Chapter. 1.

IN all our actions eyther priuate or pub­lique, we determine an ende or purpose before wée begin: which ser­ [...] as a line or rule to direct vs, both in the continuaunce of the worke, and in the iust limit and ending thereof. My determination then being alrea­die digested, and the full issue of my enterprise duelie considered, it shall suffise in thrée or foure wordes to make you acquainted there with, and so to procéede to euerie circumstance.

The matter wherof I am to speak,The mat­ter inten­ded is Di­uine Loue. is Loue, not that fonde and lasciuious Loue, whereof the Poets are inuen­ters: but of that holie & diuine Loue, [Page] whereof God himselfe is the onelye foundation, according as it is writ­ten, Deus est charitas: And in this occasion of so high and excellent con­sequence, albeit no tongue can suffici­entlie speake of it, nor wit or iudg­ment of man sound the depth also sa­cred a misterie: yet according to that poore Talent which God hath giuen mée, I will labour to finde out that true and perfecte Image of Christian Loue, which is the beautie and glory of Heauen, and maketh wretched sin­ners like Gods on the earth. And to this onelie end is all the matter fol­lowing intended,The pur­pose of the discourse. to distinguish all extraordinarie loues and affections by thēselues, with briefe discriptions of euery one in their colours, that that Loue of so great maiestie may bee the more cléerelie discerned, & imbraced of euery one, as so rare a Iewell ought.

Of naturall Loue. Chapter. 2.

WHen I entred into considerati­on of the verye worde it selfe, [Page] Loue,Loue is first sought for by Nature and that I would gladlie finde the true forme or portrait thereof, yet ignoraunt howe or where to come by it: I went first vnto Nature, as one desirous to sée how I could be furthe­red by her in so serious a serche. Shee shewed me manie goodlie platformes and figures, which shee receiued (as she said) from her Predecessors, and for that cause she was the more cha­rie and choise of them. Yet notwith­standing, I had no great liking to thē, because not onelie their colours de­cayed, but their vertues were growne of no account or reputation: yet were they estéemed among wise men, fooles and Heathen men, yea amongst bea­stes and vnreasonable, but for so lit­tle profit was to be looked for by them in my present intent, I could not en­tertaine anie opinion of them, and yet it shall not bee greatlie out of square, for me to tell you what thinges they were which Nature shewed me.

The first figure which she brought me,The first I­mage of Naturall Loue. terming it by the name of the I­mage of Loue, was the Loue among Kindred and Parents, which I did [Page] verie well remember could bee of no value, except the holy Ghost set hel­ping hand too: by reason it is some­time verie hurtfull, it maketh men blinde, peruerteth the true order of Iustice, and fooles▪ (verie often) before wise men▪ It taketh a­waie right iudgment, contrary vnto S. Paules doctrine and example, for he saith,2, Cor, 5, 16, Neminem nouimus secundum carnem. We know no man after kin­dred or carnall affection. It caused Hely to be reprooued of God, when as he himselfe rebuked him thus.1, Reg, 2, 11 Why hast thou made more of thy children then of me? Wherefore, as it folow­eth in the Bible, he died an euil death and his children likewise. It hinde­reth vs also from finding our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Jesus, as wee haue an example or figure left in the holie Gospell after Saint Luke,Lu [...]44. 45 that when Christe was sought among hys kinsefolke and acquaintance, he could not be founde: which made S. Bar­nard to say: Lord I can not find thee, but in thy Crosse.

The second Image of Loue, which [Page] Nature shewed me,The second Image of naturall Loue. was betwéen the bodie and the soule. The soule loueth the bodie so déerelie, that it suffereth great paine and sorrowe to be parted from it, but when it is ordered by the holie Ghost:Rom, 8, so that the soule vse the bodie vnder the Law of God, to be re­pentant to giue thankes, to profitte o­ther, and to chuse rather the want of all earthlie pleasure, yea, to die, ra­ther than to commit such sinne as shal offend her maker. If these coloures had [...] laid on this Image, then would I haue said Nature had doone like a perfect worke woman. But her loue béeing tied to this life, desiring to ioy and delight héere in this world, to hide long in lustes and wanton pleasures, and for the maintaining of them▪ not to care for the displeasure of God: I must néedes say the deuill was too néere when this counterfeit was drawne, and hath infected it so much with his mischeuous presence, as he draweth all (that so leade theyr liues) to hell headlong after him, iust­lie agréeing with the saying of Saint Augustine. By such as these are, the [Page] Cittie of the deuill is builded.

The third Image of Loue shown by Nature,The thyrd Image of Naturall Loue. was betwéene the fiue wittes and theyr obiects. As when the sight is presented with beautifull thinges, or deuises of variable and ar­teficiall colours. Or when the hea­ring is delighted with the sounde of swéete voices, or daintie musical har­monie. Or when the tasting is [...] with delitious meates and drinks. Or the smelling of swéete [...] and perfumes. Or the féeling and [...]h­ching of such thinges as is mo [...] ly­king to the same.Three o­ther Ima­ges of Na­tural Loue. And héerewith shee presented thrée other portraits or fi­gures of Loue, the first was betwéen a man and his wife. The second, an ordinary kinde of loue betwéene m [...]n and man. And the last was the Loue betwéene fréendes, and such as are mutuallie brought vp together in cō ­panie from their youth. And al these being not gouerned by the diuine spi­rite of direction, it is easy to knowe what harme commeth by them, ther­fore I hadde good reason to perswade my selfe, that none of these was the [Page] speciall Image of Loue I looked for, neyther that Nature could bring mee to the sight thereof indéede, and there­fore. I thought it best for me to dispose my thoughtes to a further search:

But then on a soddaine came to my remembraunce,The description of an Image in olde time had in great account a­mong the Romaines▪ howe the Romaines in olde time hadde an Image among them, which they greatlie praysed, and made no small estimation there­of. This Image (as I haue read) was portrayed like a young man, standing dare headed, hauing written on hys fore-head, Estas et Hie [...]s, Summer and Winter, and he was clothed in a short thin coate, on the hem where­of they had written, Mors et Vita. Death and Life. His fide was open, that his hart might be séene, and hys army was bowed, poynting wyth hys finger to his hart, where might bee seene written Longe et prope, far and néere. When I had well viewed thys counterfeite, and perswading my self there was some secrete meaning sha­dowed in this deuise: I was imme­diatly made acquainted with y^• whole conceit thereof, and euery circūstance [Page] declared vnto mee as followeth.

The ca [...]e why he was paynted like a young Men,The mea­ning of this Romaine Image. signified, that true Loue and loyall fréendship is alwaies fresh, chéerefull and amiable, neuer fading or fayling for any extremitye whatsoeuer. Hee was bare headed, not ashamed to shewe himselfe vnto all men, and likewise that he was not afrayd to shewe himselfe a friende at all occasions. His rude and thinne vesture, declared, that a very fréende indéede, wyll not refuse to suffer hard exigents, and extreame necessity, for the loue of his fréend. The cause why Mors et Vita was written on the hemme of his garment, was, that h [...]e which loueth truelie his fréend, conti­nueth so all hys life vnto death, and after death likewise, so farre as the bonds of fréendship may stretch Ectas et. Hiems on his forehead, signified, that vnfayned fréendship endureth as wel in aduersity as in prosperitie. Hys hart was open to be séene, meaning he woulde not hide or conceale anye thing from his freende and Louer.

And poynting his finger towardes [Page] his hart, be declared that his deedes [...] accord to his hart, and his harte likewise consented to his words. The [...] there written. Long [...] [...], [...] that true and inui [...]lable Loue can not bee imp [...]ached by distaunce of place, or long continuance of time: but euermore continueth in one perma­nent estate, florishing, faythful, intire, and perpetuall.

The deuise of this Image mee thought was to bee commended, and accounted necessary to thys present life, and [...], Aristotle, Cato, with manie other, prayse it aboue all the thinges that [...] Nature Beside the Wise men sayth▪ Eccl. 6. 15 Ami [...] fideli nulla [...]st comp [...], [...] fides illi [...] ▪ A faythfull freende hath no peere [...]he [...]eight of golde and sil­uer is not to bee compared [...]ward [...] the goodnes of h [...]s fayth. Ye. was there one special [...] [...] to be [...] in thys goodlie Image, which [...], that bee alwayes looked downewarde vppon earthlie thinges, and verie sternelie and bitterlie vpon his enemies. If hée [Page] had looked vpward towards heauen [...] hauing respect to God and heauenl [...] thinges, I would haue commended it for the moste woorthy ornament a­mongst all Natures inuentions. But Saint Paule for that very cause wyl­led me to despise it, saying to thē that were the inuenters thereof. Quia cum cogn [...]nissent Deum, non sicut De­um glorificauerunt, Ro. 1. 21. 22. aut gratias egerant:sed e [...]anuerunt in cogitationibus suis, et obscuratum est insipicui [...] [...]orum, di­contes enim se esse sapientes. stulti facti sunt: Although they knews God, they glorified him not as God, ney­ther were thankfull: but wexed full of vanities in their imaginations, and their foolish hart was blinded: when they counted themselues wife, they became fooles, and fell to Idolatrie, and to manie great inconueniences.

Our Sauiour also refuseth this I­mage and such other, bothe for thys cause, and for that it looked so cruellie vpon his enemies,Lu, 6. 32, 33 saying: If ye loue onelie them that loue you, what re­ward looke ye to haue? truely ye shal haue none of mee, for you haue re­ceiued [Page] your rewarde alreadye. And thus leauing Nature I was glad to seeke further.

Of worldly Loue. Chapter. 3.

THe World then called me,Loue sought in the world. and shewed me a portrait, that a farre off appeared verye fayre and goodlie, al burnished with gold and siluer, and iewels that were both ritch and cost­ly, set out likewise with verie freshe and orient colours: offering it to mee for a small value, which made mee drawe [...] little néerer it, and on the border thereof were figured fooles, beastes, flyes, serpents, wormes, and flowers of diuers kindes, so meruai­lous and so ingeniouslie [...]ra [...]ed, lyke vnto Nature, as though they hadde béene the selfe same thinges indéede. The foules séemed so rauenous, the beastes so cruellie deuouring, the flies so defiling hearbes and flowers, and taking away theyr sweete▪ and plea­sant sauour, the serpents so stinging, [Page] and the wormes so gnawing and by­ting, that I stoode in doubt whether I might touch them with my hand or not. And aboue all the rest, one little worme did greatlie affright, & amaze me, which I tooke for a lyuing thing indeede, and iudged it to be called the worme of conscience. As I stoode cheapning this Image with: my Bi­ble in my hand, I cast mine eye into my booke, where I espyed in the first Epistle of Saint Iohn these words to be written: N [...]lite dilig [...]re mundum, neque [...] in mundo sunt▪ 1. Ioh, 2. 16 S [...]quis di­ligit mandum, [...] est char patris in [...] Whereby I vnderstoode, that hee meant thus. Buy not this Image the loue of the World, for if ye [...], and looke much vppon it, it shal bewitch you and make you blinde. And if you set you loue vpon the world (sayth he) the loue of our Sauiour Christe, who is the verye Image of loue in­deede, can not be in you. The Pro­phet Dauid shewed me likewise, that these reuenous foules, beaste and ser­pents, were lyuing men, bewitched and transformed by reason of this [Page] false Image, and shewed the cause why, saying Hom [...] cum in honore esset. &c. Man Lord of all creatures, ha­uing in himselfe the liuelie Image of God (from whence he ought to draw forth she very Image of Loue) to hys high honour: knewe not his degree and hie estate that God had made him for, but sette his minde more on these vaine and outward transitorye thinges, where through he is trans­formed and compared to beasts most vnreasonable, and so is made like vn­to them.

O false Image, I am right sure thy colours be full of mischiefe, and repleat with all the deceyts that may bee deuised. Thus Saint Iohn had me loke circumspectlie vpon it, for the matter that it was made of was very brittle, venemous and nought: there­fore I tooke it vp in my hand, & loked the more warily vpon it, when I perceiued that Saint Iohn sayde trueth, where he sayth:2, Ioh, 2, 16 Quoniam omne quod est in Mundo, concupiscentia carnis est, et concupiscentia oculorum, et superbia vitae, quae none est ex patrè▪ sed ex mundo [Page] est. For all that is in the world, as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life: is not of the fa­ther, but of the world. I remem­bred also, that the fruit which séemeth to the eye most beautifull and fayre, is soonest rotten, and of least continu­aunce. 1, Cor, 7, 31 And Saint Paule sayth, Prae­terit enim figura huius mundi. The fa­shion of the worlde passeth soone a­way. In time of tribulation it mel­teth away as snow before the sunne. Est enim amicus secundum tempùs su­um, Eccl, 6, 8 et non permanebit in die tribulatioin­s. Therefore it is a freende for hys owne turne, and will not abide in the time of trouble. Such fréendship is hollow and empty, as though it were blowne full of wind, and so light that it wyll be moued with euery blast, so brittle that it wyll break with the ve­ry [...], and defiling them as pitch, and sauou­ring very ill, it hath some time so mad a countenaunce, that it wyll make fooles to ioye and laugh so excéeding­lie, as they laugh thēselues to death. Therefore the Wiseman sayth. Ri­sum [Page] [...] &c. Eccl. [...]. I [...] this laughter for a great error and deceit, saying vnto them that so ioye in the Image of this world:Pro, 10, 24 Why wyll yee bee deceiued for a thing of naught? Quasi per [...] [...]tultur operatur s [...]lus. A foole doth wickedly, and maketh but a laughter of it: Therefore they that so seorne and laugh at their owne folly, may be right sure theyr laugh­ter shall bee myxt with great payne: And the last ending of theyr ioy shal be ouerlayd with sorrow and lamen­tation. Pro, 14, 13,

Thys Image of the World taketh away the memory of man, making him cleane to forget God, and all that belongeth to him: béeing so confede­rate, and in such league with the de­uill, that it cannot doo any seruice to almighty God.Luk, 16, 13 For Christ sayth. Ne­mo potest duobus dominis seruire. No man can serue two Masters. And thys Image of the worlde is it that wret­ched couetous men vse as their God, putting all theyr trust and affection in it, and yet it is as trayterous to them as Iudas was to Christ, and sayth to [Page] the deuill as Iudas sayd to them that came with him to take Christ.Math. [...] [...] &c. Who soeuer [...], he is for thee, hold him fast, and lead him wa­rily, that he escape not thy handes. And so at the length, for the great pleasure he hath taken in thys worlde, so much the more sorrowe and torments shall the deuill rewarde him wyth a­gayne.

Thus perceiuing these and manye more euill properties in this worldly Loue.Nahum. 3, 7 I sayd wyth the Prophet Na­hum, Omnis qui viderit te, resiliet, ate. Euery wise man that looketh vppon thee, will be afrayd, and leape quic­lie from thee: therefore I left this I­mage of Worldly Loue, and woulde none of it.

Of carnall Loue. Chapter. 4.

THen I sawe the fleshe stand harde by [...], calling young persons into her shop,The allu­rings of fleshly loue with flattering words, say­ing: [Page] Come to me [...] young Gen­tleman, I haue [...] portraites and [...] of Loue [...]: you shal have one of me for your loue, it shall coste you nothing. Wherewith she brought forth a meruaylous goodly picture, in my iudgment: farre surpassing Na­ture whose fore head was high smoo-thed [...] glittering as glasse, the yel­lowe locks of haire was finely tressed [...] silken laces of diuers colours hauing on a [...]ple of [...]ngled golde, [...] of pearles▪ and a frontlet im­broidered with silke and golde heryn thick set with precious stones, and a [...] brooche of Golde right before the [...] [...]olling in y^e head the countenaunce daintye and amia­ble, the skyn as [...] as a Lilly mix­ed with liuelie rednes, the necke and breastes bare, the apparell all disgui­sed of the newe fasion, with a great round [...], cut & slased, and a long traine where under I might discerne the tayle of a venemous serpent. The coun­tenaunce of the Image of flesly Love. But most of all I maruayled at the ge­sture and countenaunce of it, for whē I stode in one place, it would shewe [Page] it selfe [...] and [...] the armes [...] to imbrace: when I chaunged my place it appeared as though it hadde wept, and beckening with y^e hand as though she called one to her: and in another place, she shewed a [...]ring and dis­tayning countenaunce, pretending [...], or violent outrage and dis­pleasure. Thus like a foole I gazed to long upon the Image, that I [...] almost [...]: but God be thanked I had warning betimes. For [...] man called me, gaue me good [...] and bad me in any [...] not to behold it, least I shoulde happen to perrish, and be loste by the false dissembling shewe of it, Eccl, 9, 10,for Spiritus [...] [...], reprobi facti [...] enim [...]. Many a man wondering at the beautie of a strange woman, hath, beene cast out: for her words kindle as fire, Eccl, 19. 7▪ And Propter speciem mulieris multi [...]. Through the beauty of women, many haue perished.

When I considered this good ad­monition, I founde that he tolde mee [Page] trueth in very [...], remembring [...] Sampson, holy Dauid, wyse Salomon, and many other howe they were deceiued. Psal. 118, 9 Therefore Dauid as­ked helpe of God, to turne away hys eyes from the vanities of this fleshlie Image, for it was so pleasant and de­lighting to the outwarde light, that he could not refrayne himselfe from it.Pro, 31, 3 [...] And Salomon could say, That out­ward beautye is a vaine and deceiua­ble grace. Therefore he sayth in hys Prouerbes. Pro, 5, 3 Fallax gratia, et vana est pulchritudo. Fauour, is deceitfull, and beautie is a vaine thing. Fa [...]i [...]s enim distillans labia mer [...]tric [...]s, et [...] guttur eius. For this harlots lyps are dropping as a honny combe, and her throat is more glistering thē oyle but the last end of her is very bitter, and stingeth more venimously then the tayle of a serpent.

He shewed mee also that which I perceiued not (I was so blinded with onely looking vppon her) a little from her was death, and hell mouth wyd [...] gaping to receiue her,Pro. 5, 5 and all y^• were with her. Pedes eius, descendunt in [Page] [...],Prou. 5. 8, et ad infer [...]s grossus [...]. Her feete goe downe vnto death, & her step [...] pearce thorow to hell. Therefore he had me Longe fac ab ea vian [...] tuam, et ne appropinques fo­ribus domus [...]. Keepe thy way farre from her, and come not [...] the dores of her house. For though it bee differed freely, yet at the last it putteth both fame, goods and soule to great ieopardy. According as S. Paul sayth Si enim secundum carnem vixeritis, mo­riemini. If yee liue after fleshly plea­sure, yee shall surely dye a very euill death. Therefore wee ought not so much as to thinke thereon, but also it is necessary for vs to flye faire [...] it, and all that belongeth thereto, be­cause it infecteth and polluteth the soule with all wickednes and sinne, and woundeth the body with i [...] ­merable sicknesses and deadly disea­ses, to that both soule and body is in great daunger to perish thereby, if they haue not helpe and succour spee­dily at Gods handes: so the flesh and I parted, because her Image was so hurtful, and an enemie to that Image [Page] of Loue which I sought for.

Of such Images as are made by Arti­ficers, as Painters, Car [...]ers, En­grauers, and such like: whether the right Image of Loue may bee found amongst them or no. Chapter. 5.

WHen I sawe that neither Na­ture, Of Artefi­ciall Ima­ges of loue, if the true Image be amongst them. the worlde nor the fleshe could deliuer me the true and perfect Image of Loue, which I sought for: I went to the Shoppes of the Arte­zans, such as make goodly Images of diuers matters, as in mettall, stone, timber, cloth and painting: yet my conceit on the suddaine did perswade me, that the very Image of Loue in­déede was not amongst them. Neuer­thelesse, there were manie speciall fi­gures of daintie workmanshipp, as of God the Father, Christ Crucified on the Crosse, hys miraculous workes in sundry Tables, the déedes of the Apo­stles, and manie like portraitures out [Page] of the Scripture, which in my frayle iudgement might stirre vppe a man to deuotion, and make him mindfull of God. Beside, I had bestowed greate trauaile and industrious labour, to finde the verie true Image, yet all was to no purpose, and I was neuer the neerer of my intent: whervppon I determined with my selfe to buy one of these, and as I was choosing one of the goodliest, there came to mee a reuerend holie Doctor of y^t Church, who very much reproouing mee for my follie,S. Ierom. deferend. said. Why dost thou cast a­way thy money vppon these vayne and corruptible thinges? thy goods were not giuen to that ende, thou art very much to blame, A notable lesson for the Papists, the vayne worship­pers of stocks and stones. seest thou not the goodlie lyuing Image of God, I meane thy Christian brother and neighbour, most lamentably euerye day to perish & decay by great mul­titudes, and yet wile thou bestow thy mony vpon these dead and sencelesse stocks? If God hath indued thee with worldlie substaunce, and gyuen thee the ritches which is accounted hu­maine happines, not as thine owne, [Page] but to vse them like a good & fayth­full Stewarde, to his glory, and thine owne soules health: thou seeing thy poore and needy Christian brother in great want and pennury, sparest the treasure of mercye and pittie in thine hart, which might greatly re­leeue him, and manifest thy godlie loue: howe may it be said, that god­lie charity is in thee? Why Syrre, said I, may not I spende myne owne goods as I will, so as I doo not care­leslie waste them away in sinne?▪ If [...] people were in extreame neces­sitie▪ I confesse I shoulde offende in­déede if I should suffer them to be lost hauing wherewithall to helpe them, and [...] then in necessarie for myne owne selfe.The cōmon speech of the world nowe a­dayes. But I knowe none such, and there be manie that may, & who are better able then I, to reléeue thē, neither am I bounde to séeke where such are, as liue in such extreame ne­cessitie. Thus we fell into a long dis­putation, till at the last he concluded thus, that not onelie extreame neces­sitie doth bind vs to giue almes: but also when we haue more then is ne­cessarie [Page] for the [...] of [...] estate and for proofe hereof, [...] vnto me y^e Gospel of Christ, where he sayth: Verant [...] quod sui [...].Luk. 11, 41Give almes of that which is superfluous. It is then to be thought▪ that there shall bee no [...] on the left [...] of Christ, when he shall give sentence of [...] their [...] of charitie and [...]of [...], as principall cause in manner of their [...] ouerthrow. Distincti. 42 S, Ierome. S. Augustin [...] S. Thomas secunda. S. Ambrose. [...] in Saint Ierome [...] Augustine vpon the [...] thus, I breake not [...] away other mens goods▪ but keepe that which is mine owne. S. Ambrose. Distinct. 47 Against whom Saint Ambrose replyeth. Oh foolish man, what is thine? what broughtest thou into this world with thee? Is God vniust, for that hee gy­ueth more to one man then to ano­ther? or is he vnrighteous, because he suffereth thee to abound in welth, [Page] and many other to, [...]? It is rather to shewe thee experience of his great gentlenes, and that thou should est haue the great thankes at his handes, for well bestowing thy goods vpon the poore and needye, and that the poore might be as well rewarded for theyr [...] suffering, And [...] he sayde. It is the breade and [...] for the hun­gry that thou [...] with thee. It is the old thing of naked men that thou [...] vp in thy p [...]esses. It is the redemption and releefe of them [...], that thou [...] the grounde, and suf­ferest to [...].Hee Am­brose di­stinct. 47.and [...] in corners. As great [...] is it not [...] vnto the needy, when thou hast superfluous, as it is to [...] wrongfully from them that haue [...] thing; therefore take good heede [...] are thou sp [...]edest thy goods. Why Sir, saide I, may I spend my good [...] none other wayes, but in giuing of almes? Ryches (sayd he) is not to bee loued for it priuate selfe, but for the necessary mainte­nance of this present life. That which [Page] is not conuenient, eyther to the su­stentation of the body, or to honests and reasonable maintayning of our degree or estate, cannot but be im­ployed to some very euill ende, ex­cept it be (as I haue sayde) bestowed vpon our poore brethren, or to the necessities of Christes Church, as to the maintayning & defending of the faith, to the magnifying of Gods ho­nour, and to the increase of vertue & good life. And for these fond pic­tures and Images, which thou thin­kest doo make for thy purpose, be­cause it is sayde in the Popes Lawe, these Images are laye [...] Bookes, who are vnperfect in ghostlie life, & therefore these serue to [...] theyr mindes to deuotion: but this hath beene proued, that they haue brought into the minde vanitie or euagation, rather then deuotion or contempla­tion, and peraduenture some priuate affection or spice of proprietie a­mongst religious persons, and there­fore see thy conuersation bee holye and meeke, and thy doctrine sounde and good, and let that bee the [Page] thing to mooue mens mindes to de­uotion. Thus almost confounded, I saide to him, beware Sir what yee say, your opinion condemneth the doo­inges of manie good menne in elder time, who honoured the Temples of God with manie goodlie Images of great cost, of siluer and golde, set with pearles and stones, great plenty of Copes and Vestiments of Tissue and cloth of Golde, and meruailous riches in plate, as Crosses, Candlestickes, Censours, Chalices, with many o­ther thinges, which haue béen thought greatlie to the honour of God. Alas, sayd he, I sée it is but vaine to preach and teach men, to learne and take ex­ample of Saint Ambrose, Let the Pa­pists marke thys place well. Augustine, Gregory, Exuperii, Nicholas, Martin, with diuers other holie Bishops and such like, in whose time were little or none at all vsed of these thinges, for they would haue all thinges that be­longed to the church, (and specially to the Sacraments) honest, decent, pure and cleane, but not costlie or curious. Then were tréene Chalices, and gol­den Priestes, but nowe are golden [Page] Chalices and tréene Priestes, or ra­ther earthen Priestes. Then were holie and religious men, clad in haire and sa [...]loth, and nowe they grudg [...] and disdaine to were good wollen cloth. Then were religious houses hostries for poore men, nowe: they bee stored with lurdens and idle loyte­rers. Then they were apparelled with [...]eekenes, pouertie, chastitie, and charitie, nowe with st [...]kes, pomp [...] and [...]. Yet if ther [...] were no poore people, I could [...] what holde withall:Math, 26, 11, but Christ sayth, Semper pa [...] pere [...]h abetis vobiscum.Ye shall alwaies haue the poore amongst ye. 1, Cor, 3, 17 Also S. Paule sayth. Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos. The Temple of God is holie, which Temple ye are. The Temple of stone is not holye, but by reason of the liuing Temple, there­fore that is farre more holie, and nee­deth much more to be reléeued, main­tayned and adorned. Should we then goe lay vp, or spend our ritches on the stonie Temple, and suffer the lyuing Temple, the members of Christes precious body and blood, to perish ey­ther [Page] [...] or ghostlie? Wee finde not that Christ commaunded to haue such costly ornaments in his Church, but very manie times commaunded to nourish his poore members: and nowe men leaue the commande­ments of God, for their owne traditi­ons and ceremonies, as the Scribes and Pharisies did, and fall so farre in­to theyr owne Idolatrous inuenti­ons as they altogether forget theyr christian [...].

But some say against mee, howe Moyses made the Tabernacle of God with great sumptuousnes of Syluer, Gold, and precious Stones, and like­wise howe Salomon built the Tem­ple: but this maketh not with them, but rather against them.1, Cor, 10, 11 For all such thinges were but signes and shad­dowes, as Saint Paule sayth, vnto vs vnder Christes Law. which is the spirituall and perfect lawe: therfore we should leaue the shaddowe and fo­lowe the trueth, auoyding that which is imperfect, and cleaue to that which is perfect. Also in the time of Moyses, there was no néede to giue almes to [Page] the poore people: for they were fedde with [...] in desert, and theyr clo­things decayed not of all the time that they were there, as it is read in Deu­tronomy. Vestimentum tuum quo epe­riebaris, Deut, 8, 4 nequaquam vetustate defecia, et pes tuus non est subtritus, en quad ra­gesimus annus est. Thy rayment wex­ed not olde vppon thee, neither dyd thy foote swell these forty yeeres, In the time of Salomon there was so great aboundaunce of gold and siluer,3, Ro, 10, 20 that it was not set by [...] we reade in the third booke of the Kinges. But why do I labour in vayne, and to get nothing but hatred for recompence. Yet I condmne no man particularly but it wee looke well into the holye Scriptures, and remember the liuing of our auncient predeckssor [...], if hookes be true: doubtles we may see & knowe that we are ouermuch to blame, farre vnlike them that should bee Christi­ans in deede as well as in [...], I pray God that many be not onely vn­like, but also too farre wide and con­trary in theyr lyuing. But as for thée good Brother, that are so destrous to [Page] [...].

VVhere the true Image of Loue is found, and what it is. Chapter. 6.

THen as I stood [...] with my selfe, what I were best to doo, the holy Scripture spake to me and sayd. O foolish man, Quid quaeritis [...]. Luk, 24, 5 Why seekest thou the lyuing among the deade? Lyght in darknes, a heauenly among earthly thinges, incorruptible among corruptible, it is not there, for it is meruaylous goodly, and wonderfull to behold.

[Page] [...] Sapi. 7. 27 [...] that I beheld a shadowe thereof in a Glasse [...] with­out making any stay and yet not with standing deligh [...]ed me so much, as e­uer since I had such an-enterest desire to it, as I could be right gladly contented [...] Prophet Dauid shewed mee, that I ought not to giue corruptible figures of loue to such persons. Quia omnis [Page] gloria eius filiae regis abintus. Psal. 44. 14. For al the glory and pleasure of a Kings daughter, is invard, ghostly in the soule, Ye be the daughter of y^• heauenly King, espoused to his déerely belooued sonne Christ Iesus: your father I suppose did giue you this liuely Image, when he spake to you by grace, and said, Au­di filia, Psal. 44. 12, et vide, et incline aurem tuam, et obliniscere populum tuum, et domum pa­tris tui. Harken O my daughter, and see encline thine eare: forgette also thine owne people, and thy Fathers house. That is as much to say, as for­sake thy naturall loue, thy worldlie loue, thy fleshly loue, forsake all vani­ties, and make thée naked of all earth­ly thinges by pouerty and chastity.Psal. 44. 13 Et c [...]cupiscet rex decorem tuum: quoniam ipse est Dominus Deus tuus, et adora­bunt cum. And then the King my son shall couet thy beauty, and apparell thee with clothes of vertue. &c.

Thus I doubt not,1, Pet, 2, 9 He that hath cal­led you from darknes into so great light of grace, and hath nowe taken you vnto his spouses: hath nowe sho­wen you this glorious Image, and [Page] hath giuen it to you much more good­ly then I can discribe it as it is, for it is infinite and incomprehensible: yet it pleaseth him to shewe it vnto all meeke soules after theyr capacitie, calling them his daughters, saying: Audi filia, Heere my daughter in true sayth and obedience, Et vide, and see what I haue doone, and dayly do for you: see what you doo agayne, or haue doone for me, see also what I doo prepare for you. The beholding of these three thinges, I think shoulde leaue some print of this heauenly I­mage in our soules: but much more in you who are his speciall and chosen spouses.

And of this worthie and diuine Image of Loue, I would gladly shew you some what, in part to performe mine intent, and yet I feare mee of presumption, in enterprysing to shewe that I neuer knewe, or that you knowe much better then I: yet a blinde man may shewe that he can­not see, especiallie when it is put into his handes.

Saint Paule put a Glasse into my [Page] hand, I meane pure, reuerend and ho­ly Scripture, and had me come foorth of darknes into the light, for if thou desirest to sée this perfect Image, thou must looke deuoutly and earnest he in this glasse, for it can be shew­ed no other wise héere in this life, but by a glasse, or in a darke similitude, which dooth not shewe the thing ex­presslie as it is: but the time shal come I hope, that we shall sée the very selfe same thing indeede, to our great com­fort and euerlasting saluation. I loo­ked in this glasse, and I could see no­thing, but mine owne face fowlye de­formed with many filthye spottes. I was bidden to goe washe me & make me cleane, and gette me to the light, and so I did: yet mine eyes were so dymme with dust and humour, of va­nitie and carnalitie, that I could not perceiue this glorious Image.See heere how frailtie maketh him fall againe, after the maner and custome of the papistes I wēt then to a place of religion, and tooke a ghostly Father, shewing him myne intent, how I came to make cleéere my sight, that I myght once at the leaste gette a syghte of thys I­mage.

[Page] There me thought it should be, for there were the most goodly apparel­led Altars, with Tabernacles subtil­lie caruen, and guilt very costly, there was the most swéete harmonye of songes and Organs, and the goodliest deuout obseruances that euer I sawe or heard, in so much as I was moo­ued for a time vnto Religion there. Wherein I asked counsell of my ghostly Father, but he perswaded me to the contrarie, saying: all is not golde, that shineth as golde, for there is one thing that destroyeth much goodnes, that is, our owne inordinate selfe loue, w^e is cause of great euill, as Saint Paule prophecied to his Disci­ple Timothie, 2 Tim. 3, 1. 2 3, 4, 5, saying. Hoc autem scite quod in nouissimis dicbus instabunt tē ­pora periculosa. Et erunt homines seipsos amantes, cupidi, elati, superbi, blasphemi, parentibus non obedientes, ingrati, scele­sti. Sine affectione, sine pace, criminato, res, incontinentes, immites, sine benigni­tate. Proditores pr [...]terui, tumidi, caeci, et voluptatum amatores magis quam Dei. Habeutes speciem quidem pietatis, virtutem autem eius abnegantes. Et hos [Page] deuita. This knowe, that in the laste daies perillous seasons shalbe at hand For men shalbe inordinate louers of themselues, couetous, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, vnthankfull, vngodly. Without na­turall affection, truce breakers, false accusers, fierce, dispisers of thē which are good. Traytors, headie, high min­ded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God.Marke this well,Hauing a cloked I­mage, a similitude of pietie, that is of honour and loue to God, but the very vertue and effect thereof they renounce and haue it not. Beware of such (saith Saint Paule) and eschew theyr company.

Thus I perceiue that charity may lacke,A speciall note for the Papistes. notwithstanding all these gay outwarde matters and obseruaunces, all their gay singing and playing on Organs, or multiplying of prayers vpon theyr Bookes and beades, ney­ther can they be euident signes and prooues of loue and charitie, but ma­nie times some of them greatly hin­der deuotion and contemplation, stir­ring vp the mind to eleuation & vaine [Page] glory. For Charity (sayth S. Paule) is to edify our neighbour, 1, Cor, 12, 25 to thinke our selues members of one body, and so to vse our selues one to another, as the members naturally doo in the body, considering our selues are as one body in Christ. We should be as glad of our neighbours profitt, as of our owne, and to helpe them in theyr di­stresse, as we would be holpen in our owne néede: louingly to reforme and correct them that doo amisse, to helpe and reléeue them that bee fallen in de­cay eyther bodily or ghostly, to cherish the sicke, and house the harbourlesse, and in sewe wordes to knit vppe the rest.Col, 3, 13, To referre all our riches, labour, studie and care to this ende, that wee may profit and doo good to many in our Sauiour Christ. That as hee was not borne for his owne profit, nor ly­ued heere for his owne pleasure, nor dyed to doo himselfe good, or to come the sooner to ioye, but gaue himselfe wholly and euerie way to our vse and benefite: euen so wee should ap­ply our selues to the profitte and com­moditie of our christian brethren whō the more we reléeue and comfort, the [Page] more singuler ioy shal it be to our sou­les, & the more acceptable shal we bee before y^e maiestie of God. If our looue were imploied to this end,S. Ambrose distinct. 25 (sayd a ho­lie religious Father to mee) the liues of the religious personnes should bee much more ioyfull, pleasant and easye then they are: where nowe wee see them verie contrarie, heauie, painful, laborious,A very ne­cessary note for the time present. full of superstitious obser­uaunces and vaine customes, leauing aside the true way of life, the follow­ing of Christ, the olde manner of ly­uing, that was taught, vsed, & showne by our holy forefathers S. Augustine S. Ierome, S. Benet, with manie o­ther, so that nowe there is little diffe­rence betwéene laye people, & priests, and religious persons, both in world­lie liuing and criminall offences. Yet is it said vnto them by S. Paul. Nolite cōformari huic seculo. Rom. 12, Be not ye fashio­ned like vnto this world. And though their outwarde habit differ in colour, yet is it like y^e world for excesse price and value. So if S. Augustine or S. Ierome were aliue again (whom they take as fathers & authors of their ru­ [...] [Page] orders of liuing) I thinke they should not knewe them, but woulde rather say, there was neuer any thing that they more reprooued, then such liuing as is nowe a daies in manie places of the world.I would this might bee considered according as it ought to bee. They would say, that they ordeyned the manner of lyuing after the rule of Christ and his blessed Apo­stles, and not after the superstitious manners of the Iewes: who made gay and fayre all thinges outwardlie, and were inwardly full of rauine, venome, sinne and mallice.

The Image of Loue that Saint Paule drewe, and which these holie Fathers had set forth openly in theyr houses of Religion, warning theyr disciples and successours before all o­ther thinges, to looke dilligently ther­on, vnder great excommunications and payne of punishment: is nowe portrayed with dispensations, decei­ues with vayne customes and cere­monies, The Church of Rome a­busing the true & aun­cient Image of Loue. with false, forged and deceiu­able collours, so that it is cleane alte­red and chaunged from the true olde forme and similitude, and béeing no­thing els but a méere fraudulent and [Page] fayned thing. And they that thus doo faith S. Paule,1, Tim. 6, 3 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 doo not agree with the holy doctrine of Christe: but are proude, and can doo nothing but multiplie wordes, whereof commeth contention, blasphemie, euill surmi­sings, and many other euills. Think­ing it great honour to God, and a deede of charitie to gather riches, and to encrease the temporall patrimo­ny: but the very riches in deede, is to vse the deedes of christian charity, be­ing cōtent with meate, drink & cloth or what els pleaseth God to send.

The properties and effectes of this no­ble Image of Loue. Chapter. 7.

THis Image of Loue,1, Cor, 13, 4, 5, 6, as S. Paule describeth it,The condi­tions of the true & per­fect Image of Loue. is very patient, meek, & gentle of countenance, charitable without enuy to any person: it doth no wrong: it is not rigorous nor blo­wen ful of pride: it pretēdeth no ambition: neither loketh for honour or dignity, it requireth not profit for it selfe, but onely to profitt other: it [Page] hath no angry countenaunce. &c.

Vnpossible is it for this diuine Image to imagine any ill, for it is greatly displeased with euil dooing, and chéer­fully reioyseth in truth and goodnes, it is very strong to endure all trobles and aduersities, it beléeueth all truth, tought it be aboue reason, it hath good hope in all thinges that God promi­seth, it is stedfast and perseuerant, bearing patient all maner of crosses and calamities, til better may be, it neuer vadeth or fayleth, but the longer it endureth, the more orient & goodly are the colours thereof, and the more strength and vertue it hath, and the more pleasant it is to behold.S. Gregorye. S. Gre­gory sayth, it is so goodly a thing, that no creature can prayse it sufficiently as it deserueth, nor haue the ful knowledge of it in this life, to discribe it as it is, it worketh maruailous thinges, great, waighty & substantiall in effect.1. Cor, 13, 10. It hath this mighty operatiō, y^• whatsoeuer is doone or wrought wher it is present, it is sufficient & good, though somtime it séeme euill to some men, & contrariwise, all thinges y^t are doone, where it is not present, although it ap [Page] neuer so good, yet is it starke: naught, and of no value.Collo. 3, 15 It vniteth & maketh many men all one body, and knitteth them so fast together, that nothing can sunder thē.1, Pet, 4, 8 It couereth the multitude of sins: 1, Ioh, 4, 18, and redeemeth our forfaits & transgressions. Whosoeuer hath thys vertuous Image liuely engrauen in his hart,No harme can happen to any man that enter­tayneth this true Image of Loue. shall not néede to feare anye perrill whatsoeuer, neither may anie iudgment goe against him, or anye thing doo him harme: for it gyueth light in darknes, causeth ioy in heaui­nes, mirth in sadnes, in paine it pro­uoketh glad patience, there can bee no wrong or iniurie offered where it dwelleth, it asswageth hunger and thirst, it maketh bond men frée, poore men rich,Osee, 11, 4 sick men whole & sound, yea & sometime it raiseth the dead to life, it is so attractiue, y^e it draweth al good things vnto it, and then maketh all thinges common. Sometime it hath a sharp & rigorous countenance vppon sinners, but neuer is it mallicious or enuious: for it morneth w^t morners, it reioiseth with them y^• be glad in God, it gréeueth with penitent and sorrow­full offendours, it taketh away all [Page] suspitious and misiudging from the hart of man, it abhorreth all strife, eu­rye, murmure and contention, it ha­teth all ill, and loueth all that is good, there is nothing that pleaseth God more then this diuine Image of loue,Nothing that the de­uill is more desirous to destroy thē this Image of Loue. and without it nothing can please him, there is nothing whereof the de­uill is more destrous, then the destruction of it, and to that intent he apply­eth all his labour, craft and subtilty, with most extreame mallice, in see­king both night and day to iniury and supplant this glorious loue, or rather diuine and immortall charity.

But now looking in the Glasse of holy Scripture, for this Image of so high and worthy excellencie, percey­uing my blindnes, mine ignoraunce, mine vnkindnes, mine vnworthines, wretchednes and presumption: I greatlie feare rather to gette shame and reproofe, then thankes for myne enterprise, séeing this Image so excel­lent, so beautiful, so full of vertue and grace, so farre excéeding the prayses and commendations of all men, and yet I wretch most simple, and with­out [Page] learning, presume thus to shewe this heauenly Image, that am moste vnskilfull, and least able to speake of the verie smallest prayse which is due vnto it.

Neuerthelesse, as I sayde before, a blind man may bolde foorth a picture for other to beholde, if it be put into his hande, albeit he handle it groslye, and shew it very rudely, his dishabi­lity is to be borne withall. In lyke manner, though blindly and ignorant lie I presume to borrowe of other ho­lie Doctours this golden Image, one­ly to shewe it vnto you, who I verily thinke can better discerne it then I, and therefore the more able to shewe it me. Notwithstanding you may happen to receiue small pleasure here in, by reason of my vnskilfulnesse in handling so great a matter: I trust yet at the least you will be content to sée the simple Image of mine owne loue towards you, and to couer the rudenes and small value thereof, vn­der my christian and zealous intent, which wants no good wyll to doo it better if I could.

That this Image of loue is a lyuing thing, exampled and taking forme the inuisible Image of God. Chapter. 8.

I Sayd before that this Image is a lyuing thing, and cannot be sounde among these deade and superstitious reliques and figures. There is one which S. Paule speaketh of.Col, 3, 11▪ Qui est Imago Dei inuisibilis, An Image of God inuisible and incomprehensible, the Sonne of God, by whom he hath made all creatures,Howe God shewed vs this Image of Loue, and man most sin­gularly vnto his Image and simili­tude, and because hee was inuisible, & incōprehensible, he tooke a glasse, mea­ning our nature which wel may be cō pared to a brittle glasse, wherein hee shewed vs this Image of loue, which is himselfe: in whom though there ap­peared infinite power & wisdome, yet charity surpassed all, cheefely to our behole.Col, 3, 10 For that putteth away the old Image of death in our soules, and re­neweth his Image againe in vs, and made it quick through his Image of loue, without which we are but dead. as s. Iohn saith.1, Ioh, 4, 14 Qui nō diligit mants in [Page] morte. He that loueth not abideth in death. Thus we may sée in part an I­mage of loue, y^t is charitable, w^c is god himself, & the life of our soules, whom we cannot wel sée, but by the glasse of his humanitie. A glasse sheweth not y^e Image so much as it is, no more can we cōsider his loue so great as it is. A glasse can represent nothing but whē somwhat is present to it, so in mā can be no charity but if God be present vnto his soule,1, Ioh, 4, 16 for Deus charitas est, et qui manet in charitate, in Deo manet, et De us in eo, God is charitie, and hee that dwelleth in charity dwelleth in God, This is to be vnder­stoode of such, as giue themselues ouer to serue sinne. and God in him. In whō soeuer God is, be doth no sin: if he doo sin, God is gone from him, if God be gone, this Image is lost and gone from him, as in the materiall glasse, the person that was present to it going away, the I­mage in the glasse ceaseth, and hath no being. And thē foorthwith the deuil is ready to present himselfe in the glasse, placing his contagious per­sonne therein: which so infecteth the glasse, that it is harde to purge it, and to pollishe it cleere agayne, to make it apt and able to receyue the [Page] glorious Image of God againe, except it hee doone spéedily and in due time, yet very often the glasse is spoyld and broken, before it can be made cleane and pure againe. Remember therfore that God is alwayes present in euery place, Heb, 4. 13 and neuer withdraweth hys loue from man: Math, 5, 24 But many wayes prouoketh them, yea his enemies to loue and maketh hys Sunne of grace and righteousnes to shine vppon euerye person good and ill. The grace of Christ and his doctrine is the lyght, kéepe the glasse of our soules towards thys light, turne it not away towards darknes, and this heauenly Image shall alwayes continue in the glasse. Saint Iohn sayth. Qui diliget fratrem suum, 1, Io. 2, 10, 11 in [...] manet, et scandulum in [...]o non est. He that loueth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of euill in him. Qui autem e­dit fratrem suum, in tenebris est, et in t [...] nobris ambulat, et nescit quo eat, quia tenebra obc [...]cauerunt oculos eius. But he that hateth his brother, is in darknes and walketh in darknes, and cannot tell whether he goeth. Thus turning [Page] his glasse cleane from the light he fal­leth sometime into the myre of other mens sinnes, by suspecting, iudging or talking of theyr defaultes: some­time among the serpents of slaunder, detraction and enuie: sometime a­mong the thornes, bryers and wylde beastes of couetousnes, mallice, and wrath: sometime stumbling among swyne, in the foule trough & stincking gore of gluttonie, and beastly lustes of the body, with many other peril­lous wayes, wandering with great ieopardie into the depth of the soule, because that darknes hath blinded his eyes: The cause why this e­uill incon­uenience happeneth to man. which is not in default of the light of grace, nor for the charitie of God is not present: but because the glasse of the soule is turned from the light of heauen, which makes it so in­fected and defiled with thys horrible darknes, that it is altogether vnapt to receiue the light of grace, and the true Image of charitie, as I sayd be­fore, for it is hard to remooue y^e foule deadlie Image of sinne, and vnpossi­ble for any to doo it, but onely he that is the author of life, and maker of this [Page] incomprehensible glasse.

If we wyll turne our selues again vnto the light, and faithfullie renewe our loue towards him and our neigh­bours: then shall wee receiue this I­mage of eternall life againe, and say with S. Iohn.1, Ioh, 3, 14 Nos scimus quonicum translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quo­niam diligimus fratres. We know that we are translated from death vnto life, because we loue the brethren. And this loue must be to euery per­son as to our own proper selues, with out fraude or dissimulation.1, Ioh, 4, 20 Qui enim non diligit fratrem suum quem videt: Deum quem non videt, quomodo potest dili­gere? For howe can hee that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene, loue God whom hee hath not seene. Et hoc mandatum habemus a Deo: Vt qui diligit Deum, diligat et fratrem su­um.1, Ioh, 4, 21,And this commaundement haue we of God: that hee which loueth him, should loue his brother also.

Therefore I may saie that Loue is a liuing Image, and the spyrite of life, that onely giueth life to the bodye. And as the body hath fiue wits, wher­by [Page] he ordereth all his workes: euen so hath the soule fiue spiritual wittes, whereby she worketh all thinges that are pleasing and acceptable in y^• sight of God.

That this lyuing Image of Loue hath fiue ghostly wittes, and the opera­tions of them. Chapter. 9.

OF these fiue wittes,S. Bernard in Sermo. Saint Ber­nard speaketh in one of his Ser­mons shewing that there are fiue ma­ner of Loues. The first is a reuerende and liuelie loue of parents and kins­folkes. The seconde is the affecting loue of our neighbours, and they that dwell together. The thirde is right­wise loue, that we ought to haue to e­uery reasonable person. The fourth is violent loue of our enemies. The fift is holy and deuout loue of God a­boue all.

[Page] These fiue Loues may well be compared to the fiue bodily wittes or sen­ces, A compari­son betwen the bodily wits and the fiue loues. and great resemblaunce may bee discerned betwéen them, if we marke what agréement they haue together.

The Loue of Parents and kin­dred, 1. The loue of kindred, with sence of touching accordeth well with the sence of touching, for this sence pertaineth most and onely to the flesh: so y^• Loue is shewed to none, but such as are néere allied together, touching carnall consanguinitie. And as the sence of touching is in the flesh, and in euerye part of the body: so this loue is in e­uery thing that hath life, as well the Iewes and Pagans loue their kinne, as Christian men doo, yea beasts and Serpents also loue theyr kinne and of-spring.

The second loue of Neighbours,2. The loue of neigh­bors, wyth the sence of tasting. a­gréeth properly with the sence of ta­sting, because of the great swéetnes and pleasure that is therein, & because it is most néedefull and appertayning to mans life. For I cannot sée by rea­son, howe a man should liue well, ey­ther bodily or ghostly in this worlde, except he loue those persons that hee [Page] liueth among, and he againe he like­wise loued of them, which maketh the best harmony and louely hearing, that can be deuised among Christians.

The generall Loue,3. The loue of all men with the sence of smelling. whereby of right we must loue euery man, may be compared with the sence of smel­ling, in so much as this sence percey­ueth thinges somewhat further of, then the sence of tasting doth or can, and it hath in it selfe not so great pleasure and delectation, yet notwithstanding it is very pleasant and necessary. So this loue extendeth not onely to our Neighbours, but to them that bee somewhat further off, which in bréefe stretcheth to all mankinde.

The sence of hearing discerneth thinges a great deale further off,4. The loue of our ene­mies, with the sence of hearing. then doth the other inferiour sences, so like wise among men in this world, there is none further a sunder, then he that loueth one who loueth not him a­gaine, but rewardeth him with mal­lice and hatred, for in other sences there is alwayes some delectation, and some néerenes in working to the flesh: but the hearing in manner go­eth [Page] out from the flesh, as not hauing anie pleasure and delectation in the fleshe. And therefore it may be verye well resembled to the violent looue, that is onely caused by the obedience of Gods commaundement, which bid­deth vs to loue our enemies, which o­bedience appeareth euidently to ap­pertaine to the sence of hearing, wher the great occasion and cause of other loues, that I haue spoken of, are ta­ken of the flesh, that is of nature and kinde.

But the sight aboue all other,5. The loue of god, with the sence of seeing. cha­lengeth to it selfe the similitude of the diuine and holy loue of God, in that it is most excellent, of a singular nature, more cléere and spirituall then all o­ther sences, and discerneth thinges most farre off, and knoweth the diffe­rence of manie thinges.

For though the smelling and hea­ring doo perceyue thinges somewhat farre off: yet it is more by drawing to of the ayre, that commeth from the obiect or thing that smelleth or soun­deth well or ill. But the sight dooth not so, but it seemeth rather to goe [Page] foorth and procéede to thinges verye farre off, as it may be figured in these manners of louing. Héereby we doe in manner drawe vnto vs our neigh­bours, whom we loue as our liues, receiuing profit and pleasure by them We drawe to vs also our enemies, whom we loue for this cause, that they might be as we be,The man­ner how we ought to loue God that is to say, our fréendes. But if we loue God, as it is our dueties we should doo, namely, with all our soule, with all our strength, with all our minde, we goe from our selues vnto him, we bye vs fast and most swiftly, as the eye doth to the most delectable obiect, we caste all our loue to him, who is the moste vnspeakable hygh goodnesse, aboue vs and all creatures, hauing no respect to our owne profit or pleasure no more then the eie can reflect the sight to sée it selfe.

But to take it for the most high perfection and delight, onely to be­holde and loue him, in whom we may perfectlie and absolutely beholde our selues and all creatures.

[Page] This is perfection enough, and pleasure largely suffising, what neede we to looke for other, sith there is none but this witnesse Christe Iesus him­selfe in the Gospell of Saint Iohn. Haec est autem vlta aterna, Ioh, 17, 3 vt cognos­cant te solum Deum verum, et quem mi­sisti Iesum Christum. This is the verye cause and beginning of life euerla­sting, to know and loue thee the one­ly true God, and him that thou hast sent Iesus Christ thy sonne, one God with thee.

And as by the sight is gotten the greatest cunning and knowledge, e­uen so by this loue is obtayned y^e most perfect perseuerance, and sure knowledge of all thinges good and necessa­ry to be knowne.As the sight is the chee­fest sence, so the loue of God is a­boue all o­ther loues. Likewise as yee behold in the bodily sences, the sight doth principally excell all the other, the hearing excéeding the other three, and so one is better in dignitye, and more noble then another, after the order and disposition of the organes and members that they be in: So in like manner the loue of God is moste high, most excellent of all loues, and [Page] of greatest worthines. The looue of our enemy next vnto this former, is best in rewarde. The iust loue of e­uerie person one to another, the more it is extended and shewed, the more worthy and acceptable is it in y^t sight of God. The loue of our neighbors, kindred, fréendes, and companions, is very necessary, as those other sences are, whichif they fayled, the life were maymed and impeached, and all the other sences of loue should decay. If a man lacke tasting and féeling, howe can he heare, sée, or yet liue: if he can­not loue his kindred; his neighbours and companions that hee is dayly a­mong, 1, Ioh, 4, 20 ho we can he loue. God or hys enemie, or loue in the state of grace? truely it cannot be.

Therfore these two loues be very necessary, and except they be grounded in a better respect then of nature, they be but little worth: and yet the lacks of them, or hatred contrary to them, is more vnworthy then the contrarye of the other two Loues next aboue, that is, the loue towards straungers, and to our enemies. And because that [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] these two, the loue to our neighbours, kindred and companions, may be rea­dilie and vnawares disordered (as we may see dailie by common experi­ence) it is as harde to order discreete­lie the tasting of our meates & drinks, as also the motions and appetites of the flesh: therefore it is necessarye to looke aduisedly, that they be not inor­dinate, carnall, or for pryde and am­bition, least they diminish or destroy the other sences of loue, prouoking to more excesse of sinne and intemperancie.

Abraham by the commaunde­ment of God,Gen. 12. 4▪ forsooke his goods, hys kindred, and his countrie, for that hee would not be deceiued by thys loue, and so did manie other holie fathers, as we haue in the examples and doc­trines of our Sauiour: Christe, and which you may reade in diuers places of Scripture. The Prophet Dauid also, being stirred vp by the holy ghost said.Psal. 44, 12 Obliuiscere populam tuum, et do­mum patrit tui▪ Forget thy carnal loue, thy country folkes, and thy fathers houshold. Et concupiscet Rex decorem [Page] tuum. And the King of all kings shal be in looue with the beauty of thy soule. Therefore it is necessarie, to loue discréetlie, so that we loue euerie creature in God, and for God, after the goodnes of it, not for profitte and pleasure, for so the Catte loueth the Mouse. And not to loue the thing too much, which is least of all to be estee­med, nor to make light regard of that, which we ought to loue most effectu­ally, for in true loue is no diuersitie, or exception of persons, or any craft or deceit, but according as S. Paule sayth.1. Ioh, 3, 18 Non diligamus verbo, neque lin­gua, sed opere et veritate. Let vs not loue in word, neither in tongue: but indeede and in verity, euery person according to theyr goodnesse and ver­tue.

Of the habit, vesture, and ornaments of this glorious Image, & the place where is ought to be set. Chapter. 10.

THus haue I shewed you, that thys glorious and diuine Image [Page] of loue is a lyuing Image, by reason of the ghostly and spirituall sences it hath,If charity leaue the soule, al the sences of loue doo decay. for as the soule, if it depart from the body, all the sences and powers fayle and decay: euen so, if charity de­part from the soule, all these sences of loue must néedes perrish and come to nothing, and then remayneth y^e foule deade. This is the Image all godly persons delight in, and haue great plesure and felicity to be hold it. Thys is the lyuing Image, portrayed in the Scripture like a Queene, and is in déede the dery Queene of all vertues, vppon whom all faythfull Christians ought daily to fixe their eyes, and ne­uer to leaue looking on her. Thys is the Quéene that standeth alwayes on the right hand of God, as the prophett Dauid sayth.Psal. 44, 11 In vestitu de aurato, cir­cundata varietate. In apparell goodly guilt, set about with diuersity of ori­ent colours, and precious stones of vertues and gifts of grace, with bor­ders and hemmes of gold. In thys I­mage shoulde all zealous affected sou­les, that be the true and faythful spou­ses of Christ, haue theyr glory and de­lyght, [Page] and not in paynted clothes,The Papists reuerence to their paltry Images, but a coun­terfeit de­uotion, and meere superstition. or carued and grauen Images, set about with diuersity of byrdes, beastes and foules, which is but a grosse and coloured deuotion, or more aptly to speake, a meere, fond, and foolish superstition: and let them haue such delight, who féele no taste of glory and comfort in­wardly in theyr soules, by testimonye of a good conscience, such as haue no zeale to perfect méekenes, and feruent loue of God, and cannot ioy or delight themselues, but onely in earthly and transitory thinges.

But you that be Kinges, and No­ble mens sonnes and daughters, yea, all we that professe the glorious and triumphant name of Christe Iesus, should principally haue our glory in­wardlie, and from the very harte.Psal. 44. 15 In fimbriis aureis, circumamicta varietati­bus. In hemmes and borders of gold, that is to say, godly and continual perseueraunce in true loue and patience, which is true gold indeede, surely ap­prooued and tryed in the fire of trouble and aduersity: apparelled and clothed round about with colours of diuers [Page] vertues, so conueniently, and so reli­giouslie set in order in the hart, as one setteth forth another meruailous gloriously, and the beauty of one in­creaseth by the noble vertue of the o­ther, and that beautie which nature it selfe affoordeth it, is of so little splendour and orient appearaunce in sight, as beeing placed among the other rich vertues, it seemeth a thousande times more goodlie and precious. Put diligence to obedience,An exam­ple wel worthy the no­ting, touch­ing the ap­parell of this goodly Image. and nothing can be more pleasant: let meekenes be ioyned with chastitie, and nothing is more splendaunt: vnite patience with pouertie, and nothing canne bee more delectable: running coupled with lowlines and gentlenes, what is more beautifull? set Iustice and mercy together, and what better company? benignitie placed with magny­ficence, is a royall pearle in the eye of the beholder: sadnes or grauity dooth meruailously well, and discretion mixed among all these, maketh the whole vesture goodly, sure and profitable. And aboue all these is the rich gylt garment that I did speake of, namely, [Page] godly wisedome, which is not in ges­ting riches, pleasure and honours: but in setting them at naught, and de­spysing both them and all other earth­lie thinges. It is in compunction of hart, and zealous contrition for our sinnes and offences, in daily exercise of godlie and charitable works, and in continuall meditation and contemplation of immortall and heauenly thin­ges, in study of holie Scripture, the lawe of God, and to frame our life and conuersation thereafter. The hemme of this vesture is perseuerant loue, according as Saint Paul sayth: Finis praecepti, est charitas de corde pu­ro, 1. Tim. 1, 5. et conscientia bona, et fide non ficta. The end of the commaundementes of God, is charitie or perseueraunt loue, comming from a pure hart, and a good conscience, and from a fayth vnfayned, this is the extreame parte of godly wisedome, wherein is sette great plentie of precious stones and Iewels, the xii. articles of y^e fayth, the seauen gifts of grace, and many other inestimable treasures. The white kercher vppon the heade, is sure hope, [Page] made by the workes of cleannes and deedes of pyttie, and whited with the dewe of grace from Heauen a­boue.

Loe thus haue I heere discour­sed the habite and ornaments of thys Image of Loue,A good ad­monition how to be­haue our selues to­wards thys Image of loue. occupy the eyes of our mindes in beholding these varie­ties, and you that bee the very Tem­ples of God, set vp therein the Altare of your harts, and there make your sacrifice and prayers: for euen nowe is the time that Christ spake of to the Woman of Samaria, saying: Muli­er crede mihi, Iohn, 4, 21, 22, 23. quia veniet hora, quando neque in monte hoc, neque in Ierosolimis adorabitis Patrem. Vos adoratis quod [...]scitis: nos adoramus quod scimus, quia salus ex Judaeis est. Sed venit hora, et nunc est, quando veri adoratores adora­bunt Patrem in spiritu et veritate. Nam et pater tales quaerit, qui adorent eum. Woman beleeue me, the houre com­meth, when yee shall neyther in thys mountayne, nor yet at Ierusalem worshyp the Father. Yee worshippe yee wot not what, wee knowe what wee worship, for saluation commeth of [Page] the Iewes. But the howre commeth, and nowe it is, when the true wor­shipper [...] shall worship the father in spirit and trueth: for such the father also requireth to worship him, that is, not after the outwarde obseruaun­ces as the Iewes did, that kept the outward obseruaunces of theyr lawe, in sacrifices and prayers with theyr mouthes, but their hart and loue was farre from God: therefore hee lothed and despised their sacrifice, saying:

[...] mihi multitudinem vict [...]arum vest [...]rum pl [...]us sum. &c. Esay. 29 What shall I doo with your diuers sacrifices? I am full of them, I require them not of yours but a louing and a contrite hart he neuer despiseth, and that is the sacrifice which he requireth.

Howe this Image of Looue is to bee honoured. Chapter. 11.

WEe haue deliuered vs in manie and sundry places of Scripture, that God regardeth not the outwarde [Page] appearaunce of man, but looketh ear­nestly on his inward behaui [...]r, wher­vpon it is said in the Prophet Samuell. Nec iuxta i [...]uitum [...] ego in­dica, 1, Sam, 16, 7 [...] enim vidit as quae parem, [...] cor. For God see­ [...]th not as man seeth: God loketh vppon the hart of mā, not vppon his outward behauiour. for man look­keth on the outwarde appearaunce, but the Lord beholdeth the hart and iudgeth thereafter. Againe, Non se­cundum visionem indicabit, neque secun­dum auditum aurium argu [...] &c. And he shall iudge not after the outward seeing of mans eyes, nor after the hearing of the eares: but after the very right, and after the thought and intent of man: Therefore if a man take héede, and be wary what he doth in the sight of man, much more ought he to be careful what he doth in y^e sight and presence of almighty God.It is not the garment that maketh men holy, but the in­tent of the hart within When the body is clothed in a religious ve­sture we thinke it well, and as besee­meth: but what doth it help or auaile if y^e mind beare stil a secular and sinful habit, after the manner and fashion of the world? such kéepe silence outwardly, & séeme in the eies of men as saints [Page] but let them looke that the mind with in be at rest from vaine thoughts, and not cloyd or choked with worldly imaginations, els all their holines is to smal purpose. In the material Tem­ple, we knéele and stoupe lowe to the ground: but what doth that profit vs, if in y^• inward temple of our soule we stand sturdily & vnreuerently against God and our superiors, in disobeying his or their commandements?An excel­lent note for fasting & abstinēce Some fast and abstaine from many thinges, which are good, and of themselues doo not defile man: but shoulde they not rather refraine from suspition, detrac­tion, and from all euill speaking one of another? which indéede polluteth and defileth both other mens consciences, and their owne also. Many doo make gaye and adorne the materiall temple or Church, and shewe great reuerence and deuotion in it: but to what end is that,Ezech, 8, 10, saith y^• prophet Eze­chiel, When the temple of their soule is ful of serpents, Idols & abhomina­tions of Egipt? that is, euill and vn­cleane thoughts, well worthy to be a­uoided and suspended.

[Page] Wee sing and praise God with our tongue, let vs looke that wee doo so likewise with our heart and minde. We speake fayre and deuoutly wyth our mouth: let vs meane as well in our soules, or els it is not well. The body is kept and contained within a little house or Cell: let not the minde then be wandering about y^• huge wide world.It is much better to confesse our sinnes before God then before a ghostly father. Wee account it well doone of vs, if we vse oftentimes to accuse our selues of our sinnes, before a Prieste our ghostly father: but it is much better doone, and more auayling to our soules health, when we doo secretelie and earnestly accuse and confesse our sinnes to God, with a true, penitent and vnfeygned hatred of them, and with a zealous and labouring intent to forsake them, for the true loue and feare of God: for an inwarde wounde must haue an inward medicine, and none is able to forgiue sinne, but hee that with the breath of his mouth confoundeth sinne, and treadeth trium­phantly vpon death, hell and damna­tion.

If ye come to heare the worde of [Page] God, which is the most necessary and onely foode of the soule:Math, 13, 14 heare it in­wardly, least it be sayd Audientes nō [...]diunt. They heare and heare not. But heare Gods word so outwardly, that you may saie with the Prophet Dauid.Psal, 84, 8, Audiam quid loquatur in me Dominus Deus. I wyll hearken what the Lord God speaketh in me, wyth feruent desire to accomplish in deede, that which is shewed in word, that it may be said vnto you,Luk, 11, 28 Blessed are they which heare the worde of God, and keepe it. that is as much to say, as we should heare it with the eare of obe­dience, Psal. 44, 15 which eare Dauid exhorteth the Kings daughter to incline, shee whose beauty was inwardlie in hem­mes of Gold, as I spake before.

This haue I sayd, that we shoulde not leane or trust too much to out­ward obseruaunces and ceremonies, otherwise then the word of truth doth assigne: whereto I add, that they bee also little or nothing acceptable, with­out the inward and deuout workyng goe therewith. We may not leaue of the honourable and deuout customes [Page] and holye ordinaunces of the Church. Haec oportuit facere, Math, 23, 23 et illa non omitte­re, These ought ye to haue doone, & not to leaue the other vndoone, as the outwarde must not bee left off, so the other, béeing the holy and inward obseruaunces, are much more necessa­rie, and they must néedes bee doone, if we will haue anie profit of them. S. Iohn therefore sayth in his Gospell. Spiritus est Deus, Ioh, 4. 24 et eos qui adorant e­um, in spiritu et veritate oportet adora­re. God is a spirit, and they that wor­shyp him, must worship him in spy­rit, Math, 25, 12, and in trueth. Remember wee not the foolish Virgins, who had Lampes of goodlie works outwardlie, but they wanted that they should haue had in­wardly, I meane the Oyle of diuine grace: which was the cause the bride groome knewe them not, and so they were excluded from the marriage.

Therfore reare vp an altar in your inward temples, euen in the very bottom and depth of your harts, you that be the lyuing temples of God, there set vp lights of heauenlie knowledge, gette you learning bothe by doctrine [Page] and grace, whereby you may worke, teach and shewe examples of light: make there your oblations of a méeke and contrite hart: there make a swéet sauour to God, with y^• burning coles of vnspotted loue, and swéete incense of deuotion: there knéele méekely with reuerent inclinations: there make your protestations, with lowlie feare & earnest compunction of hart: there erect vp your glorious Image of loue: there vse your meditations and contemplations, and there behold those two Images whereof I shewed you before.

The one is a goodlie great I­mage, increat and incomprehensible, that is GOD himselfe,1, Ioh, 4, 4 Deus chari­tas est, God is loue. The other our owne little Image, our little loue, created and caused by the Image of God, as a little Image in a glasse: but yet it is verie precious and good, by meanes wherof the soule hath lyfe, & the ghostly sences y^T I spake of. And though our loue bee verie little, & no­thing in comparison of y^• other diuine Image, which is infinite, & not to bee [Page] equalled, in that it excéedeth all thin­ges whatsoeuer. Yet hee wyll haue ours vnto the likenes of his loue, say­ing: Hoc mand [...] vobis, vt diligatis in Ui­cem sicut dilexi vos. Ioh, 15, 17, This I commaund you, that you loue together, as I haue loued you. And many times he inci­teth to loue one another, and teacheth howe, saying: Sicut dilexit me pater, et ego dilexi vos. Manete in dilectione mea. Ioh. 15, 9 13, 14, As the father hath loued mee, e­uen so haue I loued you. Continue you in my loue. Agayne. Greater loue then this hath no man, that a man bestowe his life for hys freends, yee are my freendes if you doo what soeuer I commaund you. And a num­ber like examples hath hee left vs of hys euerlasting loue, that wee myght frame ours thereby towardes our neighbours: which because it is of so great valewe and estimation, let vs yet speake somewhat more thereof, and hold our labour well spent in dis­coursing on so speciall a matter.Loue is the whole per­fection of a christian man. If wee wyll consider what is the foun­tayne, life and soule of mans vertue, and the very roote of all hys christian [Page] actions: you shall sée that it is onely the true loue of Gods. And whosoeuer hath his minde inwardly and thorow lie inflamed with the loue, of GOD: hee is the blessed man that kéepeth Gods word, that fulfilleth al his law, that neuer willeth the dooing of euill, and euer delighteth in dooing well. This loue of God that causeth such perfections in man,What the perfect loue of God is, and the state therof is likewise called charity, and he loueth not God perfectly that is without this charity. The perfect loue of GOD cannot stande with any care or study for this lyfe: the perfect loue of God abydeth not the coupling with any other loue: the perfect loue of God knoweth no affec­tion to kindred: it knoweth no diffe­rence betwéene poore and rich: it kno­weth not what meaneth thine and mine, it can not distinguish a foe from a fréende. For he that truely and perfectly loueth God, must loue God a­lone, nothing beside God, nor wyth God: but loue all indifferently in God, and for God. We that say wee loue God, when wee scant once a day remember him, and yet neuer remember [Page] wee God in such manner, but that more often and more earnestly we remember other things: in saying then that we loue God, and dooing thus, we are not able to prooue true what we say.The discription of a true & per­fect louer of God. For the perfect louer of God is so wedded to God, that nothing a­bideth in his thought but the quicke and liuely remembraunce of God. As for our spirites and sences, they be oc­cupied with so many other matters, that we can want [...]nd and leysure to think on God: so far [...] we from this per­fect loue, which is a vertue of that dignitie, power and maiestie, that in it selfe contayneth all the preceptes of the [...], all the Lawes of the Prophets, all the doctrine of Christ, and all the rules of the Apostles: yea, more then all this, loue hath that pre­heminence, as it is vnder no rule, but is Lorde aboue all Lawes, all inuen­tions, all precepts, and all comman­dements that GOD hath giuen to man: For loue hath no bond. But you must alwayes remember, that loue is not perfect, vnlesse it vee bur­ning.

[Page] It is not a quenched loue, a colde loue, or loue growing in the téeth or lippes which I nowe speake of: but the hote burning harts affection to­wardes God, this you must vnder­stand to be perfect loue.

The ende of all the course & walk­ing of the sonne of God in this world,The whole time of Christ here on earth, was to plant this loue a­mong men. was to leaue héere among men thys loue. The marke whereat our Saui­our in all his preaching and teaching aymed, was to haue men endued with this loue. For our diuine Schoolema­ster sawe, that there néeded no rehearsall of sins which were to be eschew­ed, nor yet of vertues that were to be followed, if men could lay sure holde on this loue: which of it selfe is suffi­cient to kéepe men from stumbling in the way, from wandering out of the way, and finally to conduct men to the blessed waies ende, so that the com­passe and circuite of it is so wide, as it comprehendeth al y^• can be spoken ey­ther against vice or with vertue. Yet some think y^• loue is nothing but to kéepe patiēce, & not to be displeased or angry, indéed this is one part of loue: [Page] but not all, for whatsoeuer the loue of God prouoketh vs to, or the feare of God driueth vs from, all is concluded in this perfect looue. Beside, Saint Augustine sayth.S. Augu­stine his words con­cerning this diuine loue Loue is a good and gracious effect of the soule, whereby mans hart hath no fantasy to esteem, value or ponder any thing in thys wyde worlde, beside or before the care and studie to knowe God. For whosoeuer is inclined to loue these earthly thinges, so long as he so doth, it is not possible for him euer to at­tayne to the assured, constant & perfect vse of loue, because his minde hath so manie and so diuers hinderaunces, that withdraw him from taking the possession of this great treasure, wherin is couched the heapes of all other vertues. And a little more to speake of these impediments and lettes, it shall much appertaine to my purpose: for we shall the more easily come to loue, if wee knowe and can escape all the blocks that lye in our way to let vs, not onely to keepe vs from thys vertue, but also to driue and chase it so farre from vs, that neither wee can [Page] come to it, nor it to vs.

Of the impediments and lets, that keepe vs from this true Image of diuine loue, and of diuers ne­cessary rules to be remembred. Chapter. 12.

THe perfect loue of God, hath in it a meruailous quietnes and rest,The loue of God hath in it perfect quietnes and rest. it is neuer mooued, shrred or carried a­way by any storme of worldlye [...] bles: but sitteth fast and sure in a continuall calmenes, agaynst all [...] all wethers, and all stormes whatsoe­uer. No rocke is more still then the minde of a charitable man, when the world tumbleth, rolleth and tosseth it with the fierce waues of temptations which drowneth the mindes of all that are weake and sicke in loue: yet sitteth this man safe and sounde from al these disturbances, and triumpheth ouer them with great tranquilitye. You must vnderstand, that there are certayne motions called passions, [Page] which verie so [...] assault our soule, and bringeth our spirite into great disqui­etnes: The impe­diments & lets of true loue. as to bee mooued with [...] to nourish, rancor and mallice, to bee mindfull of any iniury, to be studious for auenging, to be gréeued with euill speaking, to [...]ume at backbyting, to grudge at complaintes, and to freate with chyding. These are the thinges that suffer no minde to rest, and the very least of these passions will per­mit no quietnes to be had. Agayne, to studdy for promotion, to care for ma­riage, to thirst for riches, to be gréedie of honour, and to gape after prayses: these [...] also sharpe spurres in y^• sides of a quiet mind, that at no time it can enioy any rest or ease. Likewise to ensue a delight of deintie and choyse feeding, to bee ouercome with plea­sures of the body, to fall downe in so­row, to pearch vppe with gladnes, to hold [...]p the head to high in prosperity, to hold it down to low in aduersity, & to be in bondage vnder y^• fierce rules of sensuall lustes, whose cruelty ouer man hath no pittie, measure or ende: these and such like so vexe and trouble [Page] the minde, that no loue or charity can harbour there. For looke a little vp­ [...] the vnmercifull man that can not [...],Examples of these great impedimēts to loue. sée how he boyleth in his [...] to be auenged. Looke vpon the [...] stomacke, how he without [...], in destring to sée his hurt [...] he enuieth. Looke vppon the glutton, how beastly he puruayeth his belly chéere. Looke vpon the Le­ther, howe busie he is in his vngrati­ons [...]. Looke vpon the coue­to [...]s in [...], howe without reason hée pincheth and scrapeth for gaynes, and looke vpon the ambitions fellow, how [...] him selfe to get worship and [...]. These men thorowe theyr [...], are no lesse grea [...] to satisfy theyr desires: then the hungry & thirstie bodies, through naturall necessity séeke to bee refre­shed, wherby it foloweth, that sléeping or waking, these mens mindes keepe euer one state of disquietnes. Such wrastling fantasies and inordinate appetites are these passions, which mooue and stirre the soule contrarye to her nature: either by loue without [Page] reason, or hatred without measure, when wee wyllingly consent to the winde of these sensible thinges. [...] louer to ourselues, the mother of these passi­ons. The mother of all these passions, in a [...] ­tiall loue that we beare to [...] selues, that is to say, the loue of this [...], and of this life: to kill in vs his [...] ­ther of all mischief, our master Christ teacheth vs to hate this life, and to sette our body at naught.Math, 10. 39▪ [...] animam suam (sayth Hee) [...] Mark, 8, 35 et qui perdider it [...] propter me, Luk, 9, 24 inueniet eam. Ioh. 12, 24 He [...] fin­deth his life shall loose it, Math, 6, 26 and he that looseth his life for my sake shall find it, so that the next way to [...] life, is if we set nothing by [...] the caring for this body, [...]porteth and bringeth with it a [...] of Gods prouidence: as though GOD had better prouided for the [...] of of the ayre, then for man, whom hée hath created after his owne Image. Nowe then to get this rest, that ther­by we may obtayne loue, wee must cast away the loue of this life, which procureth all the aforenamed boyste­rous passions, wherby our soule stan­deth [Page] in great per [...]ll of death. For learne you, that to the soule it is a sore [...]ath to be seperated from God, and these passions are they that onely plucke the soule from God, and cau­seth it to forget:The worlde is full of dead soules, that trauail in the wor­kes of dark­nes. heauen in the busye occupatiōs of this world, which swar­meth ful of dead soules, that night and day trauaile and sweat in the works of darknes, from whence they shal depart into another darknesse, which is endles, neuer to sée the face of GOD theyr creator.

And this is the conclusion of this passionate soule, that lieth in the fet­ters of filthy lustes without rest, dra­wen nowe hether, nowe thether, in a continuall wauering of vaine [...]an [...]a­sies: But on the other side, the quicke liuing soule, that quietly resteth in the loue of God, driueth from her (by the power of grace, wherewith she is endued)▪ all these vnquiet passions, and if at any time shée stande in feare to bee mooued with sinfull appetites, she fasteth, watcheth and prayeth: the man or woman (I saie) doth thus, in whō such a blessed soule beareth rule.

[Page] Likewise against anger, wrath and vaine glory, be setteth at nought both honour and dishonour, yea, [...]ame, slaunder and worship in this worlde, are nothing in his reputation: against remembraunce of displeasures, hee prayeth for his euill willers, such a lesson loue teacheth,What loue teacheth. and encourageth this blessed soule, to be continually oc­cupied, in mayntayning and defend­ing the mindes quietnes, a thing a­boue all other in this world to be wa­rilie kept, in that it differeth not from the Angels state in heauen, béeing not mooued with these vexations, which skurge and whip mans mind, by rea­son of the corrupt affection and looue, that he beareth in his itching body: a loue most cōtrary to this blessed loue, which hath tenne times more ease, then the other hath trouble.

Let vs heere remember the les­son of our Maister Christ, the verye author and preacher of looue,Math, 5, 39 40, 41, hee sayth. Ego autem dico vobis, non re­sistere malo: sed siquis to percusserit in dexteram maxillam tuam, praebe illi et alteram, Et ei qui vult tecum in iudicio [Page] [...] tollere, [...] ei et [...]. Et quicunque et angaria­ [...]it milla pass [...] vade cum ille et alia [...] I say vnto you, that you re­sistant euill: but whosoeuer wyll giue thee a blow on thy right cheek, turne to him the [...] also. And if a [...] will sue thee at the lawe, & take away thy coate [...], let him haue thy [...] also. And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him [...]. The forme of this lesson that Christ heere giueth, into instructe and [...] that will be his Dis­ciples, to regard nothing of the bodye or of the worlde, aboue the rest & quietnesse of the mynde▪ but that we shold suffer the losse of [...] goodes, with the hart, yea, [...] the death of our [...], rather their we should [...]oole any small portion of our [...], or to be mooued with any passion, wherby our loue to­wardes God might decay.No hurt can be so great to the body, as the least disquietnes in the mind

It is not possible (after Christe his doctrine) to take in thys worlde, by any kynde of violence; so great da­mage or hurt in body or goods, as is the least drop of trouble in the minde, [Page] where no tyrant, nor the deuill him selfe hath anie dominion: [...] ther­fore beléeue our Maister Christ, and to the death let vs neuer break [...] with God, for if we doo, [...] well [...] rest and happy tranquility.

The way [...] this daunge­rous euill, that threate to pul vs thus violentlie from this swéete content of mind, is onely y^• perfect loue of God, which maketh the spirite strong, to withstand the [...] shoulde­ring [...] which the [...] life [...] Hope in God. of the [...] and to vs [...] hope is [...] patience, tht is [...] which [...] enduring is obtained with [...] that is a [...] causeth courage of flye and [...] Feare of God. [Page] the which f [...]are groweth by an vndoubted beléef [...] in Christ our Mai­ster his teaching. Thus from fayth we come to feare, from feare to flying from sinne, and in flying from sinne, wee take a patient minde to suffer, whereby we catch holde on hope and trust in God: through which hope, our soule sitteth in a sure chayre of a certayne expectation, of that which is layde vppe in store for vs in heauen. And héereof finallie commeth this perfect loue in vs, which causeth vs to loue God, for his infinite goodnes in the same promise making, whereof nowe we wayte for the fulfilling: the which is also the thing, that enfor­ceth and ordereth all our thoughts in such a due rule, that our life thereby rendreth (in all our actions) a swéete sauour both to God and man.

But let vs once repeate the effect of this lesson.Beleefe in Christ, with the repetiti­on of the former les­son. Whosoeuer beléeueth stedfastly in our Master Christe, hee feareth his punishment, and hee that feareth his punishment, refrayneth himselfe from sensual lusts, which be the causes of punishment: hee that a­uoydeth [Page] such causes abideth well, and contentedly endureth tribulation, hee that patiently suffereth tribulation, hath a blessed hope and trust in God, which draweth and plucketh y^e minde from worldly affections: and y^e mind once fréely discharged of all loue to thys world, strayte way taketh pure burning loue towardes God, and that maketh quietnes, reste and peace in our conscience. Thus euery way wee must resolue our selues to rest finally in the possession of loue, els wee can neither beléeue or feare God as wee ought to doo, nor refrayne euil lustes, nor suffer tribulation, nor hope in God, nor leaue the loue of these worldly dregges as we ought to doo: but in these we shalbe drowned bothe night and day, during the time of this lyfe, from whence we shall passe into my­serable condition of body and soule, to endure without ende the indignation of God, whom after this life we shall neuer sée, vnlesse we can nowe for his sake despise this worlde, which ex­ceedeth the power of mans féeblenes to doo, except he vse the puissant might [Page] of loue, which bringeth so feruent a desire towardes God, as nothing beside him is once thought on or regarded: and such a sweetnes féeleth the chari­table minde in his desire, that he wyll not forgoe or diminish any part there­of, although hee shoulde suffer a thou­sand hurtes and iniuries. Héere may we remember the louing Disciple of Christ,Acts. 7, 60 Saint Stephen, howe he enflamed with loue to God, prayeth aloude for his tormenters, and craueth of God remission for theyr sinnes, say­ing: Domine ne statuas illis hoc pecca­tum. Lord lay not this sinne to theyr charge, alleadging theyr ignoraunce for theyr excuse. The bearing of Christes Crosse, is made by this loue a swéete yoke, and an easie burden, for he that is vnited with God in perfect loue, sayth in all tribulations wyth the prophet Ieremye. Iere, 17, 16 Non sum turba­tus Domine sequens te pastorem. Oh Lord, in following thee my ruler, I cannot be discomforted.

How we should know when we haue this true and perfecte Image of loue, and how to vse it. Chapter. 13.

ALbertus saith, That a faithful & humble soule (in manner) abhor­reth to loue God in respecte of re­ward or profit,The saying of Albertus of an hum­ble & fayth full soule. but as God gaue him selfe freely to mans soule, looking for no reward, but wylling and desirous to make man partaker of his blisse: euen so a perfect louing soule should giue himselfe feruentlie and freely to God in loue, with all his strength and power, seeking no profit eyther transitorye or euerlasting: but onely to sette all his affection and loue vppon God, for his high maiesty, goodnes, power, wysedome, holines, perfecti­on and blisse, that he is of by nature. Hée that loueth God, because he is good and profitable to him, & because that principally he should make him partaker of his ioy and happines: he; [Page] may be conuinced, that hee hath but naturall and vnperfect looue. A very proofe of loue and charitie: Christ putteth himselfe in the Gospell after S. Iohn, Ioh, 14, 21 saying: Qui habet mandata mea et seruat [...]a: ille est qui dilagis me. He that hath my commaundements, and keepeth them: the same is he that lo­ueth me. Wherevppon▪ sayth Saint Augustine:S. Augu­stine in ci­uit, dei. Hee loueth God that kee­peth his commaundements, not that he is compelled for feare of greate payne, or for couetousnes of ioy: but because the thing that is commaun­ded is most good and holy.

The loue of our neighbour like­wyse, The loue of our neigh­bour must be without hope of re­ward. must be without any respect of profit and reward, especially if it bee true loue, like vnto his that commandeth vs, saying: Hoc est praceptum me­um, Iohn. 15, 12 Vt diligatis inuicem, sicut dilexi vos. Thus is my commaundement, That yee loue together as I haue loo­ued you.

There be two euident signes of loue towards God in vs. The first is, when we ioy and gladly prayse God in all thinges that pleaseth him, what [Page] soeuer they be, whensoeuer, of whom­soeuer, and wheresoeuer they be don. The other signe is: when a man is so­rye in God for all thinges that be dis­pleasant vnto him, whatsoeuer they be▪ whensoeuer, of whomsoeuer, or wheresoeuer they be doone.

An other rule of loue, our Sauiour Christ putteth in the Gospel after S. Mathewe saying:Math, 22, 37 Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et in tota anima tua, et in tota mente tua. Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God wyth all thy hart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy mind. With all thy hart. Thou shalt loue God with all thy reason, with all thy wyll, and with all thy mynd and me­mory. With all thy reason without any errour, subduing the witte and vnderstanding vnto the méeke seruice of God: applying our study towardes him, and enforcing our whole desire to the knowledg & sight of him.With all thy soule. With all thy soule and obedient wyll, that is, when the feare of no transitorye euill driueth vs from his obedience, or loue of any worldly matters draw­eth [Page] vs from his seruice. With all thy mind and memory,With all thy mind. forgetting al thin­ges that displease God, and setting our mind from all thinges that lette and hinder his loue: as iniuries doon vnto vs, which, when they he called to remembraunce, are as yron left in a wounde, which festereth and letteth the healing of the wound.

If wee will obtayne perfect looue,Foure man­ner of waies to subdue our reason to the obe­dience of God. wee must subdue our reason and vn­derstanding vnder the obedience of God, and after hys mynde and wyll foure manner of wayes.

Fyrst, in all thinges that per­tayne to the Fayth: wee must obeye GOD and beleeue him. Whereof Hillarius sayth:S. Hillarius, Soli Deo de secre­dendum est, qui se solus nouit. &c Wee must beleeue onely GOD, of those things that belong to himselfe, for he onely knoweth himselfe.

The seconde way, is to consider and iudge euill of our owne selues, and well of all other.

The thyrde, is to preferre y^• minde and sentence of our betters and [Page] superiours, before our owne mindes, and that most specially is to be doone in matters of religion concerning the soule. The fourth way, is to bethink our selues of our owne actions, and al that belongeth to vs, and to turne a­way our eyes from iudging & behol­ding of other folkes manners and be­hauiour. Wherevppon sayth Saynt Bernard: Keepe diligently thy selfe, and that thou mayst so doo, turne away thy eyen from other mennes deedes.

The rule of charity towarde our neighbour is,Math, 22, 39 Diligis proximum tuum sicut teipsum. Mark. 12, 31 Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, that is after the opinion of Saint Augustine. Thy freend as thy selfe, thyne enemye as thy freend. And as euery man loo­ueth goods and honour, that is good to himself in body and soule, and eschew­eth or hateth his owne hurt and do­mage in any of these foure: so ought we to loue and be gladde of all that is good anie of these waies in our neighbour, both fréende and foe, and to hate and be sorrye for their hurt and hinde­rance.

Notwithstanding there is an or­der in charitie, whereof the spouse of cHRIst speaketh in the [...].Cant. 2. 4, He hath sette charity in me in an order. Which S. Augustine declareth thus, Prima dili­gendum es [...] supra nos est [...]. Fyrst we must loue God? aboue all, next our owne soules, then our neighbor, then our bodyes &c the bodyes of our neighbours? [...] for [...] goods, he speaketh not of the, for they should not be [...] but vsed as [...] bitter pill or [...] men declare that we [...] our neighbour as our selfe, [...],A notable example, how wee should loue our neigh­bour. and for God. [...] purchased for him in the kingdome of heauen, neyther with sil­uer [Page] nor golde, but with the shedding of hys most precious bloude. There­fore to honour God very deuoutly in time of prosperitye, and forgette him agayne when he layeth any crosse vp­on vs, declares that wee knowe not what true charitie meaneth, neyther is it well prooued in vs by looue of freendes onely: for to loue other be­cause they loue vs, belongeth to na­ture, and is without reward, but is loue them that loue not vs; commeth of grace, and to drawe our [...] to loue, by shewing benefitte; pleasures, and gyfts, appertayneth [...] and is acceptable in [...].

I thinke there is nothing that ma­keth vs so like vnto Christ our mai­ster (who is the very Image of loue) as to loue our enemies,Nothing maketh vs so like vnto Christ as to loue our e­mies. and to be wel pleased with them that reuile & speak euill of vs,Matth, 5, 44 yea such as [...] vs wyth continuall molestations and [...] for thys I am sure, that we shoulde receyue more grace and glory in their persecuting vs, then in theyr dissem­bling falshoode and fauour, if we could [Page] vse our selues in so good and discrete order, and applye it well for the loue of God.

Thus dyd enemies and tyrants much more aduaunce holy and reli­gious martyrs, towardes obtayning theyr euerlastyng ioy and glory, then all their freendes and fauourers coulde doe, and the more they inflicted tor­ture and punishment on their bodies, the more swéete and heauenly com­fort they receyued in theyr soules: a­greeing with his wordes, who is the very author & fountayne of all trueth, where he saith.

Beati qui persecutionem patiantur,Matth, 5, 10, 11, 12, propter iustitiam: quoniam ipsorum est Regnum calorum. Beati estis quum male dicerint vobis homines, et persecu­ti vos fuerint, et dixerixt omne malum aduersum vos mentientes, propter me. Gaudete et occultate: quoniam mercer vestra copiasa est in calis. Sit enim per­secuti sunt prophetas qui fuerunt ante vos. Blessed are they which haue beene persecuted for righteousnesse sake: for theyrs is the kingdome of Heauen.

[Page] Blessed are yee when men shall re­uile you, and persecute you, and ly­ing, shall say all manner of euill a­gainst you or my sake. Reioyce yee and be glad: for great is your reward in heauen. For so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.

The verye tokens of looue to our neighbors,The true tokens of loue and hatred. are when we be sorrye for theyr hurt, payne and aduersitye, as well our fréends as our enemies: and be as glad with all our hurt of theyr profit, health and prosperity, which I may say to you are two dainty birds, and very hard and scant to be founde. Nowe on the contrary, the very to­kens of hatred, mallice, [...] enuy are, when it gréeueth a man to think well of his neighbour, or to speake to him, when it is painfull to heire good of him, and when he is desirous to lette and hinder that thing which shoulde doo him profit, pleasure and helpe, and diligent to séeke his iniurie & harme, detracting his good name,Chriso­stōes words of enuy and malice. and slaun­dering his honest actions. S. Chri­sostome sayth: That when mallice hath once gotten entraunce into a [Page] mans hart al thinges that are spoken, hearde or doone, in such sort are ta­ken and vnderstoode, that they al­way increase the more mallice and longer enmitie. If there be any thing sayde of the enemy that is good, it is not beleeued, or els it is peruerted. If any euill be spoken, that is forthwith credited, confirmed and multiplied. Thus did not Christ to Iudas that be­trayed him.

A breefe discription of the portraite of Enuie and mallice. Chapter. 14.

I Had not thought to haue spoken of this deadly and deuillish Image of Enuie and mallice, that is so ouglie, pale and wan, because in no wise it may stande by this glorious Image of loue, except it be troden vnder y^• féete thereof, as we sée the pictures of the deuill and persecuting tyrants vnder the féete of Saintes, to their vtter confusion, rebuke and damnation: but because Chrisostome bewrayed some [Page] part thereof, I thought it not amisse to adde to the rest, that all men may see what a cruell monster it is, and what a swéete comfort diuine loue is. If I should portrayte it like the deuil it is worse then bee:Mallice worse then the deuill for through it the deuill fell from heauen horriblye deformed and daily his mallice increaseth through the same. If I shoulde make it like Nero, Worse then Nero. yet is enuye much worse then hee: for Nero burnt but a part of Rome, but thys enuye hath sette all the whole world on fire, that it can hardlye bee quenched a­gayne.

Compare it vnto Death, and it is a great deale worse then hee:Worse then Death. for it brought Death into the worlde, and banished man from glorious Para­dise. It flew Abell, and hath wrought most of all the mischiefe since the be­ginning of the worlde. It was the worker of Christes death, and yet it continueth daily more and more against all his members. It was the cruell beast that was supposed to haue deuoured innocent Ioseph. Ouids de­scription of mallice. The Poet Ouid discribed it like an olde [Page] Trot, with a leane face, pale & wan, the teeth blacke, a fiery tongue, the mouth full of venome, the eyes hol­lowe, neuer looking right forth, grim and cruell of countenaunce, the breast swollen full of poyson, cruell nayles, with bloodie handes and many other euill proportions: but yet hee coulde not describe it so ill as it is indéede. And because I would all men shoulde haue it in great contempt and despite I wyll cast it vnder the feete of thys myne Image of glorious loue; as a monster made of all mischiefe & wic­kednes.

It hath the tayle of the Serpent detraction, backbyting and slaunder, whych is the same Serpent that the Wise man speaketh of:Eccle. 10. 10 Qui mordet in silentio. That styngeth priuilye, with the teeth and prickes of detrac­tion, slaunder and backbyting.

It hath the féete and subtimes of a Foxe, through hipocrisie, for a Foxe in the wood neuer goeth forth right: but sometime on the one side, then on y^e o­ther, and wil faine himselfe deade: to deceiue what he séekes for hys pray.

[Page] Quasi vulpes in deserto, propheta tui Israel erant. Ezec. 13, 4 O Israell, thy prophets are like Foxes in desert places. In like manner these enuious hypocrites are like Foxes in the wildernes, that walke by subtill wayes leaste they should be espied, and feigne thēselues holy and religious to deceiue the well meaning, yet weake in knowledge. It hath the belly of a Dragon, which is idlenes, full of stincking thoughtes and false imaginations: the breast of a Lyon, proude and disdainfull: the head, partly like death, and partly like the deuill: it hath holes in steede of eyes like vnto death, for it hath neither loue nor feare of God. It hath the left eare like Nero, ready to heare all euill, and y^e right eare chopt awaie like Malchus, and stopped or closed, that it can heare no goodnes. The mouth is wide,Psal. 5. 10. like an open sepul­cher or graue, full of filthy bones and carion, & the tongue sharp as a sword, and all on fire as hell: Iam, 3, 6, the least spark whereof, is able to set a whole Cittie on fire, and all is venome as a Cocka­trice. But the prophet Dauid willeth; [Page] that my glorious Image of diuine loue,Psal, 91, 13 should confound and tread vpon this ougly monster, saying: Super a­spidem et basiliscum ambulabis, et con­culcabis Leonem et draconem. Thou shalt goe vpon this Adder & Cocka­trice, and this Lyon and dragon shalt thou tread vnder thy feete. We read that Moyses, Verbis suis monstra placa­uit. Eccl. 45, 2. With his wordes he pacified the monsters of Egipt: but this monster could neuer be contented and appea­sed. Example hereof we haue in Pha­rao, Exo, 7, 13, who after he was infected wyth thys deuillish monster: no manner of thing either of loue or frare could pa­cifie his minde, or make him conten­ted with the children of Israell. Be­ware of this false mōster, & for this intent I haue thus discribed him, that e­uery man should be wary of him, and vtterly despise him. Notwithstanding many times he wyll trans-forme him selfe into an Angell of light,1, Cor, 11, 31 by flatte­ring and dissimulation, and therof spe­cially beware: but yet may he be kno­wen easily, if we wil not giue hasty credence to him. Thus haue I painted [Page] this ougly fiende in his colloures, that myne Image might séeme the more goodly: which I pray you to accept, albeit I most vnwoorthy and vnable, haue taken vpon me to shewe forth a thing of so great and mighty conse­quence

The commendations which Hugo de sancto Victore, vseth of thys woorthy Image of diuine loue: & the conclusion. Chapter. 15.

YEt ere we parte, it shall not bee much from my purpose, to shewe you what estimation the holye man Hygo de sancto Victore made of thys glorious Image of diuine loue: Hugo de sancto vic­tore, hys wordes of loue. sayth he. O charitas, quid dicam de te? quo­modo laudabo te? si saperemte, appreci­arer te. &c. O Loue, what shall I saye of thee, howe shall I prayse thee? if I felt thee or perceiued thee: I should some what iudge in my minde what thou art worth. If I knewe thy value, I coulde esteeme some price of thee. [Page] But perchaunce thou exceedest my poore habilitie, thy price cannot bee found by mee, it passeth my small power: and yet will I giue all that I haue, and all that I can gett, for thee, all the substaunce of my house wyll I chaunge for thee, all that is in the poore lodging of my body wil I giue for thee: and yet when I shall gyue all, I may well repute it as nothing. All the delectation of my fleshe, all the delightes, ioyes and pleasures of my hart: I wyll gladly bestowe, that I might haue thee onely in my pos­sessyon. Thou onely art to mee more deere, thou onely art to me more profitable, thou onely art to mee more sweete, more pleasaunt and more de­lectable, then any creature beside in the whole world: satisfying me most plentiouslie, sauing and defending me most surely,Whether the hart will chuse to liue with the world, or with God. and preseruing mee most prosperously, so that I will speake and shewe to all men of thy prayse. O thou hart of man, which of these wilt thou chuse: to ioye alway with this world, or to be alway with god? The thing that thou louest most [Page] that dost thou rather & sonest chuse, take good heede therefore thou faint hart, that either thou redres thy loue, or els delay thy better electiō. Is there any thing in the worlde to be loued? what is there then where the maker of the world dwelleth? loue therfore that better place, & thou maist make the better choyse. Chuse then looue, for who so hath loue, hath God: he that hath loue when hee goeth or re­steth [...] whatsoeuer he doth, his hart goeth not from God. They that haue charity, in exhorting other to chari­tie, they enflame themselues with with loue: and they shewe not one­ly inwardly, but also indeede to eue­ry man, how sweete the loue of God is, and howe sowre and bitter is the vnpure and deceiuable loue of the world.The nature and proper­ties of loue. Charity scorneth the glory of this world, it disdaineth and re­prooueth the toyling and businesse thereof, and sheweth what foolishnes it is, to haue confidence and trust in these thinges that passe away so lightly: it meruaileth at the blindnes of men, that loue so much these earthly [Page] thinges, and wondereth why they do not vtterlie condemne and despyse them. Charity thinketh that thing to be sweete to all men, that sauoureth well and pleasant to her selfe: & well may that thing please them which she loueth, in that she thinketh no­thing but what ought to be manifest to all. And thus it discoureth it self where it is, for it will not abide se­cretely within: but wil needs declare her selfe by outwarde conuersation: O charity, I haue praised thee so far as I can, and still I cast in my minde, if there may bee sayde any more excel­lent prayse to thy laude. I cannot say whether it be more to call thee God, or to saye that thou didst ouercome God:Hee Hugo. that is more if anie be more, & that gladlie and bodily will I say of thee.

Thus prayseth Hugo this diuine Image of loue,The mer­uailous ef­fects of loue take it therefore, and sette it fast vppon the Altare of your hart: and alwayes looking vppon it, consider the goodnes of it, remember the vertue & power of it, and see the manifolde meruaylous effects of it.

It caused God to make man, it drewe him from heauen to earth to redéeme him againe from seruitude of the deuill. It ioyned the most high and pure nature to the most low and vile nature, wherin it wrought moste meruailous thinges, in raysing deade men, healing Leapers and al manner of diseases. And at the last it wounded Christ full bitterly, and slew him full pittiously, that our dead soules might be quickened to eternall life. It ray­sed him againe gloriously for our iu­stification and redemption. It lifted him to heauen triumphantly, to glo­rify mankind in hys kingdome. It drewe vp Stephen victoriously, and crowned him with the garlande of e­uerlasting happines. It conuerted suddainly Saint Paule. and fixed him so fast to his Master Christ Iesus: that neyther tribulation, Rom, 8, 35 anguish, persecution, hunger, pouerty, nakednes, sworde, or any other perrilles▪ could seperate him from the loue of Christ. Yea, and it made Paule so strong, that he sayd more of himselfe and hys followers.

[Page] That neyther death, neither life, neither Angelles in heauen,Ro, 8, 38, 39▪ nor rule, neither power, neither good thinges present, neyther any things to come, neither height nor depth, neither a­ny creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesu our Lord.

And after them, this loue made in­numerable people to reiect and cast away all worldly thinges, and to run after Christ, not sparing nor fearing fire, sworde, payne, or any manner of torments whatsoeuer: but gladlye tooke them with great ioye and ear­nest desire, yea, it was but a small thing to them, to forsake theyr best fréendes for the loue of Christe Ie­sus.

And thus not onely in strong men, but also in women and children weake & fraile, & in young tender vir­gins, who were made by this loue more strong then all the Tyrants: so that they feared neither king nor Emperour, but ouercame them both in wysedome and strength, in endu­ring [Page] more paines then their tormen­ters could put them to, and so vtterly confounded them.

O immortall and diuine loue, if I vnworthy and sinfull wretch, haue presumed to prayse and shewe thy glorious Image thus rudely, séeing so many worthy & holye men haue pray­sed and commended thee, yet nothing so much as thou art worthy, as them­selues witnes: pardon my want, and enter into my soule I beséeche thee, to kindle it in loue, to lighten it w^t grace to dilate my hart, to stretch out my desire, to open the bosome of my minde, and to establish thy dwelling place in the chamber of my soule, that it may receiue thée O my GOD, Father, Sonne and holy ghost, who art moste high and onely loue, into my reason, will and memory, for a continu­all dweller in me for euer­more. Amen. (⸫)