â—â—ey take not holde of Gods spirite by reason of their vnbeliefe and sensualitie but walke vnreasonably after their own lustes And the prophets call theÌ„ cattell wyld beastes common custom termeth them brute beastes without reason and in all the Lawe it selfe calleth them vncleane And anon after For the same cause sayth he the Lorde termeth them dead men For hee biddeth them let the dead bury their dead bicause they haue not the spirite in them that quickeneth the man Contrarywise as many as feare God and hope for the comming of his sonne and settle the holie Ghost in their hartes by fayth shall iustly be called men and cleane and spirituall and ghostly and alyue to God bicause they haue the spirit of the father which maketh a man cleane and rayseth him vp to the lyfe of God. Many things doth Irenaeus alledge there coÌ„cerning this matter which are in deed worthie to be red but yet am I compelled to omit them for auoyding of tediousnesse Neuerthelesse I thought it good to set downe some parte of them for the better vnderstanding of the things that I haue alledged out of Paule concerning the Flesh the spirit only so farre forth as belongeth to the present purpose Of the VVorld NOw followeth that we treat of the World which prouoketh men to many euils and coÌ„monly ministreth occasions opportunities of all kynds of sin corrupting meÌ„ by example vndoing theÌ„ by stuÌ„bling blockes First of all therfore the World stirreth vp the Fleshe which of it self ruÌ„neth a main as is said to vainglory pridâ— ouerweening For wheras all of vs are naturally desirous of glorie more or lesse according to euery mans dispositioÌ„ y World quickneth vp pricketh forward and as it were wakeneth that affection by innumerable wayes No man can willingly finde in his hart to be vnnoble vnrenoumed much lesse to be vtterly despized as a rascall there is no man but he coueteth to place put him self foorth before others And there bee a great sort who loking to be alonly magnified honored of all men not only despize other mens meanenesse in comparison of themselues and make no reckening of them but also doe alwayes eyther by open resistance or by priuie vndermyning malice and guile bite their equalles and matches for very spyte and cankred euill will bycause they enuy their vertue prayse and glory as in maner dayly examples shewe And oftentymes it falleth out that when wee see other men in honour authoritie and credite wee also stryue to bee equall with them and whatsoeuer it bee whereby renowme authoritie or dignitie may be gotten we giue our selues to it with might and mayne to atteyne the same and enuy other men for them For commonly Pryde is accompanyed with spitefulnesse But it cannot be said how great a vice Ambition or Pryde is nor howe many mischiefes spring of it Therfore that the godly man may eschew pride let him bethink him of this saying of our Sauiour in the Gospel He that exalteth himself shal be brought low And of this in the Apostle Sainct Peter See that ye haue lowlinesse of mynd setled in you for good withstandeth the loftie giueth grace to the lowely Therefore humble your selues vnder gods mightie hand that he may lift you vp when time serueth Saint Iames as it were poynting with his finger to this saying of S. Peters sayth Humble your selues in the sight of the lord he wil exalt you There are other textes of scripture besides these which are able to scare men from pryde And certesse it is very hard for a man to asswage and represse this loftinesse of mynd to think lowly humbly of himself For the roote of it is fastened deepe in mans brest springing out of the blynd self-loue which is ingraffed in all men by nature Hereof commeth the estimation and trust of our owne vertues power and wisdome and the misknowing of mans weaknesse and infirmitie This doth oftentymes breede the despizing and oppressing of others A braunche hereof is that vyce whereof the Diuell rather than the world is the breeder namely the hypocriticall pryde pharisaicall ouerweening where through men doe not only conceyue some singular opinion of their owne righteousnesse but also despize other men as vngodly in comparison of themselues Of the which matter there is a parable in S. Luke wherein Christ speaking of the praying of the pharisie and of the Publicane addeth this after speeche in the end of it that whosoeuer exalteth himself shal be brought low and whosoeuer humbleth him self shal be exalted Heerewithall agreeth the saying of the blessed virgin and mother of God that god lifteth vp and exalteth the lowlie and pulleth downe the mightie from their seates But now let vs proceed to the rest Lyke as the Fleshe is naturally giuen to ryot vnrulinesse wantonnesse euen so the world ministreth sundrie furtherances of lust nurrishments of vnstayednesse and firebronds of lecherie to the Fleshe adding fyre to fyre and oyle to the flame It setteth all kyndes of pleasures before it and whereas of it owne accord it gapeth to greedily after such things it not only quickeneth it vp with the smoothe enticementes of them but also tolleth it on and holdeth it snared in captiuitie to them Whatsoeuer the Fleshe lyketh of what sorte soeuer it bee bee it right or wrong the world doth in all poyntes feede the humor of it most perniciously soothing following smoothing and commending all things and suffering it to be caryed headlong into all mischiefe by foading the vyces and leaudnesse of it And verily the World is to the Flesh as a fit couer for such a potte as the prouerbe saith so iump doe they agree togither in all poyntes as I will shewe more playnly in due place Oftentymes also the World yeldeth both causes and occasions of spiting of backebiting of hatred of reuenge of hartburning of malice of anger of impatience of enmitie of quarellyng of slaunderyng of scoldyng of raylyng and of innumerable other sinnes And this is so true and manifeste as it can neyther bee denyed nor ought to be set foorth with moe woordes Therefore let vs bee euer in a readinesse as it were to some battell whensoeuer wee intende to set foote out of doores and to goe abroadeâ— Let vs alwayes set sure watche vppon our selues and vppon our owne myndes and when wee shall haue to doe with other men let vs looke well aboute vs vppon all our sayinges and dooyngs as though wee were among the thickeste of our enemyes Let vs eschewe Stages Gamyngs Syghtes Dauncing schooles and throngs of people least anye thyng happen to come in our syghte whych maye eyther corrupte vs by example or hurte vs by giuyng vs offence Thou meetest a woman of verye good fauour and bewtie beware thou fasten not thyne eyes vppon hir For hee that looketh vppon a woman to luste after hir is an aduouterer alreadye in hys harte sayth our Sauyour Thou meetest with a
concorde ielosie cutteth off friendship Thou art compelled to speake euill whiche the Lawe of God forbiddeth Thou art driuen to sweare which is not lawful So many persecutiōs doth the mind dayly suffer and with so many dangers is the hart distressed and yet doth it delight thee to stand stil heere among the diuels swords when thou shouldest rather wishe and desire to hye thee vnto Christe by the helpe of speedie death and so foorth Now like as thou muste not be proud if thou haue at any time ouercome thine enimy through the helpe of God so must thou not bee out of harte though he ouerthrowe thee as it were dash thee against the ground but thou must ryse vp againe the lustilier against thine enimie and not suffer him to go his way vnfoyled And that shalt thou do if thou praye often and hartily vnto God and craue the helpe of the holy ghost at God the fathers hand for Iesus Christs sake henceforth loke more neerly to thy self walking circumspectly and warely in all things and looking euery way aduizedly about thee that thou offend not vnwares ne dash against any thing if thou be strong in the Lord by the power of his strength as sayth the apostle finally if thou alwayes and aboue all things bee mindfull of mans frayltie that wheras thou seemest to thy selfe to stande thou loke throughly substantially to it that thou fall not and imploy thy selfe to thy saluation with feare and trembling But to returne to our former matters in the diuels tempting of vs when he pricketh vs foorth to any of the things aforesaide wee must first and formost take to vs the sword of the spirit which is gods worde after the example of our sauiour Iesus Christe who being tempted of the diuel resorted to the mistical scripture by meanes whereof he brought to passe that the diuel went away vanquished and did let him alone as the storie of the gospel witnesseth The like must we do As for example therby to make the thing more manifest if he go about to bring a mā to the neglecting of Gods worde of holy assemblies the man of God by and by fearing himself must bethinke him of his saying to S. Iohn He that is of God heareth gods worde c. My sheepe heare my voyce If he goe about to driue vs to dispayre for the vnmeasurable number of our sinnes Let vs call to remembrance this saying of our Sauiour in Iohn God so loued the worlde as he gaue his only begotten sonne to the intent that whosoeuer trusteth in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting And this saying of the same our sauiour in Mathew Come vnto me all yee that are weerye and ouerloden and I will refresh you Also this whiche is written in the first Epistle of S. Iohn If any of vs sinne we haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Chryste the righteous and he is the attonement for our sins Again herein appeared Gods loue towards vs that God sent his onely begotten son into the world too the ende that we might liue by him c. So likewise in all other of the Diuels temptations and suggestions the godly man muste as I sayde afore take to him the spirituall sworde to incounter his enimie withall and he shall go away with victory in all cōflictes through the helpe of god For without Gods grace mans indeuor is vaine and to no purpose For al our abilitie commeth of God it is Gods euery whit of it as saith that blissed man Cyprian Neither can wee hope for any victory against the Diuel by reason of the feeblenesse and infirmitie of our owne strength vnlesse God helpe vs And that is the very cause why our Lord commaundeth vs to desire of God the father that he should not leade vs into temptation but as oft we flee vnto him deliuer vs from that euil wyght whiche suffereth vs not to be in rest and quiet one minute of an houre The same Lorde of ours exhorteth vs to watch and pray least wee fall into temptation Yea the Apostle Peter quickeneth vs to sobrietie and watchfulnesse bycause of our aduersarie the Diuell who goeth about like a roring Lyon secking whom to deuour But nowe to finish this part of the diuels temptation I will breefly set downe what Tertullian sayth of that most sturdie enimie of mankinde He neuer suffereth his malice to rest saith he he matcheth he assaulteth he beseegeth if he may by any meanes eyther strike the eyes with fleshly concupiscēce or snare the minde with worldly intycementes or ouerthrowe fayth with feare of earthly authoritie or writhe one from the sure way by vntowarde traditions he spareth no stumbling-blockes he spareth no temptations To the same purpose also maketh this of saint Cyprian Our aduersary with whō we be at warres is old on auncient enimie It is ful sixe thousand yeeres ago since the diuell did first fight against man He hath now learned all kinds of tempting and al slights and trickes to ouerthrowe euen by the long continuance of his practise If he fynde Christes souldyer vnprepared rawe not heedful nor watching with all his harte he windeth about him vnwitting it he beguyleth him vnwares he deceyueth him for want of skill But if a man that keepeth Gods commaundements sticketh stoutly vnto Christ do cope with him he must needes be ouercome bycause Christ whō the man confesseth is vnvanquishable The same man in another place saith thus Wee must keepe watch my deere brethren and labour with al our power that we may with all heedfulnesse and wakernesse withstande our enimie in his rage who shooteth his dartes at vs to strike vs and wound vs in al parts of our body He goeth prying about euery one of vs and like an enimie that beseegeth the walles of a towne hee spyeth and tryeth whither any part of our members he lesse stedie and assured than it shuld be that he may breake in at it to the inner partes He offereth the eyes alluring shapes and delightfull pleasures to destroy chastitie by sight He tempteth the eares with shirle musik that the sweetnesse of the sounde may lozen and soften the corage of the Christian by heering He prouoketh the tong to misspeaking he pricketh foreward the hands to malapertnes of slaughter through prouocation of wrongs Too make a manne a deceyuer he faceth him with vniust gayne Too catch the soule with couetousnesse hee thrusteth in hurtfull commoditie To bereeue a man of the heauenly honour he promiseth him worldly honour To steale from him the true things he sheweth him the false things And when hee can not beguile couertly hee threateneth openly and apertly manacing with terror of troublesome persecution as one that is alwayes enimie to Gods seruants always restles in seking to subdue them In peace he is slye in persecution violent Therfore my deerebeloued brethren our minds must stande armed weaponed as wel against all the
rayler and a slaunderer beware that thou neyther say nor doe any thing vnbeseeming a Christen mā through anger nor stryue with him in scoldyng and brawlyng Unto these and suche other lyke thyngs the mynde must alwayes bee armed aforehande that nothing may seeme straunge to vs nor any thyng happen vnthought of or vnprouided for For as one sayth a sodeyne storme abassheth men more than the storme that is forescene For the auoyding of these and suche other things bycause the shunnyng of them in the open worlde seemed verye harde The godlye in tymes paste did shet vp themselues in some solitarie place wher ther might be no roome for so many occasions and causes of sinning nor for so many corruptions and stumbling blockes Not vnwisely certesse nor vnwarely did they deale in myne opinion but yet if all other men should doe the lyke who should gouern the common weale who should ouersee the Churche of God who should trayne vp youth in godlinesse nurture and learning who should incorage men to vertue by example Howsoeuer the case standeth yet must thou wrestle with the world wheresoeuer thou becommest vnlesse thou intend to liue altogither among the dennes of wyld beastes as the men that loued God did in the noble dayes of the auncient tymes Whom though thou imitate neuer so neerly yet am I afrayd that thou shalt fynde a world euen without the world that the very solitarinesse shall comber thee more than if thou leddest thy lyfe where as is most stirring and soughtest the common commoditie of others What remaineth then but that we liue in the world as out of the world that is to say that we kepe our selues vndefiled of the world as sayth S. Iames neyther loue the world nor the things in the world as saith S. Iohn And as the same Apostle addeth immediatly The things that are in the world are such as these namely the lust of the flesh the likings of the eyes and the pride of life And by those are meant all manner of lewde desires that fight against Gods law al inticements of pleasure all kindes of lusts and likings all couetousenesse ambition straungenesse all pride full of a certayne statelinesse and vayne brauerie and all troublesomnesse of life And these in very deede are the things that wee haue professed our selues to renounce in our Baptim and from the whiche all men must flee and keepe them selues pure and vndefiled at leastwise if they minde to be taken for Christians and to be so in deede For the loue of the worlde and the loue of God cānot agree togither bycause as sayth Sainte Iames the frendship of the worlde is enmitie against God so that whosoeuer will be frende to the worlde is made an vnfrende to god Now for the auoyding of the seuerall sinnes wherof bothe the causes and occasions doe spring of the worlde let euery man beare in mynde the sayings of the Scripture as for example against hatred and hartburning towards our neybor this saying of Saint Iohn Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslear and you knowe that no māslear hath euerlasting life abiding in him And if any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyar Against wrath thys saying of our Sauiors Whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly shall be in danger of iudgement Against rayling and mis-speaking Whosoeuer calleth his brother foole shall bee in daunger of Hell fire And this of Paules Euill speakers shall not possesse the kingdome of god Against impatiēce and desire of reuenge this saying of Christes Loue your enimies wishe well to them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you that ye may be the sonnes of your father which is in heauen And agayne if ye forgiue not men their misdeedes neyther will your father forgiue you your misdeedes I will not pursew these things any further Let vs remember that the occasions and as yee woulde say the handles whereby to take hold of these sinnes are giuen vs of the world but the roote of them all is fastned deepely in the flesh and that the world doth oftentimes cause the vices to brust out whiche lie hidden within in the flesh Dung sayth one doth not alwayes cast an ill sent but stirre it and thou shalt smell it Euen so wee whiche seeme to our selues to bee meeke gentle godly and christianly in deed do by and by bewray what wee bee as soone as the worlde ministreth occasion For then true speech doth from the hart proceede The vizor gone the thing remaynes in deede That is to say the naughtynesse and sinfulnesse which cleaueth fast to the bowels and maree of vs bursteth out whensoeuer occasion is giuen and bewrayeth it selfe so as the secret vices that lay hid in the innermost nookes of the mind appeare and the priuie thoughtes of the hart whiche lay wrapped vp in darknesse as sayth the Apostle are brought to opē light so as a man may nowe in manner feele with his handes the faultinesse stayning and corruption that is bred within vs by nature The world sheweth foorth riches welth glory honor and pleasure These stirre vp the inward lurking couetousnesse ambition sensualitie and other lustes and affections and bewray a man to be farre otherwise than hee pretended to be A man is at a deyntie fyne and sumptuous feast wher there wanteth neyther pleasant meate nor most excellent and noble wine In this cace perchance he that tooke himselfe to be very sober and well stayd by nature shal finde in him some pronenesse and forwardnesse of his flesh to riot and surfetting For the vice that lay lurking within indeuoureth to burst foorth into act vnlesse ye meete it by the way and resist it and fight against it with all your power as the wel disposed sort such as feare God haue bin wont to do So likewise that I may alledge another example the beholding of a fayre and welfauored woman shall peraduenture cause a man which douted nothing lesse before to feele some filthy inclination of his flesh vnto wickednesse whyche eyther he was vtterly ignorant of before or at leastwise beleeued it not to be of so great force to set him on fire Therefore let no man let no man I say trust too much to him selfe but let euery man suspect himselfe and acknowledge both the wonderfull forwardnesse of the flesh vnto all sin and wickednesse and also the weakenesse and frailtie of man to withstande it and to the intente he may eschue the sinnes them selues let him according to the commō saying eschue the occasions of sin but yet let him in any wise call always vppon God for help and succour and so liuing in a cleane body let him labour and trauel towards heanenly things in his mind And inespecially looke what vices euery man is most giuē vnto by nature let him diligently shun both the causes and occasiōs of them in the world Let him