loue and heauenly charitie That he showed to the oh man most vnkinde Which wilt not thy loue geue to him agayne But rather disputest by thy reason blinde His loue towardes the as it were to stayne Thou wouldest his act should no such loue cōtayne For where he gaue to the his bodie most diuine Thou only takest it but for bread and wine Yes qd I they say that it doth signifie His body which vpon the crosse was spred And that they say Christ did meane onely I wold fayne learne qd she wher that word is red By Iohns ghospel qd I they say they are led Where he sayth the wordes I speake are spiritual The flesh sayth he profits nothing at al Did not his flesh profit for thee to be borne Did not his flesh profit by his good liuing Did not his flesh profit for the to be torne Did not his flesh profit by his vp rising Did not his flesh profit thee in theating How canst thou now but in great errour fall To say that Christes flesh profits not at all Yet qd I Christ sayth so thou canst not denie Yet could he not meane so qd she thou dost here Then what did he meane tel me now qd I For my grosse wit can not conceaue this geare It is ment two wayes which the text doth beare One is the flesh of man in this mystery Can attayne nothing but by fayth only Another is the flesh profits not at all Meaning his flesh as the Iewes did it take Which was but as a mans flesh natural And then by no reason that mans wit can make No mans flesh can profit for theating sake But the flesh of Christ to the godhead knit Geueth life to man that worthely eateth it Nowe I know more than I did before This makes the matter playne ynough to me Do not they qd she offende our lorde sore Which wil not at this day to this trueth agre Wherin Christ shewde so great loue to the They are wedded so to wine that the god Bachus They beleue more in this then they do Iesus But of such men nowe I wyl speake no more Only do I note to those that faythfull be The great loue that Christ shewd to man before That he would suffer death for him vpon a tre In geuing man his flesh oh heauenly charitie That man should fede theron in most godly wise And eke of his church to be the sacrifice Immediatly after thinstitution Of this sacrament his loue to finish Towching his suffreraunce in eche condition That he for mans loue would here accomplishe None earthly payne could his loue deminishe But being from sinne a pure innocent To die for thy sinne man he was content Consider in this al the spitful mockes His whipping scourging crowning with thorne Being there blindfield suffered many knockes Bidding him al hayle king of Iewes in scorne And thinke how by hī the hudge crosse was borne ▪ Wherto thei nayled him with most painfull smart And with a sharpe speare persed his blessed heart Who euer hard or read of the like loue What coulde he do more then for thee to die Yet to loue him againe this wyl the not moue Yes with al my heart I do loue him qd I Yea but thy dedes qd she shew the contrarie If thou diddest hī loue thou wouldest his wil obay Which sith thou dost not thou louest him not I say Yet for al this loue no more doth he craue But loue for loue as reason doth require Alas sinful man what more wouldest thou haue It is no great thing that he doth desire Cal to him for grace to kindle the fire Of burning charitie to raigne in thy heart Then shalt thou to Christ do a louers part That loue qd I God graunt to euery man Amen qd she now here this loue I must ende To expresse it whole truly I neuer can None humayne wit here can it comprehende Therfore no more tyme in it I wyl spende But for this loue I do wyl the alwayse To geue vnto our lord continual prayse ¶ Here foloweth the loue that man ought to haue to him selfe NOwe quod she that I haue to the exprest The loue of God to man as I can it showe The depenesse whereof doth cause me to rest Sith it passeth al humaine wittes to know The grace that therby to mankinde did grow Therfore leuing that shortly thou shalt heare What loue a man ought to him selfe to beare That man shuld loue him selfe I pray thee qd I Wher hath god geuen him that commaundement He nede not qd she for naturally To loue him selfe euery man is bent What man aliue is there that wil consent Unto him selfe to be iniurious Which beastes wil not do tame nor furious Truly qd I and if experience Be a readie rule this to demonstrate How man loues him selfe then the euidence Showeth his loue to be so inordinate That by that selfe loue he doth accumulate Plagues of god to raigne vpon him alway This loue doth man turne to his owne decay By selfe loue we se the man which is proude That which in other he doth most detest In him selfe of him selfe is most aloude In none other man the like vice doth rest For he that with other vices is opprest He loueth those that in the like doth delite Because they agre vnto his appetite The lechour loueth those that be lecherous The slouthful man those that most sluggishe be The spiteful man those that be enuious The wrathful man those that to anger agre The glotton loueth those that drinke best we se The couetous man that loueth auarice Loueth those which do loue his exercise These loues doth spring of our owne nature By the world the flesh and the deuil also Which dayly therto doth mankind allure But yet to my purpose nerer to go Gods good creatures man turns to his wo By loue vnto them so inordinate That grace by this loue in him is frustrate What doth moue man vnto al kinde of vice But the loue that to him selfe he doth beare Wherunto his affection doth him intice As for worldly thinges him selfe to forsweare To rob and to steale he thinkes him selfe cleare This loue to him selfe doth him so blinde That fault in him selfe he doth neuer finde The corrupt merchaunt vsing merchaundise That only for lucre taketh great payne The loue to him selfe doth make him dispice Al meanes that he should worke for cōmō welthes gaine The plowman which serueth with catel grayne For the loue to him selfe dayly we se He doth without cause make a scarsitie What causeth landed men for to rayse their rent What causeth nigardes to hourde vp in store What causeth patrones to symony to consent What causeth the ful styl to gape for more What causeth heretikes errours out to rore What causeth the breach of matrimonye What causeth al these but selfe loue only Examples in scripture I coulde rehearse How on this self loue
by their actes is playnly exprest By my trouth qd I I iudge the same Of al men with such men I cannot away A dissemblyng man is worthy of shame But here in dede deceyue the worlde he maye Yet shal he not deceyue God I dare saye Nor can not qd she for God doth see all But now agayne to our purpose to fall I thought qd I thou haddest forgot it cleane Nay qd she though I made a digression Thy foly as I did saye shal be seene In concluding with such a fonde question Thou thinkest that there is no condition Betwene the loue of a true christian And the loue proceding from a pagan In dede to speake of the loue natural The gift of God to both is indifferent But I thinke these Pagans loues would appal Many Christians at this time present For the vse of loue standes in mans consent Who loues his neighbours that such paines wil take Now to shed his bloud for cōmon welthes sake In that poynt qd I they kepe Gods precept And then as I did saye I maye conclude That those men sith they Gods wyl therin kept Out of the right loue thou canst them not exclude And then I saye further I am not so rude As thou wouldest make me sith thou dost graunt The same thing for which thou gauest me a taunt Thou farest qd she as some do at this daye In answering before thou dost vnderstande And one thing more here to the I wyl say As heretikes hath scripture falsely skande In taking a patch as came to their hande And leuing the rest their errours to frame So to defend thy foly thou dost the same Thou must marke thorder of gods commaundement Thou shalt loue thy lord god saith he aboue al thīg That loue hath first place as most excellent Then thy neighbour as thy selfe according So loue to thy selfe fro the first loue doth spring And then to thy neighbour in order ryght This pleaseth our lord wrought by any wyght Then those that I named before qd I Louing their neighbours as they did expresse Did wel please our lord thou canst not denie As the stories playne do beare them witnesse Nay soft qd she I ment nothing lesse For pagans wanting the light of all grace The true loue of god with them had no place Than lacking that loue for lacke of true fayth Their loue to please god coulde neuer attaine For as I did saye and as scripture sayth True order in loue al men must kepe playne Or els al our workes our lord doth disdayne They must first loue God as I did the show Which they coulde not do which do not god know I am in this qd I wel satisfied But alas one thing I do much lament That we confessing Christ deified Do from god further in our workes dissent Then did these Pagans we se euident All vertue they did not only commende But studied their liues in vertue to ende The cause is qd she mans forgetfulnesse Of the benefites which God for him wrought As first the great loue that he did expresse Making heauen and earth all thīges of nought For mans behoufe therfore how much he ought To geue thankes to God what tonge can declare Yet in respect of other these the least are Oh wonderful loue that God shewed to man That being in glorie vnspeakeable Before al worldes were yet would vouchsafe than To create the heauen by power i◠effable With thorders of angels to be seruisable Honouring him as thonly lord and kyng Aboue his creatures for euer raignyng This talke qd I passeth my capacitie I pray the of this let me no more heare I confesse it doth so in dede qd she But this much may we talke with reuerent feare Sith no curiosite in it doth appeare But to thee the loue of God to expresse Proceding from him selfe by his owne goodnes But of such high matter to make an ende I wyl come lower and vnto the tell How mercifully his loue did extende When angels by their pride out of heauen fell He made man al his creatures to excell And the place of angels for to supplie In nature higher he did him dignifie Was man qd I higher in his nature Then angels were in their creation In substaunce qd she he was not so pure For out of the earth God did him facion A grosse substaunce thou seest probation Where angel is a substaunce spiritual But in soule man is to angel equal Yf betwene them qd I be equalitie How is man higher in his nature than In that appeared Gods great loue qd she That he of his goodnes shewde vnto man When man from God by his owne foly ran And folowing his lust was disobedient He lost Gods fauour therby continent And so became the childe of damnation Prepared as it were vnto hel fire Then God of his owne mere inclination Which doth not the death of sinners require Shewde so great a loue y t there could be no higher Though man was become Gods vtter enemie He sent his only sonne for mans fault to die And not the like death that killeth al mankinde Whiche is as we say gods visitation But the most shameful death that could be assinde By wicked tyrauntes imagination Which was on the crosse to suffer passion Hauing his body al to torne and rent Not one droppe of bloud he spared vnspent But to our purpose agayne to come nere To show how man was brought to high estate Aboue al angels that loue did appeare When gods sonne was first for man incarnate In the virgins wombe neuer to separate By which coniunction mankinde did attayne In nature aboue all angels to raygne Yet though our nature was in Christ qd I Knit to the godhead in perfect vnitie It foloweth not that al mankinde therby Should aboue angels in his nature be Yes it doth folow I wyl proue qd she When the time was come as god had decreed That Christ should suffer man to heauen to leed His exceding loue to his church to showe Because that he would the figures fulfyl Both of Melchizedech as thou dost knowe And of the paschal lambe which the Iewes did kil He showd his disciples the great good wil That he had the pascal with them to eate Because he would place a more heauenly meate Which he had promised to them before Saying the bread that I wyll geue truly Is mine owne fleshe and then furthermore Which for the life of the world I wil geue to die And he that doth eate my flesh fruitfully I in him and he in me truely shal dwel By this mans nature doth angels excel This promise he perfourmed styl to endure Untyl his comming to the great iudgement When he toke bread into his hande so pure Speaking these wordes with a louing intent Take ye and eate yet there he did not stent But said this is my body which geuē for you shal be Oh most tender
to god both the pore and riche So the blind led the blind both fel in the diche And of this sort the number was not smal Therfore do I much wonder now at the That thou thignoraunt for witnes wouldest cal In a matter wherin they do nothing se. But yet I wonder lesse I remembre me Sith into learned men ignoraunce hath crept Which did the ignoraunte to that office accept And also where thou sayest that experience Doth teach that selfe loue is so inordinate That taken it can not be in a good sense Thy foly herein thou dost demonstrate For sith man in this must gods word imitate To loue his neighbour as him selfe alwaye Would God man by selfe loue should him disobay Thou hast not yet qd I proued to me How a man and why him selfe he should loue Forsoth that shortly thou shalt here qd she First man must consider how that god aboue Made him to his image this should man moue So to loue him selfe that with filthinesse He should not spot him selfe made to his likenesse Also in mans heart this must be inrolde How that he being lost by Adams fall Was bought againe neither with siluer nor golde But with the precious bloud of Christ most royal For this ought man to his minde to call How he should to Christ do great iniurie To defraude him of that he bought so dearely Againe after his bitter passion In his graue dead thre dayes his body lay And then man for thy iustification Triumphantly he rose on the third day And then vnto heauen for thee to make away When of his heauēly doctrine he had made an ende Miraculously to heauen he did ascende Then cal to minde how god hath made thee A membre here of his bodie mysticall ▪ Oh what feare and shame vnto the shoulde be When Christ in his glory shal come to iudge all If thou by sinne here from his mercie fall His woundes thou shalt see then freshly bleding If thou be in sinne to thy condemning For then shal the boke of thy conscience Be opened before thy face so playne Thou shalt nede then none other euidence But wishe that thou mihgtest presently be slayne Which can not be but in eternal payne Thou shalt euer die and neuer be dead Because thou diddest fal frō Iesu Christ thy head Al this considered that I haue sayde here How much art thou bound to haue a respect Such a loue towardes thyne owne soule to beare That with filthy sinne thou do it not infect Onlesse at the iudgement God do it reiect With these terrible wordes which he shal say Go thou cursed auoide fro me away But if thou folow the wise mans counsel That is on thyne owne soule to haue mercie If thy flesh against the spirite doth rebel Do not thy loue vnto thy flesh applie But sith that thy soule shall neuer die Loue so thy fleash that thou mayst be sure Soule and flesh together in heauen may endure Oh what ioyful voyce to the shall it be When Christ shal say at the iudgement general Al ye my blessed children come to me And inherite ye the ioyes eternal Prepared for you before the worlde 's al To this ende must man loue him selfe I say That he may with Christ raigne in ioy alway For to that ende God did man only create And in good workes here his life for to spende Which if he do not his soule he doth hate And that very nature doth reprehende Therfore to my counsel do thou attende ▪ Loue so thy selfe thy loue be not in vayne So shal thy loue truly turne to the agayne Loue louingly as loue doth the binde Loue God louingly as the lord of al. Loue louingly thy selfe as he hath assinde Loue louingly thy soule as the principall Loue so thy flesh it make not thy soule thrall Unto deadly sinne by thy wilfulnesse Loue louingly the life which is endlesse By loue thou shalt gods commaundemēt fulfyl By loue our lorde in thy heart shal raygne By loue al wicked thoughtes thou shalt kyl By loue thou shalt auoyde thinfernal payne By loue for gods seruāt thou shalt be knowē plaine By loue that orderly from god doth procede So loue thy selfe as that loue doth lede In loue to thy selfe kepe this order true Then in loue to thy selfe thou shalt not erre In loue to thy selfe do thy fleash subdue Then loue to thy selfe thou dost wel preferre And dost loue thy selfe in a right order And where as selfe loue is not on this rate Man loues not him selfe but doth him selfe hate Now I se qd I how I was begilde Selfe loue may please our lorde very wel Then sith that qd she is from the exilde I nede no more therof to the to tel And god graunt that no man do this loue repel Amen qd I and graunt me that I may Imbrace this loue to mine ending day ¶ Here foloweth the loue that man ought to haue to man THus hast thou heard nowe briefely qd she Of the loue of God whiche he shewed to man And also of the loue which in man shoulde be Towardes his owne selfe as nature doth scan Now remaineth to shew shortly as I can Of the loue that man vnto man doth owe As nature doth wyl naturally to growe First for an entraunce I wyl beginne How god did worke in mans creation In making him pure and cleane without sinne Hauing in him none euyl cogitation Tyl the deuil by his subtile temptation Caused man against our lord to offende Wherby god his iustice to man did extende Then was man driuen out of paradise The worlde for to increase and multiplie Where God after by natures exercise Gaue him children which indifferently Were like to him selfe proporcionally Wherby I note that god would by this thing That man to his like should euer be louing That rule of nature did sone ende qd I For as the boke of Genesis doth tel Though Adam had children like him selfe truly In proporcion yet from loue one fel I meane Caine which slew his brother Abel And what enuie wrought in other beside In the same boke may easely be tride Therfore I say though God did ordayne That man should bring furth by generation Man like to him selfe because loue should raygne Betwene mankinde without mutation Sith breach of this loue we se probation Was betwene brethren in the beginning Your rule failes therfore fal must your building This hath qd she some apperaunce in dede As though this foundation were not sure But yet in Genesis yf thou doest reade Though Cayne wickedly agaynst nature Slew his brother wherby he did procure The curse of God to him and hys progeny Al Adams children were not curst therby For Adam had children which vertuous were On whose line Christ did naturally descende Therfore al those that any malice beare Towardes their neighbours do