A PRESERVATIVE against death Londini● AN. M.D.XLV. THOMAS ELYOT knight TO HIS WORshypfull friend, sir Edwarde North knight chancellor of the court of the augmentations of the revenues of the kings crown, desireth well to do. THe little book which I sent to you at the beginning of lent last passed, a small requital of your gentle benefits, I haue caused now to be printed: as well for a testimony of the hearty love, which I do bear toward you, and that being printed it may the longer endure with you and others, as also that my private gift may be beneficial to many men, which without disdain or envy will oftentimes read it. I know well, some men will think, and say also perchance, that I spend my wit vainly. for it is the office of priestes for to preach, and that it doth not pertain to a knight, much less to a sheriff, to writ, specially of such holy matters. Also that in writing to you, which are continually occupied about the kings majesties business, I lose all my labour: considering that beside the times of meal and of sleep( which also be little and scarce, as I well haue perceived) there remaineth with you none opportunity to read any books of english or latin. truly I confess, that priestes ought to preach, and that it is their proper office. And yet no christen man is excluded to give good counsel in that which pertaineth to the laws and commandements of almighty god. And he that can do it, and will not( though he be no priest) I doubt not but he shall make a straite reknyng for hydynge his talent. A knight hath received that honour not onely to defend with the sword Christis faith and his proper country, against them, which impugneth the one or invadeth the other: but also, and that most chiefly, by the mean of his dignity( if that be employed where it should be, and esteemed as it ought to be) he should more effectually with his learning and wit assail 'vice and error, most pernicious enemies to christen men, having thereunto for his sword and spear his tongue and his pen. And where for the more reverence due to the order of priesthood, it is most congruent and sitting, that preaching in commune assemblies, be reserved onely to that ministration, yet where a knight or other man, not being of a light estimation, hath learning joined with moderate discretion, yf he being zelouse of virtue, and moved only by charity, wolde fain haue other men to remember their state and condition, and according to their dueties, to love god, and to fear his terrible sentence, what lawe or raisin should let him, with an humble spirit and uncorrupted intent, to set forth in writing or print, that which shalbe commodious to many men? And if he be a knight, or in other authority( for the rareness of learning founden in such men) the work shal be much the better embraced, and of the more men desired. Also for asmuch as I am a sheriff, I think myself the more bound to bee thus occupied. For sens it pertaineth to mine office, and also the laws of this realm do compel me to punish transgressors: Howe much more is it my duty, to do the best that I can, by all study and means to withdraw men from transgressing the laws and commandments of god, which being diligently and truly observed, the occasions of transgressyng of temporal laws should be clearly excluded? moreover as often as I do consider the temporal punyshementes, and do abhor the sharpness of them, I do revolve in my mind, what horrible pains are prepared for them, whom the son of god shall condemn at his general judgment, to the which, temporal torments being compared, do seem but a shadow: here begin I to fear, not for myself onely, but also for other, which either in transgressing goddis laws, or neglectynge our dueties do provoke his wrath daily by displesyng him. wherefore aswell for mine own erudicion, as for the remembrance of other men, I haue gathered together out of holy scripture this little treatise: which often times radde and kept in remembrance, shall be a preservative against death everlasting. And as touching your opportunity in the receiving it, although your ministraciou be necessary, yet remember the words, which our saviour Christ spake unto Martha. What I mean thereby, by reading and digestyng that place, which is in the tenth chapitre of Luke, ye shal easily perceive, without an expositor. At the least way either by day or by night Martha shall find opportunity to sit down by her sister, if not, she shall find but little thank for all her good housewyfery. If Martha ministrynge unto Christ temporally, had no more thank for hir labour, what thank shal we look fore, which alway bee occupied about things that be worldly? thereby seeking onely our temporal commodity. But yet in our daily exercise we may oftentimes join the two miters together, as well by secret thankes given to god for his sundry benefits, as by frequent meditation of our last day. whereunto we shall finde occasion, as often as we do here the bell ring at the death or terrement of any man, or here reported of pestilence or war, thinking them than to be the trumpets of death, which do call us to reknyng. And as touching the reading of this little work, if ye do rede it in the mass while, for lack of time more convenient, I dare undertake, god will bee therwith nothing offended: but ye being therwith stered the more devoutly to serve him, he shall receive it of you as a good prayer, sens that meditation and prayer be but one thing in their nature. And yet meditation is the more constant. For in prayer the mind is oftentimes wandring, and thinketh least on that, which by the tongue is expressed. In this wise dooinge, ye shall not lack opportunity to read over this book, which shall not seem long unto such as I think that ye be, that is to say, in whom wit overfloweth not grace, but giveth place to her. Finally by reading therof I trust unto god we both shall receive each comfort of other, as well in this present world, as in the world to come: which is the perfection of amity, which many mo men haue written of, than haue truly used as they should do. Thus I committe you to god, whom I most hertily pray, to keep you alway in his favour long to continue. THe high God commandeth, the angel calleth, the trumpet from heaven most terribly soundeth: Arise ye that be dead, and come to the judgment: Whither I do eat or drink( saieth saint Hierom) or what so ever else that I do, alway this voice ryngeth in mine ears: Hieronymus supper Matth. arise ye that be dead, and come to the iudgement. As often as the day of judgment cometh to my mind, my heart and all my whole body trembleth and quaketh. This is spoken by the blessed man Hierom, who not only in his childhood and youth spent his time virtuously, but also being come to the state of a man, excluded himself from all worldly business, and living to the age of. lxxxx. yeres, was ever continually occupied in spiritual exercise. confer his life with our lives, and let us behold, yf we ought any less to remember this sound of the trumpet: arise ye that be dead, and come to the iudgement. O good lord, howe should men here that be dead, and lacking life? howe can a man rise on his feet, and if he can not go? howe may he than come to the iudgement? yes well enough, if thou consyderest what thing that death is. truly death is none other thing, than the priuacion of corporal sensis, with the departing of the soul from the body. For when we here not, neither see, neither smell, nor taste, nor yet feel, than truly we bee in dyeuge, or elles dead in deed. christ calleth oftentimes to us: keep( saieth he) the commandments: mat. 19. luke. 3. Do works of repentance: watch and pray: give in my name, and ye shall receive an hundred times as much as ye give, and haue life everlasting. Leat us now consider, if we do hear him: or yf we would seem to here him. The man that is deaf will make a countenance as he did hear: also he that is purblynde will seem to see perfitly, because they would not haue their impediment known. And therfore both the one and the other may soon be deceived. Somme there be, that will say, that they see a thing, when they look not upon it: And that they hear one man speak, when they talk to an other. We in dede do delight in things that be carnal and worldly. And yet when men speak of things which be spiritual and heavenly, we with our mouths do commend it, finally in our hearts we do nothing regard it. We leat Christ speak what he listeth, but yet we cease not to talk with his enemies, the divell, the flesh, and the world. Call ye that hearing? no truly. To hear is properly in latin Audire, which comprehendeth two acts, that is to say, to hear and also to obey and do the thing that is heard: And therfore when the latins would signify, that the soldiers or servants did that which their master or captain commanded them, they used to say in this wise: Fuerunt eius dicto audientes, they obeied him and did as he bade them. Deut. 6. Here Israel( said Moyses) Thou shalt love thy lord god with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. In that he said hear, did he not also bead them to love god, ye also them, which lived three thousand yeres afterward, although they heard not him speak from the mountain, nor yet saw his majesty. now leat us examine ourselves, if we do here him. He will haue us to love him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might. Where all is, no parte can be lacking: consequently where any parte faileth, there is not the whole, if I give all, than can I keep nothing. Where one must haue all, jo. 1. jaco. 4. there can be no parture. The world hateth god, wherefore there is no friendship nor agreement between them. God and richesse be so far at discord, that they both can not haue one man to serve them, for needs must he hate the one, whiles he loveth the other. Thus saieth truth, which never feigneth nor lieth. we would haue richesse, great possessions, much rule and authority, we would not haue them, except that we loved them. No man is so mad, that he would haue the thing that he hateth. All this is the world. for of the world it cometh, and to the world shall it be left. And therefore the love that we bear toward it, we do wrongfully take from God, who only should haue it. whereby we haue lost the more parte of our hearing. Yet may we hap eftsoons to recover it, if we do receive the medicines that christ doth teach us, that is to say, if we do works of repentance. those be they which the wise man declareth in the book name Ecclesiasticus, saying: Ecclesiastic. 17. Be converted to the lord, and forsake thy sins: pray in the lords presence, and minister thine offences: return to the lord, and leave thine unjustice: abhor cursing, and know righteousness and the judgements of God: persevere and be constant in thy good purpose and prayer to almighty God. In other medicine is, to watch and to pray. mat. 26. Marc. 14. luke. xxii. christ finding his disciples sleaping, bade them wake and pray, leste they might enter into temptation. For he that is on sleep, lacketh understanding and reason, and all that while may discern nothing, his enemies may kill him ere he be ware: if any ill thing come to him, he doth not perceive it. Finally he neglecteth al thing, sleep onely liketh him, until pain constreineth him to wake. But he that is perfitly waking, knoweth his enemy ere he come to him, & by one mean or other avoideth him, or else putteth on his armor and weapon, and manly resisteth him. If any other annoyance cometh toward him, he either repelleth it, or fleeth away from it. The devil. 1. Pet. ● THe devil, most greatest enemy unto man, like a roaring lion goth about continually seeking whom he may devour: He goeth on the right hand, the left hand, before and behind, and leaveth no part of man vutasted to set on his claws, and to hold him fast whiles he doth devour him. when goth he on the right hand? truly when he persuadeth the thing, which is good in deed, not to be good: or to omit to do that thing, whereby thou shouldest please almighty god, and keep thee from the peril of eternal damnation. prayer( saith he) is nothing but lip labour, or vain occupation. fasting is a consumer and destroyer of nature. Aulmes deed keepeth men and women in idleness, which trusting thereupon, care not to labour. Here unto he wresteth holy scripture, and putteth in thy brains false and counterfeit reasons. If thou be through waked, thou shalt shortly espy him, only by remembering, that God by his holy prophet, and christ himself oftentimes beadeth us to pray. And christ taught us to pray: as the chief bulwark against temptation. And he himself prayed not onely often, but also a great while together. doth not christ say in the .xviii. chapytre of Luke: luke. xviii. It is expedient to pray alway, and never to cease. August. supper psal. 65. The virtue of a pure and clean prayer( saieth saint Augustine) is great and like a faithful messenger, he doth his erande, and entereth into the place, where to, the flesh may not come. Howe much the divell lieth( as he is alway a liar, and the father of leasynge) when he persuadeth fasting to bee the destroyer of nature, reason declareth, if scripture lacketh. For fasting discreetly used, preserveth nature, which superfluous eating corrupteth, and bringeth in sickness, which only abstinence oftentimes cureth. And like as repletion oppresseth the spirites, and maketh gross and stinking vapours to rise, whereby not only the wits be made dull, and reason is covered as it were with a cloud: so by fasting and moderate abstinence, be made pure and sweet vapours, whereof pure wit is engendered, the spirites being quickened, Marc. 9. and raisin set at hir liberty. when the apostles could by no means expel a devil that was dumb, and demanded of Christ the cause why, he answered: This sort of devils in no wise issueth out of a man but by prayer and fasting. Here what the holy and great doctor saint Augustine saieth: fasting purgeth the mind, lyfteth up the wit, August in sermo. de ●eiunio. subdueth the flesh to the spirit, bringeth contrition and humility into the heart, putteth away the gat of inordinate desires, quencheth the fervent heat of lechery, and steereth up the faire light of chastity. And almighty god by the prophet Ioel crieth unto synners: Ioelis. 2. return to me with all your whole heart in fasting, lamentation, and weeping. Bee not these sufficient witnesses, joined also with natural reason, enough to prove, that fasting is good and not ill. Than maiest thou perceive well, that it is the devill, that persuadeth the, that fasting is nothing but a destroyer of nature. ¶ now touching alms dede. we see oftentimes that some men and women in trusting to receive almesse, do cease from labour, living in a beastly idleness. yet almesse, which is an act of compassion toward them, which bee in necessitee, done only for goddis sake, can not be ill. Psal. 40. Blessed is he( saieth the prophet) that considereth the poor and needy person: In the sore and grievous day our lord shall deliver him: christ himself saieth, mat. 25. that in the general iudgement, when he shall sit in the throne of his majesty, he shall rehearse to them, which shall be on his right hand, howe they gave him meate and drink, howe they lodged him, clothed him, and when he was sick did visit him, when he was in prison, came and refreshed him. And they demaundyng of him, when they did so: he shall make them this answer. verily I say unto you, As long as ye did it to one of the poorest of these my brethren, ye did it to me. Semblably he shall recite to them. which shall bee than on his left hand, that they did none of the said merciful acts unto him. And they shall in like wise ask of him, when they saw him in such condition, and did not extend their charity toward him. He shall say: truly howe often so ever ye did it not to one of these poor men, neither ye than did it to me. And than shal they go unto everlasting torment: the good men to the life, which shall never haue end. It is therfore he, for whom aulmes is given, and not the person, to whom it is given, that maketh the act thankful to god. And except it be done for goddis sake, it ought not to bee called almesse dede, Ecclesi. 3. but it is rather to be name a benefit. Water( saith the wise man) doth extinguish the hote burning fire: and almesse deed doth resist against sin, luke. 11. and god is the beholder thereof, which rendereth the thank. give ye alms( saieth Christ) and all things shall be clean unto you. Almesse dede( saith saint Augustine) purgeth sin, August. in sermo. de diuite. and maketh intercession for us unto god. I haue red( saieth saint Hierom) and radde again, Hieron. ad Neporianum. and over radde scripture: yet did I never see a pitiefull man die an ill death. If the person, which receiveth thine almesse, will spend it ill, or will therfore live ydelly: it shal nothing mynishe thy thank, so that thou know it not, and doest not willingely minister unto him the occasion of ill. But yf thou know, that thine almesse will be an occasion of idleness or sin: if thou onely therefore dost withdraw it, to the intent thou wilt better bestow it: thou losest not thy thank. but warning the person of his ill living, and that therfore thou withdrawest thyn almesse: thine alms still continueth. So alms dede never hurteth the giver, nor is at any time ill: but alway retaineth hir estimation. ¶ remembering these things thou shalt put of the devill, when he cometh on thy right hand. Yet than will he come on thy left hand, and there will he as sharply assault thee, as he did before: extollynge the things, which may bee noyous unto thy soul, and bring the out of the favour of god, so that he may the more easily devour the. ¶ first where he is not onely subtle and crafty, but also( as saint Augustine affirmeth) of his proper nature, Augus. de natura dae monum. Aug. retract. 2. by the sense that he hath of an airy body, he doth exceed the sense of earthly bodies. moreover having a secret knowledge of mens disposicions, whereunto they be chiefly inclined. According thereunto he presenteth to man or woman his two fair sisters, the flesh and the world, to some both at ones, to some one, some an other, as he perceiveth their natures most aptly disposed. The flesh. THe flesh with a pleasant countenance approacheth and saieth unto man: Wherefore takest thou pain in labour or study, having much or sufficient to live with? lie down and sleep, or otherwise rest the, that thou make not nature feeble and unable to live. We haue but a time, leat us eat and drink, for to morrow we die. If thou be lusty, and thy flesh full of courage: Esaiae. 22. 1. Cor. 15. thou man, why takest thou not a woman: or thou woman why takest thou not a man to quench thyn appetite? perdieu thou arte neither of stock nor of ston, but the chief of all creatures. Sapien. 2. wherefore sens al other creatures were made for the, why dost thou not use them? behold I offer them to the: satisfy now thyself with them, in taking thy pleasure. But take hede, and thou shalt perceive hir a harlot. bait of these spices, which I will rehearse, and blow in hir face: and all hir painted beauty will vanish away, and there shall onely appear a loathsome visage. But first thou shalt prove hir a liar. for natural reason and experience teacheth us, that continual rest and lack of exercise, extincteth natural heat, and letteth digestion: much ingurgitacion of meats and drinks burdeyneth nature. And although for the time it steereth up lechery, yet by lack of sufficient concoction, it not onely maketh the seade unapt to generation, but also is the original cause of horrible sickness and hastening of death. Ne we be ordained to live alway in idleness, sens for the transgression of Adam, mankind was deputed to live in this world, to whom almighty god gave this straite injunction: Genes. 3. In the sweat of thy visage shalt thou eat bread, until thou be turned again into earth. And job saieth: Man is born to labour. And the saying of Genesis saint paul in the spirit of god doth confirm, saying: Thess. 3. Ad Cori. ep. c. 3. Lucae. He that will not labour shall not eat. And in an other place: every man shall receive his wages after his labour. Also CHRISTS saieth, The work man is worthy his wages. It is therefore false, that nature is generally made feeble by labour: for competent labour doth support and nourish nature. And also we be of god commanded to labour. More over every man( as the philosophier saith) naturally desireth to know. And knowledge without divine inspiration, may not be had without study. wherefore it is not against nature to study. But what a mischievous persuasion is this, that we should eat and drink, for to morrow we die? If death be soon or certain, howe much less should we eat and drink, that we may haue our minds clean, our wits quick, and our remembrance more redy to prepare for our recknyng? that when the lord shall say to us: Make a weening of your ministration, we breath not in his face, the loathsome savour of wine or ale, or of stinking meate, not fully digested: but the fragraunt and sweet odour of a clean conscience, like the odiferous balm and cinamome, and the chosen out myrte that giveth the savour of sweetness. To know carnally a woman out of lawful matrimony, shal not so much quench thy fleshly appetite, as it shal kindle the wrath of god toward the. Hereof is abundant witness of scripture so well known, that it needeth not to be rehearsed. And because we bee neither stocks nor stones, but the chief of all other creatures, and made to the image and similitude of god: we should therfore keep our bodies and souls pure and clean to retain still that similitude, and use all other creatures onely to the glory of his divine majesty, and none otherwise to take pleasure in them, but as we may honestly rejoice. And he also may therwith be pleased. now blow thou on that peyncted strumpette the flesh, that tempteth the: and thou shalt se nothing but a matter loathsome, corrupted and stinking, a mortal carrion and banquet for euettes, todes, serpentes, and other vile wourmes: who being than ashamed to behold the, will slide a way from the. The world. BUt yet the divell is redy with his other sister the world, who is much more daungerous, and wars to be vanquished. for where the flesh is abated & subdued oftentimes with many remedies, as fasting, watch, and other correction: also by labour, much study, absence from women, age, sickness, vexation and trouble of mind: By none of these things onely, may the assaults of the world be sufficiently resisted and clearly expelled. She cometh against thee with hir paps open, full of serpentyne poison: and with hir hands decked with rings of gold and rich stones, the proffereth to embrace the: And with a loud voice and a delectable, the saieth: provver. 7. Lo, I am come for to meet the, And now haue I found the, I haue decked my bed with clothes of egypt, my bed haue I made to smell of myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon, leat us lie together and take our pleasure. And therwith she offereth to the hir paps. But beware of them: the one of them is avarice, the other ambition. If thou suck much of them, they will make the drunk, and take thy wits from thee, and than will that false harlot take the away with her, and lay thee in hir bed, where thou shalt lie either in the soft feather bed of Presumpcion, or the hard mattrasse of desperation, having on the, the kouerlyd of egypt, that is to say, the burden of sin: wherein thou shalt sleep a dead sleep, which shall seem to the a smete sleep, richesse and honour seemynge so delectable until extreme sickness and death shall attach thee, and than shalt thou perceive of howe small estimation they be of, when thou wouldest leave them both gladly to escape those terrible ministers. The pap, called avarice, is an inordinate desire and love of worldly goods and possessions: the milk or rather poison therein contained is error, which is the relinquishyng of the true path of iustice. mark well what saint paul saieth: 1. Tim. 6. having meate and sustenance for our bodies and clothing, leat us hold us therwith content. For they that desire to be rich, fall suddenly into temptation, and into the trap of the divell, also into many desires unprofitable and noyful: which do drown men in death and perdicion. The roote of all mischiues is Coueityse, which some men imbracyng, haue erred from the faith, and entangled themselves in many sorrows. But the world offering to the this faire pap, will in this wise provoke the to suck, when thou ( saieth she) shall behold other men having fair and well decked houses, and about them great pastures and meadows, and other commodities, some great flocks of sheep, or other cattle, some having plate, and other maner of richesse, than thinkest thou in thyn heart: O what fortune hath this man? yf I had the one half that he hath, howe merrily could I live? Beware now, take heed, for thou arte in jeopardy. look upward, and thou shalt perceive God calleth unto thee from heaven: Man, thou shalt not coueite thy neighbours house. &c. Exodi. 27. Aug. de interpellatione. job. proverb. avarice saieth saint Augustine hath no measure, it is never satiate in taking, but more vehemently stirred: the more that it getteth, the more it needeth. Beware therefore, and touch not that pap: for it will cleue to the, like to pitch, and pollute the. And although thou thinkest thou canst moderate thine appetite, and hold the content, when thou hast enough: yet for all that, when thou hast the neple in thy mouth, thou shalt never be satisfied: Augus. de verbis dni If thou wilt not believe me, yet believe the holy man and great doctor saint Augustine, which in the sermon that he made of the words of our lord, saieth in this wise: The couaitous desire of rich men is ever vnsaciable. It alway raueneth and never is satisfied. It doth neither fear god, nor hath man in reverence. It spareth not the father, it knoweth not the mother, it agreeth not with the brother, & with the friend he never keepeth touch. He oppresseth the widow, on the fatherless child he entereth, he reduceth free men unto servitude, and bringeth in false witness, thereby the goods of deade men are unjustly possessed. wherefore they shall surely die. What a madness is this of mens souls, to lose the life, seek for perpetual death, to geat treasure, and to lose heaven and joy everlasting? And saint Gregory confirmeth the same, Greg. mo ralium. 15. with a notable sentence. Coueityse( saieth he) is never quenched with the things, which be desired. for like to the fire, after that it hath consumed the wood, which is laid in it, it is more increased. And where the flamme seemeth to be kept in, there it appeareth soon after to braste out more fervently. now to prepare us to resist against this assault of the world, let us first revolve in our minds the fruits and commodities, which ar thereby received. Of avarice( saieth saint Augustine) springeth al mischief, Augus. de liber. arb and therof the brembles or thorns of all sin are brought forth: A detestable soil, wherein such mischief doth grow: A barren ground, that hath nothing but brembles, which shall rent thy soul with most horrible torments. And as pleasant as this pap seemeth to bee, yet it bringeth also in this world some incommodities, which is wounderfully well declared by saint Gregory. Greg. mo ral. 20. If the heart( saieth he) gapeth, desiring things worldly, it may in no maner of wise be q●iete and out of vexation. for either it desireth that, which it hath not, to thintent it might haue it: or else feareth that, which it hath, leste he shall lose it. And where in adversity he hopeth of prosperity, in prosperity he feareth adversity. And so is he tossed hither and thither, as yf he were among troublous waters, and is turned into many sundry fashions through the mutability of things, changing this way and that may. But if the mind be ones fixed with a sure constantness in the fervent desire of the heavenly cuntreie, it is the less vexed with trouble of things that be worldly. truly if men wolde alway haue in remembrance this saying of Christ in the gospel of Marc: Marc. 10. It is more easy for a camel to pass through the eye of a nedle, than the rich man or woman to enter into the kingdom of heaven: truly( I say) he wolde rather fear to be rich, than to desire abundance of richesse. And the wise man saieth: Eccles. 31. He that loveth gold, shall not be justified. But this is to be diligently noted: All rich men be not excluded out of heaven, though they with more difficulty may attain to it, than the camel may pass through the eye of a nedle. for it is possible, that God may make him such one as Salomon speaketh of, where he saieth: Ibidem. Blessed is the rich man, that is found without wemme, and hath not gon after gold, nor put his trust in money and treasure. who is he( saieth the wise man) and we will commend him? For in this life he hath done wonders. And it followeth immediately after: who so is tried and found perfette in those things, he shalbe praised. He might offend, and hath not offended: He might haue done ill, and hath not done it: Therfore his good shal be established: And the congregation shall declare his good deeds. This is the rich man, which shall go through the straite passage, whom god hath disburdeyned of that thing, which should be an impediment to him: But yet hearest thou not, that he which loveth money, I mean the man that is coueitouse, is in any wise justified as long as that affection remaineth. Abacuc. 2 Wo be to him( saieth the prophet Abacuc) that doth multiply goods, which be not his. again he saieth: Wo be to him, which doth gather unto his house mischievous avarice, to thintent his nest may be set in a veraie high place: thinking that he shall thereby escape the power of an ill man. Here is wo and woe again, beware the third wo, which is rehearsed by Esaias, saying: Wo be to the, that dost rob: that is to say, takest by violence or craft other mens goods. These three woes shall most lamentably by sungen of them, which being in horrible darkness and fire, shall cry, Alas, alas, alas, what abundance is there of darkness? confer this with the pleasure of worldly goods and possessions, which wilt thou or no, thou knowest not howe shortly shall by death or other wise be taken away from the. And consider therewith the saying of our saviour christ: Make not your treasure( saieth he) in this world, Matth. 6. where the moth and the rust do destroy it, and thieves do pick it away, and do steal it. Prepare you a treasure in heaven, where neither rust nor moth may eat or consume it: nor thieves dig for it, nor steal it. now mark well, that here bee two treasures, which been also distinct in their nature and qualities. The one is sure, and may not be corrupted: the other unsure, and sone is perished. The one treasure christ biddeth us to gather: the other in general words he doth prohibit us to lay up: the one purchaseth for us joy and life everlasting, the other death and pain without ceassynge. christ said to the young man, which from his infancy had kept the commandments: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast, and give it to poor men, and than come and follow me. He also called saint matthew, sitting in the custom house, about the emperours revenues, and bade him to follow him. luke. 16. The rich man, which was every day appareled in purple, and fared very sumptuously, at the last died, and was butted in hell: yet we read not, that he did any other thing ill, but for asmuch as he delighted in things superfluous: it was afterward said to his soul, lying in horrible pains: son content the, thou receyuedst in thy life things that were pleasant. He received it, but because he gave not therefore thankes unto God, and disposed not his goods in archdukes of charity, he finally received a terrible sentence, Content thee with pains. O m●●cyfull Iesu, is richesse so perilous? Be rich men good lord in thy sight so displeasant? hear now howe he answereth. luke. 6. Wo be to you rich men, for ye haue here your consolation. These words bee wonderful terrible. jacob. 5. And therof saint james speaketh to such men in this wise: go to ye rich men, weep and howl on your wretchedness, which shal come on you, your richesse is corrupted, your clothes be moth eaten: your gold and silver is cankered, the rust of them shall be your witness, and like the fire shall eat your flesh. Howe like ye this sentence? add thereunto the saying of Salomon: provver. 11 richesse in the day of vengeance shall nothing avail the. This mundane richesse, this cankered and moth eaten richesse: but the true richesse, which( as saint Bernard saith) be the virtues, Bernard serm. 4. which thy conscience bringeth with hir, that thou maiest ever be rich, that richesse shall boldly speak for thee, and make all the court of heaven to be thy friends, and also to haue a mercyfulle judge. But leste these terrible sentences against riches & rich men, may cause you to think, that I generally dispraise and condemn all them that be rich, I will briefly declare, that I do not so. ¶ The philosophier putteth richesse among things, which be indifferent to good and to ill. wherefore he that hath richesse, having for himself no more than is necessary for his living, and disposeth the residu where as most need is, Hiero. in ep ad Saluiam. he that so hath it, shall take no blame for the having, if he come justly by them, for the mysvsynge he shall make a straite bearing. For as saint Ambrose saieth: Ambrosius supper Lucam. Leat rich men learn, that the offence is not in the goods, but in persons that do not well use them. for richesse to ill men is an impediment, but unto good men an aid unto virtue. And christ himself biddeth us to make friends in heaven with our richesse, which he nameth the idol of iniquity. But for as much as couaitise for the more part bringeth in richesse, Aug. ser. 29. and abundance bringeth in detestable sins, pride, cruelty, envy, lechery, and gluttony, with neglecting of the commandments of god: therfore holy scripture doth justly reprove it. saint Augustine( in mine opinion) most excellentely writeth, where he saieth: The sickness of richesse is pride, it is a noble courage, that is nothing touched with this sickness, where there is abundance of richesse: yet is it a more noble heart that subduing his own richesse, doth also contemn it. Therfore that rich man is noble, which thinketh not himself noble, because he is rich. Haue these things alway in remembrance: and either ye shall not seek much for richesse, or at the leste way, although ye haue it, esteeming it to the purpose, wherefore it is ordained, ye shall keep you from the said pap, which the world doth offer you. ¶ But she is forthwith ready to proffre the pap of ambition, which is semblably an inordinate desire of worldly promotion. I call that an inordinate desire, wherein is not had respect of order, as they which desire and labour to haue rule or authority, they being without virtue: and do it rather for their own estimation and glory, than to augment any thing to the glory of god, or for the public weal of their cuntreie, or to be more able to do deeds of charity. for the which causes onely, authorities and great dignities were first begun. The world I say proffreth to us the pap of ambition. suck hereof( saith she) And thou shalt know howe to attain to the favour and estimation of men that be worldly. Thou shalt haue the pleasant eloquence of assentacion and flattery, to praise that which doth best please them: and to dispraise that, which doth myslyke them: to affirm that to bee in them, that never approached them: to speak fair unto them, and think shrewdly of them: to use that thing that they seem to delight in. And not that way onely, but also how to finde opportunity to give pleasures for the optayning thy purpose. Than shall men haue the in reverence, and be afeard to displease the: than what thou wilt require, no man will deny the: many men shal behold the, many shal follow the. happy shall he be reputed, which shall seem to be familiar with the, or much in thy company. Thou shalt be able to advance thy kinsfolk and friends to authority, and keep him alway back, which doth not like thee. Thou shalt thereby come to great possessions, goodly manors, well decked houses, to haue many tall men about thee, and to live pleasantly. This persuasion of the world is wonderful vehement. wherefore few men, and that with much difficulty, may well escape it. For it is a vile courage, that is not attached with avarice. A gentle heart for the more parte coveteth honour, which is supposed to be in authority: but in deed it may be in nothing, but in virtue onely. For honour is nothing but honestee, although it hath ben usurped for the estimation, that is in authority. And so is it taken of Aristotle, to be the reward of virtue. But Chrysostomus saieth: Ueraie honour is the virtue of the mind, Uerie honour. which is neither given by emperours, nor gotten by flatterers, nor bought with substance. In that nothing is countrefaite, nothing is feigned, nothing may be hid. Al be it for this purpose that we go about, let us take honour according to the commune opinion, which comprehendeth in that word Honour, authority, dignity, estimation, and famed: what is it else but worldly vanitee? It is some time fresh in the morning, like a floure in spring time: and( as we haue seen in experience) by night it is faded and comen to nothing. behold what fruit cometh of it, & thou shalt not be much desirous to haue it: But that shalt thou learn of a much more wisar man than I am or shall be, who also had thereof more experience, and could better declare it than any man living. Cicer pro L. Flacco. tully in an oration crieth out in this wise: O the miserable conditions people, which be under governance, among whom diligence is full of secret displeasures, negligence full of reproaches, where sharpness is dangerous, gentleness unthankful, communication deceitful, all mens countenances familiar, many mens minds discontented, conspiracies secret, flatterynges apparent, whiles great officers be coming, they attend on them, when they be present, they be redy to serve them, when they depart from their offices, they clean do forsake them. I suppose no man will think, that Tully lieth, we haue seen the same matier so often times proved. And at this present time may be made the like exclamacion. wherefore such honor may be well called a vanitee or fantasy, take which ye list. Yet let us seek out more of the fruit that proceedeth therof. who attaineth to honour without labour of body or mind, or both for the more parte? who remaineth in honour free from the one or the other? Who departeth from honour without death, or hearty sorrow, much warse than death? Before that honour is had, what thing is spared to haue it? when honour is had, what thing is undone to retain it? It is not necessary to writ al things, which might be declared. Finally for as much as they, which be advanced to honour, ought by their example and dignity, to instruct or compel other to live in the order of iustice. If they omit it, or do it negligently: like as they be puissant, so shall their torments be mighty, as it is spoken of the holy ghost, by the mouth of the wise man. perchance hope of life may cause us to pass light of this lesson. But if we consider daily, howe many men we haue known, being of yeres lusty strong and courageous, aboundynge in the gifts of nature and fortune, howe suddenly above mens expectation and also their own, haue ben attached with death, either natural or violent, that is to say, being either slain or put to execution by laws. remembering also, that death is indifferente to every estate, as well the highest as the lowest: saving that it is more peynefull and troublouse to them, which be in authority, when they consider, that they can not take their authority with them: But being in the pit, the poor cartar or coblar, which perchance was laid there before him, shall than be fellow and equal with him: but the coblar or carters soul in much better condition, when they come both to their bearing. they shal say: Thou didst call us, good lord, unto a poor living, wherewith we held us contented. The great man shall say: I couayted, and had, good lord, much honour and substance, wherewith I might never be satisfied. they shal say: we thank the good lord, we had no more to care for, but ourself, our wives, and our children, and all we haue kept thy commandments. But he shal say: I had wife and children also, and more over a great number under my rule and authority: but neither I nor they did truly our duty. They shall speak boldly with comfort: he trembling and quakyng al in discomforte. On them shal al the blessed company of heaven smile, and rejoicing say with one voice: Psalm. 119 Blessed are they, which be undefiled in their voyage, which do walk in the law of our lord. Psal. 94. come your wai, let us to gether rejoice & be glad in our lord. Let us merrily sing unto god, who hath preserved vs. But vpon the great man shall they cast a disdeignefull countenance, and say one to an other: Psal. 52. Lo, this is the man, that took not God for his strength, but trusted in the multitude of his great substance, and made himself strong in his wickedness. And than shal they turn their heads from him, and look toward god, to hear his judgements. O with how sweet a voice, with how pleasant a countenance shall he bead the poor carter and coblar come into that heavenly company, where they shall live ever in light incomprehensible, and in pleasures unspeakable? O with how angry and displeasant a countenance, with howe terrible & grievous a voice shall he bead the great man, go with the divell and his angels into perpetual darkness and pains inestimable? Compare these things to gether, and than take if thou wilt both breasts in thy hands, that the world doth offer thee, and suck thy belly full of the indignation of god. Yet shall not men think, that in the dispraise of ambition, I seem to haue al worldly dignitees in much detestacion. For I know well, that almighty God from the beginning ordained authority, as a thing in earth representyng his majesty. And as he saith by the holy ghost, in the book called wisdom: authority is given of our lord and power of him that is highest. Sapien. 6. And christ submitted himself to the powers of the world. ad Ro. 13. Greg. in job. 35. Semblably saint paul commandeth the same unto all men. More over saint gregory saieth, that temporal authority is of great estimation, and with God hath his reward for his good ministration and governance. And veraily I do suppose, that no man may gear more thank of god, than he, which truly and virtuously cometh to authority, and doth minister it charitably and uncorruptly. For by him Iustice is nourished, necessitee is relieved, and the public weal maintained, true religion established, 'vice repressed, and virtue increased: which without authority may not be brought unto pass. wherefore he that for those causes onely is content to be in authority, displeaseth not god. And he that for his virtue onely is called to honour, he it is that is called of God, like as Aaron was called. ●● Heb. 5. And perseueryng therein, and ministering for the weal of his country, and not for his proper commodity: he needeth not to fear the terrible sound of the trumpet, although he heareth it with the ears of his soul: but being armed with faith, putting his trust in gods word, shall prepare him to receive his noble master with joy, who shall for the well employing of his treasure, say unto him: Matth. 25. luke. 19. Well mote thou fare good and feithfull servant, sens in a few things thou hast ben so trusty, I shall therfore set thee in authority over a great many things: enter into the joy that thy lord hath prepared. Yet leat not every man, which is in authority flatter himself with this declaration: but having( as I haue said often times) in his ears the sown of the trumpet: than forth with examine himself, howe he hath attained authority, which way he entred, by the fore door, the back door, or the wyndow, that he be not called a thief, but a true shepherd, that he go right in his garments, lest it be said unto him: My friend, how camest thou in not having vpon the thy wedding apparel? Matth. 22. If he came in by gieuyng great gifts or by flattery, or to the intent onely to gather great substance: than may he be well assured, that he came not in at the fore door, nor can not show his face for a true shepherd. If he appear before christ jaded with possessions and richesse, being not withstanding naked of virtue and of benefits employed on the public weal of his country, he hath on a wrong garment. And than shall he here the king say to his officers: when ye haue bound his hands and his feet, throw him into extreme darkness: there shall be waylynges, and gnashyng of teeth. He therfore ought to be afeard of the trumpet. And put away his mouth from the pap of the world, and taking quyekely a draft of repentance, to vomit up the milk of ambition, whereof he hath souked. Also with contrition, confession, and satisfaction, which three do make an wholesome electuarie, to cleanse the veins of the soul, of that venomous juice of damnable sin, which the said milk hath in him engendered. But now if he doth refuse this pap of ambition, and putteth from him this flatteryng world, as I will counsel him: Than will she transform her self into an other figure, and show herself like a {per}sonage pined for hunger, with a ragged garment all stinking: How lykest thou me? will she say. I am name penury. If thou look not better to thy thrifte, thou shalt shortly come to my service. Seest thou not how many charges be now in the world? And if thy substance decay, thou losest foorthewith thy friends: and finally no man shall greatly esteem the. Knowest thou not, that such one and such one, were but late poor men, much inferiors unto the? And they by their industry be come to promotion, thou shalt se them be taken above thee, and to be had in more estimation. Thou hast as much wit as any of them hath, and also better acqueyntance than they had: apply therefore thy wit to worldly policy, and acqueynte thee with dissimulation and flattery, pleasant children which can do well their message. Leat private advantage be chief about the. away with simplicity and Scrupulositee, leat them in noo wise come nigh the, nor look not vpon them. Leat malapertness be thine Huishar, he will get the a place where so ever thou comest. And thus shalt thou shortly come unto wealth and authority. And if thou wilt not do thus, thou shalt to late repent thee in poverty. ¶ O cursed and vengeable serpent, howe wylily and craftily she layeth in wait for to take vs. But let us wipe clean the eyes of our conscience, and see by the light of holy scripture, and we shall plainly perceive her devises, and escape from hir hooks. The prophet king david spake this in spirit: Psal. 37. I haue ben young, and now am I old: and yet I never saw the just man forsaken, nor them that came of him begging their bread. truly he that feedeth the birds of the air, and lilies of the field, will not see us that are made to his likeness lack that which is necessary unto our living, yf we put our trust holly in him. Psalm. 37. Better is a little unto the just man( saieth the prophet) than the exceeding great richesse of synners. Pro. 15. Better is a little( saith Salomon) with the fear of god, than great and vnsaciable treasours. Mat●●●● Blessed be they that are poor in spirit( saieth Christ) for to them belongeth the kingdom of heaven. Mans wit was given to him to glorify god, and to learn to know god, and to keep his commandments. The earth is the lords, Psal. 23. and all thing that is therein contained, the circuit of the world, and al creatures that do inhabit therein. what so ever he will, he doth in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in the deep bottomless places. His wisdom and bounty exceedeth all praises. For neither angel nor man is sufficient to tell them. wherefore he knoweth me that am his own handy work, and the depenesse of my heart: he looketh unto it. he knoweth the mettall that I am made of, and whereunto it is most aptly disposed, either to his glory, or to my perpetual confusion. He is most merciful. For his mercies bee without noumbre. wherefore if I love him, and serve him with a true faith: he will undoubtedly give me that thing, which to him shall seem most expedient for me, either richesse or poverty. Semblably will he do, yf I break his commandements, and do not my duty, he will send me richesse and great authority, that by the mysordryng of them, I shall accumulate the ire of god in the day of his vengeance. wherefore I will not envy them that be prosperous. for if they be just men, and do minister faithfully, I will rejoice that virtue hath the reward that is due unto her, and hope that thereby virtue shall increase by their mynistracion: Psal. 37. yf they be yl men, I will consider that they shall soon whither like unto hey, and shall shortly fall down like the green herb( as the prophet writeth.) And I will not dissemble nor flatter, considering that it is unexcusable before god, who is all truth, and hateth lying. Exod. 23. provver. 7. ye shall not( saieth he) lie, nor any of you deceive his neighbour. six things there be, which our lord hateth, and the seventh his heart detesteth. A proud countenance, A lying tungue, hands shedyng innocents blood, An heart imagenynge mischievous devices, swift feet running to do an ill deed, him that inventeth and bringeth forth lies: and such one as soweth variance between brethren or friends. I remember, that, saint Augustine doth say: Who so ever for fear of any n●a● in authority hideth the truth, provoketh the wrath of God to fall on him. For as much as he dreadeth man more than he feareth God. De conflictu uitiorsi & uirt. The same holy man saieth: Neither with crafty leasynge, nor plain communication one ought to deceyne any man. For thereby he killeth his soul. flattery and Assentacion, which is onely the mainteynance of a false opinion or sentence, they be the messengers of guile or deceit which God utterly hateth: The gylefull word God shall abhor, saith the prophet. Orige. su{per} ep. ad Ro. guile. guile( as origen saieth) is where a man speaketh one thing with his tongue, and in his heart thinketh an other thing. Flaterie. Assentacion. flattery and Assentacion in the judgement of God, is wars than the sweorde of the murderer. For first the flaterer killeth his soul that he flatereth, if he receive the stroke willingly: and in kyllynge him, he killeth himself. Therfore will I not flatter, and sustain the indignation of God for richesse or honour, which be like unto shadows, during no longer than favour or princes doth shine, and often times not so long, death preuentynge our purposes, who bringeth our bodies naked to the earth, to be gnawn with worms, and our souls also naked before the presence of God, who shall judge every man after his archdukes. wherefore I will covayte neither richesse nor poverty: but to that, which God shall send me, I will apply my wit onely to exercise the one or the other unto his glory. Although the divell be herewith confounded, yet some time he will not so cease, but returneth again in a more terrible figure, like a great giant with an horrible visage, and as if he had a great club in his hand, and with a proud voice he speaketh in this wise. Presumest thou ingnorant fool, to attain to the kingdom of heaven by thy archdukes? thinkest thou that alms dede, fasting, or prayer, or that foolishenesse, which thou callest virtue, have power to bring the to any other estate than God hath ordained the? according as he hath predestinate the, so shalt thou be: He never changeth his purpose: his iudgement is constant, like as his knowledge is from the beginning. If he hath ordained the to be saved, do all thing that thine appetite lykethe thee, and thou shalt be clean in his sight. If he hath predestinate the to be damned: take all the pains that thou canst imagine, and all shall not help the. A sore assault, and an horrible enemy. wherefore we need to call unto god for better help than our wit can provide vs. well, God is redy for them, that in perfette faith call or knock, as he himself promised. Psal. 74. O God maintain thine own cause, remember how the fool doth blaspheme the daily. turn not thy face from me: for I am troubled, but quickly hear me good lord. foolish is he that will seek for thy mysteries, or will ask of the, why thou doest this thing or that thing. I am the vessel that thou thyself madest, do with me as it shall like thy divine majesty: yet shall I not cease to put my trust in thy word, not that I will compel the to save me: but that I believe, that thou hast all redy saved me by thine onely son Iesu christ, according unto his saying. He that believeth( saieth he) hath life everlasting. Also He that heareth my word, and believeth him that hath sent me, joan. c. 3. joan. 5. hath life everlasting, and cometh not unto iudgement, but shall pass from death unto life. 1. joan. 5. every man( saieth saint John) that believeth, that Iesus is christ, he is born of God, I therefore firmly and steadfastly beleuynge good lord, that I am born of the: and thou wilt not suffer that, which is born of thee, for the perish. More over, like as thou art all good, and the chief of all goodness, so loueste thou all that is good, and hateste all that is ill. wherefore who so ever is born of thee, doth the semblable: and by that it is known, who is of the, which doth good archdukes, not presuming to haue thereby the kingdom of heaven, but that by the dooynge he archdukes of our father, our father may know us, that we be his own sons: ad Ro. S. whom he hath predestinate and also called: and being called, hath also justified: and being justified, hath also magnified, making us the inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. And although the carter driveth the horse to go faster or slower, as it liketh him, yet he never driveth them out of the right way: So does our lord ive us to go faster or slower in his paths, as it liketh him to dispose his grace. But yet from the beginning that he ordained mankind, Ecclesiastic. 15. he left him in the power of his own counsel, which is his Free will. Al be it of his infinite mercy, where it pleaseth him to show it, if we draw out of the true path, with his whip of grace, he some time easily, some time sharply, with trouble, sickness, or poverty assaieth to turn us into the right way. He never driveth us out thereof: but aideth reason, which in our Free will is some time corrupted. wherefore I fear not his predestinacion in me, sens I seek not to know such things as be above that I can reach, leste I be oppressed with his majesty. But I fear his wrath, which I haue deserved. And yet will I not cease to trust in his mercy. Thus may we fortify ourselves against this horrible geaunt. But than some time will he enforce him to strike us with his great and heavy club, which is wilful opinion: wherewith if he happen to hitte us, he striketh out the eyes of our soul, and maketh it blind in the understanding of scripture: or taketh away our savour and taste, that the hearing or reading thereof becometh unpleasant unto vs. But against that stroke leat us in this wise prepare vs. first leat us hear or read with an humble spirit, excludyng all arrogance. Ecclesiastic. 3. How great so ever thou be( saieth the wise man) humble thyself in all thing: and thou shalt finde favour in the sight of god. like as wilful opinion cometh of presumpcion, or to much curiositee: so is it best resisted by humility and simplicity, which be their contraries. Salomon saieth: Pro. 11. The simplicity of the just men shall condute them: that is to say, shall lead them the right way. I take simplicity here, not for the lack of discretion, but for the pureness of the mind, without mixture of fraud or worldly policy. And therefore saint Augustine saieth: Augu. su{per} jo. hom. 2 Thou art simplo, if thou doest not wrap thy self in the world, but vnwrappest thyself. By vnwrappynge thyself from the world, thou art simplo: by wrappyng thyself in it, needs shalt thou be double. Humbly therfore and simply read and hear holy scripture, not presumyng, that thou understandest every thing that thou dost read, which to other seemeth dark: but often times, if thou maiest, consult with them, which be sincerely exercised therein, or with the books of most ancient and catholic doctors. Or if thou maiest not easily or shortly come by the one or the other, cease to be curious, and committe all to god, until it shall like him, by some means to reveal it unto the. Beware, draw not the understanding of scripture to thine affection: but slake thine affection before thou appliest thy wit to make exposition. And alway think, that if any place of scripture seemeth to favour any carnal or worldly affection, or withdraweth thee from charity, think than surely, that thou dost misvnderstande it, remembering what saint paul saieth: ad Timo. ep. 2. ca. 3. All scripture given by the inspiration of God, is profitable to teach or reprove, to correct and instruct in iustice, that the man of God may be perfette, prepared and ready to do all good archdukes. More over we shal make scripture pleasant unto us, by often reading or hearing thereof: so that wee do understand it, by the means which I before haue declared. If we do not understand it, we shall think it very unsavoury. If we wolde apply it unto our fantasy or private commoditee, and than think that we do understand it: we than be stricken with the club of wilful opinion, and our taste and savour is altered unto a false taste and a false smell. And the dilectacion that we than haue in hearing or reading, is the more to our perpetual confusion, the truth of the scripture of God being witness against vs. wherefore seus saint Peter in his second epistle saieth, 2. Pet. 3. that paul according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written of things, among the which are many things hard to be understand, which they that be vnlerned and not constant, do pervert, as they do the residue of scripture, unto their own perdicion. This was spoken of the prince of the apostles, which is a sufficient testimony, that there be sundry places in scripture, which do require both learning and a constant feithto be well understand. And that the● which do lack both the one and the other, do often times pervert it. wherefore lord God, give unto us an humble spirit with simplicity, a good instructor, and a constant faith, whereby we may be directed to enter boldly into thy tabernacle, which is holy Scripture, wherein resteth thy divine majesty. without those leaders we ought reverendly and fearfully to approach, 2. Reg. 6. leste we be stricken as Ozah was for setting his hand to the ark of God, presuming on the power of our proper wits. Thus may we resist the assaults of our old subtle enemy, so that neither on the right, nor on the left hand, nor coming before us, he shall haue any great advantage to slea vs. Than sometime like a false thief he will privily come behind us, and ere we be ware, join himself with our natural passions, fear and wrath, and so vehemently steereth them, that if we do not prevent it by wisdom, they shall expulse from us both iustice and reason. Beware( saieth he) what thou doest or sayest in that matter: take 〈…〉 ede that thou losest not thy friend. such one is in authority, he may do the a shrewd turn: thou were better haue him thy friend than thine enemy. Beware what thou sayest, truth is not alway to be told: those words be vainly bestowed, which do not profit the hearer, but hurteth the speaker. It were better be spechelesse, than to give counsel thankless. Leat us prevent this false persuader, first with devout prayer unto almighty God, saying the words of the wise man: give me( good Lord) wisdom, which standeth by thy Throne: Sapien. 9. send hir from thy holy kingdom of heaven, and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with me, and travail with me, to the intent I may know, what unto the may be acceptable. I am willing, good lord, to do my duty. My duty is to do iustice, which is more accepted of God, provver. 4 than to offer sacrifice. wisdom telleth me, that They which observe iustice, Sapien. 6. shall justly be judged: and they that do learn things which be just, shal finde what to answer. The trumpet soundeth in mine ear, and biddeth me to come. I wote not howe little leysoure I shal haue, to prepare for mine answer. If I haue done wrong, or omitted to minister iustice, for fear of displeasyng my friend, or one in authority, which be mortal as I am: how shal I finde out an answer, sens I haue not iustice by me to teach me. Shall I say, that I was afeard to do iustice, or to speak truth for fear of losynge my friend, or displeasynge my better? Nay nay, that answer will not be judged sufficient: and thereupon shall I be shortly condemned. luke. 10. Was it not told me from mine infancy, that I should love my lord God with al mine heart, with all my soul, with all my might, and with all my mind: and my neighbour as myself? I must love god above all men, and more than myself. christ saieth: Matth. 10. He that loveth his father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. Theophilactus, Theophilactus. in expoundyng this place, saieth: behold, that we must hate our parentes and children, when they will pluck us away from christ. And what worldly love is to be compared to the love that a man ought to haue to those persons, whom to love nature hath ordained, & god hath commanded? wherefore every friend is inferior to them. And than no friendeshippe may pluck us from christ. He that plucketh us from truth, iustice, and charity, plucketh us from christ. More over, whom should we fear more than god? doth not he say to us in his gospel? Be not ye afeard of them that do kill the body, luke. 12. and after that they haue no more that they can do. I will show you whom ye shall fear. fear ye him, who after he hath slain, he hath power to throw into everlasting fire. truly I bead you be afeard of him. And it followeth in the same place: He that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God. He that denieth truth, that is to say speaketh against truth, speaketh not he against christ? which is truth itself? who shall excuse him, where truth, that is christ, shall be both his accusat and judge? O lord god, if I do iustice, I lose my friend, which death may take from me: but I win thee, good lord, which hast vaynquisshed death, and shall eu●● live with the. If I do not iustice, ●●please my friend, which both time and occasion may alter: but I make the mine enemy, whom if I did keep wolde never forsake me. If my christian brother doth ill, and I do not tell him, I do not observe the rules of charity, which is god: joan. 4. and he that dwelleth in it, dwelleth in God, and God in him. For I do not love my brother as myself, if I do know him disposed to do that thing, which I wolde not do, and is ill: and will not dissuade him, or exhort him to do that thing, which I myself wolde do, and is good. do not thou think( saieth saint Augustine) that thou lovest thy servant, Augu. su{per} epist. 10. when thou doest not correct him: Or dost than love thy child, when thou givest him not discipline: or than lovest thy neighbour, when thou doest not rebuk him. This is not charity, but slothfulness. Leat thy charity be fervent to amend and correct. If the manners be good, delight in them: but if they be ill, spare not to amend them. wherefore saint John be adeth us: 〈…〉 My children( saieth he) leate us not love with word and tongue, but with deed and truth. Pro. 27. Better is the woundynges of him that doth love( saieth Salomon) than the sweet kysses of him that doth flatter. Sens it is so, set a porter, good lord, Psal. 140. at my mouth, and a door of circumstance unto my lips. never take the word of truth from my mouth. Psal. 118. For I haue alway hoped in thy judgements. Psal. 117. Our lord is my helper. I shall not fear, what man shall do to me. But now what haue we to say unto wrath, which is mixed with the blood in our bodies, and lieth therein priuyly wrapped like a spark of wild fire, hid under ashes, until some matter be ministered, that offendeth our minds, than brasteth it out, with a violent flamme, & setteth the house on a fire, burning the pillars of raisin, and down falleth the rouse of charity, and is therewith consumed. wrath( saith solomon) hath no mercy, prove. 27 nor the brastyng out fury. And who may suffer the violence of the spirit, which is exceedingly moved? But two means there be for to resist it. One by the often remembrance of hir and hir contrary before she invadeth. He that somty●● beholdeth a person, which is vehemently angry, how his face changeth, how his lips trembleth, his mouth perchance foameth, and his voice is altered, his words disordered, his wits dispersed, his reason subverted, a man in nature, a brute beast in figure, a divell in conjecture: leat him haue this form in remembrance, and consider his nature transformed. As sone as we bee provoked to wrath, leat us immediately think, that they which behold us, will detest the same thing in us, that we abhorred before in an other. If we be subiectes, or servants, we should refrain anger for our obedience, remembering that saint paul saieth: Eph. 6. servants be obedient to your carnal maisters with fear and dread in simplicity of your hartes, as unto Christ. If we be masters or rulers, leat us consider, what our example shall bee to them that be under us, if it shal be ill, we sustain double bourdeyne, theirs and our own. Of such importance is wrath, that where it is fervent, both reason and iustice be drowned. jacob. 1. The wrath of a man( saieth saint james) doethe not exercise the iustice of God. And therfore it hath ben thought of some wise men, that it is not expedient to put in authority men, which of their nature are exceedingly angry for every occasion, leste they being stered with their natural fiersenesse, and provoked by their own wilful appetites, like to wild beasts, in their rage do bring things out of order, and punish the innocent with the offeder, and do other things, whereof they to late do repent them. whereof the world is full in daily experience. Seneca de ira. lib. 3. An other mean( which Seneke doth call the chief remedy) is the deferryng of wrath: that first the ferventness may be abated, and the dark gat, which annoyeth the mind, may either fall, or not be so thick. It is a good doctrine to us, though we be christen men, the lesson that Appollodorus the philosophier left to the emperour Augustus. when any occasion happeneth( saieth he) which may provoke the to anger: before that thou doest or sayest any thing, remember to rehearse all the letters in the greek alphabete: In remembering this lesson, and following it, Augusius ever after refrained his anger, whereunto before he was of his nature disposed. ¶ why should we disdain to do that, which so great an emperour didde? unto whom in greatness of rule never any other might be compared? Or by cause we be christen men, in the stede of the .xxiiii. letters of greek, we may rehearse distinctly the Pater noster, either in latin or englishe. where in we shall haue this advantage, that in the reciting these words, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that do trespass against us: We shal be much more stirred to remit our displeasure, or at the leste way to forbear to be than angry. Finally the forbearing shall make the anger more moderate. The inclination to wrath may be well tempered by the remembrance of patience, howe beaultyfull she is, and how well beloved, not of man onely, but also of god. The patient person looketh long young, endueth well his meate, and is seldom grieved with siknesse. for cholere is not stered, which being in a rage, bringeth most terrible fevers, and other diseases more peinfull than death. The patient man every man preiseth, and worthily. for he is like unto Christ, whose whole life was the true pattern of patience. The angry man, all men do dispraise, though they say nothing: for he resembleth the devill, which is ever raging, and is the fountain of anger. patience in scripture is in al places extolled, desired, and wished. contrary wise impatience abhorred. jacob. 1. Blessed is he( saieth saint james) that suffereth temptation. for when he is proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which god hath promised to them that do love him. Many mo spices may bee found in holy scripture, to make a preservative, more wholesome for mans soul than tryakle is for the body, and will longer preserve it: but such as this is, being often times used, shall preserve the senses of the soul from corruption, and than shall she not die. but when the trumpet bloweth, although the body be deade, yet shall she go surely and saufly to the throne of god, and claim his mercy, which he hath promised to them that believe in him, and keep his laws. But if we do neglect it, and suffer the devill to prevail against us, with his subtle persuasions: the senses of the soul shall be taken from her, and she shall be spiritually deade: actually she shall with her body, to whom she consented, arise and come to the judgment, trembling and quakyng: beholding above her Christ, who hath redeemed her, excedyngely angry, devils on every side of her, abiding her sentence, and all ready to swallow her. Under her hell, casting out flames of everlasting fire, ready to take her: none there of her acquaintance: which shall bee than able to help her. Princis being in equal indemnify, with her, and richesse being turned to powder. These things be no fables, but matter true, and confirmed by scripture. And who that hath any other suggestion or trust upon any excuses, he is not onely deceived, but his opinion is also erroneous. wherefore leat us haue the sound of the trumpet in our ears, at the least in the morning and evening, thinking that the son of god cometh to the judgment, we know not what hour. Blessed( saith Christ) is the servant, luke. xii. whom the lord at his coming findeth waking: him shall he set in authority over his household. This authority shall never be taken away, therein shall bee perpetual quietness, and ioy never ceasing. This house hold is of the company of most blessed spirites, abundyng in charity, knowledge, and gladness, in beholding continually in the most beaultifull presence of god, the wonderful and unspeakable archdukes of his majesty, in heaven, earth, and in hell. whereon if we truly do think, we shall pass little on the devill and his miters, nor yet fear the sound of the terrible trumpet: but desire with saint paul, to be separate and dissolved from this mortal body, and to bee with Christ our lord, who tenderly and most constantly loveth us, and fain would haue us, yf we do well our dueties. who for that he suffered death for us, is worthy to receive, power, diuinitee, sapience, fortitude, honour, glory, and blessing in worlds everlasting. Amen. FINIS. IMPRINTED at London in fleetstreet by Thomas Bertheset, printer to the kings highnes, the second of july, the year of our lord. M. DXLV. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.