y being ouercome they sall are 〈◊〉 and wrapped vp in sundrie vices without purpose and 〈◊〉 to bée conuerted vnto God. In lyke maner to flye idlenesse doeth preuayle muche in the auoyding of sin For idlenesse bréedeth vices and therfore some fruitfull occupation must alwayes be taken in hand Furthermore I iudge that nothing is more effectuall to the eschuing and auoyding of all euilles to the resisting of the diuill to the profiting in all charitie vertue and grace to the applying of holy workes and to the earnest submission of a compunct méeke a holy mynde vnto God then the inward frequent and diligent meditatioÌ„ of our Lords passion For when we sée how much God loued vs howe great patience méekenesse and humilitie Christ did shew teach in his passion and how being stretched vpon the Crosse hée prayed for them that killed him by weying and déepely considering of all which things we shal throw froÌ„ vs all pride wrath impatience carnallitie voluptuousnesse and enuye Studying to get charitie méeknesse patience repentance Beholde now my welbeloued let the prouident consideration of all these things before discribed which may make théâ—… eschue those things which displease God chiefly are hurtfull vnto thy selfe that is to say sinnes let it alwayes I say leade thée and guyde thée that with a clensed thought thou mayest euermore increase in charitie in diuyne grace and in all the giftes of the holy ghost How a man ought to behaue himselfe heere iâ—… earth which desireth to attayne vntâ—… perfection of life Art. 21. WHosoeuer desireth to apply his mynde vnto the oâ—…tayning of inwarde purenesse and holinesse and to attayne to true perfection of lyfe here on earth Ought first of all to found him self and his conuersation vpon true humilitie and the fear of god For god doeth resist the proude but vnto them that are humble hée giueth so muche the fuller grace as they haue the greater depth of humilitie And agayn he sayth if thou doe not hold thy self instantly in the fear of God thy house shal be quickly subuerted and ouerthrowne Secondarily he ought so farre fourth as God wil graunt the measure of his grace and as in him lyeth to flye and abhorre all sinne Forasmuch as sinnes doe in such maner as is before rehearsed hinder the increase of grace the ferueÌ„tnesse of charitie and the cleannesse of holy lyfe Thirdly he ought verie often tymes and most diligently euerie day and night to consider his lyfe to lament his offences and the breach of the preâ—…ptes diuyne and sharpely to iudge ouer him selfe in all things to humble and dispyse him selfe But as for other mens déedes hee ought not curiously to marke or iudge them Fourthly in all things that he doeth he ought to haue a circumspect eye and actually to take héede and to haue care that he offende not God by any meanes For since there is no difference as Saint Thomas affyrmeth in the vndiuydable actions of men so that euerie action of man procéeding from deliberation of reason eyther profiteth or anoyeth it is certayne that vnlesse a man in all things that he doeth doe circumspectly behaue him selfe in euerie poynt he shall light into many sinnes And therefore the Apâ—…stle writeth vnto Tymothie doe nothing sayeth he without foresight and iudgement That is to say the iudgement of discretion going before thée And in Ecclesiastes it is 〈◊〉 some doe nothing without counsell thou shalt not â—…nt thée after thy déedes Therfore in all things it is â—…o be weighed whither they be lawfull expedient or profitable Whither they be lawfull hauing respect to God and whither they bée expedient hauing regard to the edifying of thy neighbor He that is such an one will alwayes and in all places behaue him selfe fearefully Such an one was Iob. I â—…eared sayeth hée all my déedes knowing that thou spaâ—…st not him that â—…ffendeth Fyftly he ought to kéepe his harte with all diligent héede least any vayne thought or inordinate affection doe remayne therein Sixtly he should bring himselfe into suche custome that whither hée eate or dryncke or clotheth him selfe or whatsoeuer he doe or labor abroad or whatsoeuer he heare others speak or he him self speake vnto others yet alwayes he doe as much as by the helpe of grace he may lift vp hys hart vnto God and within him self reuolue somewhat that is godly saying with all his thought A cleane harte create in â—…e O Lord â–ª And such other meditatious as séeme mostâ—… pleasant and most conuenient vnto his deuotion but chiefly he must pray vncessantly vnto God for increase of grace and for the custodie of his harte Seuenth he ought in all things to haue a moste â—…ncere intention feruently and zealously desiring the honor worshipping of god And thinking thervpon more then on him self or any other thing Eightly he ought in all affection of bodie and in all aduersitie to â—…ioyce hartely bicause suche things are profitable vnto him as touching god But bicause it is vnacceptable vnto the holy ghost whatsoeuer we present vnto it neglecting that wherevnto we are bound therefore he ought first to paye vnto God reuerently his dettes and duties as prayers or diuyne holy seruice distinctly pronounsing lifting vp his harte and fashioning these things as with a taste of mynde euen as it were from his own affection Yea let him rayse vp his harte vnto God by contemplation of his goodnesse holinesse and benifites These things my most déerly beloued brother I doe write vnto thée rudely and in haste as they come into my memorie and as God him selfe from whom all goodnesse floweth did vouchsafe to giue me vnderstanding to the end thine hart may be inflamed towards the loue of perfection and that it may know how to obteyn the same For if thou doe rightly and wisely vse the gifts of nature doubled in thee by the diuyne grace then shalt thou with a wonderfull â—…acylitio attayne vnto singâ—…lar perfeâ—…tien And therefore I doe vehemently exhort thée and earnestly desire that thine affections towardes these earthly thinges may bee temperate couetyng the ryches of thys worlde no farther then necessytie doth requyer modest Iâ—…fe doth deâ—…und and the inward proâ—…tt of thy sowle challenge For Augustine sayth in his nynth booke De ciuitate deâ—… A mans sowle is so much the more vnlike that incorporall enternytie and vnchangeable goodnesse as it more coueteth and desiereth temporall and mutable thinges Yea let thy thoughtes altogither dispyse the vnpure delectations of the flesh Bicause as Augustine sayth in his second booke De Trinitate The reasonable soule is made so much the more spirituall and that more feruent the more and more that it dyeth from carnall concupiscences To conclude the more preryous that thy soule is then thy body so much the more diligently sée that thou loue séeke and heape vp the spirituall rytches the inward comelynesse and decking of vertues before the outward
my welbeloued in Christ Iesu attâ—…d and marke the word of god with good affectioÌ„ heare it humbly and reuerently reade it and peruse it as an Epistle sent thée from the holy ghost Neyther yet is it sufficient to know the will of God or to haue it in reuerence but we must also fulfill the same As the Psalmist sayth I haue layed vp thy wordes in my harte to the end that I might not offend thée And the Euangelist sath The seruaunt which knoweth his Lords will doth it not shal be beateÌ„ with many stripes And the Apostle Iames in his Canonicall Epistle sayth He that doth knowe the good and doth it not offendeth gréeuously And here vpon Augustine doth conclud that the word of god is of no lesse worthynesse then the body of christ Neyther is he lesse gyltye which heareth the word of God neclygently then he which receyueth his body vnworthyly And therfore since I writ these things vnto thée for the health of thy soule by the helpe and grace of God without whâ—…se provydence and helpe no trée groweth nor leafe falleth I require that thou read these thinges with no lesse dillygence and earnest affection then they are feruently and zealously wrytten for thyne instruction For so the natureall goodnesse of thy quick capacytie doth requyre As it is written A good eare will harken vnto wisdome with earnest desire And how acceptable and well pleasing that were vnto god appeareth by the wyseman saying The earnest desire of wysdome shall guid a man to the perpetuall kyngedome But what wisdome Not the wysdome of this world Not the wysdome of Phylosophers Poets or Rethorycians For by the 〈◊〉 of â—…he Apostle God estéemeth the wisdome of this worlde for méere folly And Saint Hierome that holy father doth call Aristotle who was Prince of Philosophers a father of fooles or Prince of ignoraunce But the wordes before rehearced are ment by the wisdome and perfect knowledge which is conteyned in holy scriptures And are not they to be accoumpted vayne and foolishe who settinge a side such thinges as are requisite for the soules health And omitting â—…he obseruaunce of gods holy coÌ„maundementes and the holesome knowledge conteyned in his holy word are earnestly and contynewally occupyed in thinges altogether vayne and superfluous yea things which god doth not by any meanes requyre at their handes And therevpon we sée such men most comoÌ„ly blynded with infinite vanyties vnfearefully vnwarely conuersant and delighted in playes pastimes and ouermitting greater offences in méere tryfels and fantasies Is this thinkest thou the streyght waye leading to lyfe euerlasting the which as Christ himselfe doth witnesse few can fynde out No But doo thou as the holy word teacheth thée séeke not thinges aboue thy reach Nor search not thinges beyonde thy strength But looke what god cuÌ„maundeth and therevpon doo thou alwayes medytate And as for these superfluous toyes of prophaine mystries doo neuer troble thy braynes therewith Agayne what prosâ—…teth it to haue knowledge of thinges created without a dew reuerence and worship of the creator Nothing at all But rather it hyndereth much and maketh such smatterers as gesse thereby to fal into daunger of coÌ„dempnatioÌ„ Wherfore let not the study of naturall Phylosophy more delight thée then the study of true morallytie which is deuynity But let the cheife delight consist in the study vnderstanding of holy scriptures That thou mayest say O how swéete are thy wordes vnto my mouth more swéete then fine hony And agayne I haue delyghted in the wayes of thy testimonyes as in much rytches And lykewyse The lawe of thy mouth is profitable vnto me yea more then thowsandes of gold siluer By experience thereof one of the Fathers in holy churche did say Nothing in this lyfe is tasted more swéetely nor swallowed more gréedely nothinge doth so seperate mans mynd from the world nothing so strâ—…gthen it against temptation nor any thing more help and styrre him to all goodnesse then the study of the holy scriptures And agayne hée sayth Whatsouer is written in holy scriptures is veritie Whatsoeuer is therein commaunded is honesty and whatsoeuer is therin promised is true and perfect felicitye This is then the most holesome and profitable study which teacheth a man to know himselfe to correct his lyfe and to procéed in all goodnesse by the grace of the holy spirite And therevpon Augustine warneth vs saying Use reading of holy scriptures for thy glasse whereby thou mayest moue any blott or blemishe that thou findest in thy selfe Yea theu mayest therein learne to preserue whatsoeuer thou perceiuest to be fayre in thée by doing that which is fayerer then it séemeth to be For the worde of god is most plentyfull conteyning in it all delights And therin as in a myrrour when we doo looke and gaze with the eyes of our inward mynde we doo also sée and behold the secret shape of our soules Yea we may thereby perceiue how much we haue profited or how much we are gone a straye froÌ„ perfection Wherevpon Isodorus sayth The reading of holy scriptures doth yéeld prosit For it doth not onely teath instruct a mans mynde but it bringeth backe to the loue of god such as are by vanyties abstract and caryed into concupiscence Can any study then be compared to y study of this wysdome No surely For as Gregorie sayth Euen as the holy scriptures doo excell aboue all other knowledge learning without coÌ„parisoÌ„ teaching vs the perfect trueth calling vs to the heaueÌ„ly habitatioÌ„ inuyting and prouoking y readers hart froÌ„ worldly desirs to theÌ„braceing of high heaueÌ„ly treasurs being neither so darke that they are to be dred nor yet so plaine y they are to be dispised eueÌ„ so doth the vse and exercise thereof take away all wearinesse and the more they are red the more they delight surpassinge all other scyences euen in the maner of writing and handlynge Wherevpon Hyerome also sayth Loue the studie of the holy scryptures and thou shalt not passe vpon the vitious desires of the fleshe So that I doe greatly desire welbeloued to decke and bewtyâ—…e thy soule with this diuyne and supernaturall knowledge of the holy scripturs the which shyneth as a certayne blase or bryght bâ—…ame of the euerlastinge vncreated and highest wysdome And the very reading thereof by the testimony of Hyerome doth sharpen y sence encrease y vnderstanding warme the will shake of â—…owth quench lust prouoke swéet sighes distyll plesant teares and maketh vs as it were néeare neighbours vnto God himselfe Wherein when we bestowe our tyme and study the holy ghost doth talke and common with vs euen famylyarely as Isodr sayth And surely thou art singulerly endewed with capacity towardes thatteyning thereof synce thou art bewtified with a naturall sharpenesse of vnderstanding in such sort that thou mayest by Gods grace say being yet but a yong scoller I haue enclyned my soule vnto goodnesse And I besech thée most
mercyfull God to graunt mée such a delight in searching of his true wysedome that thou mayest say with the auctor of the booke of wysdome Hir haue I loued and searched for euen froÌ„ my youth and I wooed hir to be my wyfe and my spouse And I became in loue with hir bewtye so that entryng into my house I will lye downe by hir and take my rest with her For hir conuersation doth not weary me neyther is there any bitternâ—…sse in hir company but ioye and gladnesse dwell with hir for euer And herevpon also it is sayd Wisdome is more pretious then any ryches and all that mâ—…n desire is not thervnto to be compared God forbyd then that thou my welbeloued shouldest set thy mynde or occupy thy thoughtes in thinges that are lower and of vyler estymation THe path of the iust coÌ„meth forthwards like vnto a bright shyning lamp it in creaseth vntill it be brod dai but y waâ—…es of y wicked are dark they know not wher they fall As y holy Euangelist Iohn doth witnesse in his first Epistle saying God is light and in him there is no maner of darkenesse Also Dyonisius wryteth that God is the pure full and infinite light the lyuely intellectuall originall and most cleare brightnesse Since he then is the end and vttermost bound of our way and perigrinage we ought to walke towardes him by the bright shyning pathes and fayre wayes that the whole way may bée lyke vnto the ende of our iourney and the middest vnto the vttermost boâ—…ndes thereof For otherwyse we can neuer attayne vnto him Now this pathe of the iust is vertuous déeds good lyfe and conuersation togither with a warie obseruation of Gods lawes and commaundements Whervâ—…on Salomon sayeth The wayes of the Lorde are fayre wayes and all the pathes thereof are peaceable For the wayes whereby wée iourneye vnto God and the heauenly kingdome are good thoughtes holye medytations fruytefull talke and déedes of charitie acceptable vnto God in Christ Iesus These are iustly called the paths or wayes of the iust for as much as they be the certayne fruites and tokens whereby we passe and make way the grace of God helping vs from this exyle vnto the heauenly habitation The which wayes and pathes are by good reason tearmed bright and shinyng sithens they haue their originall beginning of Gods grace and charitie which are the supernaturall lightes of the soule Yea bicause with their brightnesse they chase darkenesse from the myndes of men they vnite and knit togither our hartes to the vncreated and heauenly light and make him which exerciseth himselfe therein to sâ—…eme cleane holy and acceptable vnto God and a good example vnto men Wherevpon the Apostle sayth That the iust doe shine as Lanternes amongest the wicked And agayne vnto sinners conuerted he sayeth You were once darknesse but now you are light in the lord Furthermore this pathe and way of the iust doeth procéede from good to better from imperfection to perfection from one vertue to another from the way vnto the ende of the iourney yea and it increaseth vntill it be broad day That is to say vntill the euerlastyng day appeare For as much as it ryseth by fayth to the speciall kynde of the thing sought for Euen vnto the euerlasting and most blessed fruition and visien of the highest and most reuerend Trinitie and Godheade This is the way of the chosen the vnspotted way the way of all vertue leading by the trauayle of repentance vnto euerlasting rest and quyet And of this way the Psalmist sayth Blessed are they whose wayes are vncorrupted and which walke in the lawes of the Lord their god And therevpon Iob sayde I kepte the way of the lord and did not decline from it As also Ieremie sayde Aske which is the good way and walke therein and you shall fynde a refreshing for your soule But now there is another way of the reprobate a darkesome way that is to say a wicked and vngodly way which lacketh the light of true vnderstanding is not guyded with the light of grace But is obfuscate and darkened with the cloudes of passions and concupiseÌ„ces peruerting ouerthrowing all iust iudgements leadeth to the dungeon of infernal darknesse This way is séene by vitious qualities vnbrydeled appetites coÌ„cupiscence of the flesh wicked thoughts euil déedes vnséemely and vnlawful talke and neclecting of tyme The which doe so ouershadow and darken the eyesight of the mynde chat it can not sée the spirituall ruyne and ouerthrow into the which it dayly falleth headlonges For in this slippery and damnable way which séemeth good vnto the wicked although the end thereof doe leade vnto death men fal from the highest vnchaungeable and moste blessed God vnto a chaungeable frayle and vayne apparaunce of goodnesse from the state of grace and saluation vnto the state of gylte and condempnation from a spirituall lyfe to a carnall lyfe and in the ende from the right waye to the infernall pryson Of the which way or wayes being wicked as aforesayde it is written you blushe and be ashamed of your wayes And therefore my beloued goe not into the waye of ruyne and perdition neyther followe the libertie of worldlye vanities and thyne owne desires but doe thou diligently followe and imitate the waye of the blessed and chosen For whosoeuer followeth the things which delight the fleshe and the outwarde sences whosoeuer doeth imbrace the loosenesse of his hearte and the ioyes of this world hée doubtlesse walketh in a darke and daungerous way But hée that walketh accordyng to the preceptes and lessons of the Gospell hée chuseth vnto him the brighte way of the electe and may saye with the Psalmist I haue kepte my féete from all euill wayes that I might kéepe thy wordes For the worthie and perfect fulfillyng whereof let vs praye dayly or rather hourely with deuout mynde saying Dyrecte my steppes accordyng to thy worde and no vnrightuousnesse shall haue the vpper hande of mée The Apostle Paule in his seconde Chapiter to the Galathyans sayeth I am fastened to the Crosse in christ Yet liue I not I but Christ liueth in mée And whereas I now lyue in the fleshe I liue in the fayth of the sonne of God which loued mée and gaue himselfe for mée And surely this is the holesome doctrine of christian religion That for the transgression of our forefathers all maÌ„kind was depryued of their pleasant habitation in the terrestiall Paradyce and throwne out into this world as into a vale of miserie into a place of banishment and a countrey far from our natiue residence To the end that through the bloud of Christ Iesu we might in this worlde shewe the fruites of true repentaunce and incessantly bewayle our owne calamitie vntil we may be thought worthie after this life to enter into the place of rest or euerlasting kingdome prepared for the elect children of God. Wherevpon
bicause he hath promised to giue vs greater rewards in the heauenly kingdome And to this feruentnesse of charitie let vs alwayes enforce our selues For by Augustynes opinion it is neyther the great number of workes nor the long continuance of tyme but the greater heate of charitie and the better readinesse of our wil which maketh God for his Christ to accept our merites For whosoeuer doeth obserue charitie in all his actions he fulfilleth as wel that which is apparant as also that which is mysticall in Gods booke For charitie doth as it were open the mynde and maketh the louer to be loued O Lord my God thou arte charitie sayth the Apostle thou art loue which can not be extinguished Doe thou therfore lighten my hart and make it dronken in thée Wherfore am I tossed about wherfore run I from one place to another why doe I wander after many things Is ther not in thée only most holy honorable mighty glorious God y perfect possessioÌ„ y incomprehensible pleÌ„tie and y infinit aboundance of all things y are good pleasant or to be desired TheÌ„ what is more exceleÌ„t or more louely y I shuld therfore withdraw my hart from thée turn it vnto frail things coueting or desiring any maner of thing without thée or besides thée And where was I when I was not with thée Whither ranne myne affections astray when they did not desire thée onely O God of my lyfe howe vaynely is it consumed And how vnfruitfully are my dayes stolen away whilest I liued idelly vnprofitably before thée But from henseforwardes let my soule bee vnmoueably fixed in thée For euen as the harte desireth the freshe fountaynes when he is chased euen so my hart desireth to be with thée O God. Whosoeuer doth glorifie mée I wil also glorifie him saith the Lord God in the second Chapiter of the first booke of the Kings And they which coÌ„tempne me shal be dishonored For of the loue of God the zeale of y diuine honor doth ryse and procéed As also an excéeding affection to adore worship him in all things Which zeale y prophet Helie had wheÌ„ he said I am become zealous in zeale for the Lord god And y more feruently that we loue him the more entâ—…tiuely also we desire to worship him in all things yea and to enduce others with vs to the worshipping of his name For euen as God by reason of his vnmeasurable bountie his infinite amyablenesse is such that no man can loue him so much as he is worthie to be beloued but doth infinitely fayle thereof So by the reason of his maiestie dignitie and vnmeasured asured holinesse he is infinitely to be honoured So that euery man is much defectyue in doing of suche reuerence vnto him as he in him self doth deserue And here vpon the holy fathers profoundlye pondering these considerations did estéeme all their déedes conuersatioÌ„ how perfect so euer it were to be of none effect And therfore the doctors say A man shuld rather suffer death theÌ„ commit the least fault or offence wilfully For as muche as sinne in that it derogateth any thing from the excéeding great maiestie of God is a huge and vnreasonable enormitie Then if we do honor the excelent maiestie of God so much the more bicause by the beholding consideratioÌ„ of his worthinesse we are able to dispise hartily to reiect all frail vain transitorie things to the end that being vnburthened and clean dispatched of them we may attentiuely giue our selues to that pure frée entire worshipping of the same it must néedes follow that they whiâ—…h through zeale doe altogither dispyse and forsake the world shall immediately honor God with all integrytie of harte And therefore by his grace and mercies are made worthie to be glorified honored extolled with him And lykewise the lesse that a man doe occupie him selfe in many businesses so much the more perfectly he is bent vnto the onely god And so much y loftier more sincere his mynde is in the praysing of his name Yea hée may so much the more be wholly at leysure to exercise him selfe in his seruice and walke vprightly in all godlynesse Moreouer Salomon saith Honor God with all thy substance and the first fruites of thine increase If then it pertayne vnto the honor of God to offer him any parte of our outward substance it must by stronger reason appertaine more vnto his honour to refuse all worldly things fréely for the worshiping and glorifying of him and to preseÌ„t our selues vnto him with full deuotion And so do they which coÌ„tempne the world in such maner as is beforesayd And therfore to the end thou mayest vncessantly as much as in thée lyeth giue thy selfe vnto the praise worship and honour of the diuyne maiestie yea that thou mayest quyetly repose thy self in the swéet contemplation of his mercyes reioyse in his blessednesse lyke a naturall louing chylde and spend all the dayes of thy lyfe vertuously I exhorte thée my welbeloued altogither to disspyse the world and to passe ouer all the transitorie vanities thereof with a noble courage yea to goe hartily to worke in the onely honoring of god For is not the vylenesse lothsomenesse of this world infinite being compared to the highest and vnchangeable goodnesse yea doest thou not thinke it an vnworthie thing by occasion of earthly and worldly coÌ„uersation to be hyndred letted from the duetie which thou owest vnto the honour and maiestie of God â–ª and to be withdrawen from the holy exercyses of vertue and godlinesse for the moste vayne liberties of worldly conuersation and vnlawfull actions To conclude if thou doe in this maner glorifie God and dispise the world then God doubtlesse wil cause thée to be honoured excéedingly as Esay witnesseth saying if thou glorifie God following not thyne owne wayes nor yelding to thyne owne will the Lord will giue thée rest and wil fill thy soule with comely brightnesse Yea then shalt thou be much delighted in the Lord and he shall set thée vp aboue the height of the earth Wherevpon Hyllarie sayeth This doe I chieflye owe vnto God that all my power all my sences all my spirits may sounde his praise For to that end we receyued bodie and bodily members yea lyfe and soule of God that we might worship him generally with them all And therefore the Apostle sayeth As you haue giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse and iniquitie so now sayth hée giue ouer your members to doe rightâ—…esse and holinesse And this it is to honour God worthyly to doe for his honour whatsoeuer we may possybly doe to please him yea and yet neuerthelesse humbly to confesse that we doe nothing worthy of thankes or meryte Therofore it is written To gloryfie God as much as lyeth in vs shall preuayle with his mercy and is beyonde all prayse Deferre not then my welbeloued to geue