so and that a man might as easilie commodiouselie yea and as surely also conuert him selfe in olde age as in youthe and that the matter were also acceptable enough to God yet tell me what greate tyme is their lost in this delaye what greate treasure of merit is there omitted which might haue beene gotten by labour in gods seruice yf whiles the captayne and other souldiers did enter a rych citie to take the spoile one souldier should saye I will staye and come in the next daye after when all the spoyle is gone wolde you not thinke him bothe a coward and also moste vnwyse So it is that Christ our Sauyoure and all hys good souldiers tooke the spoyle of this lyfe enryched them selues with the merites of they re labours caried the same with them as bylles of exchange to the bancke of heauen and there receyued paye of eternall glorie for them And is it not greate folye and peruersences in vs to passe ouer this lyfe without the gayning of any merit at all Now is the tyme of fight for gayning of our crowne now is the daye of spoile to seise on oÌ„ur bootie now is the market to buie the kingdome of heauen now is the time of running to gett the game and price now is the daye of sowyng to prouide vs corne for the haruest that coÌ„meth on If we omitt this tyme there is no more crowne no more bootye no more kyngdome no more price no more haruest to be looked for For as the scripture assureth vs he that for slouthe will not sowe in the winter shall begge in the sommer and no man shall geue vnto hym But yf this consideration of gayne can not moue thee gentle reader as in deed it ought to doe beyng of suche importance as it is and irreuocable when it is once past yet weyghe with thy selfe what obligation and charge thou drawest on thee by euery day whiche thou deferrest thy conuersion lyuest in sinne Thou makest eche daye knottes which thou must once vndoe agayne thou heapest that together which thou must once disperse agayne thou eatest and drinkest that howrelie whiche thou must once vomyte vp againe I meane yf the best fall owt vnto thee that is yf thou doe repent in tyme and God doe accept therof for other wise wo be vnto thee for that thou hoardest as S. Paul sayeth wrathe and vengeance on thine owne heade but supposing that thou receaue grace hereafter to repent whiche refusest it nowe yet I saye thou hast to vveepe for that thou laughest at now thou hast to be hartilie sorie for that wherin thou delytest now thou hast to curse the daye vvherein thou euer gauest coÌ„sent to sinne or els thy repentaÌ„ce vvill doe thee no good This thou knovvest novv and this thou beleeuest novv or els thou art no Christian. Hovv then art thou so madde as to offend God novv bothe vvillinglie and deliberatlie of vvhome thou knovvest that thou must once aske pardon vvith teares If thou think he vvill pardone the vvhat ingratitude is it to offend so good a Lord If thou think he vill not pardone thee vvhat folye can be more than to offend a prince vvithout hope of pardone Make thyne account novv as thou vvilt yf thou neuer doe repent and chaunge thy lyfe then euery sinne thou committest and euery daye that thou lyuest therein is encrease of vvrathe and vengeance vpon thee in hell as S. Paul proueth If thou doe by gods mercie hereafter repent and turne for this is not in thy haÌ„des then must thou one daye lament and bevvaile and do penance for this delay vvhiche novv thou makest then must thou make satisfaction to gods iustice ether in this lyfe or in the lyfe to come for that vvhich novv thou passest ouer so pleasantlie And this satisfaction must be so sharpe and rigorous yf vve beleeue the auncient fathers and councells of Christ his churche as it must be ansvverable to the vveight continuance of thy sinnes as I shall haue occasion to shew in the second booke talking of satisfaction So that by how muche the more thou prolongest encreasest thy sinne so much greater must be thy paine sorow in satisfactioÌ„ Alto vuâ—…neri diligens longa adhibenda est medicina paenitentia crimine minor non sit sayth S. Ciprian A diligent long medicine is to be vsed to a deepe sore and the penance may not be lesse thaÌ„ the fault And theÌ„ he sheweth in what order it must be with prayer with teares with waching with lyeing on the ground with wearing of heare clothe and the lyke It is not enoughe sayeth S. Austen to chaunge our maners and to leaue to sinne except we make satisfaction also to God for our sinnes past by sorovvfull penaÌ„ce humble sighes coÌ„trition of hart and geuing of Almes Our bodie that hath lyued in manye delytes must be afflicted sayeth S. Ierom our long laughing must be recompensed with long weepinge our soft lynnen and fyne silke apparell must be chaunged into sharpe hearclothe Finallie S. Ambrofe agreeing with the rest sayeth Grandi plagae alta prolixa opus est medicina Grande scelus grandem necessariam habet satisfactionem Vnto a great wounde a deepe long medicine is needfull A great offence requireth of necessitie a great satisfaction Marke heere deare brother that this satisfaction must be bothe great long also of necessitie VVhat madnes is it then for the now to enlarge the wounde knoweing that the medicine must after wardes be so paynfull what crueltie can be more against thy selfe thaÌ„ to driue in thornes into thine owne flesh which thou must after pull owte againe with so many teares woldest thou drink that cuppe of poysoned liquour for a litle pleasure in the taste whiche wolde cast thee soone after into a burning feuer tormeÌ„t thy bowells within thee and ether dispache thy lyfe or put the in great ieoperdie But heere I know thy refuge will be as it is to all them wherof the prophet saieth mentita est iniquitas 〈◊〉 Iniquitie hathe flattered lyed vnto her 〈◊〉 thy refuge I saye wil be to alleage the exaÌ„ple of the good theefe saued euen at the last howre vpon the crosse and caried to paradise that same day with Christ without any further penance or satisfaction This example is greatlie noted and vrged by all those whiche deferre their conuersion as surelye it is and ought to be of greate coÌ„fort to euerie man which findeth hym selfe now at the last cast and therfore commonlie tempted by the enemye to despaire of gods mercie which in no case he ought to doe For the same God whiche saued that great sinner at that last howre caÌ„ also will saue all them that hartilie turne vnto hym euen in that last howre But alas many men doe flatter and deceyue them selues with misvnderstanding or rather mysvsing of this example For we must vnderstand as S. Austen
this labour now taken againe He hathe suffered much sence for the cause of his conscience and is at this present vnder indurāce for the same and by that meanes so muche the more in disposition to receaue fruite by thy prayer by howe muche the more he hathe suffered for righteousnes sake and is nearer ioined to God by his separation from the world Our lorde blesse him and the allso good reader and sende vs all his holy grace to doe his will in this woorld that we maye raigne with him in the world to come Amen Thy hartie welwiller and seruant in Christ. R. P. AN INDVCTION TO THE three bookes follovvinge AL Christian diuinitie good reader that is all the busines that man hath withe God in this lyfe standethe in two poyntes The one to knowe the other to doe This first parte containeth principally our beleefe set forth to vs in our Creede and other declarations abowt our faith deliuered vs by the Catholique churche to know and beleeue onlie The other parte containethe the ten cōmaundementes the vses of holye Sacramentes and the like prescribed vnto Christians not onlye to knowe or beleeue but allso to exercise and execute in this lyfe The first of thes two partes is called theorike or speculatyue because it consisteth in speculation that is in vnderstandinge and discourse of the minde wherby a man comprehendeth the thinges he hath to knowe and beleeue The second parte is called practique or actiue because it standeth not onlye in knowledge but also in action and execution of those thinges whiche by the first parte he hath conceaued and vnderstoode In the first parte there is lesse labour and difficultie a greate deale than in the seconde Because it is easier to know then to doe to beleeue aright then to lyue accordinglie and the thinges that a man hathe to beleeue are muche fewer than the thinges he hathe to doe and therfore Christ in the Ghospels and the Apoostles in their writinges spake muche more of thinges to be donne than of thinges to be knowen of good lyuinge than of right 〈◊〉 And amongest Christians few are damned for lacke of knowledge which commonlye all men baptised haue sufficient except in tymes of heresies but many thowsandes for euill life dailye VVherfore Christ in the Ghospell tellinge the reason of suche as shoulde be damned putteth lacke of good lyfe as the reason of their damnation Departe from me saieth he into euerlastinge fire I vvas Hungrie and you gaue me not to eate et ce And the reason of this is for that the thinges which a man is bounde to beleeue as I saide before are fewe in respect of the thinges whiche a man hathe to doe or the vices that he hath to auoyed Againe the partes in man whiche appertaine to vnderstandinge and knowledge were not so hurte by the fall of Adam as the partes appertayninge to action whereby it commeth that a man hath lesse difficultie payne and resistance in hym selfe to knowledge than to good lyfe where our owne corrupt affections make warre against vs and so doe make the matter vnpleasant for a tyme vntill they be conquered For whiche cause we see manie greate lerned men not to be the best lyuers for that to know muche is a pleasure to thē but to doe muche is a payne For thes causes not onlye the scriptures as I noted before but allso the auncient holye fathers haue made greate and longe discourses ample volumes manye bookes about this second parte of Christian diuinitie whiche consisteth in action owt of whose worckes thes three bookes followinge for the most parte are gathered containinge a perfect and exact instruction or direction for all thē that meane to leade a trew Christian life as also diuers helpes for them which haue not yet fullye that determination For what so euer is necessarie to a Christian after he hathe once receaued the faithe is contained in this worcke And to speake in particuler three thinges are necessarie The first is a firme resolution to serue God for the time to come and to leaue vice The second is how to begynne to doe this The third is how to perseuer and continew vnto the ende These three thinges whoe so euer hath no doubt but he shall bothe lyue and dye a good Christian and enioye euerlastinge life in the world to come And for lacke of all or some one of thes thinges manie thowsandes the more is the pittie doe perishe daylie For some men are ether so carelesse or so carnallie geeuen as they neuer resolue them selues to lyue in deed well and to forsake wickednes and thes are farof from the state of saluation Other resolue them selues often but they neuer beginne or a least way they beginne not as they shoulde doe wherby they neuer come to any perfection Other doe both resolue and begyn well but they perseuer not vnto the ende 〈◊〉 for lacke of instruction or helpes necessarie to the same and thes also can not attayne to lyfe euerlastinge but rather doe leese their labour for that Christ hath not promised saluation but onlie to such as perseruer to the ende For helpinge therfore Christians in thes three poyntes this worcke is deuided into three bookes In the first booke there are shewed manye meanes and helpes wherby to bringe a man to this necessarie resolution of leauinge vanities to serue God with a Christian lyfe accordinge to his profession In the second booke is declared in particuler how a man shall begin to putt this resolution in practise and without errour to begyn a new trade of lyfe In the third booke are layed downe the meanes and helpes to perseuerāce vnto the ende The which beinge done there remaineth nothinge but the reapinge of glorie in the lyfe to come which we shal be able to doe without instructions yf it be our good happe to come to it which God graunte and send vs his grace that we mave be as well cōtent to labour for it in this lyfe as we will be ioyfull to possesse it in the next and to auoyde the dreadfull tormentes vvhich those must needes fall into vvho for flovvth pleasure or negligence omitt in this vvorlde to procure the kyngdome prepared for godes seruantes in the next THE FIRST BOOKE AND FIRST PARTE Of the end and partes of this booke withe a necessarie aduertissement to the reader CHAP. I. THe first booke as I haue shewed before hathe for his proper end to perswade a Christian by name to become a trewe Christian in deed at the leaste in resolution of mynde And for that there be two principall thinges necessarie to this effect therfore this first booke shal be deuided into two partes And in the first shal be declared important reasons and strong motyues to prouoke a man to this resolution In the second shal be refuted all the impedimentes whiche our spirituall enymies the fleshe the world the deuyll
in the Apocalyps and vseth maruailous speeches to entyse vs to this fortitude For these are his woordes he that hathe an eare to heare let hym heare what the spirit sayth vnto the churches To hym that shall conquere I will geue to eate of the tree of lyfe whiche is in the paradise of my God This sayeth the first and the last he that was deade and now is a lyue I know thy tribulation and thy pouertie but thow art riche in deede and art blasphemed by those that saye they are true Israelites are 〈◊〉 But are rather the Sinagoge of Satā Feare nothing of that whiche you are to suffer beholde the deuill wil cause some of you to be thrust into prison to the end you may be tempted and you shall haue tribulation for tēne dayes But be faythefull vnto deathe and I will geue the a crowne of lyfe He that hathe an eare to heare lett hym heare what the spirit sayeth vnto the churches he that shall ouercome shall not be hurt by the second deathe And he that shall ouercome and keepe my woorkes vnto the end I will geue vnto hym authoritie ouer nations euen as I haue receaued it from my father and I will geue him besides the morning starre He that shall ouercome shal be appareled in whyte garmentes and I will not blott his name owt of the booke of lyfe but will confesse his name before my father and before his Angels Beholde I come quickelie holde fast that thow hast lest an other man receaue thy crowne He that shall conquere I will make him a pillar in the tēple of my God he shall neuer goe foorthe more and I will wryte vpō hym the name of my God and the name of the citie of my God which is new Ierusalem He that shall conquer I will geue vnto him to sitt withe me in my throne euen as I haue conquered and doe sitt with my father in his throne Hitherto are the woordes of Christ to S. Ioh. And in the end of the same book after he had described the ioyes and glorie of heauen at large he concludeth thus And he that satte on the throne sayde to me VVryte these woordes for that they are moste faythfull and true Qui vicerit possidebit haec ero illi deus ille erit mihi filius timidis autem incredulis c. pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne sulphure quod est mors secunda He that shall conquer shall possesse all the ioyes that I haue heere spokē of and I will be his God and he shall be my sonne But they whiche shal be fearfull to fight or incredulous of these thinges that I haue sayed theyr portiō shall be in the lake burning withe fire and brymstone which is the second deathe Heere now we see bothe allurement threates good and euill lyfe and deathe the Ioyes of heauen and the burning lake proposed vnto vs. VVe maye streache owte our handes vnto whiche we will Yf we fight and conquer as by gods grace we maye thē are we to enioye the promises layd downe before Yf we shew our selues ether vnbeleeuing in these promises or fearefull to take the fyght in hande being offered vnto vs then fall we into the daunger of the contrarie threates euen as S. Iohn affirmeth in an other place that certayne noble men dyd among the Iewes whoe beleeued in Christ but yet durst not confesse hym for feare of persecution Heere thē must ensewe an other vertue in vs moste necessarie to all tribulation and affliction and that is a strong and firme resolution to stand and go throughe what opposition or contradiction soeuer we fynde in the world ether of fawning flatterie or persecuting crueltie This the scripture teacheth cryeing vnto vs esto firmus in via domini Be firme and immouable in the waye of our lord And agayne State in fide viriliter agite Stand to your faythe and play you the men And yet further confide in deo mane in loco tuo Trust in God and abyde firme in thy place And finalie confortamini nō dissoluantur manus vestrae Take courage vnto you and let not your handes be dissolued from the worke you haue begonne This resolution had the three children 〈◊〉 Misach Abdenago when hauing heard the flattering speeche infinite threates of cruell Nabuchodonasar they answered with a quiet spirit O kyng wee may not answere you to this long speeche of youres For beholde our God is able yf he will to delyuer vs from this furnace of fyre whiche you threaten and from all that you can doe otherwyse against vs. But yet yf it should not please hym so to doe yet you muste know Syr king that we doe not woorshippe your goddes nor yet adore your golden ydole whiche you haue sett vp This resolution had peter Iohn who being so often 〈◊〉 before the councell bothe commaunded threatened and beaten to talke no more of Christ answered styll Obedire oportet deo magis quam hominibus vve muste obey God rather than men The same had S. Paul also when being requested with teares of the Christianes in Cesarea that he wolde forbeare to goe to Ierusalem for that the holie ghoste had reuealed to manye the troubles whiche expected hym there he answered what mean you to weepe thus and to afflict my hart I am not onelie readie to be in bondes for Christ name in Ierusalem but also to suffer deathe for the same And in his epistle to the Romanes he yet further expresseth this resolution of his when he sayeth what then shall we saye to these thinges yf God be with vs whoe will be against vs who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation shall distresse shall hungar shall nakednes shall perill shall persecution shall the swoore I am certaine that nether deathe nor lyfe nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor strengthe nor hyghthe nor depthe nor any creature els shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God whiche is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Finallye this was the resolution of all the holye martyres and confessors and other seruantes of God wherby they haue withstoode the temptations of the deuill the allurementes of fleshe and bloode and all the persecutions of tyrantes exacting things vnlaufull at their handes I will alleage one exāple more owte of the scripture and that before the cōming of Christ but yet nighe vnto the same and therfore no maruaylle as the fathers doe note thoghe it tooke some heate of Christian feruour and constancie towardes martyrdome The example is wounderfull for that in mannes sight it was but for a small matter required at their handes by the tyrantes commaundement that is onelie to eate a peece of swynes fleshe for thus it is recorded in the scripture It happened seuen brethren to be apprehended
no dovvbt to delite so in it as men doe It is a straunge thing to see hovv contrarie the Iudgementes of God are to the Iudgementes of meÌ„ The people of Israel vvolde needes haue a kyng as I haue sayd and they thought God vvolde haue geuen theÌ„ presentlie some great mightie prince to rule ouer them but he chose ovvte a poore felovve that sought asses aboute the couÌ„trie After that vvhen God vvolde displace this man agayne for his sinnes he sent Samuel to anoynt one of I say his sonnes being come to the house I say brought foorthe his eldest sonne Eliab a lustie taule felovve thinkyng hym in deed most fytte to gouerne but God answered respect not his countenance nor hys taulnes of personage for I haue reiected hym nor doe I iudge according to the countenance of man After that I say brought in his second sonne Abinadab and after hym Samma and so the rest vntill he had shewed hym seuen of his sonnes All whiche being refused by Samuel they maruayled and sayde there was no moe left but onelye a litle read headed boye that kept the sheep called Dauid whiche Samuel caused to be sent for And as sone as he came in sight God sayd to Samuel this is the man that I haue chosen VVhen the Messias was promised vnto the Iewes to be a king they imagined presentlie according to theyr worldlye wisdome that he should be some great prince and therfore they refused Christ that came in pouertie Iames and Iohn being yet but carnall seing the Samaritanes coÌ„temptuouslie to refuse Christes disciples sent to them and knoweing what Christ was thoght streightwaye that he must in reuenge haue called downe fyre from heauen to consume them But Christ rebuked them sayeing you knovv not of vvhat spirit you are The Apostles preachyng the crosse and necessitie of suffering to the wyse Gentiles and Philosophers were thought presentlye fooles for theyr labours Festus the Emperours lieutenant hearing paul to speake so muche of abandoning the world and foloweing Christ sayd he was madde Finallie this is the fashion of all worldlie wyse men to condemne the wisdome of Christ and of his saints For so the holye scripture reporteth of theyrowne coÌ„fession being now in place of torment nos insensati vitam illorum aestimabamus insaniam we fond men esteemed the liues of Saintes as madnes VVherfore this is also great vanitie as I haue sayde to make suche accoumpt of worldlye wisdome which is not onelye folye but also madnes by the testimonie of the holye ghoste hym selfe VVhoe would not thinke but that the wyse men of this world were the fittest to be chosen to doe Christ seruice in his churche Yet S. Paul saythe non mul i sapientes secundum carnem God hathe not chosen many wyse men according to the fleshe VVhoe wold not thinke but that a worldlye wyse man might easilye also make a wyse Christian yet S. Paul saythe no except first he become a foole 〈◊〉 fiat vt sit sapiens If any man seeme wise amongest you let hym become a foole to the ende he may be made wyse Vayne then and of no account is the wisdome of this world except it be subiect to the wisdome of God The fyfthe vanitie belonging to pryde of lyfe is corporall beautie wherof the wyseman saythe vayne is beautie and deceaueable is the grace of countynance VVherof also king Dauid vnderstoode properlie wheÌ„ he sayde Turne aâ—…vaye my eyes o lord that they beholde not vanitie This is a singular great vanitie daungerous and deceatfull but yet greatlie esteemed of the children of men whose propertie is to loue vanitie as the prophet say the. Beautie is compared by holie men to a painted snake whiche is fayre without and full of deadlye poyson within If a man dyd consider what infinite ruynes and destructions haue come by ouer lyght geuing credit therunto he wolde beware of yt And yf he remembred what foule drosse lyethe vnder a fayre skynne he wolde litle be in loue therwith saythe one father God hathe imparted certaine sparckes of beautie vnto his creatures therby to drawe vs to the confideration and loue of hys owne beautie wherof the other is but a shadow euen as a man fynding a litle issue of water maye seek owt the fouÌ„tane therby or happenyng vpon a small vaine of golde may therby come to the whole mynne it selfe But we lyke babes delyte our selues onelye withe the fayre couer of the booke and neuer doe consider what is writen therin In all fayre creatures that man dothe beholde he ought to reade this say the one father that yf God could make a peece of earthe so fayre and louelie withe imparting vnto yt some litle sparke of his beautie how infinite fayre is he hym selfe and how woorthye of all loue and admiration And how happye shall we be wheÌ„ we shall come to enioye his beautifull presence wherof now all creatures doe take theyr beautie If we wolde exercise our selues in these maner of cogitations We might easilye keepe oure hartes pure and vnspotted before God in beholding the beautie of his creatures But for that we vse not this passage froÌ„ the creature to the creator but doe rest onelye in the eternall appearance of a deceatfull face letting goe the brydle to foule cogitations and setting willfully on fyre our owne concupiscences hence is it that infinite men doe peryshe daylie by occasion of this fond vanitie I call it fond for that euerie chylde may discrie the deceate and vahitie therof For take the fairest face in the world wherwithe infinite folishe men fall in loue vpon the sight and rase yt ouer but with a litle scrache and all the matter of loue is gone lett there come but an Ague all this goodly beautie is distroyed lett the soule departe but one halfe hower from the bodye and this louing face is vglye to looke on lett yt lye but two dayes in the graue and those whiche were so hote in loue withe yt before will skarse abyde to beholde yt or come neare yt And yf none of those things happen vnto yt yet quicklie cometh on olde age which riueleth the skinne draweth in the eyes setteth owt the teethe and so disfigurethe the whole visage as yt becometh more contemptible now than it was beautifull and alluringe before And what then can be more vanitie than this VVhat more madnesse than ether to take pride of it yf I 〈◊〉 it my selfe or to endaunger my soule for yt yf I see it in others The sixthe vanitie belonging to pryde of lyfe is the glorie of fyne apparell against whiche the scripture saythe In vestitu ne gloriaris vnque See thou neuer take glorie in apparelle Of all vanities this is the greatest which we see so common among men of this worlde If Adam had neuer fallen we had neuer vsed apparell For that apparell was deuised to couer our shame of