by dooing other good déedes and yet giue God his due and single loue Nowe these things are not Charitie it selfe but the works of Charitie We say then that God ought to bée loued in doing good deedes and in kéeping his commaundements but this loue ought to be entyre without respect of profite or reward To loue GOD orderlye aboue all thinges is to referre thy selfe and all thy goods to GOD so that all which thou louest wishest doest and leauest vndone thou oughtest to loue to wishe to doe and leaue vndone for the loue of GOD and his glorie Thus referringe all to the honour and glorye of GOD thou louest GOD aboue all things orderly and accomplishest as much as in thée lyeth What is written in Deutronomie and in Saint Mathewe where it is sayde Thou shalt loue the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength For what other thinge is it to loue GOD with all thine hearte with all thy soule and with all thy strength but to referre all things to GOD and to his glorye all our thoughts all our wordes all our works all our wayes all our purposes and all our intents To loue God therfore aboue all things orderly is to referre to God and his glorie our selues and all that is within without vs which we cannot well doe if our thoughts if our wordes if our workes and our wayes be not good and acceptable vnto God To loue God preciously is to loue him so déerely and so much to esteeme of him y t for no cause thou wouldest loose him nor his loue but wish rather to loose thy goods thy lands thy lims thy life and the loue of all the world This indéede is to loue God louingly when without respect of profit we referre to God and his glorie all that we haue our hearts our hands our lips to praise and magnifie him and to set foorth the greatnesse of his diuine maiestie omnipotencie To loue God then for the loue of himselfe is to loue God because he is good And he that loueth God in this sort shall be sure neuer to miscarrie or perish Do loue thy neighbour it is required that thou doe it in God or for the loue of God Now thou must vnderstand that euerie man is thy neighbour when either thou to them or they to thée can shew mercie or relieue by succour helpe So that euerie reasonable creature is thy neighbour whersoeuer he dwell in the world Thus are the Saints in heauen thy neighbours by whose example thou art helped and taught to liue godly wherefore thou oughtest to loue them and all mankinde for the loue of God or in God Thou oughtest to loue thy neighbour because he is good or because he should be good then thou louest him indéede for the loue of God euerie man which is a sinner thou oughtest to loue not because he is a sinner but because he is a man for the loue of God Thou oughtest to loue in the sinfull man that which he hateth and to hate that which he loueth The sinfull man loues sinne filthynesse and iniquitie which thou oughtest to hate The sinfull man hateth his soule and the puritie of nature which thou oughtest to loue For sinne is against nature it defileth nature it oppresseth nature yea it quencheth nature and he that committeth sinne killeth his owne soule and corrupteth nature Thou oughtest then to loue the soule and the nature of the sinner but not his sinne And when thou giuest almes to a sinner being in néede thou oughtest not to do it because he is a sinner but because he is a man of the same nature which thou art some be thy friends and some thine enimies Thy friends thou oughtest loue in God least louing them otherwise thou shouldest offend God Thy enimies thou oughtest to loue for the loue of God as if he offend thée by word or déede and doth repent him and asketh thée forgiuenesse thou oughtest for the loue of God to forgiue him with all thy heart to receiue him into true friendshippe and familiaritie Againe if thy enimie be obstinate and wil not cease to persecute and trouble thée although thou canst not presentlye forgiue him yet thou oughtest not to hate him but rather to doe him good to be readie alwaies to pardon him and then chiefly when he shall require it Yea thou oughtest to do him what good thou canst in his néede By that which we haue spoken already it appeareth that thou oughtest to loue all men liuing both good and badde friendes and foes no worse then thy selfe Our Lorde and Sauiour had an eye to the loue of our neighbour when he said in the 7. of Mathew All things that thou wouldest thy neighbour shoulde doe vnto thee doe thou the lyke to him Whosoeuer then doth to his neighbour as he wold his neighbour shuld do to him loueth his neighbour as himself But this is to bée vnderstood according to God and reason For if one offering to pleasure thée bring thée a Wench to lye with thée or lende thée a sworde to fight and kill an other as reason shoulde instruct thée to refuse such offers so the loue according to GOD shoulde teach thée obedience and they both ought to be rule of thy lyfe and the lights to guide thée in darke places Thus farre haue wée declared in as much breuitye as we coulde howe a man ought to loue GOD and his neighbour Now intend we to shew the effects and due praises of Loue or Charitie THE EFFECTS AND PRAISES of Loue or Charitie The sixt Chapter NO tongue in the worlde canne tell for truth all the excellencye of the effectes and praises of Charitie For first of all shee makes men the children of GOD and heires of heauen accordinge to that sayeng of Saint Iohn Beholde what Loue or Charitie the Father hath shewed vnto vs to make vs the children of GOD. Saint Paule also sayth That all those which bee led by the spirite of GOD are the children of GOD. For you haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare anye more But you haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which wee crye Abba Father and that same spirite which is the spirite of Loue or Charitie beareth witnesse with our spirite That we be the children and heyres of God and coaheires with Christ. Canne wée desire a thing more excellent then to be the children of GOD and heyres of heauen What dignitie is that to boast off Such as haue a féelinge of the loue of GOD in their heartes haue bolde-nesse and courage inough though the worlde contemne them For this is certeine that they whome the worlde hateth are not the children of the worlde but the children of GOD as contrarywise such as the worlde loueth they indéede are the children of the worlde and consequently the children of the Diuell Secondlye Charitie worketh the cause in vs that GOD dwelleth in vs.
comming hether séeing thou knowest y e secrets of the heart Unto thée I come O Christ for remission of my sinnes offering to thee my sorrowfull heart for sacrifice Surely this womans working well waied giueth euidence that she was right heartely sorie for hir offences For hir Christall eies and hir faire face which was wont to be painted with costly coulours for the adourning of hir beautie to allure licentious louers and so lyke voluptuous worldlings is now turned into teares Hir body which afore time was giuen to delights is now afflicted w t fasting hir laughing is turned to wéeping and as hir first life was wholy bent to please the world so now it is more vehemently and earnestly disposed to please God With hir faire flaxen haire which she was wont to kéepe daintely she hath dried our Sauiours feete hir swéete lips wherewith she vsed to kisse hir louers haue kissed his feete hir odoriferous oyntment wherwith she beautified hir face in wantonnes hath anointed our Sauiours feete Now all this was a sure signe of Faith Hope Charitie thus you sée how we ought to repent Surely we shuld doe according to S. Paules doctrine y t Euery mēber which hath consented to commit iniquitie shuld be offered vnto the Lord as instruments of righteousnesse to receiue sanctification As for example to make the matter more manifest Hast thou bene a dronkard Become now sober Hast thou ben a glutton Now fast Hast thou bene prowde Be now humble Hast thou bene couetous Now giue almes Hast thou ben wrathfull Be now gentle Hast thou bene enuious Be now charitable Hast thou bene traiterous Be now faithfull Hast thou bene lecherous Be now chast Hast thou bene blasphemous Be now fearefull to speake any thing but truth And so consequently to euery vilde vice laye a méete medicine which may serue for thy sicknesse and expel the poyson of sinne But now let vs sée what may be thought and iudged of this Pharesie who so sawcely besought our Lord and Sauiour to come into his house Surely he seemed as he was a vainglorious Hypocrite For when he saw the wofull woman falne at the feete of our Sauiour with hir teares washing them with hir haire wiping them with hir mouth kissing them with hir precious ointment anointing them he blamed not onely hir in his heart but also our Lord for suffering hir Then y e Lord tooke the sick woman healed hir of hir sicknes in y e presence of this proud Pharesie with held phisick from him whose hart was wounded to y e death with the dart of vain-glory Then he shewed himselfe franticke and as one that had lost his vnderstanding not knowing his griefe nor what medicine would doe him good But what said he in his foolish hart If this man quod he were a Prophet he would know quickly what woman this is that touched him for she is a great sinner This Pharesie is of the race of the vainglorious of whom the Prophet Esay speaketh in their person saieng Come not neere me for I am cleane or as another translation saith Get thee hence meddle not with mee for I am holier then thou Euen so surely it is not vnlike if the woman hadde come néere the Pharesie he would haue vsed these words haue said Stand backe and touch me not for I am holy but thou art a knowne and a hainous sinner Certainelye true righteousnes and holinesse hath compassion vpon poore sinners whereas on the contrarie false righteousnesse and hypocrisie hath them in hatred and disdaine But let vs lysten with what sentence this fond Pharesie was conuinced and proued by our Sauiour to be worse then this sinfull woman The Lord then to shewe that he was not onely a Prophet but also the Lord and God of Prophets aunswered the thought of this proud Pharesie saieng Symon I haue some thing to tell thee Then said he speake on Master A Creditour quoth the Lorde hadde two Debters whereof the one ought him 500. pence the other but 50. now they both hauing nothing to pay the creditor forgiues them the debt Now tell me which of those debtours loueth the creditour most Simon said I thinke he to whome most was forgiuen Iesus aunswered thou hast rightly spoken Our Lord in propounding this question desired also to heale this Pharesie For if he had denied it Iesus woulde haue eaten none of his meate These two debtours were Simon and the sinfull woman The sinfull woman not onely by the iudgement of the standers by but also by hir owne confession acknowledged hir self more indebted than Simon Simon lesse indebted then she because he thought himself to haue lesse sinned then y e woman yea he reputed himself righteous in respect of hir The creditour is our Lord God who lendes and giues vs his giftes both temporall and spirituall to interest disburssing to one fiue talents to another two and to another one Now then is signified by the iudgment of Simon that the woman was most in debt to God vnto whom he forgaue most And because she loued God better then Simon did she deserued againe of him to be better beloued in that she did more good seruice to God then Simon did notwithstanding his meate Wherefore the Lord valued the loue good will of this woman preferred it before Simons reprehending him of his arrogancie saieng Doest thou see this woman whom thou iudgest more in debt then thy selfe I entred into thy house and thou hast not giuen me water to wash my feete but she hath washt them with teares wipt them with hir haire though water was easier to be found thē teares Thou hast not kist my mouth but she hath kist my feet Thou hast not anointed my head with common oyle but she hath anoynted my feete with fine oyntment So that by these signes thou seest that she loues me better then thou doest Therefore I tell thee that manye sinnes are forgiuen hir because shee loued much For to him is least forgiuen that hath least loued The Lord said this to beate downe the prowde opinion of the fond Pharisie not that he was but little forgiuen but because Simon might knowe that he thought so For truly who so committeth most sinnes he is most indebted to God and so likewise of him that least offended To conclude both the lesse the great stand in néede of Gods grace vnto whom they cannot come of their owne strength vertue And as the greatest sinner referreth to God the remission of his sinnes euen so ought the iustest man to doe also For there is no sinne which one man committeth but an other would commit the like if God who made man without sinne did not kéepe him from sinne as witnesseth Saint Austen But perchaunce one will say I haue not committed Adulterie as this man hath To whome I aunswere Thou hast not had such occasion ministred as he hath had and he hath not had the grace to auoid
Who dwelleth in Charitye sayth Saint Iohn dwelleth in GOD and GOD in him Our Lorde lykewise sayth If anye man loue me he will keepe my commaundements and my Father will loue him and wee will come and dwell with him Canne we desire a more rich a more bountifull or a more lyberall hoste then he Is it lyke that so louing an hoste will suffer the soule to want Will he aske monie for his expenses No hée commeth not to dwell with vs to consume that wee haue but to encrease our riches and to make our store greater Thirdly Charitie maketh our goods be they little or bée they much acceptable vnto God it maketh a man contemne the world it maketh a man to reioyce in temptations afflictions and tribulations When Charitie enters into the soule she comes accompanied with all other goodnesse yea shée knittes vs to GOD and vniteth vs with him Loue or Charitie makes men of one minde and one will Loue or Charitie makes men reforme their manners and to drawe néere vnto God Loue or Charitie maketh men consider of things present and visible as if they were not Loue maketh a pure and cleane heart which may contemplate and beholde heauenly thinges By Loue the goods of this worlde are well ordered and by Loue the goods of this world are contemned and by Loue the secretes of God are reuealed Saint Iohn saith That God is Charitie wherby no doubt he meaneth the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost the three persons in trinitie God the father is Charitie God the sonne is Charitie and God the holy Ghost is Charitie This Loue or Charitie requireth in the same such likely things namely Loue and Charitie by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art ioyned vnto God which Loue also boldly commeth vnto God familiarly speaketh with him without any doubt or feare He that loueth not shall loose his lyfe but he that loueth alwayes lyfteth his eyes to GOD whome he loueth whom he desireth on whome he museth in whome he is refreshed and by whome he is preserued such a louing deuoute and relygious soule doth so singe so saye so reade so dispose all his businesse and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if GOD were euer present with him as doubtlesse in spirite he is The man in whose soule the loue of GOD is lodged so prayeth as if God were personallye present with him The loue of Charitie awaketh y e soule when she is a sléepe it puts him in minde of his saluation it softeneth and moysteneth the heart Loue or Charitie setteth the colde heart on fire Loue maketh the froward soule gentle Loue chaseth awaye sinne Loue kepeth the affections of fleshe and bloude vnder Loue amendeth lewde mennes manners Loue reneweth the spirite Loue brideleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Loue or Charitie where she is present Contrarywise where Loue or Charitie is absent there the soule doth languysh and waxeth colde euen as a Chaldron of water doth when the fire is taken from vnder it and raked abroade Charitie is the onely thinge whereby the soule boldlye approcheth vnto GOD constantlye cleaueth vnto him famyliarlye speaketh with him and in all affayres asketh counsell of him The Soule that loueth GOD cannot but thinke and talke of GOD insomuch that he hateth all vngodlye thinges Who so will knowe GOD must loue GOD the more that one loues God the more he growes in the knowledge of God To Read to write and to Study of God yéeldeth no true knowledge of God without Loue. In vaine do we read in vaine doe we talke in vaine doe we preach in vaine doe we praye to GOD if we doe not loue God The loue of God engendereth the loue of thine owne soule and maketh it attentiue alwaies to God God loueth to be beloued againe and when he loueth he requireth nothing but loue happie therefore is he that loueth God The soule which loueth God reiecteth all his affections being attentiuely giuen to his loue The soule that loueth hath no feare the soule that loueth not is euer in feare The soule that loueth is caried by promises and drawen by desires vnto heauen the soule that hath in it the presence of Gods loue is tickeled with ioye with rauishings leapeth vp to heauen hauing by contemplation exceeding great ioyfulnesse Loue bréedes familiaritie with God familiaritie bréedes boldnesse with God boldnesse bréedes the taste of God and taste bréedeth an hunger after God If I shoulde declare all the excellencie of Loue or Charitie the time wold faile me and mine abilitie in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the soule which is touched with the loue of God cannot desire any thing contrarie to God but euer after it hath receiued any tast of sin it crieth out and saith with the Prophet O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the fountaines of water euen so long I after thee Well then sir Knight lift vp thy soule and remember the great Loue and Charitie of God and his manifolde benefites bestowed vpon thée that by them thy hart being inlightened thou maist increase and goe forward daye by day in doing good workes to the glorifieng of God who delighteth in the same according as it is saide Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God in Heauen Thus much touching these thrée spirituall Uertues now come we to the foure morall ¶ THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FOVRE Morall Vertues Prudence Iustice Fortitude and Temperance The vij Chapter BY these foure Morall vertues man liueth well and orderly in this mortall life Saint Hierome saith that the Christian man by these iiij liueth wel in this mortalitie by them after death commeth to euerlasting life Prudence knoweth the good we should doe and the euill we should leaue Iustice doth good Temperance leaueth the euill Fortitude is constant without loosing courage in aduersitie or waxing proud in prosperitie Prudence disposeth man and teacheth him how to approch vnto God Fortitude and Temperance how to gouerne himselfe Iustice how to vse his neighbour These are the foure things which Satan shooteth at to destroye the soule By Prudence which is the rule of right reason we gouerne our selues wisely we order our affaires discréetly doing nothing but right and reason In Prudence consisteth reason knowledge foresight aptnesse to teach and giue good counsell A prudent man knoweth afore hande the ende of his counsell Plato saith that Prudence is the Duchesse of all morall vertues showing vs how we should vnderstand and vse the rest For as Faith informeth vs and telleth vs what we should hope after and what we ought to loue euen so Prudence instructeth teacheth vs how we should vse Iustice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is vnpossible but a prudent man should be good If he meane Morall goodnesse it is most true for a wise man doth nothing but that which is
Repentaunce taketh hir beginning at loue or at feare This question cannot be decided in fewe wordes but to be short I saye it may beginne at both For true Repentaunce being a worke of God he may beginne it as he lyst But when it comes from loue it is not ordinarie or common but meruailous Looke vpon the conuersion of Saint Paule of S. Mathew and the Theefe But ordinarily â—o GOD beginnes Repentaunce in vs by feare as in the third Booke of the Kings when he commaunded Helias to come out of his caue to remaine in the Mount before the Lord and a mightie strong winde passed by that rent the high hills and ragged Rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winde After that came an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake After that came a fire but the Lord was not in the fire After that came a softe sounde wherein the Lord was In such sort God sendes to sinners a winde of terrour to breake the mightie Mountaine of pride the heart more harde then the rocke After that comes the troubling of the soule after that comes the conscience grudging the hart of the sinner and accusing him of his euill life but yet the Lord is not there with his quickening Grace Neuerthelesse these be forerunners to prepare the way of the Lord. For when the peruerse will of man is mortified by seruile feare and led almost to hell after comes the swéete sound of Gods grace which reuiueth the soule saieng Lazarus come forth This is the voice that giueth consolation at the hearing whereof we may be bold to depart in peace with assurance of remission of our sinnes But it séemes that Repentance began first in the Knight at loue and that miraculously for he being in the filth of his sinne sodainly by Gods prouidence confessed his folly and loathing his lewde lyfe he required helpe and succour of Gods grace who presently assisted him and brought him out of the sinke of sinne But this manner of conuersion is not ordinarily vsed There are indéede certeine forerunners to the iustifieng of sinners which prepare the way to Gods reuiuing or quickening grace and offereth vnto God a renewed spirit and a pure and vpright heart which manner of conuersion godly people onely doe vse And héereof meaneth the Knight to speake purposing also to shew how it digresseth from Gods grace When Repentaunce had thus apparailed me with haire sackcloth I was set vpon a stoole then Gods grace appeared vnto me with two women one man which was a preacher Now one of the women held in hir right hand a sharp pricking yron rod called the gnawing of y e conscience and in hir left hande she had a red booke whereat I was affraid For as she beheld me my thought she threatened me The other woman was curteous milde and gentle holding in hir right hand a booke of golde couered with pearles and she was called Remembrance Gods grace placed Conscience on my left hand and Remembraunce on my right hand the Preacher Repentaunce and her Damselles about me and then commanded Conscience to open the red booke which when I perceiued and sawe the wordes written with bloud declaring all my offences with tormentes vnto them belonging for my following of Folly I was amazed and became speachlesse Then Conscience with hir yron rod toucht me prickt mee yea pearced my heart and cried aloud vnto me saieng Behold thou wretch view this booke thou shalt sée how thou hast liued euen against God and contrarie to right and reason Thou hast bene a proud arrogant ambitious spitefull at others prosperitie a prolonger of time wrathfull a backbiter iniurious traiterous hatefull couetous of gold more then of God gluttonous wanton shamelesse a stewes haunter giuen to all vices hast transgressed al the commandements of God leading a loathsome life denieng God swearing and blaspheming his name an hainous offender a false witnesse bearer a lyar a desirer of other mens goods disobedient to parents cursing them and wishing their death Furthermore thou hast had neither faith nor hope in God but rather in the force riches honour and friendship of thy kinred with their authoritie I cannot recken vp the rest of thy sinnes for they are vncountable Uerie little care hast thou had of Christs merites or of thy own soules helth but alwaies yéelding to Voluptuousnesse filthines iniquitie When Conscience had thus accused me sorrow for sin fel bitterly a wéeping and oftentimes stroke her brest Then Conscience shewed me what torments I had deserued for following voluptuous affections and for louing them better then God Thou oughtest sayd she to burne in hell fire that neuer quencheth to be nipped with tormeÌ„ts both of body and soule for euer more Thy laughinges shall be turned to wéeping thy ioye to sorrowe thy songs to cryes yea what paines can be named but thou art like perpetually to suffer theÌ„ without hope of redemptioÌ„ For this is the due reward of worldly Felicitie and following Folly Bethinke thée now and tell me if it be in thy power to rid thée from these gréeuaunces Hearing my conscience thus speak my thought I sawe hell open to swallowe me vp and with sorrowfull sadnesse I fell to the ground before Gods grace speachlesse but she had compassion vpon me and bad me rise the which I did though halfe in dispaire and to recomfort me shée opned the booke which Remembraunce held in her hand BY COMMAVNDEMENT OF GODS GRACE Remembraunce read to me the goodnesse of God with his promises made to repentaunt sinners The fift Chapter AFter Remembraunce had opened her booke I perceiued the letters were of golde and Azure conteining the great goodnesse and infinit mercie of God to repentaunt sinners with faire promises annexed thervnto Then at commaundement of Gods grace Remembraunce read out of that booke vnto me in this manner S. Paule writing to the Romaines saith Where sinne hath abounded grace hath more abounded He that mistrusteth the mercye of God mistrusteth God to be mercifull and in so dooing he doth God great iniurie For he denieth God to be Loue Truth and Power wherein consisteth all the hope of poore sinners For of his great loue he sent his onely son to take mans nature vpon him in the world that in the same he might suffer death vpon the Crosse for the remission of sinnes Consequently he promised for the loue of his sonne remission and pardon to all poore sinners so often as they require it in faith with a heauy and sorrowfull heart Now God is as true of his promises as he is of power able to performe theÌ„ And as he is of power so will he doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him God wil pardon sinners their sins Who then can let him from doing it To whom God pleaseth or hath promised to pardon their sinnes he forgiueth The truth héereof is written in plaine wordes shewed by examples in many places of the
it as thou hast had It was Gods doing and no will of thine if thou hast had no occasion nor conuenient time nor fit opportunitie to fall into that sinne Suppose thou hast had occasion offered with opportunitie and all things fit and yet hast refrained Well it is God then that hath guided and gouerned thée that thou shuldest not doe it Acknowledge then the grace of God as thou art bound because thou hast not committed such a sinne For as he who hath committed most sins is most indebted to God euen so is he who neuer sinned Gods debter For were not the grace of God his guide he woulde doe ill inough Now to our purpose After the Lord had conuinced the Pharesie of his prowd opinion to comfort the sorowfull woman lyeng at his féet he said thus Woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee O ioifull voice O happy woman that art worthye to heare the Sonne of God speake to thée and vnto forgiue thée thy sinnes But those comfortable words of the Lord greatly offended the proud Pharisies at the feast who turned them to blasphemie saieng What fellowe is this that also forgiueth sinnes It is apparent inough that he is a blasphemer for to pardon and forgiue sinnes belongeth onelye to God No doubt our Lord Iesus Christ was taken to be a very poore man of him that requested him to dinner and to those which were at the table It was knowen that man could not forgiue sinnes but they beléeued not that Iesus Christ was God and therefore say they What fellowe is this that forgiueth sinnes These feasters were sicke of a deadly disease which they neither knew nor yet the remedy to heale and doe them good Is it not a madnesse that such as are sicke should fall a laughing at them that are sounde and in good health So did the Pharesies laugh at Iesus Christ and the woman who were not sicke or if she were sicke she acknowledged hir sicknesse and sought helpe of the Phisition It is most true that a man cannot forgiue sins but this woman which beleeued that Christ coulde forgiue sinnes beléeued also that he was God and therefore able to forgiue sinnes But why did not our Sauiour Christ aunswere these murmuring Pharesies and say I am the Sonne of God when they asked the question saieng What fellowe is this that forgiueth sinnes No he let them murmure and turned himselfe towards the woman and said Thy faith hath saued thee depart in peace Though she heard him say vnto the Pharesies these men murmure and estéeme of me as it pleaseth them neuerthelesse be thou assured that thy faith hath saued thee and therefore depart in peace and enioy full rest and tranquilitie of conscience iustified by a liuely faith and fulfilled with loue Let all sicke soules that are laden with sinnes if they will be healed let them I say come in faith and assured hope to the true Phisition of soules which is Iesus Christ let them confesse their offences with sorow and wéeping let them wipe the féete of our Lord with their haire and they shall be restored made whole and recouer their health Let your superfluous riches be giuen among the poore and not spent in feasting dronkennes and pompeous apparaile And after that the sinner with great loue and liberalitie hath thought vppon the poore speaking to them with great gentlenesse helping them in their néede as well with good counsell as with almes déedes and liuing as the rule of Gods word requireth in holinesse and righteousnesse he shall be sure to receiue peace and quietnesse of conscience and be reconciled to God the father for the merites of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ his death and passion to whom be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ THE KNIGHT HAVING RECEIVED THE holy Communion heard the sermon and ended dinner mounted into a chariot of triumph and was by Gods grace carried to the Pallaice of Vertue The vij Chapter IT cannot be knowen how much consolation I tooke by the Sermon of the good Hermit wherefore I was desirous to know his name the which I asked of Lady Memory who tolde me that it was good Vnderstanding Then I receiued the holy Communion which being ended and thankes giuen to God I meant to salute and gratifie him But before we went to receiue the holy Sacrament of the body bloud of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ I remembred the great loue of our Lord which humbly tooke vpon him our fraile and weake nature for our sakes became accursed and suffred most bitter death vpon the Crosse to deliuer vs out of the bondage of sinne hell and eternall death and to bring vs to euerlasting life I remembred also the loue which he shewed vnto me in drawing me out of the sinke of sinne wherein I was plunged ouer head and eares so that I was not onely drawn from my vnspekable sinnes but also made a Communicant of the mysterie of his deuine maiestie by faith And to the ende it might please him to giue me grace to receiue it aright I praied vnto him on this wise O sweete Iesus and louing Redéemer I yéelde thée thankes for thy vnspeakable loue by the which thou hast purged me from the filth of sinne and pluckt me by thy grace out of the darke dungeon of death Beholde I reconcile my selfe vnto thée most heartely beséeching thée that thou wouldest vouchsafe amongst the great number of thy benefites of thy great liberalitie to giue me grace to bée a faithfull pertaker of thy precious body and bloud represented vnto me vnder the visible forme of bread and wine O immortall King I am not worthy I confesse of so great á benefite yet I beséech thée as thou doest make the vnworthye worthye and the sinners iust so make me worthy to receiue this holy blessed and heauenly Sacrament to my soules health Féede my sinfull soule O Lord with thy spirituall bodie and let thy bloud reuiue and quicken my spirite O make me by thy grace dailye encreasing in me a member of thy mysticall bodie that I maye bée included within the couenaunt and blessing which thou madest with thy Saints and Apostles in thy last Supper communicating vnto them the holy Sacrament of thy bodie and bloud and consequently that I maye be of the number of them which according to their vowe and promise made in Baptisme doe liue in faith and by thy grace are receiued into the company of Saints Amen This Praier being ended with all reuerence and deuotion I receiued the holy Sacrament and that being ended we went from the Chapple into a great hall where I met the good Hermite Vnderstanding whom when I had saluted and he me I thanked him for his good Sermon Then as wee were talking Gods grace saide vnto me Sir Knight I giue thée for thy Gouernour this good Hermite Vnderstanding belieue his counsell and doe what he commands thée Then I remembred my olde Gouernesse Folly whom I left in
the will worketh his feats at libertie And it is called Frée will because of the iudgement of the soule therefore Frée will is in the superiour part of the soule for thereby we differ from brute beasts who haue a sense as well as we but no iudgement of Frée will Nowe when we say that vertue is a good qualitie of the soule that is to saie of Frée will For vertue qualifies Free-will disposeth and prepareth it to doe and will well neither of which cannot be done without the aide and grace of God The second part of the definition is Wherby a man liueth rightly But no man liueth rightly vnles he liue iustly no mā liueth iustly w tout vertue Ergo no man liueth rightly without vertue Who so liueth rightly liueth wel who so liueth well if he continue in so doing atchiueth true felicitie It followeth then y t by vertue we atchiue true felicitie for vertue prepares Frée will which is corrupt depraued therfore vnapt either for well willing or well doing but the grace of God reseruing it by vertue it is made capable of perfect blessednesse The third part of y e definition is And committeth none euill Wherein is comprehended the excellencie of vertue great goodnes by the which none can do il Men may abuse al y e goods al y e arts sciences in the world as indéed very often they are ill vsed as with monie wine women but by vertue they be neuer abused who vseth vertue he doth y e works of vertue Who so vseth y e deeds of vertue he doth wel if by vertue none doth ill thou oughtest rather to loose all y t is in the world then to lose vertue seeing she excels in goodnesse all things in the world The fourth part of the definition is Which thing indeed is the only work of God in man Uertue thē is a work of God in vs as witnesseth S. Austen vpon y t sentence which is spoken in the 118. Psalme I haue done iudgement iustice Iustice saith he is a great vertue of the soule comming more then he sawe for he sawe a man and he beléeued that the same man was God also which he sawe not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merite of faith when a man at y e commandement of God beleeueth that thing which he séeth not To beleeue saith Saint Austen is to thinke vppon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was borne of a Uirgin had tooke mans nature vpon him consentest to y e thought it is properly called beliefe This thought may come often by séeing and often by hearing And therefore Saint Paule saith that Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God He vnderstands that by hearing Faith comes into the minde and thought if we consent therevnto For we maye beholde a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men doe not alwaies beleeue what the Preacher speaketh for y t the consent wherin consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the méere gift of God not from séeing nor hearing but frō the light of grace speking in the soule of the beleeuer beléeuing the principal truth which is God working in him a consent agreement w t that principal souereign trurh aboue al other things So that Faith is a foundation vnmoueable both of beleeuers and of truth by the which Faith when it is ioyned with Charitie our Lord Iesus Christ who is the onely foundation of true blessednesse dwelleth in the hearts of the beleeuers and so long as Faith is in man he shal be sure not to perish but Faith without Charitie is no foundation because such Faith is vaine and vnprofitable Faith then ioyned with Loue or Charitie belongs to good Christians and Faith without Loue belongs to euill Christians It is necessarie therfore that we note the difference in these three saiengs or speaches namely To beleeue a God to beleeue of God and to beleeue in God To beleeue of God is to beléeue that all is true which God saith so beleeue the euill Christians as well as the good vnlesse they be Heretikes To beleeue a God is to beléeue that he is the onely true and almightie God and so the Diuells doe beléeue as well as the euill Christians But to beléeue in God is to loue God and to trust in God and in beléeuing to ioyne thy selfe to God by loue and obedience incorporating thée with his mēbers that is to say his Church This Faith iustifieth and maketh righteous the sinner and this Faith being knit with Loue and with Charitie begins to doe good deedes which cannot be done without Loue. The Faith which euill Christians haue is indéede a qualytie of fréewill but it is not knit with Loue and Charitie which is the bonde of perfection and the life of Faith as Faith is the life of the soule And yet such an vnshapen Faith being naked and voide of Charitie may be termed a gift of God for that the euill man may haue some gifte of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learne to liue rightly and for that the Diuels and euill Christians doe liue wickedly it is a signe that the faith which they haue is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a worke of Vertue If thou wilt then haue thy Faith to be good and wholesome it must haue foure properties that is to say it must be plaine and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and vnmouable it must be quicke and liuely Touching the first that it must be plaine and simple that teacheth thée thus much in effect that thou must beléeue the word of God plainly simply whatsoeuer is therein contained without enquiring or searching in Gods mysticall matters by humaine reasons but simply beléeuing in thy heart that euery thing contained in the holy Bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is to say thou must not take parte with heretikes or leane to the erronious opinions of the enimies of Gods truth for this is no good or wholesome Faith And therefore for a testimonie of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open confession in the congregation of thy beliefe saieng with y e felowship communion of Saints I beleeue in the holy Trinitie as y e holy Church founded by Christ whereof he is y e head hath taught me so do I frame my faith· Thirdly it must be constant and vnmouable that is to say without doubting for any reson of mans braine that séemeth contrarie nor for any temptation promises or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacie of such as inchaunt with the vaine pleasures of this life although they liue most ioyfully allure thee to leane to their opinion which is flat heresie For that
is a work of Satans who wholly possesses them and can transfigure and chaunge himselfe into an Angell of light to deceiue the simple and innocent whom God permits to be tempted for the triall of their constancie Not that he is ignoraunt of the issue but because he would haue it appeare to others that he crowns vs with his glorie for our constancie and perseueraunce This is clearely set downe by Moses in the xiij of Deuteronomie and by Saint Peter in his second Epistle and second Chapter and by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the 24. of Mathew And though we liue in the latter times when manie sects and errours doe abound and vertue and truth in many places doth faile Yet let vs listen what our Lord and Sauiour saith Whosoeuer beleueth to the ende shâ—ll be saued Fourthly and lastly thy Faith must be quicke and liuely that is to saye it must be linked with Loue and Charitie which is the life of Faith as the soule is the life of the body And therefore abuse not thy selfe as some doe saieng I haue Faith and I shall be saued whatsoeuer chaunce No no assure thy selfe that if thy Faith be not quickned with Loue and Charitie it is nothing woorth and therefore vnable to atchieue true blessedndsse as S. Paule wel noteth in the first Epistle the xiij chapter to the Corinths Euen so when our Lord in the Gospel attributeth saluation vnto Faith S Paule iustification this is to be vnderstood of an holy liuely and Euangelicall Faith working with Loue and Charitie Likewise our Lord and Sauiour saith in the Gospell that Hee which beleeueth and will be baptised shall bee saued this is meant of such a Faith as Loue quickeneth and Charitie reuiueth The holy Scripture in many places expresseth that None shall be saued vnlesse he obserue and kéepe the Commaundements of God Now none can kéepe the Commaundements without Loue and Charitie Ergo none can be saued without Loue and Charitie The summe and effect of all is this that whosoeuer renounceth sinne and wickednesse imbraceth a quicke and liuely Faith and liueth in Loue and Charitie he cannot perish but shall finde in the end true perfect and euerlasting Felicitie in the kingdome of Heauen ¶ THE DESCRIPTION OF HOPE and how we ought to hope in almightie God The fourth Chapter NOw sir Knight know this that Hope is a vertue whereby both goods spirituall eternal are hoped for And as Faith is of things not séene so is Hope also For Saint Paule saith Hope that is seene is no Hope because we haue possession of it already It is common to Faith and Hope to be of things vnséene and yet Hope is distinguished from Faith not onely by name but also by reason For by Faith we beleeue as well euill things as good that is to say Heauen and Hell We beléeue that Adulterie is a verie wicked sinne we beléeue also Charitie is a very good thing all these things good and bad we beléeue but we hope onely for good things and not for bad Againe Faith is of things past present and to come For we beleeue the death of Iesus Christ which is past we beleeue also that at this present he sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heauen and we beléeue that Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead But vnder correction I thinke that Hope is of things present as when I hope that I am in GODS fauour and of things past as when I hope my sinnes be forgiuen me and of things to come as when I hope to haue eternall life This is true that Faith hath an eye generallye vnto that which is spoken in holy Scripture beléeuing that all the promises without exception which God made shall bee accomplished without descending to particular or speciall persons but Hope applieth vnto hir selfe those same promises waiting and hoping for the accomplishment of that which God hath promised And therefore it is requisite for assured saluation that thou beleeue thou shalt be saued and but to hope so is sufficient For Faith of and in it selfe importeth an infallible assuraunce and certaintie of things as when we firmely beléeue all the Articles of our true and Christian Faith and all things conteined in the holy Scriptures to be more certaine than man is man but the hoping of it is not so requisite For if we haue a firme affiaunce in the goodnesse of God touching our saluation and doubt not a whitte of the remission of our sinnes it is enough Ther be two degrées in Hope which are two contrary extremities The one being the most highest is most perfect infailable assuraunce of eternall blessednesse The other being the basest and lowest is to despaire of saluation Betwéene these two extremities consisteth Hope But the more y t a man approcheth to the highest extremitie which is an infaileable assuraunce of eternall life and the more he recoileth from the basest and lowest extremitie which is desperation the more perfect is he in Hope It sufficeth the hoping man that beléeues loues God that he haue a firme affiaunce confidence that God of his good grace will giue him whatsoeuer he hath promised vnto his elect hoping that he is of their number So it is necessarily requisite that we haue a perfect and an infaileable certaintie of our saluation Now for that in the definition of Hope it is said that by hir we looke and hope for the spirituall and eternall goodnesse it is to be noted that Hope hath two obiects the first and the principall is God himselfe and the perfect inioying of his presence The other is all the necessarie meanes to come vnto the cleare séeing and inioying of God and these meanes are the remission of our sinnes iustification the help of Gods grace Faith vnfained and charitable deedes agréeablenes vnto God Now all that we hope for we ought with praier deuoutly to craue of God as his Kingdome the remission of our sinnes iustification increase of grace and vertue déedes of Faith and Charitie But concerning goodes temporall forasmuch as we may vse them well and ill they may be saide to hinder the saluation of man rather then to further it And therfore the good Christian ought not to aske them nor to couet theÌ„ excessiuely indéed so much as wil necessarily serue him for sustenaunce in this life he may lawfully aske And héere by the waye it is a lesson worthy the learning namely that it is necessarie for vs to do good workes because it hath plesed God to inrich vs with goods which goodes ought well to be employed Now vnto him properly belongeth the merits of the workes which he worketh in vs. For all our good workes are the gifts of God howbeit he doth not denie vs his grace whereby we consent to doe the good works which he onely moueth in vs. And therefore euery one ought to the vttermost that he is able to do good works
coÌ„uerted WheÌ„ thou séest a sinner openly led to his last end to lose his life by law know y t thou staÌ„dest a sinner before god as wel as he although before the world thou be estéemed better The life and death of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ is a glasse for all faithfull Christians to looke in Wherefore with a good deuotion lead thou an holye life by his example take paines to follow his humilitie his sobrietie his chastitie his goondnesse his charitie his patience his compassion and all his other vertues Ther is no schoole wherein a Christian maye so well learne to liue well as in the contemplation of Christs life conuersation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as death iudgement hell heauen perseuer in praier in goodnes to the death so thou shalt please God not be loth to dye Remember the end saith y e wise thou shalt neuer sin thou must often pray deuoutly to God wheÌ„ thou wilt so do thou must draw thy selfe from all affaires For praier is a lifting vp of the hart to God and a priuate speach or communication of the soule with God If it be so were there any reason that a man shuld withdraw his cogitations from God or rather all outward busines put apart with all reuerence to submit thy soule before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbiddeÌ„ in all our affairs to pray sing psalmes to Gods glorie and oftentimes with teares to saie the Lordes praier or anie other praier to that effect And heere by the way thou must vnderstand that the longest praier is not most profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations thoughts rising in the minde Besides that they must be deuout for the praiers which are done with deuotion with loue humilitie of the hart doth profit most as for all other praiers they are vaine and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Chananite said O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me it is enough Againe be not curious of thy tongue or fine in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if vnfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anne Samuels mother True it is and no lesse fitte that both tongue and heart shoulde praise God and therefore be circumspect in thy praiers lest thou be reproued as our Lord reproued some saieng You knowe not what you aske In the first parte of thy Prayer thou askest Gods Kingdome according to Gods doctrine and also his Iustice. Then thou askest in thy prayer that God be knowen honoured glorified of all that his wil be done in all accomplished in all as well of men in Earth as of Angells in Heauen Thou askest increase of Faith Hope and Charitie remission of sinnes the grace of God and his glorie Worldly goods superfluously thou oughtest not to aske but necessarily to liue and with a measure for thy bodely health and for the succour of the néedie If thou be sicke poore or in aduersitie thou maist aske health riches or prosperitie so it be done to Gods glorie But if thine afflictions doe more aduaunce Gods glory then thy prosperitie doeth yéelding thy will to GODS will thou oughtest to aske patience and saie with a meeke heart Lord thy will bee done and not mine Euermore haue the feare of GOD before thine eyes iudgeing and condempning thy selfe for thy sinne and thou shalt not be iudged nor condempned of God Let no sinne so raigne in thée as to depriue thee of Gods grace and to tumble thée to eternall death Better it is to dye in trouble without sinne then to liue in prosperitie in sinne and better it is to loose thy life for Gods cause then to liue at ease and loose God and thy life too If thy senses be inclined to sinne be not dismaid for ther is a God to whom if thou pray will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted aske for helpe at God saieng O God make speede to saue me O Lord make hast to helpe me Lord God leaue me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Doe what thou canst to resist the Diuell and he shall goe from thée approch to God by Faith and he will drawe néere vnto vs by his spirite If the Diuell assault thée defie him and make thy mone to our Sauiour saieng Lord helpe me and he will helpe thee Doe thou thine indeuour and assure thy selfe that God wil make thée strong he will aide thée he will ease thée and in the end will set thee free from all vexations placing thée in the heauen of heauens the portion and inheritaunce of his seruaunts To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost be all glorie honour and praise worlds without end Amen ¶ THE AVTHORS PERORATION OR Conclusion to the deuout readers or hearers The xij Chahter The xij Chapter I Thanke almightie God of his goodnes that I am come to the ende of the voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou maist vnderstand that in following Folly and vaine Voluptuousnesse he forsooke God to the preiudice and hurt of his soule yea to the daunger of euerlasting damnation Héere thou maist learne that al voluptuous worldlings are the very subiects of Satan and that earthly goods and worldly pleasure shal quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemencie God vsed to him drawing him by his Grace from the sinke of sinne wherein he was sunke how he was led to the place of Repentance and from thence to the Pallaice of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord graunt vs to lande where he is landed euen in the lande of promise promised to the Elect. And now to conclude I beséech your good courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and to lay nothing to my charge in the waye of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemne but to speak well and esteeme of this my worke and to vse it for thy benefite and edification for the which ende I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian loue and charitie that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Pallaice to perseuer and continue there to the ende humbling your selues before God and alwaies trusting vnto his goodnesse not vnto your owne strength or merites acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whome you haue that you haue Let all your confidence be in his mercie and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any féele and perceiue himselfe out of Vertues Pallaice by meanes of worldly vanities let him consider the great perill he is in and spéedely tourne to repentaunce with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly to the merites and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sinnes which if he doe he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercie And now I beseech our Lord God to giue vs all grace to do according vnto that which heere is spoken for otherwise of our selues it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agréeable vnto his holy wil we may in the end after the voyage which we haue to passe in this world sée and enioye possesse and haue the full fruition of that glorious Citie of Paradise where true blessednesse and perfect felicitie dwelleth euen in the habitation of God almightie vnto whom be all honor glory power dominion for euermore Amen FINIS GLORIE TO GOD. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East Pro. 11. Eccle. 32. Mat. 12. Luke 6. Gen. â—â— The beginning of Idolatrie Ninus the sonne of Bell and third king of BabiloÌ„ Exo. 32. Trabeta vvaÌ„dred a long time like a vagabond from couÌ„try to couÌ„trie Berosus Exo. 1. Exo. 14. Nu. 16. 1. Kin. 21.26.31 2. Kiâ— 1.12 Kin. 13.11 4. Kin. 12. 3. Kin. 18 21. Iohn 1. Iames. 4 Luke 6. Mat. 7. Eph. 4. Repentance coÌ„meth by loue and feare Act. 9. Luc. 23. 3. King 19 Esay 45. Esay 35 Ezechi 18 Ioel. 2. Micheas 7 Iohn 3. Luke 15. Rom. â— Heb 4. Chron. 33. Luke 7 Iohn 4. Act. 9. Tim. 1. Psal. 93. Psal. 93. Rom. 6. Esa. 61. Psa. 80. 2. Cor. 7. Esay 66. VVis 7. Cor. 3. Cor. 6. Rom. 10. Rom. â— Iere. 17. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn â— Iohn 14 Psa. 41. Ioel. 1. Iohn 17. Mat. 24. Mat. 18. Eccle. 7 Luc. 18. Mat. 17 Ezo 1. 1. Kin. 1. Mat. 20 Mat. 5.