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
Aduertisementes and warninges Séeing they are Messengers and Heraldes of God not to amaze and confounde vs but to warne and aduise vs he delyting more to sée our liues amended then to punishe vs according to our faults according to that comfortable text of Dauid Castigans castigauit me dominus sed morti non tradidit me So liberall is the mercie of God my Sauiour towardes me sayth he that albeit he hath threatened to strike me yet he hath not so much as touched me But comming somwhat more particulerly to your estate my purpose that late importunate trauell which you toke in the mariage of your sister your great heauy misfortune in the burning of your house castle the late disagréement and faction betwéene you and your bretherne and this lamentable death of the Marques your Daughter in lawe séeme to me to be thrée plagues most pitifull to heare gréeuous to endure deseruing no lesse compassion then the ten scourges wherewith Egipt was afflicted for that the one were thundered vpō a king tirant the other ministred to a christiā knight Yea the plagues of Egipt were dispersed thorow the whole land where your griefs are altogither within your hart by means wherof where afore you wer holdē but as a christiā you are now of a cōfessor made a martir not so much for the aduersities that are happened as for the patiēce you vse bearing those crosses according to vertue not as mā vnfortunate if you were persecuted as Noe was of the Idolators or as Ioseph by his Bretherne or as the good man Iob by his frends it could not be but very gréeuous though nothing daungerous For that as in the Palaice of Princes who is most Fauoured of the Prince is best estéemed of the People So in the house of God his preferment is greatest whom Christ doth most chastise since to none other ende are the Corrections hee géeues vs then to putte vs in Remembraunce and prepare vs to one pefection God suffered Tobyas to bée Blynde Susanna to suffer Sentence and Daniell to bée Imprisoned not for that hée would them ill but to erpresse the Loue hée bare them this béeinge one propertie in Gods Affection to Chastise those that hée Loueth and leaue others to their Destruction There is no greater Temptation then neuer to bée Tempted and no more sorer Punishement then of GOD neuer to bée Corrected since who receaueth no Afflictions in this Worlde beares a Signe that of GOD hée is muche forgotten Yea the Perplexityes wherewyth GOD vysiteth vs ought rather to bée called Aduertisementes then Punishementes For that they are Disciplines necessarye to our amendement and not Stumblinge Blockes to make vs fall further This made Dauyd say Omnes fluctus tuos induxisti super me All the trauelles and Daungers Oh Lorde which thou weart woont Indifferently to impart to many thou hast now reduced and retourned vppon mée onely Job hauing loste his Goodes his Cattell and his Children sayde and demaunded of GOD Haec sit mihi consolatio vt affligens me dolore no parcas Greater Consolation coulde not the Lorde sende mée in this Worlde then Punishing my faultes to spare no sortes of sorrowe vppon mée for that in a calamitie it is one comfort when men know the vtter most of their mishappes and that they can not bée Puninished further Mihi absit gloriari sayth Saynt Paule Nisi in Cruce Domini Estéeming it no greater glorie then to endure troubles as by that meanes to come to communicate wyth the glorye of Christ It is good the LORD laye his hande vppon vs for that by it wée are ledde to humylitie and taught to enter into the consideration of our selues And the Rewarde and Recompence that God Mynistreth to suche as Obeye and serue him is to suffer them to bée Traueyled in Afflictions since hée knoweth that there is no better Passage to the Eternall Glorye and Felicyties of Heauen then to beare the Crosse of Trybulation here in Earth For through Exercise of Aduersitie menne béecome Humble and béeing often tryed they are the better Iustifyed as the Mettall that passeth thorough many Fiers ryseth more to his fynenesse and Perfection For my parte Sir albéeit I haue not the facultye of a Prophette nor the inspyration of an Apostle Yet I dare assure you that if in Patience you receaue all your perplexities you shall receaue your rewarde wyth others whom GOD hath made happye by Troubles béeing no other thinge the Trybulation of the Iuste then a warning of our faultes and an aduertisemente of that wée ought to doe Wherein speakyng more particulerly I saye that to bée Sorrowfull for the death of your Daughter you haue reason according to Fleshe and Bloude as well for the Opinion of her Vertue Beautie Age and Kyndred as in regarde of the deare affection you bare her But if you consider wythall your Office towardes GOD you haue to thinke that séeing hée hath so ordeyned the beste Sacrifyce you canne Offer is to reste satisfyed wyth his will Not to Murmure of that is done since of necessitie it must bée so nor debate wyth him why hée hath done it for that in his purposes is great Wisedome which in the ende bringes forth all thinges for our beste You must thinke Sir it is a voyage that must bée perfourmed by us all and béeing a Tribute so due hée is vnthankefull that payeth it with grudging Since for this debt wée are taken out of al Debtes and béeing cleared of all Bondes wée remayne for euer most happely layde vp in the Frée felicities of god It was a Lawe amongest the Lidians that the Father Burying his Sonne was not forth wyth comforted till the yeare was past as thinking it too soone to put consolation to so great sorrowes since the hearte that is but newely gréeued can not better bée comforted then to haue tyme to Lamente his losse For that as menne in Sorrowe féele their harmes more gréeuously then that at the firste they canne géeue place to Comfort So there canne bée no greater ease in the perplexities of Fortune then when they sée others Communicate in compassion wyth them This I saye for that where you may thinke I haue written this Letter too late you may wythall knowe that I dyd it rather of Industerie then of forgetfulnesse Wherein because the Experience of the Disposition of heartes heauely Loaden wyth Sorrowe made mée somewhat doubtfull whether out of hande I should comfort your gréene gréeues or deferre them vntill by time they were more apt to receaue Consolation I thought it not vn necessarye to suffer you to Waue in your heauynesse till your Teares somewhat ceassing your hearte might bée also reduced to Capacitie and Iudgement In cases so resolute as Death Menne are not to vse desperate Sorrowe since there is no Remedie to recouer the losse but rather to dissemble the chaunce by discression hauing more néede of Magnanimitie and great courage to
lastly by the libertie of vices suffered in the Cytie That we ought rather to present before God the loue which we beare him then the seruices we doe to him LAzarus one of the notablest of Jerusalem a secret Disciple of Iesus Christ and brother to Martha and Mary being grieuously sicke his sisters wroate to Iesus Christ a letter conteining only these few words Lord he whom thou louest is sicke At the contemplation wherof Iesus Christ not without great contrariety of his folowers and no small perill to his person determined to goe and comfort the two desolate sisters and raise againe Lazarus amazing the world with a miracle right high and execellent And albeit the Pharises were in conspiracy agaynst him the Iewes troubled albeit his Apostles were in feare and his Disciples not well assured yet immediately after hée hadde considered of the Louing Wordes of the Letter hée forgatte all feare and tourned the pre-present view of so many perilles into an inwarde feruencie of zeale and loue And albeit in cases of peticion it can not be amisse to vse perswasions of deuotion at large Yet God knowing the qualetie and intention of the hart requires not so much copye of speach as humilytie of the Spiritte as appeareth by the manner of this Letter which neyther in the beginning nor in the ende nor in the matter conteyned but the wordes aforesayd giuing vs to vnderstand that hauing our loue once fixed in God it suffiseth to make vnto him onely a signe wythout troubling him wyth importunitie of words since such as bée true louers and practisers in the matter of loue ought more to thinke then speake Great is the difference béetwéene the loue which wée beare to Iesus Christ and that hée beareth to vs as is well prooued in the zeale of these two holy women who durst not communicate wyth Iesus Christ the loue that they bare him and much lesse the affeciton of their Brother onely they referred him to the loue which he bare vnto Lazarus saying Hee whom thou louest c. The better to make vs know that if the Lorde dyd not put in the Balance of our iustice some little peyse or wayght of his loue he would giue vs but a little séeing our loue is so small a thing The vayne louers of the Worlde haue this custome to reproche the affection they beare one to an other which much lesse that it is tollerable amongest the seruauntes of God séeing they ought to make so small accompt of their loue as not to demaunde any thing they pretende but by the meane and vertue of his loue For so high souereigne is the commaundement of the loue of God that onely in this mortall life we can not scarsely learne it and in the other world of ioyes fully accomplishe it Facti sumus vt immundi et omnes iusticiae nostrae sum quasi pannus c. Esay speaking of the multitude of his sinnes and his little merit speaking also in the person of sinners cryeth out The sinagogue and I are vncleane and great sinners and what good workes so euer we séeme to haue done after they come to be examined in the sight of God they beare suche staymes infection and corruption that wée finde our owne shame to present them afore him Wherein the Prophete hath great occasion to exclaime that al our desires and affections are fleshely and corrupt séeing that wyth the selfe same harte wherewyth wée ought to loue God wée loue also our Children our neyghbours and our Parentes Yea sometimes wee transferre that affection to our vnlawfull friendes séeking out of one moulde to drawe an apple of Golde and boollettes of earth But the loue which God beares vs is not of such frayle condition séeing as hath bene sayde he loues vs wyth the selfesame zeale he loues himselfe so inuoluing vs in his proper affection that as of himselfe hee is but one so hée hath but one selfe and infallible affection notwythstanding suche as hée fauoureth most hée followeth wyth a stronge zeale and the others wyth a loue not so feruent So that it is good wée stande at this resolution that when the Lords calles vs to accompt wée doe not recommende vnto him the seruices we haue done but rather to put him in remembrance of the great affection wée haue borne him For otherwayes if hée bestowe on vs one onely daye of lyfe it is sufficient for the hire and recompence of all our transitorie time Eme a me aurum ignitum vt locuples fiâ—s Sayth God to the Bishoppe of Laodecia as it is sette downe in the text of the Apocalips Thou which art poore and haste a desire to bee Riche J aduise thee to come and buye of the fyne Golde whiche I haue freshly purifyed and drawne out of the furnace and doe keepe it wythin my treasurie What meaneth this that the Lorde hath spoken that who wyll not renounce all that hée Possesseth canne not bée his Disciple and yet hee inuites vs to his shoppe to buye fyne Golde And albéeit hée Commaunde vs to buye any thing why muste it necessaryly bée Golde though the Ware wée buye bée Golde why ought it to bée so fyne and béeing so fyne wherefore perswades hée vs to buye it onely of him And comming to buye it of him why doth hee Sell it so flaming and Burning And although wée muste buye it Burning why hath hée not sette a Pryce and Weyght if of And séeing hée inuites men to buye it why doth hée not sette it out wyth more prayse and Commendation But suche are the gratious meanes and bountie of the Lorde the hée speakes not to vs as a Mayster to his Seruauntes but as a Brother vsinge the Nature and Phrase of a very famyliar and gracious friende By this wée haue to consider that by how muche Golde is a thing most estéemed beste béeloued and of all other Ryches wyth greatest importunitie desired by so much loue is the vertue that most delyghtes vs that aboue all other wée honour and that more then any other doth content vs For the harte that is inflamed wyth the loue of God makes a base Estimation of all the other Ryches and Treasures of the Worlde And of all the Particuler thinges vnder Heauen loue coulde not bée better resembled then to Golde nor Golde more Equaly Compared then to loue For a there is nothing how ryche so euer it bée which is not to bée bought wyth Golde so if loue bée the worker there is nothing so harde and difficult which by the operation of loue is not made easie and passible where by it foloweth that the hart which is wounded with loue takes his rest solace in seruice in reaposing takes paine and trauel And therfore he that loueth and makes difficulty to doe that he is commauÌ„ded searcheth excuse in things he is required that man deserueth not to be called a louer but a scorner such one hath no harte of Gold but a
the Prophet was culpable for vsing scilence and Cayn condemned because he spake by which we may gather the great necessitie we haue of wisdome to vse time to speake and time to suffer scilence For as the trée is known by his fruite the vertue of a man discerned by his workes so in his wordes and spéeche are disclosed the qualitie of his wisedome or simplicitie And as Iesus Christ in all his actions was no lesse pacient to heare then moderate in speaking so we finde not in scripture that he euer deliuered worde in vaine nor neuer helde his peace but for feare of slaunder And although it be a miserable compulsion to vse scilēce in things which we haue desire to disclose yet considering scilence bringes sewerty and conteines in it selfe many other goodly thinges let vs stand restrained to the two seasons which Socrates aloweth without reprehension the one is when we speake of that which we manifestly know and the other when we haue in hande thinges necessary In which two times onely as speache is better then Scilence so in all other Seasons experience approueth that we ought to preferre scilence afor speaking To what purpose or intentions tended all the speaches of Iesus Christ THe wordes of our Sauiour tended eyther to the prayse of his Father as when he humbled himselfe in this speach Confiteor tibi pater or to teach men what they ought to do when he sayd Beati mites or else to reprehend wickednesse and sinne when he cried vae vobis legis peritis So that when he was not occupied to giue prayse and glorie to his Father nor to preach doctrine nor to rebuke vices it was then he was setled in a deuout and holy scilence The Hebrewes led him to their consistories a fore thrée iudges that is to say they brought him to the Palaice before Herod to the Bishops house before Annas to the trée of the crosse before his Father at which place only he spake and in the others he vsed scilence and therefore afore the two first tribunals he was accused of crime because he held his peace standing as aduocate afore the thirde he spake And albeit right great infinit were the works which our Redéemer did from the time he was taken till he was crucified yet his wordes were fewe and his spéeches in very small number the better to teach vs that in time of tribulation and aduersitie we ought more to séeke our consolation in a holy and deuout patience then to preferre or expresse great eloquence Christ then being vpon the hill of Caluary not onely condemned to death but very nere the passion of the same hauing his flesh pearced with nayles his hart burning in zeale and loue cryed to his father Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt as if he had sayd Oh eternall father in recompence that I am come into the worlde and in consideration of the preaching that I haue made of thy name In satisfaction of the paynes and crucifying that I endure and in respect that I haue reconciled the world to thée I require no other reward but that it may be thy good pleasure to pardon these mine enemies who haue sinned to the end I should dye and I suffer death because they may liue Forgeue them since thou knowest and all the world séeth that in my bloud is payde and satisfied their crime with my charitie I haue raysed and put them in my glory so that let my death be sufficient to the end that no other death haue more place in the world Pardon them since thou knowest that the death which triumphed in the crosse and by the which I am nailed to the same is crucified heare in this trée by meanes wherof oh euerlasting Father I beséech thée estéeme more the charity wherein I dye for them then the malice by the which they prosecute my death Forgeue them Oh heauenly Father since if thou considerest these my enemies in the nature and merite of their sinnes there will not be founde in the furies of Hell tormentes worthye enough to punishe them Then better is it Oh gracious Father that thou Pardon them since that as there was neuer the lyke faulte committed so shalt thou neuer haue occasion to vse the like mercie And séeing my death is sufficient to saue all such as are borne or to bée borne those that are absent present deade and on liue It is no reason that these heare should be shutte out from that benefite being a thing of most equitie iustice and right that as my bloud is not spilt but with thy consent so also by thy hands it should be well employd In this we haue to note that Christ sayd not Lorde pardon them but he sayde Father forgeue them as discribing this difference betwéene those two estates that to a Lorde belonges properly to haue Bondemen Subiectes and Vassalls and the name of a Father presupposeth to haue children so that he required his Father not to iudge them as Lorde but besought him to pardon them as a Father Christ also sayde not condicionally Father if it be thy pleasure forgeue them but he prayed absolutely after himselfe had forgeuen them that his Father would Pardon them by which example we are put in remembraunce that the reconcilement which we make with our Enemies ought to be pure absolute and without affection Besides our Redéemer sayd not singulerlie Father Pardon him but he spake plurally by which we may be informed that as he prayed not particularly for any one in priuate but generally for all so his blood dispersed on the crosse was not only sufficiēt to redéem one onely Worlde but to satisfie the Raunsome of a Million of Worldes And out of this misterie may be drawne this construction that our Sauiour praying generally for all expresseth himselfe so liberall to geue and so mercifull to pardon that when he forgeues a sinner any offence he pardoneth with all his other crimes It is not also without misterie that Christ sayd not I forgeue them but besought his Father to Pardon them For that if the Sonne onely had pardoned them after his death the Father might haue demaunded the iniurie because that if the Sonne had forgeuen them he had done it as a man where the execution of the iustice remayned in God but as the deuine worde yea the liuing Lorde hath perfourmed this pardon with so true a hart so hath he not suffered that there remaine in it any scrupule And therefore he besought his Father to pardon them to the end that by the humanitie which he endured and diuinitie which suffered it his enemies might be at the instant absolued and we others haue hope to obteine remission ¶ That when CHRIST our Lord gaue pardon he left nothing to forgeue IN lyke sort we haue to note that Iesus Christ required not his Fathere to pardon them after his death but besought him to forgeue them at the instant
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
and worthie Charitie the same being well expressed in the day of his Passion when neyther the tormentes of his bodie nor the wickednesse of his People could restraine the course of his great loue wherewith he Prayed for such as Crucifyed him and pardone those that offended him Yea he prayed not onely for his Apostles and Disciples but also for all the faythfull that beléeued in him and loued his Father with whom as he was one selfe thing in Diuinitie so he prayed to his Father that all such as beléeued might be in him one body misticall through Charitie Great was the loue of Iesus Christ in the wordes of his petition to his Father séeing that albeit we were not then borne no nor our farre auncient Fathers yet he besought his Father in great feruencie for the estate of all his Church euen no lesse then for those that dyd communicate with him in the Supper So that as he dyed for all so he prayed for all By which we haue good reason to beléeue that séeing be remembred vs afore we came into the world he will also kepe care ouer such as are employed in his seruice If Christ had not loued vs with that Charitie and prayed for vs in such feruencie of zeale what had become of vs Sure if there be in the Church of God at this present any obedience patience charitie humilitie or any abstinence or continencie it ought all to be atributed to that loue which Christ expressed in the prayer that he commended to his Father for vs Redéeming with his bloud our disfauour and with his praier he restored vs eftsoones to an estate of Grace and reconcilement To loue those that are present and such as are absent to beare affection to the Quicke and remember such as are Dead happeneth often is naturall but to loue such as are to come and not yet borne is a zeale that neuer was hearde of but in the person of our Redéemer who prayeth for such as liue wickedly and loueth good men although they are not yet borne In worldly thinges so straight is the copulation and vnitie betwéene lyfe and death loue and hate him that doth affect and the thing affected that al takes end together and in one houre But to the frendship that Iesus Christ beares vs belonges an other qualetie for that his loue tooke beginning afore the foundation of the world and will not ende no not at the day of iudgement In this Letter is debated the difference betweene a seruaunt and a frende FInding in your last Letter more matter worthie of rebuke then méete to be answered I am bolde to geue you this Councel that in causes of importance the Penne is not to bée vsed afore the matter be wel debated lest others take occasion to iudge of your domges and your selfe be denied of that you demaunde This is also to bee obserued in speaking to any personage of estate wyth whom we ought not to Communicate but with feare reuerence and modestie By your Letter you wishe me to be your Mayster and withall would chuse me to be your frende Two estates no lesse different in qualitie then incompatible in one person and most vnlyke in office for that a frende is chosen by wil and a Mayster is taken by necessitie A frende will consider but a Mayster must be serued A frende geues of liberalitie but a Lorde demaundes by authoritie a Mayster hath libertie to be Angrie but it belonges to a frende to suffer And a frende pardoneth but a Mayster punisheth So that the comparison béeing so different it cannot be possible that being your Master I should beare vnto you the due respects of a frende since if I be your Mayster you are bounde to serue me feare me follow me and obey me Offices preiudiciall to the prerogatiues of a frende and against the laws of that libertie and frée souereignetie which the hart of man desireth To require me with such rashenesse to be your frende is sure to demaunde of me the most precious Iewell I haue in the worlde For to be your frende is to binde me to loue you all my lyfe deuiding my hart into youres and making you euen an other moytie with my selfe true frendship being none other thing then an vnfayned consent of will and affections and a transportation of two hartes into one bodie And therefore two frendes if they will loue and liue in the true obseruations of frendship ought to speak but wyth one Tongue and loue with one harte yea they ought to Communicate together in one substance and rate of lyfe and not grudge to suffer in common one perculier and singuler death Amongest frendes what is suffered of the one ought not to be intollerable to the other and albeit their thoughtes be proper to themselues yet their persons their goodes and fortunes ought alwayes to be common One frende ought not to say to an other I will not or I cannot since it is principall priueleadge in frendship to finde nothing impossible Therefore who ioynes in frendship with an other bindes himselfe not to denie the thing that he demaundes nor to vse excuse in any thing that his frende requires him to doe since in this consistes the full office of frendship to owe to our frendes euen our selues and all that we haue By the Councell of Seneka the wise and discréete man ought to admitte but one frende forséeing withall as neare as he can to haue no enemie at all For sayth he if there be daūger in enemies there can be no suretie in the multitude of frendes since in respect of their nomber they bréede difference of consent and will with varietie of condicions and where is no conformitie of manners there can be no perfection in frendship So straight is the rule of frendship that of many that professe liberall affection there are fewe that performe it being an office perticuler to the Children of vanitie to haue readie tongues to promise and slowe handes to performe True frendes are bounde to féele the aduersities of their frendes with no lesse affection then if they had proper interest in them yea it belonges to them to minister remedie to their necessities and geue comfort to their miseries estéeming it to apperteine to their dutie to communicate in all the fortunes of their frendes The same agréeing with the resolution of Eschinus the Philosopher who being asked what was the greatest perplexitie of this lyfe aunswered that to loase thinges which we haue got with paine and to be deuided from that which we loue are the greatest afflictions that can trauell a humaine minde The frende whom we chuse ought aboue all other thinges to be discréete to the ende he may Councell vs and of habilitie and wealth the better to administer to our necessities and lackes For other wayes if he beare no aduise and iudgement wée shall want Councell to gouerne our prosperitie and if he be pore what meane is there to
christians for that they are and beare the name of christians He had not sure erected this Edict had hee not bene well informed of the innocency and iustice of such as followed christian religion and had some taste by the doctrine of Quadratus and Aristides of the reasons appertaining to the mistery of the gospel For he deuised to builde Temples dedicated to the seruice and woorshipping of Christ wherein his counsell restrayned hym alleadginge that in that example woulde be generall conuersion to christianitie In this may be discerned the conscience of his councellours who stoode vpon no other impediments but a certain feare that by that meane the multitude would come to the knowledge of the truth Those tēples that he did build were not subect to idolatrie neither would he suffer customes of superstition beeing for those respectes called the temples of Adrian Marcus Antonius Aurelius declared in fauour of the christians that they worshipped the immortal God he gaue libertie to whom would be a christian and forbad expressely that they should be molested The Emperour Alexander Seuerus published a lawe in grace of the christians that they should not be persecuted and much lesse restrained to vse publike conference and action of their religion he had hanging in his Oratorie the Image of a Crucifix and deuised to builde a Temple wherein Christ should be worshipped but he suffered many impedimentes that drew him from it All this was wrought by Gods prouidence foreséeing that the Sauiour of the worlde shoulde not be put amongst other false Gods. This Prince in all his deuises and spéeches had great familiaritie wyth this principall point of christian discipline Not to do to an other that which he would not haue done to himself wherin was good declaration that his conscience could not denie that truth which those men professed that were persecuted of the world Valerius Maximus the Emperour was a great vexer of the christians yet the truth of the gospell and the chastisementes of God which he had bitterly felt made him oftentimes reuoke the straight and seueare Edictes which he had ordeined against the christians giuinge libertie to who would professe the state and opinion of christianitie and they not to be vexed by any persecutions All these men and great Princes were sworne ennemies to the religion and died in their ignorance and blindnes whose testimonies are of no small effect against the ennemies of Christ For when they ceased to vexe and persecute the church and beare fauour to the christians it procéeded of none other motion thē of the puretie of religion and of the iustice and innocencye of those that professed it together with their constancie in all actes of vertue bearing withal a setled hatred to all vices They saw also the sundry maruelles and prodigious things which were don daily for the reformation of that doctrine and felt the anger of GOD and his chastisementes thundered vppon such as persecuted the churche So that it séemes that in those thinges was a spirit enforcinge those mightie Princes to testifie for that doctrine and beare fauour to it to the ende that on all sides errour and falsehoode might be driuen away as béeing not hable to remaine where the lighte of the gospell should dispearse his beames In that time when the gospell began to be planted and sowen and that the name of a christian was so dearely solde to him that bare it the prouidence of God raised a meane to remoue the crosse from the churche to the end shée were not so oppressed with persecutions as not to haue leasure to recouer breath and eftsones take fresh courage Thys respitte was giuen by the meanes to haue conuersation with the Pagans and yet remained from the Emperour Tiberius vntill Nero who was the first that persecuted the primatiue churche yea this persecution brought greate slaughter to the christians euen to the principalles of the church and Christes Disciples hauinge brought to perfection their race and course and accomplished all those thinges that appertained to their time and for the which they had bene myraculously preserued The Emperour Domitian contynued this affliction and by him notwythstandinge the goodnesse of GOD wroughte a meane to cease and remoue all those tormentes for that by the hate which Domitian boare to the doinges of his predecessour Nero he with the Senate brake all the statutes and ordenances of Nero By which was ministred to the churche good oportunitie to reenter into comforte and courage bringinge some reste to the gospell the better to haue it communicated in some sewertie and to plant it with greater power So that in good viewe and consideration of these affaires and actions we may discerne in these discourses of the christian church a woonderfull fauour and prouidence of GOD séekinge on the one side to proue and examine his churche by a rigorous crosse shewinge her the traces and steppes of her Sauiour to the ende to followe hym and on the other side he exhibited a Fatherly loue and incomprehensible prouidence making her truly to se that neither the furie of the kingdome of Sathan nor the rage of his ministers are sufficient to supplant and roote it out of the worlde yea hauinge on her part the infinitte power of GOD she shall stande eternally and yet the worlde not know the meane how she is preserued By this meane also may bee discerned how readily and feruently the yre of GOD is kindled againste the aduersaries of the gospell séeinge that all the Romaine Emperours which persecuted it suffered wicked and monstrous endes As of the contrary such as were moderate and temperate founde fauour with GOD and were lesse punnished of the world laying them in comparison wyth Nero Domitian and such other like Princes whom the Deuill helde in hys deuotion to persecute the churche By these meaness the Prymatiue churche was mayntained sometimes in one estate sometimes in an other vntill the raigne of Julian the Apostat who being a christian in hys beginninge was seduced by Libinius Sofista his schoolmaister to abandon Christian faith and restore Paganry together wyth the sacrifices and superstitions which had bene abolished by the lighte of the gospell By these it is woonderfull to see howe christian faith encreased séeinge the impedimentes of persecution that were raised against it But much more are to be woondered at the respytes succours and comfortes which euen her proper ennemyes ministred vnto her as well appeareth no lesse by the relation of those myghty Princes Emperours before declared then also by the persecution of this Iulian in whom Gods prouidence wrought no lesse benefitte and fauour then in any of the rest séeing that notwithstandinge this Prince persecuted the church with greater arte and hate then any of his predecessours yet God forbare not to raise her into an estate of great spirituall prosperitie this tirant séeing as well in his life as his death euident tokens that God was his enemie For euen in his time the gospell was
them agaynst the suttleties suggestions and illusions of the deuill So that there is no dout but this people was chosen to be a grayne wherein should be preserued the puritie of the séede of the doctrine the assurance of the mercy of god seruing withal to declare how wonderfull God is in his works to remaine as a mirror to all natiōs to serue honor but one God confounding al other Gods as faulse and of the deuil In effect God saw good to continue the roote and stocke of his truth to his people whom he had chosen to the ende the worlde might know that he drue to him his people by other meanes then did the deuil wyth whom it hath ben alwaies familiar to lay snares and suttle traps to intice the frayltie of men Ouer this people of god Abraham was chosen chiefe and leader as afore him were appointed Seth and Noe. But Abraham being a Chalde and lyuing amongest an Idolatrous Nation God sawe good to make a choyse of him and call him to himselfe cōmaunding him to abandon his countrey and kindred and go whether he would guide him promising to make him great yea euen a mightie ruler ouer a large people All this conteynes as yet nothing but misteries of the diuine wisedome and of workes of iustice and mercie For first God chused for chieftayne of his people a man who may serue for example to all posterities succéeding him for Fayth Loue Obedience Truth Iustice Pacience Charitie knowledge of Sinne and lastly for all whatsoeuer may concerne the Honour and glory of God and his Seruice He was called of God to Serue as an example to his newe People and all others and in whome God would expresse wyth what fauour support and ayde he followeth those that serue and honour him To him all Princes and principall guides of people ought to confyrme and referre their councels actions for God loues such as he as he was But now to retourne to Abraham God commaunded him to forsake his countrey and the Religion of the Chaldees Wherein first of all he shewed how hatefull that people was to him for renouncing his worde yea the more fully to Punishe them he tooke from them the Companie of a Personage which had knowledge of this Diuinitie and frueth of his worde This is it that the Prophete meanes saying Wee haue Ministred Medicines to Babylon and yet shee hath receiued no Cure and after wee haue abandoned her euery one c. Euenso the obstinacie of the Chaldees agaynst the Doctrine of Abraham deserued to bée forsaken as a thing abandoned of the Phisitions Secondly it may be sayd that Abraham was withdrawen from his Countrey for that for the most part God bears vnto his such proportion of fauor that he withdrawes them from il companies consequently from the punishments and corrections which he holdes readie to thunder vpon the heades of the wicked By that meane he drue Lot out of Sodom and preserued Helias in the time of famine shewing in them the great care and speciall prouidence he hath ouer those that serue him Thirdly in this euocation of Abraham is taught how néedeful it is to such as séeke to be of the nomber of Gods People to be deuided and drawne from vices and that they fixe not vppon the abuses of this world séeing they ought to be a People seperate and Subiect to no Communitie or traffyke wyth Sinners and Idolators For that cause the Scripture calleth the Children of God Banished and seperate from all men Esay also Exhorteth the Faythfull to retyre from the Companie of the wicked but specialsy suche as are Gods Seruauntes and Sacrifycators ordeyued to accomplishe the Statutes and Commaundementes of god Abraham issued out of the Region of the Chaldees vppon the assuraunce of Gods Promises to make him a guide leader of a mightie people and wythall to purchase such renoume and fauor that who blessed that people should be blessed who accursed them should partake with the same and that out of his séed should issue he that should bring felicitie and blessing to all the nations and kinreds of the earth This promise is a reuiuing of that which had béene made to Adam and Heua whereof the certayntie séemes to bée so much the more great by how much God assigneth the Séede out of the which should issue the Messias and Sauiour of the Worlde By this may be considered the great rewarde that such may hope for as followe the Lorde béeing called to the obedience of his Commaundements and are withdrawne from the delights and vanities of the worlde to followe bitter thinges and of harde disgestion For as God sheweth the fauor he beareth them chusing them for his seruice and aduaunsing them a-aboue all others So doth he also expresse the perticular care he hath ouer his chosen whom if he aduaunce on one behalfe he doth also priueleadge on an other But notwithstanding all those promises Abraham forbare not to endure much and to beare his Crosse wyth much trouble following alwayes the eternall will to shew that the bountie and iustice of God are pefect in all his workes And albeit he liued in great perplexitie and pouertie and suffered many tribulations and persecutions yet God deliuered him and made him prosper that he was riche mightie and victorious ouer his enemies This is the true Image of the way of God and truth and to it God calles vs wyth milke and delytes as nursses vse to intice little Children to the ende we know that all his wayes are founded vpon mercie and trueth and that he is vpright in his worde to the iust leauing vs to folow him by that way obey him as knowing his will to be readie enclined to our health and benefite the same béeing the true ende and purpose for the which he hath chosen vs to serue his turne of vs. Touching the crosse and persecution which Abraham suffered they weare necessarye to his felicitie For God vseth to proue our fayth to showe by effect what loue wée beare him and what patience and Charitie wée haue shewing wythall how much the worlde is our enemie declaring it selfe for such one in all his actions and that God onely hath created and redéemed vs and onely ministreth all fauour to vs to the ende wée should call him to our ayde in our necessities and confesse him whereby the remorce and féeling we haue of his mercie may enflame vs to yéeld him thanks And that our fayth béeing tryed by the fire of tribulation and temptation the vertue of our patience may encrease and our hope growe stronger dayly to resiste Sinne and the Worlde vnder Assuraunce and Confydence of the Bowntie of God. So that Abraham a man iuste was led in these Accidentes somtimes in glorie and sometimes in tribulation by the Contemplation of whose lyfe all Christians may know how God handleth his chosen and of what Condition hée will chuse them and wyth what courage hée
to entertaine and féede our pompes And albeit euery one is bound to procure that is necessary for him yet withall hée ought to take héede not to affect or aspire to superfluitie séeing if pouertie proue the patience of a good man aboundance carieth light spirites into vaine glory and presumpcion Yea many there are who if they had not fulnesse of wealth they would not with such swiftnesse followe vice and sinne for that riches are readie instrumentes to vanitie and apt cloakes to couer foule actions I allow not for all this that men should bée negligent to prouide things necessary for the vse of this life séeing the néedie man can neuer haue too great contentment But great is Gods goodnes to that man to whom he hath geuen acompotent hauiour enough to kéepe him from shameful pouertie neither suffring want for the necessary supplie of his life nor yet wallowing in that aboundance that may lead him to his destruction I am tolde Sir of the great pleasure you take and the many rewardes you haue geuen to the messenger that brought you the newes of my election to a Bishoppricke Wherein I estéeme your liberallitie much but consent no whit to the ioy and gladnes you féele For that if you knew aswell as I what charge lieth vppon the gouernement of soules you would be more sory for my insufficencie then glad that I haue accepted the dignitie assuring you that such is the qualety of gouernemente of common weales and specially that of the Churche that being of many desired it is of few well exercised It belonges to him that gouerneth to bée learned the better to knowe what hée doth Wise to find out how hée ought to doe it Discréete to attend and take the oportunitie and resolute in the action of iustice without corruption or feare of any otherwayes hée shall but bring paynes to his person and leaue daunger to his common weale All these condicious may bée of one man desired but they are hardly foūd to méete in many For to speake in truth and libertie there is no man so good in whom is not some faulte to bée corrected and many imperfections to bée remedied And therefore for one man to call an other vertuous without flatterie it is to giue him the greatest title of the worlde séeing it is found by experience that the name of vertuous is of many desired but of very fewe deserued It is not without sorowe to good men to sée many vaine and glorious mindes nowe a dayes delited to bée honoured vppon the superscription of Letters with these titles most high most mightie most magnificall or most reuerent estéeming it to dishonour if most vertuous bée put in and leauing that title not for a Noble man but for personages of meane estate To such men I aunswere that to call a man most high belonges to a Kyng to bée intituled most mightie belonges to a Viceroy to beare the name of most magnificall belonges to be a man of great estate and to bée written right Reuerent it behoueth him to bée a great Prelate but to bée called vertuous it is first requisit that he be good Therfore in the accompt of reputation it is more worthy to be called vertuous then Noble or reuerent For that the one title discends together with the dignitie the other is the reward of the vertue which we vse So that it fals out in good experiēce that this title of vertuous is of many desired and not greatly deserued I assure you sir I am already so full with the trauell of gouernement and to be a Bishop that if as I haue determined it with reason I could conclude it with opinion I would with as good hart refuse the charge as others would accept it with gladnes For that my naturall inclination beares more to séeke out the swéetenesse of Philosophie then to trauell in the bitter perplexities of pollicie In this many will say I write against my selfe for that such vaine worldlinges as I am employe not our skill and studie to search onely mediocretie to liue by but to gather superfluities to serue our appetites following not reason but opinion And many doe I knowe in this world now a dayes to whom of that little they haue there would yet remayne some thing if they had none to content but themselues but their endes tending more to satisfie that which their neighbours may saye then to accomplish thinges which they are bound to doe neyther the inheritance of their parents nor the vse of their friendes can suffize their prodigallitie And therefore both troublesome daungerous and chargefull is the estate of Princes and great Lordes For that to get riches they are alone but the deuiding and partition of the same is subiect to the will of many Yea in that respect they are no other then trivutaries and subiectes since that of all that they possesse most commonly they haue the vse but of the least part Wherein Marcus Aurelius writing to a deare friend of his vseth this discourse Many times it is agréeable enough that a man doe what hée would but neuer is it lawfull to doe that hée ought not For to make warre against men is oftentimes glory but to bée at controuersie with reason is alwayes attributed to follie There bée many men wise but more bée fooles and the greatest foote of all is hée who béeing at rest in his house searcheth with diligence elsewhere troubles trauayles and perplexities For that for the most part hée reapes no other fruite of the offices and estates which hée searcheth abrode then to suffer continually payne care and griefe at home There is no doubt that to bée Emperour of Rome is not a greatnes aboue all the estates of the worlde But waighing wyth his countenaunce and Maiestie the cares and infelicities that are annexed to the seate there is farre greater securitie to followe a priuate lyfe then to manage the affayres and trauayles of a Kyngdome And because good Pution thou art so neare mée in friendshippe and opinion I will debate it franckly wyth thée though not so much for that thou desirest to knowe it yet because it bringes ease to my harte to communicate my Fortune as in all aduersities it is one chiefe comfort when men knowe the vttermost of their mishappes But thus was the case The Emperour Anthonius adopting mée to his Sonne in Lawe gaue mée to wyfe his Daughter and for a Dowrie endued mée wyth the Empire two thinges very honorable and euen so not a little troublesome For that to the gouernement of the Empire is tied great payne and trauayle and in Faustine my wyfe is great difficultie of moderation and modestie Herein thou hast no reason to maruayle so much of that I write to thée now as to wonder wyth what discretion I haue so long time suffered it assuring thée that the trauayles of the Kyngdome shorten my lyfe and the libertie of my wyfe diminished mine
and yet there comes an heire whom they thought not vppsn who wyth great delyte reioyseth in the fruite and vse of all their paynefull trauels It is a iust Sentence that such as haue beguyled many should reape the recompence of their abuses since Gods iustice goeth by measure and hath regarde to the equitie of thinges wythout Parciallitie to persons It is no indifferencie that that which a wicked Father hath heaped for on heire alone by the preiudice of many goodmen should be enioyed by him many yeares for that the line to measure all thinges ought to be equall and goodes gotten by shyfte are for the most part lost wyth shame the same falling out in common experience that what the wicked Father wins wyth studie and sorrow the vnthryftie sonne wastes in Solace and Negligence And what the one Plantes in toyle and care the other remooues in ease and welfare béeing a Lawe in Gods iustice that the Prodigall Sonne should scorne at the sighes of his Couetous Father You séeme according to the figure of the Scripture for the silling of one Patte of Water to wade continually wetshood in the lake of this miserable Worlde You drye vp the noritour of your brayne wyth the fume of sighs You breake your bodye wyth the toyles of this lyfe and aduenture your honour to fyll but one Iarre or Pitcher wyth Water and yet lyke as for the time you liue it will not quench your appetite so in the ende you will be dryuen to dye of Thirst and the Potte which wyth so great payne you haue fylled in your lyfe shall after your death be broken against the walles of a prodigall heire who will laugh to sée it runne as a ryuer and reioyce to water the streates wyth the Ryches that you Locked full dearely in your sewrest Chestes Remember that he is not Ryche that possesseth much goodes but he whose desires are satisfyed and his minde contented The liberall man liues in beste securitie for that his liberalitie continues his friendes and reclaimes his enemies And Golde and Siluer giue better renoume to those that spende them then to such as hoard them vp for that couetousnesse makes the hoarders to bée hated where liberalitye draweth loue to the spender By these I wishe you to be aduised that gayne and getting are weake pillors to vpholde good name for that Couetousnesse and honor are of themselues contrarye and can holde no congruencie together in one man All the vices of this worlde haue in themselues some taste except Couetousnesse which bringes griefe for the goodes that others haue and Ielousie and suspition for the riches that are euen vnder our owne handes For to be riche it belonges also to haue the fruition of riches the same giuing pleasure to such as can take it as the possession serueth to such as can vse it The perplexities of the couetous man are to suspect his Seruauntes and distrust his kindred to set Espyalles ouer his Wyfe and doubt his Children to bée fearefull of the thiefe and to be Ielouse euen of his owne shaddowe Yea he is so miserable that he settes more garde of his money then of his person He takes no pleasure but in casting his Reckoninges in Compting his Siluer in Selling his Wares and in multiplying his Commodities estéeming it as his Paradice to bée alwayes gayning and neuer spending to bée alwayes winninig and neuer loasing to bée alwayes receiuing and neuer lending and to be alwayes getting as though he should neuer dye But when there is question to disburse money though it be for thinges necessarie Oh then he is as farre from modestye as he is full of malice accursing to the Diuell both Wyfe Children and Familie and in that Passion hée estéemes suche to deceaue him most in whom hée hath greatest reason to repose Confydence and who in deede are the best Stewardes and Husbandes of his commodityes So that if Couetous men would Consider what a swéete thing Lyberalitye is they would tourne their desires to gayne much into a disposition to géeue more for that it is not of so great value that which the Liberall man doth géeue as is his recompence Séeing that for the pleasure hée doth to anye hée is to Redemaunde the Trybute of his Libertie Yea the Liberall man is the Lorde ouer those People where hee lyueth and the leader of all suche as haue to doe wyth him For that their Recompence béeing certayne there are none wyll denye him their Seruice Where to the Nygarde and Couetous man where one wyll heare him manye wyll feare him where none wyll speake to him manye wyll auoyde him Where none wyll geeue him any thing many wyll practise agaynst him Where none will visitte him many will abhorre him where none wyll employe him many wyll accurse him Yea who wyll Demaunde any thing of the Couetous man that denyeth all thinges to himselfe or how hath he a mynde to succour Straungers that is not touched in Conscience to suffer his owne to Starue Manye Couetous men doe wée sée now a dayes to whom God geeues Power to gette Ryches Pollecye to kéepe them Heartes to defende them Lyfe to possesse them but not Lybertye to reioyce and vse them So that though they bee Lordes ouer the Ryches of others yet they are Slaues euen to that whiche themselues Possesse Wherein I am of Opinyon that by so muche more Excellent is Honeste Pouertie then Cursed Couetousnesse By how muche the Poore man is contented wyth Little where to the Richeman a great deale seemes nothing And therefore what mynde canne bée more Myserable then to sighe for the goodes of an other more by desire then by default The gréedie mynde caryeth no Disposition to Spende vppon his Parentes and friendes séeing hée accomptes that Stolne which hée employeth of himselfe Therefore it is a false Witnesse to call the couetous man rich since it is not he that hath riches but rather riches are maisters of him For the which he takes no small paine to get them vseth as great care to kéepe them and suffereth no lesse griefe to forgoe them Yea I accompt not the couetous riche men so happie as the pore labourer and deluer of the earth For that wyth his mattocke the one drawes reliefe and noriture out of the earth and the other wretchedly hydes in the earth his treasure and felicitie and how secretly so euer it is hyd yet he standes not so suspicious of any as of himselfe For if he haue two keyes to his Chest to kéepe his money from stealing he suffereth ten cares in his harte to kéepe him from spending So that the care being great to kéep and the griefe no lesse to loase I wishe all men well aduised how they beginne to get since to saue a little of their wealth they are subiect to put in hazarde much of their honor Therefore who will be reuenged of a richeman can wish him no greater passion then
mind fashioned of Drosse and fylth Séeing that in the house of God and where his loue is in office there ought to bée no Excuse of thinges Required nor Denyall to doe that is commaunded Oh that God giues a great grace to that man on whom hee béestoweth a hearte of massiue and weightye Golde as of the contrarie wretchednesse is his portion whose hearte is vayne light and hollow agaynst such men the Prophet beares witnesse Cor eorū vanum est For that the harte is the furnace wherein are framed all our desires and passions and the fordge whereon are Beaten all our trauelles and actions God sayth then that that which hée selleth vnto vs is no other thing then gold enflamed that is Gold Purifyed and Burning Wherein is géeuen vs to know that from that instant that the Loue of God hath touched our heart it wyll alwayes burne it will alwayes praye it wyll alwayes sight and it wyll neuer cease to loue The loue of God beeinge of suche Qualetie that in what mynde so euer hée makes hys aboade hée wyll not suffer to remayne any ill wickednesse or idlenesse Golde enflamed is sewer the loue of the Lorde séeing that with his sparcklinge flames it kindleth our vnderstanding enflameth our harte warmeth our will and burneth to ashes our offences Yea at the heat of that fire the elect are warmed and the reprobat smothered but the zeale of the louers of the worlde is not Golde enflamed for that it is entangled wyth this propertie to Burne wythout warming and to make Weary wythout resting it scorcheth and not purifyeth it terryfyeth and not assureth and killeth wythout remedie The mettall which is solde in the shoppe of the worlde is not Golde but Leade is not substaunce but scumme yea it is rather drosse then Golde séeing that such as loue wyth the affection of the worlde are euen those that come out of it in the end most smeared and corrupted The loue which the Lorde selleth is not onely Gold enflamed but very well refined and proued The first profe passing in himselfe in the trée of the Crosse and receiued Confyrmation by the Martyrdome of Saynt Peter and others by whose passions and torments the loue of Iesus Christ was well ratified and approued Quando apostoli ibant à conspectu concilij quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Jesu cōtumeliam pati Right worthely was approued within their hartes the loue of Christ séeing they went to their execution better contented and glad then all the Princes of the world when they go to receiue the crowne of a kingdome Right well was approued the loue of Iesus Christ within the hart of S. Paule when he sayd ego Paulus vinctus in domino holding him selfe more happie to be fettred in chaines for the loue of God then if he had bene raysed to the greatest principalitie of the earth Touching the loue of the world frayle and vaine wyth greater reason we may call it reproued then approued séeing one man loues not an other but for respect of interest and commoditie So that as the seruants of God loue him with all their power including no other reason then the consideration of his greatnes and mercie So worldly men loue one an other no longer nor no more then there is possibilitie of gaine and recompence and therefore deserueth to be called and affection reprobate for that it beares regard to the benefit and not to the matter In this part of the text we haue also to consider that the Lord willeth vs not to buy gold of any other then of him offring it to vs of him selfe both purified and burning and all to instruct vs that it is he only of whom we are to obtaine grace to loue him and loue to serue him Besides this gold of the loue of the Lord will not be communicated to vs for nothing least we should estéeme it little Neither is it to be sold to vs at a deare price to the end we refuse it not and much lesse will it bée prised because it is without value and estimation onely all that is required of vs is that we retribute vnto the Lord loue for loue and giue our affection in recompence and change of his And séeing our loue is ambicious and blind in worldly things and altogether caried to light and strange desires Let not that man thinke hée giues little who vnto Iesus Christ giues his whole hart And he since he selleth not to vs but loue sincere and holy let vs not in enterchange returne to him affections fained infected and doubtfull great is the zeale of Christ who being loue and the better to lead our affections he teacheth vs how to loue The Lord make vs as we ought to be to the end we may the better minister to his commaundements and seruice and séeing hée is the true Lord that hath made vs of earth and referred vs eftsones to the destinie of the earth and that we haue nothing to giue in exchange for his loue of gold but a small affection and that cankared and infected Let vs beséech him that our corrupt drosse may be made acceptable to him and his precious and purified gold become profitable to our saluation A short Letter partly in rebuke and partly in perswasion WHen the miserie of others wil not make you kéepe a meane with your fortune nor the experience of harmes past touch you in example and warning I sée no other safetie remayning then may be hoped for in a ship who tossed with many stormes séekes her securitie where the sea goeth most high and raging But being happie in friendes you liue carelesse of chances estéeming your selfe subiect to the sentence of Solomon that that which the euill man feareth shall assuredly happen vnto him I vnderstand by your messenger the state of your perplexitie together with the possibilitie of your perill if present pollicie be not vsed for the which I am so much the more sory by how much our frendship is auncient and so much the lesse carelesse by how much it ministreth interest to our common alliance Two qualities of such fast coniunction that nothing can dissolue them for that alliance is congealed in the bloud and friendship makes his knot in the hart as touching the regard of a friend I maruell I haue not heard of you thus long for that amongst friends when their persons are deuided the next office is to communicate by intelligence but remembring that forgetfulnes is a swéete error I haue long since cut of all expectation to heare front you specially since you haue dedicated your selfe to sanctuaries churchyardes and churches of refuge where I thinke you establish your resort not so much for deuocion and remorse as to giue cooller to some abuse and wrong Remember that to offend God and disobey iustice is an act so duly deseruing punishment that there is no doubt of the reuenge though not vppon the person of the imediat offender yet vppon
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
appertayneth chiefely to suppresse tirants and suffer those people that liue in peace and trāquilitie And where you say that our countrey had no fourme of common weale nor pollicie but that we passed a conuersation like brute beastes in mountaines and Caues You are in this as well as in the rest farre deceiued for that wée neuer suffred in our countrey any that practised vntruthes mutinies or factions and much lesse could we endure any that brought frō strange countreys garments or other wares to make vs proud or effeminate but béeing modest in attire wée were also temperate in diet without expectation of better entreating And albeit wée knew not what were the swéete smelles of Asia nor medled with the golde of Spaine nor tasted of the oyle of Mauritania nor sipped of the wynes of Candia and much lesse could skill of the purple of Arabia Yet for all these wée liued not at home like brute beastes nor yet forbare to manage a common weale for that such spiced trifles as those bring more occasion to sturre vp vices then to bréede or nourish vertues Right happy and well gouerned is a common weale not that wherein bée many Traytors but that which entertayneth men vertuous not that which aboundeth in riches but that which florisheth in innocencie and integritie not where liue men rash wilfull but where beare rule such as are of peace and iudgement And therefore to the pollicie of Rome which is rich we owe pitie and compassion and to the gouernement of Germany because it is poore you ought to beare iustice with fauor Wherin if the same contentment which we brooke in our pouertie had also remayned to you in your wealth and aboundance we had bene without cause to complaine you without spot or blame of conscience I haue yet many things to say which in this perplexitie of mind I haue no feare to speake since you had no shame to do them for that a fault publike must not suffer secret correction Did it not suffice you to take from vs our auncient libertie and to ouerwhelme vs with intollerable subsidies and payments but the more to entangle vs with all kindes of miseries you send vs officers so couetous that they are all transformed into priuate gaine and iudges so ignorant that they are not hable to comprehend our statutes nor make vs vnderstand your lawes They punish grieuously the poore and dissemble with the faultes of the rich they take all that is offred in publike refuse nothing that they can rake in secrete they consent to many offences because they will haue occasion to bée greater gayners and vnder cooller that they are of Rome they haue no feare to rob all the world When will cease your pride to commaund ouer straungers ▪ and your couetousnes to spoyle your neighbours If we be disobedient or that you suspect our loyaltie or seruice procéede to the dispatch of our liues to the end we may be deliuered of paine and you liue without ielousie assuring you that your swordes can not be more cruell in our bodies then are your tirannies in our hartes If you lay thus many burdens vpon vs for our children loade them with Irons and take them as slaues because you can lay no more on them then they can beare but of commaundements and tributs you haue giuen vs more then we can suffer if you do it for our goods we giue you libertie to take al for that we haue not your condicion to delite to liue poorely for feare we should not die rich Oh to what extremetie hath your tirannies brought vs seeing all the remainder of our miserable nation haue sworne together neuer to accompany with our wiues and to kill our proper children the rather to deliuer them of your cruelties And therfore holding it more honorable that they die with libertie then to liue in seruitude and captiuitie we haue desperately determined to suffer from henceforth the violent mocions and furies of the flesh and so to sequester our selues from the vse of our wiues to the end they may be barren thinking it better to liue continent for twentie or thirtie yeres the residue of our time here then to leaue to our children an inheritance of perpetuall slauerie For if they haue to suffer those calamities which their sorowfull fathers haue endured it were not only good not to let them liue but withal it were better to consent not to haue them borne The land that is conquered by force ought to be gouerned with more clemencie and mildnes for that those that are miserable captiues when they sée fauorable iustice administred they will both forget the tirannie past and better prepare their hartes to the perpetual seruitude which if it be so why do your officers in Germanie driue vs to complaine and your Senate at Rome so slowe to giue remedie that afore you will admit an offence to the question the whole common weale suffreth daunger If a poore man come to demaund iustice and haue no bribes of gold siluer wine purple and other precious thinges to disperse At the beginning he shal be entertained to spend al that he hath through a vaine hope to obtaine his cause And being entred they consume him by delayes and whilest he hath meanes to beare out the charges of the sute they assure him that he hath good right but when his liberalitie faileth they pronounce sentence against him and so where he came to complaine but of one he returneth accursing all crying to the Gods for iustice and pitie I will disclose some part of my life the better to make you sée the calamities of my poore countreymen I liue by Acornes in Winter and fish in Sommer sometimes bearing of burdens and sometimes digging vp of wylde Rootes and that more for necessitie then pastime passing the most part of my miserable time amongest the mountaynes voyd of the comfort of my Wyfe and company of my friendes and not for other reason then to kéepe myne eyes from the view of so many murders of good men so many oppressions of the poore and innocent and so many other calamities afflicting my poore Countrey that neither finding iustice there nor hope of redresse in this Senate I am entred into this banishment from the societie of my house and comfort deliting more to wander alone through the wooddes and valleys desert then to be made sorowfull alwayes with the sighes complaints and lamentations of my neighbours For being a borderer in the Forrests and wooddes the wild beastes forbeare to hurt me if I refuse to do them harme where the Romanes in my countrey although I do them seruice yet will they not spare to torment me It is no doubt a great perplexitie to endure a chaunge of fortune but farre more intollerable is the griefe when the paine is felt and can not bée remedied so that great is my euill when my destruction is subiect to such a remedie as such as can helpe mée will not