our commodite & wealthe. To muche beastlyke are they, yt consider not the bounte of so excellent a Prynce. Blyssed is that londe, sayth the wyse manne,Eccle. [...]. whose kynge is a man of nobilite, & whose Princes eat in due seasō for strēgth & not for lust. But wo be vnto that Realme, whose Kyng is but a chyld and whose Prynces are earelye at theyr Banckettes.

Thus neyghbours haue I declared vnto you accordynge to my promyse your duty toward our moost excellent king, & such as he appoynteth to be gouernours vnder hym. [Page] Loke therfore that ye be obediente vnto them, feare them, honour thē, & paye what so euer is required of you. For vnto all these thynges ye are bound by the holy Scripture, which yf ye do, the blessyng of God is vpon you: If ye do not, the curse & vēgeaūce of God wil fal on you, so that your ende shall be miserable bothe before God & man.

Euse.

What soeuer ye haue hitherto taught vs, we wyll laboure to the vttermoost of our power to fulfyl it in our quotidiane & dayly conuersacion, that we may walke blameles bothbefore God and oure Prynce.

Phile.

Nowe doth conueniēt order require, that I brynge forth your fourth floure to you, seyng that hitherto ye haue learned your dutye bothe toward [...] your selfe, GOD, and our Kynge.

Theo.

I praye you let vs se it.

[Page]

¶The fourth floure / called / Redy assistence.

Philemon.

BEholde here it is. Let euery manne looke not for his oVVne profit, Phil. i [...] ▪ but for the profit of other. Howe doth ye sauour of this floure please you?

Euse.

How so euer it pleaseth me, I thynke verely, the ayer & breath of this flour is so strong, ye few at this presēt tyme can abyde the sauour of it.

Phil.

Why so? It is the sayēge of Saynt Paule to the Philippians.

Euse.

I knowe that well, but ye should rather haue rehearsed this sayeng in ye same Epistle. All seke theyr owne auaūtage, & not that, which is Iesus Christes. For this flour do men now a dayes beare chefely in theyr bosome, as we may se by dayly experiēce. Theyr noses are stopped, and they haue lost one of theyr fyue wittes, whan ony such floure is offred [Page] them for to smell vpon, as ye haue nowe gyuen vs. They haue rooted other herbes in theyr hertes, vpon whome they smell dayly,Eccl. x. Lato. lib. i. Menander. Inuenalis. euen such as theyse are. Pecuniae obediunt omnia. Bonus est odor lucri ex re qualibet. Semper tibi proximus esto. Tantū fidei, quā tum pecuniae. Nummi uirum faciunt. Virtus post nummos. Miser est, qui nūmos non habet. Quisquis habet nummos, secura nauiget aura Fortunam (que) suo temperet arbitrio. That is to saye, al thinges are obedient to mony. The sauour of lucre is good, how so euer a man come by it. Be euer nearest & moost frend to thy selfe. A man shal euē be so much trusted, as he hathe monye. Mony maketh the man. Fyrst monye, and afterwarde vertue. He is a wretch yt hath no mony. Who soeuer hathe monye, maye go where he lyste, & do what so euer he wyll at hys owne pleasure.

The sauour of these floures, hath [Page] so infected the senses of many now a dayes, that they cā by no meanes smell on this floure, whiche ye haue nowe gyuen vs.

Phil.

It is the more pytye. Not withstondynge neyghbours, be not ye infected withe lyke pestiferous contagion. Remember your profession, and followe not the cōmon fasshion, vnlesse ye fall into damnacion, and lose the fauoure of GOD.

Smel wel on this your floure,Phil. ii. Redy assistence. Let euery man looke not for his owne profit, but for the profyt of other. For seynge ye haue hytherto learned your dutye both toward your selfe▪ God, & our kynge, ye must now learne also your office & duty toward youre neyghboure. For God hath also gyuen vs a commaūdemēt to loue our neyghbour.Leuit. x [...]x. Math. xxii. Rom. xiii. Thou shalt loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe, sayth the scripture. That thou wylte not a nother shoulde do [Page] to the,Iacob. ii i. Ioan. iiii. do thou not the same to him. And this cōmaundement haue we of God, that he, which loueth God, should also loue his neighbour. For he ye loueth not his brother, whome he seethe, God, whome he hathe not sene, howe can he loue?

That ye myghte natiuely & vnfaynedlye on this sorte loue your [...] neyghbour, I haue selected this sē tēce of s. Paule to put you in remē brāce of your duty.Phil. ii. Let euery man loke not for his own profyt, but for the profit of other.Mat. .xxiiii

Chri.

It is a very hard sayeng, & followed but of few iniquite doth so abound, & the loue of many abateth and waxeth cold.

Theo.

Me thyncke, S: Paule would here haue no man prouyde for him selfe, but for other. And this is contrary to his owne sayeng,i. Tim. v. wher he sayth, If ony mā doth not prouyde for thē that do pertayne vnto him he hath forsaken the faythe, andis, [Page] worse than an Infidell.

Phil.

God forbyd that ony contrariete should be founde in the wordes of so noble & worthy Apostle. In your floure he doth not forbydde you, but that ye may with good conscience prouide for your selfe & for yours But to admonysh mē of thys so streyghtly as of the other, it was not nedeful nor expediēt.Mark well. For we are naturally bēt to seke our owne profyt, yea & that many tymes to the great hinderaū ce & vtter decay of our neyghbour, neyther nede we a spurre to prycke vs forwarde in this behalfe. Which thynge, S. Paule replete with goddes spirite consyderynge, exorteth men rather to seke for theyr neighbours profyt, than for theyr owne, meanynge that they shoulde not be so bent to seke theyr owne auauntage,Phil. ii. that they should vtterly neglecte the profyt of theyr christen brother. For ye very same mynd ought [Page] to be in vs that was in Christ Iesu whiche beynge in the shape of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made hym selfe of no reputaciō, & toke vpō hym y• shape of a seruaunt, became like a nother man, & was founde in his apparel, as a man. He humbled hym selfe, & became obediēt vnto the death, euē the death of y• Crosse. Here is youre floure, Redy asistence. Here is an example that ye shoulde be redy to assist & helpe your neyghbour at al tymes. Howe dyd our moost blyssed Sauiour Christe vtterly neglecte & caste awaye, as I may so speke, his owne glory, honour and worshyp, to seke our health, conforte & saluacion? This redy assistence & helpe oughte also to be in vs, yf we pertayne vnto Christ. For we oughte to haue y• care for our neighbour, that Christ had for vs, or elles we walke not accordynge to Charite. This redy assistence [Page] also se we in that Samaritane of the Gospell,Luke. x. which seynge a certayne man spoyled, robbed, greuouslye wounded and halfe deade, had pytye on hym, came vnto hym, bounde vp his woundes, powred in oyle & wyne, & layenge hym on hys beaste brought hym vnto an Inne, & made prouision for hym. Here is a nother godlye example of redy assistence. Here is a myrrour for all menne to looke in. Here is a payre of spectacles for to shewe euery man, what his dutye is toward his neyghbour.What oure duty is toward our neyghboure

Euse.

As how I pray you for an example.

Phil.

Certes as this Samaritane dyd. To be bent at all tymes to healpe so manye as hath nede of our helpe, & to procure no lesse the helthe & furtherance of other, than of our selues. As for an example. Arte yu a Iudge,The duty of a iudge, Iustice of peace.. &c. a Iustice of peace, a Constable, a Baliffe, or ony other cōmō officer: So hast yu ye [Page] lawe in thy hande. Matters of contrauersye are broughte before the. Looke therfore, that thou iudgeste all thynges accordynge to equite. Be not parciall. Fauoure not one parte more than another. Shewe indifferency. Do as ryght require. Gyue no wronge sentence, neyther for feare nor loue of ony parsonne. Practise none iniquite: Condemne not the innocēt for lucres sake. Be not corrupt with gyftes. Eate not the poore mā, neyther deuour thou his substaūce, but helpe to sustayne hym in his ryght agaynste the violence of the wicked Tyrantes and cruel oppressours accordyng to thy office, yf thou doste this, than haste thou this flour, Redy assistence. about the, & doste to thy neyghboure, as yu arte bound by the commaundemēt of God. If thou doste this, that is, iudge contrary to equite, suffer the poore to be oppressed for fauoure or [Page] lucres sake, or els bycause thou bearest a cruell harte and spytefull stomacke agaynst the parte, so gettest thou the great displeasure of God, & hepest vp to thy selfe euerlastinge damnacion.

Arte thou a Bysshop,The office of a Byshop prest or spiritual minister. prest or spirituall minister of Goddes worde? looke than well to thy office. Remē ber that it is thy dutye reuerently to minister ye moost blyssed Sacramentes of Christes Chyrche, and to preach the worde of God to y• flocke vpon whome the holy Ghoste hath made the ouerseare, to gouerne the congregaciō of God, whome he purchased with his bloude.Act. x [...]. Ioan. xxi. Remember that it is sayd vnto the, Pasce, Pasce, Pasce, fede, fede, fede. Fede ther fore thy Paryshe with good exāple of vertuous lyuinge. Fede them wt the pure Euāgelion & true Gospell of Christ. Fede thē also wt corporall foode thorowe the mayntenaūce of [Page] hospitalite. Teache them to forsake all Idolatry & supersticion, & only to cleaue to the true & lyuing God, the alone and omnisufficient sauiour. Teache them to honoure & call on the name of theyr LORDE God in all theyr aduersities and troubles. Teach them faythful obedience toward theyr superiours. Teache thē to loue theyr wyues as theyr owne flesh, & to brynge vp theyr chyldren & familye in the feare & nourtoure of the Lord. Teach thē to labour for theyr lyuīg, & not to takeaway ony mans goodes vniustly. Teache thē to testify the truethe, & to beare no false witnes. Teache them to be no man [...]lears, but to loue al men with a pure harte. Teache them to lyue of theyr owne, & not to couyt that which pertayne to other mē. Teach them to walke streyght in the path wayes of the LORDE al the dayes of theyr lyfe, vnlesse the fearce plages [Page] & cruel vēgeaunce of God fall both vpon the & them.Esay. [...]viii. Crye, cease not. Shewe to the people theyr synnes, offenses, & wickednesses. Cōmaund the wicked to forsake hys iniquite. Exhorte the rytche man vnto the glad & redy distribucion of his goodes to ye poore people.i. Tim. vi. i. Pet. v▪ Fede ye flocke of Christ, so muche as lyethe in thy power. Be an example of the fayth full in word, in cōuersacion, in loue in spirite, in fayth, in purite & clennes of lyfe. Gyue attendaunce to thy selfe & to doctrine, continew in these. Reproue them that synne opē ly before all men,i. Tim. iii▪ that y• other may be afeard. Kepe thy selfe pure, clene & honest. Suffer afflicciō & trouble as a goodsouldiour ofIesus Christ Study to shewe thy selfe acceptable to God,i. Tim v. ii. Tim. ii. a workemā that nedeth not to be ashamed, deuydynge iustly the worde of trueth. Flye the lustes of yongthe,i. Tim. v [...]. followe righteousnes, [Page] fayth charite peace with them that cal on the LORDE wyth a pure harte. Reproue the ennemyes of trueth fearsely, that they maye be whole in faythe. Speake yu those thīges, that become wholesome doctrine, but aboue all thynges be an exāple to other of good workes. Be not absent from thy benefice.Zacha. xi. Liue not dissolutely at the vniuersite or els wher. Be not that Spheppard and Idol, that forsaketh his flocke, but gyue them meate in due tyme.Ioan. x. Suffer not ye wolfe to deuour Christes shepe, whome he bought wythe no lesse pryce, than wythe his owne most precious bloud. Defēd the glorye of GOD, and not thyne owne dignite. Striue for the helth of thy flocke,Mark well. & not for thy rytchers & possessions. The synful of thy flocke, exhorte vnto faythfull repentaunce. The desperate prouoke thou vnto y• trust of Gods mercy. The weake [Page] make yu stronge. The diseased looke thou heale. The bloudye wounded looke thou cure. The broken looke thou make whole. The imperfecte, loke thou make perfecte. The strōg in Christ, loke thou make aūciente. To conclude, if thou be a true Bisshop, a faythful ouerseare, a diligēt Curate, a trusty shepparde, rather gyue thy lyfe, & spend all the bloud in thy body, than that one of ye least of Christes flocke should perysh thorowe thy faute. So mayst thou be sure,i. Pet. v. whan that Prynce of sheppardes shall appeare to receyue the immarcessible crown of glory, if yu dost not these thynges, which hytherto I haue rehearsed, than looke thou for none other, but wythe that vnprofitable seruaunt to be cast into vtter darkenes, where wepynge & gnasshynge of teth shalbe.

Arte thou a ritch man?The dutye of a rytch man. So hath God set the in a perillous state, excepte [Page] thou be ware. To auoyd ther fore all daūger, loke that with thy possessions & rytches, thou helpeste thē that haue nede. For vnto this ende hath God indewed the wyth y• goodes of this world. Be not proud for thy rytches sake,Eccl xxxv. ii. Cor. ix. nor putte not thy truste in vncertayne rytches, but in the lyuynge God. Be rytche ī good workes. Be redy to minister vnto the necessite of other, yt wante For God loueth a cherfull gyuer. Breake thy bread to the hongrye,Esa. lviii. & lead in the nedy & poore wayfaring into thy house, whā thou seest a naked man, couer hym, & thou shalte not despyse thy flesh.Luke. vi. Geue to euery one that askethe, & from hym, that wyll borowe, turne not awaye thy face,Psal. xiiii. Esa. v. but lende hym thy monye, yea & that without ony vsurye. Ioyne not house to house, nor lond to lond Couytte not to reygne alone in a towne. Suffer other mē to lyue by [Page] the, yea & that of theyr owne. Helpe them to make prouision for theyr family, yt they may kepe the better hospitalite & be the more able to helpe the confortles. Let not oute thy lō des & houses on such price, that the fermers shall neuer be able to paye the, or els to do no good vpon them So let them hyer thy fermes, that they maye not be empoueryshed, as they are now a dayes for the moost parte, but rather enryched, yt they maye be the more able vertuouslye to bryng vp theyr chyldren in good artes & godly sciēces, to helpe theyr poore neyghbours, to kepe hospitalite, & to beare the charges of the cō mon weale for theyr porcion, whan tyme requireth. For this shal make a florysshynge & wealthye Realme, abundāt in al thynges. Thus shalt thou also greatlye please God, & he agayne for this thy boūteous liberalite shewed towarde thy neyghboures, [Page] wyll open his hande, blysse the & all that pertayne vnto the, fauoure the, & make the to be plenteous in all thynges.Deu. xxviii So that what so euer thou goest about, shall prosper & come vnto a fortunate & good ende. Neyther shalte thou nede to doubte of theyse thynges.Titus. i. Psal. cxliiii For God hath so promised, which can not ly, but is faythefull in all his wordes. If thou doste contrary hereunto, & abusest the ritches, which god hath put into thy hande, & of whome he hath only made the his steward, so that thou art vnmercyful & hydest vp thy treasure, & knoweste not for whome, & wylte by no meanes bestow them, as God hathe appoynted the, than be thou certen & sure, that lyke an vnmercifull thefe and cruell bloudye Bocher, thou shalte be hanged in hell.Esa. lxvi. The fyre, wherwt thou shalt be tormented, shal neuer be quenched. The worme, that shal [Page] gnawe thy conscience, shall neuer dye. The paynes shal be infinite, nether shalte thou at ony tyme be releued of thē, but with that vnmerciful rytche gloton in the Gospel of Luke,Luke. xvi. lyghe cryenge & waylyng in perpetual tormentes worldes with out end. Therfore beware betymes & saye not but yt thou arte warned.

To be shorte, consider withe thy selfe in what state & condicion God hath set the, & vse that euer vnto ye glory of God and the profyt of thy neyghboure. For knowe that what so euer God hath gyuē the, he hath gyuen it the for the profytte of thy neyghbour also. Hathe God gyuen the strength? than must thou helpe the weakenes of thy brother. Arte thou wyse, & eloquent? So muste thou make good, that whiche wanteth of them in thy neyghbour Art thou rytche? So muste thou conforte the nedy. Arte thou learned? [Page] So must thou instructe and teache the ignoraunt. Arte thou a rulare? So must thou be fauourable to thē of the inferioure sorte. Arte thou a mā of nobilite? So muste thou not despyse thē of ignobilite. Hast thou creditours and detters? So muste thou not draw thē cruelly streyght wayes into the lawe, but fauoure them, entreate them gentylly, and gyue thē respyte, vntyll they may [...] paye the conueniētly without daū ger or losse of theyr substaūce. Haste thou receaued ony talente or gyfte at all of God? Use that same to the profyt of thy neyghbour, & so shalt thou well please God. To make an ende, be the very same to thy neyghbour,A good lessō that God is to the. Consyder what kyndnes God sheweth to the, & shewe thou the very same agayne to thy Christē brother. And wylt yu heare me? Be euen another Christe to thy neyghboure.

[Page]Thus much dere brothers, haue I spoken concernynge thys youre floure, Redy assistence. of the which ye maye easely learne to knowe youre duty toward your neyghbour, and howe ye ought to behaue youre selues in all poyntes toward hym accordynge to the wyll of God.

Theo.

Undoubtedly neighbour Philemō ye haue gyuen vs many godlye lessōs. I besech God, we may so walke in our conuersacion & in all our actes towarde our neyghboure, that we maye in al thynges followe and practyse this your moost godly doctrine, & be redy at all tymes bothe in thoughte, worde & dede redely to assist & helpe oure neyghboures, no lesse thā we desire that god should assist, help & socoure vs, whā we haue nede.

P.

It is very godly spokē. God gyueyou grace no lesse to do & work Nowe remayneth your laste floure to be gyuen to you.

Chri.

I woulde [Page] very gladdely se it.

Euse.

The verye same also do I desyre.

¶The fyfte floure / called / Christen Charite.

Philemon.

i. Ioan. iii.AT hande it is euen here redy▪ Take it I pray you. Let Vs not loue in vvorde nor tonge, but in vvoke and trueth.

Theo.

This floure maye be called Christen Charite in dede aright

Phil.

It is not without a cause, that I haue gyuen you this floure. For the sauour of all your aforsayd floures profyteth without this but lytle.Behold y• excellency of Charite. This floure is the very same to your Nosegay that a precious stone a costious pearle, a goodly owch, is to a ryng or ony other Iewel. With out this floure all ye other wyll sone wyther awaye, & come to noughte. But so longe as the beauty of this your flour lasteth, so longe can not your Nosegaye decaye & perysh. Cā [Page] ony thynge be good & godly, where loue & Charite wantethe? And bycause ye shoulde knowe, yt I meane none vnfayned loue, I haue named your floure, Christen Charite. For our Charite & loue ought not to be carnall, fleshly, beastlyke, worldly,What loue we ought to haue amōge vs. fayned, vncleane & flyttynge, but spirituall, ghostly, christē, heauēly, true, pure, & abydyng for euermore. And this is that Christē Charite, wherof your floure speketh,i. Ioan. iii. Let vs not loue in vvorde nor tonge, but in VVork & trueth. Withoute this Charite S. Paule affirmethe in his Epistle to the Corinthiās, that no worke,i. Cor. xiii. seme it neuer so good & godly, profyteth onye thynge at all.Rom. xiii. i. Tim. i. Rede y• Chapter whā ye come home. Certes this Charite & christen loue must nedes be an excellent thynge, seynge it is the ende of the Cōmaundement, & the fulfyllynge of all the law, seyng also that Christ in his last sermon, whiche he [Page] made to his Disciples a litle before his passhon exorteth vs with so many wordes vnto it. S. Iohn̄ fereth not so greatlye to auaūce and commende Charite,Ioan. xiiii.xv.xvi. i. Ioan. iiii. yt he affirmeth God to be Charite, sayeng, God is Charite, & he that abydethe in Charite, abydeth in God, & God in hym. Unto thys true and Christen Charite. S. Peter also mouethe vs on thys manner: [...]. Pet. iiii. Rom. xii. Co [...]. iii. Before all thynges, saythe he, haue feruēt charite among you. For Charite couereth y• multitude of synnes. And S. Paule saythe, aboue al thīges haue Charite, which is the bonde of perfeccion. For he y• hath this christē Charite can none otherwyse but loue God wythe all his harte,What y• loue of god doth. mynde, strength, power & soule. He can none otherwyse but forsake the worlde, the dyuell & the flesh, & cleue to God alone as a true and faythfull wyfe doth to her husbond. He wyl by no menes swere by [Page] y• name of his lord god, but reuerēce honour, worship & prayse it. He wyl not breake the Sabbothe daye, but sanctify it accordyng to the worde of God. Agayne,what y• loue of our neighbour doth. he that loueth his neyghbour sincerly, wyl by no meanes hurte hym, nor worke any euel agaynst hym. He wyll not disobeye his superiours. He wyl commyt no manslaughter, whoredome, thefte, nor beare ony false wytnes nor yet couyt that, which shoulde be hynderaūce to his neyghbour, but he wyl gladly & with a free spirite do vnto the vttermooste of his power, what so euer the Scripture requireth of hym, as Christ sayth, yf ony man loueth me, he wyll kepe my word, and my father shall loue hym, & we wyl come to hym & dwell with hym. He that loueth not me, kepeth not my wordes.Io [...]n. xiiii. He that hath my Commaū dementes & kepeth thē, he it is that loueth me, & he that loueth me, shall [Page] be loued of my father, & I wyl loue hym & shewe my selfe vnto hī. How dothe this youre floure please you?

Euse.

I neuer smelled a sweter and more pleasaunt odoure in my lyfe.

Theo.

I praye you rehearse it once agayne.i. Ioan. iii.

Phil.

Let Vs not loue in vvord no [...] tonge, but in vvorke and trueth.

Theo.

Is not this the sayenge of S. Iohn in his Epistle?

Phil.

Yies verelye.

Theo.

Me thynketh that he gyueth here a cōmaundemente that we shoulde not loue in worde nor tonge but in worke & trueth.

Phil.

Ye saye trueth.

Theo.

It is not lawefull than for vs to e [...]presse the loue that we beare in oure hartes towardes oure neyghboure by manifeste, open & euident wordes? as to speake gentylly, to cō mon frendely, & to wysh wel with louynge wordes to all men?

Phil.

S. Iohn in this place forbyddethe no more gentle speache & louynge communicacion,Phil. ii. thā S. Paule in your [Page] other flour dyd forbyd to make prouision for you and yours. But his mynd is this, they which wyl crake & boste by outwarde wordes, yt they loue God & theyr neyghbour, & yet shew it not in workes and truethe, they are lyers, & haue not in thē the christen Charite, which the Scripture cōmendeth so greatly in euery place. Such are lyke thē, of whome S. Paule speaketh on this māner, they saye they knowe God, but wt theyr dedes they denye it playnely,Titus. i. seynge they are obhominable, disobedient and mynded vnto no good workes.i. Ioan. iii. He that hath the substance of the world, sayth S. Iohn, & seeth his brother haue nede, & is moued with no compassion towardes him, howe doth the loue of God abide in hym? As though he should say, albeit a mā craketh neuer so much yt he loueth God,Mark well. yet yf he fulfylleth not that, which God cōmaundeth him, howe [Page] dare suche one boste that he louethe God? A man loueth so muche as he worketh. If he worketh no thynge, nother doth he loue any thing. For as S. Gregory sayth in a certayne homely,Gregorye. the loue of GOD is neuer idle. For he worketh great thinges, yf it be loue, but if it seaseth to worke,i. Cor. xiii. than is it no loue in dede. Loue, sayth S. Paule is pacient & curtious. Loue enuiethe not, loue dothe not frowardely. Loue is not puffed vp, dealeth not dishonestly, seaketh not her owne. Loue is not prouoked to anger, thynketh not euell, reioysethe not of iniquite, but reioyseth in the trueth, suffereth al thinges, beleuethe all thynges, hopethe all thynges, abydethe all thynges. What a poynt is this of loue, to say that I loue God,Note thys well. & yet run a whorehuntynge after straunge Goddes?

Agayne what a poynte of loue is this to saye, that I honour ye name [Page] of God, and yet blaspheme it withe mooste shamefull & abhominable othes? What loue is this toward my neyghbour to saye that I loue him and yet wyll do no thynge for hym, whan I se him in necessite? Is this loue? Peryshe moughte suche loue. Agaynste these wicked Hypocrites & open dissemblers dothe S. Iohn in this place thonder,i. Ioan. iii. whā he sayth let vs not loue in worde nor tonge, but in worke & trueth. There were in the tyme of the Apostles manye false Christians, whiche by wordes pretended muche loue both towardes God and theyr neyghbour, and yet dyd they expresse & shew none at all by theyr outward dedes. Such haue we nowe a dayes also among vs, which styffely affyrme that they loue God & his worde, yet do theyr workes proue the contrarye. The scripture reiecteth that loue which is fayned, and is not in spirite and [Page] trueth, that is to say, fyrst engraffed in the harte, & afterwarde declared by manifeste & euident workes, worthy such a loue. Therfore neighbours, yf ye wyll smell aryght and to your conforte of this your floure Christen Charite, prouide that youre loue benot fayned. Let it not only be in worde and tonge, but also in worke and trueth.Ofloue toward God. Fyrst as concernynge youre loue towarde God, it shall appeare in nothynge more manifestly, than yf you laboure wythe all mayne in al your workes to seke the glory of God, the honour of his moost blyssed name & the promociō of his holy worde. Agayne as towchynge your neyghbour your loue shallnot be fayned towardes hym,Ofloue toward oure neyghbour. yf ye helpe hym in all such thynges as he hath nede of, as for an example. If ye perceyue hym ignoraunt in the lawe of God, teach hym Goddes worde, bryng hym vnto Christ, [Page] teache hym where, of whom and by what meanes he shal obtayne helth & saluacion? Declare to hym what y• true & christē faythe is? & of what great strength, vertue, efficacy and power it is. Exhorte hym vnto the true good workes, which god approueth by his worde, & leueth not vnrewarded.Psal. xlix. Charge hym to flye vnto y• name of God as vnto a strong Bulwarke in all his aduersite and trouble. Furthermore yf ye ꝑceyue that he is gyuen altogyther to wickednes and wyll not gladlye heare anye wholesome admonicion, yette cease not to praye for him,Gen. xvii▪ as Abraham dyd for the fylthy Sodomites and Moses for the disobedient Iewes.Exo. xxxii. Yea thogh he be your extreme enemye and seaketh youre lyfe,Luke. xxiii. Ac [...]. vii. yet wysh wel vnto hym, praye for him, and desyre God to forgyue him, as Christ and Steuen dyd. Agayne yf ye perceyue that he is poore & hath [Page] nede of your helpe, fayle not to succoure his miserye and to helpe hym in his nede euen to the vttermoost of youre power, to make an ende, yf ye perceyue that youre neyghboure hath nede of any thyng that ye are able to do for hym, I charge you in Goddes behalfe, that ye with al expedicion, helpe and conforte hī. If ye do this, thā do ye smel aright on this your flour, Christē Charite, & shal receyue rewardes abūdāt for your good dedes, but if ye do it not know yt though ye bost neuer so muche in word and tong of your loue towardes god & your neyghbour,Note. yet shal ye go to the dyuel headlong lyke abhominable Hypocrites and wycked dissemblers, & shall receaue greater damnacion than they which neuer knewe truelye no parte of God, seing your loue is only in worde and tong, but not in spirite and trueth.

Euse.

As concernynge oure loue towarde [Page] God, we wyll employe al our industrye and laboure to haue that loue toward hym,Ioan. xxii. which Peter had whan he sayde vnto Christ, LORDE thou knoweste that I loue the, & as towchynge our neyghbour we wyll labour no lesse hartely to loue him, than Ionathas dyd Dauid,ii. Reg. xviii which as the Scripture sayth, loued him as his owne lyfe.

Phile.

Theyse are goodly exāples vndoubtedly neighbours. Loke therfore that ye folow them. If ye bryng out of your loue suche dedes, as Peter dyd, thā may ye be bolde to say, that ye loue God vnfaynedly. Agayne, yf ye shew by youre outwarde workes suche loue towarde your neyghbour, as Ionathas dyd to Dauid thā nede ye not feare to saye, yt ye loue youre neighbour in worke & truethe, & so are ye perfecte and true christen men, and maye be certayne after the departure oute of this transitorye lyfe, [Page] yf ye so continue vnto the ende, for to receaue the crowne of life, which the LORDE hathe promised to them that loue hym,Iaco [...]. i. as S. Iames sayth.

Here is nowe your Nosegay perfecte. For I haue gyuē you al your fyue floures, as I promised you at your fyrst cōmynge.

Chri.

We thāke you right hertely for this Nosegay

Euse.

I thynke such a Nosegay was neuer gyuen before of onye man to his frende, as you haue nowe gyuē vs.

Theo.

I beseche GOD gyue vs grace so to smell on this Nosegaye, that the sauoure of it maye euer abyde in vs, & neuer departe nor go awaye from our hartes. So maye we be sure neyther at onye tyme to offende our selues, God, our Kyng, nor our neyghbour, but leade suche a lyfe, as wherwith bothe God and man shall be well pleased.

Phil.

All this that ye haue hytherto spoken is true. For I haue taughte you no [Page] thyng of myne owne brayne & fantasye, but onelye the pure worde of God, & the sentences & myndes of ye holy and catholyke Doctors. Therfore I pray you hertely good neyghbours be as diligent to obserue and kepe these floures as I haue ben studious to gather them togyther for you, so shall I both thyncke my laboure well bestowed & ye also of all pleasures shall do me the greateste. Well I wyll nowe rehearse to you in fewe wordes, what youre whole Nosegaye contayneth in many.

Your fyrst floure is called Vnfayned Humilite. Hereof haue ye learned ye true knowledge of youre selues,A brefe rehersal of the Nose gaye. & that ye ought not to be proud of ony thynge, but enbrasynge Humilite & lowlines of mynd alwayes cō fesse that what so euer ye haue, be it neuer so good & precious, it is the gyfte of GOD commynge downe frō the father of lyghtes, and that [Page] therfore ye oughte studiously to laboure aboue all thynges that it be bestowed accordynge to the wyll of God,Iaco▪ i. that is, vnto the glory of God the profitte of youre neyghboure & the saluacion of your owne soules.

Your seconde flour called, Pure Innocency. Of this ye haue lerned your duty toward God, & howe ye ought to walke before hym accordynge to his worde and be perfecte.

Of your thyrde floure, which is, Faythfull Obedience. Ye haue learned your duty toward our moost puissaunt & excellent kynge, & all those ciuile magistrates & heade officers, which are appoynted to rule & gouerne the matters of the publique weale vnder his graces maieste. Ye learned also, that by the worde of GOD ye owe to them obedience, feare, honour and tribute.

Your fourthe floure, called, Redy assistence ▪ taught you your dutye towarde [Page] youre neyghbour, & howe ye oughte to serue hym accordynge to the rule of the Gospell, seakynge no lesse his profyt than your owne.

Your fyfte & laste floure, called, Christen Charite, declared to you that withoute this true, christen & pure loue, all youre other floures profyt but lytle, neyther can any worke beinge done of a malicious harte and out of Charite please God. Agayne ye hearde, that your loue bothe toward God & your neyghbour was declared to be vnfayned, yf ye dyd expresse it outwardly in suche workes as are prescribed of God in the holy Scriptures, this is the whole summe of your Nosegaye.

Nowe deare brothers, I beseche you by the great mercyes of God, yt ye wyl by no meanes suffer ye smell, odoure & sauour of these herbes to faull oute of your brestes, but that you alwaye beare this youre Nosegay [Page] about wt you, & smel on it at al tymes wtout ceasyng. For these are those floures, whiche shall preserue you from all pestiferous and contagious ayres, from all perelles and daungers, from al mischaūces and euell fortunes. They also shall enspire and breath into you such confortable odoures & swete sauours, that ye shall by no meanes be so infected, that ye maye eyther offende your selues, God, the kyng, or your Neygheboure, but what so euer ye worke, shall be accceptable bothe to God and man. What wyll ye haue more? Thus muche haue I done nowe for you neyghbours, and am redy at al tymes to do, what soeuer lyethe in my power, whan occasion shall be gyuen, desiryng you fauourably to accepte this my good wyll towarde you, as of one, which wyssheth no lesse well to you thā to him selfe, tendereth your health no lesse [Page] than his owne, seakethe youre true knoweledge in Christe Iesus euen as his owne, to conclude, whiche is redy at all tymes both to gyue him selfe and all that he hath, so that ye may be in the moost gloryous bowels of oure Sauioure Christe, and therin continewe vntyl the daye o [...] his tryumphant apperyng. Which thynge (moost deare brothers) that it maye come to passe, I wyll not cease neyther night nor daye to powre oute my prayers to our LORDE god, that he maye be present alway with you by the assistence of the holy Ghost in all your godly enterprises, which thynge also I moost hertelye desyre you, that ye wyll lykewyse do for me.

Euse.

To gyue you condygne and worthy thancke, for your manifolde gentletes towarde vs, we are not able. But thys dare I promyse you in ye name of vs all, that what so euer shall lygh in oure [Page] powers to do for you at any tyme, we wyll be glad wt all our hertes to do it. And to the vttermoost of our strengthes we wyll laboure to practyse & fulfyl yt in workes, whiche ye haue taught vs in wordes.

Phil.

So doynge neyghbours, my good wyll shall not only cōtinue styll, as it is toward you, but also encrese dayly more & more. Wel, now before your departure, I wyl desire you to tak [...] y• paynes [...]o dryncke with me after this our long talke & large cōmunicaciō, yt ye may go home agayne frō me being fed both spiritually & corporally.

Theo.

We thanke you neighbour Philimō

Chri.

Praysed be god for this our goodly and pleasaunte Nosegay.

Euse.

AMEN. For he alone is worthy all the honoure & prayse.

¶Gyue the glorye to God alone.

§

§

[Page]

¶Imprynted at London in Botulphe lane at the sygne of the whyte Beare, by Iohn̄ Mayler for Iohn̄ Gough. Anno. Dn̄i 1543.

Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. Per Septennium.

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Information about this book

Title statement

A pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered by Theodore Basille.

Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.

Edition statement

1543

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2004-05 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A07010

ID [STC]

STC 1743

ID [STC]

ESTC S109680

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99845327

ID [PROQUEST]

99845327

ID [VID]

10220

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A07010)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 10220)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 61:03)

Source

— A pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered by Theodore Basille., Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567..

Extent

[206] p.

In Botulphe lane at the sygne of the whyte Beare, by Ioh[a]n Mayler for Ioh[a]n Gough,. [Imprynted at London :: Anno D[omi]ni. 1543]. (Theodore Basille = Thomas Becon.) (Imprint from colophon.) (An issue of the 1542 edition (STC 1742) with canceled leaf N6. In this issue colophon reads "Mayler" and is dated 1543--STC.) (Signatures: A-N (N7-8 blank).) (Reproduction of the original in the Bodleian Library.)

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