to beare the crosse paciently â–ª is not to be inseÌ„sible as a block to lacke the felyng of all sorowes as the stoykes folyshely discribed hym to be a valiante or stronge man whiche layinge a syde humanitie or the naturall propertie of a man shoulde in aduersitie and prosperite in mirth and heuines be lyke wyse affected or minded yea that lyke a stone shoulde be affected or moued with nothing What goodnes toke thei of this their highe wysdome for sooth they paynted furth an image or representation of such a wisdom as nether was nor can be found at anye tyme a monge men no but rather while they go aboute to haue to exacte and precise a patience they dyd take awaye the strenght or vertue of it from the conuersacion of man Nowe also be amonge christians newe stoykes in whose opinioÌ„ not only to mourne wepe but also to be soroweful or careful is synne And thys doctrine for the moste parte commeth furth from ydle men who occupiynge them selues more in the speculation or beholdyng of such thynges then in doynge of them can bringe furth to vs nothynge but suche preceptes But we haue nothing to do wyth these yron lyke Philosophers whom Christe oure Lord and maister not only with his worde but also wyth his example condemned For he lameÌ„ted and wepte both for his owne hurtes and the hurtes of other and taught his Disciples no other wise The worlde sayeth he shal reioyse but you shal mourne wepe And lest any man should find fault therw t a coÌ„mauÌ„demte being put furth he pronouÌ„ced theÌ„ blessed whiche mourne And no meruel for if al teares were reproued what shoulde we thynke of the Lorde him selfe out of whose bodye teares lyke bloude tricled downe If euery feare be iudged infidelitie in what place shoulde we recken that feare whereby we rede that he hym selfe was not a littel a fearde if all heuines myslyke vs howe shall it lyke vs that he confessed his soule to be heauie euen vnto death I haue spoken these wordes for thys cause to call backe godly mindes from desperacioÌ„ I mean lest straight waye they shoulde geue ouer the hertye desyre or loue vnto pacience because they can not put of the naturall affection or felynge of sorowe Whiche desperacion or distrust must nedes come vnto those which make of pacience an amasednes and of a stroÌ„g and stedfast man a blocke The scripture geueth prayse to the seintes or godly men for their sufferauÌ„ce and pacience while they are so afflicted wyth that hardnes of euils that yet they dispeire not neither geue ouer and whyle they are so abashed in the betternes of their payne that yet therwithall they are indued wyth spiritual ioye while they are so oppressed wyth aâ—guishe that yet beinge chered by the consolation of God they take herte of grace vnto them thys repugnaÌ„cie being neuertheles in the meane time in their hertes that on the on side the feling of their nature feleth and abhorreth those thynges whiche it feleth contrary vnto it but on theother syde the godly affection or desire laboureth and stryueth eueÌ„ through these difficulties to obey Goddes wyl Thys repugnauÌ„cy our Lord expressed when he saied thus to Peter Iohn xxi wheÌ„ thou waste yonge thou dyddest gyrde thy selfe and walkedest whether thou listed but when thou arte olde an other shal guide the leade the thither as thou wouldest not Surely it is not lykely that Peter sith it was necessarie that he shoulde glorifie or honour god by his death was drawen thereunto spite of his teeth or he resistynge agaynst it For thaÌ„ his martirdom should haue had smal prayse But although wyth al reioysynge of herte he dyd obey vnto the ordinaunce of God yet because he had not put of humanitie or the very nature and propertie of a man he was bouÌ„de with a double wil. For whyle by it selfe alone he regarded coÌ„sidered the cruell death whereof he shoulde dye then being smytten wyth the feare therof he woulde gladly haue escaped But againe when he remeÌ„bred that he was called therunto by the wyll of God nowe the feare ouercome and troden vndre fote he wente vnto it gladly yea ioyfully to Therfore thys thynge we must endeuour if we wyl be disciples of Christe that our myndes maye be taughte so to waite vpon God and to obey hym that we tame make subiect all contrary affections vnto his ordinaunce So shal it come to passe that wyth what soeuer kynde of crosse we be vexed yea in the greatest anguishes of our herte we shall styll keepe patience stedfastly For the aduersities shall haue their sharpnesse or pinchynges whereby we shal be greued so being aflicted with diseases we shal mourne and be vnquieted yea and desire health to so beinge punished wyth pouertie we shal be wronge wyth the griefe boeth of carefulnes sadnes so shall we be stryken wyth the sorowe of open shame vile estimation and wronges and so in burialles of our friendes we shal paye the teares that nature oweth But yet thys sentence shal alwayes be at hande ☞ Wel our Lorde would haue it thus therefore let vs obey his wyl Yea whyle we shal be presently stonge wyth sorowes eueÌ„ amongest oure gronynges and weepynges needes muste that same thoughte beate a stroke wyth vs whiche wyl incline our herte gladly to beare and suffre those thynges which are the very cause why the hert is so greued But because we haue grouÌ„ded the chiefe cause of patient bearynge of the crosse vpon our consideryng of the wyl of God it is to be shewed in fewe wordes what diuersitie there is betwene the pacience of Philosophers and of christians Fewe of the philosophers atteyned to the knowledge to vnderstande that by aflictioÌ„s we are excercised of Gods hande to thinke that it is our dutie to obey God in this behalfe No they bring no other reason but thys because it is of necessitie or needes must be so But what is that to saye but thou must geue place to god because thou labourest in vaine to resist hym for truly if we obey God alonly because we muste do so thaÌ„ if we could otherwise do we woulde no loÌ„gar obey him But the scripture biddeth vs to coÌ„sidre a far other thinge in the wyl of god that is to saye firste his iustice equitie then the diligeÌ„t care of our saluation ☞ Therfore suche as these be are the exhortatioÌ„s of a christian vnto pacieÌ„ce whither pouertie banishmeÌ„t imprisonment rebuke sicknes or losse of friendes or what soeuer like thing trouble vs we must thinke that none of these thinges happeÌ„ without the becke prouidence of our Lorde that God doth nothing but by moste iuste ordre For alas do not our innumerable and daylie offences deserue that we shoulde be punished more greuouslye and wyth sharper scourges then these be wyth whyche of hys mercye we nowe are plaged is it not good reason that oure fleshe and
when they haue once get them hither they haue experience fele the presence of gods powre in the which ther is helpe inough inough agayne And thys is it that Paule teacheth where he sayth tribulatioÌ„s to be get pacience pacience to be get triall for where goddes promise is that he wyl healpe the faythful in trobles that do they proue or fele to be true when beinge strengthened by hys hande they patientely endure the thynge whiche by ther owne powre they were by no meanes able Pacieence therefore bryngeth experience to godly and holy men that oure Lorde doeth in dede when nede is geue the healpe whyche he promised them We se nowe howe manye goodnesses attonce come of the crosse For turninge awaye that opinion of oure owne strength whyche wrongfully we take vpon vs to haue and disclosinge oure Ipocrisie whyche maketh vs to delyghte therein it shaketh of the parelous confidence of the fleshe or naturall man and teacheth vs after we are so once brought downe to truste only in one God wherby it commeth to passe that we nether be ouercome nor yet geue ouer but after the victory there foloweth also hope for so muche as oure Lorde in fulfyllyng that he hath promised doth ratefye stablishe and confirme his trueth touchinge thynges for to come Surely thoughe there were no more causes then these it appereth howe necessarye it is for vs to be exercised wyth the crosse And it is not a thynge of small importaunce the blinde loue of thy selfe to be wyped awaye that thou mayste be made wel to know thin owne wekenes and by feling of thyn own wekenes that thou maist learne to distrust thi selfe that thou maist repose thi assured trust in god and to repose and laye vp thy sure truste in God that hauinge his healpe thou mayst perseuer vnto th ende vnuanquished to perseuer in his grace that thou mayst know him to be true in hys promisses and to knowe assuredly by experience the certentye of hys promises that thy hope thereby maye be strenthened Our Lord hath also another purpose whie he afflicteth and scouregth his to wete that he maye proue there pacience and may teache them obedience Not that they can yelde to him any other obedience then that whych he hym selfe hath geuen them but so it pleaseth him by euident documentes or exaÌ„ples to make the graces and gyftes whych he hath geuen to hys lyuinge seintes or holy men to be boeth knowen and honorable leste they should lurke ydelly within theÌ„ Therefore when he bringeth openly furth the vertu strength of pacience wherewyth he hath instructed hys seruauntes he is sayde to trye their pacience wherupon come these sayinges God proued Abraham Gen. xxiiii and had sure knowledge of hys godlines in that he had not sticked to slay his own only sonne in sacrifice And Peter teacheth that our fayth is tried by tribulatioÌ„s i. Pet. ii no otherwyse then golde is tryed by fyre in a furnes Who therefore can saye that it is not meete that the moste excellent gyfte of patience whiche the faythfull receyue of God be brought forth to the enteÌ„t it may be made certeyne and euident For els men shal neuer esteme it as it is worth Therefore if oure Lorde leste the vertues which he hath bestowed on his faythfull shoulde be hidde in the darke or rather shoulde lye a syde vnprofitably and be loste for lacke of occupiynge doeth rightuously and well when he ministreth matter wherewyth to stir theÌ„ vp then the aflictions of holy men ryse on a good cause yea for wythout it they shoulde haue no patience I say also that by the crosse they be taught obedience because so thei be taught to lyue not after their owne desires but accordynge to goddes pleasure Truly if all thynges shoulde folowe after their owne myndes they should not knowe what it were to folow god And thys Seneca sayth was the olde prouerbe when men exhorted any maÌ„ patiently to beare aduersitie folowe god Wherby truly they dyd signifie that then onely a maÌ„ came vndre gods yoke when he dyd offre his hande or backe to his correction Nowe then if it be good reason that we shewe our selues in al thynges obedient to our heaueÌ„ly father we maye not surely refuse that by al maner of meanes he bring vs in vre to geue due obedience vnto hym Neither do we for all thys perceiue how necessary vnto vs this obedieÌ„ce is except we also coÌ„sidre of how great streÌ„gth force to caste of the yoke of god the waÌ„tonnes of our fleshe or of the natural maÌ„ is after that once it is a litle softly geÌ„tly handled For it fareth altogether wyth it as with horsses but halfe brokeÌ„ which if a fewe daies they stand vp pampered in the stable vnlaboured afterwardes for wyldnes and fersnes can not be tamed neyther knowe they their ryder whose gouernmeÌ„t pleasure before they dyd some what obeye And wythout fayle that thyng is coÌ„tinually in vs which our lord lameÌ„teth to be in the people of Israell Deu xxxii For beinge made fat pampered wyth delicates we wynche and lashe out wyth oure heeles at hym who hath fedde and nourished vs. In deede the liberalitie and kyndnesse of oure Lorde towardes vs oughte greatly to moue vs to consider and hertely to loue his goodnesse But seinge oure wyckednes is suche that by his continuall gentlenes we be the soner corrupted and euyll it is more then necessarie that oure nose be holdeÌ„ to the grynstone and we kepte in by some correction leste we breake out into suche waÌ„toÌ„nes So lest we waxe ferse and wylde by to muche aboundaunce of rychesse leste set vp in honours we waxe proude or leste puft vp wyth other gyftes eyther of the soule or of the bodye or of fortune we waxe insolente and forgette oure selues oure Lorde as he forseeth to be expedient meeteth vs on the waye and healpeth vs and wyth the remedye of the crosse subdueth and bridleth the wyldnesse of oure fleshe or naturall man and that sundrie wayes euen so muche as is needfull for euerie one of vs. For neyther haue we all one disease or be in lykewyse payned in oure syckenes neyther are we of lyke difficultie to be healed Where vpon we may se that some haue one kynde of crosse and some an other layed vpon them But for so muche as the heauenlye phisitioÌ„ desireth the health and saluation of vs al he handleth some veri geÌ„tly purgeth other some wyth verie sharpe remedyes and so letteth none escape scotfree or vntouched because that he knoweth that al yea euery one of vs is sycke Adde hereunto that oure most mercifull father hath neâ—e not onelie to preuente oure infirmitie but also to correcte often tymes oure synnes paste that he maye make vs to couche quayle maye keepe vs in lawfull obedience towardes hym Therefore as often as we be aflicted by by oughte to come to our mynd the
naturall man be tamed and vsed as it were wyth a yoke lest stubbournli as the very propertie of it is it waxe as wylde as ◠bucke of Sherewod is not the iustice and truth of God worthy that we shoulde labour and take payne to know it nowe if the vndoubted equitie and ryghtuousnesse of God appeareth in oure aflictions we can not without iniquitie either murmure or resist against them We allowe not nowe this colde songe or faynte excuse saiynge we wyl geue place because we cā not chuse but rather this lyuely teachynge full of efficacie thynkyng thus we wyl obey because it is wickednes to resist or murmure we wyl patiently suffre it because impatience is a stubbournes against Gods iustice Nowe because that thing at the lest way pleaseth vs wel whiche we thinke is for our owne helth and aduauntage or goodnes in this behalfe also oure good father cōforteth vs while he affirmeth that in that he aflicteth vs with a crosse he worcketh oure health saluatiō ☞ Thē if this be once of a suretie that tribulations healpe vs to saluation wherfore shoulde we not receiue them wyth a thankful and ioyful mynde wherefore in the patient sufferynge of them we are not ouercharged or greuouslie burdened with necessitie but we leane cōdescend or agree vnto thē yea recreate our selues with the goodnes y◠cometh to vs by them These thoughtes I saye cause that somuch as our myndes are dismayed in the crosse by the natural feelinge of the griefe so much agayne are they chered with spirituall gladnes whereupon also followeth geuyng of thankes which cā neuer be wythout ioye in the thynge that the same thankes are geuen for Wherefore if the praysing of our Lord and geuynge of thankes vnto hym can not flowe but from a glad and mery hert and againe there oughte nothynge to interrupt or hyndre that prayse and thankes in vs hereupon it appeareth how necessary it is that the griefe of the crosse be tempered wyth spiritual gladnes But with what soeuer kind of tribulation we be oppressed alwayes we muste loke to thys ende that we cōtinually vse our selues to sette litle store by thys present lyfe by that meanes be stirred to the cōtēplacion of the lyfe to come And because oure Lorde knoweth very wel howe greatly we are by nature bente vnto the blinde and beastly loue of this world he geueth vs very good cause to plucke ourselues backe therfrom and to shake of our slugishnes leste we shoulde sticke to faste in the same loue There is none of vs whiche wyl not seme greatly to desire endeuoure all this short course of his lyfe to atteyne to heauenly immortalitie For we are ashamed to passe in nothynge brute beastes whose condition or state shoulde be nothynge worse then ours if we had not assured hope of euerlastyng lyfe after the natural death here But if y◠examin the coūsailes purposes mindes and deedes of euery man thou shalt fynde no other thyng there but earth And there vpon commeth suche lacke of felynge that oure mynde beinge ouercome dased by the vayne glitteringe of riches powre and honours as dimmed so that it seeth no furder of yea and oure herte being set on couetousenes desire of honour and vnlaufull lustes is so pressed downe that it ryseth no higher finally the hole soule beynge caughte in a snare wyth the flatterynge intisementes of the fleshe or naturall man seketh in earth hir hole felicitie Oure Lorde to healpe thys mischeife wythall by dayly documentes or lessons of miserie teacheth vnto his the vanitie of thys life Therfore lest thei shuld promesse to them selues greate and sure peace in it and so rekē with out their hoste he suffereth them often tymes to be vnquited and troubled eyther with war or vprores or robryes or other iniuries yea lest with to much gredynes they shoulde gape on vnstable and transitorye riches or else whē they haue them shoulde put their trust in them he driueth thē sometime by banishement sometime by barrēnes of th earth somtime by burning of their houses and sometyme by other meanes into pouertye or at leste waye keepeth them backe in a meane state leste they shoulde be ouer muche delighted in the commodites of mariage either with the biternes or vnthriftines of their husbondes or the shrewdnes or naughtines of ther wyues he causeth them to be vexed or by euel chyldrē bringeth them lowe and abateth their pride or by takinge their chyldren from them afflicteth thē Nowe if in al these thynges he somewhat cocker or spare them for all that leaste eyther throughe folyshe reioysinge they shoulde waxe proude or throughe truste in those thinges shoulde excedingely reioyse he setteth before their eyes at the leaste way be other mens deseases and daungers howe vnstedfaste and slypper are all those goodes as men cal them which are transitorye or subiect to mortalitie Therfore then only haue we well profited in the doctrine of the crosse when we learne that thys lyfe when we esteme it in it selfe only is vnquiet troublesom innumerable wayes miserable and no waye thorowly blessed or happie and that all the thinges whyche be called the goodes of it are vncerteyne transitorye vayne yea and defiled with many myngled myscheffes what thereupon we do there wyth decre nothynge here to be soughte for or hoped but conflicte or batayl and therefore that our eyes ought to be lyfte vp vnto heauē where we loke to haue a crowne ☞ For thys we must reken the minde neuer to be ernestely lyfte vp vnto the desier and contemplacion of the lyfe to come except it be fyrst taught to dispise or set light by thys presēt lyfe For betwen the these two ther is no midle poynte but eyther the earth must be estemed of vs as vile or else it wyll keape vs bounde vnto it wyth an inordinate loue Therefore if we haue any desier of euerlastinge lyfe we must diligentely loke vnto thys that we maye vnshakell oure selues out of these noughty giftes Furthermore because thys presente lyfe hath many pleasant toyes wherby entiseth vs many outwarde apparaunces of pleasures and of gyftes and of thynges swete in taste whereby it flattereth or inticeth vs strokynge oure heades and calling vs goldpolles it standeth vs muche vpon euer nowe and then to cal our selues backe lest we be bewitched with suche pleasaunt disceitfulnes or disceitful pleasure ☞ For howe woulde the worlde go wyth vs I praye ye yea howe would we dote vpon it if we shoulde haue here continual aboundaunce of goodes and felicitie when with continuall prickes and scabbes of euyls we can not inough be moued to considre the miserie of thys lyfe Mans lyfe to be lyke a smoke or shadowe is not onely knowen to learned men but also the cōmō people vse no prouerbe more in their mouthes And because they sawe it was a thing very profitable to be knowen thei haue commended it or set it forth wyth many goodly sentences
garnishynge of them we boeth ouermuche stande in oure owne conceites also disdayne other if also by the gorgiousnes and trickenes therof we prepare oure selues to filthines of liuing where is our considering of God if our myndes be set in the galātnes beutifulnes of them The selfe same thing is also to be considered in other thynges Wherefore it is playne that here nowe the libertie of abusyng thynges is some what restrayned But there is no surer nor better way then that whiche we get by the settynge litle by this present life and often cōsidering of heauenly immortalitie For there vpon folowe two rules that they whyche vse thys worlde be so mynded as thoughe they vsed it not ii Cor. vii they that haue wyues as though they had none they that bie as though they bought not as Paule teacheth Agayne that they learne to beare as quietly and patiently pouertie as temperatly prosperitie He that prescribeth vnto the that thou shouldest vse thys worlde as though thou dyddest not vse it not only cutteth of glotony the intemperatnes and excessiuenes in tables buildinges raymet ouer much delicates desire of honour fame prid hautenes of minde frowardnes but also all loue and affections whiche shoulde other leade away or let the from thynkynge on the heauenly lyfe frō the desire of garnishing of thy soule It was truly spoken of Cato longe ago that to be much careful for clothes is to be muche careles for vertue And it is an olde prouerbe that who so euer is much occupyed in caring for the body for the moste parte careth lytle or nothynge for the soule Therefore admit that the libertie of the fayethfull in outwarde thynges oughte not to be driuen vnto a sure and stedfaste rule yet it is subiecte vnto thys lawe that they shoulde make litle of thē selues and with continuall desire of mynde applye them selues to cut of all preparaciō of superfluous store of apparel and muche more to a voyd to muche aboūdaunce of it And let thē diligently take hede lest of aydes or healpes or futheraunces they make vnto them selues hurtes and hynderaunces Another rule shal be that they whose substaunce is scāt and poore learne paciētly to wāt lest they be troubled with immoderate desire of hauing Which rule who so kepeth hath not alitle proffited in the scole of our lord as on the other side he cā scarsly haue wherby to proue hym selfe christes disciple who hath not in this part at the lest way somwhat profited For besides that that many other vices accompenye the desire of earthye thynges he that vnpatientlye beareth penury vttereth for the moste parte in prosperitie the contrarie dissease I meane this he that is ashamed of a pore garmente wyll brag of a costlie and he that is not cōtent with meane fare shal be vnquieted thorough desire of better or deintier and wyl also without measure abuse those delicates if they happē vnto hym and he that hardly and wyth an vnquiet mynde beareth a priuate lowe state if he shal ryse vnto honour he wil not absteyne from pryde disdaynefulnes Therfore let al mē which haue not a feyned desire of godlines and of true honourynge of God labour to atteine vnto this poynte that they maye learne by the Apostles example to be full and to be hungrye to haue prosperitie and to suffer penury Furthermore the scripture hath yet the thirde rule whereby it measureth the vse of earthy thinges wherof somwhat is spoken whē we dyd entreate of the preceptes of charitie For the scripture hath iudged that al those earthy thinges are geuen to vs of the liberalitie of God and ordeyned for oure profite and that they are as thynges lefte wyth vs of truste wherof hereafter we must make a reckenynge So therefore we muste bestowe them that thys saiynge maye alwaye sounde in our eares come make accompte of thy baylywyke Therewythal remembre who wyl require such accompte of the. Euen he who as he hath verie highly praysed abstinence temperaunce liberalitie and gentlenes so he abhorreth excesse of meates and sensualitie pryde bragging and vanitie who alloweth no other bestowing of goodes but that only whiche is ioyned wyth charitie who also hath already condempned with his owne mouth al suche ryches as draw a mans herte from purenes and cleanes or dulleth the mynde wyth darckenes Finally thys is also a notable thynge that oure Lorde commaundeth euery one of vs in all our deedes to loke well to our owne vocation For he knoweth wyth howe great vnquietnes mannes witte boyleth vp wyth howe maskyng lyghtnes it is caryed hither and thither yea and howe gredy his ambitions desire is to embrace and get many thinges at once Therfore leste through oure folishnes and gredy rashnes all thynges should be ministerd wythout ordre he hath appoynted vnto all men thetr offices by distinct and seuerall kyndes of lyfe And lest any man shoulde rashly go past his limittes he hath named such kyndes of lyuynge our vocations Therfore mannes kinde of lyuynge is as a standynge geuen vnto hym of our Lorde lest at all aduentures he shoulde be dryuen aboute durynge all the course of his lyfe And thys distinction or seperatiō or marke is so necessarie that all oure actions and doinges are estemed before our Lorde by it Yea and that farre otherwyse often tymes then the iudgemente of mans reason and philosophers opinions do weigh the thinge There is nothynge counted a more noble deede after the myndes of philosophers then to delyuer thy natyue countrey of a tyraunt But for all that by the voice of oure Lorde the priuate parson is openly condempned whiche violently layeth hande on a tyraunt But I wyll not tarie vpon rehersing of examples It is ynough if we shal knowe that the vocation of our Lorde or whereunto oure Lorde hath called vs is the beginnyng and foundation of doing wel in euery matter to the whiche he that referreth not hym selfe shall neuer holde the right waye in offices He maye perchaunce sometyme do somthynge worthie of prayse in the outwarde shewe but the same howe so euer it appeare in the syght of men shall before the throne and maiestie of God be reiected and also ther shall be no cōuenient agrement in the partes of the lyfe or conuersation Therefore then shall thy lyfe be well led when it shal be directed vnto thys marke And hereupon shall growe an excellent consolation I meane that there shall be none so foule and vile a worcke if thou followe thy vocation in the same which before God shal not shine bryght and be counted very pretious in his syghte To whom be euerlastyng prayse Amen ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye Wyllyam Seres dwelling in Sepulchres parishe at the signe of the Resurrection and are to be solde at the litle conduit in Chepeside Cum gratia priuilegio ad imprimendum solum