is formed and made of Dust Clay Asshes and a matter much vyler which for modestie I doe not name coÌ„â—…eiued in concupisence of the fleshe in the feruent heate oâ—… lust in the loathsome stinck of desyre and that worse is in the blot and blemish of sinne borne vnto payne sorow and fearâ—… yea and that which is most miserable vnto death He doth lewd thinges wherby he offendeth God his neighbor and him selfe He doeth filthy facts whereby he defileth his good name his conscience and his person and he doth vayne thinges wherby he neglecteth serious profitable necessary things He shal become the fewel for fier which alwayes burneth and can not be quenched the foode of worms which euer gnaw and féede vpon him the continewall masse of corruption which alwayes stincketh is filthie odious and horrible Then our Lord God hath formed man of the â—…ime of the Earth which is more vile then the rest of the Elements as it appeareth in the second of Genesis He made the Planets and Starres of the Fyer the blastes and wyndes of the Ayre the Fisshes and Fowles of the Water and Man and beast he made of Earth Then if he consider of the creatures created in the water he shall perceiue him selfe to be vile Considering the creatures made of Ayre he shall finde himself more vile coÌ„sidering the creatures of fyer he shal fynd himself most vyle Neither shal he make him self equal with the heaueÌ„ly creatures nor dareth prefer himselfe before the creatures of the Earth for he shal finde him selfe equal vnto beastes and shall acknowledge himselfe lyke vnto cattell sithence th end of man and cattel of the feild is all one and their condicion and estate are equall neither can man doe any more then a beast From the Earth they sprang and rose and to the Earth they shal retorne together These are not the wordes of any worldly man but of the wysest euen Salomon What is man then but slyme and dust and thervpon he sayth vnto God Remember I besech thée that thou hast made me lyke vnto Earth and shalt bring me into dust againe and thervpon also God sayth vnto man Thou art dust and shalt retorne into dust I am compared sayth Iob vnto Clay and am lykened vnto Imbers and Asshes Clay is made of Water and dust and both the substaunces doe remaine therein and Asshes are made of Fyer woode and bothe the substances doe fayle An expresse mistery but to be expounded in an other place Then what is Clay to be prowde on or whereof doest thou extoll thy selfe O dust O Asshes whereof doest thou glory Peraduenture thou wylt answere that Adam him selfe was fashioned and formed of clay and that thou art procreate of the séede of man But he was formed out of virgin clay and thou art procreate of séede which is vncleaue for who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane séede What is man that he may seme vndefiled or that which is borne of man may seme iust For behold I was begotten in iniquitie and my mother conceiued me in sin Not onely in one iniquitie nor in one onely transgression but in many iniquities and in many transgressions yea euen in strange iniquities and transgressions for there are two kinde of conceptions one of séede an other of nature The first is made in such factes as are committed The second in such thinges as are purchased and gotten for the parents commit in the first and their issue doe purchase in the second For who is ignorant that the act of generation yea euen betwene maried folkes is neuer committed without prouocation of the fleshe without heate of lâ—…st or of concupisence wherevpon the séedes which are conceiued be vncleane be blotted and made corrupt and the sowle beinge therewith ouer flowed dothe purchase the spot of sinne the blot of gilt and transgression and the blemish of iniquitie euen as liquor is corrupted beinge thrust into an vâ—…cleane vessell and beinge once poluted is defiled euen by the first touch therof For the sowle hath thrée natural powers or three natural forces that is to say a reasonable power to deserne betwene good and euill a passionate power to reiect the euill and a power of appetite to desier that which is good These three powers are originally corrupted with three opposite and contrary vices the reasonable power â—…y ignoraunce that it may not deserne betwene good and euill the passionat power by wrath and anger that it may reiect the good the power of appetite by the concupisence that it may desier that which is euill The first of these vices begetteth transgression the last bringeth forth sinne the midlemost ingeÌ„dereth both sinne traÌ„sgression for it is traÌ„sgression to doe that which is not to be done it is sinne to indeuor that which is not to be indeuored These thrée vi â—…es are purchased and gotten out of corrupted flesh by thrée allurements for in carnall copulation the vnderstanding is lulled on slepe to th ende that ignorance may be sowed the prouocation of lust is styrred vp to th ende that anger and motion of mynde may be spred a broade and the affection of voluptuousnesse is satisfied to thend that concupicence may be obtayned This is that Tyran fleshe the lawe and ruler of the members of man the norishment of sinne the languishment of nature and the fodder of death without the which no man is borne and without the which no man dyeth the which although it passe ouer at any tyme in state of accusation yet it remayneth alwayes in acte For if we say that we haue no sinne we beguyle our selues the trueth is not in vs Oh greuous misery and vnhappy estate condition before we sinne we are bound and wrapped in sinne and before we transgresse we are caught in transgression By one man sinne entered into the worlde by sinne death tooke hold of all men for dyd not the forefathers eate a sower Grape and their childrens téeth are set on edge Wherfore theÌ„ was light geuen to him that is in wretched nesse lyfe lent to such as are in bitternes of the sowle Oh happie they are which dye before they are borne which tast of death before they know what lyfe is for soure are borne so deformed and prodigious that they seme not men but rather abhominations vnto whom nature perhappes should much better haue foresene if she had neuer suffered them to be sene for they are demonstrate and set to shew as monsters and shewes and some againe lacking some of theyr members sences are borne vnperfect to the grefe of their freindes the infamy of their parents and the abashinge of their neighbors But what nede I speake perticularly of these imperfections sithence all men generally are borne without knowledge without speach without vertue without power wéeping wayling weake féeble and but little deâ—…eringe from brute beastes or
held back and death followeth instantly and will not be stopped This is then that wonderfull thing that the more it groweth the more it decreaseth and the further that life procedeth so much the néerer it draweth vnto an ende The time which is graunted and lent for quiet rest is not suffered to be quiet For dreames 〈◊〉 vs and visions doo vex trouble vs And though they be not in déede sorowful or terrible or laboursome which dreamers doo dream yet are they in déed made sorowful affrighted wâ—…ried thereby In so much that some times men wéepe in their sléepe dreams yea being awaked are yet excéediÌ„gly vexed Mark what Elephas Thematices saith vpon this poynt In the horrible dread of a vision by night saith he feare treÌ„bling came vpon me al my bones quaked for dread wheÌ„ the spyrit passed ouer in my preseÌ„ce the here of my flesh stoode right vp for fear CoÌ„sider vpon the words of Iobe which saith If I say that my bed shal yeld me quiet comfort that I shal be releued whilest I talke with my selfe in my couch theÌ„ wilt thou terrifie me in dreams wilt strik me with horrour in visions Nabuchodonosor saw a dream or visioÌ„ which troubled terrefied him maruelously And the visioÌ„ of his head did amaze vex him Many cares do follow dreams wher many dreames be there are also many vanities Dreames haue caused many men to doo amisse they haue béen ouerthrowen whilest they trusted in theÌ„ For often times filthie Images doo appere in dreams by the which not onely the flesh is polluted by nightly illusioÌ„s but also the sowl is ther with blotted and defyled Wherevpon our Lorde God speaketh in the Leuiticall lawes saying If there be emongest you any man which is polluted in his nightly sléepe let him goe foorth of the tents let him not return vntil he be washed with water in the euening And after the Sunne set let him retorne into the tents With how great sorrow are we troubled with how great trembling are we striken when we féele or vnderstaÌ„d the losses or damages of any our frends or dread the perils of our kinsfolke parâ—…ts many times a whole maÌ„ is more troubled with feare then a sicke man is with his infirmitie Some one man is of a voluntary wil more afflicted with the afflictioÌ„ of sorrow theÌ„ some â—…ther vnwilling is through the force effect of the laÌ„gnishing paine that saying of the poet is true Res est soliciti plena timoris Amor. Whose breast is so brasen or whose hart so stony hard bat he will sigh and grone and shed trickling teares when he beholdeth the deathe or greuous hurt or sicknesse of his neighbour or frende who can refrayne from hauing compassion on the passionate or from lamentinge with him that lamenteh Iesus him selfe when he sawe Mary and the Iewes that came with hir vnto the Sepulchre weping became vexed in his spirit troubled with in his mynde wept Percase not bycause he was dead but rather bycause beinge dead they reuoked him to behold the miseries of liefe But let him acknowledge himselfe blamefully hard harted and hardhartedly to be blamed which bewayleth the corporall death of his freind and neuer lamenteth for the spirituall death of his sowle Mishapes fall sodeynly when they are least suspected or loked for Sodeynly calamytie rusheth in at dores sicknesse inuadeth a man and death steppes in whome no man can eskape Therefore boast not of to morowe synce thou knowest not to what th end of the present day may bring thée to A man knoweth not his ende but euen as fishes are caught with the hooke and byrdes with snares and gynnes so are men caught and snatched vp in the euell tyme Wheâ—… they are come to that whereof they might long before haue bewared The Industry of the Phisicons coold neuer yet since the begynninge of the world search out so manie kyndes of diseases nor so many sundry sortes of passions as the frailtie of man could sustaine indure Shal I tearm it a tollerable intollerablenesse or an vntollerable tolleracion or shal better put them both togethers For I must call it vntollerable hauing regarde to the bitternesse of diseas And tollerable I must terme it since it is of necessitie to be suffered So froÌ„ day to day more more the nature of man is corrupted and made weaker In such sorte as many medecyens which in tymes paste were holesome are nowe throwe the desceyt of mans nature deadly and daungerous to bâ—… receyued For both these kyndes of worldes doe nowe wax â—…ld That is to say Macrocosmus and Microcosmus which is to say the greater world the lesser world And the longer that lyfe doth linger in eyther of them so much the worse is nature in each of them troubled and vexed What should I say of the wretched offendors which are punished with innumerable kindes of tormentes They are beaten to death with malles they are thrust throughe with swordes burned with flames of fyer ouerwhelmed with stones they are twytched in péeces with tonges and hanged vpon gibbettes wrung with mannacles and scourged with whyppes bounde in cheynes fastened in snares thrust down into darke dungeons Starued with fastinges throwne downe hedlonges drowned flayed and pulled in péeces quartered and some tymes smothered Those which are condemned to death dye those that are put to the sword must suffer there with those which are iudged to famishe must sterue and those which are put into captiuitie must indure it Crewel iudgement outragious punishment and sorowfull sight to be holde They are made a pray for the Byrdes of the Ayre the beastes of the feild and fishes of the sea Alas alas alas O miserable mothers which brought forth such miserable and vnhappy children Therefore I haue thought good to repete that horrible fact which Iosephus doth discribe in the seige of Hierusalem A certayne woman being both for bloud and wealth honourable dyd paciently beare and abyde the misery of the seige with the rest that were fled into the citie of Hierusalem and the tyrantes dyd straightwayes inuade the remnaunt of hir substaunce which she brought with hir from hir house into the Citie Yea if any thing yet remayned of hir aboundauâ—…t riches whereby she might poorely sâ—…staine hir with dayly foode the Captaynes of the sedicious rushing in at tymes dyd take it from hir by force Wherevpon the wooman by this outragious dealing was dryuen into a certayne disdayne euen as it were into a fury So that many times she prouoked the sedicious spoylers with reprochfull wordes and curses to haue killed hir But when as no man either of pittie or of furious fiercenesse would dispatch hir and yet as fast as she sought for any thinge to comfort hir there came others which sought as fast to take it from hir and hir plentie began now
lewed the thinge then it selfe is vnlawfull As if any man praye fast and geue almes to obteyne mens prayses thereby Then for asmuch as by the testimonie of Dyonysius goodnesse is an entyer cause that is to say whyther all the circumstaunces of vertue before rehearsed doe concurre and the defectes or euilles doe happen by the omyttinge of any circumstaunces Therefore the gréeuousnesse of the sinne is so much the greater the more that the number of cir cumstaunces be which are forsaken and the more that the partie doeth goe from the verie conuenyent circumstaunces of vertue it selfe Herevpon let vs now not onely be sory that we doe those thinges which of their owne nature be vicyous and absolutly euill and doe also omit things that we should doe But also bicause we haue sinned in an iuconuenient tyme in a place more for bydden to a very wicked ende and purpose by dishonest meanes or assistaunce and in a moste vnapt manner and fashion euen vnfearfully and vnreuerently altogither we must consider also how often with what maÌ„ner of person with how great delight in sinning and with how great or what kynde of offence to our neighbour For the more that the desiere of sinning I meane the verie willingnesse to euill be more bent thervnto the fault is so muche the more gréeuous Lykewise it is conuenyent and we must consider of the good thinges whiche wée doe whither they bée done in due tyme and place with a right intent and reuerently also For it is more gréeuous in the time of diuine seruice on the holy daies and in the church to haue a wandring mynde to tattle to looke gazinge about and to set mynde vpon vice and wickednesse Therefore my welbeloued indeuour thy selfe to fulfil the good déedes wherevnto thou art bounden with the circumstaunces before rehersed as much as in thée lieth and doe héedely consider the gréeuousnesse of thy sinnes by all these thinges now rehersed which doe aggreuate sinne and wickednesse Of the deformytie hatefullnesse and loathsomnesse of sinne by consideration of it selfe Art. 14. BYcause god which is dishonoured by sinne doth consist of an infinyte great honorablenesse aâ—…blenesse and bewtie Therefore sinne is iudged to be also of an infinit loathsomnesse hatefulnesse and deformytie For asmuch as it is displeasing coÌ„trary to the diuine will holynesse and equitiâ—… herevpon sinne ought by the lawes of God neyther to be committed nor to be alowed for no cause for no feare of damage danger or torment nor for any loue of commodytie prosperitie or â—…ye Yea rather should a man willingly receaue indâ—…â—…ost gréeuous death then to incurre the least sinne And therefore whosoeuer doth either for flatterie or for menaces or by regardinge mans fauour yeld vnto sinne he declareth sufficiently that he is imperfect To conclude the least euill of the fault that is to say The least sinne is more hatefull and more to be fledd from then any kynde of euill in the payne or any kynde of punnyshment yea though it be infernall as touchinge that it is méerely punishment Therfore we ought not to sinne for the auoyding of any torment losse or discomodity but rather ought a man to be willing to beare any payne then to offende God For to offende god is as much as to léese god I meane the vnmesurable goodnesse of God and to set our owne wicked wills directly against his most holy will. And therefore now my welbeloued consider how great is their frowardnesse how farr are they distant from true perfection whose whole affection tendeth day and night to doe those thinges which are forbydden by thy diuyne lawes Which by slattery gyftes poursute doe labour to drawe those thinges vnto their consent with the which they may fulfil ther most filthy desiers And which studie to be hououred to be inrytched and to haue their proprietie in this worlde Therefore let the state of our myndes stand inflexible Let vs neither be puffed vp with prosperitie nor yet ouer come with aduersitie Neither let vs fall hedlong from the way of righteousnesse tâ—…rough feare of mans displeasure rebuke or dismaying and let vs beyond all comparison feare the death of the sowle which is sinne more then the death of the body Against those which doe more feare eschewe and hate the euill of the punishment then the 〈◊〉 of the fault Art. 15. FEare is the flying from or detesting of euil Therfore the worse that any things bée the more to be fled from and the more detestable they are iudged to bée For as muche as euil is the obiect of feare So y it is alreadie euident that the euil of the fault is vnmeasurably to be fled froÌ„ But the euil of the paine or the punishment of sin or any kynde of afflictiue aduersitie is not in it self absolutely euil or simply to be fled froÌ„ or auoyded But it is iustly sent by God is profitable in this world to the taking away of sin the powring of grace vpon vs In hell it is the worke of the diuine iustice ordeyned for the fault although it be hurtfull vnto the dampned If theÌ„ since these things are so how vnperfect vyle childish are they which in this life do rather feare flye from the iust punishment confusion rebuke of their sinnes then from the very 〈◊〉 thie deformitie of sin it self the displeasure of the diuine holinesse and the dishonor of the highest God These be those disordered and miserable creatures in whom priuate loue doth wey downe godly loue in whom seruyle feare is greater then chyldish obedience which doe more honour dread and estéeme the sight iudgement of the world theÌ„ of god neuer fearing to doe that in the presence and beholding of God him self which they would be abashed to doe in the sight of a man being their iudge in this world These are more sorowfull for their own temporal or corporal discommodities losses or punishments theÌ„ for gods displeasure for the losse of grace or for the wounding of their soule These men doe pretend fayne a certaine amendment wheÌ„ the iudgement examination of men is at hand or approcheth But when he is absent whom they feared and is not loked for to returne shortly vnto iudgement or punishment theÌ„ they liue as they did before Go to then welbeloued let vs feare God most sincerely let vs without all comparison hate the euil of the fault and hartely imbrace such punishment as is layd vpon vs for sinne yea and lot vs beare it patiently â—…nd let vs most faithfully bewayle and lament the hurts of the soule that is sins more theÌ„ the lâ—…se of temporall things or the afflictions of y bodie Last of all we shal be able to accomplish all these things if we mark effectually that saying of Salomon My sonne honor God thou shalt prosper Besides him sée thou feare no man And agayne he sayeth Hée that feareth God doth tremble at nothing and he
lawfull for vs to glorie in our selues nor to haue a vayn delight in our selues But as the Apostle sayeth He that gloryeth let him glorie in the Lord. Beholde the world passeth ouer and all the glorie therof And what is our life in this world but a smoke and vapour shewing it selfe a little and sâ—…raight way is vanished and gone we all slippe away lyke water into the earth Wée are earth ashes dust rottennesse and wormes meate So that when a man is deade hee shall inherite Snakes and Wormes To conclude what is this present lyfe but a continuall and â—…oste swifte course vnto deathe For some parte of our lyfe is continually and without ceasing wasted and cut off And therefore Dauid sayde Our dayes are lyke a shadowe vpon the earth and there is none abidyng And Ezechias sayde my lyfe is cut of as the webbe from the Weauer Yea euen whylest I yet began he cut mée off And Iob remember mée O Lord for my lyfe is lyke a puffe of wynde And in respecte of the eternitie the lastyng of thys lyfe is nothing as Job witnesseth in the same place saying Spare mée O Lorde for my dayes are as nothyng Héerevpon Chrisostom sayth Let vs passe saith he one hundreth yeres in delyghtes yea ad thervnto another hundereth or if you lyst ten tymes an hundereth and what shall all this bée compared to eternitie shall not all the whole tyme of this lyfe in the which we séeme to inioy so many delyghtes and to haue frée scope vnto vanities shall it not I saye bée as a dreame of one nyght compared to the eternitie Yes for as Hierome sayeth if thou haddest the wysedome of Salomon the beautie of Absalon the strength of Sampson the ryches of Crâ—…esus and the myghtie power of Octauianus what should all these profitte thée when as straight wayes thy bodie shall be delyuered vnto the wormes and thy soule vnto diuilles For as Augustyne affyrmeth If Adam yet lyued and shoulde dye thys day what coulde it then auayle hym to haue liued so long Now therefore my dearely beloued weygh these things déepely For such as neglecte to marke these things presently â—…arly or late they shall say vnfrutefully with the reprobate in the day of iudgement We haue erred from the way of truth and the lyght of rightuousnesse hath not shyned in vs and the bryght sonne of vnderstandyng hath not rysen vnto vs What hath our pryde profited vs Or what hath our pompe and boastyng preuayled vs All those thyngs haue passed ouer as a shadowe and as a swyfte running messenger For then shall the heauens reneale the vanitie of the louers of this world togither with their iniquities and the earth it selfe shall ryse agaynst them Then their sin and transgression shal be manifest with suche as haue sayde to God Departe from vs Wee will not haue the knowledge of thy wayes Then shall the rounde world fight agaynst them in Gods behalfe All thynges which haue bene shall then suffer punyshement and yet shall not be consumed Yea they shall suffer and sustayne accordyng to the multitude of theyr inuentions For the wicked is reserued vntyll the daye of perdition and shall bee ledde vnto the day of furie and shal drinke of the wrath of the almightie Let these things terâ—…rifie thy mynde and withdrawe it from the worlde Yea principally let them ioyne it vnto God. Furthermore the vanitie of this world doeth hereby most manifestly appeare that the prosperitie thereof is expected and gaped for with an excéedyng gréedinesse of mynde and when it commeth it can not be reteyned But all thinges passe ouer and all things flye away This day is paste and the beginnyng of the nexte is not yet knowne whither it shall be quyet or laboursome For so passeth ouer the glorie of this worlde And ther vpon Augustyne demaundeth saying What wilte thou loue temporall things sayeth he and passe away with them or wilt thou loue Christ and lyue eternally with hym For it is vnpossible that a man doe both inioy the present delights and the ioyes to come It is vnpossible both héere to fyll the paunche and there to satisâ—…e the mynde Men may not passe from one delyght to another and appeare gloryous bothe héere and in the worlde to come Yea and the contempte of worldely and temporall thynges is euydente by this that God doeth oftentymes bestowe them more aboundantlye vpon hys enimyes and them which are reprobate then vpon the electe For the electe doeth consider by the end that those thinges are of none accompte which doe transitorilye and seculerly delyght And therefore Hierome sayeth the spéedie consâ—…lation of the gooâ—… is the ende of the wycked well considered and foreséene For whilest the good perceyue by the distruction of the wicked what euils and perils they haue passed and eskaped they accompt all things light easie which they suffer endure in this life So y bâ—…hold my welbeloued how great the deceipt of this world is howe excéeding great is the blyndnesse of the loue which we beare to the same For whilest the wicked doth willingly with great delight remain continue in this worlde hopyng to lyue long and settyng many thinges in oâ—…der for the tyme to come sodaynely and vnawares hée is commaunded to dye and in a moment to leaue and forsake all those thinges which he so faltily hath loued and estemed Héerevpon our Sauiour Christ bringeth in the ryche man speakyng vnto hym selfe and saying My soule thou haste muche good and treasure layde vp for many yeares Take thine ease eate drinke be mery But God answeareth him saying O foole this nyght shal they take thy soule from thée whose then shall that be which thou haste so gréedily gathered Let vs therefore gather togither true and spiritual ryches which will not forsake vs at the tyme of death but will appeare with vs before God and make vs séeme comely and beautifull in all vertue and godlinesse In these kynde of riches we may dayly increase and profit yea and in suche sorte that suche profite may bée muche more auaylable vnto vs then if we possessed all the riches in the world Wherfore let vs not myspende the leaste space of tyme nor bee occupyed in good thynges onely but in the moste excelent thinges That wée may alwayes searche out those things which drawe nearest to our saluation And so growe nearer and nearer neyghbours vnto god And bee alwayes reuerently and honâ—…urably conuersaunte in the syghte of the heauenly Father Let vs thinke and thinke agayne vpon the quyet peace and tranquilitie of a pure hearte vpon the delectation of a soule beholdyng the maiestie of God and vpon the securitye and fyrme hope of the mynde which loueth god And hereby wee shall soone fynde that to gyue ouer our selues vnto such things is as much as to be conformed vnto God. And that suche as doe otherwyse are deformed and not reformed For it is not
it shall behold them and féele them then may it sensibly vnderstande what excéeding trembling dreade and terrour doth ensue of the loue and delightes conceyued in this frayle vnconstant and most wretched woâ—… But my beloued doe thou forecast all these thinges 〈◊〉 suffre none of these admonicions to slyppe out of thy mynde That thou mayest eschewe and eskape eternall payne and punishment and atteyne vnto the ioyes which shall endure worlde without ende Amen A LETTER WRYTTEN by I. B. vnto his famyliar frende G. P. teaching remedies against the bytternesse of Death WHen I remember your request made vnto me at our last parting which was that I should wryte some what vnto you either to ingender in you a meditacion of contented death or at the least to diminish the desyre of long lyfe I can not but much lyke and commend in you that disposition whereby it appeareth your desyre and mynde is let not in the loue of things transitory but in knowledge and in that knowledge which of all other is moste perfect and méete for a wyse man For if that be worth the learning that is necessary and that for euery age degrée and sexe all creatures must necessarily dye and no man of reason dyeth better and more lyke a man then he that hathe learned the Science thereof And if that knowledge be worth the learning whereof commeth certeyne and great commoditie none can be compared with the Scyence of well dying the fruite whereof is comfort and lyfe neuer enâ—…ynge And as this knowledge is most perfect worthie learninge so haue you taken a verye méete and conuenient tyme for the atteyninge of it which is youth the flower of your age haing in it selfe strengthe and habilitie to learne any Scyence and leauing tyme to practise that is well learned For as none other science profitable being lyberall is sodenly learned neither is it enough to byd a man though he be wytty sodenly to drawe a figure in Geometrie make a proporcion by Arithmiticke be a good sowldier ingenier or other lyke for he may say he lacketh tyme teaching and exercise to atteyne such knowledge euen so is the science of dying wel to be learnid with tyme meditacion and exercise And who so sayth to a sicke man not practised herein be content to dye forgo this mortal life may here of him againe I know what it is to lyue by experience but to dye I haue not learned and the lesson is not so easie as you thinke it Wherein if many would doo as you séeme to meane that is to learne to dye when they may bâ—…st lyue they should bothe lyue more quiet and dye better contented And now somewhat to satisfie your desyre and to entre into this treatie which I entende not to make longe I wyl kéepe this ordre Fyrst to shew that vnto a Christian man Death is not to be fledde but rather to be desyred or at the least well to be taken no plague but â—…enefyt no losse but gayne Next I will shewe what the lettes and causes be that make vs indge otherwise And thirdly tell how those lettes may be remoued and our opinion somewhat changed to thincke of Death and lyfe as they are without preiudice that men commonly bringe with them To the heathen not knowing GOD nor the vertue of the lyfe to come the first parte that Death is not to be fledde shonnid and terrible is a lesson harde or rather vnpossâ—…ble to be taught For lyfe being good as all men thinke and of it selfe it is no man can willingly leaue the good but for the better for otherwise he shall thinke him selfe to make suche a bargaine as the Pâ—…ete sayth Glaucus made with Diomedes change gold for copper And bicause the heathen knowe not the beâ—…r which knowledge is learned onely in Christes schole 〈◊〉 of their bookes though they wrote many of the contempt of Death with fayre and glorious woordes could make either them selues or their heires with right iudgement content to dye if they might liue to leaue presâ—…t life which thei thought good and were content with for an other to come whereof their knowledge was none or doubtfull and vncertayne And therefore a Philosoper emong the reste most learned sayde of all thinges dredefull most drâ—…adfull is Death And the excelent Dratour who in health and wealth spake lyke a whole man and as a man learnid perswaded other being for a tyme banished was him self without all comfort And when he drewe towardes death perceued he had sayde more then he could iustifie and performe in him selfe In lyke case was the Emperour for wisedome so much renowmed who approching néere to death and speaking as he founde cause by proofe and tryall and not as he before had vaynely thought sayde he was toubled with the feare of Death bicause he knewe not whether he should goe nor what the gods immortall for so he termid them had determined of him vnto whome he recommendid him selfe with this doubt that if they had appoynted any good of him they should then shew it These thrée examples of the best with other able to fill a great volume doe well shewe that the heathen were not learned in this scieÌ„ce anâ—… much lesse méete to be scholemaisters and teachers to them that will rightly learne it and therefore I intende not to vse their examples though they make a faire muster which when I sée other men do in this argument wryting vnto a christian reâ—…der I thinke they doe not wel remember what is méete for the argument they take in hande and for the person to whome they wryte But as to the heathen the ende of lyfe being is and for causes aforesayd must be dreadfull so vnto a christian man it neither is nor should séeme so vnto whom death is the beginning of lyfe the gate of blysse the ende of soroâ—… and mortal â—…reefe Whereof he is not onely informed by coniecture lyke to be true but assured by promise of him y can be all thinges sauing false so that a scholer of Christe should rather doubt whether the Sunne shyne by daye or whether he féele being awaked then whether the promises made thereof be assured or no. Then if it be so that Death endeth all sorow payne misery and trauayle and setteth vs in place of solâ—…ce comfort blysse and quiet and that such as neither hath enterlacing of the contrary nor ende of it selfe Who is sorye to make this change but he that beleueth not how good it is and how well made or how shall we thinke he beleueth it to be good and also true who slyeth from it when it is comminge towarde him or would not haue it true in him selfe that he beleueth Let him feare Deathe who hath not hard of Christe to whome Christe hathe promised naught desyrous neither to heare of him to sée him not to be with him whome fantasie leadeth vanitie pleaseth lust ruleth and the world blyndeth séekinge
vnto a faythfull christian man is it the dissolucion of the bodie that a christian man desireth who is able to say I long to be dissolued is it that death bringeth an ende of life being heare that is not much to him that knoweth he hath an other lyfe to come in comparison of which this is no lyfe but death no ioy but sorow no ease but trauayle no quiet but misery So that either there is in deade very smal weake faith in vs to beleue gods promises infallibly made to all his Or if we doo assuredly beleue theÌ„ the greatest feare in that behalfe is past for he that loseth his lyfe temporall fyndeth eternal goeth froÌ„ labour to rest from the sea into the hauen froÌ„ weaknes to strength from sicknes to health from death to lyfe from sinne to iustice from sorow heuines paine to the place where there is no gréefe nor sighinge those former parts are then past Let the heathen feare to dye who may truely say I know not whether I goe nor what is ordeyned for me to what ende the gods haue created me whether it be good or no who are borne in sin not new borne in holines who haue neither teaching or knowledge of life neither promis of the same But a christiaÌ„ man being taught y death is the entre to lyfe that he is ordeyned to lyue with Christ created to be partaker of his glory regenerat sanctified by him with promis of blisse inestimable if he after all this retorne to the same loue of lyfe feare of death y is in the gentil what doth he then else but practise to be come a gentil heathen again selling away his enheritaÌ„ce for lesse then a messe of potage and renouÌ„cing his priuiledge whervnto he is singularly and especially called But as we haue sayd before weaknes may be a great cause to make a man feare death lack of beléefe a greater but yet are they not the greatest for perfect loue ouercoÌ„meth weaknes increaseth reuiueth faith wher loue is whole sounde the rest is soone recouered if it be lost or increased if it be decated But if loue be either deuided betwene god this world lyfe present or wholly traÌ„slated froÌ„ god vnto things traÌ„sitory How should a man be content to parte froÌ„ y he loueth and séeke that he careth not for sithe it is so true saying that where the man loueth he lyueth and vnpossible is it that who so is delited here possessed with the loue of this lyfe should willingly heare of death which can onely be welcome to them that therby desire to be with Christ whom they loue better then theÌ„selues or this lyfe so can be coÌ„tent to leaue the good for the better their welbeloued for the best beloued or y they estéeme light they entirely and tenderly loue For if it be asked what is the thing of such force y is able to make a man content to forsake his goods his liuing him selfe and his life if we will answere truely and in fewe words we must say it is loue nothing else which wher so euer it be faâ—…ed ma keth al other things séeme nothing in coÌ„parison of that it lyketh And herein to vse some exaÌ„ples it was none other thing the made the Philosopher cast himselfe into the burning fire of Aetna nor the Romain getleman-on horse backe to leape in wher y earth gaped the young man after y reading of Platoes booke to break his neck So many captains souldiers wyllingly wittingly to goe to their death but loue They louid somthing better then lyfe the wysest their couÌ„try and frendes whome they would preserue thother fame and as they called it immortalitie the lightest vayne estimacion glory but euery one somwhat wherewith they were ledde Sith theÌ„ loue is of such force as y same is able to bereue a man not only of his goods treasure but also of his lyfe and that by his owne will and coÌ„sent the right waye to learne coÌ„tentidly to receaue death when god sendeth it is to learne to employ wel fasten our loue wher it should be is due that is vppoÌ„ god and the lyfe to come louing that onely for it selfe and other things so much and so farre as we neither change nor remoue y out of his place which lesson if it be not onely beleued but practised maketh the lyfe godly and comfortable and the death easy And who so euer marieth him to the loue of the world following y desires thereof and making the desyres of it his delight that man may speake boldly of death vntil it come But when he shal stand vpon his gard to receue the assault he must will vndoubtedly shrink shew him selfe a weake souldier lacking the armour that should theÌ„ defend him for if faith his buckler byd him be strong thinck vpon the coÌ„quest that Christ his captaine hath made vpon that triumph y is prouided for him his owne hart coÌ„science which is néere him than his armour will saye all that is prouided for such as beare their loue true hart to their onely captaine whome they promised to serue for such as before in the time of theyr seruice dyd resist his enimie his atteÌ„ptes and not for such as yelded themselues prisoners vnto him content to be in his Campe and to fight vnder his banner His sword which is the worde of God being not well handeled of him before nor much occupied wyll then agrée ill with his hand he for lack of exercise not able to giue a strong blow therwith his curates of charitie so thin that eache dart arrow shal perce it his helm of hope vnlyned neither wel fitting to his head nor able to kéepe of the force of the byll Is it possible think ye y a souldier thus armed besides this not exercised in feates of warre shold withstaÌ„d a mightie stroÌ„g practised wel armed man no verely He wil either runne away if the grouÌ„d serue him or with shame be takeÌ„ prisoner and captine When I consider the maner of dying of such as were in gods fauour of whom we reade in the Scriptures old new coÌ„pare our selues with theÌ„ how willing ready glad they were to leaue this lyfe how loath backwarde sory we are for the greater part to doe the same I meruaile we should be called one mans children that are so vnlyke in condicion Moses being tolde he should no longer lyue therefore to prouide his successour dyd w his own hands ordre appoynt Iosua without coÌ„playnt sorow or token of gréefe prouiding for theÌ„ that shold lyue as it were nothing thinking on him selfe Isaac byd his sonne go hunt prouide gett him meat that he might blesse him before he dyed The lycke coÌ„tentacioÌ„ appeared in Iacob Tobias Dauid sundry other whome we finde not onely neuer to haue shunned death
the lord They went about in shéepes felles in goates skynnes néedy afflicted miserable For whome the worlde was not yet worthy Straying in solitarie places in mountaynes in dennes and in caues of the carth in daunger of floods in daunger of théeues in daunger of the Iewes in 〈◊〉 of the Gentylles and in daunger of faulse brethren In labour calamitie in much watching in hunger and thirst in many necessities and in cold and nakednesse For the 〈◊〉 doth deny himselfe and 〈◊〉 his members together with all vices and coâ—…pisences that the world may be 〈◊〉 vnto him And he to the worlde He hath héere no place of aboade but séeketh diligently for the heauenly habitation to come He susteyneth the world as an exile beinge 〈◊〉 vp in his bodie as in a pryson sayinge I am an inhabitour and a stranger in the earthe as all my forefathers haue bene Forgeue me that I may be cooled before I depart I will abyde no longer Alas that my dwelling place is prolonged I haue euer dwelled with the inhabitaÌ„ts of cedar my sowle hath remayned with them Who is weakened and I am not weake Who is weakened and I am not vexed For the sinnes of the neighbors are the refreshinges of the iust This is that watering place which Caleph gaue vnto his daughter Axa in dowry The lyfe of man vpon earth is a warfare Yea is it not 〈◊〉 right warfare when manyfold enemies doe on euery syde assayle it that they may take man and persecute him and kyll him the deuill and man the world and the flesh The deuill with vices and concupisences man with beastes the world with Elements and the flesh with the sences For the flesh doth couet against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But we must not wrastle against flesh and bloud but against the lyuely breathinges of wickednesse in heauenly thinges and against the captaines of these darcknesses For your aduersary the deuill goeth about lyke a roaring Lion séeking whome he may deuowâ—…r The fyry dartes of the most wicked are kindled Death commeth in by the wyndowes the eye doth robbe the Sowle the whole world doth fight against the sences that is nacion against nacion kingedome against kingdome great Earthquakes in many places pestilences and hongers tempestes and terrors from heauen The Earth bringeth forth thornes and thissells the water flooddes and raging tempestes the Ayre thunder and great wyndes the Fyer lightninges and flashâ—…nges Saying cursed be the Earth in thy works it shall bring forth thornes and thissells vnto thée With the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread vntill thou retourne to the Earth For Earth thou art and to the Earth thou shalt goe The Bore out of the woode doth lye in waight and the best fruites are destroyed The Woulfe and the Beare the Leopard and the Lyon the Tyger and the wylde Asse the Crocodyle and the Gryffen the Serpent the Snake the Adder and the Bassâ—…liske the Dragon and the Ceracte the Scorpion the Uyper yea Nittes Lyse Fleas and Ants Flyes and Gnats Waspes and Hornets Fyshe and Fowles For whereas we are created to beare rule ouer the Fyshes of the Sea and the fowles of the Ayre and all lyuing creatures which moue vpon the Earth Now we are geuen as a praye for them and are made foode for their mouthes For it is wrytten I will send the téeth of wylde beastes against them with the fury of Serpents and things which glyde vppon the Earth Unhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me out of the body of this death Surely man would be brought out of pryson and would depart out of his body For the body is the prison of the Sowle Wherevpon the Psalmist saith Bring my sowle out of pryson No rest nor quietnesse no peace nor securitie at any tyme On all sydes feare and trembling and on all sides labour and payne Flesh shall be sorowful euen whylest it lyueth and the sowle shal morne and lament ouer it selfe Who had euer yet a whole day pleasant in his delight who in some part thereof the guiltinesse of consience the feare of anger and feircenesse or the motion of concupisence hath not troubled whome the swelling of enuie the earnest desyer of couetousnesse or the puffing vp of pryde hath not vexed Whome some losse or offence or passion hath not disquieted and to conclude whom neither sight nor hearing or some thing that touched dyd not offend Rara auis in terris 〈◊〉 simillima Signo Herken herevpon vnto the saying of the wise man Betwene morning sayth he and night the tyme shal be changed Uayne thoughts and cogitacions doo one succede another the mynde is wrapped into sundry conceytes They houlde the Tymbrell and Lute in theyr handes and they reioyce at the sounde of the Organnes they leade theyr life in iollytie and at the twincke of an eye they goe downe into hell Alwayes some sodeyne sorrowes doo succede and fâ—…low after worldly ioye And he which beginneth in ioye endeth in griefe For the worldly felicitie is mingled with many sorrowes and sharpe mishappes as he well knewâ—… which sayd They laughter shall be mingled with sorrow lameÌ„tacioÌ„ comes in th end of reioycing This did the sonns children of Iobe wel trye who whiles they did eat draÌ„k wine in the house of their eldest brother sodeynly a vehement wynde brake in from the desart country strake the foure corners of the house which fell downe and oppressed theÌ„ all Whereby their father sayed not without iust cause My harp is tourned into lamentacion myne organe pypâ—… into the voyce of wéepers mourners But it is better to goe vnto the house of weping lamentacion then to the houses of banqueting Geue eare and marke a holsome admonicioÌ„ In the day of reioycing good fortune be not vnmidfull of mishaps Remâ—…ber the latter daies thou shalt neuer sin Alwayes the last day is the first and yet the first daye is neuer reputed for the last yet we should so liue as though we were euer ready to dye For it is written Be myndeful and remember that death will not long tarry from thée time passeth away death approcheth A thousand yeares before the eyes of him the dyeth are as yesterday which passed away For all thinges to come doo grow and renew and alwaies thinges present doo dye and fade And whatsoeuer is past is altogether dead Then we dye alwaies as long as we lyue then at length we leaue dying when we leaue to lyue any longer Therefore it is better to dye vnto lyfe then to lyue vnto death Wherevpon Salomon saide I haue more praysed the dead then the liuinge and haue accounted him more then bothe which was neuer borne Life flieth swiftly away and cannot be
away lyke vnto a shadowe neuer continewinge in one estate Wherefore should he desyer muche when as little may suffise him If we haue sayth the Appostle meat drynck and cloth let vs there with be contented wherefore should man séeke necessarie thinges with great carefulnesse when as they proffer themselues without any great difficultie harken what the truth sayth vpoÌ„ this poynt Be not carefull saying what shall we eate or what shall we dryncke or where with shall we be couered For your heauenly father doth know that you haue neede of all these thinges But first séeke you the kingedome of heauen then all thinges shal be geuen vnto you For I neuer sawe the iust forsaken nor his séede begging his bread Tantalus is thrirsty in the myddest of the water the couetous man is néedy in the myddest of his welth Unto whom asmuch auayleth that which he hath not as that which he hath Since he neuer taketh the youse of that which he hath gotten But still is gréedily bent vpoÌ„ the getting of more Salomon sayth He is lyke vnto a ritch man wheÌ„ he hath nothing he is lyke vnto a poore man when he is ouer whelmed with much rytches Both the sicke man and the couetous man eateth disgesteth not Receyueth and restoreth â—…ot A couetous man doeth neyther take compassion on them that suffer nor helpeth nor pittieth them which are in misery But offendeth god Offendeth himselfe and offendeth his neighbour For from god he withhouldeth that which is due To his neighbour he denyeth that which is necessary And from himselfe he conueyeth that which is most conuenyent Unthanckfull to god wicked to his neighbour and crewell vnto himselfe Substance is to no purpose for a couetous and nigardly maÌ„ And to what end serueth gold in the handes of an enuious man he which is euill vnto himselfe howe shall he be good vnto others and he shall not reioyce in his substaunce He which hath the wealth of this world and séeth his brother in necessitie and shutteth vp his store from him howe doeth the loue and charytie of god dwell in him For he loueth not his neighbour as himselfe But letteth him perishe for néede pouertie Neyther doth he loue god aboue all thinges But preferreth gold and more estéemeth syluer The Appostle doth well defyne couetousnesse sayinge Couetousuesse is the bondage or seruice of Idoles For as the Idolater doth serue the Immage or Idoll So doth the couetous man serue and attend his gold For as the Idolatour doth diligently amplifie the honour and ceremonies of Idolatry euen so doth the couetous man willingly increase the heapes of his mony That one with all diligence decketh and worshipeth the Idoll and that other with all care néede doth heape his treasure That one putteth his hope in Idolatrie and that other putteth his hope in his ritches That one is affeard to hurt the Image or Idoll and that other is affeard to demynishe his treasury A couetous man is prompt to craue slowe to geue and bould to denie If he spende any thing he thincks that he loseth all He is heauy coÌ„mplayning wayward being careful he sigheth and is vexed He is doubtful when he hath most he dispatcheth all thinges with an euill will He doth â—…agnifie and extoll that which is already geuen â—…ut dispyteth and vylefyeth that which must be geuen He geueth to gayâ—…e but he gayneth not to gyue He is liberall vpon anothermans pursse and sparing of his owne He pincheth his belly to fill his coffer and punysheth his body to pamper his pursse His hand serueth not to geue that which is gathered but to receyue that which is reached vnto him To conclude the substaunce of the vniust man shal be dryed vp lyke vnto a puddle For he which doth euil heape together will soone disperse it A iâ—…st iudgement of god That suche thinges as are euill gotten may be as euill spent And that such thinges as preséed not of goodnesse should neuer clyme vnto the name of goodnesse So that the couetous man hath the condempnation of this lyfe of the lyfe to come Tâ—… we it is therefore that the wyse man protesteth sâ—…ying gold siluer haue vndone many man He which loueth gold shall not be iustified Wo be vnto them which folowe it For behould the synuers themselues are abundant in this worlde and haue obteyned rytches Herevpon the verie truth dyd coÌ„maund the Appostles saying Possesse you neyther gold nor siluer nor mony in your pursses For euen as a Cammell cannot enter at the eye of a néedle so is it hard fâ—…r a rytch man to enter into the kingdome of heauen for the way is narrowe and the gate very strayght which lâ—…adeth vnto lyfe The Appostle therefore folowinng the rule of truth sayeth I haue neither golde nor siluer Woe be vnto you then which ioyne house to house and feild to feild vntyll you haue altogether the earth is replenished with siluer and golde And there is no end of his treasures For the iniquitie of his couetousnesse I am angry and haue strooken him But Abraham was ritch Iobe had abundaunce Dauid was also very ritch yet the scripture sayth of AbrahaÌ„ that he beleued in god it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes and it is writen of Iob that there was not his lyke in the land A man symple right fearinge god And declyninge from euill Of Dauid it is written that god found a man according to his hart But then these men were as though they had nothinge and possessed all thinges According to the saying of the Prophet If ritches come vpon you set not your hart thereon But we are lyke vnto men that possesse all thinges and yet haue nothing So sayth also the Psalmist The riche men did néede and were hungry For with more ease shall you finde a man whiche louâ—…th riches and hath them not then a man whiche hath riches and loueth them not for as it is hard to lye in the fyre and not to burne so is it hard to possesse riches and not to loue them Geuâ—… eare vnto the Prophet Ieremy who sayth that from the least to the greatest all men apply their myndes vnto couetousnes And froÌ„ a Prophet to a priest al meÌ„ deuise subtilies Euery couetoâ—…s man doth endeuour stryue against nature For nature brought man poore into the world And nature taketh the poore man out of the worlde For as the earth dyd receue him naked at his birth so shall it râ—…ceue him â—…aked at his death But the couetous man desyreth and taketh care to become ritch in this world I will pul downe my barnes sayth he make them greater and therein will I heape vp all myne increase and all my goods But it was sayde vnto him O foole this night shall thy sowle be taken from thée And
to their parentes disorderâ—…d without loue without truth and without mercy With such and much worse this world is replenished as with heritikes scismatikes periures Tyrans Symonsellers hypocrytes ambitious men robbers spoylers extorcioners and pollers vsurers and false witnesses wicked théeues and church robbers traytors lyers flatterers deceyuers tale tellers wauerers gluttons dronkards adulterers incesteous men tender treaders and vayn vauÌ„ters slouens sluggardes and loyterers prodigall spenders and vnthriftes rashe quarellers and hackers vnpatient and vnconstant men poysoners and witches presumpteous and â—…rogant wretches deuilish mynded and desperate men To conclude with such as are packt full of all paltry of the earth and farced with all kynde of vyle abhomination Yet euen as the smoke vanisheth away so shall they vanish and as waxe melteth before the fyre so shall sinners perysh before the face of God. The wicked men doe suffer foure princypall paynes at theyr death The fyrst is the perpiexitie of the body which is then greater and more gréeuous than euer it was or is in this present lyfe vntil that tyme of dissolution For some thinke that euen without motion suche is their gréeâ—…ous paines they teare themselues in péeces For the violence of death is strong and vncomparable Bicause the knyttinges and naturall combyninges of the body with the spirit arâ—… then broken insonder And therevpon the Prophet Dauid sayth in the Psalme the panges of death haue compassed mée There is no member nor no parte of the body but is touched and twitched with that vntollerable payne Thâ—… second payne is when the body being altogither wéeryed and ouercome the force and strength therof cleane vanquished the Soule doth much more playnely perceyue in one moment all the works which it hath done good and bad and all those things are set before the inward eyes This payne is so great and this torment and disquiet is so gréeuous that the soule being much vexed and troubled is constrayned to confesse and declare against it selfe As it is sayde in the Psalmes the floodes of iniquitie haue troubled mée For as the floodes come with great force and sway and séeme to beare downe all things before them so in the houre of death the wicked man shall sodeinly sée and behold all the workes that he hath done or committed good or bad The third paine is when the soule now beginneth iustly to iudge and séeth all the paynes and tormentes of hell to hang worthely ouer it for all the iniquities whereof it is giltie Wherevpon it is also sayd in the Psalme the paynes of hell came about mée The fourth payne is when the soule béeing yet in the bodye doeth sée the wicked spirites readye to receyue it wherein the dread is suche and so vnspeakeable payne that the myserable soule although it be now parted from the body doeth runne about as long as it may to redéeme the tyme of hir captiuitie before shée forsake the body Also euery man as well good as euill doeth sée before the soule departe from the bodye Christ crucified The wicked séeth it to his 〈◊〉 when hée maye blushe and bée ashamed that hée is not redéemed throughe the bloud of Christ and that his owne giltynesse is the cause thereof Wherevpon it is sayde vnto the wicked in the gospell They shall sée agaynst whom they pricked and stoonge The which is vnderstoode by the commyng of Christ vnto iudgement and of his comming at the instant tyme of any mans death But the good man shall sée him to his comforte and reioysing as we may perceyue by the wordes of the Apostle which sayeth vntill the comming of our Lord Iesu Christ that is to say at the day of death when Christ â—…rucifyed shall appeare as well vnto the good as vnto the wicked And Christ him selfe sayeth of Iohn the Euangelist So will I haue him to abyde vntill I come That is to say continuing in virginitie vntill I come vnto hys death For we read of foure maner of commings that Christ shall come Two of them are visible The first in humilitie to redéeme the world The second in maiestie vnto iudgement And the other two are vnuisible The first whereof is in the mynde of man by grace Whereof it is sayd in the gospell wee shall come vnto him and shall make our remayning place with him The second is in the death of euery faythfull man And therevpon Iohn in the reuelation sayeth come Lord Iesus HIs spirite shall departe and he shall return into his earth At y tyme all their thoughtes shall perishe O howe many things how greate thinges doe mortall men consider and thinke vpon about the vncerteyntie of theyr worldly prouisions But sodeynly by the comming of death all thinges which they thought on and forecasted doe immediatly vanish away Lyke vnto a shadow when the sunne declyneth they are taken away And lyke vnto a Locust they are smitten down So that the spirit of man shal go out of him not willingly but vn willingly Hee shall dismisse with doler that which he did professe with desire and whether he will or nyll there is a terme apoynted the which hée shal not passe ouer In the which earth shal return vnto earth For it is written Thou arte earth into earth thou shalt goe For it is naturall that the thing made of any substance should bée resolued into that substance agayne He shall take away their spirite therefore and they shall fayle and shall returne into their dust And when man dyeth hée shall enherite beastes cattell Serpents and wormes For all those shall rest in dust and wormes shall consume them The worme shall eate them lyke a garment and shall consume them as a moth consumeth the wollen cloth I am to bée consumed sayeth Iob lyke vnto rottennesse and lyke vnto a garment that is fretted with mothes I haue sayde vnto rottennesse My father my mother my sister are gone vnto wormes meate Man is rottennesse and putrifaction and so are the sonnes of man Filthy are our forefathers vile are our mothers and how vyle are our sisters For man is begotten and conceyued of bloud putrifyed by the feruent heate of lust and concupisence And yet the wormes do come about his carkasse as mourners Whilest he liued he bredde nittes and lyse and being dead hée bréedeth wormes and magottes Whilest he liued hee made filthy ordures and excrements And being dead he maketh putrefaction stinke One man defendeth another onely But being dead hée defendeth many wormes Oh what is more filthy than the carkasse of a man or what more horrible than a dead man he whose embrasing had bene most aâ—…able méeting him on lyue euen his looke will bée most terrible when hée is dead What preuayle ritches therefore whatpreuayle banquetings what delightes they can not deliuer man from death They can not defend him from the worme Neyther shall they preserue
made so much the huger and greater the more that he is bound vnto equitie and the more or greater benifittes that he hath receyued of God yea the more learned or able that he was to haue done wel Thirdly it is weighed and noted in the qualitie of the matter whereaboutes the sinne is committed agaynst a mans person then agaynst his substance But those sinnes are moste gréeuous which are directly committed agaynst god As blasphemy infidelitie or desperation Fourthly by meanes of the end which the sinner tendeth too for the worse that the sinner his intent is the more greuous is the sinne Fiftly by the circumstances that is to say of the tynâ—…e and place Sixtly of the verie deformitie of the sinne it self according to it self by reason of it selfe The which is alwayes so much the greater and more loathsome as the vertue is the gallanter and more worthie which is contrarie vnto it Whervpon as the loue of God is the highest vertue so to â—…ate God is the greatest sinne So that on all sides and in all respectes the vylenesse filthinesse and enormitic of sin is multiplyed and increased And therefore holy Gregorie sayeth if we knewe in what maner our soule is wounded and doth fester by euery least sin or faulte we would surely vnto death resist sin And again a stinking dog is more tollerable sayeth hée vnto mans smell than a sinfull soule vnto God â–ª Go to then my dearly beloued if we feare or be vnwilling to be to appeare vyle filthie detestable ignoble before the holy and moste worthie maiestie of God If we abhorre that the countenaunce of our creator should bée turned from vs let vs then auoyde sinne with all carefulnesse and pure affection Forasmuch as no deformitie no hurt no blot can so much defyle infect or disorder mans bodie and make it séeme so detestable and disfigured in mens eyes as the reasonable soule is with euerie mortall sinne blemished made vyle infected and made filthie and detestable before the sight of the diuyne maiestie and of his holie Angels For it is made lyke to the verie diuil himself béeing turned from the fountayne of light it is filled with the â—…arcke clouds of lothsomenesse and filthinesse What sinne is Art. 4. BY the witnesse of holy Ambrose sin is a bâ—…king or infringing of the diâ—…yne lawes and a disobedience to the heauenly commaundementes Lykewise according to Augustine sinne is sayth he to cleaue vnto changeable thinges and to dispyse the vncâ—…angéable goodnesse And agayne sinne sayeth hée is a will and desire to retayne or to get that which rightuousnesse doeth forbid So that sinne is the transgression of the dâ—…nc wil and commaundements as to doe that which 〈◊〉 forbiddeth or to omit that which he commaundeth Where vpon it foloweth that it is siu to speake to thinke to desire or to â—…oe agaynst the lawes diuyne Now there are two thinges to be considered in sinne That one is as it were formal that is to say the auertyng and turning of the mynde from the high and vnchangeable goodnesse which is principall or capitall sinne That other is as it were materiall That is the conuersion of the mynde created variable and readie to fall vnto the stedfast consideration of the high goodnesse Herevpon two euil thinges there are also coriespondent vnto sinne For as touching the formall poynt the payne of the losse or damage is coriespondent vnto it which is extreame miserie and lacke of the heauenly fruition But as touching the materiall poynte of sinne the payne of the sences doeth therevnto corresponde That is to say the sencible paynes of hell which are the punishmentes of eternall fyre Dionyce briefely deâ—…neth â—…nne to be a going backe from order that is to say from that conuenient and due estatâ—… wherevnto the mynde created ought to cleaue fast and be subiect vnto the creator For that doeth right order require that the inferiuâ—…â—…ould be subiect to the superior that the effect may be coâ—…ed vnto the cause thereof That the creature of vnderstanding may bend it self vnto his creator as vnto a beginning that maketh it blessed And all this is subuerted by sinne for by it the mynde created rebelleth agaynst his creator And doeth as it were turne his backe against his creators fact neyther doeth it indeuour it selfe according to his counsell but trusteth in his owne strength Furthermore it is sinne to preferre a mans wil before the wil of God and not to brydle and restrayne a mans owne libertie according to the terrour of the diuyne lawe Wherevpon in all sinne the sinner doeth propounde vnto him selfe an ende in some frayle and created goodnesse vnto the which he is inordinately affected and doeth viciouslye cleaue vnto it yea more than vnto God bycause it is agaynst hys will and ordynaunce This doeth truelye and directly repugne vnto the diuyne charitie bycausâ—… wée ought to loue GOD aboue all thinges and to béâ—… conformed and effected lyke vnto hym and to cleaue faâ—… vnto him And lykâ—…wyse vnto rightuousnesse bycausâ—… wée are bounden aboue all things to obey the deuyne preceptes And therefore according to the doctours whatsoeuer â—…oeth directly repugne vnto charitie by the which God and our neighbour is loued yea or vnto rightuousnesse is in his kynde mortall sinne And so sinne is a contempt â—…f the deuyne bountie an 〈◊〉 to the diuyne maiestie an offence to the diuine holâ—…nesse a râ—…bellion agaynst the diuine will a forsaking of the diuyne wysedom an ingratitude for heauenly benefites A fulfilling of frowardnesse and selfe will a seducing of reason an infection of the soule a woundyng of the forces thereof a filthinesse of mynde a murdering of grace a rauishing of charitie a snare of death a way to dampnation a gate of hell a net of the diuill an imitation of wicked spirites Detesting of Angels an excéeding mallice a right crookednesse a wonderfull deformitie a moste filthie kynde of monster a most cruel wylde beast and a lamâ—…ntable perpetuall losse of that true felicitie To conclude sinne is that which moste displeaseth God most pleaseth the diuil is most hurtfull vnto mans harte Behold now thou séest my welbeloued howe much sinne is to be hated eschued and detested Yea more than any of vs can comprehend or expresse it is to be hated and highly to be auoyded Wherefore let vs incessantly arme our selues stâ—…utly to fight agaynst this euill agaynst this so mischéeâ—…ous an enimy and so deadly and mortal foe Our weapons are none other then the vertues them selues And our combates are euen the actions of vertue especially the laude and praysing of god And prayer as it is written I will laude and cal vpon the Lord and I shall be safe from mine enimyes Also the diligent watch and custodie of the hart is to consider the continuall diuyne presence To humble our selues in all thinges and to hope in God with all our harte and euer to feare him Of the enormitie of sinne
suffer no tribulation it seemeth thereby that thou hast not begonne to be the seruaunt of God. Our sweete Sauiour for thâ—… recomforte of mankynde did saye as Mathew rehearseth in the eleuenth Chapiter of his Gospell these wordes Come vnto me all ye that trauayle and are heauye loden and I will refreshe you Take my yoke vpon you and learne by me for I am meeke and humble in harte For my yoke is sweete and my burden lyght These wordes our sauiour Christ spake of himselfe Wherwith we must vnderstand that the yoke of Christ is none other thing then the lawe of the Gospell or the performaunce and wary heede of Gods commaundementes By the which we are bounde vnder the obedyence of his holy will and are restreyned or seperate from this worldely lyfe And the burden of our Sauiour may be vnderstoode by the obseruation of his holy wordes And of such a yoke it is wrytten It is good for the man which hath borne the yoke euen from his youth which the reprobate doe put from them According to that sayinge of Hieremye from the begynnyng thou hast broken and cast of the yoke and sayed I will not serue So that wée maye perceyue that in effect all is one the narrowe waye and streight gate leading to saluation and the yoke and burden of our Sauiour Chryst. But then some will saye If the waye bée streyght and the gate narrowe howe can the yoke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swéete and hys burden lyght Wherevnto I 〈◊〉 were that the selfe same yoke yea and 〈◊〉 selfe same wayâ—… are streight narrowe paynefull and 〈◊〉 to suche as are foolyshe vnperfect and â—…ot yet exercysed in fpirytuall lyfe nor haue yet tasted the swéetenessâ—… of the same The which neuerthelesse to the perfecte the verteous pure and Godly zeales which serue God feruently and loue him is broade easye and most pleasaunt So that that they rather runne spéedely theâ—… walke leasurely therin Wherevpon the holy and 〈◊〉 Prophete confessed sayinge I haue runne all the wayes of thy comaundementes whiles thou hast dylated and enlarged my harte And agayne I haue walked at large sayth he bicause I sought out thy commaundementes To conclude 〈◊〉 lykelyhoode nor no forme doth more delectably or readily worke in mannes myâ—…de then loue For loue of his owne proper nature and reason enclyneth and draweth the louer to actuall louing Wherevpon it is compared vnto a weight Now therefore since charytie is the cause gouernesse and Empresse of all merytoryous déedes the which charytie is called the lyfe of the soule and without it nothing is meritorious yt is therby euideÌ„t that y more we doo profit procéede in the loue of god somuch the more we doe deâ—…bly excercise all thinges that procéede from god Yea somuch the more we doe hartely abhorre those thinges which perteine vnto the worlde Sythens y vnto him which loueth ferueÌ„tly nothing can be more pleasant then to doo any thing that may seme acceptable vnto his beloued For true loue estéemeth nothing to be hard gréeuous rough or deadly Yea let vs consider if any payne any strypes or any woundes or death it selfe can ouercoÌ„e or daunte true harty loue surely no. For if it be perfect loue in dede it ouercoÌ„meth al things yet féeleth no paynes The loue of God is an infallyble treasure He that hath it is rytch And whosoeuer lacketh that is poore and néedy though he haue all the world at will. And therefore well doeing doth somuch the more delight the myndes of men and sinnes doâ—… somuch the more yrke and dyscontent them as they fynde in theyr hartes a perfect and sincere loue towardes God that highest and vnchaungeable goodnesse Arristotle the heathen Phylosopher confessed that it was a perfect signe or token of vertue to bée delyghted in the actyon thereof And surely true it is that the more vertuous wée béecome the more we are delighled to excercyse and doe â—…e true fruites of repentaunce Agayne As nature is the very begenning of all naturall actiones operatioÌ„s so gods greate grace workyng in vs is the verye first formall immedyate and intrusecall beginning of all good and acceptable déedes And euen as they which are naturally wel disposed doo exercise with case great delight such works operations as perteyne vnto nature so wheÌ„ a man beginneth ones to abounde in the grace of god theÌ„ he doth also daily more ioyefully with the better will exercise himself in gods coÌ„maundements good déedes And this happeneth most ofteÌ„ vnto such as are méeke humble of hart Whervpon Bernard saith Nothing is hard to the humble nor nothing vnpleasant to such as are méeke of hart And right easily are y coÌ„maundements effectually kept when that grace of God doth giue and gyde forwardnes of will obedyence with true humylitie doe appease the Iudgâ—…s indyngnation Neither can a man say that he serueth for méere necessytie when the thing which he is commaunded to dâ—… is of him right hartely loued and desired Then if we déeyely and effectually consider that it is for Gods loue that we doe such thinges as we take in hand we shall then thinke nothing to be hard or difficulte Nay rather if we should all dye for him or execute and fulfill all verteous exercyses for his sake we shall it be able to doe nothing worthy of the benifites which we haue receaued at his handes And therevpon Gregorius sayth if the mynde be ones fixed in God with a stedfast entent then we estéeme all thinges to be swéete and pleasaunt howe bytter or sower so euer they chaunce to be Yea we shall fynde greate rest and quyet in all those thinges which doe afflict vs. Futhermore it is certayne that the more a mans mynde be bent vnto any one thing earnestly somuch the more his entontions towards any other thinge be slackened and laide asyde Then euen as the louers of this world which doo altogether wrappe and enfold themselues in the desyres therof are altogether occupyed in vayne and transitory things doe as it were lothe and are weary of spirituall and godly thinges yea as they dâ—…e pray vnto God hastely and without an inwarde affection euen so those which loue GOD and doe wholly dedycate themselues vnto his seruice desyringe to cleaue most feruently vnto him and to be wholly occupied and conioyned with him doe hatefully abhorre lothe and flye from those thinges which apperteyne vnto the worlde Yea they desyre and reioyse to be vncessantly occupyed and conuersant in the prayses of God and walke in the streight narrowe way with great delight and pleasure Herevpon it is that Gregorius wytnesseth saying loue is as strong as death For sayth he euen as death doth kyll the corporall body so the loue of God dothe through the hope of eternall lyfe kyll in vs the loue of temporall delightes For he whome the charitie of GOD dothe swallow vp hym dothe it also make vnsensyble too the féelynge of anye
mayest enioye him thy fill most swéâ—…tely and aboundauntly For in him the whole fulnesse of blessednesse doth consist Yea the delight of God is to be with such a soule and to dâ—…cke and adorne it daily with great plenteousnesse and to vysit and comfort it with most godly reioysinges Then let vs for gods sake by the beholding of so great profit and by the desyre and affection whiche we ought to haue vnto so greate nobylitie learne to contempne euen from our hartes this moste vayne varyable néedye frayle intysing world which with draweth vs from god Synce it cannot satysfie nor contâ—…t our affecte nor our desire As Augustine 〈◊〉 saying A reasonable soule created to the lykenesse of God maye be occupyed in all thinges but it cannot be replenyshed satysfied nor fulfilled For he which is capable of GOD cannot be filled and satisfied with any thing that is lesse theÌ„ god And agayne he sayth O Lorde thou hast made â—…ur hart for thée and it is therefore troubled out of quyet vntyll it maye come vnto thée Nowe we haue shewed before sufficiently that the more our soule is stretched out or dâ—…spersed in earthly thinges yea the more it be occupied in temporall thinges and affected vnto worldly thinges so much the lesse can it be occupyed gathered together or affected towardes god And therefore if we would haue it incessauntly occupyed and exercysed in him by syncere contemplation feruent loue déepe medytation contyne wall praier harty prayse and thankesgeuing let vs withdrawe and turne it away from the world and all that is therein and let vs wholy applye it yea and as it were laye it flat and prostrate before the diuine maiestye For so shall it wounderfully growe and increase in grace And let vs so entirely loue and conserue this true godly and moste noble perfection which is beyond all comparyson better more excelent and more to bée desyred then all the goods of this world that we may altogither and in euery respect contempne the world for the loue and desire which we haue to the said perfectioÌ„ as a thing of nothing and altogither vayne Neyther yet let vs thynke that we haue done anye greate thing to leaue and forsake earthly and base things for so supernaturall and excellent treasures but let vs singe prayses vnto God with an humble and louely spirite bicause he hath so taught illumynate erected and styrred vp our hartes to the true discerning and full forsaking of all vanytie and vylenesse in this world For they are truely blessed whome the Lord â—…oth so vouchsafe to teach so to enduce vnto the contempt of the world and so to rayse and styre vp vnto the full perfectioÌ„ of a spyrituall lyfe Now my welbeloued should not he séeme to haue a mynde sore darkened a hard hart which hauing red hard and vnderstood these thinges is neyther prouoked to contempne the world nor enflamed to attayne the Godly perfection before rehearsed Doe not thou then for the loue of the lesse hazard to lose the more Be not more delighted in creatures then in the creator Doe not cleaue more earnestly vnto the world then vnto god For behold the world with all the concupyscence and vanytie thereof passeth away and vanysheth lyke smoke But he which doth the will of God shall abyde for euer It is written in the seuenth Chapiter of Ecclesiastes remember thy latter ende and thou shalt neuer sinnne And surely such as neyther the horrour of death the trembling feare of Gods iudgemente the bytter and euerlasting paynes of the infernall tormentes nor the infinyte felicitye of the heauenly habitacion can prouoke or styre to walke warely to amend theyr lyfe penitently to feare GOD and to contempne the world Are to be thought of a stony or rather a stéely hart and mynde Especyally since we must beleue nay rather we know perfectly that we must once dye and yet we are altogither ignoraunt when we shal be called hence Therewithall we must vnderstand y after this lyfe ther is no tyme of conuersion nor repêtaunce And why doe we then ouerskype any 〈◊〉 or occasion wherein we might doe well Why doe we suffer anâ—… houre to passe without some fruite or profit Or why â—…are we presume to perseuer in such estate as yet we â—…ave not dye therein But let vs doe as Salomon sayth Whatsoeuer thy hand can worke that doe thou worke earnestly For there are neyther working skyl connyng nor knowledge beneath where thou goest Yea let it not be fulfilled in vs which Salomâ—…n sayth in the same place meaning by the neglygent and vnaâ—… uysed euen as fyshes are taken with the hooke and byrdes with snares so are mâ—…n caught and ouer taken in the 〈◊〉 ill houre which shall sodeynely come vpon them Wherefore let vs neuer suffer the horrour of death the stryctnesse of Gods dreadefull iudgement nor the feare of hell fyre to be estranged or eloyned from the eyes of our vnderstanding For as â—…ierome sayth Nâ—…thing can more withdrawe a man from sin then the ofteÌ„ remembraâ—…ce of death And as Chrysostome sayth This world is deâ—…full the ende thereof doubtfull the issue horryble the Iudge terryble and yet the payne vntermynable To conclude euen as Ambrose sayth Plato the Phylosopher was also of the same opymon the whâ—… lyfe of theÌ„ which are wyse is exereysed in the 〈◊〉 of death And therefore let vs forecast what we must be in tyme to come For whosoeuer doth stoutly consider in himselfe that he must dye he shall doubtlesse despyse thinges prâ—…sent and make hast towards thinges to come Wherevpon it restâ—…th that god would haue our end vnknoweÌ„ vnto vs And y day of our death vncertayne That whiles it is alwayes vnknoweÌ„ and yet alwayes thought to be redy at hand euery man might be so much the more ferueÌ„t in operatioÌ„ as he is the more vnâ—…rteyne of his voratioÌ„ Therfore let vs not ouerpasse such 〈◊〉 dreadfull causes with skipping dauncing Neyther let â—…s sollycit the affayres of our death iestingly or vnaduisedly But wheÌ„ we ryse betime let vs not thinke to liue vntill the euening when we lye downe to rest let vs not presume of our vprysing And by these meanes we shall easily brydle our selues from all vyce and worldly affection Let vs well ponder that the houre approcheth wherein we shall remoue out of this lyfe into an vnknowen region There immedytately to abyde before the trybunall seate of the most mighty and dreadfull indge Then our tyme myspent and vnfruitfully lost will playnely appeare to be irrecuperable Neither shall any thinge that we haue vnordynately loued or vniustly done here be anye waye able to helpe or to comforte vs Then shall we be sory that we haue lyued so carelesly that we haue omytted so many good things and coÌ„mitted so many euils But let vs now whiles we haue tyme shewe forth the true fruites of repentaunce Let vs nowe so reuerence and honour Christ our iudge that we
Philosophers intention is not about the body but furthest from it and is wholly occupyed about consideration of the soule The mynde and soule of the Phylosopher doth dispise and disdayne the bodye and flyeth from it that it selfe may bee wholly occupyed in and about it seâ—…fe For out of our bodyes procéede thousandes of impediments vnto contemplation whilest we are busied for the necessarie sustentation therof A Philosophers meditation is the loosyng and separation of the mynd from the bodie It is a rediculous thyng for a man that all his lyfe tyme dyd prepare hym selfe vnto death if then when it commeth hée bée troubled or molested therewith If thou perceyue any man to shrynke at death when it commeth say boldlye hée was no Phylosopher As often as the mynde or soule is allured by the bodye vnto these worldely and chaungeable thynges it is seduced and sore troubled But as often as the mynde or soule is exercysed by it selfe in speculation it is straight wayes transferred into sinceritie and immortalitie The bodie and the mynde beyng both in one nature 〈◊〉 yet commaund the bodie to be gouerned to serue and to bée subiecte But it commaundeth the mynde or soule to rule and beare dominion True Philosophers doe abstayne from all things that are corporal are not gréedy louers of mony and riches These sentences Plato affirmed Now Socrates by Saint Hieromes testimony dyd vtterly contempne ryches Dyogenes forsaking all these worldly pompes dyd chuse to lyue in hys Tunne Tullye and Seneca haue â—…ritten moste sharpely and bitterly agaynste the loue of ryches and voluptuousnesse Then if these men being onely enduced by naturall reason and onely for the attayning of naturall felicitie and scyence did thus contempne all vyces and ledde such a strickt and hard lyfe of how great condempnation are Christians culpable which being instructed with the doctryne of the gospell and very lawe of God to whom the onely begotten sonne of God him self did personally come and made him selfe an example for them are not yet ashamed to lead a wanton vayne and delycate lyfe are blotted and blemished with carnall markes â—…leaue fast vnto the worlde forget heauenly things and are not dilygent and carefull to honour God with all their hartes But my beloued be not thou lykened nor conformed vnto suche vnworthie men Rather follow the footesteppes of the holy fathers that thou mayest be able to please thy Creator and to offer vnto him the floure of thy youth whilest it doth yet floryshe and sproute The which wil be vnto hym most pleasaunt and acceptable As Gregorie witnesseth saying in that age that mans heare is yellow his eyes glistering lyke christall his face freshe as the Rose his sound health encreaseth his strength and force his yong and lustie yeares promise long continuance vpon earth whilest reason and the sences are quicke whilest the hearing is more readie y sight quicker the gate vpright the countenance louely and the body lustie they which in this age sayeth he doe rule and master them selues and doe assocyate acquaynte them selues with God they may expect and hope for the reward of the blessed Apostle and Euangelist Iohn Where vpon Hierome sayeth it is good for a man when he hath borne the yoke from his youth vpwardes Therefore welbeloued doe not foreflow thy conuersion vnto the Lord neyther defer from day to day least his wrath come sodaiâ—…ly vpon thée Offer thy selfe wholly to God and he will wholly bestow him selfe vpon thée Be thou of a right 〈◊〉 and put thy hand vnto the strongest sâ—…outest trauayles Fight lyke a good Soldier agaynst the enimyes of the soule For he shall not bee crowned with glorie which hath not maistred the proudest The creator of all thinges which is aboue all things the highest and most blessed God vouchsafe to giue thée all these thinges for his vnmeasured goodnesse and for the aduauncement of his honor gloriâ—… Amen Salomon in the xxix of his Prouerbes sayeth Our dayes are as woundes vpon the earth and yet there is no death And Augustine in his thirtenth booke and tenth Chapiter De ciuitate dei sayeth From the tyme that any man begynneth to be in this mortall bodye hee doeth incessauntly trauayle to dye For therevnto tendeth all his mutabilitie in all hys lyfe if it may bee called lyfe that hee lyueth to that ende that death may come For all men are néerer vnto death after a yeare finished then they were before it begonne to morrowe then to day to daye then yesterday and euen anon then now For all the while we lyue some little space of our lyfe is taken away And that which remayneth doth dayly become lesse and lesse So that the whole course of this our lyfe is nothyng els but a recourse vnto death And in this course no man is suffred to stay nor to linger and goe softelyer then his fellowes But all men are drouen on with equal steps and paces and are all conceyued alyke to their ende Neyther doeth he which dyeth soonest passe ouer the day faster then an other whose lyfe lasted longer But hauyng eche of them equall momentes and tymes to passe ouer equallye that one had hys ende and determinate tyme set nearer and that other further of For it is one thing to haue lyued longer and another thyng to haue gone or procéeded slower or quicker And therfore whosoeuer doth the longer linger his dayes before he dye he went notwithstanding neuer the more slowly but he had the longer iourney to performe Yea and if it should be accompted that a man doth begin to dye I meane to bee dead in déede from the fyrst moment that death claymed hys ryghte in thys our exyle whych is euen from our swadlyng clontes then all this lingryng and detracting of tyme should in accoumpt be no tyme at all For what other thyng doe we accomplysh in our dayes houres momentes and tymes then that thys lyfe beyng consumate death which all that whyle was in hande may bée fulfilled Of these things Augustyne speaketh largely in the Chapiter before rehearsed and the Chapiter next following But of the infinyte euilles and myseries of thys present lyfe he treateth more playnely in hys xx booke and xx Chapiter of the same worke saying As touching our first originall beginnyng all mankynde was in damnable estate as well witnesseth thys our lyfe if it bée a lyfe so full of such and so excéedyng great euilles For what els betokeneth the horrible depth of our ignorance from whence all errour spryngeth the which dyd receyue all Adams chyldren into a darkesome corner so that a man can not from it bée delyuered without payne sorowe and dread yea the inordynate loue which we beare to so many thynges giltye of vanitie whereon so many cares doe ryst so many perturbations so many languyshings â—…cares madnesse ioyes dyscords contentions warres treasons wrathes enimities fraudes theftes spoyles ryottes and prides do sufficiently bewray our miserie damnable estate
him from stinking He which earewhile sat glorious in his throne or chayre lyeth now despysed in his Toombe Hée which but lately florished in the Courte doth now lye filthily in his graue He which but earewhiles did fare 〈◊〉 in his parler is now consumed tâ—…re with wormes in his Sepulchre The worme and the fyre are the reuenge of the flesh vnto the wicked man And eyther of them is of two kyndes That is to say the inwarde and the outwarde worme and fyre The inwarde worme and fyre gnaweth and burneth the harte the outwaâ—…d worme or fyre doeth fret and burne the body Theyr worme sayth hée shall neuer dye and their â—…yre shall not be quenched The Lorde shall send wormes and fyre vpon their flesh that they may be burned and feele it for euer The worme of conscience shal temporally teare them the memory shall afflict them repentance shall vexe them and perplexitie shall torment them For they shall come into the thought of their sinnes fearefully and theyr iniquities on the other side shall dishonour them Saying what hath the boast of riches profited vs and what hath pryde preuayled for vs All those thinges are passed ouer lyke vnto a shadow euen lyke vnto a shippe which passeth in the flowing waâ—…es whose steppâ—…s or pathe no man can fynde or perceyâ—…e when it is paste Euen so we as soone as we be borne begin to leaue this lyfe For wée are able to shewe no token of vertue but are consumed in our wickednesse They shall record with excéeding great trouble that which they did with ouer great delight That the goade of their memory may pricke them vnto punishment payne whom the Sepulchre of wickednesse did dryue vnto sinne They which repent and doe penance will saye in themselues we haue erred from the way of truth and the light â—…f righteousnesse hath not shone vpon vs Then shal they begin to say vnto the hilles and mounteynes fall vpon vs and couer vs They shall repent to their payne and punishment but they shall not bee conuerted vnto remission and forgiuenesse For it is but méete and right that they which would not when they might should be barred to haue power when they would For the Lorde hath giuen a tyme and place for repentaunce and they haue abused the same Therfore the rich man which was tormented in the flame did say vnto Abraham I beséech thée father that thou wilt send Lazarus vnto the house of my father For I haue fiue brethren That he may be a witnesse vnto them least they also doe come into this place of torment Unto whom when Abraham had aunswered they haue Moyses and the Prophets Let them heare those He added No father Abraham but if any man should goe fro the dead vnto them they will repent So he also dyd now repent in hell But bicause hée knewe that it was vnprofitable he desired that this might be declared vnto his brethren That they might doe frutefull pennaunce in this worlde For repentaunce may then profitte a man when it is in hys power to sinne Men beholde Angelles and are troubled with horrible feare mourning through perplexitie of the spirite and saying these be they whom heretofore we had in derision and lykened them vnto mockyng stockes in reproche and skorn For we beyng senselesse did estéeme theyr lyfe madnesse and their ende without honour But beholde howe they are compted amongest the sonnes of God and their lot is amongest the Saintes Agayne it shall be a punishement for the wicked to behold the glory of the blessed although percase after the ende of iudgement But the blessed shall sée the reprobate in tormentes according to this text the iust man shall reioyce when he séeth the reuenge of sinners But the reprobate shall not sée the blessed in glory according to this text let the wicked man be taken away least he see the glory of god Such things doe the wicked say in hell bicause the hope of the wicked is lyke vnto thiâ—…e down which is tossed with the wynde And lyke vnto a slender froth which is cast from the déepe waters and lyke vnto smoke scattered with the wynd and lyke vnto the remembraunce of a gest which taryeth but one day ¶ Of the vnspeakeable perplexitie of the damned The â—…yre of hell is neyther nouryshed wyth fewell nor kyndled wyth bellowes but was created by God vnquencheable from the beginning of the world For it is written the fyre shall consume him which is not kindled And it is thought to be vnder the earth according to that saying of Esay hell vnder the earth is troubled against thy comming But all places are penall vnto the reprobate Which doe alwayes carry torments and veration against themselues I will bring forth sayeth hée fyre from the middest of thée which shal eate thée And the fyre of hel shal euer burne and neuer shine it shall euer skald and neuer consume And shall euer assayle and euer fayle For in hell there is merueilous cloudy darkenâ—…sse vnmeasurable bitternesse of payne and infinite euerlastingnesse of all mysery Bynde him hand and foote sayth hée and throw him into outward darkenesse There shal be wéeping and gâ—…ing of téeth Euery member for his sinnes shall beare his proper punishment That it may therewith be punished wherwith it hath sinned For it is written by what soeuer a man sinneth by the same shall he be punished So that he which sinned with his tongue shall be tormented by the tongue And therefore he cryed O father Abraham haue compassioÌ„ on mée and send Lazarus that he may dippe the end of his finger into the water and coole my tongue For I am tormented in this flame The reprobate shall not onely be wrapped in outwarde darkenesse but also in inward darkenesse For they shall at one selfe tyme lacke both the spirituall light and the corporall light For it is written the wicked shall be taken away least he should sée the glory of god Who onely shall then be light euerlasting And the reprobate shall beare so great perpleritie in their punishmeÌ„t that they shal skarcely be able to think vpon any other thing than their paines And shal there apply the force of their thoughts Salomon sayeth there is neyther working nor accompt in hell Nor wisedome nor knowledge where thou makest such hast to goe For obliuion shall be so great in the reprohate so great blyndnesse of mynde and so great confusion of reason that seldâ—…me or neuer they can ryse to thinck vpon god Nor can breath one thought of repentance For confession perisheth from a dead man as from him which is not at all As it is written The dead shall not prayse thée O Lord nor they which goe downe into hell Shall not confesse thée Nor death laude and prayse thée Let me goe sayth Iob that I may lament a while my paynes before I
go to the darkesome land which is couered with the cloudes of death the land of misery darkenesse where the shadow of death and no order but perpetuall horror doe inhabitt Yet there shal be order in the quantitie of paynes For with what measâ—…re you meat it shal be measured to you agayne That theâ—… which â—…inned most gréeueously may be moste gréeuously punnished For they which are mightie shall suffer tormentes mightilye But ther shal be no order in the quality of thinges For froÌ„ the snowe and water they shal be put into hoâ—…e skalding fier That the sodeyne change of the contraries may make their gréefes the greater I haue séene by experience that if one which is burned doo straight waies put his hurt into the water he shall féele afterwards the greater skalding Men are put into hell like shéepe death shall féede vpon them This is spoken by the similytude of beastes and cattell which doo not pluck vp grasse herbes by the rootes but crope of the toppes that the grasse may growe againe for their foode So also the wicked as if they were fedd vpoÌ„ by death shall reuiue vnto death that we may dye euerlaâ—…ingly as Ouid saith Sic inconsumptum Titij semperque 〈◊〉 sic perit vt possit sapè perire Iecur TheÌ„ shall death be immortall then shall the dead lyue which be dead vnto life They shall séeke death shall not finde it bicause they had lief lost it Harken vnto Iohn in the reuelation which sayth In those dayes men shall séeke death shall not finde it They shall desâ—…or to dye death shall flye from them O death how swéet shouldest thou nowe séeme vnto them which heretofore thought thée so bitter they shall desire thée wish for thée only which did vehemeÌ„tly abhorre thée onely TheÌ„ let no maÌ„ flatter himself say that god will not be alwayes angry nor be offended for euer but his mercyes are ouer all his workes Since when he is angrye he will not forget to be mercifull Neither doth he hate any of the thinges which he hath made Taking as an argument of error that which the Lorde sayth by the Prophet They shal be gathered together into one buÌ„del into the lake ther they shal be shut vp in prisoÌ„n And after many dayes they shal be visited For man sinned but for a tyme and then god will not punishe for euer O vayne hope O false presumption Let not man beleue being vaynely deceyued by error that he is to be redéemed for any price For in hell ther is no redeÌ„ption Therfore sinners shal be gathered together into the lake shal be shut into prison But in hell In the which they shal be tormeÌ„ted without bodyes vntill the daye of iudgement And then after many dayes that is after they are rysen againe with their bodies at the latter day they shal be vysited Not vnto saluatioÌ„ but for reuenge Bicause after the day of iudgement they shal be the more gréeuously puÌ„ished But it is said in an other text I wil visit their iniquities with a rodd their sinnes with stripes Therfore God is offended with the predestinate tempoally bicause god doth scourge euery soÌ„ne whoÌ„ he loueth By which words that is gathered he will not be angry vntill the end But with the reprobate god is offended eternally By cause it is méet right that as the wicked hath vsed fraud and dissimulatioÌ„ in his euerlasting so god may vse reuenge and punishment in his euerlasting also For although the facultie and power to sinne doe leaue him yet doth hée not leaue wil desire to sinne For it is written the pride of them the were hatefull doth alwayes assende The reprobate which are alreadie in dispaire of forgeuenesse shall not be humbled but their mallice and hatred shal be growne and increase as though they would haue him not to be at all by whome they knowe that they be so vnhappily They will curse the highest and blaspheme the almighty Complaning that he is wicked bicause he hath created them vnto punishâ—…nt and is neuer inclined to forgeuenesse Geue â—…are vnto John in the reuelation saying A great hayle came downe from heauen vpon men and men blasphemed God For the plague of hayle bicause it was excedinge great So that the will of the damned although he haue lost theffect of his power hath alwayes an intent and affection of mallice mischefe and that of it selfe shal be a punishment in hel which was sinne and offence in the world Although peraduenture it is there also a sinne but not to the deseruing of punishment â–ª Therefore the wicked bicause he shall alwaies haâ—…e in him selfe the gyltinesse of his sinne he shal likewise féele in himselfe the torment of his payne for that which he himselfe did not take away by repentance God dyd not forgeue by pardâ—…ne And so it serueth as a great point of righteousnesse to them which are to be iudged that they neuer lack punishment in hell which neuer wanted will to sinne and offend in theyr life tâ—…me They would if they could haue lyued without end that they might also without ende haue sinned For they which neuer cease to sinne whiles they lyue doo shew that they desyer alwaies to lyue in sinne Which of you sayth Esay can dwel with the euerlasting Preists These men shal be a smoke in my fury a burninge fyer all the day by night it shal not be quenched But the smoke thereof shall ascend for euer And Hieremy sayth I wil geue you ouer vnto euerlasting shame and reproch and vnto perpetuall ignomynie which shall neuer be taken away with obliuion Then Daniell they which haue slept sayth he in the dust of the earth shal awake sâ—…me vnto eternall lyfe and some vnto reproch which they shall alwaies abide Salomon the wicked man beinge once dead there shall be no hope of him his destruction shall come vppon him for an example And sodeynly hée shal be striken and shall haue no medecyne to cure it Iohn the Appostle sayeth also If anye man worshippe the beaste and hys Image He shal drinck of the wyne of gods wrath shal be tormented with fyer brimstone the smoke of his torments shall ascend for euer euer Neither shal he haue rest day nor night which hath worshipped the beast his image The very truth it self doth coÌ„â—…rme all these which shal reproue the damned sentencially in iudgement When he shal say Go you cursed into euerlasting fyer which is prepared for the deâ—…ill his angells Now if according to the diuine opinion all tryall of truth doth stande in the mouthes of two or thrée witnesses how much more shall it stand by these testimonies of so many and so notable men Behold therefore the day of the Lord shall come cruell ful of indignation wrath