and worthie Charitie the same being well expressed in the day of his Passion when neyther the tormentes of his bodie nor the wickednesse of his People could restraine the course of his great loue wherewith he Prayed for such as Crucifyed him and pardone those that offended him Yea he prayed not onely for his Apostles and Disciples but also for all the faythfull that beléeued in him and loued his Father with whom as he was one selfe thing in Diuinitie so he prayed to his Father that all such as beléeued might be in him one body misticall through Charitie Great was the loue of Iesus Christ in the wordes of his petition to his Father séeing that albeit we were not then borne no nor our farre auncient Fathers yet he besought his Father in great feruencie for the estate of all his Church euen no lesse then for those that dyd communicate with him in the Supper So that as he dyed for all so he prayed for all By which we haue good reason to beléeue that séeing be remembred vs afore we came into the world he will also kepe care ouer such as are employed in his seruice If Christ had not loued vs with that Charitie and prayed for vs in such feruencie of zeale what had become of vs Sure if there be in the Church of God at this present any obedience patience charitie humilitie or any abstinence or continencie it ought all to be atributed to that loue which Christ expressed in the prayer that he commended to his Father for vs Redéeming with his bloud our disfauour and with his praier he restored vs eftsoones to an estate of Grace and reconcilement To loue those that are present and such as are absent to beare affection to the Quicke and remember such as are Dead happeneth often is naturall but to loue such as are to come and not yet borne is a zeale that neuer was hearde of but in the person of our Redéemer who prayeth for such as liue wickedly and loueth good men although they are not yet borne In worldly thinges so straight is the copulation and vnitie betwéene lyfe and death loue and hate him that doth affect and the thing affected that al takes end together and in one houre But to the frendship that Iesus Christ beares vs belonges an other qualetie for that his loue tooke beginning afore the foundation of the world and will not ende no not at the day of iudgement In this Letter is debated the difference betweene a seruaunt and a frende FInding in your last Letter more matter worthie of rebuke then méete to be answered I am bolde to geue you this Councel that in causes of importance the Penne is not to bée vsed afore the matter be wel debated lest others take occasion to iudge of your domges and your selfe be denied of that you demaunde This is also to bee obserued in speaking to any personage of estate wyth whom we ought not to Communicate but with feare reuerence and modestie By your Letter you wishe me to be your Mayster and withall would chuse me to be your frende Two estates no lesse different in qualitie then incompatible in one person and most vnlyke in office for that a frende is chosen by wil and a Mayster is taken by necessitie A frende will consider but a Mayster must be serued A frende geues of liberalitie but a Lorde demaundes by authoritie a Mayster hath libertie to be Angrie but it belonges to a frende to suffer And a frende pardoneth but a Mayster punisheth So that the comparison béeing so different it cannot be possible that being your Master I should beare vnto you the due respects of a frende since if I be your Mayster you are bounde to serue me feare me follow me and obey me Offices preiudiciall to the prerogatiues of a frende and against the laws of that libertie and frée souereignetie which the hart of man desireth To require me with such rashenesse to be your frende is sure to demaunde of me the most precious Iewell I haue in the worlde For to be your frende is to binde me to loue you all my lyfe deuiding my hart into youres and making you euen an other moytie with my selfe true frendship being none other thing then an vnfayned consent of will and affections and a transportation of two hartes into one bodie And therefore two frendes if they will loue and liue in the true obseruations of frendship ought to speak but wyth one Tongue and loue with one harte yea they ought to Communicate together in one substance and rate of lyfe and not grudge to suffer in common one perculier and singuler death Amongest frendes what is suffered of the one ought not to be intollerable to the other and albeit their thoughtes be proper to themselues yet their persons their goodes and fortunes ought alwayes to be common One frende ought not to say to an other I will not or I cannot since it is principall priueleadge in frendship to finde nothing impossible Therefore who ioynes in frendship with an other bindes himselfe not to denie the thing that he demaundes nor to vse excuse in any thing that his frende requires him to doe since in this consistes the full office of frendship to owe to our frendes euen our selues and all that we haue By the Councell of Seneka the wise and discréete man ought to admitte but one frende forséeing withall as neare as he can to haue no enemie at all For sayth he if there be daūger in enemies there can be no suretie in the multitude of frendes since in respect of their nomber they bréede difference of consent and will with varietie of condicions and where is no conformitie of manners there can be no perfection in frendship So straight is the rule of frendship that of many that professe liberall affection there are fewe that performe it being an office perticuler to the Children of vanitie to haue readie tongues to promise and slowe handes to performe True frendes are bounde to féele the aduersities of their frendes with no lesse affection then if they had proper interest in them yea it belonges to them to minister remedie to their necessities and geue comfort to their miseries estéeming it to apperteine to their dutie to communicate in all the fortunes of their frendes The same agréeing with the resolution of Eschinus the Philosopher who being asked what was the greatest perplexitie of this lyfe aunswered that to loase thinges which we haue got with paine and to be deuided from that which we loue are the greatest afflictions that can trauell a humaine minde The frende whom we chuse ought aboue all other thinges to be discréete to the ende he may Councell vs and of habilitie and wealth the better to administer to our necessities and lackes For other wayes if he beare no aduise and iudgement wée shall want Councell to gouerne our prosperitie and if he be pore what meane is there to
the Prophet was culpable for vsing scilence and Cayn condemned because he spake by which we may gather the great necessitie we haue of wisdome to vse time to speake and time to suffer scilence For as the trée is known by his fruite the vertue of a man discerned by his workes so in his wordes and spéeche are disclosed the qualitie of his wisedome or simplicitie And as Iesus Christ in all his actions was no lesse pacient to heare then moderate in speaking so we finde not in scripture that he euer deliuered worde in vaine nor neuer helde his peace but for feare of slaunder And although it be a miserable compulsion to vse scilēce in things which we haue desire to disclose yet considering scilence bringes sewerty and conteines in it selfe many other goodly thinges let vs stand restrained to the two seasons which Socrates aloweth without reprehension the one is when we speake of that which we manifestly know and the other when we haue in hande thinges necessary In which two times onely as speache is better then Scilence so in all other Seasons experience approueth that we ought to preferre scilence afor speaking To what purpose or intentions tended all the speaches of Iesus Christ THe wordes of our Sauiour tended eyther to the prayse of his Father as when he humbled himselfe in this speach Confiteor tibi pater or to teach men what they ought to do when he sayd Beati mites or else to reprehend wickednesse and sinne when he cried vae vobis legis peritis So that when he was not occupied to giue prayse and glorie to his Father nor to preach doctrine nor to rebuke vices it was then he was setled in a deuout and holy scilence The Hebrewes led him to their consistories a fore thrée iudges that is to say they brought him to the Palaice before Herod to the Bishops house before Annas to the trée of the crosse before his Father at which place only he spake and in the others he vsed scilence and therefore afore the two first tribunals he was accused of crime because he held his peace standing as aduocate afore the thirde he spake And albeit right great infinit were the works which our Redéemer did from the time he was taken till he was crucified yet his wordes were fewe and his spéeches in very small number the better to teach vs that in time of tribulation and aduersitie we ought more to séeke our consolation in a holy and deuout patience then to preferre or expresse great eloquence Christ then being vpon the hill of Caluary not onely condemned to death but very nere the passion of the same hauing his flesh pearced with nayles his hart burning in zeale and loue cryed to his father Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt as if he had sayd Oh eternall father in recompence that I am come into the worlde and in consideration of the preaching that I haue made of thy name In satisfaction of the paynes and crucifying that I endure and in respect that I haue reconciled the world to thée I require no other reward but that it may be thy good pleasure to pardon these mine enemies who haue sinned to the end I should dye and I suffer death because they may liue Forgeue them since thou knowest and all the world séeth that in my bloud is payde and satisfied their crime with my charitie I haue raysed and put them in my glory so that let my death be sufficient to the end that no other death haue more place in the world Pardon them since thou knowest that the death which triumphed in the crosse and by the which I am nailed to the same is crucified heare in this trée by meanes wherof oh euerlasting Father I beséech thée estéeme more the charity wherein I dye for them then the malice by the which they prosecute my death Forgeue them Oh heauenly Father since if thou considerest these my enemies in the nature and merite of their sinnes there will not be founde in the furies of Hell tormentes worthye enough to punishe them Then better is it Oh gracious Father that thou Pardon them since that as there was neuer the lyke faulte committed so shalt thou neuer haue occasion to vse the like mercie And séeing my death is sufficient to saue all such as are borne or to bée borne those that are absent present deade and on liue It is no reason that these heare should be shutte out from that benefite being a thing of most equitie iustice and right that as my bloud is not spilt but with thy consent so also by thy hands it should be well employd In this we haue to note that Christ sayd not Lorde pardon them but he sayde Father forgeue them as discribing this difference betwéene those two estates that to a Lorde belonges properly to haue Bondemen Subiectes and Vassalls and the name of a Father presupposeth to haue children so that he required his Father not to iudge them as Lorde but besought him to pardon them as a Father Christ also sayde not condicionally Father if it be thy pleasure forgeue them but he prayed absolutely after himselfe had forgeuen them that his Father would Pardon them by which example we are put in remembraunce that the reconcilement which we make with our Enemies ought to be pure absolute and without affection Besides our Redéemer sayd not singulerlie Father Pardon him but he spake plurally by which we may be informed that as he prayed not particularly for any one in priuate but generally for all so his blood dispersed on the crosse was not only sufficiēt to redéem one onely Worlde but to satisfie the Raunsome of a Million of Worldes And out of this misterie may be drawne this construction that our Sauiour praying generally for all expresseth himselfe so liberall to geue and so mercifull to pardon that when he forgeues a sinner any offence he pardoneth with all his other crimes It is not also without misterie that Christ sayd not I forgeue them but besought his Father to Pardon them For that if the Sonne onely had pardoned them after his death the Father might haue demaunded the iniurie because that if the Sonne had forgeuen them he had done it as a man where the execution of the iustice remayned in God but as the deuine worde yea the liuing Lorde hath perfourmed this pardon with so true a hart so hath he not suffered that there remaine in it any scrupule And therefore he besought his Father to pardon them to the end that by the humanitie which he endured and diuinitie which suffered it his enemies might be at the instant absolued and we others haue hope to obteine remission ¶ That when CHRIST our Lord gaue pardon he left nothing to forgeue IN lyke sort we haue to note that Iesus Christ required not his Fathere to pardon them after his death but besought him to forgeue them at the instant
therewith haue made seruice offerings to the Lord Multiplicati sunt super capilos capitis mei et cor meuÌ„ dereliquit me I am falne into that age sayth Dauid that I haue no more sight remaining Mine enemies haue enuironed me my frends are dead my sinnes haue made me fall my good daies are now drawne to end so that my grieffes sorrows perplexities are mo in nomber then my hears but my greatest heauinesse of all is that my hart hath forsaken me wholoaseth his eyes the other particuler parts of his body together with all his goods can not but loase right dear great things but he that loaseth his hart loaseth assuredly all that can remaine or aperteine to a man For that within the wombe of our mothers the hart is the first that engendereth taketh lyfe and the last that dissolueth and vanisheth to death So that lyke as so longe as our hartes leaue vs not we may both loue feare and serue God so also if the hart loase his vigor and géeue vs ouer assuredly we haue neyther power nor facultie to Fast Praye or perseuer in Breath And therefore according to Saynt Hierom it is a great gyfte of GOD to be endued wyth a Constant and Valiant mynde as on the other syde to haue fayntnesse of hart and Pusillanimytye canne not but beare Testimonye and Prooffe of great Punnishement Audi popule Audi qui non habes cor sayth GOD by his Prophete Jeremie heare my voyce Oh generation of Jsraell and hearken to my wordes Oh People of the Hebrues I call thée Foole because thou art wythout harte yea I saye thou hast no harte because thou art a foole wher the Prophet in this phrase charged the people to haue no hart he imposed vpon them infidelitie as though they had neither fayth nor belefe in Iesus Christ the true god because the lyke as when the hart dyeth the life dissolueth euen so by Christ aspiring vpon the Crosse the sinagog tooke ende So that the Prophete was not without great reason to call the Hebrues Fooles men without hart séeing the testimony of so many miracles suffised them not much lesse were they satisfied with the nomber of benefites blessings with infinit Sermons perfourmed by our sauiour Iesus Christ all tending to make them Christians and yet wrought small impression in them by reason of their slender knowledge and great follie Euen so according to morrall phrase when we say any man hath want of hart it is asmuch as if we should charge him not to haue Iesus christ in his spirit for that as vndertaking to doe any good worke Iesus Christ is he that geues vs hart puts vs in reason euen so by good conclusion that man we may saye is depriued of reason and vnfurnished of hart which loues not Christ thinkes not on Christ serues him not feareth him not and hopes not in him So that in the Lawe of GOD to call a man without hart is no other thing then to saye he hath a body without a soule Omni custodia custodi cor tuum sayth the Wise man euery one ought to kéepe and double garde his hart to the ende it be not defiled by the fleshe oppressed of the worlde deceaued by the Deuill and that it be not altogether exercised by his fréende nor outraged by his enemie For that euen so much and no more haue wée in Iesus Christ then we geue vnto him Possession and place in our harte Wherein according to the measure of our confidence in GOD shall we finde recompence and retribution in him Yea if we geue our selues altogether to him he wyll assuredly be wholy ours So that all those thinges which the Lord geues vnto vs being holy harty or vnfained it belonges to vs the better to Prepare our offeringes to God euen from our hartes fixed in our harte vnfaynedly to touche our hart to kéepe our hartes alwayes replenished wyth Holy desires and enuironed with good thoughts For which occasion it suffised not the wiseman to bid vs simplie kepe our hartes but he enioyned vs to a double and diligent garde the better to aduertise vs that as the Eyes may be preserued by their Eyeliddes the mouth defended by the lippes the féete and handes kept from harme by Armour Gauntlets and a mans treasure holden from the Théefe vnder Locke and Key So there can nothing in this world suffise to forbid an ambicious minde to thinke and desire And so falling eftsoones vppon our first matter I saye that much doth that man offer to God that offereth his hart as also what hath he more to lose that loseth his hart the same appearing in the conuersion of this good théefe who euen as he hanged vppon the crosse because he offered to God onely his hart founde this recompence to be caryed into the eternall Tabernacle of God and communicate in his glorie Let then the example of this théefe stande before vs all that notwithstanding we haue not handes Féete Eyes Siluer Golde precious Iewels or clothes to offer to God yet let vs not be troubled or gréeued For who hath not these thinges in his power let him not doubt to be acceptable to the Lord if he present his hart replenished with holy desires The Sister of Moyses was diseased Moyses himselfe Stutted Tobyas was Blinde Mimpheboseph was Lame Zacharias the Priest was Dumbe yet these imperfections hindred not these men to be holy vertuous yea God called some of them to the function ministerie of his will If we haue our hartes whole holy sound the Lord obserues little the state of our other members no he makes no care whether they be perfect or putrified for this théefe in his senteÌ„ce of condemnation death had his limmes brused broken his mouth his eyes whole body crucified but his hart only reteining integritie he offred it to his sauiour and by his â—…yth constancie purchased the benefit of saluation And albeit in so small a respit of time in so quicke sharpe torments in so greuous apprehension of the dollors and terrors of death suffered by this théefe on the Crosse he coulde perfourme no great penaunce expresse no varietie or copie of spéeche or vtter apparant remorse by sighes sorrowe or publike contrition yet for that to his passions he ioyned greatnesse and constancie of harte wyth fayth and deuotion to GOD The Lorde dyd accept not onely that which he dyd then but also what he would haue done if he had not ben preuented by death How wickedly the euill THEEFE spake hanging on the Crosse THe Wicked Théefe speaking to Iesus Christ sayd if thou be that same Christ that is the sonne of God deliuer thy selfe from death and vs from this Passion of torments Oh cursed impudencie to pronounce such Horrible blasphemie against the maiestie of our Sauiour For albeit the Sonne of God was committed to the Crosse and
lastly by the libertie of vices suffered in the Cytie That we ought rather to present before God the loue which we beare him then the seruices we doe to him LAzarus one of the notablest of Jerusalem a secret Disciple of Iesus Christ and brother to Martha and Mary being grieuously sicke his sisters wroate to Iesus Christ a letter conteining only these few words Lord he whom thou louest is sicke At the contemplation wherof Iesus Christ not without great contrariety of his folowers and no small perill to his person determined to goe and comfort the two desolate sisters and raise againe Lazarus amazing the world with a miracle right high and execellent And albeit the Pharises were in conspiracy agaynst him the Iewes troubled albeit his Apostles were in feare and his Disciples not well assured yet immediately after hée hadde considered of the Louing Wordes of the Letter hée forgatte all feare and tourned the pre-present view of so many perilles into an inwarde feruencie of zeale and loue And albeit in cases of peticion it can not be amisse to vse perswasions of deuotion at large Yet God knowing the qualetie and intention of the hart requires not so much copye of speach as humilytie of the Spiritte as appeareth by the manner of this Letter which neyther in the beginning nor in the ende nor in the matter conteyned but the wordes aforesayd giuing vs to vnderstand that hauing our loue once fixed in God it suffiseth to make vnto him onely a signe wythout troubling him wyth importunitie of words since such as bée true louers and practisers in the matter of loue ought more to thinke then speake Great is the difference béetwéene the loue which wée beare to Iesus Christ and that hée beareth to vs as is well prooued in the zeale of these two holy women who durst not communicate wyth Iesus Christ the loue that they bare him and much lesse the affeciton of their Brother onely they referred him to the loue which he bare vnto Lazarus saying Hee whom thou louest c. The better to make vs know that if the Lorde dyd not put in the Balance of our iustice some little peyse or wayght of his loue he would giue vs but a little séeing our loue is so small a thing The vayne louers of the Worlde haue this custome to reproche the affection they beare one to an other which much lesse that it is tollerable amongest the seruauntes of God séeing they ought to make so small accompt of their loue as not to demaunde any thing they pretende but by the meane and vertue of his loue For so high souereigne is the commaundement of the loue of God that onely in this mortall life we can not scarsely learne it and in the other world of ioyes fully accomplishe it Facti sumus vt immundi et omnes iusticiae nostrae sum quasi pannus c. Esay speaking of the multitude of his sinnes and his little merit speaking also in the person of sinners cryeth out The sinagogue and I are vncleane and great sinners and what good workes so euer we séeme to haue done after they come to be examined in the sight of God they beare suche staymes infection and corruption that wée finde our owne shame to present them afore him Wherein the Prophete hath great occasion to exclaime that al our desires and affections are fleshely and corrupt séeing that wyth the selfe same harte wherewyth wée ought to loue God wée loue also our Children our neyghbours and our Parentes Yea sometimes wee transferre that affection to our vnlawfull friendes séeking out of one moulde to drawe an apple of Golde and boollettes of earth But the loue which God beares vs is not of such frayle condition séeing as hath bene sayde he loues vs wyth the selfesame zeale he loues himselfe so inuoluing vs in his proper affection that as of himselfe hee is but one so hée hath but one selfe and infallible affection notwythstanding suche as hée fauoureth most hée followeth wyth a stronge zeale and the others wyth a loue not so feruent So that it is good wée stande at this resolution that when the Lords calles vs to accompt wée doe not recommende vnto him the seruices we haue done but rather to put him in remembrance of the great affection wée haue borne him For otherwayes if hée bestowe on vs one onely daye of lyfe it is sufficient for the hire and recompence of all our transitorie time Eme a me aurum ignitum vt locuples fiâ—s Sayth God to the Bishoppe of Laodecia as it is sette downe in the text of the Apocalips Thou which art poore and haste a desire to bee Riche J aduise thee to come and buye of the fyne Golde whiche I haue freshly purifyed and drawne out of the furnace and doe keepe it wythin my treasurie What meaneth this that the Lorde hath spoken that who wyll not renounce all that hée Possesseth canne not bée his Disciple and yet hee inuites vs to his shoppe to buye fyne Golde And albéeit hée Commaunde vs to buye any thing why muste it necessaryly bée Golde though the Ware wée buye bée Golde why ought it to bée so fyne and béeing so fyne wherefore perswades hée vs to buye it onely of him And comming to buye it of him why doth hee Sell it so flaming and Burning And although wée muste buye it Burning why hath hée not sette a Pryce and Weyght if of And séeing hée inuites men to buye it why doth hée not sette it out wyth more prayse and Commendation But suche are the gratious meanes and bountie of the Lorde the hée speakes not to vs as a Mayster to his Seruauntes but as a Brother vsinge the Nature and Phrase of a very famyliar and gracious friende By this wée haue to consider that by how muche Golde is a thing most estéemed beste béeloued and of all other Ryches wyth greatest importunitie desired by so much loue is the vertue that most delyghtes vs that aboue all other wée honour and that more then any other doth content vs For the harte that is inflamed wyth the loue of God makes a base Estimation of all the other Ryches and Treasures of the Worlde And of all the Particuler thinges vnder Heauen loue coulde not bée better resembled then to Golde nor Golde more Equaly Compared then to loue For a there is nothing how ryche so euer it bée which is not to bée bought wyth Golde so if loue bée the worker there is nothing so harde and difficult which by the operation of loue is not made easie and passible where by it foloweth that the hart which is wounded with loue takes his rest solace in seruice in reaposing takes paine and trauel And therfore he that loueth and makes difficulty to doe that he is commauÌ„ded searcheth excuse in things he is required that man deserueth not to be called a louer but a scorner such one hath no harte of Gold but a
the more Subiect to complaynt by how muche their mindes lyue alwayes trauelled in trouble and Ielousie You aske me how it happeneth that Louers in the presence of their Ladyes lose liberty of speache and doe oftentimes forget that which they had studyed and well considered to speake It may bée that infyrmitie procéedes of the trouble of the minde engendred by a looke or glaunce cast by stealth vppon the thing that they Loue and standing so amazed in minde the tongue hath no facilytie to the action of his dutie séeing the beginning of the speach deriueth of the mind or spyrit to whom the tongue serues as an interpretor to expresse his conceytes This happeneth also to many who called to question in the presence of a Prince or magestrate fall oftentimes into a passion of stutting or meare scilence specially if they bée trauelled either with feare or falshod of conscience To that you aske me why Louers are shamefaste to discouer their affections I say that men haue certaine appetites naturall and necessary as to drinke and eate which of necessity they must satisfy to preserue lyfe and auoyde death so they haue other affections which albeit are natural yet not necessary but superfluous vaine and withall dishonest from those are deryued many disordered appetites as is the rage of loue which is an affection blind engendred of Idlenes and for that it bringes vnto men an estimation of beast lines and dishonesty The most sort séeke as much as they can to hyd their loue vnder figures apparances to liue in expectatiō of that they desire You aske me also how it happeneth that louers discerne not the vices falts of their amorous frends That must néeds be an error deriuing of their proper affection which deuides them from their true iudgment sences For louers as saith Plato are like to such as hunt after estats offices or to those that are giuen to wyne to whom al estats are welcome al wines seeme to giue a pleasing tast besides according to the philosophers al great mocions hinder those that be lesse So that loue hauing occupied the chief most principal mocions of the spirit troubleth for the most part the vertue original of the sences the same being the cause with Plato why louers are made blinde with the sight of their Ladies and according to the same the poets haue fained Cupid without eyes And where you desire me to giue a reasō why men be hoarse of corrupt voyce after they haue slept I thinke that impedimēt comes no otherwaies then by a replexiō of humors caused by a rawnes or indigestiō of meat the same occupying the vpper parts of the body makes the head dull heauie therfore the pipe of the weysand being ful of the said humors they must necessarily be impedimentes to the voyce and make it hoarse and hollow Thus muche touching the Exposition of your Philosophicall demaundes And now where you require me by a speciall and lardge request to Communicate wyth you what I haue harde and read eyther in Phylosophye or Physscke by what apparant signes tokēs may be iudged whether one that is sicke shall dye or lyue for that as you say you haue a daughter in daunger and would gladly know her destiny The resolution of this demaund albeit appertaineth more properly to your doctor of Physicke then vnto me that am a Diuine studying more how to Preache then to iudge of complexions yet séeing you will haue my opinion I pray you let me debate with you as a Christian that as God hath nombered the yeares of our lyfe and set downe a limit which no man can passe so if it bée his good pleasure your Daughter shall yet lyue but if hée thinke it conuenient for her Saluation hée knoweth best when to call her to him For it is not onely hée that géeueth lyfe but hée is euen the selfe lyfe And therefore according to the office of a Diuine more then in the councell of a Phisition I wyshe you to put her in remembraunce of her mortalitye and prepare her to God in whom and none other all good Christians ought to béelieue is power to chaunge our lyfe and translate vs to himselfe Many and many haue I knowne abandoned of the worlde and extreamely past succour and helpe of man haue yet receiued restitution of God and liued many yers and many againe recouered of sicknes past all apparaunce of daunger and yet payd their tribute to nature when was no expectation of death A thing that is not to be construed to the well or ill handling of the Phisition but to be referred to the prouidence of God which hath so ordeyned it The king Ezechias was giuen ouer of the Phisitions and the sonne of the host of Samaria was dead but at the commaundement of God the Chylde reuiued and Ezechias was recouered But leauing those Testimonies of Scripture to a further leasure let vs gather some opinions of the Philosophers who wyth many auncient Phisitions haue set downe in wryting certayne notable Signes to discerne the perill of Death in such as are Sicke Plynie in his seauenth Booke and one fifty Chapter sayth that a man being sicke of any sharp infirmitye as of a Frenzie if hee fall sometimes into a suddayne myrth or burst out into great laughing that Patient expresseth great tokens of present death if any bée sicke of a corruption of humors malencholike and set himselfe to behold or stare much vppon another without sturring his eye of long such one is not farre from death If a man be sicke of a Feuer collerike or sharp and his pulse moue vncertainely sometimes quicke and somtimes slow such one no doubt enclines to death Who is sicke of a burning Feuer and vseth sometimes to draw vp the shéete or double the cloathes of the bed or plucke of the thrumbes of the same in that man is great coniecture of the end of his lyfe One that hath lyen long sicke and beginnes to shut and close his eyes often and set his téeth and mouth carieth great apparance of death He that is striken wyth the plague and being halfe awake and beginneth to raue and murmure to himselfe caryeth manifest coniecture of death If any aboue the age of fourescore yeares fall into a gréedy hungar to eate and drinke wythout measure it is a signe they haue not long to liue A young Chylde being sharppe in wit and ready in aunsweres or that he shew in that tender age a discression accomplished in that childe is no iudgement of long life These be the coniectures of the Philosophers which I haue gathered more to content you then that I assure them to be infallible aduising you for end to recommend your daughter to God who only hath power to dispose all thinges by the same prerogatiue whereby he hath made them of nothing A discourse of the Canonisiing of the Pagan Gods and why
Father of fayth The good THEEFE hauing no other thing to offer to God offered him his hart and his tongue SAint Paule hauing séene the great secrets of god of which it belongeth not to man to speake being asked what we ought to do to please God Aunswered Commendat vobis Deus charitatem suam the chiefest thing saith he which God recommends vnto you is charitie which consisteth in this that you loue him as he loueth you which you shall more easely accomplish if you loue your Christian neighbour not so much for that he loueth you as for that he loueth and deliteth in god Wherein the Apostle doth not so expressely say that God recommends vnto vs his fayth his hope his patience his chastitie and his humilitie But aboue all things he enioyneth vs to haue charitie as therby to giue vs to vnderstand that that man that deliteth truly in God can not be reproued of any vice For what can be lacking to him that wanteth not charitie as also who wanteth charitie is imperfect in all other vertues Let the charitable man and he that delites to be pitifull be assured that God will alwayes lend him his hand to the end he decrease not in fayth loase not his hope defile not his chastetie dispise not humilitie nor forget patience For afore the tribunall and iudgement seat of God is neuer vsed crueltie to him the on earth hath exercised charitie si charitatem nō habeo factus sum sicut sonās aut cimbalē tynniens saith the Apostle though I speake sayth he as an Angell and all other vertues except charitie were familiar with me yet I should be but as a Bell that calleth the people to seruice yet entreth not therein it selfe The man then that is not charitable but taketh delite in his rigor is no way worthy of the name of a Christian and much lesse deserueth to be called friend because that in the hart wherein is not lodged charitie shall neuer be found fidelitie If we aske the scripture what thing charitie is we shal find by many texts that it is a vertue drawing to none other effect then to loue God for himselfe and our neighbour for the loue of God Wherevppon the loue of God and the feare of God ought alwayes so to be coupled within the harts of the iust that wee neuer ought to feare God only to the end he preserue vs from hell nor loue him altogether in this respect that he graunt vs Paradise but we ought both to loue and feare him because he is the Supreame and Soueraigne good and on whome doth depende and come all felicitie If men loue one an other it is eyther for benefites all readie receaued or for hope of good tournes to come But in the house of GOD there is no Sufferance nor Custome of suche affections For suche is the nature measure and proportion of Gods goodnesse towardes vs that the respect and intention of our zeale ought not to consist onely for that he is all in al for vs but because the greatnesse of his goodnesse deserueth it by which occasion the Prophete cryed oftentimes Paratum con meum the better to instruct vs that his hart was not onely ready to loue the creator but also to beare affection to the creature That man is ignorant in charitie who estemeth himselfe to loue God and hath no care of his neighbour and lesse is he a follower of charitie that is reputed to beare affection to his neyghbour and loueth not God since that all our Christian charitie consistes in this to doe seruice to Iesus Christ and worke some Good or benefite to our neighbour For the Lorde beares such a zeale to the Christian soule that in louing vs he will be onely and singuler and when we loue him he will be accompanied the same being contrary to the loue of the worlde with whom it is not suffered to haue the hart deuided into many partes but in the diuine loue and holy affection of the Lorde we are required to loue Iesus Christ and haue care ouer our neyghbour specially if he be a christian for otherwayes we ought to wish vnto him good eschew his conuersatiō This discourse haue I brought in to expresse testifie the wonderfull charitie which the good théefe had on the crosse who in the perplexitie of death in a small moment of time gaue good declaration of the affection he boare to Iesus Christ right published the zeale he had to saue his companion the wicked théefe Besides he was not without feruent desire to reléeue his sauiour of the paines he suffered which he wel testified in the seruice he did to him For dissembled loue is shewed in the propertie of spéech where the true frendship affection is expressed in the seruice gifts that are ministred the same appearing for the most part amongst our vaine worldlinges with whom swéet alluring words are familiar but the office effect of seruice are most commonly forgotten where in déede whose loue is chast ioyned with the holy loue of god there their mouthes kepe seilence their hands minister distributiō Cain offered to God fruits of the earth Abell brought firstlings of the fattest of his flocke Noe presented Muttons Abraham gaue Pigions Melchisedech brought Bread and Wyne Moyses Insence Dauid Golde Siluer Jeptha sacrificed his Daughter Annas Samuell his sonne All which offeringes presented by those holy personages beare great reckoning are much to be accompted of But farre more worthy was the seruice sacrifice of this théefe for that where they offered to God things apperteining to their houses he presented to the Lord his proper hart wherein he discouered a difference betwéene the oblation of things that we haue neare vs and to make an offering of our selues Therefore let no man maruell why I debate so much in prayse of this théefe For if I be asked what it was that he offered I may estsoones make a question what it was that he kept for himselfe When one man geueth to another his proper being ▪ doth he not geue by consequence his will and habilitie This théefe gaue not to God his eyes for the they were cloased vp shut he gaue him not Golde nor siluer hauing lost all by the iustice of his offēce he could not compart with him his cloths being riffeled by the executioners he offered him not his hāds féete for that the one were nailed the other bound And much lesse could he communicate with him his body for that it was crucified onely he offered that which he had remayning which was his hart wherwith he beleued his tongue by the which he confessed him to be god So that as he testified his fayth affection towards God with all that he had in his power so we haue to thinke that if there had remayned in him any propertie of more precious or greater thinges he would
vppon the crosse he was crowned as king saluted as king and hayled with the title of king So that all these being true how coulde it stande with any congruent reason that he should abandon the crosse which brought to him so many preheminences Oh Soueraigne sauiour and loue of our soules let vs not beséech thée with the Jewes to discende from the crosse nor in the corrupt affection of the Théefe to abandon the paynes thereof But graunt Oh Lorde that with thée we may be ioyned to the crosse where let vs not require that thou geue vs to eate since in that place thou haddest but gall and for thy drinke was reserued most sharpe viniger Let vs not require garments since thou wast all naked let vs not craue libertie since thou wast bounde and much lesse haue we reason to entreate for lyfe since thou diddest not refuse the execution of death That which we haue to require of thée is that it will please thée to geue vs part and communion in this crosse since in it thou hast with such plentie bestowed thy graces for wel we know Oh Lorde that thou dost neuer communicate thy loue and affection but to such as taste in thy paynes and Passions By all this discourse we may gather what hart we ought to haue to enterprise any good worke together with what magnanimitie of courage to execute it séeing that euen when we meane to beginne to doe well Wicked Spirites are then most neare vs and readyest prepared to deceaue vs For the Fleshe doth pricke and quicken vs men drawe vs backe and the Worlde workes to our vexation and Trouble Albeit manie were the occasions in IESVS Christe béeing on the Crosse to abandon it As firste the importunityes of the Jewes the perswasions of the Théefe the bitter Agonyes of Death the sorrowes of the Daughters of Hierusalem the Scornes and Scoffes of Straungers Passing that waye and Lastely the small thankes and recompence that men attributed to him for that Passion Yet they were not sufficient to Tempt him from the Execution of his Fathers Commaundement nor to let him to accomplishe all that wherevnto his Charitye bounde him for the fulfilling of our Redemption For when he sayd on the Crosse J am a thirst it was not for any appetite he had to Drinke but he spake it rather in a vehement wyll and desire to Endure yet more for the Healthe of our Soules The good theefe rebuked his fellowe hanging on the Crosse THE good Théefe hearing the wicked discourse of his companion agaynst Iesus Christ could not but minister this rebuke Weighing saith he with the horror of our lyfe past our present estate drawing to the extremitie of death I maruel that thou hast no feare of god art wythout shame of that thou sayest séeking to Crucifye this Prophete wyth thy Tongue as these Raging Tormentors doe wyth the violence of theyr Handes Oh thou knowest not that as this Innocent neuer dyd yll to any So in thée and mée was neuer founde any Good Fewe were the Wordes which this Théefe Spoke but ryght great Mysteryes are touched in them and therefore it is néedefull that we heare them wyth grauitye and Pronounce them in Charitye And albeit it is most Sewer that GOD the Almyghtie Creator is by Power all in all thinges yet particulerlye by Grace is he more manyfested by the Hearte and Tongue of man then through any other member of the Bodye as they being the two Instrumentes where wyth we doe most serue him and oftenest offende hym For the Eyes become Wearrye wyth séeing the Eares wythdrawe from Hearing the Handes refuse to Woorke the Féete forbeare to Goe and the whole Bodye may be gréeued to Sinne But it is the Harte which neuer puttes ende to hys Thoughtes and the Tongue is Séeldome wearye of Speakinge The Good Kynge Dauid was vpright in Iudgement and founde of Bodye and yet Praying to GOD for the most part he obserued these two Petytions Cor mundum crea in me Deus and Domine labia mea aperies Wherein he required of GOD to rayse in him a Harte cleare and Innocent also to blesse him wyth a tongue that should not pronounce any thing contrary to his wil for albeit he receiued gréeffes and disquiets by his other members yet he knewe he coulde neuer be vanquished of them for that it is one principall signe that we are in the grace of god when he blesseth vs with a hart replenished with pure intentions geues vs a tongue refrained frō speaking euill yea it is a true foundation testimonie of good Christians to beléeue in God with our hart and set forth his prayses with our tongue Much was the people of Jsraell in the grace of God when by Jeremie he sayd to them Ego dabo eis cor nouum and no lesse fauoured was Ezechiell of that almightie worker of all thinges when he sayde Ego aperiam os tuum in medio eorum as if he had sayde to Israell in signe of the great amitie I haue with thée I will illumine thy harte and because thou art my seruannt Oh Ezechiell I will open thy mouth to the ende thou mayest publishe and preach my power and might For right small is the nomber of those which atteyne to my knowledge and farre fewer are they that preach sincerely my name yea albeit a man haue the facultie to read to interpreat to studie and to deliuer yet he hath not for all that the full facultie of a true Apostolyke preacher for it is no small gifte and blessing of the Lorde to know how to preach well and pronoūce his worde and will Great therefore was the liberalitie which Christ vsed on the crosse séeing that the grace of newnes of hart which he gaue to Jsraell and the spirite and power of well preaching which he imparted to Ezechiell he infused both together into this good théefe toutching his harte to make him beléeue in him and opening his mouth to the ende he might publishe and preach his name By which is happened that after the Sermons of Iesus Christ and afore the preachinges of the Apostles this good théefe was the first that preached in the Church yea euen where he was crucified in the presence of the people he magnified that which Christ did and reproued his companion of blasphemy saying Neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es I sée saith he thou hast no feare of God and art in the way to be damned therefore beholde me and thinke vpon thy selfe To teach the ignorant and reduce to truth him that is in error is a worke of charitie proceding of great bountie which was expressed in the behauiour of this théefe warning his companion to consider that he was condemned to death hauing by his side the sonne of God in whom was power to pardon his offences and withall to deliuer him from the perpetuall agonies of Hell Oh to how many of our companions and
christians for that they are and beare the name of christians He had not sure erected this Edict had hee not bene well informed of the innocency and iustice of such as followed christian religion and had some taste by the doctrine of Quadratus and Aristides of the reasons appertaining to the mistery of the gospel For he deuised to builde Temples dedicated to the seruice and woorshipping of Christ wherein his counsell restrayned hym alleadginge that in that example woulde be generall conuersion to christianitie In this may be discerned the conscience of his councellours who stoode vpon no other impediments but a certain feare that by that meane the multitude would come to the knowledge of the truth Those tēples that he did build were not subect to idolatrie neither would he suffer customes of superstition beeing for those respectes called the temples of Adrian Marcus Antonius Aurelius declared in fauour of the christians that they worshipped the immortal God he gaue libertie to whom would be a christian and forbad expressely that they should be molested The Emperour Alexander Seuerus published a lawe in grace of the christians that they should not be persecuted and much lesse restrained to vse publike conference and action of their religion he had hanging in his Oratorie the Image of a Crucifix and deuised to builde a Temple wherein Christ should be worshipped but he suffered many impedimentes that drew him from it All this was wrought by Gods prouidence foreséeing that the Sauiour of the worlde shoulde not be put amongst other false Gods. This Prince in all his deuises and spéeches had great familiaritie wyth this principall point of christian discipline Not to do to an other that which he would not haue done to himself wherin was good declaration that his conscience could not denie that truth which those men professed that were persecuted of the world Valerius Maximus the Emperour was a great vexer of the christians yet the truth of the gospell and the chastisementes of God which he had bitterly felt made him oftentimes reuoke the straight and seueare Edictes which he had ordeined against the christians giuinge libertie to who would professe the state and opinion of christianitie and they not to be vexed by any persecutions All these men and great Princes were sworne ennemies to the religion and died in their ignorance and blindnes whose testimonies are of no small effect against the ennemies of Christ For when they ceased to vexe and persecute the church and beare fauour to the christians it procéeded of none other motion thē of the puretie of religion and of the iustice and innocencye of those that professed it together with their constancie in all actes of vertue bearing withal a setled hatred to all vices They saw also the sundry maruelles and prodigious things which were don daily for the reformation of that doctrine and felt the anger of GOD and his chastisementes thundered vppon such as persecuted the churche So that it séemes that in those thinges was a spirit enforcinge those mightie Princes to testifie for that doctrine and beare fauour to it to the ende that on all sides errour and falsehoode might be driuen away as béeing not hable to remaine where the lighte of the gospell should dispearse his beames In that time when the gospell began to be planted and sowen and that the name of a christian was so dearely solde to him that bare it the prouidence of God raised a meane to remoue the crosse from the churche to the end shée were not so oppressed with persecutions as not to haue leasure to recouer breath and eftsones take fresh courage Thys respitte was giuen by the meanes to haue conuersation with the Pagans and yet remained from the Emperour Tiberius vntill Nero who was the first that persecuted the primatiue churche yea this persecution brought greate slaughter to the christians euen to the principalles of the church and Christes Disciples hauinge brought to perfection their race and course and accomplished all those thinges that appertained to their time and for the which they had bene myraculously preserued The Emperour Domitian contynued this affliction and by him notwythstandinge the goodnesse of GOD wroughte a meane to cease and remoue all those tormentes for that by the hate which Domitian boare to the doinges of his predecessour Nero he with the Senate brake all the statutes and ordenances of Nero By which was ministred to the churche good oportunitie to reenter into comforte and courage bringinge some reste to the gospell the better to haue it communicated in some sewertie and to plant it with greater power So that in good viewe and consideration of these affaires and actions we may discerne in these discourses of the christian church a woonderfull fauour and prouidence of GOD séekinge on the one side to proue and examine his churche by a rigorous crosse shewinge her the traces and steppes of her Sauiour to the ende to followe hym and on the other side he exhibited a Fatherly loue and incomprehensible prouidence making her truly to se that neither the furie of the kingdome of Sathan nor the rage of his ministers are sufficient to supplant and roote it out of the worlde yea hauinge on her part the infinitte power of GOD she shall stande eternally and yet the worlde not know the meane how she is preserued By this meane also may bee discerned how readily and feruently the yre of GOD is kindled againste the aduersaries of the gospell séeinge that all the Romaine Emperours which persecuted it suffered wicked and monstrous endes As of the contrary such as were moderate and temperate founde fauour with GOD and were lesse punnished of the world laying them in comparison wyth Nero Domitian and such other like Princes whom the Deuill helde in hys deuotion to persecute the churche By these meaness the Prymatiue churche was mayntained sometimes in one estate sometimes in an other vntill the raigne of Julian the Apostat who being a christian in hys beginninge was seduced by Libinius Sofista his schoolmaister to abandon Christian faith and restore Paganry together wyth the sacrifices and superstitions which had bene abolished by the lighte of the gospell By these it is woonderfull to see howe christian faith encreased séeinge the impedimentes of persecution that were raised against it But much more are to be woondered at the respytes succours and comfortes which euen her proper ennemyes ministred vnto her as well appeareth no lesse by the relation of those myghty Princes Emperours before declared then also by the persecution of this Iulian in whom Gods prouidence wrought no lesse benefitte and fauour then in any of the rest séeing that notwithstandinge this Prince persecuted the church with greater arte and hate then any of his predecessours yet God forbare not to raise her into an estate of great spirituall prosperitie this tirant séeing as well in his life as his death euident tokens that God was his enemie For euen in his time the gospell was
them agaynst the suttleties suggestions and illusions of the deuill So that there is no dout but this people was chosen to be a grayne wherein should be preserued the puritie of the séede of the doctrine the assurance of the mercy of god seruing withal to declare how wonderfull God is in his works to remaine as a mirror to all natiōs to serue honor but one God confounding al other Gods as faulse and of the deuil In effect God saw good to continue the roote and stocke of his truth to his people whom he had chosen to the ende the worlde might know that he drue to him his people by other meanes then did the deuil wyth whom it hath ben alwaies familiar to lay snares and suttle traps to intice the frayltie of men Ouer this people of god Abraham was chosen chiefe and leader as afore him were appointed Seth and Noe. But Abraham being a Chalde and lyuing amongest an Idolatrous Nation God sawe good to make a choyse of him and call him to himselfe cōmaunding him to abandon his countrey and kindred and go whether he would guide him promising to make him great yea euen a mightie ruler ouer a large people All this conteynes as yet nothing but misteries of the diuine wisedome and of workes of iustice and mercie For first God chused for chieftayne of his people a man who may serue for example to all posterities succéeding him for Fayth Loue Obedience Truth Iustice Pacience Charitie knowledge of Sinne and lastly for all whatsoeuer may concerne the Honour and glory of God and his Seruice He was called of God to Serue as an example to his newe People and all others and in whome God would expresse wyth what fauour support and ayde he followeth those that serue and honour him To him all Princes and principall guides of people ought to confyrme and referre their councels actions for God loues such as he as he was But now to retourne to Abraham God commaunded him to forsake his countrey and the Religion of the Chaldees Wherein first of all he shewed how hatefull that people was to him for renouncing his worde yea the more fully to Punishe them he tooke from them the Companie of a Personage which had knowledge of this Diuinitie and frueth of his worde This is it that the Prophete meanes saying Wee haue Ministred Medicines to Babylon and yet shee hath receiued no Cure and after wee haue abandoned her euery one c. Euenso the obstinacie of the Chaldees agaynst the Doctrine of Abraham deserued to bée forsaken as a thing abandoned of the Phisitions Secondly it may be sayd that Abraham was withdrawen from his Countrey for that for the most part God bears vnto his such proportion of fauor that he withdrawes them from il companies consequently from the punishments and corrections which he holdes readie to thunder vpon the heades of the wicked By that meane he drue Lot out of Sodom and preserued Helias in the time of famine shewing in them the great care and speciall prouidence he hath ouer those that serue him Thirdly in this euocation of Abraham is taught how néedeful it is to such as séeke to be of the nomber of Gods People to be deuided and drawne from vices and that they fixe not vppon the abuses of this world séeing they ought to be a People seperate and Subiect to no Communitie or traffyke wyth Sinners and Idolators For that cause the Scripture calleth the Children of God Banished and seperate from all men Esay also Exhorteth the Faythfull to retyre from the Companie of the wicked but specialsy suche as are Gods Seruauntes and Sacrifycators ordeyued to accomplishe the Statutes and Commaundementes of god Abraham issued out of the Region of the Chaldees vppon the assuraunce of Gods Promises to make him a guide leader of a mightie people and wythall to purchase such renoume and fauor that who blessed that people should be blessed who accursed them should partake with the same and that out of his séed should issue he that should bring felicitie and blessing to all the nations and kinreds of the earth This promise is a reuiuing of that which had béene made to Adam and Heua whereof the certayntie séemes to bée so much the more great by how much God assigneth the Séede out of the which should issue the Messias and Sauiour of the Worlde By this may be considered the great rewarde that such may hope for as followe the Lorde béeing called to the obedience of his Commaundements and are withdrawne from the delights and vanities of the worlde to followe bitter thinges and of harde disgestion For as God sheweth the fauor he beareth them chusing them for his seruice and aduaunsing them a-aboue all others So doth he also expresse the perticular care he hath ouer his chosen whom if he aduaunce on one behalfe he doth also priueleadge on an other But notwithstanding all those promises Abraham forbare not to endure much and to beare his Crosse wyth much trouble following alwayes the eternall will to shew that the bountie and iustice of God are pefect in all his workes And albeit he liued in great perplexitie and pouertie and suffered many tribulations and persecutions yet God deliuered him and made him prosper that he was riche mightie and victorious ouer his enemies This is the true Image of the way of God and truth and to it God calles vs wyth milke and delytes as nursses vse to intice little Children to the ende we know that all his wayes are founded vpon mercie and trueth and that he is vpright in his worde to the iust leauing vs to folow him by that way obey him as knowing his will to be readie enclined to our health and benefite the same béeing the true ende and purpose for the which he hath chosen vs to serue his turne of vs. Touching the crosse and persecution which Abraham suffered they weare necessarye to his felicitie For God vseth to proue our fayth to showe by effect what loue wée beare him and what patience and Charitie wée haue shewing wythall how much the worlde is our enemie declaring it selfe for such one in all his actions and that God onely hath created and redéemed vs and onely ministreth all fauour to vs to the ende wée should call him to our ayde in our necessities and confesse him whereby the remorce and féeling we haue of his mercie may enflame vs to yéeld him thanks And that our fayth béeing tryed by the fire of tribulation and temptation the vertue of our patience may encrease and our hope growe stronger dayly to resiste Sinne and the Worlde vnder Assuraunce and Confydence of the Bowntie of God. So that Abraham a man iuste was led in these Accidentes somtimes in glorie and sometimes in tribulation by the Contemplation of whose lyfe all Christians may know how God handleth his chosen and of what Condition hée will chuse them and wyth what courage hée
and yet there comes an heire whom they thought not vppsn who wyth great delyte reioyseth in the fruite and vse of all their paynefull trauels It is a iust Sentence that such as haue beguyled many should reape the recompence of their abuses since Gods iustice goeth by measure and hath regarde to the equitie of thinges wythout Parciallitie to persons It is no indifferencie that that which a wicked Father hath heaped for on heire alone by the preiudice of many goodmen should be enioyed by him many yeares for that the line to measure all thinges ought to be equall and goodes gotten by shyfte are for the most part lost wyth shame the same falling out in common experience that what the wicked Father wins wyth studie and sorrow the vnthryftie sonne wastes in Solace and Negligence And what the one Plantes in toyle and care the other remooues in ease and welfare béeing a Lawe in Gods iustice that the Prodigall Sonne should scorne at the sighes of his Couetous Father You séeme according to the figure of the Scripture for the silling of one Patte of Water to wade continually wetshood in the lake of this miserable Worlde You drye vp the noritour of your brayne wyth the fume of sighs You breake your bodye wyth the toyles of this lyfe and aduenture your honour to fyll but one Iarre or Pitcher wyth Water and yet lyke as for the time you liue it will not quench your appetite so in the ende you will be dryuen to dye of Thirst and the Potte which wyth so great payne you haue fylled in your lyfe shall after your death be broken against the walles of a prodigall heire who will laugh to sée it runne as a ryuer and reioyce to water the streates wyth the Ryches that you Locked full dearely in your sewrest Chestes Remember that he is not Ryche that possesseth much goodes but he whose desires are satisfyed and his minde contented The liberall man liues in beste securitie for that his liberalitie continues his friendes and reclaimes his enemies And Golde and Siluer giue better renoume to those that spende them then to such as hoard them vp for that couetousnesse makes the hoarders to bée hated where liberalitye draweth loue to the spender By these I wishe you to be aduised that gayne and getting are weake pillors to vpholde good name for that Couetousnesse and honor are of themselues contrarye and can holde no congruencie together in one man All the vices of this worlde haue in themselues some taste except Couetousnesse which bringes griefe for the goodes that others haue and Ielousie and suspition for the riches that are euen vnder our owne handes For to be riche it belonges also to haue the fruition of riches the same giuing pleasure to such as can take it as the possession serueth to such as can vse it The perplexities of the couetous man are to suspect his Seruauntes and distrust his kindred to set Espyalles ouer his Wyfe and doubt his Children to bée fearefull of the thiefe and to be Ielouse euen of his owne shaddowe Yea he is so miserable that he settes more garde of his money then of his person He takes no pleasure but in casting his Reckoninges in Compting his Siluer in Selling his Wares and in multiplying his Commodities estéeming it as his Paradice to bée alwayes gayning and neuer spending to bée alwayes winninig and neuer loasing to bée alwayes receiuing and neuer lending and to be alwayes getting as though he should neuer dye But when there is question to disburse money though it be for thinges necessarie Oh then he is as farre from modestye as he is full of malice accursing to the Diuell both Wyfe Children and Familie and in that Passion hée estéemes suche to deceaue him most in whom hée hath greatest reason to repose Confydence and who in deede are the best Stewardes and Husbandes of his commodityes So that if Couetous men would Consider what a swéete thing Lyberalitye is they would tourne their desires to gayne much into a disposition to géeue more for that it is not of so great value that which the Liberall man doth géeue as is his recompence Séeing that for the pleasure hée doth to anye hée is to Redemaunde the Trybute of his Libertie Yea the Liberall man is the Lorde ouer those People where hee lyueth and the leader of all suche as haue to doe wyth him For that their Recompence béeing certayne there are none wyll denye him their Seruice Where to the Nygarde and Couetous man where one wyll heare him manye wyll feare him where none wyll speake to him manye wyll auoyde him Where none wyll geeue him any thing many wyll practise agaynst him Where none will visitte him many will abhorre him where none wyll employe him many wyll accurse him Yea who wyll Demaunde any thing of the Couetous man that denyeth all thinges to himselfe or how hath he a mynde to succour Straungers that is not touched in Conscience to suffer his owne to Starue Manye Couetous men doe wée sée now a dayes to whom God geeues Power to gette Ryches Pollecye to kéepe them Heartes to defende them Lyfe to possesse them but not Lybertye to reioyce and vse them So that though they bee Lordes ouer the Ryches of others yet they are Slaues euen to that whiche themselues Possesse Wherein I am of Opinyon that by so muche more Excellent is Honeste Pouertie then Cursed Couetousnesse By how muche the Poore man is contented wyth Little where to the Richeman a great deale seemes nothing And therefore what mynde canne bée more Myserable then to sighe for the goodes of an other more by desire then by default The gréedie mynde caryeth no Disposition to Spende vppon his Parentes and friendes séeing hée accomptes that Stolne which hée employeth of himselfe Therefore it is a false Witnesse to call the couetous man rich since it is not he that hath riches but rather riches are maisters of him For the which he takes no small paine to get them vseth as great care to kéepe them and suffereth no lesse griefe to forgoe them Yea I accompt not the couetous riche men so happie as the pore labourer and deluer of the earth For that wyth his mattocke the one drawes reliefe and noriture out of the earth and the other wretchedly hydes in the earth his treasure and felicitie and how secretly so euer it is hyd yet he standes not so suspicious of any as of himselfe For if he haue two keyes to his Chest to kéepe his money from stealing he suffereth ten cares in his harte to kéepe him from spending So that the care being great to kéep and the griefe no lesse to loase I wishe all men well aduised how they beginne to get since to saue a little of their wealth they are subiect to put in hazarde much of their honor Therefore who will be reuenged of a richeman can wish him no greater passion then
mind fashioned of Drosse and fylth Séeing that in the house of God and where his loue is in office there ought to bée no Excuse of thinges Required nor Denyall to doe that is commaunded Oh that God giues a great grace to that man on whom hee béestoweth a hearte of massiue and weightye Golde as of the contrarie wretchednesse is his portion whose hearte is vayne light and hollow agaynst such men the Prophet beares witnesse Cor eorū vanum est For that the harte is the furnace wherein are framed all our desires and passions and the fordge whereon are Beaten all our trauelles and actions God sayth then that that which hée selleth vnto vs is no other thing then gold enflamed that is Gold Purifyed and Burning Wherein is géeuen vs to know that from that instant that the Loue of God hath touched our heart it wyll alwayes burne it will alwayes praye it wyll alwayes sight and it wyll neuer cease to loue The loue of God beeinge of suche Qualetie that in what mynde so euer hée makes hys aboade hée wyll not suffer to remayne any ill wickednesse or idlenesse Golde enflamed is sewer the loue of the Lorde séeing that with his sparcklinge flames it kindleth our vnderstanding enflameth our harte warmeth our will and burneth to ashes our offences Yea at the heat of that fire the elect are warmed and the reprobat smothered but the zeale of the louers of the worlde is not Golde enflamed for that it is entangled wyth this propertie to Burne wythout warming and to make Weary wythout resting it scorcheth and not purifyeth it terryfyeth and not assureth and killeth wythout remedie The mettall which is solde in the shoppe of the worlde is not Golde but Leade is not substaunce but scumme yea it is rather drosse then Golde séeing that such as loue wyth the affection of the worlde are euen those that come out of it in the end most smeared and corrupted The loue which the Lorde selleth is not onely Gold enflamed but very well refined and proued The first profe passing in himselfe in the trée of the Crosse and receiued Confyrmation by the Martyrdome of Saynt Peter and others by whose passions and torments the loue of Iesus Christ was well ratified and approued Quando apostoli ibant à conspectu concilij quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Jesu cōtumeliam pati Right worthely was approued within their hartes the loue of Christ séeing they went to their execution better contented and glad then all the Princes of the world when they go to receiue the crowne of a kingdome Right well was approued the loue of Iesus Christ within the hart of S. Paule when he sayd ego Paulus vinctus in domino holding him selfe more happie to be fettred in chaines for the loue of God then if he had bene raysed to the greatest principalitie of the earth Touching the loue of the world frayle and vaine wyth greater reason we may call it reproued then approued séeing one man loues not an other but for respect of interest and commoditie So that as the seruants of God loue him with all their power including no other reason then the consideration of his greatnes and mercie So worldly men loue one an other no longer nor no more then there is possibilitie of gaine and recompence and therefore deserueth to be called and affection reprobate for that it beares regard to the benefit and not to the matter In this part of the text we haue also to consider that the Lord willeth vs not to buy gold of any other then of him offring it to vs of him selfe both purified and burning and all to instruct vs that it is he only of whom we are to obtaine grace to loue him and loue to serue him Besides this gold of the loue of the Lord will not be communicated to vs for nothing least we should estéeme it little Neither is it to be sold to vs at a deare price to the end we refuse it not and much lesse will it bée prised because it is without value and estimation onely all that is required of vs is that we retribute vnto the Lord loue for loue and giue our affection in recompence and change of his And séeing our loue is ambicious and blind in worldly things and altogether caried to light and strange desires Let not that man thinke hée giues little who vnto Iesus Christ giues his whole hart And he since he selleth not to vs but loue sincere and holy let vs not in enterchange returne to him affections fained infected and doubtfull great is the zeale of Christ who being loue and the better to lead our affections he teacheth vs how to loue The Lord make vs as we ought to be to the end we may the better minister to his commaundements and seruice and séeing hée is the true Lord that hath made vs of earth and referred vs eftsones to the destinie of the earth and that we haue nothing to giue in exchange for his loue of gold but a small affection and that cankared and infected Let vs beséech him that our corrupt drosse may be made acceptable to him and his precious and purified gold become profitable to our saluation A short Letter partly in rebuke and partly in perswasion WHen the miserie of others wil not make you kéepe a meane with your fortune nor the experience of harmes past touch you in example and warning I sée no other safetie remayning then may be hoped for in a ship who tossed with many stormes séekes her securitie where the sea goeth most high and raging But being happie in friendes you liue carelesse of chances estéeming your selfe subiect to the sentence of Solomon that that which the euill man feareth shall assuredly happen vnto him I vnderstand by your messenger the state of your perplexitie together with the possibilitie of your perill if present pollicie be not vsed for the which I am so much the more sory by how much our frendship is auncient and so much the lesse carelesse by how much it ministreth interest to our common alliance Two qualities of such fast coniunction that nothing can dissolue them for that alliance is congealed in the bloud and friendship makes his knot in the hart as touching the regard of a friend I maruell I haue not heard of you thus long for that amongst friends when their persons are deuided the next office is to communicate by intelligence but remembring that forgetfulnes is a swéete error I haue long since cut of all expectation to heare front you specially since you haue dedicated your selfe to sanctuaries churchyardes and churches of refuge where I thinke you establish your resort not so much for deuocion and remorse as to giue cooller to some abuse and wrong Remember that to offend God and disobey iustice is an act so duly deseruing punishment that there is no doubt of the reuenge though not vppon the person of the imediat offender yet vppon
visit him but also to comfort and refreshe him wyth meate By this also we may inferre that if we forget not to serue God he will not forget to minister remedy to our distresses as knowing right well the little we haue and the lesse we canne doe And therefore let vs not giue ouer to Serue him and much lesse forbeare to folow him séeing he doth Capitulate wyth all men that if in his Seruice they doe that which they may he will recompence them with the effect of all their desires So that how lame weake or frayle so euer we be we ought not in the action of Gods seruice say We can not and therefore wee will not For that we haue a Lorde so good and easie to content that he takes vs not as we are but hath respect to that we desire to be Agréeable to these S. Barnard vseth this text Debilis est hostis qui non vincit nisi volentem as if he had sayde the Deuill of his nature is weake and the Lorde holdes him so restrayned and vnhable that he hath no power to vanquishe any but such as cannot resist him At the Gates of the hart of a Christian knocketh Iesus Christ and also knocketh the Diuell and offereth to enter so that in that case we cannot deny that it is not in our hande to receiue the one and rereiect the other And therefore neyther hath the Diuell any prerogatiue to enter one house vnlesse we admit him nor the spirite of God doth depart out of our harte if our selues make not the way for him O miserable man what shall become of thée when the Lorde calles thee to reckoning saying he hath entreated thée and thou hast not followed him He hath admonished thée thou hast not béeleeued him he hath called thée but thou hast not aunswered he hath spoken to thée but thou hast not knowne him Yea he hath touched thée but thou hast not felt him God speaking to Dauid as he was wont to communicate with his friendes and seruauntes sayth I holde not so great a care ouer my Elect when they eate when they sléepe or in their other actions as when they sigh and wéepe Yea if they will call vppon me in their tribulations and somwhat attende me I will draw them out of their troubles not onely comforted but also to their honour and Estimation Wherein wée haue reason to know that God loueth vs aboue all others séeing hee byndes himselfe to doe more for vs then all the worlde agayne For according to the propertie of the worlde our frindes helpe vs to spende the goodes we haue gotten where the Lorde aydes vs to beare the trauelles we suffer And therefore the seruaunt of God ought to consider that when Iesus Christ sayth Beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur He establisheth not a happinesse and felicitie onely in that men wéepe and mourne but referreth it to consolation that they exspect of their teares So that to the wise and good Christian it is not so much to beholde the Temptation which of the enmie he suffereth as to consider the recompence which of the Lord he expectes The simple husbandman when the season and the weather agrée is not affrayde to cast his séede into the dust of the earth recommending the encrease to the Lord and dare not true Christians commit their estate to the hands of God their Cretor in whom remains the euerlasting prouidence ouer all And séeing he is the trueth wherein men ought to beléeue and the lyfe in whom we ought to liue and lastly the way by the which we ought to walke he inuiteth vs thereby to belieue him and so to possesse our desires to liue in him to the end we may be made happy by the benefite of his promises and lastly to walke in his wayes to the end he may guide vs and if we stumble or fall he may lende vs his hande eftsoones to remount vs. Non sumus sufficientes cogitare aliquid ex nobis tanquam ex nobis sed sufficientia nostra ex deo est We haue no licence saith S. Paule to thinke or presume any thing of our selues and much lesse sufficient by our industry onely to doe any good work But this ought rather to be our beliefe that if we doe or know to doe any good we haue power therunto by the grace of God like as also if we erre in any thing it comes for that we hauing forgot God he forgets vs and tournes vs ouer to our proper errors And therefore that Christian that beginneth any thing in confidence of his proper force or power hath great reason to liue in suspition of himselfe and set good garde of his doings for though it be in the cunning of men to giue the battell it resteth onely in the wisedome of God to dispose the victory So that who determineth to serue God and vnfaynedly repose confidence in him hath no necessitie nor reason of feare of himselfe or to be hurt by any other For that so great a prouidence hath god ouer his seruants that though he suffer them to be tempted yet he consenteth not that they be vanquished if it be not of their proper will. The Diuell obteined licence of God to tempt Iob but it was giuen him vnder this condition that though he afflicted his body yet he should not touch his soule Whereby we may note that our Lorde shewed not so much the loue he beareth to his seruauntes in taking from them their perplexities and trauelles but rather in deuiding them farre from sinnes In like sort the Diuell gat leaue to deceiue the wretched Achab by the meane industry of false prophetes In which two examples we may sée what difference is vsed betwéene the frendes and enemies of God séeing to such as serue him he suffereth that they be tempted onely but to those that offende him he giueth leaue that they be beguyled Graunt therefore Oh good Iesu and loue of our soules that we may rather be tempted troubled persecuted and vexed with the happy man Iob then beguiled vanquished and abandoned as was the wretched king Achab. If it be familiar to the men of the worlde to passe from place to place at their pleasure vnder protection and safe conduit In greater assurance doe walke all such as loue and serue god For that he hath promised by his Prophete Micheas that who shall lay handes vppon any one of his Elect shall touch euen the Apple of his eye kéeping such a mercifull prouidence ouer them that if he suffer them to slyde into sinne he is ready forthwyth to minister his grace And therefore such deserue not to be called Christians and much lesse to beare estimation in the ministery who forbeare to serue the Lord for feare to be tempted or that they doubt of his succours séeing according to the testimony of Dauid God beares to his chosen such property of affection that he pitcheth his Tentes rounde about them to defende