happed there yet an other hap theron Cosin that a worke of Galien de diffâ—renciis febrium is ready to besolde in the booke sellers shoppes In which workes she shewed me than yâ— Chapter where Galien saieth the same ☞ Vincent Mary vncle as you saye that happe happed well and that mayde had as happe was in that pointe more cunning than hadde both our physicioÌ„s besides and hath I wene at this daye in many poyntes moe ☞ Antony In fayth so wene I to and that is wel wared on her for she is very wyse and wel learned and very verteous too But see nowe what age is loe I haue beene so longe in my tale that I haue almoste forgotten for what purpose I tolde it Oh now I remeÌ„ber me loe lykewyse I saye as my self felt my body than both hoate cold at once so he that is contrite heauy for his sinne shal haue cause for to be and shall in dede be bothe merye and sadde and both twayne at once and shal doe as I remember holy Saint HieroÌ„ biddeth doleas de dolore gaudeas both be thou sorye saythe he and be thou of thy sorowe ioyfull also And thus as I beganne to saye of comfort to be geueÌ„ vnto him that is in this trybulacion that is to witte in frutefull heauines and penance for his sinne shal we none nede to geue other than onely to remembre and consider the goodnes of goddes excellent mercye wel that infinytely passeth the malyce of al mennes sinne by which he is readye to receiue euerye man and dyd spreade his armes abrode vpon the crosse louinglye to enbrace all them that will come and euen there accepted the thefe at his last ende that turned not to god tyll he myght steale no longer and yet maketh more feasle in heauen at one that from sinne turneth than of .xcix. good men that sinned not at all And therfore of that firste kynde will I make no longer tale The .v. Chapter An obieccion concerning them that turne â—ot to GOD tyll they come at the last cast ☞ Vincent FOrsoth Uncle this is vnto that kinde coumforte very great and so great also that it may make many a man bold to abide in his sinne euen vnto his last ende trusting to be thaÌ„ saued as that thefe was Anthony Uerye sooth you saye Cosin that some wretches are there such that in suche wse abuse the greate goodnes of god that the better that he is the worse againe they be But Cosin thoughe there be more ioye made of his turning that froÌ„ the poynt of perdicion cometh to saluacioÌ„ for pitie that god and his saintes al of the peryll of perishing that the man stoode in yet he is not set in like state in heauen as he should haue been if he had lyued better before excepte it so fall that he liue so well after and dooe so much good that he therin outrun in the shorter time those good folke that yet dyd not so much in much lenger as it proued in the blessed apostle Saint Paul which of a persecutor became an Aposâ—le and last of al came in vnto that office and yet in the laboure of sowynge that sede of Chrystes faythe outranne all the remnaunte so farre forthe that he letted not to saye of hym selfe Ego plus omnibus cucurri I haue runne more than all the remnaunte haue But yet my Cosin thoughe GOD I doubte not be so mercyefull vnto them that at anye time in theyr lyfe turne and aske his mercy and trust therin though it be at the laâ—te ende of a mannes lyfe and hireth him as well for heauen that cummeth to worke in hys Uineyarde towarde nyghte at suche tyme as men leaue worke if the tyme woulde serue as he hyreth hym that cummeth in the mornynge yet maye there no man vpon the truste of thys parable be boulde all hys lyfe to lye styll in synne For lette hym remembre that in Goddes vineyarde there goethe no man but hee that is called thyther Nowe he that in hope to be called towarde nyght wyll slepe oute the mornynge and dryncke oute â—he daye is full likelye to passe as nyghte vnspoken to and than shall he wyth shrewde reste goe supperlesse to bedde They tell of one that was wonte alwaye to saie that all the while he lyued he woulde dooe what he luste for thre woordes when hee dyed shoulde make all safe inoughe but than so happed it that longe ere he were oulde hys horse once stombled vpon a broken brydge and as he laboured to recouer hym wheÌ„ he sawe it would not be but downe into the floud headlong nedes he should in a sodaine flight he cried out in the falling haue all to the â—euyl and there was he drowned with his thre wordes ere he died wheron his hope hong al his wretched life And therfore lette no maÌ„ sinne in hope of grace for grace coÌ„meth but at goddes wyl and that minde may be the let that grace of a frutefull repenting shall neuer after be offred him but that he eyther gracelesse go lynger on carelesse or with a care fruitelesse fall into dispayre The .vi. Chapter An â—bieccion of them that saye that tribulacion of penauncâ— nedeth not but is a supersticious foly Vincent FOrsoth vncle in this point me thinketh you saye verye wel But than are there some agayne that saye on the other side that heauines of our sinnes we shal nede none at al but onely chaunge our purpose and intent to doe better and for that which is passed take no thought at al. And as for fasting or other afflyccion of the body they saye we should not doe it but onely to tame the fleshe whan we fele it waxe wanâ—on and begin to rebel for fasting they say serueth to kepe the body in a temperauÌ„ce but for to faste for penaunce or to doe any other good worke almose dede and other toward satisfaccioÌ„ of our owne sinne this thing they call playne iniurye to the passion of Christ by which onely are our sinnes forgeuen frely without any recompence of our owne And they that woulde dooe penaunce for theyr owne sinnes looke to be theyr own Christes and paye theyr owne raunsomes saue theyr soules them selfe And with these reasons in Saxoni many cast fasting of al other bodilye afflyccion saue onely where nede requireth to bringe the bodye to temperance For other good they say can it none doe to our selfe then to our neighboure can it doe none at all therefore they condemne it for supersticious foly now heauines of heart wepiÌ„g for our sinnes this they reckon shame almost and womanyshe peuishnes howebeit thanked be God theyr women waxe there nowe so mannyshe that they be not so peuishe nor so pore of sprite but that they can sinne on as men doe and be neyther afrayde nor ashamed nor wepe for theyr sinnes at al. And suerlye myne vncle I haue merueled much the lesse euer since that I heard the
condicion that euerye man sâ—andeth in not onely concerninge these outwarde thinges as laÌ„des possessioÌ„s goodes autoritie fame fauour or hatred of the worlde but also mennes complexcions within them as helth or sicknes good humors or badde by whych they be lyght harted or lumpyshe stronge harted or faynt or fieble of spiryte bold hardye or tymerouse feareful of courage after as these thinges minister him matter of teÌ„tacioÌ„ so vseth he him selfe in the maner of his temptacion Nowe likewise as in such folke that are full of yong warme lustie bloud other humors exciting the fleshe to filthy voluptuouse liuing the deuill vseth to make those thinges his instrumeÌ„tes in tempting them in prouoking theÌ„ theruÌ„to where he findeth some folke ful of hote bloud coler he maketh those humors hys instrumeÌ„tes to set their hartes on fyre in wrath very fierce furious angre so where he findeth some folk which thorow some dul melancoliouse humors are naturally disposed to feare he casteth sometime suche a feareful imaginacion in their minde that without helps of god they can neuer cast it out of theyr heartes Some at the sodain fall of some horrible thought into ther mind haue not onely had a great abhominacioÌ„ therat which abhominacion they weâ—l and verteously had therat but the deuil vsing theyr melancolious humor therby theyr natural inclinacioÌ„ to feare for his instrumente hath caused theÌ„ to conceyue there with such a depe drede beside that thei wene theÌ„self with that abhominable thought to be fallen into such an outragious sinne that thei be ready to fal into despayre of grace wening that god hath geueÌ„ them ouer for euer whereas that thought were it neuer so horrible so abhominable is yet vnto them that neuer lyke it but euer styll abhorre it striue stil there against matter of coÌ„flict meâ—ite not any sine at al. Some haue with holding a knyfe in their handâ—s thought sodeynlye vpon the killing of theÌ„selfe forthw t in deuising what an horrible thing it wer if they should mishap so to doe haue falleÌ„ into a feare that they should so do in dede haue with ofteÌ„ thinking theron imprinted that feare so sore in their imaginâ—cioÌ„ that some of them haue not caâ—â—e it of wtout greate difficulty and some could neuer in their life be 〈◊〉 ridde therof but haue after in coÌ„clusioÌ„ miserably doone it in dede but likwise as where the deuill vseâ—h the bloud of a mannes bodye towarde hys purpose in prouoking to leacherye the man muste and doeth with graâ—e and wysedome resyste it so muste that man doe whose melancolyous humors yâ— deuyl abuseth toward yâ— casting of such a desperate dread into his hart Vincent But I praye you vncle what aduice were to be geueÌ„ him in such case Anthony Surely me thinketh hys helpe standeth in two thinges counsayle prayer First as coÌ„cerning couÌ„sayle likewise as it may be that he hath two thynges that hold hym in hys teÌ„ptacion that is to wete some euyl humors of his owne body the cursed deuill that abuseth theÌ„ to his pernicious purpose so must he nede against theÌ„ twaine the couÌ„saile of two maner of folke that is to wete phisicioÌ„s for the bodye phisicioÌ„s for the soule the bodyly phisicioÌ„ shal coÌ„sider what abouÌ„dance yâ— man hath of those euil humors that the deuil maketh his instrumeÌ„tes of in mouing the maÌ„ toward the feareful affeccion aswel by dyet conueneÌ„t medicines mete therefore to resyst them as by purgacions to disburdaine the bodye of theÌ„ nor let no maÌ„ thinke strauÌ„ge that I would aduise a man to take counsayle of a phisicioÌ„ for the bodye in suche a spirituall passion For syth the soule and the body be so knytte and ioyned together that they both make betwene them one person the distemperaunce of either other engendreth sumtime the distemperaunce of both twaine And therfore like as I would aduise euery maÌ„ in euery sicknes of the bodye to be shriuen and seke a good sprituall phisicioÌ„ the sure helth of his soule which shal not onely serue againste perel that may peradueÌ„ture farther growe by that sicknes thaÌ„ in the beginning meÌ„ would wene were likely but the coÌ„fort therof gods fauour encreasing there with shall also doe the body good for which cause the blessed Apoâ—â—le exorteth meÌ„ that they should in their bodilye sicknes induce the priestes sayth that it should doe theÌ„ good both in body soule so woulde I sumtime aduise some meÌ„ in some sicknes of the soule beside their spiritual leach take also some counsaile of the phisicioÌ„ for the body Some that are wretchedly disposed and yet long to be more viciouse than they be goe to phisicions and poticaries and enquire what thynges maye serue to make them more lusty to their foule â—â—eshely delite and were it thaÌ„ any foly vpon the other side if he that feleth hymselfe against his will muche moued vnto suche vnclennes should enquire of the phisicion what thinges without minishing of his health were meete for the minishmeÌ„t of such foule fleshely mocion Of spirituall counsaile the first is to be shriuen that by reason of hys other synnes the deuill haue not the more power vpon hym Vincent I haue heard some saye vncle that when suche folke haue been at shryft their temptacion hath been more brymme vpon them than it was before Antony That thynke I very well but that is a speciall token that shrifte is holesome for them whyle the deuill is with that most wroth You fynde in some places of the gospell that the deuill the parson whom he possessed dyd most trouble when he saw that Christ would cast hym out we must els let the deuil doe what he wyll if we feare his anger for with euerye good dede he wyl waxe angrie than is it in hys shryft to be shewed hym that he not onely feareth more than he nedeth but also feareth where he nedeth not and ouer that is sorye of that thing wherof but if he wyll wyllyngly turne hys good into his harme he hath more cause to be glad First if he haue cause to feare yet feareth he more than he nedeth for there is no deuil so diligent to destroy hym as god is to preserue him nor no deuil so nere him to doe him harme as god is to doe hym good nor all the deuils in hel so strong to inuade hym and assaulte hym as god is to defende hym if he distrust him not but faythfully put his trust in hym He feareth also where he nedeth not for where he dredeth that he were out of goddes fauoure because such horrible thoughtes fall into hys mynde let hym consider that syth they fal into hys mynde agaynst hys wil they be therfore not imputed vnto hym He is finally sadde of that he maye be glad for sith he taketh such thoughâ—es displeasauntly and striueth and fighteth agaynst theÌ„ he hath therby a good token that he is
therfore if yoâ— wil well do rekeÌ„ your selfe very sure that when you deadly displease god for the geatting or the keping of your goodes god shal not suffer those goodes to doe you good but either shal he take them shortly from you or suffer you to kepe them for a litle whyle to your more harme and after shal he wheÌ„ you least loke therefore take you away from them and than what an heape of heauines wyl there enter into your heart when you shall see that you shal sodainly so go froÌ„ your goodes and leaue them here in the earth in one place and that your body shal be put in the earth in an other place and which thaÌ„ shal be most heauines of al when you shal feare and not without great cause that youre soule shall firste forthwith and after that at the fynal iudgement your body to be driueÌ„ down depe towarde the centry of the earth into the fiery pitte doÌ„geon of the deuil of hell there to tary in torment world without ende What goodes of this world can any maÌ„ imagine wherof the pleasure and commoditie could be such in a thousande yeare as were able to recompence that intollerable payn that there is to be suffered in one yeare or in one day or one howre either yea theÌ„ what a madnes is it for that poore pleasure of youre worldly goodes of so few yeares to cast your self both body and soule into the euerlasting fier of hel wherof there is not minished the mouÌ„tenaunce of a moment by the lying there the space of an hundreth thousande yeares And therfore our sauiour in fewe wordes concluded confuted al these folyes of them that for the short vse of this worldly substaunce forsake him and his fayth and sell their soules vnto the deuill for euer where he sayeth Quid prodest homini sivniuersum mundum lucretur anime veroâ— sue detrimentum patiatur what auaileth it a maÌ„ if he wanne all the whole world lost hys soule This were me thynketh cause occasion inough to him that had neuer so much part of this world in his hand to be content rather to lese it al than for the retaynyng or encreasyng of hys worldly goodes to leese and destroye hys soule Vincent This is good vncle in good fayth very true and what other thing any of them that would not for this bee contente haue for to alledge in reason for the defence of their folye that can I not ymagine nor lust in this matter to play their parte no longre But I pray God geue me the grace to playe the contrary parte in dede and that I neuer for anye goodes or substaunce of this wretched world forsake my fayth toward God nether in heart â—or tong as I trust in his great goodnes I neuer shall ¶ The .xv. Chapter ¶ This kind of tribulacion trieth vvhat mind men haue to theyr goodes vvhich they that are vvyse vvil at the fame therof see vvel and vvisely layd vp safe before ME thinketh Cosin that this persecucion shal not onelye as I sayde beeforeâ— trye mennes heartes when it cometh make them know their owne affeccions whither they haue a corrupt gredy couetous mind or not but also the very fame and expectacion therof may teache them this lesson ere euer the thing fall vpon them it selfe to theyr no little fruite if they haue the witte and the grace to take it in tyme whyle they maye For nowe maye they find sure places to lay their treasures in so that al the Turkes armie shal neuer fynde it out ¶ Vincent Mary vncle that way they will I warrant you not forgeat as neare as their wittes wil serue theÌ„ But yet haue I knowen some that haue ere this thought that they had hidde their money safe ynough digging ful diepe in the grounde and haue missed it yet when they came agayne and haue founde it digged oute and caried away to theyr handes Anâ—ony Naye fro theyr handes I wene you woulde say and it was no meruayle For some suche haue I knowen tooâ— but they haue hyd theyr goodes foolishly in such place as they were well warned before that they shoulde not and that were they warned by hym that they wel knewe for suche one as wist wel inough what would come theron ¶ Vincent Than were they more than madde But did he tell them too where they should haue hydde it to haue it sure ☞ Anthony Ye by S. Mary did he For els had he told them but halfe a tale but he tolde them a whole tale byddyng them that they shoulde in no wise hyde theyr â—reasure in the ground he shewed theÌ„ a good cause for there theues vse to digge it out and steale it away ¶ Vincent Why where shoulde they hyde it than sayde he For theues may happe to fynd it oute in any place Anthony Forsothe he counsayled them to hyde theyr treasure in heauen and there laye it vp for there it shal lye safe For thither he sayde there can no thefe come tyll he haue left hys thefte and be waxen a true man fyrst And he that gaue this counsayle wiste what he sayde well yonough For it was oure Sauioure hymselfe whiche in the syxth Chapter of Saincte Mathewe sayeth Nolite thezaurizare v obis thezauros in terra v bi erugo et tinea demolitur et v bi fures effodiunt et furantur Thesaurizate vobis thesauros in celo vbi ne que erugo neque tinea demolitur et v bi fures non effodiunt nec furantur vbi enim est thesaurus tuuâ— ibi est et cor tuum Hoorde not vp for you treasures in earth where the â—ust and the mothes fret it oute and where theues dygge it oute and steale it away But hoorde vp your treasures in heauen where â—eyther the ruste nor the mothe frette them oute and where theues digge theÌ„ not out nor steale them away For where as is thy treasure there is thy hert too If we would wel consider these wordes of our Sauiour Christ we should as me thinke nede no more couÌ„sel at al nor no more comfort neither concerning the losse of our temporal substaunce in thys Turkes persecucion for the fayth For here our lord in these wordes teacheth vs where we may lay vp our substaunce safe before the persecucion come If we putte it into the poore mens bosomes there shall it lye safe For who woulde goe searche a beggars bagge for moneye if we deliuer it to the poore for Chrystes sake we deliuer it vnto Christe himselfe and than what persecutour can there bee so strong as to take it out of hys hande ☞ Vincent These thinges are vncle vndoubtedly so true that no man may with woordes wrestle therwith but yet euer there hangeth in a mans heart a lothenes to lacke a liuing Anthony There doeth in dede in theyrs that eyther neuer or but seldom heare any good couÌ„sel there against And when they
prosperitie Now sith you grauÌ„t these thinges to be such that either of them both maye be matter of vâ—rtue or els matter of synne matter of damnacion or matter of saluacioÌ„ they seme nother good nor badde of their owne nature but thinges of themself equal and indifferent turning to god or the contrary after as they be takeÌ„ And than if this be thus I can perceiue no cause why you should geue the preeminence vnto tribulacioÌ„ or wherfore you shoulde recken more cause of comfort therin then you should reckeÌ„ to stand in prosperitie but rather a great deale lesse by in maner halfe syth in prosperitie the maÌ„ is well at ease may also by geuing thanke to god geat good vnto hys soule wheras in tribulacion though he may merite by pacience as in abouÌ„dauÌ„ce of worldly welth thother may by thaÌ„ke Yet lacketh he much comfort that the welthy maÌ„ hath in that he sore is greued with heauines and payn besides this also that a welthy man well at ease maye praye to god quietly merely with alacritie and great quietnes of mynde whereas he that lyeth groning in hys griefe can not endure to praie nor thinke almost vpon nothyng but vpon his payne ☞ Antony To beginne Cosin where you leaue the prayers of hym that is in welth and hym that is in woe if the meÌ„ be both noughte their prayers be both like For neither hath the one lust to praye nor thother neither And as the one is let with hys payne so is the other with hys pleasure sauyng that the payne sâ—yreth hym some tyme to call vpon God in hys griefe thoughe the man be ryghte badde where the pleasure pulleth his mynde another waye thoughe the man be meâ—ely good And thys poynte I thinke there are very fewe that can if they saye true saye that they fynde it otherwyse For in tribulacion which commeth you wote wel in many sundry kindes any man that is not a dul beast or a desperate wretche calleth vpon God not houerly but ryghte hartelye and seâ—â—eth his heart full whole vpon his request so sore he longeth for ease and helpe of his heauines But when men are welthy and well at their ease while oure tounge pattereth vpon oure prayers a pace good God howe many madde wayes our minde wandereth the while Yet wote I well that in some tribulacion suche sore sickenes there is or other greuous bodely payne that hard it were for a manne to saye a long payer of maâ—tens and yet some that lye a dying saye ful deuoutly the .vii. Psalmes and other praiers with the priest at their aneiling but those that for the griefe of theyr payne cannot endure to dooe it or that be more tender and lacke that stronge heart and stomacke that some other haue God requireth no such long praiers of them But the listing vp their heart alone withoute any woorde at all is more acceptable to hym of one in suche case than long seruice so sayed as folke vse to saye it in health The martirs in their agonye made no long praiers aloude but one ynche of suche a prayer so prayed in that payne was worth a whole â—alne and more euen of theyr owne prayers prayed at some other tymeâ— Greate learned men saye that Christ albeit he was very God and as god was in eternall equall blisse with his father yet as man merited not for vs onely but for him selfe to for proofe wherof they laie in these wordes the auctorite of S Paule Christus humiliauit semet ipsum factus obedience vsque ad mortem mortem autem crucisâ— propter quod deus exaltauit illum donauitâ—lli nomen quod est super omne nomen vt in nomine Iesu omne genuflectatur celesiâ—m terrestrium infernorum omnis lingua confiteatur quia dominus Iesus Christus in gloriâ— est dei patris Christe hath humbled hymselfe and became obedyente vnto the death and that vnto the death of the crosse for which thing god hath also exalted hymâ— and geuen him a name whiche is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee be bowed both of the celâ—stial creatures and the terrestrial and the infernal to and that euery tongue shall confesse that our Lord Iesus Christe is into the glory of God his father Now if it so be as these great learned men vpon such auctorities of holy Scripture say that our sauiour so merited as man and as man deserued rewarde not for vs onely but for himselfe also than were there in hys dedes as it semeth sundrye degrees differences of deseruing and not hys maundy like merite as hys passion nor his slepe like merite as his watche and his prayer no nor hys prayers peraduenture all of lyke merite neither But though there none was nor none coulde be in hys most blessed parson but excellent and incomparably passyng the praier of any pure creature yet his owne not al alike but some one farre aboue other some And thaÌ„ if it thus be of all his holy praiers the chiefe semeth me those that he made in his greate agonye and paine of his bitter passion The fyrst wheÌ„ he fel thrise prostrate in his agony whan the heauines of his hearte with feare of death at hande so payneful and so cruell as he well behelde it made such a feruent commocion in his blessed body that the bloudy sweat of his holy flesh dropped downe on the grounde The other wer the painfull prayers that he made vpon the crosse where for al the tormente that he hanged in of beating naylyng and stretching oute all his lymmes with the wresting of his sinewes and breaking of hys tender vaynes and the sharpe crowne of thorne so priâ—king him into the head that his blessed blud stremed down al his face In al these hideous paynes in al their cruell despites yet two verye deuout seruent praiers he made The one for theyr pardon that so dispiteously put hym to his paine and the other about his own deliuerauÌ„ce coÌ„meÌ„ding his own soule vnto his holy father in heaueÌ„ These praiers of his amoÌ„g all that euer he made made in his most pain reckon I for the chief And these praiers of our sauior at his bitter passion of his holy martirs in the feruour of their torment shall serue vs to se that there is no prayer made at pleasure so strong effectual as in tribulacion now come I to the touching of the reason that you make where you tell me that I graunte you that bothe in wealthe and in woe some men maye be nought and offende God the one by impacience the other by fleshly luste And on the other syde bothe in tribulacion and prosperitie too some manne maye also doe verye well and deserue thanke of god by thankes geuen to god as well of hys gyfte of ryches woorship and wealthe as of nede and penurye priesonmente sickenes and payne and that therefore you cannot see for what cause I
in aucthoryte be not al euermore of one minde But sometime variance amonge themâ— eyther for the respecte of profyite or for contencion of rule or for mayntenaunce of matters suÌ„dry partes for theyr sundry friendes It can not be that both the partes can haue theyr owne mynde nor often are they content which see theyr conclusion quaile but x. times they take the missing of theyr mynde more dyspleasauntly than other poore men doe And thys goeth not onelye to men of meane authoritie but vnto the very greatest The princes theÌ„self can not haue you wote well al theyr wyll for howe were it possible while eche of them almost would if he myght be lord ouer al the remnaunte Than many men vnder theyr princes in authoritie are in the case that prieuy malice and enuie many beare them in hearte falselye speake them fayre and prayse them wyth their mouthes which when there happeth any greate fal vnto them baule and barke and byte vpon them lyke dogges Finally the cost charge the daunger perill of warre wherin theyr parte is more than a poore mannes is syth the matter more dependeth vpoÌ„ them and many a poore plough man maye sitte styll by the fyre while they muste ryse and walke and somtime theyr authoritie falleth by the chaunge of theyr maisters mynde and of that see we dayly in one place or other ensamples such so many that the parable of the Philosopher can lacke no testimony which likened yâ— seruantes of greate princes vnto the coumptors with which men doe cast a coumpt For like as the countor yâ— staÌ„deth sometime for a farthing is sodeynly set vp standeth for a. M. pouÌ„de after as sone set down efte sone beneath to stand for a farthing againe So fareth it loe sometime wyth those that seeke the waye to rise growe vp in auâ—thoritie by the fauour of greate princes that as they rise vp high so fal they downe againe as lowe Howebeit though a maÌ„ escape al such adueÌ„tures abide in great authoritie til he dyeâ— yet thaÌ„ at the leaste wise euery maÌ„ muâ—t leaue it at the last that whiche we cal at least hath no very long time to it Let a maÌ„ reckeÌ„ his yeres that are passed of hys age ere euer he can geat vp alofte let him wheÌ„ he hath it firste in his fiste recken howe longe he shal be like to lyue after and I weene that thâ—n the moâ—â— parte shal haue litle cause to reioyce they shal see the time likely to be so short that theyr honour autoritiâ— by nature shal endure beside the manifolde chaunces wherby they maye lese it more soone And than when they see that they must nedes leaue it the thing which they dyd much more set theyr heart vpoÌ„ than euer they had reasonable cause what sorowe â—hey take therfore that shal I not nede to tell you And thus it semeth vnto me Cosin in good faith that sith in the hauing the profite is not great the displeasures neyther small nor fewe and of the lesing so many sundry chauÌ„ces that by no meane a maÌ„ can kepe it longe that to parte there froÌ„ is suche a paynefull griâ—fe I can see no very great cause for which as an high worldly coÌ„moditie men should greatly desier it The .xii. Chapter ¶ That these outvvard goode desired but for vvordly vvelth be not onely litle good for the body but â—re alsoÌ„ much harme for the soule ANd â—hus farre haue we considered hither toâ— in these outward goodes that are called the giftes of fortune no farther but the slender commoditie that worldely minded men haue by them But nowe if we consider farther what harme to the soule they take by them the desier theÌ„ but onely for the wretched welth of this worke ThaÌ„ shall we wel perceiue howe farre more happy is he that wel leseth theÌ„ than he that cuil findeth them These thinges though they be such as are of theyr owne nature indifferent that is to witte of them self thinges neyther good nor badde but are matter that maye serue to the tone or the tother â—fter as meÌ„ wyl vse them yet nede we litle to doubte it but that they that desier them but for theyr worldely pleasure for no farther godly purpose the deuiâ— shal soone turne them froÌ„ thinges indiffereÌ„t vnto theÌ„ and make them thinges verye nought For though that they be indifferent of theyr nature yet can not the vse of theÌ„ lightly stand indifferent but determinately muste eyther be good or badde And therefore he that desireth theÌ„ but for worldly pleasure desyreth theÌ„ not for any good And for better purpose thaÌ„ he â—esireth them to better vse is he not likely to put theÌ„ and therefore not vnto good but consequentlye to nought As for ensample first consider it in riches he â—hat longeth for them as for thynges of temporall commodytie and not for anye godlye purpose what good they shall doe hym Saint Paule declareth where he writeth vnto Timothe Qui volunt diuites fieri incidunt in temptacioneÌ„ in laqucum diâ—boli desâ—deria muâ—ta inutilia noxia que â—erguÌ„t homines in interiâ—uÌ„ penditionem They that long to be rich fal into teÌ„ptacioÌ„ and into the grinne of the deuil and into many desiers vnprofitable and noyous which droune men into death and into perdicion And the holy scripture sayth also in the .xxi. Chapter of the Prouerbes Qui â—ongregaâ— thesauros inpingetur in laqueus mortis He that gathereth treasures shal be showued into the grinnes of death so that where as by the mouth of S. Paule god saith that they shal fall into the deuils grinne he sayth in the tother place that they shall be pusshed or showued in by violence of trouth whyle a man desireth riches not for any good godlye purpose but for onelye welth it must nedes be that he shal haue litle coÌ„science in the geatting but by all euil wayes than he can inuente shall laboure to geatte them and than shall he eyther nigardly heape them vp together which is you wote wel damnable or wastfullye missespende them aboute worldly pompe pride and glotony wyth occasion of many sinnes moe and that is yet much more damnable As for fame and glory desyred but for worldly pleasure doth vnto the soule inestimable harme For that setteth mennes heartes vpon highe deuyces and desiers of suche thynges as are immoderate and outragious by help of false flatterers puffe vp a maÌ„ in pride make a bryttel man lately made of earthe that shall agayne shortely be layde ful lowe in earth there lye and rotteâ— and turne againe into earth take hym selfe in the meane tyme for a god here vpon the earth and weene to wynne him selfe to be lorde of al the earth This maketh battelles betwene these greate princes with much trouble to much people greate eâ—fusioÌ„ of bloud one Kinge to looke to raygne in fyue realmes that
shoulde geue anye preheminence in coumforte vnto tribulacion but rather allowe prosperitie for the thyng more coumfortable and that not a litle but in maner by double syth therein hath the soule coumforte and the bodye both the soule by thanke for his gyft geuen vnto god And then the bodye by being well at ease where the parson payned in tribulacion taketh no coumforte but in hys soule alone Fyrst as for youre double coumforte Cosyn you maye cutte of the one For a manne in prosperitie though he bee bounden to thanke God of hys gyfte wherein he feeleth ease and maye bee glad also that he geueth thanke to GOD yet for that he taketh hys ease here hath he little cause of coumforte excepte that the sensuall feeling of bodelye pleasure you lust to call by the name of coumforte Nor I saye not naye but that some tyme menne vse so to take it when they saye this good drynke coumforteth well my heart But coumforte Cosyn is properlye taken by them that take it ryghte rather for the consolacion of good hope that men take in theyr heart of some good growing toward theÌ„ then for a present pleasure with which the body is delyted and tickeled for the whyle Now though a man without pacience can haue no reward for his pain yet when his payn is paciently taken for gods sake and his will coÌ„formed to gods pleasure therin god rewardeth the sufferer after the rate of his payn thys thing appeareth by manye a place in scripture of whiche some haue I shewed you and yet shall I shewe you moe But neuer founde I anye place in scripture that I remembre in whiche though thys welthy man thanked god for hys gyft our lorde promised any reward in heauen because the man toke hys ease and pleasure here And therfore sith I speake but of such coumforte as is very coumfort in dede by which a man hath hope of Goddes fauour and remission of his sinnes with minishyng of hys paynes in purgatory or reward els in heauen And such comfort cometh of tribulacion and for tribulacion well taken but not for pleasure though it be well taken therefore of your couÌ„fort that you double by prosperitie you may as I told you cut very wel away the halfe Now why I geue prerogatiue in couÌ„fort vnto tribulacion farre aboue prosperitie though a man may doe well in both Of this thing wil I shew you causes two or thre First as I before haue at leÌ„gth shewed you out of all question continual welth interrupted with no tribulacioÌ„ is a verye discomfortable token of euerlasting damnacioÌ„ wheâ—upon it foloweth that tribulacioÌ„ is one cause of coumfort vnto a mans heart in that it dischargeth him of the discomfort that he might of reason take of ouerlong lasting welth Another is that the scripture much coÌ„mendeth tribulacion as occasion of more profit then welth prosperitie not to them onely that are therin but to theÌ„ too that resorte vnto them therfore sayeth Ecclesiastes Melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum conuiuiiâ— En illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum viuens cogitat quid futurum sit Better it is to goe to the house of weping wayling for some mans deathe than to yâ— house of a feast For in that house of heauinesse is a man put in remembraunce of the ende of euerye manne and whyle he yet liueth he thynketh what shall come after And after yet he farther sayeth Cor sapientum vbi tristiciaâ—est et Cor stultorum vbi leticia The hearte of wyse menne is there as heauynesse is And the hearte of fooles is there as is myrthe and gladnesse And verelye there as you shall heare worldelye myrth seeme to bee commended in Scrypture it is eyther commonlye spoken as in the parsone of some worldly dysposed people or understanden of reioysyng spirituall or ment of some small moderate refreshing of the minde against an heauy discomfortable dulnes Nowe whereas prosperitie was to the chyldren of Israell promised in the olde law as a special gyft of god that was for theyr imperfeccion at that tyme to draw them to god with gaye thinges and pleasaunte as meÌ„ to make chyldren learne geue them cake bread butter For as the scripture maketh mencion that people wer much after the maner of chyldren in lacke of wit in waiwardnes And therfore was their master Moses called Pedagogus that is a teacher of children or as they call such one in the grammer schooles an vsher or a maister of the petites For as Sainct Paul sayth Nihil ad perfectum duxit lex The old lawe broughte nothyng to perfeccion And god also threatneth folke with trybulacion in this worlde for synne not for that worldly tribulacion is euyl but for that we should be wel ware of the sickenesse of synne for feare of that thynge to folowe whiche though it be in dede a very good wholesome thyng yf we wyll take it is yet beecause it is paynefull the thyng that we be lothe to haue But this I saye yet again and agayn that as for farre the better thyng in this worlde toward the geattyng of the verye good that God geueth in the worlde to come the Scrypture vndoubtedlye so commendeth trybulacyon that in respecte and comparyson thereof it discommendeth thys worldlye wretched welthe and discomfortable coumforte vtterlye For to what other thyng soundeth the woordes of Ecclesiastes that I rehearsed you nowe that it is better to be in the house of heauynesse than to be at a feaste whereto soundeth this comparyson of his that the wyse mannes hearte draweth thyther as folke are in sadnes and the hert of a foole is there as he may find myrth Wherto draweth this threat of the wyse man that he that delyteth in wealth shall fall into woe Risus sayeth he dolore miscebitur extrema gaudâ—i luctus occâ—pâ—t Laughter shal be mingled with sorowe and th end of mirth is takeÌ„ vp with heauines And our sauior sayth hymself Ve vobis qui ridetis quia lugebitis et flebitls Woe be to you that laugh for you shal wepe and waile But he saith on the other syde Beati qui lugent quoniam illi consolabuntur Blessed are thei that wepe wayle for they shal be comforted And he sayth vnto his disciples Mundus gaudebit vos autem dolebitis Sed tristitia vestra vertetur in gaudium The world shal ioye you shal be sory but your sorow shal be turned into ioye And so is iâ— you wote well now And the myrth of many that theÌ„ were in ioy is now turned al to sorowe And thus you see by the scripture playn that in matter of very comfort tribulacion is as farre aboue prosperitie as the day is aboue the night An other preemineÌ„ce of tribulacioÌ„ ouer welth in occasioÌ„ of merite reward shal wel appeare vpon certayne consideracions well marked in them both Tribulacion meriteth in pacience and in thobediente