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
by howmuch he did not onely wéepe for the death of his enemie and honored him with funerall pompe and Burying but also he gaue Reuenge to his Death In that fearefull discourse which CHRIST makes of the rich man and Lazarus in the other worlde we finde that the riche man Cryed vnto Abraham to haue Pitie on him at least wise that he would sende Lazarus to touch with his Finger the flame and heate of his Tongue which request albeit séemes to carie no face of importance or greatnesse yet the vpright iustice of God would neither heare nor helpe him For that in his prosperitie hauing denied to the pore the very Crummes falling from his Table by what reason could he deserue a droppe of Water to refreshe or comfort his necessities And where by the testimonie of the Scripture we finde that this wretched riche man was both a glutton and an epicure in delites of Banquets Garments and all other sensualities Yet it is apparant that in no part of his body he féeles such sorow as in his Tongue nor in any sort commits so great sinnes as in speaking By whose example and Punishment let all men in their conuersation bring forth vertue and in their spéeche vse councell and discression since the next way to liue in honor and dye wyth prayse is to be honest in desires and to haue a Tongue well corrected And so for ende if to Cayn Lucipher Senacherib the builders of the tower of Babilon the Murderer of Saule the wicked riche man had not bene ioyned vaine tongues to pronounce disdainefull and vndiscréete thinges it may be beléeued that they had not with such lightnesse haue loste their liues in this world nor in the other had put their souls vnder perpetuall damation But now hauing proued how the Tongue hath béene to many the cause of their Death Let vs also in another Example of the Pietie of Dauid prooue that in so hath béene the occasion of lyfe according to the argument of our Theame That Lyfe and Death are in the power of the Tongue In the bodye of Man the most necessarie member is the Harte The goodlyest Instruments are the Eyes The partes most delicate are the Eares And the thing wherein is most daunger wyth good reason wée may saye is the Tongue For that the Harte thinketh onely the wyll consentes the Eares heare the Handes stryke but to the Tongue is tyed a propertye too Kyll and Sleye And as our Tongue is none other thinge then as a whyte Wall whereon the Wyse man may paynte deuoute Images and the Foole drawe thinges vayne and fonde So to him that canne vse his Tongue well it is an Instrument that may woorke to his Saluation as of the contrarye who employeth it in ill seruices it is sufficient to his Damnation For the Harte béeing the Fordge whereon our Wicked plottes are wrought then that which our Tongue pronounceth is none other thing then the pryce and publication of the Sinnes which we haue within our Harte But now to the Historie of King Dauid a thing no lesse pitifull to heare then necessarie to know For that the discourse leaues to all Christians a true experience what weakenesse we haue to fall and with what readinesse we may eftsoons rise againe As king Saule by Gods wil was depriued of his kingdome so in his place the eternall prouidence raised the holy king Dauid who in the sight of the Lord found so much grace as the wicked Saule was disfauored So God loued Dauid that amongst al the patriarkes he made him most honored amongest the propheâ—s best inspired amongest the Capteines most feared amongst the kings best estéemed and loued yea he founde him so agréeable in his sight that he promised and swore to discend of his race bearing himselfe such witnesse of his holinesse that he confessed that amongst all the Children of Israell he had founde and chozen Dauid as best pleasiing his Harte and most agréeable to his will And so was Dauid loued of God wyth a diuine affection For that he serued him wyth all his Harte by which wée may iudge that wyth one equall Weyght or measure are peysed the loue which GOD beares too vs and the seruices which wée doe to him But as Idlenesse is the Enemie of vertue and the verie trayne to all Wickednesse it happened that Dauid being in his Palaice well dispozed of his person and mightie in Countreyes but his minde enuironed with Idlenesse he fell into an accident most preiudiciall to his renoume no lesse infamous to his common weale Wherby Princes may sée that more punishment doe they deserue for the euill example they shew then for the vices they commit For it had not happened so to the good king Dauid if he had bene either writing of Psalmes or busie in some expedition of war or at least managing some other his affaires of importance but such is the resolution of God so it is so it hath bene so it shal be that from the time that princes take truce with their enemies they set at libertie the fludde of vices to run with maine streame into their courts palaices according to the testimonie of S. Augustine in the citie of god More hurtful was the citie of Carthage to Rome after her destruction then during the whole course season of wars which the Romains had with her For the whylest they had enemies in Affrike they knew not what vices ment in Rome But now eftsoons to the history Dauid being idle in his gallery beheld the beutie of Bethsabe the wife of Vrias being then in the warres applying the absence of her husband to the commoditie of his desire what with his great importunitie and her small constancie hée committed Adulterye and gatte her wyth childe And fearing Detection of the Fact he Wroat spéedelye to Joab his Gennerall in those Warres that at the time of the assault Vrias might be preferred to the perill of his lyfe wherein according to the societie that is in sinne it séemed that from one offence he appealed to an other as from Epicuritie he fel to idlenesse idlenesse bred in him foule desires by desire he was driuen to solicit by soliciting he beguiled her weakenesse and after he had beguiled her he fell to adulterie and from Adulterie to Murder so that the Deuill had neuer deceiued him if himselfe had not pitched the toyles of his proper harmes Yea if Dauid had so serued God as God loued him he had neuer suffered him to fall so farre For with such care doth the Lorde holde vp such as striue to serue him that he neuer suffereth them to fall into great sinnes But if we doe slyde stumble and hurt our selues let vs not be amazed for euen the same infirmities are common to Angels Therefore when we pray to God we ought to demaunde with teares and contrition for that if he then suffer vs to fall he will also geue vs grace
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
to tell you what sorrow is Séeing it is an action due to my place and age to wéepe fast and praye but to you it apperteynes to daunce deuise tryffle Notwythstanding as I haue told you in short what a frende is so I will not sticke to fill vp the residue of your desire to debate briefly the nature of loue not that I would instruct you but to warne and aduise you hoping you will rather Loue as a Christian then as a Courtier Wherein I recommende vnto you chiefely to bée wise in your wordes discréete in your actions secret in your thoughtes particuler in your frendships modest in your behauiour and aboue all follow the instructions of your owne vertues and flée the example of such as draw to vice Yea haue more regarde to your selfe then to any other person since in the ende your vertues are sure of their rewarde for that God will preferre you to Mariage and put into the minde of the Prince to endue you wyth worthie Portion Take héede therefore you bée not lyght in lookes vayne in life lauishe of spéech nor a scoffer at men for that wyth Ladyes of these Conditions men of the Court take pleasure to deuise but none will haue fancie to Marie them So that the best dowrie to aduaunce the Mariage of a young Lady is when she bringes in her countenaunce myldnesse in her spéeche wisedome in her behauiour modestie and in her whole lyfe vertue For that there is no man what vayne and lyght affections soeuer hée haue but though hée take pleasure to sewe and serue a fayre Ladye yet in case of Maryage hée wyll séeke out Vertue and reiect Beautie But now to our purpose of Loue It is an opinion wyth you Ladyes of the Court that Loue and to bée a Louer consistes onely to be gaye in apparell to be set out in diuersitie of Coullers of Feathers to be pensiue to be passioned to solycite to beholde and often to entertaine his Lady wyth discourses of Loue Thinges no lesse vayne and light then most farre from the true propertie of loue Séeing of this qualetye is the good and true loue that to him that hath default of force it géeues him strength and in him that hath it alreadye it confirmes it further To him that is simple it géeues Quickenesse of spirite To him that hath want of Courage it géeues boldenesse and stomacke By it the Couetou◠man is made liberal and it sets open the Purse of the nigarde So that in the harte where he is entred he suffereth no imperfection nor inciuility but lifts their thoughts vp to high actions and searching that he loueth there are none perceiueth what he endureth when we cast our eye vpon a thing there is differenc to prayse it and to loue it ▪ for that the thing which we praise and loue not assone as it is commended it is forgotten but that which we loue truly wée laye vp in the the secret corner of our thoughtes we plant it in our will and bring it forth in the fruite of our memorie It stands always afore our eyes our eyes send it downe to the safe keeping of our harte Loue is beste knowne to the harte that loueth and he of himselfe onely feeles when he is content or miscontent fauoured or not fauoured suspected or trusted mery or sadde or in dispair or assured Yea his passions are not knowne to others if his affections be honest for that he will rather suffer in griefe then giue cause of offence estéeming his meritte so much the greater by how much his martirdome is painefull and his passion so muche the more worthie by how much his intention assureth his hope To instruct you in the signes of suche as loue truely you must obserue the behauiour of the parties when they depart one from another For it is no other thing the seperation of two frends then to deuide one hart into two moities the same moste commonly appearing at the time of leaue taking when in the one is disclosed want of wordes and in the other aboundaunce of teares you shall know likewise that loue that is accompanied with fastnesse when the partie enterpriseth great things and estéemeth little those of base importance loue alwaies enabling his subiects to high actions raising their thoughtes to great purposes Zo that the hart that loues lokes not to be commaunded but learns to win merit by preuention he offereth no excuse but is ready to execute he is not required to be liberall but finds out wherin he may be aceptable he suspectes not his mistres but takes all to the best he beleeues no report since he is assured of her vertue he is not importunate but makes his hope his felicitie if she but begin to like he puts wings to his affection yea he makes her the image of his thoughts liues wholy dedicated to her deuotion And therefore if he loue dearly hd liues in thought to please in care to offende in desire to suffer in feare to disclose and louing much he giues much thinking it no liberalitie if he refuse any thing since if he haue once giuen his wil and consent it is nothing to giue withal his abilitie and wealth and being possest by another he must think he hath nothing of his owne In like sort the true louer studies to be circumspect in behauiour estéeming it a swéet felicity to haue his thoughts delytes priuate he is modest in countenance the better to bleare the eyes of spies please the minde of his mistres And he is patient to suffer estéeming him not worthy of reward vnlesse he endure to the ende And where true loue is there wronges must be borne and no wordes deliuered to the dyshonour of his Lady By whom if any occasion be giuen yet he must alwayes haue this lesson that patience is a vertue and secret scilence doth best solicite since the true Trumpet of loue is not the Tongue that speaketh but the harte that sigheth Yea as the Tongue is restrayned from speaking but not the hearte from Louinge So I holde it better to loue wyth sewertie then to deceiue wyth swéetnesse since in the one is the vertue and bringes his rewarde and the other being the vice is sure of his Punnishement And so good Sister if any your Seruauntes in Courte iudge me a louer by this short discourse I haue written I praye you tell them that béeing a member of the worlde I haue a propertie in worldly actions and perhaps had bene as worldly as the best if Philosophie had not drawne me from the world To a Noble man in Consolation for the death of his Daughter in Law. THis hath bene alwayes a true obseruation from one time to an other that afore any great chaūce or accident there were forshewed certeine straunge and prodigious signes which as the Gentils interpreted according to their Superstitions so it belonges to vs Christians to take them as
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
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
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
giue without thankes and to hope for thinges that come not For that where to a benefit is offered vnthankefulnes and to a iust demaunde is added deniall where no recompence followeth due merit of seruice and where that comes not which we hope for Oh in those causes though the harte be driuen to suffer yet the tongue cannot vse scilence You aske me what be the foure thinges that rather dye then are satisfied And I aunswere that how olde so euer men be and their bodies broken with extreame trauelles yet you shall neuer sée their tongue satisfied with speaking superfluous thinges their eares wearie with hearing nouelties their handes cloyed wyth doing wickedly nor their harte cease to desire vanities You aske me what be the thinges which men cannot chuse but féele and are lesse hable to conceale They be these foure Riches loue sorow and euill will For loue is discouered by sighes hatred appeareth in the eyes riches are expressed in the port and countenance and dollor deelars himselfe by complaint so that where some men may for a time dissemble them yet none can long conceale them Where you aske me what be the thinges in a man moste prayse worthie and aboue all other to be estéemed best you shall finde them comprehended in these foure That is too say to be a good christian to be vpright true to be patient and to be secret For that man that in his workes shall expresse the dutie of a good Christian and in iniuries shall vse patience discression in his wordes deliuer simplicitie and truth and haue iudgement to kepe thinges secret such one be bolde to cloaze in your stomacke and lay vp for him the rewarde of an vnfamed affection You aske me who they be that most redelie get frendes as easely loaze them Whervnto vnto I aunswere that they be these foure sortes the riche sort young men such as are mightie and those that are fauored of Princes But soone doth the riche man loaze his frendes when he comes to be pore and sooner is the young man forgotten when he falles into age easelie is the mightie man forsaken when his power is taken from him and soonest of all fals the credit of the courtier when the Prince withdrawes his fauor You aske me what ought to be the condicions of one that entreth Seruice To him I appoynt these foure To be diligent to be patient to be faythfull and to be true For the seruant that can suffer when he is rebuked is iust in the office and charge committed too him diligent to learne that he knoweth not and faythful in things committed to his trust let the master be glad in such a seruant that seruant not doubt of his aduauÌ„cement You aske me what be the things which women desire most holde themselues best contented withall sure I will forbeare to discribe their particuler fancies For that their desires are without limitte and therefore according to my order in the rest I will restraine them into these foure To be gorgiously appareled to be estéemed fayre to goe whether they lyst that men beleue what they say For to a woman no lesse glorious are her garments her beutie her opinion of credit and her libertie then the plumes to the Peacocke who in other respectes is both leoathsome and vnacceptable You aske me with what obseruations we ought to giue when we giue any thing wherunto I aunswere that in administring liberalitie all men are tyed to these foure respects To consider well what we giue to know to whom we geue to vnderstande the cause why we geue and to haue regarde too the time when we geue For it is néedefull we iudge and weigh the value and quantitie of our gyft lest we geue lesse then to suffize the necessitie of him to whom we geue Too know to whom we geue lest there be no merit nor iust necessitie in the person to examine well the occasion why we geue to the ende that it be for good respecte aboue all who obserues not the time giues perhappes to no fruite or commoditie of him that receiueth So that who giues out of these condicions giues not in true liberalitie but as the blinde man who wéening to powre drinke into his dishe powreth it into the ryuer which hath no néede to be licoured Where you aske me what bée the Qualities most necessarie in a Prince helping best to mainteyne his reputation I saye they consist in these foure To haue courage or vertue to suffer a hart to giue a hande to reward and clemencie to pardon All other imperfections ought to be suffered in a prince if there be onely founde in him clemencie to forgeue faltes liberalitie to giue dignities a memorie to adde recompence to seruices and a patience to suffer traueyles and chaunces Where you aske me what thinges a Gentleman ought most to take héede of and where of he is the soonest noted I sende you them comprehended in these foure In Cowardise in Nigardnesse in Lying and in iniustice For the Gentleman that in warre is a Cowarde in his house a Nigarde in his Countrey a Tyrant and in his wordes a Liar much lesse that to such one is due the merit and reputation of a Gentleman séeing he is not worthie to communicate with the felowship euen of the meanest estate in a common weale And where you aske me with what qualities a mayd is to winne her ronoume and estimation I say that it is necessarie she be faire of face honest in life an enemie to libertie and a dispizer of Baudes and dissolute persons For that if in her Face she shewe not a pleasing beautie and in her conuesation bring forth honestie vertue if she be a wanderer after Libertie and delight to whysper and haue intelligence with secret messeÌ„gers her renoume shal runne as a streame that neuer ceasseth till it fall into a puddle that can not eftsoones be repurifyed Thus Sâ—r are your demaundes aunswered though not with such plentie of Eloquence as you looked for yet with that fulnesse of matter as may well suffize for your instruction specially béeing not drawen out of any great volumes or antiquities but compounded of mine owne experience and common reason ¶ Touching the VVarre which a man makes against himselfe IOb complayning in his great affliction confessed that hée was made gréeuous euen to himselfe Meaning that wyth better reason could he not complaine against any then agaynst himselfe for that being contrarie to himselfe he heaped his proper affliction This sort of complayning is so much the more straunge by how much it excéedes the common custome and experience of men in that case For that how déepe so euer any man be entangled with sinne and crime yea though he stande conuict yet will he rather labor to detect others then accuse himselfe And albeit there is nothing more common in this worlde then to fall
to offende and dwell in sinne and wickednesse yet in fewe men is founde a disposition to pardon iniuries but in fewer is expressed a will to expresse their proper error For that to fall and erre is a thing humaine to repent comes of God but to continue in euill cannot but be of the Deuill Men complayne of the earth for that it is vnfruitfull and of the Sea saying it is daungerous they mislyke the Ayre because it is corrupt they crye out of fortune by reason of her inconstancie they grudge agaynst their frends when they are founde vnfaythfull and crye out of the time that slips away so fast those men for the most part as they complayne more by custome then vpon any cause so albeit there is no maâ— which in true examination is not the instrument of his proper harme yet we hear none complaine against themselues But as one not couning at Dice blames not himselfe that vnderstandeth not the Game but the Dice that runne not as he would haue them So forbearing to discende into conference and examination of our secret faltes we murmure agaynst that we féele and search not out the occasion of our torment to the end to remoue the furie of the affliction For if we would draw in to view and consideration our abuses past and weygh in one balaunce aswell the faltes we haue done as the punishments wée féele we should confesse that God toucheth vs but wyth a mylde iustice and spareth to visit vs according to the heauinesse of our desertes Yea if this regard were familyar with men who would not forbeare to murmure and beginne to make warre agaynst himselfe as béeing the authour of his owne harmes But because this text of Job complayning That he makes warre agaynst himselfe is of importance and conteyneth misterie wée haue to gather that he meaneth not here the warre of one kingdome agaynst an other nor Ciuill warre of towne against towne and much lesse the warre of singuler combat of man agaynst man But sayth he this warre that I make is against my selfe no man assalting nor offending me A warre sure of all others moste dangerous to take in haÌ„d of no lesse difficultie to manage for that in this warre who is victor remaines vanquished he that is ouercome carieth the victorie This warre is called Viscerall for that it is bred begon in the hart dissolueth takes ende in the hart where the Arrowes be the teares we shed the Cannon shotte be the sighes we vtter and who retyreth most to sorrow and heauinesse in this warre hath most knowledge and experience In this warre fyght together loue and feare swéetnesse and bitternesse abstinence and epicuritie robberie and almes reason and sensualitie slouth and diligence anger and patience couetousnes and liberalitie and forgiuenesse reuenge So that in this wretched warre we fight not accompanied but alone not in publike but in secret not in Camp but in our conscience not with the sworde but with thoughtes and remorse and not agaynst enemies but euen against our selues this war is not séene with the eye but felt alas in the harte yea and if we will vaunt to be victors we must suffer ourselues to be vanquished In this warre haue bene dissolued and determined all the good and vertuous men that haue bene in the worlde to this present who by so much haue bene more agréeable to God by how much they were contrarie to theÌ„selues For in the subduing or victorie which is betwéene sensualitie and reason lyeth our destruction or Saluation It is a thing worthie of wonder and admiration that Job hauing séene the spoyle and hauocke of his goodes hearde of the sodeine death of his Children his bodie reduced to a deformitie with Botches himselfe layde on a Dunghil where wormes had libertie to gnaw his flesh his frendes disdayning him his wyfe vexing him And yet he neuer murmured so much agaynst all these heauie perplexities and fortunes as he complayned agaynst himselfe crying Loe I am made grieuous to my selfe Of this warre and against himselfe dyd the Apostle complayne in these wordes In faelix homo quis me liberabit de corpore martis huius Oh wretched and miserable man that I am when shal I sée my selfe frée from my selfe that I may doe that I would and not to be compelled as I am now to will that which I cannot Oh how often doe I féele my selfe tyed and fettered sayth S. Augustin not with chaines of Iron but with the corde of mine owne sensualities So that resolued wholy into teares I complaine not of another but against my selfe for that giuing to the enemie my quarrell I did against my will. With this agréeth Anselmus in his holy meditations saying Oh infelicitie of men I J know not what to doe nor what to say For being contrarie to my selfe though I haue libertie to complaine yet doe I put no order to my faultes béeing made gréeuous euen to my selfe The passions of this warre were also felt of the holy man S. Barnaâ—d Oh swéete Lord sayth he I am so gréeuous to my selfe that hunger weakeneth me eating wearieth me colde restraineth me heate anoyeth me care makes me heauie and companie is importunate to me and that which I finde most harde and intollerable is that nothing contents me being with my selfe much discontented S. Hierom also séemed to communicate in this agonie saying J cannot denie but that J am made greeuous to my selfe Since as Sathan solicites and my flesh consenteth so my sensualitie desireth to haue honors to get riches to purchase fauor I would gouerne all be of great power and estéeme of no man yea in the matter of commaundement and authoritie I would be alone and singuler and wholy exempt from trauell But so gréeuous am I to my selfe that though I deuide my selfe from men because they shall not trouble me though I flie from Sathan for that he shall not deceiue me though I renounce riches to the ende they corrupt me not and dispise honors for that they shal not make me proude yet I finde my selfe from one day to an other to deminishe in vertue and more to bée swallowed vp in the golphes of the worlde I haue inferred the testimonies of these holy personages the better to warne vs sinners that as they complayned of themselues not without reason so we should not repose confidence in our selues by presumption For the wiseman ought not to be so suspicious of any as of himselfe We are made gréeuous to our selues For that if the Prince owe vs displeasure we may forsake the Realme If the iudge be against vs we may chalenge him and refuse him And if our neighbour be troublesom to vs our helpe is to deuide vs from his neighbourhood But if we be enemies to our selues it is impossible to flie from our selues We are gréeuous to our selues for that in one hart and in one selfe house we must locke vp and kepe loue and
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
signes hée manifesteth by mouth that which hée loueth and by his teares makes declaration of his payne By which argument good Madam I say it can not bée but you beare no small affection to your litle Dogge séeing you mourne for him with so great apparance of sorowe The tongue publisheth nothing but our thoughts but in the teares is expressed the true propertie of our affection whereuppon it followeth that though in men and women bée found sometime a custome of fayned wordes yet it can not bee but their teares for the most part are true and simple And therfore it is a false testimonie against women to say that their teares bée alwayes fayned although in this they may dissemble when they wéepe for one thing to say it is for an other béeing a propertie very familiar with the most of them to haue two coollers to one meaning and as the saying is to beare two complexions in one face This I haue sayed for the defence of your sighes and in fauour of your teares which I thinke you haue shed with small deuocion although with very franke and good hart séeing according to the reapport you haue bene euer since trauailed with an Ague and exercised in those passions that kéepe you continually in your Bedde But to vse plainenes according to my profession I can not maruell so much at your teares as I am sory that so small a thing should make you to wéepe being a thing more vertuous to lament your sinnes then to be heauie for the losse of your litle puppie And I can not with patiēce beleue that being as you are both noble honorable therwithal reputed wise vertuous you haue bestowed your loue on a thing so vile base séeing that such are they that loue as is the thing that they loue For that so great is the force of loue that he that loueth suffreth conuersion into the thing which he loueth therfore to loue things reasonable belongs to the affectiōs of men but in louing things brute insensible we cannot but be made like vnto them Your friends here beare some shame that you haue chosen so base a subiect to gouern your affection not without reason do your enemies smile your friēds mourne at it for that it is contrary to the vertue and reputation of any either to fixe their eyes or occupie their thoughts but where the hart may be well employed and the loue gratified The best part of the body is the hart and the most precious iewell of the hart is the affection which if it bée not well employed the partie may esteme himselfe vnhappie for that in that man there can be possibilitie to liue well in whom is no proofe or meane of honest affection What propertie of loue shold you beare to your little puppie from who you could draw no other pleasure then to araye your garments with haires to make a noyse in your chamber when you would sléepe to fill you ful of flease and to be alwayes in feare to be stolne from you all which conclude against your wisedome for mourning for a thing so harmefull and of so base importance To loue a little dogge a Monkie a Parrot or other singing Bird is not ill nor dishonest if your affection be ioyned to this condicion not to followe them otherwayes then with your eyes to behold them and your eares to heare them not estéeming them worthy of other affection Séeing that of such thinges we may make our seruice and solace without ielousie to kéepe them or compassion to loase them Yea to make sorowe for such trifles excedes the limits of an honorable Lady is contrary to the office of a good Christian Wherein if I were the iudge afore whom should be debated the loue you beare to your little Dogge and the transgressions of your life sure I could not but laugh at the follie of the one and wéepe for the Offences of the other It is Written that the great Alexander buried his horse the Emperour Augustus his Parrot and Prince Heliogabalus made a graue for his Sparow at whose obsequies he prayed and caused the body to be embawmed If you had hard or read of these it may be by their example you would haue built a a tombe for your little Dogge although I accompt to worse purpose the teares you haue let fall for him then the sepulchers and ceremonies which those Pagans made for their dead beastes And so good Madame God giue you a spirite to wéepe for your sinnes and a mind to leaue of to mouone for thinges vaine and transitory To an olde Gentleman enamored of a young Ladie this letter toucheth the perplexities which amorous Dames giue to their seruants and friendes AFter so long scilence I wold some better occasion had bene giuen then to recontinue our auncient quarrell wherin is no expectation of other effect then hapneth by the Chirurgion when hée commeth to reaue in an olde wound which by how much more it hath discontinued the vse and seruice of plaesters by so much doth it bring payne to the patient suffring the new opening of his hurt And albeit amongest friendes there can not bée a more necessary action then to minister counsell the same being the first effect of that fayth and vertue which ought to be considered in the election of friendes Yet to some men it is hatefull to be counselled in thinges contrary to their will and affection esteming it better to dwell in the lust of their particular desires then to be warned euen as the miserable patient findes it swéeter to giue libertie to his wound then to suffer it to haue cure with a litle paine in the beginning But for my part hauing ioyned alwayes our long friendship an honest care of your weldoing I can not hold my selfe discharged in office if I debate not franckly the estate of your auncient abuses although there remaynes no expectation of other fruite then hapneth to the Chirurgion who comming to vncouer an olde wound long corrupted séemes griuous to his patient I perceiue by your letter you are falen into a practise of new loues which being a new hurt to your olde wound you séeme also to demaund a new remedie at my hand as though I had the facultie both to let bloud and close vp the vaine I would I were with you for that hauing libertie to communicate there may be many things spoken which are not conueniēt to be written But more do I wish that you would haue vsed me in an other office since for matters of loue you are not now in age to follow it and much lesse is it consonant to my grauetie to giue you counsell my habit my authoritie my place being all against it It is not to you and me to whom it belongeth to solicite in loue and much lesse are we subiects wherin he takes his delites grace recreation For that you being loden with yeres and I tied to my
profession in you is expressed too great debilitie and in me no lesse want of libertie Beleue not that your loue is true loue but rather sorow not ioy but perplexitie not delite but torment not cōtentmēt but griefe not honest recreation but very confusion Séeing that in him that is a louer must be looked for youth libertie and liberalitie Straw that is rotten and become doung is better to fat land then to lay vppon a house and in a bodie broken and aged is more vse and seruice of sorowe and infirmities then possibilitie to suffer beare passion and solicit in loue For that to Cupid and Venus are not acceptable any sortes of people but young men to serue them such as are liberall to spare for no cost patient to endure discréete to speake secret to conceale faythful to deserue and constant to continue to the end It is a miserie to be poore and proude to be reuengefull and dare not strike to be sicke and farre from succour to be subiect to our enemies and lastly to suffer perill of life without refuge But for an old man to bée in loue is the greatest wretchednes that can trauell the life of man For the pooreman sometimes findeth pitie but the old louer standes alwayes reiected The coward finds friends to beare out his quarrels but the amorous old man liues alwaies persecuted with passiōs He that is sick liues vnder the climate of Gods prouidence where the amorous old man is abandoned of all succour He that is subiect to his enemies is not sometimes without his seasons of consolation and quiet where to the old louer is no time of truce nor hope of reconcilement Lastly there is no peril of life so desperate which may not be forséene or suffred where the estate of the amorous old man is ioyned alwayes to daūger He is alwayes vexed with scornes of his Lady defaced by his neighbours robbed of his seruants and seruiceable euen to the seasons and appoyntments of Bawdes who are not without their pouders whose propertie is to trouble his sléepe on the night and kéepe him ielouse on the day leading his minde in Ague fits sometimes hot and sometimes colde sometimes glad and sometimes sorowfull someiimes doubtfull and sometimes assured and alwaies in expectation but neuer satisfied By meane wherof I hold al the faculties and sciences of the world possible to be learned but the trade to loue which Salomon was too ignorant to write and Ouid not hable to set down in rule precept For that it onely is a doctrine that ought to be drawne out of the schole of the hart and guided by true and perfect discretion There is nothing that more requireth gouernement then the practise of loue séeing that in cases of hunger thirst cold heat and all other naturall influences they may be referred to Passions sensible only to the body But the follies and faultes that are done in loue the hart is subiect to suffer féele and bewayle them since loue more then all other thinges naturall retayneth alwayes this propertie to exercise tirannie chiefely against the hartes of his subiects The better to establish stabilitie assurāce constancie it behoueth such as do loue to be equal For if she be young he old if he be priuate and she a wanderer if she a nigard he prodigall If he ciuill and she rude if she discréete and he foolish if lastly he loue and she hate There is no doubt but vnperfect loues will resolue into iarres contencions and continuall disquiets For that where is not conformitie of condicion there can bee no contented loue no more then where is no true faith can be no true operatiō of good life and maners It is impossible to an old man and a louer to be without sorow or suspicion For that ielousie is ioyned to loue as the Briare is to the Rose and passion followeth olde age as the shadowe doth the man Why should then a man of your age containing more then thréescore yeres plucked with aches and pinched with the goute séeke the company of a young faire and amorous Lady who wil studie more to plume vpon you then to please you esteming you for no other vse then to minister to her wants giue cooller to hir lightnes protect her abuses For being not able to please hir eye you must perfourme her prodigalities and being impotent to delite her your office must be to suffer an other to supplie that which you are not hable to satisfie Why desire you the company of a friend séeing betwene you and her can passe no other communitie or conuersatiō then to read Ridles dreames and tell tales complayning that of the day you haue no stomacke to meate and on the night you do nothing but accompt the houres and exercise hateful to women a custome intollerable such as haue bene enured to men of better complexion Why séeke you a friend séeing you haue no power to entertaine her no patiēce to endure her nor age to possesse her For that amōgst women this is infallibly obserued that if their friend bée poore they disdaine him if he be waspish they séeke to vex him further and being old they scorne their age and séeke their recompence of others What fruite looke you to drawe from a friend séeing you are not hable to tell her in order the passions you endure for her nor the felicities you wish to her Al women for the most part enclining to this glorie to heare of the torments of their friendes and to sée their seruants labour to be seruiceable How can you desire the societie of a friend séeing if you write not to her on the day you are sure to find her froward at night and bestowing no present vppon her she will retorne recompence to your discontentment For being not courted with songes and letters to extoll her beautie and not visited with presents to please her ambicion Oh it were more safe to beholde a Cockatrice then hope for pitie in her face Why desire you a friend séeing you must denie her nothing shée demaundes nor mislike with any displeasure shée doth to you For women béeing denied not considering their owne vnworthinesse conster it to the despite of the partie for whom they prepare reuenge And if you make not their displeasure your felicitie they will charge you with want of loue and affront you with toyes to your perpetuall disquiet Why kéepe you a friend to whom you must not minister according to your port and hauiour but according to her follie and ambicion For a friend marcenarie in loue is not subiect to allowance and much lesse regards the proporcion of him that entertayneth her but béeing compounded vppon insatiable humors shée is neuer satisfied till shée sée him vtterly spoyled Why require you a friend séeing you must not fayle to thanke her for the fauours you receiue and hold it a dutie to beare her displeasures For in them though there bée but litle merit
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
and those that would can not Oh it is time you had some sence of the miseries wée féele seeing that if in reducing them thus to memory my tongue faynteth my eyes growe dimme my hart vanisheth and my flesh trembleth Much more grieuous is it to sée them in my countrey to heare them with mine eares to touch them with my finger and to tast them in my hart yea the iniquitie of your iudges is so great and the iustice of this Senate so partiall that it exceedes the facultie of flesh and bloud to endure the one and is hatefull to all good men to heare of the other And therefore in the accompt of all that I haue sayd I growe to this conclusion that one of these two thinges are to bée done eyther to chastice me if I haue lied or if I haue told truth you to bee depriued of your offices wherein for my part if you thinke my tongue hath taken an vnlawfull libertie to publish the roundnes and simplicitie of my hart I stretch out my selfe afore you in this place and do offer my head to the Axe assuring my selfe of more honour by my death then you can merit fame or renoume by ioyning so many miseries to my wretched life Here the sauage man gaue â— to his Oration leauing the Senate in such remorse for the oppressions of Germany that the next daye they established other Iudges ouer that part vppon Daunby and procéeded to punish the corruption of others for peruerting so noble a common weale Beholde here sir what holinesse flowed out of the mouth of an Ethnike from whom I wishe you wyth other iudges mercenary as you are to fetch your directions to reforme the Prouinces committed to your gouernement and with all to discouer the subtilties corruptions and iniquities of inferior officers subsisting in Cities and common weales For who would set him downe to describe faythfully the deceites the delayes the perplexities and daungerous ends of sutes he should find it a subiect not to be writteÌ„ with inke but with blood séeing if euery suter suffred as much for the holy faith of Christ as he endureth about the trauell of his processe there would be as many martirs in chaunceries and other courtes of iustice and record of Princes as was at Rome in the times of persecution by the old Emperours so that as to begin a processe at this day is no other thing then to prepare sorow to his hart complaintes to his tongue teares to his eyes trauaile to his féete expenses to his purse toyle to his men triall of his friendes and to all the rest of his body nothing but paine and trauell So the effects and condicions of a processe are no other then of a rich man to become poore of a spirite pleasant to settle into malencholly of a frée mind to become bouÌ„de from liberalitie to fall to couetousnes from truth to learne falsehode and shiftes and of a quiet man to become a vexer of others So that I sée no other difference betwene the ten plagues that scourged Egipt and the miseries that afflict suters then that the calamities of the one were inflicted by Gods prouidence and the torments of the other are inuented by the malice of of men who by their proper toyle make themselues very Martirs ⸫ ¶ FINIS Three desires amongest friends The propertie of Gods loue towards vs. That that is coÌ„mon to all ought not to be intollerable to one Death the very effect and stipend of sinne VVhat death is All men subiect to the lawe of nature and fortune Passions of the minde cured with the longnesse of time The remedie of a heart grieued The bonde of a friend Prosperit aduersitie haue societie together by nature Men are the instruments of our owne mishapes Tirantes vse triall by armes but the iust sort referre their causes to the arbitrement of the Lawes For banished men Happie is the punishment by the which we are passed into greater perfection No fortune can resist him to whom nature hath giuen magnanimitie of minde Men not accustomed to aduersitie haue least rule ouer their passions Priueledges of banished men A Lawe to punishe vnthankefulnes by death M. Aurelius to Popilion captaine of the partes God giues victories not to such as fight most but where he loueth best Fortune is most variable in the action of warre Fortune hath a free wil to com and go when she list He bears his miserie best that hydes it most It is better to suffer that wee feare then by feare to be alvvayes in martirdome That is frank gift which is giuen without respect That man is happy that hath good desires True nobilitie depends of vertue and al other things are to of fortune Much is in the Father to make his children refourmed The lavve of Christ giues no libertie to do euill Vertue prepares vs to imortalitie To restraine punishment is a great error in gouernement Punishments for theeues VVhat is required of a iudge in matters of councell A magistrate ought rather to be terrible in threates then in punishment Math. 10. Praise of vvisdome Psal. 118. Ierom. 4. 1. Kings 16. Eccle. 3. ScileÌ„ce is a gift vvithout perill Ezech. 3. Esay 6. Gene. 4 Math. 13. Math. 5 Luke 11 Fiue iniuries don to Christ at his suffering A circumstance of the passion of Christ Malice the mistrese of iniustice Psal. 128. Psal. 12â— Christ vsed most svveete vvordes when he asked pardoÌ„ for his enemies Math. 27. An indiscreet demaunde of the Iewes Genes 3. Genes 7. Genes 19. Exod. 32. Ad huc carnes erant in dentibus eoruÌ„ et ecce furor domini et percussit populum plaga magna Resensui quod fecit Abimelech Jsrael vade ergo et interfice a viro vsque ad muliere bouem â—ouem et Camelum c. 1. King. Psal. 50 A good praier Psal. 108. god hath made all thinges by vveight and measure VVisedome 11. A question not impertinent The solucion of the doubt â–ª God pearceth into the thoughts and intentions of men Faith is the ground of our saluation The mother of Christ Jbi fides non habet meriâ—u vbi humanum ratio habet experimentum God in his election maketh no difference of person age â—tates sex or calling Heare is verified the word of God that when the sinner hath contrition God will kepe no remembrance of his sinnes Math. 26 Actes 5. VVe ought to loue our neighbour for that he loueth God. He that loueth God cannot perish 2. Cor. 13. Charitas est cum diligirous Deum propter se proximuÌ„ propter Deuns The man of God loues not his neighbour for any wordlâ— respect but for God. Psal. 119. By the death of Christ tooke ende the sinagog Christ requires not but the offering of our hart How wickedly the euill theefe spake hanging on the Crosse Neque tu times deum qui in eadem daÌ„natione es non quidem digna factis recipimus hic auteÌ„ quid mals fecit God is