therewith haue made seruice offerings to the Lord Multiplicati sunt super capilos capitis mei et cor meuÌ„ dereliquit me I am falne into that age sayth Dauid that I haue no more sight remaining Mine enemies haue enuironed me my frends are dead my sinnes haue made me fall my good daies are now drawne to end so that my grieffes sorrows perplexities are mo in nomber then my hears but my greatest heauinesse of all is that my hart hath forsaken me wholoaseth his eyes the other particuler parts of his body together with all his goods can not but loase right dear great things but he that loaseth his hart loaseth assuredly all that can remaine or aperteine to a man For that within the wombe of our mothers the hart is the first that engendereth taketh lyfe and the last that dissolueth and vanisheth to death So that lyke as so longe as our hartes leaue vs not we may both loue feare and serue God so also if the hart loase his vigor and géeue vs ouer assuredly we haue neyther power nor facultie to Fast Praye or perseuer in Breath And therefore according to Saynt Hierom it is a great gyfte of GOD to be endued wyth a Constant and Valiant mynde as on the other syde to haue fayntnesse of hart and Pusillanimytye canne not but beare Testimonye and Prooffe of great Punnishement Audi popule Audi qui non habes cor sayth GOD by his Prophete Jeremie heare my voyce Oh generation of Jsraell and hearken to my wordes Oh People of the Hebrues I call thée Foole because thou art wythout harte yea I saye thou hast no harte because thou art a foole wher the Prophet in this phrase charged the people to haue no hart he imposed vpon them infidelitie as though they had neither fayth nor belefe in Iesus Christ the true god because the lyke as when the hart dyeth the life dissolueth euen so by Christ aspiring vpon the Crosse the sinagog tooke ende So that the Prophete was not without great reason to call the Hebrues Fooles men without hart séeing the testimony of so many miracles suffised them not much lesse were they satisfied with the nomber of benefites blessings with infinit Sermons perfourmed by our sauiour Iesus Christ all tending to make them Christians and yet wrought small impression in them by reason of their slender knowledge and great follie Euen so according to morrall phrase when we say any man hath want of hart it is asmuch as if we should charge him not to haue Iesus christ in his spirit for that as vndertaking to doe any good worke Iesus Christ is he that geues vs hart puts vs in reason euen so by good conclusion that man we may saye is depriued of reason and vnfurnished of hart which loues not Christ thinkes not on Christ serues him not feareth him not and hopes not in him So that in the Lawe of GOD to call a man without hart is no other thing then to saye he hath a body without a soule Omni custodia custodi cor tuum sayth the Wise man euery one ought to kéepe and double garde his hart to the ende it be not defiled by the fleshe oppressed of the worlde deceaued by the Deuill and that it be not altogether exercised by his fréende nor outraged by his enemie For that euen so much and no more haue wée in Iesus Christ then we geue vnto him Possession and place in our harte Wherein according to the measure of our confidence in GOD shall we finde recompence and retribution in him Yea if we geue our selues altogether to him he wyll assuredly be wholy ours So that all those thinges which the Lord geues vnto vs being holy harty or vnfained it belonges to vs the better to Prepare our offeringes to God euen from our hartes fixed in our harte vnfaynedly to touche our hart to kéepe our hartes alwayes replenished wyth Holy desires and enuironed with good thoughts For which occasion it suffised not the wiseman to bid vs simplie kepe our hartes but he enioyned vs to a double and diligent garde the better to aduertise vs that as the Eyes may be preserued by their Eyeliddes the mouth defended by the lippes the féete and handes kept from harme by Armour Gauntlets and a mans treasure holden from the Théefe vnder Locke and Key So there can nothing in this world suffise to forbid an ambicious minde to thinke and desire And so falling eftsoones vppon our first matter I saye that much doth that man offer to God that offereth his hart as also what hath he more to lose that loseth his hart the same appearing in the conuersion of this good théefe who euen as he hanged vppon the crosse because he offered to God onely his hart founde this recompence to be caryed into the eternall Tabernacle of God and communicate in his glorie Let then the example of this théefe stande before vs all that notwithstanding we haue not handes Féete Eyes Siluer Golde precious Iewels or clothes to offer to God yet let vs not be troubled or gréeued For who hath not these thinges in his power let him not doubt to be acceptable to the Lord if he present his hart replenished with holy desires The Sister of Moyses was diseased Moyses himselfe Stutted Tobyas was Blinde Mimpheboseph was Lame Zacharias the Priest was Dumbe yet these imperfections hindred not these men to be holy vertuous yea God called some of them to the function ministerie of his will If we haue our hartes whole holy sound the Lord obserues little the state of our other members no he makes no care whether they be perfect or putrified for this théefe in his senteÌ„ce of condemnation death had his limmes brused broken his mouth his eyes whole body crucified but his hart only reteining integritie he offred it to his sauiour and by his â—…yth constancie purchased the benefit of saluation And albeit in so small a respit of time in so quicke sharpe torments in so greuous apprehension of the dollors and terrors of death suffered by this théefe on the Crosse he coulde perfourme no great penaunce expresse no varietie or copie of spéeche or vtter apparant remorse by sighes sorrowe or publike contrition yet for that to his passions he ioyned greatnesse and constancie of harte wyth fayth and deuotion to GOD The Lorde dyd accept not onely that which he dyd then but also what he would haue done if he had not ben preuented by death How wickedly the euill THEEFE spake hanging on the Crosse THe Wicked Théefe speaking to Iesus Christ sayd if thou be that same Christ that is the sonne of God deliuer thy selfe from death and vs from this Passion of torments Oh cursed impudencie to pronounce such Horrible blasphemie against the maiestie of our Sauiour For albeit the Sonne of God was committed to the Crosse and
man who dwelles alwayes insatiable in the desire of gaine would not make the first demaund hauing regard to the wordes of the Angell promising double to the second The enuious man on the otherside whose condicion is to desire that no good happen to an other vsed scilence determining rather to loase the benefite of the first demaund then that his companion should enioye the double of his gaine Oh infinite malice and corruption of men in whom euen the certaintie of benefit bréedes emulation the one not contented to haue more then he looked for and the other not satisfied though he had all the one afrayd to demaund least his friend should find fauour and the other disdayning that the benefit should be deuided The one gréedie to get the profit of both the other for spite brought mischiefe to both The one wretched in scilence the other miserable in enuie The one diuelish in couetousnesse the other accursed in hatred The one insatiable in desire and the other infinite in malice They both had appetite to drinke and yet both languished in thirst They both saw likelihode to get and yet both suffred losse not for that they néeded but because their corruption so required For being in this conflict who should aske first and that of necessitie a demaund must be made the enuious man thinking by the sufferance of a simple harme in himselfe to bring double hurt to his fellowe desired of the Angell that one of his eyes might bée put out wherewith at the instant hée lost one eye and his companion was made blind of both So that where the one refused to bée satisfied with that which sufficed the other was raysed as a scourge of his insatiable desires and the one as wretched in spite as his companion in couetousnesse the one became the iust instrument of reuenge to another A iustice of due force against such as striue in the quarell of enuie and couetousnes both which being contagious infections in the nature of man the one poysoneth his soule and the other consumes and dries vp his body of all other vices in the world enuie is the most auncient of most custome and of greatest continuance yea euen to the end of the world It tooke beginning in the serpent It was familiar with Came. It hath continued from Adam to all the posterities of Iacob and Esau Saule and Dauid and Job and his progenie with many other whose mutuall persecutions moued not so much by their great kingdomes riches and principalities as for the enuie they bare one to an other enuie being of a nature to conspire against the vertues Fortune and glory of others So that greater is the grudge that deriues from enuie then the dispite discending of iniuries For it hapneth oftentimes that the man that is wronged doth either dissemble or forget But who is setled in enuie leaues nothing vndone that may aduance the reuenge enuie being none other thing then a disdaine contempt of an other mans glory as was wel expressed by the factions quarelles betwene Caesar and Pompei who fought not so often for any priuate iniurie offred by either of them as for the mutuall dispite they bare to their common fortune glory Enuie alwaies bearing more malice to the vertues glory of men then to their fortunes or goods It is a canker that spreds into al cōplexions a bloud sturring in al sorts of men For if he be a good man his vertues make him subiect to enuie if he be wicked his vices make him enuious so that of what temper so euer our condicion is we are either disfauored by enuie or els we persecute others for enuie And therfore the best remedie against enuie is to forbeare to bée vertuous or at least to estrange our selues from prosperitie that no man contemne vs liue cōtented with aduersitie not disdaining the happines of others we néed haue no encōbrāce with the proud mā so long as we make our selues equal with him We néede not be infected by the lechour if wée hold no conuersation with him We néede not feare the quareller if wée expostulate no wordes with him nor bée in daunger of the couetous man so long as wée aske nothing of him But it is hard to auoyd the eyes of the enuious man for that if we climb into fauour he wil espie vs if we fall infortune hée wil make vs cōtemne murmure Yea there is no Sea which he sayles not ouer no kingdome which he inuades not no power to resist him nor man hable to auoyd him It beares no regard to the mightiest Prince nor pitie to the meanest subiect It fauoureth no man for his force nor flattereth any for his beautie It spited the wisedome of Salomon and riches of Cressus It dispised the liberalitie of Alexander and prowes of Hector It controlled the eloquence of Cicero and enuied the fortune of Augustus and bare malice to the iustice of Traian All which graue and noble personages were not so replenished with graces and dignities as pursued with nombers of enuious eyes Yea enuie doth not only persecute men that liue but it denieth renoume to such as are dead Enuie to vertue ielousie to fauour and aduersitie to prosperitie are so ioyned together by nature that the one followeth the other as the shadowe doth the man And as nature and conscience carie vs to owe compassion to such as bée poore and miserable so ambicion and corruption leade vs in enuie against those that stand in fortune and fauour This being one proofe of the malice of the worlde that to such as are downe none wil lend their hand to helpe them vp againe and to those that stand in grace many are the espials to bring them out of fauour Therfore let such as are rich mightie be assured that by how much great they are in place dignitie by so much more are they subiect to suspitiōs enuie Ther be certain Brotherhods of enuie whose principall office is to burie men quicke vncouer bodyes that are dead to those brotherhoodes belong these lyberties and prerogatiues They say no ill of the poore but speake at large of the riche They minister no succours themselues and restreine others from Charitie They haue mindes voyde of all compassion but readie hands to receiue all that comes They neuer speake wythout murmure nor vse scilence wythout pretence of malice They are suspicious of their enemies and Traytors to their friendes They séeke not to salue what is a misse but are diligent supplantors of men of vertue Lastly all that they say is spoken in malice and murmure but they doe nothing according to trueth and good meaning That more safe were it to holde conuersation wyth a Tyrant then wyth a man possest wyth enuie for that the one takes a way but the lyfe and the other persecutes the renoume and glorie The tyrant hath couller of iustice to all that he doth
charge of buzines in nothing must he faile that may furnish the countenance reputation of his riches lest his honor be blemished so that by the miserable qualety of this worlde men do rather accomplishe with opinion then with reason With this toyle is also accōpanied for the most part this further trouble to richmen that whē their fortune or folly hath raised them to an estate of habilitie power they had rather die then abate their pomp albeit they be sunck in substāce yet must they kepe vp saile as the saying is wash their face with faire water drie it ouer with a dishclout so that how much so euer a worldly man hath of worldly wealth in in this world yet hath he not so much but that he hath want of somthing seing that if he haue to supply his lacks he wāteth to accomplishe the desires of his prodigall youth with whom néede is not satisfyed with hauing plentie of things for that hauing aboundance he liues still in desire to haue more And suche men as they traueyle more for that that is superfluous then for that that is necessary so if they would controule that which they haue and be discrete in that which they spende they should finde that the trauell they endure is not to satiffie the necessities they féele but to accomplishe the vanities wherein they liue Riche men the more they beginne to finde out the secret and suttletie of traffyke the more doe they fall into the bottomlesse troubles thereof as to buye to sel to exchaunge to retayle on creditte yea to beguile rob deceiue and which worse is when they protest most to geue it ouer it is then they are most drowned in it So that the more they haue the more they séeke to get the more they buye the more bargaynes they make yea the more they desire the more doe they rob and yet such is their wretchednes that that which they haue seemes but little to them the little that others haue they estéeme a great deale yea being neuer satisfied they holde that they haue but little in comparison of that they desire to haue Lastly temporall riches bring with them this error that as afore we get them we haue an insaciable appetite to them so being possest of them we grow to loath them as in all other things fulnesse altereth the tast So that in getting them we passe thorow infinite passions and difficulties and hauing them we receiue with them perplexities and cares reaping of our sweat and labours a croppe of care sorrowe and anguishe By all these we may proue it a faulse testimonie of him that calleth riches goodes séeing they haue no propertie nor nature of God but worke the effect of much euill For if there be any euill in the worlde at this daye riche men doe bréede it and the poore sort endure it And therefore ryches can not bee called good for that greater is the nomber without comparison of such as being good become euell by riches then of such as being wicked are by riches holpen to be good For riches are rather the ministers of vices then of vertues and ready instrumentes to doe hurt euen agaynst those that get them with payne and trauell and kéepe them with care and cost If they be in the kéeping and power of an olde man his age will not suffer him long to enioy them and if they be the portion of one that is young they will neuer giue him rest til he haue spent them So that I may wel mainteine that they be not goods but euils not simple euils but most great and hurtful euils seing they put our bodies in daunger trouble our spirites bring gréefes to our harts oftentimes takes awaie our liues put our soules in hazard That if riches were good as the worlde sayth and not euill as all men sée there would not be areared so cruell warres betwéene Princes so many reuolts and troubles amongst estats and countries so many quarrels amongest neighbours nor so many sutes and processes betwéene bretherne amongst all which is seldome séene one man to contend with another for the correction amendmēt of his life but rather for the vsurpation of their goods possessions wher in I sée no reason to call that good which is the occasion of so many euils since that no other thinges are the riches of the world but a desire of vaine men a stumbling blocke for the wicked a limebushe for the good and a perpetuall perplexite for all sortes Let this suffize to warne chiefely such as are entred into religiō afore whose eies ought alwais to stand as a burning lamp that heauenly change which they made with the worlde that same day that they left the world entred religion wherin they exchanged pride for humilitie ire for patience crueltie for charitie He that being in religion thinkes he hath left in the world much golde siluer possessions temporall goods knows not what he hath left nor what he hath taken For in leauing the worlde he hath left but misaduenture aduersitie and in entring religion he hath chozen a lyfe of suretie for that to the good vertuous religious man it is more hard to passe one day in the world then to suffer a whole yeare in a monasterie Therfore he that wil be poore patient abstinent continent may with suretie be a member in al monasteries but if he delight in epicuritie dissolutnes impatiencie let him know that a religion well gouerned is to hungry for a glutton to seuere for him that is dissolute verie iudiciall against all transgressors For ende let all men take hede how they folow the world since it leads them out of the way let no man serue the world for that it is vnthankefull who trusts the world shal find it a traytor and who delights in the worlde shall be deceiued for that it hath allurements to intice men charmes to cast them into a sléepe which neuer takes ende till they die Such as know not the world desire it and receiue therein their distruction euen as in swéete drinke brewed suttelly which poyson men sucke vp the fatall syrup of their death and destenie But the religious men enclosed within the circuite of their cloisters ought to close their eyes from the sight of vanities let their ears blud not to be rauished with the noise charme of riches Instructions still tending to men entred religion SO good hath God bene alwayes to those whom he loueth that from the beginning of the world he hath vsed to deuide seperate them from the world from the societie of worldly things as he did by Abraham when he drue him out of Chaldee called Jacob from Sciria chused Moyses out of the palaice of Pharao by which we are instructed that with God it is none other thing to lead a man into religion then to take frō him
to haue him steale from her to enriche his frende to communicate wyth his minion and be a straunger to his Wife and to minister to the wantes of his Concubine and be wythout pitie to his proper Children In the Lawe of Christianitie the same fayth the woman is bounde to kepe to her Husband he is al so bounde to obserue to her But if Wyues had the lyke authoritie to chastise as Husbandes take libertie to accuse sure they would neyther take to such sorrow the disorders of their Husbandes nor in them would be founde such facilitie to offende Besides from the season that Man and Woman be vnited by the holy promise and couenaunt of mariage they haue so small iurisdiction in perticuler ouer themselues that it is a kinde of theft if eyther the one or the other alien or deuide their bodies Consider therefore Sir the great occasions you giue to your Wyfe who hauing youth riches and beutie and courted with no simple importunities If she were otherwayes then she is she would perhaps bestow her hart vpon some one of those many that bestow vpon her their eyes occasion may doe much and there is no worse thing to tempt a Woman then the ill example of her husband For your parte if you thinke your Wyfe not worthie to receiue recompence of affection at least haue consideration of her merit and let not her loyaltie discouer your penurie nor her constancie complaine of your want of honor If you will not obserue to her the Law of a husband for the respectes of your soule your honor your goodes and your health at least remember that what pleasures or felicyties you finde in the companie of your Concubine are nothing in regarde of the disquiets you shall finde when you come home For how wise how secret how temperate or how holy so euer a Wyfe be yet she had rather die then not to giue reuenge to the iniuries of her Husbande or not to make him féele her Ielousie And therefore to men that are drowned in fancie wyth forreyne Women it is in vayne to repose in the Baude who will be corrupted or in the Concubine whose indifferencie makes her a blab Séeing in cases of Ielousie Wyues are so suttle and wyth all so liberall that the better to espie and trace out the Confederacies of their Husbandes they will not sticke to corrupt hte Quicke by money and Coniure the deade by Charmes And so God graunt you that you want and defende you from that you deserue A Treatise of the Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST ▪ together wyth an Exposition of the Fifth Article of the Créede that he discended into Hell and roase againe the thirde day ACcording to your request I haue sent you herewith the declaration of the fifth Article of the Créede in substance as I published it but not in sort as I pronounced it For that it is impossible that in the Penne should be represented the facilitie grace and edifying vertue of the Tongue according to the opinions of the best Philosophers and Orators both Gréeke and Latine wyth whom the Penne was accompted insufficient to satisfie or compare wyth the honor which they had gotten wyth the Tongue and specially to recorde or write Sermons wherein they helde that the matter should loase his Grace and the auther his reputation Notwithstanding according to your power to commaunde me you shall finde no want of desire to doe you seruice albeit vnder this condition that if you be not satisfyed the fault is more in your importunitie then in my charitie and so to the matter The fifth article of our faith expressing that Christ discended into hell roase eftsones the third day contayneth two partes whereof the first comprehendes our confession that he went into hell and in the second is contayned his resurrection Some deuines deuide it into two articles but wée draw it into one contayning notwithstanding two partes tending to one end We confesse that our redéemer being buried his holy bodie remayned in the graue thrée dayes being in déede dead during that season But his soule in the meane while was not ydle for that it discended into hell to do there a wonderfull action which he accomplished And so we confesse that on the third day his soule was reioyned to his bodie to geue it reall and essentiall life So that there can be no dout that he roase not againe hauing obteyned the victorie against death Wherein if we consider thinges in iudgement and equitie we shall find great matter in the humilitie of the sonne of God and in whom may be séene the singuler mercie of the father not sparing his sonne and his readie obedience to accomplish the eternall will of his father all inuiting vs to beare no small loue and thankfulnes to him In this article and in the former are declared the degrées by the which the sonne of God discended and embased himself euen to thinges incredible for a personage of that dignitie The first degrée was to make him man and to vouchsafe to be borne at a time certaine he which was borne eternally The second was that he yet humbled himself more to suffer sentence and publike condemnation as a malefactor In the third he tooke vppon him the torments of the crosse a death most cruell and more infamous then any other sort of passion By the fourth he was content to suffer death not as God albeit being God but as man in such sort as the very person of God suffred death In the fifth he suffred himselfe to be buried as others that were dead making himselfe like them in all thinges as if he had bene comprehended vnder the curse of Adam to retorne into dust whereof he was formed yea he that was frée from sinne and the curse And by the last steppe or degrée he discended into hel whether were discended such as stood destitute of their proper iustice to the end to open to them the gate of the kingdome of heauen By these degrées if we consider spiritually the discending of Iesus Christ we shall find it as long as is the distance of heauen from whence he came vntill the Center of the earth whether he discended And as there restes no other place any further to embase the sonne of God so would he not bée committed to more humilitie only there remayned one degrée which proceded of sinne and the fellowship of Sathan ▪ out of the which the person of Christ was exempted hée which came to redéeme sinners and iustifie men and vanquish the deuill All that he could suffer to be made a sacrifice for our sinnes the sonne of God was enclined embased vnto it sinne only except whereunto he could not be subiect for that there is too great enimitie betwene the iustice of the sauiour the malignity of sinne The greatest part of the degrees aboue mencioned concerning the discending and humilitie of the sonne of God are declared by the Apostle who speaking by
visit him but also to comfort and refreshe him wyth meate By this also we may inferre that if we forget not to serue God he will not forget to minister remedy to our distresses as knowing right well the little we haue and the lesse we canne doe And therefore let vs not giue ouer to Serue him and much lesse forbeare to folow him séeing he doth Capitulate wyth all men that if in his Seruice they doe that which they may he will recompence them with the effect of all their desires So that how lame weake or frayle so euer we be we ought not in the action of Gods seruice say We can not and therefore wee will not For that we haue a Lorde so good and easie to content that he takes vs not as we are but hath respect to that we desire to be Agréeable to these S. Barnard vseth this text Debilis est hostis qui non vincit nisi volentem as if he had sayde the Deuill of his nature is weake and the Lorde holdes him so restrayned and vnhable that he hath no power to vanquishe any but such as cannot resist him At the Gates of the hart of a Christian knocketh Iesus Christ and also knocketh the Diuell and offereth to enter so that in that case we cannot deny that it is not in our hande to receiue the one and rereiect the other And therefore neyther hath the Diuell any prerogatiue to enter one house vnlesse we admit him nor the spirite of God doth depart out of our harte if our selues make not the way for him O miserable man what shall become of thée when the Lorde calles thee to reckoning saying he hath entreated thée and thou hast not followed him He hath admonished thée thou hast not béeleeued him he hath called thée but thou hast not aunswered he hath spoken to thée but thou hast not knowne him Yea he hath touched thée but thou hast not felt him God speaking to Dauid as he was wont to communicate with his friendes and seruauntes sayth I holde not so great a care ouer my Elect when they eate when they sléepe or in their other actions as when they sigh and wéepe Yea if they will call vppon me in their tribulations and somwhat attende me I will draw them out of their troubles not onely comforted but also to their honour and Estimation Wherein wée haue reason to know that God loueth vs aboue all others séeing hee byndes himselfe to doe more for vs then all the worlde agayne For according to the propertie of the worlde our frindes helpe vs to spende the goodes we haue gotten where the Lorde aydes vs to beare the trauelles we suffer And therefore the seruaunt of God ought to consider that when Iesus Christ sayth Beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur He establisheth not a happinesse and felicitie onely in that men wéepe and mourne but referreth it to consolation that they exspect of their teares So that to the wise and good Christian it is not so much to beholde the Temptation which of the enmie he suffereth as to consider the recompence which of the Lord he expectes The simple husbandman when the season and the weather agrée is not affrayde to cast his séede into the dust of the earth recommending the encrease to the Lord and dare not true Christians commit their estate to the hands of God their Cretor in whom remains the euerlasting prouidence ouer all And séeing he is the trueth wherein men ought to beléeue and the lyfe in whom we ought to liue and lastly the way by the which we ought to walke he inuiteth vs thereby to belieue him and so to possesse our desires to liue in him to the end we may be made happy by the benefite of his promises and lastly to walke in his wayes to the end he may guide vs and if we stumble or fall he may lende vs his hande eftsoones to remount vs. Non sumus sufficientes cogitare aliquid ex nobis tanquam ex nobis sed sufficientia nostra ex deo est We haue no licence saith S. Paule to thinke or presume any thing of our selues and much lesse sufficient by our industry onely to doe any good work But this ought rather to be our beliefe that if we doe or know to doe any good we haue power therunto by the grace of God like as also if we erre in any thing it comes for that we hauing forgot God he forgets vs and tournes vs ouer to our proper errors And therefore that Christian that beginneth any thing in confidence of his proper force or power hath great reason to liue in suspition of himselfe and set good garde of his doings for though it be in the cunning of men to giue the battell it resteth onely in the wisedome of God to dispose the victory So that who determineth to serue God and vnfaynedly repose confidence in him hath no necessitie nor reason of feare of himselfe or to be hurt by any other For that so great a prouidence hath god ouer his seruants that though he suffer them to be tempted yet he consenteth not that they be vanquished if it be not of their proper will. The Diuell obteined licence of God to tempt Iob but it was giuen him vnder this condition that though he afflicted his body yet he should not touch his soule Whereby we may note that our Lorde shewed not so much the loue he beareth to his seruauntes in taking from them their perplexities and trauelles but rather in deuiding them farre from sinnes In like sort the Diuell gat leaue to deceiue the wretched Achab by the meane industry of false prophetes In which two examples we may sée what difference is vsed betwéene the frendes and enemies of God séeing to such as serue him he suffereth that they be tempted onely but to those that offende him he giueth leaue that they be beguyled Graunt therefore Oh good Iesu and loue of our soules that we may rather be tempted troubled persecuted and vexed with the happy man Iob then beguiled vanquished and abandoned as was the wretched king Achab. If it be familiar to the men of the worlde to passe from place to place at their pleasure vnder protection and safe conduit In greater assurance doe walke all such as loue and serue god For that he hath promised by his Prophete Micheas that who shall lay handes vppon any one of his Elect shall touch euen the Apple of his eye kéeping such a mercifull prouidence ouer them that if he suffer them to slyde into sinne he is ready forthwyth to minister his grace And therefore such deserue not to be called Christians and much lesse to beare estimation in the ministery who forbeare to serue the Lord for feare to be tempted or that they doubt of his succours séeing according to the testimony of Dauid God beares to his chosen such property of affection that he pitcheth his Tentes rounde about them to defende
amorous dames geue to their seruaunts and friends 169 A letter aunswering certaine perticuler requestes from the Court and that it is not cōuenient to visite often those women whose husbands be absent 171 A discourse touching such as are in the ministerie and professe religion 173 Still touching the discourse of religion and of the professors of the same 178 The end of this discourse rebuking such Ministers as are wanderers 180 A resolution of certaine familiar and naturall questions with apparant coniectures and tokens of death 182 A discourse of the cononising of the Pagan Gods and why they are holden for Gods together with an exposition of sundrie poeticall inuentions tending to the same 187 A rebuke to ambicion vnder the speech of a sauage man vttered in the Senate of Rome 193 ¶ FINIS To the Gouernour Angulo declaring many good doctrines with other consolations to such as are Widowers THe fourth of Ianuary I receyued your letters which standing albeit more vpon varietie of wordes then necessitie of matter yet they well expressed your setled grauetie and no lesse resembled our auncient friendshippe Amongest other things bearing prayse to your behauiour I am glad you haue forsaken the warres and giuen ouer the regiment of Nanarre for that I hold those people hard to reclaime and not easie to gouern And in this common absence of oures albeit we could not cōueniently cōmunicate in the state and parts of our priuat conuersation yet for that you were employed out of the realme I remayned alwayes in desire to knowe howe you kept societie with fortune because such are the checkes and mutations which she bringes generally vppon the people of the world that she neither dissembleth with the straūger and much lesse pardoneth such as be naturall For which cause Cicero writing to his friēd Attiquus restrayneth one friend to wishe to an other more then these thrée things to enioye health to possesse honour and not to suffer necessitie the same well expressing a Christian modestie and truly agréeing with humaine reason For to him that hath sufficiencie to furnish the vse necessitie of his life what remaineth to be required more who enioyeth continuall health lacketh nothing to make vp the ful felicitie of his worldly delites what can that man haue lost in this worlde who neuer lost the reputation of honour Therefore neyther I for you nor you to me are bound to desire more one for an other then to haue health for the solace of our transitory time to enioye a compotent measure of wealth for the administration of our life and to be raised to honour by the which we may retayne reputation For as all other thinges are passed to vs by fortune not to honour vs but to affront vs So sir I wish you this moderation to rest contented with that which God hath bestowed of you and giue him often recompence of humble thankes for taking you out of so many daungers for as much do we owe to God for the daungers from which he deliuereth vs as for the great wealth dignities wherevnto he hath alwayes raised vs. God is so good and loues vs with so swéete affection that alwayes he requireth vs continually he doth vs good neuer ceasseth to visite vs and seldome spareth to aduertise vs yea he handleth vs not as our offences deserue but as his mercie willeth euill should it stand with vs sniners if with the rod of sinne God should do present iustice séeing that such is the horrer and infamie of sinne that if imediatly with the fact God would put vs to punishments our soules would be caried forthwith into the bottomes of hell As it is suffred in the high and hidden secretes of God to dissemble some things to pardon others and correct the rest so let vs remember that God vseth no small mercie to hym whom he chastiseth in this worlde since that to whome hée giues no affliction it séemes he is of him much forgotten Therefore when God administreth to vs diseases sorrowes deathes and infelicities they be not thinges wherewith hée chastiseth vs but necessarie matters by the which he visiteth our fraile condicion wherein his intention is not to loase vs but to admonish vs not to make vs stumble but to holde vs from falling not to poyson vs but to purge vs not to make vs slide into sinne but to call vs to amendement of behauiour so that with this full measure of bountie and mercie he giues vs not onely that which we aske but prepares vs more to that which he would we should demaund of him this giues me occasion to smile that our power being little our selues so small a thing and our knowledge so slender yet we thinke and conster to great importance all our enterprises when in déede that which in our opinion wée holde most profitable takes sometime a contrary habit and becomes most hurtfull and against vs. By meanes whereof the Lorde with good reason vsing his wonderfull mercie takes from vs those occasions wherewith we may offend him and leades vs in the exercise of such thinges as stand vs in most stéede to serue him God deales in one sort with the Christian sinner and in an other maner with the iust man to the sinner he pardoneth his offence and from the iust he takes away the occasions to sinne by which we finde that we stand more déepely bound to him which suffreth vs not to fal then to him that lendes vs his hand to helpe vs vp againe This much sir to instruct you in patience for the losse of so good a wife whose death if you lament in the office of a good husband I haue not ben without my sorow according to the dutie of a faithfull friend And albeit there is no doubt but your wife was a right worthy member of a noble house and therewithall plentifully replenished with euery condicion appertayninge to the vertue and modestie of a woman yet since in her creation she brought with hir a subiection to death I thinke your wisedome is too great to make that grieuous to you which nature ordeyneth common to all yea if in your wife were fully filled a full example of all perfection you can not in better sort expresse your zeale then to suffer God to haue his will without grudge And if you reioysed in the vse of so happie a wife whilest she liued let your gladnes still continue for that you hope she is now happely layde vp wyth God with whom this is one familiar propertie that the more honest we be the lesse while we liue for that being deare to him he doth the sooner drawe vs to his kingdome I knowe that in your wife God had expressed a spirit of great méekenesse to you made her very acceptable to her neighbours most plawsible to your parents very pitifull to the poore wherein by how much she was agréeable to all and her nature hurtfull to none by so much haue you to hope
Father of fayth The good THEEFE hauing no other thing to offer to God offered him his hart and his tongue SAint Paule hauing séene the great secrets of god of which it belongeth not to man to speake being asked what we ought to do to please God Aunswered Commendat vobis Deus charitatem suam the chiefest thing saith he which God recommends vnto you is charitie which consisteth in this that you loue him as he loueth you which you shall more easely accomplish if you loue your Christian neighbour not so much for that he loueth you as for that he loueth and deliteth in god Wherein the Apostle doth not so expressely say that God recommends vnto vs his fayth his hope his patience his chastitie and his humilitie But aboue all things he enioyneth vs to haue charitie as therby to giue vs to vnderstand that that man that deliteth truly in God can not be reproued of any vice For what can be lacking to him that wanteth not charitie as also who wanteth charitie is imperfect in all other vertues Let the charitable man and he that delites to be pitifull be assured that God will alwayes lend him his hand to the end he decrease not in fayth loase not his hope defile not his chastetie dispise not humilitie nor forget patience For afore the tribunall and iudgement seat of God is neuer vsed crueltie to him the on earth hath exercised charitie si charitatem nō habeo factus sum sicut sonās aut cimbalē tynniens saith the Apostle though I speake sayth he as an Angell and all other vertues except charitie were familiar with me yet I should be but as a Bell that calleth the people to seruice yet entreth not therein it selfe The man then that is not charitable but taketh delite in his rigor is no way worthy of the name of a Christian and much lesse deserueth to be called friend because that in the hart wherein is not lodged charitie shall neuer be found fidelitie If we aske the scripture what thing charitie is we shal find by many texts that it is a vertue drawing to none other effect then to loue God for himselfe and our neighbour for the loue of God Wherevppon the loue of God and the feare of God ought alwayes so to be coupled within the harts of the iust that wee neuer ought to feare God only to the end he preserue vs from hell nor loue him altogether in this respect that he graunt vs Paradise but we ought both to loue and feare him because he is the Supreame and Soueraigne good and on whome doth depende and come all felicitie If men loue one an other it is eyther for benefites all readie receaued or for hope of good tournes to come But in the house of GOD there is no Sufferance nor Custome of suche affections For suche is the nature measure and proportion of Gods goodnesse towardes vs that the respect and intention of our zeale ought not to consist onely for that he is all in al for vs but because the greatnesse of his goodnesse deserueth it by which occasion the Prophete cryed oftentimes Paratum con meum the better to instruct vs that his hart was not onely ready to loue the creator but also to beare affection to the creature That man is ignorant in charitie who estemeth himselfe to loue God and hath no care of his neighbour and lesse is he a follower of charitie that is reputed to beare affection to his neyghbour and loueth not God since that all our Christian charitie consistes in this to doe seruice to Iesus Christ and worke some Good or benefite to our neighbour For the Lorde beares such a zeale to the Christian soule that in louing vs he will be onely and singuler and when we loue him he will be accompanied the same being contrary to the loue of the worlde with whom it is not suffered to haue the hart deuided into many partes but in the diuine loue and holy affection of the Lorde we are required to loue Iesus Christ and haue care ouer our neyghbour specially if he be a christian for otherwayes we ought to wish vnto him good eschew his conuersatiō This discourse haue I brought in to expresse testifie the wonderfull charitie which the good théefe had on the crosse who in the perplexitie of death in a small moment of time gaue good declaration of the affection he boare to Iesus Christ right published the zeale he had to saue his companion the wicked théefe Besides he was not without feruent desire to reléeue his sauiour of the paines he suffered which he wel testified in the seruice he did to him For dissembled loue is shewed in the propertie of spéech where the true frendship affection is expressed in the seruice gifts that are ministred the same appearing for the most part amongst our vaine worldlinges with whom swéet alluring words are familiar but the office effect of seruice are most commonly forgotten where in déede whose loue is chast ioyned with the holy loue of god there their mouthes kepe seilence their hands minister distributiō Cain offered to God fruits of the earth Abell brought firstlings of the fattest of his flocke Noe presented Muttons Abraham gaue Pigions Melchisedech brought Bread and Wyne Moyses Insence Dauid Golde Siluer Jeptha sacrificed his Daughter Annas Samuell his sonne All which offeringes presented by those holy personages beare great reckoning are much to be accompted of But farre more worthy was the seruice sacrifice of this théefe for that where they offered to God things apperteining to their houses he presented to the Lord his proper hart wherein he discouered a difference betwéene the oblation of things that we haue neare vs and to make an offering of our selues Therefore let no man maruell why I debate so much in prayse of this théefe For if I be asked what it was that he offered I may estsoones make a question what it was that he kept for himselfe When one man geueth to another his proper being ▪ doth he not geue by consequence his will and habilitie This théefe gaue not to God his eyes for the they were cloased vp shut he gaue him not Golde nor siluer hauing lost all by the iustice of his offēce he could not compart with him his cloths being riffeled by the executioners he offered him not his hāds féete for that the one were nailed the other bound And much lesse could he communicate with him his body for that it was crucified onely he offered that which he had remayning which was his hart wherwith he beleued his tongue by the which he confessed him to be god So that as he testified his fayth affection towards God with all that he had in his power so we haue to thinke that if there had remayned in him any propertie of more precious or greater thinges he would
requirs him he graunteth him not that he demaundes But thrise happie was this théefe who afore all thinges desired the Lorde to haue remembrance of him when he came into his kingdome wherby demaunding pardon and remission of his sinnes he obteined the kingdome of heauen more easelie then he thought for Abraham demaunded of God linage and there was giuen to him a sonne of whose race Christ discended according to the fleshe Jacob prayed for the redeliuerie of Beniamin which he saw accomplished Tobias beséeching God for the returne of his sonne from Niniuie imbrased him safely restored and richely maried Iudith praied to God to chase away Holofernes and his Campe from her towne of Bethulia he put the Enemie into her power Anna in great compassion desired issue and she brought forth Samuell the Prophet And loe this good théefe besought God to haue remembrance of him in the other worlde and the Lorde did not onely pardon him in this worlde but also glorifyed him in his eternall kingdome Right true and absolute is the testimonie of the Scripture speaking of the liberalitie of God Quod ipse dat omnibus affluenter God geues to al men in great aboundance which is contrarie to the manner of the Princes of the world who if they geue it is not in plentie and if they distribute in fulnesse they geue it to few But such is the bountie and blessed liberalitie of our Lorde that he refuseth not to geue that which is demaunded and much lesse geues in penurie that which is required of him Aperis tu manum tuam et imples omne animall benedictione All those in this worlde sayth the Prophete that geue anye thinge geue it cloase fisted as the saying is But the Lorde alwayes encreaseth in liberalitie wyth his handes open who as he is Pitifull to pardon so also in his rewardes and recompence he expresseth hyghe Liberalitye Here also is to be noted that this Théefe in his inuocation to Christ dyd not desire the LORDE to haue remembraunce of him to the ende he were not Crucifyed nor required him to be mindefull of him that he myght escape the Perilles of Death since it was he onely that gaue lyfe But he sayde onely Lorde forget me not when thou commest into thy Kyngedome For séeing thée on thy Knées afore Pilate sayth he and béeing asked whether thou were a Kynge and had Realmes I hearde thée Aunswere that thy Kyngedome was not of this Worlde Which béeing true I beséeche thée Oh swéete comfort of my Soule that when thou art in Possession of thy Kyngedome of rest thou wilt then haue remembraunce of me being the greatest Sinner in the Worlde This Théefe séeing GOD in presence hearing him speake in person and touching him wyth his handes and woulde not demaund of him other thinges then of the Worlde to come can not but put men in a maze and drawe euen Aungels to admiration From the houre that our Blessed Sauiour suffered his bloude to be dispearced vppon the Crosse there hath bene great effect and vertue of it in the Church whereof appeared right good Testimonye in the discourse and action of this Théefe whose lyfe and whole course of his behauiour hauing béene infected wyth wicked conuersation he demaunded presently to be made a neyghbour of the Hierachies and companion to our redéemer And hauing done no seruice to GOD he asked of him wyth full mouth the Kingdome of Heauen which he obteyned not so much through the merite of his inuocation and Prayers as by the meane and vertue of the bloud of Iesus Christ wherin there is no reason to doubt but as our Lorde was readye to yéelde vp the spirite and that the effusion of his bloud prepared to an ende so this good théefe saw the Heauens open together wyth the great glory layde vp for our sauiour by which occasion he cryed in sewertie of fayth Memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum For otherwayes it had béene vaine for a Théefe to haue demaunded wyth such boldenesse the Kyngedome of infallible felicitye But whether the Maiestie and presence of Heauen were open to him or not there is no necessitye of reasoning Onely let vs ioyne our selues to his Fayth and opinion and wyth his Prayer let vs call vppon the Lorde to remember vs when he comes into his Kyngedome for there may we be sewer he will remember vs since in this world he will not recompence the seruices that we haue done to him and in the other he will laye vpon vs the offences we haue committed agaynst his Maiestye Let vs beséech him that if in recompence that we are Baptized if for the renoume name and tittle we beare of Christians if for that we are his Seruauntes and specially if because he hath redéemed vs it will please him to blesse vs wyth any rewarde let it not be bestowed vppon vs here on earth but when he shall be established in the estate and maiestie of his kyngedome For all such as he markes with recompence and rewarde in the Booke of this worlde it is a signe that he hath razed them out of the register of Heauen Jsaac was aduaunced more then Jsmaell Jacob preferred aboue Esau Juda fauoured more then Ruben Joseph raysed aboue his Bretherne and Nahabor aduaunced to the Vines of Samaria But let vs praye for no other aduauncement then Dum veueris in regnum tuum For out of thy house all honors all preferments all riches and dignities are contemnible For the ende of this discourse we haue to note that Christ pardoning this théefe sayde not Amen dico vobis but speaking singulerly he sayde Amen dico tibi Whereby as in the manner and estate of his pardon he manifested his mercie so in forgeuing him alone he shewed his vpright iustice Many nations and men of sundrie qualities and Countreyes standing then round about the crosse would haue bene glad to haue obteyned remission but amongest them all to this théefe onely was graunted pardon the better to aduertise vs that since he forgaue him we should not dispaire by the same meane to obteyne remission And since he pardoned but him alone let vs not sinne the more in hope that he will pardon vs So for conclusion let vs not forget that he forgaue the people afore they had transgressed and pardoned the théefe after he had sinned by which we are instructed to feare his Iustice and to remember his mercye which it may please him to exhibitte towardes vs here by grace and in the worlde to come by glory A discourse expounding this text of the Psalme Irasoimini et nolite peccare CHrist gréeuing still with the encrease of abuses in the Temple saw great necessitie of Discipline and therefore in one daye he whipped out the Vserers reuersed their exchaunges and dispersed their treasors Wherin we haue to note which of these two thinges were of a most importance eyther the zeale that Christ had or the fault that was in them béeing sewer that
occasiōs to sin giue him grace to serue him When the son of god would reueil any secret mistery to any of his dear disciples he vsed to lead thē into solitary places separate frō the brute of the world therby to signifie to al posterities that by how much more god loueth a man by so much more doth he estraung deuide him from the felowship of the world Ducam illum in solitudinem et loquar ad cor eius The soule that is beloued of me saith god by his prophet Osee and which I haue predestinated I wil draw out of the troubles of the worlde and leade him into solitarie places and pryuately reueale vnto his harte my secretes Right happie is that soule whom the Lorde calleth to the desert of Religion there to serue him with greater deuotion follow him with more constancie of hart God hath spoken to many by signes and hath communicated with many by writinges wordes yea to some he hath whispered in their eare But he spekes onely to the hartes of those whom he loueth with his harte And little serues it that God spake to vs in the eare to heare him to our eyes to beholde him and to our tongue to exalt him if with all he spake not to the hart to loue him For it is impossible that he should loue God with his harte who hath him not imprinted in his hart And then doth GOD speake to the hart of a Christian when he drawes him out of the stormes of this worlde and leades him into the solitarinesse of a Monasterie where he may his body in puritie and his minde in contemplation For the trée that standes by the high waye geues more shaddow to the passenger then fruite to the owner that prunes it God doth not onely say J will draw him from the worlde and leade him into the desert But he sayde he would speake to his hart meaning that little doth it auayle to be led into the desert of Religion if with a good harte we doe not abandon the thinges of the worlde For more doth it hurt then good if our Surgion draw from vs a grosse tooth and leaue behinde some corrupt rote to infect the gumes And therefore who forsakes the world with good hart and entreth into Religion with holy intention it is he with whose harte God doth communicate and loues him with his harte God hath promised that wheresoeuer two be gathered together in his name he would be the third therefore it is good Religion to beléeue that he is in all houses well corrected and in euery vertuous congregation compounded vpon religious persones magnifying and seruing him both daye and night So that such as are admitted to a vertuous assemblie can not haue in this Worlde a more great felicitie And therefore not without great misterie God commaunded Abraham to abandon the house which he had builded and the inheritance which he had established thereby to instruct all professors of religion that in all temporall thinges are impediments to be good Christians and hinder the science of perfection in religion Declina a malo et fac bonum thou oughtest to flee darkenesse if thou wilt enioy the light thou must folow the right way if thou wilt not erre auoyd the mire and durt if thou wilt be with out spot and cleane yea thou must first forbeare to be euill if thou wilt begin to be good so shalt thou which the councell of Dauid eschew the vice and follow vertue This discourse was vttered in the presence of a Noble Lady at her Churching SInt lumbi vestri praecincti et lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris Oh thou that commest or meanest to come to the house of the Lorde sayth Christ it behoueth thée to be straightly girt afore the Candle the Candlesticke be giuen thée in thy hande For amongest the Seruantes of God if we sée any goe heauely sadly and discomforted it is a good argument to say that he is negligent not well girt The Scripture beares witnesse that Elias in the Desert S. Iohn in the Wildernesse S. Peter in Prison S. Paule in Ephesus and Christ vppon the Pinacle although they were thinly cloathed yet were they well girt By which is gathered this instruction that notwithstanding the troubles and persecutions happening to perfect men they ought not for all that to giue ouer that they haue begon nor be colde or negligent in that they haue taken in hande The gowne that is well girt kéepes the body warme and gathereth lesse wynd Euenso the man that professeth a religiō to serue God being girt with puretie and holy intentions is the better armed against the winde of vanities of this world and no lesse prepared for the heate of deuotion and seruice of god So that then wée may say a man is well girt when we sée him in the way to be holy and iust For so abstinent and continent ought we to be in religion that both the worlde may behold our vertue and many made better by our example And therefore where the LORDE saith it behoueth vs to haue our gownes girt afore wée take the candels in our handes it is to aduise vs that in such sorte should wée leaue bound trodden out and naked the vanities and ryches of this world that they haue no power to followe vs and wée lesse desier too goe séeke them The lighted candelles which wée should haue in our handes be the good and holy works we ought to doe and as he is one that holdes the candell and he an other that pertakes in the vse and light of it so the good worke of the holy man is not onely profitable to himselfe alone but it also serueth to edifie an other that séeth him do it with all like as he is not exempt from sinne who to an other giues occasion to sinne in like sorte that man can not be without meritte whose vertue is the cause that an other doth any good action the same agreeing with the interpretation of this text of the Prophet Particeps sum omnium timentium te when we are the cause that other men serue God wée do communicate and pertake saith he with the merit of such good thinges as they do in his seruice It sufficeth not saith Iesus Christ to holde one onely candell in our handes but it is requisite to the office and pietie of Christians to haue many For as the true christian and man of perfect deuotion to GOD receiues of the plentifull hand of the Lorde many graces and benefites So it is necessary that he do him many seruices and kéepe his spirit in continuall exercise of thankesgiuing For as this is common in the office and frendshippe of men that by how much lesse we are raised to benefites aboue our merit so much more are bounde to owe al those due respectes of recompence and ciuility as may hold vs acquited and leaue our frend satisfied Euen so with God this
when it is violent If we prayse the earth for her fruite we murmure against her when she is barraine If we haue commoditie by riuers for the stay of our thirst and to bréede fishes for our noriture they are intollerable on the other side when they ouerflow their channels and drowne our fieldes and cattell Too much meate bréedes indigestion and too little makes the stomak weake wāt of exercise brings sicknes too much labour is hurtfull solitarinesse makes vs encline to melancholy and too much conuersation is importunate Riches are accompanied with care and pouertie subiect to sorwe But let vs exchange these customes with the actions of auncient noble men in times past in whom if there were causes of many merites they boare also matter no lesse worthy of blame For the Gretians praised Hercules for his force but they accuse him of tirannies The Lacedemonians attribute much to Licurgus for the zeale he bare to his common weale but they note him for a most seuere and rigorous iudge With the Egyptians Isis is famous for his patience but they stayne him for his vnchastetie The Athenians extoll Plato for his doctrine but they accuse his great couetousnes The Romanes make Caesar to be mercifull and withall reapport him to be hautie and proud So that if in men of so great accompt haue bene found imputation of vice and fault you and I sir may well conclude that there is no bread without branne no Nut without shell no trée without barke no corne without chaffe nor any man without fault All my life long I haue heard men complaine of women and women murmure against men in both which I thinke is one equall and common reason For since there resteth betwene man and woman such difference in their creation they must of congruent necessitie be contrarie in condicion And therefore except in Iesus Christ it is Blasphemie to thinke that any person is dispensed with all from erring or acquited from falling This discourse sir haue I vsed the better to bring into your remembraunce the mariage betwene you and my néece which was accomplished rather by ioynt will and consent then by necessitie eyther of you being in state well hable and sufficient to preferre you And seeing you cannot denie that when you made choyse of her you promised to serue her and with great importunities disauowed your self from all others to cleaue vnto her It is neyther reasonable nor iust that you now bequeath your selfe to the seruice of an other séeing by no equitie you can be due to none other but to her only If there be infirmities in her I hope they are not so desperate but the office of a good husband may either reforme or suffer them and for imperfections I sée not how she can be charged with any hauing beautie riches linage and vertue Oh how many wiues be there now a dayes who if they be riche they lacke beautie if they be faire they want linage if they haue high birth they are voyd of vertue If they be vertuous they are not young And being young they may perhappes want discretion and gouernement by meanes whereof as their husbandes haue wherevppon to repent and their parents no small cause of sorrowe So let all men esteme it no small felicitie to receiue in mariage a wife well borne young fayre riche and vertuous to whom he is bound as the soule to the bodie and if he exchange deuide himselfe to straungers he stands guiltie of no small offence and is subiect to no little daunger I heare sir that you vse the seruice of other houses then your owne in the night that you delite to walke the stréetes and behold the starres that you visite Curtisanes and haue familiaritie with bawdes exercises truly to decay your substance and bring daunger to your person And I cannot maruaile a little that hauing alreadie trauelled most regions in Christendome which ought to suffice to establish the race of your youth that now you will not séeke to put your mind in rest the oportunitie so seruing together wyth the commoditie of so good a wife and large liuing The vanities or follies which follow young men are for the most part referred to the gréennes of their youth but if wee haūt lightnes after we be maried much lesse that we can be excused séeing all the world standes vp to condemne vs And therefore to make pilgrimage to such saintes as you worship or visit shaded houses wherein dwell no bodie but curtisanes with paynted faces or to bee a straunger to your owne house wherein you find nothing but vertue and vertuous delites it can not but bring preiudice to your honour hazard to your soule slaunder to your posteritie and spoyle to your patrimonie For that being so possest by straunge women where they haue no possibilitie to marie with you they will labour to plumbe vppon you till they haue left you neither fether nor flesh If you haue no regard to your soule at least looke back to the safetie of your goods séeing that from the day you enter mariage and haue children as touching your goods you are no more Lord but only a tutor and kéeper of them And therefore no lesse guiltie is he that loaseth his own goods then he that robbeth an other But if you haue no respect to your goods at least beare care to your honour to the end you may more easely aspire to publike charge in the common weale which being not distributed to young men full of libertie but to men of setled stay and grauetie It behoueth you to remayne no longer as you are but to be such one as you esteme your selfe to be If you beare no respect to your honour at least vse consideration of your soule For so delicate is the lawe of Iesus Christ and so straite the cōmaundements of God that they do not onely forbid men conuersation with straunge women but also condemne all desires that waye It behoueth you also to haue care ouer the securitie of your person and health since it commonly hapneth to the man that emboldneth himselfe to drinke of all Waters and carieth a key to open other mennnes Lockes that in séeking to dishonor his neighbour he shall suggest perill to his owne lyfe Your Wyfe will endure harde Fare many frownings restraint of libertie all reproches yea though they be thundred with stripes with all other perplexities vpon condition onely that you loue her alone and séeke no knowlege with others For there is no greater dispaire to a Maried woman then when her Husband dischargeth vpon her backe all his Iars Quarrels and passions and reserueth his pleasures ioyes and companie for an other Yea it is harde in whether of the two resteth the greater harte eyther as touching the Husbande to doe so or in respect of the Wyfe to endure it Oh it is intollerable to the Wyfe to heare her husband merie abroade and finde him frowarde at home
the suggestion of the holy Ghost saith that the sonne of God being very God was content to disguise himselfe not to be entreated of the world as God but embasing his estate euen to take vppon him the forme of a bondman and appeare to the world in the representation of a man becomming altogether a seruaunt whose obedience refused not the passions of death yea the infamous execution of the crosse In this as is sayed is expressed the greatest part of this wonderfull embasement of estate which the sonne of God tooke vppon him séeing of very God he is made very man and being man he embased himselfe vnder all men being handled as a poore slaue of whom the world made no reckoning From thence he suffred an other embasement euen to be passed to condemnation of death and not a death in common maner but the execution whereunto were ioyned dishonour infamie and bitter torments Of this humilitie the Prophets haue written saying he was put on the ranke of offendors and accompanied with wicked men In an other place Esay giues this testimonie of him that he neuer hid his face from such as would buffet him nor his shoulders from those that would strike him nor bis beard from any that would rent it In Jeremie also is declared the assemblie of the wicked against the Lord and the conspiracies which they leuied to persecute destroy him to empoyson his meate and life In S. John albeit he had made the world yet hee was misknowne of the world and the Euangelist hath comprehended in few wordes the depth of the place from whence the Lord discended séeing being the workman of the worlde he is come notwithstanding in such extremitie that the world misknew him For much lesse that he was acknowledged for Lord and maker of the world séeing hée was not iudged worthy to dwell in the world being innocent he hath bene condemned and albeit his iustice and integritie were publike and manifest yet the world made no conscience to throw vppon him those great wronges yea being assuredly knowne htat his enemies accused him by faulse testimonie yet the wisemen of the world would rather condemne iustice then displease the wicked Lastly the humilitie and handling of Christ agréed fully with the Prophet Dauid speaking in the person of our Lorde in these termes J am no man but a worme of the earth the reproch retraict and shame of men and the scome of the people There rested yet one degrée spoken of in this present article of the Créede wherein we confesse that the sonne of God discended into hell after his death And touching the declaration of this last discending we haue to consider that this article may be vnderstanded in two sorts they both being certaine catholique and ful of great misteries The first intelligence hath bene alreadie begone to be declared and containes a demonstration of the great humilite and wonderfull embasement supported by the sonne of God in this world being reduced to the vtter extremities of sorrowe torments shame and infamie There is no spirit sufficient to comprehend fully the great sorow expressed by the Lord in these words my soule is heauie euen vnto death The feare and heauines being so much the more apparant great terrible by how much they enforced drops of bloud to fall from his face euen to the earth All the other Passions wherewith the world vexed him were of no meaner effect and therfore complayning to his father he cried Oh saue me Lord for the waters and broyles of the tempest are entred euen to take away my life I am sunke in a gulfe of myer and can find no place firme to fix my foote vppon Wherein is ment no other thing but the storme and furie of our sinnes with the punishments due together with a signification of all our miseries and that which the Deuill and the world could doo by the meane of the vnrighteous and wicked keping warre against our Sauiour with persecutions torments and vexations In this sort was his discending into the deapth and bottome of the earth and by consequence the first intelligence of our Article which together with all that depends vppon it may be proued by the second vnderstāding which must presuppose that such as afore the comming of Christ were dead in his fayth and in his spirit and knowledge had obtayned pardon and were truly reconciled with God notwithstanding the gates of heauen were not open to them vntill the Lorde which deliuered them had passed therein as the onely iustifier and true pacifier In the meane whyle they remayned in rest in a place named Hell or bottome of the earth exspecting their deliuerie when the sonne of God should come to draw them from thence But all this whyle they were neyther in the companie of the Damned and much lesse endured their tormetes neyther had the Deuill any iurisdiction of them Séeing if they had bene of the reprobate and Damned sort the Deuill had had perpetuall power ouer them as he hath had and hath ouer the Cursed and miserable who die wythout repentance of their sinnes and without participating in the benefit of the bloud of the Sonne of god And for that by the occasion of sinne and reigne of the Deuill the gates of heauen were cloased and the ioy and vse of beatitude stood restreyned and limited to a certaine time I say that that place was a prison and the prison of Hell a place wherein the Fathers of fayth exspected the comming of the Sauiour of the worlde In this place then were the auncientes that were iust not that they felt the tormentes of the Damned but had onely a careful desire to sée the prophesies accomplished and themselues deliuered and al to enioy the presence and companie of the Sauiour together wyth that most happie vision of the maiestie of god So that in this sort did the soule of Iesus Christ discende into that place accompanied wyth his diuinitie which neuer forsooke him and dissoluing the prisons he brake in péeces all the Cheines and Linkes that helde tyed the soules of the faythfull This was it that Zachary the Prophet ment when he sayd that by the vertue of the bloud of thy stomacke and of thy Testament thou hast drawen thy prisoners out of the Lake wyth out Water Wherein the Prophete speaketh euen wyth the Sonne of God as true God and Sauiour of men and foreséeing such great miserie he sayth that by the vertue of his bloud wherin consisted the Saluation of men he had drawen his Subiectes and frendes out of their darke prison which he signifieth by the Lake wythout Water Séeing that in such lyke places Conquerors are woont to bestow their Prisoners for their more punishement and better securitie in prison By the same also the Prophete takes the comparison of a great Prince that entreth into the Lande of his enemie not to shake his Sworde and remaine there but to surmount and hauocke
his enemie and take from him by force his Seruauntes and Subiectes whom of long time he had holden Prisoners By this is shewed the great power of Iesus Christ according to his owne phrase in these tearmes So long as a strong man sayth he and well furnished wyth weapons kepes his house and defendes it by force all that he hath is in peace But if there come one more mightie then he he makes him forsake his garde chaseth him out of his house and becomes Lord of al his goods euen so did our Lord with the Deuill expressing vppon him his wonderful power and great victory which he obtayned against the kingdome of darknes For séeing the Deuill hath layed aside his weapons it is a signe he is vanquished and séeing death is conquered the Deuill must néedes remayne disfurnished of Armes And séeing the depthes and bottomes of the earth haue bene illuminated by the light and presence of our sauiour the kingdome of darkenesse is defeyted and brought to ruine And so for conclusion we find thrée great considerations in the first part of this Article Wherof the first hath ben debated comprehending the great discending and extreame humilitie which the Sonne of God tooke vppon him to saue man and confound the works of sinne The second consists in this that whilest his most holy body accōpanied with his diuinitie remayned in the graue to testifie that he was truly dead His soule discended into the darke prisons where were deteined the holy fathers notwithstanding they were not in the power of the deuill For albeit they were iustified by the vertue of the mediator and their fayth and repentance yet they were banished from heauen and put as it were in prison to witnesse the effect and operation of sinne together wyth the necessitie which man had of the comming of the sonne of God to geue them their full remedie So that the sauiour of the worlde entering into this prison and confounding all darkenesse by his great light did fully comfort and satisfye by his presence the holy soules which exspected him wyth a desire farre aboue the iudgement or comprehēcion of man it was then that those good auncient Fathers saw the accomplishment of the promise long afore made to them that out of their séede should ryse one that should breake the heade of the great Serpent Then all their desires were accomplished beholding euen wyth their eyes the maiestie and presence of him whom so often they had séene in contemplation and Spirite In whom they had layde vppe all their hope from the remembrance of whom they dyd neuer swarue and by the onely thought of whom they had ouercome all their aduersities taking comfort in him in their miseries and perplexities Then did Abraham sée him who was promised to blesse al his people and al Nations in the faith of whom he was circumcised and made alliance with god Jsaac saw him whom he prefigured when his father thought to haue sacrifised him he saw the sprinkles and markes of the bloud whose effusion was most swéete before the face of the father from the beginning of the world Jacob who had called vpon this sauiour in his death saw his desiers fulfilled no more resting which he might require Melchisedech saw the great sacreficator the sacrifice of whom had neither end nor rule Moises spake then with the great Prophet which God promised to send to deliuer his people from the captiuity of the spirituall Egipt whose power and authoritie should be so perentory and great that who would not obey him should dye eternall death And the great Prophete Dauid embraced then the health which hee had so long desired he saw then that great and mighty Christ of whom hée had made so many holy ditties and songes in whose hope he had so many times taken comfort and vanquished sinne Lastly all the iust of the times past saw the accomplishment of their desiers the end of their sighes the remedye of their miseries the comfort of their sorowes the victory againste death hell and sinne and all by the presence of the captaine which came to guide them euen vnto the sight and maiestie of god Oh how possible are the perplexities which men suffer vnder hope of the promises of GOD How happie is that abiding or expectation which for pawne hath the verity of GOD Howe well assured and well recompenced is that patience which is of longe sufferance and neuer swarueth All these auncient Fathers were in diuers seasons and yet they had all one faith they were all inspired with one spirite all serued one Lorde all liued and dyed in one hope they all bare their crosse in this lyfe they all were made prisoners in that place lastely they all saw in one instant him whom they had so long expected together with the fulfillinge of al the promises which had ben made to them There the Sauiour of the worlde spake to them publishinge good newes touchinge their remedyes and restitution And comunicated with them the greatnes of the misteries which it behooued him to doe for their Redemption there is no doubt but with them he vsed most deare familiaritie Yea he who was alwaies so ioyfull with his owne vsed no lesse fauour and consolation to those with whom his Father had made alliance and so iustely kept his promises And they likewise rendred no small thankes and praises to the Lorde that had so accomplished his worde for the Saluation of the world yea they departed out of their olde prisons with no small triumphes to follow their captaine which had ouer come so many and greate ennemies The third consideration is that our sauiour Iesus Christ did not only breake the prisones and deliuer the holy Fathers but also by this discending hée brought a great astonishment and feare into hell and ouer the whole kingdome of the deuill making him know that his forces were dissolued and that now was brought to effect the breaking of his head expressed long before by prophesie and that the gates of his darke kingdome were throwne open and all hys workes brought to nought Euen as a captaine victor entering into the fortresse of his ennemie and hauing once pluckte downe the munition and ensignes so committes it to ruine and spoile that he leaues an easines to subdue it as often as he will euen in the same sort the Sunne of God gaue such a terrour to the kingdome of hell that sathan and his ministers knew well their forces were broken that there remained vnto them no possibilitie eftsones to reestablish a kingdome of sufficient power to resist the meanest souldier of that great captain that hereafter he could take no prisoners except some wretched cowardes people of smal valure which would offer thēselues to be captiues of their proper and miserable will. In this sort the princypalitie of hell so felte the inuincible and assured power of him who being dead and his body left in the Sepulcher shaked them
end the power of God raysed him againe drue him out of the graue hauing vanquished death Of this besides many other prophesies Dauid hath written most manifestly speaking in the person of our Lorde as a man that by the inspiration of the holy Ghost J always sayth he set afore mine eyes the Lord whom I haue of my right hande to kepe me that J fall not For this cause doe J reioyce and my tongue shall beare Testimonie of my contentment but specially for that my fleshe shall rest in hope For Lorde thou wilt not leaue my lyfe in the graue nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thou hast shewed me the way of lyfe euen so shalt thou fill me wyth pleasure by thy presence For thou bearest in thy right hand a perpetual blisse In these wordes the Lord sheweth the singuler fauor which he receiued of his father in the death had not domination ouer him but was subdued and vanquished shewing withall the gladsome contentment he had to sée the eternall Father on his right hand In this hope he offered his body to the death dispersed it vpon the crosse receiued the graue being certeine of his resurrection victory that aswell touching himselfe as also for all mankind wherin declaring also his confidence ioy of his victory he sayth that his Father hath not suffered that his lyfe should remaine prisoner in the graue for euer and much lesse that his soule should be there deteyned not retourne eftsoones to be revnited to his body And lastly that his most holy body conceiued by the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin and who had passed so many Passions of Tormentes for the Seruice and Obedience of his Father should not suffer corruption in the Graue but afore Nature coulde accomplishe that operation his Soule shoulde eftsoones receaue coniuntion wyth his Bodye The Prophet sayth moreouer that he hath shewed him the way to retorne to life concluding with action of thankes that he hath surmounted death and sinne The sonne of God did not only obteyne priuilege to rise againe but also to him was ioyned power to make his resurrection afore there was any such signe of corruption in his body as naturally appeares on others that be dead this respect was kept on the behalfe of his most holy person and the flesh which he had taken for that effect béeing pure and wihtout any marke of sinne Besides all these we may consider vppon the end of this Psalme a great misterie of the victorie which our Lord obtayned against death together with the assurance of our resurrection the same leauing vs satisfied and certayne that once againe we shall réenter into the possession of our bodies after wée haue abandoned them by the rigor of death With this Psalme S. Paule proues the resurrection of the Messias against the Jewes saying that Dauid was dead and buried whose Sepulcher was well enough knowne amongst the Jewes concluding that séeing the body of Dauid had passed by that corruption which is common and generall to all dead men it was not possible that those wordes should be vnderstanded by him and therefore what he said he meant it by Iesus Christ whom neyther hell nor the graue had power to deteyne and to whose flesh could be attributed no sense or suffrance of corruption So that Dauid being a Prophet and hauing receiued promise by othe that the Messias should discend of his séede prophesied of his comming vnder the forme of wordes afore recited This is of great importance for Christians to whom it is a true approbation and sommarie of all the workes which the Lord did and of all our religion together with an assured gage or pawne of all our hope Saint Paule sayth that it is concluded the resolution alreadie set downe against the aduersaries and vnbeleuing that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God the same being proued in this that the father hath raysed him from the dead with a great force and wonderfull testimonie thereby to shew that he was his onely sonne Wherein on the one side might be séene the sentence of men the condemnation of the worlde the reprobation of the people of the Jewes the iniuries outrages and tormentes of the Crosse and of death which may alleage agaynst the sauiour of the worlde that he was not the Sonne of God but an abuser Séeing he was condemned by so great personages endured so many afflictions yea fixed on the crosse in such sort and such extremitie that the miserable worlde might estéeme him for such one as of long time had bene Prophecied that is that he was not reputed a man as others were but as one most abandoned of God and of all men And on the other side might be séene the holy Prophesies workes and wordes of our Sauiour and his Doctrine expressing the reason of his comming and the misery of his death together wyth the sentence of his Father who to shew himselfe true in his workes and promises had raised him againe from death declaring that he was his true sonne All these thinges béeing of such importance were foretolde by Iesus Christ afore his death béeing willing to Prophesie and published his resurrection both to his frendes and to his enmies to comfort the one and conuince the other Yea he thought méete to manifest it to all to make the worlde vnderstande that he was sent of the eternall Father to saue the worlde and that it was he that had ben promised in the Law offering himselfe to death of his onely and proper will. The Jewes demaunded of him some signe to know who he was but he aunswered that they should haue no other signe but that of Jonas For as Jonas issued out of the bellie of the Whale the thirde day So the thirde day after his death he should eftsoones ryse out of the center of the earth hauing in that action vanquished death As he went once to Hierusalem he tolde his Disciples that he should be deliuered into the handes of the gentiles he comunicated the forme of his death assuring them that the third day he should rise againe And speaking with them a little before his death he comforted them saying that after his resurrection he would go before them to Gallely So that our confession by the which we acknowledge our Lorde to be risen againe the third day is confirmed by good and great testimonies requisite in a thing of so high misterie and importance being also matter of no small consolation to the children of GOD together with assured testimonyes that may bee gathered againste the wicked in the Holy Scriptures and predictions which our Lorde made before hys death Certaine Meditations and considerations vpon the resurrection of Iesus Christ THe firste consideration that the faithfull christian may take of this resurrection of Christe dependes vppon the meane wée haue already spoken of For in his resurrection we may comprehend that which appertaines to the
dignitie of his person to declare him such one as he is By which he hath shewed that he came to vanquishe and surmount sinne and death and to pronounce that as who so euer would followe him should liue eternally so to such was reserued euerlastinge death as would not obey his woorde and doctrine For in him saith he is conteined resurrection and lyfe yea and the Saluation of those that beléeue in him To that to proue those thinges and to assure consolation to all such as should giue faith to his woordes it was requisite that he should not only manifest himselfe the author of lyfe in raising others but that also he should expresse it in his proper person giuing this testimony of himselfe that albeit he was dead yet he had more power then death for that he was able to returne to lyfe By this it appeares that the resurrection of Christe is a trew proofe of his greatnesse and a declaration that he is the Sonne of GOD hath surmounted all trauels and perplexities hath domination ouer death and ouercome hell sinne and the deuill séeinge hée hath disfurnished them of their principall weapons wherewith they did tirrannise ouer the Linage of man which is death that followeisd It also a proofe that as wée honour serue and beléeue in a man dead and crucified so also we must obey followe and serue in faith a man that hathe foretolde his Resurrection and which is risen againe from the dead séeing that one of the reasons why he dyed was the more to declare his power and manifest further his force and excellencie of life together with his power against the kingdome of sathan In the Seconde consideration is inclosed a wonderfull secret greatly auailing the estate of mankinde it is deuyded into two partes according to the testimony of the Scripture whereof the one consistes in his death and the other in his resurrection Touching his death wee haue alreadie debated that in it was comprehended the death of our trauelles the death of our death the mortification of our olde Adam and the spoile of the forces of the wicked roote of sinne which raigned ouer vs And in his resurrection we say now is comprehended the reestablishment of our lyfe the newnes of our iustice the vertue and spirituall generation of the new Adam in vs the woorkes of this newe lyfe the hope that this newe people of GOD hath to returne to Heauen and finally the thoughtes and operations agreable to the maiestie of god Christe was not sacrificed only for himselfe but for vs he is not risen againe onely to declare what hee was but wyth all to make himselfe suche a one to vs as his Father mighte receiue vs He is dead for our sinnes risen againe for our iustificaiton His death made to dye all wicked thinges but in his resurrection were reuiued al good thinges In effect we haue to consider touching the vertue of the misterie of the resurrection that he is also so risen againe in vs Spirituallie that if it be not long of our obstinacie and Rebellion we shall féele the force of his Resurrection in vs that is he will engender in vs a power and will to doe the workes worthie of a newe lyfe and will make vs to rise agayne to a newnesse of lyfe by the which we shal be founde agréeable before the face of God And béeing risen wyth him we shall vanquishe death and sinne and be made frée from the seruitude of Sathan being affected to the commaundementes of God louers of his iustice and zealous of his glory to perticipate in the ende wyth the heauenly lyfe by the communion which we haue wyth the lyfe of Iesus Christ in thoughts and workes So that let all Christians vnderstande that if in humilitie they search a remedie for their sinnes opening wyth all the gate of their harte they shall finde wyth in Iesus Christ raysed agayne And that being in the companie of so great a Lorde liuing who hath vanquished death they can not haue in them any deade thing For they shall also rise againe spiritually wyth the Lorde into that newnes of lyfe whereof we haue spoken Let vs therefore take héede to refuse the mortification of our wicked workes of our disordered appetites and our wicked affections For if we bowe or bende our selues we shall wythout doubt apperteyne to the other parte of this misterie and rise againe wyth Iesus Christ In this sort is to be vnderstanded the saying of the Apostle That we are buried wyth Christ by Baptisme and dead to our sinnes and to our olde Adam For that as Iesus Christ is risen agayne from the deade for the glory of the Father So we must enter into a newnes of lyfe béeing assured to keepe him companie in the Resurrection if we accompanie him in his death he dyed to make dye our sinnes and liued agaiâ—e to giue life to our iustice and therefore if behooues vs to dye as touching our sinnes and to be diligent to do good workes whervnto let euerye good Christian referre all his care and study and raise al his thoughts demaunding al those things in his prayers and searching them neither more nor lesse then he would do a precious treasure wherin lyeth hidde al his felicitie The victory is already gained and the faithfull are assured of their forces for that the sonne of God soliciteth for them and holdes al these benefites in his disposing In him we may be bolde to repose our sewertye séeing he hath so much suffred for vs and to make vs communicate with these graces his mercy will neuer faile vs séeing he hath not denied it vs to get them Sure in respect they haue cost him so deare and that the paiment is already made it will not be hard to giue them vnto vs. In the third consideratcon of this article the good christian hath to vnderstand that in the resurrection of the lord we get not only spiritual resurrection as hath ben saied but also we haue assurance of the resurrection of our bodies So that considering that Iesus Christ is risen from the dead for our welth and profit we may be assured that he is risen both in body and soul that our resurrection is no lesse certain then his rising againe being the assurance and gage of our resurrection and he being in all things our first borne captain he marched before vs and we must follow him All the wretchednes that the deuill had caused were repaired by the son of God for as the deuill threw spirituall death vppon mankind so in the vertue of our sauiour that death is destroyed vanquished and a life spiritual giuen vnto men The deuil procured corporal death to mans race for death was brought into the world by sinne but the sonne of God hath ioyned to vs a corporall resurection For as death was introduced by a man so by a man came restitution resurrection we were all dead in Adam euen so
passe him into the land of promise he promised to make his name great and raise his renoume aboue men on the earth For my condicion sayth God is not to haue friends if they be not honored Wherein we may note that in recompence that Abraham abandoned his countrey his friendes his goods and all other his long experienced felicities yea béeing readie liberally to sacrifice his only sonne Yet God promised him not patience restitution of riches nor long life but onely to giue him honour A grace not small comming from the hand of God and a blissing great to bée bestowed on men For to whom the Lord giues honour for his person and glory for his soule there resteth no more to make that man happy in the world and much lesse to trouble God with further desires since riches being to be got by industrie and fortune to be gouerned by prouidence and pollicie and since sicknes and health are subiect to naturall causes and short or long life limited by the will and resolution of God what can be more required for the worldly glory of man then to haue honour and credite which is a treasure better resolued then riches and cares not what pollicie can do against it it triumphes aboue fortune is not tied to the destinie of sicknes nor subiect to the power of death but as a thing not transitorie it carieth men to immortalitie and dieth not til heauen earth come to their accompt Spoliauit me gloria mea abstulit coronam meam de capite meo I knowe not sayth the holy man Iob why the Lord hath set mée vppon the dunghill replenished with this deformitie of botches the same making straungers to abhorre mée and mine owne people to misknow mée But the thing that I féele wyth most bitternes is that hée hath taken my Crowne from my head that is my credite and defaced my glory which is mine honour and renowme Job in his affliction lost seuen thousand shéepe thrée thousand Camels fiue hundreth yoke of oxen and fiue hundreth she Asses yet all these temporall spoyles brought not such griefe vnto him as the losse of his renoume and credit for that in this miserable life there is nothing can be called losse but when we lease good renoume What hath that man that hath not honour What do we leaue behind vs if we die not with renoume Yea we liue in vaine if our life be infamous since a man of naughtie reputation being slaunderous to himselfe can not but bée also hurtfull to others For that to such one the good sort will geue no fayth nor the wicked any obedience no man will suffer him as his neighbour nor any chuse him for his friend Séeing of that qualitie are infamie and leprosie that with their onely conuersation they infect a man The man infamous and dishonored standes so defaced in confidence and credite that no man wyll trust him and much lesse to bée taken for a publique witnesse wherein sure the Lawe hath great conformitie with reason séeing it is not conuenient in wisedome equitie and nature to referre our goods and causes to the trust and direction of him who can not kéepe his proper honour reputation Libera me Domine ab homine malo à viro iniquo c. If I haue any part in thée oh great GOD of Israel sayth Dauid I beséech thée defend mée from him that is not a christian and from a christian euil renoumed since most commonly ill renoume is accompanied wyth ill conscience Wherein if any wyll say it is no generall rule that infamie and a corrupt conscience are coupled together for that many are vniustly sclaundered it may bée confessed but wyth this addicion that where the condicions of the ill man are instruments to detect him the vertues of the good man kéepe him alwayes from sclaunder For vertue is of that force that forth with shée disclaymeth and proueth the fault not to bée in the abuse of the good man but in the enuie that is borne him Jn die illa attenuabitur gloriae Jacob marcescet pinguedo carnis eius Esay speaking of the Sinagoge crieth out oh sorrowfull Sinagoge and vnhappie house of Jacob know thou that when hée shall come into the worlde that is so much desired of men thy fatte flesh shall growe leane and all thy glory shall bée consumed because thou hast bene a Rebell agaynst thy Kyng peruerted the Lawe By the fat flesh of Israell was ment the Patriarches and Prophetes and the glory of Jacob was the renoume they had by reason of the Scepter and Priesthode And yet in place of this fatnes came féeblenes and leanes to this renoume succéeded infamie For after the Passion of Christ they had no more Prophets and much lesse gathered honour or renoume the wordes of Esay being truly and fully accomplished for that after the death of Christ the Citie was destroyed the temple reuersed the priesthood finished the Scepter confounded the lawe expired and the whole people so dispersed that euen till this day they haue not recouered their honour nor restored their common weale Here it is not without misterie that the Prophet sayd that altogether their fatnesse should not bée consumed but that their glory should decline and their fatnesse become leane Geuing to vnderstand that for their greater punishment God would not altogether destroye that people but so appoynted that thorowe out the world and to the end of the world they might wander in sorowe feare captiuitie pouertie desolation dishonour and infamie neither obseruing Law nor acknowledging any Kyng By all these let vs bée taught how much wée are bound to estéeme honour and with what griefe wée ought to féele the losse of it séeing that as GOD doth geue it of his speciall grace so also hée takes it away oftentimes for our offences The Author modestly reprehendeth his friend for not yéelding to his request I Vnderstand Sir that you make no lesse vaunt for denying my request then I was shamefast to desire you which hath giuen mée some occasion of debate eftsones betwéene your authoritie and my iudgement and your frowardnes and my condicion The man that doth ill is but simply wicked but hée that glorieth in his ill is not wythout a Sipirite of the Deuill For as the Condition of the Deuill is inclyned to deceaue so the nature of the vayne and Frowarde is hardlye Corrected and therefore to the Glorious and Obstynate manne it is in vayne to géeue Councell and muche lesse to minister Correction since where reason yéeldes to selfe wyll and Sensualitie suffereth no Councell there the mynde is tourned into Partialytie and all the Senses resolued into Faction I saye thus muche vppon the occasion of my Requeste to you to beare fauour to my Friende to whom much lesse you Ministred any friendeshippe séeing you would not once vouchesafe to bestowe an Aunswere to my Letter an iniurie which I haue felt