greedilie sought for so farre off was he to hurt or oppresse anie man to obtaine or maintaine this These Pagans condemne the curiositie and pompe of the world which now raignes amongst vs They shall condemne vs vnlesse wee repent at the daie of iudgement It is a shame for Christians that Pagans should go beyond thē in anie vertue We haue had Christians that haue excelled them euen of late Panorm lib. 4. de reb gestis Alphons I reade of Alphonsus king of Aragon when as one brought him ten thousand French crownes And one that stood by perchance said O that I had so much gold it would make me rich and happy Goe thy way saith the king and take it how much soeuer it is and bee happie Surely this Christian king and that not long since He liued in the raigne of Henry the 6. excéeded all these Pagans And shall hee haue no schollers All Christians should herein be his schollers should learne by his example to despise the world to despise money and gold It is a Christian and kinglie lesson But this Christian philosophie is now quite banished and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 3.2 that loue of our selues and loue of money whereof Saint Paul prophesieth are now in their kingdome and raigne amongst men We will not now giue thousands of Crownes no nor of pence or shillings no not to our brethren We loue our selues and mony and gold so well that no man almost loues his brother The first Christians had learned this lesson and therefore they laid not the rents Act. 4.35 but euen the prices of their lands at the Apostles feete They gaue it not them in their hands to declare no doubt this contempt of the world and their loue to the Apostles The like loue had the Galathians to Saint Paul I beare you record saith he that if it had beene possible Gal. 4.15 you would haue pulled out your very eyes and haue giuen them to me Phile. vers 19. And he writes to Philemon that he owes him his owne self This condemnes those that loue the world so well that now they are so farce from giuing anie thing to the Church that they rather studie and deuise how they maie take that awaie that hath beene well giuen of others which come not to the Church now ad offerendum sed ad auferendum not to offer but to take away The like contempt of the world had those Iewes which when as Christ rode to Ierusalem Matth. 21.8 spread their garments in the way And no doubt they were a figure of vs rather then Christ should go barefoote we should cast euen our verie garments in the waie But now to maintaine their sutes of apparell and their braue garments manie make Christ in his members to go barefoot and ill clothed and with manie a hungrie meale And do these spread their garments in the waie Nay Amos. 2.6 these sel the poore euen for a paire of shooes as the Prophet speaketh They make no account of the poore members of Iesus Christ They despise not the world Neither haue the Heathen onelie taught vs this contempt but euen nature her selfe Oyle if it be put in water will not be mingled with it but will swim aboue Such excellent oyle should Christians be whereof they take their names They should swimme aboue all the waters that is of riches pleasures and delights of this world whatsoeuer All which maie be fitlie compared to water for their vncertaintie they flowe like water they are not stable and permanent and for their dangers they do drowne men if they take not great héede of them Cast a trée into the water it will not sinke at the first but it will swim aloft Such trées should all the Lords trées be though they be here placed in this world and as it were cast into the water yet they should swimme aloft alwayes they should not sinke downe therein But now all men almost sink downe into these waters they are ouer the eares in them they swim not aloft they despise them not Where the bodie is Luke 17.37 there will the Eagles bee saith our Sauiour comparing all his to Eagles Now the Eagle doth mount on high and hee compares himself to a bodie because he was slaine for our sakes And therefore with him in heauen should the hearts the desires the loues the studies of all his Eagles be not here on earth Col. 3.1 and on these earthly things Christians cannot serue God and Mammon together Matth. 6.24 Esa 28.20 The bed of loue is too streight as Esay saith it cannot hold two and the cloake or garment is too short it cannot couer two Christ onely must be in our bed and in our bosome This contempt of the world deuotion of obeying the commandement of God Amb. lib. 1. de Abrah cap. 1. was the first thing that Abrahā pleased God in as Ambrose noteth Abrahā was surely saith Ambrose a great mighty man famous in the highest degree for his many vertues whom all the Philosophers could not wish a man that might match him And to conclude it was farre lesse that they imagined or fained in all their excellent men then that he did indeed And the plaine faith of the truth was greater then the stately lie of eloquence Therefore let vs first consider what kind of deuotion was in him for this vertue is the first in order and the foundation of the rest And by good right God requires this of him saying Go out of thy countrie and of thy kinred and of thy fathers house It had beene enough to haue sayd Go ou◠of thy country For that had beene to haue gone out of his kinred and out of his fathers fathers house But therefore he added euery one of these that hee might proue his loue least peraduenture he should haue seemed to haue taken a matter in hand vnaduisedly or else should fraudulently haue fulfilled the commandements of God But as the precepts were to be heaped one of another least hee should bee ignorant of anie thing so also rewards were set before him least he should despaire He is tried as a valiant souldier He is pricked forward as a faithful seruant He is challenged vnto the combat as a iust man he went out Here in him is that which among those seuen wise men of Greece was so highly commended for a wise saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Follow God Abraham indeede preuented that saying of the wise men and followed God before they were borne Let vs now also consider by his example what we ought to follow least perduenture that it be also said to vs Go out of your country that is go out of this dwelling we haue in this body out of which Saint Paul went also who sayd Our conuersation is in heauen and out of the entisements and pleasures of the body which he called
to haue reuenged the griefe of his brotherly pity The purpose of a godly mind lookes for no reward but so hir reward hath the conscience of a good worke and the effecting and bringing to passe of a good deed Base minds are pricked forward with promises and are encouraged with the hope of wages but the good soule which takes vpon hir the battell without the obligation of Gods answere reapes to hir self double fruit of praise that she may lay vp in treasure both the grace of most valiant courage and also of most perfect deuotion Thus must all Abrahams Children doe all their workes euen venture their liues not respecting wages but of a free heart with their father Abraham And of God Ambrose after writes thus And also the iustice of God is herein cōmended who rewards godly minds not by the necessity of his promise but through the consideration of his equity thinking it worthy that they which warre without any reward of man should haue a reward laid vp in store in his goodnes for whose sake they haue ventured their soules c. Gods mercie is aboue his promises naie his mercie is aboue all his works Hée will most assuredlie reward all his Againe Ambrose speaking of the vse of the law writes thus But also the law yeelds me this commodity that we are not iustified of the works of the law Amb. de Iacob beat vit ca. 6 therefore I haue no cause why I should glory in my works I haue no cause why I should boast of my selfe and therefore I will glory in Christ I will not reioice in that I am iust but I will reioice in that I am redeemed I will not reioice that I am void of sinne but because that my sinnes are forgiuen mee I wil not reioyce because I haue doon God any seruice or that any other hath doone any thing for me but because Christ is become my Aduocate with the Father because Christs bloud is shedde for me My fault is now become to me the wages of my redemption by the meanes thereof I obtaine Christ For my sake Christ tasted death my fault profited me more then my innocency my innocency made me arrogant my fault made me humble Here thou maist see wherein the law profited thee c. Granatensis of workes and merites writes thus The second steppe to humility is if a man know that that which he hath from God if so bee that hee haue any thing hee hath not obtained it by his owne strength but by the meere grace and mercy of God Gran. de perfect amor dei cap. 16. that he hath receiued it There are found some that beeing well grounded on the first step confesse that all which they haue comes from God yet notwithstanding they nourish in their breasts a secret perswasion that they haue gotten all that they haue to themselues by their owne labour and merites or deserts when as it is most certaine that the merites themselues as well as that which is obtained by the merites to be the graces of God vvhen as we cannot haue a thought or one good desire that is not of God Furthermore also our works haue not the value and merite they haue of themselues but of the grace of God by which they are doone For euen as the value of any coine is not of the substance of the coine but especially of the Image and inscription that it hath so the merit of our workes doeth not so much proceede of the substance of the worke as of the grace of God which giues value to them And therfore as often as by them any grace is giuen vnto vs euen one grace is giuen for another euen as if a friend should giue thee a hundreth pieces of gold and for them afterwards should giue thee a horse Here were both a selling and a giuing gaine and grace Grace because thy friend gaue thee gaine because vvith the mony that he gaue thee thou boughtest the horse of him The Prophet doth couertly teach vs both these when hee saith Come and buy without money and without any exchange Wine and Milke That is meat and drinke both for the beginners and for those that are perfect In which words when as he biddes vs buy he declares our industry but when as he excludes Siluer and all exchange he shewes grace All this therefore declares that man hath nothing in himselfe whereof he may glory thinking that which he hath comes of himselfe yea rather he ought to thinke that he hath of himselfe infinite sinnes for which he deserues so many hels And that all things else whatsoeuer they are come from aboue from the Father of light and are bestowed on vs of grace when as merite it selfe is grace Thus far Granatensis who plainlie affirmes that all our merites are grace And surelie our wages that the best of vs is to looke for if wee bee worthie of anie is like the wages they receiued that came into the Vineyard at the eleuenth houre of the daie a wages also of grace and not of desert or merit But Granatensis goeth forward To this the fourth steppe is to be added for it is not sufficient that a man acknowledge himselfe poore and destitute of all good things but also it is necessary that he acknowledge how truly hee abounds with many euilles that is how greatly he loues himselfe and his owne will and stands in his owne conceit how liuely are all his euill affections and how perfect are all his wicked motions how inconstant he is in good purposes how lauish in his tongue howe carelesse in keeping of his heart what a louer he is of his owne profit and of the desires of his owne pleasures To know these things is the best knowledge in the world and also most profitable For other knowledges as the Apostle sayeth puffe vs vp but this onely makes vs humble And it is also true that to the obtaining of this knowledge our owne exercise onely sufficeth not but wee stand need also of the light of heauen that the mist of our owne selfe-loue do not blindfold vs which is a very blind iudge And for this cause euery Christian ought to aske of God this light and that as earnestly as Saint Frances did who very often in his prayers repeated these words O my God that I may know thee and that I may knowe me Neither is it sufficient for him that he account himselfe such a poore and grieuous sinner but let him imagine that he is the greatest sinner in the world and the most vile of al sinners And this is a degree higher then the former for as a certain doctor saith It shal hurt thee nothing to cast downe thy selfe at the feet of all men but it may hurt thee if thou preferre thy selfe before any one c. Thus Granatensis would haue euerie Christian humble himselfe And is not this the verie doctrine our Church teacheth Granatensis also of our sinnes and the satisfaction
the Gospell against the manifold thornes and pricks which Satan here in this life strewes in our wayes and in our iourney to heauen Exod 25.31 The golden Candlesticke which God commaunded Moses to make hauing one foot and a shaft beaten our with hammers hauing on euerie side therof three brāches cōming out of it euery branch hauing 3 bowles like to an Almond vpō it one knop one flower declares vnto vs also the ministery in the Church of God Act. 26.18 Luk. 12.42 whose office is aswell to giue light and to teach all as to giue meate and food and therefore héere they are compared to the candlestick And as before there was but one table so heere there is but one Candlesticke to declare the vnitie that should be among the ministers and pastors of Christs Church They should all be as one 1. Cor. 1.10 There should be no sects or schismes amōgst them They should go out to battell against their enemies as the Israelits did Iud. 20.8 euen as one man The foote of this Candlesticke is Iesus Christ who alone sustaines vs Matth. 28 2◠Reu. 1.13 who is said to be among the golden Candlestickes The shaft thereof is the Apostles out of which procéede thrée branches on the right side and thrée on the left side to teach vs that as there were false Prophets in the law as Peter teacheth 2. Pet. 2.1 so there should be also in the Gospell This Candlesticke shall haue aswell left branches as right branches euerie branch shall haue thrée bowles like Almonds and a flower and an apple The bowles like Almonds declare the doctrine they must preach They must preach the Gospel that is Mark 16.15 comfortable doctrine and glad newes And this is to be bowles like Almond nuts Leuinus Lemnius de herb◠biblicis cap. 4◠For the Almond is comfortable and restoratiue They must also haue an apple and a flower They must not haue only flourishing words but good works that they may say with Paul Brethren be followers of me And againe Phil. 3.17.4.8 Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things which ye haue both learned and receiued heard and seene in me Those things do and the God of peace shall bee with you By this type we may learne the necessitie of the ministerie in the Church Who would dwell in a house which lacked light What ioy can I haue saith Tobias that sit in darknes Tob. 5.12 and see not the light of heauen Such is the estate of all men without the preaching of the word vers 38. The snuffers also and the vessels to put the snuffes in doe teach first that ministers must haue a care of their doctrine that it be cleare and pure grounded of the Scriptures Matth. 15. ◠that no dregges of mans traditions be mingled with it God will haue all his torches burne cleare Secondly the vessels wherein the snuffes were put doe comfort those which haue meaner gifts in the Church Those which cannot be Apostles or great Doctors must not discourage themselues God had in his Tabernacle as well vessels to hold the snuffes of the torches as the torches themselues Lastly this candlestick must bee Mikshah beaten with hammers not melted sound not hollow 2. Cor. 2.4 to teach all Gods Ministers to beware of hypocrisie They must not make merchādize of the word of God The forme and fashion of this Tabernacle how vnlike is it to the Church of Rome In the making of this Tabernacle all things were voluntarie but the Roman Church commands she puts a necessitie in all her doings The Arke being all couered with the gold of charity 1. Cor. 16.14 condemnes that couetous Synagogue Let all your affaires be done through loue saith S. Paul but they do all for money She hath separated those foure rings from the sides of the Arke and the barres also she hath pulled forth from the rings which God commaunded should not be separated while she neither suffred the Bible to be in the Church neither the Pastors to preach it Neither were these rings fastened to the sides of the Ark neither were the tables of Gods commandements and that heauenly Manna and Aarons rod contained in the Ark while the gospell of Iesus Christ his most glorious death passion was not plainly taught the people It was neither in their houses nor in their harts She taught that the mercie seat couered not all the Ark but that the blessed Virgine was without sinne And that not as the Cherubims do all men should turne their faces to the mercie seat but that praying we may turne our faces some other way She hath also taken away the table of the shew bread from Gods house and hath not commanded his stewards to giue meat to his familie in due season but hath laid this burthen on other mens shoulders Likewise she hath made Gods house a most darke dungeon by taking from thence the light of Gods word Salomons temple also was a figure of Christs Church as first the verie author therof may teach vs. Salomon in Hebrew signifies peaceable Phil. 4.9 so the great God of peace Iesus Christ the true Salomon builded Gods Church Ioh. 14.27 Ephes 3.14 1. King 6.1 Matt. 6.33 1. King 7.1 Luk 2.46 1. King 5.13.14 He is our peace saith S. Paul He is our Salomon Secondly Salomon built the Temple in the fourth yeare of his raigne to teach vs that we must first seek the kingdome of God Salomon built Gods house before his owne house so Iesus Christ being but twelue yeares old began to build his Temple disputing with the Doctors And this exāple of Salomon proueth that kings though they be not builders themselues yet they may commaund the workmen they may cause the Lords house to be built So kings though they be no ministers yet may deale in ecclesiasticall affaires they may command the builders they may by their authoritie command and procure that Gods temple be built The Temple was builded in the moneth Zif which signifies brightnesse to declare 1. King 6.2 1. Ti. 4.13.15 that knowledge learning is required to the building of Gods house The which thing Pet. Berchorius in his Moralizations doth verie excellētly expresse Berch lib. 11. Moral super 3. Reg. cap. 5. Salomon saith he built the house of the Lord of squared wood and grauen stones and he deuided it into three roomes in height and whereof the lower was deuided into the inward oracle and outward house And thus it was made that all the walles of the lower Temple were couered with boords of Cedar and the floore with firre boords And aboue the boords all things were couered with plates of gold round
would haue perished in the earth is preserued in heauen Therefore that which is preserued we shall receiue Thy desert is preserued thy merit is become a treasure For marke what thou shalt receiue Receiue ye the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world On the contrarie they that would not lend what shall they heare Goe yee into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Thus farre Augustine Where he plainly sets downe the great blessing that the merifull lender shall obtaine at Gods hands and the terrible punishment which not the vsurer only but he that will not lend shall be sure to haue I would to God all Christians would but marke what censures the verie Heathens haue giuen concerning vsurie WheÌ„ as one asked Cato Censorius Cic. lib. 2. Off. what were the chiefe points of good husbandrie He answered To feed well to cloath wel and to till well And to him that asked What is it to commit vsurie Is not that also a point of good husbandrie Cato answered What is it to kill a man He thought that an vsurer sinned as greatly as a murtherer Did Cato iudge thus of vsurie by the light of nature and shall Christians professe it or thinke better of it in the light of the Gospell Panor lib. 4. Alphonsus king of Aragon compared vsurers to greedie birds which snatched catched all things And surely no doubt verie iustlie For vsurers are the cruellest Kites and vultures in the world They consume mens patrimonies they often kill their bodies and vndoe their heires And this they do to their brethren to whom they were bound to open euen their verie hearts and bowels to do them good 1. Ioh. 3.17 as Saint Iohn teacheth And will not then these cruell hearted men open to them their coffers or purses Another compares Vsurers to the diuell for what els saith he do Vsurers but that which the diuell perswaded Christ to haue done when as hee would haue had him to haue made stones bread for by their lending Pet. Greg. de Rep. lib. 2. cap. 20. they gaine of stones and mettalles that which nature cannot bring forth For naturally a peece of gold or any other money engendreth not money O wicked age that we liue in now vsurie amongst some is accounted the gainfullest and surest trade of liuing And wheras lending was commanded of God to profit our brethren now the vsurer thereby peruerting this order of God profits himselfe To conclude that interpretation of the two edged sword in the Reuelation of Victorinus an ancient Bishop Victor in Apocal is worth the marking By the two-edged sword glistering out of his mouth is meant that it is he that now shewed to the world the glad tydings of the Gospell and by Moses the knowledge of the lawe But because by the same word hee shall iudge hereafter all mankind that were both vnder the law and vnder the Gospell therefore it is said to be a two edged sword A sword armes a souldier kils a mans enemie and punisheth a reuolter or a turnecoate And that he might shew his Apostles that he preached iudgement he saith I came not to send peace into the world but a sword And after that he had ended his parables he saith vnto them Haue you vnderstood all these things And they said yea Therefore euerie Scribe learned in the kingdome of God is like to a housholder bringing out of his treasure new and old things that is the new words of the Gospell and the old of the law and Prophets And that these come out of his mouth He said to Peter Go to the sea and cast in an angle and the fish that thou shalt first take opening his mouth thou shalt find a stavre that is two pence giue it for me and thee And Dauid also by the holy Ghost saith God hath spoken once I haue heard these two things That God hath once determined that in the beginning that shall continue to the end To conclude when as he is appointed of his Father to be Iudge he minding to shew that through the word which is preached to them men should be iudged he saith Do you thinke that I will iudge you in the last day But the word which I haue spoken vnto you that shall iudge you in the last day And Paul against Antichrist saith to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2.8 Whom the Lord shall kill with the spirit of his mouth This is therefore that two-edged sword proceeding out of his mouth c. I would to God all men would marke this exposition By Gods word all men at the last daie shall be iudged whether they haue directed their liues according to that which they haue heard with their eares or no And therefore our Sauiour saith so often Matt. 11.15 13.9.43 Mark 4.24 Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare And againe Take heede what you heare As though he should saie one daie ye shall giue an account of it And here that is verified that our Sauiour saith You are cleane for the word that dwelleth in you Ioh. 15.3 Gods word maketh our faith and religion pure and cleane and also our liues cleane But we must not be like those that can say Lord Lord Mat. 7.22 and haue done wickedlie which haue professed Christ with their mouthes and haue denied him with their works Wee must not onlie embrace the promises of saluation which the Gospell teacheth vs but also the precepts of life We must eate the whole Paschal Lâ—mbe or else it will do vs no good Exod. 12.9 As well the feete as the head and purtnance Manie at this daie eate gréedily the head and purtnance of Christ that is his diuine promises and his heauenly miracles they are verie desirous to eate these but few eate the féete that is his precepts and commandements Matt. 24.14 To such the Gospell shall be preached as a testimonie of their condemnation at that day of iudgement and not of their saluation Let vs beware that we be not hearers but doers Iam. 1.22 and not onely desirous to eate the head and purtnance but also the féete of Christ and let vs as willinglie learne his precepts and commandements and do them as we are content to beléeue his promises and remaine in them These are the waies which Gods word teacheth all Christians to walke in These are plaine waies here are no tropes or figures yet manie which will séem to professe Gods word make no account of these let such take héed at the day of iudgement they stand not among those to whom God shall saie Why didst thou preach my lawes Psal 50.16 or take my couenant in thy mouth Why didst thou professe my word and wouldst not bee reformed by it All such hypocrites shall then be condemned The manners and conuersation of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Fathers IVstine the Martyr thus describes
members of one bodie such common prayers with faith and knowledge such hearing of the Scriptures with punishments of the disobedient such voluntarie contributions to the poore such Christian charitie such a communitie of the vse of all things were in those former good Christians But with vs almost all these are quite contrarie so farre we haue degenerated And in their prayers they vsed great reuerence in those dayes they knéeled For thus I reade in a sermon of Beatus Caesarius Bishop of Orleance For when as verie often as it becommeth me I marke diligently when as the Deacon cries Biblioth Pat. Tom. 7. ser 30. Let vs kneele downe I see the greatest part of the people to stand vpright like pillers which is neither lawfull nor seemely nor expedient for Christians to do in the Church in the time of prayers c. It should séeme that the Deacon in time of prayer cried Let vs kneele as we in our prayers now saie Let vs pray to stir vp the peoples minds to prayer And that the Bishop had a care to marke whether the people in time of prayers knéeled or no. I would all Pastors of Churches would do the like nowe and marke who kneeles not and exhort them to knéele But now no man regards this And in another place of the discipline of Christians the same Tertullian writes thus Loue your enemies and blesse them which curse you Tert. lib. de Pat. and pray for them which persecute you that you may bee the children of your heauenly Father In this chiefe commandement all the doctrin of patience is briefly comprehended when as we may not hurt anie though wee haue a iust cause Now if we shall runne ouer all the other causes which may driue vs into impatiencie the other commandements will likewise fall out iustly in their places If thy mind be moued to impatiencie by the losse of thy goods it is admonished almost in euerie place of the Scriptures that it ought to despise the world Neither can there be any greater exhortation to despise money then that the Lord himselfe had no riches And he euer iustifies the poore and condemnes the rich The former Christians as appeareth by this did not so greedilie séeke for money and riches as we do at this daie They despised riches they passed not for money Cyprian also condemnes this couetousnes in Christians Câ—â— Lib 2. â—piâ—t 2. But those whom thou supposest to be rich men ioyning field to field and excluding the poore of their quarters haue their pastures and fields without bounds which haue great store of gold and siluer and huge masses of money or reekes it as were of siluer hid in the ground these being afraid amongst the middest of all their riches the doubtfulnesse of their estates often troubles them least the thiefe should robbe them least the murtherer should catch them least the malice enuie of anie wealthier then themselues should vexe them with trouble some sutes He sighes euen in the middle of his banquet though he drinke in pearle and when as the downe and soft featherbed hath embraced his pined bodie for all his good cheare ouer the eares as it were in her bosome yet he cannot take any rest for all these feathers Neither doth this miserable wretch vnderstand that his riches are no other thing to him then braue torments and that he is bound with his golde as theeues are with gyues and fetters And that he is rather possessed of his riches then that he should possesse them And O abominable blindnesse of the mind of man and deepe darknesse of raging couetousnesse when as hee might disburden himselfe and also ease himselfe of so great a weight he goeth on still forward to set all his mind vpon these same riches that thus vexe him he goeth on still to cleaue fast to these pinching burthens There is no bestowing of them vpon his poore retainers no distribution to them that stand in need And they call that their money which they keepe verie carefully lockt vp in their houses as if it were another mans whereof they will bestow none vpon their friends no nor to their children no nor to themselues They possesse these riches onely to this end that another should not haue them And what a misnaming of things is this They call them goods whereof they haue no vse but to those things which are naught Or do you think that they are also safe whom amidst the robes of their honours and great riches whom flourishing with the glorie of kings courts a great companie of armed men continually waites vpon and guards They are more afraid themselues then others are of them he is as glad to feare himselfe as he is feared of others Dignitie honour or authâ—rity seemes to take punishment euen of the mightie man himselfe c. Their auâ—hâ—â—itâ—â— first maketh themselues afraid which make them so terrible to others This account the former Christians made of riches as of fetters and of honors as of burthens But to come neerer vs and to condemne our couetousnes Chrysostome telleth a strange historie of two Christians I wil shew you saith he a thing that was done amongst our forefathers Ho. 30. ad Pop. Ant. not concerning anger but concerning money There was a certaine place that had treasure hidden in it And when as the Lord thereof knew not so much he sold the place Hee which bought it when as he digged it vp that he might plant his field and dresse it he found that treasure that was hidden in it And when as he came to him that sold him the field hee would haue compelled him to haue receiued the treasure For he said that he bought the place and not the treasure But hee on the contrarie refused that which he would haue giuen him saying I haue solde the place neither haue I now any right in it They fell at strife the one would haue giuen it the other and the other striuing that he would not receiue it And going to a certaine man they reasoned the matter before him and after they asked his sentence to whom the treasure was due He would giue no sentence on neither side But saith he I will end your controuersie let me haue it possesse it for you both The which wheÌ„ they had both yeelded to he that was so greedie to receiue the treasure sustained afterward a thousand euils And learned by experience that they iustly and not without good cause had departed from it Such contempt of riches was in those dayes and such a conscience amongst Christians The Fathers here agree with the scriptures alleaged before concerning the contempt of the word The like should be amongst vs if we were not growne out of kind Such like contemners of the world were Augustine Ambrose Cyptian Ierom and all the Fathers as by reading their liues appeares We haue now few such Augustines Ambroses and Ieromes We alleage their sayings commonlie but neuer follow