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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00412	The contempte of the vvorld, and the vanitie thereof, written by the reuerent F. Diego de Stella, of the order of S. Fr. deuided into three bookes, and of late translated out of Italian into Englishe, vvith conuenient tables in the end of the booke; Vanidad del mundo. English	Estella, Diego de, 1524-1578.; Cotton, George.	1584 (1584)	STC 10541; ESTC S101688	253,878	566

Blesse ye all those that doe persecute you blesse but curse not at all And in an other place he sayeth Let vs blesse when we be cursed if persecutions doe fall to vs let vs beare them He sayleth with a contrarie winde as Christ sailed on the shippe of the crosse that prayeth for his enemies and doth good to them that doe persecute him The wicked doe also many tymes suffer persecutions and sickenes as well as the good for that God will that they shall in this lyfe beginne to feele of the tormentes which they must suffer after in hell But by the aduersities them selues it is easelie knowen which be they that be gyuen for to gayne by them lyfe euerlasting And which be they which are gyuē to begynne euerlasting death by If thou shalt see any man which in his sickenes shall blaspheme or greeuouslie offend God thou mayest perceyue how that tribulation is gyuen hym for his punnyshment and for to begynne to feele his hell here But yf he haue patience and doe gyue God thankes in his punnyshement then mayest thou be sure that God hath sent that infirmitie vnto hym for his good and benefite to clense hym from his former faultes and to augment his glorie in heauen Thou must haue patience in aduersitie yf thou lookest to be of the number of the elect Patience in aduersitie and tribulation is to God a most acceptable sacrifice In patience there be many good thinges Doe but hold thy peace and thou shalt ouercome And yf thou be sorie to day thou shalt be glad to morowe If thou be to day discontented thou shalt to morow be comforted For so small a tyme then temper thy sodayne motions and refrayne thy tongue Doe not afflict thy selfe neyther doe thou drowne thy selfe in a small water In good workes as fasting almes and penitence thou arte so pursued with humayne prayses that thou doest often loose a greate parte of thy merite but patience is a secret treasure For men can not see what thou sufferest neyther can they perceyue the iniuries done vnto thee because they touch not them If thou haue patiēce and doest holde thy peace thou arte not praysed because in suffering silence beareth the sway and hath the domination but yf thou be impatient then doe many wordes beare all the rule If thou be impatient then doe all men finde fault with thee but yf thou haue patience then will no man saye ought of thee for men doe heare well thine impatient wordes but of thy patiēce being done sayeng nothing they haue no consideration at all The more that thyne harte is sacrifised vnto God the more is all the worke that thou workest acceptable vnto him and so much as thy workes be lesse noted and commended of men so much be they the more perfect and better accepted of God Suffer then and haue patience a whyle for tyme cureth all thinges if thou be faythfull vnto death thou shalte receyue the crowne of lyfe BECAVSE THE VVORLD IS f●ll of confusion disorder and miserie it oughte to be fled from of hym that is desirous to fynde the treasor of heauēlie riches CHAP. 24. FLYE from the middest of Babilon sayeth God The world is full of confusion where no order is but euerlasting horror Golde is more esteemed then vertue transitorie goodes be preferred before spirituall and true goods the worlde is so full of confusion that he which hath a soule hath not a true lyfe it exalteth them that be euill and it subdueth those that be good Our Sauiour brought three of the perfectest disciples which he had vnto the toppe of an hill for to transfigure himselfe before them The worlde exalteth Iudas vnto honors and high estats leauing those that be good vnder the foote it is good for thee not to inhabite where so litle order and so great confusion is Esai speaking of the great mischeee that reigned in Babilon sayed that the Arabians wolde not pitch their tentes in that place And he that considereth the confusion and disorder of the world will neuer sett his affection therevpon VVhen a sicke man findeth not health in one place he chaungeth his dwelling and goeth to another This world is full of sickenes vearie daungerous for thee to recouer thy health in Thou wilt neuer get thy perfect health whilest thou doest abide with it Chaunge it and thou shalte finde healthe forsake it and thou shalte finde lyfe flie from it betyme yf thou wilt escape death Seperate thy selfe from the noyse of this world yf thou doest meane to lyue in rest and quyetnes The pleasures and the consolations thereof be more bitter then the waters of Iherico and they be as mutable as the moone Thou canst not find so euill waters agayne vpon the whole earth Little shalt thou profit in vertue in so barrayne and hungrie a soyle Abraham looked toward Sodome and he beheld all the land smokinge and flamynge as it had bene a fierie fornace And he that will consider this world well shall finde in it nothing but the smoke of pride and vanitie and the flame of disordinate desires He doth well that forsaketh all worldlie thinges flieng from the wayes of sinners and hydeth hym selfe farre of from all the busines and daungers of this world That seruante is wyse which knowinge that his maister whome he serueth intendeth to put hym awaye doth determyne to forsake hym first and take his leaue of hym And since the world is such as doth forsake his frendes in their chiefe tyme o● neede the best is for thee to forsake it before it doe forsake thee VVhen Isaacke was borne Abraham made no feaste at all but when he tooke him from nourrisse and wayned him then he made a great feaste VVhen man is first borne ther is no cause of feaste because a man knoweth not what will become of him but when he is seperated from this worlde and wayned from all his pleasures and delightes then oughte we to make a feast for him Flie from the worlde and thou shalte finde the treasor hidden in the fielde He which diggeth after any treasor the nearer that he cometh vnto it so much the more withdraweth he him selfe from the conuersation and companie of men and the nearer that he approcheth it so much more haste doth he make in his worke So doe the holy and good men the nearer that they draw vnto death the more earnest they be aboute all good workes as though they began but euen then to labor He that did eate of the Pascall lambe was firste circumcised And if thou doest not first circumcise thy selfe by dryuing from thee the loue of this worlde and spoyling thyne harte of all sensuall desires thou shalte neuer taste of the spirituall foode of the soule If thou haddest a greate deale of good grayne in a lowe bottome and one sholde tell thee that it marreth and corrupteth in that place thou woldest strayght waye

stone doth loose his vertue being put vpon thy selfe but if that thou puttest it vpon God it groweth and increaseth Of thy great conuersing with thy selfe groweth thy much louing of thy selfe and so if thou woldest conuerse with God thy loue to him wolde increase A man that is all his lyfe longe broughte vp in a feelie sheepe cote waxeth so blinde in the lyking thereof that he thinketh that place to be better then all other places in the world besides In lyke maner by thy much conuersing with thy selfe thou growest in loue and lyking with thy selfe Thou neuer intreatest of any thing but that which toucheth thy profit thou medlest not with any matter but that which concerneth thy commoditie And thus beinge alwayes busied aboute thy selfe thyne owne matters thou growest into an ouer greate likinge and loue with thy selfe If the Apostle did so much loue God that he saide nothing could seperate hym from Christ doe not thou marueill thereat when hym selfe saide also our cōuersation is in heauen The holie Apostle conuersed much with God and little with hym selfe and therefore he loued God much and hym selfe but a little Let thy mynde runne still vpon God be thou alwayes occupied in thinking of him by some deuow●e prayer or holie meditation and by the meanes of such good exercises it is impossible but that thou shalt loue God being such as he is when thou diddest by much exercises bestowed aboute thy selfe and conuersing with thy selfe falle in loue with thy selfe being such as thou art By these two loues there are two cities buylded The loue of God with the despisinge of thy selfe is the one and the loue of thy selfe with despisinge of God is the other And betwene both these that is betwixt God and thy selfe standeth thy will which the nearer that it draweth vnto thee so much goeth it further from God And so much as it draweth nearer vnto God so much goeth it further from thee by the despisinge of thy selfe And contrariewise it may growe so neare vnto thee by the greate loue that thou bearest vnto thy selfe that it may growe vnto the despisinge of God Had not these two pronownes so much rayned meum tuum myne and thine there had not bene so great discorde and disagreement in the world as there is Selfe loue is cause of all debate and discorde in Cities and ciuill places And because many loue their owne proper commoditie more then thee common profit of others therefore be there so many defectes and so greate decay in the common welth The Apostle sayth that in the latter dayes there shall come men which shal be greate louers of them selues couetous proude blasphemous persons and full of ●ice And of all this mischeefe whereof the Apostle speaketh selfe loue is the ●earie cause cheefe grounde and therefore he set it in the first place as the vearie foundatiō whereupō all the rest did stand Nothing doth a man so much harme ●s to haue his owne will That is the foundation whereon resteth the whole disorder of synne and whereupon the ●oue of the world doth settle and stay Take away that foundation of selfe loue ●nd downe will all the walles of Ierico falle which be the vanities of this world and the follies which thou hast so much esteemed THE TRVE PERFECTION of a Christian consisteth not onlie in despisinge of temporall thinges but he must also despise hym selfe and vvholie deny his ovvne proper vvill CHAP. 10. HE that will folow me sayeth Christ let hym denye hym selfe The vearie way to come vnto Christ is to conquere thyne owne will To suffer necessitie with patience and not to seeke thine owne proper commoditie The very true seruante of God seeketh not his owne interest but the glory and honor of God In all thy good deedes thou must seeke to please God and thou shalte receyue therefore greater benifites at his hande let him be the beginning and ende of all thy workes to the ende thou mayest not loose the fruyte of all thy trauailes It is a daungerous disease to haue to greate a loue to thy selfe he that seeketh him selfe is sure to finde him selfe good workes which be done for godes sake doe glade the consciēce illuminate the vnderstanding and deserue increase of grace Many doe despise the exterior thinges which they haue but for all that they come not vnto the perfection which the gospell requireth which is the denying of them selues whereby it appeareth that ●hey haue not yet caste away their owne will because they doe keepe still with them some of that selfe loue which made the snare wherewith they were first taken The true seruante of Iesus Christ must not onely make small accompte of ●is temporall goodes but he must also set ●ittle by him selfe that he be not hyndered ●hereby in his way toward heauen Let hym learne now by the grace of ●he holie Ghost to ouercome hym selfe ●hat hath learned before to despise all worldlie thinges This is the perfect re●ouncinge of a mans will when he is with ●art contented to despise hym selfe and ●ot seeke for any comforte in any thinge ●f this worlde If thou doest seeke thyne ●wne profit or temporall commoditie ●hou arte not yet perfectlie mortified vn●●ll the seruante of Iesus Christe doth ●hroughlie deny hym selfe he deserueth ●ot to receyue the heauenlie comforte Many that haue had at the first some ●euotion and spirituall consolation haue ●herein contynued for a shorte tyme but ●fter when they perceyued their deuotiō●n prayer to haue fayled them and therewithall their spirituall consolation which ●hey soughte after to haue decayed in them as men not contented therewith haue gyuē thē selues to the world agayne which they had before cast of And th●● they tooke no profit by all that they did because they had not gotten the perfect● victorie of them selues nor throughli● mortified them selues they wolde not b● contented wholie to forsake them selue● Set onlie before thyne eyes the se●●uice of god And then thoughe thou doe●● not sensiblie perceyue any present cōfo●● in that which thou doest yet ought it 〈◊〉 be a sufficiēt comfort vnto thee to know and to remember that thou art occupie● in his seruice and that it is his will tha● thou sholdest haue no further comfor● thereby then he shold thinke expedie●● for thee Thou must vtterlie denye th●● selfe in all thinges that thou goest abou●● yf thou wilt throughlie profite in the ser●uice of God Many wil be well contente● to deny them selues in certayne thinge● but not in all They wil be obedient in a●● thinges that shall like them but in thos● thinges which stand not with their likin● there they will stagger at it and will no● cast of them selues nor deny them selue● as they ought to doe But thou must in a●● thinges be readie to yeld vnto gods wi●● and vtterlie forsake thy selfe and thy●● owne will That carefull marchante which th● gospell speaketh of was well contente● to

good so much did he gett and recouer agayne by vniting hym selfe vnto them It is a daungerous thinge to forsake the cōpany of them that doe feare God And it is a thinge of wonderfull profit to be conuersant amongest spirituall men The holye Ghoste descended vpon VVhitsonday where the disciples were gathered together And if thou wilte contynew amongest good men thou shalte receyue the holy Ghoste as they did thou shalte delyuer thy selfe from the daunger of euill company if thou wilte ioyne thy selfe to those which be good with their wholsome admonitions they doe keepe thee from many euill attemptes and with their vertuous examples doe they excyte thee to doe good workes Choose those for thy companions to walke withall to talke vnto and to imitate by whose sweete conuersation and fruytfull communication thou mayest be brought vnto the loue of God For euill speeches doe corrupt good manners As necessarie and as profitable as it is for the health of thy bodie to haue a good ayre and an holesome situation so necessarie is it for the health of thy soule to haue conference and conuersation with the seruantes of God And since thou fliest from vnsounde and vnholesome places for the cōseruatiō of thy corporall health why doest not thou likewyse for the may●enance of thy soules health Flye from all worldlie company and seeke out for the frendship and conuersation of those which are good and iust Flie worldlie company as thou woldest flie hell fire and conuerse with the frendes of God for at the ende of thy iourney thou shalte get more by it then thou canst now well imagine ONLY FOR THE LOVE OF God and for the desire of obeying his holie vvill ought man to despise the vvorlde and the vanities therefore yf he vvill that the despising of them shall serue hym for the gettinge of heauenlie glorie CHAP. 29. HE that leaueth his house his father mother and his brothers for my sake shal receyue a hundred tymes as much agayne sayeth our Lorde Many haue forsaken their possessions and neuer receyued rewarde therefore because they despised not the worlde for Christes sake They seeke them selues they loue their owne glory and desire to be talked of in other mens mouthes So much shall thy worke be meritorious as it shall be founde to beare iuste weighte with it i● the ballance of God his loue The Apostle sayeth If I shall gyue all that I haue to the poore haue no charitie it profiteth me nothing Let all thy desire pleasure be to contente to please God and let his loue onely moue thee to the seruice of hym despisinge wholie this world and pretending to thy selfe no profit or commoditie thereby God praysed Iob and the deuill replied agayne saying Happelie doth Iob serue thee for nothinge This deuill pleaded his cause subtillie with allmightie God for he denyed not the workes of Iob to be good but he argued vpon his intent sayinge that happelie he did them for his owne commoditie and not freelie of good will For yf Iob had bene moued to doe those workes which he did for his owne interest and profit and not for the loue and glorie of God he had proued by good reasō to God allmightie that Iob had bene neyther a iust man nor a good man The seruante of God oughte in all that he doth to haue no other respect principallie but vnto the seruice and honor of God yf he will that his worke shal be meritorious vnto hym for the wicked men doe many good morall workes but the difference is that good men doe their workes in the fayth of God for his loue It is against all reason that the goodes of the earth sholde be preferred before God Art thou better then he that thou doest esteeme thy selfe more then his deuyne Maiestie If thou doest forsake synne eyther onely or principally because God sholde gyue thee glorie therefore thou shalt neuer enter into that glorie Or yf thou despisest the world and leauest synne onlie or cheefelie because thou woldest not come in hell thou hast takē euen thereby a redie way thether For yf thou cōsiderest all this well thou shalte fynde that it proceedeth from the loue of thy selfe and if thou doest examine well thyne owne intention and meaning herein thou shalte see how the loue that thou haste to thy selfe doth inuyte thee and moue thee thereunto and then arte not thou full lord of thy selfe neyther arte thou throughly mortified neyther canst thou yet tell what thing it is to serue God Doe not thou thinke that all they whiche haue forsaken their temporall goods haue therewith also forsaken them selues nor that all they be the frendes of God that doe despise the world But who is the frend of God in deede Euen he that doth forsake the world for God And who is the seruant of Iesus Christ. Euen he that hath no will in this world but to fulfill the will of Christ. The Prophet Dauid saide I haue inclyned my hart to doe thy commaundementes for a reward The reward that moued that holie man Dauid was God hym selfe According vnto that which God him selfe had told the Patriarke Abraham long before saying I am thy greate and thyne aboundant rewarde God ought onelie to moue thee principally thy will ought to be chieflie to haue hym for the reward of all that thou shalt doe Let al thine intentiō be onelie to please God and thou shalt merite much euen by the smalest workes that thou doest which ought not yet to be called small when they doe proceede out of that roote Seeke onelie the glorie of God and folow the counsayle of the Apostle which sayeth Doe all that thou doest for the glorie of God The perfect true louer seeketh God in all that he doeth and despiseth hym selfe for charitie is a bonde of loue by the whiche wee be vnited vnto God renouncing our selues Althoughe that naturall loue and diuine loue be like in their outward workinge yet be they farre differinge in the ●ntention for charitie doth not in any ●hing loue it selfe and naturall loue doth ●n all thinges seeke his owne good onelie for it selfe He may well and ought to be esteemed an euill man that is good onelie for his owne pleasure and delighte Let Christ be the cause and the end of all thyne actions yf thou wilt not loose thy tyme in the poing of them THE CONTINVAL REMEMbrance of death and that our bodies must be turned into Ashes is the perfectest and the best remedie against the temptation of sinne CHAP. 30. REMEMBER the last thinges and thou shalt not synne for euer The memory of death helpeth much to make vs lightlie to esteeme the vanitie of this world He will easelie despise all thinges that remembreth he must die God appareled our father Adam with the skynnes of dead beastes because he shold haue euer in his memory the sentēce of death which he fell into by his

●●ule nor taketh regard of his conscience may well be at leysure to attend what other men doe And in deede there are lightlie none that more looketh into other mens lyues then they that make small accompte of their owne there is none that wil be more seuere in the examyninge of other mens doinges then they that be most licentious in their owne There is none so much offended at small faultes of other men as they that commit greate faultes of their owne And finallie no man iudgeth so euill of his neighbours as he that liueth most looseli● hym selfe The wise man saieth He is in miserable estate that goeth from house to house VVhen the maister keepeth at home in hi● owne house all that be in the house do●● their dueties there but when he is go●● from home they doe what they will and take their pleasure VVhen reason keepeth the house and entreth into her owne conscience then be all the thoughtes set 〈◊〉 good order all the senses and affections be placed as they ought to be but if that she●● goe forth of the dores goeth wandring abrode from house to house prying what others doe abrode that while be all the thoughtes of the mynd idelly occupied 〈◊〉 no good done at all Esau went abrode in the fieldes and Iacob still bode at home in the house fo● it is the propertie of all good folkes 〈◊〉 keepe at home in their owne consciences but the ydle loyterer still wandreth abrode perusing what other doe Be thou no examyner of other mens lyues neither doe thou as the poore needie taylor doth that maketh a garment for an other man and goeth hym selfe naked And if thy neighbour be nought he must gyue accōpt thereof vnto God Thou shalt finde for thy selfe enough to doe if thou wilt enter into thy selfe consider well thyne owne lyfe But thou doest busie thy selfe to much aboute many thinges as Martha did and because thou medlest with many thou arte much troubled But one is necessarie for thee this one is God hym selfe deale thou with hym onlie and meddle not with to many matters if thou doest entend to leade a quiet and a contented lyfe If thou wilt taste of the inward cōfort of the spirite thou must mislike with these outward externall busines of the world And thou must first despise these worldly offices and dignities which worldlie men doe seeke after if thou wilt feele howe sweete and comfortable the conuersation of Iesus Christ is There needes no witnesses to proue against the that thou bearest no loue vnto God if thou doest occupie thy selfe about superfluous cares and arte a busie examiner of thy neighbours lyues be readie to helpe them in all that they haue neede of and to succour them as thou arte able and neuer meddle further with thē nor seeke to knowe more of them Loue them all and eschew all further busie doinges with them and then will God loue thee and all men will esteeme of thee and so shalt thou lyue in good quietnes and contentement here in the worlde THOV MVST NOT BE A rash and a rigorous iudge of thy neighbours deedes but patientlie beare vvith them and take them all to the best if any amongest them be levvd yet despise thou hym not cast hym not of for thou knovvest not vvhat shall be the end of hym CHAP. 24. LET euerie man beare one anothers burthen sayth the Apostle And thou mayest well beare with thy neighbour a fewe thinges when God beareth with thee so many Be not thou a cause of offence vnto thy neighbour nor doe not thou lightlie reprehend hym for euerie small offence thou hast enough to do for thy selfe without intermedlinge much with thy neigh●ours matters If thou findest not all folkes conformable to thy minde in all pointes yet must ●ot thou be troublesome or greeuous to ●hem in reprehending them and findinge fault with them For albeit that thou arte good and vertuous of thy selfe yet may an other be as good and as vertuous as thou ●rte and yet not in all pointes be like vnto ●hee If thou doest perceyue any imperfections in thy neighbours yet oughtest ●hou to thinke that vnder them be many good vertues hidden which thou knowest not of for thou arte not a God that knoweth all thinges And many good woorkes doe men vnknowen to thee Condemne not thy neighbour neyther be thou angrie with hym but calle to thyne owne memorie thyne owne weakenes and thyne owne sinnes euer interprete thy neighbours deedes vnto the best And when thou canst not excuse the deede it selfe yet interpret fauorably of the intētiō of the deede which perhappes may be good or els if any fault were committed it was of ignorāce And whē no reasō will allowe thee to gyue any excuse neyther of the deede nor of the intēt therof but that thy neighbour did trespasse in the doing it yet oughtest ●hou to thinke that he was vehementlie tempted to the doinge of it and that if thy selfe had bene assaulted with so greate temptation thou sholdest haue done much woorse And gyue thankes vnto God that thou escapedst the like temptation and with tender compassion make thine earnest prayer vnto God for thy neighbou● that fell The Apostle sayeth Let him that standeth take heede that he fall not If th●● wilte be rigorous and a rashe iudge of other mens faultes God will suffer thee 〈◊〉 fall into the same faultes that thou co●demnest thy poore brother for and happely into some greater faulte to for the taming and subduing of thy pryde S. Peter thinking him selfe to ha●● a better courage then any of his felowe● had shortly after had a fowle fall Thank● God that he hath vpholden thee with hi● owne hande true perfecte holines neue● falleth into disdayne but into compassion The good and iust man hath compassi●on vpon the sinner and knoweth that h● may erre as well as the other did If thou be learned or wise or haue any other go●● gift or grace that others doe want doe n●● thou take any pryde thereof neyther despise thou others that haue them not b●● rather reprehend and finde faulte with th● selfe that hauing receyued more at God● handes then others haue yet thou serue● him and obeyest him lesse then they doe If the fauors and the commodities and a●● those good inspirations which God hat● gyuen vnto thee to make thee for to ser●● him had bene gyuen by him vnto th● theeues and murderers that goe wande●ringe aboute the worlde they wolde neyther haue robbed nor haue murthered but wold happely haue serued God much better then thou doest serue him and because that God hath bene good vnto thee thou must not be euill vnto an other haue alwayes an humble opinion of thy selfe and thou shalte receyue greater fauor and more aboundant grace at Gods hande If thy brother doe offende thee thou must receyue him agayne with mercie and with charity according to the saying of the