Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
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A13907
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The treasure of the soule Wherin we are taught how in dying to sin, we may attayne to the perfect loue of God, & our neighbour, and consequently vnto true blessednes and saluation. Many yeares since written in the Spanish tonge, & and [sic] now newly translated into English: by A.P.; Spill de la vida religiosa. English.
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Poyntz, Adrian.
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1604
(1604)
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STC 24208; ESTC S121766
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64,180
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314
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THE TREASVRE OF the Soule Wherin we are taught how in dying to Sin we may attayne to the perfect loue of God our neighbour and consequently vnto true blessednes and Saluation Many yeares since written in the Spanish tonge and now newly translated into English By A. P. 1. Tim 1. The end of the commandementes is loue springing from a clean hart a good conscience an vnfained faith Gal. 5. Those that appertaine to Christ haue crucified their flesh with all the euill desires concupiscences thereof LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1596. To the worshipfull his good Vncle Maister Richard Saltonstall Alderman of the Citty of London and his wife Mistres Susan Saltonstall his louing Aunt Adrian Poyntz wisheth health prosperity in the Lord. WHen I had finished the translation of this Booke louing Vncle Aunt I remembred the common order custome euer vsed in so much that few commit their labours to the view of the world vnlesse they first procure some Patrone for their defence I therefore vnwilling to send my translation to the presse before I had committed it to the patronage of some And standing in doubt to whome I might offer my labour in this kind trusting vpon your curtesies did embolden my selfe to commende this Treatise to your protections The booke was written aboue an hundreth and threescore yeares since in the Spanish tongue the Authour thereof being vnknowne As for his stile and methode of writing I meane not to commend it leauing the iudgment thereof to those vnto whom such censures are belonging I for my parte as I haue faithfully englished his words deliuered his meaning in such maÌ„ner that EnglishmeÌ„ may both read his treatise and vnderstand it so I doo not doubt but that it wil be as profitable vnto them that reade it for their instruction as it hath beene to other nations who haue greedily desired the traÌ„slation hereof And thus beseeching you to take my good will and meaning in good part I commit you to the tuition of the Almightie Your worships to commaunde Adrian Pointz THE PREFACE of the Authour to the Reader THE more graces a man hath receyued of God and the more he is indued with knowledge of vnderstanding the greater punishment he deserueth if therefore he be vnthankefull And againe whosoeuer acknowledgeth the benefites of God he also by all naturall reason is bound the more to loue him Nowe all bookes are replenished with knowledge and learning nowe is the holy Gospell sealed and confirmed with the precious bloude of the immaculate Lambe of God to the end we may haue a greater assurance of the vnspeakeable loue towards vs. All bookes I say are full the earth doth abounde with Preachers sounding forth as Trumpettes the great power and excellency of the Almighty for to draw stirre vs vp to lande praise giue thankes to our Creatour and most louing Father But we are all so prone to vnthankefulnes and so ready to forget his benefites so largely bestowed vpon mankind that there is none almost to bee found who vnfaynedly doo seeke him But all runne and flie headlong into darke and obscure places of sin and wickednesse Moued therefore by the premises I haue finished this booke to the glory of God and as I hope to the furtherance of the godly And because that nowe a dayes our slothfulnesse is so great our desire and stomacke to the glory of God so faint weake and slender I haue vsed here in this my booke sundry similitudes and parables by these meanes to intice the minds of men the more to the deep consideration of the contentes of this volume THE TREASVRE of the Soule IN times past there dwelte in a huge and great forrest a wise and godly man dayly watching fasting and praying deuoutly seruing the Lorde Who being desirous to attaine asmuch as lay in man to the true and perfect knowledge of vnderstanding and the loue of God leauing his cottage determined with himselfe to trauaile through all the world for to see if he could find any that wold vouchsafe to teach him the same And after greate and wearisome iournyes met in the ende with a shepheard feeding his flocke in a green pasture He being very glad of this hauing as yet in none of all his iourneyes found or scene any man came to him said Brother I thanke God that I doe see thee wherevpon the shepheard bidding him welcome asked him what hee lookt for in this desart I looke saide he for a knight who but nowe is gone by this way The seconde Chapter doth instruct the Pastors and Teachers of the people DEsire for it was that holy mans name meruaylinge greatly at the prouision diligence and care which the shephearde tooke in his trade for that he had a crook in his hand a bagge hanging at his right side woodeen cloge at his feet and a long coat vpon his backe besides at his lefte side two hornes hanging at his girdle thâ— one somwhat bigger thâ—â— the other and two great dogges lying before at his feet and not farre from thence his cottage enuironed with a hedge of thornes rounde about it The shepherd perceuing Desire to beholde and to view him so diligent and narrowly asked him the cause of his wondering that if neuer before he had seen any shepheard Whervppon Desire aunswered him how he had seene diuers of them but none so well prouided and furnished of all necessaries as he was desyring him most frendly that it woulde please him to shewe and declare vnto him those thinges which hee should in curtesie demand aske him The shephearde hauing graunted to satisfy him in all his questions so farre as he was able or his knowledge shoulde reach vnto Desire began and saide tell mee I pray thee wherefore carryest thou this crooke Why demandest thou mee this question quoth the shephearde and thou a countrey swaine and a heard-man and doest thou not know this I do carry it said he that I might leane vpon it and keep me from falling when I leade my sheep about the pastures To rule likewise my sheep with it to driue theÌ„ into the right way to keep theÌ„ together that they runne not astray and sâ—eke sundry wayes according to their owne pleasure For when one runneth before and the other behind then doe I driue the hindmost forwarde And what hast thou in this bagge quoth Desire Diuers and sundry things aunswered the shephearde First of all I haue a tinder boxt for to strike make fyre in colde weather and to dresse my meat for me and my housholde Besides I haue in it breade ointmentes a smal bottel with oyle and salt giuing these to my sheep ofteÌ„times but chiefly the salt Wherefore dost thou weare these wooddeÌ„ clogges demanded Desire for to keep my feete warm when it is â—râ—gâ—â— or the drie in raying weather answered the shepheard for if I should wear fine and proper shoes they would be quickly
and holy and account my self to be wicked and a sinner not knowing what euery man may bee in the sight of God or els what his latter ende will be But as concerning my selfe I know whom and what I am and to what end the fee lt of my desires Wickednesse and Vngodlines woulde bring carrie mee namely into hell it that mercy of God came not to aide or assist me Therefore I haue inough to doo with my selfe and to see whether my thoughtes doodes and conscience bee good for I know my selfe and not other men As concerning others I wil take and chuse the surest which is to thinke well of them all wherewith I shall loose nothing but may profite and aduance much For it is daungerous to refuse the certainty for the vncertainty and charity thinketh no harm Moreouer who hath ordeyned mee a Iudge betweene God my neighbour betweene him and his conscience truely no body Therefore auoide the iudgement hereof belongeth to God onely for it is hee that seeth the inward thoughts and trieth euery mans reynes secrets Moreouer Ill Suspition proceedeth from that Diuell and is quite contrary to brotherly vnitie and causeth great strife amongst friendes which a man may finde to bee true by daylie experience for if a husband taketh an euill suspition against his wife and she doeth perceiue it although she had been before the honestest of all her goodly neighbours shee wil quickly turne her chastitie into all manner of wickednes and disloyalty For it is most true that Seneca saith Ill suspition hath caused many men to sinne What although they haue erred perhaps they are fallen through weaknes or els through great temptations but notwithstanding all this I shoulde not therefore hate them or els giue a light iudgment of their doings but for the Loue of God shoulde turn all things to the best should suffer pittie and haue compassion on them And if thou wilt not yet graunt mee this then I tell thee that it is Gods iustice and iudgement whose prouidence doth bring all thinges to passe which in no wise wee are able to comprehende and in such sort that eueÌ„ as he neuer ceaseth to doe good vnto vs so he permitteth these faultes and turneth them although they are euill to the aduantage profite of those that are fallen or els of theirs that do behold them Therfore trouble mee no more for he that taketh vppon him to iudge other men presumeth vppon the title of God and remember what happened to thy father when he would haue been like vnto God and therefore I haue reason to take warning by his others mishap and misfortune to haue a speciall eye to mine owne actions and doings the xiiij Chapter endeth the exercises of Ladie Humilitie DEsire being stroken in a maze at Lady Humilities words said Now first I do vnderstand that which long agone I haue heard my auncestors tell but yet neuer had any triall of it namely that Humilitie conteyneth and coÌ„prehendeth all manner of vertues Iustice Peace Ioy spirituall and temporall comfort Therfore I pray your Ladiship to resolue mee of one doubt which troubleth me not a little as touching this matter Whether you doo know alwayes these wicked Damsels when they come in disguised apparel or vnder the colour of godlines for we do reade that they are able to transform themselues into Angels of light whereby easily they may deceiue the simple and such idiots as I am Ah my welbeloued sonne quoth Humility this is a great point Therefore to resolue thee herein thou must knowe the God hath put a Lampe in the midst of our Chamber called Good conscieÌ„ce which burneth day and night with the oyle of his mercy and is kindled with a wike of the holie Scriptures hangeth to it a string called Care of the mind being fastned at a naile called Care of inclination And as long as this Lampe doth burne and is kindled then wee neede not to feare them for wee can spie them quickly And although they come as disguised as they may yet we know them by their going for they are crooked mishapen and are lame and do halt so that they cannot for their liues go straight and vpright But my son when this Lamp is put our by our owne negligence or that the nayle falleth out by our idlenes or els that the string breaketh or that God wtdraweth his Oyle which he neuer doth before wee doo first spill it willingly then we remaine in darknesse and nothing doth prosper with vs. And therefore we pray to God alwaies that it woulde please hun to lighten our Lampe and doe say with the Prophete Dauid O Lorde thou art my guide lighten mee therefore in darkenesse The Lorde graunt you his grace and mercy quoth Desire for you haue comforted my troubled mind Take theÌ„ said Humility these Ladies whom I shall aopoint in thy companie vntill thou be sufficiently armed with a True feare for the foresaid wicked Damsels will endeuour themselues to draw thee perforce againe out of our handes Here is Fortitude against the first called Concupiscence of the flesh Earnestnesse against Concupiscéce of the eyes The second Humilitie against Price of life The third Watchfulnes against Slothfulnes The fourth Bountifulnesse against Maliciousnes And so the Lord haue thee in his keeping The fifteenth Chapter intreateth of the Verâ—ues of Lady Humilities dâ—ughters By these means said Humilitie with the helpe and grace of God mine owne endenour I vanquish and ouerthrowe all my enemies Desire did receyue a great comforte by his soueraigns words and said I pray your Ladishippe giue me leaue to go visite these Damselles for to come acquainted with them Go in the name of God aunswered shee this leaue I giue thee most willingly And thou my Steward go thou with him bring him acquainted with all the housholde And herewithall Desire departed most ioyfully out of his Soueraignes chamber accompanied with the foresaide Lady who was Steward of the house called Esteeme nothing Who brought him presently into the chamber of Humilities eldest daughter called Confession of sins who did entertain him most frendly and being bidden to sit by her began to speake I pray you Lady that it may please you to tell me your estate conditions and manners I aunswered she am Humilities eldest daughter and a scholler to this damsel our Steward and do greatly delight in her company acknowledging and confessinge alwayes whome I am such as I esteeme my selfe to be Desire presently did marke that this Lady was of a great contenance and very bountiful because she shewed her selfe to be an enemie to all vain glory and idlenes and herewithall did take his leaue of her And being departed from thence his guide brought him to the Chamber of Lady Humilities second daughter called Desire to bee dispised who did receiue him likewise most cuâ—teously and sitting downe by her said I pray you Lady to tel me your name condition I am